Harry pulled the motorbike up outside of a building made of corrugated metal that was covered severely in rust and dripping gobbets of it onto the pavement around it. This was, as you could say, his headquarters of sorts.
As he turned the bike off and put the kickstand down, the door on the side of the building swung open to reveal a scrawny young man of about twenty-one years. He had the bright red hair associated with the Weasley family and that was rightly so as his father was the eldest son of Molly and Arthur Weasley. The red hair, however, was shot through with streaks of blond and seriously spiked up, which matched the spiked collar about his neck and the band on his left wrist. A tattoo of a dragon snaked its way across his right forearm and what could only be a dragon fang dangled from an earring in his right ear. He obviously followed his father's style of dress.
"Harry!" exclaimed he as he spotted the other man. "What are you doing here? After that stunt last night with Shanks, I wouldn't have thought that you and Ginny would be out." He looked around and added, "Where is she anyway?"
"Waiting for me at our café," replied Harry as he stuffed the keys to the motorbike in his pocket. "Nice to see you too, Benji."
Benjamin Weasley, better known as Benji, smiled slightly and said, "Same to you, Harry. What's up?"
"Shanks had what I've been looking for," said Harry as the two of them entered the building.
"Shit. Did you get it?"
"No. The idiot sold it to someone. Couldn't tell me who though."
Benji snapped his fingers and said, "Damnit. We were that close to finally getting rid of it!"
"Calm down, kid," admonished Harry, sitting down on the edge of a desk that was littered with papers of all sorts. "We'll get it. I've got the feeling that Shanks has some more objects that this person might want."
"What makes you say that?" asked Benji as he sat down in the chair behind the desk, propping his feet up on the edge closest to him.
"A hunch. I want you to get Guy on him."
"Guy? Harry, he's the best spy we've got. You really want to put him on Shanks?"
Harry gave Benji the Evil Eye and the redheaded young man held up his hands.
"Okay, okay. Guy it is. Anything else you wanted?"
"Yeah. How's that thing with that American fellow going?"
Benji scowled and replied, "Not so good. Anka's over there right now trying to sort it out."
"What's the problem?" asked Harry.
"He doesn't trust us."
"Tell him the feelings mutual and that he doesn't have to trust me to get what he wants."
"Gotcha, boss."
"Anything I should know about?" asked Harry as he picked up an abandoned pack of cigarette's off of the desk. He dug into his pocket for a moment as he put one in his mouth.
"Nothing that I can think of," replied Benji as Harry fished a lighter out of his pocket and lit the cigarette. "Those can kill you, y'know."
"Yeah," said Harry. He then offered it to Benji, who took it with an amused smile. As he handed it back to Harry, the dark-haired man said, "Guess we'll die together then, eh?"
"Sure. It'll be fun."
Harry chuckled and said, "Keep things together, eh? And call me if Guy gets anything."
"You got it."
Harry nodded at him then left the building. He had an appointment with a lovely lady to keep.
And he wasn't going to miss it.
* * * *
"He's late," muttered Ginny without looking at her watch.
"Huh?" said Ron as Sirius let out a snore.
Ginny didn't bother to answer and Ron sighed. This was turning out to be a fine day indeed…
"Hey, Harry, mate! What'll it be today?"
"You wouldn't happen to have any beer, would you, Paul?"
The rat-faced man behind the counter chuckled and pulled a brown bottle out from somewhere near his feet.
"More like ale it is. Old fashioned sort. Made it myself."
"That'll work. Thanks."
"Anytime!"
Ron sat as still as someone walked towards their table, coming straight at his back. They ignored Ron and Sirius and slid into the chair beside Ginny, shoving it neatly up against hers. Harry sat the brown bottle down on the table then pecked the redhead on the cheek.
"'Lo, lovely."
"Your late," growled Ginny, still not looking up from the newspaper.
"Sorry," said Harry. "Traffic was hell on the way over here." He then looked at Ron and frowned. When he saw Sirius, his expression darkened. His eyes shadowed as well, which Ron noticed were no longer framed by glasses.
"Ron," he growled. "And Sirius. How…pleasant. Ginny, love, what are they doing here?"
"Apparently they wanted to talk to you," replied Ginny. "I told them you wouldn't be too happy about it."
"I'm not."
"Harry," began Ron, only to be cut off suddenly.
"Look, you son of a bitch. I want the wizarding world to stay out of my life. Hasn't it done enough damage as is?"
Harry uncapped the brown bottle and lifted it to his lips.
"We're not intruding on your life, Harry," said Sirius softly, still trying to keep his charade of being asleep going.
"Bullshit," muttered Harry before he took a sip of the ale. "Hmm, nutty."
"Really?" remarked Ginny. "Let me see that."
Harry solemnly handed the bottle to the redhead and Ron blinked as she nearly drank half of it straight.
"Leave me a little, lovely, or I'll have to beg Paul for more," quipped Harry, nudging her slightly with his elbow.
Ginny sighed and handed the bottle back.
"S'good stuff. I commend Paul's brewing skills."
"Can we get to business?" asked Sirius irritably, no longer pretending to be asleep.
"No," snapped Harry.
"Harry, we just…"
"Sirius, I don't care what the fuck you want. Stay out of my life."
"I wish I could, Harry," said Sirius. "But that's just it. I can't."
"Oh really?" said Harry, arching an eyebrow. "Why's that?"
"We know you're looking for a certain…magical item. Why?"
"Why the fuck do you care?" snapped Harry. "It's my business. Piss off."
"We need to know," said Ron. "The Ministry's found out what you're looking for and its got them nervous."
"Oh yay," sneered Harry. "The Ministry's nervous. Big fuckin' woop-dee-doo. I really don't give a shit. I just want to find it and get rid of it. Savvy?"
Sirius shook his head and said, "You've got to stop looking for it, Harry. For your own sake."
"Uh-huh. Right."
"Harry, please!" exploded Ron. At a hard look from Paul, he lowered his voice. "There are…other people looking for that thing. And if they find out that you're looking for it, they're going to probably kill you."
"What's new?" asked Harry. "I got shot at just last night by a cop."
Sirius looked confused at that. "I thought cop's didn't carry guns."
"Since they've got us out on the street, they do," said Ginny. She lifted her head to smile ferally at Sirius. "We're dangerous, you know."
"Yeah," said Sirius lightly. "I know."
"I doubt you know how much," said Harry. He downed the last of the ale and said, "What do you say we get out of here, lovely? I feel like a drive."
"Sounds perfect," purred Ginny, folding up the paper and dropping it on the table. She turned her coffee cup upside down on top of it and Harry slid the empty bottle across the table to sit beside it.
"Wait," said Ron, rising from his seat. "You can't leave."
Harry's hand started to dip under his coat and Sirius reached for his wand. But Ginny placed her hand on the dark-haired young man's arm.
"Not in broad daylight, love," she murmured.
"Fine," snarled Harry, glaring daggers at Ron. "Don't get in my way, Auror Weasley. I promise you it won't be good for your health."
"Harry…" began Sirius only to stop as Harry turned that glare upon him. It was good enough to rival one of Snape's best. And those he had long secured solely for Sirius and Voldemort.
"Don't, Sirius," said Harry with a slight note of pleading in his voice. "I don't want to hurt either of you. But I will."
Sirius locked eyes lazily with his godson and he felt a little piece of him break as he saw that Harry was being serious.
The boy he had known would not have made such a threat.
But Harry wasn't the boy he had known anymore.
"Move, Ron," said Sirius softly.
Ron turned to stare at him.
"But…Sirius…"
"Move!"
Ron frowned but moved out of Harry's way. He gave Sirius a surly look and crossed his arms over his chest.
Harry nodded to Sirius and then he and Ginny walked out, their arms clasped about each others waists. Sirius thought he saw a flash of a shoulder rig and metal underneath Ginny's coat.
"We let them go," said Ron.
"Yeah."
"Why?"
"We can't hold them," said Sirius.
"But they're looking for it!"
"To destroy it. You know the Ministry doesn't want that. They want to put it in holding. Like its some sort of treasure."
"So you're going to let them get off because they're going to do what the Ministry won't?" asked Ron. When Sirius didn't answer, he said, "Sirius?"
"Let's head back," said Sirius, turning to leave.
"What? Sirius! Sirius!" Ron heaved a heavy sighed and growled, "Sometimes I really get fed up with him…"
