Disclaimer: As always, I own nothing but the original characters and the situations the characters find themselves in. Thanks so much for continuing to read and for giving me feedback on my work. It's muchly appreciated and I do read every review you send me!
Note: It is currently August 2018 in this story, just so you know.
Beware Pointy Things
In the dream that Harry knew to be a dream, he found himself standing in the middle of the road, nary a car in sight. The familiar houses and buildings that surrounded him were all dark, the only light coming from the streetlights bracketing either side of street. He wasn't afraid, but wary as he walked towards the barrier ahead of him. A barrier that only vaguely resembled the most recent one Harry had arranged to have placed around the perimeter of his neighborhood, nearly two years ago.
For starters, rather than a mix of blues to signify its linkage to him and his Water Gift there were now hints of green, silver, and purple threaded through the predominant blues. Colors associated with the Fae and someone with an Air Gift.
So what he was seeing was presumably Eggsy's influence on the original barrier, Harry surmised.
It was quite lovely to look at, actually, and Harry would have settled for admiring it a while if not for the individual he could see on the other side of the barrier, waving her hands about as she performed some sort of magic that was causing odd, swirling patterns in the barrier's surface. Not breaking through it, but affecting it nonetheless.
Harry had had quite enough of people fucking with the barrier today, even if this was a dream.
And that was why Harry glared coldly at the house elf that was currently ignoring him in favor of doing whatever it was she was attempting to do to the protective construct.
It felt odd to glare at someone who was about the same height as Daisy, Harry thought to himself absently, he'd been alive long enough not to discount the danger she might pose, especially given what she was doing. Given what she so obviously was.
There was no way to guess how old she was to look at her, the woman's pale blonde hair intricately braided at the sides with the rest of it falling down to midway down her back. Her warm brown tunic was simple in construction, but heavily embroidered with symbols that Harry didn't recognize in gold thread. Sewn with real gold, if he wasn't mistaken. Simple black tights and boots completed the look, no jewelry save for a ring on her right hand and four simple, gold studs placed in her long, pointed ears.
"No need to glare so fiercely, Mr. Hart." Her voice was soft and amused, the accent musical. "I'm simply seeing what the barrier can tell me about your house elf. I have no intention of dismantling it or crossing into your territory."
"And why are you interested in my elf?" Harry asked in turn, not trusting this elf further than he could throw her.
Though given her size he probably could toss her a fair distance, Harry mused in silent amusement. Amusement he kept very pointedly off his face as he awaited her answer.
"You've caused quite a stir in House Fray. They contacted my Master and asked that I look into the matter for them. The degree of repartition that must be paid depends somewhat on your elf's house, after all. And if his House also takes offence...House Fray would prefer to see that danger coming."
"His House is Kingsman. And we have taken grave offense."
Musical laughter, like the chiming of bells. "You may claim him, but his bloodlines connect him to another House as well. A powerful one, if I'm correct. And I am very rarely wrong."
Intriguing, but one never trusted an elf. Particularly when they were volunteering information they didn't have to give.
"We'll see when I meet him in-"
A warm but strong wind suddenly blew out from behind Harry, blasting past to blow back the elf's hair before making her take a couple staggered steps back at the sudden violent burst of air.
Then Eggsy's voice, magnified and booming, came from nowhere and everywhere.
"You're trespassing. Go away!"
Opening her mouth to say something the elf closed it just as quickly, her eyes widening ever so slightly as she stared at the barrier, which had begun to crackle and pop with violent energy, like a live electrical current or a thunder bolt.
Inclining her head in acknowledgement when she turned it to meet Harry's gaze, the elf seemed to be silently telling him something he didn't understand. Then she vanished in a snap, as though she'd never been there.
What the...
)
Waking up with a jerk, Harry sat up in bed, his body braced to spring into action even as he mentally took in his surroundings, looking for the possible threat. A threat he couldn't see from his place in the bed, the curtains drawn and the room dark. Eggsy was sitting up beside him, equally as awake and just as tightly wound. That suggested that something was messing with the house or the barrier, and given the odd realness of the dream he'd just had...
"Is someone trying to break through the barrier?"
"No. She was just messin with it. She won't be doin that again." Eggsy informed him with obvious satisfaction. "I felt it, what she was doing while I was dreaming. Could sense it somehow, that she was interested in it and you. Not on my fucking watch, the pointy earred busybody. Did it wake ya up too, what she was doin?"
"In a way." Harry summarized his dream, ending with the statement that he had no idea why he'd had the vision, if indeed that had been the case.
"I didn't have a dream about it. Wasn't like I was there or nothing. I just...knew things."
"Well, first things first. Let's go check the cameras."
"The wot now?"
Pushing aside his covers with deep regret-though there was no way in hell he was getting back to sleep without making sure it was safe to do so-Harry explained that he'd had cameras installed at various points throughout his neighborhood covertly. Just in case.
"Pretty sure that's illegal as fuck, Harry."
"You aren't wrong. Coming?"
"Yeah. I'm in."
So together they headed out of the bedroom and down the hall to Harry's office, Eggsy taking Harry's hand as they did so. A lovely gesture Harry appreciated, squeezing Eggsy's hand back to silently convey that.
Knowing the setup of his study like the back of his hand Harry easily made his way to the desk in the dark, leading Eggsy by the hand. Harry opted to turn on a lamp situated on his desk since that wouldn't wake him up nearly as much as turning the room's bright main light on.
Though he was still likely to have a devil of a time getting back to sleep after this.
In short order Harry had his laptop set up and the camera feed accessed, Eggsy watching over Harry's shoulder with his arms carelessly draped across it. The boy's body a comforting weight against his side.
Starting the feed most likely to have captured something, going an hour back just in case on fastforward, the two of them watched as nothing out of the ordinary happened on screen. Harry explained that the cameras wouldn't show the barrier until it was disturbed, but would reveal anyone coming close to it. Depending on what the unknown house elf had done, and her level of power, the barrier might-
Harry joined Eggsy in looking in the direction of the study door, having both heard the pitter patter of little feet. A loud knock at the door followed seconds later.
"Come on in, Flower." Eggsy called out, then murmured softly that she must have been woken by the house elf's arrival too.
The door flying open before Harry could agree, Daisy came running in and almost slammed into the desk, she only just barely dug in her heels in time.
"Unca Harry! Eggsy! I think Harry's mummy is coming again!"
Wouldn't that just be the icing on the cake, Harry thought. But no, she wasn't that foolish.
"Harry's mum ain't visitin, Luv. An elf was just messing with the barrier round the house again. It's okay."
"An elfie?" Coming around the desk Daisy held her hands up and put them over her ears, fingers closed. Possibly, Harry guessed, she was trying to mimic the longer ears elves were well known for. It was adorable regardless.
"Yes. But don't worry, the barrier kept her out." Harry assured her. "Your magic and Eggsy's scared her away."
"I did magic?" Daisy's face scrunched up in confusion.
Shaking his head in amusement Eggsy gave her a very simplified explanation as to what Harry meant, Harry turning his attention back to the screen he'd forgotten to pause. Thankfully that proved to work in his favor, since Eggsy wasn't even done explaining when it happened before Harry's eyebrows were rising high in surprise.
"Well. That was unexpected."
"Wot?"
"Take a look."
Harry quickly rewound, then watched it all over again with Eggsy leaning forward, Daisy balanced on his hip so that she could see too. At first there was nothing on the feed-until suddenly the barrier burst into view in all its dazzling color. And the barrier's startling appearance was followed quickly by the elf from Harry's dream showing up on screen for a couple heartbeats, staggering back from the barrier before winking out of sight once more, the barrier doing the same.
"That the elf you saw in your dream."
"I believe so."
"Fuc-fudge. That can't be good."
Harry had to agree.
)
Neither Harry nor Eggsy slept well the rest of the night, catnapping instead. Daisy was the only one in their bed to get any real sleep, the little one passing out quickly in between them, knowing she was safe in their company. She also didn't wake up again until her usual time, which suggested the barrier had been left alone. Eggsy hadn't sensed anything to suggest otherwise, and neither had Harry. And while they appreciated the fact that the elf had apparently decided to leave them alone...she'd still put them on high alert regardless, and Harry joined the younger man in cursing her once morning arrived and it was time to get up and start the day without adequate sleep.
A quick call in to headquarters confirmed that the agents Harry had called in to guard the perimeter of the barrier had reported zero disturbances. That was something, at least. The guards would stay in place until he, Daisy, and Eggsy left to spend the day at Kingsman, where it was safest. Just in case.
After assuring Merlin that they'd be on their way as soon as they were done breakfast Harry said good bye and headed down to help Eggsy finish bringing food to the table and ensure that Daisy was kept from eating without them.
She was slippery like that.
Thankfully he could distract her with the news that she was going to get to visit with Merlin for the day.
"Yay!" Daisy threw up her hands in excitement. "And Thomas and Mr. Addy-son?"
"Thomas, yes. You'll have to wait a bit longer to see Addison, I'm afraid. He's away on business."
"Is he fightin with the tan-ja-rine man?"
Harry's lips twitched at the reminder of Daisy's special name for the current president of the United States. "No. Or at least he's not supposed to be. He's...having a very firm talk with someone who's been misbehaving lately."
"Did they cut their hair like me?"
"No. They...have just been very, very naughty."
"Oh. Father Christmas ain't gonna like that."
The person in question wouldn't live to see December, but Harry just nodded along in agreement.
"You two plotting something?" Eggsy asked as he joined them, a plate piled high with toast in hand.
Smiling, Harry assured him that they were just talking about the importance of behaving, lest Father Christmas find out and take grave offense.
"It ain't even September yet."
"But one should be good all year round, just in case. Right, Daisy?"
Daisy nodded definitively, then looked a touch panicked as she inquired as to whether or not Father Christmas would be angry at her for cutting her hair.
Reaching over Eggsy would have ruffled Daisy hair-had she had any real hair to begin with. "Nah. Not real angry, anyway. So long as ya don't do it again, kay?"
"Kay." Daisy mulled over that for a moment. "How long till Christmas?"
"Months, Luv. We haven't even started Fall yet."
Slumping forward, Daisy pouted over that unwanted bit of reality. For about three seconds. Then she noted that Eggsy was taking his seat at the table, which meant it was time to eat.
"Breakfast!"
Joining Eggsy in laughing at her enthusiasm, Harry shook his head and then helped divvy of the food as quickly as possible. He'd feel better, once they were all safely within the walls of Kingsman.
All was quiet save for the sounds of food being eaten for a few minutes, Eggsy the first to break the silence by stating that he was looking forward to Fall. It was his favorite season, especially as he was looking forward to a break from all this bloody heat. They were in England, for Christ sakes. Not the bloody Carribean.
"It's hotter over there." Harry informed him, amused when Eggsy tartly shot back that it was supposed to be. "True enough."
"I want jumpers. Leaf piles. Ta be able ta pile on the blankets before bed!"
"You like to weigh yourself down with blankets when it's cool enough for that?"
"Uh, yeah? Who doesn't?"
"I find that very, very attractive in a man, Eggsy."
Face lighting up with laughter-which Harry also found extremely attractive-Eggsy shook his head, then slyly commented that he'd keep Harry nice and warm at night so long as he did the same for him.
"Consider it done."
"I will then."
In deference to the small child who was ignoring them completely for the moment-but might suddenly start paying attention to them at any moment-Harry went back to the original topic at hand, asking Eggsy if he was one of those people obsessed with pumpkin flavored drinks come cooler weather.
"Nah. Least not that I know of. Didn't have pumpkin anything, really, growing up. Tequila sent me some recipes though, so I'll give some of em a shot. Did I tell ya he wants us ta come ta America and celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving with im?"
"Why the Canadian version?" Harry was aware that the two nations celebrated the same holiday nearly a month apart for some reason, but Tequila was American.
"Cause he wants his pie and ta eat it too. He figures I'll cook im a feast in October and then he'll get another going home and spending the American one with his own family."
"Are you serious?"
"Swear down. Told him no, too. Fuck did he whine. We got ta talkin bout other holidays comin up, and he spent a good ten minutes or so dissing Guy Fawkes Day. I mean yeah, it's a holiday celebrating a bloke getting tortured and murdered, and then burned in effigy all over the country-but still. Americans probably have loads of mental holidays as well. And the whole Fawkes thing, it's tradition."
"Building large bonfires to commemorate unjustly torturing and killing people is actually very much a European thing, I'm afraid. Though given sufficient time, provided they don't wipe themselves and the rest of us off the earth, I'm sure eventually the Americans will start having more violence related holidays."
"Now I'm thinking bout 'The Purge'...and that ain't something ta think about while we're eating."
Harry had never seen any of the movies, but knew enough about the premise of that franchise to know Eggsy was absolutely right in this case.
"Agreed. We should-pardon me."
Harry was a firm believer that one shouldn't answer or look at their phone during a meal unless necessary, but the beep had signaled that the incoming message was from work. Given the current situations with both the elves and the vampires, Harry wasn't going to risk his family's safety just for the sake of phone etiquette.
The message turned out to be related to both, though not in a way Harry had been expecting.
"It would seem that Merlin decided to reach out to Ginger yesterday, asking if she had any information on House Fray we weren't in possession of. He explained that situation to her, which she in turn relayed to Champ. The text message I just received is to let me know that the Statesmen have spoken to House Fray to make it clear that they will answer if we call on them for support against their House."
"Seriously?"
"That's what it says."
"Huh. They must have really liked the biccies."
Chuckling, Harry ruefully stated that he'd had no idea previously, what gluttons so many of his work colleagues were.
"Well, here's a toast to them. May we not need their help dealing with the pointy earred-and pointy toothed-bastards of the world."
Seconding that, Harry tapped Eggsy's juice glass with his own.
