Disclaimer: Do I really need to say it?
Thanks again for all the lovely reviews. To answer a question, no, Chewie can't recognise Luke by scent since his disguise is part magic and that can change people's scents. Only one person has given a pairing suggestion and it was one that had crossed my mind, therefore it is decided. The pairings will be Han/Leia and Harry/Luke (but it'll be a while! And nothing graphic at all). Thank you BalrogsBreath. No, Harry hasn't been a hermit all this time, he has had previous relationships,two of which you shall learn about this very chapter.
Set: Three months after ch. 4
Chapter 5
Aille looked up as Quil sat beside him, passing him a drink before taking a sip of his own.
"Well?"
"Cargo'll be ready tomorrow. Pick up's at 0900." Aille groaned earning a grin.
"Do you enjoy torturing me?"
"Come on kid, it's not that early."
"Says you! You're not the one who has to get up and get everything ready. You just go get the cargo."
"Advantages of seniority. When you're Captain of your own ship then you can do the same."
"Great! I think I'll head back to the ship, seeing as I'll have to get up so early."
"You might want to stick around a bit longer kid. This'll be our last time in a Canteena for a while."
"Why's that?"
"Thought you might like to see my place."
"Your place? But isn't that where?"
"No, just one of many bolt holes. I mean the place I call home now."
"Really? Great! Maybe I'll have one more." Quil laughed as Aille headed for the bar.
"That's the last of it Solo. Got to admit I was surprised to see you, thought you were leaving them?"
"That was the plan Min, guess it didn't work out. Chewie's kind of stuck on them."
The two men shared a wiry grin.
"The kid feeling a bit down?"
"I think he's regretting ever drinking alcohol actually." Han laughed.
"He'll learn. When's the next drop?"
"No clue. We're heading off for a while so someone else will be doing the drops."
"Where you headed?"
"Home. I figured Aille could use a nice break and it's been a while since I've been back."
"Are you two related?" Quil laughed.
"No way. As far as I know the kids an orphan and my only living relatives died when I was sixteen. Met Aille on Ord Mantel, an unsavoury group decided to give him a career he didn't want so I stepped in, grabbed him, patched him up and he's been with me ever since. Great pilot, not a bad shot and a decent cook, what more could you want in a co-pilot?"
"Not much. Have a good trip and try to stay away from any Imperials, you charge less than any of the other suppliers."
"Thanks, you stay safe as well. We'll see you in a few months."
Luke dropped into the co-pilots chair as the planet sank away from them. Harry spared him a worried glance.
"You ok?"
"Fine, just a little tired. Where exactly are we going?"
"Nowhere."
"What?"
"Advantages of magic Luke, the ability to make a place that is unplottable and completely hidden from the outside world. Took me nearly a hundred years to get it right and I've never taken anyone there before, not even Yoda."
"So why are you taking me?"
"You've reached the point in your magical training where I need certain things and guess where they are. Also, if you accidentally blow something up it won't matter, if you do it on the ship you could kill yourself."
"Oh."
"Go get some sleep I'll wake you when we get there."
"This is incredible! I've never seen anything like it!"
"I modelled off my old school, with a few minor changes. I'll show you to your room and give you the grand tour." Harry led the way to what was Gryffindor Tower back home, it even had a portrait almost identical to the Fat Lady guarding it.
"Good evening my Lady. How have you been?"
"Oh none of that sir! It is so good to see you home and with a guest. Will the young man be staying in my tower?
"Do you mind ma'am?"
"Of course not Harry dear. Do wish to set a password? "
"Password?"
"So I can't get in unless you let me."
"Maybe later?"
"You heard him Marie. Luke this is Marie. Marie this is Luke, he'll be here for the whole time I am this trip. Mind letting us in?"
"Of course." The portrait swung open and the stepped into a cosy room, lit by a fireplace.
"This is the sitting room. Upstairs to the left is the bedroom, to the right is the study. Bathroom is off the bedroom. Put your bags in the bedroom and we'll head off." Luke studied the castle in awe as Harry showed him around.
"The tower you're in was my old school dorm, mine's where the Headmaster's office was." He led him to a statue of some sort of creature.
"It's a Griffin." Luke watched as Harry hissed the password and a spiralled staircase appeared.
"Up we go." Harry opened a plane wooden door and led him into another sitting room, similar to his but with a more personal touch.
"Feel free to look around down here while I dump my stuff."
Luke wandered the room aimlessly. The room seemed to reflect Harry's odd personality well. Holos and tapestries shared the walls while bookshelves were filled with an assortment of books on just about every subject he could think of. But what caught his eye were the pictures covering an entire cabinet. In one, an obviously far younger Harry dressed in black robes was standing with two other teens.
"The Golden Trio." Luke looked up as Harry re-entered the room.
"That's what people used to call us. Best friends from our first year. Hermione was the brightest witch of our age and Ron was a brilliant strategist. They started dating in sixth year and were engaged by the Last Battle. Ron died defending her."
"You still miss them."
"They were the first friends I ever had, my home life wasn't the nicest. Hogwarts became my home the moment I stepped through her doors." Luke put the picture down and looked at another.
"My godfather, Sirius, and his best friend Remus. Padfoot and Moony. That was taken a year or so after Sirius broke out of prison to protect me. I didn't really know anything about my parents till I met them." They spent the next hour going through the pictures, Luke picking one and Harry telling him about the people in it and what they'd meant to him. Finally they came to the last one.
"Miralle, she was my wife. We met on her home world of Corellia about two hundred and fifty years ago, she was incredible." Luke looked at the young woman. She had dark hair cut to her shoulders and warm, dark brown eyes. The smile on her face could have rivalled a sun for intensity.
"That was taken the day of our engagement, she was so happy. Apparently she'd thought I'd never ask."
"What happened to her?"
"Old age, she died peacefully in her sleep at the age of ninety nine. I used magic to appear to age as well, stuck around for a few more months and then 'died' of a broken heart according to my great niece."
"No children?"
"Miralle couldn't have any, even with magical help, but it didn't matter. She came from a large family so there were always children around to spoil, I still keep an eye on their descendants."
"You've only married the once?" Harry's eyes went to the mantle and a picture Luke hadn't noticed. In it Harry was leaning against another dark haired man as they sat beneath a tree. Someone had obviously caught them unawares as they were both asleep.
"Ever wonder where I picked your name from?"
"You named me for him." Harry nodded.
"Aille Windstorm. He was from Tatooine too actually. We met on Coruscant about three years before the Clone Wars broke out. I'd gone to see Yoda about something and he was working in a diner a few streets away and two levels down from the Temple. Took him three weeks to get me to agree to have lunch with him. I'm glad he persevered."
"Is he here?"
"No. He died towards the end of the Wars and in a way I'm glad he did. He would never have been able to adjust to the way things have changed since then. I came so close to telling him who and what I really am. The night I was going to tell him was the day he died." Harry suddenly stood.
"You must be starving, kitchens downstairs. Luke followed him, understanding his friend's reluctance to talk anymore.
TBC…
Sorry it took so long!
Thanks too: Crydwyn – glad you like the flashbacks;
PCBabySunribbon – hope I didn't make you wait too long!;
Laura of Maychoria – Yes, poor Han but don't worry, he'll get a reason to cheer up in a few more chapters.
And a big thanks to everyone else who has read this (takes to long to write everyone's name!)
