Midnight in Paris
JK Rowling Owns Harry Potter
FASA Owns Earthdawn
ϡ - To prevent confusion, conversations in French will start and end with ϡ. Reminder: Harry learned French from his mother's incarnation as she wanted him to attend Beauxbatons. Frankly, not everyone speaks French, and there will be a few folks that struggle without translation charms.
§ - Parseltongue will start and end with § and be in italics.
Shell Cottage
The Next Morning
Harry enjoyed a nice breakfast, then he settled down on the sofa with Victoire. Bill and Fleur were going about preparing for their trip to France. Victoire was just looking up at Harry with huge blue eyes. Pipsey took a quick break from helping Bill and Fleur so she could get in some Victoire time. Harry was gently talking to the baby, discussing all kinds of esoteric theory. All in a very soothing voice.
"Pipsey, can you prepare a bottle? I think she's hungry." Harry asked, but never took his eyes off of Victoire. "Someone should warn Fleur that this baby definitely has an allure!" Harry thought all babies had an allure…
Pipsey shook her head. "Master Harry has important work to do, Pipsey will hold tiny baby." Holding out her hands eagerly.
Harry was no fool. Pipsey loved babies. Victoire seemed to like Pipsey. It was hard to tell with an infant, but she definitely cried less when Pipsey held her. "Ok, Pipsey. You win." Harry said with an amused grin. "You know you don't have to call me Master, right?"
"Pipsey is sooo proud of her little Harry. He bees Master and Lord Potter." No point arguing. Like Aunt Andromeda says, 'just go with it.'
Handing over little Victiore, Harry went back to check his gear. He was ready for just about anything Paris could throw at him. As long as it did not involve romance or relationships, he would be just fine. Fleur had arranged for private tours and Daphne had made sure he would have opportunities for personal time as well as political time. Additionally, he was looking forward to the food.
He had a fully restored Leica iiif, loaded with magical film to capture a little life in his pictures. Colin had given this to him for his twentieth birthday and Harry like the look of it. Additionally, it was fully mechanical, no electronics – so it should work fine. The aperture and shutter speed dials were enchanted to optimize the images, he just had to focus, point and shoot. The dual eye-holes seemed a little odd, but he could manage. This would be fun.
He was taking his phoenix and holly wand as well as the blackthorn wand. These were his primary combo wands when he did not need the raw power of the elder wand. Both were very powerful and more than covered nearly any possible confrontation he could envision. That took care of his ranged attacks.
For non-magical solutions, he had his sig P226 and P239 pistols ready, but these were really just for when he was in non-magical areas of Paris. He also decided to bring his Benelli M4 'Shorty'. It was fitted with a pistol grip and enchantments to allow for one handed firing. He called it 'the big gun'. Just in case.
Most magical districts had wards that 'fouled out' the black powder and prevented the bullets from firing. Harry had found a few ways around this for short periods, but in time, all bullets would stop working under the standard ministry designed wards. And magic really was more dangerous. Still, he frequently went out of the magical districts and any little advantage would help.
Checking his ammo, Harry preferred 149 grain JHP with runic casings to resist transfiguration spells and wards. He would get about 7-8 minutes before the runes broke down and the black powder was fouled. Most of the similar protections he had seen, lasted about 30-45 seconds. Of course, most protections don't use 4000 year old runic formulas. Similarly, he preferred to alternate 12 gauge slugs with 00 Buck Shot is his M4 shorty. Similar runic patterns, but due to the size of the shell, he could squeeze more on. He got about 10-12 minutes out of that runic sequence under standard wards. All Were quite illegal.
For close up work, he had two daggers and his kurkuri knife. The kukuri was really more of a jungle machete, so he doubted he would take it out of the trunk. Then there was his Iklwa and short swords. Good for exercise, but limited in normal applications. The likelihood of close combat was small, but you never know.
Reviewing his small arsenal, Harry couldn't help but laugh. Thank goodness for astral pockets, these would really look odd strapped to him while he walks around Paris. People would run for cover. With the astral pockets, the bulges would be minimal.
When did he turn into a combat mage? Was he a combat mage? Charlus Potter was a combat Wizard. Maybe even a borderline mage. His parents were combat oriented (His mum was equally a researcher and elementalist, but that's quibbling). He wasn't so sure about himself. He didn't fight clean… He ignored local laws and worked best when alone or in a very small group. He was what was needed to protect innocents, like Teddy and Victoire. He was a night stalker, a hunter of horrors. A killer. An assassin. When he had to be.
'No wonder Ginny needed a break,' He thought calmly, shaking his head. 'Those thoughts sounded melodramatic even to me!' At that, he began laughing and started putting away his 'tools of the trade'. His swiss army knife he kept out though. No putting that away!
Downstairs, he heard Teddy calling out his name. 'Looks like the send-off committee has arrived', he thought happily. He loved his family! Levitating his trunk down stairs he went to see them all off before heading to the international portkey departure site.
The send-off was nice. He promised Teddy that he would pick up souvenirs while away. Andromeda seemed to be in a very good mood. He suspected that she enjoyed watching Harry scare the DoM employees more than she would admit. She was, after all, a Black at heart. Knowing Andromeda, she had played that scene over and over in her head and the Black family pensieve. Likely, she learned something about everyone in that room.
Handling a sealed folder to Harry, Andromeda made a request, "Harry, when you have a moment, I want you to go to this address. It's a Potter property in France you should look at. It's been in stasis for over two decades, so it may be a bit gloomy. As the last Potter, you're the only one the wards will recognize."
That got everyone's attention. Harry took the envelope and noted the Gringotts seal. "When did this come through, Aunt Andromeda?" Harry forgot he would gain access to the Potter properties on his 21st birthday. He had limited access to his parent's house in Godric's Hollow, but that was kind of depressing. And he wasn't allowed to take up residence until he turned 21. There were probably a few others that were out there besides the one in France.
"This came through while you were out exploring Malta. As your Proxy, I was alerted on your actual birthday. In the confusion of the last few days, I neglected to give it to you. Apologies, dear." She was very happy about this. Harry wondered about this property, it must be nice if Andromeda was this excited about it. "There are a few more, but they can wait for now."
"Well, OK. I think I'll have time on Sunday to sneak out. Maybe there'll be wizard paintings and a library I can investigate." Hearing himself say this, he realized how much he sounded like Hermione.
Fleur chimed in at this point, "Where is it, Harry? I may know the area."
"Some place called…", pausing to read the name again, "…Yvoire. It's on lake Geneva." Harry noted that Fleur lit up at this. "Have you heard of the place?"
Fleur had that dreamy look she sometimes gets, "Oh, Harry. I know it well. I will definitely be adjusting your itinerary. Small, beautiful, and very restful. You will love it."
"Excellent. It should be fun." With that, he stood up, gathered his things, kissed the kids goodbye and nodded to Pipsey.
Pipsey apparated with the trunk and then Harry left right after. His apparition was barely audible.
After he left, Fleur smiled and looked at her husband. She really wanted Harry to have fun. With a little luck, he may even come to love France as much as she did. Finding out he owned property in France was amazing! And the location was incredible.
Fleur knew if she could get a few of Bills 'inner circle' to France, Beauxbatons could easily become Victoire's school. At the very least, they would spend more time in France, near her family. Nothing against Britain, but she missed her native culture.
—CS—
International Portkey launch Site
London
Arriving at the international portkey site, Harry had to show his ID and deal with the fans. He took it in stride and had his photo taken with a dozen or so workers. When his scheduled portkey time was about to be missed, he excused himself and went to the processing point.
The DMLE customs officer was a friendly little man, Looking up from Harry's paperwork and Passport he smiled and shook Harry's Hand. "Mr. Potter, it is a pleasure to meet you. The highlight of my day in fact. I see your paperwork is in order. You have a DoM and DMLE waiver for inspections." Considering this, he added, "You do know this will not apply in France, right? They still retain the right for inspection."
"Yes, sir. I have an 'understanding' with the French."
The kindly man just looked at him. Not knowing what to say, Harry offered, "You can look if you like, but I gotta inform you that looking will result in your accepting a DoM and DMLE confidentiality agreement." He then added with a conspiratorial smirk, "Can't let the dark wizards know I'm coming for them…"
That got a little chuckle and he was waved through.
The launch site was a platform approximately ten feet by ten feet. Harry and Pipsey stepped up with the trunk between them.
5…4…3…2…1… Whooooosh.
-CS-
International Portkey Landing Site
Paris
Pipsey and the trunk landed perfectly while Harry rolled 5 feet off the mat. Dumbledore always said magic liked him and that's why portkeys and floos seemed to propel him with extra force. Like a firm handshake or a pat on the back. Harry wished they liked him less. "I will never get used to this."
The arrival point had a few wizards and witches busily going about their travel preparations. Harry kicked up a glamour before anyone recognized him. Brown hair, brown eyes and a goatee. Yep – glamoured facial hair. When you don't 'got it', just 'glam it'! That was good for a chuckle!
He and Pipsey went through the customs line. There were random inspections, but Harry had placed a very subtle entropy charm on his trunk to greatly reduce the chance of an inspection. He knew he had waivers, but the shielded bullets would likely cause issues. Especially in France. For once, nothing went wrong.
Harry led Pipsey out the side door to the lobby. "OK Pipsey, we have about four hours before dinner. Let's go find our apartment."
Approaching a professionally dressed lady at the front desk, Harry inquired on how to get around. His French was rusty, but serviceable. He really needed the practice. ϡ"Bonjour, Can you tell me how to get to my apartment? This is my first time here."ϡ
The lady just smiled politely and responded, ϡ "Oui, simply step out in the cobblestone pathway and hold out your wand. A carriage will pick you up. If you need faster service, simply hold out your wand on the paved pathway, and a bus will collect you." Pausing, she added with a smile,"I recommend the carriage. Your first time in Paris should be memorable."ϡ
The carriage was pleasant and the sights were nice. He took a few photos with his camera, but mostly he just sat back and enjoyed the ride. The driver further instructed him on how to summon the carriages, apparently there were numerous cobblestone areas where he could summon one. His apartment building had one such area he could use right out front, under a covered roof.
The driver pulled up to the rented apartment. It was on the third floor in the 7th Arrondissement with a fantastic view of the Eiffel Tower. He paid the driver and added a very generous tip. Never hurts…
Making their way up to the third floor, Harry entered the apartment. He immediately began scanning and looking for anything out of the ordinary. It was clean. He opened his trunk and set up a few portable ward stones. Without a ley line, he would have to power them up each day. He would summon an ally spirit to watch over the property at night and an air elemental for the day time.
It was a single level historic apartment that looked like it was from a bygone age. In other words, pretty normal for a wizard's apartment. It had a large bedroom with a huge window looking straight at the Eiffel tower. The bathroom was gorgeous and featured a huge tub, big enough for two. The kitchen was small and lacked any electronics. Obviously. The sitting area was cozy and charming with a gorgeous fire place. A quick check confirmed that it was not tied into the French floo network. Good.
Harry opened his trunk and went through his primary belongings. Some he would carry in an astral pocket, others would have to be kept in the trunk until needed. He charmed the windows to be opaque and put a sticking charm on them as well.
He and Pipsey checked the dishes, glasses, and pots for any poisons or harmful coatings. The water and pipes were checked as well. A simple spirit was summoned to check out the adjoining apartments. Harry didn't feel any wards or auras, but it was worth checking. His checks all came back negative. An hour well spent in Harry's opinion. Pipsey felt otherwise.
"Hey Pipsey, can you go and get a bouquet of flowers for my date? Oh, I also need 4 living rose bushes. They don't need to be flowering, but they need to be healthy and very thorny." Pipsey grinned and with a 'pop' went out collecting flowers. Where house elves get their goods, he had no idea. Harry wanted to make a good impression. Kreacher knew clothes and Pipsey knew flowers. The date was certainly a friendly date and primarily for show, but there were social expectations and protocols to follow.
While Pipsey was out, Harry pulled back the area rug of the sitting area and drew a summoning triangle inside a circle. He gathered his summoning bowl and a bag of treated soil. Soaking the small amount of soil in his ritual bowl, he summoned a minor wood elemental. Exerting a bit of will force, he had it watch the apartment for possible intruders. The rose bushes would give it form. It would be his first line of defense and also serve as an alarm. He also expected it to keep the air fresh and clean. So, security and air freshening. Wood elementals were excellent for this all year long.
After this was done, Harry went into the bathroom, closed the door and created a runic summoning circle. After blocking out all light, he meditated for a few minutes and called out to an ally spirit named Fashad. Fashad knew security as he claimed to have been an assassin or thief in his original life. He varied his telling enough that Harry wasn't sure which, but his knowledge was good enough to have been either. Likely, he was both. Maybe neither. Fashad agreed to watch the apartment at night. In exchange, Harry would have to steal something from a street vendor each day for the next 3 days and leave it for Fashad each night.
Harry really didn't like stealing, but he could always go back and leave generous tips to cover the loss. One theft per night, for three nights, that was a steeper than the normal price. Fashad must either like Paris, or hate it. Maybe both, spirits were impossible to completely understand.
OK – Security set. Coming out of the bathroom, Harry noted there were now plenty of fresh flowers. The rose bushes were gorgeous and quite 'thorny', as requested. Maybe he should have summoned two wood elementals. "Pipsey, how was shopping?" Harry noted Pipsey was scrubbing the kitchen down magically.
"Pipsey LOVES Paris, Master Harry! We have so many flower choices. Pipsey picked out a bouquet and a corsage for Master Harry's lucky lady. Pipsey also makes master a matching boutonniere." then added, "Does Master Harry like the rose plants?
"The roses are amazing. You know how much I like Damask Roses. They smell so nice." Harry placed the plants around the apartment. Well, that was that. "Thanks again Pipsey, the flowers for my date also look Amazing."
Washing his hands he looked at his little friend. "I'm going to take a quick walk around the area. I need to pick something up for Fashad." Harry noticed that Pipsey shivered a little at that. Unlike Kreacher, she really did not like Fashad.
Harry put on his favorite jeans and a white oxford cloth shirt. A simple spell camouflaged his familiar to look like a scarf. Thinking twice, he grabbed a light jacket and enchanted an astral pocket. Now he was ready to steal some poor guys stuff.
The 'girls' loved the sights and sounds. Being under a scarf illusion, they had to stay tight around Harry's neck. They had comments about everything. Paris seemed to agree with them. Harry used up an entire roll of film just walking around and seeing the sights. It was fun! Then, it was time to get down to business.
It took him a while before he found the right place. It was a small souvenir kiosk with mini Eiffel towers. He used a simple disillusionment on himself and a glamour of a crazy chihuahua as a distraction. He subtly pocketed a tower replica. The illusionist in him was thrilled. He felt a tinge of guilt over how much he enjoyed it. Breaking the rules was always something he struggled to resist. He'd come back tomorrow and buy a few towers and post cards.
Returning to the apartment, he set the tower in the pre-determined spot for Fashad. The spirit would most likely claim it while he was on his 'date'. Time to get ready. First, he dropped the Glamour. Time to show his own face. He showered and shaved the little bit of fuzz on his chin and His upper lip. Deodorant applied, teeth brushed, and he was good to go.
Looking in the mirror, Harry realized that he may be 21, but he still looked like a teen ager. Maybe seventeen or a young eighteen. He had filled out a bit since Hogwarts, but was still slender, he just had more wirey muscle. Barely an ounce of fat. Quite a few scars on the torso… but that goes with the territory. He could almost pass for a seventh year student. Maybe. The eyes looked older. They had seen too much... He wished he was six feet tall, but five foot nine inches would have to do. His dragon hide boots of choice added nearly an inch, but that really didn't count. At least he was taller than most girls now. Back in his Hogwarts days, that used to bug him.
For this gathering, it would be in the magical sector of Paris. He'd wear dress robes. No hat! A light Basilisk skin vest under the robes (he was thin enough to pull it off. Dragon hide boots. A dagger in left boot and his Blackthorne wand on the outside of the right boot. It needed a larger sheath due to the thorns. Not expecting trouble, he left the other 'goodies' in his trunk.
The runespoor settled down on a heated mat Harry always brought for them. The girls were still a little sluggish from the piglet they had before the trip started. Harry had Pipsey style his hair. Apparently, she used to style his dad's hair – she called it the 'broom struck' look. Something about replicating the look of riding his broom. Stupid name, but it looked good.
So, Pipsey knows flowers, cleaning, comfort cooking, babies, and hair. Fun in a comfortable way. Kreacher knows fashion, gourmet cooking, Etiquette, maintaining weapons, and how to deeply insult people. Fun in a different way.
Harry double checked the wards, pumped them up slightly, then he headed out. He hailed a carriage and set off for Ms. Domonique Aris' apartment.
-CS-
Dominique's Apartment
6th Arrondissement
It was in the 6th Arrondissement, aka Saint-Germain-des-Pres. Her apartment was stylish and well groomed. Judging from the power lines and the electromagnetic 'humming', Harry could feel, there were lots of electronics in the building. Harry couldn't stay too long or they would start to fail. Good escape strategy if he needed it. 'I'd love to stay, but all your electronics might start failing…' That would be a weird line. He kept reminding himself to call her Dominique, not Monique. He kept getting that confused. Was he… Nervous? This wasn't a real date… deep breaths. Occlumency. But not the sociopath occlumency...
Calming himself, he knocked on the door. While he waited, Harry opened up his astral sight and senses. No real wards on the building or apartment. Just a feeble locking ward on the door. Probably windows too. He could sense a generic apparition ward, but any powerful practitioner could punch through it. Well, maybe not anyone. He could, with ease. The apartment reflected minimal thought or concern for danger… was France really this safe? Maybe he should be asking whether Great Britain was really so dangerous?
A very pretty young lady, a few years older than Harry, opened the door. She did look vaguely familiar.
ϡ"Bonjour, Dominique? You may not remember me, I'm Harry Potter." ϡ
She had brown hair and warm hazel eyes. Her smile was sincere and it went all the way up to her eyes. She was about five foot five inches, a little shorter than him when in heels. He called her Dominique, not Ms. Aris. It was a date after all. Sort of.
He took her hand and did the 'kiss on the knuckles' that etiquette demanded. Being muggle raised, it felt weird, but it was expected. He always checked his ring to make sure there was no poison – it warmed when toxins were close. Paranoid much? He knew for a fact that one of his ghost instructors had coated her hand with a slow acting contact poison to remove political rivals. Madame Pompadour was one of his best instructors. The resurrection stone had really been educational.
ϡ"Of course I remember you, Harry. Please come in. I am almost ready and I'll only be a moment. Can I get you anything?"ϡ
She had on a gorgeous outfit. Selene would have pestered him to ask her questions, he just appreciated it for what it was – attractive.
ϡ"No thanks, I'm good."ϡ Harry decided not to bring up her lack of security. Still, it bothered him. Damn, the flowers were in his astral pocket. Pulling them out, along with the corsage, he fluffed them slightly. Pipsey had very good taste.
ϡ"Are those for me? Where did they come from? Are they conjured?"ϡ She asked with an arched eye brow.
Conjuring flowers was kind of a cheap thing to do. it wasn't horrible, but not great either. He could tell she was teasing him, but he still squirmed a little.
ϡ"No, I just forgot to take them out of their pocket. My pocket, I mean. They're fresh."ϡ Handing her the flowers, he fumbled around and held up the corsage. It was very elegant and it complimented his boutonniere, just as Pipsey said it would. ϡ"This is for you as well."ϡ He held the corsage out.
Dominique just smiled, she had been told that he was rather inexperienced, having only dated one person. And Fleur was very clear that Ginny was not into social graces. Something of an athletic girl. What was the term? Tom-Boy? Still, watching him fumble around was cute.
ϡ"Thank you, Harry. Here, hold my flowers while I pin the corsage on."ϡ She had noted his boutonniere. Looking Harry in the eye and smiling, she then said, ϡ"Now we match!"ϡ
Putting the flowers in a vase, they headed out. Harry held the doors for her and helped her into the carriage. This would be fun!
Harry found Dominique easy to talk to. She was working on her mastery in history of magic. Her specialty was in rituals and hieroglyphs. Fleur had said Dominique loved ancient magic, so the mastery wasn't really a shock. She seemed to come alive when discussing the differences between Egyptian, Sumerian, and Hittite runic formulas. Harry was very knowledgeable in this area and she hung on his every word. She had some unique insight into the Canaanite methods and rituals. She was smart and stylish. This seemed to be the Beauxbaton way.
He decided again not to bring up her lack of decent wards. How could you know so much about magic and have so little protection? Maybe later.
-CS-
L'Savoureux Restaurant
Paris
Getting to the restaurant, Harry escorted her in and noted a few photographers. He was, after all, there on business. What did Daphne call it? Ah, yes – 'Building the Brand'. He saw Colin was there taking pictures. Oh, boy.
"Harry! Harry, over here!" Colin was waving frantically. Dominique just looked on curiously. This was all new to her.
Harry waved back to Colin, "Hi Colin, good to see you. Hey, any chance we can get copies?" Harry let Collin take pictures as he knew Colin would never make him look bad. Colin always shared.
"Sure thing Harry! Turn just a little to the right... That's good. Look up slightly Miss…" Click/Flash. "Perfect."
"Thanks Colin. Hey, if you are in town, send me a note. Maybe we can synch up." Harry always felt protective of Collin. He would have to talk to Daphne about using Collins photography.
Looking at Domonique, he asked, ϡ"Do you want a few copies? Colin is really good."ϡ She just smiled and nodded her head. Thankfully, she seemed amused. ϡ"We went to school together, you know. You might remember him, small guy with a lot of blond hair and a huge camera."ϡ Harry realized that was still a good description of Colin. She just shrugged and smiled.
Harry led Dominique into the restaurant. There were a lot of affluent people there. Harry had gotten to know exactly how to behave in these scenarios, but he still clenched up a little. The owner made a direct path as soon as he saw them enter.
ϡ"Mr. Potter, I'm so glad you could attend my little opening. My name is Jean Chopin. I am the proprietor and happy host for the party tonight."ϡ
ϡ"Please, call me 'Harry', Mr. Chopin. And this is my date, Ms. Dominique Aris."ϡ Harry preferred to be on a first name basis.
And the night went on like this. Harry made a point of promoting his date at every opportunity. A mastery in ancient magical history would take her far in academia. These were good people for her to know. Harry and Dominique openly discussed more of the ancient cultures when they were not pulled into other conversations. A few people overheard and asked if Dominique was a researcher.
Harry had a glass of champagne. He always checked both his and Dominique's glass before drinking anything. Better to be safe, than sorry. He stopped at one drink, while she had three over the course of the night. The food was magnificent and the dessert was to die for. There was no doubt, this was an amazing event. He actually gave out Daphne's contact information to a few people that wanted to discuss business with him. He had a good feeling about this.
As the night began winding down, Harry made a point to thank the owner. Harry asked if he could have Colin come in and take a few personal photos. Jean Chopin allowed it, as long as it was personal only and permission was requested before every shot. Harry had Colin take a few more of him with Dominique, then with Jean. A few other couples did the same. Jean took Colin's card at the end and Colin eventually wrapped up and joined the press outside.
As Harry began to relax, he had a sudden feeling of being watched. Intently. Not a dangerous feeling, just a feeling of being monitored. Looking around subtly, he could not tell who it might be. Harry wandlessly created an orbiting spy to watch for any dangerous individuals. Doing it with a wand was faster and easier, but it wasn't like he was in combat. He hid the creation behind a simple glamour of sparkling lights that spelled out 'L'Savoureux' before they fizzed up and away. That got a small applause.
Jean Chopin was loving the impact of having Harry Potter in his restaurant. The glamour the young man created was perfect. Did he even use his wand? Jean had heard that Harry was sullen and reclusive, a bit of a shadow-dwelling introvert. But this Harry was a showman. Now, if he could just bring him back in on a regular basis… Tomorrow he would reach out to Ms. Greengrass and see what could be done.
Harry summoned back the spy and it told him that he was being watched astrally by a woman in the far right corner. That had to be it. Rising to leave, Harry shook Jean's hand and led Dominique out. Right at the door, he turned and looked in the far right corner. The woman was beautiful. Insanely beautiful. He felt like he had seen her before, but couldn't place it. Looking astrally, he saw that she was also powerful. Certainly playing in the major league, a mage level power. Her eyes were slightly glowing and... she had an orbital spy of her own. Watching him. Now he was on high alert.
He helped Dominique into the carriage and had it proceed down a busy street. The witches orbital spy was still following them. He tried to converse with Dominique, but was too distracted. Did he want to destroy the spy? He couldn't risk Dominique's safety.
Seeing a coffee shop that looked open, he saw his chance. ϡ"Dominique, would you like a cup of coffee?"ϡ She nodded, so he had the carriage pull over.
He paid and took Dominique's hand. As the carriage pulled away, He silently apparated them both back to her apartment. Dominique looked stunned and just stared at him.
ϡ"I'm sorry Dominique, but we were being watched. Astrally. By someone who was powerful enough to have an orbiting spirit. Trust me when I say, that was not normal. She must have been a powerful witch, probably mage Level."ϡ Dominique was still staring uncomfortably at him. ϡ"Will you say something?"ϡ
ϡ"I don't know what to say. Are we… safe?"ϡ She seemed to be in a state of shock. Harry knew he should have told her in the carriage, but he didn't know if anyone was listening. Damn, a privacy charm would have worked! Simple and easy. He had been working solo too long.
ϡ"Yes, absolutely. I got us out unnoticed. I really am sorry. Sometimes I attract attention that I don't want. In hindsight, I should have put up a privacy charm and explained in the carriage. Sorry. You know I'm a curse breaker and a bit of an explorer. I know a lot of unusual arcane lore. Sometimes I encounter people that want my services, whether I want to give them or not."ϡ Minimize the danger and maybe the night can be salvaged. Should he minimize it?
ϡ"Harry, you just apparated straight into my living room. I thought I had wards to prevent that…"ϡ At a loss for words, but no longer afraid of him, she asked, ϡ"How?"ϡ
ϡ"Well, your wards are pretty basic. I can upgrade them. Free of charge. You're actually close enough to a ley line for it to be self-supporting."ϡ Trying to re-kindle a little bit of the connection they had earlier, he added, ϡ"We could use one of the Sumerian runic designs as the base. Like we talked about in the carriage. Your electronics might be impacted, but your security would be greatly increased."ϡ
ϡ"I'll... think about it."ϡ She said, the silence was awkward. She then added, ϡ"Well, I should probably call it a night…". ϡ
Harry now knew the date was officially over. ϡ"Oh, right."ϡ Trying to salvage a little dignity and pride, he implored, ϡ"Please, try to focus on the fun we had, not the way I screwed it up at the end. You know my background, sometimes I get a little…"ϡ
More awkwardness. He didn't want to say paranoid. Really, he didn't. Sadly accepting his mistake, he decided to just get this night over with.
Very quietly, he wrapped up with, ϡ"Well, have a good night Dominique. I definitely had a lovely evening."ϡ Harry stepped backward and was getting ready to turn around.
Dominique's shock at being suddenly apparated into her apartment had mostly passed. Part of the shock was the ease with which he did it. She could feel his power, and she realized how vulnerable she was. Alone, suddenly – in her apartment. With a powerful young mage that she barely knew. Yeah, it made her nervous.
Now that the shock had mostly worn off, she saw him as the kind young man she had spent the evening with. He actually looked a bit crushed. Taking pity on him, she stepped forward and kissed his cheek.
ϡ"Thank you, Harry. It was a wonderful evening, with an... unusual ending. But still, a great night. I had fun and I'm sure I will never forget it."ϡ And she smiled sincerely while she said it.
Harry was somewhat relieved. He gave her a quick hug and left. Not a total disaster. Once outside her apartment, he apparated to his own place. He quickly pulled on his combat gear. Full basilisk armor, the heavier one. Heavy, but still lighter than dragon hide. He grabbed his Iklwa, sheathed it, and strapped it to his back. He took his invisibility cloak and apparated to an dark alleyway across from the restaurant. He settled in, outside, across the street and under his invisibility cloak.
Summoning his orbital spy, he had it run recon looking for the woman that had been watching him. She was nowhere to be found. Tomorrow, he would pay Jean Chopin a visit and get the guest list. He would find out who his mystery admirer was.
Harry realized it was now about midnight. Standing alone, in the shadows, looking for trouble. A magnet for danger.
Sarcastically, he thought to himself, 'Midnight in Paris, no romance in sight.'
He felt... oddly at home.
—CS—
Authors Notes:
And now we launch into the Paris adventure.
A nice and friendly date ruined. This is why Mad Eye Moody never dates.
A mysterious witch with impressive levels of power. One who is interested in Harry.
And we still don't know what the French ministry wants him to look into.
Read and review, constructive feedback appreciated.
Till next time.