I don't own Hellsing or Harry Potter, and I'm not making any money from this.

The new flat could have been worse.

Granted, the area it was in sort of straddled the line between the 'good' and 'bad' parts of town, but it wasn't that hard to figure out which places to avoid. The building was older and not the most well-kept sort of place, but a new lift had been recently installed so Dudley didn't have to worry about using the staircases too much. Harry was secretly disappointed when he found out about that. Seeing his brutish cousin red-faced and panting with exhaustion after struggling up a few flights of stairs would have been worth all the whining he would have done.

The apartment itself was much smaller than any of them were used to. The front door opened into a modest sized room that served as a living area, kitchen, and breakfast nook all in one. A short half-wall that functioned as a bar served to somewhat partition off the kitchen from the rest of the space. A hallway directly across from the door led down to two bedrooms and a small lavatory. Since Aunt Petunia and Dudley had taken the bedrooms for themselves, Harry was given the loft space above the kitchen, which was accessed by a ladder built into the wall. The ceiling up there was so low that he was forced to hunch over just to move around. There was just enough room for his trunk and a small mattress on the floor. It wasn't much, but Harry figured it was better than a stuffy cupboard under the stairs or a room with bars on the windows. Speaking of windows, the loft area had one of its own, surprisingly enough. It was abysmally tiny and he had to struggle to get it to open up enough for Hedwig to squeeze through, but it was better than nothing. There happened to be a nice sized tree on the corner of the property that she had taken up as her own personal residence. He was glad to see that she had found a suitable spot outside, since it meant she wouldn't have to be cooped up in her cage all time. Hedwig never did well when denied her freedom for long stretches of time.

The most annoying thing that he'd come across so far was that there were no lighting fixtures in the loft, and no outlets to plug a lamp into. The only source of light he had available was the sunlight that came through the window during the day, and an annoyingly bright streetlamp that beamed in at night. No matter how he positioned the mattress, it always managed to shine directly onto his face when he tried to sleep. He could have covered the window with a towel or pillowcase, but Aunt Petunia expressly forbid it.

"I will not have our neighbors thinking we live like bloody savages!" She had screeched at him when he asked.

Of course, he wasn't worth the expense of buying a curtain either, so bare it stayed. Every night when Harry crawled into bed, he dragged the covers over his head to block out the light and told himself that this was better than what he'd had for most of his life, and he should be thankful that it wasn't any worse. At least he only had to endure it for a few months out of the year.

The other discovery he made about the flat was just how thin the walls were. The building was thankfully arranged so that they didn't have to share walls with any neighbors, but he was still able to hear every little thing that happened downstairs. The late night hours when everyone was in bed was the worst. He could usually hear Dudley on the phone with his friends talking about how he hated having to move to a new school and how much he missed his dad. Aunt Petunia would sniffle quietly in her bedroom most nights bemoaning how she didn't know how she'd manage to hold things together on her own.

Sometimes Harry laid awake at night and wondered if he was a terrible person for not being more upset about his uncle's death. The man had done nothing but treat him like garbage his whole life, so he couldn't find it within himself to feel much of anything. He hadn't wanted him to die, but the fact that he had didn't affect him as much as he thought it should. However, he did know how it felt to lose a parent, and though he didn't understand how or why they had loved each other, he knew that there had been some kind of love between his aunt and Vernon. So while he might not have felt anything for the man himself, he could still feel some form of empathy for the family he had left behind.

It was much, much more difficult to maintain that empathy during the daylight hours. That was when everyone was awake and went back to yelling and pushing him around like he was their personal whipping boy. Harry was responsible for damn near everything required for taking care of the place. He cooked, swept and vacuumed the floors, kept the furniture polished, and washed the dishes. Once a week he would drag their bags of laundry to the launderette down the street to wash. Aunt Petunia usually gave him a list and a bit of money to go purchase groceries while he was out, then would sit and fastidiously count out the change he brought back to make sure none was missing. No matter how much effort he put into his tasks, she could always find something to fuss about. When he first got back from school, he had scarcely gotten his things into the flat before she sent him into the lavatory with a toothbrush to clean the blackened grout between the tiles on the walls and floor. He spent hours on his hands and knees scrubbing every inch of grout in the room until it was returned to its original, pristine whiteness. When Aunt Petunia came back later to inspect his work, she had wrinkled her nose in distaste and declared that it had looked better dirty.

After that, he decided to stop worrying about meeting her standards. He would complete chores to his satisfaction and let that be that. There was no point in wasting his time when he was going to be yelled regardless of what he did.

Today, though, was different. Harry did his absolute best to keep his nose clean and do every single thing he was asked without a word of complaint. He finished all of his assigned work before lunch, and even took the liberty of doing a few extra things that she hadn't asked for to ensure that she would be in a good mood. When the buzzer for their flat rang out, he dashed for the door before his Aunt or Dudley even registered that it had gone off.

He pressed the speaker button next to the door. "Hello?"

A friendly male voice came through, surrounded by crackling static. "Edmund Stryker. I'm here to speak to Mrs. Dursley?"

"Yes, sir." Harry replied immediately. "Come on up."

He pressed the button that would unlock the main door of the building for him, then ran into the kitchen to get the tea service ready. He heard Aunt Petunia open her bedroom door.

"Harry, who was that?" She called out.

"It was a Mr. Styker?" He said, making it sound like he had no clue who it was. "He said he was here to see you."

"Oh!" She exclaimed, and there was a rush of movement as she ran to Dudley's room. "Diddums? Put the game away love. We have a visitor!" She told him through the door. "And remember, this is a proper gentleman so be on your very best behavior!"

Harry listened to Dudley grumble about having to stop his game before reaching a save point as he poured the boiling water into a teapot and set some biscuits out on a plate. Aunt Petunia walked into the living room straightening her blouse and primping her hair to make sure she looked her best.

"I have the tea ready." Harry offered. "Can I go out now?"

His aunt shot a dirty look in his direction. "Has everything been done?"

He immediately nodded. "Yes, ma'am. I got everything ready for supper tonight too. It's in the fridge, so all I'll have to do is put it in the oven later."

Aunt Petunia narrowed her eyes and strode over to the refrigerator to check. She pulled open the door, glanced inside, then looked back at him. She looked a bit put out that he wasn't lying. "Just get out." She spat. "And you had better be back before it gets dark."

"I will." He replied, then rushed to the ladder to go grab his shoes. Harry pulled on his trainers, shoved his wallet into the back pocket of his jeans, then scuttled back down and bolted out the door before she decided to change her mind.

He ran into Mr. Stryker on the staircase between the 5th and 4th floors. The man greeted him with a friendly smile.

"Hey there, Harry." He said. He glanced up the stairs, then back at him. "How have you been?"

The boy shrugged. "Alright I guess. It's been kind of… tense since I've been back."

Mr. Stryker pressed his lips together in a frown. "I can imagine." He reached out to pat him on the shoulder and motioned down the stairs with a quick gesture of his head. "They left a few minutes after I did. Go have some fun."

Harry didn't have to be told twice. He took the rest of the stairs two at a time until he reached the ground floor, and dashed out the main door of the building. He didn't see anyone at first but after a few minutes of waiting, a black, expensive looking sports car pulled up next to him and parked next to the curb. The door opened and Mihnea stepped out.

"Get in." He said as he folded up the front seat to make room for him to climb into the back.

Harry blinked. "Uh… I thought cars like that didn't have a backseat?"

He arched a brow. "You think I'm standing out here for shits and giggles, Potter?"

Fair point. Harry thought. Feeling a bit foolish, he ducked his head and climbed into the car as instructed. Once inside, Mihnea pushed the driver's seat back into place and slid into it, pulling the door closed behind him. He discovered that not only was there a backseat, but it was a surprisingly large, comfortable one. Connie sat against the passenger side of car with a huge grin on her face. As soon as she saw him, she jumped forward to pull him into a tight hug.

"I'm glad we were able to work this out!" she said happily. "It's good to see you!"

She looked different somehow, but he couldn't immediately put his finger on what it was. Her clothes had always been nice and stylish, but they now seemed to fit her differently and she had an air about her that made her appear much older than she was.

She frowned. "Is something wrong?"

"No." Harry said with a quick shake of his head. "You just… look different." He peered a bit closer. "Are you… wearing makeup?"

Connie rolled her eyes. "Is there a problem with that?"

He put his hands up defensively. "No! I've just never seen you with it before is all." He smiled. "You look nice."

"Thank you!" She said brightly.

A blonde head peeked around the front passenger seat. "Hello, Harry Potter."

Harry blinked. He remembered Connie's letter mentioning that Luna would be with them, but it was still a bit surprising to see her there. "Hi, Luna." He offered awkwardly, then looked back to Connie. "So… where are we going?"

"Well, Luna's never seen a movie before, so we figured we'd see what was playing." The girl told him. "How do you feel about IMAX?"

Harry's eyes widened. "IMAX? I didn't know there was one around here!"

"The closest one is 45 minutes away." Mihnea piped up from the driver's seat. "Since we're doing this, we may as well go all out." He glanced at him in the rear view mirror. "Have you been before?"

"No. I don't really get to go out all that much." Harry admitted. He shifted uncomfortably. "Um… how much is this going to cost? I have some money with me, but it might not be enough…"

Connie made a face at him. "Oh hush, Harry. We've got it."

"I can't let you do that." He insisted. "It's not fair for you guys to have to pay for everything."

"Don't be silly!" She said, waving him off. "It's fine. It's not like you can get to your money right now. Consider it an early birthday present."

"But…" He began, only to be stopped in his tracks by a look.

"Harry?" Constance said, almost sweetly. "Shut up. We're paying and that's final."

He sat back in his seat. "Yes ma'am."

"Thank you." Her bright smile came back. "Now, do you want to eat before the movie, or after?"

"There's a lot of potential here if you're willing to look past the history. Never thought I'd see the day that Hellsing let go of this place though."

Syn tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear and put on a friendly smile. "Sir Integra is my sister-in-law."

The elderly caretaker blinked in surprise. "You don't say! Forgive my ignorance, ma'am. I had no idea."

The redhead assured him that she took no offense, then turned her gaze toward the large iron gates marking the entrance to the Carfax estate. It had only taken a few days to get all the paperwork in order for the transfer of ownership, and now all she and Alucard had to do was tour the property to see what repairs needed to be made. Integra had arranged for them to meet with the caretaker to pick up the keys and have a look around. Mr. Barrett was in his eighties, and from what she could tell, he had been looking after the property for most of his life. He seemed a bit bewildered by the idea of someone wanting to live there, but was otherwise quite nice. Alucard was milling about examining the state of the stone walls, but hadn't involved himself in the conversation so far. Syn hoped he would let her do most of the talking.

Mr. Barrett unlocked the heavy chain keeping the gate closed and pushed it open. Years of rust built up from disuse had the metal hinges groaning in protest.

"So, are you new to the area, or…"

"Yes." Syn replied with a nod. "We're from London originally."

"Ah, so you're used to the city life." He said, smiling.

"Something like that." She said. "It hasn't been bad but I grew up in the country, so I've been looking forward to getting back to it. It's so much more peaceful out here."

"Aye." The man agreed with a chuckle. "Well, if it's quiet you're looking for you'll have it in spades. There's nearly 85 acres of land – most of it wooded. There are a few old ruins scattered about, but most are beyond saving. Probably best to tear them down. We haven't had the funding for it, or I'd have done it already."

A flash of irritation swept through her mind. Alucard was clearly not interested in the idle chit chat and wanted to get on with it. She felt him walk up behind her.

"What of the condition of the manor house?" he asked, his tone short.

Mr. Barrett's eyes drifted up and over her shoulder and he took a step backward. "It's not been properly lived in for more than a century, so it's a bit run down. We've kept it up as best we could." He looked back at Syn, who he seemed more comfortable talking to. "The house is structurally sound but she'll need to be wired for electricity. And I'd imagine the plumbing will need updating." He gestured toward the gate. "If you'll follow me, I'd be happy to show you arou…"

"That won't be necessary." Alucard said dismissively. "We can tour the property on our own."

The man stared at him apprehensively. "I… suppose you could, but I really should…"

With a pointed frown, the vampire leaned forward and locked eyes with him. "We can tour the property on our own." He said in a deep, commanding voice.

Mr. Barrett's face went slack, his eyes glazing over as his mind caved under the invasion. "You can… tour the property… on your own."

"Give me the keys and be on your way."

Moving slowly, the man retrieved a ring of keys from his pocket and dropped them into Alucard's outstretched hand. "I'll… be on my way…"

Without another word, Mr. Barrett staggered off toward his car like a zombie, leaving them alone in front of the huge iron gates. Syn watched as he drove away, hoping that whatever manipulation Alucard had done to his mind wouldn't hamper his driving ability. That couldn't possibly be good for someone his age. She turned and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Was that really necessary? I thought he was nice."

Alucard snorted. "He was wasting our time and would only slow us down."

The redhead grumbled under her breath about not realizing they were under a time constraint, but begrudgingly took the hand he offered. He pulled her forward and lifted her off her feet to transport them across the grounds to the house. She clung tightly to his shoulders until the wind stopped whipping her hair across her face. When her feet touched solid ground again, she cracked open one eye, and then the other.

Syn hadn't been sure what to expect, but the sight before her was unlike anything her mind could have come up with. The house looked like it had originally been part of a castle. The central portion, where the front entrance was located, was built of a heavy, dark colored stone. The wings on either side appeared to have been added on at various points in time. Parts of the upper levels were as well. Each section had its own distinctive style and flair, and yet they somehow managed to blend together into a cohesive whole. It was strangely appropriate, she thought. Thick vines of ivy and red moss grew on some of the walls – covering them entirely in some areas. Several of the windows were either broken or missing completely, which she supposed was to be expected, but they appeared to be old, leaded glass – some stained various shades of red, blue, and green.

When Alucard released his hold on her, she turned to survey the grounds behind them. The path leading up to the manor was worn and overgrown from years of disuse. What had once been a front garden had gone wild from having no one to tend to it. However, with some hard work and care, it could look rather nice. She held up a hand to shield her eyes from the sun as she examined something in the distance.

"Is that a pond?" She asked.

"It is." Alucard confirmed. "There was an old chalk mine here that was filled in by an underground spring."

So they would have their own source of fresh water. That was good to know. And if there was a mine, there could be underground structures or grottos that could be put to use.

"Are there any tunnels or caves?"

"I suspect there are, but I wasn't here long enough to confirm it."

The redhead hummed thoughtfully. "He said 85 acres. I thought Carfax was only 20?"

"It was, but it would seem that the Hellsing family purchased additional land around it to make the manor itself more difficult to get to." He explained. "It looks like they extended the walls out to enclose it all as well." He made a sweeping gesture toward the door. "Shall we go inside?"

Might as well, she thought. She wasn't properly dressed for a full investigation of the land itself, and going inside would at least provide some relief from the summer heat.

A set of stone steps led up to the solid oak front doors. Beyond them lay an entrance hall which led into a nice sized antechamber. This connected to a larger room with a grand staircase leading up to the upper floors. To the right and left were hallways to the other rooms on the ground level, while directly ahead and behind the staircase was a room with large, picture windows that looked out onto a courtyard overgrown with plants. Thick layers of dust and grime covered every visible surface, giving everything a faded, graying appearance. However, when Syn approached the staircase and swept her hand across the banister, she found warm, rich mahogany underneath which was remarkably well preserved.

"The wood is still in good condition." She commented. "Hopefully the floors won't need too much work."

Her statement was met with silence. Syn whipped around to find herself alone. "Alucard!" She shouted. "What the hell?!"

Immediately, the familiar thrum of his presence filled her mind. I'm having a look downstairs. You can explore on your own.

Syn grit her teeth and pinched the bridge of her nose. The insufferable bastard would just leave without saying a word. With a disgruntled huff, she set off down the hallway to her left. He could play around if he wanted, but she had work to do. If she was going to be living here, she may as well get a sense of where everything was.

The interior of the house was laid out like a labyrinth, with twisting halls and rooms that connected to each other in unexpected ways. She managed to locate a dining room with a large, antiquated kitchen nearby, along with a servants' quarters and the remnants of what must have been a library or study. One particularly grand room held a massive fireplace – large enough for 3 or 4 people to stand inside of. It was flanked on either side by beautifully carved stone, and an old, threadbare tapestry still hung on the wall over the mantle. She also found a handful of rooms that contained furniture covered by large swaths of fabric to protect them from dust and debris. The surprising discovery was made even better when she pulled the covers away to reveal desks, tables, and a large cabinet in relatively good condition. Some of the wood would have to be sanded down and refinished, but they were otherwise sturdy and well built. Syn made a mental note of each piece and where it was located so that it could be added to her 'to do' list later.

Finally, she came upon a set of ornately carved double doors that appeared to be an entrance to an important, formal area of the house. She pushed them open and stepped into a huge, open area with high ceilings and decorative columns that broke up the space. At the very end was a sort of low platform that ran the full length of the wall with a couple of steps at the center leading up to it. A single, large object stood upon it, covered by the same fabric she'd found protecting the furniture in the other rooms. Curious, the redhead walked up the steps and pulled it away to see what lay underneath. Her eyes rolled up to the ceiling and she fought back the urge to snort.

It was a high-backed chair, similar in design to the one Alucard had in his rooms at Hellsing. This one, however, was slightly larger and a bit more ornate. The dark, lacquered wood was trimmed with gold and the carved legs ended in beautifully rendered ball and claw feet. It also had the addition of thick, decoratively carved arms, which made it look more like what she suspected it was. She should have known she'd find something like this somewhere. Tossing the fabric to the side, Syn sat down and ran her fingers along its arms. The padding of the back and seat needed replacing, but it wasn't too horrible for something that had been sitting there for god knows how long.

I believe I've found the throne room.

She half expected Alucard to ignore her, but was pleasantly surprised to receive an immediate response. A flicker of curiosity flitted through her mind that was swiftly replaced with amusement. It wasn't long before she spotted black shadows materializing through one of the walls. They twisted together, becoming more solid until the vampire appeared before her with a smirk of approval on his face.

"So you have." He said with a chuckle. "Does this mean you approve?"

This time it was Syn's turn to arch a brow. Did she approve? It wasn't the sort of place she would have chosen herself, but she couldn't find much fault with what she'd seen so far…

"It's nice enough, I suppose." She said, allowing herself to admit that much. "It needs a lot of work."

He inclined his head in agreement. "Not as much as I was expecting. It is mostly cosmetic. A properly motivated team should be able to complete the work within six months."

She hoped by 'properly motivated', he meant money and not death threats. God knows they didn't need to scare anyone away when good contractors were hard enough to find as it was. Six months was one hell of a deadline to meet, but it might be possible…

"It suits you."

Syn blinked and looked up to find Alucard had climbed up the platform's steps and now stood just out of arms reach. She stared at him blankly, wondering what he meant until realization struck her. With a deep frown, she shoved herself out of the chair and strode past him.

"That's not funny."

Long fingers encircled her upper arm, stopping her in her tracks. "It wasn't a joke."

She glanced down at his hand then back up at him. "Let me go." One of his brows notched upward, making her sigh and roll her eyes. "Please?"

The vampire released his grip on her arm with a smirk and reached up to brush her hair back behind her ear. "We are bound to each other, you and I. Such a rare thing is sacred, even amongst my kind. You will hold a position of authority regardless of how you feel about it. It would be unwise to squander it."

"I have a hard time believing the vampires will be okay with that." She commented with a sniff.

"Mine is the only opinion that matters. Those who don't fall in line will be dealt with." Alucard said, then cocked his head to side. "And there are more than vampires to consider. The humans who have allied themselves with us must be taken into account as well."

She blinked. "The humans? Since when do you care about them?"

"Care has nothing to do with it." He replied with a shrug. "The bleeders and donors provide a necessary service. It is in our best interests to look after them. You are familiar with the underworld and are already respected within it. They will listen to you."

Syn considered the idea. She wasn't exactly comfortable with it, but she could see the logic. She chewed on her lower lip in thought.

"I… need to think about this." She said at last.

Alucard let out an amused sounding sniff. "Do as you will, goddess." He told her. "Just don't take too long. When the girl leaves, we shall venture out again."

The redhead nodded. It's about time. She thought. If she was cooped up in the house for much longer she was going to go stir crazy. Not to mention that if she didn't make an appearance soon, people were going to start wondering if she was dead. Considering how her last excursion went, it wouldn't be an unreasonable assumption to make. She shook away her thoughts and glanced around the room.

"I need somewhere to set up a workshop and a forge." She announced. "I'd rather have it separate from the house if possible, for safety reasons. Mr. Barrett mentioned some ruins.."

"The old servants' homes are too far gone." Alucard told her. "However, there is a chapel back behind the house that should be more than adequate for your needs."

Syn perked up. "There's a chapel here?"

He shrugged dismissively. "It came with the land." He said, then offered his hand. "Would you like to see it?"

She nodded and stepped forward so he could whisk them away to have a look. With any luck, it would be a place that she could make entirely her own.

A.N.: So… pandemics are not fun. My job is considered essential, so it's been kind of crazy. O_o

Reviews are lovely!