"Come in," Dracka called from his desk in his office.
He glanced at his clock to notice that it was two in the morning and was expecting a vampire. He was surprised when Blake poked his head around the door and he frowned in concern.
"Blake," Dracka greeted. "Come in, is everything okay?"
"Ah, yeah." Blake replied as he slipped through the door and sprawled out in the seat across the desk from him. "Bradon spoke to me tonight."
Dracka sat back in his seat and looked over at the other man and felt coldness in his stomach. He had an idea what the other vampire would have spoken to Blake about.
"Did he now?" Dracka replied, dangerously.
"He brought something to my attention that could come between us," Blake mentioned as he fiddled with his ring.
Dracka stilled and looked at the man with sharp eyes.
"I want to know now, Dracka." Blake stated as he looked up and their eyes locked. "Whether this will be a problem between us?"
"No," Dracka answered without pause. "No, it won't be."
Blake held his eyes then sighed and rubbed his head.
"I'm sorry," Blake said, as he looked up at him. "I shouldn't have asked you to drain off my magic. If I have known before…"
Dracka got to his feet and moved towards him and Blake eyed him off, eyes guarded. Dracka kneeled down in front of him and picked up his hand, the one with the ring on it. Blake just watched him as his scent touched on Dracka.
"I understand that you are his," Dracka stated.
Blake's green eyes were completely closed off as he looked at him. Dracka could only guess what was running through the other man's head.
"You needed my help," Dracka uttered. "I am your second Blake."
Blake started at that and Dracka gave him a smile as he got to his feet.
"Which you already knew," Dracka pointed out with a grin, showing fangs. "My feelings do not get in the way of that. Unless you are a threat to this Coven then we will have a problem."
Blake huffed a laugh as he looked up at him and his hand curled around his.
"Agreed," Blake conceded. "I would hate for you to have to kill me."
Dracka barked a laugh.
"You don't need my help there, Blake. You do a good job of that yourself." Dracka muttered in amusement. "Now, I have some files for you."
"It's two in the morning," Blake groaned.
"And you are awake," Dracka countered.
"We move out tomorrow," Blake added as he palmed the files that Dracka held out. "Did you want us to swing back around, once we are done?"
"How long will that take?" Dracka asked.
"Not sure," Blake replied as he flicked open the first file. "I want to look at the Border spell between France and Germany as well. That block is still in place and I want to have a closer look."
"From this side, right?" Dracka asked softly.
"Yeah," Blake agreed as he read the file. "I might be able to break it, now that I know how to unblock it from the German side."
"The message stones you opened up are still working," Dracka reported.
"Yeah, but I didn't get them all."
"It's too hot over there, Blake."
"It's only one step."
"One step, could be the difference between life and death."
"Ha!" Blake barked. "Have you been reading the smart books again…"
Blake trailed off as something in the file caught his attention and Dracka cocked his head to the side. He moved around the table and looked down at the file in the man's hand but he wasn't sure what Blake had seen.
"What?" Dracka asked.
"Ah, sorry." Blake muttered as he closed the file. "Just a name I knew."
Blake passed him the file to him and opened the next one and froze. Dracka watched him carefully.
"Why do you have this file?" Blake asked, an edge to his voice.
"Know your enemy," Dracka remarked, as the demon came forward in his mind.
"She's not your enemy, Dracka." Blake replied and yet started to read through the file. "She is part of the Treaty."
Blake passed the file to him and Dracka took it with a smirk as Blake opened the next one.
"Now this one is interesting," Blake remarked as he read through it. "More evidence of Simpson moving. Did you have any luck with his spy network?"
Dracka leered at him and Blake raised an eyebrow, the man knew him well. A little too well sometimes and yet he still didn't know a lot of Blake's history. Even less about what his life was like before he stepped through that time gap.
"His network here fell," Dracka commented with a grin. "No luck with the one in Germany."
"Conner Fritz had better luck," Blake reported. "He called me yesterday. The Ministry have been sniffing out a few of his hide outs. He's sending the reports to the school once they are written up. I'm sure that Albus will have a sneaky look before we get back."
"We have found a few more of his hideouts here," Dracka added. "Some of the ones we got from that raid are still being used as well."
Blake sat back in his seat and hooked a leg over the chair. He settled in as his eyes grew distant and Dracka looked the man over. He knew that Blake's mind would be running through plans and wouldn't be paying attention to what Dracka was doing.
"Has he gone to ground again?" Blake asked.
"Looks that way," Dracka replied. "That report of him moving on that Coven was the first sign that we have of him using his power, directly."
Blake tapped his hand against his leg.
"Get your men out," Blake ordered. "I want a list of any place connected to Simpson. Use the files we got from his compound to confirm any place he's still using. I'll have Albus and Kingsley do the same in the UK and Conner in Germany. I want a list of every hide out we can find and any person that it connected with him. We'll need to narrow it down but for now. I want everything."
"You have something in mind?" Dracka asked.
Blake gave him a grin that had a shiver going down his spine. Dracka was very grateful that Blake was on their side at that grin.
"Yes," Blake replied as he got to his feet. "But it's going to take time and very good and careful planning. The more of his network that we can uncover without tipping our hand the better. If he wants to play the game of cat and mouse. We are going to make sure that we are the cat."
That glint in Blake's eyes had him on edge and his demon purring in his mind. Blake gave him a wink and a grin before leaving the room and giving Dracka more to think about than before he arrived. He sighed and went back to his work.
xXx
Harry stepped away from Severus as Miller and his team spread out. He moved towards the Border spell between France and Belguim until he stood right in front of it. He carefully placed his hand an inch before the invisible barrier. It wasn't like a ward, due to the fact that he could step over it without permission. However, it did stop anyone from using an unapproved portkey or apparating over it, which was why the International Portkey Platforms were needed. It would stop anyone from certain countries with restrictions from stepping over it. Countries with closed borders, you couldn't step through it, without a portkey from a platform.
Harry settled on the ground in front of the Border spell and closed his eyes as he reached out to the magic and it buzzed along his arms. He opened his mind as he grabbed the magic and his mind was flooded with information. He carefully filtered through it until he had just the line it made as it circled around the country. It looked fine with nothing added and it flowed nicely as it looped around.
He carefully tapped the line with a little magic and let it ran along the loop until it came back to him. He pulled back completely from the magic and opened his eyes. He sighed as he pulled himself to his feet and Severus moved forward.
"That was quick?" Severus remarked in surprise as he moved closer.
"Nothing to see," Harry reported as he signalled to Miller. "Perfect loop, nothing added."
"Is that it?" Miller asked as the team moved in.
"Yep," Harry replied. "We can move on."
Harry pulled out a portkey and held it out. Once everyone had a hold, he activated it. Harry stumbled slightly as they arrived and Severus grabbed his arm. He looked around the clearing they'd landed in as he placed the portkey away. Miller and his team moved out to set up camp. Severus looked around until focusing back on him.
Harry squeezed his hand and moved towards the Border spell and reached forward. He could feel both sides of the spell, one side France and the other Germany. He focused on the German side as much as he could from this side. The spells were all twisted together where the Border sat.
He lowered himself to the ground and reached out to the magic again. He let the information of the spells roll over him as he let his mind drift. He was looking for a spell that wasn't right. There were a lot of spells, charms and other magic to focus on as he shifted through them. It was a lot easier when you knew which spell you wanted to work on. He wasn't sure how long he sat there as he picked through all the spells one by one. Tapping along the lines to make sure he hadn't missed anything.
He paused when he touched on one that didn't feel right; that was too new to be part of the Border spell. He carefully picked it up and looked it over. It was a masterpiece of spell work and he frowned. A master curse breaker would have cast the spell and it had his mind racing with the possibility. The way the person had twisted it in with the rest of the spells was interesting and it piggybacked on another spell that looped around. He had taken what was already there and added their spell in.
This was the spell that was blocking his message stones. He could cut through it without cutting the spell that it was twisted with. He looked closer to see if he could find a signature. Severus magic nudged him and he instantly stopped what he was doing.
"What?" Harry thought to the man over the link with him.
"You are moving forward, Blake."
Harry started and stopped everything he was doing. He carefully dropped everything else except the spell he needed and opened his eyes, seeing the magic around him. He had moved forward and Harry pulled back as he let the spell go. He watched it swirl back in with the other magic and he pulled back on his sight until everything came back into focus.
Harry looked over to Severus.
"Thank you," Harry said as he got to his feet.
"What were you doing?" Severus asked as Miller moved back.
"I found the spell that is blocking the message stones." Harry replied. "A master curse breaker cast it. I was trying to see if I could find a signature on it."
"You started moving forward," Severus added. "You were close to moving over the Border."
"Yes," Harry replied and frowned. "I think to learn any more, I would have to step over the border."
"I wouldn't recommend it," Miller muttered as he looked around.
Harry nodded.
"We'll set up camp here," Harry ordered. "I'll have a closer look at the spell tomorrow. The list of master curse breakers isn't a long one. The problem is we don't know what county they are from. He may have just been hired to place the spell as well. I'll call Conner and see if the Ministry has hired one to work on the Border spell recently."
Harry then frowned when he noticed the late hour.
"How long was I sitting there?" Harry asked.
"About four hours," Severus said with a smirk. "That's like four coffees to you."
"I have some catching up to do then."
xXx
Harry started awake when he felt someone step over the ward he'd placed. He rolled over in the sleeping bag and glanced over at Miller. The man was moving as well since he was linked in with the ward. Harry nodded over to him as he moved towards Severus on the camp bed next to him, just wearing his jeans.
He covered the man's mouth as he shook his shoulder and he woke with a start. Harry held a finger to his lips and signalled for him to get down. Severus just looked confused and Harry silently cursed.
"Get down," Harry whispered, very quietly in the man's ear. "Get cover and stay there, unless Miller or I give you an order."
Severus nodded and Harry moved off. He palmed his dark wand as he moved towards Miller, Sarah and David. He pulled on a jacket as he came closer, keeping close to the ground as he moved. He sprawled out on his belly as he moved to the tent flap and opened it slightly to look out.
There was a brown-haired woman standing outside talking softly to Robbie. Harry could tell she was a veela by the light magic coating her skin and the way Robbie was standing. The man was under her spell and Harry cursed silently. He took a look around but couldn't see anyone else but he had felt more than one person step over the wards.
He pulled back and signalled to Miller as he moved towards the back of the tent. Miller quickly moved forward and signalled for Harry to take the back, David to stay in the tent, as he would move forward with Sarah. Harry nodded and moved into position. Sarah and Harry would have the best resistance to the veela so would be moving out first.
Harry held up a fist to stop them when he felt the wards flare again. More people were moving in. He moved over towards Severus and slipped his phone out of his pocket and pulled up Dracka's number before passing the phone to Severus. Harry locked eyes with the man.
"Call Dracka," Harry thought to the man over the connection, helped with the eye contact. "We have veela here, at least six people have passed over the wards. He knows where we are. They will be able to hear you talking so be careful about what you say."
"Stay safe," Severus thought back and looked away.
Harry squeezed his shoulder and held up six fingers for Miller to see as he moved back into place. Harry cut through the fabric at the back of the tent with his knife in his left hand and looked over at Miller.
Miller held up a fist then four fingers, three, two, one. Then pointed.
Harry crawled out of the tent and crouched down as he looked around. The night was silent around him and he quickly and silently moved into cover. Dracka would take time to get his men together so they had to hold off until then. He moved off into the night towards the edge of his wards. He cast his mind out but could only pick up on three signals, which meant that there were muggles with the veela.
Harry froze when he felt a gun barrel touch the back of his neck. He hadn't even heard the person or felt a signal of magic.
"Get up," A rough voice ordered.
Harry got to his feet, holding his hands out to his sides, knife in his left hand. The man grabbed his left wrist and Harry moved quickly. He turned as the gun went off near his head and the sound broke the silence of the night. He grabbed the man's wrist, holding the gun and turned, bring him down with his body weight.
The man grunted as he hit and was moving quickly. This was a man that was well trained and Harry knew he was in trouble. The man brought his leg around and took Harry's feet out from under him. Harry grunted as he came down hard and quickly rolled to the side as the man tried to grab him. It was a dirty fight as they struggled to get the upper hand.
Harry tried to roll to his feet but the other man was fast and tackled him and quickly landed a punch on his side. Harry struggled as he brought a knee up sharply into the man's stomach. The man rolled away and Harry got his feet under him and was moving.
He dropped as the gun went off and wood splintered around him. He dashed to the next tree along as the man followed him. Leading the man off, this had to be the commander. If he could draw him off, the rest of his team would have better luck.
The man followed him as Harry moved quickly until a vampire came out of nowhere. Harry pulled up short and flicked out with his sword as he called it to his hand. The vampire jumped back, red eyes shining as he circled around. Giving the other man time to catch up and Harry silently cursed.
Harry felt anti apparation wards flare up and he cursed. The muggle and vampire split up and moved to either side of him. He was out matched as he kept both of them in his sights as he stepped back. He could hear fighting behind him but no other gunshots as he eyed off the two men. They moved further apart, making it harder to watch both of them at the same time. These were men with battle training.
Harry lunged at the vampire with sword as the muggle moved in with a knife. The vampire danced back with a leer as the muggle stabbed towards his side. Harry dismissed his sword and grabbed the man's wrist as he pulled back and twisted, pulling the man to the side but he recovered quickly and lashed out at his side.
Harry cursed as he skipped back as the vampire darted in and smashed into his side, bringing him down. Harry rolled with it and managed to get his feet under the vampire and flip him as the muggle stood back and pointed his gun down at him. Harry's eyes widened and he rolled to the side as the gun went off.
The vampire recovered quickly and turned on him with a snarl. Harry rolled into a crouch and waited as the muggle slipped the gun away and pulled a knife. It looked like they wanted him alive at least.
"Blake Sun?" The muggle asked calmly with a slight German accent.
Harry looked over at him and the vampire lunged. Harry skipped to the side but he wasn't fast enough as the vampire brought him down hard and he gasped as the air was knocked from his lungs. Harry snarled and lashed out with his fist, putting magic behind the punch as he slammed his fist into the vampire's head.
The man howled as he rolled away and Harry lunged at the muggle in rage as he tapped into his magic. Power flooded through his body as the muggle stabbed forward with the knife. Harry let him as he grabbed the man's gun on his belt as the knife cut into his stomach deeply. He pulled the gun loose and pulled the trigger.
The muggle stumbled back from him in shock from the gunshot but Harry was still moving. The vampire recovered and snarled at him. More beast than human as the demon took over completely, his eyes red. Harry swung the gun around but he was too slow and the vampire crashed into him and sent him sprawling on his back painfully. The man snapped forward, all fangs, but Harry grabbed him around the neck and brought a knee up into his groin and the man yelled out as he rolled off him.
Harry staggered to his feet as blood ran from the cut in his side. He ducked as a spell sailed over his head as a wizard joined the fight. Without glancing over his shoulder, he ran.
xXx
Severus moved closer to the tent flap as the sounds of fighting reached him and slipped out into the night with his wand in his hand. Miller and the veela were facing off and he could see Robbie flat out on the ground. He didn't know were Sarah and Blake were as he circled around Miller and quickly sent a spell to loop around the veela's leg.
The woman yelped as the rope tightened around her ankle and she tripped. Miller quickly stunned her as David moved forward to look Robbie over.
"Blake signalled six," Miller reported to Severus as he moved closer. "Sarah went after one."
Severus paled as that sunk in.
"I've called Dracka," Severus said. "He should be bringing support soon."
Severus and Miller tensed as vampires started to appear but relaxed when they saw Dracka with a sword in his hand and his eyes glowing red.
"We heard gunshots when we arrived," Dracka said quickly as his men fanned out. "Where's Blake and the rest of your team?"
Suddenly all the vampires paused and looked over to the right and Severus paled. Dracka flashed his fangs at him, red eyes shining.
"Stay here," Dracka ordered. "That's a lot of dark magic."
Severus paled and Miller didn't look much better.
Dracka left them behind with a few vampires as he tracked the dark magic. The magic was very dark and he was concerned that Simpson may have entered the field as his vampires fanned out. They moved through the bushland, silently. They were heading away from the Border and Dracka frowned. They were not ready to take on Simpson and Blake's magic was not up to his normal standard. He wouldn't be able to take on a Dark Lord and he was alone.
He could feel the demon in him raging as the dark magic brushed against him and he picked up Blake's scent. He paused as he noticed a body and something else on the ground and held his men back as he knelt down and touched the ground. His fingers picked up blood and he brought it to his nose and the demon whined. It was Blake's blood. He paled when dark magic rolled along the ground and the demon pushed forward strongly.
xXx
Harry pulled on the dark magic in the ground as a group of four vampires and a wizard closed in on him. He flicked the magic around him as he pulled and it burned in his hands as he flashed out with it, holding them at bay. He couldn't keep this up. He lashed out with the borrowed power and the vampires fell back. Leaving Harry facing the wizard.
The man looked at him with large eyes as the dark mists swirled around Harry.
"Our orders are to take you alive," The man hissed as he pulled on his light power and brought it against Harry. "But your death may be unavoidable."
"You will find that I'm not that easy to kill," Harry hissed back.
Harry pulled as much of the dark magic he could from under his feet. His sight bled into monochromes of black and white as he pulled in the dark magic. The wizard stepped back in shock and Harry knew his eyes had changed to black as the dark magic took over. Harry fell to one knee and brought his hands forward and smashed the magic that he'd collected back into the earth at his feet where it belonged. It flared out from him as a force of power.
Dark magic crackled across the ground and the vampires howled before fleeing as the wizard stumbled back, his light magic flaring around him in a shield. Harry pushed the magic down and colour came back to his sight as he looked up at the other man. The dark mist swirling around him and across the ground. The man stumbled further back but then held his ground and his lips twisted up in a sneer.
The man growled and threw a whip of light magic at him. Harry quickly brought up a shield as the magic he'd taken leaked around his fingers and into the earth under his hands. He had to let it all go, he couldn't hold it. The wizard threw more magic at him and Harry panted with the effort of holding the shield as he pushed the last of the magic down. It rolled over the earth before he rolled to the side and threw out a spell at the man.
"Very impressive," The man said with a cold smile as he circled around Harry. "And without a wand."
Harry mirrored him as he focused on his steps, feeling the blood cooling on his skin as the Hallows burned in his veins.
"Will it make you feel better if I pulled my wand?" Harry asked with a smirk.
The wizard grinned and lashed out with his light magic and Harry grabbed it with his own and pulled. The man yelped as Harry pulled and he cut off the magic with his mouth wide.
"What?" Harry called. "Did you think you are the only one with light magic?"
Harry grinned as his dark wand appeared in his hand and he lashed out with light magic, proving his point. The man yelped and brought up a barrier as the magic flared around him. Harry's eyes flicked as he noticed red eyes moving around him and he cursed. He'd hoped that he would be able to keep them away for longer.
He swung out with the light magic towards the vampires and they fell back.
"Sun!"
Harry instantly cut off the magic and threw a ball of dark magic towards the wizard. The man caught it in a net of light magic and hurled it back at him and he quickly skipped to the side and let it pass him. He was tiring now and he could feel the blood loss starting to take its toll but he pushed forward as the man looked around and smirked.
"My vampires are coming back," The wizard sneered.
"They aren't your vampires," Harry gasped. "They are mine!"
The man stumbled back as the vampires came closer then his eyes widened. He turned and ran. Harry dropped to his knees in exhaustion as Dracka rushed forward as his men took off after the wizard, but Harry knew that the man would get away.
"Blake!"
Dracka knelt beside him and looked at him with concern. He pushed his jacket aside to see the stab wound.
"Was it Simpson?" Dracka asked quickly as he pulled a bandage and started to wrap the wound.
"What?" Harry gasped and looked over at the vampire. "No."
"I felt dark magic," Dracka said.
"That was me," Harry replied, then winced when Dracka pulled the bandage tight.
"You?" Dracka stuttered and Harry would have taken more pleasure in seeing the vampire shocked if he wasn't so tired.
Harry threw his arm over Dracka's shoulders, once he'd finished and the vampire pulled him up. Harry bit back on the pain as he got his feet under him.
"Tell your men to pull back," Harry ordered as he stumbled. "The wizard would have gotten away. We have to get back to the Coven. This was a set up, they may have more people waiting."
Dracka fumbled the message stone out of his pocket and quickly sent the message. They made it back to the camp without a problem and Severus rushed forward, looking pale when he saw him.
"Blake?"
"Miller pack up," Harry barked as Dracka lowered him to the ground and he knelt down as David moved over. "We have to get back to the Coven. Severus are you okay?"
Severus nodded with large eyes as David worked on the wound in his side.
"This has gone deep, Blake." David said softly. "It's going to take time to heal it up."
"Leave it," Harry snapped. "You can finish it when we get back to the Coven. Severus give me a hand up."
Severus got under his arm as Miller and Sarah finished packing up the tent. Miller moved over and eyed off the wound before David started to bind it up.
"Was a strike team," Harry reported without any expression in his voice. "Under orders to take me in."
Miller nodded as he held the portkey out to Harry to get back to the Coven.
"Blake, the anti apparation wards," Dracka said quickly. "They're still in place."
Harry looked around at the vampires and cursed.
"You are not going to like this," Harry said to Dracka.
Dracka flashed his fangs at him and Severus helped lower him to the ground.
"Tell your men to hold their demon close," Harry ordered.
Dracka locked eyes with him for a second before moving off.
"What are you planning?" Severus asked as he knelt next to him.
"Ah," Harry glanced over at the man. "You're not going to like this either."
Harry placed his hands on the ground and reached for the dark magic that he could feel under the surface. He gently picked it up and pulled. He didn't need that much as the pure dark magic flowed over his fingers and tangled around him. Severus scrambled back from him as he took in the magic.
The vampires shifted nervously and their eyes shone red. Once Harry had enough magic around him. He grabbed it and pushed up with it carefully. The magic smashed into every ward he'd placed or someone else had placed as he pushed up then let it all go. He panted as the magic settled around them and his head spun.
"Go," Harry whispered, then louder. "Go!"
The vampires started to apparated out as Harry panted as his hands rested on the earth. He pushed a little of his own magic into the earth as the last of the magic he'd burrowed went back where it belonged. He sat back on his heels and looked over at Severus and Dracka.
"What did you do?" Dracka hissed, his eyes shining red.
"Something that you should never attempt," Harry snapped and stumbled to his feet.
Severus quickly pulled his arm over his shoulders, looking pale. Miller held out the portkey as the rest of his team held their gear. Harry grabbed it with Severus and they activated the portkey.
xXx
Severus held Blake close as they arrived back at the Coven and could feel the man leaning into his side. He was still breathing heavily and Severus could still taste the magic that the man had released in the back of his throat and on his skin and it made him shift uncomfortably. He'd never felt anything like it before and he shivered.
"Move him over here, Severus." David ordered as they moved into the mansion.
Dracka led them into a room to the left of the main hall and Severus lowered Blake down into a chair. Blake slipped out of the jacket he wore, leaving him just in his jeans. The man didn't even have shoes on. David quickly unwrapped the bandage and started whispering spells. Blake was looking pale as he looked up at Severus with bright green eyes. He looked exhausted.
"I'll see to my men," Dracka muttered and left as Blake watched him.
"Do you want a coffee?" Severus asked.
"God," Blake exclaimed with a grin. "You are a god send."
Severus smirked as Miller snorted.
"I'll be right back," Severus said and left the room.
Dracka was waiting for him outside, his eyes still red.
"Are you okay?" Dracka questioned as they moved away from the room.
"What was that he did?" Severus asked, instead. "I can still taste it."
"There is a core of magic under us," Dracka explained. "He pulled at the dark magic slightly. He didn't have enough of his own magic to draw on, so he drew on the earth magic. Holy fuck, Severus."
Dracka looked over at the wizard and Severus shivered at the look in the man's eyes.
"I've heard stories of people doing that, Severus." Dracka remarked in awe. "I have never seen it and a lot of those stories did not end well. I would have loved to have met the person that taught him."
"You still might get that chance," Severus replied with a smirk.
Dracka leered at him as his eyes slowly bled back into black as they moved towards the kitchen. Dracka worked out with the cook, to send up some food and drinks to Blake, Miller and his team. Severus stayed close to his side.
xXx
Harry woke alone the next morning and he wasn't surprised. He rolled over onto his back and rested a hand over his forehead. He wasn't sure if Severus had come to bed last night or if he'd slept somewhere else. What he'd done would have unsettled the man and may have brought back memories of Voldemort for him.
"Are you finally awake?"
Harry started and looked up in surprise to see Severus smirking down at him.
"I didn't realise I was on a schedule?" Harry stated lightly as he looked over at the other man.
Severus snorted and sat on the edge of the bed but didn't reach for him. Harry could understand that slight distance.
"Are you okay?" Harry asked softly as he rolled onto his side and looked the man over.
"All good," Severus replied with a wink and Harry barked a laugh.
Harry let his hand rest on the man's thigh and Severus covered it with his own.
"Was I out for long?" Harry asked after a few minutes.
"No," Severus replied. "You missed breakfast though."
"Not too bad then," Harry said with a smile. "I don't think there is much more we can do here, Severus."
"Back to the school then?" Severus questioned. "I still have potions to complete for St Mungo's."
"Yes," Harry agreed as he rolled back onto his back.
Severus leaned back on the bed to rest his head on Harry's stomach gently. The muscles around the wound on his side were still sore but David had done a good job of healing it up and Harry was just happy that it hadn't been silver. He ran his hands through the taller man's hair as they rested there. Letting the silence of the room settle around them.
"Ah, aren't you two cute."
Severus and Harry looked up to see Dracka leering at them from the doorway. The other two men didn't move.
"I like to think so," Harry replied with a wink. "What do you want Dracka?"
"The wizard that you were fighting," Dracka said as he conjured a chair and took a seat as Severus sat up. "He has light magic?"
"Yes," Harry replied as he thought of the man. "Very well trained. I would say that he has trained under a master. I got lucky that he wasn't expecting what I could do with dark magic and my light magic."
"We weren't expecting that," Dracka drawled.
Harry barked a laugh and gave him a grin.
"And here I thought I couldn't surprise you two anymore," Harry said with a smirk.
"Don't do that again," Severus uttered.
Harry's grin faded as he looked the two men over.
"I didn't have much of a choice, Severus." Harry pointed out. "It's not something I like to do and I hope I don't have to do it again."
Harry moved until he sat on the side of the bed next to Severus with the blanket around his waist.
"There can be a high price to pay with messing with that kind of magic," Harry said softly. "And you may not be the one that pays it."
Dracka sat forward in his seat with his eyes intense as they stared at Harry.
"What happened?" Drack inquired, his voice gentle.
"Story time?" Harry asked with a smirk.
Severus just glared at him while Dracka smirked back.
"So," Harry started to explain. "I was studying under a master mage-"
"Mage?" Dracka interrupted.
Harry frowned.
"Bugger," Harry swore. "Okay this might go quicker if I show you a memory. Dracka out. We'll meet you in your rooms."
Dracka leered at him but Harry just waved his hand in amusement. The vampire smirked as he left the room, leaving the lovers behind. Harry turned to Severus and looked the man over.
"Are you okay?" Harry asked, again.
Severus sighed but met his eyes.
"Yes, Blake." Severus answered but Harry could tell the man wasn't telling him the whole truth but he let it slide.
"If you need to talk Severus," Harry offered and let his hand rest on the man's knee.
Severus gave him a sharp nod as Harry pulled himself to his feet and dressed. Harry went to move out of the room when Severus grabbed his arm. Harry looked up into the man's face as those dark eyes looked down at him.
"That magic didn't feel the same as the magic we hold," Severus stated.
"Yes, it isn't the same," Harry replied. "It's wild magic, like the lay lines. It is pure, while the dark magic we hold is an echo of it."
Severus frowned and Harry could see him thinking.
"The residue of a Dark Ritual," Harry whispered. "Pulls that magic up."
Severus's frown deepened.
"When we went to Germany," Severus mused and Harry nodded. "Does that mean that the source of power a Dark Lord holds in from that wild magic?"
"No," Harry said. "You can't hold that magic. A Dark Ritual will pull on that power in response to the ritual."
Harry sighed as he ran a hand through his hair as Severus looked at him. He wasn't explaining it well enough.
"Come on," Harry said with a slight smile. "I'll try to explain."
Harry went to step forward but Severus just tightened his hold and Harry looked into the man's eyes.
"Everything has a price," Harry stated and Severus looked at him in confusion. "Power and knowledge have a price, Severus."
"Blake?" Severus questioned softly.
Harry just reached up and cupped his cheek and Severus released him.
"Come on, let's face the vampire before he comes barging back in here," Harry said with a smirk.
Severus placed his hand over Harry's hand on his cheek, his dark eyes intense. Harry could read so much and yet so little in Severus's expression.
"Hurry up!" Dracka snapped from the other room and Severus snorted.
Harry gave him a grin before they moved into the other room.
"So," Harry announced as he settled at the table in Dracka's rooms with a coffee in his hands. "In about a hundred years from now, we were faced with a new breed of humanswith magical powers."
Severus and Dracka started and looked at him in surprise and Harry smirked.
"From the future remember?" Harry reminded them in amusement. "They had little to no magical core but could pick up wild magic. I was sent to Russia to look into it with the help of the military."
"With the Russian's approval?" Dracka asked in interest.
"To begin with it was a little under the table," Harry replied mildly. "Later on, I was drafted to a special group between the Ministry and the Russian government. My grandson headed the task force from the UK and my Master was the head of the Russian team. He was one of these people that could pick up wild magic. He was drawn to light magic and we started to call these people Mages."
"How could they pick up the magic without a magical core?" Dracka asked in interest.
"Creature blood," Harry stated mildly as he sat back in his seat. "It had laid dormant in their blood until something changed."
"Something?" Severus asked.
"We weren't sure," Harry replied. "We thought that it had to do with creature blood and squibs. Much like muggleborns pop up in muggle families. Mages started to pop up and once they appeared and had children, those children showed the same kinds of power. The Ministries wouldn't recognise them as wizards or witches and the Council of magical creatures wouldn't take them in either. It was a stand-off between three sides."
"That's why you agreed to join the Council so quickly?" Dracka remarked.
"Yes," Harry agreed with a smirk. "Perhaps this time we can stop the useless fighting. Not to say that the same thing will happen this time. We still don't know why these people turned up, what changed for them to develop this talent."
"Your master?" Severus questioned, with an odd look in his eyes.
"Yes," Harry stated mildly. "Master Alexander Riencroft. He was the one to teach me how to draw on wild magic and to work with it. Brilliant man but with one hell of a temper. You learned to duck quick."
Harry smirked as he thought of the man until Severus's hand on his arm drew him back. He looked up at the younger man with a smile. Harry grabbed the bowl on the table and used his wand to draw out a memory he wanted and place it into the bowl.
"Vampires first," Harry announced with a grin and Dracka leered at him.
xXx
Severus looked around the wooded area they had landed in and moved closer to Dracka. There were tents scattered around as Blake appeared next to them and looked around.
"Russian army," Blake explained. "About two hundred strong, so just a small force really."
A man with shaggy black hair appeared near them and looked around. He stood about the same height as Blake and had intense green eyes as he looked over the tents.
"Harry!"
Severus started as a brown-haired man moved out from one of the tents with a grin on his face and a silver sword hanging from his belt. The brown-haired man wore a military uniform with a gun on his other side. His hair was a bit of a shaggy mess, a few inches long and he had rough hair covering his face. The black-haired man smiled widely as he moved forward and took the brown-haired man in a warm hug.
"My grandson," Blake said from beside them. "Harry Potter junior."
Severus looked over the two men in interest, they looked very similar. He could see the Potter line clearly in both men.
"The brown-haired man?" Dracka asked.
"No," Blake said in amusement. "That's me. The dark-haired man is my grandson. My son, Albus, had a wicked sense of humour. He said that every generation needed a Harry Potter to look up to. Got very confusing at family get togethers, but at least he didn't get the red hair. He normally got called Junior and he didn't much like that."
Severus snorted as he looked the men over. Picking up the similarities in both men and he wondered about his lover's other children. He looked at the younger version of Blake and was a little surprised. The man looked different and yet the same as the two men spoke quietly between each other. This version of his lover looked rougher, a military man. There was also a sadness and hardness to him.
"Nikolai!"
He saw the version of his lover look over towards a handsome man in his forties. The brown-haired man hurried over to the other man and bowed. The other man looked down at him, he had short blonde hair and sharp blue eyes.
"That was my Master," Blake said. "I went by the name Nikolai Sokolov."
"Your son's name was Nikolai," Severus remarked and Dracka looked at them sharply.
"It's a common name," Blake replied mildly. "My partner named my son after her great-grandfather. I named the youngest, Sammy. She was from an old Russian pureblood family on one side and English on the other side. She held the name of her great-grandmother, Alissa. She wanted to keep the name alive in our son."
Severus looked over at Blake sharply as Potter junior moved towards the two men and shook hands with Master Alexander.
"My master was a hard man," Blake continued, a guarded look in his face. "You did not get a second chance with him and if you stuffed up. It was up to you to get yourself out of it."
Suddenly Alexander's fist lashed out and Nikolai stepped back quickly while Potter junior smirked. From the movements, Severus was sure that this was a regular thing.
"He was good for building up your reflexes as well. He could be a real bastard but had a good heart." Blake mused in amusement. "The man had lived a very hard life. He used to say that 'Life didn't give you second chances so why should I?'"
"Commander!"
Everyone looked over as a man in uniform rushed forward and spoke to the three men quietly.
"I've added a translation spell into the memory," Blake commented. "Otherwise you would have just been listening to Russian. We should follow them."
Blake moved off after the three other men with Severus and Dracka following behind. They moved towards a small town that looked like it had seen battle at some point.
"Nikolai," Alexander barked. "Search them out."
"Yes, Master." Nikolai said quickly and Severus flinched at his lover saying the words so easily.
Nikolai stepped away from the other two and closed his eyes.
"Light magic, boy!" Alexander snapped.
"Yes, Master."
Severus and Dracka watched as small white foxes pulled themselves from the earth and rushed out into the town. About a dozen or so of the animals tumbled out and spread out in different directions. Severus had never seen anything like it before.
"Enough," Alexander barked and the foxes stopped appearing.
"The thing with wild magic," Blake mentioned. "Is it doesn't like being controlled and you can't hold the power itself. What I did was gave them an easy command. Find others like itself."
"East side," Nikolai reported as he opened his eyes and turned to the other two men. "About a dozen."
"We had taken and lost this town three times," Blake said, as the other three men spoke quietly. "We were fed up."
"Any others in the town, Nikolai?" Alexander questioned roughly.
"No, sir." Nikolai answered.
"Very well," Alexander stated and stepped away from the others.
Nikolai grabbed his grandson's arm and pulled him back until they stood close to Severus, Dracka and Blake.
Alexander closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again and lifted his arms. A wind started to pick up and the branches of the trees started to sway. The windows rattled in the houses and dust swirled around as a soft howl started up. The noise increased as they stood there and Severus could start to see white mists rising from the ground as they watched, like ghostly forms.
Animal forms started to appear in the mists of claws and fangs and Severus shivered. Glowing lights, that looked like eyes, started to shine as the forms started to become more solid and changed into dogs, wolves, hawks and other shadow animals. Suddenly the animals were rushing forward with the howling wind and into the town.
Screams sounded out in the air and Severus shivered as more forms gathered and moved forward. Suddenly a dozen people ran forward with a pack of light-coloured wolves on their heels. They were a rag tag group of people but Severus could pick up weapons on their belts.
"Nikolai!"
Nikolai moved forward towards his master while the people stumbled forward and fell to their knees before them with their hands up. Severus could see the fear in their dirty faces as the animal silently snarled, keeping them in a close group.
"Kill the leader," Alexander ordered.
Nikolai pulled his gun and Severus watched with large eyes as the man brought the gun up and sighted along it. There was nothing in the man's expression and just coldness in his body language. He couldn't see anything of Blake in the man and he felt a chill at that thought.
"We surrender!" A blonde-haired man called out and Nikolai paused with the gun outstretched.
"Do you renounce all other masters?" Alexander called.
The light animals prowled around keeping the rag tag group on their knees.
"Yes!" The man called.
"I must hear it from everyone!" Alexander snapped.
All but one man spoke up.
"Kill him," Alexander ordered, coldly.
Nikolai pulled the trigger and the man slumped to the ground dead. Severus's eyes were wide as the other people gasped and looked around in fear.
"You fall under my protection," Alexander called. "If you step out of line, you will be punished. No second chances, understand?"
"Yes!"
"I am Master Alexander Riencroft and you will address me as that," Alexander ordered. "Understand?"
"Yes, Master Riencroft."
Alexander dropped the light magic and everything stilled as the mists and animals disappeared as if they had never been there to begin with. Severus and Dracka had never seen magic like it before.
"Follow me," Alexander ordered. "Nikolai, clean up."
Alexander turned on his heels as the group pulled themselves to their feet and quickly followed after him until only Nikolai and Potter junior stood there. Nikolai looked down at the man he'd killed with a cold look in his eyes and Severus shivered. Potter junior patted his grandfather's shoulder and whispered something they couldn't hear before moving after the group.
"There is always a cost," Blake whispered and Severus looked over at his lover, his face was just as unreadable as his younger version. "What you take, must be repaid. Watch."
Severus turned back to Nikolai as he knelt down beside the body and patted down his pockets. He removed a few items from the dead man before stepping back and kneeling down. Nikolai closed his eyes and Severus watched as the earth spilt and opened up near the body and something dark crawled out. The thing grabbed the body with long arms that ended in claws and dragged the man into the hole. Severus shivered and looked over at Dracka and saw his horror reflected in the vampire's face.
They had never seen anything like it before and Severus felt the hair rise on his arms as a chill went down his spine. He looked back to see the earth close over the body and a small tree started to grow. It grew to about a foot high as Nikolai moved forward. He knelt down and placed a hand on the ground briefly.
When the man got to his feet and turned in their direction. His eyes briefly looked over them and Severus was in no doubt he was looking at his lover. He could see the pain in the man's green eyes. Those eyes were Blake's.
"The Russians were not forgiving in this matter," Blake said softly. "These men and women had been given many warnings. I am not justifying my actions, just stating the truth. If Master Alexander gave me an order, I was bound to obey or break the contract."
"What happened to him?" Dracka asked as Nikolai moved passed them, but Blake did not more to follow him.
"He paid the price," Blake replied as he looked after the younger version of himself sadly. "We came up against a talented mage with dark power. Master Alexander used his light magic against her while I was his anchor. It did not go well, he reached too far and I couldn't hold it or pull him back. I am not good with light magic and he would not allow me to use dark magic to hold the connection. The magic took his life and backlashed on me..."
Blake trailed off and looked around before focusing on the two men and Severus shivered at the blank look in his lover's eyes. There was no expression on the man's face as he looked at them.
"I studied under him for five years," Blake continued. "And stayed with the Russians for over twenty. I wasn't supposed to be his anchor that day but his apprentice had died two weeks earlier in the conflict and Alexander called me. He needed me, so I went...I walked away from the name Nikolai after he was killed."
Blake paused and looked away from the two men.
"What happened with the prisoners?" Dracka questioned after a few seconds.
"Recruitment," Blake remarked with a smirk that had a shiver running down their backs. "These were early days of mages. Over time they were given rights, the same as any other magic user, but they did not know that was in their future at this point in time."
Blake grabbed the two men and they found themselves sitting back in Dracka's rooms. Blake calmly picked up his coffee and took a sip.
"That was a dark time in our history," Blake commented. "But it got better."
xXx
Severus sat on the edge of the bed he shared with Blake that night as the man slept with his back towards him. The memory that he'd shown them, kept running through his head. The remembered feeling of the dark magic that Blake had pulled from the earth rolling over him, unsettled him. He looked over at his lover before slipping under the covers and curling along the man's back. He ran a hand down the man's side, feeling the scars under his fingers.
The man moved slightly but didn't wake as Severus laid his hand on his hip. It had been hard to see such a strong man under the rule of a master like Alexander Riencroft and he wondered why Blake had taken the vow to serve him. It brought up memories of his own time under Voldemort's rule and he shivered slightly.
Blake suddenly jolted in his sleep and muttered something. Severus ran his hand down his back and he settled. In the same way that the man had love to give, he also had a coldness to him. Something Severus had seen when the Horcrux had over taken him and the way that Dracka spoke about the night his brother had been killed.
Blake could be a killer or he could be a protector and if something threatened someone he loved…Severus shivered at the thought. His fingers ran over the scars on the man's back as his thoughts drifted.
"That tickles."
Severus started at Blake's voice and his hand stilled. The man rolled onto his back and looked over at him. His green eyes sleepy as they looked at him and Severus laid his hand on the man's chest.
"Did you sleep here last night?" Blake questioned.
"Yes," Severus answered with a frown. "Why wouldn't I?"
Blake sighed and ran a hand over his head and Severus was unsure what the man was thinking.
"Wasn't sure," Blake muttered, his eyes guarded. "With me pulling on the dark magic like I did if that you would sleep here or somewhere else."
"You're an idiot," Severus uttered fondly before kissing him.
Blake returned the kiss as Severus grabbed his side and he rolled towards him. Severus placed a hand on his back as Blake shifted closer until there was no space between them. Severus held him as he tangled his legs with Blake's and took in the feel and scent of the other man. He gently ran a hand down Blake's back, feeling the roughness of his skin under his palm.
"Why did you follow him?" Severus inquired, breaking the silence.
"Who?" Blake asked.
"Alexander?"
"There is always a price for magic, Severus." Blake replied after a few seconds of silence. "But there can be a high price for knowledge as well. When you have both light and dark magic you fall into a bit of a grey zone."
Severus snorted at the irony of the man's words as he held him close.
"Light wizards don't want to teach you because you hold Dark power and vice versa," Blake continued. "Master Alexander was something new. A man with no magical core that could pull on wild magic…he tried to kill me the first time we met."
"What happened?"
"He thought I was a Dark Lord," Blake explained and Severus moved so the man could lay on his back and he could look at him. "I was part of a team of Russians that stormed where he was staying. He brought his wild power against mine."
"You lost?" Severus questioned.
"No," Blake answered with a smirk. "I won and had my knife at his throat. It was then that he noticed that I held light magic. My Commander at the time called me off and I let the man stand. We worked together for a while before I asked him if he could teach me his kind of magic."
"You offered to serve under him?" Severus asked in shock.
"Things were done differently then," Blake stated with a frown. "Well, will be done differently. I was his apprentice."
"You call him master?"
"Yes," Blake confirmed. "It's hard to explain, Severus. When you serve as an apprentice the person that teaches you is called a Master regardless of their sex. Whether you call them by their title is up to them. Just more time differences."
Severus fell silent as he placed his hand on the man's stomach.
"How many Masters have you had?" Severus whispered.
"A few over the years," Blake said mildly then smirked. "And I have been one a few times as well."
Severus stilled as he looked at Blake and the man gave him a wink and a rough grin.
"Works both ways, Severus." Blake stated. "The way that Dark Lord Voldemort used it wasn't the same as an apprentice-master relationship. I was never tortured or had the threat of death held over my head."
"You killed that man under orders," Severus prompted.
"I did," Blake confirmed. "If I did not follow his order than the apprenticeship contract would have been broken. That man's life and the others were forfeit when we had already approached them to bring them under the Russian government and they had refused. He would not have ordered me to do something that he didn't think I would do."
Severus felt a coldness in his stomach at the man's words. He remembered the men that Blake had killed and the way he'd slit that man's throat in Germany. Blake looked over at him with guarded eyes. In some ways, Severus was learning just how dangerous Blake was and yet as he looked into those green eyes. He knew he was lost to other man and would fight just as hard to hold him.
"And I thought I had a dark history," Severus muttered.
Blake gave him a lopsided smile.
"I've just had more time to compile a dark history," Blake said with a smirk. "Any more questions? Because it is late."
Severus gave him a smile and Blake rolled away from him. Severus wrapped his arm around him as Blake wiggled back and they settled in. He kissed Blake's shoulder as he relaxed back against him. He closed his eyes and just took in the warmth of the other man but sleep didn't come easy for Severus that night.