Is This The World We Created
Chapter 5
"Meet Fawkes," Harry said softly, already looking marginally better, despite the lack of sleep, the stress lines that had been present dying away. "He's a phoenix, and resides primarily in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the mountains of Scotland, our magical school. And yes, it's still used as a school, not as filled as it used to be, but the families of those children attending the school get to remain there while the child is taught how to control their magic giving them a measure of protection they wouldn't get elsewhere. He and I bonded not long after his previous owner died." Stroking his hand up and down his red wing.
"That's a phoenix?" Stiles asked, staring at it in awe, but he couldn't help but think it had many characteristics of a chicken. Admittedly a very beautiful and colourful chicken, magical to boot.
"He's a phoenix yes," Harry said watching the group amused, "They're capable of carrying immensely heavy loads and their tears…have healing powers, they heal even the most grievous injuries instantaneously,"
"It's like a miniature werewolf then," Liam snorted, grinning widely, showing he meant to offence, he blanched when the phoenix stared at him, flapping it's wings, no…it was just a coincidence surely?
"He saved my life once," Harry said with a fond grin, he'd thought Fawkes looked like a chicken the first time he encountered him so being called a miniature werewolf was almost a compliment, although by the look of it Fawkes didn't think so.
Peter arched a brow, slotting that information away for future perusal. Wondering what had happened that his mates life needed saving…considering the world they lived in…was it truly surprising?
"Why what happened?" Stiles asked, his desire for any information was well known by his pack, so none were surprised by it. Nobody missed the glance Stiles shot Peter, he was surprised the Zombiewolf hadn't actually already asked. Then again Peter had the habit of springing questions on you completely out of the blue, best way to get an honest answer out of someone.
"I was poisoned by a basilisk," Harry said dryly, watching their eyes widen in astonishment, "Very fast acting poison that kills the recipients within minutes, luckily Fawkes was nearby." Was all he offered on that front, having no desire to get into the entire story. Luckily they had no idea just how big a damn Basilisk was, just a general idea that it was a snake no doubt.
"You really think you can go back in time?" Isaac asked incredulously, breaking the rather comforting break they'd had with Fawkes.
"I can go back in time," Harry stated, "But I need a power boost in order to actually accomplish that." and coming from him it said a lot considering the power he had at his disposal. "I am not connected to a Nemeton otherwise I would have already done it. You see, my magic isn't compatible with the Nemeton, I couldn't even if I wish connect with one. Stiles, however, is a spark, it's the right kind of magic, and he's already connected to it, the Nemeton will realize what's happening and probably help guide us in the right direction."
"But how will it actually happen?" Stiles asked, sitting forward demanding all the information he could get.
"I don't know," Harry confessed, "That is the problem, I have no idea what will happen. Whether we will appear in time in these bodies or if our consciousness will merge with our younger selves."
Stiles breathing hitched, he was so confident so sure they could do this.
"And if your consciousness just roams around without a body for the rest of your lives?" Chris imputed, "Everyone always says meddling with time is dangerous,"
"There's a reason for that," Harry said dryly, "Do you know what happens if you encounter yourself?" he added coolly.
Chris blinked, "No?" it was a question.
"You drive yourself mad," Harry informed him seriously, "Then again those are just hours in time, not actual decades it might be a completely different scenario although I don't quite relish finding out."
"They tried to warn themselves that something bad was going to happen only to end up mad?" Peter asked, gaze shrewd and penetrating.
"Yes, which ironically changes the timeline anyway," Harry informed them, "We lost quite a few people to that, when this begun. There was a mad dash to prevent the supernatural being exposed, but no matter what we did…we were unable to prevent it." and a few encountered their other selves and unfortunately, lost themselves.
Stiles glanced away, guilt and shame souring his scent, Derek's face became a stony mask and Isaac who hadn't even been there shrunk into himself, Liam swallowed thickly unable to meet Harry's eyes. Chris revealed nothing, and Peter just rolled his eyes when they practically gave everything away. He wasn't surprised to see Harry sit up further and take note of their expressions suspicion written across his features.
"Is there something you wish to tell me?" Harry said, staring the group, if he had seen himself, he would have realized that this scenario was almost the same as when Dumbledore asked him all those years ago. Although, Harry didn't have the compassion and disappointment Dumbledore had rehearsed so well to perfection. "You didn't just grow up in Beacon Hills, you were there for all of it." Harry so easily deduced, tense and alert.
Peter was torn between caution and smug satisfaction that he had such a smart mate, to have been lumped with someone inane, intelligent and pathetic would have been an embarrassment. He was a Hale, one of the last few remaining Hale blood, it would have been intolerable. "We were," Peter confessed, he wasn't going to try and begin lying to Harry, there was just no point.
The others glanced at Peter with wide eyes, wondering why he was telling him that, terrified that they'd be given the boot just as they begun to accept a better life however short lived it might be.
Harry pinched the bridge of his nose, "Please tell me he wasn't your Alpha," he groaned, sitting back looking physically pained.
"He wasn't my alpha," Peter growled lowly, he'd never been in the McCall pack, had no desire to be even if they'd given him the chance. Which they had not due to his past actions, the only thing he did regret about it all was forcing his nephew to kill him and biting McCall.
A knock on the door pulled a halt to whatever Harry was going to say, flicking his hand in the generation direction of the door. Marcus stepped through, eyeing them all cautiously, having felt the incredulousness, disbelief and shock through the bond he shared with Harry. "Is everything alright in here?" if there hadn't been an answer, he would have burst his way in.
"I'm fine, honestly," Harry sighed, rubbing his head feeling a massive migraine coming on. Merlin, help him, he hadn't expected this at all. "Which one of you bit him?" staring at the three Hales in particular, knowing from Marcus that they were born Werewolves and that Cora was a Hale, Derek's sister and Peter's niece. He knew nothing further despite the fact Marcus had wanted to reveal more. Their history wasn't his business, and he knew how it felt for others to know more of your own history than you were comfortable with.
"You're in his pack?" Peter asked, gazing between the Alpha and Harry, feeling rather off kilter by that information. This was his mate, and his wolf was displeased by the bonds he shared with another, especially another Alpha when that was all Peter ever wanted to be. He barely refrained from a low grumbling sound leaving his clenched teeth.
"No, we're connected to him," Marcus revealed, closing the door and stepping forward towards Harry, "Every alpha here is connected to Harry, not quite pack but you can liken it to a pack-adjacent bond but stronger." Well aware of the fact Harry was Peter Hale's mate and what he knew about the werewolf, he didn't feel all that comfortable leaving Harry on his own with the Hale pack, hence why he'd come as soon as he felt the emotions in the bond flare. Everything that had come out of Beacon Hills was distorted so when Harry asked, there was nothing he could state and say with one hundred percent certainty. He honestly hadn't thought of telling him about the Hale fire and the aftershock it created afterwards, until they were there, but Harry didn't want to hear it.
Hearing that he wasn't actually a part of any pack eased Peter's protective and possessive instincts. Harry shouldn't be in any pack other than his own. If they'd met before the revelation of the supernatural world and he'd been in a pack, he would have left his own for his, depending on a few things. Primarily the fact he was a Hale would ensure it was in his favour, the Hale bloodline was well known, respected and one of the few ancient and noble lines, they'd been in Beacon Hills before its inception. There was only maybe two others that can say they're equal to the Hales' but who knows what happened to them.
"Which one of you bit him?" Harry repeated his question, tone grim.
Marcus gave Harry a curious look before he sat, wondering what was going on to elicit that sort of emotion from Harry. He wasn't going to leave when there was something going on, and judging by the scents in the room, things could end up taking a nasty turn.
The Hale pack just looked at each other intently, almost as if they were conversing with the 'eyebrows of boom' as Stiles liked to call them.
"It's a little more complicated than that," Peter confessed, if he had to leave he would, but he'd make damn sure the others would remain. He would not let them go back out there, he didn't care what he had to do.
A knowing look came across Marcus' face, as if he had a good idea what had gone down from all the bits and pieces he'd picked up over the years. He'd tried to tell Harry, but he hadn't wanted to know, he wasn't sure why either, but he had his suspicions on that front.
"It really is," Stiles blurted out, nodding his head, their whole lives had been complicated.
"Do you remember our conversation last night? About the Nemeton being a death drawer? Well, it's been that way since Stiles was sixteen-years-old. I believe it happened the night Stiles and two others sacrificed themselves to find their parents and ultimately put a stop to a Darachs plan." Peter informed him, knowing without a doubt this would make Harry understand just how bad it had been.
Chris flinched, he hadn't been aware of what Allison had done, not for a long time.
Harry's eyebrows rose, "Three-fold sacrifice," shaking his head, "Damn, as a magical practitioner you technically have all the points required to participate in the spell." He didn't like using his MOD powers, or revealing them, he could see Peter without needing it, but if he opened them up, he knew without a doubt, he would see that Stiles and Derek had experienced death as well. The others had commented that he smelt like 'Death' or 'Vampire' when he used those powers specifically. It put them on edge.
"Technically Derek and Peter have died too," Stiles pointed out, shivering at the feeling washing over him. "Peter came back using a Banshee but Derek evolved after sacrificing himself to take down Berserkers," that had been the turning point for both of them.
Marcus made a muted sound of disbelief, that information had definitely not reached his ears. Oh, he definitely wasn't going anywhere, he was curious himself now.
"I'm sure by now you've been told of the fire," Peter said sharply, swallowing thickly, he'd never actually spoken about it. Not in any other terms other than getting revenge for his fallen family and it was the lowest time in his life.
"No, I don't," Harry said firmly, a dark look appearing on his face, "I know what it's like to have everyone knowing about your own history before you do. Or having an opportunity to tell anyone." He'd always resent the Dursley's to hell and back for that, walking into the wizarding world completely unprepared and with only a half-giant to tell him, who was too afraid to say a damn name.
Derek inhaled sharply, "The fire was my fault," he stated, only to have Peter, Stiles and Cora vehemently protesting his declaration. Telling him he wasn't to blame, he hadn't thrown the chemical mixture cocktail at the house and set it ablaze.
"I know this might sound…unfeeling but when did this fire take place?" Harry asked, "Dates and times are extremely important." His tone sombre and a sense of understanding wafted from Harry in droves.
"January 25th 2005, seven o'clock at night, we were celebrating the Wolf Moon, the entire pack was gathered except for two," Peter said, his voice slightly off and filled with raw grief as if it had just happened, predictably Derek hunched in on himself. "Eleven of us, Derek had begun dating someone outside of the pack, months prior, we could smell her circling the house, like an idiot we decided to wait for her to knock." Answering doors before they were knocked wasn't very human after all.
Harry arched a brow, dawning realization beginning to creep in, oh, yes, he had an extremely intelligent mate.
"We were unaware she was drawing Mountain ash around the house, and tunnels, preventing any of us escaping leaving us essentially human and trapped." Peter rasped out, Marcus, Peter noticed, looked like he wanted claw his ears off, or to leave, he didn't want to hear what was about to be revealed. "Then Molotov cocktails were thrown through the windows, the chemical mixture had wolfsbane in it, making it an aerosol, we immediately ran for the basement, the secret tunnels that had been there for centuries…only to find our ways cut off."
Harry remained silent, letting Peter talk, he knew this was the first time he'd discussed it, knew it was the first time Derek was hearing it judging by the reactions. Stiles was just trying to keep Derek as comforted as humanly possible. That couldn't be healthy, like at all, the fire had happened such a long time ago, why wouldn't they discuss it in some capacity?
"A lot of my memories of the fire is…murky, I was unaware that I succeeded in getting Cora out of the house," Peter said, shaking his head, he still didn't remember to this day. "We were all choking on the smoke imbued with wolfsbane, burning our lungs, we healed only to go through the progress all over again. Our human pack members had a relatively peaceful death…" which was true enough, they'd simply looked like they'd fallen asleep. "The culprits stayed surrounding the house, the main one taunting us, revealing just how she'd managed to do this to us."
Derek let out a whine of pure unadulterated agony, that set Marcus' teeth on edge to make it better for the Beta. Stiles instead practically wrapped himself around Derek, with Isaac plastering himself to his side, Liam, uncomfortably patted at his shoulder awkwardly.
Chris just remained stony faced, looking for all the world that he just wanted to crawl into a hole and die.
Peter grimaced, he'd wrongly assumed that Derek would have put the pieces together, after all he was intelligent but intelligent enough to put the pieces together from someone he'd never met? Although, Laura had almost succeeded in figuring it out without knowing anything, but that was sheer dumb luck that he still did not understand to this day.
"Eleven people had been reported to have died in the fire, three of them human and Derek and Cora's six month old cousin who hadn't in one way or another had it confirmed as to whether they were a Were or not." Peter stated, his voice becoming detached and void of any emotion. "I was assumed the sole survivor of the fire that claimed the rest of my pack. The firefighters pulled me out of the wreckage, transferred me to hospital, I had sustained 3rd- degree burns over 75 percent of my body."
Marcus had his eyes closed, a sick look of revulsion and horror plastered across his face. He wasn't sure how the remaining members had survived such a horrific incident, he'd lost Beta's in the past, and the feeling…was indescribable, like losing a piece of himself in the process. Although, if what he had heard was true…they hadn't come out unscathed at all.
It was clear that Peter was unable to continue, and that Derek was in no state to speak. Not surprisingly, it was Stiles who begun then to explain what happened next. "Derek and Laura were at school, a basketball game that night, and were the only members of the Hale pack that sustained no physical injuries from the fire." Stiles told him, glancing at Peter with a saddened look on his face. "Laura was the second-in-command, she inherited Talia's alpha powers…"
Harry straightened up, a frown working onto his features, "Are you telling me your mother had a school child next in line to inherit the Alpha powers when she had at least a sibling? Is that normal assuming you were her brother and not brother-in-law?" he asked Marcus bewildered, it made absolutely no sense. She had to have been what? Maybe eighteen-years-old?
"Every pack is different," Marcus revealed, "But I have never heard of someone so young becoming the Second-In-Command, it should not have happened until Laura Hale was at least twenty-one, graduated high school and gone to college…getting the Alpha powers especially during such tragedy…I doubt she knew anything about being an Alpha…at that age."
"Laura did the best she could," Derek snarled out, as always defending his sister to the extreme.
"Which indicates that even you found her lacking…" Harry said seriously, "I'm not going to like where this goes am I?" he said mostly to himself.
Stiles sighed softly, resigned to carrying on where none of the other Hales could, "Laura…Laura took Derek and they fled immediately to New York. It was during that time, when she severed the pack bonds with Peter that Peter went into a coma unable to cope with the additional strain of the remaining packbonds he had breaking leaving him as an Omega. The Hales remained in New York for six years, they had no contact at all with Peter in the following years."
Harry stood up, a sick look adorning his face, this had absolutely nothing to do with the fact Peter was his mate. "The best she could?" he muttered, pacing back and forth, "Merlin's bloody balls! Merlin, what the hell did you do to her to have her leaving you behind like you meant nothing? Try to drown her?"
Peter snarled at the implication that he would have ever purposefully hurt his pack back then, he wouldn't have. He might have been tad on the sarcastic and manipulative side, but he would never, ever have harmed a head on any of his families head, he'd loved them all fiercely, enough to get revenge where Laura and Derek had not.
"Unbeknownst to anyone at that point, there was one other survivor of the Hale House fire, obviously, Cora. She was eleven-years-old at the time. She believed everyone, including Peter, Derek and Laura had died, Cora did as she had been trained to do in such a situation, and fled in order to hide and heal. She eventually ended up in South America and joined a pack there where she stayed until rumours of a Hale Alpha reached her…she briefly re-joined that pack again after a bit." Stiles told him.
"So what you're telling me is when Laura cut off Peter she cut off Cora as well?" Harry said, sickness crawling up his throat. She left her eleven-year-old kid sister to fend for herself and took Derek and fucked off? "Could the decimation of the bonds have made her unaware?"
"No," Marcus stated immediately, "Hunters attacked the Gregory pack, the twenty-two year old Second-In-Command Alan suddenly found himself an Alpha after the attack. He gathered up what was left of them, including one that was twenty miles away. He took the two he found quickly and completed a cross-country trek until he got to her, brought them all back after he found a new Emissary and returned home. If anyone had become aware of Laura Hale's actions…she would have been an anathema in the supernatural world. It makes sense why she fled to New York, it doesn't belong to any particular wolf, the territory is too large."
"New York belongs to MACUSA," Harry corrected him.
Stiles was practically on top of Derek, stopping him from frothing in rage or trying to attack anyone in his defence of Laura. Laura had been all Derek had for six long years, he loved her regardless of her failures, even if he felt guilty for what they had done. However, Marcus' words seemed to have Derek bowled over stunned. He probably hadn't seen her actions for the way it was, but the reality was, even Stiles thought what she did was wrong, he'd never said as much to Derek. Family was everything to Stiles, he hadn't even left his father in the end, just thinking about him had his eyes stinging with the remembered agony.
"For the next six years, I was cognizant but locked inside my body while I slowly healed, cell by cell, unable to voice my pain, get any relief whatsoever, the Mundane drugs burning out within minutes of being administered. All the questions I had circling my mind relentlessly, where were Derek and Laura? They hadn't been in the fire…had the hunters taken them out too? I almost wish it had been that way, at least then I wouldn't have had to live with the knowledge that my remaining pack members had left me to rot where any hunter could just walk into the room and finish me off and I wouldn't be able to do a damn thing to stop it. The very least she could have mercy killed me."
"Which hunter faction dared to take out a peaceful pack?" Marcus growled low in his throat.
"Kate Argent along with near a dozen conspirators, but she wasn't the mastermind ultimately behind it," Peter replied, eyes flashing blue as he thought on her. Why were his only successful bites – or claws as it were – people he wouldn't want to see turned even if it saved his life? "Her father, Gerard Argent raised her to think of us lower than dogs, except of course, when she was sleeping with them, all for the greater good I'm sure," he drawled out with bite and sarcasm that was mostly aimed at Chris.
An sudden explosion of magic, exuding from Harry, caused every werewolf to shiver in fear at the feel of the powers and death that came from Harry. "You've brought a hunter into my sanctuary?" Harry's green eyes were like ice, furious and filled with rage. Staring them all down, breathing heavily, as he clearly tried to reign himself in. "An Argent!" just a single look and he was able to deduce something that most others would overlook.
Chris swallowed thickly, but remained seated and feigned impassivity. He might have fooled a casual observer, but in a room full of supernatural's? Everyone could smell how terrified he was, and would have, if the situation was different, it would have made the others feel a little more respect for his composure.
Marcus had his claws out ready to render and tear into Chris at the slightest provocation. He couldn't believe the Hales would associate with this scum, they were betraying their own kind?
"He's not a hunter anymore! He retired before all this started! He's one of the good ones! I swear!" Isaac unsurprisingly was the quickest to defend Chris, using his body as a shield for the human. "He hasn't hurt any of us," and his heartbeat blipped.
"Now that was a lie," Marcus growled, standing up, red eyes flashing furiously.
Peter was watching the scene tense and alert, he liked to make trouble but this…he hadn't intended on this. Unfortunately, he knew, that it would have had to be revealed today, if anyone found out later…it would have made the betrayal and swift retribution so much worse. There was no guarantee that someone in this Sanctuary wouldn't recognize Chris for who he was.
"Oh he's hurt all of us at one point," Peter drawled, "Or watched," he added thoughtfully, watching Chris tense farther, but no scent of betrayal just resigned understanding. "Desecrating remains," Chris closed his eyes resignedly, slightly surprised by the words, he hadn't been aware they knew that much.
Derek made a wounded noise as if just putting it together for the first time. That Chris and his ilk had cut Laura in half with a broadsword in order to prevent her from coming back. It begs the question, which one of them had truly killed her? Peter or the hunters? It seemed he was tearing every wound that had somewhat healed on Derek today, making them raw and aching. Why should he be the one to suffer through it alone? Nobody had been surprised when he didn't take to Chris Argent right away, it had taken a whole lot before he'd considered the guy 'pack-adjacent' in his mind. The others might think of him as pack but no, Peter only considered his niece and nephew as well as Stiles as real pack. Those are the only people he was killing to die for.
"However, Isaac is quite correct, despite retiring he begun to help us, mostly because his daughter was part of a pack." Peter informed Harry seriously, knowing to use full uncensored truth, he wasn't sure why, but it was a gut feeling, instinct just like when he knew he had to take out Scott McCall. "He also tried to talk to McCall and put a stop to what was happening. He knew as well as us what would happen if the supernatural was revealed. Unfortunately, he had never been one to be reasoned with." As always giving praise in his normal fashion, insulting them and complimenting them in the same sentence. Or rather his version of a compliment. In his opinion Chris had always been too trigger happy.
Harry narrowed his eyes, clearly still displeased, but he had calmed and reigned in his magic fully, willing to listen to them at least. Even as they speak, Peter noted that information was writing itself across the wall, the date and time and HALE MANOR FIRE emblazoned across it. "You better give me one good reason as to why I should allow a hunter sanctuary," he sneered, his disgust obvious to all, you didn't need to be a werewolf to see it.
"If one of us leaves, we all leave," Stiles blurted out without thinking.
"Truer words haven't been spoken," Harry stated sharply, staring at Stiles, "I do not need you that much Mr. Stilinski, that I would allow anyone to bring danger to my people." he'd find an alternative way to go about it first before he'd dare to let anyone try and manipulate him again.
Peter understood that, truly, it was the sort of pack thinking mentality, for a wizard it was surprising that he had it. Then again, Stiles did too, but he'd been around werewolves since he was sixteen, it was a learned behaviour, although on his own, Scott had never been comfortable in his skin. Stiles was clearly taken aback that his attempts at manipulation hadn't worked. It had been a good bet, something Peter would have used too, but clearly Harry wasn't putting all his eggs into one basket.
"If they find out…they'll kill him," Marcus commented, it was just the truth.
"It's a chance I'm willing to take, don't throw the pack out…not for me," Chris said, his tone not even the slightest bit grudging, he understood he hated what had become of the world, and those that call themselves 'hunters' there was a time where he wouldn't have. This…this was his penance, he deserved anything that might come his way.
Harry gritted his teeth, indecision warring within him.
The Hale pack was tense, waiting for the inevitable. Being told to leave, that they weren't welcome, things never worked for them long term, why would that change now? Derek was inconsolable, what if his mate ended up unconscious again and inevitably fell into a coma without those potions Harry gave him? They didn't know how long they would work and keep him wrong.
"He's not a danger to anyone," Peter informed Harry quietly, "He has nothing that could endanger anyone, and I'll kill him myself if he attempts anything here." which was the truth, if this time-travel didn't work out, they only had less than a year left to live, and he planned to live it, not survive out there again. Not without his mate. Only his luck would see his mate coming into his life at the end of the world. Go figure.
"You'll take full responsibility for anything that happens then?" Harry asked curtly, still furious over the deception. "And receive the same penalty." Which was death.
Peter inhaled sharply, not expecting that from his mate, but respecting it nonetheless. He'd kill Harry to save Stiles at this point in time, they weren't bonded yet. So, it made sense that Harry would kill him to save those in sanctuary. The draw was still there though, the desire to be near him, Harry was the same no doubt. If they bonded, they would kill and die for each other, that was what I meant to be mates. "Agreed," to the surprise of the pack, they hadn't expected that from Peter. No doubt Chris was going to get a few threats whenever they were alone after that.
"On your head be it," Harry stated, not trusting the hunter the slightest, he would have him watched every minute of the day, one of the House-elves would be happy to do it. He couldn't believe he was allowing a hunter to remain in sanctuary, retired or not. How many supernaturals has he killed? He didn't deserve the sanctuary but he didn't actually want to throw the rest of them out to deal with the hunters out there. He was compromised, due to Peter, and the sympathy he had for the group from what he'd heard so far. Almost as if his mind was being read – which was impossible after all – the next question had him questioning if that was actually true.
"Do you want to hear the rest?" Stiles asked, glancing briefly at the wall, he could see information had been added too, Peter wasn't the only observant one of the group. Stiles, for most part, couldn't remain still, always looking around observing everything. Even from his place on Derek's lap, who had a tight grip on him, keeping him close. He wasn't sure whether he believed they could time-travel or if it was fools hope, but Stiles was optimistic, he'd do anything, anything to help his pack survive, to help his mate survive.
Harry slumped on the chair, rubbing his head looking even more exhausted. It was obvious he hadn't had any sleep whatsoever and the food he'd eaten hadn't helped give him much energy at all to get through the day.
"Maybe you should postpone it and get some sleep?" Marcus suggested, worried about him, he usually knew his own limit.
"I'll do it after, I'll be contacting Hermione tonight," which would be in the early hours for her. "Go ahead," he gestured for them to continue, a blank mask on his face, none of his earlier friendliness anywhere to be seen. It was clear without being able to detect it that he was still fuming over Chris Argent's presence here. There was a time where Peter would have agreed with Harry without fail. How times had changed. The trust he gave Chris Argent had been well earned though.
Stiles shifted, feeling a little guilty, but nonetheless he begun, "On January 16th at around seven o'clock, when I was sixteen, six years later almost to the day, four days actually. I heard my dad on the phone, he was the sheriff," Stiles choked back on his emotions, unable to conceal them, his fathers death still weighed heavily upon him. Hated that they hadn't been able to save him, the Hales would have bitten him in a second if they'd had the ability. Keeping dates and times knowing they were important to what Harry wished to accomplish. Harry's blank mask faded a little, sympathy bleeding through, no pity though thank goodness otherwise Stiles would have been angry over it.
Peter noted that it was a sympathy people feel over losing loved ones when they themselves hadn't. Something about that felt wrong to Peter though, someone like Harry Potter had suffered loss, even if his sympathy was generic.
The feeling of Derek rubbing his back, a comforting purr coming from deep within his chest, calmed him considerably. It shouldn't be that way, what he was doing to say next sounded so, so horrible. "They'd found half a body in the preserve, when he left I ran to get Scott," scoffing in derision, "I wanted to see it for myself and invited my best friend to come with me." He'd certainly got his wish…how many damn dead bodies had he seen in his life now? Too damn many by far.
There was no distain or disgust in Harry's face, if anything there was a faint amused lilt to his lips. He had been a teenager once, admittedly his…adventures were more life threatening and less out of boredom.
"We got there, looked around, but then my dad and the department arrived with the dogs, Scott and I split up, I was found, kept Scott out of it and I drove home texting Scott to make sure he was alright. He complained about me leaving him behind and the next day I found out he had been bitten by something while in the woods, swearing he had heard a wolf howl."
"Scott…he changed basically overnight, he suddenly had the ability to do things that weren't possible, especially with someone with asthma. He could smell things no human could, and his abilities at Lacrosse…he was a benchwarmer he wanted to play but he couldn't his asthma held him back…but suddenly he was amazing. I tried to ask him why he wasn't more curious about how he could do the things he could. Told him albeit only slightly jokingly that he was a werewolf."
Harry's eyebrows rose, "I wonder…did you have a habit of looking for dead bodies?"
Stiles bristled at the insinuation, "No,"
"You'd had no desire in the past before?" Harry asked, a thoughtful look on his face.
Stiles realized Harry was on to something, "Well, no, but nothing ever happened in…nothing that impacted me had ever happened in Beacon Hills." Correcting himself.
Harry nodded, "I wouldn't be surprised if the Nemeton drew you to it," he was a spark, the closest thing that could help the Nemeton and the supernatural. "Another Hale had just been killed, whether she'd been in the territory or not…the balance was seriously out of whack."
"It created the desire for me to go look for a dead body?" Stiles asked incredulously, his eyes widening when he realized something, "I came across it that night…I…I actually came across it."
Harry wasn't surprised by that sudden realization. "I believe if you had gone alone, you would have actually connected with the Nemeton that night. Ignited your spark, unfortunately, it seems as if it wasn't meant to be."
"I dread to think what would have happened if Stiles had connected to the Nemeton and fully came into his spark when I was feral," Peter said, shuddering at the thought.
"I doubt you would have been able to touch him," Harry admitted, "The Nemeton wouldn't have allowed it, with the unlimited potential of a spark back then…he would have been…untouchable," without the end of the world the poison not being so bad…he genuinely believed that.
"Perhaps," Peter said doubtfully, well aware of what had been inside the tree, and whether Stiles would have ended up possessed a whole lot sooner. Merlin, that didn't bear thinking about, they would have killed Stiles without pause, without even caring. Even Chris grimaced as if he was on the same wavelength as Peter, which was probably true.
"I binge read everything I could on werewolves, tried to do everything I could in order to help my best friend. Scott was invited to a party with a new girl that had just joined Beacon Hills High School, I tried to tell him it was a bad idea. That it was the full moon and he just accused me of being jealous of him, of having a girlfriend and having a part in Lacrosse. Conveniently forgetting I only joined to keep him company because he wanted to play." Stiles scoffed, shaking his head, "He never lost the belief that I was jealous of him, his sudden abilities, his popularity and girlfriend…it doesn't matter how many times I told him I wasn't and he was a werewolf he should have known my heartbeat didn't stutter." Sadness overwhelming Stiles, he still missed who his best friend used to be, even if the thought of Scott usually turned him…near feral and murderous these days. He tried not to think on the early years of their friendship when he thought Scott would.
"Some friendships aren't meant to stand the test of time," Harry explained sadly, "Sometimes the person you thought you knew wasn't who you thought it was."
"Laura's body meanwhile had been taken…"
"Let me guess, Mountain lion?" Harry drawled out with a derisive sneer. "Or Coyote," the humans were ignorant of the supernatural world, and he didn't know how many cases they came over and blamed on animals. To him they were idiots, but what else could they think really?
"Laura's body showed signs of being cut in half, it's a favoured method of hunters," Stiles murmured quietly. "Um, she wasn't the only death, other people begun to be killed, the only pattern in a few were they were suspected of Arson…"
"And our magnificent boy here, managed to join the dots whereas my own Nephew could not." Peter drawled in vindictive amusement. "A boy who had until quite recently been in the dark of the supernatural world in which he was now part of. Back then Stiles would have flushed bright red to the tip of his ears at the endearment and praise. Not anymore unfortunately, he wasn't a young boy, but a man now.
"Isn't hard when you know what you're looking for," Stiles said shaking his head.
"But you didn't," Harry pointed out, a sixteen-year-old new to the supernatural sussing out what a born wolf could not? "You didn't want to know," Harry realized, he will have had his own suspicions but buried them, refusing to contemplate the idea that a family member had killed another.
"It's not like that, I sort of accused Derek of it, he'd buried the other half of the body, at the time I had no idea it was his sister. Me and Scott actually got him in trouble twice, although Scott was the primary instigator for the second time. Accusing him of killing the janitor at the school. We'd all been lured there, by Peter, he was feral at the time."
Harry's eyebrows rose, confusion hinting at his scent, "The school Janitor?"
"Wrong place wrong time," Peter answered truthfully.
"Why the luring?" Harry pressed, trying to understand what the hell he was missing.
Peter pressed his lips into a thin line, "Scott was refusing me as his alpha, I was extremely annoyed by that, a newly bitten Beta shouldn't be able to withstand the call of its Alpha. I was able to deduce he had a pack of his own, and I wanted him to kill them and join me in my crusade to take down those who had killed my family. It was sound logic in my mind at the time." He was grateful he had been stopped.
"Man, that's not been done in centuries," Marcus grimaced, "It's how they did it in the old ways," he explained to Harry.
"I failed regardless, he was…uncommonly strong, and Stiles I believe managed to get him out of it, either that or it was his anchor, who happened to be the daughter of hunters, Allison Argent." Peter drawled, as if they weren't talking about a difficult time of his life.
Chris flinched at the mere mention of his daughter, the pain and grief clouding him even all these years later.
Stiles nodded, agreeing, but whether it was at him or Allison helping Scott overcome the desire to render and tear the others.
Harry just hummed, getting a clearer picture, even if they had enough holes to drill swiss cheese through.
"Derek…Derek briefly joined Peter, and they made another attempt at getting Scott on side, Peter put the memories of the fire into his mind. In an attempt to gain sympathy or something I'm not exactly sure," Stiles sighed, "Not that it worked, if anything he just pulled away more. When it came to the Argents…Scott had buried his head so far up his ass…refusing to believe they were as monstrous as they seemed."
Chris winced but conceded it was the truth.
"Briefly?" Harry echoed, eyeing the werewolf with a look that nobody could decipher at all.
"Uh, not that we knew that at the time, I proceeded to try to help Scott, I was sick of being attacked every time he got worked up." Stiles sighed, rubbing his hair in exasperation and pain, he hated remembering those days.
"You were lucky you weren't killed, he was an Omega werewolf," Peter stated curtly, "But I must admit, the way you succeeded in training McCall was rather…ingenious."
Chris nodded, whole-heartedly agreeing with Peter. "There was a time where we actually thought Stiles was the Beta." He imputed.
Stiles barely blinked, he'd been aware… Harry realized, "You attacked a human?" magic or not, he was human at that point, evidently his spark hadn't awoken.
"Threatened, that particular Argent didn't attack me." Stiles growled, still smarting over the fact that Chris had revealed what happened to him in that basement years and years later. The Hales had been enraged, they'd wanted to resurrect Gerard Argent and kill him all over again. He'd kept it a secret, getting his ass handed to him by an old man wasn't exactly a thing he wanted revealed about him. "I did give him a few home truths about his family though, six years of burying his head in the sand, I told him what his sister Kate Argent had done to the Hales."
"You knew what your family had done? Yet you had the gall apparently to return to Beacon Hills very conveniently when Laura returned and cut her body in half after she was attacked? You left her there, that isn't Hunters ways, you wanted her found…fuck, you were luring Derek back there, what did you intend to do? Murder the last of the Hales? Going to wander into Beacon Hills hospital and kill off Peter who to everyone was still in a coma?" Harry said, shifting his chair further back as if he was afraid to be infected by Chris mere presence. "So much for the Argent code, which of the eleven people in that fire personally offended you? What did Laura do to offend you? Or Derek for that matter? Oh, wait, being born werewolves would have done that well enough. You were covering up, trying to prevent anyone finding out what the Argent family had done weren't you? The dead can't talk after all."
"Which begs the question, who really killed her? Peter or Chris," Harry said smoothly, green eyes gleaming, "I've seen Alpha werewolves taken down by Beta's and losing their powers but returning relatively unscathed a few hours later with their bodies still healing." Admittedly feral Alphas but that was beside the point.
"No," Chris argued immediately, ramrod straight, "It wasn't like that," he gritted his teeth.
"You can't lie to me anymore than you can lie to yourself," Harry said, "It's partially true, you might not have known what your sister did, but you did return to Beacon Hills with the intention of finishing of the Hale pack. Do you know what happens when you kill stable packs? Do you? That day your sister might have only killed eleven people but she's responsible for hundreds of deaths."
"What are you talking about?" he snarled, sounding more wolf than human at that point, he didn't like his character being attacked at all.
"During the six years that the Hales were dead…two hundred and fifteen people that's known died without a werewolf pack to protect its borders. In Beacon county and its surrounding areas that were no doubt nightly patrolled by the adults of the Hale pack. The beacon might not have been fully active but it was enough to draw supernatural in, slowly." Harry stated, finally understanding why the death rate had gone up, and it had nothing to do with the Nemeton. "Admittedly a third of them were merely 'Missing' as it were, but we all know that it means dead. Do you know how the numbers stood before your sister attacked them? five, in the past decade, five,"
Chris, Peter and Derek inhaled sharply, the number surprising them all.
Stiles however, didn't seem all that surprised, he was the son of a sheriff, he knew how busy his father had been. With all the missing people and murders that happened, even if they weren't his cases. His father had been drowning in cases and bottles.
"If she repeated her MO…ten times…can you imagine the effect it's had?" Harry asked seriously. "I also know you have the tendency to kill humans when the mood strikes especially if it gets you an in where you want. All hunters consider it a necessary sacrifice, all for the greater good." He fucking hated hunters all supernatural folk did, he just did not understand how these people could travel with one, especially from what he's hearing.
"Why aren't you surprised, Stiles?" Peter asked, zeroing in on their Emissary's unflappable features.
"Sherriff's son, Zombiewolf," Stiles said with fondness. "Too often after drinking too much I'd look through his cases and help him." his ability to see things others overlooked a great help in both Mundane and supernatural cases over the years. He had stopped drinking so much though, and had been healthy, very healthy before Scott fucked up and got him killed. "Unfortunately, far too many were dead ends, too many cold cases." Which had increased his father's drinking for a while.
Harry snorted at the term of endearment genuinely amused.
"I'm not sure what else you want to know?" Stiles murmured, "Peter killed those who had started the Hale house fire, culminating in the death of Kate Argent, or presumed death anyway. He was planning on killing the rest of the Argents."
"Probably would have been for the best," Harry retorted with a grimace, the only good hunter was a dead one.
Chris struggled to remain impassive at that dig, his daughter had not deserved to die, they weren't responsible for Kate and his fathers actions. Unfortunately, with the world the way it was, how can anyone else have a good thing to say about hunters? Even he detested the sight of them.
"I'm going to assume that's when you were killed?" Harry deduced, glancing Peter's way.
Peter grimaced but nodded, "I was feral, there was no other alternative." Even he acknowledged that. "Fortunately, I had tied my essence to a Banshee, who would have become aware of the supernatural on her eighteenth birthday." He'd only moved it along.
"A banshee huh?" Harry mused thoughtfully, slotting the information away.
"Scott was furious with Derek for taking away his chance of being human again," Stiles said, sarcasm on full volume.
Harry stared blankly, before his lips twitched and he burst out laughing, a full, genuine, belly bursting, laughter. "You told him…" he wheezed through his merriment, "That if he killed the Alpha he'd be human again?" gales of laughter rained down on the otherwise tense room.
Redness crept up Derek's face, as he visibly showed his embarrassment.
"Merlin, man, you realize you could have ended up with a damn Alpha on your hands that was an Omega?" his amusement creeping off, "A Kid that had been bitten only how long ago?"
"A few months," Stiles admitted, Scott wouldn't have been able to do it though.
"It's why I did what needed to be done," Derek stated, "I didn't want to be an Alpha, wasn't supposed to, but I couldn't let Scott take it, or become an Alpha when he was struggling with control. I also didn't want Peter to suffer." Despite what he done, Derek had loved him, or loved who he remembered his uncle to be. The man he had come to love once he began trusting him after the end of the world.
"He was shot with wolfsbane bullets?" nasty way to die, at least he hadn't suffered too much, then again, being on the other side for a month isn't a piece of cake either. He was only there for a few minutes and it felt like a whole lot longer.
That had the group shifting, there may well have been ominous music playing in the background as Harry's eyes narrowed in on them yet again.
"Scott was my best friend," Stiles said defensively, "I didn't begrudge Peter getting revenge, even at sixteen…I would have done the same thing although a lot more subtle. If he hadn't threatened Scott then I wouldn't have gotten involved, at least not much." His tone grim and serious, gold eyes gleaming mercilessly. Showing that he wasn't just talking the talk, but he'd walked the walk and done a lot of things over the years to protect what was his.
"Uh-huh," was the only sound Harry made as he waited.
Marcus' eyes gleamed with approval, as the Emissary it was Stiles job and Marcus approved.
"Jackson and I threw Molotov cocktails at Peter," Stiles stated.
"Damn," Marcus muttered, "Vicious little thing, setting a burn victim on fire, I'm almost impressed, you have the heart of a wolf." defending what was his to the extreme. "Almost sociopathic though."
Harry smirked wryly, in complete agreement, although if Marcus knew what he'd done his youth…well it made Harry wonder what he would think. "And could you now, if you went back in time kill Scott? Or allow someone to do it? Because you understand that this is the price don't you? Human or Were' he doesn't get to live. He will be killed." Along with a whole slew of other people, but he wasn't about to let them know, especially considering they'd aligned themselves with a hunter. At least until he understood why they had done so. He had a feeling his mate didn't trust easily or at all, so perhaps he had proven himself invaluable to the group. Which might just save his life.
By the end of the day, Harry's kill list, was going to be significantly longer.
Harry just couldn't see why they trusted a hunter. He loathed hunters. Only good hunter is a dead one.
And here's is the next chapter UGH I'm so regretting the world building idea I only know information up until the Alpha pack the rest is disjoined the info I know from Stiles being possessed SO I think the end of the next chapter will be after that information has been shared! so the next chapter it can be skipped over and I can give what snippets I know unless you all think it can be added mid chapter? I think it's too big a jump without using a new chapter! and yes, Harry hates hunters, all of the supernaturals do I mean they've destroyed the world so...will Harry end up getting on with Chris? Do you want to see it or will there always be tension between the two? a trust yes, but tension always? At least until they go back...now I just need to decide who goes back whether it's just Stiles and Harry or whether their mates go back with them perhaps unintentionally or hell, even the others? I don't want too many people going it makes it too easy :D BUT Stiles doesn't know everything hell even the HALES don't know everything! do you think Harry's too over the top? Or is his reaction just right for the world they're living in? R&R please