Alexis willed herself to put the stone back into the box. Harry would not be happy with her if she used it. She had promised him years ago that she would never use it to bring him back. But she never imagined she would be in a world where she survived him.

The last 3 years had been hard but she had held it together long enough to see their youngest married and able to take on his lordship.

Alexis wandered away from her office desk and to the window overlooking their garden.

They had spent many an afternoon in the garden playing with the children when they were younger and then later relaxing as they discussed what they would do when the children were settled and they could retire.

But all those plans had gone up into smoke 3 years ago when Harry had died defending Diagon Alley from a new terrorist group who had taken up the pureblood agenda.

Her stupid, noble, brave husband had taken up a stance in front of the world guarding families he had ushered in for safety. They may have taken him down but he did not go quietly or alone. Once again the name Harry Potter was said with appreciation and amazement. Unfortunately, he lost the title of the man who lived.

Now that her youngest cub was settled and happy she didn't know what to do. Sure she still had her job at the DOM but that didn't bring happiness to her life. Her family had always been her main source of happiness and now her partner was gone and her children no longer needed her.

Turning back to her desk she took a seat and ran her hands through her slightly graying tight curls. She might be 86 but she didn't look a day over 50. Wizards may age slowly but black don't crack.

Her friends understood that her heart was still healing and she wasn't looking for new love. However, they thought she could use some companionship and suggested she take on a male friend. Preferably one much younger.

As if she wanted to break in another partner. She had spent many years getting Harry just to her liking and she didn't have it in her to break in a new man. Especially one that wouldn't live up to the original.

Signing, she returned to the internal debate of summoning her husband or leaving him in peace. Before she could come to a decision the stone started to glow.

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Under the floorboards of an old rickety shack another stone was also glowing. This stone was reacting to the distress of its future master. It's Master had not claimed it yet but it had in other planes and he would in the future.

So technically the young boy a few hundred meters away was and would be its master. And right now its master was a scared 14 year old boy tied to a gravestone wishing for someone to save him.

In another time and place its Master's Lady was hovering over another stone wishing for its master to return.

Since the stone could only open gateways through planes, it could not bring that Master back to life, but it could open the door for that lady to join this master.

Surely this master would appreciate what the stone would do for him one day and would not be like some of the other Masters that abandoned or destroyed the stone.

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Slowly coming to, Alexis found herself sitting in a field. Off to the left sat an old rundown mansion that looked totally haunted. And not in the nice friendly Hogwarts way but in an Amityville way. She would avoid the mansion if at all possible.

To her left at the bottom of the hill sat an even more broken down shack. However, the happy middle seemed to hold a graveyard with a lot more activity than one would expect in the middle of the night.

Alexis may not have been born a Potter but she had been married to one long enough to pick up his bad habits. She disillusioned herself and crept towards the cemetery. All the while berating herself for acting so foolishly at her age.

Coming upon the group she saw a large fire with an enormous cauldron sitting on top of it. A round figure stood to the side of the cauldron holding his arm against his chest. Across from him tied to a headstone was a young man that scarily resembled her husband at that age. However, what was more attention grabbing was the figure in between the two that looked like he'd had his face smashed in with a frying pan.

What the hell was this! Was this some strange reenactment from her husband's past? Did the ghost of Potter's past send her here to stop this atrocity from going down. She could easily imagine this being a rehearsal for an unauthorized production about the great Harry Potter.

As she contemplated this fresh piece of hell, the middle figure dressed as Lord Voldemort called forth the crying figure next to the cauldron and pulled up his sleeve to show his dark mark.

As the night continued the events were suspiciously accurate to what her husband had told her of that night. Harry had never recorded exactly what happened that night and nobody that was there was still alive today to coach them.

She might have continued to think this was a secret rehearsal if the fake Voldemort hadn't thrown out a very real cruciatus curse at one of his death eaters. So this wasn't a strange reenactment but a trap. Did they think her fool enough to rush in without asking any questions simply because one of them looked like her husband as a child?

She may still be grieving but she had not lost her head to it. Hell, they weren't even paying any attention to the Harry look alike. Were they hoping she would rescue him and take him back to her home so they'd have access to The Manor and her family?

Obviously these pureblood terrorists were getting desperate. This was such a stupid and strange plan. It would have been far more successful if they had used the image of one of her children who was still alive. Or better yet use a version of Harry that looked anywhere close to his age when he died. This is what happens after generations of inbreeding, pure stupidity.

This child version of him they were using was just stupid. She wasn't sure what their plan was but would observe what she could and then go to the aurors.

That was the plan until they untied the young Harry and started torturing him. Now Alexis had a decision to make, one she try to stop the torture of someone who may or may not be innocent? Maybe young Harry wasn't in League with them and was just a victim. Or maybe he was a willing participant. Well one can't spend decades married to Harry Potter and not pick up a small inclination to save people.

Alexis marked the spot she was standing in with magic so she would be able to find it later and rushed into the circle slinging curses left and right, not taking care to aim. Her objective was to cause as much chaos as possible so she could grab the kid and get out of there. Still invisible, she was able to get to young Harry and apparate out.

They landed in the middle of St. Mungo's. Apparating probably didn't help the after effects of the cruciatus curse since the kid started to convulse. Alexis called for help and explained to the mediwitch that he had been subjected to the cruciatus and had probably had some kind of human transfiguration done to him. As she was explaining this she noticed two aurors rushing over.

Leaving the boy in her capable hands Alexis explained to the aurors that she had stumbled on a group that seemed to be trying to take up the old Death Eater persona. She had seen them torturing that boy and stepped in. She explained she had marked the spot and would be happy to take the group of aurors there. Thankfully, backup had already been called and were on their way. A minute later four more aurors rushed into the lobby area.

After putting a track on Alexis, auror Daungwood allowed her to sidealong apparate them to the spot right outside of the cemetery. A moment later three more pops were heard behind them.

As far as she could see the death eaters had left. Cautiously the group entered the cemetery following the light of the cauldron fire. The group soon started to see signs of the fight that had taken place. 15m away from the fire the aurors took in the impressive site of their guide's battle, that is if she was to be believed. Chunks of headstones, pieces of tree branches, and clumps of dirt were everywhere. Here and there little specks of red glittered in the fire light.

Getting a hold of himself Daungwood ordered the other auror to look around for any hidden people / traps while they secured the area. Turning back to Alexis he asked that she walk him through what happened.

As Alexis was about to get to the point in the story where she rushed in to help the boy, an explosion of red sparks went up. Telling her to stay, Daungwood rushed over to see what the problem was. Considering she had rushed headlong into a group of dark wizards torturing a person, she wasn't sure why he thought she was going to follow his orders, but she gave him a head start to make him feel better.

Coming up a few moments behind the auror she was able to pick up that they had found the body of a teenage boy and a golden cup. Another auror rushed to update the group that the cauldron had been used for some kind of dark ritual. Noticing Alexis, Daungwood stopped the auror and told him he could finish his update later. Steering Alexis away he ordered the group to finish securing the area and to call for more backup. After getting the rest of Alexis's story, he sent her back to St. Mungo's with an escort to be checked out.

Knowing the faster she got checked out the sooner she would be allowed to go home and take a much-needed bath she went along willingly. She wasn't a young witch and her muscles had started to ache. Unfortunately, St. Mungo's wasn't going to be the quick trip she was hoping for.

The once quiet lobby was now filled with reporters and their cameraman all pointed towards a man she vaguely recognized and a man she really wished she didn't. Standing next to the man in an ugly boulder hat trying to fumble his way through the reporter's questions was Albus freaking Dumbledore. As her heartbeat started to rise and blackness crept along her vision, the name Albus Dumbledore bounced around her head.

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Harry sat propped up in his hospital bed waiting for his visitor to arrive. He had woken up yesterday afternoon shocked and relieved to be alive and safe. That relief soon turned into confusion. What happened to Voldimorte and the Death Eaters? How did he escape? Why did he end up at St. Mongo's and not Hogwarts? The only answer he got from the healer who came in was that he was brought in the night before and was recovering from the aftereffects of a spell.

He was quickly given a few potions and told to rest. An hour later some aurors came in and questioned him. After getting a detailed description of events they too left him to rest. More like brood over everything. They had confirmed that Cedric was dead. A boy was dead because of him. If he hadn't suggested they take the cup together Cedric would be alive. But no, there he was safe and sound in a hospital bed. Like usual, the people around him had gotten hurt and Harry Potter had come out scratch free.

His spiral of self loathing didn't stop until Mr. and Mrs. Weasley came by that evening bringing news from Hogwarts. They explained what happened after he and Credric disappeared from the maze. How after a few minutes the headmasters and ministry officials had caught on that something had gone wrong. The audience was dismissed as they tried to figure out what happened. How Dumbledore came across Moody trying to sneak out of the castle and ended up dueling him. Turns out Moody was actually Barty Crouch Jr. in disguise and the real Alastor Moody had been locked up in the defense office.

When Dumbledore brought the fake Moody before Fudge, he panicked at the story and had Crouch Jr. kissed. Which slowed the search down even more since they had not questioned him about where he had sent the boys. At that point Dumbledore contacted Amelia Bones, the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. She sent some aurors to Hogwarts to help investigate both the portkey trail and the Crouch situation.

Mr. Weasley had heard through ministry gossip that shortly after Bones had sent reinforcements to Hogwarts, a call for backup at St. Mungo's came through. It was a short while later that rummers started to go around that Harry Potter was at St. Mungos. Bones apparently went there herself to confirm before letting Fudge and Dumbledore know. While she was gone another alert came through that the aurors that had gone to 's had changed location, found the body of Credric Diggory, and more aurors were needed to secure the crime scene.

Mr. Weasley was just getting to what he had heard happened at St. Mungo's when Dumbledore came in and the Weasleys took a trip to the gift shop to give them some privacy. Dumbledore took the opportunity to grill Harry over every detail he could remember from the night before and then refused to answer any questions about how Harry had gotten to St. Mungo's. The only thing he would tell Harry was that he would be allowed to leave the next day and would be brought back to Hogwarts for the last few days of term before being returned to his relatives. Around that time the Weasleys returned and Dumbledore spent a few minutes convincing Mrs. Weasly that staying with Harry was unnecessary and would make Harry feel uncomfortable. Harry was then left to quietly brood over the new information from Mr. Weasley and the lack of info from Dumbledore.

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The next morning Harry may have woken up to only a few lingering aches in his muscles, but his mood was even darker. It only got worse when a house elf delivered his breakfast with the latest copy of the Daily Prophet. On the front page was a picture of him they took during the weighing of the wands. Above that was the headline "Harry Potter: Boy-Who-Lived or Next Dark Lord?". He only got through half of the article before throwing it away in disgust. If he had his wand he would have lit it on fire. Those stupid people were speculating if he was a dark lord in the making when an actual dark lord was running around. Harry could only pick at his meal after that.

Having given up on eating, Harry tried to get himself together before his escort arrived. Unfortunately he couldn't find anything and hoped whoever they sent brought a change of clothes. Around 10 O'clock a sharp tapping came from the window. Climbing out of bed Harry let the unfamiliar owl in through the window. Taking the latter from the owl Harry read the swirling message across the front, To Heir Harry James Potter, from Lady Alexis Potter.

Dear Heir Potter,

I hope you are recovering well from your attack. I'm sorry I was not able to stay with you after bringing you to Mungo's but I was needed to assist the aurors in their investigation.

I know my involvement seems suspicious, however I do believe it was caused by family magic. I am not a Potter by blood but I have been married into the family for decades and have accepted your family and its legacy as my own.

I am originally from America and lost my husband, your blood relative a few years ago. The night of your attack I was thinking of him while holding a powerful family heirloom. I believe this magical object responded to the need of the heir of the family and brought you help in the form of me.

There are a few things I would like to discuss with you about that night and our family in general. However, it would seem your headmaster does not approve of our meeting and has blocked me from coming to visit and may not have discussed this matter with you before doing so.

If I am wrong and you would prefer not to meet me in person then I would be open to communicating with you through writing. However, if you would like to meet, please let your aurora guards know that lady Alexis Potter has been put down for visitation and let me know what time works best for you.

I overheard a discussion between Dumbledore and your healer about you leaving St Mungo's early to return to school. Your headmaster disregarded your healer's concerns about leaving too early and said that you would like to return to school as quickly as possible.

I know I am not in any position to give you advice but the cruciatus curse can have lingering effects and it is better to treat all of them as quickly as possible so they do not linger and cause permanent damage down the road.

I'm sure your healer has already tried to explain some of this but maybe if you questioned them a little more they would be happy to explain all of their concerns in detail to you.

Wishing you well,

Lady Alexis Potter

So she was the one that Mr Weasley was talking about before Dumbledore interrupted. Why would the headmaster block her from visiting him? Also, when did they discuss disregarding the healer's concerns to return to school quickly? Harry didn't like staying in the hospital but he definitely didn't want any permanent damage.

Deciding to be impulsive since he had spent way too much time thinking about every other detail of his life, Harry walked to the door and told the auror there to add Lady Alexis Potter to the visitation list.

He then requested to speak with his healer and for some paper and a quill. He and his healer were going to have a nice little conversation about his treatment and how Dumbledore did not get to decide what kind of medical treatment he would receive or not receive in this case.

Once his healer had come in and explained all of his concerns and the treatment for them Harry agreed to stay another few days. He also made it clear that all medical decisions must first be discussed with him. He wasn't one to take a stand but in this case he felt like he had to speak up. He might be feeling better but he still twitched every now and then and would get terrible headaches throughout the day.

The healer said if these weren't treated they could become permanent and worsen. Harry would not risk these becoming permanent simply because Dumbledore wanted to get him back into school when he was already excused from exams.

Now knowing where he'll be for the next few days Harry wrote to this Alexis Potter and told her to come around 10:00 the next morning. He tied the letter to the owl who had delivered her letter and shut the window once it had flown off. Then he went back to the door and told the order he would be expecting company the next day and asked if one of them could stand inside the room and keep watch. He had never heard of this woman and for all he knew she could be a Death Eater hoping to finish him off which would be easy since he didn't have his wand.

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Alexis Potter was not what he had been expecting. She was an older woman, maybe in her 50s with darker skin, large hazel eyes, and a mane of slightly graying curly hair that reminded him of Hermione.

What was shocking about her was her muggle attire. Considering some of the things she had said in the letter Harry had thought she would be a stuffy pureblood. However, her outfit was very muggle. She wore fitted gray chinos with a flowing white top whose sleeves hung low and wide like a Victorian dress and some classic black and white chucks. Which overall was an odd choice of shoe for her outfit but Harry liked it.

Welcoming her into the room and offering her seat he nodded to the auror who stood in the doorway watching them. 'I hope you don't mind but I asked one of the aurors to keep watch since you are a stranger to me. From my understanding, I am the only Potter left."

"No, I don't mind at all. In fact I'm happy that you're taking your safety so seriously." She said with an approving smile on her you mind if I put a privacy spell up so they can see us but not hear us?" Harry nodded his approval. "Technically, you still are the last Potter alive from the main branch. Like I said, my husband died a few years ago and I am only a Potter through marriage."

"You said that a magical object may have brought you to me?"

"Yes, I was in my study at home thinking of my late husband and our children when the object started to glow. One moment I was sitting in my office and the next I was in the field right outside of that cemetery." Giving a rye smile she continued "normally, I would advise anyone who found themselves in that situation to mark the spot and leave quickly to get help. However, I've been married to a Potter for over 50 years and the need to rush into dangerous situations has apparently rubbed off on me."

Hearing that Harry couldn't help answer her smile with one of his own. He could totally understand her amusement since he often found himself in similar situations. It was slightly comforting to know that it was a Potter trait and not just him.

She continued to explain what happened when she reached the center and found him tied to the headstone. When I returned to Saint Mungo's with Aurora Daungwood, all of the night's activities seem to have caught up with me and I passed out. I woke up the next morning in one of the rooms and was told any information about you was confidential.

Not knowing exactly what to say Harry decided the best course would be to thank her and send her on her way. Her story seemed a little fishy and they had nothing to discuss outside of that. It's not as if she had met his parents or had any obligation to take him in.

"Thank you for your help Lady Potter. I don't want to think about what could have happened if you had not shown up."Harry said, hoping that would be enough for her.

"Please, there's no need to thank me. I would have done it for anyone who needed help. But I would have helped without question for family. Family is very important to me Mr Potter and I like you am the last of my family. Considering how distant we are both physically and in terms of our relation, I did not see a reason to instigate myself into your life. However, that was because I was under a false impression of what your life was like as are many people out there.

If you are not opposed to it I would like to stick around and help out in any way that I can. It would seem that your guardianship is complicated between your muggle relatives and Albus Dumbledore." She said, raising an eyebrow.

How did you know about the Dursleys? And what did she mean about Dumbledore? He wasn't Harry's guardian. Was she trying to imply that she could become his guardian?

"I'm not sure I understand what you mean ma'am. Are you offering to be my guardian?"

"What I mean is that I could help be a voice for you when other adults will not be. However, if you are in need of a guardian I can also be that for you." She answered looking a lot less friendly. "If you are unhappy with your current guardians then I can petition to take over or I can help you change to guardians that you would prefer. We may not have met before but we are family and I look after my family."

Harry didn't want to get his hopes crushed for a second time and he also wasn't quite sure about taking up this stranger's offer. At least with Sirius he had a history with his parents and showed he wanted to take Harry in. He knew nothing about this woman or what she really wanted. For all he knew she could be just as bad as the Dursleys but with magic.

"I can be whatever you want me to be Harry. I can be a parental figure, a friend, an advisor, or a guard. I can be any of these things or I can be all of them. It is up to you."

Seeming to weigh his options, Harry said in a guarded tone "If you were my advisor, what would you advise me to do in this situation?" He was surprised to see she looked pleased with his question. Giving a small smile Alexis said "I would advise you to be cautious of this person who comes into your life while you are weakened and your enemies are unidentified and their objectives are unknown. I would tell you to test them. Make them give you a vow of loyalty of some kind. If they do so willingly then they are less likely to be hiding things. If they make excuses and try to get out of it I would be wary of them. They are hiding something. Whether that something is detrimental to you or shameful to them does not matter. They can not be trusted."

She allowed him to mul over that for a few moments and then went on. "Even with the vow in place I would slowly start to build trust between you. Give them small tasks and see how they do. Are they able to complete the task, did they do so in a manner you approve of, does the end result benefit you or them more. From there you can determine how much you want to trust this person."

Giving him another few moments to think, she slid her seat closer. "Harry", she started in a gentler tone that caught his attention, "although this advice mostly pertains to me it should also be applied to those already in your life."

Frowning, he asked "What do you mean? Are you saying I shouldn't trust my friends?" The last question came out louder than he intended.

Surprisingly Alexis' face didn't change, nor did she try to back peddle to clarify her statement. She just went on in that gentle tone. "In a way, yes. I am advising you to look at the people in your life and evaluate your interactions. Do these people interact with you because they enjoy your company? Are their actions truly friendly? Are these acts done in the name of your happiness, success, or safety or to benefit them? Do they truly keep your secrets? Do they stand by you in private or only in public?"

Harry wanted to be mad and defend his friends but she had a point. Especially after going through a school shunning for the second time. This time with the media stepping in to make things worse.

"I don't know you Harry, but I have found that most Potters value honesty, loyalty, and a moral compass that points towards the protection of those they care about. If you are like them then I think you need to consider if the people in your life are worthy of you."

Worthy of him? After everything she had said, Harry was starting to like her. He was hoping he could have an adult in his life that would be able to publically look out for him. So it was a slap in the face to hear her bring up blood purist ideas.

Firming up his walls, Harry jumped in "I'm sorry Alexis, but I don't think we have the same views. Thank you for your advice but I am not a blood purist and I can't trust anyone who is."

To his surprise she started laughing. "Blood purist? What are you talking about? My husband was a half-blood and my daughter married a no-mag. Or a muggle born as you Brits call them. However did you get blood purists out of what I said?" Alexis asked in an amused tone.

Feeling both relieved and embarrassed Harry explained. "I thought that you were talking about blood status when you said I should make sure people are worthy."

Losing some of her smile Alexis explained "When I said worthy I was not talking about their blood status. I truly meant that they should be worthy of you Harry James Potter. The precious child of James and Lily Potter. The child they tried so very hard to hide and protest. The child they were willing to die for. The people in that child's life should be worthy of him."

Harry didn't quite know how to take that explanation. But the lump in his throat and the burn behind his eyes suggested he wait a while before trying to respond.

"I gave similar advice to my own children growing up. That their father and I loved them very much and that we expected the people in their life to understand what they mean to us. That their friends should understand that their mother dragon expected any friend of theirs to want them to be safe, happy, and successful. And if any of their "friends" actively worked against them I would swoop in and destroy them." Alexis said fiercely. Then started giggling at Harry's wide eyed face. "Oh don't give me that look. That's usually when my husband would step in and assure them he wouldn't let me lose on their friends. But the conversation did help them understand that they had value and that they should hold their friends to a certain standard. Do you now understand what I mean when I say your friends should be worthy of you?"

Harry took a few seconds and then nodded slowly. Yes, he kind of understood what she was saying. It may be hard for him to fully understand after years with the Dursleys but his parents loved him and valued him. Therefore he should honor them and make sure he has people in his life that valued him, Harry Potter, and not The-Boy-Who-Lived. After this last school year, he also understood what she was saying about friends who wanted you to be safe and successful. Many of the Griffindors who supported him during the tournament only did so for the glory he could bring to the house. They didn't care that someone else put his name in the cup. They weren't concerned for his safety. Well, maybe a few became concerned after the first task, but the majority just wanted him to win.

Then there was Ron. He may have forgiven Ron, but he had not forgotten how his "best friend" had abandoned him over his jealousy. Yes, he understood the importance of evaluating his friends and reconsidering how close they truly are. His parents had learned a hard lesson with Pettigrew and he would honor them by not making the same mistake.

"Good. I think that is enough advice for now. I will let you think about things and decide if you are willing to let me into your life and in what way." Alexis said slowly standing up.

"Wait!" Harry said. "It was hard enough to get you in here the first time. I don't think Dumbledore will let you come back. He might even be able to stop you from communicating with me once I leave." Harry explains with a bit of panic in his voice. The last time he had met an adult he hoped to care for him, they had flown out of his life within a few hours. He didn't want that to happen with Alexis. She seems to want to help and he thought his mother would approve of her mother dragon advice.

"Don't worry Harry. Albus Dumbledore is not going to get in the way of me getting to know my last living relative." Alexis said in a firm tone what made Harry want to believe her. Reading the uncertainty on his face she quickly changed course.

"What can I do to assure you that I mean to be in your life Harry?" Alexis asked taking her seat again.

Harry wasn't sure what she could do. On one hand he really didn't want to have to go back to the Dursleys this summer. He was also trying to push down the fear of being found by Voldimort and the Death Eaters. On the other hand, could he trust her enough to ask to live with her. Should he even ask if she might be put in danger for letting him stay with her.

"Just say what you need to say Harry. I promise I won't be offended and I will give you my honest opinion. In fact, maybe it is time I give you that vow." She said contemplatively.

"Oh no! You don't have to do that. I…" He stopped short seeing her raised eyebrow. "Right, trust cautiously, and make sure people are worthy of being in my life." Harry amended with a sheepish smile.

"What about vowing to be honest with you and look out for your best interests?"

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When she had woken up and verified that Albus Dumbledore was still alive and Harry Potter was only 14 she thought she had gone back into the past. However, after escaping St. Mungo's and searching for her younger self in America she realized that this was another dimension, plane, world? Whatever this was, there wasn't a younger version of her running around. Proving that this was not her world and she did not have to "preserve the timeline".

Her being part of this world now completely threw off the trajectory that may have been identical to what happened in her world. She decided that fate had gotten bored and decided to tug on some of that Potter luck and tagged her into cause mayhem for Tom Riddle and Albus Dumbledore. The world may have expectations and plans for Harry Potter but they didn't count on Alexis Potter being involved.

She would take care of that boy like he was one of her own. She would make sure that he grew up not just physically strong but emotionally strong. That he would have self-worth and not let anyone push him around. She would try to spare him as much pain and guilt as possible. She would make sure that not only would Lily Potter welcome her with open arms in her world but in this world as well.


I've had this sitting on my computer for years waiting for me to finish my multichapter story "The Concerned Citizen: Letters To Amelia". Since I don't want to take on two multichapter stories I decided to just post this as a one shot and visit this world every once in a while.

Let me know if I should continue and if there is any scene in particular you would want to see.