A/N: Hello again! Look, another chapter! And it hasn't even been a year! Lol. Thank you all for the lovely reviews and support! You are all so great! I know this one seems a bit short, but would you believe it was nearly 15 pages written out? I'll try to get the next one out soon, but no promises. My internet connection is on the fritz right now. :'( Which, btw means I must apologize for any errors since I'm literally uploading this from my phone. Thank the fanfic gods for smartphones.

To answer a few question, no for obvious reasons Harry will not get back with Ginny. She's dead and no one is going to go dragging her back into life. If anything were to set Harry off, that would do it. Secondly, there will be no official pairing for this story. I am planning a couple of side stories to show the pairing in my own mind, but for now they will not be written. The side fic will only be published when I finish this one, and until then the pairings are up to your imagination. Feel free to read in some hints of innuendo. Lol. I'm curious to see what you come up with.

As for when, this takes place sometime after Sam gets his soul back, Bobby gets his legs back, but before Cas goes dark side. It's a window of just a few episodes, but that's as firm as I am on the when of this one.

Anyway, on to the fic, I hope you enjoy!

Chapter Seven

Harry was just dressing after a long shower when he heard the click of the hotel door's lock. The door opened, and the wizard listened as Sam and Dean entered, arguing with a third person whose voice he didn't recognize. "Harry?" Dean yelled. "Are you still here? We've got someone who to meet you!"

He glanced again at the unfamiliar reflection before smoothing down the fairy silk shirt and straightening the familial rings he had only just begun to wear when he had been taken. Running a hand through his still unruly hair, he opened the door and stepped out into the main room.

"Damn." The elder Winchester said, taking in the black slacks and silken emerald shirt. "You clean up nice."

"So I've been told." Harry shrugged. He glanced over to the impassive stranger lurking quietly by the door. Frowning as his instincts warned him away from the stoic man, he moved so a bed was between him and the stranger. "Who is he?"

"I am an Angel of the Lord." The man said gruffly. "My name is Castiel."

"Harry." The teen nodded. "Are you here to kill me?" He asked bluntly.

"I am not sure yet." The angel answered with equal frankness. "Why are you here?"

"I'm here because I demon dragged my arse here." Harry replied wryly.

"Then you know what you are nephilim?"

"I'm not a nephilim." The youth frowned. "My parents were both human."

"One of your parents was an angel." Castiel insisted. "You are a true nephilim. I have not met one so strong in many centuries."

"You're wrong." The teen denied. "Azreal said I wouldn't be that strong."

"How is Azreal aware of your existence? Why is he protecting you?" The three men shared an unsure look, but didn't answer the angel. Castiel frowned, eyeing Harry warily. "You have a very strong angelic nature. If it does not drive you mad, you could be a great warrior. For now I shall simply… observe." Then the angel was gone.

"What the bloody hell was that all about?" Harry said softly, his tone speaking volumes.

"I wish I knew." Dean frowned.

"So you just brought some random angel in here, after Az said the angels want to kill me, because… why?" The teen sighed, looking at the two brothers. "And where were you?"

"Cas is an old friend." Dean defended him. "He wanted to wake you up so we felt he needed a distraction."

Harry nodded his thanks, the bent to pick up a small rucksack that had lain unnoticed on the floor by the bed. "Where'd that come from?" Sam frowned as the young wizard started digging in it.

"My elf." He answered. "I don't know when I'll get back to England, so he packed some things for me."

The two hunters quickly let their eyes dart around the room to the undisturbed salt lines and devil's traps at the doors and windows. "How'd it get in?"

"More importantly," Dean bit tersely, "why'd you let a damn fairy into our room?"

"He's a house elf, not a fairy." Harry rolled his eyes. "And trust me I don't like fairies. They're as bad as pixies about biting. As for how he got in?" He shrugged, thrusting his arm impossibly deep into the small brown sack. "He's a house elf. They go where they need to. No one really knows how house elf magic works. I don't think they even really understand it. By the way, have you two eaten?" He asked, finally pulling out a toothbrush. He glanced up at them and the two were startled to see a mild, but genuine curiosity in his eyes.

"No." Sam said, shaking his head. "We were waiting for you."

"Good." Harry nodded with a small smile. "Kreacher offered to make you a real breakfast as thanks for rescuing me." He informed them, moving to the bathroom.

"You seem to be in a better mood." Dean observed.

Harry shrugged. "Breaking out of prison will do that to you." He said as he disappeared from view.

The brothers listened as the water turned on and the door clapped closed. "Dude?" Dean mumbled, looking at his younger brother. "Who the hell is Creature?"

"The elf I guess." Sam shrugged. A few moments later Harry reappeared and Dean repeated the question.

The teen frowned thoughtfully. "Yes, perhaps I should call them. You should probably meet them sooner rather than later. And it would not be good if you accidentally shot someone's elf simply because you didn't recognize it for what it was." He threw a wry glance at the two hunters' weapons, which lay in organized disarray around the room.

"Meet who?" Sam frowned at Harry's unusually cryptic remark. At least, he assumed it was unusual. So far Harry had seemed fairly blunt.

"My elves." He answered calmly. "It seems I've acquired a few more since my incarceration."

"How do you 'acquire' elves?" Dean asked wryly.

The teen shrugged. "I have no idea." He confessed. "I inherited Kreacher from my Godfather, but Winky was a free elf the last time I saw her, and I haven't exactly been around to purchase her or her twins."

"Those are your elves?" Sam guessed, frowning at the odd phrasing.

Harry nodded. "Have you decided what you want for breakfast?" He asked. "You can have anything you'd like, but keep in mind that if you ask for anything elaborate it will take a bit longer for them to make it."

"Bacon and eggs?" The older brother asked.

"Dude!" Sam hissed.

"What?" He defended. "The kid is offering food!"

"It's alright." Harry assured. "Bacon and eggs is perfectly doable. What would you like?"

The younger brother glared at his older sibling before sighing. "I guess I'll just have whatever you're having." He finally caved.

"Are you sure?" Harry smiled. "I told Kreacher to make me a full Scottish breakfast. I haven't had one since I left school, and even then we didn't get them all that often. It's good, but it's a lot of food and not everyone likes the look of black porridge."

Sam shot another glare at his brother's snort of amusement. "Then I'll just have bacon and eggs."

"You sure, Sammy?" The older Winchester grinned. "Harry's breakfast sounds delicious."

"Jerk." Sam growled.

"Bitch." Dean smiled.

Their guest watched them for a moment before deciding he didn't care about their little squabble. "Gred." He called calmly. The brothers started as he seemingly spoke to himself. "Tell Kreacher that the brothers both want bacon and eggs."

There was a soft pop and a small knobby creature appeared, bowing low enough that it's bulbous nose touched the floor. "Would Master's rescuers like toasts and jams as well?" It asked in a squeaky voice, looking up with enormous green eyes that were almost shinning with worshipful delight.

Harry raised an eyebrow at the two hunters who were trying desperately not to go for their guns. Sam swallowed visibly and nodded. "Strawberry." He answered in a choked voice. Dean simply scowled at the back of the little thing's head.

"Yes." Harry told it. "They like strawberry jam."

"Yes Master!" The elf squeaked. Then it was gone again with a faint pop.

"Was that thing wearing a hand towel?" Dean asked after a moment of startled silence.

"Tea towel." Harry corrected. "Kreacher requested them." He explained. "Table clothes are too big and pillow cases aren't versatile enough."

"What did you call that thing?" Sam frowned.

"That was Gred. Her brother's name is Forge. Winky apparently named them after some old friends of mine." He said with a slightly bitter sadness in his voice.

"So what exactly are these things?" Dean asked quickly, changing the subject. "I mean, are they dangerous?"

The teen shrugged. "They can be when they need to be. But for the most part they're like the little elves in The Elves and the Shoemaker. They stay with their family and do whatever is needed. They love to cook and clean and take care of people. They do whatever their told, without question. As for are they evil?" He tossed a startling perceptive glance at the older hunter. "They do what they're told. They cannot disobey their family without sever consequences. I've seen them forced to bash their heads into walls, bludgeon themselves with bed-knobs, and my personal favorite, iron their own hands." He said blackly. "The elves are good for the most part, but you can judge them by their family. If the family treats the elf well you get what you saw with Gred. Happy blind obedience. I could ask Gred to kill herself and she would happily, not that I ever would. In fact, because of his last family's treatment, Kreacher's highest ambition is for me to mount his head on my wall as soon as he drops a tea tray." He winced. "If you mistreat them you get what the Malfoys got out of their elf. He never outright disobeyed, but he twisted their orders as best he could, interpreted them as liberally as his magic would allow and punished himself frequently until I managed to trick them into freeing him in self defense."

"Did they order him to kill you or something?" Dean growled.

"No, quite the opposite. They were scheming to kill me themselves, and Dobby was trying to save my life. He nearly killed me three times trying to save me." He smiled. "Dobby was one of my truest friends."

"So, what ever you tell them to do, they have to do it?" Sam reasoned.

"Yes. Even if you demand the impossible from them, but they only have to obey their family."

"So they're slaves?" The younger brother demanded.

"Don't get all noble on me." Harry frowned. "You'll only upset them."

"But-"

"No, look. If you start talking about freedom and clothes, they will make you miserable. I promise. You'll find rats in your clothes, inedible food on your plate, and don't even ask what they'll do to you in the loo. They'll have to punish themselves later, but they'll still do it. I might even order them not to punish themselves just to save my own hygiene if you start that nonsense!" He gave Sam a stern glare. "I like not having to cook, or do laundry, or scrub the floors, or clean the loo. I got enough of that at my aunt's house. Besides, the elves enjoy taking care of their family. Most elves are perfectly happy making the wizards they serve happy."

"You said most, not all." The younger Winchester leaped on his phrasing.

"Yeah, well, you get weird ones in any lot. Remember Dobby? The biggest reason I was able to free him was because he wanted to be paid. He wanted to be free. He could have totally ignored the sock I slipped into that diary Malfoy handed him. He was an incredible elf, and a loyal friend who saved my life at the cost of his own because he chose to. He was free and on the run like the rest of us, but he was brave and loyal and I'd bring him back if I could. Merlin's beard, if he'd survived the war I'd have hired him as soon as I reclaimed my home."

"How do you know they don't want to be free?" Sam demanded.

"Because Winky was free once." Harry informed them. "And while she was free she was a drunken mess. I don't know how my Gin-" He choked back something bitter as pain flitted across his face for a second. "I don't know how she managed to get enslaved again, but I'm happy for her." He finished quickly.

With a light pop a small feast appeared on the room's small table. Harry smiled bitterly at the food. "Tuck in." He said quietly. "Feel free to eat my share. I seem to have lost my appetite. I promise the elves won't have done anything to it yet." He tossed over his shoulder as he turned to venture back into the bathroom.

"Um Harry?" Dean called quickly after him.

"Yes?" he paused without turning back to look at them.

"We, uh, we'd like you to talk to a friend of ours."

"Another angel?" The teen asked dully, a sharp contrast from the early cheer that had lasted so briefly.

"No. He's a hunter like us. He's a good guy, and he knows what's what."

"I see." The teen said, continuing on to the only privacy afforded by the suit. "That's fine. I would like to post my mates back home to see who's still around, but until then I don't really care." The door to the bathroom clicked quietly closed again, leaving the brothers in an awkward silence.

"What just happened?" Dean frowned. He winced when Sam's open palm met the back of his head. "What the hell, dude?"

Sam glanced guiltily at the bathroom before looking back at the food. "Just eat your breakfast." He sighed at his older brother.

NCF SD NCF SD NCF SD

Harry stood in the bathroom, staring at the stranger in the mirror as he quietly swiped angry tears. Slowly his eyes traveled to the small ring on his right hand. The one that had replaced his engagement ring the morning the demoness had greeted him with the news of his dead fiancée, and… he stopped the thought, knowing he couldn't let the brothers hear the broken cries he would undoubtedly sink to if he continued it. For a moment he stared at the deathly hallow, rubbing it unconsciously with his left hand as he fought the impulse to twist it.

"Ginny." He whispered brokenly as he bowed over the newly cleaned counter. "Oh, Ginny…"