Reposted: 12/04/07 fixing bad spelling, bad grammar and other typos etc etc. Originally one long scene, with an amazing ability to swap from Hunter's POV to Alex's and back again, it is now two scenes with only a few extra sentences stuck in to facilitate the transitions.

(PS: Part of the Original A/N: "The Detharts are entirely the creation of my very dear authoress friend Jaylyn Gilfer Bustinex but since we struck a deal where she has use of Alex as a minor character in her fanfics I get to play with these idiots.")

"Oh, flaming dragon shite!" Alex swore under her breath. She was in Diagon Alley, passing the time with some shopping, and had just spotted Falon Dethart making his way towards her, brother Hunter trailing behind. "Frickin' Dethart parasites."

"Alex!"

She turned at Falon's call and smiled in greeting. "Hunter!" She hugged the older brother lightly. "Hello, Falon." While she didn't like any of the Dethart boys Hunter was, by far, higher up the evolutionary chain than Falon-the-Stupid. "What are you two doing here?"

"Shopping, of course." Falon held a package wrapped in brown parchment aloft as proof. Alex waited for Hunter to answer, not quite ignoring Falon.

"Doing some last minute errands before we have to come back in a week and get all our new Hogwarts supplies."

"You're going into fifth year, Hunter?" Alex was sure he was, she knew the ages of all three Dethart children off the top of her head. Hunter was oldest at a year and two months older than her, middle was Falon, Alex's year and older than her by four months, and the youngest child was a girl named Tania that was eight months Alex's junior.

"Yes. O.W.L.s this year."

"Oh, you poor thing." Alex was all sweetness and sympathy. She linked arms with Hunter, angling so Falon had to stand on Hunter's other side if he wanted to see her… which he did, thank Merlin! Together they moved down the alley. "I'm sure you'll do fine though. You are a Dethart."

Whether he didn't know what to say, or if he just didn't want to be the topic of conversation, Hunter neatly redirected it. "What were you shopping for, Alex? Anything we could help you find?"

And that was the reason Alex liked Hunter, even if only just a little. She smiled. "I'm on a search for an extra copy of some books my parents won't let me take to Hogwarts with me. They say that since we only have one copy in the library they can't risk losing them."

"Onward to Flourish and Blotts!" Falon proclaimed.

Alex cast a disparaging glance across Hunter's chest at him. "Do you really think anything from the Bellmonte library that is too valuable for my parents to risk losing would be sold in Flourish and Blotts? I'm heading for Jackle's. If they can't get them for me I'll try my luck deeper in Knockturn." Alex shrugged off the mention of the 'less than reputable' area off Diagon Alley casually.

Falon fell silent, at fourteen he hadn't been allowed in Knockturn Alley without a parent yet. His father had said that he would be allowed when they came back for their school supplies. Hunter glanced down at her.

"My offer for an escort still stands, Alex. I'd be happy to see you around Knockturn. Falon will have to stay here though."

Alex almost sighed in relief. Despite her bravado she hadn't been down Knockturn Alley without an escort of one kind or another before. She was only fourteen. "Thank you, Hunter. Offer accepted. And if you'll forgive us for abandoning you, Falon, I'll treat you to anything you want out of The Apothecary. I have some potion ingredients I'm running low on as well."

Since there really was no way for him to disagree with her Falon left them, grumbling under his breath as soon as he thought he was out of earshot.

The other two teens moved into Knockturn. The air seemed to darken just by stepping into this part of the street. Four shops down and on the left was Jackle's Book Store. Hunter held the door open for Alex to enter first. She moved slowly among the racks of books, loving the musty old smell of them sometimes under cut with hints of potion ingredients or old blood. Though their entry made no sound a white haired wizard in faded black robes appeared from a back room almost instantly.

"Ah! Mistress Bellmonte. Master Dethart. What can I do for you today?"

"Hello, Mister Jackle." Alex stepped up to his counter. "I'm looking for an extra copy of a few things so I don't have to put my studies on hold when I go off to Hogwarts this fall." She pulled a scrap of parchment from her pocket and handed it over. Jackle leaned over it for a few minutes, occasional 'hmm'-ing softly to himself.

"Well," he said finally. "I can get you A Life Of Shadows, A Theory On Death, Little Actions, Big Revenge, To Walk With Darkness, and By Moonlight right away. They can be shipped to your house by the end of tomorrow. In The End It's All Evil, Relative Killing: A Comprehensive Guide, and The Making of Sinister Potions and The Effects That Made Them Illegal will all take longer. I may be able to get them before you come back to buy your school supplies, but I can't promise anything. As for Pain and Blood Magic: Spells and Potions, now Mistress Bellmonte," He looked at Alex sorrowfully, "you know that there's only one copy left of each in the world and that they reside in your library."

Alex just smiled. "I know. But I had to try. It was easier than talking my parents into letting me have them."

"A formidable task, I'm sure."

Her smile extended on the edges into a real smile. As Jackle knew both of her parents well, from a long life of patronage, he really did know how funny he was being. The dry old man dropped one eyelid in what might, just might, have been a wink.

The world was swirling within his mind and Hunter was trying very hard to figure out who had hexed his ears. He stared at the thin little girl, barely older and barely bigger than his little sister as she leaned on the counter and chatted with one of the oldest and most powerful shopkeeper in Knockturn. The very same girl who had just placed an order for books Hunter recognized for one reason and one reason only.

Nearly every single title he'd just heard had been a book his father had been trying to get his hands on for as long as Hunter could remember. How, how, how could this girl just walk into Jackle's and order them like a new set of robes? And they'll be delivered to her house by tomorrow?! What strange reality had he fallen into?!

Not to mention, not to mention, that a fourteen year old was studying such high level Dark Arts texts. The fact that she was Alex Bellmonte finally, for the first time in his life, settled into his brain. He had always thought of her as he thought of his sister. A sweet little girl he needed to look after, within the rules of society. It was people like her parents, the Lord and Lady Malfoy and Draco that Hunter had long since learned to be wary of. And even now, as he watched her, he still couldn't quite make himself believe what his mind was telling him. He swallowed hard and Alex seemed to notice his discomfort.

"Something wrong, Hunter?"

"Uh, no. I just wasn't expecting…" he trailed off.

"What?" Alex mocked innocence. "My reading habits?" She glanced back at Jackle. "I'll take it all the way you said. I'll be back in a week to pick up my last three books. You can put that all on my tab. Good day, Mr. Jackle."

Alex turned his away. He offered her his arm automatically, his mind still racing, and she took it as they left the shop.

"You do realize you'll have to keep your mouth shut about this don't you, Hunter?" Alex spoke conversationally as they stepped onto sunlit Diagon Alley.

Hunter hesitated, his scattered thoughts finally freezing up. Logically Alex was apparently just as much of a threat as his father if something happened to her. On top of that there were her dangerous family connections… but that wasn't what made Hunter make his decision. "I wasn't planning on it." He frowned. "I wouldn't subject you to what my father would do if he found out you had those books." He wouldn't subject anyone to his father if he could help it. Of course, that was the rub, wasn't it? 'If he could help it.'

Alex shot him a sharp glance that stopped him in his tracks. "I had no idea your father was reaching for things so high above his head," she said flatly, her eyes narrowing in calculation. "It was a joke Hunter… but still…"

Hunter stood still, unsure if he should offer some word of comfort, but at the same time strangely unwilling to do so. If she decided he was a threat…

"Would he really come after me?" she asked finally, her voice hard. "Over a handful of books? Would he risk his entire House?"

Again Hunter hesitated. This was Family Stuff, not to be spoken to an outsider, but she deserved to know if she was in danger. "If he finds out a fourteen year old girl has the books he's been hunting after for decades…" he said slowly, finding the truth hard after years of lies. "…well, your Family name won't protect you. He'll do anything to get his hands on those. Absolutely anything."

Alex let go of his arm and turned to face him. Her eyes were razor sharp, but there was some weird kind of compassion on her lips. "You don't need to worry about me, Hunter," she said, trying to reassure him. "I can protect myself. Even from your father." She hesitated then rushed on. "I have killed before, Hunter. I ca-"

"So?!" Falon's sudden appearance beside her cut her words short. "Are we going potions shopping or what?"

Hunter fought the desire to punch his brother Falon. Alex glared violent murder but, as usual Falon seemed oblivious to the emotional undercurrents around him. As always he only knew that he was happy, which meant everyone must be happy.

Hunter glanced down at Alex, some rude dismissal of his brother blowing to life on his lips, but she shook her head.

"Of course we are." Alex smiled with chilly politeness. "Lead the way."