A/N: So my update took a bit longer than I'd originally planned, but that was due to a combination of laziness, and being unable to update due to computer trouble. Sooo, I had to write it all out on paper, then type it up today. I tried to make it longer than the last one, but I believe I failed. x.x

Chapter Two: Botched Telepathy

xxx

He had taken care to find a nearby restaurant before the sun had fully enclosed itself from the sky. Harry's eyes met the glowing words at the top: Merlottes. He walked through the doors, glancing around with mild interest. It looked nothing like the ones he'd been used to of course But the food did have an inviting smell.

"…Merlottes huh? It's really rather different here. Everything so ancient looking. Then again, Hogwarts is ancient too…"

At that moment, Harry experienced a feeling of intrusion. He couldn't really explain it although it felt strangely as though someone were performing Legilimency on him. But that was impossible wasn't it? Doing his best to ignore this odd feeling poking at his mind, Harry made to turn toward an empty booth.

"…I wonder if they have anything good to eat here…shame it's a muggle town, I'd order butterbeer otherwise…"

There it was again. The inexplicable feeling that someone was invading his private thoughts. No someone-or something, was definitely penetrating his mind. A minor feeling of horror crossed him at the thought that it may very well be Voldemort attempting to locate him. However, he inwardly shook his head at this. It didn't have the immense power that the Dark Lord held. His eyes scanned the restaurant hastily, determined to pick out the culprit.

Emerald hues landed on a woman with blonde hair, looking directly at him as though intent on keeping contact. Was she the one? Their eyes met, and the feeling only grew stronger. Immediately, he locked down his emotions as best as he could, draining his mind of his fears, memories, just focused on darkness. And then, the intrusion had vanished. The woman looked absolutely perplexed and he knew it had been her. But what did she want with him?

How was she able to read his thoughts? What exactly was she? These thoughts, along with the initial decision to leave and go back to his house in the woods crossed his mind. However, he decided on the latter; to stay and get something to eat. Harry took a seat in the only available booth, and turned opposite from everyone else, glancing intently out the window. He was never really good with Occlumency so it had been a bit difficult to block her out, and felt she may be able to penetrate his thoughts again if he failed to be careful.

"Hey there." Harry turned his attention toward the voice. The blonde woman from before gave him a warm smile. "Hello." he replied, getting the same intrusion he'd felt not a moment ago. This time stronger still, and did his best to keep his mind clear of virtually all thought.

"You must be new here, I've never seen you around." Harry nodded. "Yes, I've only just arrived actually." The woman raised her brows.

"That right? Where'd you come from? Judging from your accent, I'd say England, but I didn't want to be wrong-"

"No you're right." He cut in.

"And you chose a small town like this to move to?" The woman gave him a gap toothed grin.

"No offense, but given the chance I'd move out of this rickety old place."

Harry's smile broadened.

"Yes well, I kind of figured this might be a quiet town. I do like the quiet." "Oh me too…trust me." She laughed lightly. "Look at me, chatting your ear off! How may I help you tonight?"

"Do you have fish and chips?" The woman tilted her head in question. "Fish and chips?"

Forgot. Harry flushed a bit. "Oh! Well in America, you'd call it…Fish and Fries?" The woman's confusion was replaced with a cheerful smile.

"Oh, well yes we do!" Harry watched as she wrote down his order.

"We'll have your order in a few minutes."

She turned to walk off but stopped in her tracks, looking back.

"I'm Sookie by the way. Sookie Stackhouse." Harry gave a nod.

"I'm Harry P-er-Black. Harry Black."

It struck him as unwise to give out his true name. he wouldn't want word to travel that a "Harry Potter" had moved to Louisiana. With vampires out now even in the presence of muggles, Merlin only knew how quick it would be until one of Voldemort's minions caught word of him.

"Nice to meet you then Harry Black. And welcome to Bon Temps!" with that, Sookie turned on her heel, and headed toward the front counter.

xxx

The food had been wonderful, and more than enough to fill him up for the night. He'd left a 'five dollar' tip on the table before departing. American money had confused him at first, but eventually, he'd gotten used to it. Just before he'd truly begun to trek down the road, a BMW pulled up beside him.

"Hey Harry!" Harry turned his attention toward the voice.

"Sookie?"

In the car beside her was a man even paler than he, penetrating eyes and black hair. He was staring intensely at him, as though analyzing who he was. "Do you want a ride? It's a bit-dark out here." He knew what she meant.

"Well, my house is only a few blocks down…"

He wasn't afraid of attack, but apparently, Sookie took over that fear for him.

"All the more reason to accept the ride."

Sookie's tone was undeniably persistent and he wondered for a moment if it was because of his young appearance that made her worry. Harry looked down toward the direction of his house, then back at them. He still held a mild suspicion about her, for good reason, but at the same time, and for some odd reason, he felt for the most part, she was trustworthy.

"Alright then. Thank you."

He opened the back door and got in, closing it behind him. Strapping on his seatbelt, he leaned back in the seat, suddenly feeling rather awkward.

"Bill, Harry here moved from England to Bon Temps today, isn't that amazing? Someone from over the pond?"

Sookie looked back at him and smiled. Harry gave a kind one in return as the car begun to drive off again. "Yeah this place is fine, as far as quiet goes, except-"

Sookie cut off then and Harry felt a sudden urge to hear what she meant to say next. "Except what?"

"Harry, I don't want to scare you, I mean you look so young-"

A sudden bout of annoyance crossed him.

-do you think your parents would appreciate me telling you-"

"My parents are dead." He cut off, feeling a twinge of regret at the tone of his words. Sookie's eyes broadened. "They're dead?" Her eyes glossed over with a familiar look of desolation he'd gotten many times from others. "Harry, I'm sorry-"

"Don't apologize, I was a baby-I never knew them." Her eyes displayed a sense of, not pity, but sorrow and understanding he'd never seen before. "Harry-"

"This is my home." Harry said, stopping her words. "Thank you for offering me a ride Sookie, and thank you as well Bill." Harry unbuckled his belt as the car slowed to a stop. Before he'd gotten the chance to fully step out, Sookie spoke up yet again. "How'd you like to came for breakfast at my place tomorrow?" The look on Harry's face was that of shock. "You sure it'll be okay?"

"Of course silly, I offered didn't I?" She grinned, and Harry, despite himself felt his spirits raise a bit. "Sure! Definitely."

"Great, my house is just a mile or so down the road, white two story house with blue shutters you can't miss it, and bring your appetite now!" With that, Bill and Sookie drove off, leaving Harry with his thoughts, mostly about his new ford sort of friendship with Sookie Stackhouse. She seemed nice enough, and virtually harmless but was she truly someone to trust?

xxx

"Sookie are you out of your mind? You can just offer a complete stranger over to your house!" Sookie scoffed. "I also shouldn't run off chasing drainers to save vampires that may or may not kill me, but apparently that worked out alright."

"Well, I was the exception."

"Well then, maybe Harry will be too."

Bill held frustration in his eyes. "What are you thinking?" Bill sighed. "What if he's part of the Fellowship?" Sookie raised her brows. "You think he's working for them? He came from England!"

"So he says. The boy could have been acting."

"No chance, I read his mind. It was British too."

"I still don't trust him." Sookie found herself becoming a bit annoyed. "Well them, what do you propose we do?" Bill looked back at her. "We go inform Eric of our-new arrival."

xxx

Fangtasia was a place solely for vampires. Of course, some humans, better known as "fang-bangers" visit the vampire bar in order to live out their most deadly fantasies. Sookie was no fan of the place herself, but her safety was pretty much guaranteed with the sheriffs interest in her. They stopped at the front gate where a tall blonde woman stood, looking down at her nails. "ID." she looked up then and a look of surprised crossed her face.

"Sookie, Bill! So nice to see you two again." it was Pam, who greeted them as though they were old friends. And in a way, she supposed they ere. "Nice to see you too Pam." Sookie replied politely. "Come to see Eric?" She asked.

"We have some news for him." Bill spoke up. "Well, he's in there. Looking deader than usual. If that's possible."

And there he was, sitting in his usual spot as though he were king. Handsome and alluring, but allusive and very clearly, bored. Sookie and Bill walked up, Sookie making it first. Eric gave a coy smile.

"Ah Sookie, you've returned. And you brought William, how--nice." Bill, who normally would have remarked, instead chose to ignore him, given his thoughts at present.

"Eric, we have-" Sookie gave him a look. "Well-I have some concerns regarding a new neighbor in Bon Temps."

The sheriff leaned back in his chair. "Do you now? Please, take a seat." Bill and Sookie took opposite sides of the sheriff. The two vampires locked eyes. "And what are your-concerns exactly?" "I think he may work undercover for the Fellowship of the Sun." Eric looked a bit more interested at these words. "And what makes him so special that you'd believe this?"

"I can't imagine a foreigner simply deciding to home here of all places. Hell, most people here grew up in Bon Temps, never really had a stranger unless they'd brought trouble along, and now after all these events, he suddenly shows? I know it could be a coincidence but-I smelled something about him."

Sookie looked at Bill now. "What was it?" he glanced her way.

"Power." His eyes moved back to Eric.

"An inexplicable power I can't seem to pick out." A thought crossed her mind. "now that I think0i couldn't read his mind." Eric's attention snapped toward her. "You couldn't?"

"Yeah-well at first I could, but that's how I knew he was British, but then, he looked at me, like he knew I was in his mind-then, I couldn't hear him anymore."

Bill looked both surprised and annoyed. Likely at the fact that she hadn't informed him of this botched telepathy incident "What was he thinking?" Eric urged.

"Well-It certainly wasn't anything threatening. Something about…butterscotch or whatever, and, I think-muggles?"

both the men looked particularly puzzled. "bring him to me." Sookie's eyes widened. "Tomorrow night. I want to meet this possible fellowship follower" Sookie sat upright in her seat. "Eric, you can't be serious! Okay, maybe his timing was a bit off, but that doesn't make him a bad person and I really don't believe he is."

"Well, Sookie, most unfortunately that is for me to decide." Eric looked at her and she stared back, eyes slightly narrowed. "There's nothing wrong with him."

"We will see. Now if you'll both excuse me…" With that, Eric stood up from his chair and headed through to the backroom, marking the end of their conversation.

xxx

"Ron? Hermione?"

Harry peered into the shard of what remained of his godfathers two-way mirror. He remembered vividly in his anger, he'd shattered the mirror, around two and a half years previous. The shard stayed silent. It depressed him a little, not being in contact with them.

He would have been glad just to hear one of their voices. It wasn't as though he hadn't seen them in weeks, in fact they'd only been apart for a few days prior to him leaving. Still, with the two of them miles from him, and magical means having been constricted, it made things all the more difficult. Especially without Hermione's wisdom or Ron's humor that calmed him. Sighing, he stared hopelessly at the shard before putting it away once more. He wrapped himself into the sleeping bag, tossing and turning until he'd fallen into a dreamless slumber.