A/N: Oh wow, okay so I haven't updated in a while and I'm very sorry for that. I was on an unexpected hiatus, so I had to update on scratch paper. I've finally finished writing it out though and I do believe it's considerably longer than the last two have been. I think I like this chapter and I hope you all enjoy it too. I'm working on the fourth chapter as well it should be up soon as well. :]
Chapter 3-Eric
xxx
Harry awoke with his mind in a twist. The previous nights events left him with a sense of wonder. Had it all really happened? Reaching out for his glasses and placing them over his eyes, his blurry vision cleared as did his thoughts. So he was in Bon Temps, Louisiana. He'd met a strange, but friendly woman named Sookie Stackhouse who'd-Harry's eyes broadened. Invited him to breakfast. Harry grasped for his watch and looking at the time; 8:45am. He hopped up from his spot on the ground, folded the sleeping bag up and tossed it in the closet. He'd need to start furnishing and getting lights-and water. Crap. Of course, he'd been all too set on moving in right away, the people hadn't gotten the chance to update, which meant no absolute necessities were at hand. Normally, they wouldn't have sold a house to someone without it having lighting and water, however, he'd made it very clear that it wouldn't be a problem for him to do it himself once he'd moved in. How was he supposed to shower?
Maybe Sookie will let me…
He really didn't want to even have to ask. And besides, he never got her number. And now, that he thought on it, he wasn't too certain on where she lived either. Perhaps he could ask someone. The town wasn't too big, he wouldn't be surprised if the first person he asked knew Sookie. Gathering up a fresh pair of clothes and bathroom essentials, he placed them in a bag, before heading out, clad in pajamas. The mornings suns rays were bright, and he had to squint his eyes behind the glasses to see properly.
He'd been walking down the road for several minutes before beginning to feel even more ridiculous than he had even thinking about doing this. As he began to ponder on whether or not to turn back for home, a plus pickup was making its way by.
"Hey!" he called out, waving the truck down. The vehicle slowed down beside him.
"Can I help you?" It was a man with short blonde hair and curious eyes.
"Yes, I was wondering-" Harry began, but found himself cut off.
"Hey, are you British or something?" Harry gave a small sigh. "Yes, I am. I-"
"When did you get here?" The man questioned with considerable interest.
"Last night, but-"
"Man, never had a British dude here before."
Harry flushed. "Yes-well I-" He raised his voice a bit, apparently unnoticed by this man.
"Well that's-"
"Do you know where Sookie Stackhouse lives?" Harry blurted out.
The man narrowed his eye, unnerving him a bit. "Why?"
"She invited me over and-"
"What's in the bag?" The boy pointed out.
"Well-" he didn't really feel like explaining the situation. However… "I just moved in, and I don't have water in my house so I was wondering if Sookie would have perhaps allowed me-" he didn't finish his sentences, although he was rather sure the man understood.
"Well, I'm not sure if I could tell you myself, but I have a cell. If she knows you, I'll take you there myself. By the way, I'm her older brother, Jason Stackhouse."
"Oh her brother? It's nice to meet you, I never introduced myself either. I'm Harry Black."
"Nice to meet you too, Harry." he said, although it was in side comment as he had already begun punching in the numbers on his cell phone. "Hello Sook? Yeah it's Jason. Say theirs this kid who says he knows you? Harry Black?" There was a pause. "Oh you do know him?" Another short pause. "Yeah, I found him walking down the road looking lost. Say, he says his home doesn't have running water. Wants to know if he could freshen up at your place?" pause. "Alright then, I'll swing on by in a few." He hung up. "Get in Harry, I'll drop you off."
xxx
"Harry, nice to see you again!" Sookie gave him a bright smile. "Thanks for dropping him off Jason. Harry, the bathroom is upstairs to your left. I'm almost done with breakfast, so hurry if you want it hot!"
Harry gave her a grateful smile. "Thank you Sookie..." It took him a little over fifteen minutes or so to come back downstairs, his hair still a tad damp, but no longer dripping. A warm plate of bacon, eggs and pancakes had been placed in front of him. Looking at the glass full of orange content, he was almost inclined to believe it was pumpkin juice. However, if the smell hadn't been enough, the taste only confirmed it to be orange juice. "Thanks for breakfast." he said.
"Oh, it was no trouble at all." He hadn't experienced a proper home cooked meal since his last stay with the Weasleys. Sookie's hospitality improved his mood greatly and he found himself becoming quite comfortable in this new environment. However, there was something in Sookie's expression that struck curiosity within him, which in turn, reminded him of her unsaid words the previous night.
"Sookie?"
Bright blue eyes gazed up at him. "Hm?"
"What was it you didn't want to tell me? Last night I mean." Sookie's fork clattered onto her plate. "Oh." She seemed to hesitate for a moment before speaking. "It was a few months back, but there was-something strange going on here in Bon Temps." She began. "A woman named Maryann wanted to sacrifice my good friend Sam Merlotte, owner of the restaurant we met at, to her demon god." Sookie paused. "Are you sure you-" Harry gave a firm nod. "Well, she took over the entire town. Everyone, including my best friend Tara Thornton, was under some kind of demonic spell. They almost destroyed the whole town. And this house, my grandmothers, Maryann used as a base." Harry leaned in a bit. "She was eventually destroyed. And, before her, a man everyone knew as Renee turned out to be the one murdering everyone who happened to be romantically involved with vampires." she looked down at her plate. "He came after me and-I killed him." Harry could see her determinedly avoiding his eye. "Not so quiet a town as you might have though huh?"
This information, however shocking it may have been, didn't actually frighten him. He'd never been possessed by a demon per se, but in a way, Voldemort may has well have been one. "That reminds me actually." Sookie spoke then. "I was wondering…what happened to your parents?" Harry had long since abandoned the rest of his meal and was now debating on whether or not to actually tell her this. "They-" he looked at her, though for some reason, it was harder to than just a moment ago. "They were murdered."
Sookie's mouth dropped. "Do they know who did it?" Harry hesitated. "Yes…"
"Are they in prison?"
"Not exactly."
Sookie looked aghast. "Why not! They know who did it, can't they-"
"I'm sorry." Harry interrupted. "But…I really can't say anymore." He felt awful to be holding off information when as far as he knew, she hadn't. but anything else, and he might as well blab out that he was a wizard. Sookie's expression softened. "I-lost my parents too." Harry's stomach churned. He didn't feel entirely comfortable opening up to Sookie when he couldn't do so himself. "They died in a flash flood when I was six." This created an even deeper feeling of regret in him. "You stayed with, your grandmother then?" Sookie nodded, a small smile adorning her face. "Adele Stackhouse was her name. she was a very sweet, kind woman. You would have loved her, and I'm sure she would have loved you too."
"What-happened to her?" Sookie sighed. "She was murdered, almost half a year ago by Renee." Harry wrinkled a brow, puzzled by this answer. "But I thought-"
"Yes, but he didn't know she would be there. Her death was an accident." And it was this, that hurt him the most. Her grandmother's death was by accident. By lucky chance, she could have lived and instead fate dealt her a bad hand, leaving Sookie in this house alone. The two sat in silence for a moment or so. Finally, Sookie took the initiative to speak again. "Now, lets not dwell over sad stuff! Here, you done with your plate?" She stood up, taking her own china in her hand. Harry nodded, a bit full anyhow. Sookie placed the dishes in the sink, just as her front door swung open.
"Sookie!" Harry's head spun to face the voice. A black girl with long black hair in braids stood at the doorway.
"Hey Tara!" Sookie hugged the woman, who was, as her story mentioned, her best friend. "Tara, this is my new friend Harry Black. Sookie motioned to him, to alert her friends attention. Harry, this is Tara Thornton."
"Nice to meet you." Harry stood up from his spot and walked over, holding out his hand. "Oh, a British man? That's new. But hey, we could always use more white people right?" her voice seemed to ooze sarcasm, and he wasn't entirely sure if he should be offended or amused, and quite frankly, he was speechless. "Oh, don't mind Tara, Harry. She's not always so mean." Tara snorted." She has she been?"
xxx.
"So you planning on getting a job or just living off your grandparents inheritance money?" Tara remarked.
"Tara!" Sookie's voice was full of disapproval.
"What? It was a simple question." Tara turned back to Harry. "So you gonna give me a simple answer or what?"
"Oh, sorry. Well I never thought about it actually…"
"Inheritance money?"
"Well, I do have an inheritance of sorts but…" Harry began, but was interrupted almost immediately.
"Told you!" Tara shook her head.
"Tara!" Sookie turned from the kitchen sink, where she had returned to and Harry noticed a foamy dish in her hand. Harry frowned. "But hey, I don't plan on just living off of it." he continued. "I just didn't think too forward on getting a job is all." He'd never had a job before. Well not really. Sure, with everything he'd done at the Dursley's from cookie to cleaning until everything was spotless, he figured himself to be alright for a position. "Maybe, if there's room, I could apply to work at Merlottes?" Sookie smiled back at him as she finished cleaning the small pile of dishes in her sink. "That should help out the place a lot. No one's applied to a position for long since the last three employees. All of them killed."
"Three people died?" Sookie nodded. "Yes, my good friend Dawn, my brothers girlfriend Amy, and a woman named Daphne. Maybe the job was cursed. At his old school, the Defense Against the Dark Arts job was. Every professor who applied ended up coming out rough, either dead, or damaged.
"Maybe it's cursed." he voiced.
"Oh, maybe." Sookie replied. "Wouldn't be surprised actually."
"With all the bullshit going on in this town, me neither." Tara came in. "That reminds me-Sookie, I need maintenance to come out today, do you have a phonebook I could use?"
xxx
Maybe it had been pure luck maintenance happened to be less busy than usual, but an hour or so after he'd called in, Harry found himself back at his home with Sookie and Tara, watching as they restored necessities to his home. "It's gonna take a bit." They'd informed him, so the three of them headed down to Merlottes, in hopes of getting Harry a position. He walked in after the both of them, looking around the place. "Hey, anyone know where Sam is?" Tara called out to the handful of customers. The place usually didn't fill up till the afternoon or so, according to Sookie, so there'd only be so many people in right now. And whoever happened to be there at the time, said nothing.
"Somebody call me?" Harry turned his attention toward the man with brown hair, and a jean shirt on and faded jeans.
"Yeah, I did." Tara replied. "This boy here needs a job, can he work here? God knows people are tired of working extra shifts."
Sam looked at Harry then. "You new here?"
He nodded. "I came here from England yesterday."
Sam smiled. "Welcome to Louisiana then. Have you worked in a restaurant before?"
"No." he answered. "But, I catch on pretty well. And I have experience with cooking and cleaning." he added quickly.
"Can you display a friendly disposition toward customers at all times?" Harry prepared himself to answer, however, Tara interrupted.
"Please Sam. Do I?"
Sam glanced from her to Harry. "You're hired. You'll start tomorrow evening so Sookie, you and him will be working beside each other. Teach him the ropes. I expect excellence from you both." Sam nodded at Harry and turned to head through the back. Harry's heart gave a leap. A day in Bon Temps and so far, things seemed to be working out rather well. Of course, he hadn't forgotten the primary mission. But the fact remained that he still didn't know where or who the vampire sheriff was. Professor McGonagall and the others did inform him that finding him may be a challenge, so simply trying to blend in with the others without giving himself away would be the best thing to do. Harry turned to Sookie, who looked particularly distracted at this point. Her facial expression told him she was thinking about something.
"You okay?"
Sookie jumped a bit. "Me? Oh, yes I'm fine." Though perhaps it was the way she said it that made him doubt her words. "Come on Harry, Tara and I will show you how to do this." Tara gave Sookie a look. "Excuse me? I'm the bartender, not a waitress."
Sookie frowned. "Fine, I'll teach you then."
"If you wanna know how to serve drinks, you come here." Tara said, as Sookie led Harry over toward an empty booth. A thought struck him then. "Hey, where's Bill? You meeting him later?"
Sookie smiled. "Yes. This evening actually." And then the smile was gone.
"What's wrong?"
Sookie said nothing.
"Hey-Sookie! What's wrong?"
xxx
I was supposed to just let you go without knowing. But I don't think that's fair.
She remembered her conversation with Bill the night they'd gone to Fangtasia about Harry.
"Maybe it's best you don't tell him exactly why we're taking him to a vampire bar." Bill had said, striking confusion in her. "Why not? He deserves to know that two paranoid vampires suspect him of being a murderer."
"I never said that." he said
"Well you implied it." she responded.
"I most certainly did not."
"So, telling Eric our new arrival might be working with the fellowship, an organization bent on destroying vampires isn't what you suspect of him?" Sookie replied.
"I was simply trying to help make sure everyone is safe. Especially you."
"And I told you there's nothing suspicious about him. Both Renee and Maryann were suspicious by their thoughts alone, but aside form a couple nonsensical words, he sounded about as normal as you and I."
"But the fact still remains that he somehow blocked you from his mind. That has never happened with any normal human being."
"I know it seems suspicious but I just don't believe that he's evil."
"Well, we'll just have to see…"
"Sookie!" The blonde woman snapped to attention.
"What? Oh, I'm sorry. Got lost in thought I guess."
"It's fine." Harry said. "But, I was wondering if you didn't mind teaching me how to wait now?" He was admittedly rather anxious about his new job, and needless to say, it being his first he didn't really fancy the thought of messing it up.
"Oh! Right okay." Sookie took the time explaining what her job was, waiting tables and listing orders. "Just basic stuff really, you'll slide into it real easy." She pointed out the order wheel, where orders were placed. "You just hang the tickets up there. When Lafayette calls out, you take it to the table. Make sure to smile and act happy, even if you're not, so there won't be any complaints. That could lower your paycheck."
He nodded, making a mental note to control his own emotions better. He'd never really been too good at acting something he wasn't. he recalled a distinct memory in which his acting had resulted in blowing up his uncles sister. "Whose Lafayette by the way?"
"Oh, he's-" she turned back toward the kitchen, however saw no one. "He might be in the back. We could meet him if you'd like? Arlene and Terry'll be around in the evening. You can meet them then." Sookie and Harry headed to the back room, where they found a tall burly man with a white apron wrapped around him. "Hey Lafayette."
The man jumped a bit, turning around quickly. "Damn Sookie, you ain't got to sneak up on me like that!" he sounded quite alarmed, and it showed in his eyes, as though he were expecting something dangerous to jump out at him. Lafayette's eyes then traveled to Harry and a coy smile spread across his lips. "Well well, whose this little snow bunny?"
Harry's eyes widened a bit. "Er-my names Harry Black."
"Lafayette, Harry just got a job here, he'll be working the night shift.."
"Ohh, so you're the new waitress." Harry flushed. "Waiter." he mumbled.
"Not here. All the hostess's here is women, you the new waitress."
"Stop teasing him Lafayette!" Sookie placed a hand on Harry's shoulder.
"Ain't nobody tryin' to upset him." Lafayette remarked, a playful grin on his face. He leaned forward with purpose. "But since you'se a man tryna get tips, I'd suggest wearing tighter jeans to show off that ass." Sookie grasped Harry's shoulders and promptly began to shove him out the door.
"Thanks for the advice." Sookie had grumbled.
"No problem hunny. Hey snow bunny, if you want any private tips, I'd be happy to help."
Harry almost looked back, but thought against it. "He's uh-nice?" Harry had gotten the definite perception he'd just been hit on.
"That's Lafayette for you. I think he might like you." Sookie giggled. "Which could be good or bad I guess."
Harry flushed. "Not funny." He had never really thought about men that way. Then again, he'd never thought much about his own sexuality. So it was odd that he was even pondering on it now.
xxx
It was several hours later that Harry and Sookie returned to his new home. Walking inside, he found he now had working lights and when he'd turned on the faucet, running water. "You're house still needs work." Sookie said, noting the rather dusty interior.
"It's not a problem, I could clean it."
Sookie raised a brow. "By yourself?"
He nodded. "Sure, it's a two bedroom upstairs, but the house itself isn't as big as it looks really."
"Still, I could help you straighten up if you'd like."
Harry shook his head. "You don't have to do that."
"But we're practically neighbors now. It's only kind to do so. Besides, my shift doesn't start for another few hours or so, we could get a lot done in that time if we work together."
Harry gave a grateful smile. "Thank you Sookie…"
"Well, come on then, we'll need to get some cleaning supplies, a duster and all that." Harry nodded, checking his back pocket for his wallet before heading out the front door with Sookie in tow.
xxx
"Alright, we've got Windex, Ajax, a duster…" Sookie checked off. "And gloves. You ready?" Harry placed the cleaning gloves on as did she. "We should start with the front room, then work our way on to the kitchen and bathroom." She looked around then, as though she'd only just realized. "You need furniture too." She then looked at him. "You must have been in a hurry to get here."
Harry gave a sheepish smile. It probably did look very odd for someone to move in without a van or any sort of furniture. "Yes, I suppose so." He said. "Just, ready to get away really." Sookie nodded, and walked into the kitchen, filling a bucket with soapy water before bringing it back. She unwrapped the mop from its covering and dropped it in the soapy contents. "That reminds me, I never asked, who had you been staying with all these years?" Harry, who had picked up the duster and had only just begun to sweep away a fraction of dirt, glanced back at her.
"My Aunt and Uncle." He tried not to sound so obviously unhappy about such a prospect, however Sookie caught on.
"I'm guessing they weren't so nice then?"
Harry shook his head. "No." he didn't want any pity from her. It sounded rather doleful after all. Poor Harry, parents killed and him brought up by the stereotypical "evil" relatives who hate him. He didn't want pity because throughout his misery, he found something great and he had made very loyal and wonderful friends. Even feeling for once that he had a family. "But it's fine. They were-it was a family difference is all, don't really want to get into it." Sookie seemed to want to say something but thought it over before turning back to the mop and began to clean the floors in silence.
xxx
She couldn't help but feel like Harry was hiding something. It wasn't as though she expected him to spill everything about himself to her, after all they'd only just met the previous day. And yet, she couldn't help but to feel a sort of connection with him. As if in a way, they were very similar. Different, but not in a bad way as some seemed to believe. It was this that made her wonder what he was hiding. She was certain it wasn't anything a normal person might refrain from telling, from the thoughts he had blocked the very first night she'd met him, to his random appearance in the first place and his automatic avertness to actually explaining anything really about himself as though going any further would suddenly give away some sort of secret. And perhaps he was withholding a secret. Which of course provoked her to want to pry into his mind. And as if he'd read hers, Harry's voice interrupted her thoughts.
"Sookie." he said softly. "Why were you trying to read my mind?"
xxx
Sookie opened her mouth to respond, but Harry cut in first. "Not now, I didn't feel you doing it today, butt the night when I met you." T
he blonde looked thunderstruck. "Well-you looked unfamiliar, I suppose, after the problems Bon Temps had in the past-I wanted to make sure you were-normal." Harry frowned. "And, am I normal?" Sookie looked at him, a certainty in her eyes. "I think so, as far as normal goes I mean. look at me, I'm a mind reader, that ain't to common." She gave a small smile. "How can you do it though?" Sookie shrugged. "I've always been able to. Since I was a little girl."
"But-"
"How did you block me?" she interposed, as though suddenly remembering.
Harry froze, poker-faced. "I just did. I-" How could he say it without giving anything away.
"How did you know I was reading your mind?" Harry looked away. "Because."
"Because, is not an answer Harry."
"Yes it is." he replied.
"It's not a very good one." she remarked.
"Well, you didn't really ask for a good-"
"Harry!"
"What?"
"Tell me. How did you do it? How did you know? And how did you block me out?"
Harry closed his eyes. "I just-emptied my mind." He said. "From all thought. You can't read a blank mind."
Sookie looked very fascinated with his answer, which only unnerved him more. "But-how did you do it? Have you done this before? Have you met others like me?"
"Look, Sookie." he began, but paused at her crestfallen look.
"Please tell me."
"It's nothing." Harry turned back toward the walls and continued to dust. Sookie however, had now all but abandoned her part. "Harry-"
"Drop it!" He snapped.
"What are you hiding?"
"It's none of your business!" Harry threw the duster to the ground and clenched his fist. He couldn't understand Sookie's sudden urgency to know everything about him.
"You have to tell me or-!" She cut off then, as though she'd nearly uttered something she'd never be forgiven for.
"What?" He said curtly.
"If you don't tell me, you could die."
Harry simply looked at her, shell-shocked for a moment. "Are you threatening me?"
"No! it's not a threat, its an immense possibility."
"How so?"
Sookie sucked in a breath. "Because-Bill reported you to Eric."
Harry blinked. "Bill? Your boyfriend? And whose Eric?"
"He's the sheriff." She said. "The-vampire sheriff."
xxx
The Head Sheriff. The one he'd been sent to find. Harry's heart seemed to skip a beat. "So-Bill's a vampire then. And he reported me to the sheriff?"
Sookie nodded. "They suspect you could be threat. Whether to human or vampire they were determined to find out."
"But I'm not a threat!" Harry responded hotly.
"And I believe that, but they don't. I worry now that whatever you're keeping secret will affect Eric's decision on whether or not to let you live."
Harry felt as though he'd swallowed a brick. "But then, why do you need to-"
"Eric hired me to spy on suspicious minds." she said.
"So-he wants you to read mine."
"Yes, I think so, but that's why I wanted to know what you might be hiding. If it's nothing that affects them-then I could tell them that for sure-"
"Sookie." He came in. "No."
He hated the thought of anyone prying into his thoughts, especially his most private, but it was forbidden to speak of their world to a muggle. Sookie wasn't supposed to get involved with his mission. He'd been sent, as had his friends to gather up allies in order to fight against Lord Voldemort, to have a fair chance. Whatever Sookie ended up knowing, Harry feared could endanger her life. Something he wasn't about to be responsible for. At long last, the two picked up their items and began to clean the house in silence, all the while tension and anxiety hung in the air, as thoughts of what may or may not occur sat deep in their thoughts.
xxx
"Order up!" Harry watched as Sookie held two platters of food in her hands, placing the food down on the proper tables and from what he saw, making certain to smile and at times, using a method that was particularly "dumb-blondish." However, it seemed to give her bigger tips. He supposed that was why she'd also chosen to wear makeup that night. Despite the inviting scenery of Merlottes, Harry was rather anxious and detached as he'd been all evening thus far. Sookie had explained where they were going. A vampire bar named Fangtasia, which sounded rather silly to him, like a failed pun of sorts. Bill was supposed to be arriving soon to take them both. Apparently, it would make them safer. Needless to say, he wasn't all too eager to see him. When he finally did arrive, heads turned, as did Harry's. Bill looked just as pale as he'd remembered, and he kicked himself mentally for not suspecting right away what he was. It seemed so obvious now. Bill walked over to him, standing beside his table.
"Mind if I join you?"
Harry shrugged. "Go ahead."
Bill took a seat opposite him. "I know you must be upset." Bill began. "But I want you to know it's nothing personal."
"Yeah, yeah the fate of Bon Temps may be in danger. I've heard." Harry said, voice oozing sarcasm.
"Well if you're not a threat, we'll know very soon. If you're not, I will gladly extend my sincerest apologies for the accusation."
"Brilliant." Harry muttered, refusing to look at him any further and instead took to glancing at the menu in front of him.
xxx
Sookie's shift ended early on request and soon, she, Harry and Bill were driving down the road, Harry leaning in his seat, looking out the window at the darkness. Sookie had clearly wanted to say something to him a few times, but ended up either sighing or suddenly becoming very interested in her outfits neatness. They reached Fangtasia in a matter of minutes and Harry was the last one out the car. "He'll be at the front." Sookie said as they made their way toward a blonde haired woman.
"Sookie, Bill, come to see Eric again? And-" The woman looked his way. She was very beautiful, with full lips and shoulder length flaxen hair. "This must be Harry Black." The woman smiled at him, revealing two sharp teeth revealing what he'd already known. "Names Pam." the vampire woman introduced.
"Nice to meet you." Harry replied, doing his best to be polite.
Pam's eyebrows rose. "Ohh, you have such an adorable accent. And-" she seemed to whiff the air and a gleeful sort of gleam emerged in her eyes. "Well-" Pam seemed to the sake the look from her eyes quickly enough. "Erics inside he'll be waiting for you." With one last smirk, Pam stepped aside, allowing them entry. Not a second after he'd taken a few steps inside did a vampire suddenly approach him, the same look in her eyes that Pam had.
"Hey there, you look at bit young don't you?" She grinned.
Harry hesitated a moment. "I'm-er-almost nineteen."
"What a hot accent. I'm Eva-"
"He's not interested." Sookie's voice interrupted.
The vampire Eva narrowed her catlike eyes. "Wasn't talking to you."
"He isn't interested." Bill came in.
"Is he yours?" Eva demanded.
"Excuse me?"Harry said.
Eva's eyes returned to his. "Do you belong to him?"
Astonished, Harry was prepared to deny such an assumption. However-
"Yes, he does." Bill answered.
Harry and Sookie both looked at him.
"What?" Sookie jabbed Harry in the side and he cringed.
Eva looked particularly glum at this. "Damnit!"
The vampire sulked off, leaving Harry thunderstruck.
"I-belong to you?"
Bill cleared his throat. "I-it's something we vampires do. We claim humans as our own so others cannot have them." He explained. "Naturally, you aren't actually mine,-I just said so to protect you."
Harry nodded lightly, his mind still a bit puzzled at what just happened. "So-does Sookie belong to you then?"
Sookie blushed. "Well-we shouldn't just stand here anymore!" Sookie said, purposely changing the subject. They made their way past the swarm of vampires and fang-bangers, to the front of the club. There, slack in a throne-like chair was an incredibly handsome man with blonde hair and fair, yet rather pale skin. He had never found himself attracted to another man before, however, in the presence of such an undeniably beautiful creature, it was hard not to feel some sort of magnetism.
"That's him then?" Harry asked softly, almost forgetting his reason for even being there.
"Yes." Sookie responded.
The flaxen haired man looked at them then. His eyes seemed to lock on Harry's and he motioned his hand, summoning them forward.
"So you're Harry." He had a silky, yet serious tone of voice. "Please, take a seat." Harry sat opposite him, and Sookie beside him while Bill took the other side.
"Tell me Harry-what are you motives for being here?"
Harry lookded at Sookie, before glancing back at the sheriff.
"Can't say." The obvious stares coming from the large croward was overbearing. He hadn't expected this.
"And why is that?"
"Too-many, er-people." He mumbled.
"Do you wish us to be alone." Eric asked.
Harry nodded. "Yes, but it's-"
"Leave." Eric suddenly spoke, giving Harry the slight impression that he was talking to him. That was, until he stood from his spot. "I said leave! Everyone out! Fangtasia closes early this evening." The music came to a discreet halt, and a sea of groans and curse words slung across the nightclub. However, as full as it had been, only moments later the final human made their way out the doors, and Pam walked inside, locking them behind her. Eric took a seat. "Now."
Harry again glanced back at Sookie, and Eric of course caught it.
"You seem very concerned with Sookie's presence here as well. Are you not willing to anything even now?"
He said nothing. He could've just said it. However, it was more than just the fact that Sookie would know. In this time, he wasn't sure who may be listening in, even now. If Sookie suddenly knew, he would have put her in unnecessary danger. As unlikely as it was for now that anyone would find him, he just didn't want to take such a risk. He trusted Sookie, he didn't trust anything good could come out of telling her. It was clear Eric had begun to lose patience. "Sookie-"
"She won't read my mind." Harry said, striking Eric's immediate attention.
"Ah yes, I heard. Sookie was blocked from it. But how did you manage that."
"Occlumency." he said, daring to mention his worlds magical art. "What is that?"
"A practice used in order to keep others out of your mind." He answered.
"Why would you need such a practice? Have you had your mind penetrated before?"
"Many times, and I don't fancy having it happen again."
"I'm afraid if you're not going to talk yourself, Sookie will do just that for me." Eric said.
"I think not." Harry replied, his tendency to oppose authority figures revealing itself.
Eric frowned, and leaned toward him, his eyes locking on his. "It would help me very much if you let Sookie read your thoughts." Harry's mind began to haze, as though it were attempting to empty itself of it's own accord. But of course, somewhere inside, he was aware it was Eric's doing. He recognized the feeling. Eric was attempting to control him.
("Just let her, it'll be alright.") A voice inside his head said.
("But I said no.") The more determined thought stated.
("Eric will make sure nothing happens.") The tempting voice replied.
("I don't think so. Besides, it's my mind, I should decide who reads it.")
("But-")
"I said no!" This time, the voice burst and departed past his lips, startling everyone of them left in the room.
"How did he-" Pam's voice began.
"You couldn't glamor him." Bill finished.
Eric's eyes narrowed and he seemed to only have eyes for Harry at this point. "What are you?"
"What-am I?" Harry felt a slight fear rise in him, although he did his best to mask it. "I'm a foreigner from Great Britain." he paused, allowing himself to relax a bit, despite begin surrounded by vampires who didn't seem to be at all keen on trusting him.
"Let Sookie see your thoughts. If you truly have nothing to hide, it shouldn't matter much to-"
"Of course it matters!" he snapped, glaring at him now. "How'd you like having someone prod into your mind, reading your private thoughts. My thoughts are kept in my head for a reason." He stood up then, getting alarmed stares from both Bill and Sookie, who'd latched onto his arm to pull him back down. Harry however, tugged away.
"This is not a negotiation." Eric said, his voice exuding impatience. "Pam."
In an instant, Harry found himself pinned to the ground, struggling quite hopelessly against the vampire. "Sookie." Eric waved her forward. "Your powers are heightened with touch is it not? See if that breaks his-barrier." Sookie looked hesitant for a moment before mouthing an apology and placed a hand on either side of his head. Harry could feel the ever intruding prodding of his mind, and although he fought as hard as his will allowed, slowly, he felt his barrier collapse and in a dreading wave of vision, his private thoughts and memories had come to surface.