Temporal Illusion
Chapter 2; A Panther's Trust
Harry wrestled from Remus' grasp as he reached for Sirius as his shocked Godfather tipped backwards towards the ragged sheets that fluttered over the portal of the stone archway. Remus' painfully strong grip seemed to freeze and he managed to twist out of it. All he could see was Sirius' face change from shock to regret as he lost his footing and tumbled backwards.
Harry wished only for another few seconds so that he could reach his Godfather. He was running towards the archway and for some reason he found himself standing before his Godfather and the scene had gone utterly silent. For a moment he thought the fighting had ceased just as his own world had ceased when Sirius had started to tumble to his death but then he realised that his own hand was mere millimetres from Sirius' outstretched fingers. Sirius, and the world, had frozen in that moment when Sirius had realised what he was losing. His hand stretched out desperately and futilely towards Harry.
Harry moved his hand the last few millimetres and his finger's ghosted over the sides of Sirius' own fingers and then the palm of his hand.
Harry cried out in pain as he shot up in bed. He was covered in sweat from his nightmare and his right hand itched at the remembered sensation of Sirius' skin against his. That last fleeting moment that they'd shared together. Harry gritted his teeth and his wandless magic lashed out as tears gathered in his eyes. A vase on his windowsill exploded with a shockingly loud crack.
Harry didn't have the energy to care about the mess and merely got out of bed. He walked straight from his room across the hall, into his bathroom and into the shower letting the warm water sooth his tension. He didn't know if he spent five minutes in there or an hour but when he got out it was to the sound of his alarm clock. He made a detour back into his room to turn off the alarm before going in search of his vacuum cleaner to clean up the mess.
An hour later he was pulling up to the main gates of the zoo. Shay waved at him and Harry managed his first real expression of the day and smiled back as Shay lifted the barrier. He pulled forwards a bit and rested his arm on his door. "How did you find your first week?" Shay asked him.
Harry had worked all through last week from Monday to Saturday staying in the on call room on Tuesday and Thursday night. This week would be about the same doing early shifts on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and then late shifts on Tuesday and Thursday and staying the nights. The weekends differed, he'd either do a midday shift on Saturday or a late and night on Sunday depending on what needed to be done.
"It was good." Harry told him. "How was your weekend off?"
"Oh, about the same as normal." Shay shrugged. "Had to go visit the girlfriend's parents. Say, Harry, are you alright? You look a bit off this morning."
"Nothing too bad, Shay." Harry shrugged. "Just a bad night."
Shay nodded slowly. "Well, take care of yourself today."
"Don't I normally?" Harry asked. Shay chuckled and stepped back from his car so Harry could pull through the gate and off through the closed park towards Marwell Hall where he could park.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
Harry and Katie were working through the store room checking expiration dates when their radios came to life calling for someone to come across to the Leopard enclosures. Apart from the two of them David was working over by the African animals enclosures with a visiting doctor to look at one of the elephants' legs. "Katie, Harry? You two go take a look."
"Okay, David." Katie radioed him back before gesturing from the room. The Leopard enclosures were part of a bank of cat enclosures including Sand Cats and smaller ones. The only cats in a different place were the Tigers and Lions since they needed more territory to roam in. Even though they could have walked the distance they might need the supplies always stored in the jeep so they drove.
There was a large crowd of visitors surrounding the Leopard enclosures and as they pulled up they heard why. One of the Leopards was snarling and hissing at the onlookers rather violently. The crowd split for them and Harry jumped out as soon as Katie had stopped the Jeep and shut down the engine. He headed through the crowd to the fence and saw that Jeka, their female Black Panther, was crouched at the base of a tree hissing at the crowd. She was clearly being more protective than anything else. She'd already been sick by the looks of it and that had probably been what drew the crowd's attention enough to worry her.
"What've we got?" Katie asked a man and woman that arrived at Harry's side.
"She's been at this for the last ten minutes. She was sick yesterday morning and it seems today as well." The man, a Keeper, told them.
"It's in our logs." Katie nodded. They always recorded things like this but with something as dangerous as a Leopard they didn't take tests unless it kept on. "What do you think?"
"Probably just an infection. Give it some time." The Keeper shrugged.
"A crowd shouldn't have her hackles up though." Harry mused drawing their attention. He didn't take his own eyes from the Leopard who slowly turned to see him and stopped hissing. Her eyes almost took on a look of recognition. Like a cat in the wild that see's another hunter that wouldn't be worth starting an argument with. A camera flashed and she snapped her teeth and started to hiss again. "If she was simply ill her instincts would have her retreating to higher ground."
"What are you suggesting?" Katie looked intrigued and even the Keepers were looking interested.
"I think it's something else, she isn't scared like if she was before a Tiger." Harry hummed. "She protecting herself because she can't run."
"She's had no problems apart from being sick." The woman told Harry.
"But she's staying put." Harry turned to Katie. "Is she in the breeding program?"
Katie looked at the male Keeper with a raised eyebrow. "We introduced her to the new male a couple of weeks ago but we didn't observe anything productive."
"We'll do a blood test then to be sure." Katie nodded.
"She won't let us in there that's for sure." The man whistled.
"We'll have to tranq her." Katie sighed. "And we'd better get David over here. I have no idea how much we'd have to use to get her docile enough without risking anything if she is pregnant."
Harry nodded and raised his radio. "David? It's Harry here."
"Go on, Harry. What is it?"
"We want to take a blood sample from Jeka. I think she might be carrying. Can you get over here?"
"I'm on my way." David told them. David arrived about ten minutes later in his own Jeep along with the man Harry recognised as the Elephant vet. "What's the clues?" He asked Harry, more testing his thoughts than anything else.
"She's been sick two days in a row now and she's showing aggression towards a crowd though she's not taking the normal measures to hide from a predator if she's ill. She's not climbing her frame or trying to get back inside." Harry told him. "She's simply sitting in the middle of her enclosure."
"Sounds possible but you might be right, we'll need to take a sample. Even if she is ill as well we'll need to treat it if she's pregnant." David nodded.
"We wanted to check with you on dosage before we tranq her." Katie told him. "If she is pregnant she's early stages."
"Too right." David nodded.
"I have done this before." The specialist told David in a heavy French accent. "About a fifth of the normal dosage is the best to use."
"That's barely enough to daze her." The male keeper told him.
"She is too early to use anything else." The man told him. "It will calm her and allow us to hold her down."
"She still won't let us near her." Katie bit her lip slightly.
"We'll need a distraction." The male keeper sighed.
"I'll do it." Harry shrugged.
"You?" David asked.
"I'm smaller and faster on my feet than any of you." Harry shrugged. "Besides she's been staring at me for the last ten minutes."
David jerked slightly and looked between Harry and Jeka. She was going periodically from watching Harry to snarling at any loud noise from the crowd. "You really do have a way with them Harry." David laughed and turned to the specialist. "Harry has a way with all the animals." He told him before turning back to Harry. "But I doubt even you can get close to a Panther without her biting you."
"But I'm the best to do it." Harry shrugged. "I'll distract her and you guys can come through the other enclosure and sneak up on her."
"What about the crowd?" Katie asked.
"The more noise they make the less chance Jeka will hear us coming up on her." David told them. "I'd better talk to them all beforehand to make sure they don't all go silent but don't call out. All we need is one of them to yell and Jeka will turn away from Harry. See him again suddenly and pounce."
"Let's do this then." Harry nodded.
They got ready quickly and soon Harry slipped into the pen house and unlocked and entered her pen which was currently shut off by the solid metal door. He shut the pen door but didn't lock it in case he had to retreat. He wore heavy leather gloves in case she pounced on him. He could use them to cover himself from her bite even if her teeth could go through them with little trouble. Leopards had a strong bite and they normally killed prey his size by breaking their necks between their jaws.
David signalled that they were ready to go and a small yelp came from outside as the tranq dart hit Jeka. Harry waited for two minutes for the tranq to definitely take effect before he slid open the door and slipped out. He left it open and stood up on the outside. Jeka was instantly staring at Harry. Her legs bunched up under her as she shifted her weight for a pounce but her eyes relaxed ever so slightly and she blinked at him tiredly. He circled her to his right so she had her back to the entrance the others would use and they slowly entered. The female Keeper held a tranq gun in her hands and a rifle was leaning against her leg. The tranq gun would have enough in it to put her out in seconds even at the loss of her babies but the rifle was a last resort in case she missed.
Jeka stood in one languid pace and the crowd went silent with apprehension. David, the specialist, Katie and the male keeper went still as well so she didn't hear them. Harry raised his arms to his sides and made a flicking gesture at the nearest visitors to him. Talking started surprisingly fast and he let out a breath of relief as Jeka's ears twitched unable to use her hearing to stalk her prey.
Her attitude proved what Harry thought though. She's already been fed so she'd more than likely have climbed a tree as soon as she saw Harry in her enclosure. Instead she'd gone into hunting mode, she was hunting to protect herself, or more importantly her unborn young. As she took a step forwards a snap came from behind her and she went to turn. Harry clapped and her head snapped back to him before she could see David. She took a hesitant step forwards towards Harry and crouched further to the ground.
Harry met her eyes and something passed there for a moment. She wasn't hunting for food but instead because she was scared of the humans hurting her but her eyes said something different to Harry. There was a long moment where Harry stared at her before he realised that the world had ceased to move around him. He'd been staring into her eyes and he'd moved into this moment where there was just the silent communication between him and Jeka.
Harry wrenched himself out of that moment and sound crashed back around him as Jeka sniffed at him and lifted her head slightly, out of the attack position and into what was almost a position of respect. Harry took a half step forwards and reached his hands out to the sides and forwards slightly. She looked at both of his hands before sitting on her back legs. Harry almost thought in that instant that he could take a blood test himself but he wasn't going to risk such a thing.
Even as he thought it David, the specialist and the Keeper were on her, pushing her front down to the ground. She growled heavily but even a Panther couldn't push up when three people were kneeling on her sides, especially when partially tranquilised. Katie darted in and covered her head with a towel and Harry moved forwards to hold her head in his hands as Katie quickly tied the cloth in place and busied herself with taking the blood sample from Jeka's side.
As soon as she was done she signalled Harry who undid the knot around the cloth and signalled the others. As one they released her and all but ran in different directions. Harry and Katie ran for the pen house while the other four slipped back into the empty enclosure. Harry shut the door to the pen behind him and circled around to where the crowd was. They split apart for him and Katie so that Harry could watch Jeka pawing at her head to rid herself of the cloth. As soon as she was free she looked around firstly at her enclosure and then at the crowd. She snarled angrily at them all and Harry winced.
"I feel bad." Harry sighed.
"What? That was brilliant, Harry!" Katie said. "You actually made her trust you! I've never seen that done before!"
"Yeah, and now she'll think I betrayed her." Harry shrugged.
"Oh," Katie frowned looking at the snarling cat. "Good point."
"Don't worry about it, Harry." David laughed as he overheard their conversation as he approached. "You can bring her a treat later. Well done."
"You are truly a special young man, Harry." The French man told him. "Never before have I seen a cat give trust so quickly."
"I told you he was good." David told him and Harry frowned looking at the rather secretive glance that the two men shared for a moment. "Katie, Harry. Get back to the lab and analyze that. Greg, Fiona, we'll get back to you as soon as we know something. For the time being though put up signs asking for only small crowds around the enclosure and quiet."
"Sure thing, Doc." Fiona nodded. Harry sighed wondering why he was always getting introduced to people after being in bad situations with them.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
Jeka's blood test came back positive for all signs of pregnancy and David held true to his word and got a treat for Harry to give to her. It was a high vitamin supplement but she'd enjoy the meat it was wrapped in. Harry brought it to her and gave it to her through the strong mesh that separated her enclosure from the empty next one. He'd then sat on the ground and watched her eating through the small lump of meat and the supplement as she lay facing him. It was a sign of trust in him that she was happy to sit and eat so close to him and Harry felt relieved that there seemed to be no hard feelings after he'd tricked her earlier.
He felt connected to Jeka purely because she had proven that even a Cat could be lured to trust him just like the other animals he'd met. From then on Harry tended to spend his lunches sitting out in the sun near her enclosure and she always seemed to know he was there. She'd come out from her pen or run up a tree to watch him. Katie found it hilarious just as much as George found it peculiar. David just laughed it off and sat for ages at a time talking to Harry about the effect he had on animals.
For the rest of that week he found himself wondering why David was so interested in every detail of his college course and knowledge. He threw questions at him at every moment and it really started to push at Harry's limits to the point that he had to spend every evening off working through his books.
It was during his Saturday night off when he got a surprise visit. He was working sprawled on his bed surrounded by books when his little flat's doorbell rang. He padded out into his living room and over to the door wearing only his jeans. He looked through the peep hole and smiled before swinging the door open.
"Harry!" Jez bounced into the room and swung Harry into a tight hug. Nicky entered with a slightly more reserved enthusiasm but kissed Harry's cheek when he hugged her.
"Hey guys. I didn't know you were coming down." Harry told them before spinning around on the spot in the middle of the room looking for the pile of clothing he'd washed that morning. He pulled a green t-shirt from the middle and pulled it over his head. He frowned down at himself when Nicky laughed and sighed as he pulled the shirt off again and turned it the right way around.
"Perhaps he would have been decent if we'd called from the service station?" Nicky offered.
"What're doing here?" Harry asked.
"Well, if you don't want us..." Jez teased him.
"No! It's great!" Harry grinned back.
"Well you've barely been texting us so we called the zoo and asked when you had time off." Nicky told him with a smile. "Thought you might need some cheering up or something and I've got the weekend and Monday off at the vets."
"So we came down to see you." Jez hugged him again. "Where's the loo?"
"Door on the right." Harry told him. "I swear this place is smaller than my dorm at college. It's just this room and that corridor to my bathroom and bedroom."
"I think it's good for you." Nicky told him once he was alone. "Gives you a new setting but I'm a little worried about you being on your own all the time."
"Ah, there's my girl." Harry grinned in amusement. "I've been too busy to worry about being alone and the people at the Zoo are really friendly. I've also gotten myself a female friend."
"Did I just hear you saying something about a girlfriend?" Jez asked as he came back into the living room. "Please don't tell me you've turned heterosexual. I don't think I can compete against you at Uni."
"She's not my girlfriend. We just get along really well." Harry grinned. "Her names Jeka. I found out she was pregnant. Had to tranq her but we get along well now."
"Tranq?" Jez mouthed the word in shock. "Wait...what is Jeka?"
Harry grinned at being caught. "A Black Panther."
Nicky shook her head as she laughed. "Only you, Harry."
"Oh, Harry." Jez asked as he and Nicky sat on his sofa while Harry made up some drinks for them. "What's with the bed of books?"
"Oh, god!" Harry groaned. "David Mitchell, my boss. He keeps firing questions at me!"
"So does my boss." Nicky raised an eyebrow at him.
"I don't know even a tenth of the answers." Harry groaned.
"Wow..." Jez laughed knowing that Harry was marginally higher in the class than them both. "That's harsh."
"Well, are we going out tonight?" Nicky asked.
"There's a restaurant down the street, we could go eat there if you'd like." Harry offered. Nicky nodded but Jez looked wounded.
"No clubs?" Jez asked.
"Clubs...no." Harry shook his head and collected their glasses before sitting to pull on his trainers. "Pubs...yes."
Jez grinned happily and Harry stood and looped an arm around his friend's waist. "I'm glad you guys came."
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
Harry had to help Jez back into his flat three hours later and let Nicky, who was always the least effected by alcohol open the door for them. Nicky sent him a winning smile. "I'll take the couch. There's no way I'm sharing a bed with him at the moment." She faked a disgusted look and Jez glared at her though he cracked up a second later.
Harry kicked the door shut with his foot. "Are you sure?" Harry asked, "Jez and I could sleep out here?"
"Ever the gentleman, Harry." Nicky laughed. Both her and Harry were a little tipsy themselves though nowhere near as drunk as Jez. "There's no point you two sharing a couch if you've got a double bed."
"Thanks, hun." Harry grinned at her before ducking forwards with Jez on his shoulder to kiss her good night. Jez hugged her and almost fell to the floor. Harry simply laughed and supported him again and pulled him to the bedroom. "I am not undressing you, Jez. You came onto me last time I had to do that."
"You're the gay one." Jez slurred.
"I know, that's the worrying part." Harry laughed and tripped over a pile of his books. He got back up and glared at a giggling Jez before he cleared the bed of more books and turned down the cover before he stripped down to his boxers and got in. He watched in amusement as Jez bounced around the room trying to get his, still buttoned up, shirt over his head. He stumbled and hit the door and a muffled complaint came from Nicky in the other room. Harry rolled his eyes and stood to help his friend. "Pathetic."
"Your fault!" Jez told him. "You brought me a drink."
"Cheap date." Harry laughed and helped Jez find the bed. Harry fell asleep almost as soon as they were both lying with the duvet over them.
The screams around Harry drilled into his brain with a clarity that he'd never forget. Smoke rose from the ground around him as small fires raged through the grass and across the dead bodies on the ground. Harry had done what he could between the moments but you simply couldn't dodge some magic. His left arm stung even after he'd frozen time to heal it but he went on regardless with Remus at his side and the Order scattered around him.
Pain welled up in his head and he fell to his knees before he could stop himself. He staggered to his feet knowing that Voldemort was close but a spell tossed him forwards and around so that he landed on the floor painfully. He winced and was about to rise when a silver streak flew over him. Harry tried to stop time but the pain in his head made him miss. He'd never hated failing more than then, when he heard Remus' shocked groan as the silver shard sunk deep into his chest.
Harry stared at him as he got to his knees over his father's last friend. His eyes were turning red as the silver ate into his body. Voldemort's dry laugh echoed in his mind and Harry's mind went blank with pain.
"Harry!" Harry gasped and shot up in bed sucking air into his lungs even as his ribs burned at the strain of his rapid breathing. His eyes locked onto Jez's and he realised Jez had shaken him out of his nightmare and was now cupping his face between his hands. "Thank god! I've been trying to wake you up for ages!"
Harry sagged back onto the bed and Jez laid down beside him and grabbed Harry's hands tightly between his own. This scene had been repeated a hundred times in their shared dorm at Uni and Jez had never once uttered a single complaint about it. "I'm sorry." Harry told him weakly. "I didn't mean to wake you."
"Oh Harry. I know you are." Jez seemed rather sober right then but Harry knew he'd still be hung over in the morning. "Come here and get some sleep."
Harry took up the offer like he always did and lay his head on Jez's chest and wrapped his right arm around his best friend's waist soaking in the comfort he so desperately needed. A comfort that nobody had offered him after Remus had died. The comfort that Ron and Hermione had not even thought to give him. He'd arrived at Uni in desperate need of that sort of care and his new roommate had seen it instantly. Jez had seen in Harry what he had once craved for after his own problems.
Harry fell asleep again quickly while Jez rubbed circles into his back.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
The next day
Harry was up before the other two as was normal. He took a shower and started on a cooked breakfast knowing that Jez would simply whine if he didn't have hot food to eat with his hangover. Nicky woke up when the smell of cooking bacon reached her and she grunted out a greeting to him before heading for the bathroom for a shower. About half an hour later she was sitting on the other side of his kitchenette counter with a glass of orange juice.
"I heard you last night." Nicky told him sadly. "Have they been getting worse?"
"That particular one hasn't come around since the beginning of the school year." Harry told her honestly.
"Want to talk about it?" Nicky asked for the hundredth time.
Harry offered her a smile. "I know you and Jez will be there when I'm ready to talk about them. Thank you."
"This is why I worry about you out here on your own." Nicky sighed.
"I need to try." Harry told her. "I can't simply rely on Jez to hold me every time I have a bad dream."
"Somehow the term 'bad dream' just doesn't seem to describe your nightmares, Harry." Jez groaned out as he stumbled into the room holding his head. Harry put a plate of hot food in front of him and he instantly perked up. "Harry, you were actually in pain last night."
"I was the last time I had that dream." Harry shrugged.
"You mentioned a name." Jez told him. Harry jerked and dropped the glass of juice he'd been about to put in front of his best friend. Jez was always honest about everything he heard from Harry in his nightmares purely so that Harry knew he wasn't hiding anything from him.
Harry ignored the broken glass for a moment. "Which name?"
"Remus." Jez told him quietly. Harry flinched again and turned his back on them. They both started eating knowing better than to crowd Harry right then. Harry busied himself with cleaning up the broken glass but when he sat between the two of them they both put an arm around him without comment.
"He was my godfather's friend and was sort of an Uncle." Harry told them quietly before biting into the bacon sandwich he'd made for himself. "He was murdered just before I turned seventeen. Just before I left the boarding school."
Jez jerked so violently his arm had to hold onto Harry to keep his balance. Nicky leant in and kissed Harry's cheek gently and Jez simply hugged Harry into his side. "He was friends with my mum and dad at school too." Harry continued, "I suppose they're all in the same place now."
"We're sorry, Harry." Jez let Harry rest his head on his shoulder and kissed his hair.
"The thing that really hurts though is that all four of them died when they were protecting me." Harry sighed and felt both his friends tense up. "I wish at least one of them hadn't."
Neither of his friends said anything and Harry knew they wouldn't. Their actions spoke louder than anything that could be said.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
Jez and Nicky spent the Sunday with Harry either shopping, relaxing or at Jez's insistence in the Zoo being introduced to Jeka. It was a good chance for Harry to relax and he really didn't know how he would have coped with that nightmare about Remus without them there. Even so they never spoke another word about it and Jez simply wrapped Harry up in his arms when they went to bed Sunday night knowing that there was a good chance it would prevent a reoccurrence.
At work that week Harry found himself that little bit more relaxed, he'd fallen into a groove at work where he knew which Keepers listened and trusted him and which were better off avoiding when necessary. He'd gotten to the point where he knew most of the larger animals by name and David, Katie and George trusted his ability and let him do a lot of the tests himself.
Harry was reclining in the sun on one of the benches that overlooked the Lion enclosure when his attention was drawn by the pride leader's behaviour. The pride at Marwell consisted of an older male, a younger male, three females and three young cubs. The younger male was kept in a separate enclosure since he was old enough to cause problems. His enclosure sided with the larger one and occasionally the older male and the younger one had brief arguments but they never got violent.
Normally Ketian, the older male, spent his time either sleeping near the three females of his pride or patrolling the enclosure fence. Right now though he was walking backwards and forwards straight across his enclosure and snarling. Harry sat up straighter at the sudden shift in behaviour and checked on Mika, the younger male, to see if it was him causing the trouble. His own behaviour was odd but he was patrolling the closer side of his enclosure almost as if he was looking for a way through to get to his mother, one of the females. But Ketian was turning his back on the younger lion so it wasn't him.
Harry stood and quickly crossed the road having to ease his way passed a boy slightly older than himself as he went passed. The brunet muttered a brief acceptance to Harry's apology that Harry barely caught as he disappeared into the crowd to the edge of the barrier trying to get an idea of what was spooking the Lions so much. They seemed to not be looking at anything in particular but they'd picked up a scent. Harry ducked under the public railing and up to the reinforced bars of the cage before circling it, making sure his park ID was obvious so no visitors got any ideas about following him.
He lifted his radio to his lips and called the big cats head keeper. "Phillip, can you get to the Lion enclosure?"
"I'm about thirty seconds away." Phillip told him.
"They're acting odd. Aggression at the expense of territory." Harry told him. He didn't get an answer so simply began working his way around the enclosure looking for something that could scare a pride of lions. Normally it was a smell, petrol sometimes did it but Harry couldn't smell anything and the lions clearly couldn't find what they were scared of. He was joined by Phillip but all they could do was watch the lions snarl and pace for a couple of minutes before they began to relax. Something had clearly spooked them but they couldn't find anything. They ran a chemical test of the air and the ground to be sure but nothing relevant was picked up.
In the end both him and Phillip gave up and signed if off as a freak occurrence.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
Harry was working with Annette in the Giraffe den, she was one of the new Keepers specialising with the African animals, and the two got along quite well. They'd been set the task of taking blood samples from two of the year old Giraffe's which meant getting the adults used to them and letting them stab needles into the two younger ones.
Harry had the samplers in his back pocket and was using everything placating gesture he could as they moved around the Giraffes. Giraffes were generally rather calm creatures and mostly silent, but the bulls would defend the young if they felt they were threatened. That held true in the wild and in captivity though in the zoo the Giraffes were used to humans and tended to ignore them.
Harry soothed the younger of the twin bulls while Annette stood at its side, watching the older bulls and females, and holding the younger one's side in case he didn't like what Harry did. Even though they were being watched by ten or so visitors Harry slipped out the sampler and gently pushed it into the young bull's neck taking what he needed before pulling it out and closing the end. He pocketed it and stroked the bull on the neck. He hadn't reacted at all to the treatment and Harry laughed when he got a lick on the face for his efforts.
Annette laughed at him and there was a spread of laughter from the visitors who had been watching everything they did. Harry pulled out a piece of wrapped up chocolate from his pocket and took off the foil before giving it to the young bull. He did the same to the other bull before he and Annette squeezed through the thick bars that separated the Giraffes from the visitors. He nearly bumped into a man as he jumped the visitors barrier and thanked the brunet when he was steadied.
"Thanks." Harry nodded to him.
"Sure." The confident tone made Harry grin.
"Harry!" Annette called. "Come on!"
Harry chuckled dryly, nodded to the polite man and jogged off after Annette into the private offices that overlooked the large hanger like pen that held the Giraffes. It had its own lab and Harry would do the basic tests on the blood here. They were only checking the basic things like immune responses and blood composition. Also traces of toxins and so on. All things that Harry could do with his eyes closed. Or not, since he needed a microscope for some of it.
"Who was that you were talking to, Harry?" Annette asked as Harry was starting the second set of tests forty-five minutes later.
"Who?" Harry frowned without looking up.
"The cute guy just then?" Annette prompted. "Brunet, tall and so hot."
"Just some visitor I suppose." Harry shrugged.
"You can't say you didn't find him hot." Annette accused.
"I didn't really pay that much attention." Harry shrugged.
"So you don't deny it?" Annette laughed at Harry's confused look. "The rumours that you're gay. People saw you with that guy on Sunday."
"If you mean Jez he isn't gay. We're just friends." Harry told her with a raised eyebrow.
"So you're gay?" Annette asked. Harry shrugged. "Damn, you've just gone and broken every girls heart in this place."
"You're strange." Harry dead-panned. She just laughed at him.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
Harry was sitting through his lunch break on his Saturday day-shift when he spied somebody that caught his eye. He was the tall brunet that had steadied him at the Giraffe enclosure the day before and now that he thought about it Harry had seen him by the Lion enclosure on Thursday too. He'd been the man that Harry had dodged passed when the Lions had begun acting strange. And now that Harry thought about it he'd been around all week, just wandering around. Harry had spotted him by Jeka's enclosure a few days ago for starters.
"Hey there." Harry greeted as he was about to walk passed.
"Oh, hi." He didn't sound as confident this time. "Do you work here?"
"I'm a college student on apprenticeship for the summer." Harry shrugged. "Just wanted to say hi. I keep seeing you around here."
"Is that strange?" He asked with a confused grin.
Harry shook his head in apology. "I don't mean offence, it's just we don't normally see people two days in a row."
The man's grin turned into a brighter one and Harry felt himself warming to him. He had shaggy light brown hair, pale blue eyes like crystal and fine tuned features. "I've been here all week. Studying animal behaviour."
"Officially?" Harry frowned. "You know we do programmes and stuff?"
"Nah." The guy laughed and Harry smiled. His laugh was crystal clear and warm and it seemed to sooth Harry. "I'm here for more personal reasons."
"Oh, I see." Harry nodded. "Fancy taking a seat?"
The guy frowned for a moment before seeming to come to a decision. Harry thought he almost saw resignation flash across his face before he nodded and sat. "Thanks."
Harry offered his hand. "Harry."
There was the slightest of pauses before the brunet reached out to take Harry's hand. "Cameron."
Harry was about to speak when their hands met. Harry gasped and saw a brief look of shock pass across his face. Sharp tingles flashed up Harry's arm forming goose bumps across his skin. Cameron quickly let go of his hand. "Sorry, must have been a static shock." Harry smiled gently and rubbed at his hand. Cameron was frowning but seemed to accept the explanation after a moment. He was obviously a rather suspicious guy.
Harry knew there was more to it though. He'd almost opened his wings at that touch but he couldn't tell if it was the feeling of freedom or for the feeling of protection they provided him.
"So, what do you do here?" Cameron asked in the sudden silence.
"I work with the park vets." Harry told him. "It's a good gig, I'm a first year student doing veterinary studies. I could introduce you to a few of the animals if you'd like." Harry was almost surprised by his invitation, he barely knew the guy.
Cameron was clearly surprised too. "Really?"
"Sure. I spend most of my day walking around anyway." Harry grinned gently. "As long as I do my work my boss won't mind."
"Uh..." Cameron almost seemed about to refuse but then nodded with a rather unsure smile on his face which didn't match his earlier confident manner. In fact that seemed to have completely vanished after that mishap with the hand shake. "Sure, why not?"
Harry nodded and rose. He was about to ask what interested Cameron the most when he heard his own name in the busy radio chatter. "Harry, do you have the time to come down to the Primate House?"
"Er, sure..." Harry frowned. "Why?"
"Choto's made good on an escape." The voice told him. "I'll meet you outside the main entrance."
"I'll be right there." Harry promised before turning to Cameron. "Sorry about this, you want to come?"
"Escaped animal?" Cameron raised his eyebrows. "Isn't that dangerous?"
"Oh yes, Choto's very dangerous." Harry laughed and saw Cameron's earlier anxiety vanish. "So, you coming?"
"Will he try to eat me?" Cameron asked.
"Nah." Harry shrugged and gestured along the path. Cameron fell in beside him though seemed to keep a small distance between them. For some reason Harry felt a stab of hurt at that. "We keep our animals pretty well fed. Normally the dangerous ones just maul people to death when they get out."
Cameron actually stumbled slightly at that remark but didn't seem to know what to think of Harry's joke. Or he was trying to work out if Harry really was joking or not. "I'm just hoping Choto isn't a Ridgeback." Cameron told him. Harry flashed him a grin before they turned the corner and the Primate House came into view. A man outside the entrance waved at Harry.
"Harry." He seemed to sigh in relief. "We haven't closed the house but we're watching the doors. A visitor said they saw him loose in the third area."
"I'll go see if I can get him." Harry nodded. "Save us bringing in a team and sedating him again."
Harry pushed open the door and led a still nervous Cameron into the building. "Again?" Cameron asked.
"Oh, Choto has a habit of opening his pen door." Harry laughed. "Personally I think he steals the keys when a Keeper goes in, unlocks the door for later, and then puts the keys away again before anybody notices."
"Wouldn't it be best to change the door to one he can't unlock?" Cameron asked clearly looking around in case Choto leapt out at him.
"And take away all his fun?" Harry faked a horrified look before they came across a family, a couple and two children. "Excuse me, you haven't happened to notice a black Chimpanzee running around have you."
"Oh, no." The man told him. "Is that normal?"
"Oh don't worry Sir, he's harmless." Harry assured them before nodding and heading away. "Choto hasn't been passed them."
"How do you know they didn't just not see him?" Cameron asked.
"Choto likes children." Harry grinned. "Maybe they taste nice?"
"Now you're just trying to wind me up." Cameron rolled his eyes. "Chimpanzee's don't eat people."
Harry grinned. "There you go spoiling all my fun. Besides I meant that he kisses them on the cheeks."
"You're horrible." Cameron laughed.
"Maybe." Harry shrugged and turned a corner and stopped abruptly. Choto was sitting on the back of one of the benches that dotted the indoor walkway that led through the enclosures. Two children were stroking him. "Choto!"
Choto looked at him in surprise and disappeared backwards behind the bench. His head came up after a moment as if to see if his hiding place had worked. "I can see you Choto." Harry laughed. "Come here."
Choto disappeared against and jumped onto a twelve year olds shoulders like a piggy back as if to say 'save me'. "Is he dangerous?" The boys' mother suddenly sounded concerned.
"Oh, he's harmless." Harry assured her with a smile. "He just doesn't like the toys in his enclosure as much as the people out here." Harry crossed the walkway and tapped Choto on the head before taking one of his meekly offered hands. Choto swung around to sit on Harry shoulders and hugged the top of his head. "You are not off the hook, young man." Harry admonished. "I'm sorry about that." Harry apologised.
"It's ok, he hasn't done anything bad." The woman assured him. "How did he get out?"
"Oh, he has his door lock worked out very well." Harry shook his head sharply since Choto was pulling at his hair. "If he was any sort of threat we'd have moved him somewhere he couldn't escape from but the only problem he causes is to me, since I'm the only one he'll listen to around here."
"Well, now that we know his name why don't you three say goodbye to Choto." The woman turned to her sons. The two younger ones grinned and bounced away from the bench. Harry pulled Choto off his shoulder but kept a hold of his hands as he put him on the floor so the two younger boys could say goodbye. "It's so nice for them to be able to actually touch the animals."
"Unfortunately a lot of the animals, even the normally gentle ones, can become aggressive when hurt. Choto will bite if somebody hurts him that he doesn't know." Harry bit his lip. "The Giraffes are very friendly though, if your older son puts one of the younger ones on his shoulders one of the Giraffes might bend down to say hello. And the Meerkats will do almost anything for a crisp and they won't bite unless you tease them."
"Thank you." The woman nodded.
"As a rule, if the animal is close enough to touch you can." Harry told her before hefting Choto back onto his shoulder. "Let's go take you for a walk. I think a check up in the vets will be punishment enough don't you, Choto?" The Chimpanzee hugged his head as if trying to soften Harry up. "Not going to work this time or any other. I fell for that once and you stole chocolate from my fridge."
The woman and older boy laughed and Harry bid them farewell before heading for the exit. He stopped for a moment for the couple and three children to show them Choto when the youngest child got excited before going out to find the Keeper from before who grinned and laughed at him.
"You want me to put him away for you?" He asked Harry.
"Nah, don't worry. I'll take him up to the lab for a while. If I don't spend some time with him he'll just escape tomorrow. You know how it works." Harry sighed.
"Good on you, Harry." The Keeper laughed and headed away in amusement.
"You seem to have a reputation." Cameron spoke up for the first time since they'd found Choto. Choto jumped around and burrowed into Harry's chest. Harry glanced at him in confusion but brushed it off as another attempt at a trick. Harry had been aware of Cameron's presence for the last ten minutes like somebody was aware of a fire in a room. Like heat beating against the back of your neck even when you couldn't see the flames.
"Yeah well. It's not all it's made out to be." Harry groaned. "I have to babysit this menace whenever he decides that his enclosure is too small for him. So far I've found him feeding the Lions chips stolen from a visitor, from a distance mind you, he isn't that courageous. I've also found him sleeping on an Elephants back, stealing food from the Pygmy Hippos and once he took a bath with the penguins."
"I see what you mean." Cameron laughed.
Harry reached the main labs and decided that since it was just him and Katie in at the moment he could get away with bringing Cameron in. Again that thought surprised him but for some reason he felt safe around Cameron, not just safe as in not worried about the person hurting you, but actually safe from the entire world. Harry dumped Choto on the lab table and Katie walked in a moment later and laughed herself into hysterics.
Harry saw that Cameron was watching her in surprised confusion like a person wondering whether singing monkeys were a normal thing. "Who's this?" Katie asked once she'd recovered from seeing Harry with Choto.
"Oh, Katie this is Cameron. He's studying animal behaviour and since this wasn't an actual task I didn't think it would be a problem." Harry left it open to her.
"No problem. Are you in one of the classes though? I didn't think there was any on this weekend." She asked him.
"No, ma'am." Cameron shook his head, looking surprisingly less sure of himself when talking to her as if waiting for her to start laughing again. "Just personal study. I've been here all week."
"Oh right." She nodded, at a loss for anything else to add. "Harry, David called an hour ago. There's a member of the board visiting next week and he wants you to show them around on Monday."
"Oh come on, Katie!" Harry groaned. "I'm supposed to be learning to treat animals, not showing some pompous idiot around the park!"
"Yeah well, the board member requested somebody with a wide range of knowledge about all the species of animals and that means a vet." Katie told him with a twinkle.
"So why do I have to show them around?" Harry countered. "You, David and George would do a better job at it."
"But it's my day off, David has the early shift and George the late which means we don't have spare time to show people around." Katie smirked at him.
"You evil, evil person." Harry mock glared at her.
"I'm sure it won't be so bad." Cameron tried.
Harry looked at him with a wounded expression. "Spending hours answering inane questions from some old windbag with too much money that really isn't interested in the answers beyond trying to sound important. Not to mention they'll treat me like some kid."
"You are a kid." Katie pointed out.
"Not helpful." Harry rolled his eyes.
"Maybe it won't be so bad." Cameron shrugged.
"Easy for you to say." Harry muttered. "Come on Choto, you're going home." Choto jumped on his back and nibbled on Harry's ear but Harry just ignored him and left the room with Cameron on his heels.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
That evening
Harry spent the afternoon going between showing his new friend around the park and doing his own jobs. When Harry finally left the park, Cameron told him he'd probably see him on Monday. Harry had told him that he'd happily show him around again and introduce him to what he could but reminded him that he'd have to look after the board member. Cameron had told him it wasn't a problem and then let Harry go with a rather amused smile on his lips.
Harry found himself lying in bed thinking about Cameron. He'd seemed like a nice enough guy and he had to agree with Annette when she'd called him hot on Friday but there was also something mystical about him that Harry couldn't shake. He didn't believe his own static-shock excuse from when they'd touched and had avoided it for the rest of the day just in case it was something to do with his magic. He'd also found himself having to open his wings as soon as he got home because they'd been itching to get out all afternoon. In the end Harry resigned himself and rolled over to set his alarm clock for four hours time at two so he could go out for a fly in the dark.
He rolled onto his front and opened his wings. In the dark they were completely black but when out in the light they took on their real dark navy colour. In his small bedroom he could only open them completely when he stood near to one wall. He couldn't open the almost ten metre wings span fully anywhere in his apartment and it really annoyed him that he hadn't stretched his wings in weeks. Being only five foot ten his wings combined were over five times his height in length and he knew that only that span and his light bone structure and toned muscles allowed him to get up into the air. It took a lot of effort to start off with until he could find a thermal current to glide up on but in Harry's opinion it was well worth it.
He fell asleep with the comfortable weight of his wings on his back.
A'Zia walked through a crowd of men slowly working their way up the temple steps to lay their offerings at the bottom of the throne. A'Zia was the only one heading up that carried nothing in his arms. The other men laboured with baskets of fruit, gemstones and even gold fragments they must have spent months collecting.
A'Zia took it all in as he travelled up the steps. Apart from his lack of offering he blended in. He was naked apart from a loincloth around his waist as were all the men there. The few women of the city below wore about the same but the children wore nothing more often than not.
A'Zia had seen bigger and smaller cities yet humans were always the same. Eager to please those more powerful than themselves and their fear of being hunted and killed meant it was easy for his own race to hide among them when the need arose.
A'Zia reached the top of the steps and stopped as he came into view of the throne. To the sides of the throne sat beautiful creatures with harsh, intelligent, eyes that roved over every human there. They were all cats of one kind or another but even such prideful predators seemed enamoured with the being on the throne. That was the one A'Zia was most interested in. His Elders had told him never to come near one but A'Zia's curiosity had gotten the better of himself.
He looked perfectly human to A'Zia except he didn't care enough to even wear a loincloth and he clearly wasn't ashamed of himself. His eyes swept through the figures around himself without a care in the world but then stopped on A'Zia. The eyes changed to a solid black in a second and he rose tall from his chair. His guardian cats rose with him.
A'Zia's eyes widened but he was too slow to dodge as the being before him dashed towards him. A'Zia spread his wings and just caught sight of a trio of stubby black horns on the beings head as he was flung clear of the temple and out into open air.
Harry almost screamed in horror as he pushed off of the bed. His wings ached to surround him and he stumbled off the bed, wrapping himself tightly in dark feathers and warmth even as he started shaking. "What the fuck was that?" He hissed through his teeth.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
Monday
Harry had slept through his alarm Saturday night but managed to get out into the sky on Sunday night to make up for it. Even so he was still not a little bit off when he arrived for his day shift on Monday. For starters he couldn't get the imprint of that naked man with the horns out of his mind, nor the sense of fear he'd felt as A'Zia, whoever that was. If he hadn't simply imagined the whole thing. All he really knew what that he'd dreamed about the Inca's and he'd been a winged being called A'Zia who he'd felt immensely connected to.
Not only that but he was now waiting on this board member and his family. He was under firm instructions to not let them out of his sight and to give them a good time since the man had made a very generous donation to the breeding programme they ran at the park.
Harry was standing just at the edge of the Penguin pool near the entrance where he'd been told to meet his tour. It was actually Cameron that he spotted first as he entered the gates and started towards him but he soon realised with a dawning sense of horror that Cameron was following an older couple and had two young girls with him.
"Oh shite." Harry hissed before biting his lower lip. His guests had arrived, the board member, his wife and three children, one of which was Cameron. He plastered a rather strained smile across his face as he stood from the wall to greet the man. "Mr Drache. My name's Harry."
"You're the vetmed student assigned to take us around today?" Drache asked.
"Yes Sir." Harry nodded. "It'll be a pleasure."
Drache was interrupted by a coughing fit from his son but Harry refused to look over. The coughing seemed to remind the man about his family though. "Of course, my name's Lonan Drache, my wife, Acete and my younger children, Cameron, Elizabeth and Sophan."
Harry greeted Acete, Elizabeth and Sophan with a winning smile but ignored Cameron because he didn't think he could look at him without setting the slightly older boy off. He seemed incredibly amused right now. "Well, Sir. There is a route we could take that includes everything or we could walk the outer ring and I'll tell you what we can sidetrack to. I believe the Hall has set up a buffet for yourself and a presentation at lunch time but if you'd like me to take Cameron, Elizabeth and Sophan to the cafe for something I don't mind."
"I think we'll take that offer." Lonan told him. He didn't really seem that interested in Harry, only what Harry was talking about. It was a level of social politeness that Harry couldn't keep up with. Harry would almost go so far as to say that the man reminded him of the way Lucius Malfoy had looked down his nose at any half-blood or muggle-born. "Let's walk and you can make suggestions. I'm sure Elizabeth and Sophan will be interested in just about everything."
Harry gestured behind him to the penguins. "We've also got three types of seals here as well. I can't point them out by name but I can tell you about them if you'd like." Sophan bounced passed him and leaned over the low barrier to look at the nearest small penguin.
"I believe that means yes." Lonan told him and gestured him towards Sophan. Clearly he wasn't fussed about hearing the explanation himself. Harry followed Sophan to the wall and Elizabeth joined him a moment later. He led the girls near to one of the gates before slipping inside. He waved briefly at one of the keepers who took one look at him and the suited man a distance away and nodded. She motioned him to one of the slightly younger ones with a nod of permission.
Harry pulled on the gloves he always kept on him and picked up the small penguin and brought him to the gate. "I don't think your father would like you touching him." Harry smiled at the girls and Cameron, who was standing behind them. He launched into a rather brief explanation of the penguins but only kept to details that the girls would be interested in. He was just finishing up when the female keeper, Annabelle, taped him on the shoulder.
"I'm just about to start a talk on the seals if they want to listen in." She offered. Harry flashed her a grateful look and nodded. He relayed the information and the girls scurried back to their father.
"Old windbag?" Cameron smirked at him. Harry felt rather betrayed though he knew he shouldn't be. "Pompous idiot?"
"What do you want from me?" Harry almost snapped before forcing a polite look across his face. "My apologies, did you have a question?"
"Oh, don't do that." Cameron snapped.
"Why not?" Harry asked as he vaulted the wall between the penguins and the seals just as Annabelle started her talk. Cameron had to walk almost five metres away before he could rush back. "So far he's treated me just like I expected."
"He's used to hired help." Cameron shrugged.
"Oh well that excuses him." Harry rolled his eyes. "Look, Cameron. I'm sorry for insulting your father but you do realise board members and their families are supposed to notify the park staff they are here."
"I did." Cameron shrugged. "They just let me walk around on my own."
"I'm park staff, Cameron. You should have told me, before I went and opened my mouth." Harry retorted.
"I didn't want you treating me like some V.I.P." Cameron shrugged. "And don't turn this against me."
"I'm sorry. We'll go back to my making an idiot of myself." Harry told him.
"Ok. I don't care what you said. I can imagine how much of a pain this would be for you." Cameron shrugged. "Besides I didn't even tell them I was talking to you in the park last week."
"Why not?" Harry asked.
"The hired help issue." Cameron gave him a devilish grin and Harry felt himself warming up again. His concerns about his dream on Saturday night simply vanished but his anxiety to fly came soaring back to him and he gave a small twitch of his shoulders that Cameron frowned at. "So, we've made friends in front of my father and everything so you can stop ignoring me now."
"I was not ignoring you." Harry defended. "I was trying to avoid looking at you so you didn't burst out into laughter."
Harry spent the day showing the five around the Zoo taking them into the pen houses where possible, or more often than not it was just the three children, if Cameron could be called a child. The parents rarely listened to his explanations and only got slightly interested when they were near the more dangerous animals who seemed to have picked something up in the air since even Jeka wouldn't calm down for Harry that day.
He took Cameron, Elizabeth and Sophan to the park cafe for fish and chips for lunch to the girls' glee but to his relief Lonan seemed pleased with his efforts for the day when they parted at the Hall in the evening so that their car could pick them up and take them back to their hotel.
He felt a small pang when he realised that the family were leaving England in the morning but Cameron's family proved one thing to Harry. He was well out of his class and Harry's dreams were simply proof that he had far too much on his plate at the moment.
He shook Lonan's hand as he parted ways with them and Cameron reached for his hand. Harry hesitated but figured he'd blown his own thoughts on the last time out of proportion and reached for his hand just as the rest of Cameron's family turned their backs on them. This time his vision seemed to flash and his arm tingles almost painfully. He had to wrench his hand away and shake the blurriness from his vision. When he'd finished he found himself being stared at by a pale and shaky Cameron.
Harry opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out as Cameron turned and fled for the car his family were piling into. Harry shook his head in a dazed sort of shock before resolving to try to forget about all of this. Cameron clearly planned to. Harry didn't know how he felt about that.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
End Chapter