Hello all,

So this is a short but meaningful chapter. I kept flipping back and forth while writing this one and I think I wrote it at least four times before I was finally happy with it. I also beta two stories, so they've taken up some of my time as well.

Thank you again for all the support, it keeps me motivated when I'm stuck on a chapter.

The next one should be up soon since I cut it from this one; there are just a few more kinks I need to work out.

I own nothing.

Chapter Sixteen

Jack slept in the next morning, exhausted from not only going to look at the house, but also looking at available shops for the apothecary with Abraxas afterwards. He finally emerged from his slumber around eleven, checking on Abraxas as he made his way to the common area. Abraxas was wrapped like a burrito in the sheets and snoring softly. Jack silently cursed that he didn't have a camera before exiting the hotel room.

He sent a patronus to Nick the night before naming a time and place for them to meet. Leaving the hotel he knew exactly where to go, he took a left down one of the streets and started walking. His eyes were constantly moving, trying to spot anything or anyone that seemed out of place. He knew he was behaving overly paranoid, but didn't give a flying fuck. After everything that had happened to him, it was a wonder he wasn't more paranoid.

He passed many boutiques and stores before arriving at the small café at the end of the street. He sat himself down at one of the cast iron tables with an umbrella overhead and waited for Nick to make an appearance. While he waited, he placed an order with one of the waitresses and was pleased when his order came back rather quickly.

It was a tap on his shoulder that caused him to look back; frowning when there was nobody there he turned his head back and jumped when he saw Nick sitting across from him.

"Merlin Nick, don't scare me like that!" He said harshly and grew angrier at the laughter that erupted from the man across from him.

"It is not my fault that your observational skills are lacking my friend." He said in his familiar French drawl, his accent falling heavily on the longer words.

Jack snorted. "I'm not lacking, you're just childish."

"Me? Childish? Never." He said giving him a wide grin. "So are you enjoying your stay here in my country?"

"It's wonderful as always. We found a house and a space for the apothecary we discussed." Jack said taking a sip of his coffee as a waitress came by and took Nick's order.

"Did you now? Where are they located?"

"The house is in Muggle Paris, out in the country. The space for the apothecary is ironically on the corner of Flamel Street in Magical Paris." He said in amusement as the man across from him shot him a wolfish grin while stroking his dark brown beard.

"Is the space big enough for what we discussed?"

Jack nodded. "It has a front room that could hold thousands of ingredients or potions and a back room to make everything we talked about. There is also a small office that could be used for research or to keep files in. If you want, we could go see it now."

"That won't be necessary, I trust your judgment. Just tell me how much I owe for my portion of the building. I already found a reliable ingredients distributor and I have a few trusted friends who would be happy to work in the shop. So that is all taken care of, what I need to know is how big of a role your friend will be playing into this business." Nick asked seriously before thanking the waitress who set a cup of coffee down in front of him.

"He still wants what I've told you in our correspondence over the last few months. He would like to have a share in the apothecary, making him a silent partner of sorts, and he would help with the business aspect of the shop if he should choose to do so." Jack replied with conviction.

Nick took a sip of coffee before speaking. "And why is he doing this again? Since we made a vow, I know you haven't been able to tell him what we'll be doing together and everything else I've told you."

"He's doing this because I asked him to. We are like brothers and after what happened to my parents, he trusts that I'm making the right decision by starting a partnership with you." Jack said truthfully.

"You must be close if he agreed to come down here without really any information. What is in this deal for him, besides working with us on occasion?" He pressed on.

Jack ran a hand through his hair. "Protection. If Death Eaters come after him, we both want there to be a place for him to escape to. That's why we agreed that we both wouldn't put our real names on the paperwork."

"They haven't come after him already? The Malfoy's are a very wealthy family and I'm surprised that they haven't tried to recruit him." He said frankly.

"So am I, but I don't doubt that they will come for him sooner or later." Jack said gravely.

"And what will you do when that happens?"

"I'll support him no matter what."

Nick's eyebrows rose. "After they killed your parents, you would support him if he joined?"

"If he joined it wouldn't be of his own volition. If they threatened his friends or family, he wouldn't call their bluff like I did." He said rubbing the stubble on his jaw.

It had been a cold day in January that he was approached by two hooded Death Eaters. They told him that if he didn't join that he would suffer the consequences. He basically told them to fuck off and leave him the hell alone. They told him that his friends and family would pay for his rejection. He reported the incident to the Aurors, thinking that they would be able to track down the two men, and erased his address from every possible source along with putting a fidelius charm over his home. He warned his family, including Abraxas, and thought that they would be safe.

He was wrong.

Two weeks later, his parents were murdered in a Muggle alleyway. The Aurors informed him that they must have been walking out of a restaurant and then murdered by at least two muggles. To Jack the evidence just didn't add up. Gunshot wounds supposedly caused their deaths, but the locations of the bullets were in no way considered fatal injuries. Jack also knew that Muggle guns were very loud, so he had to wonder why someone found them three hours after they were killed rather than a few minutes. Then there was the fact that his parents were adept at spells, they could have both taken down a few Muggles.

When he questioned the authorities, they told him that the case was closed and that they were sorry for his loss, but he needed to move on with his life. Jack knew that there was something wrong with the Ministry if they really thought that his parent's death wasn't the least bit suspicious. His suspicions were confirmed when he got an owl two days after their passing and the words 'you sealed their fate' were written on the unmarked letter he received. His stomach lurched when he realized what that meant and fell into a horrible depression.

He knew that if he could do it all over again with the knowledge he had now, that he would have joined them for the sake of keeping is parents alive. If Abraxas were to be threatened in a similar fashion, he would accept whatever decision he made. Caelum and Lydia were like second parents to him and he didn't want them murdered as well, so he would trust Abraxas if he was forced into servitude.

A hand on his upper arm severed him from his thoughts. He shook his head to push away the unwelcome memories and focused on the man in front of him who was giving him a sad smile.

"I'm sorry to have brought up the subject. I know it still pains you, so let's speak of something else. How about we meet for dinner tomorrow?" Nick asked politely.

"Sure, there's a nice restaurant in the same hotel I stayed at the last time I was vising here. Meet around seven?" Jack offered and thanked the busboy as he rid them of their finished drinks.

Nick nodded in agreement. "Seven it is."

Abraxas woke up and after dressing for the day, noticed that it was again silent in the hotel room. He walked over to the door that led to Jack's room to see that the bed was made and it didn't appear that he was in the room at all. He either had to be out getting them breakfast or meeting with the mysterious Nick person they came down here to see.

But why would he go see him, if the whole reason for me coming down here was to meet the man? He mused silently as he leaned against the couch.

He must have slept later than he thought, because he heard a key turning in the door. He stood up straight from his place in front of the couch and watched his friend enter the room.

"Morning sunshine, I brought you breakfast." He greeted as he held up his hands, coffee in one and a white bag in the other.

"Where have you been?" He asked while eyeing the food hungrily.

"I went to meet Nick to make plans for us all to get together and picked you up some food." Jack said while walking forward to hand Abraxas his food.

"Thanks, but why did you go meet Nick?" He asked while taking his food over to sit on the couch.

"I went to see him to make arrangements for us to meet tomorrow." Jack said taking his seat on the opposite end of the couch, watching Abraxas stuff his face.

Abraxas swallowed his bite of scone. "When and where are we meeting him?"

"Tomorrow at seven in the restaurant downstairs."

"So will I finally be let in on whatever it is the three of us will be doing together?" He asked trying to keep the annoyance out of his voice. His irritation rooting from the thousands of times he and Jack discussed Nick, but never went into detail about why this was such a good opportunity for them both.

"That's his decision to make, though I'm sure he will. You'll just have to make a vow with him first." Jack said with a small shrug, trying to downplay the seriousness of the situation.

"A vow, as in an Unbreakable Vow? How are we going to do that in front of all the muggles downstairs?" He asked after finishing off his breakfast and vanishing it from sight.

"I don't know, we'll just have to play everything by ear."

"Lovely." Abraxas said sarcastically as he silently wondered how dinner would go.

Hermione had survived day two after Abraxas and Jack left for France. The time went by slowly since she was making good on her promise to Abraxas not to leave the house unless absolutely necessary or with an escort. She had slowly gone back into the pattern she had before Abraxas invaded her life.

Wake up.

Eat.

Exercise.

Read.

Eat.

Sleep.

Well, she tried to sleep. When she didn't have gray eyes plaguing her dreams, she had nightmares. Nightmares that caused her to wake up drenched in sweat and that took hours to calm down from. She didn't know why they were coming back, but she knew it had something to do with her newfound alone time. She had never really appreciated what Harry and Draco did for her when she had nightmares until now.

She received messages from Abraxas via their shared galleons at night. They bid each other a good night and she fell asleep soon after. Minerva and Dumbledore both sent her owls. Minerva asking how she was doing and wanting to know how her relationship with Abraxas was fairing. Dumbledore told her that he was getting closer to finding a way to get her home and hoped she was enjoying her stay. The thought of her returning to her own time caused mixed emotions within her.

She had a life back in her time. She had friends and family that she loved. Her being in this time was an accident. She didn't belong here.

When or if she had to go back, it would be with a heavy heart. She knew she was falling hard for Abraxas and it would hurt her when she had to leave.

It would hurt Hermione an incredible amount.

The next evening found Jack and Abraxas waiting for the arrival of Nick at the restaurant downstairs in the hotel.

Abraxas didn't know what to expect tonight at dinner. Jack was very hard pressed when he even mentioned the man. It was like trying to pull information out of an Unspeakable. Jack only told him that tonight would be the night that Nick decided whether or not he would be included in whatever they would be doing together in the future.

He fiddled with the galleon in his pocket as he sat next to Jack. It had become a recent habit of his since Hermione gave it to him the day he left. Somehow he felt closer to her just by touching it.

"Would you cut that out?" He heard Jack say from his seat next to him as he turned his head to see him scowling.

He chuckled. "Am I bothering you?"

"As a matter of fact you are. Stop messing with that insipid galleon in your pocket. I have no idea what sentimental value it holds for you, but it's bloody annoying when you fuss with it." He said harshly.

"Yes, Mummy." Abraxas said cheekily and laughed at the growl he heard erupt from Jack's throat.

"You're such a …" Jack started to say but was cut off when a man in a classy navy suit approached the table.

"Hello Jack." The brown haired man said amusedly, seeming to know what they were doing earlier.

This must be the famous Nick. Abraxas mused silently as he viewed him with an appraising eye. The man had to be in his mid thirties, he bore a small brown beard that matched both his short hair and eyes. He was taller than both them and was now giving them a wide smile.

The two men both rose from their respective places to greet him. Stepping out of their chairs and pushing them back in to be courteous.

"Hello Nick, this is Abraxas." Jack said shaking his friend's hand and introducing him to his brother. "Abraxas this is Nick." He said repeating the polite gesture.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Nick." Abraxas said shaking the man's hand firmly.

"Likewise." Nick said still smiling at the pair of them.

The rest of dinner was remnant of a job interview. Everything that came out of Nick's mouth was a question for Abraxas. When they weren't ordering or eating, Nick was asking him a countless amount of questions.

How were your grades in school?

Tell me why you're interested in working with me?

What are your goals for the future?

What is your greatest strength?

What is your greatest weakness?

How much experience with Potions do you have?

If you could be an animal what would it be and why?

Are you easily to get along with?

What's your favorite color?

If you had to describe yourself in one word, what would it be and why?

What's your favorite curse word?

It went on like that long after they finished their meal and got the ticket. Abraxas was beginning to grow impatient and could tell that Jack was inwardly laughing at his situation just by the small glances he snuck at him. His face screamed well-hidden amusement.

It was Nick's next question that finally snapped the last string of Abraxas' patience.

"Abraxas, how good are you at keeping secret?" Nick asked curiously, stroking his short beard.

"I'm a Slytherin, keeping secrets is practically in the house description." Abraxas answered coolly, willing himself not to pull out his wand and club the man to death. IF I COULDN'T KEEP A SECRET THEN I WOULDN'T BE HERE YOU WANKER!

"Do you know Occumulency?"

Abraxas felt his eye twitch at yet another question. "Yes, my father taught me a few years ago."

"So you're willing to keep a secret?"

THAT'S IT!

Abraxas took a deep breath before answering as calm as he could manage. "Not to be rude, but I wouldn't be here if I wasn't. I know there is something that you and Jack are not telling me and whatever it is, you can trust me to keep quiet. I would never do anything to betray your trust or jeopardize the opportunity you are giving Jack and hopefully me. So would you please just decide already if you are going to let me in or not?" He replied bitterly, ignoring the glare that Jack was giving him.

What he was not expecting was the man across from him to chuckle. Oh Merlin, if he asks another question I'm going to end up in the Muggle police station.

"I like him." He said to Jack. Abraxas felt himself relax when it wasn't another question.

Jack sighed in relief and snorted at the situation. "I knew you would."

Nick turned his gaze to Abraxas and again chuckled at his obvious confusion. "Abraxas I decided before I came here tonight that I would let you in on the secret. I just wanted to see how much you would answer before you lost it. I have to say that you lasted far longer than Jack." He said as Jack mumbled something under his breath, but before Abraxas could ask why, Nick rose from the table.

"Let's go to up to your room. There are things we need to do before I tell you what you've signed up for."

"So let me get this straight." Abraxas said running both hands through his hair, in denial at what he had just been told. "You're Nicholas Flamel." He asked, pointing to the man sitting across from him, who was now wearing a look of smug amusement.

He nodded. "I am."

"And you want us to work with you on some of your potions projects? That's why Jack is moving out here and I am investing in this so-called business?" He asked in disbelief.

"Yes."

"Abraxas…" Jack started to say, but was cut off.

"This is madness." Abraxas exclaimed, standing up from the couch to pace around the room like a caged dragon. He couldn't believe what he had been told, but if his best friend and Nick were lying to him then he wouldn't have had to make so many promises of silence.

"Abraxas, what he's saying is true." Jack said from his place next to Nick as he watched the man he considered a brother walk about the room clearly needing to make sense of what he had just been let in on.

"That doesn't make it any easier to absorb Jack. He's suppose to be a myth like The Deathly Hallows in The Tales of Beedle the Bard or The Chamber of Secrets at Hogwarts. Now you're telling me that the man who supposedly made The Philosopher's stone, is sitting in our hotel room?" He asked Jack in complete astonishment. Not to mention I had thoughts of killing the man several times throughout dinner.

"In my defense, I didn't supposedly make anything. I did make the stone and I am not a myth. I know you must be shocked, believe me I can understand why, but please sit back down so we can have a civilized conversation." Nick said pointing to the vacant spot in front of him.

Abraxas did as he was asked and then the three men spent the rest of the night talking about anything and everything related to Nicholas Flamel.

A shout out to all who guessed right a couple of chapters ago, you know who you are and I was so impressed to the few who caught on so early.

Oh now what does Nicholas Flamel mean to this story? (Grinning like a lunatic)

Please Review!