The Protector
Harry Potter and Final Fantasy VIII Crossover.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything! Not HP or Final Fantasy VIII. if I did Ginny (scary-obssession) and Rinoa (Whinny-perky-princess) would have died a death before they existed.
Summary: Squall meets a strange boy while out training, forming a connection with him. It's a friendship that will turn the tide of war and a love that changes the world. HPxSL. Lion Pair!
Note: Harry is the GF Fallen Mage. A non-elemental based offensive attack and provides protection for the caster(s). Known to KO enermies, he also grants the use of 3rd level magics to his user with the said user not having to have the magic in stock. Eg. Use Firaga even if user doesn't have it in their magic stock.
Note 2: Thank you for all the reviews! I thought that no one would like the idea but I was pleasantly surpirsed. Oh, an if anyone can give the name of the site that has the storyline of FFVIII I would be grateful. I haven't played the game in years and I want to be as accurate as possible.
Note 3: Last one! I hope you like how I made Harry interact with Squall. They are both a little OC, I think but not badly. It's a cross between a friend and something more. Squall interests Harry, an undefined pull. Squall sees Harry for who is is and is curious about him. That interest grows. Squall doesn't pry and Harry doesn't push.
Warnings: Rinoa bashing, slightQuistisbashing, Boys on boys, kissing, making out. Maybe even (gasp!) sex. Swearing. Power plays. My crazy ideas...
Pairings: HarryxSquall, SelphiexIrvine, ZellxLibrary Girl, slight Irvine-being-a-manwhore-and-flirting-with-Harry...
Chapter 1
Ice Prince and the Mage Prodigy.
Harry smiled as he entered his dorm room. It was small and had the basic bed, wardrobe and bathroom. All in white, which made Harry wince slightly.
"Well, I'll leave you here. Class start tomorrow and can be found on the 2nd floor. You know your way around the Garden right, or do I need to get a guide?" the girl behind Harry asked. Harry whipped around, he had forgotten about his guide. The guide who was all but glaring at him. Harry smirked inwardly.
The girl was a brunette, with long hair and a cold expression. She was a SEED candidate, from he had gathered and had been asked by Cid to bring him to his rooms. She was not thrilled by it and tried to hide it behind her expressionless facade. Harry had to suppress a snort. Tried being the keyword. From what Harry could gather was that an instructor had let slip his scores and that a thirteen year old was skilled enough to become SEED burned the candidates.
"Nope!" Harry replied with a large smile and shinning eyes, "I'm good! Thank you!"
She was shocked momentarily and her facade dropped. 'Amateur,' Harry thought behind his sunny disposition mask, 'but it's on so much fun playing with their minds!'
Pulling herself together, the girl nodded stiffly and left. Harry chuckled inwardly and returned his attention to his room. The white would not do! It reminded him too much of the Infirmary.
'I'll just have to change this,' Harry thought to himself as he locked his room door and sent out a subtle wave of magic to check for cameras and bugs in his room. Call him paranoid but better be safe than sorry...
Finding none, he dropped his two bags and backpack onto the floor. with a simple wave of his hand, Harry sent his cloths into the correct places, his bed was remade with his red sheets and two posters were hung on the wall. The one poster was a collage of all the known GFs and the other of a Japanese Ninja with twin Katanas, much like Harry's weapons.
Once he was done, Harry checked his new room and frowned slight. There was still too much white but he couldn't change anything else without getting in trouble. Smirking, he got an idea. He conjured several posters of the night sky and stuck them on the ceiling, till most of it was covered. Subtly, he changed the walls to a light cream, anything but white!
'I love magic,' Harry thought with a smirk. 'Much better. Now, I think I'm going to go and surprise Squall!'
And he skipped out of his room, locking it behind him. The more people underestimated him, the better. Oh, how he would love messing with people's minds...
Squall was having a bad day. People in general were being more noisy than normal and Seifer was being more of an ass. He threw a hissy fit when he saw Squall's new weapon of choice and declared there was no way that a half-rate swordsman like him would be able to wield a gunblade. Seifer then went and got himself one just to spite Squall and throw out the challenge of who the better gunblade specialist would be.
The blond had been grating his nerves for a week but had upped his insults that day. His instructor had picked on his fighting style and he had to master his magic theory in a week for a revision test. Not to mention term exams were coming up soon...
Squall pinched the bridge of his nose and frowned. He was getting a migraine from all the gossip about the new students whom were joining the Garden. It was unusual a most students waited until the next year, but few would join immediately if they had enough knowledge.
Then there were the rumors of a prodigy that had aced all the tests and was practically at SEED level. But the student had chosen to enter a lower grade, saying he would rather fill the gaps in his knowledge and didn't want to be mercenary just yet. Alot of the SEED candidates were angry over the new student's results, saying it was a setup and that there was no way he could have achieved those results.
Squall ignored it all as he made his way to the cafeteria to get something to eat. He had spent his spare time in the training centre, near the entrance. He had learnt his lesson about wandering where he knew there were strong monsters that he couldn't handle. He winced at the thought of what Mrs. Mage would do to him if she found out he ran into another T-rex...
Squall grabbed a simple toasted sandwhich and chips and sat at a free table. No one dared to sit at his table. He was the Ice Prince, as the gossip called him, a student with immense potential and skill but a cold personality. He had no friends and didn't talk much. And he would glare at you so coldly that it makes your heart freeze, if you talked to him.
Harry walked through the corridors of the Garden, still staring at it. He just couldn't get over how different it was from Hogwarts. He ignored the looks and whispers that followed him. He was used to that and now it would be no exception. Harry just shrugged it off.
His search for Squall had so far, ended in failure, causing him to pout slightly. Squall wasn't in his room nor was he in class. Harry had also checked the library and the infirmary just in case. He had also ran through the training centre only to find nothing. There was only one place left to check and Harry prayed he was there. And, he was getting hungry.
That is how Harry found himself in the cafeteria with a tray of food and staring at one Squall whom sat alone. 'Heh,' Harry thought to himself, 'no wonder no one sits by him considering the icy leave-me-alone aura he has.'
Smiling, Harry walked over and sat down opposite the grey-eyed boy. Squall looked up in shock that someone approached him and stared at the apparent apparition.
"Harry?" he asked. The cafeteria's attention was now focussed on them as everyone else held their breath.
"Surprise!" Harry said with his brightest smile. Squall looked at him dumbfounded.
"What are you doing here?" Squall asked, still confused.
"Well," Harry said as he took a bite out of his burger, "I got permission to take the entrance exams for the Garden and I passed them! In fact, I'm in the same year as you! Isn't that awesome!"
Squall said nothing as he raised an eyebrow, "Your mother allowed you to come here, and during the middle of the year?" he asked, disbelieving. "We are talking about the same, hard as nails woman that took down a T-rex with only magic in matter on minutes?"
Harry gave him a cheeky smile, "I did have help convincing her. But yup, I'm now a student of Balamb Garden!"
Squall sighed and gave Harry a piercing look. He mentally winced as he realised something. Something so obvious if you knew Harry. He sighed again and asked tiredly, "You're the supposed prodigy student whose fighting skills are almost on par with SEED candidates and turned down the offer and entered a lower grade, aren't you?"
Harry shrugged as he took another bite, "Meh. I may be good at the fighting stuff but I do want want to learn my other subjects properly. And I would be bored! I just want to be a normal student but then the Headmaster offered to me in the same year as you! So I chose that," Harry said offhandedly. He paused and large green eyes stared at Squall, "You're not mad, are you? That we are in the same year?"
Squall chuckled lightly, shocking a good portion of the students, "No." But the smile he gave Harry said it all.
'I'm glad you did.'
By the end of the day the rumour mill was working overtime. The Ice Prince and the supposed Prodigy knew each other and were friends. Some were saying they were long lost brothers or step-brothers. Never mind they looked nothing alike and that Squall was an orphan and that Harry was the son of Mr and Mrs. Mage.
Others were saying that Harry was being blackmailed, or vice versa into being friends with the ice man. Or that Harry wasn't a prodigy. But personally, the crazier ones flying around were things that Squall had tried desperately not to let the younger boy hear.
Harry's personal favourite was that the rumour going around that he and Squall were promised to each other by their parents and would be engaged when he, Harry, turned sixteen...
He laughed for a whole ten minutes in the face of the girl who asked him if it was true. Squall had stared in a shocked silence before glaring at the girl. Squall also buried his face into his hands as Harry kept laughing, even after the girl burst into tears from the laughter and the glaring.
But all the same, it became a common sight to see Squall Leonheart and Harry Mage walk around the Garden together. Their skills matched up quite nicely and it was now a regular sight to see Squall Leonheart talking and chuckling softly. Though he still glared at you if you weren't one Harry Mage. Then again, they were best friend afterall...
Over the years, the two were left to their own devices. Harry had earned the nickname of 'Mage Prodigy' not only for his surname but his amazing skills at magic and GFs. He was truly a prodigy as he often mastered techniques and knowledge faster than the instructors could teach. They usually left him alone to do as he pleased in lessons when he got bored.
Squall, on the other hand, flourished with his friendship with the younger boy. He was more dedicated and motivated in his work. With Harry's help, Squall quickly rose in the rankings to second place, behind Harry. It seemed that the younger boy was dragging out the potential hidden within Squall at a faster rate than the instructors cold, and slowly Squall was evolving into a fighter to be wary of.
And return, Harry found someone he could trust. Someone who didn't pry and simply accepted that some things were too painful to mention. That it takes time. An slowly the trust was building between the two of them. Squall had all the time and patience for his best friend to come to him.
But walking through the Garden, everyone ignored the odd pair. Where Squall was ice and had cold fury, Harry was fire. He had a vicious temper and wicked tongue. Harry wasn't a chatterbox persay, but there was a challenging fire in his eyes. He gave as good as he got, whereas Squall would glare the said person into submission.
Another fact that was well-known over the years, was that Seifer hated Harry's guts. He went out of his way to torment the boy, and Harry often lashed back with his temper. Strangely enough, it was Squall whom mediated. Before Harry he would have been the one fighting, but having to look out for the younger boy, he had matured in a way no one else could have guessed.
Cid often thought it was a miracle that the lone wolf made a friend on his own, and by extension, gained a family. Squall himself often suppressed his smiled when he thought about it. The Mages had pretty much adopted him, taking him and Harry away during every vacation block. They travelled, seeing the world and spending time together.
Squall smiled lightly to himself as he watched Harry sleep against the desk in the library. They were preparing for exams and Harry had fallen asleep. Not due to boredom but exhaustion. He was up late the whole week training in the final level of magic.
Shrugging off his leather jacket, the sixteen year old covered his best friend and returned to his book. Over these last few years, he had changed due to the emerald eyed Mage. And Squall couldn't help but think it was for the better. He found a best friend and a family, albeit a strange family.
Harry came from a small village that produced fighters of an extremely high calibre, particularly in the magic field. He had met a few of them over the years. Another strange thing was that all of them, except Harry, had been named after GFs. Shiva, as she insisted he call her as Mrs. Mage made her sound old, said it was because everyone was renamed after their sixteenth birthday in accordance to what their best magic proficiency was.
It had been a surprise when on his birthday, Squall recieved a present with a formal letter from the family. The present had been the new leather jacket that was currently draped over Harry and the Lion ring on his chain.
Griever. He had been named Griever, the non-elemental Lion, the protector. And Squall liked to think he was Harry's protector.
Because Harry had wormed his way into Squall's frozen heart. Squall knew that he was firmly wrapped around Harry's little finger. He would do anything to protect the younger Mage and he hated seeing him cry. Or in pain. Or just upset in general.
He was so whipped. Squall sighed but smiled all the same at the thought. He went back to studying. Unlike his friend, he wasn't a genius or prodigy.
Harry smiled as he waited for Squall to join him for lunch. He had long since stopped going to magic lessons as he had mastered magic quite thoroughly. Cid had given him the permission and Harry had opted he be given an apprenticeship of sorts under the doctor in the clinic. So most of his spare time was spent learning how to heal people. Harry had wanted be become a Healer after the war, but he couldn't. So why not now?
Speaking of the grey-eyed , well, man, Harry had to supress a blush. Squall had grown alot over the last few years, and now was a handsome eighteen year old. Though, and Harry pouted here, he still didn't know what Squall's inclination was. Sqall just never showed an interest in anyone, save Harry.
Harry smiled to himself as he stocked the medical cabinet. Squall was his closest friend and sole companion in the Garden. In fact, he was often called Leonheart Jnr, even though they looked nothing alike. And he hoped that Squall didn't see him only as a little brother, because there were feelings building inside Harry that he just couldn't place right now.
Squall had grown and was just over six feet, towering over Harry's more petite frame of 5'6. He had straight dark brown hair that hung in his stormy grey eyes. Eyes that always caught Harry's attention. You could always tell what Squall felt by staring into those eyes. And there was something there that made Harry's knees just slightly weaker and blush faintly.
Harry, on the other hand, had grown out his black hair and added fire red streaks. His hair reached his shoulder blades and was always in a braid, with pieces hanging out. His green eyes though, and this he was told by many admirers (that Squall later scared off) were mesmerising. Enchanting. Like jewels... Harry snorted. He had Killing Curse eyes. That terrifying green.
Harry was pulled out of his thoughts as the doors to the clinic were pushed open in a hurry and Squall stumbled in. His hand was pressed firmly against his forehead, blood seeping passed the leather. Harry took one look at Squall and then at Seifer's figure stumbling in behind him, put two and two together and called for the Doctor.
Harry immediately guided Squall to a bed and Seifer to the other one. The Doctor came rushing in and took one look at the two and sighed. He went to Seifer, telling Harry to clean Squall's wound while he dealt with the blond. He wasn't an idiot to let Harry heal Seifer as their hatred was as infamous as Squall and Seifer's rivalry.
Harry merely nodded as he rushed to Squall side. Squall's eyes were clenched in pain and Harry could sense that magic had been used on the wound after it happened. A fire spell. He bit back a growl.
Sighing, Harry grabbed the cloth and the bowl of water from the counter and sat down on Squall's bed. With on hand, Harry dipped the cloth in the water. The other hand brushed Squall's hair away from his eyes, soothingly.
"Squall," he said softly, "Squall, I need to clean the wound before I can heal it. You have to move your hand."
Squall groaned but opened his eyes. Grey eyes stared at green and for a moment Harry couldn't breath.
"Harry?" Squall asked, slightly confused. Harry's eyes narrowed slightly. 'He probably has a concussion as well,' Harry thought.
"You were training with Seifer again due to Instructor Trepe's ineptitude to see that you two both end up in the clinic every damn time. Now move you hand so I can heal you," Harry said, his tone had a hard edge, causing Squall to wince.
Squall pulled his hand away and Harry sighed at the wound. it would probably scar. Gently, the total opposite to his tone of voice, Harry cleaned the wound.
"I'm sorry, but I couldn't back down," Squall said quietly as Harry worked. Harry's eyes hardened to jade chips.
"And why's that?" Harry spat out as he reached for the bottle of disinfectant, "A battle with words in one thing but one with swords and actually wounding each other, is another bloody thing! This is going to scar, Squall."
Without warning, Harry pressed the cloth against the wound and Squall hissed at the sting of the disinfectant.
Sighing, Squall reached up and gently grabbed the hand holding the cloth and pulled it away from his head. "I'm sorry I make you worry like this, Harry," Squall said softly, grey eyes staring at green. Harry's eyes softened and he pulled his hand from Squalls.
"Stay still," Harry said softly, "I'm going to heal you."
Squall lay still, but his head was still facing Harry. Harry smiled slightly as he placed a hand gently on the raw wound. Squall closed his eyes as he felt the Curaga be directed to his wound. The pain faded, along with the remains of his migraine.
"Done," Harry finally said as he removed his hand and Squall opened his eyes. Nodding, Harry gathered the used supplies and stood to move away from the bed.
Squall sat up and grabbed Harry's arm to stop him from leaving. "Lie down, Squall! I have just healed you but you have yet to fully recovered from your concussion," Harry said quickly, as he guided the dizzy Squall back down.
"Sorry, but I need you to promise me something," Squall said quickly, eyes boring into Harry's.
"What?" Harry asked, eyes narrowing.
"Promise me you will never be alone with the blond bastard if you can," Squall said quietly, eyes never leaving Harry.
Harry stared at the brunette, confused. "Okay, but why?"
Squall closed his eyes and breathed out harshly through his nose, "He was saying things, Harry, of what he would do to you if he had you alone."
Harry glared at his best friend when he said this, "I can handle myself in a fight, Squall or do I need to remind you?" Harry said harshly.
"It wasn't about you two fighting, Harry," Squall said seriously as he grabbed Harry's hand, "Seifer wants you, as in a sexual way, Harry."
Harry stared at Squall, shocked. It must have been quite bad for Squall to go into 'Protector-mode'. Harry paled at the thought of being with the blond. Harry nodded and moved away from Squall with the used supplies.
"Get some sleep, Squall. I'll wake you in half an hour," Harry told him when he returned to Squall's bedside. Sitting down, Harry added softly, "I'll be right here."
Squall slept, hidden in dreams that seemed so real. He was with Harry and they were having lunch in Balamb. Something so normal, so innocent yet Squall felt the rush of happiness bubble in his chest. He could only watch as Harry laughed at something inane, bright eyes dancing in the light.
Squall knew it was a dream, but for some reason he couldn't being himself to care. He was content to live in this dream...
"Squall!" the dream Harry raised his voice, pulling Squall out of his thoughts. Harry pouted slightly and Squall smiled, "I'm sorry. What were you saying?"
Harry glared at him for all of two seconds, "I was saying that you were an idiot for letting Seifer trick you like that! Even if your scar is hot."
Harry blushed as he realised what he said. He dropped his gaze to the table and fiddled with his straw in his drink.
Squall chuckled quietly, he deep voice washing over them. "I already apologised for worrying you,," Squall said quietly. Harrys till refused to raise his head, preferring to hide behind his dark hair.
Squall gave into temptation as he reached across the table and threaded his bare hand into the mass of black and red silk.
The hand gently slipped down to Harry's cheek and under his chin. As if handling glass, Squall lifted Harry's gaze to meet his. The younger boy had a delicate blush across his cheeks and nose.
It made Squall want to... want to... Grey eyes stared at pink lips. He wanted to... taste...
"Squall! Wake up!" Squall was violently awoke from his dream by an irate Harry. As Squall opened his eyes and winced at the brightness. Harry huffed.
"Well," he said, "I would be more gentle but you wouldn't wake up."
Squall nodded as he made a move to sit up. Harry sighed and helped him sit up. Handing him a glass of water, Harry added, "I'm still mad at you. You're an idiot for letting Seifer trick you like that!"
Squall froze as the wors from his dream came back to him. As those feelings came back to him.
"Even if the scar kind of suits you," Harry finished as Squall looked at him dazed. Squall was truck with the unexplainable urge to...to...to do what exactly? And why with Harry? Why with the one person he swore to protect no matter what.
"Squall?" Harry said softly, worry colouring his tone as he looked at Squall in a daze. "Squall? Are you okay?"
Receiving no response, Harry shifted so he sat next to Squall. He fretted as he touched the older boy's forehead, partly to get his attention and partly to check if he had a fever as a side effect of the earlier healing with magic.
Felling the soft touch, Squall jerked out of his musing and was stuck in endless green. The worry that swirled in them punched Squall in the gut. He made the younger boy worry about him again, it seemed.
Squall smiled softly and gently pulled Harry's hand from his face. Though he didn't let go of the hand.
"I'm okay, Harry," he said. Seeing Harry's disbelieving expression, he added, "Really. I was just remembering dream I had."
Though he eyes told Harry the truth, 'Please don't worry about me. I'm fine I swear.'
Before Harry could say another word he was interrupted by a person cleaning their throat. The pair turned their heads to see a glaring Instructor Trepe. Squall and Harry sighed in unison, not realising how compromising their position looked to an outsider.
Harry was almost on Squall's lap, he small frame being protected by Squall's larger frame and aura. One of his hands was clasped in Squall's larger ones and the other hand was clutching at Squall's jacket, unconsciously. Squall's deathglare was not helping matters as Trepe's glare dropped a few degrees in temperature.
"It's either you or Seifer that end up here," she said with a sigh, ignoring Harry completely as she approchedcthe bed.
Harry snorted, earning him a glare from the blond, "Well, maybe you have figured out that it's a bad idea to pair the two of them up. Neither listens as they know how to rile each other up to the point of injury." Harry said pointedly.
Trepe ignored the slight from a the younger boy. It was an insult, really, to have him in her class. She became a SEED at sixteen and was considered a prodigy because of it. She was the one everyone had high expectations of. Then along came the brat and he could have became a SEED at thirteen. But instead, he insults what everyone in the Garden is working for and merely enters a lower grade of work. He slacks off in class because he already knows or he pays attention and humiliates the instructor with his innate knowledge.
But no one could say anything about it because he had sheer skill and talent, coupled with unexplained experience that put most people to shame. That, and the brat was close to one of the most talented yet cold students in the Garden: Squall Leonheart. One person she had her eye on; a student she had so desperately to understand and train. But no, everyone said that Squall had bloomed into his skill at an early age, before he entered her class, due to the brat's influence.
"Please follow me, Squall," Quistis said to the older boy, "I have some things to discuss with you."
Squall nodded before looking at Harry. He squeezed Harry's hand before letting go. "I'll see you in the dorms?"
Harry nodded as he stood up from the bed, "Take in easy. I've healed you up but magic can't cure everything in an instant."
Squall nodded as he stood up. With one last smile, he left. Harry sighed and sat down on the bed.
"On the bright side of this whole mess is that we get to take the practical together and you don't have you worry about Trepe jumping you while I'm there," Harry said with a grin as he watched Squall get ready from the doorway.
"She would jump me regardless," Squall replied without missing a beat as he checked his junctions, "And she hates you for some reason, so she is more than likely to fail you."
Harry snorted, "Please. I don't want to boast but could someone who is getting full marks in the subject fail. Headmaster Cid would look into it if I appealed."
Squall said nothing but shot Harry an exasperated look and ruffled his hair on the way out. Harry followed, pouting as per usual.
Despite what Harry said and did, Squall had discovered some time ago that Harry had his own demons. Just like Squall had told him about the vague memories of an orphanage and Sis, Harry had shared his childhood of abuse and neglect. Of bloodshed and war-like condition. Of killing people or being killed himself and of seeing his friends die.
Squall had been the one Harry had came to when the memories became too much and the one whose door was always open. It was Squall who found Harry crying out in his sleep one night and stayed the night with him. It was Squall who saw how fragile Harry really was and that, Squall swore he would always protect.
Squall was pushed forcefully out of his musings when he collided with something. Laughter followed as Squall looked up at Harry and then the object that flew at him. A Girl.
Glaring at Harry, Squall helped the girl up and apologised. It seemed she was a transfer and was lost. Squall said nothing but Harry had offered to show her around. They quickly led her around the Garden and left her by the tutorial map.
Walking to the main gates, Harry finally broke the silence. "It's okay to be nice and help someone out, Squall."
Squall rolled his eyes, "You always help the noisy ones."
Harry shook his head, "Ever thought that she might actually be on your team for SEED cadedites' mission? She transferred from Trabia for the SEED exam as they don't do the exams."
Squall said nothing as Harry smirk in victory.
And I'm ending it here. My excuse is that I need to read up on details of FFVIII before I continue. I'm going to write the whole SEED thing next chapter and Harry vs. Rinoa at the ball. Put away the claws, Harry...
Read and Review!
BHz