Standard Disclaimer: I own nothing in regards to Harry Potter or Daredevil. All properties therein are those of their creators. I am only a writer working on my skills with worlds and characters that I love.

Chapter Seven - Meeting The Parents

The door opened and Harry gladly inhaled the scent of his mother as she moved to usher him inside, only to stop dead as she no doubt saw the woman beside him. "Harry, dear, who is this lovely woman?"

The young man smiled, "She's one of the reasons I wanted to visit. Mom, I want you to meet Elektra. She's my girlfriend and she's… very special to me."

Margaret's body practically radiated surprise as she responded, "Girlfriend? Harry, that's amazing!" Her hug was delightful before he felt her glomp onto his girl and start looking her up and down, "And she's so beautiful." He just knew Elektra was blushing up a storm. He could feel the heat on her face before his mom left her and rounded on him to begin poking his chest. "You better be treating her right, young man. I know how colleges are these days, what with all their promiscuous teens, and I raised you better than that."

Still blushing, Elektra moved to assure the older woman, "Harry has been the perfect gentleman, Mrs. Murdock."

"Oh please, call me Margaret."

It didn't escape Harry's notice that they still hadn't been let inside. "Mom, is everything alright?"

"Oh, yes dear, it's only… I'm not alone in here. I have a bit of a surprise for you too, son, and it's a dusey. I'm not sure how to explain it to be honest."

Surprised to say the least, Harry opened his senses and perceived another woman listening in in the kitchen. To his sensitive nose she smelled strangely… familiar. "Maybe you can start by inviting us inside and introducing us?"

"Y-Yes, that would seem like the right way to go about it." Margaret agreed before moving out of the entryway and clearing space for the guests to enter. "Come in, come in, and wipe your shoes please."

They did so and were quickly ushered into the kitchen where their surprise guest was waiting. "Elektra," he asked, "what does she look like?"

"She's tall, pretty, red haired, and maybe in her forties."

"How does she look?"

Elektra took his hand, "Nervous." What she didn't say was how much of this woman's face was similar to his. The curve of her jaw, the slight points of her ears. She knew Harry was adopted and she was starting to get an idea of what this was all about. Gently she gestured the mystery woman forward, took her hand, and slipped it into the one she was holding so her man could feel it. Then she took a step back and offered Margaret what support she could.

For a while, neither Harry nor the guest said anything. Then he just had to know… "You smell familiar, but I don't think I know you. Why is that?"

The redhead visibly gulped. "My name is Lily Potter." She paused at his audible gasp and finished, "I am… No, I was, your mother."

Visibly shaking, the young man pulled his hand free and raised both to cup the woman's face, slowly tracing the contours of her features and bone structure. "Y-You…. I know your face. Why do I know your face!?"

Margaret couldn't take it anymore. She'd seen that expression on her little boy's face several times after the accident that had taken his sight. His cheeks got red, his forehead scrunched, and his mouth started to gasp and moan. It was all the signs of an imminent breakdown. The only thing missing was the tears, and that was only because his tear ducts had been completely burned away. So she marched forward , pulled her son into a hug, and sat on the nearest chair at her table, running her fingers gently through his hair as he gasped for breath.

"W-What do I do?" Lily gaped at the scene, completely unprepared for such a reaction.

"Keep talking." Margaret instructed, surprised but also very happy to see Elektra kneeling down beside her to rub Harry's back. Her boy needed all the support he could get in his life. "This is a shock and he needs to work through it, but he also needs to understand. Tell him everything you told me."

And so Lily began to speak. She told Harry about the assault on their home by a terrorist that had killed his father, the damage that had put her in a coma for years, searching the world for him, and eventually tracking down his mother who invited her to be there that day. She made it clear that her only goal in coming was to be a part of his life if he would let her, not to uproot it or take the place of the clearly wonderful mother he already had.

When all was said and done, Harry had finally gotten control of himself again and he was feeling supremely embarrassed. He'd not had an episode like that since he was a kid, and worse, Elektra had seen it. However, if the soothing hands on his back were anything to go by along with the steady beating of her heart, then she hadn't minded in the least. That was a relief. Sitting up slightly, he searched with his senses and put his hand back into Lily's. "I-I don't know what to think about this just yet, but we came here for introductions of a sort, and to have a meal. Should we move on to the meal, and maybe talk a bit more?"

Lily smiled through the tears that had begun to fall as her emotions rocketed through her tale. "I would like that."

And so the four of them sat down at their table and partook of the meal Margaret had been working on all day. The Murdock matron had always been a good cook, but she'd gone all out for that meal. And, hoping to avoid things devolving now that they had just gotten back on track, she set her son and his biological mother on some light conversational topics and then turned to address her boy's guest. How thrilling, he'd never brought a girl home before so this must be serious for him.

Scooching closer to the clearly nervous girl she dished up a few items onto her plate and offered, "So, Elektra, that is a beautiful name."

"T-Thank you, Mrs. Murdock."

"Please, call me Margaret, and relax, I swear I will not bite." That comment seemed to finally even her guest out with a light chuckle so she dug in to her questions. "How did you and Harry meet?"

Smiling warmly at the recollection, Elektra answered, "I was going for a run in the park and your son, well, he smelled me."

Margaret laughed brightly at that. "Yes, he does that quite often. I hope he didn't offend you."

"Not at all. I was honestly impressed he managed to follow me so well on scent alone, and as far as pickup lines go, 'You smell like heaven' is pretty top shelf." Across the table it became clear that Harry could still hear them as his face burned crimson at those words, sending all the women present into titters of mirth.

"And his… situation doesn't concern you?"

"Why should it? Being blind doesn't make him any less a man."

"Indeed it doesn't, dear." The brunette patted her hand in agreement. "I had to ask, though. Are you in school?"

"Yes, I'm at Columbia with Harry."

"Well that's nice. What are you studying?"

At that question Elektra paused. "I, well, I'm technically an open major at the moment, but lately I've been talking a lot with Harry, Foggy, and Marci and I've decided that I… I want to be a paralegal. I want to help lawyers do what they need to to do their jobs. It sounds like good, fulfilling work, and if I end up in the firm Harry and Foggy want to start then I know I'll be helping good people as well."

"That's lovely, dear."

"Yeah, I just… my dad isn't going to be happy about it. He always wanted me to go into business like he did. And he… well… he never had a great interest in helping the less fortunate. He always said it wasn't the business of people like us to help those that should help themselves. We actually argue about that a lot."

"Elektra, in my experience, parents just want their children to be happy." Margaret consoled her. "If becoming a paralegal will do that for you, then I'm sure he will be nothing but supportive of you."

"With all due respect, you don't know my father. That being said, I appreciate the sentiment."

On the other side of the table Lily held her son's hand in a death grip that he was returning just as fervently. Neither could fathom letting the other escape again just yet. "Harry, I swear you were never supposed to end up with my sister. The man who put you there… I made my displeasure known, and you will never see him or any of his ilk again if I have anything to say about it. I… I wanted the best for you, I still do, and what I've seen of your photos and from what Margaret has told me, I am so proud of the man you have become."

"C-Can you tell me about you. About where I come from?"

Lily smiled, this was a conversation she'd been looking forward to. "Have you ever had anything happen to you? Anything strange or unexplainable when you were sad or scared?"

The younger man scrunched up his forehead and lowered his voice even further, "You mean magic?"

"You know about magic?"

"A bit. I call it chi."

The witch groaned, Stick had mentioned Harry was a former pupil. "Stick taught you?"

"You know Stick?"

"It's a long story, and I'll tell it to you if you like later, but first, I was born in England as well and I attended a very special school called Hogwarts-"

The conversations carried on for over an hour as the group partook of the fine food and the calming atmosphere of the apartment. It was not a large space but it was warm and the clear love contained within it put everyone well at ease. It all came to a head when the dishes were being cleared and Margaret had to know, "Elektra, do you love my son?"

The girl stilled, and a small smile worked itself onto her lips. She just knew that her lover's sensitive hearing had picked that up. "I do. More than I ever thought I could."

"Then I'm glad." The older woman bustled quickly around the space and with the help of all gathered got the dishes done in record time before proclaiming, "Alright then, it's time for church. Harry, Father Lantom was insistent that we sit in the front pew once he heard you were coming for a visit."

"I'm sure he did." The blind man grinned at the thought. The good padre had made it his mission to make sure he wasn't 'falling into darkness' after his mission of vengeance all those years ago. It had led to many interesting theological conversations and debates between them and he was very interested to continue. Even if the priest had been disappointed he hadn't wanted to join the church.

"Church?" both Elektra and Lily gulped at the thought until the young man reassured them both.

"It's alright." Harry took his girl's hand. "I know that you are not religious, and I swear I'm not trying to convert you, but faith is very important to me and my mom so we like to go and pray together when we can. You don't have to come if you don't want to, but it would mean a lot if you came and shared that experience with me at least once."

"I-I… Okay." The black haired woman was a bit nervous, as the voices in her head had started screeching at the thought of entering a house of God, but the moment Harry had taken her hand they'd quieted right back down to a dull murmur in the back of her mind. He somehow made her believe it would be alright.

Lily meanwhile was experiencing a look of pure support from her son's adopted mother and was agreeing as well. "It could be an… interesting experience." She was a bit put off by the church's notorious 'suffer not a witch to live' doctrine, but she was willing to give the experience a try in order to spend more time with Harry.

As one big group they descended the many stairs to the ground floor and from there walked arm in arm down the street with many others making the trip to evening mass. Just as Margaret had said there was a pew at the front of the others empty of the multitude already gathered and their group was quick to sit upon it, bow their heads, and fold their hands in prayer.

Father Lantom soon arrived and gave a passionate sermon on the paths taken by the apostles and gave the message that like them, his flock should strive every day to live up to god's glory and try to figure out how best to serve him in their everyday lives. When it was all said and done the people began to file out, but the Murdock's stayed behind for a while, moving over to light a few candles in remembrance of Jack. For appearances Harry let his mother guide his hand to his own candle. From there it wasn't too long until the good padre returned from seeing out his usual crowd and made his way up to them.

Seeing the lit offerings he performed the sign of the cross before them and turned to his guests. "Margaret, Harry, it is always a pleasure to have you in this house. But who are your guests?"

"Lily Potter, I'm a… friend of the family." The redhead sheepishly introduced herself.

"Elektra Natchios, Harry's girlfriend." Elektra preened.

"Girlfriend? Excellent." The priest smiled conspiratorially, "Harry needs a good woman to look out for him." He lowered his voice and added, "He's a bit of a wild man you know."

"Oh I do." Elektra agreed, folding herself into the crook of Harry's arm.

"What, no debate or theological query this time, Father?" The blind man wanted to know.

"Sadly not tonight." Lantom sighed. "The sermon went a bit longer than I planned and I'm expected at the homeless shelter soon to help serve and bless the dinner." He reached forward and clasped the younger man's shoulder, "But it does my old heart well to see you hale, hearty, and on the arm of someone who so clearly cares about you. It gives me hope."

Reaching out his own arm, a bit more hesitantly, to the priest, Harry answered, "Hope was never necessary, but it is appreciated. You've always been there for me, Father, and I'm going to be forever grateful for it."

After that Lily took her leave, with an open invitation from them all to visit anytime and an order from Margaret to call often. Once she assured them that she was now living in New York, that prospect became a lot easier to see happening. Harry and Elektra spent the night at his mom's place, with him on the couch of course and her in his old room, and the next morning they boarded the train once more to visit the Natchios estate. The plan was for the girl to introduce her boyfriend to her dad the same way he'd done for her and his mom.

The trip started off fine with a pleasant train ride, a nice walk through the upscale neighborhood and pleasant conversation. But it ended in tragedy. As the couple rounded the last street corner Elektra saw blue and red flashing lights, and Harry heard sirens turned low along with the murmur of countless police officers. What they were saying….

"What? What's happening?" Elektra tried to run to her home, now visibly blocked off by yellow tape, but she found her man's arms wrapped tightly around her.

"Elektra, don't." He tried to stop her. "You won't like what you find."

"I don't care! My dad is in there!" The woman tore free from his grasp and took off running toward her home, leaving Harry behind in her dust.

"I know he is." He whispered. "I know, and I'm sorry."

A Short Time Later

Harry and Elektra were sitting together in the back of an ambulance, her with a blanket over her shoulders, and him holding her close as she broke down in his arms. Her father had been killed last night, and the body was just discovered this morning by the cleaning staff. The sheer brutalized fashion in which the remains had been left in left no doubt that it had been a murder, but so far it seemed the police had no leads as to the culprit.

"Elektra, do you have any idea who might have done this?" Harry asked into her hair.

"N-No." She whimpered. "W-We had our p-problems, but my father wasn't a bad man. He was a businessman, an ambassador. He ruffled feathers in the b-boardroom, but that was it." She shivered and burrowed further into him. "I-I don't want to be alone tonight. Please, don't leave me alone."

"I'll stay with you as long as you need me."

The following couple of weeks became a whirlwind of arrangements and meetings, all of which Harry stood for with his woman as she dealt with the fallout of her loss. She had to deal with the sudden inheritance of her father's assets, the handling of company statements as she found a new president to run the day to day operations, and of course, settling the estate and planning the funeral. It was a harrowing experience and through it all Harry was the only one that didn't try to commiserate with her or tell her 'he knew how she felt' like so many others did, and she found herself loving him all the more for it. He at least let her deal with things in her own time.

The ceremony that followed was a comparatively small affair, with only around eighty or so mourners in attendance. Elektra hadn't wanted anyone who hadn't known the man to be there, even if some others had tried and failed to muscle in and meet the new multi-millionaire.

Honestly, as the funeral came to an end and the well wishers started going on their way, the only ones that mattered to her were Foggy and Marci, who she noted were walking up to her and Harry hand in hand. They embraced her and offered their condolences.

"Thank you guys." She said with actual gratitude rather than the feigned remarks she had provided the others. It meant a lot to have her actual friends here. Eyeing their hands she remarked, I guess your 'talk' went well then. Sorry I've been too busy with all this to check in with you."

"Oh, girl, don't even think about any of that." Marci shot forward and wrapped the taller woman in a hug. "Yeah, we worked things out. We're gonna try to go the distance."

Elektra pulled back a bit, more than a little confused. "But you want to practice different kinds of law and-"

This time it was Foggy that spoke. "Yeah, we kind of decided that our little firm might need to facilitate different law specialties if we want to make a profit anytime soon. Harry and I will take criminal defense and Marci will handle business related items for the entrepreneurs and shop owners in the Kitchen."

"Yeah." Marci sent a small smile toward the shorter blonde. "I won't lie and say those big firms don't call to my greed even a little, but spending my days with Foggy and Harry and building something for myself sounds pretty cool too."

"Yup." Harry nodded, clearly having already known about this. "And 'Nelson, Murdock, and Stahl' sounds way more official than just 'Nelson and Murdock'."

"How so?"

"Everyone knows three partners is more official than two."

They shared a small bout of laughter before the two blondes took their leave, allowing the other couple some alone time with the deceased. Now it was finished, and she and Harry stood alone over the grave of Hugo Natchios, just letting the breeze whip past them. Eventually though, the silence was broken as Elektra brokenly said, "Harry, all of that aside, I… I need to leave."

"What?" The blind man was shocked. "Leave? Why? Elektra, you're still in mourning and-"

"My father's death was not an accident, Harry. Everyone knows it. Whoever killed him could come after me, and then you would be in danger."

"I can handle myself in a fight, babe. You know that. And I still remember how much you needed me after it happened. What's this really about?"

Elektra was quiet for a long time again before muttering, "Ever since it happened… the voices have been getting louder."

"Voices?"

"I hear voices, Harry. Dozens of them, all the time. They yell, they scream, they croon, and they all want the same thing; blood and death. They were quiet for so long with you, but now they won't shut up, and I'm worried they'll make me do something horrible. I'm worried they'll make me hurt you." She turned and placed her hands on his chest. "I couldn't live with hurting you."

"Babe, you couldn't hurt me." Harry blindly moved his hand up to caress her face. "It isn't in you to do something so vile."

Elektra gulped audibly; she'd been afraid she'd need to go this far, and she was terrified of the reaction her words would bring. "You… you wouldn't be the first. I have killed people before, Harry. A-A lot of people. The voices, they… they only ever stop when I spill blood. When I hurt people."

Harry was about to say something about that, but stopped instead and tilted his ear up to listen more closely. Elektra's heartbeat was constant, unchanging, and level. She was telling the truth. She believed what she was saying with all of her being. "You aren't lying."

"No, I'm not." tears started to build and fall down the Greek girl's cheeks as she exclaimed, "Do you see now?! Do you see why I need to leave? How could you still love someone like me? Huh? Could you ever accept such horror in a partner? What if I snap? What if I-" She was cut off suddenly as she felt her boyfriend's lips conform to her own, offering gentle acceptance where near hysteria had only just been building.

When he finally pulled away he rested his forehead against hers and said, "Follow me."

"Where?"

"To a place I can show you we aren't so different."

Following at his side, Elektra noted that Harry was whispering numbers under his breath before stopping on two hundred by fifty-five and running his hand over a particular grave's name engraving and nodding.

"You know that my dad died too?"

"Yeah, you told me a local mobster had him killed."

"I did, but I didn't tell you all the details. Knowing what I do now, maybe I should have. This is the final resting place of Roscoe, the man responsible for my dad's death. The first man I killed." As Elektra's eyes shot open with shock, Harry told her everything that had happened that fateful night, down to the last dark detail. "I killed a man, I crippled several others, and I… I enjoyed every minute of it." He admitted at last. "So you see, being a killer doesn't faze me. Wanting to kill again doesn't faze me either."

"How can you say that?"

"Because I believe that you will only kill those that have it coming." Harry noted simply. "I've actually been thinking about this for a while now myself. You know, in class recently we learned about a certain principle of law. Basically, it is a mental state that lawyers need to learn to use to handle the guilt of defending clients they know, or come to know, are guilty. We're being taught to protect the wicked and basically it amounts to needing to wash our hands of the whole deal after the fact, but I don't want to do that. I want to serve the law, to defend it, but what happens, like with my father, when the law fails? That's where I plan to come in, and that is where you can come in as well," he took her hands in his own, "if you decide to stay."

"W-What do you mean?" Elektra had heard her man earnest before, she had heard him passionate and inspired as well, but this… he sounded downright reverant.

"There is something I've been meaning to do for a few nights now. A calling that I've been needing to begin working toward alongside my career as a lawyer. Would you come with me now so that I can share it with you? After, if you decide you still need to leave, then I promise I will not stop you."

Elektra squeezed the hands she held and nodded. She couldn't imagine he would suggest something unimportant in this circumstance, and believe it or not, she was desperate for a reason to stay. An assurance that they could make it work despite her issues. "O-Okay."

Two hours later the sun had set and the two of them were clad in sweats and masks as they crouched down behind track barriers in a closed train storage lot. "Why are we here, Harry?"

"Wait a moment." The man's head tilted and he heard in the distance, coming closer, the shuffling steps of a drunk in motion, slowly making his way toward them and after a moment the target's form came into the average person's field of vision so he pointed right at him, warning his girlfriend to stay low. "No one knows what it's like, babe." He said slowly. "To be able to hear the things I do, to know the things I do. Every night I lie awake, listening to the sirens and screams of people in pain. Eventually I started to count them, like numbering sheep to fall asleep, and I figured out just how many sirens were blaring, just how many people suffered, and I couldn't shut it off. I imagine it's a bit like always hearing your voices."

"I-I never thought of it like that." And indeed, she hadn't. Elektra honestly felt a bit ashamed she'd never considered how bad such sensitive hearing could be.

"Then two weeks ago I heard… 'it'."

"It?"

"A little girl." Rage, pure and unbridled, entered Harry's voice then. "She was crying in her window praying to god, more like begging him, for help. Her father… he likes coming to her room at night while his wife is asleep." He nodded toward the slowly approaching figure. "That's him."

Elektra's hand shot to her mouth in horror. "Jesus!"

"He didn't answer her prayers directly." Harry growled. "But I think he sent me. Of course I tried things the right way at first. I called child services anonymously and they opened an investigation, but the girl wouldn't admit that anything happened and the mother wouldn't believe it was even possible. Meanwhile the dad, he… he was smart. He made sure that what he did, and how he did it, didn't leave any marks that could be seen. In the end, the investigation closed, and I kept hearing those screams, so I started getting involved. I tracked him down last week, broke his arm, and told him to stop, and for a few days nothing happened, but last night the screams returned."

Harry timed his move perfectly and rolled over the ground to Elektra's side before he could be seen, gripping her hand tightly in his own. "Elektra, this is the second time the law of man has failed me. And just as then I almost feel the hand of god in motion. He gave me this hearing, provided the training to bring vengeance and justice in his name, and set me on the course to learning to defend myself and others in a court of law while also finding those who deserve divine judgment. You say you need to kill, I say there are those that need to die, but only after the law has been given a chance to work. The law of man must be given its due, and then the law of god can follow. That man has escaped the first, but the second is now upon him. He is a walking pestilence. A plague that needs to be eradicated." He rested his head against hers, "My mission is to do what others cannot. To protect the people of Hell's Kitchen in the ways only I can." His free hand slid under his shirt to the small of his back where he pulled an object from his belt and handed it to her. It was a sharpened sai from the training room of her family mansion. "It can be your mission too if you want it. We can share in the responsibility."

Elektra shakily took the weapon from him, balanced it in her own palm, and as she did the screaming voices in her mind suddenly seemed to switch to mute mode, leaving her with blessed silence and her thoughts. Thoughts that ranged from shock to adoration for the man beside her. The man who accepted her, wanted her, knew the truth and still loved her. What was more, he was actively willing to provide targets and help her hunt.

With a purr of delight she mashed her lips to his own before slipping off into the night. For his part, Harry merely smiled and leaned back against his hiding block as the sounds of sudden stabbing filled his mind. Elektra had snuck up behind the monster before he even knew it and already had put twenty holes in his back in a matter of seconds.

He waited until the noises stopped before stepping out and enduring a flying tackle hug from the exuberant woman. "So does that mean you'll stay?"

Her lips on his own spoke volumes, but still she said, "Hell yes." Then leaned into his ear to whisper, "Best tell Marci you'll need another desk in whatever office you get. Wouldn't want to leave your paralegal out in the cold now would you?"

"I wouldn't dream of it. I love you, Elektra."

"And I love you, Harry. But what are we going to do about the body?"

"I wouldn't worry about that." He waved a hand lazily and the corpse was suddenly consumed in a massive plume of flame. "So saith the lord: Ashes to ashes, and dust to dust."