Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter either. It belongs to its creator J.K. Rowling and probably Warner Bros. too. I'm not too sure about that. This piece of literature is simply the work of a humble fan. I also credit Jim Butcher for various themes, subjects, or references that I may use.
Author Notes: This is a Harry Potter crossover with the Dresden Files the book series. All my knowledge of the Dresden Files comes from the books. I've never seen the TV series. For the timeline that will be stated later. Thanks to the folks at DLP for help with editing.
Awaken Sleeper.
Chapter Eleven: The Ex Factor
by: Water Mage
Keys? Check. Bags shrunken, and stored in pockets? Check. Wand? Check. A pocketful of hope that he could make good on his promise, and help save the world from the aftermath of faerie warfare? Check. Harry looked at himself in the mirror. He was as ready as he was ever going to be.
"This is going to be a rough few days," he muttered to the empty air, before spinning on the ball of his heel. He dissaparated from the loft.
The world tilted on its axis for a long moment till his equilibrium suddenly righted itself. Harry opened his eyes as the sound of voices and car engines reached his ears. He stepped out from an alleyway. Chicago. The windy city…or lack thereof. All he felt was the intense heat of the summer sun that shined brightly in a cloudless sky. Someone needed to come up with a new slogan.
Nearby he could see the shores of Lake Michigan. The Rothchild Hotel rose up in a tall multi-storied building that looked like a mini palace. Expensive cars rolled through the front drive all shiny and new, and Harry couldn't resist being wowed for half a second. Swanky, very swanky. Looks like Elaine's taste had changed since he had last seen her. Had the woman traded her ball cap for a tiara? The Elaine he knew was strong, proud, and could drink a marine under a table. Most of all she was low maintenance. He nodded at the doorman, eyeing the pristine décor that adorned every inch of the hotel lobby. Nude cherub statues positioned in the ceiling corners made him fight back a bark of laughter. Oh yeah, definitely not Elaine's usual taste.
He walked to the front desk thankful that he was wearing a pair of dark slacks and a nice shirt. Otherwise he would have stuck out amongst the sharply dressed men and women. The desk clerk was a smiling young woman around his age with short brown hair. The gold plated nametag pinned to her blazer proclaimed her Emilia, Front Desk Agent.
"Hello, welcome to the Rothchild Hotel," she said in a professional tone that unlike most, actually sounded genuine. "How can I help you today, sir?"
Harry felt his charming smile automatically slip on. He couldn't help it. When a pretty girl smiled at him he couldn't help returning the gesture with a little extra. Numerous times Elaine had called him a low budget James Bond, which he actually took offense to. He would never be caught dead drinking a martini. Get him a cold beer or a whiskey neat over a martini any day.
"I need to book a room, please."
Her fingers moved rapidly over the keyboard. "I have one of our spectacular rooms available in the penthouse. It offers an amazing view of the waters of Lake Michigan. It's six hundred dollars a night."
He could read her face enough to see that she didn't think he would go for the offer because of the high price.
"Sounds great, I'll take it," said Harry, slapping his credit card on the counter. Her eyes registered momentary surprise that was gone with a blink. "I'm going to need the room for a week I think. If I need to extend my stay I'll let you know."
In the years since he had first come into his trust fund barely a dent had been made in the sizeable account. So money was never an object. And if these were the last few days before life as the world knows it ended, then he damn well was going to indulge himself. He wouldn't mind again visiting those strippers he spent the night with in Hong Kong last week. Peni was flexible in ways that he had never seen before. He smothered the dreamy grin that tugged at his lips, as he felt an insistent tapping on his shoulder.
"Can I help you," Harry grumbled, turning around to stare at the person.
The man behind him had silver hair and brown eyes that went wide with surprise as they landed on Harry's face. "Oh, excuse me," he apologized with an embarrassed smile. "I thought you were somebody else."
A coil of tension released itself from between his shoulders. "No harm done," replied Harry, slowly withdrawing his hand from his pocket where his wand rested.
"You look a good deal like a colleague of mine," explained the man with a puzzled smile.
Harry shrugged, and picked up the room key the clerk slid across the counter. "Well you know what they say; everyone has a twin out there somewhere."
The man chuckled and tipped his head. "That's true. Sorry to have bothered you."
Harry nodded with an easy smile, and walked across the lobby to the elevators. He couldn't help chuckling as the lift went up. He had come close to blowing off that man's head with a blasting curse. He wouldn't be able to relax, really relax, until everything here was taken care of. The sooner the better.
The room was on the thirteenth floor and sure enough had quite the view of the lake shore. He reversed the shrinking charm on his things, and threw them on the bed. He dug into the pocket of the smaller of the two enlarged bags. He pulled free a piece of paper where he had scribbled Elaine's room number.
Elaine's room was two floors above him and the hallway looked identical to his floor. He could imagine the rooms being a bit more posh than his own quarters. Harry glanced one more time at the paper clenched in his hand, and then at the room number adorning the door. He knocked twice, paused, and then knocked one more time.
"Who is it?" a gruff voice barked through the door.
Harry rolled his eyes. "It's me."
"Me who?" demanded the voice.
"Harry Potter."
There was a pause and then the voice asked, "Password?"
Harry flipped the paper over and read the words with a sigh, "Funky town."
There was a click of a lock and the door swung open. He stepped through the doorway and stared at Elaine as she closed the door behind him. She wore a red shirt over a pair of blue jeans. Her hair was a little longer but those grey eyes were just as he remembered, determined and cautious. Always cautious.
"Really, Elaine?" asked Harry, one eyebrow raised questioningly. "Did you join MI-5 since the last I've seen you?"
Elaine placed one hand on her hip, and smiled grimly. "When there's a killer on the loose who can take out the Summer Knight, a girl has to be careful."
"Point taken," Harry conceded. He smiled suddenly, warm and genuine. "It's nice to see you. You look good."
"You too," she replied, half smiling. "It's been too long."
They didn't go in for a hug or anything. Elaine wasn't the hugging type, and Harry would probably get punched for even attempting to go in for some physical affection. Not that he had a problem with it. He wasn't too comfortable with hugs himself. Growing up with the Dursley's had seen to that. Harry took a seat on the couch and looked around the place. The room was bigger than his. A lot bigger. He cleared his throat and watched Elaine take a seat on the armchair across from him.
"What's up with the posh room?" asked Harry. "Matter of fact, since when have you start liking fancy places like this?
Elaine shrugged. "I'm not paying for it, so I'm indulging."
"Did you go and bag yourself a sugar daddy, Elaine?" teased Harry, smiling.
Shaking her head, she rolled her eyes. "Still the same old Harry I see. If you must know, the Summer Queen owns this hotel."
Harry frowned. "Since when do Sidhe have their hands in the mortal realm like this?"
"You know as well as I do that faeries are always making deals," explained Elaine. "Granting something but taking at the same time. Their influence is subtle in the world, but its there if you know where to look."
It made sense. The owner of the hotel probably traded the place in exchange for something. He didn't want to know what that something happened to be. If there was one thing widely known about faeries, and that was they loved their bargains. If that bargain screwed over the other person in the end, it made the deal that much sweeter.
Faerie influence always turned his stomach so he changed the subject. "So how much time do we have to solve Ronald's murder?"
Elaine sighed, closing her eyes briefly. Tiredness made her shoulder slump. "Not long. Days maybe."
Harry swore. "Has Titania chosen a new Knight?"
"That's the thing," began Elaine, frowning hard. "The mantle of power the Knights are endued with is part of the balance between the Courts. It has something to do with them being mortal and free will or something. There's a lot of history behind it, and I've never really understood it." She waved her hand flippantly. "Anyway it's a lot of power, and since the Summer Knight has died that power should have returned to the Summer Queen so she can choose a new knight. But it's gone."
Harry rubbed his chin. "Gone like as in missing or stolen?"
"That's one of things we have to figure out," sighed Elaine, troubled.
There was a long moment of quiet as they both swept up in their thoughts. Times like these he missed Hermione. The witch was great at mysteries like this. Her brain put pieces together faster than anyone else that he ever knew, except for maybe Professor Dumbledore. The old wizard always saw five moves ahead in the game of life. Harry pulled together his training from his Auror days.
"First things first, we need a list of suspects," stated Harry.
"It will be a short list. Not everyone has the power to take down a Knight. Especially someone like Ronald, who has been in the game a long time to be damn good."
Harry nodded. That only made things easier then. "Good. It narrows down our pool of suspects. Off hand who do you think could have done it?"
"Well there are the Winter Queens, the Winter Knight," Elaine listed, ticking the names off her fingers. "Maybe one of the Sidhe nobles but that's stretching it."
He swallowed. Okay this was going to take some reworking. Auror interrogation tactics typically involved intimidation, and usually a healthy dose of Veritaserum. Trying that on one of these suspects would most likely result in his blood smeared across the asphalt.
"We're going to need to question some them," murmured Harry, thinking. "How did Ronald die?"
Elaine shook her head, face closing off but he could read the sadness in her eyes. "He was found at the bottom of a flight of stairs in his apartment building. The police think it was an accident."
"I'm sorry," said Harry. "I know you guys were friends."
"Don't," said Elaine shortly, sadness disappearing quickly. "I don't need sympathy. I'm not the dead one here."
Harry rolled his eyes. The bitch was back. "Elaine, come on. I've known you for years. I know you're not some cold robot. I was just being nice. No need to snap at me."
"You're right, I'm sorry," she apologized, mustering up a small smile. "I know you're only here as a favor to me."
Harry grinned. "I knew you subscribed to the feelings club like the rest of us."
"I just got my membership," replied Elaine with a shrug. "Did it sound genuine?"
His laugh rang loud and clear in the room. "It needs some work, but there's potential there."
They laughed for a little bit more and then they sobered up as reality reasserted itself. They were here for a reason besides two friends reacquainting. Harry settled back on the couch and centered his thoughts. He cleared his throat.
"We'll have to go to Ronald's house," he said.
"What for?"
Harry shook his head, shooting her a sympathetic smile. "Have you really picked up nothing at all from me? We have to go look for clues."
"Sorry," Elaine chuckled, rolling her eyes. "Some of us haven't gotten our Scooby Doo card in the mail."
He stood up and clapped his hands. "Come on then. I'll turn you into Nancy Drew yet. Try to keep up."
They broke from the busy sidewalk and stepped in front of Ronald Reuel's apartment. The building looked like one of those old movie theaters that had been converted and renovated. Elaine glared at Harry as they walked to the building's door.
"Can you change our clothes back now?" she snapped.
Harry made a show of looking at their clothes. They were the same outfits as earlier but they were all black now, from their shirts to their shoes.
"Come on, Elaine. We're breaking and entering. We have to wear black. It's a rule."
Elaine pointed her finger at the sun burning in the sky. "It's daylight, idiot. They wear black to blend into the night."
"No sense of tradition," he muttered sadly, flicking his wand at his side.
Their clothes reverted as they stepped through the doors. An aging security guard made to rise from his chair behind a wooden desk. There was a flash of red light, a gasp, and the guard slumped back in his chair, unconscious.
"I just stunned him," Harry explained, as Elaine rounded on him. "I'll wake him up when we leave. He'll be fine."
They made their way up the stairs and to the third floor. They stopped at the door to Ronald's apartment. The frame was splintered and broken and the door was ajar. Harry shared a silent stare with Elaine. Someone had broken in. The question is whether that person was still here or not. Harry clenched his wand tightly and Elaine followed closely as he slowly eased the door open. Silently they entered the apartment, straining their ears listening intently for signs of the intruder. Harry gazed around the room.
It was a wreck. Someone had been here and gone that much was clear. Furniture was strewn everywhere, papers lay strewn across the floor, and many objects were broken as if an earthquake hit. Harry stared at the mess, frowning at the broken coffee table and holes in the wall. Someone had more than been here. A fight had taken place. This damage was more than a simple robbery. It couldn't have been Ronald and his attacker. The police would have took one look at the scene and declared it a homicide. So this had happened after his murder, but by whom?
"A fight happened here," Harry muttered, picking up a few papers from the floor. "But it looks like someone was looking for something."
Elaine had her eyes closed as she held her hand out, fingers splayed. She was sensing for lingering energy. He had seen her do it a few times before. Magic tends to linger around awhile after recent use. Wizards could pick it up with a bit of concentration. She had tried to teach Harry, but he didn't have the same senses that wizards in this world were born with. Just as she would never be an Animagus or Metamorphmagus, he would never have the inborn abilities they had.
"There are two different energies still present," murmured Elaine thoughtfully, her still eyes closed. "One is faerie… I can't tell if it's Summer or Winter power. The other… definitely wizardry. Fire magic… strong, too."
Harry picked through the mess. He sifted through some of the papers, looking for anything that might jump out at him. Elaine dropped her arm, and gave herself a little shake as she opened her eyes. She looked at him a thoughtful look still worn on her face.
"A wizard and a faerie fought here but why?" she asked, her tone indicating she was talking more to herself than Harry.
Harry pinched the bridge of his nose. He hadn't factored wizards having their hands in this mess. Now they had to be even more cautious. Elaine was sketchy around other wizards since she didn't want her existence to get back to the White Council. Harry didn't blame her. His meeting with the Senior Council member three years ago still was fresh in his mind.
"Someone was looking for something," said Harry. He looked around the room. "There aren't any pictures anywhere. You notice that?"
Elaine nodded slowly, looking around for photographs. "All his paintings are here, but you're right. His pictures are missing."
Harry took a seat at the desk perched before a set of tall windows. He sifted through the papers on top. "So our murderer returned to the take pictures? That's not making any sense."
The female wizard moved across the room to stare at a painting on the wall near the bedroom. It was a beautiful forest. He could see that much from his position. A forest that looked very familiar. Marble statues and columns dotted the painted landscape, depicting a fantastical scene right out of a children's book. Those that had been there knew that place belonged in no kid's book. Solaria Garden, home to the Summer Lady and her court, was as beautiful just as it was dangerous, like its Seelie rulers.
"That can only mean the pictures had something incriminating in them," Harry continued voicing his thoughts aloud.
Elaine turned to him, her expression questioning. "You think?"
He shrugged. "It's a start."
She made a circuit around the apartment looking through the disheveled mess. Harry searched through the drawers on the desk. He swiveled in his chair, and noticed a yellow post-it stuck to the chair's support rods. Harry plucked it off, and quickly read the messily scribbled note.
Ron,
We can't find Lily again. We think he might have got to her.
Please come over as soon as you get back home.
Meryl
So Ron was Ronald that much was obvious, but who was the other names. And who was he? Harry waved the note at Elaine. "Hey, I found something."
"What is it?" asked Elaine going to his side. She read the note he handed off to her.
"Do you know any of these people?"
She shook her head, staring hard at the note as if willing the words to make more sense. "Ronald and I were friends, but we weren't close. At the end of the day he was still the Summer Knight, mortal or not. We didn't talk about our lives outside of Faerie much."
He couldn't say he was surprised. It was classic Elaine. "Well Ronald had friends and friends would surely be included in the missing pictures. Those friends might know something."
Elaine's lips twitched. "Is this what they call a lead?"
"See you're learning already," winked Harry.
She took a seat on the edge of the desk. "I can do a spell and track the person who wrote this. It shouldn't be too hard." Elaine looked out the window so all he saw was the back of her head. "I think I may know someone who can help us solve this. He always was a think on his feet type of a guy."
"I thought you didn't play well with others?" asked Harry, surprised. "It took you a year to even really like me."
She turned back to him, but her face was closed off. Elaine ran a hand through her hair, pinning him with unreadable grey eyes. A full moment passed and he waited for her to speak. If he rushed her she was just close off even more.
"Remember I told you about when I was a girl," she began, biting her lower lip. "I came into Queen Titania's services because I needed protection."
Harry nodded slowly. How could he forget? It was one of the few memories of her past Elaine had ever shared with him.
"Your teacher turned you into a thrall, and he made you try and enslave your boyfriend," recited Harry, remembering the tale in pieces. "But your boyfriend called down fire and—"
"Everything burned," cut in Elaine, her voice had a hollow ring to it. Haunted. "Justin died, but he made it out. My Harry."
Harry blinked. That was new. "You've never said his name before. I didn't know I shared a name with the guy."
"I try not to say it," she admitted, looking down at her hands. "Names have power. I didn't want anything to find a link between us and go after him."
He nodded. "Okay, so this guy can help how?"
"He's a private investigator," answered Elaine, a smile breaking through her expressionless mask. "He actually lives here in Chicago."
Harry snorted. "I see someone has been keeping track of him. I remember you said he never knew you made it out of that fire… Doesn't he think you're dead?"
She grimaced. "Yeah. I don't know he's going to take it."
Harry barely restrained the smile that blossomed on his face. This was going to be good. Elaine was going to have to do some serious explaining to this guy. Frankly if it was one of his friends coming to him after pretending to be dead for eleven years, Harry would curse them on the spot. Oh yeah, this was going to be real good.
"Do you think we should just come back?" asked Harry, staring at his accomplice.
Accomplice was exactly what she was. For the second time today they were breaking and entering. Harry's, no Dresden as Harry decided to call him by his last name, apartment was warded. The apartment was beneath a big old house. A set of stairs led down to the apartment which was technically the basement.
"Shut up, I almost got it," hissed Elaine, not opening her eyes. "I know how he sets up his wards. We did most of our lessons together when we were kids….Got it. I couldn't disable them, but I can get around them okay. Do your thing."
Harry pulled out his wand as she stepped to the side. "Are you sure we can't just meet him at Starbucks? There's one on the corner."
Elaine shot him a look. "Since when are you so timid?"
"Cautious," corrected Harry. "I'm just saying what if he notices his wards have been tripped, and then he comes in blasting away. Seems kind of reckless."
"Excellent," Elaine said, smirking at him. "It's right up your alley then."
Harry snorted and stepped closer to the door. He made a mental note to be as far away as possible from Elaine when Dresden came in. The man had called a firestorm as a teenager that burned his teacher and the house down around him. An affinity for fire always spoke toward a person's large appetite of rage. And he didn't want to be near when that rage was unleashed. He liked his skin free of burns. He tapped his wand against the doorknob. Alohomora.
There was a click and Harry eased open the door. He bowed before Elaine. "Ladies first."
She slipped past him and Harry followed behind her. Harry looked around the apartment, taking in the second hand furniture, multiple carpets covering every floor surface, and the various tapestries hanging on the walls. There was a fireplace and kitchenette in one corner, and the other corner led to a small hall that had two doors, most likely the bathroom and bedroom. One would notice all that first if they discounted the mess. Papers covered the couches and floors along with clothes. Empty pizza and take out boxes lay in stacks here and there, and the trashcan in the kitchen had long overflowed.
"This is…" Harry trailed off searching for a word. "Cozy."
Elaine ran her hand along the back of the couch. "Harry's going through a rough time in his life right now."
It took a second for him to realize she meant the other Harry. He was firmly labeled Dresden in his mind. He made a track around the apartment, not that there was much to see on his tour. He could see Elaine doing a similar thing, gazing at the various knickknacks with a fond smile touched by sadness. Maybe it was true; you never really forget your first love. Harry heard the lock click and he tensed up. Time to see if the ex subscribed to the same sentiment. This was going to be a show.
A tall man stumbled into the apartment. Dresden's clothes were rumpled and he looked like he had gotten into a fight. His long face was fixed into a pained expression as he limped in, his square jaw locked tight to fight a grimace. He had dark hair as dark as his eyes, and he carried a staff almost as tall as his towering over six foot height. Dresden stopped suddenly and his staff came up in a flash, blazing with crimson light. His hard eyes landed on Elaine and his face dropped, filling with numb shock that left him paralyzed. Harry slowly stepped out of his line of sight. Better to be safe than sorry.
"Hello, Elaine," Dresden whispered through his shock.
She smiled, slow and sad. "Hi, Harry."
Elaine's face filled with traces of apprehension that made her look unconfident and almost shy. Harry never saw it before and logged the memory for future reference, so he could identify the emotion if Elaine ever wore that expression again. Most likely never. Dresden had collapsed on the couch, gazing at her, drinking her up with his eyes.
"You look good, Harry," said Elaine into the silence her greeting had gathered.
Dresden shook his head, his voice filled with confusion. "This isn't real. You're dead. I killed you I know I did. I looked, spirits looked… through fire and water I had them search—How is this possible?" He choked off and then stared at her, his expression suddenly going unreadable. "What are you?"
Slowly Elaine walked toward him, her smile turning hesitant. "It's me, Harry. Really it's me."
"Prove it," demanded Dresden, his face turning expressionless.
"I know how you setup your wards, Harry. Nothing from the Nevernever could have made it through them without becoming liquid goo. When you were fifteen you wrote me a love song using a ukulele. Or how about when we skipped school to go practice biology. You got quite good with practice if I remember."
Emotions peeked through his blank face, realization mixed with bafflement. "It's been eleven years, Elaine… Eleven years I mourned you! Why didn't you contact me?"
"I don't have a good reason… Fear, shame, anger I don't really know," said Elaine quietly, weighing her answer. "At first I thought you wouldn't ever want to see me again for my part in Justin's plan. Then I was angry at myself for not being strong enough to resist him. Time passed and then eleven years went by as I hid away from everything."
Dresden looked at her with sharp eyes. "But you couldn't resist him, that's the point. You tried to destroy me not kill me. Destroy me, Elaine! That demon Justin sent after me wanted to rip my soul to shreds."
"It wasn't like that," said Elaine, hastening to clarify. "He just wanted you to see like he made me see. But you resisted him. You did what I couldn't do."
"Forget it, Elaine. You lost any chance of me understanding when you threw that binding spell at me while your master tried to mind rape me into one of his slaves."
He was frustrated, and anger colored his words. Harry could see he was clenching his fists so tightly that the knuckles were turning white. Elaine didn't back down in the face of his anger. She was never that type of girl. Harry watched Elaine's anger rise up, as memories fragile and bitter came to forefront of her mind.
Elaine spoke quietly, trying to keep a tight leash on her anger. "He wanted to make you a thrall, Harry. He wanted to bind you with enough spells, so that by the end you would have been loyal to him and only him. Like me."
"You were—" Dresden got out, his fury smothered by the revelation.
Elaine nodded. "A thrall. Yes. He got to me before he sent that demon after you. It was probably two weeks before that I think. I stayed home from school because I was sick. Justin told me he wanted to try a healing spell. By the time I realized what was happening I was under his control."
"You were just a kid," Dresden breathed, lowering his face in his hands. "You had no choice at all did you?"
She shook her head, stepping closer to Harry. "It was like a constant fog in my head. I couldn't think straight. Everything was confusing except whatever Justin told me. When his spells began to unravel after you called the fire on him, I just ran. It was impulse and I didn't stop running till I found sanctuary. They hid me so no one could ever find me. Not even you."
Elaine took a deep breath calming down, but Harry could still see the fear in her eyes. "I need your help, Harry. That sanctuary I took came with a price. I'm in trouble."
All that anger that he exuded earlier was gone. Whatever spark of love that once existed between them had died that day, but the memory of it was strong. Dresden didn't hesitate before agreeing to help. Elaine smiled with relief and thanked him with feeling.
"What did you mean a price?" asked Dresden, frowning. "What's going on?"
Elaine sighed. "The sanctuary I took was from the Summer Court of the Seelie. I built up a debt to Queen Titania in exchange for protection. She's finally called in the debt, and will wash everything I owe her if I do her this one thing. There's been a murder… The Summer Knight was found dead and his mantle of power is missing."
Dresden looked at her quickly, his dark gaze boring into her intently. "You're the Emissary of Summer? Titania wants you to find Reuel's killer, and point the finger at the Winter Court. Did she tell you that Winter's Emissary in this matter would meet you tonight?"
Harry's eyes widened, impressed. "You said he was good, but you didn't say he was Sherlock Holmes."
For the first time Dresden took note of his presence. His brown eyes swept over Harry and he didn't seem that impressed but what he saw.
"Elaine," said Dresden slowly, watching Harry. "Who's the kid?"
"I'm twenty four," said Harry, sharply. He knew he looked a little young for his age sometimes, but calling him a kid was pushing it. "Or since your twenty seven does that make you senior citizen age?"
"Harry," called Elaine warningly.
"What?" both Harry's replied at once.
Their heads whipped around to glare at one another. A difficult thing to do since Dresden wasn't staring directly into his eyes. Harry didn't want to be pulled into a soulgaze either. Looking on his soul typically put a damper on things. It didn't make the glare any less potent however.
"Harry Dresden," Elaine chuckled, gesturing. "meet Harry Potter."
Dresden looked at the woman with disbelief. "So is he supposed to be my replacement?"
"Younger, better looking, and I really know how to use my stick," said Harry, twirling his wand between his fingers. "I'm like the new and improved you. I'm Harry 6.0."
Dresden blinked and then turned back to Elaine and asked slowly, "Seriously, Elaine? Are you like babysitting or something? He looks like he's barely out of his apprenticeship."
Harry opened his mouth to retort, but Elaine beat him to it. "Dresden, please. He's my friend. He's helping me out as a favor."
"So I'm Dresden now?" asked the other Harry, his face closing off.
Elaine rolled her eyes. "I can't call you both Harry or it will just get confusing."
"Can we even work with him?" asked Harry, shooting Dresden a dirty look. "He's Winter's Emissary. The Courts will not allow that."
Elaine pursed her lips and nodded. "You're right. We can't work too closely together on this or they'll be hell to pay. But we can help each other out somewhat."
"This whole thing is so messed up," muttered Dresden, letting out a loud exhale. "We have to tell the White Council about this."
Harry and Elaine both jerked as if hit. Actually they might as well have been struck. The White Council was never a safe topic to bring up. Neither was a fan of the governing body of wizards. For good reasons of course. Dresden watched their reaction with confusion.
"The Council can help us," he insisted. "Elaine if you come with me we'll explain—"
Elaine let out a humorless laugh. "Harry this is the same White Council that almost had you executed after the fire you called killed Justin. I heard you barely got off probation by nearly killing yourself. Thanks but no thanks."
"You're a member of the Council?" asked Harry.
Dresden nodded. "Yeah."
"Bad luck that," replied Harry, half smiling. "You have my sympathies."
"I don't want it," shot back Dresden, his lips then twisted into a smile. "What, you couldn't pass the test to get in?"
Harry blinked, his face filling with a dawning realization. "I think I really don't like you."
"Gee, I don't know how I'll make it," Dresden deadpanned.
Elaine apparently had enough. She blew out a loud sigh and put her hands on her hips, glaring. "Get a grip, you two. Unless you guys want to whip out foci and compare sizes, I suggest—"
"Mine's bigger," declared Dresden, smirking at Harry's wand and then looking at his staff.
Harry twirled his wand between his fingers. A habit he formed when in situations where he wanted nothing more than to use the tool, but was unable to. Situations like these. He looked at his wand and then slowly smiled at Dresden and his staff.
"It's not the size of the hammer; it's how hard you hit the nail."
Elaine groaned and glanced at her watch. She smiled apologetically at Dresden. "I'm sorry, but we have to go. I have to make an appointment. I'll call your office so I can get in touch with you later." She touched his arm, and their eyes met in a long stare. "I really means a lot…knowing you're still there for me."
"Always, Elaine."
Harry stepped closer to the door. He shared a look with Dresden, and knew that they wouldn't like each other any time soon. They didn't just click right. Although could attempt to play nice until they solved this thing. Endless summer wasn't great if the heat melted the ice caps and flooded the world. Unending winter would bring about the next ice age. Either outcome wasn't appealing. They had to find this killer for everyone's sakes.
"Let's go," said Elaine, stepping to his side. She glanced once more at her watch. "We have to meet Aurora at the hotel."
Harry bit the inside of his cheek hard. Hard enough to silence the furious anger that wanted to erupt forth. Hard enough to draw blood. The day just went from bad to worse. Now he had to go and see her. He glanced at his own watch. Harry wondered when it would be acceptable to suggest they get a drink. Elaine watched him closely as they exited the apartment into the cool Chicago night.
"Relax, Elaine. I'm not that mad. Our reunion is long overdue anyway," he frowned grimly, thinking of Aurora. "After all, it's been years since I've seen my wife."
Harry and Harry finally met and definitely don't like each other. The next chapter will take us back two years ago and explain how Harry and Aurora became husband and wife.