WDA: The ideas for this one came in random spurts and each was fairly far between, so I apologize for the wiat but I'm afraid it just couldn't be avoided. ENJOY!
Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter or any character there in. I do not own the concepts or locations (Both real and fiction: ie, Gringotts, Hogwarts, England, Diagon Alley, etc.). Nor do I own any characters in this fan fiction that exist in other licensed, non-licensed, copyrighted, etc. works of any kind. They are the intellectual property of their creators and companies. I own only Derrick Novus and The Shadows coven (with the exclusion of any characters from afforementioned licensed, non-licensed, copyrighted, etc. works) - which, to my knowledge, has not been created or used prior to my creation and use of it. I make no money from this story.
Chapter 9: New Information And Awkward Situations
The Next few days were a bit of a blur for Harry. With his body still recovering from the change, he didn't have the energy he usually had. This didn't stop Tyr from making good on his promise though. Thankfully, all they'd done to begin with was meditation. At first, even that had worn him out and he had gone to bed early every night and woken up late. However, that had only lasted two days and now things were going better.
More than the training, the days passed so fast because the coven was keeping him busy. He could tell that something was going on, but no one was telling him what. He hadn't confronted anyone about it yet. He had come to trust them and knew they wouldn't do anything to hurt him. Not that he liked being lied to, but it wasn't the first time someone had lied to him and he was sure that it was far from the last. Best to save his righteous indignation for something more deserving.
He was currently making his way to his room to settle down for the night. It had been a long day and he was tired, but he couldn't help smiling all the way. His morning had started out with Tyr teaching him a few basic fighting stances. After their session was over, Harper had met him at the door and proceeded to tell him about the prank he wanted his help with. That had lead to them being chased around the manor until they had finally escaped Telemachus by making a mad dash for the library where the research group was having trouble locating the three final descendants of the last Archive Master. Harry had stayed to help, while Harper had snuck back to his and Tyr's quarters.
Harry chuckled as he thought of how Telemachus had come so close to catching them. The whole chase had reminded him of watching the other kids play games during recess in primary school. No one would ever let him play because they were afraid of Dudley and he couldn't help but wonder if the kids back then had felt the same as he had today. The mischevious thrill and pure joy that had raced through his veins as he turned this way and that throught the winding and seeminglly endless halls of the manor.
"Hey Harry." the casual greeting pulled him from his thoughts.
"Hey Morgan. Been busy?"
"Yeah, it'll be a miracle if I get to bed before one tonight. You?"
"I'm heading to bed myself. I'd stay up and help you guys a little longer if I could, but I think Koga would strangle me if I tried."
"And well he should. You may feel alright now but it should only be a day or two more before your thrall starts to develop. Thats gonna take a lot of magic to control, at least at first. And after that you still have to worry about your empathic abilities. You need all the rest you can get." The handsome, dark-skinned man pointed out with a raised eyebrow.
"I know but -" Harry paused as something occured to him. "I didn't tell you... I mean I know its no secret that I'm an incubus but ... did they hand out flyers or something? 'Living With An Incubus: What To Expect'?"
Morgan laughed, "No, nothing like that. You have to remember Harry that no matter how big a coven the Shadows is, most of us have had centuries of practice sending information down the grape-vine. It's an endless source of amusement for us."
"I'll have to keep that in mind." He waved good-bye and continued on towards his room. Harry's grinned returned when he thought about how normal such conversations had become. The day after his birthday, he had wondered through the main lobby on his way to the kitchens and found it crowded with people and luggage. He soon discovered that the last of the coven had arrived and was introduced to them at dinner. The manor that had seemed cold and mostly empty - even with the majority of the coven having arrived a while ago - was now crowded and warm. Of course, he didn't know everybody yet, but Derrick had assured him that he would have plenty of time to get to know everybody. Everyday this place felt more and more like home.
His room finally came into sight and he found himself yawning as he opened the door. He was glad to see that the fire was already going. Its warmth had permeated the room and was making him even drowsier than he already was.
He quickly undressed, tossing his robe into the hamper to be given a proper wash, (cleaning charms could only do so much after all) and settled into bed. He had learnt that he now didn't like to sleep in night clothes. He wasn't able to get comfortable if he had a robe on. What had once been an extra layer of warmth was now more like a snake wrapping itself tighter and tighter around him with every movement. He found the covers oftened seemed to heavy now and so often slept only with the sheet pulled up. Harry snuggled into the pillow and was asleep in seconds.
~~~~~~~~~~ Several Hours Later
An unconcious Harry didn't notice the green flare of the fire. Nor did he notice the tall figure that stepped out of the flames before they resumed their natural color.
The dark sillouhette shook the soot from its robes before scanning the room. His eyes caught on the person sleeping in the bed. If he hadn't been worried about getting caught before he meant to be he would have cursed. He had chosen this wing carefully. He knew that it was reserved for guests and hadn't expected anyone to be here, what with old acquintances popping up. 'Of course,' he thought, 'the one time it may have helped and my paranoia fails me.'
He started to move slowly towards the door, keeping an eye on the bed. Finally, he was only a few feet from his goal. A quick look at the still sleeping body on the bed and he closed his eyes. He would rely on a different sense to discover if there were any guards or passerby's in the hall. Inhaling through his nose, he was unprepared for the delicious aroma that seem to spread throughout his body.
His reaction was instantaneous and completely out of his control. He opened his eyes, the room around him came into sharp focus. It felt like someone else that walked towards the bed, sitting down on the edge and leaning over the sleeping boy. He was beautiful. Long, black hair and fine features. Skin a warm exotic color that seemed to glow in the firelight and - Oh Gods! - that scent! It was coming off the boy in waves.
He reached out a hand, touching the soft skin at the boys wrist before going up in a steady glide. His fingers moved past the elbow, hesitating when they reached the shoulder before continuing. A flick of his fingers moved the curtain of satin-sleek hair to reveal the gentle curve of the boys neck. His fangs had dropped almost before he knew it. However, the images produced by his imagination were not of draining the young body, but instead of marking it. Claiming it as his own.
'That's not right.' He thought, 'I haven't felt this way since... since I found my mate.' He remembered when he had first felt the bond with his destined mate. It was true that he had felt a little disappointed by the fact that he did not suddenly feel 'complete' like everyone was always telling him he would. But he had felt like he had found something very important and he had loved Tom more than his own life. 'And even when Tom changed, I stood by him. It was only when...' He winced in remembered pain as he thought of the agony he had felt when Tom had ripped his own soul to pieces in a desperate bid for imortality. 'Only when THAT happened did I turn to the so-called 'Light' for help.'
"Hmmm.." The sound caught his attention and he turned in time to catch the boys eyes fluttering open - revealing a somewhat familiar green - and his head turning to look at him. In mere seconds he was off the bed.
He was unable to hide his shock as he asked, "What are you doing here, Potter!?"
"whaa?" came the sleepy mumble from the bed. When Harry sat up the sheet pooled at his waist, showing off his naked torso and causing Severus to once again lose control.
Harry knew that he was being pinned to his bed, but he couldn't bring himself to be worried or afraid. The weight on top of him was comfortable and there was a nice scent filling his nose. It made his head kind of fuzzy and all he wanted to do was snuggle into the that warmth. Slowly he became aware of a vibration against his neck. 'Ah, that sound... Growling?' That confused him. Everything felt so nice, why would someone be growling? And finally, Harry potter came to his senses enough to realize that a strange man was PINNING him to his BED in a bedroom in a HEAVILY WARDED mansion full of VAMPIRES who all had super senses. The thought 'How the hell did he get in?' was quickly followed by 'How the hell do I get out of this?'
It was by sheer stubborness that Severus was able to prevent himself from marking the boy, but that was all he could manage. No matter how he tried he couldn't force his body to move away from Potter. Every instinct he had was screaming 'MINE!'. It wasn't until the body beneath his stiffened and that sweet scent was tainted with the bitterness of fear that he regained control of his motor functions. He propped himself up on his hands, leaving the rest of his body in contact with Harry's. The movement revealed that they were both highly aroused by the the others proximity.
"What, pray tell, are you -" Severus' question was cut off by the door slamming open and the arrival of several worried and armed vampires. Derrick was at the head of the group (of course) and had his wand levelled at Snape looking all to ready to use it.
"Get. Off. Him." Derricks tone was clipped and his eyes held deadly intent. Severus very slowly removed himself from the bed. "What did you think you were doing, sneaking into my manor in the middle of the night? Your master must have regained much of his former power if he got you through our wards without an instant alert."
"Um... excuse me, but I'd really rather you didn't kill my potion professor in front of me." Harry said from the bed. "And I WOULD like to know whats been going on."
Derrick continued to glare at Snape for a bit before sighing, "Alright. Tyr, Kirin, keep your wands ready. You'll be escorting us to my office. The rest of you can return to your duties." Everyone filed out, including Snape, Derrick and the assigned guards. Harry threw on a clean robe and went to join the others.
~~~~ Derricks' Office
"- And thats why we've been keeping you so busy. We didn't want to worry you when you already had so much to deal with." Derrick finished.
"...So it appears that he sent Professor Snape, huh? But how did he get passed the wards?"
"I'm not exactly sure, but I do have an idea. You used the floo right? During the last war, we had all but three of our floo connections cut off. Each of those three only connect to one place, Safe houses that, likewise, connect only to the manor. A directed 'Notice-Me-Not' charm must have been in the notes. As soon as the first one was opened it would have been activated, keeping the floo's out of sight and out of mind.. As for the wards, *sigh* There is no such thing as a perfect ward. It IS impossible for ours to not be tripped by foreign magic, but it ISN'T impossible for the alert to be ...delayed."
Harry nodded in understanding, "But there is one thing thats bugging me: Why did nobody see fit to inform me that my professor is a vampire? Honestly, I'm going to be in the guys class this year and nobody said anything?"
"Quite." Snape intoned with his usual sneer. "Although I'm not sure you have any right to say anything about, Potter, seeing as you have completely failed to inform ANYONE about your Incubus status."
"It's not like I purposefully kept it from anyone! I've just recently gotten to the point where I can be up and about for a significant length of time without getting exhausted, y'know!"
"Hmm, yes well, that aside, I believe there is another matter of importance I should inform you of: We're mates."
"...but Toms your mate." Derrick replied, looking a bit disturbed.
"Really now, Derrick, you know as well as I that multiple mates is possible. It isn't even that uncommon and as you and I both know, the fact that Harry and I are mates means that Harry and Tom are mates as well. Which actually may explain a lot of what has been happening the last few months." The Hogwarts professor suddenly found himself the object of both mens scrutiny. "Tom's been ... odd lately. It's almost like he's caught between 'Tom' and 'Voldemort'. Me and Lucius have done our best to keep him away from the others, but his inner circle aren't used to being locked out. We were the ones who sent the letters to you. We had hoped to do it in a manner that would peak your interest enough to agree. However, we didn't count on young Harry living here. I must say that I understand your reluctance."
"Right. Fuck." Derrick rubbed at the spot between his eyes where he could feel the slight increase in pressure the told of a migraine in the near future before continuing, "Kirin, please inform those involved in the situation to meet me in the library. I do believe Severus will be impressed with our efforts." he ignored the raised eyebrow that got him from the potions professor, leading the way to the kitchen so he could make sure Harry got something to eat before the meeting began.
When they entered the library they found not only the research team, but Roarke, Axis, Kurt, Telemachus, and Harper as well. Severus used his newely returned wand (it having been taken from him in Derricks office) to summon two chairs, sitting in one and motioning for Harry to take the other. Harry was hesitant, but decided that he would have to get used to being close to the man. As mates they would no doubt be spending a lot of time together.
Derrick hopped up onto the main desk before starting. "It appears that we were all both wrong and right concerning Tom's condition. Severus here has been kind enough to tell us that Toms' moods have been eratic. Sometimes, He acts as Voldemort. Others, he acts like Tom. I've brought him here to show him our efforts and so that he can tell all of us about a theory he has. Harry, since it was your idea why don't you explain to him what we have been trying to accomplish."
Harry hesitated, glancing at his professor/mate ('gods, THAT'S going to take some getting used to!' he thought) before saying, "When I first met Derrick and the others, I had alot of questions for them. None of the answers were very easy to deal with, but I eventually learned that Tom only became Voldemort after being hit by a Aurors Curse. No one could say what the curse was and I coudn't find any records of anything that was nearly powerful enough to change someones behavior so profoundly.
"I spent alot of time in the library reading up on the last war. But thats not all I read about. There's a very old journal in here that I had glimpsed through and had wanted to read all the way through, so I put it aside. When the first owl came, I listened to everyone's opinions and the arguments they had. Something Koga said made me think of an entry in the journal that I had found Interesting." Harry was gradually growing more excited as he continued. His eyes lit up with delight as he explained how he had shown the others the passage in the journal and told them about his Stone Henge theory. Severus carefully absorbed the boys behaviour and the intelligence his discovery showed. When he had first realized that Potter was his other mate, he had been disappointed and a little angry. Now though, It had become obvious that there were many things he didn't know about Harry. Though he was loather to admit it, perhaps he had let his history with the boys father affect his behavior. He looked forward to getting to know the real Harry Potter. " - and we recently manage to eliminate all but three of the descendants. We've had trouble tracking the last three down though."
"That's rather ingenious. I'm quite impressed. If my theory is correct though you wont need to find the last descendants."
"How so?" asked an interested Kurt.
"You all know that Tom is my mate. What none of us knew until an hour ago was that Harry is also my mate, meaning he is also Tom's. It wasn't until Harry's blood was used to revive Voldemorts body that His behavior started to change. At first it was as gradual as the original curse had been. Eventually, however, me and Lucius noticed the change. We had hoped it would continue in such a manner until he returned to his old self, but it seems that he's hit somewhat of a wall. We had contacted you because we thought you might be able to lend us the use of your resources, though now it seems possible that the only thing that was missing was my own blood. If it was indeed Harry's - one of his mates' - blood that started to reverse the curse then it is entirely possible that the addition of his other mates' blood will completely reverse the curse." The previously quiet room exploded with noise as everyone started to excitedly discuss the possibility of getting the war back on track, returning to the front lines and fighting for equality and ideals that they had long since feared as a lost cause. "There are a few problems that we will have to overcome, the least of which are Voldemorts inner circle. Most of them have grown quite fond of the way the 'Dark Lord' has been doing things. There is also the small matter of the horcruxes. Before we fully cure Tom, it would be best if we return his soul to its former glory. Otherwise we might end up with Voldemort anyway."
"The original curse was stronger even than the spell that creates a horocrux. We might very well find that if blood magic can cure him of the curse, it could pull the pieces of his soul back together. Besides, I think it would be best to get everything settled before sending Harry back to hogwarts. Even with one of his mates there, with Dumbledore as the headmaster he's not completely safe. The old man's used him before, I don't want to see it happen again."
There was a general murmur of agreement before the sound of someone clearing their throat got everyones attention. They all turned to hear the boy in question say "I don't think that that will be too much of a problem..." he could practically feel the raised eybrow of the man sitting next too him. "Harper, You remember the big package I got from Gringotts on my birthday? The one you put up to give to me the day after? Well, it was a list of the assets I gained when I came-of-age. One of which was Gryffindor house and a 3rd of Hogwarts. Apparently, the Potters were the last of the Gryffindor line. I can pretty much do what I want, short of seriously hurting someone, and he can't touch me." Harry glanced at the man next to him nervously, awaitning the usual scorn he recieved because of the others belief that he led an 'undeservedly privileged' life. So he was surprised when all he found was his professor looking at him with curiousity - and something else.
"It would seem, Harry, that there is much I have to learn about you." The longer he looked into those dark depths, the hotter the room seemed to get. Harry started to squirm in his chair, trying to relieve the pressure between his legs. It wasn't until the potions professor looked away that he realized that he had just gotten hard in front of his friends. He was mortified. "Normally, I would say that to assume the outcome of something that has never been tried before is irresponsible, arrogant, and just plain stupid. However I must admit that everything about this whole ordeal has been so much more than 'normal'. I'm willing to give it a chance, but I will not withold the 'I told you so's if it fails."
There were a few chuckles and then the noise in the room started to grow as everyone started working out a plan. Severus rolled his eyes and grabbed Harry's hand. Standing up he made his way through the excited crowd, exiting the library. "Umm.. Professor? Shouldn't we be helping them?" He gave a shout of surprise as the man in question stopped suddenly before turning and pushing him up against the wall. Before he could react, lips were on his and the mans body was pressed as close to his as their position allowed. He couldn't preven himself from thrusting his hips and moaned into his mates mouth when he felt the others hardness in the hollow of his hip.
Slowly, the other man pulled away allowing them to catch their breath. "I assure you Harry, they know what they are doing. They only need my insight into Tom's moods for the fine details and your part in all this has already been played. on the other hand, I can smell the pheromones building. Your thrall is developing. We are going to your bedroom, where I will teach you how to control it - after I Claim you." The last was growled into Harry's ear, sending a shiver down his spine. 'Fuck, thats hot!' he thought, as he was once again pulled down the hall.
A/N:) Another cliffy! This one has taken longer and the grammar is probably crap, but here is the new chapter! Also, I feel that I should warn you that there is a possibility of me ending 'The Enemy Of My Enemy' after Toms return. Don't despair though! If I feel that it is necessary, I will come back to the story after one or two of my other fics are updated or finished and write a sequel. After all, no one likes loose ends. On the other hand, this story has really started to pick up and I might go ahead and finish this first. I'll try to keep my thoughts focused on this story, though, so you guys won't have to deal with the interruption. Either way, I hope you enjoy the chapter!