Disclaimer: Usually I write out a very specific disclaimer explaining exactly what it is I don't own but I find myself not really interested in doing so this time as it is very tedious. Suffice it to say I own nothing that was created by anyone else and I am not making any money off of this story or any of the other stories I have written.
Warnings: Mild to moderate violence, character death, foul language, brief mentions of implied rape (no descriptions), alternate universe (i.e. kiss canon goodbye), angst, drama, Dumbledore and Snape bashing, implied bashing of select Weasleys (no specifics mentioned), OOC moments, and who knows what else.
AN: This story is self-beta'd; so there may be occasional grammatical or spelling errors that crop up every now and then and for those I apologize in advance.
CHAPTER WARNING: This chapter contains mentions of implied rape (no details have been given).
Chapter 3: The Complicated Art of Spying
The moment Heero noticed that Harry was slowly waking up, he tucked his chin against his chest, regulated his breathing, and dropped his eyelids down so it appeared that he was sleeping sitting up against the wall. Through the thin crack between his eyelids, Heero watched as Harry slowly uncurled from beneath the covers and stretched; noting the way the kid flinched and hissed as if the act of stretching had aggravated an injury. Mentally frowning, he watched the kid twist awkwardly around to stare nervously in his direction before he crawled out of the bed and crept stiffly closer to where Heero was seated.
Tensing his muscles, Heero waited to see if the kid was going to attack him only to see the kid open a trunk and climb inside. Heero barely resisted the urge to learn forward in order to see what the kid was doing, which turned out to be a good thing since the kid reappeared not two minutes later carrying a bundle of clothes, a jar of cream, and a roll of gauze. Only long years of practice and strict discipline prevented Heero from frowning or opening his eyes as he continued to monitor the child. That was a good thing too; since Harry spent at least five minutes watching him at that point as if to make certain he wasn't going to wake up any time soon.
The kid then gingerly crossed the room and disappeared into the bathroom; each step the kid took spoke loudly of the pain he must have been feeling though not a single sound passed through the Harry's lips. Heero allowed a frown to curl his lips downward as he listened to the muttered curses floating back into the room as the boy did whatever it was he was doing before the sound of running water cut off his words. The thing that troubled Heero the most about discovering his pint-sized host was wounded, was the fact that until he'd woken up that morning, Harry had shown no signs of being injured.
Logically, that meant one of three things; the kid had a very high pain tolerance, had some damn good pain meds, or had actually been injured sometime during the night. Heero was certain he could rule out the last one due to the fact that he'd seen no evidence of the kid being injured when he'd woken up from his nightmare the night before. The blue eyed pilot wasn't certain which of the first two possibilities bothered him more though; since many pain medications could be harmful to young children in even small doses and a high pain tolerance generally meant frequent and/or prolonged exposure to pain.
Fifteen minutes later, the boy walked confidently out of the bathroom; all traces of his earlier pain gone. As he crossed the room, Harry intently watched Heero with those cynical green eyes. The kid actually slowed to a stop when he pulled even with Heero and stood there staring at him for several long minutes before he gave a soft snort, shook his head, and continued on his way to the other bed. Heero scowled for a split second as he tried to figure out what just happened but quickly cleared his face when the kid snapped his head around to glance in his direction.
Once satisfied with whatever it was he was looking for, Harry turned away again and began making his bed. It was readily apparent to Heero that it was a task the kid had done often as it only took a few minutes for the kid to straighten the covers. After finishing with the bed, the kid began cleaning up the rest of the room; frequently casting glances in his direction before angling his body as if to hide whatever it was he was doing before he disappeared into the bathroom a second time.
It was puzzling behavior and Heero couldn't tell if it was because the kid somehow knew he was awake or if he just feared he'd wake up any minute. Another oddity cropped up when Harry came back out of the bathroom carrying both the clothes he'd slept in and Heero's original clothes he'd worn beneath his spacesuit; both sets of clothes obviously clean though that should have been impossible. Harry nervously dropped Heero's clothes on the bed, tossed his own into the stone wardrobe, and then slipped through the curtain separating the sleeping area from the larger room.
Heero waited another ten minutes before he acted like he was just waking up, yawning and stretching as he rubbed at his eyes and worked out the non-existent kinks in his neck. He then grabbed his clean clothes and headed into the bathroom to take his own shower. When he walked back into the bedroom just a few minutes later, Heero half expected Harry to have delivered a plate of food as he had the day before but was actually pleased that he hadn't since that gave him the perfect excuse to go exploring.
He spent a moment glancing about the room he'd spent the night in (to make certain he hadn't missed anything the first time he searched the room) before he slipped through the curtain blocking off the bedroom. Unlike the first time he'd been in the slightly larger room, Heero took a moment to take in the details of the room. Like the bedroom and bathroom, the room's walls, floor, and ceiling were made of stone and was sparsely furnished with stone furniture.
A waist high (to an eight year old) counter and sink sat against the western wall beside which sat a second trunk that appeared identical to the one in the bedroom. Sitting on top of the counter was a large bowl filled with an assortment of fresh fruit, a cutting board, and a butcher's knife. A rather modest sized table and a single chair sat just a few feet away from the counter. The entire arrangement gave that part of the room the appearance of a kitchen slash dining area.
Centered on the southern wall there was a child-sized stone desk, a second chair, and yet another trunk that looked exactly like the first one. Just to the left of the desk was a pair of stone couches situated in such a way that they partially blocked off the area and gave the impression of an office area or a den. The curtain that blocked off the hidden bedroom and bathroom niche took up about half of the northern wall while the eastern wall appeared to be completely bare.
There were a couple of things that bothered Heero about the entire set up though and it took him a moment to realize what they were; first was the fact that the entire house was very sparsely furnished (something along the lines of a bachelor pad rather than a family dwelling) and more importantly there was no exit. Turning about in a full circle, Heero searched the walls again but still found no evidence of a door; meaning the actual exit was well hidden or there was some secret method of entering and exiting the house.
Heero refused to allow himself to panic; he clearly recalled Harry telling him that if he wished to leave all he had to do was tell the boy and he would be shown the way out. He was just pondering the connotations of the scarcity of the furniture when the sound of a child's voice drew Heero's attention back to the study area where he suddenly found Harry standing beside the third trunk muttering to himself as he flipped between the pages of a book he was holding.
"Deprimo sounds like it would be far stronger than Confringo but Defodio is meant to gouge which means it would actually bore a hole through the stone instead of blow it up. The only problem is that both Deprimo and Defodio require far more power which means I would only exhaust myself further at this point unless I wait a couple of days first. I don't like the idea of just leaving them out in plain sight though because they stick out like a sore thumb; wards or no wards. I suppose I could try making them smaller first but there's no guarantee that will work because of how big the stupid things are."
"Is there something I can do to help you with whatever it is you are trying to do?"
Harry yelped as he dropped the book and spun around to face Heero while clutching his heart and Heero couldn't resist smirking at the younger boy. The smirk then grew larger as the kid glared at him before he bent down to pick up the book that he'd dropped as he muttered dire threats and promises beneath his breath that Heero knew for certain he was not meant to hear.
"I apologize for startling you," Heero stated, the amusement in his blue eyes giving away the little white lie as Harry's glare turned darker; revealing that the kid was well aware that Heero was being insincere. "I couldn't help but overhear your concerns and I would not mind helping you in order to repay you for saving me from possible death or worse a trip to the hospital."
To Heero's surprise Harry began snickering about the hospital comment as he clutched his stomach and for some strange reason barked out the words Hermione, death, and expelled. Five minutes later, the laughter cut off just as abruptly as it started and the kid sighed as a pained expression crept across his face before he shook his head and pressed both hands to his face for several minutes while his shoulders shook with suppressed sobs that Heero could just barely make out. Heero was curious as to what could have generated such a reaction from the kid but didn't have much time to think contemplate that thought as the kid stiffened suddenly and glanced back up at him with shadowed green eyes.
"Sorry," Harry hoarsely apologized (to Heero's surprise and slight confusion), his entire demeanor submissive and embarrassed. "I didn't mean to be so rude; I'm not really used to company, you see, and I completely forgot you were here. I hope I didn't offend you."
"No offense taken," Heero automatically replied as he watched Harry like a hawk as the boy shuffled the book he held back and forth in his hands. When the kid said nothing further he pointedly stated, "You never did answer my question."
"Your offer was appreciated but unnecessary as there is nothing you can do to help me," Harry replied absently as he opened the book and nervously flipped through the pages without taking his eyes off of Heero. "Please help yourself to some of the fresh fruit sitting on the counter, if you are hungry. I should be back around lunch time; at which time I can show you the way out if you wish to leave."
"Ah… are you certain I can't go with you and give you a hand?"
"Quite certain; as you would only be in my way and you would most likely end up getting hurt or possibly killed by falling debris. Don't worry; I am more than capable of handling the not quite small project I am working on. I know I don't have much of anything for you to do but feel free to make yourself at home."
To Heero's shock the boy simply disappeared once more; seemingly melting through the stone of the eastern wall. After a minute, he shook himself out of his stupor and muttered a frustrated, "Damn kid has to be the most annoying person I have ever encountered."
Growling, Heero stalked over to the kitchen counter and plucked a couple random pieces of fruit out the bowl as he frowned over the mysterious behavior of the small child he was currently staying with. Two minutes later, the cave shook beneath what felt like a huge explosion followed by a series of smaller explosions that somehow seemed more forceful than the first. The knowledge that the kid was the one creating the explosions, if what he'd been muttering about before he left the room was to be believed, meant that this would be the perfect time for Heero to do some snooping to find out what he could learn about the kid.
First, he spent a good fifteen to twenty minutes searching along the east wall for the exit, only to grow frustrated when he couldn't even find a hidden seam to indicate the presence of a secret door. He turned his attention to the trunks next, since the kid was always climbing inside of them, only to discover that they had some kind of advanced security system installed on them because nothing he tried allowed him to unlock the blasted things let alone pick one up to inspect the bottom side. His next target was the desk and he half expected to run into the same security as he'd found on the trunks only to find himself a little shocked when he discovered it was not similarly protected.
Digging through the mostly empty desk turned up nothing but an oversized wooden cigar box that Heero took out and set on top of the desk. Inside he found what appeared to be a bunch of weird toys (including a detailed model motorcycle), a few rather small handwritten journals, a bunch of carved sticks, a pair of rings, two sets of tiny keys, a miniature version of the trunks sitting about the cave, and a rather thick folder that was no bigger than the inside of the box. Dismissing most of the things inside of the box as useless junk, Heero lifted out the folder and opened it to find a well worn envelope addressed to someone named Harry (which Heero assumed to be his child-host) sitting on top of a bunch of thick papers.
Contemplating his find for a moment, Heero glanced in the direction of the eastern wall as he tried to determine just how much time he had. The slow and steady barrage of constant explosions reassured him that he was in no danger of being discovered anytime soon and Heero pulled the envelope open, removed the letter contained inside, and settled himself on the edge of the desk as he unfolded the thick paper and began reading.
Hey Pup,
By the time you read this, you will no longer be in Hogwarts and I will most likely be dead.
I am sorry that there wasn't enough time to properly prepare you for your journey or to
answer the questions I know you must have. I wish there had been another way but time
has been working against me since the moment I came back in order to save you. There is
so much you need to know.
Before you read any further though, I need you to take the three potions I left in the box
this letter was attached to; red first, then green, and finally the yellow one. It will only
take a few minutes for them to kick in and they should help you deal with the pain I am
pretty certain you are still feeling. Trust me on this, Pup. Did you take them yet? I really
hope so as they will help you. I guess that means I owe you an explanation now.
To start with, Pup; Dumbledore is not the kind old grandfather that he likes to portray
himself as and he has been meddling in your life, and the lives of many others, since
before you were born; since before your grandfather was born actually. Every negative
experience you've had throughout your life was instigated or encouraged by the old goat.
If you feel the need to know exactly what he did, you can read through the three journals
that I nicked from him and included in the box this letter was attached to. I don't have the
time to explain everything here and there are more important things you need to know.
I'll warn you now; you won't like what you find in his journals.
Next, the pain you were feeling earlier was the result of the magical purgative I fed you
before I sent you on your way. The potion will have striped your body and magic of the
various spells and blocks that had been placed upon you by Dumbledore or one of his
agents throughout your lifetime.
It will have also unblocked a number of memories that had been hidden from you through
the years. Sadly, one can't pick and choose the memories that are restored; which means
that you no doubt remember all of the terrible things Snivellus did to you and the
humiliating things that he forced you to do during the countless detentions he assigned to
you during the past four years.
I'm sorry, Pup, I'd have left those particular memories dead and buried if I could.
Heero turned a bit green as he considered the implications of the last couple of sentences while he wondered what the old man mentioned in the letter had done. He was also more than a little confused since several parts of the letter appeared to be written in some sort of code; parts that made absolutely no sense. Swallowing the bile he felt rising in the back of his throat, Heero checked to make certain the explosions still continued before he dove back into the letter.
The second thing you need to know is that I tried to gather everything you'd ever need to
survive on your own because I have no idea where you will end up and only hope it will
be enough. Additionally, I packed up all of your personal belongings from your dorm
room. You will find everything in the box that was with this letter.
Unfortunately, I couldn't send Hedwig with you because she would not have survived the
trip; I made certain she'll be taken care of for the rest of her life though.
Damn it, Pup, there are a hundred other things I need and want to tell you but I just don't
have the time. I left you all of my memories, minus the twelve years I spent in Azkaban, so
you can not only get to know your parents but learn the rest of what I needed to tell you. I
also left you my personal grimoire, the Marauder's grimoire that your father, Remus, the
traitor, and I started while at Hogwarts, and the grimoire your parents began putting
together shortly after they married (unfinished though it is).
There are only three more things I can to tell you right now. First, I'm sending you to a
different world where you will at least have a chance to live your life free from the
corruption that plagues this world. Second, you're the son I never had and I only wish I
could have been there when you needed me most so that I could have spared you all the
needless pain you've experienced over the past thirteen years.
And finally, live, Harry, and live well. Don't dwell on the past and don't let the terrible
things you've seen and done destroy the wonderful person I know you are. None of the
things you were forced to do were your fault, so please don't blame yourself for them. I
know it will be difficult to move past all of that but I left you with enough distractions
that you should at least be able to find something else to occupy your mind with. If that
doesn't work, try howling at the moon or find someone to talk to.
I am proud of you, Harry, and I will never forget you.
Sirius Black
The Father Dog and Marauder of the Padded Foot
Long live the son of the Mighty Prongs and his Gilded Lily Flower
P.S. For the instructions to access the trunks; you'll need to use the password again as
you press your wand to the spot directly below this post script.
Heero frowned as he finished the letter and carefully folded it back up before returning it to the envelope and placing it the tiny folder where he'd found it. He then glanced at a few of the other papers inside the folder and quickly realized that they were medical reports that he assumed had been reduced on a copier.
He skimmed through them and found himself mildly shocked at the sheer number of injuries that the kid had suffered through over what appeared to be a period of four years and disgusted over the confirmation that one of the kid's teacher's had repeatedly forced himself on the kid. There were also several more confusing references to some sort of core, spells, potions, and something called unforgivables.
Heero carefully placed everything back into the order in which he found it and tucked everything back into the file. He then shifted through the handwritten journals, pulled out one of the ones labeled as A. Dumbledore, and began skimming through the pages. Some three hours later, Heero numbly replaced the third Dumbledore Journal back into the box and set the box back inside the drawer where he'd originally found it.
The journals had answered a few questions that the original letter had raised, inspired a hundred new questions, and left Heero unbalanced and feeling more than a little dirty. Wandering away from the desk as he listened to the continued sound of destruction coming from somewhere nearby, Heero absently bit into the fruit he'd picked up earlier and choked the food down even though it tasted like ash in his mouth. Time and time again he found his eyes being drawn back to the desk where the box was practically taunting him from its place inside of the bottom drawer.
"You need to pull yourself together, Heero," the young pilot muttered as he tossed out the pit of the peach he'd just finished. "You are here to destroy OZ; not look after some troubled kid with a horrible past. Dr. J is counting on me to do my job and the first thing I need to do is destroy the Gundam so it doesn't fall into enemy hands. When everything is over, if I live; I can always come back and find the kid. Or better yet I can knock him unconscious, take him with me, and drop him off at the first orphanage I find so he can be properly cared for."
The continued blasts shaking the cavern mocked Heero as he knew the kid would never allow himself to be caught off guard so easily. Even if he did manage it, the kid would probably run the first chance he got. Maybe he could talk the kid into going along willingly…? No, I doubt he'd be willing to do that given how independent he appears. Not to mention the fact that he would easily attract the attention of OZ with his attitude and the apparent skills he has; which means I'd be forced to face him at some point, Heero acknowledged as he began stretching out his stiff muscles.
He spent the rest of the morning and the first part of the afternoon doing push ups and sit ups in order to keep his body occupied and in optimum condition while allowing his mind to contemplate the situation with the kid. If only he had some way of contacting Dr. J, the wily old scientist would surely know someone trustworthy who could keep an eye on the kid. The sudden cessation of the constant explosions drew Heero out of his thoughts and he glanced down at his watch to find that it was well after two in the afternoon.
Climbing to his feet, he wiped the sweat from his face with the towel he taken from the bathroom and turned to face the east wall where he expected his diminutive host to reappear from since that was the direction in which he'd disappeared earlier. When the kid finally did reappear some thirty minutes later, he looked like death warmed over as he staggered into the cave and moved passed Heero without even glancing in his direction. Heero followed him out of mild concern and watched as the dust and blood covered kid disappeared into the bathroom.
When he came out ten minutes later he was far cleaner but still walking like the living dead as he shuffled over to the trunk sitting at the foot of the bed Heero had sat on all night. The kid lifted the lid without any of the trouble Heero had run into and climbed down inside. Leaning against the wall beside the curtain, Heero waited for the kid to come out, curious as to what he could possibly be doing inside of the trunk. He was more than a little shocked when the kid climbed back out just a few minutes later and no longer moved as if he'd gone three days straight without sleep or looked so gray.
"Drugs aren't the answer you know," Heero couldn't help remarking as he crossed his arms and leveled a glare at the kid in front of him.
"Don't you know it's rude to spy on your host?" Harry countered in reply as he brushed by the taller teen without another word.
"You wouldn't need the drugs if you allowed others to help you instead of driving yourself into the ground."
"First of all, I am not taking drugs. Second of all, it'd be none of your business if I was. Third, I don't need or want any help; not that there is anyone here who could help me anyway. And fourth, you don't know anything about me; so do me a favor and keep your unsolicited advice and comments to yourself. I have far more important things to do than listen to you tell me how to take care of myself; something, I might add, that I've been doing since I was four years old."
"And you appear to be doing such a wonderful job of it," Heero sneered sarcastically as he turned to follow the kid. "A supposed seventeen year old who looks no more than eight years old? Either you are lying about your age or you've been barely getting by. You'd be better off seeking shelter with the church or turning yourself back into the orphanage so they can properly take care of you."
"Yeah, that sounds like a smart thing to do; give up my freedom in exchange for some other manipulative bastard to steal everything I have and brainwash me into doing their dirty work so they can look good. Sorry, I think I'm going to have to pass," Harry coldly spat back as he spun around and glared at Heero. "Been there, done that, and have a dozen or two commemorative robes to prove it. Or, at least, I did until I torched them two weeks after I moved into my cave."
"Not all adults are like that," Heero tried to assure the child.
"You're right; there are many that are far worse. There are those that will practically starve you, lock you in tiny dark cupboards, force you to cater to their every whim, and cut you down with a million hurtful words every time they open their mouths. Then there are those violate your privacy, your memories, and your body without so much as a by-your-leave as they go about turning you into a sacrificial lamb for the slaughter."
"Those aren't the only…"
"I'm well aware that there are others that act as if they care for you, present you with gifts bought with the money they stole from your dead parents, and smile at your face while they laugh at you behind your back and plot your death. Then there are those that claim they care for you, that they only want the best for you, and in the end they just want to be rid of you; so they drop you in the middle of nowhere and tell you to be happy and find a life."
"There are still…"
"Anyone else who might possibly be trustworthy and who might actually give a damn is already dead; so do yourself a favor and don't waste your breath. I'm not leaving, I don't need anyone, and I don't care what else is out there. All I want is to be left alone in peace until death puts me out of my misery."
"Why not strap a bomb to your chest and speed up the process?" Heero snidely demanded as he grew frustrated with Harry's cynicism; conveniently forgetting that his spacesuit had just such a device built into it that he would have willingly set off if the need arose.
"Oh, yeah, that's really brilliant advice from the peanut gallery. You really should make up your mind on if you're going to portray the falsely concerned citizen or the evil overlord in the making; because switching between the two only makes you look like an even bigger idiot."
"How about I knock you unconscious and ship you off to the nearest mental institution instead since you are so obviously mentally unbalanced?"
"Was that supposed to be some kind of threat? Quite a step down from the cold 'I will kill you' you offered up last night, don't ya think? What's next? Are you going to offer to be my nanny and promise to protect me from the big bad world?" Harry shot back caustically. "Merlin; and you call me unhinged? You know what; I think it's time for you to leave."
Heero watched the kid head down into the trunk in the kitchen and disappear inside of it before reappearing carrying a canvas bag filled with what looked like food in one hand. The kid shoved the bag into Heero's arms as he walked passed him to gather up the clothes the pilot had worn the night before, which had been cleaned at one point (though Heero had no idea how or when), and Heero's space suit (also now clean) and shoved both into Heero's arms as well.
"I don't have all day," Harry barked as he stopped beside the eastern wall and crossed his arms as he glared at Heero and tapped his foot impatiently.
"Who said I was leaving?"
"I did… you've overstayed your welcome."
"And if I choose not to leave?"
"You won't like the results," Harry snapped back without any hesitation as he fingered the hilt of the sword that was once again shoved through his belt though Heero was certain that it hadn't been there just five minutes earlier.
"I guess I have no choice but to comply," Heero muttered with barely suppressed irritation at how quickly everything had gotten out of hand. "Do you at least have something I can put my things in so they are a little easier to carry?"
The kid huffed and glared at the pilot for nearly half a minute before he stalked back into the bedroom area. He was gone for nearly twenty minutes this time and returned carrying a rather ugly looking backpack that he threw at Heero even as he stated, "This is all I got that I'm willing to part with."
Heero grunted as he caught the bag and packed everything the kid had shoved at him into it. Five minutes later, Heero was wearing a blindfold over his eyes as Harry led him out of the cave by pulling on his shirt; the younger boy taking care not to actually touch Heero. The entire trip seemed to be over in an instant; one second he was standing inside the somewhat cool interior of the cave and the next he was standing outside breathing in the salty ocean air and feeling the gentle heat of the sun beating down on him.
There was a brief moment in between when he thought he felt a familiar tingle run across his skin (not unlike the feeling that he got each time he sat in the cockpit of his Gundam) but it was gone as quick as it appeared and he couldn't be certain he'd felt what he thought he had.
"You can take the blindfold off now," Harry instructed as he dropped Heero's shirt as if it had suddenly caught fire. "I doubt you'll have any problems finding your way off the island from here."
Heero removed the annoying scrap of fabric and blinked his eyes in the sudden brightness of the afternoon sun as he stared out at a seemingly endless stretch of beach in front of him. He then turned around to see where the kid had gone only to freeze as his eyes swept over the large pile of scrap metal sitting on the beach near the cliff before landing on two very familiar mobile suits carelessly sprawled on the sand. The instant he recognized his Gundam, his ears began ringing and he saw red as he dropped the bag of supplies, pulled out his gun, and charged at the boy who'd stupidly turned his back on him.
03-12-16: This chapter has replaced with an edited and revised edition that added forty-six words to the story content and removed any unnecessary author's notes. ~ Jenn