Well, bad news for anyone following Nocturne. It may not see the light of day as a full story...though that's because a better idea came along. One that substantially changes the story, and if I can make it work, it may become my first full Potterverse/Darkstalkers story.

You see, earlier today, I posted a challenge (on the forums of DZ2, whitetigerwolf, and Lupine Horror, if you're interested) based on Darkstalkers. And after looking back on the challenge I posted, I actually realised, I wanted to do it myself, as it actually sets up a more interesting story, one that I can hybridise with a few other challenges. If it screws up, I might go back to Nocturne and work on it more.

Basically, it has Lilith, or rather, the sentient bit of Morrigan's power that becomes Lilith, ends up as part of either Harry, or a female Harry. And in a moment of trauma for Harry or female Harry...their powers awaken. If you want to read the challenge, feel free to do so here:

topic/88470/167490510/1/Morrigan-s-Power-Reborn-Harry-Potter-Darkstalkers-challenge

Still, I won't leave you hanging with just one chapter of Nocturne. So, have another. Enjoy.

NOCTURNE (REVISED)

CHAPTER 2:

CREATURES OF THE NIGHT

There was a pub known to a number of types, an isolated bar avoided by most people. Like the legendary Yellow Flag bar of Roanapur in Thailand, it was filled with undesirables. Unlike the Yellow Flag, many of the clientele, strictly speaking, weren't human.

This place was in Whitby, Yorkshire, a place made famous as the setting for much of Bram Stoker's novel, Dracula. This was actually something of a bit of dark humour on the part of the proprietors. It was a place where the creatures of the night could gather, something of neutral ground.

Which was why Remus Lupin was here.

After being ushered into a private room by the proprietor, Remus sat down and waited. He was here to speak with an old acquaintance of his. Not a friend by any means, but not an enemy either. Rather, a fellow werewolf called Jon Talbain. He was on a mission from Dumbledore, one that had had mixed success at best so far. And he already knew what Talbain was likely to say to that proposal. It was the more personal one Remus wanted to know about.

The door opened, and a tall, handsome-looking man with a shock of silver hair standing on end walked in. He looked muscular and somewhat sardonic, and deceptively young, despite him being one of the oldest living werewolves. However, to Remus' annoyance, and perhaps fear, at least initially, he hadn't come alone. Though his fear abated when he saw who it was.

The other person looked like a woman, virtually naked, save for patches of what looked like white fluffy cloth on her breasts and groin. In fact, this was fur. Her legs and hands were white-furred oversized paws, and a white tail twitched excitedly from where it protruded from her rear. Her beautiful features were framed by tresses of sky blue hair, and she seemed to possess a pair of white cat ears.

"Good afternoon, Jon," Remus said. "But I thought I'd asked for you to come alone."

"Yes, and I ignored you. I don't take orders from you, Lupin," Jon Talbain said. "Any more than I'd take orders from Greyback or that snake he follows."

"Don't be like that, Jon," complained the young woman, speaking with a Southern accent(1). "Sheesh, I thought I'd managed to get you to lighten up a little."

"You thought wrong. Anyway, Lupin, this is…"

"Felicia, yes, I know. Something of a famous singer in the US," Remus said. "MACUSA has one hell of a time trying to cover up the fact that you're not in costume. It's a pleasure to meet you, though. I enjoy your work."

Felicia smiled. "Why, thank you! You're a more pleasant guy than this grump!"

Jon indicated the catwoman. "I picked up this stray while on the run from Night Warriors in Boston. We've been travelling together for a while. Just friends, though."

Remus nodded. His nose could tell that Jon thought of Felicia as such…and that Felicia, while she didn't mind if they were something more, accepted this. "Can you trust her?"

"In important things, yes," Jon said. "Anyway, let's hear what you have to say. Or rather, what Dumbledore has to say through you."

Remus sighed quietly. "Well, Dumbledore asked me to go around to some of the packs, and ask them to ally with us. Or, at the very least, not ally with Voldemort. I told him this was a fool's errand, given how badly our kind have been treated by the Ministry, and other such organisations across the world, but…"

"He still views the world with rose-tinted glasses," Jon sneered. "Stupid old bastard. Felicia may be an optimist, but she at least understands more than Dumbledore did. You can tell him, from me, that he won't expect me or anyone else I know to be his cannon fodder." His expression softened. "That being said, I won't say no to sabotaging packs submitting to Voldemort. Greyback still flees with his tail literally between his legs at the sight of me."

"That's probably the best I could ask for," Remus said, disappointed, but understanding. "However, I had another request, Jon."

"Hmm?"

"It's more of a personal request. I tried to get a hold of you sooner, but you were in the US at the time. Over a year ago, I forgot my Wolfsbane potion due to various issues, and lost control of Moony. I very nearly attacked and killed my honorary nephew and his friends. And you put yourself through training to control your wolf. I ask that you consider teaching me."

Jon frowned, leaning back in his chair, and thinking about it. "I made the offer to you just before you started teaching in Dumbledore's little fiefdom, and you refused," he said, the rebuke clear even in his gruff tone.

"Jon…he's asking for your help now," Felicia said.

"Maybe…but I have too much on my plate for now to train you personally," Jon said. "But I will give you pointers. A lot of what you can do, you can do with mundane martial arts, particularly those revolving around meditation and mental discipline. The rest, what my own sensei taught me, I will give you my notes on before long."

Remus sighed quietly. "That's better than I could have hoped for, given my earlier rejection. Also, I wanted to ask you, partly on my own behalf, and partly on Dumbledore's, do you know of anyone who could fill the Defence Against the Dark Arts post this year?"

"Nobody that the Ministry wouldn't object to," Jon scoffed. "There's a couple of Night Warriors I know who'd be great, but they wouldn't take it for one reason or another. There's a Night Warrior called Donovan, but I doubt he'd want to take it up, and if the Ministry finds out he's a Dhampir, they'd come after him. And you don't want BB Hood for obvious reasons."

Remus shuddered at the thought. Baby Bonny Hood was the pseudonym for a prodigy of a Night Warrior who had been hired by the Ministry a couple of times in the past couple of years. Despite her young age and the fact that she was a Muggle, BB Hood had racked up an impressive bodycount…but she also didn't seem to care about whether she killed innocent Darkstalkers or not. All while looking like Little Red Riding Hood.

"What about Hsien-Ko and Mei-Ling, Jon?" Felicia asked.

"Three good reasons, Felicia. Firstly, they're Chinese, and the Ministry here doesn't take kindly to foreign nationals meddling in their business. Secondly, they're young enough to still be going to Hogwarts. And thirdly, Hsien-Ko is a Jiang Shi."

Remus winced. All three points, especially the last one, would cause the Ministry to obstruct her, if not outright attack her. Jiang Shi were a form of Chinese vampire that drained lifeforce rather than blood, and not many of them were benign. "What are their skills, anyway?"

"Technically, Hsien-Ko is the Jiang Shi, and her sister, Mei-Ling, acts as a living seal to prevent her from losing her humanity. They're both expert exorcists, with Hsien-Ko acting as the physical fighter, and Mei-Ling works more on the mystical side of things. Why do you ask?"

"I was wondering whether they'd be amenable to a commission. With Voldemort's return, we might need novel means of stopping him, and a Chinese exorcist might be what we need."

Jon looked uncertain at that, before he reluctantly nodded. "I'll get in touch with them. We've met a couple of times before. But keep in mind, Lupin, they're not pawns for Dumbledore to shuffle about on a board. And neither are we. I'll send you a copy of your little regimen you will need to train to channel your wolf. And I'll have Hsien-Ko and Mei-Ling get in touch with Dumbledore later. Just remember, Lupin, you and Dumbledore are on the out with the Ministry…and so's your precious Boy Who Lived…"

Harry didn't know what to say to Morrigan's offer. On the one hand, he was angry with this Succubus for presuming he would accept his offer. On the other…if her intentions were genuine…

"Why would you help me?" he asked.

"Like I said, I'm bored. You know how boring it is, being the heiress to the rulership of Makai? I've had a little peek through your memories, and I have to say, it's not far off from your History of Magic classes. Anyway, boredom is a very real danger for a Succubus, especially once they come of age. One of the things our bodies require is a substance, created through physical or mental stimulation…although we can also extract that substance by feeding on the dreams of mortals. And souls, of course. I am yet to feed on a soul, though…and perhaps with you, I won't need to for some time yet. Magical power is a most excellent substitute, and it's renewable. It is why some Succubi assented to becoming the familiars of wizards and witches. Not that my father would see it that way. Well, adoptive father. Anyway, my point is, while I doubt I have given you any reason to trust me, you're more interesting to me alive and kicking than dead. We Succubi are creatures of impulse and passion and whims. And my offer to become your familiar is one of those whims."

At this, Harry groaned quietly. "You're not going to let me refuse, are you?"

"I believe I said that before, didn't I?" She strutted over to him, and smiled. This smile was a softer, gentler one than the more mischievous or lustful ones she had flashed him before. "I'm not going to hurt you, Harry," she said, gently stroking his cheek with her hand. "If anything, I will hurt your enemies."

"Or kill them? Suck out their souls?"

"Depends. While I could do that to many of my enemies, I have standards."

He was hit by a sudden revelation. "Merlin, you're like a sexy Dementor."

Morrigan grimaced. "Ugh, don't say something so gauche like that. Dementors are a cousin race of Succubi, but instead of provoking lust, they provoke depression and fear. Anyway, those we Succubi consume spend eternity in ultimate bliss, whereas those in Dementors just get digested. Of course, I find it highly ironic that the Ministry doesn't trust us enough to act as their executioners, but trust those horrid things. A shame, really. I'd imagine it'd be a much more pleasant means of execution to the prisoners. Not that many would deserve such a reward."

"And how do I know I can trust you?"

"I'm not sure you can…but we've known each other for a few weeks now, even if it was only in dreams. I'd like to think we're friends, even if you don't think so."

"Then…if you know so much about me, do you know anything about what's going on in Magical Britain? Whether Voldemort has made his move, or whether Fudge still disbelieves me about his return?"

"The affairs of Magical Britain mean little to me, but I guess I can find out. The few mundane holdings we have in Britain are administered through Gringotts. Though if anyone would know, it's my father."

Yes, her father…the ruler of this place. Harry peeked out of a window, at a landscape that wasn't too far removed from an idea of Hell, despite Morrigan's protestations to the contrary. Red sky, an evil-looking volcano in the distance…yeah, he didn't like this place that much. "We're not going to meet him, are we?"

At this, Morrigan looked uncertain. "…Ah. He probably knows already that I'm back."

As if on cue, there was a knock on the door. "Lady Morrigan?" rasped a voice. "Your lord father requires your presence. As well as that of your…guest."

"Crap," Harry muttered. And things were going so bad, too. It only stood to reason that they'd get even worse…

Harry grimaced as he was escorted down various corridors by a pair of green, Goblin-like beings. Morrigan named them Lucien and Mudo. He had been caught out already. And if this Belial guy was the ruler of Makai…

They were brought to an audience chamber, something like a curtained-off area being where they were brought to. "Father," Morrigan said, a little tightly.

The voice Harry heard in reply was…well, whatever he expected, he wasn't expecting this. Oh, he did expect a deep rumble of a voice, but not something that sounded like a thunderstorm talking softly in its sleep. "My daughter, I do not know whether to be amused or frustrated by your latest dalliance. Why is it that you have seen fit to take the Boy Who Lived from his home and bring him here?"

After a moment, Morrigan said, with a shrug, "To have fun. His birthday was today, and he was stuck in a most drab and dreary place. I've been visiting his dreams for weeks, Father, so it's not like we are complete strangers."

"Nonetheless, to bring a human to Makai is irregular. But I suppose some forms of etiquette should be followed. Greetings, Harry Potter. My name is Belial Aensland. You have met my adopted daughter and heiress, Morrigan. You are in the demon realm, known to some as Makai, specifically, within my castle."

"I know that…Your Majesty? Umm, what do I call you?"

A rumbling chuckle, like distant thunder. "For now, sir should suffice. I will allow a certain lack of propriety due to ignorance, but disrespect I will not."

"Okay, well, I…kinda got dragged along with this by your daughter. She seems to like doing her own thing. I mean, I enjoyed going to Euro Disney today and all, and she's pretty nice for a Succubus, but, well…I'm a bit overwhelmed."

"Understandable. My daughter is somewhat hedonistic and wilful. Though why have you brought him here, Morrigan?"

Eventually, Morrigan steeled herself. "Because I wish to make him my consort, by voluntarily becoming his familiar. He has considerable potential locked up within him. Potential that the wizards will doubtless let lie fallow." She sneered at the word 'wizards'.

Wait, a consort? Harry thought. But Belial's next words cut off any protest.

"And you have discussed this with him? He seems somewhat bemused by the whole situation."

"I was about to get an agreement out of him."

"Even though your lifespan is much longer than his?"

"I have a few thoughts about that."

There was a tenebrous sigh from within. "Becoming a familiar does not reflect well upon your station, Morrigan. The only reasons I am allowing this farce to continue is your stubbornness, and that you chose your consort well. Even with the hyperbole around his reputation, built by the credulous fools of Magical Britain, I do sense the power he has. And mayhap he may act as a stabilising factor in your antics. And there is, of course, the fact that Voldemort has stolen power from Makai for his own ends, making deals that he has reneged on."

"So, I have your permission to continue?"

"Reluctantly. But you will comport yourself in future as befits my heir."

"Don't I get a say in this?" Harry asked.

"Perhaps. But what my daughter is generously offering you will help you survive," Belial's voice rang out. "To have a Succubus as a willing familiar, especially one who will keep their word as long as you keep their own, is a rare privilege. And I know my daughter, Potter. While she has her whims, she would not stoop to being the familiar of any wizard. As much as she enjoys indulging herself, she has at least some pride."

Well, he had a point there. About the whole survival thing. "…Just how powerful is Morrigan?"

"…Powerful enough. Of course, that does not mean that destroying Voldemort will be easy. Tell me, Harry Potter…what do you know about Horcruxes?"

CHAPTER 2 ANNOTATIONS:

So, Harry's met Belial, and Remus is getting some advice from Jon Talbain.

1. The Udon comics adaptation states Felicia's orphanage to be in Kansas, so I gave her a Southern accent.