Well, the response to the first chapter of Graceless is heartening, but I must emphasize that the story is still in its earliest stages, and I can't assure those of you who are looking forward to it that it will become a fully published story. I do want a Harry/Raynare story to happen, and this is the best shot at it so far, but it may not happen.

Now, many of you speculated that Ophis may be Harry's adoptive daughter. Harry is yet to even meet Ophis (I had originally intended them to meet prior, but Harry's already on speaking terms with a number of key players in the High School DxD universe), though they will meet eventually. The thought of Harry being the surrogate father of Ophis is an adorable one, though, even if it would fuck around too much with later events in the series if she didn't establish the Khaos Brigade.

The identity of Harry's daughter will be a controversial one, but one that I hope will bear fruit. I elaborate on this more in my annotations for this chapter.

GRACELESS (ORIGINAL)

CHAPTER 2:

TEA AND SYMPATHY

Harry poured out a cup for the Fallen Angel that Azazel had seen fit to send in his stead. He had to admit, she was a looker, but he didn't quite trust her. It was hard to trust anyone these days, barring his best friends…well, those who didn't turn their backs on him. Really, he was only offering her tea partly out of politeness, partly as compensation for Azazel using her as a meatshield, and partly because he felt like one himself. He poured one for Mimir, though he made sure to add a dash of whiskey to it for the old dipsomaniac.

They were seated in one of the many meeting rooms of the Library, the old wooden table stained with centuries' worth of drinks and chipped by so many mugs, glasses, and tankards. Harry liked it, it gave the place character. Plus, it seemed normal, compared to the rest of things. After all, here they were, a wizard, a Fallen Angel, and the severed head of a Norse deity who had come from an alternate dimension. If they were in a bar, it'd be the beginning of a joke. Certainly, Mimir needing to use a special magical robotic mechanism to hold his cup and gently tip it to his lips was comical.

Raynare sipped her tea, and then blinked. "…It's very good. Thank you," she said, her thanks surprising her, it seemed.

"You're welcome," Harry said. "You're not a member, but as Azazel has sent you to basically shield him from some relatively harmless pranks, I guess this is the least I can do. Anyway, I've been making tea since I was a kid, I've had the practise."

"Right, because making tea is a British past-time," Raynare remarked. "Then again, I've been around long enough to see them get into that habit. Still, I appreciate the gesture." Again, there was the sense that such a compliment was begrudging, albeit sincere.

Harry had pegged her as one of those who wasn't fond of humans already, though she seemed to be reining it in at least. "Like I said, it's the least I can do. You didn't look happy to be here anyway. I'm guessing you have only two wings. Sorry if that's rude of me to say that, but the way I see it, he was either going to send someone like you, or Shemhazai. He would have sent Baraquiel in, but the last time he was here, his daughter was too, and…well, it didn't end well. Took a lot to get the scorch marks out. Baraquiel, in lieu of me banning his daughter, told me he wouldn't come here anymore, to spare her. She blames him for her mother's death."

"You know her?" Raynare asked. He knew why she was asking. Akeno Himejima was now the Queen in the Peerage of Rias Gremory, a Devil, and the younger sister to Sirzechs Lucifer, the current ruler of the Devils.

Harry gave her a bleak smile. "Ever since I took custody of this place, I've met a number of the higher-ups of the Three Biblical Factions, as well as other assorted Devils, deities, and supernatural beings. My daughter's currently having a great time with a sleepover in Kyoto under Lady Yasaka's watchful eye."

Raynare's eyes widened in surprise. "The leader of the Youkai Faction?"

"Yeah. She originally came here to examine some texts stolen from Japan shortly before the Tokugawa Shogunate closed the borders of Japan back in the 1600s. Her daughter's an adorable little thing, gets along really well with my own daughter. Anyway, both Rias Gremory and Sona Sitri, thanks to their siblings, have memberships, and are allowed to bring in their Peerages. So, if you ever come back and they're here, please don't start anything. The Library may have been founded partly by the Church, but it's neutral territory. The Library doesn't tolerate violence here."

Harry noted the annoyance and scepticism in Raynare's eyes at being told what to do, but she nodded. "Fine."

Mimir chose that moment to speak. "Listen to him, lassie. The Library actually has wards designed to prevent physical violence once it escalates beyond a certain threshold. You could probably get away with a fist fight at most, and even that would only be up to a point. Come here with killin' intent, and you get expelled from the Library, forever. Doesn't exactly work once you get to beings as powerful as, say, the Four Great Satans or Michael or your boss, but, well…that's what Harry's for. By the way, Brother, Grayfia sent an email, that she wants the next volume of that series put on hold."

"Right, I'll do that," Harry mused, thinking about the tomes Grayfia Lucifuge, Queen, maid, and, most importantly, wife to Sirzechs Lucifer, had been perusing.

"Quite the name-dropper, aren't you? Then again, you're quite famous yourself," Raynare said. "And yet, here you are, hiding away in a secret library."

Harry stilled, before looking over at her. "And what's that supposed to mean?" he asked, his too-calm tone doing little to hide his anger.

Raynare held up her hands. "Look, I haven't exactly kept abreast of affairs in Magical Britain after you stopped Voldemort. I know you disappeared into exile or something. I don't know why, and that's got me curious. You're easily one of the most famous living wizards in the world. The sheeple's attitude to you aside, the world is, or was, your oyster. So you living in obscurity's just…well, puzzling to me."

Harry calmed himself with an effort. For all her disdain, she seemed ignorant and curious more than malicious. "If you don't know, then I'm not sure I should tell you. The specifics, anyway. I would have given my fame away in a heartbeat if it meant bringing back my parents. What would you rather have? Fame, or God's Grace?"

She didn't respond, merely returning to her tea and drinking it. She did break the silence, though. "How did you know I Fell? I could have been born here."

"True, but Fallen birthrates are abysmal, as they are with any immortal beings. In all likelihood, you Fell. I won't ask why, Azazel tells me it's often pretty personal for Fallen."

"Yes, it is," she said, her words frosty in tone. Then, she continued, "So, you're not going to tell me? You said you weren't going to tell me specifics. So, what's the gist?"

"…It was to protect my daughter. My adoptive daughter. We'll leave it at that for now," Harry said. Admitting that much would be harmless enough. "Anyway, do you read much, Raynare?"

"Yes, actually. I need to do something to while away the years. Immortality has many perks, but boredom is a common malady, and books were around long before films, TV or the internet. I'm more of a popular novel kind of person, though. I'm not sure what this place would have for me. Esoteric texts are not my thing."

"Fair enough. I have my own private collection." Harry felt his anger receding a little. As much as Raynare didn't seem quite right, her attitude being a bit like the Blood Purists back home, she had at least complimented him on his tea, and she was being courteous. The main thing that pissed him off was her cavalier attitude to fame, like so many he once knew.

Deciding to make conversation, he said, "What's life like in the Grigori? I couldn't get much out of Azazel, he seems to like spending time investigating Sacred Gears and playing video games when he isn't being a twelve-winged manwhore."

Raynare was sipping on her tea at the time, and she promptly did a spit-take. "…W…what?!"

"Ah, don't worry yourself, lassie," Mimir said. "Azazel laughed his head off when Harry called him that."

Raynare grimaced, before she said, "Well, not much to say. Most of my time revolves around relatively mundane missions."

"I'm guessing seduction missions are your forte," Harry noted, looking at her figure. Even in jeans and shorts, she looked utterly beautiful. Many female Fallen, he knew, were sexier than most human women.

"Of course. But unfortunately, surveillance missions take up the majority of my time, and they're boring, as you can imagine. Really, seduction or seek-locate-destroy missions are more exciting."

"Seek-locate-destroy?"

"On Stray Devils, usually. You know what they are, don't you?"

"Yes." In order to replenish their populace, the Devils figured out a way of transforming other living beings into Devils via enchanted chess pieces known as Evil Pieces. These transformed Devils became servants of the Devils who used the Evil Pieces, known as a Peerage.

Harry rankled at the implications of slavery and servitude, but the examples he met treated their respective Peerages well. The Gremorys were renowned for treating their servants like family members, and Sona Sitri's fledgling Peerage were her friends. However, other Devils treated their Peerages somewhat differently, it was a sad fact of life.

Strays sometimes fled because they had legitimate grievances with their masters (he knew one personally), but many also fled in search of power. And they tried to gain that power by feeding directly from humans. Devils obtained power from humans through minute drainings of lifeforce or mana, though possessions sufficed: deals made for entire souls were rare these days. But Stray Devils who fed directly on humans tended to become grotesque monsters that killed anything they could.

"Well, we mostly kill Stray Devils, or Sacred Gear users in danger of going rogue," Raynare said. "I'm sure if you've talked to Lord Azazel, you know about Sacred Gears."

Harry nodded. Sacred Gears were artifacts created by God and granted to certain people through a system set up in Heaven. While Sacred Gears weren't that well known outside of certain circles (even the wizards didn't know much about them), their users included surprisingly famous or influential people, invariably human or of human heritage. The strongest were known as Longinuses, after the Spear of Longinus, said to be the ultimate Sacred Gear. "So, basically, if, say, the latest Red Dragon Emperor is in danger of going into the Juggernaut Drive, you have to take him out?"

"More or less," Raynare said. "Never had to do that specifically, but still…heard it once happened…well, to the White Dragon Emperor, but still…Longinus bearers are strong, ridiculously so. You wizards have your Statute of Secrecy, and we have something similar. Avoid any supernatural havoc somewhere where normal humans can see it. Unless that's the point. I've seen some nasty shit."

"Haven't we all?" Mimir asked. "I saw my world's version of Ragnarok. It was far from pleasant. And Harry here…well, you probably know quite a bit about his exploits. He's been through war, lassie, and at an age where he shouldn't have to know it. The Three Biblical Factions stood on the sidelines because taking sides might cause that war to devolve into a proxy war between the Three Factions. That's cold comfort to someone who would have welcomed any assistance to stop that shit." Mimir shot Harry a look of sympathy.

Harry was admittedly grateful to the Norse deity. Aside from one issue the severed head kept needling him about, Mimir offered, if not sound advice, then counselling, and he was certainly better at advising him than Dumbledore. Plus, he was fun to talk to.

Raynare, after a moment, shrugged. "I suppose you have a point. But I doubt you're yet to see how bad the supernatural world can devolve into bloodshed. Stray Devils can look pretty nasty. And you have the Dragons, not the paltry creatures you wizards try in vain to domesticate, but creatures like…well, we brought up the Boosted Gear and Divine Dividing, the Sacred Gears housing Ddraig and Albion, the Heavenly Dragons. Has Lord Azazel told you of the likes of the Ouroborous Dragon, or of the Great Red Dragon?"

Harry nodded. "Of course. And Trihexa too. Scary thought, really."

"My point is…you think your war against Voldemort was bad? Believe me, it could literally be worse. I've fought through worse."

Raynare's words and tone could have been insulting, but Harry got the feeling that she was warning him in her own way. She was certainly looking at her mostly-depleted cup with a surprisingly morose expression. "Did you lose someone in the Great War?" he asked before he could stop himself.

The jeering laughter, however, told him otherwise. "Yes…I lost myself," she said bitterly. "I guess you and I have one thing in common. We had to leave a home we loved because we got screwed over by those we thought we trusted." Raynare shook her head. "I've said too much. You haven't added any booze to this tea, have you?"

"Only on request. So no. All that's in there is the tea, milk and sugar you wanted."

"Huh. I'm a bit looser tongued than I am around strangers."

"That's just plain hospitality and curiosity, lassie," Mimir said. "That, and you probably wanted to get things off your chest you can't normally to your comrades or your boss. It's a nice chest, by the way."

Raynare blushed, albeit angrily, before she snapped, "Quiet, head!"

Mimir roared with laughter. "It's a compliment, lass! Besides, he used to say 'Quiet, head' all the time too! The guy who chopped it off, I mean."

"I wonder why," Raynare snarked, before she returned her gaze to Harry, which softened. It actually gave her beauty an extra dimension, now that there was less of the cruelty in it. "Thanks for the tea, anyway. I'll be honest, this was at least a nicer time than I was expecting."

"You're welcome. Though you do know your boss will probably have you act as a courier between him and the Library?"

Raynare seemed to consider that, before she shrugged. "I'll be honest, that's actually sounding less annoying now."

As she stood, Harry said, "Hold on. Before you go…I'd like to ask something. I dunno whether it's too personal, but…can I see your wings?"

Raynare seemed to blink, before she got a smirk on her features. "A personal question indeed. But, I suppose I can show you. This room is big enough, at least."

With that, a pair of magnificent wings sprouted from her back, the feathers a glossy black. To many, they would have seemed like a symbol of impurity, and while that was technically the case with Raynare, what with her being a Fallen Angel, there was something about those shiny dark feathers that was, well, beautiful. He got up, and walked around to her, looking at the glossy black feathers, before he said, quietly, "They're beautiful, you know."

Raynare seemed a little surprised, but gave him another smirk. "Of course." Then, seemingly on an impulse, she plucked a feather from one of her wings, and handed it to Harry, as if she was proffering a rose. "Here. Use it as a quill, and when you do so, think of me." She then winked, as if her flirtation wasn't already overt enough.

Harry took the feather a little uneasily. Part of that unease was due to her overt flirting, which was a little disconcerting, given how many times he had to deal with girls flirting with him due to his fame, but also due to the fact that he didn't need to use a quill pen, as he had plenty of ballpoints. But it seemed sincere enough, and the feather itself was quite beautiful. "…Thanks," he said.

"You're welcome. Consider it payment for the tea and company…"

He'd soon escorted Raynare out, before he began returning the books to the shelves, Mimir attached to his belt. "What do you think of her, Mimir?" Harry asked.

"Honestly? The lass is trouble. All Fallen are, but that one…I reckon she's champing at the bit, greedy for advancement. Pretty misanthropic too. And that question about you hiding away…I think she wants fame herself, and can't understand why people would discard it. But…your wee bit of hospitality touched her, Brother. She probably hasn't been given genuine kindness by someone who didn't want to get into her pants for a long time, barring her own kind. Azazel may be good at keeping the Grigori together, but that's barely. That place is a cesspool of clashing egos and betrayals that he can barely keep under control. Still…if she comes back here, that's hardly a bad thing. As long as she doesn't start any trouble."

"Hopefully, she won't," Harry said grimly. His own feelings about her were mixed, but he knew better than to rely on first impressions. That sort of thing had gotten him into trouble at Hogwarts. "Good thing she's gone now. Yasaka's probably tired of babysitting by now. She has little Kunou to think of."

"Aye, that little kit is a handful…though her mother is a different kind of handful, if you'll excuse the innuendo. Seriously, how did a kitsune get a bosom so damned big? I've seen Devils smaller than that. Boggles the mind, it does. Still…you know what I'm gonna say, right, Brother?"

"…About my daughter? Yes, and my answer is the same. She can't know about her parents, Mimir, not who they are. Not yet. I already had to deal with the tantrum when I told her she was adopted. I will tell her Mimir, but when we're both ready. I'm not sure when that will be…I'm not sure I ever will be. But…I'll do it when we're ready."

"…That's about as much as I can expect from you, Brother," Mimir said sadly. "I just see when it goes wrong every time I think back to Kratos and Atreus. Kratos cared for his boy, but…he didn't know how to show it, and their relationship suffered for it. They patched things up, true…but it was painful for me to watch what happened. And it's painful for me to watch this, Harry. The girl is not her parents, despite what those Sassenachs in Britain think. Condemning her for their sins is stupid. I know you know that, and so do your friends…but one day, you'll have to tell her. Not because you hate her parents, but because you love her."

"I know!" Harry snapped. "…I know, Mimir. We go through this so often. But…I'm frightened, Mimir. I don't want her to hate me."

"Aye, Brother, I get that," Mimir said. "But…"

And then, they felt the sensation of a familiar presence entering the Library. The wards were being tripped too, to warn him. "Looks like they're back," Harry said.

He hurried back to the reception area, and found a trio of forms awaiting him. The oldest was a deceptively young-looking woman dressed in a kimono that did little to hide her somewhat ludicrously-sized bust. She had golden hair, done up in an old-fashioned way, and her features were devastatingly beautiful. Of note were a pair of fox-like ears and a set of nine fox tails protruding from her rear.

The other two were clearly children. The youngest was also clearly the daughter of the woman, given the hair, and was dressed in a small version of a Japanese shrine maiden's outfit. A little older, though, was a human girl, eight years old, with silvery hair with blue tips, and brown eyes. "Hey, Dad! Hey, Mimir! We're back!" she chirped.

"Welcome back…Delphi…"

CHAPTER 2 ANNOTATIONS:

So, Harry and Raynare have had a conversation…but what's this? Harry has adopted Delphini Riddle as a daughter? What?!

Now, before you get the torches and pitchforks out, allow me to elucidate. While struggling to come up with a plot for this story, in conversation with Arawn D Draven, I found myself considering this angle. I had recently put in Delphi into my Fate/Grand Order crossover Primordial Song, and I realised, I needed a catalyst for Harry to break away from Magical Britain. And Delphi provided a potential answer.

Do I consider The Cursed Child canon? Fuck, no. But the character of Delphini Riddle has so much potential to be developed in fanfic, and I personally think the character herself is potentially canon. Hence her inclusion here. The full backstory of how Harry came to adopt her will be elucidated later, but I'm sure you're already able to make some guesses as to why Harry is an exile from Magical Britain, albeit self-imposed. Don't worry, we won't be bashing Hermione or Ron, or Ginny for that matter.

In a way, it makes it fitting for Mimir to be an advisor to Harry. He's seen something similar play out before, in the dynamic between Kratos and Atreus.

No numbered annotations this time.