Daryl Dixon sat in his living room carving new arrows for his crossbow. He was a 41-year-old 6'3'' white man with brown hair that goes down to his shoulders. A spattering of the goatee and blue eyes that can pierce your soul. His older brother Merle Dixon is a 56-year-old white man with buzzed blond hair, a sharp skull structure, and even brighter blue eyes than his younger counterpart. Merle stands above Daryl by 4 inches and never lets Daryl live it down.
The two brothers live in a house together in the middle of the woods. The two live on the outskirts of two towns called Sedonia and North Decatur. They love to call their home "the Peach" as they have a few peach trees throughout their property.
Neither brother is very social. They stick to themselves and have blunter personalities. They went through many hardships in their lives and didn't want to get themselves involved with any more issues. Their mother died during Daryl's birth, and their father was an abusive piece of shit that they hadn't seen since Daryl was 12 years old.
The only person they had a good relationship with was their next-door neighbor they lovingly call Granny. She didn't live in the trailer park with them but was always there handing out medicine and other things to the less advantaged people in that community. Her house was in the large woods next to their park. Therefore, next door neighbor. Granny was a very spiritual person, and they were very protective of her. She is the only person close enough to them to call family. Funnily enough, she is the only family member who has treated them well.
She helped them out of their trailer park and let them live with her until she passed and bequeathed the Peach to them. She had crystals, herbs, books, potions, wands, and even symbols that the pair did not understand. Over the years, Granny gave them a lot of advice. In fact, if they were ever concerned about absolutely anything, she used her tarot cards to help guide them in the right direction.
Daryl carries a blue lace agate in a necklace form to help ward off his stress. He was chronically stressed from a young age and Granny wanted to help. Merle got amethyst which helps with his deep-rooted emotions, his spikes in anger, and addictions and even encourages new life after said addiction or trauma. They both highly valued the crystals so much that they even recharged and cleansed them every full moon.
The Peach cabin was full of clutter, but everything had its place. There were large dark green bookshelves that lined every wall with books of all sizes. There were some sand scripts, leather-backed books, skin-backed books, and even fur-covered books. There was a large cauldron in an even larger gorgeous stone fireplace in the living room. There was a carpet that was easily lifted for rituals. Candles lined the shelves, plants hung from the ceiling, and there were puffy comfy dark blue couches. The green theme continued into the kitchen. The kitchen held the regular American appliances. The cabinets were sage green with a chalkboard backsplash. There were dark oak floors and a little table in the corner with 4 dark-colored oak chairs surrounding it. The glass topped table had photos Granny took over the years that she displayed proudly.
The butler's pantry held the apothecary stocked with everything imaginable. There was a nice stock of potions, dried herbs, and regular grocery items like Reese Puffs. It was a nice combination of both worlds, but the Dixons were ignorant of the entire wizarding world, so they had no idea. They just thought it was a quirky old lady who somehow still believed in paganism in the modern world.
After Granny died, the house was left to them and everything within it. She left them with everything she owned. When they were going through the house they found a family Grimoire. The name itself didn't ring a bell, but nonetheless, since Granny used it a lot, they didn't question it. The Grimoire is covered in dark blue leather with a seven-pointed star holding the book close. On the top of the Grimoire, there was a little note from Granny that stated, "Give this to the one with dark emerald eyes. I love you, boys- you were the best family I could ever ask for. I'll be helping while on the other side. You can't get rid of me even in death "
It was one of the two times in both their lives that they let their tears go while heavily losing themselves in sadness, longing, and depression surrounding the loss of their matriarchal figure. They balled for days and still have not healed emotionally. There was a gaping hole in their hearts. Yet, no matter what, Granny is always with them. A few years before, she gifted them a charm to add to their Crystal necklaces. It was some family crest, but they could not fathom what it was. They just let it hang over their hearts as it reminded them she was always with them. It helps soothe their grief.
Daryl and Merle refuse to remove any of her stuff and even have taken up some of the duties she gave them as a kid. Daryl would do the cleansing and rituals. He knew the lunar cycle by heart. He also was the forager between the two. He collected whatever his brother needed with ease. On the downside of this, he always got poison ivy from this job. Merle, on the other hand, focused more on the crystals, herb upkeep, and potions. They didn't know if they could even put the right energy or pizzazz into the duties, but no matter what, without fail, they kept the routines alive for her.
Merle struggled with addiction his whole life. It was the way he coped with the stress of raising Daryl, getting money, and lack of balanced emotions. It was always there to hold his hand when he needed it most. He emotionally, physically, and emotionally was dependent on many illegal substances. Granny never liked this, but she was deeply understanding, knowing the circumstances of Merle's life. She gave him hope that one day he would not need it. He hasn't been able to kick it yet, but for Granny, he would do anything.
He went to jail a few times for possession, theft, and harassment. Merle worked in construction and then went to the military when he was 20 for two years before they dishonorably discharged him for possession of cocaine. From there, he drowned his sorrows in hookers, prostitutes, and more drugs.
When he moved back into Granny's home again after leaving for the military, he really kicked the lifestyle the best he could besides participating in sex work every blue moon. Of course, since addiction recovery is not linear, every once in a while, he would get high, but everyone in the house was very proud of him regardless.
Daryl, on the other hand, didn't partake in that lifestyle. He was kicked out of school for fighting and bad behavior but never did drugs or paid for prostitution. It just felt wrong. All of it. Drugs, women, lack of funds. He was quiet and went through a lot of therapy with Granny to cope with the abuse he faced when he lived with his father. He has a lot of scars all over his body and does not trust anyone that doesn't earn it. He is simply quiet and an observer. A man of few words.
He spent most of his life as a hunter and did heavy lifting in a nearby canning factory. It was a lot of physical labor but was a good income. He just wanted something more- he felt like there was something missing. Daryl just needed to find it.
When they woke up at sunrise, they would meditate and do their chores. When they got older, and Merle left for the Military, Daryl stayed close by to help Granny as she aged. At the end of her life, she told them both, "Find the one with the emerald eyes. Follow them, and you will gain eternal happiness" with fuzzy grey eyes. She squeezed their hands three times and gave out her last breath.
From then on, the pair stuck together. They changed jobs so they could stay closer to home and Granny's grave. The Dixons wanted to keep her memory alive.
They actually started their own mechanic shop, Dixon Mechanics, Daryl did most of the external work, and Merle did most of the internal work. They paid a few teenagers to run the front desk and other menial tasks.
It was really hard to start the company, but when everyone in the town realized how they aren't just "trailer park trash," as some within Sedonia, the local area, call them. They were fast, efficient, and knew what they were doing. They also traded goods for services as well so it benefitted the poor who lived nearby. If one would give them a good enough reason to fix something for them they would do it. Free and no questions asked.
Meanwhile…
Harry waited at the hostess stand to be seated. His eyes meandered about the restaurant. There were many full booths with families laughing and enjoying themselves. It made Harry's heart quench when he saw a boy who looked nearly identical to Teddy. The boy had the same brown hair, build, and gummy smile. He was sitting there laughing with his mother as he beat his father in the card game war.
The mother had brown hair long hair, brown eyes, and thin eyebrows. The father was in a police uniform. There was something off about the small family, but he couldn't figure it out.
"Excuse me? Sir?" a southern accent spoke to him from his right.
"I am so sorry, Ma'am, I zoned out a bit," Harry replied with his soothing British accent, ashamedly looking down at his feet.
"Bless your heart! , is the bar counter okay?"
"Yes, of course, love!" he replied as she led him to a bar seat two or so feet away from the trio he was observing earlier. Harry proceeded to order and eat slowly so he could eavesdrop on them.
Carl was the child's name, and he was a very giggly boy. Harry, beyond the giggles, still felt a deep longing aura of sadness or angst surrounding the kid. There was more to him than most thought. The male sheriff got up and went to the bathroom. This left the women and Carl in the booth. The waitress that took his order began to chat with him. He got quite a few looks because of his accent and young look to him.
"Carl. no. you can't just-" the mother began while the child hopped and marched over to Harry just to jump on the stool next to him.
"Hello, sir. What brings you to Georgia?" the tween age boy asks him with a polite smile on his face
"Hey, kid, I'm here on an adventure. I had a dream of a peach, so I booked a flight to Georgia."
The three got to chatting, and Harry learned the mother's name was Lori, the officer's name was Shane, and Carl was around 12 and a half years old. Which is a little older than Teddy was. Lori invited Harry to the booth, and with Carl looking so much like his godson, he couldn't say no.
Shane sprinted out of the bathroom over to Lori, kissed her head, ruffled Carls' hair then ran out to his car after eyeing Harry suspiciously for a few seconds.
Harry spent about an hour or so talking with Carl and Lori before he had to someone figure out where he had to sleep that night. He paid for all four of their meals, promised to come back the next week at the same time, and went back on his adventure.
Before Harry left, he closed his eyes and focused on his magic to see where the pull was taking him. For some reason, it leads him straight into the woods across the street. Once in the woods, he heard the strangest high-pitched whine radiating from his right. He launched himself immediately into searching for its source- it took him about thirty or so minutes until he found a gorgeous Black Cane Corso puppy. The puppy was shaking and refused to move from her hiding spot beneath a holly bush that he walked past a billion times. She was large for her size and seemed about 4 months old in his estimation.
Harry walked over submissively with his hand held out to the puppy as calmly as he could. The pup smelt his hand and then leaped at Harry to kiss his face. As this happened, there was a warm shock that made the hairs on his legs stand up. The magic and soul within Harry sang as it touched the soul of the young puppy, Their souls intertwined in joy. It was a beautiful feeling that left Harry smiling from ear to ear. He always figured his familiar is going to be a snake as he can speak to them but this is so much better. A large cuddly dog. Harry finally found his familiar, or in reality, the familiar found him.
Harry always wanted a dog that would protect him from others. He was just worried that the pup was like his aunt's scary dogs. She would sick on him until he climbed into a tree. He had to stay in that tree for many hours before the dogs left, bored of their prey.
He then scooped the puppy up and kept following his magic for an hour or so before he landed in a meadow in the middle of the woods. It was surrounded by tall oak trees, wildflowers, herbs, mushrooms, and even some animals just chilling in the middle.
It was perfect. Harry put down the puppy, and she sprinted towards the deers and out of the meadow. She came back trotting with her tail waving so hard she walked on an angle. He lost it. He could not stop laughing he started crying as he fell to the floor.
Harry regained his laughter and sprawled out peacefully in the meadow. As he laid there, he thought about his past. He was never given the opportunity to explore or even relax, let alone in a place like this. It reminds him of the Lovegood residence. Soon after, before he got too lost in thought, the pup came over, licking his face, and flopped on top of him with an audible thud.
He then held her on his chest, and somehow the name Charon popped into his brain. It was perfect. Charon is the ferryman, Nyx's child, and helps transport the souls onto the underworld. Glorified soul transportation was just what he needed. Souls should follow their predisposed paths.
Harry pulled the tent out of his never-ending backpack and began unpacking. It was the first time he used this tent since Teddy was murdered. He unfolded it, placed it on the ground, and said, "Alohomora". The tent immediately jumped open. As Charon and Harry enter, Harry flicked his elderberry wood and threstal hair wand to automatically sort his belongings for him.
They both hopped on the couch and cuddled while Harry googled how to train pups. Since he was the captain of the quidditch team, he didn't think it would be too hard. He was able to work with the twins he can work with a puppy.
Over the next few days, they spent hours upon hours together to ensure they were in sync for a worst-case scenario. Harry found out quite quickly that Charon does not respond to anything that is not positive reinforcement while training. The amount of treats they went through was astronomical. Charon now knows the basics, potty training, find home, guard, attack, up, lay down, and Harry's favorite "bang".
Harry believes this is the cutest thing in the whole world. Charon sits on her hind legs, pulls her front legs close to her heart with a pout on her face, and then when the command is called, Charon dramatically falls to the floor with her tongue out. When she's in a good enough mood, she will add a few twitches.
Before long, It was time to meet the Grimes at the local restaurant where he first met them. He told Charon to Guard the tent and began his trek to the meeting place. As he meandered, Harry noticed lots of herbs, especially magical herbs, being grown in the forest. He could not help but wonder if a witch or wizard lived nearby or if it was just natural for forests in the United States to be this diverse. He was unsure as he is a foreigner here.
As Harry was waiting to cross the large road in front of the Restaurant, he saw two motorcycles with flags advertising a business called Dixon's Mechanics. A few moments later, a truck with the same advertisement drove by, but this time the advertisement was on the driver's side door.
When there was a space to run across the road in between cars, he sprinted, worried about being struck down by a metal death machine. He proceeded to open the door and look around for the Grimes family. When he didn't see them, he asked the hostess for a booth that would fit 4 people. Thankfully, it was the same hostess as his last visit, so she led him to the table and set it for 4 people with a simple wink.
5 minutes turned into 10, then 10 became 20, and so on. It was about an hour and 45 minutes before a waiter came over, asking him if he wanted to order since his friends probably weren't showing up.
Harry ordered a burger with onions, cheese, and lettuce with fries and a vanilla shake. Insecurities ran rapidly through his head. Maybe the pull was wrong? What if I scared them away? Should I not have paid for their food? Was it the scar? This is why he shouldn't befriend people.
Harry was almost done with his lunch when the Sheriff's car speedily pulled into the restaurant's parking lot. Shane hops out of the car and sprints inside. The Sheriff charges towards Harry and says
"Stay away from my family! People like you aren't allowed in these parts. It's not just me but the other patrons too"
"What do you mean by people like me" Harry stared at him in pure shock.
"You know… one of them homosexuals, and on top of it, you're nearly black," The sheriff stated begrudgingly.
"So you're homophobic and racist?..." Harry replies as he looks at the man's name time "...Just so you know, , that junior sheriff badge doesn't look too good on you. The fact you are a junior and not a senior is a plain site to see. You are just not cut out for it. I'll just let your department head know what you said; while I'm at it, I can tell Lori and Carl too"
"You wILL NOT TALK TO EITHER MEMBER OF MY FAMILY AGAIN. IF YOU EVEN BREATHE IN CARLS DIRECTION, I WILL PERSONALLY SEE YOU TO A MAXIMUM SECURITY JAIL CELL, YOU KID FIDDLER!" Shane shouted so everyone could hear while he stomped back out to his car.
Harry stood dumbfounded that being polite to the mother and son would ever cause such an issue like this. It made Harry worried more about Carl's safety- this can turn into emotional abuse quickly. He would know.
"Handsome British man, come sit next to me at the bar. You need a nice cold beer. Shane is an asshole. No one respects him or even likes him for that matter," a blonde-haired woman commanded. Harry did not even question it and sat down. The bartender put a cup in front of him and poured him a large glass of whiskey.
"Son, you need more than just a beer after that tongue-lashing you got for being polite, gay, and black. Two of those things you can't change too. I say beat him the fuck up next time- the junior sheriff, my ass," the bartender softly says.
"Thank you both. I really appreciate it"
He spent a few more hours chatting with them both before he left to feed Charon. The energy got more and more intense the closer he got to his tent. When he entered, his baby girl immediately tackled him to the ground with many kisses.
"Charon, off! It's time for dinner. Do you want kibble, fresh food, or wildlife tonight" Charon proceeded to hit Harry's leg with her nose to answer his question.
"Okay, my love. Let's go hunting. Grab your backpack you'll carry dinner back tonight. I did it last night"