Harry made the executive decision that he had the flu and therefore could not reasonably be expected to go back to school this week.
Despite what Jasper's texts implied it had nothing to do with Dickens. He had necklaces to make for a treaty, obviously that was more important than school.
This was clearly him making a mature decision and not just avoiding something unpleasant.
Merlin, he could not wait to be an adult again, he wouldn't be making different decisions, but people would at least question him less.
Or at least not question him to his face so much.
And school would be over, and he'd never have to look at Dickens again.
The necklaces were coming along fine, he'd found an adjusted bubblehead enchantment that kept out smell. Turns out this was something that had been developed to help delegates working with the Giant population. Harry wanted to roll his eyes in solidarity with Hagrid but memories of Grawp's unique scent just made Harry wince in sympathy.
But he didn't want to wipe out all sensory input, so some adjustments were going to be necessary. By the end of the day on Friday he had successfully tweaked the charm and applied it to the necklaces, he spent a moment admiring the intricate rune work he'd painstakingly tooled on to each of the chains.
Along with some runes to make the chains impossible to break by most means. He didn't want the overenthusiastic muggle vampires to break their necklaces.
Of course, making things unbreakable added its own risk. He had put a breakpoint in at the clasp, he didn't want to find out if muggle vampires could be strangled.
It was a risk but he really didn't want to redo the rune work; the tiny characters gave him headaches.
He checked over his work and tried to ignore the other thing he was avoiding.
Dinner at the Blacks was rolling around. And he still hadn't spoken to Billy.
Maybe he could pretend to be ill. Or injured or something.
They would see through that.
Maybe he could actually injure himself. He squinted down at his left arm; he could vanish his bones again.
He sighed and put down Esme's silver cross. Honestly, when had he become so cowardly.
And he was pretty sure he was out of Skelegrow.
Time to behave like a Gryffindor, he walked out to the lemon like he was heading to a funeral.
Harry was bouncing between excitement and nerves as he made his way to the reservation.
He was being ridiculous, Billy was a reasonable man. He wouldn't be that angry at Harry… would he?
He might have to consider just apparating the next time he was this nervous, he bit his lip and looked down at the most recent sacrifice to his questionable driving.
As he repaired the 5th stop sign he'd run over this trip he noticed a small chalk mark at the bottom. He was pretty sure Chief Swan had started actively monitoring the stop signs because Harry was terrible at putting them back exactly as he found them.
He always missed something.
He pulled up to the Black house and barely managed to miss Jake's bike in the driveway. He would never hear the end of it if he did anything to one of Jake's precious mechanical children.
No matter how you looked at it the bottle of wine under his arm was bribe but if Slughorn had taught him anything it was that turning up with gifts was never going to make things worse.
Harry was just talking himself into knocking when the door opened. "I thought we'd trained this out of you weeks ago lad. Just come in, you don't need to knock."
Billy was already wheeling away with the wine before Harry even managed to pick his jaw up from the floor.
"Erm. Yes. Forgot."
Eloquent as always.
Billy was never going to believe they were the same age, not if Harry kept acting like he had flobberworm mucus instead of brains.
Now he just had to work out how to start what he was sure would be a difficult conversation.
Hi Billy, funny thing, I am not actually 17-years old after all.
Hi Billy, I actually lied to you and I'm a secret wizard.
Hello Billy, please let me still be your nephew even though I didn't tell you my real name.
Harry could actually feel his heartbeat in his ears.
"So Jake tells me that you're actually from the magical side of the family."
Why did it not even occur to him that Jake would tell his dad everything.
Why.
"Ah, yes. I am. Magical that is." Harry tried to look serious and sensible. A stretch by any measure.
Billy just hummed, noncommittal.
"My Grandfather told me that if I ever met a wizard I should run as fast as possible in the opposite direction." Billy was facing him now. "Worse than white people he said, won't just kill you, might snatch your thoughts straight out of your mind too. Leave you without even memories to be buried with."
As both a white man and wizard Harry didn't feel like he could argue with either of those points.
Years in the magical world had pushed him into a world with a different kind of prejudice, one based on blood and family instead of skin colour and culture, different but still hateful.
But he still remembered growing up muggle.
He still remembered Vernon Dursley.
Still remembered the sea of white faces that made up his school in Surrey. Dean Thomas had been the first black person he'd ever met.
"On the other hand, my great grandfather was white and my great-great grandfather was both white and a wizard so I figure if my great-grandmother had listened to that advice than I wouldn't exist in the first place." Harry could hear enough of a smile in Billy's voice that he risked looking up. "I figure in this case I'll risk it."
Billy was smiling at him, he passed Harry a can of coke. "Jake tells me you're closer to my age than his but until I see a valid form of id, I am keeping the wine to myself."
Harry's laugh was slightly hysterical, but he figured if Billy could ignore all his other problems, he wouldn't draw the line at an intense cackle.
Billy just patted him vaguely on the forearm and pushed himself through into the kitchen.
"Daaaaad." Jake was attempting to summon Billy from his room, using the ancient teenage ritual of yelling at the top of his lungs. It really was not a big enough cabin to justify anywhere near that volume. Maybe Jake had mutant lungs as well as the whole furry problem. "Quil said he was going to the council this month, does that mean-"
Jake trapsed dramatically into the room looking the most like a teenager Harry had ever seen him. His short hair was still managing to hold on to a huge cowlick at the back, his trousers were halfway down his bum and his shirt was so twisted half of his torso was showing.
He was either an inept stripper or had toddler level skills when it came to dressing himself.
"Harry!" Jake finally registered the other body in the room. "It's Friday already?"
Harry was looking at him, bemused. "Yep, has been for a whole 18 hours or so." Jake still just looked confused. "What happened to you?"
Jake just scowled. "Bloody leeches."
Harry raised an eyebrow and Billy coughed lightly.
"Not your leeches!" Jake hastily explained. "The red-haired one from last year was hanging out in the woods so we chased her until she hit Cullen land and then they chased her until she was back on our land again." Jake growled with frustrating. "She completely played us, jumping from one side of the border to the other until we lost her completely."
Harry patted Jake sympathetically whilst Billy pulled a huge casserole out of the oven for Jake, Harry was relieved to see a smaller pan that he and Billy could share. It smelt amazing.
"So what, your border is just a line you aren't allowed to cross?" Harry was becoming very concerned about the treaty between the Cullens and the wolves.
Jake just scoffed. "Yeah, that's what a border is." Harry could here the duh Jake was mentally tacking on to the end of that sentence and Harry glared slightly.
Teenagers.
Still, he needed more information on this treaty. "And it's just out somewhere in the middle of the woods?"
"Yep." Jake chewed loudly with his mouth open, and Harry felt like strangling him. "So what?"
Harry sighed.
"Jake have you ever been to the Canadian border?"
Jake nodded; mouth already full of casserole again. It must be molten but that didn't seem to bother Jake in the slightest.
Harry served Billy and himself, topping up Billy's wine and grabbing himself another can of coke. The first one had disappeared when he was distracted, Jake could be sneaky when food or drink was involved.
"Did you notice the no man's land between the US and Canada?"
"Huh." Jake frowned down at his already half-finished casserole. "So that's there to stop annoying vampires taking advantage?"
Harry rolled his eyes and was about to say something rude when Billy interrupted.
"Among other things." Billy just shook his head, whether it was at his son's appalling table manners, or his current understanding of the way borders functioned, wasn't clear. "The treaty was originally a temporary measure to keep the vampires away from our people and to hold them to their claims of non-violence."
Harry nodded, that made sense.
But-
"The Cullens only came back to town a couple of years ago. We've tried to renegotiate but every time we try to bring it up with the Cullens they just tell us they are happy with the treaty."
Harry's face hit his palm without him registering that either part of his body was moving.
Billy just patted him again. Harry found that it didn't make him feel better this time, he was tying himself to idiots.
"Technically they are already in breach because there are more of them now than there used to be." Billy seemed to find this funny which didn't seem fair. "Ah well, from the sounds of what Jake's been telling me they're your problem now."
Harry groaned. "They are morons."
Billy just nodded smugly.
Jake laughed lightly. "Could have told you that. I mean only an idiot would go to school over and over."
Harry shrugged. Seemed like a terrible life to him but he figured they had a reason. "I can't really talk, I'm also doing the same."
"Yeah but you're just you, of course it would be weird if you just turned up in Forks and then hid up in your cabin." Harry nodded, people tended to get concerned about unsupervised teenagers. "They're a family, they are automatically less suspicious. They could just say they were all being homeschooled and hang out taking tests every couple of years if they wanted to. They are already weird and rich; people would just shrug them off as religious or child prodigies or something."
Silence filled the room.
Oh god, they really were idiots.
Billy coughed and glanced sideways at Harry. "And to be honest whilst we're on the subject they'd be better off in a larger town, they'd stand out less in a larger population."
"Fuck." Harry was going to have a bruise if he kept hitting his head against the table.
He couldn't fault the Cullens for initially moving to Forks, he had made the same mistake when he moved, he had massively underestimated the power of small-town gossip.
But after a couple of months he had already decided that when he eventually had to relocate, he would be heading to a city because of how much less noticeable one weird teenager would be.
The Cullens had been doing this for decades.
He thumped his head against the table again and groaned.
Billy just patted him again and Harry was unwilling to admit how much it made him feel better.
"So which one of the idiots has imprinted on you?"
"The blonde boy, Jasper." Jake filled in for Harry when he just looked at Billy, confused. Jake even managed to keep the sneer to a minimum which Harry appreciated.
"What's imprinting?" Harry rolled his head enough that he could peer at the two of them both of whom were both giving him matching Cheshire cat grins.
"It's something that happens to the boys hit with the change. They see someone one day and that's it for them." Billy glanced merrily at Jake when he screwed up his face.
"Yeah, they become super obsessed, and they are completely unwilling to even look at anyone else." Jake blew a snort out of nose. "For months, all you can hear in wolf form is Sam mooning over Emily. It's really annoying, especially when you've got Leah in the pack. It's just so awkward. All. The. Time."
Ooo love triangle.
Apparently, there was just as much drama involved in being a wolf as there was being a vampire. Harry should probably stay out of it.
But where was the fun in that.
"So instantly he was just super into her cousin?"
"Yep, he broke up with her as soon as possible and tried to be really nice about it but it's hard to be nice about leaving your long-term girlfriend and then obsessing over her cousin."
"Jesus that's awkward."
"Jesus, that was very muggle of you."
"I know, I'm working on it. Gotta try and come off as less weird."
"Pfft, good luck with that."
"Billy! Jake's being mean to me."
…
"You're meant to defend me."
…
"Some cousin/uncle/nephew you are."
"So you just constantly hear each other's thoughts?"
"Yup, it's the worst."
"I can't even express how much I would hate that."
"Tell me about it. The whole pack's been going mad this week because it's really difficult to disagree with each other when you literally hear every single thought."
"What are you disagreeing about?"
"The Cullens. You really convinced Seth that they aren't terrible and now Quil, Embry and I agree that they're not all bad and the rest of the pack is less than delighted."
"Merlin, that sucks. Sorry about that."
"Meh."
"How is Seth holding up?"
"He's fine the stubborn bastard, it's the rest of us who are suffering."
"So you all just have to get new clothes every time you change with them on?"
"Yeah it's that or try and strip every time you get angry."
…
"It is not that funny."
…
"Harry! It's serious! I'm running out of pants."
"So the early warning signs are, hot flushes?"
"Yeah, a rise in body temperature."
"Increased moodiness?"
"Well, we definitely get angrier easier."
"Would you describe your first change as contributing to a traumatic loss of your sense of self?"
"…Harry what are you talking about."
"Just wondering how similar becoming a shapeshifting wolf is to menopause."
"What."
"Don't worry, menopausal women don't get the whole growth spurt thing."
"What. No. Harry."
"Just don't tell anyone you also have difficulty sleeping or heart palpitations, they might google your symptoms and draw some strange conclusions."
A couple of hours later Harry was finally feeling confident that Billy was truly fine with Harry secretly being a 43-year-old wizard. It didn't seem to stop him from treating Harry like a teenager but Harry found that he didn't mind as long as it came with the healthy dose of affection he had come to rely on.
The pack had apparently decided that Harry was acceptable enough common ground with the Cullens and wanted to talk treaty. Both writing one with Harry and using him to actually drag the Cullens back to the negotiating table.
Harry had a feeling the whole thing was going to be a massive headache but as soon as Billy said he thought it would be a good idea he decided it was the least he could do.
Which is how he managed to commit himself to hosting the entire supernatural element at his cabin on Sunday.
At least the vampires were easy to cater for.
He was going to have to do a huge grocery shop. There would be plenty of magical shortcuts used this time and Harry refused to feel guilty about that.
Maybe this time he would be able to get further down his list of the magical tips and tricks he could use to improve the lives of the supernatural community in Forks. And with their help maybe the less-super, more-natural community as well.
As it was, he was tempted to sneak some muggle friendly health potions into the water supply but that felt a little too supervillain. He really shouldn't run around drugging people without their consent, that felt like a very well signposted slippery slope.
He could still help those that would be in the know.
"You should ask Sam to bring Emily along, I have some potions that work really well on scarring. I don't know if your claws leave curse scars but even then, it can help reduce how visible they are."
These days even his famous scars were less obvious than they had been. It helped that he didn't really have any other scars, they didn't seem to last if they weren't cursed.
Jake just gaped at him.
Harry sighed. "Now you know about magic there is actually stuff I can do to help you guys out." That didn't appear to have occurred to Jake. And if that wasn't the sweetest thing. His cousin was an adorable eejit.
"We might need to collectively sign some secrecy contracts, but I promise I will do anything I can to help."
Oh no.
Jake was looking down at his clothes.
Harry rolled his eyes at Jake's puppy dog eyes.
He glanced beseechingly at Billy for help, but Billy was already laughing at him.
"Fine, bring me all your pants."
Harry had a feeling that he may have just accidentally set himself up as the new seamstress for a wolf pack.
Saturday morning had Harry pacing the living room, a Lord of the Rings Marathon was apparently a thing and Jasper had made him promise not to do any googling.
Harry didn't know what he was hiding, Harry read the book every couple of years, it wasn't like the plot was going to surprise him.
Jasper already had the DVDs which meant that neither of them had to pretend to be normal for the 12 or so hours they would be watching these films.
Part of Harry was disappointed they weren't going to do the typical dinner and a film date but the toss up between a cinema and his sofa wasn't a hard decision.
Besides, Jasper had promised an actual cinema date next time.
Harry smiled at the thought of there being a next time.
He glanced at his wrist; the battered face of the watch that had once belonged to Fabian Prewett still kept perfect time.
So, he knew perfectly that Jasper was 10 minutes late.
He was trying not to be ridiculous. Everyone was late sometimes; he was late almost constantly, and he could instantly appear most places.
It was ridiculous that he was feeling so anxious about this.
It was just a date. He'd done those before. Surely.
Harry thought back.
And further back.
His last actual date might have been taking Cho to Madam Puddifoots in 5th year.
Harry was reasonably sure bumping into people in bars did not count as dating.
And broom cupboards definitely didn't count.
At least the only way to go was up. It couldn't be worse than valentine's days in Madam Puddifoots.
Still, why was Jasper late? It wasn't like the vampire had overslept.
Or had to stop for breakfast.
Harry paused. Maybe he did have to stop for breakfast, did the Cullens keep a stock or did they have to head into the woods every time they got peckish?
Harry was still trying to mentally work out the logistics of finding and storing large quantities of animal blood when Jasper turned up 20 mins later carrying a suspiciously large picnic basket.
Harry stared at the basket for a long moment and then back up at the profusely apologising Jasper.
"-then Emmett said that Hobbits actually prefer sweet pastries and I realised I hadn't included anything sweet-"
Jasper looked like he was sweating but Harry was reasonably sure that wasn't possible.
"-Carlisle said he'd pick up cheese on his way home last night but he only picked up Monterey Jack and I am pretty sure that is as far away from the shire you can get in cheese form-"
Well at least he wasn't the only person who was feeling nervous.
"-and then Esme said that you might have food allergies, so I had to break into school to check if you'd put anything on your intake form-"
"Jasper." Harry pressed his hand over Jasper's mouth, his previous three attempts to interrupt the panicking not-vampire had been ignored. "Jasper, did you made me food?"
Jasper nodded and proffered his offering.
Harry took the basket and immediately regretted it when the weight of the wicker carrier almost dragged him to the ground. "Merlin, Jasper, what did you put in here?"
Harry flipped the lid on the basket and stared down at the feast Jasper had tightly packed into it.
There were many tins of mystery things, a couple of packages of fresh fruit, cured meats, and cheese. So much cheese.
There was even an entire pie.
Harry breathed in the small of fresh baking, a freshly baked pie. A pie that smelt like steak and ale.
A loaf of crusty bread was balanced precariously on top of what looked like an entire cake. There were several bottles of something and even a large Tupperware full of what looked like soup.
Harry thought he might cry.
This was a spread that Mrs. Weasley would be proud of. And considering what Jasper's adventure with lemons earlier in the week said about his culinary skills Harry knew how much work this basket represented.
"Hopefully it all tastes okay, I had Bella as a taste tester for most of it but she wasn't the best at giving honest feedback." Jasper was fluttering around him like an anxious bumblebee.
Harry grasped Jasper's hand from where it was fearfully hovering over the feast he had prepared for Harry. "Jasper this looks and smells amazing."
He felt like his smile was too big for his face but he couldn't seem to reign it in. He started to lug the basket back into the house but Jasper was quick to scoop it out of his hands. They headed into the living room and Harry started to unpack the basket whilst Jasper set up the first DVD.
When Jasper was sufficiently distracted by the DVD menu Harry quietly pulled his own surprise out from behind the sofa and placed it front and centre on the table.
When the TV was volume and colour balanced just the way he wanted Jasper came back to the sofa, settling in quickly next to Harry. His knee pressing lightly into Harry's thigh.
He was too busy smiling back at Harry to notice the additions to the table, Harry couldn't even criticise him. Harry was smiling back, helpless in the face of someone who was so clearly delighted to see him.
He nudged Jasper with his shoulder, "I would be a bad host if I didn't provide some refreshments of my own, especially with how thoroughly you're spoiling me already."
Jasper just frowned at him slightly.
Harry sighed and reached out to push Jasper's eyeline toward the coffee table. As soon as Harry's hand made contact with Jasper's cheek the revenant almost shivered.
Harry felt his cheeks redden as Jasper lightly nuzzled his palm, the revenant's cheek felt so smooth and cool under his palm.
Original plan almost entirely forgotten Harry threaded his fingers into Jasper's blonde hair. It was so soft, the curls almost clung to him as he buried his hand into the golden strands.
His thumb traced the arch of Jasper's cheekbone and Harry found himself staring into shockingly bright, golden eyes.
He was beautiful.
Harry felt his breath catch as he unwittingly leaned closer, he could feel the coolness of Jasper's breath brush over his lips.
He felt almost drunk for a moment, he could only stare, dazed, into Jasper's eyes.
And then there was a gurgling noise.
Loud and insistent as his stomach very much made itself known.
Jasper laughed, the low chuckle did something to his stomach that certainly didn't feel similar to the hunger it had been yelling about moments before.
Harry smiled back at Jasper before he freed his hand from Jasper's hair and reached for the first tin. He nodded towards the table as he popped it open. "You're not the only one who brought a surprise." Jasper finally looked away and Harry felt like he could breathe again, he looked down into his hands. "Ooo, biscuits!"
Jasper took a moment to examine the label on the first bottle. "Chizpurfle?" He picked up another small bottle, "Erumpent?"
Harry already had both of his cheeks full of cinnamon biscuits so he just watched happily as Jasper dug through the carefully selected collection.
Jasper's eyes went wide. "Dragon?"
Jasper carefully worked the cork and sniffed the bottle, his eyes momentarily darkened before he looked back over at Harry. His voice when it came out was strangely strangled. "Dragon blood?!"
Harry finished chewing his mouthful of biscuit, he needed this recipe, the cinnamon wasn't overpowering, and they were deeply moreish. "Yep, figured there must be a taste difference. This way we can work out which ones are your favourites and try and get more."
Jasper was gaping at him.
"There are a couple of types of blood that even Wixen stay away from but I figure as long as we avoid the obviously toxic and cursed ones you should be safe to give it a sniff first to see if it smells appetising and then try it."
Jasper looked down at the bottle again but still looked frozen. Harry opened another tin and crowed with glee when it revealed sausage rolls. "Jasper, this is the best gift ever. These look perfect!"
Jasper seemed to gain some ability to talk at that, he was wearing his blushing face again. "I am glad you like it, Esme was a lot of help as was Alice." Jasper looked rueful, "Although that was more enthusiasm than any real skill, Alice and I haven't cooked since we were still human and even then I cooked rarely."
Harry was starting to realise how much work had really gone into this basket, there was no way the collection of perfectly baked sausage rolls in front of him was a first attempt.
He grinned at Jasper shyly and nodded at the bottles. "Are you going to try one?"
Jasper smiled back but carefully recorked the dragon blood. "I hadn't realised half these creatures existed; it seems like a strange way to be introduced to them."
Harry glanced over the bottles before plucking on out, "Here you go, you can't complain at this one. Crookshanks donated it this morning."
The cat in question was currently licking his paw luxuriantly, clearly uninterested in anyone else's opinion on what his blood tasted like.
"No, I couldn't!"
Harry struggled not to laugh directly in Jasper's face, he looked so horrified.
"Don't be like that!" Harry chuckled, "He donated willingly, the spell feels quite nice and I gave him a sip of blood replenisher afterwards so he's no worse off for it." Harry nudged at Jasper again. "He's not a full Kneazle so it won't taste that different to a regular cat. I've ordered some more options but these were what I had on hand for potions ingredients."
That seemed to cheer up Jasper enough that he took a sip. "It's weird drinking blood out of glass." He looked consideringly down at the small bottle before he tipped the rest back. He nodded to cat who had fixed him with a gimlet eye. "You taste lovely, thank you very much."
Crookshanks just sniffed but apparently this was what he had been waiting for, he pushed himself out of his armchair and trotted quickly through the door.
"That cat is so weird." Harry watched the tufty orange tail disappear from the cabin. "He basically bullied me into taking a sample this morning when I was collecting together the other ones."
Jasper seemed completely bemused.
"Did you want to get started with the films?" The quiet music that was playing over the menu was already filling Harry with nostalgia. He'd never seen the films before, but the music was so clearly written for the Shire.
Jasper tapped play and Harry was transported.
The day passed in fits and starts, Harry was so gripped by the screen it was hard to remind himself to eat the wonderful feast Jasper had created for him.
He gasped when the ring wraiths were first revealed, the uncanny resemblance to dementors sending a frisson of real fear down his spine.
He silently blessed whoever decided to get rid of Tom Bombadil entirely and gaped openly at his first look at Rivendell.
"It's better than I could have ever pictured it." Harry was breathless with enthusiasm, his eyes drinking in the tall elves and the stout dwarves. In awe of the magic that muggles could create to make all these fantasy figures so real.
Of course, the richness of the scenes, the acting and the music didn't only take him down pleasant avenues.
The first steps into Moria left him on edge and the fight with the cave troll left him shaking.
The chittering sounds of orcs and the rapid flight through Moria left him with a nervous tension that he was struggling to ignore.
When Gandalf fell Jasper had to stop the film.
This happened in the books, there was no reason for it to be this shocking.
But Harry's breath was coming in gasps, and he could feel the tears streaming in steady trails down his cheeks as he desperately scrubbed them away.
It was just a film, he shouldn't be reacting like this.
Gandalf's slow slip off the edge, the fall into an impenetrable darkness.
All he could see was another fall, a different wizard.
He was at the top of the Astrology tower with Frodo's desperate cries ringing in his ears, feeling that ineffectual wave fury and grief all over again.
"Jasper." He grasped the hand Jasper offered and gripped it between both of his, forcefully grounding himself in the present. Touch was good. Jasper's hand was cool and steady in his.
He breathed in. He could still smell the lingering cinnamon and the scent of fresh baking. Something floral and sweet that could only be Jasper. Home.
He listened for bird song, the sound of water over rocks, anything that would remind him that there was a world around him that had nothing to do with falling or fear.
He finally opened his eyes and focused on the familiar sights of his living room, the smooth wooden walls and comfy armchairs. The frankly absurd amount weaponry hanging around the room. Why he had ever thought that would pass without comment is beyond him.
Jasper was still holding his hand and Harry was grateful he had broken the mental breakdown seal earlier in the week, it was just Jasper and him here, no Esme to run distraction but Jasper at least didn't look shocked. Just calm.
Time to rip the plaster off, "My old headmaster died in a similar way, less balrogs and more terrorists, but he fell." Harry swallowed. "He fell and I couldn't do anything to stop it."
Jasper just shifted to push the blanket on the back of the sofa over Harry's shoulder, Harry gave him a grateful smile.
"He was a bit like Gandalf, dramatically less grumpy but always full of cryptic advice and there to save the day." Harry laughed bitterly. "After he died I found out a lot of things about him and his plans for me, a lot of things he should have told me himself. It made me almost hate him for a while."
Harry stared at the frozen scene on the TV, the fellowship lost and rudderless in the foothills of a mountain. "I look back on his decisions as an adult and I understand them, they aren't the choices I would have made but I understand why he made them."
"It's hard sometimes to remember that our greatest mentors and people we look up to are just as prone to mistakes as anyone else." Jasper murmured.
Harry nodded silently.
He pulled the blanket forward onto his lap and used the movement to shuffle slightly closer to Jasper.
"That CGI was brilliant though, what a cool fire and smoke monster. I want a fiery whip now." Jasper smiled at him and suddenly Harry wasn't feeling so miserable. "Imagine the level of fear I could instil in Edward if I had a literal whip made of fire."
"Somehow I don't think you need the help inspiring fear in Edward."
When Harry smiled this time, he knew it had a edge, even Jasper looked slightly wary. "Still, a fiery whip always helps."
By midway through the second film Jasper had managed to manoeuvre himself until he was entirely pressed into Harry's side, Harry's hand still cradled lightly in his.
Jasper had been worried that he might be making Harry cold, Harry just rolled his eyes and cast something he described as a warming charm.
Jasper found it initially unsettling that his hand was suddenly a different temperature to the rest of his body but as long as he got to keep hold of Harry's hand he found he didn't mind. After half an hour any weirdness had passed and Jasper was just delightedly playing with Harry's fingers again.
He almost missed the entirety of the battle for Helms Deep because he was distracted by what Harry's calluses might be able to tell him about his mate.
He now knew what wand calluses looked like so he felt like it was time well spent.
It was early evening when the second film finished and Harry pulled out a couple of boxes from the basket that would be better warm and they made their way through to the kitchen.
Jasper had been delighted by how much Harry was clearly enjoying his cooking. Jasper would treasure Harry's reaction to opening a tin to reveal fudge forever. Even if the sound Harry made when he ate said fudge had made Jasper deeply glad he couldn't blush anymore. Even if Harry had eyed him knowingly at least his cheeks weren't visibly burning.
Harry popped his dinner choices into the oven to heat and soon the kitchen was filling with the smell of steak and kidney pie. Even if Jasper couldn't appreciate food anymore he still thought it smelt heavenly.
"You really have spoiled me." Harry grinned at him from where he was perched on the kitchen counter and Jasper couldn't help but move closer.
Moth to a flame.
When he was within arms reach Harry reached out to grab his hands and pull him closer still.
"This is the best first date I've ever had." Harry's face was soft in the low light of the kitchen, lit only by the oven his usually sharp jaw was less obvious in the shadows.
His eyes were still brilliant and bright. Sharp despite the hazy mood that had filled the room.
Jasper could have stared at him for hours, just cataloguing the way light played over his skin. Smooth with only light freckles over his nose, Harry's face was only marred by two scars and even the scars had their own beauty.
He reached out to trace the lightning scar running down Harry's forehead before he dropped to the small scar that curled up from the edge of his lip.
Harry had gone still under Jasper's gentle hands, gripping Jasper's other hand tightly. "It was a cursed knife, managed to fix most of the damage but the curse made it difficult to get rid of all of it."
Jasper nodded and his fingers moved to the thicker scar that ran down the side of Harry's neck, Harry gasped when his fingers made contact and Jasper was momentarily distracted by Harry's lips.
They were soft and pink and so, so close.
"Cut-Cutting curse, hunting down a group of dark wizards in Korea." Jasper traced the scar, noticing how close it came to severing an artery. Harry would have bled out in minutes, somewhere in Korea where Jasper couldn't reach him. Somewhere that meant that Jasper would never have met him.
Suddenly it became very important that Harry would never be in that kind of danger again.
Jasper looked back up at Harry, willing to beg in any way that Harry wanted for Harry to just promise to stay safe.
But as soon as he met Harry's eyes all thoughts of safety fled. Harry's eyes were dark, pupils blown wide. Jasper's hand on Harry's neck shifted until his hand was buried in Harry's chaotic hair.
A tug of Harry's hand had Jasper stepping more firmly between Harry's legs, he breathed in Harry's scent, so close he could feel the heat from Harry's skin bleeding into his chest.
He bent down, eyes wavering between Harry's burning eyes and his lips.
"Harry," Jasper breathed, he had planned to ask for a kiss at the end of their date, but temptation was too close. Plans were no longer important. "Harry, can I-"
Harry interrupted him with a kiss.
The press of sweet warmth against his lips left Jasper feeling breathless, each burning point of contact was so soft it felt like it should hurt.
A pause, a breath and then Jasper was pressing in for more.
Jasper moved, gently exploring Harry's lips. Pressing closer for more contact, more of Harry.
Harry's lips moved confidently against his own and Jasper was momentarily overwhelmed when he felt Harry's tongue run lightly over his bottom lip.
He opened his mouth in welcome and revelled in Harry's reaction, the stuttering gasp left his heart singing at the proof that Harry was just as effected as he was.
He twisted his fingers gently through Harry's hair and felt Harry's hand on his cheek, urging him closer. Their lips momentarily battled for dominance, but they soon settled into a comfortable play of skin on skin, glorious warmth meeting chilling cold.
Jasper had never wished so much to be human, to be soft and easy and closer to Harry.
They pulled apart, Harry's breath loud in Jasper's ear as he was pulled into a desperate embrace. Harry arms twining easily around Jasper's shoulders.
The heat of the last couple of moments of their kiss melting back into easy warmth and comfort. Harry breath light and calm, playing over his neck.
Jasper pet lightly at Harry's hair, running his fingers through the thick strands and sending them in even more chaotic directions. Jasper was going to have to hope that Harry really didn't mind what Jasper was currently doing to his hair, because he wasn't sure if he could stop.
Any urgency bled out of both of them, the smell of warm food, the low light and the distant sound of evening birdcalls calming them both until Harry's breathing was steady again.
Harry slowly detangled himself and Jasper mourned the loss of contact even as he watched Harry turn to pull his dinner out of the oven.
He found himself following like a duckling as Harry put together a plate and led the way back into the living room. Harry settled on the sofa and as soon as Jasper sat next to him he snuggled in, pressing back into Jasper.
Fork poised over the pie Jasper had perfected the night before Harry smiled up at him, something small and all the more precious for it.
Jasper was probably looking at Harry like a lovestruck calf, all awe-filled eyes and heart shaped pupils.
Jasper found that he didn't mind.
They played the next film and when Harry finished eating, he curled under Jasper's arm, easily finding a comfortable position curled against Jasper's chest.
Jasper felt bone deep contentment, sat here cuddled up with his mate. Blissfully happy to be here.
Harry gasped in all the right the places, vibrating with tension during the battle of Pelennor Fields, laughing lightly at Legolas and Gimli but weeping for Theoden and Eowyn.
The emotions passed easily though Harry, filled with nothing but his investment in Tolkien's story. The storm-like rush of feelings from earlier bore no resemblance to the cathartic breath of relief when Mordor finally fell.
Jasper found himself watching Harry more than he did the screen, enjoying each of his favourite moments played through Harry's fresh eyes.
The slow unfurling of endings felt endless when Jasper usually watched these films, but they felt fresh and exciting with Harry by his side.
Harry smiled up at him when the credits finally rolled, bright and happy but it was soon broken by a yawn so wide Jasper felt like he should have heard his jaw crack.
"Time for bed it looks like." Jasper smiled down at his comfy looking mate, the blanket thoroughly tucked around him. Only Harry's socks were visible at the end of his sofa cocoon, bright and messy in their brazen oddness.
Harry just grinned and leant back into Jasper's lap.
The grin was no less adorable for being sideways.
"Hmm maybe." Harry's eyes were already half closing and he blinked rapidly up at Jasper. "Maybe I could be convinced."
The lascivious wink Harry sent his way made Jasper feel like they suddenly weren't talking so much about going to bed to sleep.
Even without a blush his ears felt like they were burning.
Another yawn undercut Harry's grin but didn't make him any less tempting.
Which was of course the moment that Crookshanks decided to re-enter at a sprint and leap directly on to Harry's face.
He thought he and Crookshanks had been building a rapport. The cat had volunteered to give him blood, the immediate betrayal stung.
The strange and incredibly loud screeching sound from outside stopped him from thinking too long about how much the cat clearly hated him.
Harry was up and out of the living room before Jasper could do much more to process the extraordinarily grating sounds coming from the woods.
Jasper couldn't decide if he was being particularly slow or if Harry really was faster than a vampire. He looked down at the blanket that he had accidentally pulled apart with his bare hands and abruptly realised that his very human mate had just sprinted out towards the terrible noise whilst Jasper was distractedly destroying his soft furnishings.
Jesus he was terrible at this, seconds later he had sprinted out of the cabin only to come to a rapid stop when he spotted Harry bowing to a giant bird horse thing.
His brain froze, rebooted and then froze again.
Giant, bird, horse things existed.
A giant, bird horse thing existed and was currently in Harry's garden.
A giant, bird horse thing that Harry was just casually exposing his neck to. His precious, already heavily scarred neck.
Jasper would be embarrassed about the strangled squeak he made for the rest of his life, luckily Harry was distracted so it was mostly a private embarrassment. Crookshanks caught it though. The bastard cat.
Whilst Jasper's overtaxed brain tried to justify what he was seeing the scene got stranger. The thing bowed back to Harry and then Harry popped back up and was happily prancing towards all the sharp talons.
"Harry." Jasper throat was tight, and Harry's name came out more like a strangled whisper then the authoritative 'stop right there' he had been aiming for. Harry just waved back at him as he continued to approach the danger.
Oh god, was he even going to survive being Harry's mate if the very vulnerable human man he was tied to continued walking this blithely into danger. Could vampires have heart attacks?
Harry was stroking the terrifying looking beasty and making cooing noises.
When Harry jumped up on the creatures back Jasper thought he might actually faint, before he could do anything to prevent it Harry and the frightening monstrosity were already in the air.
It was only panic-petting Crookshanks and whispering "he's a wizard he'll be fine" over and over again that kept Jasper sane until Harry and his new horrifying mode of transport landed back at the front of his house.
"Jasper!" Harry was yelling excitedly from the front of the house, Jasper just clutched Crookshanks firmly to the front of his chest as he moved around the house to meet whatever it was that Harry had decided to launch himself into the air with. "Come meet Buckbeak."
Jasper already hated it, whatever a Buckbeak was, it was the worst.
20 minutes later Jasper had adjusted his opinion. Buckbeak couldn't be the worst because Harry was currently occupying that position. Occupying the position and building fortifications.
"Of course Buckbeak is staying, he's a family friend."
"Harry, he's a giant horse bird."
"He's a Hippogriff."
Jasper felt like he had never been as sure about anything. That thing was not a Hippo.
"Harry, keeping a Hippogriff in your very muggle cabin is a terrible idea."
Harry just waved that concern away the same way he'd waved away every concern Jasper had raised. "It's alright, I'll put up wards. Besides Hippogriffs can avoid being seen by Muggles when they want to be."
Jasper looked at the Hippo-thing who was currently preening under Harry's fingers. He stepped closer, determined to pull Harry further away from the murderbird.
The murderbird who immediately hissed at him, confirming the murderbird theory.
"You've got to bow to him." Harry informed him in a way that clearly indicated that he didn't think what he just said was insane.
If Jasper hadn't walked out to Harry doing just that he would assume Harry was messing with him, as it was Jasper dropped into an awkward bow.
"Um, you might want to back away." Harry was looking at the feathered thing with concern and the birdhorse was glaring at him. Then it glanced at Harry and almost seemed to roll its eyes before it nodded to him in a barely there bow.
Harry looked vaguely confused, "I guess that counts?" He looked dubious. "You can stroke him now?"
Jasper was saved from working out how he was going to refuse to do that without offending Harry when he was saved by his phone ringing.
"Yes?"
"I need you to come to Bella's." Edward sounded panicky.
"What's wrong?"
Harry looked up, concerned, and finally moved away from the massive flying disturber of the peace.
"There's been another vampire in Bella's room, can you bring Harry?"
Jasper glanced at Harry who had come close enough to pick up Edward's frightened question, he nodded.
"We'll be there shortly."
He hung up.
Harry was already summoning his usual satchel from inside the house. "We can ride Buckbeak there."
Jasper looked up at Harry, horrified.
Harry stared at him seriously for a couple of moments before his face cracked into a cheeky grin. "Or we could just apparate. It's a bit rough the first time but you get used to it."
"Or we could just drive."
"I don't know, sounds pretty urgent." Harry's eyes were wide and innocent and Jasper didn't trust it for a second.
Jasper sighed.
Harry grabbed his hand happily. "Just hold on tight and try to remember to breathe."
"What-"
"See you in a bit Buckbeak!"
And then Harry pushed Jasper through the mouth of a straw and everything started spinning. Jasper decided, not for the first time, that his mate might actually be evil. The sock footed menace of vampires everywhere.
