Is This The World We Created
Chapter 8
Harry rubbed his eyes tiredly, sighing in relief when the entire group of sanctuary representatives – leaders – finally, finally left through the Floo network. There had been a whole lot more people than he'd anticipated, every single one of them had brought their seconds with them. It was the most animated he had ever seen them to be fair, as all of them found no reason for the spell not to work.
"That was something else," Peter admitted, blue eyes gleaming with merriment. He'd tried to hide and remain unobtrusive during the meeting, having known when it would start. Even had Stiles put a sound dampening and scent remover on him, but apparently that had backfired spectacularly. Harry had known he was there, instead of giving him the boot, he just stared at him in wicked amusement before dragging him out and introducing him to everyone and allowed him to stay.
"Four hours, half of which was basically repeats of what was already said…" yawning half way through his statement, "What the hell was amusing about it?"
"They believed you without pause, other than a few nobody required evidence, but I don't believe it was out of malice…they just wanted complete intellectual proof before getting their hopes up." Peter pointed out, "Those 'representatives' as you called them, they did not have jobs before the world went to hell where they were in charge did they? Except for perhaps Hermione Granger." He could tell, from the way they listened to his mate.
"Actually you're wrong," Harry said in amusement, giving Peter a look. "They were all rather high up in their chosen fields."
Peter frowned, "They certainly didn't act like it," he conceded, he didn't like being wrong at all. "They look to you for leadership," he stressed out.
Harry shook his head as he stood, "That's only because of things that had happened in the past, and who I am." He explained, flicking his wand, and the paperwork that was strewn all around the table lifted itself up and began to pile itself in the corner of the room.
"Who you are?" Peter parroted, watching the magical displays, he'd read the creature book and proceeded – along with Stiles – to ask those creatures questions left right and centre. Thankfully they'd been more amused and accommodating than pissed off, especially when it became clear that Peter himself was a creature, who was largely unaware of the magical world. Perhaps it's the first time someone had bombarded them with questions…or perhaps they were just used to it, Peter hadn't thought to ask.
"Do you remember our conversation a few days ago about the 'terrorist' that was attacking London?" Harry asked, slumping back down now that everything was tidied away.
"Yes, I believe you took him out," Peter answered, he listened, he always listened.
"The reality is, that the magical world was in the midst of war when I was born, even I'm not sure how many Mundane's paid the price for the magical world's war. It isn't the point I suppose, Albus Dumbledore was the leader of the 'light' side and anyone on the opposite was on the 'dark' side so to speak. There was a prophecy created, about a boy who would have the power to defeat Voldemort and bring an end to his tyranny. Dumbledore believed it wholly, and found out who it could be, urging those families to go into hiding," Harry said, a faraway look on his face, "My parents had been on the run with me since I was born, going from safe house to safe house…but they decided they didn't want to live that way. They didn't want to raise their son on the run, babies needed stability after all and chose where they wanted to settle down. A little cottage, all that was left was to decide who to harness the spell to. They wanted to go under the Fidelius Charm, which would keep those under it hidden until such time they no longer required it."
Peter listened attentively, soaking in all the knowledge he could get from his mate.
"They chose one of their best friends, Peter Pettigrew, while my godfather Sirius Black played decoy." Harry went on, unsurprised to see zero comprehension on Peter's face, the Mundane news probably didn't concern or alarm them. They were Werewolves, an escaped convict wouldn't worry them, that's if it had even gotten broadcast over in America. "Then one week later they were attacked."
Peter startled at that, for some reason he hadn't been expecting it. "What?" had he honestly heard right?
Harry nodded, "I was fifteen months old when Voldemort attacked…"
"But you just said the spell would…" Peter protested confused.
"The spell does work, yes, and cannot be beaten, not by any magic known, but by the secret keeper of the secret to those under the Fidelius Charm…revealing where they were." Harry explained to Peter, with a grimace. "My parents best friend of ten years, willingly gave them up, unbeknown to all of them, Peter was a Death Eater, he had sided with Voldemort. He gave them a week before he revealed all to Voldemort and left them sitting ducks for the attack on Samhain."
Peter was gaping, a disgusted grimace on his face, he did feel a little happiness at the familiar term, Samhain, or as the Mundane call it, Halloween. The pack had loved celebrating that day, him too, when he was younger, but Talia hadn't cared much for the old ways. Immersing herself and the pack completely in Ordinary traditions.
"My parents were murdered in that attack, and Voldemort tried to kill me that night. I was hit with an inescapable curse that should have been impossible to survive." Harry explained wryly, "Instead the curse rebounded on Voldemort and destroyed his body leaving his spirit to flee. Everyone however, believed I had 'defeated' him, and by the end of the night everyone was celebrating 'The-Boy-Who-Lived' and his miraculous defeat of the Dark Lord Voldemort. Meanwhile I had been sent to the only relatives I had, my Mundane Aunt and Uncle who loathed magic."
Peter felt his heart sinking, having a funny feeling where this was going, he had seen too much of the dark side of humanity not to.
"I grew up not knowing about my magic and being regularly beaten for any displays of accidental magic." Harry went on to explain, standing up, and moving towards the window staring out of it, "I received my Hogwarts letter when I was eleven-years-old, and by the time I entered the magical world…every single person had grown up knowing my name. Knowing more about me than I did, you see I had been raised believing my parents were unemployed louts who had died in a car crash almost killing me in the process. The reality though…differed, they'd died betrayed and protecting me."
Peter swallowed, "I'm sorry," nobody should have to go through that, especially not a child for being different.
"Don't be, it is what it is," Harry shrugged, turning back to face Peter, face impassive. "Eventually he came back, and once they stopped calling me an attention seeking brat, which was the nicer terms by the way…when it was no longer feasible to deny his return. I was suddenly the chosen one, they all believed that at the age of sixteen I should be the one to defeat him as I had done in the past."
Peter felt sick, how could people ask that of a child? "Why didn't you run? Just leave?" he knew, he just knew his mate had done no such thing.
"Oh, at that point I had already faced my parents killer four times, when I was eleven, twelve, and fourteen and of course…fifteen." Harry said waving it off, "At that point, the pressure to do something was strong, I wanted to do it for my friends…for myself, so I could live and more importantly…for revenge. To avenge my parents."
Peter nodded, completely understanding, he just wished his niece and nephew had been even slightly like Harry. Unfortunately, it wasn't their fault, Talia had raised them to be cowards, to run, instead of fighting when it came to the hunters. Or perhaps that was just Laura, maybe that's just who she was. He didn't know, he wouldn't have thought she could do what she did before the fire. He'd assumed she'd be a good Alpha like her mother when the time came. Oh, he was jealous, he wanted Alpha powers of his own of course, but that was beside the point he wouldn't have hurt Laura or Talia for them.
"Two years it took to finally kill him, but I did it, I was already famous and revered…it just became worse after all was said and done." Harry shrugged, "I'm used to it, so that's why they listen, look to me for answers…they grew up doing it, it's nothing to do with their own inability to lead."
"Do you think we will make it back far enough to prevent the apocalypse?" Peter asked, abruptly changing the subject, he could smell how deeply uncomfortable his mate was with the line of conversation. It was clear he didn't want things to change between them, and he had no doubt the look on his face hadn't helped at all with the belief that things would change.
"Six years is a long way to go isn't it?" Harry said with a grim smile, his scent changing to sweet relief at the change of conversation and that Peter was back to normal. "Well, nearly seven at this point, but between me and Stiles…definitely. We're going to go as far back as we possibly can."
"And Stiles will still be a spark? He won't lose his abilities?" Peter questioned, that had been something playing on their minds, his and Stiles, but Stiles would accept the consequences, so long as they could have a normal life.
"Technically," Harry said, "I'm afraid I don't know when his spark was awoken, and depending on how far back we get… but it shouldn't affect the Stiles in the time we get to. If Stiles ends up in his younger self's body…well, he might not feel anything at all until it's awoken. I suggested to him to go straight to the Nemeton, it would unleash the full extent of his spark, so that he isn't without his magic." Harry himself shuddered at the prospect.
"You spoke to him?" Peter asked surprised.
"Yes, he wanted to study the spell a little more, read up what he could," Harry explained, "Unfortunately, I didn't have what he was looking for, but did find a bit about Sparks. For someone self-taught he is amazing."
"Agreed," Peter replied, Stiles was amazing, at one point he'd been envious of that smarts being wasted on McCall and his pathetic pack. Not that his nephew had figured out just how beneficial Stiles would be to his pack when he was an Alpha either. For all Derek's faults, at least he hadn't been around Stiles and hadn't been his so called 'best friend' for years before the shit show went down in Beacon Hills.
"In all seriousness, did you get on with your niece?" Harry asked Peter, from where he was still standing against the wall by the window.
Peter inhaled sharply, he didn't like thinking or talking about her at all. "I grew up alongside her, I was a late baby, my siblings were decades older than I was. As unconventional as it was, Laura, Derek and Cora were more my siblings than my actual siblings. Derek and I were extremely close, thick as thieves when we were younger, more so in Derek's teen years, Talia often took off with Laura to visit packs and bring peace to them. I was often in charge of taking care of my nephew and niece along with Sebastian, their father. There was a few close calls with hunters that bonded us closer together. Laura in her teenage years became quite…cocky, stubborn and determined, all in the wrong way, but she was being raised to the next Hale Alpha, that will have caused some belief that she was better than everyone else. As for your question, no I didn't think for a second she'd ever do what she did…but considering how they were raised…I shouldn't have expected anything less."
"How they were raised?" Harry asked curiously, moving over to his cabinet and getting them both a drink, plucking an odd coloured ice cube into Peter's drink from the chilled cabinet filled with ice. "It's a variety of wolfsbane that's low in concentration and it's not dangerous, it will only allow you to enjoy the benefit of the drink. Admittedly not as long as humans remain drunk but enough."
Peter accepted the drink, staring at it in disbelief, he'd seen the affects alcohol had on humans, but had never been drunk himself. They metabolised everything too quickly to get any affects. He merely drank sometimes for the taste, and only a few wines were tolerable to his werewolf taste buds. Taking a sip, eyes widening as he forced himself not to cough at the burn, finally after he relaxed back against the sofa sighing, "Talia raised them to run from trouble, from hunters, run and hide, don't retaliate, don't fight back."
Harry stared blankly at Peter, as if waiting expectantly for the rest of that statement. After all that was the most idiotic thing he'd ever heard, it was for Mundane folk trying to make a citizen's arrest against a greater foe, not those of the supernatural lifestyle. Running instead of fighting just set up a very, very, bad example, and painted a target that wouldn't be there otherwise on their back. Not just by other supernatural creatures but hunters too.
"But surely that was only for the pups?" Harry asked exasperated five minutes later when it was clear Peter wasn't going to continue. If anything he looked a little lost in his own thoughts, he sighed as he took a seat next to Peter, sipping his own whiskey from his own tumbler. "She honestly couldn't have been raising the next Hale Alpha to not fight back? That's just encouraging hunters to think we can get them they wont fight back, we're safe." To secure your territory they had to fight, he just didn't understand this at all.
"What Talia was teaching Laura…is unknown to me, Laura was taught in secret," Peter admitted, blinking at the feel of the alcohol, damn, it was stronger than he anticipated. Deciding against drinking it too quickly, having never drank before, he would be like a newbie at drinking for the first time. "Just as Talia was by our parents, gaining Hale Alpha secrets and such."
"But there's no guarantee that only Laura would end up an Alpha, any one of you could have, including her son and daughter…" Harry pointed out brow furrowed. "Hell, you could have ended up an Alpha in your youth, what would your parents have done then?"
Peter chuffed, sounding just a tad bit bitter, "I know, that was something Talia refused to entertain when I suggested it. As it is, Talia had already undergone her Alpha training before I came on the scene." how different would things have been had she taught Derek the way things were supposed to be? "It's not the only mistake she made. I've never really understood my own sister either."
"Oh?" Harry queried, licking his lips, he loved firewhisky, and it was a good year, he didn't have much left of it, but what he did, he'd share with Peter. It sounded like he could use it, especially discussing something that was obviously still an unresolved situation. "Would you prefer a butterbeer? It's got a very low alcohol percentage? I've drank it since I was thirteen…" the last thing he wanted to do was make Peter feel taken advantage of.
"No thank you," Peter stated, tightening his hold on it, he'd definitely need it for this conversation. One of his biggest qualms he had over what Talia had done…and something he'd never be able to forgive. "I had a daughter," she'd definitely looked like him and Corinne, silently watching and gauging Harry's reaction to the news.
Harry barely blinked at the news, "Had?" he murmured sympathetically.
"I was unaware of that fact, she ironically enough became a member of the McCall pack of all coincidences," Peter said dryly, "After spending a decade as a Coyote, she turned back when she was seventeen."
Harry's eyebrows rose in incredulously at the words, "What?" unable to comprehend what he'd just heard. "Why?" what on earth had happened?
"When I found out about her I realized that I had…no memories of her or her mother. My memories of that point in my life are…blank." Peter explained, eyes blazing with fury. "I came to the realisation that Talia had not just removed the memories of my daughter but a relationship I had as well. She put my daughter in the care of ordinary people, people who wouldn't understand if she was a Werewolf or Werecoyote as she actually was." Peter hissed out, honestly, he was so angry with Talia for that more than anything.
"Merlin, how…I…" Harry gaped, shaking his head incredulously, it was different with magic, it wasn't quite as dangerous as being a Were!
"To make matters worse, Malia's biological mother wanted her dead so she could have her powers back. She attempted to kill her, at the same time Malia experienced her first shift and harmed her adopted mother and sister, she blamed herself to the day she died, it should never have happened." Peter admitted bitterly, he'd never been able to be close to her, talk to her, his sordid past made even his own family wary of getting too close. Until the end of the world of course.
"I'm sorry she did that to you," Harry said softly, shaking his head, "No offense, but what the fuck was your sister thinking?"
"I have little doubt she thought she was doing the right thing, and part of me hopes that she removed my memories with my approval…but I sincerely believe I wouldn't have given it, even with the danger she was in. She would have been better protected by her family, her pack, than with Ordinary people." Talia might have taken his memories…but she hadn't changed his personality. "As young as I may have been, I wouldn't have willingly allowed my child to be taken away."
"I get that," Harry murmured, staring at his glass contemplating the betrayal that Peter no doubt still felt. He knew the worst of it all was the lack of answers, from Laura and from Talia. "Were you able to get any answers from Derek?"
Sipping on the firewhisky feeling the effects fading, "No, my nephew has never been a big talker, he was always the quiet one. He became even more so after the fire and what I did to his sister. I do not think he has ever truly forgiven me. He trusts me now, yes, understands to an extent what happened but never forgiven. Most of all he just blames himself for everything that happened even my own actions, he believes if the fire hadn't happened well…none of what followed would have."
"He's not blaming himself for all this?" Harry straightened, staring at Peter in disbelief.
"My nephew takes on guilt that is not his own to harbour," Peter said sardonically, as he sipped the drink some more. Born werewolves did not realize what they were missing out on he realized, at least his pack anyway, he wondered if it was something another pack had actually come up with.
"No offence, but he's an idiot," Harry said bluntly. "Unfortunately, victims tend to take the blame for everything that happens around them after one severe case of survival guilt or incident that involves them, very needlessly weighting themselves down with guilt might I add."
"Sounds like you know what you're talking about," Peter observed, most of his observations come from his scent, which was open tonight, in fact, it had been open all night. He normally had the ability to close off his emotions, and Peter wasn't about to call attention to the fact he could scent him.
"Indeed, I've had my parents deaths, my godfather's death used against me," Harry admitted, sighing resignedly, "All for the 'greater good' of course," his tone bitter. "I learned not to let it affect me in time, hopefully it will be the same for Derek."
"He's learned," Peter confessed, "Took the end of the world and his mate to make it happen, but it did." the process started after Derek 'died' for the pack before returning fully evolved. That sort of guilt would never truly fade, and he'd always have moments of self-doubt but Stiles would always be there to bully him into seeing it for what it was. The fault lay with the hunters.
"It's a good job, this task…isn't for the weak or someone burdened down," Harry said seriously, "You do understand what's going to happen don't you?" Peter was smart enough to realize it, they all were surely.
Peter's eyes flashed in feral yet smug satisfaction, "I do," every single hunter would be wiped out nationwide, and the magical world would reclaim the Were's as their own, and presumably police them too, or have them police themselves. They hadn't exactly came out and said that, but come on, they were gathering locations, hunting families, numbers, from all around the world, from the UK to the USA to Russia all prominent known hunting families not just those on the council.
Even Chris wasn't unaware of what would happen, although he reckoned the ex-hunter was in a great deal of denial especially for what it meant for every single hunter out there.
"Does Derek know?" Harry asked curiously, "Or is it something that should be kept from him until it's over?" he'd never discussed it, hell, they'd barely scraped the barrel about it tonight, but it was an unspoken agreement, Scott McCall wasn't the only person – or creature he supposed – that was going to die when they went back in time.
"He'll likely understand, a few years ago he would have protested, but he understands the danger now in a way he has never before." Peter explained, sipping the last of his drink, his entire body buzzing with the alcohol, it was a pleasant feeling all around. One he wasn't used to, he'd rather like to see his nephew drunk, he had a feeling it would be an experience all around. "Worrying about exposure is different from the reality of it." even he had not foreseen this sort of devastation, world ending devastation.
Harry snorted, "You've got that right," he said wryly. Grinning in amusement, but it was a bitter sort of amusement.
"You said attempts were made to prevent exposure…how and when?" Peter asked, it was something he'd been thinking about for days.
Harry shook his head, "Futile attempts, we couldn't find the source of it, so mass mind wiping and preventing the stations from showing it wasn't working. The videos just kept popping up, it wasn't until at least a month into the apocalypse that I found out a name, and longer still before I found out about Beacon Hills being the hellmouth behind it."
"Ah, I see," Peter conceded, aware that magic wasn't a miracle worker, not on a grand scale, but when it came to protecting them? It was definitely a miracle worker on its own. He knew that without Stiles' magic they wouldn't have survived this far, there was no doubt.
"The mass panic was…horrible," Harry confessed, entire brow furrowing, "I must admit even I wasn't able to remain calm…although I didn't quite go as overboard as some."
Peter's eyes glazed over a little as he thought on the first few weeks of the mass hysteria and panic. The news stations, the radio, the internet the madness and fear, the fighting, killing just for the sake of it, it had been awful, but he'd always been a planner, he'd grabbed his to go bag, and everything he'd need and ensured everyone else did too along with Stiles, who had been grieving the loss of his father. Between him and Derek they'd managed to get Stiles in good enough shape to move while allowing him the time to actually grieve his father. Half the population taken out, most of which were probably NOT supernatural anyway, just people suspicious of them and bam.
It didn't take long at all for the police, military and every government power to lose control.
Peter merely nodded, he understood the urge to panic, only his years as the Left Hand had him remaining calm and getting those he cared about out of harms way. Leaving Beacon Hills entirely, which by the way had been a very good idea, the first of the bombs had been dropped on it.
"Where was your daughter found? I'm going to assume at least Derek and Stiles know?" Harry asked, changing the subject again, putting his empty drink glass aside, stretching out, pleasantly buzzed.
"Stiles was there," Peter admitted, shifting closer to Harry almost unconsciously, but then not caring when he became consciously aware of it. "He knows where she will be," but he nonetheless, took the time to confirm where McCall and Stiles had found her, not far from that horrid smashed up red car and the soft toy so beloved by her sister. His description was way too real to be from a photo or someone else's words.
"Does anyone know you went there?" Harry asked staring at Peter sombrely.
"No," Peter snorted at the thought, he'd still been the ultimate evil back then, one moment from snapping, no doubt they'd all pitted Malia for having such a 'evil' father. He had watched over her when he could, there were times where she vividly reminded him of himself. Whether it was nurture versus nature that made her way…she'd never had much of a chance. Talia had screwed her over just as much as him. Although, she had loved her adopted parents, he'd give them that much. They'd loved her as one of their own, and he would have very much liked to thank them for that. unfortunately, the woman who had raised Malia through childhood was dead…and honestly? Peter didn't want to meet the father, his competition so to speak, for he feared he'd claw him to bits, whether out of jealousy and spite or worse…if he said something even in gest about Malia's abilities. This guy thought he lost both his kids and wife, only to get his adopted daughter back…but with a massive difference, a girl so feral, that had the ability to turn into an animal – as all Hale's did – so yeah, who knows what he could be thinking.
"Uh-huh, brace yourself," Harry muttered suddenly, flicking his wand and Peter grunted, eyes widening dramatically as the couch began to reorient itself, becoming a bed as apposed to the couch it was just moments prior. "Now that's better." Stretching out properly, he hadn't had a real chance to relax since he got up at five o'clock this morning.
"If I didn't know better I would say you were showing off," Peter said, blue eyes gleaming with amusement as he eyed the wizard in silent contemplation.
Green eyes met blue, "And how do you know I'm not showing off?" puzzled but amused too.
"I am a werewolf darlin'," Peter pointed out, eyes flashing supernatural blue for a second, surprised by the smell of arousal that show got him. Interesting, he wondered if his mate had that reaction every time it happened or if he was special. No way of knowing with Harry's ability to mask his own feelings, and there we go, the scent disappeared, his mate had evidently figured it out. He barely refrained from pouting, barely.
Harry laughed, clearly something had given away his feeling on the matter. "I usually have better control over my Occlumens barriers," he admitted, "Tiredness and the lack of sleep can affect them, mostly due to the fact I meditate at night and it helps replenish them, and strengthen them."
Peter made a mental note of the words, as he reached forward, fingers wrapping around Harry's neck, as he shot in for a passionate albeit short kiss before Harry was wrenching himself away.
"I don't think so," Harry said, pushing Peter away by the shoulders.
Peter just unrepentantly grinned, not at all ashamed, he got it, why would Harry want to get to know him intimately, before having to start all over again with a different Peter in the past? He allowed himself to be moved marginally, but not too far.
"I'm not taking advantage of you," Harry added, much to Peter's shock and utter delight.
"And what if I wanted taken advantage of?" Peter practically purred out, eyeing Harry as if he were a piece of meat. His mate wasn't only smart, powerful but very aesthetically pleasing on the eye. Not that it was looks that truly made them look twice, no it was their scent that normally did it for them.
Harry snorted at the look, "I almost believe you," he admitted, green eyes gleaming brightly with mirth.
"As you should," Peter declared haughtily, but he didn't push, he wasn't sure whether Harry was merely using the 'advantage off' to be polite and perhaps a half-truth – it certainly wasn't a lie - in order to cease all attempts. He instead just tangled Harry's fingers in his own, and relaxed back down, it was entirely up to Harry now.
"Truth is I've never slept with anyone," Harry said, shrugging his shoulders dismissively.
Peter closed his eyes for a second, before they latched onto Harry, "Are you Asexual?" his heart was pounding erratically. Surely, surely, the world wouldn't give him a mate that did not care for sex, sure he wasn't promiscuous but bloody hell, he did want to mate with his mate, have them both enjoying it. Not bound to a sexless relationship, his younger self, who hadn't gone through what he had? It would be a deal breaker, he just knew it.
"No," Harry shook his head bemused, "I've had my fair share of people I've been attracted to, but I don't trust easily, I couldn't say whether they would be with me or just for the sake of sleeping with the 'famous' Harry Potter and spilling it to the newspapers so I just stayed the hell away." It had been all women who approached him for a good time too, all of them assuming he was straight. Another reason to avoid it all, the news of him being gay getting out and the never ending stories no.
His mate was a fucking virgin, Peter gaped at his unbothered, unrepentant and unembarrassed mate lying across from him. Licking his dry lips, he was suddenly hit by the realization that nobody had touched his mate intimately, he'd be the first, to touch, to tease, to mark. That awoke a thrilling possessiveness within him that he hadn't expected.
Eyes flashing supernatural blue, Peter lurched forward again, possessively and ardently kissing Harry for all he was worth. Unable to help himself or his wolf's possessive tendencies, he was going to claim his mate tonight. And if it was killing two birds with one stone…well, that was just sheer happenstance. Really.
Even if Peter had an ounce of doubt, it was all gone, in the all consuming need to make Harry's body sing, and his mate's scent co-mingle with his own.
Sheer happenstance indeed.
There we go so will the next chapter continue immediately following this or another time jump to the ritual? Or I suppose we could have a bit of both if you'd prefer ;) will we see Harry being as cunning as his mate or just aware of what he was up to and deciding to play along ultimately amused? hmmm not bad going got this written out quite quick which is unusual as of late I know sorry! Unfortunately, RL takes precedence :) enjoy the chapter and remember to review!