More Than Just A New Beginning

Chapter 21


"Morning," Harry said, kissing Derek on the cheek, watching the sleepy smile that appeared on Derek's youthful features. It was lovely to see him so…lax and happy, even if its only because he had yet to 'switch on' and remember everything, his life, what had happened to him. It was a heavy burden to bear; Harry could relate to some extent. "Breakfast is in the living room if you want to have it now…or we could head straight to the cabins. There's more than enough for all of us." the smell of coffee permeating the air.

Derek continued to smile, the knowledge that he was truly safe here…had loosened something in Derek. Knowing that if somehow Kate figured out where she was, she'd be stuck by magic and she'd be arrested. He hated how much he still feared the woman, but he'd get better, stronger, he had his family, his mate for strength, he didn't have to go this alone. Not like he had with Laura. Stretching out languidly, that smile turned impish then into a smirk as Harry's gaze followed his stretches. "Straight to the cabin," he decided, he missed Malia a lot, even if she was only in coyote form. He didn't even know what his cousin looked like. He did reckon the Hale genes would be strong.

"Sounds good," Harry agreed, "I packed everything we might need…I asked my team and well…some of their ideas were good." If he didn't know most of them were married, or in serious relationships he'd have thought they were dirty old farts, it's a good job he wasn't a prude otherwise he wouldn't have been able to look them in the eyes again. Bloody wankers.

Derek felt a pang of amusement at the feeling of slight embarrassment Harry exuded. It had a familiar tang to it; humans had a lot of hang ups about sex and nudity. Harrys wasn't obvious, presumably due to sharing a room with other boys while attending Hogwarts. It had desensitised him to it he reckoned, but it was still there just muted. "How long do you have off work?"

"Two days baring any emergencies," Harry explained, already rolling his charger into a ball and adding it to his bag. The cabins had electricity, despite the place being completely cloaked in magic…MACUSA was more at ease mixing Muggle and Magical together. It worked well, so Harry couldn't and wouldn't complain. "Although, I'm not sure Zane will call even if MACUSA is on fire." His voice slightly muffled as he grabbed the last-minute things he hadn't packed yet. Such as toothpaste and toothbrushes.

"Are there a lot of wizards there?" Derek asked as he shrugged on his leather jacket, talking loud enough for Harry to hear him.

"There's always at least one wizard or witch there," Harry admitted shrugging his shoulders absently. "They're on duty just in case they're needed, that's not to say fighting isn't allowed it is, but anything too severe they're separated and asked to leave." Usually, young Aurors fresh out of the academy, since nothing happened there, they kept the peace and it allowed the Aurors to interact with other supernatural's.

Derek grunted out a noise to say he heard him.

"Running low on food, I'll need to do another shop soon," Harry absently muttered to himself, as he set a section of food aside. Just because they were camping it didn't mean they couldn't get to enjoy a good meal. He even had S'mores in the bag, maybe they could even convince Malia to transform to enjoy them herself.

"What are you doing? That is a lot of food even for us," Derek commented, watching the food disappear into the bag of Harry's which he knew should have been full by now but magic was a wonderous, wonderful thing.

"Preserving charm," Harry explained, grinning, he loved it when they asked about magic and its capabilities. Peter was doing it less so nowadays mostly because he was actually reading the books that Harry left for them. Derek wasn't able to read as much due to his university studies having to come first. He was closer to finishing that there was no point to ditching it, plus, Derek honestly did think it was something his parents would have wanted.

"Now let's go have some fun," Harry said, green eyes alight with delight.

Derek's lips twitched, "Camping is your idea of fun?"

"Well…I don't know actually, I've never really been camping for fun," Harry admitted, "You ready to go?"

"Yes," Derek replied, making sure he had his phone, despite the fact he wouldn't really need it, everyone he knew and loved – except Laura – would be on the trip. He'd told Peter they were coming, mere moments ago, there was no reply but it was likely he was either making breakfast or still asleep.

Harry linked their hands together, giving it a tight reassuring grip, telling him everything was going to be okay. "I'll Apparate us there, hold your breath." With that they left the safety of the condo and appeared with a pop just inside the New York Magical Forest, the only place they could Apparate. Which was right beside the cabin housing the Auror on duty.

"Lord Potter," the Auror said less than gracefully as he got up, clearly not wishing to be seen as sleeping on the job, hastily wiping his lower lip.

"Good morning, Adam," Harry said, inclining his head, knowing him socially enough that he was able to use his first name without raising brows. Unfortunately, Adam treated him like a superior at all times, despite the fact they had gone out for drinks in groups after a long shift.

"Good morning! Sir!" Adam said, standing at attention.

"Could you tell us which cabin Peter Hale and company took?" Harry questioned. "This is Derek Hale; he and I wish to join their party." Making it clear this wasn't anything official, and if Peter had put himself down as anonymous then they wouldn't gain the cabin number.

"Of course, that will be cabin...number two," Adam responded professionally, giving a small smile in their direction. "Here's a map of the area!" giving them a way to

"Thanks," Harry said, inclining his head, before he and Derek took off, the youngster remaining silent as he took in the sights. "Ready to go? The cabins are in this direction, it will take us about half an hour…by flight and run."

Derek nodded, and crouched down ready to run, a grin morphing on his face.

"Oh, and Derek?" Harry said, mounting his brook with a wicked grin, "You can change into your Beta shift, and any animal you see here…is likely a shifter like you." laying himself out, and the young werewolves supernatural blue eyes flared as he took in the enticing figure, he took coupled with the wicked grin.

Hovering in mid air, Derek was changed into his Beta shift, and Harry cupped his face. Stroking the toughened skin delicately as if he were something precious and breakable. He could see how uncomfortable he felt in his Beta skin, and he should not feel like that at all. He was a born werewolf; he should have pride in both forms. Kissing one eye and then the other before kissing his mouth, making it clear he wasn't repulsed, and his scent would let Derek know for certain even if he didn't believe his actions. "Ready to go?"

"Yes," Derek lisped out, with his mouth full of elongated teeth, slightly dazed at the attention he received from Harry whilst in his Beta form. He'd naturally not shown many people that side of himself – outside of family – that is, not even Paige had seen his Beta form. Although, she'd seen Ennis' other form. Kate hadn't been able to stand any sign that he wasn't fully human, it should have been a glaring red flag, that and the lack of fear when he told her.

The unconditional care Harry had of either side of him…was greatly needed and appreciated.

"Three…two…one…GO!" and with that Harry took off at great speed, and Derek? Could see him move expertly on the broomstick and took off as well.

The feel of the wind rushing past him, the different scents, cubs, young shifters of different species. The smell of food beginning to cook outdoors and indoors, the exhilaration of actually going as fast as he could and not having to hold himself back was the best feeling he'd had since he was a child at the back of the Preserve before hunters started coming round.

Despite never being there before, he could run with his eyes closed, without fear and reprisals. He didn't keep his eyes closed for long, too busy watching Harry's face, which despite their distance he could see perfectly.

Harry felt just the same as him, he could tell.

Freedom.

There was a massive pile of wood in the middle that Derek jumped over. He knew without thinking much that it was for a bonfire. Concern hit him, "How far away will the cabin be from bonfires?" thinking of his Uncle Peter.

"That's the only one, I recommended that cabin for a reason, not only is it the best but it's one of the further away cabins from the five bonfires that will be going at any given time." Harry explained, "There are spells around the fire, runes, nobody can end up burnt, too many children running around to risk it. Especially those still trying to fit into their new limbs when they've just learned to shift." Harry didn't bother to shout; he didn't need to.

"You recommended it?" Derek asked, slightly surprised.

"How do you think you could get such a good pick of a cabin?" Harry asked slyly, turning to face Derek who was keeping up with him without so much as breaking a sweat yet.

Derek huffed out a laugh, "Thank you," he said sincerely, using a tree to swing and push himself forward to try and gain momentum. He was truly grateful for Harry's foresight. He would have hated if his Uncle Peter lost it here after what they'd been through. Nobody would understand, nobody at all, it wasn't as if he had any burns to show why he held such a fear of open flames. He wasn't sure if someone else would have been so kind and considerate.

Harry slowed down and paused in mid-air, "I care about you, and thus care about everyone in your life. If things go well between us…you'll all be my family…" Harry said, a longing that Derek didn't need to be a werewolf to sense. A deep, deep longing that almost combined with a desperation to be needed, to have someone equal, someone that didn't care he was a hero, what had happened when he was a younger wizard. "And family takes care of family." he'd be the Alpha for however long they needed, but he wanted family more than to rule a pack, to be Alpha.

Derek smiled, leaning against Harry's side from where he was floating in mid-air. A sense of happiness and contentment clouding him. He was brought out of his thoughts by the sound of a child shrieking in delight, having a water fight from the porch of the cabin they were in. A small smile appeared on his face. The child's features changed just a little, becoming more bear like than human.

They weren't far from their pack; he could hear Peter cursing as quietly as possible and the smell of blood. Malia had likely managed to claw at Peter again, either because he was taking too long to feed her or because he wasn't up yet.

Derek took off, the sounds all vividly reminding him of what it was like growing up. There was never a quiet moment in the Hale manor. He'd never seen anything like this though, bears? Panthers? It was amazing, sure he'd known they existed, on the peripheral. Seeing them was something entirely different, he'd grown up in a wolf pack, that had some humans in it, and that was as close to other supernatural creatures as he got.

He had been sheltered, his Uncle Peter didn't seem surprised, awed or amazed, he'd known they'd existed, probably had interacted with a few of them. He did wish his Uncle Peter had told him about it though, because it did sound fascinating.

Well, he was here now, he could interact with them himself. He had so many questions, such as if they had trouble with their shifts like werewolves. If they had a Beta shift or if they just went from human to animal. Was it easy? Or something they had to learn over time.

"Malia," Derek said quietly, from outside of the cabin as he finally stopped running, cheeks a healthy flush happy beyond belief. He could hear that Cora hadn't been helping Uncle Peter at all, just laughing in amusement at the damage Malia was inflicting.

Harry flicked the door open and Malia flew out, greeting Derek happily.

"I'm guessing you've not had much luck with her changing back yet?" Harry asked quietly. "Has she interacted with others? Let her see them changing back and forth?"

"Not yet, a load of shifters showed up yesterday evening, they've just settled in for the night…" Derek repeated what Peter said, aware his partner wouldn't hear his Uncle Peter unless he had that spell up, which he didn't.

"Ah, must have been a big booking, the full moons are the usual busy time," Harry agreed, "They'll likely stay over that time too."

"How long do we have the cabin for?" Cora asked, stepping outside, still sniggering, bright and happy, a far cry from the subdued young girl she'd been when she came back.

"I actually bought it," Harry confessed, "If you're going to live here in New York…you need somewhere to go on the day and evening of the full moon. I know you tend to have a lot of energy you need to let off…where better than here? You can use it whenever you want. No more suffering with excessive energy and not able to run free." Derek had mentioned once that there weren't many places to go in New York, or any to be exact. At least that was what they'd assumed until they found out about the magical forest New York offered.

"Are any the other cabins bought?" Peter asked, clearing having been listening from inside.

Derek absently repeated the question as Harry put his back down, and flicked his wand and murmured spells under his breath too fast for even Peter to keep up with. Food floated out of his bag, packages unwrapped, food began to cook in the air, plates joined in as the food began to pile up. The smell was divine, completely out of this world.

"Wait, you can actually cook food without…why do you have a stove?" Cora asked plucking the plate out of thin air, then her cutlery with a grin. He'd just cooked food with absolutely nothing, the extra foods that was cooked went into a bowl for others to help themselves to. Which given that they were all werewolves except Harry, highly likely it would be finished.

"It was there when I moved in," Harry shrugged, "I don't think it got used until you guys moved in too, there's even a few backups in my trunk. I bought the whole floor, and everything I didn't need was just put away." Sitting down on the trunk of the seating area.

"What else do you have that you don't need?" Cora asked, unlike Peter and Derek she hadn't read everything she could get her hands on. She wasn't nerds like them, she learned from experience, seeing Harry do magic.

"Fridge, freezer, washer, dryer, when it comes to it, we don't even need a sink…" Harry said thoughtfully, "We could spell them washed and straight in a cupboard." Shrugging dismissively, it's why the Weasley's kitchen had been so empty, all they had was a massive table and a lot of chairs and a sink, it's all they'd needed.

"You can clean your clothes with a flick of a wand and still use a washer and dryer?" Cora asked incredulously, unable to believe Harry did use it.

"I was raised by Muggles, I'm used to doing things the Muggle way," Harry explained to her in amusement. Finding her disbelief quite funny if he was honest.

"But you said you learned about magic at eleven, shouldn't that have made it so you were more magically inclined instead?" Cora pondered, she got used to her Beta shift, wasn't that the same thing?

"Maybe, if I had stayed in the magical world during the summer holidays," Harry posited, "Using magic to clean clothes isn't the same, they fade quicker, and some materials just aren't good for spells." At least in his experience, so for the most part he actually did use his kitchen appliances.

"Mad," Cora claimed, eating, "I wouldn't be using Mundane appliances if I had magic to just whip it clean." Finding it odd saying Mundane but she was getting used to it, instead of using the word normal. "Ouch! Malia!" Cora grumbled, nudging the coyote, albeit carefully, in retaliation.

Nobody was surprised to see Malia's plate was completely bereft of food. She could eat more than Cora and Derek combined. More quickly too, whether the food was raw or cooked mattered little to the youngest Hale.

Peter joined them ten minutes later, looking very well groomed for someone who had literally just got out of bed five minutes prior. He was a handsome man, he reckoned Malia likely took after him, and she was probably going to be stunning if she ever changed back. "Smells good," he murmured, practically swaggering to towards the group. He had no doubts about his…appeal, and Harry may have been interested if things had been different.

Things were different, he had found a match in Derek, who was probably going to look even more stunning when he grew into his looks. Not that he really cared for looks over the person, honestly, he'd rather have someone genuine, good, loving, helpful, even if they wouldn't be winning the most gorgeous people awards. Depth over looks in other words.

"Do you know anyone here?" Peter asked, as he casually sat down, patting Malia firmly, as he gave her a slice of his bacon before digging in.

"No, not personally," Harry answered, "I may come across people I've spoken to in the line of duty, maybe even victims but I'll never reveal as such. They are entitled to their privacy." He would never reveal anyone's past like that, he hated when everyone had known more about his own past.

Peter conceded the point, "Have you considered making some connections while you're here?" the food was perfect, considering magic had apparently made it, he shouldn't be surprised. Not noticing a curious little Coyote taking off after seeing a bear and a leopard run off behind a cabin nearby.

"Can't say I have," Harry told him thoughtfully, "Is it something an Alpha usually feels the need to do?" and despite the fact Peter had never been an Alpha, he knew pretty much everything having read through the Hale library before the fire.

"It's not a compulsion," Peter stated firmly, "but it's something that you should be thinking about."

"You do have a network of connections, squibs, wizards, and some shifters," Derek couldn't help but smugly declare. He knew because Harry had spoken about it, not in terms of connections, and he'd never given any names.

"I guess," Harry conceded, "I know a lot of people, so if you consider that connections, then I have them in spades. Not all of them are in New York." At least not now, they had all returned home, with their children to the safety of the pack den.

"Yes," Peter murmured, "I am still trying to get in touch with all of mine, not an easy task I must admit." And he got on well with his contacts, although, he could say there was a little bad blood between at least three of his contacts the rest he got on well with. Which was a surprise, really, but he did get on some people's nerves. That and the time he'd been in a coma the numbers had changed and he had no way of recalling their numbers or giving them his new one.

"If you want to make more here, be my guest," Harry said, sensing Peter's desire to do so, he had a feeling that Peter was feeling a little stifled and wanted to spread his wings. To do what he had done for his sister. Maybe even become an Alpha himself, but he didn't know if that was true.

Peter's gaze jerked up, staring intently at Harry in a way nobody had stared at him before. It was as if Peter was trying to see right through him, to see if he was being truthful or just yanking Peter's chain. Peter knew him well enough by now to know he didn't joke about anything. "You want me to act on your behalf?"

Harry arched a brow, at the wording, "Yes, do what you like, Peter, make as many connections or friends as you like. We'll be here often enough, and you can come any time you like."

"As what?" Peter asked still staring intently.

Cora and Derek paused in their eating and waited on an answer.

Harry blinked in confusion, "What?" befuddled.

"The name of the Pack, of course," Peter said slowly and smoothly.

"Ah," Harry said wryly, understanding all their reactions now. "If you have no objections, use the Hale pack, for there are four of you Hales in it. Who knows…maybe one day I'll be officially a Hale." Teasing Derek softly, nudging him, not the first time he'd made declarations of a permanent kind.

It didn't make Derek feel pressured, it eased him significantly knowing his mate was in it for the long haul. The fact that he would take on the Hale name…meant more to Derek's tattered heart than Harry knew. More so since he knew just how much respect the Potter name had.

"The Hale name is well known, it will open far more doors than your name," Peter said, he was undoubtedly proud of his heritage.

Harry pursed his lips, a small snort leaving him, "I'm not sure that's actually accurate,"

Peter recalling Harry's fame – but never having experienced it properly – but for him to be in books…Harry may well be right. "Perhaps," conceding the point, swinging bacon from his thumb and forefinger, glancing down in confusion when it wasn't grabbed. Only to notice that Malia was nowhere to be seen.

His plate fell to the floor, as he stood, "Malia's missing," already inhaling sharply, ready to hunt her out. Naturally, everyone else was quick to stand as well, determined to help.

It took them all of five minutes for the trail to end, and Malia's scent to stop.

Peter began to really panic, when Harry touched his shoulder, wordlessly pointing towards a girl in a pool with two other shifters. Water, of course, that would account for the lack of scent going further, that and another significant reason.

There was no coyote.

Peter's breathing hitched, staring at his daughter for the first time, blinking back tears. "Malia," he croaked out, she looked like a female version of him, a little bit of Talia and Laura in her too which made it difficult for Cora and Derek.

"I guess you were right, she just needed time after all," Peter murmured, it was so, so, so good to see her human. Even if he knew it wouldn't be simple or easy, he didn't care. He was just glad to see that she could change back and wasn't stuck.


A/N – you can blame everyone in my Facebook group for my lack of updates the past few days 😊 lmao I'm afraid they recommended a few stories that I just couldn't resist sinking my teeth into and reading. I'll tell you something though, it's made me lean more towards a Regulus/Harry story for My Child 😊 but we will see 😉 there are two other couples that I do like the sound of and enough about that, would you like to see a few more chapters of their time here before the real world intrudes upon their bubble? Will Peter eventually become an Alpha with plans to take back Beacon Hills? Or will Laura take over Beacon Hills and Peter fight her for the right? After all she did abandon it? R&R please!