Chapter 14: Stuck with the short tempered firebender prince is great. No really, no sarcasm here.

Zuko's eyes widened, almost dropping the tray of tea he was carrying. He was wearing some kind of green robe with yellow lining and a black belt around his waist. While Harry was still busy looking at him in surprise, the firebender had set down the tea set and dragged him through the shop getting surprised glances their way by what looked like customers. Harry being too surprised and emotionally drained to react, let himself be dragged out towards the backroom of the shop. As soon as the door closed, he's slammed against the door, the other teen looking at him with a fiery glare.

"What are you doing here?"

"Why should I tell you?" Harry spits out tiredly. He is not emotionally ready to deal with a fire version of Draco Malfoy. Well, maybe nicer than Malfoy. But still, he's not up for tantrum dealing.

"Tell me where the Avatar is!" he yells out, his face inches from his own. Harry's glad that he can answer that question truthfully at least. "I don't know" Zuko clearly doesn't buy that answer, for a spark of flame is exhaled from his breath as he continues to stare at him.

"If you're here, then the Avatar is here. You will tell me where he is!"

"I don't know! We got separated after we got rid of your drill!" He glares at him, a confused expression taking up his face.

"I don't have a drill, stop speaking nonsense and tell me where I can find him!" Harry opens his mouth to answer, yet again that he has no idea where Aang is and sees no reason to tell him even if he knew, only to be interrupted by Salathiel coming out of his shirt.

"Did you bring me food like you promised?" he asks, tongue poking out of his mouth before recoiling at seeing the other teen so close to Harry. "Who is this?" While the wizard isn't usually very comfortable speaking parseltongue with other people around due to their reaction to the language, he wouldn't be opposed to shocking the prince a little bit. He deliberately keeps his eyes on Zuko's face, which is still surprised at seeing a snake around him.

"Yes, this man promised us some food. But he's not very nice, he's threatening me, actually."

He smirks at the look of shock on the prince's face before it morphs into fear as the snake hisses, showing his very sharp teeth right in his face. He's forced to recoil back, instinctively taking on what looks like a firebending stance. Harry tenses, knowing he probably does not have enough energy to fight with Zuko. However, no fire from the other. He must be too scared to get caught using firebending in a city that is a refuge for people running from the Fire Nation.

"Look, I didn't come here for a fight. I'm only here to…" he drifts off as he realizes that he's in a bad position. Zuko isn't stupid, he knows that if he's here, then Aang is as well. And he would be right in thinking that the first thing Harry is going to try and do is to find him. That's what he'd been doing before he ran into him after all. There's a high chance that Zuko is only going to follow him and will find Aang because of him. It'll be like the Hall of Prophecies all over again, and Sirius's face as he falls through the veil cements his decision. He can't let that happen to Aang, nor to any of his friends again.

But he has nowhere to go. The government is too suspicious for him to want to voluntarily reach out to it, and he does not have an identity in this world. While it's not as much of a big deal as it is for his home world, it's still a little bit of an issue. He doesn't know if there's the equivalent of a hotel here, and even then, he doesn't have money. For that he'd need a job, but he has no idea how long it'll take for his injuries to heal, especially with no current way to get medical assistance without being spotted by the crazy lady.

He is truly lost. There is nothing for him to do.

For the first time since coming to this world, he feels utterly lost. While navigating the wizarding world had been its own different universe, he always had his friends to help and support him before. Never this alone.

He's taken out of his thoughts as the door to the backroom opens, making way for Zuko's uncle. He doesn't react to his presence except for a small smile and nod in his direction before looking at Zuko's battle stance.

"What has you so defensive, my nephew?" Zuko turns to him in surprise and irritation.

"Uncle! The otherworlder, but he won't tell me where the Avatar is." Iroh's face doesn't change much but Harry can see the minute irritation.

"Maybe there is a reason that he is not willing to tell you, Nephew. We are in a new life, a new place for us to grow and leave those ideas behind." Zuko doesn't appear to like that sentence as he whirls on his uncle, completely ignoring him for the first time of this conversation.

"Capturing the Avatar is everything! I could go home and restore my honour! We could back to who we were, not this farce!" Iroh recoils, offended.

The two fall into a sort of dispute as Harry watches on, Salathiel asking him questions about the nonexistent food that he's been promised. His back was still throbbing but he'd been ignoring for the better part of this conversation. He really should find somebody to heal that. Or maybe treat it, as he's pretty sure there is no magical cure like there is in the wizarding world.

"So sorry to interrupt…" he slightly regretted his decision when Zuko immediately glared at him. "Salathiel is really hungry, and I don't know how long I can keep him satisfied. Do you have food I can give him?"

"Why would we give you food?" The prince glares at him, only for Iroh to put a calming hand on his shoulder. "Come now Nephew, there is no harm in feeding such a delightful creature." He smiled at the snake, no fear whatsoever in his eyes. The wizard was kind of impressed.

"That's not a normal snake! He could talk to it, somehow." Zuko looked very unsure of himself. Harry kind of expected that reaction to be honest, so he wasn't too offended by it. At least he hadn't called him a freak. Or immediately assumed he'd petrified his friends and other muggle-borns. Or killed Ginny, or something, he's not quite sure.

"I think it's rather this young man's fabulous ability rather than the snake suddenly learning human speech." He didn't actually seem scared at all, making Harry relax a little. Even if this was another world, he was still scared of other people's reaction to his parseltongue. Which was pretty pathetic, and he should really stop doing that.

Iroh, who had gotten a plate of some food Harry didn't recognize, was now approaching Salathiel in an attempt at subtlety, which did not work at all. The snake, however, had smelled the delicious offering and hadn't hesitated to slide off the wizard and climb on the man with barely conscious glee. He was kind of surprised that he hadn't asked for water yet, as his own throat was dying from thirst. Harry let the silence rest for a bit, content to relax his trouble mind with the hisses of a delighted snake and the cooing of the firebender.

"If none of you will help me, I will go find him myself." Angrily huffed Zuko, a heavy frown on his face. He clearly didn't appreciate his uncle's fraternity with the enemy. Harry, however, felt a brief sense of panic. He couldn't let Zuko go and find him, he didn't want him captured after all.

Before he even had the chance to go and stop him, the door swung open (again). A man adorning the same outfit as the other two came in, a deep angry frown on his face. He immediately looked at the snake that was now all over his employee and gulped rather audibly.

"Wh-why do you have a snake?" the man stuttered, evident fear in his tone.

"Ah I'm so sorry sir I was just visiting some … friends" Harry settled on, unsure how to describe this weird relationship. "I was just leaving." He really needed to find his friends. Hopefully, Zuko will be too busy with the shop to follow him. Man, he thought, that sounded lame even in my head.

The man relaxed at that, though he still eyed Salathiel with clear reluctance. "We are still open; in fact, a few customers are waiting on you and your amazing tea-making skills." Iroh, preened, a pleased look on his face. The prince's face looked pinched, rather wanting to escape the whole conversation, as a matter of fact, he rather looked like he was inching towards the door to escape. Harry, who had regained Salathiel glared at him. Zuko glared back, causing a staring match to form as they tried to tell each other to stop.

"Oh no Harry, you're injured." Apart from the fact that he was pretty sure he'd never told the old man his name, he froze in pain as a hand gently touched his back. He hadn't realized the man had seen his wounds. A soft gasp from the stranger made him scowl, suddenly self-conscious.

"It's not a big deal." He told him uncomfortable, shrugging off his touch and looking at the floor.

"Nonsense, you'll stay with us." Iroh told him calmly, walking over and grabbing a tea pot.

"What!"

"Uncle!" They both exclaimed at the same time. Harry didn't have time to sit around, he had to find his friends!

"You're quite injured, and I'm sure you don't wish to go out with … someone following you." Zuko made an affronted noise, looking at his uncle as if he'd just betrayed his trust. Which, to be fair, he just did. "I'm sure Mr. Pao wouldn't mind the help around when you're healed enough to go help them." They all stared in shock as he simply smiled at them, humming a wordless tune as he started making the tea for the shop.

There had been a lot of arguments on both sides of the party, but in the end Iroh had been unmovable. Harry didn't have enough magic nor energy to slip away, keeping it all on observing Zuko and making sure he wasn't going to go trap Aang. He would ensure that the only thing he used his magic for was to stun Zuko if there was ever the need.

There wasn't a lot of space, but it was still better than a cupboard. The past day had been quite frankly horrible, and so he was very glad that he could rest somewhere, even if it was with these strange people. Iroh had sent Pao to go get medicinal surprise, promising to work even harder at the shop for it. The wizard had been a mixed of grateful and ashamed, grateful that Iroh was here to keep Zuko at bay (for now) and ashamed that he had to rely on someone so much. The bandages and salve had really helped soothe his back, but he had been put on bed rest after they found signs of infection in his wounds. He'd been lucky that the infection hadn't progressed further, infections were never pretty.

He figured he'd really gotten used to the wizarding world, as he hadn't been too worried about his infection until Iroh had listed him all the nefarious consequences that come with having a wound infected and not treated. He had been sufficiently cowered and accepted the bed rest. They'd put a sort of blanket on the floor for him to lay on, which was actually very comfortable.

Night had fallen relatively fast, and Harry, who wanted to keep his eyes on the other teenager, jerked as the door opened gently. A quick glance to the side showed the absence of said teenager.

"Going somewhere?" He froze from his halfway sitting position.

"You can't stop me Uncle."

"We can have the chance of having a good life here. If you decide to go after the Avatar, we might never get this chance back." Harry isn't sure he's ever heard the firebender sound so serious.

"You have a chance to live here. I don't want to serve tea for the rest of my life! I want my home back." Zuko almost sounded heartbroken, the yelling acting as a cover for the real pain in his heart.

"When has your destiny ever done you any good?" Iroh snapped. Zuko didn't respond, and the wizard rather suspected that he was as stunned as him. He'd never heard him snap like that before, especially not to his nephew. "Nobody apart from you should be telling you what your destiny is!"

"I must do this! If I ever want to go home, I have to capture the Avatar! That is my destiny."

"A destiny given to you. You never choose this path!"

"It's the only one I have! I have no choice but to capture him. I want my father again, I want my life back!" he yells, his throat sounding rough from emotion. Harry held his breath, feeling like he was intruding on a very private moment.

"Then make your own destiny! You have the chance, the opportunity to decide your own life! Look within yourself, is this what you really want? All you talk about is your destiny, but who are you? What do you want to do? Who do you want to be?" He screams at the teen. Zuko screams back in anger and Harry can see a jet of flames rise behind the door. He tenses and readies himself to jump out but only silence greets his ears.

He's not quite sure what to do with this conversation. It's not like he knows Zuko very well, or his uncle for that matter, he doesn't even know Zuko's family name or age. Then again, the only reason he knows Malfoy's name is Malfoy is because he shouts it at anyone that walks past him and they're in the same year so they're the same age. Not that Zuko is this world's equivalent of Malfoy. Malfoy was more of a prick than Zuko, somehow. Even if Zuko has tried to capture Aang for Merlin knows how long, he can't get his heartbroken expression out of his head, when Iroh had gotten injured. He's not sure if he feels sorry for him or it's something else.

Harry can't help but resonate with him, and maybe that's the difference. He never chose to be the Boy-Who-Lived, it was thrust upon him by people who needed a saviour. And they don't even like their saviour. That's the thing with wizards, at least wizards in Britain, they only see what they want to see. Voldemort disappeared and he survived? Obviously, he's the one that did it. Harry tells them he's back. Can't be, impossible. He must be looking for attention. He can never decide what he wants to do with his life. He's the Boy-Who-Lived, of course, he's a Gryffindor. He's the Boy-Who-Lived, of course, he's going to save us all. He's the Boy-Who-Lived, of course, we're going to celebrate the day his parents in front of his face and expect him to be happy. Before coming here, he hadn't realized how tired he was of it.

It was just something that came with the wizarding world. And even though it sucked, there was no way he was giving up magic because of a bunch of losers who can't get their act together. He wasn't going to give up his home and his friends just because of them. But here? Here nobody knows him, literally. They might have expectations of a wizard of another world, but that's just his friends that know about it. To the rest of the world, he's just another citizen of the water tribe. Even if Lily sent him here with a clear goal to help with the war, he would have done that anyways. He's used to it after all.

So, he can relate to Zuko. Although he doesn't have the full context, someone dictating your destiny for you, he can relate. He knows how it feels, to be thrust on a role you didn't really want. His father sounds like a jerk. So that night, Harry decides he'll stay a little bit. Just to heal. He lies back down and hears Zuko enter the room with angry steps. He doesn't know what he plans to do now that he's here, but the angry sobs keep him awake long into the night.

The next morning, he already feels better, having had at least 8 hours of good sleep and good food, his magic is starting to come back, bit by bit. He still feels weak, and his wounds have settles in a familiar ache. Zuko was still sleeping when he'd been dragged out of the room they'd been sleeping in to help in the shop. Him and Pao had convinced Iroh to let him help, especially as Zuko didn't seem to be doing too well. He'll stay in the back and sit as much as he wants. Already having eaten and slept, his magic had gotten to work on healing his back. He's not surprised if in two days the infection is gone, and in a week his back will be flawless once again.

The leaves used here were quite different, however, to what he used to, but Iroh only looked delighted at the prospect of a whole new world of possibilities. The man looked worried all day; his brows knitted together as he stared at the room the prince was in. He must've noticed Harry's staring at him because he explained that firebenders always wake up at the crack of dawn, with the sun. Now that he thought about it, he'd been waking up pretty early every day. He didn't really pay too much attention to it, however, as he was used to waking up early at the Dursleys house and waking up as the sun does when you're sleeping outside is pretty normal. Iroh looked sad, though, at having to explain it to him. He promised him that he'd start teaching him the basics of firebending soon, as they obviously can't use it in this city.

It had been an hour now, and Iroh hadn't come back from the sleeping room to check up on Zuko. Curious and slightly worried, Harry enters the sleeping room. Iroh is kneeling next to Zuko who seems to be sweating immensely in his sleep. He rushes in, concerned. Pao can handle the shop for a little while.

"What's happening, is he sick?"

"Of a sort. I didn't expect this, not so soon." Iroh answers absently, patting a damp cloth to the others' sweaty forehead.

"What do you mean?" Harry asks confused.

"I would think he is going through a metamorphosis that he did something that goes against his sense of self. But the conversation we had yesterday should not have been enough to provoke this kind of reaction."

"Maybe he's just sick." Harry proposes, still confused by how deciding something can make someone ill.

"Perhaps…" he trails off, looking at Harry for the first time since he came in. "Oh, are you alright, are your wounds bothering you?"

"No, I was just concerned." Harry almost rolls his eyes as Iroh ignores his statement and immediately gets his shirt off. He makes noises of surprise, stating that the infection is already starting to disappear. It'll take a couple of days, but that's more than the man had expected. Even if he feels annoyed by the fussing, he can't help but feel warm inside. It reminds him of Mrs. Weasley a bit. Just less … smothering.

In the end, Zuko sleeps all day and night, fussing and mumbling things Harry can't hear. He should've been annoyed, but he was mostly concerned. He doesn't know how they treat illness in this world (Is it like Medieval Times for Muggles? He hopes not because from what he remembers from primary school, it was barbaric), but he's pretty sure they don't have the same resources as Muggles back home. Magic doesn't really count because well, magic. He slowly pets Salathiel who's dead to the world. The snake has been enjoying getting spoiled silly by Iroh, finally getting all the food he wants. He still likes to drape himself across Harry, though Pao told him with a trembling voice as soon as he saw him that he had to stay hidden. The wizard figured it was as much for his own peace of mind as the customers.

Harry, who had managed to fall asleep after all, is brutally awoken to the sound of curtains being drawn and the harsh light of the sun on his face. He was already on his way of waking, judging by his lack of tiredness but a smoother wake would have been nice. He sits up, jerking in surprise at seeing that his "awake" is none other than Zuko. He installs himself in the middle of the room, and starts to do stretches. Heedless to the fact that the room is quite small and he has to dodge the wizard several times. Iroh is already out, but then again that's no surprise.

"You're awake." Harry states, a little bit taken aback. He looked like he was dying just yesterday, and now he's doing stretches like nothing happened.

"Glad your eyes work fine." He snipes back, twisting his back in a way that makes the other wince.

"So, you're okay now?" he asks, tentatively, soothing Salathiel who isn't very happy to have been awoken.

"Of course, I am." He responds, never once looking at him.

"You … are aware you were like, dying yesterday, right?" Zuko stops, looking at him as if he's sprouted another head.

"I was not dying yesterday, I was just … making a decision." He eventually states, returning to his stretches.

"So, is it a yes on not hunting Aang just because he exists or are we still debating the moral dilemma of it?" Harry can't help but state sarcastically. The other's face doesn't change, but a small of jet of flame exhaling out his mouth is the only sign he didn't take the comment too well. That or the stretches involve firebending, he's quite clueless.

"Is it a normal thing in this world to get sick over a decision?" Harry asks after the silence continues.

"Who told you that?"

"Your uncle, sort of. It was kind of unclear." Zuko snorts, moving his arms in a pinwheel motion. "That's Uncle for you. And it wasn't just a decision."

Harry looks at him inquisitively but he doesn't elaborate; instead he seems to be done with his exercises and leaves the room without so much as a look in his direction.

Harry looks at him go, startled at his sudden disappearance. He sighs before getting out of bed, grabbing Salathiel and heading towards the shop.

Might as well. Maybe Iroh will know what happened to him.