Can you believe this story jumped the upload list? It is now being listed BEFORE Tiny Things chapters. Rude. I don't like how my list is sorted all of the sudden.

Anyway, May I present MY DISTRACTION! Why? How? I blame the Rare Pairing society... Yes, there is a chapter 2 in the works... Problem is the road blocks lately. I know what I want, where I want to go, but HOW? I am still figuring it out.

~Loner

When Harry Potter first met Jasper Hale, then Whitlock, he had just turned 18, still feeling the effects of Wizarding World War 2. He still, to this day, could not figure out how Luna Lovegood, amazing woman she was, talked him into visiting a, god forsaken, muggle night club. The blaring music alone set off PTSD like no one's business. The nameless faces dancing in the crowd weren't dancing in his mind. No, the whole situation… it was a terrible idea on Luna's part, and he hated himself for even reluctantly agreeing the moment he saw the line of bodies outside the building waiting to go in. He really should have put up a better fight. But…

Harry almost couldn't control the reaction to reach for his wand when the beat to the music dropped for the nth time. The spotlights flashing across his vision shifting colors caused Moody's deep voice to constantly shout "constant vigilance!" like a mantra in the back of his brain, which had given him the world's worst headache as it had been going off since he could hear the music just a block away from the damn club. Harry wanted to groan, throw up, curl up, and fight the imaged enemies his mind keep conjuring up all at the same time (and wasn't that an image all on its own, he idly thought). Hand clutched tight around his shot glass, Harry brought the glass to lips and threw back his head and the drink at the same time. He scrunched up his handsome face in discussed at the taste (he was slowly coming to realize he wasn't a vodka kind of guy) as he slammed the shot glass on the counter with a little more force then he planned.

Luna had already wondered off after the first shot of what ever it was she ordered for them after they walked up to the bar. The woman, still with her dazed look even after all this time, said something about a creature as her eyes darted to the other side of the room (he had looked. There was nothing there, so he assumed it was one of her mysterious mystical creatures) and wondered off with almost silent skips (not that anyone could hear something like that with it being so loud).

Now, here he was, attempting to control his PTSD with alcohol, body tense with the need to slip his wand or the knife hanging from his belt under a notice-me-not spell, all alone… at the bar… where there are plenty of people walking up to be shot or stabbed…

"Worst chaperone ever," he muttered quietly to himself. He blamed Luna entirely. "Forcing me out, then abandoned me…" he trailed off darkly, almost angrily.

Harry winced as another body ran into the back of his chair, clenching his jaw, hand already mid-motion for the knife on his belt. Too close, his mind screamed. For a moment, he was stuck in the struggle of life or death before he blinked, took a deep breath and held it. Letting go of the breath after a count of three, Harry forced his body to relax. Perhaps, he should move to a more secluded spot. Or just go home, he thought as he looked around the building for a different position, preferably one that wasn't surrounded on all sides. Why did Luna choose to sit here? He idly wondered, clenching his teeth tightly, worst spot ever. It didn't even give him a view of all the exits.

Harry guessed he should be proud of himself, though. Just shy of a year since his rebirth (because, what else do you call dying and coming back to life?) and he was able to tolerate being in such a situation as this. He didn't even know he had it in him to have this much control over himself, not so soon anyway.

Emerald green met a set of ruby red eyes across the room in the far corner, almost shrouded in shadows that the beams of lights flashing from the ceiling somehow couldn't reach, and his whole body froze in that moment. His mind immediately flashed to Voldemort in his final form

just before the battle of Hogwarts, wand pointed at his chest from across the field, non-existent lips curled into a sneer. He could still feel the feeling of hopeless mixed with the desperate want to live. The moment before his death flashed before his eyes with such vividness that he almost believed he was there again, putting up a semi-fake show of bravery. The only thing keeping him in place is the overwhelming need to protect. Protect the school, protect his friends and family, protect the Wizarding World…. Okay, so that last one could fuck off, but, at the time, that was what he was doing.

Death itself, he remembered as the light beam from above just happened to shift into a calming green as it rolled over the dancing crowd, was calm, peaceful even. It happened the instant the spell hit his chest. He didn't even have time to think, let alone see his life flash before his eyes (not that he wanted to see his fucked up life in third person like the rumors say).

Harry blinked and the trauma triggering red was gone. He wondered if it was just his imagination brought on by the stress of the environment.

Setting his glass down, Harry Potter decided it was way past time to leave….

Yes, when your mind starts conjuring your nightmares into reality, it was time to go back to bed. Put the nightmares back where they belong…

Harry didn't know it at the time, but that was the first time he had ever laid eyes on Jasper Whitlock. The man he was to one-day fall hopelessly in love with in the future. The man he wouldn't mind dying for, wouldn't mind murdering for, and wouldn't mind leaving behind everything for.

The second time Harry Potter met Jasper Whitlock, the man was quite literally thrown into the kid on the muggle side walk. It took Harry a minute to process the fact because he was in full Auror gear. People didn't just throw police out the door, in either world. It was a rather… unique experience for him.

Once Harry had gotten over the shock of being thrown out, he blinked and realize… yes, there was a body under him. A rather cold and, with prodding fingers, (because he wasn't quite over the shock of landing on someone enough to look at them yet) he noticed, hard body. The man pushed himself up, slowly turning his head to look down a the kid below him. Brown hair, lighter then his, blood red eyes and paler then pale skin…. Clearly a muggle vampire. Harry almost sagged in relief. Technically, muggle vampire fell under magical creature… thus, no laws broken… sort of. He was pretty sure he could explain the whole Auror uniform on the muggle street as a cross play of some sort. (Not that he has to say much other than "it's a cross play." Muggles seem to fill everything else in on their own)

The vampire cleared his throat to get Harry's attention. "Could you …" there was a strangled pause as the vampire attempted to take short, shallow breathes, "get off?"

There was an awkward moment where both of them just stayed on the ground, Harry's arms caging the vampire in, lower bodies pressed together. Then, Harry jumped up as if he had been hit with a Sting hex. "Sorry," he said, awkwardly scratching the back of his head. Reaching out a hand towards the Vampire, Harry offered help.

Jasper ignored the offered hand, choosing to get up on his own at a rather slow human pace. It would be just his luck that the first time he came in to town in months, he would find himself flat on his back (and not in the fun sort of way). A little irritated, Jasper patted at his clothes, trying to get the dirt off. "Where did you come from anyways?" he asked, seeking a peek at the handsome man in front of him.

Harry, a little put out by the vampire's silent rejection, busied himself with straightening his square frameless glasses and clothing. "From that weird antique shop," he answered, hitching a finger back at the, admittedly, creepy shop behind him.

Jasper let his eyes slide from Harry to looking behind the man. "What antique shop?" Did he mean the tea shop?

Harry looked behind him at the haunted shop with the cobwebs in the dusty windows that hadn't been cleaned since the building was built. Harry found himself scratching the back of his neck as his ears turns a slight pink. "well…" he trailed off. How does one explain magic to a non-native? Harry looked over at Jasper feeling extremely awkward. Clearly, Jaspers creature inheritance wasn't magical enough to see past the muggle warding. Wasn't that confusing? He learned something new everyday it seemed.

With a strange sort of understanding, Jasper waved Harry off. "Never mind. I don't care anymore."

Suddenly, there was a crash of China that Harry was sure only he could hear. The man calmly reached out, wrapped an arm around Jasper's waist, and guided the vampire into taking a few steps to the right with him. Just in time for the bell above the door to jingle as it opened, thrusting out the body of his partner.

His partner (not Ronald Weasley as he had been held back another year in training because he wasn't able to clear the mental health exam) went sliding across the pavement stopping just passed where they were standing. It took the man a minute to get up. When he did, Harry noted the bloody scratches on his cheek from the slide and wrinkled his nose in sympathy. "Ouch."

His partner growled at Harry's comment. "Thank you, peanut gallery." The man looked around irritably at his surroundings. "Did we just…." He didn't finish as he watched a crowd of school kids pass by with their parents.

"Get evicted from the suspicious shop we were supposed to be investigating?" Harry finished for him. "Yep," he said popping the p with a dull look at the building they were supposed to be in.

"How the hell does that even happen?" his partner growled out. "Aurors are supposed to be keyed into all wards in case of emergencies."

Harry shrugged, shifting Jasper a bit with the action. "Don't know. Maybe they didn't get the memo?"

"Excuse me," Jasper interrupt before his partner could go off on a rant causing both men to look over at him. "Could you let go of me?" the vampire was looking up at Harry with a emotionless red eyes.

Harry looked down at the arm around the boys waist. "Oh…" Then, he pulled his arm away from the slinder waist. "Sorry," he chuckled awkwardly.

His partner whistled. "Damn, Potter, we come out to do our jobs and you pick yourself up a spouse."

Harry's face turned red. "Shut up." It just wasn't his day.

To be fair, Jasper Whitlock wasn't bad looking. Sure, the red eyes at the time were a little unnerving, and it took Harry a long time to get passed it (Therapy helped a lot). However, the man had a witty humor that Harry was sure wasn't actually meant to be humorous, but it was.

Yes, Harry had ended up getting the forever teens number. How? He wasn't entirely sure. He was 100% sure he was going to have to abuse his authority as an Auror to get it. Luckily, he didn't need to go that far as the vampire had calmly slipped it in with his witness statements as he passed them over when he and his partner finally got around to doing their job again.

Harry, of course, finally had a reason to invest in a lan line. The problem was… magic. How the hell had Ron called him at his relatives when telephones didn't work with magic?

"OoOh, Ronnikiins!" Harry sang out as he practically skipped into Ron and Hermione's house from the fireplace.

Ron froze mid motion in grabbing one of the little hellions he and Hermione called a child. The child, more accurately referred to as a demon by Harry, took the opportunity to duck under his father's arm and shoot up the stairs with an amazing display of accidental magic.

Hermione was in her element after that. The research to make even the basic of muggle technically work within Harry's wards at home was extensive. There were books upon books all over Harry's living room all open to different pages of reference.

Harry had attempted to help, but it was all so boring to him. He was the type to ignore the manual and just piece together the item the way he thought it was supposed to go, which was fine if the item was purely muggle. Magical items… well, more often then not, they went boom in his face. Probably why he was never any good at potions when he thinks about it (potions was nothing like cooking! He discovered quite fast).

"I think, I've got it," the curly haired woman shouted in triumph.

"Remind me again why we are doing this in my living room?" Harry idly asked for the millionth time since this project had started as he cautiously made his way across the room, careful not to step on any of the books (he did that once on accident back in their third year… never again), to look at her work.

"Really, Harry," Hermione stated dully as she put the finishing touches on her runic circle, "you can't expected me to get any work done in my own house."

She did have a point. Her husband alone was just a giant child, add in the real children and her house was probably a ticking time boom. Not that Harry would ever say any of that out loud. It's bad enough that the mind healers want to push to have Ronald, her husband, certified as mentally impaired (probably had something to do with the brain squid they came in contact with back in what was supposed to be… what was it seventh year? Hogwarts and the war was just one big blur for Harry at this point). She didn't need Harry's opinion on the man she married, even if she would agree with him on it.

Harry crouched down next to the kneeling woman in his living room (Why was she on the floor? Strange woman) and observed her work. To Harry, it all just looked like a big circle with squiggles inside, and, not for the first time, he cursed himself for not taking Runes in school. It seemed like Runes were the answer to everything these days.

"So, how does this work?" he asked, trying to seem like he, at least, recognized the basics of what she was writing out in chalk.

Hermione looked at him from the corner of her eye. "Really, Harry?"

Damn. Caught.

She gave a long rant about how it worked and what did what (not that Harry knew what any of it meant. Give him a dark wizard any day). But, it worked and that's all he cared about.

Today was not a good day for Harry. He said as much for any who bothered to ask him, too. It felt a little like there was… a twitch… in his muscles. He found himself clenching and unclenching his hands, his jaw… much like how a smoker going through nicotine withdrawal, Harry's actions, even the small ones like placing down a cup, were exaggeratingly aggressive.

What's worse is it was, also, a quiet day at the office (he checked every five minutes), which meant there wasn't any action he could get into. No dark wizard trying to cull the weak. No werewolf trying to taking out the normals. No vampire on an eating spree. Not even a light argument between husband and wife getting out of hand in public.

Harry groaned and let his head drop to his desk. He couldn't focus on the paperwork. He needed action. Anything to make the twitches go away. 8 hours couldn't go by quick enough for him. He just wanted to go home. Maybe duel some training dummies. Maybe go pick a fight with someone in a bar? No… That last one would probably just turn into sex.

"Ugh." Now, he wanted to fuck. "life hates me."

"What's up, mate?"

Ugh. Harry rolled his head away from his partner, cheek pressed firmly to the cold parchment of a report he was pretending to read. "Go away."

"Damn. What's got your panties in a twist?" There was the noise of a chair scraping the tile floor. Probably his dumb partner pulling over a chair to sit at his desk. He had moved those away for a reason, damnit.

"My therapist says I'm a psychopath and has given me the green light to kill you," Harry stated as he rolled his head to face his partner.

"Ha-ha," he snarled out, "Very funny." Then, he leaned back in his chair and stared hard at Harry. "Seriously, dude. What's up with you? You've been moaning and groaning about life since you walked in the door."

Harry sighed and sat up, taking a minute to peel the parchment from his face and place it back on the desk. "I don't know," he confessed, "Just feeling pent up, I guess."

His partner crossed his arms over his chest as he continued to stare. After a few minutes, he sighed, running a hand through his short hair. "Alright." Then, he stood up finally deciding to give Harry some space. "Let me make some calls." He patted Harry on the shoulder as he spoke. "Meme up with me after work. I will help you relieve some of that pent up energy." With that promise, the man walked away, back to his own desk.

Harry just hoped the man wasn't offering a blow job. Don't get him wrong, the guy was cool, but not his type.

Brown curly hair and red eyes flashed into his mind. God damn it all to hell. Now, he was fantasizing about a certain vampire tied to his bed post. Harry grumbled about stupid partners and open ended suggestions leading ones mind down the wrong road as he continued trying to focus on work.

Maybe he should fire his companies therapist. Clearly, their relationship wasn't working out.

Harry did meet up with his partner after work, and, thankfully, it wasn't a blow job the man was offering. Instead, the man had handed him a VIP pass that acted as a portkey to some sort of special club down town. He didn't say what it specialized in, just that Harry would be able to find his release there. Of course, the man, also, made sure to point out that card was only good for 2 visits. One to sign in and the other for the actual visit. If Harry decided to keep going, the expenses would be on Harry himself.

Harry thanked the man, though what for he didn't know, and went home.

Harry lasted to the weekend before he couldn't do it anymore. Of all the god damn times for his job to slow down to a crawl it had to be the week he really needed to get out.

He declined Jasper's date because of it.

Harry liked the kid. He really did. Let's be honest, though. The man came from the 1800's. While, Jasper was quite updated with the century, Harry was sure, Harry was equally sure a 'date' between Jasper and him was really just two men hanging out in the same space. Normally, Harry didn't mind so much… after all, the man was quite good looking just sitting across from him… it's just a part of him recognized the situation between them as platonic. Maybe, more of the Vampire trying to separate himself from the coven and subjecting himself to

Harry's, admittedly, not so subtle, flirtatious, than actually giving anything between them a chance.

It really didn't help that the younger looking man was even more quiet then a field mouse. The vampire basically forced Harry into doing most of the talking. What he had been able to abstained about the vampire was very short and to the point. Sometimes, Harry would be caught off guard with a witty comment about something or other mid ramble and practically die laughing, but those times would be few and far between (maybe once or twice a session).

All in all, Harry chalked it up to the man either being extremely shy or an introvert to the extreme (he was really leaning towards the former). Either way, the relationship… (friendship? What was it they had anyways?) wasn't going anywhere fast, which suited Harry just fine…. Until days like today.

Harry pulled out the black, ominous VIP card his partner had given him. Strange little thing it was. All black with gray engraving of VIP on the front with a strip of squiggles Harry vaguely recognize as Runes on the back done in red giving it a pleasant contrast. It was only good for two visits, then it was just a memento of a good time (or what he assumed was supposed to be a good time, going off his partner's words and expression at the time).

Welp, no time like the present, Harry thought as his pent up magic escaped it's bonds towards the card in his hand. He was promised that it would take the edge off after all.

A few hours later, Harry Potter was slamming his front door behind him like he was being chased by demons.

What the hell was that? He asked himself as he lend on the door in a daze. More importantly, why the hell did he sign up for an exclusive BDSM club?!

Harry brought his hand up to rub at his eyes, heart still pounding as the scenes from the tour he just took played over on repeat in his mind. He was learning something new about himself everyday if the erection he was currently supporting was anything to go by. He had been so shocked by what he was seeing his mind hadn't even registered until he had finished filling the paperwork out, signed up for a permanent membership, and walked out the door. He didn't even know how they talked him into signing the damn papers.

Harry groaned. That was the last time Harry ever took his partner's advice. To think, he actually trusted that man.

Pushing off the door, Harry made his way up to his bedroom. He needed a shower. Possibly a good wanking session if he didn't stop thinking about it. Harry found himself palming his erection at a particular image of dark hair and red eyes looking up at him from the floor, arms willingly cuffed behind a strong pale back.

Harry groaned again. God damnit, now he had new material for his fantasies. Never again was Harry Potter listening to Michael Logan's suggestions on getting rid of pent up energy.

"Fuck you, Mike," Harry muttered as he slammed another door. Just… fuck that man for making it worse.

The next time Harry and Jasper met up again, it was awkward for Harry. His mind just would not stop turning the completely innocent spells into something dirty to be used on the vampire. He idly wondered if the vampire was resistant to magic like most creatures. If that was the case, perhaps an overpowered spell?

Harry shifted in what he thought was a settle display of crossing his legs to hide his new hard on that seemed to be coming back with a vengeance. The motion in cased his balls between his legs, but even the slight uncomfortable pinch did nothing to stop the throbbing in his loins. Harry had no choice but to pick up the mug of coffee in front of him to hide his slight embarrassment and grim twist of the lips at the pain he was currently in. He was 24 going on 140 mentally. He was way too old for his body to be acting like a teenager in heat. He should have more control then this.

Green eyes caught the vampire across from him shifting in his chair from over his coffee mug as he took a sip, eyes glazing for a brief moment before snapping back into focus.

It was strange, but not anymore strange then pretending not to notice the vampire was indeed a vampire surrounded by humans in a small coffee shop that served completely muggle coffee. They hadn't hit the stage of confessions in their relationship yet. Though, Harry wondered how the vampire was able to fool himself into thinking Harry didn't notice the red eyes. They sure did make eye contact enough for Harry to memorize the ruby design for future fantasies.

Harry cleared his throat as he watched the vampire pick up his own mug of coffee, pretending to drink it. "So, how was your weekend?" he asked conversationally. The silence was just giving his mind opportunity to wonder.

Jasper shifted his eyes to look at the door over Harry's shoulder as the bell tinged, admitting another customer into the building. He slowly placed the cup down at a natural human speed as his eyes shifted back to Harry, focusing solely on the man across from him. "Fine, I suppose." If you ignore the anual slaughtering of a vampire just graduating from Newborn stage. "I think I made a new friend," he found himself saying quietly. He hadn't meant to say that part, but Harry had that effect on him.

He felt strangely comfortable around the other man. When Harry was around, Jasper could focus, something his abilities wouldn't let him do. Usually, in a crowded place like this, Jasper's vampiric abilities would overwhelm him, causing him to break down. However, when Harry was around, things changed. Harry wore his emotions on his sleeves it seemed. It was so strong that it overwhelmed everything else in the room, but gentle enough that it made room for Jasper's own emotions. It was confusing. Almost like all Jasper had to say was "move over," and Harry would. He didn't know how else to explain it.

"Oh?" Intrigued. Interested. A little bit of jealousy mixed with something else, Jasper couldn't place a finger on.

"Yeah. His name is Peter." Jasper didn't quite understand why he was explaining the situation to Harry. "He just joined the co-" Jasper caught himself, "group I, currently, live with. Nice guy, I suppose. He seems to be having trouble adjusting to the new environment. I was elected to

help." More like he took pity on the Childe. It was one of those things that just poked at his bleeding heart.

Then, as if Harry was reading Jasper's mind, Harry said, "You have a bleeding heart for the helpless, don't you?" Jealousy intensified. Self-hatred joined the mix of emotions playing though Jasper's mind. It was not his own but Harry's emotion.

Jasper blinked at the unexpected voicing of his thoughts and the emotions he was getting from the man. He didn't understand them. Why would Harry be jealous? Was it because of him or of Peter? Jasper adopted a thoughtful look as he thought it over. "I suppose, I do."

The hand around Harry's cup tightened, surprising Jasper with the sound of cracking. They both looked down at the thick mug in Harry's hand. It had a sizable crack going through it starting from Harry's finger tips and branching outward. It wasn't thick enough for the liquid to pour out but a small thin chip did flake off, hitting the table with a silent tink.

Surprise. Embarrassment. Shame.

Harry's face turned red. "Oops." He chuckled though Jasper knew there was no humor in what Harry was feeling. How the man made his outward emotion seem so real, Jasper didn't know. Was this what humans called 'masking?'

"Must have been a really old cup," Harry lied smoothly to cover up his mistake. Emotional outburst of magic, also known as accidental magic. God. He wasn't a child anymore. This shouldn't have happened. "I'll have the waiter bring a new one." Harry smiled in Jasper's direction, refusing to make eye contact as he got up, taking the cup with him. He was so embarrassed with himself.

Get a grip, Harry, he scolded himself as he walked up to the counter. This isn't a real date and you hardly know Jasper. You're not allowed to be jealous. Especially, to the point of accidental magic. Idiot.

Jasper watched Harry get up from the table. The background noise seemed to get a little louder as the man did so. Jasper could only nod in consent as he was overwhelmed again with stray emotions. It was odd and he wasn't prepared. Jasper grunted softly, straining to find his own emotional balance. He had been so focused on Harry and what he was feeling that the loss caught him off guard. He fought the urge to curl into his self.

Harry will be back monetarily, Jasper told himself. Just a few minutes. You can hold on longer than this. You have done it before. You can do it again.

Once again, Jasper was hit with the realization of his developing co-dependency on Harry. He hadn't realized how uncomfortable it was to be away from Harry's presence until recently, when it was denied to him. He spent most of his time away from Harry denying it. Today, he had no choice but to admit he enjoyed the quiet Harry brought him. Almost like…

Jasper's eyes widened with realization. Then, he wanted to cry, because this situation he suddenly found himself in was even more fucked up then he realized. Completely ignoring the fact that Harry was a guy…. Jasper had tendencies installed into him from the war at age 19, then further reenforced by Maria after his rebirth. Jasper was a walking ball of mess, lead

around by a very short leash, he knew, but that didn't stop him from wanting, needing, to give that leash to Harry upon his realization that Harry was his mate.

He cannot know! Jasper panicked. Harry, absolutely, could not know. Human and Vampire relationships did not last. The human usually needed to be turned or die which in returned caused the Vampire to willow in misery until it's own death. Jasper didn't want to turn Harry. He couldn't bring himself to do it.

When Harry turned back towards the table he shared with Jasper, the vampire was already gone. For some reason, the completely normal sight of the missing vampire (it was common for Jasper to suddenly leave) brought on a very bad vibe for Harry.