Fan Fiction / Crossover Fan Fiction ❯ New Family ❯ The Waiting Game ( Chapter 19 )

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Sorry for the long wait!

 

Chapter 19 - The Waiting Game

 

 

Albus Dumbledore stared around at the gathered Order of the Phoenix. He looked sadly at the few who had gathered. He was familiar with all those gathered at Grimmauld Place, and mourned the fact that there were fewer than ever due to the war and several members leaving after Sirius' will was read. Since Harry's return a few members had actually been detained for `meddling in official affairs' by his group which had caused their numbers to shrink further. The boy had gotten to far out of control and Albus honestly didn't know what to do about it. With no knowledge of the new Harry, not even where he had been for the past year, he had nothing.He needed Harry under his control and the sooner the better. There was no point trying to get to one of his friends; they were a rather determined lot he had discovered, much to his chagrin. Although he had to confess he admired their loyalty to the boy.

 

--------------------

Bill looked around the others who had gathered at Dumbledore's call. He hated being here but he knew those loyal to Harry needed at least one pair of ears in Dumbledore's circle even if he wasn't fully trusted thanks to the twins and Charlie openly siding with the teen. Listening to the group planning ways to bring Harry under their control made him feel utterly sick though he kept his face carefully blank. If they didn't need to know what the Order was planning he would stand up, tell them what he was really thinking and then storm out, slamming things purposely just to wake Mrs. Black up. He smiled slightly at the thought of doing it even though he knew he wouldn't. He just hoped the others appreciated what he was doing for them.

 

-----------------------

Nathaniel smiled slightly as he put the last of the dishes away. He could hear the others in the living room getting ready for the nights movie. His smile faded as he thought of the one person missing from the group. He knew everyone missed the teen, especially Richard and Jason, but they had to keep going. There was nothing they could do for Harry. Even Jean-Claude had been unable to negotiate for anyone to go to England which wasn't surprising considering how bad things apparently were over there.

 

Without even trying Harry had become a part of all their lives and had changed things. Would all those changes be undone if they received word of the teens death? Nathaniel didn't want things to go back to the way they were before Harry had arrived. He liked that Richard was getting along better with Anita and Jean-Claude. He wanted them to be happy together. Richard had been in a bad place before having to help Harry had pulled him out of it. But Harry easy acceptance of what he was had helped Richard begin to truly accept what he was.

 

“Are you planning to join us anytime soon?” The silky whisper in his ear made Nathaniel shiver slightly as he turned to smile at the blonde vampire. Nathaniel knew he was in lust with Asher, maybe even love but they wouldn't and couldn't do anything until the triumvirate sorted itself out. He was Anita's pomme de sang and she wasn't the sort of person who shared easily.

 

------------------------

Josh smothered a laugh as Harry's head repeatedly bashed into the table they were sitting around, tomes and parchment surrounding them. It was a rather amusing sight but he didn't blame his friend, they had been at it for three months now and had nothing to show for all their research. There had to be some way to kill the snake, they just couldn't find it. A simple Avada Kevada wouldn't do it and they didn't want to wipe out a portion of England by dropping a nuke on him, besides there was no guarantee that would work either.

 

“Found anything?” Josh shook his head in answer to Harry's answer, laughing outright as the other teen proceeded to go back to bashing his head against the table.

 

“You do realise you're killing valuable brain cells, right?” He asked once he'd stopped laughing.

 

“So? Not like my brain cells are going to kill Tom.” Harry retorted.

“I'm just so sick of this! Why can't we find anything? Even if, if, we believe that prophecy then I have to have some sort of ability that he doesn't know about but it doesn't say that is what will stop him.”

 

“So basically the prophecy is useless except for the fact that it pushed the two of you into becoming adversaries.” Shelley pointed out.

 

“I don't know, the part about either dieing by the others hand. Does that mean that as long as they are both alive only they can kill each other?” Star asked, making them all think.

 

“As the only way to check is to try to kill Harry how about we ignore it for now?” Lan closed the conversation since none of them were willing to take that risk, especially Harry.

 

Sighing, they all turned back to what they were doing, desperate to find answers that had stubbornly hidden for months.  They were running out of time. 

 

------------------------------

Jamil watched his Ulfric as the other man listlessly tried to mark some exam papers but it didn't take a genius to see his heart wasn't in it. It had been five months since Harry had left and they only knew he was still alive because of Requiem. Ever since the teen and his friends had vanished to England for a war they might not win things had changed in St. Louis. Even Jean-Claude missed the boy, though he would never admit it. Harry had touched all their lives and changed them for the better. But now he was gone, to fight a war he shouldn't have to and even with the training he'd been given the odds were he wouldn't be returning alive. It had been Harry's presence and quiet comments that had led to Richard becoming closer to the other two thirds of the triumvirate but with him gone they were beginning to drift apart once more.

 

---------------------------

Jason rolled over on his bed to stare at the photo placed beside it. It had been taken the week before Harry had vanished and was of the two of them fooling around at a park near Richard's house. He missed the teen so much it wasn't funny and wanted to talk to him but he couldn't. No one other than Requiem had had any contact with the group other than Harry's good-bye letters and it had been nearly five months now. Looking at the photo made it obvious how much Harry had changed physically in his time with them. Sure he was still short but he'd lost the waif like look and now sported a healthy tan, so different from when he had first met Harry. Hopefully he would return in much the same condition as he had left. Jason knew the other Outcasts would protect Harry with their lives but he didn't want Harry to have to deal with losing his friends either.

 

Jason could admit to himself now that what he felt for the younger male was more than friendship and more than simple lust. Yes, he was still afraid of Richard if he were to pursue Harry but Harry's leaving had made him realise that the teen was worth anything Richard did to him. And from Harry's letter it looked like he wasn't the only one who had been hiding his feelings. Jason sighed, and tried not to reget what might have been. However, knowing Harry he had the feeling the boy he knew wouln't have said anything, not until the war was over and he wasn't number one on a mad mans kill list. If anyone found out Harry cared that way about someone that person would be in danger and Harry wouldn't let himself risk anyone like that. But when he came home there would be no reason not to say anything.

 

--------------------------------

Harry glared at the reports littering the desk in front of him. Just because he was technically the `ranking' officer of the Outcasts he got stuck reading reports. He would much prefer to be doing almost anything else but there wasn't actually a lot to do at the moment. Since Voldemort had finally realised they were shooting to kill he'd scaled down raids a little to preserve his forces. Which of course meant he was planning something and shielding his mind tightly. The others were actually enjoying a day off, except for Rita who was still researching. Six months and they still hadn't found anything. Sometimes he seriously felt like pulling his hair out or just shooting himself. Speaking of…he yanked a few strands forward and sighed, he seriously needed a haircut. Shoulder length hair just felt odd to him, he didn't know how so many shifters and vampires put up with long hair.

 

“You need to take a break.” Harry looked up and smiled tiredly at Star.

 

“When I finish these.”

 

“No, now. Or I call the guys up to drag you downstairs.” She threatened and he nodded, putting the papers down he stretched as he stood.

 

“You win.”

 

“Good, movie marathon tonight. Better hurry or Tim and Josh will pick them all.”

 

“No way!” Laughing they both ran downstairs to stop that disaster. For a while, Harry chose to forget the war he felt overwhelmed by and simply spend some time with his friends. And if his thoughts sometimes strayed into memories of a smile that made him feel special, and hope whispered in a sly soft voice of after the war, well, there was nothing wrong with that, was there?

 

TBC…