Preparing for Battle!
“This had better be important, the Hunt begins in four days,” Alcandor stated as he walked into the room where the other Royals as well Salazar, Jascha, Marianna, Cedrella, and Tom were waiting.
“Of course, it is important, or he wouldn’t have called for an emergency meeting,” Ebony snipped back with a roll of her eyes.
“Let’s try to refrain from all of the back and forth between the two of you today. I would rather get this handled quickly and efficiently,” Raspen reprimanded them both.
“That would be preferable,” Dawne agreed. “Now, Lord Cunningham you are the one who called for this meeting, why don’t you start us off.”
“If you wouldn’t mind, I am going to let Salazar, and his Submissive’s Sire start things off. I believe a bit of back story is necessary,” Jascha answered.
“Fine, it doesn’t matter who starts as long as we get this going,” Alcandor responded.
“Albus Dumbledore is a Half-Torvak. He has been using Black Magic and forbidden rituals to manipulate and control the Dragel as well as other creatures of Earth,” Tom started. “He ambushed my family with the help of other Torvak as well as a few Wixen. Performed a ritual and cast spells over us all that made us forget who we truly were and what we meant to each other. He stole our son, suppressed him and placed him with people who abused him. One of them was a full blooded Torvak. Some of you were present for the trials.”
“We were,” Raspen agreed. “Are you suggesting that the man responsible for all of those horrible things is still alive and working with Torvak? I thought Earth’s Wixen were supposed to be taking care of him?”
“He is, it has been confirmed by two of our own as well as Lady Cedrella,” Salazar answered. “The Goblins of Earth have expressed their anger and displeasure that they handed the man to the Wixen on a silver platter with irrefutable proof and they still allowed him to escape.”
“If you are looking for permission to hunt the man down and kill him, you have it,” Ebony stated.
“Thank you but that is not all we wanted you to know. This is far more complicated than a simple execution,” Jascha spoke up. “This man and the Torvak pose a threat to all Dragel kind not just Harrison. Cedrella can give you better details.”
“I have been undercover in the Torvak ranks for decades as the wife of the head Torvak,” Cedrella started. “I have been in a position to hear many things. The Torvak have been using spells and rituals to speed up the gestational period of their pregnancies and are more often then not having multiples.”
“Why?” Dawne asked her.
“To build an army,” Cedrella responded. “Their first and second group of children have reached adult hood and are starting to breed as well. They have been raised to hate Dragel since birth. They are being trained like an army whose only goal is to eradicate Dragel.”
“But they do not know how to reach us here. We are protected from them,” Ebony spoke up.
“Unless a Dragel gives them access,” Marianna pointed out.
“No, Dragel would do that,” Raspen insisted.
“Not voluntarily,” Cedrella agreed. “But they have captured a Submissive and her bonded Alpha. They are being starved and soon the torture will start. They will give up the secrets to Nevarah to save each other.”
“Of course they will,” Dawne agreed. “I am assuming you have come to us with a plan?”
“We have,” Jascha answered. “Salazar, Tom, and myself would like to lead a small army to Earth to handle this quickly and quietly. Rescue the Submissive and Alpha, gather the remaining Dragel on Earth, Cedrella has access to the records the Torvak have kept on them, Eliminate the leaders and their generals, and then reclassify Earth as a Forbidden Realm. No communication, Portals, or contact to or from Earth ever again.”
“I expected you to suggest a full scale attack,” Raspen pointed out curiously.
“Cedrella has the most experience with these people. She advised against a full scale attack. She agrees that we would win, but that no win would make up for the losses that we would suffer because if it,” Marianna pointed out.
“And you think this will eliminate the risk to Nevarah and our people?” Dawne asked.
“We do, as long as we are careful when other’s begin to arrive from the other realms. I believe they have been working with the Vampires as a back up way to find a way here,” Cedrella pointed out.
“The Vampires have been a bit suspicious recently. They have requested to bring more people with them than normal this Hunt,” Ebony pointed out. “Perhaps we should have another meeting to discuss that option and be sure to screen them thoroughly when they arrive.”
“Agreed,” Dawne added.
“We will send out an urgent message to gather who we can, to go with you. We will have them send their responses directly to one of you. When are you wanting to leave?” Raspen asked.
“Two days,” Jascha answered. “We want to be sure that those who respond understand we want to be fast and efficient. We want to be in and out as quickly as possible. No epic battles or warning.”
“That can be arranged,” Ebony agreed. “Elemental preferences?”
“No,” Salazar answered. “The element they wield is not important. Only their ability to follow direction and move silently.”
“We will send out the message immediately,” Raspen stated. “Is there anything else that you wanted to address?”
“No, be ready to shut down all access to and from Earth the moment we return. We do not want them to be able to attach themselves to the echo of our portals or anything else,” Jascha answered.
“We will have it done,” Ebony agreed.
“Perfect,” Salazar agreed. He turned to Tom who had been silent. “Are you satisfied as well? It is your family that has been most effected by this.”
“Yes,” Tom responded.
“Do you want to claim rights to the half-Torvak’s life?” Jascha asked him.
“No, I do not care who kills him, as long as he is dead. I would ask that whoever does it removes his head and his heart so that he cannot escape death again,” Tom requested.
“We will make sure that it is done,” Salazar agreed.
“I would be prepared to house many Beings if they choose to abandon Earth and seek Sanctuary,” Marianna pointed out.
“We will be prepared, Nevarah always provides for those that need it,” Raspen responded.
“Does that cover everything that you wanted to talk about?” Dawne asked them.
“It does, in your message, direct anyone who intends to help us to Slytherin Castle. That is where we will all be most of the time for planning and where we will leave from,” Jascha added.
“We will see that it is done,” Ebony agreed.
“Then we will leave you to send the message and get things started. We have plans to solidify before people begin to arrive,” Salazar stated.
They said their goodbyes and then the group of five left the Royal building and ported over to Slytherin Castle.
“Do you have a place that we can plan?” Jascha asked him.
“This castle is old,” Salazar stated with a grin as the followed him down the hall and they were joined by Hadrian, Doyle, and Nefarion. “I built it during times of war. And so, I have this.”
Salazar pressed his hand in what seemed to be a solid wall in one of the first floor hallways that was almost never used. The wall groaned and stone ground against stone as the wall receded and a large wooden door was revealed. Salazar opened the door to a very large stone room covered in dust.
There was a huge stone table in the center as well as maps of Earth, Britain, Nevarah and other realms on the walls. There were weapons decorating the places that didn’t hold maps, and it was very obvious what the room had been used for.
“A War Room,” Jascha said with a grin.
“It is also warded with privacy spells that will prevent anyone that is not in this room from hearing or knowing what is going on inside of it,” Salazar explained.
“This is perfect,” Jascha responded as they each claimed a seat around the table. Salazar took the map of Britian and it it’s surrounding countries and cast a three dimensional version of it to the middle of the table.
“Lady Cedrella if you would please show us the exact location of the homes of the those in charge?” Salazar asked her. “Simply touch the map in the exact location and it will create a pin.”
“Of course,” Cedrella agreed.
She stood up and began to place her pins. When she was finished there were ten glowing marks to indicate where each home was.
“There are more, but they are spread out in other countries. Those must be taken care of as well,” Cedrella insisted. “I have them all tagged with Shadows so that I know where they are at all times.”
Salazar moved the map of Britian to the other end of the large table and cast the map of Earth to the table. Cedrella once again began placing pins. When she was finished there were six more to add to the ten on the map of Britian.
“This includes the place that Albus is staying with Gellert?” Tom asked.
“It does. This is every Torvak leader’s home. Their second in command always lives either in their home with them or in a home on their property. So, there will be two targets at each location,” Cedrella answered.
“So, that gives us thirty-two targets,” Jascha pointed out. “Thirty-two targets that need to be taken out simultaneously so that none escape.”
“Nefarion and I will handle the Half-Torvak if that is agreeable with everyone,” Hadrian spoke up. “We have business with him.”
“Right, your mission from Lady Death,” Salazar stated. “Ok, the two of you will be allowed to handle him in whatever way you see fit, as long as he is dead in the end.”
“I would like to request one other to come with us,” Hadrian asked.
“Someone in particular or just another person?” Tom asked him.
“Someone in particular. I want the Puppet Master. His unique ability will be helpful in obtaining information from someone unwilling to give up their secrets,” Hadrian answered.
“Very good choice,” Nefarion spoke up with a feral grin. “He was a guard that the prison for a few decades after he became a Joker. I have seen him work. Is he on Nevarah? I have always wondered what became of him.”
“Yeah, he bonded into a prominent Earth Clan that is predominantly Healers. He is their only Gheyo,” Hadrian answered.
“If he is willing, you may take him,” Salazar answered.
“Thank you,” Hadrian said with a bow. “Which home is our target?”
Cedrella pointed to one deep in the heart of a wooded area. Hadrian zoomed in on it and the surrounding area.
“Is this map outdated, or is this an accurate depiction of the home?” Hadrian asked Salazar as he and Nefarion looked it over.
“It is accurate. Every map in here is charmed to update once a month so that I have the most accurate information when I need it,” Salazar answered. “They all updated about a week ago.”
“Perfect, that will make it easier to plan our attacks,” Jascha stated. “This is a fine room and very well put together.”
“Thank you, I am used to leading in times of war. I have never stepped onto a battle field that I did not come out the victor,” Salazar stated with pride.
“Our history books on Earth are full of tales of his victories,” Tom agreed.
“As are ours,” Hadrian pointed out. “He is a good Alpha, and I am proud that he is mine.”
Salazar gave a pleased rumble before turning back to the maps.
“Will you take care of the husband as well when you go after the halfling?” Marianna asked.
“We will,” Nefarion answered. “He is the one, according to Lady Cedrella that captured the Alpha and Submissive. We will get the location from him and pass it on to someone else for the rescue before we take his life or use him to get the other to talk.”
“Very good,” Jascha agreed. “That leaves us with thirty targets. So, we will need at least that many Dragel with us. But I would like to send two per target if we gather enough help.”
“Our circle will be able to cover four of those homes if we send four to each location. That is eight targets taken care of. We will work in pairs within our own circle because that is what we are used to doing,” Marianna spoke up.
“I have no issue with that,” Salazar agreed. “Tom, how many of yours are coming?”
“Myself, Evan, and Rabastan,” Tom answered. “But Lucius and Narcissa will also be joining us.”
“That will cover one more house,” Marianna agreed.
“Tom will go with our Alpha as well Dorrin and Blaise,” Doyle spoke up. “And my King, and another of our Jokers will go to another with one more. That is two more.”
“So, we need at least thirty-three more to come with us to Earth,” Jascha stated. “Are we going to bring others?”
“Such as?” Salazar asked.
“Healers or Mages to help with relocation?” Jascha clarified.
“We will take Amon to tend to the Alpha/Submissive pair. Tavit is also sufficient at healing if Amon needs help,” Salazar answered. “I don’t think we will need more than that as far as Healers are concerned. If the Royals want to have Healers on standby here for those that return with injuries than so be it, but I don’t think we need to risk them on Earth.”
“Agreed,” Tom added. “But I think Mages will be useful. Your Riven will come, won’t he?”
“He will,” Salazar answered. “We can see if any answer our call and if not we can see about sending something out specifically for Mages. One of our Pareya is going as well. We figured it would be best if the Alpha/Submissive pair were not approached by any dominant Rank after the torture they have been through. It will keep them from feeling the need to defend themselves.”
“Which Pareya? Not Severus surely,” Tom said with a chuckle. “I don’t see him agreeing to leave Harrison behind.”
“No, our Severus will not leave Harry,” Doyle agreed. “It would unsettle both of them. Our little Submissive was very firm about Severus staying with him. The two are very close.”
“They are,” Tom agreed. “Severus has been protecting my son since he was eleven.”
“That would be why Harry seems to trust him above all others,” Nefarion stated.
“It is,” Salazar agreed.
There was a knock on the door, and they looked up to see Harry in the doorway smiling at them. Salazar waved him in and snuggled him close when the Submissive breathed him in.
“Is something the matter?” Salazar asked him.
“Nope, I only wanted to see you. Also, I helped Sev, Kira, and my mums make snacks for all of you,” Harry answered and then waved his hand as a few trays of snacks and drinks floated into the room and sat them carefully on a table to the side so that they weren’t in the way.
“Thank you, Little Snake,” Salazar responded and kissed him on the head before releasing him. Harry greeted each of his bonded in the room as well as his dad and then grinned.
“I believe the first of your army will start arriving in about twenty minutes,” Harry revealed with slightly clouded eyes before they cleared. “Will they be staying here until you leave?”
“Most likely,” Salazar answered.
“Ok, I will snag Severus and the others, and we will start airing out and fixing up the barracks in the West wing and tower,” Harry said with a happy chirp and then kissed Salazar again before skipping out of the room.
“Is Prescience one of his nameless gifts?” Cedrella asked curiously.
“Yes, his sister as well,” Tom answered.
“They haven’t seen anything about this mission have they?” Marianna asked curiously.
“If they have, they are not saying anything about it,” Salazar answered. “Though, he hasn’t been quite as anxious about the situation as I thought he would be.”
“That is because he is keeping himself busy,” Nefarion pointed out.
“He has been constantly moving since the moment it was brought up. In the kitchen with Kiran and Severus or cleaning up the castle. Like now. Making snacks and helping get the Barracks ready for company,” Doyle agreed.
“There will be a meltdown soon,” Cedrella warned them. “My mother was the same way. Avoided thinking about the bad things by keeping herself busy. But when there was nothing left to distract or something small triggered her, she lost it. Broke things, picked fights, or we would simply find her in a room crying in the dark.”
“We will watch for the signs and handle it when the time comes,” Salazar stated confidently. “Thank you for the warning.”
They talked over a few more things before they left the room to greet the first people who had answered their request for help. Salazar grinned as he opened the wards for Zandian and a few other Fire Types.
“I heard you needed help avenging your little Submissive,” Zandian stated. “I brought a few friends.”
“All the help we can get, but it is far worse than simply avenging our Harry. This threat encompasses all of Nevarah now,” Salazar stated as they shook hands.
“Then it is a good thing we are all here,” Ilsa stated as she walked up with Greta and Pai. “A threat to Nevarah is no joke.”
“No, it isn’t,” Salazar agreed. “Thank you for coming.”
“Our Bahn was with me when the message went out. He demanded we help. He has taken quite the liking to Harry. Even offered to let him stay with our circle while you are gone so that you know he is looked after,” Ilsa offered.
“We will be sure to thank him for the offer,” Salazar answered. “But he is going to be protected here at home by some of ours and we are going to be hiring a few Gheyo to stay here and defend him until we are home.”
“We are hoping that a few Gheyo who arrive will be willing to stay so that we do not have to send out a separate summons,” Hadrian pointed out.
“Are you or Doyle staying with him?” Zandian asked as they entered the castle.
“No, we are both going,” Doyle answered.
“Since the four of you are going to be going, I think you will have it covered as far as brute strength. I would volunteer to stay with him,” Zandian offered. “The summons was for covert anyway and we all know I am no good with that. I enjoy being flashy and my magic reflects that.”
“If you are sure?” Salazar asked him and Zandian nodded. “Then I would be happy to leave you in charge while we are gone. You will be the highest ranked Gheyo staying behind since all of the Ace’s closest to him will be leaving.”
“I can handle that,” Zandian agreed. “Where is your lovely little Submissive?”
“Fussing over the Barracks with our Pareya. He wanted to make sure that we had plenty of space for those that came to help and that it was clean and ready to be slept in,” Salazar answered.
“He is such a sweet little thing,” Ilsa stated with a chuckle.
“Talking about me?” Harry said as he stepped in the room with a grin. Ilsa pulled him into a hug and ruffled his hair. “Hi, Ilsa.”
“Hello, Darling,” Ilsa greeted him. “Doing ok?”
“Yep, are you here to help?” Harry asked her.
“We are,” Ilsa answered.
“Good, that makes me feel better,” Harry stated with a smile. “You are staying with me though aren’t you?” Harry asked Zandian with a grin.
“I am,” Zandian responded with a chuckle. “How did you know?”
“I’ll never tell,” Harry teased with a laugh. “I put out snacks in the War Room earlier. Go on and continue your plotting. I will greet the others as they arrive and send them your way.”
“Not helping in the Barracks anymore?” Salazar asked him. Harry blushed.
“I got kicked out. I was apparently ‘throwing magic around without any thought for others’,” Harry quoted.
“What did you do?” Tom asked him as he wrapped an arm around him.
“I may have accidentally hit Sev with a cleaning charm when I did a room without looking inside to see if anyone was there first,” Harry answered.
“Come on,” Marianna said and headed for the back of the Castle. “We will work on your stance and training. That will help you burn off some of that nervous energy. Jascha, send for our Pareya. They can help with dinner since there are going to be so many people here.”
Harry nuzzled his dad quickly before darting out the castle behind Marianna. She was right, he was full of nervous energy and knew he would go crazy if he didn’t work some of it off.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next day Devrim arrived alone first thing in the morning.
“Hello Brave Prince,” Hadrian greeted him as he let him through the wards. “Harry will be happy that you came.”
“I wasn’t going to at first,” Devrim answered honestly and tugged on his ear nervously before clasping his hands together. “I know he said that he didn’t mind having me around, but I just assumed he was being nice.”
“He wasn’t,” Hadrian responded as he led him through to the dining room where the others were beginning to gather. “Glad you changed your mind.”
“Devrim!” Harry exclaimed excitedly. “You came. I am so happy to see you again. Come and sit. Have you had breakfast?”
The Prince seemed shocked to be greeted so enthusiastically. Hadrian chuckled and gently pushed him toward the empty place next to Harry and Wikhn. When Devrim sat down, Jasper quickly claimed the seat on his other side and Hadrian patted Devrim’s shoulder before walking away to continue monitoring the wards.
“I ate before coming,” Devrim stated as Jasper began putting a few things on his plate.
“That’s alright, you can eat a little more,” Jasper responded with a grin. “We have plenty.”
“Of course, we do,” Harry agreed. “How is your side? All healed up?”
“Yes, I heal quickly,” Devrim answered.
“Right, because you are part Vampire. I bet that comes in handy as a Gheyo. Lucky,” Harry pointed out. “I wish I could have healed my wounds as easily as that. Then maybe I wouldn’t have had so many scars.”
“Lucky?” Devrim repeated quietly. He looked at Wikhn in confusion. No one had ever called him lucky before. Then the rest of his comment sank in. “Some one hurt you?”
“Yes, a few someones. But they have all been punished but two,” Harry stated. “This mission will take care of the two of them and then I can move on with my new life without any thing from my past hanging over us anymore.”
“I would help avenge you,” Devrim responded.
“We have a more important task to ask of you,” Riven spoke up from a few seats down. “We want you to stay here and defend our Heart while we are gone.”
“You would trust me to guard him?” Devrim asked them shocked.
“Of course,” Harry answered. “Why wouldn’t they? I have already told you that our circle will never judge you for your mixed heritage. Nearly half my bonded are of mixed heritage.”
Devrim nodded and ate the food Jasper had filled his plate with as Harry happily chatted to him about what was going on and asked him questions about himself. It was surreal to be in a place were he was not treated as ‘other’ or ‘lesser’.
He was apparently the last of those that had been chosen to stay behind to guard Harry and his mother while the rest were off realm. A few more Gheyo and mages arrived to assist until they had enough to send four people per house and then some.
The plan was for Cedrella to sneak into the main stronghold with Marianna and a few others to take the records of all the creatures that the Torvak had put together. Their first order of business was to evacuate.
They would send a group of Dragel to each species and offer them the ultimatum. Evacuate to Nevarah or another realm or stay on Earth with no chance of ever leaving. Once Earth was classified as a Forbidden Realm, every Realm that associated with Nevarah would also turn from it.
If they chose to evacuate, they would be given one day to get affairs in order and then report to a secure, warded location where the Mages would then Portal them to Nevarah. Once all the people leaving had been taken care of, they would then proceed with their plans to rescue the Alpha/Submissive pair and then eliminate all leaders and their second in command before returning to Nevarah.
Exactly two days after the meeting with the Royals the small army opened up a portal in the back yard of Slytherin Castle and stepped through to Earth.
Harry’s meltdown happened three hours later.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Harry was in the kitchen helping Severus get things ready for lunch when he was startled by a firework that one of the twins set off. The Weasleys had all decided to stay at Slytherin castle as well while the others were gone. Bill, Charlie, and Arthur had gone to Earth with the others.
The Submissive dropped the glass bowl he had been moving from one counter to the table and glass and food went everywhere. He cut his foot on a big piece of glass when he tried to step back.
“WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE TWO OF YOU?” Harry screamed at the two red heads currently looking at him shocked from across the dining room. The Shadow’s in the room thickened with his anger and magic pulsed through the room.
“Sorry, Harrykins,” Fred started.
“We didn’t..” George tried to add but Harry yelled and picked up a piece of glass and hurled it at them.
“You never mean to,” Harry snapped out. “Go outside!”
“We can clean up,” Fred tried again.
“It’s alright, boys. I will take care of it,” Severus said calmly from the kitchen doorway. Harry turned toward him ready to snap when Severus gave him a pointed look and held up his hand. Harry snapped his mouth closed. “You are bleeding. You will let me take care of it and clean up the mess and if you still feel like yelling at someone, you can do it after.”
“Fine,” Harry snapped with a growl as he crossed his arms and let Severus carefully sit him on the table and banish the mess in the floor.
Harry winced when Severus pulled the large piece of glass out of his foot and then the anger seemed to melt away as Severus calmly and carefully tended to him. When Severus was done, he stood up and looked at Harry pointedly.
“Well, go on,” Severus prompted. “Still feel like yelling?”
And Harry started sobbing. Severus wrapped him in his arms and held him tightly. He had been waiting for the breakdown. He had known it was coming long before Salazar had come to warn him to watch for it.
“I am….afraid,” Harry whispered into Severus’ neck between his sobs. “I…don’t…don’t want to …. Lose anyone.”
“You aren’t going to lose anyone, Dear Heart,” Severus soothed him.
Harry cried into Severus’ neck for nearly twenty minutes before he was calm enough to pull back.
“I didn’t mean to snap at the twins,” Harry said with a sniffle.
“They know, Love,” Severus assured him. “Why don’t you find your mother and ask for a cuddle while I finish dinner.”
Harry nodded and then kissed him on the cheek before Severus set him on his feet and carefully nudged him toward the door. Severus smiled when he saw the Prince break away from the Shadows and follow silently. He had shadowed Harry almost constantly since had arrived the day before. As if he was determined that no harm would come to Harry while he was entrusted with his care.
Harry found his mum in a sitting room with Cassie while they looked over family records. Bella simply patted her lap and Harry sat on the floor with his head in her lap. She stroked his hair while he silently cried, and they kept doing what they were doing. Erebus was curled around him as well and he was stroking the Shadow Beast as it purred against him soothingly.
Pandora had slipped into the room about fifteen minutes ago to warn her that Harry had finally had the breakdown they had all been watching for and to be prepared for him to come to her for comfort.
He reached up about an hour later and took one of the stacks from the table to look it over on the floor. He was still pressed against Bellatrix for comfort but he had finally stopped crying.
“Mum,” Harry said quietly.
“Yes, Love?” Bella answered. He lifted up the paper in his hand.
“I think I found us,” Harry pointed to the family tree on the page. “Why does Aunt Cissa’s picture look different?”
Bella patted the couche between her and Cassie and Harry moved to sit there and showed both of them the paper he had found.
“Oh,” Cassie answered and frowned. “I believe that means she is adopted.”
“It does,” Bellatrix answered. “I didn’t know that. No one ever said anything.”
“Well, it does explain why every Black I have ever met is all Dark hair and black or grey eyes and she is blonde headed with blue eyes,” Harry pointed out.
“It was one of the reasons that Abraxis Malfoy wanted her so badly for Lucius,” Bellatrix stated. “When Andromeda broke her engagement with Lucius and ran off with Ted, Abraxis seemed almost giddy with the prospect of having Narcissa instead.”
“Probably so that he didn’t have dark haired grandbabies,” Rodolphus spoke up from the doorway as he came in and sat down. “The Malfoy’s were always obsessed with pairing their children off with people of similar coloring. Which also means they didn’t blood adopt her.”
“What do you mean?” Cassie asked curiously. “How could you tell?”
“If she had been blood adopted, her coloring would have changed to that of the Black family. She wouldn’t still be blonde,” Dolph pointed out.
“That is very true,” Bella responded thoughtfully.
“It also means, My Love, that you don’t have to be ashamed of the way you feel for her anymore. I told you there would be something. That Dragel magic would prevent you from doing anything like that,” Dolph whispered to Bella.
Harry had been distracted talking to Cassie about different types of adoptions so neither of them heard. Bella had been distressed recently over her changing feelings for Narcissa and Lucius. Her Dragel wanted them. Saw their strength and how different they all were far from Earth and the manipulations and stress of family and other things.
Now though she didn’t have to be distressed. Narcissa wasn’t related to her. Narcissa could be hers, her Ace and Merlin that felt so right to her. As right as it felt to have Lucius as her King and Arthur as hers as well. The red headed Torvak had quickly found a special place in her heart and built a nest there.
She loved the way he loved her son and cared about her daughter. How devoted he was to his own children regardless of the fact that they were Dragel and not Torvak. Loved that he had seen the distress Harry was in as a child and tried to save him from it before he was potioned himself. He was a good man; a good father and she was planning on giving him a Heartcry the moment he returned from Earth with the others.
A knock on the door caused them all to look up. Draco was in the doorway.
“Severus says that if Harry is feeling up to it, that it is time to eat,” Draco told them. “The twins are outside catching things on fire and won’t come in. Something about being banished outside by the Lord of the Castle.”
“I’ll get them,” Harry said with a wince and stood up to head outside. A large body wrapped around his and a kiss was pressed to his neck. “I’m ok, Zagan. Promise.”
“Just making sure,” the Hellcat said quietly. “None of us have seen you angry before.”
“Still haven’t,” Draco pointed out as he passed them on the way to the dining room.
“It get’s worse?” Zagan asked him.
“Sometimes,” Harry answered quietly. “It’s one of the reasons I don’t like getting to the point of being angry. That wasn’t angry earlier. That was because I have been so upset about the situation and trying not to show it.”
“How about we don’t do that anymore? How about you tell us when you are upset and we all work through it together,” Zagan insisted. “That is what we are here for.”
“I promise that I will try,” Harry answered. It was the best he could offer right now.
“And that is good enough,” Zagan agreed and then let him go. Harry turned around and kissed his Joker before going to get the twins.
“Oh no, Fred. The Lord of the Castle has come to see us,” George gasped and then bowed. Fred mimicked him.
“Have you come to yell at us some more?” Fred asked with a sniffle.
“We aren’t even the ones who set off the firework,” George stated with a sniffle of his own.
“Yeah, it was that Fire Ace that fancies you,” Fred added.
“He was trying to see if he could aim it to hit one of the other Gheyo and he missed,” George kept going.
“He took off running when the Gheyo chased him and little ole us were left to take the blame,” Fred finished.
“I’m sorry,” Harry said quickly. “I..I didn’t mean to yell. And I shouldn’t have told you to go outside. You aren’t naughty dogs.” He brushed away a tear that managed to get away from him.
“Oh Harrykins,” they said together and stood up to wrap him in a hug between them. He was pretty proud that he didn’t start sobbing again.
“We know you are just upset,” Fred insisted.
“We weren’t even bothered by it,” George added.
“You forget that we know what your real temper is like,” Fred said with an exaggerated shudder.
“That was nothing,” George agreed. Harry laughed and then they pulled away.
“We just wanted you to know what happened so that later when that Ace has pink hair instead of green it was us,” Fred warned him.
“Fair,” Harry said with a laugh. “Now come inside, it’s time to eat lunch.”
“Yes, My Lord,” they said with exaggerated bows and then followed him into the house and to the dining room with the others.
Harry sat with Ron, Draco, Luna, and the twins during lunch and then the six of them went out for a fly. Luna rode with Harry though because she didn’t like flying on her own. He didn’t do any of his normal tricks while his sister rode with him.
“So, I have noticed something that I wanted to ask you guys about,” Harry asked as they were laid out in the back yard afterward.
“Yes,” Luna answered. “They have gotten close.”
“Knew it,” Harry said with a laugh.
“Anyone else lost?” Ron asked.
“Us,” The twins said together.
“Me too,” Draco said with a sigh.
“He was asking about Mummy and the others spending time with and getting close to Arthur,” Luna clarified.
“Oh, yeah that is definitely a thing,” Ron answered.
“For sure,” The twins added.
“It’s so obvious every time any of them spend time together. Especially, Remus and Aunt Bella,” Draco pointed out.
“I meant to ask before, but I kept forgetting,” Harry responded. “I like it. I love Arthur, he is a wonderful dad, and I already see him that way anyway.”
“We think he’s pretty great to,” Fred stated with a chuckle.
“Best dad we’ve ever had,” George added.
“He is the only dad you have ever had you terrors,” Draco pointed out.
“Not after he bonds to Bellatrix,” George countered.
“Then we will have six dads,” Fred added.
“Seven,” Luna corrected.
“I think your counting is off, Luna-girl,” Ron stated.
“She means what she said,” Harry agreed with her. “She is counting Lucius.”
“But he isn’t going to bond to their circle. Wouldn’t that be weird since Narcissa and Bellatrix are sister?” Ron asked.
“We just found the family tree with Cassie,” Harry responded. “Turns out, Narcissa was adopted by the Blacks. She isn’t blood related to us at all.”
“We aren’t?” Draco asked and glanced over at Luna.
“Not even a little,” Harry said with a smile.
Draco grinned back at him and then blushed just a little when Luna linked their fingers together. Apparently, Bellatrix wasn’t the only one that had been struggling with fighting a family connection.
A throat cleared nearby, and they all turned to see Zandian standing there with a few of the other Gheyo. He was grinning and sporting bright pink hair as if he did it every day.
“I was told that you have been forced into the tender care of Lady Cunningham,” Zandian stated. “We wanted to offer you a bit of basic advice and maybe run through a few easy drills with you so that maybe you are a little more prepared to face her the next time you train together.”
“That sounds awesome,” Harry agreed eagerly. “Ron is a Gheyo. He hasn’t started any official training yet, but could he come too?”
“Sure, he can,” Zandian agreed. “Let’s go up to your Gheyos’ training room and start there.”
“Ok great,” Harry agreed, and he and Ron followed them upstairs to the training room that his Gheyo had set up when they moved in. He hoped they taught him enough to help him stay on his feet longer than five minutes the next time he faced off with Marianna.
The next day was spent nearly the exact same way.
With Harry being distracted by one group of people or the other to keep his mind off of his missing mates and family. Bahn, Soula, and Shayla had even come over that day to help him, Bellatrix, and Luna make sure that their outfits and everything else was ready for them to attend the first day of the Hunt the next day.
Harry had tried to tell them that he didn’t want to go since his entire circle wasn’t with him, but Bahn and Bellatrix convinced him that it was fine. That they weren’t required to appear as a circle until Thursday. And that he would be too busy exploring to even miss them, that they wouldn’t want him to miss out because they were gone.
Some come Monday morning, he would be ready to attend the Hunt even if he wasn’t too happy about missing half of his circle. He knew that even though two days had almost passed for him that only half a day had passed for those on Earth. He hoped that everything was going ok for them and that it was working out the way it was supposed to. He already missed them desperately.
He prayed to Death, Chaos, and Fate that they keep his family and circle safe and return them to him safely.