Green & Gold

As soon as Alice disappeared in the floo, Harry let out a deep sigh. He stuck his trembling hands in his pockets and stared in the fire for a moment.

It’s one more fight, he rallied himself. One more fight to protect someone innocent.

Police Chief Charlie Swan was not losing his daughter.

“Harry, what can we do?” Esme asked softly. Harry swallowed down his thoughts and tried to focus on a plan. The five vampires in the room were looking to him like he was a leader, someone whose opinion carried some sort of weight.

A position Harry both resented and easily fulfilled.

“I’m going to Charlie’s here in a minute,” he said. “I need to grab a book then I’m going over there to cast some protective spells on his house.”

“Emmett and I will go with you,” Rosalie said. Her golden eyes were flashing and her jaw was set in the stubborn look Harry had seen all too often on her face.

“Alright,” Harry nodded. “Carlisle, Esme, you guys should go home. Keep your phones close so you can call us if anyone shows up.”

“And me?” Edward asked quietly. “I can go with you Harry. I’ll hear anyone before they can get too close.”

“Er...” Harry actually had a different favor to ask of Edward, but he weighed his options quickly. “Alright then, Edward and Rose can go with me. Em will you do me a favor?”

Rosalie huffed as Harry asked for the supplies he desperately needed, but Emmett looked entirely too happy to go get them for him.

“Aye aye captain,” he saluted Harry and kissed Rosalie quickly before leaving.

“I’m gonna grab a book real quick,” Harry said. He left the rest of the Cullen’s in his sitting room to go rummage through his trunk.

As soon as he was alone in his room, he let out a shaking breath and gave himself ten seconds to clench his eyes shut and let his panic overwhelm him.

One...

I don’t want to fight.

Two...

I don’t want Jasper to be gone.

Three...

I don’t want these people relying on me.

Four...

I don’t want Charlie Swan to lose his only daughter.

Five...

I don’t want Bella to lose her father.

Six...

I don’t want to do this.

Seven...

I have to do this.

Eight...

I never asked for this.

Nine...

If not me, then who?

Ten.

Harry inhaled and exhaled very slowly as he reopened his eyes. He replaced his cloak in his trunk and summoned the book he needed before returning to the other room with the others, his panic now packed away in a neat little box deep inside himself.

Back in the sitting room, Carlisle and Esme were preparing to leave, they were exchanging quiet words with their children who were still present.

“Harry.” Harry looked up as Esme slowly approached him. “I plan on having my entire family back soon, do you understand?”

“I’ll get them back,” Harry promised.

Esme smiled sweetly and put a gentle hand on Harry’s cheek. “I mean my entire family Harry. Be safe, son.” She kissed his cheek softly and Harry had to screw his eyes shut to prevent himself from releasing even a single tear that was clogging his throat at her proclamation. Carlisle clasped his shoulder briefly and then they were gone with nothing more than a whisper of wind and the snick of Harry’s back door closing.

“Ready then?” Harry asked wearily. He cracked open the book Bill gave him last Christmas, a good one on common spells to ward your home, and refreshed them in his mind.

“Harry,” Rosalie ducked down in front of him. “You don’t have to do this. It’s not too late to go with Jasper and wait it out.”

“About eighteen years too late for that Rose,” Harry smiled bitterly. “Thanks, but no thanks. I’m fine. Let’s go.”

Edward and Rosalie followed behind Harry, their stances on either side of him exasperatingly protective. Harry was entirely too confident that he couldn’t be killed, but he supposed it would distract them in a fight if Victoria actually ripped his head off. He also wasn’t certain on how long it would take him to come back to life, it had been quick before, but even sixty seconds in a fight made a big difference.

“Thank you for this Rosalie,” Edward said quietly as they made their way down the block to Charlie’s. Harry stuck to the tree line, not much wanting to be seen by any muggles right now.

“I’m not doing this for her,” Rosalie sneered. “I know what she’s going to ask for Edward. I don’t want anything to do with her.”

“Regardless of your reasoning, thank you,” Edward said genuinely. “I may not be your favorite brother right now, but I do appreciate everything you do.”

Rosalie snorted, but Harry thought she looked a bit pleased too.

“Harry’s my favorite brother,” she said. “And I’m only here to make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid.”

“I never do anything stupid,” Harry said. “Hardly ever, anyway.”

Rosalie just snorted again.

Edward looked down at Harry, who was steadfastly focusing only on the complicated spells he was about to cast for the first time.

”I didn’t like you at first,” Edward said in a quiet rush. “I liked that you made Jasper happy, but I thought you were too... too rough to really be tolerable for an eternity.”

Harry looked up incredulously at him. “Gee, thanks,” he drawled. “It’s not like I’m working my arse off to keep your girlfriend safe or anything.”

”I said at first,” Edward smiled. “I get it now. I didn’t before, I didn’t understand why my whole family seemed to take to you so quickly, but I get it now.”

”Get what?” Harry demanded.

“You’re different,” Edward said thoughtfully. “You put others first, always, don’t you? You don’t want to do this, you don’t want to fight at all. But here you are. Your selflessness is still hard to swallow sometimes, but I think that’s what I didn’t like about you. You are such a truly unselfish person, it makes me reflect on my own uncomfortable shortcomings.”

Harry took a page from Rosalie’s book and snorted, an attempt to sound entirely disinterested in what Edward probably thought was praise.

It wasn’t. Because Harry wasn’t selfless. He was more selfish than Edward could ever imagine.

‘Bring me Harry Potter and none shall be harmed.’

Selfish.

”Thank you,” Edward tacked on when Harry didn’t respond. “Thank you for making my brother so happy. Thank you for being a part of my family. Thank you for fighting with us when I know you don’t want to. Just- thank you Harry. If I live another ten thousand years I don’t think I can ever repay you.”

”You can buy me a new motorcycle,” Harry deadpanned. “A fast one, I need to beat Jasper in a race.”

”Done.”

The three of them quieted down as they came up in the Swan’s backyard, all the lights were on in the house.

“He’s... he’s crying...” Edward’s face crumpled with whatever he could hear inside Charlie’s house. “He’s trying to call Bella, but she isn’t answering. He’s devastated.”

Harry’s heart clenched in his chest, unhappy with the idea of someone as kind and genuine as Charlie being so upset.

I’ll bring her home, he swore silently to the man who took him out to dinner, taught him to fish, and kept giving him ‘final warnings’ when he pulled him over.

“Let’s do this,” Harry said. He had Edward hold the book so he could double check the incantations before he cast.

Harry cast everything short of the Fidelius Charm to protect Charlie’s house. He even layered on duplicates of the same spells, determined to keep his house entirely vampire proof.

“It’s not going to mean a thing when he leaves for work, but when he’s home I think he’s safe. Edward, try and go inside.”

Edward handed Harry his book and took slow and measured steps towards Charlie’s back door. He had just stepped over the line that Harry knew he had drawn, when he abruptly turned around and came back to Harry and Rosalie.

“What was that?” Edward asked, his voice was dazed and his brows were drew down.

“A really bloody complicated spell,” Harry said. He could feel exhaustion kicking in from what seemed to be the longest day of his life. “Supposed to make any vampires that try and go in suddenly find themselves headed in a different direction.”

“Genius.” Rosalie beamed. “Ready then? You need to rest and eat before we go fighting anyone. Your place or ours?”

“Mine,” Harry said. “I need to grab supplies before we leave tomorrow anyway. But someone should stay as a lookout in case they find a way past the wards here.”

“I’ll stay,” Edward offered. “Rose, can you guys get back okay?”

Rosalie just rolled her eyes at her brother and linked arms with Harry. “I’m more than just a pretty face.”

Harry thought of Fleur in that moment; brave and beautiful Fleur who was chosen as a Triwizard Champion and who fought alongside her husband in the Order of the Phoenix.

“Never underestimate a pretty face,” Harry told her with a grin.

“Precisely.”

They kept vigilant as they walked, their eyes flicking around warily to every shadow they passed, but they quickly reached Harry’s house without interruption. Emmett was waiting outside the back door, relief filling his smile as Rosalie and Harry returned.

“I’ve got the goods,” he winked as they went in together. “Any time you need someone to rob a store, I’m your guy.”

Harry ignored him as he grabbed an energy drink and the whiskey out of the brown sack Emmett put on his kitchen counter.

“You can’t possibly be planning on getting drunk,” Rosalie said disbelievingly. Harry also ignored her and pushed past the two of them as he headed to his sitting room.

“I am having two drinks to stop this-“ Harry held up his shaking hand as evidence of his increasing anxiety at the whole situation while Rosalie gracefully sat on the sofa next to the chair he sank in to. “Then I am drinking this-“ he held up the energy drink, “-so I can stay awake and on guard tonight.”

“You are an idiot,” Rosalie said. She quickly reached out and stole the silver can from his hands and moved it out of reach. “Have your disgusting human alcohol if you must, but then you need to sleep while we stay on guard.”

“We’ll see,” Harry quipped. Harry kept a tight grip on his wand as he slowly sipped the two drinks that he told himself he could have. Rosalie laid across his couch, her arms crossed on her chest, and she watched Emmett explore Harry’s belongings.

“What’s this?” Emmett held up the snitch that once held the resurrection stone in it.

“First snitch I ever caught,” Harry said. “Bit priceless mate, try not to break it.”

Emmett chuckled, but he did set the snitch back down in its place carefully.

The three of them made for an odd guard. Emmett was peeking out the windows constantly, probably hoping for a threat to appear that he could fight, and Rosalie was watching Harry intently, though he had no idea what was on her mind. Harry just tried to keep his mind off the many different ways that this could all go horribly wrong, and instead focus on their plan.

It was an easy plan.

Just hunt down two rogue vampires and tear them to pieces and burn their bodies.

Easy.

Harry’s heavy eyelids must have dropped him into slumber at some point, because he had been imagining the red headed female burning to ashes and then suddenly he was in the room of requirement.

Crabbe was chasing Ron down the aisles, cursed flames pouring from his wand.

‘Like it hot scum?’

‘RUN RON!’ Harry screamed. ‘AGUAMENTI!’

It wasn’t working. No water or magic in the world could stop cursed fire.

It had to destroy- it had to kill.

It didn’t care who it killed- there would be no survivors.

The sentient fire was mutating, forming a gigantic pack of fiery beasts: Flaming serpents, chimaeras, and dragons rose and fell and rose again.

‘What do we do?’ Hermione cried. ‘Save us Harry!’

‘Harry! Save us!’ Ron yelled.

Harry was trying to grab a pair of broomsticks, they were just out of his reach, but every time he surged forward, something grabbed his waist and held him back.

‘RUN!’ he yelled to his friends. ‘JUST GO! RUN!’

‘HARRY!’ Hermione was sobbing as the fire consumed her. ‘HARRY! HARRY!’

“HARRY!”

Harry bolted upright as a splash of something hit his face. He looked around the room, searching for the fire that was killing Hermione.

“Mione?!”

“Rosalie.”

Harry blinked a few times and his sitting room slowly came in to view. His heart was racing inside his chest, and it took a few seconds to realize what was going on.

“Rose?” he spotted Rosalie on the edge of the sofa, an empty glass in her hands. “Why...” Harry looked down at himself and focused very hard as he put together the pieces. “Did you throw water on me?”

“You were screaming,” Rosalie said softly. “I didn’t want to touch you while you were asleep, so I figured water might do the trick.”

“Good one.” Harry sank back in his seat after looking around once more and ensuring that they were alone. “Where’s Em?”

“Outside,” Rosalie shrugged and relaxed back in her seat as well. “He’s keeping an eye out. Do you want to talk about it?”

“No,” Harry scoffed. “What time is it?”

“Half past four,” Rosalie answered immediately. “You’ll feel better if you talk.”

“Rose, I like you, but piss off.” Harry lazily summoned his blanket from his bed. He burrowed down and tried to let the warmth of the blanket wash away the chill of his dream.

“Did Jasper tell you how I was changed?”

Harry peeked up at Rosalie and shook his head slightly. “He didn’t offer, and I didn’t ask,” he said.

“That’s because you and Jasper are both empathetic gentlemen,” Rosalie smiled. She leaned sideways on Harry’s sofa and let her feet dangle over the edge closest to Harry as she looked up at the ceiling and talked in a soft voice.

“It was 1933. I was eighteen. I was beautiful. And my life was perfect. My family was middle-class, but my brothers and I wanted for nothing. My parents had high social aspirations, and they saw my beauty as a way to climb higher. They may have been unhappy with our middle-class life, but I was entirely pleased. Pleased just to be me, Rosalie Hale.

“When I walked in a room, men’s eyes followed me. Women sighed with envy. It was vain, and shallow, but I enjoyed that. I knew my looks would get me what I wanted; to be loved, adored, cherished. I dreamt of a big wedding with tons of flowers and a handsome and doting husband waiting at the end of the aisle for me.”

Harry could hear the wistful longing in her voice, and he reminded himself that even if her human life had an unhappy ending, as he was sure it did, that at least she got Emmett. And, next time they got married, Harry would make sure there were thousands of flowers covering every surface.

“I also wanted a big house,” Rosalie went on. “I was so young, and shallow. There was only one thing that I wanted more than the house and husband, a family of my own. One of my friends, Vera, married very young, only sixteen. A year after her wedding, she had a baby. A little boy, Henry. He was beautiful; a head full of curly black hair, the sweetest dimples you ever saw, and green eyes that would follow you around the room. And I wanted that Harry, I wanted it so badly.”

Harry felt a pang at that, he knew female vampires could never conceive or carry children. This one great wish of Rosalie’s would be forever unfulfilled.

He could empathize quite a bit in that moment. He never set his sights on children, necessarily, but he had always wanted his own family. Just a group of people who would love you unconditionally.

Like the people in the afterlife who might spend eternity waiting on him, all of them unhappy with their permanent separation.

“And then I met Royce King the second,” Rosalie went on, her voice sneering out the name. “His father owned the bank that mine worked for. They were wealthy, upper class, and that’s how Royce King the second and I met. We began courting, and he would send me flowers constantly. ‘Roses for my Rosalie’, he’d say. My parents were pleased, of course. And I was as well. Royce was everything I thought I wanted; handsome, rich, and doted on me endlessly.

“We were engaged within two months of meeting. It wasn’t a long engagement. Plans went ahead for the most lavish wedding. It was going to be everything I’d ever wanted. I was completely happy. When I called at Vera’s, I no longer felt jealous. I pictured my fair-haired children playing on the huge lawns of the Kings’ estate, and I pitied her.”

Harry filled his glass half-full and threw it back quickly as he knew Rosalie’s story was inevitably going to turn dark soon.

“I was walking home from Vera’s the night it happened,” Rosalie said quietly. “I’d spent the day playing with little Henry and feeling envious of the easy sweetness between Vera and her husband. But I pushed it away- Royce could be just as sweet sometimes. Right?” Harry didn’t answer, as he knew Rosalie hadn’t expected him to.

“It was cold out, and the wedding was a week away. I was worried that it would be too cold outside for our guests to dance under the sunset as I wanted. I remember clearly because I forced myself to remember this night.

“I was a few blocks from my house when I saw them, a group of men laughing too loudly, drunk. I was nervous, but determined to get home. Then he called my name, ‘Rose!’ It was Royce and his friends.

“‘Here’s my Rose!’ he yelled stupidly when I joined their group. He threw his arm around me and started chastising me for keeping them waiting. His friends were leering at me, saying it was hard to see if I was as pretty as Royce said I was when I was all covered up. He ripped my jacket off me, laughing when I cried, and-“

Rosalie broke off and sighed. “I won’t make you listen to the rest of it Harry, it’s rather graphic.”

Harry felt a small sense of relief at that since his stomachs contents threatened to come back up.

“But they left me in the ditch, cold and alone, dying. That’s how Carlisle found me. He saved me.”

“Did he though?” Harry mused quietly.

Rosalie flashed a bitter smile up at the ceiling, “I didn’t think so at the time. But I was able to get most of my happy ending when I found Emmett and Carlisle saved him after he’d been mauled by a bear.”

Harry huffed out a laugh at that, it sounded like the way he imagined Emmett would have wanted to go.

“If I could sleep, I would have nightmares as well,” Rosalie said gently. “That’s what I wanted you to know. You aren’t alone.”

The two of them sat in a comfortable silence after that, a sense of complete understanding flowing between them. Harry watched out the window as the first rays of morning began to dawn through the glass.

“Hey Rose?”

“Yes?”

“What happened to them? Royce and his friends?”

Rosalie had never looked more beautiful, or deadly, when she smiled just then.

“I killed them all, one by one. I left Royce for last.”

Harry nodded slowly, “Good.”

When the sun rose, and hid itself behind the clouds, Edward and Emmett returned to Harry’s house. Both of them were in new clothes, Edward in a regular top and jeans, Emmett in a thick jacket and dark jeans.

“I don’t like this,” Edward said. “Charlie is at work, so I think we should just start the hunt now.”

“Too bad,” Harry stood up and stretched the kinks out of his stiff back. “You have to go to school so Charlie doesn’t call the FBI.”

Which Harry was pretty sure meant more muggle cops.

“Then you should come as well,” Edward said. “It would look less suspicious if the only two people who spend time with the Cullen’s haven’t both disappeared on the same day.”

Harry froze as he stretched his arms over his head. That...

Damnit.

“Er... no,” he said slowly. “That doesn’t make any sense at all.”

“How does it not?” Edward asked.

“It just doesn’t,” Harry said stubbornly. “But Rose can go, then the two of you can spread around the story or whatever for everyone’s disappearance.”

“I am not leaving you alone,” Rosalie said.

“Hey! He won’t be alone,” Emmett slung a heavy arm over Harry’s shoulders. “The kids got me.”

“Like I said,” Rosalie rolled her eyes, “I’m not leaving Harry alone.”

In the end, Rosalie was beat down by the three guys. They each pointed out the logic in her going to school for the day with Edward, and Harry and Emmett both swore half a dozen times each to call her the instant anything happened.

“What’s the plan then bro?” Emmett asked as soon as Rosalie and Edward walked out the door.

“We’re going to go watch the Swan house,” Harry said. “Give me a minute to change.”

“Better grab that invisible blanket thing too,” Emmett told him. “I can smell you a block away, but if they can’t see you it’ll be harder to attack, ya know?”

“‘Go to America Harry, live like a muggle Harry, you’ll be really peaceful Harry’,” Harry muttered irritably as he changed. “Then why am I on another mission under my cloak, huh?”

“You sound crazy!” Emmett called from the sitting room.

“Piss off!”

As it turns out, being on a stakeout with Emmett was drastically different from the many times he’d been on one with Ron or Hermione. For one, neither of his friends ever paced around eagerly hoping for a fight to break out.

That was usually Harry’s job.

For another, Harry had never been so bloody bored before. Even watching the Ministry entrance for weeks had at least offered people to watch. But at Charlie’s house, there was nothing to see. Harry propped himself up against a tree trunk beneath his cloak and willed himself to stay awake.

“They aren’t even here,” Emmett complained at one point. “I’d hear them coming from a mile away.”

“We’re staying here,” Harry said shortly. This was only about the tenth time now that Emmett had complained about their detail.

“I’m telling you kid, nothing gets past me. We could go back to your place and I’d be just as good of a guard from there.”

Harry levitated a tree branch behind Emmett and smacked him in the back of the head with it.

“Didn’t see that coming,” he said.

Emmett didn’t complain after that.

Eventually, Charlie returned home, still in his police uniform, looking exhausted and truly miserable. Harry saw Charlie‘s slumped shoulders, the deepened lines on his face, and felt his resolve crumple.

Families shouldn’t be broken up like this.

It wasn’t fair.

“Cover me,” Harry murmured to Emmett. He impulsively ripped his cloak off and stuffed it in his jacket pocket.

“Chief Swan!” Harry jogged forward and caught Charlie just as he was unlocking his front door. “Hey, what’s going on?”

“Harry, hey son.” Charlie stalled on his porch as Harry caught up to him. “Hey, you haven’t heard from Bella have you?”

“No, she wasn’t in school today,” Harry hedged carefully. “Everything alright?”

“No,” Charlie’s shoulders slumped once more and his face looked devastated. “She left. Went back to her moms, but her truck isn’t the most reliable, I don’t even know where she is.”

“Oh.” Harry tried to think of any alternative path they could have taken to keep Charlie from being so clearly hurt right now. “I’m sorry Chief. I’m sure she’ll come back soon?”

“Nah.” Charlie waved his hand in a pointless show of nonchalance. “She’s like her mom... once she makes up her mind, she won’t change it back.” Harry politely ignored the heartbreaking quiver in Charlie’s usually strong voice.

“I’ll get her back,” he blurted out. “Chief Swan, I’ll get her back home, okay? I swear.”

Charlie gave him a weak smile and patted his shoulder. “Don’t worry about it, son. I’ll be fine. She’s probably already clear in Arizona. I appreciate you offering though.”

Harry watched as Charlie went inside and swore again that Isabella Swan was coming back to her father as soon as possible.

Families shouldn’t be broken like this.

As the sun was beginning to set, Harry was in his room, his tan backpack in one hand, and was frozen. His heart was racing as he stared down in his trunk and argued with himself, silently this time.

You need it. You know you do.

I could piggyback on Emmett.

Think of the tactical advantage you would have.

He’d packed his cloak, he had his wand in his pocket, he shoved a couple changes of clothes in the bag, but...

Harry eyed his shrunken Firebolt.

How could he bring it?

How could he leave it?

Harry grit his teeth together and quickly grabbed his miniature broomstick, the most treasured of his possessions.

The most neglected.

But he wasn’t going to be able to keep up with the vampires on his feet.

Harry gave Edward a steely-eyed look of determination, wand in his pocket, bag on his back, and the now full sized Firebolt in his hand.

“Let’s go kill some leeches.”