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September 4th, Stanford University.
Harry smiled as he carried his things up the stairs of the dorm building, skillfully dodging other students who were hurrying up and down the stairs. He had been in San Francisco for a little while now, and he was eager to finally get started. He had already met the Dean of the University and all of his professors. He had read nearly all of his course books and had gotten to know his way around the campus so he would be able to get to his classes on time. Now, it was the day of Orientation and he had finally gotten his dorm number along with who his roommate would be. Admittedly, Harry was nervous since he knew he still had nightmares about the war. Sure, he had plenty of potions that would help, but he didn’t want to accidently reveal what he was to his roommate, even more so if said roommate was a Muggle.
Harry headed down the hall of the third floor, looking around for his room number. It took a few minutes before he found it, and he eagerly unlocked the door and shoved his way inside. He blinked when he saw that the dorm was a rather nice size. He blinked when a girl poked her head into the doorway and waved at him with a bright smile before she disappeared. Harry chuckled and shook his head, setting down his duffle bag, backpack and two suitcases. He closed the door and started unpacking, tossing his sheets and pillows(which had been shrunken down) onto the bed to the right. He flicked his hand, making his bed quickly before he pulled out his clothes and walked over to the small closet.
He put his clothes away, making sure that there was enough room for his roommate to store their clothes away. Harry turned around and grunted when he collided with something, stumbling back before a large hand wrapped around his upper right arm, keeping him from falling over his bags.
“Sorry!”
“It’s alright, I wasn’t looking.”Harry said, blinking as he looked into warm and worried brown eyes.
Harry swallowed heavily as he looked the man in front of him over. Shaggy brown hair fell past the man’s ears, and those brown eyes were filled with many different emotions along with intelligence. The man was tanned, deeply so and his skin was stretched across powerful muscles. Harry, slightly surprised, found that he had to look up slightly in order to fully meet the man’s eyes. He stood at 6’3” himself, but he was guessing that the man in front of him was 6’4”, 6’5” in height.
“Are you sure you’re alright?”He asked, breaking Harry out of his quick study.
“Yes, I’m sure. You’re my new roommate?”Harry asked, smiling brightly as the man gave him a lopsided grin.
“Yeah, Sam Winchester.”He said, holding out his hand to Harry.
“Harry Potter, nice to meet you.”Harry said, grabbing Sam’s hand and shaking it.
Harry move farther into the room and pushed his things over beside his bed, though he raised an eyebrow when he saw that all Sam had was a duffle bag, backpack and a laptop case. However, he shrugged lightly and continued unpacking, laughing and joking with Sam easily. He learned that Sam was there for law like he was and that he was there on a scholarship as well. Sam told him that he had traveled a lot, in which Harry asked him a lot of questions about where he had been and what it had been like. He quickly picked up on the fact that Sam was rather distant when he touched on his family, even more so on the subject of his father, though he learned a bit about Sam’s older brother: Dean.
Sam, meanwhile, had been rather surprised when he had bumped into the pale, thin man who was sitting on the opposite bed. He had nearly mistaken Harry for a girl because his hair reached past his shoulders and was held back in a ponytail. What intrigued him the most was Harry’s eyes, the fact that they were completely different colors. At first, he wondered if Harry wore contacts and had decided to get different colored contacts, but he saw no case or any extra contacts around the man’s bed or, from what he could see, inside his bags. He was also interested in the fact that Harry was from England, though he winced when Harry told him he was an orphan.
Both men could tell that they were alike, quiet, studious, and rather serious about their studies. Both of them could tell that there was more to each other than they were letting on, and both of them were determined to slowly unravel the mysteries. However, they continued to talk, laugh and poke fun at each other. Sam was unpacked before Harry and took to helping the other, though he noticed that Harry pulled his backpack away from him and hid it quickly underneath the bed. It made him wonder what was inside, though he couldn’t really blame Harry since his own backpack was hidden under the bed for safe keeping. Near the end of their unpacking spree, a few people stopped in and told them that orientation was going to be starting soon and they were expected to join.
Harry quickly finished unpacking and stood with Sam, both of them heading out into the hall and locking the door behind them. They joined the group of freshmen in the hall, and Harry blinked when he saw the same girl who had poked her head into the room and smiled at him. He smiled at her, which made her giggle and blush lightly. Sam saw this and raised an eyebrow, a slow grin spreading across his face as Harry flushed.
-Looks like I’m going to need to explain to Sam that I’m not interested in girls…-He thought, blinking when Sam curled a hand around his wrist to keep him from running into someone’s back.
Harry smiled at him though they continued to move outside and towards one of the buildings. Inside, Harry blinked when he saw the sheer number of freshmen. They were led into a theater area where they were made to watch an introduction video about the University, and then they were broken up into groups depending on their core classes. Harry was rather surprised and pleased when he saw that Sam and he were in the same group. After they had gathered with the others in their group, Sam and Harry showed each other their timetables and grinned when they saw that they had all but two classes together.
Sam blinked when one of the upperclassmen walked over and handed Harry a note, frowning lightly as the other man bent closer and whispered something in Harry’s ear. Harry’s eyes widened and he nodded his head, putting the note in one of the pockets of his jeans as the upperclassmen walked away. Harry smiled at him, though Sam simply raised an eyebrow at his roommate, causing the other man to flush and rub the back of his head. Sam opened his mouth to ask what the upperclassmen had wanted, but one of their guides walked over and introduced herself, instantly demanding their attention.
After two more hours, all of them were released and allowed to go where they wanted. Sam smiled and looked to Harry, though Harry smiled sheepishly and shifted.
“I have something I need to do. I’ll meet you in the cafeteria later tonight.”Harry said, smiling as he turned and hurried off.
Sam raised an eyebrow, watching as Harry moved through the throngs of people before he disappeared from sight. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, suddenly feeling rather alone. He had been surprised when Harry had knocked into him back in the dorm room, even more so when he fully looked at Harry. Harry had seemed so…fragile, that a simple tap on the shoulder would bring him to the floor. But, he had also seen the strength in Harry’s eyes, the power and intelligence. The longer he spent time with Harry, the more he saw that hidden power, the strength Harry kept underneath a tight lid. He wanted to unravel Harry and find out how strong the other man really was.
Oh, Sam knew all about secrets, had plenty of his own. But what he had seen in Harry’s eyes made him want to know everything. He had caught a hint of shadows in the other man’s eyes, something that reached out and snared Sam’s attention more than anything else. It was the same shadows that Dean and their dad had when they allowed their guards to drop, when they were drop-dead tired and weary and simply wanted to stay inside and not have to deal with the truth of the world. It was the same shadows that Sam had begun to acquire himself.
“I will figure him out…”Sam muttered, turning around and heading back towards the dorms.
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Two months later.
Sam glanced up as Harry groaned and dropped his head to the surface of his desk. He raised an eyebrow and chuckled, causing the other man to turn his head and glare at him. They had fallen into a comfortable routine with each other and dorm life. Both of them kept schedules, even though they had most of their classes together. Harry had somehow managed to add a bigger social life to his time than Sam had, though Sam had learned early on that Harry’s friends in England wanted to keep in touch with him almost constantly. Harry also tended to drag him outside of the library, class rooms and their dorm more than Sam would have liked, though he didn’t really mind since Harry tended to make things interesting.
“Having a hard time?”Sam asked, tilting his head as Harry nodded.
“Yeah, I think my brain is frying. I need Hermione here.”Harry said, closing his eyes as he lifted his head off of the desk.
“Hermione’s the one who’s really smart, right?”Sam asked, unfolding himself from his bed and walking over to stand beside Harry.
“Correct. She had the highest grades in school all seven years.”Harry said, rubbing his eyes lightly as Sam rested a hand on his shoulder.
“I still can’t get over the fact you’ve been in the same private school for seven years.”Sam said, shaking his head as Harry chuckled.
“It was a pretty good education, I learned a lot and I made my fair share of friends.”Harry said, smiling as he looked up at Sam.
Sam opened his mouth to say something when someone knocked on the door, making both men look at the door. Sam walked over and opened the door, blinking when he saw a girl with blonde hair and bright green eyes. She smiled and peered around Sam, her eyes lighting up when she saw Harry.
“Hey Harry!”She said, smiling as Harry stood and walked over as Sam moved to the side.
“Jessica, what are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be in class?”Harry asked, his voice stern as Jessica rolled her eyes.
“No, I don’t have class for another hour. What are you doing?”Jessica asked, stepping into the room and closing the door behind her.
“Classwork mostly. It’s a rough road trying to prepare for the L.S.A.T.s, even though they are a while down the road.”Harry said, reclaiming his seat at his desk.
“Harry, do you want something to eat?”Sam asked, pulling on a light jacket and finally drawing the duo’s attention to him.
“I’m sorry Sam! Jessica, this is my roommate Sam Winchester. Sam, this is my new friend: Jessica Moore.”Harry said, smiling sheepishly as Sam shook Jessica’s hand.
“Nice to meet you, Sam.”Jessica said, smiling brightly as Sam grinned.
“Nice to meet you too.”
“Harry, do you still want anything to eat?”He asked, having let go of Jessica’s hand after shaking it.
“No, I’m still pretty full from the snacks I brought.”Harry said, smiling as Sam nodded and walked out of the room after snagging his wallet.
Jessica hurried to the door and peered out of it, watching as Sam disappeared down the hall. She closed the door and locked it before turning around and looking at Harry, placing her hands on her hips as the Wizard looked at her with a raised eyebrow.
“Alright Mr. Potter-Black-Riddle, what is the deal with you and Sam?”She asked, watching as Harry frowned and tilted his head to the side.
“What do you mean?”He asked, blinking as she stalked towards him and pushed him flat on the bed.
“You two seem rather close, even for roommates. Also, I know for a fact that you don’t let people in close to you. It’s taken me since the first day to get this close to you.”Jessica said, moving so she was straddling Harry’s waist.
“There is nothing going on between Sam and I. We’re just friends, that’s all.”Harry said, looking up at Jessica as she shook her head.
Harry had gotten a letter which had been addressed to him, welcoming him to the campus and informing him that there was a small building which was dedicated to Wizards and Witches. Harry had taken off; leaving Sam for a few hours to go and find out who in the school was like him. He had been rather shocked when he saw that there were plenty of Professors and students walking around the building, and that had also been where he had officially met Jessica. She was the middle child of the Moore family, and while her parents were Pureblood, she was a Squib herself. She did have enough magic to charm her voice, as Harry had found out rather quickly. They had become friends over the last two months, and Jessica had actually started to teach Harry how to charm his own voice.
“I can tell you like him. Every time he’s in the room you relax and you let your guard down even the slightest around him. I’m rather surprised that you haven’t told him you’re a Wizard.”Jessica said, smirking as Harry blushed.
“I don’t want to ruin anything between us, even more so since Sam and I have a new friendship. I don’t plan on telling him either.”He said, sitting up and causing Jessica to slide down so she was straddling his legs.
“Fine then, at least tell him you’re gay. That way he won’t keep looking at you and wondering why you don’t have a girlfriend.”She said, watching as Harry sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
“Alright, I’ll do that at least…”He muttered, blinking when Jessica hugged him and stood up.
The door opened, revealing Sam carrying a takeout tray. He looked at Harry and Jessica before he moved aside as Jessica proclaimed that she had to head to class. Sam smiled at her, though he turned and looked at Harry as the door closed, watching as the man groaned and laid back down on the bed. Sam raised an eyebrow and set his food down on his desk before toeing off his shoes and sitting down on his own bed.
“Everything alright? You two didn’t get into a fight, did you?”Sam asked, worry in his voice as Harry lifted his head and looked at him.
“Sam, Jess and I aren’t dating. We’re just friends.”Harry said, watching as surprise filled Sam’s face.
“O-Oh! I just thought…you two are rather close…”Sam stammered, flushing as he rubbed the back of his neck which made Harry smile.
“No, we’re just really good friends. I don’t really care for women in that respect.”Harry said, his voice quiet as he stared at Sam.
Sam blinked and looked at Harry, his mind reeling with what the other had told him. He blinked a few times, wrapping his mind around the fact that Harry didn’t like women, that Harry was gay. While a small part of him was alarmed and instantly worried that Harry might try something with him, most of his mind was already accepting what Harry had told him. He knew that Harry was a great guy, that he was kind, funny and intelligent, and the doubt in his mind was squashed by the fact that Sam knew Harry would never force himself on anyone.
“We love who we love. Doesn’t matter what gender.”Sam said, smiling as surprise and relief flooded Harry’s eyes as he visibly relaxed.
“Thanks Sam, I’m glad that you’re not freaking out.”Harry said, chuckling weakly as Sam grinned.
“I’ve learned to never judge someone, and I like I said, you’re allowed to love whoever you want to…so long as it’s not a rock…or an animal…”Sam said, shuddering as Harry laughed.
“You don’t have to worry about that, trust me.”Harry said, smiling as he stood and walked over to his desk and sat down again.
They fell back into a comfortable silence again, though the odd, random comment left their mouths at different times. Harry managed to finish his classwork, and Sam finished eating and touched up his essay within the same time limit. Harry glanced out the window and smiled faintly when he saw people running around outside. He was still getting used to everything, even though it had been a couple of months since he started school. It was nice having bright sunny days, though there were times when Harry missed the cloudy days or sitting inside listening to storms rage outside.
Harry blinked when Sam suddenly turned on the small stereo that they had bought, though he smiled when Sam started swaying to the music. He laughed when Sam began to sing along, shaking his head in amusem*nt as his roommate grinned at him. He knew that Sam normally wouldn’t act like this that the other man liked to keep quiet and keep to himself. However, Harry had a feeling that he was starting to rub off on Sam, getting him to open up more and have more fun. He had dragged Sam to a few parties and a club or two, and it had been slightly amusing seeing Sam look around with slight unease. Thankfully, he had warmed up and was soon joining Harry on the dance floor with a girl.
Sam grinned and shimmed over, pulling Harry to his feet and spinning the thinner man. Harry laughed and started moving to the beat, his eyes closing as he danced. He didn’t notice Sam watching him with interest, which slowly morphed into confusion. He never thought that Sam was wondering why he felt a sudden spark of attraction shoot though him. Harry opened his eyes, smiling as Sam grinned at him. They continued dancing and goofing around as the song ended and another one started. Harry grunted as Sam playfully nudged him, knocking him off balance slightly. He smirked and looked at him, his eyes glinting before he jumped at the other man.
Sam cried out as he fell to the floor, not having had the time to support Harry’s weight. He blinked and looked up at Harry as the other sat on his chest, noticing the playful look in Harry’s eyes. He smirked and pushed Harry off of him, and that started it fully. Soon, both men were grunting and twisting around each other as they wrestled, each trying to gain the upper hand. Sam had Harry outweighed, but thanks to Harry’s thin form, he was more flexible and was able to worm his way out of Sam’s grasp. The wrestling match ended when Sam finally pinned Harry underneath him, having managed to get Harry on his stomach with his hands pinned behind his back while his(Sam’s) second hand was placed in-between Harry’s shoulder blades.
“Alright! I give!”Harry gasped, panting as Sam’s weight fully settled on him.
“Good. Though I have to admit, you gave me a rough time.”Sam said, chuckling breathlessly as he released Harry’s hands and stood up.
Harry stood and rubbed at his arms, sighing at the slight pull. It had been too long since he had, had a good workout, and the match with Sam proved it. He made a mental note to visit the University gym more often in order to stay in shape. Hermione had often joined him on his morning and evening run’s, though Fred and George had called them both crazy since they had even gone on runs during the winter. Hermione had scolded the twins, telling them that there was nothing wrong with staying fit. Surprisingly, the twins had begun to join them on their evening runs, though they both had proclaimed that there was no way they would be waking up at five in the morning to go on a run.
“-rry, Harry!”Sam said, making the man blink and look at him.
“What?”Harry asked, catching the water bottle Sam tossed at him.
“I asked you what are your plans for Winter break.”Sam said, smiling as Harry took a drink of water.
“I’m thinking of staying here. Hermione, Fred and George are thinking of visiting. They’ve always wanted to come to the United States.”Harry said, Sam nodding his head in understanding.
“What about you?”Harry asked, sitting down on his bed and taking another deep drink of water.
“Staying here. Dad and I aren’t on that good of terms, and Dean travels a lot.”Sam said, sitting down at his desk.
“Are you going to call them?”Harry asked, frowning lightly at the idea of not having some sort of contact with family members.
“…I might call Dean…”Sam muttered, taking a drink of his own water.
“I think you should call your Dad too. You might not know it, but I think he’ll like hearing from you, even if you two are always at odds. Even if it’s a message saying Merry Christmas or Happy Yule. He’ll appreciate it more than you know.”Harry said, standing up and walking towards the door.
“Harry…I didn’t mean to upset you. It’s just that…Dad always wanted to keep me close and never let me out of his sight. We butted heads so much…I just don’t know how to act…”Sam said, watching as Harry turned and looked at him.
“I kind of understand, but you should still call him once in a while. Sure, he could make the same effort, but he’s most likely at a loss as to what to say like you are. Just call him.”Harry said, opening the door and walking out of the dorm room.
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December 18.
Fred smiled as he, Harry, Hermione and George walked through one of the streets in the magical district in San Francisco, all of them looking for different things to put on their alter for the 21st. They had already bought all of their candles and some of the cloths. Now they were out to get ingredients for the food they were going to prepare. People walked around wearing thick cloaks, scarves wrapped tightly around their mouths and noses. It was a rather cold night, so everyone was trying to stay warm and heating charms only went so far. Harry pulled them into a shop where he and Hermione separated to get what they needed. George looked around in interest, breathing in the scent of spices and baking food.
They passed the time waiting for Harry and Hermione by amusing themselves with watching people walking around outside. A few children had charmed snowballs to follow people and hit them in the back or the backs of their heads. Most of the adults redirected the snowballs, which caused the children to hurry out of sight or throw up their own shields. Carolers were singing nearby, their voices rising crisp and clear in the cold air.
“Alright, we’ve got what we need. We need to stop at the herb shop to get what we need for the Winter Nights Yule Incense.”Harry said, shrinking down the bags and pocketing them as Hermione did the same.
“Alright, it’s just going to be us, right?”Fred asked, opening the door for their small group.
“Yes. Lucius, Narcissa and Severs are spending it together this year along with a small group of friends.”Hermione said, the twins nodding their heads in understanding.
“What about your friends at the University, Harry?”George asked, watching as Harry pulled his scarf over his nose and mouth.
“Jessica home with her parents, Anthony and Amanda are visiting their grandma, and Sam’s a Muggle. He bought a small fake tree and I gave him his presents to open. Jess did as well, and I think his older brother might visit him if he’s near the state.”Harry said, looking around for the herb shop as the others glanced at each other.
“You haven’t told Sam, have you?”Hermione asked, raising an eyebrow as Harry looked at her.
“No, I haven’t. I don’t plan on it unless I need to. We’re good friends, but things are still too new between us. He’s keeping his own secrets as well.”Harry said, stopping in front of a store and opening the door.
“I think you should tell him soon. If he sees you performing magic he’s going to freak out.”Fred said, following Harry and Hermione as they wandered the aisles for the herbs and berries they needed.
“Like I said, I’ll tell him when I feel ready.”Harry said, shaking his head lightly as he picked up a few things.
Hermione, Fred and George fell silent, knowing that there was no point in arguing with Harry. They finished getting what they needed and paid for their purchases and walked out of the shop. They headed towards to apparition point, since there was nothing more they really needed. All of them had gotten their gifts, and they now had what they needed for the celebration. They nodded to each other and turned on the spot, disappearing with small cracks and reappearing in a nicely decorated hotel room. Harry had helped Hermione and the twins to buy a hotel suite, so there were two bedrooms, and a main seating/living room along with separate bathrooms.
Harry flicked his hand, cleaning the coffee table while Hermione pulled out their bags and resized them. The twins took the items for the meal to the kitchenette while Hermione and Harry knelt down by the coffee table and started setting up the alter. Cloths of light blues, silver, evergreen, and white were draped across the surface before they pulled out the candles. They had bought a white candle for Hermione, deep green for Harry, light blue for George and silver for Fred. A yellow candle was placed in the center, and was slightly taller than the others. Harry picked up the yellow candle and smiled as Hermione handed him a carving tool. He carefully started drawing designs of the sun on the sides of the candle.
Fred and George walked over and took a few of the solar disks from Hermione and placed them on the alter before placing the evergreen branches on the sides of the alter. Hermione smiled at them and made room for them on either side of her as Harry finished etching the carvings into the candle and placed it in the center of the alter. All of them pulled herbs over and started making Yule Incense, talking and laughing softly. All of them felt magic settle over the room, gently beginning to stir their own magic and awaken it. Harry shivered at the feeling, having not been able to cast very many spells while he was in school. It made him feel jittery and gave him a boost of energy that he hadn’t felt in sometime.
“Harry, your cell is ringing.”Hermione said, drawing Harry out of his thoughts.
Harry jumped to feet, hurrying over to his cloak and pulling his cellphone out of a pocket. He blinked when he saw that Sam was calling him, which made him smile and answer the call.
“Hey Sam…no I wasn’t busy, how are you?...That’s good to hear…is that Dean in the background?...Yeah, I can hear what you had meant about being loud…Did you talk to your dad?...Hey, at least you left a message and had the courage to call him, I’m proud of you Sam.”Harry said, smiling as he sat down on a couch.
Hermione, George and Fred smirked as Harry talked to Sam on the phone; all three of them noticing on how he seemed to light up and relax. His eyes were bright, laughter came easy, and Harry was eager to speak about his friends and what they were doing. Hermione curled up on the floor between her two boys, smiling as they sandwiched her between them while they waited for Harry to finish his conversation. They blinked when Harry seemed to stiffen up, his voice becoming more guarded and they guessed that something had happened or Sam had passed the phone to someone else. They relaxed and breathed easier when Harry relaxed again, and watched as Harry smiled again. Harry soon hung up and blinked when he saw the trio sitting in front of him with raised eyebrows.
“What?”He asked, raising an eyebrow as Fred and George smirked.
“So, our little Harry has a new crush!”George sang, smirking as Harry flushed.
“On an older man at that!”Fred added, making Hermione shake her head though she was laughing.
“Who is also his roommate!”The twins finished together, making Harry bury his face in his hands.
“Shut up!”Harry groused, glaring at the twins when he lifted his head.
“Come on you two, Harry will deal with this on his own.”Hermione said, standing up and patting Harry on the shoulder.
Harry smiled gratefully at her and allowed her to change the subject, which was her grilling him on when he would be taking the L.S.A.T.s. which made him groan and run a hand through his hair. He told her that he and Sam were planning on taking their L.S.A.T.s next year since both of them were confident that they would be able to keep up on their studies and have good grades for the duration of the year and the next year. Hermione was slightly concerned when Harry revealed and he often used wandless and wordless energizing spells(something Harry had created on his own) on both he and Sam when they were swamped with classwork.
“Have you created any more new spells, mate?”George asked, smiling as Harry looked at him and nodded his head.
“Yes. I have fifteen spells that I’ve created.”Harry answered, watching as all three of his friends looked at him with eagerness.
“I’m glad you’ve been studying magic even though you’re in school. I still want to read those books you’ve found.”Hermione said, grinning as Harry laughed.
“I know you want to learn Spell weaving, but you need to wait until I finish translating them. Salazar wrote them in Parseltongue. I’ve just finished the translating the first book.”Harry said, laughing as Hermione frowned and huffed.
“Why did he write it in Parseltongue?”Fred asked, tilting his head as Harry calmed down.
“He did it because he feared that it would become labeled as Dark Magic. The Ministry of Magic in Britain has made it illegal for those who aren’t working in the Ministry under Masters, to create spells. I remember reading that Muggleborns can’t create spells, rather they can submit their ideas to a Spell weaving Master to create the spell.”Harry said, watching as anger flooded Hermione’s eyes.
“Even though they speak of Equality, everything is still ruled by blood.”She hissed, nearly jerking back as Fred and George placed a hand on her arms.
“It’s changing Hermione, you know this. Minister Bones is already creating new laws. Muggleborns can inherit Pureblood family estates, money, and titles. It was illegal before she came to power.”George said, smiling as Hermione slowly calmed down.
“They’ve also allowed Muggleborns to gain higher positions in the Ministry branches. Before all of the top people were either Halfbloods or Purebloods.”Fred added, watching as Hermione nodded her head.
Harry smiled as the twins continued to talk about the constant changes that the Ministry was going through, glad that things were taking off. He could tell that the Wizarding world was getting better now that Amelia was in charge, and he hoped that things would continue to get better as time went on. Soon enough, Hermione’s anger had disappeared and was replaced by happiness and calm. All four of them soon found somewhere to sit in front of the T.V. and agreed on a movie to watch. Hermione smiled as Harry started the movie and settled back in his chair with his own bowl of popcorn since she, Fred and George had their own. Hermione turned her head and focused on the movie as it started, settling down fully between her two boys.
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February 14th.
“Why are there so many damn couples here?”Harry growled, frowning as he, Sam and Jessica passed by four couples sitting down in the shade of one of the many trees.
“Because there just is. Stop being so sour Harry, I’ve told you to look for someone if you don’t want to be alone.”Jessica said, her voice soft and even as Harry sighed.
“It’s never really bothered me before; I just don’t understand the hype about Valentine’s Day. It’s just another holiday to spend money you don’t have on extravagant gifts for the person you love.”Sam said, shrugging lightly as Harry and Jessica looked at him.
“It’s also a time when those who don’t express their love that often, get the chance to fully express themselves.”Harry said, thinking back to when he used to have a crush on Severus.
“I think Valentine’s Day is romantic, though it is a tad over done.”Jessica said, looking around as they entered the cafeteria and saw the pink and red streamers and hearts hanging from the ceiling.
Harry sighed and grabbed a tray and headed into the small line, leaving Sam and Jessica staring after him in worry. Jessica knew that it was because Harry had spent the last three year’s worth of Valentine’s Days with a boyfriend. He was lonely and it was starting to show through. She had told Harry that he should look for a boyfriend, but he had shook his head and told her that his heart was set on Sam. That had made her wince, and had also made her sit Harry down and have him explain everything to her.
Harry had explained that with everyone he dated, he had been able to see himself sharing his life with. For whatever reason though, over time he and his past boyfriends had broken it off because their feelings dwindled and were sparked elsewhere. He had told her that his feelings for someone had to go away on their own, and he refused to date someone just for the sake of dating someone or to try to forget about someone. It was sad, but at the same time Jessica completely understood and was glad that Harry wasn’t like normal people who would try to shove their feelings for one person on another person. She did worry about him, however, because she knew how much he liked Sam and the fact that Harry was terrified that Sam wouldn’t like him back.
“Hey, Sam.”She said, suddenly getting an idea in her mind.
“What?”Sam asked, looking over at Jessica with a raised eyebrow.
“What do you think of Harry?”She asked, smiling up at the tall man as he raised an eyebrow.
“He’s nice, intelligent, funny, sarcastic…why?”Sam asked, frowning as he and Jessica grabbed trays and walked into the line.
“I was thinking about how lonely he seems. Harry doesn’t make friends too easily and not a lot of people are on the same maturity level as he is. It must be hard for him to find someone.”Jessica said, piling her tray with food as Sam blinked.
Sam frowned lightly as he looked ahead at Harry who was paying for his food. He had noticed that Harry was rather closed off around other people, though he was always eager to help others with classwork if he could. Sam’s frown deepened when the thought of Harry being in the arms of another man caused a spark of jealousy and possessiveness to race through him. He shook his head, dismissing the idea that he might like the other man. He was straight, always had been. Not once had he thought of being with another man, but the more he thought about it, the more he had to admit that Harry was rather handsome.
“Sam…Sam!”Jessica called, smiling when Sam blinked and looked at her with wide eyes.
“What?”He asked, blinking again when she pointed to his empty tray.
Sam flushed and started piling food on it, opting for the healthier foods rather than the pizzas and burgers. He and Jessica made it to the front of the line and paid for their meals before joining Harry at a table near the windows. Harry was already deep in a book and didn’t even look up as they joined him, which caused both Jessica and Sam to smile and shake their heads. However, when Jessica started talking about perhaps getting a house for the next year instead of living in the dorms, Harry lifted his head and looked at her. He expressed the same desire, since he and Sam had talked about it once or twice before.
“I think all three of us should live together somewhere. It would be fun!”Jessica said, smiling brightly as Harry and Sam chuckled.
“It would be nice to have our own rooms.”Sam said, Harry nodding his head in agreement.
“I saw some houses in Palo Alto for rent. We could look there this summer.”Jessica said, her eyes dancing as Harry and Sam looked at each other before nodding in agreement.
They talked about what house they would look for and what chores they would split or share along with how rent would be split. Harry, being the one with the most money, offered to get them started in getting furniture, the first month’s rent and utilities started, and once Jessica and Sam had jobs on campus they could really start pitching in. Both Sam and Jessica began to balk at the idea of Harry spending too much money, but the other man simply shook his head and said he was fine with doing it. It did make Sam wonder however, about how much Harry had gotten from the deaths of his parents.
Sam shook his head and focused on the conversation again, which had turned to summer vacation. Jessica was going on vacation with her parents to Hawaii since she had no summer classes while Harry was thinking about just spending the summer relaxing at his house here in the state. Sam joined in by saying that he was thinking about staying at the school for the summer and getting a job near the campus so he could start saving for the house. This caused Harry and Jessica to balk and resulted in a light argument about Sam staying on campus or not.
“Sam, you can always come and stay with me during the summer. I spend it alone normally, unless my friends visit.”Harry said, smiling as Sam stared at him.
“Are you sure, Harry? I wouldn’t want to impose…”Sam said, blinking when Harry waved his hand.
“You wouldn’t be imposing Sam. Your dad and brother could come and visit if they wanted to.”Harry offered, smiling as Sam nodded his head lightly.
“Good, now I won’t feel bad since my parents are taking me on vacation.”Jessica said, smiling as her two boys shook their heads.
They finished their meals and headed off to classes, Jessica splitting off from them as they walked outside. Sam watched as Harry smiled and waved to a few people, figuring that they were from the group activity that Harry went to every other day. He had asked Harry about it, having thought that perhaps he could join as well, but Harry had explained to him that the activity involved things that you needed to have prior experience to and you had to have permission from the dean along with an invitation from the professors who ran it. Sam had been slightly put off, but Harry had told him that he wasn’t missing out on too much as they mostly did classwork or hung out and talked.
Sam blinked when an upperclassman walked over and slung his arm around Harry’s waist, frowning when he saw Harry blush at the action. His hands curled into fists and Sam nearly flinched when the desire to punch the other guy’s face raced through him along with a violent surge of possessiveness towards Harry. He wasn’t too sure about his newly found feelings for Harry, since he had never felt anything for another man. He didn’t want to get too close to someone, not with the fact that he couldn’t be completely honest with someone about his past and what his family did.
No one would believe that monsters were real, that there actually were things that went bump in the night and would steal you from your bed in the dead of night and leave no trace. Sam shook his head lightly and uncurled his hand, pushing his feelings down as Harry shook lose the other man and slowed his walk so he was walking beside Sam again.
“Everything alright, Sam?”Harry asked, looking up at the slightly taller man.
“Yeah, just thinking.”Sam answered, smiling as Harry nodded his head.
“You’ll love Hermione, she’s interested in Law, but she’s taking a small break from school and helping her boyfriend’s with their shop.”Harry said, smiling as he thought of Hermione in the magenta robes that the employee’s wore in Fred and George’s shop.
“Wait…boyfriends? As in more than one?”Sam asked, his eyes widening as Harry nodded his head.
“Yeah, Fred and George Weasley are her boyfriends. I was rather surprised since the twins are the biggest pranksters I know, but she grounds them and they make her wilder side come out.”Harry said, raising an eyebrow as Sam frowned and tilted his head to the side.
“So she’s dating twin brothers…and their parents are okay with this?”Sam asked, watching as Harry raised an eyebrow and nodded his head.
“Yes, they are fine with this. Sam, certain parts of our society are fine with relationships like that, along with same gender relationships. It’s not uncommon, though I understand your shock. I had been raised to believe that only a man and a woman could find happiness together, but that changed when I went to school. I learned a lot and had to change my way of thinking. I also learned that not everything is Black and White, rather, the world is just different shades of Grey. You just have to look, listen and think.”Harry said, missing Sam’s shocked look which slowly turned to thoughtful.
Sam was silent for most of the day, and Harry knew that the other man was thinking about what he had said. He had seen the way Sam’s hands had become fists when Eric had wrapped an arm around his waist. It had sent a small thrill through him at the flash of possessiveness he had seen, but at the same time he knew that Sam would be confused and perhaps even in denial. So, he had gotten rid of Eric and told Sam about Hermione, George and Fred’s relationship and the fact that it was accepted where he came from. There was a small flare of hope inside of him that Sam would accept that everything was Grey, it just depended on the person in which shade they saw the world. He hoped that Sam would soon accept his feelings and see that a person might not always be who they once thought they were.
-I can hope,…-Harry thought, pushing the door into the building where their class was.
-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX-
Fairfax California, Black Townhome, June 21st.
Sam stared in awe of the two story house in front of him. The siding was a light grey color with dark blue shutters. There was a small front porch that was stained a deep red color and had a few chairs sitting in the shade. The windows were large and open to let in the fresh air. The door opened and Harry tilted his head from inside the doorway when he saw Sam just standing there. Sam blinked and smiled sheepishly before walking up the steps and into the house. Harry smiled at him and stepped back, allowing Sam to see his home fully.
The door opened into a decently sized living room which had a fireplace, entertainment stand with the T.V. and a few game councils and a stack of movies and games, there was a desk underneath one of the large windows and bookcases lined two of the walls and were filled to the brim with books and pictures. To the right was a half wall which showed a nice formal dining room which had a light wood table that could seat six. Sam set his bags down and took off his shoes before moving into the dining room and peering through an archway. The kitchen was modern and he could tell that it was fully stocked. There was a door at the back of the kitchen which led outside to the backyard.
“The bedrooms are upstairs, and each bedroom has its own bathroom. The laundry room is down this small hall.”Harry said, drawing Sam back to the living room.
Sam nodded his head and smiled, thanking Harry once again as the other man showed him around fully. He grinned when Harry told him that there was a pool in the backyard, and it was clean so they could go swimming whenever they wanted to. He told Sam that he had someone come and take care of the pool and the house when he was at school and whenever he was home he gave them the time off. It made Sam wonder, once more, just how rich his friend was in order to afford things like this. Sam followed Harry up the stairs after grabbing his bags and was led to a door in the middle of the hallway. The bedroom was nicely furnished and Sam was pleased when he saw there was a small T.V. and a desk along with the dresser and bed. A door in the room led to a nice bathroom. Harry left him to unpack and told him that his own room was the last one down the hall.
Sam smiled as he looked around and set his bags down The walls were a nice light tan color and the carpet was a deep green color. He chuckled and began unpacking, glad that Harry had made him wash his clothes before they left. He put all of his clothes away and set up his laptop on the desk along with a few course books he needed to read in time for the next year. He was eager to meet Harry’s friends since the other man had told him that all of them would likely visit sometime during the summer, including an old Professor and the parents of an old classmate. When Sam had asked if he would meet his old classmate, Harry had fallen silent and got a faraway look in his eyes. Sam had been horrified when Harry had told him that his old friend had died in an accident and had apologized for asking.
Harry had then revealed that his life had been filled with tragedy, starting with the death of his parents and ending with the death of many of his friends in a large accident. Sam had seen Harry thrashing in his bed from nightmares before, but he knew better than to press for answers and had told Harry as such. He had also seen scars lining Harry’s body, some faded with age while others looked only a few years old. He was bursting with so many questions, but he held back in fear of accidently pushing Harry away and destroying their friendship.
“Brat, where are you?”
Sam blinked at the sound of the deep baritone of a man’s voice. His hand dipped into his duffle bag and he pulled his hand out again, this time clutching a wicked looking dagger. Outside his doorway, Sam watched as Harry walked down the hall, making him move to his doorway and peer into the hall.
“Severus! What are you doing here?”Harry asked, running down the steps as Sam frowned and put the dagger down on his desk which was near the door.
“I came to visit. Hermione told me that you would be coming back today.”The other man, Severus?, said.
Sam walked out of the bedroom and walked to the top of the stairs, blinking when he saw Harry embracing a tall, thin, pale man with shoulder length black hair and onyx eyes. If Sam didn’t know any better, this man could have passed as Harry’s father from the build they both shared. Sam could also see the faint play of lithe muscles underneath the man’s dark grey shirt and he knew that this man was not to be played with.
“Harry…?”He asked, raising an eyebrow as Harry pulled back and looked at him with a smile.
“Sam, this is Severus Snape, he was my chemistry teacher. He became like an uncle to me in my last few years. Severus, this is Sam Winchester, my roommate and best friend from Stanford.”Harry said, smiling as Sam walked down the stairs and held his hand out to Severus.
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Snape.”Sam said, smiling as Severus shook his hand.
“Like wise Mr. Winchester.”Severus said, his smooth voice nearly sending shivers up Sam’s spine.
“Please, call me Sam. Mr. Winchester reminds me of my dad.”Sam said, shaking his head as Harry chuckled.
“Alright, Sam. Call me Severus. I have a feeling that we will be seeing much of each other this summer.”Severus said, Sam nodding his head in agreement.
Sam excused himself to his room so he could finish unpacking and also to give Harry and Severus some time alone. As he closed the door to his room, Severus looked at Harry and raised an eyebrow at the young man, making Harry shift uneasily. Severus sighed and pulled Harry into the kitchen, flicking his hand and casting a spell over the archway which would silence their conversation and let them know if someone was coming near. He turned to Harry and raised an eyebrow, watching as his former student shifted under his gaze.
“Are you going to tell me why you failed to properly warn us that you have a Muggle in the house?”Severus asked, watching as Harry flushed.
“I called Hermione who told Fred and George, and I just told Lucius and Narcissa. I was about to call you before you showed up. Maybe you should give some warning before you floo over.”Harry said, watching as Severus blinked and nodded his head.
“So, what is Sam’s story?”Severus asked, watching as Harry walked over to the fridge and pulled out a few Butterbeer’s.
“We met on the first day and we’ve become good friends. He’s traveled most of his life with his dad and older brother. Apparently his mother died when he was a baby. Other than that, he hasn’t told me much more about his life.”Harry said, handing Severus a Butterbeer before opening his own.
“What have you told him?”Severus asked, taking a small drink.
“That I’m an orphan, lived with my relatives, went to a private school since I was eleven, came to Stanford on a scholarship. He knows I’m gay and he’s alright with it.”Harry said, noticing the raised eyebrow on his friend.
“And what about you being a Wizard?”Severus asked, watching as Harry sighed and shook his head.
“You need to tell him sooner or later, Harry, less he finds out on his own.”He said, making Harry groan and down his drink.
“I don’t want him to flip out and leave. I don’t want to have to erase his memories.”Harry said, washing out the bottle and setting it down as Severus took another drink.
“Harry, if you trust him then you need to tell him. Normally, I would be telling you to keep it a secret, but I can tell that you like Sam.”Severus said, watching as Harry stared at him with wide eyes.
“How-“
“You instantly relaxed when you saw Sam and you couldn’t keep your eyes off of him for long. I could also feel your magic humming. I’m surprised he hasn’t felt your magic seeing as how it reacts whenever he’s around.”Severus interrupted, smirking as Harry blushed and looked down.
“I…I don’t want to tell him because I don’t want to ruin our relationship.”Harry muttered, running a hand through his hair and pulling it out of the tie.
Severus blinked when he felt the wards he had set up send a spark of magic to him, warning him that someone was coming. He reached out with his magic and smirked when he felt Sam, and an idea formed in his head which would solve one of Harry’s problems. He silently removed the wards and silencing spell from the archway and focused on Harry once more as Sam walked closer to the kitchen.
“Harry, you need to tell him you’re feelings. You will never know until you try.”Severus said, feeling Sam freeze before ducking behind the wall to remain out of sight.
“Severus, I just told you: I don’t want to ruin my friendship with Sam! I know he’s straight and I value his friendship more than anything.”Harry said, his eyes blazing as Severus raised his hands.
“Alright, Harry, calm down.”Severus said, sensing Sam walking away from the kitchen.
Sam hurried upstairs as silently as he could, his mind reeling with what he had just learned. He had gone downstairs in hopes of finding something to drink and snack on, though when he neared the kitchen and heard Harry and Severus talking, he had slowed down and had nearly turned away until he had heard what Severus had told Harry. He couldn’t believe that Harry had a crush on him! He pushed open the door to his room and closed it, resting his back against the door as he tried to gather his thoughts. What Severus and Harry said echoed through his mind, sending his thoughts for a ride as he tried to grab onto something that made sense.
He had had a feeling that Harry might like him, even more so when Harry had revealed that he was gay, but that had gone away when Harry had started drifting towards other men and began making more friends. Sam couldn’t doubt that he had feelings for the other man, but it scared him in a way. He had never had feelings for another man before, but Harry made him feel things he had never really felt before, even with a woman. Harry made him want to lay everything, every little secret at the other man’s feet and he had a feeling that Harry would judge him, rather he would accept him even though he had killed before.
“Maybe…I should tell him…”Sam muttered, running a hand through his hair.
Sam sighed and closed his eyes, sliding down the door and sitting on the floor. What he was feeling inside of him had threatened to burst out a few times before the end of the year. Many nights he had remained awake, simply watching as Harry slept, and it was then that he had started taking notice about things he had never seen. Like on how Harry refused to change in front of anyone, often waiting until the bathrooms were clear of people or when no one was in the dorm room before he got dressed. He also noticed that Harry seemed to have more scars on his back and chest than he had ever seen on anyone else. He had seen them by accidently entering the dorm room without knocking and caught a flash of Harry’s chest and back before Harry had pulled on his shirt.
It made him wonder what Harry had been through in order to gain those scars, even more so since he had only seen scars like that on his father or Dean. Hell, he even had a few scars himself that he had gained through hunting. He wondered if Harry had been in fights, or hell, if the other man was a hunter like himself. He had noticed that Harry was a tad jumpy and often sat with his back to the wall so he could see the exits clearly. He was often acting like his dad or Dean, though Sam noticed that it was more of a second nature to Harry.
Sam wanted to unravel the mystery that was Harry, he wanted to get closer to the other man and be able to tell Harry who and what he really was. He wanted nothing to be hidden, wanted to finally have someone who he could confide in, someone who wouldn’t judge him but would accept him for all of his flaws. Sam nodded his head, having finally come to a decision on what he wanted to do.
“I’ll tell him.”
------xxxxxxxxxx------
Four days later.
Harry stared at Sam with disbelief, his eyes wide as Sam looked at him with nervousness. The fact that Sam had feelings for him, was beyond anything he had ever thought could happen. Harry blinked and shook his head, trying to wrap his mind around the fact that Sam liked him, that Sam wanted to date him and see if they could have a relationship and perhaps a future.
“Sam…are you sure?”He asked, his voice soft as Sam looked at him.
“I spent some time thinking things over and want to give this a try. I want to get closer to you and learn more about you.”Sam said, inching closer to Harry on the couch as the other man frowned lightly.
“Sam, I’m asking if you’re sure because you’ve never been in a relationship with another man before. I know you’ve never had feelings for another man before, I want to make sure this is what you truly want. I’m not going to agree to this unless you’re serious.”Harry said, his voice firm as Sam ran a hand through his hair.
“Harry, I’m sure about this. I know I’ve never felt this way about another man, but I can’t ignore my feelings for you. I want this, I want to give this a try and I am completely serious about this. Harry, please.”Sam said, gently grabbing Harry’s hand.
“Alright Sam, if you’re sure about this. But, I don’t want to keep anything from you, I would like the same. I’ve noticed that you’ve been keeping things from me, which is understandable since I have been doing the same. Now, I want everything to come clean.”Harry said, leaning forward and kissing Sam’s cheek, making the man blush faintly.
“Okay, I agree. Do you want me to go first?”Sam asked, smiling gently as Harry nodded his head.
“Harry, I’m a hunter. My father taught Dean and I about the fabled Monsters under the bed, taught us that they were real. He taught us how to track and kill them. I have killed, this I won’t hide from you. Werewolves, Vampires…they are all real. I didn’t want to be a hunter all my life, which is why I studied so hard in school and went against my dad. I want to change, I didn’t want to be like Dean who followed my dad’s every order. I am still paranoid; I keep a few daggers with me and a book of exorcism’s in case I run across a demon. I keep salt with me and I have a flask of holy water with me.”Sam said, watching as shock and then worry flooded Harry’s eyes and face.
Harry stood and begun pacing in front of Sam, making the other man worry about what Harry was thinking about. He had been worried and scared about how Harry might react to this news, but the silence wasn’t what he really expected. He had thought that Harry would scream and run, or would deny the entire thing, not pace and look like he was worried. Sam blinked as Harry suddenly stopped and looked at him before sighing soft and stepping back a few inches, making Sam frown.
“Sam…I don’t know how this will go. I believe you, I can see the truth in your eyes and I know you wouldn’t lie to me.”Harry said, wringing his hands in front of him.
“What do you mean?”Sam asked, frowning as Harry sighed and raised an eyebrow.
“Sam…I’m a Wizard. A natural born, meaning I was born with magic. I didn’t sell my soul or make a pact with a demon in order to gain my magic. My full name is Harry James Potter-Black-Riddle, I killed the former Dark Lord Voldemort.”Harry said, wincing as Sam jumped to his feet and backed away.
“What?! No, that’s not possible! Wizards and Witches are evil, all they do is cause destruction.”Sam said, shaking his head as Harry winced and glared at him.
“No we don’t! Sam, remember what I had told you? The world is not black and white, I thought you understood this. I have never used magic on you, I never would.”Harry said, his eyes widening before he dove to the side as a dagger flew towards him.
“Stay away from me!”Sam roared, crying out as Harry jumped and knocked him to the floor.
“Not until you listen to me!”Harry said, his voice firm as he struggled to keep Sam pinned to the ground.
Harry grunted as Sam punched his side, his magic snapping out of his tight control and petrifying the man below him. Sam blinked, his eyes widening in fear when he realized that he couldn’t move. Harry stood and brushed himself off before he snapped his fingers, levitating Sam to his feet. Sam watched as Harry stepped away and snapped his fingers again, confusion flooding him as a large bowl with runes appeared and Harry set it down on the coffee table.
“Sam, this is a pensive. I have all of my memories stored inside of it. I want you to touch your hand to the memories and view them. You will be sucked inside and will be viewing the memories alongside my memory self. Nothing is a lie, this is all real. You will be seeing everything I have gone through, in hopes that you will understand who I am and that I would never harm you, that I do have feelings for you.”Harry said, walking farther away from Sam before snapping his fingers again.
Sam staggered when he was released from the spell, groaning as he gripped onto the back of the couch. He blinked as Harry pulled the dagger from the wall and walked out of the room, though Sam’s eyes widened when he saw a faint glow surround the doors and windows. He rushed over to the front door and pulled it, his muscles straining as he jerked at the door knob before slamming his shoulder against it. He couldn’t believe what Harry had told him, couldn’t believe that everything he had thought about Harry was a lie. Sam looked around and picked up a small but heavy statue of a Fairy and threw it at one of the window, crying out when it bounced off harmlessly and clattered to the floor.
Sam looked around for a means of escape, though his eyes settled on the bowl in on the coffee table. His mind nagged him, craving for information on the man who had captured his attention and affections. His heart was torn, wanting to trust in what Harry had told him though another part was screaming that Harry had lied to him and kept most of his life hidden from him. Sam sighed and ran a hand through his hair, calming himself down so he could think. He stared at the bowl and slowly walked forward, noticing the silver glow coming from the liquid inside. Sam peered closer, blinking when he saw the liquid looked as if it was moving smoke and as he peered even closer, he could see shapes forming in the smoke before disappearing, and faint whispers reached his ears.
“…Here goes nothing…”He muttered, reaching out with one of his hands.
His fingers touched the surface, causing a faint ripple. Sam cried out in alarm as a jerking sensation filled him and he was pulled towards the bowl. He closed his eyes, feeling wind rush past him before everything stopped. Sam slowly opened his eyes, preparing himself to duck or roll out of the way. However, his eyes widened when he saw that he was in a nursery. He looked around and blinked, spotting a one year old boy in a crib sleeping. Sam walked forward, peering into the crib with awe and wonder. However, he spun around when he heard shouting coming from the door and the sounds of someone running before the door burst open, a woman with bright red hair and emerald green eyes sprinted into the room and slammed the door behind her using a sick.
--------
Two hours later.
Harry paced behind the couch as he waited for Sam to return. He had heard Sam’s attempt to get out of the house and he was glad that he had made all of his items unbreakable along with sealing the house so no one could get in or out. While he was waiting, he had already called Jessica and explained everything to her. She had asked him if he wanted her to come and try to talk to Sam, but Harry had assured her that he would speak to Sam once he came out of the Pensive. Jessica also gave him permission to tell Sam that she was a Squib, something which Harry was still getting used to. Harry blinked and stopped pacing when the Pensive glowed brightly before Sam appeared standing next to it. Sam staggered, though he caught himself and shook his head.
“Sam…”Harry muttered, watching as Sam looked at him with wide eyes.
Harry bit his lip, watching as Sam continued to stare at him. Sam stepped forward, and Harry met the other’s gaze and saw the whirlwind of emotions in the hunter’s eyes. However, Harry relaxed when he saw acceptance and understanding in Sam’s eyes, and his allowed his eyes to close as Sam reached him and pulled him against his chest in a tight embrace. Tears streamed from Sam’s eyes as he held the slighter man against him, holding onto Harry tightly. Everything he had seen and felt had startled him and made him see another side of the world. He finally understood what Harry had meant by the world being different shades of grey instead of black and white.
“I-I’m sorry Harry, I’m sorry that I tried to attack you instead of hearing you out.”Sam said, looking down at Harry as Harry curled against him tighter.
“You understand now?”Harry asked, lifting his head and peering up at Sam.
“Yes, I do. You’ve been through so much, and I’m glad you’ve been honest with me.”Sam said, smiling gently as Harry relaxed against him.
Sam guided Harry over to the couch and sat down, pulling his boyfriend down next to them. Harry curled against Sam’s side and they both spent hours talking about everything and anything. Sam told Harry about many of the hunts he had been on throughout his life, and listened as Harry told him on how there seemed to be different kinds of the same race. He was enthralled to learn that many of the Vampires in England had been kind enough to join in the war and help him and his side out. Harry told him about the Werewolves and on how they actually turned into larger wolves and not a hybrid between wolf and human.
Harry learned that Dean was more willing to fight and dive right into a hunt, given to throw punches rather than wait and learn. This worried Harry, but at the same time he knew that he would have to handle Dean on his own with little of Sam’s help. Sam also expressed his worry that Dean would try to hurt Harry because of what he was, to which Harry chuckled and shook his head, assuring his boyfriend that he could handle himself against Dean. Harry performed a few simple spells for Sam to see, some that he did with a wand while others were wandless and wordless.
They were both startled when the fireplace flared green and two people stepped out of the green flames. Sam stared with wide eyes as a man with long blond hair and silver-grey eyes looked around before looking at him and Harry. Beside him stood a woman with blond hair, a shade darker than the mans, and grey/blue eyes. Both of them were dressed in robes, and Sam had a feeling that the man’s snakehead cane was more deadly than it appeared.
“Lucius, Narcissa! What are you doing here?”Harry asked, standing up and shaking hands with the man and hugging the woman.
“Hermione told us that you had called her and sounded a bit upset. We wanted to come and see if you were alright.”Narcissa said, looking Sam over with a critical eye.
“I’m alright, Sam and I had a few difficulties but we’ve sorted everything out.”Harry said, smiling as Lucius and Narcissa relaxed slightly.
“Sam, this is Lord Lucius Malfoy and Lady Narcissa Malfoy. They were close allies and later friends during the war.”Harry said, smiling as Sam bowed lightly since he remembered what he had learned from the Pensive.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you Sam.”Narcissa said, smiling gently as Sam grinned lightly at them.
“Where are the twins?”Harry asked, frowning faintly as he thought of Isabelle and Isaac.
“Milly is watching them for the moment. She watched Draco when he was an infant so we trust her more than any other elf in the manor.”Narcissa said, stepping farther into the room and looking around.
Lucius blinked when he saw Harry’s Pensive sitting on the table, making him look at the younger man sharply. Harry blinked and nodded his head, making Lucius raise an eyebrow in surprise. Harry had never shown anyone all of his memories before, having always wanted to keep his closest secrets to himself in fear of being judged and rejected by those he held dear. Lucius had heard that Hermione had seen many of his memories, but not everything. For Harry to allow Sam, a Muggle and someone who he had met not that long ago, shocked Lucius down to his core. It made the Wizard wonder what made Sam so special and deserving in Harry’s mind.
-I think it is time to use my heritage.-He thought, taking deep and calming breaths.
The Malfoy’s were known for their powerful magic, wealth and the rumors that the Malfoy’s had Veela blood running through them. What wasn’t known, was that many of the Malfoy’s were able to reach out with their magic and detect ‘threads’ linking people together. Others were able to do this, such as people who had mastered Occlumency and Legilimency, since they could see the ‘threads’ inside of a person’s mind. However it was rare for someone to be able to see the connections just by using their magic without connecting to another’s mind. The threads were relationships or links to other people that a person had made with another person. The color of the threads showed what type of relationship someone had with another person.
Lucius sat down on the couch when Harry invited them farther into the room, though he barely heard the conversation going on between his wife, Harry and Sam as he focused his magic on Harry. Within a few seconds he could see hundreds of threads coming off of Harry, all of them different colors. There were twelve pure white threads, which symbolized connections to people who had passed away. Three threads were pure black and looked as if they had been cut with a jagged knife, which meant that Harry had cut ties with people. Green threads were those of friends, in which there were many, but not as much as Lucius had thought there would be. Deep blue stood for those he saw as family members, in which there were seven of them. Light brown stood for those who Harry had met, but were not close to, which there were many of. However, Lucius’s eyes widened and he fought back a gasp of shock when he saw a deep red thread coming from Harry’s chest and connecting to Sam’s.
Red was reserved for a loved one, but what shocked Lucius the most was the faint, almost nonexistent light green and light blue swirls which surrounded the line as well. It meant that Harry saw Sam not only as a lover, but as a friend and as someone who he would die for. Lucius focused his magic more, and nearly fell off of the couch when he saw that it wasn’t connected just to Harry and Sam’s hearts, but it reached deep to their souls.
-Soul mates?! I never would have thought that Harry would find his soul mate in a Muggle.-Lucius thought, bringing himself out of his shock.
He focused on the conversation, ignoring the knowing looks his wife was giving him in favor of joining the conversation. He wouldn’t tell Harry what he had found out, rather he would let the two young men figure things out for themselves. Sometimes, life was more interesting when you discovered things on your own.
-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX-
Beginning of the new school year.
“Awe! You two are so cute!”Jessica cried, running over to a blushing Sam and Harry.
“Nice to see you as well, Jess.”Harry said, hugging the giggling blonde as she finally reached them and gave them both hugs.
“So, this place is ours?”Sam asked, looking up at the two story house with interest.
“Yup, its already furnished and Sam and I just bought groceries.”Harry said, smiling as Jessica grabbed their hands and pulled them up the steps to the house.
She learned that, while it was a two story house, they only rented the first floor while another group of people rented out the second floor. Jessica was slightly surprised to see that Harry and Sam were in separate rooms, though she understood that they didn’t want to rush their newfound relationship. The house was already decorated with pictures they had taken last year, pictures of Harry’s friends from England(which Jessica was pleased to see were moving), and there were also empty picture frames for them to fill later on in the year.
Jessica was shown to her room where she got busy unpacking while listening to Harry and Sam talk about preparing for their L.S.A.T.s, which they would be taking in October. They were eager to start their actual classes for law, but they knew that it would be a rough road. They had done well in their classes, and had no plans to slack off now. Hermione had given them pointers during the break, and had even convinced them to use a planner in order to make sure they stayed on top of their work and when assignments were due.
“Harry, there’s a small, and I mean small, owl sitting on your bed.”Jessica said, poking her head around the corner and staring at the man.
“An owl?”Harry asked, frowning as he walked to Jessica and followed her down the hall to his room with Sam on his heels.
Sure enough, there was a small owl sitting on his bed. However, this was an owl unlike any Harry had ever seen, and it made his eyes go wide. The owl was tiny and Harry knew that he could easily hold the owl in one hand and still be able to curl his fingers up and nearly hide the owl in his fist. The feathers of the owl were white tipped with a deep gold color and its eyes were a bright aqua color. A metal container was tied to one of its legs and when it saw Harry, a musical hoot left its beak and it flew over to him, landing on his shoulder and sticking its leg out.
“Thank you.”Harry said, somehow knowing that this owl needed to be shown respect.
Harry found the small catch on the container and opened it, pulling out a tightly folded scroll before he closed the container. The owl settled down, on his shoulder fully, which meant that a reply was expected of him. Harry smiled lightly before focusing on the scroll. As he read, his eyes grew wider and wider, and a tremor ran through him. Sam moved close and wrapped his arm around Harry’s waist for support, frowning as Harry rolled up the scroll and ran a hand through his hair.
“Harry…?”Jessica asked, her voice soft as Harry breathed deeply.
“Jess, have you ever heard of a Hunter and a Tracker?”Harry asked, making Sam frown and raise an eyebrow as Jessica’s eyes widened and her hands flew to her mouth.
“Hunters were powerful Witches and Wizards who were trained to hone their natural senses and power in order to keep balance between the races. Trackers were equally powerful, but they specialized in finding weaknesses and new ways of killing whatever the Hunter is set on killing. Trackers are also very good on sensing omens and where certain ‘creatures’ are located if they are in the vicinity of one.”Jessica said, making Harry and Sam stare at her in wonder.
“It is still considered a great honor to be a friend or loved one to a Hunter or a Tracker. Their bloodlines have died out, but a few still remain. The Potter and Black bloodlines are two of the most well known in the United Kingdom. The Neel, Dagger and Frost bloodlines are well known here in the U.S.”She explained, watching as Harry slowly sat down on his bed.
“Harry, what is the letter?”Sam asked, his voice soft as he looked at his boyfriend.
“My godfather: Sirius Black, blood adopted me three months before he died, making me his blood son. According to the letter, I have both Tracker and Hunter blood in me.”Harry began, looking at Jessica as she seemed to sway.
“Harry, you’re insanely powerful!”She gasped, holding onto the doorframe.
“The scroll is from the Council, telling me what my duty is of a hunter and tracker. They would like me to start training, something about me needing to learn for the coming future. I would be using a specially made portkey to get to and from the council. I would be going anytime I can, sometimes on weekends but mostly during breaks.”Harry said, looking up at Sam.
Sam sighed and ran a hand through his hair, his mind spinning with different thoughts. He couldn’t believe that there was a bloodline for Hunters, and it made him wonder if normal humans could carry the bloodline which made him wonder if he had Hunter blood in him. He also wondered what this would mean for his and Harry’s relationship. Harry would be so busy with training and school, that they wouldn’t have much time to spend alone together. It made Sam wonder how long they could last with this much strain. However, Sam frowned at the thought of him and Harry falling apart just because of something so trifle. He was determined to make this work, he had never been happier than he was with Harry and he wouldn’t let anything come between them.
“Harry, you know that I will support you, no matter what choice you make.”He said, watching as Harry visibly relaxed and smiled at him.
Jessica smiled and slipped out of the room as Harry summoned a piece of parchment, quill and inkwell. He rarely used them anymore, preferring a pen, pencil and normal paper. However, he still kept them around for important messages to people in the Wizarding World. She also knew that for sealing the scroll Harry would use the Potter and Black ring. The Goblins really were masters at what they could do for someone who belonged to more than one house, and they had proven this by giving Harry a ring which incorporated the Potter, Black and Riddle house. Harry still had separate rings, and all of his formal robes had the family crests on them. Jessica had seen the rings and formal robes, and she had admitted to herself that Harry really was imposing when he wanted to be. He lived up to his name as a Lord of three houses, thanks to training by Lucius and Narcissa.
Inside the room, Sam watched as Harry sent off the small owl, blinking when Harry walked over to his closet and pulled open the doors. Sam tilted his head to the side as Harry began pulling out a dark emerald green shirt, black formal pants, and deep crimson robe which almost looked black. Harry smiled faintly at him and undressed, chuckling softly as Sam adverted his eyes. However, Sam blinked and looked back at Harry when he saw all of the scars. He had seen the scars in the Pensive, but Harry had still been so nervous about changing in front of him. Now, Harry was allowing him to see all of the scars on his body.
Some were faded to where they were almost invisible, while others were so clear that it was obvious they were newer than the others. Many were long and jagged, though some were small and clean cut. Anger sparked inside of him, anger that people had seen fit to harm Harry even though he had been trying to do what was right all of his life. However, Sam knew that there was nothing he could do to reverse what had been done. All he could do was accept and love Harry for the man he was today.
“The two leaders of the council are going to be coming. I can give you a robe stating that you and I are courting, it will allow you to be in the meeting with me. I don’t think Jessica will be allowed because she’s a Squib.”Harry said, making Sam frown lightly.
“Is it that bad to be a Squib?”Sam asked, watching as Harry dressed.
“In Hogwarts it is, even more so since Pureblood families have quite a few members of their family who are Squibs. However, over recent years Squibs have been proven to show up more in families were a Halfblood or a Pureblood marry a Muggle or Muggleborn. The child is considered a disgrace because they don’t have magic or if they have magic it is so faint and weak that the child cannot do much. Jess has the ability to lace her voice with magic, causing people to follow orders or grow confused or dazed.”Harry explained, Sam nodding his head in understanding.
Sam blinked when he saw Harry fully turn around and face him, his eyes widening. Harry’s posture screamed old blood and wealth. He held himself with a kind of air that boasted that he was powerful and could very well bring a person down with a simple word. Sam now saw why Harry was considered the most powerful Wizard of all, and he was very glad that Harry was on his side. Harry smiled at him and reached into the closet again, pulling out a robe which was a lighter shade of red though it was still dark.
“I’ll add my crest onto this. Do you want to change?”Harry asked, laughing as Sam flushed and hurried off to his room which was a across from Harry’s.
Jessica appeared in Harry’s doorway, which Harry took a moment to tell her what was going on. She flushed, but instantly added the fact that she wouldn’t be allowed to sit in on the meeting because of her status. She watched as Harry pulled out his wand and began tracing a pattern on the left breast of the robe he was holding. She tilted her head when she saw black and gold lines appear wherever his wand traced, and her eyes widened when she saw that she was adding the family crests to the robe. Jessica instantly knew that he was fine tuning the robe so Sam would be able to wear it. She figured that he had explained that Sam was a human hunter, and he would better understand some of the conversations that they might talk about in the meeting.
“This good, Harry?”Sam asked, appearing in the doorway and causing Harry and Jessica to look at him.
“Wow…”Jessica breathed, her eyes wide as she looked at her friend.
“More than good.”Harry said, smiling as he looked Sam over.
He was wearing a deep blue, long sleeved shirt, black formal pants and black boots which Harry had bought him not too long. Harry smiled and pulled his wand away from the robe, slipping it back up into its holster. He walked over to Sam and held out of the robe, beaming as Sam took it and put it on. Sam shivered as the soft fabric settled around him, though it almost felt natural for him to be wearing this. He looked down and felt a flash of warmth spark through him at the sight of Harry’s crests, and it made him smile.
All three of them spun around to the door when they heard a chiming sound fill the air. Jessica hurried out of the room and headed into her own, closing the door behind her as Harry looked at Sam and nodded his head. He grabbed Sam’s hand and smiled, though there was a hint of worry in his eyes. Sam smiled back and bent his head, kissing Harry on the forehead before they both walked from the room and down the stairs. Harry flicked his hand, moving the furniture back a few feet, and just in time too. Two forms slowly appeared, and Harry instantly bowed his head, causing Sam to look at him before doing the same.
“Lord Potter-Black-Riddle.”A woman said, making Harry lift his head from the bow.
The two people in front of Harry made his heart stop for a second before it began pounding. Lady Cloud was more stunning then he thought, with her deep black hair and red eyes. Her skin was pale but what shocked him was the faint outline of wings behind her. Lord Thorten was staring at him, and Harry instantly felt as though all of his secrets were exposed to this man. Harry bowed again, though he rose easily and relaxed slightly. He watched as the two in front of him looked at Sam with interest.
“Samuel Winchester, we know of you and your father and brother. You have been doing this world a great service.”Lord Thorten said, his voice coming out as a kind of growl.
“You know of us?”Sam asked, rising from his bow and looking at the two in front of them.
“Of course. The council knows everyone who is a hunter, bloodline or not. You’re father has been of great service even though he knows nothing of us.”Lady Cloud said, smiling gently as Sam smiled at her.
“Now, Lord Potter-Black-Riddle, we were pleased to get your response so quickly, even more so when we read that you had agreed to the training. Most of the training you will already know, it just needs to be unlocked inside your mind. Ever Hunter and Tracker has the information of their ancestors inside their mind, it just takes a spell from us to unlock it. After it is unlocked, you will spend time learning and fine tuning your skills.”Lord Thorten said, watching as Harry nodded his head in understanding.
“Would I be able to sit in on the practices?”Sam asked, blinking when the two looked at him.
“The council is very strict on who is allowed to know our location. You are fortunate in being allowed to meet us, and sit in on other meetings we may have. However, I’m sure Harry would love to show you some of his training.”Lord Thorten said, Sam nodding his head as he relaxed slightly.
“When will I start training?”Harry asked, tilting his head to the side as Lady Cloud pulled out a simple gold chain and handed it to him.
“Every weekend you will spend six hours with us on both Saturday and Sunday. On vacations you will do the same. Given your background in fighting, it won’t take long for you to advance.”Lady Cloud said, watching as Harry put the chain around his neck.
“Tomorrow simply hold the chain and tell it to take you to the council. Your training begins tomorrow at ten in the morning.”Lord Thorten said, standing up with Lady Cloud.
“Thank you for coming.”Harry said, standing up and bowing once more as Sam followed his example.
“We look forward to teaching you.”Lady Cloud said, smiling as she and Lord Thorten disappeared in a flash of light.
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Halloween.
Jessica laughed as she watched Harry and Sam dance. It was Halloween night and they had been invited to a costume party by one of Harry’s friends named Kale. Harry and Jessica had to convince Sam in order to do, let alone dress up, but Jessica knew that the main reason why Sam had gone was because he had seen Harry in his costume. Harry had dressed up as the classic Vampire, complete with white silk shirt in which the cut of the shirt exposed much of his chest, black leather pants, soft black boots, and a deep emerald green cape. Harry had even gotten ahold of a spell which allowed him to have fangs. Jessica had admitted to herself that Harry was very attractive in the costume, and had laughed at the look of desire in Sam’s eyes when he saw his boyfriend.
Sam had dressed up as a wolf hybrid, and Harry had helped him to get the ears and tail, and then helped Sam artfully rip his shirt and jeans. Jessica had dressed up as a rather kinky looking nurse, which had made Harry and Sam both protest and try to convince her to cover up more. Thankfully, she had stopped that by reminding them that she was an adult and could dress the way she wanted to. They had finally made it to the party and were busy celebrating, not only Halloween, but also the fact that Harry and Sam passed their L.S.A.T.s.
Jessica smiled as she walked over to the punch bowl and got herself a drink before she turned her attention back to her friends. She took note of the small changes Harry had undergone since the beginning of the year. Every weekend and break, Harry had gone off for his training, and she and Sam had noticed the changes happening over time. Harry often returned sore and bruised, but rather pleased with himself. He had gained new books to read and study, in which Sam would often join him and Harry was more than happy to teach him new things. Jessica mostly sat in and listened, though she often added her own small bouts of knowledge on some of the races which Harry might go up against should he decide to hunt.
However, Jessica had also noticed Harry and Sam sitting up late in the living room whispering about something. Both of them looked worried and even frightened, but they always hid it whenever she made her presence known. She hated not being included in something, and had confronted both men about it. What had shocked her was their reaction, the fact that they pleaded with her not to ask them about it because they weren’t sure about it themselves. She had seen the sheer worry and terror in their eyes, and had sworn an oath not to ask about it again, given that they would tell her when they figured it out.
“Hey Jess!”
Jessica blinked and smiled as a classmate walked over and struck up a conversation with her and allowed herself to be fully distracted. Most of the night they spent their time enjoy themselves and spending the night together. They did leave the party early though, since Harry had promised Hermione, Fred and George that he would be at the house so they could do a small ritual for Samhain. Sam had been present for the other holidays, though he never fully participated before. When they got back to their house, they discovered the trio was already there and were setting their own pictures down on the alter Harry had put up that morning.
Sam frowned as he saw all of the pictures of the dead loved ones on the alter, though he was frowning more at the fact that it seemed too full. However, he shook himself from his thoughts and followed the others into the dining room for something light to eat. Sam listened with interest as Fred and George began the prayers since they were the eldest in the house. After the beginning prayers were said, all of them enjoyed their meal of fall fruits, though Sam blinked when he saw ten plates with food on them and a goblet on wine at each plate but no one was there. He learned quickly that each plate was meant for those who had died, and he listened as they shared stories about those who had passed, though there was very little said about Harry’s parents since Harry didn’t have a lot of memories about them.
After the meal was finished, all of them fell silent, giving the chance to remember their families and those they had lost. Sam took the moment to think about his own mom, on how he wished he had known her and could remember even a hint of what she looked like beside what he had seen in pictures. He blinked when Harry stood up and walked over to him, and Sam noticed that everyone was putting away their plates.
“I want to show you something I had added to the alter. I know you don’t follow my beliefs, but I do appreciate that you are at least present during them.”Harry said, guiding Sam out of the dining room and into the living room.
Sam blinked as Harry stopped in front of the alter, his eyes widening when he saw a battered, creased and slightly faded picture of his mother. He had remembered when he had asked Dean for a picture of their mom, which made Dean go silent but he had dug through his wallet and pulled out the picture and gave it to him. He had balked since he thought that it was the only picture Dean had, but Dean had pulled out another one which was almost exactly like the other one. Sam had been 14 when he got that picture, and he had always kept it with him.
“I found the picture on the bedside table. I thought that she should be honored even if you do not believe in our ways…”Harry said, shifting with unease as he looked up at Sam.
Sam smiled gently and wrapped his arms around Harry, pulling him close and resting his head on Harry’s shoulder. Harry relaxed and held Sam close, blinking when he felt Sam begin to shudder. Instantly he realized that Sam was crying, in which he closed his eyes and held onto the taller man tighter. He kept quiet as he held Sam, allowing him to properly grieve his mom. Jessica watched from the archway, smiling gently as the two men remained standing near the alter. She had seen Harry place the picture in a spot where it would blend in and be harder to spot. She figured that Harry had wanted it to be there but hadn’t wanted others to really comment on the picture and have people wonder who had passed away.
Harry and Sam parted a few minutes later, and they rejoined their friends outside for a small bonfire and a few games. Everyone forgot the harsh mood that had fallen upon them during the meal and the prayers. Fred and George managed to get Sam to chase them around the small yard, and the four people from the upper floor even came down and joined in the fun and laughter. Harry and Hermione brought out water balloons, which started a massive war in which everyone picked two teams and used trees, bushes, and a picnic table as their shields.
The celebrations continued until midnight, which ended with Hermione, Fred and George standing in the living room saying their goodbyes. Sam smiled as Hermione hugged him, promising that he would write or call her soon. He stepped back to let Jessica say goodbye and then Harry before the trio disappeared with soft cracks. Jessica said good night and disappeared down the hall, and Harry pulled out his wand. Sam watched as Harry waved his wand, cleaning up all the trash that had been left out and cleaning all of the dishes. Another wave of his wand and the alter was packed up and the pictures returned to their normal places.
“I’m glad you had fun, Sam.”Harry said, putting away his wand and smiling at his boyfriend.
“Thanks for pulling me along all day. I even had fun at the party.”Sam said, chuckling as Harry pretended to faint in shock.
Harry laughed and darted off down the hall, Sam chasing after him with a grin on his face. Sam closed the door to their bedroom behind him, laughing as Harry tackled him to the bed and flicked his hand, turning off the lights.
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Later that night.
Harry sat up quickly, his eyes adjusting rapidly to the darkness as he looked around the room. For a moment he was confused as to what had woken him from his sleep. Sam was sleeping on his stomach, so it hadn’t been him that woke him up. The ward he had placed over Jessica’s room to alert him if she was safe hadn’t gone off, so she wasn’t the cause. Harry frowned and ran a hand through his hair, freezing when he heard something coming from outside the room. He carefully climbed out of the bed, glad that he and Sam had dressed before they fell asleep. With silent footsteps Harry crossed the room and carefully opened the door.
A soft clattering sound and a curse from the living room made him narrow his eyes, his magic kicking in and enhancing his vision as he walked down the hall and peered into the living room. He saw a man about his height picking up the bowl that held their keys off of the floor and putting it back on the coffee table. Harry quickly crossed the room, throwing a punch which the other man blocked. Harry twisted out of the way as the man lashed out at him, and soon they were fighting.
Harry grunted as the man used the fact that he seemed to have a tad more weight to his advantage, however, thanks to Sam and the council, Harry used his slimmer frame to move faster and dodge. Harry grunted as his legs were swept out from underneath him and the man pushed him to the ground, though his eyes widened when the light flipped on, revealing the man that was pinning him to the floor. Dark green eyes looked at him with shock, and short dirty blonde hair, which nearly looked brown, glinted faintly in the bright light.
“Harry?!”Sam’s voice called, worry, anger and confusion in his voice.
Harry kicked the man’s stomach, and using the shock and momentary pain, flipped his and the other man’s position so he was pinning the man to the floor, placing one of his hands on the man’s neck.
“D-Dean?!”Sam cried, causing Harry to blink and glance over his shoulder at Sam who was standing near the archway with Jessica slightly behind him.
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