Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter
Warnings: SLASH, LV/HP (Somewhere in the near-distant future) and a few other pairings that I don't want to reveal yet, language, violence, OCs, demons
Note: Thanks for the reviews! I tried to make this chapter longer :)
Also, a big thank you to those who are trying to give this story a chance. XD
Chapter 2
Saber's golden shoulders gave a twitch, as she let the picture from her Harry flutter to the floor. The blue swirls on her skin danced in time to her racing, flopping heart beat. "Atol," she murmured, so low that the room's other two occupants remained ignorant. "It's just Atol."
"Saber?" Harry whispered, edging backwards slowly. The male demon's unwavering scrutiny was making him nervous, that and the fact the demon had literally appeared out of nowhere.
Saber turned to face the intruder. "Don't you know how to knock, Atol?" she bit out.
Atol's molten silver eyes flickered to Saber, giving Harry a chance to properly breathe again. "I repeat: what the hell is that?" He jerked his head toward Harry's gradually retreating form.
Saber's eyes ran from Atol's black-clad figure, pausing at the leather that hugged his legs, before continuing up to his curly, chocolate-brown locks. "Cute hair," she remarked instead of answering the question, smirking at the shorter sides and tapered front.
"Saber," he began in a whine, pale face shifting into a pout while he balled up his fists childishly. "My hair is awesome."
Saber rolled her eyes. "Calm down. Obviously, it's a human child." She paused and cocked her head to the side. "You do know what a human child looks like, don't you?"
Atol threw her a withering look before frowning at Harry. "I know what a human-child looks like. It's just... Saber, the demon realm hasn't had a human-hunt in years." He scratched his wrinkled nose. "But if you really want to eat him…"
Harry gasped and shook his head in denial. "Saber wouldn't eat me!"
"How do you know," Atol challenged with his hands on his hips.
Harry glared at the demon. "I'm her Angel."
"And I'm Voldemort's boyfriend," Atol snorted.
Harry didn't comment, but inwardly he was wondering who this Voldemort character was.
"He's mine, you idiot," Saber cut in. Harry stuck his tongue out; the demon didn't know what he was talking about.
Atol's brows climbed to his hairline. "Yours?"
Saber rubbed the back of her neck. "Found him, decided to keep him." She shrugged her shoulders.
Atol laughed. "I do so love when you decide to do whatever the fuck you want," he cheerfully said, taking a step closer to Harry. Saber growled and swiftly planted her body between the two, her swirls spinning crazily. Atol lifted is hands into the air. "Hey, now. I'm not going to hurt him." Saber didn't move. Atol rolled his eyes and twisted his body around her. "Hi, there."
"Hello," Harry mumbled, still sore about what the demon said earlier.
Atol grinned and pushed his body forward even more. He was about to call the kid out on his grumpy attitude when the scent wafting off the little boy finally reached his nose. He scrambled backwards and tripped over Saber's thick rug, falling on his butt. "A wizard," he choked. "You brought a wizard into the demon realm?"
Saber watched Atol's heaving chest innocently. "Maybe?"
"Wizard?" Harry asked. Atol's wide eyes snapped to Harry's.
"Saber, babe, this is illegal."
Saber crossed her arms. "Harry's worth it."
"Is that his name? Harry?" Atol asked her, watching Harry wearily through narrowed eyes.
Saber nodded. "He's my angel, Atol."
Atol let out a shaky breath. "You're serious, aren't you?" Saber lifted a white eyebrow. Atol ruefully chuckled and ran a hand through the top of his curls. "You're in deep shit if this gets out, babe."
"You think I don't know that?" Saber snapped. "You think I don't know what they'll do?"
"Easy, Saber. Easy," Atol said, once more lifting his hands into the air.
"Wizard?" Harry asked again when Saber and Atol tried to stare each other into submission. The word caused his heart to beat faster and his fingers to tingle in excitement.
"Yes, Harry. You're a wizard," she sighed, turning to crouch down in front of the sitting boy. Saber gnawed on her lip anxiously.
Harry sucked in a breath. "I'm a wizard." Something in Harry took flight at his words. He was a wizard. Not a freak, but a wizard.
Wait...?
Harry's brows furrowed. "How come I can't do magic?" he asked Saber, almost accusingly.
"You don't have a wand-"
"A wand?"
"It's this stick thing," Atol spoke up. "They wave it, say some words, and Bam! Something crazy usually happens. Then you blow up."
Saber rolled her eyes upon seeing Harry's amazed, yet fearful look. "Ignore him, Harry. He's mostly lying." When Saber had Harry's attention again, she continued. "I'm sure you've done…I think they call it accidental magic? You know, where weird things happen that you can't explain?"
Harry thought of turning his teacher's wig blue and suddenly ending up on the roof after running from Dudley before he nodded. Those were certainly unexplainable.
"Well, there you go," Atol said, with a careless wave of his hand. "Magic." Atol crawled forward until he was almost nose-to-nose with Harry. "He's certainly an adorable little wizard. How old is he?"
Harry tensed, a faint flush coming to his cheeks. He didn't know how old he was! The Dursleys never-
"Eight."
Harry looked over at Saber, who was looking back at him calmly. How did she know? And is that why she had dragged him to the human realm a while back and got him his very own cake?
Atol hummed and brushed the bangs from Harry's face, catching sight of the lightening-bolt scar. "Potter. Harry Potter," he breathed. "Holy shit, Saber. You stole the wizarding world's legend!"
"I was hoping you wouldn't see that." Saber said, shifting from foot to foot awkwardly.
"Harry Potter in the demon realm. I think I'm shitting kittens." Atol muttered, bringing his hands together to cover his face.
"Atol, listen. What's the big deal? No one else pays attention to the other realm around here. No one has to know," Saber urged, shaking Atol's shoulder lightly.
"No one has to- What the fuck is wrong with you? He wasn't yours to take Saber!"
Saber sneered. "Wasn't mine to take? I had every right to intervene."
"What are you saying, Saber?"
"Evidently, they didn't think much of their savior if they left him with abusive relatives."
"Abusive?" Atol asked, voice cracking before he cleared it.
"What are you guys talking about? Potter?" Harry asked, looking between the two demons.
Saber scowled at Atol. "I didn't want him to know yet."
Atol shrugged a shoulder. "Why not? No sense bullshitting the kid. He looks pretty tough to me," he drawled, poking Harry in the cheek.
"He's eight, you bastard."
Atol stopped trying to pull at Harry's cheeks. "Saber," he began, looking unusually serious. "No one's going to give a fuck how old he is." Saber's face crumbled and Harry wanted to punch Atol in the face for making her look like that. He shoved Atol's hands away. "Don't shoot the messenger, kid," Atol said, winking.
A loud caw interrupted Harry's sharp retort. Two heads whipped to the open window. Harry was the last to drag his eyes to the window, having no idea where the caw came from in the first place. He shrunk back at the sight of the elongated neck leading up to a jagged, angular face. Its glossy onyx feathers, layered heavily before receding near the features, caught the light of the dying flames from Saber's fireplace, while its four beady topaz eyes glinted at them wickedly.
"Tell me that's not Vaughan's pet," Atol moaned, even as he blocked Harry from view.
Saber pulled her snow-white hair in frustration. "Damn it! I forgot to pull the curtains!"
The thing gave another warbled caw before taking to the shadowy skies.
"And we are officially in deep shit," Atol muttered as Saber quickly came to take Harry's hand.
"What's going on?" Harry asked, after Saber hauled him out the door.
"I'll explain the Potter thing, later. We have to go see the King now, Angel." Saber answered, eyes roaming across the blackened trees for any hidden threats.
"Are you in trouble?"
A high-pitched rumble was heard, stopping whatever Saber was going to say in reply. The two demons and wizard child turned in time to see Saber's cottage shudder before collapsing in on itself. "Trouble? Oh, Harry. She's in a lot more than trouble. This is the King saying get your asses to Bavaria," Atol frantically said, jabbing a finger at the wreckage.
Harry looked at Saber's ruined home, his heart sinking. "Where are we going to live now?"
Saber grinned. "Don't worry, Angel. I'll just rebuild it later. The wood's still there and all."
As soon as Saber finished her statement, the remains of the house promptly caught fire. The dark violet flames roared and licked towards the sky. "Saber, we need to go," Atol said urgently, the flames casting shadows over his face.
"How? It'll take hours to get through that forest by foot."
"I can take you."
"Both of us?"
Atol grimaced. "One at a time. Harry first."
Saber pulled Harry behind her. "No."
"Saber, it's better for him to be in Bavaria by himself for a few seconds than here. You know Vaughan probably has a few guards on their way to this spot already."
Saber looked hesitant. "I'll be ok," Harry whispered., tugging his hand free from hers. Atol briskly walked over and claimed Harry's hand to pull him to a patch of shadows a group of trees created. The last thing Harry saw was Saber's stricken face before a wave of black enveloped him into a crushing embrace.
Harry woke to Atol shaking his shoulders roughly. "Damn, Kid. You weren't supposed to pass out."
Harry blinked and sat up, examining the alleyway they seemed to be in. "Where's Saber?"
"I have to go get her." Atol responded, glancing towards the mouth of the alleyway. "Stay here, and don't move," he cautioned, stepping back into a space of shadows and disappearing.
Harry ran his hands along the rough stone of the building he sat next to, wondering how this would all turn out. Would he and Saber be able to get away? Would they go back to the human real permanently? Or would they try to hurt her? Hurt him? Harry wanted to pound his fist against the wall in frustration. He had just found Saber; he wasn't ready to let her go.
"Angel!" Harry looked up just as Saber swept him up into a suffocating hug. "I was so worried!"
Harry clung to Saber, taking in her spicy scent. "I'm alright, Saber."
"Of course, he's alright. He was by himself for like ten seconds," Atol scoffed.
Saber sat Harry down and bared her teeth at Atol. "Anything can happen in ten seconds."
Atol scoffed again and kicked a pebble. "Just tell him what he needs to know for we can go."
Saber gripped Harry's chin. "Listen to me, Harry. Once we walk out of this alleyway, it will be a short walk to the palace gates. No more than five minutes. I need you to stay close and be very silent. Can you do that for me, Angel?" Harry nodded and Saber let go of his chin. "Good," she breathed out. "If something happens to me, I want you to go with Atol."
"I don't want-" Harry began to protest.
"Don't fight me on this, Harry." Saber said closing her eyes.
He wanted to rage and stamp his feet, screaming his defiance. Harry watched the swirls on Saber's face spin sluggishly. Than, again…he didn't. "Ok," he said quietly. "I'll go with Atol."
Atol came over to take his left hand while Saber took the right. Together, they walked out of the alleyway, through the empty town.
Harry thought Bavaria resembled the towns off of the princess movies he used to catch Dudley watching, except not as cheerful. Bavaria was eerily silent, and frighteningly dark.
"You scared, Harry?" Atol asked after a moment, looking to Saber for the answer.
Saber sniffed. "Don't look at me. I wouldn't know." She huffed at Atol's incredulous expression. "I block Harry."
Atol smirked. "Now that's three people you block. You and I should feel special, Harry," he mock-whispered. "She only does that for the people she loves."
Saber used her free hand to flick Atol in the forehead. "Shut up."
"I'm a little scared," Harry voiced, if only to stop the two demons from squabbling further.
Atol nodded. "That's understandable. The scariest part will be all the ugly you meet," he said sadly, swinging their hands forward playfully.
"Ugly?"
"Everybody can't look as good as we do, Harry." Atol chided. "Take those two unfortunate bastards," he gestured ahead of him. "Talk about revolting."
Harry turned to see two burly, lizard-like creatures guarding the gates to a sprawling castle. Their rugged black skin was weighed down with gleaming silver armor that wrapped around their torsos, leaving the legs and tail free. He squeezed Saber's hand when they turned their milky orbs on him.
"Is this the wizard-child you broke law for, Saber?" they rasped in unison. Saber pulled Harry a little closer, pointedly looking elsewhere. "The mighty has surely fallen," they snickered, breathing heavily.
"Shouldn't you be escorting us or something? I've got shit to do after this." Atol waved his hand.
"Atol," they hissed, voices filled with disdain.
"Places to be," Atol sung.
With one last sneer, they turned to push the gates open. Atol abruptly stepped into the shadows the gates cast, pulling Saber and Harry with him. Harry felt the crushing blackness envelop him again. He clinched his eyes shut and fought to stay conscious this time. When both his hands were squeezed he peeked one eye open and then the other one.
"Suckers. They fall for that every time," Atol chuckled.
They were in a large, spacious room, and there were demons everywhere. They crawled across the walls, huddled in corners, and hung from the ceiling. The demon the sat in the only raised chair commanded the most attention. With his grey skin, spiraling horns, and the feathered creature he had seen back at Saber's seated in his lap, it was hard for Harry to look away.
Saber and Atol pulled Harry into a low, sweeping bow.
"Rise." The trio straightened. "Atol," the grey-skinned demon crooned. Harry felt Atol's hand begin to clam up. "I haven't seen you in quite some time."
Atol cleared his throat. "You know me. Places to be, people to see-"
"Humans to fuck." The crowd burst into scandalized whispers and Atol held Harry's hand tighter.
Atol scratched his neck. "Uh, yeah. That," he winced. "Listen, Vaughan," the other demons in attendance snarled in outrage at the blatant display of familiarity, some of the nastier looking ones even taking threatening steps towards the trio. "I mean, your majesty...?"
King Vaughan merely raised a black brow. "Do be quiet, Atol. Your mouth tends to run away with you," he said dryly, before turning to the reason they were all gathered. "Saber, my condolences on your home. I do hate punishing my subjects." Saber dipped her head in acknowledgment, choosing to stay silent. Vaughan continued with a smile. "My pet tells me you have a wizard. Is this correct?"
"Yes," Saber forcibly said, after taking a deep breath. "His name is Harry and he's the best thing to happen to this horrid realm." One of the demons, the one who stood the closest to the king, turned rage-filled maroon eyes on Saber, his Prussian-blue hands twitching at his sides. Harry thought he looked remarkably similar to the king.
Vaughan dark eyes filled with pity. "Kill it," he ordered to one of the demons surrounding him. Harry suspected the pity was reserved for Saber's attitude on the demon realm, not him.
"You kill Harry, and I'll kill myself," Saber growled at the advancing guards, causing them to slow to a halt. The demon standing closest to the king, was suddenly stiff, Harry noted.
Some in the crowd gave amused snorts, while others sneered at Saber's dedication to the wizard-child. The king, for his part, just looked pained. "Saber, let go of this foolishness."
"I'll do everything in my power to protect my son."
"Son?"
Saber let go of Harry's hand to show the palm. Blue swirls lazily crawled across the skin. "I claimed him. Harry is rightfully mine."
Vaughan leant forward. "Can he…?"
"No. Harry can not read emotions."
Vaughan sat back, a clear air of disappointment around him. "I think…I shall let Gawain, my heir, handle this. It is his mate's crimes, after all."
The room stayed silent, no one daring to protest Vaughan's wishes. Saber locked eyes with the Prussian-blue demon. "I'll kill myself, Gawain. I swear it."
Gawain snarled. "I would like to speak with you outside, Saber."
"No thank you," Saber said coolly.
Gawain vanished and reappeared right in front of Saber, a hand reaching out to caress her golden cheek. "I was not asking, dear."
Saber crushed the sigh of pleasure that danced on the tip of her tongue. She be damned if she gave Gawain the satisfaction. Saber's lips curled. "No one touches Harry," she announced to the room before waltzing out, leaving Gawain, to his annoyance, to trail after her.
Vaughan laughed. "They will return," he told the crowd. "But for now, please, talk among yourselves. We're all friends here."
The crowd eagerly burst into movement and gossip-filled conversations. Harry watched as Vaughan's eyes flickered over demon after demon, occasionally bending down to murmur in his pet's ear. Harry was sure Vaughan was spying on his subjects.
"You're doing great, Harry," Atol said, as demons swarmed them from all sides. "Just you wait; Saber will talk some sense into Gawain. It's-"
Harry's hand was knocked from Atol's grip by a passing demon, and he was quickly swallowed into the crowd. Harry's chest tightened with panic. Where was Atol? Where-
"You seem lost, little wizard."
Harry looked over to a crouched demon who looked the must human yet. He relaxed. "Do you know where Atol is?"
"Atol?" The demon tapped his chin. "Yes. I think I do," it replied holding out a hand.
Harry hesitantly took the demons outstretched appendage and promptly gagged. The demon's palm was pressed into the swirls that adored his own hand. A rancid flavor stabbed at his tongue. Harry didn't like the emotions the demon emitted; they dragged across his skin and made him feel dirty.
"Pretty," the demon muttered, rubbing a thumb across Harry's lips, pulling Harry even closer. "I've never tasted a Wizard," the demon purred, taking relish in Harry's struggles.
"And you never fucking will, Baltar," Saber snarled, yanking the demon's head back. Harry fell to his knees and dry heaved when the demon released him.
"Saber, I was only teasing-"
"Don't fuck with me. I could feel your lust outside the doors," Saber growled, twisting her fingers into Baltar's platinum hair. "What part of 'No one touches, Harry' didn't you understand?"
Baltar looked to Gawain desperately. "Please," he begged.
Gawain's maroon eyes remained dull. "Saber will always do as she pleases."
Baltar's face crumbled, as Atol pushed his way through the now-silent crowd. "Saber, I-"
"Help, Harry," she said flatly, bringing a hand forward to cover Baltar's wild eyes.
Atol swallowed and ran over to Harry's still heaving form. "I'm so sorry, Harry," he whispered, clasping Harry's swirling hand in both of his. "I'm sorry."
Harry let the cooling strokes of concern and the bitter undertone of regret wash across his skin, replacing the putrid feel the demon, Baltar, had left. He flinched and fell into Atol's chest when the screams bounded off the walls.
"Sorry, sorry, sorry," Atol chanted. But not even Atol's strong sense of concern could block out the fear that rolled through the room.
Harry peeked his head over Atol's shoulder. Saber watched the whimpering, blubbering form of Baltar dispassionately. "You remember this feeling next time you decide to touch a child," she said, shoving his face away in disgust.
"Ha-ha. Wonderful," Vaughan clapped his hands together in delight. "What has been decided, Gawain? All this excitement has made me restless."
"Saber will live here with the wizard in exchange for his life," Gawain grumbled.
Vaughan smiled at the demons that began to protest. "Come now, disagreeing with Gawain means opposing me. We wouldn't want that, would we?" The demons shifted timidly. "Dismissed," Vaughan hummed.
When all the demons had filled out of the room, Vaughan stepped from his throne. "Talk to your mate, Gawain," was the only thing he said, escaping from the room, his pet wrapped around his arms.
Saber and Gawain glowered at each other. "One of my first public decisions: spent dealing with my wayward mate," Gawain hissed.
"Um," Atol interjected before Saber could fly off the handle. "I'm sure Harry doesn't want to see you two angrily try to suck each other's faces off."
Saber rushed over to Atol, snatching Harry from his arms. "Harry, Angel, are you hurt anywhere?"
"I'm fine," Harry said as Saber checked him over.
"I'm going to kill that bastard."
Atol winced. "Saber, you-"
"You didn't think I was done, did you?" Saber smirked, kissing Harry's forehead and handing him back over. "Watch him, Atol. I will not forgive you a second time."
"Don't worry; I won't let him out of my sight."
Saber nodded, shared a small smile with Harry, and left the room.
Gawain made to follow, but Atol stopped him. "You should probably know that this wizard is Harry Potter."
Gawain blinked. "Is that supposed to mean something to me?"
"He defeated the Dark Lord when he was a baby. Shit's going to hit the fan if they discover he's here."
"This little thing defeated Voldemort?" Gawain asked skeptically.
"Kid's a legend in the wizarding world," Atol proclaimed proudly, ruffling Harry's messy hair.
Gawain grunted and turned to leave. "Make sure he stays out of sight in both realms."
"He's your son too, you know. Your bonded claimed him," Atol called out to Gawain's retreating back after a moment.
Gawain didn't bother turning around. "That thing is not my son."
The words made Harry flinch back. Atol stroked his back soothingly. "Things will get better Harry. Just you wait…"
Let me know what you think.
Next chapter has some time skips and a few canon characters.
