Stand Against the Moon // Tomarry

Chapter 6: Five - The Little Victories

It wasn't hard to win the loyalty of non-humans through kindness, Harry discovered quickly, if only because they were so unused to someone being honestly kind to them. And while that simple fact made his heart ache, it also made his life much easier, because Harry wasn't, at his core, a cruel person. There was a hardness to him, a determination to use any means to get done what he believed needed done, but he had never believed in mindless killing or torture to achieve his aims.

"Some will see you as weak," Carmilla warned as the last of the vampires finally started clearing out a little after five, most rushing to beat the sun to their abodes, which were all over the UK, Ireland, and north-western Europe.

Harry shrugged as he gently shook Remus' shoulder. His guardian for the night had fallen asleep some two hours earlier, finally calming after a night of watching the various patrons treat Harry with respect. "If someone thinks I would make an easy target, I will happily set them straight," he returned, utterly unbothered.

The thing about having been an auror, especially in service to a Ministry that had delegated non-human policing to that department, was that he knew plenty of spells capable of stopping the most violent of non-humans (those capable of visiting Bloody Eyetooth, at least, as a giant wouldn't fit). More so, he was capable of casting most of them wandlessly, he'd already discovered. He didn't, necessarily, enjoy the fact that he knew them, but preparedness was a lesson that one never quite unlearned.

"I hope you don't come to regret your arrogance, Alpha Lord," Carmilla returned with a disapproving look from next to the floo.

Harry sighed. "If I am proven the fool, then on my own head be it." He shook his head in response to Remus' tired look. "If I can't even stand against my own kind, what gives me the right to lead them against the magical humans?"

Carmilla paused in the act of tossing a handful of floo powder into the dying flames of the hearth. "Not untrue," she admitted.

"Anyway," Harry added cheerfully, "I am only five. Some allowances must be made for my age."

Carmilla let out a disbelieving laugh and left with nary a wave.

Harry wondered if he should be insulted by the slight, but then he glanced towards the clock over the bar and saw how close the hand was to the mark for sunrise. Well, he could hardly blame her lack of societal niceties when the sun was involved. "Are you ready to go?" he asked Remus as the werewolf proprietor stepped past them with a respectful incline of his head to collect the bottles and glasses left lying about by vampires in a hurry to leave.

"Yes," Remus agreed before letting out a yawn. "Merlin," he complained. "Tell me you're not due over at the Burrow today."

Harry snorted. "Nah. We can go straight home and crash properly."

"You are far too awake. How are you still awake?"

Harry bit his lip against a grin as he pushed Remus towards the floo. "Energy of youth," he managed after a moment, entirely too amused.

Sirius was awaiting them at home, grinning at Remus' obvious exhaustion and Harry's seemingly endless reserves of energy. "We can still set up a playdate for you, pup," he threatened as he took over pushing Remus along.

Harry rolled his eyes. "No thanks. I'm going to bed."

Sirius chuckled. "Of course. I'll spend today trying to hunt down the Potter family cloak, then. See if I can't find a way to tie it to Albus, beyond your certainty that he has it."

Harry eyed his godfather suspiciously for a moment, then shook his head. "Sometimes," he said drily, "you act so much the oblivious Gryffindor, I forget you were raised by Slytherins."