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batsutousaiTitle: Dust in the Sky
Part: 5 of 6
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
batsutousai
Beta:tsuki_no_suzu
Rating: PG-13
Pairings: Harry Potter/Tenth Doctor (minor Rose/Tenth Doctor, Martha/Tenth Doctor and Jack/Tenth Doctor)
Warnings: Slash, minor Ginny!hate
Summary: Sequel to Hanging by a Thread. Harry has a life to live now with a wife and children, but he can still find time for the Doctor, no matter what he looks like.
Disclaim Her: Nope.
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They all headed home to check on their families. Agreed to meet back up near Donna's place, which was close enough to Martha's parents' house that the Doctor just parked the TARDIS there.
Harry was back first, of course. Even though he'd had further to go, he could apparate there. After he'd checked up on Ginny and the kids, he'd made his excuses, then returned to the TARDIS.
Neither Harry nor the Doctor were really sure what to say. Harry was furious that the Doctor had almost gotten himself killed, even though he knew offering the Sontarans the choice wouldn't have worked. On the other hand, if it had been Harry, he probably would have done the same thing, and he wasn't willing to make a hypocrite out of himself just because the Doctor did what he always did.
For the Doctor, it was almost worse. He had known, going up there, that the Sontarans would have never backed off just because he threatened to blow up their ship. He also knew that there really wasn't anything he could say to Harry to make it better, partially because he knew Harry would have done the same and understood, but also because he'd seen Harry's face when he'd hit the button to be teleported up. He'd seen how horribly he'd hurt the wizard, and he couldn't find the words he needed to make that hurt better.
Harry was the one who finally broke the silence, asking, "What is that language?"
The Doctor looked up at him, over the controls he'd been staring through. "Language?"
Harry shrugged, refusing to look at the Doctor. "The one you spoke to me in, before you..." He swallowed and shook his head. "You speak in it, sometimes. The TARDIS won't translate it, or I'd never have noticed."
The Doctor looked up at the central column in a mix of fondness and irritation. "No," he said, "she wouldn't. It's Gallifreyan, and that language, I'm afraid, doesn't translate well into most languages, including English. Some newer TARDISes translated it, to some extent. She's a bit too old for that."
Harry nodded.
They were silent for a while longer, both looking anywhere but at the other.
The silence was broken, this time, by Martha entering the TARDIS. She looked between the two and sighed. "Men," she said and the TARDIS pulsed in agreement. Both Harry and Martha looked at the central column oddly while the Doctor pulled out his rubber mallet and hit her console with a fond smile.
"It's a wonder she still lets you near her controls," Harry commented drily.
"She doesn't mind," the Doctor replied, grinning. "Hello, Martha."
Martha shook her head. "Donna isn't back, yet?"
"I think her mum is down at the shops," Harry offered. "She'll probably wait until she gets back."
Martha nodded and considered them for a moment, then stepped past the console and headed towards the hallway to the rooms. "I think I left something back here last time. I'm gonna go check."
"Don't get lost back there!" the Doctor called.
"I'll try not to!" Martha called back.
The Doctor sighed and glanced at Harry. "I'm sor–"
"If you apologise one more time–"
"Shut up and listen for a moment!" the Doctor snapped and Harry looked away, frowning. The Doctor sighed again. "I'm sorry for going up there, knowing it meant I would die. I'm sorry I didn't bother trying something else. And..." He swallowed. "And I'm sorry I hurt you. I didn't... I didn't want to hurt any of you. Certainly not over something as stupid as giving Sontarans one last chance."
"It wasn't stupid," Harry replied, not looking away from his feet. "If you hadn't given them that chance, you would have been as bad as Torchwood. As bad as UNIT. If you hadn't given them that chance – that stupid, pointless chance we all knew they would never accept – if you hadn't tried, you wouldn't have been you." He glanced up, then, and their eyes locked. "You wouldn't have been that stupid, genius, self-sacrificing alien that I fell in love with."
The Doctor laughed. "I'm a stupid genius?" he asked, walking around the console.
"Yes!" Harry shook his head, laughter bubbling up from his throat. "You git!"
The Doctor pulled him into a hug and rested his chin on the top of Harry's head. He whispered that phrase in Gallifreyan that the TARDIS wouldn't translate, then said, "I love you."
Harry breathed in the man's coat and smiled. "Yeah." He pulled back just enough to glare up at the Doctor. "I swear to Merlin, if you do something like that again, I'll come up after you and kill you myself. Clear?"
The Doctor snorted. "What would that accomplish?"
"It would make me feel better!"
The Doctor snorted again.
They heard loud steps down the hallway and pulled apart, the Doctor walking back over to the control console. When Martha entered the room again, she smiled at both of them and held up a small binder. "Found it!"
"Brilliant," the Doctor replied. "You know, with the amount of rubbish you lot leave around, I'm beginning to think you'll be popping in and out all the time."
"No denials from me," Harry said, grinning. "You're my only freedom from Ginny!"
"That's horrible, Harry," Martha said, shaking her head.
Harry shook his head. "Wait until you get married, Doctor Jones. See how long you last before you want to hitch a ride in the TARDIS every few months."
Martha snorted. "If she drives you mad that much, why don't you just divorce her?"
"Don't think I haven't considered it," Harry replied. "Been talking about it for years."
"Sure, talking about it," Martha said. "But are you ever actually going to do it?"
"Sounds like Ginny's not giving him a choice, honestly," the Doctor offered, grinning at the glare Harry sent his way. "Harry was telling me earlier that she has been talking about divorcing him."
Martha laughed. "When did this happen?"
Harry grimaced. "Honestly? Last week. About the time I got promoted. She's gotten tired of me paying more attention to work than to her and the kids. Not that I blame her, I'm just worried about what sort of huge deal the Prophet will make of this, at this point. I mean, no matter who starts the divorce, it's going to be in the Prophet. And, knowing them, Ginny's going to be the bad guy. I may not like her as a wife, but I can't watch them rip into her like that." He nodded to the Doctor. "It's part of what's been keeping us together for so long."
"You mean there's more to it than the potential political backlash?" the Doctor asked, looking intrigued.
Harry sighed. "Well, there was. I was a bit afraid that the Weasleys wouldn't forgive me, but Hermione told me when Ginny first announced her thoughts about the divorce that she and Ron, at least, had just been waiting to see how long it took us. I talked to Ron a bit, and he said he occasionally gets owls from his brothers with jokes about our impending divorce, has been for years. Seems everyone in the family had accepted that Ginny and I would separate eventually. Well, everyone except Ginny and myself. Even Mum and Dad seem to have come to terms with it."
"That's sort of sad," Martha commented.
"Tell me about it."
The TARDIS door opened and Donna walked in, wiping at her eyes. "How were they?" Martha asked.
"Oh, same old," Donna said, smiling a bit. "They're fine." She glanced between Harry, who was perched on one of the railings, and Martha, who was standing next to the console and asked, "Sure you two don't want to come with us? It's not like we're short on space."
Harry and Martha both gave their excuses and, waving, made for the doors. Before either of them got there, however, the doors slammed shut and the central pillar started to move.
"What?" the Doctor said, looking confused.
"Doctor, don't you dare!" Martha shouted, almost falling over.
"I didn't touch anything! We're in flight!" The Doctor pulled over the view screen.
"Where are we going?" Donna asked.
"I dunno."
"Doctor, take me back," Martha insisted. "Take me back right now."
"I can't! The controls are locked." The console sparked and the Doctor jumped back a bit, only to have to catch himself on the console again when the TARDIS jerked. "I don't know where we're going," he commented, "but my old hand is very excited about it."
"I thought that was just some freaky alien thing! Are you telling me it's yours?" Donna demanded.
"Well..."
"It got cut off," Martha supplied. "He grew a new one."
"You are completely impossible," Donna told the Doctor.
"It's not impossible," the Doctor said. "Just a bit unlikely."
The console exploded again and they all got tossed to the ground as the TARDIS finally stopped.
They took a moment to stare at each other, then the Doctor was off and through the door to see where they'd landed. The three humans all pulled themselves to their feet and slowly came out after them, Martha commenting, "I love this part."
"I thought you wanted to go home," Donna said, looking at her suspiciously.
"We're here now," Harry said and Martha nodded. "And as long as he doesn't keep us for more than an hour, we shouldn't have to write up a report about it."
"You have to write up reports on your travels with him?" Donna asked.
Harry grimaced. "Oh, yes," he said in a much less excited imitation of the Doctor.
"So, last time, when you were gone for an entire year..." Martha said.
"Took me three weeks," Harry replied. "And I couldn't just fudge it and take the adventures that would have amounted to about a month – that was how long I was gone for on Earth – and just write those down. They know how the Doctor travels; know that travelling with him never takes the amount of time that you're gone."
"Sorry about that," Martha offered and Harry shrugged.
They were interrupted by a group of what looked to be humans with guns. After showing they were unarmed, the men dragged the Doctor over to a machine and shoved his hand inside. The machine ended up taking a tissue sample from the Doctor and using his DNA to create a young woman who the Doctor reluctantly admitted was his daughter, of a sort.
Before the others could have their DNA taken, another group of beings came from the opposite direction and fighting broke out. The Doctor and his three human companions ducked down, Martha and Harry going one way while the Doctor and Donna went another. When Martha was grabbed by one of the aliens – the Hath, the humans called them – Harry pulled out his wand and jumped after them.
When the humans exploded the tunnel, Harry and Martha found themselves on one side with the Hath, while the other two were left on the other side. To make matters worse, when the rocks had fallen, they'd knocked Harry's wand out of his hand. While Martha went to check over the Hath with them, Harry found his wand and moaned. It had been crushed by a boulder and was now in three pieces.
"Always my bloody luck," he muttered to himself, turning to walk over to Martha and the Hath. Before he got far, more Hath ran out and pointed guns at them, so Harry threw his hands up in the air. "Peace!" he shouted.
Martha chose that moment to set the hurt Hath's arm, which set the group holding the guns off again, but the Hath Martha had helped talked them down.
Martha and Harry soon found themselves being prodded along by the group of Hath, who seemed a fair bit more friendly.
"Now what?" Martha hissed to Harry.
Harry shook his head. "My wand is broken," he said quietly. "But the TARDIS is still translating, since we can understand this lot, which means both she and the Doctor are okay. I say keep our heads down until we can meet back up with the Doctor and Donna."
"Good a plan as any," Martha agreed.
-0-
The Hath really seemed to like Martha and, by extension, Harry. The two humans were shown around their base, then shown to the map they had of the tunnels. Martha and Harry were glancing at each other across the map, both wondering if they should try to help the Hath find this 'source' when the map suddenly got bigger.
The Hath all congratulated the two humans on expanding the map and set off to explore the new tunnels, ignoring Harry and Martha's insistence that they hadn't done anything.
Soon, it was only the two humans and the Hath Martha had healed, Peck, left. Both humans silently agreed that they didn't really want to go running about the tunnels for the 'source'. Harry pulled out his sonic screwdriver and turned it on the map curiously while Peck asked Martha why they weren't going.
They were interrupted when Harry's mobile rang. He hummed to himself while he pulled it out. "Potter," he said, considering the map.
"Harry!" the Doctor said from the other end. "You're alive. Is Martha there?"
"Mm-hm," Harry agreed, glancing up towards Martha. "It's the Doctor," he explained to the other human and she looked relieved. Harry smiled. "Is Donna alright, then?"
"Yes, she's fine." Donna said something that Harry couldn't quite hear and the Doctor said, "And... Jenny. The woman who came out of that machine. The... My... My daughter." Harry could almost hear the grimace in his voice. "Right! Where are you two?"
"Hath camp," Harry reported. "Starting up for war, they are. Did you happen to expand a map, by any chance?"
"Oh. Oh, no..."
"I'll take that as a yes." Harry snorted and twiddled his sonic screwdriver.
"It's going to be a blood bath." The Doctor sighed. "Are you two safe there?"
"Mmmm.... Mostly," Harry agreed.
"Good. Stay there."
"Oiy! Who're you, to be ordering us around?! We're not just going to sit about twiddling our thumbs, you git!"
"You're safe. Stay there."
"I'm not going–"
"Harry, I'm not debating this with you," the Doctor replied firmly, then hung up.
Harry stared down at his phone in disgust. "Bloody wanker." He shoved the phone back into his pocket and turned back to the map.
"What did he say?" Martha asked.
"To stay here like good little children," Harry replied grumpily.
"He actually thinks we're going to do that?" Martha said, disbelieving. "He's gone a bit mad, hasn't he?"
"Completely," Harry agreed, still fiddling with the map and his sonic screwdriver. "Ah-hah!" he shouted as the map went 3-D. He shoved his sonic screwdriver back into his jeans pocket, intent on not losing another of his toys, thanks, then looked curiously at the 'source', which appeared to be a very large chamber.
Martha considered the map, then pointed at the 'source' chamber. "It looks like it goes above ground," she said.
Harry nodded and looked at Peck who was still with them. "What's on the surface? Why isn't anyone going that way? It would be faster."
Peck patiently brought up readings from the surface. Martha looked them over and decided t wouldn't be too bad and said they should try it. They had to get to the 'source' before the Hath and the humans. The last thing they needed was the likely blood-bath and maybe, by getting there first, the two of them could do something to stop it. (Or at least delay it until the Doctor showed up with a better plan.)
They got their Hath friend to lead them to a way up to the surface, but he choked there, unable to make himself go any farther.
"Suit yourself," Martha said to his excuses. "But if you don't go up there, you'll forever live in the dark, never feeling the wind on your face. It's your choice." She turned back up the stairs and shoved at the covering. "Harry?"
Harry nodded to Peck and hurried up to help Martha open it. Then he helped push her up, letting her pull him up after once she was clear. "This is lovely," the wizard commented a tad sarcastically of the barren surface as Peck joined them.
"I knew you couldn't resist," Martha said, grinning.
Harry rolled his eyes when Peck replied to her with some not-so-polite words. "Children," he said, pulling out his sonic screwdriver and his laser pen. He clicked the pen on to the torch and handed it over to Martha, who took it with a grin, then used the screwdriver to search out the 'source' chamber and started off, calling, 'This way!"
Martha shook her head at Peck and they both set out after him.
-0-
They managed to get to the building without too much trouble. All three were cold when they finally made it and they had a difficult time getting the door open because of cold hands, but they managed and all hurried inside, shivering.
"What I wouldn't give for a nice cup of tea," Harry muttered, taking his pen back from Martha and shoving it into a pocket. "I can live without my wand, if only I had a cup of tea."
Martha shook her head at him. "Let's find the source, yeah? Maybe it'll be able to magically provide us with tea."
"Pull the other one," Harry retorted.
Martha grinned, then set off into the... Whatever it was. "Where are we?" she wondered.
Harry paused to consider a console. "Ship of some sort," he suggested, pointing to the schematics on the screen.
Martha leaned over to look at it. "The first ship? The one the colonists got here on?"
Harry shrugged. "Perhaps. Makes a certain amount of sense." He sighed and rubbed his arms. "Well, let's keep on. It'll warm us up some. I hope."
Martha grimaced and they started off again, Peck following silently.
It didn't take much longer to find more people, and they happened to be just the people they were looking for.
"Doctor!" Martha shouted, running forward to hug the Doctor, who had just come around another corner.
The Doctor blinked. "Martha?" He pulled back once she'd let go. "How did you two..." He frowned at Harry.
"Because we were really going to sit around, waiting for you," Harry replied dryly.
The Doctor grimaced in agreement and he and Harry hugged while Donna hugged Martha and Jenny and Peck gave each other wary looks.
The reunion was cut short when they heard shouting downstairs. General Cobb had gotten through and their time was nearly up.
"Wait," Martha said, frowning. "Do I smell flowers?"
"Yes," the Doctor said. "Bougainvillea!" He turned in the direction of the smell. "I say we follow our noses."
They all hurried into a garden. There, they found the 'source', which the Doctor said was just a terraforming device, a device to clean up the planet's surface so it was habitable. When the Hath and the humans ran onto the scene, the Doctor explained that to them, then hurled device to the ground, breaking it and letting the gases out.
Everyone put down their guns and looked up to watch the gases spread out.
Everyone but Cobb, who lifted his gun and pointed it at the Doctor. But Jenny got in the way, saving the Doctor's life, and Cobb's men grabbed him while the Doctor gently helped Jenny lay down, looking heartbroken. He spoke to her of all they could one day do together, going out and seeing the stars.
When she finally died, he turned to his three human companions. "Two hearts," he whispered. "She's got two hearts. She's like me."
"There's no sign of it, Doctor," Martha whispered. "I don't think she can regenerate. She's not enough like you."
"No," the Doctor disagreed. "She was too much like me." He gently laid Jenny on the ground, then turned and walked over to Cobb, grabbing the man's gun and holding it against his head. After a long moment, the Doctor removed the gun, saying, "I never would." He stood and said, "When you build this new world, this world of human and Hath, make your foundation a man who never would." Then he tossed the gun and went back over to Jenny.
It took a while – and a great deal of furious whispering about who should do it – before Harry walked over to the Doctor and knelt on the other side of Jenny from him. "Doctor?" he whispered.
The Doctor glanced up at him, something in his eyes reminding Harry of their first meeting and Harry reached over Jenny's body and grabbed the Time Lord's hand. "Harry," he said.
Harry nodded. "Let's get Jenny to somewhere a bit more comfortable, okay? The boy, Cline, thinks they might have a mostly intact table and some blankets for a pillow." He searched the tired eyes for an agreement. "Okay, Doctor?"
The Doctor glanced down at Jenny again, then nodded and slowly got to his knees.
Harry let go of his hand and stepped back so the Doctor could pick up Jenny. He glanced back at where Donna and Martha stood with Cline and Peck and managed a smile. The Doctor would be okay in time.
-0-
They dropped Martha off first. "I'll see you at work tomorrow," Harry promised her. "Write up a report about what happened with the Sontarans."
"My office or yours?" Martha replied.
Harry considered that for a moment. "I'll come to you," he decided.
Martha smiled. "Okay."
He waved her off to where Donna was waiting to say her goodbyes and turned back to the TARDIS, which the Doctor was just walking out of. Harry had already told the Doctor he'd need to drop him off, so they didn't do more than nod as they passed each other. Harry waited for the Doctor and Donna to finish saying their goodbyes, then they all piled back into the TARDIS.
When Harry stepped out of the TARDIS, he found himself back on that same corner the TARDIS always appeared on and the other two stepped out behind him.
Donna grabbed him in a hug and smiled. "I'll see you again," she promised.
Harry grinned. "Oh, you couldn't get rid of me if you tried."
Donna laughed and turned to head back into the TARDIS, leaving Harry and the Doctor to say their goodbyes.
Harry sighed. "Will you be okay?"
The Doctor nodded. "Always am," he agreed.
Harry nodded. "You know my number," he reminded the Time Lord and got a smile for the effort. "I'll see you around."
"Yeah."
Harry hugged him and if the hug lasted for a moment longer than was proper between two men, there was no one watching who would have said anything.
Harry waved and headed towards his house and family, only stopping to watch the TARDIS fade away.
-0-
Ollivander sighed helplessly and tossed another destroyed wand in the bin. "Mr Potter," he said, "I don't know that another wand can accept you while you remain the master of the Elder Wand."
Harry rubbed at his face. Ollivander had suggested, when Harry first came in for a new wand almost an hour ago that that might be the case, but Harry didn't want to believe it. "I swore I'd never use that wand again," he said. "I don't want to use it."
"I don't think the Elder Wand will be giving you much of a choice," Ollivander replied drily. "It was made to be used, and now that your old wand has been destroyed, there aren't any wands in my shop that are willing to take that wand's place."
"Who knew wands could be territorial?" Harry muttered, shaking his head. "Well," he said, louder, "thanks for your help, Ollivander."
The wandmaker shook his head. "Go take the Elder Wand back, Mr Potter. It's the only wand that won't blow up in your face."
Harry nodded and stepped back out into the bustling alley. He glanced at his watch and groaned. His lunch break would end soon, and he still didn't have a wand. He also hadn't had anything to eat, which was almost worse.
Harry made his way back to the Leaky Cauldron and tossed a knut in the jar over the fireplace before grabbing a pinch of Floo powder and stepping into the fireplace. He called out, "Three Broomsticks!" and found himself whirling through the magical fire. When he fell out of the fireplace on the other end, he took a moment to just sit, a little dizzy.
A hand entered his field of vision. "Up you get, Mr Potter," a friendly voice said, and Harry found himself being helped up by Madam Rosmerta.
Harry smiled at her. "Thanks, Madam Rosmerta. I don't suppose I could get a sandwich to go?"
Madam Rosmerta smiled at him. "Just a sandwich?" she asked.
"Ah..." Harry considered that while he followed her to the bar. "A small thing of chips, too, I suppose. Not too much, though. On a schedule and all."
Madam Rosmerta nodded. "I understand. Two sickles."
Harry handed the money over and smiled in thanks at the sandwich and chips she gave him before hurrying out the door. He practically ran for Hogwarts, trying to eat the food and not choke on it at the same time.
Walking onto the grounds, he felt the wards brush against him in welcome and Harry grinned around a mouthful of chips. His old school always made him feel welcome, no matter his reason for visiting. Only a few years ago he'd been visiting as an auror to deal with a student who had tried to kill a few muggleborns and he'd felt so disgusted with the world before he'd crossed the wards. After that, he was almost happy, and had practically forgotten why he'd come to visit by the time he got to the Headmistress' office. Minerva had been quick to remind him, of course, but that walk of contentment had managed to calm his ire enough that he didn't act too rashly against the student.
Again, he felt content, but a glance at his watch reminded him he was on a schedule and he sped up, seeing Albus Dumbledore's coffin come into sight. He felt bad about stealing from his old mentor, but there was nothing for it, and he knew Dumbledore wouldn't have said anything against Harry's actions, had he been alive and known all the facts.
Harry had just taken the wand out of the coffin, sparking with red fire, when a voice said, "Really, Harry. Grave-robbing?"
Harry spun around and groaned when he saw the grinning face of Neville Longbottom. "It's not grave-robbing, Nev," he complained.
Neville laughed. "I know, I know. It's your wand, technically. What has you taking it back, though? I thought you swore never to use it again."
Harry sighed and scratched the back of his head. "My old wand got... broken," he admitted, cringing. "None of the wands I tried in Ollivander's would accept me. Apparently, this wand is territorial."
Neville snorted. "Only you." He shook his head. "Do you have time for a bite of lunch?"
Harry shook his head. " 'Fraid not. Running a bit late, actually, but I needed to get a new wand."
Neville nodded his understanding. "Can you at least come with me back to the greenhouses? I found something yesterday in the Forbidden Forest. Saves me having to owl it to you."
"Sure." Harry joined Neville and they made for the greenhouses. "Why is it in the greenhouses, though? Is it a plant?"
Neville's cheeks coloured a bit. "No. I was running late for class yesterday and forgot it in the greenhouses after. Probably wouldn't have remembered for a few more days if you hadn't dropped by."
Harry sighed and shook his head. "Only you, Nev."
Neville grinned, then led Harry into the second greenhouse and to his desk near the back. There, he pulled something out of a drawer and held it out to Harry. "I wasn't sure if you'd want it, really, but... Well, here." And he dropped the cracked stone into Harry's hand.
Harry blinked down at the Resurrection Stone and sighed. After everything he'd gone through to forget the two Hallows, they ended up in his hands again. "Fate mocks me," he muttered and shoved the stone in a pocket. "Thanks, Nev."
Neville nodded. "I could go lose it for you again," he offered.
Harry grinned at him. "Nah. It'll end up back in my possession again somehow. Might as well just keep it. Seems determined enough, certainly. But, uh, Nev?"
"Yes?"
"Don't tell anyone it's been found, okay?" Harry asked. "I've got enough people chasing me about because of who I am, don't need more of them because of the Hallows."
"And the wand?" Neville asked, nodding at the stick of wood Harry was still holding.
Harry considered the wand for a long moment, then shrugged. "Hope no one notices," he decided, then glanced at his watch and winced. "Ah, bugger. Well, Nev, good seeing you again!"
Neville laughed. "You too, Harry! Come by for lunch one of these days!"
Harry saluted him, then took off towards the gates, strapping the wand into the holster Ron had bought for him a couple of years ago that he always forgot to use. Once he passed the wards, he apparated back to the Ministry and started his way down to the Department, already imagining the chewing out he was about to be faced with for his late lunch.
-0-
Harry was pretty much bored out of his mind. The whole ATMOS adventure had been ten days ago, and the Department and UNIT had finally finished cleaning everything up just yesterday – 'clean-up' including dealing with the Rattigan Academy as well as all the ATMOS factories and their workers – and Harry hadn't really had a proper break yet, so he'd been ordered to take a couple of days off. He'd hoped to surprise Ginny with the news and maybe spend some time figuring out what to do with what was left of their marriage, but she'd already made plans with some of her Hogwarts year-mates.
So Harry was stuck at home, with no wife and no kids. He wasn't allowed to do paperwork – he'd had to leave it all at the office – and he had nothing to do.
"What do normal people do on their days off?" he asked the empty house. Being an auror or working for the Department didn't really leave time for a holiday, and certainly not one that wasn't already pre-planned with Ginny. He wasn't used to having nothing to do.
His mobile rang.
"Potter," he said.
"Harry! Do you happen to have some free time?" Captain Jack Harkness asked from the other end. He sounded like he was running.
Harry grinned and hopped out of his chair. "Have I ever! I'm bored out of my mind. What are you lot up to?"
"The other two are on holiday – gotta give them days off sometimes – but I've got something of an invasion of Spartans in the Hub. Don't want to ask the others, since they're off, but I thought you might be free–"
"I'm on my way," Harry said, cutting off Jack's explanation. "Do you have any way to let me in? Or am I going to be running up and down Cardiff Bay, listening for men screaming in Ancient Greek?"
"Oh, yeah. Keep forgetting you've never been to the Hub." Jack cursed and Harry heard some gunshots. "Sorry. Meet you at the water tower in five?" Harry knew where the Hub was, he'd just never been inside.
"Sure," Harry agreed, then hung up. He was just about to apparate when something Jack said made him pause.
"What were Spartans doing near enough to a rip in time and space? I thought Cardiff was the only one of those."
-0-
When Jack came up the lift – Harry had always been able to see it – Harry blinked in surprise. "You look like shit," he said, eyeing the torn clothing where swords and spears had caught. A few spots were red with blood, but Jack seemed to have been quick enough to avoid the worst of it.
Jack grinned at him as the lift came to a stop. "Lovely seeing you, too," he replied. "Want to hop onto the lift with me?"
"What, no hug in greeting?" Harry said teasingly, even as he wandered over and onto the lift.
Jack grabbed him in a hug. "Just don't want to scare the locals," he offered, then clicked a button on his wrist control so the lift would start down again.
Harry snorted and cast a series of spells to clean up the man. "There. How many have you got?"
"About... eight left. I think."
"You think?" Harry replied, shaking his head.
Jack shrugged. "Not sure how many came through to begin with, and a couple of them started out in the cells where the Weevils were and I haven't been able to check and see who killed who."
"Life is never boring for you," Harry said drily, then turned to look around at the Hub as they descended. He happened to see a Spartan running in their direction and stunned him. "Nice place you've got."
Jack winked at him, then hopped off the lift and shot another Spartan coming towards them.
Harry sighed and let Jack help him down. "How did the Doctor put up with that habit of yours?" he asked, motioning to the pistol in Jack's hands.
"Sometimes he yelled, sometimes he ignored me and, once, he let me have at," Jack replied, then shot at another Spartan, who ducked.
Harry chuckled and turned to stand back-to-back with Jack. He saw another Spartan and stunned him. "What do you intend to do with the lot of them once they're down?"
"Can't send them back through," Jack replied, "so I'm not sure. If you kill them, it'll make it easier."
Harry sighed and shook his head. "I'm not killing them, Jack." They'd had that argument once before when Harry happened to be around when a Weevil was spotted; it had rather ruined their lunch date.
Jack sighed and sent off a few more shots. "Yeah, okay. I'll just stick them in a cell, then."
It didn't take much longer for the only two moving things left to be Harry and Jack. They'd had the tactical advantage of weapons that could down an opponent from a distance, while the Spartans were all stuck with swords or spears, which required close combat.
They separated to check the Spartans. Those that weren't dead, Harry bound with rope, those that were dead were either levitated or dragged over to something of a pile near the examination room.
Once they'd cleaned up the main floor, they both grabbed a living Spartan and made their way down to the cells, where they dropped their burdens in empty cells and dealt with the dead Spartans and Weevils down there. The dead ones were levitated back to the main floor by Harry and he would levitate a living one back down with him. The living ones were dragged into cells by Jack.
Half an hour later, they were done cleaning up and were considering what to do do with the pile of dead bodies. There were too many to shove into the morgue, but neither of them were sure how people would react to dead Spartans and Weevils in the Bay.
"We could incinerate them," Harry suggested at last, considering the pile. "Set the lot on fire and clean up the ash and such after."
"It smells," Jack replied, grimacing.
Harry grimaced himself. "I know. But I can't come up with anything else. Not unless you want to get UNIT involved."
Jack mock-shuddered. "Anything but UNIT!"
"Funny," Harry teased. "That's what they say about you."
Jack laughed and shook his head. "Have you got a spell to keep the smell from getting to us? And getting rid of it afterwards? I don't need my team walking in to that smell."
Harry nodded. "Yeah, I've got a couple." He cast the bubble-head charm on both of them, then turned his wand on the pile of bodies. "Incen– Ah!" Harry crumpled to the ground, an arrow sticking out of his chest. He was vaguely aware of Jack shooting someone, then kneeling next to him and shouting him name.
Then, it all went black.
-0-
A part of Harry expected to be in the train station at King's Cross again, but all he could see was blackness. He thought he could hear someone screaming in the distance, but the sound was gone almost as soon as he looked towards it.
Harry wished for a torch or a candle or something and immediately felt his laser pen in his hand. He clicked the torch on and looked around, but even with the light, all he could see was darkness. He shivered.
A streak of black crossed the torchlight and Harry spun, trying to spot it again. It crossed his torchlight a few more times before suddenly stopping. Harry found himself staring at something that resembled a dementor and felt terror claw at the back of his throat.
"Who are you?" he asked with all his Gryffindor bravery.
The cloaked head tipped to one side and a skeleton hand reached out to Harry.
Harry shrank back.
The creature laughed a terrible, rasping laugh, then drew its hand back. "I am your servant," it hissed.
"My... servant?" Harry repeated, disbelieving. "I don't have servants."
"And, yet, you are my Master," the creature said.
Harry felt his wand warm in his hand and he wasn't sure how long he'd been holding it. Wasn't even sure he was holding it. When he looked down at it, it pulsed once with light, then fell dark. An answering warmth came from the pocket Harry had shoved the Resurrection Stone in days ago and he pulled it out, shocked. It too pulsed once with light before going dark. Last, his Cloak warmed the expanded pocket of Harry's jacket and, looking in, he saw it, too, pulse with light.
Harry swallowed and looked back up at the creature. "Death," he whispered.
The creature cackled. "Master," it said, sweeping closer.
Harry took another step away from the creature, sick with fear and understanding. He had the three Deathly Hallows, and that made him the Master of Death. Harry wasn't quite sure what that entailed, but he knew he didn't want Death touching him. "Stay back!" he snapped.
Death stopped moving forwards and cackled some more. "The Master is afraid," it rasped. "Afraid of the very thing he commands. This pleases me, Master." It cackled again.
Harry took a deep breath. "If I'm your master, why am I here? What does being your master entail, exactly?"
Death swayed slightly, but didn't come any closer. "You are Dead, Master," it said. "Killed by an arrow to the heart. You may save yourself from that Death, say only that you wish it. You may order me to give back Life when you are Dead and I must grant it. You are my Master."
"Only my own life?" Harry asked, curious. All the people lost in the War... Jenny...
"Only your own Life," Death agreed, then cackled. "The Master of Death may only ever save one Life! Only his own."
"You're not lying, are you?" Harry asked, needing to make sure.
"Death is honest," Death replied. "Death cannot lie. Life can lie, Death cannot."
Harry nodded.
"Will Master return to Life?" Death asked, swaying in and out of the torchlight. "Death is busy."
Harry swallowed. "Yes, Death. Send me back."
Death cackled and shoved its skeleton hands in Harry's direction.
-0-
Harry gasped and jerked up. His chest was on fire, he realised, and moaned.
"Harry," Jack whispered and arms encircled the wizard. "You're alive. You were... You were dead."
Harry nodded. "Complicated," he gasped, reaching up to touch the arrow wound over his heart. "Shit. Ow."
Jack let out a shaky laugh and gently set something into Harry's hand. It took the wizard a moment to recognise his wand and took him almost three minutes to recall a healing spell to close the wound. Once the pain was gone, he just breathed, resting against Jack, who seemed perfectly content to act as a back rest for Harry.
Finally, after another six minutes or so, Harry summoned his glasses and looked around at the medical room. Jack had hopped up onto the examining table behind Harry, who was naked from the waist up. The arrow he'd been shot with had been pulled out and was on another table, near his bloody shirt and jacket. He turned to look at Jack and found his friend looking horrible, almost like he might have been crying. "Jack?" he whispered.
Jack managed a smile. "Better?" he asked.
Harry nodded. "Yeah. Bit woozy, still, but alive. Yeah?"
Jack nodded. "About that alive thing, Harry..."
"The Deathly Hallows," Harry said. At Jack's confused expression, he sighed. "Are you ever going to read those books?"
"I prefer getting my intel from the source," Jack replied with something like his old smug grin back on his face.
Harry rolled his eyes. "The Deathly Hallows are three objects that, legend says, when all are owned by one person will give that person mastery over death."
Jack nodded. "And you have these items."
"Yes."
"And it's not really a legend, is it?"
Harry smiled tightly. "Apparently not. I just had a conversation with Death and he – it? – let me live."
"Oh." Jack nodded. "So... What? You're like me now?" He jumped down from the table.
Harry looked after the older man, saddened. "No. At least, I don't think so. Sounds like I can decide each time I die whether I'd really rather live or not."
Jack laughed a bit. "Yeah? Feel free to leave me these legendary items in your will. Maybe I can talk Death into accepting me."
Harry smiled and nodded. "Sure thing."
Jack smiled back, then nodded behind Harry to the pile of dead bodies. "Feeling up to getting rid of those?"
"Yeah. I think two dead people are more than enough for this place, don't you?" Harry replied, casting bubble-head charms on both of them, then setting the pile of bodies on fire.
Jack pulled a couple of bottles of beer out of a freezer in the medical room and handed one to Harry. They both took off their lids, then knocked the bottles together. "To being dead," Jack said.
"To being dead," Harry agreed and sipped the beer through the bubble-head charm.
Jack hopped up onto the table again and they sat, drinking beer and watching the bonfire.
When the fire finally started dying down, Harry put it out, then banished the leftovers. He cast a couple of spells to clean the air, then took the charms off their heads. "Okay?" he asked Jack.
Jack sniffed the air for a moment, then nodded. "Thanks."
Harry nodded and considered his beer. "Hey, Jack?"
"Hm?"
"Why did your medic keep beer in his fridge?"
"I never asked. Didn't really want to know."
Harry chuckled and nodded. As soon as he finished the beer, he hopped down from the table and fixed up his shirt and jacket before pulling them both back on.
"You going to head home?" Jack asked.
Harry considered him. "I was thinking we might go out for a late lunch. My treat."
Jack turned and smiled at him. "I'll get my coat," he decided and walked up to his office to do just that, Harry following.
-0-
"Where have you been?" Ginny demanded when Harry finally got back late that night. He and Jack had enjoyed lunch at a posh restaurant down the road from the Hub, then gone out to a film and chased some Weevils until dinner at another restaurant before saying their goodbyes.
Harry blinked at his wife and gently closed the door behind him. "Out with a friend in Cardiff. You were off with the girls, so I had to find some way to amuse myself."
"Which friend might this have been?" Ginny demanded as Harry pulled off his jacket and trainers.
"Jack," Harry replied, rolling his eyes. "Met him through the Doctor."
"Oh, of course! The Doctor!"
Harry sighed and leaned back against the wall, looking at Ginny. "What's wrong with going out with a friend for a couple hours?"
Ginny frowned. "Nothing," she admitted.
"But?"
"But nothing."
"Oh, come on, Ginny." Harry frowned at her. "It's not wrong for me to meet with friends unless I meet them through the Doctor. Is that it?"
"I didn't say that!"
Harry narrowed his eyes warningly.
"Well, okay. I don't like that you're always spending time with other people who have travelled with him. They're all muggles!"
"There's nothing wrong with muggles."
"Well, no," Ginny agreed, not looking the least bit apologetic. "But you're always telling them about us. About our world. And that's against the law, Harry. You know that."
"I don't tell them anything," Harry replied. "I tell them to read a book."
"And who wrote that book?" Ginny demanded.
"J.K. Rowling," Harry said with a straight face. "Incidentally, a muggle."
Ginny glared at him.
Harry sighed. "Yes, technically, telling them who and what I am is against the Statue of Secrecy, but my job–"
"Yes, your job," Ginny spat. "Not the Doctor and his little trips. Only your job allows you to break Secrecy."
"You do know the Doctor works for the same organization."
Ginny snorted. "Travelling with him has nothing to do with your job. It didn't before you started working for the DoM and it doesn't now. That's just travelling."
Harry sighed again. "Ginny, why do you hate him so much? Other than him making me late to the wedding. Which is a bit of a ridiculous grudge, considering it was so long ago."
Ginny frowned and shook her head. "The wedding doesn't matter. I hate him because he took you away from me."
"He..." Harry shook his head, disbelieving. "He didn't 'take me away from you'! I'm right here!"
Ginny huffed. "You may be physically in the same house, but your heart is with him. This marriage has never worked, because you're always thinking about him."
"That's not–"
"Harry, when you're with your Doctor, how often do you think about me?"
Harry swallowed and looked away, because what Ginny was saying was true. He often thought of the Doctor when he wasn't around, but when he was with the Doctor, he only thought of Ginny when he wondered how his kids were. An afterthought. "I'm sorry," he whispered.
"I loved you," Ginny said quietly. "I loved you even after I first realised that you practically live for him. And I still love you, a part of me, at least. But I can't do this anymore, Harry. I can't sit at home and wonder if you'll be coming home that night or if I won't be seeing you for a month."
Harry nodded, saying nothing.
Ginny sighed and rubbed at her face, then summoned a sheet of parchment from the living room. She handed it to Harry, saying, "All you have to do is sign it."
Harry looked over the divorce papers. As he'd expected, Ginny wanted to keep their children, and he was more than able to dispute it, but he knew they'd be better off with their mother. He summoned a pen, asking, "Where will you live?"
Ginny considered that as Harry signed the form. "The Burrow, I think. It will be a bit cramped..."
Harry shook his head. "Stay here. The kids already know the house and the neighbourhood. James has some friends here. And the wards will keep the press from hounding you too much. Keep the Howlers out." He smiled.
Ginny nodded. "And you?"
Harry shrugged. "I'll get a flat downtown or something. I know I don't have to worry about commute, but it would be nice to be downtown already if something happens. Maybe know about it before I'm called in or some such."
Ginny nodded again. "Okay. When will you be moving out?"
"Ready to see the back of me?" Harry asked teasingly. When Ginny looked like she was about to angrily deny the claim, Harry held up his hands. "No, no. I've got tomorrow off anyway. I'll go look around at open flats and move in either then or over the weekend. Okay?"
Ginny sighed. "Yeah, okay. How are we going to split everything up? The furniture and Dobby and such?"
Harry ran a hand through his hair. "I'll leave most of it to you. Dobby too, since he's been so helpful in taking care of the kids. I can buy anything I need to populate the flat, don't see any need to take any of this stuff."
Ginny looked down at her hands, expression pained. "I suppose. Are..." She paused and shifted her hands nervously. "How am I going to pay for the children? I don't have a job. Never finished Hogwarts." She smiled a little grimly and Harry smiled back. He'd been lucky, when the Department of Magical Law Enforcement hired him, considering he'd never taken his NEWTs or finished Hogwarts at all, and with the school being closed and losing her brother, Ginny had never bothered returning for her final year, nor had she bothered trying to find a job, since her parents were willing to support her, and then she'd married Harry.
"You're not stupid, Ginny," Harry said, shaking his head. "You're bloody brilliant, really. Maybe not quite as clever as Hermione, but then, who is?" Ginny laughed at that. "You could easily get a job at the Ministry, if you wanted to. If you had time to." He sighed and rubbed at his face. "I'll have to pay support money for the kids, anyway. I can keep paying for everything else until they're old enough that you feel okay getting a proper job." He leant down so he could meet her eyes, which were once again on her hands. "Okay?"
Ginny smiled and nodded. "Yeah. Thanks, Harry."
Harry shook his head. "Ginny, you're still one of my best friends and part of my family, marriage or no. I would never leave you in a lurch. Especially not with three kids."
Ginny just nodded again.
Harry smiled at her and kissed her forehead. "I'll take the couch."
Ginny laughed. "You hate that couch."
Harry winked, walking past her into the living room. "Now you know why I plan to buy a new one! Good night, Ginny."
"Good night, Harry," she replied, then headed upstairs.
-0-
Fifth Part, second half
Harry & the Doctor Series:
Hanging By a Thread
Dust in the Sky Chapters:
One | Two | Three | Four |Five | Six
The Future Doesn't Scare Me Chapters:
One | Two | ???
The Perfect Sky is Torn Chapters:
One | Two | Three
DISCONTINUED
Adrenaline Rush
Part: 5 of 6
Author:
batsutousaiBeta:
tsuki_no_suzuRating: PG-13
Pairings: Harry Potter/Tenth Doctor (minor Rose/Tenth Doctor, Martha/Tenth Doctor and Jack/Tenth Doctor)
Warnings: Slash, minor Ginny!hate
Summary: Sequel to Hanging by a Thread. Harry has a life to live now with a wife and children, but he can still find time for the Doctor, no matter what he looks like.
Disclaim Her: Nope.
-0-0-0-
They all headed home to check on their families. Agreed to meet back up near Donna's place, which was close enough to Martha's parents' house that the Doctor just parked the TARDIS there.
Harry was back first, of course. Even though he'd had further to go, he could apparate there. After he'd checked up on Ginny and the kids, he'd made his excuses, then returned to the TARDIS.
Neither Harry nor the Doctor were really sure what to say. Harry was furious that the Doctor had almost gotten himself killed, even though he knew offering the Sontarans the choice wouldn't have worked. On the other hand, if it had been Harry, he probably would have done the same thing, and he wasn't willing to make a hypocrite out of himself just because the Doctor did what he always did.
For the Doctor, it was almost worse. He had known, going up there, that the Sontarans would have never backed off just because he threatened to blow up their ship. He also knew that there really wasn't anything he could say to Harry to make it better, partially because he knew Harry would have done the same and understood, but also because he'd seen Harry's face when he'd hit the button to be teleported up. He'd seen how horribly he'd hurt the wizard, and he couldn't find the words he needed to make that hurt better.
Harry was the one who finally broke the silence, asking, "What is that language?"
The Doctor looked up at him, over the controls he'd been staring through. "Language?"
Harry shrugged, refusing to look at the Doctor. "The one you spoke to me in, before you..." He swallowed and shook his head. "You speak in it, sometimes. The TARDIS won't translate it, or I'd never have noticed."
The Doctor looked up at the central column in a mix of fondness and irritation. "No," he said, "she wouldn't. It's Gallifreyan, and that language, I'm afraid, doesn't translate well into most languages, including English. Some newer TARDISes translated it, to some extent. She's a bit too old for that."
Harry nodded.
They were silent for a while longer, both looking anywhere but at the other.
The silence was broken, this time, by Martha entering the TARDIS. She looked between the two and sighed. "Men," she said and the TARDIS pulsed in agreement. Both Harry and Martha looked at the central column oddly while the Doctor pulled out his rubber mallet and hit her console with a fond smile.
"It's a wonder she still lets you near her controls," Harry commented drily.
"She doesn't mind," the Doctor replied, grinning. "Hello, Martha."
Martha shook her head. "Donna isn't back, yet?"
"I think her mum is down at the shops," Harry offered. "She'll probably wait until she gets back."
Martha nodded and considered them for a moment, then stepped past the console and headed towards the hallway to the rooms. "I think I left something back here last time. I'm gonna go check."
"Don't get lost back there!" the Doctor called.
"I'll try not to!" Martha called back.
The Doctor sighed and glanced at Harry. "I'm sor–"
"If you apologise one more time–"
"Shut up and listen for a moment!" the Doctor snapped and Harry looked away, frowning. The Doctor sighed again. "I'm sorry for going up there, knowing it meant I would die. I'm sorry I didn't bother trying something else. And..." He swallowed. "And I'm sorry I hurt you. I didn't... I didn't want to hurt any of you. Certainly not over something as stupid as giving Sontarans one last chance."
"It wasn't stupid," Harry replied, not looking away from his feet. "If you hadn't given them that chance, you would have been as bad as Torchwood. As bad as UNIT. If you hadn't given them that chance – that stupid, pointless chance we all knew they would never accept – if you hadn't tried, you wouldn't have been you." He glanced up, then, and their eyes locked. "You wouldn't have been that stupid, genius, self-sacrificing alien that I fell in love with."
The Doctor laughed. "I'm a stupid genius?" he asked, walking around the console.
"Yes!" Harry shook his head, laughter bubbling up from his throat. "You git!"
The Doctor pulled him into a hug and rested his chin on the top of Harry's head. He whispered that phrase in Gallifreyan that the TARDIS wouldn't translate, then said, "I love you."
Harry breathed in the man's coat and smiled. "Yeah." He pulled back just enough to glare up at the Doctor. "I swear to Merlin, if you do something like that again, I'll come up after you and kill you myself. Clear?"
The Doctor snorted. "What would that accomplish?"
"It would make me feel better!"
The Doctor snorted again.
They heard loud steps down the hallway and pulled apart, the Doctor walking back over to the control console. When Martha entered the room again, she smiled at both of them and held up a small binder. "Found it!"
"Brilliant," the Doctor replied. "You know, with the amount of rubbish you lot leave around, I'm beginning to think you'll be popping in and out all the time."
"No denials from me," Harry said, grinning. "You're my only freedom from Ginny!"
"That's horrible, Harry," Martha said, shaking her head.
Harry shook his head. "Wait until you get married, Doctor Jones. See how long you last before you want to hitch a ride in the TARDIS every few months."
Martha snorted. "If she drives you mad that much, why don't you just divorce her?"
"Don't think I haven't considered it," Harry replied. "Been talking about it for years."
"Sure, talking about it," Martha said. "But are you ever actually going to do it?"
"Sounds like Ginny's not giving him a choice, honestly," the Doctor offered, grinning at the glare Harry sent his way. "Harry was telling me earlier that she has been talking about divorcing him."
Martha laughed. "When did this happen?"
Harry grimaced. "Honestly? Last week. About the time I got promoted. She's gotten tired of me paying more attention to work than to her and the kids. Not that I blame her, I'm just worried about what sort of huge deal the Prophet will make of this, at this point. I mean, no matter who starts the divorce, it's going to be in the Prophet. And, knowing them, Ginny's going to be the bad guy. I may not like her as a wife, but I can't watch them rip into her like that." He nodded to the Doctor. "It's part of what's been keeping us together for so long."
"You mean there's more to it than the potential political backlash?" the Doctor asked, looking intrigued.
Harry sighed. "Well, there was. I was a bit afraid that the Weasleys wouldn't forgive me, but Hermione told me when Ginny first announced her thoughts about the divorce that she and Ron, at least, had just been waiting to see how long it took us. I talked to Ron a bit, and he said he occasionally gets owls from his brothers with jokes about our impending divorce, has been for years. Seems everyone in the family had accepted that Ginny and I would separate eventually. Well, everyone except Ginny and myself. Even Mum and Dad seem to have come to terms with it."
"That's sort of sad," Martha commented.
"Tell me about it."
The TARDIS door opened and Donna walked in, wiping at her eyes. "How were they?" Martha asked.
"Oh, same old," Donna said, smiling a bit. "They're fine." She glanced between Harry, who was perched on one of the railings, and Martha, who was standing next to the console and asked, "Sure you two don't want to come with us? It's not like we're short on space."
Harry and Martha both gave their excuses and, waving, made for the doors. Before either of them got there, however, the doors slammed shut and the central pillar started to move.
"What?" the Doctor said, looking confused.
"Doctor, don't you dare!" Martha shouted, almost falling over.
"I didn't touch anything! We're in flight!" The Doctor pulled over the view screen.
"Where are we going?" Donna asked.
"I dunno."
"Doctor, take me back," Martha insisted. "Take me back right now."
"I can't! The controls are locked." The console sparked and the Doctor jumped back a bit, only to have to catch himself on the console again when the TARDIS jerked. "I don't know where we're going," he commented, "but my old hand is very excited about it."
"I thought that was just some freaky alien thing! Are you telling me it's yours?" Donna demanded.
"Well..."
"It got cut off," Martha supplied. "He grew a new one."
"You are completely impossible," Donna told the Doctor.
"It's not impossible," the Doctor said. "Just a bit unlikely."
The console exploded again and they all got tossed to the ground as the TARDIS finally stopped.
They took a moment to stare at each other, then the Doctor was off and through the door to see where they'd landed. The three humans all pulled themselves to their feet and slowly came out after them, Martha commenting, "I love this part."
"I thought you wanted to go home," Donna said, looking at her suspiciously.
"We're here now," Harry said and Martha nodded. "And as long as he doesn't keep us for more than an hour, we shouldn't have to write up a report about it."
"You have to write up reports on your travels with him?" Donna asked.
Harry grimaced. "Oh, yes," he said in a much less excited imitation of the Doctor.
"So, last time, when you were gone for an entire year..." Martha said.
"Took me three weeks," Harry replied. "And I couldn't just fudge it and take the adventures that would have amounted to about a month – that was how long I was gone for on Earth – and just write those down. They know how the Doctor travels; know that travelling with him never takes the amount of time that you're gone."
"Sorry about that," Martha offered and Harry shrugged.
They were interrupted by a group of what looked to be humans with guns. After showing they were unarmed, the men dragged the Doctor over to a machine and shoved his hand inside. The machine ended up taking a tissue sample from the Doctor and using his DNA to create a young woman who the Doctor reluctantly admitted was his daughter, of a sort.
Before the others could have their DNA taken, another group of beings came from the opposite direction and fighting broke out. The Doctor and his three human companions ducked down, Martha and Harry going one way while the Doctor and Donna went another. When Martha was grabbed by one of the aliens – the Hath, the humans called them – Harry pulled out his wand and jumped after them.
When the humans exploded the tunnel, Harry and Martha found themselves on one side with the Hath, while the other two were left on the other side. To make matters worse, when the rocks had fallen, they'd knocked Harry's wand out of his hand. While Martha went to check over the Hath with them, Harry found his wand and moaned. It had been crushed by a boulder and was now in three pieces.
"Always my bloody luck," he muttered to himself, turning to walk over to Martha and the Hath. Before he got far, more Hath ran out and pointed guns at them, so Harry threw his hands up in the air. "Peace!" he shouted.
Martha chose that moment to set the hurt Hath's arm, which set the group holding the guns off again, but the Hath Martha had helped talked them down.
Martha and Harry soon found themselves being prodded along by the group of Hath, who seemed a fair bit more friendly.
"Now what?" Martha hissed to Harry.
Harry shook his head. "My wand is broken," he said quietly. "But the TARDIS is still translating, since we can understand this lot, which means both she and the Doctor are okay. I say keep our heads down until we can meet back up with the Doctor and Donna."
"Good a plan as any," Martha agreed.
The Hath really seemed to like Martha and, by extension, Harry. The two humans were shown around their base, then shown to the map they had of the tunnels. Martha and Harry were glancing at each other across the map, both wondering if they should try to help the Hath find this 'source' when the map suddenly got bigger.
The Hath all congratulated the two humans on expanding the map and set off to explore the new tunnels, ignoring Harry and Martha's insistence that they hadn't done anything.
Soon, it was only the two humans and the Hath Martha had healed, Peck, left. Both humans silently agreed that they didn't really want to go running about the tunnels for the 'source'. Harry pulled out his sonic screwdriver and turned it on the map curiously while Peck asked Martha why they weren't going.
They were interrupted when Harry's mobile rang. He hummed to himself while he pulled it out. "Potter," he said, considering the map.
"Harry!" the Doctor said from the other end. "You're alive. Is Martha there?"
"Mm-hm," Harry agreed, glancing up towards Martha. "It's the Doctor," he explained to the other human and she looked relieved. Harry smiled. "Is Donna alright, then?"
"Yes, she's fine." Donna said something that Harry couldn't quite hear and the Doctor said, "And... Jenny. The woman who came out of that machine. The... My... My daughter." Harry could almost hear the grimace in his voice. "Right! Where are you two?"
"Hath camp," Harry reported. "Starting up for war, they are. Did you happen to expand a map, by any chance?"
"Oh. Oh, no..."
"I'll take that as a yes." Harry snorted and twiddled his sonic screwdriver.
"It's going to be a blood bath." The Doctor sighed. "Are you two safe there?"
"Mmmm.... Mostly," Harry agreed.
"Good. Stay there."
"Oiy! Who're you, to be ordering us around?! We're not just going to sit about twiddling our thumbs, you git!"
"You're safe. Stay there."
"I'm not going–"
"Harry, I'm not debating this with you," the Doctor replied firmly, then hung up.
Harry stared down at his phone in disgust. "Bloody wanker." He shoved the phone back into his pocket and turned back to the map.
"What did he say?" Martha asked.
"To stay here like good little children," Harry replied grumpily.
"He actually thinks we're going to do that?" Martha said, disbelieving. "He's gone a bit mad, hasn't he?"
"Completely," Harry agreed, still fiddling with the map and his sonic screwdriver. "Ah-hah!" he shouted as the map went 3-D. He shoved his sonic screwdriver back into his jeans pocket, intent on not losing another of his toys, thanks, then looked curiously at the 'source', which appeared to be a very large chamber.
Martha considered the map, then pointed at the 'source' chamber. "It looks like it goes above ground," she said.
Harry nodded and looked at Peck who was still with them. "What's on the surface? Why isn't anyone going that way? It would be faster."
Peck patiently brought up readings from the surface. Martha looked them over and decided t wouldn't be too bad and said they should try it. They had to get to the 'source' before the Hath and the humans. The last thing they needed was the likely blood-bath and maybe, by getting there first, the two of them could do something to stop it. (Or at least delay it until the Doctor showed up with a better plan.)
They got their Hath friend to lead them to a way up to the surface, but he choked there, unable to make himself go any farther.
"Suit yourself," Martha said to his excuses. "But if you don't go up there, you'll forever live in the dark, never feeling the wind on your face. It's your choice." She turned back up the stairs and shoved at the covering. "Harry?"
Harry nodded to Peck and hurried up to help Martha open it. Then he helped push her up, letting her pull him up after once she was clear. "This is lovely," the wizard commented a tad sarcastically of the barren surface as Peck joined them.
"I knew you couldn't resist," Martha said, grinning.
Harry rolled his eyes when Peck replied to her with some not-so-polite words. "Children," he said, pulling out his sonic screwdriver and his laser pen. He clicked the pen on to the torch and handed it over to Martha, who took it with a grin, then used the screwdriver to search out the 'source' chamber and started off, calling, 'This way!"
Martha shook her head at Peck and they both set out after him.
They managed to get to the building without too much trouble. All three were cold when they finally made it and they had a difficult time getting the door open because of cold hands, but they managed and all hurried inside, shivering.
"What I wouldn't give for a nice cup of tea," Harry muttered, taking his pen back from Martha and shoving it into a pocket. "I can live without my wand, if only I had a cup of tea."
Martha shook her head at him. "Let's find the source, yeah? Maybe it'll be able to magically provide us with tea."
"Pull the other one," Harry retorted.
Martha grinned, then set off into the... Whatever it was. "Where are we?" she wondered.
Harry paused to consider a console. "Ship of some sort," he suggested, pointing to the schematics on the screen.
Martha leaned over to look at it. "The first ship? The one the colonists got here on?"
Harry shrugged. "Perhaps. Makes a certain amount of sense." He sighed and rubbed his arms. "Well, let's keep on. It'll warm us up some. I hope."
Martha grimaced and they started off again, Peck following silently.
It didn't take much longer to find more people, and they happened to be just the people they were looking for.
"Doctor!" Martha shouted, running forward to hug the Doctor, who had just come around another corner.
The Doctor blinked. "Martha?" He pulled back once she'd let go. "How did you two..." He frowned at Harry.
"Because we were really going to sit around, waiting for you," Harry replied dryly.
The Doctor grimaced in agreement and he and Harry hugged while Donna hugged Martha and Jenny and Peck gave each other wary looks.
The reunion was cut short when they heard shouting downstairs. General Cobb had gotten through and their time was nearly up.
"Wait," Martha said, frowning. "Do I smell flowers?"
"Yes," the Doctor said. "Bougainvillea!" He turned in the direction of the smell. "I say we follow our noses."
They all hurried into a garden. There, they found the 'source', which the Doctor said was just a terraforming device, a device to clean up the planet's surface so it was habitable. When the Hath and the humans ran onto the scene, the Doctor explained that to them, then hurled device to the ground, breaking it and letting the gases out.
Everyone put down their guns and looked up to watch the gases spread out.
Everyone but Cobb, who lifted his gun and pointed it at the Doctor. But Jenny got in the way, saving the Doctor's life, and Cobb's men grabbed him while the Doctor gently helped Jenny lay down, looking heartbroken. He spoke to her of all they could one day do together, going out and seeing the stars.
When she finally died, he turned to his three human companions. "Two hearts," he whispered. "She's got two hearts. She's like me."
"There's no sign of it, Doctor," Martha whispered. "I don't think she can regenerate. She's not enough like you."
"No," the Doctor disagreed. "She was too much like me." He gently laid Jenny on the ground, then turned and walked over to Cobb, grabbing the man's gun and holding it against his head. After a long moment, the Doctor removed the gun, saying, "I never would." He stood and said, "When you build this new world, this world of human and Hath, make your foundation a man who never would." Then he tossed the gun and went back over to Jenny.
It took a while – and a great deal of furious whispering about who should do it – before Harry walked over to the Doctor and knelt on the other side of Jenny from him. "Doctor?" he whispered.
The Doctor glanced up at him, something in his eyes reminding Harry of their first meeting and Harry reached over Jenny's body and grabbed the Time Lord's hand. "Harry," he said.
Harry nodded. "Let's get Jenny to somewhere a bit more comfortable, okay? The boy, Cline, thinks they might have a mostly intact table and some blankets for a pillow." He searched the tired eyes for an agreement. "Okay, Doctor?"
The Doctor glanced down at Jenny again, then nodded and slowly got to his knees.
Harry let go of his hand and stepped back so the Doctor could pick up Jenny. He glanced back at where Donna and Martha stood with Cline and Peck and managed a smile. The Doctor would be okay in time.
They dropped Martha off first. "I'll see you at work tomorrow," Harry promised her. "Write up a report about what happened with the Sontarans."
"My office or yours?" Martha replied.
Harry considered that for a moment. "I'll come to you," he decided.
Martha smiled. "Okay."
He waved her off to where Donna was waiting to say her goodbyes and turned back to the TARDIS, which the Doctor was just walking out of. Harry had already told the Doctor he'd need to drop him off, so they didn't do more than nod as they passed each other. Harry waited for the Doctor and Donna to finish saying their goodbyes, then they all piled back into the TARDIS.
When Harry stepped out of the TARDIS, he found himself back on that same corner the TARDIS always appeared on and the other two stepped out behind him.
Donna grabbed him in a hug and smiled. "I'll see you again," she promised.
Harry grinned. "Oh, you couldn't get rid of me if you tried."
Donna laughed and turned to head back into the TARDIS, leaving Harry and the Doctor to say their goodbyes.
Harry sighed. "Will you be okay?"
The Doctor nodded. "Always am," he agreed.
Harry nodded. "You know my number," he reminded the Time Lord and got a smile for the effort. "I'll see you around."
"Yeah."
Harry hugged him and if the hug lasted for a moment longer than was proper between two men, there was no one watching who would have said anything.
Harry waved and headed towards his house and family, only stopping to watch the TARDIS fade away.
Ollivander sighed helplessly and tossed another destroyed wand in the bin. "Mr Potter," he said, "I don't know that another wand can accept you while you remain the master of the Elder Wand."
Harry rubbed at his face. Ollivander had suggested, when Harry first came in for a new wand almost an hour ago that that might be the case, but Harry didn't want to believe it. "I swore I'd never use that wand again," he said. "I don't want to use it."
"I don't think the Elder Wand will be giving you much of a choice," Ollivander replied drily. "It was made to be used, and now that your old wand has been destroyed, there aren't any wands in my shop that are willing to take that wand's place."
"Who knew wands could be territorial?" Harry muttered, shaking his head. "Well," he said, louder, "thanks for your help, Ollivander."
The wandmaker shook his head. "Go take the Elder Wand back, Mr Potter. It's the only wand that won't blow up in your face."
Harry nodded and stepped back out into the bustling alley. He glanced at his watch and groaned. His lunch break would end soon, and he still didn't have a wand. He also hadn't had anything to eat, which was almost worse.
Harry made his way back to the Leaky Cauldron and tossed a knut in the jar over the fireplace before grabbing a pinch of Floo powder and stepping into the fireplace. He called out, "Three Broomsticks!" and found himself whirling through the magical fire. When he fell out of the fireplace on the other end, he took a moment to just sit, a little dizzy.
A hand entered his field of vision. "Up you get, Mr Potter," a friendly voice said, and Harry found himself being helped up by Madam Rosmerta.
Harry smiled at her. "Thanks, Madam Rosmerta. I don't suppose I could get a sandwich to go?"
Madam Rosmerta smiled at him. "Just a sandwich?" she asked.
"Ah..." Harry considered that while he followed her to the bar. "A small thing of chips, too, I suppose. Not too much, though. On a schedule and all."
Madam Rosmerta nodded. "I understand. Two sickles."
Harry handed the money over and smiled in thanks at the sandwich and chips she gave him before hurrying out the door. He practically ran for Hogwarts, trying to eat the food and not choke on it at the same time.
Walking onto the grounds, he felt the wards brush against him in welcome and Harry grinned around a mouthful of chips. His old school always made him feel welcome, no matter his reason for visiting. Only a few years ago he'd been visiting as an auror to deal with a student who had tried to kill a few muggleborns and he'd felt so disgusted with the world before he'd crossed the wards. After that, he was almost happy, and had practically forgotten why he'd come to visit by the time he got to the Headmistress' office. Minerva had been quick to remind him, of course, but that walk of contentment had managed to calm his ire enough that he didn't act too rashly against the student.
Again, he felt content, but a glance at his watch reminded him he was on a schedule and he sped up, seeing Albus Dumbledore's coffin come into sight. He felt bad about stealing from his old mentor, but there was nothing for it, and he knew Dumbledore wouldn't have said anything against Harry's actions, had he been alive and known all the facts.
Harry had just taken the wand out of the coffin, sparking with red fire, when a voice said, "Really, Harry. Grave-robbing?"
Harry spun around and groaned when he saw the grinning face of Neville Longbottom. "It's not grave-robbing, Nev," he complained.
Neville laughed. "I know, I know. It's your wand, technically. What has you taking it back, though? I thought you swore never to use it again."
Harry sighed and scratched the back of his head. "My old wand got... broken," he admitted, cringing. "None of the wands I tried in Ollivander's would accept me. Apparently, this wand is territorial."
Neville snorted. "Only you." He shook his head. "Do you have time for a bite of lunch?"
Harry shook his head. " 'Fraid not. Running a bit late, actually, but I needed to get a new wand."
Neville nodded his understanding. "Can you at least come with me back to the greenhouses? I found something yesterday in the Forbidden Forest. Saves me having to owl it to you."
"Sure." Harry joined Neville and they made for the greenhouses. "Why is it in the greenhouses, though? Is it a plant?"
Neville's cheeks coloured a bit. "No. I was running late for class yesterday and forgot it in the greenhouses after. Probably wouldn't have remembered for a few more days if you hadn't dropped by."
Harry sighed and shook his head. "Only you, Nev."
Neville grinned, then led Harry into the second greenhouse and to his desk near the back. There, he pulled something out of a drawer and held it out to Harry. "I wasn't sure if you'd want it, really, but... Well, here." And he dropped the cracked stone into Harry's hand.
Harry blinked down at the Resurrection Stone and sighed. After everything he'd gone through to forget the two Hallows, they ended up in his hands again. "Fate mocks me," he muttered and shoved the stone in a pocket. "Thanks, Nev."
Neville nodded. "I could go lose it for you again," he offered.
Harry grinned at him. "Nah. It'll end up back in my possession again somehow. Might as well just keep it. Seems determined enough, certainly. But, uh, Nev?"
"Yes?"
"Don't tell anyone it's been found, okay?" Harry asked. "I've got enough people chasing me about because of who I am, don't need more of them because of the Hallows."
"And the wand?" Neville asked, nodding at the stick of wood Harry was still holding.
Harry considered the wand for a long moment, then shrugged. "Hope no one notices," he decided, then glanced at his watch and winced. "Ah, bugger. Well, Nev, good seeing you again!"
Neville laughed. "You too, Harry! Come by for lunch one of these days!"
Harry saluted him, then took off towards the gates, strapping the wand into the holster Ron had bought for him a couple of years ago that he always forgot to use. Once he passed the wards, he apparated back to the Ministry and started his way down to the Department, already imagining the chewing out he was about to be faced with for his late lunch.
Harry was pretty much bored out of his mind. The whole ATMOS adventure had been ten days ago, and the Department and UNIT had finally finished cleaning everything up just yesterday – 'clean-up' including dealing with the Rattigan Academy as well as all the ATMOS factories and their workers – and Harry hadn't really had a proper break yet, so he'd been ordered to take a couple of days off. He'd hoped to surprise Ginny with the news and maybe spend some time figuring out what to do with what was left of their marriage, but she'd already made plans with some of her Hogwarts year-mates.
So Harry was stuck at home, with no wife and no kids. He wasn't allowed to do paperwork – he'd had to leave it all at the office – and he had nothing to do.
"What do normal people do on their days off?" he asked the empty house. Being an auror or working for the Department didn't really leave time for a holiday, and certainly not one that wasn't already pre-planned with Ginny. He wasn't used to having nothing to do.
His mobile rang.
"Potter," he said.
"Harry! Do you happen to have some free time?" Captain Jack Harkness asked from the other end. He sounded like he was running.
Harry grinned and hopped out of his chair. "Have I ever! I'm bored out of my mind. What are you lot up to?"
"The other two are on holiday – gotta give them days off sometimes – but I've got something of an invasion of Spartans in the Hub. Don't want to ask the others, since they're off, but I thought you might be free–"
"I'm on my way," Harry said, cutting off Jack's explanation. "Do you have any way to let me in? Or am I going to be running up and down Cardiff Bay, listening for men screaming in Ancient Greek?"
"Oh, yeah. Keep forgetting you've never been to the Hub." Jack cursed and Harry heard some gunshots. "Sorry. Meet you at the water tower in five?" Harry knew where the Hub was, he'd just never been inside.
"Sure," Harry agreed, then hung up. He was just about to apparate when something Jack said made him pause.
"What were Spartans doing near enough to a rip in time and space? I thought Cardiff was the only one of those."
When Jack came up the lift – Harry had always been able to see it – Harry blinked in surprise. "You look like shit," he said, eyeing the torn clothing where swords and spears had caught. A few spots were red with blood, but Jack seemed to have been quick enough to avoid the worst of it.
Jack grinned at him as the lift came to a stop. "Lovely seeing you, too," he replied. "Want to hop onto the lift with me?"
"What, no hug in greeting?" Harry said teasingly, even as he wandered over and onto the lift.
Jack grabbed him in a hug. "Just don't want to scare the locals," he offered, then clicked a button on his wrist control so the lift would start down again.
Harry snorted and cast a series of spells to clean up the man. "There. How many have you got?"
"About... eight left. I think."
"You think?" Harry replied, shaking his head.
Jack shrugged. "Not sure how many came through to begin with, and a couple of them started out in the cells where the Weevils were and I haven't been able to check and see who killed who."
"Life is never boring for you," Harry said drily, then turned to look around at the Hub as they descended. He happened to see a Spartan running in their direction and stunned him. "Nice place you've got."
Jack winked at him, then hopped off the lift and shot another Spartan coming towards them.
Harry sighed and let Jack help him down. "How did the Doctor put up with that habit of yours?" he asked, motioning to the pistol in Jack's hands.
"Sometimes he yelled, sometimes he ignored me and, once, he let me have at," Jack replied, then shot at another Spartan, who ducked.
Harry chuckled and turned to stand back-to-back with Jack. He saw another Spartan and stunned him. "What do you intend to do with the lot of them once they're down?"
"Can't send them back through," Jack replied, "so I'm not sure. If you kill them, it'll make it easier."
Harry sighed and shook his head. "I'm not killing them, Jack." They'd had that argument once before when Harry happened to be around when a Weevil was spotted; it had rather ruined their lunch date.
Jack sighed and sent off a few more shots. "Yeah, okay. I'll just stick them in a cell, then."
It didn't take much longer for the only two moving things left to be Harry and Jack. They'd had the tactical advantage of weapons that could down an opponent from a distance, while the Spartans were all stuck with swords or spears, which required close combat.
They separated to check the Spartans. Those that weren't dead, Harry bound with rope, those that were dead were either levitated or dragged over to something of a pile near the examination room.
Once they'd cleaned up the main floor, they both grabbed a living Spartan and made their way down to the cells, where they dropped their burdens in empty cells and dealt with the dead Spartans and Weevils down there. The dead ones were levitated back to the main floor by Harry and he would levitate a living one back down with him. The living ones were dragged into cells by Jack.
Half an hour later, they were done cleaning up and were considering what to do do with the pile of dead bodies. There were too many to shove into the morgue, but neither of them were sure how people would react to dead Spartans and Weevils in the Bay.
"We could incinerate them," Harry suggested at last, considering the pile. "Set the lot on fire and clean up the ash and such after."
"It smells," Jack replied, grimacing.
Harry grimaced himself. "I know. But I can't come up with anything else. Not unless you want to get UNIT involved."
Jack mock-shuddered. "Anything but UNIT!"
"Funny," Harry teased. "That's what they say about you."
Jack laughed and shook his head. "Have you got a spell to keep the smell from getting to us? And getting rid of it afterwards? I don't need my team walking in to that smell."
Harry nodded. "Yeah, I've got a couple." He cast the bubble-head charm on both of them, then turned his wand on the pile of bodies. "Incen– Ah!" Harry crumpled to the ground, an arrow sticking out of his chest. He was vaguely aware of Jack shooting someone, then kneeling next to him and shouting him name.
Then, it all went black.
A part of Harry expected to be in the train station at King's Cross again, but all he could see was blackness. He thought he could hear someone screaming in the distance, but the sound was gone almost as soon as he looked towards it.
Harry wished for a torch or a candle or something and immediately felt his laser pen in his hand. He clicked the torch on and looked around, but even with the light, all he could see was darkness. He shivered.
A streak of black crossed the torchlight and Harry spun, trying to spot it again. It crossed his torchlight a few more times before suddenly stopping. Harry found himself staring at something that resembled a dementor and felt terror claw at the back of his throat.
"Who are you?" he asked with all his Gryffindor bravery.
The cloaked head tipped to one side and a skeleton hand reached out to Harry.
Harry shrank back.
The creature laughed a terrible, rasping laugh, then drew its hand back. "I am your servant," it hissed.
"My... servant?" Harry repeated, disbelieving. "I don't have servants."
"And, yet, you are my Master," the creature said.
Harry felt his wand warm in his hand and he wasn't sure how long he'd been holding it. Wasn't even sure he was holding it. When he looked down at it, it pulsed once with light, then fell dark. An answering warmth came from the pocket Harry had shoved the Resurrection Stone in days ago and he pulled it out, shocked. It too pulsed once with light before going dark. Last, his Cloak warmed the expanded pocket of Harry's jacket and, looking in, he saw it, too, pulse with light.
Harry swallowed and looked back up at the creature. "Death," he whispered.
The creature cackled. "Master," it said, sweeping closer.
Harry took another step away from the creature, sick with fear and understanding. He had the three Deathly Hallows, and that made him the Master of Death. Harry wasn't quite sure what that entailed, but he knew he didn't want Death touching him. "Stay back!" he snapped.
Death stopped moving forwards and cackled some more. "The Master is afraid," it rasped. "Afraid of the very thing he commands. This pleases me, Master." It cackled again.
Harry took a deep breath. "If I'm your master, why am I here? What does being your master entail, exactly?"
Death swayed slightly, but didn't come any closer. "You are Dead, Master," it said. "Killed by an arrow to the heart. You may save yourself from that Death, say only that you wish it. You may order me to give back Life when you are Dead and I must grant it. You are my Master."
"Only my own life?" Harry asked, curious. All the people lost in the War... Jenny...
"Only your own Life," Death agreed, then cackled. "The Master of Death may only ever save one Life! Only his own."
"You're not lying, are you?" Harry asked, needing to make sure.
"Death is honest," Death replied. "Death cannot lie. Life can lie, Death cannot."
Harry nodded.
"Will Master return to Life?" Death asked, swaying in and out of the torchlight. "Death is busy."
Harry swallowed. "Yes, Death. Send me back."
Death cackled and shoved its skeleton hands in Harry's direction.
Harry gasped and jerked up. His chest was on fire, he realised, and moaned.
"Harry," Jack whispered and arms encircled the wizard. "You're alive. You were... You were dead."
Harry nodded. "Complicated," he gasped, reaching up to touch the arrow wound over his heart. "Shit. Ow."
Jack let out a shaky laugh and gently set something into Harry's hand. It took the wizard a moment to recognise his wand and took him almost three minutes to recall a healing spell to close the wound. Once the pain was gone, he just breathed, resting against Jack, who seemed perfectly content to act as a back rest for Harry.
Finally, after another six minutes or so, Harry summoned his glasses and looked around at the medical room. Jack had hopped up onto the examining table behind Harry, who was naked from the waist up. The arrow he'd been shot with had been pulled out and was on another table, near his bloody shirt and jacket. He turned to look at Jack and found his friend looking horrible, almost like he might have been crying. "Jack?" he whispered.
Jack managed a smile. "Better?" he asked.
Harry nodded. "Yeah. Bit woozy, still, but alive. Yeah?"
Jack nodded. "About that alive thing, Harry..."
"The Deathly Hallows," Harry said. At Jack's confused expression, he sighed. "Are you ever going to read those books?"
"I prefer getting my intel from the source," Jack replied with something like his old smug grin back on his face.
Harry rolled his eyes. "The Deathly Hallows are three objects that, legend says, when all are owned by one person will give that person mastery over death."
Jack nodded. "And you have these items."
"Yes."
"And it's not really a legend, is it?"
Harry smiled tightly. "Apparently not. I just had a conversation with Death and he – it? – let me live."
"Oh." Jack nodded. "So... What? You're like me now?" He jumped down from the table.
Harry looked after the older man, saddened. "No. At least, I don't think so. Sounds like I can decide each time I die whether I'd really rather live or not."
Jack laughed a bit. "Yeah? Feel free to leave me these legendary items in your will. Maybe I can talk Death into accepting me."
Harry smiled and nodded. "Sure thing."
Jack smiled back, then nodded behind Harry to the pile of dead bodies. "Feeling up to getting rid of those?"
"Yeah. I think two dead people are more than enough for this place, don't you?" Harry replied, casting bubble-head charms on both of them, then setting the pile of bodies on fire.
Jack pulled a couple of bottles of beer out of a freezer in the medical room and handed one to Harry. They both took off their lids, then knocked the bottles together. "To being dead," Jack said.
"To being dead," Harry agreed and sipped the beer through the bubble-head charm.
Jack hopped up onto the table again and they sat, drinking beer and watching the bonfire.
When the fire finally started dying down, Harry put it out, then banished the leftovers. He cast a couple of spells to clean the air, then took the charms off their heads. "Okay?" he asked Jack.
Jack sniffed the air for a moment, then nodded. "Thanks."
Harry nodded and considered his beer. "Hey, Jack?"
"Hm?"
"Why did your medic keep beer in his fridge?"
"I never asked. Didn't really want to know."
Harry chuckled and nodded. As soon as he finished the beer, he hopped down from the table and fixed up his shirt and jacket before pulling them both back on.
"You going to head home?" Jack asked.
Harry considered him. "I was thinking we might go out for a late lunch. My treat."
Jack turned and smiled at him. "I'll get my coat," he decided and walked up to his office to do just that, Harry following.
"Where have you been?" Ginny demanded when Harry finally got back late that night. He and Jack had enjoyed lunch at a posh restaurant down the road from the Hub, then gone out to a film and chased some Weevils until dinner at another restaurant before saying their goodbyes.
Harry blinked at his wife and gently closed the door behind him. "Out with a friend in Cardiff. You were off with the girls, so I had to find some way to amuse myself."
"Which friend might this have been?" Ginny demanded as Harry pulled off his jacket and trainers.
"Jack," Harry replied, rolling his eyes. "Met him through the Doctor."
"Oh, of course! The Doctor!"
Harry sighed and leaned back against the wall, looking at Ginny. "What's wrong with going out with a friend for a couple hours?"
Ginny frowned. "Nothing," she admitted.
"But?"
"But nothing."
"Oh, come on, Ginny." Harry frowned at her. "It's not wrong for me to meet with friends unless I meet them through the Doctor. Is that it?"
"I didn't say that!"
Harry narrowed his eyes warningly.
"Well, okay. I don't like that you're always spending time with other people who have travelled with him. They're all muggles!"
"There's nothing wrong with muggles."
"Well, no," Ginny agreed, not looking the least bit apologetic. "But you're always telling them about us. About our world. And that's against the law, Harry. You know that."
"I don't tell them anything," Harry replied. "I tell them to read a book."
"And who wrote that book?" Ginny demanded.
"J.K. Rowling," Harry said with a straight face. "Incidentally, a muggle."
Ginny glared at him.
Harry sighed. "Yes, technically, telling them who and what I am is against the Statue of Secrecy, but my job–"
"Yes, your job," Ginny spat. "Not the Doctor and his little trips. Only your job allows you to break Secrecy."
"You do know the Doctor works for the same organization."
Ginny snorted. "Travelling with him has nothing to do with your job. It didn't before you started working for the DoM and it doesn't now. That's just travelling."
Harry sighed again. "Ginny, why do you hate him so much? Other than him making me late to the wedding. Which is a bit of a ridiculous grudge, considering it was so long ago."
Ginny frowned and shook her head. "The wedding doesn't matter. I hate him because he took you away from me."
"He..." Harry shook his head, disbelieving. "He didn't 'take me away from you'! I'm right here!"
Ginny huffed. "You may be physically in the same house, but your heart is with him. This marriage has never worked, because you're always thinking about him."
"That's not–"
"Harry, when you're with your Doctor, how often do you think about me?"
Harry swallowed and looked away, because what Ginny was saying was true. He often thought of the Doctor when he wasn't around, but when he was with the Doctor, he only thought of Ginny when he wondered how his kids were. An afterthought. "I'm sorry," he whispered.
"I loved you," Ginny said quietly. "I loved you even after I first realised that you practically live for him. And I still love you, a part of me, at least. But I can't do this anymore, Harry. I can't sit at home and wonder if you'll be coming home that night or if I won't be seeing you for a month."
Harry nodded, saying nothing.
Ginny sighed and rubbed at her face, then summoned a sheet of parchment from the living room. She handed it to Harry, saying, "All you have to do is sign it."
Harry looked over the divorce papers. As he'd expected, Ginny wanted to keep their children, and he was more than able to dispute it, but he knew they'd be better off with their mother. He summoned a pen, asking, "Where will you live?"
Ginny considered that as Harry signed the form. "The Burrow, I think. It will be a bit cramped..."
Harry shook his head. "Stay here. The kids already know the house and the neighbourhood. James has some friends here. And the wards will keep the press from hounding you too much. Keep the Howlers out." He smiled.
Ginny nodded. "And you?"
Harry shrugged. "I'll get a flat downtown or something. I know I don't have to worry about commute, but it would be nice to be downtown already if something happens. Maybe know about it before I'm called in or some such."
Ginny nodded again. "Okay. When will you be moving out?"
"Ready to see the back of me?" Harry asked teasingly. When Ginny looked like she was about to angrily deny the claim, Harry held up his hands. "No, no. I've got tomorrow off anyway. I'll go look around at open flats and move in either then or over the weekend. Okay?"
Ginny sighed. "Yeah, okay. How are we going to split everything up? The furniture and Dobby and such?"
Harry ran a hand through his hair. "I'll leave most of it to you. Dobby too, since he's been so helpful in taking care of the kids. I can buy anything I need to populate the flat, don't see any need to take any of this stuff."
Ginny looked down at her hands, expression pained. "I suppose. Are..." She paused and shifted her hands nervously. "How am I going to pay for the children? I don't have a job. Never finished Hogwarts." She smiled a little grimly and Harry smiled back. He'd been lucky, when the Department of Magical Law Enforcement hired him, considering he'd never taken his NEWTs or finished Hogwarts at all, and with the school being closed and losing her brother, Ginny had never bothered returning for her final year, nor had she bothered trying to find a job, since her parents were willing to support her, and then she'd married Harry.
"You're not stupid, Ginny," Harry said, shaking his head. "You're bloody brilliant, really. Maybe not quite as clever as Hermione, but then, who is?" Ginny laughed at that. "You could easily get a job at the Ministry, if you wanted to. If you had time to." He sighed and rubbed at his face. "I'll have to pay support money for the kids, anyway. I can keep paying for everything else until they're old enough that you feel okay getting a proper job." He leant down so he could meet her eyes, which were once again on her hands. "Okay?"
Ginny smiled and nodded. "Yeah. Thanks, Harry."
Harry shook his head. "Ginny, you're still one of my best friends and part of my family, marriage or no. I would never leave you in a lurch. Especially not with three kids."
Ginny just nodded again.
Harry smiled at her and kissed her forehead. "I'll take the couch."
Ginny laughed. "You hate that couch."
Harry winked, walking past her into the living room. "Now you know why I plan to buy a new one! Good night, Ginny."
"Good night, Harry," she replied, then headed upstairs.
Fifth Part, second half
Hanging By a Thread
Dust in the Sky Chapters:
One | Two | Three | Four |
The Future Doesn't Scare Me Chapters:
One | Two | ???
The Perfect Sky is Torn Chapters:
One | Two | Three
DISCONTINUED
Adrenaline Rush
.
