Disclaimer: not mine

In the online timeline I found it says Kyrian was freed in October and they didn't marry till May the next year and then another year before Talon's book. gives me lots of time to play with.

The poll wanted Harry/Nick here so that'll be his pairing.

Chapter 3

Kyrian paused, hearing something from the alley up ahead. He wasn't a Dark Hunter anymore; it wasn't his job but…he walked quicker. He peered into the alley to see four Daimons fighting a…teenager? A teenager with a sword, moving very quickly. And then a memory clicked, an entry added to the Handbook only a few years ago, could this be him? Seeing a Daimon get behind him, Kyrian moved, glad he was wearing his boots, the blade snapping out and he kicked the Daimon in the back, blade puncturing its heart right as the teen spun, sword up, eyes widening as he saw Kyrian who grinned at him. "Harry Evans?" he asked though he was sure that was who he was. "Kyrian Hunter," he introduced as the last Daimon turned to run, watching as Harry drew a knife and threw it, the Daimon exploding into golden dust.

"Thanks," Harry offered, the sword vanishing into hiding somewhere in his jacket.

Kyrian offered his hand and the young Hunter hesitated but then took it. "No problem. I'm guessing you were brought in as my replacement?" he asked, confused by that. New Orleans was one of the toughest assignments and Evans was barely out of training. Last he'd heard the kid was assigned to Rome, not an easy place itself but there was no Mardi Gras there to deal with.

"Yeah, I arrived three days ago, still house hunting," Harry shrugged slightly.

Kyrian dug in his pocket, pulling out a scrap of paper which he quickly wrote on before holding it out to Harry. "My number. I may not be in the business anymore but if you need help don't hesitate to call, please. Even if you just need help finding a store or getting home before the sun."

"Why?" Harry asked, sounding a little bewildered by his offer, staring at his number.

His entry was basically his date of birth, death and country. What caused a seventeen year old to call out to Artemis and then give her their soul? To sound so confused by an offer to help? Nothing he wanted to think of happening. He slowly reached out and lay his hand on Harry's denim clad shoulder, feeling him tense under his touch. "Because I have been where you are Harry. All we have are the Squires and each other. I may have gotten my soul and freedom, but the Dark Hunters are still my family."

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Was he for real? He wasn't a Dark Hunter anymore, he was out. Why would he offer to help him? Because he still looked like a kid? Was he doomed to being seen as a kid for eternity? Kyrian was mortal now, even if he did still have powers, he should be keeping well away from their world. "I…"

"Keep it Harry," Kyrian smiled at him and it seemed genuine.

It was tempting to try and read him, but he'd studied his entry in the book, he had his own mental abilities and he wouldn't have lost them in becoming mortal again. While Harry's ran on magic it wasn't worth the risk.

"I better get back to patrolling. Thanks for the help," he said and then vanished, seeing Kyrian blink in surprise. He waited until the man left the alley before dropping the invisibility to head out himself. He had a job to do. He hesitated but then shoved the paper in a pocket and not a bin.

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Amanda looked up and smiled as Kyrian finally returned home even as she put away the last of the wedding planning papers and samples. "Welcome home," she smiled, and he grinned, walking over to kiss her.

"Sorry I'm late."

"Trouble?" She'd sensed something a little while ago.

"Not exactly. I ran into my replacement, he arrived three days ago."

"Oh? Who is it? a famous ancient warrior?" she teased, and he shook his head, sitting on the couch and she sat beside him.

"His name is Harry Evans."

"So not an ancient warrior," she mock sighed and then frowned. "Kyrian? What is it?"

"He became a Dark Hunter in 1997, I'm surprised he was stationed here considering the trouble New Orleans can see. His first and only positing so far was Rome."

"And?" she pushed, sensing there was something else.

"He was born in 1980."

The math was very easy to do, maybe in earlier times seventeen was an adult but these days? He might not have even graduated high school yet! "What's he like?"

"Cautious, wary. He uses a sword which is interesting for someone born so recently, his style is pure Ash's training. He definitely doesn't match Artemis' usual tastes."

"Oh?"

"He's under six foot, dark haired, and built more like an athlete than a warrior."

"There are dark haired hunters out there, even short ones."

"Most of those under six foot are female," he pointed out and she glared at him. "Hey, I like tall women," he defended, and she smirked.

"Nice save," she kissed him and then sighed. "You're worried about him?"

"Yeah," he admitted. "No one really knows anything about him. I think Sundown mentioned he chats to him once but he's the only one. The others stationed in Rome never heard from him at all. I know he's technically twenty-two now but…"

"Can you do anything though?"

"I gave him my number, whether or not he'll use it," Kyrian shrugged. "Maybe Talon and Nick will have more luck than those stationed in Rome."

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Harry looked through the various real estate listings, trying to find something that suited his needs and he could stand to live in. He didn't want some big ostentatious house; it'd feel too much like being back in Britain. He could buy an apartment building like he had in Rome but that didn't feel right this time. He'd been in New Orleans a week now and he wanted his own home, not a rental.

Two days later he was putting in an offer on a recently renovated three bedroom cottage within his patrol area. One bedroom would be done up as an office and the third would be a guestroom, in case Ash needed somewhere to crash someday. A few small alterations and he was ready to move in within two weeks, it helped he'd paid extra to expedite the whole process.

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Ash glanced at his phone to find Harry had messaged him an address located within his patrol area. At least Harry was beginning to use technology more and the Squires Council were very happy that they seemed to have come up with a way to keep his technology from being fried so frequently. He knew Harry had met Kyrian, though he'd heard it from Kyrian and not Harry himself.

He was hoping that Harry would settle more in New Orleans, would come to see his fellow Dark Hunters as family and would even take Nick on as his own Squire. Talon simply didn't need Nick, but Harry and Nick could learn a lot from each other. He knew Harry trusted him, but he couldn't live forever only trusting one other person and…he honestly wasn't sure how deep that trust went.

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Harry went to the door and opened it, surprised to see Nick on the other side.

"Housewarming gifts!" the Squire cheerfully announced, and Harry just stared as he carried in a box.

"What?" he asked in bewilderment.

Nick put the box down and the pulled out a covered dish of all things. "This is from my Mom, hope you like gumbo. This is from Talon," he pulled out a gaming console of all things. "Top of the line of course, Talon loves his tech. This one is from Kyrian and his fiancé Amanda," Nick pulled out a package of books and…

"Is that a coffin?" he asked in confusion.

"Yep, Kyrian has a coffee table shaped like a coffin, he has a weird sense of humour," Nick shrugged.

Harry didn't know what to say or think. They didn't know him; it wasn't like when he'd been the Boy-Who-Lived and people gave him things. The only ones to ever give him gifts without expectations had been Hermione and the Weasley's. "Why….why would your Mom give me food?" he asked.

"Well, she kind of thinks you're Ash's cousin?"

"What?!" Harry really didn't know how to react to that.

"She heard me on the phone with Amanda cause she wanted to give you a housewarming gift and since Mom doesn't know the truth about my job, well…it was the best I could come up with on the spot. You don't look old enough to be a co-worker of Kyrian or Talon and my Mom works at Sanctuary even if she does think it's a normal bar. My Mom is forever trying to feed Ash so when I told her you're his cousin and new in town…"

"Oh…okay. Tell her thank you for me please."

"Sure," Nick grinned. "Or you could tell her yourself? You have ID to get in, right?"

"All my new identification arrived on time." He did wonder how the Squires Council managed it, did they have people in all the governments because the things were to real to be fakes, even good ones. And the last thing they needed was one of them being arrested for using a fake id and being carted off to fry in a cell when the sun rose, so no way they'd risk it.

Sanctuary had been…an experience. It was a Limani, so it was safe, but it was a bit louder than he preferred these days. Still, she'd gone to all that trouble for a stranger, thinking he was related to Ash or not, it would be more polite to give his thanks in person. "Alright, what nights does she work?"

He took the dish into the kitchen and opened it to see how much was in it, definitely more than he could eat in even two nights so he got out some containers to freeze in easy to eat portions. It was still warm, so it'd been made fresh today. He hesitated but then looked at Nick. "Eaten yet?" he asked, and Nick blinked before grinning.

"I can always eat," he answered and that surprised a laugh out of Harry, he'd heard that a lot as a teen from Ron.

"There's juice, soda, and chilled water in the fridge," he offered, getting two bowls out. They sat down at the breakfast bar and Harry curiously took a spoonful.

"Well?" Nick asked as he began eating his own.

"It's good," Harry took a mouthful of coke. "Bit spicier than I'm used to."

"Is British food really that bland?" Nick asked and Harry caught a teasing light in his eyes.

"It can be a bit heavy," he admitted. "Boarding school menus are pretty limited too." Though Hogwarts had been more varied than a non-magical schools would have been.

"Wow, British boarding school. What was it like?"

"Well, it was in Scotland, really isolated, and in a thousand year old castle. So it may sound great, but the drafts were crazy in winter and there were no elevators or anything, just endless staircases."

"Still sounds cool to me," Nick shrugged.

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Nick was happy, he'd delivered the gifts and hadn't been tossed out. Instead he'd been invited for dinner and now Harry was coming to meet his Mom and say thanks for the food. He had the feeling that was a big thing for Harry. He'd called the Council in Rome and Harry had never gone to them for anything, had refused a Squire and done everything himself. The only time they'd been to his place had been to deliver the computer system Ash had eventually insisted he have. So even the little interaction he'd had with all of them was a big improvement.

He'd even opened up a little and mentioned going to boarding school which meant he either came from money or had earned a scholarship. He wouldn't be putting that info anywhere or asking Harry which it was. He got the feeling pushing would just make him retreat into solitude. Yes, Nick wanted a permanent Hunter to serve again but he also had the feeling Harry could really use a friend too.

Watching his Mom practically coo over a rather uncertain Harry was rather amusing though.

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Harry collapsed into bed, checking the gash in his side to ensure it hadn't begun bleeding again. He focused his magic internally to finish healing it and crawled under the covers, ready to sleep for the day. He was exhausted after having to deal with the crowd and noise of Sanctuary and then a night of work.

He liked Cherise though how she couldn't see the truth behind those she worked for and her sons friends he wasn't sure. She reminded him a bit of Mrs Weasley and that hurt but they were also very different in other ways which made it easier. Both women had decided immediately that he needed feeding up though. He wasn't a tiny, skinny thing anymore!

He'd lost focus in a fight because he was still dealing with the fact he'd let Nick share a meal and had spoken of Hogwarts, no matter how briefly it had been. Would he live long enough for the pain to ever fade? He was sure to be in for nightmares today. He closed his eyes, meditating, trying to push the pain away, before falling asleep.

By midday he gave up and took a sip of Dreamless Sleep, glad the potion still worked for him even if getting his hands on it was almost impossible since he'd died. He rationed it very carefully for those days when the memories were too much. Thankfully, every year those days lessened in number. Perhaps one day, his past would remain in the past and not pain him anymore. Maybe.

TBC…