AN: I don't own either HP or Assassin's Creed.

The ship that came towards him had blood red sails and a pirate flag, the skull and crossbones flying proudly. It seemed to prowl forward, hunting for prey or otherwise Harry didn't know. Harry quickly closed his eyes, thinking things through, before slipping further up onto the piece of wood that he had found. The moon shone down on the water and reflected off the metal cannons of the ship. It was a big enough ship though he had seen bigger in the Man o' Wars that sailed these waters.

"Ahoy! Human flotsam to the east, Captain!"

Harry's lips twitched up into a small, amused grin as he watched the ship slow and finally come to a stop just barely in time. The pirates threw down a rope to him and he pondered waving the ship on, not wanting to be picked up by a pirate ship before he shrugged. He grabbed a hold of the rope, tucked his wand into a pocket and let the pirates tow him aboard. The wind blew through him as he seemingly flew up and it did not take long for him to land on the deck of the ship.

It had been a while since he had been amongst a group of men this large but he eyed each and every man that crowded around him. There were no men with peg legs or eye patches but every single man wore a mix of clothing and weaponry. Most of them had pistols on their hips and swords at their waists, a weary look in their eyes.

There were a few black men and one looked to be of higher rank, standing behind the group who looked to one of the higher ranking men aboard this ship.

"Welcome to the Jackdaw. What's your name?"

"Harry."

Whispers filled the air and then a yell split the silence. The tall, muscular black man at the back of the group stepped forward, his eyes narrowed and a hand on the pistol at his waist.

"Call me Adéwalé. We need a cook. You got the skills of one?"

Harry met the man's eyes and slowly nodded, eying the men who stood around him. A few of them had skin that was burnt by the sun and many of them had scars and tattoos and looked like pirates. He idly wondered if Adewale's question was more of an order or perhaps a nicely worded threat. He wondered what would happen if he said no. But then again… He was bored. "Who's the Captain of this vessel?"

"Edward Kenway."

"Yeah, sure. I can cook."

The men around him all whooped out excitedly and then dispersed at Adéwalé's orders. Sails were lowered again and the deck was once again a bustling pirate ship. Harry idly wondered if this ship had a treasure hold though he didn't particularly care. He was wealthy enough to last several lifetimes. His eyes narrowed at the thought and made a note to himself to not reveal that information within hearing range of these men.

He didn't want to become a hostage or a prisoner though it wasn't like he couldn't get away, should there be a need to.

"Come. I'll show you to your new quarters."

"You lost your previous cook?"

"Aye, we did. We lost him to our last take."

Harry turned to look at Adéwalé as he followed the man, taking in the ship around him as they walked. The captain's cabin was up top, a necklace of skulls hanging over the door. Adéwalé led him down into the belly of the ship and they passed another cabin, which he figured to be Adéwalé's and then further down was the crew quarters, sleeping pallets and hammocks filled the ship.

"You have a pistol and sword with you? We have extras should you need them."

"No to the pistol but yes to a sword. I have my own sword. I don't use it too often though."

"What ship did you serve on before?" Adéwalé questioned as they walked past the crew quarters.

"...HMS Merlin."

Adéwalé stopped just as they were turning down a corner and stared at him.

Harry stared back at him and then shrugged. "Budget cuts."

Adéwalé continued to stare at him and Harry's lips twitched up into a small grin.

"The mess is to your left. The men will expect dinner soon."

"How many men are on the ship?"

"40."

"Alright then. Dinner for everyone coming up."

Harry idly walked in the direction that Adéwalé pointed in and looked over at the cannons that he passed, noting that there were 18 broadsides. He had seen mortars on the lower deck of the ship and a ram at the front, as well as a figurehead in the shape of a phoenix. There had been a diving bell as well and he idly remembered the invention as a precursor to the oxygen tank.

He nodded at the various sailors he passed on the way to the kitchen and stepped through the small door that led into it. It was a small kitchen, with the physician's workroom in the same area. There were herbs strung about on the ceiling from hooks, dead chickens in various states of decomposing and bins of fresh fruit spread all over.

"It seems I have my work cut out for me."

"We have a new cook."

Edward glanced up at Adé as the man stepped into his cabin. "Cook?"

"We lost the last one, remember?"

"Aye, I do. Where'd we get the new one?"

"Picked him up. Was a case of human flotsam."

Edward snorted as he glanced up from the maps on his table. "He look any good?"

"Name's Harry. Said he was a cook. We'll see how he'll do. The men have been wanting a new cook."

"Did'ja have to threaten him any?"

"No. He seemed… oddly willing. Do you have a new course to set, Captain?"

"I want to check out another wreck south of here, perhaps south of Tortuga."

"South it is. Dinner's in a few, Edward."

"I still want to find that damned Observatory, Adé."

Adéwalé raised an eyebrow and Edward's eyes narrowed. "It could make us the richest men in all the world."

"Is it really worth it, Edward?"

"What kind of talk is that, Adé? We're pirates! It's treasure, man! It's what we live for. It's what I live for."

Adéwalé nodded but didn't comment, something in his eyes that Edward couldn't decipher. "Dinner, Edward."

"We still need to find Thatch too. See to bringing him back to the business."

"You sure that that's what he wants?"

"Of course it's what he wants. After he sees what became of Nassau, he'll want to take revenge."

Harry watched as the pirates all made their way to the line of food, looking upon the feast with bright, wide eyes.

"Old King George doesn't get this kind of meal!"

"Break out the rum!"

"And the music!"

"Ahoy!"

It was all loud and joyful, boisterous, as everyone ate plenty, filling their stomachs to the brim. The entire crew of the Jackdaw came in throughout the night, picking up plates and utensils to use. Harry had used some if not most of the ingredients on the ship and some of his own, using some of his own herbs and food from his trunk garden. And sure some men looked at him shiftily but no one complained.

Afterwards, a group of men brought out instruments and two of them sang songs, ranging from bawdy to motivating to songs of treasure. Harry joined the crew out on the deck, sitting on the railing near the captain's cabin and humming along with one of the sea shanties. The lanterns were lit as the ship continued its journey southward and he looked up at the stars idly, leaning against the post behind him.

"You the new cook?"

Harry turned to look at the man who had sat down beside him, his eyes widening a little at the sight. The man beside him looked like a pirate, two pistols strapped to his chest, two at his sides and two swords strapped to his waist. The man's golden blond hair was pulled back in a short tail and had one braid at the front. He looked young, maybe no older than thirty. He was wearing a hooded cloak, with the hood pulled down, and Harry looked right into the man's blue eyes.

No one else noticed the man beside him amidst the party on the deck and Harry focused on the man, licking his lips idly. He could see hints of tattoos peeking out on the man's collarbone and there was a scar or two on his face, as well as a black eye over his right.

"Yes. I suppose you would be Edward Kenway, Captain of the Jackdaw?"

"Aye, you would be correct. The English didn't want you anymore?"

Harry shrugged as he met Edward's eyes, seeing a rough glint to them. Edward gave him a once over look, slow and thorough and Harry grinned, glancing idly down at Edward's wrists and the bracers beneath them. There was a peculiar shape to them, one that suggested there was something special to them. There was also a design to the bracers, an upside down 'V' on them that Harry didn't know what to make of.

"You could say that. You wouldn't be 100% correct but you could still stay that."

Edward raised an eyebrow as he looked out over his men and turned back to him. "Whereabouts are you from then?"

"London, roughly speaking. You from Wales?"

"Aye. Do they hang pirates in London?"

"They hang pirates everywhere, Kenway. I did do a few days in prison," Harry offered, meeting Edward's eyes. He wasn't being that truthful but he was among a group of pirates. "Rough stint that."

"For what?"

"Kissing other men. It's not such a bad sin considering," Harry replied, his lips twitching up at the memory. The music stopped in front of them and then someone else began to sing another off color song, this one about William Kidd. "Got a bounty on my head for escaping."

Edward smirked. "Most sailors that we rescue don't say it out loud."

"I'm not most sailors."

"And I'm not most pirates," Edward remarked in a low voice.

"So you don't make men walk the plank?"

Edward snorted, amusement in his bright eyes. "Bonnet's gotten around, has he?"

"Less than your Thatch has, I'd say. The English call him Blackbeard."

Edward laughed, a smile forming on his face. "Rightfully so."

Harry stared at Edward and matched his grin with one of his own.

The shouts and the sound of cannons going off woke him and Harry jolted up, rocking with the ship as it moved underneath him. Men raced about, loading the cannons and lighting them. He quickly tied everything down before racing out onto the deck, bare chested as most men were. The sun had just woken, shining down its new light onto the sea around them, and onto the ship with Spanish sails across the way.

Harry stared briefly before noting the boarding ropes that connected the two ships. Pirates were firing their rifles from behind the railings of the ship and men were crossing, sliding across the ropes. A few Spanish sailors climbed up the ropes and started to cross to the Jackdaw and Harry took a step towards them, letting his arm down and loosening his fist.

Grffindor's sword melted into his fingers, its silver blade glistening in the sunlight, and Harry leapt up onto the ropes and met the opposing soldiers halfway. It was easy enough to maintain his balance on the boarding ropes and he enjoyed the feeling of being suspended in the air again, rocking back and forth with the wind.

The bodies of the Spanish sailors dropped into the water below with loud splashes and then yelling drew his attention to the ship across. Captain Edward Kenway was leading his men in taking the ship and he looked utterly terrifying, moving like the devil or perhaps a demon as he twirled both swords. Edward moved about slow and steady, his deep movements purposeful and stalking. Like he was a lion out for prey. Or perhaps like a wolf.

Harry watched as Edward loped forward, leaping steadily up the main mast of the Spanish warship, light and graceful movements powering him. Edward stopped at just below the crow's nest and ripped down the Spanish flag before squatting on the wood post that held the sails and… Harry's eyes widened as he watched Edward leap down onto the deck of the ship, sword blade out and impaling the man who looked to be captain.

Harry's heart skipped a beat and he licked his suddenly dry lips as the survivors of the Spanish ship surrendered. Standing as he was halfway between the two ships, he could see everything but his sight was only on Edward. The man had pulled up his hood and he looked entirely like a predator then.

Edward turned at that moment and met his eyes, his blue eyes bright and glowing, and leered. Harry smirked and then turned around, trotted back across to the Jackdaw, and headed to the first injured man he saw.

Afterwards Edward Kenway's fleet gained a new ship and a true party was held, as soon as they made land on an abandoned island. Or half abandoned as Harry realized as they moored their ship. There were other ships docked around the island, other ships that flew the skull and crossbones.

The crew gladly disembarked and carried many barrels of rum with them, loudly singing some bawdy tune. The sun was about to dip below the horizon as Harry brewed a giant pot of stew for the whole lot of men. It was certainly the biggest cauldron of soup that he had ever made but it was easy and the crew of the Jackdaw were all watching him, knocking their pints of rum together.

By the time that the stew was ready, the sun had vanished and crew had already drunk their first pint of rum. Harry snorted in amusement as he watched several men stand up and trip almost immediately, well past their first pints of drink.

He stood up and yawned as he looked around at the little island, walking further inland. He could see at least four other ships that bore the skull and crossbones littered around the island's bay.

The moon and stars shone down on the island as he walked, his hands in his pockets.

"You remind me of a man I once knew."

His heart skipped a beat at the voice but he otherwise didn't startle, having heard the man's footsteps and the jingling of weaponry a few minutes ago. "Yeah? And who would that be?"

"Fellow named Sneaksby."

Edward fell into step with him and Harry raised an eyebrow at the man. "Surely the man wasn't called that."

"Aye, you'd be correct. Most of those Assassins know how to step like you do."

"Assassins?"

Edward grinned and shook his head, rolling his eyes. "Tis a grand cult of men and women."

"And what happened to the fellow you called Sneaksby?"

"I killed him."

"Of course."

"I saw you looking at me."

Harry rolled his eyes as he caught Edward looking at him, the blue eyes narrowed. Edward leered at him and Harry snorted, watching as Edward licked his lips.

"So you fight good. No big deal. You want to race?"

"How come everyone wants to race me?" Edward retorted, a curl to his mouth that rather looked to Harry like the man was pouting. "Or wants me to settle down."

"Whoa, I said nothing about settling down. I just suggested that we race. The last time I settled down was several hundreds of years ago and I grew bored after 50 years."

Edward blinked and Harry's lips twitched up into a small grin.

"How about from here to the other end of the island?" Harry questioned, gesturing to the north end of the island that was perhaps a mile away. "How about we start at the next sound of drunken gunfire?"

Edward finally nodded and drew a line in the sand with his boot.

Harry stepped up to the line and they both readied themselves, listening to the sounds of revelry that filled the air. At the sound of a pistol shooting off, Harry took off, quickly followed by Edward.

Edward took off immediately, watching as the other man ran smoothly and quietly through the short undergrowth of the island. There was a surprising number of trees on the island, small as it was, and Edward took to one and followed Harry from above, leaping from branch to branch.

"Hey, that's cheating!" Harry shouted, looking up at Edward from the ground but not stopping at all.

"Pirate!" Edward yelled back and smirked down at the man.

Harry laughed and continued to run, avoiding the huge boulders that littered the path. They were close enough to their destination that it did not take long and Edward spotted a few of his crew turning in his direction, cheering him on. He smiled and waved at them before leaping to the final tree, just right before the spot that Harry had indicated and leapt right at the man below him.

He tumbled right onto the man, slipped an arm around Harry's waist and tugged him down with him. Harry spluttered beneath him as they rolled in the sand, muttering in another language that made Edward's heart jolt in his chest. The words coming out of Harry's mouth sounded like he was hissing and his cock perked up at the noise.

As they came to a stop, Edward ended up on top and he stared down at the man beneath him, leering, before he leaned down and rubbed himself against him. Harry's eyes flashed with heat and Edward grinned widely. Harry stared up at him, reached an arm up to curl around Edward's neck and yanked him down for a kiss.

It was hot, wet and electrifying and Edward's heart pounded in his chest, letting out a strangled moan as Harry bucked up into him, rubbing their cocks together through their clothes.

"Fucking pirates," Harry muttered as they finally drew apart. "Cheaters the lot of you."

Edward grinned down at him and reached down for another kiss only to yelp as Harry moved them in an instant. Harry wrapped his arms around him and rolled them, flipping them over, and then straddled Edward's waist, pinning Edward's arms above him.

Edward smirked up at Harry, sticking his tongue out at the man, and Harry rolled his eyes.

"How old are you anyway, Edward?" Harry muttered, his voice rough, his eyes darkening as he left one hand to hold Edward's and reached down to unfasten their leggings. Both their cocks ended up bare to the chill in the air and Edward shivered.

"What does that matter?" Edward retorted, shock jolting through him as Harry's fingers wrapped around both of their cocks. "You've got your hand on my cock. That's enough for me."

Harry snorted and stroked them both, twisting the heads and rubbing his thumb through pre-come that spurted. Edward moaned and tried to slide his hands out from Harry's hold only for Harry to stop and raise a pointed brow.

"You move your hands and I stop doing what I'm doing."

Edward shuddered and let out a choked off groan as Harry returned, meeting the man's green eyes. Pleasure shot through him as his toes curled in his boots, his fingers digging into the sand underneath him. Heat gathered in his belly and sparks lit up his nerves, almost as if every point of pleasure was on fire.

Harry began to whisper again in that strange language of his and Edward's cock ached, his release minutes away. It was skin against skin and Edward yelled out as Harry moved, rubbing their cocks together and pleasure shot through him, sensations bleeding through him. His breathing picked up and he lay there panting in the sand, his eyes drooping closed.

Fingers carded through his hair, gentle but with a hint of strength, and his hands were released.

"Edward… you look decidedly gorgeous like this," Harry remarked, one of his arms leaning on Edward's chest. "Beneath me."

Thunder echoed in the distance and Edward opened his eyes to a lightning bolt filling the sky, the brief outline of wings behind Harry's back, black as midnight. A ring flickered in and out on Harry's finger, a stone embedded in the metal, and a stick tucked behind an ear.

Harry's fingers tugged sharply on a strand of Edward's hair and he groaned at the reminder, his cock perking up again at the pleasure-pain that echoed through his body.

"You had best get out of this business, Kenway. The golden age of piracy is nearly over."

Harry's voice had fallen, low and dark, and Edward shivered at the sight. The outline of wings vanished and the thunder and lightning disappeared as if they had never been. Harry eyed him before he swung his legs off of Edward, leaving teasing touches to his cock, and reached a hand down.

Edward blinked, rubbed a hand over his eyes, and took the offered help. Harry's hand was warm in his and he stood up easily, tucking his cock back in his pants.

"Anyway, who decided to do this in the sand?"

Edward opened his mouth to reply, glancing up only to see that Harry had vanished.

"Captain, is something the matter?"

Adéwalé walked into the small clearing and glanced at Edward, meeting his eyes.

"No, Adé, nothing's wrong. Should go get Thatch now. He needs to come back."