Disclaimer: I don't own it.

Warnings: This story includes a sad beginning, clone or mini Jack O'Neill (known as Jase) and slash.

Thanks to Phoenix Catcher for respecting my desire to conserve my use of the letter U.

He just started a new story that is a crossover with some books that I have never read, but it seems cool.

"You won't even look at me when I talk to you, Harry? You disapprove of me that much?" – Draco Malfoy to Harry Potter, New New Years Eve.

If You Leave Me Now

Chapter One

A twenty-one year old looking Jase O'Neill, formerly known as Jack, shifted the paper bag of groceries onto his other hip as he climbed the stairs to the third floor. He walked down the hallway to the second to last apartment on the left, fishing through his coat pocket for his keys. He reached his door and put the bag down. He pulled out a few crumpled receipts and a pack of gum before he found his keys. He pushed the key into the lock, but a movement to the left caught his attention. A young boy, no more than ten, was standing in the middle of the hallway staring into his neighbor's open apartment. He was barefoot and dressed in striped pajamas and had blood on his face.

Jase took a few steps towards him, "Hey, kid. You okay?"

The boy didn't look away from the apartment, "Uncle Coco isn't moving."

Jase moved to stand beside the boy and look into the apartment. Just barely over the threshold, a man lay unmoving on his side. He was barefoot like the boy and his sweater had spots of white on it, but the rest was red with blood. Jase gently took the boy by the shoulders and turned him away from the sight. Jase stepped into the apartment and knelt beside the man. He pushed the blonde hair, matted with blood, off his face and hopefully checked for a pulse. He was surprised to find a weak one and almost shouted in surprise when he realized the man's eyes were open and cold blue eyes were surveying him.

"Who do you serve?"

"Don't move. I'm going to call for help."

"Who do you serve?" He demanded.

Jase moved to stand, but the man grabbed his hand. Jase shook his head. "I don't know what you're asking."

"Who do you serve? Lucius, Rufus or Albus?"

Jase shook his head, "I don't know who they are."

"Good. Then you can te-tell Harry that Maggie and Junior aren't safe, Dud is dead. Tell him I love him and… and I'm sorry," He inhaled sharply and closed his eyes for a moment, "I'm sorry to leave him. And," He hesitated for a short moment; "I'll have to deliver my apologies now, because I won't be alive to give them once the spell wears off. I'm sorry for doing this to you."

He prodded Jase with a long slender stick. It was on the tip of his tongue to ask the man what he thought he was doing. But he stood up instead.

"Teddy," The man called.

The boy entered the apartment, stepping around Jase, "Uncle Coco…"

"Come here, you," the man opened his arms and drew Teddy to his chest, "I need you to listen really carefully. This is important."

"Okay," Teddy whispered.

"I've cast a spell on this muggle. He'll hide you and protect you until Harry finds you. He'll be susceptible to your suggestion, so be very careful with what you say to him."

"You're coming with us."

He squeezed Teddy tightly for a moment before giving him a gentle shove, "Go on."

"We don't leave anyone behind. That's what family is! That's what you said!" Teddy cried out, his brown eyes filling with tears.

"Teddy, go with him."

Teddy shook his head wildly, "No!"

The man pointed his stick at Jase. Without really understanding why he was doing so, Jase picked up with young boy. Teddy struggled with all his might and screamed, but Jase held onto him easily.

"No! No!"

He left the apartment and went to his car. There was virtually no one around because of the early hour. Teddy had stopped fighting him by the time he opened the door to the passenger seat. His face was twisted into a sort of resigned horror. He put the boy in it and moved to buckle his seatbelt, but the boy brushed his hands away.

"I can do it. I've been in a car before."

Jase got into the driver's side and started the car. Teddy wiped his tears away and brought his knees to his chest. He watched Jase drive for a few minutes and stayed silent until they were out of the city and on the interstate.

"What's your name?"

"Jase," He replied amiably, "What's yours?"

"Teddy," He whispered, brushing away a few stray tears from his pale cheeks.

Jase drove until the car needed more gasoline. He got the key for the bathroom and sent Teddy there to clean up while he filled up the tank. He bought two waters, two bags of chips and a pre made sandwich for each of them. Jase ate easily as he drove, but Teddy did little more than take a few sips of water. They got dinner at a fast food drive-through and Teddy added the new food to the lunch that he had not eaten.

"It's not good to skip meals," Jase said, "If you want something else I'll get it for you."

"Stop talking like you care about me. It's just the spell."

Jase tilted his head, but after a moment shrugged away the words he couldn't seem to comprehend. Of course he cared about Teddy. He was hiding him and protecting him. He drove almost mindlessly. It was almost dark when his cell phone rang.

"Hello?"

"It's me."

Jase placed the voice instantly and it brought a small frown to his face, "Why are you calling me?"

"You're in a shit ton of trouble, kid. Where are you?"

"I'm with Teddy. Why am I in trouble?" He asked passively.

There was a long pause, "Are you stoned?"

"No."

"Inebriated in anyway?"

"Nope."

"Who is Teddy?"

"He's Teddy."

"Are you being purposefully difficult? Do you remember what happened this morning?"

"Yes."

"Why did you flee the scene?"

"What scene?"

"What the hell is wrong with you? Your fingerprints were found on a dead body."

"A dead body?" He began to feel a bit of concern at that.

Teddy's turned to him, his eyes wide, "Hang up," He demanded.

Jase closed the phone immediately.

"Give it here."

Jase gave Teddy the phone. The boy turned off the phone and tossed it in the back seat. Jase shrugged and continued to drive. He stopped for gas once more, but Teddy was asleep and he thought it better to let him continue. He could always stop again if the boy needed anything. He drove until he was across the street from a military base. It made him feel a strong surge of emotion. Abruptly, he felt as though a fog had been lifted from his mind.

He stared at the still sleeping kid in the passenger seat. He'd fled the scene of a murder and taken a child with him. Why had he done that? He scowled when he remembered the phone conversation. It wasn't likely that old man Jack, that was what he had taken to referring to him when he thought about him, was going to help him out on this one. He closed his eyes for a moment and thought about what the man, Uncle Coco Teddy called him, had said. A spell. He had some how compelled Jase to take the boy and flee, but he seemed to be motivated only by wanting to protect Teddy. He'd also given Jase a message for someone called Harry. That made no sense at all to Jase. His neighbor was an up tight University student called Evan. He'd tried to befriend the other young man, but had been rebuked at nearly every turn until he gave it up as a lost case. Evan was the last person Jase would ever suspect of being involved with something dangerous or violent. He was too rigidly normal.

It was surprisingly easy for Jase to come to a decision, although he did consider it carefully. While he'd been manipulated and pulled into this situation against his will, he understood the motivation to protect a child. Teddy had just witnessed his Uncle die and didn't deserve to be abandoned because Jase didn't appreciate the desperate man's actions. He'd help him.

He gently shook Teddy awake. Bleary brown eyes stared at him in confusion for a moment. Jase could tell the exact instant that Teddy woke enough to remember what had happened.

"Where are we?"

"Whatever it is that your Uncle did to me wore off."

Teddy unbuckled his seatbelt and opened the passenger door before Jase could stop him.

"Teddy, wait."

Teddy paused and turned to look at Jase, his expression more closed than a child's ever should be. His eyes filled with tears again, but none of them fell. His bottom lip trembled and even if Jase hadn't already decided to help him, there was absolutely no way he could abandon a child in need. A shadow of a thought crossed his mind. If Charlie had ever been in need like this, lost and away from his family, would anyone have bothered to help him?

"Let me help you."

He bit his bottom lip harshly, "You would do that?"

Jase nodded. Teddy hesitated for another moment before pulling the car door shut. Jase put the car back on the road and drove away from the base, forcing himself not to speed. He didn't stop until they were in the next town. He pulled into a small parking lot near a public park. He and Teddy watched the sun rise for a few minutes in silence.

"What happened, Teddy?"

"I could go to prison if I tell you this," He murmured, "And if I use names, they'll find me."

Jase didn't say anything, but he couldn't imagine anyone putting such a young child in prison.

He took a breath and steeled himself before he began to speak, "I'm a wizard. Well, I will be once I'm old enough to get a wand and go to school."

"Okay," Jase said, willing to hear where this story was going. He'd certainly seen and heard stranger things.

"There was a war. You won't have heard about it. It was among wizard kind. Both my parents were killed. I was just a baby then. I stayed with my grandmother. There was a short peace, but then fighting broke out between three different factions. That's why Uncle Coco kept asking whom you served."

"He thought I had been sent after you?"

Teddy nodded, "It's not unusual. Almost every hitwizard in the world is currently working in Britain. My grandmother was murdered by a hitwizard and my godfather took me in before my first birthday. He and Uncle Coco took care of me. They loved each other."

"They were together?"

Teddy nodded, "They kept it a secret because Uncle Coco and my godfather weren't on the same side during the war. After my godfather ended the war, things changed between them."

"They were able to become friends?"

Teddy hesitated, "I'm not sure. I overheard a conversation I wasn't supposed to. Someone asked my godfather how long he and Uncle Coco had been together. My godfather said he wouldn't like the answer. They'd known each other since they were eleven."

"I see."

"And when I was three, Uncle Coco's best friends were murdered. Their daughter Maggie came to live with us because Uncle Coco was her godfather. Then everyone found out about Uncle Coco and my godfather and they were so angry. The side my godfather fought with during the war was sure that Uncle Coco was using magic to make my godfather be with him. They wanted to take Maggie and I away and put Uncle Coco in prison. The side Uncle Coco came from had always wanted my godfather dead, but now they knew Uncle Coco was a traitor. And the third side hates both of them for being powerful wizards. They wanted to put my godfather in the hospital and Uncle Coco in prison or maybe just kill him. They would have put Maggie and I in an orphanage. They attacked us one morning and we had to flee. Since then we've been in hiding, never together as a family for more than a few minutes. Maggie was hiding with Dud and Junior, Uncle Coco and I were hiding in France and my godfather somewhere else."

"Who are Dud and Junior?"

"Dud is my godfathers cousin and Junior is his son. Dud isn't a wizard, but Junior will be once he goes to school. I'm not sure how or who, but someone found them. It was just random luck that Uncle Coco and I went there that day. He was going to send all of us to Italy and go see my godfather so they could find a new place for us to hide together. Dud and Junior were going to come with us too."

He wiped away the tears that slipped down his cheeks, "They killed Dud. I hid with Maggie and Junior behind the couch, but suddenly it was on fire. Junior and Maggie went one way and I went the other. I got hit with a curse and I fell and hit my head. I don't remember what happened until Uncle Coco and I were in the hallway. He forced the door to open with his magic and then he fell on the ground. His sweater was so red. It was a present from my godfather for Uncle Coco's last birthday."

Teddy wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt. Jase gave him a few minutes to calm down before speaking.

"Can you tell me anyone's full name?"

He shook his head, "I can't. They would find me if I used names. It's a spell. That's why we all had to come up with nicknames."

Jase took a moment to wonder if it was really magic or some sort of alien technology these people had come across that they explained away as magic. Maybe they weren't human at all.

"Teddy, what can I do to help you? Do you know any way to contact your godfather?"

Teddy shook his head, "I'm sure he's discovered…" His voice caught, "We left Uncle Coco in his doorway," He shook his head and his expression cleared, "Ma-maybe he's okay."

"Your godfather lives in that apartment?"

Teddy nodded, obvious eager not to dwell on what happened to his uncle.

"Tall guy, with dark hair and green eyes? About my age?"

Teddy nodded.

"Called Evan?"

"Yeah, that sounds like him. He's gone by Evan before. Were you friendly with him? Uncle Coco always worried that he would be lonely."

"I knew who he was. He kept pretty busy," Jase evaded.

"He'll go look for me in France and for Dud, Junior and Maggie in England. When he can't find us he'll-" Teddy stopped abruptly.

"What?"

"I- I can't remember what happened after I hit my head. I don't know what happened to Junior and Maggie! Did we leave them there? Did Uncle Coco take them somewhere? Are they…?"

Jase took his hand and squeezed it gently, "Lets not speculate about that right now."

Teddy nodded, "The best thing to do is to wait for my godfather to find me. We're not blood kin, but he has his ways."

"We have to stay out of sight. I think the police are looking for me."

Teddy frowned, "Why would they be?"

"The police found my fingerprints."

Teddy's bottom lip trembled, "On his body?"

"I'm sorry."

Teddy burst into tears. Jase pulled him into his lap and gently rocked him. Teddy's fists clung to his shirt and he cried so hard his entire body shook. He cried until all he could do was sob and hiccup. He sobbed until he nearly hyperventilated. He pressed his cheek against Jase's chest and stared out the window with swollen and red-rimmed eyes. Jase let him remain like that until he fell asleep. He got out of the car, cradling Teddy, and transferred him to the backseat. He found a blanket in the emergency kit he kept in the trunk. He slid back into the driver's seat. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes, wondering what to do.

The next thing Jase was aware of was someone shaking him by the shoulder. He jumped. A young policeman smiled apologetically.

"Sorry, sir. I knocked on the window, but neither you nor the boy responded."

Jase glanced over his shoulder to see Teddy was still asleep. He managed a smile for the police officer.

"We're headed north to visit my father. We just stopped to get a few hours of sleep."

The police officer nodded and smiled again, "Drive safely."

Jase nodded. When the police officer stepped away, he pulled the door closed and started the car. His first instinct was to go to Minnesota. He shook his head. Old man Jack would definitely check there for him. What was one place he would never want to go to again? It came to him after a minute. Mexico. He'd been robbed and beaten up by a gang in Mexico before he joined the Air Force. Jase had since gone back with some friends and enjoyed the country, but old man Jack didn't have any pleasant memories of Mexico. So Jase got on the interstate and headed south. He'd been driving a few hours when Teddy woke up.

"Jase?"

"Yeah?"

"Can we stop?"

Jase stopped at a gas station. He sent Teddy off to use the bathroom. He spent the remainder of the cash in his wallet on gas, food and some clothes for him and Teddy. Teddy changed into the t-shirt and shorts in the backseat while Jase drove. The shorts had Colorado written across the leg and the t-shirt had an image on the state of Colorado on it. He got a Colorado hoodie for himself.

He and Teddy shared the remainder of the food that Teddy hadn't eaten yesterday. He headed south until he was back home. He parked a few blocks over from his apartment building. Teddy looked around curiously.

"Where are we?"

"Teddy," He said gently, "I have to get a few things from my apartment building or we aren't going to get very far. Do you want to stay here?"

"Don't leave me alone!"

"It's your choice. Are you sure you want to go back there?"

Teddy nodded quickly. Jase found the spare key to his apartment in the glove compartment. Jase pulled on the sweater and pulled the hood up to hide his face. Once out of the car, he picked up Teddy and swung him around to carry him in a piggyback. He approached the apartment building carefully and was only slightly surprised to find it wasn't been watched obviously or subtly. Of course, old man Jack would never return here so he didn't except Jase to. There was no sign of the terrible events of the previous day. His keys and groceries were gone and the door to Evan's apartment was closed like nothing had happened. Jase entered his apartment and set Teddy down in the living room. Teddy curled up on the couch and buried his head in his arms. Jase started to say something to him, but realized that they didn't have time.

He went into his bedroom and pulled an envelope out from under his mattress and stuffed it in with a bag of clothes. He went into the kitchen and stuffed another bag full of snacks. He felt those bags with Teddy and packed up his laptop in a shoulder bag. He carried the bag of food and his laptop while Teddy shouldered the lighter bag of clothes. They walked back to the car in silence and without incident. Despite that, Jase wasn't able to breath easily until they were back on the interstate and out of the city.

"Where are we going?"

Jase glanced at him briefly, "Mexico."

"I've been to Mexico City before. Uncle Coco and Maggie and I hid there once. Uncle Coco hated it because he got a tan."

Jase smiled, "Are you all originally from England?"

Teddy nodded, "Yeah, but I think Maggie and I have spent more time out of England than in it."

"Do you miss the fish and chips?"

Teddy smiled, "Uncle Coco never let me eat fish and chips. He always said greasy muggle food wasn't good for wizards, but my godfather let me have some whenever I wanted. Uncle Coco was distrustful of everything muggle, but my godfather grew up a muggle so he wasn't worried about it."

"Muggle?"

"Oh. It means someone who doesn't have magic."

They ate fruit from the bag he packed for lunch and listened to the radio for the rest of the drive. They stopped at a rest area before dinner and Jase was able to finger through a discarded newspaper. There was nothing about him in it. Teddy spent a long time in the bathroom and when he emerged it was obvious that he'd been crying. Jase carried him back to the car.

Feeling slightly more secure and wanting to give Teddy a break from the car, Jase stopped for the night at a somewhat sleazy motel and paid with the cash from his envelope. It was a little something he kept around in case of emergencies.

He and Teddy were both grateful for a shower and a full night sleep in a real bed. Jase washed Teddy's clothes in the sink and hung them in the bathroom to dry over night.

He woke up halfway through the night because a sniffling Teddy had joined him in his bed. He wrapped an around Teddy, but didn't try to talk to him. He woke up at a respectable hour and was mildly amused to see a drool spot on his chest from Teddy.

He let the boy sleep for another hour and occupied himself with sit up and push-ups. He took another shower before waking Teddy. They raided the continental breakfast before heading back out onto the road.

By the time they were close to the border, both Teddy and Jase were sick of being in the car. Jase wanted to conserve the cash, so they started sleeping in the car on the side of the road instead of stopping at a hotel. They sold the car at the border and snuck across on foot without much of a problem. Jase carried Teddy on his back the entire time. It seemed he was used to this sort of thing by the ease with which he climbed through fence holes and hid when the border patrol came around. Once over the border, they hitchhiked to Hermosillo without any trouble. Once in Hermosillo they stayed in a decent hotel and Teddy spent half the night enraptured with the television. Once again he started out in his own bed, but climbed into Jase's during the night, his cheeks wet with tears.

"Teddy?" Jase whispered.

"I'm not hurt," He sniffled, "I just didn't want to be alone."

"It's okay," Jase assured him.

"Are we going to stay here?" Teddy spoke again after a minute.

"Do you want to?"

Teddy hesitated, "I'm not sure. I'm afraid to stay in one place for too long, but if we keep moving it might make it harder for my godfather to find us."

Jase thought about it for a few minute, but Teddy fell asleep in the time he took to answer. The next day they agreed to stay in Hermosillo for a few days and see what happened. They went shopping and got some clothes for Teddy so he had more to wear than the stuff from Colorado. Fluent in Spanish, Jase was easily able to communicate with people there, but Teddy frequently hid behind him. It automatically endeared him to anyone who saw him. With their brown eyes and brown hair, most people assumed that Teddy was his son and with Teddy so shy around everyone, there was no noticeable difference in their accents to explain away.

They stayed in Hermosillo for three days, most of which was spent in the Ecological Center. Teddy was more fascinated with the botanic area than the zoo and even pointed out a few plants to him that wizards used as well.

"What do wizards use plants for?"

Teddy stifled a giggle, "Potions, of course."

"Ah," Jase smiled, "Of course."

On their third day in Hermosillo they were leaving the Ecological Center when Teddy noticed something. He pointed excitedly.

"A wizard shop!"

Jase didn't notice anything out of their ordinary, "Where?"

Teddy half dragged him to a shop that Jase didn't notice until they were in the doorway. He followed Teddy and glanced around at the strange assortment of bottles. A young man smiled at them as the entered.

"Hello. You are Americans, yes?"

Surprising Jase, Teddy's shyness was completely gone and he took control of the situation, "English."

His smile faded slightly, but he still managed to look welcoming, "How are you enjoying Hermosillo?"

"We like it very much," Teddy replied so politely that the man began to relax again.

"Is there anything specific you are looking for?"

Teddy smiled, "Yes, actually. Do you have stationary supplies?"

"Yes."

"And can you direct me to the post by owl office?"

The man was surprisingly relaxed about taking American muggle money. He wrote down the directions for Teddy and they were on their way.

"Where are we going?"

Teddy smiled, "You'll see."

Jase rolled his eyes, but let the boy have his secrets, "Why was he uncomfortable when you said we were English?"

Teddy sighed, "Because British wizards are getting a really bad reputation. Our fighting has started to spill into other countries."

Abruptly Teddy took his hand and pulled him into another small shop he never would have noticed on his own. Whatever technology these people used, it was impressive. A middle-aged woman seated behind a window smiled at them. Teddy smiled back.

There was nothing else in the room except for a few counters. Jase lifted Teddy up to sit on one so he could write on the parchment he had bought. He watched with fascination as Teddy wrote with what he called a self-inking quill.

Harry James Potter,

Noon. London time.

Ted Remus Lupin

He handed the self-inking quill to Jase, "Write out your mobile number."

Teddy blew on the parchment until it dried, folded it and put it in an envelope that sealed itself. He jumped off the counter and walked over to the woman behind the window.

"Destination?"

He shrugged, "Hard to say. I need it to be untraceable."

She raised an eyebrow, "The full name is on the letter?"

Teddy nodded.

"What are you paying with?"

They left with his wallet significantly lighter, but Teddy was clutching his hand and smiling so Jase couldn't find it in him to mind. They had a late lunch, went back to the hotel for their things and boarded a bus for Kino Nuevo. They arrived at a nearly indecent hour and barely woke in time to for Jase to disable the GPS on his phone and turn it on in time for 7pm. It rang at 7:01 sharp. Jase handed the phone to Teddy, but the boy shook his head.

"I- I can't talk to him," His brown eyes filled with tears.

Jase frowned, but answered the call, "Hello?"

There was a long pause and a soft voice asked, "Where is Teddy?"

"He's here."

"Put him on."

Jase offered Teddy the phone, but the boy shook his head and backed away, the tears rolling down his cheeks.

"Is it Harry?"

Jase spoke into the phone, "He wants to know if you are Harry?"

"I am."

"Prove it!" Teddy challenged almost hysterically.

"He said-"

"I heard him. Ask him how he wants me to prove it."

Jase turned to Teddy, "How?"

"Who gave him the first photograph he ever saw of me?"

Jase posed the question to Harry.

"Remus did. His father."

"Your father Remus did."

Teddy's eyes narrowed, "What color was my hair?"

"What color was his hair?"

"Blue," Harry replied.

"Blue," Jase repeated to Teddy.

The boy calmed marginally, but his tears did not slow, "It's him."

Jase offered him the phone again, but Teddy shook his head, "I can't talk to him."

"Why not?"

"Because!" Teddy burst out.

"He still won't talk to you," Jase told Harry.

"Why?"

"I'm not sure," Jase admitted.

"This is Jase O'Neill, right?"

"Yes. How did you know?"

"I read the muggle police report. I've taken care of everything, your name has been removed from the records and I modified the memories that I had to, but I think someone noticed what I did. Don't go back home. Some part of your government is still looking for you."

"Yeah, I figured."

"So how did you get dragged into this?"

"I was put under a spell and once it wore off I decided to keep helping Teddy."

"Teddy put you under the spell?"

"No, his Uncle did."

"No!" Teddy cried out, "Don't tell him!"

"Oh," Harry said softly, evidentially having been able to hear Teddy, "Jase, can you tell him that I know Draco is dead?"

Jase felt his throat constrict for a moment at the pain in Harry's voice and the devastated expression Teddy wore, "Teddy, he knows that Draco is dead."

"No! Don't say his name! They'll find us."

"With Draco dead, that spell won't work anymore."

"It's okay," Jase said, "Harry says its okay to say his name. He already knows, so you don't have to tell him. Will you talk to him?"

Slowly, Teddy took the phone from Jase and raised it to his ear, "Harry?"

He was quiet for a long moment, before he burst into tears, "I'm okay. I wasn't hurt at all, except I can't really remember what happened. Jase has been taking care of me."

He was quiet for a moment.

"Harry, are Maggie and Junior dead?"

He wiped his tears away, "Oh. They could be anywhere," He paused for a few moments, "Can you come get me?" Teddy was silent for a moment, "Okay," He said in a small voice before he offered Jase the phone again.

"Hello?"

"Thank you for keeping him safe."

"Can you come get him?"

Harry sighed, "I can't. I'm trying to track Junior and Maggie. They're leaving a trail. If I leave, I might lose it. It's subtle, but if I can find it others might. I have to find them before anyone else does."

Jase bit back a sigh, "What should we do?"

"Can you get to Italy?"

"It'll take a few days, but I think so."

"Teddy will know where to go once you're in Genoa."

"Okay."

"Have him send me an owl once you're there."

"I will."

"I have to go. Give Teddy my love."

The line went dead before he could respond. He turned off his phone and tossed it on the bed.

"He had to go. He sends his love.

"What did he say?"

"We're going to Genoa."

Teddy managed a smile, "Genoa. Okay."

The next morning Jase and Teddy went out and used a kiosk at a convenience store to have passport photo's taken. Jase brought Teddy back to the hotel before going to explore Kino Nuevo by himself. He returned much later than he had intended, Teddy was already asleep, but he had two American passports. It hadn't been easy, but he'd managed to find a less than legitimate businessman who was willing to conduct business with a strange American who had no recommendation. Jase and Teddy went to the airport the next day and caught the first flight that would take them to Genoa.

Teddy was a little nervous in the beginning, "I've never flown on a muggle airplane."

He paid attention to everything until their layover in Mexico City. He dozed most of the way to Germany and from Frankfurt to Genoa he was occupied with the on flight movie. He was exhausted and a little moody by the time they got to Genoa. They stayed overnight in a hotel near the airport. They slept to midmorning and then Teddy was awake enough to guide them. They took a taxi, Teddy instructed him in flawless Italian to Jase's great surprise, to a wealthy neighborhood. The taxi dropped them in front of a gated mansion. Teddy made use of the call box; once again speaking Italian, which happened to be one of the few languages that Jase had absolutely no command of. The gate opened enough for them to slip in and closed behind them. Teddy let out a sigh of relief.

"We're safe."

A young man wearing an outfit that looked like it was from the seventeenth century appeared a few feet from Teddy with a loud crack that startled Jase. Teddy jumped into his open arms. After speaking in Italian for a few minutes, Teddy introduced them.

"Jase O'Neill, Angelo Bianchi. Angelo is the half brother of Maggie's father. This is his parent's home. This is where Uncle Draco was going to bring Junior, Maggie and I."

Teddy spoke calmly, although his voice broke when he mentioned his uncle, he was at least able to speak of him without crying.

Angelo shook his head and spoke in softly accented English, "I heard about Draco. It is madness. Were you hurt, Ted?"

Teddy shook his head.

"You're here to stay, correct? Your muggle friend as well?"

Teddy nodded, "Harry wants us to wait here. He's looking for Junior and Maggie."

"Yes, I spoke with him. I gave him some blood to help him track Maggie, but he worries that our relation is too distant. Or perhaps Junior is hiding Maggie too cleverly. He's been utilizing wish magic, Harry thinks."

Teddy nodded, "It wouldn't be the first time he's done it."

"Excuse me. I'm sure you're hungry or tired?"

He looked to Teddy and then Jase, "Let's go inside. Father will come see you once he returns from visiting mother in England."

Teddy nodded. He squirmed out of Angelo's hold and walked beside Jase, holding his hand as they walked up the path and towards the mansion. They were served a simple meal by some very strange creatures called house elves that almost reminded Jase of the Asgard. Teddy spent the rest of the evening talking to Angelo, frequently forgetting to speak English. It took several polite, but firm, corrections from Angelo to get the boy to consistently speak English. Then Angelo brought out a chess set and offered to play Jase. Teddy climbed onto Jase's lap and explained the differences between muggle and wizards chess. Despite the warning, Jase wasn't entirely prepared to the surliness of his pieces. They grumbled at him in Italian, but switched to English the moment Jase spoke aloud in English. Jase and Angelo were evenly matched, but from the way his pieces were carrying on Jase was playing a terrible game. His pieces were terribly put out when Angelo finally did beat him.

One of the house elves showed Jase to a bedroom after the intense chess game. He fell onto the luxurious bed and was asleep almost immediately. He was half aware of a small hand slipping into his during the night and he smiled.

Jase woke before Teddy and returned to the only other room he knew in the home. He found Angelo there reading an Italian newspaper that had a photograph on the front wherein the images were moving. Angelo smiled.

"Good morning, Mr. O'Neill."

"Jase, please."

"And I hope you will call me Angelo," He smiled, his eyes none too subtly taking Jase in.

Jase managed to prevent a blush from developing on his cheeks. Even after his disassociation from the Air Force it had been a long time since he indulged in his interest in men. Angelo was far from unattractive. He smiled back at Angelo, but did nothing to encourage his interest. Angelo smiled in return, not in the least put off.

"You slept well, Jase?"

"Yes, thank you."

"Are you hungry now or will we wait for Teddy to have breakfast?"

"We can wait for Teddy, if you don't mind."

Angelo nodded.

Jase took a deep breath, "Can you explain this situation to me?"

Angelo frowned, "Teddy has not?"

Jase shook his head, "He has, but he's a child."

Angelo nodded, "Yes, but he does understand things very well. He's incredibly perceptive. There was a war in England between two factions of wizards. It was very difficult for Harry and Draco, they were both very involved, though I suspect neither of them truly wished to be. They just wanted to live quietly together and raised Teddy and Maggie away from everything. After their relationship was discovered, they were abandoned by nearly everyone. Not because they were homosexuals, but because they were supposed to be sworn enemies. They were attacked by some of Harry's friends, claiming they were there to help him and rescue him from Draco. Harry almost died in the process and they've been in hiding ever since. Everyone wants to find them for some reason or another and none of them are for altruistic reasons. Harry's not taken it well at all. The only thing keeping him going is finding the children. After that," Angelo sighed, "I fear he will take things into his own hands."

Jase nodded and was about to respond when an older and graying version of Angelo stormed into the room, a barrage of nearly enraged Italian slipping from his mouth rapidly. He stopped the moment he noticed Jase.

"Father, this is Jase O'Neill. He came here with Teddy. Jase, my father Dante Bianchi."

Dante inclined his head gracefully, "Excuse my rudeness. The audacity of the English angers me."

Angelo frowned, "What happened, Father?"

"Once again, they refuse to release your mother's care to me or allow her to be transferred to a medical facility here. I should have insisted your mother change her citizenship. And then some pompous ninny from the ministry had the nerve to try and blackmail me. They truly think Marigold is here."

"He means Maggie," Angelo interjected.

"And that I will allow them to take custody of her in exchange for my wife. How dare they!" He took a moment to calm himself, "You brought Ted here, Mr. O'Neill?"

"Jase, please. And yes, I did."

Dante let a breath that was half a growl. He seemed to be about to launch into another tirade, when he calmed instantly and managed a smile.

"Teddy!"

Teddy hugged the older man much more gently than he had Angelo. They spoke in Italian for a few minutes. After a second hug, Teddy greeted Angelo and Jase. They had breakfast together and Angelo filled Teddy in on the news of a wizarding sport that Jase couldn't quite catch the name of. Dante was doing his best to focus on the conversation, but he was clearly half ruminating. After they were finished, Teddy asked if he could be excused to show Jase the garden.

Teddy held his hand and led him through the mansion, speaking once they were several hallways away from Angelo and Dante, "I think they wanted to talk. But the garden is really neat. I know the names of almost all the plants!"

Teddy spent the morning and early afternoon showing Jase all sorts of magical plants. Most of them were harmless, but after Teddy's description Jase was careful not to let the enthusiastic boy wander too close to them. Angelo and Dante joined them for a picnic lunch on the grounds. Dante disappeared after lunch, but Angelo wandered around with them. Once Teddy was tired of the garden, they played the magical version of freeze tag with several of the house elves. The house elves were trying to catch Jase and Angelo, actually freezing with their touch, and it was Teddy's job to unfreeze them before they became stuck permanently. Teddy had assured Jase that permanently didn't really mean permanently and even if it did, he wouldn't let that happen.

They had dinner inside with Dante and retired as a group to the library to play a game called exploding snap. Jase lost miserably and ended up with his eyebrows practically singed off. A heartily amused Angelo fixed them for him. Jase went to bed alone, but woke up as Teddy climbed in. He tried to hide his tearstained face when he noticed Jase was awake.

"You can start off in here with me if you want. You don't have to sneak in."

"I'm not a baby," Teddy insisted.

"I know. Being scared or lonely doesn't make you a baby, Teddy. Sometimes I feel scared and lonely."

"Do you really?"

"Yeah," Jase said, "I do. Everyone does. I bet Harry does too, sometimes. And Angelo."

"Harry is really brave," Teddy said softly, "He saved the world. He's really strong and powerful. No one can beat him in a duel. Not even Albus, and everyone says he's the most powerful wizard in the world."

"You should ask him. I bet he was scared during the war. And I bet he was scared when he didn't know where you were."

"Maybe."

"Regardless, you can come in here whenever you want."

"Thanks, Jase."

Jase woke slowly. It was still dark and he was aware that there was someone else in the room. He could tell Teddy was beside him and instinctively he knew it wasn't Angelo or Dante or one of the house elves. He remained perfectly still. He felt something touch his shoulder and he reacted before the other person could move away. He pinned the other person of their stomach on the ground with both of their arms twisted behind him. To his surprise, the intruder relaxed completely.

"Jase?"

Jase frowned, "Yeah?"

"Let me up. It's Harry."