Chapter 50: It's a door!

Timeframe: Vacation before First Semester of Third year, Hogwarts.

His steps echoed loudly on the stone floor as he walked the long dark hallway. The wind howled and rattled the windows. Charles blew on his hands to warm them and hid them on the pockets of his knitted Christmas-themed sweater. Outside a snowstorm raged. The worst one yet and strangely out of the season.

Charles stopped in front of the door at the end of the long hallway.

'You're here. There's no going back. He heard you walking up, might as well get it over with,' he thought. He breathed out, calmed his frayed nerves, and pushed the door open.

The room was average in size and furnished with cherry wood furniture. Two windows were hidden by dark thick curtains. The bed occupied the majority of the space and was neatly made with wine red covers. A dresser was pushed against the wall opposite to the windows. Everything looked unused and with a fine covering of dust. The room looked elegant but simple. Opposite to the bed and to the right of the door was a fireplace; it was the only source of light in the room and created long, moving shadows. Squeezed between the bed and dresser and just outside the line of light was a hunched figure. Two bright eyes that reflected the fire almost perfectly watched him.

Charles hesitated at the door a moment longer before taking a step inside and closing the door behind him. The movement disrupted the dust in the floor before it settled back again. Charles walked the small space between the bed and dresser and sat on the dusty floor with his back to the wall and his feet under the space of the bed. He was a hand-span from the vampire. Charles thought about talking but he didn't know what to say or what to do, what would make this situation better, if such a thing even existed. So he said nothing, did nothing and the silence stretched until it felt that coming here served no purpose at all.

"I told them not to let you in."

Charles looked up at the sound of Leviathan's raspy voice and looked down to his hands when the words registered. He swallowed to alleviate his suddenly dry mouth.

"It's been a month," Charles responded slowly, carefully, his voice not rising above a whisper. "Your mother is worried."

"She expects me to snap out of it," Leviathan barked, his gaunt pale face contorted in anger.

"It's hard for her to understand," Charles responded, suddenly wondering if being this close to an unstable vampire was a good idea after all.

Leviathan did not respond to his words or his sudden rise in anxiety. After a minute Charles resigned himself to the silence once again.

"Are you here to tell me: 'I told you so'? Because I don't need it."

"No!" Charles denied quickly. "That's not why I came here at all."

Leviathan sagged; his shoulders slumping from their defensive stand and he seemed to crumble into himself, one hand going to rub his eyes and the other protectively encircling his stomach.

"You did tell me," Leviathan said quietly. "A thousand times you told me, but stupidly I believed…" Leviathan laughed with quiet tears running down his face. "I didn't listen. I was so stupid."

"Leviathan, listen, this wasn't your fault."

Leviathan laughed with no humour. "I find that hard to believe. I practically walked into my cell and closed the door."

"Leviathan, what happened to you –what was done to you, wasn't your fault."

"Wasn't it? They told me it's been a year. A year. I had a year for think about this, so don't pretend you know more than I do about what happened. I should have killed him or at the very least let you kill him when you offered. Killed him, his entire family and even their human pets," Leviathan spat, his head cradled in his hands between his knees.

"Is that what you want to do with him; kill him?" Charles asked. The old Leviathan –the Leviathan he knew thirteen months ago- wouldn't have even considered it.

"Dad told me you are the reason he now walks free."

"Yes," Charles responded.

"Why?"

Charles hesitated. The Leviathan he knew wouldn't have liked the honest answer, but this Leviathan… "Because it's inconvenient to kill him if he is in a secure location," Chares answered truthfully. He owed Leviathan at least that. "But I will do whatever you wish with him. Just know that I can't let him walk unpunished. Not this time."

"I…" Leviathan raised his head from between his knees and met Charles' eyes, his face going from rage to heart breaking sorrow to confusion. Leviathan opened and closed his mouth a few times. "Can I think about it?" Leviathan finally asked after a long moment of struggling with what to say.

Charles nodded and they fell into a thick silence. Charles hesitated, but finally spoke his mind. "I didn't mean – I don't mean to say that you have to make this choice. I can make it for you, if you prefer."

"I want him to suffer. I do," Leviathan looked at Charles in the eyes with such a deep hatred and anguish that Charles believed him. "I want to multiply everything that I suffered by a hundred. But I can't – this has to end for me. I can't move on and be in that cell at the same time." Leviathan sighed, rested his head against the wall and turned his face to the ceiling. "I'm not even sure if I'm making any sense. It feels like he wins if I kill him. For years he, and everyone else, tried to change me. If I kill him they all win. They finally broke me. I don't know. I should just kill him and be over with it, right?"

They have changed you, my friend. You cannot walk out of a year of torture the same. "I'm not the best person to ask," Charles simply said. Leandro was banking of Leviathan not killing him and even on his protection. Charles struggled to hide the burning anger he felt.

"Tom?" Leviathan asked.

Charles nodded a bit. "Living with a sociopath does make you more flexible." The truth was probably more complicated than that but Charles was willing to keep Leviathan's image of him as a good guy with a sociopath brother. An unconscious smile came to Charles' lips thinking about Tom. "Just last week I had to convince him that genocide was not a career option." Not that the electives for third year predisposed themselves for it, but they opened the conversation to future career plans.

"Did he agree?" Leviathan asked sounding vaguely worried and temporarily distracted from his dark thoughts.

"I'm not too sure, but he did agree it was a financially unsound plan. " Thankfully his mother had been able to steer him to sociopath-friendly, above the table career options. Like Head of Auror office, Head of Magical Law Enforcement, Journalist, or Ministry of Magic employee. "And before that he wanted to celebrate his birthday by killing all of his blood family." That his mother had not known.

"And?"

Charles shrugged. "At least for this year they are alive. I'm not sure I can bribe him with Elemental Magic from the Persians each year."

"… Charles?"

"Yes?"

"Is that why we are having out-of-season, catastrophic storms?"

"…Of course not… That would be highly illegal… Besides, they are not catastrophic storms." They were pretty bad but Charles regretted nothing. It took Tom eight months to learn how to control such magic. Eight months of keeping a sociopath busy was worth a little snow in August.

"You love him, don't you?" Leviathan asked.

Charles raised his eyebrows in surprise at the question but responded with a smile and an easy "I do."

"And he loves you," Leviathan responded firmly.

Charles looked at him strangely. "Tom doesn't love. He consumes," he answered as if it was something Leviathan should know.

"I'm beginning to think they are one and the same."

Charles' face was disbelieving. Leviathan tried to hide a smile and they lapsed into a more comfortable silence. The fire or maybe the conversation had made Charles warm enough that he took his sweater off, balled it and put it to his right.

"I've never asked about those scars on your wrist," Leviathan suddenly commented.

Charles looked down at his hands. A jagged scar circled both of his wrists, only just visible under the sleeve of his shirt. Charles tugged the sleeves so that they covered the scars completely.

"You've never asked," Charles responded; uncomfortable about where this conversation was headed.

"I'm asking now."

Charles looked up to Leviathan that was carefully observing him. Charles thought about deflecting, changing the conversation, lying or simply not answering, but something told him that this was not the moment. Charles closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He couldn't ask Leviathan to open up if he couldn't do the same.

"It's funny," Charles started, his eyes traveling back to where the scars were hidden. "I've had so many injuries throughout the years. Injuries far worse and they heal without scars… The healers say the incident caused so much emotional trauma that my subconscious won't let the scars heal."

"What happened?" Leviathan asked, for the first time moving so he was facing Charles instead of the bed. Charles wished Leviathan hadn't moved. It was easier to have this conversation if he could pretend he was alone. He had only told this story to Tom. Not even his parents had asked for details.

"I had my wrists tied with rope, I had to be around six, I don't remember exactly. I'm not sure if you are aware but I have some Veela in me from my mother's side. My grandmother was Half."

Leviathan snorted, "I know."

"Right," Charles nodded sharply, "Well, Veela magic is limited to fire but it's easier to control. Comes more naturally, I guess. It was all I had at the time so I used it to burn the ropes and as they melted they burned right through my skin. The smell of skin and fat burning is very different from anything else. It's hard to forget. The skin bubbled like water and turned black without feeling… I also have this from that night." Charles grabbed the edge of his shirt; he hesitated for a breath and then pulled it up and away. This was not the first time Leviathan had seen him shirtless but this was the first time that Charles was letting him study his scars. On his left shoulder was the David's scar that had been burned with a fire poker.

Leviathan's finger traced the scar slowly with cold fingers until Charles moved his shoulder in a shrug to dislodge it.

"It really wasn't the worse thing I had suffered at the time and nothing truly happened to us that night. I got a little beat up, but it could have been worse." It had also been the first time he killed. It hadn't been a clean kill either. He repeatedly stabbed two men to death with a metal pencil. He traced the raised, deformed skin. Every dip and peak was a familiar and well-traced path. A small reminder of the mental trauma he carried around. Seeing TOM on the underside of his wrist made him breath a little easier.

Charles felt Leviathan's finger again but this time tracing down the long lash marks. He closed his eyes and let his head fall forward. The only other person that traced his scars was Tom.

"And this?"

"Old magic Sacrificial ritual for protection," Charles explained. A shiver ran through his back. "I still have nightmares about it. I'm not sure I could ever go through it again."

"I won't have any scars from the... from my time there."

Charles retrieved his shirt from the floor and slipped it on. He had enough of feeling vulnerable and exposed. Charles looked back and held Leviathan's eyes feeling a hundred years old.

"You will," Charles said with regret. "Maybe not the physical kind but you won't ever be the same person that walked in."

"How did you get over it?" Leviathan asked in a whisper.

"I brought you this," Charles dug out from his pocket a tube and passed it to Leviathan. "Thought you might need it."

Leviathan turned the bottle in his hands. It was a mixture that Charles had invented some years back at the start of their friendship when Leviathan was a barely tolerated test subject in exchange for 'spying'.

"Charles, how did you get over it?" Leviathan asked again without looking up from the bottle.

Charles' lips tensed and his jaw twitched but he did not respond. Leviathan opened bottle. The underside of the cap had three familiar spikes. The inside of his elbow was covered with triangle-shaped points. Even after a year they hadn't faded. Leviathan turned the cap the other way and secured the cap again with the spikes out, raised his left arm and stabbed himself. The liquid in the bottle disappeared through his veins. Another three-point scar was added to his collection. He sighed in pure bliss. Leviathan did not insist again on an answer that deep down he knew and has always known.

They moved to the bed at Charles' insistence that his bum hurt and that Leviathan could suffer just as well in the bed as in the floor.

"I heard we might be going to war with China," Leviathan commented absentmindedly.

"I haven't decided yet," Charles responded as he tried to make himself comfortable on the hard bed.

"What's stopping you?"

"I don't know. What's pushing me?"

Leviathan hummed seemingly more interested in how the light from the fire moved in the ceiling. "Who would they attack if they declare war? You are not well known and anyone who knows your real face is under contract."

"I have no idea," Charles responded as he gave up on the idea of being comfortable and simply spread out. His nose twitched with the dust and after a moment of waiting if he was going to sneeze continued, "But there's always an abundance of people who wish to betray me."

"Why are they mad? What's this war about?"

"No idea."

"What do you know?" Leviathan asked in exasperation.

"That I have to deal with this soon. Ross will quit if I keep dumping this shit on him."

"Ross is your slave?" Leviathan asked curiously. The name did sound familiar.

Charles laughed. "Close enough. He works for me. Makes the decisions when I'm not around." Neither mentioned that it was more often than not.

"Do you trust him that much?"

Charles shrugged. "I guess."

"You really don't want this, do you?"

"No, not really. I get that this opportunity is huge and that I could do a lot with it but I just can't right now. Mama…she's…we are making her comfortable," Charles blinked back the tears and continued, "Dad is barely holding on. I can't leave Tom alone for one moment or he'll set the baslik on the school. Penny is growing up and I feel that I'm missing it. I don't remember the last time I sat with Aby and really talked with her. Isaac is always a constant presence reminding me to save the galaxy from things I'm not really sure I understand without actually moving to help. I was too ambitious with making money that I now have too many things to take care of and I can't just say fuck it and leave them because too many people depend on that job to feed their families. And now this war China wants to have, on top of everything else, I just don't have time for it, you know?"

"How's," Leviathan swallowed, "How's Anna?" He had been afraid to ask if she had… passed away while he was…in the year he was away.

"She's… not getting better." Charles stopped and Leviathan waited a few minutes in silence for him to continue. "She stopped responding to the potions a few months ago. Her organs are failing. The potions she is on now let her continue without symptoms but… it won't be long now."

"Is there nothing else that can be done?" Leviathan asked a little desperately.

"I could build a body out of clay and stuff her soul in it. Make a deal with a Demon. Turn her into a Vampire. Find a solution in Black Magic… but other than that, no."

"She wouldn't like any of that."

"No. We talked about it. She feels that when the time comes, I should… let her go."

"I'm sorry."

"You should clean up this room. The dust in here is giving me allergies," Charles said with a thick voice as he sniffed and cleaned his tears. Leviathan wasn't sure if a hug would be welcomed so he laid a hand on his friend's shoulder in silent support.

"Leviathan," Charles said when he could speak without sobbing. "I don't want my mother's last memory of me to be going to war."

"Then don't. Go to China and resolve whatever problem they have."

Charles nodded stiffly. He doubted it was going to be that easy but ignoring it had only made it worse.

"And how are you doing?" Leviathan asked.

Charles shrugged. "I'm coping." There will be time to collapse after. Right now his family needed a sense of normalcy. "I'm sober now," Charles added.

"How did that miracle happen?"

"I have a nurse in school. For some reason she cares."

"That's good. I'm glad you have someone that cares up there."

"…and the potions?" Leviathan asked hesitantly. Charles problem with addiction was not a secret.

"I still need them to appear somewhat normal but I'm not drowning in them anymore."

"That's good. Really good, Charles. I'm proud."

"Thanks," Charles responded awkwardly.

They lapsed into silence. Charles closed his eyes. The sound of the storm hadn't abated, if anything it was getting stronger. The fire crackled as the logs shifted, the light danced even under his closed eyelids.

"I've been thinking a lot about Seraphim," Leviathan murmured. Charles opened his eyes and turned his face to Leviathan.

"He must have had a family at some point," Leviathan continued biting his lip. "Friends. Maybe even more."

"Yeah, probably," Charles responded, still confused.

"He has no one now and it has been like that since before anyone can remember." He turned to look at Charles. "Until you came along he was only seen once a century and had absolutely no care in the affairs of the world. He has you now." Charles' eyes widened and Leviathan felt the mix of confused and disbelieving feelings.

"Only you," Leviathan repeated, sure of it even if Charles would like to deny it until the end of time. "How sad is that?" he asked and went back to studying the ceiling, his feet hanging off the bed. "And how long is that going to last? You have no interest in him. You fear him; and worse you try your best to avoid him. He's going to lose you sooner or later and he knows that. That's why he takes every chance to see you. But after you are gone he is going to slip back again into that –that state of – of nothingness. I just… I just don't want to be like that, you know?" Leviathan turned sideways to face Charles again.

"And I did," Leviathan whispered anxiously. "I wanted to be like that. To be like him. It was my dream. No, more than a dream. It was like my obsession. There was nothing else I wanted more. To be powerful, feared, envied and worshipped. But I didn't know what it meant to be him. What he had to give up. What I would have to give up. You've always told me you never wanted this. When we met you tried your best to go unnoticed. I... I should've listened to you. There's nothing here but pain and loneliness. Fame and glory can only be seen from the outside in. Inside it's just a cage, isn't?"

It is, Charles wanted to say. Charles didn't like to think about a more human Seraphim and he absolutely did not want to think about Leviathan in a thousand years. The vampire was not yet twenty and the flawed, cheerful, silly and immature Leviathan he met when he was seven was slowly disappearing. They were shaping him up to be the monster his name claimed him to be. Perhaps in a thousand years no one will ever believe that this vampire had once been young, silly and stupid. There will be no one alive to remember that he made mistakes, judged too quickly, gave his heart without reservation and was fiercely loyal to his friends and family. Charles felt infinitely sad about this.

"You shouldn't want to be like Seraphim," And I hope you never become like Seraphim, Charles thought.

"Do you still want to become an Elder?" Charles asked, unwilling to delve deeper into Seraphim's obsession with him.

"Right now I have little want of anything. But assuming someday I have the strength to move, what else is there for me?"

"Everything. Anything. The entire world. I'm not sure why you think Elder is your only path."

"Both of my parents are Elders. It's the whole reason for my existence."

"So? My parents are farmers."

"I can't quite see you as a farmer; maybe in a few years, when you fill out, posing as a half-naked farmer for a raunchy magazine," Leviathan responded with a smirk and wiggle of his eyebrows.

Charles laughed. "That's awful. I'll never do that."

"To the pity of many, I'm sure."

"Had life been different, I probably would have been a farmer." Charles looked up at the ceiling and tried to remember his childhood home. Each year it was harder to remember the details. "I probably would have hated it. But now, I dream about a sun-soaked piece of land in the middle of nowhere with endless green grass and a cool morning breeze."

"I'm confused, is this supposed to motive me to become an Elder or not?"

Charles smiled. "I don't know."

"You know something that really pisses me off?" Leviathan asked.

"What?"

"I had a ticket to the concert of the century that I bought five years ago. And I was going to go. It's stupid that after all that has happened that's what has me mad, but I really wanted to go."

"When was it?" Charles asked and sat in the bed crossing his legs. It really was an uncomfortable bed.

Leviathan sighed. "What time is it?"

Charles cheeked his pocket watch. "Five in the morning"

"Is it that late?" Leviathan asked in surprise.

"Yeah."

Leviathan sighed regretfully, "It ended an hour ago."

"You want to still go?" Charles asked.

"It's over by now Charles."

"That's why time-turners were invented."

"I'm preeetty sure that was not the reason."

"It's a good of a reason as any."

"You don't have a ticket," Leviathan countered.

"I'll buy it at the entrance."

"They were sold out two years ago. And any sold now will cost a fortune."

Charles gave Leviathan a flat look. "I think I can afford it. Worse case I'll sneak in."

"You'd be the only human."

"I'm used to the attention. Besides I finally got issued my ID orb and I haven't had the chance to try it."

"I'm not sure if I'm up to it." Leviathan finally admitted. "Wait, you got issued an ID orb? That's like really rare for a Wizard."

"We can go see what's the big deal is and leave."

"Are you going like that?" Leviathan asked, looking at his clothes and the bunched up Christmas sweater in August.

"I look fine," Charles defended. Leviathan arched an eyebrow.

Charles sighed in fond resignation, "I can change."

Leviathan rubbed his face and passed a hand through his dirty, matted hair. "I can go to the next one."

"No, let's go to this one. I might not be alive for the next one and I'm curious about Vampire music."

"You are curious about Vampires?" Leviathan asked in surprise.

"You're surprised?" Charles asked with a frown.

"Well, yeah. You never ask me about anything of my world."

Charles shrugged a little self-consciously. "I didn't actually know you had ID orbs or concerts."

"Charles! We are not savages who only come out to steal an unsuspecting human's blood!"

"Of course not. No one denies that Vampires are the worse gossips of the entire Magical World." Leviathan's eyes narrowed. "Ok, so, seriously? I know you have an organized government and laws, of course, and I know you have at least one place of higher education called 'The Academy'. I've never seen it, but I've heard a little of it," Charles scrunched his nose and admitted, "students sometimes shadow me for extra class credit, but other than that I don't know much."

Leviathan glared at him and raised his chin. "You are a World Leader," the vampire began in what Charles knew was going to be a long and theatrical monologue. Charles rolled his eyes, but deep down very glad to see Leviathan acting normally.

"If you are going to judge me," Charles started with a mock glare, "let me first remind you that when you were fourteen you didn't believe muggles could think or talk."

Leviathan's puffed chest full of righteous indignation collapsed. "It was unnecessary to go there."

"Besides," Charles said, "You're my only Vampire friend." Leviathan's eyes softened.

"You're right. I've been remiss in my duties as your official Vampire Friend! Yes, it's an official title; and yes, I expect a pay check the fifteen of every month."

"If Seraphim approves it," Charles told him with a smirk.

"…fine, I'll do it as charity work because I'm such a kind hearted soul. But do keep in mind that Norwegian Ridgeback leather boots and Phoenix feather hats are not cheap."

"Noted."

"So first order of business," Leviathan started and then looked uncertain, "…the concert?"

Charles nodded and dug out the time turner from his pocket.

"How big is that pocket of yours?" Leviathan asked. Charles ignored him, wrapped the chain around the vampire's neck and his. "10pm?" Charles asked.

"If we must," Leviathan responded sullenly.

"Best concert of the century remember? You bought the tickets years ago. We must. Let's not give him the satisfaction of taking this too."

Leviathan's eyes shinned with something more and he nodded. With a turn of the time turner they left.

-0-0-

"It's a door?" Charles asked surprised. "Like an actual door that you push and enter?" It was a little after eleven. They had changed and made their way to the entrance of the Vampire community of England. The door was not even a very special door. It was bigger than the usual standard size and presumably lead to an apartment complex, which was a good excuse as any to have people coming in and out at all times but strangers not able to get in. The light blue paint of the door was chipped, the handle bended and overall, it was dirty.

"Well, yeah," Leviathan answered. Leviathan wore a simple grey tunic and black pants, his hair was clean and detangled but otherwise it simply hanged around his shoulders. No makeup, hats or glitter. Charles was unused to seeing Leviathan so…plain. It didn't look like Leviathan.

"It's never a door," Charles insisted.

"If not a door then what?"

"A wall."

"A wall?"

"To the train station, the London market, the dorm rooms at Hogwarts they are all walls. It's never a door."

"That's weird."

…how do we get in?"

Leviathan sighed. "Now you are being ridiculous."

"Do we need to draw runes in blood? Speak a password?"

"No, we just cross the door. The orbs are enough."

"Will Seraphim know I used the orb?" Charles asked worriedly.

"Most likely." He looked down to Charles and with a hint of hope asked, "Do you wish to just leave?"

"No, no," Charles responded rapidly. "Just wondering. Let's go."

"You sure you don't want to look older or different?" Leviathan asked one last time.

"No, it's ok. I don't really expect anyone to notice me."

"You have a fragile grasp on reality," Leviathan told him but all the same opened the door.

Charles had a growth spurt this summer and while not as tall as Leviathan, he was at least shoulder level with the tall vampire. At Leviathan's insistence he had changed to something more appropriate. Navy long sleeved button down shirt, black trousers and dress shoes.

At the other side of the door was a town square with a large water fountain in the centre framed by a circle of buildings from markedly distinct eras and roads leading out. Charles' mouth fell open in shock and he openly gaped. The cobblestone shimmered with a subtle blue, white and green that lighted up the roads. The sky was full of the most brilliant display of lights he had ever seen. Sun-like spheres danced in the sky with their counterparts of light-absorbing spheres while millions of small colour-changing streaks of lights drifted in and out. The people gathered in the town square walked in and out of stores, talked by the fountain and generally went about their festive night without an upwards glance. Charles couldn't imagine ever being so used to the light display to not be distracted by it. Charles crouched down to touch the glowing stone. He has never seen anything like it.

"We are in Acrasia, which is Sector 9 and we need to be at Chiliad on Sector 2. If we take a left now to Discerp and turn to Internecine we should avoid the crowds."

Leviathan started walking and only halfway noticed that Charles was still blocking the entrance.

"Charles, come on!" Leviathan called, "We want to get there before it's impossible to move up the street." Charles jogged to catch up with Leviathan and he couldn't help notice that among the Vampires, humans drifted in and out as comfortable with the scenery as any Vampire.

"How many sectors are there?" Charles asked Leviathan as they set out walking.

"54," Leviathan responded distractedly. Charles couldn't help to notice that he seemed uncomfortable walking among the crowd and avoided touching others.

"54?!" Charles exclaimed gobsmacked, a trill running through his back at the thought of exploring.

Leviathan looked back with a smile and when he explained it was with a hint of pride. "Sector one all the way to fifteen are commercial, sixteen to forty residential, and forty-one has all the schools. Forty-two and forty-three are industrial. Forty-four has a community park and lake, forty-five to fifty governmental buildings, post office, id-orb department and things like that. Fifty to fifty three houses important visitors, some Elders live there too."

"And fifty-four?"

"The Supreme Elder has fifty-four," Leviathan said stiffly.

"Seraphim has an entire sector?"

"Of course. And call him Supreme Elder while we are here, some consider it offensive to be so familiar with the Supreme Elder."

"I'm not familiar with him," Charles grumbled.

Leviathan smiled, "You are the closest to a teddy bear he has."

More like a bird in a cage, Charles thought bitterly.

Leviathan dragged him by the wrist while Charles' neck whipped from one side to another, unwilling to miss anything of this strange new place. The stores sold some things he expected like high-end blood and blood products, but also things he hadn't imagined like prosthetic teeth, blood-scented candles, and hats for the rare sunny day. Human children laughed at a side street puppet show while their parents or caretaker talked nearby. Mix Vampire-Human couples walked the streets holding hands. They passed by a child with slanted vampire eyes but otherwise human crying over not having candy while the parents, a female vampire and a human male watched impassively. It was fascinating.

Charles pulled his hand out of Leviathan's grasp to pushed himself through the crowd and to a street vendor off the street. Leviathan followed with a frown and pursed lips. Charles looked at the lights trapped in crystal globes that looked identical to the ones still dancing in the sky. A seven-year old human girl with her human mother had just finished buying one. The girl held the bauble close to her face and looked at it with the same rapt attention Charles was giving it. To Charles' surprise, she broke the crystal and the light escaped, dancing around her before shooting up to join the others.

"Wasn't that neat, Mary?" the mother asked and the girl nodded furiously as they walked away.

"How much?" Charles asked the vendor, a vampire with a messy beard and shaggy hair.

"Sixteen aurei." At Charles blank face he expounded, "400 silver denarii."

Charles looked at Leviathan expectantly. Leviathan rolled his eyes and paid the man with sixteen golden coins.

"This is an aureus," Leviathan explained, showing him a golden coin. "This is a solidus," a larger silver coin, "and this one," a small bronze coin, "a denarii."

Charles traced the markings of the gold coin. "1 aureus is worth 10 solidus or 25 silver denarii."

"I haven't seen this since the reign of Nero," Charles commented distractedly, to the confusion of both vampires. Leviathan ignored the comment and passed the crystal bubble with a trapped light inside.

"Is 16 aureus expensive?" Charles asked.

"Very," Leviathan responded. "20 Galleons."

Charles held it to his face and watched the almost sentient ray of light dance inside its cage.

"You are supposed to break it," the vendor explained watching him with curiosity. Charles did. The light circled him a few times and just like the girl's it shot upwards and joined the dance. Charles's smile was contagious. Leviathan couldn't help but smile at the rare moment of child-like wonder in his friend.

"It will always find you if you need light," Leviathan explained.

"Anywhere or just here?"

"Just here."

They kept walking but Leviathan slowed his pace so Charles could enjoy the street performances.

"Do we have time to enter the bookstore?" Charles asked. Limerance, a large red and gold sign proudly proclaimed with the opening hours. Leviathan looked at the tall tower in the distance with the clock that read eleven and a half.

"Just a quick look," Charles pressed when Leviathan hesitated. Leviathan nodded and they entered. Charles gaped at the size of the store. It was big and bright with red carpets and tall ceilings.

"Appropriate name," Charles commented.

"It means something?" Leviathan asked. "I always assumed it was a family name."

"Limerance is the initial exhilarating rush of falling in love," a sharply dressed vampire with brown hair and deep brown eyes responded coming to stand in front of them. "It's nice to see you in good health, Master Leviathan. How may I help you tonight?" the newcomer asked with a polite smile.

"Oh we are just looking," Leviathan responded at the same time that Charles asked, "Where are the books on Demons?"

The vampire raised an eyebrow but only commented, "Right this way. Is there anything in specific you are looking for?" the vampire asked without looking back.

Charles looked at Leviathan silently asking if he could trust this vampire. Leviathan nodded with such certainty that it surprised Charles.

"Demon-human relationships," Charles finally responded. The Vampire stopped, an interested gleam in his eyes where before there had been polite disinterest.

"Unless relationship is an euphemism for war, slavery, destruction and death, you are not going to find much."

Charles frowned.

"The only demon-human relationship ever recorded," the vampire continued, "happened in the last Demon War with the Wizard representative of the Treaties that managed the first ever peace settlement with the Demon Amon. Rumours say they keep in contact."

"That can't be the only time it has ever happened," Charles said with a sceptical raise of brow.

The vampire smiled in amusement, "It is, in fact, the only verified occurrence in history. Say, what did you say your name was?"

"What about a Demon attaching itself to a Witch like a familiar?" Charles asked, ignoring the question.

"Are you suggesting that a demon is acting like a magical pet? You are going to have to explain better."

Charles hesitated. He needed the information but trusting someone to help him was not something he was used to.

"I have worked in this store for the last century. I know every book in here, if the information you are looking is in here, I will know where to find it."

Charles sighed and looked at Leviathan, "I don't know if I've mentioned it, but Penny has a demon-cat."

"A what?" Leviathan asked with a frown.

"A demon she shoved into the form of a cat so that she could keep it," Charles responded in annoyed resignation.

"And you let her?" Leviathan asked aghast.

"Of course, not," Charles snapped, angry that it had even been questioned. "I've tried to get rid of it countless time with no success." He breathed deeply; the next part was harder to admit. "Here's the thing I don't quite understand…" and he had exhausted all of his resources trying to find an answer, "She controls it."

"Charles, no one can control a demon. Wizards who tried in the past were annihilated. There's almost no centuars left because of them."

"He's right," the bookkeeper commented with a thoughtful frown.

"I know, I know," Charles responded, "It's hard to explain, but they have a bond." The worry in his voice was unmistakable. "I can see it and feel it. Her magic is different and connected to the demon. I believe that killing the demon would harm her. Low-level demons have a beehive mind. Penny's mind now has that same echo and the thing is… I'm not sure if it's because the demon or that she had it before and that's why she can connect with the demon."

"Charles…witches don't have beehive minds. They also don't control demons," Leviathan responded seriously.

"You have a four possibilities," the new Vampire told them, and Charles looked at him expectantly, hoping the vampire might guide him to an answer, "the witch is not a witch," Charles scoffed, "the demon is not a demon, both of them are not what they seem or a rare, one-of-a-kind set of circumstances are to blame."

"So no book on that?" Charles asked as confirmation.

The vampire smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he responded with a simple, "No book on that."

Charles nodded, disappointed but not really surprised. He had looked into his supressed memories of countless lifetimes and had found nothing similar.

"It was nice meeting you, Representative," the vampire said as he walked them to the exit.

Charles' eyes turn to Leviathan in silent curiosity.

"Oh come on, Charles," Leviathan responded with familiar exasperation, "it's well known that I only have one friend and even if he had never seen you, everyone has heard of you. Besides, not many thirteen year olds humans go in asking for information on demons." Leviathan grabbed him by the shoulders and guided him through the mass of people now moving in the same direction. "Damn, we only have ten minutes to get there."

The closer they got, the more people crowded the streets and they had to move like one single entity, shuffling forward. Charles' was still entertained by the lights, the sounds and the people. They passed by sweet smelling bakeries and giant toyshops and peaceful cafes. As distracted as he was, he couldn't help notice Leviathan's growing anxiety. Leviathan was sweating profusely and his eyes shifted nervously from side to side.

"Leviathan," it took a couple of calls before Leviathan finally looked down with manic eyes.

"Please, let's get out of here," Leviathan begged.

Charles looked around for a place they might hide out while the crowd died down. To the left was a place called: Lopeholt Bar and Grill. Charles pulled Leviathan to the place.

"Why this place?" Leviathan asked.

"The name." Charles answered. "It promises to be a refuge." Charles opened the door and let Leviathan enter first. The place was mostly deserted. It had dark wooden floors and deep green walls that were filled with posters and photos. The low ceiling and dim lights gave it a cave-like feeling. A small stage filled with musical instruments was to the back and a bar to the right. The tables were round and large enough for six people. Only one table was occupied. The server and bartender looked bored and wishing they were outside on their way to the concert rather than working.

The server went out to meet them. "ID orbs, please?" she asked with a forced smile.

Leviathan handed his first and she slipped it into a cube that lighted blue, she took the orb out and handed it back. Charles gave his next and the cube lighted red. She raised her brows and looked at Charles intently as she gave the orb back.

"What do the colours mean?" Charles asked as the server led them to a table. Leviathan looked pale and sweaty but calmer now that they were away from the crowd.

"Status."

Charles frowned, "I thought the ID orbs were for basic information."

They sat and were given menus.

"That too. Name, age, family, conclave, and sector. But that's only ever used if a minor gets lost. They are mainly used to move around sectors and to check criminal records. Almost every place denies you entrance if you have an active criminal record, which would show as black. With a standard green orb you can get around commercial sectors, yellow is someone who lives here and so they can go to the residential sectors. When I was a student I had orange and that let me enter school. Now that I'm training to be an Elder I have blue that lets me go to up to the fifty-three."

"And red?"

"No limits. You can go to any sector."

"Really?" Charles raised his brows in surprise. "Even fifty-four?" he challenged.

Leviathan looked down at the orb Charles still had in his hand.

"Yes," Leviathan responded and looked up at Charles' eyes with a half-smirk that dared Charles to doubt his theory now. "But fair warning that if you step into sector fifty-four, chances are you are never leaving it."

Charles flung a peanut from the peanut tray at Leviathan. "That's not funny."

Leviathan grabbed the peanut mid-air and shoved it to his mouth. "Good, cause it wasn't a joke."

"Anyway, what do you mean with active criminal record."

"If they are a danger to humans or vampires, or have been in the last decade. After a decade with no crimes it turns back to yellow."

Charles wanted to ask about the humans but didn't want to come out as insensitive or offensive.

"Out with it. Your curiosity is making me itchy."

"The humans…at that conference they were forced and drugged and called blood bags. Here they are friends, spouses, adored daughters and sons." It looked more like a symbiotic relationship versus the parasitic one he was more used to seeing with the Elders.

"Here things are different."

"Did you know that?" Charles pressed. Leviathan had been surprised with the depth of his feelings that first time, enough to approach him and almost blow his cover.

"No. My parents are traditionalist," Leviathan said with heaviness. "They don't agree with modern ways of viewing mortals. I've only been to sectors one to fifteen four times, the first time being a year after my birthday disaster." He looked a Charles pleadingly, "They are good people, but…"

"Don't worry, I understand," Charles cut in. "My dad is pretty conservative too. Does Seraphim, I mean Supreme Elder Seraphim," Charles quickly corrected, "knows or approve of…the mixing?" Charles wasn't certain how to phrase it.

"He encourages it."

"Really?" Charles asked with surprise.

"Yeah, many of the Elders disapprove but it's Supreme Elder Seraphim so…"

"They don't call him King for nothing, huh? I think I learned more today than in four years of endless reunions."

"You'd learn more if you bothered to listen," Leviathan harped.

Charles made a noncommittal sound and pointedly elevated his menu.

The waiter came in, pretending she hadn't been eavesdropping the entire time with a big smile. " Are you guys ready to order?" she asked.

Charles frowned. "We're eating, right?" he asked Leviathan.

"I'm starving," Leviathan admitted.

"Good. Then give the Dragon steak –is that even legal?" the girl shrugged, "Rare or cooked?" she only asked. "Medium done, with potatoes. And the orange juice with Fairy Tears." That he knew was illegal, but mouth-watering. He was an alcohol addict that was sober at a bar. He was allowed Fairy Tears and anything else he damn well pleased by some unnamed, unmade law.

"I'll have the fresh blood of a virgin, willingly given and harvested on the full moon."

"Male or female?"

"Male, if you have, please."

"We can add mint leaves at an extra 2 denarii."

"That sounds lovely, thanks."

Charles' brows scrunched in confusion. "Does it affect the taste if it's virgin or the sex?"

"A bit. Some can taste the difference and other don't."

"And you?" Charles asked with a sceptical raise of brow.

Leviathan smiled and shrugged. Soft music started playing.

"That's the recording of the last concert they did."

"It's beautiful," Charles admitted. It was possibly the most beautiful piece he had ever heard. Soft and haunting.

"They say that you can feel the emotions when you hear them play live," Leviathan almost whispered, not wanting to speak over the music.

The food arrived by the second song. As the bar had filled in with more people that had failed to enter the concert, the noise level rose and it was difficult to hear the music in the background.

"It's good," Charles exclaimed with happiness after the first bite of his meat. "But I'm pretty sure we made laws regulating the hunt of Dragons. I think it was in the same session we talked about the overcrowding of Unicorns."

Leviathan looked at the ceiling as he thought about it. "I'm not sure either. Dragon boots are still easy to find. Besides, you don't seem too worried about the Fairy Tears and those are definitely illegal."

Charles tried the first sip of his orange juice with Fairy Tears and closed his eyes in bliss. "I would enslave the whole species to have this every day," Charles said jokingly.

Leviathan raised an eyebrow. "You probably would," he responded.

"They are actually tears of happiness so I would be very committed to their happiness," Charles defended. "And we use Phoenix Tears, I'm not sure why Fairy products are illegal. They make the best honey."

They continued on talking about everything and nothing until the check arrived and they left the bar an hour later. By then every table had filled.

"Where do you want to go now?" Leviathan asked.

"You want to try going to the second act of the concert?"

"Not really. I'm not sure I can handle getting stuck in a place I can't leave," Leviathan said with a pain-filled grimace.

Charles nodded in understanding. "You mentioned a park; think it's open?"

"Probably. Never been there."

"Up for it?"

Leviathan hesitated, clearly wanting to say no, but in the end slowly nodded. They walked slowly, stopping every now and then to see a store.

"I think is through here," Leviathan said when they reached an iron gate. Charles yawned as they crossed the gate. The park was a gently manicured forest that had no visible end with the sky lights giving it an ethereal glow.

"Tired?" Leviathan asked as they started the trail.

"Dead tired, this is my third run of this night." At Leviathan questioning glance, Charles explained. "First time with Tom, the second with you in your room and the third time here." Charles looked up as snowflakes gently fell. "It's one in the morning. The storm is starting."

Leviathan snorted.

"Hey look! My light," Charles pointed at the small light that was steadily getting larger as it neared. It stopped a few meters above their heads and followed them on the trail giving off a soft white light.

"You know, that was a pretty expensive light. I expected more," Charles complained with a frown. Leviathan snorted and silently agreed.

They walked until they reached a valley with the lake. Families and couples sat in the grass or walked around the shore.

"This place is beautiful," Leviathan murmured. The lake reflected the lights in the sky that danced to a silent tune. The closest comparison was the Aurora Borealis but even that paled to its beauty.

"It is," Charles agreed. They walked to the shore and Charles dropped to the wet grass under the dubious protection of a large tree. The snow was falling harder with each passing minute.

"We should leave," Leviathan said as the wind picked up and the scattering of people moved to leave.

Charles looked up and could almost feel the powerful magic that fed the storm.

He nodded. "I have it on good authority it's going to be a bad storm."

"Weird for August, don't you think?" Leviathan commented with a small smile.

"Weirder things have happened. Did you hear that Lestar Monsomary was found in the Alps?"

"Wasn't he the fugitive goblin?"

-0-

Charles opened one bleary eye. His first thought was that Tom looked entirely too pleased with himself.

"Did someone die?" he asked, too asleep to sound properly concerned.

"No," Tom responded with a snigger. With a herculean effort Charles opened both eyes. "Now I'm worried," he rasped.

"It's here! Vacation is over at last."

Charles covered himself with the thick duvet and tried to block of the sound. But it was too late, his mind caught up with the date.

First day of third year.

He could already hear the screams on the first floor of their small, temporary home.

"It says I can take a cat!" Penny screeched. It was a wonder he had not woken before now. It seemed as if the fight had been going for a long time.

"Penny you are not taking that demon to a school!" Frank bellowed. "I don't care what the letter says!"

Charles dragged a pillow and pressed it against his face to block out the noise. A sociopath, a demon and his little sister all in Hogwarts. It promised to be a hellish year.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

me: maybe I'll have more time this semester

medschool: lol, child.

Huge thanks to everyone that kept me motivated by reviewing or messaging! Please tell me your thoughts on this chapter: what you liked, didn't like, was surprised by, expect to happen, errors...