Bottled Fate

Chapter Two... The Things We Hide


Two months later...


*He was driving her crazy!* Alexandra Moody watched her friend's constant pacing and listened to him rant. Truth be told if he were anyone else he'd be wearing on her last nerve. As it was, she had to turn down his request for the temp job she had open and worst part of it was she hadn't wanted to. Harry Potter was more than qualified for the position and that was the real rub. The deadline for the opening to be filled was coming ever closer and the new Headmaster was breathing down her neck about it.

"Harry please relax! Your going to wear a place in the floor. I want to help you but my hands are officially tied in this matter. If I had my way the job would be yours. As it is Uncle Alastor is going to tear me a new one if I don't find a suitable replacement before the start of school year," she declared as she tucked a couple of strands of her blond hair behind her ear.

Snorting at his friend of two years Harry whined, "I can't help it Alex. It's like I can't just sit on my bum and do nothing. Hell, I can't stay still for even a few seconds before I've got the urge to do something. Only thing is now I no longer have anything to do!" Harry stalked to the window on the other side of the room and pointed to what Alex was sure was every witch and wizard journalist they had in the world.

Harry looked like a dark rain cloud as he surveyed his problem. She knew reporters surrounded the house and would hound him from the second he left. After all he was know as the Man Who Saved Them All and Youngest Alchemist in over 600 years. Harry was a genius in that field and who's only equal would have been Nicolas Flamel had he still been alive. He'd captured Voldermort's soul into a stone and shattered it leaving the Dark Lord no hope of being resurrected. For this, the paparazzi dogged his every move.

"I thought that once the war was over I could finally put my teaching degree to use. Now I'm told by the bloody world that instead I have to strike a pose every two seconds. Why can't I just teach at the school and call it a day?" Harry wondered out loud exasperated.

"Listen, love, you're a celebrity and you know that just for that you'll never have a moment to yourself. Uncle Alastor is getting heat from the board of directors about not allowing you to teach. They think your social status would be too disruptive even if the job is temporary." Alex shifted in her chair behind the desk. Sometime she really pitied her friend. Being related to the well known Mad Eye Moody had made her enough of an outcast while growing up. She couldn't even begin to fathom what Harry had to go through. "What you need is to be someone they don't know."

"See that is just it, Alex, everyone knows me by my face and those who don't would recognize me by my scar." Harry asked her. "So, how am I going to keep my identity a secret?"

"Well, I've been giving that a bit of a think. Which as you know is always a dangerous thing." Grinning wickedly Alex held out to him an old stone mask. "And this is the answer. True, I know it is a bit simple but it would be affective once we give you another name."

Surprised the raven haired man inquired. "How will any of this help? The job would be based on a lie."

"Not if the name were a nick name, Harry love. If the Board bothers to look they will find your name on the application but if they don't we just won't enlighten them anytime soon."

"I don't know, Alex. What if the mask falls off? What then?" he asked.

"Thought of that too my friend. It has been spelled to ensure that the wearer doesn't have to worry with it falling off or anyone grabbing it and removing it. The enchantment makes sure that only you can take it off once you put it on. " Her Ravenclaw side showing through.

He walked away from the window and over to the desk. There was a heavy wave of magic that surrounded the artifact that pulsed and called out to him. Accepting the fragile looking mask, Harry looked closely at it and arched a brow at her. It was a half mask really, as it would leave the bottom half of the face exposed. Harry ran his fingers lovingly over the ancient golden Egyptian hieroglyphs engraved deep into the sandstone before removing his glasses and putting it on. Amused that his vision had cleared up as if he were still wearing his glasses, Harry turned toward the mirror that covered the far office wall by the fireplace to see how he looked. Moving his head from one side to the other, the ex-Gryffindor admired the polished sandstone as it gleamed in the light of the flames. It made his eyes stand out and his hair framed the mask as if it really were a part of him.

Harry smirked a little at how ridiculous he felt but by the same rights he experienced a kind of freedom long since denied. He looked like sexual demon come to life wearing his beige form fitting button up shirt, matching suede trousers, and boots all added to the mystery of the man looking back at him. Turning back to Alex, the raven haired man smiled at the startled look on her face. He couldn't help himself, Harry laughed. It was a deep rumbling laugh that started from the center of his being and rolled out in a sexy husky way that could leave the person it is directed at weak at the knees.

"Bloody hell, Harry. If I didn't know it was you I'd have sworn you were an Incubus." Alex exclaimed shakily.

This whole thing was stupid really. Then, why was it so damn funny to him? He shouldn't have this sense of pleasure from Alex's comment but he was and for the first time since the war Harry felt alive. He could be anything behind this mask and no one would know except for Alex. He smiled as he walked to his friend and took her hand in his.

Kissing the palm, Harry whispered. "Do you want to be naughty with me?"

Alex was enchanted by this beautiful creature that was before her. Shadowed was the pain in his eyes. Hidden was his sorrow. How had this enigma come to be? Looking up at Harry, a mischievous gleam entered her gray eyes."What do you have in mind?"

"Didn't the headmaster say something about needing a substitute Magical Theory teacher to fill in until the new one could show up?" Harry asked almost innocently.

A down right evil laugh erupted from Alex. "As a matter of fact, yes. He has even asked me to look into it as he has been so busy with clean up after the war."

"And did we have someone in mind?" Leered her friend.

"I do now!" Exclaimed the witch. "How would you like the job?"

"Why, Alex, I'd love to work at Hogwarts. How ever did you know I was a certified substitute?" Harry smirked.

"A little birdie told me." Wrapping her arms about his neck and hugging him to her, Alex wondered out loud. "Are you up to this Harry? Not that I doubt you or anything but you've just been through hades and back. Are you sure your ready for teaching?"

"IF, and that is a big if, I were teaching DADA then I'd tell you I wasn't but this is just Magical Theory and it's only for three months. I have to find myself again and Hogwarts is a good place to start. It was my home for seven years. Besides, with this mask on no one will be the wiser and maybe I'll actually get to relax for a while."

"So be it, Jedi," Alex impersonated the Sith Lord from Return of the Jedi.

Harry rolled his eyes.

~~~~~~~~TBC~~~~~~~~~