Le Frère de Sang

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GENERAL DISCLAIMER - I do not own any of the characters used.

NOTES ON THE CHAPTER - I am still trying to communicate the grief Harry feels in this character and originally I was going to keep this chapter with the previous one. I split the two in the end though as this chapter is dealing with the consequences of the last couple of chapters and, of course, introducing two of the more vital characters needed in this story.

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Tuesday morning I woke on the floor of the bathroom. I hadn’t moved since yesterday morning but I forced myself up today. I turned off the shower I’d left on all of yesterday. I could hear the alarm in my bedroom and Blaise’s going off.

I stood up and gathered my clothes up again, this time not taking the pillow with me. I walked into my room and sent a blast of magic at the alarm clock. The shrill alarm stopped immediately, but so did the electricity powering the thing. I turned away. It was dead too now...

I walked into Blaise’s room and threw my clothes on his bed before hitting off his alarm. I moved into his en suite and turned on his shower. I moved under the spray and used his shampoo on my greasy hair. I used his shower gel. I dried with his towels. Then I got dressed and brushed my hair before magicing my mouth clean.

I noticed the bullet wound on my arm hadn’t been healed and the scab was still on my hand. I didn’t want to heal them. I looked down at one of my black shirts on the floor. I lifted it and demanded my magic tore it into shreds. I used the shreds to bandage my hand and my arm.

I moved into the kitchen and automatically moved to get something to eat out. I lifted the bowl from off the shelf then put it back again. I didn’t want to eat. I looked at the pile of dirty dishes, left over from Blaise and my last meal together. He said he’d do them in the morning but then he died.

“Incendio!” I yelled throwing my hand towards the pile of plates and cups. They burst into flame then the flames died out, having nothing to burn on. “DAMN YOU!”

I picked up a chair and threw it against the wall, it smashed and splintered but it wasn’t good enough. I grabbed the sides of the table and pushed it over. It fell with a satisfying bang to the floor. I snarled in anger. Rage boiled through my body, heating all my limbs up. I reached over and grabbed all the dirty plates from the sink and threw them to the floor. I threw mugs against the walls and threw glasses in any direction I cared.

Everything made a delightful smash as it impacted on the walls. I ruined everything. I broke all the plates immediately to hand and all the cups and glasses.

“Ooh...” I whimpered and sagged against the worktop. I glanced around the room and winced, turning my back on it. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to push myself into the cupboard under the stairs that was my mental landscape. I pushed up every shield I could think of, I used magic to seal the cracks in the wood, I turned the wood into metal and I filled up the gap between the door and the staircase.

I threw a hand behind me.

“Scougify.” Magic flowed gently out of me, as weary as I had become. It cleaned the room and erased the mess I’d caused. I turned and walked out of the room. I went to my room to grab my school bag. I hadn’t done my homework but what did that matter anyway. I didn’t even care to check if I had the right books.

At the front door I pulled on some shoes, a pair of converse all stars that Blaise had bought for me. I ran a hand through my still wet hair, it dripped onto my top. I couldn’t bring myself to care. I grabbed Blaise’s coat, pulled it on and hugged it around me before leaving the flat with my bag on my shoulder. I didn’t bother locking the door.

-

I reached school just in time for school to start. I found a space near the back of the classroom and slumped over my desk resting my head on my hands.

“Right class! Coats off! This is a science workshop; we do not wear coats in here. Hang your coats up, hang your bags up.” I stood to do as was asked of me but moved sluggishly. I didn’t want to move at all, I felt detached and tired. I put Blaise’s coat on a peg and hung my bag beneath it, pulling out a notepad, pen and the physics text book.

“Right I’m not going to teach you today. This is Mr Zeeman, he will be filling in for me. I have an important meeting to attend. Now I will take the register then I’ll leave you in Mr Zeeman’s capable hands. Now...Will Ackerly?”

“Here.”

I tuned out the register being taken, answering automatically to my name. I felt something bubble inside of me. It was a mixture of excitement, fear and grief. The teacher went further through the register.

I tried to take my mind off what was going to happen. I looked at the Mr Zeeman who’d be taking over the class. The people in the row behind me were saying he was from the junior school, usually taught the grade below what we were in. He didn’t look like any teacher I’d ever seen. He was broad and strong, he looked fierce and wild. He had brown wavy hair to his shoulders and a tan darker than mine. He looked overly dominating and as his solid brown eyes, a similar colour to Blaise’s, met mine. He stared hard at me before flicking his eyes over me and frowning slightly. I looked away.

“...Zabini? Blaise Zabini? Where is he?” I gasped slightly hearing the name but I didn’t turn around. I gripped the pen in my hand my gaze fixed on it as if it would do something amazing. “Mr Black, where is your brother?”

“Not here.” I answered quietly.

“I didn’t hear you and look at me when I’m talking to you.” I looked up at the teacher. “What did you say?”

“I said he isn’t here.” The teacher and several others scoffed.

“I can see that Mr Black but where is he?”

“Not here.”

“Why isn’t he here?” The teacher tried to change tack tic.

“He just isn’t.”

“Where is your brother Mr Black, I demand to know. He missed yesterday as well and I’ve been given no notices to tell me why he is absent. Now where is your brother?”

“HE’S DEAD!” I screamed at the teacher standing up so fast from my chair that it fell and hit the floor. “BLAISE IS DEAD! HE’S NOT HERE BECAUSE HE’S DEAD! HE WAS MURDERED SO HE CAN’T BE HERE BECAUSE HE’S DEAD! DEAD, DEAD, DEAD! IS THAT WHAT YOU WANTED TO KNOW YOU BASTARD!”

“Mr Black I’m so sorr...”

“SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP!” I screamed before collapsing against the table before me, tears streaming from my eyes. I tried to hide my face in my hand while the other hand held me up but my hand gave way, as did my legs. My mental shields slowly began to follow.

“Nooo...” I whimpered sinking completely to the floor. I tried to grip something, gain purchase on something that I could squeeze to give me an anchor but my blunt fingernails just slipped across the floor.

“Come on Mr Black, let’s get you up...” A hand reached out and slid under my arm in an effort to lift me up.

“Nooo.” I pulled my arm out of the grip and curled in on myself clutching my head. Emotions started filtering through gaps in my shields.

“Class I want you to collect your things and file orderly out of the room and into the lunch hall please.” I barely heard the voice, it sounded like somebody was talking through water.

“Mr Laundis, perhaps you should go with them. I’ll take care of Mr Black.” That voice didn’t slip slide in my hearing. I heard it well and clear. It was deep and resonated around. The floor vibrated slightly and patters and bangs made more vibrations. Then the vibrations eased away.

The emotions of everyone who had been in the room went away, faded as if they’d all moved further away. I could still feel those people above me and below me on the school levels, not to mention those to the classrooms to either side of the one I was in.

All emotions coming through walls seemed filtered, because of the walls they had to pass through. I could still feel one person’s emotions though quite clearly. I clutched my head, trying desperately to put up the mental shields. Every time I tried to mend the shields though I’d hear Mr Laundis saying Blaise’s name and my voice screaming out what had happened to him like a record broken on repeat in my mind.

“Come on Mr Black. Let’s get you into a chair.” A hand touched my shoulder trying to rouse me. I flinched back out of the way of the touch.

“Don’t touch me! I can’t...it hurts...don’t touch me...”

“What hurts Mr Black?”

“You hurt...your emotions...I can feel...can’t block it out...oh god...I can’t block it....”

“You’re empathic?” I moaned in despair, he knew. A muggle knew my secret. I was going to get into so much trouble...I’d get taken to a science lab, arrested and used in detective work, I’d lose my freedom...or I’d be snatched back into the Wizarding world and shoved into prison and go insane.

“Nononononono! I want Blaise! Why did they have to kill him?!” I cried burying my head into by arms and screaming out my agony. I sobbed loudly and messily.

When some others else entered the room sometime later I screamed at the pain and strain put on me. I could hear nothing above my own pain. Then hands touched me, manipulated my body before lifting me up. I screamed at the top of my voice, emotions that weren’t my own firing through my body ripping my shields and mind to shreds.

Blackness crept in on my awareness before swallowing it completely. I felt, before loosing myself to the blackness, my body slump against a strong body in somebody’s large arms.

-

“...can’t stay here...” I could hear voices.

“...empathic! Our emotions will make him worse...” They were distorted like listening through water.

“...where...”

“With the vampires...” I couldn’t tell one speaker from another but I knew there was more than one person. I could feel them.

“...vampires can block out emotions...” Blackness threatened me again.

“...his brother was a vampire...” I tried to push up a shield, any shield, in my mind. I tried to get conscious.

“...He’ll stay safe...or I’ll kill them all myself...” I failed. The black took me.

-

“Mmm.” I moaned, my own voice rousing me to consciousness. I slowly floated to the surface of the blackness. It was warm where I was but it was getting colder the further towards the top I floated. It wasn’t unbearable cold though and I didn’t want to stay in the black.

I was comfortable where I was. I was wrapped in something thick that smelt comforting. I didn’t hurt and though I knew my mental shields were down I couldn’t feel anything.

I surfaced, breaking the top almost silently but feeling awareness and knowing flood back to me. I could feel everything in my body. I was aware of my toes, my fingers, my heart, the ache Blaise had left behind. I was aware that I was in a bed, with a comfortable pillow, with soft and wonderful smelling blankets, a bed that didn’t belong to me.

I opened my eyes slowly, unsure whether or not I wanted to see where I was. I saw rich red sheets surrounding me and a white pillow next to me signalling I was in a double bed. I turned my head around and saw draped on the ceiling hanging around the bed decoratively.

I lifted my head off the pillow and saw two people at the end of the bed. I jumped up into a sitting position, the blankets falling from my chest. It was then I noticed I was wearing different clothes. I had a silk top on and silk trousers around my legs, if the slippery material was anything to judge by. Who changed me? Why change my clothes? What did they want? Why did they bring me here? Where was here? What kinds of perverts change the clothes of somebody my age?! Especially when I was unconscious!

I looked over the two strangers, they were my immediate problem. They were a beautiful problem though. One had dark hair and was sat lounging on a chair. He had long gently curling black hair and the darkest blue eyes I’d ever seen. He had pale skin and the look of a powerful man. He was dressed impeccably though his clothes were slightly old fashioned. His shirt displayed some of his chest though he had a long, ankle length coat on.

His partner had golden hair, he wasn’t blonde. He had the bluest eyes I’d ever seen, bluer than Dumbledore’s though thankfully lacking the all-knowing twinkle. He was tall and slender. The only word I could think of to describe both he and his companion was that they were both stunningly beautiful. The gold haired man hid half his face behind his hair but he had a beautiful face and from the way his shirt clung to his body he had a wonderful body as well.

“Ah, mon ami! Il s’est réveille!” Said the man with black hair. The man with golden hair didn’t even spare him a glance.

“Um...” I said, unsure of what to say. I glanced between the two men before I realised that calling them men was wrong. “You...you’re vampires.”

“Mais oui.” The dark haired man said in agreement, nodding his head slightly. His voice was low, soft and had seductive undertones. There was a pause before the golden haired man spoke.

“We were led to believe that you knew a vampire.” He left the sentence wide open for me, trying to draw me into speaking. I let him, only because his eyes didn’t seem to lie to me.

“Yes. My brother...Blaise. He i...he was a half vampire.” The gold haired man nodded.

“We heard of his passing. To loose someone so close, I can only sympathise. Rest assured though, his murderers have been dealt with.” I looked away, staring at the pillow when the black haired man finished speaking.

There was another silence before the black haired man spoke again. “We have heard of your gift which is why you now find yourself in our company. Please, allow me to introduce myself. I am Jean-Claude, Master of St Louis. This is my second Asher. Et tu?”

“Harry...I’m Harry...” I mumbled, still not looking at the two vampires. Still, I knew the black haired man was named Jean-Claude now; names to put with faces are always nice.

“Perhaps you would care for a shower, to refresh yourself, before we tell you of the happenings since you have been unconscious.” I glanced up at Jean-Claude who was now stood up with his hands clasped before him. He and Asher now stood side by side and seemed to make a formidable wall of beauty and power. I shrank backwards, trying to make myself smaller without plastering my back to the head board of the bed.

“No need to fear us Harry.” Asher said in a gentle voice. His voice seemed to resonate through the room as much as Jean-Claude’s voice but Asher’s gave me more a feeling of safety. I didn’t want to give in. Blaise had always told me that vampires can put power in their eyes and in their voices; they could even pull power forwards just for the sake of it. They were tricks to give the illusion of safety, to lure you into a false sense of security. Normally vampire tricks do not affect me but with my mind so wide open I was vulnerable.

“I don’t know you.” I said bending my knees up so I was in a foetal position while sat on the bed.

“You are right of course.” Jean-Claude acquiesced giving a slight incline of his head. “Although we have stood vigil by your bed every night since you were brought to us three days ago. Had we wished you any ill will then you would never have awoken.”

“Why am I here? Why are you with me? Why am I with you?” I asked quickly pushing myself forward onto my knees so I was knelt in the bed. I put my hand down to balance me and flinched at the pain from my palm. Asher’s eyes flickered to my hand before moving back to my face. It was Jean-Claude that answered me.

“You are here because when mon loup...me excuser, When Richard, you know him by Mr Zeeman, recognised you during your science lesson he contacted ma petite and I. Ma petite had been searching for you ever since Saturday night when she executed the rogue vampires responsible for your brother’s death. Ma petite is Field Marshall and the law requires a statement from you about the events of Saturday night. Still, when Richard told us, her, of your breakdown and confession she went immediately to collect you. When we all discovered that you were an empath and unable to control it you were brought here because we vampires can shield our emotions. Thus by being in our company you can stay sane, safe and we can get the answers we need.”

“You want answers from me? I don’t know anything!” I protested. “I didn’t do anything and neither did Blaise!”

“Yet your brother was a vampire in my city without my knowledge. From my point of view you have quite a lot to answer to.”

“We didn’t know there were other vampires around! We came to America to life, to be free. We decided to settle down in St Louis because we got fed up of continual parties and laziness! I didn’t even know vampires could hold territory...we didn’t know we were in your city, didn’t know the city belonged to anyone!”

“You did not know about the other vampires and weres within the city? How have you lived here and not known about us?” I stared at Jean-Claude, careful to avoid his eyes.

“Weres? You mean werewolves? There are werewolves here too?!”

“Of course. And wereleopards, wererats, werehyenas...”

“There are different types of weres?” I asked completely confused. My brain felt like an empty white space, anything I thought of slipping away in the endless whiteness.

“Perhaps we should ask a simpler question. How old are you?” Asher interrupted and his voice cut through the whiteness and brought me back to reality.

“I’m sixteen. My birthday isn’t until July.”

“You are this young yet you were in a club? We do not allow anyone under twenty one into clubs.” I flushed.

“Fake ID and we are very good a sneaking into places unseen and undetected.”

“You are aware that what you have done is illegal?” I looked down.

“Yes but we didn’t think it would do any harm. Blaise can’t get drunk and I don’t drink. We have magic, Blaise was a vampire. We just went to dance...Blaise frequently pulled but he didn’t do any harm.”

“Blaise rolled people within my city without my permission. These are serious crimes indeed.” I glanced at Jean-Claude with a frown.

“Rolled?”

“Fed from.”

“Oh.” I slumped slightly where I was sat feeling like a properly chasted child. “Yeah, sometimes he fed but one of us always healed them right after. Most of the time he fed from me, said I tasted better than everyone else.”

“You were his human servant? But that cannot be, human servants die with their master.”

“I was his brother not his servant! Blaise didn’t agree with servitude, just like I don’t agree with it. He would never have made me his servant.” I protested, meeting Jean-Claude’s eyes for the first time.

“Yet he drank from you. How are you not dead? How are you not a vampire?”

“I offered him my blood so he would live. He was my blood brother. I would have given anything for him to survive. And I would have had to drink from him to be turned into a vampire. Bites don’t kill anyone! Blaise never killed anyone!” In my anger I hadn’t kept my magic in check and it rattled through the room, making furniture shake. Jean-Claude looked around the room and that was when I noticed what I’d accidentally done. “Oh no...”

I reined my magic in as quickly as I could but the damage was done.

“Please explain what just happened.” I turned around so I was side onto them both and covered my eyes with my hand. I was in so much trouble and I wasn’t making it any easier for myself. While Blaise and I had been relaxing and enjoying everything we had been breaking the law, some laws we apparently weren’t even aware existed. And now Blaise wasn’t even around anymore and all the things that were so harmless were coming back to haunt me. No Blaise to hold me up, no Blaise to keep me strong.

“Eh...” I tried to hold in the loud sob but it slipped out, filled the silent room. I lifted my other hand to my face and covered my face completely. I didn’t want to deal with this, I didn’t know how. Abuse, large expectations, life threatening situations, near death experiences I could deal with but not this. Being faced with charges with evidence against me, proper evidence, not fabricated. I could get in a lot of trouble...

I bowed over, the backs of my hands pressing into the pillow. My knees were almost touching my chest. A hand touched my shoulder and I froze, going completely still and unmoving. Somebody sighed and the bed dipped as someone sat down.

“Calm yourself Harry.” Asher’s voice. I stayed frozen, barely breathing and completely tense under the hand. “Calm yourself. We believe that you had no knowledge of Jean-Claude’s position. We can accept that you did not know of the formalities required. Getting into clubs...it was harmless but you still broke a law though it was up to the adults around you to protect you. Your guardian’s should be made aware however.”

“I have...I have no guardians. It was just me and Blaise.” I offered in a breathy stutter around gasps for air.

“Minors living alone? Surely not.” Asher sounded surprised.

“Our parents were murdered, as were our other guardians. My aunt and uncle gladly turned me away from their home. We had each other, that was all we needed though now I’m alone.” I whispered the last bit and uncurled slightly. Weariness flooded over me and weighed heavily on my eyelids.

“Merdè!” Asher swore and I forced my eyes open to look at him. He was looking over at Jean-Claude who slowly came closer to the bed.

“What will happen to me?” I asked drawing both vampires’ attention to me again. They looked at me for a bit before looking at each other and speaking in another language, French just like Fleur. It was Jean-Claude who answered me.

“For now you rest and get healthy. You need to rebuild your blocks on your gift and until you can do so you shall stay here. With regard to the laws you broke. You can claim naivety for many and it was up to the bouncers and club staff to recognise that you were underage and keep you from the establishment. You have escaped much trouble though this issue of guardianship should be addressed soon for as long as you stay in my house I am responsible for you.

“Further more, since you were last the human servant of your brother, and yes to us your previous position is classed as servitude however equal you and your brother were, your brother’s sire is responsible for you.”

“Blaise was born a vampire and his father is dead.”

“Mon dieu. You are not making this easy on us. Your brother’s Sourdre de Sang, the leader of his father’s line, is responsible for you.”

“Blaise’s father was the leader of his line before his death, there were no others. I told you, Blaise and I were alone!” Jean-Claude sighed again.

“Then it will take a long time to find who is responsible for you. Till then, sleep for you obviously need it. When you awaken, shower. Asher or I shall return at sun down. I’m afraid you shall have to wait until then for a meal though there is fruit on the table for you to eat should you get hungry. Till sun down, ennuyer le fabricant.” Jean-Claude turned and glided towards the door. Asher stayed sat next to me for a moment longer. I saw the part of him that was hidden was scarred very badly. It was a shame his was scarred but few people these days weren’t marred by something.

“Rest well Harry.” Asher offered before rising to his feet and heading towards the door. I didn’t say anything at first then a thought occurred to me.

“Do you not stay up through the day time?”

“Our bodies die during the day, just as all vampires’ do.” Jean-Claude offered.

“Blaise didn’t. Blaise went to school with me; he was always in the sun. Can’t you go in the sun?” Asher and Jean-Claude shared another look before Jean-Claude reached for the door handle.

“There is much we all have to learn though now is not the time. I look forward till sunset so we may speak again.” And then the vampire’s left and I was alone again.

-