Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

The Path Less Traveled	By : bezo93 Category: Harry Potter > Threesomes/Moresomes Views: 16680 -:- Recommendations : 3 -:- Currently Reading : 11
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter nor any of the characters. I do not make any money from this fic.

Chapter List
- 9
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- 11
As the werewolves drifted off to do their own thing Harry found himself being tugged along by Rick, towards the beta’s room.

   “Come on, you can use my shower. I have all the stuff for your hair at my place, and a better collection of scented shower gels,” the werewolf rambled as he dragged the demon along.

   “Shouldn’t we go to Timothy’s flat first, to pick up my clothes? I don’t think they’ll let me in the club wearing this,” Harry said indicating his trainers, t-shirt and jeans combo. They were fine for going to a quidditch match but did not meet the club’s dress code.

   “You can’t wear the same outfit twice in a row!” Rick said, scandalised, looking at Harry like the demon had suggested borrowing Dobby’s pillowcase for the afternoon. “I have a change of clothes for you in my flat.”

   “What? Why? Did you buy me even more clothes or…?” Harry paused, shaking his head. “Actually, never mind. I’m not sure I want to know.”

   “It’s your stuff, so you don’t need to have a fit about me buying you more clothes. I moved some of the stuff Timothy bought you to my place, so you’d have a few changes of clothes here,” Rick explained.

   “Er, I appreciate the gesture, Rick, but personal boundaries?” Harry said uncomfortably. He knew the werewolf meant well but he would have preferred Rick to ask first.

   The werewolf stopped dragging Harry along and let go of his arm suddenly.

   “Oh,” he said, looking downcast. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think you’d mind. I just wanted to help. If you’re with the pack a lot it would save you from to-ing and fro-ing between here and the Leaky Cauldron. I guess that’s what Alpha meant about curbing my enthusiasm? I can give the stuff back if you want? I mean, I was going to give it back to you before you went back to school, obviously, but-“

   “Rick,” Harry interrupted the upset werewolf. “Breathe. Calm down. I’m not really bothered about the clothes. You can keep them here permanently if you want. Merlin knows Timothy bought enough to last for the rest of Hogwarts, I’m not going to miss a few outfits. It’s just, ask next time, please? I’m not really comfortable with someone going through my stuff without my knowledge,” he said.

   It was odd, playing the role of the responsible one in the conversation when the werewolf was at least five years his senior. It reminded him of his conversations with Damian, the dominant who felt like a teenager to him even though he knew the demon was already a century old. Only, with Rick it was even more bizarre because the werewolf was as mature as his age suggested, except in these odd moment when he would look like a child who knows he has done something wrong but doesn’t really understand what or why it was wrong.

   “I will. I promise,” Rick said, nodding vigorously. The issue of personal boundaries was something the werewolf was slowly coming to understand but it was a work in progress for Timothy and the pack’s two alphas.

   “Good. Thank you,” Harry said, then he gave the werewolf a grin. “Now, I believe you were in the middle of dragging me away for a torture - sorry, styling session?” he joked, dissipating the remains of Rick’s upset. “I still don’t understand why I can’t wear what I wore yesterday. I didn’t spill something on them or anything.”

   Rick gave the demon a pained look. “Please stop talking, you’re making my soul bleed. You’ll be asking what’s wrong with sandals and socks in a minute.”

   “Is that bad?” Harry asked innocently. “What about wearing clashing colours, or dressing entirely in neon animal print, or in lots of different animal prints combined, or-”

   Rick groaned. “This is a cruel and unusual punishment,” he moaned. “I promise I won’t touch your stuff without asking again, just please stop talking. And doubly please never wear anything like that.”

   Harry laughed, following Rick into his apartment. It was immediately obvious that Rick’s apartment was less luxurious than Timothy’s. Where Timothy had two reasonably large bedrooms, a bathroom and an open plan living room-kitchen with enough room to hold the entire pack comfortably, Rick’s apartment had only one bedroom - roughly the size of Timothy’s guest room - a kitchen and a living room with a couch that could pull out into a bed.

   Rick’s bedroom could have been bigger, Harry realised, had he not taken up an entire wall with a giant wardrobe. It was big enough to hold Harry’s entire clothes collection twice over with room to spare.

   “It’s not as big as Timothy’s place,” Rick said with a shrug. “Perks of hierarchy. Or lack of.”

   “It’s still great. Way better than what I’m used to,” Harry said with a grin. It was true. Despite the small size the flat was nicely decorated and the furnishings were all good quality. Compared to his dorm in Gryffindor, the apartment was huge and there was no comparison between the nicely furnished flat and his pokey, threadbare room at the Dursleys’.

   Rick gave him an odd look but nodded. “Thanks. Your clothes are on the bed. Get changed and I’ll sort out that nest you try to pass off as hair.”

   “And we’re back to cruel and unusual punishments,” Harry muttered, laughing as Rick shooed him into the bedroom with a mock growl.

   Changing quickly into the clothes laid out - an emerald green shirt with a stylised black dragon across the shoulders and black slacks - Harry wondered if Rick was also keeping hold of the clothes he had left lying around after his multiple outfit changes. He was surprised to realise that this was the first time he had given any thought to what was being done with the clothes he was changing out of. Normally he was far more conscious of what was happening to his belongings, having so few thanks to the Dursleys, but he hadn’t even thought about it when he left his clothes at Timothy’s.

   “What do you want me to do with these clothes?” he asked Rick as he left the bedroom.

   “Just leave them on the bed for now. I’ll put them away later,” the werewolf paused, remembering their conversation. “Or I’ll drop them off at the Leaky Cauldron later, if you prefer.”

   “Whichever is easiest for you,” Harry shrugged with a smile. Spending time with the pack felt a lot like spending time with the Weasleys: easy and relaxed, without the guard he kept up around his sometimes fickle Housemates or the mask of the Boy-Who-Lived that he showed to the public.

   “You might as well leave them here then,” Rick said as he dragged the demon over to a chair. “Stop squirming! You’d think I was trying to shave you bald with the fuss you’re making. Now, what was I saying? Oh, yeah: you should leave your clothes here in case of emergency. The Cauldron’s a bit of a trek if you need something quickly or just want a change of clothes.”

   “What sort of emergencies are you expecting me to have?” asked Harry, amused at how seriously Rick took clothes and fashion.

   “You have met the pack, yes? If you don’t have at least one top stained, shredded or permanently transfigured into something questionable before the end of the holidays then we’ll all know you really are a miracle worker,” Rick replied dryly as he tackled the demon’s hair.

   “Transfigured? Who transfigured someone’s-? Actually, never mind. Why am I even asking?”

   “Thomas. And keep your head still,” the werewolf reprimanded as Harry turned to stare at him.

   “Thomas, Thomas? Tattoos, bouncer, the only sensible one of the lot of you Thomas?” Harry asked incredulously.

   “Yes, that Thomas. He only pretends to be the sensible one. He and Timothy did most of the work creating the raptor,” Rick said with amusement.

   “And here I was thinking one of you might be sane,” Harry sighed dramatically.

   “That would be Aaron. And the Alpha most of the time, though he has his moments too. It’s a wonder the Boss puts up with any of us, really,” Rick grinned. “Right, you’re done. Oh give over, it didn’t take that long,” the werewolf rolled his eyes as Harry scrambled out of the chair with a jubilant exclamation of freedom.

   The teenager collapsed onto the couch to wait as Rick changed into something more suitable for the club. Given how long the werewolf took getting Harry ready the demon was expecting to be waiting for a while, so was surprised to see Rick appear only a few minutes later.

   “How are you ready so fast when it takes you ten minutes just to do my hair?” Harry demanded.

   “It helps that my hair doesn’t have a mind of its own,” Rick said dryly. “And I don’t look like I’m about to flee whenever someone even thinks about a hairbrush in my presence.”

   Harry stuck his tongue out making Rick laugh.

   “So what are we doing now?” the demon asked after a moment. “Are we going straight to the club?”

   “We’ll go find Timothy first, then see if there’s anyone else he wants to collect before we go to Beasts. We’ve still got plenty of time,” Rick answered, looking at his watch.

   Allowing himself to be shooed out of the room, Harry followed Rick down to Timothy’s flat. Rick didn’t bother to wait after knocking, walking straight into the flat to find a topless Timothy glaring at an equally annoyed looking woman. They had clearly been in the middle of an argument before Rick had knocked.

   “Hiya Harry, Rick,” Timothy said over his shoulder before turning back to the woman. “Look, Nyx, you can ask the Alpha and if he says yes then I’ll help, but I’m telling you he won’t. Mr Calvey would have my head if he thought I was even contemplating bending the rules right now. The Guilds are in uproar enough at the moment without a low ranking grunt trying to work around the rules. Constantly pushing like this is why no-one wants to nominate you. Now, if you don’t mind?” Timothy said, holding the door open. Nyx growled and stormed out, shouldering past Rick on her way to the door. “Don’t forget the meeting,” Timothy called after her before shutting the door on her uncomplimentary reply.

   Harry watched silently as Timothy disappeared to find a shirt. It was the first time he had seen the giant werewolf be serious without being angry at someone, other than a few fleeting glimpses of seriousness when they were in muggle London. Harry suddenly found it easy to see why Timothy was near the top of the pack hierarchy despite his often childish antics; when he wasn’t messing about he had quite a commanding presence, for a beta.

   “Are you ready to go?” Timothy asked as he finished buttoning his shirt. “I need to call at Edson’s on the way out to drop off a couple of things before I forget about them,” he said, absently leafing through a stack of notebooks and putting some in a rucksack.

   “Ok, we’re ready to go when you are,” Rick nodded before grinning. “Now stop looking like someone cursed your puffskein; your business face is freaking Harry out.”

   “Some did curse my puffskein,” Timothy deadpanned. “Poor Tribble has never been the same since.”

   “You have a puffskein? And you called it Tribble?” Rick asked incredulously.

   “Had,” Timothy corrected, “and yes. He lives with one of the Alpha’s nephews now,” he said as he finished putting notebooks and boxes into the rucksack and zipped it up.

   “I’m just going to pretend I know what you’re talking about,” Harry declared, watching the exchanging. “Are we going yet?”

   “You don’t know what a tribble is?” Timothy asked in mock horror, all traces of his earlier seriousness gone.

   “I’m not entirely sure what a puffskein is,” Harry admitted as followed Rick out of the flat.

   “You say you’ve met an acromantula but you don’t know what a puffskein is?”

   “First of all, meeting Aragog wasn’t my idea. Second, meeting a giant, man-eating spider has nothing to do with knowledge of puffskeins.”

   “Who’s meeting a giant, man-eating spider?”

   The three turned to see Thomas juggling a stack of files as he tried to close his door.

   “Harry is,” Rick answered, taking the files before Thomas dropped them.

   “And why is Harry meeting man-eating spiders?” Thomas asked, shutting his door.

   “Harry isn’t,” the teenager grumbled. “If Harry gets his way, he’ll never have to go near an acromantula nest again.”

   “Again?” Thomas raised his eyebrows, taking the files back from Rick. “How, exactly, did you even come across one once?”

   “It’s a long story?” Harry tried.

   “I’ll bet. Where are we going?” the last was addressed to Timothy, who had turned away from the exit to head deeper into the building.

   “I just need to call at Edson’s.”

   “And you need an entourage because?”

   “Leaving these two alone is bad for my sanity? And at least one of that stack your carrying must be for Edson so you might as well drop it off now,” Timothy answered, shouldering open the door to Edson’s apartment without knocking.

   “Special delivery!” he shouted as he walked in, despite the four room apartment being small enough that talking at a normal volume could heard throughout the flat.

   “Merlin, shout a little louder Timothy, there are silencing charms in Azkaban that didn’t shatter,” Edson grumbled, sticking his head into the main room to glare at the large werewolf.

   After some clattering, banging and the sound of drawers opening and closing, Edson joined them in the front room, also holding a file. Harry was almost beginning to feel left out of the file-holding club.

   “Here, you’ll need this,” Edson said, handing the file to Timothy in exchange for the rucksack. With a bit of file juggling, Thomas extracted a folder from the large pile he was carrying and handed it over to Edson.

   “Do I want to know what’s in all of the files?” Harry asked curiously. Timothy shrugged.

   “Work stuff. Believe it or not, we do have to act like responsible adults sometimes,” he grinned.

   “Yes, even Timothy has to do some real work occasionally,” Edson said mockingly.

   “Oi, I do as much work as you do. More, in fact.”

   “Your ‘work’ looks an awful lot like sitting in the bar having drinks with people,” Edson snarked.

   “Funny, I was just thinking your work looks very like being paid to watch sports.”

   “Children,” Thomas broke in warningly. “Unless you want to explain to Alpha that we were late because I had to referee you two ladies swinging your handbags at each other, we should go.”

   By the time they made it to the club most of the pack was already there, including some unfamiliar faces that hadn’t gone to the quidditch match. Instead of going to the VIP section Timothy guided Harry over to the large table the pack were using. Decorated with the image of a large black dragon, the table was set slightly apart from the others and as they got closer Harry realised there was a privacy charm surrounding it.

   “This is the pack’s usual spot, where we have non-secret meetings and other stuff we want to keep away from our homes,” he told Harry as they joined the other werewolves. Thomas broke away from their group to take his stack of files upstairs, slipping away through a Staff Only door.

   “Non-secret?” Harry raised an eyebrow. “Do you have a lot of secret meetings?”

   “Of course, every Tuesday. How else could we concoct our dastardly plans to take over the world?” Timothy deadpanned. “Just last week we gathered to discuss the stealing of everyone’s left shoe.”

   “And that would help world domination how, exactly?”

   “Take over the world one annoyance at a time?”

   “One annoyance at a time? You’ll be Emperor of the Universe by Thursday,” said an unfamiliar voice. Harry looked up as they were joined by a heavily scarred female werewolf.

   “Ah, Artemis, your confidence in my abilities is flattering,” Timothy grinned. “So, does your sister still have a boyfriend?”

   “We’ll see,” she replied with a smirk - the effect was quite terrifying as it stretched the scars on her face. “He held up to round one well enough but tomorrow they’re coming here. If sticks around after meeting some of you lot, he may just have a chance.”

   “You’re slightly terrifying, has anyone ever told you that?” Timothy asked conversationally. “Also, speaking of your sisters, Nyx is at it again. If you could explain to her that I’m not her personal background-checking-service-cum-PR-rep it would be appreciated. If she keeps pushing she’s going to get into trouble and I’d rather not see a packmate end up on the wrong side of a Guild, even if she does bug the life out of me.”

   Artemis frowned. “I’ll talk to her about it, though Merlin knows why this time would be any more effective than the last umpteen attempts.”

   Harry listened quietly, silently debating whether to ask about Guilds. He was curious but, contrary to what Hermione and Snape may believe, he had learned over the past two years that satisfying his curiosity wasn’t always a good idea in the magical world.

   “Introduce me to your friend,” Artemis instructed, blatantly changing the subject.

   “Artemis meet Harry. Yes, that Harry and no, I did not fanboy-“

   “He did,” Harry interjected.

   “Hush you, I did not.”

   “You choked on your ice cream and spilled it all over the table.”

   “I was surprised,” Timothy defended.

   “You also felt the need to tell me my own name repeatedly.”

   “I had a sudden, insistent worry that you might be suffering from temporary amnesia.”

   “At least he didn’t ask for your autograph,” Artemis said helpfully. “Did he?” she added doubtfully a second later.

   “No!” Timothy exclaimed. “I’m not that bad.”

   “I don’t understand why people make such a big deal about me anyway,” Harry grumbled.

   “You survived the Killing Curse,” Artemis pointed out. “And killed Voldemort.”

   “First of all, that only happened because of a one in a gazillion chance that had circumstances arrange themselves perfectly for a freak accident, none of which were controlled by me - unless I’m somehow responsible for my own conception. Secondly, no I didn’t,” Harry refuted, folding his arms stubbornly. Artemis frowned, looking ready to argue, but they were distracted by a shout asking what they wanted to drink.

   Once everyone had ordered a drink the group of younger members the pack referred to as the pups were instructed to hand them out. An order they complied with reluctantly. Harry’s drink was thunked down in front of him by a scowling Rikin.

   “Why are you even sitting over here? This is the pack’s table, you don’t belong here,” the young werewolf said petulantly. Harry wondered what had happened to the carefully polite attitude from the day before. Next to him Timothy and Artemis rumbled warningly.

   “Pups do not get a say in who belongs and who does not,” growled Domovoi from the head of the table, where he was keeping an ear out for trouble even as he conversed with the werewolves around him. “He’s here at my invitation. Unless you think you can lead this pack better than I can, do your job and keep your trap shut.”

   Sulking but not willing to push his luck, the pup continued to serve the drinks. Domovoi waited until everyone, including the late arrivals and Thomas (who had returned sans files), had drinks and were settled before standing. The pack immediately went silent, turning to the face the Alpha.

   “A few quick announcements then you can all bugger off to continue doing whatever it was you were doing, or you can stay to celebrate the Wasps’ most recent victory.”

   There was a loud cheer from the quidditch fans but it died down quickly.

   “Right, first thing: those of you associated with Guilds, start answering your damned messages promptly. I’m not your post owl and I have enough to do without constantly having to tell them that you’re not dead, just lazy.

   “Secondly, there’s going to be some switching around of staff positions and shifts in the club, so make sure you have all your paperwork up to date and complete. If you need help, ask. Try to claim you didn’t do it because you didn’t know how and you’ll be sleeping in the courtyard.

   “Finally, some happier news. Today we welcome a new honorary member of the pack,” the Alpha paused as the pack broke out in excited murmurs, all glancing at a stunned looking Harry. “Harry Potter has demonstrated the ability to get along with all the pack members he has met to date and, I believe, has much to offer the pack. Not least his status as a pup, something this pack has been sorely missing. If you have any objections to adopting Mr Potter into the pack, now’s the time to make them known.”

   “He’s only being offered a place because he’s a submissive demon who’s famous for having no parents,” Rikin called out immediately. Domovoi looked at him expressionlessly. “He doesn’t have anything to offer the pack, people just feel sorry for him. I vote we don’t adopt him, he’d just be a burden we don’t need.”

   Harry flinched slightly at being called a burden. It was something he was far too used to hearing from the Dursleys, often accompanied by the epithet ‘freak’ or a smack for failing to complete some assigned task.

   Domovoi scowled at the gobby youth, lip curling in the beginnings of a warning snarl.

   “You have been told repeatedly that for as long as you behave like a recalcitrant pup, you will be treated as one. Pups do not get a vote or to voice their opinions on important pack matters. Sit and be silent,” he said coldly.

   Flushing angrily Rikin slouched in his seat, glaring at the table top.

   “Does anyone else have a more reasonable objection?” the Alpha asked in a more friendly tone once he was sure Rikin would behave.

   “Was anything the pup said true, about why Harry is being offered a place in the pack?” Artemis asked pragmatically.

   “To some extent, yes,” Domovoi said, inclining his head. “Not so much his being a demon, but his being a submissive without a family to support him. Bad enough that any pup be left on their own, without having to handle to trials of finding a dominant mate alone. As for his fame, having the Boy-Who-Lived as an ally could be beneficial to the pack. Public opinion may be fickle,” Harry wondered if the Alpha somehow knew about the Heir of Slytherin debacle last year, or if he was just one of the few people sensible enough to realise that fame wasn’t all love and adoring fans, “but his name will always carry some weight, which can be used to our advantage. At the very least, it is attention grabbing.”

   Harry shifted in his seat, uncomfortable with being discussed like some sort of business investment while he was sitting right next to them. Artemis nodded thoughtfully, seemingly oblivious to the demon’s discomfort.

   “It makes sense to me. Plus he’s cute. I have no objections,” she shrugged.

   There was some more murmuring from the pack but nobody else asked any questions and gradually each of them nodded, voting to have Harry join the pack. The only one who still seemed to object was Rikin, who was still glaring at the dragon decorating the table top, though Harry suspected his objection was more out of spite than any serious disagreement.

   Once he was satisfied no more objections would be forthcoming, Domovoi beckoned Harry to stand before him.

   Gripping the demon’s shoulders, the Alpha asked, “Do you accept the place you are offered in this pack? If you accept you are agreeing to do what you can to work for the betterment of the pack, you are acknowledging that your actions reflect on the pack and that I am your primary authority figure - excluding your Council - and you will submit to my judgement and follow my instructions to the best of your ability. You are agreeing to allow the pack to protect and assist you, meaning you will inform me of any danger you find yourself in and you will ask for assistance when you need it. You will be exempt from the full moon rules - other than the rule to avoid being on another pack’s territory on the night of the full moon - but you are subject to all other pack laws and will punished accordingly if you break them. Do you understand?”

   Harry nodded solemnly. “I understand and I am honoured to accept a place in your pack,” the demon said seriously, silently thanking the seventh year werewolf he had met in his first year at Hogwarts who had explained the basics of werewolf etiquette to him. He doubted the pack would have taken offence if he had been ignorant of the proper response but being able to conduct himself properly would creating a positive first impression.

   Smiling Domovoi pulled Harry closer to rub their cheeks together, scent marking the demon.

   “Welcome to the Knockturn Pack, pup,” the Alpha said, ruffling Harry’s hair. Domovoi stepped back and was immediately replaced by Aaron who repeated the actions, having to bend almost double to get low enough to rub cheeks.

   One by one each member of the pack came forward in order of hierarchy to greet their newest pack member, repeating the actions and words of their Alpha. Even Rikin joined in, though his cheek rub was perfunctory and he may as well have told Harry to jump off a bridge for all the warmth in his welcome. Harry wasn’t as surprised as he might have been before spending a day with the pack when Rick was the second to last to greet him, with only Fiona following the talkative werewolf.

   When Fiona stepped away, Domovoi stepped forward again, once again drawing the pack’s attention.

   “I trust you will all look after our newest pup,” the Alpha said, gesturing for Harry to return to his seat. “Right, we’re done here. Go back to doing whatever it is you miscreants do in your spare time. If you need me, I’ll be at the bar,” he dismissed the gathered werewolves. “And Harry, see Aaron to discuss the things you need to know for now,” the Alpha added before he ambled over to the bar.

   The pack dispersed much faster than they had arrived, some leaving the club, a few disappearing into the employee only sections and many migrating over to the pool tables. Thomas had vanished back into the hidden depths of the club as soon as the Alpha had released them and Timothy had followed Domovoi over to the bar, so Harry dragged a protesting Rick with him as he made his way over to the pack Second.

   “Already below the newbie are you, Dick?” sneered Rikin, who hadn’t moved from his sulking spot.

   “At least he gets a vote on pack matters, puppy,” Harry retorted with a sweet smile before turning his back on the ill-tempered werewolf and sitting across from Aaron, pulling Rick into the chair next to him.

   “Causing trouble already?” Aaron asked mildly.

   “He started it,” Harry protested. “Just because he got into trouble doesn’t mean he should get to take it out on Rick.”

   Aaron smiled. “Very true Mr Potter. As it is, Mr Hartford has already been reprimanded for his behaviour toward packmates. If he persists he will find that there are far worse consequences than simply being stripped of his privileges. However we are not here to discuss Rikin’s attitude,” the Second sat forwards, resting his elbows of the table. “I will endeavour to keep this as brief as possible. I’m sure there are other things you would much rather be doing than listening to a lecture on conduct within the pack,” he said dryly.

   Pausing thoughtfully, the enormous werewolf twisted in his seat to look over his shoulder at the pack members gathered around a pool table behind him.

   “Lukas,” he called, making one of them turn to look at him enquiringly. “Find the pups and send them to me, please. I think they would do well to listen to a refresher on the rules along with Harry.”

   The werewolf nodded and left. A few minutes later the summoned pups began to appear, some looking sullen and others nervous. Harry recognised them all from Leena’s the day before.

   “Excellent, now that you are all here we can have a quick overview of the main pack laws,” Aaron said, leaning back in his chair. “The most important rule is that the Alpha’s word is law: his commands are to be followed, he has the final say on any pack issue and you will respect his authority. Domovoi is a good Alpha, if you listen to him and obey him he will do his utmost to help you and to protect you when you need it. He has improved life for a great number of urban werewolves over the years and continues to do so. All he asks in return is that you give him the respect he deserves.

   “Secondly, your actions, or inaction, should never harm the pack. If you are aware of a risk to the pack inform either myself or the Alpha and we will decide how to deal with it. It is not your place to decide how a problem should be dealt with or whether it can be ignored.

   “Third, treat your packmates with respect. Dominance battles, whether physical or otherwise, are an inevitable part of a healthy pack dynamic. However, once you have proven your dominance that is the end of it. The fighting stops and you will not continue unless the subordinate challenges you again. The hierarchy is in place to protect all pack members, not to enable the harassment of weaker members; the role of dominant members is to help protect weaker members who cannot protect themselves.

   “Harry, as an omega - or submissive, in your case - the dominance rules are a little different. An omega is always higher in the hierarchy than a beta, regardless of fights won or lost. However it is only a partial ranking, mainly pertaining to the distribution of resources - you do not have any commanding power unless you prove yourself dominant to the packmate you are giving orders to. The betas will do their best to protect and assist you but they do not have to follow your orders,” Aaron paused as one of the pups made a derisive noise. “Something to share, Andrew?”

   “He’s an omega. Everyone knows omegas are the lowest ranking - they’re breeders, not fighters,” the young werewolf said, folding his arms authoritatively. Aaron raised an eyebrow.

   “Indeed they are, as you so eloquently put it, the ‘breeders’. Whether that precludes them from fighting is a matter you may wish to take up with Harry,” he said, giving the scowling demon an amused look. “However, you are mistaken in thinking that not being the fiercest pack members makes them unimportant. Omegas are the future of the pack. A pack cannot be stable unless it led by an alpha no matter how strong the betas are, and without omegas there would be no alphas. A beta’s pups can only ever be betas - if the pups are werewolves at all - and though an alpha is far more likely to have werewolf pups than a beta is, the only way for those pups to be anything other than betas is for them to come from an alpha-omega couple. Only omegas - and submissives - are capable of conceiving alphas and omegas, and they will only conceive when they feel it is safe. An omega that feels threatened or overly upset will not be able to conceive, regardless of how often they lie with a partner. That is why they are cherished and why no self-respecting pack would try and subjugate them just because they are often physically weaker,” he finished with a disapproving frown at the pup who had spoken.

   None of the pups dared to argue the point, though some of them were still frowning and were clearly not convinced. Making a mental note to keep an eye on the more mutinous looking pups, Aaron continued detailing the pack laws.

   “The rules regarding your personal safety are self-explanatory: do not deliberately put yourself or your packmates in harm’s way. If you ever find yourself in some form of non-imminent danger, inform the Alpha or myself immediately. Do not try to play the martyr in a misguided attempt to protect the pack or make our lives easier - our lives are much easier when we can trust you to come forward with your problems and the pack is safer when we are aware of any possible threats.”

   Harry couldn’t help but feel that was being direct primarily at him. He somehow found it difficult to imagine Rikin or his gang allowing their lives to get harder in order to make other people’s lives easier.

   “Nobody is obligated to live with the pack, though you will always have a home here should you wish to use it,” Aaron continued, ignoring the restless shifting of the bored pups. “If you do choose to live away from the pack, you must keep us informed about your current living conditions and ensure the Alpha and myself are keyed into your wards. If you ‘forget’ to key us into your wards we will rip them down and you will regret it,” he warned, the look in his eyes leaving no doubt that any attempts to evade this law would be met with extremely unpleasant consequences.

   Giving the warning a few seconds to sink in, Aaron continued, “Our pack sponsor is Mr Calvey, the owner of this establishment,” he said, waving a hand towards the room they were sitting in. “His authority is second only to the Alpha’s, superseding even my authority, and you will treat him with the respect his position demands,” he paused, giving a thoughtful hum. “Harry, in this you will have to use your discretion as Mr Calvey is also a demon; etiquette demands of race trump pack hierarchy in this case. However, I trust you will not attempt to abuse the exceptions made for you,” the Second said, giving the demon a mild look that somehow conveyed exactly how much of a bad idea it would be to try and take advantage of the leeway being a demon gave him within the pack.

   “Another exception from normal pack law, Harry, is that you are not obligated to join us on full moons. You are welcome to join us if you wish, although it may be rather challenging to do so when you are at school, but as you present no risk of harming others or exposing the pack you may - within reason - do as you wish on the night of the full moon. The only law you are required to follow is that you do not invade another pack’s territory on or around the full moon. It is as much for your protection as it is for maintaining the peace between packs.”

   Harry frowned. “How would I be able to join you on full moons? I thought anyone who wasn’t a werewolf would be a risk of attack?” he asked, puzzled. Rikin snorted, looking at Harry like he was an idiot until Aaron made a warning sound.

   “It is understandable to think that,” the Second said, giving Rikin a warning look. “To an outsider it would appear as though the only Creatures we tolerate when shifted are other werewolves. If you were a wizard it would be true that any attempt to join us on the full moon would put you in danger, as the natural instinct to infect and expand our pack would make the temptation to attack you difficult to resist.”

   “Plus the overwhelming desire to end wizarding stupidity by eating them all,” Leo, one of the often better behaved pups, muttered to Andrew who was sitting next to him. Aaron chuckled slightly.

   “Hm, that may indeed play some role in the temptation,” he agreed with a small smile. “However, as I was saying, a wizard would be in constant danger and - in the highly unlikely scenario we ever invited one to join the pack - they would be barred from joining us at the full moon for their own safety, unless they decided they wanted the bite. As a demon, you are not at risk of infection and therefore there is no natural instinct to attack other than the instinct to defend out territory; that is the main cause of werewolf attacks amongst Creatures. As a member of our pack you carry our scents, and so even when shifted we will recognise you as one of us, eliminating any risk of attack other than that caused by your actions.”

   “My actions?” Harry questioned.

   “Instincts rule during the full moon and we will be less tolerant of certain behaviours while shifted than we are during the rest of the month when rational thought is easier. Some things that normally would not bother us may be taken as a challenging for dominance and we would respond accordingly, which could cause quite a bit of damage. If you do decide to join us for a full moon you will be taught exactly how to behave to reduce the risk of tweaking anyone’s tail,” Aaron explained.

   Harry nodded in understanding. He was rather curious about what it would be like to be around a werewolf pack on the full moon. Unfortunately, the next full moon wasn’t until he was back at Hogwarts so it would be a while before he had an opportunity to find out.

   “As you are still under eighteen, Harry, you are counted as a pup, so punishments for infractions will not be as harsh as they would be for older pack members. The rest of you, however,” Aaron said, giving the other gathered ‘pups’ a hard look, “have not been true pups for some time. It is past time you acted like the adults you are. Avoiding your duties and behaving with ideas above your station will no longer be tolerated. The Alpha has been extremely lenient so far; clean up your act before he decides you need a more lasting lesson.”

   The pups exchanged worried looks, some looking nervous at the thought of what the Alpha would consider a lasting lesson. Satisfied that his warning had had an impact of at least a few of the pups, the Second dismissed them, keeping Harry and Rick at the table.

   “That is it for on rules for now. If you have questions at any point your packmates will be happy to answer, as would Domovoi and I. Although, I would beware of asking Rikin anything at the moment,” he said with a small frown. Something really needed to be done to correct the attitude of the eldest pup who was so often the ringleader in the trouble the pups caused. He would bring it up with Domovoi later.

   “The last few things we need to deal with are your living arrangements and your time at school,” the Second said, returning to the task at hand. “First of all, would you like to move here to live with the pack for the rest of summer?”

   Harry shook his head. He quickly explained about the Ministry’s panic when he went ‘missing’, giving an abridged version of the events that led to him leaving the Dursleys, concluding, “So I’d love to join you but it would raise too many questions.”

   Aaron nodded thoughtfully. “We will work around it, then. You will not walk through the Dark District alone. Flooing would be easiest but could also raise questions about where you keeping flooing to. For the time being I will arrange to always have someone near the Leaky Cauldron when you are there, to escort you here when you need it. I am aware that Rick and Timothy have so far been able to accompany you each day but they may not always be available. Perhaps something with a protean charm could work,” he mused. “I will discuss it with the Alpha and let you know once we have something.”

   Harry nodded, relieved that he wouldn’t have to keep asking Timothy and Rick to escort him. They may have said they didn’t mind but Harry couldn’t help but feel like a pest. At least this way it was all arranged in advanced, saving him the awkwardness of asking constantly.

   “When you are at school you will keep us updated on what you are up to. We expect at least one owl a week, and more if there is anything important going on. We don’t need a blow-by-blow account of every assignment you receive but you will keep us informed about your grades and any trouble you get into - which means everything from detentions to visits to the hospital wing,” Aaron said, giving Harry a stern look. “You are hardly expected to become a straight O student overnight, but you will apply yourself and do your best. If you fail a subject, you had better have an excellent reason why.”

   Harry pulled a face but nodded. Regular owls would be easy - it would be nice to have someone outside of Hogwarts to talk to - but putting real effort into his classes and homework would be a pain. He’d rather liked all the free time doing the bare minimum to pass had given him. At least Hermione would be pleased with his new work ethic.

   “It would be preferable if you spent school holidays with the pack but we will shelve that issue for now. Your celebrity status may make things difficult if people want to know where you are suddenly vanishing off to. It will be another thing to ask the Alpha about.”

   “I could just tell people I’m going to the Dursleys’, then come here instead?” Harry suggested. Aaron gave a noncommittal hum, mentally filing away the name Dursley for later. He knew the Alpha was interested in learning as much as he could about Harry’s family.

   “We shall see what the Alpha says. The last thing we need to discuss is your mating,” he said, looking amused when Harry gave an embarrassed groan. “Largely we will leave you to handle it as you see fit. You have different rules and traditions surrounding your mating process than werewolves do, and it is rather well known that most demons prefer not to spread around the details of how it works. Although, you do seem to be the exception to that rule,” he said, lips quirking into a grin.

   “Story of my life,” Harry muttered.

   “Yes, well, some rules still apply to you: you will always have at least one packmate around when meeting new dominants; you will introduce any dominant you are considering as a mate to the Alpha and myself before pursuing a more permanent relationship; and you will respect any veto the Alpha gives on mates - you may ask why he rejected them, you may even ask him to reconsidered, but you will not go behind his back. Is that understood?”

   Harry nodded, hoping that they were coming to the end of the lecture. He wanted to make a good impression and show that he was taking his adoption in the pack seriously but the talk had been going on for what felt like hours.

   Noticing the teenager’s boredom, Aaron said with amusement, “That is all for now, unless you have any questions?”

   “No, I’m good,” Harry said a little too quickly, already on the edge of his seat as he waited for the Second to tell him he could leave. Next to him Rick was watching in amusement, enjoying being the observer rather than the one people were fed up of listening to for once.

   “Off you go then,” Aaron said waving them away. “Clearly you’re going to be useless until you have had a chance to get the celebrations out of your system. I am sure Rick or one of the others will be able to answer any questions you may have later.”

   Not waiting around for a second dismissal, and risking the Second thinking of more rules to explain, Harry thanked the giant werewolf for his time and escaped, dragging a highly amused Rick with him. Seeing that Timothy was still talking with the Alpha at the bar, Harry tugged Rick down to the end of the large pack table, dropping into a chair next to Edson.

   “You survived the lecture, I see,” Edson grinned, laughing at Harry’s groan. “Don’t worry, if you’re a good boy you’ll only have to hear it once.”

   “So you can expect to hear it at least once a week,” Rick teased the demon. Edson looked at the younger werewolf in surprise before grinning.

   “I suppose hanging around Timothy is bound to get you into trouble,” he nodded.

   Rick gave a small grin, “I don’t think Harry needs help in the trouble department. If his stories are anything to go by he may be even worse than Timothy.”

   “I’m not that bad…mostly,” Harry protested with a grin.

   “Oh really?” Edson challenged with a mischievous grin. “Tell me Harry, have you ever played ‘Never Have I Ever’?”

   He grinned when Harry nodded. “Excellent. How about we play it now? We can see who is more trouble prone, you or Timothy.”

   Harry agreed, on the proviso that he wouldn’t be expected to drink alcohol. He had to return to the Leaky Cauldron later and, while underage drinking wasn’t quite as frowned upon in the wizarding world, it wouldn’t look good if he returned unable to walk straight. Edson nodded, shouting down the table for someone to get fresh drinks and asking who wanted to join. There were some surprised looks when Rick said he’d join them but Edson just shrugged and sent him off to the bar with a couple of other low ranking pack members to get the drinks.

   Once everyone was settled with drink, and quick warning had been given to keep things clean while Harry was there and Aaron was in earshot, Edson started the game.

   “Never have I ever lost more than twenty House points in one go,” the werewolf grinned as almost everyone drank. Those who didn’t were mainly people who hadn’t attended Hogwarts.

   Harry smirked, saying with a bit of a challenge in his voice, “Never have I ever lost fifty points in one go.” Far fewer drank that time, some giving Harry slightly disapproving, yet amused looks as he drank.

   From there the game really kicked off, some suggestions staying quite mild while others blame more and more ridiculous: “Never have I ever charmed someone’s watch to wolf-whistle whenever they walk past a girl.”, “Never have I ever released a hundred chocolate frogs into someone’s bed - while they were sleeping.”, “Never have I ever hidden a bowtruckle in someone’s potted plant.”, “Never have I ever made a pureblood dance the Macarena.”.

   It didn’t take long for the pack to conclude that Harry may be just as much trouble as Timothy, if currently less well practised. Some things raised questions that more senior pack members filed away for another time or to bring up with the Alpha, such as Harry drinking to “Never have I ever frustrated a teacher to the point of hexing me.”

   Halfway through, Timothy finished his conversation with the Alpha and joined them, making the game take an even more ridiculous turn than it already had as the werewolves got steadily drunker. Eventually the game devolved into individual conversations as people gradually lost interest and broke away from the main group.

   As the evening wore on, the Alpha left his spot by the bar and rejoined the pack at the table. Harry noticed that between them, Domovoi and Aaron managed to spend time talking to every member of the thirty strong pack.

   Later in the evening, when a few of the pack were discussing getting food, Harry was surprised to see a dominant demon approach the table. Very few dominants had bothered him throughout the afternoon - he had been much better about keeping a handle on his Advertising and the pack had served as an effective deterrent to the few dominants who had looked like they might want to try their luck anyway.

   He was even more surprised when the dominant bypassed him completely, only giving him a cursory glance that seemed to be aimed at the pack in general rather than him specifically. For a moment Harry wondered if the dominant was mated but quickly discarded the idea as he got closer - it was obvious the demon was single. The submissive didn’t know whether to be relieved or insulted by the lack of attention. He was certainly intrigued.

   He watched curiously as the dominant made a beeline for the Alpha, stopping behind Domovoi’s chair and leaning over to speak to him.

   “Who is that?” Harry asked Timothy, looking appreciatively at the well dressed dominant. Harry may not have been a fashion connoisseur but he could certainly appreciate the way the cut of the suit emphasised the dominant’s broad shoulders and trim waist.

   “That’s the boos,” Timothy answered, glancing over with a slight frown. “Mr. Calvey. Pretty odd to see him down here when he’s working. Something must be going on.”

   Indeed something did seem to be going on as, not long after Timothy had spoken, the hurried conversation between the demon and the Alpha came to and end and Domovoi stood. Catching Aaron’s eye and receiving an understanding nod the Alpha left, disappearing through the same door as Thomas had used earlier, followed by a few other werewolves.

   As the dominant started to follow he paused, turning to face Harry.

   “While I would love to stop and talk, I’m afraid I’m needed elsewhere,” he said, giving Harry a smile. The teenager blushed as he realised he had been caught staring and had started Advertising again in an unconscious effort to attract the dominant’s attention. Apparently his control was only good when he wasn’t drooling over smartly dressed dominants with enough self-control to not immediately start fawning over him. “Perhaps if you return another night we can talk and get to know one another a little better?” the dominant suggested. “I am Shax Calvey, by the way” he added, offering a hand to shake.

   “Harry. And yeah, that’d be great,” Harry said as they shook hands.

   “Excellent. I’m sure one of the pack would be happy to help you find your way back on a day when I have an evening free,” Shax smiled and nodded farewell before following after Domovoi.

   Harry watched him go (and Rick could stop sniggering because he was not staring at the dominant’s, admittedly very nice, arse as he left) before turning to Timothy.

   “That was…odd. But in a good way.”

   “Odd?”

   “Usually the dominants are falling over themselves to talk to me. You’ve seen them do it,” Harry said.

   “True. I don’t think the Bossman is capable of being that…spontaneous or unreserved though,” the werewolf mused. “He never does anything without have at least three backup plans. Having you around has made him act with more spontaneity than I’ve seen since I started working for him.”

   “What do you mean? This is the first time I’ve ever seen him,” Harry said, confused.

   “Oh, um,” Timothy shifted uncomfortably. He hadn’t meant to say that much. “Well, he’s kind of been watching you for a while, I guess? And doing stuff like taking the dominant to your Council last night was more sudden than he usually does things. Normally he’d think it over for a day, or three, before acting.”

   Harry frowned. Timothy wouldn’t be so bothered if that was all Shax had done.

   “What else,” he prodded, knowing his suspicions were correct when the werewolf looked uncomfortable again.

   “Don’t get mad? He also asked me to check on you when you weren’t coming into the Alley,” Timothy said apologetically, knowing the demon wouldn’t take it well.

   “So the only reason you spoke to me,” Harry said slowly, “was because your boss told you to?”

   “Um, yes and no? I mean, yes I probably wouldn’t have talked to you if Shax hadn’t sent me to make sure you were ok, but he didn’t make me keep talking to you or anything else,” Timothy explained quickly.

   Harry nodded slowly, unsuccessfully trying to stamp down feelings of betrayal. The more the thought tumbled around inside his head, the angrier he felt.

   “I think I should go back to the Leaky Cauldron,” he said slowly a few minutes later, not wanting to start shouting at the werwolf while surrounded by the pack.

   “Harry?” Timothy said hesitantly.

   “I told Tom I’d back tonight, I should go before it gets late,” Harry said shortly.

   Timothy nodded reluctantly. “I’ll walk you back,” he said getting up. He let Aaron know they were leaving and followed Harry out quietly.

   Most of the talk was spent in silence. Timothy kept sending Harry little glances, knowing the demon was angry and wanting to explain but not sure how to do so without making the situation worse. It would probably be best to let the demon get over his initial anger and then try to explain.

   Harry was oblivious to the looks, staring at the ground as he fumed. He was fed up and kind of hurt that once again he was being befriended for what he was rather than who, only this time it was because he was a submissive demon rather than his status as the Boy-Who-Lived.

   “Just do you know, the Alpha’s decision to offer you a place in the pack had nothing to do with Shax,” Timothy said abruptly as they reached the archway for the Leaky Cauldron. “If he was doing it to help Shax he'd have declared you a Friend to the pack, not invited you into the pack.”

   Harry looked startled.

   “I didn’t think that. I’m just annoyed and don’t want to talk.”

   Timothy nodded hesitantly. “Ok, I’ll leave you be then. It might not be me picking you up tomorrow if Domovoi needs all hands on deck, but Aaron will make sure someone is here.”

   Harry nodded curtly. “Ok. I’ll see you whenever, then,” he said, stepping into the inn.

   He waved at Tom to show he was back but didn’t stop to talk, making his way up to his room. He wanted to owl Hermione - she always knew what to say in situations like this.

§`§`§`§`§`§`§`§`§`§

   “So that’s it then?” Domovoi said challengingly as he placed a stack of folders on Shax’s desk. “You were standing next to him - you were actually talking! - and you immediately about-faced and retreated back under your rock?”

   “I did not ‘retreat’,” Shax refuted. “In case you haven’t noticed, we’re rather busy at the moment. I could hardly drag you all away from your party and then stay down there to enjoy myself.”

   “Bull,” the werewolf said bluntly. “You’ve spent all day working. You finished any priority work you could do before you came to round any of us up, and the only remaining stuff is things you can’t do until someone else has done their bit. This,” he waved a hand at the paperwork on the table, “is all everyday club stuff. Nothing urgent.”

   Shax barely glanced up from his paperwork.



   “It is not just paperwork for the club. The Guild-“

   “Is always in a bloody tizz about something. They’re already panicking over the events for next year. The only real issue right now is this Azkaban drama and that hardly falls under your purview,” Domovoi interrupted with a scowl. He was half tempted to drag the demon back to Harry and stick him to a chair until he had to talk to the submissive.

   “Yes, because after an unprecedented breakout from what is supposed to be one of the highest security prisons in the world there is absolutely no-one asking for information we haven’t managed to get hold of yet, or wanting a laundry list of protective items. And of course the other Guilds are suddenly supplying themselves with everything they need and giving us a well deserved break,” Shax said scathingly.

   Anyone else would have backed down and tried to placate the irate demon. Domovoi snorted and raised an unimpressed eyebrow.

   “The Warders and Mercs might be rushed off their feet but the only new thing you’re dealing with is new intel,” the Alpha said shortly. He hoped that if he could unpick enough of Shax’s arguments while Harry was still in the club, maybe this time he could get the dominant to see sense and go and talk to Harry. “Everyone else might be yammering for extra supplies and special security measures but we both know you always have extra everything in case something like this happens. And you’re hardly running a one-man operation - having a night off isn’t going to bring everything to a grinding halt.”

   “I’m beginning to think I may have actually got more work done if I had stayed in the bar,” Shax muttered as he sealed a letter and dropped it into his outbox.

   Domovoi growled in frustration. Give him Rikin and his merry band of idiots any day, at least he could smack some sense into them. He tried changing tack.

   “Well I hope for your sake you don’t leave it too long. You’ve already tipped your hand.”

   “What?” Shax looked up, properly focusing on Domovoi for the first time since the werewolf entered the office.

   “Harry now knows you own the place. He’s not stupid, he’s going to get suspicious that the werewolves he met just happen to be the same ones you sponsor. And if what I’ve seen so far is any indication, he’s going to be pissed off when he works it out,” Domovoi shrugged. He wasn’t actually sure how much Harry knew, or whether the little demon would work it out or not, but it certainly seemed plausible that he could.

   Now that he thought about it the Alpha realised that he might have to do some damage control if that did happen. Adopting the teenager into the pack had made the lad his responsibility and he’d ben damned if he let Shax’s inability to interact with the submissive like a normal person affect Harry’s trust in the pack.

   For the first time Shax looked slightly worried.

   “You think he’ll take it that badly?”

   “Shax, it’s starting to piss me off and I’m not the one you’re stalking by proxy,” Domovoi said dryly, wondering how someone who was normally so quick on the uptake could be so dense when it came to a certain raven haired submissive.

   “I’ll talk to him tomorrow,” Shax decided.

   “And what’s wrong with now?”

   “He’s not here anymore. He left about half an hour ago,” Shax said, picking up the file on the top of the stack Domovoi had brought.

   The Alpha blinked. “How do you know that?” he asked incredulously. Even he hadn’t known and he was the boy’s Alpha. Shax hadn’t even left the office since coming back upstairs.

   “I felt him leave,” Shax shrugged.

   “From all the way up here?”

   “His presence is distinctive,” the demon said, before relenting under Domovoi’s slightly disbelieving stare. “And he’s constantly followed by a silent entourage. It’s hard to miss that many demons making a simultaneous exit. For all you call me a stalker, they’re the ones who are actually hiding in the shadows and following him everywhere but his bedroom.”

   “I may have to see what I can do to dissuade that behaviour,” Domovoi frowned. He wondered why Timothy hadn’t mentioned it.

   Silence fell between them as Shax busied himself with paperwork and Domovoi contemplated the problems raised by Harry’s adoption and possible solutions. Only the scratch of a quill and the occasional, brief visit from another member of staff or the pack broke the quiet.

   Shax didn’t look up from his work until he had read through and signed off on all the files Domovoi had brought in.

   “So,” he said, stretching, “what can you tell me about this newest pack member of yours?”

   Domovoi gathered up the files with a smirk.

   “Oh no, you’ve just been explaining how very busy you are. I couldn’t possibly waste any of your valuable time with idle gossip like that,” he deadpanned.

   He quickly made his escape as a stunned Shax gaped at him, shutting the door as the demon’s inventive name calling started. The demon would probably make him pay for that later but he couldn’t bring himself to care.

   He was going to make Shax talk to Harry if it killed him.
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The Path Less Traveled