Chapter Text
“ My babe would never fret none
About what my hands and my body done
If the Lord don't forgive me
I'd still have my baby and my babe would have me
When I was kissin' on my baby
In the low lamplight, I was free
Heaven and hell were words to me
When my time comes around
Lay me gently in the cold dark earth
No grave can hold my body down
I'll crawl home to her”
- Work Song, Hozier
Harry’s eyes flew open and he gasped, lungs coated in dust. Wracking coughs burst from his lips before he could draw deep breaths. For a moment he tried opening his eyes, only to realise they were open. It was pitch black where he was, he raised his hand in front of his face but couldn’t see it. When he tried to move, his hand bumped into something solid above him.
He laid his palm flat above him, it felt like - like stone. A whimper fell from his lips as both his hands flew out at his sides but were halted by more stone. He traced the walls around, choking on panicked breaths.
Oh God, Oh God, Oh God.
He tried to calm his racing heart but his thoughts spun, shouting at him that he’d been buried alive. Of course that’s what the witches would’ve done though - they’d have consecrated his body for when he’d rise again. His magic pulsed around him as his panic grew, his breathing became laboured.
He thought he heard a voice call out in the distance but he couldn’t bring himself to settle long enough to pay attention to it. When his magic swelled sharply, Harry threw his hands out and screamed at the top of his lungs.
Above his head an explosion sounded, dust and debris blew into the small crypt and he choked, clawing towards the opening where moonlight filtered through.
He heard the voice calling again and kept crawling, panicked whimpers falling from his lips.
“Harry!”
Harry’s head snapped up as he reached the lip of the opening, there was only enough space to shove a hand through. Large chunks of stone had fallen into the gap he’d blown apart and he cried out in frustration.
“Louis!” He screamed, his voice breaking.
A moment later a fist burst through the stone and Harry covered his face from the spray of dust and bits of rocks.
Louis made a sound at the back of his throat as he pulled the stones apart, and then strong arms were wrapped around his shoulders and he was pulled from the crypt. Louis fell to his knees, holding Harry against his chest and Harry clung to him, burying his face in his neck as he heaved.
“Shh, I’ve got you, you’re okay.”
The feeling of loss clung to his skin as he sobbed.
“She’s gone, Lou. She - She’s gone.” Harry cried, dirty fingers tangling into Louis' shirt as he rocked him, “Nix, she’s gone.”
“I know, baby, I know. I’m so sorry.” Louis murmured into his hair, holding him tight as he stroked his back.
“Y-you know?”
“Yeah, Niall -”
Harry choked on a sob, shaking his head quickly, “D-don’t I c-can’t. Lou, h-he p-put the blade in my pocket. H-he’s g-gone. He’s -”
“No, H! No, Niall’s alive. He’s here, he’s okay.” Louis soothed quickly but Harry pulled away sharply at that, eyes wide as he stared at Louis’ beautiful face.
“He…what?” He was certain he’d misunderstood.
Louis gave him a soft smile and wiped the tears from his cheeks with his thumbs, “Niall’s waiting for you at home.”
Harry sucked in a sharp breath, then reached out to touch Louis’ face who held still for him, he whimpered: “This isn’t real is it? It’s a trick? Leviathan -”
Louis grabbed his hand, then gripped his chin in his other hand and forced Harry to meet his stern, blue eyes. “This is real, Harry. I’m here and so are you. Niall and Emille are alive, because of Josephine - she found a spell to bind their lives with mine and Zayn’s.”
Harry trembled in Louis’ grip, then frowned, “Y-you knew Niall was going to give me the blade?”
Louis’ eyes widened and he shook his head quickly, “No, baby, I swear I didn't. Josephine knew, I don’t know how but she sensed it.”
Harry swallowed hard and then nodded, after a moment his face crumpled, “This is real?”
“This is real,” Louis whispered and then kissed his forehead before wrapping his arms around him again.
Harry let himself be held for a while as he cried into Louis’ chest. He could remember every single moment of what happened after his throat had been slit, the darkness, Eric - the demon.
When he opened his eyes he saw the cemetery and flinched, Louis made a noise when Harry clung to him, “Lou, get me out of here please.” He whispered.
Louis easily lifted him into his arms, and a moment later their surroundings blurred and wind whipped at his cheeks. He buried his face in Louis' neck and breathed him in, his familiar scent.
***
“Open your eyes, H. We’re home.” Louis murmured into his ear.
Home .
Harry looked up at his store’s sign and then quickly away again when the drawing of Nix caught his eyes. He swallowed thickly as Louis set him down, keeping a firm arm around his waist.
A memory of something tickled at his mind but he shoved it aside to deal with later…because dealing with it now - he just couldn’t. When he cleared his throat and stepped out of Louis’ arms, Louis shot him a look before understanding pooled in his eyes.
“H, we need to talk -”
The store’s door was flung open and Harry spun towards it, his breath caught in his throat when he saw Niall standing there.
“You conniving son of a bitch,” Harry spat, then flung himself into Niall’s waiting arms. He fisted Niall’s shirt in his hands as he sobbed into his shoulder, “H-How could you do that to me?”
Niall held Harry tightly, his own breaths stuttering as tears dripped from his eyes, “Because I love ya, ya cunt.”
Harry’s eyes found Zayn and Liam’s smiling faces over Niall’s shoulders and he bit back another sob to draw them into the hug. They laughed as their arms wrapped around him.
“I hate you all so much.” Harry said on a choked laugh.
“We missed you too, Harry.” Zayn murmured, kissing his cheek. Liam had tears in his eyes that he wiped away quickly as he ruffled Harry’s curls.
“Let’s move this inside,” Louis murmured from behind them.
Niall looked up from Harry’s shoulder, studying Louis. A moment later he yanked Louis into the group hug by his collar. Louis released a breathy laugh as he wrapped his arms around the huddled boys.
“ Now , let’s move this inside,” Harry said and everyone detangled at once.
They all headed to Harry’s kitchen where warm tea waited for him, Harry’s stomach rumbled loudly and Niall chuckled.
“Who knew coming back from the dead would build up such an appetite, right?” He said to Harry. Louis and Zayn shared a smirk over his head and Liam wrinkled his nose distastefully.
“Am I missing something?” Harry asked the vampires who quickly shook their heads.
He sat down beside Niall while Louis set a bowl of what looked like some hearty stew in front of him. His mouth watered as he grabbed a spoon.
“Slow down, H.” Louis chuckled, tucking one of his curls behind his ear when it slipped free in his haste to shovel food into his mouth.
“Jesus, I’m so hungry.” He muttered as he scooped a few more bites, “How long was I gone?”
Louis’ smile slipped slowly from his face, “Three days.”
Harry choked, his eyes flickered up to look at the guys who all wore grim expressions.
“Where were you, mate?” Niall asked, looking wounded.
Harry took a large sip of his tea before he pushed his now-empty bowl aside, “It’s, uh, it’s kind of a long story.” He looked at Louis tentatively, “Uhm…th-there’s something I have to tell you, Lou.”
“He knows,” Zayn murmured.
Harry’s eyes widened as he spun on Zayn, “You told him?”
“I already knew.” Louis said before the Vampire King could respond, Zayn shot him a look but Louis shook his head.
“How?”
“I promise we’ll talk about everything soon, but first, where were you?”
Harry wrapped his hands around his cup to warm his hands and shivered, “I was in the darkness again,” He met Niall’s wide eyes, “I’m not sure how long I was there but there were moments where I was…in the past, I guess? It felt like a dream state, or a vision. I saw Eric as a boy.” Louis flinched but motioned for Harry to continue, “I…I saw him murdering animals by the river, that was what drew Leviathan to him - only, they became friends. Eric called him Mr.Levi . I think Eric was too young to understand, but there was a terrifying darkness in him, Lou.” he added quickly, shaking his head at the memory of child-sized hands playing in blood, “He killed animals for sport and he - he laughed about it.” He went on to tell them about the kitten, then the rat’s eyes and how Leviathan manipulated Eric into accepting his help by promising to free him in return.
“After that I was in the darkness again…for a long time.” He swallowed, “Until suddenly, I wasn’t.” He smiled at the sudden memory, “I met Penny…and your mother, Jane, Claire, Freya, Darcy and Dominique - they’re so lovely, and they’re happy too.” He added when Louis’ eyes glimmered wetly.
Louis nodded, “Niall met them too, made them promise to take care of Flicker.”
Harry’s eyes brimmed as he turned to Niall, who looked equally devastated, “Ni, I’m so sorry.” he whispered, squeezing his friend's arm.
Niall wiped his eyes and sniffled, “He looked really happy there, Haz. Like he belonged. Gonna miss the silly mutt.” He choked on a wet laugh.
A tear slipped from Harry’s eye when he smiled, “Nix too, Claire told me that that was where our familiars vanished to when they weren’t with us - that it was like home to them.”
“Really?” Niall asked, his eyes pleading.
“Yeah, really.” Harry breathed.
“Sorry for your loss, both of you,” Liam murmured as he handed them tissues. They nodded at him as they wiped their eyes. Harry jumped when he felt Louis’ hand brush his thigh, he knew the gesture was meant to be soothing but his thoughts were still far too scattered to make sense of things right now.
“Are you tired?” Louis murmured to him.
“I don’t think so,” He said at last. “Niall what happened to you?”
Niall drew a deep breath, then released it, “Well after that cunt slit my throat, I kind of floated for a while - that dark place ya mentioned - not for long, mind. Then Penny found me in the ‘ After ’ and took me to meet Jane. Had to take a moment to say goodbye to me boy but I wasn’t gone more than a couple hours apparently.”
Harry nodded, “And Emille?”
“He said the same, woke up just a little bit before I did.”
He swallowed thickly, “Eric?”
Niall looked grim, “His body was missing, he was never consecrated.”
“His - what?” Harry sputtered.
“Think the demon took his body?” Zayn asked.
Louis hummed, “The demon would need a witch’s heart to be corporeal though, so how would he’ve been able to take the body?”
“And what happened to Eric?” Liam asked.
“His spirit would’ve returned to Leviathan,” Harry muttered, “Prick smiled at me while he had his throat slit.” A shiver wracked his frame at the memory, and then Harry gasped, “My family!”
“I’ll take you to see them in the morning,” Niall said quickly, “Don’t want’a scare them t’death in the middle of the night.”
Harry pulled a face causing everyone to chuckle.
“Poor choice of words.” Niall said.
He turned to Louis, “How did you know I was back?”
Louis nodded to Niall, “Said he felt your magic return.”
Niall nodded, his lips twisting into a smile, “Felt like a breath of fresh air.”
Harry frowned, he’d never heard of such a thing before.
“Harry, do you have the blade?” Everyone turned to look at him at Zayn’s question. Harry’s hand flew to his pocket and he pulled it out for everyone to see.
“It’s not glowing anymore,” Liam hummed.
“Yeah, it stopped after Jane told me to prick my thumb with it - she also said I had to be the one to kill Leviathan.” Harry said as he tucked the blade back into his pocket, he wasn’t ready to part with it just yet.
Liam chewed at his bottom lip, “How do we kill a demon that isn’t corporeal.”
Harry sighed as he fell back into his chair, “I don’t know, but let’s figure it out in the morning.”
“Let’s get some sleep -”
Zayn was cut off by the sound of the front door slamming open. Everyone clambered to their feet and hurried into the store front.
Louis halted as soon as Eric stepped into La Lune, the rest of them stumbling into his back.
“I sensed a rising witch tonight,” He hummed as he stepped further into the store. Liam started circling him and Zayn quickly followed, keeping one step in front of him. Louis moved counter-clockwise to Zayn as he kept an eye on Eric, and kept the witches at his back.
Eric’s eyes landed on Harry over Louis’ shoulder, “Hello Harry,” He purred, “Welcome back, though I do apologise in advance for how short your visit will be.”
“You’re outnumbered, Eric.” Louis spat, his arms slightly outstretched as if preparing to attack.
Harry caught a strange glimmer in Eric’s eyes and felt his insides turn to ice, the memory of the demon and the boy on the embankment swirling through his mind, urging him to remember - to connect the dots, “Louis…” Harry warned.
Eric’s eyes passed over the assembled group and he smiled as if in on a secret he couldn’t wait to share, “Yes, yes, I see. Quite an impressive display.” He chuckled, shaking his head.
“You made a mistake coming here,” Zayn said from behind Eric.
Eric looked over his shoulder at Zayn, “Ah, Vampire King…it’s good to meet you at last.”
Zayn’s eyebrows twitched together slightly at the phrasing, and it hit Harry suddenly - because Zayn had known the Tomlinson’s, had met Eric as a boy before.
This wasn’t Eric.
“Leviathan.” Harry breathed. Josephine’s blessed-ward around his store was only able to be crossed if the demon possessed someone.
Everyone’s heads snapped toward him, then collectively back to the demon hosting Eric’s body.
The demon tapped his nose, “Clever, clever boy.”
Louis’ eyes widened and in a flash Harry was at the opposite end of the store, staring at the back of the vampire’s head. When he looked past him, he saw that Zayn had grabbed Niall and shoved him and Liam behind himself as the two vampires faced off the demon.
Leviathan threw his head back and laughed.
“Where’s Eric?” Louis called. Harry looked at his profile but Louis’ eyes were unreadable as he watched the demon.
“The boy fulfilled his purpose, I no longer had use for him.” He shrugged.
“Is he dead?” Zayn asked, his eyes flickering briefly to Louis.
“He was always dead,” Harry said and the demon grinned as Louis frowned at him in question, Harry spoke only to the demon though, “You needed him to complete the ritual of threes. You needed him to finish what he started and tricked him into thinking he’d be able to return once you were free.”
“I don’t understand?” Louis said through clenched teeth.
Harry swallowed, “Leviathan needed the heart of a witch, Eric was that witch -”
“Eric never presented.” Louis interrupted.
“Eric’s darkness conflicted with the nature of a witch’s magic. Our magic is pure - he didn’t present to the elders because his darkness kept it hidden, but he was a witch.” He looked over to Leviathan who was watching the exchange with his head cocked to the side in amusement, “You made him draw the triskelion in his own blood on his forehead that day by the river…you told him to repeat the chant you whispered.”
The demon tsked, “I did not make the boy do anything, he wanted to live - I merely gave him a choice.”
“If you have what you need, a witch’s heart, what could you possibly want with Harry now?” Niall spat.
Leviathan's eyes shifted then, an inky black swelling over his irises and everyone held their breath as he stared straight into Harry’s eyes, through him. “I’ve come to take back what you stole from me, witch .” He seethed.
“I took nothing from you,” Harry said, the words tasted like a lie as an unfamiliar flutter shivered over his skin, dancing with his magic.
“Lies.”
The demon lunged towards him, and Louis moved to block the attack.
“Lou - No! ” Harry cried asd the demon raised his arm and Louis was flung out of his path as if he were nothing more than a bothersome gnat.
Harry’s magic burst from his chest as Louis slammed into the wall behind the register and landed in a heap. He flung his arms towards the demon, sending it stumbling into Zayn who grabbed at it’s head to twist it’s neck.
The demon growled, then spun in Zayn’s arms and plunged a hand into his chest. Zayn choked, blood splattering from his lips as he stared into the demon’s eyes. Leviathan grinned at him, his arm twisting. The Vampire King’s body jerked as he was lifted into the air.
“Zayn!” Liam cried, claws burst from his nails and he lashed out, clawing at the arm that held Zayn.
The demon hissed, sending a force of darkness into Liam’s chest that sent the wolf to his knees on a pained howl, the demon’s other hand tensed as it hovered over his body.
“Stop.” Zayn choked, blood bubbling over his chin as he stared down at Liam on his knees, writhing in agony as the demon held him down with his dark power. Zayn gripped at the demon's wrist and tried to pull it’s hand from his chest.
Harry raised his arms quickly, calling to his magic just as a powerful blast of silver sent the demon flying into the shelves behind it. Niall caught Zayn as he fell to his knees.
“Harry, get out of here!” Louis shouted.
Harry’s head snapped up in his direction, his relief for Louis’ well-being was short-lived when a force gripped his body, freezing him in place.
His friends spun towards him, until they too froze in place, their bodies straining against the demon's force.
“Enough!” The demon boomed, straightening to his feet. Harry gaped in horror as he stared at it, a jagged cut ran the length of his cheek and when the skin flapped to the side, it revealed bone and teeth and exposed gum. Harry swallowed bile at the sight. It looked like his eye was about to pop out of the exposed socket.
When the demon caught it’s reflection in a gilt framed mirror it sighed, “Now look what you’ve done,” It muttered to Niall, “This simply won’t do.”
If Harry could move he was sure he’d’ve flinched as the demon’s head snapped back, it’s mouth gaping unnaturally wide and inky, black smoke spilled from it’s lips. The shadow’s swarmed Eric’s body, obscuring it from view and they all stared in horror as it grew, limbs snapping out in impossible directions.
“Oh my Goddess .” Niall gasped in disbelief.
The smoke revealed a tall humanoid shape in it’s centre, glowing white eyes where Harry assumed the head of it was. When the mouth opened Harry gulped at the rows upon rows of incisors.
“Much better,” It hummed but the voice was different, like scraping mortar, as it crawled over Harry’s skin. Gooseflesh pricked at his flesh as the demon swung it’s large head in Harry’s direction, milky eyes aglow.
“Don't you touch him!” Louis shouted as the demon lumbered in his direction. Louis’ own fangs had descended, black veins flaring out beneath his eyes.
When the demon stepped in Louis’ direction, Harry threw his magic into the force that held him, straining to break it.
“Beautiful creature,” It leered, “Such a shame.” Louis screamed as the demon touched his cheek, his eyes and nose streaming blood.
“Wait, stop!” Harry shouted, “Stop, I’ll give you what you want.”
The demon pulled its hand from Louis’ face slowly, leaving the vampire panting, his chest rising and falling quickly.
“You earthbound creatures are so weak,” The demon chuckled as it filled Harry’s space, it’s hot, rotting breath washing over his face, making him gag.
Liam made a sound as he strained, and he could see the veins in Niall’s forehead as he fought the binding.
“And yet I still managed to take a piece of your darkness,” Harry spat, “You’re no better, wrapped up in your power and superiority that you barely even noticed when a weak little witch stole from you.”
His magic swarmed against his chest, no longer fighting the demon’s force, but stroking it, coaxing it to settle. He just needed to keep the demon talking.
“Harry,” Louis warned, the veins in his arms and hands standing out as he twitched against the binding.
The demon glared, its swirling, smokey face filling Harry’s vision, “Insolent fool,” It spat, “I would’ve forged you into something new, something stronger, but you were too blinded by love, a love that betrayed you.”
Harry’s magic faltered slightly and he swallowed.
“Disappointments are not the same as betrayals,” Harry bit out, his temper rising.
When the demon chuckled knowingly he looked up into its milky eyes, “I am not speaking of your heartbreak, witch. I’m speaking of the deception.”
Harry frowned.
“D-don’t.” Louis stuttered.
Harry’s eyes flickered to Louis’ face in confusion, but the vampire wasn’t looking at him, his wide-stricken eyes were glued to Leviathan.
“What…what are you talking about?” Harry whispered.
“Harry -”
The demon cut Louis off, “He robbed you of your memory but death returned it, remember witch, remember what he took.” When Levathian’s hand touched his cheek the room around them faded and dissolved:
It was the day of Harry’s birthday, and he watched as he and Louis ate their dinner at the kitchen table, talking about the House of the Rising Sun and Louis’ room. Harry looked on, watching himself, the way this Harry looked nervous and tentative.
“I wouldn’t judge you, you’ve been around a long time - it'd make sense to collect things.”
Louis hummed, sending Harry a smirk, “To put it mildly,” he teased.
“So could I?”
“Could you, what?” Louis asked, using the napkin to wipe at his mouth. Something about the gesture made it feel like he was stalling.
Harry hesitated, nibbling at his lip before tentatively asking, “See it, your room, I mean?”
Louis frowned, “Why would you want to do that?”
Harry remembered then, the flare of annoyance he’d felt, the mounting frustration over what had happened with Zayn, over Louis’ vagueness.
“Gee, I don’t know, maybe because I’m in love with you and would like to know more about you?!”
Harry stared, his hands trembling at his sides as he watched his past self confess to Louis. He turned to look at Louis’ face, feeling dread prickle at his skin.
“Don’t say that” Louis whispered in shock, when his irises pulsed Harry squeezed his eyes shut. Not wanting to face this truth any longer.
“Say what?” Harry’s past self said, tone monotonous.
Harry opened his eyes to see Louis shoot up from his seat and run to Harry’s side, “Fuck,” He spat, “Baby?” He touched Harry’s cheek, “You’re on vervain, how is this possible?”
When Harry remained silent Louis growled.
“Answer me.” The command rang through the room.
“I must’ve forgotten to take it.”
Louis swallowed thickly, his eyes flying over Harry’s face until a determined look settled on his features, “Forget this happened, okay? Let’s just get back to what we were talking about before.”
Harry nodded easily, and slowly Louis sat back in his seat across from him, though he looked strained, his mouth tight and his hand trembling around his fork as guilt shimmered in his eyes.
Louis swallowed and started speaking again, “Sure, H. I’ll show you around sometime.”
Harry sent him a grin, but noticed Louis’ smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. When he leaned forward to touch his hand, Louis flinched.
“Are you okay?” He asked with a worried frown.
Harry covered his face with his hands, his lips trembling as the scene around him faded.
“Matters of the heart are deliciously complex, are they not?”
Leviathan’s voice flowed back into his ears and when Harry opened his eyes, they were wet with tears, his lips still trembling.
He looked over at Louis who looked utterly destroyed, “Baby, I’m - God - I’m so sorry, I’m so -” He choked as tears slid down his own cheeks.
Harry looked away from him, his fists clenching at his sides.
“Your agony tastes sweet, witch,” Leviathan groaned, a large black tongue darting out to slide over black, leathery lips.
“D-don’t give up, Harry. Fight it - please just -”
“Quiet!” The demon boomed at Louis, “I will put you out of your misery.” It said to Harry, then wrapped an impossibly large hand around Harry’s throat, raising him slightly from the ground, the tips of his toes brushing the wooden floorboards.
The boys shouted, fighting against the barrier.
“You made a mistake, Leviathan,” Harry whispered, voice strained at the tight hold on his throat. The demon’s piercing eyes landed on his own, searching, “I did not take something from you…” The demon’s confusion rolled off of it and Harry revelled in that, “I welcomed it as my own…my magic now recognizes yours,” he coughed when the demon’s hand tightened, “It will not hold me…I just needed you close enough, distracted by petty visions.”
Blood dribbled down from Harry’s nose as he drew his magic towards him, staining his teeth. He sent Leviathan a toothy sneer, “Your reign of terror has ended.”
The demon’s eyes widened as Harry yanked the blade from his pocket and plunged it into the demon’s chest.
Leviathan released an unearthly howl as white light exploded from its chest, its grip on Harry’s neck didn’t falter though.
“Then you will join me.” Leviathan yelled.
Louis’ scream filled his ears as the demon twisted Harry’s neck. A large crack echoed in his head and a sharp pain lanced down his spine before everything faded to black.
~ Louis ~
Louis screamed as the crack of Harry’s neck rang out around them. The demon was still howling, clutching at its chest as Harry’s limp body fell to the ground at its feet. Louis struggled with all his might against the demon's power, his voice cracking.
In a blinding flash of white that burned his retinas, the demon vanished and the power binding him subsided. Louis fell to his knees at it’s sudden disappearance before he scrambled towards Harry’s body.
Harry’s body.
He pulled Harry into his lap, pushing his curls to the side to see his face as he cried. Horrible sobs wracking his chest, “No, baby, no. Oh, God, please .” He sobbed, burying his face into Harry’s neck, “Not again, not again.”
He placed his palm over Harry’s chest, begging to feel his heart kick back at it.
“I love you, please, I love you.” Louis whispered into his ear.
Niall, Zayn and Liam knelt around them. Tears streamed down Niall’s face as he took Harry’s limp hand in his own.
“We should consecrate his body,” Zayn murmured, reaching for Harry.
“Don’t touch him!” Louis spat, clinging to the boy he loved, holding him tighter to his chest.
“Lou…he’s - he’s de -”
“Shut up!” Louis bellowed at Liam.
The boys looked to one another as Louis wept into Harry’s curls, his palm curling into a fist over where his boy’s heart should be beating.
“He saved us.” Niall whispered brokenly.
Louis refused to move, continued to rock Harry’s body in his arms, begging to whatever deity to return his beautiful boy to him. He hadn’t even gotten the chance to say it back, to tell him how much he loved him.
When he felt a flutter against his knuckles he buried his face deeper into Harry’s neck, cloaking himself in his loss.
A ragged breath rattled in his ear and Louis’ head snapped up. He stared down at Harry’s face, sure he’d just imagined the sound.
A second later a sputtered gasp burst from Harry’s lips and his beautiful green eyes fluttered.
“Oh my God,” Louis sputtered, shifting Harry in his arms in disbelief.
Harry’s eyes snapped open, seeming momentarily confused before they landed on Louis’ face.
“Lou?” He croaked.
“Oh my God,” Louis choked out again, crushing Harry to his chest, “Y-you’re alive - how is that possible?”
“Won’t be if you keep crushing me,” Harry groaned and Louis instantly released him as the boys gathered closer, eyes wide in disbelief.
“H-How are you here?” Niall asked, his tears drying as he stared.
Harry frowned, shaking his head slightly, “I…I woke up in the cemetery, outside my crypt. Felt this tug in my chest and it led me back here…I - I saw you holding my body,” His eyes met Louis’, “The second I touched my shoulder everything went dark again.”
Louis touched his cheeks, the skin warm under his fingertips.
“I heard you,” Harry murmured to him.
Louis nodded quickly, “It’s true, it’s all true. I love you, Harry - I’m so sorry for the compulsion.”
When Harry swallowed and made to sit up, Louis quickly steadied him, all of them helping the witch to his feet.
He averted his eyes from Louis’, and Louis felt something inside of him shrivel up, “How am I back?” Harry asked Niall.
“I-I don’t know, maybe it was the blade?” He said, biting his lip.
Harry nodded, considering.
“We should talk to Josephine,” Liam suggested.
They all looked a mess.
“In the morning,” Harry decided and they all agreed.
Louis stayed close to Harry’s side as they set about righting the shelf the demon had crashed into, he wasn’t all that sure he was welcome and guilt ate at his heart as he watched Harry studiously avoid him.
When they had a moment alone he slipped up beside him, “Do you want me to leave?” He murmured, softly. His heart clenched painfully.
Harry looked up at him, then away as he bit his lip, “I…I just need time to think.”
Louis swallowed thickly, “I can give you time…but I don’t know if I’m strong enough to stay away again.”
Harry clenched his jaw but didn’t say anything more.
The boys agreed to spend the night.
Niall and Harry shared a bed, which Louis tried his best not to bristle at, and Zayn and Liam took Niall’s room. Louis stayed in the store, perched on the chair by the register as he stared out of the window, his heart in pieces at his feet.
He only had himself to blame.
~ Harry ~
Two weeks had passed since Harry had killed the demon.
He’d spent the time adjusting to his new normal, running the store and dealing with his overly clingy family and friends. He wasn’t complaining though, he understood their need to be close. Nothing had prepared him for the looks on his mother and sisters’ faces when he’d shown up on their doorstep the following day with Niall in tow. It had been an emotional event for all involved.
Anne and Gemma and Niall had renounced their ties to the coven. Although the coven still held anger over their failed harvest after Harry and the rest of their group had informed them of the delinking spell, and that there would never be a harvest ritual ever again.
Zayn visited as often as he was able, and Harry still met Liam for drinks, sometimes Niall and Gemma would join them.
Louis had kept his distance. Which Harry knew he’d asked for, and he’d been grateful for the space at first - but he’d come to terms with a lot.
Especially after Josephine had burst into the store the morning after the demon attack, yelling at Niall for his poor photocopying skills. It had turned out that the bottom half of Marie’s journal had not been copied the day of the blood-curse. In Niall’s defence, he had been in a rush. However the bottom half of the page that had been cut off had held another drawn symbol. Just below the one for life that had been upside down. The new symbol meant Eternal .
It turned out that Harry had given up a mortal life during his death.
He would not age, and he would not die. Unless he was stabbed in the heart by the very blade he was bound to.
Needless to say, he and his friends and family had needed time to process that information.
He still remembered the moment his neck had snapped and his spirit had appeared in the cemetery - how he’d run back to the store to find Louis crying into his hair, begging for him.
“I love you, please, I love you.”
The words followed him into his dreams and plagued his waking consciousness as soon as he opened his eyes. They followed him around like a shadow, whispered in every exhale and filled the spaces between his ribs on every inhale.
His heart still ached at the betrayal, but along with the betrayal came the look of horror on Louis face when he’d done it. He knew it was time for them to talk.
That’s how he found himself at the House of the Rising Sun that evening, following Zayn’s directions to Louis’ rooms.
The large mahogany door flew open after he’d knocked and there he stood, knocking the breath straight out of Harry’s lungs.
Louis’ hair was tangled above his head and dark circles hung under his eyes, his cheekbones sharper than they’d ever been before.
“Harry?” He breathed, then blinked and shook his head as if he thought he was hallucinating the witch.
“Hey, Lou,” The vampire’s eyes snapped up to his face at the sound of his voice, he cleared his throat, “We need to talk.”
Louis’ eyes widened momentarily before he opened the door wider and gestured for him to enter.
Louis had been right about the state of his room.
Books littered over every available surface. Unlit candles spilling wax over old tome’s everywhere he looked and cups upon cups of what he was sure was long-cold tea perched precariously in rather obscure places. His bed was unmade, white sheets rumpled, the dark mahogany of the four-poster bed draped in white gossamer stood out in contrast to the crisp sheets. His desk was a mess of papers, depicting rituals and a spread open grimoire.
Harry frowned as he ran his fingers over the text.
“That’s from the week before the harvest, Josephine and I were searching for a solution to…well you know,” Louis said, looking slightly sheepish as he stood there in a white t-shirt and grey joggers, his feet bare.
Harry nodded slowly, biting his lip. So that’s why Louis had stormed off and never returned, he’d been busy with research, trying to save them.
“I never thanked you for that.”
Louis waved him off, shrugging easily.
“Do you…want to sit down,” He gestured to the bed. When Harry glanced at the cluttered chair, Louis hurried forward to clear it but Harry turned swiftly and sank into the plush mattress. Louis hesitated before following his lead and sitting down beside him, twisting to face Harry. His knee brushed Harry’s thigh, and he nearly shivered at the contact.
“So you wanted to talk?” Louis murmured, looking slightly apprehensive.
Harry stared down at his fingers as they twisted in his lap, “You compelled me…”
Louis flinched at the words, then squeezed his eyes shut as he released a slow breath, “Harry, I…I am so sorry, it was an accident. It’s no excuse but I just reacted so strongly to what you said, and I genuinely thought you were on vervain.”
“If it was an accident why didn’t you tell me before?”
Louis dragged a hand down his face, “I wanted to but the more time past the more I wanted the do-over. I wanted to react properly, to possibly be the one to tell you first - I know how selfish that sounds, believe me.”
Harry shook his head, frowning, “That’s not good enough.”
Louis nodded sadly, “I know…”
“Because you didn’t feel the same then, you were seeing other -”
“No, baby,” Louis cut him off quickly, grabbing his hand, “There was no one else, never. I only wanted you , loved you .”
Harry's eyes pricked with tears, his voice was weak when he whispered, “Why did you lie to me? Why break my heart?”
Louis choked as a tear slipped from his eye, “I overheard you that day, talking to Zayn, about how Eric was tormenting you to get to me. That he was my brother and I - I knew that I couldn’t be around you anymore, not when you meant everything to me.”
Harry shut his eyes, realising he’d forgotten to burn sage in Zayn’s office that day. Still: “You couldn’t’ve just ended it? Instead of making me feel like some lovesick side-piece?”
Louis flinched at the words, another tear slipping for his eyes, “I needed you to hate me.” He whispered at last.
“Why?” Harry asked, his voice cracking.
Louis’ wet eyes met his own, “Because I knew I wouldn’t be strong enough to stay away from you. I needed you to keep me at arm’s length.”
Harry huffed a weak laugh, “You’re an idiot, Louis Tomlinson.”
Hope bloomed in the vampire’s eyes, his responding huff of laughter raw.
“Is that why you were so persistent with my vervain in-take after that night.”
Louis nodded quickly, “The thought of what I did destroyed me, H. I didn’t think I could live with it, but I swear I would’ve plucked up the courage to tell you eventually, it’s just that so much happened - and then with Eric, it felt like I was maybe doing you a favour, letting you believe you’d never told me.”
Harry nodded slowly, wiping at his eye.
“You should know…I fell in love with you the second I laid eyes on you.” Harry looked up at Louis in surprise, and Louis chuckled sadly, “You were just there, snapping photos in the quarter, talking to some artists and enjoying the jazz music. You had this look of wonder on your face that just…” He shook his head, smiling softly, rubbing at his chest - his heart, “And then you walked past a merchant’s stall, he was upset because his roses were dying, he fretted over money for his family, when he turned away you whispered a chant and they bloomed. You walked away before he would notice, and I just…I needed to know you, you were so beautiful to me, already. You frustrated me too - I really thought you knew of the harvest, and I hated the idea of the coven stealing your light from the world.”
Harry’s lips trembled as he stared at Louis, his heart pounding in his chest. So that was why Louis had started following him around, why he hadn’t wanted Niall to read him that day in the kitchen.
“I miss you,” Louis whispered at last.
A lump formed in Harry’s throat, “I miss you too.”
Louis looked up at him, then reached up tentatively. When Harry didn’t stop him, he leaned forward to wipe the tears from his cheeks, “I promise I’ll spend the rest of eternity making it up to you, I’ll do everything I can to earn your love again - your trust.”
Harry shut his eyes, leaning into the touch, “There’s no point.”
Louis snatched his hand away from his face, eyes devastated, “H-Harry, please, I know I messed up. I know that, but -”
Harry slowly took his hand in his own and kissed Louis’ fingertips, soothing him, “There’s no point trying to earn something you’ve always had, Lou.”
Louis’ eyes filled at that, “W-What?”
Harry looked into his eyes, his voice firm, “I love you, and after everything we’ve been through, I'm pretty sure nothing could change that.”
“You…but -”
Harry interrupted Louis with a firm kiss that Louis gasped into. A second later he moaned, curling his hands into Harry’s hair and tugging to the side. It had been far too long since he’d felt him, touched him, tasted him.
The kiss was wet, and salty from their combined tears, and the best one yet.
Louis’ arms snaked around his waist, pulling him into his lap, their tongues dipping into each other’s mouths, relearning one another.
“I love you,” Louis gasped into his parted lips.
Harry rolled his hips, drawing a moan from the vampire, “I love you,” Harry whispered.
Louis wasted no time pulling Harry’s shirt from over his head and stripping his own before scooping him up and laying him out on his back between the sheets.
It took no time at all before their clothes were discarded around the room, their limbs tangled together as their mouths claimed each other over and over again.
“Need you, Lou.” Harry moaned as Louis’ hands ran over his body, worshipping his porcelain, soft skin.
They relearned the way their bodies responded to each other as Louis worked him open with slicked up fingers. Their hips fell back into an easy, familiar rhythm once Louis had bottomed out, his hands still stroking over Harry’s skin. His swollen lips feverish against his neck.
God, he’d missed this, had missed the way Louis handled him. Gave it to him like he knew he liked it but there was still so much care and love in his touch.
He saw it for what it was now. Pure, unadulterated love.
They clung to each other after, sated and blissed.
“You were my home.” Harry whispered into Louis’ hair.
Louis lifted himself onto his elbows to look down into Harry’s eyes, frowning slightly.
“When Jane told me to shut my eyes in the After , she said to think of home…I thought of you…you brought me back.”
A tear slid down Louis’ cheek and Harry wiped it away quickly. Trailing his fingers over his skin, he cupped Louis’ jaw and leaned up to peck him softly, sweetly.
“I’ll always come home to you.”
“I’ll always be home for you, your safety net, I’ll catch you if you fall, H.” Louis whispered.
“You already have.”
They shared watery smiles before tangling their arms around one another tightly once more.
~ End ~