[FIC] Share the Darkness Chapter 1, PG13, Batman, Harry Potter, Catwoman

[aileencross.livejournal.com]

Title: Share the Darkness: Chapter 1
Author: aileencross
Fandoms: Batman (BB & DK), Harry Potter, Catwoman (movie)
Rating: PG13
Warnings: mild violence
Pairings (if applicable): not yet
Character(s) (if applicable): Harry Potter, Bruce Wayne (Batman), Patience Phillips (Catwoman)
Summary: (AU HP-verse, no horcruxes) Harry's life was changed forever when he defeated Voldemort. His friends didn't understand, so he traveled the world, ending up as a bartender in Gotham City, where he meets some interesting people.
Disclaimer: All characters and other copyrighted material belongs to someone that is not me. I'm only borrowing said material and gaining nothing but the fun of writing it.

 

He supposed that the insomnia was caused by the excess of magic he’d absorbed after Voldemort’s demise, but he hadn’t actually begun to notice it until a few weeks later, when most of the extravagant celebrations had died off, there were no official Ministry balls to attend in his honor, and he’d tried, and failed, to sleep in his and Ron’s old room back at Grimmauld Place. So when the nights found him wandering dark streets, his surviving friends became worried, and insisted he stay within protected areas, where they could keep safe.

Keep me safe? he laughed darkly. Who will keep me safe from myself?

When he saw the answering fear in their eyes he knew that it was time to leave.

***

Gotham City

Ting!

The wood and glass door opened to let in a short-haired black woman of medium height wearing tight, skinny jeans and a raspberry top over a pair of black leather high-heeled boots. A few of the Tuesday night patrons of the Glaze Fire sent appreciative looks to the woman as she strode purposefully towards the bar.

“Stray Cat!” called out a British-sounding voice. “Where’ve you been? I haven’t seen you in weeks!”

“I had to lie low for a while, Phantom,” she replied, settling down on a barstool. “You know how it is.” She spun around on her seat, flashing a mischievous smile to the bartender.

“Ah, the life of the ever-wandering...” the bartender had rectangular glasses over eyes that matched the color of his emerald, knit beanie. A few strands of his dark hair were falling out of the rubber band that secured a short pony tail at the base of his neck. He dressed simply, wearing a black t-shirt and brown cargo pants.

“Hey, not everyone gets to fly across an ocean to make a change in our lives, Harry. Some of us have to settle for moving to a different neighborhood in the same city.”

“Are you a philosopher now, Patience?” Harry teased, handing her her usual drink.

“Of course. Ask me anything. What is the meaning of life? Is the universe expanding? Why is Mr. Famous Billionaire sitting at the other end of the bar, looking like he’s up to no good?” Patience smirked when her friend glanced reflexively in the direction of said billionaire, even though she’s certain that Harry already knew he was there.

“That last question I would like your opinion on,” Harry replied, a bit quieter than he was before.

Patience shrugged. “I’m pretty sure your place is just on his way home from work. Has he been in here before?”

“Once or twice. I’m surprised the papers haven’t called him on it. The damage to his reputation would be incredible.” It wasn’t advertised, and he certainly hadn’t planned it that way, but Harry’s bar was known as one of the most gay-friendly places this side of Gotham. In fact, less than a quarter of his regular customers were straight. “Do you think he knows?”

“About the nature of your clientele?” Patience asked, studying the man sitting along the way. Bruce Wayne looked up from his drink, as if he knew he’d been stared at, and caught her eye. “I don’t think he does,” she said, sounding surprised.

“You know him,” Harry said, watching as Wayne gave a little wave, and Patience smiled back.

“By a different name.” She stood up stretching, and downed the rest of her drink. “I think it’s about time for me to head off. See you later.”

“Bye,” Harry replied, smiling. He saw Wayne watching her leave, and wondered how they met.

***

A few hours later, Harry closed up the bar and headed home, restless. When the feeling didn’t go away, he pulled out an old black cloak and a half mask he’d picked up at a costume store a while back, and stalked out into the streets of Gotham.

This was the reason he had chosen this city: he wouldn’t be in any way out of place wandering the streets at night, and the mask protected his more public persona as a bar owner. The dark walls of the buildings and the whispering on street corners reminded him vaguely of his night-time wanderings as a student, but the old risks of getting caught out by a teacher rather paled in comparison to the very real danger of being attacked by the insane criminals that escaped into Gotham from Arkham Asylum.

Rarely, however, did Harry need to protect himself. Patience had told him that he projected an aura of darkness that made most wary of approaching him. If he noticed someone following him, they were usually deterred by shocks of wandless magic that he let sparkle down his fingertips as a warning. Tonight, however, that wasn’t the case.

When the footsteps behind him didn’t disappear he led them to an empty alley and spun to face his follower.

The middle-aged man wearing torn, faded jeans and an old brown jacket was wielding a rusty, serrated knife and an insane grin. Harry let him advance before dodging the forward motion of the knife and kicking the man’s legs out from under him. When he moved to get up, Harry clocked him, using a small bit of magic to make sure the man would be knocked unconscious. Centering himself, he turned to leave the alley---

---only to be blocked by a tall figure all in black.

“Who are you?” the figure demanded.

“Sorry?” Harry replied, startled. The clouds shifted to let through some moonlight, and Harry could make out some more distinctive features on the man he was facing. A cape fell gracefully from his broad shoulders, and a mask covered his face from the nose up. What looked like a set of pointy ears protruded from the top of his head.

“Batman?” Harry asked.

“Were you expecting Santa Claus?” The sarcasm rolled off the man’s tongue like a native language. “You shouldn’t be on the streets at night. You’ll only get attacked again.”

“What, like that?” Harry asked, gesturing towards man lying on the ground behind him. “I’ll be fine, and he won’t even wake up with a bruise.” He looked back at Batman. Something about him seemed familiar, although Harry didn’t recognize the life-force his magic detected coming from the man. “Do I know you?”

“Unlikely,” Batman replied. He stared intently at Harry, like he was looking for something.

The sound of police sirens interrupted, and the two men looked up to see the Bat Signal shining in the sky.

“Stay out of trouble,” he commanded, and when Harry looked back down, he was gone.

 

Comments

[ladymacbeth922.livejournal.com]

So many levels of AWESOME...

Continue. Now. Like go WRITE. More of this AWESOME-ness.

Thank you.

[beatnikspinster.livejournal.com]

Oh! This is an interesting start! I look forward to more. :)