Behind Emerald Eyes

Behind Emerald Eyes

Jaded

"Now here I sit, so far away. Remembering, all the memories. Its times like these, I miss you most. Remembering, when we were so close..." - Jaded by Mest

The night was cool and shadowy. An orb-like moon hung high in the dark sky. Thousands of lights sparkled down to the world. The Dog Star: Sirius, was exceedingly bright tonight.

In a large square, cloaked in darkness by the surrounding buildings, a lone figure walked. A ring of keys jingled softly at his side at each of his slow steps. A black club hung at his hip and a identification badge was pinned to his chest. Just barely in the night you could make out the figure's name printed in bold.

James Black was once more on his job. He liked strolling through the dark. He felt at home within the shadows and one with the starry sky. Many who gazed upon this Security Guard would think he would hate having to work through the late hours of the night. Not knowing if masked assailants would pounce from behind a tree. Never knowing if tonight would be his last patrol through the cold air. A man could, at any moment, strike and take his life. But James Black was prepared and aware of the dangers much more than others. Apart from his club and a bottle of pepper spray at his side, he had one more secret weapon tucked into his belt.

A wand was strapped beneath his pants. It had not been used in years and James only carried it for an extra precaution. He did not want any unwanted 'visitors' turning up during his work hours. 'Visitors' being people from his past. People he rather would not meet again. Especially when he had finally picked up his life as another person. Someone who wasn't picked out in a crowd because of his symbol-like scar. James Black had received the scar in the car crash that killed his parents when he was young. The story was like a second nature to him. While in the care of his relatives, Harry Potter had been forced to resume that false story about his past in order for his aunt and uncle to seem like 'normal' citizens in their most standard neighbourhood.

Once more, Harry had to cover up his true calling. But this time it was his own tongue that spread the lie. Using it to hide his identity and unforgettable past. On his night shifts which were on every night of the week bar Saturday and Sunday's which were his days off. Every night he would begin his shift at Eight PM in the evening and finish at Six in the early morning. During this time he was allowed two hours off. He could take them off individually or all at once. Usually, he would take them off individually, strolling around to the Local Twenty-Four Hour supermarket and get his meal.

Tonight, he did not feel like taking his break. Memories of his school years had been flooding back into his head recently. Visions of is friends and professors. Peers and enemies. Draco Malfoy occasionally flashed in his head. The blond-haired Slytherin had proven his loyalty to the Light in their seventh year. He became a spy to the Death Eaters just like the Potions Master, Severus Snape. When their final year had ended the boy went off to Auror Training and had become next best under Kingsley Shacklebolt and Nymphadora Tonks.

Under friends the pictures of Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley popped up. Even though they had not spoken or seen each other in over five years, Harry still thought about them and wished things had not changed. He knew nothing of their where-abouts or what they had mounted of themselves. All he knew was that Ron's father was Minister, his brother, Percy, went out with Cornelius Fudge and Ginny Weasley had went to work with Charlie Weasley in Romania.

Harry missed Hermione desperately. She had been with him all through his schooling years even when he and Ron had fought in their fourth year. She had always been there for support and information. But now, she was gone, and Harry knew nothing. Whether she was alive or dead, the information had not been heard by his ears.

An hour passed. The distant chiming of a clock could be heard striking the twelfth hour. Sighing lightly, James Black ran a hand through his messy dark locks. Dropping his hand almost immediately, the man scanned the shadowy spaces looking for any signs of life. An owl hooted from the top of a tree. James glanced at it cautiously. He had not received an owl for over four years. The last owl he received was from Ginny Weasley stating she was giving up on trying to get him back and that it was going to be her last letter. With only minimal sightings through his many years away, Harry was getting slowly used to their absence. Hedwig, his own snowy owl, was left in the care of Hermione. After all these years, he doubted whether she would be alive.

A sudden beating of wings drew him from his reverie. The owl had taken flight, the branch swaying softly where it pushed from. Hanging his head down, he continued his long winded patrol. After a few hours of walking around the same spot, nothing to do but watch around with tired eyes, Harry was feeling slightly peaky. His head ached and stomach growled. The occasionally howl from a hound would waken his mind but his body was still exhausted. He hadn't slept the previous day, being too wrapped in thoughts of old acquaintances.

A brief shuffling of steps made him alert at once. It seemed to come from his left beside the bleary fruit stall. Squinting through the darkness and taking a firm grasp of his club, Harry moved forwards. It was much easier to see in the darkness now, after having his eyes surgically mended by an expert muggle doctor over a year ago. Now his vision was perfect.

He could just make out a dark form, hidden behind half the stall. It was hard to tell if they knew he was here or if they were dangerous. Being of Gryffindor courage and mind, Harry cleared his throat and spoke out.

"Hello? Can I help you?" His voice was startlingly loud and ringing. It reverberated from the buildings and seemed ten times louder than when he first spoke. The person stepped back, knocking over a crate of fruit behind them. Harry ran forwards when the figure stumbled and sped off. Not bothering to chase them in the dark, Harry skidded just before the apples rolling along the concrete. The night form was gone, their steps slowly fading in the distance. Something sparkled on the ground at Harry's feet. Bending and picking it up, he squinted to see what it was. It was a coin. Not just any coin, but a golden Galleon. Feeling his stomach drop considerably, Harry looked up and into the shadows to where the person had run. A witch or wizard had just been here. And knew it was Harry Potter only a few paces away.

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The sun was just setting in the sky when Harry stumbled into his apartment at six-fifteen the next morning. The rest of his shift had been pretty uneventful, but he had stayed alert, hoping his magical visitor would return if only to for Harry to know who it was who tracked him down.

Dave was already up and eating a bowl of cereal at the table. He looked up when he entered and grinned a white toothy smile.

"Morning, James, have a nice night?" Harry grinned back sarcastically, dropping his keys and work items upon a door-side table. Slumping into a chair and pulling the health breakfast food towards him, Harry began his breakfast. Dave's dark eyes were watching him from across the table. A penetrating gaze which could detect when a person was lying came with the quick mind and smart intellect. A characteristic Harry also had to watch closely.

"What happened?" Harry looked up to his friend. That man would not miss nothing. He already knew Harry had encountered someone or something during his shift. Shrugging, Harry shovelled another spoonful of food into his mouth. Dave only raised an eyebrow. Finally swallowing, Harry answered.

"Just met another night time stroller. Nothing much..." it wasn't a lie although Harry did not think it was 'nothing much'. With only a raised eye brow in response the two young men continued their breakfast in silence.

Once Dave had left for work around seven, Harry wandered into his room and collapsed on the bed. The room he had called home for over five years looked glum and depressing this morning. With a grey light shining through the closed window and shadows lurking behind every corner, Harry shut his eyes. Sleep overcame him almost instantly, his night patrolling having taken much more out of his body than usual. Wearing his Guard Uniform and not bothering to remove his club, Harry slept quite uncomfortably.

The sun had risen to the centre of the sky by the time Harry awoke. He could have kept sleeping for another hour or so but a slight burning on his leg had roused him. Sitting up from the covers and struggling to put his hand in his pocket, Harry's leg was starting to sting. When his hand was released from the tight pocket and with the darkness around him, Harry could see an object, glowing softly, in his hand.

The burning stopped. Harry looked a bit closer. In his hand was the Galleon he had discovered the night before. But it was not areal Galleon. It was fake. And by the look of the small inscriptions around the edges, Harry knew exactly where it had came from and who made it. And it terrified him. This was one of the fake Galleons which had been used in his fifth year as a means of telling others when a DA meeting would be taking place. Hermione Granger had performed the Protean Charm on Harry's so all of them mimicked the dates on his.

Harry knew every single member in that small Defence Group. And now he knew that one of them had kept their Galleon over all these years. And that person was the shadow hiding from him the night before. Now someone was calling for them using the coin. But how? Harry's coin was the only one which could have triggered the others to heat and his had been lost long ago.

He lay back down, staring blankly at the ceiling. Someone from the Magical World had been there last night, watching him. What did they want? And who were they? If they had been someone from the Defence Association, someone he knew, why hadn't they approached him? Why hadn't they spoken?

Sleep did not roll over his this time. But memories replaced the dreams. And they were more terrible than the night visions. Much worse. Because these Harry knew were real. He knew that he couldn't go back and change what had happened in his previous life. What had happened, had happened. And there was nothing left for him to do but view them one last time.

First year and the Philosophers Stone. How he made his first two true friends that had always been there for him. How he had accidentally killed Quirrel but accomplished in putting a stop to Voldemort's plans. His first real victory.

Second year and the Chamber of Secrets. The basilisk and the memory of Tom Riddle. How the crazed young Voldemort had taken over Ginny Weasley's mind and controlled her. And the thought of how he had felt when he had seen the small girl laying on her side. Body cold and pale. Barely breathing. And Tom Riddle looming at her side. Laughing. Again Harry stopped the Dark Lord's plans, he himself almost dying from the Basilisk's venomous fang filled with deadly poison.

Third year and the first appearance of Sirius Black. James Potter's best friend. Harry's godfather. Animagus and first prisoner ever to escape Azkaban Fortress. And he would still be alive and free to this day, if it hadn't been for Peter Pettigrew. Also a Animagus but a traitor. Responsible for killing Lily and James. For killing Harry's parents and framing Sirius. Although Sirius had been set free, if not by law but in heart, Pettigrew escaped. Anger boiled in Harry's veins to this day. The snivelling rat of a man had not been seen since the day of Voldemort's demise. He had escaped once more. Harry vowed to find him and kill him like he should have done the first time he laid eyes on him.

Fourth year was the Tri Wizard Tournament. In this year Harry witnessed the death of Cedric Diggory and the rebirth of Lord Voldemort. He discovered traitors and his true friends. Having survived a duel with the snake-like being, Harry was once more kept in the dark about why everything had happened to him. Why Voldemort was chasing him and why his parents lives had been taken and his spared.

His fifth was the worst. Loosing Sirius was the hardest thing. And hearing the dreaded prophecy was enough to drive him to his peak.

A sudden noise interrupted his thoughts. Sitting from the bed and creeping to the door, he looked to see the front door handle wobbling. Voices were sounding from the hall outside. About to pull his wand on the intruder, Harry lowered it in time. What he thought was another unwanted visitor turned out to be his room-mate, Dave. The blond-haired man was laughing. Harry smiled, stuffing his wand back down his pants and hiding it beneath his untucked singlet.

Painting a false smile on his lips, Harry yawned and strolled out to meet him. But stopped when he noticed Dave was not alone. The man guided a young lady in behind him.

"Hello James," said Dave.

"Hey, Dave..." said Harry unsteadily. The woman grinned at him, sparkling hazel eyes staring into his own emerald. Dave watched the transaction with a curious gazed.

"James, this is Gin , I met her in town..." Harry did not hear the rest of his friends statements. His jaw dropped and eyes bulged. In front of him was a twenty year old woman. Bright, glittering red hair fell past her elbows and sat with an elegance his hair would never accomplish. Harry had not seen this girl since she was sixteen. But she looked so familiar and so warming to his eyes.

She looked him up and down, still grinning that mischievous grin. "Nice to meet you, James!"

In front of him stood Ginny Weasley.

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