The Inkeeper

Chapter 3

The vampire still had the Inn to run after all, he couldn't walk around with Harry every moment of the day. But luckily, the little boy didn't seem to expect that. He was quite happy in his box, or at quiet times, crawling around on the floor, or walking on slightly unsteady legs, keeping hold of anything he could get his hands on, just to stay upright.

If anything, the little boy knew something was different, as there were times he looked around, likely to look for his parents, and would be a little sad afterwards, knowing they weren't there anymore.

But all in all, the little boy was a joy to be around, he was fascinated by the littlest things, loved meeting new people - even if most of the people he met in the Inn were very obviously not human - cried very little, and seemed to enjoy sleeping.

All in all, even with such a drastic change in his life, Dimitriv found it to be one he could easily live with. He could also see the look of joy in his patrons eyes as they saw the little boy, even more so when he approached to be picked up.

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The first that had happened, had been with Fenrir, who despite his reputation, loved children, and would do anything to protect children (which had been the main reason he had bitten so many kids, as they were ill, or in a bad place, or just needed something or someone in their lives. But with the ministry forgetting those laws, even after the bite those children wouldn't be given what they needed). Anyway, Fenrir loved kids, but had noticed, that even in the community people were reluctant to hand them to him, just for what went around.

So for Harry to just toddle over to him one morning, unsteady on his legs like most toddlers are, grasping at his pant leg with one hand and putting the other one up, with a butchered version of 'up' coming from his lips had made Dimitriv melt, Fenrir right alongside with him, and most of the people in the bar hadn't been able to resist the urge to coo at the scene.

All in all, the Inn changed with a toddler walking around. Not only did people love seeing Harry, they also seemed to forget other things that ailed them - a child giving them attention they weren't used to receive anymore, not with the way they were pushed to the very edges of the magical society by the Wizards and Witches who believed themselves to be more than them.

But with the amount of people Harry saw on a daily basis, he got used to these people, and as Death told him, this was what Harry needed. To be raised without the dogma the wizards had about creatures, and the way most of them forgot the Olde Ways and the way it was key to them having magic in the first place.

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Dimitriv could see the effect Harry had had on the people of the Inn, before, it was always dark inside, with most of the patrons coming to get away from something - to not have to be where they weren't safe, or wouldn't be safe for longer.

The Inn was neutral ground, even if the Wizards had forgotten that, it didn't take away the spells and enchantments in place, both on the building and on the ground it was built on. Would keep away anyone that sought to harm any of the people inside. The Inn was a place of gathering, and in the Olden Times, it would be the place where treaties were signed and agreements tapped off on.