Salchows and Serendipity (Harry Potter/Winter Olympics Xover)

3. Why So Pale?

Johnny looked startled, but didn't resist as Harry gently guided them both in the direction Johnny had been going. As he expected, Harry found that they were going to Johnny's room. He didn't bother waiting to be invited in, he just followed the other man in once they reached it. Tanith was there and stood up the moment she saw Johnny, quickly walking to his side and making him sit down on the nearest chair. Harry could tell that Tanith knew what was going on, but that wasn't so unexpected since they had mentioned they had been friends for a very long time.

"Thanks," Johnny said shortly, "you can go now."

It was a dismissal, but Harry was not about to obey it; he'd never really been a follower of instructions.

"Yeah right," he said and rolled up his sleeve to show his wrist holster, "what do you need?"

Both Tanith and Johnny looked shocked.

"I didn't know there were any wizarding competitors in the figure skating this year," Johnny said, clearly very startled.

"Yes, well I keep it very quiet," Harry said, very concerned with how pale Johnny was, "I left the wizarding world a long time ago and I don't plan on going back. I'm registered and all my stuff has the correct charms to make sure I can't cheat, and I have a very well paid PR guy who makes sure no one finds out. Now, can I help?"

Johnny shook his head.

"Actually," Tanith said, "how are your shield charms?"

Johnny looked aghast.

"You're not looking very good, Johnny," Tanith said in explanation, "backup would be safer, besides which, Jim isn't blind."

Tanith had settled for calling him something between what most people called him and what Johnny called him in an attempt to keep the peace. He could see that Johnny was completely against whatever Tanith was thinking. However, it looked very much like his help was needed and Harry might have lived his childhood all over again, but he was still a Gryffindor.

"Okay, let's make this easier; I'll tell you a secret and you can tell me yours," he said making a split-second decision. "I'm not twenty, in fact I'm almost thirty. I got to twenty the first time and hated my life so much I illegally regressed myself to eleven and reinvented myself."

He hadn't thought Johnny's face could look any more shocked, but he had been wrong.

"Wow," was what Johnny said.

"Yeah, well it was that or suicide," Harry said with a shrug, "and that would have been too much like giving up. So, can I help now?"

For a second, Johnny looked at him and then blinked.

"I'm a vampire," Johnny said and he didn't look totally sure, but then Harry hadn't been completely sure either, "this necklace suppresses that part of me so I'm almost totally human while I wear it, only I need to feed and I've left it too long. I need to take it off and do what I need to do," he pointed at the tiny fridge next to the couch, "and Tanith's one of our magically challenged brethren," 'squib' Harry translated in his head, "but has been acting as my channel for the shields I put up to make sure I can't get out of hand. If I'd had my own room, I'd have put them up permanently as soon as I got here, but the powers that be messed that up and we improvised."

It was short, to the point and explained everything, Harry pulled out his wand.

"'k," he said with a nod, "shield charms I can do."

He had left the wizarding world behind, but he had not left the magic as well. Since he was an adult, even though he had been in a child's body, his magic had been unmonitored and so he had been free to practice what he liked. The little Slytherin part of him that he had come to realise had not been all Voldemort, was paranoid enough to make sure he kept up with his spells, just in case. It took him only a few moments to silently cast the shields.