Heartbeat

"You have so many photographs."

Harry finished lighting the fire before answering Castiel. "Fond memories, you know?" He walked over to the bookshelves that the angel was studying in fascination. "I like pictures." He picked up the photo of his parents. "Magical photographs have a certain charm."

Castiel took the frame from him. "Is this your mother and father?"

"Yes."

"Do you wish you could meet them?"

Harry shrugged. "Of course. I mean, I never knew them, so…" He heard Dumbledore's voice in his head at that moment. It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live. "It doesn't matter," he said aloud.

"They fought as well," Castiel mumbled as he set the photograph down. "Is that why you fight?" He turned to face the Auror. "Is it in your blood?"

"Uh, I guess?"

"Because Sam and Dean are the same way."

"Oh?"

"They come from a family of hunters. They say it is in their blood to fight. Destiny."

Harry supposed that was true. "It all started off as my parents' fight," he said. "When they died, it was sort of up to me. So… destiny." He didn't mind. He had lived with his destiny for so long, it was a part of him now. "Mind if I check on the dressing?" He pointed at Castiel's chest.

They ended up on the couch like the night before. Harry had his first-aid box on the coffee table and was in the process of setting out rolled up bandages, clean gauze and a curious jar of ointment. Castiel shrugged his shirt off, draping it over his knee with care. "Why were you worried about being the Master of Death?" he wanted to know.

Harry let out a quiet sigh. For a moment it seemed like he wouldn't answer. He unfastened the bandage by Castiel's side and started to unwind it, stalling. Castiel remained mum. He was used to waiting for a response. Harry pulled the damp gauze away gently, tossing it in the bin along with the used bandage. "Ah, you are healing fast," he remarked. The wound was no longer gaping or bleeding. Instead, the skin around the cut was bruised and the cut itself seemed smaller. He reached for the ointment pod. "It's not that I'm… worried," he said while unscrewing the lid, his eyes steady on the translucent white gel. "It's a daunting responsibility if it were true, that's all." He scooped up a small amount and started to spread it around the bruise with swift strokes. "Having to hold onto one Hallow is tough. The responsibility of holding onto all three isn't something I can handle." He paused. "This might sound awful, but… being famous for yet another thing would be exhausting, so I'm glad that it's just a story."

Castiel didn't hear a word of that.

He was watching Harry's fingers instead.

Cold from the menthol salve, they moved with experience and slight hesitance. They were steady, careful. No pain…

Castiel was suddenly aware of his own heartbeat. He only ever paid attention to it when he was injured, when agony caused Jimmy's heart to falter. But there is no pain now… So why was his heart beating this way?

Harry pressed the new gauze onto the wound and then reached for the bandages, murmuring, "You hardly complain."

Castiel grazed his fingers over a peculiar scar on Harry's hand, the one that held the gauze in place. "What happened?" He read the faint words. I must not tell lies. "Did it hurt?"

Harry couldn't help but smile at the angel's concern. He started wrapping the bandages meticulously, allowing his scar to be examined without complaint. Hardly the first time someone has been fascinated by a scar on his person. He was used to it by now. The scar on his hand wasn't as famous the one on his forehead, that's all. He let Castiel ponder over it. It certainly was peculiar. He would be curious too, if he saw it on someone else. He only pulled his hand away when it was time to fasten the bandage with a light tap of his wand. "There you go. You'll be healed in no time."

Castiel tore his eyes away from Harry's hand and examined his bandaged chest. No time at all… He pulled his shirt back on.

Harry closed the first-aid kit, mentally reminding himself to restock the next day, and started to get up so he could put it away.

But Castiel quickly caught him by the wrist and pulled him back down, much to his surprise. "What's wrong?"

Without a word, his hand was taken once again to be examined. Castiel hunched his shoulders, tucked his chin, and, with a sour expression, continued to stare at the scar.

As embarrassing as the situation was, Harry didn't argue. He just sat there, thinking to himself that Castiel must be irritated, the way his forehead was creased and his lips were pursed into a thin line. "It happened a long time ago. It's okay now."

"It's not okay."

"I don't mind it anymore. Honest."

"You have endured so much."

Harry chuckled abruptly, causing Castiel to look up at him in amazement. "And you are being naïve." He tugged his hand away but didn't get up. Instead he tucked a leg in to settle deeper into the sofa. He fanned his fingers out in front of his face, watching the scar distort as his skin stretched. "I am who I am because of my past." He made a fist. The scar stood out now, pale and raised. "So why are you sad?" He let his arm fall to his side. "I can't change things. And I turned out alright. There's no use worrying about what happened."

Castiel was too preoccupied by his heartbeat again to answer properly. He folded his arms across his stomach. Just what exactly was the matter with him? What is with this restlessness inside him?

"What are hunters?"

He tightened his arms in an attempt to settle his insides. "Um, hunters… They are people who hunt supernatural beings," he explained. "They protect."

Harry was curious and wanted to learn more. "What do you mean by supernatural beings? Ghosts?"

"Among other things."

"Demons?"

"Yes."

"Hmm." Harry was thoughtful for a few seconds. Then he asked, "Maybe you need my help, right?"

Castiel flicked his gaze up at the Auror. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that maybe you need my help with these supernatural beings." Harry figured that was as good an explanation as any. "Maybe that's why you felt compelled to help me. Maybe you knew I could help you."

"You cannot hunt."

"Sure, I can." He couldn't imagine it would be that difficult, especially considering his expertise with Dark Magic and defense. "I wonder if there are any demons around here…"

Castiel tsked. "No. I mean that I would never let you hunt," he interjected.

Harry narrowed his eyes. "This again?"

"Yes. This again."

"I am more than capable of taking care of myself, Castiel. I have been taking care of myself for all my life."

Castiel wasn't sure how much longer he could contain his exasperation. "You are already struggling with your job," he said, ignoring Harry's outward flinch. "If you take up hunting as well, there is no doubt in my mind that Death will win. You are not that strong."

Miffed, Harry harrumphed. "You have no faith in me," he grumbled.

"You are right. I do not."

"That's not comforting."

The fire roared without warning, startling them out of their argument.

"Knock, knock!" a cheery voice called out.

Harry perked up at the familiar words. He unfolded his legs and pushed up off the couch. "Who's there?" he asked as he walked over to the fireplace.

"Teddy!"

"Teddy who?"

"Teddy wants to come over!"

Harry glanced over his shoulder at Castiel. "Ah, now isn't a good time." He smiled apologetically at the small face in the embers. "Maybe tomorrow evening?"

Teddy pouted. "But I'm bored."

"And I have a guest."

Castiel suddenly realized that Harry was talking about him. "Oh, it's alright," he chimed in. "I don't mind."

Teddy grinned. "Yay! I'm coming over now!" His face disappeared.

"Wait. Teddy," Harry tried to catch his attention. But the fire roared once again, now turning bright green and prompting him to scramble back so his hair wouldn't get singed. Out popped his godson a second later, cheeks dirtied with fine soot and still dressed in blue pajamas. "Oh man… Does your grandmother know you're here?" The boy shrugged in response before skipping to the sofa where the 'guest' sat. Harry sighed in defeat. It was so hard to keep track of Teddy at times. He mumbled something about a note and stalked out of the living room.

"Hello." Teddy hoisted himself up onto the sofa beside Castiel. "Are you Harry's friend?" Castiel supposed he was, so he nodded. "I'm Teddy. I'm Harry's godson. What's your name?"

"Castiel."

"Oh. Cool name. Castiel. Can I call you Castiel? It's a really cool name."

Castiel nodded again. He wasn't sure how to handle children. "I will call you Teddy," he said dutifully.

"Yeah. That's my name." Teddy then noticed the first-aid box on the table. "Oh no!" He hopped off of the sofa to open it up. "Did Harry get hurt?"

"No."

He turned to Castiel. "You got hurt?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"A demon hurt me…"

Teddy huffed. "You shouldn't tell lies." He frowned and wagged his finger. "Harry says it's not nice to tell lies."

Castiel lifted his shirt up. "I'm not lying. See?"

"Oh no," Teddy gasped when he saw the bandages. "Really?"

"Really." Castiel let the shirt fall back into place. "Harry helped me."

"B-but why would a demon hurt you?"

"Because I am an angel."

Teddy's jaw fell open. For the first time in a long time he was rendered speechless.

Harry walked in at that moment, having sent a quick owl off to Andromeda to let her know that her grandson had meandered over to his place. He arched a brow when he saw Teddy gawking at Castiel plainly. "What?" he asked.

The boy gulped and looked at godfather. "He's an angel?"

Harry stopped in his tracks. "Wh-You told him?!" he exclaimed, directing his astonishment at Castiel.

Not understanding the implications, Castiel said, "He asked me, so I told him."

"Damn it…"

Teddy scrambled up onto the couch again, this time gazing at the angel in awe. "From Heaven?" He couldn't believe it. "Are you from Heaven? Do you know my mum and dad?"

Castiel blinked at him.

Harry's heart sank at the eager question. He started to stammer out a response when-

"I have never met them," Castiel answered kindly. "Were they soulmates?"

"What's that?"

"If they were meant for each other, then they are together in Heaven… Reliving their happiest memories as soulmates."

"Oh…"

"If you truly want to meet them when you die, they will be in your Heaven as well. Everyone you love will be in Heaven for you."

"Even Harry?"

"Even Harry."

Teddy beamed in relief. "Wow!" He rose up onto his knees and twisted around to lean against the back of the couch, elbows planted and chin on his hands. "Did you hear that, Harry? Aren't you happy?" He tilted his head at his godfather.

Harry had been studying Castiel the entire time, trying to read his calm expression.

Noticing the inspection, the angel added, "It's not a lie." He stared back solemnly. "Teddy said it's not nice to lie."

"I did say that."

Harry shook his head in defeat. What was he to do now?