Meeting with a monster

"James you ready to go?" Angus asked him as he approached James outside.

Angus was dressed with his gun belt on and warded jacket. James was setting markers for his house. He looked at Angus and sighed and snatched up his peacemaker from the ground quickly putting it on. He reached in his pocket and put in a magazine into the chamber peacemaker and pulled back the nose.

"Let's get going on." James said.

Angus nodded and took a look at location of the marks. "James ah son. Are you sure about the location you got for the markers is in line with your blue prints?" He said.

James nodded. "Yep. I had my bro help me out with the measurements and planning to make sure I got it right. He's going to come by occasionally to help me out with digging out the foundation." He said.

Angus frowned. "Whose this friend you have coming here?" He said.

James frowned. "Dago of course. Who else would I have on our land so freely but him." He said.

Angus folded his arms across his chest. "You know Mara is going to wanting to have her people over for the wedding coming up. The Wesleys want to come to. They haven't seen you in a while and it's been while sense we've connected them in a while. I think it would be good for you to build up connections them again." Angus said.

"Dad. It's a matter of security for all of them. We have to secure the protection of everyone we care about here. We have to many enemies and growing by the day." He said.

Angus stared at him. "It's going to be different this time. I promise you. Tell me where I need to make adjustments and I'll make them. Hell I can even bring on some my associates from the court to do security for the event. They'll gladly help up and it would foster unity with you and them." He said.

James scratched his chin but he shook his head. "I don't want them here. I hear what your saying dad. I'll have it figured out as best as I can before the family gathers here. I want them all here. I know Mara wants to have a big family gathering and the way things are going it might be long time before it can happen again. Let's go!" He said.

Angus rolled his shoulders and he nodded his head and held out his forearm. "Grab a hold." He said in a thick voice.

James took hold of forearm and they went into apparition and a second later they were on the roof of a restaurant. James looked around and saw Nick Cole waving over to a table.

Angus led the way and James followed silently slightly behind him. James looked around and could spot a few members of the court of owls seated around. They had their spelled faces. He counted how many of them there were. Eight.

Nick Cole smiled at him and held out his hand to James. "Hello, James. I'm Nick Cole. Thanks for coming out to speak with me." He said.

James shook Nick's hand and he took a seat angling his seat so that he kept the others in sight. He sat on the edge of his seat. He faced Nick. "My dad said you wanted to meet me. What can I do for you Mr. Cole?" James said but he kept his gaze moving and kept the others in his line of vision.

Nick smiled nodding his head. "You've recently graduated from Hogwarts. I've heard from your father that you expressed interests in politics as a career. I was wondering if I could help you out with that if your interested. I can give you advice or a leg up where you need it." He said.

James stared at him. "I changed my mind. I'm going to build up my father's business and work in my mother's business as a spell engineer. I want to go into a more entrepreneurial route. Thank you though." He said and looked away.

Nick nodded his head. "Well your an adult now. So you can change your mind and live your life how you would. Would you care for something to eat. Breakfast is on me." He said calmly.

James shook his head. "No thank you." He said.

A male waiter came up to the table. He was dressed smartly but there was a friendly presence about him. "Hello. My name is Aaron. I am your waiter. What would you guys like for breakfast." He said.

James knew the waiter was a wizard of some kind trying to use a spell around them. He resisted it automatically pushing it back as the magic tried to work on his emotions.

Angus cleared his throat. "I'll have a butter beer myself." He said.

Nick stared at James. "I see you've taken to carrying a peacemaker like Angus." He said.

James smiled. "He felt it was time I started carrying for protection. Could I have a butter beer to." He said.

Nick nodded his gaze still focused on him. "Please bring three butter beers for now. Nothing else." He said to the waiter.

The waiter nodded and walked away. James sat silently as Nick observed him closely. "You seem a little stressed." Nick said.

James tried to relax his body. "Just a little nervous. Your a powerful wizard. Your also my dad's boss. Sorry if I seem a bit off putting. I don't mean any disrespect to you."

"You haven't said anything disrespectful yet to me. Your a powerful young wizard. You would be a powerful wizard in the congress in the future. Not that I'm pushing you to change your mind. Just giving you a little encouragement. Your father is my best friend." Nick said.

James stared at him as visions of the past flashed before his eyes of this man standing over his father. Nick had looked sad but determined to kill him and his father. The man James had claimed loyalty and friendship to had turned out to be nothing but a monster with empty promises.

James felt the rage flare up in him but he kept it in check because he was still dealing with a man that was still more powerful then him and his father. He smiled at Nick but it wasn't a friendly smile at all.

"I have zero interest in being a politician. I'm a Potter. All I want is to have my spot and have enough power to keep my people safe. I don't want to rule the world but I'm not going to be your bitch." James said coldly.

Nick laughed sitting back in his seat as James and Angus stared at him quietly. The waiter came with serving tray of their drinks. And set them down on the table.

The silent enchantment that the waiter performed was stronger but James easily pushed it back. The waiter smiled at him. "Your pretty strong." The waiter said before walking away.

Nick stared at James quietly. "You remind me a lot of your father." He said.

James opened the bottle with edge of the table and quick hit at the angle of the top. He wiped a hand down the bottle and handed it to Angus. Angus took the bottle trading his un opened bottle with James. James quickly opened the second bottle and took a drink before setting his bottle down.

He looked at Nick. "Thank you. That's all I ever wanted to be in my life." He said calmly.

Both men stared at each other and then Nick nodded. "Thank you for the meeting James. I wish you well on growing your family business and ranch." Nick said.

James nodded and he looked at Angus. "I'll see you at home dad." He said and smoothly got to his feet turned and he appeared in Angus' workshop again. The doors were open to the workshop.

He frowned feeling uneasy. He looked at the weapons locker. He walked over to it and knocked on it.

The door opened up and Mara looked at him with raised eye brows. "What's up?"

"Is Dago with you?" He asked.

"Yeah. What's wrong?" Mara said.

James shook his head putting a finger to his lips and gentle pushed her back into the locker closing the door. He waved his hand in front of the locker and it disappeared.

James took his peacemaker in his hands before he headed out of the workshop. He closed the barn doors behind himself with his elbow. He felt the intruder was near. He looked around but glaring wondering where the enemy was. He snapped his fingers.

There was a roar from someone on the ranch and then a scream followed. James glared around at surrounding still feeling someone here. "I know your here. I want you off my land husk." James said.

There was a snickering sound. "Put down your-" He said.

James turned and fired an energy silver and blue beam light hitting a dark figure. A creature scream followed and then something dropped down to the ground and smoking dead magical creature lay on the ground.

Angus appeared beside James. "Were you expecting trouble?" He asked.

James shook his head and started reloading his peacemaker quickly while keeping alert to his surrounding. Angus watched him.

"How many?" Angus asked.

James shook his head. "Don't know. The wards I put around the ranch gave me an impression of at least two or three of them here. I could still feel this jackass watching close. We might still have somebody else here. What happened with Cole? I thought him and you would be going over a meeting or something?" He said.

Angus frowned. "Why you think that?" He asked.

"I noticed eight of the court members watching us at the restaurant. What the hell was that weird meeting about with Cole?" James said.

Angus shook his head. "Don't know myself. My guess is that he simply wanted to see you and maybe test you out for a position in his cabinet or a membership in the owls. The owls are like his protection crew. What did you think of him?" He said.

"I think nothing about him. He's your boss. He ain't nothing to me." James said coldly.

"James!" Angus said.

"Dad. If you ask me a question I'm going to give you an answer you might not like?" James said.

"Give it to me. I want the truth." Angus said.

"I think he is the most dangerous monster in the modern era. He might equal to the dark lord from another world. In any either case if he ever turns against you when I got the chance I would take him out the second his back was turned or I would burn down everything he loves. But for now I'll leave him be as long as he leaves me the hell alone." James said bluntly looking around he frowned when he felt echoes of someone of an enemy still on the ranch. He looked back at Angus. "Do you have to do another job for Cole currently?" James said.

Angus shook his head. "No. I'm off for the moment. You still feeling somebody is here?" He said.

James nodded. "Dad. Could you watch the workshop a bit. Mara and Dago are inside doing a bit of studying in there. I want to have a look around the ranch and make sure the wards are in place." He said.

Angus nodded taking out his peacemaker. "You've got a pretty grim notion of Nick. He's always been strong but logical and loyal. He says your pretty strong but very angry." He said calmly.

"Does that imply Cole is going to see a need to convince me I need to be on his team? That's not happening. I don't need him nor do I want to be connected him." James said.

"No. No. Nick is realistic." Angus said.

"What the hell does that mean?" James asked.

"You have no intention on pissing on him even if he was on fire so you have no intention on joining any team with him attached to it." Angus said.

James stared at him. "It's not dramatic. He can go his way and I'll go mean." He said.

Angus nodded his head. "You used a charming spell on the butter beer to purify it from poison. He noticed. So. I'll ask you again. Will Nick be a problem for you?" He said.

James smiled. "Cole is a politician. I know how he thinks and I know how he moves. I know the reason he would come after me. You were right dad? We have our own way. He won't be problem for me." He said.

Angus smiled. "Well damn. I don't hear that often enough. I kind ah like it. Go on son. I'll protect your friends." He said.

James turned and appeared a mile away where he felt the intruder. He looked around still feeling the enemy was still inside the ranch. He looked up and saw him. He glared up at the intruder. He was dark wizard sitting a top a black broom. "You can stay up there watching. Just keep your ass off my land." He said.

The wizard waved him up. James flipped him off before he apparition back to the workshop. Mara and Dago were coming out talking to Angus.

James looked at Angus. "It's some fool spying out the ranch on a broom and..."He paused as he looked up and leaped up into apparition.

The wizard screamed when James appeared grabbing him by the throat and punching him in the lower stomach. He lifted the wizard off the broom went into an apparition again slammed the wizard to the ground hard.

The wizard gasped as James held him down with a knee on his stomach tried to buck James off. "What are you-" the wizard said.

"I'm asking the questions husk. I told you to get the hell off my land. What the hell are you doing here?" James coldly.

"Remove yourself from my body." The wizard said locking his focus on James. His voice was hypnotic and had an echoing quality to it.

James swung his fist down at the wizard's face knocking him out.

"James what are you doing?" Angus asked in a cautious voice.

"Dumping this clown off our land." James said and then looked up at Angus was staring at him. "What?" He said.

"Don't you want to question him later to figure out who sent him?" Mara asked.

James shook his head. "No. He would only lie and I don't give a shit who sent him or why. I told him to stay the hell off my land. Besides that keeping him here would only give whoever sent him an excuse to come making a stink to you or Cole. Dad help get him up I'm dumping him off at the front of the ranch."

Angus sighed and helped James lift the Wizard up. The apparition outside the entrance of Potter ranch and dumped him on the ground. He turned to James taking hold of his arm. "Someone's watching us. Be careful." Angus said.

James nodded but he calmly brushed off his father's hand. He looked out into the surrounding woods. "Let them watch dad. Just as long as they keep on the other side of Potter ranch. Leave me alone or I won't leave you alone." He said calmly.

"You hear me husk? You come knocking at my door or stumping on my land I'm going to bring the smoke to your ass. I'm going to come and burn down all your shit. Leave me alone and I'll let you live in peace." James said coldly.