Title: A Time of Promises
Author: Lady B
Pairing: Do I really need to say?
Genre(s): AU Romance
Rating(s): PG and up. I'll warn you if smut ensues.
Summary: One was a cop who'd seen too much death and destruction in his career. The other had lost every memory he'd ever had. In the remote snowcapped mountains of Montana, USA, they will both find the strength to go on, and maybe even find that one thing they'd been missing...each other.
Challenge: Part of my Insanejournal's 50harlequins table. Prompt #22 – Cop & Amnesiac Accident Victim.
Disclaimer: All recognizable characters and plots from the Harry Potterverse belong to JK Rowling and various publishing companies and movie studios. I am not making any money from this. I am simply doing this for the fun of it. Any plot devices and original characters belong to me alone and are simply a figment of my imagination.
Author's Note: This is my third annual HP Christmas story. Probably won't be done until after Christmas, but I'll give it a shot.


- - -

WARNING: This chapter contains scenes of a gruesome nature. Please skip over this if you get queasy very easily.


Chapter 1

"Josh, where the hell are you?" Harry hissed into his walkie talkie.

"I'm nearly around back, about to approach the door."

"Josh, we've been ordered to wait for backup!" Harry stated.

"There's only two of them, Harry. Surveillance made sure to check that."

"You know surveillance is never assurance!"

"Harry, how long have we waited to bust this joker? Rape, coke running, sodomy, murder! This guy's gonna be a prison bitch before the week is over! Relax!"

"Captain's gonna have my ass for breakfast if you don't get back here right now!" Harry growled.

"I love it when you get all forceful and dominate." Josh chuckled.

"Josh, don't do this to me!"

Silence met him...and then...gunshots.

"Josh!" Harry sprinted for the apartment complex as the sound of gunfire increase and echoed in the silence of the night. Not even hesitating, Harry ran shoulder-first through the front door, dropping two men before they even had a chance to fire. He ran up the stairs, following the sound of gunfire. As he rounded the landing, he saw his partner of five years gunned down in cold blood, his body jerking with each bullet.

"Josh!" Harry screamed in anguish as Josh turned towards him. His mouth worked, but no sound issued from his damaged throat. Josh pitched forward over the railing, and Harry could only stare in shock as the man fell ten feet, dead from his wounds before he hit the ground. Harry grunted with pain as a bullet slammed him sideways. He looked up and saw the guy they'd been chasing for nearly two years, standing on the landing above him, aiming an automatic weapon at Harry's head. The man shot again, getting Harry in his thigh and his shoulder. Harry blocked out the pain and raised his own gun.

"This is for you, Josh." Harry whispered. He aimed and fired. Despite the shakiness of his hands, his aim was true and he caught the guy in surprise as the bullet drilled through his left eye, his brain and out the right side of his head. The body hit the floor and Harry sighed with relief and pain as darkness tinged his vision. He distantly heard sirens.

"About...fucking...time..." he whispered as he passed out.

- - -

After Josh's funeral, Harry's captain told him, in no uncertain terms, that Harry was relieved of duty indefinitely, practically shoving him out the door and telling him to take a much needed vacation.

"Am I being fired?" Harry couldn't help but ask.

"No, Harry. Why would I cut off my pitching arm?" Kingsley had asked him, "I just think losing Josh hit you harder than those bullets did and I'm ordering you to take some time off and rest. Grieve properly and heal. You're important to me and this department and I don't want to see you run off and do something stupid that you may not bounce back from."

"I need to be here, Kings." Harry begged.

"I know this, Harry. But you're like a son to me, hell, I practically raised you when your parents died! But do you honestly think I want to bury you just as soon, if I let you go back into the field the way you are now?"

Harry felt tears sting his eyes and he blinked them back.

"No sir." he stated around the lump in his throat.

"Do this for me, Harry. We'll be waiting for you when you get back." Kingsley placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, and Harry had to clench his fists to keep from losing it completely. He nodded. Kingsley clapped his shoulder. "Good man. Dismissed."

- - -

After thinking about it, Harry decided to visit his parents cabin in Montana, having not been there since his uncle, Sirius had moved to Rome with his lover, Remus some years before. He called them to let them know where he'd be for the holidays and to get an update on their lives, before he called his best friends.

"It'll do you some good to get away for a bit." Ginny told him as she moved around the kitchen, pouring coffee for her, Dean and Harry.

"I really don't want to go, but I wasn't given a choice." Harry sighed as he added cream and sugar to his.

"Can you blame the man for thinking of this trip? He wants you sane and whole. He's afraid you might do something reckless and get yourself killed." Dean added. "I think this is just the wake up call you need, Harry."

"What do you mean?"

"When was the last time you had a good night's sleep? And I'm not talking about a quick snooze in your car. I mean an honest eight to ten hours of sleep." Dean asked.

"Um..." Harry struggled for an answer.

"See? You don't remember because it's been so long. Trust me when I say you need this, Harry."

"Why did you marry him again?" Harry chuckled. Ginny wrapped an arm around Dean's shoulders.

"Because I could never resist those big brown eyes of his." she grinned. Harry chuckled.

"Well, I better get going. It's going to be a long drive and I want to get there before the snow gets worse." Harry got to his feet.

"Call us if you need to." Dean said, getting to his feet as well. Harry hugged them both, then headed home to pack.


To be continued...