Chapter Text
Susan caught one Harry Dresden reading a book about another wizard also named Harry; Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets sat benignly on the lazy-chair closest the fireplace, but any book having the word 'secret' in the title? And with the name Harry attached? Susan was intrigued and picked up the book, sitting down to read it without care for the wrinkles that formed across her dress.
When her Harry got out of the shower, Susan was already twenty pages into the first chapter. Even though Susan was a fast reader, if Harry had taken any longer she would have had to worry about her wizard-boyfriend turning into a popsicle.
"It's fiction." Harry said, eyes going wonky when he came face-to-face with a book instead of his girlfriends face.
Susan leaned the open book to rest on her chin. She met Harry's eyes steadily. "It's a hardcover."
Harry blinked, once, twice, then his face clammed-up. "It's a hardcover." He repeated back. "So?"
Susan closed the book and gently held it, finger holding her place in it. "Hardcovers cost the same as a whole paperback series. Your words, Mister, not mine."
Harry bristled, motion turning into a shiver since the fireplace wasn't on and he had just come out of the shower. "Fine. I like Harry Potter."
Susan considered her words before speaking—from what she'd read so far, Harry Potter was about some magical school far away from a pretty non-magical household. And setting bushes on fire. "I think lots of people would."
"Yeah, lots of people do," Harry agreed, face opening back up as he spoke. "I saw this one guy with a scarf in his house colours, and nearly asked him where it was from. Can you believe that?"
Snorting, Susan couldn't believe Harry had admitted to anything non-masculine that readily. But could she believe he'd thought about it? Certainly. As much as he didn't call his shield bracelet jewellery, he still wore it—over his sleeves, when he could. But, "House colours?" Susan asked.
"Oh, yeah." Harry walked over to where Susan was, a few steps taking him to her. The lazy-chair was at just enough of an angle to the wall that he had no troubles settling in behind Susan—after he'd paused to smile straight at her—resting his hand on her upper-back and lightly massaging. "He was a Ravenclaw, though," Harry finished, proceeding to do something he complained about whenever it happened to him: Reading over someone else's shoulder. Susan made sure to hold the book so he could see it.
"A Ravenclaw. And what would I be?" Susan craned her head to look up at Harry, less interested in the book than she was in her boyfriend. Who's place she had come over to to pick him up for a date—at least he'd already been in the shower when she got here, and not down in the lab again. If that was because he was reading, then she'd kiss the book later, after kissing him.
Harry blushed, letting her eyes catch his. "Also a Ravenclaw. They're pretty smart."
"Wait," Susan felt the corners of her lips curl up, teasing, "Am I pretty, or smart?"
Harry froze for a moment before he caught on. "Both. And both are attractive," he said, heat entering his voice as he leaned down and kissed her.
Susan happily indulged the moment, setting Harry's book gently on the armrest and vowing to read the rest of the series later so that she could see him blush more without being too distracted herself to fully enjoy it.
Karrin didn't usually come to Harry's apartment to fetch him for a case. Then again, Harry did usually have a working phone. Although, it's not exactly unusual for him not to have one. She knocked on his door and waited, thankful for the way the steps leading down to Harry's apartment shielded her from prying eyes. The boys at the station poked fun at her hiring a 'Wizard' already—if they knew that she knew where he lived beyond just reading it from his records, they would amp up their fun.
When Harry opened the door, it was a bit of a surprise to see Susan Rodriguez sitting on Harry's sole couch with a Harry-shaped depression next to her. She'd taken a bet with Carmichael on how long that relationship would last when Harry had complained once about S.I. taking time away from his date-night, and then gone back to complaining about S.I. taking time from him working on the skills he needed to work for S.I.. Apparently magic was time consuming and if the department wanted him to not only find the supernatural 'baddie' but to also beat it, he needed more leeway. He would also like to get paid for his hours working on his shield-bracelet, pretty please. No, really.
Time wasn't really on anyone's side, though, not when monsters roamed the same streets that children used to walk to school.
"Dresden. Sorry to interrupt your date night—" Karrin began.
"Worse. It's bookclub," Harry interrupted, deadpan.
Karrin suppressed a sigh. "Are you going for smart or smart aleck?" she deadpanned back.
"Detective Murphy," Susan called out from the couch. Murphy's eyes went to Susan, who—wasn't dressed for a date night, since from what Karrin knew of the more feminine woman jeans and a t-shirt wouldn't cut it. "Would you say you're a Gryffindor or a Hufflepuff?"
Harry had stood to the side of the door as Susan spoke, and Karrin could see it out of the corner of her eye as his eyebrows rose. "She's a Gryffindor." His hands let go of the metal door—it was stupidly easy to find Harry's house from the street, once you knew the guy—and gestured at Karrin, like it was obvious.
"Why thank you Harry for answering for me; What a great detective you'd make." Karrin replied, only somewhat short.
"Uh. Okay." Harry blinked, smile gone, but back again quick enough. Susan was good for him. "So, which are you?"
Karrin grimaced. "I don't . . . know?" She glanced at Susan, who's eyes were definitely laughing at her. Her mouth, even, was smiling at the plight Karrin had just tossed herself into.
Miss Rodriguez took pity on her. "Gryffindors are brave—you know, 'fools go where angels fear to tread'. Hufflepuffs are loyal. To a fault."
Miss Rodriguez, Susan knew from experience with the woman hounding S.I. and trying to get them to crack through phrases such as "police cruelty," "unless it wasn't a person you were dealing with," wasn't the largest fan of the police. She wasn't unfair either—it wasn't humans they were dealing with and Rodriguez knew that—she just put her stories first.
Karrin could understand that, especially when more stories meant more knowledge about the things she filled in police reports about. God, looking into the unnatural was scary when you knew it could look back. Some day, Karrin vowed, she'd sit down with Susan and see if she'd picked up anything more from Dresden.
But Karrin had her answer, in that thought. She met Susan's gaze, no less an impressive one than Dresden's for all that it didn't knock her off her feet the first time. Karrin grinned, "Oh, I am definitely a Gryffindor, then."
Dresden smiled softly, like he agreed with her and was impressed, even. Then he turned that smile to Susan and it went apologetic. "You heard the officer of the law. We're off to foolishly fight against evil." Again, Karrin didn't often go to Dresden's home—and when she did, it was to drag him out his basement.
Susan batted at the air, dismissing his apology. "You've already read the book anyway. Twice. I don't mind catching up." Karrin locked eyes with Susan, then, every bit as forceful as usual. "You bring him back home safely, you hear? That's your job."
Karrin already knew that.