Chapter Text
Harry had been in a lot of bad spots-
Like when the guard at St Brutus’ tried to kill him and when he was found with that same guard’s dead body in a locked closed.
And then again in the crypt with Wednesday and Tyler and Miss Thornhill.
But Harry thought he’d prefer either of those spots again than the one he was currently in.
Harry sat in English class between Tyler and Wednesday and could feel Tyler practically vibrating with anger while Wednesday occasionally hissed out quiet remarks.
“If I wanted to be a secret, I would be one,” she said furiously while they were watching a film on Shakespeare.
“If Xavier wants to pretend to be straight, then maybe he can introduce a girl to his parents,” Tyler said.
“He can use Enid, then she can use him and they can live in their land of delusion for the entire event.”
“I’m not going to freaking stick around for him after.”
“I don’t think Xavier’s dad is even coming,” Harry said neutrally.
Tyler smacked the desk with his hand. “That is not the point!”
“Is there a problem, Mister Galpin?” Ms. Rosen asked. She paused the movie and narrowed her eyes at Tyler. Harry slumped in his seat, not wanting to get in trouble.
“No, ma’am,” Tyler said. He straightened himself up and stayed quiet until the movie resumed.
“Harry, it’s like he’s ashamed of us,” Tyler whispered. “Doesn’t that piss you off at all?”
Harry shrugged silently.
Truthfully? It didn’t.
Harry had an actual murder charge on his record. He’d died twice. He had a box of belongings from people he’d killed. And, on top of all of that, Harry was fairly certain he was one more mistake away from being fired from the Weathervane.
If it was Harry, he didn’t know that he’d want to introduce himself to his parents.
… except Harry’s parents were dead… and they met him… and they liked him… and Harry wouldn’t date himself…
Not only did Harry have to spend the rest of English listening to Tyler and Wednesday complain about Xavier and Enid, but he also gave himself a headache.
Harry didn’t feel great going to fencing with Wednesday when he knew that Tyler was about to go sit through math with Xavier and Enid.
“Hey, er… Ty?” Harry stopped his boyfriend just outside of English and peered up at him hopefully. Tyler had irritated lines around his eyes, but he still grinned at Harry. It wasn’t a real smile, there were no dimples showing, but he was trying.
“Yeah?”
“Can you… can you just talk to Xavier and not fight?” Harry asked Tyler. “I know your feelings are hurt,” Harry added quickly when Tyler’s fake smile dropped. “But- but we don’t have normal parents, you know? Your dad’s… rude,” he said politely. “And mine are dead.”
Harry’s parents were actually amazing, Harry wished they were around. Sirius was great, but Harry would be happier with his parents… probably.
There wouldn’t be any weirdness about Harry introducing Tyler and Xavier to his parents anyway. They already liked them. Harry’s mum liked Xavier more - Dad said she was a ‘sucker for those artsy loners’ - but Dad liked Tyler.
But Harry and Tyler were off the hook for introducing their boyfriends to their parents, Xavier wasn’t.
Tyler didn’t look convinced by Harry’s plea, he just huffed and tried to drop Harry’s hand, but Harry wouldn’t let him.
“I’m sick of people being ashamed of me,” Tyler hissed at Harry. “My dad is so freaking ashamed of me that he won’t even look at me in public. Everyone in this entire school is ashamed to have me here. If Xavier is too ashamed to introduce me to his dad? Then fuck him, Harry. And if he’s ashamed of you, then fuck him twice.”
Tyler bent his head down and pressed a quick and polite kiss to Harry’s forehead.
“You’re not someone to hide away in a closet,” Tyler said. “And I’m not either.”
Harry bit his lip and watched Tyler walk away with his head held high.
Tyler wasn’t… wrong.
Harry had been locked in enough closets in his life.
*****
Xavier took his usual place in math and thrummed his fingers anxiously on the desk while he waited for Tyler to show up.
Tyler didn’t understand, none of them did.
Wednesday and Tyler thought it was so easy, just ‘hey, I’m gay’. And maybe it was for them, but not for people who had parents that were overly involved in their kid’s life.
Xavier’s dad was… he would lose his mind.
‘This is NOT what Thorpe men do!’ he would storm. ‘Are you doing this to embarrass me, son? Do you find it amusing somehow?’
Xavier heard the speech so much in his life that he could give it to himself if he wanted to. There was nothing that Xavier wanted less than to listen to his dad give it to him again.
There would be an ultimatum.
Xavier would cave.
And then Xavier would lose two of the most important people in his life.
Tyler had to understand.
Enid dropped in the seat to Xavier’s left only a few moments before the bell rang.
“You seen Tyler?” Xavier whispered to Enid while Ms Turling called the class to attention.
“Not since earlier,” Enid whispered back.
“I need everyone to pass forward the worksheet from Monday,” Ms Turling told them. “If you have a separate page for work, be sure to—”
The classroom door creaked open and Xavier watched as Tyler slinked his way in with his jaw already set in tense anger. Which was such a great sign, Xavier was sure.
“You’re late,” Ms Turling said coolly. She barely spared Tyler a second glance. “Detention tonight. Take a seat, Galpin.”
Xavier looked over at the empty desk beside him hopefully, but Tyler stormed to another one in the back corner of the room.
“He’s like super mad,” Enid whispered. Xavier raised a brow in a ‘you think?’ kind of way.
“Wednesday is mad too,” Enid breathed quietly. “She - they - don’t get it.”
Xavier nodded shortly in agreement and then pretended to listen to their teacher lecture while shooting forlorn glances toward Tyler.
It was what Xavier always assumed would happen… he would find a way to disappoint Harry or Tyler and they would cut him out. The two of them were perfectly happy before Xavier got in the middle of their relationship, they could be happy without him again.
It was so unfair.
Xavier’s dad shouldn’t get the opportunity to ruin his relationships even when he wasn’t around.
As soon as classes ended for the day, Xavier went outside to his art shed. It was cold as hell out, but still warmer than Tyler’s attitude.
Plus Xavier did need to finish a piece for the open house. There were plenty of completed ones he could use, but most of those were private.
The painting of Tyler behind the wheel of his car, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel and singing along to the radio.
The canvas sketch of Harry laying in Xavier’s bed with books all floating above him, rotating in a circle at Harry’s command.
There were some of Harry and Tyler making music together— Harry and the serenity he had on the piano, Tyler and his fire on the guitar. A color painting of Harry and Tyler throwing sticks for Professor Ares to catch as a dog, leaning on each other and laughing.
Harry’s cheeks were pink and Tyler’s eyes were sparkling.
And Xavier on the ground, hiding his heart in his art.
Xavier grabbed a blank canvas and slowly began sketching out a new drawing. He felt like a man in a trance. The charcoal in his hand began drawing thick black lines than softer ones.
There was an unhappy curve of lips, a shadow of want in the eyes. Hair that was stringy from being repeatedly pulled on. A phantom mask concealing half of the face, concealing the side that would have showed what the subject truly wanted.
Xavier knew what the piece would be before it was finished.
He’d label it ‘A Look in the Mirror’ and then he’d burn it.
“You look sad.”
Xavier jumped and accidentally drew a line across the face at the unexpected and soft voice that interrupted him.
Harry stood just behind Xavier in his coffee shop uniform. Xavier was surprised he didn’t at least smell Harry approaching, he smelled like he had taken a bath in coffee. Harry held out a paper cup to Xavier along with a small smile.
“You should drink it, I’m probably going to be fired soon,” Harry said when Xavier hesitated to accept the drink.
“Why would you be fired?” Xavier accepted the drink and took a small sip.
Ugh.
Harry was actually a terrible barista. Xavier wasn’t sure how someone even scorched coffee, but Harry managed it anyway.
Harry grinned self-consciously as he hopped up to sit on one of the counters in the shed.
“The bloke that owns the shop wants me to come in next week for a ‘performance evaluation’,” Harry said, making air quotes. “Nic said I should be happy to be fired, but I need the money.”
“Why?” Xavier asked curiously. He leaned against the counter beside Harry and forced himself to drink the cappuccino out of sheer politeness.
“Why does anyone need money?” Harry asked. He was twisting his fingers together in his lap and watching them intently. “When we graduate next spring, I want to get away. Just… I just want to go somewhere else, be someone else.”
Xavier put the drink down and grabbed Harry’s left hand. Partly to end Harry’s anxious fidgeting and partly just because Xavier liked to hold Harry’s hand.
“Why would you want to be someone else?” Xavier asked softly. “You’re- you’re amazing, Harry.”
Harry was amazing. He was sweet and brave, but funny and smart too. There was something soft and vulnerable in his eyes, but Xavier had seen him when he was hard and indestructible too.
“I’m not,” Harry said with a factual shrug of his shoulders. “I mean… I’m just trying to say…” Harry looked up at Xavier through his dark lashes. “I get it, okay? About your parents? I don’t- I don’t want to be a secret, but I get why you’d rather keep it that way.”
Xavier opened his mouth to tell Harry it wasn’t him - it was his freaking anatomy - but Harry silenced him with a quick kiss to his lips.
“I have to go practice,” Harry said. He jumped off the counter and gave Xavier a sweet and crooked grin. “I just wanted to tell you that I’m not mad and Ty will get over it.”
Xavier watched Harry dash off to his final rehearsal before open house and felt a sinking twist in his stomach.
Somehow Harry’s acceptance of Xavier not introducing him to his father made Xavier feel worse than Tyler’s anger did.
And all at once, Xavier could see an entirely new painting come to life in his mind.
Xavier grabbed a new canvas, the largest one he had, and began feverishly working on his piece for the open house.
*****
Wednesday sat in the eternally warm courtyard late in the night with only her cello as company.
With the quarter moon as witness, Wednesday played through her piece for the open house twice before switching to Beethoven for more heat to add. Every string she played, she mocked herself for becoming attached to a flighty being such as Enid.
Wednesday knew better, she did. Then Harry arrived and wormed his way in her heart like a fatal disease and her weakness allowed Enid entry as well.
Enid and her glossy lips.
Enid and her acceptance of Wednesday and insistence that she didn’t want Wednesday to change.
Enid and her drivel that played as background music when Wednesday worked.
Enid and the way she wanted Wednesday to be a secret in her life.
Wednesday’s chest was heaving with rage when she accidentally snapped a string on her cello and screamed in fury.
A shadow across the courtyard shifted and approached until it was no longer a shadow but a boy.
“Hey,” the boy said, a slur obvious even from across the lawn. Wednesday couldn’t recall his name, but she knew he was one of the new wizards in the school.
“Free show is over,” Wednesday snapped. It was the toenail in the pie of humiliation to have her theatrics witnessed by a fellow student.
“I can fix that, if you want,” he offered. Wednesday watched skeptically when he pulled a wand from the black hoodie he wore. “One little spell and you can get back to your abuse of that poor violin.”
“It’s a cello,” Wednesday told him coolly, unimpressed by ignorance.
“Cello,” the boy repeated, drawing the word out slowly. He grinned at Wednesday, showing off tiny silver piercings on his lower lip. “Sorry, I’m a bit drunk. We had a party on the docks, you missed it.”
“However shall I go on,” Wednesday deadpanned.
The boy laughed and closed the rest of the gap between them with a few easy strides.
“You can’t,” he said seriously. “Missing out on a bunch of teenagers drinking and daring each other to skinny dip in the lake?” He shook his head and then brushed his dark hair off his forehead. “It was the most important high school experience.”
Wednesday rolled her eyes and he laughed again before holding up his wand.
“Want me to fix it?” he offered again.
“If you harm my cello in any way I will drain the blood from your body and bathe in it,” Wednesday warned him as an agreement.
The boy raised an eyebrow at Wednesday’s promise.
“My blood isn’t worth much,” he said. Wednesday watched as he carefully tapped her cello with his wand and a whispered word and the string immediately repaired itself.
“Now virgin blood? That’s the blood that you should be bathing in,” he winked.
Wednesday bristled at his crudeness and reclaimed her bow.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” she said flatly. “You should go to your dorm. You’ll get demerits for being out past curfew.”
“You’re out here,” he pointed out.
“I don’t smell like cheap vodka,” Wednesday countered with.
“That’s a really good point,” the boy laughed. He wobbled on his feet with the same lazy and Irksome smile on his face. “Except I think I’m lost.”
Wednesday sighed heavily. She would rather not be caught out past curfew with a drunk teenage boy. If she gained more demerits, she would be unable to stay at the Weathervane with Harry after her therapy sessions.
“What’s your name?” Wednesday asked as she began packing away her cello. It was late enough that with some luck, Enid would already be asleep.
“Brantley,” he answered promptly. “Ajax is my roomie, but he’s still at the docks.”
That was simple enough. Brantley was in Harry’s old room, a room that Wednesday was perfectly acquainted with.
“If we get caught, pretend to have a seizure,” Wednesday ordered him. She began leading the way to Brantley’s room with him tottering along behind her.
“Will that somehow hide the fact I’ve been drinking?” Brantley asked.
“No, but it will create enough of a distraction that I can leave without punishment.”
Brantley laughed much too loudly for the silent halls. When his drunken stupidity nearly caused him to fall down the stairs they were ascending, Wednesday reached out automatically to grab his arm—
“What the hell, dude?” Brantley cried, fear laced through his words.
The Hyde approached him slowly while Brantley’s wispy red spells bounced ineffectively off its leathery skin. The Hyde reached out with a clawed hand and ripped Brantley’s wand from his hand.
Brantley screamed when his wand was snapped and there was no where for him to run from sharp claws and bared teeth.
The scream was cut off when the Hyde grabbed Brantley by the chin and twisted until the guttural ripping sound of tearing flesh and ripped muscles were all that could be heard.
When Brantley’s head was held in sharp claws and his body hit the ground, Wednesday was ejected from the vision.
Wednesday stared up in the same blue eyes that had just been filled with terror.
“Dude, was that a real seizure or a distraction?” Brantley whispered to her. Wednesday ignored his hands that was offered and immediately scrambled to her feet.
“Neither,” Wednesday said curtly. “Take a left at the top of the stairs and follow the hallway down to the fourth door on the right. I have to go.”
Brantley called after her, but Wednesday needed to find her cousin.
Tyler was under Harry’s control. The Hyde couldn’t be unleashed without Harry’s approval. Which meant either Harry had a very good reason to have Brantley killed and Wednesday would support him or Harry had somehow lost control of his pet Hyde.
Either way, Wednesday needed to find Harry.
*****
Draco had been peacefully sleeping in his bed when a loud knocking roused him. Draco ignored it and rolled on his side just in time for Potter’s muggle communication device began filling their room with a daunting piece of music.
O Fortuna, if Draco wasn’t mistaken.
“Hello?” Potter whispered. “Okay, hold on. No, he’s asleep.”
If one of Potter’s boyfriends woke Draco in the middle of the night for a tryst, Draco would… he’d…
Draco would be incredibly unhappy and would likely say nothing.
Potter left his bed and Draco could hear him tiptoeing across their dorm, as if Draco had slept through the racket. The door creaked open and Draco kept his breathing even while he strained to listen to who needed Potter in the middle of the night.
“Where’s Tyler?” someone hissed. Draco thought it might be Wednesday Addams, the supposed cousin to the Potters.
“Bed?” Potter whispered back. “Why?”
“Because I just saw him murder someone!”
Draco was relieved he faced the wall so when his eyebrows flew high in surprise, it wasn’t seen. Draco heard the gossip from Bianca and the other sirens, but he didn’t necessarily believe it was true. If so, then Potter not only mastered wandless magic, but also had a XXXX class beast at his disposal.
It was irritatingly impressive.
“Ty isn’t killing anyone,” Potter whispered heatedly. Draco could imagine his face warming up in anger, an uncommon image that Draco had only seen when Potter threatened him to silence over Sirius Black.
“Not yet, but clearly he will be,” Addams said. “Why do you want Brantley Rogers dead?”
“Brantley?” Potter sounded mystified. Draco could think of a variety of offenses from the wizard in their magical class, none that deserved death.
“Why would Tyler kill Brantley?”
“I don’t know!” Draco heard a boot stomp on the floor and irritation bleeding through Addams’ voice. “That is why I’m here!”
“Wednesday…” Potter’s tone softened to something Draco nearly couldn’t hear. “Tyler isn’t going to kill Brantley. I- he can’t even transform unless I let him and I just won’t let him,” he added in a quick whisper. “You should trust him.”
“I don’t trust him,” Addams hissed. “Look at the bodies he left behind him before.”
“Look at the bodies I left behind,” Potter countered quickly.
Bodies?
Interesting.
“And you trust me, right? Right?” he repeated when Addams didn’t immediately respond.
There was a beat of silence and then a sigh.
“I trust you,” Addams said. “If you decide to have Brantley assassinated, will you merely inform me beforehand?”
Potter laughed quietly, “Okay, sure. Can I go back to bed now?”
Draco remained silent while he listened to Potter close the door and move back to his bed. If Draco were a better person, he would warn Brantley Rogers about his impending death. As it was, Draco merely waited for Potter to fall asleep before he grabbed his notebook from his nightstand and made a note of the conversation.
At the bottom of the note, he added:
P. previous murders?
And underlined it twice.