2. Master of Sight (Lightning Clan Trilogy) by HermitKnut
Summary: Part Two of the Lightning Clan Trilogy.
Lord Voldemort is dead. Here’s to a happily ever after. Or not. Life after the war is far more complicated than anyone expected. After a devastating blow to the family so early, the Potters are left reeling - but this is only the beginning. With the death of outright evil, something more subtle has taken its place, and one wizard may not be enough. This time, it takes the whole family.
Part One is "Master of Instinct". This trilogy is the sequel to "All for All", but you do not need to have read that to understand this.
Categories: Alternate Universe Characters: None
Warnings: Abuse, Alternate Universe, Book 7 Disregarded, Character Death, Mild Profanity, Slash
Challenges:
Series: None
Chapters: 6 Completed: No Word count: 14651 Read: 12332 Published: 01/03/13 Updated: 02/21/13
Story Notes:
This fic is in three parts. It is a completed fic and each chapter will be submitted as soon as the previous one has been approved.

1. Reboot, Reborn by HermitKnut

2. Pitch Perfected by HermitKnut

3. Review Response by HermitKnut

4. False Impressions by HermitKnut

5. Poisoned Words by HermitKnut

6. History Awakening by HermitKnut

Reboot, Reborn by HermitKnut
LEAK: EDDIE POTTER –MAY NEVER PLAY AGAIN”
Eddie Potter said to have suffered crippling hand injuries…


The youngest Potter was discharged from St Mungo’s after three days, just in time to attend the funeral of the only other casualty of the fire.

Emilia Leanne Brown.

It was a quiet affair, mostly just immediate family and a few friends. Henrietta didn’t attend, Zak noted, not certain if he was pleased or annoyed by this. He took another swig of coca cola and decided he didn’t care any more.

The remnants of Phoenix gathered at Zak’s flat the day after the funeral, having decided to meet up to commiserate - and also, in theory, to celebrate Eddie’s return to his flat from hospital, though Zak doubted anyone would be in the mood to do much celebrating. They had intended to watch some pointless yet distracting films, play some cards, try to sidetrack one another from the world - but somewhat unsurprisingly, without any conspiracy, everyone had individually decided to bring a six-pack with them.

Four hours and a seemingly impossible-to-measure amount of alcohol later, Zak reflected that he had, in all likelihood, never been this drunk before, and, come the morning, would probably decide never to be so again. But for now the whole world was skewed around the edges, which made it a lot easier not to look at the things he didn’t want to.

The others were just as bad as he was, Zak knew. They had spent most of the last few hours talking about ridiculous things and impossibly funny jokes that he knew were only funny because he wasn’t sober, but now things were quiet. The seven of them were scattered across the room, each deeply involved in their own thoughts. Eddie was sitting on the floor leaning against the side of the sofa, several drinks behind everyone else but somehow seeming far more intoxicated. Zak knew he shouldn’t let Eddie drink any more, but his hand had found his own most recent can and swigging it down seemed the only natural thing to do by this point.

It was only when he saw the devastation clearly visible on Eddie’s face that Zak realised his friend needed to go home. He sent the others wandering to taxis and walked Eddie the short distance between their flats themselves, collapsing on Eddie’s sofa when he didn’t feel he could make it back home.

~

February 2030

It was a quiet, cold day. The temperature was the lowest of the winter that February, and the sun shone clearly and harshly down on the frosted pavements and icy roads in London. In an apartment on the third floor of a pleasant if run-down building, a young man with black hair and bandaged hands was rummaging through his desk drawers.

Eddie took out a huge wad of papers from the second drawer down and started shuffling through them. It had been just over two months since the fire, and without an income he had finally decided to move back to his parents’ house until he could find another job. He’d held out this long because he was determined to retain his independence; but if he stayed any longer, he would have to start reaching into his savings which he reluctantly knew would not be a good plan in the long run. So, he was spending today sorting through his things. It was an uninteresting but welcome distraction from both the dull, barely-numbed pain in both his hands and from the other more inescapable fact: that since the fire, he had not been able to write a single note of music. His imagination, normally overflowing with tunes and melodies and rhythms, had failed him, and he had spent the last sixty-five days bereft of inspiration, in a silence that seemed to burn at his heart.

Some of the papers slipped out of his hands and he went to catch them without thinking. The muscles in his hands seized up and he flinched, dropping everything he was holding. Eddie let out a long sigh and knelt down to gather the papers together again carefully. His hands had been severely damaged; magic was helping - without it he would have lost both of them - but it would still take a long time before they were fully healed. He was beginning to get back the movement that he had lost, but they were still weak and painful.

Trying to focus more on the matters at hand, upon reaching the bottom of the pile of paper he discovered several pages of music drawn in a childish hand. These must have been some of the first things he had written, back when Jamie had shown him how to. He pulled them out from underneath everything else, smoothed them out on the surface of the desk, and began to read.

A few minutes later, without looking away from the piece of paper, his bandaged hands reached for the book of manuscript paper on the shelf above the desk.

~

Three days later, Zak had had enough. He and the others had arranged to meet up with Eddie on different days, knowing that if no one went to see him he would just stay inside his flat, doing little. Their plan seemed to have worked at first, up until now - Webster and Adam had been supposed to meet Eddie and go to the football a couple of days ago, but he hadn’t turned up. Fair enough; they all knew Eddie had his bad days. But when Zak had called him the next day, unable to visit because of a family member’s birthday, both the landline and Eddie’s mobile had rang and rang and rang with no answer. Today, Zak decided Eddie had hidden long enough. He called the others together and he, Amy, Adam, Sam, Finea and Webster made their way to Eddie’s flat together.

When they got there, they knocked on the door. There was no response. They banged on the door, called his name, but there was nothing. Silence. The six of them stood there in the corridor, looking at each other, wondering what to do. Eventually, worried, Zak produced a hairpin and began to pick the lock.

–How did you learn to do that?” asked Amy suspiciously, as Zak knelt down to get the best angle.

–Joe taught me,” Zak said with a wry grin. –Always a useful talent, particularly if you’re like me and you lock yourself out a lot.”

After several seconds of careful concentration, the lock clicked and Zak stood. Turning the handle, he opened the door hesitantly.

–Eddie?” he called softly, no longer wanting to shout. The heating was on but the flat seemed cool, dry and still. He walked cautiously and slowly into the flat, the others behind him. He couldn’t hear any movement. However, on the back of the sofa and scattered all over the floor, there were dozens of sheets of paper.

–It’s manuscript,” said Finea quietly behind him, bending down to look. –Zak?”

Zak had moved away from the group, around the other side of the sofa. As the others watched, he crouched down to something they couldn’t see, and then raised his head.

–Guys, come give me a hand, will you?”

The rest of them came around the end of the sofa. Eddie was sitting on the floor, his head resting in between his arms on the low coffee table, his eyes closed, deeply asleep. Several empty cups that smelt strongly of coffee were beside him, and beneath his head was another sheet of manuscript paper, this one only half covered with Eddie’s undecipherable scrawl. The floor around him was covered with similar sheets, arranged to no particular order that Zak could make out.

Slowly, Zak knelt down next to him and placed a hand on his back.

–Eddie?” he called softly. Eddie murmured something Zak didn’t make out and turned his head slightly, but didn’t wake up. Zak took hold of his shoulder, carefully making sure it was the left one as he knew the right was still sore, and shook it gently as he called Eddie’s name again.

–Eddie? Ed? Wake up, Ed,” he said. At this Eddie’s eyelids fluttered a little, then opened briefly before he scrunched up his eyes and recoiled from the light in the room.

–Mmm? What… what time is it?” he asked slowly, his voice croaking a little with tiredness. He yawned as he pulled himself upright, rubbing at his eyes gently with a bandaged wrist.

–Nearly half-past four in the afternoon, Eddie,” Zak said, raising his eyebrows. –Been busy?” He glanced around the room at the mass amounts of manuscript paper, wondering how long it had all taken to spread out like that - or had Eddie been writing all this time? Zak wouldn’t have put it past him.

–It looks like you got caught in a musical whirlwind, Ed,” said Finea. Eddie gave a short laugh.

–Something like that,” he said, looking around.

–Want some help gathering it together?” Adam asked, and at Eddie’s sleepy nod the other five started to gather the sheets of paper together in loose piles. Zak stayed by Eddie’s side - his best friend seemed more than a little out of it and Zak couldn’t help but be worried that he might pass out.

As they tidied, Amy spoke.

–Hang on, Ed - I haven’t seen this before.” The others looked around; she was studying one of the pieces of music.

–Is this new music, Eddie?” Sam asked curiously. –I thought you couldn’t write -” At a warning glance from Zak, Sam stopped abruptly, and there was an awkward pause. Eddie said nothing, still rubbing his eyes and blinking slowly.

When they had made all the music into a pile on the coffee table in front of him, Eddie carefully, and not a little bit clumsily, got to his feet. He stood there, looking exhausted.

–Eddie… this music… did you write it all in the last couple of days?” ventured Zak warily. Eddie nodded and closed his eyes briefly before opening them again, clearly worn out but determined to stay awake. Finea returned from the kitchen - Zak hadn’t noticed she had gone - with a plastic bottle of water. Eddie took it from her gratefully and gripped it in both hands to drink. The water seemed to revive him a little. He looked around at the others.

–I think…we could do it.”

No one answered him for a moment, not understanding.

–Do what, Eddie?” Finea asked, watching him carefully.

–Only if the rest of you wanted to, of course… and I’m not saying it’d be easy, we’d be sinking our own money into it… and it might not even work, but I think…”

Zak interrupted him, knowing he would talk like that for hours if left to it.

–Eddie, what do you think you’ve figured out?”

–How to bring Phoenix back.”

Stunned silence filled the room. Eddie’s expression was suddenly nervous, uncertain.

–I understand if no one wants to, I just think I know how, and I thought… you should know…” He trailed off into silence. After about half a minute, Zak spoke.

–I’ll join up,” he said. There was a pause, and then Finea took a step forward.

–And me,” she said.

Webster glanced at Adam, and then Sam.

–Count us in too.”

–Amy?” Zak asked, looking at her. She nodded, slowly.

–Yep. Definitely.”

They all turned back to Eddie and watched the first real smile he had had in two months spread slowly across his face. His grin was contagious and Zak felt happy for the first time in a long while.

–So, what’s the plan?” he asked, clapping his hands together.

~

Joe was in the process of unlocking the door to the flat he shared with Henry when he heard the sound of two people walking along the corridor. He turned. Eddie and Zak came and stood beside him.

–Hey you two,” he said, opening the door. –Come in. Ed, it’s nice to see you out and about.”

Eddie nodded and glanced at Zak before speaking.

–Actually, Joe, we came to ask you for some help,” he said carefully. Joe looked at the two of them with raised eyebrows.

–Oh, really?” he said. –Well, if I can I’ll be glad to. I know things have been difficult.” He also knew this was an understatement, but neither of the other two corrected him. He threw his coat over the back of an armchair and went over to the kitchen area.

–Tea, coffee?” he asked.

–Tea for me,” Zak said. –Thanks, Joe.”

–No problem,” Joe replied. –Eddie?”

–Water?”

–Sure.”

When they had settled down on the sofa with their drinks, Joe observed the other two carefully.

–So,” he began, –what can I help you with?”

Zak and Eddie glanced at each other again.

–We’re restarting Phoenix.”
Back to index
Pitch Perfected by HermitKnut
It was a good thing that the other residents in Eddie’s block of flats were not that observant, Zak reflected as he and Joe made their way there. When they arrived, the others were already there and waiting for them.

–Sorry I’m late,” Zak said.

–How did it go?” Webster asked. Joe grinned.

–Perfectly. You lot now have almost all the instruments you need, and I have a fair amount of work to do,” he said.

–Did you find somewhere?” Zak asked Amy and Sam. They nodded.

–It’s a little theatre off New Street,” Sam said. –The owner has half a dozen places like it, he’s quite happy to rent it out at a low price.”

–Brilliant!” Zak said. They had so far struggled to find a space to rehearse. Amy shook her head, giggling.

–That’s not the best bit - we’re literally around the corner from the Studio,” she said. Adam laughed. The Studio was the little place that the former members of Mixed Blood, Eddie’s mum’s group, owned together.

–God, imagine Jack and the others’ faces when we crop up right under their noses,” Adam crowed, delighted. The rest of the group laughed.

–Eddie, how’s the music coming along?” Zak asked. Everyone turned to listen to Eddie’s reply.

–I’ve got it all perfected, almost,” he said, nodding. –I just need to either put it on the computer or find some other way -”

–- of making it readable?” Sam suggested. Eddie nodded, smiling.

–Well, Mr Spartz said we could start moving our stuff in tomorrow, and because no one else is using the building it’s okay for us to store it there,” Amy said. –If we can all meet at Joe’s at around eleven tomorrow, we can start shifting stuff.”

Joe nodded.

–Zak has my spare keys, because I’ll be at work, but I’ll come meet you guys there on my lunch break and see how things are going,” he said. The others nodded.

–Has Henry figured this out?” Webster asked. –I mean, it’s got to be pretty obvious, surely…”

Joe laughed.

–Henry’s a sweetheart. He knows something’s going on, but when he asked I told him it was supposed to be a secret and did he mind if I kept it to myself, which of course he didn’t. He’s going to kick himself when he finds out, but I don’t think it’s going to be a problem.”

–What’s next on the itinerary, then?” Amy said.

–Well, we’ve got a rehearsal and performance space, and the instruments are more or less sorted, the music’s at half-way point,” said Zak, counting things off on his fingers as he said them. –All that’s left is technical and publicity.”

–I’ll call Josie tomorrow,” Eddie said, sounding weary. –She should be able to slip us into Review without a problem, hopefully.” Review was a yearly show featuring a song or two from several up-and-coming bands and performers. It drew a big audience of critics and journalists, and often determined how the critical reception of an act would play out. Phoenix were relying on Review to be the source of their publicity - their own show went on one week after, and having effectively disappeared from the public eye for the last few months, they were hoping that their sudden and unexpected reappearance would evoke enough curiosity to sell tickets.

Zak held back a grim smile. They all knew it wasn’t so much their disappearance as Eddie’s - the so-called musical genius retreating into virtual solitude after a debilitating injury was a story that had kept quite a few reporters busy for some time after the event. Eddie himself didn’t seem to realise this, though. Zak eyed his best friend with no small amount of concern; he seemed no less pale and thin than he had been in the days after the fire, and although since they’d started to pull the band back together he had seemed reinvigorated, there was rarely a smile on his face.

Zak pulled himself out of his thoughts and back to the matter at hand. He clapped his hands together once.

–Right, then we’re on track,” he said, making sure to inject some cheer into his voice. –What does anyone want to do now?”

–Well, I should head home,” Joe said. –I want to get started on some of the stuff we found today.” Zak nodded.

–Thanks again, Joe,” he said, smiling. His older friend grinned back at him and grabbed his coat before leaving. Phoenix had very little money to spend and had lost all of their instruments in the fire; Joe had agreed to help them find old, damaged or broken instruments that they could buy comparatively cheaply, and then fix them himself for free. He had become quite enthusiastic about his ‘project’ as he called it, constantly fiddling with odd bits of wood, metal and plastic, and turning up out of the blue with repaired instruments that Zak barely recognised as the mangled things they found in car boot sales and junk markets.

–I promised my mum I’d be on skype tonight,” Sam said, shrugging and rolling his eyes. –She’s in America visiting my cousins and I don’t think she thinks I’m alright on my own.” Zak nodded.

–Well, if no one else has anything on, we could order pizza,” he suggested, glancing at Eddie to see how he took this idea. The youngest member of their group was still sat perched on the arm of the sofa, his face pale as ever, his stormy eyes gazing at nothing in particular.

–Eddie?” he asked. Eddie blinked suddenly and turned to him.

–Mm?”

–Pizza?”

–Yeah, okay,” Eddie agreed, a faint smile gracing his lips for a moment before disappearing again. The others agreed, and Amy was soon on the phone to the local pizza place, pacing their order.

The food came and was eaten quickly; Eddie’s gloomy, pensive mood seemed to be infecting everyone else. Just over an hour later, they all said their goodbyes and made their separate ways home. Zak was the last to leave, and he felt a now familiar uncomfortable twist in his stomach at the idea of leaving Eddie home alone tonight. But he couldn’t think of any excuse to stay and so walked out of the door after the others, leaving Eddie with his music.

~

August 2030

–Happy Birthday, Ed!”

–Happy Birthday, Eddie!”

Eddie laughed, shaking his head to get some of the confetti off of it.

–Thanks, guys,” he said. –I’m old.”

–Nah, you’re just finally catching up with the rest of us,” Adam said cheerfully.

–You’re still the baby of the group,” Zak continued cheekily, slinging an arm around Eddie’s shoulders and leading him towards the little bundle of presents on top of the piano. Eddie rolled his eyes.

–Guys, you didn’t have to -” he started, but stopped at a stern look from Finea.

–We know that, Ed,” she said firmly, smiling. –But we can if we want to, okay?”

Eddie grinned and nodded.

Present-opening took up a fair amount of time, but Eddie did notice that all of them had been wrapped fairly loosely so as to make it easier for him to open them with his still awkward and weak fingers. He ignored the piano as best he could while thanking everyone; he did not need another reminder, on today of all days, that his hands were not strong enough to even lift the lid, let alone play properly.

Then all the presents were done, and the group was talking and giggling until Joe coughed.

–So,” he said, aware of everyone watching him curiously, –I’ve been doing a bit of fiddling around.”

Eddie glanced at the others; they did not seem to know what Joe was talking about either. Joe continued.

–And I don’t know if it’s going to work, but I think it’s worth trying,” he said. He looked at Eddie. –Ed, come over here?”

Eddie followed him until the two of them were standing by the closed piano. Joe nodded to himself, and then looked at Eddie.

–Eddie, would you open the lid for me please?”

Eddie looked at him, frowning, uncertain. The others had gone very quiet.

–Joe, you know I -” Joe waved him off.

–I know. Try it anyway? For me?” he asked. Eddie swallowed, then shrugged. Reaching out his two hands, he carefully worked his still-sore fingers under the rim of the lid and lifted - and the lid came up easily, resting upright like it was supposed to. Eddie looked at Joe, surprised.

–What did you do?” he asked curiously, now testing the lid in his hands. It was much lighter than it should have been.

–I took the old one off and made another hollow one out of lighter wood,” Joe explained, smiling. –I’ve still got the old one at home, if you want me to put it back on any time.” Eddie nodded, pleased, but Joe was not finished.

–Have a seat,” Joe said quietly, nodding to the piano stool. Eddie sat down, uncertain again, and rested his fingers on the keys out of habit.

–Have a go?”

Eddie took his fingers off the keys, leaning slightly away and shaking his head.

–Joe, I can’t. You know I can’t. I -”

Again Joe interrupted him.

–Just try. Please.”

It took longer for Eddie to decide this time, but eventually he placed his fingers in their places and after a reluctant pause, began to play.

The notes were slippery at first; there was something odd about the way the keys were moving that Eddie could not quite pin down, but they responded under his fingers and so he adapted to the change without really thinking about it. The piece he played was short and relatively simple, and there were a few shaky moments in it where his fingers would not quite do what he wanted them to - but force of habit and nature helped to compensate. After a minute or so, the piece was finished and Eddie took his hands off of the keys. He felt as though he could not quite breathe; this was impossible, it had to be a trick, it could not be real. He looked up at Joe, who was beaming.

–I fiddled around for ages and ended up mucking around with some of the balances, so that the keys would play a bit lighter,” he said. –Like the lid, I can put them back if you need me to, just let me know. I just thought it might help, seeing as you don’t really have a problem with dexterity, just with - Eddie? Ed, are you okay?”

Joe sat down on the edge of the piano stool next to Eddie, concerned; because Eddie’s eyes had gone very glassy and wide, and he seemed to be shaking slightly.

–Eddie?” Joe said softly, putting a gentle hand on Eddie’s shoulder. This seemed to wake him up slightly; he blinked a few times and swallowed before he nodded mutely. After a moment he spoke.

–Yeah; yes, I’m… I’m… thank you. Thank you.” Eddie’s smile was watery and Joe realised that he had overwhelmed the younger man. He carefully pulled him into a hug and held him.

–I’m sorry, I’m being,” Eddie sniffed a little, –stupid, this is brilliant…” Joe smiled.

–It’s okay, Eddie. I should have warned you,” he said to Eddie’s shoulder. Zak, who had left the room briefly, came back in, and Joe heard the sound of the kettle beginning to boil in the green room.

It was a few minutes before Eddie was completely calm again, and he was embarrassed about his reaction for some time after. So they changed the subject. But Eddie seemed, under his shakiness, to be the happiest person in the room that afternoon - and when Joe looked back, he would point to this moment as being one he was most proud of.

~

Two months passed in a flurry of late night secret rehearsals, repaired instruments and the careful laying of plans. Zak had barely enough time to register the days, though there was one thing he was grateful for: he spent most of them in Eddie’s company. The pianist had now written and completed fourteen new songs, and Zak had helped him transcribe them to the computer screen so that they could be clearly read by the rest of the band. Eddie’s energy was feverish and his sleep fitful, but he wouldn’t let anyone stop him from working. Zak realised after he had nagged Eddie about getting more rest for the umpteenth time that the work was the only way Eddie was handling what had happened. Zak let the matter drop, hoping that Phoenix Rising - as they had nicknamed their project - if successful would be enough to get Eddie back the way he had been.
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Review Response by HermitKnut
October 2030

–Liz, have we got the stuff ready for the weekend?” Dave called across the hall.

–Yeah, I think so,” she replied, rummaging through the cardboard box. –We might want to see if we can get any more fake blood, though.”

It was five days before Hallowe’en and they had finally managed to find the box of old costumes from previous years.

–I’ll add it to the list,” Dave said, grinning.

–What, the one we’re giving to Casper?” Liz asked, raising her eyebrows. She had short purple hair reaching to just below her right ear, with a fringe that was swept sideways.

–That’s the one. The things we want to spend our Christmas budget on: a Jacuzzi, a sports car, our own personal helicopter…”

–…a pet chimpanzee, a private island, a rocket ship…” Liz joined in, trying not to giggle.

–What’s this?”

The door had opened and a young man walked in, pen out and held over a tatty notebook already full of tiny, scribbled figures and complex adding up. The other two burst out laughing and he just looked at them, realising the joke had gone over his head but grinning anyway.

–Can we get any more fake blood, Cas?” Liz asked. –The stuff from last year has gone all weird and mouldy.”

Casper came over to her and looked at it.

–Yeah, I think so. It depends on how many kids we’ve got for the night, how much food we’re getting in…”

–And by food, I assume you mean sweets?” Dave called. Casper nodded with a smile.

–Yep, absolutely,” he answered. He flipped to a slightly less full page in his notebook and added ‘fake blood (?)’ to the list.

–We’ll need spider webs as well,” Liz pointed out. –They went down really well last year.”

Casper bit his lip. Liz looked at him.

–Not doable?” she asked.

–It should be,” Casper said. –I’m just aware that the stuff from last year was one use only. I’m going to try and find some stuff that’ll last for more than one Hallowe’en, so it depends on whether or not I find it.”

Liz nodded. This time of year was always difficult for funds; themed decorations and the like for Hallowe’en and Christmas needed to vary to a certain extent to keep the interest up, and that cost money. But they got a lot of donations around Christmas time, too, so it normally balanced out in the end.

–I think for next year we need to try and get hold of Christmas and Hallowe’en stuff in May or something,” Dave suggested. –It’ll be going cheaper.”

Casper nodded in agreement and made a note of it. Then he closed the notebook and put his pen in his pocket, sitting down on a nearby chair and relaxing back, fighting a yawn.

–I am -” he started to say, but the yawn won. –I am,” he started again, –absolutely knackered.”

–You’ve been working too much,” said Liz. –Again.” She reinforced this by staring at him disapprovingly. Casper looked repentant for a moment, but when Liz turned to move the cardboard box he rolled his eyes jokingly. Dave laughed, and Liz turned back and stuck her tongue out at him.

–What are we doing about dinner tonight?” Liz asked. Casper shrugged.

–I’ll go out and get us some fish and chips if you fancy it,” he suggested. The other two agreed and a few minutes later Casper was outside in the cold, walking briskly with his thin jacket done up to his chin, his hands shoved in his pockets.

He aimed for the fish and chips place around the corner, but it was closed for refurbishment, as Casper remembered on approach. He groaned in annoyance. Where was the next closest one?

He decided to find it and get something from there instead, so he changed direction and headed back up the street passing The Friendly Ghost and turning left at the crossroads. He had nearly reached it - it was only on the parallel street - and was cutting through a little alleyway that joined the two streets together when someone stepped out from behind the recycling bins in front of him. They stood, silhouetted by the streetlight behind them, and Casper decided he could go around the long way. He turned and started to walk back, but two more figures were at the entrance to the alley that he had come from. Casper hesitated, uncertain. It could be nothing. Coincidence.

The sceptical part of his mind that was used to keeping him alive pointed out that this was extremely unlikely. Phone! it said. Call Liz, tell her where you are!

He reached into his pocket and took it out, trying to look casual. Nonchalantly, he thumbed through the contacts until he hit Liz’s name, and pressed the call button. He raised the phone to his ear. It rang once.

Then again.

Then a third time.

Just as Casper felt the edges of fear approaching, he heard the click as she picked up.

–Casper?” she asked.

He was about to respond when something hit him around the back of the head. He fell to his knees, the phone skidding away across the rough surface, screen still lit up, out of reach. He barely had time to recover from that and register that the three figures were now very, very close before a foot lashed out, catching him hard in the stomach.

The next few minutes were not the most painful in Casper’s life, but they came fairly close. After the three muggers had left, taking Casper’s wallet and phone with them, he lay on his side, arm at an unpleasant angle, lip bleeding and head spinning. Trying to focus as the rain started to fall, Casper called out, as loud as he could manage with the pain in his ribs. ‘Help’ seemed a good, logical way to go, and he was thankful that within a few minutes he heard voices from not too far away. He raised his voice even more, determined to be heard but scared to move for fear of aggravating his arm, which hurt violently as it was partially crushed under his torso.

After a few more minutes the voices faded away again. No one had heard him, or if they had they had ignored him. Casper closed his eyes in despair but then opened them again quickly. He didn’t want to pass out here; it was freezing and dark and there was a reasonable chance that he wouldn’t be stumbled upon for hours.

He took as deep a breath as he could bear and called out again and again. Someone will hear. Someone will come. Of course they will…

It was fifteen more minutes before he heard footsteps in the alleyway, by which point he was soaked through to the bone.

–I know it’s late, sweetheart, but I’m not far from home, I’ll just - oh my god!”
The woman rushed over towards him and crouched down carefully, her umbrella in one hand, phone in the other, bag slung over her shoulder. She looked at Casper, who tried not to cough as he spoke.

–Ambulance… please…” he croaked out, wincing as the pain in his ribs flared up again. She nodded slowly, then blinked as if realising the emergency.

–Sorry, sweetie. I’m fine, but I’ve got to go. I’ll call you back later.” She hung up without waiting for a response and dialled again. Three digits, Casper counted. Nine-nine-nine.

The ambulance arrived within minutes - or possibly hours. Casper wasn’t entirely sure, because through the dizziness sweeping across his mind it was difficult to judge. But then there were sirens in the distance, and then the sound of a vehicle backing part of the way up to the entrance of the alleyway. Casper smiled in relief as he heard practised voices and steady footsteps. The last thing he saw before he blacked out was the face of a young paramedic leaning over him with dusty brown hair and a reassuring smile. And nice eyes, Casper thought vaguely. Very nice eyes…

~

The day of Review dawned clear and cool. By evening the venue was flooded with guests, press and performers. Sitting back in their comfortable seats, they watched those musicians who had just started to draw attention to themselves give all they could on the stage, knowing that a favourable report now would do them more good than just regular publicity. There were the new acts, nervous but determined; the returning acts promising change or more; and a few old favourites who were showing off their plans for the year.

Members of Ginny’s old group, Mixed Blood, were scattered around the audience. Jack and Midge settled into their seats, flicking through their programmes. Ginny and Harry were a few rows over, and Chris, Jamie and Andy and his family sat in the row in front of Jack. The others hadn’t made it - Piper had a family event she couldn’t miss, and Elsie and Kelsie were in Spain for a month.

Looking at the programme, it didn’t seem that exciting. Jack was used to seeing unfamiliar names on the list, but they were normally mixed in with a few people he’d heard of through the grapevine. This time there wasn’t really anyone - and there was actually one less group than expected, Jack realised. He recounted, checking. Nope, there was definitely one missing. Review always had twenty groups, performing for maybe four or five minutes each. This time there were only nineteen. Jack reached forward and tapped Jamie gently on the head with the programme. Jamie turned.

–What?”

–There’s someone missing,” Jack said. –In the programme.”

Jamie consulted his own.

–Nah,” he said. –They’ve just got one less than usual, that’s all.” This didn’t seem to satisfy Jack. Jamie laughed.

–You’re such a conspiracy nut,” he teased. Jack stuck his tongue out in response, and they both fell silent as the lights went down.

The show was good but not exceptional, Jack had decided by the interval, sipping his drink. There was some promise there, maybe, but nothing that had particularly piqued his interest. Not that it was his interest that was important, but… Jack gazed around the room, letting his thoughts wander aimlessly. The twenty minute interval was over quickly, and the rest of the performances followed in much the same fashion. Jack tried not to fidget too much, knowing it would annoy Midge.

Finally, their host stepped onto a corner of the stage to conclude the evening. A fifty-something man in an expensive suit, he smiled expansively at the audience before he spoke.

–Now, no doubt a few of you have noticed a slight difference in our programme from previous years - I’ve had several guests commenting that we’re one act short!” There was a short pause while the audience considered this. Jack gave the back of Jamie’s chair a good kick. Jamie turned just enough to pull a silly scowling face before their host continued.

–This is not, fortunately enough, due to an error in the programmes you hold, but actually due to a truly exciting event taking place in the next week. The group that you’re about to see is holding a set of shows next week - the first as they are now arranged.”

Jack frowned a little. That made it sound like they’d been heard of before. But surely putting an already-known band on their programme would have been good for Review ticket sales?

–I, along with the rest of the world, believed that we had seen the last from this group of young people; but I, as I expect you will be, was delighted to hear of their return.” And with a final flourish, he made his announcement.

–Ladies and gentlemen, I take great pleasure in reintroducing - Phoenix!”

~

–Well, that was one hell of an evening,” Jamie said. He was sitting on an armchair in Midge and Jack’s place, an hour after the end of Review.

–Can you believe it, though?” Midge asked. –I can’t, I’m still in shock.”
Jack laughed.

–Yeah, I know the feeling,” he agreed. –I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a reaction.”

Phoenix’s surprise return had stunned everyone, and although they had disappeared abruptly at the end of their song - which was new, Jack noted - they had stayed just long enough to announce that they would be performing next week, and that the details were on their website. This announcement next to their reappearance had had journalists and critics going mad. There had been a flurry of questions thrown at everyone else there, particularly Mixed Blood. Did they know Phoenix was returning? Had they heard anything about these performances? What did they think of Phoenix’s music?

To which the answers were simple: no, no and fantastic.

–Did you ask Ginny, Midge?” Jamie asked. Midge nodded.

–She said she’d hardly seen Eddie around these last few months. She thought he’d found some kind of project, but she didn’t think of this…” Midge trailed off, and shrugged. –Even Harry said he had no idea.”

Jack raised his eyebrows.

–Harry didn’t know?” he asked sceptically. –That’s like saying… well, what was he doing, sitting curled up with his hands over his ears and his eyes shut?” Jamie and Midge laughed.

–I doubt Harry really didn’t know - perhaps he just decided to let Eddie keep his secrets,” said Midge. All three knew that the eldest Potter had an uncanny knack for gaining information, particularly regarding things he wasn’t meant to know about.

–I’d better head home,” Jamie said, standing up and stretching his arms. –I’ll have to be up early tomorrow to pick up tickets for their concert online - I’ve got a funny feeling they’re going to go damn fast…”

~

Casper came to in a hospital room, pale and calm and warm, with his left arm in plaster resting on top of the covers. Fuzzily, he turned his head; the room was empty, but on the bedside cabinet there was a magazine and a half-eaten packet of biscuits, so he decided he probably did have company somewhere. This amount of thought seemed about enough, so he closed his eyes again and sank back into sleep.
Back to index
False Impressions by HermitKnut
The day after the first Phoenix Rising concert, the group were all in the Theatre early, sitting quietly in chairs, pretending to read a book or text someone else, but all waiting for Sam to get back from the newsagent’s.

–Where’s Joe?” Adam asked, glancing around curiously.

–He’s at work,” Zak replied. –You know he took the afternoon off when his cousin was in hospital, he had to switch that one around with this morning to get it.”
Adam nodded and silence resumed.

When the downstairs door banged and they heard running footsteps on the staircase, they all looked up at the door, nervous. The door to the room opened, and Sam came in, grinning triumphantly as he threw a pile of magazines and newspapers down on the table.

–We did it!” he shouted joyfully. –Front pages everywhere, and all the reviews I can see look brilliant!”

The others flooded towards the table and started pouring over the different publications, exclaiming over every mention delightedly.

~

The next time Casper woke up, it was to the last rays of light filtering through the blinds and onto his bed. He swallowed and fidgeted, flexing a few muscles groggily.

–Cas?”

Casper turned his head. Liz was sitting next to his bed, leaning forward, one hand resting on the edge of the covers. He smiled slowly.

–I’m here…” he said, his voice coming out scratchy from underuse. She smiled back at him.

–Just about,” she agreed. –How are you feeling?”

Casper thought about this for a minute.

–Tired,” he concluded. –But there’s not so much pain now, so that’s good.”

Liz nodded.

–Joe’s been in to see you, and Dave as well,” she said. –Joe says he’ll come and see you again when he’s got a second.”

–Okay,” Casper said, pleased that he hadn’t been ignored but also annoyed that he’d missed his cousin. He hadn’t seen Joe in a while - not since Henry had been promoted at work.

–They found one of the guys that got you,” she said. Casper frowned, puzzled.

–But how did they know that…?”

–CCTV,” Liz explained. –Whole thing was caught on a security camera, though no one was watching it at the time.”

Casper nodded, but only once - his head still felt sore and swollen.

–They could only see one of their faces, but they think he’ll give up the other two soon.”

–Mm,” replied Casper. Liz smiled.

–You’ll be alright, Casper. Looks like you’ll be missing Hallowe’en, though,” she said.

–What day is it?” he asked.

–Saturday,” answered Liz. –They think you’ll be okay to come home tomorrow morning, but you’re supposed to be getting lots of rest, so you can watch the festivities, but I’m not letting you rush around on your feet for the next few days.”

Casper attempted to look innocent.

–Liz, would I?”

–Yes, Casper, you would,” she said sternly, but there was a smile playing on her lips. She leant over and gave him a quick kiss on the forehead.

–Get some sleep, if you’re so tired,” she said. –Food should turn up in about half an hour, do you want me to give you a nudge?”

–Please,” Casper said, realising how hungry he was. He closed his eyes anyway, just to rest them…

~

It was nice to have a bit of a break, Casper thought a few days later, sitting in one of the armchairs in the corner watching the younger boys play football across the hall. Couldn’t go on much longer, of course; he had to sort out the month end accounts, go through the Christmas budget which he hadn’t finished, organise which days the club would be open during the Christmas holidays, decide if they’d be doing a New Year’s party, work out how were they going to organise it if they did… and so the list went on. Casper cheered as one of the boys scored, the foam ball bouncing off of the back wall between the two chairs being used as goalposts.

Liz had squirrelled his notebook away somewhere to stop him from working, but he was fairly certain he knew where she had hidden it. He’d go and get it tomorrow morning and start working again, although running around would be a week or so yet.

His phone, thankfully recovered from the muggers, rang noisily from the other side of the room. Dave picked it up.

–Hello?”

There was a pause, and then he started to walk towards Casper.

–It’s Joe, Cas,” he said, passing Casper the phone. Casper took it.

–Hey, you!” he said, grinning.

–Hey Casper,” said Joe from the other end. –Sorry I haven’t caught you, it’s been a bit mad with Henry’s new job and half a dozen other things. I did come and see you at the hospital!”

–It’s okay,” Casper reassured him. –Coming to see us soon, though?”

–I was going to drop ‘round this afternoon,” Joe said, –if that’s alright?”

–Sure,” said Casper. –What time?”

–Oh, about twenty-past five? I finish work at five and it’ll take me a little while to get to yours.”

–Okay,” Casper said. –I’ll see you then, then.”

–Yep. Speak to you later.”

–Bye,” Casper finished. He heard Joe’s parting reply before ending the call and putting the phone down on the arm of the chair.

–Joe coming over?” Liz asked as she passed behind him, having overheard part of the conversation. Casper nodded.

–Twenty-past five-ish,” he said. He rubbed his eyes and tried to suppress a yawn - it was only midday, so Joe had probably been on his lunch break when he called. Liz saw.

–Cup of tea?” she suggested knowingly.

–Coffee?” asked Casper hopefully, knowing the answer.

–Casper, it’s not even one yet, so no.” Liz grinned. –I tell you what, though - I’ll make sandwiches, I was thinking of doing some anyway.”

Casper nodded again.

–Thanks, Liz.”

–Anytime.”

~

It was the Friday of the next week, and Casper was back on duty as host, owner and unofficial problem-solver. He weaved through the crowd, his head moving gently to the beat as he made his way over to the bar. He squeezed past a group of teenagers and ducked under the counter to reappear on the other side, next to Dave.

–Hey, everything okay?” he asked. Dave had gestured for some help when he’d been on the other side of the room talking to some of the regulars.

–Need an extra pair of hands,” Dave said, trying to slow the group at the bar down so that he could get them what they wanted. Casper nodded and set to work. After a few minutes of slightly frantic drinks-pouring, Casper turned to the next person at the bar.

–Can I help?” he asked. The young man smiled at him.

–Just a beer, please,” he said, already reaching into his pocket for money. Casper got it for him. As he was handing over his change, Casper looked at him thoughtfully.

–Weird question - do I know you from somewhere?” he asked curiously. –You look kind of familiar, but I can’t pin it down.” The man smiled.

–I’m Seth,” he said, reaching a hand over the bar to shake Casper’s. –Seth Baines. We have met before, very briefly, but we never really got introduced…” Casper thought for a moment longer before he realised.

–Paramedic?” he said, pleased that he had remembered. Seth nodded.

–How are you doing, anyway?” he asked curiously.

Casper raised his plastered arm and shrugged.

–Not so bad,” he said. –The cast comes off in a couple of weeks, so it’ll be easier then.”

They chatted for a few minutes in between Casper serving other customers. From the other side of the room, Gina nudged Liz gently.

–Looks like Casper’s found a new interest,” she said teasingly, and the girls around her laughed. Liz laughed with them, but her eyes were on Casper and Seth, calculating, measuring, wondering. Liz had known Casper a long time, and she knew him well enough to read his emotions even when he was doing a good job of hiding them.

–Isn’t that guy a bit… clean-cut for Casper?” Daisy asked, craning to see.

–Daisy! Casper can have clean-cut if he wants,” Gina said.

–Casper can usually have whoever he wants,” Daisy countered back, prompting more giggles.

–Who is that, anyway?” someone else asked curiously. Liz shook her head.

–Don’t know.”

~

By the end of the evening, Casper was tired but pleased. Closing time was two o’clock in the morning, and by half-two he was in bed, sleeping soundly.

The next day he was standing and chatting to Liz, waiting for the lunchtime rush of kids, when she changed the subject abruptly.

–Nice evening last night?” she asked. Casper nodded.

–As usual,” he said, wondering where this was going.

–You seemed pretty distracted by that guy you were talking to,” Liz said, leaning against the wall and watching Casper closely. Casper took a moment to think, and then let a casual smile show on his face.

–Well, you know me…” he said jokingly. –Can’t resist a pretty face.” Not that Seth is pretty, exactly, he thought, but those eyes and the way he tilts his head to one side when he laughs…

–I just wondered; he just didn’t seem your type, is all,” said Liz, jerking Casper out of his thoughts. He shrugged.

–It’s nothing,” he said. –Don’t get too excited!”

–Me? Huh, in your dreams,” Liz responded teasingly. Casper laughed, but behind that he wondered whether Liz was right. Talking to Seth had been… nice. Really nice, even. And Casper didn’t get a lot of that, and well…

He shook his head and tried to concentrate on sorting out lunch.

~

Seth wasn’t there that evening, nor the next, nor the one after. Casper tried to pretend he didn’t care.

The following Tuesday, however, Casper came in from the back room where he had been checking how many boxes of crisps they had left to see Seth Baines leaning up against the wall, his arms folded. He had come alone again, Casper noted. He walked over and joined him.

–Hey,” he said. Seth looked around and smiled genuinely on seeing him.

–Good to see you,” he said.

–And you,” Casper replied. There was a moment of silence.

–How’s the arm?” Seth asked.

–Oh, alright,” said Casper, shrugging. –A bit awkward, but it could’ve been worse.”
There was another long moment where neither of them spoke. Casper felt uncharacteristically awkward, mostly because a small part of his mind was wondering whether this was what it was like to have a crush on someone.

–Been busy?” he finally asked. –Haven’t seen you for a while.” Only two days, you idiot! He’s going to think you’re obsessed! Casper’s mind screamed at him.

Seth didn’t seem to worry about it, just nodded.

–My shifts change so that I don’t have to be completely nocturnal - I was on late shifts the last couple of days,” he explained. Then, just when Casper thought he’d gotten away from it…

–Why, did you miss me?” Seth added jokingly. Casper felt a blush - a blush! How old was he, eleven? - rising and fought to stay casual. He shrugged.

–Just wondered.”

Fortunately, they managed to slip into some casual conversation then about jobs and how they had chosen them. Casper learned that Seth had been a paramedic for five years now, based at the Royal Hope Hospital.

–I got my degree at King’s, so I haven’t really lived outside London,” Seth explained. –What about you? How did you end up working here?”

Casper paused.

–Oh, I used to live… around here, before I worked here, and the opportunity just came up,” he said lightly. –I love the job, wouldn’t do anything else.” Casper smiled, hoping the sincerity in the latter would stop Seth from questioning the former. He was right, and the conversation moved to other matters.

Seth was at The Friendly Ghost on the Thursday night as well, and the Friday. The Saturday night was supposedly Casper’s night off - the idea was that he took a break, but as he usually spent it the same way he spent most nights, it was rather superfluous. But this Saturday, he thought as he walked out of The Friendly Ghost with Seth and out into the cold air, he was very, very glad of it. They made their way along the pavements, their breath making mist.

About fifteen minutes into their half-hour walk, Casper realised that his hand had somehow managed to wind itself into Seth’s. He didn’t take it away.

~

When they reached Seth’s flat, Casper pulled off his trainers, soaked from walking through puddles. Within five minutes he had completely forgotten about them.

~

Casper woke up in the early hours of the morning, the only light coming from a streetlamp a fair distance away. He lay there for a few minutes in darkness, his eyes open; and then he sat up slowly, careful not to disturb Seth’s sleep. Silently, he pulled his clothes back on, checked that his phone and wallet were still in the pockets and hadn’t fallen on the floor somewhere, retrieved his now merely moist trainers from the living room and left without looking back. The door closed with a quiet click behind him.
Back to index
Poisoned Words by HermitKnut
The next evening, Casper spotted Marathon and Kay with a bunch of their friends, and went over to join them. When Seth walked in he didn’t notice - or, at least, that’s what he would tell himself later. He certainly didn’t realise that Seth would have seen him put his unbroken arm around Marathon flirtatiously.

When he checked later, Seth wasn’t there.

Casper left with Marathon a couple of hours later, and came back after an hour and a half expecting everything to be quiet and dark, as usual. Instead, Liz was sitting in the kitchen with a coffee, brow furrowing as she read the newspaper.

–Hey,” he said, going over to the sink for a glass of water to take back to his room.

–Oh, hello Casper,” she said. She watched him as he filled a glass at the tap with his unbroken arm, and drank from it.

–What are you doing up so late?” he asked Liz curiously. She shrugged.

–Oh, not much.”

Casper was about to leave when she spoke again.

–I was just wondering when you would be back; obviously you didn’t go off with Seth tonight, I suppose he’s last week’s news already?” Casper almost flinched at the last few words, and hoped she hadn’t noticed. He shrugged.

–Why do you ask?” he asked.

–Just wondered,” she replied. This meant nothing to her, Casper realised; she genuinely didn’t mind either way. –After all, it seemed like he didn’t know that, the way he looked when he saw you with Marathon and Kay last night.”

Casper, to his surprise, had to swallow his anger at this.

–I didn’t notice anything,” he said instead. –Sure you weren’t imagining it?”

There was a clunk as she put her coffee cup down on the table. Casper swallowed.

–Maybe. Anyway, he didn’t seem really your type - a bit too clean-cut for you!” She flashed him a teasing smile and left to go to bed.

Casper stood alone in the kitchen for a long while afterwards.

~

Seth stayed in the next night. He was just trying to convince himself that he should go to bed instead of watching a film, when he heard a knock on the door. He put down the remote control and walked over to the door, unlatching it easily. He swung it open.

Casper was standing on the doorstep.

Seth very nearly swung the door closed again, but something about Casper’s expression made him hesitate. He sighed, and, trying to maintain at least a semblance of carelessness, lent against the doorframe.

–What do you want, Casper?” he asked coolly, not quite meeting his eyes. Casper took a deep breath in and let it out slowly before speaking.

–I came to apologise,” he said.

–Oh?” Seth replied, raising his eyebrows. Casper gave a half-nod, his eyes on Seth’s who reluctantly met them.

–I’m sorry, Seth,” Casper said calmly, honestly. Seth wanted to find some retort, but Casper seemed to be genuine.

–Well, I’m sorry too,” he said, the words coming out slightly harsher than he had intended them to, –so I suppose that makes us even.”

Casper frowned slightly.

–What are you sorry for?” he asked.

–Me?” Seth replied as coolly as he could, hoping that the fact that he was fighting not to just slam the door, go into his room and cry like a six-year-old wouldn’t show on his face. –I’m sorry for what happened that night - it was as much my responsibility as it was yours.” Casper didn’t reply, watching Seth a little curiously.

–What about you, then?” Seth asked. He knew he was being cruel now, but he couldn’t quite stop himself. –What did you come to apologise for if it wasn’t for that?”

–I came to apologise for leaving you,” Casper said quietly, –and for flirting with Marathon when I knew you were watching.”

The simple, honest way that he said it made Seth want to give in, but he rallied himself.

–Not for sleeping with me?” he asked, arching an eyebrow. Casper looked at him for a moment or two, that tiny crease on his forehead as he thought before he answered.

–No,” he said. –That was… you were… are… a great guy, and I don’t regret that. But I… shouldn’t have let it end that way.”

–Oh?” Seth said again, his anger fading slightly. –And how should you have ‘let’ it end?” The inverted commas were clearly audible.

–I shouldn’t have,” Casper said softly. –And for that, I’m sorry. I’m sorry I didn’t stay.”

There was a pause.

–Why didn’t you?” Seth asked, his curiosity getting the better of him despite his anger. Casper seemed to genuinely think about this for a minute, and then he gave a small shrug. Seth noticed that there was a small bruise on the left side of his chin that had not been there the other day.

–I suppose I was… in denial?” Casper gave a faint, self-deprecating smile that took away Seth’s automatic irritation at the cliché.

This wasn’t the answer Seth had been expecting.

–Why?” he asked. Casper tipped his head to one side slightly, as if trying to judge how Seth would react.

–I knew you… well, I knew you liked me,” he said, wincing slightly as though he had said something less than courteous. Seth tried not to blush. It’s not past tense yet, he thought. Casper continued.

–I knew that you would be expecting more than just, well,” here Casper shrugged again, and his expression managed to make Seth crack a faint smile of his own, –but I pretended I didn’t. I’m… I suppose you could say that I’m used to… less than long-term arrangements. Considerably less. I should have taken your feelings into account.” There was another pause. Seth stopped leaning on the doorframe and opened the door more.

–Do you want to come in?” he asked. Casper looked up at him, surprised but grateful, before he entered. The flat had hardly changed - Casper didn’t quite know why he had expected it to have, he’d been there only the day before yesterday - and as Casper came in Seth closed the door behind him.

They were sitting on the sofa an hour later, not really watching some sitcom rerun on the television. After a while, just like it had two days before, Seth’s hand found its way into Casper’s. Casper looked at him, warily.

–What do you want?” Seth asked, quietly. –From this, from us, if there is an ‘us’…”
Casper was quiet for a minute. Then, cautiously, he met Seth’s eyes and spoke.

–I like the sound of an ‘us’,” he said carefully, waiting, –if you do.”

There was a moment’s stillness, and then Seth leant forward and kissed him, gently, hesitantly.

~

–So, how did you end up working at this place?” Seth asked as they stood leaning against the bar in The Friendly Ghost the following night.

–Running,” Casper corrected him gently, smiling in a way that was not in the least boastful.

–Running it?” Seth asked, surprised, –Wow. Okay, so how did you end up running this place?”

Casper pushed himself away from the bar.

–Come and see,” he said. Seth followed him to the main entrance of the club, where there was a large display board with ‘The Friendly Ghost’ written along the top in large letters. Beneath it was some text and a photograph. Seth began to read.

This warehouse (as it previously was) belonged to Ms Jane Winterfields, a successful business woman who owned a great deal of property. One November afternoon, having shown a prospective buyer around the warehouse that morning, Ms Winterfields realised she had left her bag here. She returned, only to discover that because of the faulty lock on the back door, three teenagers were living rough under the stairwell, having clearly hidden during her previous visit. Instead of asking them to leave, she only asked that they break no laws under her roof - otherwise, they could stay.

Over the next few days, Ms Winterfields visited them several times. She asked them about their lives, about how they had reached this point, but she did not report them to the police because she feared they would disappear.

She bought them crisps and sweets in large quantities, very cheaply, and taught them how to sell them for slightly more money. They returned to her what she had paid, but the profits they kept. Slowly, this built up to a substantial amount. Ms Winterfields wanted to do more for the three of them and people like them, but she had little time to do so.

Therefore, after a long conversation with the three of them, she arranged to have one half of the building made into a place for people to stay - a hostel - and the other half into a place for people to socialise and come out of the cold.

Originally this half of The Friendly Ghost was a youth club. But as funds began to come in from various supportive sources, this area was remade as a night club, the profits from which fund the hostel behind it.

The entire building began in the name of the eldest of the three, David Feller, but came under the ownership of Casper Livingston on his eighteenth birthday. The third and youngest member of their group was Elizabeth Becker. Dave, Liz and Casper still live and work in this hostel and club - you might see them around!

Thanks for reading our story - and feel free to donate in any of the orange buckets around the rooms. Thank you!

Underneath this story, Seth saw a bright photograph of three people in their late teens - Casper, Liz and Dave - standing outside the main doors, grinning at the camera, their arms around each other’s necks.

–Wow,” he said again to Casper, who was leaning against the wall beside the board. –That’s a pretty powerful story.”

Casper laughed.

–It’s true,” he said, shrugging, –can’t do much better than that.” Seth laughed as well.

–Fair point.”

They wandered back into the main area, heading vaguely towards the comfy chairs in one corner.

–So,” Seth said, –I bet you get fed up of explaining that story to everyone who asks, right? Hence the big board.”

Casper nodded.

–It’s not like I mind talking about it,” he said, –more that when you’ve told the same story over a hundred times you start getting the urge to play around with it and see how much people believe you.” He grinned mischievously and Seth laughed again.

–If you don’t mind me asking,” Seth said after a few minutes, –how… how did you, um…” He frowned, not sure how to phrase his question without being rude. Casper seemed to know what he had intended to ask, though.

–How did I end up living rough?” he suggested. Seth nodded.

–Sorry, it’s not really any of my business, I was just curious,” Seth said apologetically. Casper shook his head.

–It’s fine, I don’t mind,” he replied, thinking. –Well, in a nutshell,” he shrugged, –my mum kicked me out of the house.”

–Why?” Seth asked, curious, and surprised at Casper’s light-hearted tone.

–Oh, I told her I was gay,” he said. –I guess she didn’t approve.” He shrugged again and gave a wry smile, and Seth got the impression that this too was something that Casper had had to explain many, many times.

–How old were you?” Seth asked.

–I was thirteen and a bit,” Casper said. –I’d had my birthday a few of months before.”

Seth was glad that he had spent years learning how to remain professional in an emergency, because it helped him to keep the shock from his expression now.

–Do you see any of your family at all?” Seth asked a minute or so later when the two of them finally found an empty set of chairs and sat down at them. Casper shook his head.

–Not my immediate family,” he said. –I’ve got a cousin, Joe - younger cousin - who got back in touch a few years ago, and we see each other pretty often, especially now he lives in London with his boyfriend, Henry.” Seth nodded. This new picture of Casper was startling - but it made a surprising amount of sense. Casper was very good as host at the club, because he was sociable; he made people feel at home. But although Seth had never seen him in the hostel, the one or two people he’d spoken to when he’d been waiting to meet Casper earlier had said how successful the hostel was, and that it was mainly down to Casper, who dedicated hours of his time to making it a welcoming place.

He looks after people like him, Seth thought. No wonder he’s good at it, he knows exactly what they’ve been through.

They spent the rest of the evening talking. Seth felt like he was learning a lot. This Casper was different from the one who had gone home with him several days ago - but still, somehow, the same person. There had been a lightness there the first time, a lack of weight that Seth had previously attributed to just Casper’s personality, but now realised had been because Casper had not attached any emotional weight to their conversation. Now he seemed slightly more serious and sincere, and Seth appreciated it. Seth told Casper about his parents, his upbringing, his school, university, and life as a paramedic. Casper described running the hostel and the club, working side by side with social services and the police on occasion, how The Friendly Ghost had got its name…

–I suppose you can guess why it’s called that,” Casper said dryly. Seth frowned for a second, confused, before something clicked.

–Casper the Friendly Ghost?” he asked, fighting back laughter. His amusement must have shown clearly on his face, because Casper gave a short laugh in response, rolling his eyes.

–Yeah, like I’ve never heard that joke before,” he said. –Liz and Dave decided we should name it that, because I was the one in charge. They used to call me ghost when we were younger anyway, so it wasn’t exactly a great leap.”

Seth laughed.

~

Phoenix really was going up in the world, Zak decided, straightening the collar of his shirt in the mirror. Admittedly tonight was not a huge event, but several notable names in the music industry would be there. It was set to be an evening of socialising and making valuable connections.

Of course, Eddie wasn’t looking forward to it. Zak knew that the younger man would much prefer to be holed up in his flat writing music, but after much cajoling and the promise that Zak would be there too he had finally agreed to go.

An hour and a half later, and everything was going as expected. Eddie had found a fellow semi-recluse, and the two of them were deep in a discussion presumably about the many better things to do than attend parties. Zak had managed brief conversations with almost everyone, and had been delighted to discover that many of them held Phoenix in good regard. He was currently standing with several others listening to some reasonably well-known television composer discuss his job, and glancing over to Eddie from time to time. Eddie’s companion had moved on now, but Eddie seemed quite content leaning against the wall with his glance of orange juice, observing the rest of the room. Zak caught his eye and waggled his eyebrows at him comically. Eddie grinned. Then a passing waiter offered Eddie a refill, and Zak’s attention was once again drawn away by the verbose composer.

–And of course, there’s just deadline after deadline -”

Zak glanced over towards Eddie again, who was sipping his orange juice and frowning. Frowning?

–But don’t get me wrong, I love a challenge. Why, back in my day -”

A small-time radio presenter that Zak had encountered earlier approached Eddie and introduced himself. Eddie didn’t reply, his expression worried, uncertain. Zak moved to excuse himself from his current group and left more or less unnoticed, walking swiftly across the room. Not swiftly enough, however, to catch Eddie as he swayed and then fell to the floor, his face paper-white, orange juice spilling all over the green carpet.

Zak heard the shocked murmurs and whispers around him as he dropped to Eddie’s side.

–Oh my god!”

–What happened, what happened?”

–I’m calling an ambulance!”

Eddie’s eyes were still open, but they were unfocused and his breathing was shallow. Zak ignored the panicky woman who was now on the phone to the emergency services, turned so that what he was about to do was not visible, and then reached for Eddie’s Weasley Family necklace. He pressed his thumb to the back of it, concentrating. Then he let go, checked Eddie’s pulse and faked sending a text.

Katie was there three minutes before the paramedics, and then it was a blur of questions, excuses, and transport to St Mungo’s.

Two things stood out to Zak afterwards, though he could not pin down exactly why. Firstly, the confused and almost frightened reaction of the paramedics when Katie had overruled them; and secondly, the way that the short man in a brown suit stood at the back of the room for the duration of the event, staring not at Eddie, but at Zak.
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History Awakening by HermitKnut
–Poor thing,” Liz said.

Casper glanced around at her as he buttered his toast. She was sitting at the little table in their kitchenette, eating cereal and reading a magazine.

–Who?” he asked, getting some jam out of the cupboard.

–Eddie Potter - you know, from Phoenix,” she said. –Someone slipped something in his drink and he’s in hospital.”

Casper sat down next to her.

–That sounds pretty bad,” he said, curious. –Was someone actually trying to knock him off, or was it just … I don’t know, some prank that got out of hand?”

Liz shrugged, eyes roaming over the page in the magazine.

–They’re not sure,” she said. –He’s going to be all right, though. They said it was really lucky that Zak was with him because he knew to call his private doctor or something. I just feel sorry for him - for the whole group, really. There was that fire, and now this - and apparently they get loads of hate mail.”

–Really?” Casper raised his eyebrows, surprised. Phoenix seemed to be fairly ordinary, as bands went - their music tended to vary a lot in style but from what he knew none of it was particularly offensive or controversial.

Liz just shrugged again, deeply involved in reading, and Casper was distracted by his phone. A message from Seth about meeting up later.

Casper and Seth had quickly developed something of a routine. Seth let Casper know what his schedule was as early as possible, and Casper arranged his shifts to match. That way they could spend much of their free time together. It seemed to work. The first few weeks went well; and then they had been together a month. But, neither of them being that sort of person, the dates passed unremarked upon. They had been together ‘a couple of months’; then ‘a few months’; then ‘a while’; and then, to Casper’s surprise as much as Seth’s, ‘nearly a year’.

Despite organisation, however, Casper’s all-but-twenty-four-hour commitment to The Friendly Ghost meant that Seth would often spend his evenings there while Casper was working someone else’s shift, as he was on this particularly wintry evening.

–Where’s Cas?” Seth asked, mouthing the words rather than trying to shout over the music. Liz shrugged.

–I think he went to get some air,” she mouthed back. –Not sure.”

Seth nodded his thanks and headed towards the door, thinking he would check outside only quickly - it was snowing out there, and freezing cold at half-past eleven at night. He shivered as he stepped out of the door, nodding briefly at Dave who was on duty as a bouncer with Will.

–Have you seen Cas?” he asked, teeth chattering, wishing that he had grabbed his jacket. Dave shook his head.

–If he came out he would’ve gone out the back way,” he said. Seth nodded.

–Thanks.”

Rubbing his hands on his upper arms, Seth made his way around the side of the building, planning on going back in by the back door so as to see if Casper was out there.

–Come on, Casper. Ghost…”

Seth stopped in his tracks, listening. He had heard that voice around somewhere before. Wanting to know what was going on but not wanting to interrupt if Casper was trying to talk in private, he hovered for a second. He was thankful for his uncertainty a second later, when he heard something that made him instantly forget about the cold.

–You’ve never said no to me before.”

The voice was seductive, sweet, but there was something unpleasantly tense underneath it; something controlling, angry. Seth made up his mind and stepped around the corner to see that the dead end behind the club was occupied by four people.

There was a skinny girl - woman was probably more accurate - lounging against a side wall, chewing gum and giggling. There was a tall, tough-looking man with his arms folded standing across from her, looking grimly amused. But Seth’s focus narrowed immediately to the two people right against the wall that made this alley a dead end.

Casper had his back against the brick wall, and pinning him there was the young man that Seth had vaguely recognised in the club earlier. He had one hand against the wall by Casper’s neck and the other was low on Casper’s hip. He was leaning against Casper, his lips almost brushing over Casper’s neck, and Casper -

For a second Seth thought that Casper was leaning in to the stranger’s kiss, but then he saw that Casper looked slightly dazed, slightly unfocussed. Drunk or drugged, or just a blow to the head? Seth’s mind asked, but Seth himself was more concerned with the burning anger and fear that had risen in his heart. The words came out of his mouth before he had a chance to think about them.

–Leave him alone.”

~

–I got this out weeks ago for a bit of light reading”

–Light?”*

Harry smiled faintly to himself, recalling the exchange between his eleven-year-old best friends as he surveyed the pile of parchment on his desk. Some of it was ancient and dry, the occasional sheet was new - but even those were copies of older texts, made when the originals had crumbled to dust despite the preservation spells placed upon them. He leant over the one he’d put aside earlier. It had the most helpful title.

On Mages

Occasionally, as he read, the light from the candle was not enough to decipher the writing. Most witches or wizards would have lit their wands; Harry merely flicked flame from nothing to rest on his fingertips and held it close to the parchment. He was not afraid that it would catch light - he did not want it to.

~

All four of them turned the sound of his voice. The skinny woman’s eyes went wide and she stopped giggling, but both she and the tough man both still looked for all the world as if this was just light entertainment. The man pinning Casper, however, looked Seth up and down slowly before raising one eyebrow, a mocking expression on his face.

–So this is my replacement, is it?” he said softly. Seth tried to ignore him, but that kind of stare is not so easily disregarded. To see Seth, the man had turned away from Casper - a fact that the slighter man quickly capitalised on and Seth thanked God for Casper’s instincts. Casper’s luck did not hold, however - as he moved away and along the wall he could not help but move towards a corner, and in his slightly dazed state he stumbled noisily enough to attract attention.

–Marathon,” the tough man said, his voice rough. Marathon turned and saw Casper moving away from him, and several things happened very quickly.

Seth took a few steps forward and was met by the tough-looking man, a slip of silver in one hand that made Seth stop. The woman stood up properly and her poise told everyone present that she was prepared to fight. Marathon, meanwhile, had backed Casper into the corner, grabbing the thinner man’s wrist and tutting when he tried to push Marathon away.

–Now now, wait your turn,” he said, his voice still soft but with a slightly sharper edge to it this time. –I was talking to your friend.”

He turned back to see Seth again, but this time kept a tight grip on Casper’s wrist as he did so.

–What’s your name, then?” he asked, eyes boring holes into Seth, who did not answer as he stared back.

–Charming,” Marathon said. –I’m Marathon. That’s a nickname of course, I don’t give out my real one.” He tilted his head on one side. –So I suppose it’s not really fair to ask you for yours, is it? Maybe I should give you a nickname too?”

His voice was mocking but curious, and there was the tiniest hint of a grin in his otherwise cool expression. Seth bit down on the impulse to argue back, settling instead for repetition.

–Just leave him alone,” he said again, glad that his voice did not shake as he had expected it to.

Marathon gave a short laugh without humour.

–Now why should I do that?” he asked. –Maybe Ghost wants you to stay. I doubt it.”
He looked around at Casper, who had pressed himself right into the corner, and then back at Seth. He seemed to be putting two and two together. After a moment, a delighted grin spread across his face, though there was still something dark behind it.

–He hasn’t told you, has he?” he asked of Seth, who let his confusion show without meaning to as he replied.

–Told me what?” he asked, his teeth gritted. The wind howled above the brick walls around them; thankfully the snow had stopped falling a minute or so ago. Marathon’s grin grew wider. He leant against Casper again, too close and too personal to be comfortable, and Seth began to step forwards but was stopped by the tough-looking man who raised his hand warningly.

–You haven’t told him, have you?” Marathon said, loud enough to be heard by Seth, against the side of Casper’s face. Casper was right against the wall, and Seth could see him shivering - like Seth, he was still wearing his indoor clothes, without a coat or jacket.

–You haven’t told your boyfriend that he’s been fucking a whore.”

The harsh words cut through the air, and Casper flinched, his eyes focused on the ground before him, one hand grabbing at the wall as though it was holding him up. Maybe it was.

Seth scowled, and he raised his voice.

–You leave him the hell alone.”

Marathon actually laughed aloud at this.

–What are you going to do about it if I don’t?”

His expression became suddenly oddly serious, and he looked at Seth with a humourless smile.

–You don’t belong here,” he said. –Go back to your milk and cookies. This is not your world.”

For a few seconds the tension was so high that Seth could barely breathe, and then it was broken by a shout from the entrance to the alley.

–Oi!”

Seth turned and saw Dave, Liz and Will running towards them. In an instant, Marathon and his two friends had clambered up onto the big recycling bins and pushed themselves over the far wall with three dull thuds. Seth moved to Casper without thinking, but Casper had pushed himself away from the wall and looked surprisingly lucid.

–Cas, are you all right?” Liz asked, her breath making mist in the air. –It took us a while to realise you’d left with Marathon.”

–I’m fine,” Casper said, a casual grin which seemed slightly more forced than normal. –Mara was just being a git, as usual.” He was standing upright with his hands in his jeans pockets, and to glance at him you would think he was fine; but Seth saw the sway before he fell and caught Casper with practised arms.

–Seth, I’m fine, I’m just a bit dizzy,” Casper insisted as Seth helped him up and wrapped an arm around his waist to support him. –I’m fine, Seth, seriously…”

Seth looked at Liz and Dave - Will had headed back around to the front of the building already - and raised his eyebrows.

–Take him home, Seth,” Dave said.

–But I’m fine, there’s nothing wrong with me -” Casper was silenced by a glare from Liz.

–You’re going home and that’s final,” she said. –We can manage things here tonight, we’ll see you in the morning some time.”

Casper acquiesced, but still grumbled quietly all the way back to Seth’s flat. It was not until they got in and Seth had hung up both of their coats that Casper finally went quiet - at which point Seth decided he preferred the grumbling. Casper was silent as they both got ready for bed, and stayed that way as they laid down. Instead of lying alongside Seth like normal, close and warm, Casper curled up a foot or so away on the double bed, his arms wrapped around his own shoulders and head right on the edge of the pillow.

After lying on his side looking at him for a minute, thinking, Seth scooted over a little way and placed a gentle hand on Casper’s shoulder.

–Cas?” he said softly. –Sweetheart, talk to me.”

There was no answer for a minute or so, but Seth could be very patient if he needed to be.

–What is it?” Casper’s voice was low and had an edge to it that Seth could not identify.

–If I ask you something,” Seth said slowly, carefully, –will you give me an honest answer?”

There was another pause. Then Casper gave a one shouldered shrug.

–Are you okay?” Seth asked. Silence followed. This time, Seth could not resist filling it, concern rising in his mind.

–Look, you know I don’t care what other people say about you, right?” he said gently, worriedly. –I care about you, and nothing other people say is going to change that…”
Casper said nothing, resolutely silent. But after a minute or two, he rolled over and slowly curled up next to Seth, who wrapped his arms around him, wondering if Casper would ever let him in.

~

Zak was running. Faster than he had ever run before. And he was confused, he was lost, he didn’t know where to go - but then he saw it. A glimpse of white around a corner. He followed it, pushing his muscles as hard as they could go.

By the time he had turned the corner it had all but vanished - but there, another corner, another fleeting glimpse! This time it came with the faint sound of a pipe.

Before, Zak wouldn’t have thought it possible, would’ve thought that he was already going as fast as he could, but even so he sped up.

And then everything change. His body was still, now, but he still felt as though he was running. There was a sound from behind him, but he did not - could not - turn around.

Some small piece of knowledge slipped into the back of his mind. Someone was behind him, but they weren’t a threat. On the contrary; they needed protecting.

In the corners of his eyes, white flickers danced. For a split second a pipe howled in his ears.

Zak jerked awake and took a moment to adjust to his surroundings. Home. Bed. Not Australia. His own flat. Right.

He blinked blearily at the clock; 3:47 leered back at him in neon blue.

I hate that thing, he thought, frustrated, and pulling his quilt over his head he tried to get back to sleep.

~

*Text taken from Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by JK Rowling.
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