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1. Master of Instinct (Lightning Clan Trilogy) by HermitKnut

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September 2024

By the end of the week, Zak had learnt very little more about Eddie - and by the sound of it, neither had anyone else. He was quiet, polite and friendly, and although he rarely turned down an invitation to go out with the others during the daytime, he otherwise stuck to his room. Not that Zak had been like the girls, giggling and wondering about him - but he had to admit, he was intrigued. He couldn’t work out why - maybe that was why? Eddie seemed to unintentionally (Zak was sure it was unintentional, Eddie didn’t seem aware of it) give out this aura of quiet mystery, of iceberg-like personality, but try as he might Zak couldn’t figure out how or why it was so interesting.

But on that Friday, they had their first proper seminar - before this had mostly been introductory talks and handing out information. Friday’s lecture was for the module ‘Listening to Tonal Music’, and so, heaving a notebook, pen and the annoyingly large anthology of music with him, Zak joined the others as they made their way to campus.
When they had settled into seats about half-way back, they only had a few minutes to wait, looking around them. This lecture theatre was clearly also used for performance, as there was a grand piano open on one side of the space in front of the first row. Their lecturer, who they’d met several times already, was kneeling by a mass of electronics in one corner, pressing buttons with a look of intense concentration.

Once everyone appeared to have arrived, he stood up, and began to speak.

–Today we’re going to look at some Mozart, everybody. Turn to page four hundred and thirty-two, and we’re going to first listen to his Piano Sonata K.333, First Movement. While you’re listening, I’d like you to jot down as much as you can about what you already know about Mozart, his style, perhaps even about this piece in particular. Also, if you notice anything about the piece that interests you, note that down as well.” When he was satisfied that everyone had pen poised over paper, he took a remote control out of his pocket and pointed at the electronics behind him. There was a pause. He pressed the button on the remote again - nothing happened. He went over to the electronics, and fiddled around with it for a minute. Still nothing. He turned back to the rest of the hall.

–Sorry everyone, we’ve just had a new sound system installed and there have been a few problems. It seems to have swallowed my CD, with no inclination to play it,” he said, smiling tiredly, –so unless anyone has some other means of making it work, we’d do better to just go over it without hearing it…” here he paused, somewhat hopefully. No hands were raised. –In that case… oh, sorry, the young man there, I didn’t see you.”

Zak looked around. Eddie had his hand cautiously raised, and looking apprehensive, said,

–I can play the piece…” His face showed his uncertainty - he clearly wasn’t sure where he stood in this situation. The lecturer squinted up at him.

–What’s your name, lad?” he asked.

–Eddie Potter,” Eddie replied. The lecturer seemed to understand.

–Ah, yes - the scholarship boy, mm?” Eddie nodded, seeming a little embarrassed.

–Yes.”

–Well, if you wouldn’t mind, I’d appreciate it, thank you.” The lecturer smiled at him, and Eddie, who was on the end of the row, stood and walked down the steps to the front of the room with his music in hand and, after glancing at the lecturer for confirmation, sat at the piano.

Zak glanced across the row at Webster, who raised his eyebrows.

–In your own time,” the lecturer said.

Eddie took a breath, put his fingers to the keys, and began to play.

When he had finished, Zak let out a breath he hadn’t realised he had been holding. Eddie stood, picked up his music and walked quietly back to his seat. As their lecturer began to speak again, Amy nudged Zak gently in the ribs. He glanced around, and realised everyone looked as stunned as he felt. Sam mouthed –whoa” at him, and he nodded back before realising he was supposed to be making notes. He grabbed his pen and started to note down what the lecturer was saying.

At the end of the lecture, everyone gathered their things together and began to leave. Zak’s row was the quietest, and Zak knew why. They were the last out - Eddie was nowhere to be seen, and Zak assumed he’d gone off straight away, but as they left the lecture theatre they found him just outside the door, waiting for them.

–Bloody hell, Ed,” said Adam. Zak caught his eye. –That’s a compliment,” Adam added. The group began wandering back through the building, and Eddie laughed.

–Most people just think I’m showing off,” he said. Zak understood.

–I know the feeling,” he said.

–Oh yeah, ‘Noxious?” said Amy, laughing. –What have you got to show off about?” she teased.

Zak wiggled his eyebrows.

–Wouldn’t you like to know,” he joked. Amy tossed her hair, pretending to be disgusted.

A few minutes later they reached the block of flats, and everyone went back to their rooms. Zak was just waiting for his laptop to switch on when there was a soft tap on his door.

–Come in,” he said. Eddie pushed the door open and leant against the doorframe, looking pensive.

–What’s up?” Zak asked him. Eddie looked at him carefully.

–I was just wondering… you said earlier that you know what it’s like to have people think you’re showing off. Which means you’ve got to be pretty good at something - exceptional, even,” Eddie said, a grin tugging at his lips at the last few words. However, Zak noticed his eyes remained serious, curious. He shifted on his seat and put his feet up on the desk.

–Come in properly, and shut the door,” he said, in a melodramatic whisper. He saw Eddie bite back a laugh before complying, coming across the room to lean against the desk, letting the door swing shut behind him.

–Well?” he asked. –What’s the great secret?”

Zak grinned.

–Nothing much really. But if I say it to everyone, they all want me to show them…” he trailed off innocently. Eddie put his head on one side and looked at Zak mock-sternly.

–Zak the Obnoxious, I shall leave if this isn’t interesting,” he said jokingly. Zak laughed.

–It’s not. My mum is Czechoslovakian, and my dad is Russian, and I grew up in England,” he explained, –so me and my sisters speak all three languages.” He shrugged. –I guess that’s why I’m pretty good with languages… I did French and German at GCSE, and I’ve done a Latin course in my spare time.”

Eddie nodded.

–I also aced maths and physics at A-level; my parents wanted me to go on and do sciences.” Zak shrugged again.

–That covers a lot of ground - science, maths, and languages. So why do music?” Eddie asked curiously. Zak sighed.

–Because I like it - it’s more fun than most of the other stuff.”

–What did your parents say?”

–Well, I was planning to take a year out anyway, so I spent it teaching drums and helping teach early grades theory to younger kids,” he explained.

–To prove to your parents -”

– - that I could make a living out of it, yeah,” Zak nodded. Eddie looked like he understood. There was silence for a moment, then Eddie cleared his throat.

–I should probably get back to work - I need to copy up those notes,” he said.

–Geek,” said Zak, grinning.

–Same to you,” Eddie said, grinning back over his shoulder as he left. Reluctantly, Zak turned his attention back to his laptop.

~

By the time it happened, Zak had quite forgotten that he had already been told. They were in the Student Union at about three in the afternoon in a gap between seminars. Eddie, Henrietta, Jake and Josie had gone to get some chocolate from the shop and Zak and the others were waiting for them, when a girl walked into the room.

She was about average height, but she walked quite a lot taller, Zak remembered thinking. Her black hair was loose and flowed down to just below the bottom of her shoulder blades; it contrasted starkly with her pale skin. Later, Zak supposed he should have spotted the resemblance then, but at the time he was rather distracted. He was astounded, but tried valiantly to cover it, when she looked around a few times and then walked over to their table.

Her eyes were beautiful, he realised - at first they looked like a simple hazel colour, but on closer inspection he realised there were flecks of green in them.

It was then that he realised she had spoken. The small part of his mind that wasn’t entirely overwhelmed swore graphically in four different languages. What had she said? But he was saved from that embarrassment, because it was Amy who answered.

–Yeah, we do - he went to the shop - he’ll be back in a minute.”

The girl flashed her a friendly smile.

–Thanks,” she said, slipping her hands into her pockets and looking in the direction Amy had nodded. Zak blinked, trying to clear his head. He cleared his throat.

–How come you’re looking for Ed?” he asked. He was relieved to hear that his voice came out sounding normal. What was wrong with him? He wasn’t normally this nervous around girls - quite the opposite. And this girl looked so familiar…

She had turned to look at him and was about to answer when someone called across the near-empty room.

–Hey, pigtails, you made it!”

Laughing, the girl turned to see Eddie walking across the room, a packet of crisps in each hand. He tossed one at her, and she caught it just before it would have hit her on the head.

–You’re still alive then, runt?” she asked teasingly, before taking a few running steps towards him and embracing him. He returned it wholeheartedly. Something suddenly clicked in Zak’s head.

–My sister’s coming up in a week or so…”

Zak bit back a groan. Please, he thought, please tell me she’s not -

–Guys, this is my sister Esmerelda,” Eddie said.

Bollocks.

–Ezzy,” she said, smiling.

–Ez, this is Amy, Jake, Adam, Sam, Webster, Josie, Emilia, Henrietta and Zak,” Eddie said, introducing them all one by one. Ezzy nodded a greeting. Zak was heartily thankful that he was used to manufacturing a genuine-looking grin and did so, trying to look casual. The group of them chatted for a while - Ezzy seemed more confident than Eddie - no, maybe just more relaxed in the unfamiliar company than Eddie would have been. Zak was looking from one to the other, trying to work something out, when Josie asked the very question that had been on his mind.

–Can I ask - which one of you is older?” she asked curiously. Eddie and Ezzy looked at each other, and Ezzy answered.

–Well, you can see he’s my little brother,” she said, which got a laugh - Eddie was several inches shorter than her - –but actually I’m younger.”

–Only by fifteen minutes, though” Eddie added.

–You’re twins…” Zak realised. He had thought they looked remarkably similar, even for siblings, but this must be why. At exactly - almost exactly - the same age, the similarities common to most siblings were emphasised. It probably helped that they were both wearing dark coloured clothes, too, Zak noted, then realised he was paying far too much attention to this.

–We’ve got a seminar in about -” Eddie checked his watch –- five minutes. What are you going to do?”

–How long’s your seminar?” Ezzy asked.

–Two hours.”

Ezzy frowned, thinking.

–I can give you my keys, if you think you can find your way to our flat?” Eddie suggested. Ezzy nodded, and took the proffered keys.

–I reckon I can remember the way,” she said, smiling. –Nice to meet you guys,” she said as she left. The group made their way to the seminar, chatting, but Zak was quiet.
He finally had a crush on someone, why, why, why did she have to be Eddie’s sister?

~

October 2024

It was a Saturday morning, and contrary to every student stereotype, Eddie was awake, dressed and busy working on his laptop. The laptop had been a present from his parents the Christmas before on the condition that he learn how to use it properly; if he was going to go to a muggle university then he needed to be able to fit in. He had then spent every spare moment (when he wasn’t at Hogwarts, studying or playing the piano) at Aunt Hermione’s house as the two of them tried to work out how to use it. Joe, Henry’s boyfriend, had caught them at it one day and took it upon himself to teach Eddie everything he would need to know before going to university, mostly about muggle technology. Joe was at university already, in London, studying psychology. It was his third year this year, and his second year living with Henry who had managed to get an apprenticeship at a translating company in Diagon Alley after Hogwarts. Eddie hadn’t seen either of them in a few weeks, but he knew that both of them were planning to come up and see him in the next month if work and university allowed for it.

Eddie reached for his glass of water, but it was empty. He got up, picking up the glass, and headed to the door. He walked out into the corridor. The flat was silent - unsurprising, Eddie presumed that almost everyone else was still asleep. He made his way to the kitchen and opened the door.

–BOO!”

Eddie stumbled backwards, backing into the wall, dropping the glass, his head spinning, heart racing, breathing speeding up frantically.

–Eddie, are you okay?”

Eddie barely heard them. He felt as though his head was spinning, and his heart was going to force its way out of his chest. He closed his eyes, one hand grasping onto the wall.

–Eddie?”

There was a shuffling noise and Eddie flinched away as someone crouched down in front of him, his eyes flying open. It was Zak, who upon seeing Eddie flinch dropped down to sit on the floor properly and moved the side, his hands out and open, reaching for Eddie like you would a frightened child.

–Eddie, are you okay? How can we help?” Zak asked gently. Eddie shook his head, slowing his breathing enough to talk.

–Just - just give me a m-minute.”

His request was granted, and the hallway was quiet but for some shuffling feet and a few whispers.

–Go put the kettle on!”

–Why, because I’m the girl? That’s not -”

–Not because you’re a girl, but you’re closest. Someone get some tea, hot and sweet -”


–I’m n-not in shock, y-you know,” Eddie managed quietly, giving a little smile. Zak looked around at him, his face sheepish.

–Do you like tea?” he asked. –Because then it still might help, you know, having something you like.” He looked so almost comically worried that Eddie nearly laughed despite the state he was in.

–I’m - I’m okay,” Eddie said. –Give me a h-hand up?”

Zak reached over and gently helped Eddie to his feet, watching him carefully. Eddie was only standing for a moment before he wobbled, and Zak immediately put his arm around Eddie’s back to support him.

–Kitchen?” Zak asked. Eddie nodded.

–Kitchen.”

The two of them walked the few feet to the kitchen together, Eddie leaning a little on Zak, his legs shaky but his breathing steady now and his heart calming. Eddie sat down at the kitchen table, surprised at how full the kitchen was. Emilia, Amy, Henrietta and Webster were all waiting in there, watching him with wide eyes. He gave them a smile.

–I’m okay. Seriously.” He managed a little bit of a laugh. –I’m just not so good with surprises, for future reference.”

–Yeah, we noticed,” said Webster, following Eddie into light-heartedness. They all still looked kind of worried, though.

–We’re really sorry about that, Eddie,” Amy said. She looked the worst-affected of all of them, absolutely stricken. Eddie made sure that his smile was more genuine this time.

–It’s okay, really. Really.”

The others seemed mostly convinced now. The kettle boiled over and Eddie raised his eyebrows.

–So do I still get sympathy tea?” he asked cheekily. The tension broke. Emilia grabbed mugs from the side and everyone helped themselves to tea; Eddie opted for hot squash, which he managed to get passed to him without attracting too much attention. Zak was still watching him closely out of the corner of his eye though, and probably suspected that Eddie’s legs were still feeling shaky. But Eddie ignored him for the moment.

–What were you lot trying to do, anyway?” Eddie asked, grinning. Webster replied apologetically.

–We were trying out the Hallowe’en masks we got yesterday,” he said, gesturing to a couple of rubber masks on the floor in the corner. –You were the only one who didn’t know we were getting them.”

–One of those stupid ideas that sounds like a good one at the time,” Emilia said. –Are you sure you’re okay, Ed? You really freaked.”

Glancing around, Eddie realised that he probably wasn’t going to be able to continue brushing this off, and so he opted to explain a little bit.

–I have some phobias and some odd issues from a while ago,” he said quietly, calmly. –Big shocks are one of the things I don’t handle very well.” He shrugged. –Sorry if I scared you.” He sipped at his squash and let the others turn this over in their minds. Deciding that his legs had probably regained some semblance of strength again, he stood up.

–I’m going to head back to my work, if that’s okay,” he said casually, picking up his mug of squash and heading towards the door. He managed to get all the way inside his room and put the mug safely down onto the table before he collapsed again, but this time he was expecting it. He supported himself against the desk as he went down, and once he was on the floor leaning against the foot of the bed he reached to pull the blanket off of the bed when there was a knock on the door, and then it creaked open a little way. Zak stuck his head in, saw Eddie on the floor, frozen, and Eddie watched him make a quick decision. He leant out into the hallway and must have mouthed something because Eddie couldn’t hear any words, and then he came properly into the room and closed the door. He walked slowly over to where Eddie was and sat down beside him, a few inches between them. There was a pause.

–I used to know a mate who had panic attacks when I was at secondary school,” Zak said quietly to the wardrobe. He turned his head to look at Eddie.

–What do you need, Ed?” he asked gently. Eddie swallowed.

–Could - could you help me get the blanket off the b-bed, please?” he asked hesitantly. –I just need to - to wrap up a bit, I get kind of sh-shaky.” Zak nodded. There was absolutely no judgement in his expression as he did as asked, only a little concern.

After Eddie had pulled the blanket around himself and managed to bring his mug of hot squash down to the floor without spilling any, the two of them sat in silence for a few minutes. It was broken by Zak rummaging in his pocket.

–I forgot,” he said, –I brought biscuits.” He pulled a slightly crumpled half-packet of custard creams from his coat pocket with a cautious grin at Eddie, who grinned back.

–Sounds good to me,” Eddie said. He still sounded a little shaky, but it was much better than before. They shared the biscuits for a few minutes, munching appreciatively.

–It wasn’t a panic attack.” Eddie said quietly. –It wasn’t that bad.”

Zak nodded.

–You know way more than me,” he said sheepishly, –I just meant - well. I just meant that I knew that you weren’t quite right again yet. Thought I’d double-check on you.”

–Thanks,” Eddie said, and he meant it genuinely.

They sat there for another few minutes before Zak spoke again.

–What are you working on?” he asked, nodding towards the computer. Eddie swallowed the biscuit he was eating.

–Just starting the research for the essay due in a few weeks,” he replied. Zak laughed.

–You’re well-prepared,” he said. Eddie shrugged.

–I don’t have much else to do.”

Zak seemed to think about this.

–We could watch some DVDs if you like?” he suggested. –I’ve got six series of Doctor Who in my room…”

Eddie looked curious.

–I’ve never heard of it.”

Zak’s eyes went wide.

–You’ve never heard of Doctor Who.”

–Nope.”

–Seriously.”

–Yep.”

The two of them looked at each other.

–I’m going to have to watch some now, aren’t I?” Eddie asked, fighting to keep a straight face. Zak nodded.

–It’s practically my duty to make sure you do,” he said, semi-seriously. –Come on, it’s Doctor Who time.” Getting to his feet, he practically ran out of the door and came charging back a minute or so later with a pile of box sets, which he dumped on the desk. He sat down in front of Eddie’s laptop, a huge grin on his face.

–Right, where shall we start?”