–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.â€
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?â€
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.â€
–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.â€
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.â€
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…â€
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.â€
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.â€
~
–I got this out weeks ago for a bit of light readingâ€
–Light?â€*
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.â€
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?â€
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.â€
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.â€
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.â€
Marathon actually laughed aloud at this.
–What are you going to do about it if I don’t?â€
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.â€
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!â€
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.â€
–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…â€
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.â€
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.â€
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?â€
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…â€
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.