Chapter 11
Alexander sighed, trying to straighten his drenched cloak in vain. His boots left muddy tracks on the stone floor, as he paid meticulous attention to not hit anyone with his broom. Lately, the weather seemed to have conspired against them. Only Simon was still beaming like a cheshire cat, even after two hours of endurance and coordination training in the pouring rain. Alec had feared for his life when he delivered the good news to the other Hufflepuff. His ribs still hadn't fully recovered from the enthusiastic embrace.
“Alexander Gideon Lightwood.” Isabelle's voice cut through the cheerful chatter of the exhausted Quidditch players. ”How dare you?”
Immediately Alec's head shot up. His sister marched towards him, her black hair streaming behind her, a murderous look in her dark eyes. Confused, Andrew shot him a glance, but Alec couldn't explain it either. He had no recollection of having done anything to put Isabelle in this mood. The last week had actually been relatively uneventful. Urging his team members to proceed without him, he turned to Isabelle, who promptly dragged him into an empty classroom.
“Izzy?” Alec cocked his head, scratching the back of his neck in nervous anticipation. “Is everything alright?” The wet fabric clung to his skin, causing an unpleasant chill to spread through his body.
“Is everything alright? Don't give me that innocent look.” Isabelle snorted, crossing her arms over her chest. “You know exactly what I'm talking about. You probably thought you could get away with not talking to me.” Rolling her eyes dramatically, she leaned against the wall. Waiting.
“Would it kill you to just tell you?” Alec asked, a little annoyed. Right now, all he wanted was a hot shower and a steaming cup of tea. ”Believe it or not, I can't read your mind.”
“You went on a date with Magnus Bane, the MAGNUS BANE, and I had no idea. You didn't say a word. Just like that. Why am I only finding out about this now? What did you wear? Did you embarrass yourself? Did it go well? Where did you go? How did it even get to that point?” Isabelle blurted out, her hands flailing in agitation. ”Why am I finding out about this from Jace? And he got it from Simon? Simon, of all people?”
Alec raised his hands in defense and gasped in shock. So Simon, the lousy, weasel-faced traitor, had sold him out to his sister. This would definitely have consequences. Andrew had no choice but to support him in his revenge plans. “I... I wanted to tell you. But I wasn't sure what was going on and I wanted to take it slow. Magnus and I... It's all still very new.” Then a small smile crept across his lips. “But I think it went well. At least I get to meet his cat.”
“Oh Alec!’ Isabelle squealed in delight and threw her arms around her big brother. She didn't seem to care that he was soaked to the bone. ”I'm so happy for you. But please be careful anyway. I don't want anyone to break your heart. Take care of yourself.” Slowly she pulled away from him and looked at him with a serious expression. ”Just so you know, I'll never forgive you for letting Simon and Jace know before me. You'll have to put up with that for the rest of your life.”
“I think I can live with that,“ the Hufflepuff replied with a grin, clearly relieved.
“And I'll help you choose your outfit for the next date. You can forget about ever wearing one of your baggy old rags again when you go out with Magnus Bane. It's really time to clean out your closet.” Isabelle declared, grinning in triumph.
Alec refused to budge. “No way. They're comfortable and there's nothing wrong with a few holes. You're blowing this out of proportion.”
Isabelle flashed him a diabolical wink. The innocent smile on her dark red lips did nothing to reassure him. “I'll see you later, my darling brother. Don't feel too safe.” Whatever devilish plans she was hatching, Alec wouldn't let her touch his sweaters. Even if he had to pay for it with his life.
With that, Isabelle left the classroom and hurried down the long corridors, leaving as swiftly as she had come.
Shaking his head fondly, Alec made his way to the dungeons. Dirty and exhausted as he was, he deserved a short break before having to devote himself to his essay on the side effects and risks of the Polyjuice Potion. When he finally arrived in the Hufflepuff common room, Alec weaved his way through crowded plush sofas and opened the round door to his dormitory. Since he found it empty, he assumed that Andrew and Simon had already gone to shower.
Humming to himslef, he took off his muddy boots and propped the Firebolt against the wall next to his bed. On the small bedside table, his copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard peered out from under an empty parchment scroll. A strange sense of yearning seized him, one that he just couldn't shake. Alec missed his grandfather, his advice and his warm smile. He missed the feeling of being welcome at home. Of belonging.
The familiar earthy scent that permeated the Hufflepuff house, enveloped him and eased his troubled mind. Even as the warm water of the shower ran down the aching muscles of his back, his worries remained. It was almost as if he could feel his parents' disapproving gaze upon him. No matter what he did. No matter how hard he worked.
Alec was determined to win the Quidditch Cup this year. Until then, however, there was still a lot of blood, sweat and tears to be shed. His team's fitness was lacking after the long summer vacation. Unfortunately, it would prove difficult to convince everyone to increase the training regime.
Alec diligently rubbed his palms together to lather the shampoo.
He would never be the son they wanted. One more step, one more day. Maybe. Maybe then he would be good enough, he told himself. Maybe. When he was alone, Alec couldn't escape his inner doubts.
The soap stung his eyes, but he ignored the discomfort. Blinking, Alec reached for the soft towel. A shiver ran down his spine as the warm steam evaporated.
Casting aside the memories of his parents, the Hufflepuff exhaled deeply. Time to face reality, he decided to put on a comfortable sweater and his pajama bottoms. Isabelle would be appalled. To top it all off, Alec slipped into the fuzzy bunny socks Jace had given him for his birthday last year.
Maybe a game of wizard chess with Andrew would take his mind off things. Of course, Alexander would win every single round, since his best friend was too distracted by the brutal clashes among the chess pieces. It also seemed as though the game pieces were biased towards Alec, as they whispered valuable advice to him during every game. That was probably due to the fact that Andrew had spilled his tea on the board several times, almost drowning the pieces in the process. Despite numerous apologies, they still eyed Andrew critically.
Alec entered the common room again, a soft smile on his lips. He still had to find time to plot his revenge against Simon.
No matter how forgiving Alec was, Simon wouldn’t get away with this. But he could deal with that later. The Hufflepuff spotted some of his teammates in the corner by the crackling fireplace and gave them a cheerful wave. With any luck, things would turn out all right.
*****
The faint patter of footfall on the steep, twisting steps was lost in the howling of the wind. As the last light of the lingering afternoon illuminated the ancient structure of the west tower, a slender figure ascended the endless spiral staircase to the castle's owlry.
Muttering a quiet curse, she finally reached the last landing of the staircase, exhausted from the long climb. She stepped into the vast room atop the tower. In one hand she held a carefully labeled envelope made of blanched parchment. Strands of silky hair, long and pale, swirled in the light breeze as she turned to one of the glassless windows, looking for a grouchy barn owl. She swore under her breath as she sidestepped the droppings and bone fragments.
“Gabriel,” she hissed angrily, jolting as the owl suddenly landed on her shoulder. “How many times do I have to tell you not to sneak up on me like that?”
Gabriel didn't seem particularly impressed by her criticism and held out his feathered head ready to collect the letter with his beak.
She gave the bird a half-hearted pat on the forehead. “Stop stalling and hurry up a bit. I haven't got all day.” She clicked her tongue at the Barn Owl as she watched Gabriel spread his brown wings and rise into the chill afternoon air.
Alec Lightwood, she thought with satisfaction, I'm going to make your life a living hell.
*****
For the first time, perhaps in his entire school career, Alexander felt good about brewing a potion. Blue steam rose from the mixture in his brass cauldron as the potion took on a dark purple hue.
Under Magnus' watchful eye, he gradually added the juice of sopophorous Bean and a pinch valerian root. Next, Alec began to stir: seven times counterclockwise and once clockwise. To his surprise, he noticed how the potion first took on a lilac tint, then turned pink, and ultimately appeared almost clear and colorless in his cauldron. Sinking back into his chair, elated, he let himself savor the moment.
Magnus gave him an encouraging nod, smiling with pride. “Very good, Alexander.” Magnus acknowledged and began to pour his own potion of the living dead into a stout glass vial. Of course, his potion was crystal clear and, unlike Alexander's concoction, showed not a single discoloration.
Before he had a chance to gawk at Magnus for much longer, Professor Morgenstern appeared at his desk, his black cloak sweeping behind him. “Mr. Lightwood,” he gasped in astonishment. “I almost don't recognize you.” He eyed the potion with a critical eye before filling a small vial to examine it more closely by the light of the candles.
Alec wasn't quite sure whether his teacher looked impressed or disappointed. “It may not deserve an ‘O’, but you have definitely exceeded my expectations. Of course, they were never particularly high when it came to you, but at least you didn't cause an explosion today.” Professor Morgenstern narrowed his black beetle eyes. “Very good, Mr. Bane. I expect only the best from them in the future as well. And make sure that Lightwood stays on the right track.”
After that, he retreated behind his desk once more and announced the coursework they had to complete by the next lesson, collecting the remaining potion samples.
Relieved, Alexander began stuffing his utensils into his satchel before turning to Magnus. “Do you have any plans this afternoon?” he asked quietly, extending a nervous smile. “Maybe we could go over the assignments again. I'm not sure if I really understand the applications of acromantula venom.” In fact, it was just an excuse to spend more time with the glittering Slytherin, since Alec had never had any trouble grasping the theoretical aspects. But he would take every chance he got. Initially, he had wanted to plan his revenge on Simon with Andrew, but he had come down with the flu and Madam Ross had ordered him to stay in bed.
Magnus saw right through him, of course. “Darling, I love spending time with you. You don't need any excuses for that.” He tilted his head, giving him his characteristic charming grin. It was a mystery to Alec how Magnus managed to look both beautiful and casual with his bright red eyeliner. “I'm supposed to meet Raphael at the library to study, but I'm sure he won't mind if you come along. Raphael can sometimes seem a bit cold and serious, but he's actually a sweetheart.”
Alec swallowed hard. “Raphael, as in Raphael Santiago?” he asked, doubtful.
Magnus raised an eyebrow in surprise as they stepped out of the classroom side by side. “The very same. Do you know him?”
Alec’s hand shot to his chest as a phantom pain jerked through the tissue around his ribs. “Well yes, he's a chaser on the Slytherin team and has caused quite a few bruises and broken bones.” The Hufflepuff let out a pained sigh and followed Magnus through the torch-lit corridors. “You'd think his arms were made of steel. Pretty brutal and ruthless on the pitch.”
Magnus let out an amused sound. “Yes, that sounds like Raphael. But, as you know, I have little interest in Quidditch. I haven't seen him play very often: too much sweat and blood for my taste.”
“Where are we going?” Alec looked around a little confused, certain they weren't on their way to the library. The other students surrounding them all seemed to be Slytherins and kept shooting him strange looks.
“To the common room,” Magnus replied nonchalantly. “I have to feed Chairman Meow and Raphael will be waiting for us there. We are almost there. You are welcome to wait here if you like.” With a final wave, the Slytherin disappeared around the corner and joined the group of his housemates.
Alec gave a slight nod, a bit taken aback, and leaned against the cool wall of the corridor. It was customary to keep the location and access to the common rooms secret. Aside from the fact that he might not be able to enter the room, he also had no particular desire to run into Camille Belcourt or Sebastian Verlac. Besides, he had heard that the Slytherin common room was decorated with shrunken heads, so he wasn't too keen on venturing in there.
Taking a second to catch his breath, Alec closed his eyes. After a few minutes, he felt something soft brush against his legs. A curious meow greeted him as he blinked, lowering his gaze. A small, tabby cat stared up at him with reprimanding, green eyes. Was this tiny creature judging him?
Alec crouched down next to the fur ball slowly extending his hand. “Who are you?” the Hufflepuff murmured. The cat sniffed Alec's fingers in suspicion, but then allowed him to scratch the fur behind his ears with a satisfied purr. His heart melted when the little cat snuggled up to his hand. “Aren't you the cutest?” he cooed, trying to find the perfect spot.
“Lightwood, right?” someone addressed him, having crept up on him silently.
Alec jumped in shock, almost losing his balance until he caught himself. The cat hissed offended when his petting came to an unexpected end and curled up on the stone floor. Stabilizing himself, Alec came to his feet again and glared at the younger Slytherin.
The olive complexion, loose black curls and signature frown were unmistakable: Raphael Santiago was standing right in front of him. He had his arms crossed, looking less than thrilled to see Alec. Raphael was about two heads shorter than him, forcing him to tilt his head slightly. Where was Magnus? Normally, their paths only crossed on the Quidditch field and they had never exchanged more than a few cold words.
Raphael's ethereal facial features remained cool and bored, but something stirred in his dark eyes. “Before Magnus shows up, I'd like to make something very clear. I don't know you very well and I don't feel the need to change that. But don't hurt Magnus, okay?”
“I would never hurt him,” Alec replied in a more gentle voice. Maybe Raphael wasn't as callous as he had thought. ”Magnus and I…”
“Stop, right there.“ Raphael interrupted him, annoyed, and held his hands out like a shield. “I'm not here to hear about Magnus's romantic exploits. Not interested.”A visible shiver went through his body. “I really can’t with you allo people.”
Alec sighed. He felt like turning around and just leaving.
Right at that moment, Magnus emerged from around the corner, a broad grin on his angular face. He had traded his school uniform for snug leather trousers and a dark green shirt. When he noticed the Chairman, who had started circling Alec’s legs again his entire face lit up.
“There you are, you little rascal” the Slytherin said, pleased. ”I see you've already met Raphael and Chairman Meow. I don't date anyone that Chairman Meow doesn't like.”
Raphael just groaned in exasperation and then gagged as if he was going to vomit.
*****
Raindrops pelted against the stained glass windows of the library, muffling the soft rustling of old pages and the sporadic sound of footsteps. Venerable rows of shelves bent under the weight of thousands of books, ranging from brand new and untouched to those yellowed and worn from centuries of use.
The aisles were lined with polished tables of dark wood, their surfaces mirroring the glimmer of the lanterns. A thick cord separated the rear section of the library from the rest of the room housing the forbidden section. Many of the books here were chained to the shelves with thick iron shackles; even the shadows stretched a little further.
Alec, engrossed in a jumble of complicated charts and diagrams, hadn't noticed how the daylight had begun to fade. Except for a few desperate seventh graders, the vast room lay deserted.
Arithmetic had fascinated him since his first lesson four years ago. The complex calculations didn't bother him, and in his last year at school, it was even more important not to fall behind. With a relieved groan, he jotted down the last words of his essay, and put his quill and ink pad back in their case. With the N.E.W.T.s fast approaching, they were buried under a mountain of homework and study notes in almost every subject. As if there weren't enough other things to worry about.
Alec's gaze wandered towards Magnus, sitting opposite of him, trying to look inconspicuous.
Magnus was fixated on a huge, leather-bound monstrosity that occupied a good part of the table. Tinctures and Potions for Advanced Students IV didn't sound like an enthralling read to Alec, but the Slytherin was feverishly taking notes. The light of the small table lantern illuminated Magnus' face, casting graceful shadows across his cheekbones. Alec was tempted to reach out and feel the soft skin beneath his fingertips, but Magnus seemed so absorbed in his work that Alec didn't want to disturb him.
Raphael had already left them a little over two hours ago, as Slytherin had reserved the Quidditch pitch for that evening. The thought of the first game of the season next Saturday unsettled Alec. His team had been training very hard this year, he had to admit. All the newer members had reached an acceptable proficiency level and had settled well into the team dynamic.
As often as possible, Alec had dragged himself out of bed well before sunrise to build up his stamina running laps around the great lake. The other members of the Hufflepuff team had also been roped into joining him a few times. Late nights spent studying this year's game strategies in the common room were also part of his plan to win the Quidditch Cup.
Despite this extensive preparation, Alec couldn't help but worry. Heavy rain clouds had been hovering over Hogwarts for days. He couldn't escape the nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach. A thunderstorm wouldn't be enough to cancel a game, but lightning and heavy rain would be a challenge for inexperienced players. And during Quidditch, chaos and distractions often led to unforeseen injuries. Alec swallowed hard and ran his hands through his hair. In the end, he would have to trust in the abilities of the others.
“Alexander?” Magnus whispered, his voice barely louder than a gentle sigh. ”Are you all right? You've been staring at my forehead for five minutes now, and I'm starting to worry that I have something on my face.”
Pulled out of his thoughts, Alec blinked in confusion. Tapping his fingers against the tabletop, he tried to regain his composure. “Sorry, I'm just a little out of it at the moment. I can't stop thinking about the game on Saturday.”
With a dull thud, Magnus closed the book in front of him, grasped Alec's hand, and squeezed it comfortingly. In contrast to Alec's icy fingers, Magnus' skin felt warm and reassuring. “I don't know much about Quidditch, but I know how hard you've been training. You're tougher than you think, darling. I've seen how the others on your team look up to you. They trust you, and so should you. But if you want, I can help you take your mind of it. Believe me, I'm an expert when it comes to that.” His last words were emphasized by a playful wink.
Magnus rose, flashing the Hufflepuff a winning smile. His white teeth glistened, a hungry gleam in his eyes. ”I'm done for the day. Care to join me in returning my book?”
All Alec could manage was a soft nod. Magnus's reassurance was comforting. Still, part of him remained apprehensive. It was not in his nature to be relaxed. Alec's knees felt a bit unsteady as he followed Magnus through the rows of shelves.
It must be almost closing time, the corridors mostly empty. At last they arrived at a somewhat remote section of the library, not often visited by students. With a grunt, the Slytherin shoved the thick tome into a gap in the shelf filled with obscure potion books, and wiped his hands on his trousers.
Before Alec could grasp what was happening to him, Magnus was right in front of him, eyeing him with obvious amusement. Behind him, he felt the bindings of meticulously arranged books. “Alexander.” Magnus leaned forward and traced his fingers across Alec's neck. The touch sent a pleasant shockwave through his nervous system, making him shiver.
“Magnus?” Alec managed. Magnus was so close that he could almost taste his sandalwood cologne on his tongue. His heart was pounding as he struggled to catch his breath. ”What exactly do you think you're doing?”
Magnus' hand trailed along his tie, pulling him forward. “Just relax. I won't bite.” His warm breath brushed against Alec's sensitive skin. Magnus's lips finally found their way to his jaw, halting just before touching him. It was as if the world around them froze as Alec’s restraint evaporated into thin air. “Merlin,” Alec gasped as Magnus skimmed over the edge of his collar. "You're going to be the death of me one day.”
“You're not going to die anytime soon. I much prefer you alive.” Magnus grinned and was about to say something else when heavy footsteps approached from the corridor next to them.
With a start, they broke apart and Alec managed to straighten his tie in time before the librarian, Brother Enoch, bestowed a stern look on them. Grateful for the late hour, Alec prayed that the deep shadows would hide his flushed face. Of course someone has to interrupt us right now.
“It's almost curfew. Head to your common rooms at once, or I'll be forced to deduct points for tardiness.” The elderly monk had guarded the library's books since the days of Alec's father's studies and rarely spoke more than was necessary. The cloth of his black robe seemed far too big for the hunched, wrinkled man. But Alec knew that he was not to be trifled with. Rumor had it that he had once cursed a student who had returned a valuable book covered in coffee stains.
“Of course, sir,” Magnus replied, his tone saccharine. “We just had to return one more book and then we'll go straight to our beds. Word of honor.” Dragging Alec along with him, he left the baffled librarian behind.