Chapter 4
That morning, Harry was leaving the house for school.
When he closed the door, he felt Derek's presence behind him.
"What do you want?"
Harry looked at him wearily, not emotionally ready to face a brother who didn't even know him and who had claimed another as such.
“I understand you recently moved here to the city."
"Like you did, didn't you? Why did you come back?"
"I had my reasons."
"Why did they target your sister? What does the spiral mean? Revenge on whom?"
Derek stared at him, and Harry felt himself flutter under his gaze.
He mustn't let Derek get to him.
“I can't be sure. Maybe next time, you and your buddies will find the right person."
"We didn't know she was your sister. Anyway, an animal killed her, not a person. They'll never arrest anyone." Harry shook his head.
Derek stared at him. "Your friend may have gotten through the match unscathed, but the Argents..."
"I know they're dangerous very well. Scott has a solid anchor, don't worry. He'll take care of himself."
"I don't want to be a bad big brother, you know."
Harry looked at him confused, feeling his heart fill with hope. "What do you mean?"
"That's what I was wondering too, Harry. Why did Scott and Stiles both accuse me of being a terrible brother to you?"
Harry mentally insulted the two friends, already thinking of all the ways he could embarrass them out of spite.
"I don't know what they were talking about, I'm sorry. Now, I'm late for school. I hope we never see each other again."
Harry walked into the courtyard and then into the school itself, ignoring Derek's gaze on his back.
***
Scott caught up with him and Stiles, out of breath. "Are you sure I'll be fine, Harry? I just had a dream about hurting Allison."
The last part was said in a whisper, and Harry glanced around to see that no one was listening.
They were all busy listening to Harris as he explained the lab procedure they were supposed to follow.
"Okay, so you killed her?"
"No, I woke up before actually killing her." Scott said, shaking his head, looking at Stiles, before bringing his gaze to Harry, who cocked his head.
"Look, Scott, I think it's normal. You like Allison and you're attracted to her. Of course, you could be dreaming about her…even if the dream is about hunting her."
"But I don't want to hurt her! I love her, Harry." Scott was breathing hard and Harry nodded. "I get it, don't worry. I don't think you're going to hurt her, okay? I just think you were caught in the heat of the moment and dreamed of a manifestation of the desire you feel."
Scott looked at Harry before saying. "So if I go out with Allison, isn't it likely that I’m going to bite her throat out?"
"No, you won't. As we've found, she's your anchor, she's what calms you down and brings you closer to your human side. I don't think that she will ever be the reason you would become a wolf."
“Well, not in the sense of killing her, maybe…” Stiles laughed and Scott shoved him. "Don't give me details, please. You've already said too much about that."
Stiles threw up his hands in surrender. "Okay, but I think you're taking it a little hard."
Scott looked offended and Stiles said. "Come on, it's not like I got involved in anything. You got us involved."
"Yeah, he didn't go to your brother to scold him for not being good enough, did he?"
Stiles and Scott looked scared at Harry, who raised an eyebrow in response.
"Do you have something to say, or will you just look at me?"
Stiles mumbled quickly. "Look, he just pissed me off! The way he talks about Scott and how he talks about you! I just wanted to hear what answer he would come up with, that's all."
"Mr Stilinski, if that's your idea of a quiet whisper, maybe you should take the headphones out of your ears from time to time."
Apparently Mr Harris had finally heard their constant chatter.
Or, more likely, he was tired of hearing their constant background.
"I think you, Mr McCall and Mr Black could benefit from some distance, yes?"
Scott and Stiles answered. "No."
Harris motioned chairs to the three, who moved as he directed.
As they sat down in their new assigned seats, the professor said. "Let me know if the separation anxiety gets too much for you, okay?"
A sudden noise from outside and a girl exclaimed. "I think they found something!"
Everyone ran to the window, and Scott blanched as he saw a body being carried towards the ambulance.
Harry was relieved to hear the faint but constant heartbeat.
***
"Dreams are not memories." Stiles said, sitting next to Harry and facing Scott.
"So it wasn't a dream. Something happened last night, and I can't remember what." Scott looked at Harry, who cocked his head.
"You may have gone out and found the person, and then your subconscious thought he was Allison. Probably you are still too new to the question of lycanthropy, too young to be safe, despite you’re very good. You're just getting started, and as Stiles pointed out, there are no instruction manuals for that."
"What about Derek?" Scott asked, looking at him. "Do you think I can ask him for advice? He's been one of us longer than you."
"You can try asking Remus first. He never answered who bit you, Scott." Harry lowered his voice, seeing a group of girls pass them, ignoring the entire absolutely empty table as usual. "What if it was Derek? I don't think it's worth involving him yet."
Suddenly Lydia Martin sat next to Harry, Allison next to Scott and next to Stiles Danny, Jackson's friend.
"Are you lost?" Harry asked, staring at them.
Allison smiled, before looking at Scott softly. "The whole table was empty, we thought we'd join."
"You did very well!" Stiles exclaimed, who was staring at Lydia.
Jackson sat at the head of the table, perpendicular to Lydia.
Danny looked at him, saying. "I've heard they think he was attacked by some kind of animal. Probably a cougar."
Jackson replied. "I heard a mountain lion."
Lydia answered, promptly. "A cougar is a mountain lion." In front of the boy's surprised look, she made a stupid expression and said, "It is?"
"Who cares? This is probably a homeless man who would have died anyway."
Harry and Stiles shook their heads.
Stiles showed his phone to the table. "They just found out who he is."
"Garrison Meyes." Lydia read, as the news reported that he was in the hospital, in critical condition, but still alive.
"I know him." Scott said, before looking at Stiles and Harry. "When I was still living with my father, I took the bus. He's the driver."
Harry nodded to Scott, thinking he should write to his godfather when the nosy teenagers scattered away.
He ignored the ensuing conversation, refocusing his attention when Scott announced.
"I play bowling very well."
Harry and Stiles exchanged a look.
***
"You're terrible at bowling!"
"I know! I'm such an idiot."
As they made it to the main hallway, Stiles shook his head. "It was like seeing a pile-up. First it becomes a group date and then you come up with that line."
"Going out together."
"We don't all date cool girls, okay? It's death. We all date, might as well be their gay friend. You and Danny could date."
"Why is this happening?"
Harry was watching the two boys, baffled, the call ended with his uncle.
He had ignored the two for five minutes and they had gone crazy.
"I may have killed a man or I may not have."
"I don't think Danny likes me very much..."
"I asked Allison out on a date and now we're going out all together"
"Could it be that gays don't find me attractive?"
"I've become a player on the team, and the captain wants to tear me apart..."
"Am I attractive to gay guys?"
Harry sighed. "Stiles, you are. Scott, Remus said he can help you after work."
Scott thanked him before running off, late for the clinic.
Stiles, however, smiled at his friend for the compliment.
"I'm going too. I want to visit my uncle."
Stiles nodded, fully understanding Harry's wish.
After all, the boy had arrived there only to see his uncle and keep him some company.
****
Harry was arranging liquid food for his uncle.
"And now Scott is going to settle things with Remus. You remember Scott, right?"
Harry adjusted his uncle's pillow, speaking in a soft voice. "He is one of my best friends. He's like us now, you know? Remus has been one longer than me, he can help him better."
After I made him swallow the first sip, he continued. "Derek is here too. But…he didn't recognize me."
Harry sighed. "He didn't even know who I was, uncle. According to dad, I mean Sirius, he never even knew me, he was very young. But my wolf howled for him. Why didn't his wolf do it for me?"
Harry shook his head, and, having finished feeding his uncle, placed the dishes in the trolley, knowing that he would have to take them to the kitchen to wash them even if he wasn't working.
He sat across from his uncle, not wanting to leave.
"I'm glad you're still here. I…I don't know if I've told you yet, but…they killed Laura, uncle. My older sister who I never even met. She…it was brutal. Derek must have come back to seek revenge. He buried her body under a spiral."
Harry shook his head, before saying. "The Argents are back too. Scott, against all odds, is dating Allison, Chris Argent’s daughter."
He shrugged.
"I don't know how much she knows about us. But as soon as she's in the know, she won't be on Scott's side. She'll choose her family. Her friends. Not the were-boy boyfriend."
Looking away, Harry missed his uncle's finger as it twitched, Peter's eyes focusing on him.
When Harry returned his gaze to his uncle, however, the blank stare was back.
"I think I'll tell them to lay you down for the night in a bit. It can't be pleasant sitting around all day. I imagine how stiff your back must be."
Then sighing, he got up and hugged his uncle.
"Sirius offered to leave, but I couldn't. Not when you need me. You're my uncle, I can't leave you. Not after wanting a family so much."
Harry walked out of the room, not knowing that Peter was watching him leave.