Snark & Souls
Xavier laid on his bed with his eyes closed, concentrating. He could feel the edges of something coming to him, he just needed to focus to draw it out.
It tickled the edges of his mind- it smelled like death and caramel.
Xavier wrinkled his nose in distaste. Sure, he’d been smelling death way more than usual lately, but caramel?
It was a gross mixture.
Xavier breathed slowly and let the silence of his dorm try and convince the image to come to him. Some visions came and bounced around in his head even when he didn’t want them to, others had to be convinced to show themselves to him.
In the end though, Xavier would draw them and they would come to life.
They always did in one way or another.
The silence that Xavier was using to meditate in, the silence he needed to see what his mind wanted to show him, was broken by a loud knock down the corridor and someone’s high pitched voice.
“Harry! Harry! Open up!”
It sounded like Enid Sinclair, Wednesday Addams’ roommate, and she sounded excited about something.
Xavier rolled out of his bed and pulled on his sneakers when Enid continued to beat on Harry’s door. He checked his alarm and saw it was already nine; if Harry and Ajax weren’t answering, then Enid needed to keep it quiet before they both got caught wherever the hell they were. Xavier cast a lingering look at Rowan’s empty bed, his chest throbbing at the stark reminder of the roommate he used to have, and snagged a jacket off the hook before slipping out in the hall.
“What are you doing?” Xavier called quietly down to the hall where Enid stood in front of Harry and Ajax’s door.
“Oh!” Enid let out a startled half-laugh half-gasp as she spun around and caught sight of Xavier. She raised her hand to her chest and giggled nervously. “Xavier, hi! Have you seen Harry?”
Xavier stuck his hands in his pockets and wandered closer, not really wanting to sell his friends out loudly enough for the entire boys dorm to hear him.
“Last I saw him he was with Tyler,” Xavier said truthfully. For someone who flew so neatly beneath the radar, Harry had a knack for disappearing.
Maybe he was that much better at it because he flew beneath the radar. Nobody would be looking for him if Harry didn’t give them a reason to.
There was something liberating and sad about that; before Wednesday Addams arrived at Nevermore, would Harry have been another Rowan? Gone without a trace with nothing aside from an empty bed to show he’d ever been there?
Would Xavier had ever noticed him?
“I called the Weathervane, but they said Tyler wasn’t there today,” Enid said. She absently reached for a lock of her hair and began twirling it around her finger anxiously. “I could call the police department? See if his dad has seen them?”
“No, don’t do that,” Xavier said quickly. Jesus, how pissed would Tyler’s dad be if Enid started calling and asking about Harry?
Xavier shook his head and snatched his phone from his pocket. The battery was almost dead, but he’d plug it in later.
“I’ve got Tyler’s cell, I’ll call him,” he offered. Tyler was a good dude and he clearly cared quite a bit about Harry, Xavier was sure they were probably just hanging out and lost track of time.
It took a few rings, but it was Harry himself who eventually answered Tyler’s phone.
“Hello?” he said, his voice as quiet as usual and more than a little breathless.
Xavier cringed, he really didn’t want to think about what Harry and Tyler were doing to become so out of breath. Not because it was gross or anything, but because ever since Xavier had made that painting of Harry and Wednesday he couldn’t help but wonder what that fire he saw in Harry’s very soul would feel like.
It was a slippery slope to wondering what Harry would feel like. What would it feel like if it was Xavier’s hand he held? What would it feel like if it was Xavier who wrapped his arm around Harry’s waist and made him smile?
It slipped up worse when Xavier was texting Tyler, bitching about their dad‘s or talking music. Tyler was witty, he was quick paced and funny. He was disenchanted and apathetic toward the world like Xavier was.
Xavier didn’t get along with many people, but there was just something about Harry and Tyler both that made him want to find out more. There was something there that made him want to dig beneath their surfaces and crack them open in search of what made them tick- what made them live?
But slippery slopes tended to end in personal injuries, so it was best not to imagine anything at all.
A decision that was easier said than done when Xavier could paint Harry on the piano and Tyler laughing in the Weathervane over and over without ever growing bored.
Xavier cleared his throat and shook off his errant thoughts. “Harry, hey, man, where are you?”
Harry was silent for a second then lied clear as anything. “Just… driving around,” he said, his voice too nervous for it to be the truth. “I’ll, er… see if Tyler can drive me back here in a few.”
Xavier laughed, Harry was a piss poor liar, but Xavier would bet money that he was blushing a dark red. For someone so quick to own up to a murder rap, Harry was one of the most innocent seeming students on campus.
“Alright, sounds good, Enid’s looking for you,” Xavier told him, side-eyeing the girl bouncing from foot to foot beside him.
“Oh, why?”
Xavier shrugged and tilted the phone away from his mouth to talk to Enid. “Why are you looking for him?”
“Wednesday needs him, it’s very important,” Enid said with a bob of her head. Xavier rolled his eyes at her, everything Wednesday did she thought was important.
Wednesday was cute, she had an interesting and dark draw to her, but damn if she wasn’t stubborn as hell.
Xavier drew the monster? Oh, he must be the monster.
Xavier was with her when Harry and his uncle were attacked? Oh, maybe he did it before going back to the school, never mind that the blood was fresh when they found the two of them.
At least Harry and Tyler believed him. It was one of the main reasons that Xavier believed Harry without a doubt when he said he killed a guy in self-defense.
Harry was cool, Wednesday was getting on Xavier’s nerves.
“Apparently Wednesday needs you,” Xavier told Harry with as much heavy sarcasm as he could manage. “So you better hurry.”
“Yeah,” Harry agreed, completely missing Xavier’s tone, “I better. Thanks, Xavier, I’ll be there soon.”
“No problem.”
Xavier hung up and pocketed his phone. “Harry said he’ll meet us at the gates,” he told Enid.
Enid raised a blonde brow at him. “Us?”
“Yeah, us,” Xavier said. “If Wednesday’s dragging Harry into some crazy scheme of hers like she did the manor, then I’m coming to make sure she doesn’t get someone killed.”
“Wednesday isn’t the one with the murder charge on her record,” Enid sang snarkily while they began making their way back toward the staircase.
This was why Xavier didn’t hang out with his classmates; after being around Bianca and her friends so long there was only so much snark Xavier could handle. Tyler’s snark was different, it was witty and dry humor, usually at his own expense. And Harry… well… Xavier kind of doubted if Harry had ever been snarky a day in his life.
Xavier twitched his brows together in a glare aimed at Enid. “Yeah? Well Harry isn’t the one who brought a bunch of people to break into a house and almost get killed by a monster, is he? She’s lucky Tyler didn’t die.”
Lucky that Harry was a witch, apparently. It was another layer of mystery that drew Xavier to the quiet boy and his friend.
“Wednesday didn’t know the monster was going to be there. Besides,” Enid sniffed, “it’s called a Hyde.”
“What?” Xavier nearly tripped over his own feet as quickly as he whipped his head to the side to gape at Enid. “How do you know that?”
Hyde’s were a myth, a real myth. They were unstable and dangerous; monsters locked inside a human’s mind, waiting to burst free at the command of a master.
They weren’t real, they couldn’t be.
Enid gave Xavier a suspicious look even as he held the front door open for her to exit to the grounds.
“The question is, why do you know what a Hyde is?” Enid asked.
Xavier scowled and stuffed his hands deep in his pockets.
Enid had clearly been spending too much time around her little goth girlfriend.
*****
Harry felt physically ill and mentally thrilled, it was an odd paradox happening inside his body.
His hands were shaking, his stomach had been emptied hours ago, and he was freezing. Even beneath his own clothes and Tyler’s hoodie that smelled like coffee and cologne, Harry was cold. Tyler turned the heat all the way up in his car, but it wasn’t helping.
But it didn’t matter because they did it.
As far as they knew, Harry could control Tyler’s monster. It was uncomfortable, deciding what another human being should do, taking their free will from them, but someone already took Tyler’s free will. At least this time Tyler got to choose, Tyler knew Harry wouldn’t hurt him or make him do something he didn’t want to do.
Tyler trusted him.
“You need a phone,” Tyler said when they were halfway to Nevermore. It was late, way past curfew, but Harry doubted if anyone missed him until Wednesday went looking for him.
Sometimes Harry felt like he was invisible.
Sometimes he thought he used to be, until Wednesday arrived and noticed Harry. And her small spark of notice led other people to notice him- Tyler, Xavier, and Enid. Sirius too, then Wednesday’s parents, and Principal Weems.
Now everyone could see Harry and he wondered if it had been better being invisible. It was safer, quieter, and Harry didn’t have to go out of his comfort zone.
Except nobody saw him inside of his comfort zone.
Harry grinned a little, Dr. Kinbott would be proud of him when he told her what his own circling thoughts came up with.
It was better to have friends - family - than a comfort zone, Harry was sure of it.
“For what?” Harry asked Tyler, one of the only people in the world who saw Harry, really saw him.
And didn’t find him lacking or disturbing or a freak.
“So next time I’m around her I can text you,” Tyler said lowly. He glanced over and Harry saw the stress behind his smile. “If- if you’re still going to help me.”
“We won’t know if it works until we try it when she’s giving you an order,” Harry said, ignoring Tyler’s insinuation that he might not help. “Maybe you can text Xavier? And I can find you?”
“And risk bringing Xavier?” Tyler grimaced. “I don’t want to hurt him.”
Tyler pulled the car in front of the gates and his headlights illuminated Enid and Xavier standing together waiting for him. Harry looked Xavier over slowly, assessing what it was about Tyler’s statement that made Harry feel shy and pleased.
It took a moment, it took Xavier giving Harry a crooked smile and a half-hearted wave, but then Harry realized what it was.
Tyler didn’t want to bring Xavier because he thought he might hurt him. Tyler didn’t have the same reservations about Harry because he wasn’t worried about hurting Harry.
Even though Xavier was taller, broader, and carried himself with calm confidence- Tyler thought he was breakable and Harry was sturdier.
“You’re not worried about hurting me,” Harry said, a smile spreading across his face when he turned from Xavier to Tyler.
“I wouldn’t hurt you.” Tyler leaned forward and cupped Harry’s face in his hand. He tilted their foreheads together and their noses bumped. “I’ll keep you safe if it’s the last thing I do, I swear.”
“That’s a terrible job,” Harry whispered.
Tyler’s lips spread in a grin that Harry could feel more than see.
“Not if it’s you,” he said.
Harry tilted his chin upward so he could catch Tyler’s lips with his own.
“Call Xavier if she calls you,” Harry told him while he was still riding the high of someone finding him capable. “I’ll keep him safe too.”
Harry sort of felt like he could do anything.
It was exhilarating.
It was terrifying.
Harry was sure he was six inches taller when he got out of Tyler’s car.
“You guys doing homework?” Xavier smirked when Harry walked over to where he was waiting with Enid.
Harry blushed at his raised eyebrow and shrunk right back down to his usual height.
“No,” Harry mumbled. He smoothed his hair down nervously and glanced through his fringe at Enid. “Where’s Wednesday?”
“Xavier’s art shed,” Enid said, ignoring Xavier’s look of surprise.
“What’s she doing in there?” Xavier demanded, clearly he didn’t know about it. Harry frowned, offended on Xavier’s behalf. His art was as personal to him as Harry’s poetry was to him, Harry wouldn’t like it if someone dug through his journal without his permission.
Harry figured Wednesday wouldn’t be in there without a good reason though.
“Hiding a fugitive,” Enid said. She turned around and began bouncing around the school, toward the back lane that led to Xavier’s art shed.
Harry felt his stomach tighten and his pulse quicken.
“A fugitive?” Harry asked her, too eager to worry about asking questions. Harry only knew one fugitive. “Who is it?”
Enid lifted a shoulder and her hair bounced with the spring in her step just a few paces ahead of Harry and Xavier.
“It’s your guys’ uncle and he wants to see you,” she said over her shoulder.
Harry’s breath caught and he pushed ahead of Enid and Xavier, rushing toward the shed with the light flickering inside of it.
Sirius was awake, he was fine! Sirius was there and he wanted to see Harry.
It was guilt that froze Harry’s hand just when he was reaching out to pull open the door.
Sirius had been in the hospital because of Tyler and instead of choosing revenge for Sirius, Harry chose Tyler. Instead of choosing resolving the mysteries for Wednesday, Harry chose Tyler.
“I’ll get it,” Xavier offered quietly. He stepped over beside Harry and put his hand on Harry’s lower back to inch him to the side so he could open the door for him.
Harry hid his hands that shook with proof of the spell he’d used on Tyler in his pockets and let Xavier lead him inside. Harry’s eyes automatically moved to the painting of him that was hidden - Xavier saw Harry though, he had to to have painted that portrait - but then his attention was diverted almost immediately by the man standing in the center of the room.
It was not Sirius.
Harry blinked in surprise while his hope and fear about seeing Sirius curdled into disappointment.
The man standing beside Wednesday was short, bald, and wearing a thick and long black trench coat.
And his pale eyes latched on Harry before roving up slowly to Harry’s forehead. Harry flattened the blue of his hair down, hiding his forehead uneasily, but the man’s lips spread in a wide smile.
“Ooh, he is electrifying, Wednesday!” the man cackled. “A boy with two souls? How interesting!”