Chapter 29

Harry Evans did not consider himself a superstitious sort of person. After all, was it really superstition when you knew magic was real? Not only was magic real, but there was an entire secret world of magic, hidden just beneath the surface. It had taken his father from him, as well as any semblance of a normal relationship with his mother too.

Needless to say, Harry Evans wasn't too upset about being what the magical world called a squib. Honestly, it'd turned out to be something of a relief for the young man. To be non-magical had, so far, proven to be the best thing to ever happen to him. He hadn't had to go off to some magical boarding school called Hogwarts of all things, to learn who knew what from wizards and witches.

His Aunt and Uncle had been treating him quite nicely in fact, in the years since his lack of magic had been discovered. And sure, while that did rankle a little bit, along with how they seemed to still dote on Dudley despite Harry's cousin ending up having actual magic, that was only in his least charitable moments. Not ALL was peachy keen in the Dursley Household just because Dudley had the magic, and he didn't.

While Aunt Petunia still seemed to worship the ground, Dudley walked upon and loved her son with all her heart, there was no denying that a gap had steadily formed between Dudley and his father. Uncle Vernon didn't yell or shout or hit Dudley like he used to do with Harry… Harry's cousin wasn't relegated to living in the cupboard under the stairs or made to do all the chores around the house as Harry had been for the unfortunate crime of being SUSPECTED to have magic.

But the rift was still there. Vernon ultimately seemed to have decided to ignore Dudley, above all else. He'd acknowledge his son if the boy was right in front of him, but he didn't go out of his way to ask Dudley anything about his life as a wizard, or try to connect with his son at all, really. And Dudley, in turn, didn't seem to care… or maybe even notice.

Harry was just grateful that Vernon hadn't tried to replace Dudley with HIM. That would have been incredibly uncomfortable. Instead, his Uncle was taking a similar tack with him, ignoring him most of the time, only acknowledging him when necessary. If Harry didn't know any better, he'd say Vernon was in a self-enforced state of loneliness, and it was getting worse… but frankly, he didn't actually care.

Ah, but he'd sort of gotten off on a tangent, hadn't he? All of these thoughts were to say, Harry knew magic was real. Which was why, when he'd looked up from doing the dishes and found himself making eye contact with a big, black dog through No. 4 Privet Drive's kitchen window, Harry had frozen in place, staring at the dog who in turn stared right back at him with an intensity that terrified Harry Evans the squib.

And the dog hadn't moved the entire time he'd been off on his tangent, either. Harry hadn't taken his eyes off of it, and it in turn hadn't taken its eyes off of him. Quite frankly, it was a little terrifying. Because Harry KNEW magic to be real, his mind was going a mile a minute trying to decide what the fuck was up with this dog. Was it some witch's familiar? Was a squib useful for magical ingredients or something? Jeez, his mind went dark places fucking fast, didn't it?

All of a sudden, there's headlights coming from down the road. Harry has a 'blink and you'll miss it' moment when he blinks… and misses it. The dog's departure, that is. The big black dog is suddenly not there in front of his home anymore, and instead, Rebekah Victoria, Harry's coworker a-and something more, is pulling up into the driveway in her car.

As she gets out of her car, Harry bites his lower lip… and rushes outside to meet her. In his heart of hearts, Harry Evans thinks he's a coward, but in truth, he would lay his life down on the line for the people he loves… and somewhere along the way, Rebekah became one of those people. If the dog was magical and here for him, he'd rather it take him instead of potentially risking it going after Rebekah instead.

And so, even as his g-girlfriend is bent over and pulling the food and drinks she brought with her out of her car, Harry has rushed up behind her, and is scanning the area for the threat. Rebekah nearly leaps out of her skin when she turns around to find him so close however, forcing him to focus on her as she lets out a little laugh.

"Whoa, Harry! You normally don't come out to meet me. That excited for my visit, huh?"

Harry blushes a little bit but can't really answer her with a smile or laugh of his own. Not right now.

"L-Let's just get inside, yeah?"

Noting something is wrong, his freckled, red-haired girlfriend frowns but nods, letting him quickly usher her into his house… well, his Aunt and Uncle's house really, when had he started to forget that? No matter, it was where he lived, so it was his house too.

Once they're inside and the door is safely locked behind them, Rebekah turns to him with a furrowed brow.

"What's going on, Harry? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Heh, funny how that phrase became different when you knew that magic and ghosts were real. Still, pulling the curtains on the living room window aside for a moment to check on things, Harry looks and can't see the dog anywhere. After a beat, he pulls back with a sigh.

"There was… a dog."

Rebekah raises an eyebrow at him, and then turns and makes her way into the kitchen, forcing Harry to follow after her like… like a sheepish puppy.

"A dog?"

Nodding, Harry grimaces as he rubs the back of his head. He can't tell her everything, but he's loath to just… lie to her.

"Just before you showed up, I was doing some dishes… and I looked up and saw a massive black dog through that window right there. It left when you arrived, but I didn't know where it went and was worried it might attack you…"

There, no mention of it practically vanishing, no mention of magic of any kind. His muggle girlfriend was firmly in the dark about the magical world so-

"Sounds like a Grim! Oh no, is my darling, scrumptious boyfriend doomed to die young?!"

Harry jolts, not quite catching the teasing in Rebekah's voice right away as he stares at her with wide green eyes.

"W-What?!"

Surprised by his vehement reaction, Rebekah in turn looks back at him curiously.

"I was just kidding, Harry. The Grim is a common omen of death, often taking the shape of a large, black, menacing dog. If you see it, it's said that your destined to die. But c'mon… that stuff isn't real. Harry?"

Her concerned tone comes on the back of Harry going bone-white pale at hearing her describe the Grim to him. Because… well, he KNEW magic was real. So why wouldn't Grim be a real magical creature, who really did represent an omen of death? Was he doomed now? Was he going to die because he'd laid eyes upon a Grim?

"Harry, c'mon… if you wanted me to stay over tonight, you can just ask. You don't have to put on the pity act, you know."

Rebekah's teasing tone pulls Harry out of his thoughts, making him blink as she gives him a concerned little grin.

"Your family is all out of town for the weekend right, that's what you said? Aunt and Cousin off on their own little adventure, Uncle out of the country? Sooo, I could stay, if you wanted. Spend the night… if you wanted."

She thinks he's just doing this, acting like this, because he's trying to make her feel sorry for him? Harry opens his mouth to correct her… but can't think of a way to do so without exposing the fact that magic is real to her. And if he does that, he doesn't know what will happen. The wizards and witches might kill them both, to preserve their secret.

And also… doesn't he WANT what she's offering? If she stays with him tonight, then maybe the Grim won't come for him. And he definitely doesn't want her driving home in the dark, if something magical is prowling about. Letting out a shuddering breath, Harry comes to his conclusion.

"Please stay over tonight, Rebekah."

His older girlfriend, with her red hair and freckles, who is a LITTLE on the chubby side but more voluptuous than anything in Harry's humble, unbiased opinion, grins at him dotingly.

"There! Was that so hard?"

Stepping forward, she pushes him back against the counter and wraps a hand through his messy black hair, going in for a kiss right there on the spot. Harry blushes and prepares to receive her… and that's when Lily Evans walks into the kitchen.

At the sudden appearance of another person, Rebekah and he jolt apart. When Harry realizes it's his addled mother, he groans.

"Lily! You scared us!"

Blinking slowly at the both of them, the mentally unsound woman smiles a dopy, unintelligent smile.

"Do you… do you need water?"

Quickly, Harry gets her a glass. Lily takes it and sips from it, while still smiling that dumb smile of hers and staring at her son and his girlfriend. Not that she probably knows who Rebekah is, or what the older girl means to him. His mother… his mother doesn't know much of anything, really.

"S-Sorry, Rebekah. Let me get her back to her room."

"Uh, sure Harry…"

His energetic and usually unflappable girlfriend actually seems a little perturbed and uncomfortable, like she doesn't know what to make of Lily's vacant staring and smiling, like she's not sure what to say to the other woman. In the end, she speaks up just as Harry is ushering Lily from the room.

"… Nice to meet you, Ms. Evans…"

Her faint voice follows them upstairs, where Harry gets his mother back to her room, now with a glass of water. He knows he shouldn't leave it with her, that it's a potential recipe for disaster, but just this once, he doesn't want to have to think about his dear mum and her inability to care for herself. So, sitting her down on her bed, Harry points at the glass in her hands.

"Be CAREFUL with that. When you're done with it, just… just set it down on the desk! Here, okay? Do you understand?"

As he points at the desk and then the glass of water and back again, Lily just beams and nods, before moving to set the half-full glass of water down on the desk. Eh… close enough, Harry supposed. Groaning and rubbing a hand over his face, Harry looks at his mother for a moment.

"… Please turn in early, for me? Just… go to sleep now, alright? I'll be entertaining a guest so… so I can't have you under foot."

It takes a bit more coaxing to get Lily into bed this early, with his addled mother making some noises of protest before he's finally gotten her tucked in. Once she's wrapped up in the blankets, she just lays there, staring up at him with that same stupid look in her otherwise gorgeous green eyes. Harry… Harry had come to hate that look, if he was being honest. And he hated himself for hating it all the more.

Slipping out of Lily's room, Harry makes his way back downstairs to Rebekah, who is waiting for him with the food and drinks all prepared in the living room. With a sigh, he sits down on the couch next to his girlfriend and begins to snack.

"… She's always like that, yeah?"

"… Yeah. Car accident."

"I'm sorry… must be hard."

Harry grimaces and looks down at his lap for a moment.

"… I-It is. It really, really is. I love my mum and all, but sometimes… it just gets kind of hard, always needing to have someone there to look after her. You know?"

Rebekah gives him a commiserating nod, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and just holding him for a moment. From there, things quickly escalate to one of the few things young people in a relationship will always do, given half the chance without anyone around to interfere. They begin snogging.

It's Rebekah who initiates things, like it always is, but Harry happily reciprocates, kissing his freckled, red-haired girlfriend right back as they sit there on the couch, making out and enjoying each other's company. There's some heavy petting as well, but in the end it all stays above the clothes… even when they eventually leave the living room and make for the bedroom.

Maybe Rebekah wants something more, but she doesn't push for it and Harry can't bring himself to do so either. In the end, they cuddle and kiss and fondle and grope… and that's it. They fall asleep in each other's arms, in Harry's bed, and for the moment at least, Harry Evans forgets all about the Grim and the portent of doom it apparently represents.

Of course, the crash that comes later in the night, caused by Lily accidentally breaking that glass of water all over the floor when she finally squirms her way out of her bed, puts a slight damper on things… but it's not the end of the world. And he really only had himself to blame for the late-night clean up anyways…

-x-X-x-

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