The Following Events to the Deaths of Some Shadowhunters

CHAPTER ONE:

The wind whipped through Magnus's hair as he laid a single white rose down on the cold stone surface. With that rose fell a single tear drop which splashed on the silvery petals. The world spun in slow motion. Cars swept by, people chatted; all went upon their usual business. But for Magnus, the only thing that stood still was the granite headstone, sitting casually next to three others, all quite the same design. The other headstones were new: only a couple of years old. The black spiralling words were so, so familiar to Magnus. He copied them on his walls, imprinted them in his brain, dreamt of them, wrote them, tattooed them on his skin. Those words haunted Magnus in every way possible. Those were the words he had dreaded for years.

Alexander Gideon Lightwood
(Alec)
1989-2013
Shadowhunter

Beloved brother, son, boyfriend, parabatai and friend.

Will be dearly missed.

R.I.P

Teardrops decorated the grave. Magnus knelt by the graveside and sobbed for what felt like the one thousandth time. Everything else blurred and nothing else seemed to matter. It was just Magus and his lonely memories. I'm sorry Alec. He though. I'm so so sorry.

Simon stared at the wall; two new holes had been punched into the dark plaster. Simon wondered if Magnus would care, if the warlock would get angry and throw Simon out. But then again, Magnus was a warlock; he could change the whole interior with the flick of his wrist of the click of his fingers. Suddenly he felt guilty, Magnus had been through so much pain and yet here was Simon, destroying the house because of his own pain. Simon could no longer stare at his destruction so instead he looked at the floor and groaned. At his feet was a damp little circle of tears and blood, staining the carpet. Crap. He wondered if going with Magnus to the graveyard would have been a good idea. Since Alec's death, it had been a routine for Magnus to visit his grave every day. The first five times, he had invited Simon. But after Simon's regular decline, the invite was no longer suggested. It didn't need to be. The last time Simon recalled going to the graveyard was for Clary's funeral. Being the youngest she had died the latest. Three months ago actually. He remembered her face, so content, a small smile curved across her lips. Her hair was the fiery red it had always been only tinged with a considerable amount of grey. Yet it stood out in contrast to her thin white gown, scrawled with silvery runes. Simon sighed, and shook his brown curls out of his face. The thought of Clary disappeared but the uneasy sadness still lingered in his heart.

Just as Simon began to stand up, a very placid looking Magnus Bane walked through the door. "I think I will be moving back to London," he announced. As soon as Magnus said the word 'London' his expression grew distant and vague as if remembering a distant memory form long ago. His face stayed that way for a whole 5 minutes and Simon just continued to stare at Magnus, wondering what was going through the mysterious and secreted man's mind. After Magnus broke out of his reverie he briskly walked into the study, quietly closing the door behind him.

Simon wondered how soon the warlock intended to move but h didn't want to bother him. Previously when Magnus first walked through the door Simon had noticed that he had been crying pretty hard; as he always did after coming home from the graveyard. He doubted Magnus intended on bringing him to was solely Magnus's adventure. After another long 20 minutes of thinking, Simon decided he needed fresh air. He considered getting coffee and walking up the Brooklyn Bridge. Finally he settled his decision, wrapping a scarf around his neck and pulling on a cream leather coat Magnus had long ago insisted he wear if he was going to live with him.

Simon paused in the doorway, contemplating whether it was worth inviting Magnus to come. Right on cue Magnus walked out of his study, coat in hand, as if he had read the vampire's mind. "Going out are we?" he asked as he stopped by the kitchen to retrieve his keys. "Yes," replied Simon, wondering how Magnus knew, "Would you care to join me? I'm going for coffee." Magnus snorted at Simon as he walked over towards the vampire, towering over Simon like an owl to a mouse, "You refuse to accept pizza, so instead eat my cat but coffee is considerable? You've got nerve vampire." Simon breathed a sigh of relief; at least Magnus was a little more himself. He smiled, bearing his sharp fangs before retracting them again, "I was petting him, besides I don't really like cat. And may I ask how long ago that was?" Magnus considered the question, he had almost forgotten about the time when they had all been in his apartment, the whole gang, as Clary would say. "Whatever," muttered Magnus as he pushed through the doorway. Halfway down the hall he called, "You coming vampire?"

As they walked up the bridge, steaming cups of coffee in hand, Simon realised how nice the crisp winter air felt. The world danced around his eyes in sharp, bright focus. He was beginning to love his vampire senses. Over the bridge, Simon could see bright neon lights of a gaming arcade. Come on Simon, if we don't hurry the line will get too long. He imagined a thirteen year old Clary, racing to the arcade, tugging him along with her. "Daydreaming are we, Sam?" tested Magnus. Simon shook his head at the warlock's weakness in remembering his name. They stopped and moved over to the edge of the bridge, admiring the view of the colourful city. "What's it like living forever?" blurted Simon, generally curious and slightly worried about his future. Magnus wrinkled his nose and spat the bitter remains of his coffee down below into the river. "Heartbreaking. Lonely. Endless." Magnus shrugged like it didn't affect him, but his expression held great sadness from all that he was remembering. "That's nice," mused Simon, "I feel much better thanks."

Magnus shoved tons of designer clothes into his suit case, his hand rummaged around the bottom of his drawers until it brushed something soft. After pauses for a second he jerked his hand pulling out the soft material. It sat limply in his hands staring back at Magnus, an ordinary blue scarf, well-loved and worn, it's tag proudly announcing it was bought from GAP. Magnus stared at the garment for a long while, recalling all the times that scarf had been worn. "Wear this it matches your eyes." "Was this Will's too?" Magnus could hear the conversation in his head with sharp clarity; it was like he was there in the moment. He could feel the sting of Alec's words and flinched away from the memory.

Magnus dropped the scarf on the floor; he'd deal with it later. He turned to his small shelf standing alone holding the little possessions he owned. Pulling out a garbage bag, Magnus swept an armful of objects in the bag and continued onto the next shelf and then the next until the whole shelf was bare; erased from memories and the past. Magnus took one last look at his room, taking in the happy memories he had shared in it with Alec, before walking out for good.

Simon glanced up quickly in time to see Magnus walk out of the hallway, a small suitcase in hand. "So we're all set on going to London?" Simon asked, he had to admit that when Magnus claimed he was moving to London he hadn't thought Magnus actually intended on moving halfway across the world.
"If you think you are coming with me, then you are wrong." Said Magnus, a cool expression written across his face.
"No no," murmured Simon, glancing at Magnus's small luggage, "Will that be enough for you, I mean it doesn't seem like much to take; considering your moving."
Magnus gave his head a slight shake, "I won't be needing much, I anticipate on starting fresh; rebuilding my life."
Simon looked uneasily at Magnus, "Sure," he muttered but truthfully he was unsure.
"Do you doubt me vampire?" Magnus shot back, his eyes turned into feline slits.

"No. It's just… well… um…" Simon took a deep breath, steadying himself. "I've lived with you long enough to know that too much has gone on in Magnus Bane's life to just 'start again' and forget the past."
"Goodbye Simon." Said Magnus as he strode out of his apartment forever and Simon swore that was the second time since he had met Magnus that Magnus had gotten his name right.