***This is a story in the Devil's Advocate series***
Hi all! Sorry again that it's been so long since I've updated anything at all! It's that time of the semester when things are worse than normal because every professor seems to think that their class is priority, so right now things are much more hectic than ever before.
That being said, the beginning of this story took much longer to write than it should have because I had a lot of problems getting it right. And even then, it's really not completely right. So please bear with me as I try to get this story feeling right to me. You all may not feel as though anything is wrong with it, and we admittedly do have a very long way to go with this story, so strap in!
All of that being said, if there is absolutely anything that you would like to know about the kids or any questions that you have about the story, please let me know! That might prompt me to write one of the one-shots that I'll be writing throughout the stories about my OCs!
Hope you enjoy the start of this story!
James tried to hide his smile, dodging George's playful punch as he made his way down the hall and away from the mess that was currently beginning to take over the Institute. They'd spent the past week in Idris, just as they always did after the ball, but that had only given them a day to prepare for the new arrivals. The new training program was set to officially begin in the morning, but all the new trainees were arriving today to settle in and get familiar with the place they would be spending the next few months in. James was making his getaway, but he was still terribly amused that one of the new trainees had actually gotten the better of George for once. The other boy, Evan, had fired back at George from the moment he'd set foot in the Institute in a way that no one had ever been able to do before.
At least now people were actually smiling. Their week in Idris had been full of tension, the impending Clave decision hanging over their entire family. In just under a week, the Clave would hold the meeting in which they would make their final decision on whether or not to change the laws regarding Shadowhunter and Downworlder marriages. For weeks, James had felt like they were all walking on eggshells, but now that they'd gotten back from Idris and the meeting was drawing closer by the second, the tension was so high that James could all but physically feel it. Which was why James felt he had to get away for a moment and find Max. Max had spent the day locked in his room instead of meeting the new arrivals, something that was completely out of character for him. Max might be quiet in general, but he was rarely ever so antisocial, preferring to be around people rather than spending time alone.
James opened the door to Max's room without knocking, knowing that a knock wasn't needed when it came to the two of them. Yet this was the first time James had ever hesitantly entered Max's room, not really knowing what kind of mood Max might be in and silently hoping that he would have the power to help Max through it. Unsurprisingly, Max was curled up on his bed reading, but what was a surprise was that he didn't put his book down as soon as James entered. He usually wanted to talk as soon as James came in. It was incredibly strange to see Max so subdued, and for a few moments, James was caught completely off guard by it. Yet James knew much better than to point it out, sitting down beside Max without saying a word, knowing that Max would speak up on his own time.
Max read several pages before finally putting the book down, but James waited patiently, knowing that the other boy needed his space at the moment. "They won't stop fighting," Max finally said, his voice just as subdued just as his demeanor. "When I went to bed last night they were still up fighting with each other, and when I woke up I heard Dad yelling at Papa again. I don't even know what they were fighting about. They just won't stop." James tried to swallow the lump in his throat. Just a few days ago, he'd overheard his parents talking about the trouble Uncles Magnus and Alec had been having. From what he'd heard, it hadn't sounded like his uncles were having any true trouble, just arguing because of their stress and worries, but their fighting clearly seemed to be taking a tole on Max. "I know they love each other," Max finished, his voice trailing off in the most miserable of ways.
For several long seconds, James had no idea of what to say. But then he quickly realized that Max didn't want him to say anything at all. At least, Max didn't want him to try to say anything regarding his fathers. There was nothing James could actually do to fix the situation, and Max had never been the type to want idle apologies. So James did the only other thing he could think of and began distracting Max as best as possible. "So four out of the five new arrivals are here," he said, trying to shift Max's mind to any topic other than the endless fighting that seemed to be taking over his family. "You already know Serena from the ball, but the other three are quite a handful already. One of them even got Maddie to laugh," James said, pleased by the smile that finally appeared on Max's face, even if it was a faint one. It wasn't often that Max's little sister was actually comfortable with new people of any kind, but today she seemed to be doing really well with adjusting to the idea of five new people living in the Institute in addition to Preston.
"Plus you know Mason," James said, leaving it at that and waiting for Max to laugh. Mason was a very nerdy brown-haired, black-eyed boy who endlessly reminded James of Uncle Simon. His family, the Ashbows, had been family friends for as long as James could remember, a family that Uncle Simon had actually met while he'd been in the Academy. For years, Mason had had an undeniable crush on Sophie who generally tried to avoid him at all costs. James couldn't even begin to figure out how Mason had wriggled his way into the program, but he would never put it past Mason to get close to Sophie in whatever way he could. "Then there's Evan Blackwell and Marlies Highsmith," James continued, internally sighing at the thought of them.
Max shifted toward him, obviously prompting James to explain everything to him since he'd missed out on their first impressions. "They didn't say so, but from their disgusting making out, it's pretty obvious that they're a couple. If I'm completely honest, Marlies reminds me of Preston." James didn't need to finish the thought that Preston was one of the most horribly stuck up Shadowhunter they'd ever met. "She's got black hair and green eyes which coincidentally perfectly compliments Evan's black hair and green eyes," James said, particularly pleased that Max was now laughing in earnest. "But the best thing is that Evan is most definitely able to get the best of George. I don't think I've ever seen any fire back at George as fast as him."
At that, Max chuckled, obviously amused at the thought of someone actually being able to handle George for once. "At least he'll have someone to keep him on his toes now," Max replied, his voice much more relaxed than it had been before. "And at least that'll make this whole thing more exciting," he continued. Just a few weeks earlier, Max had admitted that he hated the idea of the new training program. He felt as though inviting new Shadowhunters into the Institute was like asking for trouble, and at the moment, James had to admit that the less trouble and tension their family encountered, the better.
The only problem was that James realized that his family had been asking for trouble since long before he'd been born. "Want to come with me to meet the last girl?" James asked, slightly nervous at the thought of greeting the last arrival on his own. His dad had asked him to do so, and James knew it was mostly because he was the one who was most likely to be both welcoming and informative when it came to introducing the girl to the Institute. Max shook his head and pointed to his book which was almost exactly what James had expected from him. So James simply gave Max a look that very clearly said that he would be there to talk if need be and left the room to go meet the last arrival.
James tried to push his whirling thoughts away, deciding to wade through his thoughts on the group and his uncles later, making his way out of Max's room practically on autopilot. \James had been terribly glad when his father had asked him to be there when Uncle Magnus constructed the portal to let the last trainee into the Institute. He terribly needed the chance to clear his mind and relax if just for a moment. A lot of people found that they were uncomfortable around Uncle Magnus, but James always found his presence comforting. Uncle Magnus was steady and firm, he was always unchanging and unwavering. Many people thought that because Uncle Magnus was so quirky and flamboyant that he was unpredictable, but James found him terribly predictable. Once you had an understanding of him, it was easy to keep ahead of his next move, and James adored his understanding of how different Uncle Magnus was.
James watched with a smile as Uncle Magnus worked on the portal, his movements swift and deliberate in a way that only decades of practice could bring. Uncle Alec was there to help with the runes, and James couldn't help but analyze how they were acting with one another. The tension between them was very clear, but even so, they made a wonderfully perfect team, Uncle Alec being entirely comfortable with magic, almost as though it was a part of himself as well. Every time James watched his uncles working together in any way, he couldn't help but wish for a love like theirs. A love so comfortable that it would feel like being in his own skin; a love so true that everything about the other person would feel like an extension of himself, no matter what the circumstance of the moment were. Charlie often said that being around so much true love was tiring, but James found it satisfying, as though his parents and aunt and uncles were challenging him to go out and find the things they had found.
James idly realized that if he didn't know them so well that he most likely wouldn't be able to pick up on the fact that they were standing slightly farther away from one another than they normally did. Or the fact that they weren't casually brushing against each other, touching elbows or doing anything possible for the chance to be close to each other, in the way they usually did. They seemed like small things, and James knew that they were small, but it still broke his heart nonetheless, knowing that when it came to his uncles that the smallest of gestures were what really, truly mattered to them. "What are you thinking about?" Uncle Alec asked, his expression telling James that he was deep in thought.
Looking up, James could easily see that Uncle Alec's work on the portal was done, meaning they were close to meeting the new arrival. James tried his best to keep his gaze even and calm, knowing that pointing out the tension between them would be the worst of ideas. "I was just admiring the way you two work together," James replied as Uncle Alec took a seat beside of him, leaving out the other things he'd been thinking of. "You two work together as if you're one person." Uncle Alec simply smiled at that, but Uncle Magnus chuckled. This only caused Uncle Alec to shake his head in the only slightly amused way he often did. Yet even in these small actions of theirs, James could see just how far from relaxed they both were.
As quickly as possible, Uncle Magnus finished the portal, his movements becoming far more complex than anything James could even begin to follow. "I certainly hope we're not becoming one person," Uncle Magnus said as he finished his work, stepping back to wait for the person to come through. "I don't want Alec rubbing off on me," he continued, his tone almost deceptively light. But James could easily hear just how heavy his tone really was. It was very clear both from how his uncles were carrying themselves and how they were speaking that they couldn't seem to shake the effect the Clave's impending decision was having on them. "I dress far better than he ever could." James couldn't help but laugh despite himself. His dad had once told him that Uncle Magnus's best defense was humor, but at the moment, James couldn't truly see the harm in it. If it helped relax his uncle then why should there be anything wrong with it?
But James forgot all of that as soon as the girl finally stepped through the portal. James had never been girl crazy, he'd never really given most girls a second glance, but the girl before him made James want to draw her, something he internally loathed. He immediately longed to capture the way the sun glinted off her hair in a way that made it look like pure gold. Or the way her eyes were such a striking shade of blue they reminded him of the deep blue of the sky on an icy winter day. After several long seconds, James forced himself out of his seat, holding out his hand as he began speaking. "I'm James Herondale; my father asked that I give you a tour and help you get settled in." James became anxious as the girl refused to take his hand, wondering what he could have possibly done wrong.
"I'm Rose Merryweather," she said, still not holding out her hand. James risked a glance over at Uncle Alec, slightly relieved to see that he looked just as confused. The smile on Rose's face made James uneasy, and he had to force himself to keep from groaning when Rose finally spoke up. "If your hand is out for a handshake, that's not exactly going to happen." James's heart all but stopped when Rose clarified. "Handshakes aren't really my thing since I'm blind." James turned terribly fast and shot Uncle Magnus a look when he began laughing. "And yes, I can fight just as well as you," Rose continued, echoing James's next thought. "Probably better." That only caused both Uncle Magnus and Uncle Alec to genuinely start laughing, something that relaxed James more than he would have thought possible.
James wanted to hide his blush, but then he realized that Rose couldn't see it, so he made a face at his uncles before asking Rose to follow him out of the library. He was highly uncomfortable, having no idea of how to act with Rose now, unsure of what to do for his tour, unsure of how easily she could follow him. "I can follow you just like anyone else," Rose said once they were out of the library. For a moment, James began to wonder if she could actually read his mind, her voice echoing his thoughts once again. "And yes, a tour of the Institute will help me," she continued, her voice almost impossibly softer than it had been before, almost as though she had realized that James was genuinely trying to be helpful. "It'll help me get acquainted with the place just as it would anyone else," she explained, motioning for James to lead the way.
At first, James wanted nothing more than to be able to hide himself away in his room, already terribly embarrassed, growing more and more awkward by the second. Not that James didn't realize that he was generally always awkward when it came to trying to be around girls. But then James realized that what he really needed to do was to focus everything he had on simply acting like his normal self, even if his normal self was a bit awkward at times. So James forced himself to relax and stop worrying about what a fool he'd made of himself, at least for the time being. "This is my favorite room in the whole Institute," James said when they finally reached the library. He'd started the tour by trying to tell funny stories about each room while he gave Rose the time to carefully walk around each room, getting to know the layout in the only way she knew how.
But now that they'd hit the library, James didn't think that he could reduce the place that meant so much to him into little more than a funny story. He'd poured so much of himself into the library over the years that he couldn't do anything other be quiet. So instead he remained silent and simply watched as Rose made her way around the room. "So," Rose finally began once she'd apparently had enough of the silence that James had allowed to blanket the room. "What's so special about this room?" she asked, her voice unexpectedly upbeat, almost as though she'd already grown to actually love the stories he'd been telling her.
"What isn't special about it?" James replied, hoping that she couldn't hear his smile in his voice. "It's where my dad taught me to play piano when I was little; it's the only place you can go in the Institute where you can actually find some peace." James couldn't help but continue to smile at the thought of it, the library automatically putting him in a wonderful mood every time he entered. "It's where Uncle Alec comes to study Spanish every night even though he's terrible at Spanish and he thinks no one knows how much studies it. It's where we have family meetings. Which, by the way, are not nearly as fun as they sound." As Rose began laughing, James refused to add the fact that the library was where he would come to draw when he couldn't resist any longer.
James tried to keep himself from sighing when Rose asked him to play something on the piano for her, saying that she had always loved the sound of the piano. He'd always loved playing the piano, but by no means did that mean that he actually felt as though he was any good at it. Charlie had always been far better than he was, and his father had long since stopped trying to teach him in the way that he had when James had been a child. While Charlie had seemed to inherit the ability to play the piano, James had apparently inherited the ability to draw just like his mother. Yet that was something that James almost hated despite himself. Sometimes it felt as though Charlie was the true warrior while he was most certainly the weaker of the two. So naturally James had inherited all the abilities that made him a lot less of a true Shadowhunter than everyone seemed to expect him to be.
As he played the only song he was really confident in playing, James found himself distracted by watching Rose. Out of all the people he'd met throughout the day, Rose actually seemed to be the only one who actually allowed him to relax. Out of all the new arrivals, Rose seemed to be the one person who was actually eager to be there, who actually wanted to enjoy her time at the Institute and use it to advance her career as a Shadowhunter. James was terribly excited to see the way she fit in here, but he was slightly unnerved by the fact that he knew he would end up drawing her later. No matter how hard he tried to forget about it, he felt the need to capture the way the library's light turned her hair into a much deeper golden shade, a feeling that James couldn't even begin to shake as he dropped Rose off at her room.
That night, James refused to go to his cousins for advice, knowing that they would only be confused as to why he was acting so out of character all of a sudden. That was the one thing that had been confusing him all day as well. So James tried his hardest to push past all the thoughts of Rose and the other new arrivals, all the worries over Uncles Magnus and Alec, all the frustrations over his own relationship with his father, knowing that they still needed to resolve several things. Yet when none of that seemed to work at all, James found himself in the library once more, his sketchbook in hand, trying, and failing, to figure out exactly why he'd been caught up in Rose and why he'd actually cared what she thought of him. But when he paused to actually take notice of what he was drawing, James surprised himself more than he would have thought possible. As soon as he realized what he was drawing, James began smiling for what felt like the first time all day. Apparently his mind was trying to tell him that Max was going to get the best birthday present ever this year.