Chapter 1

"You are nothing but a squib, boy, a being without any magic...useless and pathetic." Said Percival Graves to the young Credence Barebone when they reached the top of the stairs of the crumbled building.

The boy couldn't believe what he was hearing, all those times he had promised to teach him about magic had been nothing but lies. He was now lost and alone, without any possible future but starvation and solitude…

Percival wasn't paying attention to him at all, too busy looking around for the little girl he suspected to be the Obscurial. Then when he thought that maybe it wasn't there, he felt the heavy thump of the walls falling to the ground, and the floor shaking under his feet. Yes, the creature was there, somewhere. The thumps were coming closer, dust floated in the air with every bang, holding his wand in preparation for whatever was coming. Suddenly, the final wall fell in front of Percival, engulfing him in dust and rubble, but he dissipated it with a flick of his wand to see what was in front of him. He realised then how blind he'd been all along; It was Credence.

The Obscurus was starting to materialize around them, Credence's face was covered in tears, he looked desperate, as if he was debating between sadness, anger and fear.

"Credence...It's you...It's been you all this time…" Percival lowered his wand a bit, extending his other hand in an inviting gesture, talking softly, trying not to scare the boy. "Please calm down, Credence...I can explain everything to you, just calm down."

Credence didn't know what to do, but he wanted to listen to him. He didn't want to kill the man whom he'd trusted so deeply until that moment. Credence was shaking in fury and devastation, but he was also afraid of himself, afraid of the monster he was becoming.

"Please, come with me. Credence, I can help you…"

Graves had slowly been getting closer to where the boy stood, cautiously extending a hand towards him. The moment he saw the shadow of the obscurus subdue, he leapt forward to hold the boy in a tight embrace, and just mere seconds later the horrible creature disappeared completely, leaving Credence unconscious in Percival's arms. He looked at him in disbelief, still amazed by his own stupidity, and holding his young body closer to his, before disapparating them both.

• • • • •

When Credence awoke, the first thing he saw was the face of Mr. Graves leaning over him with a worried expression.

"I'm glad you're awake, Credence. You've been sleeping for almost a day now...I had to skip work for you." He smiled down at him.

The boy seemed confused and looked around in amazement, feeling light and disoriented, like he was in a dream. He was laying in a comfortable bed, surrounded by the fanciest furniture he'd ever seen. Being watched closely by an important man. Memories of the incident flooded his mind and Credence attempted to get away from him, suddenly afraid of Mr. Graves.

"Shh, Credence, please listen to me...You're safe here, I'll take good care of you...You've got to understand that I didn't know it was you." He reached out to caress his cheek the way he used to during their encounters in the alleyway to comfort him after the beatings. Credence couldn't help leaning into his palms once more.

"Where are we?" asked the boy shyly, still thinking seriously about running away.

"You're a guest in my home and if you're feeling well you can come to have breakfast with me."

Mr. Graves stood and extended his hand in an inviting gesture. He looked so elegant in his smart clothes and stylish cut that Credence felt filthy and scruffy next to him. Getting up from the bed and moving silently behind him, Credence followed him out of the room, moving in the same crestfallen manner that he always did. Percival eyed him from over his shoulder, making a mental note to educate the boy on his posture.

They arrived at the dining hall. Inside, the table was set with a full breakfast feast, accompanied by tea and biscuits with an array of fruits and cakes. There was so much going on around him that Credence couldn't decide what to look at first. Everything seemed so interesting, the decorations, the enchanted items floating about and the delicious food... but at the same time he was also trying to suppress his awe and be polite.

"Come, sit next to me Credence, we've got very important matters to discuss."

Percival took the seat at the head of the big table and offered Credence the chair next to him. Credence looked around, his mouth trembled at the sight of such a banquet.

"You can have anything you want, I know you might be hungry."

Percival served him tea and started to fill his plate with a little bit of everything. Credence looked at him unsure and cautious, until he received an approving sign he didn't dare to start eating.

"You're my guest here, Credence. You don't have to act like that. You can have all the food you want and do what pleases you most. That room is going to be yours from now on, so you can have it arranged to your liking." Percival stated matter of factly while pouring himself tea.

Credence swallowed and tried to muster up some courage, not knowing how to feel towards the man yet, before beginning to speak cautiously.

"Thank you, Mr. Graves...but, I don't think I deserve any of this…"

Hearing this, Percival sipped his tea, placing the teacup back on it's saucer, and turned to look him in the eyes.

"You're right, you deserve so much more than this, Credence. First of all, my deepest apologies… I'm sorry I treated you that way the other day, I failed to see the potential you had, and it's because you were doing such a wonderful job suppressing your magic...but I'm going to try and offer you the life you deserve." He took the boy's hand in his and continued. "I know you have no home now, so I'll adopt you and give you the best magical education you can get...of course if you don't want to live here with me we could arrange for you to go somewhere else, or to study abroad, but I wanted to offer myself as your personal tutor."

"You…you said I was a squib...you said that I was useless" mumbled Credence lowering his gaze, remembering his words with a deep and painful stab in his heart.

"I was an idiot for not realising it was you, Credence. I've been looking for you all this time...if only you had told me it was you from the beginning, you wouldn't have had to endure all that pain and suffering for nothing… I want to give you the chances you didn't have in life." He reached out to cup his cheek. Credence allowed his tears to fall silently.

"But even if you could teach me anything... what could I possibly do to repay you, ?" He whispered softly, holding in a sob, not daring to look up yet.

"You won't have to, I seek only the opportunity to teach you, to have someone equally as powerful by my side at last, if you'd only accept to be my apprentice, that is."

Silence fell between them, in which the boy found that couldn't speak or look up. Percival allowed him a moment to gather his thoughts.

"You can stay here for as long as you want, no matter what you choose. I'll pay for everything you need, so don't hesitate to ask...and talk to me, Credence, I won't ever punish you, my boy…" Percival reached out to his face once more, but this time to hold his chin up and look him in the eyes, Credence simply assented and whispered a "thank you,sir" before averting his gaze again.

Breakfast went on silently, and after that, Percival Graves showed him around the apartment, which looked more like a penthouse. Large and luxurious with a wonderful view over Manhattan. The man showed him the main rooms, study, hall, an enormous library...it all seemed impossibly large to fit into one of the most central buildings in the city. And Credence had never suspected the man would be so rich, but all of the furniture and ornaments looked incredibly expensive, exotic and foreign. It was then that he realized he didn't know much about him after all.

And the surprises didn't end there, when they got back to the main hall, Mr Graves summoned two cloaks and lead Credence to his automobile which was waiting for them outside in the street. It was Credence's first experience of a car ride and the speed of the vehicle scared him slightly. They arrived at the store of a famous dressmaker on fifth avenue, who was also a renowned robemaker for wizards. There, he received his first set of robes and suits. If he was going to live with such an important man, he'd have to look the part. Percival payed for some extra clothes and personal stuff that the boy may need and then took him to have lunch at an expensive restaurant close by.

"Are you satisfied with your new things, Credence?" Graves inquired as the two finished eating.

"I… I couldn't be more grateful, Mr Graves...although I wish you wouldn't have spent so much money. I'm not worth the amount of money you spent …" he answered shyly from across the table.

"I've got plenty of money to spend, you don't need to worry about that...What I want is to make you feel like a part of our magical community, which is where you belong now Credence. In fact, I've got a very nice surprise awaiting next."

The boy felt his cheeks burning under the penetrating stare of the man in front of him. So intense that he couldn't resist it, and he could feel the bitterness in his heart finally subduing into nothingness, forcing himself not to think, not to feel.

Outside the restaurant the automobile was waiting for them again, and after a short car drive, they arrived at a tiny avenue full of shops. Entering a stationery and calligraphy store, an old man came to attend them.

"Oh, hello Mr Graves, needing more quills already?" He asked with a broad smile, inviting them in.

"No, no...Howard, today I'm coming for wandlore services." The last two words were said in a rather low voice, coming closer to the old man's ear, who looked up, eyeing Credence for the first time and giving the two males a knowing look. He signaled for them to follow him to the back of the shop, where a tiny locked door lead them to another room, deserted of any other costumers and much more spacious. But instead of pens, quills and all kinds of papers, Credence found thousands of squared boxes piled along the walls and he wondered what could be the surprise.

"Now, now...a young wizard without his wand isn't much of a wizard, right?" Said Howard with a mysterious smile after locking the tiny door behind them.

"Indeed" added Percival when they reached the center of the room, and with a paternal gesture, he gently placed his hands on Credence's shoulders and moved him into boy felt his ears and cheeks reddening after such attention.

"All right, why don't you try some willow first?" The old man retrieved one of the boxes and opened it up to give the wand inside to Credence. The willow wand was long and pale. "Now, with a gentle swoop…"

"No, no swooping at all Credence...just hold it in your fingers and feel it's core, do not move at all…" Interrupted Percival catching hold of the boy's wrist the moment he reached out for the wand.

Howard looked at them without understanding what was going on, but said nothing.

When Credence touched the wand nothing happened at all, he could feel nothing inside of it, so he tried to give it back to the man, and Mr Graves couldn't stop the soft motion of his wrist in time. Almost instantly, old Howard was thrown back, and a hurricane seemed to shake all of the boxes that were piled neatly on the shelves, causing them to fall in a cascade of wooden sticks over their heads. Fortunately, Percival Graves was no ordinary man and with a single flick of his wand everything froze in midair, preventing Mr Howard from hitting the wall and the rain of boxes from burying them. Credence, who had ducked in fear, looked up amazed at such picture.

"I told you not to move at all, Credence...a wand is a very powerful artifact." Said Percival looking him in the eyes with a serious stare. Turning around and with a flourish of his wand, all of the tiny boxes fell in back into place on the shelves, and Mr Howard returned to his initial position in front of them, looking very confused but unharmed. Nonetheless, he quickly took the wand back.

"Alright, let's try cherry ash now…" He said, opening another box.

This time, Credence stood as still as he could, feeling the hand of Mr Graves tightening the grip on his shoulder as he took the wand. But nothing happened and Percival asked for another one.

The old man was so intrigued by the strange boy, brought in by none other than the famous Mr Percival Graves, but he said nothing during the process of testing wand after wand...well if it could really be called a test, because all the boy was allowed to do was hold each wand for mere seconds.

After a couple of dozen boxes were opened, Mr Graves seemed to grow impatient and chose a box himself, taking out a beautiful hophornbeam with unicorn hair as its core. As he, himself slid it between the boy's fingers, the moment Credence grasped it, a shower of golden stars filled the room.

"We're taking this one" said Percival, retrieving it carefully, smiling in satisfaction.

With the long box in hand, they got into the car once more to return to the apartment. Credence was so impressed with himself for using a wand for the first time, that he almost couldn't believe that he had really done it and that it was his . He held onto the long box as if it was made of gold.

• • • • •

They had dinner together that night and afterwards, Graves took the boy to his personal study, which was spacious enough for them to practice some very basic spells.

Percival had removed his jacket and was uncuffing the hem of his shirt to roll up his sleeves, and Credence eyed him furtively, since he'd never seen the man in such casual attire.

"Credence...remember what happened at the shop before, try not to move the wand around with carelessness, I want you to focus on what you need to achieve...for example a levitation spell, repeat after me: Wingardium Leviosa" he said the words with a swish of his wand and a flick of his wrist to demonstrate how a fancy couch could float in midair gracefully at the wizard's command.

Credence watched it fall back into it's previous position without a sound and mumbled something about never being able to do something like that.

"Now, don't be silly, boy...just repeat my words: Wingardium Leviosa…" He said once again, without any wand, just moving his hand in the form the incantation required to cast the spell.

"Wi...wingard...Levi...oosa" stuttered the young man timidly as he tried to imitate the movement of Mr Graves' hand as if holding an invisible wand.

"No, no...with more grace, here, let me show you…"

Percival went behind him again and held his shoulders to keep him in place, and then took his right wrist in his hand to repeat the movement with the utmost care.

"Now, repeat: Wingardium Leviosa…" He said in with a low voice into the boy's ear.

But Credence couldn't think clearly with Grave's breath in his ear, and his knees started trembling uncontrollably at the proximity of such a man, he couldn't resist the way he touched him.

"Wingar...deum...Winger…" he stammered in a whisper with a sloppy move of his shaking hand.

"Stop, stop, Credence...what's wrong now? You were doing fine just a second ago...please relax…"

"I...I'm sorry...I...I can't…" at that moment the boy's voice broke and a sob escaped his mouth.

Mr Graves held his shoulders once more, reassuringly.

"Alright, let's try something different...I know you're holding so much in, we're going to let it go now."

And letting him go for a moment, he reached out for the new wand, and bringing it to his pupil he slid it carefully between his fingers at last. But before the boy could bring down the building, he raised all of his most powerful wards and protecting spells around the room, and then he went back to stand behind him, holding his shoulders once more.

"I give you permission to wave the wand now, release you power Credence" and with his own hand he took the boy's wrist once again, moving it around. At first just some sparkles came out of the tip, setting fire to the curtains on the window and Credence started shaking in fear.

"Shh, don't fight it, Credence, let it flow...I'm here with you…"

Percival whispered in his ear and moving his hand once more, a burst of blue sparks surrounded them in a whirlwind of light, but with the next swooping motion the lights turned into lightning, striking the walls like in a storm, cracking the bricks and furniture in every corner. Credence wasn't shaking anymore, and his hand started moving on it's own, conjuring more lights and sparks while Graves had to use his own wand to conjure protection for themselves too, amazed at how strong the storm was becoming. When the study was nothing more than a pile of rubble at their feet he then took the wand from Credence's hand, while he returned everything to it's original state.

Then he took the boy to rest on the fancy couch he had levitated before, noticing how agitated he seemed now, Credence may have stopped trembling but now he looked out of breath and exhausted.

"You did so well, Credence...I almost couldn't stop you from killing us both…" He noticed how out of breath he was himself. "You have such formidable power…"

"I...I didn't want to cause any trouble…" stammered the young man apologetically, and Percival felt the young man begin to tremble again, ashamed and scared, so Graves placed his hands on his neck and shoulders, turning him around to try and calm him, whispering in his ear.

"Shh, it's okay...nothing happened to us or the building...and you did perfectly well Credence, that was the kind of relief I wanted you to experience."

And with expert fingers he started massaging the boy's back, and felt him relaxing under his touch.

"Don't you feel much better now?"

"Yes..." Whispered Credence, leaning into the touch of his hands.

Percival noticed how he seemed to react whenever he touched him in anyway, knowing perfectly well the kind of feelings he was triggering inside of him. He decided to keep rubbing down his spine, taking off his jacket to feel the shape of his muscles under the white thin shirt, seizing his waist and feeling the warmth of his skin, realising for the first time that he was a very attractive young man, and not a child at all.

"Do you like it, Credence?" He murmured into his reddening ears, breathing in the scent of his hair and the sweat which clung to the back of his neck. Credence was leaning back so much now that their bodies were touching dangerously on the couch, completely lost in the embrace of such an experienced man, that he couldn't stop a moan escaping from his lips.

At this, Mr Graves had to stop himself and push the boy away before anything got out of hand.

"I think you're too tired to go on, we'll call it a night and go to bed now...I've got to go back to work tomorrow, so we'll continue when I get home…" He stood up, taking Credence's arm to bring him to stand too, the young man was blushing so much by now that he looked feverish.

With an Accio spell he called their wands and jackets to leave the study with them, then he lead the boy through the house to his room, where he helped him lay down, taking his shoes off and tucking him in as if he was a child. Credence, afraid of his own traitorous reactions avoided eye contact until Percival left.

• • • • •

The man couldn't help wondering what had happened, the way Credence had relaxed under his touch was alarming, and that moan sounded so adult and erotic...so irresistible. Yet, he looked so innocent and childlike that it was confusing. Percival tried not to think about it anymore and went straight to his room.