Alec learned new things about his boyfriend every day.
The four Shadowhunters, one Daylighter, and one very sparkly warlock were all sitting in Magnus' colourful Brooklyn apartment-occasionally-turned-nightclub. Jace had just finished recounting for the group the argument he and Clary had overheard at Taki's about who would win a fight, Magnus Bane or Albus Dumbledore.
"What?" Alec scoffed from the large bright pink sofa where he was sitting with his boyfriend.
"I still don't know," Clary said thoughtfully, "Dumbledore's pretty kick-ass."
"But don't they have to use, like, wands or something to do magic?" Isabelle asked from the loveseat where she was comfortably cuddled with Simon under Alec's watchful older-brother gaze. "Magnus can just be all…" she trailed off ominously, making an imperious snapping gesture in the air. Clary regretted, once again, trying to get Isabelle to read Mundane books.
"Yeah," Simon interjected, "but Dumbledore had that Austin Powers-y purple suit."
"That's ridiculous," Magnus finally said, throwing his hands up, not letting Jace get out whatever sarcastic remark he planned to direct toward Simon for his input on Dumbledore's wardrobe.
"Thank you!" Alec said, seeming relieved that Magnus, for once, appeared to be agreeing with him. He sank back into Magnus' arms, thinking that this particular argument was over.
"I mean really," Magnus continued, wrapping his arms around his blue-eyed Shadowhunter, "Why would I want to fight Albus? We didn't end things that badly. And that suit," he added in an aside to Simon, "was horrendous. I have yet to let him live that down."
Magnus chuckled as everyone in the room but Jace turned to face him, open-mouthed and wide-eyed. He placed a ringed finger under Alec's chin, shutting it for him.
Jace, being himself, had a smirk across his face, eyebrows raised. "Come, the suit can't have been that awful."
"It really was." Magnus promised seriously, the thought of the purple velour suit making him want to shudder even now.
"You dated a fictional character?" Alec asked, flabbergasted.
"You dated Albus Dumbledore?" Clary demanded.
Magnus chuckled again. These damn Shadowhunters really were growing on him. "No, Alexander, that would be impossible, even for me. And yes, Clare-bear. Shockingly, there weren't that many gay warlocks to go around in London in the mid 1900s."
Clary shook her head, smiling a bit at that.
"Wait," Simon said, a confused expression on his face, "Dumbledore's gay?"
Clary sighed, rolling her eyes at him.
Jace scoffed. "You thought a guy who owned a purple suit was straight?" he demanded of Simon. "I didn't even read these books and I could have told you that."
"Ok," Isabelle said, putting herself back in the conversation. "You guys lost me. Magnus, spill."
Magnus shrugged around Alec on the couch. "There's really nothing to spill. He had just broken things off with that creep Grindlewald, and Camille had left me fairly recently, and we both wanted to date around a bit, so we went out for a while. Nothing serious." He shrugged again. "It was nice. We still keep in touch. And I never have stopped mocking him for that suit."
Simon looked dejected. "I thought that suit was the bomb." He informed them sadly.
"I assure you; I rather thought so myself at the time." came a new voice from the doorway of Magnus' apartment.
Jace and Isabelle jumped up, Jace pulling Seraph blades seemingly from thin air and Izzy's whip uncoiling from her wrist.
Standing there was a man nearly as tall as Magnus' doorframe (which was saying something, seeing as Magnus himself was a good three inches taller than most and fit comfortably inside his apartment) with a long, greying white beard and glasses that looked oddly resembled half-moons that were in the process of sliding down his crooked nose.
Magnus quickly recovered from the shock of the new addition. "Down, Shadowhunters," he instructed Izzy and Jace, who were still in full attack mode. "I do have ways to keep unwanted visitors out of my flat, you know. Speaking of which," he added to the other man once Isabelle and Jace had warily sat back down, "how did you get in here, you old bastard?"
Rather than wait for an answer to his question, Magnus stood up, grinning cheekily, and strode over to the other man, and engulfed him in an easy hug. He pulled away after a moment, keeping his hands on the other man's shoulders. "Albus," he said.
"It is nice to know I can still expect an interesting greeting from you, Magnus," Dumbledore said, smiling down his crooked nose.
"And I a dramatic entrance from you," Magnus added.
"I do have a few tricks of my own, you know." Dumbledore chuckled. "I would be seriously concerned about the safety on this place if I weren't more so for the poor fool who tried to come in uninvited."
Magnus smirked, turning back to the teenagers watching the bizarre exchange. "Al, these are the annoying yet charming teenagers who keep my life interesting. Blondie and the temptress over there who tried to attack you," he pointed out each, "Jace and Isabelle Lightwood. The vertically challenged redhead who's your biggest fan, Clarissa Fray,"
"Clary," the girl corrected.
"The delusional sort-of vampire who didn't pick up on the fact that straight men generally don't own lilac suits, Simon Lewis, and my darling Alec, also a Lightwood."
Jace raised his eyebrows at the sparkly warlock. "What, Alec doesn't get a witty slur? I'm insulted."
"Ah," Albus said, chuckling. "I can see you're in good company, Magnus. Now, as you clearly aren't planning on inviting me in or offering me refreshment, it appears I shall have to do so myself." Dumbledore sat himself down on the pink couch next to a nervous looking Alec and pulled a bottle out of his cloak. "Would anyone care for a drink?" he asked, peering around the room cheerily.
"I would care for one with my life," Jace quickly said, earning a punch on the shoulder from Clary.
Magnus' eyes lit up as he caught sight of the bottle, apparently not surprised that it had suddenly appeared. "Firewhiskey," he said, giving the bottle and the man holding it a somewhat alarming grin. He snapped his fingers, making seven glasses appear, before taking the bottle from Dumbledore. He quickly poured out the flaming liquid into each of the glasses and passed them around to each of the room's occupants saying as he did so, "Honestly, one of the best parts about dating you was the Firewhiskey, Albus," earning an amused chuckle from the man looking quite comfortable on the pink couch.
Jace took his glass without a second thought, as did Isabelle. Clary, after a moment's hesitation, took hers and held it nervously as if afraid it might bite her. Simon gave both the glass and Magnus a wary look and didn't extend a hand to take it from him.
Magnus laughed, rolling his eyes at the vampire boy who had once been turned into a rat by a blue cocktail at one of his parties. "It's safe, I promise. No rodent-like side effects whatsoever."
Dumbledore looked over at Simon across the room. "Smart boy." He commended. Simon took the drink, blushing slightly at the memory of him being not so smart.
Alec looked up Magnus uncertainly as he was offered his own glass. Magnus raised his eyebrows. "You're 19, Alexander," he told him, "It's one drink. You'll be fine." Magnus sat down as Alec gave in and accepted the glass, handing the final two to the old professor and himself. He returned to the couch, seating himself so that Alec's back rested against his chest once more.
Wrapping an arm around Alec's waist and placing a soft kiss on the boy's shoulder, Magnus reached around to clink his glass briefly with Dumbledore's before taking a large sip.
"So," Magnus finally asked his visitor, "was there any reason in particular you decided to break into my apartment? You can't exactly say you were just in the area."
Dumbledore chuckled. "Actually, it was that I was just in the area. As it were, I had to pick up a few things before trimester begins which sadly, London cannot provide me with. And seeing as I was here, I thought to stop by on my old friend Mr. Bane, whom it appears is now the High Warlock of Brooklyn, but who does however, still have what would appear to be a serious weakness for black hair and blue eyes."
"All true. It's a lethal combination." Magnus said, placing his head on Alec's shoulder, cheeks touching, for a moment before kissing his neck and pulling back again. "But this coming from a man who would do anything for a blond with a German accent." He countered.
"Entschuldigung, ich habe eine freundin." Jace said.
"Und ein schooner noch dazu." Dumbledore replied, giving Clary a conspiratory wink. "And if I do say so, my dear High Warlock," he added to Magnus, "I seem to recall a time where someone else had a bit of a penchant for blondes as well." Magnus made a face at the headmaster but decided not to deem that with a response.
"I think I like you better than Camille," Alec muttered to the old wizard.
"I second that," Simon agreed.
"I am deeply flattered that you would prefer me to a vindictive harpy who uses people to achieve her own personal ends." Dumbledore told them. "Truly, I would be blushing if it weren't for the Firewhiskey already having coloured my face quite thoroughly."
Clary blushed, not knowing what the two men were saying she was surprised when Dumbledore had given her a grandfatherly wink. "So it's true then?" she asked him, "You were with Gellert Grindlewald?"
Dumbledore smiled at her sheepishly, almost as if he were embarrassed. "I was young and foolish and in love. I'm guessing you know the feeling?"
Clary smiled back at him. Twisting her head up to look at Jace, she caught his eyes looking down at her, that open warmth in them that only she brought. He brought his lips down to meet hers for the smallest moment.
"I'll drink to that," Magnus declared, holding up his glass. "To being foolish young people in love."
Dumbledore turned to look at Magnus, an eyebrow raised and a look that could only come from being headmaster. "Alright," Magnus mumbled, "to being foolish somewhat older people in love, too, then."
"Oo!" Izzy exclaimed, "I just had an idea. I can make everyone dinner!"
Izzy looked only slightly put out as a simultaneous "NO!" came from every person in the room other than the new arrival. She rounded on Dumbledore with the innocent doe-eyed expression her brothers had seen her use on countless demons before attacking.
"Albus," she pleaded, "you wouldn't be so rude as to not accept my offer to make you dinner, would you?"
As Dumbledore sat, torn between his ingrained manners and his natural instincts to survive, Magnus laughed. "Remember that bit about vindictive harpies who use people to achieve their own personal ends?" he asked the man.
Dumbledore looked nervously at the High Warlock. "Is it really that terrifying?" he inquired in a stage whisper.
Magnus nodded sadly. "Nearly as terrifying as that purple suit of yours," he confirmed.