The next morning I'm up before seven and hop into the shower, the boiling water turning my skin a pale pink as I stand under the steady stream. I use all the hot water thinking about my life up to this point and then frantically scramble out when the water goes below -40. I wrap a white towel around my waist as I leave the bathroom and begin to study the parcels, trying to find something to wear.
Finally deciding on number six, I tear it open and set the clothes on the desk as finish drying off. I pull the grey skinny jeans on as I hum softly to myself, tugging the belt through the loops absentmindedly. I slide my dusty, old Converse on before picking the black shirt up and slipping it over my shoulders, buttoning it up as I search around for my card.
Once I find it I slide it down into my front pocket and grab the key to my room as I leave, locking the door behind me as I go. I stride down the stairs confidently with my marks on display,feeling better about them now that I know what I am and not the freak I thought I was becoming, ignoring the way people seem to watch my every move as I sit down at the bar. A plate of eggs and bacon slides down the smooth counter as Rico appears in front of me, his usual smirk in place.
"Since I'm off today I was wondering if you'd like to join me for some shopping," He asks happily, eyes sparkling as I begin to eat.
"Sure, can we get my wand first though? I'd definitely feel safer having one on me." I reply as he hands me a bottle of Butterbeer, smiling down at one of the few friends I have. I finish my food quickly and hand the plate to one of the other workers, sliding off my barstool to follow Rico outside.
We leave Vertic and slip through Diagon unnoticed as a few people mill about, stepping through to Knockturn Alley when no one's looking. As we walk down the dark alleyway I can't help but feel I'm being watched, my skin crawling as we get deeper into the ominous alley. Rico pulls me into a dirty shop and then stops, dust covering every surface as if no one's been here in decades. I turn to him to ask what we're doing here when a loud 'pop' echoes through the room and a small man appears behind me, a grimy hood covering the upper half of his face.
"How can I be of assistance?" The man wheezes out, his voice rough and grating as he speaks.
"I need a wand." I state confidently, keeping my eyes level with his as he motions me forward, grabbing my wrist in a grip that's surprisingly strong. I barely manage to resist the urge to growl at the smaller man and instead settle for baring my teeth with a harsh glare.
"I'd let go and I'd let go now." I whisper softly, the anger in my voice betraying the softness of my tone. The man laughs quietly and then releases my arm, moving towards a doorway with a hole-riddled cloth separating us from whatever's inside it.
"Not a problem, I have what I need anyhow." He finally mutters, motioning for me to follow him as he slips behind the curtain, leaving Rico to hopefully not set anything on fire.
He points to a chair in the center of the room and then just stands there, watching me fidget awkwardly. He does this for a bit before beginning to bustle around the room, grabbing blocks of wood, tiny gems, and clear vials off the wall before escaping to yet another back room. I listen closely as he works, trying to place his scent from the ones in the book, the scent of death in the air around him.
It takes a little over a half hour but then he strides back in and presents me with a matte black box, offering it to me with a suspicious smile. I take it begrudgingly and slip the top off, marveling at my new wand. The light colored wood is thin with a slightly thicker base as it gets to the end, the feel of it smooth in my hands. I mutter a 'stupefy' at Rico and chuckle as the red sparks hit him in the ass. I turn to the man to ask how much when I note the black leather wand holster he's offering.
"What's the catch?" I finally ask, pointing my wand to the ground as he laughs once more.
"Nothing, young one, I just ask a favor of you in the future." He explains quietly, nodding down at the holster with a small smirk. I glance over at Rico who just shrugs in the least helpful way possible and then sigh, reaching down to take it from the strange man. I secure it around my right forearm and tug my sleeves down, effectively concealing my new wand. I nod gratefully at the man and then motion for Rico to follow me out, eager to get the hell out of here.
"I can't say that I'm a fan." I comment absentmindedly as we leave the dark alley, sticking my hands into my pockets as he veers towards the Leaky Cauldron. Not knowing where we're going I decide to just go along for the ride for once, walking out of the bar and into Muggle London. Rico leads me down the noisy streets and towards the shopping center near here, a smile on his face as the sun shines down on us.
"Darius is a strange character so to speak, but he's not too bad." He finally replies as we walk inside, Rico immediately heading to a shoe shop.
"I don't have Muggle money, mate." I state as I study all the shoes curiously, running a hand through my hair as he begins to grab a few boxes.
"Since you're Lord Potter, you undoubtedly have one of those fancy cards." He drawls quietly, raising a brow as if it's obvious. I nod slowly but then realize exactly what he said, reaching out to grab his arm and pull him close, a jolt going through my body as our eyes meet.
"How did you know my name? I never told you!" I whisper quickly, shock seeping into my tone as he rolls his eyes rudely.
"Calm down princess, everyone saw your scar your first day here." Rico explains with a knowing smirk, removing my hand and continuing to grab shoes. I take a deep breath and turn to him, intent on asking why he shocked me but then he's on the other side of the store and I'm jogging to catch up.
"Here," He says as he shoves five boxes into my arms, "Try these on and then we can go to the next store." I repress a groan as I plop down onto a bench and kick off my shoes. I try on all of these, glad that they fit almost perfectly, and then stuff them back into the boxes with a satisfied smile. I search for Rico and my smile quickly falls when he walks back over with seven more boxes in his arms.
This time I groan as I'm forced to try these on as well, mock glaring over at his smug little face. Once we're done I pay for the shoes and go into the bathroom to shrink them down to fit in one bag, turning to Rico and raising a brow in silent invitation to lead the way. He smiles happily and begins to walk farther into the mall, stopping at a store that reminds me somewhat of Vertic. It's out there, kind of hidden yet in plain sight so it's pretty perfect.
The store is filled with band merch I've never heard of, movie merch, even a couple of pairs of strange looking shoes. I grab a few belts, a pair of suspenders, and a nice looking beanie to cover my messy hair as Rico gets some band shirts he seems to love. I put this bag with my shrunken down shoes and continue on into a jewellery shop where Rico pulls me over to the watches, pointing a couple he really likes but a black one catches my eye. I signal a store own and buy it before wrapping it around my wrist, smiling at the fact that all of this stuff is actually mine.
We break for lunch at a McDonalds and I pay for his as well as a thank you for bringing me here, noting the way he smiles slightly with his head down. I choose a table by a large window and watch all the people milling about as I eat, slurping down a milkshake that Rico said was almost heavenly but I still think Treacle Tart is better.
After lunch Rico decides we're done and we start back to the alleyway, ignoring the other wizards as we slip into Vertic. We stop by the inn so I can put my bags away and then I talk Rico into showing me the rest of the alley. He shows me the market, the pizza place, the apothecary, as well as the branches of Gringotts and Scribbulus. I run a hand through my hair and then glance over at the barbershop with a smile, not saying anything as I jog inside with Rico close behind.
"Hi, how can I help you?" I spin around quickly and come face with a tall woman, skin as light as the sky on a clear day.
"I'd like a haircut, please." I reply once I get over my initial shock, my cheeks heating up as I was caught staring.
"It's alright kid, all the new one's stare at first, I would to." She stage whispers, winking up at me as she strides over to the third chair with a small smirk. I plop down as I mock glare over at a sniggering Rico, flipping him off when the lady isn't looking.
"How do you want it, kid?" She asks as she grabs some tools, making me look towards Rico who already has a book open and is pointing to a picture, smirking over at me as if I'm going to leave with pink hair. The woman nods and begins to brush out my long ass hair, sighing deeply as she begins to snip it all off, watching it fall away just like my old life.
It takes about a half hour for her to cut through the thick tresses and shave the sides of my head, the hair on top staying a decent length. I smile once she's done, tipping her a little extra before leaving the shop, running a hand through my shortened hair with a satisfied smile. We wander to the opposite end of the alley where I notice a large modern house, a realty sign out front calling my name.
"This place has been on sell for months, no one here has a high enough paying job so it's been vacant." Rico explains when he sees my eyes studying the exterior, a smile on his face as I drag him over. I step up to the door and cup my hands over my eyes to peer through the glass, not noticing the 'pop' of someone apparating in until they speak.
"Would you like to look around?" I spin around to face a woman almost as tall as I am, her ears telling me her identification before her scent does.
"Um, yes ma'am." I decide, motioning for Rico to follow as she pushes the door open and steps inside.
"The house is fairly new, all the furniture hand-crafted by a renowned muggle. There's three floors, two above ground and one below, only accessible by a selected few," She explains as she shows us the living room and kitchen, "There's a large library, gym, conference room, and potions lab down there for whatever purposes." She strides over to a section of wall and presses her hand against a small spot, smirking as the wall slides apart to reveal a muggle elevator.
"Upstairs you have four bedrooms with their own bath, a recreation room, and a smaller room for kids." She states, shutting the doors back and then turning to face me with a large smile, obviously enjoying what she does. I glance around at the light grey walls, the tall windows, and then smirk down at her.
"How much?" I question curiously, crossing my arms over my chest and watching Rico wander around curiously.
"With the furniture included it'd be 147,000 galleons, without it would be 97,000 galleons." She replies in one breath, her smile dazzling me a bit as I decide on the latter deal.
"I'll take it with the furniture," I decide quietly, handing her my card and the studying the black leather couches and beautiful hardwood floors. The woman hands me my card back and then strides out with a polite wave, leaving me to go find Rico and rein him in.
I find him studying the kitchen and all the appliances with an amazed look on his face, kind of cluing me in on to the fact he may like to cook/bake. He turns around when he hears me approach and dons a sheepish smile, running a hand through his hair while chucking awkwardly.
"It's cool, this is my place now. Do you live in the alleyway also?" I inquire curiously, leaning my elbows on the island with my head in my hands.
"I live at the inn right now as I couldn't find anywhere else so Moira offered me a room for free as long as I work whenever she needs me to." Rico explains softly, joining me on the other side of the island with a small smile.
"Why don't you come and stay with me? It's not like I don't have the room." I joke quietly, hoping to have someone with me in this large house. He seems to think about it for a minute before smiling happily and holding out his hand.
"Roommates?" He asks with a raised brow, his usual carefree smirk on his lips.
"Roommates." I reply just as happy, shaking his hand and then moving to the door with him close behind me. We head back to the inn to get our stuff, splitting up once we're inside as I go up the steps and he goes towards the backroom. I gather all my bags from earlier and turn my key into Moira, paying her as Rico walks out with a leather trunk and an owl on his shoulder.
As we walk back to my new house I decide to send a few letters, asking Rico if I can borrow his beautiful owl for a bit, him readily agreeing with a small smile. Once we're back at my place we board the elevator and head up to the second floor, me heading down the right side while Rico goes left. I choose the room at the very end and set my bags down on the bed, noting the large walk-in closet to my left and the massive windows overlooking Vertic.
I plop down on the small leather couch beside the window and begin my letter to Professor Snape, revising multiple times to get it just right.
Professor Snape,
It has been an enlightening and eventful summer so far. First off, I'd like to apologize for being a right prat these past years. I was blinded by ignorance and manipulation, but that is not an excuse for my actions. I believe that had I seen what Dumbledore was doing to me I would've been less of a pain in the arse.
Second, I've come to the conclusion that the Light Side is not what I had thought it was. Dumbledore played upon my lack of knowledge and began molding me into his perfect weapon to defeat Voldemort, but no one asked me what I wanted. He knew exactly the situation I was living in and he did nothing about it, he sent Hagrid to collect me because he knew he'd sing his praises. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I am done. I wish to speak with you in person before the new school year starts, let me know a time that is amiable for you.
Sincerely,
Hadrian Potter
I open a section of my window and hand my rolled up parchment to Amir, Rico's owl. I watch him fly away before shutting it back again, grabbing my bags and stepping into my overly large closet. I put all my shirts on the left side with my pants pinned underneath, I put my muggle jackets on the left as well and the one cloak I own opposite it with a suit jacket.
My accessories go in the labeled drawers and then my shoes go on the back part, the shelves are barely full even with the few pairs I actually have now, the right side completely empty for now. I fill the left side with all my muggle items, the other one empty since I don't have many magical accessories. I put the last of my stuff away and then head out to my room, sliding my closet door shut with a sigh.
"Hey Harry, can I come in?" Rico calls out, startling me out of my thoughts before I stride over to the door.
"C'mon in." I reply as I open the door, moving back to allow him room to squeeze a tray through the door. He hands me two plates and a bottle of Butterbeer, leaving without a word and walking out of my room. I glance down at the plates of sandwiches and scarf them down before setting them on the stand opposite my bed. I slide over to the window, leaning against the smooth glass to watch the setting sun over the alleyway.
I peer up at the clock above my bed and note the time with a tired sigh, deciding to strip my clothes off and flop onto my bed, ready for the next day.