I don't own Harry Potter or Brokeback Mountain.
"Any ideas on what to get Alex fer his birthday." Jack and Ennis were sitting on the porch watching their children play with the hose. The water fight had started out simple enough. Junior was watering the garden, and they'd seen Bobby whispering to Alex. Next thing they knew the little boy was running up to Junior, and holding out his hands for the hose. He'd started out watering the plants that had just started poking up through the dirt, but then Bobby had come up behind them and helped Alex aim the spray of water at Junior. It wasn't long before Jenny joined the fray, dragging a couple of buckets, and before long water was flying everywhere.
The two couldn't contain their laughter when Sirius got a face full of water as he and Remus walked into the middle of the war zone. Their laughter was short lived as Sirius turned into his animagus form, and Alex came running at them with tears running down his face. He slammed into Ennis's legs, and promptly started trying to climb up him. Jack watched as Ennis stopped down and lifted their little boy into his arms, and held him close, trying to calm him down.
"I'm so sorry Ennis, I wasn't thinking." Sirius came running up to them, and Alex lifted his head from Ennis's shoulder at the sound of his voice, reaching for Sirius when he saw the man. "It's alright Pup, see I'm just me again." He cooed to the little boy.
"We aint explained magic ta 'im yet, didn' want ta throw too much at 'im all at once." Ennis explained to Jack and Bobby, who'd joined the group on the porch along with the participants in the water war. Jack turned back to Sirius and his son when he heard a child's giggle fill the air, and he saw Sirius was tickling the little boy.
"I don' think ya need ta get yerself a cattle dog, just have Sirius here do it." Bobby said with a grin, laughing outright when Sirius glared at him. Then to Alex he said, "Do ya like dogs?" They all watched as Alex just stared at him, still unsure of the two newcomers. "I know I been askin' my daddy fer a puppy since I could talk...say ain't ya got a birthday soon?" Ennis had discussed with him getting a couple of dogs for the ranch, every ranch needed a couple of dogs. However, seeing Alex's reaction to Sirius's animagus form, he wasn't sure how well their son would handle having dogs around. "Ya wanna see Sirius turn inta a dog again?"
They were all surprised when Alex nodded, and Bobby took the tittle boy out of Sirius's arms. Alex was too busy watching Sirius to notice who was holding him. Sirius glanced at the the two parents before changing into a dog again. Childish laughter filled the air after Sirius changed and jumped on Bobby, licking Alex's face.
"Alright I think it's time fer everybody to go dry off." Jack informed the group, a little while later, after they had some time to play with Sirius in dog form. He had somehow managed to be the only one who stayed dry, granted, only Ennis's shirt was wet from holding Alex.
It was at that moment that the sheriff car pulled up the drive, and Jack couldn't help but notice the look of fear that took up residence on Bobby's face as the man stepped out of the car. "I'm lookin' fer a John Twist?" The man studied the group, and Jack pushed his way through to the front of it.
"I go by Jack." He put on his best smile, and held out his hand for the man to shake. He turned to see everyone watching the two of them closely, and that Ennis had taken their son from Bobby while his back was turned. "What can I do fer you?" He turned back to the sheriff.
"Henry, but folks round here jus call me Hank. Got word from the sherif in Texas that yer wife was killed, said a friend a yers brought yer boy up here after she was found." The man appeared pretty uncomfortable at this point, and Jack was sure he knew what was coming, "Word is you mighta had somethin' ta do with it."
"Lureen's daddy done said that, but I can tell ya I had nothin' ta do with all that. Truth is, I got on a plane the day before ta come here, got my ticket inside ifin that will help." He motioned toward the house, and was surprised when the sheriff just shook his head.
"Sheriff back in Childress said he didn' think you done it, was jus followin' protocal, this here's where I tell ya ter stay put, and I'd be by ifin there were anymore questions. But I don't think you'll be leavin jus yet, hate fer ya ter miss the annual end a summer fair." The man grinned at this, and Jack couldn't help but relax a bit.
"Sure would hate ta miss it...sides, was plannin on sticken round and helpin my friend get this place up and runnin." He knew Ennis would likely kill him if he told this stranger the truth bout why he was really sticking around.
"Glad ta hear it...come ta think of it, I don' think I met any of the rest a yer friends.". Hank said, looking over the group again, reminding Jack that Ennis and the rest of them were still new to the area as well.
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"Well, where do you wanna start?" Jack asked, as he picked Alex up and rested him on his hip, ready to follow Ennis around. He couldn't help but smile as he felt the little boy wrap his arms around him, and hold on tight. He knew Alex wasn't as comfortable with him as he was with the others, so he just tried harder to let his little boy know that he was loved by him, in the hoped that Alex would soon be comfortable with him.
"We'll jus' start walkin' 'round, nothin' wrong with lookin'." They'd heard about the horse sale that was going on a couple of towns over, and he and Junior had teamed up to talk Ennis into going to check it out with the hopes of getting more horses so they could all go for rides together.
"Daddy, maybe we should all split up, cover more ground that way." Junior suggested, and Jack could see that her suggestion had merit.
"I think that sounds like a good idea, but no one is to go off on their own." He aimed a look at the three teens, he was pleased with how friendly the three had become. He smiled at Junior when she reached for Alex, "Yer daddy and I'll keep 'im here with us, this way you don' have to worry 'bout watchin' 'im." Junior was great with Alex, but he wanted her to have fun and be a kid.
"You sure? You ever seen how daddy gets when lookin' at horses?" Junior an him had found an understanding, and for that he was greatful. It made things at home a lot easier.
"What do you think of this one Alex?" He sat the little bow on the fence, in the pen was a large horse that was a dark red, almost black. They had been looking at horses for the better part of two hours, and so far Ennis hadn't found what he was looking for, much to Jack's chagrin. "I like 'im." He continued watching the horse, while holding his son tight. He noticed that the animal stayed as far from them as possible and seemed to completely ignore them.
He grinned when he saw Alex nodding his head, a serious expression on his face. he couldn't help but grin when Alex held his hand out toward the horse. "I wouldn't get too close, that horse is a beast." He turned to address the man who was approaching him from behind. "Can't tell ya the number of hands that horse has bit or kicked. Gonna put 'im down if he don't sell here."
He turned when he heard the childish giggle, and grinned when he saw the horse sniffing Alex's hair. "Don' seem all that bad ta me." He then turned to the horse, "Well, how 'bout it boy, mind if I show 'im the right way ta pet ya?" He laughed when the horse shook his head, though he knew the animal didn't really understand what he was saying. "Just like this son." He reached out and stroked the horses neck, smiling when Alex copied his movements.
"Find somethin'?" He turned to see Ennis walking toward them, just behind the man who'd been talking about putting the animal down, who now looked completely baffled. Alex squirmed to be put down, and when his feet were firmly planted on the ground he took off running toward Ennis. The blond couldn't help but chuckle as he was pulled over to the fence, and their son pointed at the horse. Ennis reached up and stroked the animal's neck, "You found a good one." Alex grinned as he pointed to Jack, "Did yer daddy find 'im?" Alex nodded his head, pointing at Jack.
"You sellin' 'im?" Ennis turned to the man Jack had been talking to earlier. The man must have seen the chance to get rid of the animal, and Jack took up the negotiations for the purchase.
"So is he our first?" Jack asked, turning to look at Ennis, who had a firm grip on Alex's hand, which was impressive as the little boy kept trying to tug his hand free.
"Yeah, haven't found any others worth buying yet." Ennis informed him before looking down at their son who was still trying to break free. "Alright Bud, what is so important?" Alex grabbed Jacks hand, and pulled the two men along behind him, heading toward the back of one of the empty pens.
That was when Jack noticed the little girl crying at the back of the empty pen. "Hey there little darlin, are you lost?" He figured that was the case, and tried to give the child a reassuring smile when she looked up at him and smiled. "Did you come here with yer mama an' daddy?"
"Mummy says not to speak to strangers." The little girl responded, her bottom lip quivering. "But I don't know where mummy and daddy are." She let out a heart broken wail, and Jack tried his best to comfort her.
"How about I tell you who we are, then we won't be strangers and you can talk to us so we can help you find yer, mama an' daddy." He waited for her to nod before continuing. "Well, I'm Jack Twist, and this here is Ennis Del Mar an' his son Alex." He hated making it sound like Alex only belonged to Ennis, but knew muggles would never understand.
Alex waved at the other child from his hiding spot behind Ennis's legs, and Ennis looked decidedly uncomfortable, no doubt due to the crying child. He smiled at Alex as the boy slowly crept out from behind Ennis, and held out his hand for the little girl to take. "Well, would you look at that, he's usually shy around strangers, I think he wants to be friends. That got a smile out of the girl, and Jack hoped they were getting somewhere, sure her parents were about out of their minds with worry; he knew he sure was the time Bobby got lost when he was around their age.
"I'm Hermione, Hermione Granger.".
