Chapter 9
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or NCIS or any of their characters.
It took Tim and the team the rest of the day to confirm the husband's motive and bring him in for Gibbs to get him to confess in interrogation and Tim arrived home about ten o'clock ready to fall into bed again. This time though Hadrian was still up doing his reading for the government class he was taking at the high school.
"Hey there, have you eaten?" he asked putting aside his book.
"Too tired to eat" Tim replied.
"You'll sleep better if you eat something first. Go shower and I'll make you a snack you can eat in bed" Hadrian replied getting up to give Tim some privacy.
He waited until he heard the quiet squeak of the bed as Tim climbed in and returned with a chicken salad sandwich and a glass of lactose free milk with the flavourings tucked under his arm in case Tim wanted them.
"I'll just go set up the blow-up bed, then I'll be back to clean up" Hadrian said.
"Please don't, we've been sharing for days" Tim said tiredly. "The take down brought up some bad memories, there's a good chance you could return the favour and wake me up from my nightmares tonight. I'm sorry about last night."
Hadrian smiled sadly. "You know I'm here to help" he reaffirmed sitting on the bed. "Do you think it would help to talk about it?" he asked diffidently, remembering how much he hated when Hermione would pressure him to talk about whatever was bothering him.
"I'm trying not to think about it" Tim replied finishing his food.
"Okay" Hadrian replied unoffended, taking the plate into the kitchen and rinsing it before coming and climbing into bed.
"You can put the TV on, or the light if you want to read. They wouldn't bother me" Tim lied sleepily, yearning for the companionship enough to not want Hadrian to go into the other room.
"No I'm tired too" Hadrian replied hearing the unspoken plea and lying down and snuggling into the doona. He wasn't sleepy but he could always practice his occlumency until he was.
-o0o-
Tim introduced Hadrian to the building superintendent the next night. Hadrian didn't know whether to be glad that Tim apparently wanted him to live so close by and therefore continue their friendship or disappointed that Tim seemed to want him to move out into his own place. Reminding himself that Tim had never offered him a permanent place to stay and this introduction had been planned since he arrived, Hadrian set his mind to charming the superintendent. It turned out there were two apartments available in the complex. A two-bedroom ground floor apartment with a good three square meters of sadly neglected garden on the other side of the complex and a single bedroom two floors directly above Tim. It was odd he thought how two apartments identical in structure and wall colours could be so different. Tim's was cluttered and homey, warmly welcoming while this one empty of all furniture looked dingy and cold.
"Are we allowed to paint the walls?" Hadrian asked Tim quietly.
"Yes though if you don't paint the place back these colours when you leave he'll take the cost of repainting out of your bond. Most people don't bother" Tim replied.
"The place already needs painting" Hadrian argued.
"Yeah and the place could really use an elevator but upgrades like that cost money and the landlord only does just above the minimum to keep the tenants from moving out" Tim agreed. "You could photograph the walls as they are now and argue that you shouldn't have to pay for the apartment to be repainted again but I don't know if it'd work unless you chose fairly conservative colours. Of course the super mightn't even notice you've painted if you stick to neutrals."
"Yeah but just looking at these walls makes me want to paint them cheerful colours like crimson and gold" Hadrian replied felling a little homesick for the cosy and welcoming Gryffindor common room.
Tim laughed.
Though Hadrian could easily afford to pay the rent on the ground floor apartment he chose the one over Tim on the hope that it would be easier to keep up their friendship if they could still see each other occasionally in the stairwell.
Being closer would also allow him to cheat on his wards expanding the ill intent ward down to include Tim's apartment and all the others in their proximity though it was highly illegal to ward property you didn't own or lease.
Tim was secretly disappointed he hadn't asked if he wanted to share the two bedroom place, or at least had the spare room to offer Tim when he told him his lease was up, but figured Hadrian didn't know he didn't have a long term lease. However, he could also see the advantages of having his friend only two staircases away instead of on the other side of the courtyard.
-o0o-
Hadrian looked around the empty apartment not exactly eager to start cleaning and unpacking his shrunken furniture.
"You know what this means?" Tim asked teasingly.
"No what?" Hadrian asked hoping his new friend wasn't about to say goodbye.
Tim faked a fearful look and whispered in a dread voice "More shopping."
Hadrian cracked up laughing. "No, no anything but that" he moaned theatrically.
"Well if you want to spend your life sleeping on the floor under your coat instead of in a comfy bed…" Tim began.
"Definitely not" Hadrian said. "Where do I find a mattress like yours?"
"So it's my bed you're interested in not the company" Tim said teasingly.
"Well I'm not opposed to the company, but I didn't think I could buy you at a shopping centre" Hadrian said not entirely sure if he was flirting or teasing.
Tim laughed. "No but you know where to find me if you need me" he flirted back.
"That I do" Hadrian agreed laughing too.
"Do you want to shop tonight?" Tim asked.
Hadrian knew he had most of the furniture and all the kitchen utensils he needed shrunk in his stuff but he couldn't explain that to Tim. He wanted to buy a new bed anyway though, he'd never slept as well anywhere as in Tim's bed and while he knew it was mostly Tim's presence, the bed was more comfortable than his old one and if the memory of Tim's helped him sleep then it would be worth its weight in gold.
"We have work in the morning" he reminded Tim, knowing the older agent was still tired after the case they'd finished yesterday. "I can shop after that if you don't mind me spending another night on your spare bed."
"Of course you can stay" Tim said smiling. "You probably wouldn't get anything delivered tonight now anyway. But why are you moving back to the blow up bed?"
Hadrian smiled. "Do you fancy curry for dinner?" he asked. "I have a nice Rogan Josh recipe I'd like to try."
"Sounds good so long as you don't make it so hot it takes the top off my mouth." Tim replied.
"No I like my curry fairly mild. Come taste test as I'm cooking to make sure I don't make it too hot for you" Hadrian said heading out of his new apartment. "There's nothing more I can do here tonight unless you feel like scrubbing out cupboards."
Tim laughed and shook his head. "I'll leave that up to you."
-o0o-
The next evening Tim accompanied him to the shops, starting with the store Tim had bought his own bed. The store didn't have a mattress like Tim's in stock but Hadrian was content to put it on back order once Tim offered to let him stay with him until it arrived. Hadrian also ordered white goods because Tim would be suspicious if he didn't have a fridge and freezer though to be honest a stasis charm worked much better. He didn't bother buying a television though he'd enjoyed watching with Tim he didn't think it was something he wanted to do on his own. He did buy paint and painting equipment intending to spend the next weekend Tim was working painting his apartment, but didn't bother to buy lounge or dining furniture telling Tim he'd rather look around the second hand shops and get something with character rather than just picking up cheap furniture straight off.
He spent a couple of hours in his empty apartment the next day while Tim was working, setting outer perimeter wards to prevent anyone who wished him ill from entering the building his apartment was in. Because he was concentrating on Tim and Tim's safety while he set the wards he was sure anyone intending to hurt Tim would also be kept out by the wards. Being in a muggle area he could only use repelling wards but the upside of that was that there weren't likely to be any wizards in the area to attack him. He set a second layer of wards inside his apartment to prevent all forms of magical travel and all witches and wizards from entering though he added Teddy, Andi and Hermione to the list of those allowed access. He also cast multiple cleaning and reparo charms at the walls, doors and windows restoring them to pristine then cast colour change charms to match the paint he'd bought, making the whole apartment appear to have been freshly painted before donating the actual paint down at the local charity store.
He felt a little guilty when one of his neighbours suddenly moved out after he set the wards and another was heard complaining that her boyfriend never wanted to come around anymore, but not guilty enough to draw the ward-lines in to the edges of his own apartment. In the week he'd known him Tim had become important to him and he wanted him protected at least here at home where he could do something about it. He also did manage to put some minor protection charms on Tim's car and a wakefulness charm on the driver's seat.
-o0o-
"I'm going to miss your cooking" Tim said as they ate dinner the night before Hadrian's new bed was to be delivered a week later.
"I'd be happy for you to come and have dinner with me any night you're not working. I hate cooking just for myself" Hadrian replied. "There's some frozen meals in the freezer too for when you get back late. I always seem to make too much for just the two of us."
Tim smiled. "Thank you but you should take them. They're your work after all."
"Cooked with your food. Besides I can always make more. I'm not the one that can't cook" Hadrian replied teasingly.
Tim laughed. "I can cook" he protested.
"Then why did you live on takeaway?" Hadrian asked.
"It just seemed easier. It's such a waste of time to cook for myself and after a fourteen hour day at work I can't be bothered with it."
"So we could take turns cooking for each other" Hadrian suggested. "I'm happy to do most of it as I'll probably work shorter hours than you most of the time but I'd like to taste your cooking too oneday."
"Deal" Tim said happily.
-o0o-
Hadrian's furniture arrived and Tim helped him put it together but they continued to eat dinner together every night that neither of them were working or away and Hadrian continued to provide breakfast wraps for them to eat while Tim drove them in to the Navy Yard. Tim never thought to be suspicious of the fact that Hadrian seemed to work every day that he did but never when he wasn't working assuming that Hadrian chose to call into the office each morning when he could.
They spent their days off together with Tim showing the British man around the more minor tourist attractions in the tri-state area and those difficult to access without a car, assuming he would visit the main attractions in his time off without Tim if he were interested.
Hadrian frequently spent the night with Tim either because they'd both fallen asleep watching TV or because one or the other had requested the other's help in keeping the nightmares at bay after a difficult day. Their friendship firmed and deepened as time went on and both of them secretly gave thanks to their chance meeting on the plane.
Some nights they just enjoyed the quiet companionship of not being alone. Hadrian would bring his homework down (under glamour charms to make it look like law books) and work at the table while Tim wrote or messed about with his computer, writing apps or playing games. Other nights they watched movies together. "You know I'm watching nearly as many movies as Tony does these days" Tim commented.
"We don't have to. I could get my own TV if you'd prefer me to" Hadrian replied uncertainly.
"No I enjoy watching with you. Movies are meant to be shared, it wasn't anywhere near as much fun watching on my own" Tim said backtracking. "I only meant that Tony would be impressed with all the movies I've seen lately."
Hadrian smiled. "I enjoy watching more with you too" he admitted.
-o0o-
"You probably should have rented a place closer to the city as you don't drive" Tim said one morning as he drove them to work, a little guilty he hadn't suggested it to his friend before he'd signed the lease for an apartment in his building.
"Or I should learn to drive" Hadrian replied shrugging. "Besides if I lived closer to the city it would be harder to visit you."
Tim grinned. "I'm not saying I'm not glad you're here and I'm happy to drive you but what are you going to do if I get called away on a case?"
"Catch the bus" Hadrian replied. "I catch it home most nights." He hated lying to his friend and began to see why Hermione found it so difficult when she tried to fit back into her parent's world.
"We're you serious about learning to drive?" Tim asked.
"Yeah is there driving schools or something in this area?" Hadrian asked.
"I could teach you but... This isn't the best sort of car to learn in" Tim said hesitantly.
"Not to mention it's your pride and joy. I'd hate to risk damaging it" Hadrian said understandingly. "I think I might need something older with less electrics anyway."
Tim laughed. "One day you're going to have to get over your fear of electronics. You're worse than Gibbs."
Hadrian blushed. Magic and delicate electronics really didn't mix. His first cell phone had lasted four days, and his second hadn't fared any better. Luckily the SIM card had survived so he'd been able to replace the phone the second time without admitting it to Tim.
"Were you serious about being willing to teach me to drive though if I buy my own car?" He asked hesitantly. He didn't want Tim to think he was a burden or trying to take advantage. "I don't mind taking lessons form an instructor."
"You get a car and I'll teach you" Tim said willingly. "I taught my sister to drive, not that that's any recommendation seeing her drive now but she's never had an accident."
"Thanks Tim" Hadrian said smiling at his friend.
"We could go looking for cars this weekend" Tim offered.
-o0o-
Ginny knew she couldn't go to Auror headquarters and demand to know Harry's whereabouts or when he was due back from assignment again. Harry's boss had threatened to arrest her if she did and while she was sure he wouldn't she also realised that he wouldn't answer her questions. Ron and Hermione were both insisting that they hadn't heard from Harry since he left. Hermione was actually rather upset with her over the fact. 'As if it was her fault Harry had been given an assignment away from London' Ginny scoffed. She tried to approach friends in the Auror corps but none of them admitted to knowing anything about Harry's current assignment except that it had come down from the very top. Robbards or maybe even the Minister himself had ordered it. She'd tried every sneaky option she could to find out where Harry had been sent. She talked Dean and Seamus into trying to find out when Harry would be back telling them she had stuff to return to him and as he'd put his house back under the fidelius and owl wards she needed to see him to return it, but nobody would tell them anything either. Wherever it was he was under really good owl redirection wards because she'd tried sending him a letter and following Pig on her broom. She'd easily kept up with the little owl but it had flown directly to Gringotts' London Bank who sent it straight back to her as undeliverable. She tried to visit the bank claiming to have a family emergency that she needed Harry's assistance but the Potter account manager refused to meet with her.
-o0o-
Hadrian frowned as he extinguished the small fire in his pocket caused by his third cell phone being hit by a spell while he was out patrolling. The phone was beyond help but he was able to reparo his uniform before looking ruefully at Auror O'Rielly, his partner for the day, who was laughing so hard he had to lean on the wall to maintain his balance.
His bosses had decided that the best way for him to get to know all the magical areas in the city was to spend a couple of days shadowing the officers that patrolled each of them. The guy he was with the day his phone was destroyed laughed at him for being hit by a kid. "I still don't expect little kids to have wands" Hadrian protested.
"I thought they were just using sticks to play."
"Children aren't allowed to take their wands out in public in England?" O'Rielly asked surprised that a law like that could be enforced well enough for the British Aurors to expect children never to have wands.
"They're not allowed to own a wand until they turn eleven" Hadrian replied. "Some of the old pureblood families have family wands they use to tutor their children but they'd never be allowed to carry them in public for fear of having the privilege revoked. Not to mention it's almost like admitting your child isn't strong enough or smart enough to pick things up quickly enough not to need tutoring before school starts. Something most purebloods refuse to admit so they all pretend they don't let their children use wands."
O'Rielly nodded in understanding. "Children start magical school here at the age of six. It helps to hide accidental magic from the mundanes and stops people from wondering why kids are pulled out of schools at eight like they used to. Not that a six year old is capable of learning much magic of course."
"But starting early like that gives you time to teach all the mundane subjects as well as the magical subjects" Hadrian said nodding. "That way your mundane born students aren't stuck in the magical world having to tolerate all sorts if discrimination because they don't have the education to get a decent job in the mundane world either."
"It's that bad?" O'Rielly asked.
"The Hit Wizards are the only section of the ministry that hire solely on ability. The only other jobs a muggleborn could get in the ministry would be janitorial and kitchen staff and to be honest most of them are squibs and elves. Even a half blood would struggle to advance above the most basic entry level positions unless they were from an old family or had a powerful patron, or possibly were rich enough to bribe your way to promotion. And since they left mainstream schooling at the age of eleven, unless they've been going to summer school to keep up they could only get labouring, domestic or basic retail work in the muggle world unless they have a particular talent or family to employ them.
"I thought things were getting better since Potter won the war. Is the discrimination why you left?" O'Rielly asked.
"No I was an Auror as well as a Hit Wizard. I just needed to get away after I found out my fiancé and her mother had been feeding me love potions." Hadrian said sighing.
"You hadn't noticed?" O'Rielly said slightly derisively.
"They started with loyalty potions when I was twelve then an attraction and jealousy potion at fifteen before graduating to a amortentia. It never crossed my mind that the people I thought of as family could do that to me" Hadrian explained bitterly. "I couldn't press charges without harming my best mate and his father who knew nothing about it so it was better to leave. Besides they were purebloods and I'm not so it's only a misdemeanour which infuriated me. I should have stayed and tried to change things but it's like banging your head on a brick wall."
O'Rielly looked at him closely. "If you don't mind me saying so Potter you need to be less specific about why you left if you want to remain incognito. The abrupt end of your engagement and the trouble your ex fiancé and her mother tried to make before you left did make the international papers."
Hadrian sighed. "I would greatly appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone my original identity" he requested earnestly.
"Your secret's safe with me lad. Nowt'd believe me anyhow" O'Rielly reassured him. "Why America though. You're surely not be expecting a new dark lord here?"
"No, quite the opposite actually. America has a great system of law and equality. I wanted to come somewhere peaceful" Harry said. "Officially I am here to consult in case there are death eaters hiding here since we were never sure how many had escaped Britain at the end of the war but there's been no sign of any."
"I guess I can understand that. I was a veteran from the Korean War" O'Rielly said.
Later that day O'Rielly had led Hadrian into a shop that sold phones. "I assume you got that burnt hunk of plastic in a mundane shop?" He asked.
Hadrian nodded.
"These ones cost a bit more and they won't survive a direct hit like today but they have fire suppressant runes engraved on the inside of the casing so they won't catch fire while you're using it. And if you keep it in one of these protective cases it'll protect it from magic."
"Will it still receive calls and texts in the case?" Hadrian asked.
"Wouldn't be much use if it didn't" the shop keeper said gruffly.
"Can you rescue the card thingie from this? It was a gift from a friend and I don't want to have to tell him I killed my phone so quickly" Hadrian asked.
"You sure did a number on it" the attendant grunted. He managed to get the SIM card out and install it in the new phone though he was surprised it still worked. "You have the luck of the devil. I've never seen a phone that damaged where the card wasn't melted too. That'll be seventy five bucks."
"Thanks for that" Hadrian said to O'Reilly after leaving the store.
"Gift from a girlfriend?" O'Reilly teased.
"Friend" Hadrian corrected blushing.
"You sure about that?" O'Reilly asked.
"I'd like it to be more but I don't think they feel the same" Hadrian said sighing.
A/N: Thank you to linzi, julschristine975, amb6675, Maben00, xDarklightx, Firehedgehog, Rori Potter, Silvermane1, buterflypuss, ToTheStarButPickMagic, Fae0306, Locket1, DS2010, acherongoddess, PickABookOrCrimeShow, lgbtlovechick, Aire5, Merlenyn, Titatovenaares, Kuraihikaru, LadyPolgara70, charlielou1241, flaimingdarkfox, Elf2807, LyokoHacker, sezeny, , Wolfal18, Lucylein89, StephJ, GrimNights, ABaines, SilverFoxQueen, exaigon, tsukasa913, gatewaygodess, Cracker.895, harryfan160889, animal8, , saiph240, ajmcclane193, SparklyFairys, AlixzandraJaydePhoenix, phillg, Morli84, drake305, Captain Len, hitomi-tama, CrossAuroraShepard, Tenma, irishamber, Interested Fan, paters02, Ailuj, WisdomWriter25, TobyDR, bholi, BrookMctirre, mewtwosangel, Karen19, avidereader101, LadyPhoenix731, bobert0774, angelsnowflakes, Wizardsfantasy, childofflameandwave, ReaderOfNeatThings, liliany and Moon's Night Mist for your support.
