They'd arrived back in the Realm just after dark, Fred and George had been a little disappointed that they couldn't see much, but Harry thought it was just as well. He'd much rather go home and try to get his mind around all the things he'd learned today, instead of haring off after the twins as they rampaged their way through the Realm. Though, that could be fun later, just not right now.
Ash gave Fred and George the room beside Harry's, the one that was supposed to be for Fionn, but the Fae had never used it. Harry supposed that since Fionn was Courting him now, he should be using it. But after this long of sleeping in the same bed, and always just being there, it would feel too weird not to have the Fae around. Not to mention that would mean Fionn would have to bunk with the twins as Ash only had those two extra rooms. And he wasn't sure the Fae would forgive him for that.
As he crawled into his bed, he was a little surprised that the twins hadn't said anything about Fionn sharing his room, but it was just barely possible they hadn't noticed. Or perhaps they were taking pity on him, and all the teasing would begin in the morning. He wasn't going to think about it right now. He knew he was doing that a lot -not thinking-, but so much had been happening it was overwhelming. Hermione wouldn't let him get away with it, but so far none of the others had called him out on it... He fell asleep with Fionn curled up by his side, mentally reminding himself to get in touch with Hermione. He needed to know who's side she was on.
He woke early the next morning to twin shouts in his ears and the covers being yanked off as the bed bounced wildly. Jerking upright, his wings snapped out and he called Fire to dance along the fingertips of one hand as he made sure Fionn was close enough to protect with the other. He heard a startled eep!, and his sleep-hazed mind tried to wake up more fully and catch up to what was going on. He was in the Realm, at Ash's house, and Fred and George had come back with them last night...which meant he most likely wasn't actually under attack. Or at least, not the kind where he needed to have called Fire...
"Remind me not to sneak up on Harry again Gred."
"Yeah, that was a bit on the scary side Forge...but can you see our sales if we could make a candy that let you have flames coming out of your fingers?"
"Oh yeah... We'd have to figure out how to get the flames to not burn anything, but I think we could manage that if we use-"
"Was there a reason you woke me up guys, or did you just get that bored?" Harry sighed and closed his hand, the flames winking out as though they had never been. Fionn grumbled under his breath and rubbed his eyes, leaning against Harry's side, the Fae's hair rumpled both from sleep and the wake-up call they had just gotten.
"We were bored, and want to go see the Realm! You promised to show us around today, remember?" Fred whined, peering out from behind the desk where he and George had scrambled to take cover.
"Yeah and... Hey, why is Fionn in your bed? Did we interrupt more than just sleep?" George snickered.
"Why don't we get to sleep in your bed if he does? I claim tonight!"
Harry covered his eyes with a hand and took a deep breath, but before he had actually figured out what he was going to say, he felt Fionn sit up. The Fae was no longer leaning on him, but was still close enough their arms brushed lightly.
"Courtship has special privileges. You will have to wait your turn." Fionn spoke softly still, but his tone was firm. And then he went still and dropped his head slightly, looking up at Harry from under his lashes as though he wasn't sure he was allowed to have spoken.
Harry patted Fionn's hand and turned back to the twins. "Uh, well. Ash only has two guestrooms, she gave me this one when we got here and I wasn't about to put Fionn in with you. And... yeah... Fionn is Courting me..." He trailed off, not exactly sure how to explain Courtship. It was also a little uncomfortable to be getting into all this while sitting in his bed wearing nothing but his boxers.
"Wait, you're Courting? Like the whole engaged-to-be-married kind of Courting?" Fred's eyes were wide as he looked between Fionn and Harry.
"Kind of?" Harry ran a hand through his hair and tugged it a bit.
"Courtship in the Realm starts with an acceptance of a gift. And then formal acceptance of the Courtship. After which the couple or current mateship get to know the potential mate. When the Courtship ends, if the potential mate is accepted, we exchange claiming studs. Which is sort of like marriage and wedding rings in your realm." Fionn looked at his hands while explaining, voice still that soft careful tone.
Harry wondered if he would ever be whole enough to act and speak the way he did before he was indentured. Or if this was the way he had been before? Sometimes Harry saw glimpses that made him sure the Fae wasn't always like this, but he didn't know if Fionn would be able to get past what had been done completely.
One of the twins whistled, Harry hadn't been paying attention to them, so missed just which one had done it.
"Didn't know you were into blokes Harry."
"Yeah. Doesn't bother us any of course, but m-" George stopped suddenly and blushed faintly. "I mean, Gin will be disappointed. She always thought you two were going to marry someday. Had your wedding planned out since she was seven."
Harry was sure George had been about to say "mum", and then remembered what they'd learned yesterday. He was grateful the twin had remembered and changed his sentence, but it still hurt thinking about Molly.
"I doubt she'll be all that upset. She's been dating Seamus for a while now. Or hadn't you noticed? But as much as this has been fun, I'd kind of like to get a shower and dressed soon. Without you two in here. Meet you in the sitting room later and we can go for breakfast and then a tour? Ash doesn't cook, so most of our meals are had while we're out."
Fred and George hurried out telling Harry to hurry up already then, leaving Harry and Fionn alone. Harry's wings were twitching a bit in agitation from his thoughts as he sat on the bed another moment. Fionn watched him silently, and then reached out and lightly ran a hand down the closest wing soothingly.
"Shower and dress. Think later, when you can do something about it."
The touch was a surprise, it sent tingles down his spine and made him feel warm all over. It wasn't as strong a reaction as when Fred and George had been touching him that day, but it was stronger than it had ever been with Fionn before. And it could easily be less because of being only one person and one hand, instead of two people and three hands. Could this really work? He'd been thinking mostly to just humor Fionn, he hadn't really thought anything would come of the Courtship. The Fae was too broken in Harry's mind after all. But if he was compatible... Harry vaguely remembered what Herne had said about magic and compatibility in regards to his wings being sensitive to touch.
So lost in thought was Harry, that he hadn't noticed Fionn leave the bed or get dressed. When the Fae approached him and laid a hand on his shoulder however, his attention snapped back to the present.
"Shower and dress. Your friends won't be patient long."
"Yeah. Okay, I'm going. Sorry, too much to think about today." Harry shrugged and then gathered his clothes and took the bundle into the bathroom with him.
Fionn headed for the sitting room, he could hear one of the twins talking to Ash in a loud, excited voice. But he didn't bother to listen, he just headed for the couch and sat down at one end. Shortly after he was settled, one of the twins came into the room alone.
"I'm George if you're wondering." George grinned slightly and flopped down in a chair a few feet from Fionn. "So... Courting huh? We never expected Harry to think about that kind of stuff until after the War. I mean, he dated, but always said they were disasters."
Fionn studied George in silence a moment, before finally speaking. "I asked, he Accepted."
"But isn't he a little young? I mean, no offense to you or anything. If Harry accepted then he must have good reason, see something in you and all. But... Ash said you guys are immortal? And Harry's only sixteen. Why ask him now?"
Fionn dropped his eyes to a spot on the floor, one hand lightly traced designs on the armrest of the couch. When he finally spoke, his voice was a bit softer than usual, and he never looked up at George. "I'm twenty-five, not that much older in immortal terms. And..." He paused a moment before taking a breath. "You've seen him. How everyone seems to gather around and follow him. Everyone likes him, he's powerful as a Wizard, when his blocks are gone, he'll be a powerful Demon too. All mates in a mateship have to approve new potentials, or they don't get accepted after Courtship."
He finally looked up at George. "Can you see anyone accepting me if I was not the first in his mateship? I know..." He looked away again. "I know I'm broken, and that he deserves better. But I love him, I had to try while I had a chance. Any chance at all." A single tear rolled down Fionn's cheek.
"Bloody hell! Don't cry! Harry'll tear me a new one if he thinks I made you cry! You can't be that broken or Harry never would have accepted the Courtship. He's like that, won't take advantage of anybody. We saw how he always knew where you were, kept an eye on you during his visit and yesterday too." George looked quickly towards the archways that led off into the rest of the house, no one was coming yet, so he had time before he ended up dead.
Fionn chocked a small laugh. "He won't kill you. If you were one of us, he'd probably accept you and your twin into his mateship before he accepted me. The only thing stopping him is your mortality, and his obliviousness."
George blushed a bit. "Uh, I don't know what you're talking about. Harry isn't interested in me or Fred. Besides, what does our being mortal have to do with anything? I mean, yeah, we'll die and you lot won't, but..?"
"Humans can't live here. I don't know why exactly, but something in the magics that made the Realm... twist them. If they stay more than a few weeks, sometimes less, they fade. If they don't leave at the first signs of fading, they're just...gone. Nothing left."
"Then we'll have to be sure to keep a close eye on Fred and George, to make sure that doesn't happen." Harry walked into the room in time to hear the last thing Fionn said. "So, ready to see the Realm in daylight?"
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