Chapter 10:
As the Pontiac pulled into the Friar's Bowling Alley parking lot Ted and Jane glanced out the minivan window at the large building in front of them. It looked similar enough to most of the other businesses that they'd been to over the last few weeks with the Clays and their siblings (apparently muggles weren't terribly creative with the way they built things, well, at least around here they weren't). Unlike the bank, mall, and various other shops and restaurants they'd been to this building had a much brighter exterior. Strips of light held in tubes criss-crossed the top part of the building illuminating the beige stucco in a bright blue and pink glow. In the center of these above the entry was a large sign similarly illuminated with the name of the business spelled out in looping font, along with a large picture of a ball underneath (what Ted assumed was a bowling ball, given the brief description of the game he'd heard).
"Woah… I've never seen lights like that before." Ted remarked as he stepped out of the sliding door and stood beside the minivan.
"That's neon." Alicia replied, "It's when they take a special kind of gas and trap it in a glass tube, then they send electricity through it and it lights up."
"How do they get the different colors?" Jane asked as she pointed at the two strips at the top of the building.
"No clue." Alicia shrugged. "Maybe they use different combinations of gases in order to change the color? I had to do a report about it in school when we were talking about the periodic table, but aside from that I don't remember much about it."
"We had that too-fifth grade, right Chase?" Danny asked as the group was shepherded toward the door.
"Yeah, and I got stuck with bromine." Chase rolled his eyes, "Great, its red and a liquid. Nobody does anything with it." He huffed.
"You're just sore because you only got a C on your project." Danny smirked, "At least you didn't get carbon-I ended up with almost a novel by the time I was done."
The group continued chattering about school reports for a few minutes before Mr. Henderson had them get bowling shoes, then sit down in front of lane 16.
"Alright, let's get the names in, then we'll get started." Allen said as he typed each name into a separate line on the automatic scoring screen. "You kids are lucky, we had to keep score manually when I was your age-and we didn't have pinsetters like these. You had to have a guy go and reset them every time someone bowled."
"Thank God for technology." Chase said, "I'm awful at math, I could never figure out how to score bowling on my own."
"Well hopefully you're a good aim, because it looks like you're first." Ted stated as he pointed at the screen.
**HP**
"So, wait, this is what muggles think zombies are?" Paul said as he glanced from the screen toward Wolfgang who was tossing another piece of popcorn into his maw.
"Yup. Well, at least since the 60s, as far as I can tell. Before that they had a somewhat more accurate idea of what they were." The man replied.
"Hmm, I wonder what went wrong." He paused, "Not to say that I dislike the movie, it actually is quite titillating-not unlike that book by that writer I got from the public library last week…" He frowned, "What was his name again?"
"King." Wolfgang replied, not looking away from the horde of zombies shambling through the mall, "And if you like him you'll be thrilled to know he's practically written enough books to make it a genre of its own."
After a few moments of silence Paul continued, "Um, thanks for watching with me, even if my brothers are too busy planning their next prank to join."
"I don't mind, it's a good movie. I know the feeling, while I can't say I wasn't the impetuous for some of the hijinks we pulled; I can say there were times the other three were off doing something stupid while I was trying to study." Moony shrugged.
"Yeah, but they probably didn't think you were a bore. After all, I'm just 'perfect Percy'… Even Ron-er-Ted thinks I wouldn't know a joke if it danced naked in front of me…" The teen muttered bitterly.
He sighed, "I mean, it isn't like I want to be boring! I just want to do well. With what happened to my dad, and being here without my mum or anyone else who likes me…it isn't exactly easy. It doesn't help that all the other boys at school think I'm just a brown-nosing goody-goody because I actually give a damn and want to pass the FOXs-a test I've never even studied for that somehow determines my future…" He shook his head, his ginger hair flopping slightly as he did so, "I just don't want to be a burden to anyone, and someone has to make sure that my family is okay!" He stopped, quickly realizing what he'd said.
Wolfgang pressed stop on the remote, causing the tape to freeze as a slight staticky line hummed across the middle of the screen. "You're not a burden, and it isn't your responsibility to take care of your siblings." He smiled reassuringly, "That's what Silas and I are here for." He paused, "As for your classmates, tell them to sod off." The teen's brows rose, "If they aren't willing to work hard, it's their decision-but you're willing to." The man paused, "That being said, you might want to try being less of an arse-it's okay to be smart, but being a condescending jerk is something else altogether. Especially around your brothers."
Paul's brow knitted together for a moment as he thought, "I guess I can be a bit condescending at times…"
Wolfgang raised a brow.
"Fine, I can be a real arse when I want to." The teen admitted, earning a nod from the man sitting in the recliner, "I guess I'm not always the kindest, but it isn't like I don't like them. They're my brothers and sister, I can't not like them, even if the twins have ruined more of my clothes and things than anyone elses…" He sighed, pulling his knees up slightly as spoke, "After Bill and Charlie moved out I was the oldest at home. Then a few months later all this happens and suddenly we're at school in America and I have no idea what to do." He tucked his head into his knees on the couch, "I have no idea what I'm supposed to do, and I'm pretty sure I'm failing…" I'm a failure… He thought as he tried to fight the burning at the corner of his eyes.
Wolfgang got up from the chair and sat beside Paul, placing a hand on his back, "You aren't failing, and you aren't a failure either." He patted the plaid sweater clad teen, "A lot has happened, and a lot has changed for you in a very short amount of time. No one would handle it all perfectly. You're going to be okay. We're here for you."
He looked up, hastily wiping his face with his sleeve, "Thanks." He muttered, clearing his throat, "I really mean it."
"You're welcome." Moony replied with a nod, "Now, how about we get back to the movie, okay?"
"Okay." Paul nodded, a small smile cracking his lips.
**HP**
Meanwhile in the kitchen Will and James sat at the breakfast table while Silas stood discussing the creation of the Marauder's Map and getting the kitchen tidied up from dinner, "…which is how we managed to get the accurate locations of everyone on the map-barring rooms not normally present or indeterminate in size." He concluded as he placed the final dish in the drying rack.
"And all that just because your boyfriend was a werewolf and you wanted to keep him safe." James commented, "You must've been head over heels for him to do all of that."
Silas paused as he dried his hands on the dishtowel, "Believe it or not, at the time we weren't together… Actually, it wasn't until after everything happened with Danny that either of us even considered each other possible romantic partners." He shrugged, "I wasn't even sure I was bi until I was well out of Hogwarts."
Will and James exchanged a quick glance, communicating an entire conversation in a split second, "If it's alright us asking…" Will began.
"…what exactly did happen with Danny?" James concluded, "We know he's actually the-boy-who-lived, but according to the papers he was kidnapped-"
"-some people even think he's dead." Will added.
"Which is how it ought to be." Silas firmly nodded as he sat down opposite the twins at the breakfast table.
"Why?" Will tilted his head slightly.
"Let me put it to you this way: if Danny had remained in England he would've been raised by an awful aunt of his whose mere presence sucks the life and magic out of anyone around her. I can nearly guarantee his life would've been miserable, I can assure you he wouldn't have known about magic."
"But didn't you raise him as a muggle?" James inquired.
"Yes, but we raised him as our son, a normal child, then when it became evident he was magical we told him the truth." Padfoot nodded, "If he would've been with that awful woman chances are he'd have ended up far worse than ill prepared for school to start…" He scowled, "And with Dumbledore in charge I am certain he would've been scheming for something to happen…"
"Mum said nearly the same about us after what happened with our dad." James said as he glanced downward.
"He may be old, but he's crafty and far more devious than he lets on. I learned that when he nearly spirited Danny away…" Silas growled at the memory.
"What?" Will furrowed his brow.
"I was Danny's godfather-I should've been the first one told about what happened, I had the legal right to take care of him. Yet somehow that wizened arse found out before me and sent a lackey of his to get Danny before I even realized. If not for an impromptu visit he would've ended up in the clutches of a 'blood relative' who was anything but relatable to the boy." Silas breathed, knuckles white as he clenched his fists.
"So, how did you get him? And what about Wolfgang?" James asked.
"And more importantly, how'd the three of you end up in Ohio-of all places?" Will added.
"Honestly that night is a blur…" Silas rubbed his temple, "I know after I got Danny away safely the first thing I did was apparate to Moony's. I knew he was safe, not that I didn't trust your parents or any of the other members, but I knew he shared my suspicions of Albus." He took a sip from the mug he'd left on the counter earlier, "I panicked and I needed help-so I went to the last friend I had that I was entirely sure I could trust. He believed me and somehow-I still don't exactly remember-we forged muggle documents with new names and fled. We went to Heathrow Airport and used some of the muggle money I had gotten from Gringott's (long story, but there was a muggle girl I'd been trying to impress at the time) to get tickets as far away as we could. A few hours later we were in Cleveland with nothing but the clothes on our back and Danny."
The twins were stunned silent for a moment, "So, how'd you end up surviving? Did you use magic?" James asked.
"No. That was the first thing we had agreed upon. Magic can be traced, no matter how hard you try to keep it secret, it can be followed. Both of us left our wands in Moony's old flat. I didn't even get a new one until a few weeks before we told Danny about magic being real." Silas sighed, "We had $122 left after the tickets. It was enough for a cheap motel for a week and a few things to eat. We pretended to be brothers at first, then we got jobs and we made sure one of us was always with Danny. We got him a forged birth certificate and social security number, and then we worked like dogs…" Silas rubbed his neck at the memory. "It took us almost four years of hopping from apartment to apartment, scrimping and saving every penny until we had enough for a down payment on a house. We'd managed to get decent jobs and we knew we could afford it, so we moved here." He gestured to the kitchen.
"It was tough. Neither of us was a muggle-born, I nearly burned our first apartment down when I left the stove on… But we managed. I guess through all those shared experiences, coupled with raising a kid together, we ended up finally falling for each other a little after Danny turned three. And, well, then we moved here and did our best to hide magic and raise Danny normal-sure we got looks because we were gay, but after a while nobody really cared." Silas shrugged a final time. "Life is what you make it, so don't let some old sod who claims to be in your best interest decide it for you."