((Didn't write the actual trial as my muse wanted to do other things. But the summary of what happened is at the end of the chapter. Instead you get to read fluff and angst. Kinda. *lol*
No beta, so any mistakes are my own.))
Today was the day of the trial. Laric had assured him that there was no way the Dursley's were going to walk free, but Harry couldn't stop the way his thoughts kept running in circles. It didn't help that Fionn had been whisked away by Rialyn shortly after Laric left. The Golden Fae hadn't wanted to leave him, but there was really no use arguing when Rialyn had made up his mind about something.
Harry chewed his lower lip, barely noticing when he bit a little too hard and it started to bleed. His hands were tightly twined together, and he just kept imagining all the ways it could go wrong.
"All right. That's it. Up. Up!" Fred had been trying to get Harry's attention for a while now, but he had been too focused on other things to even know the Water Demon was in the room. Fred reached out and gently but firmly grabbed Harry by the upper arm, and tugged at him as he repeated 'up'.
"You are going to help Georgie and I, and you don't get to say no." Blue eyes sparkled impishly at Harry, as he was tugged from the room, down the hallway, and into the room Fred and George had taken over.
It had been re-arranged since it was no longer a guest room. The bed was pushed up against the far wall, and along the back was their inventing area. A long work table with multiple cauldrons, ingredients and equipment on shelves above it. A desk to one side, covered in parchment, quills and ink, as well as a bulletin board with multiple scraps of parchment pinned to it haphazardly. One of the pieces of paper was animated, with fireworks exploding over and over again. A slightly singed looking scrap, had 'Erumpent Horn?' in Fred's handwriting, but it had been crossed out with an X, and George had written under it, 'Too much! Try Valerian root'
Fred steered Harry to the work table before finally letting him go. Reaching up he grabbed a cauldron and thunked it down, before grabbing vials of ingredients without appearing to look first. As Harry stared bemused, the bathroom door opened and George wandered out, rubbing a towel vigorously over his hair. He wasn't wearing a shirt, just a pair of loose trousers, and his feet were bare.
"What's this then?"
"Harrykins was thinking too hard, so I decided he needed to help us for a while. Lee sent the list of products we're getting low on, so Harry can get ingredients to free you up to figure out that rune cluster."
"Brilliant! Thanks Harrykins!" George tossed the towel back towards the bathroom, with a bright grin, then headed to the desk. Shuffling through the parchments, he was soon muttering to himself and chewing absently on the end of his quill.
"Er. Not that you actually asked me, but I'm pants at potions. I'm liable to ruin them!" Harry tried to edge backwards, but Fred's arm shot out and wrapped around his shoulders, guiding him back to the work table.
"Which is why you are on ingredient prep, and I am making the potions!" The red-head laughed and grabbed one of the vials. Taking 2 roots out, he handed Harry a silver knife. "I need these sliced thin, at an angle."
He then turned back to the cauldron, and added spring water. Lighting a flame beneath, he glanced back at Harry.
"Not that way! Remind me to get you an ingredient prep book for beginners." Fred swept the root that had somehow managed to be chunked instead of sliced, farther down the table, before getting a new root out. He cut off the ends and tossed them with the failed root, then came around behind Harry. Leaning over, he bent down and rested his chin on Harry's left shoulder, held the root with his left hand, then took Harry's hand with the knife, and slowly sliced down into the root. As each piece shaved off, he flicked the knife slightly to pile them together. "Like that. Got it?"
Harry's wings twitched, after being pressed between Fred and his own back, and his face was flushed brightly. Ducking his head, he stammered a little. "Y-yeah. Okay. Sorry."
"No worries Harrykins! We have plenty, but now I know to show you first." Fred ruffled Harry's hair, and went back to check the cauldron. It was just starting to bubble, and he turned the flame down a bit. Reaching to the shelf, he picked up a vial, and carefully sprinkled a few petals on the water, followed by a dash of a coppery powder, and a pinch of yellow dust. Stirring counter-clockwise 6 times, he added the roots Harry had sliced, then tapped the stirring rod on the side of the cauldron to get all the liquid off.
"Ok, now you need to crush this moonstone into a powder." Pulling down a mortar and pestle, he put a small moonstone into the mortar, and once again stepped up behind Harry to show him how fine it needed to be done.
The morning went by quickly, Harry barely had time to worry about what was happening at the trial. Fred kept distracting him with little touches, and comments until lunch time. He had felt Laric a few times, but the anger and protectiveness felt muted, as though the Warrior was trying hard not to let it through the Courtship bonds. He also felt feelings of concentration, and slightly-worried-but-mostly-content. But all of it was felt distantly and not-quite-there. Harry couldn't tell if it was because he was being distracted, and his bonded were trying to shield from him, or if it was because he felt like he was underwater. All his emotions swirling about, between worry, fear, and a sick sense of doom. He was grateful for Fred and George and their distractions, but he mostly wanted the day to be over and Laric back with him.
After a quick lunch of sandwiches, it was George's turn to drag Harry off to their room. This time, Harry found himself sitting at the far end of the work table, George beside him, and a pile of chocolates as well as 2 metal stylus' with fine points.
"For these, we need to carve the activation runes on the bottom. Once someone eats them, the magic activates. Because of the size, they only last about 5 minutes. But they change your nose into an animal nose. We're low on pig, cat, and elephant." He put a piece of parchment with 3 sets of interlocked runes at the top of the table above the chocolates.
"If you mess up, just heat the chocolate a bit so the top melts smooth again. Then wait til it hardens and try again. The potion is mixed with the chocolate, so it won't matter if it has to be melted as it's already set into the candies."
Harry pulled a piece of chocolate toward him, and squinted at the runes. Picking the one that looked the least complicated, he tried using the stylus to make the figures. The first few lines went ok, but the next one bit a little too deeply and he frowned.
"No worries Harrykins! Fire Demon time!" George laughed. "Picture the top melting back smooth again, and as soon as it does, pull the magic back. If you have an 'oops', I'll douse it."
Nodding, Harry concentrated, and was surprised at how quick and easy it was. He almost forgot to stop, but pulled back in time. A few minutes later, it had re-solidified. As he picked up the stylus, George leaned over and adjusted it in his grip, bare skin pressing against Harry's right wing a moment, before he pulled back.
"Now try."
Pupils blown a little wide at the tingle that radiated through his entire body from the feel of George's chest against his wing, Harry ducked his head a bit and worried his lower lip between his teeth as he concentrated on carving the runes right this time. The small flash of pain from where he had bitten his lip that morning, helping to clear his head a bit.
"Perfect Harrykins! I knew you could do it!" George clapped him on the shoulder with a soft laugh, before going back to his pile of chocolates.
But now Harry had something new to worry about. Had it felt as strong when George was human? Was it stronger now that they were both Demons? And what was he supposed to do? Was he supposed to do anything? Did he want to do anything? He was Courting Laric. And Ash had said it wasn't normally done to add to a Courtship. Not to mention that neither George nor Fred had treated him any differently than usual. Was his magic still messed up? Maybe it didn't actually mean anything. They couldn't possibly be interested in him that way. And he didn't see them that way either, did he?
He felt greedy for even thinking it. He already had a mate, most probably two once the Courtship with Laric was done. Unless of course, the Warrior decided he was too much trouble. Why would either of the twins want him anyway? He was just a burden, his magics were better now that the brand was gone. But he still had an evil wizard after him, and he always seemed to screw up no matter how hard he tried. He didn't understand why Fionn and Laric seemed to want him.
Before he got farther into the spiral of Dursley-inflicted worthlessness, George nudged him with his shoulder, and pointed his stylus at the pile of chocolates Harry hadn't touched yet. Shaking his head, he shoved the thoughts away and concentrated on carving chocolates.
By the time dinner rolled around, they were finally done for the day. As the Water Demons stretched their backs with soft pops, Harry couldn't help the quick look, before shaking his head and leaving the room to see if anyone was back yet. As he reached the hallway leading to the kitchen, he met up with Fionn. Right after, he heard the CRACK! of thunder that meant Laric was back.
Wrapping his arms around himself unconsciously, he headed to the living room. Laric strode forward immediately and pulled Harry into his arms, wrapping his wings around him as well.
"Easy... It is over. They were all found guilty and the sentences have been passed." The tall Warrior took a second to kiss the top of Harry's head, before continuing.
"As your cousin is still a child, and was doing as his parents had taught him, his punishment was a memory wipe and de-ageing to a baby. He will be put up for adoption, and hopefully will be brought up better this next go around. Imprisonment, working in the mines, and a few other things were suggested for your aunt and uncle. The Lord of the Flame decided that in order for them to understand how wrong what they did to you was, they would be changed. Your uncle was shifted to the form of an ox, your aunt to a horse. They will be locked in those forms for 15 years, the same amount of time you lived with them. A poor farmer in the Mortal Realm was found, and they were placed on his property to be worked from dawn to dusk, or as much as he needs from them."
Harry clutched at Laric's shirt as he cried silently. He wasn't sure why he was crying, he should be happy it was over, right? He was so relieved that he would never have to see any of them again. But was it right what was happening to them? Was it his fault? If he had been a better child, maybe they wouldn't have hated him.
He barely noticed as Laric eased them to the floor, pulling Harry into his lap as he rocked them gently. He felt warm and safe, hidden within Laric's wings. It was something he had rarely felt in his life, and that made him cry harder, but still without making a single sound.
"Harry, Harry. It is okay. You are safe, they will not ever be near you again." As Laric continued to murmur soothing words, rubbing Harry's back softly, he gradually relaxed and drifted off to sleep.