A Foolish Dream
Title: A Foolish Dream
Genre: Friendship/Romance/Drama
Pairing(s): USUK
Word Count: 3,183
Rating/Warnings: 12, mentions of child abuse (very much implied though)
Summary: Arthur was a squib with a magical best friend. To be part of the magical world was his dream, but it seemed like that was the way it would stay. Harry Potter!AU. Done for the ' Part of Your World' prompt.
Arthur waited at King's Cross station with Matthew, Alfred's older brother and legal guardian. They could not enter into the magical portion of the station due to being non-magical (Arthur hated the word 'Muggle' but not as much as he hated the word 'Squib') and so they had to spend most of their time staring at a brick wall in between two platforms. There had been no definite time for Alfred's return so the two of them had been waiting there for two hours already.
Finally, people with trunks and caged owls started to appear from the brick wall. It was hard to keep his attention focused on the wall, as if something was telling him to turn away, but knowing that Alfred was going to be coming through that portal focused Arthur enough so he could ignore that feeling. Matthew had glanced away a couple of times but always returning to staring at it as well.
Many magical people came through the wall before Arthur even saw a glimpse of Alfred. His friend was laughing with a Asian boy with short, straight black hair and another boy with straight brown hair that reached his chin and it took a while for Alfred to notice him, even when Arthur walked closer, forgetting about Matthew completely. Alfred looked delighted to see him and Arthur felt himself relax when he didn't think that he was that tense.
"Arthur! Matt!" Alfred pushed his trolley towards the two of them and swept them both into a hug. "Hey, you remember Kiku and Toris, right?" Alfred's friends nodded at Arthur and Matt but Arthur could almost sense how awkward they felt around them. They seemed like they did not know what to say to non-magical people - it was rather like after Arthur's eleventh birthday passed and it became obvious to his family that he was not going to receive a letter. Awkwardness led to indifference and now he had not seen any of his family for years.
"Yeah. Hi guys," Matt said quietly and Arthur envied his ability to speak to strangers like that. Kiku and Toris were nothing but polite though, so they greeted Matthew back before making their excuses and disappearing into the crowds. The last of the tension left the air and Arthur stepped forward to give Alfred another hug, very uncharacteristic of him. He could feel Alfred's surprise but Arthur was not good at conveying what he was feeling and he could think of no other way to say how much he missed Alfred when he was gone. When he had heard that Alfred was going to stay over the Easter holidays up at Hogwarts to revise, Arthur had felt terrified that he was slipping away. He never asked but he knew Matthew was thinking the same thing.
"It's great to see you too, Arthur," Alfred said, sounding quite confused but hugging Arthur back. It was quicker than he liked but when Alfred started to pull back, so did he.
"I'm glad you're back, Alfred," Arthur said sincerely, giving his friend a smile. Alfred grinned, his white teeth flashing in the sunlight and generally looking so handsome that Arthur felt like hugging him again and never letting go.
"It's nice to be back!" Alfred gave Matthew another hug before the three of them walked towards the exit. "I have so much to tell you!"
***
Alfred's stories about Hogwarts would make a person who had never even known about magic jealous. For someone who had grown up around magic, expecting to be able to use it and attend Hogwarts as soon as he got old enough but would never be able to, the stories were torture. Arthur could see himself around Hogwarts, learning Potions and Transfiguration, helping Alfred pull pranks, exploring the castle and it made him homesick for somewhere he had never been.
Alfred was oblivious and a small part of Arthur was glad for this. If Alfred understood how hard it was, he might stop telling stories about Hogwarts and that would be even worse. He was like a man trying to give up smoking sitting around people that smoke. Getting a small taste but never being able to do the whole journey. Arthur could not give up that small taste though and if Alfred felt like he had to keep that part hidden, it would just broaden the gap between them.
As it was, whenever Arthur got bored (normally when Alfred was doing his summer homework), he would read the spell books. Most of what he read, he did not understand but he had an excellent memory and maybe one day he could learn more about the theoretical side of magic, even if the practical side would forever allude him.
All in all, Arthur had been doing fine with Alfred's attendance of Hogwarts. He wasn't jealous much and he didn't miss Alfred too much when he was gone, especially since he got a whole two months with him now and another two weeks at Christmas and Easter. They sometimes did activities with Matthew but most of the time, it was just the two of them and Arthur soaked up every minute of it.
But then, Alfred's Hogwarts life intruded on his home life when Toris came to visit. Apparently Toris' home life was not the best and so he was coming to Alfred's for a week. Matthew had said it was okay but Arthur had spent enough time with him while Alfred was away to know that he was a bit resentful of Alfred's time being eaten away like that. It disappeared quickly though because Matthew was a nice person and he couldn't help but feel sorry for a person in need. Arthur, on the other hand, was not a nice person and he resented Toris until the other boy actually arrived.
The resentment would have continued if Toris hadn't been so damn nice. He and Matthew got on like a house on fire and after the initial awkwardness, he talked to Arthur normally. Arthur was careful not to mention his last name (something his family could never take away from him) because he knew what sort of reaction it would cause, especially since all his brothers, apart from the youngest, were in Hogwarts and Toris was careful not to mention all the adventures he and Alfred had at Hogwarts together and everything was fine. Until Alfred slipped up.
"Alfred, I am not going to skateboard," Arthur said flatly. Skateboarding was one sport he could do without and, unfortunately, seemed to be the one non-magical sport that Alfred liked. Arthur would cheer Alfred from the sidelines but he had no desire to break any more bones, especially since they could not be fixed quickly by magic anymore.
Toris was looking bemused. "What's skateboarding?" Alfred perked up at the idea that he could spread his obsession to someone else.
"A really cool sport where you can do all these tricks with a skateboard..." Alfred started and Arthur spoke up to finish with his own words,
"...before you come off the skateboard and break several bones in your body." Toris looked alarmed and Alfred looked crestfallen. Arthur completely ignored the spike of guilt at that face, helped by the fact that Alfred perked up immediately afterwards.
"Well, what do you want to do?"
"Maybe we could play a game of football. I think that Matthew would play with us so the teams would be even," Arthur suggested. Playing football had been something that he and Alfred had done together, ever since they had met nearly four years ago.
Alfred wrinkled his nose and Toris looked confused again. "Nah. It's pretty boring compared to Quidditch. Only one ball and no one can fly," Alfred explained to Toris, turning away from Arthur. It was lucky because Arthur was staring at his back, completely horrified. This was exactly the kind of thing that Arthur had been dreading.
"I wouldn't mind learning," Toris said tactfully and Arthur felt a surge of gratefulness mixed with anger. His relationship with Alfred wouldn't this complicated if he wasn't trying to show off for his magical friend.
"You won't like it," Alfred said dismissively, shrugging his shoulders and Arthur stood abruptly.
"Excuse me for a moment, I have to visit the bathroom." Toris looked worried but Alfred appeared unconcerned.
"You don't have to announce it, Arthur. Just go." Arthur left the room, ignoring the feeling as Alfred turned back to Toris and started a conversation about one of the teachers at Hogwarts and how he was really unfair. Another conversation that Arthur could not join in with.
In the bathroom, he splashed his face with water and took a deep breath. He missed magic like he had a physical ache and he could normally ignore it when he wasn't around Alfred but when it was, it kept striking where it was most painful, his friendship with Alfred. He wanted his family, he wanted Alfred's attention all year round and he wanted Hogwarts. There were worse things than being a non-magical person born into a magical family but examples were escaping him at the moment.
Arthur stood there for a minute, just staring at himself in the mirror. He remembered doing something similar when he was younger, willing, hoping for some form of accidental magic would happen. His parents had been getting worried but his older brother's magic had been hidden by the accidental magic of everyone in the family so they did not worry too much. When William had received a letter and Arthur had not, it was clear where their priorities lay. To them, magic was might and having a Squib in the family was a matter of the deepest shame. His home life had become unbearable and Arthur had run. Run straight into Alfred one day in London.
It was time to leave the sanctuary of the bathroom - he could hear Alfred shouting up the stairs.
"ARTHUR! ARTHUR, COME ON. YOU CAN'T BE SPENDING THAT LONG IN THE TOILET!" Arthur sighed in exasperation, but felt the corners of his mouth lift. Alfred was still the same, he should be grateful for that. Wanting anything more was selfish. He opened the door to the bathroom when Alfred attempted one more shout. "ARTHUR PERCIVAL KIRKLAND! COME DOWNSTAIRS!" Arthur moved to the top of the stairs and glared at Alfred standing at the bottom. There had been no need to shout and no reason to use his full name.
"I never should have told you my middle name," Arthur said flatly and Alfred beamed a sunny smile up at him. He always looked so innocent when he did something wrong. Personally, Arthur thought that Alfred would have done well in Slytherin. He climbed downstairs and followed Alfred into the kitchen, where Matthew was cooking something that smelled really nice while Toris set the table. Or at least, he had been setting the table. Now he was standing frozen, the rest of the cutlery in his hand, staring at Arthur.
"Your last name is Kirkland?" Arthur had never heard Toris' voice sound so cold before. He was not even aware that the gentle boy even knew about to dislike someone. "Like of the Noble House of Kirkland?" That pretentious name, Arthur thought and then he wondered how Toris had even known that form of address. At his question, Arthur had frozen himself and it finally clicked that Alfred had used his last name and this was the reason he had tried to avoid it for the whole visit. He nodded and Alfred jumped in.
"But Toris, it's not like that. Arthur's not like his brothers, you've been staying with him. He's nice and he's a really good friend." Alfred clasped Arthur's shoulder and Arthur stamped down on any thoughts about wanting to be more than friends. This was not the time. Matthew was frozen by the oven, obviously clueless about what to do.
"What? You're not even going to defend yourself?" Toris sneered and that expression looked so wrong on his face. "Going to let the people you deceived do it for you?"
"Hey, Arthur didn't deceive anyone," Alfred started but Arthur cut him off.
"I'm guessing you've heard of my family then." The statement was bland but inside, Arthur's mind was racing. He had Toris pegged for a Muggle-born, his reaction stated otherwise. It was too strong for someone who had just met his brothers. This hatred was ingrained, as if he had grown up with it. It reminded Arthur of the blood feud between the Weasleys and the Malfoys.
"You could say that," Toris replied, his voice becoming more bland but the tension racketed up several notches. "I don't know how you can even show your face here."
"The same way you do." Arthur knew he was deliberately baiting Toris now, but being blamed for the crimes of a family that were uncaring about whether he lived or died was just too much. Toris went white and there was a sick sense of excitement travelling through Arthur right now. Instead of attacking Arthur again, Toris rounded on Alfred.
"How can you have him in his house? You know his family, you know what he is taught from an early age." Alfred was taken aback, Arthur could tell, and spoke up.
"Yeah, I do. But I keep telling you that Arthur's not like that." Alfred was stubborn and so completely sure of himself and Arthur that he could not help but love Alfred just a bit more for that.
"Not like - Alfred, Arthur and his brothers are taught to hate and despise Muggle-borns just like you. They are taught that Muggle-borns are less than animals. Arthur has been taught to kill Muggle-borns since he could walk and talk and you're just okay with that?! Conditioning like that doesn't just vanish." Alfred's head jerked and out of the corner of his eye, Arthur could see Matthew glance at him. It got a little bit too much.
"I'm going for a walk," he announced, taking advantage of everyone's surprise to stumble out of the front door before anyone could object.
Arthur walked quickly, keeping his eyes fixed on the ground as he trod a familiar path. He had wanted to scream at Toris back there. Scream and shout and protest his innocence at the top of his lungs but it was all driven out of him when he realised that Matthew doubted him and for all he knew, so did Alfred.
If he had been at Hogwarts, none of this would have happened. He would have been able to prove everyone wrong and become everyone's friend so they would never doubt him. Alfred would never doubt him.
At these delusional thoughts, Arthur stopped walking for a moment and shook himself. If he had been at Hogwarts, he would have been exactly like William. Obeying his parents' every whim and not questioning what was happening around him. It was only after his family deserted him that he started to question everything he had been taught and when a woman with no idea about the magical world living parallel to her, helped Arthur to find food and shelter, it had changed his viewpoint completely. The very people that his family had taught him were sub-human, that needed to be killed, were kinder than any wizards or witches that Arthur had met before then. She had helped with no ulterior motive. The only person Arthur knew like that now was Alfred.
When he got to the park, he sank himself down in a bench close to the forest. The bench he always sat on and thought things over. It helped to speed things up. Alfred called it his 'sulking bench' and was bound to find him sooner or later but for now, Arthur needed to think things over.
"Arthur?" Arthur jumped at the voice from behind him and spun around to see a familiar face. He relaxed slightly but not completely. Lukas Bondevik was a member of an old family, like Arthur's. Unlike Arthur's family, his had not deserted him when it was discovered that Lukas had no magic. Arthur knew that Lukas still found it hard, especially since his young brother, Emil, was at Hogwarts now. "Sorry for scaring you." Lukas gave a small smile and Arthur tried to return it.
"That's quite all right, Lukas. My evening has not been the best."
"Oh? What happened?" Lukas sat down on the bench so instead of towering over Arthur, they were both looking over the playground.
"Alfred brought a friend of his home from Hogwarts." Lukas grimaced sympathetically. It had been unpleasant for him at home with everyone able to use magic apart from him and Emil. At least Arthur did not have to deal with that. "He found out my last name and it went as well as could be expected."
"Ah. I can see why that would be a bad evening," Lukas said steadily and Arthur nodded, smirking to himself. The Kirkland family's crimes were infamous and stretched back nearly as far as their family tree did. Some of the crimes were not completely terrible, like theft or unauthorised experimentation of magic, but others like murder of non-magical people and liberal use of the Unforgivable curses had earned the Kirkland family an unpleasant reputation. Merlin knew how Peter, the youngest and the most sheltered of the brothers, would fare in Hogwarts. "Arthur? Have you given more thought about what I said?"
Arthur knew what Lukas was referring to. It had been on his mind a few times for the past few weeks but he had promised himself to just enjoy his time with Alfred and worry about the issue when he had more than enough time to think about it when Alfred went back to school.
"Yes," Arthur replied cautiously. He had not decided how he felt about Lukas' offer even though a part of him was urging him to accept it. A way to return magic to a Squib -such a thing was unheard of and supremely coveted.
"Do you want to meet the researcher who came up with the hypothesis? He can give you more information on it." Still Arthur hesitated and Lukas smiled. "No pressure to make a decision, just more information." Arthur took a deep breath before nodding. The two of them stood and Lukas offered his hand as he was sealing a deal. Humouring his friend, Arthur put his hand in Lukas' and looked up in his eyes.
The slightly glazed look that many books had said was indicative of the Imperius curse if you knew to look for it, sent warning bells ringing shrilly in Arthur's mind. "Lukas," he gasped, trying to pull his hand back but unable to. There a sound of rustling leaves, a feeling like he had been pushed in the back and then... nothing.
Yes, there will be a sequel. And soon. Other people's soon rather than my soon. Enjoy this more than a little bit darker than my other Harry Potter AU universe.
Genre: Friendship/Romance/Drama
Pairing(s): USUK
Word Count: 3,183
Rating/Warnings: 12, mentions of child abuse (very much implied though)
Summary: Arthur was a squib with a magical best friend. To be part of the magical world was his dream, but it seemed like that was the way it would stay. Harry Potter!AU. Done for the ' Part of Your World' prompt.
Arthur waited at King's Cross station with Matthew, Alfred's older brother and legal guardian. They could not enter into the magical portion of the station due to being non-magical (Arthur hated the word 'Muggle' but not as much as he hated the word 'Squib') and so they had to spend most of their time staring at a brick wall in between two platforms. There had been no definite time for Alfred's return so the two of them had been waiting there for two hours already.
Finally, people with trunks and caged owls started to appear from the brick wall. It was hard to keep his attention focused on the wall, as if something was telling him to turn away, but knowing that Alfred was going to be coming through that portal focused Arthur enough so he could ignore that feeling. Matthew had glanced away a couple of times but always returning to staring at it as well.
Many magical people came through the wall before Arthur even saw a glimpse of Alfred. His friend was laughing with a Asian boy with short, straight black hair and another boy with straight brown hair that reached his chin and it took a while for Alfred to notice him, even when Arthur walked closer, forgetting about Matthew completely. Alfred looked delighted to see him and Arthur felt himself relax when he didn't think that he was that tense.
"Arthur! Matt!" Alfred pushed his trolley towards the two of them and swept them both into a hug. "Hey, you remember Kiku and Toris, right?" Alfred's friends nodded at Arthur and Matt but Arthur could almost sense how awkward they felt around them. They seemed like they did not know what to say to non-magical people - it was rather like after Arthur's eleventh birthday passed and it became obvious to his family that he was not going to receive a letter. Awkwardness led to indifference and now he had not seen any of his family for years.
"Yeah. Hi guys," Matt said quietly and Arthur envied his ability to speak to strangers like that. Kiku and Toris were nothing but polite though, so they greeted Matthew back before making their excuses and disappearing into the crowds. The last of the tension left the air and Arthur stepped forward to give Alfred another hug, very uncharacteristic of him. He could feel Alfred's surprise but Arthur was not good at conveying what he was feeling and he could think of no other way to say how much he missed Alfred when he was gone. When he had heard that Alfred was going to stay over the Easter holidays up at Hogwarts to revise, Arthur had felt terrified that he was slipping away. He never asked but he knew Matthew was thinking the same thing.
"It's great to see you too, Arthur," Alfred said, sounding quite confused but hugging Arthur back. It was quicker than he liked but when Alfred started to pull back, so did he.
"I'm glad you're back, Alfred," Arthur said sincerely, giving his friend a smile. Alfred grinned, his white teeth flashing in the sunlight and generally looking so handsome that Arthur felt like hugging him again and never letting go.
"It's nice to be back!" Alfred gave Matthew another hug before the three of them walked towards the exit. "I have so much to tell you!"
***
Alfred's stories about Hogwarts would make a person who had never even known about magic jealous. For someone who had grown up around magic, expecting to be able to use it and attend Hogwarts as soon as he got old enough but would never be able to, the stories were torture. Arthur could see himself around Hogwarts, learning Potions and Transfiguration, helping Alfred pull pranks, exploring the castle and it made him homesick for somewhere he had never been.
Alfred was oblivious and a small part of Arthur was glad for this. If Alfred understood how hard it was, he might stop telling stories about Hogwarts and that would be even worse. He was like a man trying to give up smoking sitting around people that smoke. Getting a small taste but never being able to do the whole journey. Arthur could not give up that small taste though and if Alfred felt like he had to keep that part hidden, it would just broaden the gap between them.
As it was, whenever Arthur got bored (normally when Alfred was doing his summer homework), he would read the spell books. Most of what he read, he did not understand but he had an excellent memory and maybe one day he could learn more about the theoretical side of magic, even if the practical side would forever allude him.
All in all, Arthur had been doing fine with Alfred's attendance of Hogwarts. He wasn't jealous much and he didn't miss Alfred too much when he was gone, especially since he got a whole two months with him now and another two weeks at Christmas and Easter. They sometimes did activities with Matthew but most of the time, it was just the two of them and Arthur soaked up every minute of it.
But then, Alfred's Hogwarts life intruded on his home life when Toris came to visit. Apparently Toris' home life was not the best and so he was coming to Alfred's for a week. Matthew had said it was okay but Arthur had spent enough time with him while Alfred was away to know that he was a bit resentful of Alfred's time being eaten away like that. It disappeared quickly though because Matthew was a nice person and he couldn't help but feel sorry for a person in need. Arthur, on the other hand, was not a nice person and he resented Toris until the other boy actually arrived.
The resentment would have continued if Toris hadn't been so damn nice. He and Matthew got on like a house on fire and after the initial awkwardness, he talked to Arthur normally. Arthur was careful not to mention his last name (something his family could never take away from him) because he knew what sort of reaction it would cause, especially since all his brothers, apart from the youngest, were in Hogwarts and Toris was careful not to mention all the adventures he and Alfred had at Hogwarts together and everything was fine. Until Alfred slipped up.
"Alfred, I am not going to skateboard," Arthur said flatly. Skateboarding was one sport he could do without and, unfortunately, seemed to be the one non-magical sport that Alfred liked. Arthur would cheer Alfred from the sidelines but he had no desire to break any more bones, especially since they could not be fixed quickly by magic anymore.
Toris was looking bemused. "What's skateboarding?" Alfred perked up at the idea that he could spread his obsession to someone else.
"A really cool sport where you can do all these tricks with a skateboard..." Alfred started and Arthur spoke up to finish with his own words,
"...before you come off the skateboard and break several bones in your body." Toris looked alarmed and Alfred looked crestfallen. Arthur completely ignored the spike of guilt at that face, helped by the fact that Alfred perked up immediately afterwards.
"Well, what do you want to do?"
"Maybe we could play a game of football. I think that Matthew would play with us so the teams would be even," Arthur suggested. Playing football had been something that he and Alfred had done together, ever since they had met nearly four years ago.
Alfred wrinkled his nose and Toris looked confused again. "Nah. It's pretty boring compared to Quidditch. Only one ball and no one can fly," Alfred explained to Toris, turning away from Arthur. It was lucky because Arthur was staring at his back, completely horrified. This was exactly the kind of thing that Arthur had been dreading.
"I wouldn't mind learning," Toris said tactfully and Arthur felt a surge of gratefulness mixed with anger. His relationship with Alfred wouldn't this complicated if he wasn't trying to show off for his magical friend.
"You won't like it," Alfred said dismissively, shrugging his shoulders and Arthur stood abruptly.
"Excuse me for a moment, I have to visit the bathroom." Toris looked worried but Alfred appeared unconcerned.
"You don't have to announce it, Arthur. Just go." Arthur left the room, ignoring the feeling as Alfred turned back to Toris and started a conversation about one of the teachers at Hogwarts and how he was really unfair. Another conversation that Arthur could not join in with.
In the bathroom, he splashed his face with water and took a deep breath. He missed magic like he had a physical ache and he could normally ignore it when he wasn't around Alfred but when it was, it kept striking where it was most painful, his friendship with Alfred. He wanted his family, he wanted Alfred's attention all year round and he wanted Hogwarts. There were worse things than being a non-magical person born into a magical family but examples were escaping him at the moment.
Arthur stood there for a minute, just staring at himself in the mirror. He remembered doing something similar when he was younger, willing, hoping for some form of accidental magic would happen. His parents had been getting worried but his older brother's magic had been hidden by the accidental magic of everyone in the family so they did not worry too much. When William had received a letter and Arthur had not, it was clear where their priorities lay. To them, magic was might and having a Squib in the family was a matter of the deepest shame. His home life had become unbearable and Arthur had run. Run straight into Alfred one day in London.
It was time to leave the sanctuary of the bathroom - he could hear Alfred shouting up the stairs.
"ARTHUR! ARTHUR, COME ON. YOU CAN'T BE SPENDING THAT LONG IN THE TOILET!" Arthur sighed in exasperation, but felt the corners of his mouth lift. Alfred was still the same, he should be grateful for that. Wanting anything more was selfish. He opened the door to the bathroom when Alfred attempted one more shout. "ARTHUR PERCIVAL KIRKLAND! COME DOWNSTAIRS!" Arthur moved to the top of the stairs and glared at Alfred standing at the bottom. There had been no need to shout and no reason to use his full name.
"I never should have told you my middle name," Arthur said flatly and Alfred beamed a sunny smile up at him. He always looked so innocent when he did something wrong. Personally, Arthur thought that Alfred would have done well in Slytherin. He climbed downstairs and followed Alfred into the kitchen, where Matthew was cooking something that smelled really nice while Toris set the table. Or at least, he had been setting the table. Now he was standing frozen, the rest of the cutlery in his hand, staring at Arthur.
"Your last name is Kirkland?" Arthur had never heard Toris' voice sound so cold before. He was not even aware that the gentle boy even knew about to dislike someone. "Like of the Noble House of Kirkland?" That pretentious name, Arthur thought and then he wondered how Toris had even known that form of address. At his question, Arthur had frozen himself and it finally clicked that Alfred had used his last name and this was the reason he had tried to avoid it for the whole visit. He nodded and Alfred jumped in.
"But Toris, it's not like that. Arthur's not like his brothers, you've been staying with him. He's nice and he's a really good friend." Alfred clasped Arthur's shoulder and Arthur stamped down on any thoughts about wanting to be more than friends. This was not the time. Matthew was frozen by the oven, obviously clueless about what to do.
"What? You're not even going to defend yourself?" Toris sneered and that expression looked so wrong on his face. "Going to let the people you deceived do it for you?"
"Hey, Arthur didn't deceive anyone," Alfred started but Arthur cut him off.
"I'm guessing you've heard of my family then." The statement was bland but inside, Arthur's mind was racing. He had Toris pegged for a Muggle-born, his reaction stated otherwise. It was too strong for someone who had just met his brothers. This hatred was ingrained, as if he had grown up with it. It reminded Arthur of the blood feud between the Weasleys and the Malfoys.
"You could say that," Toris replied, his voice becoming more bland but the tension racketed up several notches. "I don't know how you can even show your face here."
"The same way you do." Arthur knew he was deliberately baiting Toris now, but being blamed for the crimes of a family that were uncaring about whether he lived or died was just too much. Toris went white and there was a sick sense of excitement travelling through Arthur right now. Instead of attacking Arthur again, Toris rounded on Alfred.
"How can you have him in his house? You know his family, you know what he is taught from an early age." Alfred was taken aback, Arthur could tell, and spoke up.
"Yeah, I do. But I keep telling you that Arthur's not like that." Alfred was stubborn and so completely sure of himself and Arthur that he could not help but love Alfred just a bit more for that.
"Not like - Alfred, Arthur and his brothers are taught to hate and despise Muggle-borns just like you. They are taught that Muggle-borns are less than animals. Arthur has been taught to kill Muggle-borns since he could walk and talk and you're just okay with that?! Conditioning like that doesn't just vanish." Alfred's head jerked and out of the corner of his eye, Arthur could see Matthew glance at him. It got a little bit too much.
"I'm going for a walk," he announced, taking advantage of everyone's surprise to stumble out of the front door before anyone could object.
Arthur walked quickly, keeping his eyes fixed on the ground as he trod a familiar path. He had wanted to scream at Toris back there. Scream and shout and protest his innocence at the top of his lungs but it was all driven out of him when he realised that Matthew doubted him and for all he knew, so did Alfred.
If he had been at Hogwarts, none of this would have happened. He would have been able to prove everyone wrong and become everyone's friend so they would never doubt him. Alfred would never doubt him.
At these delusional thoughts, Arthur stopped walking for a moment and shook himself. If he had been at Hogwarts, he would have been exactly like William. Obeying his parents' every whim and not questioning what was happening around him. It was only after his family deserted him that he started to question everything he had been taught and when a woman with no idea about the magical world living parallel to her, helped Arthur to find food and shelter, it had changed his viewpoint completely. The very people that his family had taught him were sub-human, that needed to be killed, were kinder than any wizards or witches that Arthur had met before then. She had helped with no ulterior motive. The only person Arthur knew like that now was Alfred.
When he got to the park, he sank himself down in a bench close to the forest. The bench he always sat on and thought things over. It helped to speed things up. Alfred called it his 'sulking bench' and was bound to find him sooner or later but for now, Arthur needed to think things over.
"Arthur?" Arthur jumped at the voice from behind him and spun around to see a familiar face. He relaxed slightly but not completely. Lukas Bondevik was a member of an old family, like Arthur's. Unlike Arthur's family, his had not deserted him when it was discovered that Lukas had no magic. Arthur knew that Lukas still found it hard, especially since his young brother, Emil, was at Hogwarts now. "Sorry for scaring you." Lukas gave a small smile and Arthur tried to return it.
"That's quite all right, Lukas. My evening has not been the best."
"Oh? What happened?" Lukas sat down on the bench so instead of towering over Arthur, they were both looking over the playground.
"Alfred brought a friend of his home from Hogwarts." Lukas grimaced sympathetically. It had been unpleasant for him at home with everyone able to use magic apart from him and Emil. At least Arthur did not have to deal with that. "He found out my last name and it went as well as could be expected."
"Ah. I can see why that would be a bad evening," Lukas said steadily and Arthur nodded, smirking to himself. The Kirkland family's crimes were infamous and stretched back nearly as far as their family tree did. Some of the crimes were not completely terrible, like theft or unauthorised experimentation of magic, but others like murder of non-magical people and liberal use of the Unforgivable curses had earned the Kirkland family an unpleasant reputation. Merlin knew how Peter, the youngest and the most sheltered of the brothers, would fare in Hogwarts. "Arthur? Have you given more thought about what I said?"
Arthur knew what Lukas was referring to. It had been on his mind a few times for the past few weeks but he had promised himself to just enjoy his time with Alfred and worry about the issue when he had more than enough time to think about it when Alfred went back to school.
"Yes," Arthur replied cautiously. He had not decided how he felt about Lukas' offer even though a part of him was urging him to accept it. A way to return magic to a Squib -such a thing was unheard of and supremely coveted.
"Do you want to meet the researcher who came up with the hypothesis? He can give you more information on it." Still Arthur hesitated and Lukas smiled. "No pressure to make a decision, just more information." Arthur took a deep breath before nodding. The two of them stood and Lukas offered his hand as he was sealing a deal. Humouring his friend, Arthur put his hand in Lukas' and looked up in his eyes.
The slightly glazed look that many books had said was indicative of the Imperius curse if you knew to look for it, sent warning bells ringing shrilly in Arthur's mind. "Lukas," he gasped, trying to pull his hand back but unable to. There a sound of rustling leaves, a feeling like he had been pushed in the back and then... nothing.
Yes, there will be a sequel. And soon. Other people's soon rather than my soon. Enjoy this more than a little bit darker than my other Harry Potter AU universe.