Chapter One – Friends
Jack yawned and stretched gingerly, snuggling deeper into his covers. He smiled when he felt two strong arms wrap around his frame tenderly. Every time Matt hugged him from behind, Jack couldn’t stop the waves of lust and love coursing through his body. Gentle butterfly kisses were pressed on the side of his neck and he sighed happily before turning his head, allowing his other half to have more access. A deep chuckle from behind him had Jack shivering with want. Turning around, he placed a warm, loving kiss to Matt’s very responsive lips.
“Good morning, love,” was the whispered greeting that had Jack’s heart beating fast.
“Mm, and a good morning it is,” he replied, smiling. Matt hugged Jack close to him, breathing in the scent of his hair and his tantalizing skin. He couldn’t get enough of the lovely addiction that was Jack Carpenter.
“We have to get up,” Matt said gently though he did not have the intention of letting Jack get out of bed so easily.
“I don’t wanna,” Jack grumbled, pouting all the while. He looked into Matt’s bright hazel eyes and practically melted—Merlin, he loved how those pools told him everything he wanted to know. “Don’t make me leave.”
“Poor baby,” Matt cooed, molding Jack’s body to his, inwardly marveling at how their bodies seemed to fit perfectly together like puzzle pieces. “You know I would love to keep you in bed all day,” he waggled his eyebrows for emphasis causing Jack to laugh, “but we really do need to get up. The boys will be up soon and we wouldn’t want them to not have their breakfast.”
Jack sighed before nodding his head. He threw the covers off of them, shivering when the morning air hit his naked back and attempted to get out of bed. A laugh escaped his lips as he tried to leave the bed again, but it was useless. Those warm, strong arms kept him in place while those sinfully delicious lips he was oh-so attracted to resumed their post at his neck. Jack let out a small groan of contentment.
“Matt, we really do need to get up,” Jack said quietly, enjoying the treatment his lover was showing him.
“Of course we do, love,” Matt replied. “But, we do still have at least thirty extra minutes to ourselves.”
Jack looked at Matt in surprise before he straddled his lover’s hips. “Why didn’t you say so before?” he purred before claiming Matt’s lips with his own. He poured his heart and soul into the kiss, showing Matt how much he meant to him and how much he was cherished. The kiss was slow and sweet, though it was just as passionate as the one they had shared on their first date that fateful summer before his last year at Hogwarts.
Still locked with Matt at the lips, Jack’s hand blindly fumbled for the covers to pull up and over them. He had just grabbed the edges of them when a sniffle caught their attention. Instantly, Jack hopped off of Matt and turned to his doorway.
“Harry!” he cried when he saw the crying boy. “Harry, what’s wrong? Where does it hurt? What happened?”
Harry flung himself at Jack and cried hard. His small frame shook violently and the boy coughed and chocked on his tears more than once. Jack looked at Matt pleadingly and rubbed Harry’s back. Matt easily wrapped his long arms around both Harry and Jack and led them towards the bed. When Harry was finally calm enough to talk, he twisted the hem of his shirt nervously and refused to look at the older men in the eye.
“I had a bad dream,” the boy said softly, eyes watering once more. “It was so horrible.”
Matt frowned lightly and gently grabbed Harry’s chin, coercing the small child to look into his eyes. “What was it about, Harry?” he asked, his voice gentle and soothing.
The tears that had welled up in Harry’s eyes spilled over and when he spoke, a bit of hysteria crept into his voice. “I don’t want to be alone!” he sobbed, shaking.
“It’s okay,” Jack whispered comfortingly. “You won’t be alone, Harry bear, you have us. We won’t leave you alone; we’re a family.”
“But you might leave!” Harry cried, looking at Jack and Matt with such fear that both of their heart’s clenched tightly. “What if you decide it was a mistake adopting me? What if you leave me at another orphanage?”
“That will never happen,” Matt said vehemently. “Never. You are our son, Harry. We’re a family and we will always be that way. Understand?”
Harry sniffled as his tears seemed to come to a stop and nodded his head. “Alright,” he said, voice hoarse with crying.
Matt gently pushed Harry so that he was laying on the bed between him and Jack. He smiled softly when he noticed their other son standing at the doorway, rubbing his eyes and staring at them sleepily. Jack was quick to hop out of bed and carry him to the bed where he immediately cuddled with Harry. It didn’t take long for both boys to drift back into sleep and Matt stared lovingly at Jack who couldn’t help but look at him the same way. They wrapped their hands around their boys and intertwined their fingers, easily falling into a deep slumber in the comfort of their family.
Jack awoke abruptly with a gasp, heart pounding furiously. His throat constricted and he brought his hand up to brush away the few lose tears that seemed to trickle down his face unbidden. Dreams about Matt always left him emotional, but never to this extent. Never had he dreamt of them together with children; no, his dreams with Matt merely consisted of either them together again and happy or Matt loving another, leaving him devastated. Jack took in deep breaths in an attempt to calm his still-racing heart. He was confused at what his dreams had implied. Despite his love for children, Jack knew he was definitely not ready to adopt one of his own. However, the dream told him differently.
Jack let out a small snort. One dream was not going to convince him that he was ready to take care of a child as a parent. No, he had more sense than that. Rushing into something that required such a commitment was foolish—something that Jack was not. After all, Jack was a Ravenclaw at Hogwarts. After spending a good portion of his morning pondering the dream and Harry Potter, Jack’s mind was made up. As soon as the week was over, the orphaned Potter would most definitely end up with his parents. Jack was sure of it.
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When Harry awoke, it was to excited whispers and muffled exclamations. He groggily got out of bed and, instinctively, grabbed his glasses that were on the bedside table. His vision instantly cleared when he put them on and Harry panicked when he noticed he was no longer in his cupboard under the stairs. It took only a few minutes for the memories of yesterday to come rushing back to him. Tears filled his eyes and he didn’t bother to wipe away the few that cascaded down his cheeks. He knew Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon didn’t like him, but he never expected them to just leave him in some strange house with people he didn’t know.
Harry’s shoulders shook slightly. It was his own fault, really. If he had tried to suppress his freakish nature harder, maybe Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon would’ve seen that he wasn’t a hopeless case; that he was savable. But it was too late now. They already left him and he knew they would never be back. Hugging himself, Harry looked around and noticed he was not alone. There were two other beds on the other side of the room, each holding somebody in it. Wiping away his tears, Harry couldn’t help but let his curious nature take over. Taking deep breathes, Harry allowed himself to calm down and, with a small squeak of surprise, noticed somebody was grinning widely at him from across the room. The boy jumped out of his bed and bounded over to Harry happily. He had golden blond locks and hazel eyes. The boy was dressed in pajamas and had dimples on his face. The person in the other bed shuffled slightly, but remained under the covers.
“Hiya there! I’m Samuel, but you can just call me Sam. Everybody else does. You’re new to the orphanage, aren’t you?” the boy said brightly, looking at Harry with barely suppressed joy. Harry flinched at the word ‘orphanage’ being thrown about so casually--Dudley had watched the movie Annie and saw fit to show Harry how horrible an orphanage was, all the while taunting him about how he didn’t have any parents and, therefore, was destined to end up in such a place--before he offered the boy a small, shy grin.
“Harry Potter,” he mumbled, cheeks ablaze. A small feeling of hope settled in his stomach; before while he was at the Dursleys, he hadn’t been allowed to have any friends. Dudley made sure nobody at their primary school wanted to be around him for fear of facing Dudley’s tantrums and that had made Harry a very lonely little boy. But now, this boy right here, was talking to him and it seemed as if he wanted to. This was new to Harry, foreign even, and he felt incredibly shy and hesitant.
“Very nice to meet ya, Harry!” Sam exclaimed, bouncing on the balls of his feet. “Well, come on, then! We should go tell Lydia that you’re awake!”
Harry looked puzzled for a moment before remembering Lydia was the kind lady that had taken him when... His good mood seemed to wither slightly and Harry once again felt tears forming. A part of him still couldn’t grasp that he was left at an orphanage and desperately hoped his relatives would come back for him. He didn’t want to believe that the Dursleys had been so quick to lose hope on him and just dumped him elsewhere. Sam seemed to notice Harry’s change in demeanor and was quick to figure out why. He gave a small, sad smile and patted Harry gently on the back.
“Did your parents go to heaven, too?” he whispered, eyes wide and slightly glossy. “Is that why you’re here?”
Harry sniffled. “I don’t remember my parents much, but I lived with my aunt and uncle. Aunt Petunia said they died in a car crash.”
Sam frowned confusedly. “Well, if you still have an aunt and uncle, why are you here? Shouldn’t you be living with them?”
Harry tried to hold back the tears that sprung forth, but found he couldn’t. “They didn’t want me,” he sobbed into his hands. “I tried to be good–honest!”
Sam’s frown deepened and, with new resolve, he stomped out of the room. Harry’s tears flew faster, thinking Sam probably didn’t believe him and didn’t want to be his friend anymore. That was not the case, however, when he heard Sam re-enter the room with Lydia in toll. The other boy was still frowning and even looked a little angry. Lydia placed a warm hand on the small of Harry’s back, offering him comfort. Harry was a little uneasy; nobody had ever bothered with him before. Overwhelmed, he threw himself at her, wrapping his arms around her neck and sobbing into her shirt. Lydia whispered gentle, soothing words to him as she rubbed his back and rocked him back and forth. Eventually, Harry’s tears subsided into hiccups and he buried his face into her shoulder, clearly embarrassed.
“I’m sorry,” he muttered, voice muffled. Harry found he liked the way Lydia smelled and was more than a little reluctant to pull away.
“Don’t be, dear. It’s perfectly natural to cry, you know,” she said gently, smiling warmly at him. Harry found himself blushing even more. Sam was no longer frowning and looked quite happy now that Harry was no longer sad.
“Lydia, is he going to stay here in our room?” Sam asked hopefully, offering Lydia his best ‘I’m-a-good-boy’ look to appease her.
Lydia smiled down at Sam. “We’ll see,” she said, ruffling his hair when he looked crestfallen and disappointed. “Now go wake up Dean. It’ll be time for breakfast, soon. And show Harry where to go, okay? I have to go speak with Jack.”
Sam nodded his head dutifully and, as soon as Lydia left, ran over to the other bed. “Dean, get up! It’s almost time for breakfast and the new boy is awake!”
Harry watched nervously, hoping the boy sleeping wouldn’t be too mad at being woken up. Sam grinned as Dean’s hand came from under the covers and tried to wack him off the bed. Eventually, seeing his attempts were in vain, Dean sighed and sat up. He had brown hair, brown skin, and brown eyes. Harry couldn’t help but giggle at how disheveled he looked.
“I’m up, Sam,” he whined. “Now stop it!”
Sam beamed at a very tired-looking Dean and made a gesture with his hands towards Harry. “Dean, this is Harry. He might stay with us!”
Dean looked at Harry and offered him a grin. “Hi,” he said quietly.
“Hello,” Harry mumbled back, feeling shy and insecure. He twisted the hem of his baggy shirt and stared at his feet, unsure of how to act.
“C’mon then,” Sam said as he grabbed both Harry’s and Dean’s hand. “It’s time for breakfast!”
Enthusiastically, Sam began to drag his two companions to the cafeteria. The hallways were now crowded with children of all colors and sizes. Harry felt himself shy away from the masses and cling tightly to his friend. Sam didn’t seem to mind, or notice, and continued to lead Harry and Dean down a long hallway. Harry noticed there were paintings on the wall and even old photographs from when, Harry assumed, the orphanage was first founded. Eventually, after a couple of turns, the trio walked through double doors. Having never seen a room so big, Harry gaped. The cafeteria seemed to be enormous with the numerous long tables, long lines, and population of people. Sam let out a giggle as he noticed Harry’s gaping mouth.
“You’re going to love the food here, Harry! It’s really tasty,” Sam chirped, pulling Harry and Dean next to him. The blond boy tapped his foot impatiently, tummy grumbling. “This is taking forever!”
Dean rolled his eyes. “It’s not so bad, Sam,” he said softly.
Sam pouted. “Yes, it is. I haven’t eaten anything since last night!”
Harry giggled quietly at Sam’s whining. The trio didn’t have to wait very long, though, as the line moved quickly. The smell of food hit Harry’s nose and his tummy let out a ferocious growl, which surprised him; with everything that had happened to him within a few short hours, he hadn’t expected himself to be so hungry. He bit his lip nervously; Harry had no idea how to go about collecting food. At the Dursleys, he had to wait until they were completely finished eating before he could, and when he did get to eat, there was normally rarely anything left. As if sensing his confusion, Sam led Harry through the process.
“Here ya go, Harry,” Sam said brightly, passing the other boy a Styrofoam tray. “You’ll need that to get your food.”
Harry frowned slightly in confusion. How much food did they get to eat? Based off of what he ate at the Dursleys, he could’ve carried everything in his hands. Surely that was a pretty normal amount. Of course, Dudley always ate a lot more than Harry did, but Harry thought that was because Dudley was bigger than he was. Harry was also nervous about actually getting the food. When he was in primary school, Aunt Petunia had always packed him a lunch of bread and cheese, not wanting to pay for him to eat school lunch. He had absolutely no idea how the cafeteria system worked. Sam and Dean didn’t really notice his plight and continued to walk down the line.
“What milk do you like, Harry?” Dean asked, looking at him expectantly.
Harry looked at him helplessly. “Huh?”
Dean picked up three cartons. “Regular, chocolate, or strawberry milk?”
“Oh!” Harry blushed, feeling quite stupid at the moment. “Regular is fine.”
Dean smiled and put it on his tray. “Do you want juice, too?”
Harry shook his head. “I have my milk,” he said, smiling shyly.
Dean shrugged and continued down the line. Harry followed him and Sam, still unsure of what to do. Thankfully, Sam and Dean were more than happy to help him, asking him which foods he liked and placing them on his tray. It was overwhelming, to say the least. It was a rare occurrence that somebody was hospitable enough to help him, but when Sam and Dean led him to a table with three other children, Harry felt himself go dizzy with anxiety and nervousness. He wasn’t sure how to act around these kids and didn’t want them to dislike him, so he opted for remaining quiet and picking at his breakfast, which was a simple muffin.
Sam made quick to introduce Harry to them, but Harry was too nervous to actually pay attention. His stomach was flopping all over the place and he slowly nibbled on the edge of his muffin. Harry’s appetite had weakened considerably and he miserably grabbed his milk. Dean and Sam seemed to be happy to talk with their other friends and here Harry was, invisible and lonely. He was surely bothering them with his very presence, like he did at the Dursleys, and Harry was thinking about walking over to an empty table, not wanting to bother the happy group.
“Aren’t you hungry, Harry?” Sam asked, frowning at Harry’s basically untouched muffin.
Harry swallowed anxiously as all eyes turned on him. “Um, sort of.”
“I told you the food here was good!” Sam pretended to be smug and let out an indignant squeak when Dean “accidentally” bumped him on the shoulder, causing him to drop the apple he was going to sink his teeth into. Harry laughed along with the rest of the table, feeling an invisible barrier of tension ease up a bit.
“It’s alright,” Harry admitted, taking an actual bite out of the muffin.
“Alright? Alright?!” Sam sounded and looked horrified. “This food is too tasty to just be ‘alright’!”
Dean laughed. “You say that because all you think about is food!” he exclaimed, earning more laughter and nods of agreement from the table.
Harry smiled happily as he finished his breakfast. Though he was still nervous and unsure of himself, he felt better now that Sam and Dean joked around and made him feel like he belonged there. He had never really belonged anywhere before and Harry was a bit frightened at the prospect. It seemed like this was his only chance to really be normal and he didn’t want to mess it up; he didn’t want to lose his first friends. Sam and Dean were both so nice and helpful; Harry didn’t know why they wanted to be friends with him of all people, but he figured they probably didn’t know about his freakishness. Maybe if he could completely get rid of it before they found out, they’d stay his friends.
Friends.
Harry liked the sound of that.
