Potions & Charms

Leaving

Avi spent the next few days with Scott and recovered from the encounter with the Dementor. He was more tired than usual and slept in late, but Scott didn't mind as he was teaching in the morning. 

He usually found the man in front of the fireplace with some book in his hands when he got back before lunch. This time, three days after the incident, Avi was reading a copy of Wandless Magic: A Guide when Scott shut the door behind him and set down his bag. 

"Hey" he said with a smile. He hadn't expected Avi to still be there, after all the bearded man had mentioned going back to the dungeons at some point, but he was happy to see him safe and resting. 

Avriel looked up and smiled lightly. "Hello. How was class?"

The baritone shrugged. "Alright. Hendricks lost ten points though, he was just too much today." He reached for two cookies wrapped in wax paper and walked over to where Avi was sitting.

The man turned his head back to the book and nodded. "He always is. I don't like him." He pulled his legs closer to his body and flipped the page before he looked up at Scott. "Hm?"

"Here, cookie" the tall blonde mumbled and handed him a piece. "Winky made them. She packed two for us, I found them in the locked drawer of my desk."

Avi placed the book against his thighs and reached for the cookie with both of his hands. His arm still hurt, he couldn't remember the last time it didn't, but it seemed as if things were slowly getting better. His lips curled slightly once he started nibbling on the edge. "Good." 

"You don't eat a whole lot of baked goods, do you? I remember when I brought you a plate of brownies in the beginning of the school year and you were really excited to eat them." 

The Potion Master shrugged. "I try not to eat too much of it, and I'm usually full after just a regular dinner. I didn't develop a healthy relationship with food when I was in school."

Scott nodded slowly. "Yeah, probably. Still, I'm happy that you're trying to improve. You're doing a really good job."  He noticed the effect the praise had on Avi. The man's shoulders relaxed slightly and he sank deeper into the couch pillows. "Kirstie knows people from the ministry. They can come and pick up the plant." 

"No, definitely not. They will send me to Azkaban for breeding something like that." 

"Avi..." 

"No." He put the half eaten cookie back on the wax paper and got up, made his way over to the bedroom and closed the door behind him. 

"Avi, hey. Don't-" Scott sighed and leaned back. Even though he had stayed with Avi for almost a week now it still wasn't easy to understand him. The man looked up when the wizard left the bedroom again, this time in his black skinny jeans and a black button up. 

"I'm going back to my chambers" Avi said. "If you tell the ministry a single thing about my plant and my research I will skin you alive before you can even snap your fingers." With that he left, not without slamming the heavy wooden door.

"He's such a sweet guy, Kirstie" Scott mumbled and rubbed his hands over his face. "I don't get it. I was so careful and just wanted to help. This monster is taking over his place and I'm so scared that it'll either kill him or leave him weak and-" It was late, Avi had left earlier that day, and Scott missed him. 

The woman seemed distracted by the vibrant blue colors floating around her, but once she put down her wand they disappeared and left behind little golden stars that attached themselves to her celestial robe. "He has a hard time understanding that someone is helping him, Scott. You know that. And honestly? From what you've told me you guys built so much trust while he was here. You even shared the bed? He cuddled up to you? That's amazing progress."

"But it's not enough."

"Not for you. But it sure was a whole lot of work for Avi to trust you that much." 

"And now I ruined it with my stupid idea to help." 

Kirstie thought for a moment. "I don't think so" she said and smiled lightly, then flicked her wand again. "He likes you, otherwise he wouldn't have stayed for so long." The stars started dancing around her again and she looked at Scott. "Give him some space, but don't allow him to hide again." 

"Did you see anything?"

"No, nothing. Maybe his soul is still tired, Scotty. But you should return his wand soon, he might want it with him."

Scott frowned and sat up. "What-" Then he looked at the dark wand on the small coffee table that Avi had forgotten to take with him. "Oh" he mumbled while the dark haired woman reached out and took it. 

"Ohh!" she exclaimed and grinned. "I knew it!"

"Huh?" The baritone looked at the wand she was holding. "Since when do you know about wands?" 

"My mom is a wand maker, you moron. This must be Willow wood" Kirstin mumbled and had a closer look at it. "But I've never seen a core like this. It's some kind of feather. 11 inches, and it's rigid." 

Scott was uncomfortable. Even though Kirstie was just talking about Avi's wand, it felt as if he was invading his privacy, as a wizard's wand was one of the post personal items they could own. "Kirstie- I should return it" he said and took it, then left without saying another word. It didn't feel right to keep his wand for longer than necessary.