Gaining Innocence

Lingering Thoughts (CH:12)

CHAPTER 12:

General warning : oaths, child abuse in the past, mention of rape.

Couple : Hannibal / Will

Disclaimer : I do not own the Harry Potter and Hannibal series.

Chapter 12: persistent thoughts

"How about that one?"

He pointed to a vial just above his head. The clear glass container was filled with dry brown leaves, and although he could not interpret what was written on the pottery, Henrikas knew very well that they were tea leaves. I just didn't know what kind.

Hannibal looked away from the shelf and took a quick glance at the flask before discarding it without thinking twice. Henrikas complained silently as his tutor went back to looking for whatever he was trying to find. Hannibal didn't say anything about what he was looking for and Henrikas didn't ask. Hannibal was clearly focused on his quest to find the perfect tea leaves, and he didn't want to upset him.

It was a bit irritating when the older cannibal had 'dragged' him out when he was obviously reading a book, reasoning that he had spent too much time locked inside the house. Well maybe he did, but hey, at least it was for good reason. I needed to do an investigation. Mixing with humans, who undoubtedly dominated society, worried Henrikas.

There must be some silent rules between humans that Henrikas didn't know. And he planned to spend his time studying it, especially after meeting Mr. Will three days ago. You should, at the very least, know how to respond appropriately when you were conversing with the empath the next time. Not like the last one. It was disastrous. How could he, a 17-year-old, mentally be speechless when he was talking to a stranger? That was just embarrassing. Although it was more because of the fact that Mr. Will had almost the same face as his mother, and not actually because of his own shyness. But, that would just be excuses.

Up to this point, Henrikas could vividly remember how Mr. Will laughed when he was being carried. Oh, Henrikas deduced she wasn't laughing at him, okay. But still, that incident was degrading. It didn't help that Hannibal used it to read the other's emotion.

Yes, I have deduced that.

It was different than Hannibal doing something so unorthodox, and the only logical explanation he could think of was that Hannibal was using it to experience Mr. Will. Last night he confronted Hannibal with that reason, but the older cannibal only gave him an indecipherable look. Not that he could always read Hannibal, but there was something strange about Hannibal's expression. Henrikas could see it, even though he couldn't pinpoint what it was.

"You have frowned there," Hannibal said, immediately breaking his reverie. "What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing important," he said quickly. He looked at Hannibal's busy hands, they were both holding something. Tea cans. "What are you looking for?" He came closer.

"Hmm, I guess when a person is inside a tea shop, they want to buy tea leaves, right?"

Henrikas complained, "I know, but what do you want to buy?"

"Well, to buy tea leaves, of course." "... I'll just walk," Henrikas finally muttered. There was no point getting answers from Hannibal when he was like this. Hannibal stared at him for a second before nodding, "Okay, but please don't wander too much," he paused,

Henrikas groaned inside. Hannibal was insufferable at times. No, scratching that out, he was always insufferable. Hannibal hid it better than anyone. The older cannibal could be annoying if he wanted to be, and Henrikas wondered if there was anyone who knew this side of Hannibal. Maybe not. Even if they did, Henrikas bet that they had all died.