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“Uncle Remus,” Harry says warily, looking around the room, “what is that circle on the floor?”
“Oh. I’m just… testing out these new paints I bought,” Remus says, face pale.
“And you drew a star?” Harry asks, pointing towards the large star.
“Well, I like… things in the sky,” Remus tells him, eyes wide.
“Oh. I’m glad it’s paint and not blood or something. But you always tell me not to light candles in the house because things may catch fire.”
“I’ve safeguarded this room,” Remus replies hastily.
“Not enough though, clearly,” the strange man in the middle of the circle says, drawing Harry’s attention from his guardian for just a moment.
“Oh. This… this is my… guest. Yes, my friend. He wasn’t supposed to stop by today, but…” Remus hesitates.
“I was the one to light the candles,” the friend offers, silver eyes glittering and a smug grin on his lips.
“Yes. We’ll talk about how later,” Remus says. “And about how you’ve misbehaved .”
The man with the silver eyes shivers at the word and Harry understands. He gets no dessert when he’s misbehaved. Maybe this man doesn’t either. His eyes move to the books on the floor and the supplies in the room.
“Harry, how about an extra cupcake for lunch if you go back to bed right now. This room isn’t safe.”
It’s a secret room, but it’s laughable that Uncle Remus thought Harry couldn’t find a secret room when it’s their basement.
“Two cupcakes with extra icing,” Harry says.
Remus nods and Harry realises he should have asked for three. It’s probably too late now. But the promise of two extra cupcakes with lunch is enough to make him head back to bed.
It’s strange. They’re painting on the floor and not using paper or a canvas or whatever else people paint on.
Harry isn’t a child anymore. Nineteen and he’s suddenly come across the books stored in a box in the corner of the basement.
Until now, he had assumed that night was a dream. That his mind at eight had invented the strange encounter in the basement with the man who stood in the middle of the painted circle lined with candles.
“Uncle Sirius” had come to live with them a year later and aside from Uncle Remus, Harry couldn’t ask for a better uncle.
But his uncles are away for their anniversary and frankly, Harry is glad that they’re not at home because the walls might not be thin, but Uncle Sirius is so loud at times that the walls might as well be made of paper.
But they’re so happy and in love and Harry sucks at relationships and…
This is a stupid idea, but it’s probably the best idea he’s ever had in his life. He’ll just summon… someone… and they’ll help him. Right?
The paint has faded over the years but it’s not so faded that Harry can’t follow the lines as he uses the old tin of paint, coated in dust but the paint inside still usable, to renew it. He’s so very glad that it’s paint and not blood. The candles are half-melted down at this point. Harry remembers them being tall. But they’re still good to use, because clearly Remus kept everything as… as some sort of memento.
He checks over the instructions several times. He reads the warnings. He swallows heavily when the page talks about demons. About the dangers of them, about not letting them out of the summoning space. How they can’t be trusted.
But Uncle Sirius is trustworthy and he loves Uncle Remus with everything, and demons can’t be that evil if Uncle Sirius is one, right? He’s a father figure to Harry and Harry has always been safe in his uncle’s presence. Uncle Remus wouldn’t put Harry at risk around a demon that was evil.
It makes sense when he thinks about it, so it must be true.
He takes a deep breath, book in front of him as he sits cross-legged on the floor. He pushes away all doubts, reminding himself once more of how his uncle is certainly not an evil demon, and he starts chanting.
Harry falls back as a dark swirl appears in the centre of the circle. It swirls to all of the corners of the star, darkening from a pale grey to the deepest black Harry has ever seen before it’s gone. So suddenly it’s like there wasn’t any swirling smoke in the first place.
But in its place stands a man. Well, a demon, Harry corrects himself silently. But a male demon that is wearing a suit. The trousers are a little tighter than Harry expected and the top button of his shirt is undone, with the tie pulled at and half-undone. Handsome, business-like but dishevelled and Harry gapes.
The man watches him, the flames in his eyes showing what he is. The flames slowly fade, leaving dark eyes in their wake.
“You called for me.” His voice is soft, smooth, and it makes Harry shiver.
“Well, not specifically you,” Harry blurts out. “I mean…” He doesn’t know what to say, because he didn’t actually expect this to work . “I’m Harry.”
“Oh, I know that already,” the man—demon—murmurs, a hint of a smile on his lips. He watches Harry unblinkingly. “What I don’t know is why .”
“Why?” Harry echoes, scrambling forward to the edge of the circle.
“Why you’ve summoned me.”
“I…” Harry hesitates. Why did he summon him? He can’t quite remember his reasoning. He can only focus on the man in front of him.
The demon , he quickly reminds himself.
“Come closer, Harry,” the demon murmurs. “My name is Tom, and I can give you anything you want. Just… just come closer. I can’t help you if you’re outside of the circle and I’m inside.”
Harry shuffles a little closer. “I’m not supposed to,” he murmurs. He doubt’s this demon’s name is really Tom but he doesn’t say anything.
‘Tom’s’ smile is captivating. He steps back to the other side of the circle. “Look, enough space for the both of us.” His words run over Harry’s skin like silk. “What is it you want? Money? Power?” He watches Harry closely. “Love?”
Harry’s cheeks redden at this. Okay, maybe that’s what he desires.
“Ah.” Tom’s expression is knowing. “Well, I can give you everything you desire.” He holds his hand out to Harry, long fingers outstretched towards Harry’s side of the circle.
Harry stumbles forward through the still-wet paint and Tom’s hand drops and he smirks, eyes moving past Harry.
Harry turns. In his rush, he hadn’t paid attention to the paint and the circle is most definitely not complete. He turns back to Tom. Is the demon going to kill him now? Tom steps forward and Harry backs up urgently.
“Do not worry, Harry,” Tom says. “I reward those that help me, and you will be rewarded beyond anything you have ever imagined.” He reaches for Harry once more and this time Harry doesn’t back up. He has to trust that Tom won’t kill him.
Also, Tom is as gorgeous as hell and Harry can’t really resist. So when Tom pulls Harry against him, Harry doesn’t fight it because this is where he desires to be. Dark eyes watch him in amusement and Harry is lost as lips press against his and those long fingers wrap around him, pulling him tightly against his demon.
“Is your fella here?” Sirius calls, walking into the room with Remus. “I was listening for the front door. I didn’t hear a knock.”
“He… didn’t knock,” Harry answers, not wanting to explain the basement thing. Probably not a good idea. “Uncle Remus, Uncle Sirius, this is my… I suppose, boyfriend, Tom.”
The men look at Tom, then back at Harry before looking at Tom again.
Tom says nothing, just watches in return.
“For fuck’s sake Sirius, I told you we should have thrown the supplies in the basement away,” Remus suddenly snaps, turning to Sirius. “I said that it wouldn’t be good if they were found.”
“But I wanted to keep them to remember our first date.”
“How many times? That was me summoning you, it wasn’t our first date!”
Harry sighs at the bickering.
“Are they always like this?” Tom asks.
Harry nods.
“Are you sure that one is a demon like me?” He nods towards Sirius doubtfully.
Harry shrugs this time. “Honestly, I don’t think there’s anyone like you.”