Work Text:
1944
So he’d suspected for years he wasn’t like everyone else. He’d suspected it since long before he knew why. And Jack knew it wasn’t his love of creatures that was so similar to his father’s that made him different. It wasn’t his magical abilities, not in his family.
No. Jack knew he was different because of the way he didn’t feel anything when Joe or Evan or Pete pointed out an objectively attractive girl. They’d be swooning, even Joe despite his puppy love for Maddie. But Jack? He’d just shrug it off, say she was pretty and go back to whatever they were doing. Usually it earned him confused glances from the three, but Parker always seemed to understand and offered Jack a kind smile.
It wasn’t that he didn’t necessarily not find attraction in others, he just, he didn’t find girls attractive. Sure he could admit that the girls his friends pointed out were pretty, but he was 13. He was more concerned with tracking a billywig than dating.
Until IT happened .
IT referred to the day in the hidden section of the park between pickup quodpot games that his brother and sister along with their friends partook in. Ellie was off flirting with Pete while Joe watched Maddie flirt with some guy from Ilvermorny as Evan tried to distract his brother. Jack had been tracking some kneazles, intent on chasing them towards his sister at some point to annoy her when he noticed Parker had disappeared.
Discreetly, sticking to the edge of the little clearing while others played or waited for their turn, Jack snuck off in the direction he’d last seen the stoic member of their group. As he rounded a corner by the small shed used to house some of the community quodpot equipment, he bumped into something. Someone was more like it. Glancing down he saw Max Braun sprawled on the ground.
“Oh, Merlin! Sorry Max!” He held out his hand to his friend and felt a familiar butterfly flare in his stomach as Max waved him off, laughing as he stood.
“No harm, no fowl, Jack! How was Hogwarts this year?”
Shrugging, Jack gave him the standard answer. School had been school. No monsters lurking the halls this year, no one dying. The most eventful thing that had happened was Joe losing his stutter around people outside of their family. Well that and their father appearing in the hospital wing covered in cuts while Jack had been recovering from the stomach flu. But that was his and Dad’s little secret. Mom didn’t need to know Jack had seen him. Even if Ellie and Joe had pried it out of him.
Shaking himself from the memories, Jack asked about Ilvermorny, trying to not let his eyes linger on Max’s pretty smile for too long. Eventually, he realized he needed to get going. Their game was starting soon and Park still wasn’t in the clearing.
So he quickly interrupted a long winded story that sounded like a slight against his sister to ask, “Hey, Max, I’m sorry to interrupt, but our game is next and Parker is missing. Have you seen him?”
A smirk had worked its way onto Max’s lips before he nodded behind the small shed. “I wouldn’t disturb him though, Jack.” And then Max was gone. It caused the older Scamander twin to cock a brow as he stepped closer to the shed and heard a thump.
“Park? That you? You ok-“ Stopping dead in his tracks, Jack saw why Max had made the comment to not disturb Parker. Because there Parker Roland stood, trying to shove off a boy Jack didn’t recognize from where the boy had his lips attached to Parker’s neck. His friend’s eyes were wide as they made eye contact and Jack knew he had a startled look on his own face as he stammered, “Oh, I’m so sorry. I’ll just-“ He pointed back toward the clearing and kept his head down as he moved back to the clearing.
Behind him, Parker was calling his name, but Jack just made a beeline towards where Joe and Evan stood. It seemed the attempts to distract Joe from watching Maddie had failed because his brother was glaring at where Maddie stood with her back to them and Evan had a tight look in his own face. Glancing, he saw the boy had a hand on Maddie’s hip and knew that was the source of contention.
But his brain wasn’t focused on that. It was more focused on what he’d just witnessed, on the spark of jealousy he’d felt at seeing Parker tangled up like that. With some random boy.
Why did he care? He didn’t like Parker. And he certainly wasn’t attracted to boys. Was he?
“Did you find Parker?” Joe’s annoyed tone made Jack jump. His twin just cocked an eyebrow at him before repeating, “Jackal, did you find him? Our game is next.”
Remembering that his brother had no idea what he’d just stumble upon, Jack forced himself to nod. “Oh, yeah, Park said he’d be right over.”
“You caught him with a girl, didn’t you?” Evan was saying and before Jack could answer the other thirteen year old huffed, “Lucky bastard. Ever since Park hit puberty he’s been trying to beat the girls off with a stick.”
Because he’d rather be necking with a man, you idiot.
Jack didn’t know why he was so confident that Parker was only interested in men, but he was. It would make a lot of sense. Parker was the only other one in the group that didn’t seem enthused when talk turned to girls, didn’t contribute much more than Jack. Finding him with another boy just seemed to confirm something Jack had always known deep down. He didn’t get to dwell on it though because a hand grabbed his upper arm all of a sudden. “Jackie. You and I need to talk. Now.”
“Park! The game’s about to start!” He turned to see his sister and Pete joining them while Maddie stayed across the field. But whatever look Parker gave Ellie seemed to tell her this conversation was important. “Never mind, I’ll stall them.”
A grunt of thanks came from Parker’s throat as he pulled Jack behind one of the trees. “You didn’t see a damn thing, got it?”
Blinking, Jack cocked his head. “What are you talking about?”
“Jack,” Parker seethed. “You and I both know you aren’t that stupid. You didn’t see what you think you did behind the shed.”
“Okay? But you were kissing that b-“
A hand slammed on his lips, Parker was dangerously close to his face as he whispered, “I know what I was doing and you know what I was doing, but you can’t tell anyone what you saw. Got it?”
Nodding as Parker released his mouth, Jack felt his brow furrow. “Who would I tell outside of our friends? And who ca-“
“I care!” Parker’s face was desperate. Those dark brown-green eyes full of panic. “My dad doesn’t know. And neither do Pete, Ev, or Joe, Maddie and Ellie only know because well, they’re Maddie and Ellie. And look, I’m not ashamed, but I don’t need no trouble. I’m already black, no need to advertise I’m a homosexual too.”
A weight settled over them as Jack reached out to squeeze Parker’s shoulder. “Park, there’s nothing wrong with being black and there’s nothing wrong with being a homosexual.”
“Tell that to America, Jack. Tell that to every single person with your complexion who crosses the street when they see me coming. And tell everyone around here that you think a man who’d rather screw another man is okay. And see the reaction you get.” Parker was staring at him. “Let’s face it. We both know there ain’t nothing wrong with who I am, but the rest of the world would rather hurt me for what I look like and for who I love than recognize that.”
Then Parker slunk off. And his words stayed with Jack through the game they lost since he and Parker were so distracted. All he heard the entire walk home was griping from Ellie. Pete tried to calm her while Maddie was trying to get Joe to talk to her. At the back of the pack, Evan and Parker were talking. And despite himself, Jack couldn’t help the little pang of jealousy he felt.
For the rest of the day those words and his feelings weighed on him. They weighed on him the next week when he and Joe followed their father as they wound through London getting supplies for school. He knew racism ran rampant in the States, knew Parker had been targeted too many times to count and adults always questioned him, Evan, and Maddie when they ran around with the Scamanders and Pete. Jack was also aware of the public sentiment on homosexuality. Which is why as he lay awake that first night back in the Gryffindor dorm, he had the epiphany of all epiphanies.
The truth slammed into him as to why he didn’t find the girls his friends deemed to be cute, attractive. Memories of staring after Max too long hit home and started to make sense. The lingering hugs he always had for Parker as a kid when he’d thought the slightly older boy wasn’t paying attention.
And as Jack blinked at the ceiling of his dorm, he murmured the words no one else in the room was awake to hear. “Holy shit. I’m gay.”
**********************************************************
First semester was a whirlwind after he discovered the truth. Well discovered it, repressed it, took a few girls on Hogsmeade dates, kissed one of them, realized he really didn’t like girls, and wrote a letter demanding he and Parker talk when he got home for break.
From September to December, Jack had been on edge. Because he didn’t want anyone to find out. Not a soul needed to know before Jack was ready to tell anybody. And the last thing he needed was for some asshole Slytherin to find out and start picking on him. So he’d kept the revelation to himself, even though Joe clearly seemed to know something was going on.
But his brother never cornered him around school. No. Joe didn’t say a word until they were back in their bedroom in New York for the holidays. “Okay, what is going on with you?”
“Nothing.” Jack refused to look at him, knowing if he turned around Joe would instantly know what was going on. Or at least would pry it out of him.
So he just continued to unpack the few things he’d brought home with him. “Idiots, Mom said dinner’s ready.” Great. Now Ellie was up there too. “What’s wrong with Jack?”
“He says nothing.”
“He is standing right here and can hear you both.” He grumbled, turning to see Ellie leaning against the door to his and Joe’s attic room. They’d begged their parents to renovate part of the attic and let them move up there once Estelle was born and Ollie had briefly bunked with them in their old room. After much debate and pleading, their mother had acquiesced and their father had helped them get the room to their exact specifications. Including the door he was liable to shove Ellie out of at the moment. “How’s Pete, Elle?”
Jack was aware of the dangerous game he was playing by throwing Pete’s name out when he and Ellie’s whatever was so secret. In fact Jack was pretty confident he and Joe weren’t supposed to know.
And his barb hit its mark as Ellie scowled at him. “Keep your mouth shut about Pete or Mom and Dad find out you were the one who snuck the kneazles in my room this summer.” With that his sister turned on her heel and walked down the stairs to the main part of the house.
Rolling his eyes at her dramatics, Jack moved to sit the last of his stuff on his bed. When he turned back toward the door, intent on heading to dinner, Joe was blocking his way. “What?”
“You’re baiting Ellie. You tried to bait me. What is going on?”
“I’m fine, Joey.”
“You aren’t, Jackal.”
He sighed, nodding toward the door. “I’ll tell you soon. Just- I need to figure it out before I tell you. Or Ellie.”
It wasn’t the answer Joe seemed to want, but his brother didn’t argue as they headed down to the chaotic family dinner. In addition to his parents and siblings, his grandmother sat at the table along with Uncle Tree and Aunt Lals. Each of whom was asking him and Joe about Hogwarts then turning to Ellie to ask about Ilvermorny. Dinner was a quiet affair though. Or as quiet as Estelle and Ollie let it be. At one point, Joe asked where Aunt Queenie, Uncle Jacob, Ava, and Pops were only to receive a promise that they’d see them soon, but their mother thought Aunt Queenie might want to have dinner with just Pops and her family before the new baby was born.
All Jack had done was nod, focusing on his meal. No one said a word about his unusually quiet demeanor which was good. He didn’t want to talk about it.
So quickly after dinner, Jack pressed kisses to his mother’s, Nan’s, and Aunt Lally’s cheeks before scurrying off to his and Joe’s room. His new reality was still weighing on him and the longer he sat in the dining room with everyone meant the longer he felt the walls closing in.
Would they want anything to do with them when they found out? Would his parents disown him?
All the questions were fluttering around in his head as he barreled into his room, seeing a letter that had magically appeared on his desk. Carefully, Jack padded over to it, ready to take it to his mother in case it was some ploy from Grindelwald, when he saw the familiar messy writing. Parker had finally written him back.
Meet me at Boot’s tomorrow. 10 am.
**********************************************************
Convincing his father that he needed to get Ellie and his mom a last minute gift from Boot’s hadn’t been hard. And the distraction of an impromptu book signing when a few newer shoppers to the Scamander family’s preferred bookstore wasn’t anything Jack perpetrated for his father. No, that was just dumb luck.
So with his father thoroughly distracted on the first level, Jack quickly moved up the spiral staircase to where he saw Parker watching the chaos. His friend had his usual work attire on, Jack noticed as he approached, but he didn’t comment on the ensemble. Or the meeting place. No. He just followed Parker as he nodded to the book cart he was pushing.
“Come on, I’ve got to shelve these while we talk.”
“Got an adventure novel in there?”
“Need a present for Elle?”
“Figured I’d kill two birds with one stone.” He leaned against one of the shelves in the aisle Parker began stocking. “I didn’t realize you worked here over winter break.”
“Keeps me busy.” Parker grunted as he dropped a book. Without thinking, Jack reached down and picked it up, handing it to the older boy while Parker ran a critical eye over him. “And my job isn’t why you needed to talk to me. What’s going on?”
He let out a long sigh, staring up at the ceiling while Parker kept working. He hadn’t really thought about how to go about this part. All Jack had known was he needed to talk to Parker. Finally, doing what Jack did best, he forced himself to speak bluntly. “When did you know?”
“When did I know what?”
“Ya know.” He moved his hands in a way that he thought Parker would know meant the big secret. The hidden truth that would put him on the receiving end of more prejudice. But apparently all Jack had done was make himself look crazier because Parker was staring at him like he had grown a second head. Blowing out his breath, Jack felt his hair bobble before meeting Parker’s eyes. “When did you know you’d rather kiss a boy than a girl?” His voice was low, aware that there might be patrons around them. The question made Parker’s eyes widen before he discreetly waved his hand, using wandless magic to cast a silencing charm. “That’s underage magic, Park.”
“Gonna rat me out to the Chief Auror?”
The easy going nature of the question made Jack smirk. “Nah, she’d complain about paperwork and her daughter hating her for reprimanding you. Plus I’m pretty confident you’re her favorite of all of us so she’d just be annoyed.” His quip seemed to earn Jack a smile from his friend as Parker leaned against the shelves.
Appraising him, Parker’s dark eyes were contemplative. It was as if he was trying to decipher if he could trust Jack with the information. Finally he seemed to settle on being able to, so Parker shrugged. “I figured it out about the time I first saw Pete and Ellie for the first time. I thought she was pretty, but Pete was prettier.” Nodding, Jack swallowed hard. Before he could ask another question or say something, Parker kept going. “Of course if you want to know when I acknowledged it and understood what it meant, that was when I started beating off a couple years ago. When I hit puberty, I hit it hard and when I need to jack off-“
“Please stop, I get it.” Jack let his gaze fall to the ground, running a hand through his hair. His mind was racing thinking about everything and as he did, his breath began to catch.
Feeling himself hyperventilate, Jack slid to the floor as Parker kneeled in front of him, smirk gone. He held Jack’s face in his hands as he whispered, “Jackie? Breathe for me, Jackie. I was just joking, I was giving you a hard time, no need to-“
“I’m gay.” Parker froze at his words, but Jack let it all tumble out. “I figured it out after I saw you and that boy. I really started thinking about it all at school and I panicked and I- What if my mom and dad hate me, Park? What if Elle and Joe do? Or Ollie and Stell? What am I gonna-“
“You are going to be okay, Jackie.” His sister’s best friend forced him to meet his eyes. Jack’s breath caught again, this time though it was at the beauty in Parker’s eyes. But he tucked that away. He needed to focus on the reality of his sexuality before he even thought about the apparent long held crush he had on the boy in front of him.
Parker started talking again, grounding him to the moment. “Jack, your parents love you, nothing is going to change. Joe and Ellie? Those two will be your biggest defenders. Ollie and Stella? They are too young to know that there was a world where you might have liked girls.”
“You don’t know any of that.”
“Yes, I do.”
“How?”
“Because only two people in this world were the ones I got to tell myself. One of them was your sister. And Ellie has threatened everyone at school within an inch of their life for looking at me differently.”
“Looking at you differently? What ha-“
“A stupid Wampus outed me. Luckily my housemates and most of Pukwudgie and Horned Serpent have my back. Don’t see it as a thing to look down on me for. Really all of school seems to be pretending nothing was said. Though I think that was Professor Hicks’s doing. Something about protecting her thunderchickens at all costs.” Parker shrugged sadly. Jack reached up, letting his thumb swipe the single tear that was shed from Parker’s cheek. The older boy shook his head, grounding himself. “Anyway, Ellie isn’t going to let anything happen to you because you like boys. Neither will Joe. You two may fight, but he’s your twin and he loves you. As for your parents? You’re right. I guess I don’t know, but I can’t imagine they won’t love you, Jack.” Nodding, Jack continued to stare at Parker, watching him smile softly as he stood. Holding out a hand to him, Parker pulled him up and suddenly Jack was all too aware of them standing chest to chest and that they were now almost even in height. “And you’ve got me, Jackie. You’ve always got me in your corner.”
“Thanks, Park.”
“Anytime.”
And that was that. Not wanting to make the awkward encounter last any longer, not wanting to leave his father to the wolves anymore, Jack stepped toward the end of the aisle closest to the stairs. He was almost there when Parker came running to him. “Jack!” He turned in surprise as Parker shoved a book in his hands. It was a copy of Jules Verne’s Journey to the Center of the Earth . “Give that to Elle for Christmas.” Jack nodded, turning to go when Parker leaned down to say, “And you tell everyone when YOU are ready. Not before. You don’t owe it to them. This doesn’t change you, Jack. It just means you get to be more yourself.”
**********************************************************
It means you get to be more yourself.
Those words had filled Jack with confidence over the course of break. And it made him realize he WANTED to tell his family. He NEEDED to tell them. Not for them. But for him. Because even if he just discovered this part of him, hiding it from people he loved more than anything would be harder than he wanted to think about.
So he decided the day before they left to return to school he’d tell everyone. First it was Ellie and Joe, then their parents depending on his siblings’ reactions. Which, watching them squirm as they gathered in Ellie’s room meant the reactions were going to be interesting.
Finally, Ellie broke the silence. “Alright, Jackal, what’s going on?”
“I have something I have to tell you both.” He said it evenly as he looked at them both. Joe’s head cocked to the side as he watched him, Ellie was opening her mouth again but Jack shook his head. “No. I need to say it and I need you two to not say anything until I’m done. Deal?”
“Deal.” Joe spoke for them both from his spot in the reading chair in the corner, Ellie nodding in agreement as she watched Jack. His sister had that assessing gaze she’d inherited from their mother that always made him squirm as she sat on her bed, Teddy the niffler in her arms.
On his own shoulder, Pickett’s familiar weight, encouraging him. He’d practiced on the bowtruckle the night before and the results had been… promising. So with a deep breath, Jack started his speech. “For a long time, I’ve always known I was different from you two. And before you start in, no this isn’t about our magic, though naturally you both are stronger than me. I’m just cheeky enough to use unconventional tactics and-“
“Jack, the point?” Ellie steered him back.
Giving a shy smile, Jack continued, “Right. The point. I know I’m different and not just because I’m more extroverted than you two or because I love creatures as much as Dad. I just,” he let out a sigh as Ellie scooted closer to him and Joe’s brow furrowed in concern. “I don’t feel love the way you two do. I, it’s hard to explain some of the nuances. But for one I’m not attracted to the opposite sex.”
“Okay.” Ellie said quietly and Jack looked at her in surprise.
“Okay?”
“You don’t like girls? Cool. One of my best friends doesn’t like girls and he’s a great person. Not liking the opposite sex doesn’t mean anything, Jackal. Still makes you my annoying little brother. And if you don’t feel any kind of sexual attraction then-“
“I’m a homosexual.” He’d said it. He didn’t know why he cut Ellie off mid-comfort. But he needed to say it out loud.
Joe and Ellie looked at him. Then each other and then to him again. Before he knew what was happening, Joe was standing up, moving in front of him and Jack prepared himself for the punch to come. But all he felt were Joe’s arms wrapping around him in a hug. “Congratulations, Jackal.” He pulled away from his brother in surprise, but Joe smiled brightly. “You think we didn’t put it together? You stare at Max all the time.”
“I do no-“
“You look at Max like Joe looks at Maddie, Jack.” Ellie moved over to join the hug. He felt dumbfounded as he let his siblings hug him. This wasn’t exactly the reaction he’d expected. No, in fact, Jack expected yelling or cursing or even endless questions about if he was sure. Instead, he was warmly embraced by two people who loved him as much as he loved them. “Jack,” Ellie whispered as she cupped his face, Joe’s hand on his shoulder. “Being gay doesn’t change who you are and you really think Joe and I would ever not love you because you like boys? You know us better than that.”
Tears pooled in his eyes as he nodded a little before sucking in a deep breath. “What are Mom and Dad going to-“
“Mom and Dad are going to love you. And if they don’t,” Joe started, but Ellie finished for him.
“If they don’t, then they’ll have to deal with us.”
Most days, Jack was annoyed with his siblings. He had four of them and when they were all together they were too loud and annoying. But that day, as his older sister and twin brother hugged him and told him they loved him, Jack didn’t think he’d ever be as annoyed at them again. He couldn’t be. Not when they were holding him together.
They stayed like that for a long while that afternoon, but eventually it was time to go downstairs for dinner. Dinner that was equal parts chaotically funny and down right nerve wracking. Ellie and Joe had promised to be there for him if he wanted them to be when he told their parents. And something about sitting at the dinner table while Ollie refused to eat and Estelle kept throwing her peas at him as their parents tried to put out their fires made Jack realize he needed everyone together when he said it.
So out of nowhere as his mother finally got Ollie calm and his father had convinced Stella to eat and not throw her dinner at their toddler brother, Jack blurted out, “I like boys.”
His parents both froze for a minute while Ellie choked on the chunk of meat she’d just inhaled. Joe was hitting her on the back as their mother turned to him. Jack felt tension rise in his shoulders as she blinked at him for a minute. “What was that, Jackal?” Her tone wasn’t angry. Or even a little mad. It was just utterly and hopelessly confused. His father’s dazed look said the same. Across the table, Ellie and Joe seemed to be shaking their heads, but Jack just repeated himself, stammering a little.
“I like boys. As in romantically. Meaning I’m a homosexual.”
For a minute, Newt and Tina Scamander just looked across the table at each other before nodding. “Alright.” His father’s voice was calm and Jack didn’t know how to take that. “Bowtruckle, would it be alright if we finish dinner and then you, Mum, and I can talk?”
“We will be there too.” Ellie said, Joe nodding in agreement.
It was their mother’s soft smile that made Jack understand his parents really wanted to speak to him alone. So Jack said, “I’ll be okay.”
“Jack, we-“
“Elle,” he met his sister’s eyes, then looked at Joe. “I’ll be okay.”
They didn’t argue. No, Ellie and Joe just sighed, rushing to finish dinner before taking their younger siblings upstairs. Jack watched his father wave his wand, enforcing a tight silencing charm so that his brother and sister couldn’t eavesdrop. That was about the time he panicked and realized he maybe should have asked his siblings to stay. But his mother reached for his hand and squeezed as his father slipped into the chair across from him. A small smile was playing at the corner of one Newt Scamander’s lips. For the life of him, Jack couldn’t decipher its meaning.
“Jack, Dad and I aren’t upset.” Turning his head, he saw his mother’s bright smile. “We just want to make sure YOU understand what this will mean.”
“I-I-I-,” he stammered for a moment before clearing his throat. “You aren’t kicking me out right? Or disowning me? Or telling me I’m just confused? Because I’m confused about a lot of things and this isn’t one of them.”
“Jackal,” his father said, drawing his attention as his hand reached out for Jack’s free one. Without thinking, he let his hand slide over. He’d never seen Newt Scamander look so serious and Jack wasn’t sure he liked it. “Jack, Mum and I love you. We aren’t doing any of those things.”
His mother scooted closer, reaching out to stroke his hair. “We’ve suspected for a while, Jack.”
“Why didn’t you say-“
“Because this is something you had to come to terms with, my love.” The tone of his mother’s voice was so soft and motherly that Jack felt protected in a way he hadn’t since he was very young. Despite most of their parents’ involvement being hidden from them, Jack and his siblings had been forced to grow up quicker than anyone in the house wanted to admit thanks to the war. But in that moment, having his mother whispering softly while his father squeezed his hand, Jack remembered that he was a lot younger than he often presented himself as. “Jackal, Dad and I can’t tell you who you love or what you think or who to be. All we can do is love and support you the best we can.”
“Which we do by the way.” Across the table his father’s crooked smile graced his lips. “It doesn’t matter if you are attracted to men or women or no one at all. Mum and I love you. More than all the stars in the sky and creatures in the sea. We want you to be who you are, Jack. Because who you are is wonderful.”
Little tears were falling down his face as he looked between them. He had no words because in all the endless scenarios he’d played out in his head, this wasn’t what he expected. Sure he hoped they’d react like this, but Jack wasn’t stupid. He was well aware of what people thought of others like him. What people did to them, what parents might do to their own children. But to have his mother and father smiling softly, squeezing his hands and promising to love and support him was…a massive relief.
“But Jack,” his mother seemed to scoot closer, trying to have her as close to him as possible. “I need to know that you are aware of what this means. If you want to tell the world, Dad and I will be there ready to stand beside you, to be your champions against anyone who speaks out against you-“
“But as your parents, bowtruckle,” his father picked up when his mother’s voice turned shaky. They shared a look that had Jack’s eyes darting between them. “As your parents, we are going to worry about your safety. People who are hateful and bigots will try to hurt you, whether it be emotionally or physically. We know it’s very early to think about that as you’re only thirteen, but son, we need you to-“
“I know.” There had never been a moment in his life when his voice had sounded smaller. But he needed them to understand he knew the implications of this. “I know people will hate me and won’t understand or will choose to not respect my love. But as long as,” he let out a sigh, looking up at the ceiling. “As long as I’m true to myself and you and our family respect and love me for that, then I’ll be okay. Because at the end of the day, who I love doesn’t matter, it’s the person I am that does.”
Never in his life had he ever seen those looks of pride that crossed their faces. There was this inherent sense of joy about the smiles his parents offered him with those words that made Jack blush. It was like he’d said the magic words they’d been looking for.
In a second his mother was up, pulling him to her as she whispered, “Thank you. For telling us. For trusting us.” Her hands cupped his cheeks as she added “My brave Jackal. I will always love you. And no man is ever going to be good enough for you.”
“Not even Parker?” The soft words that only she could hear slipped out before he could think to stop them. It’s not like it mattered. He didn’t like Park not lik-
“I think I could make an exception for Park.” His eyes darted up in panic as he looked at her. Tina Scamander wore a smirk while his father was watching them in confusion. But his mother merely waved him off before leaning into whisper, “That’s our little secret, Jack.”
Before he said anything else twin screams from up stairs indicated Ollie and Estelle both needed his parents while Ellie and Joe called “NOT IT!”
So really in that moment nothing huge changed. Well it did. But his siblings were still chaotic, his parents still loved him. Eventually they’d probably tell the rest of the family. When he was ready. And he expected they would all have various feelings on the matter but would hopefully come around. But for now life was normal. Or as normal as being a Scamander with a huge secret he’d possibly never tell anyone outside of their house ever got.
**********************************************************
Summer of 1983
Jack fought a laugh as he watched his sons chase Parker with the water guns Evan had bought to keep at Ellie and Lyall’s that summer. His best friend had argued that “we need to be able to spray the kids when they use that stupid pool against us, Elle.” His sister had only rolled her eyes before agreeing. Only the plan had backfired. Now the teenagers and young adults had taken the water guns to fuel their proverbial fire.
A fact his partner had pointed out and now had resulted in their sons chasing him with the intent to make Park’s life a living hell even if for only a few moments.
There was a distant scream as David blasted Park in the face while Leo hit him square in the crotch of his pants making it look like Parker had wet himself. The sight was hilarious and he’d let out a chuckle that had his boys grinning and Parker glaring. “NOT HELPING, JACKSON DAVID!”
He simply shrugged while the rest of their friends also laughed and started shouting at his partner. The rest of the kids picked then to descend on their parents with the water guns. Artemis and Athena tag teamed Ellie and Lyall, who were laughing loudly as they tried to wave the girls off, while Remus smiled softly from where he watched to the side, still recovering from a particularly nasty moon. Alex had gotten Joe right in the face which had his brother up and stalking toward his son while the younger man sprinted to hide behind his girlfriend. Emily had stepped to the side, handing Joe a water pistol as he passed. Evan’s girls were also chasing him as Sadie held her hands up with raised brows to warn them they’d best leave her be. Pete was currently trying to fend off Nick who instead of using the toy water sprayers somehow had gotten ahold of water balloons to pelt at his father. Jack laughed harder when he saw Artemis come up to her boyfriend’s side and steal one of the balloons to use on her sister in a betrayal that had Athena screaming. Maddie and Mara were somehow remaining dry and talking as the chaos ensued around them.
That left only one other person to truly be watching the chaos.
Looking over toward the pool in the Lupins’ backyard, Jack saw his brother’s daughter with her nose buried in her book while she sat on the deck. Truthfully, he’d expect as much if he were looking at Artemis or Athena. Those two had their parents’ love of literature that often had them so distracted if they were in the middle of a chapter they didn’t know you’d been talking to them for twenty minutes. Tia, on the other hand, was more of a visual learner and preferred learning by doing. Much like both the Scamander twins themselves did.
Plus, normally where Athena and Leo were, you could count on Tia being in the thick of the chaos with her cousins.
So, naturally, Jack was worried when he saw his niece sitting out on the ambush of all ambushes that would have left her helping her father chase Alex for payback. Carefully rising from his chair, hands in the air as his boys turned from the love of his life who now also had a water gun. All three of his boys noticed his sudden movement and Parker had the water gun raised with a devilish smile Jack loved. Nodding toward the deck, he saw his partner realize what he was up to and stirred their boys to where Joe still chased Alex while Jack made his way over to Tia. No one followed after that, seeming to guess that if they sprayed the fourteen year old he approached, she’d probably scream at them in a way that would give her Aunt Ellie a run for her money.
When he sat down, Tia barely looked up long enough to acknowledge his presence with an “Uncle Jack.”
“Mooncalf.” Joe had bestowed his beloved creature nickname on his little girl when she’d been born and it had become a habit for Jack to use the title for his niece. He did it for all the kids. Hell, he’d dubbed Alex ‘bowtruckle’ himself and reminded his nephew of it every chance he got. It was a fun way for them to carry on their father’s tradition, even if the reused nicknames still tripped Newt Scamander up from time to time.
“Did you need something, Uncle Jack?”
Blinking, he hadn’t realized he’d been staring at her until Tia looked at him with a cocked brow. “Oh. No. Just wanted to check in. Normally, you’d be out there with everyone else.”
Tia risked a glance at their family, frowning a little. “I’m going through a crisis. I don’t have time to do that today.” Their Porpentina Anne Scamander was always so matter of fact. Even then when he asked why she wasn’t gunning in the water war waging in front of them.
Bumping her with his shoulder, Jack whispered, “Any kind of crisis I can help with?”
For a long moment Tia didn’t say a word. She stared up at him, assessing him with the clear blue eyes that were a combination of both of her parents’. As much as she looked and acted like Joe, it was that gaze that reminded Jack all too well that Tia was 100% Maddie’s daughter. His sister-in-law had the same look when she was reading a person in an interrogation. Or even when she just needed one of them to admit the truth to her. Jack had been on the receiving end of that look many times when he’d been sneaking around with Parker back in the day. Of course he’d never cracked then. But that was because of the secret they’d been keeping so near and dear for themselves and less about the effectiveness of the look.
Finally, Tia said, “Uncle Jack, I think you might be the only person who can help me with this right now.”
“You can tell me anything, Tee.” His hand brushed back her hair before settling on the side of her head. “I won’t tell your mom and dad unless it’s harmful to you. Because they deserve to know in that case, okay?” She nodded. They’d had talks like this before. He always made it clear he’d keep whatever secret she needed of him at the time, but if it held a potential to get her hurt or in major, major trouble, then he’d go with her to tell Joe and Maddie. Not to rat Tia out, but to keep her safe and play mediator. Joe and Maddie did it for the rest of them enough, it was the least he could do for their family on occasion. But right then, as he looked at Tia, Jack worried she was about to be sick. “Tia, it’s okay. You don’t have to tell me.”
She shook her head vehemently before turning the book to him and he saw what she’d been intently studying. Not words on the page. No. It was her yearbook from Ilvermorny with little hearts drawn around one of her classmates. One of her female classmates.
“Uncle Jack, when did you know you were gay?”