Home Sweet Home ch.33 (Patreon)

The mystery revealed itself when they turned onto their family’s street. A car wreck was half-wrapped around a telephone pole, and debris from the accident lay strewn across the road. The power line leading to Harry and Bellatrix’s house, along with half a dozen others in the neighborhood, was completely severed.

"Well, that explains it," Harry murmured.

His mother parked the car in front of the garage, which couldn’t be opened from the outside without power. "This is quite a significant inconvenience. It could take days to repair."

They walked inside. Daphne and Astoria were huddled on the couch under blankets, staring at their phones and looking mutually bored and irritated. Daphne let out an exaggerated shiver and pulled the blanket higher up over her body.

"It’s freezing in here," she grumbled.

"No kidding," Harry said. "We’re in the middle of a fall cold snap, and the heating doesn’t work when the power is out."

"Screw you, Harryy-kun."

"Don’t get mad at me for pointing out the obvious," he retorted.

She glared at him, and he met her gaze, feeling a powerful current of sexual tension flowing beneath the surface of their irritation.

Astoria was evidently still angry with him and was showing it in a troubling yet cute way. She wore an oversized sweater and had her knees pulled up to her chest, clearly refusing to look his way. Bellatrix took off her shoes and rubbed her hands together, sighing in the dim light of their living room.

"There should be a propane heater in the basement," she said. "Harry, can you look for it?"

"I can try. It won’t be easy to find in the dark."

He used the flashlight on his phone to guide his way. The basement was mostly organized, but there was so much junk in the closet that the propane heater was a needle in a haystack. Harry finally found it stuffed in a cardboard box in the farthest, darkest corner, dusty and clearly unused for years. He hauled it upstairs along with the propane tank, grunting from the weight.

"I’m not sure how much good this will do. It’ll heat one room, but they’re really not meant to be used for more than a few hours at a time."

"I think we need a different solution," Bellatrix said. "We need power, not just heat."

"We could rent a hotel," Astoria suggested.

"We’d need more than one," Daphne said.

"That would be such a pointless expense," Bellatrix sighed. "It might take a few days, maybe even a week, for the power company to fix the downed line. Wait a moment. I think I have another idea."

She went to the kitchen to make a phone call. Harry slowly approached the couch, looking for a place to sit between or beside his sisters. Daphne unsuccessfully tried to make some room for him. Astoria didn’t budge.

"Astoria," he said quietly. "Can I talk to you for a moment?"

Astoria continued to refuse to acknowledge him. Unexpectedly, it was Daphne who nudged her younger sister on the shoulder."He's still your brother, Astoria," Daphne said in a calm tone. "I explained everything to you. Feel free to verify it with him, because clearly, you didn't understand what I was saying."

"This is so unfair," Astoria muttered. "Can't I have anything for myself? Why do I always have to be the younger sister who has no say in what belongs to me?"

Despite her protests, she stood up and followed Harry upstairs. Harry fumbled in the darkness, trying to find his way to his room, and Astoria walked straight into his back.

"Ouch," she said.

Harry chuckled. "Your night vision is even worse than mine."

"I wear glasses. Not that it's a surprise."

He opened the door and led her to his room, which was better lit by the sunlight streaming through the window. His mattress still lacked fresh sheets, so he patted the bare spot next to him as he sat on the bed. Astoria hesitated for a moment before sitting down.

"Daphne came to my room last night," he said.

"I know."

"We had sex."

"I know!" she snapped, her voice filled with hurt. "You betrayed me."

"Astoria, we'll never be able to be open about... what we've been doing," he said. "Daphne found out, and for better or worse, she’s our older sister."

"Are you saying this is all her fault?"

"No, I’m not," he sighed and took her hand, trying to explain the inexplicable contradictions in his heart. "I’m saying Daphne decided she wanted the same thing. And... I know this sounds horribly ridiculous, but it would be a little unfair if I allowed you to get close to me and not let her, you know?"

"That's stupid," Astoria murmured. "It could have just been the two of us. It could have been our secret."

"I would’ve liked that too, but she found out." He squeezed her hand. "Anyway, it’s not like I’ve died or decided I never want to see you again. Nothing’s changed."

"Prove it."

He looked at her, making sure they were still alone upstairs. The house was eerily quiet without power. He could hear the murmur of their mother’s phone conversation but not its content. He leaned in, almost but not quite kissing Astoria, letting his breath tickle her neck.

"You want proof, Astoria?" he whispered. "Now?"

"Mmhmm." She nodded slowly.

Harry kissed her neck, and Astoria shivered. It was so hot that he began to harden in an instant. The idea of proving to her how much he loved her, maybe even twice in a row, was very tempting.

But logic and reason told him that any sounds resembling those of sex would probably be heard even from the farthest corners of the house, without the ambient noise to mask them.

"When we get to the hotel or wherever Mom decides to take us, I’ll find a chance to show you," he whispered.

"What about Daphne?"

"What about her? She can take care of herself."

"Promise me you’ll never choose her over me the whole time we’re away," Astoria said.

"Agreed, but that only applies when you’re both actively vying for my attention. It’s also completely dependent on you staying quiet."

"Daphne’s the loud one," Astoria muttered. "I heard a ton last night. Oh God! Oh Harry!"

"It’s kind of hot hearing you mock her sex noises," he whispered.

"Well... I’ll remember that."

She turned away. Harry pulled her face back to his, placing a finger under her chin. He kissed her gently on the lips. She surprised him with a strong embrace.

"I love you, you stupid idiot," she whispered.

"I love you too." He held her tightly and didn’t want to let go.

"I found a solution!" Bellatrix called from the living room.

Harry felt a bit awkward coming downstairs with Astoria in the darkness and silence. Daphne was illuminated by the light of her phone, a look of boredom etched on her face.

"I'm all for anything that gets us out of this eternal darkness," Harry said. "Don't we have any candles?"

"There’s no point in lighting them now," Bellatrix said. "My sister with the extra space in her house said she'd be happy to take us in for a few days. Pack your things."

"Thank God," Daphne said. "My phone's at five percent."

Harry grabbed a few changes of clothes, his toothbrush, and on a hunch, the Magic Pulse remote. It felt almost like a good luck charm now, although the only luck it had brought him so far was in the form of sexual complications.

He joined the rest of the family outside by his mom's car, once again surprised by how cold it had gotten this time of year. They tossed all their belongings into the trunk. Harry climbed into the backseat next to Astoria, seeing that Daphne had already taken the front seat and he didn’t want to argue.

"This could be fun," Bellatrix said. "Like a little family trip."

"Except we’re not leaving town or doing anything significant," Daphne said.

"The attitude makes the trip, not the scenery," Bellatrix countered.

They drove through Surrey to the north side of town. It was an area with more space, where property values seemed to climb the farther down the road you went.

Bellatrix finally pulled into the driveway of a house that qualified as a residence, with a long driveway, a pond to one side of the expansive lawn with a fountain in the middle, a double garage, and a pool in the backyard.

"When did you become so chummy with sisters?" Harry asked.

"Narcissa became my patient," Bellatrix replied. "One of my first. We keep in touch and still have lunch together once a week."

"Uh-oh," Daphne said. "I didn’t sign up to stay at some crazy lady’s house."

"Daphne!" Bellatrix snapped. "She’s not crazy. Don’t say such things."

"She could be crazy, and I'd still be willing to crash at a place like this, honestly." Harry whistled as he got out of the car. "She must have a good job or a rich husband."

"Let’s go in," Bellatrix said.

Harry felt his family was poorer than they actually were when they all shouldered their bags and walked up the steps to the door. Bellatrix rang the doorbell, and there was an awkward, anticipatory silence as they waited for it to open.

He wasn’t ready for what happened next. The door was opened by a woman he recognized. The same woman who worked at Starlight, the sex shop where he had repaired the remote. The same woman who was most likely on the other side of the glory hole into which he had impulsively thrust his dick.

"Narcissa!" Bellatrix laughed and dropped her bag to hug her friend.

It was the only thing that prevented the others from noticing the way Harry recognized Narcissa, and Narcissa clearly recognized him. The tan-skinned woman seemed just as thrown off balance as he felt.

"Bellatrix," she said. "Welcome. Is this your family?"

"This is Daphne, my oldest. Astoria, my baby girl. And Harry, who just came back after graduating from magic college."

"I see," Narcissa said. "Please, come in."

"Are you sure we can stay with you?" Bellatrix asked. "You seem a bit hesitant."

"No, it’s nothing," Narcissa said. "I just didn’t realize how grown-up your kids are. You look so young, Bellatrix. I assumed you were still raising much younger children."

"You're so sweet," Bellatrix said.

They took off their shoes, and Narcissa motioned them inside. She wore sweatpants and a tank top as if she had just finished working out, and both items showed off a fit figure with enough curves to catch the eye. Harry’s eyes kept drifting back to her mouth, as if he could guess whether she was the one who had sucked his dick that day through simple observation.

She noticed him staring and blinked a few times without smiling. He looked away and tried to act naturally, knowing that the only thing he could do was make an already weird situation even more awkward.

"Your place is amazing," Daphne said. "Do you live here alone?""Just me," answered Narcissa. "My ex-husband was very wealthy. I didn't fight for much during the divorce, and I got enough to buy a house and start a business. My advice for pretty young girls like you two is quite cynical: marry a rich guy."

Astoria shuddered and moved closer to Harry, subtly brushing his fingers with a seemingly accidental touch. Narcissa's house had something like a foyer, with a double set of curved stairs leading to the second level. She led them to the right, turning on the light as they entered the next room.

"This is my living room," said Narcissa. "It's a bit... unconventional."

"That's fine," said Bellatrix. "They're open-minded."

Narcissa let out an embarrassed giggle and stepped aside to let them in. "I call this the playroom when I have guests. It's more of an adult playroom, if you catch my drift."

"Oh," said Astoria. "Oh!"

It wasn't much different from a regular living room, except for a few subtle differences. A single, normally looking couch was leather, easy to clean. One of the walls had a rack for various paddles, crops, and whips. Another couch was inclined, which seemed suitable for sex in a particularly angled position.

"It's your therapy that helped me open up more to this side of myself, Bellatrix," Narcissa said. "Though I admit, most of the guests I have these days share a similar lifestyle."

"That's interesting," said Daphne. "You must have a lot of fun."

"Quite a bit." Narcissa smiled and gestured towards the stairs. "You four must be tired of carrying those bags. Let me show you the guest rooms."

She led them upstairs. Harry was impressed by how spacious even the hallways were, but the thought was immediately pushed aside when Narcissa opened a door, revealing a rather luxurious guest room. It reminded him more of an expensive hotel suite than a guest room, with a small mini-fridge, a television, a queen-sized bed with plenty of pillows, and a beautiful view of the backyard.

"Both guest rooms share a bathroom," Narcissa said. "Unfortunately, there are only two beds between them."

"Could one of us sleep on the couch downstairs in the playroom?" Bellatrix asked. She looked at Harry, and he sighed, trying to hide his disappointment, sensing her thoughts.

"I wouldn't recommend any of you sleep on that couch," Narcissa said with a laugh. "Can you manage with two beds?"

"I'm sure we can manage," Bellatrix said, smiling and glancing at Harry again. "Thank you so much for your hospitality, Narcissa."

"Of course. It's not easy to stay cooped up in a house without power. You can stay as long as you need, it's not like I lack space."

"Let me handle dinner," Bellatrix said. "It's the least I can do to repay you."

"You don't have to do that," Narcissa said. "I insist."

Narcissa laughed and quickly hugged Bellatrix. "It's going to be great fun! I'll give you four a chance to settle in."

Her gaze lingered on Harry as she walked away. He tried not to reveal anything to the rest of the family, knowing that at some point he would have to talk to Narcissa alone. It was too strange, though in a small town like Surrey, maybe it wasn't as coincidental as it seemed.

"So," Daphne said. "There are only two rooms and two beds."

"It looks like it, but we can manage," Bellatrix said.

Harry exchanged glances with Astoria and Daphne, but their mother spoke up before the three could make any suggestions.

"Harry and I will share one room," Bellatrix said. "Daphne, you and Astoria will take the other. It's just for a few days. By this time next week, we'll be home. It's manageable, right, Harry?"

He knew it was, but the sense of disappointment was still real as he thought about what it would be like to share a room with either of his sisters, now that their relationships were unrestricted and sexual. A wicked voice in the back of his mind whispered that maybe it wouldn't be so unbearable if instead he shared the room and bed with his mother.

"I'm sure we can manage," he said.