Home Sweet Home ch.44 (Patreon)

Harry rode his bike home, dazed. He ran up the stairs after parking in the garage, trying to hide his costume in the closet as if he were a murderer disposing of bloodstained clothes. He lay down on his bed, staring at his phone, too shaken by the night's events to sleep.

At least that's what he thought. Eventually, he fell into a restless slumber. He felt like guilt and shame were the main themes in his mind all night, playing out various scenarios where he tried not to get caught for something or another.

The sound of his bedroom door opening woke him up. He immediately assumed it was his mother, ready to wake him up and start an investigation. The way the door closed silently behind his visitor made him reconsider. Moments later, a small, sweet-smelling body slid under the covers next to him. "Hey," Astoria whispered.

"Hey." He groaned and reached out sleepy arms to hug her. Her body was soft, and he took another deep breath of her scent.

"How was your night?" she asked.

"Weird and confusing." He sighed with honesty. "Yours?"

"I didn't get much sleep," she said, yawning. "Just wanted to say hi before I went to bed."

"Hi," he said, smiling.

"Hi." She moved to kiss him, and for a blissful moment, they just kissed and shared their warmth.

Their hands began to wander. Astoria found his member and started bringing him to hardness, her fingers rubbing and caressing through his boxers. Harry began kissing her neck, feeling like he was moving on autopilot, until she yawned in his face.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "Later today? I'm really sleepy."

"That's okay." He kissed her on the cheek and hugged her. "I love you, Astoria."

"I love you more, Harry."

She gave him a gentle and slow kiss on the lips, another one on his chest, stared at him for a second, and then finally slid off the bed. Harry fell asleep surprisingly quickly.

He was awakened by the sound of a ringing phone. He checked the screen, didn't recognize the number, and let it go to voicemail instead of behaving like a functioning human being. A smile appeared on his face when he listened to the message a few minutes later. 

His public defender had managed to secure a deal. No jail time, no charges, and no criminal record. He would still have to pay a few hundred dollars in fines, but he was essentially off the hook, all thanks to the wonderful recommendation from his social worker, Father Patrick.

He placed the phone beside him on the bed, now fully awake. Amid all the sex, sneaking around, and romantic family drama, he hadn't realized how much his legal troubles had weighed on his shoulders. The relief was palpable, like reaching the end of a long workday just before heading on vacation.

He put on a t-shirt and sweatpants, excited to share the good news, and hurried downstairs. The events of the previous night hit him as he thought about how happy his mother would be. He cringed, feeling an even stronger sense of regret than after the sex. He would have to live with that memory, that shame, for the rest of his life. At least he could hope his mother still wouldn't be any wiser.

"Good morning, Harryy-kun." Daphne was sitting on the living room couch, playing video games in a tank top and yoga pants.

"Good morning," he said. "Scoot over."

He was surprised when she did so without complaint. The smell of pancakes and bacon told him their mother was already busy with breakfast.

"What's with that creepy smile?" Daphne asked, not-so-subtly nudging the second controller.

"I just got a call from my lawyer," he said. "I'm basically off the hook because of my community service, except for some fines."

"Shut up." Daphne looked like she was trying not to smile, tried and failed. "Are you serious?"

"Very serious. Let me jump into the next round. So, will it still be a crime, or...?"

"Nothing should be on my record after this deal," he said, sighing with relief. "I know. I can hardly believe it myself."

Daphne glanced toward the kitchen for a moment, then leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. "That's amazing. And...thank you, Harry. For what you did."

"Like I’d ever turn my own sister over to the police," he said. "If I want to see you squirm, I can just kick your ass in Smash. Or do other things."

"Let’s start with Smash." She smiled at him, and it was a little strange to see her so genuine and happy because of good news specifically related to him.

They played a few rounds, Daphne winning the first two, and Harry the third. It was a perfect moment on many levels, as siblings, but also as whatever else they had become. Somehow, it made sense. Maybe only from the inside, maybe not to the rest of the world, but it didn’t seem as important as it once had.

Harry won the fourth round as well. He just smiled, saying nothing, watching as Daphne’s competitive side raised its cute yet ugly head.

"Let’s go for another round," she said. "You keep playing characters with cheap moves."

"You can play them too," he said. "You might have to if you want to beat me."

She pouted and playfully pushed his arm. Harry bumped his knee against hers, and then they wrestled on the couch, crossing the line between sibling play-fighting and overt foreplay. The sound of their mother’s footsteps brought them back to their senses.

"Breakfast is ready," she said, placing a plate for each of them. "Good morning, Harry." "Good morning, Mom."

It felt strange, meeting her gaze. She was wearing a robe, and he wondered if she had taken a quick shower that morning. When he looked directly at her, he felt a weird pang of unease.

"Harry sorted things out with his lawyer, so he won’t be going to jail," Daphne said.

"That’s good news," their mother said. "Sweetie, can you come to my room when you’re done eating? I need to talk to you about that, and...a few other things."

Her tone turned his nerves to ice. "Sure, Mom." He finished the round he was playing with Daphne, took a few bites of breakfast he barely tasted, and slowly headed upstairs to his mother’s room. He knocked softly on the door and heard a quiet "come in" from inside.

"Hey," he said, closing the door behind him. She was still in her robe, sitting on the bed with a thoughtful expression on her face. "Sit down, Harry."

It felt like she was looking straight through him, to the point that he knew something was wrong. He sat on her bed, not too close, but not too far either, and waited for the guillotine to drop.

"What’s going on with you and Daphne?" she asked.

"Nothing," he replied far too quickly. "I mean...what do you mean?"

"You know what I mean. When I came in, you two were wrestling on the couch with more touching than siblings normally would, especially you and her."

"You’re reading too much into ten seconds of silly roughhousing."

"Harry," she said. "Have you two been having sex?"

This time he was too slow. The question was so direct and charged, but it was her eyes that were the weapon firing it. He couldn’t lie to those eyes—at least not without some amount of willpower and effort that his sleep-deprived brain couldn’t muster.

"I thought so," his mother whispered. "Astoria too?" Oof. He must have visibly winced. His mother looked down at her hands, literally wringing her fingers and looking as stressed as he had ever seen her.

"I noticed little things," she said. "There wasn’t one moment that gave it away. It was more about how your interactions with them changed. There’s a certain vibe you can feel between people when they’re close."

"You don’t understand," he said.

His mother scoffed. "Don’t understand? I think I do. Harry, this is such a violation of boundaries between you and them. And I don’t care who initiated it. You’re the common factor. Don’t you see how bad and hurtful this could be?"

He had a sudden urge to mention the previous night, to throw the truth in her face, but it felt bloated and like it could backfire. He leaned forward, running his hands through his hair.

"I’ll need to search your room too," Bellatrix said.

"Search my...room?" That gave him a moment of reprieve and also suggested another unfortunate truth. 

There’s only one thing she’ll be looking for, he thought. The Batman costume matching the one the man who fucked her was wearing.

"So, you know everything, don’t you?" he said. "That’s why you’re bringing this up now. You knew something was going on between me and Daphne, me and Astoria. It was just easier for you to ignore when..."

"I just need to look around your room, honey. Don’t jump to conclusions."

"Did you have fun at the party last night, Mom?" he asked.

She blinked several times in quick succession. "It was a party. I had fun."

"Maybe too much fun?" he asked.

She narrowed her eyes. "What are you implying?"

"I think you know what I’m implying, so I’ll just say it. It was me. Last night. You don’t need to search my room."

There was less shock on her face than he expected. Bellatrix nodded slowly, but it looked like the calm before the storm.

"This isn’t okay," she said. "None of this is okay! Harry, I know you must be confused coming home after being gone for so long, but...we’re your family. We’re not here to satisfy your sexual urges."

"Wait a minute," he said. "You’re married! If it hadn’t been me last night, you might as well have cheated with someone else. Cheated on my dad."

"We’ve talked about divorce," she said. "God, this isn’t the time for these conversations. I admit I had my part in this. I’m just as wrong as you, but..."

"But what, Mom?"

"Don’t tell your father about this," she said. "Not right now. There are so many things we already need to figure out. Adding infidelity and you to the pile of problems would just make an even bigger mess. It’s already such a mess. God...what is happening in this house?"Her shoulders slumped. Harry felt a sting of unwanted pity for her. He shifted closer on the bed, realising that no matter what happened, she was still his mother. They would all have to live with each other, along with the consequences of their actions. "Don't get a divorce," he said.

"I'm sorry?" she said.

"At least not yet. Wait until Astoria and Daphne leave the house. Hell, I'll include myself. I don't want to live here and experience the fallout. "What are we supposed to do in the meantime? Pretend nothing has changed?

"We can still try to be a family, even if things have changed," he said. "Haven't we?

She was silent for what seemed like at least a minute, although it was probably less.

"It's going to be difficult, given how complicated things have become.

'You're a sex therapist, Mum,' he said, feeling a strange increase in tension. "I thought this would be just right for you."

"The first principle of this kind of therapy is to help people achieve a safe and satisfying sex life,” she said, slowly shaking her head.

"Don't you feel safe with me? He moved a little closer to her, noticing how she moved and her body language opened up to him.

"I didn't say that," she replied. 'That idea is just too hard to take.

"Too much for you? He let his lips move closer to her neck, the words tickling her ear.

'I didn't say that either,' she whispered.