Chapter Text
Platform nine and three quarters was absolutely overflowing with the crowd. People of all shapes and sizes gathered here, all united in one way: Magic.
It was a chaotic, wholesome sight, really. Parents crying, children laughing, cats and owls engaging in silent war while darting in between the crowd. The train, in the midst of everything, puffed out clouds of thick, heavy smoke as it prepared for departure. It was the same as every year, yet somehow, this year felt special. Like something was close, not yet close enough to see, but close enough to sense its presence. Like it was just waiting to break free, to wreak havoc upon all unsuspecting students. But it wouldn't be noticeable to everyone, no, only a certain pair of boys, already in their spots on the train, waiting for the moment they would finally leave the station.
They were complete opposites, akin to water and fire. One was a walking embodiment of chaos, while the other was careful and kind. A Slytherin and Hufflepuff - they really couldn't be any more different. There was no way they would find a kindred spirit in one another... right? That's how it always seemed. That's how it should be. And it was like that, for now.
They hadn't even properly met yet. A lingering glance in the hallway was all of the interaction they had ever had. It was likely that either of them wouldn’t even remember that moment. It doesn't even seem important, does it? Well, it wasn't. And it never would be.
As soon as the train slowly started gathering speed and moving away from the platform, the fun began.
Murdoc Niccals, Hogwarts' infamous troublemaker and business associate with Peeves, wasn't planning to just sit still and keep quiet the entire ride. No, he wanted to make a very bad first impression on the first years. That's what he'd done for the past two years, it was basically a tradition now.
He stepped out into the corridor, immediately spotting a group of first years still huddled close together, looking for an empty spot to sit. Excellent target.
Now... what to do? So many options; so many outcomes. He could simply scare them, but that was too forgettable. He still had a few dung bombs left from the previous year, the ones Peeves had stolen back from Filch. But he wouldn't be able to stand the stink either. He needed something that would only target the first years, and not himself... Pepper dust would work since he could just hide back in his compartment, but that stuff was a luxury to him. He'd rather save it. Maybe hexed chocolate frogs that melted the moment they were touched? No, he didn't have chocolate frogs. And it was still quite boring.
He had to think fast now. Err- He got it!
"Spirito."
A mere whisper, the first years didn't even notice at first. But they sure did notice once they heard a voice, soft as a breath, yet somehow as loud as an airhorn all at once. They looked around, bewildered, trying to find the source of the strange, filthy words being blasted into their heads.
Always a neat little charm, that. He could speak inside their minds, make them see strange visions if he was in the mood. He'd once blasted straight up filth right into a professor's head (poor guy, he had to end the class early). And no one would ever know he did it, unless they caught him staring. Came in very handy a lot of the time.
"Mate, I've been possessed-" one of the first years muttered to another, eyes wide and bewildered. The other nodded frantically, glancing around to try and catch the culprit. But Murdoc was conveniently out of sight. He wouldn't reveal himself just yet.
There was just a little problem, though. Murdoc didn't know how many of them were even affected by the spell. He could focus on a single person just fine, but there wasn't really a good way to target a select number of people... yet. He just had to get better at it, he supposed.
He decided to try it again, to see who could hear him. Or just to see who was gullible enough.
"Spirito." ("Look up.")
Two of them looked up, while one suddenly looked down at the floor. Alright, so he could target three people. And one of them was an idiot. The remaining two of the five looked utterly confused.
("Gullible. And why did one of you look down? Are you stupid?")
The first years were absolutely bewildered. One of them stuffed his fingers into his ears to block out the sound - but of course, that didn't work.
("Ask the teachers about their underwear later or your balls will explode. And in case you don't have balls, it'll be your head.") Murdoc added as a final message before he ducked back into his compartment, snickering. What he didn't notice earlier was that a bloody prefect had been standing just outside the door, waiting for him to finish his torment.
"Oh, kind sir, do come in. There's lots of space," Murdoc joked as he sprawled out, somehow covering every single seat in the compartment.
"Niccals. I would've thought you'd learnt your lesson by now. Those first years are going to tattle, and we'll lose points before the year even begins properly. Can't you care about other people for once?" the prefect complained, making no move to sit down despite Murdoc's invitation.
"Not if they're posh, stuck-up pricks who were raised by daddy's money. Oh, and absolutely not if they believe in 'pureblood supremacy', 'cause that's utter bullshit. Now go fuck someone else up the arse, would ya?" Murdoc responded sweetly, keeping an innocent smile on his face.
"Well then, I won't concern myself any longer with a halfblood whose muggle mother birthed him in a freak house."
And with that, the prefect was gone. Murdoc scoffed. He was annoyed that everyone just seemed to know that about him, despite him not telling anyone. It was utter bullshit that they could use the story of his own birth against him. It wasn't even that special; he knew a kid who was born in the middle of a blood ritual gone wrong. And to be fair, that kid was more fucked in the head than he was. Murdoc was pretty sure that guy had been used as a sort of quaffle when he was a baby.
Murdoc was... fairly normal. His skin didn't have any weird sores, his hair was alright, and he was built like a normal human. Only his swollen nose bridge, his talon-like nails that grew just a little too fast, his sharp teeth and maybe the fact that he could eat basically anything and not get sick were a little... off. But he liked most of that about himself. He could eat meat in record time, he could scratch people good, and he couldn't recall ever throwing up other than the times he stole his dad's liquor or just straight up ate something poisonous to see what would happen.
He didn't know why he had all of that, though. There could be some kind of weird mutation going on, but it was also possible that one of his ancestors happened to have the hots for a non-human creature. Who knows. He never knew his mother, so he didn’t know what she looked like.
Further along the train ride, other students started getting antsy. Murdoc saw quite a few pass his compartment. He wasn't interested enough to get up and check, though; he was quite comfortable here, and getting up would mean he'd have to rearrange himself completely once he sat down again.
The prefect from earlier passed him as well. Murdoc gave him the finger, which he sadly didn't see. Murdoc would've loved to see the look on his pompous face.
Honestly, people watching was mighty entertaining. He saw the first years from earlier pass. They were all dressed now, and obviously excited for the new year. Murdoc smirked and waved at them, much to their confusion.
Eventually the hallways quieted down. No one dared to come into Murdoc's compartment. He didn't look THAT threatening; but he was infamous, so the older students had probably already informed the newbies. But to come back to his looks: Murdoc was just a regular kid, really. He looked like a muggleborn with his long, black, shaggy hair. It wasn't that popular of a style in the wizarding world. And sure, magic came in handy, but Murdoc didn't want to pursue a career in magic anyway. He wanted to be a musician, the muggle kind. He liked electric guitars and screaming rock 'n' roll. That was his world; the ministry of magic could all get one up their arses for all he cared. Not that they’d ever want him working there, anyway.
It was a shame electric instruments didn't work in Hogwarts, really. He would've loved to play some bass in the common room. And sure, he could get himself an acoustic bass, but he wasn't used to playing on one of those and he had no idea where to get one in this day and age. The local music shop back in Stoke only sold a few electric bass models alongside their large collection of synths and guitars.
If students were ever allowed to start petitions for changes, Murdoc would probably protest for electrical outlets. Or at the very least some form of an electrical source that was compatible with muggle cables and such.
After another few minutes, the horde of students passed again, this time going back where they came from. The prefects were hoarding them into compartments like sheep. One of them even confiscated a lollipop from a kid for seemingly no reason at all.
As the crowd thinned, Murdoc could make out a few individual heads. There was a Hufflepuff boy around his age with bright blue hair and a pretty cute nose. He was talking with a black haired Ravenclaw girl Murdoc recognised - she was a bitch to all Slytherins. Especially Murdoc. She thought all of them were psycho pureblood maniacs with no remorse; and, well, Murdoc couldn't deny being a bit of a psycho maniac. But he thought the pureblood status was a hoax. If you can do magic, you're a witch or wizard, and that's that. No need for complicated and detailed family history and incest to keep the blood pure.
Honestly, he thought the muggleborn kids were the nicest. If only he didn't scare them away... But he couldn't really help that. Even if he didn't act the way he did, he still repelled them just by being a Slytherin. They were terrified.
Well anyway, might be time for him to change his clothes. He couldn't exactly walk into school wearing a leather jacket and the tightest trousers on earth. He chuckled at the thought. He'd probably send the teachers into cardiac arrest, though he had a feeling the headmaster would be able to appreciate it. Dumbledore was a great guy.
Once he was in his robes, Murdoc made himself comfortable again. He sprawled out on one of the benches and strummed an imaginary bass while humming a tune. It grounded him a little. He'd much rather have a real instrument in his lap, but this would do.
He was actually getting into it good, until… there was a timid knock on the door. The blue haired Hufflepuff with the cute nose from earlier. Huh.
"Sorry to bother, but the other spots are all filled now. They've given me seat away to someone else." the boy said, looking down as he nervously shifted his feet.
"Oh, and I'm your last resort. How wonderful." Murdoc sneered, making sure to take up as much space as possible yet again. "But yeah, go ahead, my lap's nice 'n' cozy. Mm-hmm."
The boy looked up at Murdoc's face for a split second, then down again. Then up again, but it quickly went back down.
"Sorry..." the boy repeated, starting to pick at the sides of his nails.
"D'awh, sit down then. Don't gotta apologise for bloody existin'." Murdoc grumbled, finally sitting up like a normal, civil person. He took a little bag of almonds out of his pocket and started munching on them.
"Thanks. You're a lot nicer than they say. I thought you'd 'ave my head just for breathin' near ya." the boy said with a nervous smile, sitting down across from Murdoc with his back tense and muscles tight like he was ready to bolt at any moment.
"I might, but only if you start breathing too loud."
The boy froze, and Murdoc could practically see the sweat forming on his skin. "... Really?"
Murdoc huffed, an amused little smirk on his face.
"No, not really. But I can bite, scratch, punch, kick... so just don't touch me or insult my mother, and we're good. Also, no stealing my food. Not that I think you'd want to, but it's happened more times than I can count." Murdoc warned, tossing an almond in the air and trying to catch it in his mouth. He failed miserably and it hit him just above his eye. Not exactly the display of coolness and power he was hoping for.
"Oh... You must 'ave real good food, then." the boy said, his nervous smile returning.
"Not really. 'S just whatever scraps my dad can spare. I'm guessing it's just the thrill of taking somethin' right outta my hands for these people... I'll never know."
"That's stupid,"
"Glad you agree."
There was silence after that. Murdoc casually munched on his almonds while the blue haired boy watched nervously, hands gripping his trousers. Murdoc honestly felt like a celebrity at the moment; this boy had clearly heard all the rumours about him, and was now... admiring him. Not really, but Murdoc liked to be delusional, it makes life more fun. In reality, the boy was probably terrified that one wrong move could have him torn to shreds.
But Murdoc wasn't that bad... was he? He'd never sent anyone to the hospital wing. Well, one guy straight to St. Mungo's, but that didn't count because the guy hadn't been to the hospital wing first. And he deserved it, really. That was also when Murdoc discovered that he was either venomous or the guy was allergic to his teeth. Either way, very cool. Murdoc was hoping for the venomous option though.
But all in all, Murdoc hadn't hurt a lot of people. Just very specific people, repeatedly, because he couldn't stand them. He wouldn't just go all feral on anyone. It was very personal. But of course, when someone saw him attacking another student, rumours and gossip spread fast. Oh, and people were bloody maniacs, so they always added a little... flair, to the story. That's why Murdoc never trusted any rumours that went around. Even if the person 100% believed it to be true, they could've been lied to by someone else.
The boy sitting across from him was still visibly tense. His muscles were taut, ready to bolt like a little rabbit. Murdoc wondered...
A sudden movement. The boy jumped. That was funny.
Murdoc smirked, putting the now empty bag of almonds back in his pocket. He shifted so that he was lying down on the bench with his feet propped up against the wall. He could feel the other boy watching him, still on guard. Murdoc paid him no mind now as he put his hands behind his head and closed his eyes.
The boy, whose name was Stuart, was even more on edge now that Murdoc had scared him. He was sure he'd be dead by the end of this. Murdoc didn't look that bad at first glance, though. But Stuart had seen the sharp teeth and the claw-like nails. Murdoc was dangerous, and infamously unpredictable. A very bad combination. Murdoc would probably turn out to be a dark wizard...
Stuart didn't want to assume, though. But he couldn't help himself. It felt like something obvious to him. Murdoc attacked people, he disrespected authority... not to mention his friendly alliance with Peeves the poltergeist. Stuart knew of no other student who had managed to befriend the flying cloud of chaos. It took some serious evil tomfoolery before anyone even came close to that. Even headmaster Dumbledore was still figuring out how to tame the geist, and that man could do basically anything.
In short, Murdoc was basically chaos itself. He thrived on it. He needed constant attention from anyone willing to give it, and he'd go too far to get it. He was basically Peeves 2.0; except he couldn't fly or phase through walls.
Murdoc let out a little cough, and Stuart got startled yet again. Murdoc let out a little huff and opened his eyes.
"Don't be so jumpy. It's getting a bit irritating." he grumbled as he sat up again and, without warning, pulled Stuart into his lap. Stuart was absolutely terrified. He didn't dare move a muscle.
"There," Murdoc muttered, patting poor Stu's arm. "if you survive this, will you promise that you won't be so scared and jumpy around me any more?"
Stuart gave a quick little nod. It was a lie, but he was so, so scared of pissing Murdoc off. He felt like he'd have a heart attack soon.
"Good... now relax. I bet the lady with the food cart's gonna come by soon." Murdoc said, his voice softer now that he was so close to Stuart's ear.
"... Yew don't know 'er name?" Stu asked, confused.
"Do you?" Murdoc asked back.
Stuart thought for a moment, then he sighed. "... No..."
"Thought so."
After about three minutes, as predicted by Murdoc, the lady with the food cart came by. She said nothing about the strange position she found the two boys in.
"Either of you want anything from the trolley?" she asked them, her voice kind.
"I would, but I'm a little... out of currency at the moment." Murdoc admitted reluctantly. It earned him a sad smile of pity. Great, that made him feel worse.
"I might have some galleons..." Stuart muttered, digging around in his pockets. He found a single gold coin and a few knuts. "... can I have the, eh, the beans? With every flavour."
The lady took the galleon and handed him a few sickles back, along with the box of candy beans.
"There you go, love. Might want to share those," she said with a wink before closing their door and walking off to the next compartment.
It was silent for a while after that. Stuart silently munched on his beans, occasionally making a face when he ate one with an undesired flavour. Murdoc nicked one; caramel coloured. It could either be actual caramel, toffee or earwax. He sniffed it just to be safe. It smelled sweet...
When he popped it in his mouth, he got... earwax. He spit the half-chewed bean on the floor and grabbed a mint coloured bean instead. This one was actually mint, thank God. He kept staring at the earwax bean like it had personally offended him.
"... Bad one?" Stuart asked, unable to keep himself from smiling at Murdoc's misfortune. The action of… spitting a candy bean on the floor somehow made Murdoc seem more human. Less terrifying.
"No, I just spit it out because it tasted absolutely wonderful and I wanted to save it for later." Murdoc spat, his mood even sourer now. Those beans just held a grudge against him, he was sure of it.
"I like these 'cause yew never know what you're gonna get. 'S always a surprise." Stuart commented, grabbing a new bean and gently biting into it. "Ew, mud..." he complained, but he still ate the whole thing.
Murdoc also dared to grab another. This one was... raw pork, maybe? Then he grabbed another, this one was bright red. Hmm... strawberry. He expected it to be hot sauce or something.
"... Yeah, I see the appeal. The strawberry one's good." Murdoc admitted, grabbing a handful of beans and inspecting them. He picked one that was pure white. Coconut. Another brown one, caramel. Then he made the mistake of picking a bright green one and got a mouthful of grass flavoured bean.
The next one was soft pink, like the raw pork one. Bubblegum. Another mint. Tree bark. Toffee. Green… vegetable. Mud. Egg yolk. Coffee. More bubblegum. Ah, there was the hot sauce. Another caramel. Strawberry. More mud. Chocolate cake. Mint. Tree bark again.
Before they knew it, the whole box of candy was empty. Well, nearly. There were two beans left; purple and yellow.
" I call dibs on yellow," Stuart said, picking up the yellow bean. Murdoc reluctantly grabbed the purple.
"Egg yolk..." Stuart sighed after he bit into his bean. Murdoc tossed the purple one into his mouth, fully expecting to taste an eggplant. He got red cabbage instead.
"Mm, red cabbage ain't so bad. I've had... worse." Murdoc said thoughtfully as he swallowed the candy bean. "I don't think I ever wanna taste mud or earwax again."
"Tha's mutual," Stuart muttered with a pout, slouching his back a bit. He'd actually warmed up to Murdoc a little in the past half hour or so, it seemed. Murdoc wasn't that bad. He was a little blunt, sure, and his teeth looked scary, but Stuart was pretty sure that Murdoc would've sunken his teeth into his neck already if he really wanted to. So far, the guy was being very nice and relaxed.
A silence fell over them after that. Stuart started picking at his short-bitten nails, while Murdoc just leaned back and closed his eyes, completely ignoring the fact that Stu was still on his lap. As if it was normal to snuggle up to a person you just met like this. A male person, no less. But hey, Stuart didn't seem to mind anymore. In fact, he seemed quite comfortable at the moment.
"What's yer home like? if you don't mind me askin'..." Stuart spoke up eventually. He tried to look over his shoulder at Murdoc's face, but failed because his neck started cramping from the odd angle.
"Oh, 's just a really old muggle house up in Stoke-On-Trent. Nothing special." Murdoc answered with a shrug. "As for family, I've got my father and my older brother. Both are real arses. My brother's also just a muggle, really. Not an ounce of magic in 'im."
"Oh... I haven't got any siblings. Just got me mum and dad up in Crawley. They're both magic, but they just prefer to live alongside muggles. Me mum's a seamstress. The locals love 'er cause she gets things done fast," Stuart said, staring out the window. "and my dad owns a fair. He loves workin' with kids and seeing how happy they get. He usually never uses any magic there, though. Only at home."
"My father only uses magic to, er... lock me out of the house, really. 'Cause he knows I can't open enchanted locks yet." Murdoc admitted. He felt like he was sharing too much, but Stuart didn't seem like the type who'd go and tattle to everyone. He was still wary, though. He wouldn't tell the boy everything about himself.
"Tha's... not very nice." Stuart said softly, picking at his nails again.
"Well, my father is 'not very nice'. That's just how he is." Murdoc shrugged. His skin was starting to get itchy and achy from the physical contact, so he lifted Stuart back in his own seat. Stuart looked a little disappointed to be off of Murdoc's lap, but didn't protest. He just pouted in silence.
The silence stretched on. Stuart only occasionally coughed or sniffled a little; he seemed like the type of kid who would have a cold year round. Murdoc used to be like that, but his immune system had improved drastically since he started going to Hogwarts. Most likely because he was out of his father's dusty old hazard home for most of the year now.
Stuart started fidgeting a little. He seemed uncomfortable again now that he was across from Murdoc. Maybe the physical contact soothed him a little? Murdoc knew some people found it soothing - he used to find comfort in it too. Until it turned into more than just an innocent hug... But I won't go into detail there.
There were several hours left of the ride. Murdoc was already bored out of his mind; and he certainly couldn't relieve himself a little with the blue haired nonce sitting across from him. He'd been too busy to do it at home before he left, and his dick was letting him know how long it'd been. He was afraid he'd become a little... dependent on it. Maybe this was a good thing, maybe this was like rehab. Maybe the need would lessen the longer he went without it.
Suddenly, a thought struck him. He hadn't actually asked for the boy's name yet.
"Oi. Matey." he said to the boy, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. "Forgot to ask yer name."
The boy got a little startled. He looked up from his fidgeting and smiled. "Pot. Stuart Pot. But you can say Stu if yeh want... All my friends call me Stu."
"Stu. Eh, alright. I'm just Murdoc. Last name Niccals. Though I guess ya might've known that already from all the... rumours going around about me." Murdoc shrugged. He leaned back again and put one foot up on the seat.
"Oh, I only knew your first name," Stuart said, attempting to be nonchalant. "ye're the only Murdoc around here, anyway... people always know who you mean when yeh just say Murdoc." he explained, mirroring Murdoc's position. He seemed comfortable enough as long as the conversation kept going, so it wasn't the lack of physical contact that made him jittery.
“Mmm. Guess that makes me extra special." Murdoc grinned. Stuart recoiled a bit at the sight of his sharp teeth, but he stayed quiet.
Murdoc just rolled his eyes a little and closed his mouth again. "Fuck's sake, I don't bite. 'M not a rabid dog. You've gotta piss me off proper before I start gnawin'."
"Sorry..." Stu muttered, looking back down at his lap and starting to fidget again.
"Don't- don't do that. I know my teeth can be... a little scary. Alright? 'S not your fault. But really, I don't bite without reason. You've gotta be actively tryin' to piss me off for me to bite ya. Even if you accidentally piss me off, I won't do it." Murdoc assured Stuart, which was very out of character for him, but Stuart just looked so… afraid.
Stuart looked up briefly, but his sad, blue eyes quickly strayed back down. He seemed like he was trying very hard not to make eye contact with Murdoc.
"What's up with ya now? Have I got somethin' on my face?"
This time, Stuart looked up. "No," he said, shaking his head. "jus'... I dunno. Just realised I've bloody... sat on your lap. Tha's a little gay, isn't it?"
Murdoc barked out a laugh.
"You know it wasn't gay. I know it wasn't gay. So it's not gay. And really, I think it's somethin' to brag about. You've sat on MY lap, y'know. Not some random bloke's. How many people can say they've sat on the infamous Murdoc Niccals' lap?"
"Tha's the whole point. You don't even let girls on yer lap... People are gonna think we're gay." Stuart frowned.
"Yes, but I don't let other guys on my lap either. 'S not like I'm hosting a business here - 'you can sit on my lap if you give me every-flavoured beans! But only men'. That'd be ridiculous." Murdoc rolled his eyes. "My point is, your gender doesn't fucking matter, because we're not gonna fuck. If you'd have been a girl, Hell, I would've said the same thing. We are not fucking. Also, fuck 'people'. If they give you shit about it, you send 'em to me, got it?"
Stuart looked away again. He wasn't sure about the last part... It would probably just be his friends teasing him about it. And he wouldn't send his friends to Murdoc, because then he would no longer have friends.
"I'm... not sure about this, Murdoc... 'M not as confident as you are. I'll probably just turn all red when someone asks if I'm gay with yeh and then they won't believe me when I say no,"
"In which case you send them to me, and I make them believe ya." Murdoc shrugged.
"No! No. Jus'... leave it. Just leave it. I'll deal with it on my own. Can't be that bad." Stuart shook his head. He really did want Murdoc to just leave it, he was done with this topic.
-
After a long, long time had gone by while playing cards and watching the scenery outside, the sky had begun to darken. Stars made themselves known as glittery specks amidst the inky darkness of the night sky. That meant they were getting closer to their destination.
"-and the muggles 'ave gone and invented sumfink called the computer now - I've got one of those at home. It's very handy, y'know. There's Google on it. Tha's a program where you can search up basically anything that the muggles know," Stuart was blabbering on, not really caring if Murdoc listened or not. He seemed happy just to talk.
"Heard of it." Murdoc muttered, chewing gently on his finger. He was nervous, because for him, this felt like finally going home after a long time in some sort of prison. Hogwarts had been more of a home to him than his own home had ever been. He'd stay there all year if they'd let him. Unfortunately, they did not, but he was really only obligated to be home for summer break. All the other holidays were spent at Hogwarts.
His favourite holiday was secretly Christmas; but don't tell anyone that. It was mostly just because of the food and the lack of soul-smelting heat, anyway. He didn't really celebrate Christmas in the traditional sense. Not even the wizarding world's way. Might be why he never got any presents except maybe an old sock from his father and a bit of muggle cash from his grandmother. But oh well.
The train was slowing down. Murdoc could see the silhouette of a castle creeping closer. The windows were lit, creating an inviting glow around the building. It looked like something out of a muggle fairytale, really. Especially now, after being away for so long.
It was funny to him that this was a sight muggles could only dream of seeing. His brother, who liked to torture him so much for being an 'icky little wizard', would never even come close to this wonderful sight. Instead, he was forced to stay at home and do... whatever he did while Murdoc was gone. Drink himself stupid with their father's liquor, most likely.
It often made Murdoc realise just how lucky he was to have gotten the wizard gene. From his father, but still. He didn't even know if his mother had been a witch, actually. He'd never asked, because he knew he wouldn't get a straight, coherent answer. His father liked to make up stories. They were wildly inconsistent every time. The one thing he was certain about, though, was that his mother had given birth to him in a mental institution and had died only minutes after childbirth. After that, the staff tracked down his dear ol' dad, and dumped the baby with him. His father complained about it quite often - 'If only I'd the decency to shag a sane woman,' and the likes of that.
But Murdoc wasn't too worried about his father not wanting him anymore. He was going to make a name for himself, in the muggle and wizarding world alike. People would love him. Everyone loved a rugged 'bad boy', right?
He could only imagine the horrors on all the mother's faces when they discovered their children listening to his music. They'd call him Satanic, sign petitions to get him locked up. Oh, what glorious days that would be...
Murdoc was snapped out of his daydreams as the train came to a halt. Stuart was practically vibrating in his seat.
"You up for some sneaking around tonight?" Murdoc asked him, a tiny little smirk on his face. That told Stu that he didn't have good intentions. But Stuart wanted to be cool; and in his eyes, Murdoc was now very cool. So yes, he was up for it.
"Yeh, sure. Where to?" he said, trying his hardest not to grin like an idiot.
"Just meet me at the statue with the mermaids in front of the library, alright? Avoid the prefects. Maybe use the disillusionment charm, if you even know it, that is."
"Oh... alright!" Stuart nodded frantically. He got a little nervous at the mention of prefects, but he was sure it'd be alright. Though Stuart had a nagging suspicion that Peeves the poltergeist could see through charms and disguises, so he would be extra careful.
"Grrrrreat. Oh and, not sure if it's even necessary to say this, but don't tell anyone. Not even a trusted friend. You HAVE to come alone." Murdoc warned, getting a little more serious all of a sudden. "If you bring anyone along, I'll make sure you go right back to bed, and this whole thing will be over. We'll be no more than strangers."
Stuart nodded again, even throwing up a mock-salute. "I won't bring anyone. I'll be alone." he promised. "What time?"
Murdoc thought for a second. "Hm... Just make sure you're there before midnight."
"Mm-hmm." Stuart nodded.
They didn't have much time to talk after that, as they were shooed out of their compartment and swarmed by fellow students. Murdoc had to grasp Stuart's hand to not lose him in the crowd. "Blimey, tha's a lot of people." Stuart commented.
Murdoc rolled his eyes. "Isn't it 'a lot of people' every year?" he said with a huff, pulling Stuart's hand and steering him off to the side where they weren't being pushed around as much. "Yeh, but I keep forgettin'." Stuart admitted.
When they finally reached the carriages, Murdoc yanked Stuart's arm and pulled him into the first one available before shutting the door. He growled like an animal at anyone who tried to even grasp the handle. That proved to be very effective at scaring people off.
At first, Stuart was sitting across from him. But then he moved so that he was pressed up against Murdoc's side.
"Weren't you the one who complained about people thinking we're gay?" Murdoc grumbled, though he made no move to get away. Yet. But he could feel the ache starting already.
"Mm... but it's jus' a bit... nice. I dunno... You're pretty warm for a person." Stuart mumbled, avoiding eye contact.
"So I'm yer personal heater now. Fantastic." Murdoc said sarcastically. Actually, he had to admit, this wasn't so bad. The ache stayed at a steady level, like a light tingling in his bones. It hadn't become unbearable yet. In fact, he was starting to... enjoy it a little.
"M... myeah..."
Stuart was a little embarrassed about being this clingy, but he couldn't help himself. He was always touch starved. And his mates certainly wouldn't let him do this. He knew Murdoc would, because he was the one who started all this by pulling Stuart into his lap, anyway. It was his own fault that Stu now saw him as a pleasantly warm source of affection.
Honestly, Murdoc was minding it less and less. And Stuart was pretty cute. If he was a bird, Murdoc's tongue would be halfway down her throat at this point. But Stuart was a bloke, so he'd limit it to the cuddles.
Eventually, when the carriages started moving, Murdoc put an arm around Stuart. If Stu had been a cat, he would've been purring loud enough for everyone in a ten mile radius to hear. Even more so when Murdoc's fingers started running through his hair and massaging his scalp. He was sure he'd pleased some sort of divine being somehow for this to happen, it couldn't just be luck; he was never lucky.
Murdoc was getting a bit confused at this point. He wasn't feeling any discomfort at all. The tingling in his bones was pleasant, like the feeling he'd get right before an orgasm. That was... weird, really weird. It was almost as if his body perceived this as sex. But that wasn't really it, either. It was a new type of feeling; one he actually really enjoyed. It made him feel... warm, and fond.
Maybe this was how everyone usually felt when they received a hug. Maybe this was... normal.
But maybe it wasn't. Maybe his body did think sex was about to happen and he was just misreading all the signs.
He pulled away.
But this time, Stuart didn't let him. He could feel the ache and the panic rushing in at a rapid pace.
"Get off. Off." he said, feeling his breathing speed up. His eyes suddenly felt as if he had to blink a hundred times per second. But Stuart just pouted at him, obviously getting a little sleepy and slow.
Murdoc tried to shove him away, but again, it did not work. As a last resort he reluctantly gave Stuart a little nip at the side of his jaw with his front teeth. Stuart immediately pulled away this time. He did not want to mess with Murdoc's teeth, even after everything that happened in the past few hours.
Murdoc almost let out a little sigh of relief. "Don't do that again." he said. Stuart stayed silent, slowly trying to get as far away from Murdoc as he could. "And I only did that ‘cause I had to, alright? And it's mostly yer own fault. I told you to get off." Murdoc added, giving Stuart's knee a little nudge with his foot to show that he was still being friendly, or at least trying to be.
"Why d- why did I have to get off, though..?" Stuart asked. He seemed to be trying to calm himself down, but he wasn't doing a very good job of it.
Despite knowing it would only make things worse, Murdoc got defensive and hissed "None of yer business" between clenched teeth. He couldn't tell Stuart that. He'd already told him far too much, which he was starting to regret. What if Stuart wasn't who he seemed? What if he was some sort of decoy sent in by the other Slytherins to get dirt on Murdoc? People lied all the time. And Murdoc had a vague memory of Stuart acting like a cocky, stuck-up prick sometime in their first year. He'd been trying to get close to the whomping willow, but hadn't succeeded due to a branch swinging his way. It had hit him in the head.
Murdoc was fairly sure Stuart used to have brown hair back then. But he knew it was Stuart, the nose and piercing blue eyes were the same. And hey, magic does weird things all the time; Stuart suddenly growing blue hair wasn't all that much out there. Murdoc had seen far stranger things happening to people.
But the point is; Murdoc didn't trust him. Or anyone, for that matter. He'd gotten too close already. He'd been fooled by Stuart's innocent, boyish looks.
He'd seen how Stuart used to be. Cocky, smug, all too willing to risk his life to impress his measly circle of equally snotty friends. The exact sort of reckless boy that would volunteer to be a double spy just for a bit of praise. Although the boy sitting in front of him now seemed shy and cowardly, it could all be an act.
"M- Murdoc," Stuart spoke up, snapping Murdoc out of his thoughts. Murdoc huffed.
"You're a little sacrifice, aren't ya. I've figured you out. They want you to get info out of me." he accused Stuart, pointing a claw at him while he glared through narrowed eyes. "Should'a known…”
Stuart looked utterly confused; but not the I'm-pretending-to-be-confused-so-you-won't-know-I'm-lying kind of confused, he seemed genuinely puzzled by Murdoc's words. Murdoc was starting to regret ever saying anything. Of course he'd automatically assumed the worst about Stuart... And it wasn't true, naturally. How could it be? He would've noticed something much sooner.
"Alright, err, you aren't a sacrifice, then. I was just checking, y'know?" 'Sorry,' Murdoc added in thought, but he couldn't bring himself to say it out loud.
"Why would you-"
Stu stopped himself, his eyes squinting like he was thinking very, very hard. "I wouldn't do tha'. Why do you think I would..?"
"Could be anyone. I was just checking, as I said. Better safe than sorry, all that, yada yada." Murdoc muttered, not trying to show any weakness even as he avoided Stuart's gaze.
"And what info, anyway?" Stuart added, ignoring what Murdoc just said.
"Doesn't matter. Just shit about me I'd rather not have anyone knowing. The... other Slytherins, the real pureblood maniacs, they don't like me very much. And unfortunately, they think they're better," Murdoc explained, adding a shrug. "they've used reckless idiots to get dirt on me before."
"Oh... I get it, then. Tha's not good. They sound like real arses." Stuart said. He leaned sideways against the wall of the cart they were in.
A heavy silence settled over them once more, broken only by the rattling of wheels and the crunching of gravel. Murdoc cursed himself for his paranoia. Of course not every person that is slightly nice to him is a spy. Though it was easy to think that way; but he shouldn't. He had to stop assuming the worst from everyone.
"Can you see them?" Stuart asked after a few minutes of silence, looking out the little window at the front of the carriage.
"What, the Thestrals? 'Course. Me mum died with me in her arms as a baby; been seein' 'em my whole life. They fly over muggle villages and cities sometimes." Murdoc answered nonchalantly, attempting to ignore what just happened.
"Really? Well, I wouldn't know; I can't see them. But some of my friends can, tha's how I know about them. 'Specially Hugo won't shut up about how scary they are." Stuart admitted, pouting a little. "I wish I could see 'em, really. Not that I want to see someone die - they just seem... interesting,"
Murdoc shrugged. "Eh, not really. They're basically just horses with wings. And they're skinny like a corpse. They're pretty dark in colour, also. And they're bald. Their tails look... a bit like a snake’s tail. I heard some people call them death's unicorns."
"Can't really imagine it..." Stuart said with a sigh. "But it's alright. Oh, we're nearly there."
Murdoc looked out the window and, sure enough, the castle was approaching fast. Its towers stood tall, magnificent as always. Murdoc had really missed this place.
There was a silence again. Stuart was fidgeting, meanwhile Murdoc was just admiring the scenery. There was a bit of tension between them; Stuart still longed to press himself against Murdoc's side, to feel the almost inhuman warmth radiating from his body. It was an addictive feeling. It felt almost like... being enveloped by a warm, semi-solid cloud. Or a cozy duvet.
It would be easy to change seats and scoot over to Murdoc. Although, he didn't know how Murdoc would react. But hey, there's only one way to find out, right?
Murdoc flinched a little as Stuart sat next to him once again, but he didn't move. He was starting to suspect the boy didn't hug his mother enough or something. And it was pretty nice, if he didn't overthink it. The tingling in his bones was a nice and warm feeling. The cuddling also helped with Stuart being all jumpy and jittery; he was calm when he was leaning on Murdoc like this. And Murdoc definitely preferred Stuart being calm.
Before they knew it, their carriage had stopped in front of the castle, and Stuart reluctantly moved away. But, to his surprise, Murdoc held him extra tight for a moment, and buried his nose in his hair. Stu froze. He wasn't expecting... that.
"You smell like... butterscotch," Murdoc muttered, his nose still nuzzling the top of Stuart's head. "smells nice..."
"Uh- gh... uhh... Thank you..?"
Stuart looked up, and Murdoc's nose made contact with his forehead. They made eye contact. Stuart immediately turned red and moved away.
"You breathed in me eye..!" he whined. Even though they both knew that was a lie.
Murdoc snorted. "Alright then, princess. Time to get out before they start the feast without us."
"Eh-!" Stuart gagged a little as Murdoc pulled him out of the carriage by his tie. "Can't you- fhh- why-" he sputtered, a bit humiliated at being handled like a disobedient dog. He turned even redder when he realised other students were watching. "Murdoc!" He struggled. He tried to plant his heels in the ground, but that only caused him to stumble and trip.
Murdoc looked down at him, smirking at the sight of his mud-covered face. Stuart glared.
"What an odd place to lie down," Murdoc commented, that nasty smirk of his still on his face. Right. 'Well, that's Murdoc in public for ya,' Stuart thought. The git wasn't even helping him up. At this point half the school was probably watching them, too; Stuart could feel their gazes on him, either judging or pitying, he didn't know. But he knew he didn't want them to do either.
Eventually he pulled himself up and, in retaliation, smeared mud all over Murdoc's sleeve. Murdoc's smirk quickly turned into somewhat of a grimace.
"Alright... I'll let ya have that one. McGonagall will probably fix us up before we go inside, anyway." Murdoc said reluctantly. As much as he wanted to start a mud fight, he knew it was probably best not to. He didn't fancy being forced to help the old git Filch clean the halls tonight. He was actually feeling a little proud of himself; that was the most responsible decision he'd made in a while.
By now most of the students had lost interest and had started walking up to the castle doors. Murdoc stared at them, then at Stuart, then he cocked his head in their direction while looking at Stuart expectantly. Stu just huffed and started walking. Murdoc followed.
As expected, McGonagall stopped them with pursed lips and knit eyebrows as they were about to enter the castle. "I, uh, I fell." Stuart quickly explained, and McGonagall's gaze drifted over to Murdoc.
"And then he thought, wow, this mud is so nice, and graced my robe with it as well." Murdoc said sarcastically, holding up his soggy sleeve.
"Well, you've always been clumsy, Mr. Pot. I suppose it's a given by now... What was it this time, a pebble?" McGonagall said with a sigh, removing the mud from both their robes with just a swish of her wand.
"He tripped over my foot," Murdoc said quickly, not wanting to explain to a professor why he was dragging another student around by their tie.
"And you weren't, say, placing your foot inconveniently on purpose?" McGonagall gave him a stern look, her eyebrows disappearing under her hat as she tilted her head down.
"I wasn't, professor." Murdoc said, unable to keep a small grin off his face. "He actually wasn't," Stuart chimed in sheepishly, his face a light shade of red. McGonagall sighed but didn't question them further.
"I shan't hold you up any further. Go on now, I've got first years to attend to." she said as she patted them both on the back and disappeared into the castle, her emerald green robe fluttering after her. Murdoc snorted.
-
Once everyone was sorted and seated, Dumbledore called for silence.
He began his speech like usual, rambling on about how glad he was that everyone was back again and how hungry everyone must be; but when everyone thought he was done- "- however, I must say that it is of utmost importance that none of you set foot outside the castle after dark. Something sinister is lurking. But you mustn't worry if you do as I say. It is no threat during the daytime." Students ‘oo’-ed and ‘ah’-ed quietly.
"Now let the feast... begin!"
Before anyone had time to worry about what the headmaster's words implied, the plates, platters and bowls filled themselves with all sorts of delicious dishes and meals. Chicken legs, boiled potatoes, salad, turkey... you name it. Murdoc's eye immediately fell on a strange concoction of shrimp, pulled chicken and a shit ton of lettuce and sauce, with some other bits and greens here and there. Now, he normally would go straight for the meat, but the salad looked pretty good. A small second year beside him (at least six feet away from him) was slowly sipping a bowl of chicken soup. On his other side, Gerard Lowling, a boy from his dormitory, was digging into a bean casserole (a bit closer, since he wasn't as afraid of Murdoc. He'd likely witnessed Murdoc's night terrors).
Murdoc paid them no mind. He tried a little bit of the salad, decided it wasn't as good as it looked, and grabbed a big ol' meatball drenched in ketchup and grease. He also poured himself some pumpkin juice to wash it down with.
Meanwhile, Stuart was sitting amongst his group of friends, quietly eating a few pieces of bread. He wasn't very hungry. The muggle medicine he took for his migraines killed his appetite.
Hugo, James and Mikey, his three closest friends, were whispering about some seventh year girl they'd seen on the train who supposedly had 'massive round honkers'. Stuart wasn't really interested in the conversation, honestly. He wasn't really into girls like that yet. He supposed it would come; maybe he was a late bloomer. He did like Paula, but she was more like his best friend. Although he wouldn't mind it if she asked him out. He just wouldn't actively flirt with her himself; he was completely fine with being her friend. And, to be fair, he would never just ogle her for her body. Not that there was much to stare at yet, anyway.
Eventually Stuart was snapped out of his thoughts by Hugo dumping a bit of casserole on his plate. "Eat this. Or I'll steal your broom for a week."
"Oi-!" Stuart pouted. He glared at Hugo, wishing he could punch him in the face. But he wouldn't. "You know my mum doesn't want anyone other than me touchin' it. You saw what happened to my last one,"
"Which is why you've got to eat. C'mon, you're skinny as a string bean. Can't have you passing out on us." Hugo retaliated, grabbing a chicken leg for himself.
Stuart reluctantly picked up his fork. Then James chimed in.
"Drink some, too. Hydration keeps the blood pumping, my mom always says." he said as he grabbed the nearest jug of pumpkin juice and filled Stuart's beaker with it. "Keeps you pissin', too. Bladder infections are nasty."
"Since when have you all become all mother-like?" Stuart asked, an eyebrow raised.
"Since you passed out several times a week last schoolyear." Mikey answered, poking Stuart on the arm. "Tha's mighty terrifying to see, y'know. You always went all pale. We thought you'd kicked the bucket every time."
"And that time your mouth started foaming and stuff during potions. Was a scare, you know." James shivered as he thought about it.
Stuart bit his lip. That was... a good point. He really couldn't argue. And frankly, he himself didn't feel like passing out either. So he started eating.
Murdoc had finished his meatball and was now digging into a large piece of stuffed turkey with gravy. The small second year was now eyeing him suspiciously as he tore the meat with ease, his sharp teeth making quick work of the tough flesh. Murdoc couldn't deny that he probably did look a little feral; but he was hungry, who cares.
On the other side, Gerard was shoveling mashed potatoes into his mouth at record speeds, occasionally taking a sip of pumpkin juice when he coughed. He really didn't seem bothered at all. He was only focused on the food.
When the main course was over and desert had been served, Murdoc could've practically rolled out of the great hall and straight into bed. By the looks of it, Gerard felt the same way. Murdoc didn't mind him that much, honestly. They didn't talk much but at least Gerard treated him like a normal human being. And he was a good homework partner.
When Dumbledore declared the feast over, nearly everyone was full and sleepy. Murdoc followed a pretty girl prefect out of habit and didn't even notice how out of place he looked, waddling between the horde of new Slytherin first years. Many of them stayed away from him. He didn't even care.
"Nice arse." he said to the girl, making her turn around and scoff at him. She had a rather strong nose and her jaw was set back a little, reminding Murdoc of an eagle. Her eyes were a dark honey-brown in the light of the flames dancing along the walls from the torches.
"You're that pervert Murdoc, are you? You look... jaundice." the girl said with yet another scoff. She then turned back to the first years and told them the password was 'equus et homo'. Murdoc fought the urge to snort at the word 'homo'.
He followed the horde inside, quickly claiming all of the couch by the fire by sprawling out on it. He patted his lap and purred at the pretty girl but was, of course, ignored. Shame. She had really nice arse... and tits, but not as impressive as her bottom half, definitely.
Well. He supposed he could afford a quick nap by the fire before midnight... He always woke up before midnight, anyway. And by the looks of it, that pretty prefect girl would be going to bed herself.
-
Murdoc was, usually, not a heavy snorer. But apparently, he was now. How did he notice, you ask?
Well.
Murdoc was woken up just before midnight, and found a house elf right next to the couch he'd been snoozing on, staring at him intensely. Her big, round eyes seemed almost mesmerised; though her lack of blinking made her seem a tad uncanny.
When she noticed the student had awoken, she quickly panicked and apparated to the other side of the common room to resume her cleaning there. Murdoc sat up, eyes bleary and lashes sticky, trying to blink away the gunk that had built up and stuck itself to his eyelids. He was somehow much more exhausted than before his nap.
When he tried to stand up, the elf from before timidly walked over to him and bowed at his feet. That was... unusual.
"Minky is sorry, kind young sir. Minky was simply astonished at the sounds coming from kind young sir's throat. It reminded Minky of her fellow house elves with breathing problems. Minky is greatly concerned." the house elf squeaked, almost sounding terrified of punishment, even though she must know Murdoc was not permitted to give her that at all. Maybe she was just scared he'd kick her.
"... Snoring? 'S a normal thing in humans." Murdoc said with a tiny huff of amusement. "Just finish yer tasks here. I'm fine." he assured her, feeling a need to comfort this creature bowing at his feet. As much as he would like seeing certain people in the position Minky was putting herself in now, Minky was not one of those people. He'd never even seen her before today.
"If kind young sir is sure," Minky said before getting up and walking back over to her previous spot where she'd left her mop.
Murdoc always found house elves to be such strange creatures. They willingly did painful and sometimes dangerous labour for nothing in return, and would punish themselves for failing to do so. Though the Hogwarts house elves were very well cared for. They were rarely given any task they could not complete easily, and were given plenty of food to sustain themselves, as well as comfortable sleeping arrangements and enough space to move around in. Although some of the older elves still preferred a nest in an empty kitchen cupboard. Murdoc knew that some family elves weren't so lucky, though.
Honestly, he could use one himself if he ever bought his own home. Satan only knows what kind of messes he'd make. He didn't exactly get the right idea from home, either. His father threw cans, bottles and cigarette butts everywhere, not even bothering to aim for the bin. If anyone ever even cleaned that house, it was always Murdoc, but he only felt like doing just the bare minimum when it had become unlivable and he would trip over bottles in every room in the house. Otherwise he would pretend the mess wasn't there and just go about his day while avoiding the occasional roach or suspicious puddle on the floor.
Well, no time to stay here and think about his miserable home life. He had to slip past Minky and meet Stuart at the statue in front of the library. It definitely wasn't going to be hard, seeing as minky was currently obsessively cleaning the same spot over and over, hunched on the floor. She was making little heaves and grunts as she scrubbed away. It also seemed like she was making very little progress, so she'd be busy for a while. A sneaky disillusionment charm in the hallway of the student dormitories and he'd be good to go, it seemed like.
So Murdoc stood up, stretched, and pretended to go to bed. He thought he looked very convincing. He even faked a yawn - though it might as well have been real. He was so tired. When he was sure he was out of sight, he disguised himself silently. Luckily, he was very good at stealth charms. Above average, actually. He could conceal himself better than most adult witches and wizards. It was a skill he was quite proud of. He also cast a silencing charm on himself, just in case. He could trip if he wasn't careful.
Luckily, Minky didn't notice a thing. He slipped by silently and successfully. He just had to hope there weren't any prefects lurking around the common room entrance...
He got lucky yet again. Not a rat in sight. The rats being the prefects, of course. He made it out of the dungeons without any issues. Even near the main entrance, there was no one in sight. Must be his lucky day! The library wasn't far now. He continued his journey without complications, except for Peeves, who was floating around near Gryffindor tower. But Peeves just saluted him and turned around as if there was nothing to see. Murdoc smirked.
Once at the library, Murdoc saw Stuart sitting on the edge of the statue, barely concealed by the worst concealment charm Murdoc had ever seen. He was fidgeting and looking around nervously. Since there weren't any prefects or professors here either, Murdoc carefully crept closer and closer to Stuart before standing up straight and removing all charms.
"ACK-!"
Stuart jumped, leading to him falling to the floor and hitting his head. When the concealment charm ended, Murdoc could also see a small trickle of blood running down the boy's lip and cheek. Oh.
"Shite- you're not dying, are ya, lad?" Murdoc asked, crouching down and wiping the blood away with his sleeve. "Didn't know you'd fall that bad... err..."
"Mfh... No, 's cool. I get that when I get scared. It's gonna stop in a mo'." Stuart mumbled, sitting up and rubbing the back of his head. He gave Murdoc an adorable crooked smile to convince him it was fine.
"Great... you gave me a heart attack, you nonce." Murdoc huffed. He gave Stuart a playful shove before standing back up. "C'mon, get up then. I've got a surprise for ya."
"Right. Yeh. Surprise. Where is it..?" Stuart slowly got up, wobbling a bit before finally steadying himself. Murdoc was being very secretive about everything.
"You'll see." was all Murdoc said.
After turning a few corners and running up several flights of stairs, they ended up in front of a strange wardrobe. "Wait and see." Murdoc said with a grin as he fished his wand out of his pocket and held it up. He drew a strange symbol in the air while muttering something incomprehensible, and... the mechanical metal symbols on the wardrobe began to turn and click.
"There we go," Murdoc said smugly as the little door swung open and a dimly lit corridor was revealed. "in you go, now. I'll close up." he commanded, stepping aside for Stuart to enter.
Stu was confused. He didn't know what to do; he wasn't entirely sure Murdoc was trustworthy. He was beginning to wonder if he shouldn't have shown up at all. But despite that, he still entered the little closet. He wasn't a coward. Murdoc followed, carefully closing up like he said he would.
At the end of the corridor was an equally dimly lit room, filled with dust and barrels and old, forgotten boxes and items. Stuart couldn't keep himself from sneezing and causing himself another bloody nose.
"Wot... is this?" he asked carefully, trying to sniff up the blood but only managing to make it worse.
"The undercroft. Someone showed me this in our first year. Before my reputation and all." Murdoc explained, finding a worn sofa in the corner and letting himself fall onto it. "Haven't been here in a while... 'S all gathered quite a bit of dust. Even the house elves don't know about this place, so they don't clean 'ere."
"Oh... I see." Stuart nodded. He sat down next to Murdoc, instinctively cuddling up to him.
Murdoc huffed, but put his arm around the boy anyway. "Are you just gonna keep doing that every time we're alone now?
"You're very warm."
"I know. That's not an answer."
"Your own fault for letting me find out how comfy and warm you are," Stuart looked down at Murdoc, grinning at him. Murdoc rolled his eyes.
"Alright, whatever helps ya sleep at night." he sighed as he leaned his head on Stuart's arm. That twat was like an ice cube. But Murdoc usually felt like he was overheating anyway, so it wasn't too bad.
There was a small bit of silence after that. Except for Murdoc finally giving in and trying to turn a loose plank from a barrel into a handkerchief for Stuart to wipe his nose on. He sort-of succeeded; it was still wood-coloured, but he'd succeeded in making a long, cotton rag out of it. He'd count that as a win. Stuart took it gratefully, the smell of his own blood was starting to make him dizzy.
"Why do you trust me so much? You met me today." Murdoc asked after a while. He was curious.
Stuart thought for a while, staring at nothing in particular. "You feel... special. You act different. You're not trying to fit in like everyone else does. And you're actually more predictable, I s'pose." he mumbled, still staring at the wall. "I never know what anyone else thinks. You jus' say everything you think of me. That's nice. But you still hide what you think of yourself... I don't mind, though. Still loads better than all these other mean sods."
"Eh... alright. Checks out, I guess." Murdoc admitted. He thought for a moment, too. "I think... I feel the same about you. Except you're not hiding what you think of yourself. You're practically yelling it everywhere."
Stuart huffed a laugh. "I love being honest about everything. Includes meself, too. I'm part of 'everything',"
"Mm. Figures." Murdoc snorted. He felt pretty comfortable now. Usually he'd sit around here on his own, but it felt nice to share his spot with someone he was beginning to trust. So far, Stuart had given him no reason for doubting him. He felt like a trustworthy friend. But maybe that was Murdoc's exhausted and sleep-deprived brain talking.
Safe to say, it was a long night in the undercroft.