New Beginnings | Jasper

[Tigran Razi]

June 1974
Right After the Hogwarts Express

The train ride had been like so many of the others with the minor exception he was actually excited for where he’d be staying.  In his earlier years he went home to his family which he loved seeing his sisters and mother always was dampered by his father’s depression.  Then once his siblings died and his parents dipped he went into purely the unknown every time he got on the train. 

This was the first time in years he knew exactly where he was going after he got on the train and wasn’t worried about it.  It was Jasper’s place which he’d visited the summer prior as his friend opened his prank shop.  The biggest thing he had to worry about was getting slimed or pranked as he walked in the door.

He wasn’t worried about whatever prank he expected out of Jasper - his muggle WW2 duffle survived the war.  It held his important things, and was one of them as it currently was transfigured to be just plain green.  A transfiguration that was wearing off letting the name Owain show through.  The trunk he just took held the stuff he didn’t care as much about as he wasn’t sure if he was supposed to take it or not.  It was just with everything he didn’t get to ask, but it only had the stuff given to him by Tim due to the man being his social worker - all his actually belongings were in his duffle.

He hugged Jasper excitedly at the door and then smiled as they walked to the room his friend was renting him.  Once they got there he sent his floating trunk towards a side of the room and kept his duffle on his back as he looked around.  He noticed the blanket covering some sort of furniture like dresser thing in the room. 

With a smirk he said “ I guess I’m to pull that off to spring a prank of some sort? “

The rest of the room was empty.  Or appeared that way, though it might be as his trunk didn’t seem to hit anything invisible in it though he hadn’t sent it on a full tour in his place.

[Jasper Spellbody]

Jasper let out a loud, infectious laugh as soon as Hank walked in, wrapping him in a huge, bone-crushing hug that nearly lifted him off the ground.

“Merlin’s beard, Hank, this is going to be brilliant! Roommates with my best mate how mad is that? I'm so glad you took me up on it!!” Jasper grinned wide, his shaggy black hair flopping as he pulled back just enough to clap Hank on the shoulders with both hands. “And hey, no worries at all, yeah? If you want to bring any guys around, just give me a heads up, and the place is all yours. I’ll pop downstairs, stir up trouble in the shop, leave you to it. No questions asked...” He gave a wink, clearly proud of his generosity.

But then his eyes followed Hank’s smirk over to the blanket-covered dresser, and his grin twitched just slightly.

“Oh. That.” Jasper scratched the back of his neck, shifting his weight like someone trying to play casual. “Right, so, funny thing — that dresser and the mirror behind it? Been here since before I moved in. Thought I’d just chuck it out, yeah? Except the first time I tried to lift it, I swear to you, Hank.... it screamed at me. Like, actual screaming. Whole flat echoed. Nearly jumped out of my own skin.” He gave a nervous laugh, shaking his head. “So, uh… I just threw a blanket over it and left it. Haven’t touched it since. I don’t mess with it, it doesn’t mess with me. We have an… understanding.”

He gestured to the room with an exaggerated sweep, then flicked his fingers toward the covered mirror. “So, yeah. Have fun with that.”

Jasper’s grin softened a little as he looked back at Hank, something thoughtful flickering in his eyes. “You know, though… I’ve always figured if anyone could figure it out, it’d be you. You’ve always had some kind of… connection, yeah? With the beyond, the weird, the unknown. Like you’re tuned into things the rest of us can’t see.” He gave a small, half-chuckling shrug. “Guess I’m lucky you’re here, mate.”

[Tigran Razi]

This was going to be brilliant.  He grinned happily as Jasper went on even chuckling at the point of bringing boys over.  Laughing he said “ Sounds good, but I got none planned to bring over.   I’m gonna focus on my job at St. Mungos a bit as the reality is those Hogwarts guys are too ashamed of themselves, or idiots that get boring after you done snogging them. “

Which was a real pity, as at the end of the day he wanted more.  He wanted the whole relationship with hanging out, dates, and more than just the hooking up.  He didn’t want to think about what would happen to him or the person if others found out.  The catch was that thinking about what would happen due to his extended family simply made him as bad his schoolmates who had been ashamed of themselves.  After all, he wasn’t foolish enough to think his distance mannered in the scheme of his families maintenance of pureblood lines which as they were crumbling was getting to become more of an outward concern.

With a smirk “ Give me a heads up when you want me to scram when MJ comes over. “ as he looked towards Jasper unable to be as generous as his friend.  He knew that if they ever broke up he’d have to handle that bridge when it came to it, but that was hopefully never for him problem.

He looked over the blanket covered dresser and mirror combination curiously.  With a nod he said “ If it’s happy covered let it stay that way. “ He certainly wasn’t going to debate options without knowing more about it as the last people he wanted to deal with was the spirits division.  He’d let the thing scream to high heaven all day and night before calling them, but he’d lived in enough places something like that could easily get you kicked out.

Even Jasper wasn’t that generous.

He was smart enough to not debate it out loud while whatever behind it was clearly listening.  So he said “ Room looks perfect plenty of room to share with Blanc over there, unless it’s told you it’s name or you already have a nickname for it. “ He figured the word white in French would work as it was also close to the word blanket.  His extended family would be so happy he used those French lessons he was stuck sitting in as a child.

Then he swung his duffle off his shoulder and walked into the room further with a bit of cautious leg sweeping before he took actual steps forward.  He was expecting a prank of some sort and still wouldn’t be surprised if Blanc was it.  Then he put his duffle on top of the trunk he floated to one side of the room earlier.

He’d have to get some stuff, but he knew where the thrift was though getting big things into the wizarding world would be a challenge.  St. Mungos did have a public entrance that looked like a department store so he’d been homeless enough to know at night homeless people brought things in like found cushioning - he had.

He said “ I’m lucky to have you.  Thanks again.  I mean it, I really appreciate you letting me rent this place from you. “  Then after a pause where he looked at the blanket again uncertainly he looked towards Jasper as he said “ So how’s the shop?  Any thoughts on dinner? “ 

He certainly wasn't sure how much talking he should do in front of a haunted dresser.

[Jasper Spellbody]

Jasper smirked when Hank mentioned MJ, the grin twitching just slightly at the corners. “Heh, yeah… MJ,” he said with an easy laugh, though if Hank was paying close attention, he might notice the faintest flicker of worry in Jasper’s eyes. “She’s been… busy, I guess? Haven’t heard too much lately, but, you know, I’m sure she’s just off staring in some big play or something. Probably super busy... That’s MJ for you.” He gave a light shrug, trying to brush it off, but his fingers drummed briefly against his leg before he caught himself and stuffed his hands in his pockets.

At the mention of the mirror, Jasper gave a firm nod. “Yeah, mate, agreed... if it’s happy covered, let’s leave it that way.” He shot a playful look at the blanket-draped shape. “No need to start screaming matches in the middle of the night, right?”

Then Hank dropped the name, Blanc, and Jasper let out a sudden laugh, clapping his hands together once. “Ha! Blanc! Yeah, you know, I guess it does need a name. Blanc it is!” He grinned wide, shaking his head. “You’re a genius, Hank. Naming the haunted mirror, you’ll make yourself right at home here.”

He watched as Hank cautiously swept his leg through the room before fully stepping in, amused. “I swear, no pranks in the bedroom at least not yet, thought the mirror would be enough to deal with your first night...” Jasper teased, leaning casually against the doorframe. “But hey, you know you can never know what might turn up.”

His expression softened at Hank’s last words. “You’re lucky to have me? More like cursed” Jasper snorted, shaking his head fondly. “Mate, I’m the lucky one. You’re saving me from the tragic life of a lonely bachelor living above a prank shop. We’ll call it even, yeah?”

At the mention of dinner, Jasper perked up. “Oh, the shop’s doing great! Cleared out a whole batch of Tongue-Twister Toffees and Exploding Ink today! But dinner, yes.... you’re speaking my language.” He rubbed his hands together. “I was thinking takeaway. Like....curry? Fish and chips? Or we could raid the cupboards for something terrifyingly experimental. Your call.”

He grinned, glancing one last time at the covered mirror before looking back to Hank. “So, what’ll it be, Hank? Feel like risking your life to my cooking, or are we letting someone else feed us tonight?”

[Tigran Razi]

He blinked.  Jasper hadn’t heard much from MJ?  How could MJ be so busy that she didn’t keep up with Jasper?  Tonight wasn’t the time to ask, but he definitely heard. 

If Jasper was trying to shrug it off, so would he - with silence.

Though the expression that had crossed his face if Jasper saw the surprise in it was something he couldn’t hold back for those few seconds as the thought sunk in.  He wrote MJ at least once a month and she always replied rather quickly.  He even wrote her much less exciting things seeing as he was at Hogwarts and there were only so many funny patients he saw as an intern at St. Mungos. 

Home?

It worked but he smiled with a pause as he let the word sink in.  He’d been drifting since fourteen and even though he was excited to move in with his friend he thought of it as just a more stable and safe next place in the chain he had no idea how would go.  He said “ I’ll be good.  Trust me I’ve lived with worse. “ 

A screaming mirror would be nothing compared to some of the other people who slept in the abandoned warehouse he ended up in Christmas break of his fifth year.

He chuckled as he fully expected things to turn up.  He said “ What does one call the test dummy for pranks?  Pity wizards don’t have tv commercials as with how I expect things to turn up that could be a marketing twist. “

He blinked and nodded “ Even works for me. “

He was clearly the luckier one in this situation, but it came about so easily he hadn’t mentioned that unlike most kids he didn’t have parents as a back-up plan.  Not that he was worried as he was healthy and had a job that started immediately after graduation so he was confident he’d make rent. 

Thankfully the shop was doing good.  With them living together he was confident like last summer they could develop plenty of fun things to keep it that way.  As he did love the opportunity to experiment with potions.

He said “ Let’s do curry.  Hogwarts just doesn’t manage it. “ He wasn’t risking experimental with his first shift as a full junior healer at St. Mungos the next day.  He said “ We’ll work on the cooking thing together.  I’m pretty good at rice and noodles. “  Then he paused and said “ My mother hardly cooked any British food. “ with a shrug and a tilt of his head.

Then he said “ Have you ever had Japanese food? “  A curiosity question as he knew where plenty of Chinese places were but not as much of the food he was used to.  Even in the asian grocery store he found it didn’t have a lot of stuff his mother used which made him wonder more where she got it.  Especially, as everything was sent to the house when he grew up with his mother not leaving much beyond to deliver the potion ingredients she organized.

[Jasper Spellbody]

Jasper definitely caught the surprise flicker across Hank’s face.... and yeah, he knew exactly what that was about. MJ.

He gave a little shrug, trying to smooth it over. “Yeah, I know, it’s probably a bit surprising… I mean, I haven’t been the best at writing to her lately either, to be fair. Shop’s just been so busy.” He let out a breathy laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. “Not that it's a great excuse, but it feels like the days disappear before I’ve even looked up.”

But then, as Hank mentioned curry, Jasper’s whole face lit up. “Oh, yes! Finally, someone else who understands!! Hogwarts just never got curry right. Too bland, too watery, like they were scared of spices or something. Don’t get me wrong, love those house-elves, but come on, you can’t live on treacle tart and shepherd’s pie alone!” He laughed, giving Hank a playful nudge with his elbow.

When Hank asked about Japanese food, Jasper’s eyes lit with a bit of nostalgia. “Yeah! My dad used to take me to this Japanese place back when we lived in New York. No clue if it was the real deal...probably all Americanized, but it was brilliant!! My favorite was this beef dish, I think it was called gyudon? Thin-sliced beef, onions, sweet-salty sauce over rice… honestly, I still crave it sometimes. Haven’t had it in ages.” He grinned, shaking his head fondly. “Funny what sticks with you, right?”

Jasper stretched a bit, rolling his shoulders. “We’ll definitely have to track down a good spot, though I bet you know way more about proper Japanese food than I do.”

With a smirk, he added, “And as for the prank test dummy? Pfft, I am the test dummy. Who else is going to try out the self-popping dungbombs or the hiccup hex gum? I’m basically a walking advert already.”

He jerked his thumb toward the door. “Come on, let’s grab that curry before Blanc over there gets grumpy and starts haunting you properly. You up for takeaway, or fancy a sit-down tonight?”

[Tigran Razi]

He wished Jasper hadn’t said anything.  As the reality was it didn’t take that long to write a letter, but he imagined Jasper had more people to write letters to than he did.  Still MJ should have been towards the top.  His list was few, so few that he even occasionally sent Brutus letters over term.

Maybe now he graduated things would be different.  He hoped it wouldn’t be that bad for him as he’d worked crazy hours before and still made what time for people he could.  Though, even when things were easier for him when he first went to Hogwarts he clearly hadn’t made enough time for his parents to want to stick around.

Stopping those thoughts from drifting he said “ Well. “ then he took a breath before continuing “ I’ll help out a bit when I’m not working, so you can eat more properly and write some letters.  “

Last summer he got the impression Jasper wasn’t eating the best and now with the letters he underestimated the time a prank shop took.

Thankfully, Jasper understood about curry which made him smile.  Hopefully a few spices happening to be about the shared kitchen wouldn’t scare him - though they’d be labeled.  He learned labeling was important at the group home and at Hogsmeade’s Children’s home.

He said “ I know it.  My mother just took any meat around and mixed it with rice with things like onions and various sauces. Sorta like any of the main noodle dishes like ramen or udon things just get thrown into them. “

Probably whatever Jasper had at a restaurant in New York was a little less whatever his mother had about that tasted good, as his mother did love cooking and teaching his sisters to. 

With a smirk he said “ Probably like you know way more about fried chicken. “ A yummy dish he tried when they visited MJ over Christmas break. 

He laughed at the thought of Jasper as a walking advertisement for his own products.  It was rather funny now he thought about it.

He said “ Let’s do takeaway.  Then bring it back here and we can catch up.  “ 


He looked down at the curry they’d gotten and a few bites into it he said “ For the record this is Indian curry. “ With a smirk he said “ Japanese curry is different. “  The talk of Japanese food made him miss it even more.  He’d certainly be looking to get some ingredients soon.

With a chuckle he said “ So you getting to do anything besides the business these days?  Or am I really going to have to extract you from it to get you to have some fun. “