Wand envy There were many things Niall had got used to since living with Henny. Things floating, or otherwise zooming about in other directions that they had not been previously going or should not have been inclined to go based on their weight and forces such as gravity, washing up never being a real chore, occasional strange brews that were neither tea nor food being constructed in the kitchen… He therefore didn’t flinch as the fireplace turned green and his girlfriend’s brother stepped out of it. He knew Charlie was expected that afternoon, so it wasn’t quite so surprising as it might have been, but he was rather proud of his ability not to flinch at the fact that random family members - or more disconcertingly, just their heads - could appear like this.
“Hi,” Niall greeted. “How’s it going?”
“Good. Busy. You?”
“Yeah. Good. Henny’s at the library. But I’m sure she’ll be back soon,” it was her that Charlie had come to see after all.
“And you’re sure I can’t dress you up instead?” Charlie asked with a teasing grin. He frequently roped Henny into modelling things he was working on for school, hence today’s visit, but no amount of pleading had yet convinced Niall to get dragged in.
“Oh yeah. Your sister performed this personality switching spell on me and now I’m 100% up for it,” he replied, with an eyeroll and a grin. “Is that actually a thing?” he added as an afterthought.
“Erm… Kinda. There’s various screw with your brain spells. You almost sounded convincing for a sec there, Muggle boy, keep up the good work. Mind if I use your bathroom?” he added, already disappearing up the stairs.
Niall was about to sit down on the sofa, when Charlie’s bag caught his eye. Specifically, the fact that his wand was sticking out of the front pocket. He glanced at the stairs. Charlie usually took forever in the bathroom, especially after a floo trip, convinced his hair was messed up (but not in the deliberately messed up looking way that he was carefully aiming for). Niall knew that he shouldn’t. He knew that a wand was a very personal possession… He knew that Henny rarely left hers in any way unguarded, and that he would have felt very wrong indeed to do what he was thinking about doing right now even if she had… But it was rare he was left alone in a room with one. And it was tempting.
He carefully reached out, tentatively pulling the wand from the bag. He held it, the way he’d seen Henny and all her family do countless times. He felt exhilarated. A wand. A real wand. He glanced at some letters on the table and, quietly, very quietly, not wanting Charlie to hear him, he uttered
“Wingardium leviosa,” swished and flicked.
And just like that, the fantasy crumbled. The feeling of power was gone. He wasn’t- and he’d always known that. He knew he knew that really, deep down. But he had wanted- He was just an idiot with a stick. A stick that wasn’t his and that he hadn’t had any right to touch. Feeling embarrassed and guilty, he slid the wand back where he’d found it.
“Hi.”
He leapt about a foot, flushing bright red as he turned to see Henny in the doorway. Had she seen? Even if she hadn’t, he was sure he looked guilty.
“Hi,” he replied, trying to sound casual. “Charlie’s here.”
“I can see,” she nodded to the bag on the seat. Did she nod pointedly at the bag on the seat or was he imagining that?
“Right. Well, I’m going to go hide with my books before he starts trying to recruit me again.”
“Sensible plan,” she nodded. He’d got as far as a foot on the bottom stair, feeling like he was safe, when she asked, “Niall? Are you… alright?”
“Fine,” he lied, before continuing to their bedroom and shutting the door.