Chapter Text
I don’t like this, Ginny told her bodymates for the fourth time that day. Can’t we just run away?
Tom sighed internally. No, we can’t , he said, not sounding very happy about it. They’ll be after us within the day. We can’t risk it.
A pulse of despair came from Ginny as she curled up deeper within their mind. Trying to pay attention to their surroundings, Harry himself only sent back worry and apology before looking at his friends again.
The three of them were sitting in a compartment with Ron and Hermione on the train to Hogwarts. It was their second! seventh. third? year, and none of them were prepared whatsoever.
Ginny broke down soon after they saw her family, leaving Harry and Tom to awkwardly try to comfort her and interact with the Weasley’s calmly at the same time.
They collectively weren’t sure what to do with about the Weasley family, and Harry felt incredibly guilty for not telling them about Ginny, but how do you look someone in the eyes knowing that their dead family member wasn't technically dead when you don't have any proof, and any truthful explanation you could give would just make you seem insane?
After awkward conversations and many pitying looks from others, the three settled into a compartment on a train. The situation held them up, and they were late onto the train, so they had to share a compartment with a sleeping staff member in it. It was awkward, but the man seemed oddly familiar and probably harmless, so it was fine, they guessed.
The three of them tried to ignore the growing sensation of fear in the back of their mind as they looked at the man, but Tom had learned to listen to his instincts. It felt like a predator was in the room with them.
But the man remained asleep, so they pushed it aside.
Hermione would occasionally try to prompt conversation, mostly with Ron, but it never went anywhere. After an hour, she gave up, and was reading her textbook while shooting her friends concerned looks.
The three in their body were doing about as badly as you would expect. Harry felt guilty, Ginny was depressed, and Tom really didn’t care that much beyond the distress the other two were caused.
One thing they did not consider about sharing a body was the clashing genders - but, actually, it wasn’t as bad as it could’ve been. Magical society was much more open and welcoming about gender and sexuality than the muggle world, apparently. Ginny was shocked to hear about the stigma against it, and Harry was equally surprised to hear that it was normal. The Dursleys were very much against anything like that, and Harry was punished the one time he did try to ask questions, so he hadn’t done it again. Tom was very neutral about the whole affair, unsurprisingly.
During a conversation with Ginny, Harry identified the bone-deep discontentment that he felt some days as a kind of dysphoria. They came to the conclusion that he was likely genderfluid. Amazingly, genderfluid magicals were almost always metamorphmagi, whether they are born such or develop the skill later on. They’d spent the summer training the skill after finding out that they did, in fact, have it. So far, all they had managed was changing their hair length and chest size, but it helped immensely. It even helped Ginny when she chose to front, because she identified as a demigirl, and she was uncomfortable in their situation after spending her (admittedly short) lifetime in her feminine body.
Tom didn’t want to take part in most of the conversation, and they didn’t pry, letting him drift on his own. After Harry and Ginny came out to each other, Tom came forward and told them that he was agender but didn’t care for any pronouns, though he was used to male. He even pushed forward a memory of Tom talking with another genderfluid person he knew during his time. Harry was warmly grateful for it, and Ginny giggled at Tom’s flustered reaction. They would get him used to gratitude eventually, she was sure.
Harry hadn’t told his friends any of this. For one, he didn’t know how Hermione would take it, being muggleborn. For two, he needed more time for Ginny, Tom, and Him to settle with each other. That’s what he told himself, at least; he was more afraid than anything, and the other two knew it, but gave him space.
For now, he was the one fronting - which they had agreed was for the best until they got used to Hogwarts again - and masculine, so he didn’t have to face any awkward questions just yet.
Now, they were here, on the Hogwarts Express. They hoped for a quiet year. One quieter than the last two, at least, would be nice.
Harry took a moment to think of a conversation starter. The silence was grating on his nerves. Even if they woke the predator professor, he doubted the man would be angry. He was sleeping on the train, for Magic’s sake.
I still don’t like him, Tom grumbled.
Ginny visualized patting him on the head in response.
…This is demeaning, he sighed, but didn’t argue. Harry fought to keep a straight face, but his amusement echoed through their shared minds, soon joined by the other two.
Eventually he zoned back into his surroundings to find that he had garnered a weird look from both Hermione and Ron. Sheepishly, Harry waved them off, Ginny laughing more in the background, and Tom doing so in the way he said was ‘dignified’ (aka, laughing with a straight face).
“Sorry, I just thought of something funny,” Harry said. “But since you’re paying attention,” Hermione put a bookmark on her page and closed it, “I was about to ask; Hermione, how is Crookshanks doing?”
Simultaneously, Hermione lit up with a smile and Ron groaned. Hermione had gotten an unruly half-kneazle named Crookshanks when they had all gone to Diagon Alley to get their supplies. The cat was grumpy but tolerable, until he met Ron’s rat, Scabbers. Tom immediately was suspicious, because he knew Kneazles were smart enough to know the difference between pet and vermin; and, most importantly, they see what lies within others. Ginny and Harry didn’t get it. Tom banged his head against a wall and gave up.
“He’s doing great!” Hermione exclaimed. “My parents love him, and he's such a smart cat. We didn't even have to house-train him,” she praised. “I wish I could've brought him into the compartment with us, but he's too big.”
Ron, finally choosing to participate, wrinkled his nose. “That cat would scare Scabbers, anyways. I don't want him here.”
Hermione huffed and started gearing up for an argument. Harry really didn't want Ron to feel worse, or Hermione to feel guilty after. He should say something-
Wait , Ginny interrupted, making Harry pause. Look closer. Do you see the way she looks at him?
They were bickering about the cat. Both looked rather irritated. Ron seemed humored, at least, like it was sort of a joke. Hermione doesn't joke like that, though, does she? Harry asked.
Not usually, but… Ginny trailed off, faintly sad.
He's still grieving Ginny, Tom took over, letting their bodymate fall silent. He hasn't said a word since we all got here. For now, he's arguing like always. It's an improvement, isn't it?
Harry watched his two friends for a moment. They'd changed topics now, arguing instead about homework. Occasionally they would look over at him, griping to him, like he was responding. They knew Harry didn't like talking as much as they did, and included him anyway. They were smiling.
Yeah, Harry said softly. Yeah, it is.