Strings of Fate

Cam 21- Fun and family “Well, I'm not sure how that group chat would be fun for you. It mostly sounds embarrassing if you ask me.” | awkwardly point out. Harry laughs.

“It would take more than that to embarrass me. What do | have to be embarrassed about? Do you think I should be humiliated because you've turneddown?” He asks. | shake my head.

“No, that's not what | meant at all.” | really didn’t.

“So all I'm really doing is asking my friends for advice. I've not exactly tried to pursue someone seriously before.

When | realised that it wasn’t going to be as easy as | imagined, | recruited a few friends so that they could tellwhen I'm being an absolute numbskull.” He explains.

“Right... That still doesn’t exactly sound like fun.” | point out.

“It isn't always, which is why I'm excited to tell them | got your number. It's a win for me. This is already turning out to be a great day!” He says excitedly.

“Well, for one of us at least.” | mutter. | didn’t really intend for him to hear that comment but from the way he narrows his eyes | doubt | was as quiet as | thought | was.

“We should celebrate!” He announces.

“Let's do something fun.” He suggests.

“What?” I'm confused.

“Something fun, what were you doing when | got here? Something interesting? Or we could find something else to do?” He seems eager and heads straight through to my work room. leavingwaiting behind him. Huh? “Cam? Did you know your phone is ringing? And | promise it isn’tthis time!” He calls out. | dash into the room and snatch up my phone.

1/4 | know, Its nong, QUIL WOLLy Quvul I.

in concern.

| VIULL UNL “You know, you were like this last t| pointed out your phone too. Is something wrong? Last t| threw a bit of a jealous tantrum, sorry again about that. So | definitely wasn’t thinking straight, but now that | am I'm a little worried. Are you in trouble? Is someone bothering you? You're very protective of your phone and you seem really anxious about it. | don’t know what good I'll be, but I can try to help.” He offers earnestly, his blue eyes staring into mine. | want to brush him off, but isn’t he already helping? He helped send Simon away and there is every chance that my family will approach him at spoint about it. Would it really be so bad if I just tell him everything? He heard half of it from Simon ranting anyway.

“Look, it's no big deal, not really. It's just my family. Well, my mother and grandmother really, but when it comes to my family they're the only ones whose opinions matter. They're... not happy withright now. They don’t approve of my life choices. Especially when it comes to relationships.” | explain. He nods understandingly.

“Ahh, the dingbat was their idea?” He asks and | agree.

“Yes. They don’t love the idea ofworking here either. Good Witch daughters stay with the coven and help build more power and wealth. | was happy to go along with their plans foruntil all the started with Simon and they betrayed me.” My words cout bitter and Harry catches it immediately.

“Betrayed? With bad matchmaking? It sounds like there’s more to the story than that.” He prompts and I sigh.

“They didn’t take no for an answer. When | didn’t seem interested in Simon and told them as much, they... well they put a ‘love potion’ in my drink. Not that love potions are real. You can’t make someone fall in love. But you can temporarily trigger endorphins and make another person into the trigger so that they might be tricked into thinking they have feelings that they don’t really have. | got lucky, | had been testing a potion on myself earlier that day and it interacted weirdly with what they gave me. | ended up vomiting for like three days, but. the spell didn’t take. They admitted what they did after the second day of vomiting so that | could try to make up something to counteract it. Although | ended up having to wait it out. anyway.” | shudder. Those three days were awful. | felt terrible, and on the third day when | realised what they had done | had never felt so betrayed.

2/4 Cam 21- Fun and family “They DO love me, the problem is they care more about power and money than anything else and they don’t seem to understand that it won't mak happy.” | lean onto my bench and drop my forehead onto the table, hiding my face. Harry has been oddly quiet throughout my explanation. After a few minutes of silence with my head down on the table, | sit up and realise that he’s been waiting patiently forto face him.

“| can’t say that Punderstand what it’s like to have a family like that. Ryann is the closest thing to family that | ever had. But | do know what it looks like when someone is experiencing feelings fueled by magic. Any guy who wants you like that isn’t worth your tand if your family really believe that you can be happy that way then they're insane.” He says bluntly. | just sigh in response. | know he isn’t wrong, but | have more good memories with my family than | do bad ones and it’s hard to just ignore all the good times. As if to make Harry’s point, my phone starts ringing again. | left it face up on the bench and we can both. see that it's my mother calling. Again.

“I could take care of it, if you want. | assthe dingbat has already told her about me. | could answer the phone and tell her to stop calling, keep up the story we told the dingbat. It’s not like | care what she thinks about me.” Harry offers. | shake my head.

“No thanks, it wouldn't really help. They probably think I'm just trying to spite them. They won't care what you say.” | sigh. I'm going to have to speak to them eventually. In person. I'll have to sort this out and make myself clear. But | don’t think I'm ready to do it right now.

“Alright then. If you're not feeling up to dealing with right now, I'm going to suggest we go back to my original plan. Let's do something fun. You toldthat you like making potions and spells for fun. So, what's the most pointless, silly magic you know?” He asks. | feel like he’s givingwhiplash with how fast he’s changing the subject. But | can get behind the concept of avoiding my problems for a while longer. But he wantsto pick a silly spell? “Seriously?” | ask dubiously.

“Sure why not? | can be your assistant again. You have a few hours right?” He seems excited again and | remember the dinner party at the Alpha’s place and how much fun everyone had with his childish activity idea.

Childish fun wasn’t allowed at my house, not even when | was a child and I'm suddenly looking forward to the idea of doing something fun and pointless with my magic.