the witch next door [zarry] ✔️

xvii

"Hello," Harry smiles, pulling Zain inside and kissing him. "It's been too long, hasn't it?" he asks, running his hands down Zain's torso.

"We had the dreams," Zain says, pressing Harry against the wall. It had been too long and the dreams were nice, but nowhere near as good as feeling Harry's actual skin under his hands.

"Dreams," Harry scoffs, then grins, cupping Zain's cheek and kissing him again. "Come, I need to finish a potion before we go to bed."

"Am I allowed to watch?" Zain asks, surprised, letting himself be pulled towards the fireplace where a small pot is bubbling happily. 

"Of course," Harry says. "I'll turn out better if you're close. Hand me the mint, please," he adds, settling in front of the fire and frowning down at a book laying next to him, the pages creased and stained. It looks like Harry's scribbled all over it and Zain isn't sure anyone is actually able to decipher it.

"What are you making?" he asks, curious, leaning his cheek against Harry's shoulder to try and read. 

"Fertility potion," Harry says, distracted, linking his fingers with Zain. "One of the women in the village asked."

"Is it difficult?" Zain frowns, trying to figure out if the drawing of a cat belonged to the recipe or if Harry had simply doodled.

"Nah," Harry says dismissively. "Magic isn't difficult if you know how. Just takes a while. And it'll be much more potent now that you're here," he adds, taking the mint from Zain and ripping it into hazardous pieces. 

Zain blinks. "Why?" he asks and then can't help himself. "Don't you have to cut it neatly?"

"You've read too much Harry Potter," Harry dismisses him, cupping Zain's chin and kissing him softly.

"Why is it more potent if I'm here?" Zain asks again, when Harry starts stirring lazily, his mouth attached to Zain's jaw.

"Because you love me, obviously," Harry says, setting the spoon down and pulling Zain forward. "We should have sex here, actually," he says, kissing Zain's jaw again. "It will help."

"Oh, will it?" Zain laughs, settling between Harry's legs. "Well, then. Looks like we don't have a choice. Wouldn't want to make a weak potion."

"I'm serious," Harry laughs, gasping when Zain rolls his hips down. "But playful is good. It will make a happy baby."

"What else will make a happy baby?" Zain asks, sucking on Harry's neck.

Harry moans. "Whatever," he says eloquently, letting his knees fall open. "Darling, come on!"

"Rushing will make it colicky," Zain teases, licking Harry's nipple, mouthing at his skin. Harry moans, clutching at Zain's shoulders.

🌿 

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Zain asks, popping another grape in his mouth.

Harry continues to frown at him. "Do you have a witch in your family?"

Zain shrugs, confused. "Only if you count Safaa."

Harry purses his lips, running his hand over Zain's thigh. "No," he says thoughtful. "But she is unusually powerful for her age and level of training. And you," he frowns. "You must have a witch in your family."

"Why?" Zain asks, brushing a lock of hair behind Harry's ear. "What's got you thinking that?"

"Rushing the potion will make babies colicky," Harry says.

"What?" Zain asks, then remembers. "I was just running my mouth, love."

"Hm," Harry makes, sceptically, biting into an apple, still frowning at Zain. "And you call me into your dreams."

"You said that was because we're connected."

"But we weren't exactly, were we?" Harry says slowly, leaning across to kiss Zain. "Don't worry, my darling. It is nothing bad. I am just wondering."

"I don't know of any witches," Zain says, rubbing his nose against Harry's. "You ready for bed?"

"Yea," Harry nods. "Go and see if you can get Louis and Niall to come in. It's getting cold during the nights."

"I'll try," Zain sighs, pushing himself up. Niall he might be able to catch and cuddle into submission. Louis'd rather scratch him than do anything he didn't want to do.

He wraps Harry's jacket around himself and slips into his wellies, grabbing the torch Harry always keeps by the door. 

"Louis," he calls, though he already knows Louis won't come. He finds him at his favourite spot on the garden wall, though, so at least he wasn't hiding.

"Hey," he says. "Wanna come in for the night?"

Louis looks at him disdainfully. 

"Alright," Zain nods. "You seen Niall?"

Louis turns his head away. Zain sighs and turns away, clicking his tongue. "Niall, Nialler!" he calls and hears the answering meow from the rose bushes. 

"Hello, baby," he coos, crouching down even though Niall wasn't really a baby anymore. "Wanna come inside?" he asks, reaching his hand out.

Niall rubs his cheek against it, coming easily. Zain picks him up, stroking his chin and belly and kissing his head. He smelled like dirt and outside, but he was still so soft. 

Louis's already sitting in the hallway when Zain gets back inside, looking at Zain like everything was Zain's fault. Zain snorts and drops Niall onto the floor, taking off his coat and boots. Louis's already bossing Niall around again, catching him with a paw and licking his face resolutely. Harry had warned him that Louis liked bossing the other cats around, but it was still amusing to see.

"Did you get Louis?" Harry asks when Zain steps into the kitchen.

"He decided to join us, yes," Zain says. 

Harry snorts. "He's just a cat," he says. "Stop treating him like he's lord of the manor."

"He certainly thinks he is," Zain says, wrapping his arms around Harry's waist and kissing his shoulder. "You let him have the chair last time I was here because he wouldn't move."

Harry shrugs, making a non-committal sound. "Let's go to bed," he says instead of answering, pulling Zain with him.

Zain goes easily.

🌿

this somehow involved more cats that i had planned, lol