Muse in Secret

Chapter Eleven

James did not remember being paraded through the streets to the station. In later times, he would look back on it as a blur, something that he knew had happened yet could not recall in any sort of detail. At some point, he knew he had fallen, skinning his knee and tearing his trousers, but all that was met with was the officer bringing down his baton once more across James' back, before screaming at him to get a move on. There had been no reason to walk him- but they wanted a spectacle, they wanted people to see.

James Potter, famed writer, chatted with sodomy. Found in the possession of erotic homosexual literature that he produced, as well as letters etching the depth of his guilt. He would be shunned, and his books would be taken out of every bookstore across the country. They would become banned and rare things, and unless someone cared very much to keep his work alive, they would not be printed again. Doing so would be taking a risk, taking the chance of another example being made. The thing about the law was that it was funny, it could be broken time and time again, but every once in a great while it was called upon, to remind the general people that they could. Because they were bullies, because they were scared, because they had never known love in the way that James had.

He pitied every last one of them for that.

He was brought into a dark room, and slammed down on a chair. It was hard and wooden, without a cushion to sit upon. Alright his thighs and buttocks were stinging from where they had hit him, and he knew he would have no comfort.

"James Potter." The chief of police said. "Do you know why are you are here?"

"I would like legal counsel." James said through gritted teeth.

"That is not an option I am giving you, do you know why you are here?"

"Please, tell me." James said, his eyes meeting the mans.

"One count of Sodomy, resisting arrest, attempting to make lewd publications. There is a whole list"

James titled his head. "I don't think the last one is actually a charge. And I don't think your men beating me truly qualifies as resisting arrest."

The police chief snorted. "It is what I say it is. I can bring anything against you, anything that I wish. You realize that? I have letters, addressed to your husband? In France? Either you are truly delusional, or you do not seem to think that words hold power."

"Oh, I know they hold power." James stated. "But so does money."

"Excuse you?"

"Money." James said with a shrug. "I have lots of it."

"Are you trying to bribe me?"

When had he gotten so brazen? "Well you're trying to charge me with a crime I didn't commit. I have never engaged in sodomy on English soil. I have respected the laws, and I was planning on leaving, to return to my husband, as you correctly stated. I was going to dissolve the marriage to Lily, and leave her with my assets."

"I might not be French, but I am fairly certain that you can't marry, not in France, not anywhere."

"I'm married him before God. That is enough. The paper, the legalities, those do not worry me. They should, of course. I saw a good friend lose his husband, and that changed me. The fact that he could not even take his name, the fact that he could not bring him here for treatment, is a tragedy, really."

It was no surprise when James was hit. The police chief had clearly had enough of him. Muttering about disrespect and insanity under his breath before James was moved to a small cell. the area of the prison he was in was completely deserted, though that did not surprise him. What else were they going to do? Stick him in with others so that he could run his mouth? Of course they wouldn't, this was simply seen as part of their spectacle.