Leopard Hunt - 17. Chapter 17

“Thanks, everyone.” Mason glanced around the still largely bare apartment before grinning at his guests. “I still have trouble believing this place is now mine.”

Deon chuckled as he used a fork to spear some stir-fried vegetables from the plastic container in his hands. “And I’m having the same problem with knowing I’m moving in here tomorrow.” He glanced at Kevin. “What about you?”

Kevin shrugged. “I’m just excited.” He leant over and gave Daphne a kiss on the cheek. “And to make it an official announcement, Daphne said she’ll start moving her stuff in this coming weekend. We’re going to start living together as of Saturday night.”

Mason smiled while joining in the round of congratulations everyone gave the happy couple. He wondered if Kevin and Daphne had already told Deon about Daphne being transgender, but the news they were moving in indicated to him that it wouldn’t be long before everyone was aware.

In the meantime, Mason was beginning to appreciate what living with two professional athletes would mean. When he had invited everyone to join him in celebrating buying the apartment, he had planned on having a large number of pizzas delivered. It was only later in the day that he learnt that both Kevin and Deon had to be careful with their diet. While Kevin had been willing to share a pizza, he had told Mason that it would be better for both himself and Deon if they had something approved by their clubs’ dietitians. The result was the two football players ordered stir fries from the local Thai restaurant while the rest of the group had pizza.

Deon turned to Kevin. “What time are your teammates arriving tomorrow? Mine said they’d be here around nine.”

“Nic and Sean will be showing up at my host family’s place at eight. We should be back here around nine. I’ve got a few more things to move from there than you do since I’ve been living there for the last year, so I asked them to help me out.”

“Fair enough.” Deon chuckled. “I’ve still got stuff I haven’t unpacked from when I first moved in with the Kennedys. I just need to put them in the back of my car, and that will be half of my moving done.”

Neil had a faint frown on his face. “Did you have any problems with your club when you told them you were moving out? I had the impression that they wanted you to stay with a host family the first year.”

Deon smiled. “Not really. Yes, the club sets up all the new players who won’t be living at home with host families to help them settle in and let them concentrate on their football, but they know I’m different from most new draftees. Most were still living with their parents last year, so moving in with a host family minimised the disruption and stress of leaving home. I moved out of home the year before, so I’m already used to not having Mum looking after me all the time. The Kennedys have been great—and a bit disappointed that I’m not staying with them—but they understand. I had a long chat with the club’s welfare manager, too, and he accepts that I know what I’m doing.”

Mason frowned. “Why wouldn’t you know what you’re doing? Are they that controlling?”

“It’s not so much controlling as trying to make sure I don’t get distracted from my football.” Deon’s brow wrinkled. “I get what they mean, because moving out of home last year was a big culture shock.” He grinned. “It took Jim a month to teach me that I needed to wash my clothes regularly. I used to leave them until I had nothing clean to wear before I’d use the washing machine…and even then, I’d often wait a few more days.”

Clarissa put both hands over her ears. “I don’t need to hear this.” She gave Deon a mock scowl. “I hope you’re better now, because I’m not going to date you if your clothes stink.”

Deon laughed. “Yeah, I’m better. I used to do my clothes-washing at least once a week by the end of the year and sometimes twice.” He sighed. “I’m going to have to start doing that again. Mrs. Kennedy has been doing my washing for the last couple of months.”

Kevin made a face. “Another thing I’m going to have to learn to do.”

Daphne stared at him in surprise. “You’ve never washed your own clothes?”

He shrugged. “Once or twice back in Melbourne, but most of the time Mum would do it. Here in Sydney, Mrs. Wembley’s been doing my washing.” He chuckled. “But she insisted I clean my own room, so that’s one thing I do know how to do.”

Clarissa jabbed a finger in Daphne’s direction. “Don’t offer to do his washing for him. He’s a big boy; he can do it himself.”

Daphne smiled back. “Neither of us have had to look after ourselves. We’ll be both be learning things as we go.” She smirked at Kevin. “Maybe I should be asking him to do my washing for me?”

Kevin grinned. “If you want me to, I won’t mind. I suspect I’ll have more to wash than you, anyway, with all my training gear.”

Mason caught sight of a strange expression on Neil’s face. “Are you okay?”

Neil screwed up his face for a moment and then smiled. “Yeah. Just remembering what it was like for me when I moved out of home.” He sighed. “There was a lot to learn.”

Liam immediately wrapped an arm around Neil’s waist. “Don’t think about it. You had it tougher than most, and you not only survived, but you thrived.” He glanced at Clarissa. “Tell him.”

“Liam’s right. You changed, but all in a good way. It was a bad time, Neil, but that’s over.”

Deon must’ve seen Mason’s confusion. “Last year was when Neil’s father hit him and Neil ran away. He moved in with Todd, Paul, and Ollie for the rest of the year. He had to deal with not only learning to live away from home but also the stress of the situation and completing his last year of school.”

Mason nodded. “Yeah, that would’ve been tough.” He smiled at Kevin and Daphne. “I’m not much better off than you. I had a few months of ‘training’ from my grandma last year, but I’m sure there’s still lots to learn.” He chuckled. “Such as remembering to buy some laundry detergent for the washing machine tomorrow so Kevin can do Daphne’s washing for her.”

“I’ll do some shopping tomorrow, so don’t worry about things until we see what I forget to buy,” Deon said. “I’ll make a list of things we’ll need.” He grinned. “Jim was big on shopping lists. He was strange like that. He actually thought there were more important things than beer to buy.”

Clarissa frowned. “Aren’t you supposed to watch how much you drink?”

Deon chuckled. “I’m just remembering an incident about this time last year, before the football season had started. We were running out of beer, so the brat and I told Jim that we were going to get some essential supplies. He asked us if we intended to get anything other than beer.” He smiled at Kevin and Mason. “Don’t worry. Since then, I’ve made lots of shopping trips. I may miss a few things, but I should get most of what we’ll need tomorrow.” He winked. “And it won’t just be beer.”

Mason turned to Daphne. “Is there anything you’re going to want us to get for you before the weekend? If we’re going to do a lot of shopping over the next couple of days, now is the time to speak up.”

She smiled back, though Mason sensed she was a little tense. “It’s okay. I’ll get what I need myself.”

Mason shrugged. “The offer’s on the table if you change your mind.” He turned to Clarissa, Neil and Liam. “I’m thinking I’ll head back here early tomorrow. There are a lot of things that will need to be done to make this place liveable, and the sooner they’re done, the sooner I’ll be able to relax.”

“What about your orientation sessions?” Neil asked.

“There’s only the one, course-related session tomorrow morning. The rest of the activities are things I can skip if I want.” He grinned. “And I want. I’ll stay for the Quidditch match and then head back after it finishes.”

“Quidditch?” Kevin blinked. “You mean with brooms and flying and stuff?”

Neil and Mason both laughed. “Brooms, yes, flying, no,” Neil said. “Someone came up with rules for ground-based Quidditch, and apparently there is now a Quidditch competition in Sydney.”

“Worldwide, actually,” Mason said. “One of my friends back home is going to UCLA, and she’s joined their Quidditch team. It’s a mixed sport, and while I’m not sure it’s for me, it could be fun.”

Liam smiled at Clarissa and Daphne. “Neil’s told me about it and said there’s a demo match tomorrow lunchtime. If it looks like fun, and if doesn’t conflict with the uni’s football team that I’m hoping to join—assuming I’m eligible—then Neil and I were thinking of joining. Why don’t you two come along, and see for yourself?”

Clarissa cocked her head and then smiled. “It doesn’t hurt to take a look.”

“Okay, but I’m not promising to play,” Daphne said. “I prefer to watch things like that rather than participate.”

Kevin was frowning at Liam. “What did you mean about being eligible to play football? Why wouldn’t you be?”

Liam’s face went red. “Well, there was an incident in the middle of last year, back in Melbourne, and I…er…ended up being suspended. My suspension hasn’t quite run out, yet, but it will soon. But they may not want me, given what happened.”

Kevin’s jaw dropped. “What did you do?” He shook his head. “Never mind, I don’t need to know. As long as it was a one-off thing, I don’t think anyone would have a problem.”

Liam smiled at Neil while replying to Kevin. “Yeah, it was a one-off thing. I was in a bad place at the time because I didn’t see any hope in getting this guy to like me.” He turned his attention back to Kevin. “I’d stuffed up a lot of things with Neil, and then there was this opposition player who kept making homophobic comments. Eventually, I snapped…and broke a few of his bones in the process. The tribunal gave me a nine-month suspension, and my club told me I wasn’t welcome back this year.” Liam shrugged. “Since I’m no longer in Melbourne, the fact that I can’t play for my old club anymore doesn’t bother me, but I know the football associations in the different states talk to each other. From what I’ve read, a suspension in Victoria also applies here in New South Wales.”

“Yeah, it does.” Kevin shook his head. “Sorry to hear about that, but hopefully it won’t stop you from playing for the university if you can make the team.”

Liam shrugged. “If it does, it’s not a big deal. I still love my football, but it’s not my number-one priority.” He leant over and gave Neil a quick kiss. “I’ve got something more important in my life, now.”

It was only later, as Mason lay on a mattress on the floor in what was going to be his bedroom, that he realised that his father had never mentioned Liam’s suspension. Given the thoroughness of his father’s investigations on Deon and Kevin, he wondered why his father didn’t do the same for Neil and Liam.

Mason eventually fell asleep, still unsure if it was an oversight on his father’s part or if his father had found out and simply didn’t think the incident was worth mentioning.

* * *

The next morning, Deon grinned as two of his teammates arrived at the unit. “G’day, guys!”

Jack grinned. “You know I don’t normally get up this early on my day off. You owe me, mate.”

Deon chuckled. “When you’re ready to move into your own place let me know, and I’ll be there to help.”

Caleb glanced around the empty room. “So, what’s the plan?”

“Kevin and a couple of his teammates will be here shortly. We’ve got boxes of furniture in Clarissa’s unit that will need to be moved and then put together. Once that’s done, you guys can go. It’s just that it would’ve been a bit awkward for Kevin and me to shift everything by ourselves.”

Jack shrugged. “We can stick around longer than that, if you want.” He cocked his head. “Your other roommate—Mason, wasn’t it—isn’t helping?”

“He’s at uni. He said he’ll try to be back this afternoon since he’ll need to set up his own room. Kevin and I are hoping to have the rest of the place done by the end of the day.”

“Then let’s get started before the day gets too hot.” Caleb led the way to the door. “At least you didn’t try to do this on the weekend when it was raining. That would’ve been unpleasant.”

“Mason only got the keys yesterday, but, yeah, the weather appears to be on our side today.”

Caleb rolled his eyes. “Now, you’ve done it. Tempting the weather gods isn’t smart, Deon.”

Jack gave them a mock frown. “Hey, guys, this isn’t Melbourne. Our weather in Sydney is much more consistent than what you guys grew up with. We don’t get the classic four-seasons-in-one-day.”

Bantering about Sydney and Melbourne weather, the three started to shift the smaller boxes from Clarissa’s and Liam’s unit. They had managed two loads before Kevin and a couple of other Sydney Swans players arrived.

After introducing Nic and Sean, Kevin frowned at the boxes that had already been moved. “Is that all you’ve managed to do? I expected you to be just about finished.”

Deon grinned. “It’s more than you’ve done. What took you so long? Did you take the scenic drive from your place?”

Kevin made a face. “Traffic was bad this morning.”

“Traffic is bad most mornings,” Jack said. “Welcome to Sydney!”

“Melbourne’s not much better at times.” Deon grinned. “They’re both big cities.”

Sean glanced around. “What do you want us to do?”

The three newcomers were soon put to work helping to shift the larger boxes. The players from the two Sydney-based AFL teams soon fell into an easy camaraderie as they worked together.

“Hey, Kevin,” Sean said at one point. “When is your housewarming party going to be? You are having one, aren’t you?”

“We are, but just not yet. This weekend is too soon, and the following weekend is busy. Probably the week after, though we’ll need to make sure Mason is okay with that date.”

Deon snorted and then smiled. “He’ll be fine. You know him better than me, Kevin, but I had the impression he’ll be happy to party when he gets the chance.”

Kevin shook his head. “That’s been because uni hasn’t started yet. I think you’ll find he’ll settle down and concentrate on his studies once they start.”

Jack looked across from where he had been opening one of the boxes. “What’s wrong with the weekend after next?”

Deon smiled. “That Saturday’s our first game of the pre-season.”

“Yeah, and a party afterwards sounds like a good idea.”

Kevin shook his head. “It’s also the night of the Mardi Gras parade. Deon and I are both marching, along with a few others from the Swans.”

“There will hopefully be a couple from GWS, too, depending on team selection.” Deon smiled at Jack and Caleb. “More would be welcome, but it may be a rush to get there from our game if any of us are selected for the match. I’ve been told we’ll be up near the front of the parade, as they’re highlighting gay athletes this year, so we need to be there early.” He shrugged. “The other guys have been told that if they’re playing, they don’t have to march, but I’m planning on marching, regardless.”

“Jim Henderson will be in it, I presume, if they’re including gay athletes,” Sean said.

“Yep, though pride of place goes to the Sydney Convicts, who won the Bingham Cup last year.”

“Who?” Caleb asked.

“The Sydney Convicts. They’re a gay rugby club, but they play in a general rugby competition.”

Jack nodded. “And the Bingham Cup is the world cup of gay rugby. It was held here in Sydney last year. I didn’t get to see it, but it made the news.”

“And that’s why that weekend is out.” Kevin grinned. “No one is going to be here that Saturday, so no party. At least not here.”

They continued to work until it was close to lunchtime. Nic and Deon headed back to the other unit to get the last of the boxes: linen for the beds that were being put together by the other guys. As they were about to leave Clarissa’s unit, Nic spoke up. “Deon, can I have a private word?”

“Sure?”

“About what happened in January…” Nic grimaced. “Deon, I just wanted to say…I’m sorry to hear what was done to you. I can’t imagine—”

Deon held up his hand to interrupt. “Nic, I don’t want to talk about it. The trial is over, and the bastard got what he deserved. End of story.” He stared at an obviously nervous Nic. “Can we just drop it and not mention it again?”

“Yeah, sure. If that’s what you want.”

“It is.”

Deon wasn’t sure if he should suggest that Kevin give Nic a hint at the truth. At some point in the future, the truth would come out, and Deon knew he would look bad for letting everyone believe the lie. Deon had decided his best option was to shut down attempts to offer sympathy so he wasn’t seen to be taking advantage of the situation, but he didn’t like it. Having Kevin quietly tell Nic not to believe everything he read might stop a backlash from one person, but it might also be the one person who allows the truth to become public.

After a few moments of thought, Deon pushed the issue to the back of his mind. He didn’t need to make a decision immediately, though sooner would be better if he wanted Kevin to speak to Nic.

* * *

“How’s it going?” Mason asked late that morning when he caught up with the others.

“Pretty good,” Clarissa said. “I’ve got a better idea of what’s going to happen in my course, now.”

Daphne nodded. “Same here. I’m finished with all the course-related orientation stuff, so it’s just the ancillary stuff like library and student services if you guys want to check them out.” She smiled. “I’m already familiar with most of them, so don’t worry about what I want to do next.”

“It sounds like we’re all pretty much done, then.” Liam raised an eyebrow at Neil. “You’re on top of things?”

“Yeah…”

Liam chuckled. “You don’t sound too confident.”

Neil shrugged. “It’s just going to be a lot of work, that’s all.” He smiled at his boyfriend. “But I think I’m okay.”

Mason frowned. “I can’t help thinking I’m missing something. Orientation is supposed to go for a week, but it’s halfway through Day Two, and we’re all basically finished. I’ve got another subject orientation session on Thursday, but that’s it.”

Liam laughed. “That’s because orientation is more than just academic orientation. It’s also to get everyone settled into uni, academically and socially. If you look at what’s available this week, the majority is not about what we’ll be studying.”

“And orientation also gives people a chance to learn about things they may not have had a chance to explore beforehand, like support services,” Daphne added.

Mason nodded slowly. “Okay. I thought it was strange that they had a week but didn’t use it all for engineering stuff, but that makes sense.” He glanced around the group. “The Quidditch game is supposed to start soon. Do you still want to go see it?”

Liam shrugged his shoulder. “I can’t see any harm. Let’s check it out.”

Clarissa rolled her eyes. “After we’ve grabbed something to eat. I’m not sitting around watching a bunch of guys running around a field without having some food in my stomach.”

Daphne grinned. “I’m with Clarissa on that one. Breakfast was a long time ago for me.”

“Food would be nice.” Neil peered at his phone. “There’s supposed to be some food trucks near where the Quidditch match is being played, so we can grab something on the way.”

Fifteen minutes later, they were standing with a small bunch of other spectators while, Abdul, one of the Quidditch players, quickly went through the main rules.

Mason listened as Abdul explained that while team sizes ranged from seven upwards, only six players per team—three chasers, two beaters, and one keeper, their roles identified by coloured headbands—started on the pitch. Those players would try to score goals, worth ten points each, by throwing the quaffle—a slightly deflated volleyball—through one of three hoops set on poles at one end of the pitch, while trying to stop the opposition from doing the same for the three hoops set up at the other end. The beaters used bludgers—slightly deflated dodgeball balls—to hit opponents, forcing the opponents to dismount from their ‘brooms’, drop any ball they held, and then return to touch one of their team’s hoops before they could join in the game again.

While Abdul talked about how all players must ride their ‘brooms’—for the demonstration game, they were using lengths of PVC pipe as the brooms—Mason glanced around looking for Rick but couldn’t see him. He returned his attention just as Abdul mentioned that after seventeen minutes the golden snitch—a neutral player wearing yellow with a tennis ball in a yellow sock hanging from the player’s shorts—was released onto the field. A minute later, the seventh member of each team—the seekers—were allowed on to try to capture the snitch by making a clean grab of the tennis ball. The game ended when the snitch was caught, awarding thirty points to the catching team.

One thing that Mason found intriguing was that Quidditch was a true mixed-gender sport. Of the six starting players for each team, only four could be of the same gender. As the demonstration game started, he noticed that one team consisted of an equal number of males and females, with a male seeker, while the other team had four males and a female seeker. The snitch was a lithe woman who looked like an experienced runner.

Mason leant over to whisper to Neil. “I wouldn’t mind having that guy seeker chasing me. Maybe I should join and play as the snitch?”

Neil blushed. “What if both seekers are girls?” he whispered back.

Mason shrugged. “Then it’ll be someone else’s turn to be the snitch.” He grinned at Neil. “Ollie told me you were the runner for the Leopards last year. Maybe we could alternate being the snitch?”

Neil chuckled. “If Liam was playing, I doubt they’d let me. I don’t think I could be unbiased.”

Mason was going to respond, but at that point the referee called out that the snitch was loose, and the woman in yellow ran off and started mingling with the small crowd watching the game. The referee then started the game with a call of, “Brooms Up!”

Daphne and Clarissa both flinched the first time one of the chasers was bumped hard by an opposition player, but Mason found the game intriguing. It was certainly a lot faster than he expected it to be, with a couple of the players being sufficiently skilled to be able to hold the ‘broom’ hands-free between their legs for short periods of time. This made it easier for them to use both hands to fend off other players. It was also more physical than he would’ve assumed given that the teams consisted of both males and females.

He was beginning to seriously consider joining the university’s Quidditch club when he heard someone approaching.

“Well, well, well. What do we have here? I came over to watch the match, and what do I find? The Freak, standing with a bunch of people as if he didn’t have something to hide.”

Mason frowned as he turned. He recognised Rick’s voice, but he didn’t like the malicious tone. “What are you talking about?”

Rick Stratton ignored him. Instead, he sneered at Daphne. “Hello, David. I see you still like dressing up in girls’ clothes.”

Mason saw Daphne had gone pale, and an expression of horror had appeared on her face. Neil was the closest person to Mason, so he grabbed Neil’s arm to get his attention. “Get Daphne out of here. Now!” He gave Neil a small push and then let go so he could turn his attention back to Rick.

“What’s wrong, Freak? Can’t say anything? Or is it you hadn’t told your friends your dirty little secret?” Rick scowled. “You’re good at that, aren’t you? Hiding little secrets. Well, not while I’m around. You’re not going to fool anyone else, David. Not if I can help it.”

Mason glanced across and saw Daphne starting to cry as she took a couple of fearful steps backwards. Mason could tell she was close to panicking. Liam, Neil, and Clarissa all appeared either stunned or confused.

“That’s it, David. Run away, but don’t worry. You can’t run forever.”

Mason snapped sharply at his friends. “Guys, move it!” He stepped between Rick and the rest of the group. “Why don’t you pick on someone your own size, shithead?”

Rick put on an expression of mock-surprise. “Me? I’m not picking on anyone. I’m just saying hello to an old school friend.”

Mason was the taller of the two, but Rick appeared to be more muscular. Mason didn’t care. He moved forward, forcing Rick to take a half step back. “You know, you must be really popular.”

“What do you mean?”

Out of the corner of his eye, Mason saw Liam step up next to him. He mentally gave a sigh of relief. Now that Rick was facing two of them, Mason hoped he would be smart enough to avoid violence.

“You remember I’m gay, right?” Not waiting for Rick to respond, Mason pasted on a false smile. “That means I’ve had lots of experience with dicks and asses.”

“What the fuck has that got to do with anything?”

Mason could tell that Rick was confused by the change of topic. He hoped that would buy Neil and Clarissa enough time to get Daphne somewhere quiet. “That’s why I thought you’d be so popular, at least with the gay boys. We all love dicks and assholes…and you’re both.”

Mason didn’t wait for Rick to respond. He caught Liam’s eye and tilted his head in a signal to follow the others. Liam nodded, and the two turned their back on Rick. Mason knew that was a risk, but if they were attacked from behind, that would make things so much worse for Rick, given the number of spectators nearby. Even so, he was listening hard as they stepped away.

Now that he had his back to Rick, he scanned the area to locate the others. He could see Neil and Clarissa escorting a distraught Daphne away. Clarissa had all her attention on Daphne, but Neil’s head kept turning so he could keep an eye on Liam and Mason. Mason smiled at him and started to lengthen his stride.

“Hey!” Mason’s arm was grabbed. He turned to see Rick glaring at him. “I’m not a dick or an arsehole.”

“Really?” Mason matched Rick’s glare. “You’re certainly doing a good impression of both.” He noted that Liam had also stopped and had his fists clenched.

Rick raised his voice as he let go of Mason’s arm. “If anyone’s an arsehole, it’s David. He’s a freak, pretending to be a girl. I’m just making sure you knew.” The hate on Rick’s face was obvious. “He’s the lying bastard, not me.”

Mason could see that the Quidditch match had stopped, with everyone peering in their direction, so he matched Rick’s volume. “And I’m just making sure everyone knows you’re a dick and asshole. You seem to like hurting girls.”

“David’s not a girl!”

“Daphne is a girl, and you can’t even get her name right!” Mason put on an apologetic expression and looked past Rick to the others watching. “Sorry, everyone, but while the game looks fun, my friends and I don’t want anything to do with this asshole.”

Mason turned away again. He and Liam headed in the direction that the others had gone. He was happy to see that they were all out of sight.

This time Rick let them go, though not without a shouted taunt. “You’ll learn. David’s not who you think he is!”

Liam didn’t say anything until they were well away from the field where the Quidditch match had been held. “You’re right. He is a dick and an arsehole.” He checked his phone. “Neil says they’re heading to the train station. Daphne hasn’t stopped crying.”

Mason grimaced. “I can understand that.” He pulled out his own phone. “Tell Neil to wait for us, and we’ll leave together. I’m going to call Kevin and make sure he’s there when we get back to the apartment. Daphne needs him.”

Liam nodded his agreement as he started to type on his phone.

* * *

During the train trip back to the unit, Mason had shut down every attempt to talk about what had happened. A public place was not where he wanted that conversation to take place. Instead, he concentrated on comforting Daphne, while Liam and Neil sat opposite them, each with a matching expression of concern and confusion. Clarissa helped Mason calm Daphne, but Mason could sense she also had questions she wanted answered.

When they arrived at the station, they found Kevin waiting for them. Daphne rushed into his arms and started crying again. While murmuring soft words of support, Kevin gave Mason and the others a quizzical look.

“Daphne,” Mason said in as gentle as tone as he could managed. “Are you okay to walk back to the apartment, or do you want me to get you a ride?”

“No need,” Kevin said. “I brought my car with me. I can drive everyone back if you don’t mind being squashed a bit.

Clarissa pursed her lips as she contemplated Kevin and Daphne. She then held out her hand. “Give me your keys. I’ll drive while you look after Daphne in the back seat.” She turned to Mason, Liam, and Neil. “I think it might be best if you three walk back so these two can have some space to themselves. We’ll be in our unit. Then, I think we all need to talk.”

“Only if Daphne is up to it.” Mason made a face. “If she’s not, a talk can wait.” He turned to Liam and Neil. “Come on, let’s go.” He then lowered his voice into a stage whisper that he was sure everyone could still hear. “As soon as they’re out of sight, I’ll call for a cab. There’s no way I’m going to walk all that way.”

Daphne gave a short bark and then lifted her head to give Mason a weak smile. “Ten minutes? You walked for longer than that around the uni this morning.”

“And now I’m exhausted!” Mason shrugged. “You need to get going. Clarissa won’t let me call a cab while she’s around, so you have to take her away first.”

Clarissa scowled. “It’s not all about you, Mason!” She spun around and glared at Kevin. “Where’s your car?”

Mason was hurt, though he tried not to show it. He realised he wasn’t successful when Liam put a hand on his shoulder. “She didn’t mean it. She’s just stressed by what’s happened, and she doesn’t know what’s going on. When she’s had a chance to think about it, she’ll realise you were just trying to distract Daphne and weren’t trying to make this about you.”

Mason put on a surprised look. “You mean it’s not all about me?”

Liam chuckled. “Now that she’s gone, did you want to call a taxi, or should we walk?”

“We’ll walk.” Mason smiled “It’ll take longer for a cab to show up and take us to the apartment than it would to go by foot. Just don’t tell Clarissa.”

Liam and Neil both laughed, though their expressions turned serious almost immediately afterwards.

The three headed towards the units. They didn’t rush but still set a brisk pace. Mason was anxious to see how Daphne would react to being outed and whether it would make a difference to the group.

“You knew, didn’t you,” Neil said when they were about halfway there. “I mean, you weren’t surprised. You acted immediately.”

Mason considered denying it, but he realised that to keep everyone’s trust, he would need to be honest. “Yes, I did. I found out a month ago.”

“She told you, but she didn’t think to tell us?”

Mason shook his head. “She didn’t know I knew. I’ve dropped a few hints that I would be okay with everything, but it was supposed to be up to her to tell us when she was ready.” He glanced across at Neil and Liam. “You guys understand that, don’t you? No one should be outed against their wishes.”

Liam nodded. “Yeah, we understand. That doesn’t mean we’re still not confused by what’s happened, but we understand.”

Neil frowned. “Does this mean that Kevin’s gay?”

Mason sighed. “I think we should let Kevin explain himself, if he wants to. If he doesn’t…” Mason shrugged. “It’s his life, not ours, and he’s a professional football player. I have no idea what will happen if word gets out, but I can’t see any good coming from it.”

“How did you find out?” Liam asked.

Mason smiled. “I think I should tell that story to everyone at once. Can your curiosity wait a little longer?”

“Sure. It’s not really that important.” Liam smiled. “As you guessed, I was just wondering. It doesn’t matter if I don’t find out.”

Liam and Neil held a quiet conversation during the rest of the walk, but Mason made no attempt to listen in. Instead, he mentally prepared for everything he thought could go wrong. While he was confident that Deon would be okay with Daphne being transgender, he wasn’t sure if there would be repercussions that could adversely affect the relationship between him and his two flatmates. He grimaced as he thought about how having this happen on the day Kevin and Deon moved in had to have been the worst possible timing.

When they arrived at the suburban block where the units were located, Deon and four other guys were waiting outside. Mason recognised a couple of them from Liam’s and Clarissa’s housewarming party back in January, though he couldn’t remember their names. He was quickly introduced to Jack, Caleb, Nic, and Sean. Liam and Neil said hello and then disappeared into Liam’s unit.

“The guys are heading out to grab some lunch,” Deon said. “They’ll be back in half an hour.”

“We can stay out longer if needed, since Deon’s girlfriend has just arrived home.” Jack winked. “I’m sure he’s going to love living two doors down from her.”

Mason smiled at the four football players. “Thanks for helping out this morning. Sorry I couldn’t be there to help, but I’m back now.” He pulled out his wallet. “Lunch is on me.”

Nic waved a hand dismissively. “Don’t worry about it. We’ll text Kevin or Deon when we’re about to return.”

Mason’s brow wrinkled as he watched the four guys stroll down the driveway. He turned to Deon. “Why would they need to text you?”

Deon shrugged. “Kevin disappeared half an hour ago, saying something was wrong with Daphne. He showed up with her a few minutes before you got here, and it was obvious that she was upset. I was going to go to lunch with the guys, but Clarissa asked me to stay, saying we needed to talk about what went on at the uni. The guys took the hint, and they’re going to warn us before they return so they don’t interrupt whatever is going on. That’s why Jack said they could stay out longer if we need them to.”

“They’re a good bunch of guys.”

“Yeah…” Deon sighed and made a face. “Let’s go check on Kevin and Daphne.”

* * *

Kevin kept one arm around Daphne while resting his other hand on top of hers. After hearing what had happened at the Quidditch demonstration match, he wanted to head back to the university to do something violent to Rick Stratton, but his priority was Daphne. He’d given her a squeeze of reassurance several times and a soft kiss on the cheek twice.

He was startled to learn that Mason had known that Daphne was transgender for about a month, and that Mason’s father had both him and Deon investigated before agreeing to buy the unit. He was heartened, though, when Mason apologised for his father’s actions, and that he was still looking forward to Daphne moving in with them.

That was the only thing that heartened him, though. Deon was avoiding eye contact, and while Neil and Liam didn’t seem upset, Kevin sensed some unease or uncertainty in their expressions. Clarissa also seemed a little uncomfortable, though she had also been the one to take Daphne into the bathroom after they arrived to help her wash her face and make herself presentable.

Kevin decided he needed to bring things out into the open. “Okay, where does this leave us? Deon, are you going to be okay living with Daphne and me?”

When Deon didn’t immediately respond, Mason spoke up. “Kevin, give him time to think. That’s not a decision that needs to be made right now. We’ve got plenty of time, so let him think things over.”

Deon shook his head. “No, Kevin’s right.” For the first time since the conversation started, he looked directly at Kevin. “If it’s not going to work out, we need to know as soon as possible. I’m sure the Kennedys will let me move back in with them, but if I’m going to do that, I should do it in the next day or two.”

“Then we’ve got a day or two. Nothing needs to be decided now.” Mason then challenged Liam and Neil with a stern gaze. “I understand what it’s like to be part of a minority—to have some people despise me for things outside of my control. I’m not going to turn my back on Daphne or Kevin. They’re still my friends; nothing’s changed.”

Liam and Neil turned and stared at each other. Neil leant forward and whispered something to Liam, who nodded in return.

Liam was the spokesman. “Daphne, Kevin, we agree with Mason. We don’t understand what all of this means, and we don’t know what is going to happen, but we’ll stand with both of you.”

Neil nodded. “I’ve been bullied, and I know what it feels like. What Rick did today was wrong. Daphne, you’re not alone when it comes to facing this. We’re with you.”

Kevin could feel some of the tension leaving Daphne’s body. He smiled at Liam and Neil. “Thanks, guys. That means a lot to both of us.”

When Mason turned to Clarissa, she scowled and spoke before he could. “Don’t you dare say anything to me, mister. If you don’t know what I’m going to do, you’ve got a lot to learn.”

Neil smiled. “That means she’s with us.”

Clarissa glared at him. “And I don’t need you to translate for me.” Her expression softened as she looked at Daphne. “Karen warned me at our housewarming party that she thought you were fragile, but she didn’t know why. I don’t understand a lot of things, but I do know this: you’re a good friend, and Kevin loves you. You’re not alone.”

Daphne’s reply was barely audible. “Thank you.”

Clarissa turned to Deon and narrowed her eyes. “As for you…”

“That’s enough, Clarissa.” Kevin met her steely gaze with one of his own. “Deon needs to make up his own mind on this. You can’t do it for him.” He looked at where Deon sat with his head bowed, staring at the carpet. “Deon’s one of my best mates, but he shouldn’t be forced into something he’s not comfortable with.” Kevin nodded towards Mason. “Mason’s right. Deon needs time to think things through.”

Deon lifted his head. “Thanks, mate,” he said softly. He then looked at Daphne. “I don’t understand a lot of things, but you make Kevin happy, so that’s good enough for me. It’s other things that have me worried.”

“What other things?” Kevin asked.

“Who else knows? What does this mean for us as players? What’s the media going to do when they find out?” Deon dropped his head and lowered his voice, though everyone could still hear him. “Am I strong enough to cope with the pressure?”

Clarissa scowled. “You? You’re worried about the pressure? What about Daphne and Kevin? What about them?”

Deon sighed. “I saw the pressure Jim was under simply because he’s gay. None of that reflected back on me, but I can’t help worry that Kevin and Daphne are going to get worse. Being gay isn’t as much of a novelty anymore, but transgender is still new. A high-level, gay football player draws a lot of attention, but an AFL footballer with a transgender girlfriend is going to attract even more. Living with them means some of that attention is going to fall on me, too.” He made a face and looked at Kevin. “Sorry. I know that’s selfish, because things will hit you much harder, but I don’t know if I’m that strong. Not in that way.”

Kevin held up a hand to forestall anyone else responding. “Deon, mate, you’re stronger than you think. Look at what you did for Dave at the trial. You had all that attention on you then, but you held up fine. You may be worried now, but I know you. When everything hits the fan—and it will—you’ll be there for Daphne and me. That’s who you are, even if you’re not feeling it now.

“As for your other questions, not many people know on my side. There are three senior people at the Swans who know, and I’ve been told there’s a draft press release ready for when the news goes public. The club will stand by me. Other than that, it’s just Warwick and Roscoe on my side who know the truth.”

Deon’s eyes widened at the name of the football player who replaced him on the Leopards team. “Roscoe? How did he find out?”

Kevin chuckled, and he gave Daphne another squeeze. “Warwick is the one who introduced us. He’s got a transgender friend who is an online friend of Daphne’s. When he realised that I’m attracted to someone like Daphne, he flew her down to Melbourne for a weekend.” He gave Daphne a quick kiss. “Our first date was a double date with Warwick and Roscoe. That was before the draft, when Roscoe was still in the closet.”

“There’s one other person on Kevin’s side who knows,” Daphne said, speaking for the first time since the conversation started. “Kevin was so proud when he introduced me to his manager.” She rested her head on Kevin’s shoulder.

“Oh, yeah.” Kevin grinned sheepishly. “I’d forgotten about Alastair.”

“Alastair knows?” Deon seemed surprised. “He’s looking after things for you?”

“Not yet, but he will when the media finds out. He’s going to coordinate things with the club to make sure Daphne and I are protected as much as possible. We’re hoping that won’t happen anytime soon.”

“Unfortunately, on my side, there are too many people who know.” Daphne sighed. “Everyone I used to go to school with knows. Rick used to be my best friend, but when I finally accepted I’m really a girl…he freaked. He’s hated me ever since.”

Kevin gave her another squeeze, trying to reassure her with tactile contact. “Rick is the main reason she deferred uni a year. She needed time to recover from all his bullying, and we’d hoped that with him being a year ahead of her at uni, she would be less likely to run into him.” He grimaced. “That didn’t work out.”

Daphne dropped her head. “I’d forgotten that when we were both younger, he was a big Harry Potter fan. If I’d remembered that, I would never have gone to the Quidditch match. I should’ve known that’s something he would’ve been interested in.”

Kevin hugged her again and followed it with a kiss on the top of her head. He didn’t know what else to do.

“How’s your family with everything?” Neil asked.

Daphne gave him a weak smile. “They’ve been great. They’re very protective and supportive. They also all love Kevin.”

“That’s good. Things are easier when you know your family is behind you.” He frowned at Kevin. “What about yours?”

Kevin shook his head. “They don’t know yet, and there’s no rush in telling them.” He smiled at Daphne. “My view is that it’s up to Daphne to decide who she tells and when. I won’t tell anyone without checking with her first.” The smile faded away. “She’s been getting ready to tell you guys, but events overtook our plans. Sorry.”

Deon’s phone beeped. He stared at the message, sighed, and rose from his chair. “The other guys will be back from lunch in about ten minutes.” He stared down at Kevin and Daphne for a moment, and then smiled and held out his hand. “Come on, housemates. We should get back to setting up the place we’re going to be sharing.”

* * *

José had been having a frustrating day. After waking up at three in the morning and being unable to fall back asleep, he had dressed and had an early breakfast. He then filled in a little time exploring the area in which he was staying. It was quickly clear to him that Kings Cross was an adult-entertainment district—something he had been too tired the day before to notice—which made José feel more at home. He realised he may be able to find some criminal types in the area if he was cautious and if he decided he needed the help. That was something that could wait until night, though, because the people he would be looking for wouldn’t be around until then.

After filling in some time, he had made his way to Redfern and the university. When he arrived, he realised his clothes wouldn’t allow him to blend in, so he had gone and found a shopping mall to buy some new clothes. By the time he’d returned to the university looking more like a new college student, it was late morning and he was feeling drained and hungry.

Once he’d finished a quick snack, he headed to the engineering section of the university. It took him longer than he thought—for reasons he couldn’t work out, even though he had been sure he had been heading south to where he needed to go, he had found himself north of his starting point; but once there, partly hidden beneath a baseball cap, he waited. After what felt like a couple of hours of sitting in the shade, his patience was running out with no sign of his prey. Being still jet-lagged didn’t help, either.

He started to wander around the area, twice cautiously approaching a tall, dark-skinned guy only to realise as he got closer that he wasn’t the person he was looking for. He stopped at one point to watch a mixed group of males and females dressed in some sort of sporting gear walk past carrying, amongst other things, a collection of plastic pipes. He frowned while trying to work out what sport they played but then shrugged and moved on.

It was soon afterwards José overheard two people—a young man and a young woman—as they walked past.

“…need to find him and his friends. Hopefully, that shouldn’t be too hard. I can’t imagine there are too many tall, black Americans on campus. I’d be surprised if there were more than one or two first-year students matching that description.” The young man scowled. “Rick was completely out of line with what he did. If I’d been the American, I would’ve decked him.”

“Yeah. Personally, I think he should be kicked out of the club. The rulebook even says that the gender rule for teams is based on the gender identity of the player, so transphobia is a definite no-no when it comes to Quidditch. That girl Rick harassed would make a good addition to the team. She was tall and looked fairly athletic. The American wasn’t bad-looking, either.” The young woman licked her lips.

José slipped behind the strolling couple and matched their speed. He started peering around at the buildings around them as if he was sightseeing, but he kept his concentration on the two a few feet in front of him.

“Agree about the girl, and I’m not going to touch that comment about the guy with a ten-foot pole. You do remember he said he’s gay?” The young man grimaced. “Okay, so how do we find them? The American may stand out in a crowd, but we’ll still need to be in the right area at the right time.”

The young woman grinned. “And that’s where you can thank me later. Yesterday, he’d put his name down on the list of those interested in joining the club. I’ve got his name and contact number. I’ve called for a meeting of the committee tonight to discuss not only what to do about Rick but also how to apologise to the girl he insulted.”

“Why don’t we ask if the American and his friends could join us tomorrow for a formal apology? Maybe somewhere in the Wentworth Building? I think I heard Rick say something yesterday about a black American doing engineering, so that wouldn’t be too far away from where he’s likely to be.”

“Sounds like a plan. I just hope he won’t hang up when we say who we are.”

She shrugged. “All we can do is try.” She scowled. “I’m so going to try to get Rick kicked out. He isn’t a bad player, and he’s certainly enthusiastic, but what he did today was unforgivable.”

“Yeah. Okay, if we’ve got a meeting called for tonight, we can also discuss some of the other activities we’ve got organised for this week. I’m not happy about the planned horcrux hunt. Some of the items they’re supposed to find are a little dicey…”

When it was clear that they were no longer talking about Mason, José let them wander ahead of him. He pulled out a map of the university and located the Wentworth Building. He smiled as he headed back to his hotel. He now knew where he would be spending the next day.

Until then, there was something else José needed to do. It was time for the hunter to buy a hunting knife.