One Shots #VariaSquad

Parabatai and Patronuses

A/N: This kind of follows the same basis as my story Is it me... Or Have We Grown Up? Except they meet when they are a lot younger. As this follows everything else from that one, there is still a one year age gap between them. So they met when Alia was 4 and Varun was 5.

Alia P.O.V.

I'd never really had a huge interest in books when I was younger. Shaheen always had and Varun had as well. They both tried to get me to read, but it didn't really work. Until I was 16 that is. They finally managed to get me to read. Kind of.

Varun decided he was going to just start reading the Harry Potter series out loud to me, like an audio book but it sounds a thousand times better in his voice than it does in the weird almost monotonous voice. With him reading to me, I became interested in the story. I was actually excited to see books.

It wasn't just the one series. It took us a few months to finish Harry Potter and then a new series about mythology was released; Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Despite the fact that it was aimed at 12 year olds and I was 17 and Varun 18, we decided to read it, Varun has an interest in mythology so I decided to pick it up because I thought he would enjoy it. We both enjoyed it. Percy's sarcastic nature and Annabeth's wit made it so easy to feel like they were our friends. It helped that Varun has the same kind of nature as Percy and he was reading Percy's parts and I could easily put myself into Annabeth's role.

And then, in 2008, when I was 20 and Varun 21, The Mortal Instruments was released. Varun was the one who picked it up. He told me it was an impulse buy, which I completely believe - he is very impulsive, especially with books.

When we started reading, I'd gotten into the story, like really into it. It was an addiction. After a while, when the idea of parabatai were introduced, it became something I could relate to very much. That kind of relationship was exactly what I have with Varun. We'll protect each other, never leave each other, no matter what. We just aren't magically bound to do so. The only thing is that parabatai aren't supposed to feel anything other than a platonic love for each other.

I think I'm starting to feel something other than a platonic love for Varun. Actually, I think I started to fall for him a while ago. At least a few years ago.

Now, I've just finished promotions for Kapoor and Sons and I'd finally gotten time to relax. The house warming party was done and the clean up. I had wanted to find some time with Varun, but he had left before midnight, a little uncomfortable with all the extra attention. My closest school friends still treated us both the same, but there were a few of them that I had never introduced to him that kind of freaked when they met him.

I had just managed to finally sit down when I heard the sound of a key turning in my door. I didn't bother to get up, there was only three people that had a spare key: Shaheen, my mum and Varun.

'Alu, you still awake?' Varun's familiar voice called.

'Kinda. In the sitting room!' I called back. He appeared in the doorway a minute later.

'You look beat.' He said, coming to sit next to me, putting a carrier bag on the floor. I instantly cuddled into him, his arm wrapping around my shoulder and my head going to rest on his.

'I am. Promotions were intense. Seriously intense.' I complained.

'I know. I saw the schedule.'

'I really just want to sleep for a day.' I sighed.

'Come on then, to bed with you.'

'That sounds mildly suggestive.' I joked.

'Maybe it was supposed to.' He returned. 'Now come on, you need to get up to bed.' I got up and he did as well, foot hitting the bag as he did and drawing my attention to it.