It Runs in the Family

[prettybirdy979]

Titles: It Runs in the Family
Setting: BBC! Sherlock
Rating: PG-13
Characters/Pairings: John, Sherlock
Genre/Warnings: Angst, Drama, Supernatural
Summary: Sherlock gets a look at the Watson family. Fifth in the Witch Verse. 
Thanks to Cyberbutterfly on Fanfiction.net for the prompt! =D
This started as a small scene and became the longest one-shot in the series so far! =)

If you have any prompts for the series, I would love to hear them!

Inexplicable (First)
Casual Curses (Second)
Curiosity (Third)
Of Strangers and Knifes (Fourth)

 

Harry was an embarrassment to their parents. Frankly they both were, being witches who wouldn’t (or couldn’t) practice magic but John’s parents at least respected the fact John chose to not practice his magic. Harry just couldn’t, her drinking having mostly supressed her magic. Christmas dinners were always…fun.

So when John found out his parents were visiting him at the same Harry had told him to expect her he began mentally preparing himself.

And then he moved onto the flat.

First step was to find an excuse to get Sherlock away from the flat for a few hours. Unfortunately, this step looked to be the hardest as Sherlock had no intention of missing the opportunity of meeting three other witches, two of whom had been practicing far longer than John and one who mostly couldn’t.

Finally after arguing with a brick wall (literally) for two hours, John gave up. He reversed the spell, and let Sherlock stay. Maybe having another person in the flat would calm his parents down. 

 

********

 

‘John! How are you, my daring?’ John opened the door and engulfed in a hug from his mother, Sally Watson. Smiling, he returned the hug. Sally was a petite woman who was the same height as John, with dark brown hair and the blue eyes that John had inherited.  

‘I’m fine Mum.’

‘That’s lovely dear. Found yourself a nice girl yet?’ She said as she moved back.

‘Mum! You’re not even in my home yet and you’re already asking if I have a girlfriend.’ John was shaking his head.

‘Don’t be like that John. Your mother is just worried about you.’ John’s father, Martin Watson said as he hugged John as well. He was a few inches taller than John with the same blonde hair and stocky figure, and a slightly darker shade of blue eyes.

‘I’m fine at the moment without one. Come on, I’ll show you my flat and introduce you to my flatmate before Harry arrives.’

John turned and was halfway up the stairs before he realised his parents weren’t behind him. ‘Mum? Dad?’

‘Harry’s coming?’ Martin asked.

‘Yes, she told me to expect her yesterday…’

‘Which is fine. It’s been ages since we saw Harry. Come on Martin, we have to meet this flatmate of John’s. Ah…does he…know?’ Sally had moved forward but stopped at the foot of the stairs to ask her questions.

‘Yes. He found out…well it’s complicated. Just say, yes he knows. And if he didn’t, he would soon deduce it.’

And John made his way up the rest of the stairs.

 

********

 

Introducing Sherlock to his parents had been uncomfortable for everyone (but Sherlock). Sherlock had deduced how long they had been married, how often they had sex (information which John did not need to know about his parents) and the strength of their relationship with John (strong, but strained, probably by his choice to not practice magic and to join the army). John was almost relieved when Harry knocked at the door so he could leave the room.

Almost being the key word.

I’m just glad Mrs Hudson is visiting her sister this week. This could get a little loud… John thought as he answered the door. Harry was as petite as her mother with the same shade of brown hair and blue eyes. In fact, the only thing she had in common with her father was his height (which just wasn’t far).

‘Harry! How are you?’

‘Great.’ John flinched at the slight slur of her words showing that she was drunk. ‘So, where’s the flatmate?’

‘Upstairs, with Mum and Dad.’

‘They’re here? Awesome. I haven’t seen ‘em in ages.’  With that, she pushed pass John, and stumbled up the stairs.

 

********

 

As soon as Harry was in the living room, she walked up to Sherlock and peered at him. ‘So you’re the famous ‘flatmate’.’

Sherlock ran his eyes over her briefly and flopped back into the sofa with a bored expression on his face. ‘And you’re drunk. Have been for at least two hours. Mostly likely, you got anxious about the fact John had said your parents were going to be here and decided to have something to calm your nerves. And you were unable to determine when to stop, which is a classic sign of an alcoholic.’

John hid a smile at Harry’s expression. His smile disappeared at the look on Martin’s face.

‘What right do you have to say that about Harry?’ He turned on John. ‘What have you been saying about Harry?!’

‘Please, like he needed to say anything. It’s obvious she’s a drunk from’

‘Sherlock.’ John warned.

‘But John!’ Sherlock was actually pouting.

‘No. There are some things you just don’t say. Remember?’

Sherlock turned his back to everyone with a huff (which sounded a lot like ‘boring’), curling deeper into the sofa. John smiled at his flatmate’s antics but his parents just looked shocked and slightly angry.

John flashed his parents an apologetic smile, but Sherlock chose that moment to remember that there were three new witches here to experiment with. He turned back around and began examining them closely. After thirty seconds of being stared at, Martin spoke up.

‘Yes?’

‘Hmm? Oh don’t mind me.’ Sherlock went on staring.

Sally looked at her son, searching for an answer to Sherlock’s behaviour. When John shrugged, she spoke up herself. ‘Excuse me…but what are you doing?’

‘Looking for an identifying feature. Something to show what you are.’

John’s family all stiffened. Sherlock rolled his eyes at their reaction. ‘Oh, come on. I know John told you I know.’

‘Even so, it’s not something we talk about with non-…others.’ Martin stated.

‘What, magic?’ Again, John’s family flinched.

‘I don’t know how much John has told you, but’

‘Everything.’ John cut in.    

‘What?!’ Sally stood up, angry.

‘I told him everything. He wanted to know, and I trust him.’ John sat up straighter in his chair.

‘WHAT?!’ Harry stood up, her drunken state making her wobble slightly. ‘Why does he get to tell a random stranger everything, and I couldn’t tell my wife a thing?!’

‘Sherlock’s not a ‘random stranger’!’ John defended.

‘And besides, that woman wasn’t anything important.’ Sally said calmly.

Harry’s eyes widened. ‘Wasn’t anything! She was my wife, the love of my life!’

‘She was a woman! She couldn’t be the love of your life!’

Sherlock started smiling as Sally and Harry began to get into what appeared to be a familiar fight. He was curious to see if they would involve magic (even though John had said Harry’s magic was touch and go due to her drinking supressing it… she still had it so there was the possibility). Unfortunately, he shuffled a little on the sofa and Harry saw the movement out of the corner of her eye, drawing her attention to Sherlock.

‘And you! Why do you get to know?! What’s so special about you?’ her hand started glowing a dark grey as she pointed at Sherlock. She started muttering something, her face twisted in anger. John eyes were panicked and the three other witches were standing, as if to stop her hurting Sherlock, but unsure of what to do. They also seemed slightly shocked her magic was working.

Then she finished her spell with a shout and the chair behind her exploded in a burst of fluff and cloth. Harry frowned in confusion, twisting around to look at the damaged chair.

‘Get out Harry.’ John said quietly.

‘What?’

‘Get out. You just tried to explode my friend. I don’t want you here. Get out.’

‘Now John’ Sally started to say.

‘If you’re going to side with Harry, then you can leave too.’ John said quietly. ‘I don’t care that you guys fight at Christmas dinners and Harry blows up the tree or turns the dessert into a newt or me into a swan, but not here. Not with Sherlock an innocent person in the firing line.’

‘Like he’s innocent, he’ Harry started to say, not recognising the tone of voice John was using.

‘GET OUT!’ Every light, loose object in the room jerked into the air, and began to hover. The chairs and T.V even made a half-hearted sidewards movement.

‘We’ll see you tomorrow for lunch.’ Sally said as she and Martin grabbed their coats and daughter and left the flat.

Once they shut the front door, John collapsed into his chair, and all the floating objects drifted to their original position. John buried his head in his hands and sighed. Sherlock examined him for a moment, and then moved into the kitchen to attempt to make tea.

 

********

   

Sherlock placed the cup before John with a smile. He frowned when he realised John hadn’t moved since he left.

‘John?’

‘Hmm?’ John removed his head from his hands and saw the tea. ‘Oh…thanks. It’s not poisoned, is it?’

‘Not that I know of. Of course, I was experimenting with cyanide two days ago so there are no grantees.’

‘…Thanks, but I’m not thirsty.’ Sherlock peered closely at John, who shuffled uncomfortable at the microscope like glance.

After a minute, Sherlock nodded to himself and stood up. ‘Come on, then.’

John looked confused even he moved to get his coat. ‘Where are we going?’

‘To see my brother. There has to be a case of some sort he wants my help on. If not, Lestrade always needs a helping hand or two.’

‘…Why?’

‘I am under the belief it is hard to make a lunch date if you are working.’

John smiled as he realised what his friend was trying to do. Sherlock returned as opened the door to the stair.

He paused on the first step and turned back. ‘A swan? Really?’

‘Shut up.’ John said as he brushed past Sherlock.

Next 

Comments

[sostrangechild.livejournal.com]

Awesome, another update! You spoil us!

[prettybirdy979.livejournal.com]

I try. =D

Thanks for the comment!

[alizarin-skies.livejournal.com]

Heee! Awesome! So John's into telekinesis, and Harry's good at transfiguration? Looking forward for more :3
(maybe they can meet bad witches?)

[prettybirdy979.livejournal.com]

Yup. John's also good at healing and Harry's into exploding objects.

More later...

Thanks for the prompt and comment!

[mallyns.livejournal.com]

Just one tiny nitpick.

Sally was a petite woman who was the same height as John

John is 5'8" at least 5'10" at most. Petite means short or under avg height-though clothing makers love to make you think avg is 5' 6", weight doesn't really figure into the equation. 5'8" is tall for a woman. Avg height for women in the UK 5'3" to 5"5.

[prettybirdy979.livejournal.com]

Ah.. thanks. I'm not that great at describing people, so I'm not shocked I stuffed that up.

Thanks for pointing it out!