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Clothes don’t make a person, he knew, he had learned, but this jacket… this jacket made him feel like a spy. Undercover in a very important mission. It was a childish thought, especially for someone of his age, but he couldn't help but think of the stories he had peaked at once in the library.
Credence had received the black jacket one afternoon from Mister Graves. Somehow, Mister Graves had made it so that to his mother and sisters couldn't see it. He wasn't all too sure about other people that passed him in the streets, as they never paid any attention to him anyways, but Ma and Chastity couldn't see it!
He often saw Modesty staring at him when he was wearing it, so Credence wasn't sure if she could see it or not, but he trusted her not to tell Ma about it if she could. Though, he did protect it more after the first few times, hiding it more often than not. It was his ticket, and a gift no less. Mister Graves thought highly enough of him to give it to him.
The jacket made him feel like he was truly a part of Mister Grave's world, only living in the No-Maj world, as Mister Graves had called them, to gather information. Once he found the child Mister Graves was looking for, then he could truly come and live in the world full of magic. He imagined it to be completely different than what his ma had told him- no cruel, child eating witches that enjoyed harming people and animals, just the kindness that he saw in Mister Graves.
••
He had ruined it. That was all that was running through Credence's mind when Mister Graves found him curled up in the ruins of the church. He couldn't think about anything other than the fact that he had destroyed the jacket when the evil inside of him burst out. Not the fact that he had almost certainly killed Ma and Chastity, and scared Modesty away, now that Mister Graves would be mad at him, none of that mattered.
He flinched away at the sudden movement that Mister Graves had made towards him, and immediately felt bad about it. The man had given Credence kindness and affection, and he was repaying him with fear and coldness? Credence just barely heard Mister Graves talking to him, asking about the child, most likely thinking it was modesty who had made this mess. The terrible, terrible mess. He couldn't bring himself to answer, could barely look up to see Mister Grave's scarf. When the older man brought his hand up, Credence tried not to flinch away, knowing he deserved it, even if Mister Graves had promised never to hurt him. Everyone had a breaking point after all, Credence knew that best.
At the gentle touch to his cheek, Credence looked up, slightly shocked at it. Why was Mister Graves being nice to him? He was evil, sinful. He destroyed the gift that was given to him, and his home as well. Mister Graves was smiling softly. Why was he smiling? He said something about him being wrong all along, and looking in the wrong places. The child was right in front of him? What was he talking about? Credence wasn't anything special, only a menace. He didn't deserve to be a part of Mister Grave's magic world, his ma's words ringing in his ears about him being wicked and just as bad as the witches in her stories.
Credence didn't realize he had been picked up, too lost in his own thoughts to register it. Once he did though, he made a soft sound of hurt and surprise, murmuring out apologies. When Mister Graves shushed him, he did without question, not wanting to make the man more mad at him with his useless babbling. Before Mister Graves stepped outside of the building, Credence felt a tugging in his belly that he'd only felt once before, when Mister Graves had used magic to go from one place to another- apparating, credence thinks he called it.
The next thing he knew, Credence was in a large room filled with a coffee table and love seats. It was beautiful, but simple, much in the way that Mister Graves himself was. He stayed silent as Mister Graves carried him though the apartment, though he wanted to be set down so the man didn't have to carry him and possibly hurt himself. Credence didn't even know why he was here, in what he assumed to be Mister Grave's house. Why would he be brought here?
Mister Graves set him on the bed in what Credence thought was the guest room, telling him he'd be right back to take care of his hands, and whatever else was hurt on him. Credence tried to figure out why he was being treated like he was someone important, and worthy of Mister Graves time. A month ago, he would have been preening to be allowed to come to the man's house, nothing but thankful to Mister Graves. But now, after his Thing had broken free again, after trying so hard to control it, to get it to leave him alone, he was filled with suspicion and fear. All of Ma's teachings and beatings coming back to the forefront of his mind. 'No man ever does anything for free, Credence. You'd do good to remember that.' She had said once, after he told her about a man on the street offering to help the church out, out of the goodness of his heart.
Credence was drawn out of his thoughts by a noise in the room next to him, a sort of rattling. At first he thought it was Mister Graves coming back, but was proven wrong by the scratching at the bottom of the door to the room he was in. He wanted to scream, make a noise of alarm, but he found that he couldn't, especially as the scratching stopped and a small black animal squeezed under the door. He did manage to give a small squeak of surprise when the animal crawled up onto the bed and started to rummage through his pockets. Credence didn't know what it was or what it wanted, and lightly pushed it away from him, scared at what it could possibly do to him. The creature simply say back a little, and tilted its head at him. Up close, Credence could see that it looked slightly like a mole, but... not at the same time.
While they were studying each other, the door banged open, causing both of them to jump, and for credence to start to cower back at the unexpected person. The creature jumped into his lap, as if trying to get away from the person at the door as well, who was frozen to the spot at the sight of Credence. Thankfully, Mister Graves chose that moment to return, a glass of water in his hand.
Mister Graves quickly came forward, though was careful not to frighten Credence with any of his movements, and grabbed the little mole off of Credence's lap.
"I see you've met this little menace, and by association Newt," Mister Graves said conversationally, retuning the thing back to the man Credence now knew as Newt. "Newt, this is Credence and he's going to be our guest."
••
Over the weeks as Credence stayed with Mister Graves ("You can call me Percival, Credence, honestly.") and Newt, he slowly relaxed back into the comfortableness he had with Mister Graves before that day. He was learning to trust again, and with the help of Newt and his creatures, he was slowly learning how to channel the thing inside him to do actual magic.
One day, when Mister Graves came home from work, he told Credence that he had a surprise for him. Credence was reluctant at first to accept it, saying that he was already getting more than enough from the two of hem, but eventually accepted the box Mister Graves had been carrying. Inside, was a brand new black jacket, with charms on it that made it so it was difficult or even impossible for No-Maj's to see it.