Raleigh sometimes wondered why all the good things had to turn sour. Not literally (like the gallons of milk Yancy forgot to cast preservation charms on, sporting funguses so vile they attracted herbologists far and wide), but more metaphorically. Just the little things in life you've grown out of, or the stuff that gets ruined by association (read: milk). Like, for instance, height differences.

Really. It should be a universal constant, tried and true that younger brothers who gained a vertical inch on their older brothers have teasing rights about said inch until the end of days, so thank you Merlin. The younger-as-taller phenomenon was a rarity that should be cherished as all costs and Raleigh had made good use of his privilege over the years.

And yet…

And yet he was beginning to regret that inch while standing amongst peers that barely reached his knees. That was a little awkward.

Actually no, scratch that. It was totally awkward. Completely. This was awful on so very many levels.

Fucking first years.

The hall was glinting spastically—reflections on immaculate silverware, candles floating past, the stars above them—but Raleigh sure wasn't distracted enough to miss Yancy sneaking up behind him. He pushed past a girl with a mess of curls, literally just plopping his titan hand on top of her head and guiding her out of the way. He looked like a troll amongst dolls and Raleigh resolutely bent his knees a little.

"Heeey," Yancy drawled. He slung an arm around Raleigh's shoulders (he shrugged it off, Yancy put it back. On off, on off—like flipping a frigging muggle light switch). "This is cozy, yeah? Look at us. The Becket boys back in action! New school, new friends…" Yancy tossed a wink to a guy in a bowtie. He was sitting at the table to their right, dressed in yellow. Miracle of all miracles, he actually smiled back. The hand on Raleigh's shoulder tightened in triumph. "I think we're gonna like this place, bro. Gotta find a friend for you now too."

The girl standing in front of them turned to gap.

Raleigh pointed at her face. "That," he said. "That's my reaction. Internalized."

"Aw, c'mon—"

"Celia Summers!"

Still gawking the girl ran her way up to the front as her name was called. She plopped down on a stool and Raleigh noted with horror that her sneakers just barely touched the ground. Then a hat covered her head and a few seconds later it screamed, "SLYTHERIN!" She popped up, nearly tripped, started to run with the hat still on, had to go back, and finally made it to her table with just a little more floundering. She immediately set to pointing out Raleigh and Yancy to her fellow firsties, not that, you know, anyone had missed them.

Yancy pursed his lips. "Think any of these kiddies even know what sex is yet?"

"Stop. Please stop."

Raleigh suffered through the rest of the S-surnames and then the T's, all the while listening to Yancy's ridiculous commentary: wondering which of the professors were using anti-aging charms, whether their Ancient Runes department was worth shit, how many candles are in this place anyway and hey, there's a cutie Ravenclaw for you, bro, but bowtie-boy is still cuter let me tell you, oh and here's hoping there's pudding for dessert because really, what sort of place would this be without pudding? An awful place, man, that's what.

And on, and on.

Raleigh nearly wept with relief when he heard, "Yancy Becket!" being yelled across the hall.

They were the only ones left now. The headmaster had explained that transfers weren't exactly common around here so a few of the rules had needed fudging. They would both be thrown in with the sixth years, even though Yancy was technically a year older. Something about needing to spend at least two years in school before graduating, plus it meant they'd be kept together for the most part; a blessing for siblings, especially if they didn't end up in the same house.

Raleigh had choked at the word "blessing" while Yancy crooned that hell yeah they'd be in the same house. His itty-bitty baby brother needed looking after, didn't he? The last word had emerged as a squeak when Raleigh stomped on his foot.

Of course, during all that time the headmaster never bothered mentioning that their sorting would take place with all the actual itty-bitty people, a horrifying sea of eleven-year-olds. He 'forgot' to tell them that bit, along with the fact that there was a psychotic poltergeist in their midst—who had nearly pulled Raleigh into the lake—and creepy skeleton horse-things that snootily pulled the carriages—that had nearly kicked Raleigh in unmentionable places. Really. It was an excellent start to the year.

Raleigh tipped Yancy's arm off his shoulder. Again.

"Age before beauty," he said and watched his brother saunter away, backwards, sticking his tongue out like a goddamn five-year-old. Raleigh waved his off with one finger slightly protruding from the rest.

Yancy was nothing but cool and collected even as the hall went dead silent, a silence that hadn't been afforded to the firsties. He dwarfed the stool, three legs creaking, and sat up straight so that his broad shoulders were noticeable even under his robes. Yancy settled. He slapped his thighs and flashed them all a megawatt smile as the hat fell over his head.

Seconds later it screamed, "HUFFLEPUFF!"

Hufflepuff then. Raleigh grinned back as Yancy lumbered up. He'd heard good things about that house. The two of them bumped fists before Yancy joined his new peers, forcing room next to the guy in the bowtie. Badgers and yellow everything. Raleigh heard his name being called. Hard work and dedication. He plopped down on the stool. Hufflepuff. The hat slipped over his head. Not a bad choice at all.

'Oh, you think so?'

Raleigh jumped when the voice flit through his mind. It was smoother than what had been emerging from the hat's brim, lacking all the limitations imposed by a body speaking and Raleigh's ears hearing. The voice filled him from the roots of his hair to the tips of his toes and Raleigh squirmed a bit at that feeling of total intimacy.

'Intimacy!' The hat chortled. 'As if you're any stranger to that, Mr. Becket.'

Unbidden a memory was pulled to the front of his mind: Stacy Ridinger. Dark hands, bruised knuckles, nails painted pink and scarping along his—

"Hey! That's private!"

There was a beat of silence before Raleigh realized that he'd said that bit out loud. The hall started snickering. Raleigh ducked down, surrounded by the hat laughing with them.

'Nothing is private to me, Mr. Becket. Interested in how I did that? Of course you are. You're burning with curiosity, it's nearly as strong as your embarrassment—oh do stop squirming, you'll knock us both off the stool… now. Ravenclaw perhaps? That's the place for a curiosity such as yours.'

Raleigh rolled his eyes. Live with all the logic geeks? No thanks. Yancy might be a jerk but at least he was an entertaining jerk. Raleigh looked up at the blue table and saw a stooped character scribbling in a journal. He was focused even with the sorting going on, no doubt working on equations or something equally dry. So yeah. Seriously no thanks. And just in case the hat had missed that Raleigh screamed HUFFLEPUFF at the top of his mental voice. He thought he felt the hat flinch against his hair.

The hat only scoffed though. 'Pretty sure about Hufflepuff, are you?'

'Well of course I'm sure, you—'

Then Raleigh stopped.

Actually it seemed like everything stopped, but of course it was just him. While students grew impatient for food and Yancy strived for a better look, Raleigh's mind went still… then it honed in on what appeared to be an inconsistency.

After looking to the Ravenclaws his eyes had strayed to the Gryffindors. Their table was dominated by four colors: the gold of the hall, the black of their robes, the red of their house trimmings, the brown of their hair…

… and blue.

Visually it came out of nowhere. In a sea of brunette ponytails one girl sat brazenly with short black hair. Two of her locks were dyed blue, hanging on either side of her face. They swung boldly, catching light and showing off when she moved to cross her legs. They—she—were gorgeous.

'Whoa.' Raleigh thought. Then: 'Why blue though?'

'Curiosity.'

The hat might have been laughing again. Before he could say for sure though, Raleigh and everyone else heard the yell echoing across the hall.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Eight months later Yancy would finally drag the whole story out of Raleigh. As a result he would declare the Sorting Hat the "Greatest Matchmaker in the History of Ever" and would spend a small fortune sending owls to Witch Weekly, recommending that they conduct an interview with the amorous object.

(Spoiler: they eventually did.)

"I am Sasha. This is Aleksis. Are you sitting or not?"

Raleigh sat. Well, he certainly wasn't the tallest person around anymore. On his right Sasha sat level with him on the bench while on his left Aleksis, loading up an impressive plate, towered two inches above him… and it looked like he was hunching. Both had arms that made Raleigh's look like twigs.

Not that he was paying too much attention to all that. His eyes kept straying to the girl with the blue-streaked hair—until a shock of blonde entered his vision. Sasha was staring.

"Right, sorry. It's Raleigh. Raleigh Becket."

"You think we don't know that?" Sasha snorted. After a sharp gesture Aleksis handed her the plate and began filling another. She viciously speared a potato. "Two hot-headed tall boys walk in—"

"Hot-headed?"

"—and the headmaster says, 'meet your new sixth years! Raleigh and Yancy. Don't let them wander into the forest to be eaten—"

"Eaten?"

"—then you come and stand here like some dumb, grazing cow and you think we don't know who you are?" Sasha snorted again. "Raleigh Becket," she said despairingly.

In truth Raleigh remembered little after being sorted. He must have sat there a little too long because that evil hat had definitely been removed for him. He'd obviously made it to his table—cheers—and apparently the headmaster had spoken? Raleigh hadn't been listening. It still sort of felt like his ears were clogged with water. His eyes though… they hadn't left the girl. Everyone and their mother had been staring at Raleigh while he was sorted, except her. She'd been looking at something off his shoulder and Raleigh had been desperately trying to catch her gaze since. That is, until Sasha had snatched his wrist. Now it was dinner.

Right.

Raleigh jumped slightly when the second plate was placed in front of him. Aleksis smiled.

"And he stares at Mako most dreamily," he added. His voice was rough as bark, but even Aleksis couldn't butcher a name like that. Raleigh pushed the plate away and used the table as leverage, trying to see over Sasha's head.

"That's…?" He didn't want to say her name just yet.

Sasha poked him with her fork. "You see this boy? Five minutes he's been here and already I can say he is doomed. You hear me, Raleigh Becket? Doomed." She eventually groaned when Raleigh just continued to gap around her. "Yes, her name is Mako and she is a friend. You will ask her clearly if she wants to see Little Raleigh and if she says no then you keep him away or I will cut him off, understood?"

Raleigh yelped. He plopped down and felt no shame in tightly crossing his legs. "I'm not—that's—you can't just assume shit like that!"

"I can't?" Sasha raised an eyebrow and pointed across the hall. Raleigh finally bothered looking in a different direction and saw Yancy, lightly massaging the back of Bowtie Boy's neck.

"Aw hell," he hissed. "Yancy. We've been here five minutes."

"Just as I said, though you are hardly one to talk." Sasha sniffed at him, dumped a roll on all their plates, and set to eating. Aleksis gestured for him to do the same and Raleigh reluctantly sat his butt down.

"Fine."

It wasn't as if the food was bad or anything—far from it. They'd grown up in a small wizarding village in Alaska, small enough that luxuries like house elves were pretty scarce. Beyond spoiled milk, Raleigh had been build on cereal and the occasional hunk of fish, so a hot beef stew paired with buttered rolls should have been fantastic. As it was, it was all he could do to get the food from his plate to his mouth.

Stuff like that was generally easier when you're actually paying attention.

Mako. Now that he was closer—five seats down to be exact—Raleigh could see all the little details that had been invisible across the hall: her ears weren't pierced, her lips looked chapped, her robes were ironed but the sleeves were creased like they'd been pushed up a couple hundred times, she used her napkin frequently, didn't seem to be raising her voice (he hadn't heard her voice yet had he, what was her voice like, like the smooth lapping of a coast or the harder crash of waves—), there were red marks on her arm that spoke of a wand holster, three hair ties looped round her wrist despite the short bob, and Raleigh grinned like a loon at the Prefect badge that was pinned to her chest.

Overall though, his eyes kept straying back to her hair. No one else had electric-blue highlights.

While blindly groping for his roll (he'd already eaten it, mechanically) Raleigh nearly made eye contact. Almost. Instead Mako's gaze again drifted past him, to something beyond the table. The only thing behind him though were the teachers and they looked about as interesting as his tutors back home. Namely: not very.

It might have been frustrating if he didn't get to see her hair swing each time she turned.

As it was, Raleigh was so consumed with this puzzle that he entirely missed the (numerous) glances being shared between Aleksis and Sasha. He also missed his name being called. Twice.

"Raleigh!"

The third time finally hit home. Raleigh caught eyes—not with Mako— but with the guy sitting across from her. Dirt-sand hair and a new cut along his cheek told him pretty much all he needed to know. Sasha's muttered curse only cinched it.

"Yeah?" Raleigh drawled.

"The hell sorta name is that anyway?" The guy asked. He smacked his spoon against the side of his goblet, obnoxiously drawing in the rest of the table. He preened a bit under their attention. "Well? Ri-leeeee. Is it muggle or something?"

"No more muggle than yours." Raleigh returned to his potatoes. The guy's smirk fell away.

"You don't know my name."

"Sure I do. Name tags are real helpful by the way, so thanks, man. You've got 'Asshole' written all over you." Raleigh grinned as Aleksis choked on his food. The rest of the table snickered. "Besides, you must think my name tastes pretty good 'cause you keep putting it in your mouth instead of your dinner. Want me to put anything else in there too?" and he winked.

The guy spluttered, looked like he was about to rise, and was only halted by Mako's hand on his wrist. She sternly gestured him back to his seat as Raleigh toasted the victory.

Then Mako turned to him.

It wasn't that their first look was electrifying or anything—quite the opposite. Instead Raleigh felt a calm washing over him that was potent after the adrenaline spike, so intense it nearly, paradoxically, caused him to tense. It was the feeling he got when he and Yancy shared looks, a passing of information that didn't require words. Except that this wasn't Yancy and his body finally seemed to realize that because his palms went slick and his heart kicked up a staccato beat. Mako held his gaze, not judging, just looking about as relaxed as Raleigh no longer felt. He leaned forward, trying to muster up a winning smile.

Raleigh promptly dribbled pumpkin juice down the front of his robes.

"Well done." Sasha said, handing him her napkin. "This is why you don't try smiling at pretty girls when your mouth is full."

"Right." Raleigh growled. Mako had turned away again. Looking past his shoulder. Again.

"Oh, and Mr. Asshole is actually Mr. Chuck. Few like him but I suggest you learn to. He is also a friend of Mako's."

Raleigh paused in his scrubbing. "Seriously? Him?"

"Yes. And really, you are so upset that her attention is elsewhere?" Sasha scoffed at his expression. "Of course I notice! I take it back. You are not a cow, Raleigh Becket, you are a turkey—head to the sky, drowning in rain, oblivious to all but flapping your plumage so hard that we are all forced to notice you." Shaking her head Sasha pointed one huge finger at the teacher's table. "You see that man? Next to the headmaster?"

It was kind of hard not to. His stern expression was enough to draw looks, but on top of that the guy was decked out in a full auror's uniform. The braids on the cuffs said that he'd seen action in the first war—a lot of it—but oddly the Ministry's "M" was absent from his collar. Still, he cut an imposing figure and the way he'd angled his chair really said it all: there was a tiny door behind him and this guy had made sure it lined up with his peripheral vision; guarding all the exits then. Raleigh swallowed.

"Yeah?" he said. "What about him?"

"He is Gryffindor's Head of House."

Great.

"Great."

"He is also Mako's father."

Raleigh half wanted to summon a mirror. It might be useful to know what pure horror looked like.

"No."

"Yes," Sasha nodded sadly as Aleksis patted his back with a meaty palm. "You must learn to listen to me, Raleigh Becket. You are doomed."

Raleigh stretched, saw Mako laughing at something a friend had said—her cheeks pinched, hair flying in a colorful wave—and thought that Sasha just might be right.

Three years later Raleigh would inform Sasha and Aleksis, with Firewhiskey in hand, that he was getting married. Sasha would immediately stand and move to her bookshelf.

"What are you doing?"

"Finding a dictionary."

"… Why?"

"I need to know what comes after 'doomed,' Becket boy."

"Hey, bro!"

Raleigh knew what was coming and thought about throwing a tripping curse—it would be great to watch Yancy halt, pinwheel his arms, and give that wonderfully embarrassing high-pitched squeak before falling flat on his face. But no. They were once again surrounded by first years and that sort of embarrassment was too cruel even by Raleigh's standards.

Plus Mako was watching. Hands up she was directing all the newbies out of the Great Hall, himself included.

So instead Raleigh felt the full force of Yancy slamming into his back, then slinging an arm around his neck for good measure.

"Would you get off, you ass."

"Ass? I'm the ass, am I?" Yancy gave an exaggerated pout, shaking Raleigh to and fro. "Do you hear this? The kinds of things he says to me? And after he abandoned me too." Only then did Raleigh notice the group trailing beside Yancy—because of course he already had a group. It included Bowtie Boy who threw Raleigh a half salute.

"Gryffindor." Yancy moaned. "Of all things. Bravery and... and... daring! How am I supposed to watch over my baby brother now? When he's going to be brainwashed into chugging acidic potions and wrestling naked with the most ferocious beasts the wizarding world has to offer?"

Bowtie Boy threw back his head and laughed. His wand, which he'd stuck behind his ear, went flying and he caught it seemingly without looking. He gave it a twirl and pointed it straight at Yancy.

"I don't know about you," he said. "But that sounds a lot like my last Friday night."

"Get that shit outta my face, Tendo."

"You sure? 'Cause that's not what you were saying at dinner..."

Raleigh none too subtly inched away from them both. "Okay one: what the hell is wrong with you. Both of you. And two: if it makes you feel any better I already made friends with two crazy Russians. They're both build like basilisks, so..."

Yancy blinked at him. "Seriously?"

"Yeah. They're... somewhere." In truth Raleigh had lost them the second the headmaster had announced the feast to be over. Not because he wanted to. More because he'd tried to catch up to Mako, made a detour to avoid a pissy looking Chuck, half tripped over a guy with a cane—looked like the same one who was scribbling all through dinner—and by that point the crowd had just engulfed him. He might have been lost in a sea of yawning, stumbling peers for all eternity if it hadn't been for Mako. Her voice, the first time he'd heard it, shouting out for all the first years to follow her.

Raleigh really, really loved being a first year.

"So... what's her name?" Raleigh jerked and found Yancy staring at him. His nose was an inch from Raleigh's cheek.

"What?"

Yancy's eyes fell on Mako. She was still leading them all, walking backwards. How the hell did she manage that?

"Don't play dumb, bro. You've been staring at her all night."

Raleigh opened his mouth... but nothing came out. He still didn't want to say it. Not yet.

Luckily Tendo jumped in. He craned his neck to see and then whistled low when he spotted her. "That's Mako. Sorry, man. She's never been that interested, least not that I'm aware of. She had some kind of thing going on with Chuck back in fifth year but beyond that..." Tendo shrugged. "I don't think she's that into dating."

"Oh," Raleigh said. Right. "Is she into friends then?" he joked and when Tendo simply glared Raleigh let his smile drop. "No I... I meant that literally. That wasn't a euphemism. Shit."

"Good." Tendo shrugged again. Smiled again. "No offense, man, but Mako is... Mako. She's a straight O in most of her classes, natural leader, gorgeous, best beater we've had in years... you can get why a lot of people go for her. It get's old and we've dealt with more than one fellow who thinks he has the right to push her when she says no. You're nice, man. I like you. Be nice to Mako and she'll like you too. Just be happy with whatever kind of 'like' you get."

Raleigh nodded crazily. "Yep. Absolutely." In truth he really would be happy with that. Anything. Hell, he was happy just watching her walk backwards.

Yancy was staring at him. Then he shook himself and tweaked Raleigh's ear.

"Well you don't need to worry about my bro," he said. His face went comically straight. "Because you know what he finds really sexy? Consent."

"Oh sweet Merlin you did not just say that." Raleigh groaned.

"It's true! Isn't it true, Tendo?"

But even Tendo was giving Yancy a look. "Well yeah… but still. I don't think I want to have sex with you anymore."

Raleigh winced. "STOP."

"Besides," Tendo added, waving his hand for silence. "Even if we didn't come after you, even if Mako didn't turn you into a snail herself—and let me tell you she would, then use you as a potion ingredient—Professor Pentecost would definitely tear you limb from limb. Her dad? You do realize he was the Ministry's Dueling Champion six years running, right?"

Raleigh gulped. Still, "Wasn't it Auror Sevier last year?"

"Well yeah, Pentecost's streak was a few years back… but don't assume he can't still kick your ass. Probably would have kept the streak going if he hadn't left the Ministry. 'A difference in opinions.'" Tendo made exaggerated air quotes. "It's the same reason he gives at the start of every class. People ask 'cause of the weird uniform, you know?" Tendo tapped his bowtie, indicating the missing 'M.' "You'll see."

Yancy had gone back to staring at him. Looking at Mako, then back to Raleigh. "Are you actually interested in all this?" He whispered. "Brother mine… you're in deep."

"Listen," Raleigh growled but at that moment Mako's voice cut across the corridor.

"First years! This way. We're taking a left."

They were, up a slightly moving staircase as Yancy's group kept heading forward. Tendo waved and Yancy might have shouted something in parting… but Raleigh missed it.

He was watching Mako again.

Years later Mako would attach a blindfold to Raleigh with an unparalleled sticking charm. He had a bad habit of peaking at birthday gifts.

"It's a bit of a walk," she would caution him. Her small hands would slip into his, tug him forward, her own feet peddling backwards. "You okay?"

"I'm great."

Raleigh would think about spouting stronger words like 'perfect' or 'soul mate.' He would briefly toy with the idea of gallantly proclaiming that he'd follow her anywhere—which was true, but it would probably earn him a slap. Instead he would try to surge forward to give her a kiss.

Blinded, Raleigh only succeeded in catching Mako's nose, accidentally biting it, and all in all the two of them ended up in a truly awful tangle of limbs and laughter.

Happy, happy Birthday.

Their group had significantly decreased by this point:

Just three new first years—not including Raleigh, thank you very much—four second years, five third years, eight fourth years (lots of daring back in 2012 apparently), a measly two fifth years, five sixth years—yes, Raleigh included—and three seventh years. What all of this basically meant was that when the thirty of them squeezed into the common room it felt very small indeed, especially compared to the Great Hall.

Mako stood by the fireplace. She was warming her hands.

Raleigh opened his mouth (maybe to say hello, maybe to croak like an infatuated toad) when something slammed into his left shoulder-blade. It definitely wasn't the friendly pounding he was used to with Yancy and the force had him stumbling. Raleigh turned to glare at Chuck.

"You got a problem?" he asked.

"Not unless you do, Raleigh." Chuck drew out his name again, sneering it.

Raleigh crossed his arms them, showing off the wand he'd slipped from the holster on his thigh. It was his spare, his mother's before she passed, but despite the blood connection it wasn't nearly as powerful as his primary. Still, Chuck didn't know that and if his expression was anything to go by he hadn't expected Raleigh to be able to draw that fast.

He drew his own wand out with too much of a flourish. Raleigh rolled his eyes but kept his wand loose, pointed at the floor.

"I'm just standing here, man." He said, tone casual. "Minding my business. But if you've got a problem..."

"I've got a problem with the shit you said at dinner."

"You mean the fact that I called you out on being a dick or that I insinuated that you liked dick? 'Cause really, Chuck? One of those things is just fine and the other is pretty shitty. If you can't figure out which is which then yeah, we've got a problem."

Chuck was left handed, at least he held his wand in his left, but his right hand was now tightening into a very confident fist. Ambidextrous? Raleigh was no slouch when it came to dueling but he'd be hard pressed to match a guy his same height, weight, and who had sparing as well as magical knowledge. Maybe he should have drawn his primary...

"That's enough," a voice called and everyone straightened.

That was the only way to describe it. From slouched to rigid, straight to ramrod, everyone reached for the ceiling as one. Even Raleigh responded to the voice. He half believed that had he known how to salute he would have shot one off then and there.

Professor Pentecost had entered the room.

"Not off to a good start are we, Mr. Becket?" he asked. Raleigh hastily pocketed his wand, noting out of the corner of his eye that Chuck was doing the same. He tried hard to look straight at Pentecost without jittering.

"Not at all, sir!" He said, then winced. Too loud. Shit.

Pentecost smiled though. Just a small one. "Good to hear it. I'd hate to have to give you detention before we've officially been introduced." He held out his hand. Raleigh took it and as he did he felt a wealth of calluses and small scars dotting the skin. As they shook Pentecost lowered his voice.

"We have a very serious policy about wand use outside of the classroom, Mr. Becket. You're new here, but that can no longer be an excuse now that I've told you otherwise. I expect nothing but the best from my house. Understood?"

"Absolutely," Raleigh gulped and Pentecost nodded. He moved on to the three first years, shaking their hands in turn as well. Raleigh could only hope he hadn't looked half as intimidated as these kiddies did.

Raleigh's gaze crept towards the fire. Had Mako seen?

"She wasn't even looking at you, Becket." Raleigh found Chuck beside him, still glaring but he seemed to be glaring at everything really. "She likes practicing her Latin with Valeria Myriadd's portrait."

Okay. Chuck was… offering information. Apparently. At Raleigh's incredulous look he shrugged.

"Pentecost will quite literally roast us if we fight." Suddenly Chuck grinned. "So we can fight in the third floor corridor sometime. Place is always deserted."

"Or on the pitch," Raleigh shot back. "Unless you're a stick-to-the-sidelines kinda guy."

Chuck's whole face pinched like a lemon. "Chaser," he snapped. "That's even assuming you could make the team." It looked like he was gnawing at the inside of his cheek. "But..."

But what, Raleigh didn't get to find out because at that moment Pentecost's voice fell over them again. Raleigh was beginning to get a sense of who Mako had picked up that talent from. Done with the firsties, Pentecost nodded at the various couches and chairs, obviously expecting them to sit. Chuck shoved past to get at a leather armchair and a group of fourth years grabbed the nearest couch. Raleigh finally spotted Aleksis and Sasha but they had already seated themselves with the first and fifth years. That chair was taken... that one too. A shiver running down Raleigh's spine told him that Pentecost was staring so he just gave up, throwing himself onto the carpeted floor. His back landed against somebody's legs.

"Sorry—" he started to say. Then Raleigh looked up.

He was leaning against Mako.

"… Comfy?"

"Yep."

"My legs are asleep."

"Are they? How sad."

"Raleigh."

"Mmm?"

"Move your butt."

"Mmm."

"Raleigh."

"Make me."

Mako would, indeed, make him.

"Uhhhh..."

Raleigh froze. A good and true full body bind wow-that's-one-hell-of-a-petrificus-totalus-you've-got-there froze. He might have stopped breathing. Except he was pretty sure those spluttering noises were coming from him.

"You're fine," Mako said. Her voice had more of a tilt to it up close; it swerved and dipped like music. Raleigh hadn't seen her hair this close yet either and now he'd swear those strands weren't just blue: they were ocean blue melting into mermaid's-tale blue and the very tips were more blueberry blue but when the firelight hit the sides right there they—

Mako was staring.

"What?" Raleigh coughed.

"The professor," she said and pointed at Pentecost. Was she laughing at him? He sorta thought she was laughing at him. Was that good? And oh Merlin, he was still leaning against the back of her legs wasn't he? Raleigh realized this as he turned back around, hyper aware of her knees pressing against his shoulder blades. She'd said that was okay though, right? For him to do this? Okay. Great He could definitely do this then. Raleigh tried to relax so that he wasn't hurting her or anything and... yep. That didn't work in the least. Fantastic.

Professor Pentecost said a lot of things in the following fifteen minutes. Probably welcoming and important things. Raleigh didn't hear them.

When Pentecost was (finally) done a lot of things happened at once. A whole common room of people started talking, students jumped up to stretch, a few started up a game of Exploding Snap...

Someone tapped Raleigh on the shoulder.

"I need to get up," Mako said.

She was definitely laughing at him. Shit.

She smiled.

Not shit?

"Right, ah..." Raleigh stumbled to his feet. He couldn't feel his legs. "Sorry I... right. I'm Raleigh?"

Why had that come out as a question?

"It's nice to meet you, Raleigh. I'm Mako." She held out her hand and Raleigh hoped with all his might that his wasn't sweaty. "It's nice to have another sixth year. I hope you like Hogwarts." She paused. "I also hope you stop staring at me during meal times." Raleigh's mouth dropped. Then, with a very knowing look—but another smile too—Mako moved to join a group of friends. Raleigh watched her go, his cheeks aflame.

Definitely shit.

"Has she broken you yet, Becket boy?" Came a voice behind him. Sasha's massive hand landed on his shoulder.

"Oh yeah." Raleigh croaked and let them lead him away.

"The Becket Boys," Mako would mutter as she brought them—and Yancy—butterbeers in The Three Broomsticks. "It sounds like a terrible muggle band."

"It sounds like awesome," Yancy would say and he'd toast the look she'd give him.

"It sounds like something's missing…" and Raleigh would tap the foam atop Mako's drink so that it reconfigured to spell: Mako's Becket Boys.

Eyebrows raised, keeping eye contact with them both, Mako would drink the butterbeer down.

Even the seventh years were hard pressed to stay up after the sorting and the feast. Within a half-hour of Pentecost's exit people were wandering up to the dormitories and dragging the firsties along with them. Sasha foisted Raleigh off on Aleksis and said goodnight—which included patting his head like a dog's.

"This is the girl's room," she said and pointed to the staircase behind her. "If you try to go up it, it will turn into a slide and you will break your nose on the way down."

"I wouldn't do that," Raleigh growled. He hadn't even thought about it. Really.

He'd been thinking about how damn good Mako was at Exploding Snap.

"I know." Sasha said, surprising him. She gave him one last pat before heading upstairs, twirling her wand in hand as she went. Mako had left roughly ten minutes ago and Raleigh sorta wanted to shout at Sasha to say 'goodnight' for him.

Probably a bad idea.

"Polyjuice," said Aleksis suddenly. Raleigh looked up. "The staircase can not distinguish between biology and a transfiguration. If you use polyjuice to become female it will let you up."

Well then. "… You know this how?"

Aleksis shrugged. "I was curious. Sasha helped me brew and we tested it out in our third year."

"Right." Raleigh paused. "Do you… do you know what magic…uh…" He still didn't want to say her name. Not yet.

You know," he said instead, tugging at the ends of his hair. "How she made it blue?" but Aleksis was shaking his head.

"No. It's very beautiful though. It suits her."

Raleigh couldn't disagree with that.

It seemed as if Aleksis had had his fill of talking for a while because they took their own leave in silence, which was awkward, because the only other sixth year boy was Chuck. He too didn't say much when Raleigh entered the dorm, primarily because he was hiding something under his bed.

Chuck jumped and blocked whatever it was from view. He even put his hands behind his back like a kid caught doing accidental magic. He couldn't have looked more guilty if he'd tried.

"The hell are you doing here, Raleigh?" Chuck snapped.

Raleigh tried not to laugh at him too much. "I live here, man?" he said and Chuck scowled. "Whatcha hiding under the bed then?"

"None of your business." Chuck pressed closer to his duvet as Raleigh stepped forward.

"Really? Because it's looking like that empty bed there is mine and it's riiiiight next to yours. You think I'll be able to sleep with you keeping Acromantulas in here?"

"You think I care?"

Raleigh had actually heard rumors of that happening once, years ago, but he kind of doubted Chuck was doing the same. For one, Aleksis seemed pretty relaxed. He'd ignored them both after walking in, heading straight to his bed on the left side of Chuck's. He was currently pulling on a pair of massive pajama pants and if he was willing to bare his ass in that direction than whatever Chuck was hiding probably wasn't dangerous.

At least, that's what Raleigh assumed… until he heard a distinct shuffling and what might have been a growl.

"The fuck?" Raleigh squeaked.

"Listen, it—"

"No."

"Just listen—"

"Fuck no," and Raleigh pulled out his wand—primary this time. With a quick accio he slid into a defensive position, telling himself that he was fully prepared for whatever could come flying out. He wasn't. Something brown and the size of a small dog pushed its way past Chuck, landed at Raleigh's feet, it titled its massive jaws upwards, rancid drool flying and—

It was actually a dog.

Raleigh blinked.

It was bulldog to be exact. A white and brown one, with an even more squat face than what he thought was normal for the breed. It looked like something lovable but also slightly stupid. It had probably run headlong into a wall more than once. Raleigh's suspicions were confirmed when the dog rolled back onto its feet—none the worse for wear—and set to snuffling at his shoes. There might have been some nibbling of laces involved too.

"Hey, boy." Raleigh said. "I was about to eviscerate you."

"Touch him and die," Chuck growled, scooping the pup into his arms. The dog gave a happy bark.

"No no, fuck, Max. Shut your slobbering gob. C'mon, you useless piece of shit..." Chuck kept muttering things to Max in a scarily soothing voice while cradling him with one arm and casting a silencing spell with the other. Raleigh looked to Aleksis for answers.

"Max is a dog." He said, pulling on a pair of wool socks. Raleigh was halfway through saying 'no shit,' when he finished: "The only pets allowed are cats, owls, and toads."

It occurred to Raleigh then in a blinding flash of awesome that he had Chuck by the balls. One illegal pet equaled a whole slew of blackmail. He could get Chuck to officially back off, use him as a means of worming into Hogwart's social scene, maybe get some extra 'help' on homework now and again...

Or he could acknowledge that Chuck looked adorable cuddling a pudgy bulldog and just leave them both alone.

"Charmed to silence," Raleigh said and drew a finger over his lips.

Chuck glared… then nodded. That was something.

There was really little to say—or do—after that. Raleigh found his belongings piled at the foot of his bed and rummaged just long enough to find a clean t-shirt to sleep in. He might have looked for more if his whole damn trunk hadn't smelled like garlic (curtsey of Yancy, with a note that said it was to "Protect against the vampires!" at their new school. Yeah right. Everyone knew there weren't vampires in this region. Except Yancy, who wouldn't know a DADA book if it grew fangs and bit him in the ass. Jerk.). He'd deal with the smell tomorrow.

Aleksis was already asleep—and snoring. Chuck had drawn his curtains but Max had pushed them open again, peering curiously out at Raleigh. It was only when he was looking back, snug under Gryffindor colors that Raleigh realized he could have used the dog to learn more about Mako. At the very least to figure out whether she and Chuck had really dated as Tendo said.

Too late now. Raleigh extended a hand to ruffle the dog's fur.

He'd have to get to know Mako the old fashioned way.

In the first summer after their marriage Mako and Raleigh would adopt a three-year-old American Pit Bull Terrier named Annie (short for 'Animagus'—when Annie breaks into their cottage and curls up on their bed Raleigh is convinced that Mako has finally achieved her animagus form and perhaps in celebration curled up with the dog for... for just a little while...

Things would be awkward when the real Mako came home).

That aside, at this point in time Max would still be a healthy five-year-old, filled with piss and vinegar and lust. There would perhaps be more than a touch of doggie love.

A few months later Raleigh would show up on Chuck's doorstep, banishing his wand in one hand and hauling up a very pregnant Annie with the other.

He would vehemently deny the rumors that he screamed, "THIS DOESN'T MEAN WE'RE FAMILY, YOU DICK" when Chuck opened the door.

Raleigh woke up to an owl pecking at his face.

It sure as hell wasn't his (because he didn't own one) and apparently Chuck had a dog (that was now drooling at Raleigh's feet) and as far as he knew Aleksis hadn't brought anything furry or feathery to this ridiculous school, so...

So really there was only one person that would find an owl to take a bite out of Raleigh's chin at six in the morning.

"Goddammit, Yancy." He muttered and swatted the bird away. It hooted once, indignantly, then flew right back to stick its dirty foot in his face. It smelled like birdseed. And ink.

"Daaaaamit." Raleigh removed the message blindly. The owl danced around a bit—clearly expecting food—and when that didn't happen it flew back out the window with a very pissed off caw. It did manage to hit Max on the way out though... who didn't stir. Guard dog he apparently was not.

Raleigh scrubbed at his eyes until the words started resembling something other than blurriness from hell. It was indeed Yancy's handwriting, perky and oozing with happiness.

He definitely got laid last night.

Raleigh read the scrawled note with no small amount of trepidation:

'Rise and shine, bro!

The day's a-wasting and there's new territory for us to conquer. Meet me for breakfast at 6:30, got it?

FYI that's like... now, man.

Seriously, bro, get your pale ass outta bed and down here before Tendo eats all the bacon (it seems he didn't get quite his fill from last night ;D)

So up an at'em!

Lots of ooey-gooey love from your absolute favorite brother,

Yancy.

P.S. Any word on the lovely Ms. Mori yet? ;)'

Raleigh groaned. It was 6:20, just enough time to find clothes and kick Yancy's ass before there were too many people in the Great Hall to see. Really though, the first goddamn day... it wasn't that he wanted to get up, but now that he was awake he might as well find food to feed his misery (which Yancy KNEW would happen.) With a sigh Raleigh wiggled out from underneath Max and quietly plopped the dog back on Chuck's bed.

"You can't go doing that," Raleigh said to him, yawning. "You have any idea what this douche would try to do to me if he finds us cuddling together?"

Max snorted in his sleep.

"Disembowelment. Exactly. Glad we got that covered."

All things considered Raleigh really should have been able to make it to the Great Hall on time. He cast a few quick spells to fix his hair and teeth, not bothering to do more than air out the robes he'd been wearing yesterday. The problem came with his underclothes. Raleigh had entirely forgotten about the garlic smell... until he opened his trunk. Fuck all, had it actually gotten stronger overnight? He chose a tank randomly and a sweatshirt that had been smushed underneath all his books. Throwing them on Raleigh was down the stairs of the dormitory before he realized that the smell had seeped into his clothes too—into the sweatshirt at least. There was some kicking and cursing of Yancy but it was fine, really, absolutely fine. He could go back up and risk waking everyone again, or he could just go down in his tank and robes (and burn the stupid sweatshirt right there on the steps, just for good measure).

Mind made up, Raleigh was halfway through lifting the sweatshirt over his head when he saw it.

Or rather, her. Mako.

She was staring.

Literally. Like those leading to the girl's dormitory, the boy's steps resided in a small alcove that also housed some decorations—portraits, drapes, the occasional urn, stuff like that. The wall Raleigh had turned to in an aborted attempt at privacy held a mirror and it was reflecting the common room behind him. He could just make out Mako in the corner.

Raleigh's first thought was that of course she'd be up this early. She was already surrounded by books, a mug, a sweater, her parchment taking up an obscene amount of space on the floor and table. She held a quill studiously between two fingers... that was currently dripping ink onto her pants. Mako didn't notice. She was too busy staring open mouthed at Raleigh's exposed back. Hardly daring to believe it, Raleigh none too subtly flexed those muscles.

"You know," he called. "I'm not sure it's fair for you to stare at me but I'm not allowed to stare back. Or does this make us even?"

That was good, right? Witty even? At least his voice hadn't shook.

Raleigh was still getting his head uncaught from the rest of the sweatshirt when he heard a small 'meep' sound and a rather ominous thunk... then a curse. He finally managed to free his head from the hole—hair sticking up in all directions—and turned to smile at her.

Mako was gone. A few papers had been trampled, casualties from what looked like a sprint back upstairs.

Raleigh heard a giggle behind him.

"What dears you both are," the mirror said. Within the glass a face rippled into existence. It had rather huge eyes and a silver blush along its cheeks. "I quite understand though, my boy. Truly."

"Understand?" Raleigh parroted.

"Why, the pressure of course! After all, everyone's always staring at me." The mirror shimmered once, like a shimmy.

"Huh. I guess..."

"Now I'd keep that cloth if I were you, dear. You look better without it I'll admit..." The mirror's eyes ran over Raleigh's chest. "But it looks like it's quite your good luck charm. Ah, but what is that smell?"

Grinning Raleigh swung the sweatshirt back over his shoulders, prep style. He was never taking this thing off again.

"Except that taking it off seems to have been the key." Tendo said. He laughed, spraying a bit of egg across the table at Yancy.

"I don't know what to say, bro. Your lack of game is appalling... and yet, it somehow works. Seriously. What is up with that? Can you explain it, Tendo?"

"Simple: boy is a certified a cootie-patootie. Can't resist it, despite the dumbass nature."

"Of course."

"Of course!"

Raleigh scowled at them both over his plate of waffles. "Tendo. I met you yesterday, you dick. Ease off."

"No way, my man. No way. With me... I'm an all or nothing kinda guy." He winked again, chucking an actual forkful of eggs just to be difficult. Raleigh threw up a shield just be impressive. Yancy rolled his eyes.

Really, he was sort of beginning to regret telling them about his brief run-in with Mako. And by 'sort of' Raleigh meant, 'completely and totally, with all his heart.' He'd needed to explain his lateness though. After acknowledging that, yeah, she wasn't coming back downstairs, Raleigh had spent the next ten minutes carefully cleaning up all her papers. He hoped Mako didn't have some sort of super secret organizing system, or that she'd just hate him for touching her stuff... well, too late now.

Raleigh stabbed at his strawberries, making them bleed all over the waffles. Good.

"Mr. Becket."

All three looked up to find Professor Pentecost standing over the table. He held two pieces of parchment in his hands.

"Here are your schedules, gentlemen. I apologize for not getting them to you sooner. Yancy, Professor Sprout asked me to inform you that given your previous work in Rune Studies you are free to drop Professor Leaven's course if you so choose. I understand that many sixth years appreciate the extra study time."

"Not a chance, Professor." Yancy flashed him a grin while scratching a quick rune into the tabletop with his wand. It glowed green before exploding in a miniature—but nonetheless impressive—firework display.

Pentecost pursed his lips. "Please don't deface school property, Mr. Becket."

"Oh, er... right."

Tendo snorted into his orange juice.

"And the other Mr. Becket..." Pentecost handed Raleigh his own schedule. "It's good to see you taking some initiative. I respect a student who starts the day early. Good day." He nodded once, sharply, then headed straight to the teacher's table. Raleigh picked his jaw back up from the floor.

"That's it," Yancy crooned when he was gone. "Get in good with the dad!"

"Yeah, man. Can't argue with that logic." Tendo said.

"You're both terrible."

They were terrible, it was true... but they also had a point. Raleigh started a check list in the back of his mind:

1. Wake up early and impress Professor Pentecost

2. Take off sweatshirts. A lot.

Speaking of…

"You." Raleigh jabbed his knife into Yancy's shoulder, making him yelp. "Take that spell off my trunk or so help me, I'm gonna start carving runes into you."

"You remember everything?"

"It's not a long list."

"... That doesn't answer my question."

It wouldn't matter if Raleigh remembered the grocery list or not because he would never deny Mako writing all over his arms. Using a combination of her wand and muggle markers, she would trace the words 'milk,' 'sugar,' 'beets,' 'raisins,' and numerous others into his skin. Raleigh would note that an hour later this list was a whole lot longer than what it had originally started out as, but he wasn't going to deny her that either.

"There is too much going on sometimes," Mako would sigh. "We should think about hiring a house-elf."

"No way." Raleigh would absolutely deny her that because that would deny him this. "You seem to have plenty of time right now though, don't you?"

Mako would smile. "I always have time for you."

His very first class at Hogwarts was Potions.

"Today we will be learning about love."

Fucking hell.

Raleigh groaned into his textbook and then nearly jumped a foot in the air when a hand started stroking his back.

"It's cool, dude." His partner whispered. "I'm great at this shit."

Raleigh nodded. Five minutes in and that already seemed like the best option with this guy. A Gryffindor/Syltherin double period and, frankly, Raleigh had expected to have to deal with a bunch of dicks. Instead when the Professor announced that they had assigned, cross-house partners, Raleigh had ended up with a bubbly short dude who'd done nothing but smile since they'd changed seats. Spiky hair, a collared and wrinkled shirt stuffed under his robes… all of this paled next to the guy's most defining feature: tattoos that depicted every dangerous magical creature Raleigh had even heard about, all of them twisting along his arms in a colorful display. He saw a hypogriff run across the guy's forearm while a snake slithered up his neck.

"Care of Magical Creatures," the guy whispered. He bounced a bit in place. "It's my jam, dude. Seriously fascinating, don't you think? I mean, a lot of people don't get it but these beauties here are the key to wizarding evolution." He tapped a dragon that was breathing fire down his wrist. "Into flying? Duh. Study something that flies. Transfiguration? You want a shape-shifter, or maybe an animal that employs magical camouflage. I'm writing a paper on how nargles are going to totally revamp how we apparte. But potions? Pfff." His hands flapped a little too close to Raleigh's face. "Easy, dude. Way easy. It's just throwing shit together and I've got the best ingredients in the house. 'Cause magical creatures, right? It's all fresh. You need anything just say the word and I've got you covered."

His other defining feature was that he liked to talk. A lot.

"Great." Raleigh said. "Thanks."

"No, no, dude, it's fine. We're gonna be great. We're gonna be awesome. We—oh." He frowned up at the board where the Professor was writing a list of ingredients.

"What?"

"Fuck, man. We gotta chop up newts."

"And?"

"My name's Newt."

"Ah." Raleigh clapped a hand on his shoulder. "That sucks then. I hope for my sake we're not dissecting any Raleighs."

Newt grinned and together they set to work. Luckily there was no actual brewing this first class, just prep work for future potions, which meant that Raleigh had plenty of time to watch Mako two aisles in front.

He felt bad about it… at first. At least he did until Mako turned, caught his eye, and whirled back around so fast her hair whipped across her face. Raleigh watched as a strand of blue stuck to the sweat on her forehead. Mako's hands were covered in the fly-wings she'd been chopping, her shoulders hunched in frustration, and Raleigh saw her chin tip up like she was blowing in a futile attempt to dislodge the hair. Before he could even begin to think it through Raleigh was jogging up the aisles.

"Here," he said, suddenly standing right in front of her. Raleigh swept the strands away from her face. They felt slick under his hand and Mako smelled like the slugs she'd been crushing.

Her eyes were also very wide.

"Uh..."

"Mr. Becket?" The professor ceased his scribbling at the board. The whole class was staring at them. "Is there something we can help you with?"

"N-no, sir! Just, ah..." Raleigh snatched up the first thing he could find: Mako's mortar and pestle. "Just borrowing this. Mako was nice enough to lend it to me..."

"I was?" She hissed.

Their professor had already turned away again. "I see. How kind of you, Ms. Mori. Three points to Gryffindor."

Mako jerked. "Oh. Thank you, Pro—"

"And five points from Gryffindor for forgetting your materials, Mr. Becket."

Mako's mouth snapped shut.

"... Right. Right. I'm just gonna..."

Raleigh beat it. He didn't look back at Mako. He didn't look up at all until he was beside Newt again, the colorful kid snickering into his sleeve.

"Dude." He said. "That was the most awkward thing I've ever seen."

"Shut it."

"No, no, seriously. Help me out here. What were you thinking?"

"Shut uuuuup." Raleigh dumped his head in his hands.

"Alright, alright. It could have been worse. You could have gone down on one knee—ow! Aw, dude, perk up. C'mon. You promised to dismember my newts for me, yeah?"

So, after much groaning, Raleigh dismembered newts. And cut fly-wings. And pulverized slugs—maybe a little harder than was strictly necessary. He was so focused on the gloriously violent motion of the action that it took him a moment to realize he was using Mako's tools. He slowed his hands down to feel the smooth streaks in the stone: paths left by her smaller hands.

Raleigh looked up.

Mako was craning her head to look at him. When their eyes caught again she mouthed... something. It might have been 'thank you'... or 'fuck off.' Raleigh hoped for the former and smiled.

She smiled back.

Whoa.

"You two are gross." Newt whined. He rolled his eyes and bumped hips with Raleigh until he actually looked at him.

"What are you five?"

"And a half!" Newt said proudly. "You like Mako's hair though? Rad, yeah? Did it myself for her third year."

Now Raleigh really did look at him. "Wait. That was you?"

"Yeah, dude. Not an easy formula to mix up either. You gotta get it permanent but not so strong that it's gonna damage the hair, plus she liked that specific color blue which frankly isn't muggle approved, so I had to throw some spells in there too. Admittedly Hermann helped with some of the chemical calculations but really it was mostly me—"

"Why?" Raleigh blurted.

"Huh? Why what?"

"Why did she want blue hair?"

Newt stilled, then shrugged. "Hell if I know. Rebellion? Can't be easy being the daughter of a professor and former Ministry dog. I heard Pentecost keeps her on a short leash. Ha. Leash. Get it? But yeah, dude. Did you know she might have played first year? Yeah. Except that no way was Pentecost letting them bend the rules for his kid and it's not like I cared either way, who the hell has time for quidditch when there are dragons? But Gryffindor was super pissed about it and—

Raleigh tuned Newt out. He focused on the feel of stone between his hands and the shadows that fell over Mako's hair. He waited for her to turn around again.

For forty-five more minutes Mako didn't look back.

Then, in the last ten minutes of class...

Newt had continued to laugh at annoying interval—like whenever others were close enough to join in. Raleigh shoved past a giggling girl as their Professor called the whole class to the front. Newt wasn't as easy to shake.

"I can whip you up a love potion if you want." He whispered.

Raleigh glared. "That's horrible."

"Nothing permanent, dude! Just a little something to, you know, help you out..."

"I don't need any help."

They crowded around the center table. Raleigh stopped directly behind Mako, who didn't even twitch.

"Sure about that?" Newt asked. Raleigh tread on his foot.

"Class, class!" Their professor waved his hands for silence. "Excellent work today. Boring as it may be, this prep will benefit you greatly as we move towards brewing one of life's more difficult potions..." He waved his wand, lifting a small cauldron behind him onto the table. There the potion bubbled gently, its spiraling steam drifting lazily upwards.

"Amortentia," the professor said.

Some of the class let out soft "ooo"s in response while the rest immediately set to joking about how they'd get their hands on some. Raleigh had read about Amortentia of course and this sample looked about as good as it could get, the mother-of-pearl sheen drawing him in. Like most who encountered the rarity he was curious about its smell. According to texts, it smelled different for every person, mimicking the scents that attracted you most.

Raleigh hardly realized how close he'd gotten until he brushed arms with Mako. She jumped slightly... then looked his way.

"Hi." Mako whispered.

"Hey."

They stood in silence together, the rest of the class chatting about the potion. Finally, still close enough that his robes brushed the sleeves of hers, Raleigh leaned past Mako to take a whiff.

He nearly gagged.

Slugs. The damn potion smelled just like slugs. What the hell?

Mako's arms came up to cross over her chest. Her nails were stained with the creatures she'd been mashing and—oh. Oh. Raleigh gulped.

"Well?" She challenged. "What do you smell?"

"What do you?" Raleigh shot right back.

Mako hesitated. "Ginger tea." She finally said. She tucked a clump of blue hair behind her ear. "I... was drinking a cup this morning." Her eyes were steel but a faint blush had started creeping up her cheeks. Mako bounced her weight from foot to foot, keeping her robes swishing against his.

Raleigh could feel himself grinning like a loon. "Slugs," he returned and pointed at her nails.

"...That's awful."

"Sorta yeah." But he was bouncing too.

"That's it!" Their professor called. "See you Thursday," and everyone started moving at once. Raleigh tried to get closer to Mako, realized at the last second that this would put him right up against her, backed up instead, and sorta awkwardly waved while tripping over his own feet.

"See you at lunch?" He asked. "I… can not stare at you if you want?"

"I'm eating with my father."

That was fine though, really, because his comment had made Mako laugh and damn it that wasn't the greatest sound he'd ever heard. Like holy shit. Could he record it and set it up as his alarm? Was that legal?

"Just later-later then?" He squeaked.

"Later-later is excellent, Raleigh."

"Great. Bye—uh" Raleigh swallowed her name again, still stumbling backwards. "Bye!"

There was a truly great moment then where Raleigh found his footing and left the class without further incident. Where he could feel Mako watching him leave, smell crushed slugs, sense Newt trying desperately to catch up ("Dude, what was that?"), and still hear her little giggle echoing around in his head. Raleigh laughed as well, cramming all his stuff into his bag with vigor.

That just happened to include Mako's mortar and pestle. Fortunately, both were too occupied to notice.

Raleigh would freak out about the pregnancy roughly 5,000 times more than Mako.

Mako and Sasha would watch this ensuring panic partly with fear for his safety (Raleigh was pacing in a circle like a manic dog chasing its tail), but mostly with amusement. Shaking her head Mako would sneak into the kitchen, producing a shot for Sasha and a potion for herself.

"Feeling sick already?" Sasha would ask.

"No."

"For energy then?"

"No. I'm good." Mako would shake the bottle, causing the green liquid to swirl and dip. "My mother was a potions master, you know. She specialized in healing. I only learned a little from her before she and my father died, but I was given this every time I grew anxious as a child. It's designed for infants, to calm those who can't control their emotions yet... and for those parents that need a little peace. So," Mako would raise the vial in a toast. "Raleigh! Come here."

Sasha would mutter into her drink, "You are already a mother..."

Mako would answer: "Don't I know it."

Later that day Raleigh realized two things simultaneously: the first was that he'd accidentally stolen Mako's stuff. The second was that rumors spread wicked fast at Hogwarts.

Because of course they did.

"Hey, Raleigh!"

A few hours before Chuck had been a remarkably cute ball of drool, covers, and sleepy puppy. He wasn't quite so cute now bearing down on Raleigh with one fist raised and shaking. Raleigh was just in the process of pulling Mako's mortar and pestle from his bag—what were these? Where had they come from? ...Oh wait. OH WAIT—when Chuck got right up in his face, backing him into the nearest wall.

"Morning to you too, Chuck." Raleigh was busy making goo-goo eyes at the pestle.

"The fuck is this I hear about you dating Mako?"

Raleigh's head snapped up. "What?"

"Exactly. What."

"No—what, what?—we're not dating."

"Really? Because Maura just told me a fucking fascinating story about you groping her in potions—"

"I didn't grope her!" Raleigh shouted and went straight from milky white to beet red in 0.2 seconds. He was nearly bowled over both physically and mentally when Chuck punched him in the arm saying,

"I know you didn't."

"You…" Raleigh stopped. Narrowed his eyes. "You do?"

"Yeah. 'Cause if you had, dickwad, you wouldn't be here. Mako would have skinned you. Trust me."

"I don't trust you."

"Fuck off. You should because I've been in your position." Chuck still had him pressed against the stone wall. A group of second years giggled at them on their way past and Chuck flipped them off without looking. "I sure as hell wasn't paying attention but Sasha recognized that brother of yours and she says he's been getting with Tendo and Aleksis says all three of you had breakfast together—"

"Sweet Merlin, what's wrong with you all."

"—and if you've met Tendo you've got all the gossip, which means he's blabbed about Mako and I."

"Actually there it's 'Mako and me'..."

"I'm gonna cut you, Raleigh." Chuck raised his wand but it was a pretty lazy action. "Just listen to me, you dick. It didn't work out for us but fuck you if you think I'm not gonna do everything I can to treat Mako right. And yeah, you're a dick but you're not the kinda dick who violates people and shit like that."

"Gee, thanks."

"So the question is, what did you do to start that rumor?" Chuck's eyes suddenly dropped to Raleigh's hands. His mouth popped open. "And how the hell did you get those?"

"Hey, bro!"

It was, in retrospect, sort of a shitty thing to do. Raleigh could see where Yancy had gotten the wrong idea though: he comes down the hall to find his (mildly younger) brother being crowded against the wall buy a guy his size, wand up near his throat. Raleigh is holding something close to his chest, radiating protectiveness. It wasn't the first time they'd been in a similar situation.

Raleigh grinned, slipped the mortar into his bag, and flipped the pestle into his hand.

"Catch!" he called and tossed the pestle high over Chuck's head.

Yancy snatched it up like a champ. No magic outside class, right? Easy enough. He threw it back and Raleigh ducked under Chuck's arm to reach it in time. Sometimes the muggles really got things right: good old fashioned monkey in the middle, made even better by Chuck's horrified face. He tried catching it a few times and failed miserably. Raleigh was too quick and Yancy pulled more feints than was probably polite, even in a game like this. Out of the corner of his eye Raleigh saw Chuck lunge, stop, then dig his hand into his thighs—
clearly wanting to just tackle them but unwilling to go that far. Raleigh was just about to call it quits when a harsh, Australian voice rang out.

"You three!" Then: "Chuck!"

It was a professor if his age was anything to go by, but he sure wasn't dressed like one. A green jacket and grey shirt were paired with some rather worn looking jeans. He rolled up said jacket as he marched towards them with a vaguely threatening—and familiar—gait.

"I take it back, you're a total dick." Chuck growled. Edging closer he slapped a hand over the pestle and forced it down into Raleigh's bag. "That was her mother's." He hissed.

Oh. Shit.

Then the professor was towering over them.

His blue eyes swept over the three of them, lingering pretty long on Chuck. They finally settled on Yancy though.

"Hufflepuff?" he asked.

"Yep," Yancy confirmed. He tugged at his yellow tie.

"Enough with the roughhousing then. You can go. You two, with me."

The guy did a a quick about-face and started marching off down the corridor, not bothering to see if they were following. Chuck said some rather impressive things under his breath, actually spit on the cobblestones, and then shuffled off, shoulders hunched. Yancy stayed only long enough to get the okay from Raleigh.

"See you," Raleigh waved him off.

"Don't get expelled." Yancy whispered. "I'd hate to see you leave now that you've got a real chance with Mako."

Raleigh scowled. Had everyone heard about his ridiculous stunt? Apparently. Not that he had much of a chance with Mako if she knew how callously he'd treated her stuff. Not that he'd known the tool's significance to her. Not that that was an excuse.

Not that any of this alleviated the guilt that had roiling through Raleigh's stomach.

With a sigh he followed after Chuck, his own shoulders just as hunched.

There would be other times where Raleigh fucked up. A whole lot of them.

Newt would pull open the door, take one look at Raleigh's face and ask, "Did you deserve it?"

"Yes." He would mumble, miserably.

"Am I gonna catch hell for housing you?"

"…Maybe."

The door would slam shut in his face.

Raleigh would wait in the cold a good five minutes until: "Dude! It's not even locked—just come in!"

There would be much talk of kicked puppies and proper apologies. Sitting in Newt's kitchen with a bottle between them, a list would be made (groveling, chocolate, another dog) and Raleigh would completely expect to go through all of them.

He wouldn't expect Mako to fire call an hour later

(but he was oh so glad she did).

The professor took them down three levels to an office that looked just like a broom closet. The spellwork guarding the door was impressive though. Raleigh might have paid attention to the wand movements if he hadn't been sneaking glances at Mako's pestle.

No cracks or anything. Duh. Its not like he'd dropped it. Still. He might have. And for what? To piss Chuck off?

Chuck who looked like he was two seconds away from having an aneurysm.

"You gonna hurl?" Raleigh whispered.

"Quiet," the professor snapped and Chuck's mouth clicked shut.

He finally got the door open and—wow. Okay yeah, a literal broom closet then, though admittedly one of the magical variety. Raleigh couldn't help letting out a low whistle at the collection of racing brooms, many of which looked to be antiques. He and Yancy had used crappy home-spelled brooms back in Alaska, bundled twigs with just enough power for some quick, dirty races. This stuff though... it looked polished enough for the World Cup. Raleigh's respect for the odd-ball professor went up a notch even as his wariness remained.

"Sit." The guy demanded and yep, Raleigh sat. Chuck followed with a whole hell of a lot of grumbling.

"You're Raleigh Becket?" He asked. Raleigh nodded. "Thought so. Missed your sorting but I know all the Gryffindor sixth years like the back of my hand and you, son, are the sore thumb here. Name's Herc. Just Herc. I'm no professor, so don't go giving me any of those fancy titles. I teach flying. And quidditch. You like quidditch?"

"Uh... yeah?" He did, as much as anyone could like something they'd played all of twice, and then in a way that could only be described as "half-assed and dangerous." 'Quidditch' in his hometown meant roughhousing in a field with a tiny bit of flying and a whole lot of jinxed balls. Sure, he'd told Chuck he could take him on the pitch... but Raleigh had figured if it actually came to that he'd throw a curse and start a duel before they ever got off the ground. Easy as pie.

"Yes." Raleigh answered again, smiling with fake sincerity. Best to just get on Herc's good side.

But Herc scoffed. "You ever actually played before, son?"

"Umm..."

"What is this, twenty questions?" Chuck jumped in. "Just lecture us or whatever and let us go."

"I'm not gonna lecture you because you already know damn well you need to act better."

"I didn't do anything!"

"He actually didn't," Raleigh said but they both ignored him. Chuck looked ready to leap out of his chair and Herc was waving a finger violently through the air. It might have been funny if they weren't so seriously red in the face.

"Always starting fights—"

"I didn't start—"

"Skipping classes—"

"That was ONCE—"

"—need to set a better example—"

"Oh fuck that—!"

Raleigh was ready and willing to play peace keeper when there was a polite knock at the door.

Huffing, Herc straightened and tugged at his jacket. "Come on in."

And in stepped Professor Pentecost.

"You called?" He asked Herc, eyes taking in the situation. Raleigh slipped further down in his chair. Fantastic. Now Mako's dad was going to be all disappointed in him too. And called him? When did Herc call him? Did the guy send off a freaking patronus without him noticing? Raleigh was becoming more and more aware that he was sitting between two very powerful wizards, both of whom were looking more pissed by the second. Oh, and mustn't forget one seething Chuck to his right.

Raleigh slipped even lower.

"I hope my students aren't causing you any trouble, Herc." Pentecost said. He was definitely staring at Raleigh.

"Caught them fooling around in the corridor. No magic, but they were throwing something hard enough to break it or someone's face." Raleigh winced. "Dodging in and out of all the students too. It's a damn miracle no one got hurt."

"Is that so?" An odd gleam had entered Pentecost's eye.

"Yep. Not that I'm surprised. Not with this one," and Herc jerked his head at Chuck.

"Why?"

The question popped out of Raleigh. Totally involuntary and he shrank even more at the three sets of eyes that snapped his way. "It's just...I was the one that...Chuck didn't... uhhhh." Raleigh rubbed at the back of his neck, giving up.

Chuck took pity on him. "I need to 'set an example,' Raleigh"—exaggerated air quotes— "Because I'm his fucking son!"

Raleigh blinked. "Wait. What?"

"Watch your language." Herc snapped. "Stacker?" He pointed at Raleigh. "This one's got crazy reflexes. You owe me 'cause I just found you your new chaser."

"…I see."

And again:

"Wait... what?"

"So let me see if I understand this," Sasha said over dinner. "You come here, you fall for Mako—instantly like some dumb romance hero—you are threatened by everyone else around her—including myself and I will do it again if need be—you are told she has not dated—beyond the boy you piss off, again like some dumb romance person—you go and get all lovey with her anyway, steal her things, for some reason she does not kill you for all of this, she 'smiles and laughs like bells' as you say—are you high, Raleigh Becket?—and now the whole school thinks you are dating. Oh, and you are also the new star of our quidditch team. Did I miss anything?"

Raleigh was thumping his head rhythmically against the table's edge. "Chuck's dad is the coach."

"I knew this already."

"I don't really know how to play."

"Yes, yes."

"Pentecost is scary competitive about quidditch."

"I knew this too. Are you just going to spout things I already know, Becket boy?"

"His Amortentia smells like slugs." Aleksis added. He gently gripped the back of Raleigh's neck and forced him to stop developing a concussion. Sasha waved her hands.

"See! That is what I am looking for. Though it is not surprising of course, you being attracted to slugs."

"No. Stop."

"And all this in one day," Sasha sighed. "Imagine what tomorrow will bring."

"Dude!"

The shout came from across the hall. Next thing Raleigh knew there was a colorful blur jumping the tables and sending dishes flying. Someone over at Ravenclaw shouted obscenities in German and then the next second a wild-eyed Newt had landed in the seat across from them. He pointed a finger covered in mashed potatoes at Raleigh.

"I thought we'd bonded!" He screeched. "I share my super rare ingredients with you and you slaughter my namesake for me and I watch you make a fool outta yourself in front of the hottest girl around... bonding! But no—no! Now you've gone and betrayed it all. Quidditch, dude? Quidditch?" Newt heaved the last part out, looking more than a little affronted.

Sasha pointed at him right back. "What is that?"

"Hey!"

"That's Newt."

"Newt..." She tasted the word, smirking. "Slytherin? Afraid we're going to beat you now that we have Baby Becket on our team?"

"… Baby Becket? Seriously?"

"You'd better win," Newt said, leaning close. "I've got a bet going with Hermann. He says it's mathematically impossible for any team to make up the points from last year and beat my house. I say Raleigh Becket doesn't fit into his lame-ass calculations." He turned to Raleigh. "Win and I'll brew you a love potion for Mako."

"No, you ass!"

"Win and I'll help you get her as a date for the Yule Ball."

"N—" Raleigh paused. "Wait. Yule Ball? What? What's this now?"

"Awesome." Newt sorta shook his hand, spreading mashed potatoes everywhere, and then scampered away before Raleigh could say anything else. Dazed, he turned to Sasha.

"Yule Ball?" He muttered. Yule. Yuletide. Ball. Dancing. Mako. None of this sounded particularly reassuring.

Sasha merely have him A Look. "Alone it is bad enough, Becket. With you getting advice from amphibians..."

"I know." Raleigh recommenced thunking his head against the table. "I'm doomed."

"I am glad to see you're learning."

"No."

"Yes."

"Absolutely not."

"Pleeeease."

"NO."

"C'mon," Raleigh would wheedle. He would charm and he would beg. "Think of the possibilities… especially with our genetics! We've gotta start her early."

"Early?" Mako would say. "Early? Raleigh, she's three months old."

"So?"

"So, you're not buying our daughter a broom!"

(There would be another conversation two days later: "… Well you're not buying her a Cleansweep that's for sure. At the very least get a Firebolt…")

Raleigh decided that all this insanity definitely called for an early night. It seemed as if Chuck had the same thought.

"Heeeey." Raleigh said, tiptoeing in. "Ah, teammate?"

"Fuck off and die, Becket."

"...Right."

Well that was pretty clear. Still, there would be time for chaser bonding later. Much later, apparently.

Raleigh snuck into bed as quietly as he could... then cringed when Max jumped straight into his lap with a happy bark. He hesitantly glanced over at Chuck.

"Traitor," came the mutter and, yep, that was a petulant ball forming under the covers. Max kept yipping and lapping at Raleigh's face, even as Chuck started up his own imitation of a growl.

They were all in for a very long night.

The next morning (after a long night indeed) Raleigh awoke to another owl and letter from Yancy. That is, by "owl" what he really meant was, "raging, homicidal hawk" and by letter he meant, "a howler with its volume turned up to deafening, horrifying levels."

He literally sprinted out of the dorm, Yancy's voice screaming after him, "—YEAH BRO GOT GAME BRO GOT GAME—" and just prayed to every possible deity that Mako wasn't able to hear that from the girls' rooms.

Yeah. No such luck there.

An hour later, barely dressed and stumbling like a drunk, Raleigh dug his hand into his bag and groaned. There was a pestle under his books, wasn't there? And a mortar. He could feel them. You know, those things from Mako's dead mother he'd accidentally stolen and then tossed around like a quaffle. Those.

Raleigh leaned his head up against the cool wall.

"It's too early for this shit."

"Welcome to NEWT level Defense Against the Dark Arts. My name is Professor Pentecost, teacher for ten years and former auror under the Ministry's military branch. Why did I leave? A differing of opinions. Ask for more information and you'll be leaving my class without credit or a chance to return. Understood?"

Next to Raleigh, Tendo was raising his eyebrows in a, "See? See?" gesture. To his left Yancy was sort of doing the same. Except that Raleigh was pretending that Yancy didn't exist, so really the poking he felt was just a figment of his imagination.

A fucking annoying imagination.

Instead Raleigh concentrated on Mako, seated right at the front. Her back was straight and her hands were folded neatly atop the table, one finger tapping atop the others. Unconsciously Raleigh mimicked her pose until the two of them were easily the most attentive students there. Beside him Tendo whispered, "This boy is whipped."

"Shut it." Raleigh muttered out of the side of his mouth.

"—no exceptions." Pentecost was saying. "You've all had five years of training now, more than enough time to build up a suitable repertoire of spells. Now's the time to start using them. The primary focus of this class will be dueling and let me tell you now I will NOT tolerate any foolish wand waving." Along with everyone else Raleigh jumped at the boom of his voice. "If you cannot do the work then you do not belong in my class. If you cannot push yourself then you do not belong in my class. If you cannot adhere to my teaching so that you ensure the safety of yourself and your classmates then you do not belong in my class. Anyone with any doubts about this, leave now."

No one moved, though Raleigh would have bet a good galleon it was because they were all frozen in fear. He knew he was.

"Excellent." Pentecost said. "Then let's begin." Suddenly he had his wand in hand and damn if Raleigh had seen him draw it. "We'll be having a bit of a competition, if you choose to call it that. Two people to a duel, the winner advances. Keep in mind that this is not a graded assignment, merely a way for me to gauge your skill set. So who'd like to start us off?"

Something hot burned into Raleigh's backside and he shot up with a yell. Pentecost's eyes landed on him.

"Ah, thank you for volunteering, Mr. Becket."

Goddammit. Reluctantly Raleigh shuffled to the front, glaring at a snickering Yancy and the rune he'd carved into his seat. After a bit of meandering he ended up next to Pentecost... directly in front of Mako.

She winked.

Oh boy.

"Are um..." Raleigh eyed Pentecost's wand. Two to a duel... "Are we fighting...? Sir?"

He smiled. "No, no. I'm not that cruel, Mr. Becket. Mr. Lumberob! Perhaps you'd be so kind as to complete our first pair?"

A Hufflepuff boy rose from the back. He had dark hair and darker skin, his eyes a striking brown. He skipped more than ran up to the front, immediately holding out his hand for a shake when he reached Raleigh's side.

Raleigh backed up a step. The guy's face fell.

"Three points to Gryffindor." Pentecost called. "Why?"

Mako's hand immediately shot into the air. "Caution, sir. You haven't given us the rules of the duel yet. For all Raleigh knows its already begun. More importantly, in real life there are no rules at all. A seemingly friendly invitation might well be a trap."

"Excellent. Well said."

Lumberob looked pretty horrified at that. Mako was preening under Pentecost's praise. Raleigh was feeling giddy that Mako could read him so well… when he felt the wand pressing into his back.

"Still feeling confident, Mr. Becket?" Pentecost said over his shoulder.

"Not... not anymore, sir."

"Good. Should you have turned your back on me when moving away from Mr. Lumberob?"

"Apparently not." Raleigh hesitated. He widened his stance a fraction of an inch. "Does this mean I can't trust your word that I'm not fighting you as well?"

The wand was immediately removed. "No. Ms. Mori is quite right. In a real duel you can assume nothing. Here, however, we do need to establish some parameters. One, I am not your target. Two, the duels will go on as long as they need to. Three, anything goes so long as you can ensure the safety of your peers. If you can't do that—don't cast it. And why aren't the rest of you taking notes?"

Everyone scrambled for parchment and quill. All but Mako who already had them out and Chuck, all the way in the back, who was drawing a diagram with his wand. It looked like he was recording Raleigh's movements.

Great. Impress Pentecost and he risked showing Mr. Hothead all his moves. Except that impressing Pentecost also probably meant impressing Mako, so really that wasn't so bad—

"Begin!"

Raleigh moved, urged on by that tone of command. It wasn't much of a fight. Really wasn't a fight at all. Lumberob seemed like a nice guy and that was pretty much his downfall here. He'd watched their impromptu lesson with dread lined in every part of his body and when Raleigh actually attacked, the guy seemed completely unwilling to go on the offensive. Lumberob three up a few shields that Raleigh tore through and within a minute he had him leaning back against the first table, arm's splayed, Raleigh's wand pressed up against his neck. That was easy enough... but underestimating someone was a sure fire way to lose—or die. Raleigh kept his wand steady, never giving an inch while he called, "Professor! You didn't tell us when the duel ends."

"Well done." He heard Pentecost say behind him. "In a real duel you wouldn't stop until your target is dead or you're certain of their incapacitation." Lumberob gulped. "That's hardly necessary here though. Cease and desist, Mr. Becket."

Raleigh stepped back. Most of the class was taking notes, a few—like Sasha and Chuck—eyed him in a challenging manner. Raleigh only had eyes for Mako though… and her face was stony.

He might have actually gone up and asked what was eating her if Pentecost hadn't said, "Ms. Jenkins. You're up."

Jenkins, a large blonde, was ruthless but predictable. Raleigh drew the duel out hoping she'd catch on and try something else... but no such luck. He eventually ended it with a stunner.

Mako sighed.

Next came Simon, a guy who relied on transfiguration more than traditional casting. Points for creativity—and Raleigh gave everyone a bit of a show by allowing Simon to turn him into a rabbit—but transfiguration took serious concentration, far too much for something like a duel. He ended it as soon as Simon got distracted.

Mako pursed her lips.

Aleksis was called next. He smiled at Raleigh, Raleigh smiled back, and they had a rather enjoyable ten minutes in which they traded spells powerful enough to damage more than a few desks ("Watch the merchandise, gentlemen!") Raleigh had known from the start how to win of course. Aleksis was huge and therefore slow. Speed was Raleigh's advantage here. It was fun to draw it out though, hopefully giving the other students something to think about. It might have gone on even longer if Raleigh hadn't caught the look on Mako's face.

It was pinched as a lemon, sour and pissy. With a growl Raleigh ducked down, sent a quick stunner into Aleksis' abdomen, and came back up in one smooth motion so that he was facing Mako. He pointed his wand straight at her.

"Okay. What's your deal?"

Her eyebrows shot up. "Excuse me?" Mako then looked to Pentecost but he was resolutely keeping silent.

"You know what. After every fight you give this little," Raleigh made a face. "This twitch. Like you're frustrated."

"Well I am." She scoffed. "You could have taken all of them four spells earlier, Raleigh. At least."

"You think so?"

"I know so."

She was right of course, but that so wasn't the point. "Why don't we change this up then?" Raleigh turned to Pentecost. "Can Mako fight next?"

Pentecost for his part wasn't giving anything away. He simply looked between them, folded his arms, and said, "I don't see why not."

Which was how Raleigh found himself facing all five-foot-five inches of a hella intense Mako Mori, her wand arm steady, robes tossed aside for better movement, looking for all the world like she'd enjoy nothing better than ripping his throat out with her teeth.

Raleigh thought he might be in love.

"Begin!"

She was fast, father than he'd expected. The tearing charm cut straight into the flesh of his upper arm. Raleigh ignored it and aimed high, taking out the candle sticks hanging behind her head. With a cry Mako dodged left—like he'd been hoping she would—but when Raleigh got close he found his feet slipping out from beneath him. A freezing charm then, simple but effective. He toppled, rolled, got a shield up more out of instinct than actually knowing where she was. Something vicious shattered against his barrier on the right.

Stinging charms, confounding hexes, the repeated shouts of "Expelliarmus!" Raleigh didn't know how long they were fighting for but their efforts kept moving them closer. Lingering spells on the edges of the classroom forcing them inwards. Eventually they were fighting just a few feet away, nearly face to face. It was when they were almost literally nose-to-nose that Raleigh saw his chance.

Her hair. The daughter of an auror should know better than to let it hang loose in battle. Short as it was there was more than enough for a handful and when Raleigh saw that beautiful blue flashing by he struck. Mako cried out when she was suddenly wrenched backwards. They both fell in a heap, Raleigh using the shock to disarm her while his own wand pressed into her side.

"I win!" He yelled.

"Like hell you do." Mako growled and Raleigh felt something sharp against his own ribs—his wand. His other wand. Mako had grabbed it from the holster on his leg.

"That's enough." Pentecost called. He looked down at the two heaving students. "Excellent, both of you. Did everyone see that?" Pentecost turned away, asking the class for their comments. Raleigh heard stuff about his non-magical techniques, Mako's careful attention to her opponent's resources. He ignored it for the most part because... because...

Well. Because Mako was lying right on top of him, panting.

She ducked her head close against his neck. "That had best be another wand, Raleigh." She whispered.

"It's... it's not, it's not, oh Merlin I'm so sorry just—fuck, here just—" Raleigh tried helping Mako to her feet, furiously thanking the stars that he hadn't decided to take his own robes off. "Sorry, sorry, sorry—"

"It's okay. Raleigh." Mako said.

"…. oh. Good."

She nudged his arm, smiling, even laughing a little. "Really. That was..."

"It was definitely..."

"Yeah."

"Agreed."

They stared at each other.

"Are you two quite finished?" Pentecost asked and oh god. He was watching, everyone was. Raleigh ducked his head even as Mako straightened.

"Yes, fath—I mean, sir." She said. Swallowed.

"Then perhaps you can return to your seats? I think Mr. Becket has had enough… excitement for one day. We'll continue the duels next week."

Raleigh was all too happy to. Settling back into the familiarity of Tendo's innuendoes and Yancy's crude congratulations he let the rest of the lecture wash over him. With just ten minutes left of class though he couldn't take it anymore; Raleigh's hands wouldn't stay still. As silently as possible he wrote out a note (after much deliberation), muttered a spell, and sent it sailing underneath the desks towards Mako. He saw the exact moment she twitched when it landed on her knee. Two minutes later it came back again, her words scrawled underneath his.

'Great duel. You're amazing, and btw I accidentally stole your stuff. Dinner so I can return it? – Raleigh'

'Meet me in the kitchens and we'll make it a midnight snack. And I said you could do better, didn't I?– Mako'

Raleigh clutched the note to his chest, trying to keep it close without wrinkling the precious thing.

"What's that?" Yancy whispered. "Her love confession?"

"A dirty owl?" Tendo made soft hooting noises.

"The both of you can go fuck yourselves."

"Or just each other." Tendo grinned but Raleigh wasn't getting drawn into all that, not now. He had a sorta-date with Mako. Maybe. A meeting at least, that just happened to be the two of them, together, in a secluded part of the castle after hours.

Raleigh was either very, very lucky... or very, very screwed. And not in the awesome, literal sense.

It would be fine.

"Mr. Becket." Pentecost called him over as class was letting out. Raleigh shuffled forward. "Good work today. I hope to see that same sort of enthusiasm on the pitch. I also hope you put as much... consideration into all your other extracurriculars. Understand?" His eyes drifted to his daughter, waiting patiently by the door.

Raleigh swallowed. Nodded.

"Excellent. Then you and I will continue to get along famously."

Just fine. Right. Absolutely fine.

Pentecost would hand Herc a plate, balancing his granddaughter in the other hand. She would continue to drool happily against his uniform.

"How's little Sumako then?" Herc would ask, twitching a thumb under her chin.

"Eating. Sleeping. Sometimes she burps."

"Taking after her parents then?"

Pentecost would grin, fully, with no one else but Herc to see.

"You've got her the whole night?"

"I've got her till they've got THAT out of their system."

Just then a low rumble would move through the house, followed by furious shouts coming from the backyard. Stacker would calmly continue to dish out pasta even as a nasty stunner hit the wards around his dining room.

"… Another duel?" Herc would ask.

"You're surprised?"

A third, deeper voice would join the other two.

"Nope. Now I know why Chuck was so eager to come though."

By 8:00pm the rumors had increased tenfold ("They totally kissed after nearly killing each other! Making out right there on the floor!) and by 11:15 Raleigh had dodged it all and made his way down to the kitchens. He was a little early admittedly, but he had to make sure he found the place okay and that he looked halfway decent and that he hadn't forgotten anything or done something stupid or—

Okay. He might have been a little nervous.

"Tickle the pear." Raleigh muttered to himself. He'd pretty much convinced himself that Chuck had been lying about that just to spite him but when he reached up and drew a finger down the pear's side it did indeed giggle, squirm, and transform into a green doorknob. Hand sweating, Raleigh pushed his way inside.

Mako was already there.

She jumped, mouth splitting into a wide smile when she saw it was him. "Looks like we had the same idea." She laughed and beckoned him over.

The room was deserted for the most part. Raleigh saw two house elves scrubbing copper pots over in the corner. They waved as he passed, casting their own knowing glances between the two of them. Mako was seated all the way at the end, curled up by a giant, brick fireplace. She had a mug of hot cocoa between her hands.

"You came," she said and the same time he said, "You're early." They both laughed.

"You're early too." Mako pointed out.

"Well yeah, but obviously you were earlier. It's totally different."

"Is it?"

"Yep."

"Ah. I see."

A sort of awkward pause came then, with Raleigh shifting from foot to foot and Mako staring down into her chocolate. There were a million things he wanted to say to her, things he wanted to talk about, to learn... but they all got caught in the back of Raleigh's throat. Sort of literally because he let out a cough that was way too loud in the high-ceilinged room. A few seconds passed. Then a few more. Raleigh was ready to just drop her things and run when Mako blurted,

"Do you want to make some gingerbread houses?"

Hell yeah he did.

Even with magic constructing a house out of foodstuff was easier said than done. Raleigh glared at his sorry excuse for a roof and the door that kept caving in. He heard a snicker one seat down.

"Something funny?" he asked.

"You suck at this."

"Yeah well yours is..." Raleigh looked at Mako's tiny house, decorated with licorice and magical snow. "... not totally perfect."

Mako grinned. "It's just simple architecture."

"Right. 'Simple.'"

"Anything else, Miss?" came a squeaky voice. Gilly popped into existence next to them, her hands still dripping from the pots. She was smiling though and kept her finger poised over her thumb, ready to apparate away again and fetch whatever they may need. Merlin knew she'd already done that enough times. Raleigh and Mako had more sweets to glue and stick together than was probably healthy. More than that, they had—relative—privacy and the reassurance that none of this would leave the kitchens. It was well past curfew now but Mako had told Raleigh time and again that no one checked the kitchens at night, or if they did the house-elves were kind enough to turn anyone away. Mako had been coming down here for years.

"We're good, Gilly. Thanks." She said.

"Gilly is thinking there should at least be more chocolate," and Raleigh's mug refilled itself. It had marshmallows that were none too subtly holding hands. With a wink Gilly popped away.

Raleigh sort of wanted to ask Mako if she thought they were trying to tell them something. Then again, she was resolutely not looking at her own mug too.

"Isn't it a little early in the season for this?" Raleigh asked instead. He ripped the limb off a chocolate frog and stuck it next to his house. There. A tree.

"Maybe, but it's already getting colder. Winter will be here before you know it. Besides," Mako added. "I do this year round." She paused, dabbing some more icing along her roof. "My father, Professor Pentecost... this was one of the first things we did together, after my parents died. It's important to me."

"Oh." Raleigh murmured.

"Don't look like that," she chided. "I have nothing but good memories associated with this. He practically bought out Honeydukes that first day. I made myself sick eating all those sweets while he painstakingly constructed an awful looking castle. It sorta looked like that." Mako eyed Raleigh's monstrosity.

"Har, har. I'll take that as a compliment." Raleigh snuck a glance at Mako. She had icing in her hair. It shined like miniature pearls.

"Yancy and I did this once."

"You did?"

"Yeah. If by 'this' you mean the 'eating sweets until you're sick' part. We're good at that."

Mako laughed. "There!" She said, adding a final swirl. "All done."

"Thank god for that." Raleigh threw down his own piping bag, but his smile was there too. Then it dropped, curdled a bit, and came back totally false. "Have you... uh, done this with anyone else? Besides Professor Pentecost I mean. I was just... you know... curious."

"Yes." Mako answered easily. "With Chuck."

"Oh."

"Don't 'oh' me, Raleigh Becket. But if you need some ridiculous reassurance, then here: we are through."

"Oh." He said again, a little happier. Raleigh had known but... yeah. Still. "Bad breakup?"

"That is absolutely none of your business."

"... Right."

They sat in silence awhile—not a bad silence this time—with Raleigh kicking his feet under the table and Mako stealing bits of icing from her walls. They only came out of their shared spaced when a clock nearby struck two. Raleigh grimaced.

"We should probably get back." He muttered. Dammit. Raleigh frowned down at his soggy house. "What are we supposed to do with these now?"

"I'll send them to my father at breakfast." Mako shrugged at his look. "It's a bit of a tradition. He knows I come down here sometimes and he's fine with it, just so long as my work doesn't suffer from lack of sleep." She frowned. "And so long as I don't get caught. Can't have a professor's child getting into trouble and all that."

"Something you and Chuck have in common."

"Indeed." Mako stood and stretched. Raleigh bumbled to his feet as well. Now that the mood was broken, now that Gilly and her friends were popping back to clean up after them, Raleigh wasn't entirely sure what to do with his hands. Or his mouth. It sort of wanted to ask Mako about her hair. It also really wanted to kiss her.

It ended up spouting, "Can we do this again?"

Mako looked at him, coy and still stretching. "If by 'this,'" she imitated him, "you mean 'spending time together,' then absolutely. I'll see you on the pitch this Saturday." Her smile was sharper than any knife.

Raleigh felt something cold and weighing roughly a thousand pounds drop into his stomach. "Right. Quidditch."

"And aren't you forgetting something else, Raleigh Becket?" At his blank look—was he supposed to walk her back to the dorm? Hold her hand?—Mako looked at the bag he'd slung onto the bench. It took him a moment. Then:

"The pestle! Shit—and the mortar. Oh wow, yeah, kinda forgot about those, ha..." Raleigh fumbled with the strap, sweating a whole lot and finally pulled both out in a heap. Contrary to his previous, manic movements he cradled them like children as he handed them back to Mako.

"Sorry about, um..." It felt like Raleigh was trying to swallow his own tongue.

"Throwing them around with your brother? Like a pair of awful beaters?"

"... Yeah. That."

Mako simply looked at him a moment, then rose up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. It was brief, dry, and probably the greatest thing Raleigh had ever experienced. He rocked when she left his side, suddenly feeling very weak in the knees. Forget standing. Raleigh sat.

"I wouldn't have let you take them in class if I didn't trust you with them." Mako said simply. She left then, her steps a little quicker than usual. Her cheeks might have been red but Raleigh couldn't be sure. They were covered by curtains of blue hair.

"Night." He squeaked… five minutes after she'd gone. It took Raleigh another ten to stand up again.

The next morning Raleigh entered the great hall and saw three things: Professor Pentecost seated at the head table, the gingerbread houses they'd made beside his plate, and the stink eye he was giving the house that looked like a garbage dump.

Raleigh turned on his heel and left. He didn't need breakfast anyway.

Sasha had bundled up against the cold, a thick scarf wrapped twice around her face. This didn't stop her from being heard though. In particular it didn't stop Aleksis and Newt from hearing an hour's worth of, "He is doomed. No doubt about it. Becket boy is done for," etc.

Halfway through this Aleksis added the more generalized, "Gryffindor is doomed," to which Sasha nodded emphatically. Newt sat between them both, watching the pitch with something resembling manic horror.

Raleigh for his part thought he was doing pretty well, all things considered.

See, there were a few things to keep in mind: that nearly a month had passed and classes were starting to seriously kick his ass, that it was currently ass-crack o'clock in the morning, it was cold, he was hungry, Yancy had graced him with another howler at 4:00am—-of him yodeling, for fuck's sake—Pentecost had hit him with one hell of an expelliarmus last class that still had Raleigh's chest feeling like a cave in, it was cold, he still wasn't used to this whole quidditch thing, Chuck had the faster broom and wouldn't let him live it down, Herc could insult his players during practice with an accuracy that sent Raleigh cowering, Sasha had been adding to the insults endlessly from the bleachers, Newt gave inarticulate screams, he sort of needed to pee, and had he mentioned that it was really fucking cold?

"Get your head in the formation, Becket!" Herc screamed and Raleigh dived just in time to catch the quaffle. He pulled up, turned sharp, and sent it sailing over a fifth year's head— straight into Chuck's hands. He in turn went high, Raleigh went lower, and they circled the goals until an opening appeared. Three more passes and Raleigh sent the quaffle sailing through the goal on the left.

"That was better!" Mako yelled. She threw herself over her broom as a bludger went by, then sent it sailing when it dared to come back. "You're getting the hang of this."

"No he's not!" Chuck called.

"Damn straight you're not!" Came Herc's voice from below. "You think we're beating Slytherin like that? Tighten your thighs and add some speed, Becket. C'mon!"

Raleigh groaned. "You know it's bad when those two are agreeing..." Which was true of course. Horrifyingly true. They'd probably be in better shape if their practices didn't always morph into The Great Hansen Screaming Match of [Insert Date Here]. Although in their own, twisted way, those fights sorta helped. At least they did for Raleigh. For one they were becoming a messed up kind of comfort—he'd probably fall straight off his broom if Chuck and Herc ever didn't fight—and for another he'd definitely gotten better at catching fly away balls. It took at least some skill to catch the stuff Chuck threw when he was busy screaming at a speck on the ground.

"Heads up, Raleigh!" Mako's voice, and for her that command literally meant 'up.' Raleigh kicked his legs off the stands of his broom and threw them up into the air, letting the bludger sail harmlessly between himself and the broom. He could feel the violent air pushing back at his robes just a few inches away.

"Better, Becket!" Herc said while Mako cheered.

This was it. Right there. What made that ass-crack of dawn practices worth it. Quidditch was great, flying with Chuck was at least better than getting hit with a cruciatus, but Mako... Mako lit up the sky. They'd been spending more time together lately, or at least as much as they could manage with their equally busy schedules. Meals became an exercise in sometimes brushing hands while passing food, quiet study sessions in the library were where they learned each other's handwriting, continued duels in DADA still set Raleigh's blood pumping and restarted the rumor mill when it started to lag. He'd learned that beyond building gingerbread houses Mako liked constructing anything with a motor and had a fascination (really an obsession) with muggle technology. She was a slob while eating soup and had a hell of a tongue on her when sleep deprived. Last week he'd found her with a couple of fourth years, enjoying some butterbeer they'd snuck in. She'd stood, wobbling, to give him a kiss on the cheek—a bit of a tradition between them now (one that Yancy laughed at constantly). Except that she'd been just a little more than tipsy and instead of kissing him Mako had taken Raleigh's cheek between her teeth, biting just hard enough to bruise. That, apparently, had been hilarious to her at the time and he'd been hearing her laughter echoing around him since. Raleigh was also wearing a simple concealing charm to avoid anything resembling guilt. He didn't want that. Raleigh wanted nothing but laughter from Mako, to learn every variation she had to offer. He now knew what her laugh sounded like when nervous and sleepy and this side of drunk. He knew what her shouting sounded like too, and her yawns. Raleigh knew Mako's wardrobe, ticks, dreams, phobias, her favorite music and her favorite tea (formerly chamomile, now ginger. Definitely ginger). He knew a hell of a lot... and not nearly enough.

Like, why blue?

What Raleigh did know though was that Mako didn't have a date to the upcoming Yule Ball.

He was also soooooorta sure she liked him. Maybe. At least a little, teensy bit... Right?

And Raleigh knew—if the stars aligned and he didn't fuck anything up—that these two things just might come together. The thought alone sent him spinning.

Until then, Raleigh would watch Mako fly. She'd worn a purple sweater under her robes this morning, the color pairing beautifully with the coming sunrise. The rest of her was shadowed and strong, wielding the beater's club, swinging it while she yawned into her sleeve. The whole combination made her look like some ridiculously cute, avenging angel. Raleigh couldn't look away.

"Watch it, Becket!"

Which means he crashed right into the goal post.

"Will Daddy be okay?" Sumako would ask.

"Daddy will be just fine." Mako would sigh, pressing ice against her husband's forehead. "He has a very hard head, darling." Then, in quiet mutter: "And this is far from the first time."

"Dude." Newt floated ice against Raleigh's head. It hit him. Repeatedly. "You're even more of a clutz than I am and that's saying a hell of a lot. Like, how did that even happen? I saw it happen and I don't even know how it happened. What were you doing?"

"He was busy ogling Ms. Mori." Hermann said. He was curled on a chair in the Ravenclaw common room, astronomy book in hand. Newt had taken the arm of said chair while Raleigh was laid out on the couch. The rest of the Ravenclaws didn't seem to mind the random Gryffindor and Slytherin taking up their space. If anything, Newt appeared to be a regular here.

"Well yeah, I got that." He sniped back. "That's all Raleigh does. Do you ever look up from those stupidly dry texts of yours?"

Hermann sighed. "Only when there's something worth examining. You most certainly do not fit my criteria. Ah," he peered over, lowering his glasses. "My apologies, Mr. Becket. The 'you' there was meant to refer to Newton. I have nothing against your presence and I will certainly admit to noticing your... infatuation with Ms. Mori."

"Dude. DUDE. Stop. It's 'Raleigh' and 'Mako.' Maaakooooo. You've known her six years! Stop acting like you're a professor with a stick shoved three feet up his ass—"

"Just because you design not to show any of your peers the proper respect—"

"—and just fucking use their names. Names, Hermann! People have them. We're humans you know. Actual human beings."

"Are we indeed? I'm shocked something as pedestrian as us humans can hold your attention, Newton."

"Now hey—"

"Okay." Raleigh groaned. He swallowed thickly. "Okay. I don't... I don't care what anyone calls me. Can you just, you know, be quieter? And make the ice stop hitting me?"

"Your head should be a scrambled eggs right now and it's not—how, I don't know—so you'll be fine." Still, Newt flicked his wand and got the ice to stop. It fell in a wet heap on Raleigh's chest. "Hey, oh hey! Why don't we call Mako down here? She was all worried on the pitch, yeah? Yeah? She'll see you curled up in all your adorable misery and—bam! Rush of protective instincts and you've got yourself a date to the Yule Ball."

"That's absurd," muttered Hermann.

"Is not."

"It mostly certainly is. Beyond the fact that Gryffindor's chance at winning this game is minuscule at best—apologies again, Mr. Becket—it has not escaped my notice that you failed to mention that the Yule Ball is the same day as the match. If your agreement to help Mr. Becket obtain a date is contingent upon him winning said match... well. That hardly gives you much time to uphold your end of the bargain, now does it?"

Newt's mouth snapped shut. A miracle in and of itself. Hermann closed his book and picked up his cane, leaning his chin on it contemplatively.

"My advice to you, Mr. Becket—and I do hope it proves more valuable than Newton's—is to simply ask Ms. Mori. She is a highly considerate young lady—"

"Dude, she's your age!"

"—who will either say yes, as I anticipate, or let you down in a clear, acceptable manner. Either way, if you act now I guarantee you will be in a healthier emotional state when it comes time for both the game and the ball."

"Now?" Raleigh groaned. His head was pounding. Worse, he knew Mako had seen the whole, embarrassing thing. What had her expression been like? He couldn't remember. Or rather, he remembered seeing roughly three, overly blurry Mako's before Newt dragged him down here. Merlin. Where were the meds?

Raleigh swallowed around the cotton balls in his mouth and tried to peer up at Hermann. "I wanted to get her a gift," he slurred.

"Pardon?"

"A gift." Raleigh coughed. "For the holidays, the ball, you know..." He could feel his face getting redder and it had nothing to do with the marks around his forehead. "Just... a gift for when I ask. Something nice."

"I see." Hermann ran a hand over his chin. Newt rolled his eyes. "Have you had any thoughts on the matter?"

Raleigh snorted, then winced. It was actually the opposite of what one would expect. He'd had a whole lot of thoughts about this, just none that translated into an actual gift. He wanted to get something she'd like obviously, but also something semi-personal. But not so personal that it came off as creepy, or implying too much, or Merlin forbid something that implied possession. It couldn't be generic. Definitely something good for the holidays... but not something she couldn't use the rest of the year too. Beautiful, but also kind of practical, and not boring. God he couldn't give her a boring gift. He'd die.

All this spilled out of Raleigh's mouth while Hermann and Newt looked on. Then Newt said:

"Wow. You're whipped."

"You're also in luck."

Hermann stood and made his way up to his dorms, Newt making faces at his back all the while. He returned a few minutes later bearing knitting needles and a ball of yellow yarn. He tossed them gently into Raleigh's lap.

"You're actually eighty." Newt said.

"Nonsense," Hermann growled. "Knitting is the perfect gift—both practical and highly personal. A scarf perhaps. Or gloves if you're feeling ambitious. As Newton himself said, I have known Ms. Mori for six years now. I guarantee she will appreciate the sentiment at the very least."

Raleigh stared at the ball of yarn. "I don't know how to knit."

"Then I suppose I will simply have to teach you. Hmm. Quickly too it seems."

Raleigh turned his gaze to Hermann. There might have been a bit of adoration there.

"Do you have this in blue?" He whispered.

"I'm sure Newton can charm us a skein accordingly. If I'm correct in assuming you mean the blue of Ms. Mori's hair...and of course provided that Newton is indeed capable of completing such a task."

"Dude. Watch me."

Definitely adoration.

(Ten minutes later Sasha and Aleksis finally broke back into the Ravenclaw common room, toting pain potions they'd stolen from the infirmary. Raleigh was a little too busy picturing Mako in a cute sweater he'd knit her to notice.)

"What in the names of the four founders are you wearing?"

Yancy would spread his arms, spinning in a circle for his husband to admire the article more fully. "You like? Raleigh's latest attempt. I think it's a sweater."

"... Really?"

"Really."

"And that... thing... on the front?"

Yancy would frown, peering curiously down at his chest. "A 'y'? For lovely little me? Hell if I know."

"You can't wear that."

"This coming from the guy who has worn bow-ties his whole life."

"Bowties are cool, man."

"No." Yancy would take Tendo by the shoulders. "Not that weird muggle show again. C'mon. We're going to my brother's and we're wearing his gifts to make him feel like an accomplished, special little snowflake."

"Do we have t—wait. We?"

"He made one for you too, darling."

Knitting, Raleigh found, was a whole lot harder than it looked.

It was really for the best that they'd decided to practice on generic yarns, leaving Newt's charmed skein for the final product. There wouldn't be any left otherwise. Three lumps of half combined stitches were thrown directly into the trash, two resembled a civilized creation before they unraveled completely, one set itself on fire. Seriously. Set itself, because Raleigh sure didn't do anything to it, he'd swear to that absolutely.

Two weeks from the ball found Raleigh still in the library with Hermann—who looked quite ready to scream.

"You're hopeless." He muttered. The words sounded half wild, half awed. "Utterly hopeless."

Raleigh tried to smile. "Maybe I can just... I don't know. Try making her a scarf instead? Something really easy?"

Hermann looked up. He jabbed a finger at the mess of knots and fraying yarn. "I was teaching you to knit a scarf."

"Oh."

"Exactly. Mein gott, this is insane. Wait here." Lumbering to his feet Hermann disappeared into the stacks, already muttering to himself. As his voice drifted away Raleigh slid down into his seat. Two weeks. That's all the time he had left. Not that there weren't lots of opportunities to ask Mako to the ball—they saw each other daily. Nightly too with the match coming up—but how was he supposed to ask her out without a gift? Not that it had to be 'out,' out. Not a date. Not unless she wanted it to be. But how the hell was he to know until he asked her? And how was he supposed to ask without a gift?

Raleigh gripped his hair with both hands. He thought that, somewhere, he heard Yancy cackling.

"Here." Hermann suddenly reappeared, dropping a heavy book into his lap. A page was already marked and flipping to it Raleigh saw the header, 50 Essential Household Spells.

"If you cannot knit the muggle way," Hermann growled. "You'll just have to get magic to do the work for you. Not quite the same thing but Ms. Mori shall appreciate it nevertheless, I'm sure. Now hurry up, get your wand, heaven knows I can't watch you attempt this for much longer. That woman has the patience of a saint if she agrees to date you, Mr. Becket."

For some ridiculous reason that made Raleigh smile. Probably because it was true.

The day before the ball:

"That's it?" Yancy plucked at the fringe of the scarf while Tendo poked the other end, eyes wide. Sasha was shaking her head ("Doomed") and Aleksis, damn him, looked like he was trying not to laugh. Hermann just looked exhausted. Newt was really the only one smiling.

"I think it's charming." He said, bouncing on the common room couch. They were all crowded into Gryffindor, the other students giving them a wide berth.

Hermann rubbed at his temple. "You only say that because you dyed the yarn, narcissist."

"Well yeah, duh. This thing is a mess otherwise."

Raleigh looked around at all of them, a slight pout forming. "Is it really that bad?"

Yancy choked. "Uh... yeah, bro. It's hideous. How did you even manage this? I thought you used a spell. Doesn't that just knit it for you?" He looked to Hermann.

"Do not ask me. There are some things even I cannot explain."

Newt snickered. "Duuuude. Ouch."

"Maybe you can give her something else." Sasha suggested. "Because this truly is hideous, Becket boy. Insulting too. Did you not model this after her hair?"

"Yeah, man." Tendo agreed. "Not cool."

"Okay, first of all you're all terrible friends." Raleigh said. He waved his arms a bit for emphasis. "Second, the ball is tomorrow. TOMORROW. I've gotta give something to Mako before the game—("You're gonna win," Newt whispered. "You are not," countered Hermann)—otherwise what the hell is the point? So I have this but I can't give her this and I have nothing else as an option and NONE of you are being helpful right now."

"You could simply ask her." Everyone turned to face Aleksis. He shrugged. "Without a gift."

Raleigh looked disgusted. "No."

Yancy shook his head. "Well then what do you expect us to do about—"

"Max!"

The cry tore across the common room. It came from upstairs, in a voice so distraught it took Raleigh a second to recognize it as Chuck's. The next second a familiar streak of brown flew down the steps and made a beeline for their group. The other students were already crying out—some in surprise, most in happy shock at finding a dog at Hogwarts—when Max landed face first in Raleigh's lap. He looked up, still drooling and shaking with energy.

"Ah shit, you little monster. You can't come down here, you—Max, no!"

Too late. One moment he was sitting happily, the next he was on the move again... and this time he grabbed a prop for the ride. Snagging Raleigh's scarf Max gave a muffled but exuberant bark and started on a straight track toward the portrait. Which was fine. Really. Because its not like he could get out.

Unless some stupid first year took that moment to open the door.

God, Raleigh hated firsties.

Yancy was the faster runner but Raleigh was closer to the door, and he had more of an incentive for catching that fugly beast. He tore past the surprised girl, chasing Max down the hall and around two corners, just barely keeping up. It was late, and it was really unlikely that they'd run into any of the professors, but fuck if he could take that chance. Chuck would lose it if his dog was taken away. Raleigh was just taking out his wand to stun him (sorry, Max) when they both plowed into an unwitting bystander.

"Watch where you're going!"

Oh wow. That was Mako's voice.

She seemed to realize it was him right about when Raleigh realized it was her. They stared, sprawled on the hard cobblestones, a panting dog sitting between them.

How did these things even happen to him?

"Max?" Mako hissed. She pulled at her robe like she planned to just drape it over the dog or something, like that would really hide him. Instead though her hand reached out to touch the scarf looped multiple times around the pug's body. Dripping with doggy drool, sporting holes that were definitely not Max's fault, it didn't exactly make for a pretty picture. Nor did Raleigh's sheepish expression.

"Raleigh Becket..." Mako tilted her head. "Please tell me exactly what's going on."

Raleigh considered that.

"Want to go to the ball with me?"

After the phenomenal response to interviewing the Sorting Hat, Witch Weekly would contact Yancy again, asking if he had any more suggestions.

"Yeah!" he would say. "You wanna know whose got even more game than that hat? A dog. Name's Max, and he's one suave little motherfucker, let me tell you…"

Raleigh stood in his quidditch uniform, quite literally shaking in his boots. His hands were sweating and it felt like ten thousand butterflies were fluttering around in his stomach. There was pain too, in his chest and around his throat. He kept bouncing to the edge of his toes and then back onto his heels, already tired but totally incapable of keeping still. Merlin, he was nervous.

It had absolutely nothing to do with the game.

"I owe you." Chuck muttered, coming to stand beside him. Herc was up at the front of the group ushering in Pentecost who, as per tradition, had come to give a rousing speech to his house. Really it was more of a, 'I'm a powerful and insanely competitive wizard so you'd best win for your own sakes' kinda speech, but hell, whatever worked. Raleigh wondered if Hermann had calculated that into his percentages.

"Don't mention it," he finally whispered back. Max had escaped. They got Max back. There was much celebration. No one seemed to get that this so wasn't the most important part of that evening.

Raleigh breathed out. He shook his hands a bit.

"Gonna go out on a limb here, Raleigh..." Chuck said. "You asked her?"

"Yep."

"And considering you're not a ball of angsty tears—"

"C'mon."

"—then I guess she said yes."

"Yep." Raleigh said again. He grinned, though it drooped a whole lot when he saw Chuck's face. "Hey. Okay, wait. We good with this?"

Chuck's eyes flit over... then resolutely looked ahead. He swallowed hard. "You know the amortentia you're brewing?"

What?

"Well yeah, since I'm in the class, no duh—"

"Don't be a dick right now." Chuck growled and Raleigh clicked his mouth shut. "Just shut the fuck up because I'm only saying this once. Amortentia. It smells like what you're attracted to, right? Well what stupid people don't get is that it's not really a love potion, it's just a fucking lust potion. It smells like things that remind you of sexual attraction and..." Chuck swallowed again. "I don't smell anything, okay? Nothing. I didn't... I didn't totally get it until that happened. Mako and I were sort of dating at the time and it wasn't working out already but that damn well helped explain why." Chuck tried to shrug. "We realized we were looking for different things, okay? And fuck if I know why I'm telling you all this. Goddamit."

Raleigh leaned closer, whispering, "Is it because we're secretly BFFs?"

"I'm knocking you off your broom the second we're in the air." The tension in Chuck's shoulder relaxed a little though.

They both turned to listen to Pentecost—something about team loyalty—until Raleigh gently bumped his arm against Chuck's.

"Thanks for telling me." He said.

"Yeah. Whatever. Let's just win this stupid thing and go get drunk."

"Can't argue with that."

Pentecost suddenly raised his fist high, looking more animated than Raleigh had ever seen him. "TODAY, GRYFFINDORS, WE ARE CANCELING SLYTHERIN'S WINNING STREAK!"

The roar was deafening and hell, Raleigh couldn't argue with that either.

"You look quite dashing, Mr. Becket."

Raleigh jumped, dropping the sleeve of his dress robes and turning to find Professor Pentecost. He too was formally dressed in a far more intricate version of his usual uniform. Still, the 'M' of the Ministry had been removed. Raleigh still felt sweat prickling at the back of his neck whenever they spoke and it was only partly due to that sort of bravado.

"Ah... thanks, sir?" That wasn't a question, dammit. "It's better than the mud I was dripping in before, yeah?"

Pentecost cracked a smile. "Indeed. A well played game." His arms crossed behind his back, his whole frame straightening with satisfaction.

"You think we have a chance at the cup now?"

"Undoubtedly. Herc certainly seems to think so. I'll admit not everyone is convinced though." Pentecost's brow furrowed. "I heard two students screaming at one another about just such a possibility out on the pitch."

Raleigh rocked back on his heels. "Was one yelling about 'statistical probabilities'?"

"...Yes."

"Just ignore them."

Pentecost raised an eyebrow. "I'll take your word on that then." Leaning forward he gently straightened the boutonniere. Raleigh went as still as a rabbit caught by the fox.

"I am glad you clean up well." Pentecost said, still fiddling with Raleigh's clothes. "My daughter deserves nothing less after all."

"Absolutely, sir." Raleigh gulped.

"Breathe, Mr. Becket." A heavy hand landed on his shoulder. "How about we make a deal? You ensure that Mako has a good time tonight and I won't tell the headmaster about the bulldog Mr. Hansen has been hiding in your dorm. Agreed? Excellent. A pleasant evening to you, Mr. Becket."

Pentecost strolled off, leaving a rather bewildered Raleigh in his wake.

Well shit.

"Raleigh?"

Maybe that was a blessing in disguise because Raleigh could definitely blame his fish-like expression on Pentecost's comments. It had nothing to do with Mako strolling down the staircase in simmering, silver robes. Absolutely not. Who could even think such a thing?

Raleigh grabbed the bannister for balance.

Mako was a vision all right. Anyone who said otherwise could fight him—and they'd lose big time, thank you very much... but even Raleigh would admit that the mess of a scarf around her neck sort of ruined the image.

"I can't believe you're wearing that," he groaned.

Mako blinked innocently. "What, this?" A hand came up to delicately touch the knit. "Why wouldn't I? My idiot date made it for me."

"Yeah well—wait." Raleigh's hands twitched, swept over his chest, came up to grip his hair. They were trembling. "Date?" he asked, just to be sure.

"Date."

"Oh. Ha! Great. Well then can I...?" And now his hands came up, tentative, ready and willing to back down if asked. Mako tilted up though and Raleigh took advantage of the invitation, sweeping his hand through her hair with a sigh, ending at the tips. Blue spread across his fingers like a wave.

He edged closer, still holding Mako by those strands. Something bubbled up inside him as she matched him step for step. When Raleigh was close enough he bent down from a quick whiff, half expecting those strands to smell different. They didn't of course, but Mako herself smelled wonderful, like grass and the soap she'd used to wash away the sweat of their game. And yeah, a little like slugs too.

They were so close now. It was those kisses on the cheeks times a thousand. Raleigh gently eased himself against her and felt Mako's heart fluttering opposite to his.

"Mako." He whispered. Her name. The first time he'd said it out loud. Merlin it felt good on his tongue, like a word that had been and would always be something he was meant to speak.

What rolled out next though was: "Why blue?"

"Why...?" Mako blinked, easing back a step. She eyed her own hair and frowned. "I thought you were going to ask to kiss me."

"Wha—? Yes—yes! That too." Raleigh gripped her a little tighter. "Oh no. Did I fuck this up?"

Mako rolled her eyes. "Yeah, maybe. But how about you kiss me anyway." She said, dragging him back again. "I've got lots of reasons for dying my hair. Stick around so you can learn them all, okay?"

"…Okay."

Raleigh admittedly lost track of things after that. All he knew was that when he came back to himself his hands were still tangled in Mako's hair. Those strands fell soft over his hands, anchoring him.

Raleigh was more than happy to be caught.

Years later—almost too many years to count—Raleigh would sit on a bed with Mako, playing with her hair.

"Why blue?" He would whisper, causing her to laugh.

"Stick around to find out, Becket Boy."