The first time Mickey Milkovich notices the boy with bright red hair cut in ridiculous bangs and freckles that cover all his face is while he's waiting to be called for the Sorting Hat. It actually surprises him when he finds out the name is "Gallagher", not "Weasley". It does not surprise him when he ends up in Hufflepuff. Typical. Another given is when Mickey's sister, Mandy, is sorted into Slytherin merely seconds after the Hat is put on her head. Obviously. Their whole family is formed of pureblood Slytherins.
After that, Mickey barely acknowledges the boy, only occasionally noticing the orange hair during breakfast or while walking around school. His older brother, Phillip, is in some of Mickey's classes and is supposed to be some kind of rebel genius, but to Mickey he just acts like an arrogant jerk. There's also a Gallagher older sister who apparently is a Prefect for Gryffindor. Whatever. Mickey doesn't care about those idiots. He's got his own pack. Three of his older brothers attend the school and, despite being older, follow Mickey around quite easily (they're also pretty stupid). And of course, there's Mandy, the jewel of their group, with her innocent pigtails and sweet girl talk that can fool anyone except Mickey, because he knows her all too well.
It's only on Mickey's sixth year that he starts paying attention to Ian Gallagher more often, when the Hufflepuff joins the Quidditch team as a Beater. It's the same position Mickey plays for the Slytherin team, so he takes his time to analyze the other boy's technique. He's not half bad. Sure, everyone else in the team sucks, but Gallagher's actually got some ability with a bat. He flies well enough, strong thighs wrapped around the broom and longs legs angled to make him faster. His uniform clings to his torso as he turns to strike the Bludger and his arms flex when he hits it strongly, sending it flying against the Ravenclaw Seeker. Mickey feels something stir in his body at the sight. Who knew that scrawny boy with a bad haircut could actually be kind of hot?
From then on, Gallagher seems to be almost everywhere. Every time Mickey gets distracted with something, like his dinner or his homework or laughing at the stupid 2nd year boy who fell down the stairs, he's there, seeming to materialize out of nowhere. And because now he knows what's there, Mickey can't help but let his eyes linger a little longer than necessary on his biceps, his chest and other areas of his body. He sometimes thinks about the younger boy even when he's not present, which is far more alarming. The redhead worms his way into his mind when he's supposed to be paying attention in class, and Mickey neglects to write a single thing, ruins whatever potion he should be preparing and even forgets to stare menacingly at his classmates. It's a disaster! He also thinks about Gallagher at night, when he casts a spell to muffle the sounds coming from his bed to anyone outside (the useful spells were the first ones he'd learned) and lets his hands roam lower, touching himself and biting his lip when he comes, a vision of red hair and soft lips on his mind.
It gets to a point when he's actually considering making a move and risking it. Most people at Hogwarts don't give a shit who sleeps with whom anyway, and even if they do, they wouldn't be crazy enough to voluntarily pick a fight with a Milkovich. Mickey is as good with his wand as he is with his fists, and is known for having no mercy for his opponents. Yet, Mickey couldn't let anyone know, not for fear of what they'd do, but because word could reach his father and then he knows he would be screwed. Terry Milkovich is extremely proud of all his progeny, but Mickey is his favorite by far (well, second favorite, but Mandy doesn't count, she's a girl). He also happens to be a very conservative man. One of Mickey's older brothers once dated a half-blood girl and Mickey still remembers the screaming threats Terry had thrown at him. It had not been pretty. And Mickey's pretty sure that if Terry ever finds out the truth about him, he'll be extremely disappointed. And that could result in quite a few hexes thrown his way, and maybe a few punches as well. No boy has ever been worth it, and Ian Gallagher is no exception. He's just a cute face (in a cute body). All Mickey needs is some time away to gain a little perspective. And if he happens to fuck a few boys in the city who have no idea who he or his father are, even better. So when summer holidays arrive, it couldn't have been timelier.