The coming of spring lent a satisfying feeling of rebirth and rejuvenation to the two boys sitting alone in the dormitories. When this particular feeling of newfound energy and the notion that anything could be accomplished struck the inhabitants of Hogwarts, it usually resulted in an increase in test scores or mischief, and the two boys were no exception.

Elphias sat perched on his bed, hunched over the textbooks he had arranged around himself, his loose notes spread across the distance between his bed and Albus's . He peered deeply into their pages as if the words would make more sense the more he pressed his nose to the words.

"You're going to get ink on your nose if you keep that up." Albus ventured. Lounging on his bed, twirling is wand as a small soap bubble danced above his head, he oozed impatience and boredom.

Elphias grunted and moved on to 'A Smart Wizards' Guide to Potions and Antidotes', as intent on devouring these pages as before.

Albus turned onto his side, facing the empty beds of his peers, who had left to lounge at the lake hours ago. The soap bubble split and the two tiny bubbles chased each other around the room, whizzing between bed posts.

"Do you need help on anything?" Albus asked without flipping over.

Elphias glanced up from the whispering purple textbook he had been hurriedly flipping through. "Seeing as you aren't taking Divination, I doubt you'll be of any help." The abruptness took Albus off guard.

"Right. Sorry."

Now the bubbles were pulsing and growing, bouncing off of the bedposts and swirling around each other at a dizzying speed.

"You're plenty smart, you don't need to waste the day studying for third year exams. Third Year Exams, Elphias. They aren't the bloody OWLs."

"Easy for you to say, Mr. Top-Of-The-Class. Mr. Future-Minister-Of-The-Universe doesn't need to break his back studying to get perfect marks. I've got to prove I'm good enough."

"I studied in the library before lunch, Elphias. This stuff is easy and you know it, you're just stressing yourself out by all of this." Albus said, gesturing vaguely in Doge's direction.

Elphias stayed silent, apart from the sound of flipping pages.

"You're awful boring, you know that?"

"For someone so respected by the teachers, you're awfully good at disregarding your studies."

Albus flipped back over to face Elphias. "You can hardly call them studies… Are you seriously studying for care of magical creatures? That's pathetic!"

"Not another word from you, golden boy." Elphias snapped, his frustration getting the better of his usual docile behavior.

Albus flipped onto his back, allowing his mind to be filled with any thought that happened to cross his mind.

After weighing the attractiveness of the Elliot twins, wondering when the minister's secretary would return his most recent letter and considering just how insane Elphias was going to get, he came to the conclusion that it was his duty to alleviate Elphias of the pre-exam insanity. It was Albus's duty as his friend and classmate, of course.

And then one last thought wormed its way into Albus's mind, 'What damned house-elf or otherwise dreamed that these drapes were a good idea?'