Dean waved his hand at the dead rose in a small, circular motion, barely just a flick of his wrist. It bloomed slowly starting with the stem then going up, the leaves turning a vibrant green before the petals blossomed a bright blue.

Dean scoffed and rubbed a hand over his face. "Blue rose. Of course."

"You okay, Dean?"

The Gryffindor started at the voice, turning around to come face-to-face with his brother. He was clad in his blue Ravenclaw robes, his long hair pushed behind his ears. "Sammy," Dean said, surprised, before shoving the rose in his pocket as quick as he could, hoping Sam hadn't seen it.

"Um, yeah, usually. What are you doing out here? They're about to announce the winner of the House Cup." Sam moved around the statue in the middle of the clearing on the deck and sat on the ledge by Dean.

"Im fine, Sammy. Charlie can tell me who won later, just go back inside. I know how much you like this kind of stuff." Dean looked down over the edge of the balcony, slipping his hand in his pocket. The rose was now crushed, again, the petals littering his pocket like they had his bedroom floor previously that night.

Dean had gotten dumped.

He had been in love.

It had been harsh.

Sam didn't know he had been in a relationship. Dean had been too embarrassed to tell him. He had actually been in real, serious love. In his seven years at Hogwarts, he had never had a serious relationship, never even had a relationship that lasted longer than a few weeks. His relationship with Castiel had lasted months. Almost six months, to be exact.

Which brought Dean to the second reason he was too embarrassed to tell his brother about his most recent relationship; Castiel, as the name suggested, was a boy, a year younger than Dean, and in a different House. So to summarize, Dean Winchester's first serious relationship was with a sixteen-year-old male Ravenclaw. Dean had never even told his brother that he liked guys. He was too afraid of what he would say, that he wouldn't accept Dean.

"Dean..." Dean looked up at the sound of his name, turning to meet his brothers' eyes. "I know somethin's been up with you lately... Will you please just tell me? Im worried. Just last week, you were the happiest i've ever seen you. What happened?"

Dean looked back down and pulled the rose out of his pocket, piling the petals in his palm before blowing them over the edge of the balcony. "Why'd you have to be put in Ravenclaw? Damn you, being so smart." He rolled his neck around and sighed again. He knew he was being overdramatic, but he didn't care. He was heart broken. Why wasn't there a spell for that? Or a potion, something.

"I'm smart enough to know something is wrong. Is it a girl? You're acting like you were in eighth grade when Lisa Braeden wouldn't go with you to the Formal," Sam said, and Dean almost laughed at the memory.

"No, Sammy. It's not a girl," Dean said, grabbing his wand from his pocket and waving it around in front of him, a bright, yellow trail of light following the tip. He trailed it in the shape of a heart, a yellow heart in front of his face until he waved his wand down the middle of it, effectively breaking the light, shattering it into thousands of microscopic light specs. He then wrote his name, then a small plus-sign under it. He hesitated before trailing his wand around, writing "Castiel Collins" in the dark night sky. After a few silent moments, Dean reached out and drew an angry red strike through Castiel's name with his wand. "He broke up with me and I dont even know why." He laughed pathetically and shook his head, absentmindedly waving his wand in the air.

"Did you love him?" Sam asked, taking out his own wand and tracing shapes in yellow beside Dean's.

Dean looked up. "Did?" He looked back toward his wand. He shrugged. "I still do. He's great. We were together six months tomorrow." He groaned and the yellow light from the tip of his wand grew darker, until it was once more a dark red.

Beside him, Sam sighed. "Do you want me to talk to him? We're actually really good friends."

Dean's head shot up and he turned to stare at his brother. "Are you serious?"

Sam nodded. "Yeah. We've been friends since I was in year one. He's super smart."

Dean smiled and nodded, drawing a heart with his wand. "Yeah, I know. Isn't he amazing?" He waved his hand through the still light in the air before putting his wand back in his pocket and standing up. "Don't talk to him, please. I'm gonna try and go find him. Now go back to the mess hall so you don't miss the ceremony. I'll be in later."

He jogged inside and toward the Gryffindor common rooms, passing a few of his friends on the way. He didn't stop to say hey though, he just ran past and straight to his room, stopping when he got to his window. From his window, he could see across the quad, to the Ravenclaw and Slytherin common rooms. Straight across from his room was Castiel's, by some amazing series of events. His light was off and his curtains drawn. Dean didn't know if he was in there or down in the mess hall with most everyone else.

"Dean! What are you doing up here?" Dean spun around to face his best friend, Charlie, and sighed.

"Charlie. Hey. Have you seen Cas?" he asked. Charlie knew about the two of them. She had been helping his through the break-up as best as she could the past few days.

"I saw him earlier with a few fourth years but that was hours ago. Why? Are you guys back together?" She smiled and plopped down on Dean's bed, pulling her red and yellow robes onto the bed.

Dean sighed and grabbed his scarf, swinging it around his neck and opening the door. "No, but I need to know what I did wrong." Without another word, he was out the door and running down toward the quad.

It was a short trip, when he was running as fast as he was. He had only seen Castiel once since they broke up, laughing in the Ravenclaw common room with a fifth year. Dean missed him so much. He hadn't missed anyone that much since he was a second year and he found out his parents had died. That had been the hardest year of his entire life.

Halfway to the quad, Dean froze.

What if the reason Castiel had broken up with him was just because he didn't like him? Or he found someone better? Or some other reason that Dean didn't really want to know. Dean was foolish. Castiel was so much better than him, of course he didn't love Dean like Dean loved him.

He was just about to turn around to head back to his room when he heard a sniffle. At first it wasn't apparent that the person was crying, not until he heard it again. And Dean recognized that sniffle. It was Castiel's sniffle. His oh-my-god-Dean-I-forgot-to-feed-my-hamster-over-ho liday-and-he-died sniffle. Dean didn't know if he should run to Castiel and ask what was wrong or if he should back away slowly.

So he did neither and silently crept forward instead.

He was about two feet from the bench Castiel was sitting on before Castiel jumped, wiping his eyes and turning around. His eyes were red-rimmed and puffy and his nose was red as well. He was wearing his Ravenclaw robes and a red and yellow Gryffindor scarf. Castiel sniffed again, rubbing the back of his long sleeve under his nose before clearing his throat.

"Are you wearing my scarf?" Dean asked, looking down at the striped fabric around Castiel's neck.

Castiel looked down and nodded. "You have mine," he said in a quiet voice, and Dean looked down. Sure enough, the blue and silver striped fabric he had swung around his neck before going out was Castiel's. They had traded a while ago, when someone told Castiel that Dean was cheating on him because he would never be seen with a Ravenclaw. So Dean had worn the Ravenclaw scarf proudly, telling Castiel to keep his. Castiel also had Dean's sweater that Charlie had made him for Christmas a few years back, with his name on the front of it. He had lent it to Castiel when he was sick one weekend and Dean was out of town, telling Sam to go to his dorm and get the sweater for Castiel.

"Oh, um... Do you.. wanna trade back?" Dean asked hesitantly. He didn't want to trade back. He hadnt realized how often he wore Castiel's scarf since they broke up. He would miss it.

Castiel ran his fingers through the fringe on the end of the scarf, before pulling it off from around his neck and stepping forward, extending his arm toward Dean. Dean's heart shattered into a million tiny pieces. It felt like someone had poured ice water down his throat and it washed through his ribs, leaving a trail of fire through its wake.

He accepted the scarf back, pulling off Castiel's and handing it back to him. He wrapped his own scarf around his neck, marveling in Castiel's smell. He hadnt had his own scarf for months, of course it would smell like Castiel.

"We can trade the rest of our stuff back later," Castiel said, wrapping his scarf around his neck. And it wasnt until then that Dean realized about half the stuff in his room was Castiel's, including some books and clothing. They were basically living together. They probably would, if it werent for the fact that they were from different Houses.

"Tomorrow?" Dean asked, taking his wand out to play with it like he always did when he was nervous. He hoped Castiel wouldnt notice.

"Tomorrow will be sufficient," Castiel responded, looking down at his own wand, which lay dormant in his hand. It was a nice wand. Dean always used to joke about switching wands, but Castiel's wand had never liked Dean. It had backfired more than once, leaving Dean with blue hair, and another time leaving Dean completely naked in the middle of the mess room. Dean's wand, on the other hand, loved Castiel. Every time someone was being mean to Castiel or talking bad about him, no matter where he was, Dean's wand would grow warm in his pocket. And when they had broken up, Dean's wand hadnt worked right for nearly three days.

"Is there a certain time, or...?" Dean didnt know what to say. He hated the entire situation. He wished they were in Dean's dorm right then, laying down and listening to Castiel's weird indie music while Dean complained, but he secretly loved it, because it was just so Cas.

"I can come by any time before one," Castiel said, looking up once again. "It might take a few trips, though."

And at that, Dean broke. He took a few steps back and laughed bitterly, ignoring the burning in his pocket. Fucking asshole wand. "You know what, keep it. Keep all my stuff. Or throw it away, whatever. I'll send Sam over with your stuff tomorrow. Bye, Castiel." His wand was burning so hot he flinched, taking it out and dropping it on the pavement. He glared down at it, and Castiel smiled. It looked pained, but it was a smile, and Dean had caused it.

"It doesnt like you yelling at me."

Dean looked up and fixed Castiel with a glare. "I wasnt yelling," Dean said defensively. And with a new sudden burst of anger, he remembered the reason he had set off to find Castiel in the first place. "Why the fuck did you break up with me? What the hell did I say? Was it something I fucking did?" He tugged angrily at the ends of his scarf.

Castiel looked completely shocked. He knew how much Dean hated confrontation. "I..." He stared at Dean a few more silent moments before he burst into tears.

"You what, Castiel? I thought you were happy. Were you not?" Dean wanted to step forward, to wrap his arms around Castiel and tell him he was sorry, that he loved him and he was just being stupid. He wanted to hold Castiel's hand and pull him up to his dorm room and make hot chocolate and watch a crappy Lifetime movie, because for some reason Castiel loved those things.

Castiel looked down toward Dean's wand. "I was..."

"Then what did I do?" His voice sounded pained, even to his own ears.

Dean looked down at the ends of his scarf. Castiel had braided some of the pieces together, causing Dean's fingers to get caught mid-stroke. He silently cursed himself.

"I... You're about to graduate," Castiel started, and Dean's glare dropped. Every last drop of anger in him seeped out, replaced with sadness. He knew where this was going. He just didnt believe it. "In a week, youre going home, and youre not coming back after summer. Ill be here and... I wont be able to see you. You'll be working or something, and youll meet someone else and..." He trailed off, looking down at his hands which were curled in the front of his robes.

"So you didnt want to break up with me?" Dean was pissed again.

Castiel shook his head. "Of course not."

Dean sighed and rubbed a hand over his mouth. "You know I love you, right?" Of course he knew, but it was the first time he said it out loud.

Castiel hesitated, but nodded.

"You know I would do anything for you, right? And not just because my asshole wand would burn me either? But because I want to?"

Castiel nodded again.

"I was gonna stay here and wait for you to graduate. Because my legal guardian works here, the headmaster is letting me and Sammy stay here until I get settled on my own and find a place for me and him," he said, holding his hand out for his wand, which jumped up into his palm. He was speaking of his Uncle Bobby, who had taken guardianship of Dean and his brother Sam when their parents had died. Dean had been nine and Sammy had been only five.

Castiel looked up so fast Dean was afraid he'd fractured his neck. "Are you serious?"

Dean nodded.

Castiel glared, and Dean could see the tip of his wand glowing bright blue, just like it did every time he was upset. Dean took a step back. Angry Castiel was never something he wanted to be on the receiving end of, and he only had once or twice before. "When were you going to tell me?"

"Graduation," Dean admitted. "It was supposed to be a surprise. Along with me telling Sam about us."

Castiel's wand stopped glowing and he just stared. "You were going to tell Sam about us?" It had been a huge worry of Castiel's the past few months. He was worried what Sam would think about them, if he would treat Castiel differently. And he was worried that he was actually Dean's little secret.

Dean nodded. "But I guess no matter what, that doesnt matter, because I already told him. He didnt care, by the way."

Castiel started crying again, quietly sniffling as he raised his sleeve-covered hands to his face and moved to sit back on the bench. Dean stood there staring wide-eyed at him for a few seconds before moving and sitting beside him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and pulling him into his side. Castiel hesitated a few seconds before wrapping an arm round Dean's waist, the other sitting limply on his own thigh.

"Whats wrong, Cas?" he asked, resting his chin on top of Castiel's head as he rubbed his palm up and down his arm.

Castiel just shook his head against Dean's shoulder and took in a shuddery breath. "I broke up with you," Castiel said between quiet sobs. "I wasted six months because I was being selfish." Dean smiled sadly into his shaggy hair.

"It wasnt wasted. No time with you is ever wasted, Cas," he said quietly, and Castiel pulled back to look up at him.

"Are you still staying here this year?" he asked, wiping his nose on his robes. Dean nodded. "So you werent just staying for me?"

Dean sighed and leaned back, his arms still protectively around Castiel. "To be honest, I was mostly gonna stay for you. Sammy does fine on his own and I couldve found a place, easy. But I would have missed you too much..."

Castiel looked down at his hands and nodded. "Im so sorry, Dean. I didnt... I was so stupid..." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of blue rose petals. "I was on my way to the mess hall and I saw this... I knew it was you. Youre the only one who does this sort of thing." He smiled. "Dean plus Castiel. I always liked the sound of that." He pulled out his wand and drew two halves of a heart in shimmering light, then used a different colour to draw stitches across the break, mending it together. Both boys watched as the light all grew into one colour and the line down the middle faded.

"So stupid," Dean agreed, reaching forward and grabbing Castiel's face, pulling him forward until their lips met. Castiel hummed happily. He wasnt one to show many emotions in front of other people, but Dean could somehow always bring something out of him. Castiel trailed his fingers up and through Dean's short hair, tugging on it slightly, and Dean squeezed his arms securely around Castiel's waist.

They only broke apart when there was a loud, obnoxious cough behind them.

Dean smiled up at his brother, and Castiel blushed and buried his face in Dean's shoulder, sliding his hand down to lace his finger's through Dean's. "Sammy. Hey."

"Im guessing you two made up, then," he said with a raised brow. Dean blinked up at him before turning to look over at Cas.

"We good?" he asked with a smile when Castiel looked back over at him.

Castiel smiled and nodded. "We're good," he responded, pulling Dean's Gryffindor scarf off and throwing his own Ravenclaw scarf back around the older boy's neck. Dean smiled widely, showing his perfect teeth, before leaning down to kiss Castiel's cheek and standing up.

"So who won the House Cup?" Dean asked, reaching down for Castiel's hand. Castiel stood up beside him, sliding their fingers back together.

Sam rolled his eyes, but smiled. "Gryffindor, who else? I dont think you guys have lost in like three years. Theres a celebration in your dorm."

Dean smiled and squeezed Castiel's hand. "I will be celebrating something completely different." He turned so he was facing Castiel. "Castiel Collins," he started, grabbing both of the younger boy's hands. "I was wondering if you would care to accompany me to the Gryffindor common room, where we will celebrate my team's win, and I will make you hot chocolate in bed and read Vonnegut to you." Not many muggle items made it through the Hogwarts front gates, but because Dean had a family member who lived and worked on school grounds, he was sometimes able to sneak things inside, like a few books and muggle food. And Castiel, coming from a pure-blood wizard family, loved muggle things. Especially books.

Castiel smiled widely, a faint blush still on his cheeks. "Everyone will ask about us."

Dean shrugged. "I already told you, im not ashamed of you, Cas. Im not embarrassed or anything else like that. I just..." He trailed off, running a hand over his mouth before continuing. "It was just difficult, at first. But I want everyone to know that im with the smartest, most adorable, most amazing person in the entire school."

Castiel's blush darkened once again and he ducked his head. "Theyre gonna think I slipped you a love potion or something."

Dean rolled his eyes. "No they wont. And if they do, ill prove it by eating a bezoar." He smiled.

xxx

The second they entered the common room, it was as if everything went still. There was a moment of complete silence, a few strange looks, then everything was back to normal. No one asked questions, not at first, at least, and no one looked at their joint hands with disgust, like Dean had expected them to. It wasnt that there werent any same-sex couples at the school. There was Charlie and her girlfriend, Jo. And a few years before that, when Dean was still a clueless little first year, there had been a seventh year couple he knew, Dean Thomas and Sean Finnegan, that had been together since their first year.

The first person to ask questions was Lisa Braeden, an old ex of Dean's, who approached them with her little brother, Ben. He was a first year, with dark brown hair and brown eyes. "Dean! Hi! I was just wondering if you two were together?" She motioned between Dean and Cas.

Dean nodded and held up their joint hands. "Six months."

Lisa smiled. "Im so happy for you! I was just gonna ask Castiel to dance." She turned and smiled at Castiel, who smiled back politely. But Dean, being the possessive, over-protective boyfriend that he was, released Castiel's hand and slid anarm around his waist. Lisa raised an eyebrow, but walked off with her brother.

Once she was out of sight, Dean relaxed, loosening his arm around Castiel, who just laughed and elbowed him playfully in the side. "Jealous, Winchester?"

Dean scoffed. "Maybe," he admitted, and at that, Castiel's smile dropped. He started at Dean for a few seconds before smiling and leaning forward to give him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"I love you, Dean Winchester."

"I love you, too, Castiel Collins," Dean said happily, trailing his hand down the ticklish part of Castiel's arm, to his hand. "Now lets go upstairs. I owe you a few chapters of Cat's Cradle."