PROLOGUE

Dean Winchester. Hot shot Gryffindor. Everyone was in love with him. Everyone wanted to be him. He didn't give two shits about the world and tried to break as many of the rules as possible. In fact the amount of times Professor Mcgonagall had to call him into her office was astounding.

Castiel Novak. Invisible Ravenclaw. A nerd in his own right. Never talked to anyone out of his circle, mostly due to social awkwardness and the inability to speak to anyone new. He too was forever being called into the head mistress' office. But for academic achievements more than anything else. His most recent being perfecting the felix felicis in potions class. (Liquid Luck.) (Literally what it says on the tin.) (It is a liquid form of luck.) (It makes the user lucky okay?)

The two boys never faced each other, always on the other side of the classrooms, never making eye contact. Castiel had hoped that Winchester didn't know he existed. And by what anyone could see, it looked that way. They just stayed away from each other. The closest they had actually been to one another was being stood at the same table in herbology, but those took around fifteen students, and of course they were placed in the furthest positions away from each other. So Dean didn't know who Castiel was, but Castiel knew Dean. And Castiel wanted to stay the hell away. Dean was the exact opposite of Castiel's friends. Dean was athletic, popular, easygoing. Castiel was awkward, nerdy and just plain weird.

So they didn't talk. But that was about to change...

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN YOU AND I

They were entering their fifth year in Hogwarts, and as usual, they were being herded into the great hall a little while before the new first years so they could make a huge show. They sat down at their elected tables. They listened to the 'debrief' from the professors about 'making an impression' on the younger years. They waited for the first years to arrive. They waited for the sorting hat ceremony to be over. They sat through the god-awful head's speech. They stuffed themselves silly on the banquet. They made their way out of the hall to the dormitories. They waited for the first years to be given their elected rooms. And then they slept.

Then Castiel's alarm went off. He could've just used a charm to turn it off, but he preferred to use his hands. Well, that and the fact that if he did use magic then he knew he'd never get up.

He sat up and stretched, taking a long look at the robes hanging off his wardrobe. On the other side of the room, he saw Garth rolling around in his half-asleep half-awake stage. Neither of them particularly wanted to get up for classes, but they were back in Hogwarts. You couldn't have the fun without a little bit of work.

Like a zombie, he limped through the corridors, to the bathrooms to brush his teeth. Naturally the bathrooms were shared with all four houses, but there were plenty of them scattered around the school. Castiel went to the closest he could without being seen, not that he wasn't dressed, he was in a shirt with trousers, it just he looked a mess. His hair was all scruffy, he had humongous bags under his eyes and his posture wasn't exactly upright.

He slipped into the room, setting up next to the sinks. Usually he'd get up quite early to avoid anyone else, and it worked as well, but today someone else was in there. He could hear the shower running. But still, that didn't stop him, he washed his face and brushed his teeth. Walking around whilst brushing, humming a little tune to keep him sane.

And then he walked out of the shower. Dean Winchester. Nude. Like nothing was wrong. Well, clearly he was oblivious to the fact that anyone else was in their with him, that was until he turned.

"Ah!" Both boys yelped in unison. Dean immediately finding a towel to cover himself, Castiel turning to reserve what was left of the dude's dignity.

"Dude." Castiel winced. "Cover yourself."

"Yeh, you don't think I know that?" Dean's sarcastic moan wrapped around Castiel's ears. "What are you doing in here anyway?"

"It's a communal bathroom!" Castiel protested.

"Yeh, but no one is awake this time in the morning."

"Well clearly we both are."

"Yeh, but there's plenty of bathrooms around the school!"
"Well, I'm sorry but this one is closest to the Ravenclaw common room, your a Gryffindor, shouldn't you be on the other side of the castle?"

"They have hotter water here!"

"Why are you up so early anyway?"

"I'm sorry I'm an early riser and I could say the same to you!"

"I like to be in the dining hall before breakfast, it gives me time to wake up."

After a short period of silence, Dean took a breath. "Okay." Dean said. "Okay. Is the awkward moment gone now?"

"Nope, I'm pretty sure it's still here."

"You're Cas right?"

"I'm sorry?"

"You know, you're Cas. Kid who sits at the front of the class with his friend Anna and basically does everything he's told?"

"I'm usually referred to as Castiel."

"Sorry dude."

"No." Castiel smiled. "I like Cas. And yes, I am the nerd at the front of the class."

"Dude, I never said nerd."

"No but you were thinking it, everyone does."

"You doubt yourself too much man, I didn't think you were a nerd, just more of a goody two shoes."

"Well that's an improvement." Castiel's own sarcasm kicked in.

"Nah, I didn't mean it like, god foot in the mouth disease."

"Yes, I understand that very well, you should be around my friend Garth. He cannot help but blurt out the worst of things."

"Trust me, he can't be worse then moi."

"I would argue, but to be honest I don't know you well enough to make that judgement."

"Well then we should hang out more."

"I'm not so sure about that."

"Dude, why?"

"You see Winchester, the difference between you and I is that you are highly popular, I am a lowly nerd."

"Dude, stop that. I just invited you to hang around with me, and all you can do is insult yourself."

"My apologies. Thank you for the offer, but I have to decline it. I'm afraid I'm not too good around new people."

"You're okay with me, and in the first five seconds of knowing each other you saw me naked, so I say it can't get more awkward than that."

"I'm sorry Dean."

"Nah, it's fine man." Dean went to walk out, looking a little disappointed, but turning back with enough of a smirk to say: "Don't change the style, it looks like sex hair, the ladies'll go crazy for it." He winked and walked out, leaving Castiel confused to what had just happened.

Castiel left the bathroom a couple of moments afterwards, seeing the time and knowing others would be waking soon. He walked in a daze of confusion, walking through the corridors to reach the eagle.

"I can run but not walk. Wherever I go, thought follows close behind. What am I?" The bronze eagle said his riddle to the boy as he approached.

"A nose." Castiel laughed, it was the same riddle that tripped him up in the first year. He had to wait an hour before another Ravenclaw came by, and by that time his free period was almost over.

He climbed up the stairs, back into his dorm room and got fully dressed, Garth still tucked up in his half-and-half state. Castiel knew he had to wake him, otherwise he'd never get up, but he really couldn't be bothered. It was going to be another year of kicking and screaming, not wanting to get up for school. He figured as it was the first day back, the only way to wake him was in style. He walked into the common room, others already sitting around, waiting for breakfast. He asked around if anyone had a water bottle he could use, and luckily a girl he recognised from Dean's group (He though her name was Charlotte... Charlie...?) just happened to have a couple. She followed him upstairs to watch the magic, and of course Castiel tipped the bottle all over his roommate's head.

"What the hell Castiel?!" Garth yelled, startling himself awake.

"Good morning, it's school!" Castiel responded with glee, Char... whatever laughing her arse off.

"You let him do this Charlie?" Garth asked. Castiel suddenly felt embarrassed for forgetting her name, she was pretty awesome, for a popular chick.

"Yes, and you know what? It was hilarious. You should see your face! I haven't laughed so hard since I watched the Family Guy Star Wars episodes." She giggled, trying to remain upright, but having to bend over because of laughing fits. In her defence, Garth did look pretty ridiculous sitting in his bed, drenched with water.

"Okay, well, breakfast's in ten Garth, you better get up!" Castiel said, walking out of the room.