"Gotta Get Back to Hogwarts"

Castiel nervously fidgeted with his robes as he dragged his trolley towards platform 9 ¾. Although he enjoyed being able to hide in the crowd the noise was rather unsettling.

"Hey do you need your big, bad, brother to walk you through the wall?" Gabriel and Ash were currently attempting to see how far they could fit their wands into their nostrils.

"I'm fine." Castiel smiled at the nice offer not really realizing that Gabriel was teasing him. He took a deep breath and then plunged into the barrier before he could talk himself out of it.

He was relieved to be greeted by a scarlet steam engine instead of a solid brick wall. He caught Sam's eye and hurried over smiling shyly.

"Hey."

"Castiel!" Sam beamed. "Dean's already on the train. Need some help?" he gestured to Castiel's over stuffed trunk.

Castiel smiled gratefully as Sam grasped the other end and helped him get it snuggled into a compartment corner.

"Hey Cas."

"Hey." Castiel looked down nervously at his shoes as Dean moved his feet off of the seat and patted next to him. Castiel sat down keeping a respectable distance between the two of them as he surveyed the strangers in the compartment.

Dean, a born leader, leaped up to his feet to introduce everyone. "This here is Jo, she may be a chick, but she is still pretty bad ass." The pretty blonde smiled at Castiel, who returned it in full. "I know you met Charlie yesterday. This is his older bro and one of my best friends, Don Eppes. He's dumber than Charlie but he packs a great punch." Don rolled his eyes but offered a hand to Castiel who nervously shook it. He felt himself calm down when Don crinkled up his eyes in a friendly smile. "Fox Mulder, our resident crazy. He believes in nonexistent things like aliens and nargles. Don't believe a word he says." Mulder winked and continued to flip through a new edition of the Quibbler. He had very intelligent eyes that Castiel couldn't tell what color they were. Somewhere from green to grey. Both Don and Mulder were very attractive. "Dana Scully, smart looking red head and probably the bossiest person you will ever meet."
Scully offered a genuine smile after kicking Dean in the shin. "You met Charlie yesterday. He isn't too bad for a math nerd. And that fine upstanding black man is David Sinclair. He likes chicken, waffles, and koolaid. Any questions?"

Castiel sat solemnly taking in every detail. He was surprised to see so many people that actually seemed interested in getting to know him. It was baffling and made him feel a bit dizzy.

The rest of the train ride consisted of games of exploding snap and eating through sweets. Castiel had gotten a vomit flavored jellybean that had almost made him actually throw up. Mulder had thought he found another grass flavored bean, his absolute favorite, that turned out to be booger flavored and Charlie had a tantrum when his was earthworm and not chocolate.

As the train screeched onto the platform the excited teenagers had already pulled on their robes and left a frantic Scully to clean up their mess. Castiel stayed behind, and for some reason Dean did too. He crammed the garbage in Uriel's bag as he, Alistair, Lilith, Colby Granger, Alex Krycheck, and Meg left the train. They looked like an entirely unpleasant lot and Castiel found himself standing very close to Dean as he tried to remain invisible. Dean smiled reassuringly to Castiel before making unpleasant fart noises at their retreating backs. Uriel turned and stared them down as Alistair and Colby made their way towards them. Dean pulled Castiel into a boat that cast off before the others could reach them. Dean laughed at Castiel's unsmiling face.

"Why did you do that? They were leaving us alone. Now we are going to have to deal with them the entire year."

"Scared Cas? Sounds like sooooomeone needs a joyboy! That whole crowd is a bunch of dicks. Last year there was a hell of a lot of ass kicking on either side. I generally won." Dean gave Castiel his most charming smile which widened when he saw Castiel laugh and shake his head at him.

"Yeah I had some enemies at my school too. But I never tried to fight them. I-I'm not as brave as you Dean."

"I'm sure you are Cas." Dean smiled at the compliment. "You just are more quiet about it."

Castiel remained silent staring into the dark water. He didn't tell Dean about how he had been beat up countless times at his old school. He figured it wouldn't sound very impressive to Dean who seemed to have the world at his feet. He didn't know why but he felt a longing within him to prove to Dean everything he possibly could. For some reason the idea of Dean not liking him made his chest hurt.

They both finally noticed the rather small boy occupying their boat.

"Hi guys. I'm Chuck and I can't find my toad. Has anyone seen it?"

"No. Did you lose it on purpose? I would have."

Castiel gave Dean a fake glare and helped Chuck search the boat until the small amphibian was safely clutched in Chuck's hand. They finally reached the castle. It looked beautiful in the night, glowing windows and darkened towers made it look like something out of a fairytale. Dean hopped out of the boat and held out his hand to Castiel, who shyly took it. They completely forgot about Chuck and left him to scramble out of the boat on his own.

Everyone gathered in the hall and the new students were put into houses. Castiel was delighted to find that he, Dean, Mulder, Don, David, and Jo were all Gryffindors. He was curious as to why a he was put there but there but figured not to argue. Sam had also gotten in Gryffindor but his friend Charlie was a Ravenclaw along with his pretty friend Amita so he tagged along with the others. The two friends were looking sour. All the students sat down at the correct tables and listened to a thankfully short speech by the headmaster Albus Dumbledore. After a pretty spectacular feast the boys trudged up to their dorms. Sam had to join the fifth years as Dean, Don, Mulder, David, and Castiel made their way to the sixth year dorms.

"Don't forget your nightlight!" Dean hollered at Sam.

"Jerk!" Sam gave Dean the finger.

"Bitch!" Dean waved and wandered sleepily upstairs. He found the bed closest to Castiel's and plopped down on it sighing loudly. Castiel frowned at him and grabbed his tooth brush and went in search of a shower. At least HE cared about personal hygiene. No one else seemed to care in the entire room except for Castiel and the rather OCD Don. The others simply hid under their blankets and went to sleep.

The nightmares were back. Castiel's dreams consisted of his own screaming voice and blood everywhere. He felt it pool warm and sticky as it rolled off his back. For some reason he always envisioned soft white feathers floating in all the red. He remembered pain and darkness. His father's voice telling him to be quite and the sound of a knife tearing at something. Castiel woke up in a panic and felt tears stinging his eyes.

"Hey, you ok?"

"Yeah, sorry for waking you up Don. Bad dream."

Don nodded in sympathy. Castiel was surprised to see the warmth in his eyes. Don had a rep for being a hard ass, but he actually had very nice dark brown eyes framed with feminine lashes. He was lot like Dean from what Castiel could tell. Tough on the outside but sensitive inside; he had also cared for his genius of a little brother from a tender age. Both had been forced to grow up too fast so no wonder the two were fast friends. Castiel liked seeing this: what lay under the armor.

"You..uh..need to talk about it?"Don looked slightly uncomfortable, even worse than Dean about emotions.

"No, it was stupid. Don't worry about it." Castiel smiled when he heard snoring before he even finished answering and snuggled deep down into his blankets.

Castiel was up bright and early. It was the first day of class and he had almost been too excited to sleep the night before. He spent a good 40 minutes trying on different outfits and fixing his hair. He let out a frustrated sigh and pulled on his black slip-on Vans. He didn't notice that he had woken up Dean who was currently propped up on his elbow enjoying Castiel's distress. He was rather perturbed when he noticed how much he enjoyed watching Castiel rip off one shirt after the other and look helplessly in the mirror.

"Looking lovely as always Cas. Keep on that v-neck, it looks good on you."

Castiel figured that Dean was kidding with him but he still looked flustered at him and hurried down stairs.

The first class was charms and it was rather boring. It had always been boring, even at Durmstrang, but the tiny wizard who taught it was more amusing to watch as he flitted about the classroom. Castiel soon became Flitwick's favorite student after he mastered charm after charm. Dean told him it was because he was so 'charming.' Castiel groaned.

None of the Gryffindor students enjoyed potions with Professor Severus Snape. He obviously delighted in torturing them and favoring the Slytherins. Castiel was surprised when Dean hurried over to his lab table and set up his cauldron next to him. He gave him a grateful smile, relieved to skip out on the awkward search for a partner in a new class. He was surprised that Dean had chosen him over all of his other friends. The two worked in companionable silence as they shredded manglewort carefully for the complex Confusing Concoction they were working on. Castiel brushed hands with Dean as they reached for the same vial at the same time. Dean swallowed and Castiel pulled his hand away quickly. Both went back to work with their faces burning and seemed to brush past each other each time they selected an ingredient. Castiel didn't know if it was a game or not since he was positive that he wasn't trying to touch Dean each time. He watched Dean curiously and received a charming grin from the green eyed boy. Castiel was rather distracted by this and accidentally cut his finger instead of the monkshood he was dicing. His eyes widened and just as he was about to put the hurt finger in his mouth Dean grabbed his wrist.

"Cas what are you doing? You were just shredding poison!"

"Oh. I was wasn't I?"

Castiel looked surprised at Dean and let him lead him into the boy's bathroom. Dean actually lifted him up off the ground and set him on a sink. He rinsed off the cut and carefully wrapped a batman band-aid on his hurt finger. Castiel watched him as he felt his face flush. His heart was beating so loud he swore Dean could hear it too.

"Be more careful next time." Dean leaned over and Castiel took in a sharp breath. He could see every cute freckle on Dean's nose. He vaguely wondered if Dean was going to kiss him. Castiel started to lean in also when Dean scooped him up off the counter and set him down on the ground.

"Let's get outta here before Snape has a cow."

Castiel was worried when he realized that he was disappointed that Dean hadn't kissed him. He followed Dean back to the classroom as he pushed the strange emergence of strange feelings to the back of his mind. He looked surprised when he bumped into Uriel and Alistair who were also supposed to be in potions class.

"Look what we have here. Oooh sneaking off to the bathroom together? That's rather odd…" Alistair sneered in is nasally voice.

"Hmmm seems to me that these two must have just come out of the closet. Let's put them back in!" Uriel smiled as Castiel shrank back.

"Lady's room is that way you dicks. I would show you where, but I piss standing up." Dean stood closer to Castiel with his hand balled into a fist.

Uriel's eyes gleamed. "I would watch how you talk around me Winchester."

"No you should watch how you talk around me. From now on I want you to stay away from me. You haven't forgotten the jelly legs hex I gave you last year? I wouldn't mind rolling your fat ass down the stairs again either. Oh and Alistair, that bought of explosive diarrhea? That wasn't just from you pigging out on tacos. Slipped something in your pumpkin juice."

Dean hardly had time to think before the duo was on them. He heard the sound of Castiel hitting the wall and then saw red.

"Don't you fucking touch him Uriel! I'll bust your ugly head in! I'll-oomphh-" Alistair grabbed Dean and forced him to the ground

"Not so tough now are you Dean? Get wimpy over the summer? Or does that big fat mouth of yours do all the tough talking while you back yourself into a wall?"

"Shut your fucking face asshole!"

"Oh yeah, why don't you make me?"

"Let Cas go. This thing is between us. You don't even know the kid!" Dean caught Castiel's eyes. They were wide and blue.

"What do you think Uriel? Let this pretty little prize out of our grip because big mean Dean Winchester asked so nicely?"

"Hmmmm…then why don't we give him what he wants. We'll let him go." Alistair scooped up Castiel as if he weighed nothing at all. He smiled at Dean and then walked over to the window adjacent to the corridor. Castiel fought until he was being held out the window. Then he went alarmingly still.

"Alistair god damn it! Put him down!"

"Sure thing Dean! I serve to please." Alistair dropped Castiel and turned to catch the look of sickening horror on Dean's face.

"WHAT THE FU-"

"Now this fight is between us. Sorry about your little boyfriend, he was very cute. Emphasis on the was."

"You son of a bitch! Dean threw Uriel off and decked Alistair in the face feeling satisfied at the nasty crunching noise his nose made on the impact. "Cas! Cas!"

"Hello Dean." Castiel limped over with his arms bleeding and scraped up knees. Other than that he looked very much alive.

"Cas? What the hell! I thought you were dead!"

Castiel nodded towards Alistair and Uriel. "So did they. Expelliarmus!" Both Uriel and Alistair's wands flew into his hands as he stepped forward with a steely look on his face.

Dean stared at him dumbfounded. He was shocked to see shy little Cas look so authoritative.

"Locomotor Mortis!" Uriel and Alistair looked shocked as they felt their limbs lock up in instant paralysis. "A little help Dean?"

"Uh.. sure Cas." His face brightened. "Let's lock these two in the closet instead!" The two boys pushed their adversaries into the broom cabinet and shut it quietly.

"Damn Cas! How did you survive that fall? You should be dead you sucker!" Dean hugged him too his chest. "Hell I was already planning your funeral!"

Castiel laughed against Dean's chest. "I'm really not quite sure. I just didn't fall that fast I guess. I have been hurt just as badly and survived…I figured it was just part of being a wizard?"

"I don't really think so Cas. Wizards can do cool shit and all but I'm sure they leave flying to the birds. You do still look like shit though. Let's go get you fixed up again. I can't believe you took out those jackasses all on your own. You are joining fight club."

"We're not supposed to talk about it."

"About what?"

"Fight club."

Dean grinned at him. "Never pegged you for a Fight Club fan but I guess I didn't know that you could survive falling out of a window and stuff two dicks in a closet. I guess I'm gonna have to hang around you a little longer so you can stop surprising the hell out of me!" He put his arm around Castiel's shoulder as they wandered up to the hospital wing.