Author's Note: Hey, look what I finally decided to update! Wow, I really shouldn't have left this so long, sorry guys :'D anyway, it's done now, don't fret, just read! (I changed the title though, after writing some more of it. Strangeness and Charm seemed a bit more appropriate than Remain Nameless)

Word Count: 3,302

~o.O.o~

Chapter One: Strangeness and Charm

It was the end of the month, and Kurt wondered for the eleventh time today what Blaine was doing.

Four years had passed, and Kurt had –more or less- come to terms with what he had witnessed.

He had also realised along the line that he was in fact, very much so gay.

And, because of this, the taunts had steadily grown worse, but he was well accustomed to it now.

He was currently sitting in the Ravenclaw common room with his two best friends, Mercedes and Tina, studying for an upcoming Transfiguration test. And yet, thoughts of Blaine still plagued him and after a while he threw his book down with a noise of frustration. Mercedes and Tina barely looked up, used to his moods at what they joked was 'his time of the month'.

Kurt always thought of Blaine at the end of the month. He couldn't help it. He knew what was going to be happening within the next few days, and he worried. Many people wondered where the both disappeared to, but always seemed to accept his excuse that his Dragon Pox had another bout.

Kurt wondered how people could be so dense.

After all this time though, Kurt still hadn't spoken to Blaine, other than the occasional 'pass the Sopophorous beans' in Potions. It wasn't that Kurt didn't want to talk to Blaine –who, despite not getting much taller, had actually gotten ridiculously attractive and hadn't had a single girlfriend- he just could never think of any way to talk to the boy without either making a complete spectacle of himself, or letting slip that he knew about his 'condition'.

So, Kurt kept his distance, watching silently as each month Blaine moved smoothly from a composed, well-mannered and positively friendly person, to a pale-faced, jumpy boy who tried his hardest to stay away from everyone.

And each month Kurt's heart broke just that little bit more as he watched him.

Kurt heaved a sigh and stood up wearily, gathering his textbooks. Mercedes raised an eyebrow at him and he shrugged.

"I'm going to the library, I can't concentrate," The girls merely nodded, knowing better than to argue with him, despite the fact that there was absolutely nothing in the common room that could be distracting him –every other Ravenclaw was doing the exact same thing they were.

Kurt passed Artie and Mike on the way out, Mike reversing the levitation on Artie's wheelchair just as Kurt walked by them. The two smiled at Kurt, which he returned quickly –and rather forcibly- before practically running out, making it to the library in record time.

He made his way to his usual table, situated three tables down from the door. He sat and spread the books around him, not glancing up when the doors he'd just come through opened again.

Just as he had begun reading the first book he'd picked up –Advanced Transfiguration for Exceptional Learners- he had decided to look up at the newcomer, in case it was a bully or someone he knew who would distract him from his studying.

He nearly dropped his book when he saw who it was.

Blaine.

He felt the panic rise in his chest, immediately looking back down at the book, but simply staring at one word, reading it over and over, not trusting himself to move his eyes even the tiniest fraction, repeating in his head; don't look up, keep reading, don't look up, read, see look, you're reading! Just reading, like a normal person. Swish. Swish. Swish. Swish. Oh god I can't read this word for too long I'll go insane! Swish. Swish… Maybe just look up to see where he's gone…

Just as Kurt moved his eyes up, Blaine turned from a bookshelf, pulling one out and making eye contact with Kurt.

Actual eye contact.

Oh lord, he's coming towards me now.

"Mind if I sit with you? I don't really like studying alone," The curly-haired boy looked kind of nervous –and pale, it was the end of the month though, so Kurt wasn't surprised- but he was smiling at Kurt.

After a moment Kurt nodded and squeaked out a reply.

"Oh, uhm! Y-yeah! Yeah, sure," He cleared his throat when Blaine grinned and plonked himself down across from him, setting his book on the table. Kurt glanced at the spine of it, scanning the title.

Notable Transfiguration Experts.

Right, Blaine was in his Transfiguration class.

"So," Blaine said, snapping Kurt's attention back to him, "Come here often?"

Kurt resisted the urge to gape at him. He opted instead for a raised eyebrow. Yeah, good choice.

"Oh, wow, I just ran that back through my head, worst pick-up line ever-" He stopped and widened his eyes "N-not that I'm trying to pick you up or anything! I mean, wow, okay, I'm gonna just –gonna shut up now. Yep,"

Blaine's face was flushed and he flipped his book open, staring intently at it.

And at that, Kurt couldn't help but laugh. Because hey, Blaine was kinda adorable when he was flustered.

He didn't full-out laugh, it was just a soft chuckle, though he could feel the grin spreading on his face despite himself.

"It is a really bad pick-up line, yes," he managed between laughs, Blaine looking back up at him in surprise, before a small smile tugged at his mouth too.

"Sorry. It was a stupid question anyway, since you're in Ravenclaw and all,"

"What does my being in Ravenclaw have to do with going to the library, exactly?"

Blaine's eyes widened adorably again, obviously mistaking Kurt's raised eyebrow for anger and not amusement as he began fumbling again.

"Whoa, hey, I'm kidding. I know that all the people in my house are utter study-addicts, it's something I've come to accept," Blaine let out a small laugh, which Kurt felt was some sort of small victory on his part. "Anyway, have you come to study for that stupid Transfiguration test too?"

Blaine raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Wha- oh, yea. Yeah, I am. Can I ask; why did you come to the library? I mean, wouldn't it' have been easier to stay in your common room? It is nearly curfew and stuff, so… I hope I'm not over-stepping or anything!"

"No, it's fine. I just… Was too distracted up there. Couldn't work,"

Kurt's eyes made their way down to the scar on Blaine's neck as he said this, feeling his gut clench as he looked at the puckered scar there, forcing himself to look away quickly.

"Oh, me too. Though I'm sure your common room can't be nearly as bad as mine, I couldn't get anything done down there," Blaine rolled his eyes and Kurt felt his eyebrow rise.

"Well, nothing much ever really happens in Ravenclaw Tower –aside from the occasional time one of us miscalculates our Levitation Spell and makes Artie hit the statue or roof," Kurt shrugged at this, feeling himself smiling at one particular memory of Tina making Artie get stuck to the roof, the wheels of his wheelchair refusing to move.

"I have kinda wondered sometimes how you got him up there," Blaine chortled, obviously trying to picture Artie floating around a stairwell.

"What goes on in your common room that's so bad?" Kurt inquired.

Blaine grimaced at the question, but answered anyway.

"Nick and Jeff is what goes on in my common room. They're bloody lunatics,"

"Aren't they your best friends?" Kurt frowned.

"Says them," Blaine snorted, though Kurt could see the affection on his face.

"What do they do that's so bad anyway? Wait, no don't answer that. I remember Defence Against the Dark Arts in Third Year. They tried to turn themselves into Werewolves by trying to become Animagi. Like either of those things was going to happen to two thirteen-year-ol-"

Kurt cut himself off then, after realising exactly what he'd said, and noticing the other boy flinch ever so slightly.

Oh god, what have I just said? Oh god, quick, distraction, study!

Kurt cleared his throat.

"I better uh, study some more before curfew, then," and he quickly glanced down to his book.

Swish, swish, swish, swish, swish! Man I really hate this word now, why can't I find a different one?

There was silence for a good ten minutes, during which Kurt refused to move his eyes, opting instead to turn the page of his book twice, to make it seem like he was actually reading, picking a different word on each page to focus on for five minutes before-

1637, 1637, 1637-

"Five minutes until curfew,"

Kurt jumped at the sound of Madam Pince's voice as the creepy old lady skulked over them. He saw Blaine do the same thing out of the corner of his eye. He nodded at the librarian and began gathering his stuff, not noticing that Blaine was standing waiting for him until he was nearly done.

"Uhm, did you want to ask me something, or…?" Kurt managed to get out, refusing to make eye contact with the other boy.

"It's Kurt, right?"

That snapped his eyes to Blaine's

Right. He probably doesn't actually know who I am. I'm just his creepy stalker guy who knows his worst secret.

"Y-yeah,"

"I'm Blaine," The boy stuck his hand out, waiting for Kurt to shake it, which he did, slowly.

"I… know? We've had classes together for six years,"

Blaine shrugged.

"We've never really met before though. So, now we have," Blaine smiled, "Nice to meet you, Kurt,"

Kurt felt something twist hard in his stomach because he had met Blaine before, but the other boy had been unconscious due to the fact he'd just been mauled and-

Oh god you're looking at his scar again, look away idiot!

"N-nice to meet you too,"

With a gentle squeeze, Blaine released his hand and turned towards the door. As he reached it, he looked over his shoulder and smiled. "See you around, Kurt,"

When the door shut behind his curly-head, Kurt fell back against a bookshelf.

Well, it wasn't the best first conversation I've ever had, but I suppose it could have gone worse. It is Blaine after all.

Kurt sighed and was just about to push himself slowly away when he heard Madam Pince's heels clacking and her screeching at him to 'get out, out, out!' and instead opted to plummet himself away and out the door, back to Ravenclaw Tower before Filch caught him.

He ignored Mercedes and Tina's questions of why he's back after curfew –which, yeah, he was, but only just- and made his way up to the dormitory, throwing his books on top of his trunk and flopping onto his bed.

'See you around' Blaine had said. He actually wanted to see Kurt again, even after Kurt had mentioned the whole 'Niff Animagi-Werewolf Fiasco of '07' which he had seriously forgotten about until he'd mentioned it to Blaine.

It made him wonder though, if Nick and Jeff knew about Blaine.

Sure, Blaine could tell anyone he wanted and they were his best friends but… Kurt had never noticed them acting any differently to him at any point over the few years.

But surely them trying to turn themselves into Werewolves couldn't just be a coincidence.

Could it?

~o.O.o~

Blaine looked worse the next day in Transfiguration, but he still did the test like everyone else, and Kurt noticed Professor Pillsbury's look of pity as he handed her his test.

He wasn't in any classes the next three days, and when he came back he looked somehow worse than he normally did after the full moon.

It was that fact that actually made Kurt approach him at lunch that Saturday.

Nick, Jeff and Thad, Blaine's friends, all looked up at Kurt in surprise and suspicion when he came over. Blaine himself didn't look around until Kurt had sat himself down in the empty spot next to him.

"Hey, Blaine," he said with a small smile, which the hazel-eyed boy returned after a moment.

"Hey Kurt. What brings you over from the Ravenclaw table?"

"Your friends look kinda pissed," Jeff decided to add after him, narrowing his eyes slightly.

"Oh, I just wanted to see how you were going and stuff. Heard your… Dragon pox, sprung up again. That's rough," He forced the scepticism out of his voice and gave Blaine a small sympathetic grimace.

"Ah, yeah, it did. I'm used to it happening now though it's… it happens often enough," Kurt could hear Blaine's voice straining slightly, and knew he was actually referring to the transformation, though Kurt didn't know how anyone could possibly get used to that.

"Well, I better head back over before Mercedes burns a hole in the back of my head," he joked, smiling at Blaine, who gave him a small grin in return. "Hope you feel better soon," He considered putting a hand on the other boys arm, but decided against it. Not only would he feel like he was crossing some sort of line, but Blaine's friends were all looking they wished he would spontaneously combust.

By the time he'd sat himself down next to Tina and Mercedes and ignored their questions of why he'd gone over to the Hufflepuff table, he realised that he really didn't know. He didn't know why he'd gone to speak to Blaine. He barely knew the boy, though he certainly knew more about him than Blaine knew about him, which caused a pang of guilt to go through his insides.

He shouldn't do that again. Couldn't. If he made even the tiniest mistake, Blaine would know that he knew. And Blaine would hate him if he found that out.

And not actually being friends with Blaine was definitely better than Blaine hating him.

So, as much as it hurt him, Kurt resolved that morning that he wouldn't talk to Blaine unless necessary again. He would continue just watching him from afar, worrying about him, wishing he could actually be friends with the boy.

Kurt sighed and pushed his plate away from him, standing and walking out of the Great Hall, still ignoring the worried voices of his friends.

He didn't see Blaine watch him make his way out of the hall, or see him stand once he was far enough away and start following him, ignoring his own friends.

~o.O.o~

"Kurt! Hey, wait up!"

Kurt froze.

Why is he testing me like this?

"H-hey, Blaine,"

He was halfway up a staircase, after having decided to go to the library for a while, and had seriously not been expecting Blaine to follow him out of the Great Hall.

"Heading to the library?"

Kurt stared at him in slight shock. "Yea-wait, what? How did you know that?"

"Ravenclaw's always go to the library. I think it might be your house motto or something. 'When in doubt, go to the library!'" Blaine grinned at him and Kurt rolled his eyes.

"Actually the house motto is 'Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure'. Cause, you know, Rowena Ravenclaw had that etched onto her diadem," Blaine frowned slightly at that.

"What the hell is a diadem?"

Kurt sighed.

"Not important. Did you need me for something?" He felt slightly guilty at his snappish tone, knowing Blaine didn't deserve it in the slightest, but he was annoyed that the boy now, after four years, had the sudden desire to talk to him.

"Ah, well not really but… I saw you walking out of lunch and you looked… depressed or something, and none of your friends followed you, so I was kinda worried, and since you worried about me and my… Dragon Pox, I just figured I could, you know, return the favour?"

Well.

That was kind of… unexpectedly sweet of him. Kurt felt himself blushing slightly, instantly willing it away as he replied slowly.

"Well, uhm… that's really swe -nice of you, but I just… remembered a book that I needed to borrow and read for… Ancient Runes. Yeah, Professor Jude told me it'd help understand… certain translations, so I… yeah. Need to borrow. The book. Like, now,"

Blaine looked slightly amused at how obviously flustered Kurt was getting. "Uh huh. You know, if you didn't want to talk about what's upsetting you, you could've just said so instead of coming up with such an… elaborate lie. It's not like I really know you and can tell you what to do about your problems," Blaine seemed to be saying the last part more to himself than Kurt, and before he could stop, Kurt said something he wished he actually regretted.

"You could get to know me better," He paused, flinching slightly at how many implications that sentence had –somewhat reminiscent of Blaine's line in the library a few nights earlier- before adding hastily, "You know, if you want to, I'm fine if you don't, really,"

"I do,"

Those two words, said rather quietly caught Kurt completely off guard. And when Blaine said them, Kurt had to look the other boy in the eye to try and see if he was telling the truth.

But, of course, Blaine's honey-coloured eyes were practically shining with honesty.

"You… do?"

Blaine nodded, smiling slightly.

"My friends will probably say I'm stupid or whatever –they think all Ravenclaw's are snobs, particularly you- but I don't really care what they think, they've tried to transfigure each other's wands into liquorice."

Kurt grimaced but felt himself grinning beneath it.

"Why on earth would they do that? Couldn't they just go buy some liquorice wands?"

"No, it was a specific type of liquorice. Some American red liquorice, Red Vines or something, they were rattling on about how 'Red Vines can do everything', I don't even know. That's beside the point anyway. When should we hang out?"

"Hang out?"

Blaine smiled at Kurt's confusion.

"I'm assuming people have to hang out to get to know each other, or do Ravenclaw's do it differently?"

"What's with all this Ravenclaw house discrimination?" Kurt exclaimed, though he was holding back a laugh.

"You're deflecting, Kurt, stop deflecting!"

"Right, sorry. Uhm… this is assuming you don't want to go to the library?"

Blaine snorted out a laugh, which made Kurt wonder how he made look somehow elegant and charming. How on earth was a snort charming?

"I was thinking something more… not-recluse-y. Like Hogsmeade,"

"I'm not a recluse!" Kurt exclaimed in indignation before he really processed the rest of what Blaine had said. "W-wait. Hogsmeade? Like, Hogsmeade Hogsmeade?"

"Unless there's another Hogsmeade hidden somewhere, yes. Hogsmeade," Blaine raised his eyebrows slightly at Kurt's stunned look.

"Uhm. Hogsmeade. Yeah that sounds –that sounds good. That's uhm, next weekend, right?"

Blaine nodded.

"Right, okay. Uhm, okay then. Next weekend. Hogsmeade. Getting to… getting to know each other. Okay,"

Kurt was rambling now, he knew it. Blaine seemed to think it was cute or something though, as he grinned in reply.

"Awesome! Next weekend! I'll see you then –well, actually, you'll see me before, since we have like, three classes together, but you know what I mean,"

"Yeah, I –yeah. I'll –yeah,"

The fact that Kurt really couldn't string together coherent sentences seemed to give Blaine the hint that he should probably leave before Kurt had some sort of vital breakdown and was rendered mute or something.

"Well… Bye then, Kurt," And he turned back down the stairs, pausing only to look back up over his shoulder, smile, wink and wave.

Kurt stood there for several long moments.

Processing.

Hogsmeade.

Next weekend.

With Blaine.

He was going to Hogsmeade next weekend with Blaine.

On a date.

He had just agreed to go on a date with Blaine Anderson, not ten minutes after he'd resolved to not talk to the boy.

Well, I've really gotten myself into it now, haven't I?

~o.O.o~