Autumn had turned to winter and winter had barely turned to spring when the sun had come out to shine. Most students therefor were spending the day outside. But not Albus and Lily Potter. They were up in the Gryffindor common room waiting for their brother James to return from Quidditch practise. Together they would go visit Rubeus Hagrid.

Albus and Lily were just talking when they heard the Fat Lady raise her voice at someone. '…no manners anymore.' She exclaimed in a high voice.

'Oh shut up!' A student hissed back as he entered the common room. Tom Finnigan looked furious as he stormed past the Potters up to the dormitories.

'What's up with him?' Lily asked Albus.

'I don't know.' Albus mumbled and got up. 'I'll be back.' He said and quickly followed Tom upstairs.

The door closed itself behind him as Albus gasped. Tom had ransacked their whole room. He was randomly throwing things into his trunk and sank down on the ground. Albus kneeled by his side. 'Love, what's wrong?'

Tom looked up at him. 'They found out I blew up the Slytherin hourglass.' The Slytherin hourglass counted the house points of Slytherin house in green emeralds. Earlier that week the hourglass had exploded for no particular reason. Albus and Tom were the only ones that knew who'd been responsible. Though many others had suspected Tom and even James Potter.

'So, how many days of detention did you get?' Albus sat down on the end of Tom's bed.

'None, not even any points taken from Gryffindor.' Tom said standing up.

Albus looked at his boyfriend. 'They let you go free?' He asked surprised.

Tom picked up his broom and looked at Albus. 'I got expelled.'

Albus' eyes grew big. 'What?! For something like this?! They can't do that!' He shook his head.

Tom put his broom on his bed. 'Well, they wouldn't have if they didn't still suspect me of those stunts James pulled off.' Every time James and his gang blew something up, Tom got blamed. Due to his own and his father's reputation. For all the times James didn't get caught they held Tom responsible. Of course there was no prove and Tom didn't get punished, but it didn't do any good to his reputation. And now it even resulted in this.

'We'll get them to see sense. I'll make James fix this, if I have to.' Albus said slipping his arm around Tom's waist.

'Don't bother. James won't.' Tom walked away from Albus and threw a shirt into his trunk. 'I've asked him to own up, many times before. But he and his pompous butt refuse to.' With a swish of his wand everything in Tom's trunk arranged itself neatly. 'I'll ask Senna to hit a buldger where it hurts.' Tom's cousin, Senna Thomas, got on the Hufflepuff team as beater this year.

'You can't blame James for everything.' Albus said sitting down on his own bed.

'If I didn't get blamed for his stupid stunts I could have pulled this of easily! I've never blown up anything bigger than a dummy.' Tom kicked against his trunk.

'You blew up my bed…' Albus said.

'That was in our first year, Al! It was an accident!' Tom snapped. 'The things that James does are never an accident. And he doesn't care if I get expelled for them!'

Albus rose to his feet. 'My brother is not a feeling less monster! He does care!' He snapped back. 'And eventually it's your own fault you got expelled, not his!'

'You always take James' side!' Tom yelled.

Albus started yelling louder. 'Well, he is my brother! And…'

'And I'm your boyfriend! But I guess that doesn't matter. Especially since it's our little secret.' Tom swung his wand again and all his belongings flew into his trunk. 'You know what? Let's forget about this little secret!'

'What do you mean?' Albus uttered still angry.

'I'm leaving tonight. And after that we won't have to see each other ever again.' Tom stormed out of the room. The lid of his trunk fell shut and locked itself.

Albus stared at the door. What had just happened? 'Tom. Tom, wait!' He ran after him. He just saw Tom push James out of the way and disappear through the portrait hole.

'What's with him?' James asked looking at the closing portrait.

'Tom!' Albus yelled again, but by now Tom could be anywhere in the castle.

Lily got up. 'Al, what's wrong?' She asked, but he was to stunned by what just happened to answer. 'Al?' He closed his eyes and it sounded as if her voice got deeper. 'Al?!'

'Al, wake up!' Tom almost pushed him out of his bed. Albus quickly opened his eyes and looked right into the blue eyes of his roommate. 'Jeez man, what was that?' Tom backed up and sat down on his own bed. He was wearing his try-out get up.

It had all been a dream, a horrible dream. No, a… 'Nightmare.' Albus groaned.

'A bad one so I see.' Tom rose to his feet again. 'But I wanna get some breakfast before try-outs so I gotta rush. You coming to the pitch later?' He asked and picked up his broom.

Albus lifted his head up. Everything really had been a dream. Everything from the morning of the try-outs to their fight. Try-outs hadn't taken place yet, Tom hadn't gotten on the team and he hadn't kissed him. 'Don't think so.' Albus mumbled still a bit sleep drunk.

'Suit yourself. I'll see you back here after.' Tom opened the door and looked back at Albus. 'Oh and you don't mind I borrowed a pair of your socks, right?' He didn't wait for an answer. 'Thanks mate!' And with that he was gone. Albus shook his head. His weird sock borrowing roommate. He lifted his head up a bit more. He could see a note attached to his bedpost.

"Thanks for the socks, Al. Feel free to grab one of my shirts, yours are still covered in Thursday's mud bomb.

Love,

Tom."