Disclaimer: I own nothing, not the best show in the world or J.K. Rowling's amazing world of magic and awesomeness..

A big thanks to my beta, Classy Venus.

Enjoy!

~ Badger Watching ~

Dean

Dean Winchester was that kind of guy many girls wanted so badly, mainly because of his handsome looks, charming smile, and his solid, almost emerald eyes. Girls would point at him when he walked down the corridors at Hogwarts, giggle and blush, and they would do anything to get his attention, just like in the countless movies he had watched during the holidays back home before he became a student at the best school for witchcraft and wizardry in the world.

Sammy's friend, Becky, had once described him as a pretty-boy supermodel.

And then there was the guys at Hogwarts who either wanted to be him or hated him with passion. They all wanted to be him due to the fact he could probably get any girl he wanted with the exception of his childhood friend Jo and a few other girls. It was also for the very same reason they hated him.

Dean found it humorous that he was popular at Hogwarts, but he still didn't have any friends, really. After third year came to an end people had finally accepted Dean didn't want followers all around him. He wanted to be himself, and the only people he wanted to be with was his brother, Jo and a few people he'd gotten to know during his first year.

Ash and Becky was Sam's fault, Dean didn't mind them. There was no real explanation to why he sometimes talked to Tessa. He'd thought Anna was a really nice girl; she was pretty, too.

Now, Dean was completely straight and he had never thought about a guy as more than a friend. Never. He did not find guys appealing or attractive. He liked the feminine curves of a woman's body, the extremely soft skin, the gentle touch which could be truly rough during other times. The feeling of long, silky hair trailing down his body because he loved long-haired girls the most. He liked how their breasts moved when they walked. He even liked their painful, long nails.

Though, Dean could not deny that he had spent a lot of time, since the first day at Hogwarts, staring at one certain disheveled looking Hufflepuff with big, wide, and stunning blue eyes. He had never seen such a blue color before in his life, and he thought it should be illegal to have such an extremely beautiful eye color. And just that thought alone made Dean shiver.

One, the thought of calling a color, much less an eye color, pretty was so chick-flick. Second, it was a boy's eyes.

But staring at the Hufflepuff, or Castiel James Novak – he had heard Sammy mention that was the badger's full name yesterday for apparently the two of them had talked sometimes because they both spend unhealthy number of hours in the library – was hardly surprising.

He had had a hard time admitting it, too.

He had come to a conclusion: Castiel was pretty hot for a guy. But that was that and that didn't make him gay. Straight guys could think and not say out loud, that a guy here and there looked nice. Right?

He was reminded of that every time he walked down the endless corridors at Hogwarts Castle or even during Divination and Defense Against The Dark Arts which the Gryffindors and the Hufflepuffs shared this year.

Never before in his life had he noticed that certain, blue-eyed Hufflepuff as much as he had since that first day in the compartment when, as girly as it truly sounds, their eyes met across the small, packed room.

Sure, he had had classes with the Hufflepuffs many times before and he was sure he had seen Castiel a lot of times through the six years at Hogwarts, but that had just been routine, and he hadn't really bothered noticing people who wasn't important to him. Castiel had just been one of those people around him that he didn't notice, like when you walk down the muggle filled streets in London.

But now that Dean had noticed him he also noticed that there was something about the guy. He needed to figure that what.

Dean was sure he had seen the boy before, and by before he meant it hadn't been in the classroom or just when he was strolling down the corridor, and something had happened that he either liked or did not like. Whatever had happened had made an impression, or something like that, on the him. But if it had caught his attention as much as he believed it had done, then why couldn't he remember it? He knew his eyes had met with those dazzling baby blues before.

It bothered him a lot because it were very, very distracting. The messy haired Hufflepuff was just distracting and he was suddenly everywhere Dean went.

His train of thought were abruptly broken by the chilly, tickling breeze of someone blowing into his ear. With a small, uncomfortable shiver and goosebumps spreading across his body like a disease, he turned his head to acknowledge the person.

"Jo," he nodded in greeting. She was about the only person in his year that he even bothered talking to. She was also the only one he actually liked, and she was cool.

He, Jo, or Joanna Beth – she preferred to be identified as Jo – along with Sam had grown up in the same neighborhood.

Ellen Harvelle, Jo's mom, was a very old friend of Mary Winchester from back when they both attended Hogwarts, and they had always had gatherings during the years of Dean's life. Thanksgiving, Christmas, birthdays, Halloween and such celebrations were always held together at either the Harvelle's place or the Winchester's. Mostly at the Winchesters due to the fact Ellen and Jo had a smaller place. They lived on top of the Roadhouse, the bar the Harvelle family owned.

There had been one year the two families hadn't done anything together because Ellen's husband died and she had, for a short while, blamed everything on John. Dean wasn't sure why she'd blamed him. His parents and Ellen didn't talk about it, and it seemed like Jo and Sam didn't know the reason, either.

"Sam told me you sat with him on the train ride again," Jo said as she sat down beside him at the desk. They were currently in the Charms classroom waiting for their teacher, Professor Filius Flitwick.

"So?" An eyebrow raised on Dean's forehead.

"So," Jo began, "he told me to talk to you about it. I think he's worried, Dean. You're in your Sixth year and you still haven't been able to make any friends. I reckon, and so does he, that you should try to get some before you graduate and have to live alone forever and die a very sad old man."

Dean pouted for a short while. "I've made friends." He then protested.

"Name three."

"Becky, Ash and... Anna?"

"Since when do you hang out with Becky and Ash? They're Sam's friends who you hang out with whenever you hang out with Sam. And since you broke up with Anna, you two haven't exactly hung out."

Dean's lips parted as he was about to answer that it wasn't true about Anna, but closed them again. She was right, he and Anna hadn't hung out much after their break up. Much as in not at all even though they agreed to stay friends. And the only times he really hung out with Becky was when he was bothering Sammy, and Ash when he needed some help with something, like homework, when Sam either couldn't or didn't want to help him.

"Am I right?"

"I hate you," Dean said with a sarcastic tone in his voice, glaring meaningfully at his blonde haired friend. "But you gotta admit I sometimes talk to Tessa, too."

She chuckled and gave his shoulder a clap. "You should've come and sat with my friends on the ride, Dean. They would like that, I'm sure."

"And listen to your girly gossip? No friggin' way. I would go insane or somethin'. Besides, I don't really need any backstabbin' people in my life. True friends, Jo, the ones you've known since you were kid. And 'sides, I don't need any friends when I got you." He wiggled his eyebrows, and Jo knew it was just friendly teasing. Dean would never flirt with her. Their little crushing-on-each-other history was over many years ago.

"I have met some true friends here at Hogwarts, Dean," Jo rolled her eyes before suddenly turning serious. "Sam, too. Your problem is that you don't give people a chance to get into your life. You can talk to them, fine, but you won't allow them to get close to you. You seriously need to do something about it. Please."

Dean glared into her eyes, then looked away.

"Fine, I can't argue with that," Dean replied. "Would you be happy if I told you I met someone who seems nice?"

Jo relaxed a little and gave him a smile. "Nice, Dean? Really? Never thought you would describe people as nice. Cool is more like it. So, who is it?"

"Some disheveled Hufflepuff with big blue eyes called Castiel James Novak. Talked to him this morning." Dean said, subtlety never being one of his strong points.

Jo's face lit up like a Christmas tree. "Yeah? Seriously, Dean?"

"Whats with you and the word seriously today?" Dean frowned. "I just met him on the train ride and he seemed weird, but I kind of liked his eyes and smile and-"

He trailed off as he realized what kind of words there was just coming out of his mouth. He royally just screwed up by saying out loud that he liked a guy's eyes and smile to his best girl friend, Jo, who gossips a lot.

That's it, doomsday was here.

He was done for.

"This is brilliant!" She breathed, eyes wide and shining. "You actually and finally met someone who's eyes and smile you like! I didn't hear the words tits or nice curves, but eyes and smile." She then eyed him suspiciously. "Are you sick?"

Dean frowned. Where had her enthusiasm gone? Serisouly, women and their mood swings. "Not sick, Jo. Didn't you hear? I said him, as in a guy. You're not freaked out by that?" He suddenly felt a little excitement as he thought about the reaction she had given him.

"Freaked? Oh please," she waved a hand. "I've known you weren't truly into girls for years, Dean. You never truly liked them more than you liked school. You like their pretty looks, but you have never once said you liked their personalities, eyes or smile. Maybe it's 'cause you haven't met the one." Enthusiasm bubbling like a cauldron in her stomach.

"Not true, though. I like girls. A lot. Really." Dean told her, his defensive nature returning. "I am not into guys, seriously. I am very manly, thank you."

"So, just because you like guys you can't be manly?"

They heard Professor Flitwick enter the classroom, and both of them pulled out their quills, wand and parchment and placed it all on their shared desk in front of them. The professor was stopped by a group of Slytherins, so the two Gryffindors turned back to their conversation.

"That's so wrong, Dean," Jo continued, snapping with a scowl playing on her delicate, girlish face.

Dean flinched and Jo quirked her lips in an apologetic grimace. "You need to re-think that. Just because you like guys doesn't mean you aren't manly, as you like to put it."

"I still don't swing that way, Jo. Hundred percent straight."

Said girl grabbed her wand tightly in her hand. "I'm not accusing your of being gay. I'm just saying I've know for a while and you were never truly into girls, only their appearance. There was the case of Anna, but you still didn't want commitment."

"Still doesn't mean I'm gay."

"Yes, I know. Maybe you just find this guy more likeable than any other person you've ever met. Castiel is a nice guy, really. He seems a bit weird and he stares a lot, but he's nice and friendly, and he could really use some friends, too."

Dean ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," Jo nodded; she turned to look at the Professor for a moment, but he was still distracted by one of the Slytherins who'd asked him about something neither Gryffindor had heard or cared about. "I think you should go for it. But I am warning you Dean, don't go and hurt him. I like the guy."

Dean frowned at her. "I thought I was your friend. Aren't you supposed to tell him that?"

"Oh yeah, you are. But I know you can defend yourself. That guy can't. I have seen him pushed around by Alastair and his gang."

He stared at Jo's cheek as her face was turned to his side, her eyes looking towards Flitwick and the snaky idiots.

He wondered why hearing that made his blood boil. He always wanted to beat the living crap out of the Slytherin, Alastair, and he had tried to do it here and there and sometimes without magic during their fights around Hogwarts. Fights the teachers usually stopped before something bloody could happen.

In this moment he was glad he couldn't spot the Slytherin in the crowd of green and black on the other side of the classroom.

"Now class, today were are going to learn Aguamenti. It is an incantation, and a charm that creates a jet of clear, pure water or a fountain from the caster's wand. Now, raise your wands and follow my instructions, but don't say anything, just swing your wands."

Only now Dean noticed Professor Flitwick was standing on top of his pile of books. Following the rest of the class movements, he grabbed his wand and the lesson began.

After Charms with Professor Flitwick and the douchebags, otherwise known as Slytherins, came to an end, Dean had lunch, or free period as many of his house mates would call it, with the rest of the school after four lessons.

As Jo had decided to go find her friends, both those from their house of lions and those she had in Ravenclaw and three girls from Hufflepuff Dean knew, too. One of them was Gwen Campbell, Dean's third cousin on their mother's side, but they weren't really close.

"See you in Defense, Dean," Jo had called behind him with a wave before leaving ten minutes earlier when they had parted ways as Dean made his way towards the Gryffindor tower to get rid of his Charms books.

"See you," he had called him, watching her go for a moment with a faint smile.

He turned in the opposite direction.

He sauntered out of the common room about eight minutes later, and as soon as he was out of the portrait hole he made his way towards the Great Hall to find some food before he would head outside towards the Quidditch pitch to fly around a bit on his Impala before next period started.

As he moved down a set of stairs, he was distracted by the sight of a small figured dressed in robes way to big for the little body wearing them. The person moved down the last few steps of the staircase Dean had just began walking down.

Dean had gotten a good look at that person in the compartment on the train ride to Hogwarts made the silhouette ahead of him immediately recognizable; it was indeed Castiel.

The figure disappeared around the corner of the corridor ahead of him, and in only a small amount of time Dean hesitated for a moment, thinking about the delicious food waiting for him in the Great Hall. He decided to follow the Hufflepuff to wherever he was going. For the first time since Dean could remember, he would skip lunch and a little flying around the Quidditch pitch.

As he followed the blue-eyed Hufflepuff, he made sure to do it from a long distance. Dean wasn't sure of how sharp Castiel's hearing was, and he surely didn't dare the risk of discovery even though he liked to play with fate.

Castiel moved – or perhaps slid was a better word for describing it – in and out of the few shadows that appeared in this darker corridor at Hogwarts. If Dean hadn't been watching him close like a hawk watching its prey, he would probably have missed the silent shape that moved in and out by the shadows cast by the suits of armor, alcoves in the walls and the statues that was placed around them.

A golden light highlighted the Hufflepuff from the torches that hung on the walls between the armors.

He wondered where Castiel had learnt to move like that. If Dean dared to do it, he would say the boy almost moved gracefully. But he didn't. Dean had had enough of chick flick moments for the rest of the year today.

Soon the Hufflepuff arrived at the big doors leading to Hogwarts Library, overseen by the lovely, lovely Madam Irma Pince. Who was Dean kidding? He hated that woman. She'd thrown him out the library more times than he could count. Not that he liked being in the library, but his brother and his bird friends, and by bird friends Dean meant Ravenclaws, did.

The boy entered the gigantic library carefully, not bothering to either open or shut the door behind him as they were always open when students were allowed in the library.

Dean waited a few minutes to give the smaller boy time to get a good distance away before realization came down upon him; the library was like a mad labyrinth. If he didn't hurry now he would probably lose the boy between the many bookshelves.

He entered the labyrinth of books, bookshelves, and study tables that was nestled throughout the red-carpeted room. Bookshelves standing proudly and tall against the walls, many of which had secret passages to other places in the library. Dean knew for a fact that Filch used them to travel between the library quickly in case he heard someone sneaking around in times they shouldn't be.

Where tables weren't there was thousands of books placed on gigantic shelves causing the room to be filled with labyrinthine paths between the shelves. Dean managed to spot the stained-glass windows and the wine-colored wallpaper.

Green eyes drifted around madly in search for the messy haired Hufflepuff and Dean wasn't met with disappointment as he spotted the boy move up the staircase to the second floor, also known as the upper floor that consisted of a very large balcony that overlooked the lower floor.

Grabbing a random book from the shelf nearest, Dean raised it in front of his face and followed the other sixth year, though he still kept a great distance.

The library was brightly lit up by some kind of magic Dean didn't know of and truly didn't care about, but the light always made sure to shine the right way so there weren't any dark hiding spots in the enormous room.

Castiel moved onto the second floor and found a table at the far end by a window.

Dean watched as the boy laid some books, parchment, an ink bottle, and his wand on the table before the boy tilted his head back and stared with peculiar intensity towards the ceiling.

Dean crept forward as far as he dared, which was almost too close if he didn't want the other boy to notice him as he retreated behind the bookshelf that stood mighty and tall right in front of the table the Hufflepuff was currently sitting at, still staring into the ceiling.

Dean followed his line of sight and found nothing particular interesting about the ceiling, therefore he looked back down at the boy. He noticed the Adam's apple move in Castiel's throat as the boy swallowed. Dean gulped, he found that he strangely enough liked the movement.

Shaking his head he almost banged it into the bookshelf; how the hell could he think that! Especially about a boy. He wasn't gay. Could boys think like that about other boys without being gay? He'd thought they couldn't earlier, but now? The thought almost made Dean nervous and he found himself shivering because of it.

It was disgusting.

Castiel sat still for a very long time, or it felt like a long time to Dean but he figured it was because his patience was the size of a teaspoon.

Then something finally happened. The boy's gaze moved from the ceiling, but before it came to rest on his closed books, they stopped halfway right on where Dean's head poked out from behind the bookshelf.

The Gryffindor's eyes widened as much as the Hufflepuffs did, and Dean quickly pulled himself out of Castiel's sight and moved down between the two bookshelves he was standing in between. At the end of the shelves on his right he turned around it and moved down another pathway to hide himself completely from the badger.

"Winchester?" He heard his name being called, and when Dean poked his head around the current bookshelf he hid behind, he saw Castiel look around the first bookshelf Dean had hid behind.

A frown appeared on Castiel's face when he found Dean was missing.

When Castiel moved down the path of the bookshelves the lion had taken only moments ago, Dean moved around his current hiding place and ran for safety right by his old hiding place and towards the staircase that led him to the lower floor, his black robes moving around his feet dangerously.

"Winchester?"

Dean stopped right in front of the main doors to the library. He hesitated but decided to turn around, and when he looked up at the balcony he saw the disheveled Hufflepuff stand by the edge, staring right back at him. When their eyes met, Dean blushed, turned, and ran out.

Well, that hadn't been embarrassing at all.

Dean shook his head and made his way quickly towards the Great Hall.

Why had he kept hiding? He wasn't a damn coward; he faced his problems. When he wanted something, he went and got it, and apparently he had wanted to talk to Castiel. What had been the problem? Why hadn't he just done it.

All these thoughts just made him hungry and confused. And everybody who know Dean well knew he couldn't think straight on an empty stomach.

Sammy would correct him here and say he was never able to think straight. Stupid little brother.

Reviews and comments encourages me to write more, guys. Please! When I look at how many people who actually reads this story and favorites it I'm a bit disappointed about how few of you actually review. Those of you who does are just awesome.

Wrote most of this chapter on Halloween. Yep, that's how I spent my Halloween, guys. You better have liked this chapter! Wrote the last part of this chapter on November 5th. It's a sad day for today we lost Harley, Jared's dog :'/ R.I.P Harley...

I've found out it's much, much easier to write Castiel's parts of this story XD

!SPOILORS! BOBBYYYYYY! *crying* NOOOOO! Death's Door broke my heart, seriously. I was a crying mess in physical pain. Am I the only one who is still crying inside? !SPOILORS!