"So, I was thinking we could do this essay on... Paul? Hey!" Fitz tapped his friend's arm to get their attention. Their. That pronoun still sounded a little weird in Fitz's head, but he would respect his friend's wishes, despite the fact he'd never even considered that not having a gender was a thing. That's what they had asked of him, and he was going to listen and follow what Paul said. It was only fair. Now, however, he just wished that Paul would pay a little more attention to the extremely important homework that the two of them were supposed to be doing. They were meant to be writing an essay outline on the effects of various laws on the practise of Transfiguration, and Fitz wanted to do theirs on Goblins.

Paul turned their head away from a book that was drifting past, pages fluttering like inky wings, and blinked at Fitz. "Hm?"

His friend's forgetful nature was trying at times, but Fitz would not abandon Paul in this project. No one else would do it with them.

"Homework, we're supposed to be writing an essay. Doctor Hartnell wants it in by tomorrow, Paul." He said gently. Paul really didn't like anyone raising their voice at all. Fitz hasn't asked about their home life, but Paul had a lot of quirks that point to a less than happy one.

Paul flinched as if they'd been stung and drew their arms in close. They'd been doing that a lot recently, Fitz had noticed. Although he had yet to figure out why.

"Hey, what's up? Something I said?" He put out a hand to squeeze the other student's shoulder, aware that touch was a source of comfort to them.

Paul just pulled their arms in even tighter and returned their attention to the fluttering books that swirled around the library ceiling.

"Will you talk to me, please..." Fitz's pleading tone seemed to strike something within the other student, and they turned to face him again.

"Paul." They spat the word with a hateful tone that Fitz had never expected to hear out of the mouth of his normally gentle and docile friend. He'd never heard them say something in such a spiteful manner. They didn't even get mad when they were beaten up, for Merlin's sake!

"Yeah, that's your name. What's wrong with your name? Is it- Ohh... Is this a pronoun-y thing? You don't like your name?"

Paul's eyes lit up and they nodded, grinning. "I-" They stopped for a moment. "Can you help me...find a new name?"

"Sure. I mean, why not?" Fitz shut the book of ancient goblin laws that he had been boredly flipping through and turned his full attention to his friend. "Where are we going to find you a name, mate?"

Paul pointed a finger shyly at the ceiling, and one slim book slowly floated down, feather-like, to land on the table between them. The cover read 'Ancient Wizarding Names'.

"You have GOT to teach me how you do that."

-...-...-...-...-

Three hours later, and Fitz was exhausted. It was one in the morning, they were breaking curfew, surrounded with bookcases that probably wouldn't move unless the Minister for Magic herself ordered them to, and they were still no closer to finding Paul a new name. Fitz's voice was hoarse from reading every single name (excluding names that were obviously gendered because he knew those would be refused immediately) in the book off one by one, in alphabetical order. They were only on 'L' and he had been through what was probably thousands of names, each one met with a small shake of Paul's head.

"Latona." Nope. "Letarni." Nope. "Letesh." Nope. "Lethe." Nope- Wait. There had been a nod that time, definitely. "Lethe? You like Lethe?"

Paul- Lethe- nodded their head. "Lethe. I-It's good."

"Okay then, Lethe. New name, sorted!" Fitz reached over and pulled his friend into a quick hug, seeing the other student's small smile that somehow held all the happiness in the world. Fitz loved that smile.

Doctor Hartnell was not pleased the next day when they both walked into class brimming with apologies and excuses (and receiving a detention), but Lethe was happy and if Lethe was happy, so was Fitz.