It was Halloween, and like every year, MI6 threw a party. That is, a small group of very single-minded individuals headed by Eve Moneypenny managed to persuade, bribe, and threaten enough people that a party happened. This year, Q was promised an extra 15% to his budget if he attended, and Bond got told that if he wasn't present, every mission for the next six months would be to the middle of Canada. Needless to say, costumes were compulsory.
But, something was different this year.
Moneypenny only had to spend two weeks convincing Bond to attend and Q hardly presented a challenge at all. In fact he only seemed to put up a fight in order to get more money. However, there were decorations to plan, music to organise, and not to mention her amazing costume to construct, so she thought nothing more of it.
On the night of the 31st October, Bond strolled into HQ and almost didn't recognise it. Decorations covered every surface and he couldn't imagine the lengths Moneypenny had gone to in order to turn the place around. He knew it was only the ground floor, but even so, the scale of it all was impressive. Unconsciously he made his way over to the bar, and was waiting for his drink when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around and was greeted by a full sight of tight leather. He huffed to himself, of course Eve would choose Catwoman. Looking even more dangerous than usual, Eve leant forward so she could speak into his ear, over the music blasting around them.
"009's got himself caught in something which looks a lot worse than it actually is. Be a dear and go and collect our Quartermaster? I wouldn't want him to miss out on the fun."
Without waiting for a reply, she strutted off, drawing looks from every direction.
Bond finished his drink, ordered two more, and then made his way to the lifts. He relaxed as the doors closed. Even in MI6, close crowds put him more on edge than he'd like to admit.
The underground floors of MI6 were blissfully quiet. Bond could hear Q's typing before he even opened the door, and he smiled to himself. How many times had it just been the two of them at MI6, late at night, with Q's incessant keyboard chatter filling the space? He closed his hand around the handle, carefully balancing the drinks in his other hand, and pushed it forward, immediately seeing…
No way.
"That's your costume?!"
The typing stopped and Q turned around. The Hogwarts uniform framed his beautiful pale skin, the blue slashes along the collar highlighting his green, green eyes. The floor-length black cape swept behind him dramatically as Q took a step forward.
"I could say the same thing about you," Q said with a vague hand gesture.
Bond was wearing black pants and shoes, a navy skivvy, and a leather jacket. He put the drinks on a minion's desk before pulling a sonic screwdriver out of his inside pocket and pressed the button, the buzzing filling the air.
"You even got Nine's screwdriver!"
"You sound impressed, Quartermaster."
Q laughed as his feet took him closer to Bond.
"And I would be, if I didn't know for a fact that you took that out of my cabinet this morning."
Bond's smile dropped.
"You were gone! And I know you haven't been home!"
Q cocked an eyebrow.
"Honestly, James. That cupboard is full of Dr Who merchandise which is the pride of my collection. You think I don't have trackers implanted in them all?"
Bond managed to look slightly sheepish.
"I was definitely going to give it back."
"I know. Otherwise I wouldn't have let you take it."
Q leaned forward and kissed him, and Bond kissed him back. They hadn't seen each other since a coffee-fuelled farewell this morning, as Q was rushing out the door, and Bond was still in bed, and the quick kiss quickly slid into something dirtier.
"Now, is that your wand in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?"
Q hit him on the shoulder.
"That's awful and you're never to say it again."
Bond pulled at Q's robes, running his fingers over the blue outlining.
"Ravenclaw?"
Q shrugged. "It's what Pottermore sorted me into."
"Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
If you've a ready mind.
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind."
Q grinned.
"Now I'm impressed, James. You're quoting Harry Potter at me?"
"Which house would you sort me into? Slytherin for my cunning?"
Q tipped his head to the side, a playful look in his eyes, but he became serious when he finally spoke.
"You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart."
Bond was speechless, and rather touched. Not knowing what else to do he picked up the drinks and gave one to Q. They clinked their glasses together before downing both of them.
"I suppose Moneypenny's ordered you to retrieve me, then?"
"The sooner you go in there, the sooner we can leave."
Q tilted his head. It was adorable.
"But then what would we do to entertain ourselves, Bond?"
Bond's eyes glinted as he looked the Quartermaster up and down.
"Well, there's you, a cape, a sonic screwdriver, and me."
Bond turned to the door and held a hand out, which Q took.
"I'm sure we can think of something."
