Chapter Ten
Busy Little Bees
The two weeks before the Hogsmeade weekend were filled with studying and plans. Sherlock had fallen farther behind on his homework than he wanted to admit to Molly, who always pestered him about the mistakes in his writing when he didn't bother checking facts. But mostly she was too busy with her own work to bother with Sherlock, or even search for his company. A great majority of time he would see her with her bag packed with books and scrolls of parchment, rushing to the library. Mike was in the same situation as her. They would sit across from each other, making no remarks, just keeping each other company whilst studying.
It had given John and Sherlock time alone. After studying for a few hours and getting fed up with it, one of them would leave their common room and wait for the other, who would never take long to show up. Then they would leave the castle – with or without rain – and walk in the direction of the Quidditch pitch. When the weather was cold but nice, they would wander leisurely around the pitch, picking rocks from the ground and seeing who could throw them further away. If it was raining they would hide in the tunnels that circled the pitch underneath the stands, and kiss a lot.
It was not a secret love; there was no reason for it to be a secret love. But it was a first love for them both and they didn't know exactly how to come out and declare it. They would not deny it if someone asked, but they would not mention it without being approached in that sense.
John liked words; he wrote poetry and hid it in between Sherlock's books, or in his cloak's pockets. Later on, when they met, Sherlock would say something to let him know he had gotten the memo. Sherlock was fond of gestures and John couldn't feel happier than when they sat together, sand dirtying their clothes, and Sherlock pulled him to rest his head on his lap. He would play with John's hair, and talk about new experiments, places he had seen and books he had read. John told him all about his childhood, his parents and sister; Sherlock would do the same, and they joked about matching Harriet and Mycroft up and how ridiculous the idea was.
When the day was ending and they had to return to the castle, Sherlock always placed his hand on John's cheek, looking at him like that for a long time. Then, playing with John's hair again, combing it against his temple, he would bend over and kiss him longingly, relishing in the electrifying feeling he had tried and failed to find an explanation for. John would feel warm all over, and know that that kiss would keep him going until they could sneak out to be together again.
When John had Quidditch practises, Sherlock would most often retire to his own Ravenclaw Tower, in order to not distract him. But John could see in the distance, standing by the window of Ravenclaw's common room, a lonely figure, staring in his direction.
It was the best time of their lives.
The two weeks passed in a blur. After lunch on Saturday, Sherlock and Molly sat at the table in the Great Hall, waiting for the other students to head back to their dormitories to get things ready for that trip that afternoon. John, Mike and 'The Yard' approached them and sat at the Ravenclaw table as well. Lestrade looked around, making sure no one was paying attention to their conversation. He placed two slips in front of Sherlock.
"I have two permission slips so only two of us can go to the Restricted Section. I want Molly to go with me."
Molly turned crimson, as she always did around Lestrade. Sherlock looked at her and then Lestrade.
"Why Molly?"
"Because Sally and Anderson are both going to Hogsmeade and she is my best bet. She has a reputation about researching methods and it's a pretty good one. So, Molly is going with me."
Sherlock acquiesced and Molly lowered her head, unable to face anyone.
"You can go to the Potions Room and sample the blood." He extended a hand toward Sally, who dropped the same container they had showed Sherlock that day by the lake on Lestrade's palm. Lestrade slid it across the table. "Here's the Cruor. Use it wisely."
"I'm taking John with me." Sherlock said. "Unless you want to go to Hogsmeade?"
He turned to John when he asked, affection splayed across his face. John smiled, unable to stop himself.
"No, I'll stay with you."
Mike, Sally and Anderson exchanged a look. Mike spoke.
"I could go to Hogsmeade as well. I needed a few supplies and I can keep an eye out there as well."
Sally turned to him.
"You'll come with us then."
"Very well," Lestrade said. "You know what you have to do then. Molly and I are going to search the library for… What are we searching the library for?"
Sherlock laughed. With all that had been going on they had never discussed the reason for the break in. He slid his hand inside his pocket and removed one of the strings from the parchment.
"This. This is what you are looking for. Molly knows, so she'll help you out. And here," he added, "Is a list of all the books John and I had already searched before we were interrupted."
"You kept a list?" John asked. "I didn't see you write it back then."
"I didn't. I scribbled it this morning. I'll explain later." He wrapped the red sting inside the parchment and gave it to Molly. "Don't lose it."
Molly nodded.
"Are we set, then?" Lestrade asked.
They all got up, mumbling in agreement.
"We'll meet up here once you return for the Halloween Feast," he added, talking to the three who were leaving for the wizarding village, marking their meeting point for later.
Sherlock, John, Molly and Lestrade watched, as Sally, Anderson and Mike left the castle, following the professors assigned to accompany the students to Hogsmeade that day, before leaving together for the third floor. Molly and Lestrade disappeared into the library as John and Sherlock headed in the direction of the dungeons, into the Teachers' Potions Room.
Standing in line to leave for Hogsmeade, James and Sebastian saw Sally, Anderson and Mike. Noticing the absence of the others, they exchanged a look. A group of students from the first year ran past them. Sebastian stopped the last one, holding him by his cloak.
"Watch," he whispered to the terrified student.
He then removed a slingshot from his pocket and aimed. He placed a rock from the ground onto the elastic band and then released it. It hit one of the kids up front right in the back of his head. The first year student Sebastian had grabbed laughed, amusedly, and he handed him the slingshot.
"Make good use of it."
And he and James shared a smile, watching the student disappear with a mischievous grin on his face. They wanted to create a legacy, and they were just getting started.