AN: Hello lovelies! Sorry it's been a while, work's been pretty hectic since it's summer and all. I was going to post this during Dalton Riot Week, but I kinda forgot, so here it is! I hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: Everything related to Hogwarts!verse belongs to J K Rowling, all of the Dalton!verse characters belong to Mamma CP and the OCs are thanks to one of three things: my friends volunteering, my brain making them up or the special guest I have dropped in because I can ;) Also, the title was inspired by 'Magic Works' from the OST of 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire', so credit goes to whoever wrote it.
It had been a long day for Reed; after his Herbology class he had stayed to tend to the plants and gather any fruits and seeds those ready to be harvested gave. Once he was done, he headed to the Great Hall for a quick dinner before he and Merril headed to the Library to get some revision done for their upcoming NEWTs. After being kicked out by Madame Abernathy, the two had trudged back to their common room, dipping into the kitchens for a hot chocolate each before retiring to their respective dorms.
Reed had finally settled into his bed and was looking forward to losing himself in the depths of his down duvet and soft mattress when…
"Reed, Reed!" someone whispered.
The strawberry blond groaned softly, "Danny, what is-" he opened his eyes and whispered in shock, "Shane!" He sat up. "What are you doing here? The Final Task is tomorrow, you should be asleep!"
"I wanted to see you before I head to bed; you've been so busy today I only saw you at lunch. Come on." He gestured for the shorter boy to follow him.
"Where are we going?" The Hufflepuff got up, stuffing his feet into slippers and pulling on his dressing gown.
"Flying," he answered, beaming.
"I'll fall!"
"When have you ever fallen with me around?" He sent his boyfriend a genuine smile.
Reed sighed softly, "Fine, but let me dress in something a bit better suited for being outside for a long time in the middle of the night." He shot the taller boy a playful glare as he tugged on a thick sweater and a pair of trainers before the pair near-silently left the dorm, Shane steadying Reed whenever he stumbled.
They arrived in the common room to see the window Shane had snuck in through and they made their way over. "Stand back," he stated, giving Reed a moment to get a safe distance away before leaping up to the window and climbing out, kicking his legs wildly as he pushed the latter half of his body through the window. Once safely out, he lay on the grass and stuck his hand into the common room. "Come on!" he whispered excitedly, beaming.
Reed looked up at his boyfriend before judging the distance. Shane was stretching his arm as far as he could so he didn't have as high to jump, which was good given his accident-prone nature and height difference. With a quick jump, Shane had hold of his hands and moved to pull himself up, bringing Reed with him and making sure he didn't hurt himself. Once safely outside the two mounted his broom and when Reed and a firm hold around his boyfriend's waist, the brunet kicked off from the ground and slowly flew them into the air, noticing Reed's grip tighten around him, causing him to smile softly. He moved so he was controlling the broom with one hand and placed the now-free hand over the strawberry blond's clasped hands, looking over his shoulder to send the older boy a loving smile as they ascended into the night sky. Once at a decent height above the ground he flew forwards, taking the pair over the Black Lake before heading over the Forbidden Forest. Shane looked back to see Reed clinging on, his eyes squeezed shut.
"Open your eyes, I won't let you fall," he told the strawberry blond, his tone fond. Reed cracked one eye open before the other and looked around nervously, taking in the scene in awe. The violet sky spread out around him and the stars were revealing themselves above the thick layer of trees below them, which he could just make out in the darkness. The moon was just a slit in the sky above them but shone brightly from where it was, adding a little extra light to the setting around him. "Pretty great view, right?" Shane commented, a tender smile on his lips.
"Yeah…" Reed answered, looking out around him. He could just about see the lights of Hogsmeade ahead, as well as a few lights on around Hogwarts as the brunet directed them over the Forbidden Forest. They continued to drift around the night sky at a pace that wasn't so fast as to scare the short Hufflepuff, but fast enough that they could feel the steady breeze in their hair.
Shane continued to fly them over the Forbidden Forest, slowly looping back to head the way they came once they began to hit the other side of the thick foliage beneath them and Reed began to yawn, managing to press a few chaste, soft kisses to his boyfriend's lips every once in a while.
They landed nimbly near the window the pair had climbed out of earlier, dismounting his broom before helping Reed off. The two quietly stood close for a moment, holding the other's gaze.
"Thank you for the ride; it was fun," Reed said, his voice soft as he smiled gently.
"Thank you for joining me," the brunet replied, a small grin tugging at his lips.
"I'll see you tomorrow,"
"Before the challenge?"
"Of course."
"And you'll be cheering for me?"
"You and Dwight, yes."
"Great." The Durmstrang boy's grin widened and Reed couldn't help but return it. "So, I'll see you tomorrow."
"I love you," Reed appeared to have not realised what he had said until the words had already left his mouth, his eyes widening as his face significantly pinked under the moonlight.
Shane blinked, staring at the boy in front of him for a few moments before wrapping his arms around the strawberry blond and crashing their lips together, grinning into the kiss. After a second of shock Reed kissed back, his fingers tangling into his boyfriend's unruly curls. When they broke apart their lips were red and bruised, and Reed hadn't seen Shane look so happy since he agreed to be his boyfriend. "I love you too," he replied breathlessly, still grinning widely. Reed returned a shy grin before pulling the taller boy in for a gentler kiss.
"Help me down?"
"Always."
It took a bit of shuffling and coordination, but it wasn't long before Reed's feet landed- safely, for once- on the stone floor of the common room.
"Well, um, goodnight," Reed sent another smile to his boyfriend.
"Night, Reed, sweet dreams," the Champion replied softly before he shuffled back and shut the window quietly. The strawberry blond grinned dopily at the window a moment longer before turning and heading to his dorm to finally get some sleep.
