-Forth year before winter holiday-
"So you got a date for the Hogsmeade weekend?" Constantine asked, moving his pawn.
"No, and I don't think I'm going to either. it seems silly to me." Paris watched as his bishop took out one of the blonde's pieces.
"Oh come on, Paris. I saw that cute Ravenclaw girl talking to you the other day." The blonde smirked ignoring the game now.
"She just wanted me to tutor her, and I think I'm just going to get a head start studying for after holiday." Paris shrugged. "Anyway you'll be to busy with your date, no doubt, to even bother with what I'm doing." He sounded a little agitated. "It's you move."
"I guess, but I don't want you to just be here by yourself studying." Constantine laughed, moving a piece.
"Don't worry about me, I like studying." The red head studied the board a moment and moved a piece. "Check."
"But you always study. Why don't you put the books down and go have some fun?" Constantine frowned at the board, moving a piece.
"Checkmate." Paris smiled leaning back in the chair.
"Damn you." The blonde frowned
"Don't pout, Constantine. It doesn't make you look vary handsome." Paris grinned
"Oh, so you think I'm handsome, do you?" Constantine leaned back in the chair, putting his hands behind his head, and smiled at the red head.
Paris rolled his eyes. "I never said that. You're ugly even when you're not pouting." Paris laughed at the look on the others face.
"Your just jealous 'cause all the girls want me," Constantine recovered, smirking.
"Whatever you say." Paris got up, moving from the table. "I think I'm going to go study a bit."
"Oh, come on, Paris! Let's go sneaking around the castle or something," Constantine sighed, following the red head
"No, thank you. I think three detentions in a week are enough," Paris said, heading up the stairs.
"Well, if you kept up, Snape wouldn't have caught us that last time," Constantine pointed out as the entered the dorm room. Paris walked over to his trunk and pulled out a couple of books, and sat on his bed.
"You're studying?" Constantine asked, leaning against one of Paris' bedposts.
"That's what I said I was doing," Paris said slowly.
"But this is boring!" The blonde sighed, flopping down on the red heads bed.
"Then go play with one of your girls," Paris suggested irritably, flipping through the book pages.
"Nah, I don't feel like girls tonight," Constantine said absently, grabbing the book. Paris wasn't looking through. Paris felt his stomach flip when Constantine said that, even though he knew that's not what the blonde meant, but his mind worked in over time. "So do you want to or what?" Constantine asked, looking at his friend.
"Do what?" Paris asked, trying to fight the blush that tried to surface.
"Do you want to go and sneak out to the quidditch pit?" The blonde asked again, sitting up.
"Oh, oh um yeah, sure, I guess. But only if you are more aware of who's around. I am not getting detention again." Paris grabbed the books and got off the bed, putting them away.
"Great." Constantine smiled, standing.
-
"I don't know how I let you talk me into things like this," Paris whispered from behind the blonde.
"It's 'cause you can never tell me no, now be quiet." The blonde smirked, looking around the corner, seeing the hall clear. "Come on, quickly we're almost outside."
The two walked quietly down the hall. They were halfway down, when Constantine grabbed Paris by the jacket and pulled the red head into a broom closet.
"What the hell..." Paris' demand got cut short when the blonde's hand covered his mouth.
"Quiet," Constantine whispered.
A few seconds later, lone footsteps were heard from the other side of the door, coming down the corridor. Paris suddenly realized how close Constantine was to him. His heart was pounding in his ears, and he couldn't help but worry that the blonde would hear. Paris was grateful when Constantine took his hand from his mouth, and failed to conceal a smile when the blonde didn't move away. Paris could feel the warmth coming from the body in front of him, and he was thankful that the small area was dark so Constantine couldn't see the look that was so obvious on Paris' face. When the steps faded, Constantine opened the door taking a look out. Stepping out, he pulled Paris after him.
"Hey, Paris, now you can't say you were never in the broom closet with me." Constantine smirked at his now blushing friend.
"Oh, and who can't say that?" Paris laughed.
"Plenty of people," Constantine said indignantly
"You're right, the first and second years can," Paris quipped back, heading to a door that led out of the castle.
"That's just— you make me sound like I run around songging anything that moves," Constantine finally got out, as they were making their way from the castle.
"Oh, I know you don't snog everything that moves." Paris fought to keep his voice even.
"Well, good then, last thing I need is you thinking I'm a tramp." Constantine smiled
Paris smiled and shook his head, "No I don't think you are."
The boys walked all the way out to the quidditch pit. After walking around it for a while, they took a seat in the stands. "So what exactly was the point of coming out here?" Paris asked, wrapping his arms around himself, fighting the cold.
"I don't know. Just seemed better then hanging around the dorm." The blonde shrugged, buttoning his jacket up a little more.
"It is kind of cold out here, I think," Paris chattered.
"Well, you should have worn a better jacket." Constantine laughed, moving closer to his cold friend. Paris felt a different kind of chill run through his body when he felt the blonde's body next to his. "If you're getting really cold, then we should probably go back." Constantine looked worriedly at the shivering red head.
"Nah, I'll be fine in a minute." Paris gave a reassuring smile.
Constantine smiled and looked up at the sky, watching the stars, while a comfortable silence fell between them. Paris was watching the ground, not wanting to look at the blonde next to him. He glanced out of the corner of his eye. He couldn't turn away. He looked at the boy, his head tilted to the sky, the moonlight giving his skin an unearthly glow. It looked so smooth… Paris held his hands together to keep from reaching out. The blonde hair looked brighter and caught the light, a vivid glow surrounding the now night-darkened green eyes, reflected out small lights of green whenever the gaze shifted.
"Beautiful." Paris hushed and panicked when he realized he had spoken aloud. He jerked his head to the sky as he saw Constantine's head move.
"What is?" The blonde asked
"The moon." Paris kept his voice even though his heart was beating fast.
"Yes, it is. I love the moon, it's just so mysterious," the blonde agreed looking back up. After a moment he stood. "Come on, now I'm getting cold."
At that Paris realized he wasn't shivering any longer. He stood and followed Constantine out of the quidditch area. Back in the dorm, Pairs wrapped himself in the warmth of the covers, and drifted off to sleep, before he even thought about it.
-The next weekend-
"Well see you later, Paris." Constantine waved at the red head siting on his bed.
"Have fun, bring me back something." Paris forced a smile as he watched the blonde walk out of the dorm.
Constantine met up with a Hufflepuff third year girl by the name of Kaylie McMillian. She was pretty enough, short auburn hair and bright blue eyes. They wandered around the small town having butterbeer, and going around to the shops. Constantine bought Kaylie a few gifts and a surprise for Paris. The girl was a little giggly at first, but half way through date she started to seem as if she was getting bored.
Constantine finally asked her. "Are you not having any fun?"
"No, I am, it's just, never mind." She smiled, waving her hand dismissive
"No, what's the matter?" Constantine smiled at the girl
"It's just, you keep talking about that friend of yours." She looked down blushing. "I know you guys are like best friends and everything, but I'm more interested in you then your friend."
Constantine laughed a little, running his hand through his messy hair. "I'm sorry, I guess I just feel a little guilty for going out while he's stuck in the castle."
"Well he is in the castle, so that must be where he wants to be, and you're out here, so lets have some fun." Kaylie grinned wrapping her arms around the blonde's waist.
"You're right." Constantine smiled, leaning down, catching the girl's lips in a kiss.
-Later that day-
Constantine walked into the dorm finally, finding Paris on his bed reading, "Don't tell me you have been reading all day."
"Well, I did say I was going to study," Paris said evenly, not looking up. "How was your date?"
"Fine, I suppose. Had a couple of drinks, I got her a few things, and she says I talk about you too much." The blonde laughed the last bit, taking off his jacket. Paris looked up, watching the blonde. "Oh and here, I got you something," Constantine remembered, tossing a small box at his friend.
"What is it?"Paris asked, catching the box.
"Just open it, I saw it, and it made me think of you." The blonde grinned, flopping on his friend's bed.
Paris undid the string that was holding the brown paper around the box, revealing a light blue box. When Paris removed the lid, he was greeted with a silver band with a red stone in the center. It looked like 'W's engraved on either side of it. Paris looked to the grinning blonde, who had been watching him unwrap his gift, "Constantine, this is to much. All I wanted was like candy or something, this costs too much."
"No, you just keep that. When I saw it, I remembered when we were 8, I think, and I had gotten my ring from grandfather, and you always use to grab my hand to look at it. So I decided to get you a ring of your own. I know it's not the same thing, and hey if you still want candy, I got a bag of it in my coat," Constantine said, putting his hands behind his head, getting comfortable on the bed closing his eyes.
Paris put it on his middle finger. It looked the best there. He looked back at Constantine, who was now falling into a light sleep across the foot of his bed. He shook his head and leaned against the headboard, looking down at the ring on his finger.