The Lion and the Serpent

Dean carried the success of the DA around like a warm glow in his chest over the next two weeks. He spent a portion of each meeting with Cas, coaching him on the offensive spells and helping him overcome his fears, just as he had with Cas's potion making. Cas mastered the Impediment Jinx, and Dean was stuck in one spot for ten minutes, though Cas struggled with the Reductor Curse, refusing to cast it after his first attempt demolished half of the room. On the whole, though, Dean caught more smiles and lingering gazes from Cas as he wandered around the room, checking on everyone else.

By the third meeting, Dean was getting desperate. He dropped more and more obvious hints to Cas, but Cas did not appear to notice his interest at all.

Dean sidled up to John half way through a meeting under the pretence of helping him with the Impediment jinx.

'Hey, so… I can't get a read on Cas,' Dean muttered. 'I was wondering if you could…?'

'What, use my power to tell you whether or not Cas fancies you?' John said with a raised eyebrow.

'Well… yeah.'

John lowered his wand. 'First of all, you don't need to be a Seer to know that. Second of all, it would be really rude of me to invade his privacy like that, and third of all, how many times do I have to tell you that I can't See Cas?'

'Wait, wait, go back to that first thing?'

'Dean,' John sighed.

'Okay, okay… what do I do now?'

John rolled his eyes. 'How should I know? Aren't you supposed to be good at this sort of thing?'

'All right, fine,' Dean sighed. He began to walk away.

'Dean, wait,' said John, calling him back with a slightly glazed over expression. '...Ask him when it's snowing.'

Dean grinned. 'Awesome. Thanks, John.'

With the first Quidditch match of the season rapidly approaching, the meetings began more and more difficult to organise, as Angelina insisted on almost daily practices for the Gryffindor team.

Hermione soon devised a clever method of communicating the time and date of the next meeting to all the members in case they needed to change it at short notice. It was a regular occurrence to see Sherlock and Castiel leaving the Ravenclaw table to come to talk to them, but it would look suspicious if too many people of different Houses went back and forth to talk to each other too often.

Hermione gave each of the DA members a fake Galleon. 'You see the numerals around the edge of the coins?' she said, holding one up for examination. 'On real Galleons that's just a serial number referring to the goblin that cast the coin. On these fake coins, though, the numbers will change to reflect the time and date of the next meeting. The coins will get hot when the date changes, so if you're carrying them in your pocket you'll be able to feel them. We take one each, and when Harry sets the date of the next meeting he'll change the numbers on his coin, and because I've put a Protean Charm on them, they'll all change to mimic his.'

A blank silence greeted Hermione's words.

'Well - I thought it was a good idea,' she said uncertainly, 'I mean, even if Umbridge asked us to turn out our pockets, there's nothing fishy about carrying a Galleon, is there? But… well, if you don't want to use them - '

'You can do the Protean Charm?' said Terry Boot.

'Yes,' said Hermione.

'But that… that's NEWT standard, that is,' he said weakly.

'Oh…' said Hermione, trying to look modest. 'Oh… well… yes, I suppose it is.'

'How come you're not in Ravenclaw with brains like yours?' Terry demanded.

'The Sorting Hat did consider putting me in Ravenclaw, but it decided on Gryffindor in the end. So, does that mean we're using the Galleons?'

There was a general murmur of assent and everyone put their Galleons away.

Sherlock muttered something under his breath and John rolled his eyes.

'Yes, you're very smart too, I'm sure you could easily do that spell,' he said, and Dean snorted.

Dean's marks in all his lessons improved dramatically as soon as he started wearing his glasses. He could finally start focussing on the material he was reading, and even got a rare smile from Professor McGonagall. The only problem came when he was working in Defence Against the Dark Arts, and Umbridge came over to his desk.

'Yes, Professor?' he frowned, looking up from his book.

'Where did you get those glasses?' she asked.

'What do you mean? These are my glasses, am I not allowed to wear glasses?'

Umbridge held out her hand. 'They're clearly helping you cheat. I will be confiscating them.'

Dean begrudgingly took off his glasses and put them in her hand.

'Detention, Mr Winchester.'

Dean scowled and looked back down at his book. It was almost incomprehensible. The words and letters moved around at will and Dean couldn't read any more of it that lesson. He was still angry when they went to their next lesson, which was Charms.

'What's wrong? Where are your glasses?' Cas asked.

'Umbridge took my glasses,' he mumbled. 'She said I was cheating.'

To Dean's great surprise, Cas pounded the desk in front of him and muttered angrily in French.

'Sorry,' he said. 'Meet me in the library at lunch.'

'Sure.'

Dean was distracted for much of the day after that. Cas's French always caught him by surprise, but he liked the sound of it; it gave him an idea.

'Sherlock knows French, doesn't he?' Dean asked John during Herbology.

'Yeah, but I wouldn't go there,' John said with an amused smile.

'Yeah, that's probably for the best.'

'I think I know where you're going with this,' said John. 'Maybe you should send an owl to Fleur Delacour. Wasn't she friends with Cas?'

'John, you're the best.'

Dean was in a much better mood by lunch and he hurried up to the library. 'Hey, Cas, what's up?' he said, when he found the table Cas was sitting at.

Cas reached into his bag and pulled out another pair of glasses, with a slightly smug expression.

Dean grinned. 'That's how it is, is it?'

Cas nodded and tipped his bag to show Dean that it was almost filled with glasses. 'I learned a few things from Gabriel.'

'Awesome,' Dean laughed, putting on his new pair of glasses. These ones were blue. 'There's a way we can improve this though. I think I need fancier glasses.'

Cas smiled. 'I think I can make that happen.'

From then on, whenever Umbridge confiscated his glasses, he would put on a new, more ostentatious pair of glasses, much to the amusement of Fred and George, who began betting on what sort of glasses Dean would wear next.

He always got detention, but Cas's help with his homework meant he never fell behind, though the words 'I must not cheat' stopped fading from the back of his hand after a time.

'Why don't you just go to Professor McGonagall?' Hermione asked after Dean had donned a fluorescent pink pair of glasses.

'Because this is way more fun,' he said. 'Why? Do you not like my glasses, Hermione?'

'I like them, Dean,' Ginny said from her spot in front of the fire.

'Well thank you, Ginny,' Dean grinned. 'Here, I think these'll suit you.' He took off his glasses and gave them to Ginny.

Hermione tutted, then Dean pulled another pair out of his bag. These ones were sunflower yellow and had tiny daisies in the corners.

'These ones are much more my speed,' Dean said, laughing at Hermione when she rolled her eyes.

Tensions grew between the Gryffindors and the Slytherins the closer they got to the match, and the Quidditch pitch was booked so often by either team that the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs hardly ever got a chance to use it. The effect it had on Cas was clear. He became restless and anxious, and when October extinguished itself in a rush of howling wind and driving November rain, a heavy melancholy settled over him. He barely paid attention in class, stopped showing up for meals, and withdrew from most conversations. The only things that brought a smile to his face were his study sessions with Dean and the DA. It was all Dean could do to get him to practice at all, and despite the glass jar that Dean had given him, his disappearances from class were becoming more frequent. Dean tried to keep his spirits up, but his progress in Potions stalled, which worsened his mood.

Dean sat miserably at the Gryffindor table on the morning of the match, poking at his bacon with a fork. Cas wasn't there, but Dean hadn't expected him to be. Opposite him, Ron was staring down at the dregs of milk in his bowl of cereal, looking as though he were seriously considering drowning himself in it.

John sat down next to Dean, looking as miserable as Dean felt.

'No Sherlock?' Dean asked.

John shrugged. 'He's around somewhere.' He speared a sausage with his fork and took small bites of it.

'I'm worried about Cas,' Dean confessed. 'He was doing so well, what happened?'

John sighed. 'It's the time of year, remember?'

Dean closed his eyes. 'Of course,' he mumbled. 'He's thinking about his mom.'

John nodded. 'I've never seen him this bad about it, though. Second year was quite bad, but…'

Just then, Luna drifted over from the Ravenclaw table. Many people were staring at her and a few were openly laughing and pointing; she had managed to procure a hat shaped like a life-size lion's head, which was perched precariously on her head.

'I'm supporting Gryffindor,' Luna said, pointing unnecessarily at her hat. 'Look what it does…' She reached up and tapped the hat with her wand.

It opened its wide mouth and gave an extremely realistic roar that made everyone in the vicinity jump.

'It's good, isn't it?' Luna said happily. 'I wanted to have it chewing up a serpent to represent Slytherin, but there wasn't time. Anyway… good luck, Ronald!'

Dean watched her go. 'That's awesome,' he said, then the Gryffindor team got up from the table. 'Good luck, Ronald!' he called after Ron, who gave him a dirty look.

Dean finished his breakfast with John, assuming that Cas would meet them at the pitch, but when Dean climbed into the stands, he couldn't see Cas anywhere.

'I don't know,' John said before Dean could say anything. He too was craning his neck to see over the crowd, but in search of Sherlock instead. 'No, they're not together. Sherlock's here somewhere.'

Dean had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. Cas would never miss Quidditch, so he made his way back out of the stands, thinking about where Cas might be. Madam Pomfrey would have shooed him out of the hospital wing, knowing how much he wanted to watch the match. Dean crawled under the Whomping Willow to check the Shrieking Shack, but it was empty. He sat on the wooden floor for a minute, thinking hard, and decided to check Hagrid's cabin next. Hagrid hadn't used it for months, but if Cas really needed it, he could get inside. Dean quietly unlocked the door, but it too was empty.

Stumped, Dean wandered around the grounds. He was just about to climb up to Ravenclaw Tower, when he looked out across the lake and spotted a figure sitting on the end of the dock by the boathouse.

Cas didn't look up when Dean hurried over to him, nor did he react when Dean pulled his feet out of the water.

'What are you doing? It's freezing!' Dean said, wrapping Cas in his cloak and aiming warm air from his wand at Cas's soaked feet.

'It's not that bad,' Cas mumbled, drawing his knees up to his chest.

Dean stared at him. 'It's today, isn't it?' he said, understanding dawning on him.

'The water's beautiful, isn't it?'

Dean looked down at the freezing, dark water lapping at the wooden posts. 'Yeah, I guess it is. You don't have to put your feet in it though.'

'She loved the water.'

'Oh yeah?'

'That's the only reason she ever let my father take us out on the lake. He's not a good sailor.' Cas glanced over his shoulder at that.

Dean got himself as comfortable as he could sitting next to Cas. It was cold, especially without his cloak, but he knew he should keep Cas company. He didn't say anything at all, and neither did Cas. They could hear the crowd cheering at the Quidditch pitch in the distance.

At long last, Cas opened his mouth. His voice came out as barely more than a whisper.

'It was my fault,' he said, curling up even further, his cheek pressed against his knee.

Dean's stomach flipped horribly.

'I killed her.'

'What? Cas, no, it was an accident.'

Cas shook his head. 'It was my fault,' he insisted. 'We were in the kitchen and I was helping her with the potion she was making. I was supposed to put in chia seeds, but I - I put in black poppy seeds and - and w-when she put in wraith essence…'

Dean didn't need to hear what happened next.

'It was all my fault, I didn't know they were different, and-' Cas cut himself off and buried his head in his knees.

'Cas, you were a kid,' Dean said softly.

'It doesn't matter how old I was,' Cas said, his voice muffled by his knees. 'It was my fault. She was kind and beautiful, and it's my fault she's dead.'

'Cas-'

'It's why Michael hates me, it's why Gabriel left. I killed her.'

'Cas, look at me,' Dean said firmly. 'It was an accident.'

Cas looked at him with a hollow expression.

Dean sighed. 'I know what it's like to think it's your fault, believe me, but come on, Cas, you were what, five?'

'You don't know what it's like,' Cas mumbled.

Dean hesitated, then scooched closer to Cas. 'Let me tell you something,' he said. 'When our house burned down, I blamed myself for the longest time. I woke up and grabbed Sam, but I didn't know how to get out. It was so hot, and the smoke was so thick, there was nowhere to go. The next thing I know, I'm on the front lawn with Sam in my arms, watching the fire. I tried to go back and get my mom but I couldn't. After that, I couldn't stop thinking about how I got outside, and how I should have brought her with me. Sam snapped me out of it in the end, but…' Dean shook his head, ridding himself of all the old feelings of guilt. 'I was about the same age as you… would you have blamed me?'

Cas shook his head. 'No, but did you start the fire? It's not quite the same, Dean.'

'Why not? You were five, how could you know the difference between chia seeds and poppy seeds? I'm sixteen and I don't know the difference. Cas, I'm telling you, it's not your fault. It was an accident, and I guarantee that your mom wouldn't want you to blame yourself either. Did you never talk to Gabriel about this?'

'No. I didn't want to hear him say it. I know he blames me too, just like everyone else. Michael won't even talk to me now.'

'He wouldn't have said it 'cause it's not true,' said Dean. 'Look, I don't know if you know this, but Michael's kind of a douche. That's what my dad says anyway. You shouldn't listen to him, he shouldn't be blaming little kids for that stuff.'

Cas's eyes widened.

'Cas, if this were any other kid, would you blame them? Say if something like that happened to Sam, would you say it was his fault?'

'No, but - '

'No buts, Cas… just think about it all right?' Dean hesitated, then said. 'I know you don't want touching, but I really think you need a hug, so I'm just gonna put my arm around here…' Dean pulled Cas close and was surprised when Cas relaxed into him. He had expected Cas to remain stiff, as he always did when he let Dean hug him.

'I miss her so much, Dean,' Cas said thickly, welling up.

'Yeah I know, but I'm sure she'd be proud of you. She's not the only one that's kind and beautiful.'

Cas sniffed loudly. 'Oh, Dean, you're cold.'

'Yeah. Can we go upstairs now?'

Cas nodded and slowly got to his feet. Dean walked him to the castle with his arm still around Cas's shoulders until Cas shrugged him off at the Entrance Hall.

'It'll be quiet in our common room, everyone's at the match,' Dean said.

Cas nodded and went up the stairs with Dean. 'Don't you want to go and watch?' Cas asked.

'Nah, I only care about it when I can watch you play.'

Cas curled up against the arm of one of the sofas before the fire. Dean warmed himself up in front of it before sitting next to Cas. He conjured a mug and some steaming hot chocolate and passed it to Cas.

'Sam's favourite recipe,' he said.

Cas took a small sip. 'It's nice. Thank you.'

Dean rubbed his hands together, still trying to warm up.

'I'm sorry about your mother,' Cas murmured, taking another sip. 'It seems we have a lot in common.'

'I'm sorry about yours too.'

'You're very brave. I'm not.'

'That's not true,' said Dean. 'I think you're brave. You get scared a lot but you keep going. That's like the definition of brave.'

Cas gave a weak smile, and Dean's heart thrilled.

They knew the match was over when Gryffindors began to filter in and out of the common room. Cas got up and moved to the window, where he could watch the iron grey clouds outside.

Dean gave him his space and grinned at John and Sherlock when they came in.

'Did we win?' he asked.

John nodded and flopped down on the sofa.

'Why do you not look happy about that?'

'Harry, Fred and George got banned from playing,' John said. 'They jumped on Malfoy in front of Umbridge.'

'Damn,' Cas said softly, and they all turned to look at him. 'I was hoping to get a real challenge against Harry.'

'Ouch, Cas comin' in hot,' Dean laughed.

'I'm not sure how much of a challenge Harry would have been anyway,' said John. 'You're the best Chaser I've ever seen.'

'You haven't seen that many Chasers,' Sherlock grumbled and Cas frowned at him.

'That's rude. What's your problem?' Dean asked.

'He's jealous,' John smirked

Cas's eyebrows rose.

'I am not!'

'Maybe Cas and I would make a better couple,' John teased.

Cas wrinkled his nose and John laughed.

'Wow, tell me how you really feel, Cas.'

'I'm sorry, John, you're just not really my type,' Cas said with a slight, amused smile.

'Oh really? What is your type?' said John.

Cas looked him up and down and said, 'Taller.'

Dean and John burst out laughing, and John turned to Sherlock.

'You see? I'm not his type, it would never work out.'

Sherlock rolled his eyes and folded his arms.

John tutted and reached out a hand. 'You do know that I love you, right?'

'Ooh, he used the 'L' word,' Dean said in a stage whisper.

Sherlock turned pink and finally sat down next to John.

'You're in my head enough, you should bloody well know by now.'

Sherlock said nothing, but leaned over and started kissing John. Dean took it as his cue to move, and went to stand next to Cas at the window.

Cas was holding his necklace in his hand, but he seemed calmer than he had been before.

'Are you feeling better?' Dean said quietly.

Cas nodded.

'Good to get it off your chest, huh?'

Cas smiled.

'I gotta go get something to eat. You want anything?'

'No thank you.'

'Will you still be here when I get back?'

'Yes. I like this window. It looks as though it may snow.'

'All right, I'll be back in a little while.'

Dean hurried down to the Great Hall and gathered up some food, quickly stuffing a sandwich in his mouth. None of the Gryffindor team were around, only Hermione looking stormy.

'You coming up?' Dean asked her, barely comprehensible through his mouth full of food.

'I'm waiting for Harry,' she said. 'You heard what happened?'

'Oh yeah,' said Dean. 'Worth it to give Malfoy a beat down if you ask me.' He looked around and noticed a lot of Ravenclaws looking excited and triumphant. 'What are they so happy about?'

Hermione shrugged. 'Now that Gryffindor have lost their best players, there's nothing stopping Cas from steamrollering the other teams and winning the cup.'

'Very true,' said Dean. 'Oh well. When you see Harry, tell him I said good job.' He sniggered at Hermione's expression and went back upstairs.

He ended up doing some homework for a while, pulling out yet another novelty pair of glasses and working on an arduous History of Magic essay. Cas glanced over at him every so often, but he remained in his spot, watching as the snow began to drift down from the clouds outside.

Dean didn't ask him for help, but it took him longer than he was expecting, and it was dark by the time he was finished.

The Gryffindor team had come and gone. Angelina went to bed early, and by the time Ron arrived back in the common room, he and Harry were the only ones left.

Dean put his essay away and John cleared his throat pointedly.

'What?'

John nodded at the window and gestured at Cas.

'What?'

John slapped his palm to his forehead and pointed at Cas again.

Dean looked again at the window. 'Oh!' he said. It was snowing. His legs suddenly turned to jelly, and he felt as though he were walking in slow motion when he approached Cas. 'Hey, take a walk with me?'

Cas blinked. 'All right,' he said, finally uncurling his legs and walking out of the portrait hole with Dean.

Welcome back everyone! Thanks to Meep for the review! See you again soon!