"Merlin's beard, that has got to hurt." Maxentius said. He was sitting on his bed in Ravenclaw tower, watching Mordecai walk back and forth on Wolfbane's back. In his opinion, it was only a short matter of time before Mordecai misstepped and broke Wolfbane's spinal cord, and he'd rather not be in the room to see that happen.

"Nah," a sharp pop came from Wolfbane's back, which caused the blond boy to grunt. "This feels great. I feel like a Rice Krispy treat."

Mordecai laughed, but Maxentius didn't quite understand the reference.

"A what?"

"You know, 'Snap, Crackle, Pop?'" Mordecai said, and then took another step. Another pop came from Wolfbane.

"It's a muggle treat. 'Snap, Crackle, Pop' is their jingle." Wolfbane said. His back had gone from popping to crunching, so he had decided that that was probably enough. His back did feel significantly better, though.

"Oh, I see."

"Maybe over Christmas break I'll get one for you so you can try it." Mordecai said, and then catapulted himself onto Maxentius' bed, which sent them both somewhat into the air when the first-year made contact.

Wolfbane was much calmer in sitting down on the other side of Maxentius. "Ryot would probably have the best bet of getting you one, although I don't know if he's going home over Christmas break."

Maxentius had gotten used to Wolfbane bringing up Ryot at this point in the school year, but that didn't mean that it made him any less reactive to it.

'Ryot this' and 'Ryot that'. He really can't be all that great, Maxentius thought to himself while Wolfbane put his head on Maxentius' shoulder. He didn't say any of this out loud, no matter how much he wanted to.

Why did Wolfbane put Ryot on a pedestal? Maxentius was Wolfbane's friend first, so shouldn't Maxentius be Wolfbane's closest friend? It just didn't make any sense to Maxentius. At least Wolfbane and Maxentius were in the same house! What was it that made Ryot so appealing to Wolfbane?

Instead of voicing his concerns, Maxentius said, "How does your back feel?"

"Much better, thanks to Mordecai."

The first year simply clicked his tongue and pointed finger guns at the two upperclassmen. Then, as if a once loose wire had finally been fixed inside of Mordecai's brain, his eyes widened and he started bouncing on the bed where he sat.

"Ooo! You know what would be super cool?" He said. A lock of cerulean hair had fallen in between his glasses and his face, causing him to squint his right eye. Mordecai simply brushed it away and resumed his excited fidgeting.

"What do you have in mind?" Maxentius asked. The fact that Mordecai (whom the older boy cared a great deal about, but would probably never admit this, for the pain of vulnerability was too much) was so excited and worry-free about something warmed his insides and made him forget about his bitterness towards The Gryffindor. The blue haired boy reminded Maxentius of his own little sister (this thought brought on feelings of both softness and the sharp stab of separation).

The almost hysteric smile Mordecai sported transformed into an exaggerated pout, paired with the deployment of 'puppy-dog eyes'.

"You're not even gonna guess?"

Maxentius, being a middle child, was not affected by The Eyes. Wolfbane, however, being one of the babies of his family, simply couldn't resist.

"You, uh. . . oh I don't know!" Wolfbane struggled to come up with something to 'guess', and was also forming a pout to rival Mordecai's. "Bought a zebra?"

All three of the boys giggled at the absurdity of this thought.

Maxentius gave Wolfbane a gentle and affectionate shove. Wolfbane grabbed onto Maxentius' wrist to make sure he didn't topple off of the bed, and then laid his head back on Maxentius' shoulder. His curly blonde hair tickled Maxentius' chin, but Maxentius would allow it (only because he liked the weight of Wolfbane on his shoulder, and because it grounded him in reality).

"No, you goof!" Mordecai said, wiping at his eyes a little with a huge smile. "We should have a pajama day!"

"Oh oh oh! That sounds so fun!" Wolfbane lifted his head off of Maxentius' shoulder and turned the 'puppy-dog eyes' on him. Mordecai resumes his, as well, hoping that two pairs of wide, pleading eyes would get the job done. "Can we do it, please?"

"Yeah, please!" Mordecai even went so far as to draw out the word 'please', coupled with a renewed pout.

"Why are you asking me?" Maxentius playfully scoffed, and then one hand on his chest and one hand on his hip. "I would never in a million years say 'no' to a pajama day."

Wolfbane and Mordecai gave twin cheers of excitement and rushed to change into their respective sleepwear. Maxentius simply shook his head fondly, and followed suit in changing his clothes.

Maxentius wasn't sure when he became so fond of the other two Ravenclaw's. Was it the day after he met them? A week after? Truly, there was no way to tell. It happened slowly, and then crept up on him all at once. For the first time in years, the walls surrounding his perfect Eden (in which only his two sisters were allowed) had opened its rusted gates and allowed two additional people to traipse right in.

The realization hit Maxentius as he was tugging his sleep shirt over his head. He paused, his hands gripping the bottom seam. How had he allowed this to happen? What would happen if Wolfbane found a better companion in Ryot, or (Merlin forbid) Mordecai decided that Maxentius wasn't worthy anymore? Would they trample the flowers, poison the fountain, and then lock Maxentius within his Eden's walls to rot away for eternity? Cast him aside and leave him crippled without any support? Maxentius was sure that Ryot (perfect, shiny Ryot) could build an Eden that would far surpass Maxentius'. A true nature conservation compared to a dilapidated window-sill garden box.

"Uh, Max?"

He couldn't let his Eden be destroyed. He had been tasked (by himself, seeing as he was the only person besides his sisters that he trusted) to keep it safe, to cherish and protect this tiny garden in his soul. Who would be there to nurture and care for Eden if he were to be betrayed? He would be forced to exile everyone, including himself, and leave it to wither. Maxentius couldn't let that happen. He wouldn't. He had built that garden to protect him from his mother's screaming and his father's disappointment. He simply couldn't be left without a safe-place in this world. Where would his sisters go?

"Maxentius!"

Wolfbane, now dressed in pajama pants (fuzzy, covered in cartoony hearts), a black hoodie with bear ears in the hood, and thick pink slipper socks, gripped Maxentius' upper arm with a gentle yet firm hand. In his left arm, he cradled a beetle plushy that looked like it had been crocheted many a year ago. A birthday or Christmas gift, perhaps?

"Whatcha thinking about, with that big brain of yours, huh?" He asked, searching Maxentius' pale face with reassuring (and yet sad at the same time) green eyes.

The lights inside the dorm room (five of them: three four-wick candles, and the singular lamp on each of their bed stands) seemed brighter than they had been, stabbing at Maxentius' retinas. He squinted his eyes, and shrunk in on himself a little bit more.

"It's nothing," Maxentius said, trying to straighten himself and settle his voice. He extracted himself from Wolfbane's gentle grasp, and straightened his blue and white pin striped pajamas. He turned a watery smile (which he had thought was confident and easy going at the time, though he was only fooling himself) towards his fellow classmate. "I just felt a bit woozy there for a moment. I'm fine now."

Wolfbane could see through the fib, but he didn't say anything about it. "If you say so," He replied kindly. "Let's lay down, I'm tired."

Wolfbane was nothing of the sort.

At that moment, Mordecai (dressed in pajamas that were covered in circular red birds and triangular yellow birds, and carrying a green, circular looking pig stuffie) came barreling into the room, and rocketed himself onto the bed.

"Cuddles are mandatory on pajama day! It's the only form of currency!" Mordecai looked adorable, peeking over the top of his stuffie to give them a stern stare that reminded the older two of an angry kitten. "You must pay your taxes!"

The rain clouds that had thickly gathered over top of Maxentius' Eden dissipated some, and some sun beams shone through.

Maybe, just maybe, it would be a sunny day in Eden. The sprouting seedlings would enjoy it.