Hi everyone! I'm back, but this will be my last update for the night. It is well past the time any sane person is asleep over here. Hopefully I will see you all around this time tomorrow, unless my muse decides to run away with my motivation and leave me alone. Which is always possible. Anyway,

Also to goopy gilscarbo, if you're reading this; I couldn't keep writing without mentioning how much I LOVE your user name. It always makes me laugh. I'm glad you liked the last chapter. I also enjoy looking at where characters might be after the end. Maybe I'll write a part two one day in the far, far future.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy!

Play with Magic

"Can't sleep?" A gentle voice inquired.

Gregory Violet turned slightly to see Blavat Sky take a seat beside him, seating himself in a flurry of cloth and sparkles.

"No," he admitted truthfully, he'd always been something of an insomniac but now it had been taken up to eleven. He couldn't close his eyes without scenes, past, present and any and all hypothetical future dancing behind his eyelids.

Gregory hadn't felt totally safe since Derrick Arden had died and he was beginning to wonder if he ever would again.

He didn't share this with the other former Prefects; not wanting to add to the burdens already on their shoulders, he knew each and every one of them felt worse than he did. Violet didn't blame anyone for what had happened not even Derrick (he knew what it was like to be young and stupid), except Vice Principal Agares, who was incurably and genuinely a bad person. but he knew each of his friends blamed themselves.

Herman thought that if he'd just had better control over himself this wouldn't have happened; as though talking with Arden and Agares would have solved anything.

Edgar thought that if he'd taken better care covering up the crime they wouldn't be where they were now, like those undead things were somehow his fault. Please.

And Lawrence had always felt responsible for the three of them, as though being the oldest, if not physically than at least mentally, meant he had to look after the three of them. As though, somehow, he could have stopped this.

So Gregory didn't want to add to his friends' troubles but being unable to talk about the thoughts congealing in his head was doing him no good.

None of this he could explain to the eccentric young man beside him.

So he just said, "I have trouble sleeping sometimes."

"Fair enough," said Blavat lightly, "is it alright if I sit up with you?"

Violet had no real reason to say no so he just shrugged and the two of them sat in silence and watched the night turn from the deep blue of midnight to the greys, blues and pinks of dawn.

It was nice to not be alone.

A week or so later Violet was seated in the same spot but he actually had fallen asleep. Blavat studied his sleeping face for a second before sitting down next to him again. He appeared troubled, it might be good for him to have someone beside him when he awoke.

As it turned out, it was.

Sweat beading on his brow, Gregory's eyes snapped open, he sat bolt upright with a gasp.

"Are you alright?" Blavat asked calmly, not wanting to stress the singer further.

Violet shoved a hand through his damp hair, "I'm fine," he said, voice shaky.

That sounded fake but okay, Blavat dropped the subject as Violet clearly wanted him to and just nodded.

"Will you…" Violet seemed to think better of his request and trailed off but after shuddering at an image in his head he tried again, "would you sit with me, for a while?"

An odd feeling hit Blavat in the chest, it had been many years since someone had turned to him for comfort.

"Of course."

He shifted closer ever so slightly and Gregory leaned back in the windowsill, his hand brushed Blavat's but neither of them moved away.

"I'll help you," Violet promised, "I'll go along with whatever it is you're doing. I don't care if it's illegal. Just please don't make my friends miserable, they don't deserve that."

Blavat's eyes widened, did he know? No, how could he? They'd been so careful…

"I have no idea what you mean," he said with a pleasant smile, "I'm just invested in the Star Music Hall's success, that's all." Oh wasn't that the truth. He was very invested in the Music Hall being a success, but not in the way everyone thought.

Or almost everyone.

Violet's purple eyes asked Blavat not to lie to him, "I just told you, I don't care what you're doing, I'll help you. Just treat my friends well."

Blavat slipped his hand into Gregory's and squeezed in what he hoped was a reassuring way.

"I can do that," he lied smoothly.

Violet gave him a look that said he didn't believe a word he said but that was the best he could hope for, so they became partners, in a sense. What neither of them could have seen coming was becoming partners in another sense.

Blavat's smile as he reassured Lawrence, Herman and Edgar that Gregory would be fine with a bit of rest was sweet, but his hand, resting on the former Prefect's shoulder, was shaking.

The second after the other members of the Starlight Four left he said, "that's it, I'm telling Lord Sirius that I need to find someone else. You can't keep doing this, it's hurting you."

Violet rubbed his elbow where the needle had gone in, "I'm fine, you said it yourself; I just need to take better care of myself."

"I lied and we both know that," Blavat said uncharacteristically flatly, Violet eyed him through his long hair, Blavat was really upset and he wanted to make the purple-haired male feel better but...

"I promised I'd help you. Finding someone else doesn't really help does it?"

Blavat kissed him hard, and then cradled his face with both tattooed hands, "forget our 'promise'! I don't care about that anymore. I can't lose you."

A lump rose in Violet's throat and he wound his arms around his lover's neck, thinking of all the wrong they'd done and all the wrong they had yet to do. "You might have to."

Done! Also if anyone has a request I'd love to try it. Bye guys!