In the aftermath of Bee and Greg finally getting their shit together (and poor Rafi being sent off home, confused but understanding), Adam, Greg, Al and Sam decided to do what they'd excelled at in Hogwarts and hadn't had the chance to do for years - throw a party!

With Corey's birthday coming up and March officially being one of the most boring months of the year, they gathered their heads together and tried to plot their friend a birthday bash he would never forget.

"We need lights and dancing and fire whisky and performers - and not Hugo, he does every Potter-Weasley function, and he and Corey are cool since they broke up… but not that cool. We need someone different but not too pricey," Adam began as they all sat down to brainstorm.

"Idea!" Sam quipped, "Albus' quidditch team do a flying… strip-tease!"

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"Are you trying to land me on the front cover of Witch Weekly? Don't be ridiculous," Al replied defensively, his face burning with premonitions of embarrassment.

"Yeah but Corey would love that… do you think you could convince them?" Greg queried.

Al moaned in annoyance and rolled his eyes, but he had enough of a sense of humour to recognise it would be very suited to entertainment for Corey's birthday.

Adam brought them back in, "Guys, focus. Let's try and lock in a professional act and if we get the Tornadoes on board - that's a bonus."

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Greg chuckled at the thought of Al naked on a broom but brought his mind back to the task at hand, "Well I'm good to run the bar and provide all the mixers and drinks. Should be able to source bulk fire whisky from our wholesalers and I can whip up some signature cocktails too. The Corey Story? The Haunted Hornby? Everyone forgets his great great Aunt was haunted by Moaning Myrtle."

They all laughed, remembering the many times Corey was chased around Hogwarts by Moaning Myrtle.

"Thanks Greg, great idea," Adam nodded approvingly, "Can anyone take on venue?"

"That's easy, we'll do it at Malfoy Manor," Sam volunteered.

"Corey loves the place and I can get it decorated and also sort some food. I'll decorate the ballroom as if I were Corey myself," he paused dramatically, flaring his hands out in front of him to set the scene.

"Disco balls, rainbows and mood lighting everywhere. You know," Sam paused waiting for everyone to chime in.

"The ambience," they all chorused, imitating Corey and then bursting into laughter.

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Al sighed loudly as if in great sacrifice, "And I'll try to get the Tornadoes organised. You lot owe me for this one!"

They all snorted with laughter and banter, excited to see how well they could pull everything together.

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When Corey walked unsuspectingly into the ballroom at Malfoy Manor after Astoria (who had been waiting near the fireplace) told him that's where everyone was, he was not ready...

"SURPRISE!" Everyone shouted as he made his entrance to almost 100 people shooting streamers and sparks out of their wands.

"AHHHHHHHHHSGH," Corey replied, screaming in terror.

Adam snapped a shot on a bulky camera he had brought for the occasion and the Slythindor boys split their sides laughing at Corey's reaction.

"You didn't!" He yelled at them, whether about taking the photograph of his reaction or throwing the party in general, he didn't know.

"We did," Adam grinned as they all crowded around Corey to hug him.

Corey jumped up and down in excitement, soaking in the hall, all of his friends and colleagues, the decorations, a stage, the bar - until Sam called out, "Hit the lights!"

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With a flick of her wand, Rose dimmed the room and lit up the disco ball hanging in the centre of the ballroom, colourful lights refracting off its surface.

A hush fell over the room as someone stepped out onto the stage and grabbed a microphone.

Then the crowd erupted into screams, cheers and applause as the singer opened her mouth and music filled the room.

Everyone started dancing, rushing to the front of the stage and singing along, as the rest of the band came out from behind the stage wings, guitars, whistling saws, banjos, drums and all.

Corey squealed and then yelled over the music, "How did you get The Bent-Winged Snitches?!"

Adam shrugged, "They were already in town and the International Magical Cooperation department was approving their latest tour - so I pulled some strings."

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Corey hugged Adam again and dragged him to the front of the stage where a mosh pit had formed, where they both sang along (terribly) to The Bent-Winged Snitches latest hit in their decades-long career.

Rose grinned and squeezed Aaliyah's hand affectionately, as they hung at the back of the crowd.

Aaliyah raised her mouth to Rose's ear, "You did such a good job Rose! He's having the time of his life already and it's been about 5 minutes."

"Yeah, it really did come together. I mean I barely did anything except set up the lights but, it definitely had its desired effect."

They both chuckled as they saw Corey, Adam, Sam and Al jumping up and down in the mosh pit with their arms in a huddle.

"Come on, let's join them!" Rose suggested, her heart thumping as they pushed their way into the throng and danced to the music.

They were welcomed into the fold by Corey, and somehow Jen, Annie and Bee had wormed their way through the mass of bodies to the front.

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Sam even gave Aaliyah a twirl as they boogied down, and they both collapsed in laughter when she tried to return the favour only to find Sam far too tall and trapped his head in the crook of her elbow.

Rose smiled in contentment, so happy to see them getting along. She was finally feeling like everything was working between the three of them.

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After a few more songs, The Bent-Winged Snitches pulled Corey up onstage, wished him a happy birthday and flew off on brooms with a flourish.

Unbeknownst to Corey, the flurry of brooms was a signal for Al and the Tutshill Tornados to begin their routine.

They flew into the room in an… interesting set of quidditch robes (for ease of flinging off) as Rose swished her wand and set some music to play over the loudspeakers.

An old classic number of Celestina Warbeck's - A Cauldron Full Of Hot, Strong Love.

Everyone burst into laughter but also whoops of excitement as the team flew around in formation, although Alice Longbottom could barely move her eyes from the ground, except to glance at Al every few moments and then look away again.

Every few beats flinging off their robes to reveal their shirtless torsos, or kicking off shin pads and gloves, to the beat of the music.

Corey was torn between laughing and cheering at all his eye candy, but always snorting when he saw Al's uncoordinated attempts to pull off his robes, almost falling off his broom multiple times.

At the end of the song, they finished with a flourish on the ground surrounding Corey neatly, in pale blue boxer shorts - their team colours.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY COREY!" They team yelled in unison to raucous applause

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After the show was over, Al raced away to re-clothe himself and Corey headed to the bar to grab a few of his signature cocktails from Greg.

He almost choked with laughter on the Haunted Hornby he was downing when he heard it's name, but after a few good thumps on the back from some work colleagues he continued chatting with everyone he bumped into and accepting well-wishes.

It was a good many hours of drinking, eating, dancing and talking before the buzz started wear off, and a familiar feeling settled into the pit of Corey's stomach.

He made his way to the bathroom and splashed some cold water on his face.

He was gazing into the mirror, trying to bring some more clarity to the image staring back at him, when Aaliyah walked in.

She almost headed straight into a stall, but something about Corey made her stop.

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"Hey, are you okay?"

Corey forced a smile, "Yeah of course," but whether it was Healer's intuition or an understanding between the two of them neither had known was there, Aaliyah didn't believe him.

She walked over to the sinks and started adjusting her hair in the mirror.

"How do you feel about being 25 then? Adulthood is well and truly here, there's no hiding from that anymore."

"25 is fine… Wizards don't get the luxury of being children for long, everyone's always married with kids by 20."

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Aaliyah grinned, "Thankfully not our generation. We finally got gayer and less attached to reproducing."

Corey shrugged, "Or it's an economic downturn and everyone's saving their sickles. Not that the Weasley's or Potter's or Malfoys will ever be concerned with such things, I mean look at this bathroom."

A strange feeling of comfort spread across Aaliyah's chest, finally someone who understood how bizarre and lavish everything was.

"So you… feel it too? They're all so used to such extreme wealth and no one says a word about it! I thought I was the only one feeling out of place."

"Oh honey no! Bee's family are muggles who work as cleaners, they can't afford to live anywhere near central muggle London, and mine live on a farm. A farm! Obviously I had to get the fuck out of there and never return."

"Do you see your family anymore?"

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Corey paused, applying some bright red lipstick to his lips as he stared into the mirror in silence.

"Sometimes, but we don't have much in common, I mean look at me," he smacked his lips and popped the cap back onto the lipstick.

"Being friends with the likes of Potters and Malfoys, you get used to the disparity. I had all my uncomfortable jaw-dropping moments back when I was 13. I mean, imagine getting to come home to thi-i-i-s," he gestured around graphically, swooping his hands emphatically around at the bathroom.

"My family were actually one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, my grandparents probably had more in common with the Malfoys than I like to admit, but my parents are estranged from them. Guess that's what you got for marrying a muggle-born back then."

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"Interesting. So they're used to pushing boundaries - has that made them more okay with the fact that you're queer?"

"Not really… They've never known of any queer couples who settled down, had families like everybody else - they've always been worried I'll live a life less well-lived because of it."

"They're not wrong… It's pretty rare for magical children to be left orphaned and with no relatives to look after them. Even rarer for one to end up in the muggle system. And look at me, I'm totally alone."

Corey's voice broke a little, but he just looked up at the ceiling praying no tears would spill out and betray him.

"What in Merlin's name do you mean Corey? Everyone out there, is out there for you! You are not alone."

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"I'm sure they feel great about the fabulous party they've put on, it's great entertainment to have a gay friend and do strip teases, and cover the room in rainbows, but when do I actually get what they all have? When do I get my happily ever after? I don't. I don't get kids, I don't get a partner and all them out there are too busy hooking up with each other, I mean Bee and Greg? That was like 5 years in the making and I'm just…"

Corey let silence take over the bathroom for a moment because his tears had finally become uncontainable. He blinked them away.

"Don't you ever feel like time has gotten away from you? Like everybody's life is just coming together and yours is just rushing past," he whispered.

Aaliyah moved closer to Corey and put her hand on his back, rubbing it firmly as they both leaned against the sink tops, their backs to the mirrors, not wanting to see what was reflected back at them.

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Aaliyah took a deep breath and tried to think carefully of what to say next.

"I have always known I was gay. What took me a while to realise was just how much that narrowed my romantic options. Most people aren't queer and that means we have less opportunities to find someone… someone right for us. It's disappointing and unfair to see all of your high school friends flirting and dating and finding people so easily, I know how that feels. Before Rose, I honestly hadn't been on a date in 3 years. 3 years! It's why, when Sam came into Rose's life again, I wasn't willing to let her go, because I knew just how much she meant to me."

Corey surreptitiously wiped his tears away, but taking comfort in the smooth rhythm of Aaliyah's hand on his back.

"If you want what they have, you have to go out and find it Corey. Go travelling, go to a country where you didn't go to school with every single person in it…"

They both laughed bleakly.

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"And if you're family back on that nowhere farm have anything nasty to say about it, just delete them from your life. You have a chosen family, and they're out there in that ballroom dancing their butts off for you."

Corey laughed again and nodded softly.

"Thank you, for doing this."

It was unspoken between them, but they both heard it.

Thank you for actually getting it.

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"Okay, but I really do actually need to pee-" Aaliyah laughingly uttered.

"Go, go, go, go! Take care of that bladder!" Corey pushed her towards a stall.

But she turned back and gave him a strong hug.

"Happy Birthday lovely."

He grinned, "Go pee!"

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Corey left the bathroom lighter than he had felt in a long time, his chest swelling with warmth and a radiant smile on his face, framed of course with an excellent coat of red lipstick.