Hogwarts during Christmas break is basically empty. Only a fraction of students stay behind during holidays. Jason had always gone home for Christmas, but not this year. He couldn't, not when his Felix Felicis was in the critical last few months.

It's been a few days since he had his breakdown caused by irrational thinking. Somehow Jason still wouldn't admit he was wrong. He and Luna didn't make up before she left, and Jason doesn't plan on making things right either. He can't.

It's Christmas Eve and Jason spent the entire day in the forbidden forest. The area where he's set up shop is stunning during the day and serene during the night. It's on a hill that gets the perfect view of the moon, an open space that almost looks like it was cleared out intentionally. The only downside is it's on the edge of a cliff, but there's plenty of room that he has no fear for any mishaps or accidents occurring. He camouflages his potion before he takes off.

When he makes it back to Hogwarts it starts getting dark. He missed dinner, but he hasn't felt too hungry lately anyways. Jason's headache hasn't left him alone for a second since the Luna incident, and it's painful but he's grown accustomed to the pain now. It's a constant.

He heads to the Slytherin common room, which is absolutely empty. The one thing about Slytherins is that they all go home for Christmas. He's completely alone.

As Jason enters his room and closes his door, it stops before shutting.

"Huh…" He says aloud. It got stuck it seems. He tries again and this time it closes. He shrugs it off and decides to undress.

Jason takes off his shoes, which are wet and dirty from walking through foliage damp with snow. He gets out of his robes. They smell of arbor but otherwise are completely fine. Jason has only been preparing the Felix in the forest for a few days but he gotten pretty good at finding a good path to take that won't cause his robes to be shredded by the branches and vines in the forest like his suit did. Finally he takes off his pants and shirt as well. He's not feeling sweaty or grimy but he decides he should probably shower before heading to bed. It was Christmas Eve after all, even if he was all by himself.

Jason takes off his underwear when all of a sudden he hears a voice.

"Bloody hell, your knackers are smooth."

Jason looks up to see Dean Thomas appearing out of thin air in front of him. He froze for half a second. Jason was completely nude in front of his friend.

"AH!" Jason screams, immediately reaching for his pillow to cover his nether regions. Dean just laughs. He was wearing full Gryffindor regalia, as if to make Jason feel even more naked than he already was.

"Woah okay, now you're making me feel downright pervy," chuckled Dean, deciding to turn around.

"Dean?" Jason exclaimed while reaching for a towel to wrap around himself. "H-how….What? WHY?" Dean peaked back around, seeing Jason was now covered.

"Easy mate, since we both stayed at Hogwarts for Christmas I just decided we should have a sleepover!" Dean explained, "Nothing malicious," he said with a wink. Jason punched him on the shoulder.

"Ow."

"You scared me dude!" Jason almost whispered, as if there was anyone else there to hear. Dean just smirked. Jason began to smile as well before they both burst out in laugher. Dean then starts to take off his scarf followed by his robes.

"Woah, what are you doing?" Jason asks, stopping him as Dean takes off his shirt and starts unbuttoning is pants.

"Well I saw your knob, only fair you see—"

"That won't be necessary Dean," Jason told him flatly. Dean squints at Jason before shrugging it off. However, he doesn't put his clothing back on. Dean looks around Jason's room. Jason just crossed his arms playfully.

"Dean, did you steal Harry's invisibility cloak?" Jason accused.

"What? I'll have you know I have my own cloak," Dean answered, "It was the only thing left over by my Dad."

"Oh…Dean I'm sorry." Jason immediately apologized. He felt like an idiot.

"It's alright Jason, you didn't know." Dean picked up his cloak, the fabric's wrinkles being the only thing giving it away. He fumbled with it between his fingers, "I never knew him anyway. He was killed by Death Eaters when I was one year old," he explained. Jason just stayed silent. Dean looked at Jason in the eyes. "I didn't know until I went through some of the Ministry of Magic archives last year during my lovely visit with Dumbledore's army. I've accepted it. I'm good." Dean assured him with a small smile. Jason returned it.

"Fine, you can sleep over." Jason told Dean. Dean immediately jumped onto Jason's bed and made himself comfortable. Dean put his arms behind his head, revealing a rather impressive amount of armpit hair. Jason lifted his arm and looked at the barely visible stray hairs he had under his armpits. He glared at Dean in jealousy before resigning to his bathroom to finally take his shower.

After Jason got out of the shower they both hit it off. It was almost 1am on Christmas morning and Dean and Jason were wide awake in the middle of Jason's Slytherin dorm. They had a lot in common since Dean grew up thinking he was muggle-born. He was enamored with the enchanted glass on the ceiling that Jason tapped with his wand to make a bright starry sky. They just talked and laughed the night away, both sharing amusing stories from their childhood and throughout their time at Hogwarts while lying on their backs and watching the constellations.

"I'm gonna be honest, I thought you were super chummy with Seamus." Jason eventually asked, turning towards Dean, noticing a severe lack of Seamus in Dean's stories for all the time he's seen them hanging around in the past. Dean's face didn't change from his jolly demeanor, but he looked away.

"It's stupid." Dean reacted with a jeer before sitting up, "He's an idiot." He was clearly bothered by the mention of Seamus.

"C'mon you can tell me." Jason sat up as well, pushing Dean playfully. Dean brooded a bit before reluctantly agreeing.

"It's rather ridiculous," Dean prefaced, "but honestly there's not much to say. He didn't like that you and me became friends and just stopped talking to me."

"What?" Jason asked, genuinely perplexed for a split second before remembering that Dean and Jason are in separate houses. Dean didn't even have to respond as he saw Jason understand. Jason remembered his vow, but it seems his face didn't. Jason never realized his newfound friendship with Dean was poisoning to him. He didn't even know why he cared, but it made Jason genuinely sad that he broke up these two without even trying. All he could think of was seeing the two around the hallways of Hogwarts, always together and laughing. There's no way Dean was just over his best friend like that. Then it struck him. Maybe these feelings weren't for Dean and Seamus' absent friendship at all, but Jason's own recent lost friendship. Dean, noticing Jason visibly upset by the revelation, grabbed Jason by the shoulders to face him.

"Hey, look at me. That bellend has no say in who I hang out with," Dean told Jason. He chuckled, "I knew I shouldn't have told you, you're so sensitive Bias," he teased before letting Jason go. Jason couldn't help but feel better and put on a grin.

"I'm not sensitive!" Jason retorted. "I just…I remembered I won't be getting Christmas presents this year since I stayed at Hogwarts," he lied. Dean laughed.

As the night went on, they both became hungry and Jason remembered he has a stash of snacks in one of his bags. Dean helped him look and found an old deck of Uno cards in one. Jason's parents gifted them to him in his first year at Hogwarts but he forgot about them since he didn't really have friends until fourth year. After explaining the game in detail to Dean, who somehow had never heard of it, some competitive play and even a trivial squabble, they were now on their 11th round of Uno. The score was five to five, and this was the tiebreaking game.

"And, IT'S DONE!" Jason said putting down a green number four card on Dean's red one, winning the makeshift Uno tournament.

"BOLLOCKS!" Dean cried, throwing his final card in the air out of frustration. "And my last card was a draw four too!" he said exasperatingly as he fell onto the floor. Jason just rubbed it in his face by throwing the used stack of cards on him.

"You're gonna pay for that one Bias," Dean promised as he tackled Jason lightheartedly. Jason tried to get away but Dean clutched onto his tank top. "I told you there was no need to get dressed after you got out the shower, now you're at a disadvantage," Dean expressed to Jason as if this were a battlefield and he was a colonel explaining his tactics. Jason just scoffed. He shifted to the side and managed to be free of Dean's hold grabbing Dean by the arms and forcing them behind his back

"So what, I should be in my boxers like you?" Jason said into Dean's ear from behind, "Bet you'd like that Dean," he teased. That's when Dean inverted Jason's hold and seized his wrists, pushing onto Jason causing them both to fall, Dean pinning Jason's arms above his head. Dean was on top of Jason, facing him up close directly.

"I win." declared Dean. He was smirking. Jason, having no energy left to fight back, just yawned.

"Alright, you win," he said before letting out another yawn.

"Damn right." Dean let Jason go and extended his hand to help him up. Jason accepted. He looked at himself in the mirror and noticed how stretched out his tank top was now. It was basically draped over him now like a roman toga. Dean noticed as well and placed his hand on his head apologetically.

"Sorry mate."

"It's alright," Jason assured him before taking it off, "It was a really old tank top." Jason didn't bother putting on a new shirt before heading straight to his bed. He was truly exhausted. He almost made himself comfortable before realizing Dean had nowhere to sleep. He face palmed. "I'm a horrible host!" Dean just chuckled.

"It's alright, I admit I also didn't think about the 'sleep' part of the sleepover," Dean confessed.

"Ugh, I'm too tired to go and look for extra pillows and blankets!" Jason said under his sheets before uncovering himself again, "Just sleep up here with me dude."

"Oh." Dean said almost inaudibly. "Yeah, I'm good with that."

Jason moved to the right side of his bed as Dean crawled in. It was a little snug but neither of them seemed to mind. They each got a pillow and shared the blanket which was plenty big enough to comfortably envelop them as they desired.

"I had no idea you stayed for the holidays Dean," Jason said quietly out of nowhere.

"Oh yeah, I usually don't." Dean replied. "But I…" Dean paused for a few moments.

"Hmm?" Jason mumbled. His eyes were now closed and he was only half awake.

"I guess I just… felt like staying this year," Dean finally answered.

Not too soon after Jason snoozed off, while Dean lied there on his back with the back of his head resting on his hands, not quite ready to sleep. He was alone with his thoughts. He felt happy. He always felt happy when he was with Jason. He didn't regret staying for him.

After a little while Jason adjusted himself in his sleep, attracted to Dean's warmth. He embraced his arm around Dean's chest while wrapping his leg around Dean's. Dean didn't even flinch as he too, drifted.

Jason just got done with lunch in the great hall and was in a particularly good mood. It's been almost a week since everyone returned to Hogwarts and even though he made sure not to let his grades slip, he's had his mind focused on the Felix. Tonight he would be adding a tincture of thyme exactly at 8PM.

It's a pleasantly crisp afternoon and Jason is heading towards The Three Broomsticks to pick up a package for Slughorn. His green scarf swayed in the light breeze as he got off the carriage that took students to Hogsmeade and walked down Main Street.

He looked at Slughorn's errand list. He would be picking up a present for the Headmaster from Madame Rosmerta. Jason remembers asking Slughorn why he was getting this present so early since Dumbledore's birthday was still a while away and Slughorn explained that it was a special Oak-Matured Mead, very hard to get a hold of due to the popularity and were always on backorder. He got lucky but it would not be ready until today's date and had to be picked up immediately before Madame Rosmerta sold it to the highest bidder. Apparently Slughorn wanted to gift this mead to Dumbledore for ages.

Jason was just about to put away the list and enter The Three Broomsticks when he lightly bumped into someone who was running out. Jason looked up to see it was Draco Malfoy.

"Bias," Draco almost greeted him. He just acted like nothing happened and kept it moving. Jason was bewildered by this. It wasn't the first time Draco didn't take the opportunity to belittle Jason when he's had a chance since before Christmas. In fact lately Draco has been… amicable…

Jason arrived back to the Slytherin common room. He was shaking. Jason was up til the crack of dawn in the forbidden forest tending to his Felix. He sat down in the couch right in the middle and looked at his hands. They were slightly scratched from going through the foliage, some of which was in his hair. He was still wearing the suit he would have worn to Slughorn's Christmas party only now it was completely ruined, shredded by the branches and dirtied. He put his hands down and just stared blankly forward while his headache left him no peace. He was exhausted but still rapt from the rage he had, making him motionless.

Jason just sat there still for what seemed like hours. He heard someone walk in. Jason didn't wince or even bother to turn his head to see who it was.

"Bias?"

Even that wasn't enough to get Jason to pay the person any attention until they walked into his line of sight. It was Draco Malfoy. Draco walked towards him with what looked like concern in his eyes as he crouched down to Jason's eye level in front of him.

"I must be losing it," Jason said aloud.

"Bias, are you alright? What happened?" Draco asked. Jason gets another wave of intense pain in his head which finally breaks him from his immobility. He clutches his head from the throbbing. Draco recognizes the symptom immediately and runs towards his bag. He had quite a few suitcases with him. Today was the day students started to leave Hogwarts for the Christmas break, and it seemed Draco was on his way before seeing Jason in a withdrawn state.

Draco returned from his bag and gave Jason a small potion. It was a small flask of red liquid.

"I get invisible wounds too," Draco explained. Jason just stared at Draco in confusion. He didn't accept the potion. Draco, still with his hand withdrawn and offering the potion, sat down next to Jason. "Ah, yeah I understand." Draco put the potion between them on the couch. "But it does work. Don't fret, I'm not out to poison you." Jason ignored him. Still, neither of them budged. Jason sat there in silence with Draco. It was as if Draco was too scared to leave Jason alone.

Eventually Jason fell asleep, not being able to rest his head on Draco's shoulder. Draco didn't seem to mind, even softly picking out leaves from Jason's hair. He woke up in his bed later that day, the red potion now on his bedside table.

"Alright here you are then, one package of Oak-Matured Mead, my special concoction!" said Madame Rosmerta, who handed Jason a brown package.

Jason stopped reminiscing on his strange encounter with Draco and accepted the package for Slughorn. He thanked her, turned around and almost made it out of The Three Broomsticks until he ran into Harry Potter.

"Jason!" Harry beamed. Jason was happy to see Harry. He hasn't had much time see him around Hogwarts since he got back. Harry was wearing his Gryffindor cardigan and a snug coat that fit him perfectly. He looked amazing.

"Harry!" Jason greeted back. He put the package down and hugged him. "Mmm, you smell good," Jason noticed. He has the aroma of cologne. Jason tried not to think about why Harry was wearing it.

"Thanks, I got it for Christmas."

"Ahh, lucky," Jason said as he patted on Harry's neck lightly. Jason figured since Felix will make sure he will get what he wants, there's no need to be subtle and enjoy himself, maybe even flirt. Harry didn't seem to mind.

"What you got there?" Harry asked, pointing at the package Jason was carrying.

"Just a surprisingly heavy package for Slughorn, didn't you know I'm his errand boy?" he half-joked. Harry convinced Jason to stay for a bit and they caught over some butterbeer. Jason was mostly just listening and not sharing as he hoped Harry didn't know about what he did to Luna and he didn't want the conversation to lead towards it.

"—But otherwise I had a great time at the Weasley's this Christmas." Harry finished after telling Jason about the horrible attack they had to deal with. Jason was glad Harry was alright but there was a sick part of him that was happy Ron and Ginny's house burned down. They paid their tab and left to go back to Hogwarts before missing their carriage.

"I don't know if I knew you also had a free period before potions on Fridays, Harry," Jason admitted. "Why haven't we hung out more often?"

"Honestly, I'm usually preoccupied with Slughorn on my free periods," Harry confessed. Jason looked confused but didn't pry.

Both of the boys arrive to Hogwarts and walk straight to Potions together. They soon arrive to the Potions classroom and Jason leaves the package on Professor Slughorn's desk. They're a little early and have the whole classroom to themselves. They sit in their usual seats, Harry directly in front of Jason, turning his chair to face him to continue their conversation.

"What about your Christmas?" Harry asks Jason.

"Honestly pretty uneventful if I'm being honest," Jason sort of lied. There really wasn't much worth discussing about his time at Hogwarts during the break. Instead Jason leaned forward and decided to start playing with Harry's hair.

"You look sexy with your hair pushed back," Jason told Harry as he ran his fingers through that jet black hair. Harry had a grin on his face while looking at Jason. Soon after Draco walked past their table to sit at his stationed near the back of the room. He scoffed.

"Git," Harry said loudly. Draco just ignored him and kept on his way.

"Hey," Harry continued with Jason as if nothing happened, "we should hang out later." Jason stopped playing with Harry's hair and sat back in his seat, not entirely sure if it was only because more students began walking in or if because he felt a strange conflicted feeling for Draco just now. Nonetheless Jason accepted.

"Name the time and place," Jason said with a smile.