Blaine turned around to Kurt with a dazed expression. "It doesn't work," he informed the other two.

"Bloody hell," he heard from the mirror but there were no words left in him to consent or disagree. His head was spinning. Did that mean that Mike would have to get a teacher and explain the whole thing? They had just found each other again. He must have looked as helpless as he felt because in an instant Kurt's strong arms were wrapped around him.

"Hey, no giving up now. I just got up back, I won't let you just disappear from me again. Calm down," Kurt hushed into his ear and with every word Blaine felt himself getting a better hold of himself. Blaine pulled back and smiled at Kurt, kissing his cheek briefly.

"Okay," he breathed and Kurt nodded smilingly.

"You got an idea, Mike?" Kurt questioned as he had untangled himself form Blaine and both were again settled on Kurt's bed.

"I am thinking," Mike pressed. His eyes were closed and he was pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Well, because I do," Kurt said. "You do?" Mike's eyes shot open and he stared at Kurt, evidently surprised. Kurt gave a sharp nod.

"Blaine already mentioned that the portal might only go one way, so I thought about that a lot the past day. Blaine, how did it feel to get through the portal? Did you walk through it or did you touch it and were sucked in?"

Blaine considered his answer for a moment before he said, "I think I moved through it. It was like stepping through a barrier of water. It's as thick as the glass and I could control my pace. I also think that my feet were still on the other side while my body was already here. It felt like my ankles were in cold water until I moved them."

"You're right. I noticed your feet but it was so quick that I wasn't sure I had seen it," Mike mused.

"That means that the portal was active in that moment. Mike? Why don't you try to put a book halfway through and then pull it back?"

On the other side Mike got up and shuffled around. Kurt looked at the pocket mirror while Blaine's eyes were fixed on the full length mirror in Kurt's room. Blaine gasped when half of a book appeared in the glass.

"That still looks surreal," Kurt whispered next to him and Blaine nodded in agreement.

"Okay, try to pull it back," Kurt instructed and in an instant the book disappeared into nothingness.

"It worked!" Mike sounded awed. "That was really clever, Kurt," he praised and Blaine grinned.

"Told you he was brilliant," Blaine said and kissed Kurt's cheek fleetingly, delighting in his boyfriend's blush.

Kurt cleared his throat, decidedly not looking at Blaine. "Following that logic you should be able to put your hand through and pull Blaine back."

Mike agreed but asked to try some other things to test that theory. First Mike put his arm through the mirror and was able to pull it back. Then he breached the portal and Kurt handed him a glass that Mike was able to take with him and give back.

"Okay, final test," Mike said and Blaine stepped in front of the mirror. Mike's arm appeared and Blaine took his hand. "I'll be back in a second," he promised Kurt before he was pulled away and stumbled into Mike's arms in the room of requirement.

"It worked!" Mike called out and hugged Blaine close. "I tried to not let it show, but I was worried sick," he whispered tugging the smaller teen under his chin.

"Hey, Mike. I'm fine," Blaine laughed but hugged his best friend back nonetheless.

"Guys? I can see and hear you, so hands of my boyfriend," Kurt teased and, chuckling, the friends untangled themselves from each other.

"Would you excuse us for a moment?" Mike asked Kurt in the mirror and the other boy raised an eyebrow in question, but disconnecting the call when Mike promised to get back to him in a minute.

"So?" Blaine asked as soon as Kurt was gone.

"You have an hour," Mike said and Blaine had to stop himself from falling into his arms again. "I'll stay here and read or something. We'll have to plan this better next time so I can bring Tina or my homework."

"Next time?" Blaine squealed, his hands clenching into fists at his sides in a desperate attempt at containing his excitement. Mike just smiled friendly.

"I'll keep your mirror with me. In an hour, I'll call and get you back over, deal?"

"Deal!" Blaine flailed hugging Mike again before quickly walking backwards and right through the mirror.

On the other side, Kurt was sitting on his bed, mirror in hand, his face clouded. As soon as he saw Blaine it lit up, until he beamed as brightly as the sun.

With three broad strides, Blaine was standing in front of him. He leant down, took the mirror from Kurt and put it to the side. He cupped Kurt's face and breathed, "We have an hour."

Instantly, Kurt's arms were wrapped around his neck and he was pulled down onto Kurt and the bed. They had talked nearly every day for the past six weeks. Now it was about the feeling of the other's body, the touch, the sensation that was as strong and dear to them as every word they uttered and everything else they shared.

Every kiss was perfect in the way that they shared it and when their lips were sore and red and their breathing had slowly evened out, they were cuddling on the bed. Blaine's cloak was discarded on the floor, their shoes next to it. Blaine was lying on the cushions, Kurt's head pillowed on Blaine's chest, Kurt's right hand in Blaine's left.

"Where is your family?" Blaine asked into the content silence. He had been so caught up in Kurt, that he hadn't even wasted a thought to what would happen if someone of Kurt's family came in.

"Dad's downstairs but don't worry," Kurt answered, his voice faint whisper. Blaine had the suspicion that Kurt was listening to his heartbeat. "There's a game on tonight. Rugby, maybe football, I don't even know but seems to be a big deal so he and Finn will be occupied for at least until ten. Carole has the nightshift so she's gone till like 8 tomorrow morning and even if one of them decided to come up, the door is locked."

Blaine relaxed, pressing a kiss to Kurt's head and Kurt hummed.

"Say, do you have plans for Christmas?" Kurt asked some minutes later.

"Sam invited me because my parents won't be home for Christmas," Blaine answered, the hand that was not clasped in Kurt's rubbing patterns into Kurt's back.

"Oh, I just thought... my dad and Carole are going down to England to visit an aunt of Carole's for Christmas. She is old and as it seems Carole is her only living relative or relative that can stand her or something, well she is a homophobic old hag so, Dad said I could stay home. First, he didn't want to go at all, saying he couldn't leave me alone for Christmas but I told him to go. I thought you might want to spend Christmas with me?"

Kurt sounded hopeful and Blaine's mind exploded at the amount of possibilities that that offered them. Being for days on end with Kurt, cooking with Kurt, doing Muggle things with Kurt, sleeping with Kurt in one bed, waking next to Kurt, maybe even doing things with Kurt.

"But I totally understand if you want to spend it with your friend's family," Kurt added quickly, seemingly misinterpreting Blaine's silence.

"Are you crazy?" Blaine squealed, flipping Kurt on his back and diving in for a kiss. "Of course I'll spend Christmas with you. Sam will understand. Well, I can't tell him why exactly, but I'll find something he'll understand."

Kurt's eyes shone happily and that sight alone was worth whatever Sam would do when he'd cancel on him.

At breakfast the next day, Blaine was still floating on the high of being with Kurt. He was so high it was actually hard for him to follow the conversation going on around him.

"You should totally come over for New Year's, Mike," Sam said around a mouthful of bacon and eggs.

"Can't. My parents are having this party and I had to plead with them to let Tina come over for it. Couldn't stand them the prospect of them introducing me to a bunch of their business acquaintances' daughters and with Tina there, she can at least scare them off."

Blaine winced in sympathy, remembering all too clearly how Cooper had been paraded around on similar occasions by their parents when he was younger. Blaine was indeed glad to escape that fate. Being one out of ten had its perks. Sam didn't give up though.

"Come on, man. That's dull! Tina can just come along. It will be cramped but comfy. Blaine will be there. It would be so fantastic!" Sam was grinning, his arms stretched wide, underlining his enthusiasm and nearly hitting some 2nd years sitting next to him in the process. Mike was still huddled behind his Daily Prophet, smiling apologetically at Sam. Meanwhile, Blaine's insides were slowly but constantly tying themselves into hard, uncomfortable knots.

"Yeah, about that, Sam," Blaine cleared his throat, "turns out that I sort of cannot come spend Christmas with you." Sam's arms fell heavily down to his sides, his expression turning unbearably disappointed. "Why?"

Blaine squirmed in his seat, stopping when he noticed how guilty that must look. "Cooper sent me an owl. His theatre company takes a break between Christmas day and New Year's day and..."

"And you want to spend that time with your brother. I get it," Sam sighed, hunching down on his seat. Blaine's heart clenched at the sight. Was it right to lie to Sam and let him down that way? He was his best friend... but then there was Kurt. Sam would have his whole family to spend Christmas with. Kurt only had him. And Blaine would have nearly two whole weeks with him.

He would get Sam something really great for Christmas to make up for it. Maybe the first edition of the Adventures of Martin Miggs or a new high class broom polishing set.

"And you really don't want to take the train today?" Sam asked for the 100th time. Around them hundreds of Hogwarts students were busy running, talking and saying good bye to their friends, making the entry hall as noisy and confusing as it only got once a year, right before Christmas holidays, when part of the student body left while the rest stayed behind, preparing for their own Christmas celebrations.

"I'm sure, Sam. I'd love to take the train with you guys, but there would be nobody able to pick me up from Kings Cross. Cooper will come into the village tomorrow, I'll meet him there and he'll apparate with me."

"Yeah, I'm just still sad, that you're not coming, I guess." Sam shrugged, shooting Blaine a bashful grin and Blaine couldn't resist wrapping Sam up in a tight hug. Partly to hide his guilty face.

"I'll miss you, too, mate," Blaine mumbled into Sam's shoulder. Sam's arms tightened around Blaine for a moment before he released him and stepped back, his hands still resting on Blaine's shoulders. "No tears, ay?" Sam smiled, "You're better now right? Not all gloomy? You're going to have a good holiday, right?"

Kurt's face flushed before Blaine's eyes and a natural smile spread across his face. "Yeah, I'll be fine. I might even be great, actually." Sam squeezed his shoulders before letting go and shouldering his bag.

"Take care, little one and merry Christmas" Sam said smiling. "You too." Blaine replied and looked after Sam as he headed out into the cold, waiting for a coach.

"So, Sam okay with you not coming?" Mike asked from behind and Blaine turned.

"Yeah, I guess," Blaine sighed, closing his eyes for a moment. He hated lying. Every single lie ate him up from inside and it was becoming more and more unendurable. Lying to Sam was the worst though. "He'd never think that I'd keep something so big from him."

Mike nodded his expression grave. "You're right, Blaine. But don't be too hard on yourself. You got yourself into something really complicated and it would only endanger him if he knew."

"I'm pretty sure, he'd still rather know," Blaine disputed, looking after his blonde friend.

"Doesn't mean it were better if he did. You're doing the right thing, Blaine. It's bad enough in how much trouble you might get us into. Don't pull him in. I decided to take your burden, so did Tina but don't tell him unless you have, too." A reassuring hand came down on his shoulder and Blaine turned back to look at Mike. Over Mike's shoulder he could see Sebastian say good bye to Hunter. As he walked by he winked and said only loud enough that Mike and Blaine could hear it "Merry Christmas, Santa baby."

Blaine's hands clenched at his sides and he shook his head slightly. Sebastian hadn't done much in the past two weeks but by now his mere presence was enough to set Blaine on edge.

"Hey, ignore him, okay?" Mike whispered and Blaine focused back on his friend. "I try," Blaine mumbled, forcing a smile, "but you're right I won't tell Sam. I won't even think about this whole mess for the next two weeks. As soon as the whole turmoil has died down, I'm going to get my trunk and get it to the room or requirement and in less than two hours I will be with Kurt."

Mike laughed. "It's rather adorable how the sole prospect of seeing him can make you go from kicked to hyperactive puppy in the matter of a second." Blaine rolled his eyes but couldn't stop from grinning.

"You have...,"

"Yes, I have the mirror, Mike. I asked one of the elves to mess up my room before you guys return, so that it looks like I came back a day early. As soon as you can get away, you're going to come to the room, call me and pull me over. Kurt's family won't come home for another two days. It will all work out," Blaine reassured his friend.

"Just checking." Mike let his arm slide over Blaine's shoulders and pulled him close. "You'll be fine," he whispered more to himself than to Blaine. Blaine nudged his side. "Come to think of it, I think I'll be great."

Mike chuckled and let go of Blaine, just as Tina joined them.

"Hey, Bling-Bling." Tina greeted him with a hug. "How do you do, Tay-Tay?"

Blaine grinned at Tina, ignoring Mike's exasperatedly whispered When did this happen and why?

To be quite honest, he wasn't even too sure himself but at his gloomiest days in the library Tina had approached him and drawn him out in a way that Sam couldn't and Mike wouldn't, giving him a proper and willing shoulder to cry on. Blaine had always gotten along brilliantly with girls but Tina was a real friend. A friend that he could share silly nicknames with and eat ice cream with when he was sad and discuss hot boys in school. It was refreshing.

"No, judging Mr Chang or I'm going to share a lot more with Blainey Days than good for you," she threatened before she pecked Mike's lips in greeting. "So, B, all packed and ready to go?"

"Yes, you just all have to leave and I can get going."

"I see where you are coming from," Tina giggled, "then we won't keep you a second longer." She planted a small kiss on his cheek. "I want all the dirty details when I'm back. Someone told me he's quite a looker", she whispered into his ear and winked at him as she stepped back to let Mike hug Blaine good bye.

Blaine could feel the heat rising in his cheeks but he gave her a secretive smile and a nod as the couple gathered their bags and headed in the direction of the big gate.

"Merry Christmas, guys!" he called after the couple. They turned around again, hands linked between them.

"Merry Christmas!" they yelled back, before leaving the entrance hall into the cold, winter morning.

It couldn't have taken more than another hour for the halls to fall silent again, but for Blaine it felt like a week of History of Magic with Professor Binns.

When the corridors were finally clear, Blaine hurried back to his dorm room, shrinked his already packed trunk and with it in hand, left the tower.

By now the halls were deserted and with broad strides he went up and down staircases, walked down corridors and took one or two convenient short cuts hidden behind curtains or portraits. He past a group of chatting Hufflepuffs, but they were too caught up in their own conversation to even pay him much attention. And still, he couldn't suppress the relieved sigh as they had moved on.

The only moment that he really broke a sweat on his way to the room of requirement, was when he heard a quiet but alert meow behind him. Blaine froze and turned slowly. Mrs Norris was sitting 10 feet away from him, staring at him with her yellow eyes.

"What?" Blaine asked, "It's the first day of Christmas break. I am going for a walk. That's perfectly normal and legitimate."

She meowed again, louder this time. Probably loud enough to alert her master.

"I am not doing anything wrong," Blaine said, through clenched teeth. How was this cat even still alive? He knew she had already been the bane of every student's existence when his brother had attended Hogwarts. And Cooper had told him, that the stories of this creature were even beyond his days.

The ugly cat moved towards him now. Blaine turned and started running. Technically, he really wasn't doing anything wrong but he wasn't innocent enough to wait for Filch and let him start digging either.

He didn't stop running until he was on the next floor and pretty out of breath. It was only when he slid through the door of the room of requirement and saw it disappearing behind him that his breath really evened out again, a heavy weight lifting from his chest. Ten steps more and he would be with Kurt.

With a giant grin on his face, Blaine crossed the room and walked straight through the mirror, not even flinching when the feeling of cold water hit him.

His vision was blurry for a second, as it always was when he moved through the portal, but at least he didn't fall through it... much.

Before he had regained all his senses though, he felt strong arms wrap around him and lift him up in a tight embrace. In shock he dropped his minimised trunk and his arms came to wrap around his boyfriend's shoulders.

Kurt was holding him close, his nose pressed into Blaine's neck and with an excited jolt, Blaine realised that Kurt was actually strong enough to hold him up in the air, Blaine's feet hovering inches over the ground.

"You're here," Kurt whispered into his neck, leaving tiny kisses where his mouth was on Blaine's skin.

"I am. And I've come to stay," Blaine assured giddily. At that Kurt pulled back and as always Blaine's breath hitched as Kurt's beautiful eyes focused on him. Kurt was smiling, broad and excited. It mad Blaine's own grin turn up a notch.

"Well then, Blaine wizard, let me show you my humble home." Kurt let Blaine onto his own feet again, his arms sliding away but taking Blaine's hand instead. He led Blaine to the door and with a small bow of his head opened it and tugging Blaine into the house.

Into the house that Blaine had never properly entered despite visiting Kurt's room for two whole weeks. The house that Blaine would spend the next twelve days in. The house he would share with Kurt. The house that would be their home.

Blaine had no words for the happiness he felt.

Blaine loved the house, but it confused him a great deal. It was stuffed with machines and electronic devices he had never seen in his life! Of course he had tried to read up on such things as much as he could to be prepared for what was to come but seeing a drawing of something and theoretically knowing what it was and what it was used for, was in no way the same as being faced with a big, white thing that got hot when you turned the round things and that didn't decipher between human and food.

The later had led to him casually leaning down on the white thing, cooker it was called, with a hand as he watched Kurt chop vegetables. It had also led to Kurt staring wide eyed as he understood too late what Blaine was doing. Too late to stop it from happening. Too late to prevent the giant burn that spread over Blaine's hand, making him yelp and scream in agony.

Quickly, Kurt had tugged his hand away from the cooktop and under a cold stream of water. He had told Blaine to not move his hand for another two minutes and raced off to get some salve. Blaine had stood there, waiting and trying not to cry in humiliation and pain.

When his burn had been treated by Kurt, the taller boy had sternly told him to keep his hands to himself and sit at the table and let Kurt finish dinner. Blaine had slumped down on a chair and felt miserable and useless, until an ice lolly was moved into his line of sight. With a smile he took the cold, sweet treat from Kurt and tried to unwrap it with one hand until Kurt took pity on him and helped him.

As Blaine was happily sucking on the ice, Kurt patted the countertop next to him and with a grin Blaine heaved himself up to be closer to Kurt.

Kurt resumed preparing dinner as they chatted, sharing small smiles.

"You know sometimes you are like a toddler," Kurt laughed as Blaine kept sucking on the sick even as the last droplet was already gone.

"Is that a size joke?" Blaine muttered blushingly. Kurt shook his head. "It's more the whole puppy eyes, not being able to keep your hands off stuff thing," Kurt said and stepped closer, to stand between Blaine's legs, "Don't worry it's cute."

"It's cute that I am useless and daft?"

"It's plain adorable," Kurt whispered, his eyes bright with amusement as Blaine worried his bottom lip between his teeth.

"Or you just have a thing for charity cases." Blaine raised his burned hand to emphasise his statement.

"I don't think you're that hopeless. I'd rather say I have a thing for sweet, enthusiastic boys that care about their actions. That care about things like being helpful and polite. I also don't mind dark hair and amber eyes."

Blaine turned his head away but couldn't help the smile. His heart was pounding fast in his chest at Kurt's words. "Sap."

Kurt chuckled, his arms winding around Blaine's waist and pulling him closer to the edge of the counter, closer to Kurt. "Do you mind?"

Blaine rolled his eyes but shock his head, happily excepting the kiss that Kurt offered him before Kurt moved away to finish dinner.

When they went to bed hours later, each boy pulling the covers back and sliding under them on one side of the bed, they were both nervous. The evening had been wonderful but they were breaching new territory again.

For a moment they were both lying stiffly on their side of the bed. They had cuddled a million times but never like this and it just felt like a big deal. When the tension just became too much for Blaine he turned to look at Kurt, who was staring back, mouth opening and closing like he couldn't find the words he wanted to say.

Silently Blaine stretched out his arms, opening them in invitation. Kurt grinned, pushing their pillows together before cuddling into Blaine. Blaine was draped over Kurt, Kurt's back pressed snugly into him. Blaine's left arm was holding Kurt close, his nose nuzzled into Kurt's neck, making the boy giggle.

Contently they fell asleep, wrapped up in each other.