Hello everyone! These lovely characters were created by the beautiful Miss CP Coulter, and this magical background that they are placed in was created by the wonderful Miss JK Rowling. :)

Chapter 13

The year began to pass; Halloween flew by, then it was December and everything was still normal. Derek talked about Quidditch nonstop; Julian and Logan fought about five things before breakfast; it was comfortable. They were all relieved to fall into the rhythm of school. Classes were becoming a little harder, but the three Slytherins had no problem keeping up. It was not unusual for them to pull all-nighters together, writing essays, practicing spells, things that wouldn't have taken all night but often they would become sidetracked, either by someone suddenly remembering a story he wanted to tell, or two – sometimes all three of them, though Derek usually served as mediator between the other two – falling into an argument that would, at best, take half an hour to sort out.

Julian and Derek had not forgotten their desire to stay at Hogwarts for the holidays. One morning in early December, at breakfast one Sunday, Julian had a piece of paper that he was writing on.

"What sounds better?" he asked, biting off a piece of turkey from his turkey leg before reading, "Dear Mother, I implore-"

"The other one," Logan said immediately. "Implore? Really? Are you the queen, Julian? Because last time I checked no one else uses the word implore."

"Maybe I want to sound like royalty, Logan, did you think of that?" Julian challenged.

Logan raised an eyebrow and brought his cup to his lips, drinking deeply of his Pumpkin juice. He shivered a little – the large Great Hall was so drafty – and then said, "Just ask her. Say 'May I stay at Hogwarts for the holidays? Thanks, love you, Julian. End.'"

Derek rolled up his own piece of parchment. "It's not hard, Julian," he said, waving it in the air to dry it.

"I'm afraid she'll say no!" Julian said, a crease appearing between his eyebrows. "I'm afraid she'll be lonely…"

Logan kicked him under the table. "Do you want to stay or don't you?" he demanded. He'd already written his letter the night before and would go up to the Owlery with his friends to send it.

"I do," Julian said, sounding torn. "I just don't want her to be alone…"

"Come on, Julian," Derek said. "You said last summer that you wanted to stay! It'll be fine. Don't worry about her. She's lived alone for two and a half years now, and when you're there what happens? Does she go out of her way to spend time with you?"

"She's just busy," Julian said defensively, as if it were his own personal parenting skills being called into question.

"Then she won't miss you," Logan said like it was decided.

"You're right," Julian agreed, nodding. "Okay. I'll stay."

"We're back to square one then," Derek said, just as owls began their descent into the Great Hall and down to students. None of the three expected any letters or parcels, so they continued eating their breakfasts.

It was only when Logan's father's owl landed on Logan's head that he looked up, slightly startled. The owl started pecking at his forehead and getting his hair all tangled. He grabbed it to get it off him, and the owl flew a distance away.

"That bloody owl hates me," Logan mumbled, waiting for it to come back, which it did, finally, pecking his forehead again as he undid the scroll from its leg. He sighed and unrolled it.

Julian reached his arm out and the owl gladly sat on it. Julian took a piece of bread from his plate and gave the owl a bit. He smiled and stroked its feathers.

"Don't spoil that owl," Logan said, setting the letter down on the table once he was through reading it. "It already is spoiled enough by my dad, he doesn't need you adding to it."

"But he's such a pretty owl," Julian cooed.

"What does the letter say?" Derek asked, reaching to pick it up.

Logan snatched it up. "Nothing."

"What?" Derek reached for it again. "Tell me! Your dad hasn't written to you once, and you haven't written to him, it must be important!"

"No one died, don't worry," Logan said sarcastically.

"I wasn't-"

"It isn't even your business anyway," Logan said, holding the paper to his chest.

"Are you going to respond?" Julian asked, looking into the owl's eyes and making faces.

"That owl is the devil!" Logan exclaimed, dropping the paper and shooing the owl away with both his hands. It took flight and, glancing back with an angry glint in his eyes, flew away.

"He seemed nice enough to me," Julian said, shrugging.

"He's my dad's," Logan told him, like it was obvious and why didn't Julian understand?

Meanwhile Derek had picked up the letter and read it and was looking at it like it was made of fire. He set it down angrily after a moment.

"What does he think he's doing?" Derek asked, loudly indignant. "He's being a horrible-"

"It doesn't matter. I wanted to stay over break anyway…" Logan said, weakly.

"What? What is it, what does it say?" Julian asked, hating being left out.

"Says he is allowed and welcome to stay at school for break," Derek said bitterly. "And it is recommended. Like his dad is trying to keep him away."

"It doesn't matter though," Logan said to Julian, shaking his head. "I really-I don't care. I wanted to stay anyway."

"Does it honestly…?" Julian took it and looked at it. "I wish I knew a curse, a really bad one, that I could do to him, and he'd regret ever treating you like-"

"Stop." Logan stood up. "Just stop. It doesn't even matter to me, okay? It doesn't matter." His lip quivered and he strode off quickly.

Julian and Derek looked at each other. "I have-" Derek started to say.

"I know. Go to Quidditch, I'll find Logan. I'll deal with it." Julian stood up and sighed. "I just hate that he has to go through this."

"I hate that we can't do anything about it," Derek said, also getting up. "Go and be with him, though."

Julian nodded. "I will. Good luck at practice."

Derek smiled a little. "Good luck to you too."

Julian found Logan sitting at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. He sat next to him. The wind whipped him. It blew his hair. It stung his eyes.

He didn't notice.

"I-" he started.

"Don't talk," Logan said quickly. He had tears in his eyes, waiting to brim over, just waiting, hovering.

Julian nodded. He moved his hand closer to Logan's, and Logan jerked his own away.

"Do you not understand?" Logan asked, looking to him, the tears quivering on the edge, ready to fall at any moment. "I just want to be alone."

"But you aren't," Julian replied. "You aren't alone."

Logan didn't say anything. He appraised Julian for a few moments, and then looked up at the blue sky. He laid back on the green grass and the invisible wind whistled through the brown trees. The grey castle cast a shadow across the grounds, the navy blue lake rippled, the Quidditch Pitch reflected all the colors of the Houses, green, silver, blue, bronze, golden, red, yellow, black.

"It's beautiful," Julian said, lying back also. He stared up at the clouds moving across the sky.

"Yeah," Logan agreed shortly.

Silence fell but for the wind and birds and rustling of leaves and the occasional shout from the Pitch. It was comfortable. The blond and brunet lay together in the middle of their world, as content as they could be.