Tom was right, staring at the sky for two hours was very fun. Especially when it was in the freezing cold of night with very cranky Gryffindors. Not a good mix putting Slytherins and Gryffindors together when they're not in the best of moods.

Huddled close together the students tried to protect themselves against the bitter breeze that blew relentlessly at them as they stood at the top of the astronomy tower scowling at the far too cheery teacher. Ailill was standing with his arms around Tom, his back taking the brunt of the icy wind and from the looks that the two were getting, many others wanted someone to be their shield as well. Ailill was like an octopus with his hands weaved with Tom's and engulfing the other boy with his cloak.

"Malfoy," Alphard said after staring at the duo before him. "Come do to me what Peverell is doing to Slytherin"

"Absolutely not," the blond sniffed. "You should at the least be offering to do that to me."

"What? No, I'm younger, as the older of the two of us you should be taking the initiative to keep me warm."

"And as the older, you should be paying your respect in keeping me warm."

The rest of the Slytherins sighed at the bicker of the two, even though it has only been barely a day at Hogwarts they knew this was to be a recurring event watching the heir of Black and Malfoy argue. At least it's entertainment.

"Peverell, who's older you or Slytherin?" Black asked, trying to prove his point.

Tom poked his head out from where it was buried into Ailill's neck. He did not care for looking strong next to Ailill, he will take anything given to him from this boy, weakness be damned.

"Ailill's older by two months," Tom replied to the boy's question ignoring the cry of victory the Black boy let out.

With a look of resigned repulsion, Malfoy opened his arms to which Alphard smugly bundled into as he escaped the cold. Ailill was sniggering softly at the predicament the ever so elegant Abraxas was forced into. The teacher was at the top ruffling around with her stuff still not after starting the class, they were supposed to 'talk amongst themselves' for a few minutes. How was anyone able to concentrate when they had the breath of Everest at their necks freezing the nerves?

"Tell me something interesting," Tom demanded of Ailill as he looked up to squinted amber eyes.

"Hmm," gloved thumbs traced circles on the back of slightly smaller hands. "What do you wanna hear?"

"Anything, you always have the strangest of things to say."

"And how do you know I don't lie to make them more interesting?"

"Because you're not that boring."

"Okay," Ailill huffed amused. "Do you know that all of your big teeth, as in the ones that grow after your first set fall out, actually sit in your skull below your nose and under your eyes? Think of that image."

Many faces twisted after listening in on the conversation, why the fuck did an eleven-year-old boy know this?

"And how do you know this?" Tom inquired, partially amused.

"So y'know Benny down the road-"

"Benny showed you a baby skull?"

"No," Ailill shook his head in denial, "I saw Benny's skull."

"Right."

"Now wait here a minute-" Lestrange said after eavesdropping on the talk.

"Okay, class!" The professor decided to now start teaching, cutting Rastus off. "Welcome to the core subject of astronomy that you will be taking until your O. . An Astronomer is a scientist who works in the field of astronomy, the scientific study of celestial bodies outside Earth including planets, stars, and galaxies, as well as related natural phenomena. In this class we will be identifying start patterns and learning how to read planets through their phases."

She clapped her hand, "now please take out your telescope, we will be studying Jupiter in our first year together."

Doing so as told the first years went through the astronomy class tired and cold, they were given no homework but were warned that wouldn't be the case next class. Once class finished the students all but raced back to their dorms to prepare for bed. The first years stripped of their uniforms and placed themselves into warm soft pajamas intent on diving headfirst into the fine covers. The dorm room was a bit drafty but nowhere near as cold as the tower they were just on. Ailill crawled into his bed and became a human blanket burrito only cracking open the blankets when Tom badgered him from the outside, determined to wheedle himself into the confines of warmth. Sleep that night was quiet and calm, with no horrifying nightmare and no restless tossing. Just pure sleep.

The next morning was the start of the first weekend that will be spent at Hogwarts, it was a time to sleep in and explore the castle. It was currently ten in the morning and while Ailill was awake he was content to sleepily daydream under the blankets next to a reading Tom. The other Slytherins had already gotten up and dressed, heading down to breakfast at eight. Tom planned to stop by the kitchens after he could pry the boy next to him from his mattress. At the approaching time of eleven o clock, Tom bookmarked his page and got up from his seat next to Ailill. He stretched his hands over his head groaning at the series of cracks that came from the action. Ailill poked his head out from under his blankets chortling at Tom,

"I thought I was the old man here," he laughed. "But from that, I think it might be you instead."

"Yeah yeah, get up bed head, " Tom retorted, whacking the boy with a pillow. "We're going to go look around once we've eaten."

"Gahhhhh," Ailill grumbled as he sat up in his bead with askew hair and cute puffy cheeks. "Can we have orange juice?"

"If they have it here, I've only seen people drink pumpkin juice."

"Gross, who the fuck juices pumpkins?"

"The magicals."

"Of course they do," Ailill rolls his eyes skywards. "Anyways, what are you wearing?"

"A sweater most likely," Tom shrugged. "Why?"

"So we can match," Ailill stumbled out of his bed and into the bathroom to wash his face. "Check my bag would ya, I dunno what I actually brought with me."

Doing so as asked, Tom popped the lid of his friend's trunk and ruffled around in it, looking for something that would match with the navy sweater he was wearing. After a few minutes, he pulled out a set of full-coverage robes that he remembered Ailill buying back at the wizarding clothing store. He placed everything else back in the trunk and laid out the clothing on the bed that had just been occupied. Ailill came back into the room looking a small bit more put together.

"Oh thanks, Tom," Ailill said walking over to his bed. "I didn't feel like showing skin today, so these will be perfect."

Tom gave a small smile and headed into the bathroom to wash his own face as Ailill got dressed for the day. After brushing his teeth Tom looked at himself in the mirror and straightened out the collar of the dress shirt he wore underneath his knitted sweater. As he fixed the small crease in the corner Ailill came up behind him and threw an arm over his shoulders.

"You still owe me a braid in my hair," the boy huffed displeased.

"My apologies," Tom said. "Let me do it now?"

"Hmm," slender fingers tapped on a woolen-covered shoulder. "Okay."

Tom led Ailill to the small vanity and grabbed the brush before softly dragging it through black tresses. He carefully pulled hair together in practiced movements and elaborate designs. The braid was pulling Ailill's hair away from his face and intertwining with the rest of the black curtain.

"It's getting long," Tom remarked as he tied a blue ribbon at the end of the braid.

"I was thinking of growing it out," Ailill said admiring the other's work. "What do you think?"

"I think longer hair will be lovely on you."

"You're such a charmer aren't you Tom?" a smirk curled at Ailill's mouth.

"Only for you," Tom mirrored the uptick of his friend's lips.

The trip to the kitchens wasn't long as the two relied on Ailill's memory to get around the castle. Once inside the large room, they were swarmed by house-elves once more, their excited little chattering voices bringing a smile to Ailill's face as he scanned for Blinky having a soft spot to the little elf that served him the day before.

"Master Ailill!" a squeaked pitched out from the boy's left.

"Ah, Blinky," Ailill smiled. "How are you?"

"Oh, Blinky is good Master Ailill." the house-elf practically sparkled at the question of her well-being. "What can Blinky do for you?"

"Well Tom and I missed breakfast this morning and we're wondering if we could nick a few bits and pieces off you guys?"

"Oh yes! No worries, Blinky can do that. What would master Ailill and master Tom like?"

Tom pulled a face at hearing his birth name being said by someone other than Ailill but didn't create a fuss.

"We'd like some orange juice at least," Ailill said. "What do you wanna eat, Tom?"

"Something we can easily carry around, like a sandwich or something."

"Do you have anything like that Binky?"

"Mhm, Blinky will be right back!"

As the two waited for the little elf, Tom and Ailill discussed where they were going to go. Ailill wanted to see the large lake, he heard there were all sorts of creatures in it. Tom wanted to visit the library, no surprise there. They agreed to look outside while the weather was warm enough before they would head back into the castle. After gratefully accepting the food from Blinky who was kind to also give them a bottle of water as well the two boys set out on their journey to exit the castle and look around to what the grounds had to offer. They passed many students who were out of uniform and had lazy smiles on their faces, happy to have no classes and be surrounded by their friends.

Outside was cool enough that you wouldn't parade around in tank tops but warm enough for lighter material clothes. As they walked the sandwiches were devoured and washed down with orange juice and smiles upon rosy lips. The lake was a small walk away from the castle and dark in colour. The water it held was like finely ground ink spilled into the depth of an ocean, light in some areas and too dark to see in others. Clusters of students sat in huddles on the grass, some with books others with nothing more than laughter in their throats. Ailill surveyed the lake with almost clinical eyes as he watched ripples form on the surface from nothing and disturb the serene stillness. His mind itched to ask or search in order to know what was under the skimming of the surface, to know the beasts and creatures that live in such a different environment to him. He wondered about their intelligence, their experiences, and their way of life. It was just so much more interesting than humans. Tom didn't partially like the far-off look creeping into Ailill's eyes and so started to drag the other away from the lake and to other grounds.

Ailill was displeased but let Tom be, for now, there will be other days where his companion will be too preoccupied with coursework and he can sneak off to have his questions answered. Tom dragged him off to where shouting and all-around ruckus could be heard, the place in question was a large strip of land shaped to an oval with various stands towering high above the ground with seats. On either side of the pitch there were three hooped Goalposts of different heights surrounded by a scoring area. Clearly, they had stumbled upon some sort of sports area indicated by the rambunctious shouting of people in the air as they zoomed around on broomsticks at dizzying speeds. The players were coated in red robes showing their house, while not too fond of the loud lions Tom was somewhat interested in the game they were playing, it was another part of the world he and Ailill were denied and so they must know what it is. Tom dragged Ailill to the side where stands were placed for people to sit, it wasn't particularly full but there were splatters of people here and there.

They weren't long in watching before a voice made itself known by sitting down on the creaking bench beside them and offering up their knowledge.

"That was a fantastic barrel-roll," the thick Scottish accent said as dark eyes surveyed the contemplative face of the Slytherin heir. "Don't ye think?"

"I'm sorry," Tom offered a polite smile. "I'm afraid I have little knowledge on what you're speaking of."

"Why quidditch of course," the girl nodded her head towards the sports being played. "You don't know of it?"

"No, we don't," Tom said. "Care to offer up such knowledge?"

Ailill just watched from the corner of his eye not engaging with the newcomer. The girl was of average height with a strong face, her jaw was set firmly and her eyes held the kind of stubbornness that many grow to admire. They were dark brown placed above cheekbones that clung to baby fat, shining with passion as she began to ramble furiously about 'quidditch' and the concepts of the game to which Tom paid attention to, always the sponge to new knowledge. Ailill found more interest in the stunts the students pulled off as they ran drills. Twists and rolls in the air looking effortless in their defiance of physics and gravity. Tom had turned his head slightly to be able to watch Ailill as whisky eyes never left the players.

"...get 150 points ending the game. It's a good game, no?"

The girl's voice snapped Tom back to her, she was looking at him expectantly egging him to agree with her views.

"Yes," Tom smiled. "A riveting game indeed."

She nodded satisfied with her explanation of a game she so clearly adored. Brown eyes slid past Tom and peered at the boy next to him, the one with dark robes and a pretty braid created with hair that looked so soft it made her want to run a hand through it to see if it felt as nice as it looked. Abruptly dazed eyes met hers clashing in a mix of fresh earth and old alcohol. They took a moment to focus before they lazily pinned her in her place.

"You hold a lot of respect for this game," the honey-like voice drawled. "Don't you, Minerva McGonagall?"

"You know my name?" the girl raised an eyebrow and her own voice coloured in disbelief.

"Yes," Tom spoke his voice lit with suspicious jealousy. "How'd you know her name Ailill?"

Ailill flickered his eyes to Tom for a moment before returning to McGonagall, "she took close to five minutes to be sorted and she was the only other person in transfiguration close to turning the match into a needle. She was of worthy note."

"I see," Tom said now looking at her appraisingly, he took Ailill's words seriously. If he thought the girl was enough to be acknowledged then he too shall follow.

"I did not think Slytherins would bother with me of their own volition," she admitted. "But I saw yous here and thought it would be nice to speak to someone my own age about quidditch."

"I'm afraid we weren't the best company, now were we?" Ailill noted ruefully. "Not much knowledge we had on the game before you imparted it on us."

"It was still nice." McGonagall insisted.

"All is well then," Ailill shrugged unbothered. His attitude would be called cold by some but realistically he was just indifferent. No need to be overly expressive.

A silence hung between the trio until the hollering of voices pointed at them, a few feet away the hurtling of a ball was headed for the benches. The ball hit the wood with a dull thump before falling to the floor.

"Hey! Would one of ye mind passin' that back up to us?" one of the boys in red called down.

Ailill got up and approached the ball, picking it up and turning it over in his hands testing the weight. He took a few steps back before giving a little run and dropping the ball only for his leg to dart up and kicking it causing the ball to shoot back into the air and right at the boy. The student in red barely caught it and steadied his broom as he turned to the first year with an incredulous look on his face. Ailill wasn't paying him attention anymore; his eyes had instead turned to Tom.

"I'm bored," he sighed. "Let's head inside and check out the library like you wanted to."

Tom nodded and eased himself up from the bench, he turned to Minerva beside him and threw her a smile, "thank you for teaching us about quidditch today McGonagall. Would you like to accompany us?" The question was polite and said out of courtesy, Tom didn't actually want her to tag along but appearances must be maintained.

"Oh, thank you," she expressed. "But I'm quite fine right here. Hope we can speak again another time, Slytherin, Peverell."

"It was lovely to meet you, McGonagall," Tom said with all the artificial sweetness of a dieting snack.

Ailill only nodded his head in acknowledgment and started his walk down the steps of the bleachers Tom just like always not too far behind.