Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

This is a giant crack fic. It might just be a bunch of drabbles, it might becomes a great saga. Goddess i hope not. Them again I know me.

Chapter Text

The assembly was gigantic.

Dean couldn’t believe how many people it was. It was a huge amount. So many it was probably equal to the amount of people in Dean’s entire old school district.  

There had to be thousands of people here. Thousands. And they could all use magic. The magical population of Lawrence, Kansas, was like… twenty people. That was an inclusion of Dean and his mom. And probably Sam. Missouri was really nice, even though she could read your mind. But this… this was more than ‘like twenty’.

That morning Dean had woken up excited as any kid could be for school. Well this school. A magic school. Dean was excited about going to a magic school.

But there were still so many people here. This sorting was going to take forever. Of course also leave it to Dean to be in the middle of a line of what was at least two hundred kids. Which meant that he had to wait for nearly a hundred kids to be sorted first.

They’d done about twenty-three so far.

“So how much longer are we going to have to wait for this shit to end?” A girl behind Dean asked. She had dark wavy hair with a look in her eyes that reminded Dean of broken glass on a kitchen floor.   

“Well seeing how we’re here. And they’re there.” She points to the front. “And those guys are there.” She points to the back, where far too many people are, for Dean’s comfort. “So… not soon.”

The girl was a redhead, but it seemed unnaturally so.

The flapping of giant wings alerted them that another one of them had been sorted.

“I wonder why they have to watch us like that?” A kid in front of Dean had asked. He seemed to be regarding the number of students standing above them. Hundreds of students where circling around them, looking down past banisters.  

“It’s probably so they know who their new housemates are.”

“I’ve got to say it’s a bit intimidating.” Another boy said.

“I don’t think I care much. Just wanna get this over with.” The dark haired girl said again.

So they stood there, and they walked. Stood there and walked.  Stood there and walked. Until finally. It was Dean’s turn.

Dean walked out into the gordian knot placed into the center of the humongous space. The center of it all was so… important. It was filled with light and seemed to perfectly land on Dean. with that this was where he was important. This was his time to shine. It felt so warm here in this place. With this light falling down on him like he was holy.

Dean opened his eyes, and looked up. Waiting to be chosen. To be sorted.  

He stood there for a moment.  

And then it happened.

The thunderous roar of a wildcat blasted through the dome, filling it form top to bottom. The shaking it caused seemed so powerful, it threatened to knock the roof from the very rafters.

‘Wampus Cat it is!’ Someone above shrieked, as many clapped.

Dean walked over to the number of students who’d been sorted into Wampus Cat already.

“I don’t think it roared that much for me.”

“Well we can’t all be so lucky.” Dean said, shrugging his shoulders. Because honestly. It did seem to roar exceptionally loud for him. Dean liked that.

The next person of any note to be called was the girl from before. The one with the dark hair and the evil eyes.

She stepped into the knot as she’d seen everyone before her do. She stepped in, her combat boots, clacking on the stone floor. When she stopped silence was given for her as they all looked on.

Dean watched.

And then it happened.

A snarl and massive roar, one that might rival Dean’s own, was offered up by the Wampus Cat statue.

A devious smile showed up on the girls face as she walked over to Dean, and the other first year Wampus Cats.

“Howdy partner.” She said to Dean as she looked down at him. A feat Dean couldn’t stand, since she was shorter than him. Her dumb grin was pissing Dean off amazingly.

The next few people to be sorted weren’t of note, so Dean didn’t much pay attention. As far as he was aware though at least two more Wampus Cat, a Pukwudgie, and three Thunderbirds had been sorted. Dean effectively zoned out, until-

“Well looky here.” The girl said. “If it isn’t an angel.”

“Wuh?” Dean asked. Then looked up at the center of the knot and found a girl, naturally Dean’s age. Her hair was long and red, a fiery sort that glowed as that holy light fell over her. Dean thought she was pretty, but to call her an angel seemed a bit too much.

They waited.

And then it happened.

The creaking of wood was soon overshadowed by the blast of winds, that filled the room. The gusts cut through every corner, and every robe and everybody. Not one gust had been that powerful before. Dean would’ve noticed. Half the kids haircuts were now stern in odd directions.

“Leave it to Anael.” the girl said. “Has to try and one up me on everything.”

Next to go after her was a boy. He was tan, with dark brown hair that seemed to stand on strange end. But still he looked strict and serious.

Dean had taken pride in his sorting. He hadn’t cared much where he’d go, but he knew he’d go somewhere. This kid he seemed reserved. Dean felt holy under that light, important under the eyes of the assembly. This kid, he seemed as if the light ode him for making it seem important. He seemed powerful and righteous.

Dean didn’t like it.

“And another one already.” The girl said.

“Wuh, this kid?” Dean asked her.

“Yeah, he’s an angel too.”

“Why do you call them that?”

“Cause that’s what they are.”

Dean looks over to the boy and watches.

He waits and nothing happens.

Nothing.

And then the worst thing possible happens.

An imposing light, one that matches the holy light that falls down from the glass ceiling, shines from the forehead of the Horned Serpent statue. But that’s not the only thing. The Wampus Cat roars, it roars fervently. And worse still the Pukwudgie statue shoots one of it’s arrows.

He’d been called three times. Three times. Three!

“Well, how rare it is for this great honor to be dispensed.” The headmaster called out. “Tell us, which shall it be? Shall you choose Wampus Cat?” the crowds up above screamed for Wampus.

“Shall it be Pukwudgie?” Again another crowd screamed, showing their house pride.

“Or shall it be Horned Serpent?” Another group of students called out shouting for Horned Serpent.     

The boy didn’t say anything. He seemed... stunned, maybe? Like he couldn’t believe what had just happened. He seemed lost for actually words. Frozen. The girl, the other angel, ran out to him.

She shakes him, with the biggest smile plastered on her face. As the boy seems to remember where he is and seeing the girl, he seems to realize that this is all in fact happening.

And they honestly started jumping up and down, arm in arm. Giant smiles plastered onto their face. The girl whispered something to him, then ran away, back to the Thunderbird crowd.

“So what shall it be?”

“Horned Raven! I mean Slerpent! Guh, I- I mean Horned Serpent!” the boy said. “I’d like to go to Horned Serpent.”

“Then so it shall be! Horned Serpent it is!”

Then loudly a group of students, the Horned Serpents, began to cheer and call for the boy again. He walked over to the group and they greeted him.

High above in the balconies a noble looking girl with black hair and lightning in her eyes, stood next to an impish boy with wild golden hair and a slick grin.

“To think, Castiel, a near All-Sort. Huh, father might actually look up for once.”

“You know River Raph, you never give Cassie enough credit.” the impish boy says.

“He hasn’t earned it yet.”

“Don’t be so mean. I mean, three weeks ago we were sure he was a No-Maj, and here he is an All-Sort.”

“I never thought he was a No-Maj, Gabriel. He wouldn’t have been blessed had he been a No-Maj.”

“Michael is gonna be pissed.”

“He shouldn’t be. But yeah, he will.”

The sorting went on, and on, and on. With so few people garnering Dean’s attention as much as the two… angels. What did that even mean? Angels weren’t real. Dean knew that. The sorting came to a close finally, when a young girl was finally sorted into Thunderbird.

“Then we are completed.” The man, their headmaster, said, from above. “Congratulations to each of you. I hope dearly that you will enjoy your journey here at Ilvermorny. Now go with Professor Solomon. She will take you to obtain your wands. From there you will be taken to the housing chambers.”

“Follow me everyone.” A kind looking witch, with a pointed nose and harsh bun, said. Dean thought she looked a bit like Missouri “This is the part I’m sure you’ll all like.”

 She pulled out her wand and pointed it directly at the wooden doors that were at the bottom of the tower, on the same level as all the first years. The doors to the chamber opened and a slew of students, all ready for what was about to happen next, followed suit.

Dean awed at the tall rows and rows of boxes, a wide corridor filled with box after box. Some velvet, some leathery. Each one filled with an actual wand. One of them was for Dean.

“Here you go.” Professor Solomon. “Everyone’s got the right to a wand, so be careful, pick wisely, and be picked wisely. Don’t try to force it. The wand will let you know it’s chosen you.”

So they were off. Hundreds of them looking for wands. They spread out reading labels, pulling them out, and putting them back. The whole thing seemed so chaotic.

Dean looked over to the lower row, the wands down here no one looked at. They were too busy looking at eye level.

“Cas, I’m so proud of you!”

“I can’t believed that happened.”  

Dean looked up and behind him. It was the boy and girl from earlier. The angels.

“I can, you’ve always been so multifaceted Castiel.”

“That’s not it Anna. I’ve always just been so uncommitted.”

“You uncommitted? No way, Cas. You’re like the most dedicated.”

“Maybe but I wouldn’t put myself that highly. Michael’s gonna be infuriated.”

“Huh, that’s my middle name.” Dean whispered.

“What?” The girl said.

Dean didn’t say anything as he looked at the boxes hoping to find one he might like. Maybe he’d sense it.

“Um…?”

Dean wondered if he might feel it when his wand chose him.

“Did you say something?”

Dean looked over and saw that the two of them were looking at him. Their stares sharp and invasive. Like they could see into his soul.

“Uh… did I say something?” Dean asked back.

Yes, I think you said something. If it wasn’t directed at us, forgiveness.” the boy said in turn.

“Uh no, sorry I was just saying how… um, Michael’s my middle name.”

They just stared at him some more.

“Right.” the girl said. The two of them turned around, walking away from him.

“Wow, that had to be the most dweeb thing ever.” said the girl who got sorted into Wampus after Dean said.

“Who even are you?” Dean asked.

“Megara Masters. I’d say you could call me Meg, but you shouldn’t talk to me.” She said as she pulled out one of the higher wands. She regarded it for a minute, then put it back.

“Whatever, Cinderella.”

“What does that even mean?”

“It’s a thing the kids at my school used to say.” Dean told her.

“Kids from your old school musta been dumb.” she replied.

“Yeah kinda.” Dean told her as he looked through another box. He didn’t feel anything from it.

“How do we even know if we’ve found a good one?” a taller boy asked.

“That’s what I’d like to know.” Meg said as she stared at the wall of boxes. Her arms crossed and brows creased, as if threatening the wands into submission.

“It’ll be the one that grabs out to you.” another girl said. She was blonde with pointy shoulders that peaked out past her robe sleeves. In her hands was a wand box. She’d already been chosen by her wand.

“That sounds too mystical.” the boy said.

“It’s magic.” the girl said plainly.

Which was true.

“So what do we just… walk the aisle and wait for something to ‘grab out’ to us?” Dean asked, only half skeptically.

“Well maybe. That’s what I did.” The girl said, as she walked away. Taking her wand finding secrets with her.

“Well it couldn’t hurt.” the boy said.

“But it also might not work.” Meg tells them.

“It’s the only thing I’ve heard, so it can’t hurt.” Dean sighs as he walks down the aisle.

“Maybe it’ll help if we close our eyes, and wish real hard.” Meg says, from behind Dean.

“I’m desperate here, don’t give me any ideas.”

“Don’t know, sounds kinda fun.“ the boy says

“Until you walk head first into a wall.” Meg replies. “If you really wanna…”

“Cinderella?”

“Oh my fucking Merlin.” the girl scowled.

“What?”

“The blonde… I think she was right.” Meg told them as she looked over the wall of wands, her hand over them lightly. Then with a strange amount of certainty, she grasps onto one.

Dean and the boy walk over to her, looking over her shoulders. The box seemed like any other. Meg opened it in an unsanctimonious way. The wand was long and dark, a round fat handle, with a shining bulb at the end. In the lid it said, scribbled in cursive:

Jonker’s Wands.

13 ⅔ “

Cedar, with Wampus Cat hair.

“This is it.” She said as she pulled it out.

“Cool, goth girl found a wand.”

“Pssh, I am not a goth.”

“I gotta find mine now.” Dean said. “Let’s see if your earlier suggestion pays off.”  He closed his eyes and started zombie walking. Some of the kids laughed, as he stomped down the row. Ever so slightly waving his hands. He was actually pulling off a rather good Frankenstein impression.

“Stop it stupid before you-oop.” Meg stopped and began chuckling, just as Dean felt something bushy and fluffy in his hands. The tell-tale sign of hair. Or fur. Dean doubted it was a very tall dog though. When he opened his eyes. It was in fact not a dog.

It was the boy. The angel. Castal ?

His hand was on a wand box and his eyes were narrowed. His gaze aimed at Dean specifically. Which Dean could get, since he did have a handful of human hair, which happened to be Castal’s, in his hand.

“Sorry.” Dean said, “It’s just… your hair. Really soft.” Which it was. It was like... wool and cotton and silk.

“Than...k you?” the angel says. “But would you mind…”

“Oh yeah!” Dean took his hand out of the boys hair. “Sorry about that.”

“Right.” the boy pulled the box he’d been prepared to grab and held it in his hands. Examining it for something maybe, his focus now solely on that. When he opened it a longer wand was in it. The sleek wood was dark and thin, the gilt handle with stars and loose constellations carved into it.

Quintana Wand

15” Stiff

Spruce and White River Spine.

“That’s a nice one.” Dean said as he looked down at it.

“I think so too.” the boy said. The boy raised his gaze and accidentally Dean looked up too.  He saw the boy had creepily blue eyes, that seemed to glow like midday skies. “Shouldn’t you go find one? Instead of spending all your time running your fingers through people’s hair.”

“Wuh- wha- that was an accident!”

“You did still do it though. I must also say it was rather strange.” then he walked off, leaving Dean to feel the weirdo.

“We warned you not to close your eyes.” the boy said throwing his arm over Dean’s shoulder.

“Shut up, would yuh?” Dean pouted. “Who are you anyway?”

“Oh, Gordon Walker. I think we got sorted into Wampus together.”

“Nice to meetcha. Dean Winchester.”

“Well Dean looks like we’re coming up last in the wand race.”

“Wait, what?” Dean looked around and it seemed half the first years had cleared out. “Crap.”

“Better hurry boys or they might send you back home.” Meg told them her wand box in hand.

“They don’t actually do that do they?” Gordon asked.

“Well I mean…” she shrugged. “How do think they’re gonna teach you if you don’t even have wands.”

Dean and Gordon looked at each other, then rushed off back down the aisle. Meg giggled. Dean looked over all the boxes he’d pasted and back. Nothing seemed to call to any of his attention.

“Any luck?” Gordon asked.

“No. How ‘bout you?”

“Not a lick, man.”

“What’re we gonna do?”

“I don’t know, everyone else makes it seem so easy.”

“If you wanna go off that, all we’d have to do is… breathe, I guess.”

“Yeah my mom’s all about breathing.”

“Mine too, I wonder if it’s one of those new age diets.”

They both laughed.

“But totally serious maybe we should just relax and let it happen.”

Dean guessed it was worth a try. He didn’t have anything to lose. He took a deep breath and walked slowly, tried to just let something call out to him.

‘This is probably stupid.’ Dean thought. He couldn’t feel anything. Well maybe. Somewhere in the back of his throat he felt a little iche. He was probably gonna sneeze soon.

“Okay I’m sorry,” Dean said to no one in particular. “But this is-”

Like a shot in the dark, it hit him. It was somewhere over to the right, somewhere around his … shoulder. Dean walked over, he could feel it, it was somewhere… no a little more to the right. No too far, back left. Dean stopped in his track, felt down the row, and when he touched it, he knew.

“It’s you right?” He pulled it from it’s slot, and then opened the case. Sat nicely on the velvet pillow was a dark brown polished wand, with metal inlays that spang out from the bulb at the top of the handle like flowers. The handle was smooth and felt just perfect to Dean’s touch.

Violetta Beauvais Wand Collection

13 ½ “

Swamp Mayhew and Rougarou hair

“Rougarou?”

“Yeah, they're like werewolves. But you only find them in the Louisiana area.” Meg told him. Now looking down at his wand. This was his wand wasn’t?

“And they used this for a wandcore?” Dean asked skeptically.

“Beauvais did.” Another boy said coming up to them. He was snobby looking, and that aggravated Dean from the go. Just looking at him made Dean upset he was also a blond. “You know what they say about Beauvais Wands dontcha?”

"Nah. Not exactly.”

“That they take to dark magic, like vampires take to blood.”

“Which is true.” Meg whispers to Dean.

“Makes them perfect for dark wizards you know.”

Dark wizards? Like the mass murders and tortures. The Scourers and the Acolytes. Dean wasn’t sure he wanted a wand like that. But also he wanted a wand, and he’d wanted this one. It felt for him.

“That’s not entirely true.” another boy said, Dean and the rest looked up to see it was the boy. The angel. He was holding the box with the wand Dean had seen him with earlier. The red haired girl, the other angel, beside him. She still seemed to be searching for a wand. “Beauvais wands are prone to the Dark Arts, but the Dark Arts encompasses all jinxes, hexes and curses.  From the knockback to the Unforgivables. Basic spells that should be in any duelist repertoire. Beauvais’ wands aren’t meant for dark wizards. They’re meant for fighters.”

For fighters, huh? Dean could definitely get used to that. This was definitely his wand.

“Well said Castiel.” The red haired girl said.

“Oh, Anna did you find one?”

“Yeah, this one’s perfect! It’s a Jonker’s wand.”

“Of course it is. Ever so original Anna.”  

“Oh, Meg.” Anna said her smile now wavering. “So good to…. humemem .”

“Ever a pleasure.”

“Right. Well Cas, I think we can go.” she said as she walked away. The boy, Cas, walked away with her.

“So I’m guessing you know them?” Dean asked her.

“I know her. I’ve heard of the rest of her… brood.”

“Broods not a real word, dude.”

“Yes it is. Now shut up. Lets go or whatever.”

“But Gordon hasn’t found his wand yet.” Dean tells her.

“Who?”

“The guy who was just with us.”

“Oh, right. And you want to wa-”

“Wait for him, yes.”

“Why do I have to wait with you?”

“Because we’re best friends now, duh.”

“I doubt it.”

“You’ll see.”

“Hey man, Dean! I found one!” Gordon said as he rushed over wand box in hand.

“Me too!”

“Yippie. Now can we go?” Meg asked irritated.

“You didn’t have to wait you know.” Dean said with a smug smile on his face.

“Shut up. It was my charitable donation for the year.”  

“Whatever you say Megara! So Gordon what kinda wand you get?”

“A Boo-Vay-is.”

“Dude, me too!”

Chapter Text

“Come now, kids. Stay close.” Professor Solomon told them. “Now all of you will be staying in the North Wing. You will share the North Wing, the January Tower, and the Observatory with the second years.”
Dean walked down giant hallways the soft marble and granite walls polished properly, with a menagerie of portraits. All of them moving about, jauntily bouncing from place to place, portrait to portrait. Dean wondered if any of them even knew which painting they even belonged in anymore.
The rules for the dormitories was as simple as Dean could’ve guessed. It was two to a room, with forty rooms to a hall. There were four halls to a corridor, and you’d be lucky to be on the first floor. While houses were important to your academics and class schedule, you’re roommate might not actually be a member of your house. You were advised to get along with them regardlessly. At night the halls were off limits. Students should be in there rooms by nine. To bed, with lights out, by eleven. Each wing had a common area where students would be able to speak and relax between and after classes. All halls were monitored by ghosts and the occasional portrait. The students could decorate their rooms in almost any fashion they wished, so long as they didn’t alter the actual room or disturb the other students.
Dean couldn’t wait to start decorating. He also hoped he didn’t have some total nark as his roommate.

“Alright, students, remember to be kind, respectful, and to do your best.” Professor Solomon told them. “I’ll be leaving you with my colleagues. They will give you your room numbers, your class schedules, and the location of the bathroom. I’ll see you all throughout the week. Dinner will be tonight starting at 5:30. Cheers!”
The students part as she walks through, returning to the main castle. The room they were in now was large scale with large gothic windows, twice Dean’s size, that let the afternoon sun in. In the distance Dean could see the magical cloud that protected the school, the forest filled with magical creatures, and better still... no pool. On the far side of the wall was what Dean guessed was everyone’s luggage.

Professor Solomon had left the first years in the hands of Professor Whitewood and Mr. Jobson. Whitewood was a stern looking man with thin and narrow cheeks on a long face, and an equally long and narrow body. Jobson was a shorter man, about the height of an average first year. His glasses were round and thick, making his glassy eyes huge. A small tuft of white hair on his head. Beside him were pukwudgies, none of them sporting anything more than a frown.
“Alright everyone, I will now be giving you your room numbers. The... ugh pukwudgie will ensure you all behave.”
“Everyone please be mannerly.” Jobson said “We would much rather avoid another incident like ‘76.”
Dean wasn’t sure what happened in ‘76, but he would also like to avoid it, if those guys, with their pointed teeth, spiny quill hairs, and grimaces, were involved.
“No one go grabbing for a card understood? Your card will come to you, and only you. So don’t bother trying to get anyone else’s.” Professor Whitewood told them. In his hands was a box filled index cards. Every card had a name, sex, house, room number. Dean wondered how they planned to issue the cards to a giant clump of first years. As Whitewood’s shoulder dropped, Dean could tell exactly what was about to happen. He tossed them up and they went flying into the air, floating like a cloud as they fluttered about. As they settled in the air, they began slowly, but with purpose, to fall. Each one falling into the proper hands of whatever person they belonged to. Once Dean’s had fallen into his hands he saw that it read:

Winchester, Dean Michael/
Sex: M/
DOB: Jan. 24th 1979 /
Room Number: 201

“Everyone with a card take your luggage and please head to your rooms. Have fun with them and please be safe. And remember the pukwudgie!”

First years began to run for their luggage, ready and excited to get to their rooms before their roommate. Dean, though, didn’t bother. Waves of kids were running to get their things and Dean wasn’t about to punch, get punched, or shot, just to get to his room early. He took a chance to look around the giant room they were in. It was spacious with a good air, a nice summer scent filled Dean’s nose as he checked his reflection in the marble floors.
“The portraits are all of famous wizards and witches.” someone says. “I’m probably related to one of them.”

It was that same boy from earlier the one who’d tried telling Dean he was a bad person for having his wand. He hated that guy.

“Anyone could say that.” Meg said from besides Dean. Yup, they were definitely best friends now. “Besides what does that even mean? That you have a relative whose interesting?”
“No it means I come from a very important family.” the boy says.
“So do I, but you don’t see me bragging about it.”
“Your families probably not as important as mine though, so I can see why.”
“You don’t know anything about her family!” Dean barked. “You probably don’t even know anything about anything.”
Meg looked at Dean as if she was surprised anyone would come to her defense.
“I don’t think you know who I am!” the boy said.
“And I don’t think I care.” Dean said as he stuck his tongue out and pulled his nose up, creating the illusion of a snout.
“Dunce.” The boy says leaving. Now deciding that the luggage was more important than trying to brag to the less fortunate.
“I didn’t need you to do that.” Meg grunted.
“Do what?”
“Come to my friggin’ rescue. I am not weak.”
“I wasn’t coming to your rescue. And I don’t think your weak! I just wanted to tell him off myself. For me. Can’t stand that guy.”
“Well maybe your not so bad after all...”
“Do you not know my name?”
“Not that I can think of.”
“It’s Dean.”

When everyone, the wave of first years crashing into their luggage, was clearing out, Dean and Meg finally decided to get there luggage.
“So you afraid of who you’re gonna be rooming with?” Dean asked Meg.
“Not really, I’m sure I can get along with anyone so long as it not her.” she said as she nods her chin to… the angels.
“What have you two got against each other?”
“Anna is a pampered know it all.” Meg told him as she pulled her suitcases up from the now diminished pile. “Plus our family’s don’t really get along anymore.”
“So this is just stupid ‘my-dad-doesn’t-like-your-dad’ stuff?” Dean asks, with a raised brow.
“Yeah you could call it something like that.”
“That’s stupid.”
“That’s how it is.”
“What room are you in?”
“I doubt we’re roommates.”
“That’s not what I mean!” Dean says with a blush. “I was just wondering.”
“My card said Room 166.”
“Mines 2-0...1.” Dean told her. “Do you think there are a lot of stairs involved?”
“I just bet.” Meg said, grimacing.

Then without doubt, there were. A dozen or so of them. As they walked down the plaques told Meg she was a flight higher than Dean. She was much farther back though. While Dean’s room was practically at the portal. He lugged his suitcase to the door, checked his card again to make sure he had it right.
The number 201 was etched out in gilt numbers signifying this was the right door and room indeed. When he reaches to turn the handle, he, for a second, can’t imagine who he’d be rooming with. For that split second a horror story runs through Dean’s mind of who could be behind this door.
When he opens the door… the rooms not anything drastic. A rather simple chamber with one large rectangular window with a perfect view of one of the mountain peaks. The left bed was empty, the right bed was not. It was a boy, of course. He was probably a bit thicker than Dean, his robes draped but fitting a bit better than Dean’s. His suitcase open, stray clothes stuck between his bed and floor locker. He seemed preoccupied by something in front of him, but looked up after a moment.
“Yo.” the boy said nonchalantly.
“Hey.” Dean replied, as he walked over to the empty bed. “Dean Winchester.”
“Victor Henriksen.” he says putting his hand out.
“Nice to meetcha.” Dean says as he shakes the other boys hand.
“You alright with taken the other bed?” he asks, which is strange. But Dean guesses it’s a test.
“Yeah, dude, it’s no problem. Bed’s a bed you know?”
“Wise words.”
“What can I say? I’m a regular pope.”

While the two unpacked they got to know each other and Dean’s not gonna lie, he was totally cool with having Vic as his roommate. Heck, he was ecstatic. One of those big twenty point words his gramma liked when they played Scrabble.
Dean and Victor talked for a while about nothing at all. Lots and lots of nothing. Dean and Vic were both halfbloods, but both of Victor’s parents were magical. They talked about the latest movies and stupid songs the other hadn’t heard of, because they listened to two different brands of music. They talked about arcade games, about basketball, baseball, and of course football. Quidditch came up, but Dean had never once been interested in playing it. Victor had been in a junior league when he was younger, but hadn’t touched a broom for recreational purposes in years.
“Dang, wish I knew a sticking charm.” Until then spell-o-tape would have to do. Dean put a few of his clothes into his trunk, stuffed a robe or two inside. He tacks up some poster from his dad’s old collection that had been rotting in there cellar. Puts up a cork board and started posting a few polaroids of his family, his mom, dad, Sammy, gramma, ganpa, mommom. Some stupid shots of him with his friends. Too many pictures and so little time before dinner.

When Dean looks over he sees that Victor hadn’t done much of anything to get his side of the room personalized. Which was his business. After all they had an entire school year to get there room together. No reason to actually hurry. The adventure had only just begun.

Chapter Text

The weeks of school went by shortly and steadily the September heat gave way to Septembers chill. The downside of September being a hybrid month. Half summer, half autumn. Most kids hadn’t bothered changing out of their summer robes yet. There shorter sleeves and lighter fabric feeling just perfect for the mountain breeze and sunlight that seemed to fight for control of the temperature.

“Dean, can you please get a move on already, like forreal?”

“I’m going in a second Channing!” Dean groaned as his head stayed plastered to the desk of their Charms 1 classroom.

“Okay, it’s been a second now get up!” she continued.

“Uaaaagggh.” Dean sounded, not sure what he was trying to say, but showing his protest.

“Zaptus.” And a sharp jolt burst Dean from his seat instantly.

“What the hell Meg!”

“What the hell your pampered ass, Winchester. Now get a move on, we have Transfig. in like twenty minutes and it’s half way across the castle.” Meg said scowling at him with full force.

“Sorry. I’m just tired.” Dean said with a yawn.

“That’s your own fault Dean,” she said ‘Dean’ in such an undignified way, “You should’ve went to sleep when it was lights out instead of jerking around with the doofuses.”

The doofuses being Victor, Gordon, Benny, and Garth. It wasn’t as if the five of them had meant to stay up that late on a Tuesday night. But they had, and they did and now, at least Dean, was paying for it. Then again Victor wasn’t looking too good when he’d left for his own Transfiguration class that morning.

“What were y’all even doing last night anyway?” Channing asked as she helped Dean bag his books and parchment.

“We were just playing Clue.”

“Clue?” Meg asked.

“It’s a No-Maj board game.” Channing answered. “But why in the world would you be playing Clue of all things?”

“Because I enchanted it!” Dean tells her. “Like Wizards Chess, but a hundred times less boring. Garth can’t get enough of it.”

“You did that?” Channing awed.

“What like it’s hard?”

“Yes Dean, that sounds like really complex magic.”

“I mean… A little.” Dean said beaming.

“So who’d done it?” Channing asked.

“Surprisingly it was Ms. Scarlet, in the Ballroom with the monkey wrench.”

“Okay, what the hell are you guys saying!” Meg said, obviously thinking they’d lost their minds.

“Clue, it’s a No-”

“Maj board game, I heard. What the fuck is that?” It never seemed to stop amazing Dean that Meg cussed like a sailor.

“A board game?”

“Clue.” She growled as she rolled her eyes.

“It’s this game where you have to find out who donnit.” Dean tells her.

“Who committed the murder.” Channing added.

“And then what?”

“And then you’re done.”

“That’s all?”

“Well I mean you have to play the game and find Clues-”

“Clues.” Channing chimed simultaneously.

“And then find out who done it.”

“This is what you were up til the late hours of the night doing?”

“Well it’s a lot more interesting after you use magic and make it… better.” Dean told her.

“I bet.”

“It is!” Dean mentioned. “You just have to play it! I mean it’s not so dangerous that you could accidentally die-”

“Shame.” Meg snarled.

“Meg you’ve really got to stop that, or I’ll start to think you don’t love me beyond all comprehension or reason.”
Meg didn’t even grace him with a ‘not in your wildest nightmares’ or ‘you’ve got a better chance of seeing my in hot pink than that’ instead she just stopped and glared back at him. That same look in her eyes that she had when they’d met at their sorting. Glass on the kitchen floor black.

“If you want we could invite you to play with us, or just watch. We still have room for another person, you can be Mrs. White or Ms. Scarlet or…” Dean’s mouth went silent as they passed.

In formation like a trained group of soldiers.The Moonstone Quartet.

At the front was Michael, the… as far as Dean could tell...leader. His hair was dark and roguish, with cleft chin and hard jaw, and more muscles than should be expected from a fifteen year old. Heylel was next to him. Smiling about something he was saying to his brother, his dusty blonde hair and sharp look reminded Dean of Meg. The one time he’d looked into them properly, Dean had had a nightmare that same night. Raphael was close behind. Her raven hair hung down her upper back, head held high to present her nobility. Lastly was Gabriel, who was too busy doodling something onto his arm to seem formidable, but no one who smiled at nothing as much as he did could be sane.

Silence seemed to follow them as if it was a fan of their work. A follower of their family. Of their... brood. The word popped into Dean’s head so faintly he barely remembered where it came from or what reference it had. Was that a real word?
The stiffening sensation in Dean’s back disappeared as the crowd returned to its natural order as the Moonstone children disappeared.

“Ugh, I can’t stand them!” Meg growled.

“What is it you have against their family again, anyway?” Dean asked.

“I told you, our families don’t get along anymore.”

“Which you say every time someone asks you.” Channing says. “But it’s not actually an answer to the question.”

“Well what’s there to like about them?” Meg postured “They’re so stuck up and self centered and righteous.”

“And rich.” Dean adds

“And incredibly powerful.” Channing adds.

“And they have awful taste in music.”

“And they don’t know how to say ‘excuse me’.”

“Or wash their shoes after quidditch matches.”

“Or let other people win at quidditch.”

“Oh that’s a good one. Oh, or-”

“Shut the hell up, I hate you both.” Meg sauntered off, as Channing and Dean continued to make additions to Meg’s list.

Dinner was a quiet affair amongst the students. No big commotion, everyone talking amongst themselves, the dining hall packed as always but Dean had his table. He had his friends. Most of them. Enough of them. For the moment.

“Pizza again, Dean?”

“I don’t see why not. Pizza is amazing.”

“Because variety Dean.” Meg told him. “You keep eating like that, you’re gonna get fat.”

“So.” Dean said shrugging his shoulders. “At least I’ll be happy.”

“Said like a true man.” Gordon said as he and Dean fist bumped.

“Beasts, the both of you.” Meg said as she tore into her plate of steak and potatoes. Dean saw the irony, but at least she had a ‘salad’ to go with it.

“So we got any plans tonight chief?” Gordon asked Dean.

“I was thinking we could try for another game of Clue, if your up for it. Meg wants to watch.”

“That’s a lie.”

“She says that but she still just doesn’t want us to think she has feelings.”

“Sounds like a Meg move if I’d ever heard one.” Gordon says in return.

“Why am I friends with you two?”

“Because you love us unconditionally.” Dean answered smugly, a sting of half melted cheese leading to his pizza, hanging from his mouth.

“I’m gonna have to rethink way too much of my life this year.”

“Seriously Meg this game is really fun, and I haven’t even played it regularly yet. The way Dean does it is awesome.”

“I’m invited though right?” Channing asked, just before biting into her ham sandwich.

“Yeah of course. We still have room for one more player.” Gordon told her.

“And don’t think you have to drag Meg along either.” Dean tells her. “If she really doesn’t wanna come let her stay in her room and be bored.”

“I will not be bored. I will be enjoying my freedom from you two and having the room to myself for the night.”

“Whateva Cinderella.”

That night Dean snuck into Gordon and Benny’s room with Garth close behind him. It seemed stupid to be doing this on a weekday. Especially when they had class in the morning and last time they’d been up past one in the morning. But what would it look like now if Dean where to lose face. Channing had guaranteed she’d be coming over, and even asked if she could bring a friend. Dean hoped that it was at least someone cute.

“So when did Chan say she was coming over?” Benny asked.

“She said she’d be here as quickly as possible.” Dean told them. “But she’s got to go down a whole extra flight of stairs before she can get here.”
A knock on the door alerted them to someone’s presence. Gordon got up to answer it. Everyone had expected Channing and her friend, but that was not who was at the door.

“Meg?” Garth said in absolute surprise. Dean was about to follow, his jaw already near the floor.

“Yes, Meg.” she replied agitated. Her hair wrapped up into a ponytail, she wore a very nice pajama suit, that looked to be something fancy and smooth like silk or satin. “I came to see what you nerds were up to.”

“Nothing yet, chere.” Benny told her, “We still waitin’ on Chan and her friend.”

“Wait Channing’s not here yet?”
Dean was almost tempted to say something smart, but he’d pushed Meg’s buttons enough for the day. Even he needed to wind down at a time like this.
“She left our room like fourteen minutes ago. I thought I’d see her here already.”

“Well she said she was going to invite a friend.” Garth offered.

“Who takes fourteen minutes to get?”

“No one.” Dean guess.

“Yeah no one.” Gordon says and Dean gets it immediately.

“You don’t think she...”

There was another knock on the door, that had to be Channing. Gordon opened the door again, and it was Channing. And more.

“Meg?”

“YOU!”

“YOU!”

“You” Dean whispered.

Channing had made a huge mistake and now they were all going to die. She stood there meekly as Meg and Anna stared each other down.

Chapter Text

The room was packed for sure and Dean was going to have to desperately apologize to Benny and Gordon, who was gonna have to do a lot of kissing up to his roommate. As far as Dean could tell, this is how it happened.

Dean and Gordon had invited Channing and Meg, who said she wouldn’t dare show up. Despite their teasing, the three of them didn’t think she’d actually ever shown up. Channing had initially invited only the angel boy... Castle? Since they were both Horned Serpents the two had common classes and had become quick friends. She was sure that Castle would love to see the magical ingenuity present in the game that night, so she invited him. Cas then asked if he might invite Anna. Channing, thinking Meg would stay in their room, said it was alright. Anna, being polite, then invited her own roommate, Charlie, to come and see it. That had resulted in four Wampus Cats, two Horned Serpents, two Thunderbirds, and a Pukwudgie lodge into a room meant for two average pre-teens. With two of them wanting to kill the other, and Dean feeling desperately awkward about having the angel here.

Dean still felt like an idiot for running his hands into the other boys hair. Then again, he’d been there to defend Dean about his wand, so maybe it wasn’t too bad. What was bad was the cramped feeling present in the room as everyone tried to look onto the game board.

“Alright so… who’s playing?” Gordon asked.

“I think Dean should at least. It’s his game right?” Channing offered.

“I’m definitely playing.” Garth said.

“And I guess me.” Gordon says. “Unless Benny…”

“Non, I’m good. You take this round and i’ll have the next one.”

“That’s three.” Dean says. "We still need three more.”

Meg and Anna stared each other down desperately, and almost instantly: “I’ll play.”

Which followed with scoffs and drastically over dramatic eye rolling.  

“Maybe Channing should go, since she’d know how to play better than the both of you?” Castle said. Both girls conceded.

“Okay that still leaves two.” Dean reminded them all.

“I’ll go.” Charlie said. “I’ve never actually played a game of Clue, but my mom loves that movie.”

“Movie?” Meg, Garth, Anna, and Castle said.

“It’s a No-maj invention.”

“So that’s still one person left.” Garth reminded them.

“I guess I can go. If it’s no problem to teach me the basic rules?” Castle said.

“Yeah, no it’s- it’s no problem.” Dean stuttered. ‘Like an idiot.’ “Okay did everyone playing bring their wands?”

Dean pulled his out. As did Garth and Gordon. Castle pulls his out. It’s the same long one Dean had seen him with on their first day. Delicate little stars carved into the night blue handle. Charlie took hers out too. It was narrow at the top with a light wood and a curved handle that reminded Dean of one of those fencing swords. Channing pulled hers out and they were all ready to go.  

“Okay, now we pick pieces.” Dean told them, well mostly Castle. “As gamekeeper I’ll go first.”

“Just pick Ms. Scarlet again you wuss.” Gordon catcalled.

“Shut up Gordon, or you’re disqualified.”

“Those aren’t the rules.”

“Do you know that thought?”

“Whatever.” he concedes with an eye roll. “Just pick one.”

“I am. Alright. I’ll be Professor Plum.” Dean tapped the purple piece with his wand point.

“I’ll be Mrs. Peacock.” Charlie said as she tapped on the blue piece. “I loved her character.”  

“I’ll be Col. Mustard.” Garth said enthusiastically. Pressing his wand to the yellow piece.

“Then I’ll go with Mr. Green.”  Gordon said, tapping the green piece.

“Well…” Channing started. “I guess I’ll go with Ms. Scarlet.” and the pressed the red piece.

“Then that dictates I take the white piece.” Castle said. “Which would make me…”

“Mrs. White.” Dean told him. The other boy looked up with his bright eyes and Dean didn’t think he was trying to melt him with laser vision this time. “So now that that’s done everyone move your piece to your starting space on the board.” which they all did.

“Okay so here’s the plan. We have to figure out who the murderer is. The murder victim is Mr Boddy. Yes it’s a pun. One of us did it but… wait let me pull the cards first!” Dean realized.

He pulled out the deck and the envelope.

“ Seculum ” and the cards came to life as the deck reshuffled itself. Everyone watched in amazement as they moved at high speeds and rearranged themselves into a distinctly random order. Then at random three flew out and into the envelope which sealed itself and fell onto the board center.

“This is not the Clue I expected.” Charlie muttered.

“Just wait. It gets better.” Gordon tells her.

“Now everyone playing, put your wands onto the wax seal.” Dean told them and they did. “Now think of some fancy three story mansion. Big kitchen. Fancy ballroom and dining room. A nice library, but not too big. A lounge for a sizeable party. A small room for billiards, and an entrance hall.”

Faces scrunched as the kids thought of a mansion that Dean had described.

“Everyone got one?” which was followed by a mix of affirmatives and 'yes's, and head nods. “ Into the world. Now lift your wands straight up.”

And as they did, a house with three stories and three dozen odd windows appeared. The whole thing was mixed matched and had an odd color to it.

“Oh My Merlin.” Meg muttered behind Dean.

“How did…”

“Oh my gosh!”

“Huh, you were telling the truth. It does look different.” Gordon admitted.

“You… made this?” Castle asked.

“Well my mom helped. But it was all my idea. We had to pool some of our local resources, but....” then he simply shrugs.

“Dean this is amazing.” Channing told him.

“And we haven’t even started yet. So Mr. Boddy is dead, one of us did it. With one of these weapons. The candlestick, the knife, the gun-”

“What is a ‘gun’?” Castle asked.

“A- uh.... a metal thing that shoots out metal… arrows, tiny metal arrows, to shoot things.” Dean tried. Channing and Charlie shrugged, because Dean wasn’t technically wrong.

“Oh alright.” he said as he nodded.

“The rope, lead pipe, or the monkey wrench.”

“What’s a wrench? And why do monkeys use them?” Anna asked from next to Castle.

“It’s a tools No-Maj use to fix mechanical devices. Like cars or trains and stuff.” Charlie answered.

“But what does it have to do with monkeys?”

“Well I don’t know, but they just call it that.” Charlie answers.

“No-Maj don’t make any sense.”

“Anyway. Those are the weapons. One of us killed the guy in” Dean waves his wand over the house as it’s walls disappear showing their pieces where now miniature versions of them dressed in the according outfits for the roles. “one of these rooms.”

“Good gravy this is amazing!” Charlie says.

“I know right. I look amazing in a spectacle and mustache.”

“Not what she meant Garth.”

“We each get three cards.” Dean continues. “On all the cards there’s either a suspect, a weapon, or a room.”

“Except for the ones in the envelope.” Castle understands.

“Exactly. That's the real murderer, so it’s up to one of us to figure out who it is that actually did it based on clues. We each get a notepad.” Dean pulled them out, one for each player.

“What is this?” Anna asked in shock, as she and Castle inspected it.

“It’s a notepad Anna. Catch up.” Meg said, even though she had never seen a notepad before either.

“No-Maj just have parchment bound together like this?” Castle asked with wide eyes.

“This is so weird.” Charlie murmured with a smile, as everyone looked at the two angels.

“Once you think you know who it is you can make a guess, and accuse whoever you think did it by saying “i say it was whoever, with the whatever, in the wherever.”

“What happens if we’re wrong?” Castle asks.

“If its a suggestion, nothing. But if it’s a full out accusation… well you’ll see sooner or later. When you make suggestions you can only make one a turn. The person on your left is kinda your automatic suspect. So Channing I’m watching you.”

“Whatever Dean.”

“But seriously, we’re playing by traditionalish rules, so you’ll have to go first and then from there clockwise. We use dice to move across the board. If you want to make an outright accusation press your wand to the wax seal again. Anymore questions?”

Dean was expecting Garth or Castle to say something, but they remained silent.

“Then it’s my move.” Channing said. She took the dice and rolled a nine. Her figure, as Ms. Scarlet, sashayed nine steps, leaving her right outside the Dining Hall.

“Can we make accusation now?” Castle asked.

“No way, dude. No ones done anything or gone anywhere yet.”

“Oh right, sorry.”

“Also you can’t make suggestions if you’re not in that room. Garth you’re up next.”

Garth grabs hold of the dice and rolls an eleven.

“Yes!”

“Garth, there’s no telling if eleven’s even a good roll until you’re in a room.” Gordon reminded him.

“But it’s still a big enough walk that it has to be good.” Garth replied. His token, dressed in hilariously stereotypical hunter outfit, and what seemed to be a pillow under his shirt to create the illusion of a stomach. True to Garth’s enthusiasm his roll of eleven led him straight to the Hall door. He’d be able to enter into a room right after Channing.

“Okay Castle, it’s your turn.” Dean said. Bizarrely, silence followed and as Dean looked around he saw a mix of faces. Castle and Anna looked confused. Charlie looked as if she had just seen a puppy jump through her chest. Channing looked like Dean had just insulted one of the presidents. Meg was pulling a face somewhere between humored and disappointed. Like Dean had said a joke that was funny, but she didn’t want Dean to know it was. “Wha-”

“Did you just call me ‘Castle’?”

“Did you just call him ‘Castle’?”

Dean now saw where he’d messed up.

“That is not your name.” Dean realized instantly.

“No. It’s ‘Castiel’.” he told Dean “Cass-tee-elle.”

“And I just called you Castle. Like a castle.”

“Like a castle.” Meg whispered. Her tone sounded like her face looked. She was fighting laughter.

“I am sooooo sorry.”

“It’s fine. I’m used to it.”

“It won’t happen again.”

“That would be appreciated.”

“Okay can you go now?” Gordon asked. “Actually you know what? Everyone introduce themselves. Cuz this is the last time we have this conversation. Gordon Walker, Wampus Cat.”

“Dean Winchester, Wampus Cat.”

“Meg Masters. Wampus Cat.” she stuck her tongue out at nobody in particular.

“Garth Fitzgerald the Fourth, Pukwudgie.”

“Benny Benjamin Lafayette. Wampus Cat.”

“Channing Ngo. Horned Serpent.”

“Charlie Bradbury. Thunderbird.”

“Anna-”

“Anael.”

“ANNA Moonstone. Thunderbird.”

“Castiel Moonstone. Horned Serpent.”

“That’s everyone, now Castiel you can-”

“Wait you guys are Moonstones?” Dean asked.

“Unfortunately.” Castiel mutters.

“That explains why you hate her so much- wait you guys are twins?”

The two of them look at each other.

“In a manner.” Castiel answered.

“As interesting as all of this is, can we get back to the game?” Gordon asked desperately.

“Gordon why are you in such a hurry?” Dean retorted.

“Actually I agree.” Castiel grabs the dice and rolls an eight. “We should really get back to this game. I’d love to discover the murder?”

Castiel’s roll left him just outside the Ballroom, but a space past the door.

“Now you’re talking. Glad someone’s making sense.” Gordon took the dice and rolled a six. “Crap.”

The roll left him just short of the door to the Ballroom. Charlie goes and rolls an eight. Her character, dressed in an outrageous peacock overcoat, steps carefully into the house, landing right outside the Billiard room.

Dean rolled a two.

“Okay which one of you cursed me.”

“Get over it Dean. It’s my turn again.” Channing says as she rolls and eight.

“I hate you.”

“Whatever. Ms. Scarlet enter the Dining Room.” And mini-Channing in Red does just that. Channing looks over her cards. “Okay first I'm gonna suggest… It was Dr. Plum in the Dining room with… the revolver.”

“Anyone want to dispute?” Dean asks. “Also I hate you.”

Channing chuckles.

“Well it couldn’t have been-” Charlie starts.

“Wait, Garth has to go first.” Gordon warns. “We have to go in a circle.”

“And we can’t say our cards out loud.” Garth tells Charlie.

“So Garth, you got anything to prove me wrong?”

Garth looks through his cards.

“Nope, theories looking solid. Well at least it’s looking like you don’t have any contradictory evidence.”    

“Castiel?” Castiel looks through his cards and then pulls Channing over. He shows her his evidence. ”Ugh. I take back my suggestion.”

Channing scribbles on her notepad. Garth rolls. He gets an eight.

“You gotta be kidding.” Dean grumbles.

Col. Mustard enters into the Hall.

“I suggest it was-” Garth looks over his notes. “Mrs. Peacock in the Hall with the Rope. Castiel?”

“Nothing against you in my hand.” Channing jotted that down.

“I got nothing.” Gordon said.

“Niether do I.” says Charlie. “Dean.”

He looks through his hand. “Actually, no.” Channing takes more notes.

“I do.” she says pulling her hand to Garth.

“Oh fiddlesticks. I take back my suggestion.”

“Castiel your roll.” he rolls a six and enters the kitchen.

“I suggest it was Mr.Green in the Kitchen with the lead pipe.”

“Sorry Castiel.” Gordon says as he shows Castiel his evidence.

“Hm. I retract my suggestion.” then writes notes on his notepad.

Gordon rolls a twelve, Dean groans and Mr. Green enters the Ballroom. “I say Mrs. Peacock in the ballroom with the rope.”

“Not from me.” Charlie tells him.

“I’ve got nothing.”

“Same, nothing from me.”

“Sorry Gordon.” and Garth shows him his hand. Channing writes another note down.

Charlie rolls a seven and enters the Billiard Room.

“I say it might be Professor Plum in the Billiard Room with the monkey wrench perhaps?”

“Ooh the monkey wrench.” Channing whispered. Dean didn’t know what she had on her page, but she had to have the murderer by now.

“I got nothing to say.”

“Me neither.” Channing said as she bit down on her pencil.

“I’m no help.”

“It’s me who’s gonna rain on your parade Chuck.” Gordon shows her a card, and Charlie deflates. Channing writes down more notes and Dean is sure she knows at this point.

“Drats.”  

Dean rolls again and gets himself a five. Leaving him at the Study door, “Why do I keep getting the low numbers?”

“Fool’s luck.” Meg mutters.

Channing goes again and pulls out a six.

The game went on for about an hour before someone, Channing, had compiled a list of clues and comprehensive ideas sturdy enough that she thought she could end this. Which was saying something, because this had been the vaguest game of Clue, Dean had ever played.

“Alright, smarty pants, let’s hear it.” Charlie told her.

“Well based off what I’ve got… I’m going to accuse… Col. Mustard!” she pointed accusingly at Garth. “Who committed the murder of Mr. Boddy, in the Conservatory, with the lead pipe.”

Channing pulled her wand out and pressed it to the wax seal. The envelope glowed and the glimmer spread across the board. Then Ms. Scarlet as Channing, ran into the center of the board calling all the other players. Mrs. Peacock's coat ruffled across the board as she made her way to the center. Col. Mustard left the Conservatory. His pouchy belly bouncing as he trotted by Mr. Green and Prof. Plum, who’d bumped into each other getting into the center. Mrs. White, as Castiel, walked calmly to the center. Feather duster in hand, from the kitchen.

When everyone was in the center, Ms. Scarlet accuses Col. Mustard. The small figurine miming Channings accusation, in a rather amusing manner. Pointing dramatically to the Conservatory. The other characters seemed to be coming to the consensus that this made sense, since he’d just left that room. They all ganged up on Col. Mustard, who mimed his defense, until the mismatched walls of the mansion rose back up. Everyone waited for something to happen. Gordon, Garth, and Benny already saw it coming before a small shrill scream appeared.  When the walls dissolved, there everyone was, standing around a dead body.

Ms. Scarlet.

Lying murdered with small cartoonish ‘x’s over her eyes.

“I was murdered?” Channing yelped.

“To be more precise: you were wrong. And now you’re out.” Dean explained.

“So I died!”

“The murderer couldn’t risk keeping you alive.” Dean shrugged unsympathetically. “You risked being put out. The dying humorously for it's just to keep it all in character.”

Dean looked so smug right now.

“But if the killer killed Channing for accusing Col. Mustard, doesn’t that mean it has to be Col. Mustard?” Anna asked.

“Not really. The real murderer could’ve just done it to frame Col. Mustard.” Charlie offered. After the murder all the characters eyed each other suspiciously before going back to their old spaces.

“Looks like it’s your turn Garth. Avenge me. Even though I accused you of murder.”

Garth rolled and pulled a four. Which put Col. Mustard in the Lounge after Garth used the secret passage. “I’m gonna ask if it was Col. Mustard in the Study with the rope?” Garth asked. Gordon showed him his card, and Garth’s faced dropped. Castiel pulled out the dice and rolled a seven, which he used to enter into the ballroom.

The next time someone decided to make an accusation it was no less horrifically hilarious. Gordon thought for sure it was “Ms. White with the Candlestick in the Library.”

“And you’re sure of about this dude?” Dean asked him coyly.

“I sure am.” Gordon said as he presses his wand tip to the wax seal. “It has to be.”

The Mr. Green figure ran into the center, adjusting his green pinstripe suit as he waits for the others to arrive. When the other four are listening with rapt attention as a mini Gordon-in-Green accuses a straight faced Castiel in a maids uniform of murder. Everyone backed away from Mrs. White as the walls of the house rose up.

“Come on.” Gordon whispered. There was a shrill scream and as the walls fall down, Mr. Green is dead. “Doggonnit!”

“Well you win some, you get murdered some.” Charlie says.

“I could’ve sworn.”

“This game is not easy.” Channing said. “I did the math and their have to be like three-hundred-and-twenty-something possible variations of the actual crime.”

“Well let’s see if I can help anyone out.” Charlie says as she grabs the dice. She rolls a four. “Nevermind.”

Dean rolls a nine and enters the Dining Room.

“I’m gonna say it was Ms. Scarlet in the Ballroom with the Gun.”

"Wait can she have done it? She’s Dead. She couldn’t have killed herself to frame some one for the murder.” Charlie reasoned.

“Yeah, but that’s only if she’s actually dead.”

Charlie gasped.

“A staged murder-suicide! This game’s got everything.”

“So anyone gonna prove me wrong? If they’re alive that is.” He says with a half smile at Channing and Gordon.

“Wait but what if Channing or Gordon had a card that could prove you’re wrong?” Castiel asks.

“Good point. But it’s all a matter of luck. Sometime the evidence isn’t there until after you’ve solved the case.”

“That sounds like awful deductive work.”

“Well I’m not an Auror, so let’s move on. Any of y’all got anything to get me?”

Garth checked his cards and comes up empty. Castiel didn’t have anything either. Charlie had nothing either.

“I take back my suggestion.” Dean says, to a good deal of surprise. Dean was playing the long game here. “Garth take us home.”

“But I don’t have a broom. Or even if I did I don’t think it could fit everyone. I-”

“It’s an expression Garth.” Charlie tells him. “Dean just means for you to roll.”

“Oh! Right.” Garth rolls a seven and leaves himself outside the Billiard room.

“Castiel, you’re up.” Charlie said.  

“Is it alright if I make an accusation?” Castiel asked, probably to Dean.

“Well... yeah. I mean… you can, but like are you sure?”

“Based off my notes, I’m almost entirely certain.” Castiel says.

“Okay man, If you think you’ve got it.” Dean told him.

“Well.” Castiel puts his wand tip to the wax seal. “I’d say it was Professor Plum in the Kitchen with the Knife.”  

The envelope glimmered and it spread throughout the board. The Mrs. White figure flew into the center stomping to action and calling all the remaining people. Col. Mustard's belly bounced, Mrs. Peacock's coat swished, and Prof. Plum strolled in, entirely none the wiser.

When they were all relocated in the center, the bodies of Ms. Scarlet and Mr. Green reappeared, Mrs. White reveals her theory. Cas’ miniature drag self pointed prominently with their feather duster, shaking a few loose as it pointed between Prof. Plum and the kitchen. It then turns it over to imitate a stabbing, using the handle as a knife. The Col. and Mrs. turn to the Prof. who throws his hands up as if ready to prove his innocence. The walls rise up and Dean expects the tell tale signs of a murdered maid. Instead there's a scream and the sounds of a struggle. When the walls come tumbling down. Mrs. White is still alive, and Professor Plum is in handcuffs fighting against the coppers as they take him away for triple homicide. Mustard and Peacock are in the corner watching, congratulating Mrs. White on their detective skills.

“WHAT!” Dean shouts, which is followed by Gordon and Meg laughing hysterically.

“So it was Dean!” Garth says. “I mean Professor Plum.”

“I knew it. I knew it!” Channing says chastising herself. “If I would’ve just said Kitchen. Ugh.”

“Nice going Cas!” Charlie says.

“But Cas how did you know?” Anna asked him.

“Well I realized It had to be the knife because I already had the… uh gun, the candlestick and monkey’s wrench. Gordon had the lead pipe, which he showed me earlier. Which meant it could only be the knife or the rope.”

“Which I had.” Channing tells everyone.

“But how’d you guess Prof. Plum did it?” Garth wondered.

“When Channing and Gordon died. I eliminated them because the suggestions that had been used against them disqualified them since we’d tried them with almost every weapon so far. Which left the Colonel, Mrs. Peacock and Professor Plum.”

“But you were still a suspect.” Dean reminds him.

“Yes, but I was the maid, so I didn’t think my character would’ve been murdering any of the guests.”

Dean looked at him blankly with saucers for eyes. That was just faulty logic. Heck, the help almost always does it in the movies.

“But why the kitchen?” Charlie asked him.

“Well where else would he have gotten a knife from.”

More stares, much like Dean’s, followed. Then Meg burst into laughter again.

Chapter Text

“Hey Castle.”

“Castle.”

“Casssssteel.”

“Ugh, fine. Casssstiel.”

“Thank you.” He shut the book he was reading. “So how might I help you Dean?”

“Well how is the smartest most amazing junior wizard in the world doing today?”

For a second multiple faces went across Castiel’s face. He seemed unsure of which way he should take this, until he finally decided on:

“No.” His brows furrowed slightly.

“That’s… not really a yes or no question.”

“Whatever you’re asking for the answer is ‘no’.”

“That’s not fair! You-”

“Shhhhh!”

“Sorry. You don’t even know what I’m going to ask.”

Castiel restuffed his bag with his books. The clicks of the occasional heel were the only company to fill the sound of their voices throughout the library. The granite marble floor was well polish reflecting upon the dozens of isles of books. Thousands of them each filled with its own special kind of knowledge. Dozens of globes the sizes of arcade machines were placed throughout,showing the outlines of the magical world over which lay the No-Maj world. Statue sentinels stood high above them, each a carved figure of a witch or wizard who had donated something of value to this very library. Each one modeled perfectly in stone from the mountains own quarry. Painting obviously also called the library home, though they almost took shifts to ensure no one fell asleep on the watch. It was a beautiful and stunning collection of years of work. None of which concerned Dean in the slightest.

“Let’s say I let you finish your sentence. When you’re done, will I be disappointed in the bad choices you’re making, or will I actually hear something I’ll say yes to?”

Dean considered this and finally came to the conclusion: “you’ll be disappointed in the choices I’m making.”

Cas huffed satisfactorily, and got up from his seat.

“Wait, I’m still going to ask you though.” Dean insisted, getting up from his own.

“If you know I’ll just be disappointed in the bad choices you’re making why in the world would you still ask?” Cas asked as Dean followed him out of the library. The smaller oak doors with their stain glass images of early American victories. Like the troll peace treaty signing of 1810, or the Emancipation of human slaves in 1863.

“Because while you might be disappointed,” Dean says, as he outpaces Cas by a step and lands in front of him, cutting off his escape. “You might not say no.”

“Hm. Based on what you’ve told me. I doubt it.”

“Maybe, but I’ve really been working up the courage to ask you this.”

“Alright go ahead.”

“Do you wanna be my boyfriend?”

Castiel’s breath hitches and his shoulders go rigged. “E-excuse ME?”

“I know this probably seems super weird and… and you probably think I’m weird for asking. And I should’ve- I should’ve found out if you even like guys. Or me. But I… I really like you. You… you’ve got really soft hair.”

Castiel eyes went wide and his brow creased, at the strange compliment.

“And you’ve got really pretty eyes. And… and you’re really smart and I… I like you a lot. And I feel weird whenever I see you, and I thought it was because I was so embarrassed, but then I realized it was just because you make me feel all…” Dean wasn’t sure how to word it. It felt like he wanted to say ‘gooey’ or perhaps ‘golden’ or ‘glowy’ , but the most he could come up with was sweaty palms clasping at the air. Which Castiel couldn’t decipher at all. Dean blushed heavily as blood raced to his face and he can barely look Castiel in his face.

“I just like you okay!” Dean repeats. “ and I know you don’t like me back or even guys and I’m sorry for being weird and can we just forget about this?”

Castiel face fills with a blush all his own as a he tosses his head to the side. A flurry of expressions are hidden from Dean as Cas comes to his inevitable conclusion.

“Dean... I- wake up, Dean.”

Dean jostled awake, bleary eyed and half stiff, half incredibly comfortable. He looks to his left to see where he is. Hoping to get a better idea of what’s going on, rather disoriented. He stretches his limbs and rubs his eye. He’s in bed, the one he prefers to his own more now than usual. A soft noon light reaching down upon the ten count sheets.  

“Sorry babe. What’s up now?”

“You need to get up or we're going to miss the matinee showing of ‘Independence Day ’.”

That got Dean’s attention.

“Shit why didn't you wake me up earlier?”

“Because you looked so peaceful. And also you were up til 3 last night working at that… pizza place.”

“We make pizza’s babe. It’s a pizza place.”

“If you want to call that cardboard with cheese and tomato sauce pizza, fine by me.”

“So let's go, already, I want good seats.”

“Why so excited for this movie anyway?”

“Why wouldn’t I? Will Smith kicking alien invader ass! What’s not to love? How can you not?”

“Well I mean I have no idea who Will Smith is really. Plus an alien invasion is such a foreign idea to me.”

“So I had this weird dream.” Dean mentions offhandedly.

“Oh yeah? What about?”

“Well it was weird, it was me telling this… guy, I… really liked his hair.”

There was silence for a moment as the elevator doors closed.

“That wasn’t a dream Dean, that was a memory. That was the first time you asked me out.” Cas told him, with a straight face. Dean’s face heated up as he turned red as a tomato.

“Ugggggh!” Dean garbled as he covered his face in his hands.

“What? It obviously worked out.” The two of them had been together in some form since that day first year.

“But it’s so embarrassing! ‘I like your hair. And your eyes are pretty’.” Dean says in a mockingly airheaded tone. Not at all like he sounded at the time.

“ I’ll say you do. You’re always running your hands through it. Which doesn’t help you know!”

“Well then it shouldn’t be so soft and amazing. And you do still have pretty eyes.”

“That’s not going to work forever you know.”

“It doesn’t have to, it just has to work whenever I use it.”

“You, Dean Michael, are far too corny.”

“You love it though.”

“ I don’t hate it.”

Dean pulls Cas closer and take advantage of the solitude the elevator offers, Castiel takes the opportunity as well and the two share a tender kiss. Small and delicate like the ones they often have.

“I really like doing that.” Dean said with a goofy smile, as he hugged into the other boy’s space. He liked them being close, it was, well it was fun, but it was also comforting and comfortable.

“You do it often enough.”

“You’re my kryptonite babe. What can I say?”

“You can tell me what Kryptonite is.”

The movie was fantastic. Dean loved every action packed moment of it, with every explosion earning him a squeeze from Cas’ hand clutched in his own. Castiel mostly marveled at the technology, most of which, Dean assured him didn’t exist. Nothing to make you feel worse than knowing a hostile civilization has access to world destroying weapons. Dean doesn’t mention the atomic bomb is real.

To even it up, and bring Castiel to ease, they also go to watch ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’ . Which much to Dean excitement, and eventual dismay now doubt, gets Cas hooked on Disney movies. This’ll be a long summer, and it’s already half over.

Chapter Text

“Hey Castle.”

“Castle.”

“Casssssteel.”

“Ugh, fine. Casssstiel.”

“Thank you.” He shut the book he was reading. “So how might I help you Dean?”

“Well how is the smartest most amazing junior wizard in the world doing today?”

For a second multiple faces went across Castiel’s face. He seemed unsure of which way he should take this, until he finally decided on:

“No.” His brows furrowed slightly.

“That’s… not really a yes or no question.”

“Whatever you’re asking for the answer is ‘no’.”

“That’s not fair! You-”

“Shhhhh!”

“Sorry. You don’t even know what I’m going to ask.”

Castiel restuffed his bag with his books. The clicks of the occasional heel were the only company to fill the sound of their voices throughout the library. The granite marble floor was well polish reflecting upon the dozens of isles of books. Thousands of them each filled with its own special kind of knowledge. Dozens of globes the sizes of arcade machines were placed throughout,showing the outlines of the magical world over which lay the No-Maj world. Statue sentinels stood high above them, each a carved figure of a witch or wizard who had donated something of value to this very library. Each one modeled perfectly in stone from the mountains own quarry. Painting obviously also called the library home, though they almost took shifts to ensure no one fell asleep on the watch. It was a beautiful and stunning collection of years of work. None of which concerned Dean in the slightest.

“Let’s say I let you finish your sentence. When you’re done, will I be disappointed in the bad choices you’re making, or will I actually hear something I’ll say yes to?”

Dean considered this and finally came to the conclusion: “you’ll be disappointed in the choices I’m making.”

Cas huffed satisfactorily, and got up from his seat.

“Wait, I’m still going to ask you though.” Dean insisted, getting up from his own.

“If you know I’ll just be disappointed in the bad choices you’re making why in the world would you still ask?” Cas asked as Dean followed him out of the library. The smaller oak doors with their stain glass images of early American victories. Like the troll peace treaty signing of 1810, or the Emancipation of human slaves in 1863.

“Because while you might be disappointed,” Dean says, as he outpaces Cas by a step and lands in front of him, cutting off his escape. “You might not say no.”

“Hm. Based on what you’ve told me. I doubt it.”

“Maybe, but I’ve really been working up the courage to ask you this.”

“Alright go ahead.”

“Do you wanna be my boyfriend?”

Castiel’s breath hitches and his shoulders go rigged. “E-excuse ME?”

“I know this probably seems super weird and… and you probably think I’m weird for asking. And I should’ve- I should’ve found out if you even like guys. Or me. But I… I really like you. You… you’ve got really soft hair.”

Castiel eyes went wide and his brow creased, at the strange compliment.

“And you’ve got really pretty eyes. And… and you’re really smart and I… I like you a lot. And I feel weird whenever I see you, and I thought it was because I was so embarrassed, but then I realized it was just because you make me feel all…” Dean wasn’t sure how to word it. It felt like he wanted to say ‘gooey’ or perhaps ‘golden’ or ‘glowy’ , but the most he could come up with was sweaty palms clasping at the air. Which Castiel couldn’t decipher at all. Dean blushed heavily as blood raced to his face and he can barely look Castiel in his face.

“I just like you okay!” Dean repeats. “ and I know you don’t like me back or even guys and I’m sorry for being weird and can we just forget about this?”

Castiel face fills with a blush all his own as a he tosses his head to the side. A flurry of expressions are hidden from Dean as Cas comes to his inevitable conclusion.

“Dean... I-I-I don’t-”

“Well hello Cassie.” Castiel stopped dead in his tracks, as two slender arms draped themselves around his neck, and a round yet sculpted head landed on  top of his.

“Hello Gabriel.” Castiel said, squished underneath the other boy.   

“What is it we’ve got here? Two unattended first years lauding around in the hallways.”

“Gabriel this is Dean. Dean this is my...brother Gabriel.”

The golden boy took his hand and reached it out to Dean, who then shook it. The boy seemed harmless, but as Dean looked him over more closely, he couldn’t help but feel more on edge than before. Gabriel seemed like a cat. Lazy but still eyeing him like a bird stupid enough to land in his path.

“So can I ask why it is the two of you look like you’re in the middle of something…” An evil grin spread across Gabriel’s face. “Scandalous?”     

If the two of them hadn’t been red before now they most certainly were. Gabriel just broke out into hysterical laughter.

“Gabriel is there anything you actually need?” Castiel asked, embarrassed but needing Gabriel to get to the point. He wiped the tear from one of his eyes, and made himself perfectly presentable.

“Not at the moment, but since you love me the most, I offered to be the one to  tell you we’re having our, uh, family meeting tonight.”

Almost instantly all of the blood rushed out of Castiels’s face.

“That’s tonight?” Cas gulped.

“It is, be there or be a troll. You know the time and place.” Gabriel said as he sauntered off down the hall back to wherever he came from.

Dean felt like a whirlwind had breezed through the corridor and now he was exceptionally light headed. “What was that all-”

“Excuse me Dean. I’ve got to leave.”

“Wait but- about-”

“Not now Dean. I’m… I’m sorry. But not now.” And then Cas was walking away all his own. Leaving Dean, confused, embarrassed, and just a bit scared.

“YOU GIVE THE WORST ADVICE EVER!”

“What the shit Dean!” Meg yelled grabbing the pillow Dean had taken from Channings bed and thrown at her.

“Well hi Dean it’s good to see you too.” Channing said.

“Sorry. Hi Channing. Hi Meg, Now please go die and then put me out of my misery!” Dean said as he flew onto Channings bed.

“I guess it didn’t go well.” Meg muttered as she rolled her eyes and went back to reading her textbook.

“No, it didn’t go well Meg.” Dean said, using Meg’s name in much the same way she tended to use his. “It went very unwell!”

“Dean what happened?” Channing asked being as supportive as she could muster.

“Deaniel, over there, just confessed his love to a certain someone, and was rejected wholeheartedly, by that certain someone.”

“Oh my gosh, Dean, I’m so sorry.”

“Show’s what you know Meg, he didn’t reject me!” Dean screamed. “he didn’t even say anything back.”

“He?”

“Oh, yeah, Dean likes boys.”

“I like boys and girls, Meg.” Dean corrected her. “It’s a thing.” He murmured to Channing, hoping she’d understand.

“It is. And it’s totally cool Dean.” she told him with an encouraging smile. Which Dean totally needed right now.

“Uggh! I hate everything!” Dean said as he screamed into another of Channing’s many pillows. “I just wish he’d’ve said something. Anything.”

“So he just walked away without telling you anything?” Channing asked, as she took her hand across his back in small circles. It was very comforting. Dean was more than happy for it.

“Well no, and i feel like he was going to tell me something, but then his brother showed up, and… ugh, just kinda made it all worse.”

“Well hey at least there’s that Dean. non answer isn’t always a ‘no’.”

“Wait. His brother showed up?” Meg asked.

“Yes but I don’t see-”

“Who is it?” Meg asks, Her posture becomes more rigid and angular. “Because if it is who I think it is, I take it all back.”

“Meg.” Channing chides.

“No, I told him to just be a man about it, and tell whoever this boy is that he likes him already and to get over it. But if it’s one of those… ugh!” she could barely contain her anger.

“If it’s one of those Moonstone bastards!”

“What would it matter to you if it was?” Dean shouted back to her.

“AH! So it is! Which one is it or so help me?”

“It’s just….”

“It’s who?”

“......iel”

“Dean.” Meg said, crossing her arms as she now hovered over Dean and Channing.

“It’s Castiel, okay.” Dean muttered more audibly this time. “There, are you happy?”

“NOOOO!” Meg answered as if that wasn’t obvious.

“Meg! Gosh, can you not? Dean I didn’t know you…”

“Yeah weird Dean has a crush on Castiel Moonstone, and now he’s embarrassed because he made himself look like a total freak.”

“Dean, I didn’t say any of that.”

“You didn’t have to Chan.” Dean says into the pillow. Hoping it’ll hide the tears he’s trying to hold back. “ It’s just the truth.”

“He didn’t say he didn’t like you Dean, he just couldn’t answer.”

“Then why… Why did- Why couldn’t he…” Dean through his face back into the pillow. “Why couldn’t he have just said something?”

“And he just… said it?”

Anna and Charlie looked at Castiel in a way that made him feel even more embarrassed then he had before.

“Yeah and then Gabriel showed up, and it just got worse.”

“Leave it to Gabriel.” Anna said, crossing her arms.

“But still, it’s all so romantic.” Charlie says lying forward on the floor, her cheeks in hand like a ginger chipmunk.

“But isn’t it a little weird?” Castiel asked, still a little frazzled. “I mean aren’t we both a little to young for that?”
“I mean… not really. Kid’s at my elementary school were always getting boyfriends and girlfriends. If anything I’m jealous that a cute boy told you he thought you were pretty.”

“Actually he said he was pretty and cute.”

“Anna!”

She laughed.

“What Cas, it’s true. Unless you were lying.”

“Which I was not.” Castiel affirms.

“Exactly! Dean likes you and it’s totally adorable!”

“What did you tell him?” Charlie asked.

“I… i-”

“Castiel tell me you told him something.”

Cas couldn’t meet her eyes. And a queasy line had now replaced his lips.

“Cas!”

“I couldn’t help it! Before I could get my thoughts in order, Gabriel showed up. I hope he didn’t hear any of that.”

“He probably did. He’ll be lording that over you forever.”

“Ugh. I hate that that’s probably true.”

“What is up with you guys’ family, anyway.”

“I thought I explained it to you, Charlie.”

“You just told me it was complicated and then told me a bunch of complicated stuff.”

“Well it is complicated. Pure-blood society is very...” Anna looked over to Cas. “Complicated.”

“Well whatever you say Anna. I’ll believe it like a good roommate is supposed to.”

“Thank you.”

“No problem.” Charlie said, head held high. “But if we're all done being mushy, or even if we’re not, can we go get food?”

“It is almost dinner time.” Castiel admits, as his stomach reminds him with a rumble. That is, he hoped that’s what it was doing. He still felt queasy about his conversation with Dean. “I’ll eat with you if you’ll wait for me to go and get Balthazar.”

The girls looked over to each other. Matching expressions on their red-haired faces.     

“What? He’s not that bad.”

“Is he not that bad or have you just gotten used to him?”

“Neither, I mean the first- okay maybe both. But he’s not a bad roommate so it’s okay. Most of the time.”

“Well I don’t know about you Anna but I’m convinced.”

“He’s not!”

To be fair Bathazar wasn’t an awful roommate. He was tidy, kept to himself when Castiel wanted some space, and was more than willing to be friendly with Castiel whenever he did need company. So he was very classist in terms of his thinking, and was more than thrilled when he found out he’d be rooming with a Moonstone. And okay, maybe he made a few too many throw away remarks about No-Maj-born and No-Maj in general that hadn’t sat entirely well with Castiel, even now. Or how he had a habit of bragging about his family to anyone who would listen. Even if they didn’t want to hear it.

Castiel put up with it though. Mostly for the sake of cohabitation, but also because it would make Michael at least less mad. The Moonstones and the Beltaines where old families, as old as the Blacks and the Campbells, the LeStranges and the Kama, or the Twelvetree and Malfoy families. Michael would be pleased to hear Castiel was ensuring family ties were kept amicable. Well pleased might be going for a stretch still but less mad still.

Bathazar often tried to keep his comments about No-Maj polite when around Charlie. Since she was No-Maj born, it was nice not having to worry about her being insulted. Anna didn’t like him because she thought he was an ‘uncouth, aristocratic jerk’. Which Castiel could relent and admit to. Still, though, family ties had to be amicable.

“Don’t look Cas, but it’s your boyfriend over there eyeing you.” Anna whispered.

And against both Anna’s warning and his own better judgement he does look over.

Dean was looking at him, but turned his head just in time for Castiel to only see the bare sign that he’d been looking in that general direction. He was sitting at a table with the people he usually ate with. Gordon, Benny, Meg, Channing, Garth and Victor.  

Castiel coudn’t help but feel that he was starting to stare now, when Dean’s eyes shot up from the table and they looked at each other for a moment. Cas turned his own head and walked out of Dean’s line of sight.

“Shut up Anna.” Castiel mutters as he blushes. Anna and Charlie are both prone to giggling as Balthazar looks on all the more unaware.

“What’s funny?”

“Nothing.” Charlie and Anna say, breaking their laughter and returning to more calm faces.

They pick up their plates from the feasting table. Taking from the plates of their choices. Dozens of options for every sort of food group most people could imagine. Charlie once mentioned that it looked like a perfect buffet tv commercial spread. Which neither Anna or Cas understood in the slightest. Charlie’s tray is filled higher than her plate and figure should suggest necessary or possible. But always she takes so much, and more pops up magically underneath, to ensure everyone is fed.  

“So tell me what it was that was funny?” Balthazar asks again.

“What do you think of boys and girls who like both boys and girls?” Charlie asked.

“What- I… I don’t. What about them?”

“Nothing I just was curious.”

“No, have… have you heard about people like that?” Balthazar asks in a scandalized tone, that makes Castiel feel queasy.

“Well just the usual. Someone saw such and such kissing such and such. Blah blah blah type stuff. You know?”

“Yes I know. My mother often warns me about those types.” Balthazar folded his handkerchief and covered his lap with it. “Best to avoid them at all cost.”

“Okay then.” Anna says, chiming into Charlies line of questioning. “So Balth, you see that kid over there. The blond, with the Wampus Cat cord.”

“The one sitting at the table with all those com… Those ruffian types?”

“Yes those ones.” Charlie said, rolling her eyes. Filled to the brim with hazel disdain.

“Yes I’ve met him. He was rather rude to me on the first day, him and the Masters girl. What of them?”

“Nothing, just curious.” Anna says as she turns to Castiel for a moment. Then back to the table.

They were quiet after that.  

“Don’t tell me they’ve been bothering you as well?” Balthazar asked, further scandalized.

“No we were just curious.” Anna tells him. “Thought Meg as she is bothers me.”

“What is it with you two anyway?” Charlie asks her again.

“We just don’t get along-”

“Anymore. Yes you’ve mentioned that. Which means you got along once.” Charlie deduces. “But i just want to know why you stopped.”

“It’s private is all.”

“Cas do you know?”

“Of course.”

“So-”

“Do not try it Charles.”

“Yeah, it’s not my business to tell, and it really is something.”

“Okay. but just so long as it’s not something like she stole your lip gloss once at summer camp.”

“It definitely wasn’t that.” Anna says as she takes another sip of her drink.   

Dinner for them is half over and Cas is starting to feel less jittery. After getting off the subject of Dean and Meg, their conversation returned to more mundane matters like school, and who was failling whose class, and who was caught in the upperclass men toilets selling...something. No one was sure what it was. Some people said they’d been selling test answers, some people said it was vials of illegal or experimental potions. Older student’s said it was something else entirely. No one knew who was selling any of it though. There was something of a contraband market, in the upperclassmen area’s and Castiel had the lurking suspicion that…

In that instant his attention was grabbed by Dean and his table rising up and going to do something Cas wasn’t sure of. They might be going to do some more of those No-Maj games Dean loved so much. Castiel had to admit that they weren’t that bad at all. Such strange little things like Candy Land, Twister, Scrabble. Then sometimes they’d play more normal things like Exploding Snaps.  

That’s pretty much how the two of them had gotten to know each other. Channing inviting him to play games with she and Dean’s friends. Most times Castiel would invite Anna and Charlie. He never invited Balthazar. Sometimes he’d go on his own. Just so he didn’t have to share the experience… Then Dean would go out of his way to invite Cas himself. Like the time they’d played Twister. Which was a much more infuriating game than Cas would ever hope for it to be. It was also hilarious and more fun than he’s had outside of… well other No-Maj game nights.

Castiel was in a space all his own, when Gabriel and Raphael walked by. She was completely unconcerned with anything, but Gabriel was paying close attention to he and Anna.

The same wicked smile on his face as he often shared with Castiel, etched hard onto his face. It was a warning, in some ways, but mostly it was Gabriel thinking it was all very funny.

“Anna.” Castiel said, nodding over to the two elder Moonstones.

“Well looks like it that time already.” Anna says as she stretches her arms over her head. “Gosh, I am beat.”

“What? Already?” Charlie asks her roommate.

“I’m afraid so. You know what rich food does to me. Makes me so sleepy.” She even adds a yawn. “See you back in the room Charlie.”

“Oh alright. See you in the room.” she replies as the two walk off. “You big fat awful liar.” she whispers under her breathe.

“Well Ms. Bradbury. It seems it’s just us.”

Charlie looks at him blankly before she gets up, leaving him at the table alone.

“Do you actually think she believed that?” Cas asked Ana.

“Absolutely not. You know I don’t know how to lie. But she’ll get over it.”

“Stop.” Cas says, as a teacher, come by. Under their invisibility cloak they go unnoticed and once the professor had walked past, they return to the mission. What do you think we’ll be talking about this time?”

“Probably nothing of honest consequence as always.”

“Makes sense, it’ll just be another opportunity for Micheal to belittle us again.”

“I do look ever so forward to it.”

When they finally made it to the chamber, the invisibility cloak discarded, Anna knocked. The door was opened and Gabriel was there to greet them.

“Well it looks as though the whole family is here.”

He moves out of the way and lets them in. Michael and Heylel were already there, naturally. With Raphael standing to Michael’s right. Uriel and Gadreel were sitting off to the sides waiting for well, Castiel could only assume, he and Anna.

“So shall we begin?” Michael asks calmly.

“Yes let us. I believe one of us has a hot date later.” Gabriel said, and oddly enough Castiel felt like it was directly about him.

“Well I don’t know why it’s any of your business but I actual do.” Helyel told them. Nonchalantly picking at his nails. “So lets get this shit done Micheal. I’m ready to go eat.”

“Dinners almost over already.”

“Oh Anael. How youthfully naive of you.”

Raphael sticks her finger in her mouth, while making a sound very reminiscent of gagging.

“Raphael if you will.” Michael asks of her.

“Yes Michael.” Raphael told him and took out a small mirror. “ Engorgio.” And from her hands it grew out to full size. Nearly six foot and pure enchanted silver.

She took her wand to it, and spread magic over it.

“ Enchanted mirror connect us to your twin .” She chanted “ take us to the other side and tell us who’s within .”

Eerie mystic fire erupted in the reflected surface and then darkness. As the darkness departed the other side became visible. As always it was an office filled with too many tattered books, and an ungodly old desk covered in papers and ink spattered quills. In front of the mirror was a small man with thinning hair and watery blue eyes that seemed both unsure and calculating. A conundrum their father. A conundrum.

“Hello kids.”

“Hello father.” They all spoke in chorus.

Chapter Text

When that was all said and done, the mirror went quite, black and cold. Silence settled amongst all the siblings. They were left alone with themselves.

“Once again, the bastards get all the attention.” Heylel murmurs.

“They’re the youngest, Heyl. It’s their first year and he’s merely being attentive to their needs and concerns. They haven’t been doing this for as long as we have.”

“He was never that nice to me about my sorting.” Heylel said, picking at something caught in between his teeth.

“ Reducio. ” Raphael calls to the mirror, as it’s shrinks to it miniature size. “You were lucky they let you into the school, don’t push it.”

“Yeah, Hell. I mean it’s not like you were almost an All-Sort. Wampus was ever so kind to decide you were worth anything.”

“Gabriel.” Michael chastised quietly. And silence returned to them again.

Castiel felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on edge as Michael rose from the seat he’d conjured for himself. He walked over to the two of them and silently glared at Castiel.

“If you think you’re special for that, stop.” Michael said in a voice that was stern, but not angry. Not in the way Castiel had expected at least. “I don’t know what it is about you Castiel that makes you think you’re special. Or what makes you think you have any right to think you come anywhere close to being equal, but never forget that you are a bastard. A moonstone by blood and nothing else. Not by right, or title. Just blood. And you will never be one of us.”

“Cold little big brother. Cold.” Heylel said as he jumped from the chair he’d conjured for himself. Though it much more closely resembles a throne than a chair. “Either way though, it’s time we all got back to our rooms. You know how hall ghosts are.” Heylel put his hand to his brother’s shoulder as his steely blue eyes burrowed into Castiel’s sky blue ones.

“Yes. Everyone back to your rooms. I don’t want to hear anything about the four… the seven of you making a mess of anything. Keep your grades up and don’t draw any unnecessary attention.”

He stood up and he and Heylel left for their dormitory.

“Son of a bitch.” Gadreel muttered, as the door remained closed behind him.

“Don’t say that Gadreel.” Raphael, said as she straightened her robes. “Even we must be respectful of the dead.”

Raphael went over to Castiel, who was nowhere near alright. He felt like crying his eyes out. She placed her hand on his shoulder, but neither of them seemed to acknowledge the other. Not directly. “You’re doing fine. Everyone be careful getting back to their rooms. Coming, Gabriel?”

“In a second, Grapes of Raph.” Gabriel said all smiles. Gadreel and Uriel stood up and rushed to her side.

“Alright, but don’t take too long.”

“Promise.”

“Come along brothers.” She instructed to Uriel and Gadreel.

“Actually Anna if you could head out with Raphy, that’d be great. I want to discuss some stuff with Cassie. Mono y brothoro.”

“The Spanish word for brother is ‘hermono’ Gabriel. You know this.” Raphael, tells him, slight disappointment written across her face.

“Either way, just let me speak with my little brother!” He hollered at Raphael. Then with a much gentler look on his face, he turned to Anna. “But seriously Anna let me just talk to Cassie for a minute.”

“Okay,” Anna grabbed on to Castiel’s hand and shoulder. “I’ll see you later.”

“Okay.” Castiel said, in a strained voice as Anna stood up and left the room with Raphael and their two brothers.

When the door closed and it was just the two of them, Gabriel crouched down in front of Castiel.

“You can cry now.” Gabriel told him, and so he did. He cried stupid tears that Micheal didn’t deserve to see. He wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. But Castiel really wanted to cry. He just wanted to die and not have to be apart of any of this anymore. “Why…does he-he hate me so much?”

“He doesn’t hate you Castiel, he’s just upset that he’s half an orphan and that there are other people holding keys to the kingdom.” Gabriel tells him as he moves some of Cas’ hair out of his face. “If we’re being honest, I’m pretty sure he doesn’t like any of us besides Raphael. And that’s just because she’s always been too obedient.”

“I just… I dint ask to be sorted into three houses. I only need… I only wanned one.”

“Well you got that and more, so congratulations.”

Castiel cried for a bit longer, using Gabriel for support. If there was anything Gabriel was, it was a troublemaker. But he was also the most caring and considerate. He always listened and he knew his boundaries. He’d push them to the limit, but he knew where and when they would break.

“Come on, let's get out of this dank closet.” Gabriel said, once Castiel’s breathing even out and his face was just, from that point, puffy and red.

“Okay.” Castiel croaked.

The hallway was dark, but brighter than the chamber they’d just been in. How long had they been in there? How long had they been speaking with their father? How long had Castiel been crying?

“Oh and one more thing.” Gabriel said, as he grabbed onto Castiel. “That kid from earlier.”

For a second Castiel didn’t know what in the world Gabriel was talking about. Until it hit him that he was talking about Dean. Castiel didn’t even have the energy to feel embarrassed about it.

“Look Cassie, I know what the worlds like, and I know it’s not prefect. Our family certifiable proof of that, but don’t let stupid things stop you okay.”

“Gabriel I… I don’t even know if I-“

“Look Castiel. You are one of the best people I know okay. You are worth so much more than what Michael is shitting you into thinking you are.” Castiel can’t bare to look Gabriel in his eyes. But then like a loved one Gabriel grabs onto his face and softly steers Cas to look at him. “You are worth being loved. And you are certainly worth being loved by people better than Michael.”

Dean’s showered and brushed his teeth and gotten into his pajamas for the night, the tattered old flannel pajama pants Dean preferred to wear went very well with the ratty old Karate Kid t-shirt. Dean wasn’t Meg. He didn’t need fancy matching satin-silk pajamas to get to sleep nice and comfortably.

“Victor you got that Potions essay I lent you?”

“Yeah, it’s in the bag with my transfiguration formula quiz. Try not to get them confused Winchester.”

“Oh hahaha, I almost forgot to laugh. Thank goodness you’re so funny.”

“I know right? I’m a regular Bill Cosby.”

“You wish you were Bill Cosby.”

Before Victor had a chance to get a comeback in, there was a knock at their door.

“Who could that be at a time like this?” Victor asked. “Tell me you did not invite anyone over, Dean.”

“No! If I was, I would’ve given you some heads up.”

“Hopeful it’s someone who can help you with a better written potions essay.”

“Once again Victor, hardyharhar. You’re a laugh riot.” Dean says as he opens the door.

Castiel was on the other side of it, with a red face and bloodshot eyes like he’d be crying recently.

“Castiel? Wha… what’re you doing here. How’d you know where I lived?”

“Channing told me.” He said skeptically, like even he wasn’t sure why he was here.

“Are you alright? You look like you’ve been crying.”

“I have been.” Castiel says as he feels his cheeks checking for any leftover moisture.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Yeah I’m fine, I just… I just wanted to talk to you about early. You know at the library.”

“Oh, that.” Dean said, as he edged them out of Dean’s doorway and into the hall, closing the door behind him.  “Yeah, about that. It’s totally cool if you… I don’t know, don’t want to hang out anymore or want to ever actually hang out, we didn’t really hang out anyway, um… yeah it’s totally cool. You don’t have to worry we don’t have to talk about it if you… EVER! we don’t have to talk about it ever. Um yeah so I’m sor-“

“My answers yes.”

“Youwah?”

“I… my answer’s yes. I’ll… I’ll be your boyfriend if you, you know, still would like for me to be.”

Castiel was too embarrassed to look up. But he didn’t have to when Dean was suddenly hugging him. Them suddenly jumped back like Cas was on fire.

“Sorry, I - I don’t know if you like hugging or if that’s a thing we do, but I really wanted to hug you.”

“It was alright.” Castiel told him. “We can hug and um... hold hands if you want.”

“Yeah I,” Dean was beaming now. “I’d like that.”

And that had been three weeks ago.

Which were three glorious weeks of pre-teen romance. Which there wasn’t much else to expect. What more could you expect from two twelve year olds stuck in a giant boarding school. It was a lot of small cliche things that happened between the two of them. Small changes that affected the overall environment. Things happened that tend to happen when you couple yourself with someone else. They started seeing more of each other, though with different classes and schedules that wasn’t too much of an additional change. Dean started hanging out with Castiel and his friends and Castiel would spend more time with Dean and his friends. Dean did stopping hanging out with Meg as much as he’d used to thought.

Not to say they went from zero to sixty back to zero again, but it would be more accurate to say they went from sixty to thirty-two, in a matter of days. Dean didn’t mean for it to happen, but it kinda did without him being entirely conscious of it.  Dean hung out with Cas, who was almost always in some way with Anna. Anna hated Meg. It’s simple math. And while Cas never really admitted it, Dean was sure whatever it was that Anna had against Meg, Cas was holding her to it too. Dean asked a few times. Castiel knew, but he never told Dean.

‘It’s not my business to tell Dean.’ Castiel tells him every time. Dean comes wise to not asking anymore, once Cas stops talking to him for an entire day. Castiel apologizes for it afterwards, but Dean made sure not to ask again.

Castiel never really brought Dean over to his room. And it wasn’t a matter of principle. Firstly, Castiel was aware that, even if Balthazar didn’t have something against No-Maj born or those type of people, Balthazar and Dean didn’t like each other at all. Victor was much nicer about the whole thing. Though he made a note to leave the room as often as he could.

‘Because the two of you are gross.’ he’d said the first time. ‘Not inna ‘you’re-both-dudes’ kind way, but inna ‘your-both- being-gross’ kinda way.”

Which was true. Dean didn’t want to admit it to anyone but himself, but Cas made him super happy. They smiled at each other a lot. Too much sometimes. And they did hold hands. Not all the time, and not everywhere, but whenever they were around people who knew. Charlie and Anna couldn’t keep a straight face on, when the two of them where anywhere near each other. They were always working some way to get them closer whenever that sat down somewhere. Like at Quidditch games. Or at the cafeteria tables, or at game nights. Which they still had on occasion.

When winter break had been done, Dean had come back to school with a whole new set of games. Dean took a little bit of weird satisfaction in teaching his boyfriend how to play all the games Dean had loved when he was little. What added a straw to the camel’s back was when Cas found out he’d missed Dean’s birthday. Which was only made more awful when school had long since been back in by the time.

‘Well it was like a week before we decided to be boyfriends.’ Dean had told him innocently. ‘And I didn’t think it was that important anyway. My birthday’s never been a big deal.”

Which made Castiel furious.

‘How can you say that Dean? Your birthday is supposed to be your favorite day.’

‘How come?’

‘Because it was they day you were born dummy!’ Charlie yelled from the back. Where she and Anna were supposed to be minding their business. Castiel almost combusted from sheer embarrassment. As Dean’s whole face lit up in a mix of surprise and elation.  

Castiel vowed to do something for Dean on Valentine’s Day. Which Dean then enthusiastically returned. He couldn’t let Cas get the one up on him.

Which brings us to the beautiful now.

“Dean will you please calm down!” Meg yelled.

“I CAN’T! Valentine’s Day is tomorrow and I have nothing for Cas.”

“Gosh, Winchester. Now I know I never want a boyfriend.” Gordon said as he ate another slice of his pie. “Especially if it’s gonna be this stressful.”

Dean had been racking his brain for days, trying to think of something he could get Castiel for Valentine’s Day. The fact that they couldn’t buy gifts was the biggest hurdle. So the best thing to do was give him something personal and from the heart. But Dean didn’t know of anything.

“What are you talking about Walker?” Meg said, with a sneer. “Anyone you date is going to want something nice for this stupid No-Maj holiday. It’s romantic.” She said ‘romantic’ like it was a disease.

“Just give him a card.” Gordon offered. “It’ll be sweet and easy and since you made it yourself he’ll totally love it.”

“Yeah a card!” Dean says as he deflates again. “Uuuuhh a caaaard.”

“It’s better than nothing.

“Do you think that’ll work? Seriously? This a Moonstone we’re talking about, Gordon.” Meg started up. “If I know anything about his snobby ass family, he’ll want more than chicken-scratch Winchester’s shitty card.”

“No way. Cas is so cool and down to earth.”

“If you say so.” Meg said as she returned to eating her own plate.

“Come on, you guys, help me out.” Dean begged now. “Gordon, come on seriously. What would you want for Valentine’s Day?”

“I mean, personally, if it were me, I’d want one of those new Nimbus models, man. Ooh, or one of those ultra rare platinum-edition Endive Gorgon records. OOH, or one of those invisibility cloaks! I’d looooove an invisibility cloak.”

“Gordon, he needs you to think in the real world. Not make believe land.”

“He asked what I would want, so I told him.” Gordon said taking another bite of pie. “Besides Castiel’s probably got half that stuff anyway.”

“What? No way. No one has invisibility cloaks or Nimbus 2000s. Those things are super expensive.”

“Well-” Meg stopped herself mid-sentence and a look of abject confusion spread across her face. Dean looked her over for a second, before he looked over to Gordon hoping to get some help. When he saw Gordon’s face locked into a look of almost identical confusion, pie still half chewed in his mouth, Dean realized he was in the wrong here.

“What?”

“Dean… do you… not know about the Moonstones?” Gordon asked as he swallowed his pie and regained his senses.

“Well I mean… they’re really popular, they have good grades…. And have a very cute brother.” Dean said that last one mostly to himself.

“Oh, you have got to be kidding me.” Meg had her hand pressed to her forehead, like Dean was somehow delivering her a headache. “What rock do you and your family live under, Dean!” she said ‘Dean’ in that way she tended to.

“We live in Kansas. KANSAS. I’m sorry if we’re not at the top of stuff!”

“But still, have you not really heard of them?” Gordon asked. “I’m from Georgia and even I know that much.”

“Dean.” she said it in that way again. “The Moonstones” she said it, Moonstone, in such a strained voice. “Are one of the most elite and old”

“And rich.” Gordon added.

“families in America Wizarding society. If not in the World. They have survived to this day as one of the premiers. They have money. They have connections. They have houses and celebrity family friends. They are not just nice grades and pretty kids.”

Then there was silence.

 “Cas is rich?” Dean gawked, as he tried to process all of this new information. Dean had no idea about any of that. He just thought Cas had really strict parents, who raised really strict kids. Now he knows, Cas comes from a dynasty.

“He is if he’s a descendant of Cornelius Moonstone.”

“Dean, bro, how did you not know this?” Gordon asked him.

Dean didn’t know how to answer. How had he not known? Had Cas never mentioned it? Or had Dean not been paying attention?

“Am I a bad boyfriend?”

“I’m still not sure if this is the perfect gift, but I’m still sure Dean will like it.” Castiel said quietly as he and Channing studied enchantment procedures in the library. It was a simple gift that Castiel had asked Gabriel to get for him. It was a simple assortment of Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans.  

“Oh yeah, Dean loves candy.” Channing told him, which was true. Dean had a major sweet tooth.

“But I’m just wondering if I should warn him about the not so amazing flavors.” Castiel said, as he considered how funny it would be when Dean reached into the bag and tasted a jelly bean the flavor of earwax.

“I’m sure he won’t be that surprised. Did you get the principle for ‘a’?

“No, but I think it’s supposed to be ‘e2’. Why wouldn’t Dean be surprised by ear wax jelly beans?” Castiel asked with a laugh. Who wouldn’t be surprised by the likes of that?

“Well you know, because I'm sure he’s had Bott’s Beans before.”

“What,” Castiel chuckled. “How could he have?”

Channing looked up at Cas, and wondered herself where this was going.

“Because… most people have tried a box of Bott’s Beans before.”

“Not if their No-Maj-born.” Cas insists. Which tells Channing instantly where this is going.

“Castiel... Dean’s not a No-Maj-born though.”

Castiel’s face cracks almost in slow motion. If it were anything else it might be funny, but this was bordering on horrific.

“He’s what?”

“Yeah, Cas. Dean’s a halfblood. His mom’s a witch.”

“No. No, no, nonononono.” Castiel’s head falls to the table.

“Not to be mean but… how did you not know that?”

“He plays No-Maj board games. And wears with sneakies, and has… I thought he was a No-Maj-born.”

“Dean just lives in the middle of nowhere. He was raised around a lot of No-Maj, so he’s just used to them and their habits.”

“I’m an idiot.”

“No you’re not.” Channing said, comfortingly. “But you really should’ve known whether or not your own boyfriend was a halfblood or not.”

“How should I-” Castiel didn’t even bother finishing the sentence. “We don’t really talk about families.”

“Castiel he told us his mom helped him enchant his board game.”

“I thought he meant she took him to a local witch or wizard. I didn’t think he meant her.”

“Well…”

“And I got him a box on Bott’s Beans!” Castiel screeched. “He’s probably been eating these for years!”

“But it’s still a good gift. Dean likes sweet stuff remember?”

“But I promised it would be something really special. I thought I could get him a present that he’d never gotten before. I thought I could be the first person to give him every-flavored beans.”

“Which would’ve been nice.” Channing admits.

“Yes. It would’ve been.”

After that Castiel barely felt like doing any homework. Even if Charms was his favorite class.

When the day came, love was in the air. Almost literally.

The halls had been filled with hundreds, if not thousands, of small enchanted paper hearts of hundreds of bright pastel colors. They fluttered about like butterflies. Landing on everything but never swarming or sticking to anything for too long.

While most people went on with their business, some couples were highly involved. Mostly with each other.  Hands were held, cards were exchanged, kisses where taken for granted. Secret pacts of romance were agreed upon. Pledges of eternal love were declared, and long held secret feelings were finally brought to light. Whether they were accepted or rejected was entirely up to the other person. Though that has been true since time immemorial.  

Dean felt all a flutter and palms a sweat as he went through the day. Not sure if his plan was going to work or not. He didn’t even know if Castiel would like what he decided to give him. As Dean went through class though he was still having these eerie suspicions that he was going to make a fool of himself. Which made it nearly impossible to focus in any class whatsoever. Professor Solomon was polite about a lot, but still she was also eyeing Dean like a hawk. Since there were nearly twenty kids in the class, that was embarrassing.

“Tell me you’re not going to explode.”

Dean had been jittery all day. A slight quiver to him as he walked everywhere.

“No Vic, I'm not going to- woo.” Dean ducked out of sight behind Victor, who was getting less and less impressed by Dean’s antics. “Was tha-”

“No. It was not, for the hundredth time, Castiel.”

“I just don’t want to see him too early is all.”

Victor’s face was deadpan with annoyance. He hadn’t signed up for any of this, but Dean had to admit he was still a rock to lean on.

“How will seeing him later change what happens, really?”

“It means I’ll have less time to mess up what i’m going to say, and more time to think of it.”
“So do you, like… actually know what you’re going to say to him?”

“Nope.”

Castiel was having a similar feeling, but unlike Dean, he wanted to get it over with as soon as possible. Anna and Charlie, had told him much the same thing as Channing had.

‘Any gift is a good one so long as you mean it.’

Which Castiel didn’t disagree with. He was just sure there would be better gifts for Valentine’s Day. He wished he thought of something better, but this was it. And it had to be enough.

When dinner came around Castiel couldn’t find one shred of Dean Winchester, anywhere. He wasn’t in his room. He wasn’t in the Dining Hall. He wasn’t in Benny and Gordon’s room. Garth didn’t know where he was. And Castiel wouldn’t dare even thinking of asking Meg. He wasn’t that desperate.

“Channing have you not seen Dean?” Castiel asked, somewhat desperately.

“No, we don’t have any classes together today.” She tells him as she eats another spoonful of baked beans.

The table was exceptionally light today. Castiel usually saw Dean’s group together at all times.  But now it was just Channing, Garth, Benny, and Meg Masters. The latter of whom was boring holes into Castiel’s skin, with her glare. It felt like she was daring Castiel to ask her. But it also felt like a test. It felt like Meg knew exactly where Dean was, and this was her trying him. He could either ask and get the answer or not and get nothing. That still went under the impression Meg did, in fact, actually know. Castiel decided he wasn’t playing any of Megara Master’s games.

“Thank you anyway.” Castiel said as he walked away.

By the time Dean finally showed up. It was nearly nine o’clock, and time for everyone to be in there rooms. He looked like Castiel felt on the inside. Which was saying quite a bit.

“Hey Cas.” Dean said in a shaking voice. He cleared his throat. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”

“Hi, Dean.” Castiel returned. He had the box of Bott’s Beans clung tightly in his grip.

“So um, can we go somewhere? Else.”

“If you want to, that’s no problem.”  Castiel told him

“Alright, just follow me.”

“Wha.. wait, Dean!”

“It’s fine just follow me.”

They were now entirely out of bounds, racing through hallways, ducking out of corridors to avoid patrolling ghost. As they went out of the North Wing, portraits eyes followed them, making sure they were happily noticed. Some smart part of Castiel cared that these portraits would see them and would probably tell whomever it was they reported to. But most parts of him were just happy to be with Dean, going wherever it was they were going.

Oddly enough it was a closet.

“Now I know what you’re thinking ‘Dean, this is a closet. Or a cabinet i guess.’ but wait there’s more!”

Dean opened the door, and Castiel found that it was lined with a nice quilt and a bunch of the little flying paper hearts that had been flying around the school all day. Small enchanted lights had covered them, and now they were a light like fireflies.  Underneath the rug was some kind of box or crate that Castiel couldn’t imagine what it was for. But on top of it was a cup, an in the cup were two small flowers, one blue and the other red. Their house colors.

“Dean. This is-”

“No. I- I know it not what you’re probably used to, but I got Victor and Gordon to help me. It was the best the three of us could come up with. I kinda stole it from ‘ Lady and the Tramp’ . I owe them-”

“Dean this is really nice.”

Castiel had a look on his face Dean wanted to see forever. It was so… wonder-filled.

“Uh, well you know I really wanted it to be special. Since… you know. Anyways come on let’s sit down. Sorry we don’t have any spaghetti and meatballs.”

“Why would we need it? Dinner was basically an hour ago.”

“It’s, uh… it’s a part of the movie.”

“Ah, a movie. You, Charlie, and Channing mention ‘movies’ quite often.”

“Hopefully you’ll be able to see one some day.” Dean said. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to add: ‘I’d like to take you sometimes.’  but he did want to. He wanted to show Castiel what the world had to offer, outside of spells, potions, and broomsticks.

“That would be fun. One of these days maybe. In a few years.”

“Yeah, you’d love them.”

“So are we…?” Cas starts eyes downcast and nervous. “Are we going to exchange gifts?”

“Oh, y-yeah. Gifts, yes. Those. Let’s get to the gift giiiving paaart.” Dean was all jittery still. No part of him wasn’t on edge.

“Okay I’ll go first.” Castiel said, as he passed Dean his Valentine’s bag. Dean took it eagerly and found what it was Castiel had spent a week thinking of. Castiel felt like exploding.

“Oh, Bott’s Every-Flavor Beans! I love these! How’d you know?”

Castiel broke out into a nervous grin. “Well it was mostly just a guess. I know how you like sweet things and candy. So I thought this would be a good one for you.”

“Oh my gosh! Yes, this is perfect. My mom, she used to buy these for me and Sammy all the time, but she stopped after she saw me feeding him all the booger flavored ones once. He threw up for like a week.” Dean said as he laughed.

“How’d you know which ones to feed him?”

“Oh it’s an old trick my mom taught me. First you have to smell them, then dip them in water. If the fizzle they're sugary flavors. You know, the good ones. If the kinda bubble and make a fart sound, they’re the gross ones.”

“And your mom taught you that?”

“Yeah, she said she learned about it in school. From on of her roommates I think.”

Not only was Dean’s mom a witch. She’d gone to Illvermorny too, and had had friends here and used to feed Dean Bott’s Beans all the time. But hey, at least Dean liked his gift.

“So um, do you… do you have anything for me?”

“Oh, yeah, just uh…” Dean face broke out into queasy lines, that Castiel could recognize from himself.

“If you don’t have anything that’s alri-”

“No! I-I do it just… I’m not sure If it’s something you want or not.”

“Whatever it is, I’ll probably really like it.”

“Hmm. If you say so. Just- just close your eyes okay?”

“Alright.” Castiel did as he was told and closed his eyes. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting but somewhere in his mind he thought this was similar to what Anna told him about the first time a boy kissed her. Which then made him nervous that Dean’s gift was going to be giving him his first kiss. Which then made him think that he wasn’t sure if he was ready for that or not. Which then made him realize that if he was going to kiss someone, he’d like very much for it to be Dean. Just ever so slightly Castiel puckers his lips so Dean can press them together easier.

Instead of two soft lips, Castiel was greeted by two swift hands, covering his mouth. His eyes flew open to a very bewildered Dean with his arms stretched out, and his face turned away from him. Castiel backed away instantly.

“‘I’m so sorry I-”

“No, it’s-”

“I wasn’t… I didn’t thi-”

“I didn’t know if that was a thing, so I… I didn’t know if we kissed yet.” Dean said scratching the back of his neck.   

“It’s fine.” Castiel said demurely.

“Oh, uh here.” Dean said, as he handed Castiel, a rectangle wrapped up in simple brown paper. “I’d’ve gotten something fancier. But we didn’t start… being together until after Christmas, but I know you like books so… It’s not magical, but it’s about magic, from a No-Maj perspective.”

Castiel unwrapped the paper and it was a book. ‘ The Wonderful Wizard of Oz ’. Inside there was a note, tucked in between pages.

“Don’t read it okay? Not until you’ve gotten to that part of the book.”

“Oh, okay.” Castiel studied the cover of the book. It was a strange little book with the image of a girl, a lion, and a little dog on it. On the corner was a… ragdoll man perhaps. With some other kind of… person, sitting off in the back.

“I’ll read it as soon as I can.”

“I really hope you like it.”

“I know I will.” Castiel tells him with a smile. A genuine smile that makes Dean’s heart race.

“So um, how was your day?” Dean asked, not sure where exactly they should go from here.

“Well to be truthful, I spent a lot of it looking for you.” Castiel tells him.

The two of them told the other just how nervous they’d been all day, and how stressful it had been trying to find the right gift. Dean had assured Cas that he was more than happy with his present. He hadn’t had Bott’s Beans in forever. Castiel tells Dean that he was also more than happy for the book. He was excited to get a better idea of what No-Maj think about Magic.

It was very exciting.

Neither of them mention how they felt all the more fearful, because they hadn’t known enough about the other one to begin with. After talking it over they both decide it’s time to leave the little room to return to their own.

“Shouldn’t we get all that stuff?” Castiel asked him.

“Not right now. I’ll get it later.”

“Are you sure?”

“Totally positive. It should still be there in the morning.”

As they crept silently through the castle, wand tips alight, neither of them spoke a word to the other. Both unsure of themselves, and what it is they intended to say. So they remain quiet as they make there way through these hallowed halls.  

Once they make it back to the north wing and to the dormitories. They reach Castiel’s stop first.

“Well this is you.” Dean tells him, as if Castiel hadn’t already known.

“Yeah this is… me.”The two of them just look at almost everything but each other. “I guess I’ll see you-”

Dean kisses Castiel. Its quick and doesn’t last more than three seconds before Dean backs off and the two of them are separated again. Then they’re just looking at each other with vaguely surprised expressions on their faces.

Then a bit of blush and a bit of smile creeps upon their faces.

“See you tomorrow Dean.”

“Yeah, promise.”

Dean wouldn’t tell anyone this, ever, but he might have actually skipped back to his room, whistling a tune.

Chapter Text

November was a good month, a time for resting and learning and thanks. Illvermorny’s student’s basked in the late fall breeze. The sky was surprisingly open for an early winter. The crisp air of the true fall was long gone, but now more than ever, the student’s were enjoying it. It would surely snow by the next week, so now was the time.  

“Deanyou gotta get up, forreal. It’s time to go.”

“I’m going in a second Channing.” Dean murmured as his head stayed attached to the desk of their Charms 2 classroom.

“Okay, it’s been a second now get up!” she continued.

“Hmm.” Dean sighed, not sure what he was trying to say, but showing his protest. Meg answered by literally kicking his butt.

“Ouch.What the hell Meg!”

“What the hell your flabby ass, Winchester. Now get a move on, we have Transfig in like twenty minutes and it’s on the other side of the castle.” Meg said scowling at him with full force. Then her face broke and her eyes went wide. As if she’d just recognized something. She looks around the room, eyes darting over her own words.  

“Sorry. I’m just tired.” Dean said with a yawn.

“That’s your own fault Dean,” she says in return. Her focus now back to the present.“You should’ve went to sleep when it was lights out instead of jerking off with the other dumbasses .”

The other dumbasses being Gordon, Benny, and Garth. It wasn’t as if the four of them had meant to stay out that late on a Tuesday night. They hadn’t meant to have had three close calls with the hall ghosts. But they had, and they did, and now, at least Dean, was paying for it.

  “What were you guys even doing last night anyway?” Channing asked as she helped Dean bag his books, and parchment.

“ We were trying to get some ingredients for the potion. We’ve been trying since we got back from the summer, and we’re almost ready for it. ”

Dean thought back drearily of his first year. The excitement, the annoyance, the feeling of disappointment when they’d all had to leave and head home. Having to leave the halls of Ilvermorny empty for another summer.

At least Victor, Gordon, and Channing had phones. Megara ‘Oh-so-ever-pureblood’ Masters couldn’t dare to learn how to use one. Then of course there was also Castiel. Dean didn’t care what anyone said, No-Maj had done good with the telephone. Then only to be satisfied and happy that he would once again be dwelling in the halls of the castle with his friends.

“Well did you get what you wanted at least?” she asked, as she guided him along the castle halls, Meg trekking ahead of them, but not veering too far ahead. Dean knew she just couldn’t lose them, no matter how much she protested that fact.

“Not exactly. The snakewood tree was like trying to cut through a brick. I couldn’t find frogs tongue anywhere in the potion’s storehouse. Then again even if I could, I doubt I’d be able to fry the damn things. And still the hippocampus weeds are so very far out of reach for me and my amigos.”

“Dean, tell me you didn’t go into the catacombs.” Channing whispered in surprise. No one went into the catacombs. Sure it was against the rules, but it was also just an extremely stupid idea. The ‘ Dumbasses ’ obviously didn’t care.

“Okay I won’t tell you.”

“Dean!”

“Channing it’s alright! Obviously I didn’t die.”

“Shame.” Meg snarled.

“Meg you’ve really got to stop that, or I’ll start to think you don’t love me with a true burning passion, equal to the sun. ”  

Meg didn’t even grace him with a snide remark, she just turned and then squinted. Looking around as if she was seeing something. When that was done she gave him her signature look. That same look  that she had when they’d met last year, at their sorting. Glass on the kitchen floor black.

“If we could just get someone who knew how to breath underwater or had a pet crocodile or…” Dean’s mouth went silent as they past. In formation like a trained group of soldiers. The Moonston Quartet.  

At the front was Michael, the leader. Whom Dean hated with a very specific passion.His hair was dark and roguish, with cleft chin and hard jaw, and more muscles than should be expected from a sixteen year old. Heylel was next to him, as always. Smiling about something he was saying to his brother, his dusty blonde hair and sharp look seemed charming, but were actually purest evil. Dean still had nightmares from the one time he’d looked into them properly. Raphael was close behind. She’d cut her hair shorter over the summer and now it hung just over her shoulder, her head held high as always. Never letting people to forget she was of the highest nobility. Lastly still was Gabriel, who Dean had originally deemed as unformidable, but Dean remembered clearly what he’d done to that seventh year at the Dueling Club’s term ending tournament.

Silence and awe still seemed to follow them as if it was a fan of their work. A follower of their family. Dedicated to following them wherever they may go.

The stiffening sensation in Dean’s back disappeared as the crowd returned to its natural order as the Moonstone children disappeared.

“I really can’t stand them.” Meg said, her voice calm, but full of malice.

“Glad we’re agreed.” Dean says, with a hard grimace.

The class was nearly filled up by the time the three of them got there. Channing went left  to sit with her other friends, Bambi and Gemma. She had Phys. Ed with them next period. Dean and Meg went right and tried to cloister in with the boy saving their seats.

“Hey Castal.” Dean said harassingly into his best friends ear, running his hand through Cas’ ridiculous hair.

“Hey Clarence.” Meg said, as she sat down on his left, Dean taking his right. Castiel’s books moved over to the side to make room for their own.

“Meg. Dean.” Castiel said, in much the same way Meg had earlier.  Cas ran his hands through his hair, trying to return it to something more similar to the chaos it’d been before instead of the chaos it was now.  “Nice to see you both on time for once.”

“That’s about you being late all the time Dean.” Meg divined.

“Or about you skipping every other second class Megara.” Dean retorted.

“Or maybe about both of those things.” Cas told them, his attention focused mostly on the parchment in front of him. “Now can you both be quite, so Professor Spatz doesn’t kick us out again.”

The actually reason Channing doesn’t sit with the rest of them.

“Class hasn’t even started. Don’t be such a downer Clarence.”

“It still applies.”

“Yeah Meg, it still applies.”

She flipped him off and in retaliation Dean stuck his tongue out at her. An offense of equal proportion naturally.

“Hey Dean, tell Cas here what you were up to last night?” Meg said, a wicked look in her eyes. Dean blanched as he tucked his tongue back into his mouth.

“What were you up to last night Dean?” Cas asked nonchalantly, his attention stuck to the parchment he was writing on. As Dean looked closer it seemed to be Potions formula homework. Dean would think Cas was trying to catch up on missed work, if he didn’t know Cas had Potions right before Transfiguration. The little nerd was getting a heads up for the next class.

“Nothing really.” Dean lied nonchalantly. Which must have been a mistake, because Cas’ hand stopped mid formula and he looked up at Dean. His eyes looking into his soul like he’d expect them to.

“That didn’t even sound convincing Dean.”

“Well I… I-”

“Alright class is beginning! Everyone’s attention up here.” Prof. Spatz announced with her entry into the classroom. She was a shrill woman, with flaky red hair that had been curled neatly. Her eyes bright and her cheeks red. Dark pink robes where her fashion of choice, and despite all of that she was a rather good teacher, and a nice lady.

“I’ll tell you later.” Dean whispered. Because he was sure Castiel wouldn’t dare let him interrupt Professor Spatz lesson. The Professor sent two dozen glasses flying through the air to their tables. They were rather normal glasses, simple, clear, empty.

“Alright class today we’re picking up on your basic transfiguration principle. You will be turning these glasses into an animal figurine of your choice and color. Then we’ll start on more difficult transformations pertaining to animation and then onto proportional sizing.”  

“Well this is going to be riveting.” Dean chuckled quietly, but quickly stopped when he saw Castiel was giving him a look very much like the one Meg had in the hallway. This one with much less murder and more scolding. Dean shut up.

Class passed by with a few people successfully getting their glass figurines to move properly, but the hassle of reshaping the glass in such a constant state was physically taxing and mentally draining. So Prof. Spatz was more than understanding.

“Very good class, very good. Now remember next class we start from here, and we’ll work our way to transferring you figurines into organic structures. Homework will be pages thirty-nine to forty-seven in the textbook, with all the even question at the end segment being answered. See you all next time and enjoy your next classes.”

The bells at the front of the class went off, letting everyone know the class was officially dismissed.

Everyone packed their things and made it out of the class in the steady stream.

“See you boys later.” Meg said as she went off to her Potions class, Channing waved over to them as she left for her physical class. Dean and Cas waved back as she made her way out the door.

“So now, what did you do last night?” Cas asked.

“S’like I said, nothing really, me and some of the guys were just hanging out… inthe courtyardpotionsstoreroomandmaybethecatacombs.”

“Dean!” Cas snarled, like his mom catching him with his hand in the cookie jar.

“Cas, it’s okay, I’m not dead, I’m not in trouble, no one found out about it or anything.” Dean whispered, hoping none had heard.

“That’s not the point Dean! You can’t just do that. It’s against the rules.”

“Yes, Mother Hubbard I know I know.”

“It that another one of those No-Maj celebrities you’re always talking about like Leonardo DiVincio, or Michael Jordson?”

“It’s DiCaprio. Jordan and Jackson are two different Michaels and no Mother Hubbard’s like a… story.”

“And I remind you of her because I don’t want you to get in trouble?”

“No, you remind me of her because you nag.”

To be fair, Dean couldn’t remember a thing about Mother Hubbard. But as a mom of… it was something important he was sure… she probably nagged.

“I nag because it’s important for you to know that it is against the rules- and incredibly dangerous might I add- to go anywhere near the catacombs.”

“I know but Cas” Dean pulled out the puppy dog eyes. “It’s really important for the-”

“For the what?”

Dean had never told Cas about the potion. Because he knew exactly how Cas would react.

“Nothing.”

“Dean.”

“It is absolutely nothing.”

“Dean!”

“Nothing at all!”

“DEAN!” Cas yelled as he chased after Dean.

By the time they’d made it to DADA they were both extremely winded. Cas from running, and Dean from laughing hysterically.

“Why’re you both panting like that, and sweating?” Charlie asked from the table. “And I know you don’t have physical so what happened to you two?”

“We ran here.” Dean wheezed.

“From Transfiguration.” Cas told her, equally wheezie.

“Well that was dumb. We still have another seven minutes before the warning bells chime.”

“That’s… whoa, that’s not why we were running.” Dean breathed out

“So the reason was…”

“Dean was up to something last night.” Castiel tells her between breathes. “And won’t tell me what it was.”

“Ooh, Dean’s been dancing dirty in the nightlight.”

“Is that another No-Maj reference?” Cas asked with his brow furrowed.

“Yes Cas, It’s a movie.” Dean tells him. As he sits down next to Charlie.

“You know I’m still not sure what a ‘movie’ is right?”

“Oh gosh. Cas you gotta come home with me for the summer one of these days, so I can introduce you to No-Maj culture.”

“It sounds nice, but I’ll have to ask my father for-”

“Cas you don’t even live with your dad, I’m sure your mom would be okay with it.”

“That’s not the point.” Cas says as he pulls his books from out of his satchel. “We Moonstones-”

“Pride ourselves on our magical heritage and traditions, knowledge and power.” Dean and Charlie recited perfectly. Dean didn’t give Meg much, but even he couldn’t say the Moonstones were not a pretentious bunch.

“Very funny. But it’s very important to them. My father might not like it if he finds out I’ve been fraternizing with No-Maj.”

“Fraternizing? Is that even a word?” Dean asked skeptically.

“Yes Dean, it’s a word.” Cas insisted.

“Yeah, I bet it is.”

Class started and Professor Baudelaire walked them through the the disembowelment of a Canadian horned Bullfrog.

It was disgusting.

Two people fainted and Dean nearly threw up in his mouth from the stench. When Prof. Baudelaire asked for assistance on the matter Cas was willing. Dean and Charlie stepped away from him as quickly as possible. After the entire thing was dissected and the entrails and organs placed for display, the students were given explanations on the properties of the organs, their usefulness in potions, which were more edible and which were more poisonous. How the horns, when grounded, could make for a good anti-skin irritant, and that it’s eyes were high in protein.

They were then given a worksheet detailing the valuable elements that can be taken from Sasquatch toenails over Yeti toenails.

“I would never eat Bigfoot nail clippings.” Charlie whispered. “I don’t care If they’d give me rejuvenate curls and whiter teeth.”

“You sure about that Charles? I mean perfect teeth and hair.”

“Never Dean! absolutely never!” she hissed.

“Alright class remember your papers from last class are due next class. Finish your work sheets and have those by next week's class as well.”  Then Baudelaire dismisses the class.

“Alright, you guys headed to lunch with me, or am I gonna have to eat alone?”

“Not today, It’s Wednesday so me and Gilda are going to eat near the quad, enjoy some of this sun, before the sky gods devour it.”

“I heard that.” Dean says. “How bout you Castal?”

“I’ll see if Michael's okay with it.” Cas says.

“Wha- come on Cas you can’t be serious. You family doesn’t own you. You can ma- shut up!” Dean says when he sees the stupid grin on Cas’ face. “You know you’re really bad at jokes right? Like superbad.”

“Sorry. I’m not as used to playing the fool as you are Dean.”

Dean nearly had a heart attack, and Cas couldn’t breath from all the laughing.

Dinner was a quiet affair amongst the students. No big commotion everyone talking amongst themselves, the dining hall packed as always but Dean had his table. He had his friends. Most of them.

Meg and Anna still hated each other beyond practical reason. Dean still didn’t know why. But Cas sat with his sister and their friends, while Dean sat with his friends. Charlie and Channing being shared custody. This was a Wednesday, so they went half and half, with Charlie sticking with Cas and Anna. Channing sticking with Meg, Dean, and Gordon. Though why the Horned Serpent spent time with a bunch of Wampus Cats anyway was a mystery to this day.

“Pizza again, Dean?”

“I don’t see why not. Pizza is amazing.”

“Because variety Dean.” Meg told him. “You keep eating like that, you’re gonna get fat.”

“So.” Dean said shrugging his shoulders. “At least I’ll be happy.”

“Said like a true man.” Gordon said as he and Dean fist bumped.

“Beasts the both of you.” Meg said as she tore into her plate of steak and potatoes. Dean saw the irony, but at least she had a ‘salad’ to go with it. “And why do I feel like... deja vu?”

“So we got any plans tonight chief?” Gordon asked Dean, obviously referring to their secret.

“Not tonight. We still need a better spell for cutting the snakewood root.” Dean told him between smacks. “I need to find a spell that’ll help me get that hippocampus weed.”

“But how hard is it to find frogs tongue?” Channing asks.

“Well it’s mostly the frying part. Plus it has to be a specific size.”

“Thicker than a worm, but thinner than a garden snake.” Gordon offered.

“That’s not really specific at all.” Channing says “But, that’s actually like… a lot of frog’s tongues actually.”

“No it’s more specific than that.” Gordon insisted. “But I just can’t explain it.”

“Just so we’re clear, what does this potion do exactly?” Meg asks with unimpressed eyes.

“Well it’s…”

“It’s a potion to-”

“It’s supposed to…”

“It makes things…”

Between the two of them Dean and Gordon couldn’t come up with an actually explanation.

“Lemme get this right then. You’ve been trying to create this potion for nearly three month. ” Meg started.

“And you don’t even know what it does?” Channing finished.

Meg looked annoyed, and Channing looked worried. Gordon and Dean looked at each other.

“No.” they said together.

“Boys are idiots.” Meg said dropping her fork, as if the very thought of eating near them made her appetite disappear.

“It’s gotta be something epic though!” Dean told them. “I mean if it weren’t why would it need something like snakewood root and hippocampus weed.”

“Both of which are pretty rare.” Channing offered to Meg. She rolled her eyes and picked up her fork, resuming her eating.

“Doesn’t mean that it’s not stupid. Or that you guys aren’t. Honestly making a potion you have no idea about is like, a first year mistake.”

“So we won’t drink any of it before we know what it does.” Dean shrugged.

“You plan to drink it!” Meg asked incredulously, her eyes wide as anything.

“Well it’s a potion.” Gordon reasoned.

“Why am I friends with you two?”  

“Because you love us unconditionally.” Dean answered “What part of that are you not getting yet Masters?”

“I’m gonna have to rethink way too much of my life this year.” Meg grumbles. “And why is this so damn deja vu!”  

That Friday night the boys snuck out again. With the exception of Victor who was too tired from Quidditch practice to bother with them. Today was the day they were finishing their ingredient shopping, Dean was sure of it. The library had been just perfectly helpful in finding a spell that would help him breath underwater. Professor Grover knew the perfect spell for cutting into harsh woods and tubers. And they were going to get frogs tongue tonight if they had to de-tongue every frog on campus.  

Night crept through the halls of the school with ghosts floated diligently, looking out for the signs of escaped students. Dean was sure that at least some of the paintings had to have noticed them. The ghost were busy looking for the obvious signs. Footsteps, ruffles of clothing fabric, breathing. But the paintings, they could mostly only look forward and… well the boys were right in front of them. He guessed even the painting would have to wonder why it is they saw the shadowy figure of four students lurking, but not one actual student. Dean signaled for them to jump out the window, and the other three followed out. The ground had to be at least two stories down. The first time they’d tried it Dean was sure Garth would break a bone, but he’d come out almost completely unfazed, a little shaken but no broken bones.

Now out of the castle it was just the four of them and the forest. A quick search told them there were no pukwudgies on guard. Though to be fair, pukwudgies were very little about guarding.

“ Itzultzeko argia .” Dean said in his mouthlessness. Then in the light of the moon the boys stepped out from their shadows becoming solid and flesh like once again.

“I love that spell!” Garth exclaimed.

“Shhhh!” the other three shushed him, as Garth clasped his mouth shut.

“Sorry guys, you know I get excited.”

“Yeah, Fitzgerald, we do.” Gordon said as he tucked his wand back into his pockets.

“Does everyone remember the plan?” Dean asked.

“Yes.” Garth said. “Benny and Gordon will go out to the courtyard, and finish cutting some of the snakewood root. I go to the lake and see if I can find a frog. And you’re heading to the catacombs to get some of the hippocampus weed.”

“Much obliged for the briefin’ Garth.” Benny said, rolling his eyes.

“No problem.” Garth replied chipperly.

“Now everyone remember to rendezvous back here at one at the latest.” Dean reminded them, as they all replied affirmative. “Okay, good. You guys ready?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be for that creepy magic.” Gordon tells him.

“Everyone remember the reversal spell?” Dean said, mostly pointing towards Garth.

“I wrote it down.”

“Perfect. Everyone to the wall.” Dean told them. Thankfully it was a quarter moon and the sky was clear. Getting out was simple enough. You could do it most anywhere. But you could only get in if you have a shadow cast already. As the four of them stood in front of the castle wall, Dean lifted up his wand, and pointed it directly to the wall.

“ Itzalera .” he hissed, and soon their shadow were solid like ink or mist. Dean walked up to his “Remember, one at the latest.”

“You got it chief.” Gordon said.

“Right boss.” Benny answered.

Garth nodded vigorously, and they all stepped into their shadows.

It was such a weird spell. Dean still didn’t know what language it was. He wasn’t sure where they’d gotten it, but Cas’ family had a treasure that they were keeping to themselves. Dean wasn’t sure how it worked, even now, but with a simple word Dean could step into his shadow, which became like a doorway to some… other place. It was like Dean was a ghost in a world made of reflections and pinpoints of lights and shadows. When Dean first tried the spell he’d been afraid he’d get stuck there, in that world of shadows. Whoever had created it had been crafty, though. The spell has an automatic ejector button pre-installed. One could only stay in the shadow world for four hours straight, before something, maybe the world itself ejects you like a rocket. Regards of where you are at the time. The four of them wouldn’t have even bothered to remove themselves from it expect their was not sound in that world.

Dean snuck back into the castle through the lower wall. It was still so weird walking through walls like this, like he was slipping through a crack. Being two-dimensional but still somehow feeling 3-D. The lower part of the castle where Dean was at that moment, was just above the upper basement. The staircase to the lower basement was hidden in an old passageway that had been bricked up. Dean was sure people with certain credentials knew how to open it, but Dean’s way worked for him perfectly. The staircase to the lower basement wasn’t bricked up. Guess they thought if you could make it past the first one, you should be allowed into the next one. Solid logic Dean thought.

As he made his way down the stairway that led to the final door, he called out “ Itzultzeko argia ” and was released from world of shadows. Dean knew he could’ve just remained a shadow and gotten in just as easily, but there was something about opening this door that Dean found gratifying. The handle was one of those stupid silver rings that Dean only ever saw on fantasy movies or TV shows, like He-Man or Dungeons & Dragons. He pulls at the ring and it opens for him with little resistance. Dean wasn’t sure what Isolt was thinking, but she did not build this castle with the idea of top security or locks even. Not in places where it seems almost vitally important.

“Can’t help but thank my lucky stars.” Dean whispers as he walks into the darkness of the stairs that lead down to the catacombs. ‘Lumos’ and his way is lit. The further down Dean goes the closer he gets to the center of the mountain. The further down he gets he begins to smell the mildew and moss that’s grown on the stairway, hears the ever in character dripping of water from the underground cave ceiling.

Dean loved the catacombs for more than just its availability of hippocampus weed. The whole place felt surreal in an otherworldly sort of ways. Down there life seemed to spring up, carried on by the running river. Fireflies, turtles, dragonflies, small frogs, whose tongues are no good for the potion. Dean had checked. Lilies, and cat-tails, and reeds sprung up on the riverbank. The murky waters that ran down and through, all the way to the base of the mountain. It was a shame Cas wouldn’t come down here, Dean just knew he’d love it. Dean pulled himself from his thinking and remembered why he’d come down here in the beginning.

Now for the casual learner, hippocampus weed is an extremely versatile and complex potion ingredient. As useful for antidotes as a bizor, as deflective as wolfsbane, and as pretty as abalone. It’s leaves shimmering with an iridescence the second light touched them. The problem is hippocampus weed is an exceptionally shrill and delicate plant. You can’t cut it or prune it, even once. It wilts almost instantly, so you have to pull the whole stock by the root. They grow incredibly tall and have an affinity for freshwater sources with little light. So the catacombs were a perfect place for this beautiful batch to grow up nice and strong and proper. With the bubble-head charm, now he’d be able to take advantage of that.  

Dean took his wand to his mouth, then took off his shoes and socks, placing them off to the side. He tossed his pants and shirts over on top of his shoes and pointed his wand to his face.

“ Atmo Caput ”

A bubble began appearing from his wand and attached itself to his skin, as it finished enveloping his head Dean cast L umos again.

“Okay Dean you can do this. You can do this. Just-” and then he jumped. The water was just above freezing. And the current was weak but there. Dean pointed his wand down and he still couldn’t see the bottom.

“Alright Winchester, get to it.” he told himself, and he swam down.

The catacomb water way was serene. Quiet. The small traces of life that swam about parted as Dean swam down.

“Please don’t let there be a water dragon or a sea serpent down here.”

Dean wasn’t sure how long he’d been swimming when he finally saw the glimmer of plant leaf. It was beautiful up close, and so much of it to boot. But if this was the top then there was still a ways to go. Hippocampus weed grew extremely tall.

Dean swam further down and still down deeper until he found the bottom, a school of small fish darted around him as he reached the bottom. Dean looked for some that might be loose. He had to be very cautious of the roots or he might have to go uprooting a dozen before he got it right. He pulls first at the roots individually as he digs into the seeping sandy rock bed.

“Come on you stupid plant.” Dean curses as the root stick to the ground tightly. Dean thinks of any spell he knows that might remove the gravel from underneath the weed. None come to mind. None that would keep the plant in tact. So Dean dug into the sill and pebbles and dirt. Which isn’t fun or easy. The roots had had years, probably, to spread from the surface down. And then still was the necessity of being careful. Dean’s temper was getting the better of him, and his fingers were getting sore as small rocks scraped up against his hands.

“AAAAAAGH!” Dean resurfaced. Swimming past the hippocampus weeds shimmering leaves, and so many small little fishes. The bubble head charm popped, as soon as Dean hit the surface and came in contact with air. “Ugh.”

 “Disappointing isn’t it?” Dean’s head jumped up as he realized someone else was in there with him. A quick flash of light and Dean was out. His body was floated out of the water and dried. His clothes were placed back on him, and his wand strapped back into his pocket. “It’s done. Take me to Victor Hendrickson.”

A fiery pop and Dean and his assailant were gone from the deep catacombs under the school...

Chapter Text

And reappeared in Dean’s room. Where a half asleep Victor Hendrickson, was startled to full alertness. Only for his mind to go blank and his consciousness to go dim, with a swipe of the intruders wand.

“Great now I have to do him too.”

And so with wand tip to his temple she sends a stream of memory to encircle his head, like a halo. And from him the intruder stole the last minute of his memory.

Then returning their attention to Dean, the intruder places him on his bed. Wand tip to head, another halo of memory. This time there was no luxury of just being able to steal a few minutes of memory. This time some tinkering had to be done. Stealing memories is always more problematic than editing them, in the long run.

When the intruder was done and Dean Winchester and Victor Hendrickson were deep in sleep.

“Alright it’s taken care of. Bring me back.”

Then with a fiery pop, she was gone.

Then she with an equally fiery pop she was returned to her conference of siblings.

“And it is done.” Raphael said with a slight bow.

“Well done Raphael.” Michael said as he moved another chess piece. Heylel was by his side, a book clasped over his head, leaning further back in the couch. While Gabriel was sitting adjacent to them. Losing a game of chess.

“But what about the other three?” Gabriel says with a grimace and creased brows, trying to find out how to win this hand.

“I took care of them as well, Gabriel. With your help.”

“I know. Just making sure you remembered.”

“And you’re sure it’s taken care of?” Micheal urges, as he takes another of Gabriel’s rooks.

“I looked into each other their minds regarding the information. I removed the shadow-stepping spell from their minds and replaced it with more… conventional methods. Brooms and enchanted ropes to get down the castle walls. Delicate stealth to avoid being captured by ghosts. Removed all notions of the potion recipe. I was very thorough.”

“Well you would’ve been just as thorough by zapping the thoughts right out of their heads.” Heylel muttered as he took the book from his head.

“Erasing memories always comes back to bite you, Heyl. I did the best that I could. They shouldn’t go looking for it again, as I placed a strong conviction in their minds that they won’t overlook or debate. If anything they’ll simply see it as personal growth.”

“I still say an obliviation would’ve been fine.”

“I am not Naomi.” Raphael growled losing patience with her brother.

“No you aren’t.” Michael said, as he rode up. “You’re much better.”

He placed his hand on her shoulders, and she smiled if ever so slightly.

“Now what potion was it they were trying to brew?” Michael asked her.

“Based on the ingredients, and I can only guess this, I’d assume the Heraculan Vitalis.”

“Which means…”

“Which means that at least one of them has looked within the book.”

“Which brings us to the question of ‘how did any of them, get the grubby little mitts on it’?” Heylel purred.

“Who were they?” Michael asked.

“Just a small association of second years. Garth Fitzgerald, Gordon Walker, Benjamin Lafitte, Dean Winchester.”

“Dean! Winchester! Now doesn’t that name sound familiar? Don’t you think Castiel?”

Meekly from the corner, Castiel cowered under his brother’s tone, fearful of his coming accusations.

“This is an oversight on my part.” Raphael admits.

Michael looks from Castiel back to Raphael.

“An oversight… on your part.”

“Yes. At some point I lost track of the book and it must’ve wound up in public hands,”

“So you’re telling me…” Michael’s eyes narrowed as suspicion creeped in. “That you misplaced one of our families most treasured possessions. A possession that you were entrusted with guarding, and you just want me to believe that you misplaced it? And it ended up in the hands of ‘Dean Winchester’? And you also expect me to believe that?”

“I expect you to believe that I took care of it. Michael.”

There was a tense silence between the two of them as Michael looked at his sister.

“Alright.”

“But on a brighter note, maybe this is a good sign.” Gabriel said, sulking over his already lost game.

“Gabriel’s right you know.” Heylel said “this Dean Winchester could be a useful member of our cause.”
“No!” Castiel shouts, before regaining his composure. Gabriel looked between he and Michael. While Raphael shot him a warning look.
“Anyway. I mean... not only did this kid dare to use the shadow-stepping spell. Which has been pretty much forbidden to us, he also taught it aptly to other people.”
“He could be useful in the long run.” Gabriel added. Trying to move Michael’s chess pieces, only for the bishop to smack his hand away.
“Perhaps.” Michael finally said. “But I’m not sure. What do you think, Castiel?”
Everyone knew it was a trap. Every single one of them. But Castiel has also been asked a directed question. He was bound to answer.
“Dean is... Dean isn’t that smart. He’s also brash, and makes poor decisions. And he can’t follow instructions properly. He’s not creative, he’ll be obstinate, disrespectful, and he won’t even believe in what you’re-we, what we are fighting for. You can’t use him.”
“Hm, we’ll see.” Michael said, glaring at Castiel’s defiance.

“You can’t” Castiel said, daring now to look Michael in his eyes.

“And I said: We’ll see.”

When the younger Moonstone was dismissed. He waited silently and alone, hoping that Gabriel would come out. Instead it was Raphael. She didn’t look back at him as she walked to her own dorm.

“Thank you.” Castiel said. It felt as if it was meant to be a whisper, but it was at least loud enough to be heard by the raven beauty.

“Don’t thank me.” Raphael said, with a stern coldness in her voice.

“But, I have to… I-” he couldn’t finish before she clasped her hand around his mouth.

“Do not thank me.” she growled. She takes him by the arm and drags him away. Once they’ve reached the end of the hallway, and up the West Wing’s staircases, she still maintains her silence. It’s not until they’ve reached a passageway where ceiling high windows showed them the clouded night sky that she speaks. “You do not thank me. You don’t make yourself a target, and you do not… DAMMIT Castiel!”

Castiel couldn’t dare to look up at her. Raphael walked herself dizzy in circles as to alleviate her stress.

“You told me not to.”

Raphael stopped then looked back at the small boy who should be her brother. But this one seemed so much less.

“I told... You what?”

“You told me not to show anyone and I showed him.”

“Of course you did Castiel. Who else could’ve done it? Who else had the book? Who else had the book to show him? Who could it’ve been but you?” Raphael covered her eyes and took a deep breath.

“I didn’t think he’d memorize any of it.” Castiel admitted quietly.

“Why did you even…” Raphael didn’t even bother finishing, she just sighed.

“I wanted him to like me.”

“You were already together.”

“More. I wanted him to like me more.” Castiel admits. “And even when you didn’t know about any of this, you still told me to break up with him. Told me to stay away from him. And I did, and I hated you all for it. You can’t have him.”

“I will try tuh-”

“You can not have him!” Castiel said, finding some courage in himself. “He hasn’t… This isn’t any of his affair. He’s still my friend and I…” Tears started welling up in Castiel, and slowly made their way to his eyes. “I won’t let you hurt him for your stupid war.”  

“Castiel.” Raphael said, as she bent down trying to look up to him.

“Please… just tell them to leave my friends alone. Please.”

“Dean… I think we should break up.”

Dean doesn’t say anything at first. He’s not even sure if he heard anything, because what he thinks he thinks Cas just said, can’t be right.

“Huh?” Dean says as he looks back to Castiel.

They were out in the courtyard, underneath the famous snakewood tree of Ilvermorny. The small pond to their left was a bloom with the sweet smells of the new spring.

“I said we should break up.” Cas tell him to his face.

Dean is… Dean isn’t sure what he is. But his brain feels like it’s short circuiting. He frowns and his brow creases, and his face contorts and strains as if someone’s just shot dozens of points of light at him.

“I’m sorry we should… we should?” Dean finally says after the thoughts finally all click together.

“I think so.” Castiel tells him.

“As in we should… stop being boyfriends.”

“Yeah. For now.”

“For now?”

“Yeah, you know. It’s going to be summer soon, and then we’re not going to see each other for awhile. You’ll go back to Kansas. And I’ll be in between Chicago and New York, and we won’t see each other. And you don’t have an owl anyway so it’ll just be mine. And he’s very old you know.”

Dean’s face looks like it’s about to break, and Cas wants to tell him ‘I’m sorry this is stupid, I didn’t mean that. I love you, which is dumb since we’re just twelve and we’re probably gonna break up in the future like everyone ever, but I really want to stay with you. My family is putting me up to this because there’s something about you they don’t trust. They haven’t told me yet, because they don’t trust me much yet either. But i love you. I love you Dean, and i don’t love them. So let me be with you forever.’

He doesn’t say that though. He doesn’t even think he’ll ever string those words into those individual sentences. Ever. Because Dean doesn’t deserve to be ruined by the mess that’s Castiel’s family. He doesn’t deserve their history, or their prejudice, or their manipulations. Dean deserves the things he had before CastieL. Friends. Family. Happiness.

“And… and so you want to break up… because of that?” Dean says as he looks back over to the lake. Birds are chirping in tune. The small kind, that have their own religion and mating rituals. The kind that love summer and spring and worship them with stupid and beautiful songs that human beings romanticize and make poems about. Bees are buzzing about. There are a lot of flowers in the courtyard. Cas loves bees. Dean just remembered that for some reason. In his head he’s thinking a hundred things a minute and he’s noticing everything. He’s trying to remember everything he’s learned about Cas and thinks stupid thoughts. The way his hair feels. The reason he likes it so much. The color of his eyes. The color in different lights at different times of day. The way he never talks about his family, but when he talks about his mom, he calls her ‘mom’ instead of ‘mother’. It’s the most informal way he talks about anyone in his family besides Anna. He has an uncle on his mom’s side who loves gardening. Castiel would visit him a lot and spend hours in that garden watching small little things thriving. It’s why he likes bees. They make the world a little more colorful .

“Yeah I do.”

Dean stays quiet for a second. “Did I… I do something wrong? Because I-I’m sorry. And once I figure out what it was, I promise not to do it again.” Dean’s voice is cracking the whole time he says it. And it’s so earnest Castiel wants to cut some part of himself off. Sure it’ll hurt less.

“No, Dean you did… you’re great. It’s just we won’t be able to see each other or anything-”

“We have telephones.”

“Huh?”

“Telephones.” Dean offers, though there’s not much elation in his voice, just a sort of desperation. “No-Maj have these little things called telephones. They let you talk from one end of the country to the other. Sometimes even other countries. We only have the one but I can give you my number and-”

“We don’t have tellafones, Dean. And magic has bad effects on No-Maj technology. You know that.”

“Well we can still write. We can use No-Maj mail.”

“No-Maj couldn’t find our house, either of them. For either of my parents.” Cas tells him. “See why it’ll be really hard for us to stay in touch?”

Dean didn’t want to say yes. So he didn’t. He didn’t say anything.

It felt like there should have been silence around them, but instead it was rather noisy, in a natural way. Mostly everything in the universe going about it’s business while Castiel destroyed Dean’s heart.

“So I think we should break up.”

Dean hands feel antsy and sweaty in a way Cas had never made his hands sweaty before. He didn’t like this way at all. Dean didn’t even bother to look up this time. Just nodded his head. His hands grasped as hard as they could to the cranberry lining of his school robe.

“I’m… I’ll leave you alone now. I’m sorry.” Cas said as he walked away.

Dean could already feel his floodgates breaking, as tears he’d been holding back burst out, and he let out an ugly and hurt sound that hurt as it escaped from his throat. His legs gave out for a second and Dean was crouching down. Sobbing his screams, and just wanting this part to be over with.

Dean Winchester woke up tired and with a yawn. He and Vic’s room faces the part of the castle where they get a good bit of morning sun exposure, but not directly like the 3rd and 4th years. So their’s is a soft and pastel morning light, that Dean has come to love for the past two years. He wipes the stupid tears off his face and pillow the second he realizes they’re there. He rolls his eyes at himself, and yawns again. Scratches his head, and thinks he’s an idiot for not taking at least his jeans off before he went to bed.

So now he had to take another shower because he felt fresh watery. Which was better than sweaty, but it had this weird accompanying feeling of mildewy. At least he hadn’t put his clothes on until after he was mostly dry.

Morning was nice on the weekend, because you could really just get away with doing nothing. Instead Dean heads over to Meg and Channings room. It’s about seven thirty, which is when Dean is a sleep on a Saturday. But Channing was always up by then, to study and get her breakfast. Meg had a weird habit of only sleeping when it was actually dark outside. She and Channing actually made good roommates.

Dean knocked on the door and as he expected, Meg opened it up in a matter of minutes.

“Who the hell are you?”

“Meg, you know me.”

“I know who it is you’re supposed to look like. But, impostor, Winchester would never be up at this hour. On any given day.”

“And to think I was actually starting to think you didn’t actually care, Masters.”

‘Ugh, gross. It is you.” Meg relented as she walked back into her room. Her custom silk pajama’s swishing as she walked.

“Dean?” Channing asked, confused all on her own. “How’re you even here?”

“That’s what I said.” Meg told her. “And why are you wearing the same thing you had on last night? That’s gross.”

“I know. I don’t even know why I came here first.” Dean admitted as he thought about how he’d much rather prefer going to a nice shower stall right about now. He sits down on the ground at Meg’s bedside.

“I had this AWFUL dream.”

“Oh, Chan you know what that means.” Meg said as she rolled her eyes

“Dean...” Channing starts in one of those pleasant reassuring tones, that Dean will, no doubt, one day find condescending. For now it was just annoying, because it reminded Dean how annoying he was. He didn’t like sounding like this.

He didn’t like it now and he didn’t like it when Cas broke up with him.

It had to have been minutes afterward and he hadn’t ran, but he also hadn’t walked. He’d sidestepped half the school to get back to the North Wing and didn’t even bother going to his own room.  

When he knocked on the door, Channing answered, while Meg snacked on something she’d swiped from the Dining Hall.

“Well if it isn’t…” Meg stopped herself. Dean looked so haggard and tired and weak. Even she felt some sympathy for him. He wordlessly stepped into their room and took to Channing’s bed as he often did, tucking one of her pillows into his arms. “Dean?” the concern in Meg’s voice surprised even her. It sounded too sincere.

“Dean are you alright?” Channing asked as she went over to her bed.

“Dean, what… what did Moonstone have to say?”

Dean was quiet for a moment, but the two girls noticed how he was holding himself so tightly and how his knuckles were almost white.

“Can we.. not talk about Cas right now? I don’t wanna cry. I don’t feel like crying anymore.” Dean said. He sounded worse than he looked, and despite what he’d said he sounded like he was ready to cry again.

“You know what? No. Nope. We aren’t doing this. We aren’t talking about this. Poof. its obliviated.” Dean tells them. He doesn’t feel like being pitied again. “So last night’s mission was a failure.”   

The two girls, in their own kind of shock, look at each other for a swift second, before turning from ‘concerned-and-caring-friends’ mode to ‘boys-are-dumb’ mode.

“Tell us what happened.” Meg said, now only vaguely disinterested.

“None of our things worked.” Dean tells them, legs spread wide on the floor and head tilted back onto Meg’s bed. He looked at her like a baby looks at it’s mother, except Meg’s an awful mom to Dean.

“And that was because…” Channing said, actually curious.

“Well first, Garth is too squeamish to ever be able to kill a frog. The catching was fine, but he couldn’t… you know.” he mind pulling and then cutting his own tongue. “Gordon and Benny couldn’t get their wands to synchronize properly, so all they managed was a very oddly unsatisfying gash in the oldest tree on campus, which will probably get us caught, I now realize. And me…”

“And you?”

“Hippocampus weed is impossible to handle in the wild. I was so afraid of cutting it or having some of it tear off I just ended up giving up.”

“So what’s your new and improved plan of action?” Meg asked, head now on her own pillow.

“To give this stupid thing up.”

“Wow. Hath my ears deceivethd me?”

“No, Meg.” Dean said her name in that way. “Yon giant flapping ears hath heardest correctly. We all got back and decided we weren’t gonna try it again. There just doesn’t seem to be a point after all this failure. Plus we don’t even know what it does! We could steal a fourth year text book and probably find more reliable things than that...one.”

“What is it?” Channing asks.

“Well it’s… it’s just I… I can't really remember the ingredient's list anymore.” Dean admits to her. “Which is totally normal, ‘cause it was not a short list.” Dean thinks it over a bit more. “But I could've sworn I memorized… no way. It was a really long list. And I also can’t remember the brewing instructions, so this might’ve literally blown up in our faces.”

“Well so long as you’ve learned your lesson.” Meg says, frustrated that Dean couldn’t have just listened to her, the dozens of times she told him that same thing.  

Dean goes back to his room for new clothes then heads directly to the showers. Once that’s done, He wakes Victor up, poor sonovagun hungover from Quidditch practice. They all, them, Meg and Channing, head to breakfast. The food is as delicious as usual, Dean stuffs his face with a croissant breakfast sandwich and washes it down with the yogurt blend, they make just perfectly. Meg makes a throwaway comment about Dean needing to breathe between gulps, Channing mentions that Victor should drink plenty of water and eat lots of proteins after such a tough practice, and Dean mentions that Channing shouldn’t be giving her house team’s competition any pointers. It’s a nice morning.

Until Castiel shows up.

“Well looky here, if it isn’t Clarence.” Meg chortles. Dean appreciates it too, since he knows Meg can’t really stand Cas. Which makes him feel awkward about how everything is so awkward. Even though it’s not awkward.

“Hey, Cas, my man, pop a swat and eat with us.” Dean says, even though he certainly already was.

“Goodmorning Dean, Channing, Meg, Victor.” Castiel says as he sits down to their table.

“Morning.”

“Good morning.”

Dean wanted to talk about it. Not right then, but like… ever, maybe? When summer was over and Dean had said bye to all his childhood friends again, pulled out his robes and gotten back to Illvermorny, he’d… mellowed out. He spent a whole summer not thinking about thinking about Castiel. He’d spent two months crying about it during the last weeks of school, and had spent the summer: over it. But when they’d gotten back and Dean saw Cas again. A part of him was mad, and another part was damn happy. But they never talked about what it meant that they were back in school. Now that all of Cas’ summertime conditions were made void, couldn’t they just get back together again?

Neither of them ever brought it up though. When they had a class together for the first time, Dean sat next to him, but they never got really ‘coupley’ again. Now they were in something like ‘best-friend’ territory, with them both knowing intricate things about the other and being feely, but not doing anything romantic.  They didn’t hold hands and lean on each other, and Dean hadn’t even attempted to kiss Castiel again. Castiel had been really nice about everything, and never made Dean feel awkward about the things they used to do and no longer did for reason Dean still only just understands. Meg though, that was a separate story all its own.

Meg didn’t like the Moonstones on sight. She hated them, they hated her. Everyone in their separate groups knew it. But since last May, Meg had a very, very personal special sort of dislike for Castiel that might even outmatch her hate of Anna. Dean felt awful for it, but the fact that it was obviously related to how he’d treated Dean. It brought him a very special sort of comfort.

He’s awful, he knows. Give him some slack.

The part that scares Dean is that after the summer, and they all got back together. Cas and Meg began acting...better. They weren’t close to say the least, but they were on casual speaking terms that surprised, well not just Dean, but everyone. Meg and Anna still  wouldn’t stay within four feet of each other, unless numerous intelligent persons or unintelligent walls were separating them.

“So Dean did you ever actually tell Clarence what it was you were doing in the catacombs?”

Dean nearly choked on his yogurt.

“No Meg,” he coughed, “I had actually avoided doing that.”

“It’s fine.”

The four of them looked over to Cas, who was mostly playing around with some cereal he’d picked up. It seemed like one of those magical not-nearly-sugary-enough brands Dean didn’t bother with. Usually Dean would take that and let it be but… this was Cas.

“It’s fine.” Dean says, tasting the words in his mouth. “As in ‘it is fine’? As in ‘it is okay’? ‘It’s alright’?”

“As in… it doesn’t concern you that Dean was doing a bad thing?” Meg asks, equally revolted.

“He’s alright isn’t he?” Castiel asks, in the way someone asks when they already have the answer.

“I...yes I am.”

“Then it’s okay.”

All of them seemed to look at him now with that strange sort of look that they just couldn’t understand.

“Okay that’s it.” Meg says as she slams her hands onto the table.

“Meg-”

“Shut up Dean.” Meg pulls her wand from her pockets. “ Silenco Arena .”

“Meg, magic isn’t allowed o-”

“Shut up Channing. Now listen here you piece of shit,” Meg snarled at Castiel, much to everyone's surprise. All of this was surprising. “I don’t know who you think you are. And I don’t care if you are a Moonstone, do you think you just get to do this? Get tuh- tuh just act like you didn’t fuck Dean with a goddamn spike through the heart? And then just act buddy buddy, hahaha laugh laugh laugh. Do you know what Dean was like after you broke up with him?”

Cas looked over to Dean and their eyes met for a second before they went in completely opposite directions. Dean taking specific interest in his yogurt bowl.

“Do you know how long he spent in me and Channing’s room, just… playing dead! He missed a full day of class and had a hoarse… everything, because he was too busy trying to figure out how he’d hurt your precious sensitive little bitch feelings! He was like that for two gosh damn weeks before we saw him make something similar to a smile. Then over the summer he actually gets better! He actually moves on! He actually thinks that maybe you pulling his still beating heart out of his chest and then pissing,shitting, and stepping on it were not the worst thing that ever happened to him since his-” Meg stopped herself from saying something about Dean’s home life she wasn’t sure Dean had told Channing, Victor, or even Castiel. “You do fucking NOT get to comeback here after months of pure silence and then see his smile, and then refuse him the answers he deserves. You do not get to eat with us at lunch and breakfast and dinner, and leave Dean wondering what the fuck is going on. And you wanna know why I’ve been bothering with you for the past three months. Why I’ve really been not a bitch to you? Because I don’t trust you anywhere near Dean! I don’t trust your sweet little weak naivete bullshit. I wouldn’t leave him alone with you for a second longer than I have to because nothing about you is trustworthy you piece of shit. And you know why I know you’re a bad person?”

“Meg, pl-”

“Shut! Up Dean! Do you wanna know how I know? How I really know. Because you’re doing it! Right now! This thing where you pretend you care about Dean and then don’t the second you have a bad morning!  That thing you did when you never asked Channing once how Dean was afterwards. Never once! ONCE! I hate you, Dean should hate you, but he doesn’t and I hate that. But if you UUGGGGGHHHH! Fuck this!” Meg grabs her wand again and disperses her sphere of silence. She walks out of the Dining Hall, people watching as she storms off. Hair wild and her eyes wilder.

The four of them are just sitting there in an awkward silence, as Cas just...takes it all in. Just lets it wash over him like waves wash over long discarded seashells.

“Dean.” is the first thing he says, and he sounds so pained.

“Not now Cas.” Dean gets up and calls after Meg, but it’s not a scream or a yell, he sounds concerned.

 “I’m sorry.” Cas says as he leaves the table.

Dean isn’t sure what’s gotten into Meg, but by the time he reaches her on the third floor, she’s almost shaking.

“Meg?”

“I’m not apologizing. To him or to you or to anyone or…” Meg was shaking pretty bad. Her legs looked like they were prepared to give out, and her grip on the banister was so tight her hands looked like they might break. “He…”

“Meg are you alright?”

“No I’m not alright! I just went off on the… boy, and for you? For what? And why aren’t you mad at me? Why aren’t you upset that I just told him all of that, and…”

“Meg, I… I don’t know if what you did was right.” Dean admits, to her.

“Then why aren-”

“But I do know you were.” Meg looked up at Dean and stopped in her quivering. “You didn’t have to yell it like that, but… but everything you said was true. And that’s the part I can’t stand. Cas, he did hurt me. He did break my heart. And it’s super dramatic because we’re, like only just now becoming teenagers. Hell! I’m still twelve! But I cried a lot and even though you always act so high and mighty and like you don’t even like me… You really are actually somehow my super scary super loving best friend. And you were there for me”

“Oh my gosh I hate you.” Meg laughed while crying just a bit.

“Shut up and come’er.” Dean said as he pulled her into a hug, which she actually somehow didn’t kill him for.

Chapter Text

Castiel was sitting alone in some small cramped corner of the school somewhere between the Herbology Class garden’s and the entry hall to the mountain’s pass. 

He’d been there for maybe an hour or maybe for twenty minutes. He didn’t know. He didn’t much care. He just wanted to be mad at himself, alone. No one would find him here and he’d be alright without ever seeing anyone ever again. He should probably apologize to Dean first, but it might just be nicer to waste away and turn into a bush. Or moss on the wall. Or some small, minuscule wall flower. Something better than the thing that Castiel is right now. 

When someone finally finds Castiel, it’s late at night, and he really doesn’t want to be bothered. He still doesn’t want to be bothered. It’s Gabriel and Anna this time. He isn’t sure if that’s good or if it’s bad, but he doesn’t much care. He still just wants to be left alone. 

“Just let me stay here. I’ll be better off here.”

“Bitch, come the fuck on.” Gabriel said as he grasped on to Castiel and with a fiery pop, they disappeared from the spot.  When they reapparated moment’s later it was in Gabriel’s room. Castiel had never been there before, but it was what he should’ve expected it to be. It was almost certainly disgusting. Far too many candy wrappers and boxes on the floor, mingled in indiscriminately with a bunch of dirty clothes. Gabriel’s bed was unmade and his nightstand had several plates of long eaten food stacked on top of each other. 

“Well Anna, there you have him.” Gabriel said as he flopped back onto his bed. 

“Cas? Cas are you alright? We’ve been looking for you everywhere. You’ve been gone all day.”

“I didn’t want to be found. I was hiding.” Castiel said with some amount of determination. “I’m a bad person.”

“No, Cas, you’re a great person. You-”

“It wasn’t a question Anna. I’m saying ‘I’m a bad person’. Meg told me so.”

“Meg! That little spawn doesn’t have the right to tell you you’re bad. She’s awful! Her family is awful! She-”

“Is the best person to tell me then! Anna I… I’ve just been hurting Dean’s feeling this whole time, and I didn’t care about it at all. I thought because we we’re talking and we were hanging out, that he was over me and everything was okay. But I was still just hurting him.”

“Castiel, you can’t… Dean’s just one person, And you’ve made mistakes but that doesn’t make you a bad person.”

“Then what about everyone else? What about what we’re doing. As a family? We’re hurting people. We’re all bad people!”

“Cas… you… you can’t say stuff like that.”

“Why can’t I? Hm? Why? Three thousand years and it’s supposed to be us because it’s supposed to be them!”  Castiel points over to Gabriel, who had taken to staring at the wall, finishing a candy bar he’d started earlier. “They don’t need us. We’re not even suitable replacements.”

“Which is true.” Gabriel says, smacking at his candy. The nougat sticking to his gums. “But you don’t have the rights to just give up Cassie. We can’t, so you can’t. You’re not allowed.” 

Gabriel turns around in the bed, looking far too comfortable for talking about such delicate and sinister matters. 

“You think I want to be an Archangel? You think I want this wand? Cuz, I mean” he burps, picking some of the nougat with his tongue. “I did. When I was a kid, but now… now I just see that this is all just shit. But it is what it is, kid. We have a duty. It’s prophecy. It’s fate.” 

Castiel was starving, he hadn’t eaten all day, not even given a chance to enjoy the small bit of cereal he’d gotten the morning prior. His stomach threatened to eat him whole. Balthazar was much nicer about Castiel barging in at such a late hour of the night than he usually was. Seeing just how bad Cas looked. He was just a bit sympathetic, in his own way. 

“Well so long as you’re alive and alright, I guess try to let it happen less in the future Castiel. You’d be better off not doing this.” then he returned to his own bed. 

For the better part of it all, the only other thing Castiel felt was empty. He didn’t want to think of Dean, but the only thing that was there to distract him, was the hunger. And that might actually have been more annoying. So Castiel tried sleep. And it was so restless and tortured, he didn’t even bother with it. So regret and sorrow and hate took the place in his mind where sleep wouldn’t.

“You have to leave that boy alone, Castiel.” 

“I… what do you mean?” Castiel asked, both desperate and unsure of himself and his brother.

“The boy, Dean Winchester. You need to leave him alone, and focus on the mission at hand.” Michael told him. 

“But why? He hasn’t… he… he’s not doing anything. He hasn’t done anything.”

“Don’t be so stupid Castiel.” Michael urged on. “Nothing about him is even halfway trustworthy. What do you know about him? Where’s his family, from, who is he descended with? What do his parents do?”

Castiel wanted to say that was none of his business, but… honestly, Castiel didn’t know much of that himself. 

“Drop him. Or so help me, I will take care of it myself.”

Castiel was walking through the halls, his whole body on fire. He was so angry he had just broken up with Dean Wichester, and now he just… he just wanted to hurt something. To break something. To… he wanted to hurt. He wanted to hurt less than this, but he needed something to distract him from the pain. Something that he deserved. 

And he doesn’t know why he did it, or why he wanted to do it so badly. But he’d done something stupid. So now he had to make up for it. 

There was a stone pillar on the third floor. There were hundreds of stone pillars across the school, but Castiel found this one first. There was nothing special about it, or useful about it. It could’ve been any pillar honestly, but Cas had found this one first and he was so damn frustrated. 

The first time Cas hit his head onto the column, it hurt. But it didn’t hurt enough. So he did it for a second time, and a third time, and a fourth time. He lost count around the time it started hurting enough. By then, though, some older students had already begun holding him back. He was too disoriented and startle to fight back. Some part of him was annoyed they wouldn’t let him finish, but he was also annoyed by the blood on his face and his blurred vision.

They, he still to this day doesn’t know who they were, take him to the nurses office. She’s nice, from what Castiel can remember. He’s gone back a few times to apologize and thank her, just because he still feels guilty about his own actions.She was also very strict, asking Castiel why he would do this to himself, and who may or may not have hexed him or cursed him into doing it. Castiel just told her the truth. 

“I did it because I deserved it.” 

After that she was mostly silent. She wiped away the blood, disinfected the wound, the regular procedure. By the time she’d spelled him up and bandage him, she’d walked Castiel through the extent of his injuries. 

“Nothing too major, just a… my goodness, still… a small fracture in your skull, and a bit of chipping. The majority of damage was done to your skin though, and the damage to your skull was superficial, so there shouldn’t be any brain damage. It shouldn’t scar too badly, but it’s also probably going to scar, given your heritage.” 

“Thank you, and forgiveness for being a trouble.”

“S’no problem, kid, just… please don’t do this to yourself again. Talk to someone you know, or come here and we can talk about it, alright? And I’m going to have to alert you legal guardian about this you know.” 

“Wa- No! You can’t do that.”

“Sorry, Castiel, but it’s common procedure, and just good policy. The people who care about you should know when things are going badly in your life.”

Legally speaking, Castiel knew who the message would go to, and more guilt was left to follow.

Those first three days Cas just had major headaches. Every few hours, repeatedly. Loud noises and bright lights really hurt his eyes and ears. And everything just seemed too much. He couldn’t focus in class. He couldn’t stand for long periods of time. And worse he couldn’t face half his friends. Cas was just… ready to not be doing this anymore. 

So when school finally ended, Castiel felt some amount of relief. 

His head aches had stopped and he didn’t get dizzy spells anymore.

But he was now dreading the summer more than ever before. 

When the last days of class came rolling around. Castiel just felt alone, he had Anna, and she was very nice about everything, she was the best sister she’d always been, but… that was just about all he had. Channing was still nice around him, but she’d been friends with Dean before she’d been friends with Castiel. Castiel hadn’t checked up on Dean, but the way Channing seemed kind of distant from him was… well it was proof enough.

Charlie didn’t really agree at all with what Castiel had done. She may have been Anna’s roommate, but she really thought Dean deserved more than the crappy breakup Castiel had given Dean. Anna had been there to defend him, telling Charlie she didn’t know both sides of the story. To which Castiel told his sister to leave it be. He didn’t go over to their room for the rest of the semester. 

Balthazar was entirely useless because he was completely unaware. He just asked Castiel why he was acting so strangely. Which had to do with both his forehead injury and his depressed gloomy attitude. Balthazar told him it was very unbecoming of a member of such a high family. Castiel would’ve given up his family, if it meant he didn’t have to be chained down like this. It wasn’t just Dean. No Dean was just another arrow in his back, from years of this. 

Castiel sighed very often. 

When all the portkeys were set up to send the multitudes away, the first years were the first to leave. Parent’s had been told where to pick up their children and for all said children to have a good summer. Castiel only had to say goodbye to Anna, and, out of courtesy, Balthazar.

Then Ilvermorny was a thousand miles away and his first year ended horribly.

Then he saw his mother.

Castiel woke up the next morning exhausted. Honestly, painfully, exhausted. He’d slept for maybe an hour. Two if he was being generous. The first thing he did was get some food, he ate more than the day before, but still so little. His appetite not daring to agree with his hunger. Which told Castiel something else entirely. The second thing he was going to have to do was find Dean.

The task was simple enough. Go to Dean’s room and explain himself. He wouldn’t tell Dean everything, he didn’t want Dean to hate him, but he would still explain. He had to. He didn’t want Dean to hate him.

When Castiel got there, he was struck with doubt and worry. Stupid things everyone thinks about. 

What if he’s not here? 

What if he doesn’t want to speak to me? 

What if he doesn’t like me? 

What if he already hates me.

Castiel raised a shaky hand to the door. His fingers felt unsettled and nervousness spread its way through him. He just wanted this to not be happening. He’d pray for it even, but he doubted that. He knocked on the door lightly, hoping that no one would hear it, so he could just go about his business. Say he tried and go on with his hate and suffering.

Victor answers the door, which is both odd and rare. Dean always answers the door.  

“Castiel.” Victor said, with surprise. Of course he would after yesterday, why wouldn’t he.

“Hello, Victor. Is… Is Dean home?”

“Uummmm,” Victor’s craned his head back and his eyes darted between the inside of the room and Cas. “He...is.” 

Victor righted himself, and opened the door further, as Dean got up from his bed. 

“Hey, Cas.” 

“Hello, Dean.” Castiel said, as he fiddled with the sleeves of his robe. “Can we… can we talk?”

“Uh...yeah. Yeah okay. Um, did you… did you wanna go somewhere or…”

“Yes, if that’s no problem.”

“Alright, let me just get a jacket.” Dean jumped back into his room and reappeared with a heavy green jacket far too big for him. The sleeves had to be rolled up at least three times over just for his hands to reach the end. “Okay, let’s be on our way.”

“Alright.” Cas said meekly. Which was odd, as he should’ve been the one taking charge of this interaction.

The two of them walked through the castle grounds not saying anything to each other. Which Cas felt should’ve been more awkward than it was. It started off that way certainly, with Castiel trying to figure out what it was he wanted to tell Dean, but nothing came to mind that sounded right. So they just walked, sometimes Dean leading them in a certain direction, sometimes Castiel veering a certain way, and Dean correcting himself to keep them together. 

It was like that for awhile, and at first it felt like one of them was waiting for the other to say something. Somewhere along the line it became them just keeping each other’s company. Which was nice and familiar. 

Eventually they wound up where Castiel would’ve least expected. He’d probably preferred to avoid it, to be honest. They were by the pond in the courtyard that fed into and housed the Snakewood Tree of Isolt. The same place they broke up. 

“Well this probably a sign.” Dean said, breaking their long silence,as he looked up to the tree. It was barren. It’s leaves long lost and it lay there dormant, waiting for spring to return it to full bloom. Spring was the time it had been beautiful and where Castiel had hurt Dean. 

“I’m sorry.” he said, looking at Dean directly. “I shouldn’t have…” Cas looked in his mind for the right words. “I shouldn’t have acted like what I did was okay. I should’ve spoken with you more... properly.”

“Well it’s okay... you know.” Dean said awkwardly. Shrugging his shoulders at the statement. “I should be apologizing. About how Meg talked to you yesterday.”

“No, you shouldn’t. Meg was right. I am a bad person.” Castiel told him. “I didn’t fight for you.”

Dean looked over to Castiel who was now looking up to the tree, or maybe even higher than that.  “I broke up with you because my family told me to. And I didn’t even put up a fight. Not really.”

“Cas that… that doesn’t really count. That’s not fair.”

“Yes it is. I was a bad boyfriend.” Castiel looked from the sky and now gave Dean his full attention. “When my family- when Michael told me to break up with you, he asked me what I knew about you, who your family was, where you came from. And I couldn’t tell him anything. Not really. And not because you never told me. But because I never asked. I mean, Dean, I thought you were No-Maj-born.”

“No, my mom’s a witch.” 

“Exactly! And I didn’t even know. We’d been friends for months and boyfriends for three weeks, and Channing had to tell me! We’d been together for three weeks, Dean!” 

Dean wanted to have a rebuttal, but for the life of him, he couldn’t come up with one.

“Well to be fair, I didn’t ask a lot about you.”

“When’s my birthday?”

“September 18th.” 

“What’s my middle name?”

“Jameson.”

“What was my childhood pet?”

“Wait, I know this one.” Dean said, concentrating. Then it popped into his head as if someone had apparated it there. “It was a house cat named Sparkticus!”

Cas, didn’t say anything as Dean revealed in his awesome trivia skills. He looked over to Cas, expecting him to be smiling or surprised, but Cas looked as if Dean was crazy. Or maybe not getting-

“Oh! Ooh. oh.” Dean sank. “But that’s not fair. I didn’t find some of that out until after we…” 

Dean didn’t bother, because he was about to lie. He’d asked Anna when Cas’ birthday was, so he could surprise him. Even after they’d broken, he’d given Cas’ his gift, as friends and not a boyfriends. It had been a set of multi-colored gel ink pens. Which seems so stupid and idiot to give someone for their birthday. But Cas, a pureblood, who hadn’t even seen a notepad before, practically lost his mind. Castiel still thanked him sometimes. He used all of them. Frequently. 

“I wasn’t a good boyfriend Dean. And you. You… you were perfect.” Castiel took a deep breathe. “And I’m sorry that it’s taken so long for us to have this talk, but… I still don’t think we should get back together.”

“Cas.” 

“Because you don’t deserve me Dean. You deserve someone who learns about your family, and who knows when your birthday is. Someone who’ll… someone who’ll tell you the truth.”

“Cas, you… I don’t know it’s- this is stupid. Cas you’re great!”

“But you’re better.” Castiel said. “And I… I still like you. A lot. And I don’t… I don’t want to not like you Dean. The way I do. But I don’t want to get” Castiel motioned between the two of them. “like that again, until I can be someone who isn’t going to let his brother tell him he can’t see you like that.”

“Cas. I…” Dean wasn’t sure what there was to say. 

“So let’s be friends okay?” Cas asks hopefully, even though his guts feel like they’re squirming inside him. “I still want to be friends with someone like you Dean, but let me… let me become better, okay?”

“Well, okay.” Dean said. Then in a flash of inspiration, Dean had an idea, and such an evil smile showed up on his face. “Let’s make a deal. We’ll be friends. We’ll be just friends. We’ll even date other people if it happens.”

Castiel was poised to agree, if regretfully. He took Dean’s hand into his own and they shook on it. But before Cas could let go, Dean held his hand tight. “But! But. If in like, no! If by seventh year, and neither of us are dating, and I decide, based off of three questions, if you’re better, we” Dean gestured in-between the two of them, “will immediately and without fail, get back together.” 

Castiel wasn’t sure what to say about that. He wasn’t sure what to say, but he knows what he felt. 

“Don’t say anything, okay.” Dean told him, that devilish grin still on his face. “We already shook on it.” 

 With a quick kiss to the lip, that made Castiel’s insides melt into goo, that his winter robes now feel far too warming, they’d sealed the deal with a kiss and a handshake.  

This’ll be wonderful.

Chapter Text

Dean sat in the corners of Solomon’s office shining another of her enchanted spoons and teacups.
“Alright Dean, that’ll be enough.” Professor Solomon told him. “ just sit in this desk for the remainder of your time and just… well think about why what you did was… could’ve been handled better.”
“Yes ma’am.” he mumbled. Raising himself and straightening his back. He takes the seat he was instructed to take and sat quietly.
“Seems fun, doesn’t it?” the boy sitting behind him off to the side asked. Eyes directed entirely to his book and not actually on to Dean. He could barely see him, with most of the kid’s face covered up by the book’s sheer size.
“Who even are you?” Dean asked, sneering at the other boy. “And it’s not as if you’re not here in detention right along side me.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. I’m not in detention,” the boy turned the pages of his book. The thing seemed to be nearly the size of a dictionary.
“Wuh the hell?”
“Mr. Winchester please refrain from interrupt from my tutoring students.” Prof. Solomon, calls from her desk.
“Yes, ma’am.” Dean says, turning from the other boy and looking back towards the front.
He thought about the situation that had landed him in this unseen and despicable… well maybe not despicable. Professor Solomon, was actually an incredibly nice teacher. Still, he’d landed himself in this desk, with late night detention, for causing a fight.

He didn’t know the douchebag, didn’t really care. All he remembered was that he’d been happily minding his own business talking with Gordon, Meg and her very nice roommate Channing, when… out of nowhere this kid starts making ugly remarks. Dean doesn’t even think the two of them know each other. Dean’s prepared to just mind his business and let it be, but then…
‘Move aside mudblood.’
It’s not even spoken loudly. The boy said it as if it were the word ‘dweeb’ or ‘nerd’. He’d just… done it. Like it was nothing.
‘Well I don’t think there’s a reason to call anybody that.’ Dean had said, feeling now that there was a reason to get involved. He just couldn’t stand it. The boy how’d said it, had been wel,l kind of pretty looking if you wanna be honest about it. Dean probably been all for his nice eyes and hair, until he said… that.
‘What? So you think it’s alright for these wannabe wizards to take up space, for real wizards?’
‘No, I don’t. Because they are real wizards. Everyone knows that.’
‘Said like a real mudblood lovin-’
He hadn’t gotten a chance to finish his statement, by the time Dean had clocked him in the face. The two of them scuffled on the ground, Dean getting almost all the hits, before someone broke the two of them up.

They’d been taken to Headmaster Fontain’s office, and well…
‘So that’s how it happened?’ he’d asked, as the two boys. Both scuffed up and messy, seated in front of him.
‘Yes sir.’ the other boy said, having gotten done telling a nice host of lies.
‘And would you agree to these recollections, Mister Winchester?’
‘No.’ Dean mumbled, arms crossed not bothering with the man anymore than he had to, he’d been in enough fight’s back home to know how this was going to end.
‘Well then,’ Fontaine started. ‘That’ll be a weeks detention for you Mr. Winchester. You’ll being with Professor Solomon starting tonight. I’ll be instructing her shortly.’
‘Y-yes sir.’ Dean said, only just barely upset. Solomon was practically a buttercup. A hell of a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, but completely ungrizzled and grungy as everyone else in the department. Everyone loved Solomon. Dean was now a bit confused.
‘And you Mr. Guntrees. That’ll be two months detention for you.” The boy and Dean’s eyes went wide at the news. ‘You will be assisting Mr. Jobson, and the pukwudgie, for their night shifts and cleaning regiments. You’re both dismissed.’
When Dean’s detention was up, Prof. Solomon releases him, with a minor reminding to not let this happen again, and to remember to come back tomorrow.
Dean was sure he’d gotten off easy.
“And I’ll see you next week Castiel.”
“Goodnight Professor Solomon.”

Chapter Text

“Deeeeean!”

“What!”

Dean was in the living room minding his own business, playing Tetris, when Sam comes screaming for him for some reason or another.

“Have you seen my robes and… are you really planning that game again?” Sam says with something bordering, very closely to, disgust.

“No I haven’t and yes I am. Now leave me alone so I can get back to it.”

“Dean, you’re gonna rot your brain like that.” 

“Pfff, I will be fi-Shit!” Dean missed a square by half an inch and now he was half way up. “See what you did Sammy? That! That was you and your mouth.”

“God, Dean can you not be so obnoxious?” 

“Spell it.”

“Like you can.”

Dean wasn’t going to reply to that with a response. 

“Sammy, Sam. Samuel. My loving amazing brother whom I love so very much. Go jump in a river.”

“I think I’m good where I am. But…” Sam scoots down and sits down next to Dean. “Weren’t you gonna…” Sam looks up and around. As if three people don’t live in that house and their mom’s at work. “Go see him today?”

“Gosh Sam, don’t talk so loud or he might hear you.” Dean sasses. Eyes still attached to the computer screen. 

“Dean.”

“What Sammy?” 

“You’re gonna have to tell him. You know that right?”

“Yes, Samantha, I’m well aware that I'm gonna have to tell-” Dean pauses the game, looks around the room, obviously making fun of his brother. “My boyfriend I’ll be leaving for school soon.” 

“And so instead, you’ve decided on Tetris?”

“No. I’ve decided I’m going to play Tetris. It’s not all I plan on doing today.”

“Dean, It’s already 3 o’clock.”

“I know this might surprise you but, I actually learned to read clocks too.”

Sam gasps.

“Who taught you?”

“Shut up! I will call him-” Sam gave him an ugly look. “To ask if I can still come over, so I can tell him.”

“Well so long as that’s all.”

“I promise Sam- DAMMIT, I will… tell him… as sooooon, as .... Ughhh!”

A knock at the door was almost drowned out by Dean’s scream. 

“Were you expecting anybody?” Sam asks.

“No, and I’m guessing neither were you.”

“So…”

“Who the hell's at the door.” Dean got up, but desperately wishes he had his wand right about now. 

He looks through the peephole and expects to see, at least hopefully Missouri, but instead it…

“What the hell?”

“Who is it?”

“No fucking way?”

“Dean?”

He opens the door and much to his entire surprise it it none other than: 

“MEG!” 

“Deaniel.” Dean grabs her for a hug and much to his surprise she actually hugs him back. She was wearing her hair in two puffs on either side of her head, a romper far too nice for anything considered a romper, with a satin jacket, too dark for the summer. Embroidered on it’s breasts were incredibly intricate wampus cats. Their six legs a splay, as their claws and teeth were reared.

“What are you doing here? Not just in my house, but like… the entire state of Kansas?”

“Just practicing my illegal apparition for my apparitions license.”

“Shut up. I don’t care who you are. No one can apparate halfway across, Ireland, much less the United States.”

“So I’m lying. Sue me.” Meg says as Dean lets her in. She saunters to the middle of their living room and just takes the No-Maj-ness of it all in.

“So you just pop in and I don’t get to know why?”

“I’ll tell you when you’re older.”

“Gosh, you’re like two months older than me.”

“I know, it must suck to be a baby.”

“Oh my g-“

“And who is this?” Meg asked, her gaze directed at Sam, who was watching the two of them like a very strange but interesting sitcom. 

“Oh, right sorry. Meg meet the tumor my mom passed a few years ago, that she decided to name Sam. Sam, meet the worst person in the whole world, Megara.”

“Greetings Tumors.”

“Nice to meet you worse person ever.”

“Good to know Dean’s awful at everything and it not just me.”

“No way. Trust me, he's been like that for years. Totally useless.”

“Sounds right.”

“I hate the both of you.” Dean said as he walked over to the kitchen. 

“And after I came all this way to see you.”

“Which, while still mysterious, is much appreciated. It gets so boring around here. I mean The only other magic kid around here is Lonnie. And Lonnie sucks!”

“So that means we should be wary of the boy?” Meg asks.

“Lonnie? No I mean…” Dean follows her line of sight. “Oh, you mean Sam! No, Sam’s a total squib, but he can do magic.”

“Thank you so much, Dean.” Sam says as he rolls his eyes, in a way that even Meg can appreciate. 

“I like you.” Meg says, as she takes the bottle of water Dean had taken out of the refrigerator. She looks it over and… well it always fascinates Dean seeing magical folk interact with No-Maj things. Even after four years. 

“Thanks. I know nothing about you, but I’m already starting to like you more than my brother.”

“Fuck off.”

“Oh, also you can thank me for that.” Meg says.

“Oh yeah! That was you. Sam if you ever want to find out a new cuss word, ask Meg.” 

“So how old are you?” Meg asks, “How come Dean’s never made us meet, because he’s a wimp?”

“Oh, I’m only just now eleven. I go to Ilvermorny this year.” Sam says, a shy blush on his face.

“Oh then that puts you in with my sister.”

“You have a sister?” Dean asked, genuinely surprised. 

“I do. A brother too.”
“You have two siblings? Who I, the person you love most in the entire world, have never heard of?”

“I don’t talk about them… like... ever.” Meg said taking a deep swig of the water.

“Um… are you two…” Sam started, grabbing their attention. “Dating?”

The beat of silence after the question, is broken in seconds by a ridiculously loud uproar of laughter.

“Oh, my GOD, EW!”

“Oh no oh no oh oh no oh no oh no. Fuck Sammy! That…. Gosh” Dean honestly wipes a tear from his eye, catching his breath. “That is hilarious.”  

“Right! Me? Date you?” 

After that, they just started laughing some more. 

“No, no. No. I- Meg? No. Never.” Dean admits to his brother, who’s taken to watching their sitcom again. Even if it’s still very strange.

“Thank you.” Meg says, with a smile, as she takes a swig of her water. Her throat probably soar from all of the laughing. 

Dean would have to admit… well he’d tell you if you asked, straight up. Meg was…hot. No way to talk around it but that. She was hot. She had nice legs and beautiful skin. And if Dean was really being honest, she had really nice eyes. But Meg was like… a… gosh, in the case most guys would say ‘dude’ when referencing how attracted to their female friends they were. Dean, being in to dudes too, couldn’t really use that. Meg was… gosh, Meg was pretty much equal to Sam, on the boner meter. Hormones might’ve made him look at her chest once or…. Four times, throughout the years, but… That. That was not happening. 

“Oh wait! No! Yes! Meg!”

“If you’re about to tell me you’ve secretly been in love with me-”

“No, shut up. I’m going to introduce you to TV.”

“Who the hell is TV?” Meg asked. “You’re owl or something?” 

Meg loved TV.

Which was what Dean was hoping for, but still she was entirely enthralled with it. The three of them spent hours watching mostly teenage sitcoms and maybe for thirty minutes Law and Order.

 Meg hated Clarissa, but loved Clarissa Explains It All. Was a little too creeped out by Rugrats . A little too interested in Law and Order , and was too busy watching the Young and the Restless .

“And you just have hundreds of these ‘channels’?”

“Well we don’t.” Sam told her. “But that exist? Yeah.”

“Are we sure No-Maj don’t have magic?” 

“Yeah, it’s all electricity and radiowaves and shit.” Dean explained.

Dean checked the clock absent-mindedly and nearly had a heart attack. 

“Shit!” 

“What the fuck Dean?” Meg asked nonchalantly, as she started going through channel’s again. 

“It’s 5:30.”

“Which means?”

“Well it means my fuuueelllow Mom!” Dean said as Mary walked in from work. He, Sam, and Meg jump up from the couch. 

“Hello Dean,” She says skeptically, not looking their way, unsure of her son’s tone. “I’m assuming Sam is with you, so ‘Hello Sam’ and…hello.”

“Meg.” Dean offered.

“Hello Meg.” 

“Nice to meetchu Mrs. Winchester.” 

“Call my Mary, or Ms. Campbell, if you really want to be formal.”

“Yes ma-” Meg’s eyes go wild for a second. “Wait, Dean your mom’s a witch right?”

“Yes, Meg. So feel free to talk about magic and stuff.” Dean told her. “But keep the cussing to a minimum.” he whispered.

Meg eyes were unfocused as she seemed to be searching for something in her mind. “Dean, Sa- are you all members of the Campbell family?” 

The three of them visibly stiffen at the mention.

“We don’t really talk about that.” Sam whispered. 

“Sorry.” Meg said, mostly to Mary. 

“It’s fine.” she walks over and the two of them shake hands. “It’s nice to meet you Meg.”

“Same Mis- Mary. Same. I just came by to check up on Dean.”

“Oh! Are you one of his classmates?”

“And best friend, whom she’s desperately in love with.” Dean teases.

“For fu- for goodness sake Winchester, keep your fantasies to yourself.”

“I like you.” Mary says.

“Thank you, Mary. It’s a pleasure to be liked, but sorry your son’s a weirdo.”

“You get used to it.”

“MOM!”

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding.” Mary laughs as she, ducks into the kitchen. “Meg are you staying for dinner?” 

“Um if it’s no big problem.” Meg shouts.

“It’s no problem at all.”

“Thank you so much.”

“Hey mom, I’ll be right back.” Dean shouts as he races up to his room to grab something. 

“You’re heading out?” Mary says, coming back to the living room, finding it absent of a Dean. Meg and Sam gesture to his general direction upstairs.

“Yeah, mom, I gotta go somewhere really quick. I forgot to do it early because someone showed up unannounced.”

Meg crossed her arms and gave Dean a dismissive look. 

“Well if you promise to be back soon.” Mary said, with her patent ‘mom-look’.

“I promise. And no Sam can’t come with me.”

“Wah-” 

“She was going to ask.” Dean said giving his mom his patented ‘teenage-son-look’.

Mary sighed and rolled her eyes. 

“Fine, but be back soon.” Mary said firmly. “Oh, is Meg staying here?”

The two looked at each other. 

“No it’s cool if Meg comes. If she wants.”

“So long as we get back before the food gets cold, I guess it’s not a problem.”

Mary looks between the two of them. Unsure if…

“Don’t worry mom, they’re totally repulsed by each other.” Sam says as he grabs the remote from Meg’s hand.

“Shut up!” Dean threatened with a patented ‘older-brother-who-will-kill-you-personal-look’. “But yeah, me and Meg will stay a ‘balloon between our junks’ length apart at all times.”

“Gross.”

“Ew.”

“Well, okaaay. Just stay out of trouble. The both of you.” Mary gave another ‘mom-look’ and then went to the kitchen to get started on dinner.

“We’ll be back in like thirty minutes!” 

“Twenty!”

“Fiiiine, yes ma’am. Come on Meg.”

“Right behind you bright eyes.”

And so they were out of the house in the glorious summer Kansas heat, that even Dorothy talked about. 

“So once aga-” Dean was stopped by a quick smack to the head.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were a descendant of Charity Wilkinson!” Meg screamed.

“Because, it’s not really something our family advertises. Shit! That hurt!”

“You know you could’ve told Clarence that right?” Dean stiffened up again. “They’d let you stay together if they’d known you were a member of the Campbell’s family.”

“We don’t talk about it okay?” Dean insisted. “And I… I didn’t know that at the time.”

“So would you have told him?”

“If I’d’ve know we could’ve stayed together, if I did that?” Meg shook her head. “I guess at the time, yeah. But now. Now it just seems like no.”

“Really?” 

Dean can’t tell if she sounds surprised or skeptical.

“When we were together I was super happy. I was ‘in love’ and I thought Castiel would be my forever love, or some bullshit like that.”

“And now?” 

“And now, we’re going to go see my boyfriend so I can tell him I won’t see him until, at least, Christmas break.”

“Your BOY- you have a boyfriend? A No-Maj boyfriend?”

“I do have a No-Maj boyfriend, Megara.”

“But...what about… you know? Clarence.”
Dean thinks it all over in his head and it hurts to think about it all. There’s just that much.

“Don’t get me wrong, Cas, is… well he’s Cas. And he’ll always be… you know.” Dean makes a nonsensical gesture that, Meg instantly understands. “But… Cas was too much, you know? He was always hiding something. And even when he was being honest, he was lying. There was always this ulterior, under the cover motive or mystery to it. And then after that shit that went off last spring.” 

This time it was Meg who went stiff.

“Yeah, that was something.”

“Exactly! I… I was just done. Him, his shit, his families shit.” Dean said as he looked down at the road. The breeze was nice, and Meg hadn’t complained about the weather yet, so it must certainly have been a beautiful day. “I just didn’t… I gave him a chance to get better. And we get back together and then he does that and I.... break  up with him.” Dean stays silent for a moment. “ I don’t think his family knowing about my family would’ve changed that.”

“Understood.” Meg said placing her hands into her pockets. She pulls out her wand. 

“That is not your wand.” Dean says, surprised once he noticed Meg, had a wand in hand. He knew it wasn’t hers because he’d been there when she first got her own. And had seen it hundreds of times for hundreds of days for four years. 

In the past, the law stopping students from taking their wands out of school was repealed alongside Rapport’s Law. Then that one was reinstated once it was realized that, allowing students to take their wands home was nothing but temptation to use underaged magic to begin with.

“It is not.” Meg said devilishly. “It’s my mom’s old wand.”

"You’re mom has more than one?”

“She buys a new one every few years from around the world. This ones a Gregoravitch. Dragon heartstring.”

“Dragon-heartstring?” Dean said, somewhat disgusted.

“I know right. Europeans use the weirdest wand cores.”

“How’s it feel?” Dean asked her.

“Stubborn.” Meg tells him while giving the wand a nasty look. “I can’t wait to have mine back. This thing’s no good. I feel like I can use only about fifty percent of my overall power with this lousy thing.”

“Kay, so new question? Why do you have your mom’s old wand?”

“To use magic during the summer.”

Dean thinks that over. It was illegal, obviously, and Meg was a rulebreaker. And as someone who can use magic… Dean had to admit, he didn’t need a wand, but they were very useful.  The idea of not having to worry about not having one during the summer...

“Meg ,why are you here?” Dean asked.

She doesn’t say anything at first, and Dean just lets her not, as she moves leaves from trees and slowly incinerates them. 

“Would you believe me if I told you I was worried and came to check up on you?”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah, no jokes.”

“Well, jokes aside.” Dean bumps into her. “You are always there for me, you’re… you’re pretty much up their with Sam in terms of people who somehow manage to put up with my bullshit.”

“I am amazing at it aren’t I?”

“Amazingly, though.” Dean put his hands in his pockets and let the sun fall on him a little more. Just taking in the rest of this sweet summer while he can. “But summer break’s still for another like month… and a half-ish. What had you so worried?”

“Bad things are happening Dean. All over. MACUSA’s in a tizzy and I’m surprised they haven’t arrested me for underaged magic yet, but… I came to visit… because, well you might be in the center of it.” 

Dean rolled his eyes.

“Is this about Lucifer?”

“Maybe.” Meg looks over to him with hooded eyes. “But also your pansy depressed heartbreakable ass.”

“I broke up with him!” Dean reminded her. The two of them laughing. “But let’s not talk about it alright? Not until we’re at least back at school.”

“Understood. Let me appartate us to your boyfriend’s house!” Meg whined.

“You don’t know where he lives you dumbass! We walk!”

The walk to Aaron’s house isn’t far. He lives in the neighborhood over, and his parent’s love Dean. So him coming in a little late, unannounced, would be fine.

“You’re my beard okay?”

“What the hell?”

“It’s a No-Maj thing. Aaron’s parents don’t know he likes guys. Or that we’re dating. So can you pretend that we aren’t repulsed by each other enough to act like we’re together?”

“Please. They see me, they won’t doubt either of you have boners for me.”

“Meg. Gross.”

“I can’t help that I’m fucking gorgeous Deanial.”

They make it to the Bass house around 5:55 and Dean knocks on the door. Mr. Bass opens up and is more than happy to invite Dean and his friend in. 

“I don’t wanna be a bother or anything-”

“No. Don’t even think it. You’re always welcome, Dean. And it’s always nice to meet some of Aaron’s other friends.”

“It’s nice to meet you too, Mr. Bass.” Meg says, in a tone that makes Dean nearly lose his mind.

“Aaron’s upstairs. Would you two like to stay for dinner?”

“Oh, thanks Mr. B,” Dean says as he follows Meg up the stairs “but my mom’s got a whole thing’s she’s doing for Meggy here, so we can’t. Next time thought I promise.”

“Alright, no problem.” And then he’s back into the den.

“That man was too chipper.”

“Him? what about you? I didn’t know your voice went that high.”

“You’d be amazed what I’m capable of.”

Dean knocks on the door of his one and only. 

“Dean.” Aaron says, going from the sentiments of a question to an excited exclamation. He let’s Dean slip in and is surprised when Meg follows. 

“Oh, um… hi.”

‘Hey there fella.” 

Dean grabs Aaron around the waist and brings him closer. Aaron seems a bit stiff as Dean leaves a kiss around his lips. But Aaron is a bit preoccupied by Meg’s presence.  Even though she’s looking at everything in Aaron’s room besides the two of them. Judgmentally too.

“Uh, Dean.”

“Don’t worry Meg’s cool. She knows about,” Dean makes another one of those head gestures, that Meg’s become fluent in. 

“And she’s….”

“Oh, right, let me actually introduce you. Aaron, this is your school friend, because that’s what I told you parents, Meg Masters. Meg, This hottie is Aaron Bass.”

“Dean.” Aaron said blushing, Dean still wrapped around him. 

“Nice to make your acquaintance.” Meg said.

“Hi, and she is…”

Dean sighed releasing Aaron a bit.

“A friend babe.” Dean assures him. “Now kiss me like you mean it, please. So we can make her throw up in her mouth.”

“Too late.”

“You’ve seen worse.”

“I have.” she admits. “Still gross though.” 

Dean kisses Aaron again, and this time it’s for real. It’s sweet and wet, just the way Dean knows Aaron likes it. The two of them sink over towards Aaron’s bed. 

“Okay, that I will not condone.” Meg says, though not actually stopping them. “Dean, If you need me I’ll be in the ‘bathroom’.” which was code for ‘I’m going to apparate away, just call me when you need me’. Which was fine with Dean.

“It’s right down the hall, first door on you right.” Aaron tells her, being polite. It makes Dean smile. 

“Thank’s sport.” Meg closes the door behind her, being extra obvious of locking it.

Dean heard a faint pop that told him Meg was out. 

“She seems…”

“Cool.”

“Scary. Goth. But.. yeah, cool.”

“Well I hate her. She made me miss my Aaron time. Showing up all unannounced and stuff.”

“So she’s a friend from out of town?”

“Yeah, she lives in California most of the time.”
“That’s cool.”

“Yeah, but she secretly wants you to think she hates it.” 

“So what did you want to talk to me about?” Aaron says. Looking at Dean in such an earnest and honest way, it kinda hurts. Dean kisses him again. Then gets up to unlock the door. As useful as they are, locked door just seem suspicious. Even if Meg was still in there, Aaron’s parents would want to know why three hormonal teens had the door locked. 

“So you know how we don’t go to the same school?”

“Yeah.” 

The district line for high schools ran almost directly down the property lines of their neighborhoods. Even if Dean did still go to school in Kansas, he wouldn’t go to school with Aaron. Which would have sucked. But this sucks much worse.

“So um… I don’t go to school here during the year.”

“You… don’t go to school…”

“Sorry, during the year I go to a boarding school in Massachusetts.”

The smile fell from Aaron’s face instantly. Dean met Aaron a few months ago during Christmas break, and well. They’d hit it off in a way, but for obvious reasons nothing came from it. Then when Dean came back for the summer, he came crashing down on Aaron. They spent everyday since then together.

“You.. so you… are you breaking up with me?”

“No! No way, babe. It’s just… I wanted you to know, so that way we could talk about if… you know… it’s alright.”

“So you want to stay together?”

“I do.” Dean says as he slips Aaron’s hand into his. “But I also know that long distance relationships both suck… and never really work.”

“Well I mean well, yeah this sucks.”

“There’s more actually.”

“There’s more?” Aaron asked skeptically.

“Yeah. This school it… it doesn’t have phones or anything, so we won’t be able to call each… other.”  Dean couldn’t look Aaron in the eyes. 

“Like...at all?” 

“At all. The mountains. It’s really hard to get a line going.”

“Well shit. Fuck.”

“Yeah.” 

“So I guess… should we break up?” Aaron asked, unsure himself of how this could go.

“Well I mean… not until summers over okay? Not until I have to leave to go back to school.” Dean holds his hand a bit tighter. “I want to still get to see you, before you realize I’m not worth it.”

“Not worth it?” Aaron asks. “Dean, you are like… way out of my league.”

“Sure if you want to go based off bullshit.” Dean tells him, upset at Aaron’s own self confidence. “But I like being with you because you have a cute face and a nice personality.”

Aaron blushes some more. Dean kisses him, grabs his face and kisses him, nice and hard with tongue. Then backs away and just enjoys Aaron’s presence. The look on his face and his big doe eyes. 

“I’m gonna miss you.” Aaron finally says.

“I’m gonna miss you too.” Dean feels a bit of moisture in his eyes. He blinks it away while he can still control it. “But hey, it’s just three more years. And if, by some miracle, you decide that summers are enough and then year rounds alright too… we can go from there if you want?”

“I’d like that.”

“Alright, so for the rest of the summer it’s you and me.”

“What about Sam? Ooh, or Meg? Shouldn’t we get her?”

“Don’t worry she’s fine. Besides, I… I gotta get home. My mom’s doing this whole dinner thing and… so let’s talk tomorrow okay?”

“Yeah. tomorrow. All day okay.” he says adamantly.

“All day, promise.” 

“Alright.” he said satisfied. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“See you tomorrow.” Dean said, smiling as he went in for another kiss. 

Dean left Aaron’s room and then headed to the bathroom. It was as empty as he thought it would be. 

“Meg. Calling on Meg.” Dean whispered into the nothingness. Dean gave it another minute before he left out the bathroom and headed out the house saying his byes to Mr. and Mrs. Bass. promising them he’d be by for dinner soon. 

“Meggykins. Sugarplum munchkins. Where are you?” Dean says as he starts the walk back home. The staticy pop of apparition next to the house, reveals a simple Meg. 

“So how did that go?”

“How do you do that? And it went fine.”

“I’ll teach you when you finally get your license.”

“Who even taught you how to disapparate? Like we’re not allowed to do that until seventh year?”

“What can I say. I’m advanced.”  

“Whatever you say Megara.” Dean says kicking a stone in the concrete. “Apparate me home. I wanna wallow in my not-yet break up before I really have to, so it’s not as bad.”

“See another perfect reason for me to show up.” 

“Beh, bleh bleh,” 

“You’re not gonna throw up are you?”

“Nah, my grandma used to-”

And with a crack and popple, the two Wampus Cats were gone.

Chapter Text

Aaron stayed under Dean’s arm almost all the time following their talk. Dean liked it that way. They didn’t go out often, except in a way that might make it look like two platonic friends doing ‘ teenage boys who are friends ’ things. So when they were really affectionate it was at 

Dean’s house. Mary was always out and Sam didn’t care. Though he usually made a habit of being out of the house whenever possible. It was his last time seeing a lot of his friends, until Christmas or possibly even next summer. So Dean and Aaron being gross wasn’t even the biggest reason. 

But Dean enjoyed it greatly. They didn’t always do touchy-feely things whenever Aaron came over, but the fact that they could was very much enjoyed. Dean was becoming steadily better at giving blowjobs and he was kind of into it. Of course the way Aaron looked with Dean’s dick in his mouth was an equal delightful sight. Then there were the times that blowjobs weren’t enough and Sam had to hang out at his friend’s houses or the playground or the museum or movies a bit longer.  

Dean didn’t want to be that person, but he felt like he had to stock up on it all. Without Aaron, at school Dean would be on a dry spell, effectively revirginating himself. And Aaron? Aaron felt amazing, in more than one way. It felt nice, just… being with him. Afterwards they’d just cuddle, or eat chips, or ice cream, and watch something dumb on TV wearing shirts and their underwear. For safety reasons.  And even with it still being obvious that this was going to be over soon, Dean wasn’t going to let it up for even a second before he had to. They went to see all the best summer blockbusters, that 15 year olds are allowed to go to. So they didn’t actually go to a lot of movies worth going to. But they had fun, and that’s what mattered. 

Meg made a habit of being scarce after she’d shown up last month. Which Dean still didn’t understand. There was no way she’d apparated to Lawrence, even is she’d been in Missouri or Colorado. She’d never be caught in Missouri, but Colorado had those fancy ski resorts rich people loved to go to. And while they didn’t talk about it. Ever. Dean had been to enough cotillion and finishing programs with his grandparents to know, rich people loved being around other rich people. 

Still the thought of Meg coming to Kansas for anything revolving around Dean, was comforting. Since that day though Dean hadn’t heard from her. 

August 31st came and sucked fantastically. Aaron didn’t understand why he couldn’t come and see Dean off. Even in a friendly way. Dean replied that they train station they had to leave from was far out of the way, so they had to leave early. Aaron took it in stride for the most part, but Dean was just glad he didn’t hate him. He promised Aaron he’d see him for Christmas, but might miss Hanukkah. To which Aaron smiled and laughed and kissed him and told him to be fair. Dean said he can’t control when the school board decides they’re allowed to leave or not. Still Dean promised he’d see him and Aaron promised he’d be waiting.

“Dean? Earth to Dean.” Sam said, trying to grasp his brother’s attention. 

“Huh? Wuh? What’s up?” Dean stammered, breaking back into the real world.

“Can you help me with my robe or what?” Sam said, with a bit of a temper.

“Yeah, sorry.” Dean goes over and helps his brother adjust his robes. They’re about a half size too big for him, so they need to be tied back a bit so the oversleeves don’t trip him up. Mary insisted they should get him a closer fit, but Dean’s been watching Sam long enough to know he’s got a growth spurt coming. Plus it’s just half a size, how big can he really get in a year? 

When Mary asks when the boys are ready to leave Dean had just finished retying his Wampus cat cord for the third time. His always gets untangled for some reason, he suspects is a hex.

“I’m ready whenever the toad is.” 

Sam gives him the distinctly evil eye.

“I’m ready, if the walking fungus boy is.” Sam said, smile on his face and luggage in hand.

“When will you two…” Mary muttered under her breathe. “Alright, give me another two minutes and I should be ready to go.” 

Mary got her wand from out of the kitchen then got her keys, fixed her pantsuit and made her way over to the living room where Dean and Sam were. Dressed so politely in their school robes. 

“Oh I have just got to take a picture of this.”

“Mom.” they both groaned.

“Hush, it’s a mom’s job to be sappy and sad about her two baby boy’s going off to wizarding school together.”

“Alright but make it quick. I don’t want to miss our portkey.”

“Don’t get snippy with me Dean, or I will hug and kiss you until you die of literal embarrassment.”

“Moooom.” 

Marry pulled out her wand again and summoned up the camera. It was one of those nice disposable Kodaks, that they must’ve had a million of, by this point. Dean thinks this is the same one they took their summer trip to the grand canyon on.  

“Come on everyone get in.” Mart instructed as her sons flanked her sides and hugged in real close. “Say cheese.” 

“Cheese!” Dean and Sam twinned.

With a swoosh of her wand the camera went off and the moment was captured.

“Alright now again with just the two of you.” 

“Mom.” Dean said again. 

“You don’t have to hug. Say Cheese.”

“Cheese!” 

They take off soon after that. Arm in arm, Sam on her left and Dean on her right. They disapparate from the spot with a loud crack. 

“HHuuuuuggggha.”

“God, Sammy, grow up.”

“How can people do that? All the time!” Sam says holding back more vomit. Mary vanishes it. 

“You alright beaver?” Mary asks.

“Yeah. Yeah. just… gosh I hate apparition.”

“You’ll get used to it.” Dean tells him.

“I hope so.”

“Here’s a lozenge.” Mary says as she pulls one out from her purse.

The three of them are in a corn field. Where else would one put a MACUSA regulated school transportation portkey, than in a cornfield? 

It wasn’t the same one Dean had used last year, but that one hadn’t been the same as the one from the year before last either. 

“What’s the key this year?” Dean asks his mom.

“It’s, get this, an old trash can with the MACUSA seal graffitied on it.” Mary tells them. “It’s over there to our left.”

“Perfect. Let’s get a move on Sammy.”

Dean, Sam, and Mary walk through the corn field and come up to the very trash can they were looking for. Lonnie was already there. As were the other kids who lived in their portkey district. Garcia, Miller, David. Antoinette. Dean didn’t actually bother with most of them at school, but for what it was worth, they weren’t awful.

Dean and Sam said their goodbyes to Mary, promising to be nice and to stay out of trouble and to make good grades. Mary told Dean to watch out for Sam, and Dean tells her it goes without saying. Though he doesn’t tell her he will not be burdened down by the little squirt for more than ten minutes at a time. Sam is the most responsible eleven year old in the world. Dean doesn’t really need to worry about him.

“I love you both.” Mary says as she kisses them both goodbye one last time, only crying a little.

 “Love you too mom.” Dean says as he hugs her one last time.

“Take care, mom. See you at Christmas.” Sam says as he hugs her harder than he’s hugged her since his first day at that summer camp when he was seven. 

“See you then.” 

“Sam if you throw up after we get to the school, I will not know you.” Dean warns his brother.

“Dean even if I don’t, please act that way. I don’t want to be burdened by people knowing we are related.” 

Dean gave him a vindictive look.

“Just grab onto the can you troll.”

“Please don’t talk to me. I know about ‘stranger danger’, teenage boy I’ve never met before.”

Another vindictive look. 

It takes another minute for August Fairchilde to show up and with her everyone whose catching the bus was on it.

“Just remember to hold on tight okay.” Dean warns his brother as the can begins to shake. 

“I will.” Sam replied, confident regardless of the sweat and anxious feeling in his chest. 

Then they were all sucked into a vortex as the trash can blasted them off to Ilvermorny. 

When they reappeared they were in the middle of Greylock Mountain. In spite of it being summer, a good wind was swaying through the trees and the whole of it all was peaceful.  

“Sammy?” Dean questioned, only slightly worried.

Sam held his breath and let his head and stomach settle. 

“I’m good.” he said as he straightened up. He burped once then held himself back up. His stomach no worse for the wear than it had been minutes earlier. 

“Good. Because I am now ditching you. Thomas! Hey buddy! How was your summer?” Dean says as he walks off.

“You are the-” Sam runs over to the bush near him and throws up. It’s not big, but it’s still embarrassing to have just done that.

“Totally gross.” some girl behind him said.

Sam looked up at her and it was someone he didn’t know obviously. She had dark brown hair done up with long bangs. Bright green eyes, that seemed very invasive. What was worse is that she had this creepy smile on her face, like she’d actually been watching him throw up. And liked it. 

“Thanks.” Sam moaned, as he stood back. To his surprise she had a handkerchief for him to use.  He took it gingerly, and used it to clean around his mouth. After that Sam wasn’t sure what he should do with it. Wouldn’t it be gross to hand back the handkerchief covered in his bile. 

She took it out of his hands before he had a chance to stop her, and then to his surprise she set it on fire.

“Woah. Did you just do wandless magic?”

“Of course. What else?”

“Just, I didn’t…”

“We’ve been doing wandless magic for years.” She said. Which was technically true. Sam wasn’t really renowned for his accidental magic, but when he was four he’d supposedly transfigured a new stuffed animal from their sofa cushion.

“Still that was pretty good.” 

“Of course it was. Oh let me introduce myself.” she puts her hand out and Sam shakes it. “Sariel Moonstone, at your service.”

Sam blanched for a moment. 

“You’re… a Moonstone?”

“Absolutely. So don’t expect me to be at the bottom of our class.”

“Never.” Sam tells her.

“Soooo….” 

“Oh, right! Sorry. Sam. Sam Winchester.”

Then in an instant her demeanor changed to one less polite. 

“Winchester, as in… Dean Winchester?”

“Who?” Sam said, without missing a beat. It’s not like the first time he acted as if he’d never met his brother. 

“Oh. Um… no one?” Sariel said, correcting herself. A chipper disposition on her face. They were still holding hands. 

“And who’s this?” A boy asked as he came up from behind her. Landing his head over hers. For what Sam can see of him, he has pale skin and brown hair cut short. He had the same green eyes as Sariel. 

“Sam this is Sam. He’s Dean Winchester’s younger brother.” 

Sam’s heart quickens again.

“Don’t worry. We don’t hate you for it.” The boy says. “If were bein’ truthful. Castiel had it coming.”

“Totally.” Sariel adds. “He should’ve just listened in the first place and that wouldn’t have happened.”  

 “Right.” Sam says, in awe of it all. 

“But please ...be kind to us.” Sariel said, “We’ve been through a lot recently.”

“I can imagine.” Sam says. After what had happened last April. Why wouldn’t they?

As they trekked through the forest, robes ruffling against the ground, Sam’s interest in all the wonder and magic was slowly decreasing, inch by inch. Step by step. The masking effects of the mist and fog, making it so Sam can’t seem to see more than three feet in front of himself and two feet back. 

“So this isn’t too bad.”

“Depends on what you mean as ‘bad’.”

Sam thought ‘bad’ meant having to walk up the side of a mountain, in robes no less, just to get to a school for magic. The fact that his were just a bit too big didn’t help.

“This is bad I think.”

“Well stop yer complaining and get tuh walking!” a gruff voice shouted from the fog.

“What the heck was that!” 

“Calm down, it’s probably a pukwudgie. They live in and around the castle.” 

“Better keep moving before they shoot you with one of those arrows.”

“That’s how they got Gormlaith.” 

“Oh, Sariel.” 

“It is though!”

Heeding the warnings of the… pukwudgie, Sam does in fact move on. The steps become wider and less jagged, more well fashioned and sturdy. Carved stone, not just stone meticulously placed to seem natural. They were close. As they walked on, the mist begins to lift. The sight was becoming more clear as the light of day became visible through the cloud that sat all around them. Shortly Sam heard the tale tell sound of someone, well a good deal of someone's, singing.

“…..od witch Morrigan.

For she was persecuted

By common wandless men.

So she fled from distant Ireland,

And so our school began.

Oh! Ilvermorny-Massa-”

“It’s the school song!” a girl squealed. 

“Who wrote these lyrics I wonder.”

Sam didn’t care much about the comments or even the song, really. He was too mystified by the sight of it all again. 

The castle was gigantic. It’s giant marble walls covered in summer moss and ivy. A huge glass dome twinkled in the light of the midday sky. Towers and spires stood proudly growing out of the mountain peak, as trees would grow from the forest. All of it so magnificent and unbelievable. But, this was indeed real. This was indeed happening. 

The students all continued to walk to the giant doors at the entrance. Sam awed at the two huge statues that stood on either side of them. On one side was a woman, her gaze facing forward, a wand in her hand. On the left was a man, his gaze just as determined as the woman’s, a chisel in his own hands, instead of a wand.

As students walked through the doors, three people stood at the front. Well two people and a little… thing. Sam could only expect that it was one of the pukwudgie. The man on the left was tall and fat, with a modest beard around his chin, a twinkle in his brown eyes. His robes were a simple and hearty forest green. Next to him was a woman, her head held high, her gaze seemed to be looking down at everything. A tight lip on her face and a head of reddish curls poked out from under her hat. 

“Alright everyone, welcome! Welcome!” said the man, his voice booming as he spoke. With a wave of his wand the giant doors were opened. “All returning students to the left. All first years to the right, come on, come on!” 

They go off in two different directions. All the older students go to the right walking up a torrent of stairs. Dean would be somewhere up there, with his friends. Looking down and judging this years crop. It gave Sam a bit of a queasy feeling. He and his, the first years, went to the left, down the stairs where another wizard stood waiting for them. 

“Come along all of you come along. We’ve got to begin soon.” The man was thinner than the one from above.”Follow closely and one at a time!” The first years tried to form some semblance of a line, with a lot of pushing and shoving being involved. Most of them pooled together at the top, as the older students rose to the rafters. “Now you’ll all be around here, waiting for your chance to reach that bottom step. When that happens you will come to the center, and you will be sorted.”

Hundreds of students stood together at the base of the gigantic room. With hundreds more standing all around on the higher decks, looking down at them, waiting for their new school mates to be sorted.

When the last of them had been collared at the base of the tower. Light shone down upon them. 

“Welcome students.” A voice called, from high above. “Welcome to Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!”

Cheering and whooping and hollering rang through the tower, as older students screamed out. 

“That’ll be enough! Quiet down, quiet down!” said the witch next to him. “Let the headmaster finish.”       

Then the students, for the most part, quiet down. With soft murmurs and whispers echoed through the chamber. 

“Well I am your headmaster, Agilbert Fontaine. I will be proud to have all of you here. Your growth and prosperity will be highly enjoyed. And I wish you all the best here. I wish that you may all become the witches and wizards you all know you are meant to be. So let us begin.”

And so they began.The first amongst them was allowed forward. It was somebody Sam had never seen, who he’d probably never meet. When he stood in front of the group, in the center of the giant knot of stone, they were all to wait. For a moment nothing happened. Then suddenly, high above, the creaking of wood was heard. The wood carving of a giant bird, not unlike an eagle, begins moving. Stiffly its shoulders roll and it’s wings begin to beat and a blast of wind blows all around them. 

“Thunderbird it is!” Which gained shouting through out from the multitudes of Thunderbirds above. 

And it goes on. 

The next of the statue to move was that of the pukwudgie. It’s stiff wooden arms grasped the arrow from its quiver, and raised it up. 

A number of students clap as the child is committed to their house. 

The Horned Serpent was next. It didn’t move, it’s serene face wavered not, as the stone upon its head glowed brightly. Lastly to call was the Wampus Cat. It ruffled it neck, the same creaking that had accompanied the Pukwudgie and Thunderbird statues. Then it blasted a roar, a deafening sound, that told of its choice. 

“Sam you’re next.” Sariel said from just behind him.

“Can I throw up again?” Sam said as he went out.

He walked out into the center of the knot as nearly a hundred or so students before him had. There was a soft light falling down from the dome that felt beautiful. Like it had a special magic all its own. He stood there at the center of it all and waited for an answer to a question he didn’t know he was asking. 

The answer came with the blasting roar of the Wampus Cat. Then again, when the Thunderbird cracked it wooden frame and blew it’s mighty breeze. But still the answer came when bright light, not from above, flooded the room. Emanating from the head of the Horned Serpent. More so still the answer was called when the pukwudgie statue, in it’s frown, rose it’s arrow again. 

And through it all their was a silence. An awe.

“You’ve gotta be kidding.” Dean said, a giant smile forming on his face.

“No way.” Meg whispered.

“Well my-”

“Goodness!”

“It’s impossible.”

“Incredible.”

“An All-Sort. An honest to god All-Sort, in our time.”

Sariel just screamed from behind Sam, as his mind pretty much exploded on the spot. Then, with all four statues now silenced. A roar of noise was formed from the students. The whole place didn’t have one inch of quiet in it. Dean making enough noise to break the ceiling himself. Meg clapped slowly behind him, a small smile on her face. Channing and Charlie were enthusiastic but had to make sure Dean didn’t jump from the rafters. 

Sam. Well Sam was still just processing it all when finally the sounds of the Headmaster’s voice finally reached him. 

“So young sir, it is an honor for us to be in the presence of such an exceptionally junior wizard. Know that today, you have been honored in a way very few will ever be honored at our great school. How will you choose? Horned Serpent?”

They house screamed out. 

“Wampus Cat?”

Meg and Dean gave a holler along with the rest of their house.

“Pukwudgie?”

They gave an exceptional holler.

“Or will it be Thunderbird?”

Their shouts were heard for miles perhaps. 

“What will you decide?” Fontaine finishes.

Sam thought to himself for a hard moment. ‘Should it be Wampus, so I can fit in with Dean? Or maybe Thunderbird, like mom?’ he thought to himself. A strain on his brow. 

“I’ll take…” and then it comes to him “Horned Serpent please.”

There’s much groaning and uproar as the Horned Serpent’s celebrate their victory. 

“Ugh, as if Picquery wasn’t enough, now they get another All-Sort and a Near All-Sort?”

“Horned Serpent it is.” Fontaine said as Sam, nervously, hustles over to that group. They pat his back and shake his hand. Everyone’s very nice about the whole of it.

Sariel comes up and takes her place in the center. She looks so soft and delicate, like crystal figurines do. The pukwudgie raises it’s arrow and Sariel is taken as a member of their house. She steps over to their side as more applause, this time much more polite is given. The next person to come is the other Sam. He goes down to the gordian knot center and waits. Once again it is the pukwudgie that raises its hand and arrow to the assembly. 

And more clapping and whooping follows as Sam walks over to meat with his... sister?

Sam wasn’t sure, now that he actually thought about it. With all of that taken care of, the last person to be sorted was a small girl, who got sorted into Wampus Cat, much to her own surprise. 

“Then we are completed.” Their headmaster, called, from on high. “Congratulations to each of you. I hope dearly that you will enjoy your journey here at Ilvermorny. Now go with Professor Whitewood. He will take you to obtain your wands. From there you will be taken to the housing chambers.”

“This way everyone.” Whitewood said. “Keep in line and let us do this orderly. ”

 He pulled out her wand and pointed it directly to the wooden doors that were at the bottom of the tower, on the same level as all the first years. The doors to the chamber opened and a slew of students, all ready for what was about to happen next, followed him in.

Their had to be thousands and thousands of boxes. A great deal of them were similar but also many that were different. Sam looked all about and tried to keep his cool as kids run past Whitewood and try to find their wands as quickly as possible. 

“I don’t really care which one, I just wanted to be from one of the four greatest.”

Sariel said from behind him. “Ooh Sam, congratulations on being All-Sorted!” 

“Thanks.” Sam said, meekly. His mind still trying to process the whole thing himself.

“So who are you looking for a wand from?” Sam asked him.

“Well I… I don’t know. But it’ll be a wand, so it can be that bad either way.”

“Come on Sam you can’t think that! I mean do you really want one of those rinky dinky off the wall brands? Or one from the four great masters?”

If Sam was being honest with himself, he’d love to have one from the four master wandmakers of America. It was a well known fact though that those wands were in high demand, because they were slowly going extinct. 

Violet Beauvais had stopped producing wands around midsummer ‘83, when she finally had enough of people protesting against her use of Rougarou hair. They hadn’t expected her to close up shop entirely, just to find a new wandcore. Egg on their face when they realized they’d dropped the wandmaking number from four to three. There hadn’t been a new White-River Spine core since Thiago Quintana died in ‘89. Shikoba Wolfe had stopped producing Thunderbird feather wands after arthritis finally took over in ‘92.  And Jonker… well his wands were the best in terms of style quality, but the Cherokee were the ones responsible for actually acquire the Wampus Cat hairs. 

They were still a good number of all four of their wands on the market. Wizarding lifetimes of work was proof of that, from all four of them. The problem was that that was the market for all of Wizarding America. It was rumored, according to the Kansas Banshee, if Sam remembered correctly, that by 2003, only one in every fifteen wizards in America would actually have a Great Master’s wand in their command. 

Sam knew Dean and his friend Gordon both had Beauvais wands. His mom and grandma both had a Jonker’s wands. With their Grandpa Samuel having a Quintanna wand. But Lonnie had an Fierro wand. Fierro had taken to using feathered serpent’s scales for their wands, adding beautiful ceramic inlays onto every wand they made. By ‘91 they had… in a way, replaced Beauvais as the great wandmaker of the south. Which still left the holes made by Quintanna and Wolfe. The Banshee, the Wizard’s Voice, and the Wizarding World News all agreed that if suitable replacement for the four masters didn’t appear soon, there could be a major shortage in wand production. 

“Sam? Sam Winchester?” 

Sam looked up and realized he’d spent too much time thinking over the idea.

“Oh sorry.” Sam said. “I’d guess a master wand, but a Fierro wand would be fine too.”

“Well either way, lets go.” Sam, the other one, said. “If we don’t start looking for them soon, we’ll end up with no wands.”

“Right! Sam you coming with us?” Sariel asked.

“Yeah, if it’s alright.”

‘It’s no problem.” 

“Are you too related?”

“Huh, oh right! I never actually introduced you.” Sariel said. “Sam introduce yourself.”

“Hi, I’m Samandriel.” he said with his hand stuck out. Sam shakes it. “But just call me Al. No one besides Sariel calls me Samandriel.”

“Cool. Would’ve been confusing having another Sam around.”

“Tell me about it!” Sariel squeels. “But I guess that means you’ve taken to sticking with us?” she teased.

And honestly, maybe Sam had been swept up in Sariel nature. By all accounts, Sam should stay away from these two and all the fallout that going to come their way with that whole ‘Lucifer’ fiasco. Or, not even to be mean, because of the whole ‘Cas and Dean’ fiasco.

 “You’d better not even pick that one up Teej. It’s no good. It’s a Fierro.” 

“But I’ve heard good things about Fierro wands, Rube. They’re great with output and consistency.”

“Whatever.”

“You should stop being so fancy about everything you know? Fierro’s the next great wandmaker of America. Everyone’s saying it.”

“Doesn’t matter. You don’t want it.”

“Ugh,” Sariel sneers. “You’d think with heritage like his he’d keep away from that girl.”

“Who?” Sam asked.

“Over there,” she pointed to two kids who were looking through wands to their direct right. 

The girl was wearing a direct scowl, but had nice looking pink lips. Her hair was dark black at the roots, but the rest had been dyed blonde. The boy with her had brown skin and when Sam looked closer, he had a white patch over his eye that resembled a… well something like a star or a cross maybe. It was that same thing Michael Jackson had. Viga-something. 

“The boy is Thomas Picquery.” Samandriel- Al, said. “He’s Former President Seriphina Picquery’s grandson.”

“The girl.” Sariel adds so much hate into the word. “Is Rubia Masters, a scourer spawn.”

“A… the Scourers haven’t been a legitimate thing in like two hundred years.”

“But you know about them right?” Al added, “How they’re said to be the true descendants of the Scourer Barebone.”

Sam knew about that rumor. In minute detail. It is said that the Scourer, who would be known as Barebones, had two families or was it two children? Either way, it is said that because only one of his children had magic, that they tortured and mistreated the other for their lack of it. This raised in the squib child a great and powerful dislike for magic so great that they passed it on to their descendants, which naturally brought about the Twelvetree-Barebones Affair. 

“Wait, Masters?” Sam asked. 

“Yep that’s them.”

“That’s Meg’s sister?”

“MEG!” Sariel snarled. 

Which garnered the attention of the two kids. Actually it garnered the attention of several other kids. The girl, Rubia, lifted one well manicured brow. As the boy just looked at them quizzically. They have these looks in their eyes that makes Sam feel embarrassed. So he walks away quickly leaving the two Moonstones, behind.  

Sam doesn’t want to ‘abandon’ them or anything but he’s spent too much time bothering with them, instead of looking for his wand. Sam had asked Dean what it would be like when he found his wand, to which Dean said ‘ It’ll feel like someone’s tapping you, and then like grabbing you, and you’ll be pulled right to it. But you gotta be open to it, or you’ll miss it. ’ 

Which was actually a better explanation than Sam had expected from Dean. Sam closes his eyes and takes a deep breath hoping to get a feel for it. There's a tapping in his shoulder and he’s sure he’s found his wand. His eyes jerked open and he spins, only to come face to face with the boy with the white… cross, over his eye. Yeah, it looks more like a cross, falling from his forehead. 

“Hi.” The boy says, as Sam just kinda stares at his face. 

“Hi.” Sam breathes. 

“Um,” 

“Look TJ, he’s already in love.”

“Whuh. No! Sorry, um hi.” Sam stammers.

“Sorry. Ruby’s no good.”

“Which is true.”

“Sorry, but I’m…” TJ stops himself. “Ruby back up.”

“I’m not on you.” She grumbles.

“Sorry we just saw you with Sariel and Samandriel Moonstone,”

“Which is disgusting.” Ruby said, from over her friend’s shoulder.

“And I just, um… wanted you to know that we’re not as bad as they probably said we were.” 

“Oh it’s cool, she didn’t have anything bad to say about you.” Sam says to TJ only. Trying to keeping his truth as truthful as possible. 

“Well that’s nice to know.” 

“You didn’t keep the wand?” Sam asks noticing his hands were empty of the wand he’d seen him with earlier. 

“Oh. Yeah. Ruby didn’t want me to have it, but it also just didn’t feel right.”

“My brother says you’ll know when it feels right. It’ll be like a pull.”

“Yeah my sister said something like that to me once too.” 

“You’re both gross and wasting time.” Ruby murmured.

“Ruby please shut up.” TJ said between his teeth, as he smiled at Sam. “But either way we should probably” he grabbed Ruby’s arm. “Leave you alone.”

“Uh, it’s no prob...lem.” But they were half way in the crowd before Sam could even finish. 

‘Well I guess you’re on your own, Winchester.’ Sam thought to himself.

Sam goes back to looking for his wand. Looking through wand boxes, not really discriminating on which ones are better than the other. None of them really reach out to him though. 

“You know if it keeps going like this, we’ll have to go back to using inferior wand cores.”

Ruby says. Sam looks over and finds her to his left, on the back wall still with TJ. 

“I heard we might have to go back to using Jackalope horn of Snarlygaster heartstring.” Sam says as he walks over to them. 

“Oh, All-Sort.” TJ says. “We didn’t mean to interrupt you. Ruby should learn to control her tone.” 

“My volume. You idiot, it would be my volume in that case.”

“No, it’s fine. It would be volume in this case though.” Sam said, “But it’s no problem, you guys aren’t actually that bad.”

“Hear that T? He’s barely known us and he already knows we’re hot shit.”

“I get included in you’re ‘hot shit’?”

“This time.”

“Yeah, you’re definitely Meg’s sister.” Sam says, with a smile.

“So you do know Meg?” Ruby says studying Meg. “Though you don’t seem to be the type, All-Sort.”

“She’s my brother’s best friend. Dean? ”Ruby doesn’t seem to get the reference. “Alright.” 

“Sorry, Meg and me, don’t really talk about things like… friends.”

“Yeah, me and Ruby have been friends since primary and I…” TJ stops himself. “Have I ever met a member of your family? How have I never met a member of your family?”

“Let it go Thomas Jacob.” 

“Can you not?” 

“I’ll do it if necessary.”

“No one calls me Thomas. Or Thomas Jacob.” He tells Sam, who makes a note of it. 

“Well um, Sam’s still my name in case you didn’t remember.”

“We did.” Ruby says.

“Oh, alright, cool.” Sam says ruffling his hair, trying to find a change of subject. “So what wands do you guys want?”

“Beauvais.” they simultaneously “but only because my grandma had one that I always really liked. I’d be fine with a Fierro too though. Or even a Wolfe or Quintanna or Jonker.”

“So just a wand then?” Sam says smiling. 

“Well, yeah.” TJ says smiling down at the box of wands he was rummaging. 

Ruby looks between the two of them. 

“No.” then grabs onto Sam’s arm. “I think I’ll keep this one, Teej.”

“Fine.” he grunts, as he gets up. “So can we find wands or not?”

“Also fine.” Ruby said as she clung to Sam just a bit tighter. Which only garnered more blush.

The three of them go walking through and Sam watches as student’s take wands and make their way to the other end of the hall. They’d been here for maybe ten minutes so far and Sam still hadn’t found his wand. 

“So do you think our kids will have to use Jackalope horn as a wandcore?” Sam asked.

“Our kids? Like yours and mine?” Ruby said, teasing Sam.

“N-no no not- not like that.” Sam stammered.

“Oh, I’m definitely keeping this one.” Ruby said, as TJ rolled his eyes.

“Stop. But I don't… I hope not. I’ve read that, while more plentiful, snarleygaster and jackalope make insufficient cores.” TJ said. “They’re inconsistent with their magic and don’t really bond with anything. They’d make… for the lack of a better word, generic wands.” 

“Which is why it’s good we were born at a time where there are still Great Master wands in this hall of wands!” Ruby says, finally letting go of Sam. Much to his relief.

TJ grabbed her and switched their positions.

“Don’t mind her she’s insane.”

“I can hear you?”

“I know? But it won’t come to that I’m sure. Sooner or later someone will have to take up these…” TJ stops and goes running.

“What the fucking hell?” Ruby says as she follows behind him.

Sam’s about to go after him too when he gets this tingling feeling in his back. He stops in his tracks and turns around, back to this tingly feeling. He follows after it, and… there.

“It is.” Sam says, mouth open and eyes wide, like something in him is clicking. 

It’s a little higher up than Sam had expected, but ladders are around and Sam can see it. He gets a ladder and positions it at the proper row, climbs up and it’s right there. Sam grabs it and his hands are all a tingle. He gets back down quickly and lets whoever else needs a wand on the high shelves use it. 

The box is dark blue and has a leathery feel to it. When he opens it up within is a wand. 

Shikoba Wolfe Wands

13’’

 Beech 

Thunderbird feather

This was it. The wand was a well grained and polished wand. The handle is solid and sleek, polished dark. Small notches that reminded Sam of barbed wire. It’s a beautiful. 

“All-Sort look we… you found yours too.” TJ says, looking down at Sam’s wand.

“Yeah, I did!”

“And it’s a Wolfe wand. Gosh you might be like the best student in our year.”

“What do you mean?” 

“Well Wolfe wands are rare. In here, Wolfe’s wands are probably the most left. They hardly ever choice people. And they’re really hard to master to boot.”

“Hm, well… we’ll see.” Sam said, optimistic. “But what about you? Did you get that Beauvais you wanted?”

“No, much to Ruby’s annoyance.” he lifts up the box open and it’s a Fierro Wand. The wandbox reads as: 

Fierro Wands and Ceramics

11” 

Apple Wood 

Quetzalcoatl Scale

The wand is a piece of artwork in an almost historical sense. It seems almost delicate. The light brown wood, gives an almost golden color, The handle though looks to be glass or porcelain. So tiny and delicate it might break. The image of birds in flight could be seen from where Sam was looking, but it seemed to go all around the handle.

“Wow.” Sam said, with awe.

“I know right. I feel like it’ll break if I lift it.”

“You shouldn’t worry. Fierro really is the next wand master of America.” Sam tells him.

“I’m glad we agree on that.” TJ said, closing his box. 

“So you were just going to leave me behind!” Ruby screams.

Chapter Text

“So that… was… um,”

“Painful?”

“Was it?” Dean slaps his hand to his forehead. “I’m sorry, I should’ve… I should’ve slowed down. I-”

“I don’t think that would’ve really changed anything.” Castiel replies.

“This was a bad idea, wasn’t it?”

It’s not what you’re thinking. It’s what you’re thinking actually. It’s when you’re thinking that might be wrong. 

Dean had no idea why he was about to do this. He had no idea whatsoever, but well… Dean Winchester had a habit of making decisions that may very well backfire on him.
Fourth year had been interesting so far. Garth had found a girlfriend, of all things, and was releasing a very toxic form of romantic obnoxiousness that was suffocating everyone near him. Charlie had gotten really cozy with a certain blonde. Dean hadn’t been the first person to find out that Charlie liked girls, but he’d been the first person to find out She and Gilda ‘liked’ each other. Which he teased her about viciously. Something of payback for the whole ‘Cas-and-Dean-sitting-in-a-tree’ situation.

Love was in the air, once again, almost literally. It was late March and a handful of those pesky paper hearts were still fluttering around. Being a nuisance to sane unromantic persons, who’d had nothing to do with that nonsensical holiday.  

Dean Winchester was not one of those persons. Even after last year, Valentine’s day was an alright holiday for Dean. Now with him and Castiel back together again…

It didn’t seem like anything has really changed, except that Castiel seemed bolder. More defiant. Dean had liked that. Castiel said he’d needed to get better, and he saw this as that. Dean didn’t really complain. He’d been… well happy seemed like the word, but when Cas asked him out on an actual date, it felt like this weird stone stuck in his chest was crumbling.

It hadn’t been anything fancy. Not really much to do in a school on the top of a giant mountain. But Cas had made him feel like there wasn’t anything to be anxious about. So, Dean gave him his trust and they’d been together again. It was nice. It was great. 

“You say that, buuuuut…”

“Buuuuut nothing, Charlie. Can we not just let it be what it is?”

“But is it what it is?”

“If you’ve got something to say, just say it Red.” Meg, said as she finished another paragraph of her potions essay, for Whitewood.

“Meg, I’d think you, of all people, would be on my side.”

“Sides?” Dean inquired. “Sides? I didn’t know we were already at having ‘sides’.”

“Ugh, that’s not what I meant.” 

“Obviously it was.” Meg whispers. 

“Meg.” Charlie snarled. “I’m just saying… has anything between you and Cas actually changed since first year? Or last year for that matter.”

“We weren’t dating again last year Charlie.” Dean reminds her. 

“For a reason.” Charlie pushes.

“Yeah! Because we weren’t ready to date again.” Dean tells her nonchalantly. 

“Ugh. I give up.”

“Thank you.”

“Still though-”

“I thought you were giving up?” Dean gasps.

“Charlotte Celeste Bradbury never gives up!”

“You’re middle name is ‘Celeste’?” Meg said, with a face somewhat like distaste.

“Cas and Anna have been acting suspicious lately.”

“Oh, we’re putting Anna under the bus now. Count me in.”

“Meg.” Dean side-eyes her.

“So the angels are keeping secrets and being down right sneaky. That’s what we should be talking about here Dean. Honestly, get your priorities in check.” Dean just rolls his eyes.

“Well I’m not saying all of that.” Charlie asked. “But they are being especially sneaky.”

“About WHAT?” Dean asks them. “Because just because they don’t tell us every little thing that goes on in their family, doesn’t mean that they’re being sneaky. And Charlie you and Anna don’t even talk anymore. Not really.”

Which is why Charlie asked to be roomed with a new roommate the year prior. It hadn’t… Charlie hadn’t really talked about it, but Dean and Meg knew it was because when her parents… Anna hadn’t been there for Charlie the way Charlie needed someone. Meg and Channing had. Now Charlie rooms with Hannah Kent of Horned Serpent house.

“Well, yeah I don’t talk to her, but that’s for a reason.” Charlie says, crossing her arms.

“And that’s great and all, but Charlie, me and Cas… we aren’t like that.”

“Like that?” Charlie asks quizzically.

“We’re… we’re there for each other. If he needed me I’d be there for him, and if I needed him. I know he’d be there for me.” 

“Ah, that’s soooo romantic.” Meg said, with the same enthusiasm someone would use when vomiting. 

“Meg, can you go jump in the river.”

“We’re at the top of a mountain. There aren’t any rivers.”

“It’s an expression.”

“I know.” She said with a light chuckle as she reread her essay. 

Dean didn’t know why he was doing this. Maybe because he had to prove it to himself, or to Charlie or to everyone, that he and Cas were matched up just fine. He doesn’t know where he got the idea though. He thinks maybe he got the idea from, well something his stupid dad told him once.

‘Its something you do when you love someone else.’

Dean loved Cas. He loved him so much it hurt. So why not do it? Why not do it now, while their together and in love and have nothing to … prove to anyone. 

Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. 

But Dean decided already that he was going to do it. And when a Winchester decides they’re going to do something, they stick with it.

Castiel is in the library minding his own business when Dean shows up. It’s not the ideal place to talk about such complicated matters. 

“Hey, Cas, can I talk to you for a minute?”

“Of course Dean.” Cas tells him, as he looks up from the Transfiguration 3 book he’d been reading.

“Can we talk, um... somewhere else?” 

“Mhm. Oh, okay. Did you have anywhe-”

Castiel doesn’t have a chance to finish the sentence when Dean grabs him by the arm and carries him off. They follow each other through half the northern end of the castle before Dean finally deposits them in a closet. 

“Sorry for all...  this.” Dean said. “But I really-”

Castiel cut him off with a small kiss that surprised Dean, but made his inside all gushy.

“What was that for?” Dean said with the sappy smile on his face.

“I… I thought you wanted to make up for last time.” Castiel said, only about half sure of himself now.

“Make up. Make up for what?” Dean asked again, still gooey on the inside.

“When we didn’t kiss the first time. Dean, this is the same closet from first year.”

“Hum, is it? Wait. It is?” Dean quickly opens the door and inspects the closet, then the hallway, before shutting himself back into it. “Merlin’s grizzly beard it actually is.”

“So you didn’t bring me here for some sort of romantic reference?”

“No, this is just the first empty space I saw.”

“Strange.”

“I know right. If we hadn’t been in the north wing. But I… I did bring you here for a reason.”

“Go ahead.”

“Well I… I was wondering If you... wanted to…” Dean wasn’t even sure what words he wanted to use. There were so many words and expressions, and Dean wasn’t sure which ones had met wizarding ears yet. “Have…”

Castiel was looking at Dean with a certain amount of curiosity and worry, that finally just made Dean blurt it out.

“Sleep with me?”

Castiel didn’t say anything. His face, a mask of… well it seemed almost blank.

“Excuse me?”

“I was wondering if you wanted to… sleep with me?”

“You want to have a sleep over?”

“Guhh!” Dean slaps his face and nearly asks for a quick death. “No I mean… like um… I was wondering if you wanted to have ….x with me?”

 “What?” 

“S….s” 

“S’what? Dean what are you saying?”

“Sssseeeeeeeeeeex.” Dean hisses. Quickly whispering the rest. “I was wondering if you wanted to have sex with me.”

“Oh. OH!” 

Dean was ready to just die after that, but Cas had, much to Dean’s surprise, said yes. After that, it was just about planning how they’d actually do this.  Dean wanted to find out all the practical procedures, but from who he wasn’t sure. Castiel told him he’d find out. Dean didn’t have a clue as to how, but if the library had a particular book that he could use, Castiel would be able to find it. 

Dean wasn’t sure where he’d found out everything he’d found out but, he’d found it. Castiel would rather die than tell him he’d actually been desperate enough to ask… ugh, Gabriel. Who’d laughed in his face until Raphael took him by his hand and walked him out. Then, much to Castiel’s surprise, walked him through the broad details. 

So that night, three weeks later, they were ready. It hadn’t gone incredibly well. For the most part it might’ve actually went pretty bad. But…

“It was alright Dean. I promise.”

“But this was still a bad idea I think.”

“Probably.”

“I’m sorry.” Dean said chastising himself. “I’m such an idiot.”

“You are not an idiot Dean.” 

Now the two of them lay in a small twin sized. Completely exposed, in more ways than the obvious or emotional.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry Dean.” Castiel said as he slipped his hand into Dean’s. It was a soft gesture, that Dean appreciated greatly. “We can do this again. Try it again I mean. Just not… until we’re…”

“A little better suited for it?”

“Yes, I… I think until we’re both more ready for this type of thing.”

“Good to know.” Dean said clasping onto Cas’ hand a little tighter than before. Dean kisses Castiel once again. Softly, not as hard as he had just moments earlier. Cas preferred these kinds of kisses. He preferred them immensely. And Dean. Dean was more than willing to give them to him forever. 

Chapter Text

“Mom. Granpa. Gramma. Missouri. Everybody! Is gonna go wild when they find out about this!” 

“Dean it’s not even that big a deal.” Sam said, shyly tapping away at his plate, as a blush creeps upon his face.

“Not a big deal? Sammy you’re the All-Sort of your generation!” 

“That is a major achievement.” Channing says. “Well not so much an achievement as an…”

“Plus you got a Wofle brand, Thunderbird powered wand!” Charlie adds, almost as excited as Dean. 

“And A Thunderbird wand!” Dean echoed. “Sam come on! This is major stuff!” 

“It’s also embarrassing.” Sam groaned. “Everyone’s always looking at me.”

“Well we come from a pretty hot family.” 

“Then what happened to you?” Meg asked him, eating from her mashed potatoes.

“Hahahaha hardy har har.” 

“But seriously kid, It’ll only last another month.” Gordon tells him. “People have real short memories. Everywhere. It’s still the first week, so of course they’re talking about you. They got nothin’ else to talk about.”

“But hanging around with these old fogies can’t be helping either.” Ruby says as she lurks up from behind Charlie.

“Agh!” 

“Oh, hi Ruby.” Sam says.

“RUBY?”

“Hello Meg.” Ruby said rolling her eyes in such a dramatic fashion, It was almost impossible for Dean to miss the family resemblance.

“And why exactly have you decided to disgust us all with your presence?”

“Well I decided I might be able to stomach seeing your hag like face, long enough to ask All-Sort here if he wanted to eat with people with class.”

“You little insect.”

“Well alright!” Channing says, breaking the tension. “Sam you should definitely go and hang out with people your own age. Get to make friends who aren’t Dean’s.”

“Yeah that does sound better. No offense to you guys!” Sam says as he picks up his plate. 

“Except you Meg.” Ruby adds.

“When I kill you, it’ll be fun.”

“Bye old people. Come along All-Sort.”
“See you guys later.” Sam says meekly. Hoping Ruby hasn’t put a target on his back as well. The two of them walked over to a table nearly on the other side of the room.

“As someone with a younger sibling, might I say: Wow.” Dean said.

“As someone with a younger sister let me say: DAMN!” Gordon said. “That was nasty.”

“Oh come on you’ve all definitely said worse to your siblings before.” Meg said, eating some of her mixed vegetables.

“Sure we have.” Dean said, as if she’d asked if he knew what 2 plus 2 was. “But I never actually meant any of it.”

“Yeah, Meg. The two of you seemed like you hated each other.” Channing said, with a special kind of worry all her own.

“We do. There’s no love for anyone in the Masters Clan, in the Masters Clan.”

“That’s scary.” 

“Try living it.”

“Oh my gosh, is Meg actually opening up about her life?” Charlie said, actually surprised.

“Charlie, shut up.”

“Actually.” Channing began. “Meg… I don’t think I actually know that much about you?”

“Well that means a lot, seeing as we’ve been roommates for four years straight.” 

“Yes, which is why I feel like I should know more about you than: that you’re birthday is in September. You’re favorite color is purple, that you like red meat, and that you live in the STATE of California.”

“And?”

“And nothing.” Channing finished. “I mean… other than that, I can’t think of a single thing about your life outside of school.”

Which then got Dean to really thinking himself. About him and Meg, and… well….

“Fucking Shit.”

“Hot Damn.”

“You… You’re right!”

Meg groaned as the four of her friends came to a similar consensus. After four years of strange and tumultuous friendship, they knew all of jackshit about a one ‘Megara Masters’.

“Can we not do this at lunch?” Meg said, squeezing her brow.

“I… do I even…. How are we best friends?” Dean asks her exasperated. 

“I ask myself that question everyday.”

“Seriously Meg. I didn’t even know you had a sister, but somehow you…” Dean comes to a strange sort of revelation “you know where I live.” 

“Yes I-”

“No. I know you know. What I mean is how did you know? None of us has ever given the others an address.”

“There’s no need to. Owl’s always know.” Channing says coming to a conclusion that Dean’s reaching as well. 

“And even if we did give out our addresses for mailing, you don’t use No-Maj post.”

“Seriously can we n-”

“So how did you just magically. And yes I’m assuming actual magic was involved. But how did you just pop up at my house, where I’ve never told you I lived before?”

“Meg went to your house?” Gordon asked.

“Yeah. In the middle of June she just shows up on my doorstep one day. And now that I think about it, we weren’t gonna talk about that until after we got back to school.”   

“And so you want to talk about that. That. Here?”

“Meg.”

“No, Dean. I am not doing this. Not with any of you. Not today.” Meg says as she walks away from their table.

“Are we going to go after her?” Charlie asked. 

“No. I… I don’t think so. We’ll give her sometime.” Channing told them.

“Still you gotta say this is quite some shit.” Gordon adds eating from Meg’s plate.

“Yeah, I mean… what is up with all of… this?” Channing asks, as she tries to comprehend it all. “How do I know nothing about my roommate?”

“Have we never asked her anything?” Dean asks, trying to remember every conversation he’s ever had with Meg.

“No that’s not it. It’s… it’s just like with Anna and Castiel.” Charlie tells them. 

“Everytime we get close to asking Meg about her family…”

“It’s complicated.”

“Or ‘it’s a long story’. Or ‘We’re not talking about this’.” Gordon adds. “Huh. Meg is one secretive shit.”

The other three come to the same conclusion. With Dean seeing that same pattern. Meg never talks about herself. Not in a personal way. She’ll be the first to tell you how amazing she is, or how talented, or pretty, or vicious. But she never talks about herself in a personal aspect. She never mentions her life, her childhood, growing up, living in Cali. Hell Dean can’t even remember if he knows what part of Californa Meg lives in. What’s all the weirder is that Meg never sets herself up to be asked about her family. She’s quiet when the issues brought up about other people, that might segway it to her. She never mentions her plans for summer or winter break, only ever being sarcastic as people talk about their own holiday fun.

Meg wasn’t in their room when Channing and Charlie got there. I was… not nice. Hannah hadn’t seen her either, and she’d been there for a few hours. Charlie wanted to go out looking for her, honestly, but Gilda was calling. The two had promised to study together and Charlie couldn’t let her girlfriend down. When Meg did comeback it was almost ten o’clock at night. She walked out of the door into the nice roomy living rooms they’d loved so much since fourth year. Channing was waiting with Dean and Gordon. None of whom were even slightly happy about this.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Meg groaned when she saw the three of them there, waiting.

“Do magical folk even know what ‘interventions’ are?” Gordon asked.

“Yes, Gordon we know how English works. But I gotta say this looks a hell of a lot more like an interrogation.”

“Whatever it is. We’re having it.” Dean said adamantly. 

“Fuck you.” 

“Can we not do this Meg?” Channing asks, already sounding tired.

“You people are the ones sitting in your little weeping circle about to inquire of me. So if we could not. I’d have to say that’d be great.”

“Meg-”

“Dean.” She said it in that way, that only Meg managed. 

“Meg, dammit!”

Meg puts her pack down on the floor and sit in the chair opposite Channing.

“Alright.” she says, but her face is still mostly defiant. “Let’s talk then.”

“Why did you come to visit me?” Dean asked, surprising Meg.

“Excuse me?”

“You don’t talk about yourself Meg, we get that.” Dean admits. “And as much as I’d like to know why-”

“We’ve decided,” Channing says, interrupting Dean, as he begins to sound more agitated. “That we’re going to be good friends and not force it all out of you.”

“But Dean gave us some more info on y’alls summer visit.”

“Meg. What is going on?” Dean asked. But even he can tell it’s a loaded question. He wanted to know everything. He wanted to prove he was a good friend. But there was more than one way to do that. 

“Nothing. That we didn’t already know.” Meg admits. “The Devilbred are on the move.They have been since… since graduation.”

“Shit.” Gordon cursed.

“Which is fine, we already knew that.” Dean said.

“Which we did.” Meg adds.

“But what’s that got to do with me exactly?”

“Because Lucifer is a megalomaniac.” Meg says, as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world. 

“Which is true.” Gordon admits.

“Still though… there has to be a reason he’d actually go after Dean.”

“To hurt Castiel, Channing.”

“To hurt… To hurt Cas?” Dean said, as if the sentiment didn’t make sense. “How would hurting me hurt… ugh.”

“Yeah, Dean. He’s obviously still in love with you.”

“But why not just go after Castiel?” Channing asks. “Or any of them? Especially Raphael or Michael.”

“Because… I don’t know, maybe he can’t! Not yet.”

“Besides Moonstone Manor is like a fortress.” Dean tells them. “They’ve probably doubled their defenses since Lucifer went all… Lucifer.”

“Do you think he’d come after the rest of us?”

“Not personally.” Meg tells her. “But in the general sense that he’s a danger to all magical kind. Yes.”

“It’d be nice to know what they were actually after.” Dean murmured. The thoughts of last spring replaying in his mind, for maybe the dozenth time. 

“They want what these types always want. World domination. Pureblood supremacy. All the regular stuff.” Meg told them. Not sure if she was lying or not. 

“But still why come for me?” Dean asked, still unsure. “I mean… even if Cas does still… you know-”

“Love you deeply, weepingly, and unendingly.”

“Sure, let’s go with that. I’m sure their are better targets than me.”

“Maybe. But your still an easier one.”

Dean spent the first week of class mulling over the information Meg had given them. Dean had filled in Charlie, who’d been mortified by the prospect of an invasion from Lucifer and his gang of Dark Wizards. He was barely even twenty yet and he was already one of the most wanted wizards in America. The Moonstone family was only just keeping their heads above water. Politically speaking. They still had plenty of money, but now they had MACUSA breathing down their backs, for letting a wizard like Lucifer get out of their hands. 

Most people didn’t think too much of it though. Life was going on and everything was fine for the most part. Nobody seemed to be worried by the fact that dark wizards were now forming a posse en masse, for some form of nefarious purpose. After months of quiet though, what else was there really to do. 

Dean felt bad for them though, he heard the whispers that people made whenever any of the Moonstones walked the halls. Their family used to command a certain amount of respect. But after Michael and Hey-Lucifer graduated. Uriel and Gadreel couldn’t fill in the holes left behind. Then with Raphael gone just the next year, Gabriel, for all his skill and talent and wit, couldn’t pull all that weight himself.

Now he mostly stayed away from his younger siblings and kept to his own group of friends. Kali, his on and off girlfriend was with him even when they weren’t ‘on’. Uriel and Gadreel, did their own business and… well if Dean was being honest. He hadn’t really kept tabs on Castiel or Anael. Which was completely normal. Dean and Castiel had had their own on and off, and it hadn’t been as cute as Gabriel and Kali’s. Not only that, but when Dean broke it off with Cas, he did it for keeps. There was no going back to Cas this time, it was a for real break up. But after the news Meg had shared…

 It was late when he finally did it. Too late for student’s to be out. Dean though, he was ready to get this, at the very least this, over with. He knocks on the door. It’s one of dozens down this hallway, and he’s been avoiding this one for quite sometime now. He shouldn't but he has.

“It’s a bit late for visi-” 

“Hey, Cas.”

Castiel was in his pajamas. Of course he was. They were a nice cotton or wool blend that was probably great for the mountain winds in this drafty old castle. Light’s out had been twenty minutes ago, but here Dean was. In front of his stupid lying ex-boyfriend’s dormitory, after lights out. Castiel’s eyes were blown wide as he looked Dean over. 

“Dean what… what are you doing here. Do you know wha-”

“Yes, Cas, I know what time it is.”

“Then why are-”

“Because I…” Dean didn’t even know what to say. ‘Because I’m worried about you and your stupid family.’ “Because I wanted to talk to you.”

“Dean, it’s late. And you’re gonna get in trouble. And can’t it wait until tomor-”

“If we don’t do it right now, there’s not gonna be a tomorrow.” Dean says, matter-of-factly. “This is a… I’m not even sure why I’m doing this, but tomorrow I’ll have come to my senses. So we do it now, or never.”

Castiel sighed, and opened the door to let Dean in. Castiel’s living room was much cleaner than Dean’s. Dean shared his space with Victor, Gordon, and Benny. The four of them weren’t exactly neat freaks, but Cas’ living space seemed almost pristine. Like it had never been touched.

Two of Castiel’s roommates were there. The one Dean couldn’t stand was sitting at the couch table, while the other had his leg over the chair. 

“Oh, it’s you.” 

“Hello to you too, Bulbasaur.”

“Excuse me!” 

“Dean.”

“Sorry. Sorry. It’s good to see you too… I’m sorry I actually really don’t remember- I can’t remember his name.”

“Balthazar.” 

“Right! Hello Bathazar. And hello other asshole. And before you say anything smart, remember I kicked your ass once. I will happily do it again.”

“Excuse us.” Cas said as he ushered Dean to his room. Balthazar and Ekeziel giving Dean looks that could kill the dead. When Cas closed the door behind them, they were in their own private bubble of solitude. Dean had to get this over with quickly. Being this close to Cas... well oddly enough it wasn’t doing anything. It wasn’t making him mad, or upset, or even scared. This was just a courtesy call between two people who knew each other.  

“So.”

“Sooo?” Cas fiddled with his bed spread. His room as pristinely clean as the room outside. While simultaneously also being much more… Dean didn’t want to use the word comfortable. Maybe though, it was Castiel’s idea of comfort over Dean’s. 

“How’s… how’s everything?” Dean asked.

“It’s fine.”

“Don’t lie okay.” Dean tells him, to which Castiel gives him a tired eye roll. “You’re really bad at lying okay, so just tell me if you are, or your family are, alright. Because after everything that’s been going down. I just wanted to know if…” 

Dean didn’t even know. Comfort? A shoulder to cry on? Friendship? Could he and Castiel even be friends anymore?  Castiel remained silent for another moment. 

“It’s…” he went quiet, thinking of all the right words he was allowed to say. “It’s not… easy. With” he sighs. “With Michael and Raphael gone. It feels strange to… to still be doing all this. And with Heylel out there running amok, and then with him running amok at all, and… and people… they… It’s not like we didn’t expect it. It’s still annoying though, to be ‘that person’s family members’. And some people will point and whisper and… it’s like they’re expecting us to go bad.”

Dean took that all into account and some part of him, some mushy, stupidly, idiotically, dumb and small part of him, wanted to… hold Cas? Be a shoulder to cry on, maybe? But that would require a talk first. A talk Dean’s not ready to have, and if he was, wouldn’t be to have right now. Instead, Dean tells him:

“That’s probably going to keep happening.” Then realized almost immediately that it was probably an awful thing to say. “I mean, it’s an awful shitty thing to do, but… I’m sorry.”

“Thank you, Dean. But it’s not your fight.”

“Doesn’t that sound familiar.”

Castiel looks at Dean through his lashes. The comment wasn’t going over anyone's head. Not in this room. 

“I’m… I’m sorry for that Dean.” 

“You said that already.”

“Because I was and I am.” Castiel tells him. The same fire in his eyes as before. “I shouldn’t have said those things to you Dean.”

“Yeah, you shouldn’t have.” Dean said, as nonchalantly as possible. As if the words didn’t still sting. Like he didn’t have flashes of that argument popping in his head all the time. “But you did, so anyways how’re your brother and sister? The first years.”

“Sariel and Samandriel. They haven’t complained. Then again, Sariel has always been very active and positive. How is Sam doing.”

“Sam? Sam’s alright probably.”

“Can you congratulate him on his All-Sorting for me. I’m sure he’s tired of hearing it by now, but…”

“Yeah, I’ll… I’ll be sure to do that.”

“Thank you.”

“No, problem.”

After that Dean wasn’t sure what to do. He wasn’t sure what to say. This might’ve been a bad idea. This was something for one of Castiel’s friends to do. Not Dean. This wasn’t his job anymore. 

“This was st- This wasn’t a smart idea.” 

“Dean.”

“Sorry it’s just… I don’t know how to talk to you anymore.”

“Dean, we- I…” Castiel just sighs again.

Dean’s ready to leave it all at that. He’ll say his goodbyes and his well wishes and will make sure this doesn’t happen again. “Sorry to ha..ve…” Dean is at a loss for words when he notices a book on Cas’ dresser. There are a lot of books there but this one, this is a very specific book, he never thought he’d see again. “You still have that?”

“What?” Castiel looks up to Dean and then follows his line of sight. “Oh, yes, of course. It was a gift.”

“And you...you read it all?”

“I read the whole thing a few days after you gave it to me.”

Dean looked on as that old copy of 'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz' sat on Castiel's dresser, mingled with all the other magical books, meant to be owned by wizards.

Which meant that he’d long since read the note. Dean remembered it vaguely. He’d written it so long ago, but he remembered it went somewhere along the lines of:

Dear Cas,

I really really really like you.

Your the smartest, most pretty person I know.

And I know girls are supposed to be pretty or whatever

but you’re pretty too. In a boy way.

I hope I can make you smile forever. 

Happy Valentines Day

Love Dean.

XOXO

Which then reminded Dean of a deal the two of them had made. Did it still apply though? Should it still apply? Did… did Dean want it to apply? Did Cas?

“I’ll see you around Cas.” 

“Do you want me to walk you out?” Cas said, sounding just a bit hopeful. But then again maybe that was Dean being hopeful.

“No, it’s no problem.”

“A-alright then.Take care.” 

“You too Cas.”

Chapter Text

“You don’t get it DO YOU?”
“Of course I do.” Cas whispers.
“We are- this is- you can not BEGIN to understand just how much shit we are in now.”
“Michael I was there I saw-“
“You saw shit!” Michael bellowed. “You insignificant useless little BASTA-“
“Alright ENOUGH!” Raphael screams. “That is e-fucking-nough Michael.”
The girl walked over and looked over her brother like he was a stranger in her path. Then she slaps him. It was a shallow slap. It didn’t seem to ring out or burn the air in its reverberations. But Michael seemed surprised by it nonetheless.
“You do Not have any more right to talk to him like that. Not any more. I get it Michael. I do. No one has more right to be upset than you about this. I get it. I understand. But taking it out on Castiel because you're jealous of him being a Near-All Sort, or because father doesn’t hate him as much as you want him too…” her voice broke and a tear escaped from her hard black gaze “will not undo what Heylel did.”
She didn’t dare say it. None of them would say it. Not directly, not with their voices, no one save some crass ape would say it. But they all knew it. Knew it as the sight burned itself so brightly into their brains and eyes Castiel still had trouble sleeping.

Their family sat in their ancestral home. Deep in the shores of the small isle, unknown to witch or No-Maj, save those who hold the blood of Moonstone. Moonstone Castle was a hidden recluse place. Unplottable. Untraceable. Untouchable. And on this island, far from man’s world, sat an impressive estate with perfect stone walls and a garden large enough to be a forest. A menagerie of magical animals all over the place. Crystalline sunlight cascading through the perfect window panes of this ancient place. Charles Moonstone’s children sat in one room waiting to hear what their elders had to say of them and the future. Since the second Castiel has arrived, he’d felt Michael’s scrutiny. He’d felt the buzz of magic and jitters his eldest brother radiated. Now it was released and Castiel felt its burn.
Samandriel and Sariel were sitting on an ottoman comforting each other. Both too young to really understand what might be asked of them. Uriel was sitting to their right, his legs unsettled by the nervous understanding of what might indeed happen. Gadreel had gone to the bathroom, his stomach having betrayed him outright. Gabriel was sitting unnaturally still in the corner of the couch. He was uncharacteristically still for, not merely himself, but for a human being. Like a statue carved out of dust and sunlight. Like a mirage. Unconcerned with the goings on around him.
Anael was staring at Raphael and Micheal, looking between the two of them with reservation and sorrow.

Michael eventually settles. His face falling forlorn at the surprise his sister had given him. Ever obedient Raphael finally standing up to him to his face.
Then they entered.
The Moonstone Quartet.
The previous generation.
All ways four.
Always siblings.
Always Moonstones.
Always unchosen.
They walked in and they immediately spoke of destiny and prophecy and what could and could not be done.
Nothing could be done. What was there to do?
Heylel had been chosen. He held it still. There was nothing more to be done.
They were allowed to leave. There was nothing more to be said. They were all doomed.

“Cas… I was just… I’m… I just know that- that shit was terrifying.” Dean says softly to him, in that soft loving way that only Dean can. Not because Dean is the only person who loves him but because only Dean loves him like Dean. It pisses Castiel off. He’s too kind. Too close. Castiel doesn’t feel up to it right that instant.
“I just wanted to check up on you before- before you go.”
“I’m doing fine, Dean. I’m… shit this is shit, but I’m fine. Okay? I’m fine.” Did Castiel curse? That didn’t seem right.
“Cas… are you sure? Because that… that really was Some hot fucking shit.” Dean reaffirms. “And I wanna make sure you’re okay, because I know that it’s-“
“You know? What do you know? What do you know about it?” Cas asked. “What do you know about anything?”
“Cas I was just making sure-“
“What do you know about anything important you No-NAMED SHIT?” Castiel screams.
“Wah- yuh-you do not get to talk to me like-”
“What do you know about what my- what I’m feeling? How could you possible know what I’m feeling or how this feels. You get nothing! You know nothing!”
“Hey! I was just trying to help!” Dean tried to move in, tried to convey his feelings with soft touches and hard voice.
“How?” Cas jerked back and screamed. “How could you possible make this even slightly better? My fucking brother! My Brother, Dean! You saw what he did! You saw it! You can’t make that Better!”
“Well I… I don’t know it…. I just wanted to help.”
“Well you can’t Dean. This. All of this is unrepairable ruined. Things will never be good or right or better again. So just… just leave me alone. Alright? Leave me alone.”
“Okay I’ll… I’ll give you sometime to let it all-“
“No Dean. I want you to leave me alone. I don’t want to speak to you. Period.’ Castiel isn’t sure where this is coming from but it’s here and its coming out whether he thinks its a good idea or not. “I am… sick of you right now. I do not want to do … this anymore.”
“This? What… Cas, what do you mea-”
“Of lying to you!” Cas shouts exasperated. “There are things I can NOT tell you, and i do not have it in me right now, to feel guilty about having to…”
Castiel sighs. And he grabs his face while the tears are falling.
“I’m sorry Dean. I really am… I… didn’t mean to call you any of that. I didn’t mean to say any of that! I just… I don’t know Dean. You.. I … I love you so much, but I can’t keep doing this! I can’t… I don’t want to keep being this person. Not for you or anyone or… I love you dean. I really do. But-”
“We can’t keep having this conversation Cas.” Dean says exasperated, all his own. He’s tired too. And Cas is tired of being the reason why.
“Which is why we’re never doing this again.”
“Alright great so we can-”
“I’m breaking up with you Dean. For real. And for the last time.”
“You… you can’t just-”
“Dean.” And Castiel looks at him with such a blank stare. There’s no room for argument. “You have to be more tired of this than I am. I.. I have to keep going through this shit with my family but you… You don’t have to keep going through this shit with me.”
Then they’re both silent for a moment.
“Okay, fuck… yeah, I… I am.” Castiel’s heart breaks a little, but this song and dance is ruining both of their lives and Castiel refuses to hurt Dean any further. “But if you’re gonna do this… if we are gonna do this… it actually has to be the last time. No ‘i miss you. I miss us’ or ‘we should try’ or ‘we can make this work’. We either … we either make this work, or we stop this for real. Okay.”
“Okay. I’m… I’m okay with that.” Castiel was certainly not okay with it, but… they couldn’t keep doing that. ‘I love you Dean Winchester. So I’m going to let you go.”
“I love you too, Castiel Moonstone. So… so i’m letting you.”

Light was fitted through the window in Castiel’s room and he wonders why he’s so obsessed with Dean Winchester. What was it about that boy, that one particular boy in all the world that just made him go crazy.
His room is cold and barren. It’s not his. Not in the way that matters. He stays here during the holidays if he has to at all. He prefers his room at Illvermorny, though better still the one at home above the cafe were his mother sings.
He lays in the bed and counts the motes of dust that flicker through the light as it falls. After hearing from his father’s Generation … after learning that there truly was nothing they could do… Castiel felt like doing nothing.
Then there was a soft knock on his- the door. If not for the sheer stillness of everything around him Castiel might very well have missed it.
“Why can’t they do anything?” Was the first thing Sariel said. Her giant green eye were a softer shade. More dewie and watery, than hard like meadow grass and tree leaves.
“Becuase they are old and bitter and sad little people and they have spent their whole lives waiting for the fulfillment of Abernathy’s Prophecy for literally their entire lives. They could do plenty. They just arent going to.”
“But- but people will die!” Sariel shouts and Castiel knows it as true, and still.
“And still they will allow it.”
“Did he… did he really do it, Castiel?”
Castiel thought it over again in that quick second. The screams the shouts the terror.
“Yes. Yes he did. And… He’s going to do worse.”
“Worse? WORSE? How could… sweet Merlin.”
“Yeah. There’s room for far worse.”