Archive of Our Own ^beta

Marcus wasn’t stupid. 

Cassius knows that; it’s part of the reason he likes Marcus so much, regardless of how much he dreads admitting it to himself. This is especially true when Marcus tells him the only reason he wants Cassius to attend the family vacation is so he won't have to spend time with his parents alone. His cousins would be there, and he mentioned that they would be okay, especially Albin, who Cassius knows is Marcus' favourite cousin. 

“They’re bringing their friends, I’d be by myself,” Marcus had complained after he had broken in through Cassius' window into the Warrington manor. When it became apparent the two would be inseparable after their first year, the Warrington added him to their wards. Still, Marcus continues to enter through Cassius’s window. 

“I don’t know why you insist on breaking in through my window,” Cassius sighed after an hour or two of them arguing. Cassius just wanted Marcus to admit that Marcus simply wanted him there – it wasn’t unusual for Cassius to join them on vacation, he had done it in his Third Year, over Christmas break in his second and Spring Break in his first. Cassius didn’t want Marcus to dance around reasons as to why he wanted them or say that it was simply for Marcus' benefit so he wouldn’t be the only cousin not bringing a friend over. Especially because his parents had been extra annoying recently (which was code for downright verbally abusive and mentally mind-fucking him with how much of a disappointment he was. Sometimes, Cassius thinks the Flints are worse than the Warrington, and they like to cast hexes and jinxes whenever Cassius disobeys. But at least they’re subtle about how displeased they are with him.) But Cassius knows the real reason Marcus wants him there, and he knows that Marcus won’t ever downright admit it’s just because he likes being close to Cassius – and not just in a best-mate kind of way. 

Because Marcus is stubborn and refuses to admit he has a crush on Cassius. 

Cassius knows Marcus has a crush on him, he’s known it since last term. 

They had been studying in the library. Cassius had tied his hair back in a bun since he had decided to grow it out to spite his parents. They had been there for a few hours now, Marcus had been obsessing over Quidditch (more so than usual) since they had got Potter on the team. Marcus was overjoyed and was gushing about him on their entire walk to the library. 

“He’s a natural Cassie!” Marcus said, the dreadful nickname slipping from his lips despite Cassius hating it. Well, he didn’t hate it. Only Marcus ever called him Cassie, and he makes sure anyone who dares try it out gets the meanest boils on their face they’ve ever had. 

“Is he?” Cassius asked, not caring too much but happy that Marcus looked less worried than he had at the beginning of the year. They’ve been kicking Gryffindor’s arses for the past three years, Marcus the Prodigy Keeper got his position in his second year and got Captain this year as well. He had been so stressed out, talking about how Oliver Woods had gotten an amazing Quidditch Seeker and that no one else had looked promising. 

“ Yes! Oh, you should’ve seen him out there – Woods would’ve been drooling! I can’t wait until we kick their arses and win, I truly thought we were done for,” Marcus was grinning and talking with his hands. He kept making wild gestures as he described the different stunts Harry had pulled off. “And the best part is – he’s a natural! He’s never flown a broom before? Can you believe it?” 

“No, I can’t,” Cassius said honestly with a twinkle in his eye as Marcus huffed and rolled his eyes. 

“Well, you’ll believe it when you come to our next practice,” Marcus nodded his head defiantly as they walked into the library. They went over to their usual spot, a small table only big enough for two. 

“Oh? I’m joining you again, am I?” Cassius asked as he slipped into the seat with his back facing the window. The warmth of the sun relaxed his muscles as he got out his study supplies. Marcus sat across from him, sighing. 

“Cassie, you know I love having your help. You see things I don’t – notice people's emotions better than I do. You know when someone needs actual skill help or confidence help and who needs better practice with who,” Marcus told him as he grabbed his books, parchment and quill from his bag. 

“You’re the captain, Marcus, I’m sure you’ll do fine on your own. I’ve already been to nearly every practice,” other than your one with Potter, Cassius couldn’t help but think bitterly. When Marcus had told him that he was going to scout out Potters skill set, Cassius had assumed that meant him as well. He had begun to grab his things when Marcus awkwardly told him that he wanted to scout out Harry one-on-one. 

Cassius had said it was fine, but it stung. Mostly because Marcus usually wants Cassius there for these things, but he had explained that he wanted Potter to understand that he was the captain. Cassius had understood; he knew that he was merely Marcus' advisor when it came to stuff like this, and it was important for Harry to understand that Marcus had the final say no matter what Cassius told him – it was his team, after all. 

But Cassius hated feeling left behind, even if Marcus told him everything anyway. 

“I know, but it’s your team,” Cassius shrugged. 

Marcus huffed and leaned forward, a hand on his chin for support as he tilted his head in the way he did when he was trying to analyze something. “I’m good with formations and strategy. I’m good at looking at someone and knowing – that’s their problem, they’re not trusting their broom enough, or going, They’re not tight enough with their formation. I’m also good at noticing when someone needs to work on their passes, or the way they're swinging their bats or if they're not leaning enough on their broom.” Marcus seemed to be debating on what to say next, and then he lowered his eyes and stared at the table. “You know when someone on the team has issues in their self-confidence, or if they don’t have confidence that another person can do their job. You’re better at the people aspect. Plus, you’re not too bad at noticing the other stuff, too. You’d make a better captain than I will.” 

“Nonsense, all that stuff you can work on, Marcus,” Cassius encouraged, “You don’t need me there.” 

“But I like having you there,” Marcus murmured. Then he looked back up at Cassius, a flush dancing across his cheeks as his bangs danced in front of his eyes. Oh, he’s embarrassed , Cassius thought with an inward grin. 

Instead, he smiled teasingly at Marcus and gave a forced exasperated sigh. “If it means that much to you, you know I’ll help.” 

Marcus grinned once more, “ Thank you! I am forever in your debt.” 

“Bloody right you are,” Cassius grumbled, and Marcus grabbed a discarded piece of parchment, balled it up and tossed it at Cassius. Cassius caught it one-handed and threw it into the trash bin easily, which impressed Marcus no matter how many times he did it. 

“Seriously, Cassius, you’d make an excellent Chaser – despite the fact you’re more built for the Beater position, with your shoulders and all that – but you’d defiantly have a powerful through,” Marcus said with a faraway look in his eyes like he imagines all the games they could win if Cassius ever joined the Quidditch team. 

“Look at my shoulders often, do you?” Cassius asked, raising an eyebrow with a slight quirk on his lips, and Marcus snorted. 

“Don’t go being egotistical,” Marcus waved his head. 

“You’re the one that said it,” Cassius teased. 

“Let’s just study,” Marcus' ears were turning red, and Cassius eyed him carefully as he turned his head to their Arithmancy books. 

Cassius did as Marcus said, wanting to spare his friend since Marcus could only take so much teasing before he turned bratty and flustered. As much fun as it was to make Marcus lose his usually well-kept composure, he did care enough not to embarrass his friend in a public place. 

They had been studying for a few hours in comfortable silence that often overcame them when they were together. Cassius had been leaning back in his chair, staring at his Transfiguration book as he practiced the wand movements with his left hand. Cassius, unknown to many, had Ambidexterity; this was rather useful in moments like these when he could read comfortably with his right hand and not have to worry about messing up with his left. Cassius was growing tired, and he knew that Marcus must be too, but it was rare they could study for more than two hours without Marcus growing bored and trying to draw Cassius into a whispered conversation. Tired, he threw his head back to try and wake himself up as he sat down his Transfiguration book. Closing his eyes, he allowed the warmth of the sun to give him a moment of relaxation before he looked back up and untied the knot in his hair. He ran his fingers through it before he heard a sharp intake of breath. 

“Fuck no…” he heard Marcus mumble. 

Cassius looked at him, expecting him to be staring at his Arithmancy homework – or he’d probably moved on to Astrology now – only to find Marcus looking at him, eyes slightly widened and his cheeks once again incredibly red. Cassius raised an eyebrow, Marcus turned redder, and then he cleared his throat. 

“Uh, I’m done studying now. My brains practically dead,” Marcus’s voice sounded clipped as he looked down at their table. As usual, their things intermingled, and they knew that it didn’t matter who was who since they were always together anyway. He began putting things back in his beg, and Cassius was about to ask what was wrong when – 

Marcus looked at him from the corner of his eye, expression schooled, but Cassius saw how his eyes darted from Cassius eyes to the rest of him and then his lips. It was only for a moment, a split second, really, but Cassius saw it and understood. 

Marcus liked him. 

Cassius had expected it; Marcus had grown attached to him rather quickly, and Marcus had barely liked anybody in his First Year. The only other person Marcus had warmed up to was Daphnae Greengrass, but that was because she had helped him with his Potions essay when she saw he was struggling, and despite his icy demeanour and glare when she approached she easily sat down in front of him – pulled out her own – and began to help him out. His scowl had eventually retreated, and when Cassius walked through the entrance, he smiled when he saw that Marcus looked perfectly relaxed. 

It wasn’t until he joined Quidditch that he began to warm up to being friends – or friendly (in his own Marcus Flint way) to others outside of Cassius and occasionally Daphnae. 

Cassius didn’t say anything and just shrugged and began packing up, Marcus acting as if he hadn’t had the mind-altering realization that he liked his best friend, and Cassius chose to keep it that way. 

Cassius, after all, had realized he liked Marcus first. He had been ignoring the feelings as best he could ever since Marcus first grabbed his hand –

They had been talking to one another in hushed voices down in the common room. Marcus had been accepted into the Keeper position and wouldn’t shut up about how much he loved the thrill of blocking the goals. Cassius couldn’t understand it. 

“But the Quaffles hurt, aren’t they like bricks?” Cassius questioned, “I don’t get it. Jumping in front of something that’s hurling at you and risking the chance of it potentially breaking your arm.”   

“It’s the adrenaline! It’s the watching and moving, and if you’re any good at playing Keeper, you really won’t break anything,” Marcus insisted, and he was sitting cross-legged on the leather couch facing Cassius. His hair had been more unruly the First Year his hair had been cut short to his head. Second Year, he’d allowed it to grow longer, and Cassius had noticed that it usually had a wind-blown look to it, even if he hadn’t been outside practicing for the past hour. But he had, and his hair had grown enough that Cassius imagined he would be able to run his fingers through it. 

“I think you sound mad,” Cassius told him with a snort, dragging his eyes from Marcus' hair to the boy's face. 

“Maybe,” Marcus shrugged. Then he leaned forward and gripped Cassius' hands in his, and Cassius' heart stuttered. He held his breath. “But think about it – Chasers and racing at you, one of them holds the Quaffle, but you don’t know who, you’ve gotta watch each of them carefully, and it’s split seconds before suddenly the Quaffle is racing toward you, through the air and you’ve gotta protect each hoop. You race forward –” Marcus' grip on his hands tightened, and the intense eye contact was causing the same feeling Marcus was describing to him – “Your heart is pumping, electricity is running through your veins as you perform a crazy save, one that no one expects and you hear cheers from the Viewers. They’re shouting your name, and yeah – your arm may be sore, or your leg – but that’s almost the best part. The burn afterward as you hear the stadium cheering. And the burn, the pain, knowing that it was a mere cost for something so much bigger.” 

Cassius swallowed and tried his best to sound unaffected. “A stupid cup?” 

Marcus gasped, and the effect he wanted happened. Marcus let go of his hand and threw his arm over his heart. “Do not call the House Cup stupid !” 

“Sorry, didn’t mean to offend you so deeply,” Cassius drawled sarcastically as he forced his own racing heart and adrenaline-induced warmth to leave his body. 

“I accept your apology,” Marcus said – choosing to ignore the sarcasm. Cassius glared at him, and Marcus gave him a cheeky grin. A grin that only a few had come to earn at that point, and Cassius couldn’t help the pride that hugged him, knowing that that grin was only for him, at least for the time being. 

Cassius learned in his Second Year that he had a crush on Marcus. And he chose to ignore it up until he had learned that Marcus liked him back. He had thought it was only a matter of time until Marcus confessed to him, but he was sorely mistaken because Third Year had come and gone, and despite everyone knowing or at least expecting them to get together, they hadn’t – because Marcus was either stupid or oblivious. 

Cassius knew Marcus wasn’t stupid. So he knew it had to be the second one. But that still didn’t stop him from calling him stupid in his head because after Cassius had Owled him, saying he wasn’t sure he would make it to Greece this year, instead of calling Cassius bluff – which it was, of course, it was. Why wouldn’t Cassius want to spend the summer in Greece? Marcus should know him better than that by now. Marcus knew Cassius didn’t like spending time at home. 

Instead, Marcus had gotten the letter and chose to travel to Warrington Manor and chose to break into his house by climbing the wall outside of Cassius' room, opening the window and lounging in his bed as he waited for Cassius to return to his room. Marcus told him he had only been there for twenty minutes, but the fact that he was already halfway through one of Cassius' many books discussing the Dark Arts and its uses for healing told Cassius he had been there for far longer. 

The only person who he could think of that could read that fast was Hermione Granger, one of the other First Years (Second Years, Cassius guesses now) Gryffindors from Potters group. 

“I don’t like coming through your front door. Your parents might want to talk to me,” Marcus had said with a shrug, “Hence the Window.” 

“Fair enough, though I doubt they’d be very happy to hear that – they adore you, you know?” Cassius smirked as he went to sit down beside Cassius on his bed.

“Oh, I know,” Marcus drawled and rolled his eyes. Then he cleared his throat and mimicked the words his parents use whenever they talk to him as he made his Posh accent incredibly thick in a way that was supposed to mock Cassius' parents; “Oh Marcus, it is such a thrill to have one of the members of the Sacred Twenty Eight in our home. You’re welcome whenever you like – please try your best to put up with Cassius, we know he can be difficult, and your influence would help him so much .” Marcus then made a face and gagged. Speaking normally, his accent is still there but not as heavy. “It’s bloody annoying – as if you aren’t perfect the way you are. I don’t need to help or influence you in any way.” 

When Marcus says things like that, Cassius wants to wack him over his head with his book. Someone else would point it out or bring it up and be like Does that mean you think I’m perfect? And they’d go on from there to finally get together. But Cassius wants Marcus to tell him because he’s worried that if he tries, Marcus will get scared and run. Marcus doesn’t do emotions. He’s said that himself, his parents made sure of that. And no amount of fancy vacations or new brooms or new supplies would ever change that. It took Marcus two years to warm up to everyone in his house, and he’s worried if he tried to push Marcus when he wasn’t ready that, he’d lose any chance he had with him at all. 

Still , Cassius thought as he tried his best to calm his racing heart, You can’t just say shit like that.  

Cassius laughed, “Fair enough. I’d avoid your parents too – oh wait, I can .” 

“I’m not leaving until you agree to go with me,” Marcus said stubbornly.

“I can still kick you out.” 

“No, you can’t, your parents love me too much. They’d sooner kick you out than me.” 

Cassius laughed, Even though they were joking about that, Cassius knew it was the truth. So did Marcus. Which sucked, but they both knew if they didn’t joke about stuff like this, they would cry about it. 

And they both would much rather laugh and support each other when shit gets too much. 

Cassius took a pillow from behind him and hit Marcus with it. Cassius had a king-sized bed, which was incredibly comfy with silk sheets and a heavy royal blue cover on it. His bed was pushed up behind him, against the wall at the far corner of his room, so he could be furthest away from his door but always be able to see it. (Just in case his father storms in, he’d have time to prepare himself.) His pillow covers were black and silver and incredibly firm but comfortable – enchanted, so it always supported his neck perfectly. 

And despite having plenty of room, Marcus and Cassius always chose to sit directly beside each other, so their shoulders were always touching. Cassius doesn’t think they’ve always sat like that; he suspects they started doing it sometime around the end of their Second Year. 

If you thought Cassius' room would be filled with green of all shades – or that he preferred green over any other colour – you are wrong. Cassius’s room would probably look more like a gothic Ravenclaw, and the room that you always see when you search up the aesthetic ‘Victorianroom’ had a baby. It was big, big enough to have a fireplace at the far end with two old dark mahogany wood loveseats facing it and a small coffee table in the middle. The walls on either side of the library were just giant bookcases, and Marcus knew that Cassius had read at least one entire wall of those books, and he’d probably already started on the other. The couches were black, with blue roses embroidered into the cushions, black accent pillows sitting on both with a silver quilt with the Slytherin symbol in the middle. Marcus smiled, he’d gotten that for Cassius for Christmas their First Year. Cassius had mentioned he liked reading with a blanket, but the ones in the common room weren't heavy enough for him. So Marcus had ordered him a heavy Slytherin quilt for Christmas, and he knows that Cassius still uses it. 

Near the left of the fireplace, after the giant book-shelf wall that Cassius had, was a door that led to Cassius's ensuite bathroom. Then, on the left wall was a wide black wardrobe – contrasting with the dark wood panelling and the dark blue accent wall. Next to the wardrobe was the large double dark mahogany door that led out of Cassius' bedroom – the bed tucked into the corner, facing the door. The doorway and wardrobe took up most of that wall, but there was also a tall (about 10 foot) mirror that had pure silver bordering and carved into the silver was – only Marcus would guess it – roses. 

Next to the bed was a long dresser filled with more clothes – Cassius was ever the fashionista, no matter what he said. There were dozens of photos along the wall as well, Cassius had taken the vine plant he had gotten and hung it over his bed, the green vines long enough to drape across his entire wall and be stuck with magic. 

Polaroids of him and Cassius together hung from the vines, little orbs of light decorating the wall, casting the room in a low glow. The photos started with Cassius' first trip with him to Greece when they were both eleven at the time, and then back when they were at Hogwarts, and a photo of him lifted on the Slytherins Quidditch team shoulders and grinning ear to ear – it was his first ever win as Slytherins new Keeper and his first game ever played. 

Marcus had spent hours looking at the photos before. His heart would hammer, and a blush on his cheeks would form, and he would stare with a stupid smile on his face. 

The rest of the room was made of dark wood panelling. All along the walls were strung different dried flowers, hanging upside down and down the wall from his bed sat Cassius large desk with the most dramatic dark blue chair he has ever seen. It had a long back, stretching up and curving, dark mahogany wood bordering the dark blue cushion. It was charmed to float so Cassius could move around easily in it, and it was large enough that Cassius could curl up on his side while sitting in it. Its arms were made of the same blue cushion as well, and Marcus has sat in it – it’s incredibly comfy. On his desk were different flowers, all dried, and Marcus could guess that Cassius had picked up the hobby of flower pressing. 

Those walls were filled with his different hobbies, from floating bookshelves circling in some spots to incredibly good landscape paintings that would shift from morning to evening, and musical instruments were hanging up, ready to be played whenever he wished. A piano was even in the centre of the room, and sometimes, it would play by itself or when Cassius would command it too. That was another thing Marcus adored about Cassius, whenever he set his mind to something, he’d strive to be great. He picked up hobbies, became annoyingly good at them incredibly fast and then moved on to something else. 

In the centre of the room, on the floor, was a giant dark blue rug covering the dark brown – almost black – wooden floor. Marcus remembered the time Cassius had him stand in the centre while he drew him, it wasn’t that long ago – when they first arrived back after summer break. Marcus had spent the first week here, mainly because his parents had a late return from some business over in the Netherlands. The Warrington accepted his request before he could even finish asking and told them as long as they got schoolwork done, Marcus could stay as long as he liked. 

Cassius had Marcus stand there for a half-hour and would stare at him intensely before continuing to draw. Marcus eventually got tired, and Cassius simply told him to sit down, and he moved his levitating chair over to him. Marcus had grown fidgety, and he was bored out of his mind after an hour. 

“Are you done yet?” Marcus groaned. 

“You asked me to do this,” Cassius said with an exasperated look. 

Marcus sighed, “Yeah – but that was before I realized it was a long ass process.” 

“You’re unbelievable,” Cassius stood up with his sketchbook and marched over to where Marcus was sitting. “But yes, I am done.” 

Marcus grinned, sat up straight, and took the sketchbook, he then saw with annoyance that Cassius hadn’t even been drawing his legs. But then he realized that Marcus was smiling in all of these and found himself blushing when he realized how close to a photograph it looked. 

“I was barely smiling,” Marcus pointed out. 

“I’ve memorized what you’re smile looks like, Marcus; I can practically picture it in my mind at will.” 

They stared at each other for a while. Marcus had cleared his throat and looked back down at the drawings, his ears burning. He hoped Cassius hadn’t noticed. 

They were headshots, but one was of him leaning in the chair and staring up at the ceiling. He was fidgeting with his wand and looked incredibly bored. But it was great detail, and he noticed that despite the legs being a little less polished – it was incredibly well done. 

“You’re really good at this,” Marcus complimented, “Can I keep these?” 

Cassius rolled his eyes, sliced the paper with a clean-cut spell and gave it to Marcus. “I’m good at everything.” 

“Wow, way to be humble. You know, everyone always tells me you’re so clear-headed – I doubt they’d believe me if I ever told them how egocentric you are.” 

“Is it being egocentric if I’m right?” Cassius had asked with a twinkle in his eye. 

“All you had to do was say thank you,” Marcus said, refusing to answer him. Cassius laughed as he waved his wand, and his sketchbook was put back in his desk drawer. 

Marcus would never tell Cassius how charmed by him he is. And he’ll never tell Cassius how much he liked him – his narcissism and all. He doubted Cassius would ever feel the same because Cassius was good at everything. But he was also incredibly compassionate to others, and he was incredibly kind to everyone and so fiercely loyal to those he considers friends. Cassius was perfect. 

Marcus would make sure he knew that not just because he liked him But because Cassius deserved to be told he was because Marcus knows that despite what Cassius says, he often doesn’t believe it. 

After Marcus had refused to leave, Cassius spent a good twenty minutes teasing and pretending not to be persuaded (Cassius was always going to go, but Marcus didn’t need to know that – he likes bugging the guy) Cassius pretended to concede and told Marcus he’d tell his parents he was going. 

He, of course, had already told them he was – that was what he had just done before he entered the room and began to pack. Marcus offered to help, but Cassius glared at him after learning from last time that Marcus helping wasn’t helpful at all. Marcus couldn’t pack to save his life, and he had said he always got his house elves to do it. Cassius understood why, but he found he liked doing it the ‘muggle way,’ as Marcus had called it. It just made him feel better knowing that everything he wanted was going with him. He didn’t want to get to Greece just to find out one of his house elves forgot to pack a specific conditioner that was perfect for his hair in hot weather. 

He sent Marcus on his way and told him that he’d see him in four days – despite knowing Marcus would probably show up again at some point, either through the Floo (Marcus said he didn’t like going through the Floo because he hated the chimney dust) or more likely through his window. The window itself was just above his bed, similar ones all lined up down his right wall. Every other window had black drapes, while the rest were silky silver. Ever since Marcus showed he favoured the window above his bed, Cassius had taken to leaving it unlocked for him. Maybe if he wanted Marcus to stop entering through his window, he should lock it. But despite acting like it annoys him, it doesn’t. 

As expected, Marcus had visited for the entire day two days after Cassius had sent him on his way. But they just talked about what Greece might bring the entire time. Marcus promised that his parents would probably ignore them and that his Aunt Blair would be there. 

Aunt Blair (Marcus' Mother's sister)  was one of the only relatives (besides his cousins) that he liked. She runs a magical creature sanctuary in the Netherlands as well as one in Uagado. She had lost her husband in the first wizarding war, and she never talked about him much. But they liked her because she wasn’t anything like Marcus' mother. She was kind with her words, offered praise when it was deserved instead of constant criticism, and was fun. She never got the chance to have children (which both Marcus and Cassius think she was happy about), so she often spoiled Marcus and her other niece and nephew, and after learning that Cassius would be a constant in Marcus' life, it also extended to him as well. 

Eventually, Cassius left to travel to Greece. He arrived at the Flints manor and was brought to the Floo station that would take them to the Porkey, which was scheduled to take them to Greece. Cassius greeted Mr. and Mrs. Flint (Willa and Markim) with a fake smile and a kiss on Willa’s right hand. They offered him their praise and said they were overjoyed to hear he was coming with them. Cassius glanced at Marcus and realized he never told his parents that he thought Cassius wouldn’t make it, which meant he had planned to get him to go no matter what. Marcus seemed to be giving him the middle finger with his eyes, and Cassius turned his Pureblood charm back to his parents. 

The Summer House they had in Greece was beautiful, as always. It was styled to look like an old Greek palace, with plants and fountains decorating its exterior. The same inside as it always was, with a modern twist to certain rooms that allowed them to be comfortable. They seemed to be the last to arrive, as when they entered the main seating room, the rest of Flint’s extended family (and two new faces that were Marcus' cousins and friends that they had mentioned) were sitting and talking. Wine glasses are already out, which means nothing has changed. 

Aunt Blair was the first to greet them, Marcus' parents eagerly going to greet the other two couch occupants first. Mrs.Flint gave her sister a nod and was on her way. 

Blair was an incredibly beautiful woman, with long strawberry blonde hair (same as Marcus mothers) and dark brown eyes. She looked younger than she was but still had the age lines around her eyes and forehead – unlike Marcus' mother, who used potions to de-age her skin. She was wearing a long silk sundress with a wide-brimmed hat, and her hair was in a braid, a silk cloak was around her shoulders, and when Cassius hugged her, he realized it was enchanted with a cooling spell. 

“Oh, it’s lovely to see you boys!” Aunt Blair said with a smile, “Truly lovely. You’ll have to tell me everything about how your school year went – was it as eventful as the last years?” 

Marcus and Cassius shared a look – do they tell Aunt Blair about the Philosopher's Stone fiasco? 

“We’ll tell you everything when we have time,” Marcus settled on, “Trust us.” 

Aunt Blair looked curious, “Oh…I see.” 

Marcus' other Uncle, Nikodem Flint (his dad's brother), waved them over, and the four new arrivals settled on the couches. Nikodem Flint and his wife eagerly asked the two similar questions, though it seemed they were more curious about their newest house member, Harry Potter. Marcus tip-toed around how close he had become to Potter, simply saying that whenever they talked,d it was mostly about Quidditch (which was true, but not true at the same time.)  

After ten minutes of Marcus practically being interrogated by his family members but having it disguised as – catching up. The last few questions were directed around Marcus' studies, and he proudly stated that he was passing all of his classes. However, it seemed that they had gotten all their use out of Marcus. 

“Well, brother, we have other matters to discuss,” Mr.Flint said to Nikodem. Nikodem seemed to want to disagree but decided against it. 

Nikodem had always had a soft spot for Quidditch; he had played on the Slytherin team when he was at Hogwarts – as a Beater, though. Cassius couldn’t help but think that even Nikodem would appreciate the Twin's skills, even if they were filthy blood traitors. 

At least, that’s what his parents would say. Cassius hasn’t been finding it in himself to care all that much recently. Hell, Potter is a half-blood, and that says something not even his parents could deny after what that Twleve-year-old had accomplished with Hermione Granger ( mudblood, his mother shrieked in his head) and Ron Weasley ( Blood traitors, his father spat.) 

“Ah yes,” Nikodem let out a long, tired sigh, “Germany, I presume?” 

“Germany?” Albin inquired – he often couldn’t help himself and asked questions even when he knew they wouldn’t answer –“What happened in Germany?” 

“Not now, Alby,” Nikodem's wife spoke up her hazel eyes – unlike her children's round eyes  – were upturned, which meant her eyes practically knives when she narrowed her gaze slightly. “Go check in with your cousins. Don’t worry about this.”

Albin and Laila both turned to look at Marcus and Cassius, eyes twinkling despite their faces staying indifferent or even slightly bored. Marcus and Cassius returned the sentiment. Cassius also couldn’t help but appreciate the two's beauty – it was a bother that Laila and Albin were both incredibly attractive – which goes to say that all Flints are incredibly attractive individuals. 

All the Flint children had pitch-black hair. Albin’s was cut short, shaved at the sides and clean-cut on top, allowing for his bangs to fall just over his forehead and enough to swipe to the side or mess up. He had broad shoulders and a wide chest, a strong chin bone that could cut with high cheekbones. He had round dark eyes, giving him a kinder look, with a structured nose that was almost too perfectly symmetrical on his face. 

Albin's sister, Laila, was the same age as them. Laila hadn’t cut her hair since she was twelve, other than giving it a trim or keeping it manageable. She was rather proud of it, and it always looked like she could be cast as a Princess or something. Unlike her brother, she got her mother's hazel eyes that were either green or blue depending on the day (they were more blue right now,) and she had the same structured cheek and chin bones, giving her a sophisticated aura about her. She had the same symmetrical nose as her brother as well. Cassius knew she was on the Wind Gliders team at Beuxbatons – which is where she and her brother go – so she had a sleek frame about her with muscled legs and arms, perfect for performing tricks mid-air. 

Cassius' attention now drifted to the two new faces – both girls. One had bright red hair that reminded Cassius of the Weasleys, and he wondered if this was one of their distant relatives. The other had dirty blonde hair that was trying to fight itself on whether it would be sun bleached or not. 

“Of course, Mother,” Albin nodded and gestured for them all to follow him out to the gardens. “Aunt Blair, care to join us?” 

Aunt Blair shook her head, “I’ll join in a little bit. I do have to catch up with my sister.” 

Albin nodded, and they all bowed – even the two girls, so either they were Purebloods, or they were trained properly by their respective friends – and the teenagers all left. 

They made sure they were far out of ear reach, and even then, they waited just in case one of their parents decided to follow them for whatever reason. They reached the other sitting room on the far side, the one they all tended to use whenever their parents shooed them away. Unlike the main room, which was a spotless marble painting of modern Greek meets Ancient Greek, this room was smaller. The couches were closer together, and a long footrest separated them. Along the back wall was a large open window, no glass and white silk curtains were pulled apart, allowing the cool air to enter the room. On one side was a large white marble shelf with different books, and below it on a table were multiple wine glasses and a bottle of red wine. 

On the far side sat another open window, and below it was a Roman-style stool that usually fit one person, but Cassius and Marcus had sat together on it when they were younger and whispered about school gossip. 

 Then they all piled on the loveseats (there were three of them), Marcus and Cassius sitting together on the loveseat while the Long Lost Weasley sat with Albin and Ms.Sun-Bleached-or-Not sat with Laila. 

“Now that we’re in the clear –” Laila grinned and clapped her hands together – “Tell us everything! Ain’t no way, the Harry Potter is in your school – in your house, Slytherin of all things – and on your Quidditch team, and he’s just your teammate.” 

Albin leaned forward intently, pure curiosity in his eyes. Laila reminded Cassius a lot of Pansy Parkinson, and Albin was defiantly Blaise Zabini. Well, if Blaise Zabini had Theodore Nott’s Sacred Twenty-Eight training. Cassius worries for that boy. 

“Introduce your friends first,” Marcus ordered as he eyed the two newcomers. 

“I’m Sadie,” Long-Lost-Weasley said, “Sadie Markle.” 

“Ah, not what I expected,” Cassius said aloud, “I thought you were a long-lost Weasley.” Marcus snickered at that as Laila and Albin rolled their eyes. They heard all about the Weasleys, Fred and George specifically. Marcus was a victim of their pranks in his First Year because he was sort of rude to everyone, so it was deserved. But then they all joined the Quidditch team at the same time in their Second Year, and it turned into a love/hate relationship from there on out. However, Cassius knows that Marcus considers them friends – just as he does. 

“Is that an insult?” Sadie asked, eyes narrowing. Despite the flaming red hair, that’s where her resemblance to the Weasleys ended. Her eyes were a dance between a sea green and a blue. She had tan skin, which meant she spent a lot of time outside and only a few freckles across her cheeks and nose and touch along the arms, though that’s inevitable if you spend a lot of time outside. Cassius has never met the girl, Weasley, though he guessed that Sadie wouldn’t resemble her. 

She was gorgeous – but in the model way. The way that has you questioning if that’s her real face or if she had a lot of plastic surgery. Her eyes were upturned but slightly hooded, giving her a seductive look without even trying. She had high-cheek bones, a sharp jaw and full lips. A perfect cupid bow on her upper lip. Her nose was slightly upturned, giving her the complete mix of Veela/fairy. But she had strong shoulders and a toned body that made Cassius think this girl could throw a punch. She was wearing a silk dress, which she looked slightly uncomfortable in, but she masked it pretty well. If he wasn’t paying attention to her, he probably wouldn’t have noticed. 

“No, it’s just your hair reminds us of a group of brothers back home,” Cassius told her. 

Sadie quirked a perfectly trimmed eyebrow, “Okay?” 

“I’m Cynthia,” Bleached-Or-No spoke up. She seemed to be trying to diffuse the tension. She was pretty, too, not in the Are You Fake category but the, oh wo,w God does have favourites category. She had round dark blue eyes, soft pale skin, a round face and a cute button nose with round lips and a kind look in her eyes. She seemed the most out of place, so Cassius guessed she was a muggle-born. She waved awkwardly and then put her hand back in her lap. She was smiling, ll too, and Cassius guessed she was always going to have that youthful glow to her. 

She won’t be needing anti-aging potions, that’s for sure. 

“A pleasure to meet you guys,” Marcus nodded. “Just out of curiosity – and mainly so we establish trust – what’s your blood status?” 

“How does that establish trust?” Cassius asked, glaring at his friend. 

“Our parents – besides Aunt Blair – Dark Lord followers. I want to know if they trust me so I can know if I trust them with the whole truth about our school year,” 

Albin glanced at Laila before the two seemed far less childish about their interest in the story. Then, the two nodded at their friends. 

“Muggleborn,” Cynthia’s voice was incredibly quiet, and the two boys had to strain to hear. Good, Laila was incredibly honest with her about their situation. 

The sad thing, though, is that their parents aren’t going to care enough to talk to the newcomers. The only reason Cassius was even spoken to was because of who his parents were. 

“Half-blood,” Sadie said less quietly but still in a whisper. 

“Alright, do you know who Harry Potter is?” Marcus eyed Cynthia. Cynthia glared at him, and Marcus quirked his lips. “Forgive me for asking – now strap in because none of you will believe me.” 

Marcus told the story from the beginning. Cassius chipped in here and there in case Marcus forgot something, or they needed an extra detail added. Marcus got a little carried away when he talked about their Quidditch games, so Cassius had to rein him in a few times, either putting a hand on his wrist or leaning forward — closer to Marcus — which made the boy stutter once, or his ears turn red. 

Be more obvious, why don’t you, Cassius thought fondly as he purposely slipped up and brushed his hand along Marcus' arm. Albin eyed him questionly, a mischievous glint in his eye, but Laila was too caught up in the story to notice anything. A few times, she interrupted so she could ask; 

“ Actually? He fought a troll – in his First year?” 

“Yes, Laila, I’m already on the topic of the three-headed dog,” Marcus groaned. 

“No, it’s just trolls are disgusting,” Laila scrunched up her nose, “And they’re hideous.” 

“That poor girl,” Cynthia said, “She must’ve been scared.” 

“Granger?” Marcus inquired, Cynthia nodded, “I mean, she was. But she also got over it pretty quickly – or at least she seemed to.” 

“I doubt it –” 

“ Guys, Fluffy,” Albin pushed, “I want to hear the rest.” 

Marcus delved right back into storytelling. Cassius doesn’t understand why Marcus doesn’t see himself as a good Captain. Yes, Cassius is good at reading people, but Marcus draws people in. Especially when he’s hyping his team up and ordering them on what to do, they trust him completely to tell them how to win, and he’s convincing and captivating with his words. Not to mention, everyone listens to him whenever he speaks. He just has that aura about him. 

Cassius finds him enthralling. 

By the end of the story, everyone was quiet. 

“No bloody way,” Albin scoffs. 

“I told you you wouldn’t believe me,” Marcus said with a smirk as he leaned back. 

“He’s Twelve.” Albin seems dead set on this not being true, even if he does believe it. 

“Tell me about it,” Cassius snorts and shakes his head. 

“He’s The Boy Who Lived – what do you expect?” Laila turned to her brother and shook her head. Albin seemed dead set on arguing with her, but Marcus spoke. 

And everyone listens when Marcus speaks. 

“Nah, it’s all him – he’s just Harry Potter.” Marcus puts that argument to rest. 

As they all catch up, Cassius notices that Laila is giving Cynthia heart-eyes the entire time, and Cynthia is just clueless as she listens to what school is like over at Hogwarts. Other than the raving-murdering-lunic that was hiding underneath their professor's turban and the whole troll in the dungeon thing, and the three-headed dog up in the school's third-floor corridor and – you get the point. 

Cassius also noticed that Sadie was one hundred percent into Albin and was trying desperately to get Albin to notice that. Because she would (painfully obviously) flirt with him while also trying to engage in conversation with the others. Cassius understood how she felt. So it must be a Flint thing, then. 

Eventually, dinner was served, and they had to sit through an extremely tense dinner, whatever it seemed Nikodem and Mr.Flint had been talking about, it hadn’t ended on equally agreeable terms. Aunt Blair cheered the mood up by discussing with her sister the latest gossip she heard at her work, Mrs.Flint, happy for a change of subject (from whatever they were discussing before), was eagerly conversing. Nikodems wife, Phoebe, seemed content to talk with the kids about their schoolwork. 

Cassius happily carried the conversation while Marcus pitched in, here and there. Mr.Flint would surely not miss a moment in his foul mood to take it out on Marcus, even with others present. Albin seemed content to keep quiet (Nikodem was a lot like his brother in some aspects), while Laila offered her input here and there, only withering slightly under her mother's eye. 

They thankfully left after that, content to go to their rooms. Since there were extra guests here, Cassius and Marcus offered to share a room. This allowed Sadie the spare room, much to her well-hidden disappointment and satisfaction in Pheobe’s eyes. 

Their room was big enough for them to each have their own space. They shared the wardrobe and the dresser while Marcus took up the space where the desk was, and Cassius hunkered down in the small reading nook. It was Greek-styled but far more modern than the rest of the house. The furniture just appeared to be mimicking the old Greek look. While the room itself had marble flooring and white walls, the bed rose on a platform in the middle of the room with four pillars at each corner. White silk sheets with pillow covers to match. 

“You cool with sharing the bed?” Cassius asked as he felt the coolness of the silk. He purposely risked a glance over in Marcus' direction so that they were forced to make eye contact as he asked. 

Marcus darted his eyes, only keeping eye contact as he said, “Yes,” before shifting it so that he could pretend to be interested in the tile and marble style of his desk. 

“Perfect,” Cassius said loudly enough for Marcus to hear. He heard the same huff in annoyance, but he knew it was at himself and not Cassius. 

They got ready for bed, Cassius and Marcus not bothering to head to the ensuite to change since they’d changed in front of each other multiple times. Roommates and all. But they both choose to purposely not face each other. And they both ignored each other's blush as they crawled into bed. 

Marcus was an early riser; he always has been ever since he was little. He felt bad for the House Elf that was assigned to him when he was a baby because, according to her (Her name had been Wisty), he was cranky when he first woke up. Wisty had told him that he always seemed to wake up at five AM. Wisty admitted that most house elves awoke at around five or six to begin their duties if they weren’t on the night shift, but she preferred her sleep, so she always got up at six. But when Marcus had been assigned to her, her entire morning schedule had changed. 

He had apologized, but Wisty told him not to, that she was overjoyed at being tasked to take care of the first and only heir that Flints had. 

He still carried that habit, though, waking up before the sun to begin his day, which is how he found himself in this awful, terrible situation. 

Marcus remembers him and Cassius going to sleep, facing away from each other. But, at some time during the night, they congregated in the middle of the bed. Marcus was tucked into Cassius' chest, his one arm laid out across the pillow, with Marcus using his bicep as a pillow. Cassius' other arm was wrapped around Marcus' waist, pulling him closer. Marcus's left arm was thrown over Cassius' side, while his right was tucked between them, holding onto Cassius' silk sleepshirt in a light grip. 

Absolutely not, Marcus thought at first as he felt his face light up red. Cassius still sounded like he was fast asleep, of course he was, Marcus usually was up and ready before him. He got Cassius up an hour before breakfast started all the time; Cassius wasn’t an early riser. In fact, on the weekends, he can sleep in until ten or eleven if the others let him. 

Marcus pushed himself away a little bit, and then he felt something tighten around his thighs and – Oh god , Cassius had one of his legs wrapped around him. 

They were cuddling . 

This can’t be happening; I’m so not prepared for this, Marcus thought as he closed his eyes and tried his best to just go back to sleep and pretend nothing happened. 

Cassius was a light sleeper; he would wake up if Marcus tried to escape their entangled limbs. 

Marcus was already wide awake, though, and sleep was impossible because his heart was racing, and the fire in his nervous system was keeping up. 

Marcus sighed deeply and just allowed himself to relax. If he didn’t move, Cassius wouldn’t wake up, and maybe – just maybe – Marcus can enjoy this. Marcus allowed himself to look up at Cassius. 

People tell him he’s attractive all the time. Daphnae tells him he gets away with being such a little brat because he’s a pretty boy. But Marcus thinks Cassius is the prettiest boy of all. He has a boyish face, with high cheekbones and full lips. He has seductive eyes, ones that make you get lost and have you questioning yourself and everything you know. That’s how Cassius is so persuasive, and it’s definitely how he gets away with charming the teachers and other students to get his way – part of the reason he’s been able to have so many books signed out of the library all the time, no doubt. 

Marcus noticed last night that Cassius had taken his hair down, since his second year, he’s been growing it out, and it’s for sure a good look on him. It gives him an aristocratic look; it’s just to his shoulders now, and he usually keeps half of it up in a bun. Marcus reached out with the hand that had been wrapped around Cassius' waist and reached; a few strands of Cassius' light brown hair (Marcus thinks the colour reminds him of light caramel) had fallen in front of his face. Marcus tucked it behind his ear, and (despite voices screaming at him not to) he dusted the tips of his fingers down Cassius’ cheek and his jaw. 

Merlin's beard, I’m fucked, Marcus thought as he brought his arm right back down and wrapped it around Cassius waist. He leaned his head in and rested his forehead on Cassius' chest. He groaned, too and laughed dryly to himself out of pure self-pitying amusement. 

“I’m so screwed,” He murmured into Cassius chest. 

Somehow, he wormed his way out of his best friend's arms. He didn’t know if it somehow roused him awake, but he needed to breathe air that wasn’t intoxicated with the smell of Cassius so he wouldn’t do something stupid like that again. 

Because that’s what it was, it was stupid . So bloody stupid because Cassius was his best friend. That’s all he’ll ever be because Cassius can’t like him back. He wouldn’t. Cassius was amazing – smart, charismatic, witty and good. He wasn’t strangely obsessive like Marcus was, and acting on his feelings would be incredibly selfish of him. 

Cassius had his whole life ahead of him, and he liked girls. Marcus knows Cassius likes girls because he caught him making out with a few at the house parties. Cassius could have a normal life, and even if there was a small possibility that Cassius liked Marcus back (which Marcus heavily doubts), he wouldn’t want to put Cassius in a position where he might be cast away or disowned. 

Cassius would do that for Marcus; he knows he would. 

Marcus walked his way into the kitchen and wasn’t surprised to see his Aunt Blair already up. Like Marcus, she rose before the sun. She greeted him with a smile and gave him his coffee, and Marcus thanked her with a smile. Aunt Blair was probably already on her second cup, and she waited patiently for Marcus to finish his first before she began asking him about school. 

She asked about his Quidditch team, and Marcus excitedly spent thirty minutes talking about how he got made Captain this year and that he was blessed with more than competent flyers. He gave a detailed explanation of all his team members – including Harry – but then he went on to talk about how much help Cassius was with his team. 

Maybe most of those thirty minutes were spent talking about how awesome Cassius was, but Marcus chose to ignore the blooming grin on his Aunt’s face in favour of talking about his classes (which he often spent with Cassius and his studying time (which was also spent with Cassius,) as well as his friends drama (and what Cassius thinks of all that.) 

“Sounds like you and Cassius had a pretty eventful year,” Aunt Blair said, with the voice of I know something you don’t. 

“Nothing compared to Potter year,” Marcus laughed t, trying to draw attention away from that statement. Mostly because he realized afterward that he probably showed far too much affection for his best friend than what was platonically normal, and his Aunt Blair was far too smart not to notice that. 

“I would say, tell me more, but I do enjoy having plausible deniability if your Mother or Father ask me any questions. Or your Aunt and Uncle,” Aunt Blair waved her hand as she spoke, and Marcus nodded in understanding. 

“Speaking of,” Marcus began as he took a sip from his coffee, “That little – reunion – yesterday in the living room. After you got us to leave, what was that about?” 

Aunt Blair sighed tiredly and finally looked her age for once. “Same old stuff. Fundings from the Flint Families shared vaults are being pulled too much toward your father's investments, and not enough is being put into your Uncles. Willa, bless her soul, is tired of not being allowed to pursue her research into the works of Ancient Curses and how they could benefit modern-aged magic’s Protection Runes – despite the fact her research is more centred around the Dark Arts, she is making a valid point, but it’s far too blatantly Dark Magic for her London Investors to follow through so she’s looking for Nikodem to help her find people who will look into it, but he won’t budge to help unless your father allows Nikodem a certain sum of money so he can look into expanding the Flint’s Apothecary business to Asia.” 

“Since when did Uncle Nikodem care about the Apothecary business? Wasn’t that more Aunt Pheobe’s thing?” Marcus inquired. 

“It was – until she found a breakthrough with a Potion’s Expert from Uagadou that was being funded by the one and only Madame Zabini —”
“Oh, I know her son. He’s friends with Potter,” Marcus pointed out, and he scrunched his nose. “He’s too bloody smart for his own good.”

Aunt Blair laughed, “Oh, he is definitely Madame Zabini’s boy then. She’s got this air about her like she’s always two steps ahead of everyone else. Drove Pheobe mad when she was trying to commission a deal with her. Phoebe wouldn’t tell us what this potion expert found out Madame Zabini forbade her from revealing anything to anyone until it was certain that the deal would happen. So that’s what your Dad and Uncle were fighting about. Your Dad won’t go for it until he knows for certain this isn’t a dud, and they’d actually make money off it.” 

“Dad doesn’t trust that Nikodem isn’t being fooled,” Marcus said with a chuckle, “He won’t agree to use the family because he doesn’t know all the facts. Uncle Nikodem and Aunt Pheobe are basically asking for his blind trust. Why won’t they just use their own money for this? They got it.” 

“Exactly,” Aunt Blair snapped her fingers. A grin on her face as Marcus shrugged. “As for why they won’t use their own money? Because it’s the Flint Apothecary business – any investments into it have to be from the Flint money, not their banks. If it was for their business, it wouldn’t matter, but it’s the Flint’s business. Since your Dad and Uncle split the businesses up between them because they both wanted to be in charge of the Flint name, it always comes down to this. Eventually, they’ll come to an agreement, or Nikodem will go behind your father's back and do it anyway.” 

“And Aunt Pheobe won’t speak out or try to convince them herself. She’ll just sit back and watch while my dad and Uncle tear each other apart this summer,” Marcus drawled as he finished his second cup of coffee. 

“Of course she will, she started this mess but is having her husband clean it up,” Blair didn’t try to hide her disdain as she put her mug and Marcus’ in the sink. 

“I love our family vacations.” Marcus and Aunt Blair both shared a smile of knowing. “Have they tried to get you to sell over your conservatories?” 

“No, but they did try to get me to allow them to harvest my creatures for their magical attributes. As they do every year.” Aunt Blair began to unbraid her hair as they disentangled in the beach-wave style. 

“Let me guess – it would be so much easier to just collect them yourself instead of waiting for nature to run its course,” Marcus did his best to impersonate his father, and Aunt Blair laughed. 

“Exactly,” Aunt Blair applauded his acting skills. 

“You know, it’s almost as if they have no idea what ‘conservatory’ actually means,” Marcus said, and Aunt Blair patted his shoulders and nodded in agreement. 

“Now that we’ve covered all of that,” Aunt Blair moved so that they were sitting across from each other at the dining table. “Tell me why you and Cassius aren’t together yet.”

Marcus went red and glared at his aunt. “Aunt Blair!” 

Cassius awoke for the first time to the feeling of something touching his face. At first, he didn’t know what was going on, but then he felt the person dance their fingers along his jawline and hug him closer, and he knew that it was Marcus. 

Don’t ask him how he knew, he just did. 

He felt Marcus lean his head into the crook of his neck against his chest, and he heard him laugh. 

“I’m so screwed,” He had murmured. 

Cassius made his heart stop racing, and he allowed Marcus to think he was still asleep. Despite how he wanted to pretend to wake up, tease his best friend and get a sleep-delirious confession, he knew that wasn’t the best way to go about it. Specifically because he knew Marcus would run away and he’d probably hide until the end of summer. 

Cassius couldn’t survive that. 

So, he pretended to be asleep for the next half-hour until Marcus wormed his way out of Cassius' arms, and he let him. He heard Marcus enter the ensuite bathroom, and then he heard him close the door to their shared room. 

After Marcus left, Cassius opened his eyes and allowed himself a wide grin as he felt his face flush. Then, because it was no doubt around five in the morning and only Marcus and equally insane people like to start their days that early, he closed his eyes and went back to sleep. 

The second time he awoke was to Marcus shaking him back and forth and berating him for sleeping the day away. He preferred how he woke up the first time, but he wasn’t going to out himself like that or embarrass Marcus like that. At least, not in such a blatant way. 

“Fuck off,” Cassius groaned as he swiped at Marcus. 

“No, it’s already nine. I’ve been up for hours, and I’m not allowing you to sleep the day away – we’re in Greece,e for fuck sake, let us go out and enjoy the beautiful weather,” Marcus ordered as he yanked the blankets off Cassius. 

Okay, fuck you then. “I was having the best sleep of my life . I was so comfortable. I haven’t slept that good in ages,” Cassius pushed himself into a sitting position. “All night, too. Wonder why that is; usually, I sleep pretty badly here.” He watched Marcus' facial expressions as the boy's ears went red and he averted his gaze from Cassius eye-sight. 

“Who knows,” Marcus shrugged, “Hasn’t stopped you from sleeping in before.” 

Cassius raised an eyebrow. “Maybe it’s the bed…but I don’t know; It’s like I had a weighted blanket. That quilt you made me helps me sleep, too.” Cassius allowed himself the look of false innocence, the one he knew Marcus knew well. But, the boy will probably fall for it, too hopeful that Cassius knew nothing. “Which is weird those, because this duvet is pretty light.” 

Marcus cleared his throat, “No idea – but since you’re up, go downstairs and eat breakfast or something. I guess Cynthia is a good cook.” 

“We’ll be the judges of that. Nothing ever beats the Hogwarts’ feasts,” Cassius slipped out of bed and walked over to the wardrobe, where he picked out light dark brown trousers and a white sleeveless button-up. He got changed, aware Marcus hadn’t left the room. 

He turned toward the boy and gestured to the outfit. “Well?”

Marcus nodded mutely. 

Cassius shrugged, he ran his hand through his hair and grabbed the hair tie around his wrist as he put his hair in a low, messy bun. “Figure I can always brush it out later anyway,” Cassius yawned as he moved toward the door. 

“No, my parents will hate it,” Marcus quickly moved to stand in front of him, “Put it up how you normally do. It looks better.” 

Cassius raised an eyebrow, “Will your parents hate it, or do you just like my hair better that way,” he couldn’t help the teasing smile that crossed his face. 

Marcus, boldly – might Cassius add – smirked at him. “Both.” 

Then he left the room and allowed Cassius the time to mull that over and finish getting ready. Marcus rarely flirted so boldly, and Cassius expected him to be a little more nervous – especially how they had woken up this morning. But Marcus still thinks that Cassius didn’t know about that, so maybe he was just teasing him. 

Cynthia was a good cook. She made bacon and eggs, along with an amazing fruit dip that was a homemade recipe that had Cassius wanting to ask her how she made it so he could share it with his elves back home. Along with that, she fried some vegetables and mixed them with bread crumbs to make an awesome stuffing for a breakfast wrap that was specifically made for Laila since she was a vegetarian. When that happened, Cassius had no idea because that girl loved bacon. He saw her eyeing it hungrily as Cassius and Marcus piled it onto their plates. 

“Laila told me she wanted me to show her some vegetarian recipes after she saw me cooking in the kitchens at Beauxbatons,” Cynthia told them with a smile, “It’s how we met. I told her I had no idea she was a vegetarian, and I offered to show her some meals.” 

Oh , Cassius thought with a snort as he and Marcus both shared expressions of disbelief. They turned to Lail, who was glaring at them, daring them to call out the blatant lie. Albin seemed to be filling Sadie in on the situation as well. 

“Oh, that’s sweet,” Albin teased as he eyed Laila. “She’s never expressed her wanting to be a vegetarian before.” 

“It was a new thing,” Laila interjected, “I wanted to try it since I heard that eating too much meat can be bad for you.” 

“Of course,” Albin nodded, “I’ll be sure to notify the house elves and our parents for you.” 

Laila was staring daggers at her brother. “Thanks.” 

“No problem, sis,” Albin nodded his head, a sly smile spreading across his face. 

Unknown to the situation at hand, Cynthia was still puttering around the kitchen. She asked if Laila would like anything else, and Laila smiled, simpering at her and said no and that everything was perfect . 

“Honestly, you’re perfect,” Laila then went red as she realized what she said. “I mean – the foods perfect, not that you’re perfect – but I’m not saying you aren’t perfect, because you are too – perfect, I mean – or that….you cook perfectly.” 

Cynthia, red in the face, said a shy, “Thank you.” 

Laila gave her a nervous smile as she bit into her food and chewed. Albin was snickering to himself as Sadie slapped him upside the head and told him to cut it out. Marcus snorted as Cassius rolled his eyes. 

Laila and Marcus were related. No doubt in his mind. 

As the six all ate breakfast together, Marcus filled them in on what he and Aunt Blair had talked about that morning. Laila and Albin weren’t surprised as Laila and Cynthia seemed entirely blown away that this ‘family vacation’ was just an extended business meeting. But that’s just how the Flints were and the Warringtons as well – or Pureblood society. 

“Oh, that makes sense then,” Albin sighed. 

“Mom and Dad have been having our Apothecary’s business books moved into his and Mom's shared study. They’ve been going over everything; Mum has been going mad. I think they were trying to figure out whatever it is that Potions Expert discovered. Probably in hopes that they won’t have to strike a deal with Madame Zabini,” Laila hummed. 

“Fat luck at that,” Sadie spoke up with a snort, “I’ve heard about her too. Our Potions teacher was once a pupil of one of the experts she funds. She says that Madame Zabini is like a Viper or a Black Widow – won’t even know she’s there until she’s striking her claws in you. Then you’re indebted to her for life; she says Madame Zabini is incredibly cunning and smart. I think our teacher is a little in love with her.” 

“Her and half the Pureblood society,” Albin agreed. 

Laila suddenly let out a tired groan, “Listen up – not that I don’t love this – but we are in Greece. I say we have a fun time of going out today and getting some shopping done.” 

“You read my mind,” Sadie agreed. 

Cassius loved shopping. He helped lead the group with Sadie and Laila at his sides as they found their way to the Wizarding District in the city they were in; they went in and out of shops. Cynthia bought a few things. She tried to tell Laila not to buy her clothes – or anything for that matter – but Laila said they had more money than they knew what to do with, so Cynthia backed down. Sadie happily let Albin buy her things, saying things like, “I was raised to eat the rich, what can I say?” but he did spot her buying a few things she thought Albin would like with her own money. 

Cassius denies being a fashionista, saying just because he likes style and clothes doesn’t make him a fashionista, but he heard Marcus mumble it to himself a few times. So, Cassius found himself forcing Marcus to try things on as well. The two bickered the entire time, Marcus complaining that some things looked too stupid to try on, but Cassius insisting that with the right styling, it would look amazing. 

Of course, he was right, and Marcus simply allowed the man to do what he wished from there on out. 

Afterwards, they went down to the Muggle shopping block because Cynthia and Laila encouraged them that their parents wouldn’t even notice. The two were right,t and Cassius had fun dressing Marcus up like a muggle since the boy rarely got to do so. 

“Cassius, this doesn’t even fit my look,” Marcus complained as Cassius shoved him toward the changing room. 

“It does, too, you just can’t see my vision,” Cassius argued. 

“Your vision isn’t what you think it is,” Marcus grumbled. 

“Oh yeah? I was right earlier about that sage blouse and the silver trousers,” Cassius retorted. 

Marcus heaved a sigh of defeat and went without fuss into the dressing room. Cassius smiled in victory and sat on the sofa in the main area. 

Sadie came over and sat beside him as she watched Albin charm the cashier behind the counter with his flawless Greek. Sadie eyed them bitterly as the shopping bags they had conveyed sat with them. Laila and Cynthia were both still looking over different sun dresses, Laila held some up to Cynthia as the girl blushed and nodded, allowing Laila to maneuver the girl to stand in front of the mirror. 

“At this point, just straight up tell him that you like him because I doubt he’ll ever pick up on the flirting,” Cassius told the girl. 

Sadie glanced at him, unsurprised and shrugged. “Maybe he just doesn’t like me.” 

“He does,” Cassius said confidently, “Trust me. I’ve known him since I was eleven.” 

Sadie smiled bitterly, “You might be wrong.” 

“He’s been following you around all day like a dog and drooling over you in that dress. Which, by the way, does look fantastic on you,” Cassius eyed the girl up and down and winked. 

Sadie was wearing a white off-the-shoulder low-cut dress that had a corset top and loose skirt. She paired it with white and gold heels and gold jewellery. Her red hair was up in a Greek-style bun, and she had on natural full-glam make-up. Cassius thinks this girl would be Daphnae’s idol. 

Sadie grinned, a brighter look on her face. “Why thank you,” Sadie nodded her head, “But… maybe it’s just because I’m beautiful.” 

“No, he wouldn’t ask just any half-blood girl on this vacation. He did it because he trusted you and because he wanted to give you a good time. But Albins has always been slow on the uptake. He probably thinks you’re too good for him,” Cassius smiled sadly as he thought of Marcus. “All three of them think very low of themselves and their self-worth.” 

Sadie eyed him thoughtfully. Then Marcus burst through the dressing room with an unimpressed look on his face. Cassius had to take a minute to remember how to breathe. 

Marcus was wearing the ripped dark jeans that Cassius had thrown at him; they were tight around his thighs and were cuffed around the black leather boots that Marcus had bought for himself earlier that day. His tight-fitting white t-shirt left little to the imagination, and it was tucked in, showing off his small waist (and it was incredibly unlawful, in Cassius opinion.) Marcus' hair had become messy and undone after an entire day of trying on clothes and throwing shirts over his head. 

“I actually don’t hate it,” Marcus told Cassius with a frustrated huff. 

“Well then?” Cassius said teasingly after he remembered to breathe. 

Marcus bit his lip and rolled his eyes, “Oh, piss off. Egomaniac.” 

“Marcus,” Cassius said with a grin as he stood up, “Come on. We both know it’s the right thing to do.” 

“You just want me to feed your ever-growing ego,” Marcus snapped back. 

“Oh really , my ego? What about you, Mr.I’m The Best Keeper Slytherin’s Ever Seen?” Cassius retorted as he stood right in front of Marcus, so the boy was forced to stare up at him to make eye contact. It’s probably a little fucked, but Cassius loved the power trip it gave him. 

Marcus rolled his eyes, “ I was stating a fact. You just want to hear me say you’re right so you can bug me about it later.” 

“I feed your ego you feed mine,” Cassius leaned down, and he saw Marcus’ pupils dilate a little as he did so. Yes, this was mean. But Cassius has always been a little mean. 

He watched Marcus' ears turn pink, and his cheeks become a little darker. 

“You’re a bloody prat,” Marcus cursed. 

“Maybe,” Cassius hummed. 

“ Whatever , Merlin, you’re right,” Marcus snapped as he turned around and marched back into the changing room. 

Cassius chuckled as Marcus flipped him off and shut the door. He turned back around to see Sadie staring at him with a twinkle in her eye. He shrugged as he sat back down next to her. She raised an eyebrow. 

“Are you two?” Sadie inquired. 

“Nope,” Cassius sighed tiredly, “Not yet, at least. He and Albin are very similar in that aspect – you know – obliviousness.” 

Sadie regarded him for a moment, “You know…you have to be incredibly direct with them.” 

Cassius narrowed his eyes and turned his head to glare directly at Sadie. Sadie met his glare with a sly smirk, she then shrugged her shoulders and tossed her hair. 

“Sadie! Come here a sec,” Albin called from where he was standing. The cashier who he had been talking to followed his gaze. Cassius watched as Sadie stood up and glanced back at Cassius with a glint in her eye as she made her way over to Albin. The cashier blinked once, glanced at Albin, then looked toward Sadie; then a disappointed look crossed her eyes as she gave Sadie what Daphnae called her ‘please be a short conversation’ smile. 

As they walked back to the vacation home, the discussion of what they had been up to began to take place. All of their hands were full of shopping bags, except for Sadies, because Albin insisted on carrying her bags. Sadie had put up a fight, but in the end,d Albin won because he refused to hand her any and told her it was a silly thing to get mad at because he was just being chivalrous. 

While that was happening, Cynthia had begun to inquire about Hogwarts. 

“I had gotten a letter to go there, but my family had also gotten a letter from Beauxbaton since I was in their district as well. I personally have always loved France, so I accepted their letter as well,” Cynthia had explained as they walked. Marcus looked a bit insulted, but Cassius reached forward and pinched the back of his arm so he didn’t say anything. Thankfully, Cynthia hadn’t picked up on it but caught it, and she looked slightly amused as she rolled her eyes with an exasperated expression. (From Cassius' understanding, Marcus had argued with his cousins about their decisions to attend different schools. Marcus argued passionately that Hogwarts was one of the eldest wizarding schools, and it produced some of the most well-known Wizard and Witches. But both Laila and Albin stood strongly with their decisions, both making points that it was their decision and both Drumstrung and Beuaxbaton are perfectly respectable schools, and they produced some of their well-known Witches and Wizards. Albin and Laila also told Marcus that they preferred the extracurriculars offered at their schools and that they also had more specific focus course options than Hogwarts’ did. Cassius thinks that Marcus was more obsessed with the fact that Hogwarts offered competitive inter-house Quidditch tournaments.) 

“So…Hogwarts does a Sorting Ceremony?” Cynthia inquired. They had been discussing the Hogwarts’ layout and the different dormitories. Cynthia was curious about the difference in landscaping as Marcus helped describe the castle grounds. Cassius had mentioned that he hadn’t been in any other House dormitories besides Slytherin, and then Cynthia asked what that meant. Cassius had told Cynthia that which house you were in depends on where you get put at the sorting ceremony.

Cassius nodded. “It does — there are four houses, and each house has specific traits that apply to them. The houses are supposed to help lead you down the path to whatever your future holds. The greatest things you can accomplish – and those definitive traits are traits that will help you the most on your journey.” 

“Okay – so what are the houses? And what does this sorting ceremony look like?” Cynthia seemed intrigued, her eyes focusing on Cassius. 

“There are four houses – Slytherin, which is the House me and I are in. Slytherins' traits main ones at least are Resourcefulness, Ambitious, Loyalty and Cunning. Our dorms are down in the Dungeons.” 

“Dungeons?” Sadie said with surprise, “Why the dungeons?” 

“Ask Salazar Slytherin,” said Marcus, “It isn’t that bad, though. We could be located in Ravenclaws Tower. I know for a fact I wouldn’t want to have to walk up those stairs every day.” 

Cassius nodded in agreement. “The Ravenclaw’s dorm is located in Ravenclaw’s Tower – the highest tower in the castle. Their main traits are Creativity, Wisdom and Intelligence.” Cynthia nodded along in understanding. “Then there is Gryffindor; their dorms are at Gryffindor Tower. To get into the common room, you have to give a password to the portrait called The Fat Lady. Their main traits are Bravery, Courage, Righteous–” 

“More like reckless, stubborn and stupidly impulsive,” Marcus retorted, and Cassius couldn’t help the snort. 

“I dare you to say that to Weasley,” Cassius challenges. 

“If you mean Percy, maybe – if I catch him in the right mood. Now, Ronald, on the other hand – not a chance. He’s Gryffindor’s golden boy. That house fits that boy like a glove,” Marcus grinned as he said that, and Cassius snorted. That was both an insult and a compliment. “But I wouldn’t dream of insulting that boy's house – I’d rather not get into a duel.” 

“Afraid you’d lose?” Cassius taunts. 

Marcus laughed, “Not a fucking chance. But I wouldn’t want to embarrass the poor boy.” 

Cassius smiled fondly and turned his attention back to the others. “The last house is Hufflepuff – their main traits are Kindness, Fairness and Hard-working. They’re the lucky ones, and their dorms are near the kitchens – not exactly sure where, though.” 

“They also bring the best buds to the parties,” Marcus supplied. Cynthia fist-bumped Marcus while Laila stared at the girl in shock. 

Sadie perked up again. “So this whole…sorting ceremony –” 

“Oh right,” Cassius gave her a thankful smile, “It’s done using Ancient Magic. These enchanted hats look into your mind and see where you’d thrive the best. The hat is incredibly old, and the magic used to enchant it isn’t found anywhere else; it does take what you want into consideration –” 

“Only if it thinks you’d also do well there, though,” Laila adds helpfully. “Mum told me about it once – if you wish to go to another house, but it thinks you won’t achieve your full potential, it won’t send you there. But if it sees that you’d do well there as well or achieve the same result just in a different journey, then it will.” 

“So it's like a Seer,” Sadie stated. 

“Sort’ve…it’s complicated since it’s infused with such powerful magic, and it doesn’t exactly see your future. It just sees what possibilities might come as it reads you and your magic. It does what’s best for you as a Wizard or Witch magically wise. It doesn’t care if it’s good or bad,” Albin chipped in. 

Cynthia bit her lip as she narrowed her eyes. “It sounds like it’s enchanted with a magical core in of itself ... almost as if the Witch or Wizard added a bit of their magical essence into it.” 

“Well, the Founders did create the hat. It wouldn’t surprise me if they somehow put some magical essence in the hat to create it. They most likely did create a magical core for the hat since it is sentient. Their ideals also affect who gets put in the houses – hence why most Purebloods are in Slytherin – but the hat most likely disregards prejudice when it sorts, but certain ideals and beliefs affect who a person is,” Albin explained. 

“Which is why I would have expected Harry Potter to have been a Gryffindor,” Laila said with a nod. 

“Trust us, all of us were surprised by the sorting this year,” Marcus enthused. But then he grinned and shook his head. “But I am so happy we got him. Best Seeker we’ve ever had.” 

“So you’ve mentioned,” Laila drawled. 

“Numerous times,” Albin added. 

“I’ve had to listen to this all year,” Cassius groaned. 

Marcus glared at him and hit him in the arm. 

“What house do you think I’d be in? Out of pure curiosity,” Cynthia asked. 

“Ravenclaw,” Laila said instantly. Cassius and Marcus nodded in agreement. 

“And me?” Sadie said. 

“Uh…probably Slytherin,” Albin eyed her. “But, I think it would have been almost a tie between that or Gryffindor. You’re rather impulsive and aren’t afraid of confrontation.” 

Sadie smiled a bit proudly at that. Albin obviously admired that about her if the smile on his face was anything to go by. 

“And you two?” Sadie asked. 

Albin and Laila both laughed at that. Then, in sync, they said, “Slytherin.” 

“We’re Flints,” Marcus told her, “Our parents were Slytherins. And in our family, if you aren’t in Slytherin, it’s practically a crime. Our parents are traditional, and Hogwarts Houses are incredibly important to our family values.” 

“Part of the reason we chose Drumstrung and Beuaxbaton. Our parents were disappointed, but they respected our decision — mostly because Beuaxbaton and Drumstrung both are considered exceptional schools.” Albins’ tone was a little bitter as he explained, and Marcus thinned his lips as he stared ahead of himself. Sadie smiled in understanding as Cynthia brushed her shoulder against Laila. 

Cassius wished he could say that he had that option. Eleven years old, he had considered bringing it up to his father, but he knew that wouldn’t have gone over well. Because, like the Flints, he was an extremely traditional man. 

He shivers at the idea of having any other house other than Slytherin. His father would’ve been extremely disappointed, as would his mother. If he got Ravenclaw, it would’ve been fine, but Hufflepuff or, at worst, Gryffindor ? He’d have been disowned the minute he turned eighteen. Or worse, disowned the minute they got the letter. 

That night, the family dinner had been less tense. Cassius saw Marcus raise an eyebrow inquisitively at his Aunt, but she simply gave the ‘tell you later’ look, and that was the end of their silent conversation. The teenagers chatted quietly among themselves, lying to their parents about where they went (Marcus turned to give the ‘tell you later’ look to their Aunt), and they were dismissed once they were done eating. 

They were tired from their day spent out, and they went to bed easily. Cassius was reminded of how he woke up when Marcus looked at the bed, blushed and then excused himself to the bathroom. Cassius grinned to himself and waited patiently for Marcus to leave the bathroom. 

As they climbed into bed, Marcus and Cassius gossiped about their day. Cassius explained Sadie’s predicament to Marcus, and the boy groaned and rubbed his hands over his eyes. 

“ Merlin, if Albin doesn’t get his head out of his arse soon, he’s gonna lose her,” Marcus shook his head. 

“I told Sadie she had to be more obvious with her advances,” Cassius sighed, “I hope she takes the advice. It’d be a shame to lose her. I rather like her. She’d be good for Albin.” 

Marcus nods in agreement, “Oh, definitely. I like her too – she’s incredibly self-assured but not arrogant.” 

“Unlike someone we know,” Cassius said with a sly grin. Marcus nodded in agreement. Both of them are thinking of the same person. 

“I think Malfoy’s got good friends, though. They’ll make sure his inflated ego doesn’t get the better of him,” Marcus states. 

“Laila has to make a move on Cynthia, though. Or else they’ll never happen. Cynthia doesn’t know that Laila is into her.” Cassius shifts in the bed, so he’s lying on his side looking at Marcus, who is still sitting up. 

Marcus shakes his head, “For a girl who’s supposed to be a Ravenclaw, she isn’t very bright.” 

“I just think she isn’t aware that Laila sees her as more than a friend. They’ve known each other for a while, yeah?” Cassius inquires as he props his head with his hand. 

“Since they first started at their Academy,” Marcus confirms. 

“So Cynthia most likely hasn’t seen it yet.” 

“I don’t see how – Laila looks at her as if she was the one who enchanted the Founders hat,” Marcus snickers at his reference. Cassius felt the smile on his face turn from teasing to find. 

“You’d be surprised what some people who are supposed to be incredibly bright don’t seem to notice when it comes to emotions and others.” Cassius knew he sounded far too knowing, and he saw Marcus look at him suspiciously. 

Is it finally picking up? Is he finally going to notice? Cassius held his breath as he held Marcus' gaze. Then, the boy was shaking his head. 

Cassius sighed, Of course not.  

They wrapped up their conversation and called it a night. Marcus was nervous as he lay down, most likely because of this morning's events. Even though Marcus thinks Cassius doesn’t know about it, the boy is for sure acting far more nervous than he was last night. Pretending not to notice, Cassius comfortably laid on his side facing Marcus and purposely moved a little closer so Marcus didn’t think Cassius felt awkward sleeping in the same bed. 

It seemed to help because Marcus's breathing evened out. Then, they both went to sleep. 

Sadly, Cassius woke up the next morning without Marcus,  and he for sure got to sleep in like he usually did. He had awoken to persistent knocking on his door, and he grouchily crawled out of bed and yanked the door open. He saw it was Sadie, and he raised a tired and uninterested eyebrow. 

She was wearing high-waisted jean shorts and a low-cut dark green tank top; matching her green tank top was the olive belt around her waist. She had on beaded bracelets and a few golden chain necklaces. She wore sandals on her feet, and he could see that she had on a bathing suit top if the straps sticking out said anything. In her arms was a tote bag. 

“Albin and I are heading to the beach,” she told him. “Also, the parents aren’t here – I guess they had some Pureblood thing to attend today or whatever. I won’t be back until tomorrow, I guess. So muggle attire is okay.” 

Cassius nodded, not sure why Sadie thought it was important to let him know where she was going. Sadie seemed to realize this, and she snorted. 

“Not a morning person?” she asked. 

Cassius grunted. “Time?” 

“Eight,” Sadie was smiling with amusement. 

“Why so bloody early?” Cassius complained as he dragged a hand over his entire face, attempting to wake himself up. 

“So I have all day to get through Albins' head that I’m into him,” Sadie rolled her eyes as if it was obvious. 

“Best wishes that you can accomplish such a thing,” Cassius yawned. 

Sadie gave him an exasperated (but fond) expression. “Cassius…why don’t you do the same? Ask Marcus out.” 

That woke Cassius up. He blinked once, then twice. “Marcus and I hang out one-on-one all the time.” 

“So lay it on thick – like I’m gonna do. You said he and Albin are similar like that, yeah?” Sadie pushed. Cassius nodded in agreement. “So — be so fucking obvious that he has no choice but to see it.” 

Cassius felt his heart begin to pound. Isn’t that what he’s been doing all year? “I’ve tried.” 

“Have you really?” Sadie asked, “Because I’ve seen you flirt with him. But I’ve always seen you back off in the end.” 

“He’d get nervous,” Cassius pointed out, “And all flighty.” 

“You get nervous and flighty,” Sadie pointed out, “Because you’re scared it’d ruin your friendship.” 

“I know he likes me. He has to say something first because if I do it, then he might not be ready. He needs to be ready to accept the fact that he likes me, or else it won’t work –” 

“Obviously, he’s accepted the fact that he likes you. But he doesn’t think you like him, and you know him better than anyone else, right?” Cassius knew it was a rhetorical question, so he didn’t answer. Instead, he nodded along. “So do you really think Marcus Flint – if he and Albin are as similar as you say — would risk everything you guys already have on a few flirtatious comments and lingering gazes? They don’t do emotions or people that well.” 

“I just —” 

“Excuses,” Sadie interrupts. Cassius glared at her. It’s eight in the morning, and he just woke up, he doesn’t want to have to deal with this conversation. 

Maybe that’s the problem , Cassius found his inner voice saying. He huffed in annoyance, not right now in his inner voice. 

“Sadie…Marcus doesn’t do well with surprises, and I don’t think he’d appreciate –” 

“I’m not saying you should confess. I’m just saying that you should be more obvious, less sly teasing and all that. Ask him out one-on-one and treat your day like a date. Be flirty, and make obvious moves. Hell, spell it out for him.” 

“We’ve known each other for, like, two days. Why are you helping me?” Cassius asked skeptically. 

“Because I plan on being around for the long run. And from what I gathered, so are you – either we’re gonna be in-laws together, or you’re gonna be loving each other from afar for the rest of your lives. I’m choosing the option that’s less stressful for me.”  Sadie was looking at him with determination now.  

I mean, you have to stop running. Eventually , Cassius found his inner voice saying. You have been making excuses for yourself, and she is basically telling you what you told her yesterday. You know Marcus better than anyone else, and what she’s saying is right. There wasn’t any way Marcus would throw everything away unless he knew for sure. 

“Fine.” 

“Perfect.” Sadie patted his shoulder. “Now, after this, it’ll be up to the four of us to help Laila.” 

Cassius scrunched up his nose, “Not at eight o’clock in the morning.” 

Cassius threw himself back into bed but realized he was far too awake, so he begrudgingly got ready for the day. He pulled on his lightest pair of light blue jeans and white belt; he pulled on his nicest pair of dark brown boots, cuffed the jeans around them, and began rummaging through his wardrobe for his dark green silk blouse. 

He heard the door to their room open, and he glanced up and saw Marcus frozen in his steps. He gave him a wave and grinned when he found the blouse he was looking for. He threw it over his shoulders and began to button it up. 

“You functioning?” Cassius asked. That's when he noticed the blush on his face, and he smirked as he felt his ego rise. “ Marcus ,” he sings songy. 

“Oh – uh –” Marcus cleared his throat, “Just surprised to see you up so early.” 

Cassius snickered, yeah, alright , “I had plans for us today.” 

Marcus furrowed his brows. That’s when Cassius saw Marcus was wearing the new clothes from yesterday: ripped jeans with his black boots and the form white T-shirt. Cassius allowed himself to trail his eyes over everything, and he made sure to be obvious. 

He saw Marcus hadn’t noticed; he had simply walked back to the bed, sat down, and sighed. 

“I didn’t know we had plans,” Marcus muttered. 

“We’re gonna check out the gardens and get brunch. Maybe check out if they have those booths up – the ones we went to last year that you liked,” Cassius told him. He’d come up with this on the spot (but he also had thought about what a date in Greece would be like before. At least with Marcus.) “I also think the water looks nice over there. We could take a walk along the beach or something — not the public part, though. That rocky place we like. It looks really pretty in the late afternoon.” 

Marcus' eyes lit up, “Really?” 

Cassius nodded, “Yeah.” 

“Cynthia has a Polaroid! We could take pictures. I bet the girls would love it,” Marcus grinned, and Cassius froze. 

“You…wanna bring Cynthia and Laila?” Cassius asked slowly. 

“It’d be the perfect time for Laila for them to be in a more romantic setting. And like you said, that place looks gorgeous in the late afternoon,” Marcus pointed out. 

Cassius couldn’t help it, he stopped buttoning up his blouse and stared at Marcus. 

Was Marcus teasing him or something? Or did he simply just not get it? Cassius hadn’t outright said it was a date, but it was implied, right? The fact that everything Cassius said perfectly aligned with some of Marcus' favourite parts of vacationing in Greece. The public garden had some of the most gorgeous sculptures and flowers. The booths were where they could check out different muggle knick-knacks and Greek food that they could grab for brunch and find an outdoor spot for dining. They walk along the private part of the beach to where they found their perfect spot, away from prying eyes and surrounded by rocks, the way the afternoon sun hit the little cove and watching it set across the sea. 

It was a date. 

Cassius wanted to shake his best friend's shoulders until he smacked him upside the head. Instead, he took a deep mental breath that he'd mastered since being friends with Marcus. 

“Yeah,” Cassius cleared his throat and finished buttoning up his shorts, he left the top three undone. He tucked the shirt into his jeans and rolled the sleeves up to his forearms. “Grab Cynthia and Laila.” 

Marcus was looking at him skeptically, “Are you sure…” 

“No, it’s fine. I just – thought that they were with Sadie and Albin,” Cassius lied effortlessly. 

“How do you know that Sadie and Albin aren’t here?” Marcus asked. 

“Sadie came and told me she was going to try and get Albin to realize she liked him today. I had given her advice yesterday,” Cassius explained as he grabbed his hairbrush. He put his hair in his usual half-up-half-down style. He slipped on his few silver rings as well as he turned to face Marcus. “She wanted to let me know that she was taking my advice.” 

Marcus seemed unsure but accepted the explanation. Cassius noticed he hadn’t styled his hair today, either. “I like your hair like that,” Cassius commented, “It looks good. Especially with the outfit.” 

Marcus blushed and averted his eyes, “Oh uh, thanks…I was coming in here too, uh, do my hair, but…” 

“Don’t,” Cassius insisted, “Really. I like it.” 

Marcus nodded and looked back at Cassius. “You…look good too.” 

Cassius smiled slightly, “Thank you.” 

“I–I’ll go grab the girls, and uh, I’ll tell Cynthia to grab her Polaroid,” Marcus said, and he quickly left the room. 

So, the plan failed. But Cassius could still steal Marcus away. This simply just turned into a secret double date. Well, only Cassius was aware of this secret. And it was more just a delusion in his head, but if he plays the cards right, it might just turn into an unintended double date on both ends – well intended for Cassius, but he’s sure Laila would be happy for that outcome as well. 

Marcus would be happy as well, and hopefully, Cynthia too. 

As they did yesterday, they flooed to the wizarding district and made their way to the muggle one. Cynthia helped them get through the curiosity that was the muggle public transit system, and Cynthia had help from a lovely muggle lady with translating Greek to English. The bus took them to the gardens, and from there, it was a ten-minute walk to the market. 

As Cassius remembered, the garden was beautiful. Greek sculptures and fountains were lined around hundreds of different tropical flower bushes and trees. Families were running around and taking photos together. Cynthia had pulled Laila away to take some photos herself, and Cassius silently cheered when he was left alone with Marcus. 

Marcus was looking around, smiling softly. Cassius loved this place because Marcus let down his guard here. He just can’t help it. He’s always loved it here. 

“You’ve never told me why you love this place so much,” Cassius said as they walked through the garden. 

Marcus glanced at Cassius. “It’s…where Aunt Blair took me when I was younger. She’d take all of us. Laila and Albin would run off and play with the other kids – muggle children. But, well…I never got along well with anyone when I was younger.” 

“You thought you were the smartest kid in the room,” Cassius chuckled. 

“That,” Marcus nodded with a slight wince, “But I also didn’t know how to socialize well. Laila and Albin understood me, but they also had each other. They got that I was an only child and put up with my brattiness because, well, we were cousins. If they got annoyed with me, they could always entertain each other.” 

“Only child syndrome,” Cassius laughed, “I had it too.” 

“Yeah, but your parents brought you around other families often. I told you that my parents were more concerned with… tutoring me…” Marcus trailed off, then he pushed forward. “Anyway, Aunt Blair and I often stayed together. She’d try to get me to go and play with the other kids, but I just…didn’t know what to say to them. How to interact.” Marcus' face then began to form a smile. 

“I told her that. But Aunt Blair said to me, ‘That’s the magic of being around muggles. You don’t have to act a certain way. You can’t show them your magic because they don’t know about it, and since they don’t know about it, they don’t know who you are. 

You’re free to be whoever you want to be.’ And that just… stuck with me. So I began to play with the muggle kids, and it was a lot of fun. The most fun I ever had in my childhood was here in this park.” 

Cassius smiled softly at that. He reached forward carefully and interlocked their fingers. He felt Marcus flinch, and the boy blushed, but they kept walking, and Marcus never mentioned it. 

“I get it,” Cassius told him, “I have a place like that too.” 

“Where’s that?” Marcus asked. 

With you , Cassius wanted to say, but that was too soon. “Our dorm room.” 

Marcus laughed softly, “Yeah. It’s the same for me, too.” 

Laila and Cynthia came rushing back to them; the two girls were wearing matching sundresses. They had spaghetti straps and a heart-shaped top with two ribbons at the waist that she had tied perfectly in a bow, so it showed off her figure. The skirt was long to her knees, and it flowed easily in the breeze. Lila’s was a pretty lilac colour, and she was wearing heeled white flats that matched the bag thrown over her shoulder that sat perfectly on at her waist. Her black hair was in a gorgeous Greek braid. 

Cynthia’s dress was a cherry red, and her shoes were white boots with red laces; her hair was pulled into a low ponytail tied back with a white ribbon,n which was also in a perfect boy; her Polaroid camera was around her neck, and she was handing the pictures she took to Laila who was putting them in her bag. 

“Do you guys wanna take some pictures together?” Cynthia asked with a hopeful look in her eye. 

“Yeah,” Cassius agreed eagerly. 

“He has so many photos in his room,” Marcus told them with a smile, “All along his one wall – some of them are photos we’ve all taken on the Greek trips over the years..” 

Laila looked at him with surprise, “Really?” 

Cassius smiled slightly, “Why’s that such a surprise?’

“Having a bunch of photos on your wall at home – of your friends? That just seems too sentimental for you,” Laila shrugged as she waved at the two of them to follow her and Cynthia to where they would be taking photos. Marcus laughed at that and shook his head. He raised an arm and threw it around Cassius' photos; the other boy was slightly taller, so he was forced to lean down a little. He glared at Marcus but didn’t move; he allowed Marcus to grin like a cat as he pointed at his face. 

“This guy is a big softy,” Marcus says with a wink to the other two. “He doesn’t like to show it, but he truly appreciates every one of us. Besides me, you two and Daphnae are the top contenders for first place!” 

Laila looks giddy at this new piece of information, and Cassius knows it’s not because she's nearly beating Marcus for the top spot of his Polaroid wall. Cynthia seems to be piecing something together as she watches their behaviour, and Cassius knows it’s because his cheeks are slowly turning red. He pulls himself out of Marcus' arm and huffs. 

“While I always love being the center of attention,” Cassius rolls his eyes as he says that. Marcus smirks slightly at that; he knows that’s not the case. Cassius despises it, but his father loves putting the spotlight on him when he brags about Cassius' accomplishments as a wizard at their galas. Marcus loves to stand there with a smug expression and watch as Cassius glares at him as he is forced to smile and pretend that he’d rather be anywhere else. 

“Can you guys tell us where we are going,” Cassius says in hopes of redirecting the conversation. 

Both Marcus and Laila – ever the devils – seem to want to continue the conversation because it is not often Cassius is the one to lose his composure when being teased. Cynthia – ever the angle – decides to take pity on him. 

“Laila and I found a lovely spot while exploring. It’s near this stream of water; it’s a little beach with low water levels. Plus, the trees around it allow for some nice lighting,” Cynthia smiles and takes Laila’s hand. 

Maybe she’s not blind , Cassius thinks as he watches Cynthia smile at him and then turn her attention to Laila. Laila’s face is red, and she gives Cynthia a nervous glance. 

“Uh yeah, it’s just over here,” Laila nods in agreement. 

Marcus narrows his eyes. “ Huh ,” Marcus then smiles in amusement and huffs. “Sly little fox.” 

Cassius grins and nods in agreement. “I like her.” 

“Of course you would, she saved your arse,” Marcus says as he crosses his arms as they continue to walk. “Don’t know why you got all embarrassed, though. You had no problem them knowing you had the wall in the first place.” 

Cassius couldn’t help but chuckle. Then, with more adoration in his voice, he meant to have said, “Oh, you dumb bunny.” 

Marcus must have heard it because he went beat red. He looked at Cassius with wide, dark brown eyes. Then he seemed to realize what he said because they then narrowed in anger. “ Dumb? And bunny ? Are – are you – that’s – first of all, I’m not a bunny. Second of all, I’m not dumb! ” 

Cassius began to snicker as Marcus continued to scold him as they walked to the location the girls were leading them to. Marcus still hadn’t stopped by the time they arrived, and Laila finally yelled at him to shut up. Cynthia looked highly confused, and Laila had to explain to her that the two of them bickering happened all the time. 

“I didn’t even say anything!” Cassius argued, “He was the one who wouldn’t stop talking!” 

“You called me a dumb bunny! ” Marcus snapped. 

Cassius tried to keep a straight face, but his lips quirked, and his eyes twinkled with amusement,t and he chuckled. Marcus went to shout at him again, but his attention diverted to Laila, who cackled like the witch she was. Cynthia smirked in amusement as she calmed the situation down and directed everyone's attention to why they were there in the first place. 

Cynthia must have been a photographer at heart. She directed everyone to the best places with lighting; on top of that, it seemed her Polaroid was enchanted and charmed to be able to float and take timed photos so they could get all the best angles. Not only that, but it could zoom in and out as well as bring them into focus more; it took clear photos so you could also see everyone's faces. Marcus complimented it, and Cynthia quirked her lips, a flash of pride in her eyes as she proudly stated that she did it herself. 

Both Marcus and Cassius eyed each other and mouthed, “Ravenclaw,” and then they shared sly smirks. Laila saw and nodded in agreement, but she looked incredibly proud as well. So she must have been there while the girl was working on it. 

Once all the photos were taken, they crowded around them, the photos themselves printed larger than regular polaroids so it could fit all of them in it, and Cynthia explained it was the setting she had it on. 

“You worked hard on this,” Cassius stated. It was obvious if she enchanted each setting. 

“Yeah,” Cynthia said with a laugh, “It was a passion project. I wanted to prove I could do it – some upper-year bet me I couldn’t. Told me the spells were too advanced for someone like me – I don’t want you to think it was because I’m muggle-born, by the way, just because I don’t really…stand out in class. Not because I don’t try , I just get nervous. But I told them I could do it, and I said I’d do it in a month. They told me I couldn’t, and well, I did. Laila and I were roommates at the time, but we hadn’t really spoken to each other much. She watched me struggle for a month, I fell behind on some schoolwork too – but I just…wanted to prove myself.” 

“She was so determined. So stubborn, too, I tried to help her, but she wouldn’t let me,” Laila laughed. 

Cynthia turned red. “I didn’t want to give them a reason to say I cheated. But, when I presented it and showed them, they didn’t believe me. But Laila stood up for me, and Laila doesn’t stand up for anyone if she doesn’t think they deserve it. Hell, she calls people out on their bullshit all the time. The upper year was so mad. But I won, and they had to buy me whatever I wanted from my local bookstore. It cost them a pretty penny.” 

“Can you duplicate them?” Marcus asked as he looked through the photos. 

Cassius looked at them. 

They had taken multiple photos. 

While Cynthia had been directing them, a lot of the time, things got out of hand, and the timed photos didn’t work out. Looking through each of them, Cassius spotted the five he wanted to duplicate. 

The first one was of the four of them up close – Cassius, since he was the tallest, was holding the camera, you can see his extended arm. Marcus is behind him, hanging over his shoulders with his chin on his left shoulder. Cassius is winking at the camera, a sly smile on his face, while Marcus is giving his signature smirk, flipping the camera off with his eyes twinkling in amusement. On Cassius' right, just in front of him, is Cynthia since she is the shortest; she is smiling at the camera and making a heart with Laila, who is right behind her, on the left of Cassius. Laila’s other arm is up on Marcus' shoulder, and she's giving the signature smirk as well.

Behind them is the stream, the trees lining the other end and the forest beyond. The stream itself is glimmering in the light, and you can see the few rocks that are breaking the surface. 

The next photo is of them all standing on the edge of the water. Marcus had almost fallen backwards into the water, and Cassius had caught him. Marcus looked fearful, and Cassius was laughing his ass off while Marcus clutched onto his arm as if it was his life long. Both Laila and Cynthia are laughing as well. Cassius only wants this photo because he knows Marcus will hate that he has it. 

The third photo is similar to the last one. Cassius had Marcus on his shoulder and was threatening to throw him in the water (In his defence, Marcus had almost shoved him,) and Laila was watching with bemusement while Cynthia looked like she wanted to step in. 

The third photo is of the four of them together while trying to get the pose right (Laila had set the camera early), Cynthia and Laila’s arms were interlocked, Laila was watching the girl with a soft smile, and Cynthia was laughing at something she had said, her head awfully close to Laila’s. The two were in their world, and Cassius could see that Cynthia had feelings for Laila, too, if the blush on her cheeks spoke volumes to anything. 

But why he wanted the photo was because of the way Marcus looks. Cassius was glancing at Laila and Cynthia; he was speaking to them to try and get their attention because he had seen that the flash had happened, signalling the photo had been taken. His arm was over Marcus' shoulder, his other over Laila’s. Marcus was looking at the camera, an amused smirk on his face (He knew the camera had been set early, he had said, he just wanted to bug Laila about it) he was holding his one hand up, the muggle L for ‘Loser’ sign he had to have learned from Millicent that year (his father would be pissed if he ever saw it) and he was winking. 

He looked unfairly attractive. 

The fourth photo was of the pose they wanted. Cynthia is on the far left, blonde hair over her shoulder, her dress blowing in the wind. Her free hand held up the muggle ‘peace’ sign while her other arm was interlocked with Laila’s, their hands clasped together. Laila was smiling as well, pearly whites on display as her free hand matched the sign Cynthia was holding. Cassius stood with his arms around Laila and Marcus, an easy smile on his face. Marcus had his arm around Cassius' shoulder; he was flipping the camera off with an unashamed grin on his face. He truly looked happy, and Cassius loves it when he looks happy. 

The fifth photo was once again of the four of them. Except, they were all laughing together – Marcus had cracked a stupid joke, and all of them busted out laughing. Laila had collapsed into Cynthia laughing while the girl held Laila, her head thrown back, grinning. Cassius brought his hand to his face, his arm still around Marcus. Marcus was laughing into his shoulder; his one arm still looped around Cassius' neck. 

The photos themselves were still, and Cynthia told them she purposely made them that way because she liked the style. She told them she had a setting for moving photos if that’s what they wanted, but everyone agreed the muggle photos were sort of better. 

They hung around there for a little longer; Laila brought Marcus to show him how the camera works since he was incredibly fascinated by it, and Laila said she could explain it since she was there for its invention. 

“So, you know?” Cassius said. 

“About what?” Cynthia asked. 

The two of them were standing near the river, leaning on a rock. The two cousins were off exploring the wonders of the river bank. 

“That Laila likes you,” Cassius smirked when he saw Cynthia turn a bit red. 

“Oh…well, yes. I suppose I do,” Cynthia had a small smile on her face as she said that. “But Laila…well, Laila would hate if I asked her. Mostly because I know she’s waiting for the right time – she’s quite the romantic. But she still hasn’t had the nerve to ask me out on a date yet. I think she wanted to see if I could handle her family first.” 

Cassius raised an eyebrow, “Oh – so you think this is a test for you?” 

“Yes,” Cynthia said simply, “But I believe I’m passing.” 

“I think you are, too,” Cassius grins as Cynthia seems incredibly pleased by that piece of information. 

“I’ll take your word on that in high value.” Cynthia truly did seem a little more relaxed, and Cassius smiled. Cynthia turned to regard him with a look. “What about you, though? Do you know?” 

“Know what?” 

“That you and Marcus are madly in love,” Cynthia states rather bluntly in Cassius' opinion. He turns red and clears his throat. 

“Uh, well, I wouldn’t say in love –” 

“Oh, so you’re in denial about that aspect.” 

“But we do like each other,” Cassius finishes, choosing to ignore her. 

Cynthia narrows her eyes. “Wait – wait…you like him –” 

“Yes.” 

“He likes you –” 

“Yeah.” 

“So why aren’t you together?” 

“He doesn’t know I like him,” Cassius mutters. 

Cynthia looks bewildered. “Cassius…why haven’t you told him?” 

“I – I tried to ask him on a date…but he thought it was just a hang-out…so he invited you guys,” Cassius has never felt dumb talking to a person. Cynthia was making him feel dumb. She is giving him an incredibly contemplative look as if she is trying to figure out some secret code. Then she sighs and puts her face in her hands. 

“Oh my god.” Cynthia then takes a deep breath in and a deep breath out. “Okay – so, he’s your best friend, right?” Cassius nods. “Of course , he’d think it’s just a regular hang-out. Because you hang out as friends one-on-one all the time, right?”

“I basically told him we were going to all of his favourite places. Everything was supposed to be romantic –” 

“Cassius. He doesn’t think you’d want to do romantic things with him. He probably thought you were being nice ,” Cynthia tells him as if it was painfully obvious. Because now, looking back, it kind of was. 

Cassius sighs, “ Oh .” 

“Cassius,” Cynthia groans, “At this point, just tell him. Okay? Nothing roundabout. Just be obvious.” Cynthia pats him on the shoulder and then goes over to the others. 

Cassius followed after a few moments. 

He couldn’t help but think that he would go on and on about Marcus being the number one between the two, and most of the time, he was right. But this whole day, this whole situation he’s got himself into. 

Yeah, maybe he was the dumber one this time. 

They got brunch around the booths like they had planned. Cassius saw Cynthia taking a few photos as they went along. The walk along the beach was beautiful, like Cassius thought it would be, and Marcus loved it like Cassius knew he would. The two boys led the girls to the rocky part along a cove, and they helped them climb up to the edge where the late afternoon sunset looked like a painting every time. 

Cynthia brought out her camera, smiling as she took photos. She even had Laila pose for a few, the girl happily doing so. Laila could become a model if she tried hard enough. Cassius found Marcus sitting at the edge, looking at the sunset. Cassius stood back and stared for a moment. 

Marcus had his eyes closed, and he was leaning back, the day had made his hair even more unkept, and Cassius always loved that look on Marcus. It reminds him of Marcus after Quidditch matches, the adrenaline rush on his face, the slightly crazed look in his eye whenever they won – that competitive drive and bloodthirst for victory so enticing. But he also loved Marcus when he looked calm, untouched by the world around him, where he could drop his guard and simply exist. 

It’s how he looked now. If Cassius loved anything about Marcus if he could pinpoint the exact moment where he thought, I want to be with him . It was when Marcus was having one of these moments – he was by himself, out on the Quidditch pitch. Everyone else had gone into the locker rooms, and Cassius found Marcuslyingg there. He was staring at the sky, and he was still sweaty, his hair was everywhere, but he looked so calm. His face was relaxed, and he was smiling. 

Cassius wanted to see him like this all the time, and he also thought forever , but that drove him into a slight anxiety attack, and he ignored it. But he did go and join him, and that’s when he knew that he really liked Marcus. 

Not love . 

That makes him anxious. 

Cassius sits next to him, so close that their shoulders and legs are touching. Marcus doesn’t move; he simply sits there. 

“I understand the love you have for here,” Cassius tells Marcus. 

Marcus looks over at him, “Yeah? What made you get it.” 

Cassius stares out at the water. You , Cassius, wanted to say, Just seeing you today. Here, at this moment. “Today.” 

“Today?” Marcus raised an eyebrow, “What about today.” 

Cassius glances over at Marcus, and he is ready to go for it. Just like Cynthia told him, too. But, instead, he bites his tongue. Looks out at the ocean and smiles, “It was just a good day.” 

Marcus nods in agreement, he reaches his hand over and intertwines their fingers. Then they sit there and watch the sunset together. Cassius turns his head to Cynthia, who is watching him with an eyebrow raised. He doesn’t meet her gaze, and Cynthia rolls her eyes and turns back to Laila. The two girls were grinning, hands intertwined, and Cassius hoped they wouldn’t get together on this trip, simply because then Cynthia would hang that over his head for the rest of his life. He already knows she would, and she seems the type. And in all honesty, he can’t say he could blame her. 

When they came back that night, Sadie had told them that she and Albin had gotten together. Albin had his arm over her shoulder, and she was holding the hand that lay limply. When she looked over at Cassius, Cynthia butted in and told them about the wonderful day the four of them had together. Albin said that was wonderful, but Sadie was staring daggers at Cassius. 

Cassius retracts his statement about Cynthia being an angel. She wasn’t; she was a demon. 

After dinner – their parents were having a lovely time together, so either something went wrong or good. Aunt Blair seemed chipper, but that still could mean that her behaviour wasn’t really helpful. Cassius found his way to the kitchen after dinner; he wanted to get some tea for him and Marcus to share when Aunt Blair cornered him. 

“Why aren’t you and my nephew together?” Aunt Blair asked. 

“Not you, too,” Cassius sighs tiredly. 

“Albin and Laila wouldn’t tease you about this,” Aunt Blair huffed, “They believe you two will finally get your act together.” 

Cassius closes his eyes, “Sadie and Cynthia.” 

“I knew I liked those girls.” Aunt Blair shoos him out of the way and begins to make the tea for Cassius. Cassius obediently sits on the island. 

“They’re annoying.” 

“They’re right .” 

Cassius shrugs, they’re saying the same thing . 

Aunt Blair shoots a look at him. “Cassius, I’m only pushing because I know if you don’t do something now, you might lose him forever.” 

“You don’t know that,” Cassius straightens his posture as he crosses his arms. 

“I said might . But I’d really prefer if you guys don’t go on with the whole ‘will they won’t they’ act for the rest of your lives,” Aunt Blair tells him, “Love isn’t something you find everywhere. Not the kind of love the two of you have.” 

“ Love ? What’s with the whole love thing? Honestly, we’re teenagers. We just like each other; it’s…it’s a crush,” Cassius couldn’t help the way he averts his eyes from Aunt Blair’s knowing look. 

“My husband,” Aunt Blair began, and Cassius zeros in. Aunt Blair rarely talks about her husband. “He was a terrible man. But he was my best friend.” She had a sad smile on her face as she worked about pouring the tea and adding the correct amounts of cream and sugar for both him and Marcus. “He was a Death Eater. Active member under the Dark Lord himself. He knew I wanted nothing to do with it, so he kept it away from me. We went about our lives as if the war wasn’t happening…but the lack of conversations and communication is what led us down a dark path. He would come home hurt, and I would patch him up, but we wouldn’t talk about it. He had these moments, these…distant days where he and I barely said a word to each other – that was never like us. I felt like not only was I losing the love of my life…but my best friend. I couldn’t take it, but I couldn’t leave him, but I knew if I gave him the ultimatum, he would choose me.” 

“But you wouldn’t have asked that of him,” Cassius says. 

“No, but I should have. We should have talked in the first place. But we avoided a difficult conversation in hopes of saving our relationship from hardship. Which just caused us more in the future,” Aunt Blair turned around – two cups of tea in her hand. 

Cassius watches her set them down, a distant look on her face. She felt older at this moment, and it made Cassius uncomfortable. 

“I lost my husband. He showed up in our living room, dead. It was a cutting curse, and he was still bleeding out when he showed up. He had been sent on a mission…I don’t know if he failed it or not. Suppose it was the Dark Lord who had killed him or someone else. But I knew he was dead, and that’s all that matters. He was a terrible man, a blood purist and a Death Eater. And we never agreed on that…but he was still the man I fell in love with, he was still the man who knew my favourite flowers were lilac, and he would dance with me in our ballroom in the middle of the night if I woke him up to do so. We would dance in the rain barefooted. He would buy me chocolates and gifts – even if they were muggle – because he knew I liked some muggle authors. He helped me achieve my dream, even if he didn’t understand it. Because he loved me.” Aunt Blair was smiling, and she was staring at the table as though she was lost in a distant memory. A loving smile on her face. 

“Do you think you could have…helped change his views?” Cassius inquired. 

“Probably,” Aunt Blair laughed, “He was always weak when it came to me. But I was scared of ruining something that I was content with. Of ruining what we had…so we never had the potential to evolve to something better.” 

Oh . 

“I’m going to bring these up,” Cassius told her. 

Aunt Blair gave him a cheeky smile, “You do that.” 

When he entered the room, he saw that Marcus wasn’t there yet. He was probably gossiping with Albin. He set Marcus' mug down on a coaster that had a warming charm. He then went about getting ready for bed, drinking his tea as he did so. He went into the bathroom to take his shower. After he stepped out, he realized he’d forgotten to grab his pyjamas, so he stepped back out into the bedroom, towel wrapped around his waist, surprised to find Marcus sitting on the bed drinking his tea. He was reading a book, and when he glanced up, Cassius saw the way his eyes went up and down, and then he turned red. He quickly darted his eyes back to his book. 

“Oh, uh, forget your pyjamas?” Marcus said eloquently. Cassius snorted. 

“Yep,” Cassius chuckled as he grabbed his pyjamas and went back in to change. After he was done, he decided to be a menace. 

“You know, you’re allowed to check me out,” Cassius teased as he sat down at the end of the bed. 

“I – I didn’t,” Marcus said, poorly defending himself. 

“I’m not blind,” Cassius rolled his eyes. 

“Clearly you are if you thought I was…checking you out,” Marcus turned red at the last bit. 

Cassius went to tease him some more, but then he bit back his reply. His quick-witted retort was forgotten as he realized it was now. He should do something about this now . 

He may get other chances, but he also may not. This could be their whole life. Marcus may never get the courage to say something, and if he ever does, it may be too late. Cassius knows that he can’t wait around forever, he doesn’t want to have to.

 He knows Marcus better than he knows himself sometimes. Marcus isn’t the type to throw something away that he values on the off chance. And Cassius has been going about everything in a roundabout way, probably because he was afraid too. Afraid to ruin everything they may have. 

Marcus wasn’t entirely at fault here, either. 

Yeah, Cassius was flirting, but Cassius always flirts with Marcus. And whenever Marcus flirts back, Cassius always backs down. Never calls Marcus out on it and never truly shows something real. And when he does, he’s the one that never sticks to it. 

“Well,” Cassius begins – now or never – “You do have a crush on me. So clearly, you were checking me out.” 

Marcus freezes. “No, I don’t.” 

Cassius groans, “Marcus…I know you do.” 

“I don’t ,” Marcus insists, “Whoever told you I did –” 

“I figured it out,” Cassius interrupts him. 

Marcus sets his book aside and crosses his arms, “ Oh, did you?” 

“Yeah. I did.” Cassius is facing him now, “You were terrible at hiding it.” 

“I’m not –” Marcus huffs, “I don’t have a crush on you –” 

“Look me in the eye and say that,” Cassius challenges. 

Marcus doesn’t. “Cassius –” 

Cassius doesn’t let him finish that sentence. Instead, he crawls up the bed and Marcus flounders as he scooches back. 

“Cassius – what are you doing –” 

Cassius is now sitting over the top of him. Trapping Marcus underneath him, he holds Marcus' face in his hands. He feels his heart racing as Marcus entire face is beat red, and he looks ready to pass out. 

“Tell me. To my face,” Cassius is speaking lowly. He is searching Marcus' eyes. Maybe he was wrong. Maybe he made it all up in his head. Surely, he isn’t that delusional. He couldn’t be. He may be egotistical, but he wasn’t that egotistical no matter what Marcus says – he wasn’t Malfoy. 

“I – I don’t –” Cassius saw Marcus's eyes drop to his lips, and he grinned. Marcus obviously caught himself, and he glares at him. “Fuck off.” 

“Don’t think I will,” Cassius says smugly. 

“So what – fine – I have a stupid crush on you, you smug, egotistical bastard –” 

Cassius crashes their lips together. It’s kind of awkward since Marcus wasn’t expecting it, but eventually, they get the hang of it. Cassius is holding Marcus' face in his hands, and Marcus's hands find his waist and are tightly gripping him. He’s leaning forward and tilting his head up as Cassius meets him halfway. It started desperate, a yearning clash that has been there for an incredibly long time. But it ends soft, almost sweet, and so beautiful Cassius could almost cry. 

“I have a stupid crush on you, too,” Cassius says against Marcus' mouth. 

Marcus laughed, “Got that. Thanks.” 

Cassius sits back, laughs and says, “Took you long enough.”

They stare at each other for a little bit. 

Marcus nervously opens his mouth, “How long have you known?” 

“Since you figured it out yourself,” Cassius tells him with a laugh. 

Marcus goes bright red, “Oh – you…you annoying bastard. Why didn’t you say anything?” 

“I was waiting for you to ask me out,” Cassius shrugs. “But…I gathered that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon, so…” 

“Of course I wasn’t! Why would I?” Marcus leans forward to lay his head against Cassius' chest. “I never thought you’d like me back. Wait – how long for you?” 

Cassius turns out to be embarrassed. He bit his lip and looked down. Marcus caught on to the embarrassment rather quickly, a mischievous smile spread across his face as he leaned back from Cassius' chest.

“How long, Cassie?” Marcus teased. 

“Since…the beginning of Second Year,” Cassius muttered. 

Marcus eyes went wide, “ Really ?” 

Cassius nodded. 

Marcus grinned as he shot up and kissed Cassius once more – it was another soft and sweet one, one that had Cassius sighing happily against Marcus' mouth. Once the other pulled away, he saw that Marcus was so relaxed and happy. Cassius had to kiss him again. 

Cassius rolled off of Marcus (much to the other boy's disapproval) and sat beside him. Marcus grabbed Cassius' hand and laid his head on his shoulder, Cassius smiled and laid his head atop Marcus. 

“The real reason I was so upset at the thought you might not have been coming was because I knew we would’ve had to have shared a bed. And I was disappointed that we might not have gotten that chance,” Marcus admitted, and Cassius laughed. 

“O,h you idiot,” Cassius chuckled, “I was always going to join you on this trip. I can’t say no to you.” 

“ What ,” Marcus deadpanned. 

“Yep.” 

“I –” Marcus sighed and shook his head. “I take back everything. I hate you.” 

Cassius grinned and brought Marcus' face to his, and Marcus sucked in a breath, “No, you don’t.” 

Marcus rolled his eyes. 

“How come…how come you weren’t going to ask me? Why were you waiting?” Marcus asked softly. 

Cassius sighed, “I thought I was waiting for you to be ready. But, I mean, I know you, and I know that after a few weeks of freaking out, you probably were more than ready –” 

“I thought there was never a chance you’d want me. That even though you were flirting and teasing me, it was just…how we always have been. I didn’t think there was a chance you could ever like me back,” Marcus told him, “I don’t know…you’re just so amazing, Cassius. You’re one of the strongest wizards I know, and you’re…you’re so good at everything you do, and I’m –” 

“The youngest Quidditch Keeper and Captain in Slytherin we’ve ever had in a very long time,” Cassius interrupted, “Not only that, but you’re incredibly smart. You’re a quick thinker, and you understand your weaknesses, and you make up for it by making sure you have the proper tools and aren’t afraid to ask the people around you for help.” 

“Well…you never have to ask –” 

“That’s because I’m incredibly prideful,” Cassius jumped in again. “It’s one of my weaknesses. I have a difficult time asking anyone for help, and it shows a lot when I push myself beyond my limits. I know I have this problem, and yet I rarely do anything to fix it. Because I’m prideful.” 

Marcus smirks and shakes his head. “Wow…admitting your faults, never thought I’d see the day.” 

Cassius rolls his eyes and squeezes Marcus' hand a little too tight, causing Marcus to chuckle. “Shut up.” Cassius begins talking once more, quietly, “Marcus…I was also running away from this. I was afraid that, well…I was afraid of ruining what we already had. Of somehow destroying our relationship, and I was so afraid of change that I realized that I probably wouldn’t say anything. And I never really put myself out there. I was just hoping you would pick up the signs, but I realized I wasn’t giving you a lot to go with.” 

“We flirted all the time,” Marcus points out. 

“I know. So, I realized that I probably would have to say something and –” Cassius begins to laugh slowly, “I tried asking you on a date. But it didn’t end up working out because you didn’t know I was asking you, and instead of insisting it was a date, I allowed you to bring Cynthia and Laila along.” 

“Today was supposed to be a date?” Marcus asked, bright red in the cheeks. 

“Yeah,” Cassius couldn’t help the fond smile on his face. 

Marcus groaned, “Oh my god – I’m so dumb. How didn’t I notice?” Marcus seemed to be revisiting their conversation from the morning, along with the events the day had, and Cassius watched in amusement as Marcus flicked through everything. 

“Don’t beat yourself up about it,” Cassius muttered. 

“I’m going to,” Marcus sighed as he leaned away from Cassius and looked at the boy with adoration. “But also – you should have told me. I get why you waited…but I never would have guessed. We already acted like this before – well…without the other stuff –” Marcus' eyes flickered down to Cassius's lips and their interlocked hands, and Cassius grinned as Marcus' cheeks flushed a little – “So honestly, you know me. I never would have got it.” 

“I think I was hoping for that. Just a little,” Cassius admits sadly, “But I’m happy I told you. Even if you tried to tell me, you didn’t like me.” 

Marcus huffs, “Well. I thought you were teasing me –” 

“Even when I was crawling on top of you?” Cassius leaned forward, their faces close together. 

Marcus tenses up a bit, his cheeks red and glaring at Cassius. “Shut up, you’re a bully. This is bullying.” 

“Yeah, well, you’re a liar,” Cassius shrugged, and Marcus glowered at him. 

“I’m not a liar –” 

“ No, Cassius , I don’t have a crush on you, you’re crazy – I’m totally not blushing, and I actually hate yo–” 

Marcus closed the distance between them and kissed Cassius to shut him up. Cassius laughed into the kiss but allowed them the moment. Their two hands were still interlocked, so Cassius brought his only free hand up and cupped Marcus' cheek. 

Marcus hummed happily, leaning into Cassius' hand. The action made Cassius' heart soar, and their kiss deepened into something primal. He pulled back, and Marcus watched him with hooded eyes. 

“Marcus,” Cassius found himself feeling nervous. His cheeks reddened, and he lowered his eyes, afraid of making eye contact. He bit his lip; then he took a deep breath in. Clearing his throat, he glanced back up at his best friend. Marcus saw how nervous he was and gave him a sly smile, but the look in his eyes was fond, and it gave Cassius the courage to continue forward. “Marcus Flint, will you give me the incredible honour of allowing me to call you my boyfriend?” 

Cassius allowed himself to look Marcus in the eyes; the other boys' eyes were wide, but he had such a joyful grin, he looked so incredibly happy, and Cassius found that the happiness radiated off him, and he felt it too. He was wearing a smile, one that crinkled the corner of his eyes. 

“I’d love to be your boyfriend,” Marcus answered in an excited voice. 

“Really?” Cassius found himself saying, slightly unsure, which wasn’t ever like me. But Marcus sometimes makes him unsure, and he can’t help but chase the feeling. Because even if he’s unsure, he knows that Marcus will never hurt him. He’ll allow him to stumble, but he’ll always catch him and make sure he stays upright. 

“Yes, you dumb idiot,” Marcus laughed, and Cassius grinned. “I’d love to be your boyfriend. Merlin's beard, I’m the dumb one, huh?” 

Cassius snorted and didn’t answer. He was once again kissing his boyfriend. 

Merlin, his boyfriend. Marcus is his, and that’s the way he wants it to be. He loved kissing Marcus. Cassius could kiss this man till the day he died, and he planned on it.

“I think we’re both a little dumb,” Cassius answers when they pull apart once more. 

Marcus raises an eyebrow. “That sounds weirdly humble — are you feeling alright? Is the kissing depriving your brain of oxygen? Should I go get Aunt Blair?” 

“Oh, piss off, asshole,” Cassius groans and pulls Marcus down to the bed so they are lying side by side. Hands together, Cassius resting against Marcus chest as the boy laughed. 

Maybe they were being dumb, but he’d do it all again so they could end up back here. Together in Greece, laying in bed and enjoying each other's company. 

Cassius wouldn’t want to be anywhere else as long as he had Marcus by his side – the warmth and comfort he brings, the joy in his life. The way that everything feels as though the world around them doesn’t matter, it’s just the two of them. Cassius wouldn’t want the two of them to ever be apart; he feels as though there is only one person for him in this world, and that’s Marcus Flint. 

Maybe this is love , Cassius couldn’t help but think. But he’d rather not focus on it. Even if it wasn’t love, he was just happy to be able to be here, with Marcus and have Marcus want him and be with him, no matter how long that may be. 

I hope it’s forever , and I hope this is love.