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Lance made his way to potions with intense excitement. It wasn't that he was crazy about the subject, he just loved mixed classes.
Don't get him wrong, he loved his house with all his heart, but sometimes it was nice to mix it up and talk with people outside of the Gryffindor house.
On his way down the corridor he ran into Hunk who was talking to Pidge enthusiastically before greeting Lance and continuing. Lance tried to follow their conversation, but the Ravenclaws took a lot of different classes and History of Transfiguration Discoveries wasn't something he was too familiar with.
They entered potions class and made their way to an empty table near the front. Lance noticed the table setup with two chairs and one book and immediately called Hunk as his partner.
“Pidge, don't get me wrong. You're mad smart but Hunk’s potion skills are beyond compare.”
“Hey, I know. I'm calling dibs on partnering with Hunk next time.”
“Fine,” Lance sighed, “Hey, speaking of skill without intellect, where is our Mullet Man, it's almost time for class to start?”
“I think I saw him talking to his quidditch Captain. You know Slytherin has a match coming up this weekend.”
“Of course I know that,” Lance replied, “It's against Gryffindor. They better get their keeper’s game up if their gonna stand a chance against me.”
“If anyone needs to be getting their game up, it's your seeker,” said Pidge, “Keith hasn't missed a single snitch all season!”
Lance rolled his eyes, “I'll be sure to keep him well distracted.”
Hunk shook his head, “ew.”
“Seriously though,” Pidge started, “what's been going on with you two?”
Lance let out a nervous laugh, “Uh, I don't really know anymore. We've been such a flip-floppy mess, I never know where we stand.”
Lance rubbed his neck, “yesterday, though, I caught him sneaking onto the quidditch field to get in some practice after hours and I think we had a moment.”
“A moment?” Hunk asked.
“Yeah-” Lance started, but was cut off by the closing of the classroom door. The whole room fell silent in anticipation.
“Good evening,” said Professor Coran, “I imagine everyone has already taken the time to read over today's lesson.”
Lance's heart skipped, he definitely forgot he was supposed to do that.
“McClain,” Coran called, “Will you come up here please?”
Of course Coran would call on him, he was definitely his favorite, there was no secret about that, but that only made his forgetfulness worse. He hated disappointing the teachers he actually liked.
“As I open this, can you describe what you smell?”
Oh boy, thought Lance, this didn't sound good.
He made his way to the front of the class and cautiously stood behind the cauldron. Coran removed the lid and Lance leaned in.
“It smells like… grass and sweat, but also like homemade garlic knots and chocolate,” he wrinkled his eyebrows, “But also something else I can't really place… it's kind of musky?" Lance leaned forward entranced, "but it's so subtle…”
“That'll do, my boy. You can go sit down,” Coran said, patting his back a little too harshly making him lose his balance as he made his way back to his seat, “Can anyone describe what Lance was experiencing?”
A Gryffindor girl in the back raised her hand and Coran let her explain to the class the effects of a love potion.
“Excellent, my girl. Five points to Gryffindor!”
Lance wriggled his eyebrows at the two Ravenclaws at his table. Pidge almost immediately activated competitive mode, sitting on the edge of her seat waiting for the next question. Lance soon regretted initiating the challenge as Ravenclaw began racking up points at lightening speed.
Each pair soon began working on their potions. Lance tried his best to help out Hunk, but eventually he resigned to let Hunk have all the control. He knew potions wasn't his best class anyway, but he still felt a little guilty letting Hunk do all the work.
He tried to make conversation to at least entertain him while he worked.
As their potion started to brew and the smell wafted into Lance's lungs, he tried desperately to place the mystery smell. It was definitely familiar, but he couldn't figure out why.
Suddenly he remembered Keith's absence and looked over to his usual spot only to find it empty.
“I guess Kogane is just skipping class today,” Lance commented.
Hunk didn't look up from his work to note that he wouldn't be surprised by that.
They worked a little longer and Lance watched as the other potions around the room caught up and began emitting the same colored smoke with that strong smell. A few cauldrons around the room smelled a bit off, but over all their class was doing alright.
Suddenly, a boom from behind Lance made a group scream and Coran rushed over to help put out a small fire. He turned around to see Pidge's frustrated face covered in soot.
He started laughing so loud he didn't notice the door to the classroom swing open.
He looked back to the from of the room to see Keith make his way to Coran’s desk.
“Sorry I'm late, professor, I was just-” Keith stopped suddenly, squenching up his nose and looking confused, “Oh my gosh, Lance. What did you do in here.”
The whole room stopped, including Lance and even Hunk.
“Uh, what do you mean?” Lance asked hesitantly.
“Well, I don't know,” Keith said, “I'm just a little confused as to why this room smells like you made a gallon of Lance-scented perfume and sprayed it all over everything.”
Lance jaw dropped and he heard a few choked and giggly noises from various students around the room. His face started burning bright red.
“Uh…” Lance said, completely at a loss at what to say to that.
Pidge cleared her throat, “Keith, did you read over today's lesson?”
Keith looked angrily at Pidge at calling him out then over apologetically at Coran, “Sorry, I meant to, I just-”
Pidge cut him off immediately, “So you didn't know that we're brewing love potions today?”
Keith's eyes widened and Lance would have laughed at how comically red Keith's cheeks were if Lance's hadn't been the exact same shade.
“Uh,” Keith hesitated, sparing Lance only a brief look, “I-” then Keith took off sprinting back out the door.
Lance rolled his eyes, but was right back to his racing thoughts about what Keith said.
Then something clicked. He took a deep breath of the potion smell around him then smirked at the confirmation of his realization.
“Be right back Hunk,” he said, racing after Keith, “sorry Coran! Be right back, hope you understand!”
Lance ran out the class and to the stairs after Keith. Keith was on one of the staircases and Lance crashed toward them.
“Keith!” he yelled.
Keith kept running but as soon as Lance's feet touched the steps, the stairs began to move, effectively stopping Keith in his tracks.
“Damn it!”
Lance smirked, the castle was definitely on his side today.
“Dude, wait up.”
Keith turned to him, taking in his disheveled hair and bright red face, “I am not talking about this.”
“'k fine,” he said, “then I'll talk.”
“No.”
“Too late,” Lance smiled, “I'm talking. So you're attracted to me, totally natural. Completely understandable, as I am irresistible in every way.”
“Oh my god,” Keith deadpanned.
“But, here's the thing,” Lance stepped closer, “do you wanna know what I smelled? Underneath the background smell of quidditch and my mom's cooking, there was a musky scent I couldn't quite figure out.”
Lance took another step closer, smirking at the way Keith seemed to shift nervously.
“And I have a good guess now as to what that was.”
Lance grabbed Keith's wrists lightly and tugged him forward. Lance was surprised at how easily Keith let him.
Lance leaned in slowly, his face only inches from Keith's. Though Keith stayed seemingly unphased by the close proximity, Lance could feel the tremble in Keith's breathe against his skin. He was so close to Keith's mouth their noses bumped and Lance heard Keith catch his breath.
Lance suddenly dipped his head into the crook of Keith's neck and inhaled deeply. Sure enough, Lance was met with the same smell from the potion. He looked back up at Keith and smiled brightly.
Keith relaxed as he caught on and Lance could feel the tension in Keith's body drop.
“Just what I thought,” he said, barely over a whisper, voice rough.
Keith broke out of his hesitance at once and broke his wrists free of Lance's grasp.
Lance was startled until two strong hands were on his face and he was pulled into a kiss filled with fire. He almost giggled at just how Keith it was, except, unlike everything else Keith did, It completely lacked skill.
Lance broke them apart briefly to run a hand through Keith's hair. Then he put his hands on Keith's waist and moved in a little slower for another kiss.
He tried to make this one a little less sloppy than the first. Keith tried to keep up with Lance but eventually just let him take control.
Lance thought briefly at how it was definitely a concession from Keith saying that Lance was finally better at something than him, but the thought was quickly chased away by much more urgent thoughts.
Like how that small musky smell was now all his lungs breathed in. How the hands that had pulled at his face so roughly we're now draped softly around his neck, fingers touching lightly beneath his hairline, causing goosebumps to rise in their wake.
This kiss wasn't rough, it was savoury. Lance tried to open Keith's mouth a little and when their tongues touched, Keith let out an almost inaudible moan and Lance drank it in.
Keith eventually groaned, frustrated at the slow pace and pressed Lance forward, effectively backing him into the stairway rail. His grip tightened on Lance's neck as Keith pressed their bodies together. He stepped in and slotted one of his legs between Lance's, earning him a contented moan at the friction.
Lance adjusted his grip on Keith's waist before breaking away. Keith tried to follow him and continue, but Lance turned slightly. Keith huffed in disappointment and opened his eyes to see Lance gazing back at him.
“We are still out in the middle of the hallway, you know,” Lance said with a knowing smirk, “I'm not too fond at the idea of Professor Shirogane finding us making out when we should be in class.”
Keith hummed in agreement but didn't pull away, instead he pressed another kiss to Lance's lips, “Do you wanna get out of here then? I'm sure we don't have to look far for an empty room.”
“I'd love to,” Lance said, “But I can't afford to miss potions. If it were any other class…” Lance smiled and wriggled his eyebrows.
Keith shook his head and removed his arms from Lance's neck to place them on his chest.
“Fine,” he said, “but find me at dinner. This isn't over.”
Lance smirked and leaned in to kiss Keith below his jaw bone and up to his ear, “Oh, this is far from over, Mullet.”
Keith groaned and pushed lightly on Lance's chest, “If you don't stop, there's no way I'm letting you go back.”
“Aren't you coming back with me?”
“After that scene I just made? Hell no.”
“What? Come on, Keith. What am I supposed to say when I go back without you?”
“I don't know,” Keith said, “You can figure it out.”
Lance pouted and grabbed Keith's hand. Keith let himself be guided back down the stairs.
“Please,” he whined, “Come with me.”
“No.”
“Please.”
“Nope.”
“Please?”
“Fine.”
Lance grinned and kissed Keith again on his flushed cheek.
“Dont think this means I'll take it easy on Gryffindor Saturday,” Keith said as they made their way off the staircase.”
“Wouldn't dream of it,” Lance replied, “Besides, how are we supposed to be Hogwarts’ new power couple if we're not both at the top of our game?”
“Let's hold off on the couple talk for a bit.”
Lance stopped and his face dropped, “Oh,” was all he said.
Keith backtracked, “Wait. That's not what I- what I meant was-”
“No, I get it. You don't want to make anything official until you're sure. I get it really. No big deal,” Lance said, starting back toward class a little quicker than before.
“No, Lance, wait,” he said, “I am sure, I just don't want to deal with everyone yet. Let's keep it on the down low. Just for a little while.”
Lance shifted his weight, still a little unsure.
“Come on,” Keith smirked, stepping slowly into Lance's space, “it'll be fun, romantic, sneaking around. Think of how exciting it would be, like in one of those lame muggle romcoms you love.”
Lance rolled his eyes, “fine, for now. I just- it's not because you're ashamed of me, right? I know I'm not exactly your type...”
Keith's heart jumped, “No, no, no, Lance, of course not! I just don't want to deal with the drama of everyone knowing until we have to. But if that's how it'll make you feel then let's tell everyone. Right now. In the whole castle.”
Lance giggled, “No, it's okay. I was just making sure…”
“I don't have a type,” Keith said, “but if I did, I think the love potion made it pretty clear that type is you.”
“Aww,” Lance drawled.
“Shut up,” Keith smiled.
They stood outside the classroom door and Keith grabbed Lance's hand determined, “Okay, let's do this.”