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"Don't be an idiot." Bucky hissed.
"You're the one who's being an idiot." Natasha replied coolly, flicking her wand to hit him in the face with her book.
The smack against Bucky's cheek was barely noticeable in the commotion that was Charms class, and Professor Flitwick seemed to have once again gotten lost in it.
He glared at her. "Stop that."
"Jesus, it's not like you're asking him to shove his dick up yo-"
"Shut up!"
Natasha grinned. "So you'll ask him?"
Bucky didn't reply and jabbed his wand at the candle in front of him angrily, accidentally enveloping the whole table in a layer of ice. Natasha yelped as she yanked her hands off the table, jerking her chair backwards and toppling the table behind her.
"Watch it!" Tony Stark yelled, collecting the books that had fallen to the floor, but his angry mutters were almost immediately drowned out when Loki's enthusiastic spell caused the candle to light up his whole table in flames.
"You think Flitwick would be sick of the Slytherins by now." Natasha commented, putting her candle out in a white mist with a small movement of her wrist.
Flitwick, who had pried his way out from behind a stack of books, was attempting to put out the fire while simultaneously squeaking at Loki to stop trying to set Thor on fire because yes, setting a student on fire was against the school rules, even if he was your brother.
The bell rang and Bucky stood up to collect his books, only to be knocked back down by a bustling Thor trying to drag his brother out of class before he got into any more trouble. Wondering why the whole world seemed to be set against him, he grabbed his books, wincing as he brushed the frost off.
"Ask him." Natasha persisted, shoving him in front of her.
"Fuck off." Bucky retorted, and Natasha would have no doubt hit him in the head with a whole stack of books if Tony hadn't blocked their path.
"Hey." He grinned. "Are you looking forward to Wilson’s ass getting kicked?"
"What the hell are you talking about?" Bucky asked.
"Quidditch try outs. Don't tell me you're not going to watch?"
Oh. That was why Sam had insisted on skipping Charms to practise.
"Of course we are." Natasha stepped in front of Bucky smoothly. “See you there.”
Tony grinned again, one corner of his mouth tilting higher than the other. "I can’t wait."
"I can't believe you forgot." Natasha told Bucky once they were out of the classroom.
"I had other things on my mind."
"Like Steve."
"I will literally pay you to shut up."
"How fucking hard is it? Hey Steve, we're finally third-years, do you wanna go to Hogsmeade with me?"
"Someone's going to hear you." Bucky's voice lowered to a panicked whisper.
"Nobody who doesn't already know." Natasha took the stairs two at a time, with Bucky following close behind, panting as he clutched his books to his chest.
"Thanks to you."
"Hogsmeade is on Valentine's Day this year."
"I know, thanks for reminding me for the billionth time."
"Salazar." Natasha said loudly, and Bucky was confused for a few seconds before he realised they were standing right outside the entrance to the common room.
"We can talk about your crush after try outs."
"I'm going to kill you."
Steve swung his feet back and forth in an attempt to ward off the chilly weather while waiting for everyone to show up. He had gotten there early (he was always early - something Bucky liked to complain about) and the sign in his hands dangled by his side. The Gryffindor team filed in barely a few seconds later, and he caught Tony and Pepper emerging from the other side of the stands. Steve raised a hand in greeting and Tony winked back. Typical.
Then Sam appeared, and Steve tried to catch his attention by waving both his arms in the air, but the Gryffindor looked like he'd swallowed a whole bucket full of Flobberworms as he stood there miserably in his Quidditch gear.
"Hey!"
Steve's arms dropped and he turned to see Natasha jogging up to him and Bucky trudging behind her.
"Hey." He greeted them, quelling the sudden butterflies in his stomach. "How was Charms?"
"How do you think?" Bucky grimaced. "Loki tried to set Thor on fire."
Of course. All the professors dreaded when the third-years from Gryffindor and Slytherin had class together because they were impossible to keep under control.
Natasha bent down to flip over the sign Steve had been holding, and exclaimed, "I didn't think you'd do it!"
"Anything for Sam." Steve winked.
"When are they starting?"
"Whenever Thor gets his ass on the field." Bucky grumbled, hopping up on to the seat next to Steve.
"It's a shame Manning got expelled." Natasha remarked.
Bucky snickered. "He locked Snape in the dungeons. He's lucky he survived that."
"Yeah, but he was a great Chaser. Gryffindor's won all their matches so far. And they wouldn't have to hold try outs for a new Chaser in early February." She shivered.
"It's a good thing you've mastered the Freezing Spell."
Steve let the two of them bicker and tried not to focus on the fact that he could feel the heat from Bucky's body, or the way his fingers brushed against his every time he leaned forward to jab at Natasha, or even how pink his cheeks were flushed. Nope. He definitely wasn't thinking about any of that.
"Thor's here." He announced, bringing an end to their squabbling.
"Finally." Natasha hopped up and down on her toes, refusing to sit down because she said it was harder to stay warm that way.
A small crowd ranging from first-years to seventh-years had gathered, because everyone was eager to see the famous Sam Wilson and Thor Odinson battle it out on the Quidditch pitch. The two had been in detention during the try outs at the beginning of the year, due to an incident involving smuggled Butterbeer and a poorly timed drinking contest, but they certainly didn't lack for Quidditch skills.
"Niehaus!" Oliver Wood called out, and the chatter from the stands quieted to a hush. A lithe girl ran out to the field, clutching her broom in one hand unsteadily. There were barely ten people trying out for the position of Chaser, but from a glance at the way that they had arranged themselves Steve guessed that Sam and Thor would be the last ones.
Natasha winced as the girl threw the Quaffle with such force that it clanged against the edge of the hoop with an ugly sound. "Pathetic."
"You don't even play Quidditch." Bucky pointed out.
"Doesn't mean I can't appreciate it."
Steve sighed tolerantly. Life was hard when you were a Hufflepuff with two Slytherin friends.
But once the fifth Gryffindor had dropped the Quaffle and nearly fallen off his broom in fright, Steve had to admit that Natasha was right. Most of the good Quidditch players who hadn't made the try outs at the beginning of the year had found other clubs or activities to get involved in, so the only ones left with time to devote to Quidditch practice had little to no talent. With the exception of Bucky and Thor, of course.
"Odinson!" Wood yelled, and the whole crowd leaned forward in anticipation. Even Natasha (who had given up on hopping and had sat cross-legged on the grass) jumped to her feet eagerly.
"Go Thor!" Steve yelled, accompanied by a few more cheers from the crowd.
Bucky stared at him incredulously.
"What?" Steve said. "He's our friend too."
"Not today." Bucky said grimly, and Steve smiled at the way his lower lip curved upwards in an almost-pout.
Watching Thor mount his broom was like watching an elephant try to get in a car, except that Thor managed to maneuver in the air with surprising agility.
Oliver Wood's face was set in a grim line, and Steve didn't envy him for being on the receiving end of Thor's power.
"The most number of goals anyone's been able to score so far is two out of five." Natasha said, resuming her nervous hopping.
"Wood's the best Keeper at Hogwarts." Steve said, barely hiding his admiration for one of the few students he genuinely looked up to.
"He's alright." Bucky said sullenly.
They were startled out of their conversation by loud cheers from the crowd as Thor scored two goals in quick succession.
"What the fuck?!" Natasha jumped. "Is that fucking possible?"
"Stop swearing. There are first-years here."
"There's no way he scored two goals that fast."
Even Wood couldn't help the shocked look on his face as he wiped a bead of sweat from his brow. Steve noticed how he clenched his jaw rigidly and swerved back in front of the hoops with increased determination.
"Sam's going to need a hell of a lot of luck." Bucky said.
"He can do it." Steve said loyally.
"Spoken like a true Hufflepuff."
Thor's next attempt was shabby as the Quaffle flew right in between two of the hoops, and a collective moan sounded from the crowd. Thor furrowed his brow as he flew back with the Quaffle and hefted it with his left arm, catching Wood off guard as it soared neatly into the far corner of the right hoop. Brimming with confidence - overconfidence, Steve thought - the Gryffindor raised the Quaffle to the crowd and yelled excitedly, inciting an equally thunderous applause.
Bucky scoffed, "Show-off."
"He's not going to make the last shot." Natasha said evenly.
Wood seemed to be having similar thoughts as he cracked his neck and smirked at the muscly boy in front of him, as if to say, "Bring it on."
The Quaffle landed neatly into Wood's outstretched arms, almost as if Thor hadn't even been aiming for the hoop. The Keeper grinned with satisfaction, and Thor, still as boisterous as ever, hopped off his broom, and patted Sam on the back.
"Wilson!" Wood called, even though everyone was already cheering his name.
"Sam!" Steve yelled, hefting up his sign that said "SAM IS #1" in huge red letters. Bucky helped him hold it up and wave it around, earning laughs from the crowd.
Sam buried his face in his hands with embarrassment before hopping onto his broom. "It's just try outs!"
"My hero!" Natasha blew him a kiss and Sam looked like he wanted to evaporate.
Steve suddenly felt nervous, and no, part of his nervousness wasn't due to the fact that Bucky's grip on the sign brought his hands dangerously close to his own.
"He just needs to get three out of five to have a chance." Bucky reassured him.
Sam's miserable expression had been wiped off his face and he tossed the Quaffle between his hands with practised ease. Once he was in the air, he looked like he was unstoppable, and his eyes had a determined glint in them as he shot forward and threw the Quaffle in a swift blur. Wood's fingertips brushed the edge of the ball and though it curved slightly from its original path, it still passed through the hoop and Steve let out a relieved sigh.
"GO SAM!" Bucky screamed loudly, lifting the sign higher.
But a sudden gust of wind caused Sam to fumble a little on his next shot, and it whistled well below the hoops. Steve's heart sank and Natasha cursed again. Sam had to make two out of the next three shots just to tie with Thor.
The next two shots happened so fast that nobody really saw what happened except the two players in the air. The first one was a clean shot, the second a miss. Steve groaned. Sam's only option was to score the next shot and have another separate match with Thor.
Sam hovered motionless for a while, debating his options, when he suddenly dived down like a bullet causing the crowd to gasp. Wood barely had time to react before Sam tossed the ball upwards, like he was playing basketball, and it rattled against the bottom edge of the hoop as it passed through.
There was a moment's stunned silence, then the crowd erupted as the two Gryffindors dismounted. Wood pulled Sam and Thor along with him as the Gryffindor team headed back inside, saying something to them in a serious tone. Steve let out a breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding.
"Holy shit." Natasha bent forward to rest her palms on her knees. "That was intense."
Even Bucky had his head tilted backwards, breathing heavily. Steve felt a surge of fondness for his friends and he wrapped an arm around Bucky's shoulder. "Let's go celebrate."
Natasha slid into the seat opposite Sam with a muted thud as her hands hit the surface of the table.
"So." She said.
"So." Sam agreed.
She clicked her tongue. "When are the next try outs?"
Sam sighed. It had been a whole day since he had managed to tie with Thor and since Wood had told them that their try outs would be held privately because he didn't want another large crowd. Natasha hadn't stopped pestering him for a single second.
"I told you." He said. "Wood wants to keep it private."
Natasha sighed.
"It'll probably be after Hogsmeade so we have plenty of time to practise." Sam fiddled with his book while talking.
"You're going?" Natasha sounded surprised.
"Why wouldn't I?" Sam was equally surprised by the question.
"I mean, you've been skipping classes just to practise."
"That's not the same thing."
Natasha shrugged, but she was smiling as she grabbed a book from her bag and opened it. "As long as you can keep up with homework."
Sam groaned, "Why do you think I spend so much time in the library?"
"It's a good thing you have me." Natasha passed him her notes.
"I love you." Sam said sincerely, flipping through her notes before he started copying them.
Natasha smirked, "Just don't make me do your homework for you."
They were silent for a while after that, both engrossed in their work; the only sounds were the scratching of Sam's quill and the occasional creaking of wood when a chair was scraped back against the floor. Which was why Sam started, trailing ink across the parchment, when Steve dropped his bag like a sack of rocks on the floor and sat down heavily next to Sam.
Madam Pince glared at them from behind her desk, but said nothing.
"Hey Steve." Natasha said.
Steve groaned.
"What put you in such a good mood?" Sam asked, amused.
The Hufflepuff buried his head in the table and mumbled, "Potions."
Sam grimaced. The whole school knew that Snape looked at Steve Rogers like he'd accidentally chewed on one of those white stringy things in bananas, and that Steve was failing Potions because of him.
"Snape's a dick." Natasha said, a hint of anger in her tone. "He should have stayed locked in the dungeons."
Steve raised his head, brushing his hair to the side. "Bruce is helping me a lot, but..." He gestured at his bag vaguely. "Homework."
"Extra homework again?"
Steve nodded. "I messed up my Shrinking Solution, so now I have to write a three-foot essay on the history of the Shrinking Solution."
"A three-foot essay?!" Natasha exclaimed, lowering her voice quickly when Madam Pince hissed at her to be quiet.
"Yeah, I only have a foot so far."
"Don't do it." Natasha said decisively. "Detention can't be worse."
"He won't let me go to Hogsmeade."
That stopped Natasha in her tracks. "What? "
"Yeah." Steve said gloomily.
"Isn't there-" Sam began, but Natasha suddenly yelped when she glanced at the clock and grabbed her book as she stumbled out of her seat hurriedly.
"Muggle Studies." She explained hastily.
Both Sam and Steve snorted.
"Not all of us can be Muggle-born." She shot back before rushing out.
"What was her book called?" Steve asked.
"Social habits of British Muggles."
Steve chuckled, "Right."
"When is your essay due?"
Steve's face slumped at the unpleasant reminder that he still had two more feet to write. "Monday."
"At least you still have the weekend." Sam reasoned.
Steve grunted noncommittally, opening a book called History of Potions 1500-1600. Biting his lip, he began scribbling notes onto a spare parchment, and Sam returned to his own notes with a sympathetic look. Their diligent work, however, was interrupted once again by a loud, booming voice.
"Son of Will!"
Madam Pince screeched hoarsely for the 6 foot tall Gryffindor to lower his voice and Sam groaned loudly.
"It's just Wilson." He said as Thor approached them.
Thor beamed and clapped him on the back. "Have you forgotten about practice?"
"Practice?" Steve asked, forgetting to lower his voice and earning another hoarse screech from Madam Pince.
"Thor and I are practising together for the try outs. He's a great Keeper."
Thor laughed, but not another word escaped his mouth because Madam Pince clattered over to them, nostrils flaring. Steve had barely gathered his things when her hands yanked him out of his seat and ushered the three boys out with a mixture of angry hisses and aggressive jabs. They stumbled outside, Steve's books dropping to the floor.
"Tell Tasha I'll need her notes a little longer." Sam said guiltily, letting Thor lead him away.
"Sure." Steve muttered, bending down to pick his things off the floor. The ink from his quill had smudged all over his Potions essay.
"Just my luck." He thought, praying that he would at least be able to salvage a part of what he had written.
"Hey." A familiar voice said, and Steve's heart leapt.
Bucky knelt down to help Steve round up the rest of his things, and the two got back to their feet.
Bucky frowned a little, "Are you leaving?"
"Actually, I got kicked out." Steve confessed. "Thanks to Thor."
"Where are you going now?"
Steve realised that he hadn't thought about that. "Maybe I'll just head back to the common room."
"I'll walk you." Bucky offered.
"Thanks."
The silence was awkward at first, partly because Steve couldn't stop thinking about how Bucky's hand would feel in his.
"Is that Potions homework?" Bucky broke the silence, peering at the parchment resting in Steve's arms.
"Unfortunately."
"The History of the Shrinking Solution." Bucky read. "Sounds riveting."
"Maybe you should write the three-foot essay for me."
Bucky's eyes bulged out of their sockets. "Three- holy shit."
"I know." Steve said forlornly.
Bucky mused, "You know, I'm pretty sure there's a book on that in the Restricted Section."
"How do you know?"
"I had to get a book from there for Professor Sinistra once."
"You think Snape is going to give me permission to check out a book from the Restricted Section?"
Bucky's eyes sparkled. "Who said you needed permission?"
"You want to steal it?" Steve asked in a shocked whisper.
"Borrow it." Bucky corrected. "Just borrow it without permission."
"That's what stealing is."
"Do you want to write your three-foot essay or not?"
Steve hesitated. On one hand, he hated breaking the rules. On the other hand, it would be nice to see Snape's face when he handed in his assignment.
"Fine."
Bucky beamed.
The school was surprisingly well-lit at night. Steve had never snuck out of his dorm after dark (no matter how many times Tony had tried to convince him that the Slytherin common room was much more fun) and it was like Hogwarts was a whole different place. It was almost eerie how quiet it was without the regular bustling of students in the corridors, and his heartbeat was abnormally loud in his chest.
And he was alone with Bucky.
It wasn't that he'd never been alone with Bucky before, but they had never been this alone, where it was just the two of them creeping silently to the library.
"Watch out for Filch's cat too. She's half-demon."
"You've been here at night before?"
Bucky made a quiet noise. "Oh yeah."
There was no sign of Madam Pince either - even evil librarians needed their sleep. It was child's play to get in unnoticed, and Steve worried that it was too easy. Or maybe he had just seen too many horror movies with his Muggle friends.
"Lumos." Bucky muttered, scanning the shelves with the light from his wand.
"Do you remember what the book was called?" Steve whispered.
Bucky shrugged, "Just grab whatever looks useful."
Steve began rummaging through the shelves as quickly and quietly as he could, while Bucky kept glancing over his shoulder and at the floor for any signs of the caretaker and his demonic cat. They seemed to be taking a painstakingly long time, and the Hufflepuff was starting to worry that they would get caught.
"So... Hogsmeade."
"What?" Steve asked, confused.
"Are you going to Hogsmeade?"
"You want to talk about that now?"
"Sorry." Bucky muttered, flushing red in the light from his wand.
There was a short pause punctuated only by the sound of Steve's fingers skimming over books.
"Yes." He said finally.
"What?"
"If I can finish this essay."
"Oh." Bucky paused. "Better find that book then."
Barely a few seconds later, the words rushed out of Bucky's mouth. "Doyouwanttogowithme?"
Steve was glad Bucky couldn't see the smile that had spread across his face.
"Yes." He said, and the brown-haired boy let out a small sigh of relief.
"Found it!" Steve said triumphantly, pulling out a book titled The Shrinking Solution - A History, not realising that the book next to it was The Monster Book of Monsters.
"Careful!" Bucky hissed, but The Monster Book of Monsters snapped open and Steve fell backwards with a yelp.
"Stroke its spine!" Bucky struggled to keep his voice as low as he could.
The book, however, bit viciously on Bucky's fingers when they drew near, causing him to yell out loud. Steve whacked the book repeatedly with the one in his hand till he was able to shake it off Bucky's hand.
"Let's go!" Bucky pulled Steve up with his good hand, the other one red and swollen.
Steve staggered to his feet, jumping over the book and running out of the library as fast as he could. It was a miracle nobody had found them yet. The two boys kept running, hand-in-hand, till they were out of breath and had to slump against the wall to catch their breath.
Bucky started laughing quietly, and even Steve grinned, elated. He was going to finish his essay and go to Hogsmeade with-
"Meow!"
Shit.
When the door to Filch's office finally creaked open, the two boys looked up to see Snape followed by a gleeful Filch. Steve's heart plummeted so fast it sank to the bottom of his stomach, and Bucky turned even paler than he already was.
"Barnes and Rogers." Snape drawled in his usual manner of pausing at inappropriate places for an intimidating effect. It worked.
Filch yanked the book from Steve's arms to hand to Snape, leering unpleasantly, "I caught 'em trying to steal this, Professor. Created a right ruckus in the library, they did."
"The Shrinking Solution - A History." Snape read quietly. "I see."
"If you ask me, Professor, they ought-"
The door swung open once again, and this time McGonagall strode in with Sprout and Flitwick right behind her. Steve heard Bucky gulp audibly. He hadn't expected all the Heads of Houses to show up.
"Great." He thought.
Snape's lip curled slightly, and he lowered the book.
McGonagall's gaze went straight to Bucky's injured hand and she raised an eyebrow. "Filch tells me you were in the Restricted Section."
Neither of the boys replied, and McGonagall's stern disappointment somehow made things worse.
"I can explain." Snape said, and Steve swore he was smirking when he looked at him. "Mr. Rogers was attempting to steal this book to cheat on his Potions assignment."
"It's not cheating!" Steve couldn't help himself. "And it's a three-foot essay!"
"It is now a four-foot essay."
Minerva cut Steve's response off with a gesture. "Severus, there are better ways to deal with this."
"The boy is not in your house."
"Neither is he in yours."
Snape scowled, "Very well then. Detention. Your essay is still due on Monday."
"Severus!" Flitwick protested. "Surely three feet is too much to ask!"
"I think we can all agree that detention will suffice." McGonagall agreed.
Steve was satisfied at the irritated look that crossed Snape's face.
"Fine!" The Potions professor snapped. "Two feet. And detention for both of you on Sunday."
"They can clean the trophy room." Filch offered.
Snape ground his teeth in frustration.
"I think it's time these boys went to bed." McGonagall said, ignoring Snape's seething looks.
Feeling a little light-hearted that they had gotten off so easy (and extremely thankful for the existence of Minerva McGonagall), Steve almost leapt out of his chair, wanting nothing more than to get out of the cramped office, but McGonagall held out a hand to stop Bucky.
"You need to go to Madame Pomfrey."
Bucky glanced at Steve, smiling weakly before sprinting in the other direction to the hospital wing. Steve stared after him when a daring thought crossed his mind.
"Can I have the book?"
"Absolutely not." Snape said at once.
Professor McGonagall peered down at Steve, who tried to meet her gaze steadily.
"I don't see why not." She said at last, and Steve could have hugged her.
"Minerva-"
"What harm can it do?" She interrupted.
Snape's scowl deepened, and he handed Steve the book with hatred in his eyes.
"Thank you." Steve mumbled, almost bowing to McGonagall before running back to his dorm as fast as he could.
"I can't believe you." Clint said, grabbing a piece of toast and buttering it.
"I'm an idiot." Steve shoveled a spoonful of cornflakes into his mouth.
"You are." Clint agreed. "At least you got to keep the book."
"Don't remind me. I still have to write that essay."
Clint chuckled, "They let you off easy."
Steve didn't reply, distracted by the fact that Natasha had just walked into the Great Hall, but Bucky was nowhere to be seen. He was always late to breakfast on Saturdays, but never this late.
"Madam Pomfrey probably just made him stay the night." Clint told him, noticing what he was staring at.
Steve swirled his spoon in his bowl, telling himself not to worry, that Bucky was going to be f-
"There he is!"
Steve's head jerked upwards to see Bucky sitting down next to Natasha with a large bandage on his hand. Bucky looked up, catching Steve's eye from across the hall, and raised his injured hand with a grin. Relieved to see that Bucky was okay (and that he wasn't angry at Steve for dragging him into this mess) Steve grinned back and didn't stop till Clint smacked his head.
"Stop being gross and eat your cereal."
"No magic." Bucky muttered under his breath, attacking a trophy with a wet cloth like he wanted to strangle it. "No smudging."
Steve couldn't help smiling as he polished a speck of dirt off of a trophy that was at least a foot tall. Detention wasn't so bad after all. There was no Filch, no Snape and most importantly he was alone with Bucky.
Bucky, however, wouldn't stop complaining about how boring and tedious this was (and he wouldn't look Steve in the eye either).
"Why do you think there's a mirror in here?" Steve remarked casually.
"Beats me. Maybe Filch likes to get off on his own reflection."
Steve laughed, turning to polish a statue of an old woman while Bucky continued attacking his trophy vigorously.
Idris Oakby. The statue read. 1872-1985. Founder of the Society of Support for Squibs. Wizard of the Month, 2007
Steve had her Chocolate Frog card. It was the first one he had ever gotten on the Hogwarts Express, which was also how he had met Bucky, who had asked to trade it for his Wendelin the Weird card.
"You could be on there, you know." Bucky said suddenly.
"A Chocolate Frog card?"
"What?" Bucky looked amused. "Sure. I meant this."
The Slytherin gestured at the wall, and Steve wondered how he had missed the enormous plaque with a list of all the Head Boys and Head Girls in the history of Hogwarts.
"Oh." Steve said in a small voice, feeling a little overwhelmed.
"Head Boy Steve Rogers has a nice ring to it." Bucky said thoughtfully.
Steve tore his eyes away from the plaque to raise his eyebrows at Bucky.
Bucky shrugged, "It's not going to be me."
"Head Boy James Buchanan Barnes." Steve said out loud, letting the words roll over his tongue. "Fancy."
Bucky rolled his eyes. "Don't you have an essay to finish after this?"
Steve smirked (which was unusual for him). "I handed it in yesterday."
"Are you serious?"
"Yeah!" He said proudly. "You should have seen the look on Snape's face when I walked in with a two and a half foot essay."
Bucky whistled appreciatively. "So you won't be skipping Hogsmeade this year."
Steve hesitated briefly. "Wouldn't want to miss our date."
It was almost fascinating to watch Bucky's face turn as red as a cherry, opening and closing his mouth rapidly like a fish.
"It is a date, right?"
Bucky gaped and replied in an abnormally high-pitched voice, "Yeah."
"Good." Steve said, delighted.
The next week flew by without incident. Loki didn't try to cause physical harm to his brother even once, Snape hadn't given Steve a single extra assignment (which he suspected had something to do with breakfast on Monday when Dumbledore had winked at him knowingly), Sam had tried to teach Thor basketball which had resulted in a trip to the hospital wing, but altogether, it was a relatively uneventful week.
Steve hadn't been able to see much of Bucky though, after that Transfiguration class where Bucky had turned his own hand into a tortoise and had been admitted in the hospital wing for three whole days. Not that Steve hadn't tried to visit him, but Madam Pomfrey had shooed him away each time.
And when it was finally time for the long-awaited trip to Hogsmeade on Valentine's Day, Bucky Barnes was fast asleep.
He was rudely awoken when his covers were yanked off him and an unwelcome voice yelled, "Wake up!"
He curled back into the fetal position. "Fuck off, Nat."
He felt a tugging sensation at his foot and yelped when he realised that she was physically dragging him out of bed. Tony - who always woke up early but pretended to be asleep anyway - snickered into his pillow.
"Are you even allowed to be in here?" He asked her angrily, wide awake now.
"You're going to be late." She said, ignoring his question. "You don't want to keep your date waiting."
Bucky's ears turned bright pink and Tony bolted upright, all pretense abandoned. "You hae a date?!"
"It's none of your business." Bucky said, getting out of bed.
"Please tell me it's Steve. Oh my God, it's so obvious."
"Please stop talking."
"It's Steve." Natasha told Tony.
Bucky steered her out the door as Tony let out a loud whoop behind them. Natasha paused at the door. "I'm happy for you."
"I love you too." He grumbled, shutting the door behind her.
"Congratulations, Barnes." Loki (who had obviously been listening in all along) said solemnly. "May I just say-"
Bucky threw a pillow right at his face.
Nat was right, he was late, he realised, as he jogged down the staircase while simultaneously shoving money into his pocket. He jumped the last few steps, panting to catch his breath.
"Good morning." Steve said cheerfully, and Bucky's heart caught in his chest at how perfect Steve always managed to look, while Bucky didn't even bother to wear matching socks.
"Hey." Bucky's smile wavered, fighting off the queasiness in his stomach.
Steve held out his hand, and that was when it hit Bucky.
He was going on a date with Steve Rogers.
Feeling like he was about to spontaneously combust, he gingerly took Steve's hand in his, curling his fingers in between the other boy's, gripping them like he was afraid they would slip through his fingers. With another tentative smile, he squeezed Steve's hand and they set off. Filch glared at them on their way out, wishing he had an excuse to ruin their day for them, but not even Filch could put a damper on Bucky's good mood.
There was only the slightest hint of chill in the air, and when Steve stopped to squint and smile at the sun, Bucky smiled too, at the way the blond-haired boy's head tilted slightly and his nose scrunched up.
"So," He began, but was cut off as an arm suddenly draped itself around his shoulder, almost knocking him off balance.
"Hey guys!" Tony beamed. "How's your date going?"
"Fine, thanks." Bucky pried the boy off him.
"Can I borrow you for a second?" Tony asked. Without waiting for a reply, he grabbed Bucky by the hand and dragged him aside.
If Steve hadn't been nearby, Bucky would have strangled the little shit.
"How's the date going?"
"Bye."
Tony grabbed Bucky and yanked him back, looking around. "Okay, okay. Don't tell Nat I'm telling you this."
"Telling me what?" Bucky asked, exasperated.
"I bet her ten Galleons that you and Steve would kiss today, but I don't-"
"You what?!"
"Everything okay?" Steve called out to them as Bucky shoved Tony.
Tony gave him a thumbs-up.
"I'm done with you." Bucky hissed.
"I don't have ten Galleons." Tony said desperately. "I've been saving up all year for today."
"I'm sure you can come up with the money." Bucky made to leave, but was yanked back a second time.
"Does that mean you're not going to kiss him?"
"Why would I tell you?"
"I can give you advice, I mean, this is your first ti-"
"I'm going to fucking kill you."
"Did you brush your teeth?"
"What."
"It's important that you smell good. Let me smell-"
"GO AWAY!"
"Don't forget to-"
"Bye Tony."
"Have fun!" Tony waved as Bucky pulled Steve away. "Use protection!"
Bucky groaned and buried his head in Steve's shoulder.
"What was that about?" Steve asked curiously.
Bucky tried to wave one hand dismissively. "Just... Tony. Where do you wanna go?"
Steve's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree and he began talking rapidly. "There's Zonko's, and I want Butterbeer, and I need new quills from Scrivenschaft's, and Honeydukes, obvi-"
Bucky laughed at his endearing excitement. The Muggle-borns always did love Hogsmeade the most.
"Why don't we start with Honeydukes?" He suggested.
Honeydukes was so packed with Hogwarts students who were as excited as Steve was that it was difficult to find their way around. The shelves were stacked with every kind of sweet anyone could have ever dreamed of and more, with chocolate and toffee and candy and nougat and a multitude of unimaginable delicacies.
"Don't eat that!" Bucky grabbed the Peppermint Toad in Steve's hand and put it back on the shelf. "They hop around in your stomach and make you sick all day."
"I don't know what to get." Steve said, his eyes wide with wonder.
"Every Flavour Beans." Bucky grabbed a striped box off a shelf. "Chocolate Frogs. Sugar Quills. No-Melt Ice Cream..."
When they walked out of the shop their pockets were considerably lighter, and the bags in their hands enormous. The bustling and chatter of the other students around them somehow made their own little world seem more private, and they walked down the street hand-in-hand with wide grins plastered on their faces.
"Where to next?" Steve asked.
"How about- is that Nat?"
Steve peered at the red-head with her hands pressed against the window to Zonko's, chatting amicably with the boy next to her.
"Clint?"
The boy turned and waved. "Hey, Steve!"
"I didn't know you two knew each other." Steve said, surprised.
"That's because you two are too busy mooning over each other when we have class with the Hufflepuffs." Natasha pointed out, much to Bucky's chagrin.
"Are you going to Zonko's?"
"No, I'm keeping an eye on Tony." Natasha said. "I don't want him to buy anything explosive."
"Who let Tony Stark into Zonko's?" Bucky asked incredulously. "I have to sleep in the same dorm as him."
"Sucks to be you." Natasha commented.
"Do you guys want to go get a Butterbeer?" Steve asked, before the two Slytherins started bickering again.
Natasha shook her head. "No thanks. I'm not really hungry."
"You guys have fun." Clint grinned at them knowingly.
Steve glanced over his shoulder at his two friends as they resumed their animated conversation and gestured at the shop, and the corner of his lips tilted upwards.
"They're getting along well." Bucky remarked.
"They are." Steve said happily, squeezing Bucky's hand in his own and turning his head to flash a bright smile. "Butterbeer?"
"Are you serious?" Bucky laughed, swinging the door to the Three Broomsticks open. The first thing that hit them was the warm, cozy smell of hot drinks, and then the loud chatter of the packed tables.. They had to pick their way through the crowd carefully, almost tripping over an angry-looking witch on their way in.
Steve grinned, "Very."
"I can't believe you had a crush on Tony."
"Had." Steve said defensively as the two of them squeezed into two seats in a corner. "It was only for a week."
Bucky laughed again, and he couldn't remember the last time he'd been so happy. It felt good to have a conversation with Steve about trivial things (they had debated the merits of Hogwarts over Muggle schools, and whether it was possible for Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans to have every flavour). Bucky didn't want the day to ever end.
They were interrupted when a man pried his way over to them, and Bucky admired how he managed to squeeze into the gap between tables to politely ask them if they wanted anything to drink. Bucky ordered two Butterbeers, noticing how Steve's eyes kept darting to the two jovial wizards drinking from tankards of Butterbeer at the table next to them.
"What about you?" Steve asked once the man had left.
"What about me?"
"Well," Steve said awkwardly. "There must have been someone you liked."
Bucky's teeth gleamed. "It's always been this one guy. Blond. Hufflepuff. Really nice eyes."
It was gratifying to see Steve's face turn pink as a sappy smile spread across his face. Luckily for the blonde, he was saved from having to come up with an answer as two large glasses of frothing Butterbeer were ceremoniously deposited on their table.
"That was fast." Bucky commented.
"Cheers." Steve raised his mug to Bucky's before taking a tentative sip, and his eyes widened with delight as the other boy watched him curiously.
"This is incredible!" He exclaimed excitedly, taking a much larger gulp. "This is so good!"
"Wait till you try Firewhiskey." Bucky told him, chuckling.
Steve chugged the drink in his glass with remarkable speed, much to Bucky's amusement. Before Bucky could ask if he wanted another one, he caught the door swinging open in the corner of his eye and turned to see Tony and Bruce walk in. Searching the inn for a table, Tony spotted Bucky in the corner and grinned wickedly, only to have Bucky flip him off.
"Is Tony following you?" Steve asked.
Bucky groaned miserably as Tony shot finger guns at them before taking a seat at the opposite end of the inn (where he coincidentally happened to have Bucky and Steve directly in his eyesight).
"It's this bet." Bucky mumbled finally.
"What bet?"
"He bet Nat ten Galleons that I..... we would kiss."
There was a pause as Steve processed this, and Bucky was surprised when he burst out laughing.
"Tony's an ass."
"Yeah." Bucky said, relieved that Steve had taken that well. "He's a fucking ass."
Steve's eyes glinted. "It would be a shame if he lost that bet."
"Yea- what?" Bucky replayed that in his head quickly to make sure he hadn't misheard.
Steve leaned forward over the table and Bucky's first thought was that he had brushed his teeth in a hurry that morning, but even that thought vanished when Steve's lips met his and his hand cupped his chin. And Bucky didn't care who saw them, or that Tony let out a loud cheer in the background, because nothing could have ruined that moment for him.
Steve pulled away after what felt like hours, grinning sheepishly. "Another Butterbeer?"
Bucky's heart swelled and he smiled back. "Only if it comes with a kiss."