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Seven Years in Hogwarts
Year 4: Queen’s boy’s night
“So, I had an idea.”
Bruce paused in the writing of his essay and slowly lifted his head. A blonde boy was sitting across his table,a green and silver tie and his fake grin on. He subtly glanced around. No one was there. Then again, he always chose this spot in the library because not many people came there. So nope, he wasn’t dreaming. Oliver Queen was addressing him.
“I was thinking that since Mera is in Beauxbatons for the semester and you now look kind of lonely, we should do a boy’s night.”
The Wayne Heir lifted a startled eyebrow. In the three years and a half they had shared a dorm, Queen had never really come to him. They exchanged like ordinary classmates, spoke of superficial stuff, but never really befriended each other. Mera had deemed him a lost cause in third year when he had attempted to organize a Gryffindor-like party in the Slytherin Common Room. Bruce, however, was wary of him: Oliver Queen might behave like one of those lions amongst the snakes, but he had a silver tongue that rendered Luthor pale with envy.
He put down his quill; he didn’t want to spread ink on his homework again –and stared at the blond straight in the eye.
“Why?” he asked.
The answer came as bluntly as it gets for a Slytherin:
“You are the most frustrating person I have ever met,” Queen declared. “You are quiet and your magic is average even though you have good grades.” Bruce didn’t deny it –he did downplay his magical talents a bit, but only to be underestimated. Lois would kill him if he truly sabotaged his own grades. “Girls talk about you and you don’t even seem aware of it-“ Wrong, he was very aware of every rumor running about him behind girls’ doors. Mera usually reported them with unhealthy glee. “And it doesn’t matter if I’m the most popular guy in Slytherin, people listen to you when you deign to open your mouth. Heck, even I listen when you open your goddamn mouth, and that’s saying something.”
That was…actually true. His friends had told him his ability to anticipate everything made him the best damn strategist they knew. Even prime and proper Kent listened. And so did Queen, apparently.
“And so?” he finally said.
“And so, I want to know how you do it. Therefore, you and I are having a boy’s night.” He paused, and reluctantly added: “You can bring Curry with you.”
He just might. The Gryffindor always got along better with students that didn’t belong to his House; most likely because his best friends were Slytherins.
“I’ll ask him.” He said evenly. His thoughts were directed at another matter. There was another student he had tried to coax into his inner circle, with little success. After the incident with Luthor Senior though, the Hufflepuff was more receptive to him. This could be a golden opportunity to get closer to him. “Mind if I bring Kent too?”
Queen opened his mouth in surprise –most likely because he was the last person to believe Bruce Wayne of all people could lure ‘Kent the Saint’ to the dark side. Then, a side smirk grew on his face. Oliver Queen just had an idea.
“Deal.”
SYIH
The outdoors was rather peaceful at this time. The sun was up, no one was seeking trouble, and most of the students were avoiding the fresh air of March. Bruce had no qualms taking his routine walk, and if Andrea Beaumont wanted to join, she was more than welcome.
She was one of the exchange students this year, along with a few others, fresh from Beauxbatons. A beautiful redhead with joyful eyes, a sharp tongue, and an excellent duelist. People called her cold and snobbish, but Bruce genuinely enjoyed their conversations. She reminded him of Mera in some ways. He sighed inwardly; perhaps Queen was right: his best friend’s absence was weighting more on his mind than he thought. Hopefully that little party of his would cheer him up. If he managed to bring in Kent, it would be fun to tease him a little.
“You look like you are about to do something very naughty.” Bruce immediately shifted into a neutral expression. Andrea grinned and gave him a light shoulder bump. “Do tell, Mister Unreadable. It must have been a good joke for you to smile.”
“Not exactly a joke,” he replied. “But an event I am surprisingly looking forward to.”
“Is it the upcoming Quidditch match? Your friend is the commentator, right?”
“Yeah, since her second year. The only reason Lois couldn’t get in in the first year was because the teacher considered she didn’t have the necessary technical knowledge of Quidditch.” Bruce personally thought the real reason was that Lois was still a first year and Wilson in his seventh, and the school didn’t want to kick up a fuss. “She’s very protective of her spot.”
“I spoke with her, the other day. She is incredibly smart. You have chosen your friends wisely.”
“We understand each other,” he merely said, and slowed his pace as a dark-haired girl stepped in view along with her hoard of friends.
The third year Diana Prince. The uprising Princess of Gryffindor. A witch who came from a remarkable family, and whom he had desperately avoided ever since he realized they were magically tied. As if answering to his thoughts, the spot on his elbow tingled. Bruce winced inwardly when he saw Prince absentmindedly touching her own elbow. She felt their connection, but hadn’t realized what it was. Hopefully, she never would.
Steve Trevor, one of Prince’s most ardent admirers, glared his way. The princess of Gryffindor followed his look at and met his gaze from afar. She nodded in greeting, not feeling the need to speak to him. Bruce returned her nod and felt Andrea stiffen.
“A paramour?” she inquired. He couldn’t quite understand why her eyes flashed with annoyance.
“Nah, she’s not my type,” he replied. “And she’s fourteen. I’m not interested in little girls.”
Andrea seemed to relax and a brighter smile returned.
“You do realize you are just one year older.” Bruce huffed. “Does that mean you like older women?”
There was something in the side smile that raised a red flag. He would not call himself an expert, but he was quite certain she was flirting with him. His cheeks grew warm and his stomach flipped. She was flirting, right? What should he say then? Despite what rumors said he was no expert. And Andrea…he hadn’t known her for more than a few months, but he did like her a lot. She would be returning to France by the end of the semester, it wasn’t like anything lasting would happen between them.
“I like them smart,” he replied instead, trying not to sound mildly alarmed. His senses were in alert, already trying to anticipate whatever would come next.
Andrea bumped his shoulder again, her smile turning into a full-teethed grin.
“I’m just teasing you, Mister Unreadable.” Still, her arms subtly locked with his and Bruce enjoyed the sensation in his chest. He would definitively ask her out for Hogsmeade next weekend. If she was only staying for a few months, might as well fully enjoy their time together.
SYIH
“So, I brought snacks and drinks, muggle style, for testing,” Queen announced as he met with Bruce in the hallway. His innocent-looking bag looked flat, but Bruce knew it was magically enlarged inside. “Where are the others?”
“Arthur’s picking up Kent. They’ll join us in front of a room I found a while back.”
“Really? What’s it like?”
“Just a room,” Bruce replied dryly. The Wayne Foresight –or Wayne Curse as he called it –had of course helped him find out about the Room of Requirement, but his gift was not a secret he was keen on sharing. Queen seemed to sense his reluctance and changed the subject:
“So how did you blackmail Kent the Saint to join our merry band?”
“I asked nicely.”
It wasn’t a lie; Bruce had asked him as he was walking out of the Hogwarts’ gazette headquarters -in full hearing of Lois. He knew she would encourage Kent to join them to loosen up. And Kent would follow Lois’ suggestion if only to please her.
“Okay.” Queen breathed in and declared: “Before we join the others, I need your advice.”
Bruce stared at his classmate suspiciously.
“What about?”
“Girls.”
His confusion grew –Queen didn’t have girl problems. Or had he missed something?
“What makes you think I know anything about girls?” he asked anyway.
“You hang around Mera Xebel and Lois Lane and haven’t gotten your balls busted yet. And you got Andrea Beaumont to follow you like a puppy around Hogwarts. Three hot girls. That’s enough for me.”
Bruce shook his head –his females friends weren’t easy to understand, but as long as their buttons weren’t pushed, they were adorable. Or as adorable as two friendly tigers could be.
“Whatever. Tell me.”
“Dinah Lance, one of the Ilvermorny exchange students. How would you approach her?”
The Wayne heir stared at him in disbelief.
“You have a thing for Dinah Lance?”
Queen’s cheeks turned red.
“No! I mean, yeah, maybe, I don’t know! I just can’t get her to speak to me! She ignores me all the time!”
“Have you been stalking her?”
“Of course not!” Pause. “Maybe following her a bit?”
Bruce rolled his eyes. Go figure.
“Just leave her alone, Queen. She probably thinks you’re a creep.”
His eyes grew wide in alarm.
“What? But I can’t-“
“Stay away for a while and return in a week or so with an apology gift.” That usually worked with Zatanna. “Ask her help for homework or find a common interest that is not you or your achievements –that’s my advice,” he added when Queen opened his mouth to protest. “Take it or leave it.”
The blonde pouted and remained silent till they reached the corridor containing the Room of Requirement.
SYIH
The moment the door appeared in the wall, Bruce felt pleased at the gobsmacked expression on Queen’s face.
“How did you-“ he started before exclaiming: “You sly Slytherin! You found it and never told anyone!”
“Found what?” Kent asked, a little lost. He had looked a little surprised too, but not overly so. After all, Hogwarts was a magical castle and many things remained secret even to this day. Only well-informed students would be aware of its importance.
“The Room of Requirement. It’s one of Hogwarts’ urban legends. Every Slytherin knows it exists, but not where it is located.” A newfound respect grew in his eyes. “Wayne, you are definitively a keeper.”
“What’s so particular about this room?” Kent inquired.
“It’s a secret room within Hogwarts Castle, that only appeared when a person is in great need of it,” Bruce explained.
Whenever he needed peace and quiet to sort through his visions, the Room granted him a peaceful environment. He wasn’t ashamed of using it for a small gathering. In spite of Queen’s exuberant behavior, he could definitively become a reliable ally in the future. The Room of Requirement would take in account his need for confidentiality, and never let anyone find them.
He planned to magically swear Queen to secrecy anyway. He and Kent. Kent was a Hufflepuff, but if his intuition was right, he could be hiding something special. Queen was just a babblemouth.
“Such a place for a ‘boy’s night’?” the Hufflepuff went on, a little taken aback. “Isn’t it too…grand?”
“Oh shut it Kent! I want to see inside!”
Arthur shot an inquisitive glance. Bruce had brought him and Lois there last month, to help him deal with his nightmares. By now, the Gryffindor would have understood that even the Slytherin had a secondary motive to do what he did. Although to be honest, Bruce just really wanted to know what Queen had in mind.
The Room had accommodated his wish for comfort and privacy by making it reasonably sized with high windows. A fire was burning in a chimney. Four comfortable-looking couches were arranged around a round table, perfect to welcome snacks. Comforting and cozy. Now all he needed to do was to make them want to keep whatever happened here secret. A magical oath sounded good, for starters.
“It’s…homy,” Kent remarked, a little surprised. “How did you find this room?”
“Trade secret,” Bruce replied, knowing the Hufflepuff wouldn’t back off like Queen did. “I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you.”
Arthur snorted. Kent looked even more startled.
“You read Sherlock Holmes?”
Bruce felt slightly insulted that he seemed more surprised that a Pure-blood would know about Sir Arthur Conan Doyle than a magic room hidden in Hogwarts. In his defense, not many magically-raised children read muggle literature. Queen’s blank expression proved that. Then again, Queen wasn’t a great reader to begin with.
“Thought that line came from Top Gun?” Arthur inputted.
“It’s only reprised,” Kent replied. “A lot of classics do.”
“Muggle culture,” Bruce explained to Queen. “I think Lance is Half-blood or something. Perhaps you should get into that.”
The blonde immediately brightened and stepped forward.
“Hey Kent, mind giving me pointers on the best muggle stuff one of these days?” The Hufflepuff blinked, startled. He glanced at Bruce, who mouthed: ‘Dinah Lance’ over his shoulder. He finally understood and, being the helpful guy he was, Kent promised he would. “Awesome. Now, get settled while I get the food out.”
Queen rushed at the table, opened his bag, and started pulling out bottles and snacks. Bruce watched, halfway amused, halfway horrified at the amount of sugar the other boy clearly intended to consume. Chocolate bars, jelly, candy, crackers and a variety of brands he had only seen in cheap muggle supermarket. He reached for the nearest bottle –brownish glass with a yellow label.
“Cobra?” he read on the brand.
“Yeah, thought it’d be fitting for us Slytherins.”
Arthur looked about to say something when he caught the name of other brands.
“Wolf? Good Boy? Did you pick drinks with an animal theme or something?”
“My cousin –the one who married a muggleborn –sent them to me. He claims it’s the muggle equivalent to Butterbeer.”
“Hum,” Bruce opened the bottle with a flick of his wand. The smell was odd, but not disagreeable. Since Queen had not brought glasses, he took a sip from the bottle. The taste matched the smell, very light.
“Uh…Queen,” Kent started, eying the drinks warily. “Not that I want to be a spoilsport, but are you sure this is a good idea?”
“It’s harmless,” the Slytherin retorted. “And it’s boys’ night. We can have some exoticism, right?”
The Hufflepuff hesitated a moment before giving in and picking a bottle in turn.
“What are we supposed to do now?” he asked next. In spite of having agreed to come along, he did not appear comfortable.
“Get to know each other. I mean, Wayne is depressed at Xebel’s absence, so I figured a little party would cheer him up.” Queen replied as he picked his own bottle and dropped on the nearest couch.
Arthur, who had just taken a sip of his drink, chocked. Kent frowned and pushed his goggles higher up on his nose.
“I didn’t think Wayne considered me close,” he said and eyed Bruce suspiciously. “I mean, we still call each other by our last names.”
The Slytherin shrugged. Kent’s words were true, though he was working to get them closer.
“Then if only for tonight, it’s first name basis!” Queen announced happily. “Should we start with a Truth or Dare?”
A different set of red flags waved in his mind. Bruce kept his face neutral, confident Arthur would follow his lead.
“First name basis will only make things more awkward, Queen,” he replied impatiently. “As for the game-“
“Don’t have an issue with it,” Arthur declared, suddenly a lot more animated. Bruce narrowed his eyes, which the Gryffindor beautifully ignored. Kent shrugged in turn.
“As long as it stays friendly, I’m okay.”
“Great, I’ll start!” The Slytherin attacked head on: “Wayne, Truth or Dare?”
Sometimes, he wished Queen wasn’t such an interesting investment.
“Dare,” he reluctantly complied.
“Great,” the blonde purred. “I dare you to say one thing about everyone here that you know, but they don’t think you know.”
Bruce raised an eyebrow. Arthur and Kent stared at Queen in disbelief.
“That’s a dumbass question,” Arthur said as Kent blurted: “You know that includes you too, right?”
Queen smirked and Bruce thought –bad idea. He knew many things about the Slytherin that he would not want out in public. Unless it was his means to figure out how much Bruce actually knew about his family? Was he seeking dirt on the people present here? Or was he trying to have them turn their backs on him?
“Relax,” Queen said as he threw his arms in the air. “What is said during Truth or Dare remains in Truth or Dare.”
“Then swear it on your magic,” Bruce demanded dryly. He was definitively searching for dirt. Thank Merlin he had done his homework and had far enough stuff on Queen and his family to blackmail him into silence for three generations.
“Magic is a bit much –why don’t we just swear that one is not allowed to spill what is said during Truth or Dare, unless the concerned one okays the whatever dirty secret you’re about to spill to be told?”
The two other boys exchanged uneasy glances, but both seemed intrigued. Kent clearly had more to hide than any of them –and he was the one Bruce had the less information on. Arthur’s secrets weren’t that world changing –and Bruce had learned a few thanks to his Foresight. Unfortunately, both were also aware that he kept quite a lot of his knowledge to himself.
“Man, he’s one of my best friends but there are some things I don’t want him to know,” Arthur pointed out.
“This is the moment to check that your secrets are safe,” Queen encouraged with glee. He already had his wand out. “I’m in. Aren’t you all curious?”
“It won’t be anything special,” Bruce attempted to reassure them. “And we won’t speak of it after, I promise that.” He pulled his wand in turn and gave Arthur a look. “Let’s get it over with.”
Arthur grumbled but took his wand out. After a moment’s hesitation, Kent followed. Before Queen could speak any further, Arthur interjected:
“I swear on my magic, that nothing, starting from this moment till we leave the Room, will be repeated without the explicit agreement of the owner of the secret.”
Bruce nodded and echoed the words without hesitation. The spell was the same he cast every time he came here. Simple, clear, efficient. Queen and Kent repeated the spell and put down their wands.
“So, now that the paranoia has been taken care of, do your worse Wayne.”
“Fine,” Bruce stated plainly. “Arthur has a huge crush on Mera. Kent is a Legilimens and Queen, your family is bankrupt.”
Silence reined upon the stage as he waited for their reaction. In a way, Bruce was very much amused: Arthur had turned red in embarrassment, Kent white in shock, and Queen had definitively not expected that sort of information.
“How do you know that?” Arthur demanded first. “Does Mera know? You told her? Wait no, she told you something?”
“Didn’t think you’d know about that,” Queen muttered, suitably chastised. “I’m sorry I even asked.”
Kent remained quiet but if looks could burn, Bruce would be ashes by now.
“How did you figured out I was a Legilimens?” he asked eventually.
Bruce had known the moment the words left his mouth, Kent’s fragile trust in him would most likely shatter. Therefore, he pondered about his answer carefully.
“Your attitude,” he stated. “You stare at people with that odd expression. You avoid looking into their eyes. You know things that people wouldn’t tell. Last year’s incident.” Luthor went unsaid. “And the fact you keep sending Lois hints whenever she is stuck on an article.”
Kent’s eyes suddenly twinkled as he launched a mental attack -in vain. Bruce’s natural mental shield protected him from any assault. He lifted an eyebrow back at the Hufflepuff, stating ‘did you really think I’d be unprepared for you’? The boy lowered his head, cheeks red in anger. Bruce took pity on him and directed the conversation elsewhere:
“The way you curve your ‘e’ is very particular. And you straighten and have a slight smug smile whenever Lois speaks of her secret informant.” Kent merely stared at him. A pure Slytherin would have used the witnesses to call him out of the mind-reading. Bruce did not want to have the other boy as his enemy. A Legilimens could come in handy someday. Better to redirect the conversation on a safer field. “She has no idea. I just figured it out. About both,” he added.
His shoulders slumped in relief, but his eyes remained troubled.
“Are you going to tell her?” he asked.
Bruce snorted.
“I kept that information for weeks. I have no business dealing with whatever’s going on between you two.” He glanced at Arthur. “Same goes with Mera. Whatever is going on between you is none of my business.” Although now that he had confirmation that feelings were engaged, he might hint something in his next letter. His fellow Slytherin’s not-so-subtle attempts to follow the Gryffindor’s actions by correspondence were becoming tiresome. “As for you, Queen, that is not as well-kept as your family likes to believe.”
The blonde picked his bottle and finished it in one go. The rest imitated him. Once the thirst was quelled, Bruce stared at his friend. Time to move on with the game.
“Arthur, Truth or Dare?”
The Gryffindor grinned.
“Dare.”
“I dare you to eat half the bag of gummy bears in one go.”
“That’s it?” he opened the bag in one go, grabbed half the gummy bears, and shoved them in his mouth.
“Nobody told you to close your mouth when you eat?” Queen said with a look of distaste. Kent frowned in disgust. Arthur turned his attention on him next.
“Kent, truth or dare?”
“Dare?”
“I’m feeling generous. You’ll just do a headstand against the couch.” He grinned. “Don’t disappoint me.”
Kent rolled his eyes and stood up.
“I grew up in a farm, Curry. A headstand is not going to be a challenge.”
“Bite those words, I’ll be more imaginative next time.”
The headstand was made, with Kent’s shirt sliding down his abdomen. Bruce thought he had nice abs, and Lois would be a lucky girl, once she opened her eyes. He returned to the couch, grabbed his bottle, and stared at the next victim.
“Wayne, truth or dare?”
Kent had that particular glint in his eye that called ‘payback’. Bruce was not one to delay the inevitable, so resignedly replied:
“Truth.”
“Tell us one secret that you have, that no one else knows.”
Of course, Queen’s question would come to bite him back. The other Slytherin was all ears, probably thanking Kent for asking what he himself would not dare. Bruce decided to humor him. This would surprise them, and be harmless –as long as it didn’t come out of these walls.
“I have a soulmate,” he announced.
The three others dropped their jaws in shock.
“What?”
“Seriously?”
“No kidding?”
“That kind of thing still exists?”
“You know her?”
“Is it a girl or a boy?”
“They’re in Hogwarts?”
Bruce huffed and rolled his sleeve up.
“It’s a Wayne tradition of some sorts. Every blood Wayne is born with one.” He tapped the birthmark on his bare elbow. “That mark here. She –my soulmate is a she –has a matching one.”
“Is it Beaumont?” Queen asked. “I heard you asked her out this afternoon.”
He stared at the blonde in disbelief: that had barely happened three hours ago!
“Nah, not Beaumont,” Arthur claimed. “Else he wouldn’t approach her within a ten-foot-pole.” He narrowed his eyes, suspicion growing. “Knowing you, it’s someone you’d avoid at all cost. You hate being tied down.”
“Yeah, that’s helpful,” Kent said sarcastically. “You don’t avoid anyone.”
“Mustn’t be in our year,” Arthur went on, ignoring Kent’s remark and thinking hard. “Easier to throw the attention away that way. You’ve been more picky about the people around you since second year, so I’d say one year below.”
“Your sense of observation astounds me,” Bruce replied dryly. He hadn’t realized that Arthur noticed the shift in his social dynamism.
“One year below, not in Slytherin,” Queen inputted. “If a Slytherin knew they had a magical tie with you, they’d come running. And trust me, any Slytherin would know.”
“So Slytherins are out. Won’t be a Hufflepuff either.”
“Why?” Kent asked, affronted.
“Cause, no offense, but your lot are followers, not leaders. And Bruce needs someone who will butt heads with him and keep him on his toes.”
“Why not Ravenclaw?”
“Nah, Lois would notice if he was trying to avoid a Ravenclaw.”
“A Gryff then? Would make sense, since Curry is the only Gryff you regularly talk to?” Queen suggested.
“Would make sense,” Arthur agreed with glee. Bruce had a bad feeling about the twinkle in his eye. “I’ll bet it’s-”
“Could it be Diana Prince?”
Kent’s announcement startled everyone. Bruce nearly dropped his jaw in shock.
“Diana Prince? The Gryffindor Princess?” Queen sputtered.
“She’s talented and your type of girl,” Arthur admitted. She obviously wasn’t the person he had in mind. “How did you figure it out?”
“Every time Wayne is around Prince, she scratches her elbow.” They all stared at him in disbelief. Kent merely shrugged, but added: “I’m a reporter. I notice things.”
“She doesn’t know,” Bruce announced quietly. They all turned their attention back on him. “It’s not time yet.”
A point-blank lie. If he had any say in this, she would never know. He made brief eye contact with Arthur. The Gryffindor gave him a disapproving stare, because he knew he would not be able to speak about it outside the Room.
“So you’ll just go around and cheat on her till the time is right?” Kent asked sarcastically.
Bruce grabbed his bottle and drained it at once. Then he picked another drink and opened it. How odd, he thought, after finishing it, his head felt a little lighter. No matter. The evening was just beginning.
“Soulmates aren’t always romantic,” he pointed out, then thought of the Trevor kid who stuck to her like glue all day long. “And she’s already got someone, I think. Anyway, Queen, Truth or Dare?”
SYIH
“-and then I found out about the underpants!” Queen concluded, accenting the discovery with a healthy slap on his knee. “When she put them on, they fitted and –and they were charmed to float! No wonder why she could still walk so lightly–she weighted as much as a whale!”
“A whale is reaaaaaally heavy,” Kent added in a dreamy tone. “She must’ve been biiiiiiiiiiiiiig.”
“E-NOR-MOUS!” Arthur shouted. “I bet she was HUGE!”
“I wonder if an elephant if bigger dan a whale,” Bruce wondered out loud. “It’s like –what whale is the biggest already?”
“Ollie’s gramma!” Kent blurted and burst into laughters.
“Do you have whales in your farm, Kent?” Queen inquired with a slight slur.
“Naaaah –my farm is j –it’s j –it’s djust corns and fields as faaar as the eye can see.” He made a vague move of his hand to indicate how far they went. “Dat was b’fore we came to England, with Ma.” His face fell. “My Pa died in a t –a tornado.”
“Sorry mate,” Arthur said and tentatively patted his shoulder. For some reason, he could not measure his strength and actually slapped his shoulder hard. “My mom bailed out when I was two. Her fam’ly, y’see. They didna want her to marry dad, so they ran away.” He paused, his face sad too. “They forced her to return, y’know. T’wasn’t pretty. Was young, but I still rem –rememer –remember it. She left me a blankie. I called it Bernie.”
Kent turned around and gave Arthur an equally uncontrolled comforting slap on his shoulder.
“Ammmmmm sorry too.”
“My mom and dad both got killed,” Bruce spoke up. His head would not stop spinning but he felt the need to participate. Even if the headache killed him. “So I kinda beat you both. Oh, but I got Giovanni and Zana, so I guess I’m like Arthur cause I kinda have another dad and a sister?”
Queen sniffed, his big blue eyes filled with tears.
“And I miss my grannie,” he said. “She was huge and she smelt bad but she actually liked me. She gave me my first bow!”
“Don’t forget the underpants!” Kent shouted. “She had epic underpants that could fly a WHALE!”
The Slytherin burst into tears.
“Queen needzza hug!” Arthur claimed and stood up. “Come here mate, lemme give ya manly hug!”
“What about my manly hug?” the Hufflepuff pouted. “I get a pat and he gets a manly hug? That’s –that’s fa-vo-ri-tsm!”
“You guys are really loud, y’know,” Bruce muttered and rubbed his temple. He was really spinning now. “I don’t feel so good.”
“Bruce wanna manly hug! Kent, give him a manly hug!”
His vision was fading, his eyes throbbing and his head –damn such a headache-
Strong arms wrapped around him and pulled him close against another body. Bruce sighed and sagged, letting himself grow comfortable with the new position. A large hand ran up and down his spine in a soothing gesture.
“There, there,” a soft voice whispered. “It’s okaaaay. It’s ooooover.” The Slytherin snuggled more comfortably and relaxed. “Thaaaatis; gooooood boy.”
Bruce was warm and comfy and wanted nothing more but to transfer that warmth to his comforter. So he did something.
And all went downhill from there.
SYIH
“Hello Mister Unreadable,” Andrea greeted with a vicious grin. “How are we today?”
Bruce whined and rubbed his forehead. He had forsaken the outskirts of Hogwarts –too much light for his sensitive eyes –and had secluded himself in his favorite corner of the library. Andrea hadn’t taken much time to find him.
“Epic headache,” he mumbled. “Don’t talk too loud.”
Alcohol. Queen’s drinks contained alcohol. How he could be stupid enough not to fully read the label before drinking anything coming from that guy? His only consolation was the picture of his roommate’s face in the morning, looking like he had fallen twice off a flying broom. Arthur hadn’t even gotten out of Gryffindor.
“That was your first time getting wasted?” He grunted in response. Mrs. Thompkins had not been happy after seeing four drunk teenage boys showing up at her office so close to curfew. The scolding had been epic and her refusal to give them a sobering potion a worse punishment than the lost points. His wince made her laugh harder. “Merlin, Bruce, pardon the expression, but you really look like shit.”
“Thank you for your compassion,” he grunted.
She was still giggling when she leant forward and pressed her lips to his cheek. Bruce blinked, stiffened and slowly turned to face her.
“What was that for?” His voice sounded so rusty it hurt his ears.
“That, my dear, was a get better kiss,” she teased. The good humor in her eyes lightened her face. She was definitively flirting. As he reviewed their conversations, Bruce realized she had been showing interest in him all along. And he…to be honest, he would be an idiot to ignore such an opportunity. She would be returning to France soon, after all.
“I kinda hurt here too,” he added, pointing at his forehead.
Andrea smiled and granted his request. In spite of the headache, he felt…light. A cute girl was worrying –well, not really, but just a bit –and he, well, he might enjoy the attention while it was there, right?
The moment did not last. A very angry-looking Ravenclaw stomped on the ground as she approached their table.
“Bruce Wayne,” Lois Lane barked. Bruce winced at the pitch of her voice and -oh Merlin, she did not look happy. “What did you do to Clark?”
“I did nothing-“ he protested.
“He came back to his dorm, utterly drunk, vomited on Perry’s shoes and had nightmares of a giant whale flying after him. And he said you kissed him?”
Andrea stared at him in shock. Bruce groaned and hid his face in his hands.