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Three weeks had passed since winter holidays had come to a close and Kyle was already dreading his NEWT level potions class. He wondered why he didn’t just take another free period like Stan and Kenny, who he imagined were having the times of their lives while he was stuck in the stifling potion’s classroom with students of every damn house.
It seemed unfair to him now, but at the time for class sign-ups all he could think of was how proud his mom looked when he came home with full OWLs and how she ‘really would be disappointed’ if he didn’t meet his potential of full NEWTs as well. He had dug his grave himself and now he had to face it, although the more he thought about it the angrier he got with the fact he still let his mother control such important parts of his life. He was already of age for god’s sake, and getting closer to eighteen every day.
Oh well, he reasoned with himself as he walked through the door to class, at least there’s only one more hour left until sweet, sweet freedom.
Once he was seated in his usual space he pulled out a cauldron and looked at the board for an indication of what to prepare. There was nothing. Odd, but not unheard of, as the professor had yet to make it to class Kyle waited in his seat, hoping for a brief moment that class would be cancelled.
He glanced around the room, hoping someone would take the lack of instructor as a cue to leave so he could follow, unfortunately no one else seemed as eager to get out of class, not even Butters, who he was sure had taken it on accident. He noticed a few others were missing though and instead decided to cast a Tempus charm, he was five minutes earlier than he had thought, class hadn’t even begun yet. He sighed and rocked back in his chair, his eyes locked on the door to the side of him, not wanting to risk being caught by Wendy’s disapproving glare he was sure was behind him.
Finally someone walked through the door that he could commiserate with, Eric Cartman. After a tentative ten months of dating the two were still walking a fragile line, but even Kyle had to admit Stan had had a point about them being weirdly perfect for each other. One thing they had in common was a disdain for NEWT level potions, though they each had very different reasons. Cartman actually felt like he wasn’t being challenged enough and even though he has an apprenticeship lined up, somewhere in Knockturn Alley that Kyle doesn’t even want details on, he still worries about being laughed at there, if he doesn’t get everything in school done perfectly beforehand.
“Did you miss me?” Eric asked jokingly as he put his book bag down on the table he and Kyle had been sharing all year.
“Since lunch? Hardly.” He scoffed.
But in reality Kyle was embarrassed to think that he really had missed him in the small amount of time. A sudden rush of sympathy was felt for Stan, who had almost no classes with Wendy this year, something Kyle had never thought about until he started dating someone in a different house.
“Ooh, you wound me.” He replied, clutching his chest dramatically in an obvious attempt to amuse Kyle, he must have picked up on the less than perfect mood he was in.
“You’re such an ass.” He rolled his eyes, but the slight upturn of one of his lips gave him away.
“One of the many things you love about me, I’m sure. But who can blame you? I am pretty fucking amazing.”
Kyle nearly blanched at the mention of the L word but he bounced back quickly and continued the joking banter without Cartman noticing.
“I liked you better when you were nervous about trying to impress me.”
“Oh, Kyle. Don’t you know that was all a ploy to lure you into a false sense of security?”
As soon as Kyle was about to ask what he’d do now that his guard was down the Potions professor finally walked in.
“Alright, Students, today is going to be very busy so get out your books now and turn to page 589.” She wasted no time in getting to the chalkboard and writing down the day’s assignment, from the page of instructions and what she was writing on the board it looked to be-
“Amortentia” She finishes writing with a flourish, “Now, this is a very difficult potion and I want you all to take extra precautions while handling it. It’s also extremely powerful and I don’t want to have to send half of you to the infirmary because of your own stupidity. Please partner up and just one of you gather the ingredients.”
Kyle and Eric nodded at each other and Kyle rose to get what they needed while the other studied the instructions. They had found out that they can actually work rather well together, so long as they keep to their own job and don’t try to ‘help’ each other.
When Kyle returned, Eric has already filled the cauldron with the base and was laying out the pestle and mortar they would need later on. Kyle was happy to take his instruction of sifting the moonstone powder while he worked with the Ashwinder eggs.
They moved through the assignment with moderate difficulty, and only one interruption from Butters, who had somehow managed to make it into the class even though he rarely made it through a brewing without an explosion.
In the end their potion looked to be just about the best in class, the opalescent sheen even brighter than Wendy and Token’s, which usually took the cake. Kyle had to admit when they were on they were on, it’s a shame that they could only calm down enough to work this well about once a month.
“Alright class, now to properly check that your potions are up to my standards I’ll be walking around to smell them. As you all know, Amortentia gives of a unique scent to whoever smells it, it works to mimic the smells that they love the most.”
As she walked around the room Kyle watched each student waft the smell of their potions up to their own noses, including Eric.
“So? What’s the verdict?”
“It’s working all right.”
“Well what does that mean? What does it smell like?”
“I can’t tell you-”
“Yeah, whatever I’ve heard it before.” Kyle angrily turned to check to potion himself.
What the professor had said must have been right because the scent that hit his nose was amazing. It was hot olive oil he remembered from the first day of Hanukah, when his family was gathered around the kitchen, smiling together like they hardly ever did anymore. It was rain hitting the hot sidewalk, a rarity where he came from but something that was wrapped in the memories of his childhood, him and Stan running through the streets between their houses and pretending not to hear their parents calling after them. There was also a third scent, lighter than the other two, and one he was momentarily confused about. Nearly melted chocolate, something he never really enjoyed on its own but something that he had recently come to associate with Cartman.
He had always known Eric was a terrible glutton, it used to be much easier to prank him because he could never distrust a cupcake, but the more time they spent together the more he noticed what exactly it was he ate. He had a preference for sweets, even though greasy foods could temporarily keep him happy, but specifically chocolate was his go to. Chocolate frogs, chocolate wands, chocolate cauldrons, everything and anything really.
The first time he had ever thought about it was when he nearly grabbed a package of fudge flies of the shelf while shopping with his parents, without even thinking about it. Kyle hadn’t allowed himself to develop much of an appetite for sweets because of his diabetes so it was odd that he had even thought to reach for it. He later attributed the momentary lapse in judgment to the numerous times Cartman had made him tag along on trips to Honeyduke’s.
That was the only reason Kyle could imagine for that scent, and that made his stomach knot up instantly.
“Well?” Kyle was brought back to reality by his potions partner’s voice.
He looked at him with a raised eyebrow, waiting for a response.
“Seems about right.” He answered and then turned sharply to grab a bottle and cork so they would be assured credit for their work.
“You aren’t going to tell me what it smelled like?”
“I don’t see why I should, you won’t tell me.” Kyle didn’t need his prying right now, he was suddenly faced with the fear that he was in way too deep.
“I’ll tell you,”
Now we’re talking, Kyle thought,
“If you tell me first.”
“That’s not fair, you smelled it first, so you should tell me first!” Kyle argued. The sudden stress of the situation was making his temper that much more volatile.
“Fine,” Eric agreed, “But not here. If we keep arguing in class we’ll get detention and I can’t waste my valuable time scrubbing things that can be spelled clean.”
“Agreed.”
…
Later, during dinner in the Great Hall Kyle was relaxed finally. He listened to the easy conversations between Stan and the rest of his housemates while he ate one of the best meals he’d had in months, and to top of the perfect evening the house elves had finally realized that he did not appreciate the banana pudding that always seemed to be put right in front of him come dessert.
So when a large tawny owl came swooping down to drop a letter on his lap he barely even rolled his eyes before opening it.
Eric had sent it with a time and place for them to meet up later that evening. He would have tried to catch his eye across the room in acknowledgment but he was facing the wrong way and he was sandwiched in between Wendy and Token, neither of whom he wanted to suffer a knowing look from. It annoyed him enough when they tried to lecture him about being out late or ignoring his studies in favor of running numbers for Eric’s scam of the week.
Stan just nodded at him, even though he loved Wendy he could admit she could be a bit of a handful when it came to Cartman. As Head Boy and Girl they had to work together a lot which most often than not ended in Wendy nearly pulling her hair out and screaming while Eric picked apart her arguments with loopholes and a convincing tone. Kyle and Stan spent a lot of time doing damage control for each other’s significant other since the beginning of the year.
He was glad he still had Stan to count on, neither of them said a word about it for the rest of their meal, and no one at the table asked. When they finally did get up to head back to their house commons though his friend pulled him aside to ask if he’d be back in time to get in some night time Quidditch practice. Ravenclaw wasn’t even in the running anymore, but since Stan’s team captain now he claims he wants all the time on the pitch he can get.
“Probably not,sorry.”
“It’s fine, I wouldn’t want to cock block you or anything! Ha!” Stan’s laugh sounded forced and he looked a little green just by saying that.
“Gross, dude.”
“I know, I don’t know why I thought that would be funny.”
“Let’s just agree to not talk about our sex lives okay? I really don’t want to know anything about you and Wendy and I know you don’t want to know about me and Cartman.”
“I kind of want to know one thing.”
“…What?”
“Do you call him that in bed?” Stan asked, amusement clearly visible on his face.
“Fuck you.” Kyle responded, but he was laughing as he turned the corner to the opposite wing towards Slytherin territory.
As Kyle walked down, nearer to his destination, he couldn’t help but feel a little trepidation about the evening. Although he and Eric had a surprisingly stable relationship he couldn’t help but feel like everything they did was just another step onto thin ice, and he didn’t want to see it crack. Stan had told him the relationship would feel stronger once they had their first real fight, but with the amount of bickering they got into he really hoped this wasn’t going to be it. He was a little terrified at what might constitute a “real fight” for them.
At any rate the uncertainty of the situation as a whole was enough to make Kyle dread it. Luckily he didn’t have to worry for much longer, because as he approached the entrance to the Slytherin common room Bebe whispered the password and let him in, she didn’t follow. And the worry was back full force.
“Come on, I only got Bebe to keep everyone out until you got here, we have the dorms to ourselves all night though.”
“What did you do this time?” Kyle asked, forgetting himself momentarily, “Actually I don’t want to know.”
“Hey, I’m Head Boy, what’s the point of authority if you can’t make people respect it?”
Kyle let out an exasperated breath, shaking his head. He followed Eric through to the seventh year boy’s dormitories all the same though.
Once they reached his bed, which seemed suspiciously bigger and plusher than the others, Eric sat down and asked Kyle to join him.
He gingerly sat on the edge of the bed, toeing his shoes off before sliding his legs up and moving farther towards the center of the mattress, still trying to feel things out in the unfamiliar setting. They rarely met up in one another’s rooms, the astronomy tower and the room of requirement had become somewhat their places. The fact that they both had access to the Prefect’s bathroom was also a plus, and when they sneak off there it’s one of the few times Kyle doesn’t mind Eric’s complete disrespect for others, he can cast all the locking spells and silencing charms he wants as long as it means they won’t be interrupted.
“So, are you ready to share?” Kyle asked as he crossed his legs, mirroring his boyfriend’s position on the bed.
“I thought maybe I’d just distract you with my body instead.” And to prove his point he slid his hand up one of Kyle’s thighs.
Kyle looked unimpressed at that.
“Okay, fine. I’ll start by saying I wouldn’t tell you earlier because I didn’t want you to think I was lying.”
“And you think I’m more likely to believe you now when you’ve had time to think about it?”
“I guess that’s why you’re the Ravenclaw in this relationship.” He squeezed his leg, “My little smartass.”
“Stop it, just tell me already.”
“It’s nothing you don’t already know, money, chocolate cake, your hair, no big deal.”
He said it in such a rush that Kyle only knew he had heard correctly because of the slight redness across his high cheekbones. He was both relieved and startled by the revelation and he felt the tightness in his chest dissipate a bit, knowing it would be much easier to say what he had to now.
“Oil, Rain, and Chocolate.”
Eric looked up and stared at him for a minute, still looking a little embarrassed.
“What?”
“That’s what mine smelled like, frying oil, rain in the summer, and chocolate.” Kyle put on what he hoped was a reassuring smile.
“Oh, right…wait you don’t even like chocolate, and you have diabetes, I don’t get it.”
“It’s you, I mean-you like chocolate. You eat it so damn much you’re the first thing I think about when I smell it.” The explanation felt a little flat as he said it, but there really wasn’t any way to make it better. All he could do was grab both of Cartman’s hands and hope he took it the right way.
He doesn’t say anything for a minute as he studies their hands, but soon a small smile came over him. Kyle was glad to see everything was going well and-
“Ha ha! You loooove me!” Eric sing-songed. “That’s so gay, Kyle.”
“What the fuck? Yours smelled like my hair, that’s way gayer!” He argued back without thinking, “Wait, what? You’re gay!”
“Still…” He said with a sickeningly sweet grin.
“Ugh, you are so obnoxious.”
He was frustrated beyond belief at how every conversation they had ended up in a juvenile argument like that one, but at the same time so relieved that his worries were completely unfounded he couldn’t actually care that much. Maybe Stan was wrong, maybe they weren’t going to need a big fight, maybe they just needed time to grow. Maybe someday they’d be able to not act like children every time something gets uncomfortable. But for now they were young and in school, and they still had the entire dorm to themselves for the night.