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“Remember, it’s a privilege to go and visit Hogsmeade Village. If you cause trouble, you will not be permitted this privilege again! Now, can all those with signed permission slips please follow me?”
Miss Anri’s pitchy voice bounces off the stained stone bricks, irritating Kaiser. Frankly, he doesn’t give two shits about the wizarding town. The crowd of excited students looked like an overflowing ant mound from the balcony of the clock tower; if being that rowdy over an overnight excursion meant he would be associated with those pests below him, then Kaiser wanted none of it.
A cool gust of wind ruffles his hair, and he leans on the rickety wooden railing, nestling his face deeper into the soft Slytherin scarf wrapped loosely around his neck. Kaiser hates the cold; it reminds him of frigid nights spent sleeping outside, clutching his stomach in a futile attempt to will away the pain, and of birthdays spent alone.
Only after the annoying laughter of his peers had faded into the distance did the boy next to him finally express his dejection.
“I wish we could’ve gone…” Ness mutters, speech muffled as his cheek presses into the silken fabric of his school robe (even though classes had ended a week ago).
“What?”
Startled, Ness jolts upright, his wand slipping from his grip and dropping onto the weathered planks—threatening to roll off the edge. Crouching, Ness gingerly picks it up, carefully inspecting for any damage. Dusting himself off, he turns around, fiddling with a loose thread on his cuff.
“It’s nothing,” Ness solemnly replies, voice vulnerable, saccharine, and bitter.
Kaiser knew that Ness was troubled by neither of their parents signing their permission slips—he was obsessed with all aspects of the wizarding world, for gods' sake. Ness would be a fool to think that Kaiser couldn’t see through his weak lie.
Nonetheless, he doesn’t push the matter further.
“Let’s go, then.”
Apart from the occasional sniffle that sounds eerily like crying, the pair descend the flights of stairs in silence.
°❆⋆.ೃ࿔*:･
“Wake up,” Kaiser whispered, gently shaking Ness.
Rousing smoothly, Ness squints at the shadowy silhouette hovering above him. Blue luminescence seeps through the circular window in the ceiling, backlighting Kaiser's figure like he’s an angel of serenity.
Groggily, Ness sits up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. “Huh? Micha..?” He yawns, sliding out of bed and slipping on his fuzzy socks. A present from Kaiser shortly after they won their first Quidditch game of the season; Ness is pretty sure there wasn’t much thought behind the gift, but he appreciates it more than a normal person would. After all, Kaiser isn’t a normal person, either.
“You’re going to need to wear more than that,” Kaiser comments, pointing to the pile of clothes he arranged at the foot of the bed. Obediently, Ness starts to get changed out of his pyjamas as Kaiser throws more necessities into their two satchels, silver hoops equally tarnished from frequent use.
Once he’s fully dressed, Ness presses again, curiously questioning, “What are we doing?” They aren’t exactly the best-behaved students, but he can feel pinpricks of adrenaline budding in his chest.
Kaiser noncommittally shrugs, “We’re going to Hogsmeade.”
His eyes widen, glassing over. “Really?” He croaks incredulously, voice wavering.
Nodding, Kaiser loops his hand around Ness’s wrist, naturally leading the way through the dim hallways.
Footsteps discreetly shuffle across the matted, discoloured carpet, and Ness can’t help but smile as he lets himself get tugged through the castle, narrowly avoiding the prefects monitoring the halls. It feels as if everything’s enjoyable, as long as he’s with Kaiser.
Eventually, they locate a marble pillar with an intricate carving of a coiled snake. Releasing his hold on Ness, Kaiser reaches into his winter coat for his fir wand, quietly hissing as he traces the snake's carved scales. Ness opens his mouth to say something, but Kaiser quickly shuts him up by tugging on his scarf—never breaking the lengthy sibilant incantation.
After a minute, the snake's eyes burst into a coruscation of vibrant emerald, uncoiling around the pillar before slithering into the floor. Stunned, Ness can only watch in awe as the tiles beneath them shift, revealing a spiral staircase that leads to a pitch-black void.
“Lumous.”
A fluorescent white light appears at the tip of Kaiser's wand as he descends the dingy steps. Ness’s legs are locked, and it doesn’t take long for the Kaiser to realise that he can only hear his own pair of footsteps. Turning around, he gazes up at Ness, still stuck at the top of the stairs.
Nodding towards the dark path in front of them, Kaiser murmurs, “Come on, Lex, it’s a long walk.” He lends his hand, and Ness graciously accepts.
Rugged stone walls brush against broad shoulders as they creep through the claustrophobic tunnel. With every inhale of the hypoxic air, Kaiser's gloved hand tightens around Ness’s. If you were to ask him, it was due to the lack of oxygen flowing to Kaiser’s brain. Nothing more.
After a while, the path abruptly ends, and Kaiser bumps into a cold wall; the exit was buried under a pile of snow.
Grumbling, Kaiser dusts the frost off his face, “Shit… What do we do now?” He scratches the back of his neck in thought, untangling his knotted hair. “I forgot the fucking spell for this…”
Ness perks up, drawing his own wand made of pine. Breathing out a small apology as he pushes in front of Kaiser, he waves his wand and casts a melting charm. It’s simple, but he doesn’t voice it as there’s really no need to embarrass Kaiser, who’s leagues ahead in everything else, especially offensive hexes. (And curses, but the school would definitely reprimand him for sneaking into the restricted section of the library to learn them, so Ness keeps it a secret.)
Gradually, the snow fizzles away, letting the blinding morning light shine through.
Turning to gauge Kaiser’s feelings, Ness gets tangled in silken blue eyes, sharp edges rounded by smudged red eyeliner, soft sun rays, and something so tender, he can’t simplify it into words. It doesn’t help that Kaiser doesn’t break eye contact, his fond smile turning smug the longer Ness stares.
Kaiser doesn’t show weakness, much less kindness to others. This moment is intentional, curated by the thorny heart of an emperor who binds it together with silent gratitude. Ness reads between the creases of Kaiser's smirk, breaths in the hollowed cavern of Kaiser’s ribs, and understands every thought that they don’t speak out loud.
The flutter of his eyelashes means more to Ness than any written confession.
°❆⋆.ೃ࿔*:･
Following the empty riverbed, they walk the remaining distance soundlessly. Lulled by each other's uneven breaths and radiating warmth, they stumble along the bank, thighs grazing with every step, until they arrive at a pointed stone archway.
Ness hesitates, and Kaiser notices, teasingly asking, “Well, what are you waiting for?" Even so, he encourages the other with a gentle pat on the head, hand falling down and smoothly taking Ness’s palm in his own. Gloved fingers entwined, they enter Hogsmeade, sleet satisfyingly cracking under their boots. Under the pad of his thumb, Kaiser can feel the erratic thrumming of Ness’s heartbeat. He wonders if it’s from excitement, anticipation, or something else entirely.
Enchanted candles were strung around trees, and enticing storefronts twinkled with the prospects of new magical items. Foggy windows flickered with fire-lit orange, bathing the street in a comfortable honey glow. Ness stills from the sight of the picturesque village—all wooden panels, stained glass, and sloped roofs layered with fluffy alabaster snow. Smitten by the child-like wonder reflected in glimmering magenta, Kaiser can’t help but indulge in his fantasy a little longer, patiently waiting beside Ness.
Once he snaps out of his trance, Ness declares determinedly, “We’re visiting every store.”
First, he tugs Kaiser into Honeydukes.
Endless rows of saturated packaging lined the walls, jars filled with multicoloured chunks decorated the shelves, and barrels overflowing with jelly beans sat at the entrance. The space was cramped, with many other Hogwarts students examining the tooth-rotting confectionery. Ness giggled at the floating ‘Fizzing Whizzbees’, and Kaiser felt the rumbling laughter vibrate through his hand that rested on Ness’s lower back.
Vanilla and chocolate permeate through the stuffy air, making him want to gag. Still, he powers through, letting himself enjoy the crinkle of Ness’s eyes every time he tries a different candy, occasionally delicately feeding one to Kaiser—it really shouldn’t make his heart skip a dozen beats; maybe he’s got problems with his blood sugar.
Suddenly, he hears a loud gasp to his right.
“Well, well, well… What do we have here! Why, Sae, thank you so much for asking! It’s none other than Kaiser and Ness, who are supposed to be woefully rotting away in the Slytherin Commons!” Shidou exclaims, draping his arms around Sae’s shoulders as they walk over.
Choosing to ignore the maniac who speaks to himself and his insufferable, hostile boyfriend, Kaiser steers Ness to a different section. Surprisingly, Shidou and Sae don’t follow, and he can hear them bickering in hushed voices behind his back. Shrugging, he points to an exploding bonbon, hoping to distract Ness from the commotion.
However, his efforts are in vain, since Ness quietly asks, “Kaiser… What if we get caught in Hogsmeade?” There's a distant look in his eyes, and Kaiser will Avada Kedavra the shit out of anyone who makes Ness cry on the one day Kaiser takes him out.
Gingerly, he pinches Ness’s cheeks, “Don’t worry about them, Ness; they won’t snitch.” This seems to calm the other boy down, and he continues to browse through the wrapped sweets. Turning to give Shidou a piece of his mind, Kaiser jumps when he sees Itoshi Sae.
Fixing his bangs, Sae sighs, “Shidou’s trying to blackmail you.”
Behind him, Shidou wears a Cheshire grin, deviously rubbing his hands together like he’s a cartoon villain. Agitated, Kaiser grabs the nearest object, throwing it at the face of the pink roach. Unfortunately, it was the exploding bonbon from earlier, and now Shidou's spiked hair is littered with pieces of cocoa and coconut.
Ness winces, but Sae remains unbothered. “He’s definitely telling now, you know,” Sae boredly drawls.
“Then convince him not to?” Kaiser argues. Seriously, what is wrong with the Ravenclaw? Can’t he leave them alone?
Making a noise of consideration, Sae thoughtfully taps the varnished wooden table beside him. “I will—if you let us copy Ness’s Potions essay.”
Kaiser scoffs. Why didn’t they ask for his Potions essay? Ness is the best in Potions, but they didn’t need to rub it in his face! Despite his bubbling anger, he coolly talks over the crowd, asking Ness if he was fine with it. After getting a confirmation, he crosses his arms, responding, “Fine, I’ll give it to Shidou later when we’re back in the dorms.”
Nodding, Sae exits the store, flicking a pickle-flavoured jellybean at Shidou, who catches it in his mouth like a dog.
Funny, I thought the only puppy here was Ness…
“Kaiser! We can check out now!” Ness squeaks, trying not to drop anything, as he excitedly bounces to the counter. Various candies are cradled in his arms, and he beams in adoration as Kaiser fondly pulls out a handful of silver coins from his pocket.
°❆⋆.ೃ࿔*:･
They walk through the village, entering each dinky building and fiddling with all the mysterious items they had in store. Kaiser’s least favourite was Zonko’s Joke Shop, since it smelled bad (someone must’ve accidentally dropped a dungbomb), and Ness had peered into an unassuming porcelain teacup, only for the tip of his nose to get bitten, causing him to cry.
Kaiser always found it funny how Ness could tear up so easily. Ness constantly wore his emotions in the tilt of his head or curl of his lips, meaning that Kaiser often had to comfort him. He doesn’t like consoling people (he’s definitely not good at it), but he thinks it’s easier if it’s Ness.
Now carrying multiple paper bags in his left hand—and clasping Ness with his right—Kaiser allows himself to be swept into the last place they had to visit: the Three Broomsticks.
When they enter, Kaiser is instantly met with the comforting scent of smoke, along with an enveloping heat that warms him from the harsh cold outside. Most of the tables are filled with patrons, creating a bustling atmosphere that blends Kaiser into the crowd. He decides it’s irritating, but bearable.
Lining up in the short queue, they choose what to order from the old blackboard hung over the counter, item listings written in neat print.
“Ness, what do you want to drink?” Kaiser asks as he nudges the boy beside him.
There’s no immediate reply, and Kaiser turns to see Ness’s brows furrowed in concentration as he looks up at the menu.
He looks so cute.
“I want the butter beer!”
What the fuck?
“That makes two of us,” Kaiser casually responds, despite his inner turmoil.
After picking up their drinks from the bar, they manage to find an empty table in a corner, blocked out of sight by a wide structural column. The small wooden chairs are crammed together, and Kaiser can feel Ness shifting in his seat every time he takes a sip of his drink.
Kaiser could lean further against the wall to make more space, but it’s funny watching Ness squirm. It makes his skin buzz with something indecipherable—hopefully due to the butter beer, and not the way the gentle candlelight frames Ness’s face, highlighting the slope of his nose, the curve of his ears that Kaiser loved to pinch, and the slight pout of his pretty, pink lips…
Suddenly, Ness stands up. Nervous.
Holy shit, can Ness read minds? Is there a spell for that? There better not be a fucking spell for that.
Clearing his throat, Ness stutters, “Uhm-I, I need to go uh, go get something… I’ll be back soon, probably.”
Kaiser grimaces. Why is Ness acting so strange? It’s definitely not because he can hear Kaiser’s thoughts, because last he checked, Ness wasn’t a legilimen. Perhaps he’s scared of all the people here—Ness is a relatively shy person.
“I can come with you,” Kaiser offers, trying to act as cool as possible. Not wanting to seem too desperate to accompany Ness, he quickly adds, “If you want me to.”
Ness shrugs, “It’s fine. Just give me a few minutes.”
As he watches Ness’s figure shrink into the distance, Kaiser feels a little resentful. What could be so important that he leaves Kaiser dumbly sitting by himself in a pub? Scanning the room, he sees a boisterous group of students laughing as they obnoxiously cheer and clink their glasses together. Kaiser rolls his eyes—they’re probably useless nobodies in Gryffindor.
Five minutes later, he begins to grow restless, his butterbeer is down to its last few sips, and for a single sick second, he feels like his shitty excuse of a father. Sweeping the hair out of his face, Kaiser’s head falls back, and he examines the low ceiling of the inn. Maybe next time, they can sneak to Hogsmeade earlier and spend the night here.
No, screw Ness, I don’t care about him anymore. I can’t believe he left me sitting here like a lonely piece of–
“Happy birthday, Kaiser!” Ness smiles as he carefully places a plate infront of him.
Stunned, Kaiser looks down at the dish. There’s a dainty slice of chocolate sponge cake covered in a smooth glaze with a lining of jam innocuously sitting beside a large dollop of whipped cream. A silver dessert fork is placed on the edge, and there’s a single, unlit, glittery blue candle placed in the middle.
“What?”
Scratching the back of his hand, Ness murmurs, “I didn’t know what cake you liked, so I just bought my favourite. It’s sachertorte.”
Is it my birthday?
Staring at the cake, Kaiser realises that this is the first birthday that he’s spending with someone else; this is the first present he’s received since his mom left.
Memories of frigid Christmas mornings and peering through frosted store windows haunt him, but the warm glow from the birthday candle Ness just lit thaws the nightmares, reminding Kaiser that it’s all in the past.
“Make a wish,” Ness croons, smiling that smile that’s engraved in the neediest parts of Kaiser's soul.
You really are a magician, Ness. How do you manage to find all the ways to make me feel human? Why do you stay to give life to a puppet like me? I want to know, Ness.
I wish for you to stay, Alexis.
Let me learn more about you.
As the wisps of his wish get whisked away by the wind, Ness cheers, encouraging him to try the cake. Blood rushes through Kaiser’s ears—he’s abnormally sensitive to the physical proximity.
“You’re not going to have some?” Kaiser questions.
Ness scrunches his nose in confusion, “I bought it for you, why would I eat it?”
Right. This was a present for Kaiser.
Lifting the fork, Kaiser cuts a piece of the dessert, tentatively taking a bite. Rich chocolate melts in his mouth, and he tastes a burst of tangy apricot that balances the sweetness of the dense cake. Swiping a smear of whipped cream, Kaiser nods thoughtfully as he understands why Ness likes sachertorte so much.
“It’s good, right?” Ness beams as he shifts impossibly closer to Kaiser.
The way the light frames Ness’s smiling face stirs something within him; Kaiser hides his wavering impassiveness behind the rim of his glass, drinking the remainder of his butterbeer. Placing his empty cup on the wobbly table with a small thud, he picks up the fork, intending to finish the rest of the cake.
Ness begins to fill the silence, animatedly rambling about how much fun he’s had today. Kaiser unintentionally tunes most of it out, his mind too busy being focused on the way Ness flexes his fingers, the curls of his dyed hair, and the sparkle in his eyes whenever he takes another bite.
Ness…
He drops the fork.
Worried, Ness reaches across the table to pick it up for him. “Do you not like it?” Ness asks as he lifts his head, only to find it a breath away from Kaisers. Calloused hands cradle rounded cheeks, and Ness sharply inhales, blushing.
“No, it’s good,” Kaiser whispers, watching the way Ness relaxes, corners of his eyes drooping. Suddenly, Kaiser feels the skin warming under his palm. Smirking, he sighs, “You’re too good to me, Ness.”
Ness blinks once, and Kaiser leans in.
He places a delicate kiss on the tip of his nose, soothing the healed bite wound. Watching Ness’s eyes flutter open, jaw slightly agape and eyes wide, Kaiser wonders if Ness wanted more. Perhaps another day, in a place where it’s just them, he decides.
“Merry Christmas, Lex.”
“Happy birthday, Micha.”
Sugar and infatuation swirl in his gut, and he wonders if this is what Christmas tastes like.
Kaiser thinks he hates the cold a little less now.