i call it magic (when i'm with you)

iii

And so the beginning goes a little something like this:

It's the first match of the Hogwarts Quidditch season with the house of Gryffindor facing off against the house of Slytherin. Those of noteworthy attendance include the esteemed Headmaster, the honorable professors, and Yu-Chien "Benny" Tseng as designated Quidditch commentator.

The game is fierce. Slytherin asserts early dominance with a twenty-point lead before Gryffindor stokes the fire under the cauldron by gaining twenty points of their own. After hours on the pitch, Slytherin Seeker Nicole Greentree snags the Golden Snitch for her house, but with a final ten-point lead, Edward Chen leads his house to victory. "Gryffindor wins," Benny announces over the din of the crowd, desperately trying to keep the smug grin off his face as he continues, "Gryffindor wins the first game of the—"

And then all eyes widen as the Gryffindor captain himself grabs a Ravenclaw student from the stands, hoists him up, twirls him around, and then snogs him in full view of the entire Quidditch pitch and the Headmaster himself.

("Did you know about that," Hyung asks, perched on his broomstick and looking only a little miffed his house lost the match.

"No, but trust me when I say I am absolutely ecstatic over this turn of events," Ray replies, grinning from ear to ear as he glances over at the other player. "Good game, by the way."

"It was, but I doubt anyone's going to remember the game when we've got that going on."

In a way, he's right: the kiss sticks around the public rumor mill for weeks after. Eddy is rarely seen without sporting the brightest of grins. Brett holes up in the Music Room and practices like he's never practiced before.)

*

They become a couple.

Or a fake couple, rather, but that's something only the two of them know. It's not so bad, despite his initial trepidation and the concerns he'd brought up everyday for a week, but then again, it's only really because Eddy asks for physical touch like a consummate gentleman and doesn't try to force any public displays of affection when Brett isn't ready.

Still, they have to ramp it up a few more notches moving further along. Better that he builds up some immunity concerning the physicality of this relationship now so he can face the storm on the horizon.

Their friends buy into the charade completely and without question, strangely enough, and seem all too delighted at seeing them together as a couple. Ray makes kissy faces at them unashamedly when he thinks Brett isn't looking, Hilary and Sophie coo over how adorable they are, the Gryffindor Quidditch team wolf-whistles every time they pass by Brett in the hallways. It's odd how thoroughly accepted their supposed relationship is, but Eddy doesn't seem all too concerned about it, so—maybe Brett should just leave that be too.

They do things couples normally do. For Christmas, an owl delivers Eddy's present to Brett in Hogwarts: an expensive set of violin strings enchanted to never rust nor break. When Eddy comes back from spending winter break in London, they kiss on the front steps to a chorus of oohs and aahs. Eddy grows him a rose bush with the Herbivicus Charm for Valentines' Day; Brett responds with a huge box of chocolates sent during Quidditch practice, of which Eddy had eaten only two of the thirty pieces of chocolate because he'd ended up feeding everyone on the pitch, which means it hadn't been a complete waste of a gift, at least.

To support each other's interests, they make a point of attending school events that the other is involved in. Eddy comes to his concerts in dark formal robes with a bouquet of flowers and a starry-eyed expression after every performance. Brett comes to watch Gryffindor Quidditch practice and all the official matches. It's not so bad, watching the sport and seeing his not-really-boyfriend speed across the pitch with all the grace of an Abraxan, and it's not just because Eddy's smile is the most radiant it's ever been when he's in his element.