A week had passed into the new school year, and not much had changed. There was a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, as there was every year, who seemed to have little clue over what to teach the fourth years.

"So, hang on, you didn't have lessons involving boggarts last year?" Professor Howell asked with disbelief, "Then what in the bloody hell were you doing!?"

"Learning about pixies, sir." Someone informed the professor, making him facepalm.

"That's introductory, or second year at most, what is happening here?.." He rubbed the base of his palm at his eye before pulling his hand away to look around the students. "Okay... Let's go over what you actually have learned, bloody hell..."

Several students began shouting things out, trying to be helpful, but it became a mess of words that no one could understand. While the professor tried to organize everyone, looking a bit stressed as he did it, Frank rested his head on his desk.

So far, he and Gerard had not had any walks down from the owlery together. Frank simply had no reason to send a letter out... Maybe he could send one to Alex, who was contributing to the wizarding world's music selection with some friends, but he didn't really know what to say... He had received one letter since coming back to school, but even that left him unsure of what to say...

He and Gerard hadn't really spent much time together at all. It had been classes, eating, studying, and repeat. Frank was drowning himself in what the castle threw at him, not really thinking much about anything.

"Frank? Are you alright?"

Frank lifted his head to look at Tyler, who was seated at the desk just next to him. Tyler's desk mate, Josh, had his head down on the desk as Tyler played with his blue curls.

"Yea, just thinking." Frank nodded as he rested the side of his head in his arms on the desk.

Tyler nodded, looking up towards the front of the classroom. "He's completely lost, isn't he?" Tyler asked with a small, mischievous smile crossing over his lips.

"I don't think it helps that we get a new one each year." Frank shrugged, "I'm pretty sure the curriculum has never really been completely figured out for this course..."

Tyler shrugged as he leaned back in his seat. His arm moved back with him, now letting his fingers trail along the back of Josh's neck. A content sigh rose from from Josh, who didn't lift his head, making Tyler smile. "Gives us some free time until he figures it out, at least." Tyler said with a nod to professor Howell, who seemed to be growing more discouraged by the instant.

"Guess that's an upside." Frank laughed before letting out a soft sigh.

"Frank... Something is bothering you, isn't it?" Tyler asked softly. He tilted his head at Frank, "You just seem uncharacteristically quiet."

Frank plastered on a fake smile. "Just over thinking." He shrugged.

"Would you like to come out to the lake with us at lunch?" Tyler asked, "It helps clear your head."

Frank was going to turn down the offer, but Josh poked his head up to chime in. "Sometimes you can catch a glimpse of the squid too, it's sick."

"You sure?" Frank asked, holding back a laugh.

"Yea." Tyler smiled, "You'll like it. Gets you out of the castle for a bit."

"Sure." Frank agreed while professor Howell groaned loudly from the front of the room, hiding his face in his hands. Maybe getting out of the castle for a short period of time would help him sort out his head. It definitely couldn't hurt to try.

---

Gerard was laying across one of the couches in the Hufflepuff common room. He had opted on skipping lunch to just relax. He wasn't very hungry anyway; he could last until dinner.

He could feel himself falling asleep in the fairly deserted common room when he heard rushing footsteps, followed by a "Hi, Gerard!"

Gerard tiredly opened one eye, catching a slight glimpse of Melanie. He rolled himself carefully into his stomach before rubbing his eyes to blink them tiredly.

"Melanie?.." Gerard yawned as he looked over the arm of the couch, "What are you doing?"

Melanie's hair was half pink and half dark today as she came out of the girl's dorm with a picnic basket. She smiled as she skipped over to where Gerard was laying. "I'm going to get some food that I helped make in the kitchen this morning and go have lunch by the lake." She said as she ruffled Gerard's pale hair, "Care to join?"

Gerard laughed as he hid his face in the soft arm of the couch. "I'm not that hungry, Melanie..."

"You don't have to eat!" Melanie exclaimed, "Just come with me down to the kitchens and out into the beautiful day?" Gerard felt her poke the back of his head once, very lightly. "Please?"

Gerard pushed himself up to maneuver into a sitting position and stretch. "Alright! You talked me into it..." He yawned before grinning at her. "Where's the kitchen at? I've never been."

Melanie's eyes lit up with excitement. "Oh! I've never shown you, have I? I'm sorry! I think I've only ever dragged Patrick along with me... Cmon on, I'll show you!" She grabbed Gerard's hand and pulled him up to his feet.

Gerard allowed himself to be lead out of the common room and down one of hundreds of halls in the castle. Melanie skipped, holding the picnic basket to her side as her short hair bounced with every step. It wasn't too far away from their common room, down a broad stone corridor that was brightly lit with torches, and decorated with cheerful paintings that were mainly of food, that Melanie stopped.

"Here!" She smiled, gesturing to a huge portrait of a large, silver fruit bowl. Gerard's eyes grew wide as he looked at the painting.

"How does it let you in?" He asked as he let his eyes trail over the painting.

Melanie giggled, "Like this." She reached up and tickled the green pear, causing a strange sound that sounded like giggling to echo through the air. Before Gerard could question it, a door knob appeared where the fruit had been. "That easy." Melanie smiled as she reached up for the door handle.

"Easy peasy." Gerard laughed as the door swung open.

Gerard had never seen so many house elves in one place before. They were like a hive of insects with how they moved a bit spaztastically around the large kitchen area. All shapes and sizes of house elf were there, making Gerard silently awe.

"Bitsy!" Melanie called out. She attracted the attention of a very small house elf with rather large ears for her size. The house elf smiled before scurrying over.

"Miss Melanie! I've kept your foods safe, just like asked." The house elf squeaked when she made it over. She reached up to Melanie with a grabby hand before grabbing hold of Melanie's dark robe. "This way, Miss Melanie."

"Thank you, Bitsy! You little sweetheart." Melanie laughed. As she walked with the small elf, she turned to gesture Gerard along as well. Gerard nodded, attempting to stay out of the way of any hurrying house elf. Bitsy lead Melanie to a very small oven, much smaller than the ones along the other walls that a lot of food seemed to be coming out of.

"Kept it warm, Miss Melanie." Bitsy said as she released Melanie's robes and hurried to the small oven, "Just needs a magic to grows them."

Melanie crouched down next to Bitsy, helping pull food from the device. "Thank you, so much again. You remind me of my own house elf! I miss her a lot, you know, but you're absolutely lovely."

"Thank you, Miss Melanie." Bitsy smiled. The house elf looked back at Gerard. "Can I help you, Mr. Miss Melanie? You're not the Mr. that usually comes."

"Oh, Bitsy, that's my friend, Gerard!" Melanie smiled at the elf as she loaded the last of the treats she made, "Patrick is off being Patrick."

"Mr. Gerard!" The small elf bounded over to Gerard, grabbing a small tuft of his robes down by his ankles. "A pleasures it is. A friends of Miss Melanie is a friends of Bitsy."

"Nice to meet you, Bitsy." Gerard smiled down at the elf. The elf smiled back before releasing his robes and turning back to Melanie.

"Miss Melanie, can I helps with anything else?"

"No, Bitsy, but thank you!" Melanie said as she stood upright, dusting off her robes. "I'll see you later. Oh, and I left you a cookie as well, eat it up!"

"Thank you, Miss Melanie!"

Gerard followed Melanie out if the kitchen and back into the corridor. She walked briskly, causing Gerard to sprint slightly to keep pace. They were on their way up the steps to the main level of the castle, now.

"So... Bitsy?" Gerard panted as he barely kept pace with Melanie.

Melanie nodded with a soft, "mmhhmm." before elaborating. "She's so sweet. She was the first one that helped Patrick and I when we first found the way to the kitchens."

"That's nice." Gerard nodded with a smile as they made their way outside of the castle. He walked alongside Melanie as they traveled down a path worn into the earth by countless students.

The sky was shaded in gray, giving the illusion of incoming rain; it didn't put a hault on the amount of students outside, however. First years ran around in circles while some seventh years sat in a small group on an abundance of stone boulders, casting what looked to be patronus charms one at a time.

Melanie lead Gerard past all of that, though. She took him closer to the lake's edge and lead him to a large share tree a short distance from the bank. A small group of boys were sitting against and around the tree. As they got closer, Gerard could recognize the blue haired Gryffindor Melanie often hung out with, Josh, and a dark haired boy from Slytherin, Tyler. The third figure was laying on the grass, face down.

"Hello, boys!" Melanie smiled cheerfully as she plopped herself down in front of Tyler and Josh, "I brought goodies."

"You're a blessing." Tyler grinned as he leaned forward, propping himself up with his hands, to peer into the basket Melanie had sat down.

The pink side of Melanie's hair darkened as she continued to smile. "This is my friend, Gerard." She said, gesturing to the pale haired boy who had yet to sit down. "He's my boy! Besides Patrick and Max of course."

"I thought I was your boy too, Melanie." Josh pouted as Tyler sat back up next to him, holding a small pastry with excitement.

Melanie giggled. "You're my Gryffindor boy, silly. Before you can add in, Tyler, you're my Slytherin boy."

"Thanks, mom." Tyler said before biting into the pastry with a satisfied hum.

Gerard sat down next to Melanie, tilting his head at the figure laying on the ground. Something about the short stature and hair was familiar... As Melanie, Tyler, and Josh continued in conversation, Gerard crawled over to the face down figure.

"Frank?" Gerard asked with a soft laugh.

The figure tilted his head up, revealing himself to indeed be Frank. He smiled up at his friend. "Hey, Gerard."

Gerard let himself flatten against the ground to be level with Frank's face before smiling at him. "How have you been?" He asked, pushing some longer strands away from Frank's face. "We haven't really talked since the train."

Frank smiled before his lips fell to a neutral line. "Just thinking about stuff..."

"Wanna talk?" Gerard offered, "I'm all ears."

Frank looked at the ground between them, silent. Gerard frowned at him. Frank definitely had something on his mind, but it was going to take a bit to coax it out of him.

"C'mon, Frank, let's walk." Gerard offered, tapping Frank's head before pushing himself up.

Frank pursed his lips off to the side. "I dunno..."

"Yes you do." Gerard offered a smile. He reached out his hand to help Frank, "Just a quick walk."

Frank hesitated, but finally agreed with a soft nod. He pushed himself up into a sitting up position and grabbed hold of Gerard's hand to help pull himself up.

"Fancy a quick stroll to the quidditch field?" Gerard asked, releasing Frank's hand to instead loop their arms.

"Wherever you'll take me..." Frank shrugged.

"Hey look, Frank's alive." Tyler commented as the two began to walk past the group, "Where you guys off to?"

"Just a quick walk." Gerard replied as he and Frank continued onward, "We'll be back."

"Does that mean I can have more treats?" Tyler asked Melanie softly.

Gerard didn't hear the response as they had made it out of earshot. Frank was being quiet as they walked. The walk was simply the soft noise of moist grass beneath their feet.

Gerard let the silence linger, until he felt Frank lean his head on his arm. Frank had never made a gesture like that before.

"Would you tell me what's wrong?" Gerard asked softly as the came upon the empty quidditch field, "This is unlike you."

Frank let out a soft sigh of air through his nose. It took a few moments after, once they had began walking on the game field, before he stood himself upright. He pulled his arm from the loop with Gerard and reached inside his robes.

Gerard cocked his head to the side as Frank pulled a piece of parchment out from inside his robes. Frank held it tightly in his hands before extending it to Gerard.

"It's a letter I got a few days ago." Frank spoke in a soft voice, "It's about my mother, who has been suffering from depression since..." He grew silent, allowing Gerard to look through the words on the letter.

Gerard read it as quickly and efficiently ad possible. He saw the point that Frank had just made, as well as, the one he had trailed off on.

"Oh, Frank..." Gerard looked up to see tears in Frank's eyes.

"She was born during the summer after our first year..." Frank almost whispered, "She was really sick... Magic couldn't help her; not even muggle means could help. We tried everything. It's partially the reason I stopped playing," he gestured to the field before letting his hand drop to his side, "we didn't have the money to replace my broom after it snapped, and the school brooms are shit..."

Gerard held the letter close as Frank laughed sadly. The darker haired boy continued in his low tone.

"She died last summer, not too long after her first birthday... There were just so many complications that magic couldn't fix..." He sniffled, slowly sinking down to the ground. "I barely knew her, so I wasn't as affected as my mom... She hasn't been the same, even with calming droughts or-or elixirs to enduce euphoria or... Whatever else..."

Gerard lowered himself to be next to Frank. He reached out and put his hand on Frank's shoulder while setting the letter down carefully down on the ground with the other. "Frank..."

"She's been so upset, I don't know if she'll ever be okay..."

"Frank." Gerard pulled Frank into a tight hug. Frank choked on air as he buried his face in Gerard's chest.

"When dad's gone, mom's all I ha-ave. If something h-happens..."

"Nothing will happen." Gerard soothed Frank, keeping one arm wrapped around him while using his other hand to stroke Frank's dark hair. "They're sending someone to be with her at all times. They will help her through it, okay?.. Why didn't you ever tell me about your sister?"

"I hardly knew her..." Frank sniffled, rubbing his fist against his eye. "I didn't hurt as much when she passed because I didn't know her... Plus, she didn't hurt anymore. I've known my mom my whole life, though, and I've been so scared since receiving that..." Frank held onto Gerard's robes, tightly.

They sat in silence as Frank let out soft sobs. After Frank had quieted for awhile, Gerard pushed Frank away, just enough to look at his face and into his hazel eyes.

"Just have a little faith. She'll be alright." Gerard assured Frank, reaching up to cup his cheeks in his hands. "Sometimes, before things can get better, they get a bit darker. The light should be well on its way to shine the darkness away." Gerard offered a smile, earning a weak one from Frank.

"This is the first time I've even considered talking about it." Frank said, bringing his hands up to hold Gerard's. "Figures, it'd be you to get it out of me. Better not tell anyone."

"You have my word." Gerard nodded. He pushed himself up to his feet before helping Frank up as well, "I swear."

Frank looked a lot better, almost as if a huge weight had been lifted off his chest. Gerard felt good knowing his friend was a bit relieved compared to before. He bent down to grab Frank's letter when his friend spoke up again.

"Gerard?.."

Gerard straightened to find Frank pulling him down to kiss his lips softly. Gerard's eyes widened like saucers, and stayed that big even when Frank pulled away with a sly smirk.

"Thank you." He said simply before grabbing the letter and spinning around to walk out of the quidditch field. Gerard's mouth opened and closed with shock, unsure what to do in response. That had been so sudden, he was speechless.

"Coming, Hufflepuff?" Frank asked with a laugh as he looked back at Gerard, "I heard Melanie makes great treats."

"Y...Yea." Gerard nodded, "Coming?"

Frank had an amused smile on his face as Gerard stumbled forward. "I definitely feel better after that." He said as Gerard caught up to him. He took Gerard's hand, allowing his smile to warm. "Two birds with one stone."

Gerard gave him an awed look, to which Frank smiled and pressed another kiss to his lips. "Not weird, right?" He asked, squeezing Gerard's hand.

Gerard felt himself smile. Thinking about it, Gerard hadn't minded it at all. It felt right for some reason? "Not weird at all." He replied, squeezing Frank's hand back.

"Good, because I'd like to do it more often if you don't mind..."