Mitch, the miniature badger, sat perched on Gerard's shoulder as he, Ray, and Mikey rode the Hogwarts express back to the school. Gerard was excited to go back to the school and see everyone again, especially Frank.

"Christmas quidditch was insane this year!" Mikey was telling Ray with excitement, "Since I made the quidditch team at school, they let me be team captain!"

"How was flying around in America?" Ray asked as he flicked his wand to conjure different things before making them disappear. Ray always had magic withdrawals during holidays away from school.

"Oh, it was neat!" Mikey exclaimed, "My cousins took me over Salem at midnight and it was the coolest thing ever!"

"Until mom caught you all out of bed." Gerard smirked, earning a shove from his little brother.

"It was well worth it!" Mikey defended, "You'd know if you came out with us."

"No thank you." Gerard shook his head, "I'm fine on the ground. I'll leave the flying to you and Frank."

"Did you hear from him during holiday?" Ray asked after popping a bubble with his wand. "Dallon and I were writing back and forth at first so that I could fill him in on some of the shows he's missed out on, but he stopped replying." Ray frowned.

Mitch wiggled his butt before jumping up onto Gerard's head. Gerard laughed, reaching up to make sure the miniature didn't fall before responding to Ray. "Frank kind of quieted on me too." He scooped the badger up in his hands and brought it down just in front of him. "I'm sure he just got caught up in the festivities."

Ray looked unsure. "I dunno, Dallon really loves his shows..." He reached out pet Mitch, who nuzzled against his fingers.

"I want to get back already!" Mikey exclaimed, kicking his feet relentlessly in front of him. "I'm ready to get back into the groove of classes and quidditch practice."

"You've become such a sport fanatic, it's like I don't even know you anymore." Gerard said with a laugh in his tone. Mikey had always been into quidditch, but it seemed to amplify with his acceptance on his house team.

Mikey sat up straighter in his seat. "Just you wait, Gerard, some day I'll be on a professional team after I'm done playing for Hogwarts." He looked affectionately up at the broom that was stashed next to his suitcase in the overhead compartment, "I've got big plans..."

"You go on and be a quidditch player," Ray encouraged, "I'm gunna work at the ministry and score tickets to all your games."

"What the hell are you going to do at the ministry?" Mikey asked, ducking as Ray conjured a bird to fly around the room.

Ray quickly transfigured the bird into a pebble that clattered against the floor. He scooped it up in his hand with an impressed look on his face before looking up. "Maybe an auror... Or somewhere in the department of mysteries!" Ray grinned at the possibilities.

"Oi, Gerard, didn't Frank's mom used to work for the ministry?" Mikey asked.

Gerard nodded, "Yea, he never specified the department, though..."

The door of the compartment slid open, prompting all three boys inside to turn their heads. Ryan was standing in the doorway, with a frown. His eyes were encased by a red band with black crackle paint running over one eye. "Can I sit with you guys?" He asked.

"Dude, what happened to your eye!?" Mikey exclaimed.

Gerard smacked Mikey on the back of his head. "Mikes! Yea, c'mon, Ryan." Gerard offered a quick smile before concern spread to his expression. "What happened?"

Ryan shrugged, sitting himself in a seat beside Ray. "Some girls were testing make up spells on me..." He sighed, looking at his reflection in the glass door. "It doesn't look too bad, honestly."

"Well, we've been talking about how holiday went." Ray shrugged, "How was yours?"

The frown stayed on his face as he turned away from the glass. "Fine? I mean, I got to see my dog, so that made it better."

"I got a miniature badger!" Gerard exclaimed, proudly, holding out the small creature. Mitch tilted his head at Ryan before crawling to Gerard's finger tips.

Ryan's eyes widened as he looked at the miniature. "Woah! That's so cool... Can I pet him?"

Gerard nodded, seeing a smile break Ryan's frown. "You can hold him! His name is Mitch."

"Mitch the badger." Ryan laughed as the miniature jumped from Gerard's hands into his own, "He's so cool!.. And soft, oh my god..." Ryan pulled the miniature close as it nuzzled against his fingers. "I want like, ten of these..." He whispered.

"Gerard hasn't set him down since he unwrapped him." Mikey said, leaning back in his seat. "You're lucky he's letting you hold him."

"Mikey, you wanted to take him up on your BroOM."

"Unimportant factor."

"Mikey!"

"I'm sure they're looking forward to the house separation when we get back." Ray told Ryan, "You ready for it?"

Ryan's smile teetered to a frown, but he pulled away from it. "Defense against the dark arts; that class is my number one." He looked up at Ray, "I've even been practicing my patronus charm. It's a basset hound, like my dog."

"Gerard's is a cat, the one thing in life he can never truly be around."

"Are we there yet?" Gerard groaned as his brother laughed at his own joke. Gerard just wanted to be back at his second home already.

---

"Ray, I'll give you two sickles to carry me like a sack of potatoes up to the common room." Mikey yawned as he leaned against the carriage window.

"Make it a galleon." Ray shot back, making Mikey sit up with wide eyes.

"You think I'm rich or something!?" Mikey exclaimed.

Gerard pet Mitch as the two began to bicker back and forth. He and Ryan were sitting quietly on their own side of the carriage. They were barely pulling up to the school, and the sun was already lowering in the sky. It created a glittering effect on the snow that rested on the ground outside.

When the carriage stopped, Ryan was, surprisingly, first to the door. It was unfortunate, however, because he received a snowball to the face as soon as the door swung open. Ryan stumbled before his eyes narrowed. "Smith!" He yelled as laughing echoed through the air. He shot out of the carriage, giving access for the other boys to slip out.

Ryan chased Spencer through the snow, both hooting with laughter and enchanting snowballs to fly at one another. Melanie stood not far from the outside of the carriage, pointing her wand up to hold up an enchanted banner that read 'Welcome back!' while shifting house colors.

"Gerard!" She exclaimed, waving ecstatically with her free hand. "Mikey! Ray!"

"Melanie! How was Christmas?" Gerard smiled as he watched Ryan get tackled by Spencer in the distance.

"Bitsy left you a gift." Melanie relayed as she gave the frosty haired boy a hug, "Aw, it was so lonely with only myself, Jon, and Patrick in the common room. So many people went home this year."

"I got to fly over Salem." Mikey declared with pride on his face.

"Oh, cool! My great great grandma was burned at the stake there." Melanie grinned.

"Melanie, where's Frank?" Gerard asked, looking around the snowy landscape. The shorter Slytherin was absent from the group. Gerard knew he had a frown on his face due to Frank's absence.

The look on Melanie's face after the question confused Gerard. She looked nervous? Before he could inquire any further, Ryan and Spencer came up upon the group, shivering.

"I'm ready for the s-sweet release of d-d-death." Ryan shivered, trying to shake snow from the crevasses it had invaded during the tackle.

Spencer laughed as he rubbed his hands together for warmth. "Aw, c'mon, Ryan. You'll warm up."

"How about we all go down to the Hufflepuff common room?" Melanie asked quickly, "Or we could sit in the library!"

"I'd really enjoy seeing Frank..." Gerard spoke lowly. He watched Spencer and Melanie exchanged a glance that may have only lasted a millisecond.

"Think he's in a meeting at the moment." Spencer spoke up, offering an apologetic smile. "I think the Hufflepuff common room is the warmest, anyway."

"C'mon! Bitsy left you a present!" Melanie nodded, eagerly, grabbing hold of Gerard's wrist. "I want to see what you got! She gave me a box of baked goodies."

"F-f-fireplace p-please." Ryan shivered.

Gerard smiled, letting himself be lead towards the castle. At least he was surrounded by friends, but the one face he really wanted to see was absent...

---

"My father wasn't around..." Spencer yawned as Melanie leaned against him, "Mother taking extra shifts... Christmas in the castle is beautiful, though."

"I half way wanted to stay over the holidays, but my parents would of killed me!" Ray laughed.

The group was huddled in front of the Hufflepuff common room's fireplace. Patrick was there as well, helping braid flowers into Elisa's hair. They had been gathered in the common room long enough that Spencer and Ryan had both dried off comfortably. Everyone was strewn out, either laying on the ground or leaning against something.

"Man, for a lower level common room, it's a lot brighter than Gryffindor's tower." Ryan commented, rolling onto his back to look up at the ceiling.

"Believe me, Slytherin in no way shares the warmth." Spencer said as Melanie began to play with his fingers, "It's freezing to live with the lake resting against the windows."

"Not to mention terrifying!" Ray exclaimed, "What if the squid really wanted to get in? You're all dead."

"Is there really a giant squid, though?" Mikey asked as he fiddled with his neck tie, "I've never seen him."

"Just because you haven't seen him, doesn't mean he's not there." Spencer responded with a wink. After a burst of laughter due to Mikey's irritated expression, he elaborated. "I've seen him myself. First year, Brendon and I thought we'd go for a swim because we're obviously just lost Ravenclaws at heart." He rolled his eyes during the pause. Before he could continue, however, Ryan began laughing.

"Got about ten feet from the shore when one of the tentacles wrapped around his arm!" Ryan laughed to the point of tears streaming from the corners of his closed eyes, "He still has a suction cup mark on his arm..." Ryan's eyes suddenly opened and the laughter fell from his tone as he trailed off. His expression seemed to shift from realization to sadness in a matter of seconds. He pressed his lips tightly together and shut his eyes.

Gerard felt his heart sink. They really did break up; Ryan was never one to cry easily over the four years Gerard had known him.

"Ryan, hun, would you like to come with me to get some snacks?" Melanie pipped up, sensing the sudden mood shift in the air.

Ryan nodded with a sniffle, pushing himself up from where he had been laying. Gerard pushed himself up to go over and help Ryan to his feet. Ryan thanked him before hurrying to the common room entrance. Melanie hurried after him as her hair shifted to a soft pink.

Gerard looked back at the group. They were all looking at their shoes, or interesting spots on the carpet. The mood shift hadn't fully left the air around them yet, and no one knew what to say to move past it.

Gerard made his way out of the common room. The atmosphere just felt so heavy on his chest for some reason. Maybe it was from his time of distance from everyone and drama like this. It just made Gerard feel like he needed space.

A breath of air escaped him once he was out in the corridor. The air was much lighter out here. He felt like he could breathe.

The corridor was empty either way you looked. Melanie and Ryan had already disappeared into the kitchens, and most students were either enjoying what was left of the day or already in their common rooms. Gerard looked down towards the stairs that lead to the Slytherin dungeons and up to the main part of the castle. His eyes narrowed as, what looked like, a robe swept around the corner.

"Hello?" Gerard called out, "Anyone there?"

Gerard crept closer to the stairwell at the lack of response. He knew he had seen something; it couldn't of been a ghost or Peeves... He made it to the corner and poked his head around.

"Frank?"

Gerard lit up with excitement when the Slytherin turned around at the sound of his name. Gerard raced down the steps and wrapped his arms around Frank. "God, I've missed you! Your present was too much for my sleep deprived brain to cope with, I could of cried! Did you like what I got you?" Gerard caught himself rambling as he pulled away, covering his mouth with his hand to hide a soft giggle.

The giggle was followed by a frown, however. Frank didn't look excited to see Gerard. In fact, Frank looked confused by the affection given by the Hufflepuff.

"Sorry, what's up?" Frank asked.

Gerard felt a lump get stuck in his throat. Was this some kind of joke? "The... The present?"

Frank blinked in response. He seemed... Different. Gerard could feel his heart tear at Frank's lack of recognition.

"I've got someone to see." Frank said simply before pushing past Gerard and moving up the stairs.

"Don't you want to see me?" Gerard asked, spinning around to look at Frank with pleading eyes.

The Slytherin said nothing as he continued up the steps. Gerard stood in silence, watching Frank go. He could feel himself begin to shake; the heavy feeling was setting in on his chest again. He sat himself down and attempted to keep a slow breathing pattern even though he felt on the verge of crying.

Did something happen over the holiday? Was Gerard just not good enough anymore?..

No tears spilled from Gerard's eyes, but the questions and heavy feeling seemed to wrap themselves around him. He wasn't sure how long he stayed on the stairs, but eventually a hand found its way onto his shoulder.

"Gerard?" Mikey asked, sitting down next to Gerard. "What's wrong, big bro?"

Gerard didn't know how to respond. He wasn't even entirely sure what was wrong; he had the assumption that he wasn't good enough anymore... Gerard leaned against his brother, who held him in a tight hug.

"Do you want us to walk you back to your common room?" Mikey asked, to which Gerard nodded.

His brother and Ray lead him back to the Hufflepuff common room. Once inside, Gerard went straight to the dorms. He made a beeline for his bed, shooting past Max who was sleeping while holding a Gryffindor scarf.

Gerard sat on his bed. There was just something off about Frank. Maybe he was just tired? Gerard felt the day had lasted rather a long time...

A soft nudging at his side made Gerard turn. Mitch was sitting on his bed sheets, holding a flower stem larger than himself between his paws. The vibrant flower head acted like a shade over him, which he had to lean to see around.

Gerard felt himself smile. "Thank you, Mitch." He said, grabbing the stem just under the flower head. When he lifted the flower, Mitch came with it, making Gerard laugh.

"You crazy badger." Gerard said as he held his hand underneath it to safely drop onto. "He enchanted you for me... He couldn't really of stopped caring so quickly."

Mitch nuzzled against Gerard's fingers in response. It actually made Gerard feel calmer to have the small creature. He smiled fondly at it.

"We'll find out what's up with Frank yet..."