"Mycroft knows." John muttered, before he could stop himself.
"About what?" Sherlock asked.
"Us." John said, feeling his cheeks grow hot. Sherlock took a moment to figure out what John meant by that, and when he did he looked more worried than when he did with Umbridge.
"How could he have figured it out?" Sherlock asked.
"It's not too hard, but he confronted me about it, I couldn't lie to his face, I'm sorry." John sighed.
"It's quite alright John, I really don't care, but you don't think he's told Greg do you?"
"If he had then Greg would be all over me, yelling that he was right and setting up our next date." John pointed out. They both looked over to the floor suspiciously, where Mycroft had brought out, as he said, a beautiful glass chess board, with glass pieces and everything.
"Where'd he get that?" John asked, even though he didn't play chess it would be a nice bragging right to own.
"Mom and dad I believe, I got some books and he got that chess board." Sherlock said.
"Well I got muggle food; don't be too hard on yourself."
"Muggle food beats anything we make here." Sherlock debated.
"You don't mean that." John debated, thinking that Hogwarts's steak and kidney pie could beat out any McDonald's chain ever.
"I do." Sherlock decided.
"Then you need to come over summer break, learn what real muggle living is like. I can guarantee it's not so glamourous." John decided.
"If the world cup is in town we could go see that and go to your place after, it would be brilliant!" Sherlock decided.
"My mom would simply love having four wizards trotting around the house." John laughed, thinking of his entire family sitting, terror stricken, in the corner of their living room as the boys decided to duel in front of the TV.
"Was that sarcasm?" Sherlock asked.
"To the highest degree, yes." John agreed, only making Sherlock laugh as well.
"That's a shame."
"They're proud of course, having a wizard in the family was a huge shock and all, but they don't like magic in the house, they think it's too 'abnormal'. So I do it anyway." John shrugged, once again summoning the gorgeous white smile on his porcelain face. He was so beautiful it took some self-restraint not to dash over the table and kiss him there, John was just the luckiest person to have Sherlock to himself, and he wasn't going anywhere. He could live his life with this work of art, adopt a kid, get a dog, grow old, it almost made getting through sixth and seventh year seem bearable.
"So, how was John's day today?" Sherlock asked after a bit of an awkward silence.
"Miserable. I'm tired from all this getting up rubbish; we shouldn't have to get out of bed until at least nine." John decided.
"I guess it's not really a concern of mine, if I do get to sleep I'm up at about four." He decided.
"How do you possibly manage that?" John asked, slightly awed and slightly jealous.
"I don't require the nourishment you people do, I don't need much food or sleep to be honest." Sherlock sighed.
"And what makes you different from us in anyway, other than the fact that you can starve yourself longer?" John asked.
"I don't know, it must be part of this curse I've got following me around." Sherlock shrugged.
"Well I'm sorry to hear that, I really am." John decided. Greg cheered as one of the pieces, probably Mycroft's, was smashed to pieces.
"Do you really think Umbridge will find us?" John asked.
"She wouldn't have to look too hard." Sherlock shrugged.
"As in discover us, find out about everything. When you add it up we've all broken the rule she's most strict about." John pointed out.
"Well, yes, I think she will, that's why we're taking precautions." Sherlock decided. John sighed, that wasn't the answer he wanted to hear, and it's not like Sherlock sugar coated it.
"She won't actually hurt us though?"
"I can't talk for her, I don't know what she'll do to be honest, she's a monster in my definition." Sherlock decided.
"If she hurts you I will kill her, you know that right?" John asked.
"John Watson I am not going to let you kill a person because I got a little bruise, if it gets to rough I can take care of myself." He decided.
"Not actually kill, but get very angry and a bit harmful." John shrugged.
"I don't want you to get hurt as well, so let's just decide that we'll both make it out without a scratch and just be done?" Sherlock decided.
"That sounds better." John agreed. He couldn't imagine a world without any of these three; even Mycroft's loss would break his heart. So if Umbridge touches any of them she'd have to answer to the other three.
"We're making a difference though, she can't catch us all, and there are a whole lot of people with Zonko's up in the dorms, they're prepared, so we can't back down from them, not now, not ever." Sherlock decided.
"That's deep Sherlock." John decided with a little laugh.
"It's the truth." He agreed. John just hoped he was right, there was no way Umbridge could find them all, and she couldn't expel more than half the school right?
"Well I hope she doesn't do anything too bad, like torture." John decided.
"That's not legal." Sherlock pointed out.
"She may be the Minister's house cat but she definitely doesn't seem the type to follow the rules. Especially when she needs something from people she doesn't like." John guessed.
"Oh so now she doesn't like me?" Sherlock asked, but he was smiling jokingly.
"No of course not, she hates us all!" John reminded him, as if he had actually forgotten.
"I thought we were all her favorite kids, me first of course. She may ask me questions but we share secrets and we have tea parties." He laughed. John laughed, imagining the odd image of Sherlock and Umbridge sitting at a tiny table with small chairs drinking tea out of plastic cups, surrounded by stuffed animals struggling to stand upright on their chairs.
"I thought you said she drugged the tea." John pointed out.
"True, she probably did." Sherlock agreed. There was more celebration from the chess game, to the annoyance of numerous Ravenclaws trying to study. John honestly didn't know what they had to do to land them so much work, his homework took about thirty minutes even when he was trying, and they seemed to never put their quills down.
"Why don't you and Mycroft do all that work?" John asked.
"Not every Ravenclaw is a nerd; they're just the people that take way too much pride in their grades." Sherlock pointed out.
"You're a nerd too you know?" John pointed out.
"Well that's by definition, technically nerds..."
"There's my point. You need to have more fun in your life Sherlock, you're cooped up in this common room, I'm sure my grandma is more active than you. You know what, this week we'll do something, just you and me, I don't know, something like walking, maybe ice skating on the frozen lake, whatever you want." John suggested with a smile.
"Are you asking me out John?" Sherlock asked, but John could tell he was just playing hard to get.
"I think I am, yes." John decided. Sherlock blushed a little bit, looking at the floor for a moment before nodding like a happy teenage girl.
"Of course, definitely. But if you try flying I will push you off the broom." He decided.
"Then you'd crash as well." John pointed out.
"Just please, no flying." Sherlock asked, doing a small little pouty face that pretty much melted John's heart. Today was what, Wednesday, so that gives them two days until Saturday, the glorious weekend, now even more glorious that it would be spent with Sherlock.

The next day was just asmiserable as miserable as the last, but John now saw a light at the end of thetunnel. Sherlock and he had to pretend to hate each other in public, but now inthe common room they were the same old more than friends, joking and playfullymaking fun of each other. Sherlock had to go to Umbridge's that night, much tothe worry of the three of them. What would Umbridge do to get information now?She wouldn't actually torture him would she? But the next day Sherlock wasperfectly fine, Friday, a very hopeful Friday to be exact. After the last bellrang they were free, free at last. The last class, evidently, was Charms, soJohn, Sherlock, and Greg sat in the very last row as usual, copying down notesthat made John want to bang his head repeatedly off of the desk. Only ten moreminutes, hurry up clocks. Maybe he could convince Sherlock to charm them tomake the bell ring faster, anything to not hear another word of Flitwick'sannoying squeaky voice.
"I need to go back there again." Sherlock hissed as they copied down the usedfor a banishment spell, one that they have covered only too much and got harderand harder as they went on. First it was moving, now it was completelydisappearing.
"To Umbridge's?" John asked. Sherlock looked nervous for some reason, as if hewas expecting someone to be spying on their every word.
"Yes." He muttered, but it was forced, as if he was strictly forbidding himselfto tell John anything else.
"It'll be fine, after that's over it's the weekend. What was on your mind forSaturday?" John asked, scribbling the last bit of words in an attempt to knowSherlock's answer.
"I'm not an ice skater, but I think a nice walk through the woods would benice." He shrugged.
"The Forbidden Forrest?" John asked.
"Sure! All the creatures will be either hiding or dead from frost bite, I'msure it's beautiful in there too." Sherlock pointed out.
"Boys, please pay attention!" squeaked Flitwick, waving his wand over in theirdirection but went back to his notes right after.
"Ya John, pay attention." Greg muttered.
"Please, Mr. Lestrade, you've got five minutes I'm sure whatever you have tosay isn't that important." Flitwick decided. Greg muttered something that,thankfully, no one could hear, because John had a couple guesses on how manychoice words he used to describe the class. They kept their mouths shut for therest of the class, but everyone else's attention was slipping as well. SoonFlitwick tapped his wand and the notes vanished of the blackboard, letting themall pack up for the sound of the glorious bell to leave.
"I'm sure it'll be fine, imagine the forest now, snow covered, light as ifthere was actually sun, it'll be fine. You said anything as well." Sherlockpointed out.
"You're right, I did say that." John agreed.
"So it's settled then, just you and me." Sherlock decided, smiling happily downat John as if he was proud of himself. But then again he probably was, he hadtold John that he had liked him from day one, and here he was, planning hisvery own date with him. It was like it was a cheesy love story or something,but, if anything, John was the lucky one. Sure, Sherlock was a huge nerd thatno one liked, but he was, in reality, the funniest, most attractive, sweetestperson he had ever met. The bell rang through the halls, the sound of freedom,the weekend had come, but Sherlock still had to get through this detentionthing with Umbridge. They walked out of the classroom without homework, forcedto disperse through the halls in case Umbridge or one of her minions, the onethat had sold them out, noticed.
"I'll see you tonight I guess!" John called, waving to Sherlock's back; he wasalready a couple of feet in front of them. He looked back and only smiled,waving slightly before shouldering his backpack and disappearing into thecrowd.
"He has to go back tonight, to Umbridge's." John muttered to Greg.
"Hasn't she accepted that she's not getting anything out of him?" Greg askedwith annoyance.
"Of course not, but obviously he's doing okay with this whole secretive thing,she hasn't called for us yet." John pointed out.
"Knock on wood." Greg pointed out, knocking on John's head jokingly.
"Hilarious." John muttered, rolling his eyes but smiling all the same. Theywent to the Great Hall, taking their seats and digging into the food. Boringclasses really took a lot out of you apparently. Sherlock was absent of course,probably worried about the whole meeting thing once more, but Mycroft wassitting with Anthea, pretending to actually like her. So this is what Umbridgehad brought to this school, secrets, fake relationships, and stress on the oneperson that really shouldn't be stressed. John treated himself to an extrahelping of chocolate pudding, a small reward for making it through the weekthat had seemed to last for ages.
"I'm going to see Mycroft." Greg decided, getting up from his chair afterimpatiently waiting for John to finish. Mycroft had gotten up and moved to theRavenclaw table once more, trying to make eye contact with Greg to get him tocome over.
"Alright then, I'll see you in the common room I guess." John shrugged,grabbing his bag from under the table and pushing his empty bowl away.
"Ya, see you." Greg agreed, getting up and scampering over to Mycroft like alittle puppy. John rolled his eyes but it wasn't as repulsive as it normallywas. Instead of cursing Mycroft's name he got up from the table, walking out ofthe loud Great Hall and back into the silence of the normal hallways. There washardly anyone roaming around, his footsteps were virtually the only thing heeven heard. It was so peaceful he could almost call it nice.
"Are you John Watson?" asked a scratchy, annoyed voice behind him, ruining thewhole quiet scenic moment he was having with himself.
"I hope so." He decided, turning and frowning when he saw Filtch standingbehind him. He was scowling, as usual, but there was a small air of excitementabout him, something that wasn't usually there.
"Come with me, you've been summoned." He decided, hobbling down the hallway toleave John to catch up. Who would summon John at this hour? And even worse, whowould Filtch run errands for if he hates all staff and students? But there wasone person he answered to, one that he had a hope for, and they were walkingright up to her door. Umbridge.