"Virgil! Hey, Virgil! Wait up!"

Virgil turned around and laughed as Roman caught up with him. "What's got you so happy?"

Virgil smiled secretly at Roman but didn't say anything. "Come on. Please tell me!"

"Fine! I may have a tiny crush on this one guy."

"Who?!" Roman asked excitedly, bouncing on his heels. Virgil laughed again.

"If I tell you, I might as well declaim it to the whole school. You certainly won't keep it a secret."

"That depends who it is."

Virgil looked Roman up and down before laughing gently. "Roman, I'm flattered but please get that idea out of your head. It's not you. You're just a friend." Roman's shoulders slumped ever so slightly but he kept his voice level and happy.

"Tell meeeee! Please!" He begged. Virgil laughed again and shook his head.

"I need to go. I'm meeting up with Daniel by the Great Lake." Virgil said before rushing off.

"Daniel?" Roman stopped, lost in thought before his eyes went wide. "Oh Hell no."

***

It was the first trip into Hogsmead at the weekend and Roman intended to ask Virgil on a date. Yes, Virgil had said that he only liked Roman as a friend but Roman knew (or at least hoped) that there was something else there. So, after breakfast, Roman went to seek Virgil out.

He found Virgil pretty quickly. Hiding the rose he had gotten for Virgil behind his back, he approached the shorter boy but stopped when he heard someone else talking.

"Virgil. I was wondering if, maybe, you'd like to go to Hogsmead with me. Like, on a date." Daniel said in a small voice. "Only if you want!"

"D-D-Daniel..." Roman prayed Virgil would say no. "I-I-I would love to." Virgil said, beaming and simultaneously breaking Roman's heart into millions of tiny pieces.

"Really?"

"Y-Y-Yeah."

Daniel sprang forwards hugged Virgil tightly. He looped his arm around Virgil's shoulders as they walked off. Roman came out from his hiding place and looking at the rose in his hands. His sight blurred with tears, he crumbled the rose in his hand and threw it into the Great Lake.

Suddenly, Daniel came running back. "Sorry, Virge forgot his sketchbook." He said, grabbing the book. He looked around and then pulled Roman down by his sleeve.

"Touch my Virgil and you're dead. Got it?" He hissed in Roman's ear before letting him go and running after Virgil.

***

Roman ended up going into Hogsmead with Logan and Patton and he absolutely hated it.

"Come on. Cheer up kiddo. How about we go to Honeydukes?" Patton asked excitedly. Roman shook his head, feeling dejected.

"Roman, while Patton and I both know that this is difficult for you, you must learn to get past it. Virgil is not the only single boy in Hogwarts who is attracted to you." Roman groaned theatrically.

"But Virgil was the one!" He sighed.

"Preposterous." Logan said firmly. "There is no 'one'. Soulmates do not simply stumble across each other. Most people do not have soulmates."

"But you don't get it!" Roman yelled at Logan. He took a deep breath before continuing. "Patton knows. This Daniel guy screams danger. Patton never told you what happened in 4th Year, did he?"

"Well, no. I didn't ask. I felt it would be rude to pry."

"And I don't ever want to re-live that, kiddo." Patton gave an involuntary shudder.

"And you aren't going to, Pat, don't worry. It's Virgil who's going to re-live it. I worry about him."

"You mean that Virgil?" Logan asked, pointing to Virgil and Daniel who had just exited Honeydukes. Virgil spotted Roman, Logan and Patton and waved at them. Logan was the only one to wave back.

"Patton, are you alright?" Patton was shaking, his eyes were wide and all the colour had left his face.

"Patton, what is it?" Logan asked. Patton didn't answer but hid his face in Logan's shoulder and mumbled something into his sleeve.

"What?"

Patton moved his head so his wide, scared eyes were just visible. "Daniel's not good news." He muttered again. "He hurts people."

Patton wrapped his arms around Logan and hugged him tightly, scared. Logan returned the hug, unsure of what was going on.

"Patton, let's go back to the castle." Roman said, leading Patton away from Daniel and Virgil.

"That's odd. Why didn't Roman and Patton wave back?" Virgil wondered out loud, checking his Chocolate Frog cards. Daniel shrugged.

"I don't know. Well," he looked at Virgil carefully, "can I trust you with some private information?"

Virgil nodded his head and Daniel took a deep breath before continuing. "Patton and I... have a bad past. I went out with him a few times in 4th Year and then he caught me kissing another guy. Well, another guy kissing me. He went mental and ended it the same day." Daniel looked down, sniffing.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry!" Virgil put his sweets down and hugged Daniel.

"It's fine. Not your fault." Daniel mumbled.

"Did he... did Patton let you explain?" Virgil asked cautiously. Daniel shook his head, a tear leaking from his eye. Virgil wiped it away carefully before quickly kissing Daniel.

Daniel looked at Virgil, shocked, as Virgil blushed furiously. Daniel smiled shyly at Virgil. "Virgil? Would you... would you be my boyfriend?"

"R-R-Really?" Daniel nodded. "Yes!" He gave Daniel a huge hug, not noticing the evil glint in Daniel's eye.

***

"Hi Virgil. Why the huge smile?" Remus asked as Virgil sat down next to him and Janus.

"I've got a boyfriend." Virgil confessed, hiding his blushing face in his hands. Remus screamed with delight, making Virgil jump.

"Who is it? Who? Who? Who? Who? Who? Who? Who? Who? Who?"

"Let him get a word in, Rem." Janus smiled at his excited boyfriend.

Virgil smiled shyly, his eyes sparkling. "Daniel."

The smile dropped from Remus' face and he and Janus looked at Virgil with worry written all over their face.

"Virgil, he's not a good guy to have as a boyfriend."

"He is!" Virgil insisted.

"He's going to break you." Janus whispered fearfully.

"No he's not. He cares about me."

"He doesn't." Remus muttered.

Virgil stood up, anger blazing in his eyes and written all over his face. "Good fucking Lord! Why can't anyone be happy for me?!" Virgil yelled before storming off.

From then on, Daniel was never seen without Virgil following him around like a little puppy. Virgil was absolutely infatuated with Daniel and filled his sketchbook with yet more pictures of him. Yet Virgil couldn't shake the feel that he wasn't good enough for Daniel. Daniel was so popular and good looking, he could have anyone he wanted yet he chose Virgil. Why? When asked this, Daniel laughed and cupped Virgil's face in his hands. "Because you're beautiful and perfect." He said, giving Virgil a kiss on the nose. Virgil loved getting those little compliments and started changing his appearance in order to keep Daniel's attention. First, it was a few layers of pale foundation, then a little more make-up, then he started putting black eyeshadow under his eyes until he looked even more out of place than he had at the start of the year. Daniel still claimed to love Virgil through it all but Virgil still felt that he wasn't good enough. One time, he asked Daniel what he was doing wrong. Daniel thought for a few seconds before replying. "I suppose that, if we're looking for things that you've done wrong, you're not spending enough time with me. I miss you."

From that moment, Virgil was always by Daniel's side. Virgil had fallen hard and he was still falling. He was falling so fast and so hard that he couldn't see the ground speeding closer and closer to him.