"Theo...you're pulling my leg, right? You didn't really say that to him, did you?"

"I've said worse. It shouldn't have been that much of a surprise. Stop gaping at me, Morgan. If it makes you feel any better, he's been giving me the cold shoulder all week. Does that help?"

"Actually no. That does not make me feel better."

Theseus rolled his eyes and grunted as Morgan added another book to the pile in his arms. "You know what would make me feel better? You actually taking care of your textbooks so we don't have to replace them in the middle of the year, you're buying all of them over again."

"Not all of us keep our books on pristine condition."

"Well I could offer some advice for you in the subject. Lesson one; don't bring them into the Great Hall and dump the contents of your plate on them!"

Morgan huffed and took the pile from Theseus. "That was not on purpose. I'm not like the majority of the female population. I can't multitask."

Morgan Mitchell was a Hufflepuff in Theseus' year. He was short, on the pudgy side, struggled with any and every school subject under the sun, and hated reading with a passion and, to the surprise of many, he was also Theseus' best friend.

The Mitchells were long time friends of David. They'd visited the Lampton household at least twice a week, and Morgan and Theseus were as close as siblings growing up. They were inseparable, people often mistook the two of them for brothers. It was easier to believe than his being related to to his sisters. When the Mitchells had to move to Wales, Theseus had been crushed. He'd only just started getting over it when Lucia left the family. In his opinion, it had been too much to handle all at once.

He'd been expecting a quiet train ride alone to his first year of Hogwarts. He'd grown up in a muggle community, and everyone already seemed to know each other, so expecting someone to keep him company seemed unlikely.

      He'd been reading his book, trying to drown out the excess noise of the train, when the compartment door slid open to reveal a heavyset brunet boy with a slightly desperate look on his face.

"I'm really sorry, but everywhere is full and I have absolutely no clue what I'm doing- wait...Theo?!"

     "Morgan?!"

It turned out, Morgan was a muggleborn. He had less of an idea what was going on that Theseus, and Theseus had forgotten his pact with himself to be totally miserable in order to keep his old friend company. Morgan was the only one aside from Psyche and Atalanta that he'd talk to at all. He was the only one Theseus felt he could be himself around without any sort of judgement or fear of letting him down. Morgan didn't care. Theseus could do as he pleased.

     "Watch your step, Morg. I'm not carrying you out of here if you break your neck."

     "No, you'd just drag me." Morgan started toward the checkout with a grunt, "and stop changing the subject. I thought you said you were going to make an attempt to get along with him for Christmas this year."

     "No. You said that."

      "You didn't say you were going to do otherwise!"

     "I didn't think I had to! Maybe we should make that your resolution this year. 'Be more specific when giving instructions to Theseus concerning topics he doesn't give two hairs of Merlin's beard about.' Sound good?"

Morgan scowled and set his stack of books in the counter with a grunt. "I could do without the sarcasm. I still think you need to make an attempt. I would if I were you anyway."

     "Well, you're not me." Theseus watched Morgan take out a small sack of coins and pick out the proper amount for the books. The Mitchells were secure enough financially to move a decent am king of money into a Gringotts vault. They'd exchanged the pounds to galleons, giving Morgan enough money to get through school and then some.

"If you were me, Dad would think he had the perfect son, and he probably wouldn't be as grey up top as he is."

The witch working the counter totaled up Morgan's change and handed the books back. "Have a nice day, you two."

"You as well," Morgan said with a polite smile back, packing the books into the shoulder bag he'd brought. The bag was then transferred to Theseus, who swung it over his shoulders and started jut of the shop. "I don't know why you do that!"

"Carry your books?"

"No! Stress David out with the conscious knowledge you stress him out!"

"We can't all be good little Hufflepuffs, Morgan." Theseus smirked at his friend's scowl. "Some of us are built to give people a hard time. Look, it's done. I've successfully secured two weeks of quiet, just like I planned."

"Two weeks in which you can do your homework?"

"I finished that ages ago."

Morgan smiled hopefully, "and you're going to turn it in this time?"

Theseus laughed loudly, making sure the sarcasm in the action was obvious. "Merlin, Morgan, you're really funny today! That's a really good one! Me actually hand in the homework...are you looking into stand up?"

Morgan simply sighed, stepping into the snowy street. Christmas in the Wizarding World was a lot less intimidating than it was in the muggle one. Non-magic people seemed to make a much bigger deal out of it than the magic community did. The street outside Diagonalley was still trimmed with lights and other decorations, while the Wizarding street had already stripped the decorations away. It was much more relaxing, less congested and bust. Holidays were frustrating and loud. Theseus didn't understand why people needed an excuse to act a certain way. That's all those specific days on the calandra were. Just one time a year people used as an excuse to act a certain way. Once they were over, he felt like he could breathe again.

The two friends walked along the street without saying much to each other. Morgan was perfectly content to window shops, and Theseus enjoyed people watching. The two activities worked well together, Morgan able to annoy his friend's company and Theseus able to have a few moment do quiet. They didn't get to enjoy moments like that a whole lot.

"Theo." Morgan elbowed his friend in the side.

"OW! That was my rib!"

Morgan pointed into the window of 'Quality Quiditch Supplies' with a sigh. "It's gone."

"What?" Theseus hurried to the window, frowning when he saw Morgan was right. The Firebolt was gone, probably the purchased as a Christmas present for some rich kid like Malfoy. The display seemed empty without it there, though the latest Comet moe had taken its place. Theseus let out a small sigh, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"I'm sorry, mate."

"Don't be. It's not like I ever would've gotten it anyway. I'm not even on the team."

"If you'd try out-"

"I'd humiliate myself, Morgan."

"Theo, come on..."

"Just leave it, Morgan, please. There's not really a point in it. Even if I had been on the team, there's no way I would've ever gotten it. It must've cost the lucky bugger who got it a small fortune."

      "It was probably Malfoy. We'll get back from holiday he'll be flying around the castle like a smug, blond bat."

Theseus couldn't help but laugh at that comment. "Or a culture. I like that image a little more."

     "Don't be ridiculous. Vultures don't have hair, it ruins the whole blonde image."

     "But a bald, feathered, Draco Malfoy is hilarious. Now just imagine him with Snape's nose and scowl, slouching on a broom and flying 'round the school."

     Morgan stopped and pondered the image before letting out a snort of laughter. "Alright. That is pretty great. Almost as good as the Lockhart peacock image you concocted."

     "Ah yes. The crowning jewel of my bird-sonas. I wouldn't be surprised if out flamboyant ex-professor's patronus was in fact a peacock."

     "He was loud enough for it too. Have you heard those things squawk? That's the most obnoxious sound in the entire world."

The statement was accompanied by a loud screech from Morgan, somewhere between a honk and a caw in a poor imitation of the bird. 

     "'Morgan?"

     "It's the most bloody annoying thing in the world."

     "Morgan-"

      He made the sound again, louder this time.

     "Morgan!"

     "What?"

     "You're scaring everyone, mate."

The entire street had stopped to stare at the two of them in confusion an annoyance. Morgan flushed a deep Crimson color as Theseus wrapped an arm around his shoulder with a crooked grin.

     "My most sincere apologies! Honestly, I can't take him anywhere. He's practicing for mating season." He winked at a group a girl's a little ways away, squeezing his friend around the shoulders playfully. "Look out, ladies."

     The girls looked at each other in confusion before rolling their eyes and stalking off, the flow of traffic returning to normal as attention faded from the two of them. Theseus looked at Morgan with an even wider grin as he saw he had managed to turn an even deeper shade of red.

     "I hate you, Theo. So, so, so, so much."

     "Keep telling yourself that, Morg. After all, where would you be without me?"