A Late Night Walk abandoned :(

Michael was smiling as he followed the other boy out to the courtyard, his gaze on Earl, trusting his feet not to get caught on a root as he walked. He had missed Earl through the summer, missing his soft personality, his confidence, his sweet scent. He was used to Earl having something or another different, often testing himself to see if he could pinpoint the change. Often it's the shade of the boy's hair, always pink, but sometimes darker. Michael used to wonder if the boy did it on purpose or if the tint changed on its own.

He wondered if Earl had questions about his looks, the change from light colors to a plain brown. He felt bad at first when he thought about how the boy would react, to seeing the once blonde hair now a dark brown, nearly black in color, and his baby blue eyes now a mix of dark browns. He had worried the boy wouldn't like the change, ironic as the thought was. Now he didn't worry, as the boy seemed to still want to be in his presence.

As they made it to the spot, Michael's eyebrows lifting slightly at the make-up. The candles caught his attention at first, a childlike want to reach out to them before he looked towards the hats. "That's gonna mess up my hair." he joked. He smiled at all of the small puffs, saying a small hello to the group.

When he was asked to sing, he nodded and waited for the other boy to start the song. " "Happy birthday to you..." he followed after Earl, smiling as he sang. His voice was deeper than Earl's and wasn't as smooth, but he thought they sounded nice together.

@ Earl Gray

@Michael Miller

"Speaking of your hair..." Earl whispered, picking up a strand and curling it around his fingers. "It's brown now". A light smile followed as he leaned on the boy's shoulder, tucking himself against Mic's side and intertwining his fingers with the other's. "It looks good on you."

The party hat had gone lopsided on Earl's head, falling forwards and dragging a few cotton candy strands towards his forehead. They still hadn't regrown to their former glory, hackjob his dad had done of his hair making him cringe every time he looked in the mirror. Good thing there were no mirrors to be found in the courtyard. It was just him, his friend, and what had become nearly twenty pygmy puffs.

"Your eyes look good too" Earl mused, after they'd finished singing. Their voices had mixed together in a clumsy harmony, Michael's low tones complimenting Earl's crystalline voice. "Not that you didn't look good before. You looked amazing...but this is great too."

It really was the perfect night. Above them shone a million stars, silver and golden light painting the two boys, making the entire place seem like that of dreams. Unreal, too beautiful for the world they lived in. Even the moon had come out to play tonight, dropping low over the castle, the quiet chattering of crickets and cooing of pygmy puffs serenading them.

"I didn't know you were a metamorph" Earl whispered, his thumb drawing circles on the back of Mic's hand, head resting on the other's arm. "I mean...I'm assuming you are....Or are you using contact lenses maybe? And dye?" He refrained from the 'dye is really bad for your hair' comment. Most people couldn't change the color of their hair at will.

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Goose bumps seemed to rise on Michael's skin at the boy's touch, his eyes looking over at the boys fingers curled in his hair. He blinked a coupe times as he looked back at Earl's face. Michael could have sworn he was a veela, if he hadn't already known he wasn't anything but human. He smiled, "thank you, Earl" he said in return of the compliments.

His voice had started to deepen slightly, still his own, but not the same. He hadn't noticed the changes himself until near the end of the summer with Kelsey.

Michael smiled as he listened to Earl speak about the sudden changes. "I'm not, actually. Though I do think that would have been cool. Changing your hair color must be a fun thing, even if it's only a little." He said.

He wrapped an arm around the others waist, stretching slightly to get completely comfortable without bothering the other boy. "Though I am a Werewolf, if that matters." He said offhandedly, it was practically common knowledge by now. He would be surprised if the pink haired boy didn't know of his little furry trips every month. "That can be fun, at least in the moment. Though it hurts at first. . . " He said, before blinking and looking at the cupcake. "Did the elves make these?"

Earl Gray

Noah Jupe flipped back his dirty blonde hair, that he had dyed right before he came to Summer Camp. But Noah didn't really get to meet anyone there, so he attempted to stay with the ones he has met in his First Year. He took a little bit of a walk, outside of his dormitory bedroom, and slid on his crimson cape and dark blue headband, trying to make his face comfortable with the black square framed glasses he had.

He walked out of the corridors and stepped out into the courtyard. It had to be at least four in the morning, as he noticed two people out in the courtyard with him. One was holding a cupcake with a candle in it, apparently giving it to a pet of some sort. He was inspired, so he walked down to the duo. He noticed the other boy was someone Noah had a crush on for a while. Michael.

"Michael. I- I- hey." He struggled to get out his words. He was truly in love with Michael so much, he was so speechless. Micheal seemed to have dyed his hair over the summer. He had to admit, it was such a cool look on him, he couldn't deny it.

@Earl Gray and @Michael Miller

@Michael Miller | @Noah Jupe

"I made them!" Earl beamed, picking one up gingerly and licking the pink and white frosting off. Eyes closed as a delighted moan slipped past the tiny boy's lips, a purely happy smile spreading out over his face. He'd gotten comfortable against Michael, their bodies fitting together perfectly, as if that's where the two boys were supposed to be staying. As if they'd been made for each other.

"I have a couple minutes after I finish my makeup in the mornings," he murmured, biting into the fluffy, honey and vanilla goodness. "The elves let me help around the kitchen." He'd formed quite the relationship with them, after months of sneaking in the kitchen and chatting with them while they cooked. Sometimes, they even helped him with recipes, sitting on the counter and demonstrating how to knead bread, which way to hold the frosting bag, why he should stir clockwise rather than counter clockwise. And over his first year at Hogwarts, Earl had slowly but surely improved under their guidance.

"I helped with the croissants at breakfast this morning," he divulged, shuffling down and using Michael's thigh as a pillow. The croissants in question had come out with the perfect golden brown crust, with just enough butter to make biting into them a heavenly experience.

The silence that spread between the two boys was comfortable. It was the kind of silence that enveloped you in between the moments you were half awake, half still amongst the dream faeries. "I know you are a werewolf," Earl said looking up at Michael with smoke gray eyes.

Michael was beautiful. He had a certain wild air about him. It clung to his hair and his skin, it floated on his beautiful voice and shone through his smile. Earl loved Michael's smile. The way his lips shot up at the corner, the blush which sometimes graced the other's cheeks, the way his eyes crinkled and shone. This boy...this boy would have made a beautiful painting, although Earl doubted even his mother (Earl's mom is a painter) would have been able to capture Michael on canvas.

"I could come with you sometime, if you wanna." He whispered, gingerly lifting a strand of hair out of the other's eyes. "Bring you a change of clothes, some food. Help you bandage yourself up?"

"Michael. I- I-hey." a voice broke out. Impossibly loud, shattering the quiet which had reigned over the courtyard. Earl pushed himself up to a sitting position.

He hadn't seen this boy before. Or if he had, his gaze had just passed over him. He was standing there, almost as if he didn't know what to do with himself. Short and skinny, looking like he'd picked up the first thing that qualified as a shirt and thrown it on.

Earl let a slow smile curl around his lips as he picked up a cupcake and held it out to him. "Come join us" he whispered, patting the ground beside him. "It's Mocha's birthday, we're celebrating."

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The 12-year-old smiled as took in Earl's smile. He looked over to the basket, "May I try one?" He asked as Earl picked up his own taking a bite of it. Michael watched him seem to melt as he ate it, making the young wolf feel warm as he got comfortable in his side. "You wear makeup a lot?" Michael asked. He had noticed some looks, of course, he did, there was probably nothing he didn't notice with Earl. Earl was like a light, and Michael the moth, at times. His eyes were drawn to him.

As Earl moved down to his thigh, Michael gasped slightly. He hadn't expected Earl to do that. The boy was confused. Was this a date? Were they on one? He moved his hand hesitantly to rake through the boy's hair, only for it to stop as Earl spoke up.

He was silent as Earl spoke, and he smiled slightly. "I'd like that, though, I don't think you'll be allowed to." He said as he looked down at Earl. "Guess if you're willing to get in trouble for me . . ."

"Michael. I- I-hey."

Micahel's eyes moved from Earl to Noah as he came through the bushes to them. He looked over him, trying to see if he knew him or not. No, he didn't remember this boy. "Hi," he said softly as he looked up at him. His eyes drifted back to Earl as he held out a cupcake for the new boy.

@Earl Gray@Noah Jupe

The boy who seemed to love wearing makeup, and Noah had no problem against it, handed him a cupcake. It seemed to be laced with eggs, milk, gluten, soy. "Thank you Earl, I- will just hold on to it." Noah was going to save it to give to Michael, or perhaps Nicholas McCowan if he was still picking on Noah for his costume and his dorky ways. "Happy Birthday.... Mocha." Noah said, a little reluctant in what he was called. He hoped it was correct, as he did overhear the word Mocha faintly, and by faintly, he means like it was just a word that hit his head, but it was hard to even hear.

The boy looked at Noah, as if he didn't recognize him. "Hi." Of course Michael wouldn't recognize him. Noah did stay behind in the shadows and just recently got more immersed in the idea that he has to be more inclusive in activities with Hogwarts, and to get to know people more. Blushing, he waved to Michael.

"Mi- Michael. Uh- can I call you- uh, Mic? I am a Second-" Noah took a pause and a deep breath, attempting to get everything organized in his head. "Um. I am a second Year, of House Gryffindor. I enjoy studying and getting involved with plants and creatures." Noah smiled, hopefully Michael would find interest in him. "And yes, I am shorter than you, clearly, and I also dress dorky and in a costume that I have once been made fun of for wearing." Noah quickly realized what he said, "Not to scare you away!" Noah added, speaking quickly.

"or-KID-ee-us." Noah muttered, allowing his wand to perform it's magic. He made a impressive circle shaped loops with his wrist and the wand, hoping that Michael would indeed understand what Noah was casting.

@Earl Gray and @Michael Miller

"I do," Earl admitted, gnawing on his lower lip. Yes, the makeup was very attention grabbing, but most people didn't comment on it. He'd gotten a couple slurs thrown in his face, but those were from Draven, and Draven didn't exactly hold back when it came to insults. "Would you..." he paused, looking up at Michael, fingers still tangled in the boy's hair. "Would you let me do your makeup sometime? You've got perfect eyes for it, and I think you'd look great with some liner."

It was quite the adorable picture. The two boys whispering underneath their breathes, twin smiles and eyes glowing with candlelight. "You're worth getting in trouble for" Earl beamed. "Plus...no one should be alone on nights like that."

Then the new boy was talking. Earl watched with a smile as Noah introduced himself, kid turning towards Michael with a world of hope in his eyes, nervous anticipation written over his face. Flowers blossomed from the tip of his wand, filling the air between the three of them with a sweet scent. Earl beamed encouragingly, giving Noah a subtle thumbs up from behind Michael. Who didn't like flowers?

He'd slipped up and picked up a few of the shyer pygmy puffs, allowing the two boys some space to talk.

The entire courtyard was holding its breath, some rooting for the tiny man, some regarding him with unimpressed eyes. Earl wasn't sure whether to hold his breath as well, or to close his eyes and enjoy the flowers, to be quite honest.

The boy smiled, "I'd be fine with you putting make up on me, whenever you like." He said. Michael was suddenly thinking about the boys lips, his eyes drifting to them before he could stop himself, only. . .

Noah was now there, and introducing himself. And Earl was away from him and the moment was gone.

Michael thought both boys were worth watching in that moment, his eyes trailing up to Noah's face. His eyes snapped down to the flowers, a smile slowly taking over his face. He stood up, his hand moving out to the flowers. He looked up at Noah, "How did you know my name" he said softly, his brows furrowed.

He looked over him, "you're a second year?" The boy was so small, smaller than Michael still. Michael reached out, before stopping, a small ways away from the boys hair, the urge to move it out of the boy's face nearly overtaking him before he thought to ask for consent to touch the other boy.

He let his hand drop, to the flowers. "These are really nice. . " He said smiling once again. "Never had a friend do something like that before." He said to Noah, unaware of the others or Earl's thumbs up to Noah.