The Four Houses

Six

The castle was beginning to get cold enough for the friends to wear coats, something Frank begrudgingly agreed to. He already felt weak due to being sorted into Hufflepuff and now the weather was forcing him to show his weakness again? Disasterous. Frank crossed his arms while standing next to Kylan during Care of Magical Creatures, his pout slightly protruding from his scarf. Kylan was hiding behind Frank while reading a muggle book he stole from a Ravenclaw sixth year. The book was rather intriguing, something about star-crossed lovers. He had finished all of the books in the Ravenclaw common room and was now craving more. Frank promised to go with him down to the library to fulfill his needs after class. The only bonus about Care of Magical Creatures was that neither Frank nor Kylan felt the need to take notes. They just memorized Hagrid's movements and gestures. They could recall an entire lesson with one hand movement reminder. Frank lost interest rather quickly, memorizing Hagrid's body language before glancing at the colony of fairies the group up front was watching. The fairies seemed more enraged than usual, the students were probably upsetting their usual lunchtime. Frank stuffed his hands in his pockets to keep warm. Frank felt pressure on his ear and swatted at it, thinking it was Kylan. He felt a tug again and cursed, turning to Kylan.

"Will you stop tugging my ear? You can just whisper if you have anything to say!" Kylan looked back up at Frank, confused, before glancing to his shoulder, eyes widening. Frank looked as well and gasped loudly. A fairy had landed on his shoulder and was standing very calmly next to his ear. A high-pitched buzzing noise echoed through Frank's eardrum causing Frank to wince slightly. He offered his hand to the fairy to which the fairy happily jumped down from his shoulder and perched.

"Well, I'll be damned!" Hagrid's rough voice sounded, pushing through the students to look at the seemingly friendly fairy. "Seems to have taken a liking to you, this one. Nice fella. Hello," Hagrid kindly waved his large hand at the mystical being causing the fairy to frown and buzz menacingly. Hagrid chuckled, unphased by the fairy's rudeness, and patted Frank harshly on the back. "The fairy's not going to leave yer side now. Might as well get comfortable. It can be your new pet." Frank's eyes widened in horror. Frank didn't want a pet! The last time he had a pet it was a pet ant and Alec stepped on it within the first ten minutes of the ant's adoption. Frank hesitantly looked down at the fairy and back up at Hagrid. Hagrid let out a jolly laugh. "Oh, don't worry! It won't leave its home. It'll fly back once you get far away, but whenever you come near it, the fairy will fly to you. Guaranteed." Hagrid turned back to the other first-years who were watching the scene in innocent wonder. "Try and befriend a fairy with a partner. Fifty points to Hufflepuff for being so quick." 

Kylan and Frank sat at the base of a random tree, watching in amusement as the fairy tried to pick up a rock to throw. 

"I wonder what gender it is," Frank whispered, hypnotized by the fairy tale creature. Kylan smiled lightly, his cold gaze softening as the fairy grabbed a piece of grass and played with it. 

"You think it understands gender?" Frank shrugged, watching the fairy hesitantly fly to Kylan's hand before sitting. Frank had never seen Kylan act like a ten-year-old, but seeing the childish gleam in Kylan's eyes as he smiled down at the fairy made Frank's heart twirl with pride. 

"Maybe not. What's a gender-neutral name?" Kylan thought for a second, genuinely wanting a perfect name for their perfect fairy.

"Alex?"

"Too common,"

"Morgana?"

"Too magical,"

"Frankie?"

"Too close to home," They both thought for another moment, letting the buzzing of the fairy assist them in their thoughts. The fairy flew onto Frank's leg and now was buzzing an entire symphony of words. Kylan suddenly clapped his hands together.