lumos / phan

four

A mermaid swims it's way up to the glass, staring at Dan for a second. It seems to consider something, taking in the lonely boy, his figure limp and youthful face worn and tired. She nods her head at Dan, giving a small wave before turning and disappearing back into the darkness.

Dan sighs deeply, picking the cat up off his lap and carrying him back to his bed. He shuts the drapes, sitting in the middle of the large, four poster bed which is shut off from the world; his little corner of salvation. He hugs the cat to his chest tightly, tears filling his eyes and falling freely down his cheeks.

He just wants to fit in, be accepted and be loved, so why is this all so difficult for him?

As Dan cries in his bed, clutching onto his cat, who buries his head into Dan's chest and purrs, he's unaware that his tears are making it pour buckets of rain outside.

***

"Dan, check out this little mandrake!" Phil says excitedly in herbology, causing Dan to just scowl in response.

Dan personally doesn't feel too affectionate towards the ugly, stumpy, gnarled trees. They are only young, but squeal in an unpleasant way while they attempt to repot them. Dan's own is still squealing from the new pot, so Dan throws a handful of soil at it - just to try and shut the stupid plant up.

"It's so cute," Phil says fondly, gently scooping soil beside the mandrake in the new pot.

The plant is the only one not squealing, instead, its grotesque features manage to look content under Phil's care. Professor Sprout, the herbology teacher, smiles and pats the back of her star student.

"Look here class! Look how happy his mandrake is," she beams, giving Phil the thumbs up and shooting a scornful look at Dan before walking away.

"Those things are so stupid," Dan grumbles as they walk out of the greenhouse, brushing soil from his robes.

"They're actually a vital ingredient in restorative potions, which the school needs right now," Phil says, smiling widely, "plants are amazing, especially magic ones."

"Magical plants are all out to kill you," Dan mumbles under his breath as they head towards the great hall for lunch.

"So, what have you got after lunch?" Phil asks as they take a seat at the Hufflepuff table.

Dan tries to ignore the cautious and hateful glances he receives as he reaches for a bread roll. Dan takes a bite, chewing slowly before he answers Phil's question.

"Charms, how about you?" Dan asks, focusing his eyes on Phil instead of the people around them.

"I have history of magic," Phil says with a grumble, "bloody ravenclaws."

"Oi!" Liam, one of their friends, says, hitting Phil playfully on the head as he walks by, "I take offence."

A proud Ravenclaw, Liam also likes to study alongside Dan and pick his brain for tips and knowledge - he's an excellent study partner and also popular with girls around the school, with his bright blue eyes and dark features.

"That was the plan!" Phil calls after him as he walks towards the end of the ravenclaw table.

"Dan? What's wrong?" Phil asks, a worried look on his face as he sees his friend clutching his goblet of juice so tightly he's managing to suffocate an inanimate object.

"N-nothing," Dan replies, shaking his head to clear his thoughts, "seriously, nothing to worry about."

"That doesn't make me not worried about you," Phil says before looking around distractedly after he feels a drop of water hit the material of his shirt.

Phil then looks up to see a grey, gloomy cloud has drifted over the on-edge boy beside him. Phil sighs deeply as rain begins to pour from the cloud, soaking Dan and his robes to the bone almost instantly. Phil rolls his eyes at the over-dramatic slytherin and stands up, reaching out and grabbing Dan's left arm and tugging him out of the great hall - the cloud following behind.

"Dan, stop it," Phil says once they get out of the hall and into a more quiet corridor, "you always make it rain when you're sad Mr Dramatic, so what's wrong?"

"Sorry," Dan mumbles, making the cloud vanish, however he cannot be bothered to dry himself yet, "I just... I don't... I hate how I'm being treated."

"Dan," Phil says sadly, putting an arm around his soaking shoulder, "I promise you, this will all be over soon. I know that everyone isn't being very nice or the least bit understanding - but I know you're not a bad person Dan, when this is all over, everyone will realise that too."

"How do you always know what to say?" Dan asks quietly, looking down sadly at his intertwined fingers; fidgeting nervously.

"I don't half the time, I just say the truth. And usually, it's the truth that people want to hear anyway," Phil says with a shrug and a smile at his friend, before cheekily adding, "and it's nice to finally be able to know and do something you can't."

"Oh Phil, herbology extraordinaire, wise advice giver and overall senpai of Hufflepuff," Dan says dramatically, faking an adoring look, "how blessed I am to be in your presence. And shut up, I can do everything."

"Shut up before I transfigure you into your true form, a trash can," Phil threatens.

"Oh Phil, I'd like to see you try."

***

hope you enjoyed :)