Summary: It's final exam season at Hogwarts and anxieties are high but for Dan, he's got more than memorized spells and potion methods on his mind...
Word Count: 3400
Snow had fallen overnight and by the morning, it was like a white carpet had settled over the Hogwarts grounds. Dan liked to go out into the courtyard early in the morning on days like this, and sometimes Phil would sneak out of his own dorm to join him. Unfortunately, he was on his own this time, sitting on a collapsed segment of wall, letting light snow fall onto his dark brown curls.
Phil was undoubtedly awake at this hour, cramming for their charms exam later that morning, and though Dan should probably be doing the same, he'd just had enough of the incantations and wand movements. He wanted this whole exam season to be over despite the fact that it had only just started.
The sun was starting to rise over the castle walls; it was time to go back, but there was something so comforting about being alone, his footprints the only things visible in the otherwise untouched snow.
"Hey, Dan" Dan turned around so quickly his red scarf slipped from his shoulders, swaying freely in the winter breeze. Standing in front of him was none other than Phil, hands buried deep in his pockets, his own yellow scarf wrapped tightly around his neck. He had a little quiff on his head, like he always did in the mornings, and usually he'd straighten it into a fringe over his right eye, but as of late, he'd taken to just leaving it as it was, sometimes putting a little gel in it to make it stay. Dan liked it; it made him look more confident. Confident and pretty.
Dan smiled at his best friend, beckoning him to sit next to him; breakfast could wait, he thought, as he focussed on the Whomping Willow in the distance, its branches without any leaves, but still remarkably beautiful with snow covering it with icicles hanging and glinting in the sunlight.
"Nervous?" Dan broke the silence, nudging Phil's shoulder with his own gently.
"Very," he sighed, his breath a small cloud in the cold air, "but I know there's nothing more I can do."
"Too much optimism this early in the morning," Dan grumbled, though he secretly loved how Phil could find the positive in even the darkest of situations. He might dare to say it had started rubbing off on him a little bit. Phil gave a small smile, "but seriously, you're really good at all this nerd stuff, you'll be fine."
"Gee, thanks." Phil laughed quietly, though it seemed obvious that his mind was still focussed on the grade that may or may not decide his future.
"I feel like you're not appreciating my advice." Dan huffed, albeit playfully, watching Phil's features carefully; it wasn't like he was scared Phil would explode, he was just acutely aware of the fact that he may be prone to becoming irritable, but Phil just laughed.
"That's not advice! You're just repeating the same things everyone else is," he stood up, brushing the snow from his robes and holding out his hand for Dan, "I'm not very hungry, but I'm sure it'll do us good to try and eat something."
Dan took his hand without a second thought, allowing himself to be led towards the castle again, their feet crunching softly into the snow with every step.
*
The Great hall was as extravagant as ever, the four long tables filled with every breakfast food you could think of. Above every table was a house crest on a flag, but no one paid attention to where they were traditionally supposed to sit anymore. Ever since the school had reopened after the Battle of Hogwarts, Proffesor McGonagall had encouraged the students to form inter-house friendships. It was something the students took for granted now.
Dan and Phil settled at the Gryffindor table where their friends Chris (a Hufflepuff) and PJ (a Ravenclaw) were sat, already helping themselves to stacks of pancakes and waffles.
"I'm so ready to fail." Chris said happily, mouth still full of food. Phil tensed besides Dan, who squeezed his hand under the table; it was a small gesture, but hopefully enough to calm Phil's nerves a little. He really didn't need this negative energy around him right now.
"Close your mouth while eating." PJ said from behind his newspaper, sounding quite indifferent. Dan had his suspicions that something was going on between PJ and Chris, in fact, he'd thought it for quite a while, except nothing had been proven. Nothing had been disproven, either.
"Phil, have some toast," Dan said suddenly, having noticed that Phil hadn't gone to get any food himself. Phil just sighed, accepting the piece Dan offered to him, proceeding to nibble at it nervously. Truth be told, Dan wasn't as worried about this whole ordeal as he probably should have been, but maybe that was a good thing? It put him in a better position to support Phil through it.
"Okay let's get this over with." Phil stood up just as the morning bell rang, it's sound seeming to bounce off every stone in the wall. Dan couldn't leave, though, until he'd given Phil a big hug; he wasn't really a huggy person, but just like most things, that changed when he was with his best friend. Phil relaxed in his arms, wrapping his own around Dan's neck like it was a secret exchange of comforting words and encouragement. They pulled apart too soon to line up outside the Great Hall.
*
"What the fuck was that?" Chris complained, walking down the steps with his arms crossed, Dan, Phil and PJ in close suit.
"You didn't do that bad." PJ tried to reason, though his voice was quiet and filled with uncertainty.
"My rock decided to crash through the ceiling, Peej. That's not the proper way to do the alohamora charm," Chris sighed, "I guess I'm going back to my dorm to revise. Bye." The boys said goodbye to him as he went back inside, towards the Hufflepuff common room.
PJ mumbled something about going after him, and before long it was just Dan and Phil sitting in the same place they had sat earlier this morning, though the snow was well trampled on by this point.
"I feel bad for finding it easy now," Phil said, staring dreamily at the grey sky.
"I told you you'd be fine." Dan smirked despite himself, earning a light punch on the shoulder.
The two boys sat in a comfortable silence, ignoring the background chatter of fellow students to listen to the birds in the nearby tree. Dan stole sideways glances at Phil, and though he'd definitely noticed it before, he realised just how attractive he was. Maybe it was the change of hair, but Dan had always thought he was pretty before. His eyes were a bright blue, they could stare at you and you just wouldn't be able to look away. And his lips... They were soft, and Dan couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to touch them, to kiss them.
"Dan," Phil said, tugging him out of his thoughts once more, "thank you."
"What for?"
"For looking after me," he blushed, "I mean, keeping me calm this morning. It really did help." Dan smiled, deciding it was okay to lean into him and hug him from the side. Sure enough, Phil reciprocated, letting his own arm fall over Dan's shoulders. It was like they were one person, joined at the hip, heartbeats in sync.
"Shall we go inside?" Dan asked finally, taking Phil's hand and helping him up, not letting go the whole way to the Gryffindor common room.
*
They stepped through the Fat Lady portrait into the common room, empty, but cozy with the fire crackling against the North wall. They sat together on a single armchair, squished up because they were comfortable with the contact; they had done this ever since they started school here, so why stop that tradition now? Sure, it was a bit of a squeeze, but they would cuddle together in an attempt to save space, or maybe they just wanted to cuddle.
Of course, over the years, Dan did find it to become less innocent; he actually enjoyed this close contact with Phil far more than he let on, but he was too awkward to do anything about these feelings. Phil was his best friend, what if he didn't want anything more than friendship?
"Hey Dan?"
"Mhhmm?"
"You can stop staring at me now." He giggled at Dan's blush.
"I'm sorry, you're just, uh, very pretty" he blurted out without a second thought, his face becoming redder once he realised what he had said.
"I'm pretty?" Phil asked curiously, nudging further into Dan's arms and smiling brightly.
Dan just nodded, his head falling subconsciously to Phil's shoulder.
"That's good, because I think you're pretty, too." Dan lifted his head, his heart beating faster than ever before; they had never exchanged words like this before, but Dan liked it.
Dan was hyper aware of the fact that their faces were closer than ever, and just as he went to close the distance, so did Phil, their lips colliding. Phil's lips were just as soft as Dan imagined, maybe even more so. He lost himself somewhere along the way, letting Phil control the kiss but it ended far too soon, Phil pulling away with a smile on his face.
There was no awkwardness in the air at all, in fact, it felt perfect, like it was meant to happen.
Students started trickling into the room now that their lessons were over for the day, some glancing in the boy's direction. They were used to it, but this time, it was thrilling, like they were hiding a deep secret.
"Shall we go out for a bit?" Dan asked finally; it had occurred to him that maybe the only reason he suggested coming here in the first place was that they could be alone. Phil nodded, offering his hand as usual, except this time the gesture was far more intimate.
They walked through the corridors in silence, until they reached the lake outside. It wasn't quite cold enough for the lake to be frozen over, but the grass surrounding it certainly was, but they didn't care, sitting on the ground without hesitation. They would have regretted it instantly if they didn't cuddle into each other for warmth; it may not have been a lot, but it was enough. Being together was enough.
"So you think I'm pretty, too?" Dan grinned, staring at Phil affectionately.
"Did I not make that clear enough?" Phil smiled, capturing Dan's lips in another kiss, this one every bit as sweet as the first, maybe with a hint more passion. Phil pulled Dan into his lap for extra closeness, their chests pinned together. Lust took charge, their mouths moving together, and Dan couldn't think of anywhere he'd rather be than with Phil.
They only resurfaced every couple of minutes for breath, and somehow, they ended up laying on the ground, legs intertwined as they kissed until they eventually stopped, Dan laying lazily on top of Phil.
"I didn't know it was possible to be this happy during exam season." Dan sighed contently, Phil's chest under him shaking with light laughter of agreement.
They didn't know how long they had laid there, but it was starting to get dark; people were sure to notice if they didn't turn up for dinner.
"Do we have to go?" Dan sat up, straddling Phil's hips with a hint of sadness in his eyes. He didn't wait for a response before leaning down and kissing Phil gently on the lips and pushing himself up, yet again holding his hand out to help Phil up.
*
"Where have you two been?" PJ asked, looking up from his meal. Chris was sat next to him, looking especially down, but upon spotting the new arrivals, a mischievous smirk appeared in place of his frown.
Dan and Phil's faces vere very red, but that could've been blamed on the cold outside, so without further explanation, they took their seats, a plate of spaghetti appearing in front of them.
"How you feeling, Chris?" Phil asked quietly, so as not to bring too much attention to their group; that was the last thing Chris needed. He just sighed, taking a bite of food.
"Honestly? Not that great. I guess the other exams will go better, though." He didn't sound too sure of himself, but Phil didn't press any further, simply taking Dan's hand under the table, out of sight.
The rest of dinner was pretty uneventful, and Dan stood up to go back to his dorm a good ten minutes before he usually would.
"Want to come with me?" He whispered into Phil's ear, who smiled, walking with him back to the Gryffindor tower. Everyone else was still in the Great hall meaning the area was empty, so the moment the portrait closed behind them, Dan crashed his lips against Phil's, as if he'd been waiting for this moment all through dinner. Phil flipped them so Dan was the one pinned up against the wall, letting out beautifully quiet moans, something Phil never thought he'd be lucky enough to hear.
"Can we go to my bed?" Dan said breathlessly, grabbing Phil's hand and leading him to the boy's dormitory. There were four other boys supposed to be coming up later to go to bed, but luckily for them, every bed had four posters with curtains that could be drawn for privacy.
Phil had been up here several times before, but for more innocent reasons, like on Christmas, they'd insist on opening their presents together, or sometimes they'd have study sessions. This time, Phil had pushed him down onto the mattress, kissing him roughly and holding his arms above his head. Dan was painfully aware of how hard he was already, and Phil must have noticed, for a moment later, he'd moved onto Dan's neck, sucking and biting while his hand glided up and down Dan's clothed upper thigh.
"Wait!" Dan whispered, pushing Phil off gently, who watched him curiously.
"People are going to start coming in soon," he explained, "I don't want to stop, though, so I have an idea."
Dan drew all the curtains and sat back down again opposite Phil, retrieving his wand from his robes, clearing his throat before casting the 'muffilato' charm.
"Now no one can hear us. They'll just assume I'm asleep."
"You're so smart, baby." Phil praised, kissing him softly again, only this time, slipping the robes away from both of their bodies. Phil had never appreciated how many layers the school uniform had until now, when he wanted to get rid of them as quickly as possible.
He attached himself to Dan's jaw as they unbuttoned each other's shirts.
"Leave our shirts on." Dan whimpered from under him.
"Hot." Phil laughed quietly, his hands now moving to Dan's trousers, sliding them down his legs and throwing them to the ground; they'd sort that out later.
"You have any lube?" Phil asked, kissing Dan's jaw again.
"We're fucking wizards," Dan moaned, "surely there's a spell for that?" Phil laughed; he knew quite a few charms, but he was almost positive there wasn't one for that, so he shook his head, taking off his own trousers and reconnecting their lips once more. Dan hooked his arms around Phil's neck, pulling him closer until there was no possible way to get even more so.
"We'll find a way," Phil replied, nuzzling himself further into Dan's neck as he slid his boxers down. He could barely keep his hands steady he was so riled up; this morning, he'd have never thought anything like this would happen.
Dan was laid out beneath him, his bottom half completely exposed, a crumpled white school shirt splayed about his torso. Dan himself was being very much submissive, accepting ever kiss and every hickey Phil gave to him, but he was ready for more.
"Phillll!" He whined, spreading his legs apart, eyes scrunched shut, hyper aware of every touch Phil left on his skin. His fingers trailed down Dan's stomach to his waist, to his inner thighs, where he was the most sensitive.
"Hold on, I need to stretch you," Phil reasoned, slicking his fingers up with his own saliva as Dan watched on, amused, "what else did you expect me to do, you spoon?"
Phil took in the other boy's slim frame, his beautiful brown curls surrounding his head like a dark halo before pushing his first digit in. Dan winced a little, the intrusion very strange, but he was sure it would get better. He'd never done this before, which you'd assume, as he was still pretty young, so it was a new experience for him.
"Tell me if you want to stop." Phil leaned over to kiss him passionately on the lips as he added more fingers, stretching Dan out. Phil didn't realize how deep he must have been going until Dan let out a loud whine, pushing himself down onto Phil's digits trying to chase the high he was craving. He pulled his fingers out, lining his dick up with Dan's hole, wondering if the protego charm could work as a condom, but decided against it; he'd rather not inadvertently castrate himself.
"You ready?" Phil asked, eyes glazing over Dan, who nodded furiously, begging silently, though Phil wanted this to be perfect. He wanted to take his time.
He pushed in slowly, Dan wincing a little probably because they had neither lube nor condom.
"Sorry, should I stop?" He asked anxiously, kissing Dan's smooth shoulder gently, but he shook his head, staying silent for a moment until he was used to the sensation.
"Carry on" Dan said quietly, his arms now around Phil's neck, pulling him closer and further into him. All rational thought seemed to drift away from Dan as his senses heightened, letting him appreciate every touch, however slight, and every groan Phil made; it was like music to his ears.
Their hips rolled together, and nothing had ever felt so right, so perfect. Dan already felt himself getting close, but he wanted this to last as long as it could, if not forever. He let out loud moans and whines, grabbing tightly onto Phil's shoulders, his legs wrapped around Phil's torso, too, to receive more friction on his prostate, and god, it worked. It was everything Dan would have hoped for from an encounter like this and more.
"Kiss me." He breathed, and Phil complied, locking their lips together lovingly as he thrusted, though it wasn't a rough kiss, it was soft and full of affection. Dan decided he definitely liked these kisses better, even in the heat of the moment; they made him feel loved.
"Dan, I'm close." Phil grunted, his movements becoming jerkier as he neared the edge. Dan didn't say anything, simply moving his hands to Phil's hair to tug lightly until he felt warm liquid spill into him accompanied by Phil's prolonged moan mixed together with Dan's name.
Not too long later, as Phil rode out his high, Dan finally let himself go, this climax far louder than Phil's as he spilled onto his chest, falling limp against the sheets again.
Everything was hot and smelled of sex, but Dan didn't care as Phil pulled out and layed next to him, wrapping him up in his arms, not bothering to go under the covers. Phil reached for his wand up on the pillow, waving it without saying a word and not a moment later, they were both clean from the mess they had made.
"That was great, Phil." Dan sighed, content, though great was certainly an understatement. Phil laughed quietly, snuggling further into Dan's neck.
"Yeah, it was."
Dan had never felt so happy in his life, never so comfortable with another person. He could truly imagine spending the rest of his life with him; he couldn't see himself with anyone else.
"Is it too early to say I love you?" Dan asked groggily; he would never ask that in full consciousness, but it just felt right at that moment.
"I think the timing's just right, actually," Phil smiled, kissing him fully on the lips, "I love you, too."
Maybe this exam season wouldn't be so stressful after all.