It was only a matter of hours before Blaine contacted Kurt again. The morning after his Hogsmeade visit Blaine sent a letter asking him to coffee at some point over the weekend since he would apparently be at his parents house anyway. Kurt immediately sent a letter back agreeing to it. On Saturday they met at the Lima Bean, which coincidentally happened to be one of Blaines usual haunts during the summers. This yet again brought up the question of why they hadnt met before. They stayed there for a few hours enjoying one anothers company and drinking coffee. Blaine even got to meet Sam who apparently went to the Lima Bean on Saturdays for their amazing chocolate chip cookies.

Before they parted Blaine gave Kurt the second half to a matched set of mirrors, which would allow them to talk to each other instantly. It was yet another example of how convenient magic was, and who was Kurt kidding before? Living without magic at that point would be like severing off a limb.

"I was thinking that by-"

Rachel Berry was on yet another well rehearsed tangent. This time it was over how entrusting the majority of solos to one person or perhaps a single pair would benefit the group dynamic by adding stability to the New Directions as a whole. Kurt figured if he let her speak her bit she would leave. It wasnt working.

By this time on a normal day he would have told her off or retreated into the boys bathroom (as Finn often did), but this morning he was in an unusually good mood. To preserve that mood he probably ought to have gotten away from Rachel. He weighed the pros vs the cons of hurting her feelings as he fiddled with his locker. For some reason he couldnt get it to open. He tried shifting his books in his arms to use both hands, but that didnt work so he handed them off to Rachel. She didnt give much notice and grabbed them while continuing her rant.

His problem turned out to be a little hairpin lodged in the keyhole on the bottom of the lock. His eyes widened as scenario after scenario flooded his brain. Knowing McKinley, it was probably filled with dirt.

"Rachel, could you open my locker for me?"

She deserves this. He tried to convince himself as he shut his eyes, waiting for impact.

"Ooh!" She squealed.

Kurt opened his eyes expecting Rachel to be covered in something. Instead she was pointing at the inside of the door. His eyes followed her finger. Finding what she was looking at, his mouth dropped and his head tilted to one side. Hanging on the locker door was the word courage made out of letters torn from Vogue, and above it was a wooden picture frame. The most shocking part of it all was in the frame - a photograph of Blaine Anderson decked out in his Hogwarts robes and grinning adorably... and then posing with a ridiculous come hither expression.

That picture was no ordinary picture. It was a magically enchanted, soaked in potion, wizard photograph and Rachel Muggle Berry was reaching for it. Kurt tried to intercept her, he really did, but Rachel was too quick.

"Who is this?" She asked, mistaking his distress for embarrassment.

"No one!" He answered a little too quickly.

"Doesnt look like no one to me." She chimed. The way she was holding it so close to her face and intently starting at it was like it would say, Hi, Im Blaine Anderson and begin spouting of his life story. Then again, it was magical... Oh God! What it if did?

Kurt made another desperate swipe for it. No such luck.

Would she buy if he said it was electronic?

Maybe if he lied she would stop looking at it! No. She would know if he was lying. Honestly, by now it was pointless, she shouldve noticed the photo moving. He settled for a half truth.

"His name Blaine. Puck sent me to spy on the Warblers. I met him there at Dalton."

"Oh my God, Kurt! Its just like Romeo and Juliet!" Rachels face suddenly turned serious. "From a place of caring and experience, what with the Jesse debacle I would advise against a relationship with our rival."

"What? Rachel hes not in the gl - Warblers..." Technically that wasnt a lie. He really didnt need to have to explain where Blaine was when Rachel inevitably stalked the Warblers. Hopefully she wouldnt try to find Blaine at Dalton.

"Still is he gay?"

Is this girl for real? Does she not see the giant elephant in the room?

"Your sexuality?" A Cheerios uniform and tan skin passed by in Kurts peripheral vision.

Kurt glared at Santana...

He backtracked, "Wait, did I say that out loud?"

It didnt matter, Rachel wasnt even paying attention. "Hes gorgeous. Though that blazer does leave much to be desired. I mean blue and red? Who put decided those two colors went well together? Is he model?"

Red and blue? Those certainly werent the colors of any house at Hogwarts. Maybe because she was a muggle -

Oh, he was an idiot.

"If you havent tapped that yet then, yeah, you are."

And suddenly Santana was ogling too.

"Didnt you just-"

"Britt wasnt at her locker so I figured Id see what Man-hands found so interesting." Santana shrugged. "Also Puckerman said you went to spy on gay pep school last week. Spill."

Gryffindors boots, he never went to spy on the Warblers because he went to Hogwarts instead.

"Th-they were good."

"Is that it? God, you are the worst spy ever!" Santana rolled her eyes and stormed off.

Kurt smiled thinking of Wes and David saying the exact same thing, albeit much more pleasantly.

"I totally forgot!" Rachel exclaimed, suddenly realizing the reason Kurt supposedly met his new friend. "I totally understand why you wouldnt want to tell her, but I guess shell find out anyway when you present to the glee club."

Kurt groaned.

Right, glee.

Thankfully, Mr. Sure saved him in glee. As soon as Rachel brought the Warblers topic back up, Puck ushered Kurt up to the front of the room to tell everything what he saw. Before he had the chance to find an excuse, Mr. Shue walked in and reprimanded them for spying.

None of this would have been that big of a deal if he didnt live with Finn and Rachel wasnt such a blabber mouth. He couldve told everyone that he lied and never went to spy, and possibly gained points with Mr. Shue, but then Finn would ask why he was so late coming home twice if he wasnt in Westerville. Finn was probably the worst alibi ever. It wasnt that he wasnt a decent liar or a snitch, but he didnt know that he was supposed to be covering for Kurt and Kurt couldnt tell him what he needed covering for anyway. That being the way it was, Finn had already let his cover story slip once and Kurt had to admit to Burt that he was spying on another glee club, which was still not a complete lie. Yes, he and his dad were much closer and he wasnt afraid to be honest with him, but Burt would skin him alive for running off to Scotland twice without telling anyone.

Besides, he had already told Rachel about Blaine. In the short time since shed known she had alread told the other girls all about him meeting a boy at Dalton Academy in Westerville.

He was digging himself in a deeper hole everyday, but with being apart of a secret underground race of magical beings and a former closet case, he was used to dealing in secret and keeping up with lie after lie. It was sad, but it had to be that way. Which was why he couldnt wait to get out of Ohio and move into New York where he wouldnt be shunned for his sexuality and where he might even meet more witches and wizards like himself. Oh how he envied Blaine and the rest of the Phoenixes for having the opportunity to attend a real school with others like themselves.

Once rehearsal was through Kurt rushed out to his car before anyone could corner him. He realized that avoiding the others until sectionals was impossible, but he had a safety net in that the New Directions were incapable of focusing on one thing at a time due to their constant flow of drama.

So now he was sitting in his room with the door locked so that Finn couldnt try to barge in.

Tony wasnt coming in until the next day so he had the afternoon off. That was Tonys code for he should independently study. Instead he was pathetically daydreaming about Blaine, not for the first time either.

At first he had been mad at Blaine for scaring him and making him think that he put a magical photograph in his locker for all the muggle world to see, luckily Kurt came to the realization that Blaine wasnt that reckless and had probably changed the photo. Now he thought it was really sweet and awfully romantic, and yeah, maybe he had a small crush on the boy.

He was so lost in thought that he almost didnt notice his two-way mirror glowing on the bedside table. The only reason he even saw it was because its bright glow painted the white walls an electric blue.

Kurt immediately jumped off his bed, nearly tripping in the process, and hastened to grab the magical device and his wand. After he had them he sat back down on the bed and briefly checked over himself in the mirror, making sure his hair was perfectly coiffed and there were no food crumbs or anything on his face.

Hopefully the mirrors were more like Skype rather than a phone call that went to voicemail after a certain amount of time. He mentally filed that under questions to ask Blaine.

Settling himself on the bed he thought back to how to work the thing.

"When you have an... incoming call," Blaines lips twitched upwards at his own cheekiness. "The glass will glow blue then you just tap it with your wand - like so - and voilà!" And sure enough, Blaines smiling face had appeared in Kurts own mirror.

Kurt tapped the following glass with his wand as Blaine had and just like then -

Blaines smiling face appeared and he chirped, "Hi!"

Kurt rested back against a headboard and propped his mirror against one knee. From that angle Kurt could only see Blaines torso and not much of his surroundings. He grinned. "So youll never guess what happened this morning."

"What?"

"I discovered a very sweet, albeit misguided, hooligan broke into my locker and left this," He held up the picture on his phone he had taken off his locker door.

Blaine beamed. "No worries muggles cant see it, all they see is some prep school boy clad in a red and blue blazer seducing the camera. "

"I figured you put some charm on it, though I feared it might be raunchy. Seducing the camera, almost makes me wish I were a muggle." Fearing the last comment may have been too bold, he steered the conversation back somewhere less flirty, "Red and blue blazer? I hope youre kidding."

"Yes I was, I wasnt really seducing the camera thats just natural, however the blazer doesnt look as bad as it sounds. I should warn you that its only a glamour spell done by a fifth year Gryffindor whos not very good at charms." A faint blush appeared on his cheeks. "So I would probably take it down before the spell wears off."

"Then its a good thing I am excellent at charms." Kurt said. "So tell me, how did you even get into my locker let alone the school?"

Blaine grinned mysteriously. "A magician never reveals his secrets."

"Touché. Now tell me before the suspense kills me."

"Well..."

Duh-na Duh-na Dun-na BLAINE - SPY!

A black hooded figure appeared seemingly out of nowhere in front of William McKinley High School. It swiftly made a beeline toward the side door where it pulled a long slender object to pick the lock out of its pocket. This however proved unnecessary, for when the person placed a hand on the door it swung open easily.

Duh-na Duh-na Dun-na BLAINE - SPY!

"Wait, the door just opened?"

"Yeah, there wasnt even a lock."

"Weird..."

...

Three adults stood in various states of shock in front a newly, and still wet, graffitied wall.

"I dont get it. How did a student even get in here last night?" Asked Mr. Shue.

"Something tells me it wasnt a student." Mrs. Pillsbury said turning back to the giant painting of Sue Sylvester in a fur coat, wielding a septor.

"The school board decreed that teachers can no longer have keys to the main buildings." Mr. Shue said in confusion.

"William your lack of imagination astounds me." Sue appeared with Becky in tow. "Like taking candy from a baby. Ever since the school board slashed the budget they had to forego the installment of new locks in order to pay for my new canon." Sue patted him on the shoulder roughly and walked away.

"Sue!" Figgins cried to heavens.

...

Blaine shrugged.

"Anyway you were saying?"

Duh-na Duh-na Dun-na BLAINE - SPY!

The figure jumped back in fright and fell. It quickly picked itself up and cautiously approached the entrance. He laughed merrily when he noticed the door hadnt even had a lock.

"Muggles."

The figure made its way along rows upon rows of lockers until he found the one he was searching. It was probably the most beat up locker in the whole school. There were several dents, scratches, and profanities scribbled across the exterior. The mysterious man pulled his lock-picker and let it work its magic. The lock clicked and the door was swung open.

Duh-na Duh-na Dun-na BLAINE - SPY!

"That would explain the bobby pin." Kurt muttered to himself. "A muggle trick. Care to explain that one?"

"Alohamora doesnt work on most of the locks here anymore." Blaines eyes were wide and his eyebrows comically raised. "When you have friends as crazy as mine you have to get creative."

There was a story in there that Kurt needed to hear. Before he could ask there was an explosive noise from Blaines end. The only indication Blaine gave that he had even noticed was his shoulders tensing and the imperceptible twitch of his right eye.

"What was that? Where are you?"

Kurt heard a muffled voice he recognized as Wes call, "Not in the dorms!", then a door opening and slamming shut.

"Oh, thats just Jeff being stupid." Somebody in the room cried Oi! but they were ignored. "This," Blaine stood up and angled the mirror so that Kurt could see the rest of the room. "Is my dorm. Welcome to Gryffindor tower. Ta-da."

From Kurts rather small perspective he could tell that the room was certainly spacious. There were five beds in a circle around the edge of the room. On the bed right next to Blaines, Jeff was lounging in his Hogwarts robes, his hair ruffled and clothes slightly singed.

"Hi Jeff." Kurt greeted.

Jeff looked up and waved, a cheesy smile present on his face.

Blaine turned the mirror around onto himself and sat back down on his bed.

"Are you two roommates?"

"No Jeff just likes to hang out in here sometimes and listen to others conversations." Blaine sent him a pointed look over the mirror.

Another round of loud noises sounded off.

"See! It couldnt have been me. Me and my stupidity are in here thank you very much." Jeff said.

Blaine rolled his eyes. "Well I should probably go and keep our Head Boy from going to Azkaban."

"What did you do?" Kurt unceremoniously greeted the following Monday.

It was nearly five p.m. and he was still at the school because glee rehearsal ran late. Mr. Shue had just released them, and then he stopped by his locker when Blaine had called him via the mirrors. His mirror had been cleverly slipped into a case so that it appeared to be a tablet or a kindle, and only the janitor and a few teachers were still at the school, so he was safe. It was only minimally risky of him to have answered anywhere other than his bedroom now.

On the mirrors surface Blaines easy smile slipped into a confused frown.

Kurt glanced over his shoulder, then sat the mirror down in his locker. "All day, every time I opened my locker Santana kept smirking and saying wanky! Then the local hobo Patches was randomly there smiling at me and it was creepy! Like, how did he even get in the school?" Blaine shivered. "I felt violated Blaine, violated!"

Kurt heard snickering in the background followed by Blaine calling, "Jeff what did you do?"

Blaine suddenly pounced off of the bed and a fuming Kurt was left staring at the Gryffindor fifth year boys ceiling

"How do I fix this?" Kurt was grateful that he didnt ask why he didnt just get rid of the photo - if he had though, Kurt was prepared with a permanent sticking charm excuse. Hell if he would tell the truth.

"Ill show you the spell." Blaine instructed Kurt to get his wand as he did the same. Again, Kurt glanced around. He pulled the locker door closer creating a barrier and angled himself so that if anyone did pass by they wouldnt see anything, before pulling his wand out. Tony and his dad would skin him alive if they found out about this. Blaine then started explaining the simple spell to Kurt. He had performed similar spells, so he got the concept down easily enough.

"How do I know it changes properly?"

"The spell is like internet settings, you can... view it before you save changes."

Kurt nodded, impressed. "How are you so tech savvy?

"Its a gift. Honestly though, I love Hogwarts but I miss my baby." Blaine said, staring at Kurts iPhone longingly.

"Okay done!" He proclaimed proudly.

Blaine reluctantly peeled his eyes away from the device and smiled at Kurt. "See? Just get a better lock."

Behind Blaine Kurt saw a flash of bleach blonde hair tiptoe past.

"Jeff! I know youre there. Im coming for you." Kurt heard a squeak followed by quick footsteps and a door slam.

"Did he get the message?"

"Crystal."

Kurt slammed his locker shut then walked out toward the parking lot, occasionally glancing around to make sure he wasnt being followed. "Ill have to call you back after I drive home."

"Ill be waiting!"

Kurt tapped the glass with his wand and its surface transformed back into an ordinary mirror. After he got to his car he left the school and finally headed home for the day. Back at home he contacted Blaine. Their mirrors instantly connected and Blaine appeared.

Very little could be seen from the perspective of the small mirror, but a spacious room full of an odd assortment of chairs as well as a roaring fire could be seen behind Blaine rather than the usual headboard and partial wall backdrop. Wherever Blaine was at it was also noisier. Not by much, but just enough to suggest they werent alone.

Blaine fell into one of the plush armchairs and got comfortable. "So I was thinking that you should come up here this weekend. I know this great coffee place, and since I went to Ohio last weekend..."

"And the truth comes out." Kurt pretended to sigh. "You dont have to blackmail me, you know. I love Hogsmeade, and you can tell the guys I cant wait to see them."

In the background a chorus of Awws rang out. Blaine grinned sheepishly and turned the mirror around. In front of Blaine a big group of Phoenixes in their pajamas were squeezed onto a small couch, all waving and smiling. Kurt recognized Nick, an annoyed Wes stuck under Jeff, and a pair of Olivers.

"No youre not seeing double," One of the Olivers said.

"Just bear in mind, Im the better one!" Said the other. Kurt was sure that was the one he had met - the actual Oliver.

Blaine turned the mirror back to himself. "Should I come get you or-"

"I know my way. Ill meet you in the Hogs Head."

"Excellent."

"Kurt!" Several excited voices cried upon his appearance in the Hogs Heads grimy fireplace. He stepped out of the tiny space and into the dimly lit bar, brushing soot from his clothing. He grinned at the three Gryffindor boys he had met on his last visit and then began searching for Blaine. The Gryffindor was no where to be found. Kurt looked at Jeff, Nick, and Oliver, who were watching him with broad grins.

"Wheres Blaine?" He asked. "He was supposed to meet me here."

Nick patted him on the back as a way of greeting. "He was running late, so we offered to come get you. Were meeting some friends at the Three Broomsticks"

"Oh, alright." Kurt said, a little disappointed. "Lead the way."

Kurt followed Nick out the door and the other two in line behind them. Kurt pulled his jacket tighter around himself as a blast of chilly air hit him. This time he was much more prepared for the lower temperature and had worn warmer clothes than he would back in Lima. Fall seemed to have skipped over this part of the world, or at least passed by, as winter was already beginning to set in.

"Who all are we meeting?"

"Er, Blaine, David, Wes, Liam, Trent," Jeff ticked each person off on his fingers. "And I think thats all."

Kurt thought back to his few visits. "I dont think Ive met Trent or Liam." He said, trying to place the names to faces hed seen.

Oliver shook his head. "No. They werent there last time."

"Theyre both fellow Phoenixes, and Liam is Olivers twin brother." Nick explained.

Nick pushed open the door to the Three Broomsticks and allowed the others to go in before him. Warmth spread from Kurts toes all the way to the rest of his body and painted his cheeks rosy. The atmosphere of this pub was much of the same as he remembered it being. Unlike the Hogs Head it was warm and friendly, bursting with all types of people that didnt include so many suspicious characters. It was also a lot less dingy and the air wasnt so stale. With Oliver at the head they traveled past numerous groups of young people clad in black robes and striped scarves until they came upon a table where four boys were talking. Kurt instantly recognized the two boys facing them as Wes and David. When they saw the group they waved. The other two boys, presumably Trent and Liam, had their backs to them. One of them (a round-faced boy Kurt noted) turned to see who Wes and David were waving at. The blonde beside him continued speaking loudly and making wild hand gestures.

Nick walked up behind the blonde and placed his hands on either side of his shoulders, nearly getting smacked in the process. "No ones going to believe that, Liam." He said.

"Rubbish. You havent a clue what were talking about either."

"Presumably the same thing youve been talking about all week." Nick retorted.

"My spirit animal is the almighty owl, I hear all things." Jeff said in a booming voice, mispronouncing owl as ole.

"Dear Liam, we could hear you across the pub." Oliver chuckled. He stopped mid-laugh when Jeff tried to take the seat next to Liam. As Oliver shoved Jeff away Liam stuck his foot out, tripping Jeff. The result was Jeff falling into Nick, who barely managed to catch him under the arms before he hit the floor. Kurt glanced around, surprised to find no one paying them any attention.

"Oy! I get to sit by Liam." Oliver triumphantly sat down beside Liam and high-fived him.

"Twin privileges." Liam added unapologetically.

"You must be the infamous Kurt." The round-faced boy said to Kurt.

Kurt having been overlooked up until then jumped at being directly acknowledged. Everyone at the table was watching him. To his embarrassment he realized that he was the only one still standing. He quickly sat down in the nearest open chair which was luckily beside Jeff, someone he sort of knew.

"Yes, thats me. And you are - Trent?" He deduced.

The boy smiled. "In the flesh."

Suddenly Nick cupped his hands around his mouth and called, "You certainly took your time, Blaine!"

Before Kurt had the chance to turn around Blaine had sped over and dropped into the chair to Kurts left at the head of the table. Blaine shrugged his peacoat off and unfurled a burgundy scarf from his neck.

"Wheres the robes today Blainey?" Asked Jeff.

Blaine looked at the other occupants of the table excluding Kurt and noticed that they were all wearing their Hogwarts robes. "Now that its cold, everyone suddenly starts wearing robes." Blaine rolled his eyes.

"Theyre warm."

"So what have I missed?"

"Well weve ordered drinks and properly frightened Kurt." Trent said, lacking no amount of sass. "So we can mark that off that checklist."

"Ha-ha, very amusing." Blaine really didnt appear amused. He glanced at Kurt, seeming to assess his mental wellbeing. He then turned on Jeff. "What have you gotten up to now?"

"Liam tripped me. Now its uncertain whether Ill ever walk again." Jeff said very seriously.

"Pity, Ive missed the circus." Said Blaine.

David stood up abruptly. "I have to go." He muttered, then walked off.

Kurt, not living with the boys or even knowing them all that well, didnt pick up on the strangeness of the moment, but did note everyones sudden discomfort, particularly Blaines.

Wes frowned, standing as well. "I better go too. My apologies." Before he left he smiled at Kurt and said, "It was nice seeing you again, Kurt."

Oliver and Liam simultaneously turned their heads to watch him go until he was out the door completely. "Now that those fuddy-duddies are out of here - what were you two really up to last week when you couldnt make it?" Oliver asked Trent and Liam, effectively clearing the tension.

"We honestly were in the library working on homework."

"A most regrettable decision." Liam hung his head, as though theyd done something terrible.

"Yeah, we heard that Blaine brought along a new friend." Trent addressed Kurt, "So, those three were the first ones you met?" He said, motioning to Nick, Jeff, and Oliver. "God bless you."

"Well, actually it was Wes and David." Kurt corrected.

Trent swooned even more. "You are a saint."

The boys rolled their eyes.

"Tell us exactly how you managed to sneak into Hogwarts. Spare us no details."

"We never did get to hear the full version." Jeff added.

Kurt was taken aback. The way Blaine was grinning and the others were watching him so hopefully was all the encouragement he needed. Over the next fifteen minutes he told them all about his floo journey to Scotland. The story wouldnt have taken but five minutes had everyone not interrupted so often, but he didnt mind. It wasnt like how the other members of the New Directions interrupted and talked over each other, because unlike them it was clear the boys were listening. While the Hogwarts boys were a boisterous and energetic bunch, they were an excellent audience.

Kurts story led to Trent and Jeff telling everyone about the time they got stuck in the room of requirement, during which everyone ordered a round of butterbeers; Kurt was becoming quite fond of the delicious drink. They continued to talk and tell stories until Kurt sorrowfully informed them that he had to leave. Like all of the other times Blaine alone walked him to his fireplace where they said their farewells.

Over the course of the next few weeks Kurt and Blaine took advantage of the floo network and it became quite common for the two to flit between Ohio and Scotland.

Whenever Kurt would floo over they spent much of their time in Hogsmeade and rarely ventured onto the Hogwarts grounds so as not to get into trouble. There Blaine introduced him to most of his friends, including the rest of the Phoenixes. The third time Kurt traveled to Hogsmeade he got to see even more of the old town than just the Three Broomsticks and the Hogs Head. The first few times he hadnt given much thought to the other inhabitants of the town but as they went through most of the shops he began to notice the vast number of students there.

"So they just let you come down here whenever?" Kurt had asked in wonder.

"Officially, every weekend third years and above can." Blaine looked uncharacteristically bashful. "But I think they turn a blind eye to anyone smart enough to sneak in whenever."

"But you guys dont do that." Kurt said knowingly.

Blaine looked momentarily uncomfortable, before he composed himself and retorted, "Of course not."

Kurt didnt believe it for a second.

"Blaine!" A younger boy called, running toward them. A blur of sandy hair ducked between Jeff and a Phoenix named Eric, whose arms were outstretched in an attempt to block him, and stopped in front of Kurt and Blaine. The boy stuck his tongue out at Jeff, before beginning at Blaine. "Wotcher, Blaine."

"Hello, Teddy." Blaine greeted. He then turned to Kurt. "Hes older then he looks."

Kurts lips twitched. "Of course."

That first day they never did get around to getting coffee. Instead they explored the town and went into its various shops and sites including: Honeydukes, Spintwitches, Weasleys Wizard Weezes, the Shrieking Shack, Dominic Maestros, and Gladrags Wizardwear (they particularly enjoyed Maestros). Of course they hardly made their way through the entire town in a day, but during these visits Kurt did eventually get to see most of the interesting places. Each time he visited he met more and more people and even made some friends. To name a few, there was Rory Flanagan, a misfortunate but nice fifth year Slytherin boy, as well as Teddy Lupin a second year Gryffindor, and of course all of the Phoenixes.

Just as Kurt met half of Hogwarts, Blaine met a few of the New Directions when he came to Ohio. Lima wasnt nearly as interesting as the places that Blaine showed him, but they still managed to have fun. One night Blaine even agreed to have dinner with Kurt and Mercedes. They had to go to Breadstix, and Mercedes was much more suspicious of Blaines cover story than Brittany who had said a lot of things that made little sense, and Santana who was too busy making Blaine uncomfortable - but all in all dinner didnt go too badly.

Mercedes and Blaine shook hands when they met outside the door and exchanged pleasantries outside the door, and when they were seated Blaine, ever the gentleman, pulled out her chair for her, then slid into the booth side next to Kurt.

Mercedes was the first to start a conversation. "So you go to..." She trailed off.

"Oh, I attend a private school in New England." Blaine lied smoothly.

Even though they had already discussed their cover story on the way to dinner, Kurt was impressed by Blaines acting. Then again, Kurt supposed that just because he went to a magic school didnt meant that he didnt have a pretense to keep up when he was back home in Westerville.

Mercedes eyes widened in surprise. "Wow, thats really far away. How exactly did you two meet?"

Another question that - because it had already been answered countless times - was anticipated.

"I was at the school there - Dalton - visiting some friends when Kurt came spying." He explained, "My parents live in Westerville, I come home every other weekend and on breaks."

"So what are you doing up here on a Thursday?" She asked shrewdly.

Kurt opened his mouth to tell Mercedes off for asking so many questions, but Blaine easily answered, "Our school has a four day school week."

"And you drive all the way up here?"

Blaine looked her in the eye and deadpanned, "Theres a special portal between Westerville and New England." He looked so serious Mercedes didnt even question him and went on to the next topic. Kurt hid his amusement behind his water glass and Blaine winked at him.

The rest of dinner went much more smoothly once Mercedes finally got some tater tots and began a conversation that didnt involve an interrogation.

They played a game to get to know each other better and talked a bit about Vogue before Mercedes got bored and redirected the conversation to sports just to annoy Kurt. Blaine, who as it turned out was a huge football fan, went on about the Buckeyes statistics the previous season and their chances for the upcoming one - he had somehow managed to keep track of his favorite sports team all the way across the world in a place with no cable or internet access.

At the door Blaine and Kurt said goodbye to Mercedes and promised to meet up again, then went to Kurts car.

"So what did you think?" Kurt asked.

"She seemed nice, a little too acute. I feel like she would have been onto me had she not been a little out of it."

"Yeah, tot withdrawals."

Blaine nodded sympathetically.

They sat in amiable silence as the car traveled down the highway. Kurt thought back to how well the evening went and smiled. Mercedes and Blaine really had gotten along well after the initial distrustfulness on Mercedes part wore off. That was more than could be said for when or if Rachel ever met him. Although, Rachels suspicion would arise from her ridiculous hatred for competition she considered spies, rather than because of obvious, but necessary lies. It seemed like everything to do with magic was a huge secret and having to keep up with the lies to protect it was tiresome. Kurt really wished that he could tell Mercedes about magic. It would make things a lot simpler for their friendship if he werent always holding something back. Finn would probably tell him about great power coming with great responsibility, and Rachel Berry would probably say something along the lines of this being the perfect opportunity to use this experience and channel it into his performing.

Kurt snorted at the train of thought, making Blaine quizzically look over from the window.

"Personally, I think all wizards should be actors." Kurt said, breaking the silence. As an afterthought he added, "Being apart of the magical world you really learn to lie."

Blaine laughed. "Thats what my brother said."

"Youll never guess what happened." Blaine said at the same time Kurt said, "I have news!"

They both laughed. Blaine motioned to Kurt, "You first."

"Carole and my dad got engaged today!"

Blaine appeared surprised by the news as well pleased . "Wow, um, congratulations! Tell me about it. When are they getting married? Do they have a date yet?"

"Well it happened this morning at the school actually. Dad proposed to Carole in the classroom where they first met during first period. Do I wish I could have seen the looks on those poor sophomores faces."

Blaine chuckled.

"The wedding is next week on Halloween." Kurt quickly added, "Dont worry. They appointed me to plan it, so absolutely no orange and black." Blaine pretended to be relieved. Kurt rolled his eyes. "I was thinking a fall theme would be appropriate." Kurt took on a wistful expression, momentarily getting lost in wedding plans. When he snapped out of his thoughts and realized he was still talking to Blaine he gave a bashful smile. "Anyway, what was your unbelievable news?"

Blaine looked up in thought. "I think I was going to tell you about the twins getting busted for an illegal cage match."

"I never would have guessed Blaine, really? I may not know Liam and Oliver all that well, but thats still predictable."

"Alright, alright," Blaine rubbed the back of his neck. "Thinking back its not really all that shocking, or as exciting as an engagement."

"Theyre okay though, right? Not locked up somewhere in a dungeon awaiting trial?" Kurt was only half joking after hearing about the cranky caretaker from Blaines friends.

"Theyre probably wishing they were. No, theyre currently in detention with headmistress McGonagall for an indefinite amount of time. Theyre lucky shes letting them off for the Halloween feast. Oh!" Blaine exclaimed, his eyes lighting up. "I was going to tell you about the annual Halloween feast. They decorate the castle and they let us trick-or-treat in Hogsmeade, then afterwards we go to a huge feast. I was going to ask you if you wanted to come with us to Hogsmeade, but I suppose youre busy."

"Oh." Kurt deflated. He tried not to look too disappointed.

Blaine smiled again. "So tell me more about the wedding."

"Well, Ive only got a week to organize it and Im on a budget so it cant be too extravagant. Though I did talk to my tutor and if I play my cards right she might look the other way if I use a little magic. We cant exactly have a full on wizard wedding with muggles present and the bride unaware, and even without it I think I have a few ideas on how to make it magical." Kurt clapped his hands together gleefully.

They began discussing wedding plans, with Blaine making suggestions and Kurt writing down ideas only to cross them out later on. At one point Blaine had to talk him out of feeding the doves glitter. They continued like this until dinnertime for Kurt and curfew for Blaine, and only then said goodnight.

It wasnt until after the wedding and Halloween that Blaine finally got to take Kurt to his favorite coffee shop in Hogsmeade. Winter was really starting to come in at that point and rather than being nippier than usual due to Hogwarts being at a higher elevation than Ohio, it was cold. The students and residents of the town were beginning to break out the scarves and cloaks. Kurt had luckily prepared for the climate and was donning a peacoat, gloves, and a woolen scarf. He was glad for it when he and Blaine stepped out into the winter air. It was certainly coffee weather.

They walked over to High Street and stepped into a small dark shop. The walls were painted different shades of coffee brown making it appear smaller. It was a bit cramped, with various mismatching chairs and tables scattered about, but it wasnt uncomfortable. The smell of coffee and teas and baked goods filled the air making Kurts mouth water.

"Im just surprised the Wizarding World has a coffee shop." Kurt said to Blaine

A blonde barista appeared. "What can I say, Im a half blood with a love for coffee. Anna by the way."

"Kurt Hummel." He shook her hand briefly before she disappeared to tend to another customer.

Blaine led him over to an empty bar at the front of the shop.

"Annas the owner of this place. Shes like the new Madame Rosmerta - the owner of the Three Broomsticks and the most gorgeous woman in all of Hogsmeade," Blaine told him. "That is, until Anna came."

Only meeting the women for a split second Kurt could still tell why. Anna was tall, tan, leggy, and blonde. With a faint Australian accent, she looked like she should be on a beach somewhere playing volleyball.

Anna reappeared and swatted Blaine playfully. "Oh stop it you."

"This is the first magical coffee house Ive been to." Kurt told her.

Anna pulled a nearby stool over and straddled it, propping her elbows on the chair back.

"Id like to say Im the first to try it, but that honor goes to my aunt. Though her idea of coffee was awful." Anna pulled a face. "This place used to actually be called Madame Pudifoots, it was a disgusting sort of place. The romantic kind with kissy-face couples twenty-four seven. During the war my aunt was forced to close down and she never came back. So I took over. Put a modern spin on it, assimilated the worlds, added a touch of Anna, and now Ive got myself a nice business."

Another barista walked over and handed them a pair of coffees. "One medium drip and one nonfat mocha."

Kurt stared at Anna. "How did you know?"

"Im good at reading people."

"Thats amazing."

Anna laughed. "Blaine actually told me beforehand."

"So whats the verdict?" Blaine asked, reminding them of his presence.

Kurt took a sip of his coffee and his eyes widened. "I think Im in love."

Maybe it was the magic but this coffee tasted better than any Starbucks. Kurt guzzled the warm liquid down happily. While Blaine much more civilly drank his, Anna stayed behind and made small talk. Blaine stayed politely quiet to let her and Kurt acquaint themselves.

"I cant imagine how hard it must have been to start a business near such a historic location."

Anna nodded. "Im just lucky my aunt didnt have any family I had to compete with to get it."

Kurt remembered back to what she said about the places previous décor. "If youre serious about the pink hearts and confetti, Im not surprised her kids never wanted it."

"I suppose youd be right if she had any. Never married. I suppose she got some sick pleasure out of watching all the couples." Anna stood up and moved the chair back to its original place. "Well, I should be off. It was good meeting your friend Blaine." She waved goodbye and walked off to help another customer.

Kurt turned back to Blaine who was still patiently waiting, now nursing a second coffee.

"She was interesting, in a good way."

Blaine chuckled. "Thats Anna."

"Gorgeous too."

"All of the boys try to flirt with her. Its a favorite pastime to watch, especially for me, since even Wes cant resist trying."

The thought of the well put together Wes trying to flirt with a grown women clearly out of his league made Kurt smile.

"So I want to hear about your dads wedding, since you refused to divulge anything over Skype." Blaine feigned annoyance, but Kurt knew that he had been happy to wait for the details until they could meet in person.

Kurt happily went on to describe the wedding in full detail. Blaine was the perfect audience, laughing and gasping in all of the right places. At the end Blaine showered him with genuine compliments on his wedding planning abilities. Kurt was very proud of the work he had put into the ceremony so it was nice to be acknowledged like that. Not that everyone who had been present at the wedding hadnt come up to him with praise. Finn in particular had declared that the wedding had been just like magic, to which Kurt had winked at Burt, tipping him off that he had indeed used a few minor enchantments.

It was inevitable really.

Both the school finding out about Karofskys death threats and the subsequent transfer.

While he was wrapped up in wedding plans and magical schools in faraway lands Kurt had managed to ignore it and continue on. Once Burt found out after the wedding though, the ball was set in motion. One day Kurt was enrolled in McKinley and the next he was being pulled out, Burt was fighting the school, Sue was resigning in protest, and Toni had disappeared through the floo network and had yet to return. The day after that an official letter was sent to the Hummels by owl. Over the following two days Kurt went on a mad dash to Bree for magical school supplies and was packing his bags. The next day Kurt was making sure everything was good to go and saying goodbye to his family the morning before his official transfer.

"Are you sure youll be okay at this school?" Burt fussed. "Youll be around strangers and I dont want you to have any problems."

Kurt smiled sadly. "Itll be okay. I already know a few of the guys, and Blaine will be there too."

"Why would Blaine be at Hogwarts?" Burt asked suspiciously.

"He goes there." Kurt said slowly.

"You told me you met him spying on that glee club."

Kurts eyes widened. He was caught and if werent going to be living halfway around the globe for the next seven months he would be grounded. He figured he might as well just tell the truth and relieve himself of one more lie. "I told you I met him when I went to look at another glee club... Finn filled in the blanks. I actually went to Hogwarts and met him there."

"Kurt Elizabeth Hummel!"