By the time Kurt arrived to The Great hall for lunch, there were only a few people scattered on their tables, gentle chatter echoing from the walls of the space.

"Hey, what took you so long?" Santana asked him when he sat down next to her, her mouth pretty much stuffed with food.

"Attractive, 'Tana." He chuckled, grabbing different foods from the table and putting them on his plate.

They sat there in silence for a while, Kurt taking his time with spreading butter on the pieces of bread on his plate. He could feel a smile tug on his lips constantly, and he had to practically press them together in order not to look like an absolute idiot smiling at his bread, but if Santana's amused expression was anything to go by, he had failed horribly at that particular task.

"Oh, I get it. You met with Mr. Goody two shoes."

The boy looked up at her piercingly, raising his eyebrows. He could play this game forever if he wanted to, though with a friend like Santana, who felt obligated to know every little detail about everyone’s life she cared about, it was challenging - to say the least.

"Okay, don’t look at me like that, like this has nothing to do with me. Hells yes it has. You're my best friend, and I will be your maid of honor when you two get hitched. Therefore anything and everything leading up to that moment is my business."

Kurt wasn't sure if he should protest or not, but fairly quickly coming to the realization that it really wouldn't be worth it. Not with Santana, anyway.

"Yeah, sure." He said and bit his tongue only to get something else to think about than scenarios of his wedding with a person he’d actually really known for about a week. Pining over a wizard from the rivaling house for years doesn’t equal knowing them, no matter what he’d previously convinced himself.

“Past the state of denial, huh? I want details, Hummel.”

“Details? Of what?”

Santana groaned, tossing the closest fruit – a pear, at him.

Unfazed by the gesture, like getting hit by fruits wasn’t anything he hadn’t gotten used to, Kurt picked the pear up from his lap and placed it back on the table.

Only now Santana’s eyes were drawn to the Hufflepuff colored scarf lying next to him on the bench. Her eyes widened and her mouth effortlessly turned into a smirk as she grabbed the piece of clothing and held it up in front of her. “How about details of how you have this with you? About time you moved onto the kinky ish with mi-“

Kurt slapped her arm, too mortified to actually say anything.

Santana’s flaming dark hazel eyes were intent on him, her eyebrow quirked in what he’d learned was her patented spill the tea look.

“He gave that to me. Do you know how cold it’s out? And how you kicked me to the curb without getting clothes appropriate for that? Well, as the gentlema-“ Kurt ducked his head and cleared his throat. “Uh, Hufflepuff that he happens to be, he insisted on giving me that.”

Santana pouted and put the scarf back where it had been. “You’re so boring.”

“I’d be happy if I were you. The wedding you were just planning a minute ago wouldn’t exactly be realistic if I had frozen to death without that scarf.”

“I guess you do have a point there, Hummel.”

Thankfully at this point in time and into their friendship, he had gotten used to feeling like he was dealing with a five year old whenever he talked with Santana, so this was nothing new.

“We’re friends.” He said after a while, the perfectly simple sentiment making his insides feel like they’d inherited an entire zooful of wild butterflies.

Santana turned his way and to his utter surprise, squeezed his hand, her features nothing but kind. “I’m actually really glad to hear that.” She said, smiling lightly.

Smiling back at her he slowly started realizing how impossibly frustrating it must have been for her to look at his ridiculous crush from close and not be able to do anything about it, yet knowing how it feels, and why. Brittany, Santana’s girlfriend, was a Ravenclaw, and she had gone through probably exactly what Kurt was now. That’s what it was, he realized - That’s why she was so involved with this, so intent on knowing absolutely everything. She wasn’t just after gossip. Surprisingly enough she hardly ever was, but especially not now. She wanted to know every little detail about his and Blaine’s friendship, because she wanted to find all the signs for it having the possibility of revolving into something that she and Brittany now were.
Kurt instantly felt so stupid for not immediately realizing this, but before he could bring it up, Santana was standing up and taking him with her.

“Wh-“ Kurt tried to protest, startled, barely being able to hop over the bench in time for her to tuck at his hand, almost sending him face forward to the stone floor.

That was until he spotted Sebastian walking into the room and wasted no time speeding up along with Santana.

Only the boy had already noticed them, and was walking towards them like some kind of predator towards their prey. “Hey, Hummel. Lopez.”

Santana exhaled loudly, rolling her eyes. “Can’t you even try to not sound like the most unbearable teacher for once in your life, Smythe?”

Sebastian just laughed, shaking his head and to their devastation, not the stupid, permanent smirk off of his face. “Calm down, Satan. I’ve got no business talking to you.” He said, turning to look at Kurt, who squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed his temples, starting to gain a headache from only knowing that he was going to have to have a conversation with Sebastian now.

“What is it?” He asked with a sigh, pulling his best resting bitch-face just in hopes of shaking the boy quicker that way.

The Slytherin looked him in the eyes for about five seconds – five seconds too long, before finally opening his mouth. “I just wanted to inform you that you don’t need to keep up any act. It’s fine.”

Kurt raised his brows, not at all surprised that he yet again could not understand Sebastian. Maybe it was a good sign that he was above him and so much so that it was almost like they spoke two different languages, often having difficulties in communication. “What does that mean, exactly?”

“It means that you don’t have to pretend to care about that Hufflepuff Anderson and how his leg is doing, or whatever. It’s cool what you did, trying to help the team, but what you’re doing now is taking it too far and certainly not helping the team. Soon enough they’ll think we actually care about someone other than ourselves.” Sebastian exclaimed, making Kurt feel equal parts horrified that he had picked up something and amused that the quidditch captain nothing but confessed to being a selfish prick.

When he didn’t speak quickly enough, Sebastian continued; “So, I would appreciate it if you didn’t hang with him. Pretending to be nice is exhausting and it sucks, and I want you in the best condition you can be for the next game.”

Kurt swallowed, ready to come back at him, but before he could he felt Santana’s arm wrapping around his. “No. Seriously not worth it. Let’s just go.”

He looked at her and he looked at Sebastian, weighing his choices. Not much of a competition there. He nodded quickly and let himself be walked away by Santana.

“Are we clear now?” Sebastian asked behind them, and clearly that was the last straw for Santana and her patience. She pulled her wand out of her knee-high, black boots and pointed it at him.

“Avis”, she muttered, causing a flock of birds fly towards and freak out on Sebastian – Not enough to hurt him in any way, but just enough to scare him and send him walking away as quickly as possible, listing every curse-word in existence as he went.

Kurt quietly admired this act of Santana’s, not really saying anything until they were in the Slytherin hallway. “That was amazing.” He chuckled, bumping their shoulders together, causing her to grin proudly in response.

They could only thank their lucky stars that Sebastian was in the same house as them, because otherwise her little outburst could’ve got her into a whole lot of hours spent at principle Sylvester’s office.

“Kurt?”

He turned around in a heartbeat, surprised and almost overjoyed to hear that particular voice.

“Blaine?”

The Hufflepuff was approaching him with his arms securely crossed against his chest and face as serious as ever, no sign of a smile to be seen.

“Is something wrong?” Kurt asked immediately, gesturing Santana to go into the common room. He walked closer to Blaine, who was biting the inside of his cheek clearly just to maintain the behavior that was expected from his house and not burst out yelling or something equally as Hufflepuff-unlike.

“Is it true what Sebastian told me? That you actually cursed me to fall off of my broom that day I injured my knee?” His voice was small and quiet, eyes pooling with sad golden specks of gold.

He’d finally heard about it. He had heard the rumor. The very, very untrue rumor that Kurt was so afraid he’d hear and not doubt it one bit because of the colors he so proudly wore.
Blaine’s words instantly made him feel sick to his stomach, unable to think quite straight. He felt like he’d been cursed with Slugulus Eructo like he’d been on his very first week at Hogwarts.

With wide eyes, his mouth gaping slightly open in shock, he shook his head weakly. “No. Why would I ever do something like that?” His voice was shaking and he felt so weak he wasn’t sure his feet were going to support him for much longer.

The Hufflepuff let out a very bitter sounding laugh and shrugged. “I don’t know. Because we’re on rivaling Quidditch teams? Because you’ve barely ever talked to me before? Because you don’t know me?” And sure enough; “Because you’re Slytherin?” Blaine’s eyes grew sadder and sadder as he spoke. Was he losing a friend here? Was Kurt ever really even his friend? They’d really known each other for a week - could friendship be defined in such a short amount of time? Even if the answer to that was yes, he wouldn’t be losing a new found friend. He would be losing a long, long term crush and someone who on the course of a week had made him feel happier than he could remember last being.

Kurt inhaled shakily, finding himself shaking his head again. He wasn’t surprised at all that Blaine would make that assumption of him; that because he was Slytherin his genes were to go around hurting people. That wasn't too far from the truth, after all, but it wasn't the case here - never with Blaine. He was completely devastated.

“I- I really can’t defend myself here, can I?” He ended up asking.

“Did you hurt me on purpose?” Blaine pressed, no anger to be heard in his voice. He was either hiding it very well or he had such good manners that he couldn't get himself to yell at him.

Kurt dared to take one more step towards the other boy, but couldn’t muster up the courage to touch him. He looked him in the eyes instead, determined to show him that this situation was unnecessary and caused by a misunderstanding, even though he could feel the lump just growing and growing in his throat. “I didn’t, and I never would. Not you.” He said, so honest and so genuine he flinched at his words a bit himself.

It would be incredibly naïve to think that nothing wouldn’t come out of it, Rachel’s words flashed through Blaine’s mind. He looked around, biting his lip, visibly incredibly torn and confused.

“Not me?” He asked, voice barely above a whisper now.

It was either now or never, Kurt decided, grabbing Blaine’s hand. “I have hurt and probably will continue purposefully and unintentionally hurting people around me. However, I would never hurt someone who I’ve wanted to know better for years, someone I’ve wanted to get to know despite tradition and years and years of history being against it. Unintentionally – Well, that’s a thing I can’t promise, but on purpose? Never.” Kurt said breathlessly.

Blaine gasped almost inaudibly, sadness and doubt immediately leaving his golden eyes. Maybe he was being incredibly stupid, but every part of him believed what Kurt said. He could feel his hand tingling under Kurt’s, and he almost felt like he had to actually tear his eyes away from their hands in order to look him in the eyes.

“Are you saying-“

“I’ve had a crush on you since the very beginning of year four, Blaine, and I feel so stupid I’m only telling you now.”

Blaine had absolutely no idea what to say. There was so much he needed to say and so little that his brain would coherently produce in that moment, but then Kurt was leaning towards him and he didn’t need to say anything. Their lips met and the both of them were blinded by fireworks. The one of Blaine’s hands that wasn’t now gripping Kurt’s found its way to his neck and Kurt’s to Blaine’s waist. The kiss was sweet and simple but packed with so much emotion that by the time they parted the Hufflepuff was throwing his arms around the slightly taller boy.

You and that boy are meant to be. Like, soulmate level meant to be.

Blaine exhaled, deep and shaky, before leaning back enough to look Kurt in the eyes. “That’s what I need to say to you, too, actually. But you might’ve already gotten that.” He laughed, feeling almost lightweight.

“Yeah, I did get that.” He grinned, not being able to take his eyes off of the Hufflepuff’s ever so blinding smile.