"What about this one?"

Blaine stumbled through the cracked doorway for the seventh year boys Hufflepuff dormitory. Elliott and Mike rolled their eyes while the other four boys groaned and threw things at him again. Blaine ducked the first Quaffle and then a badly aimed spell, and hurried over to the space between Mike and Elliotts beds, his arms draped with different sweaters and bow ties.

"You look adorable no matter what," Elliott said as he sat up.

Mike grunted and yanked his curtains open. "Does this really have to happen in here at six in the morning? Its Saturday. I gave us the day off from Quidditch practice to sleep for Hogsmeade. Not for the Blaine Anderson bow tie fashion bonanza. Go back to sleep."

"But Im meeting my—well, my dates in Hogsmeade with him today and—" Blaine turned to Elliott and held up his arms covered with bow ties and sweaters. "I want to look perfect. But I was going to wear yellow and then I thought Id wear something green since hes in Slytherin, you know? But then I didnt think they looked right together, so I kept my green jeans on and now—"

Elliott nodded and patted the edge of his bed until Blaine sat. "You look cute no matter what you wear if the rumor mill is anything to go by. Besides, its chilly out. Youll have your cloak over whatever you wear."

Blaine frowned as Elliott began pulling bow ties off his arms and examining them. "Not once were inside somewhere. Were meeting at, um, Madame Puddifoots. The place with the poof chairs and all the cute hearts on the windows."

"So no red then." Elliott yanked anything red off his arms and set them aside. "No pink either. You dont want to blend into the shop."

Blaine nodded as the pile on the bed grew and Mike buried his head under his pillows.

"Here, this sweater will work," Elliott said. He pulled a bright yellow cardigan from Blaines forearm and held it up to his jeans. "Add a little blue or red to your tie—oh, like this one! There. Perfect."

"I, um, still need a shirt underneath," Blaine said. He gestured to his bare chest, but stood up and let Elliott march him from the room. "Will you—"

"Primary colors," Elliott said. "Were going to make you look like a bold collage of all the house colors."

They entered Blaines dormitory to more groans and sleepy grunts.

"No, take him back!"

"Yeah, hes been up since dawn we dont want to hear any more about bow ties!"

Wes and David each threw shoes at them and then dived back under their blankets. Sam gave a squawk as one landed on his stomach.

"Bludgers! Why did you let them loose in the dormitory, dude? Ugh!"

Sam rolled over and went back to sleep.

Elliott opened Blaines wardrobe and shifted through it until he found a suitable shirt. Blaine put it on, then his bow tie and cardigan. His mirror gave a low whistle when he stepped in front of it.

"Youre marvelous, kid. Go knock his socks off."

Blaine flushed as Elliott laughed. "Thanks. Im… thanks."

An hour later, once the rest of the boys were awake, Blaine headed down to breakfast with his scarf, gloves, and cloak. He ran a hand over his neatly styled hair and glanced at the plate of food Sam was knocking against his elbow.

"Eat something."

"What if I puke it up all over him?"

Dani smiled and pierced a tomato on his fork. "Eat, Blaine. Youre much better off with this food than anything at Puddifoots. If youre both smart, youll switch to the Three Broomsticks for some butterbeer."

"Well, we just…wanted somewhere quieter." Blaine let her stuff the tomato into his mouth and swallowed. "The Three Broomsticks is so crowded and hes still worried about… his friends."

Elliott frowned as he ate. "They dont sound like good friends to me. If they were theyd be happy for him instead of making him so scared he cant even tell you his name."

Blaine nodded a little and began to eat a piece of toast. Hed thought the same thing for weeks now, but hadnt mentioned it after their first group of letters. As he ate he scanned the Slytherin table and wondered. Which boy was it from his list? Three of them were single as far as he knew, but only one of them was present. Dave Karofsky looked well dressed and much more nervous than he usually did.

Blaine swallowed. What if it was him? How was he going to connect the sweet boy from those letters to the same boy who had bullied him for his first three years here? Maybe Dave had changed, maybe he was better now, but those memories would always be there. Blaine shoved his plate away before hed finished half of it.

"Blaine, you need to—"

"I think Im going to be sick." He made to stand but changed his mind, his legs straddling the bench. "I cant do this. Hes probably—Merlin, what if hes someone whos awful to me? Or someone I dont—not that it matters how he looks, but…"

"Hey, relax. Deep breaths." Dani gave him a hug and took him by the hands. "Come on. Well all walk you to the shop and wait for him."

"No, he doesnt—hes so scared of us being seen. I cant have a bunch of people with me or hell be scared off."

Sam shrugged. "Were still walking you there, whether you like it or not. Come on. Lets get there early."

Blaine, Sam, Dani, and Elliott headed into the entrance hall. A small queue of students, mostly third years, had already lined up to have their names checked off on Figgins long list. Mike and Tina joined them as they waited.

"Oh, I cant wait for your date, Blainey." Tina leaned over and gave him a tight hug and fixed his scarf. "Lets see what youre wearing under your cloak. Oh, thats so cute! You look great!"

"Thanks." Blaine adjusted his bow tie and stuffed his hands into his cloak pockets. "I, um, Im supposed to meet him at ten. Outside the shop."

They reached the open door of the entrance hall and checked out, then began their long walk down the drive through the winged boar gates and into the village. Blaine couldnt focus on his friends chatter as they walked, he could barely keep his feet from tripping as he scanned the other students milling down to Hogsmeade. Most of them were young, but a group of Slytherins in their year were several paces ahead. Blaine recognized Sebastian, Rachel, and Santana among them, but Kurt Hummel wasnt there.

His heart plummeted a little. He kept hoping it was him. Longing for something that he kept trying to remind himself was never going to happen. After Kurts successful Quidditch tryout they hadnt spoken more than twice, and not for more than a few seconds.

As they turned down the side road in the village towards Madame Puddifoots, Blaine watched the Slytherins turn off for the Shrieking Shack and spotted Dave Karofsky lingering a few shops away, apparently examining a collection of quills in the window.

It was him. Why else would he have followed them here? He fit the description Blaine had as well and he had so many reasons to be too afraid to introduce himself to Blaine.

"I guess well head back to the Three Broomsticks," Dani said. "Melissas going to meet me there."

Sam nodded. "Ive got to meet Quinn at the joke shop. Shes going to help me pick something out for my brothers birthday."

Everyone gave him hugs as they departed until he was standing outside of the shop alone, his scarf tight around his neck as the wind howled down the road, and his pocket watch tight in his fist.

Three more minutes.

Blaine glanced at Dave Karofsky still lingering a few shops down and then sighed in relief when he actually entered instead of heading his way. Not him then. Unless he was so nervous he had to go into another shop before he approached him. Blaine hoped that wasnt the case, even if it was a little endearing.

Blaine swallowed and shut his eyes. If it was Dave, theyd talk. It would be okay no matter who showed up because the boy who had been writing him was sweet and worth the effort, as long as he gave the same effort in return.

"Psst. Pssst!"

Blaine opened his eyes and scanned the road. Nobody in sight. He glanced back into the shop to see if his mystery boy was waving him inside, but the only people he saw was a couple of fourth years suctioned together at the mouth.

"Over—Im just—"

A puddle splashed a few feet away and then a warm, invisible hand brushed his shoulder. Blaine yelped and hit his head on a floating, glowing heart just outside the doorway.

"Sorry! Im—I mean," the person cleared their throat and suddenly the squeaky, breathless voice was deep and gruff. "Sorry, I didnt mean to scare you. Being invisible does that though, so I should have…"

"Who are you? Are you my—"

"I, um, Ive been writing the letters. A-about the amber of your eye and how ridiculous your brother is, and Im…hi."

Blaine looked all around him and frowned. This was not part of the plan. "Can you, like, take the cloak off? Or spell? Is it a Disillusionment Spell? So we can, like, both see each other?"

"Um, yeah, yeah, just—" The voice slipped into a higher octave again, and Blaine frowned. This person sounded like a girl, but he stopped himself there. Maybe this boy was transgender or something, maybe he wasnt even on Blaines list because Blaine hadnt realized. But the voice almost sounded familiar when it slipped, like hed heard it before. It made his stomach leap like hed swallowed a Chocolate Frog whole.

"Ill take it off, I promise, I just wanted us to get away from here so we can actually, like, see each other and talk. Before we go in, okay? So we dont make a scene if you hate me or something. I-is that okay?"

The same warm hand from before reached out and tentatively squeezed his. Blaine squeezed back, his chest pounding at the sensation. This boy was holding his hand. For the first time, he was truly real and at his side, invisible or not.

"Right, yeah, okay."

They were two steps away from the shop when another voice reached his ears.

"Hey, look! Andersons so desperate hes waiting to steal someone elses date."

Blaine turned to find the group of Slytherins hed spotted earlier heading towards him. Almost immediately the warm hand holding his was pulled free.

"No, wait, dont—"

"Ah, look. Hes even talking to invisible people." Santana grinned at him as the group of Slytherins stopped in front of him. Rachel Berry, Jesse St. James, Sebastian Smythe, and Santana Lopez. At least that ruled out a few other possibilities.

"Im not—well, I am but—"

Sebastian grinned slyly at him. "Unless youre waiting for me, Anderson. I wouldnt say no to a few hours flush with your perky ass."

Blaines face burned, but he kept his eyes peeled for any sign of his mystery boys invisible footsteps leading him away. The ground looked the same though.

"Im not interested in you, okay? Im—just leave me alone. I-Im waiting for someone."

"Someone wants to date you?"

Blaine tucked his hands into his armpits and went back to standing at the shop door. He kept watching while the Slytherins teased him, but no footprints appeared in the puddles or mud. For five minutes, they stood there and taunted him.

"Nobody wants to date you," Santana said with an air of finality. "I bet you stand here all day by yourself and nobody shows up."

"Yeah, nobody wants to waste time with a dorky Hufflepuff in some stupid bow tie. You look like a toddler."

Rachel and Santana grinned at each other as Sebastian stretched. Jesse laughed and wrapped an arm around Rachels shoulders.

"Come on. Lets get going already," Jesse said. "Andersons boring."

"Yeah, thats why hes being stood up."

Laughing, the Slytherins turned and headed back down the road and into the main stretch of village out of sight. Blaine watched them until they disappeared and then scanned the muddy stretch of road around Madame Puddifoots.

"Hello? Are you still here? Theyre gone now."

Silence.

Blaine bit his lip.

"Hello?"

He took a few laps around the street, his arms outstretched, feeling for that same hand from ten minutes ago. But he ran into nobody and no voice answered his calls. Blaine returned to the front of the shop and took a seat on a little bench to wait.

His mystery boy would come back. Hed just run off when his house-mates had been there, and considering how theyd just treated Blaine he didnt blame him. They were cruel and this boy had to live with them despite being so kind and sweet.

Blaine checked his bow tie and his sweater, adjusting a button here and a fold of fabric there. His boy would come back. Of course he would. Hed shown up, invisible or not, and that had to mean he was as hopeful as Blaine was.

"I bet you stand here all day by yourself and nobody shows up."

He shook himself and sniffled. That wasnt true. Someone had shown up and yet…

Blaine sat for an hour, and then another, until his cheeks were numb from the chilly wind and his bow tie was undone and folded in his lap.

"Blaine?"

His head shot up, his heart thudding with hope at the high and bright voice calling his name. Dani was at his side, her girlfriend a few paces back with Elliott.

"He, um…" Blaine wiped his nose on his cloak and twisted his bow tie in his hands. "He showed up."

"Well, that… thats good, right?" Elliotts hand gripped Blaines shoulder.

Blaine flinched and pulled away. Only a few hours ago, the boy hed been dying to meet in person had done the same.

"He—we—a bunch of Slytherins showed up and scared him off. He h-had an invisibility cloak on and as soon as he saw them he r-ran off. Didnt come back."

"Oh, Blaine."

Dani sat down to hug him but Blaine stood up and wiped his nose and eyes again.

"Can we just go back to the castle?"

Dani, Elliott and Melissa exchanged a look before nodding and following him up the sloping drive to the entrance hall. Blaine didnt talk for the walk or dinner or once they were back in the common room. His hand felt weird, some odd mixture of cold and numb and warm that he couldnt explain.

How could he have left him standing there looking so stupid?

"Blaine, do you want to talk about—"

"Im going to bed." Blaine stood up and brushed off Sams hands. "Ive got a lot of essays to write tomorrow after practice. Night."

"Blaine, if you need—"

He hurried up the stairs and shut the door of his dormitory before Elliott could finish. The room was empty, not even an owl in sight. Blaine slid down against the door and let himself cry for a few minutes, let the rip in his chest ease the new ache filling it.

Stood up. Hed been stood up. Sort of. He couldnt blame his mystery boy for running away from them, but at the same time he was furious at him. Instead of revealing himself and standing at Blaines side, hed run off and left him to deal with them on his own. He hadnt even hung around to watch or to come back once they were gone.

Blaine wiped his eyes and cleared his throat. A few minutes of tears, that was all this boy was going to get from him. He stood and unhooked his cloak, draped it over his trunk and began to undo his sweater. As he set his bow tie on his bed, he saw a roll of parchment between the yellow and black blankets, just peeking out from his unmade bed. Hed been too nervous to make it this morning.

A hoot from the window ledge startled him. Blaine looked over and found an unfamiliar barn owl waiting for him. It hooted dolefully and bobbed its head toward the bed.

"A-are you delivering this to me?"

The barn owl hooted once more. It wasnt a school owl that he could tell. No collar or markings to indicate it was school-owned. And almost immediately, Blaine realized the note on his bed was from the same boy who had just run away from him, who had survived one moment of boldness just to run away and leave him on his own the next.

He sat and picked it up, examined the same curly green scrawl with his name across the front.

The barn owl fluttered over and nudged his hand with its head. Something was familiar about him, like hed seen him with his owner before, but right now Blaine couldnt place it.

"I suppose youre his owl then, are you?"

"Hoot! Ho-hoot!" The barn owl rubbed its head under Blaines chin and nipped his nose.

"Ouch, okay okay! Ill open it. But Im still mad at him. He left me standing there like an idiot, okay? Peck his nose off for me."

Another hoot, harsher and louder. Blaine took that as agreement. The barn owl rubbed its head against his chin again and Blaine sighed. At least this boys owl was sweet, even if his owner was a jerk. He unrolled the scroll of parchment and read:

Blaine, Im so sorry. It wasnt my intention to leave you standing there, and Im sure youre furious. You probably hate me, but I still hope you dont. I cant apologize enough for it. I guess I wasnt ready, not with my house-mates showing up so suddenly like they did.

If you dont want to write anymore Ill understand. Ill understand if you dont respond and you hate me as well.

But if you dont… or if you truly want to meet me, Ill be waiting in the dungeons at midnight. The boys bathroom down the first corridor from the entrance hall. Ill understand if you dont show up after today, but I hope youll give me this last chance to meet. I want to meet face to face, I truly do. Im just…a coward. Im open about my sexuality, but losing all of my friends and being ridiculed constantly by the entire school…I dont think I can do that.

Im sorry. Ill be waiting for an hour if you want to meet with me.

Sincerely,

Your Admirer

Blaine only read the note once before he crumbled it up. He wasnt going to meet him. Not tonight. Not after the day hed had and certainly not at the risk of being stood up or caught by someone. He was a perfect. It was his job to uphold the rules, not break them for someone who ran away from him.

"Im not going," he told the owl on his lap. A shrill, angry hoot. "No, tell him not to bother. Im not breaking my heart twice in the same day for a boy without a name."

Another hoot, sad and dejected this time. The owl nudged his chin with its head and pressed into him as if it was trying to cuddle. Blaine let it, laid back on his pillows and let this boys owl rub against his chin until it gave up and flew out of the window.

The dormitory door opened a few minutes later.

"Blaine? You okay, man?"

Sam peered into the room and frowned when he saw him stretched out on the bed with tears running down his face.

"Aw, buddy, its—"

"I just want to be left alone, Sam." Blaine rolled away from him and shut his bed curtains. "Maybe tomorrow. But right now…"

"Okay. If you need anything…"

Sam shut the door and Blaine was alone.