Eager Stars (Mari/Seiji)

[Seiji Taira]

Seiji stood alone near the gates of Hogwarts, a messenger bag slung over his shoulder and a large book tucked into his arms. A red flower with five red, heart-shaped petals sprung from the pocket of the plain white dress shirt he wore with plain black trousers and shoes. He was more than a little nervous, and now and then he'd open the book to glance at a picture he'd stuck to the inside cover. It was of a tall boy with green eyes and light hair standing beside a lake.

The school had agreed to take him in, and so he would be a sixth year and a Gryffindor. He felt brave. He'd done something he might never be forgiven for, but he was already happier than he'd been in months. His blood raced with excitement, with nerves, and for once, he didn't know what the future held.

[Marius Reed]

For once, Mari wasn't joined at the elbow to Castiel as he walked out of the castle and across the grounds. His jeans were fitted and his dark shirt was splashed with some character from some anime or another, he'd barely paid attention when pulling it on, more interested in making sure his hair stuck up in all the right places and the little splash of makeup he wore was just right.

"Seiji!" he called, excited, when he was near enough to the gates to see the guy. His already fast walking turned into something more of a skipping jog and he smiled brightly when he finally came to rest beside Seiji. "Hey! I can't believe you're here."

[Seiji Taira]

Seiji's face lit up, and though a hundred kinds of heat sprung up in his face and his stomach, he mirrored Mari's smile with one of his own. "I can't believe it either," he said. "I have your pictures, and the flower you gave me." He gently touched the blossom as he'd done several times on the way. It was a talisman of sorts.

He fought an inner battle with himself over whether he should look at Mari, and how he should look at Mari. He'd given in to dreams, but this was real, he was awake, and he didn't know how far he could let himself go all at once.

[Marius Reed]

"I've got this with me," Mari said, pulling the gifted handkerchief from his pocket. "I've been keeping it with me. Your flower's by my bed with the box you sent, it still looks just the same, it's cool." He really liked that Seiji had his own flower and the pictures, it made his heart soar a little more than he would admit. "I'm glad you liked the stuff I sent." Unable to stop himself, he bounced a little on the balls of his feet in excitement.

[Seiji Taira]

This was something Seiji had nearly convinced himself he'd made up. Mari had been so cheerful that night, so energetic and happy about everything in the world, and that had drawn Seiji in. He'd been able to see it again in the pictures, which he'd never shown his father. In fact, he'd taken Hogwarts: A History with him when he'd left.

"I'm sorry I missed the festival," he said. He was quiet a moment, then gave a little laugh. "I don't know what to say!"

[Marius Reed]

Mari laughed, too, then turned, gesturing for Seiji to follow him through the gate. "How'd it happen? I mean, you just said you were gonna be here! What made your dad say yeah?" Even if he'd felt a little bad or awkward asking Castiel not to come with him to meet Seiji, he was glad they were getting the opportunity to be alone for a bit. This was a great surprise.

[Seiji Taira]

"He didn't," Seiji admitted. "I ran away! I should probably feel guilty, but I don't. I didn't want to be there, and I didn't want the future they planned for me, so I took the one I wanted. I'm going to do what I want now." He was more than a little scared, but the excitement made up for it.

[Marius Reed]

Mari's eyes widened and his jaw dropped as he looked over at Seiji. "Oh my God, no way!" He laughed at the thought before looking at Seiji again, who seemed to be completely serious. "I can't believe you did that, was the future they had planned really that bad?" he asked. "Or...did you just like me that much?" he offered as an alternative answer, a tease in his voice and a smile on his lips. How had Seiji managed to get all the way to Hogwarts?

[Seiji Taira]

Seiji looked quickly away, face heating. Maybe both, but he couldn't bring himself to say that. "I don't want to spend my life at home, no matter how beautiful it is. I don't want to marry and have a son and live the same life my father did, and his father. There's too much to see."

[Marius Reed]

Mari debated a moment, then stretched over to give Seiji a quick kiss on the cheek. "I don't blame you. I mean, who wants to have kids? But, like, my parents never gave me some super harsh you have to do this list," he said, thinking back on what his parents had told him. He definitely couldn't remember ever being told something like that.

[Seiji Taira]

Seiji couldn't come up with words to say after even that brief kiss. It was a reminder, proof that he hadn't imagined things, proof that he wasn't the only one. He hadn't forgotten what had happened in that dark English garden, but it had begun to fade into dreams.

[Marius Reed]

"So, do you know what house you're in and stuff?" Mari asked, unaware of any discomfort or uncertainty that may have been coming from Seiji. He still couldn't believe that his Asian dream had come true and he was walking next to a nice and adorable Japanese guy who had actually run away in order to attend Hogwarts.

[Seiji Taira]

"Gryffindor," Seiji answered. "The book says that Gryffindors are brave, so it sounds like a good place to be." If his father had given Hogwarts a chance, the man might have chosen Ravenclaw as the best of the houses, but Seiji was happy.

[Marius Reed]

"I'm a Gryffindor!" Mari said. "We're supposed to be brave and daring and have chivalry." He liked his house, he liked it even better now that Indigo was gone, not that he'd been thinking about Indigo very much, anyway. "And our animal's a lion, which is cool." It was so much better than a snake or a badger thing, though he supposed the bird for Ravenclaw wasn't too bad.