Note: I am so very very sorry for what has happened to this story. I never intended to abandon it, or to leave you all hanging for so long, but after my coauthor and I lost contact it became very difficult for me to actually work on this story myself. I still hope to get things together to get this story where it was meant to go, and I thank all of you for your support and loyalty in sticking with this story for so long. This is the last chapter that I have, for now, but should I work on it, I promise I won't let any chapters get lost like this one did for so long.

Blaise scowled, and stepped back to consider his options. Plan A, also known as "poking", hadn't worked; neither had calling his friend's name, so that just left… Plan C. Grinning sadistically, the teenager leaned back over his bed and gave his friend a violent pinch. He wasn't at all expecting to be flat on his back the next moment, with Duo kneeling on his chest and the point of a strange-looking knife tickling the lashes of his left eye.

The sensation didn't last long, and a moment later the knife and weight were gone, the other boy's hand being offered, and he eyed it for a moment before accepting the gesture so he could be pulled to something more upright. "What brought that on? It was only a bit of a friendly pinch."

It took a moment before he looked back to the other boy's, and when he did a sheepish smile appeared, accompanied full with the boy rubbing the back of his head with his other hand, the blade nowhere in sight. "Sorry about that, I don't take startling so well when I wake up."

"You don't take it well… I hadn't noticed, what with you nearly putting my eye out."

The American flushed, scowling. "It wasn't like I meant to. Just… don't grab me, 'kay? I sort of like you. Hurting you wouldn't exactly help me sleep at night." He only just managed to censor his mouth in time, but he was glad he had; Blaise was still looking at him like someone had let a madman into their dorm. 'Killing you' instead of 'hurting you' couldn't possibly have made things better.

Hard to think about how they could be worse, though, as Blaise backed away, keeping him carefully in sight. "Yeah… sure. Next time I'll throw something. Preferably from across the room."

For the first time Duo looked around at their dorm, and thanked all the gods he cared for that the other boys had already cleared out. "Sorry," he said again, tucking the knife back in its hiding place under his pillow.

"Hey, no problem. I won't be forgetting the warning anytime soon." Holding up his hands and giving him a brief smile, apparently trying to show no hard feelings, the other boy collected his bag and lifted it so he could see. "Time for Astronomy now though. Meet you there, yeah?"

"Yeah…" The word was more of a sigh than anything, the other boy ducking out almost before he'd managed the answer, apparently still spooked.

Well, fuck.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Severus didn't like mornings. Mind you, he didn't particularly like any time of the day, except perhaps after classes had finished and he could brew a potion in blissful, brat-free silence, so it was difficult to tell. It would have taken someone sitting very close to him, who knew him very well- a short list of people indeed- to notice that on this morning especially, the potions master was in a fouler mood than usual.

And the reason for it had just walked through the doors into the Great Hall, trudging towards the Slytherin table and looking like death warmed over.

Without realizing, immediately at least, that he was getting a rather scalding look, Duo made his way to his favorite seat and just took a moment, once seated, to lay his head on the hardwood. He only twitched a little when a plate popping up just an inch from his nose. Still needed to get used to that.

At least he wasn't the only one in a mess though. Did they really have to be up so early after astrology? It didn't seem very fair…

"Hey," said a quiet voice across the table, and Duo flicked his eyes up to see a weary-looking Blaise settle onto the bench. The boy didn't look at him immediately, instead busying himself with his bag and plate.

"Hey," the pilot said back, lifting his head up. "Um. So…"

Blaise sighed, finally meeting Duo's eyes. "Look, I'm not going to denounce you or anything, okay? Not unless you really give me a reason to. I get that you didn't mean it, I really do. I just… need a bit to get over it. It's not every day I almost get stabbed by accident."

"Well I'd hope not…" Trailing off, he let the almost teasing tone fade out of his voice, getting a bit more serious. "I can wait for you to get it worked out. Won't even hold it against you or anything, deal?"

"Alright. I need to catch Millie for some notes, so I'll be off for now, but I'm not running, I've just got some schooling to get done while I get my head together." The other boy hesitated a moment, then gave him a small smile and dipped his head in a nod before walking off.

He felt tension easing out of his shoulders with the small actions, and he ended up slumping back in his seat to eye his empty plate. Well that's one thing taken care of.

"Trouble in the serpent's den?"

Duo sometimes hated the reflexes being a Gundam pilot had given him. He was too tired to jump in surprise, but that didn't keep him from a full-body twitch; at least this time was able to keep from grabbing for a knife. "No trouble, just hopefully temporary awkwardness," he addressed over his shoulder to whichever twin had spoken. "So where have you two been?"

"We've been here-"

"-Been there too. All over the place really."

As the pair sat down, one of either side of him, he forced himself to relax, letting out a sigh as he leaned back on the bench a fraction so he could watch them both while they loaded his plate for him. "Haven't seen you though. You look bushed."

Duo groaned. "You have no idea. Astronomy lesson last night, after staying up cooking up potions with Sevvie, and then the Drama Queen had an episode with his lost hair gel this morning that woke me up…"

A twin- Fred, he was fairly sure, something about the grin that was pulling at his lips- patted him sympathetically on the shoulder. "Not so sure your day's going to get better, mate."

His brother nodded. "Think Snape's got it in for you-"

"-And bad. He's been giving you the evil eye since you walked in."

Blinking at the words, he turned to glance to the head table where the man was, indeed, trying to bore a hole in his back through sheer force of will. "Well shit." Looking back to the other two, he shook his head. "I haven't even done anything. Hell, Sevvie bumpkins there and me parted on a nice note last night, so I don't know what could've changed between then and now."

"Well it had to be something-"

"-Because he doesn't seem like he's going to let off the look anytime soon." They both nodded and leaned in closer, giving him looks that were more concerned than they'd been a moment before.

"You don't have any classes with him today, do you?"

"It would be a right scary thing with him in that mood I'd think."

Duo risked another look at the fuming professor. "We're supposed to brew some more healing potions tonight, actually. Crap. Any ideas?"

They exchanged a glance. "Take a bloody steak with you and toss it in the room first."

"And carry a big stick."

"You know, just in case. Wouldn't want our potential partner-"

"Getting mauled by his professor before we can actually prank anybody," George finished with a firm nod.

Duo had to snicker at them, despite his sense of foreboding. Really, Sev was no pushover, but he wasn't exactly a Gundam pilot out for revenge and his braid, either. Being able to call Heero and Wufei his friends had left the American with an extraordinarily thick skin.