Chapter Text
September 1st.
Will’s shoes were seriously hurting him. They were hand-me-downs from Jonathan, and he was slowly starting to outgrow them.
He felt much safer now, hidden away from the crowds, sitting with his brother in a quiet train compartment. Jonathan immediately closed the window upon entering, knowing that both boys hated loud noises.
Will had been working on calming his nerves all morning, but nothing really worked so far. Jonathan had told him it was normal and all first years felt like that, but Will observed very cautiously through the train window and didn’t see anyone else's hands shaking as much as his were.
Mom and Jane were standing on the platform, holding hands. The train was about to start moving at any moment and most of the students had already boarded. Will waved at little Jane and she waved back. He saw her lips tremble but knew she wouldn’t cry until she was in the car, alone with mom. Jane was a brave girl, but she told him the day before, that she hated being the only kid not at Hogwarts yet.
“I’m not at Hogwarts yet either.” He had replied, trying to make her laugh, and she rolled her eyes.
“You know what I mean! I’ll be bored without you!”
“I’ll miss you.” He had told her honestly.
All the Byers siblings were each other's best friends, until Jonathan left and met other people at school. They were happy for him of course, but that only made the younger duo connect even more.
Jane hugged him tight, with a little squish. She was only 9 years old, but she had abandoned most of her toys and plushies a long time ago, using her older brother as support instead.
He felt tears in his eyes now, looking back at her through the window. Their mom squeezed the girl’s shoulders and waved at her sons. They both waved back as the train started moving. Will’s own lips started to tremble.
“You can write to them as much as you want, you know? We’ll send our letters together, yeah?” Jonathan said, and Will nodded.
“Without me there to write whatever she wants to say, I’m a little scared of all the decoding of her handwriting we’ll have to do.” He said, his voice a little shaky. Jane always asked Will to write with her to their brother, announcing loudly everything she wanted him to write down. Only her signature was her own, JANE and Will.
“Mom will probably do it.”
“She has to learn though...” he murmured, keeping his eyes on the view outside. They were leaving London very quickly. They only visited the city a few times for short trips, but he liked how huge it felt. Full of details to explore. He knew their hometown through and through now; there was nothing to explore anymore.
Jonathan laughed quietly and agreed. “She will, eventually.” After a beat, he stood up. “I think I’m gonna go look for my friends, wanna join? They’re excited to meet you.”
Will heard a lot about Jonathan’s group of friends from school. That’s pretty much all the older boy had talked about for the last two years, both in his letters and when he was back home. It was a little annoying, but Will kept reminding himself that it was a good thing.
Still, at the mention of the group, his throat squeezed a little, and he shook his head, looking down at his lap.
“You sure? They’re really nice.”
“I’m sure. I’ll be okay, I think I need some time alone anyways.” He assured his brother and sent him a shaky smile. Jonathan nodded and smiled back, leaving the carriage.
Will really was curious about the group. He heard so much about them; he felt like he already knew them all. He just felt unsteady all over, lost in the new environment.
His mind already started forming the words of the letter he would send to mom and Jane later. Was it too soon to write on the first night? People would make fun of him for feeling homesick. He was excited, he really was, but leaving home felt like leaving childhood behind too, like a cold bucket of water, pressuring him into growing up. He wanted to stay a kid for as long as he could, and right at this moment, staying in this specific compartment felt like the way to do it.
He was not ready to grow up yet. He didn’t think he ever would be.
The doors to the compartment opened.
---
“Come on Nancy, it won’t wait for us forever!”
“I’m walking as fast as I can! We would be on time if we didn’t have to come back for your wand.”
“It’s not my fault, come on!”
“We should’ve just asked mom to send it to you tomorrow.”
“I need my wand on the first day!”
“No, you literally don’t.”
“But it’s stupid to go to Hogwarts without your wand!”
“Well then, stop rushing me! You could help me out a little!”
“Kids!” Mrs. Wheeler screamed from behind them.
Mike and Nancy both turned around and looked at her. “What?”
“Stop arguing and start walking. We’re almost there, you’ll have two minutes to get on board.”
Mike rolled his eyes and walked a little faster. He was maneuvering through the crowds filling the train station. If he could actually fly above all those people, he would make it in time, no problem.
Nancy was walking right behind him; their mom followed. Their trunks were heavy, but his was much less packed, than his sister’s. He had no idea what she needed all that stuff for. If he could just levitate it next to him, he would break into a run and make it to the train quicker.
He couldn’t wait to learn magic.
They finally made it onto the platform, barely on time. Mike was excited, finally crossing the barrier to leave for school, not just to see Nancy off. Running into the wall felt so much different when you knew you wouldn’t come out of it until a few months into the future. He didn’t have much time to bask in that feeling though. Mom gave them both a quick kiss on their foreheads and shooed them away. Both Wheeler siblings boarded quickly, Nancy tugging on Mike’s arm.
“It’s a good thing Holly didn’t come. She would’ve slowed us down so much more.” Nancy announced, walking through the narrow corridor, looking into the compartment windows.
“Don’t say that, she’s three.”
“Just an observation.” She stopped in front of one of the doors. “Okay now, go find yourself some friends, mine are here.” She sent him a quick smile and walked inside.
“Wait! Can’t I sit with you?”
“No way.” She closed the door. He stood there for a moment, shocked by the quick interaction that led to him being left alone. The train started moving. He grabbed a handlebar on the wall to keep his balance. That was not how he imagined it would go.
An older boy rushed past him, bumping his shoulder.
“Sorry! You okay?” He asked and Mike nodded. The boy was taller than him but didn’t feel intimidating at all. “Good, okay. That’s actually where I’m headed, can I?” He pointed at the door closed by Nancy a moment before. Mike moved to the side, letting the boy through.
“Thanks!”
“Jonathan!” Someone yelled from inside. The door closed again. Mike felt lost.
He gave himself a moment to decide what to do. Should he just barge in anyways? He didn’t know anyone else on this train, other than his sister. All his life, he imagined this moment differently. He thought of himself sitting in the same compartment as Nancy, surrounded by her friends, and they all liked him and wanted to listen to his stories. They thought he was cool and Nancy saw how cool he was, too, and eventually she would like him too and they would all be friends.
Find yourself some friends.
Okay, yeah, he could do that. He definitely should do that.
If anyone would ever want to be friends with a Wheeler. How did Nancy do it?
He looked at the closed door, allowing himself one more second of fantasy before moving on.
He started walking in the direction the older boy came from, copying the way Nancy checked the insides of compartments. Most were filled with teenagers, strangers he would probably start recognizing soon. He wanted the soon to be now. Maybe then he would feel less like an intruder.
One compartment was almost empty, with just one small boy inside. He had similar hair to the older one he just met and was curled up by the window, looking out. He seemed just as lost as Mike felt.
He didn’t think twice.
Mike yanked the door open and pulled on the warmest, brightest smile he could muster up. The boy jumped slightly and turned his head towards him, his eyes wide.
Mike felt panic stir up inside him. He didn’t think that far ahead. His smile didn’t falter.
“Do you wanna be friends?” He asked, going for the first thing that popped into his head. He regretted it instantly. That was stupid. Who started a conversation like that? Who just agreed to be friends, verbally? It was supposed to happen on its own, by spending time together, but he had to start somehow, and he didn’t think. He was awful at thinking ahead.
But then, the boy smiled back, relief filling his eyes. ”Yeah.” Regret disappeared from Mike’s chest. It was okay. He felt his body relax and he walked in, closing the door. He sat opposite the boy and held his hand out.
“I’m Mike.” His last name sat there, at the tip of his tongue, eager to get out. He ignored it.
The boy looked down at his hand. He looked surprised, but Mike couldn’t think of what could have been so surprising. That’s how you met people, right? Did he already know what family Mike was from?
He felt the boy’s fingers gently wrap around his own. His hand was warm, a little sweaty, and shaky. Mike didn’t blame him. He knew his were too.
“Will.” He said and gave his hand a quick shake before folding his own back on his lap.
They sat there quietly for a moment. Mike was scrambling for something to say. He had no idea what the boy might enjoy talking about and he looked so anxious, Mike didn't want to scare him away by asking the wrong question. Or announcing his family name.
“You must be a first year, right?” He said gently, searching the boy’s face for a reaction.
“It’s that obvious?” Will asked, with a nervous smile.
“It’s okay, I wouldn’t have walked in if you looked older.” He tried for the warm smile again, and saw the boy relax a little. It was working. “I saw this older boy in the corridor and his hair was very similar to yours.”
Will laughed a little. “Was his name Jonathan?”
“Yes, actually.” Mike nodded, waiting for the boy to explain.
“That’s my brother.”
“Oh! Cool! I think he’s friends with my sister, then. He walked into the same compartment as her.”
“Is your sister Robin?”
“It’s Nancy.” He heard about Robin though. He sometimes wished she was his sister instead of Nancy, but he squished that thought down as soon as it appeared. Robin did sound cool, though.
“Oh, yeah. Does she also talk a lot about their group?”
“Mostly, yes.” That was true. Nancy, however, also liked talking about how smart she was. It annoyed Mike more than anything else in the world. It was cool, how proud she was of herself, since she did work very hard on her grades. It made Mike feel as if the bar was very high for him, and he had to make the jump on his first try. He didn’t enjoy his sister’s rants at all.
“That’s all I hear about.” Will rolled his eyes, but there was no malice in his words.
Mike was glad they had something in common.
“So, where are you from?” He asked, curious to learn more about the boy.
“Hawkins.”
“Where’s that?”
“Two hours north of London.”
“I’m north of London!”
“Yeah? Where?”
“Hampstead.”
“That’s in London!” Will let out a bubbling laugh and Mike grinned.
“Well, we would be further apart if I was from Brixton.”
The boy laughed again, and Mike felt relieved, excited, and proud of himself at once. He decided he liked the feeling of making Will laugh. He would be doing that more often; it was a fun little personal challenge.
The door to the compartment opened again, and two boys peeked inside. One had a cloud of light brown, curly hair, and the other looked much tidier with a short cut of black curls.
“Finally, some free space! Could we join you here guys? We’ve been searching for a spot that’s not filled with older students, and everyone our age seems to already have a full set. It’s a war out there, you wouldn’t believe it!” The light-haired boy exclaimed.
Mike and Will looked at each other for a very short second and then both nodded at the other two boys. They quickly walked inside and closed the door.
“Thanks!” The boy finished and sat down next to Will. “I’m Dustin, and this is Lucas. We met 3 minutes ago.”
“His mom gave me sandwiches for the road and I don’t understand why.”
“She told you! We had extra!”
Lucas sat down next to Mike, shaking his head with a smile. “Well, if you guys feel hungry sometime during the next ten hours, you let me know. All of us together should be able to gather quite a feast in here.”
“Honestly, I’m so excited for the Welcome feast, I might hold back and just snack a little. I heard so much about the pie...” Mike said, Lucas’s words bringing up memories of his sister’s stories. She always mentioned various desserts served at the feast.
Will’s eyes lit up a little. “I can’t wait for the pie.” He said, a bit more shyly, compared to when they were alone.
“Oh, this is Will! And I’m Mike.” He added, remembering his manners.
“Hello, Will and Mike.” announced Dustin theatrically, and Lucas gave them a silly bow. They all laughed.
---
The next few hours felt eternal. At first, they all read Dustin’s comic book together, but that became dry after a while. Lucas laid down on the two empty seats and fell asleep first. Dustin and Mike kept whispering for a few minutes, but it wasn’t long before the two of them were sleeping through the day as well.
Will stayed awake the longest, at first watching the landscape through the window. When he realized he was the only one not asleep in the compartment, he allowed himself to watch the boys he met that day.
Lucas looked very comfortable. His clothes were neat, but not elegant in any way. He was wearing a purple jumper, and it matched his dark skin tone perfectly. His green jacket was currently curled up under his head as a makeshift pillow.
Dustin’s face was not smiling for the first time since he had walked in. The boy had to be completely asleep to stop infecting people with his grin. He was wearing a white button up but kept tugging at it while he was still awake. Will noticed an orange collar of a t-shirt underneath.
Mike was wearing a dark blue sweater. It was the first thing Will saw when he heard the door open for the first time after Jonathan left. Next, he noticed the pale skin and black hair. Him and Mike had similar hairstyles; something resembling a bowl cut. He hated it on himself, but his mom didn’t know how to cut any other styles, and they couldn’t afford a visit to the hairdresser. He did not hate it on Mike. It was a bit messier than his own; the hair trying to curl wherever it could, where it wasn’t held down by gel.
Now, the boy was fast asleep, his head leaned on the window. Will could see freckles on his nose and cheeks, which made his face look even friendlier.
Not that he needed it. The second Mike sent him that warm smile when he walked in, Will knew, he had nothing to be afraid of. The small conversation they shared made him feel understood, especially when they shook hands, and he noticed Mike’s fingers being as shaky as his own. He didn’t feel the need to go meet his brother’s friends at all then.
Will fell asleep last, still curled up by the window, with his head laying on his knees.
---
“Will, wake up, we’re almost there!” He felt someone shaking his arm.
He opened his eyes and pinched his eyebrows. Mike stopped shaking him and looked out the window with so much excitement painted on his face, that he seemed practically ready to jump right out. Will immediately smiled at the sight.
He got up carefully, patting down his clothes. He stood next to Mike and looked out the window.
It was dark now, but the castle was visibly lit up against the sky. The warm lights were mirrored in the lake they were passing, and Will felt his nerves rise back up.
Lucas and Dustin were already up as well, getting ready to leave. The train was slowing down, and Will’s heart rate was speeding up. He suddenly felt the urge to find Jonathan.
“I’m so excited for the boats!” Dustin exclaimed.
“We should try to get into the one at the front!” Lucas added, putting his crumpled jacket on.
“Do any of you know how to paddle?” Mike turned away from the window to look at the two jumpy boys.
“How hard can it be?” Dustin said, and they all laughed.
Will only smiled, because he knew his laugh would sound too nervous. He didn’t want to give away his fear. He wanted to make the best impression possible, and being reluctant towards the thing all his new friends were looking forward to seemed like shooting himself in the foot.
Jonathan had described his first journey to the castle two years before. Will remembered sitting down on their couch, all three of the Byers siblings, during his brother’s first Christmas back from school. They had listened to him speak, as if he’d been telling a fairytale. It had sounded like story straight out of a fantasy book, and now, when Will looked at the shiny water surface, it sure felt like it would swallow him down into it’s depths.
He wasn’t very scared of the water itself; it was more about the dark, the cold, and the unsteadiness of boats. He knew he just had to get through it, and he would never have to do it again.
He still wasn’t excited.
He focused on getting ready to leave the train. One step at a time, just like their mom taught them.
Dustin and Lucas opened the doors and trailed off. Mike started to follow but he turned around right before stepping out.
“Are you okay?” He asked and Will knew that the boy looked right through him. Right through his bravest, most carefree smile he managed to put on.
Will never liked lying.
Mike pinched his brows and closed the door, walking back into the carriage. They were alone again but this time the air was filled with a sense of urgency.
“You seem nervous. You can tell me if something is wrong. I won’t judge.”
Will froze up, not having decided what to do yet.
He could hear the other students walking quickly in the corridor, everyone’s trunks being unloaded off the train, people chattering all around. Mike created a bubble and Will wanted it to pop. He just couldn’t bring himself to push past the boy yet.
“I won’t judge.” Mike repeated, and it worked a little. Will allowed the possibility of confiding in him.
Besides the urge to leave the train like everyone else was, he noticed that he didn’t mind Mike knowing. They already agreed on being friends and now that they were alone again, Will felt the same as he did when they first talked. Grounded, relieved, seen.
“I’m not very excited about the boats.” He admitted, turning his head to glimpse out the window.
“Who said you have to be?”
Will looked back at Mike. The boy was smiling reassuringly.
“The others, and you, I guess, and I don’t want to...” He didn’t know how to put it into words.
“Not fit in?”
Will nodded. “Yeah.”
“Are you scared of the water?”
“I think so. And the boats.” He didn’t want to explain too much. His fears seemed irrational, and fear of water was rather common.
“That’s alright. I’m a great swimmer, so we can get on a boat together and if anything happens, I’ll just fish you out and swim to the shore.”
Will laughed, the vision suddenly not so scary anymore. “Okay, I think I’m better now. Thanks.” He zipped his jacket up. “Let’s go then.”
Mike grinned at him and opened the door again. The bubble popped.
---
They managed to catch up with Lucas and Dustin, who did not manage to get to the first boat. That didn’t make them any less excited about the ride. Will and Mike got in right after the first pair stopped rocking the boat for fun.
They quickly learned that they in fact did not need to paddle at all; the small boats moved on their own across the lake. The second magic started pushing them off the shore, Mike looked at Will, who was already looking back. They huddled close together, and when Mike felt how tense the smaller boy was, he held out his hand. Will grabbed it and sent him a thankful smile. Mike squeezed his hand two times, just to make sure the other felt it.
“How was it?” He asked Will once they had disembarked, and the group was being led to the looming castle.
“Not bad at all.” The boy smiled a little brighter and continued looking around the area.
Mike himself was astonished by the view of course, but he also felt the Scottish air whip his hair around, the wind picking up with every minute. It was a little distracting, and he longed to be inside the castle, eating all the delicious food Nancy had promised. He wished he had brought a hat.
“Thank you.” He heard Will say and he looked back at him.
“For what?”
“For helping me out. And for giving me a chance to tell you. I probably would have stayed quiet if you didn’t ask.” Will looked down. They were walking uphill now, and the road was rocky, so they both had to keep checking the ground to avoid falling.
“Thanks for telling me.”
For a moment, they focused on walking.
“I hope we end up in the same house.” Will said, still looking at his feet.
“Me too.”
He really did.
---
The Great Hall was exactly like Jonathan had described it.
Will’s head spun a little when he looked up at the ceiling and all the candles floating around. He could see the dark clouds over their heads, but the room felt elegant and welcoming anyhow.
The first years entered the hall once everyone else had sat down. Will immediately looked over the four long tables and found Jonathan, already waving at him. He waved back and smiled at his brother, mirroring his wide grin.
They all lined up in the front, the four boys stuck together. A tall, older witch, who introduced herself as Professor Minerva McGonagall, the deputy headmistress and the head of Gryffindor, started reading the list of first years. There was a chair in the middle, and a stool next to it, with the Sorting Hat on it. It made Will deeply uncomfortable with its face, so he tried avoiding looking at it.
He knew his name would be somewhere on top of the list, so he listened carefully. He didn’t want to miss it and look like an idiot. He realized he didn’t know any of the other boys’ last names, so he wouldn’t know when it was their turn. The list started, and two kids got sorted into Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. The Hat’s voice was booming, and the cheers erupting from each table while acquiring a new student were deafening.
“Will Byers?”
It was real.
He walked out of line and sat on the chair, feeling shaky all over. He caught Mikes eyes, who was giving him that reassuring smile. He moved onto Jonathan, who gave him a thumbs up.
This was the moment decisive of his future for the next seven years. Probably longer, probably his whole life. He couldn’t breathe very well. It was like he wasn’t there, like he stepped out of his body for a moment. The whole world seemed to be behind some glass wall he could peek through, but it was foggy and blurred.
The Hat barely touched his hair.
“HUFFLEPUFF!”
He was up, he was moving, he heard the yellow table cheering. A laugh bubbled out of him, and he almost flew down the pedestal towards his brother, who immediately got up to give him a tight hug. The glass wall disappeared, he stepped back into his body, and it was real.
“I got in!” He laughed and squeezed his brother back. Happiness and relief were overwhelming; he had dreamed of sharing a house with Jonathan, and now it was finally true.
“I knew you would fit right in!” Jonathan ruffled his hair. “Come on now, sit down.” He ushered him back towards the first years’ place at the long table, and Will ran to claim it. He could hear new names being called, but he allowed himself a moment of pure pride. Yes, that is exactly how it was always supposed to be.
“Dustin Henderson?”
He looked back up at the group, and he caught Mike’s eyes again. He was turned around to look right at him. He seemed a little upset but smiled at him, nonetheless. Will grinned back.
“GRYFFINDOR!” Dustin’s eyes shot to will, his own smile turning a little nervous. They all hoped to be in the same house. Will put his thumb up and kept smiling as brightly as he could, hoping the boy would know that it’s okay. They could still be friends.
“Maxine Mayfield?” A girl sat down on the chair, looking grumpy. Her hair was bright ginger and tied into two thick braids.
“GRYFFINDOR!” The Hat screamed after two seconds. She looked even more grumpy. Will didn’t think that was possible. She walked over to the red table and sat down next to Dustin, who excitedly shook her hand. She seemed to cheer up a little at that.
For a few minutes, it continued to be only names and faces he didn’t recognize. Will kept watching Lucas and Mike, who were standing close to each other, tense and waiting.
“Lucas Sinclair?” Finally, one of his friends.
The Hat took almost two minutes. Lucas looked terrified. At some point he clenched his eyes shut.
“SLYTHERIN!” Will’s smile died down a little. This was not going very well. Lucas seemed satisfied though, walking down quickly.
Mike turned around again. Will was already staring back. He crossed his fingers. Please, at least him.
It took another few minutes. Mike turned out to be the last one sorted. He stood there on his own, waiting for the person before him to finish up. Will looked around and saw everyone’s eyes locked on the boy’s back. He felt the urge to get up and take Mike somewhere to hide away.
“Michael Wheeler?”
Will’s stomach dropped.
That must have been a mistake. There was no way the kindest person he had met today was a Wheeler.
Mike seemed to have been anticipating the reaction. His shoulders slumped when he walked up to the chair. It took 7 seconds. Will counted.
“RAVENCLAW!”
Will’s stomach dropped even more.
---
Mike avoided everyone’s eyes while walking down to the blue table. He sat down next to all the other first years. Some of them looked away, some gave him nervous smiles, some completely ignored him.
“Hi! My name is Neil.” One boy, the one he sat right next to, took his hand and shook it. Mike nodded and smiled, but he felt sick.
He knew that revealing his last name would make people assume things about him. He had imagined this moment for ages, everyone averting their eyes at the sight of him. He had allowed himself one last look at Will before he had been sorted. The boy was at that point oblivious, but he wouldn’t bare looking at Will now, when the excitement and joy in his eyes would most definitely switch into confusion and betrayal. Maybe even disgust.
He should have said something on the train. He wanted to, but he had never formed the words. He had been so happy to have a friend, and his full name would have ruined it.
The other thing that made him sick was the fact that he was sitting at the Ravenclaw table.
Not Slytherin.
All Wheelers have been sorted into Slytherin for as long as their family tree had reached. He was sure he would end up there, so Lucas’ sorting made him a bit more confident.
But this was even worse.
He was alone, in the wrong house, and now everyone knew he came from a family of conservative douchebags, whose passion has always been speaking out against any good change happening in the wizarding world.
He turned his head around to look at the Slytherin table. Nancy noticed him, and the look in her eyes made him shiver. She looked angry, even betrayed. She looked away quickly, put on a smile, and began talking to her friend.
Mike knew what it meant. They were done.
He was sure something was squeezing his heart. He felt physically sick throughout the welcome speech. When the food finally appeared, he felt tears prick in his eyes; he had been so excited for this moment, dreamt of it for years. It was supposed to be perfect.
He tried some of the food to blend in with everyone stuffing their faces around him, but the delicious flavours only made him feel worse. He didn’t deserve this.
He didn’t dare look up until the end of the feast.
---
Will had been trying to catch Mike’s eyes during the rest of the feast. He exchanged greetings and names with a few people around him, but the conversation didn’t stick, since he kept getting distracted by staring at the pale boy.
He had so many questions. Surely, Mike couldn’t share his family’s world views; he was so comforting and welcoming towards Will. Everything he had read or heard about the Wheelers his whole life had made him feel hated, most of the time they sounded insane. Will had prayed he would never meet a Wheeler.
But then he did, and even if he had known at the time, he would’ve felt just as grounded. Maybe even more, if the boy had clearly told him he was not like the rest of his family. Because he wasn’t, right?
He couldn’t just get up and walk over to the blue table, so he kept watching Mike, waiting for him to lift his gaze. He wanted to tell him, at least with his eyes, that it was okay, and he was more curious than upset, after the initial shock had passed.
Mike kept his head down the whole evening though, as if he was blocking everyone out. He didn’t eat much and didn’t speak to anyone. He turned around once to look at someone from the Slytherin table, but it was a quick interaction, and Will didn’t manage to see who he was trying to communicate with. He assumed it was Nancy, though he didn’t know what she looked like.
When everyone was dismissed, Will immediately got up to catch Mike. He only took two steps when he was grabbed by the arm.
“Where are you off to?” Jonathan asked when Will turned to face him. “Darius will gather up first years and lead them to the common room in a moment, you should stick to the group.”
“Why can’t I just go with you?”
“You need the full experience, of course!” He said dramatically and gently squeezed his arm. “I’ll meet you there later, don’t worry. You’ll meet some of my friends.”
Will knew his brother wanted him to have the best first day anyone could have. He was always excited for his younger siblings, and he cared for them so much, he would sometimes forget about himself. Going to Hogwarts had helped with that a lot, making Jonathan focus more on himself, but Will suspected he still had a similar mindset when it came to his friends. Jonathan was kind and selfless, and Will knew he wanted the best for him.
He looked back at Mike, who was already standing with the other Ravenclaw first years, while an older girl counted their heads. He couldn’t see his face, only a mop of black curls, not held together by gel anymore at this time of the day. Mike’s head was still bowing down, his shoulders slumped.
At the same time, an older boy came up to their end of the table and started announcing loudly with a bright grin. “Hello everyone, my name is Darius, I am a sixth year Hufflepuff prefect and I oversee the first years through their first evening, so if you’re new, please gather up here!”
People around them started moving quickly. Will gave Jonathan a nod. “I’ll see you later, then?” He said, and Jonathan smiled, letting go of him.
Will stood next to a boy who had introduced himself as Matthew, and they all waited to be counted. Darius turned out to be a nice, organized person and had no trouble getting the whole group together and explaining everything. They were soon leaving The Great Hall, everyone trailing behind the older boy like a flock of ducks.
Will lost sight of the Ravenclaw first years. He did, however, see the Gryffindor group, who were the last ones to leave. Slytherin was out almost immediately, Ravenclaw following soon after. He searched the room for Dustin and saw him talking to the grumpy ginger girl. The boy caught his eye and sent him a wide grin, waving excitedly. Will waved back, glad to see a friend looking back.
Darius led them downstairs, to a lower level of the castle. The corridor was filled with various food scents, which they all learned was because their common room was located right next to the kitchens. Will was very satisfied with that information.
They stopped in front of a pile of large wooden barrels.” Now, everyone listen up, this is important. This is the entrance to our common room, from where you’re able to enter your bedrooms. Every common room has a different way of entering, which is confidential to its occupants. Some change every year, but ours has always been the same. We are a welcoming house, but remember that this is our space, so just... don’t overshare this information. Now look closely; this is the way we enter. You find the second barrel from the bottom, in the middle one, right this one. You knock onto it five times, in the rhythm of the name Helga Hufflepuff. Got it? Five times, rhythmically, this barrel. If you get it wrong, there’s a vinegar trap set up, and that stink is hard to get rid of.”
Darius was good at explaining, and Will tried to remember everything the boy told them. He hated the smell of vinegar.
Large, circular, wooden doors next to the barrels started opening. Darius continued walking swiftly. They passed a corridor with an arched ceiling, and they entered a vast, open space. Will was quickly enamoured with the ever-present warmth and coziness. The ceiling was low, with a higher part in the middle of the circular area, which Will later noticed was a big, overhead window. The walls were, of course, yellow brick, but the room was filled with various types of plants in colourful pots, comfortable-looking armchairs and sofas, and mis-matched lamps lighting the space. Will loved it the second he took the first step in.
Darius kept them for only a few more minutes, talking about the basic schedule of the next few days. More older students gathered soon, waiting near them with more papers. They were all given maps of the castle, which Will carefully folded and held onto. He remembered Jonathan telling him about getting lost a lot during his first month or so. He was not looking forward to learning the huge layout.
More lists of names were read out loud, and before Will knew it, he was standing in a smaller room. It was kept in a similar style to the main area, circular, warm, and with a low ceiling. The windows were stained glass, and there were a few different sun catchers hanging around. The room had four divided areas, each quarter pre-assigned, with everyone’s trunks already waiting near their beds. They were pointing towards the middle of the room, where Will saw a very fluffy-looking green rug.
He shared the room with three other boys. He remembered Matthiew, and the other two introduced themselves as Jeffrey and Daniel. They were all strangers to each other.
Will sat on his bed and tried to take everything in. The Hufflepuff part of the castle was everything he dreamed it would be, even more. He couldn’t wait to make it his second home.
With that in mind, he started unpacking his trunk. Each boy had a chest drawer, a shelf and a lamp next to their beds, and there was a huge closet for them to share, right next to the entrance.
Will liked to think of himself as a tidy and well-organized person. He always folded his clothes and made sure everything had its own little space.
His mind started wandering during the mindless work, and very soon, he started thinking about Mike again. The boy’s behavior was bugging him, like an itch he couldn’t scratch.
He left the room, saying bye to his new roommates. They were sitting on the carpet playing a game of cards and even asked him to join. Will felt bad for saying no, but he had his priorities. Again, he liked to think of himself as tidy.
He was on a mission to find Jonathan.
Which was completed after 2 seconds of looking around the common room.
He was sitting on one of the couches, surrounded by a group of people, all being loud and comfortable with each other. There was one other boy and two girls, all of them smiling brightly. They all squeezed together on a couch, one of the girls lying down on their laps, the rest looking like squished sardines.
Will hated being an intruder, but he pushed past that feeling. He walked up to them and saw his brother’s eyes light up. He could stomach intruding if it meant he was looked at that way.
“Will!” He straightened up, making the girl on their laps yelp and laugh. “Everyone, this is my younger brother.”
“Hi.” He offered with a little wave of his hand, watching the teens scrambling up.” Sorry for intruding, you don’t need to... sit up or anything.”
“Shush, we’ve been so excited to meet you! All Jonathan talks about is his family, it’s like you’re famous in our group by now. When’s little Jane joining us?” said a blonde girl.
“Two years.” said Jonathan, finally managing to stand up. He brought over two armchairs, sitting down in one of them and offering the other to Will.
“We’ll be doing OWL’s by then...,” said a brunette girl, and everyone’s faces turned sour.
“So!” Jonathan interrupted, “The exam-stressed lady over here is Heather, that’s Chrissy, and this is Steve.”
They all waved at Will with cheerful smiles. “I’ve heard a lot about you guys too. He talks about you all the time when he’s home.”
“Do you now, Byers?” Steve raised an eyebrow at them.
“I relate to them what happens in my life here. It’s not my fault that I genuinely can’t get away from any of you.”
“You would be miserable without us!” Heather exclaimed, pointing a finger at him, but there was no malice in her voice. Jonathan laughed and nodded.
After hearing about these people for two years, Will’s mind created a kind of pressure to make a good impression. He carefully picked each word and was very mindful of how he was presenting himself, but very quickly realized he didn’t need to. The conversation flowed on its own, everyone looked comfortable, just existing together. Will liked that kind of atmosphere a lot more than the stressful environment his mind had created.
They hung out for around half an hour in the light and warmth of the fireplace, before Will got up the courage to ask. He’d been jumping into the conversation with a comment here and there, but all that time he had one thing constantly itching in the back of his mind.
“Jonathan?” He tilted his head towards the other armchair.
“Yeah?”
“Where is the Ravenclaw common room?”
“Didn’t you get a map?”
“I didn’t have a chance to study it. I only glanced at it.”
“Fair enough...It’s one of the towers, the one closer to us. Right wing of the castle, up the winding stairs. Why?” Jonathan was getting curious at that point; he was pinching his eyebrows at Will, which made him look like a concerned bird.
“Do you think I can go there before curfew?”
“Sure, but only for a moment if you want to make it back, and it will be a close call. Why do you want to go there tonight?”
“What happens if I don’t make it on time?” He felt stress spiking in his gut. He needed to start moving soon.
“We lose house points. You know, the ones for the house cup at the end of the year? What is going on?”
“Yeah, I remember. Okay, right wing, winding stairs. I’ll tell you later, don’t worry! Thank you!” He got up swiftly and waved at the group again. “I’ll see you all later!”
“Don’t be late!” Chrissy chanted after him.
---
Mike hated the Ravenclaw common room.
First, it was high up in one of the castle towers, so climbing there was a full body work out, for which he had not signed up for. That was enough to make him sick.
Second, the place was cold, ugly, and not cozy at all. It looked more like a ballroom, with crystal chandeliers and princess-like furniture. Even after climbing all those winding staircases, he did not feel tempted to sit down and relax on any of the fancy settees.
The dormitories were just as bad. They looked as if all the colour had been drained out of them, and worst of all – they had bunk beds in front of each of the tall windows, blocking any light. Mike called dibs on one of the top ones, with the bigger shelf next to it. He had a lot of trinkets he liked to keep close.
He shared the room with Neil, the boy he sat next to at the feast, as well as Richard and Philip. They all focused immediately on unpacking and tidying their stuff. Richard had an ungodly number of books, including muggle ones, and Mike was happy to learn that he was willing to lend them to others.
The second Mike had a chance though, he left the Ravenclaw wing. He promised himself he would spend as little time there as possible.
He found himself on top of the winding staircase, lit with candles and moonlight. He was about to start walking down, but after two steps he remembered climbing them earlier that night and lost motivation. His legs still felt wobbly.
He sat down on the highest step, leaning his back against the stone wall and putting his arms around his knees. It was chilly out there, but still better than the soulless common room.
He had so many thoughts, so many different feelings spiking inside of him in different directions, he didn’t know what to focus on. Maybe he needed to start journaling or something, to keep his thoughts more organized. His head always felt so untidy.
He had a pit in his stomach, and the thought that kept reoccurring the most was that it was not supposed to be like this. His first day at Hogwarts was supposed to be magical, warm, full of new friends and happiness.
And it was exactly that, right up until the moment his full name was called. His name would always catch up to him in the end.
And then, he couldn’t make his family proud. He screwed up the very first moment he had the chance, breaking the family tradition. He was in the wrong house, and the worst part was, he was sure he would have hated Slytherin just as much.
But he was supposed to be there. So, Ravenclaw was awful, but it was his screw up that made it so much worse. The pit in his stomach was growing, and his eyes were stinging.
He felt so completely, utterly, alone. Everything was wrong.
He kept his eyes locked on one of the candles standing on the windowsill. The lazy dance of the flame was captivating, and he didn’t have the strength to look away. His eyes started filling with tears, the light getting blurrier with each shaky breath he took.
“Mike? Is that you?”
He blinked rapidly and sniffled, rubbing his eyes and nose with the sleeves of his sweater. The voice was quiet and shy. He hadn’t registered any footsteps either.
But there was Will, standing three steps below him, holding onto the barrier and looking up, straight at him.
“What are you doing here?” Mike asked, because it didn’t make sense. He was supposed to be alone.
“What are you doing here? It’s almost curfew, why are you sitting out here on your own? Did something happen? Are you okay?”
Mike tried to find the words to explain himself, but nothing came to mind. He looked around, scrambling for an answer.
“Can I sit next to you?” Will asked gently. He was still standing below him, looking up at him with genuine worry in his eyes. Or maybe it was the trick of the light. Mike could believe that.
He nodded and fixed his posture a little. Will immediately climbed up the rest of the stairs and sat down on the same step as him.
For a moment, nothing happened. They just sat there, together, Mike praying for the world to fix itself, Will watching quietly.
“Why are you out here?” Mike finally asked when he was sure his breathing wasn’t shaky anymore.
Will looked worried, he was sure of it now that the boy was closer. Mike didn’t blame him, it was nearly curfew, and he was probably far away from his common room. He would lose points on his first day if he didn’t make it in time.
“I wanted to talk to you. Now I realize it was a bit silly of me, I don’t know the Ravenclaw password...I’m lucky you’re here.” He let out a small laugh and looked up at the massive doors above them.
“What did you want to talk about?”
“I saw you after your name was called.”
Mike felt his muscles tense up. He was suddenly very aware of everything around him.
“You wouldn’t meet my eyes, so I couldn’t show you that it was fine, so I wanted to tell you now. It’s okay. I don’t mind.”
He didn’t understand. His thoughts were racing, trying to piece everything together, but Will just kept talking. He sounded more confident now. At first, he was looking around the staircase, but he locked his gaze on Mike now.
“I think it’s good you didn’t tell me on the train, because... I don’t know, it’s shitty of me, but I probably would’ve assumed a lot of things about you. But the truth is, you helped me out. You showed me that I don’t have to...pretend and force myself to fit in. You’re a good friend. I don’t care what your family says. You’re clearly not like them.”
“I’m sorry I lied.” His voice broke midway through the sentence. He looked down at his lap and focused on not crying.
“You just didn’t mention your last name. That wasn’t a lie, I didn’t tell you mine either!” Will shuffled a little closer. Mike pursed his lips. That sounded fair.
“I guess...?” He laughed weakly and looked back at the boy again. Will was smiling at him with something in his eyes, but Mike couldn’t decide what it was. Hope? Care? A trick of light?
“We’re friends, Mike. Your last name doesn’t change that.”
Mike wanted to believe that. He wanted to just be Mike, not Mike Wheeler, not the heir of the house of pricks and idiots.
“We all ended up in different houses.” He offered a small smile.
“How lucky.” said Will and rolled his eyes.
Mike thought about Slytherin. About Nancy, and his parents, and the ever-present green decorations of their mansion in Hampstead.
Friends should share things like that, right?
“I was supposed to be in Slytherin, you know?”
Will pinched his eyebrows and dipped his head closer. He seemed genuinely curious.
“My whole family has been there. It’s a tradition, it’s in our noble blood, or whatever. I’m the first odd one out in centuries.” He explained and watched Will’s smile come back.
“That just proves my point.”
“Yeah, I... I guess it does.”
The doors above them opened.
“Five minutes ‘till curfew! Come on Walter, first patrol of the year!”
Will and Mike got up swiftly, patting down their clothes. Two older students walked out into the staircase.
“Come inside now boys!” One of them said while passing them.
“I have to go.” Said Will and Mike nodded.
“Thanks. For the, you know, the talk.” His voice sounded wobbly again.
Will started going down the stairs, but he looked back and waved. Mike waved back and watched the boy go, picking up his pace.
His thoughts have finally focused.