#working title for this fic is something along the lines of “carlos is sad he's not divine enough to successfully set up a threesome” | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

phantom-curve · 4 years

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find the strength, find the melody pt. 4 (working title)

I think I like this title but I can’t decide so don’t kill me if it changes!

also, you guys are amazing. your love for this lil fic makes me feel so happy. I’ve never written this much this fast for a side project. it’s actually starting to take over all of my writing so I might have to slow this roll a bit and catch up on my actual novel before I can post most.

or maybe I’ll just lean into the insomnia writing even more! stay tuned to see!!

as always, lemme know if you wanna be added to the tag list! @blue-hat-girl, @lwhoscribbles (hey lookie there, a title! also sorry not sorry you cried, but at least you were in good company with me and Julie), @bluefyoto94, @5sosmukefan, @moonlightxnder, @leahthewonder, @kat-maybe-not

Later that night, long after her father and Carlos had gone to bed, Julie crept out to her mom’s studio. She knew she was going to have to tell her dad about the music program eventually. She was shocked her Tía hadn’t beat her to it already. She needed something positive to offset the disappointment he would feel. Her dad had been gently prodding her to go out to the studio and at least maybe clean it up a bit for weeks now. He would love this improvement, that is, if she could work up the nerve to actually play. Sheet music clutched in her numb hands, she wrenched the studio door open. It was exactly as she remembered it.

Her eyes slipped shut as she stepped inside. She didn’t need to look to know where the couch, coffee table, and chairs would be gathered. She knew exactly how to avoid bumping into the ladder leading up to the loft. Her hand reached out just in time to catch on the fabric covering the piano, Julie allowing her fingers to lead her down the side of it until her pinky brushed a key. One soft note rang out, and her eyes opened, staring down at where she pressed lightly on the white key.

Her feet moved on their own, skirting around the bench, her knees bending automatically as she lowered herself to sit. A tight sensation built in her chest, her breaths picking up speed. The sheet music shook as she forced herself to lift the pages and spread them out on the music rack. She arranged the piece in the correct order, wasting time as she avoided touching the keys for now. Her eyes traced over the song again, her mind showing her exactly how her hands would dance along the instrument, exactly how her voice would reverberate in the silent space. Her gaze snagged on her mom’s final message once more.

You can do it.

Warmth blossomed in her chest, replacing the cold, lifeless feeling that had lingered there for the last year. Julie felt it all at once. Her mother’s love shining off of the pages in front of her, filling up all of the empty spaces inside of her. She could hear her voice, whispering those words in her ear. Tears sprang to her eyes again, but they were different this time.

Julie had thought that she would never be able to play without her mother because she never had. Every defining moment of Julie’s life was underscored by a soundtrack mastered by the one and only Rose Molina. She had thought that without her mother, the music would fall flat. She had thought it would be meaningless without the significance her mother, specifically, attached to it. Julie never realized until this moment that she had been the soundtrack to her mother’s life as well. The two of them, the soundtrack to her brother’s and father’s lives. It hadn’t only been Julie suffering for the last year.

A new type of determination surging through her veins, Julie placed her hands on the cool keys, lining her fingers up with the opening notes. Her mother deserved to be remembered like this, her music recognized and loved by more than just Julie. She would have hated the fact that Julie hadn’t played in so long, would have given her that sad smile, that soft, disappointed mija sigh. Her family deserved to come out of the silence she had forced upon them. They deserved to enjoy music the way they always had before Rose died. It was cruel the way she had taken it away from them. And Julie herself deserved this moment too. She had been punished long enough. Her mother’s love overwhelming everything else, Julie took a deep breath and began to play.

Here’s the one thing I want you to know

You got someplace to go

Life’s a test, yes

But you go toe-to-toe

You don’t give up, no

You grow

The opening was shaky, her fingers clumsy as they stumbled over the unfamiliar notes. Her voice cracked a bit, rusty from disuse. But then muscle memory took over, and Julie felt the tension drain from her body. Her fingers began to move with a mind of their own as she read the notes on the pages in front of her, voice smoothing out as she worked out the frogs. She made it through the pre-chorus easily enough, but the chorus hit her harder than expected. Like her mother was giving her permission to forgive herself for all of the hurt of the last year, reminding her that it’s who you are at your core that matters most. Telling her she still had the time to pull herself out of this spiral. That old message about how the music was always bigger than just the two of them coaxing her out of the shell she had hidden herself away in for the last year.

Better wake those demons

Just look them in the eye

No reason not to try

Life can be a mess

I won’t let it cloud my mind

I’ll let my fingers fly

Her fingers really were flying. She couldn’t even really feel the keys anymore, so sure as she pressed down against the ivory that she didn’t even have to look at the sheet music. Her eyes closed, head lifted as she belted the pre-chorus into the sky. The chorus hit again, but she was ready for it this time, emotion powering every line as she poured her heart and soul into each note. Visions of her mother filled her mind and Julie could practically feel the warmth of her love radiating throughout the studio. She glanced down to read the lines for the bridge and the words hit her like a sledgehammer. Like a secret letter from her mother written exactly for this specific moment.

So wake that spirit, spirit

I wanna hear it, hear it

No need to fear it, you’re not alone

You’re gonna find your way home

Her voice rang out pure and clear as she held the word as long as she could. Home. She really was home now. Here, in her mom’s familiar studio, playing the last song her mother’s hands touched, Julie was finally home again. The sense of rightness filled her completely as she finished the last round of the chorus. Her hands dropped from the keys, reaching out to gather the papers to her chest once more, the most precious treasure she had ever touched.

Eyes closed, basking in the afterglow of playing, she imagined her mother’s spirit behind her, ghostly arms wrapping her in the sweetest hug. Julie shivered against the electricity coursing through her system. She felt alive again. An unexpected clatter sounded from the doorway. Julie’s eyes popped open, anticipating Carlos or her father walking through the doors. Nobody appeared, but she caught the tail end of a muffled curse. It was just loud enough to send a ripple of awareness through her.

“I can hear you, you know.”

She already knew who it was. She expected him to beat a hasty retreat, maybe yell something out in a horribly disguised voice before he melted into the shadows. Without warning, he appeared in the doorway, shoulders raised and a sheepish smile on his face. His eyes darted around the studio, refusing to meet hers. Her mouth fell open. Where does he keep appearing from?

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to bother you, I just...I heard you playing?”

He said it like a question, an unsure tone she’d never heard him use before coloring his tone. She watched the way his bicep flexed as his hand rose to scratch at the back of his neck. That seemed to be his nervous tick. His body language told her he wished he was anywhere else right now. Then she glanced at the clock.

“What the hell are you doing creeping around my house at 1:00 in the morning?”

Luke’s cheeks turned bright red. The tips of his ears, peeking out of that same orange beanie, colored too.

“I’m not creeping!” Julie met his gaze steadily, raising a brow at his defensive declaration. “I uhhh, I just...I don’t really sleep? Or...well I guess...I don’t really have a place to sleep...sometimes...?”

His voice trailed off, uncomfortable in every sense of the word as he stammered his way through his explanation.

“My parents and I don’t always get along. Sometimes it’s easier to tell them I’ll crash somewhere else, only there isn’t always a somewhere else available.”

He shrugged, careless and cocky, but it was off. Everything about him was off right now.

“I make do. It’s no biggie, just gives me more time to soak in the club scene. Gotta stay one step ahead of the competition, ya know? It’s like a blessing really, gives us that edge.”

His rambling words painted a picture she was sure he would rather keep private. It didn’t take a genius to read between the lines. She didn’t buy his cavalier attitude for a minute. He was lying through his teeth. She knew. She had been lying for a year straight to practically everyone in her life, had nearly rotted her teeth through with all the saccharine sweetness she had faked. Her lips twisted in a sour smirk.

“You’re full of shit, but whatever. That couch pulls out into a mattress. You’ve gotta be gone by 6:30, that’s when my dad wakes up for work.”

“What?”

The squeakiest note yet. Julie looked Luke square in the eyes. That same intense energy from the other day sparked between them. The moment stretched on a beat too long. Julie gulped and forced herself to soften her tone. It was easier than expected.

“Stay here for the night, Luke. I’m not gonna ask about your parents, and no one is going to bother you in my mom’s studio. Sleep on the pull-out couch. There’s a bathroom in the back. It even has a shower and I think there’s still some soap in there though I can’t promise it isn’t floral scented. You can disappear in the morning and we won’t ever speak of this again.”

He stared at her, blue-green sea glass eyes cutting through to her very soul. She didn’t respond, letting the silence stretch and morph into something entirely too intimate. The tension between them pulled taut, Luke’s gentle smile breaking the moment as he took a few shy steps into the studio. Julie ducked her head, tucking a few loose curls behind her ear, before she moved to meet him in the middle of the room, gracefully spinning around his body so her back was pressed against the doors. Their eyes caught again. One of those strong hands reached up to scratch at his neck once more.

“Thank you.”

The words were a quiet whisper, almost as sweet as when he returned the song to her earlier. She could hear everything he left unsaid with those two words. Thank you for not asking. Thank you for giving me a safe space. Thank you for caring. Unable to help herself, she bit her lip, gave him a small nod, and ducked out of the doors in a near perfect recreation of his response outside of the school that afternoon.

Heart a little lighter, she sneaked back into the house silently. It wasn’t until she was safely tucked away in the darkness of her bedroom that she dared peek out the window at the studio. The lights were off, but Julie swore she could make out a shadowy figure peering through the windows up at her room. She dropped her curtain like it was on fire, diving into bed and burying her head under the pillows. Heart racing, she laid with her eyes closed and tried to convince herself that Lucas freaking Patterson wasn’t slowly making himself a home in her heart.

#did i cry again while writing this? yes #sorry not sorry for all the angst but at least it hurts so good right?#soft boy luke is my absolute KRYPTONITE #julie and the phantoms #jatp #juke #jukebox #julie x luke #luke x julie #luke patterson #julie molina #palina #Mads speaks #Mads writes #jatp ficlet #jatp fanfic #juke fanfic #find the strength find the melody

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nicolasnelson · 4 years

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Benlos fic - Let the Sparks Fly

Title: Let the Sparks Fly Relationship: Ben/Carlos De Vil, side of Mal/Evie, Harry/Uma, and Gil/Jane Additional Tags: Hogwarts AU, Christmas party, Getting back together, Fluff and angst Chapters: 1/3 Words: 3,687

Ben Florian comes from a long line of pureblood wizards, so he must keep his relationship with Carlos De Vil, a muggleborn wizard, a secret. When Ben's relationship with Carlos is threatened, he decides to stay at Hogwarts for the holidays and host a Christmas party. With luck, he can win Carlos back.

Written for DearDescendants’ 12 Days of Holidays, Day 7 - Holidays in Hogwarts

[AO3 LINK]

Carlos De Vil walked back and forth past the spot on the wall three times with one thought on his mind. Give me a place where I can make out with my secret boyfriend.

The door appeared as it always did, and he eagerly turned the doorknob and slipped inside. It was quiet inside the Room of Requirement. A couch, a cozy fireplace, and a plate of chocolate chip cookies welcomed him. Christmas decorations were draped over the mantelpiece and strung across the walls, and a Christmas tree stood in the corner, decked with glittering ornaments.

Carlos sat down before the roaring fire and nibbled on the cookies while he waited for his boyfriend to arrive. They always staggered their arrival times. They couldn’t come at the same time for fear of being caught. If anyone saw them go into the room together, they’d know what they were to each other.

The door creaked. Carlos tensed, looking over his shoulder. He didn’t know why he was always so worried that someone else would follow him in. The room was good about keeping out unwanted guests. It was the paranoia that came with dating someone in secret.

“Carlos, sorry I’m late. Practice ran a little long.”

“It’s okay. You are a Quidditch legend.”

Ben chuckled. “That’s no excuse.”

Carlos walked over to his boyfriend and kissed his cheek. “Really, it’s okay. I’m just glad you’re here now.”

“Thanks, but that’s less time we have to spend together before I leave for Christmas break.” Ben wrapped his arms around Carlos’s neck and pulled him in for a kiss.

Carlos’s heart fluttered. He ran his fingers through Ben’s hair, tugging at those silky locks, desperate to be closer to him. His breath was hot against his cheek as Ben’s lips ghosted over his skin. Ben whispered into his ear. “I’m really going to miss you. I wish you could come with me.”

“I could,” Carlos said. He’d thought about this a lot, and he had a whole speech prepared. “We’ve been dating for six months now. I know we wanted to keep it a secret in the beginning, to see if it was going anywhere, but I’m ready to tell people now. If you are.”

Ben wasn’t smiling like Carlos had hoped. His expression was frozen, cold. He took a step back. “You know I care about you a lot, and I want to continue dating you, but it feels like it’s too soon.”

“Just last month you said you wanted to tell people.”

“I know, but things change.”

“You don’t like me anymore?”

Ben stepped closer and ran his fingers along Carlos’s arm. “Hey, I definitely still like you.”

“Then why don’t you want to tell people anymore? It’s not like you’re in the closet or anything. You told everyone when you were dating Aziz, and you guys weren’t even together half a year. Why am I any different?”

Ben winced. He took Carlos’s hand into his own. “You know why. I would love to spend Christmas with you. Truly, Carlos. I want nothing more than that, but my parents would never allow it. We could be friends publicly, but anything more than that...”

Carlos felt like his heart had been ripped from his chest. “I thought you didn’t care about blood purity. You’re friends with halfbloods and muggleborns alike. All this time you’ve said you were okay with waiting to tell people about us for my sake, but you never wanted anyone to know ever.”

“It’s not like that, Carlos. I would love to tell people. But you know how my parents are. They would never accept someone muggleborn into the family.”

“So you’re just going to listen to them then? Follow their stupid belief that purebloods and muggleborns can’t mix.”

“I wish things were different.” Ben gave his hand a gentle squeeze. “If you weren’t muggleborn, I’d tell everyone about you, I swear.”

Carlos smiled, but there was no happiness behind it. He felt a coldness in his chest. He’d expected this kind of behavior from his ex. Chad had actually called him that ugly word on the daily. “My precious mudblood,” like it was supposed to be a compliment. Chad was a pureblood Slytherin, and his family was obsessed with blood purity. He’d been upfront that their relationship had to remain secret.

But Ben had lied to him. He’d made him think this time would be different, and that made it all the worse. It didn’t matter that Carlos had proven himself time and again. He was top of his class and had earned more house points for Ravenclaw than any other member of his house, including his best friend Evie. But he was still muggleborn, and that would always follow him.

“I can’t do this,” Carlos said, feeling that everything inside the room was wrong.

“Can’t do what?” Ben’s eyes filled with concern.

Carlos hated what he was about to do, but he couldn’t stand to be with someone who had lied to him, someone who would never be open about their relationship. He couldn’t live his life in the shadows. “I can’t be with you anymore. You don’t understand what it’s like for me, to have to always date in secret. To have every person I’ve ever been with be too ashamed to introduce me to anyone. All because I have ‘dirty blood.’ You’re supposed to be kind and loyal. Isn’t that what Hufflepuffs are all about? I thought things would be different with you, but they’re not. It’s all the same as it’s ever been.”

“Hey, hey.” Ben pulled him into a hug. “I’m not ashamed of you. I told you, I don’t care about all that blood supremacy crap the Slytherins are so keen on. Chad Charming, Audrey Rose, and Anthony Tremaine can preach it all they want, but I’m not like them. I promise.”

Carlos pushed Ben away. “Then why do we have to stay a secret?”

“Because…” Ben looked hesitant, like he was afraid to tell him the real reason.

“Please, Ben, don’t lie to me. You’ve done enough of that already.”

Ben straightened his shoulders, nodding. “Okay, I’ll tell you the truth, but you’re not going to like it.”

“Whatever it is, I can handle it.”

Ben smiled. “I know. You’re tough. I really like that about you. Listen, Carlos, the truth is, I already told my parents about you. Not you specifically, but that I was dating a boy who was muggleborn. They were both happy I found someone I really care about, but my father asked me to keep our relationship a secret. He wants to be the new Minister for Magic, you see. If people find out his son is dating someone muggleborn, he’ll lose the support of most of the purebloods. This is his dream, Carlos. I can’t risk ruining that for him.”

“Hogwash,” Carlos said, disgusted. “You hate your father. Ever since you got sorted into Hufflepuff instead of following your family legacy of Gryffindors, he’s treated you like crap. So the only reason I can see you supporting him is if you’re hoping to gain something once he’s the Minister for Magic.”

Ben bit his lip. “It’s for the good of the wizarding community. I want to make things equal between all classes. No more blood supremacy. No more house elves enslaved to wizards. If he becomes the Minister, I’ll have a chance of getting a high-ranking position at the Ministry once I graduate. I can make a real difference, make everyone’s lives better, and then one day it won’t matter to anyone else that you’re muggleborn. We can be open about everything then.”

“It’s a beautiful dream, Ben, but it’ll never happen,” Carlos said. “Two wizarding wars and everything is still the same. Chad and Anthony still bully me. Audrey still hexes me any chance she gets. Professor Honeymaren still tells me I’m doing well for a muggleborn, and she’s one of the nicer teachers. I actually think it’s gotten worse for muggleborns since the Second Wizarding War.”

Ben opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, then closed it. He nodded, rubbing his hands together. “I can see this relationship would never have worked anyways. I need to be with someone who believes in me.”

“I didn’t say—”

“You’ve said enough, Carlos. I’m sorry I wasted your time.” Shoulders hunched, Ben turned around and walked out of the room.

The Christmas decorations disappeared into thin air, all the cheer gone with his departure. Carlos sank bad into the armchair, hugging his legs to his chest. He leaned his head on his knees and let himself cry.

His gaze shifted to the table where the cookies had been. Now it held a tissue box and a pint of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. He huffed. “Seriously, you stupid room. It just had to be Ben’s favorite brand.”

The ice cream disappeared as if the room had heard him. This was going to be a miserable Christmas.

…

Ben knelt down in front of his suitcase in his dormitory. He folded his black-and-yellow knitted scarf and placed it gingerly beside his Wizard Card collection. Many of the cards had been gifts from Carlos. He had a particular talent for finding and trading cards with fellow wizards. Even Ben who was incredibly social could never navigate the world of Wizard Trading Cards at Hogwarts so well as Carlos.

He put his Alchemy textbook on top of the card collection, determined to get Carlos off his mind. They had broken up. It had been mutual. This would be better for both of them. They wouldn’t have to be paranoid about sneaking around all the time. He’d be able to focus on Quidditch more. Maybe his team could even win the Quidditch Cup this year.

“You look sad.”

Ben looked up, startled.

Gil sat on the bed across from him. He was knitting another scarf in Hufflepuff colors. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“You don’t seem fine, man. It’s just, you’re getting to go home for the holidays when a lot of us aren’t. My parents are muggles, and they hate that I’m a wizard. They only take me back in the summer because they have to. And my brothers bully me the whole time.”

“It’s hard to imagine anyone bullying you,” Ben admitted. Gil was so strong, the best beater the Hufflepuff Quidditch team had ever seen.

“They’re bigger and stronger than me. I’ve always been the runt of the family.” Gil looked sheepish.

Ben was afraid to see what the rest of Gil’s family looked like. Maybe something like the giants he’d seen in his textbooks. “I’m sorry about your family.”

Gil shrugged. “It is what it is. You’re incredibly lucky, Ben. I’d be happy if I had a loving family to go back to, that’s all I’m saying.” He smiled shyly and looked down at his knitting.

“You’re right,” Ben said, suddenly feeling like Hogwarts’s biggest idiot. Gil had a remarkable talent for seeing the heart of the matter while Ben got caught up in the details. “Why am I going home for Christmas, when I could do so much good here?”

He’d been so caught up on getting into politics that he’d forgotten he could help the people around him. So many kids didn’t have happy homes to go back to, Carlos included. Okay, so maybe a part of him wanted to do this to win Carlos back, but mostly he wanted to practice what he preached. He would be welcoming and warm to all the students at Hogwarts, regardless of their blood status.

“Oh, I wasn’t trying to guilt you into staying. I was just trying to cheer you up.”

Ben laughed, closing his suitcase. He would unpack everything later. Right now he had plans to make. “You did that too. Don’t worry, Gil. I want to stay. I’m going to make this the best Christmas ever for all the sixth-years staying over the holidays.”

Gil dropped his knitting, beaming from ear-to-ear. “Really?”

“Absolutely. I’ll show you what a wizard Christmas is like. It’ll be, well, magical.”

Gil giggled, absolutely delighted.

Ben knew it would take a lot of work putting together everything, and he didn’t have a lot of time, but he knew just who to ask for help.

He found her in the common room helping a fourth-year, Artie Pendragon, decorate a Christmas card. They were seated at one of the round tables, art supplies piled up high on top of it.

“Hey, Jane.” He put a hand on her shoulder. “When you’re free, there’s something I wanted to talk to you about.”

“Oh, we’re almost done.” She set the glue stick aside and handed the card to Artie. “Just write your message on the inside. Make it special. I’m sure your mother will love it.” She stood up, beaming. “What is it, Ben?”

“Let’s go for a walk.”

Jane laughed. “I’d better bundle up then. I am not used to all this snow.”

Ben chuckled, pulling his gloves from his jacket pocket. “Me neither.”

Outside the air was nippy, but Ben found it to be refreshing. It felt like he was looking at Hogwarts in the snow for the first time. Usually he was in such a rush to get home for the holidays. He barely paid any attention to the snow-capped castle. It was truly breath-taking.

“Are you heading home soon?” Jane asked.

“No, I’m actually staying for Christmas this year.”

Jane perked up, her blue eyes wide. Her whole face brightened. “Oh, Ben, that’s wonderful. I’m staying too. I was going to go see my uncle again, but he cancelled at the last minute. Being the head of the Department of Magical Education keeps him busy. You know how that is.”

Ben did. His father was the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. He had started as an auror and risen through the ranks. Some years he was barely home for the holidays, but thankfully his mother was always there to keep him company.

“I want to host a Christmas party for all the sixth-years staying for the holidays,” Ben announced.

“Oh, really? That’s amazing, Ben, but what gave you that idea? It’s not like you to give up your holidays like that.”

“Yes, that’s exactly the problem. It should be like me. I care about all the students at Hogwarts, and during the holidays a lot of them don’t have families who accept them. Gil was telling me about his awful family. I can’t believe I’ve been so selfish all these years. I have to do something for these kids, Jane.”

Jane jumped up and down, grabbing onto Ben’s arm. “That’s perfect. I wonder why I never thought of that either. And here I was planning how I would manage to sneak all the best foods out of the kitchens so I could have a Christmas feast in my room. Talk about selfish.”

Ben laughed. “Carlos would say that is such a Hufflepuff thing to say.”

“Carlos?” Jane eyed him curiously. “I didn’t realize you guys were friends.”

Ben took a deep breath, wondering if this was the right thing to do. Carlos had wanted everyone to know about them, so telling Jane would be okay, right? “We’re not. But I’ve been spending a lot of time with him lately.”

“You like him?” Jane guessed, smiling.

“I do. I really, really do. And I told my parents, but they don’t want me to tell anyone else.”

“Because he’s a boy? Weren’t you and Aziz a thing for a little while?”

Ben nodded. “My parents loved Aziz because he’s a pureblood and a Gryffindor. They actually tried to convince me not to break up with him when I got tired of him being so ‘on’ all the time, you know?”

“Oh, and Carlos is muggleborn. I forgot about that. But Gil’s muggleborn too, and your parents don’t care that you’re friends with him.”

“But they would care if I was dating him. My dad wants to be the Minister for Magic. He needs the support of the purebloods to get elected.”

Jane sighed, shaking her head. “Blood politics are ridiculous, you know that? You shouldn’t care about how your dating life will affect your father. It’s your life. Live it. If you like Carlos, then you should go for him. He’s staying for the holidays, right? I’m sure we could arrange a romantic moment alone for the two of you so you could confess your feelings for him. Awww, Ben, you could get together on Christmas.”

“Don’t get carried away. I would love to date him, but I’d have to keep it a secret.”

“That is literally the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard, and I’m dating Gil.” She cracked a smile.

“Wait, you are?”

“Yeah. It’s not like we’ve been trying to hide it. I don’t care that his parents are muggles, and he doesn’t care that I come from a long, long line of purebloods. It really doesn’t have to be as complicated as you’re making it out to be.”

“I know, I know. But you’re not me. Everyone expects so much from me. I’m a Florian. Our family name means something around here. I can’t let my father down.”

Jane put her hand on his arm. “But you’re letting yourself down. Doing good things for other people is certainly nice, but you need to do things for yourself too. You can’t live your life entirely for other people. What do you want, Ben?”

He wasn’t sure if he’d ever been asked that before, but the answer was clear to him. “I want to be with Carlos.”

…

Carlos was studying with Evie, Jay, and Mal in the library. Well, Carlos and Evie were studying. Jay and Mal were goofing off as usual. The two Gryffindors had never cared much for getting good grades.

They had all finished their exams, anyways. Carlos was just studying to get his mind off Ben, and Evie rarely left a book for more than a few minutes at a time. Unless of course she was spending time alone with her girlfriend Mal. Right now Mal was leaning against her, fiddling with a new toy she’d picked up at the joke shop.

“Where are we going to celebrate Christmas this year?” Carlos asked offhandedly. “The Room of Requirement again?”

“Actually, Ben has already booked the Room of Requirement,” Jay said, tossing a sugar quill at Mal, who caught it in her teeth. She broke the quill in half and offered a portion to Evie, who took it with a gleeful smile and kissed Mal on the cheek.

“Are you serious?” Carlos asked. “But I thought he was going home for the break.”

Jay shrugged. “I guess he changed his mind. Gil said he’s planning a big party for the sixth-years.”

Evie perked up, chewing on her sugar quill. “Oh, we should go to that then. It’s a lot of work to organize our own party every year.” She gave Carlos a look. Every year the two of them ended up doing all the work.

Carlos wasn’t really sure how to feel about all this. Ben was staying for the holidays and hadn’t told him. Had he known when they met in the Room of Requirement yesterday?

“I don’t know,” Carlos said. “It’ll probably be a bunch of purebloods. Doesn’t sound like much fun.”

Evie shot him an annoyed glare. She clearly did not want to waste time with decorations this year.

“Most of the purebloods have gone home for the holidays,” Mal said, examining her nails. “I think the only purebloods there will be Ben and Jane. Maybe Ally and Jordan. All good people.”

“But we don’t know any of them very well,” Carlos argued.

Jay laughed, chewing on the end of his sugar quill. “Speak for yourself, I’ve flirted with Jane, Ally, and Jordan. Probably all the girls in our year.”

“Even Mal?” Evie asked, raising an eyebrow.

Jay shrugged his shoulders. “You guys weren’t dating yet, and she shot me down so fast.”

Mal laughed, reaching for her girlfriend’s hand. “You have nothing to worry about, Evie.” They shared a quick kiss, and Evie relaxed against her, lowering her book into her lap.

“I’m wondering who I should try to kiss under the mistletoe this year,” Jay said. “Maybe Jane?”

“No, she’s dating Gil LeGume,” Mal said. “Aren’t you guys friends? Don’t want to mess with the bro code.” She chuckled darkly.

“Maybe I’ll kiss Carlos then.” He waggled his eyebrows at him.

Carlos rolled his eyes. “Not a chance.” Jay was just joking about kissing him, and even if he wasn’t, Carlos was too hung up on Ben to think about kissing anyone else.

“I guess I’ll just have to see who’s at the party. If all else fails, I can always snag a kiss from Ben Florian.”

Carlos clutched his book tightly, fighting hard not to react. It was okay if Jay kissed Ben. It wasn’t like he owned Ben or anything. But the thought of the two of them together in public, with Ben not ashamed to be seen with Jay. It brought him a special kind of hurt.

“As if Ben would kiss you,” Mal said with a laugh.

Carlos jumped. For a moment it felt like the words were directed at him, but she was smiling at Jay. Of course.

“Anyways, I think Evie and I have a much better shot with him.” Mal smiled wickedly. “The more the merrier on Christmas, right?”

Carlos picked up his books. “I just remembered I’m supposed to meet Doug to work on a project.”

“A’ight. See you later.” Jay saluted him.

No one even questioned that he was working on a project on the first day of winter break. Maybe it was because they assumed he was studious enough that he would start on it an entire month early, or maybe they just didn’t care that much about him. Either way, he could sense he was going to have a lonely Christmas this year.

#descendants #descendants fanfiction #benlos #malvie #12daysofdescendants #deardescendants #*#my writing #finally got a chance to write a Hogwarts au fic

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