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"Listen, "In the Night" is the Weird Sisters' best song," Lieb remarks, lounging back onto his bed as he pops another Bertie Botts into his mouth, cringing at the flavor. "Agh, soap."
"No, no. "Magic Works" is definitely the best," Chuck protests, toweling off his hair as he strolls back into the dorm from the bathroom.
"Nah, you're just a big fuckin' romantic," Perco teases, tossing a sherbet lemon at his head as he passes.
"You're all forgetting their best hit," George pipes up from his bed through a mouthful of chocolate frog. "'Dance Like a Hippogriff' is the anthem of our generation."
Tab grins as the bickering continues in the Slytherin dormitory, and he's half-wondering why Lip hasn't already stopped in to tell them lights out. It's way past curfew, if the darkness seeping through the dorm windows is any indication.
He's so distracted by the newest point of contention — which Bertie Botts bean is the worst, as Liebgott had just had the unfortunate experience of a vomit flavored one — that he nearly misses the fluttering of a small, bird-shaped origami figure hovering next to him.
Gently plucking it from the air, he smiles. Floyd already knows who the note is from, and he knows it came from outside his cracked window.
Meet me outside the Forbidden Forest ASAP. I have something to show you.
Of course, the idea of sneaking out after curfew with his boyfriend is extremely appealing, so Tab immediately throws on a pair of shoes and grabs his wand.
"Aye, Tab! Where are ya headed?" Smokey questions, throwing a knowing smirk his friend's way.
"I've been summoned," he grins, holding the paper between his fingers for them to see. "And while I like you lot, Shift is offering to sneak out."
George whistles. "Our Shifty Powers? Sneaking out?"
"I'll report back," Tab raises his eyebrows as he exits the dorm. "With minimal details, if you know what I mean."
"Don't let anyone catch you," More warns. "There's a reason Lieb isn't necking with Web in some corner of the school tonight."
"Fuck you," he hears from his friend as he shuts the door quietly behind him, glancing around the hallway and staircase for any watchful eyes.
He doesn't know why the school is so empty until he sees a clock in one of the corridors displaying the time as half-past midnight, nearly three hours after curfew. Thank god for noisy, night-owl friends, or he might've been asleep.
Finally, he's running as quietly as he can down to the Forbidden Forest, literally the last place he would want to go in the dead of night if the promise of Shifty wasn't in the picture. Through the soft glow of his wand, he begins to make out his boyfriend's figure, grinning as he approaches him.
"Hey," he greets, pecking Shifty on the cheek when he jogs up next to him. "You're lucky I was awake."
Even in the dim light his spell has provided, he can see Shifty's soft, excited flush on his cheeks. "Well, I could hear y'all through your window. I just had to show you this."
"Wait, what?" Tab exclaims as he pulls him by the hand closer to the forest. "Are you insane?"
"Shh, just be quiet," Shifty instructs, an exhilarated spark in his eyes. "I promise you'll be okay."
Floyd eyes him with a wary gaze, but follows (reluctantly) nonetheless. He's gonna get eaten. They're both gonna get eaten. He's sure of it.
They disappear father into the trees, and when Tab can't see the light of the Castle anymore, he finally speaks again.
"Shift? What the hell are we doin'?"
"We're almost there; you'll see."
He doesn't know exactly what to expect, but when Shifty instructs him to be absolutely silent and lets go of his hand, he knows his night isn't going the way he thought it was going to play out.
With a flash of a smile back his direction, Shifty walks into a small clearing, slipping his hand into the pocket of his jacket. He pulls out an apple and sets it on the forest floor before slowly walking backwards to Talbert.
"Just wait," he breathes, gripping Floyd's arm in anticipation and glee. Tab swallows nervously, because of course Shifty would befriend a wild, magical creature who lives in a fuckin' creepy forest that they should not be in.
A rustling noise sounds from the brush, and then a light whinny. The next thing Tab knows, a snowy white creature emerges from the bushes, practically glistening in the moonlight. A golden hoof paws at the apple, inspecting it carefully before dipping its horned head down to eat it.
"Isn't it beautiful," Shifty gasps, and Tab barely manages the strength to nod. In short, he's fucking terrified.
When his boyfriend begins to move slowly towards the unicorn as if something was drawing him magnetically towards the animal, Tab manages to snag the back of his jacket and yank him back.
"What the hell are you doing?" He hisses, but Shifty just gives him another sweet grin and, in an attempt to be reassuring, a quick kiss on the lips.
"It's okay. Trust me."
He returns to the looming animal, gently outstretching a hand for it to sniff. The unicorn does so tentatively, but quickly decides that Shifty is not a threat. The creature actually nuzzles into his hand, allowing Shifty to pet it lovingly.
"You're such a good girl," Shifty croons, scratching up and down its neck. "So pretty."
The unicorn neighs softly, snuffling around Shifty's pockets, earning a laugh from him. "Aw, okay. You can have another one."
He produces another apple from his pocket, feeding it to her gently. Smiling over at Tab, he beckons him to join him with the unicorn.
"Come on, she's so sweet!"
"She's huge. And very powerful," he retorts, but inches his way towards them slowly. "Shift, this is 'cause I love you and for no other reason."
"That's okay with me," he replies, grabbing Floyd's hand and letting the unicorn sniff his now-outstretched palm. He fears for his fingers, his hand, and his entire arm as it sniffs him lightly.
"See? She likes you!" Shifty beams, directing Tab to pet her nose softly. "Isn't she a sweetheart? She's such a good girl."
"How do you know she's a girl?" Tab asks as he strokes the unicorn's bright white mane, reveling in the silky softness of it.
"I was watching her yesterday," he explains. "I'm sure you'll understand soon."
As if on cue, a smaller, more high-pitched whinny sounds from behind them. The unicorn immediately perks its head up, sounding an answering neigh.
From the same direction that the unicorn first appeared, a pure gold baby unicorn walks towards them, stopping next to the unicorn they had made friends with.
"She's a mom," Tab breathes, in awe of the tiny, golden foal as it presses up against its mother.
Shifty nods, his eyes alight with adoration. "They're beautiful."
"Can I have an apple?" Tab holds his hand out to his boyfriend, bringing the apple pressed into his hand down to the foal's level.
"Hey, buddy. Here ya go," he soothes the little unicorn as it glances up to its mom, who nudges its head lightly in permission.
The baby happily takes the apple, munching it enthusiastically from Tab's hand. After it's done, it happily accepts a few scratches behind its ears.
"I told you it would be okay," Shifty smiles, patting the mother unicorn's neck. "We should probably go back now."
Turning out all of the pockets in his coat and in his pants, Shifty produces another handful of red apples, laying them at the unicorns' feet.
"How'd you get so many apples?" Talbert asks incredulously, and Shifty laughs.
"Tiny gave them to me," he confesses, and Floyd really should've known. Shifty and the shy house elf had formed a close bond over the past six years at the school.
"You're amazing," he muses, grasping his boyfriend's hand as they walk away from the pair of magical creatures, back in what Tab hopes is the direction of the castle. "Only you could befriend one of the rarest magical creatures on the planet."
Shifty blushes. "I'm glad you got to see them with me."
"I'm glad you forcibly took me into the most dangerous part of the entire school."
"Hey, you didn't have to come."
Floyd smiles softly, brushing his thumb over the back of Shifty's hand. "With that look you gave me, I had no choice."