Boys Just Wanna ((Plot People))

[Wynd Lehane]

((Takes place the morning of September thirteenth.))

The tricky part was not getting noticed. Luckily, prefects of the past had thought of a way around this. The instructions that Drake had given Wynd clearly stated to pick a night and fix the schedule so that only the sixth year and the new fifth year male prefects had duty that night. That night was tonight. The night when the older wiser prefects would show the new prefects where the Prefect Bathroom was and give them the password. It was against prefect law to ask a prefect outside of your gender and house what the password was. It was a sign of respect. Respect your elders. That kind of thing. Wynd made his way down to the Great Hall. He looked at the magical sundial on his wrist. It could give you the time with any light source. From the light of his wand he found that it was quarter to one. The new prefects and guests would soon arrive. Dylan Caoimhe and Oscar Flynn were newly appointed vice captains of the Quidditch teams. Wynd was envious that Mary had picked Dylan over him but she had always liked him more than Wynd. Time alone would tell how he would perform in the upcoming game against Gryffindor. As newly appointed vice captains, they gained access to the bathroom as well. Wynd figured, why not kill two birds with one stone?

Wynd was the first one in the Great Hall. The hundreds of candles that usually illuminated the hall were snuffed. Only his wand lit the room. The instructions spoke of this as well. As the leader, he was supposed to bring four great candles. One green, one blue, one yellow, and one red. Each representing a different house. When all lit, they symbolised the houses coming together and working as one. At least that is what the instructions said. This was one of the few nights where all the houses worked together. And if only for one night, were friends. Just like the four founders. He set the candles in a circle so that they lit an area between the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff table. Right in the centre of the room. Soon the other prefects joined him: Carson, Theo, and Scott. They each stood by their respective candle as if they were afraid of each other or maybe there minds were elsewhere. Wynd did not want be the first to speak but as the leader he supposed he had to. “Welcome my brethren,” he spoke softly at first but gained momentum as he went. “Tonight we celebrate a coming of age story. Where we pass on our knowledge and understanding and welcome the new leaders of Hogwarts.” He smiled and shook his head. “I didn’t make that up, that was in the instructions. Now we wait.”

[Carson McGreggor H6]

Carson glanced at the clock, placing his robes on. He'd been sitting in his dorm room looking through a scrapbook of the previous summer. They'd all had a blast together. There was a picture of Carson and Ezzie backstage, looking their best, though Carson remembered how exhausted they all were. Ezzie looked gorgeous as always, and happier than ever. Of course, her cell phone was at her side as she was texting TJ the entire time. Then there were pictures with Eden and the rest of the band. Carson turned the page bitterly at the sight of these pictures. There were many of Ezzie and Eden, or rather Casey. Carson slammed the book closed and walked out.

He had this odd ceremony to go to. A Slytherin boy in his year, Wynd Lehane was leading the night's events. It was to be for the new Prefects. Carson has endured it himself last year, and it wasn't fun. He didn't really like tormenting his classmates, especially since they were in the same year as Ezzie and his former girlfriend Casey. However, he agreed to anyway. It wasn't like he had a choice. It was just how things were done around Hogwarts. Carson wasn't about to protest tradition. Carson had never really had a problem with Wynd, being that his surname was known amongst many as the name of some of the most famous pureblood wizards out there. He could have made friends with the Slytherins if he wanted to, but he decided against it. He wasn't like that. However, his name (and his reputation for a short temper and a very high chance of beating those kids up) had sort of saved him from ridicule. The girls knew him as Ethan's tough friend with a heart. He sighed as he walked into the Great Hall, waved quietly to Wynd and the others and sat down by his candle. He sat quietly, a bit of a grimmace on his face. It was common knowledge that Carson McGreggor was not one to be messed with these days.

[Scott Ryder G7]

A flood of memories washed over Scott as he left the Gryffindor common room and headed toward the Great Hall. Bad memories, memories he didn't want to keep. No, they weren't memories of pain and suffering (at least not physically), but they were memories of embarrassment and taunting. Who'd have thought that becoming a prefect could be the single most horrifying memory of his life? Well, as tradition had it, each year, the new prefects and Quidditch captains were initiated into the 'elite' group of the few boys at Hogwarts who could boast such titles. Just a year ago, Scott remembered the shock he had when told by Drake Manning and the other sixth year prefects at the time that he'd have to strip naked. Either that, or pay the consequences. Somehow, the consequences didn't seem so bad at the time, but watching as some of the new prefects were more than willing to complete their assigned task, Scott had once again felt like an outsider. A loner. Ironically, Theo had been at the very same initiation ceremony, however Scott was too busy agonizing over his embarrassment to really remember much of what the other boys his age did or said. He just wanted the night to be over.

Needless to say, there he was, now an initiator who would help to guide the ceremony. He realized it wasn't a very enjoyable event when you were the one being initiated, but he figured it wouldn't be so bad this year since he'd mostly be an observer. Though, he knew he'd make sure to be at least somewhat kind about it, remember how terrible he felt when he had to endure the initiation process. Entering the Great Hall, Scott saw Wynd and Carson already there. Part of him was happy that Wynd would be in charge. It seemed to be more up his alley. Soon, the official ceremony had started, and Scott was able to breath a lot easier during it than he had the year before. Wynd spoke first to break the silence, and his words were very ritualistic and scripted. Scott almost had to laugh at them, but he didn't. Instead, he sat silently, watching Theo and wondering what he was thinking. Somehow this didn't seem to be something Theo would enjoy anymore than Scott did. Anxiously, he waited for the new group of initiates to arrive.

[Theo Darke]

"You've got to go back to your dorm. It's late and I've got the prefect initiation ceremony..." Theo helped Lori clear away her Charms homework. "I hope I made sense," he murmured softly as he allowed a brief embrace before drawing back quickly. He watched Lori ascend the stairs to the girls' dorms with a small smile, but it was soon wiped away when the last thread of her golden hair disappeared. The prefect initiation ceremony... It was time. Glancing at his watch with a distracted frown, Theo threw a glance at the other few Ravenclaws sitting in the Common Room poring over work under the dim firelight and left hurriedly. He hated being sneaky... he hated breaking the rules - he was a prefect, after all. However, tonight was an exception; tonight was the night all the prefects broke the rules. Theo didn't like it, but it was tradition. Lori had endured the ceremony with him at the beginning of the previous year - well, she wasn't witness to it, thank goodness, but she'd been there to listen to him moan about what a terribly pointless and embarrassing initiation it was. How was streaking naked anything to do with being a good prefect? Theo couldn't understand it, but he went along with it without complaining to anyone besides Lori... and Oscar, now. He had warned Oscar about what the ceremony entailed already, and he knew his boyfriend wasn't looking forward to it. However, Theo had reassured him that once it was over that was it. He'd do fine.

Theo entered the Great Hall silently, a small bag on his shoulders with towels and the like. He noted that he was the latest of the four sixth year prefects - Wynd, Carson and Scott were already present. Without even glancing at his friends or saying a word of greeting, Theo sat down with a calm expression in front of his blue candle. He was rarely apathetic, but because of how much he disliked this initiation process, and especially since Oscar would be participating in it, he was particularly nervous and uncomfortable, and this showed by his lack of a smile or a word. Theo waited for Wynd to begin once he'd sat down. The Slytherin had been appointed to be in charge of night... he had seemed more keen than him, Scott and Carson put together, and he was the most natural leader of the bunch (or maybe just the most power-hungry). Carson was known for his temperament and Scott was only recently becoming more established in the school. Theo himself just wasn't enthusiastic about this, full stop. Why could Drake Manning and his fellow prefects get out this but he couldn't? But most of all, Theo was worried about Oscar... If people would catch onto the fact of their secret relationship. And Scott would be there! Theo wanted this night to end... and soon.

[Oscar Flynn G7]

Staring at your own reflection mirror is definitely not a way to make you more confident. Why did people always think that it was? Oscar realised that it only enhanced his doubts and uncertainties as he stared into his own wide brown eyes. They were full of questions- even he could see that. The most prominent ones were about what would happen tonight and what would it cause to happen in the future? For some reason Oscar could sense that this would be a big changing point in his character, and his relationship with certain people. He just knew that the adventure that he was being made to go through tonight was important. The owl delivered to him gave him hardly anything to go by. All it gave him was a bite on his wrist that Oscar now winced at, studying the bruise for a moment before looking back at himself. It was getting later- the letter had said one in the morning. Now or never, Flynn. Now or never. If he chose the latter it would not make a difference anyway. He was already aware of the summoning charm and was not prepared to let magic take him where his feet could. And so he (quite childishly) poked his tongue out at the Oscar Flynn that stared back at him in the mirror and left it, shrugging on a jacket as he left the Gryffindor Common Room and headed to the Great Hall, the questions still roaring in his mind.

Oscar was not in the least bit tired, something he noticed with a small smile. In fact his mood was improving with every step he took towards the Great Hall. Why, he wasn’t sure. Perhaps it was because he was involved in what felt like an adventure- or at least an event that was not allowed. Oscar was pleased with either option. He had been a ‘good boy’ for quite a while and it felt good to do something different. And different this certainly was… Oscar slipped silently through the large wooden doors of the Hall and immediately cocked his head at what he saw. Candles. Four slim figures he recognised immediately. No wonder he recognised the fourth; he would have been worried if he couldn’t identify his own boyfriend. “Morning…” The words dropped into the air as he approached the four. It was as if all of his questions were thrown into that one word and it fell heavy from Oscar’s lips as if weighed down by some unseen force. Well, isn’t this cosy… He was tempted to voice this sarcastic thought but resisted. He somehow knew that to speak now, to initiate open conversation, was not something he should do. So he stood awkwardly and avoided eye-contact with his boyfriend as his brow creased curiously into a frown, his teeth nibbling at his lower lip. What now?

[Edward Summers R6]

Edward glanced up from his pile of books and scanned the dark dormitory. Good, all the other 5th year students had gone to sleep. Ed pulled out the small slip of paper he had received by an owl and read it over once again. Who could have sent him this? What did they want? And how were they watching him? Ed had been quite paranoid these past few days, jumping at shadows and thinking he was constantly being followed. He sighed, it was almost time to be at the great hall, and he preferred not to be sent there via a summoning charm. Ed pushed off the desk and quietly, for once, left the dorm room.

The common room was also thankfully deserted and he made it out into the halls without incident. After being here for five years Ed knew the way quite well. It was late, or early depending on how you looked at it and no one was out in the halls this night. Ed’s eyes flicked from shadow to shadow, expecting something to jump out and attack him at any minute. Thankfully the doors to the great hall soon arrived in front of him. Ed shoved the doors open just enough for him to slip through, he turned around before entering, searching to see if anyone was following him, and then shut the door. Ed turned around and nearly screamed as he noticed he wasn’t alone. It took him a second but he managed to recognize everyone as his fellow Prefects. Could they have been the ones to summon him here? Or were they summoned just like him. Ed eyed the candles and the gathering early and approached. “Hey guys. What’s going on?”

[Wynd Lehane]

A ghastly moan was heard and soon Moaning Myrtle was seen as a glimmer in the dim light. The others were arriving one by one. All except one. Brad Jones. The new fifth year prefect of Slytherin. It was just like a Slytherin to try and defy the rules. “I see that we are all here,” he told the ensemble. “Save one.” He took out his wand and concentrated on the boy. “Accio Brad.” In his mind’s eye he could see Brad being lifted from his four poster bed and being dragged through the air toward the Great Hall. He knew that a summoning charm would mostly likely fail to summon a live human but it was mostly a scare tactic. “I’m glad you asked Mr. Summers. As some of you may or may have not noticed there are four candles. One for each house. Also you will notice that there are the male prefects from each of the houses here. Of course tonight we have guests, welcome Oscar and Dylan,” he nodded to Oscar and Dylan as he said their names. He then turned to the main group, “Every year, a new group of students are asked by the Headmaster or Headmistress to become prefects. Every year the older prefects are asked to guide the new prefects along their journey. Well, I don’t know how the girls do it, but we have a very special way,” he smirked as he said this and looked to the other sixth years for support and found none. They almost seemed apathetic to the ceremony. Letting it go he forced himself to continue. “You have to pass a little test.”

Just then the doors of the Great Hall burst open as the body of Brad came running toward their circle. He tripped and fell landing in the middle of the circle. His head toward Wynd so that he saw the older prefect upside down. “So nice of you to join us, Mr. Jones. As I was saying,” he looked up to address the entire ensemble. “This is a secret ritual handed down from male prefects to male prefects,” he raised an eyebrow and looked at Theo as he said this. He had heard gays told their girl friends everything and Wynd hoped Theo was an exception to the case. “Tonight we are going to show you where the Prefect Bathroom is and how to get into the room. Oscar and Dylan, I know that you are not prefects but you two have responsibilities as captains that need to be tested. I’m sure that you want to know what you have to do.” He paused for dramatic effect. “You have to snog with Theo,” he paused and waited for the reaction. Especially from Theo. “I’m sorry Theo that was a cheap shot. Tonight there are no houses. We are all brethren. The true task: You have to streak. Completely stark. No skivvies. All the way to the bathroom on the fifth floor near Boris the Bewildered. Moaning Myrtle here has graciously volunteered to watch you and make sure you streak the entire way. She will be carrying a bag containing your clothes so once you are ready please hand them to her. If you feel uncomfortable she will gladly hand you back your clothes but then she will tell us that you did not complete your task. If you did not complete your task, well...” Wynd smiled and looked at Scott. "We all did it," he looked back at Oscar, Dylan, Edward, and the others. "Tonight, so will you."

[Dylan Caoimhe]

Dylan strode down the hallway quite carelessly; he had been out after hours too many times to worry about being caught. He knew where to go, where not to go, what hallways and corridors were heavily watched. But, tonight was different which added to Dylan's carelessness. He had received an anonymous owl telling him he was "summoned" to the Great Hall at 1 am the morning of September the thirteenth. He originally had no intention of coming; he actually set the piece of parchment on fire and left it in the Owlery. But, he was somehow intrigued, considering he didn't know who the message was from. What if it came form one of his professors, or even the head mistress? So, as he was lying in bed, all he could think about was being in the Great Hall, so he just decided to throw on a robe of his night clothes, and go.

Once he reached the Great Hall, he looked around at the gathering and sighed heavily. What the hell is this about, he thought. Dylan sat lazily as Wynd started talking and then tried to summon some guy. After, he got into this speech of sorts, and while Dylan usually let his mind wander when Wynd did this, he couldn't help but pay attention. There was something about the way Wynd was talking, and what he was actually saying. Looking around, all the prefects were indeed here, scratch Dylan and Oscar Flynn, who were vice captains of the perspective quidditch teams. But, that still gave them permission to use the Prefect's Bathroom, and apparently, that was the reason they were there. And when Dylan found out what they'd be doing, he leaned back and smiled, folding his hands across his chest. Wynd was seriously mad if he thought Dylan would ever do something as stupid as streak around the castle, even if it was late at night. He made eye contact with Wynd, wordlessly saying all he needed too with his eyes.

[Carson McGreggor H6]

Carson yawned. He normally wasn't the mean kind of guy to mess with those below him, but the Hufflepuff who came before him and made him do this task just like he would make his fellow Huffle complete the task as well. It wouldn't be all too painful, of course. It wasn't all that terrible, though he had heard rumours about there being gays in their midst. Carson didn't mind though. It wasn't something he'd ever do, but it would have to do. He'd heard a lot about the history of the ceremony. He'd decided to do a bit of digging last year after completing the task. Turns out, it had been going on for thousands of years, and the professors sort of turned a blind eye to the proceedings. It started basically the year after the very first prefects were enlisted. They were an arrogant, mean bunch. All save for the Hufflepuff Prefect, who was forced into going along with it. Eventually, it just became tradition.

He noticed all the students give little smirks, as if they thought Wynd had been kidding. Carson decided to stand up and say something, since no one else seemed to want to. It did sound a bit selfish of him, but what with this whole Casey secret thing, he needed something to take his anger out on. "Lehane wasn't joking, for all of those who were wondering. I'm not too thrilled about waking up to make you guys take a stark naked stroll, but I'm doing it simply because it is tradition. I went through it because I am strong and I have pride in my house. So you Slytherins can stand there and smirk all you want boys, but it takes a man to go through with this with their head held high. We were chosen to run this school for a reason. You Slytherins are the most cunning of the bunch, the Gryffindors the bravest of the brave, you Raveclaws are the smartest in the school, and we Hufflepuffs are the ones with Hearts of gold. So Lehane, you can tease and threaten all you want. But it really says something about the person you are if you choose not to go through with this." He spoke solemnly, the candlelight flickering as it illuminated his serious expression. He wasn't in the mood for games.

[Scott Ryder G7]

As the others arrived, Scott refrained from returning any sort of greeting to those who chose to speak. Some chose to be quiet though, only adding to the awkwardness and mysteriousness of the entire thing. Again, he was at least relieved to be on the side of knowing what was going to happen and not the side that was wondering what to expect. Once everyone arrived, ironically excluding the new Slytherin prefect, Wynd started the ceremony of sorts. It was then that the boy, Brad Jones, came stumbling in.

Once Wynd had so eloquently announced their fate for the early morning get together, Scott decided this was his time to speak up. Surely the previous year initiates would remember that Scott had been the only one who chose to forego the streaking and decided to be the one to take the alternate consequence. "If you don't streak, you'll essentially be made to serve the rest of us when we get to the prefect bathroom." His voice held a sort of disdain and painful memory. Part of him wished he'd have just streaked in retrospect, but he had chosen his path and followed through with it. At least it was over for him. He was somewhat curious though to see which of the new prefects and Quidditch vice captains would streak and which would choose the route he had taken a year ago.

((Sorry for the delay... ))

[Theo Darke]

Oscar arrived. Theo forced his eyes to remain fixed on his candle. He felt his heart thump, the blood-rush loud in his ears. He forced his panic down. Eventually, when all the Prefects and Quidditch Captains had gathered in the Great Hall, Wynd began explaining the initiation process. Theo refrained a grimace at the sound of the task and the memory of his own experience last year. He hadn't found it embarrassing, because he wasn't self-conscious of his body, or a prude, but he felt the ceremony was pointless. It achieved nothing, proved nothing about your abilities as a prefect. When Wynd mentioned his name he started visibly, his knee jerking against the table and rattling the candlesticks. They wavered dangerously for a scared, tense moment, before rocking back to land on their bases. Theo's wide eyes turned on Wynd, and then the Slytherin apologised. Theo's expression of shock turned to one of annoyance and nonchalence, and after a quick harmless glare at Wynd, Theo looked away again. Normally he would've found the joke rather amusing, but he didn't like the situation they put themselves and the other Prefects in tonight. Theo wasn't in the mood for fun and games, he just wanted to get the evening over and done with. Theo's eyes began assessing each individual figure. He could tell none of them were jumping at the chance to streak naked. His eyes darted across Oscar carefully - not lingering for too long or too short a time to arouse suspicion from the others. Theo wanted to smile at his reassuring presence but suppressed the urge.

When Carson and Scott began joining in and backing up Wynd in forcing the boys to do the task, Theo felt more irritated than ever. He understood Carson's words, could see where Scott was coming from, but this was silly, this entire charade; how could Scott say that?! If it was up to Theo he would've scrapped this ceremony. But it wasn't up to him, and with an unhidden long-suffering sigh, Theo gazed each prefect in the eye and spoke calmly, slowly and reassuringly, knowing it was his turn to talk. "I know this does not sound ideal to you. I understand your reluctance, believe me - we all," he gestured at Wynd, Carson and Scott, "went through it last year. It's not a fun process, but it is necessary. It's one of your responsibilities as a Prefect, and once it's over you can forget about it." Theo stood up and tried a small, soothing smile. "The only way to get yourself through this is to think positively. Don't dread it. It can be fun, I suppose, if you think about it that way. We're all boys, it doesn't matter if you're naked. No one cares. You're all in the same boat. Try to see the humour in it." Theo felt rather hypocritical saying those words, but he knew it was the only way to make the others go through with the job. "There's no point dilly-dallying, Wynd," Theo cast a cursory glance at the Slytherin. "Let's get on with it. You all need to strip and give your clothes to Myrtle." Theo nodded and sent the ghost a small, appreciative smile. She giggled and Theo quickly moved away before she could start talking to him. "Well, Wynd, Carson, Scott and I will meet you at the bathroom. Good luck." Theo couldn't help his final gaze meeting Oscar's, appealing to him, calling to him, but the bond was snapped as he turned around and began walking to their destination. Theo didn't say anything to the other three boys; there was nothing to say. They finally reached the entrance and stood, waiting. It felt a little like eternity.

[Oscar Flynn G7]

Brad’s flailing arms and confused expression made Oscar frown, his brows creasing as he watched Jones. The kid seemed scared almost- was this meeting a bullying session? Oscar offered a hand to help the kid up from his place on the floor, but Brad ignored it, determined to regain his dignity by getting up himself. A shrug from Oscar concluded that greeting. He turned his attentions to Wynd- clearly the main guy in this- and bit his lip at the question of whether or not the Gryffindor and Slytherin boys wanted to know what was going on. “You bet.” Oscar muttered under his breath. Indeed, he was confused now. A secret ritual? It sounded odd, to say the least. He continued to listen with his lip tucked beneath his teeth. Wynd’s next words about kissing Theo caught him by surprise- he bit down hard on his lip before he could stop himself. The coppery taste of blood filled his mouth. Swallowing, he stared hard at the Slytherin boy before him- determined not to look at Theo. It had been a joke, a comment; a harmless dig at Theo. Their relationship was safe. However Oscar’s uneasiness returned before long. “Streak?!” his first word to Wynd’s description of what they were to do was full of surprise, his eyes widening. “B-but we, and you- you… how, but wait… what?” Truly, he was the bewildered one, not Boris.

A movement from the corner of Oscar’s eye alerted him to how Dylan was taking this. The Slytherin was acting as though the whole tradition was a joke and immediately Oscar knew that it would take a lot to get that snake out of his skin. Watching Dylan made him consider his own reaction. As he thought, Carson’s words reached his ears and he listened to them, recognising the tone of someone who knew what they were talking about and didn’t care who disagreed. As his mind processed Carson’s words it turned his opinion of the whole thing. This was supported by words spoken by the one boy Oscar had been trying to avoid thinking about just then- Theo. In that moment, Oscar decided. Theo wanted him to get this over with so he would. Despite his boyfriend’s positive words, Oscar knew that undertone that laced Theo’s words wasn’t as happy as he was making himself out to be. He nodded once Theo had finished speaking. “Okay.” A simple word of confirmation. The next few moments were full of movements- the boys who were not doing the ceremony made their way. In that last instant, Oscar kept his eyes on Theo and stared straight back into the Ravenclaw’s when the smaller boy turned. Oscar’s expression was amused, his eyes twinkling, laughter just behind his lips but not ready to be released. Before Theo even looked away Oscar brought his arms up and pulled off his jumper and top in one swift movement. Only once his toned torso (that Theo knew only too well) was revealed did Theo's gaze avert. Grinning, Oscar moved onto his socks as the Ravenclaw's retreating back moved further away. “C’mon then Caoimhe. Show a bit of skin.” The chuckle was released along with the button on his trousers.

[Edward Summers R6]

Ed stood quietly by, curiously wondering what the meeting was about. He had already noticed the trend, most of the boys were older Prefects, the others were all Quidditch Captains and Vice Captains. The only thing the two groups had in common were the Prefect bathrooms. As soon as everyone that was expected to arrive had the older Slytherin boy spoke. Ed remembered that the boy’s name was Wynd. Ed listened in stunned silence at Wynd’s words. Streaking? They had to streak across the school? What did this possibly have anything to do with being a prefect? Ed looked into the faces of all the other older prefects. He could understand a practical joke coming from a Slytherin, but the others weren’t from Slytherin, and they all were looking serious, some even looked like they didn’t enjoy this so much. Ed was about to protest but Oscar Flynn, a 6th year Gryffindor vice captain beat him to that punch. The boy only protested for a short while though and then, with a single word confirmation, began to take off his clothes. Ed sighed, if the older Gryffindor was able to do this, so was he. Reluctantly Ed began to remove his clothing.

A few minutes later Ed was racing down the hall, a swift breeze tickling him in ways it had never before. He couldn’t believe he was doing this, what had gone through his mind to actually allow this to happen? Ed wasn’t very athletic; he was tall, extremely skinny, and gangly. Embarrassment was a good motivator though and he raced down the halls like a pro athlete. Ed didn’t cheat in his run, although he wanted to, he took the long way to the Prefects bathroom’s like he was ordered. This path took him close to the classroom’s corridor. As luck would have it, a 4th year girl stepped out of one of the classrooms. Ed screeched to a halt, the girl froze in shock and surprise. Their eyes met for a few seconds, Ed’s blue orbs locked with her brown orbs. Many questions filtered through Ed’s mind, what was she doing out this late? He was about to ask her just than when suddenly her eyes lowered. Her scream still echoed in Ed’s ears as he took off down the hall at double speed. He was almost there; just around the next bend in the halls would lead him right to the appointed meeting spot.

[Wynd Lehane]

Wynd quickly looked back at the other students as he, Theo, Carson, and Scott made their way out of the Great Hall toward the fifth floor. He saw Brad looking confused but then saw Oscar and Edward begin to undress. No doubt unwilling to be shown up by a Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, Brad was quickly in his birthday suit as well. Wynd chuckled to himself. He remembered his experience well. He was the first to strip to nothing. He couldn't believe that Scott had not been willing to do it, that he would rather serve the other prefects and Quidditch captains at the party than streak. Streaking was easy, you just did it. Plus it was so late in the night, only a ghost would see you. Wynd looked back at his fellow sixth year prefects as they made their way to the bathroom. Scott seemed slightly amused, Carson seemed to be indifferent to the whole situation, but Theo seemed to be peeved off. "What's the problem Theo?" Wynd asked him as they continued to walk down the empty corridor, "You seem ticked off. Are you still mad at the cheap shot? I would've thought you would be happy to see boys naked," Wynd couldn't resist saying with a smirk. It was well known that Theo was gay. Wynd didn't have a problem with it. Whatever made him happy. But that didn't mean he was free from teasing.

Reaching Boris the Bewildered statue he and his fellow prefects waited for the others to reach the same spot. He wondered if any of them would not do it. Wynd was almost positive that Dylan would not do it. But then again, he couldn't see Dylan waiting hand and foot on them either. What about Brett Gowan the new Gryffindor prefect or PJ Harden the new Hufflepuff prefect? Wynd did not know whether they would do it. Wynd looked to the panel that was the door to the bathroom. He had already arranged with some of the castle's house elves to help them. Although if some of them did not streak then he could send some of the elves to bed. "Ocean Mist," he said to the panel and it slid open to reveal the bathroom. He peeked in and saw that the pool sized tub was full of water and bubbles from the many different faucets. He smiled at the house elves and the feast of midnight snacks that were waiting for them. Wynd brought himself back into the corridor and shut the panel. He looked back at his fellow cohorts. "Everything looks good," but his smile quickly faded as he looked at their faces. "Look, you don't have to stay if you don't want to. No one forced you to come tonight! It is one of the few nights that we forget about Houses and get on as friends. But no one if forcing you to attend to party. As soon as you tell your respective student the password you can leave." He looked at each of them in the eye and turned away. They weren't worth it.

[Carson McGreggor H6]

Carson wasn't sure what he thought about Wynd Lehane. He was the typical Slytherin, and his parents had probably been close friends before they had been sent to Azkaban. The boy was arrogant, always favored the Slytherins when on patrol, and gave other students a hard time. He was the only one who got pure enjoyment out of this initiation, simply because he loved to be naked. It was no secret. He seemed to hate the prison that was clothing, and he was sure his dorm mates had to suffer because of that odd liking of his. Not to mention he was in all aspects of the word, a bully. He wouldn't stop cracking jokes about poor Theo, who probably wanted nothing more than to be anywhere else but here. "Lehane, why don't you can it? Your immature comments are starting to get on my nerves. Let's just get to the bathroom and wait for the new guys." Carson said dryly and emotionlessly. He was sick and tired of Wynd stepping on other people because he felt he was better. Carson had always been known for his kindness, but at the same time, people knew not to mess with him. He worked out often, and had a lot of strength in him. Even though Wynd was arrogant and big-headed, Carson highly doubted Wynd would be stupid enough to challenge him. Especially now that Carson was without Casey on his side, he was even more irritable than ever.

He walked into the Prefect's bathroom, already completely used to the sight and smells of the place. This place had been his sanctuary ever since he became a prefect. The place was beautiful, but Carson was the kind of guy who liked his privacy though, so he tended to pick times when he knew no one was going to be there. It wasn't that he was self-consious or anything, and he really didn't have too many problems with having this party. In fact, he'd quite enjoyed it last year, even though he was a bit embarrassed. This year, he'd probably stay for ten minutes or so and get himself a good soak, but he wouldn't stay for long. He wasn't in the mood for fun and games and enjoyment. He walked over to the snack table and got himself a small handful of popcorn. "I don't mind staying for a bit, but I'm not exactly in the most joyous of moods. I won't stay long." Carson said in a tone of indifference. He really had no problems with these other prefects, even Wynd Lehane. He was annoying sometimes, but he had never done anything to personally offend Carson, so he was generally polite to the boy. "So who do you think is going to choose not to streak?"

[Theo Darke]

Theo looked at the Sixth Year male Slytherin prefect when he was addressed. A light scowl brought the edges of his lips down and showed clearly his disapproval. He bit back a snappy response, instead saying: "I'm fine. I'm tired and I want this over and done with, that's all. The joke was lame and I'm not in any mood to kid around." Theo's finger tapped his temple impatiently as they waited for the others to complete the task. "I'm not a pervert either, Wynd," he added darkly. Theo didn't like people messing with him if it was out of spite or at the expense of others. Humour needed to be used in suitable situations. "Sure," Theo replied listlessly at Wynd's comment. Secretly he thought it was more of a flowery excuse to poke fun at others, not for the all the houses to gather and be friends, but he clung to that positive note for tonight - otherwise he might not be here at all. Theo glanced at Scott and Carson's expression as Wynd dipped into the bathroom to make sure all was in place, noting that neither boy seemed in the mood to party either. When Wynd returned and Carson made the suggestion to go in and wait for the others there, Theo nodded and followed suit.

After thanking the house elves in a kindly manner for their help in organising the event, Theo looked around awkwardly, remembering his first experience of this the year before. At least he could opt out next year, so this would be his last time here, like this, with the others. He needed to make the most of it, and Oscar was here too, so why not enjoy himself? Without a word Theo pulled his shirt over his head, leaving him bare-chested; then off came his trousers, so he wore nothing but a pair of swimming trunks. Theo shot Wynd a withering look in case he wanted to say something witty. "Got to preserve some decency," he commented dryly with a feeling Carson's cynical, I-couldn't-care-less tone was rubbing off on him. Theo walked over to the baths and slipped into the warm water with a small smile, wading to the side and sitting there as the others tested the snacks. Theo had lost his appetite but he could at least savour the bubbles. At Carson's question Theo shrugged. "Edward," he stated after a thoughtful moment. "He's in Ravenclaw so I hope he does it and takes the so-called torch from my hands, but he's not the type to jump at the chance to streak." A humoured but good-natured smile perked at Theo's lips. "I'm sure the others will come round, especially with your inspiring words, Wynd," Theo jested with some amusement. He didn't like the Slytherin but they got on usually, and Theo couldn't hold a grudge for something so trivial. "Dylan, Oscar... they'll be fine."

[Oscar Flynn G7]

It wasn’t nearly as bad as he would have thought. Streaking, that is. In fact Oscar quite enjoyed it. He felt alive, full of adrenaline and movement, and oddly enough- love. Love for the houses at Hogwarts and this clearly demented tradition he was not part of. Love for the castle itself and the historical corridors he now sprinted through. His hands were covering himself from any eyes but the rest of Oscar was as naked as the day he had been born. And for some reason he did not care. He had heard a scream earlier, probably an indication that the Ravenclaw streak had had an audience. And yet Oscar was not worried about prying eyes himself. He flew through the halls and with every leap his grin grew- a result of the gasps that were erupting around him as the many portraits on the walls realised what was happening. But it didn’t matter to him. He was gone before any of the portraits could recognise him as ‘that naked Gryffindor vice’ or whatever it was they would call him. His speed and joy in the task he had been set made time fly by and before long he could see Wynd before him. No wonder Boris was Bewildered. He approached slowly with his hands still covering anything he really didn’t want on show. But apart from that, Oscar’s muscled torso and lean legs were on full view. And he didn’t mind. He had been told to do this- and what did he really have to be ashamed about? He had a good body (he knew Theo thought so) from the sports and exercise he did, and this was a task. A mission, if you will. If it embarrassed anyone else to see him so relaxed in his birthday suit then that was entirely their issue, not his.

“Wow.” He neared Wynd with a grin. “I can’t say I’ve done anything that… interesting in ages.” He laughed casually, disregarding the fact that he didn’t normally get on with the Slytherin. A voice in his head wondered if Wynd would remind himself that Oscar was a muggle-born tonight. “Where’s that ghost? Fun though this was, I wouldn’t mind my boxers back.” Oscar glanced around for Myrtle, ready to take his clothes and slip back into his jeans and pants. “If she’s taken them…” It wasn’t long before everything from below his belly-button to his ankles were covered in his clothes, although Oscar’s chest was still bare. Once prepared he turned to Edward with a grin. “Have fun mate?” He didn’t know the boy well and wondered how he had taken the sprint. There was still no sign of Caoimhe, but Oscar was not surprised at that in the slightest. The boy just didn’t have the guts, he guessed. Shame really but couldn’t be helped. “So, Ryder. Where’s this magical rave being held?” He cast about as if waiting for a door to appear, knowing that he would need the password first. He couldn't see Theo and oddly enough missed him. He wanted to share the experience he had just had with his boyfriend. A nagging in his mind reminded him that they would not be alone tonight- it would be difficult to talk to Theo as he wanted to.

[Edward Summers R6]

Panting Ed reached the statue where the streakers were supposed to meet with their respective house Prefects. Ed was used to running, there had been many times that he had been running late for class, but he had never ran as hard or fast as he had run this night. He wasn’t athletic, his body wasn’t designed for this amount of athleticism, already he could feel the muscles in his legs growing sore, tomorrow would be a painful day. Ed came to a stop and quickly doubled over, grasping his knees as he tried to catch his breath. He tried to speak, but at the moment the extra breath for that was having a hard time entering his lungs. The Gryffindor Vice Captain, Oscar was his name if Ed remembered correctly, was barely breathing hard and talking easily with Wynd, the Slytherin Prefect. With an effort Ed straightened up and started to get a handle on his breathing, he may not be as athletic as all the Quidditch players out here, but still he didn’t want to have the gap between them this visible. Ed was glad when he was reunited with his clothes and nearly overbalanced as he danced around on one foot trying to get his pants back on.

Ed could feel his skin starting to grow cool again as the embarrassment of standing around naked disappeared when he secured his pants on his body once again. He turned curiously as someone spoke to him and noticed it was Oscar, he couldn’t help but chuckle. “Fun isn’t exactly the word I would use in this situation.” Ed turned and glanced back down the hall, “Though I hope that girl isn’t too traumatized.” A funny thought struck him and he actually laughed. “Though I doubt she will walk the corridors after dark again.” Ed turned back to face Oscar. Oscar had put on everything except his shirt, leaving his toned and muscled chest bare. This brought his own attention down to his own scrawny torso and all the old insecurities came flooding back. As Oscar turned away to ask about the bathroom Edward hastily started to throw his shirt back on but went about the task too exuberantly and wound up bunching the shirt up too much and getting it stuck around his head. “Oh no…” He mumbled, which came out slightly muffled from under the shirt. He tugged, trying to get the shirt unstuck but was having no luck at all aside from yanking himself off balance.

[Theo Darke]

The water was warm and it made Theo want to fall asleep. It seemed like an eternity, as they waited for the others to arrive. Theo inwardly hoped Moaning Myrtle would behave herself. She had taken quite a shine to Theo the year previous and he still felt rather conscious of it, even if it did amuse him. He hoped Myrtle wouldn't try to do the same to Oscar, however humorous that would also be. In terms of the actual task, Theo was quite sure his boyfriend would find it fun and exhilerating rather than worrying, knowing Oscar. Silly, competitive streak, that was. Theo smirked at the thought.

Like Theo had said, Oscar had done fine. He walked through the door about five minutes since Theo had stepped into the bath, and subtly inclining his head towards Oscar, Theo motioned towards himself so his boyfriend would join him. Theo waited patiently for Oscar to eventually make his way over and resisted a broadening grin when he stripped his shirt off for the entire world to view that extremely familiar chest (to Theo anyway). He didn't feel particularly protective of Oscar; after all, Theo was pretty sure no one else here had any gay inclincations (Scott, obviously didn't...), and he was more proud than possessive. Oscar slipped to the opposite end of the large bath, but Theo eventually waded over to him slowly, making it seem like he was trying to strike up a friendly conversation with him. He kept his voice low as the other prefects chatted by the food table. "Hey, well done," Theo flashed a cheeky grin. "How was it?" After Oscar's reply he nodded and, settling beside Oscar, let his hand dangle along the edge of Oscar's side under the water and bubbles. "I think we're going to have to make a trip to his prefect bathroom some other night... alone." Theo couldn't resist a chuckle and waited to see if Oscar could control himself in front of the others.

[Oscar Flynn G7]

Edward was a sweet kid and Oscar instantly grew to like him in the way that an older brother would. He couldn’t help it. The boy’s tone was a little breathy and Oscar was reminded of his own less-than-athletic state not so long ago. It had only been recently that Oscar had started running properly and taking good care of his body in most aspects, exempting his odd cigarette and alcoholic drink. Despite the age gap between the Ravenclaw and Oscar being just one year, Oscar felt quite a bit older than the other boy. Again he was reminded of himself as the Ravenclaw seemed to have a fight with his own shirt. Chuckling lightly, Oscar led the way into the bathroom after receiving the password. He smiled as he stepped over the threshold and into the room- the smell that greeted him was magic. It began like this but as he stepped further into the bathroom the smell seemed to evolve. If Oscar wanted to smell hot toast then that would be the scent in the air. If he wanted to smell that familiar scent of a certain boy’s hair then that would be the only smell reaching his nostrils. As Oscar threw his clothes nearby and nodded a welcome to the other boys in the bathroom, he stepped away from Edward and forgot about the other boys in the task that night.

His reasons for forgetting were simple- he had seen that nod from Theo, beckoning him to his half of the large, bubbly bath. Ahh… what could be? If the others weren’t here? Oscar found it difficult to keep a grin from his face and to hide it had to pretend to cough, his lips contorting and his eyes twinkling. Purposely being disobedient he turned from Theo and stepped into the water on the opposite end of the pool-like bath. Once there he ignored his boyfriend completely for fear of laughing out loud- there was hardly a reason for this, merely amusement caused by the silence in the air, the odd array of boys at the bathroom tonight. He could hardly ignore Theo when he came over, however. This was obvious and Oscar turned to face the Ravenclaw with his dark eyes bright, the corners of his mouth twitching ever so slightly. “Ah, Darke. What a surprise to see you here…” The words came from his mouth in a deeper tone than normal and Oscar’s face held an almost serious, professor-like expression as he looked at Theo before answering his question with a short answer. “Most enjoyable… really, I don’t see why the whole school doesn’t partake in this event.” The mental image of Argus Filch running around starkers was almost too much.

Oscar’s serious mask was shattered as he felt something on his side. A touch, ever so light. Gently caressing the skin there, Theo’s fingertips clearly didn’t know how much they were teasing Oscar. “Umm…” He groaned ever so quietly and his eyes widened a little. Indeed, he was surprised at Theo’s boldness. The words that followed the movements made him bite his lip in his familiar habit. “Excuse me, Darke…” In a swift movement Oscar leaned over Theo, breaking the contact between his fingers and Oscar’s skin. He leant over his boyfriend and pretended to check something on the other side of Theo from where he sat; something in the tiles, it might have seemed to be. As he did this his chest was almost touching Theo’s and when he turned slowly to move back, their faces were extremely close for just one quick second- hopefully too quick for the other boys to suspect anything. Their arms brushed in the movement and it was enough to feel Theo’s breath against his lips. Once back in his original position Oscar cleared his throat to hide a chuckle and nudged Theo’s hand with his leg underneath the water, waiting for the gentle caressing of his side to resume.

((Ah, I broke the rules and posted three paragraphs. Bite me. :3 ))