#combefferre

“Where haveyou been all day?” they lament, despite having passed some absolutely wonderfulsun-drenched hours doing nothing. “You both just abandoned me.”

Courfeyrac makesa loud noise of protest, shaking his head so a ripple of metamorphmagus’ magicflows through it to make it curl up higher. “We were not abandoning you.”

“I wastutoring,” Combeferre says.

“And I actually had class,” Courf teases,giving a tug on one of Jehan’s ankles.

“Why won’tyou just let me be dramatic for a while?” Jehan complains good-naturedly. “There’sno need to be so reasonable. Uncalled for.”

“Now that is insulting,” Courfeyrac exclaims.

Combeferrelaughs but to Jehan’s surprised delight Courfeyrac suddenly rises to his feet,jumping up on the edge of the fountain with a flourish.

“You!” heraises his voice, breaking in harshly on the afternoon tranquillity. “Ichallenge you to a duel! Let us cross wands!”

“What?”Combeferre laughs, looking up at him.

“A duel!”Courfeyrac repeats. “To prove our deep, passionate, dramatic affection for this dear creature!”

Jehan sitsup with a delighted laugh, but Combeferre doesn’t look terribly impressed.

“Noduelling on school grounds outside of classes,” he says meaningfully. “Madame Maximewill have you cleaning the stables for weeks.“ He grins. “Unless, of course,you do it at midnight on the stargazing roof. That’s practically tradition bynow. Is that what you want?”

Courfeyraclooks just a little nervous now. Combeferre is an excellent charm caster.

“No,” Jehanlaughs. “Have a proper magic duel.Entertain me. Dazzle me!”

Combeferrelooks at them with puzzled curiosity, but Courfeyrac catches on immediately.

“Nowthere’s a thought!” he grins, jumping down. He starts swirling his wand in acircular motion, faint flickering flames starting to trail from the tip. “Bestdisplay of magic wins. Jehan’s choice. What do you say, Ferre?”

By way ofan answer, Combeferre takes out his wand as well. “I don’t think if this shouldbe called a ‘proper’ duel,” he says conversationally, shaking a flurry ofsparks from his wand. “This is more of a matched demonstration of skill.”

“Nodistracting Courf with sexy pedantry,” Jehan scolds, pulling their legs in across-legged position.

“Who’sdistracted?” Courfeyrac winks and a ring of bright fire spins away from hiswand, cartwheeling past Jehan and towards Combeferre.

He doesn’ttry to dispel it, merely stepping to the side and waving a cloud of blue sparkstowards it. The ring topples sideways and Jehan’s eyes widen in delight. Forjust a moment the ring looks like a flaming galaxy surrounded by fiery bluestars and then all the fireworks flicker out.

“Oh weshould have done this at night,” they sigh. “A tie!” they add insistently.“It’s a tie.”

“How dareyou,” Courfeyrac laughs and he raises his wand. “Avis!”

His wandspits out five little birds, that could have been sparrows if not for theirbrightly coloured feathers. Jehan squeals as they frolic through the air,making three rounds above their head before dissipating in a puff of downyfeathers.

“Your move,Ferre.” Courfeyrac looks smug, Jehan loves his expression when he’s triumphant,no matter what face he’s wearing.

“Is it?”Combeferre raises his wand up far higher than Courfeyrac did and at first Jehancan’t even see what the energy of his conjuration is forming. When they do see,they gasp. A large, glossy black raven comes soaring down, swooping around thethree of them in a wide circle.

Jehan holdsout their hand and the bird draws near to land on their wrist. As soon as theweight of the claws touches their skin it lets out a single croak and vanishes,making Jehan let out a mournful sound in response.

They lookup. “Coco, I adore you, but the raven— the raven wins.”

Combeferregrins. “Play to your audience, Courf,” he says casually, putting his wand away.

Courfeyrac’seyes glint. “Oh really? Jehan, come here. I have something to say that willchange your mind.”

Jehan is athis side in two seconds, fully expecting to get something whispered in theirear, but they weren’t prepared for the wand tapping against their messy bun ofhair.

“Colovaria.”

Jehan canfeel the magic rippling through their hair and in their peripheral vision, oneloose lock that’s tumbled down their face colours from auburn to pink.

“Oh!” theygasp, hastily loosening their hair. “Oh I can’t quite see!” They have alwaysenvied the tricks Courfeyrac can do with his hair.

“Ferre,”they plead, glancing up at him. “Can you do the thing with the water? So I cansee?”

“Emotionalmanipulation, Courf,” Combeferre says accusingly, but readily taking out hiswand again and pointing it at the pool-like basin of the fountain.

“Justplaying to my audience,” Courfeyrac singsongs, wrapping one arm tightly aroundJehan’s waist in a short hug.

“Hmhm,”Combeferre hums meaningfully and Jehan laughs admiringly at him as the ripplesin the water slow down under his wand until it’s a still, shining surface.Nearly a perfect mirror.

“You’re so good at that,” Jehan says, pullingaway from Courfeyrac to lean over the water and admire their hair. They breatheout a delighted sound. Their hair is all streaked with pink and purple. It’salready colouring back to red at the edges, but the colours almost seem to movethrough their hair when they shake it, just like Courf’s does. It clashesterribly with their own hair colour and doesn’t match the blue school uniformat all. It’s lovely.

“You both win,” Jehan declares, whirlingaround to face them. “Come here.”

They pressa kiss on Courfeyrac’s cheek, making his skin flush warm. “And you.” They jump upon the edge of the fountain to be tall enough to plant a kiss on Combeferre’sforehead. He smiles, and they both raise a hand to help jump them down again.

Jehan linkseach of their arms through one of theirs, shaking their head to see the coloursof their hair dancing past their face. They beam. “What an excellent duel.”