Chapter 14

Hu Yetao stared down at the floor as he quietly walked up the staircase to his dorm room, unable to keep the tiny smile off his face. He was still full of the pleasant liquid warmth of Oscar's goodnight kiss at the portrait hole, not to mention the wired after-effects of such an emotional evening. Oscar's secret was nothing compared to the daunting task of trying to befriend Wang Xiaochen and Shui Xian though.

Hu Yetao's smile widened as an image of Oscar's Nundu form came to mind; something about the proud, handsome animal was so captivating and comforting all at once. He wasn't frightened or repulsed by this side of Oscar at all, and he wondered if it was his exposure to Tian Langxing in his animal form that made it so easy and natural for him to be completely okay with it.

Hu Yetao opened the dorm room door and headed for his waiting bed. He suddenly felt extraordinarily tired and wanted nothing more than to crawl between his soft flannel sheets and fall asleep - a part of him already itching to see Oscar again in the morning.

"Where have you been then?"

Hu Yetao startled out of his thoughts and looked up. "Zhang Xinyao, what are you doing still awake?"

Zhang Xinyao was sitting cross-legged in his pajamas in the center of his bed, wand in hand, the glowing tip illuminating his face in the darkened room. "Waiting to make sure you weren't dead. Where did you go?"

Hu Yetao avoided his narrowed eyes as he began to get undressed next to his bed. "I told you I was meeting up with Oscar."

"Yeah, but you failed to mention the fact that you would be leaving school grounds."

Hu Yetao's eyes snapped up. "How did you…" he trailed off as he suddenly noticed a large familiar map unfolded across Zhang Xinyao's lap. "You were spying on me?"

"Why would you leave Hogwarts?" Zhang Xinyao asked, ignoring the question.

Hu Yetao roughly pulled on his pajama bottoms, a hot prickle of irritation running under his skin. "Because I was meeting his parents, and as his father is currently under house arrest, I can hardly meet them at Madam Shan Nian's now can I?" he snapped back.

Zhang Xinyao frowned. "You should've told us, Hu Yetao, just in case something happened. Can you trust the Wangs?"

Hu Yetao took a deep breath and tried to calm his hot temper, which felt hotter than usual at the disparaging remarks cast towards the Wangs; who were now, in essence, his new family. "Yes Zhang Xinyao, I can trust them. I'm bonding with their son and will be producing heirs so they're not likely to murder me in my sleep now are they?"

Zhang Xinyao shuffled over to hang his legs off the side of the bed, leaning forward on his hands towards Hu Yetao as he buttoned up his top with jerky fingers. "Did you sleep with him?"

"Zhang Xinyao!" Hu Yetao exclaimed, whirling to face him. He glanced towards the other sleeping occupants of the room and quickly cast a wandless privacy spell. "That is none of your fucking business."

Zhang Xinyao had the decency to look slightly abashed. "It's just… er, you reek of him. That's all. Sorry, I didn't mean it like that."

Hu Yetao took a moment to climb into bed and under the covers while he tried to compose himself. He held out a hand for the Marauder's Map and Zhang Xinyao dutifully passed it over, looking at a loss now that he'd started the conversation. Hu Yetao sighed as he tucked his precious map into the bedside table and then folded his hands in his lap; he was much too tired for this conversation; a conversation in which he had to watch what he said and hide things from his best friend.

"It was fine Zhang Xinyao, I'm fine," he said, looking over. "It was really good to be able to talk without worrying about another student or professor catching us."

Zhang Xinyao nodded, looking slightly less worried. "So… his parents were… happy to see you?" he hedged.

Hu Yetao couldn't help but laugh hollowly as he shook his head. "No. Oscar didn't even warn them that it was me who he was bringing back as his intended mate. Once they were over the shock, it… er, went a bit better. I think it'll be fine. Eventually."

Zhang Xinyao's mouth lifted on one side as he looked back at him with amusement in his eyes. "Must've been strange though?"

"Being in the Manor or making nice with Wang Xiaochen and Shui Xian?" Hu Yetao asked, irritation giving way to reluctant amusement.

"Both," Zhang Xinyao snorted, causing Hu Yetao to smile.

"Yeah, it was. We weren't in… we were in different rooms, ones I hadn't seen before," Hu Yetao replied carefully. "I think Xiaochen will be the hard one to win over but…" he trailed off with a shrug then covered a huge, jaw-cracking yawn.

Zhang Xinyao sat back in his bed. "Looks like he wore you out," he teased with a raised brow. "I'll let you get some sleep."

Hu Yetao removed his glasses and set them aside before sliding down into his warm bedclothes and tucking his hands neatly under his pillow.

"Don't forget it's Jing Long's birthday tomorrow," Zhang Xinyao reminded them from his bed.

Hu Yetao opened his eyes. "Oh yeah, I almost forgot. I got him a book of course," he added with a sleepy grin.

"Me too," Zhang Xinyao chuckled.

Hu Yetao looked at the blurry outline of his friend, considering. "Do you care what the outcome is for him?" he finally asked curiously, because they'd never spoken about the awkward dance Zhang Xinyao and Jing-Long had been doing for the past eight years and he truly didn't know where Zhang Xinyao stood on the whole Omega versus Beta issue. Zhang Xinyao was from a pureblood family but they were the furthest thing from traditional.

"Er not really," Zhang Xinyao replied uncomfortably. "I came into my Alpha inheritance and I still uh, feel the same about him."

Hu Yetao smiled into his pillow. He was happy for his friends, especially now that he had someone to call his own as well. "Are you going to tell him that one day?"

"Fuck off," Zhang Xinyao retorted and Hu Yetao could hear the grin in his voice. "When are you going to tell Lita Sijíte that you're an Omega?"

Hu Yetao sighed and rolled onto his back. "I'm not telling that witch anything, but I guess starting tomorrow Oscar and I will… stop hiding."

Zhang Xinyao whistled as he deftly flicked off his Lumos. "There is going to be some serious backlash from you being with Wang Xioachen's son. It's a good thing we have all the same classes tomorrow."

"Yeah…" Hu Yetao replied with a sleepy frown, already on the edge of drifting off. He pushed one hand out from under the covers and canceled the privacy charm before promptly falling asleep.