Lifeboat
Marvin tended to overthink a lot, that’s just how he was.
He wasn’t blind, not by a long shot. And when he saw Whizzer slowly get more and more distracted, zoning out and not engaging in conversations as much as he used to, he got worried.
He was currently watching Whizzer from the stands of the Quidditch pitch, watching as Whizzer idly tossed a ball with a teammate, not really invested in the action. Cordelia and Charlotte were sitting beside him, talking loudly and cuddling up together like the adorable couple they were.
Meanwhile, Marvin worried his lip in between his teeth, studying the way Whizzer moved. The past few months had been amazing, and he didn’t want to say he was in love, because he was still young and stupid, but god he was so glad he had Whizzer. Just seeing the boy, watching him smile, it made Marvin so much happier.
But recently, Whizzer had been distracted, reading some weird books in the library and refusing to share with Marvin, disappearing at obscure times with no excuse. Even now, in practice when Whizzer was normally so alive, he looked off. His aim slightly off and his reaction time dulled.
He was so focused on Whizzer that he didn’t even notice the Gryffindor sitting next to him. Looking over, he relaxed when he saw it was only Jensen. Ever since Whizzer befriended the kid, Marvin and the others kind of adopted him.
Marvin liked the kid, sure he was a bit jealous at first, watching Jensen interact with Whizzer. The two were close, and Marvin was actually worried that Jensen was in love with Whizzer or something stupid like that, but the feeling was gone. They were both just tactile people, Marvin was too so he understood.
“Hey.” He greeted, scooting over to give the kid room. “Came to watch the competition?”
It was no secret that despite being good friends, the Gryffindor and Slytherin were competitive as hell. The amount of times he watched Cordelia flop down on the ground beside him and complain about those knuckleheads doing something stupid was a lot.
“Nah, just saw you here and you looked like you were thinking too hard so I came to snap you out of it.” Jensen replied with a cheeky grin. Marvin glared at him, but there was no heat under it.
“Just thinking.” Marvin grumbled.
“Thinking is overrated old man, I don’t understand why you do it.” Jensen groaned dramatically.
“I’m only a year older than you.” Marvin said, frowning at him. “So who you calling old man?”
“You,” Jensen said. “You’re like a thousand years old’s but just in a 17-year-old body. Your as old as Dumbledore.”
Marvin scoffed, but didn’t respond, his eyes wandering back to Whizzer.
“Troubles in paradise?” Jensen asked softly, following his eyes. “You’ve noticed it too?”
Marvin looked over at him in surprise. “I didn’t think anyone else realized.” He admitted.
“He keeping zoning out in class, which isn’t something he does. I’m worried.” Jensen said, his eyes on Whizzer.
Marvin hummed. “We’ll have to keep an eye on him then. You and me, see how long we can keep it up before Whizzer catches on and hex’s us.”
Jensen laughed. “I give it two days most.” Then he stood up, brushing off his robes. “I got to go now, schoolwork you know? Nice talking to you old man.”
“See you later boyo.” He called out, laughing when Jensen stuck his tongue out at him.
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“Whizzer, your nails are wet why the hell are you reading a book?” Marvin asked, watching as his boyfriend, who’s nails were painted deep green after a particular Hufflepuff insisted, was flipping a page to a book effortlessly.
“I know what I’m doing Marv.” Whizzer scoffed, proving the point by flipping the page again and pointedly not getting any of the wet polish on the book.
“Your insane.” Marvin said, tearing his attention away from Whizzer’s hands and back to the work in front of him.
“Probably.” Whizzer muttered, and Marvin resisted the urge to smile. They studied for a few more minutes completely silent.
“What’s the difference between regular mint and peppermint?” Whizzer asked, breaking the silence.
Marvin blinked. “That’s the stupidest question I have every heard.” He said, looking up at Whizzer, who only raised an eyebrow. “But it’s completely valid, what is the difference?”
And just like that all homework was abandoned and they searched the library for the answer to the world most meaningless question. They never found it. They settled back down after an hour, laughing about how they just completely wasted half their night, and Marvin was content. No one was around, so Whizzer was leaning up against him, his head resting on Marvin's shoulder. He was looking up at Marvin with those beautiful brown eyes, gazing softly at him and smiling gently. Marvin's heart swelled with emotion, looking down at Whizzer who's guard was down, for once they were both relaxed, open, and happy. The moment was tender, sweet, when suddenly Whizzer just stopped.
Whizzer looked around, looking suddenly worried and on edge and Marvin frowned. “Whiz?” He asked carefully, and Whizzer shook his head, smiling at him.
“I’ll be right back.” He said, sitting up and suddenly hurrying from the room, ignoring as Marvin called after him. Biting his lip, Marvin pushed the confusion and worry down, sitting at the table and waiting for Whizzer to come back.
He never did.
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A week later, they found themselves sneaking into the Slytherin common room, ducking into Whizzers room and cuddling up together by the window. The water outside was murky and dark, but Marvin could just barely make out the outlines of the various creatures living down there.
“The highlight is when the squid will swim by, all the students will line up at the windows to wave at him.” Whizzer muttered into Marvin’s hair. Marvin hummed, still not totally convinced there was a squid in the lake. How did it even get there? He shook the thoughts away trying to focus on Whizzer, who had been off lately.
“What’s been on you mid lately Whiz?” Marvin asked after a moment. “Your distracted.”
Whizzer was silent. “I’ve just been tired.” He said, and Marvin knew it was a lie. Could tell by the sound of his voice, the pause, the way Whizzer tensed up behind him.
“Okay.” Marvin replied, and Marvin knew that they were both lying. Because nothing about this was okay. But Marvin had to learn how to give Whizzer his room, if he pushed it would do nothing but push Whizzer away. Whizzer was secretive, always had, always will be. It annoyed Marvin sometimes, he wanted to know everything about the boy, get to know every crack and surface of him, but Whizzer wouldn't let him. But they were trying, both of them were trying so hard to make allowances so that this relationship would work.
Their relationship was built on trust, on patience and care. Marvin couldn’t break that. He needed Whizzer too much to jeopardize it.
So they laid there, content in each other arms, thinking about two widely separate things.
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Marvin could tell something was wrong, and not just with Whizzer this time. There was a general buzz around the school, everyone was uneasy and off. The nervous energy was overwhelming, and everything was off kilter. Spells wouldn’t work properly, like something was blocking them from working, and students that were normally really good in school suddenly found it hard to concentrate, like there was a cloud over everyone’s mind.
Whizzer got even worse since whatever this was started. He would skip meals, going off and refusing to tell Marvin where, closing off and being more snappy than normal. He was moody and unreceptive, not letting Marvin talk to him and shutting himself away in his room to do work.
Jensen often hung out with Marvin, and they both tried to keep the others mind off Whizzer, even though they both voiced their concern over Whizzers spiral. But Marvin noticed something else.
Jensen was acting weird lately too, more tired and sluggish but trying to pretend like he wasn’t. Marvin couldn’t help but be slightly concerned about the younger boy, who had sort of become one of his closer friends in a short amount of time.
They were currently sitting in the library together, doing their homework with each other because Whizzer skipped out on them, again. Normally the three of them would meet up on weekends, to go over notes and just study, despte Marvin being in a higher year. It was there time to just hang out and relax, ask meaningless questions and do stupid things for the sake of science.
Marvin looked the younger boy over, noticing the eye bags and pale skin.
“Are you okay?” He asked, and Jensen looked up to him in surprise.
“I don’t think so Marvin.” Jensen whispered after a moment, and Marvin’s heart clenched. “Some things off recently, something shifted and it feels like all my energy is slowly being sucked out of me. Like a parasite or something, but nothings wrong. I’ve noticed some other students feel this way too, it’s worrying me.”
Marvin processed that for a moment, he had noticed some of his peers showing the same symptoms, but he didn’t pay them much attention, more worried about his boyfriend and Jensen. “I’ll research it.” He decided, like that would do anything to help. “See if I could find a cause.”
Jensen smiled weakly at him. “Thanks.” He said, and they were going back to work, pretending like nothing happened.
Marvin knew that nothing would change, that simply him searching for an answer would not somehow cure his friend of whatever was bothering him. But Marvin would try, because he felt useless otherwise, watching his friends slowly sink into a pool of darkness without anyways to help him back to the surface. He was at a loss here, his boyfriend was avoiding him, lying and sneaking around and being overall worrying. And now one of his friends admitted to suffering, to knowing something was wrong but having no way to tell what it was or how to stop it. Marvin was helpless, useless. But he would try god damn it, because he thought he would go insane if he didn't.
Whizzer joined them an hour late, giving no excuse but simply snuggling up to Marvin, tucking his head in the crook of Marvin's neck and just staying there, hsi breath warm against Marvin's skin. Marvin tried to pretend he wasn't worried, that he didn't have anxiety bubbling under his skin as he thought about whatever was causing this all. Instead, he wrapped an arm and around and kept studying.
Weeks later Marvin was sitting at dinner, Whizzer actually showing up for the first time in days. Cordelia was bitching about getting Whizzer to eat more food "You look like a broomstick!" and Marvin was watching them interact, with Cordelia threatening to shove a spoon down his throat and Whizzer looking tired but happier than Marvin had seen him in ages. Suddenly a Gryffindor burst into the room, panicked and screaming.
“Help! Someone please help!” She screamed, tears running down her face, Whizzer, being at the end of the table, jumped up immediately and ran to her, stopping her for a moment to talk before dashing out of the door.
Marvin was following once he unfroze himself, chasing after Whizzer as he heard some Hufflepuff students start comforting the distressed Gryffindor.
“Whizzer?” He called, trying to find his idiotic boyfriend.
He heard Whizzer cry out, and he couldn’t tell if it as surprise or pain and he ran towards it, his heart thudding as he dashed around the corner before stopping in shock.
Whizzer was kneeling on the ground, fear evident in his normally stoic face and Marvin saw tears swimming in his eyes. He was kneeling beside Jensen, who was laying on the ground, eyes closed and pale.
“He’s not waking up Marvin, he’s alive but he’s not waking up.” Whizzer whispered, hysteria entering his voice. “Get the headmaster, Madame Pomfrey, Snape, whoever. Just get him help.”
But Marvin was frozen, staring at the sight, his heartbeat echoing in his head. Jensen looked dead, pale and limp on the floor as Whizzer clutched him, holding him like if he let go Jensen would fade away. Marvin watched in horror as Whizzer grabbed Jensen and pulled him up, cradling him in his arms like somehow a hug could bring him back.
“Help!” Whizzer screamed instead, his voice hoarse and desperate. “Somebody help!”