For their first Christmas properly together, Kaizo can't deny he'd had significantly more spending-time-together-with-Ramen in mind as they prepared for the winter holiday.

It came as only a small surprise that Ramen's grandparents would be staying over this Christmas, though Kaizo held nothing against them. The house was plenty big for more guests, and who was he to spite a couple of elderly parents for visiting their daughter.

So when they arrive at the little house, blanketed thinly with falling snow, Ramen's hand in his, all he muses is how it's become more of a home for him than anything else, and he finally has two whole weeks to spend it in the company of his dearest beloved.

-

This impression lasts approximately five minutes before he meets Ramen's grandparents. They make a beeline for their grandson, having already greeted their daughter, and Ramen accepts their heavy embraces good-naturedly.

His grandmother pulls away only to remark on how tall he's grown, to which Maggi credits her husband. Ramen ducks his head to allow his grandmother to ruffle his hair, and grins as she tells Maggi to be proud of her son.

Sooner than later, though, his grandfather turns to Kaizo, skeptical.

"Who's this?" he asks, tone sharp but not rude.

"Oh- this is my-"

"Brother," Maskmana cuts him off before he can finish. "From school."

There's an impish grin playing across his lips and Ramen casts him a dirty look.

"Friend," Ramen corrects, and Kaizo shares his pain as he cringes in embarrassment.

Maskmana simply laughs, and Ramen's grandfather shrugs in acknowledgement, the suspicion dispelling from his face.

Ramen proceeds to question them on their own welfare, as a good grandson does, and they respond positively, apparently pleased with his manners and concern.

They let him go, after that, only to settle down and unpack his trunk, and Kaizo follows him to his bedroom. He sits down on the bed as Ramen spreads his things out on the floor.

"So," he says after a beat. "I'm guessing we're not going to be kissing under the mistletoe anytime soon."

Ramen cracks a grin at the irony, but Kaizo is only half-joking. He shifts over to the edge of the bed, closer to the blond.

"It'll be fine... We're sleeping in the same room, again, anyway," Ramen points out.

"With Pang," Kaizo reminds.

Ramen falters. "Right..."

As if on cue, the seven-year-old comes bounding up the stairs and dashes into the bedroom, narrowly avoiding trampling all over Ramen's unpacked clothes. Kaizo grimaces.

"Maggi said to come down and eat," he chirps.

Ramen and Kaizo exchange a single silent look before Ramen straightens, getting up, and Kaizo follows him out the door to the dining room.

-

"You, boy, what's your name?"

It takes Kaizo a moment to acknowledge that he's been addressed.

"Kaizo," he answers quickly, and Ramen's grandfather narrows his eyes.

"What do your parents do?"

Kaizo goes silent.

"His parents are dead," Ramen supplies quickly, and his grandmother gasps.

"It's fine," Kaizo shakes his head. "It's been five years..."

"Losing his parents at such a young age..." she shakes her head, sympathetic, and Kaizo isn't sure why he feels a twinge of annoyance.

Perhaps because he's had the same conversation - oh, he doesn't know - maybe a thousand times before.

"People have been dying awfully frequently, recently," Maskmana notes quietly, and the atmosphere around the table is tense.

Ramen's grandfather apparently feels bad for the shift in mood, and attempts to break it by asking,

"What are you planning to become, Kaizo?"

Kaizo pauses. "An Auror, hopefully."

It won't be easy but he's going to get his revenge on the Death Eaters who killed his parents if it's the last thing he does.

Ramen's grandfather appears confused and Maggi clears her throat.

"They fight the evil wizards, Father," she explains, and he nods.

Thankfully, they do not address Kaizo again.

Unfortunately, they do talk to Ramen. A lot. The rest of the meal and the next few hours into the evening are spent interrogating Ramen on his hobbies, studies, friends, and lifestyle. Kaizo ends up going to bed instead of lingering around, listening to them converse.

He's laying on the mattress, staring up at the ceiling in the dark, as Pang sleeps soundly, and wonders when Ramen is going to join him.

When the door finally cracks open, light from the hallway spilling into the room, he's already asleep. Ramen tiptoes around his cluttered belongings and slides into bed, leaning over to press a light kiss to Kaizo's forehead.

Kaizo stirs just barely in his sleep.

-

The next few days are caught up in cleaning and decorating the house, and catching up on years' worth of memories with Ramen and his very curious grandparents.

Kaizo sits on a rug casting feeble charms to entertain Pang and his cat, half tuning in to the conversation at the couch.

"Are you seeing a girl?"

The question catches his attention and his eyes flick up to meet Ramen's, whose expression barely shifts as he curtly shakes his head.

"Such a shame," his grandmother clicks her tongue. "A fine young man, and an eligible one at that."

Kaizo coughs quietly, and Pang looks up at him curiously. He dismisses his brother, finally allowing him to take his wand and attempt to cast a spell of his own. It results in a single spark emitting from the wand, and Pang deflates, disappointed, and turns his attention back to the cat.

-

Ramen and Kaizo manage to retire to the bedroom earlier that night, but Pang is sitting cross-legged on his bed, drawing on a spare bit of parchment. Ramen sits down next to Kaizo, close enough that their knees touch, and brushes their shoulders together.

Kaizo gazes at his brother, mouth twisted in annoyance, and Ramen brushes a lock of hair out of his face, tucking it behind his ear, allowing a small smile.

"Someone's cross," he teases, and Kaizo makes a disgruntled sound.

"What's the point of winter break if we're never going to catch a break," Kaizo sighs. "We had more chances at Hogwarts to catch a moment together than here."

"Soon," Ramen promises, then takes a chance and darts forward to kiss Kaizo's nose.

Kaizo doesn't jerk back, and Pang's eyes lift from his parchment in curiosity. Kaizo silently curses him.

"What are you looking at?" he snaps.

"When are you going to sleep?" his brother asks, eyes drooping.

He yawns, and Kaizo finds himself holding back a yawn, too. He leans over, coincidentally against Ramen's shoulder, and Ramen casually wraps an arm around him, pulling him just a bit closer.

It's not cuddling, but it's the best he can get so far, as Ramen presses a kiss to the top of his head, and he snuggles closer against his chest until Pang demands the lights be turned off.

-

Kaizo is genuinely on the verge of snapping when they tuck in on Christmas night. The meal is fabulous, as to be expected from Maggi's cooking, and the atmosphere in the room is comfortably content after a few glasses of muggle spirits are passed around the table. Some cheesy Yuletide music plays, and Ramen's parents dance casually in front of the tree, joined by his grandparents.

Kaizo stares on, sulking, and Ramen takes the opportunity to finally, finally slip away.

"Where are you going?" his mother asks sharply as he bundles into his jacket - one foot out the door.

"Kaizo and I are going on a walk," he explains, gesturing outside.

She gives him a long look, and Kaizo watches warily, before she relents, and they relax, hurrying outside.

-

The fresh air is an extremely welcome break from the slightly stuffy - though cozy - house. Snow falls lightly outside, snowflakes so sparse the air may as well be clear. Stars twinkle overhead, and Kaizo shivers involuntarily.

"About time we got some space," he says dryly, still a touch prickled.

"You were about to crack, back there, weren't you," Ramen notes, knowing him well.

Kaizo turns his eyes to him, innocently, though they barely mask impatience, and Ramen laughs.

"Merry Christmas," he gestures around them. "We have the night to ourselves!"

"We had better," Kaizo mutters, shifting closer so their jackets brush against one another as they walk.

They turn a corner, but Ramen stops, facing him, and glances into his eyes, wordlessly asking a question he doesn't need an answer to, because Kaizo ducks in, then, to kiss him, properly, for the first time in what feels like an age.

He barely hides his desperation, either, and Ramen's lips are stretched into a smile of amusement that would ordinarily anger him, but he doesn't even care. He's waited far too long for a moment alone, and now that he has several hours worth of them at his disposal, he isn't about to waste a single one.

Ramen finally pulls away, though Kaizo only has right to be half-disappointed. Ramen wipes a hand across his mouth, cheeks clearly flushed, and smiles. Kaizo sighs, giving in, and leans back to catch his breath.

Ramen is staring at something behind him, so he turns around to see a muggle vehicle parked in front of the house. He pauses, recalling something like it parked in front of the house where they spent last Christmas - though that's the extent of what he wishes to recall from that event.

"Is this how your grandparents got here?" Kaizo asks doubtfully, standing in place as Ramen approaches it.

Ramen nods, reaching the front door and patting around it, fascinating. His hand falls onto the handle and he tugs, but it refuses to give way, so he pulls out his wand. He whispers under his breath, and a moment later, the door clicks open.

Kaizo gapes. "What are you doing?"

Ramen simply smirks, and gestures to beckon him.

"You're mad," Kaizo says, eyes wide, and doesn't move from his place.

"C'mon," Ramen waves him forward again, and Kaizo sighs, in spite of himself, and shuffles forward, then awkwardly around the vehicle, to tug at the door on the other side.

Ramen waves his wand and the handle tugs open, allowing him entry. He hesitates as Ramen easily slips into his seat, before ducking his head and settling down beside him.

So this is what the inside of a car is like...

Ramen fiddles with the controls and Kaizo stares at him. Ramen senses his reluctance.

"If we were muggles, I'd be licensed by now," he informs him.

"Do you even know how?" Kaizo asks. "To drive?"

Ramen shrugs. "How hard can it be?"

The car controls prove too confusing for him, so he pulls out his wand and jerks it towards the dashboard. Dials spin and lights blink, and before Kaizo knows it, they're moving.

Rather a lot faster than Kaizo would ideally travel.

"Are you mad?!"

He grips onto Ramen's seat for safety as the tires screech and the car veers out of control, before Ramen spins the wheel and regains traction, foot hard on the pedal. It takes him a moment to get the hang of the vehicle, and then he's changed gears - the car slides backwards.

Kaizo is only half aware of himself as Ramen steers and drives off to goodness knows where - Kaizo is too busy praying for his own life with Ramen behind the wheel.

They stop a narrow centimeter away from crashing into a tree, and Kaizo falls back into his seat, heart palpitating. The car goes silent, and Ramen releases his hands from the steering wheel, after a moment, turning to glance at Kaizo sheepishly.

"What the heck is wrong with you?" Kaizo snaps.

Ramen grins. "Wasn't that fun?"

"More fun than almost dying on a broomstick, maybe!" Kaizo screeches. "You can't even drive!"

"You don't know that," Ramen points out.

"I don't know how muggles drive but I shudder to think that they live their lives like this!"

Ramen shrugs, waiting while Kaizo regains his breath - and sanity.

The snow falls a bit thicker out here, and snowflakes gather on the windshield. Ramen peers at it, and when Kaizo calms down, he watches, too.

"Where are we?" he asks, almost breathless.

Ramen pauses a long moment. "Does it matter?"

Kaizo narrows his eyes. "Well, of course it- oh..."

He doesn't get to finish because Ramen leans over, then, and catches his lips with his own, and the next thing he knows, he's pressed against his seat, Ramen's hot breath against his mouth, with nothing left to complain about.

On second thought, maybe it doesn't matter where they are...

His fingers find their way to Ramen's zipper and he slides it down just to the collar of his shirt, loosening it for ease of motion. The rough material of their jackets rubs against each other, and the car doesn't allow for much space, but he barely senses it, lost in Ramen's touch.

They could have been making out for hours, or barely a minute, Kaizo loses track, when Ramen finally leans back, relaxing back into his own seat, and closes his eyes. After a few minutes of silence, just collecting themselves, Ramen leans forward.

"We should probably head back..."

Kaizo doesn't want it to end, but has to admit Ramen is right. He has no idea how much time has passed since they left - Ramen's parents are probably worrying.

It takes Ramen a moment to figure out the controls of the car again, but he does, and soon they're moving again. Kaizo stares out the window, only half-aware of the view slipping by his line of vision, feeling tired, but not discontent.

Ramen's driving has improved significantly - the ride back from wherever they were is considerably smooth, and Kaizo finds himself nodding off against the cold glass. The car slows to a stop in front of a patch of trees. Kaizo squints, as Ramen straightens and reaches for the door. There's a rush of cold air as he opens it, getting up and stepping out, and Kaizo awkwardly shifts himself to follow suit.

The cold air is striking compared to the warmed vehicle, and he stuffs his hands into his pockets against his wand, shuffling his feet as they head through the wood, back to the house. Kaizo stares down at the snow, till Ramen stops in his tracks, and he looks up.

They can see the house from here. He's never seen it from this distance, at this angle, but it's unmistakable.

It's also smoking.

"What's...happening?" Kaizo mumbles, squinting.

Ramen stares on, expression twisted, almost hesitant. "I don't know..."

There's movement around the house, too far for Kaizo to distinguish what's going on, but something about the scene is less than approachable. Still, though, Ramen is only reluctant for a moment, jerking into motion to step forwards, presumably to break into a run towards his home.

As if on cue, his owl swoops by, and Kaizo only recognizes it in the split second it zooms past because he spent the entirety of the past summer scanning the sky for it. The envelope it drops into Ramen's hand is red, and he stares at it a moment, then rips it open.

Almost immediately, the deafening sound of Maskmana's voice, amplified tenfold, echoes through the air.

"Ramen, wherever you are, DO NOT COME BACK HOME - make that clear - DO NOT COME BACK. Get as far away from here as possible and take the first train back to Hogwarts. Tell Kaizo that his brother is safe."

The envelope smolders to ash and Ramen drops it to the ground where it falls on a fluffy layer of fresh snow. His eyes are wide and he's shaking.

"We have to go," Kaizo says quietly, and Ramen doesn't need to be told twice as he jerks to life, turning around and heading straight back to the car.

He doesn't speak as he prods the engine to life, this time, and Kaizo can't bring himself to fill the silence as they sit, stony-faced. He doesn't complain about Ramen speeding, he doesn't question where they're going, but the drowsiness from earlier has faded completely into sickening dread.

They drive and they drive for no one knows how long before the engine chugs to an end, and the car stops, dead. The sky is starting to lighten - Kaizo wonders how long it's been.

Ramen's hands are still gripping the wheel as if for dear life, and he stares at it, eyes lost. Kaizo hesitates a moment before reaching over and resting his hand on the other's, squeezing it in reassurance.

Ramen's eyes flick over to his, silent, and he forces himself to stay calm. Pang is okay, that's all that Kaizo should be concerned with. Ramen, meanwhile, has every right to be panicking.

Several moments pass, and Ramen finally drops his head to the wheel, forcing his eyes shut.

"We're okay," Kaizo says softly, unsurely.

Ramen doesn't respond. There's a beat. He lifts his head, and turns to Kaizo, the smallest of smiles of relief on his face.

"Yeah," he nods. "We're okay."

And, maybe for now, that's all that matters.