Chapter Text
Dean had noticed the raven-haired boy Sam sometimes came out of school with--but he pretended not to notice the dirty blonde-haired boy that came to pick him up. But today, Sam and Cas came running up to Dean excitedly. “Look at what Sam can do,” Cas exclaimed. Sam held out his hands like he was cupping water, and a soft blue light flickered in the bowl shape his hands made. Dean was silent for a moment. “Well, looks like one of us inherited Mom’s gifts after all.” Sam scrunched his eyebrows together.
"Is that bad?," he asked.
"No bud, it just means we need to find you a mage school so you can learn how to control it."
Cas chimed in, "We study at “The Sky of Light” school, down by the docks! I’m sure they will help!"
Just then, an older voice chimed in from behind them. “Don’t make promises you don’t have the right to be making, Cas.”
Cas rolled his eyes."I wasn’t, Gabe, I was just telling them about our school, that’s all!"
The boy, now identified as Gabe, looked at Dean for a minute, before shrugging and putting out his hand for a handshake. Dean looked at the extended hand, and then up at Gabe. He clasped at Gabe’s wrist, and introduced himself. "I'm Dean, and this is my brother, Sam."
The boy responded, "Gabe. and this is my littlest brother, Castiel."
They released hands and then stepped away from each other. Gabe turned to Cas. "Come on, squirt, we need to get home so we can help with the garden.”
"Okay!" replied Cas. He turned to Sam. "See you tomorrow, Sam!"
Sam waved goodbye somewhat awkwardly. “See you Cas!” he yelled after the boy.
When the pair had faded into the distance, Dean kneeled down in front of Sam. “You know we can’t tell Dad, right?"
Sam shook his head yes, but looked super worried. “Dean, Cas said it is a good thing I could do that, but Dad says people who call blue fire demon-possessed. Is there something wrong with me?”
Dean closed his eyes. How he wanted to punch his father right now… He opened them again and shook his head. “Sam look at me.” He waited until Sam lifted his eyes to him. “I know you never really got the chance to meet Mom, but she was a mage. Something happened after she died that made Dad angry with all mages. But there isn’t anything wrong with you. I don’t care WHAT anyone says to you. You got that?” Sam nodded reluctantly. “I’m super proud of you. This is awesome. We’ll check out that school this weekend, okay?” Sam nodded again, this time excitedly.
"Thank you, Dean!" he exclaimed, throwing his arms around Dean with a big hug. Dean smiled as he hugged Sam back. He’d make sure Sam got what he needed, his father be damned.
BREAK
On Saturday, Sam and Dean waited until their father was out of the house-supposedly to go to work, but both Sam and Dean had their doubts. Once they were sure he was gone, they packed some beef jerky and cheese for lunch. The merchant stall Dean sometimes worked for had provided the food as payment for his work last night, and they set out towards the docks to check out the school.
When they got there, instead of the ornate building that Dean was expecting--there was a plain brick building, that clearly had been in existence for a while, but whose foundations were sure. It was about three stories high, which made it one of the tallest buildings in the city.
How odd to stand on the top floor and be able to look out at the rest of the city, thought Dean.
They approached the door, which had a fancy doorbell string and a sign that said, “ring for service”
Dean looked down at Sam, who had pressed himself into Dean’s side.
“I’m nervous, De,” he said. Dean looked at Sam, trying to act braver than he felt.
“S'ok, buddy, I’m here. It’lll be okay.” Sam looked up at him suspiciously.
“You think?” asked Sam. Dean nodded.
"I do." He took a deep breath and rang the bell.
The bell rang loudly, and the boys could hear as it echoed throughout the building. And then they waited.
“Maybe there’s nobody home, De?" Sam asked.
“No, I don’t think that’s how this school works. We’ll wait another couple of minutes, and then I’ll ring again. If no one answers, then we’ll have to ask Castiel in school on Monday." But even as Dean spoke, the sound of footsteps in a hallway could be heard. The school door opened, revealing a middle aged man with a scruffy salt and pepper beard wearing workman's clothes.
The boys stared at the man for a moment, not sure what to do. The man finally said, “Well, have you never rung a doorbell before? State your business, ya idjits!” Sam and Dean glanced at each other, and then Dean spoke up.
"Good day, um sir, My name is Dean and this is my brother, Sam...we...I guess we’re looking for the person in charge?"
"Well then, that would be me. Technically my title is Elder, but I don’t give a rat's ass about any of that crap, Call me Bobby." He held his hand out for a hand shake the same way Gabriel had done in front of the school. Dean swallowed nervously, and clasped his wrist in the same way he had with Gabe. As the man clasped back, Dean got the sense he was being evaluated.
“Dean,” the man repeated, as if commiting the name to memory.
"Yessir, '' Dean replied. Bobby released Dean, and then held out his hand for Sam. Sam hesitated, and then replicated how his brother had shook hands.
“And you’re Sam?” The man asked. Sam nodded.
"Yessir."
Bobby released Sam, and then looked at the boys.
"You boys have a surname?"
"Yes, Winchester, sir," Dean replied.
Bobby looked at them for a moment. "Alright, Sam and Dean Winchester, come in and we’ll see what we can do for you. And you can get rid of that sir, we don't stand much around formality here...just Bobby is fine."
Bobby led the boys down a few hallways, until they reached some kind of library study area. It was secluded, but was not completely closed off to the hallway. Bobby gestured for the boys to have a seat. He waited a few moments, but when it became obvious the boys were not going to share, he started the conversation.
“What can we do here at the school for you?“ He asked.
Sam looked at Dean, and while no words were expressed, they definitely had delivered information to each other.
Dean looked back at Bobby. “Our mother was a mage. She passed away when we were little. I’ve never shown no signs of nothing, but my brother can make blue flames appear, and he has a friend in his class that told us to come here.“ Dean looked ready to bolt, clearly concerned about Bobby’s trustworthiness.
“May I ask, what was your mother’s surname?“
Sam and Dean looked at each other again, and Sam shrugged. Dean replied, “Campbell.”
Bobby’s POV
Bobby had a feeling he knew who these two boys were the instant they showed up on the school’s doorstep, but now hearing these were Mary’s boys, he knew exactly who they were--exactly who their father was, too, and knowing that explained why the boys were here on their own. There was no way John Winchester would let his boys come to a “demonic school to be made unclean” or whatever crap he was spouting these days. He made sure not to let the boys know he knew who they were--or who their parents were. Sam might not care, but looking at the defensive posture of Dean, Bobby knew one misstep and he would lose them both.
“Okay, that makes sense--Sam is showing signs of having a conduit to magic, and we are a school that trains mages and familiars.” Here, Sam interrupted him. “What's familiar?” he asked.
“Familiars help mages channel their magic. They can’t control the magic themselves, but they can sense it, and they have their own magic as well--they have an animal form they can change into.”
Bobby smiled internally as Sam’s eyes lit up. “De,” he exclaimed, “maybe that’s why you don’t have any magic, maybe you're familiar.“
Dean glared at Sam. “No. I’m just a plain old boring human, Sam. Drop it.”
Sam looked a little hurt by Dean’s dismissal, but Bobby took a look at Dean on the magical plane. He was definitely a familiar. And based on the swirls in his aura, he knew it--but why deny it? It didn’t make any sense. Bobby sighed. That would have to be a fight for another day. For now, he needed to get the boys to start coming for lessons.
“Regardless,” Bobby continued, ``we have training here for mages, familiars, and non-mages alike.”
Dean glanced up at Bobby suspiciously. “Really? Like what? Is it just-” he waves his hand around the study, “reading books?”
“Not at all. Here, why don’t I show you both around, and you can see for yourselves.“
The boys looked at each other again, and then Dean reluctantly nodded his head. “Yeah, okay.”
Bobby gestured for the boys to stand, and as they walked down the hallway, he asked Sam, “Who is your friend at school who told you about us?”
“I call him Cas, but his name is...Cassstieel?”
“Oh, yes, Castiel...his brother Gabriel comes here as well. He’s probably close to your age, Dean, maybe a little older?”
Dean shrugged. “Yeah, we’ve met once or twice, picking up our brothers.”
Bobby knew Dean was going to be the hard nut to crack. Sam was still young enough-he didn’t see the world through the jaded lens his brother did. It made sense, though, seeing how Dean was old enough to remember his mother, while Sam, if Bobby remembered correctly, was still a baby.
Sam was completely awed by the magic practice rooms. “So,” he asked, “we learn magic here?”
Bobby nodded. “Yes. Our first couple of lessons will focus on finding your affinity, and then we’ll start focusing after that.”
“Affinity?” Sam asked.
“Yes,” Bobby replied. “Very few mages are skilled in all types of magic. They usually have types that they have a greater affinity for. Defensive magic, offensive magic, telekinesis, healing, foresight--and more. We’ll see where your strengths naturally land, and then help you build your skills.”
Sam's eyes were large with excitement. “That’s so cool!“ He exclaimed. His attention was suddenly drawn to a person walking down the hall, except to this surprise, the person had cat ears.
“They’re a familiar,” Bobby answered the unasked question.
Sam tilted his head. “Why do they have cat ears?“
“After a familiar changes for the first time, they usually keep a trait in from their animal form as a human. Usually ears or, in the case of a bird form, feathers in their hair. Look at Cas’ hair the next time you see him, he should have some feathers growing in by now, he just had his first transformation a few weeks ago.“
“Yeah he told me, he was really excited,” Sam replied.
Dean glared. “Yeah, no. I’m human. There ain't nothing animal-like to me.“
Bobby frowned. That sounded like something Dean had heard from someone else. John perhaps? He’d have to do some digging, certainly. He led the boys out of the training wing and into the central courtyard, where there were a number of students practicing hand to hand defenses, combat by sword, and archery, among other methods of offense and defense. Looking at the transfixed look on Dean’s face, he’d made the right choice in distracting the boy.
Dean looked at Bobby with clear interest, although he was trying to keep his cool. “So, like, I could learn how to fight?”
Bobby nodded. “Yes. We’ll go through a similar process--we’ll introduce you to everything, and then see where your strengths are.“ Bobby paused to wave across the field at a woman with short brown hair, overseeing a few students who were sparring. “That there is Jodi, she’ll be in charge of deciding your training regime. You know how to ride?” Dean shook his head no. “Well, we have a stable and pastures out back as well, so you can work on your self defence from horseback as well.“ A small half smile appeared on Dean’s face, and Bobby knew he had won Dean over with that tidbit. But still, Dean’s insecurity reared its head.
“Even though I’m not...?” he asked.
Bobby bit his tongue in correcting the young man, and nodded. It was much too soon, if Bobby insisted Dean was a familiar, he was going to lose him. At the conclusion of the tour, he arranged for the boys to come back Monday, after Sam’s required common schooling was over. Well timed, since Cas and Gabe would be coming as well. Still, he sent a message to Ellen to discreetly follow them home. He’d never thought he'd see the Winchester boys again, and now that he had found them, he wasn’t willing to lose them. It was an invasion of their privacy and their trust, yes. But Bobby had the feeling it would be worth it in the end--if something happened and those boys needed help and he couldn’t send it because he didn’t know where they were? He’d never forgive himself for that.
The boys did come the next Monday, however Dean pulled Bobby aside and said that his father was suspicious about them hanging out after school, and could they please come on the weekends instead. Bobby agreed instantly. He hadn’t been a fan of John Winchester when Mary had married him, but he kept his mouth shut, it certainly wasn’t any of his business. John's meltdown after Mary’s death had led him to almost losing his kids, and Bobby wasn’t entirely sure that letting them stay with John was the best decision. It certainly wasn’t for Dean, as it seemed like he was single handedly taking care of Sam.
When Cas realized Sam wasn’t coming during the week anymore, he convinced Gabe and Bobby that they should also come on the weekends. Bobby was fine with that, and Gabe put up some token resistance, but Bobby was actually pretty sure Gabe didn’t mind at all.
