Tumgik
#and then grew 5 inches and dropped his voice half an octave
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Watching the compilation of Oscar saying people's names really shows how DEEP his voice got between chapters 2 and 3 of Volume 7 cause it goes from "Thank you sir! I mean, uh, General. Uh, Ironwood?" Right to his very next line, "Hey... Ruby?" and hearing the squeaky "Ironwood?" immediately followed by the deep "Hey" is just really funny to me right now for some reason
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hyuniebaby · 4 years
Text
Focus (4)
Pairings: Baekhyun x Y/N x Junmyeon
Genre: smut
Warnings: oral (giving & receiving), throat fucking, daddy kink
AU: College student! Baekhyun, Professor! Junmyeon AU, college!au
A/N: Surprise!!!!!! Another update!!! I wasn’t expecting this fic to be really dirty but here it is now.... i hope you enjoy reading this.
@coffee-prince-kyungsoo
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11
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Your class with Mr. Jung ended earlier than expected. The five hour lecture was cut short to three. He had to attend some meeting with the Chemistry Department faculty so with two hours to spare, you and your friends decide to go to the cafeteria to grab a quick meal.
As your group exits the room, you hear someone call your name. All of you turn your heads to the person who said your name.
“Jongdae?”
“Hey Y/N, I need to talk to you real quick.”
You tell your friends they can go ahead to the cafeteria, you’ll follow them afterwards. You thought Jongdae was going to talk about the quiz bee team so you casually walked up to him.
“So I heard something about you and someone.”
Your eyes widened. You immediately grab him by his hand and drag him to the nearest empty room. Unfortunately for you, it was the janitor’s closet.
“He told you?!” You exclaimed.
Baekhyun was right, you were cute! He remained silent, allowing you to rant while he maintained his smug look. His eyes landed on your hickey, but he kept quiet.
“Wow great, am I the talk of the Chem seniors now?” You run your hands through your hair, ruining your ponytail completely.
“Chill. He only told me. You do know I’m his best friend and roommate, right?”
“I don’t! I don’t see you hanging around him.” You tell him. “Whatever. It doesn’t matter.”
You abruptly went out the closet, Jongdae following behind you asking you to wait.
You turn to your left and you run into someone. You look up to see it was Junmyeon. His eyes furrowed as he looked at you. You had messy hair, you were sweating a little, breathing heavily, and you have a hickey. Not to mention the fact that you came from the janitor’s closet with Jongdae. He looks at you and Jongdae.
Seriously? Were you that desperate for a fuck that you would do it in school? The thought made him furious. He takes a step towards you and growls to your ear “Find me after your last class.” The way he said it made you feel chills down your spine.
He walks away but not before glaring at Jongdae.
The both of you stood there in place, shocked at how Mr. Kim responded. You went red out of embarrassment.
Not a while later, someone calls out to Jongdae. You freeze. Great, just great. The last person you wanted to see today was here.
“Baekhyun.” Jongdae greets. “What are you doing here?”
“Mrs. Lee called me in to discuss something about my thesis. Wait, is that Y/N?”
You wanted the ground to swallow you up at this moment. You refused to face Baekhyun.
“Yes... We — uh — we talked about the upcoming assembly for the organization we joined,” he lied.
“In the janitor’s closet?!” Baekhyun hissed. Jongdae was sweating now. The situation made it look like they did something dirty.
Afraid of what will happen next, you take this opportunity to sprint to the cafeteria. You do not want to be part of the argument so you “noped” your way out of the situation.
You weren’t even finished with this day but you were already so drained at this point. Your body was still sore and you don’t know how you were able to run twice this day.
Adrenaline does work wonders.
You stopped before entering the cafeteria, trying to catch your breath. When you were composed, instead of going to your friends’ table, you opt to buy your meal first. You’d rather have something to eat while you and your friends get into a long conversation about what happened to you.
You’re a very reserved person, you don’t go out much. You only ever go party when your friends are around and strictly during the weekends only. Your friends would sometimes call your life boring but you’d rather describe it as simple. So when something remotely interesting happens to you, they jump on it. They genuinely want you to enjoy your college life, especially since when you start your professional lives, all of you were going to be so damn busy.
As you took a seat on your table, your friends stare at you, waiting for you to start talking. You chuckled at how cute they all look. All wide-eyed. All leaning towards you. You felt like a teacher reading a story for toddlers. You take a deep breath and begin to tell them what happened. Now that they’ve seen you talk to Jongdae, you can’t really lie about Baekhyun anymore so you just tell them the story truthfully up until your talk with him in the janitor’s closet.
What you fabricated though, was when Mr. Kim saw both of you. You played it off as some grumpy old professor saw this and reprimanded you both. You were to talk to this professor after class.
“So how was it with Baekhyun?!” Joohyun blurts.
You turn red again. “It was amazing. And he has really pretty hands,” you say. “I’m definitely up for a second time” you jokingly added. But for real though, you wanted it to happen again. But you don’t tell your friends that.
“Ooh is this the Y/N we all know? Getting laid on a weekday, on the first day of classes... What happened to ‘weekdays are for studying’?” Seulgi said.
“It was a one time thing! I’m definitely not doing it again on a weekday. 3/10, would not recommend. The sex was 15/10 though.” Your friends laughed loudly at what you said. Of course the conversation wouldn’t end without you exaggerating at least once.
The rest of the classes you had went by fairly quick. The next thing you know, you were walking towards Mr. Kim’s office. Your heart was beating so loud. You don’t get into trouble. Ever. What happened earlier and how Mr. Kim reacted definitely screams “You’re in trouble, young lady.”
With a knock, you enter Mr. Kim’s office. He looks up from the papers he was reading and motions you to sit. You did as you were told.
“It’s not what if looks like, Mr. Kim,” you started. “We were just talking about something private.”
He raises his brow in question. He obviously doesn’t believe you. “Y/N I’m not dumb, you know.”
“But it’s true,” you whined.
Mr. Kim abruptly stands up and goes over to your side. He leans in and whispers in your ear “Do you really have to do it inside the campus? You can’t just wait to be fucked, huh?” His voice dropped an octave lower. He sounded so sexy, it sent tingles on your nether regions.
He looks at you in the eye, you can see lust. You gulped. He slips his hand under your skirt, he never breaks the eye contact, his hands rubbing your core through your panties. “I can feel your wetness, Y/N.”
“You look so pretty squirming like this.” He says.
Without warning, he moves your panties to the side and inserts a single finger in you. You moan instinctively. “You’re so naughty. Getting fingered by your professor in his office. Such a bad girl.” He tsks.
“Please...”
“Please what?”
“Please give me more, Junmyeon...”
He pulls out his finger. “Is that what you’re supposed to call me?”
You whimper. “Daddy, please give me more.”
His eyes grew darker at that. He leans in and starts kissing your neck while inserting two fingers in you. You moan at the sensation. It felt so good. His fingers felt so good.
Junmyeon hates the fact that someone marked you. Filled with jealousy, he starts marking the other side of your neck. He pulls out his fingers again and lifts your sweater. He unclasps your bra and lets it fall on the floor. He scans your body. You were half naked in front of him. Your eyes begging him to do something, anything. He kisses you this time. You don’t dare to fight him for dominance. He grabs your chin and breaks off the kiss, he shows you the fingers he used on you. “Suck” he orders. You do as you’re told. You suck his fingers while you looked him in the eyes. This gets him harder. He removes his fingers from your mouth, capturing your lips in a heated kiss again. He squeezes your breasts and pinches your nipples. He kisses your neck and then your breasts. He sucks on your right nipple while his other hands continue to carress your left boob.
You touch his hair and arch your back. He backs off. “You do not get to touch.” You nod in understanding. He then leaves a mark on your chest. Just a few inches about your nipples. He proceeds to remove your panties and lifts your skirt. Without warning, he slips his tongue to your core. “Fuck, you taste so sweet baby girl.” You let out a moan. He continues to eat you out while he inserts his fingers to your pussy again. You were so close. He can feel your cunt clenching.
All of a sudden, he detaches himself to you. You whine. “You don’t get to cum. You’ve been a naughty girl. Bad girls need to be punished.” You were shocked and frustrated. You were so close!
He then removes pants and shows you his cock. Knowing what he wants, you kneel in front of him. “Put that dirty little mouth of yours to work.” He says. You start licking the sides of his shaft. “Don’t tease,” he growls. You take him in your mouth, hollowing your cheeks as you bob your head up and down. You squeeze his balls and he moans out your name. “You feel so good, baby girl.” He grabs your hair and fucks your throat. You were choking on his dick but you didn’t care. You loved it. You love how rough he was being. Seeing you on your knees, getting fucked on your mouth with tears in your eyes drove him mad. He thrusts in your mouth a few more times and he cums. You swallow everything. He stares at you in awe. You looked thoroughly fucked.
He picks up your clothes and gives them back to you except your panties. “I’ll take these.” He says while he shows you your panties. You dress up immediately.
He sits on his table. “So Jongdae, huh?”
It took you a minute to respond. One minute he was eating you out and fucking your throat, the next, he’s talking about another man. “No, Mr. Kim. It wasn’t Jongdae.”
He gives you a questioning look.
“It was Baekhyun.”
His initial reaction was shock and then he turns jealous and then he grows irritated. Fucking Baekhyun.
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athyrabunlord · 6 years
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LLSHP 14 - Farewell
Arc1: [Chapter 1] [Chapter 2] [Chapter 3] [Chapter 4] [Chapter 5] [Chapter 6] [Chapter 7]
Arc2: [Chapter 8] [Chapter 9] [Chapter 10] [Chapter 11] [Chapter 12] [Chapter 13] [Chapter 14]
Arc3: [Chapter 15] [Chapter 16] [Chapter 17] [Chapter 18 - sanguinem pudicitia (TBD)]
Interludes: [Carbonado (1)] [Carbonado (2)] [Of Feathers and Wind] [Delphinus (teaser blip)]
[Brief note about School Term] [other LLSHP AU stuff] [YohaMaRuby concept arts] [ChikaYouRiko concept arts] [KanaDiaMari concept arts] [Hogwarts Staff]
[FFN link] (up until ch14!) [Pixiv Link] [Translated to Chinese by plin2290]
A/N: Sorry this took over a month! The last chapter was a horrible cliffhanger XD;; Well, issues IRL make it hard to write. Yoshiko’s state of mind is hard to portray as well sigh. Anyway, this is the last chapter of Arc2. Before moving onto Arc3 (which is also the last arc of this story), I will be writing another Interlude, to fill in some blanks and to transition into Arc3. As always, thanks for reading and the support! Hope you’ll enjoy this chapter! Words: 5,717
Yoshiko could only stare in horror as the wand pieces slowly fall from Hanamaru’s loose hands, landing with a soft thud that echoes rather loudly in her ears. The brunette just stands there, her gaze lost and her face pale.
Even though Immobulus has lifted due to the broken wand, Yoshiko still couldn’t move. Numb, she glances between the girl and the two halves of the now useless wooden stick.
“You foolish human.”
Hanamaru’s eyes widen a fraction when a dark-colored spell strikes her in the back. Like a marionette with its strings cut off, she slumps sideways in a heap.
Snapped out of her daze, Yoshiko hurries forward and gathers the petite girl in her arms, though she keeps her wand warily pointed at the smirking Yohane.
“Hanamaru-! Hanamaru!! Can you hear me? Hanamaru!”
After a few frantic shakes, Hanamaru languidly opens her eyes and moans in pain. Her gaze is unfocused and her breathing is rather shallow and strained. “C-Cold… cold… nngh…”
“Hanamaru!”
Yoshiko grasps for her hand, blanching at how cold her skin is. When she gently caresses Hanamaru’s cheek, she notices how alarmingly hot it feels in contrast.
“What did you do to her!”
“Hmm, something similar to what I did to that blonde girl, except this time it’s a bull’s eye.” Yohane appears quite pleased. “Good to know it does work.”
Yoshiko recalls the Moonstruck incident, of how Mari was unable to utilize magic and had taken a while to recover her strength. Wandless and now hit by this unknown Curse, what does this mean for Hanamaru?
Though filled with rage, Yoshiko could not utter any incantation to attack Yohane. The winged girl tilts her head and smiles prettily, her gaze condescending as if daring her to attack and scorning her for her weakness.
“You’re useless, both of you.”
Yoshiko trembles in anger, her magic sparkling at the tip of her wand yet her parched throat still refuses to cooperate.
“It’s okay though. I was once just as powerless as you are, so disgustingly useless.” There’s pity, perhaps even sympathy in Yohane’s soft voice, and it sickens Yoshiko to her core. “But then I learned and grew up. You see, the two of you are hindered by mortal emotions. The same goes for Lily and the Kurosawa heiress. They brought their own downfall.”
“How dare you-!” Yoshiko snarls, this time successfully firing a Diffindo at her adversary. However, just as expected, Yohane blocks the Severing Charm with her wing. None of the feathers are ruffled, remaining as impeccable and glossy as ever. She continues speaking as if a potentially fatal spell hasn’t been sent to her.
“I must say I’m disappointed in Hanamaru. She has such potential! I thought she was worthy to be by my side. Alas, it appears that she has chosen you,” Yohane narrows her eyes, her tone dropping to a venomous octave. “How dare a little demon betray her master!?”
Maybe it is instincts, or her intangible connection to Yohane, for Yoshiko senses her intent the moment Riko’s wand is pointed at Hanamaru. Frantic, Yoshiko pushes the defenseless girl behind her and spreads her arms wide just as Yohane fires the terrible Curse.
“Crucio!”
She screams.
It’s pure agony.
Nothing can compare.
Her nerves are on fire.
Her mind is blank and she couldn’t think.
Not even to pray for the pain to stop.
It only lasts a few seconds, but the aftermaths still cause excruciating stings to travel up and down her limbs. She is vaguely aware of being half-curled up on the ground, her wide eyes staring at the spinning ceiling. As she struggles to breathe, she barely hears Yohane’s contemplative voice.
“...it’s freakish hearing my own voice screaming. Perhaps I’m not as detached as I thought, still hindered by mortal emotions. I’ve spoken too much to you already because I took pity on your ignorance...”
Quivering, Yoshiko manages to roll onto her back and peers weakly at Hanamaru’s prone form. Is this it? This is what Chika, You and Riko had felt, struck by this torture Curse? Riko was right in Obliviating them back then. It’s better off not remembering anything if only to escape such agony. But how about Riko? How will she recover… if ever?
Tears slide down her cheeks in streams, though she isn’t quite sure why she is crying. From the pain? From self-pity? From… guilt?
Even though Yohane is the one ultimately making her friends suffer, Yoshiko feels just as much blame. And, in a way, her existence causes Yohane to become the way she is too.
What should she do?
What can she do?
Before Hanamaru broke her own wand, Yoshiko’s goal had been to save her but how could she do that now-?
“I don’t want your blood on my hands, so I’ve made my choice,” Yohane says suddenly and stretches her wings wide.
Under the dim light of the Chamber of Secrets, surrounded by darkness and faint silhouettes of wall carvings and ornaments, Yohane truly looks every inch of the charismatic fallen angel that Yoshiko once aspired to become. Shadows begin to descend upon them, hovering closer and closer as they follow Yohane’s command.
Shivering, Yoshiko notices that her breaths are coming out in white puffs, for the temperature around them has dropped drastically. Before, her body was seized in fatigue but as the cloaked figures glide towards her, she understands that it is sheer terror that paralyzes her.
Dementors.
“Consider this my last concession towards you two.” Yoshiko could not see the winged girl’s expression but she could hear the complacency in her tone. “They should be familiar, no? Don’t worry, it’ll be painless, and it’ll be over within moments. Your souls shall forever become part of them, and thus part of my legion. Is that not wonderful?”
Yoshiko twitches feebly, her hand desperately reaching for Hanamaru’s. The brunette’s hoarse whimpering feels like continuous stabs to her heart, especially because she couldn’t do a goddamn thing to protect her.
Her vision flickers in and out of focus until only tunnel vision remains. Instead of the ceiling, she’s watching her memories flash by one by one in reverse.
And only the bad ones.
Riko lying motionlessly in the basement of the Hut; the werewolf’s trapped body; the tendrils oozing out of her hand and slashing at Kanan’s Animagus form-
“What’s she doing again?”
“Some black magic ritual… seriously, what’s wrong with her?”
“Junior high students shouldn’t be doing stupid stuff like this.”
“She calls herself a fallen angel, hahaha! Probably watches too much anime!”
Yoshiko holds up her head high, ignoring their whispered conversations, snickers and any odd looks. Her classmates are the foolish ones. They have no idea what she’s capable of! Ku ku ku, she’ll show them! Compared to the series of misfortunes she’s experienced, bullying means nothing!
...yeah, it doesn’t affect her at all.
“Now now, there is no such thing as magic, angels and all that. Tsushima-san, you must have been hallucinating. Cups don’t move on their own.”
The psychiatrist’s patronizing smile only irritates Yoshiko. Alas, the ten-year-old could only glare at the adult, who shakes his head at her lack of response.
“You’re a bright kid, from what I can see from your assessments. I can only hope this is a phase and you’ll grow out of it.”
Yoshiko huffs. Oh she’s tried to be ‘normal’ like every other kid, but the feeling of ‘wrong’ is just so pervasive that she has to trust her instincts. She’s not hurting anyone, so why can’t she just be herself?
“What did you do?”
The matron’s panicked voice makes Yoshiko want to flee too, but the six-year-old could only sit there and stare at the empty space where the stool’s leg once stands. She then tilts her head and claps her hands proudly.
“Look, I have special powers! Hehe, I really am an angel!”
Her smile drops at the matron’s somber expression. Did she do something she’s not supposed to do? But she’s been a good girl, following rules and always on her best behavior…
“W-Why are you crying?!”
“Uuuaaa! Yoshiko-chan is going to disappear! Uuuaaa!”
“What!? No I’m not! What makes you think that?”
“Y-You said y-you’re going to -hic-  return to the -hic- sky! I-I’m not an angel, so I can’t -hic- go with you!”
“What? That’s silly. You’re silly, Zuramaru.”
“What -hic- do you mean?”
“When I return to the sky, I’ll bring you with me, duh! So stop crying already.”
The pudgy-cheeked brunette rubs her eyes and beams up at Yoshiko. “Promise?”
“Promise!” The two small five-year-olds lock their pinkie fingers, giggling as they resume playing at the monkey bars and slide.
Right, Hanamaru’s always believed in her… but, is this her memory, or Yohane’s? Yoshiko doesn’t know anymore. She reviews the memory in a detached manner, both fascinated and saddened by the scene before her.
The petite brunette was always by herself at the playground, engrossed in the thick books she brought every time her grandparents dropped her off by the bench. The other kids would only give her curious glances but not once invited the quiet girl to their games. Yoshiko decided to approach her one random day, having failed in recruiting any of the other kids. None of them believed that she was an angel, so maybe this girl would?
“Whatcha reading?”
The ochre-eyed girl jolts and peers at her shyly, probably not expecting anyone to talk to her. After Yoshiko takes a seat beside her, she relaxes slightly and gives her a friendly smile. “An encyclopedia zura!”
“En-sy-klo-wut?” Yoshiko leans close, frowning at the big paragraphs and terms she couldn’t even pronounce, let alone understand. At least, those colored pictures look cool!
“It’s like a collection of information about various subjects zura,” the small girl looks happy at her interest. “Would you like to read with me? I’m on the chapter about the Earth’s core zura!”
Shrugging, Yoshiko then found herself spending the rest of the day with this girl, who had the weirdest dialect. It was fun though, looking at the pictures and learning about stuff like volcanoes and earthquakes and tsunamis. Through the girl’s helpful explanations, Yoshiko now understood why these natural disasters happened, and how land only made up a small portion of the world.
“Wow, so we live… on a planet… that’s mostly water?”
“Yup! The oceans are huuuuuge zura!” The girl spread her arms wide, her eyes sparkling. “And deep too! There are many places people haven’t explored yet! Look at this zura!”
Yoshiko stared at the odd-looking fish on the page. It was bony and, frankly, ugly. At least, next to the toothy monster called ‘Anglerfish’ or something, this deep-sea fish looked more dignified. After reading a bit more, she became more attached to this odd ‘living fossil’. Apparently, its kind has lived in this world for millions of years! How incredible!
“I’ve decided, this SHIIRA-KANSU is gonna be my little demon!”
“Littoru...deh...mon?”
Yoshiko flustered. She wasn’t prepared to introduce the concept to the girl yet. She thought of herself as an angel but she’s also considered the possibility of being an angel trapped in the mortal world. That was why she needed to recruit followers and minions, her little demons, to help her return to where she should be.
The question was, how could she explain all that to this girl without getting shunned like everyone else did?
To her surprise, the brunette gave her a big smile. “That’s pretty cool! Tell me more zura! I like good stories!”
At least, she seemed to think it was a story. Only a fine line existed between fiction and nonfiction, so there was hope to recruit her! Grinning, Yoshiko spent the rest of the afternoon running around the playground with the giggling girl. They made up more and more aquatic characters to join the coelacanth, drawing them in the sand with sticks. “Shiira~” “Kansu!” “Shiira~” “Kansu!”
They danced and chanted. It was the most fun the two little girls ever had.
Hanamaru was her first friend.
Whether this memory was hers or not, this feeling of pure joy was real.
Yoshiko could feel strength and a bit of warmth returning to her body. By concentrating her mind on this positive feeling, her senses are no longer muddled and she could think again. She doesn’t remember the specifics, and she certainly doesn’t remember where and why the Dementor attacked them when they were so little.
But she is certain of this feeling. Her first friend, and now…
She painstakingly sits up and grasps for her wand. “I may have fallen, but I’m not as far gone as you are.”
Yohane quirks an eyebrow, unimpressed. “Oh?”
Yoshiko smiles serenely.  “I will protect the girl I love, and rid you from her world.”
The fallen angel scoffs and flicks Riko’s wand. A Dementor raises its bony, rotten hand towards Yoshiko, and she could feel those depressing memories resume clawing at the edges of her vision. She takes a deep breath and focuses her thoughts on Hanamaru and Hanamaru only.
Her hand is surprisingly steady as she points her wand at the atrocious creature. “Expecto patronum!!”
There’s a burst of light, causing the Dementors to reel back with raspy shrieks that sound more like sandpaper dragging against another. A silver fish, just as bony yet noble as the one from the illustration, elegantly swims across the air. Wisps of light flutter behind it like waves and the tidal wave of its magic forces the Dementors to retreat. The coelacanth gives chase, its relatively small size belying its tremendous power as it shoots across the air like a torpedo.
The silver waves around it give off an illusion of a hungry shark chasing after its preys. The Dementors, seemingly anxious to avoid getting in contact with the light, have no choice but to flee entirely.
The coelacanth then swims towards the small ball of fur, gently enshrouding the unconscious bat in a veil of silver light. Wordlessly, Yoshiko uses a Charm to summon Lucifer towards her and gingerly places her little demon beside Hanamaru. The brunette’s breathing has evened out and she is no longer trembling.
As if in a trance, Yoshiko holds out her hand towards the approaching coelacanth, the tip of her finger touching its translucent head. It is surreal, that she’s finally able to cast a corporeal Patronus and actually fight off the Dementors.
“Thank you, Shiirakansu.”
The Patronus is conjured from the memory of her feelings for Hanamaru after all.
“H-How? How are you able to cast the Patronus-?” For the first time since their encounter, Yohane’s composure has cracked. Fear flickers in those narrowed red eyes as she raises the sakura wand defensively. “How could you, when I can’t-?”
“I don’t know,” Yoshiko murmurs, still wrapped in the sensation of floating even though her feet are rooted on the ground. “But… maybe, it’s because I love her.”
Yohane’s expression contorts to something that could only be described as Devil-like, so full of hatred and murderous intent. She flaps her wings, sending powerful gusts towards them as she springs into the air.
Before she could make the next move, the coelacanth suddenly charges towards her. The Patronus tears through Yohane’s left wing despite being impenetrable under all those spells earlier. At the same moment, it feels as if a sledgehammer strikes Yoshiko in the left chest.
She collapses on her knees, clutching her heart, while Yohane plummets to the ground and groans in pain. She could feel her strength waning, similar to how she almost lost consciousness from when the Dementors appeared, yet it also feels different in a frightening way.
Something drips onto her hand and it takes her a moment to register what the dark liquid is.
Blood.
Yohane looks just as shocked as Yoshiko, glancing between her damaged wing and the blood trickling out of the latter’s nose. Tendrils of black magic attempt to fix the gaping hole in her left wing but to no avail.
“... if either of us gets injured, the other cannot escape unscathed either huh…” Yohane’s voice is rather shaky, her face pale as if unable to accept such revelation.
On the other hand, Yoshiko feels strangely calm as she stares at the blood in her palm in morbid fascination. She’s supposed to be a matured Horcrux, an entity that was once just a quill pen, yet she was given a chance to experience a human’s life.
Since she’s not a human in the first place, why be fearful of death? Now, she has the power to protect Hanamaru, so she has nothing to be scared of anymore. If wiping out her existence can defeat Yohane, to cause the Fallen’s downfall, then that’s a rather cheap price to pay. This way, her friends would no longer suffer, and there will be no more danger to Hanamaru and the others.
This way, she could atone for Father and Mother’s deaths.
Grim determination fuels her exhausted body as she raises her wand once more. She pours all of her magic into her Patronus, causing it to shimmer even brighter than ever.
“Farewell, datenshi Yohane.”
“No...no! Don’t come near me!” Yohane snarls desperately, dissolving her feathered wings into a black mist of raw magic before directing it to intercept the coelacanth’s dive.
The collision causes a terrible explosion that sends the two girls flying. Yoshiko barely registers crashing against the wall, no longer feeling pain or any other senses for that matter. Her consciousness is starting to drift away again.
Before that blissful oblivion could claim her, Yohane’s distorted voice reverberates in her mind and squashes her hope for ending this once and for all.
“We’ll meet again. Yoshiko. Next time, I won’t be so careless. Next time, I won’t be so soft… I will reclaim you, one way or another.”
Yoshiko passes out with a wry smile on her face.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
She wakes up to the sensation of terrible fatigue weighing down her limbs.
Opening her eyes alone seems to drain her, and she musters all her willpower to keep her mind from floating away. The acrid smell of blood no longer fills her nostrils; instead, she is soothed by the fresh scent of clean linen and sweet fragrance of potions. Though her vision is limited, she deduces that she is in the Hospital Wing.
Ah, she is still alive, somehow.
“Y-Yoshiko-chan!”
She feels oddly detached even as Ruby appears in her vision, followed by Chika and You with Mari and Kanan close behind. She should feel relieved and happy to see her friends, yet there’s a void in her emotions. Perhaps she’s simply tired from everything.
She should be disconcerted by her lack of emotion, but she isn’t. She doesn’t care about herself anymore, really, but she doesn’t want her friends to worry either. She closes her eyes wearily for a few moments before opening them again, vowing to at least try to act normal.
“Can you hear us?” Ruby gingerly reaches for Yoshiko’s hand, smiling when the latter weakly squeezes back. “Y-You recognize us, right?”
Yoshiko nods slowly, unable to speak due to how dry her throat feels. Noticing her discomfort, Ruby hastily helps her sit up and summons a glass of water.
“You’ve been unconscious for a whole day,” Mari says grimly, and the bags under their eyes imply they probably have not slept since.
Though touched by their concern, Yoshiko’s mind couldn’t seem to grasp at that gratitude and soon she feels like a hollow husk again. She drinks the water mechanically, if only for the sake of being able to speak.
“...where… Hana...maru…”
Kanan gestures at the neighboring bed and, with Ruby’s help, Yoshiko is able to see Hanamaru’s sleeping form, tucked snuggly under the blanket. She looks unharmed, and the small cut on her cheek must have been long healed by the school’s matron.
Under Yoshiko’s questioning gaze, You elaborates with a shaky sigh. “Chika-chan and I found you two in the abandoned lavatory. When we left St. Mungo’s and returned here, we looked all over the school for you, but neither of you was in your House’s Dorms. The Room of Requirement aside, we could only think of that lavatory and…”
“You were both covered in rubble and have many bruises and cuts all over,” Chika leans forward, her eyes damp. “T-There was blood on you, but Madam assured us that you’re both physically fine. S-She healed your wounds.”
“And where… she-?”
“She was here until moments ago, summoned away by a staff meeting. We promised her to look after you two. We also found your bat. Madam healed it as well…” You trails off, pointing at creature hanging upside down on the chandelier. Lucifer keeps its distance, though it does let out a scratchy bark as if in greeting.
Yoshiko smiles and is puzzled when the feeling of relief stays. Then again, Lucifer is connected to her like nothing else.
They’re both Horcruxes after all, Lucifer being a failed experiment and her being an unwanted but successful one. Yoshiko cringes and bites down on her lip to repress the urge to throw up. The others exchange worried looks at that.
“Just what h-happened, Yoshiko-chan?” Ruby then holds out the broken halves of Hanamaru’s wand, her voice wavering. “Madam almost wanted to send you to St. Mungo’s because her Diagnosis Charm d-detected traces of a powerful Curse that was cast on you.”
Yoshiko lowers her head, almost wanting to hide somewhere so that she could be alone and not deal with all this. She still doesn’t fully understand most of what happened down in the Chamber of Secrets. Or, rather, she cannot accept anything even though deep down, she knows that it’s the truth, as painful as it is. For someone who just regained consciousness, she is surprised by the clarity of her memories.
I can’t forget even if I wanted to huh?
One glance at her friends’ anxious expressions convinces her otherwise. She owes them that much.
“...it was the Cruciatus Curse...”
Under their horrified faces, Yoshiko begins to retell the events in the Chamber except she omits some facts. She cannot bring herself to reveal Yohane’s identity and the whole matter of Horcrux; instead, she just vaguely mentions that the enemy is a Slytherin descendant whose face was hidden from view by a mask. She wants to talk to Hanamaru first before sharing the whole story with the others. Hanamaru probably doesn’t want anyone to know that she’s been under the Imperius Curse, if she even remembers that part.
Besides, if that Curse really did work like Muggle hypnotism as Yohane said, then what were the instances that Hanamaru was under its influence and wasn’t?
Yoshiko doesn’t dare to think how this would affect their relationship.
Being a matured Horcrux or whatever, she has these human feelings. She does love Hanamaru, she has no doubt about that, and honestly, this is the only emotion that’s keeping her from breaking down in self-pity and self-loathing.
Hmn, what would her friends do if they know what she really is?
In the end, even here in the world of magic, she is still an abomination. How ironic.
“... and somehow my Patronus Charm worked on the witch’s feathered wings and, I lose consciousness afterward so I don’t know how and who got Hanamaru and me up from the Chamber.”
Silence greets her after her condensed story, and Yoshiko notices that her friends appear to be absorbing her tale. Mari looks understandably concerned about Hanamaru’s health, having been hit by that unknown spell before, while You and Chika have a murmured conversation about how the lavatory looked undisturbed, meaning someone must have closed the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets before their arrival.
Only Yohane could have possibly done that as a Parseltongue. But why did she not take her or Hanamaru when she fled?
Yoshiko rubs her temple. There’s no point in figuring out her motive. It’s more important to decide on what their next step should be, considering everything that has happened over the span of merely two days.
It was all too much.
“So… where is Dia-san? Is she still at the hospital with Lily?”
At this, Kanan actually growls and might have changed to her Animagus form if Mari hadn’t kept a vice grip on her shoulder. The blonde’s scowl, however, is just as dark as the ponytailed witch’s.
“Riko-chan is under magically-induced coma to help heal her mind,” You says dully, her hand whimsically patting Chika’s back when the latter leans against her with a sad frown. “It’s the most the Healers could do, considering how m-many times she was h-hit with that Curse…”
Yoshiko swallows hard, feeling nauseous again. There’s nothing they could do except believe in the Healers.
“And Onee-chan is…” Ruby’s subconsciously tightens her grip on Yoshiko’s hand. “She’s considered the prime suspect behind what happened to Riko-san.”
“What?!” Though fatigued, Yoshiko gladly embraces this burst of anger since it is better than that quagmire of depression.
“The Professors all spoke on Onee-chan’s behalf, the House of Slytherin and other students too. But, from the official s-side of things, we all do seem very suspicious. We just happened to be near the Shack and at Hogsmeade during the Moonstruck incident, and then how Onee-chan discovered Riko-san in the middle of nowhere, and now y-you and Hanamaru-chan, in the abandoned lavatory...”
Kanan’s fists are clenched. “And the fact we all seem unwilling to divulge details. Of course we can’t, we don’t know what we say may or may not affect Riko-chan. Each of us has already been questioned by the investigators, but just as expected, they suspect that we’re not telling the whole truth.”
“But Dia protected us. She took any blame and redirected any suspicion towards herself. She is not a Minor anymore and is treated as the heiress and a full Pureblood adult who will eventually be granted a seat in the Wizengamot, so they could not exactly arrest her without trial. We think it’s only due to the Kurosawa name that the Ministry officials are prevented from using the Veritaserum. È solo che è così ridicolo!” Mari then continues to mutter in Italian, which is most likely swear words.
“At least, our family name is able to protect her to an extent,” Ruby lets out a quiet chuckle. It’s a rather disconcerting, cold sound. “But it’s not for Onee-chan’s own good, but for the sake of our family prestige.”
“Those fucking geezers. They didn’t take Dia’s relationship with Rikocchi well.”
“Even though the carbonado necklace is damning evidence,” Kanan pauses thoughtfully. “Come to think of it, I don’t think Riko-chan’s parents said anything about it…”
“Either way, our family is trying to suppress as much news as possible, while keeping Onee-chan under house arrest. In fact, she’s already been withdrawn from Hogwarts for an undetermined time.”
Yoshiko stares at Ruby blankly. The younger Kurosawa gives her a slight nod, though the gesture seems to be more for herself than for her friend. Yoshiko then glances at Mari, You, Chika and Kanan, who all share the same helpless and weary looks.
The world out there is not nice. Hogwarts has been like a shelter for the teenagers, for the students, but the society is cruel and unforgiving to those who step into adulthood. Magic is a wonderful thing, and they’re supposed to be having and enjoying their first year at Hogwarts, yet…
The Christmas Banquet almost feels like a long time ago, even though it actually only took place two months ago.
“So… it’s come to do this, huh?”
Mari exhales shakily. “For the next while, we will be monitored closely - we would still have freedom as any other students, but meeting up in the Room of Requirement or anywhere else would be impossible now. This is already more than we could’ve asked for. It’s only Dia’s… sacrifice and the Professors’ words that prevent us from being under constant escort and daily detention-”
“But we didn’t do anything wrong! Why!? Why should we be punished?!”
You and Chika nod in agreement, but Kanan shakes her head grimly. “We still broke the rules. We left school grounds outside of curfew, for starters. It’s… the school’s way of trying to protect us, to keep us out of trouble from now on. As horrible as it was, the fact that you and Maru were discovered unconscious and injured is the leverage that the staff used to convince the Ministry otherwise. We are the victims.”
“And we really are!” The angrier Yoshiko feels, the more tired she becomes and all she wants to do is pass out and hope that everything would be back to normal by the time she wakes up. Alas, she knows that would never happen, and thus she struggles to stay awake. “I still can’t believe they’d do that to Dia-san…”
“Me neither. But, this will only be temporary. I’ll definitely figure out a way to help Onee-chan.” In spite of her meek countenance, Ruby’s voice is hard like steel.
Chika gives her a supportive pat on the shoulder. “Of course, Ruby-chan. We won’t let things stay like this.”
“That’s the spirit,” Kanan also pats Ruby’s head while You gives her a salute. “For the time being, we need to focus on recovering and get things back in order. From what you’ve told us, Yoshiko, it sounds like the enemies will be keeping a low profile for a while too.”
“We will be ready next time,” Mari’s grin is predatory. “They’ll regret in underestimating us.”
Normally, Yoshiko would have joined them in their resolute vow and rely on this positive energy to recuperate spiritually. However, she could only think about what would happen when this so-called ‘next time’ comes.
Yoshiko forces a small smile on her face. No, she’s already made up her mind. Her fate is inconsequential as long as she can bring down Yohane and the Fallen. As long as her friends are safe.
As long as Hanamaru is okay...
“...mnnn…”
“Maru?” Being the first to notice the slight movement, Kanan hurries to the other bed to check up on the brunette.
“Hanamaru-chan! You’re a-awake!” Ruby smiles tearfully but glances between her two friends, uncertain whether to leave Yoshiko’s side or go check up on the other girl.
“Ruby, I want to see her.”
“But Yoshiko-chan, you’re still-”
“Please.”
After sharing an understanding look, You and Chika help her get up and keep her supported as they all gather around the brunette. Mari quickly sends off her Patronus to alert the matron and proceeds to cast a simple Diagnostic Charm on Hanamaru in the meantime.
“Just low on energy but overall she seems okay,” Mari sighs in relief. “Of course, we should wait for the matron for a proper check-up.”
Ruby glances at Yoshiko, as if waiting for her to speak first but the latter shakes her head and gives her a weak nudge. Though puzzled, Ruby nods and turns towards Hanamaru.
“How are you f-feeling, Hanamaru-chan? Can you hear me? Do you r-recognize us?”
Yoshiko stares at the petite girl closely for any sign of discomfort. Hanamaru appears groggy still, her body limp as Kanan gently helps her sit up and lean against the pillow. Smiling feebly at them, she is about to say something when she begins to cough.
“Could I… water-?”
Similar to earlier with Yoshiko, Ruby hastily summons a glass of water and holds it towards her friend.
However, she almost drops it at Hanamaru’s reaction.
“M-Mirai zura!”
“Eh?”
“The glass just flew! How did you do that zura?”
Yoshiko could feel her heart dropping.
Ruby’s face is pale and Chika’s eyes are wide in shock, while Kanan and Mari exchange nervous glances. You lets out a strained chuckle. “Aw, come on, Hanamaru-chan, that’s just the Summoning Charm…”
The brunette tilts her head, her ochre eyes glimmering with fascination. “Charm? You mean magic? Ooh, so this is how you cast a spell zura!”
Yoshiko could feel her throat clog up.
“H-Hanamaru-chan, do you not r-remember us?” Ruby holds her friend’s hand desperately, her voice shaking.
Hanamaru blinks and winces a bit, looking even smaller on the big bed and under the thick blanket. “I-I… no… t-this is the first t-time I’ve met you all zura…”
Yoshiko could feel her heart clench in pain, comparable to that of a Cruciatus Curse.
“Maru, what do you remember then-? D-Do you,” Kanan swallows hard, gazing at the smaller girl hopefully. “At least remember how you got here?”
Mari wraps a comforting arm around Ruby’s shoulder, pulling the frozen girl against her. “This is Hogwarts, the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. You seem to know the concept of magic at least…”
“Erm, yes, I-I got a letter and…” Hanamaru shrinks even more, the previous sparkle in her eyes now replaced by confusion and anxiousness. “I packed many luggages-? M-My grandparents d-didn’t want me to leave b-but they said they a-also understood z-zura. Oh, I live in a temple, so we weren’t too surprised that a school of magic exist zura! Well, it was still shocking but a-according to the witch w-who took me t-to buy supplies and my wand, w-we took the news pretty well zura, compared to other Muggleborns, um…”
She looks at them helplessly, her small hands gripping the blanket.
“W-What happened to me zura?”
Yoshiko could fee her eyes sting as she leans on the bed, nearly hyperventilating. She could feel You and Chika attempting to support her but she can’t find the strength to even try anymore.
Then, a familiar hand is caressing her back as if to ease her ragged breathing.
“Are you okay zura? M-Maybe you should be resting?”
Yoshiko peers up at Hanamaru’s soft smile in disbelief, her heart cracking from the girl’s unconditional concern.
You should be the one in distress! Why are you comforting me-? Why… why did this happen? Why you? Why?!
She allows herself to be pulled into Hanamaru’s arms as tears slide down her cheeks and sobs shake her body. She burrows her face against the crook of the brunette’s neck, indulging in her scent and warmth for one last time.
After all, in a way, this is farewell.
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