#exo hogwarts au! | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

sooibian · 4 years

Text

Dittany

✨ part of the Spellbound collab series with insanely talented writers @hkynm @fullsuninbloom @blackberrykai and @j-pping

✨ pairing: hufflepuff!kyungsoo x ravenclaw!oc/reader ft. ravenclaw!chen

✨ themes: fluff, mild angst, slow burn, cheesy couples

✨ genre: hogwarts!au

✨ description: broken bones and a tedious detention - can I still say that this is the best christmas i've ever had? it’s because I found magic in him - the big eyed, dark haired, hufflepuff boy. funny I say that as a witch! but sadly, good things don’t last forever.

✨ word count: 16.5k

✨ tag list: @eggsodose @christiandosworld @imgonweast @is-that-baekhyuns-shirt @changshapatrol @thatanonymousgirl-as14 @his-mochi-cheeks @charmedbaek @xiusoomygod @crescent-iak @gdaystays @mangobaek @keonaforever21 @staryyugy @hyckrens @yixing-jaebeom @halfbloodkjm @thepoeticfirefly

With a baggie of Caramel Cobwebs grasped between her fingers, he saw her head towards Gladrags Wizardwear. He feigned untied shoelaces as his friends Baekhyun, Chanyeol and Chen made a beeline for a table at The Three Broomsticks. He stayed just so that he could see her for just a little bit longer as she walked down the quaint but bustling lane of Hogsmeade. It baffled him how different she looked to him every time he saw her.

Yet she looked so familiar.

A sound of girls giggling reached his ears suddenly making him more aware. A jet of purple light shot in her direction and she stood frozen, right in the middle of the street, face buried in hands.

It enraged him to see her like this, weak and lost. With a flick of his wand he unbound her legs. Misty eyed, she hesitantly looked over her shoulder for a fleeting moment before hurrying into the safer confines of the shop as though nothing had happened.

This was their first ever trip to Hogsmeade and he thought J. Pippin's Potions worth the detour.

Rat tails. Porcupine quills. Billywig stings.

The Hair Raising potion had its benefits, after all.

A few drops of it in their pumpkin juice and those girls went around school with their hair standing on end. It made them the laughing-stock and not a single soul suspected the innocent looking, third-year Hufflepuff boy.

Professor Trelawney's got me feeling like I’ve downed an entire flask of Felix Felicis.

Maybe it was the fine sherry I brought her for Christmas and if I'm being honest she was most likely under the influence of some at the time - a bit too early in the day for such an indulgence but that’s just my opinion. Anyway, she has prophesied that today’s going to be a momentous day for me. She said it would “change the course of my destiny”. Jupiter has entered Pisces owing to which I’ll be able to open myself up more to the world. I shudder at the thought but her comically large, moony eyes bore a distinct hint of euphoria so I’ll take her word for it. And I don’t care what “opinions” other students - or even Professors for that matter - have of her but I’ll always believe that Divination is a highly compelling (albeit misunderstood) branch of magic.

And Professor Trelawney is a truly gifted Seer.

With a spring in my step, I'm practically galloping down the Great Hall after a hearty breakfast and Professor Flitwick is unfeignedly in his element. A peppy tune on his lips, he blossoms golden baubles out of his wand, trailing them over the branches of the new dozen of frost covered fir trees akin to a Maestro weaving a symphony with his baton. Christmas has always been an ethereal treat for the eyes at Hogwarts. The Castle is covered in several feet of silver snow, in the Great Hall thick streams of holly and mistletoe criss-cross the ceilings and enchanted snow falls warm and dry from it. While I do feel a little lonely sometimes, I'd rather spend the holidays here than back home with Gran.

Fourteen years of having to raise me all by herself after Mum and Dad passed away couldn’t have been easy. I reckon she could do well without having to unnecessarily fret over me during the holidays. And I could do very well without her persuasions, asking me to live up to the dreams my parents had had for me. Hopefully, she's enjoying herself with a cup or two of Firewhisky in the evenings in the company of her Ministry friends and gorging on those delicious Ugly Christmas Sweater Cookies and Liquorice Wands that she so relishes!

"Looks great, Professor!" I say to Professor Flitwick and with a cheery laugh he waves his wand bearing arm at me. I duck at the sudden attack of tinsels but one golden bauble nests in the loop of my topknot anyway. I think I'll keep it and use it for Hagrid's gift.

Hagrid!

A glance out the window behind the staff table and I resolve to brave the weather and pay him a long overdue visit. I have a little something for him and old Fang. I won’t lie, it helps to be the granddaughter of an influential woman for Hagrid’s Christmas presents don’t come easy.

Another great thing about Christmas is that I have the castle all to myself. The dormitory is vacant and the Common Room is far emptier than usual. And I’m spared the everyday torment of hushed whispers and giggles and the occasional “practical jokes”. Carefully, I bring Hagrid’s present out of its little pen to measure it up against the stray bauble. Not his size. He rapidly blinks his beetle brown eyes at me and crawls up my arm with a certain urgency, nestling into the crook of my neck. “Aww Mr. Twiggles”, I plop the Bowtruckle down onto my lap and wrap a pink ribbon around its knobbly brown arm. Placing him under an airy bronze cloche, alongside a huge slab of butterbeer fudge, I bid him adieu.

***

My butt is freezing, I’m pretty sure I heard something crack and it was definitely not the ice. A terrified Bowtruckle is smack in the middle of my face while I lie amidst crumbs of Butterbeer Fudge. Since this could be his only shot at freedom, Mr. Twiggles scuttles into the Forbidden Forest. Taking stock of the situation I realise that Fang’s present has now become one with the snow, I’ve lost Hagrid’s present to its natural habitat and probably snapped a few of my bones in the process.

But this is the least of my concerns.

My literal fall further down the school’s social structure has a witness - the Muggle-born Hufflepuff boy, who belongs to probably one of the most influential cliques in school. I don’t think much of them, to be honest. They’re just a babbling band of bumbling baboons. But can’t I have a day go by without being humiliated? Is that a lot to ask? Hagrid’s hut is barely ten feet from here. I wouldn’t mind breaking all of my bones in his company. He would’ve probably offered me some tea and his infamous rock cakes before carrying me to the Hospital Wing. Out of all the places in Hogwarts... out of all the places in the world...did this wide-eyed bloke really have to be here? Exactly in this moment? And just how many students is Hagrid friends with anyway? And why him? I swear I’ve never seen the boy smile. Not even when he’s with his rowdy friends.

This can’t be it.

This can’t be the ‘momentous day that changes the course of my destiny’. This is just like...any other rubbish day and it’s crushing my soul. I'm starting to believe that Divination is a whole lot of hogwash and Professor Trelawney is indeed a fraud. But at this point, I can’t feel my limbs and I really, really could use some help.

Squinting hard, the Muggle-born rushes to my aid. My lips begin to quiver and I feel warm tears trickle down my temples, further wetting my already damp hair. He stoops down and his eyes widen with surprise and recognition and he scoffs at my immobilized state. As he’s helping me up, I wrap my right arm around his shoulders. An imperceptible smile tugs at his lips as his left arm firms around my waist and before I know it, I’m standing on my own two feet - or one. My weight is supported by him and my good right leg. But before I can begin to thank him, a sharp pain shoots to my head and I see little stars buzzing around his ears. Maybe they are real!

“Wrackspurts”, I mumble and observe his lips form the shape of a heart when curved into a wide smile. His smile is….bewitching.

And it's the last thing I see.

***

Madam Pomfrey strongly insists on keeping me caged in for the night. She’s implacable and my protests are met with a standard taut response, “Broken bones are particularly dangerous in winters. You’re staying the night.” How do I explain that I feel fine and keeping me in will only make matters a LOT worse for me.

I have to go see the Hufflepuff boy.

I have absolutely no memory of the events that unfolded after I literally started seeing stars. Not Wrackspurts. Did he perhaps carry me to the Hospital Wing? I have no answers and this isn’t exactly the kind of topic I wish to broach with Madam Pomfrey. My throat dries up at the thought of him struggling to bring me all the way up here and it makes me actively consider a transfer to Beauxbatons - if that is indeed possible. Because this cannot be happening right now! Sixth year has been quiet and I’d like to keep it that way, thank you very much.

I don’t know if the Hufflepuff boy will keep it down for me. Will he tell his friends about it? Will I become the talk of the town even before school resumes? Will he keep it to himself if I cut a deal with him? I don’t mind helping him out with schoolwork or something.

My delirious train of thought is interrupted by three rhythmic knocks on the slightly ajar double door.

It’s him.

He’s standing in the doorway, twiddling a rectangular purple box in his hands, shifting his weight nervously from one foot to the other. Does he expect me to invite him in? What’s the protocol? Smoothing out the wrinkles in my blanket, I sit up slightly and crane my neck to find Madam Pomfrey who seems to be in her Office. Pursing my lips into an awkward smile, I turn to look at him and shrug noncommittally. He takes it as his cue to enter.

“This is for you.” He says in a low mellifluous voice which tastes like honeyed milk and gingerly places the box at the edge of my bed. Caramel Cobwebs. My favourite! He finds a seat at the edge of the other end of my bed.

“Thanks, you didn’t have to...and thank you for everything. I -”

His deep brown eyes suddenly meet mine and I lose all sense of speech.

“It was Hagrid who brought you here”, he says nonchalantly, drumming his fingers on his knees while allowing his large eyes to survey the sterile, sprawling infirmary.

Then why is he here?

“Aren’t you missing lunch?” I ask, unwrapping the box and offering the constellate of bite sized confectionery to him. “I’m not too hungry”, he says, guzzling down a few anyway. A soft smile touches the corners of his mouth.

Silence echoes in the Hospital Wing, save for our muted nibbling. It’s soothing in its sense of comfort as neither of us is particularly chatty. And that’s just as gratifying as the sweet treats.

“Looks like we have company!” The stern but kind Matron swooshes out of her office, scrutinizing the boy from top to bottom, making him shift uncomfortably in his seat. She’s never been too fond of visitors. I remember the day I tagged along with Chen last year to visit his human banshee of a friend - Baekhyun.

A doxy had apparently sunk it’s double row sharp front teeth into his arm, injecting him with its venom. His dense idea was to experiment with doxy venom to appear ill just so that he could cut a couple of lessons with his dimwitted oaf - Chanyeol. While the latter went unscathed and even managed to extract an ounce of venom out of the doxy (cute fairies he liked to call them), the human banshee had to be brought into the Hospital Wing to be administered the Antidote to Uncommon Poisons. I only visited the boy who cackles like a goose to get a little look-see of what doxy venom could do to a person. But to my absolute dismay, he looked... peachy, with an annoying boxy grin plastered across his face. The Matron shooed Chen, me and the big oaf out in a matter of minutes. It’s not that I blame her. I would’ve probably done the same in view of the racket that ensued amidst their boisterous conversation.

Madam Pomfrey brings out a small vial of brown liquid and applies a few drops of it on my elbow. I hadn’t noticed the nasty wound my fall had left on it, up until then. A greenish smoke billows upward and it quickly clears out to make the wound look several days old and new skin stretches over what had been a deep cut.

“Dittany!” The Hufflepuff boy and I say in unison.

“Well done! 5 points each to Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw!” Madam Pomfrey jokes as she peers over her spectacles and her gaze flits between him and me. I catch his heart shaped smile again. And for some reason, makes my stomach contract and my heart go into a somersault. Or maybe it’s the effect whatever Madam Pomfrey’s got me under.

The Matron raises her wand and points it at the table adjoining my bed. A large plate of sandwiches, two silver goblets and a jug of a cold beverage appear with a pop.

It's honeyed milk.

She retracts into her office without pressing on him to leave and for that I am grateful. We share sandwiches in silence as a mildly bitter citrus aroma of Dittany wafts through the space between us. The plate endlessly refills itself but we’re both satiated by the third fill.

“I’m Kyungsoo, by the way. Sixth year.” He says in his dulcet tone and I take a huge gulp of the sweet nectar out of the goblet.

***

Madam Pomfrey sets me free with not one but two warnings. Avoid slippery outdoors if you’d like to enjoy the Christmas feast and Don’t count your owls before they are delivered. I’ll admit the second one is a bit difficult to stomach since I had my eyes trained on the door for the better part of the morning. It comes in fine print at the bottom of the letter of acceptance - steer clear of parent-less weirdos who believe in Divination and Nargles. Of course the sweet and quiet Kyungsoo received the same letter.

After having sent Hagrid a Christmas greeting via an owl, I head over to the library. Its musty fragrance clears my mind off trivial sentiments. Sixth year is no child’s play and I need to read up on Apparition to avoid having a limb splinched especially after yesterday’s disaster.

“Umm...HI!”, a chirpy voice startles me and I almost collapse into the Restricted Section. This voice is a little too sprightly for a deserted library and its owner looks like someone who does not belong in school during the holiday season. Her dazzling smile perfectly complements the twinkle in her eyes. She’s one of those girls but she seems nice? My puzzled expression asks her the obvious questions.

“Sorry! Professor Slughorn asked me to give this to you.” She hands me a rich parchment. It’s a letter addressed to me in the most exquisite cursive inviting me to dinner held by Professor H.E.F Slughorn.

Bleaaargh!

The girl is still here, eyes beaming with curiosity, “It’s for the Slug Club, right? What’s it all about? Well... I’ve always wondered.” Her voice trails off in an awkward giggle.

“Be my guest!”

It’ll help to have a slightly known, apparently friendly face in an obnoxious crowd.

***

I’m no stranger to the opulent ways of prestigious wizarding families but this isn’t something one would expect to see in a Professor’s office at Hogwarts. It’s barely even an office! It’s an enormous tent bathed in a dim orange of the sunset with its ceiling and walls draped in emerald hangings. The deep melody of violins drowns the frantic squeaking of house elves who are obscured by the heavy silver platters of the finest hors d'oeuvres.

A circular dining area is set up right in the middle of the room where most of the invitees have taken their seats. There aren’t too many compared to last year. No Warlocks, no Vampires. Just a handful of students with their guests and a couple of past students - Slughorn’s proteges of course - who’ve managed to carve a name for themselves all thanks to the powerful connections he’d helped them forge through this very same Club. Or so he’d rather believe.

The tap on my shoulder strikes me with the realization that I’m still stood at the entrance. It’s my chirpy guest! The fifth year Gryffindor Prefect. One awkward small talk later, we find our seats at the ostentatious table.

Despite the grandiose, this is a rather intimate gathering. But judging by Professor Slughorn’s enthusiasm, the turnout is certainly not off-putting to him. He drones on about his overachieving handpicked students and I let my mind wander into the distance while Miss Prefect is certainly taken by the charms of this first-class motley. Well, at least someone’s liking it here.

“Kyungsoo, m’boy!” Slughorn jumps mid-feast at the sight of the newest entrant to this coalition, almost causing me to choke on my roast duck, “Welcome, welcome!”

At a gesture from Slughorn, he sits down in the empty chair next to me and mutters a velvety ‘hullo’ in my direction and I’ve suddenly lost my appetite thanks to the butterflies in my stomach. He’s dressed casually in blue denims and a beige knit sweater yet he’s shining brighter than Sirius among all these boys in their finest ensembles.

“This young man is the only sixth year I’ve ever seen who’s managed to concoct the Draught of Living Death”, he takes a dramatic pause to peer at his guests over his spectacles before meeting my eyes, “flawlessly!”

Almost everyone at the table acknowledges Kyungsoo with a smile or a slight nod, save for a few overtly arrogant Purebloods who merely grunt in response or completely ignore his accomplishment. I, on the other hand, have my eyes trained on the roast duck to keep my erratic heartbeat in check.

Slughorn gears up for another act, “So tell us, Mister Doh, what exactly does your family do in the Muggle world?” His smile is cold, unwelcoming.

“My Mum is a chef, Professor...my parents own a restaurant.” Kyungsoo answers.

Slughorn contemplates on his answer for a while with a ‘hmm’, “A Muggle-born, eh?”, he lifts an eyebrow, “But the fumes from his cauldron almost lulled this old man into a deep slumber”, he chortles, wagging a sausage like finger, only to receive cold silence in response from everyone else except one invitee.

The feline eyed man laughs the loudest at Slughorn’s pathetic joke. One might think it’s probably out of sympathy. But it’s not. He seems to have actually found that funny.

Slughorn introduces him as Minseok Kim and goes on to sing praises about this former student of his. Slytherin. Excellent potioneer. One of the youngest registered animagi.

His animagus is a cat.

Minseok interrupts Slughorn’s discourse with an uncomfortable laugh showcasing his wide gummy grin, “You give me too much credit, Professor!”

“You’ve made me proud, my son! So tell us how your career as a Magizoologist is treating you? Well, I hope? Your uncle Soo Man Lee, a notable Warlock and a dear friend of mine, wrote to me saying that you happened to cross paths with an obscurus during one of your recent travels! That must have been...” Professor Slughorn shakes his head in horror and awe as his voice tails away.

“It’s certainly a story for a different occasion, Professor. Although, it happens to be one of my most memorable experiences.” Something about Minseok’s discomfit demeanour tells me he’d rather have a tête-à-tête with the obscurus than with Professor Slughorn. I take an instant liking to this man.

“Minseok, we happen to have an aspiring Magizoologist in our company”, I loathe the nickname. It’s a garb. It’s a lie. But the conversation seamlessly steers towards me as a dozen pairs of eyes follow Professor Slughorn’s snivelling gaze. Clearing my throat, I say to Minseok, “I’m delighted to meet you - ”

“My dear, if I may ask and I hope you won’t mind”, Professor Slughorn interrupts me, per usual. Kyungsoo lets out a barely audible annoyed grunt and I hold my breath in anticipation of what he’s about to say next. Slughorn has a knack for broaching treacherous territories with utmost eloquence. I didn’t think it was possible for me to despise this gathering any more than I already do. I know where he’s going. I know what he’s going to say next. He’s going to play the Devil’s (Gran’s) Advocate.

This is not a party. It’s an intervention which serves as an offhanded reminder of my parents’ gruesome deaths.

“You come from a lineage of Aurors par excellence. Your grandparents with whom I had the great fortune of exchanging notes and secrets in these very same classrooms. Your parents…. a tremendous loss to our world…”

At this point, I’ve lost Professor Slughorn.

He’s testing me again to see if I have any of my parents’ flair. I do not. Magizoologist is just a veil that conceals my seemingly purposeless life. I’m not sure what I want to be. Or who I want to be. If there’s one thing I know it’s that I don’t want to end up like my parents. Neither am I brave nor am I self sacrificial. Their deaths, I’ve come to terms with. It’s the torture they went through that keeps me up most nights - the unimaginable pain of the Cruciatus Curse before they were engulfed in blinding green light. My throat seizes up and I chew on the insides of my cheeks to feel pain that’s more superficial.

My sweaty palms clutch at the hem of my silk lilac dress. I feel hesitant fingers gently graze the back of my left hand, steadying the tremble. Judging by my lack of protest, Kyungsoo’s grip around my hand courageously strengthens.

In subliminal comfort.

I don’t feel cornered anymore.

KYUNGSOO

Oh I shouldn’t have.

OH BOY I SHOULD NOT HAVE!

I’m not a pervert. In my defense her hand was right there! Trembling. Astray. Seeking shelter.

Asking to be held.

She didn’t say a word to me after that ridiculous party. I couldn’t muster the courage to say anything to her, either. What could I have said? I’m sorry? That would’ve been dishonest. I wasn’t sorry about it at all. Are you alright? I didn’t want her to feel any more uncomfortable than she already did. So I left it at that. Like I always do.

Because I’m a coward.

She swooped out with her friend as soon as the snoozefest was over, leaving her food completely untouched. In fact, I didn’t catch her taking a bite out of anything ever since I arrived. Her slender fingers were gracefully wrapped around a silver goblet the entire time.

It’s always been like that with her. She always needs something or the other to physically hold on to. The straps of her bag, books, remembralls, whatever she can find. I notice these little things about her. I always have. But to her I’m only a face in the crowd. The very same crowd she fights shy of. I don’t blame her. It is quite rare for pretty girls to notice me.

And she’s ethereal.

Year One

My heart was hammering in my chest as I was ridiculously close to missing the Hogwarts Express. Partially because the oddly named Platform was nowhere to be found and I was starting to think of the entire thing as an elaborate prank. And when we did end up finding the way to the Platform by following a snooty wizarding couple who seemed to be seeing their daughter off, I quite frankly lost my mind at the prospect of having to run through a solid wall to get to it.

I said a final word of my goodbye to my teary-eyed mother.

Earlier in the day, her theatrical sobfest went on for hours after she progressed from outright denial and came to terms with the fact that witches and wizards do exist and that her only son is in fact a wizard. He wasn’t going to take over his parents’ restaurant business like she’d always hoped he would. Honestly, at this point he’s not entirely sure what his future beholds but he’s a wizard and is indeed very happy about it.

But I didn’t dare say this to her.

I pretended to be upset about having to practically move out at the age of eleven. In all honesty, I was mildly upset but far more excited about this school I’d, obviously, never heard of before the Letter arrived - Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

But it wasn’t long before all of my bubbling excitement was reduced to a pile of rubbish.

I had lost my little pouch of wizard money which I thought I'd carefully tucked into the back pocket of my jeans only to find out about it seconds prior to having to pay for the strange but oddly tempting treats. I felt myself shrink under the kind old lady’s sympathetic gaze as I put my little confectionery treasure back to where it belonged. On the top of her trolley. Suddenly, the embarrassing rumble of my stomach was drowned by a welcome jingle of coins.

The second year boy in my compartment - who later introduced himself as Baekhyun Byun - paid for the treats instead. I didn’t like him at first since he had a permanent smile plastered across his face, was giggly and extremely chatty. He’d told me all kinds of sorting stories which made me want to take the same train back home. I discovered his annoyingly loud chewing habits while sharing a stack of Cauldron Cakes with him. But I guess a happy stomach makes one truly tolerant.

We tried to offer Pumpkin Pasties to the girl in our compartment who had her face buried in a book right since the moment she boarded. Baekhyun even tried to strike up a conversation with her, multiple times, but to no avail. She’d only respond in nods and slight smiles.

After a point, we gave up. There’s no cure to snobbery.

There was an empty feeling in the pit of my stomach even after having annihilated five Chocolate Frogs, a dozen Liquorice Wands, six Pumpkin Pasties and two Cauldron Cakes. It wasn't even the first day yet and I’d lost ten Galleons in wizarding money which equalled fifty Pounds in muggle money which equalled two meals at our restaurant.

The rain thickened as the train sped further north. Baekhyun pulled on his long black robe, gave me all of his Chocolate Frog cards and scurried ahead with his trunk leaving me alone with the oddball. We were nearly there.

“Here”, she said, thrusting a heavy, knotted pink cloth in my hands before exiting the compartment in a rush.

It was five Galleons neatly wrapped in a cloth that smelled exactly like the “farewell” cake Mum baked me.

Vanilla.

***

We didn’t have to wrestle a troll or turn a fat rat yellow for the Sorting Ceremony like Baekhyun said we’d have to.

“RAVENCLAW!” the Hat bellowed and the girl from the Hogwarts Express found her place amidst the brains at Hogwarts (as Baekhyun liked to call them) and that didn’t leave me surprised at all.

When the strict witch called out my name I almost stumbled upon a step on my way up to the wooden stool. For no particular reason the word “Ravenclaw” rolled off my tongue and the Hat contemplated, “Intelligent and hard-working, eh? Hmm….where should I place you...I see. I see! HUFFLEPUFF!”

The table next to Ravenclaw cheered me on as a ghost, the Fat Friar, swooshed past me in what was supposed to be a bone chilling embrace. I caught her eyes and she gave me a little wave.

Ravenclaw...at least I knew where to find her. I’ll return her money but not the piece of cloth.

It is a reminder of home.

Year Two

Am I invisible to her?

Every time I’ve so much as smiled at her she’s returned it with an unreadable expression like that lady in the fake painting at our restaurant. If I approach her and she doesn’t recognize me, I’ll be making a complete ass out of myself. Anyway, she probably thinks I’m not good enough to be seen around with but third-year Chen is. People say she belongs to one of the oldest wizarding families and she sure does act like royalty. I guess, five Galleons to her is nothing but a drop in the ocean.

***

While Professor Sprout thinks I’m the next Tilden Toots - a celebrity Herbologist and Potioneer, Professor Snape’s way of expressing his satisfaction with my abilities in Potions was with a scowl and a barely audible “five points to Hufflepuff.”

Most of the students think of Potions as a lot of hard work but to me, it’s really not. I don’t entirely blame them. The classes are held in a dungeon and the Potions Master looms over us with a murderous intent but if you ignore all of that it’s just intricacies of timing and stirring techniques.

The Hair Raising potion was disgusting to concoct especially since one of the key ingredients was rat tails and three counter clockwise stirs left the cauldron with a sickening green residue causing the entire dungeon to smell like a dead rat.

I must admit, Hogwarts is one weird school. What on earth would I need this potion for?

Year Three

Whenever I’ve tried to avoid the joined at the hips duo Baekhyun and Chanyeol, I’ve found myself in their ear splitting company. By now, I’ve resigned to my fate. My fellow Hufflepuff Yoongi isn’t up for much these days. To be honest, he’s always liked to stick to the confines of the Hufflepuff dorm and that’s kind of a downer.

So I spend almost all of my free time in the company of the Perpetually In Detention duo and their Ravenclaw friend Chen. And I realise that I can never be Chen. Chen is perfect in every way. He’s polite, he’s intelligent, and at such a young age he’s got his life planned out. He wants to work for the Ministry of Magic. Which, I believe, is a cakewalk for the likes of him. He’s also kinda good looking. While we’re all struggling with embarrassing bulk sticking out of odd places and less than appealing skin, he could very well replace Gilderoy Lockhart for the next issue of Witch Weekly.

***

When I saw her head toward Gladrags Wizardwear, fingers clutched at a baggie of Caramel Cobwebs, I feigned untied shoelaces as Baekhyun, Chanyeol and Chen made their way into The Three Broomsticks. Suddenly, a jet of purple light shot in her direction and a sound of girls giggling reached my ears. She stood frozen in the middle of the street, face buried in hands and with a flick of my wand I unbound her legs. Misty eyed, she hesitantly looked over her shoulder for a fleeting moment before hurrying into the safer confines of the shop as though nothing had happened.

This was our first ever trip to Hogsmeade and I thought J. Pippin's Potions worth the detour.

Rat tails. Porcupine quills. Billywig stings.

The Hair Raising potion had its benefits, after all.

A few drops of it in their pumpkin juice and not a single soul suspected the innocent looking, third-year Hufflepuff boy.

Year Four

Hagrid seemed quite proud of his crate full of Blast-Ended Skrewts. They were cuddly creatures, very useful and made for exceptional pets.

If you looked at them with Hagrid’s beady brown, affectionate eyes.

Everyone in class was visibly disturbed at the sight of them. Yoongi was quite close to disappearing into the Forbidden Forest. But that’s just him - slimy, foul smelling, shell-less lobsters or not. I wouldn’t be surprised if he chose, out of the blue, to live as a hermit in the company of centaurs. Not sure if he’s aware that they’re averse to humans.

Smiling, she took two graceful steps towards the crate as the rest of us took two steps back. Then four, then six as her waist length hair rippled down her shoulders and sunlight bounced off the silver trinkets in her ears. Perhaps motivated by her deep affection for Hagrid and anything non-human, she dipped a piece of frog liver to tempt the freshly hatched Skrewts.

It was pointless. Skrewts don’t have mouths. Mine is carefully locked away in a little pen under my bed. Honestly, I don’t care whether it survives the semester or not.

Anyway, she ended up earning a roaring applause from Hagrid and ten points for Ravenclaw.

I found myself following her to the hideous crate like my legs had a mind of their own while Yoongi gaped at me in horror. I don’t know what struck me but I’m pretty sure that I don’t love Hagrid enough to get stung by an ugly lobster.

But she had her eyes lovingly trained on the Skrewts the entire time and my valiant battle against a six inch burning, biting and stinging hybrid went completely unnoticed by her.

Would I have to transfigure into an ugly Skrewt to get her attention? Or gulp down a vial of Polyjuice Potion to look like Chen?

I’d still lack his charm.

Year Five

How Chanyeol and Baekhyun managed to advance to the sixth year is anyone’s guess, really.

Because at this point I wish I had a Time Turner. Twenty four hours in a day are not enough for what the O.W.L.s demand. I’ve got Potions, Arithmancy, Charms, Transfiguration, Herbology, Care of Magical Creatures, History of Magic and Defence Against The Dark Arts.

And Divination is entirely her fault.

There’s one thing, though, that Trelawney’s “Inner Eye” was right about - Everything is not as bad as it seems, my dear. It’s true. Professor Slughorn isn’t half as bad as Professor Snape. Although he’s a little vain and self-serving, I have a better shot at earning an O in Potions with him than I could have ever had with Snape. Where Snape would dismiss my nearly perfect brews with a grunt, I manage to earn some real points for Hufflepuff with Slughorn.

Professor Sprout, ever so confident in my abilities, had laughed away my Career Advice session by calling me the next Tilden Toots. Her face fell slightly when I told her that I aspired to be Tilden Toots the Potioneer and not Tilden Toots the Herbologist.

But my dreams won’t materialize if I don’t have near perfect scores in Charms and Arithmancy and these are the two subjects that have kept me away from my “happening” social life.

I’d been haunting the Hufflepuff common room with my fingers in my ears, muttering soundlessly and my dear friend Yoongi chose to “take a quick catnap for a refreshed mind” every chance he got. I haven’t seen them in a while - Baekhyun, Chanyeol, Chen and their Quidditch friends Kai and Sehun. With twelve (failed) study schedules strewn on the floor and six weeks left until the exams, I seized my copy of Defensive Magical Theory and stepped out of the dorm for some fresh air and mindless chatter.

Last I’d heard, they’d managed to earn themselves a week’s worth of detention for setting off Filibuster’s Fireworks in Filch’s office.

What I witnessed in the corridor on my way out made me stop dead in my tracks. Chen had his arm around her shoulders as they walked along the hallway laughing and talking animatedly. This was the happiest I had ever seen her in all these years. At the sight of them, I felt a paralyzing dread seep into my consciousness.

I hated it.

I hated to see her happy. With him. A part of me saw this coming but I could’ve never prepared myself for it and I immediately regretted leaving the unwitting confines of my Common Room.

Seething, I went in the other direction, taking a detour for the Quidditch pitch, to find those clowns.

With them, I could very well drift in and out of conversations. While I lacked patience for most of their rubbish and I usually brought my earmuffs along, today was different. I needed to hear something refreshing to get my mind off the horrible fragmented flashbacks of what I’d witnessed just minutes ago. It’s probably nothing and they’re just friends but the nagging rebuttal to my ‘just friends’ argument is making me restless.

To my absolute horror, Chen breezed into the pitch with an annoying grin on his face, cheeks flushed. I felt the knot in my stomach tighten.

“Guys! I asked her out and she said yes!” He announced to the world in his usual thunderous scream invoking a deafening response from the rest of them. Slamming my copy of Defensive Magical Theory shut, I rushed to the common room, ignoring Kai calling out for me.

Year Six

Study hard and you will be rewarded. Fail to do so and the consequences may be... severe.

And rewarded, I was. With 6 Os, 2 Es (Arithmancy and Defence Against the Dark Arts) and 1 A (Divination). Yoongi had managed to scrape through with a decent O.W.Ls score as well. And “Chen’s girlfriend” had topped the year, per usual. With 8 O’s and 1 E in Defence Against The Dark Arts, having messed up one counter jinx in the practicals. She’s strangely under confident when it comes to this subject.

My house-elf friend Winky smuggled in a congratulatory vanilla cake - a Muggle recipe I’d helped her recreate.

***

So turns out “Chen’s girlfriend” isn’t Chen’s girlfriend.

I mean, Chen has a girlfriend but it’s not the girl from the Hogwarts Express. It’s the Ravenclaw Head Girl. Because I spent nearly half a year sulking, slogging away in the library, feeling betrayed for no particular reason, despite my well above average O.W.Ls score I felt like a complete idiot.

The bearer of good news was Chanyeol Park.

Who enraged me and made me want to kiss a Blast-Ended Skrewt on its non-existent mouth at the same time with, “Of course he’s not dating that Ravenclaw oddball. He’s dating the Ravenclaw Head Girl.”

Smacking him on the head with my copy of Advanced Potion Making, I decided to spend the upcoming Christmas at school.

It’s now or never.

***

She’s SUCH an idiot!

A freezing, injured, drenched, clumsy idiot.

A Bowtruckle whirred past me into the Forbidden Forest as I rushed to help her off the ground. Tergeo, I muttered to siphon the blood off her elbow and hoisted her up not long before she collapsed into my arms.

She’s a cute idiot whose pain is… my gain.

“Why aren’t you home for the holidays?”

Howling, a chilly breeze engulfs us but the panoramic view of the landscape from the Wooden Bridge is well worth it. As is the mildly attractive Hufflepuff boy who’d asked, very shyly, if he could see me here.

“My parents are always busy with the restaurant during the holidays, anyway. Thought I’d use this time to prepare better in advance for N.E.W.T.s”, says a red-nosed, shivering Kyungsoo.

He’s ambitious as he is kind. “So, are you?”

“Hmm?”

“Preparing for... N.E.W.T.s?”

“No. Something’s kept me busy.” An imperceptible smile tugs at his lips and I find myself unconsciously mirroring him. It’s freezing out here but my cheeks are ablaze.

“What has?” My tone is unwavering but his rich pause has me dreading as well as anticipating the answer.

“The Patronus Charm”, he says, “All I can manage is formless silver vapour.”

Oh.

“I could help if you like.” I turn to face him to find his confused expression uncoil into a toasty smile.

“You can conjure an actual corporeal Patronus?” His excitable voice is not as deep as his regular talking voice but it’s melodic anyway.

Nodding, I say, “Let’s go.”

Kyungsoo’s eyes aren’t exactly trusting. I’ve brought him to the seventh floor and we’re gawking at a tapestry of trolls ridiculously bent in a plier. If I were him, I wouldn’t trust me either. But Hogwarts is an ancient castle and I’ve spent a good amount of time recceing it’s rooms, hallways, and everything in between. Yet, I discover something new, every time.

Last year, I discovered this - The Room of Requirement - or as Meady likes to call it - the Come and Go Room.

“Okay, so we’re going to walk past the area of this door, thrice, thinking clearly of what we need.” Pointing at the wall opposite the funny tapestry, I say to Kyungsoo but a look of sheer confusion mixed with worry clouds his face.

“We’re going to think of a large, dingy classroom where we can have our lessons without anyone disturbing us.”

His expression is short of saying, ‘You’re crazy. Goodbye.’ Despite that, he valiantly follows my instruction.

After the third pass we’re in a spacious classroom completely devoid of any furniture, save for two desks.

“Ahhh”, hands on hips, he gapes in surprise surveying the dimly lit room, “but...we could’ve practised anywhere. Why here?”

“For the effect?” My fingers clutch at the edge of the desk as a knot tightens in my stomach and I find myself hoping that he stays.

His ha-ha-ha echoes in the room and his voice is at it’s high pitch again, “Shall we?”

Nodding, I take the centre of the class, “So the incantation is ‘Expecto Patronum’”

“Of that, I am aware.”

“Great now concentrate hard on a happy memory. I know it’s going to be tough without an actual Dementor or even a Boggart to practise on. But let’s give it a try, alright? Professor Flitwick taught me using a Boggart last year. I didn’t leave him alo -- sorry I’m rambling. Okay, happy memory... now...go!”

Kyungsoo squeezes his eyes shut and his face screws up in concentration. With a swish of his wand he stutters, “Ex-expecto Patronus!”

Nothing except peals of laughter echo in the room.

“Lets go again. Together now.” I say patting his shoulder.

Signalling each other with a nod we try again, “Expecto Patronum!”

A lynx rises out the end of my wand, trotting across the room before diffusing into nothingness. While Kyungsoo manages to issue a not so tangible cloud of silver.

A few tries later, he manifests something visibly stronger but he’s not quite there yet. And we’re both exhausted. I fish for a Chocolate Frog in the pockets of my cardigan and hand it to him.

“This charm is ridiculously advanced! How about we try again after Christmas?” Leaning on one of the desks, he offers dejectedly, nibbling at the Frog’s head.

I gladly accept it.

***

Owing to the small number of students that have stayed back this year, the House tables have been put aside and a single table has been set up for the Christmas feast. As if it were the most natural thing to do in the world, Kyungsoo comes and sits next to me. I hope he doesn’t hold my hand like he did during Slughorn’s party or maybe I hope that he does. I hope we do get to hold hands often and discuss what happened at the party. But we’re both great at pretending that nothing unusual did. The Gryffindor Prefect is somewhere on the other end of the table, chatting to a fellow Gryffindor. And the spread, as always, is sumptuous.

Digging into a delectable roast turkey I ask Kyungsoo, “What’s Christmas like in the Muggle world?”

“Isn’t half as exciting as it is here. For starters, we have no Wizard Crackers. Or silver Sickles hidden within puddings.” He says toying with the cardboard tube moments before it went off like a canon, covering him in a cloud of blue smoke. A flurry of white mice scamper down his legs and scurry out of the Great Hall.

His mouth drops, inviting a roar of laughter from the rest of the table and he chooses to steer clear of the Crackers for the rest of the Feast.

He insists on dropping me off to the Ravenclaw Common Room, “I’ll see you again tomorrow? Six in the evening, the Room of Requirement?”

It’s a date?

***

Today’s class wasn’t nearly as bad as the previous one but God knows Kyungsoo’s in a dire need of practise.

We sit on the floor after two scarcely productive hours with our stash of Chocolate Frogs pooled in the space between us.

“Here’s something I don’t get about Muggleborns. How are your parents okay with sending their children away to an entirely different world? Doesn’t matter what Professor Dumbledore has to say, I refuse to believe Hogwarts is one of the safest places in the world. We have moving staircases, a murderous tree, Quidditch, and Filch!”

His laugh reverberates in the empty classroom, “It’s not much of a trade off, really. The Muggle world has its own set of issues.” He unwraps a Chocolate Frog and offers it to me, “You live with your grandmother, right?”

“My fierce, retired Auror, grandmother. Yes. And you?”

“With my parents. I’m an only child. And you’re right. My mother wasn’t very keen on sending me away but she couldn’t risk their restaurant being reduced to a pile of ash every time I threw a temper tantrum.”

“You don’t look like the temper tantrum sort.”

“Ah you underestimate me.” He chuckles, “so the holidays end soon and I don’t have a Patronus which means our classes will have to continue. You’re okay with that, right?”

“Very much”, I nod but an upsetting finality pulls at me.

“Is there anything...you’d like to do on the last day of the holidays?” He fixes his gaze on my feet.

“Do you have something in mind?”

“Do you want to...well I was thinking if...I need to procure some Wolfsbane from the Forbidden Forest would you like to come with?”

“Are you daft? Do you have any idea what sorts of -”

“Creatures dwell in the Forest? Yeah, I’ve been there, multiple times.”

“And you haven’t been caught? Mauled? Battered?”

He sighs, “Unfortunately, not once.”

Meeting his unflinching gaze I welcome my impending doom, “Okay...maybe I’ll end up finding Twiggles in one of those Wiggentrees but don’t abandon me if Werewolves come for us.”

***

I guess there’s a first time for everything. But it’s my first time flouting a rule and getting caught. My adventurous friend from Hufflepuff seems absolutely unperturbed by the ghastly smile that’s spread across Filch’s face. And anything that makes Filch this happy can’t be good news. Kyungsoo shoves the bunch of Wolfsbane down the pocket of his jeans and I just stand there as an unwitting accomplice to his dumbassery. To my dumbassery. I should’ve never agreed to this. I didn’t even have any luck with Twiggles. But then again Bowtruckles are master camouflagers. What was I expecting?

“Follow me”, the sadistic old man wheezes and my legs feel bound by shackles. Kyungsoo tugs at my arm and teary eyed, I slowly shake my head. He laughs mouthing, ‘It’s nothing.’ Maybe it’s nothing to him considering the company he keeps. What if I get expelled? Where will I go? It’ll be enough reason for Gran to disown me but this bespectacled charming boy doesn’t have a lot to lose now, does he? He can waltz back into his Muggle world and work in his ‘restaurant’. Of course he’s an exceptional cook if he trades recipes with freaking house-elves! I can’t end up having a life worse than squibs. Boys are trouble unless they’re Chen. I literally never should’ve. What of this was a trap all along? I’m SUCH a fool!

I find myself in the part of the vast echoing Entrance Hall I’ve deliberately avoided in all these years. It’s foul smelling, really dull and a cat menacingly meows at us while curling around her Master’s feet.

Room 234-00. Filch’s office.

Coughing, the caretaker points at the chains and manacles that are hung from the ceiling, “I keep ‘em well oiled in case they’re needed. The Forbidden Forest, eh? Brave enough for Acromantulas and Werewolves, are we?” His face is barely inches away from Kyungsoo’s and I feel a sudden pump of adrenaline, “Sir, please, it was a mistake. We promise to never venture into the Forest again. We promise to never venture out of our own dormitories again. Please, please just let us go!”

Filch is taken aback by my plea and Kyungsoo has pursed his lips, holding in a laugh and I feel stupid.

With the sound of a crack, Filch’s equipment of torture comes crashing to the floor. Mrs Norris’ tail shoots up in fear and a raucous laugh echoes in the room souring Filch’s mood, “PEEVES!”

“Nasty Filch! Leave the luuuuurve birds alone! Leave them alone! Loony woony filthy Filch!” An invisible Peeves’ annoying cackle resounds before ceasing with a deafening crack.

Filch is boiling in rage. I tilt my head to look at the slightly experienced in disciplinary matters Kyungsoo and judging by his sullen expression, we’ve had it.

Does he think that I somehow jinxed his great expedition to the Forest? Because it’s been two days since the start of semester and there’s no sign of Kyungsoo. Neither in the Great Hall, nor in the classes I share with Hufflepuff. Is he avoiding me now that his friends are back? The lump in my throat aches.

“Oww!”

Chen greets me with a smack of a book on my head, “I MISSED YOU, GOBLIN!”

I’ll never get used to Chen’s incessant need to announce everything to the world to get his point across but seeing him makes me realise just how much I’d missed him, too. Despite his dig at my height and an underhanded compliment to my brain. He slumps into the chair next to me, activating his ability to speak like a banshee. Not very different from his white haired Gryffindor friend.

“So tell me. How was Christmas? Did you get the set of Wizard Chess I sent you? We should play sometime. Thanks for the Floo Connection, by the way! It was really thoughtful of you and I love it! My darling loved it a lot, too but I had a tough time explaining it to my folks. So how was Christmas?”

I wait patiently for my closest friend in school to finish babbling before telling him what I think he’d like to hear about my little adventures. Or the information Kyungsoo would rather have me share. The nagging feeling that he’s been avoiding me weighs me down like a rock.

“So you broke your leg, told Slughorn off and earned yourself Detention with a Hufflepuff boy who happened to be in the Forest at the same time as you. All of this in a matter of two weeks? Wait, why were you in the Forest again?” Chen is amused but also a little suspicious.

“I told you! I was bored. I went looking for the Bowtruckle!” I argue, needlessly.

“Bored? Didn’t you have to read up on Apparition? Also, you of all the people should know how elusive Bowtruckles are, Miss Magizoologist!” I cringe at the nickname. “And who is this Hufflepuff boy?” I wouldn’t be surprised if Chen were a Legilimens.

Letting out an exasperated sigh I answer, “Some Kwangsoo something?”

“Glasses? Kinda short? Squints a lot? Brooding?”

“So you know him, Mister Tall Guy?” I ask, inviting another smack on my head.

“Yes, through Baekhyun. I mean, haven’t you seen him with us? His name is Kyungsoo, by the way.” Chen’s not particularly suspicious now which bolsters my confidence to spew rubbish.

“No I haven’t. It’s probably because I can hear you guys before I can see you and I prefer not to violate my eyes like I do my ears when I’m around any of you. I hope this answers your question.” I think it was a bit much but Chen breaks into a fit of laughter.

“Then you’ve probably not heard him, either. He isn’t a lot like us.” He contemplates, “but don’t you look around in class? You haven’t ever noticed him before? He’s in the same year as you! You’re ridiculous!”

Of course I’ve noticed him.

Every time he’s tried to talk to me, return my money, earned points for his house or even a sneer from Snape. Every time Madam Pomfrey has cooed at him. Even when he braved feeding a Skrewt. I’ve seen him in the hallways, in classes, in the Great Hall.

But to know someone is to invite heartache and I’ve had my fair share of it.

“You mean he isn’t noisy like the rest of you. And no I haven’t. It’s probably because he’s not as attractive as a Merperson or as lithe as a Basilisk.” I lie. He’s not anything like the magical creatures I’ve studied about. He is a human. And humans are too tricky for my liking. Two weeks with him, two days without him and I seem to have lost my marbles.

Guess, I am pathetic if not ridiculous.

“Come to think of it, I haven’t seen him around either”, Jongdae ponders.

***

“You’ve been avoiding me.”

Maybe it was too direct but I need to get this weight off my chest. I can’t spend every Saturday until the end of term with him in close quarters, clearing out Filch’s old files (the Muggle way) with animosity looming between us. Peeves is enough trouble with his water bombs already. And Kyungsoo’s silent treatment is simply too much.

He brings me Caramel Cobwebs, holds my hand and refuses to talk about it, insists on being tutored, spends Christmas with me, lands me in Detention and starts avoiding me as soon as his friends are back.

“I caused you trouble and you seemed so disturbed by it. I’m sorry. I’ve not been avoiding you...I just thought maybe you wouldn’t like to see me again.” Mumbles Kyungsoo, dropping Filch’s File Number 27 on the floor, leaving a mess of loose, dusty papers.

‘Butterfingers’ here isn’t right at all. I’ve been dying to see him.

I help him clear the mess by re-filing the records of the 27th file in alphabetical order.

“I’m not mad at you. I was a tad bit worried, that’s all. This is my first time being...punished and none of this is your fault. I’m sorry if I made you feel like that.”

His little smile and an understanding nod makes my heart flutter. Snapping out of it, I read out an amusing record from a random file, “at least we’re not pickling rat brains in the dungeons.”

His eyes grow wide in horror, “What?”

“Sehun Oh and Kai Kim for bewitching snowballs to hit Professor Snape!” I summarise.

Kyungsoo guffaws, “Yes! This was last year. Baekhyun had dared them to it and those idiots thought Snape wouldn’t notice. They ended up reeking of dead rats for two weeks after that. Nobody would go near them! Not even Baekhyun.”

I put the file back with an ‘ahh’, “So Kai Kim, Sehun Oh, Baekhyun Byun are your friends right? And Chen, too?”

“Yeah, Chen and Chanyeol Park. Why?”

Of course, the Great Oaf.

“Nothing, you’re quite different from them.”

“How so?” Resting his chin in his hand, Kyungsoo inquires and avoiding his eyes I reply, “Well, you’re not very noisy or mischievous?”

He chuckles, “I’m not noisy that’s true. But I literally took you to the Forbidden Forest and it’s the reason why we’re here today sifting through these records. Will you still say that I’m not mischievous, Miss Ravenclaw?”

“I take back my words, Mister Hufflepuff”, I need to get away from this sweet talker, “Now let’s look for more, shall we? Filch certainly has your friends’ adventures chronicled in these files.”

“We’ll probably find something on Chen, too.” He says quietly.

“No wayyy! Chen’s perfect.” I protest.

He throws a file onto the desk, creating a cloud of dust, “What if we do end up finding something about him here, in these records? Then what?”

“Then I’ll….do whatever you ask!”

Why! Why?

“It’s a deal!”

***

Kyungsoo and I have been seeing each other fortnightly for the sake of Dementors. Let’s just say if he were required to actually fight one off today, he’d end up having his soul sucked out. Does the boy have no solid happy memory or what? Or maybe I’m just a terrible guide.

In class, we’re cordial. But somewhat distracted.

We spend all of our Saturdays together. Turns out he’s a couple of weeks older than me which means we both qualify for Apparition Lessons. The lessons are scheduled for Saturday mornings and we spend the rest of the day in Detention.

The first lesson was...quite unforgettable.

For Kyungsoo, me and whoever was witness to our idiocy. Professor Flitwick positioned Ravenclaws into a line as did Professor Sprout with Hufflepuff which had Kyungsoo and me standing next to each other with the requisite distance of five feet between us. The Instructor from the Ministry waved his wand and old-fashioned wooden hoops appeared on the floor in front of us.

“Destination. Determination. Deliberation!” The man who was a white wispy version of humans, squeaked.

“Concentrate upon the destination now. Which is within the hoop. Then focus on your determination to occupy the visualized space. And when I give a command, on three, turn on your spot, feeling your way into nothingness, moving with deliberation!”

Kyungsoo gave me one furtive glance and I lost all sense of Destination and Determination.

“On my command….one….”

I spun on the spot, lost my balance and fell over and Kyungsoo crash landed into my wooden hoop. With our Professors’ eyes on us, I felt myself melt into a puddle of embarrassment.

The inexplicable tension crowding the office during Detention that day left hardly any room for conversation. Which was kind of okay considering the ground we covered with Filch’s wretched files.

Although, the next lesson found us positioned at the two opposite ends of our respective House lines by Professor Flitwick.

Despite being in the same room, I missed Kyungsoo.

Transfiguration hasn’t been particularly eventful with Kyungsoo. With Professor McGonagall’s hawk-like eyes on us, we don’t dare to so much as shoot a glance in each other’s direction.

But last week was different.

In a lesson that included conjuring a flock of birds out of our wands, the entire class managed a few feathers, some gross mutations, and severed heads. Everyone except Kyungsoo. He’d succeeded in creating several twittering birds in his third try. Which was not so great for me since the little yellow chirpers zoomed in my direction and circled around my head, singing merrily. This continued even after most of the class, including Professor McGonagall, had already left. His idea of an apology for the inconvenience was flashing his heart-shaped smile.

I guess it doesn’t take a lot for me to forgive him.

***

It’s nearing the end of the third month of the semester and there’s no dirt on Chen.

Like I’d said, he’s perfect. We’ve found volumes on the other two, though. Chanyeol and Baekhyun. How they’ve not been expelled yet is anyone’s guess. These delinquents make my little Forest excursion look like a joke.

They’ve set off dungbombs in Snape’s dungeon, cursed each other and ended up having a slug attack right in the middle of their Astronomy practicals, got caught sneaking out of their dorms after curfew only eleven times, transfigured McGonagall’s desk into a ferret to ‘showcase their Transfiguration prowess’, set off Filibuster’s Fireworks in Filch’s office, distracted Filch by jinxing Mrs Norris with Tarantallegra - her legs spasmed wildly out of control, making her appear as though she were dancing.

No wonder they’re the only students Peeves gets on with.

This little vault of information made Kyungsoo exceptionally happy after moping around for not having anything on Chen, yet. He’s going to use these embarrassing incidents (one of the punishments included cleaning out the bedpans in the Hospital Wing without using magic) against the two of them, he says.

Detention and shared classes is the only time Kyungsoo and I get to see each other since sixth year is no cakewalk.

Free periods come by few and far between and are used to keep up with the vast amount of homework we’re being set. We’re studying as though we have exams everyday and lessons themselves are far more demanding than they used to be. Especially since we’re required to use Nonverbal spells now in every lesson that requires incantation. I often catch Kyungsoo’s motley around school. Somehow, they’re everywhere but he’s hardly ever to be seen with them. Working hard towards his ambition to become a Potioneer, I suppose. I wish I were just as passionate about something.

Sixth year is an anomaly.

Professor Sprout says we’re allowed to swear loudly in today’s lesson since we’re going to be dealing with one of the most dangerous plants ever - Venomous Tentacula - a green, spiky, toothsome magical plant with mobile vines that tries to grab living prey. Kyungsoo quietly stations himself next to me in the greenhouse inviting snarky sideway looks and hushed whispers from a couple of Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws around us. “She’s latched on to him now”, sniggers a Ravenclaw boy and I notice Kyungsoo ears turn scarlet.

A pair of thick gloves on, Professor Sprout takes her place behind a trestle bench in the centre of the greenhouse, “We’ll be extracting Venomous Tentacula’s essence for Professor Slughorn’s experimental Potion No 7 today. Now, who can tell me how we should proceed to extract essence out of a plant that could try to strangle you?”

Kyungsoo’s hand rose in the air like it always does during Potions and Herbology, “By using the Severing Charm, Professor.”

“Excellent. Ten points to Hufflepuff”, Professor Sprout beams at her favourite student, “We’ll use the Severing Charm but Nonverbally. Which will stun Venomous Tentacula and sever its mobile vines. Along with me, on three. One...two...”

I nearly squeal as one of the Tentacula’s sharp fangs grazes my arm. Kyungsoo notices and in a state of panic tries to stun my plant for me only to get seized and bitten by his own. “Diffindo”, I flick my wand at Kyungsoo’s plant, flailing it and flouting the nonverbal spell rule but it’s too late for any of that. The plant’s poison, although non-fatal, has started working on Kyungsoo.

His skin turns bright purple, knocking the wind out of me.

Professor Sprout rushes him to the Hospital Wing.

***

On Professor Sprout’s special request, Filch has begrudgingly exempted Kyungsoo from this week’s Detention. I saw him for Apparition this morning and we’d both managed to, with Destination, Determination and Deliberation in mind of course, land into our own hoops.

Kyungsoo looked perfectly fine. Which is to say the purple of his skin from yesterday has been washed over by the roses of his cheeks and the honey of his skin. Madam Pomfrey was required to keep him in only for the day as Professor Sprout was quick to act and the poison hadn’t caused much harm. I feel like a bad friend for not having visited him since lessons ended in the a.m. with Astronomy but he says he was out in a couple of hours at most.

He’s planned to spend the rest of the day with his friends who he’d not had a chance to catch up with off lately.

By late afternoon I’d unexpectedly fallen into a state of blissful slumber on one of Filch’s old files. Coughing, I woke up engulfed by dust. I had to admit, Detention was boring without Kyungsoo and it’s honestly starting to scare me how used to I gotten to his presence, the faint scent of eucalyptus that trails after him and the ambrosial warmth that infiltrates through his seemingly tougher exterior.

But at the same time I regret misreading him. Mistrusting him or sometimes trusting him too much. He’s nothing like I thought he’d be. His simplicity is comforting but at the same time it is truly baffling. Maybe it’s okay to not give it much thought and let Jupiter do its celestial dance while I do mine by recreating damaged detention records.

#1116

>> Chen Kim

>> Lack of concentration in Charms resulting in production of a hoselike jet of water instead of a fountain from his wand, knocking Professor Flitwick flat on his face in the process

>> Lines - ‘I am a wizard, not a baboon brandishing a stick.’

>> Issued by Professor Flitwick

>> Points taken: None

I do a double take when I read the name.

Chen! Chen? Chen in Detention? How did I never know about this? Even if it’s just lines it is still a punishment. And how did The (then) Ravenclaw Prefect Chen mess up a Charm in Professor Flitwick’s class? I must know. But Kyungsoo’s got to see this first! I quickly replicate the record on a spare parchment and shove it in my bag and with a flick of my wand, I place everything exactly where it belongs in Filch’s office. What’s he going to do about it when he finds out? Give me another detention? Bring it on!

Throwing caution to the wind I allow my feet to take me where Kyungsoo said he’d be. Swiftly descending down the staircase, I exit out the side door down the corridor off the Entrance Hall and run towards the courtyard feeling the harsh winds tugging against my skin.

It’s unusually cold for the first day of April.

Seated between Chanyeol and Baekhyun, he’s laughing away seemingly at the two lanky boys - Kai and Sehun who’ve got their wands at the ready. The courtyard is oddly vacant, save for these four rioters and Kyungsoo.

Even Chen’s not here.

All banter comes to an abrupt halt when Kyungsoo’s eyes meet mine, his expression solid as a rock. With a barely perceptible shake of his head he’s signalling me to walk away from here and maybe this is what it feels like being punched in the gut. Four curious pairs of eyes flit between Kyungsoo and me and I feel too numb to even get out of there. Did I make a mistake being here? Is he too embarrassed to acknowledge me in front of his friends? The frigidity of his expression is eating away at my insides. Moments of complete stillness later I sprint out of the courtyard amidst wolf whistles and peals of laughter.

Throwing my bag over my shoulder, I wipe the angry tears rolling down my cheeks and vow to never see this doe eyed pretender again.

KYUNGSOO

It’s been two weeks since the incident.

Two whole weeks of her arriving after and leaving before me for our shared lessons. She’s even charted up a Detention routine which limits our interactions to curt nods and dismissive grunts. Needless to say, I still don’t know how to conjure a corporeal Patronus. She thinks she’s the only one I could’ve asked? Not Baekhyun. Not Chanyeol’s Slytherin friend. Just her?

So much for her big Ravenclaw brains.

She walks around all high and mighty displaying her knack for embarrassing honesty but in the moments of truth she plays ostrich. I wasn’t trying to avoid her. I would never. But she’s a complete idiot who’d rather believe otherwise. An idiot who’ll never look into my eyes to feel what I feel. Even if she does, she’d just never accept it. It took me five and a half years to get her to talk to me. And if it takes just one misunderstanding to drive her away like that, I’m not sure if I want to try again.

The only two things I’ve gained out of my short lived acquaintance with Kyungsoo Doh are Detention and a new foul nickname “the girl who follows Kyungsoo around.”

I hear it everywhere I go. The Great Hall, the corridors and the Common Room isn’t very forgiving either. So all thanks to Kyungsoo, I’ve retracted into my wretched shell. I arrive late for lessons and swoop out like an owl as soon as it’s over. I spend every free period in one corner of the Library and try to avoid the Common Room as much as I can.

All these years I spent pretending like the cute, short, portly boy I met on the Hogwarts Express didn’t exist were far better than the last couple of months of letting him into my small Universe. In all honesty, I’ve started to loathe him. It takes immense self control for me to not have his pretty face eat slugs every time I cross paths every time I lay my eyes on it.

“Now, this one here….who can tell me what this is. My dear boy, Kyungsoo?” Holding a vial of liquid pearl in the air for us to see, play-acts Professor Slughorn. Another potential victim of my out-of-character slug attack.

“It’s Amortentia”, Kyungsoo’s voice reaches my ears from the far end of the dungeon.

“It is indeed. It almost seems foolish to ask”, he says, bringing the vial to my eye level, “but I assume you could tell me what it does?”

“It’s a love potion, Professor.” I say.

“It’s not just a love potion, sir. It’s the most powerful love potion in the world.” Kyungsoo offers and I feel the heat rising up my cheeks. I hate having this volley regarding a love potion with Kyungsoo.

“Excellent! And how did you recognize it, my dear?” Slughorn directs his question to me.

“By its distinctive mother-of-pearl sheen.”

“And?” His theatrics redirect to Kyungsoo.

“And the steam rising in characteristic spirals.” His dulcet tone echoes in the gloomy dungeon.

“Well, well, take ten well-earned points each for Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw”, says Slughorn genially, “would you two please be kind enough to come forward?”

Kyungsoo and I take, in what it seems like, ages to be stood on either side of Slughorn, arms over our chests, looking in opposite directions.

“There is one more key characteristic --”

“It’s supposed to smell differently to each of us, according to what attracts us”, Interrupting Slughorn, Kyungsoo and I garble.

“So to demonstrate”, Slughorn brings the vial closer to my face, “my dear?”

Consumed by the heady steam rising out of the potion, I clear my throat, “I can smell honey and...eucalyptus and….” Dittany. But I leave it at that, “That’s all Professor.”

“Very well, Mister Doh?” Slughorn quizzes.

“Sleekeazy’s Hair Potion…..Vanilla and …..Dittany.”

***

‘Evanesco!’

With that my last bottle of Sleekeazy vanishes in thin air.

“What are you doing up so late?” Chen’s groggy voice makes me jump but I counter, “What are you doing up so late?”

“Early. Up so early. It’s three in the morning”, yawning he waves his Charms textbook in front of my face, “Protean Charm.”

“Vanishing Spell”, I say pointing my wand at the empty table in front of us.

Chen relaxes into the chair next to mine and I let my gaze wander around the deserted Common Room. It really is a work of art encapsulated in all the blue and bronze. The stars painted over the domed ceiling, shine the brightest at this hour of the night, waltzing gracefully across the midnight blue carpet. If they were my stars, they’d wobble and fall owing to their two left feet. Could they, in the very least, give me a reason for this nagging ache in my chest?

‘Aguamenti!’

Drenched and dishevelled by a jet of cold water that shot out of Chen’s wand, I silence his raucous laugh and shower him with the choicest expletives before lifting the spell and drying myself.

“WHAT WAS THAT FOR!” I demand.

“You seemed so lost I was tempted. It’s what my dad uses to wake me up when I oversleep, you know? A nice cold bucket of water.” Chen’s snicker causes me to silence him again and he continues to blather soundlessly. How is this idiot so energetic at three in the morning!

“I’m going to bed”, wearily, I get up to leave and wave my wand at him.

“Wait! Stay”, says Chen, “It’s been quite a while!”

Groaning I slump back into the chair without further protest, “You’re right...so how’s our Head Girl doing?”

“She’s doing great. We’re doing great! She’s signed up to intern with the Ministry this summer under a certain Arthur Weasley...The Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office.” Chen beams and making me want to pinch his cheeks in adoration.

“Congratulations Chen! Ah but I’m not surprised. She’s always been as bright as a button.” I can’t help but coo at these lovebirds. At how absolutely smitten they are with each other while I suffer with an inexplicable tug of longing.

“And you, not so bright. Stopped following Kyungsoo around, have we?” Putting on his ‘big brother cloak’ he quizzes me with a raised eyebrow and I shrink back into my chair out of embarrassment, “You know about it?”

“The whole school’s talking about it!”

“I’ve stopped ‘following him around’ now why isn’t anybody talking about that, eh?” My anger is misdirected at Chen.

“He’s been talking about that. About how you’ve been acting like he’s invisible. A notch below satisfactory behaviour, am I right?” The low rumble of his voice thunders.

“You’re defending your stupid friend here! So much for being unbiased, hah!” Seething, I argue.

“You’re absolutely right Dung Brains I am defending my stupid friend here which is you. Now tell me, airhead, what’s it called when two wizards have their wands pointed at each other, in a combative position.”

I groan, he can’t really be asking me that but the urging silence is uncomfortable.

“A duel”, I mumble.

“You, my dear, were walking straight into a battlefield of hair-brained blokes who were surrounded by stink pellets, dungbombs and fireworks. It was only natural for Kyungsoo to ask you to skedaddle, make a run for it...save your life! If only you’d have let him explain?”

Guilt courses through my veins and I find myself in the defensive, “But then why didn’t he just tell me instead of giving me that terrifying look? I thought he’s ...I thought he didn’t want to see me...and..and why didn’t he do anything when those great prunes started laughing at me? Also why do they keep causing trouble everywhere they go? Do they want to fill up Filch’s office with their records before they graduate? It only means more work for me. And for Kyungsoo.”

“They were celebrating a Muggle custom, April Fools’ Day as per the wise counsel of their frog brained leader Baekhyun and Kyungsoo was only trying to protect you. And you were too obtuse to see that. Why won’t you give him a chance? He’s one of the good ones, you know? And those prunes aren’t too bad either. They were laughing not at you but at him...they’re just happy for their friend.”

“Happy? Why?” My heart goes into a wild frenzy.

“You should ask him that. We’re going to be at the Three Broomsticks for Baekhyun’s birthday celebration on our trip to Hogsmeade this Saturday. So naturally, your Detention is suspended for the week. Come along?” He eyes me expectantly.

“Not in a million years”, I deadpan.

“Don’t be stupid”, with a flick of his wand he makes the three bottles of Sleekeazy’s Hair Potion reappear, “and live a little.”

***

On Saturday morning I went down for breakfast feeling thoroughly depressed but trying my best to act normal. Kyungsoo was seated with Yoongi at the Hufflepuff table. He was stealing glances at the Ravenclaw table before his eyes met mine. Pursing his lips he nodded slightly in acknowledgment. For a fleeting second I had a strange desire of joining him at the Hufflepuff table but I quietly slipped into my seat besides the fifth year girl who’s been tutoring Kyungsoo’s friend Kai and has been a tad chipper ever since.

The largest portion of my headspace has been occupied with an internal debate on whether I should apologize to Kyungsoo or not. But I’ve noticed how he’d not been trying too hard either. If I handed him the Detention routine he went along with it without a single word of protest. If I’ve been ignoring him in class he hasn’t been exactly forthcoming. The familiar sense of finality sets deep into my bones and I’ve lost my appetite. I gulp down my tea and slip out of the Great Hall to pay Hagrid a long overdue visit.

They never tire of it.

The two boys from Slytherin provoked me to strike them with the Twitchy-Ear hex. They’d found it particularly amusing to call me by my stale nickname as I made my way down to Gladrags Wizardwear to buy Hagrid a new moleskin robe.

He’d been exceptionally understanding despite my despicable behaviour. Not having visited him in nearly six months and communicated with him only via a flurry of owls, I had no idea Fangs had been suffering with distemper. Kyungsoo’s been helping out with a self prepared brew to keep him stable. Explains why he’s been frequenting Hagrid’s hut. Also explains why he didn’t come see me on the second day that I’d spent in the Hospital Wing.

And my attitude towards him explains exactly why he chose to keep the truth about helping me get to the Hospital Wing that day.

I don’t know how to thank him or apologize to him. Maybe he’s just better off without me.

I am here in Hogsmeade on a whim.

As the sun fades into a deeper blue my feet stop outside The Three Broomsticks and I’m desperate to see him. But he’s at a friend’s party and I’d only be making it awkward for everyone.

“Hullo”, a familiar honeyed voice reaches my ears making me stop dead in my tracks.

Taken by surprise, I turn and tip my head back slightly to look up at the large eyed boy, his face bearing that lethal heart shaped smile. I hug myself despite the warmth of May wishing I could make myself smaller.

Having rehearsed an entire apology speech in the shower in the morning, I found myself strangely tongue tied at the sight of him. He prods me to walk the quaint streets of Hogsmeade by his side.

“I’m sorry”, staring into the distance, I muster with a giddy head and a seized up throat.

“No. I’m sorry”, says Kyungsoo as his hand slowly finds mine, inviting stares from passersby, “I should’ve...communicated better. But promise to never shut me out again? I couldn’t take it.”

Fireworks go off in my head at the sudden contact, “No, no I’m sorry I should’ve trusted you and… I promise to never shut you out again.” I couldn’t take it either.

“So what are we now?” He interjects, lacing his warm fingers with mine.

If only he could hear the thunder of my heart, “We’re friends again?”

“Friends who fancy each other? Isn’t that a bit odd?”

“I-- umm, I--”.

“I --- umm?” He teases, “Okay...I fancy you. I always have. In case you hadn’t noticed.”

Going up on my toes I plant a little kiss on his jaw, I don’t know what came over me. Maybe I’ve finally gone mad.

His fingers run over his jaw lightly and he chuckles, “If you attack me like this again I’d have to report you to Professor Sprout.” Letting go off my hand he wraps his arm around my shoulders, pulling me closer. I feel a tingling sensation run down my spine.

Having circled the rural settlement for nearly an hour, we’re famished. We find ourselves on the High Street, right outside of Honeydukes, “After you, M’lady!” Crouching down in a bow, Kyungsoo gestures me to walk in.

M’lady?

Together we stare in wonder at the shelves upon shelves of the most succulent looking sweets imaginable. We’ve both, individually, been here countless times but together we feel like children lost in wonderland. I realize how light my pockets feel as Kyungsoo’s eyes wander around the shop ambitiously.

“Kyungsoo, I only have enough for Hagrid’s moleskin robe. I didn’t think I’d need a lot of gold for this trip...I could make a quick run to a Cashpoint first”, embarrassed, I admit.

“If we were to compound the five Galleons that I’ve owed you for six years now, I’m certain I could buy you half the shop!” The portly Ambrosius Flume, the owner of Honeydukes, clears his throat in annoyance at Kyungsoo’s comment, eyeing us suspiciously.

Buy half the shop we did.

Kyungsoo wasn’t entirely lucky with all the flavours of Berti Botts having sampled soap, dirt and earwax while I almost choked on a rotten-egg flavoured one. The Pepper Imps had us breathing fire at each other and a lock of my hair got caught in the line which Kyungsoo doused just in time and saved my scalp from going up in flames. We pigged on Peppermint Toads which made us sick after they literally started hopping frantically in our stomachs.

Kyungsoo suggested we make a quick stop at Dogweed and Deathcap for a handful of leaves of a very foul smelling plant that were supposed to help us keep our barbaric fare down. When I absolutely refused to chew on them, Kyungsoo force fed me. The weird red dotted black leaves made our mouths go completely dry and left us with a pungent after taste.

“If you wanted me dead, you could’ve just used the Unforgivable Curse instead!” I cried.

We realized if we weren’t quick about it, we’d just end up breaking curfew so we sprinted to Gladrags Wizardwear to pick up Hagrid’s robe only to be tempted to by the thought of staying longer in each other’s company. Going back to Hogwarts meant being held hostage by the blue and bronze and the yellow and black. I’ve never appreciated Hogwarts’ divisive House system, even more so now.

“We’ll make it in time if we leave exactly at 9:30 p.m.” Kyungsoo reasons.

“How much longer do we have now?” I ask, dreading the answer.

“20ish?” he says sheepishly.

Burying my face into his warm and fuzzy sweater, I whine, “That’s not a lot.”

Squeezing me in a hug he says, “Then let’s make the most of it!”

We enter the shop that’s apparently been dressing ‘the Elegant Wizard’ for over two centuries with lurid socks and flashy robes. I chance upon a moleskin one which I quickly set aside for Hagrid and a furry red one with silver and gold stars that bounced off of it. I egged Kyungsoo to try it on over his all black Muggle clothing along with a bright yellow hat made out of chicken and pheasant feathers. He on the other hand picked out a black velvet robe with a high collar, a set of fake fangs and dragon hide boots that made me look like a vicar at something that the Muggles call a “rock concert.”

The disapproving help at the shop agreed to get our magazine cover worthy looks on camera. She said she’d get them printed and that we could get a copy on our next visit for fifteen Sickles.

Along with Hagrid’s robe, I purchased a pair of socks for the birthday boy Baekhyun. They were patterned with wolves that howled when the socks got too smelly.

And then, just like that, it was time for us to go back to Hogwarts.

***

Which came first; the Phoenix or the Flame?

The eagle knocker drawls and for the first time in six years I have no clue what it’s talking about. I’ve lost all ability to reason and all I want to right now is run over to the Hufflepuff Tower. A tall, thin boy who stood leaned against the wall next to the door comes out of the shadows ‘tsk-ing’ at me.

“Aren’t you supposed to be one of the smart ones? Did Kyungsoo really manage to dumb you down?” He chuckles before proceeding to answer the knocker, leading us into the Common Room.

I choose to not answer him but he continues to look at me questioningly. He extends his arm and says, “I’m Sehun Oh, fifth-year.”

“I know”, I say, “I’m --”

“I know who you are. The pretty girl who’s captured Kyungsoo’s heart thus breaking mine.” He dramatically clutches at his chest, falls and rolls over on the floor.

Excusing myself, I softly apologize to the elongated Flobberworm and head over to the Dormitory.

“Wait!”, he calls out, “I didn’t mean to weird you out! Are you up for a game of Chess? You’re practically a friend now… considering what you have going on with Kyungsoo. And I’m really bored.”

What do I have going on with Kyungsoo and what does Flobberworm know about it?

Unsure of my role here as a friend or an entertainer, I decide to indulge him with, “...just one game!”

“Wicked! Let me call Chen and you can ask his girl to join.. also Miss Ravenclaw!”

“Aren’t we all Ravenclaw?”

“Sorry...you know the girl who’s tutoring Kai?”

This is by far the most eventful day I’ve had in all of my six years at Hogwarts.

***

Resting his chin on my shoulder, he’s circled his arms around my waist as we stare into the distance from the Wooden Bridge. Every free period finds us together, somewhere very far away from prying eyes. The seventh floor and the Bridge are our usual haunts. Although, we think of these excursions as extremely detrimental to our upcoming exams, we realize there’s nothing to be gained out of fighting a troll. That is, our intense feelings for each other. But I’m not that brave and honestly neither is he. The shadows underneath his eyes are self explanatory.

“We need to chart up a study schedule. We barely have any time left!” I say bursting out of our saccharine bubble.

“Sure”, he nods, “whatever you say.”

“Kyungsoo!” Freeing myself from his embrace I turn around to face him, “We need to make it to the seventh year!”

“Who says we won’t?”

He’s loopy.

“Kyungsoo!”

“That’s me.”

“Kyungsoo!”

He pulls me into a hug again and I’m close enough to see the constellation of moles on his neck. “Mmm Sleekeazy”, he hums, sniffing my hair. Distracting me.

“Do you need some?” I ask, immediately realising how his hair seems to be getting shorter each day. I run a hand over his head, “guess you don’t. What do you keep doing with your hair?”

“I like it like that. It’s more comfortable”, he sighs, “Wait! You don’t like it?”

“I can learn to live with it. Besides, more Sleekeazy for me. Keeps my hair from looking like a bunch of Flobberworms!”

Flobberworm!

I have a Chess game to win!

“Kyungsoo! I have to go. I need to win this time. That Sehun boy is ridiculously good at Chess. Even Chen and I together don’t stand a chance against him.”

“Wait! You’re abandoning me for Sehun?” He asks, mock angrily.

“Noooo! I just….have to win this time. And you need to go chart up a study schedule for us. Also, what are you doing next week?”

“Whatever you’re doing next week”, he says, batting his eyelashes. And I try to suppress a smile.

“Have you ever watched a Quidditch match before?”

“Baekhyun’s Captain of Gryffindor, Kai is the Keeper. Chanyeol is the captain of the Slytherin team and Sehun’s the Seeker for Ravenclaw. And Yoongi is a lousy Beater. So yes, I have. Except I’ve never found myself rooting for my own House. And if you tell those Mandrakes this, I’m afraid I will have to break up with you despite you being the prettiest, smartest, nicest girl I’ve ever met. I’m sorry I don’t make the rules.”

“Aww”, I tease, “Noted. And you could’ve just said yes. Let’s watch the Hufflepuff vs Ravenclaw match next week?”

“We’ll be in different stands!” He cries.

“Oh! That’s absolutely terrible but can we go anyway? I finally have someone to root for.”

“You’ve always had Ravenclaw to root for!”

“No, silly! Sehun Oh.”

“Ah! Of course”, he says, putting his arms around me. Again.

***

On the morning of the match, I had my game face on. I don’t even know why.

Having successfully followed the study schedule that Kyungsoo had laid out for us, our mood was light, and we were ready to let our hair down. Which, for all practical purposes, wasn’t something Kyungsoo was capable of. We were walking up to the pitch until it was time for us to go our separate ways.

“You turn right and I’ll go left”, I instruct Kyungsoo.

“I’m aware of where the Hufflepuff stands are. Thank you for your consideration.”

“Okay then”, I giggle, “see you later?”

“No...you’re joining me in the Hufflepuff stands.”

“Do you want me to get expelled? Was that your grand scheme all along?”

“Of course they’re going to expel you for this. And if they do, I promise to voluntarily drop out.”

“What will we do then? Deal in stolen artefacts?”

“Looks like you have it all planned out.”

“No, I just know someone...great we’re off on a tangent again! No, I’m not joining you in the Hufflepuff stands. Bye bye Kyungsoo Doh. See you later!”

“You’re bound by law to break the law”, he hands me a neatly folded parchment, “Chen’s detention record. When you came to see me that day, it made me wonder. What was so important? So I went back to sift through the records you’d worked on and voila!”

“What’s ‘voila’?”

“Don’t digress. Come along, house-elf and find me a good seat.”

“Yessir”, I give up. And covering all the blue and bronze of my uniform with the black robe, I sneak into the Hufflepuff stands.

The things I do for this bald idiot.

The pitch is pulsing with a contagious energy and I find myself completely engaged as soon as Madam Hooch’s first whistle sounds. All the whizzing and whirring players make my head spin so I have my eyes trained on the Ravenclaw goalpost except for when I’m checking up on Sehun’s progress with the Snitch. Ravenclaw hasn’t been doing too well and with the game down to it’s final few minutes, Sehun really is their only hope. Kyungsoo pulls me down everytime I jump or squeal for the Ravenclaw side, “Do you want to get thrashed?” he whispers.

And just then the commentator shouts, “Ravenclaw’s Seeker Sehun has caught the Snitch! RAVENCLAW HAS WON THE MATCH!”

My voice is hoarse from all the screaming. I turn around to face Kyungsoo pulling him in a tight hug annoying all the Hufflepuff fans around us.

In a fleeting moment of exhilaration, his lips are on mine and the world stops.

***

"Happy memory!" I parrot for our last lesson before the year ends but Kyungsoo seems to be awfully distracted. That teasing smile on his face he's trying not so hard to contain is making my heart thump against my ribcage.

"Focus", I croon once again with mock annoyance but my brain is mush and I feel like I'm levitating because there's no way my jelly legs could be supporting my stance right now. He sways closer to give me a quick peck on the nose.

"Happy memory", he whispers as his eyes search mine. Brushing a stray lock of hair away from my face, he allows his thumb to softly caress my cheek. His fingers pry for mine before they're intertwined in a steady grip.

We take our positions, raise our wands and yell with a flick, "Expecto Patronum!"

Two lynxes dance around the Room of Requirement illuminating it with the gleam of their silver.

Dumbstruck, I tilt my head to face Kyungsoo, “Your Patronus...”

“Our Patronuses”, he whispers.

“We have the same --”

Kyungsoo reaches for my waist and draws me close, his plush lips an agonizing touch away from mine. Twirling my fingers in the seams of his robe, I close my eyes and feel my breath hitch in my throat. A tingling sensation spreads through every fragment of my being as his hand finds the back of my neck and his lips meet mine in a dizzying kiss.

Two Years Later

My house looks wonky.

And, no. It’s not the after effect of Apparating here. A wonky house held up by charms in the middle of nowhere was the only thing Kyungsoo and I could afford with his meagre pay at J. Pippin’s Potions and the modest “severance” I received after being practically disinherited by Gran for wasting my time with a Muggle-born.

I trudge the short distance from the shabby front garden to the main door, weary from my dismal performance in today’s Stealth and Tracking lesson.

The door swings open and the pungent odour coming out from Kyungsoo’s makeshift Apothecary in our basement makes me want to barf. Putting a bubble around my head to avoid the smell, I traipse to the basement.

A bald Kyungsoo is bent over a cauldron, the steam from which has fogged up his glasses and has apparently made him go deaf. I poke him on his shoulder to grab his attention, making him jump. Therefore causing his little vials to smash on the floor.

I just set us back by twenty Galleons.

Kyungsoo is quick to clear the sloppy and shard-y mess I’d made and reverse the Bubble Head charm I’d put myself under. He covers up the putrid cauldron immediately.

Tears well up in my eyes and I lean into his chest.

The world is bleak.

“You’re home”, he coaxes, gently running a gloved hand over my head.

“Remind me again why I chose to become an Auror? I could’ve done anything with my perfect N.E.W.T. scores. I’m disastrous at this!” I’m sobbing against his soft ‘t-shirt’ as he comforts me with a ‘shhh..it’s okay’. “The chickens have made such a mess in the coop, Soo and I haven’t heard back from the Auror Office on the internship yet. We have a piteous stack of gold in our vault at Gringotts….” sniffling I continue, “You know we could just keep our money in a safe here..those clever Goblins are making so much money out of our money! The vault is a bad decision...we’re losing more money because of it. I hate the vault and the chickens and this house! What if it crumbles down while we’re asleep? What will we do then?” I pull away from him, my wide eyes demanding answers.

“We won’t have to worry about much if the roof comes crashing on us”, He reasons with a slight teasing smile.

“The very stringent Auror Office accepted you because you’re a brilliant witch and right, I believe you enrolled with them only to spite Gran. And honestly my love, you’re being too hard on yourself. You did really well on the Concealment and Disguise training, didn’t you?” He says, lifting my chin up.

“Also on the Memory Charm”, I offer quietly, making him chuckle.

“Exactly! What else is bothering you? Ahh the chickens and the vault?”

“Also the fact that Gran hates you and your parents think I’m a sinister witch who has tied their son down”, my lips begin to tremble again.

He sighs.

“I promise to take care of the chicken situation tomorrow and my love, we finally have a reason to keep that vault”, his eyes enlarge into beautiful brown circles and his plush lips stretch into a heart. A shrill pitch betrays his otherwise deep, calm voice, “Dogweed and Deathcap has offered me a job with a pay raise and a free supply of ingredients! Which is a great thing because ever since you’ve started your Auror training you’ve practically emptied my Dittany stores!”

“KYUNGSOO! I’m so happy for you!” Screaming, I jump into his arms and he twirls me around, dancing and giggling.

Panting, he says excitedly, “Wait! There’s more. Apparently the article on the benefits of Confusing Concoction I co-authored with Slughorn’s Warlock friend’s daft grand nephew?”

I nod vigorously.

“That article really took off! One of the reviews called me a ‘promising Potioneer’! Gran apparently got a whiff of that article...”

My expression soured, “And?”

“She’s invited us home to discuss it!” He rummages for a letter in his desk drawer and hands it to me, “Take a look at this!”

The letter reads in Gran’s shrewd yet artistic handwriting. She mentions, to the best of her abilities, how proud she is of me for following my parents’ footsteps and that she’d like to see us for dinner to discuss our ‘future’.

“She’s coming around”, Kyungsoo crouches to peer into my blank eyes.

“Took her long enough.”

“There’s one more thing”, he says sheepishly.

It looks like an evening full of surprises.

Kyungsoo gives me a glossy magazine with a still picture of a woman in the most garish outfit I’ve ever seen with the word VOGUE sprawled across her scrawny frame in big bold white letters.

“Soo, why are you giving me a Muggle magazine?”

“For Muggle clothing inspo.”

I hate it when he uses these ridiculous foreign terms like “inspo” and “voila”. “Voila” is definitely his favourite.

“Why would I need clothing inspiration, Soo? Do you not like what I wear?”

“I love what you wear. Even when you don’t wear --”

“Soo!”

“Okay umm we have to take a trip to London...my parents would like to have us over for the weekend….you’re”, he pauses, “you’re okay with that right?”

It’s a lot to process.

What if they prosecute me by hanging? I’ve read about what Muggles do to witches. Idly running through the pages of the magazine which suddenly seems too heavy for my arms, I buy time. Kyungsoo patiently waits for my answer.

“What’s ‘goss’?” I mumble, eyes trained on ‘Vogue’.

“Gossip?”

“Ahh...I have some ‘goss’ on Baekhyun and his girlfriend.” I digress and let me.

His brows crinkle in concern, “Oh-kay?”

“They were caught snogging in one of the Training Rooms yesterday...”

“And what became of them?”

“I don’t know.” They were made to clean all the Training Rooms the Muggle way. “Kyungsoo, I love you.”

“I love you, too.” He pulls me into his arms and presses his soft lips to my forehead, “We’ll get through this.”

“Of course, we will. We’re soulmates”, I say into his chest, reminiscing the time we’d kissed while two lynxes waltzed around us.

Suddenly, with a loud boom, Kyungsoo’s cauldron went flying in the air. It’s bubbling hot contents splattered on the walls of our basement. The impact made us duck under his desk.

“I forgot to turn off the burner.”

#kyungsoo #exo #kyungsoo fluff #exo fluff #kyungsoo imagines #exo imagines #kyungsoo scenarios #exo scenarios #kyungsoo oneshot #kyungsoo oneshots #exo oneshots #exo hogwarts au #kyungsoo hogwarts au #ex aus

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itsthe-neo-zone · 3 years

Text

Wands and Potions - NCT Dream and WayV

Please read the Masterlist before continuing ahead. Thank you.

(Check the updated playlist made for the series, it will definitely elevate the reading experience! it will be uploaded very shortly.)

Chapter 20:

[10:16AM LESTRANGE CHATEAU]

The pitter patter of crying clouds was beginning to affect the dreary and depressed view of the fields across the chateau.

France in the winter months reminded Rodolphus of Scotland, during his childhood. It was dull, soggy and dark. His face fell at the feeling creeping across his chest. It tightened slightly, restricting his breathing. He’d never felt this weak before. It wasn’t a feeling any Lestrange was accustomed to and naturally he opposed it.

“Master Lestrange, your guest has arrived.”

He sighed, reluctantly turning his glance away from the large pane of glass and towards the painting of a woman no older than 43 sitting poised. Signalling the house elf, he paused to await the complete privacy that would set.

“She’s here, your daughter.” His jaw clenched slightly.

“I should assume you’ve prepared for her arrival?” the painting hissed, the woman moving, the vibrance and life in her reminded him of a time when she was alive. The dreary figures’ hair coiled tight sprung about with the sly and eerie gestures. A long bony-thin wand held in her dead skeletal fingers twirled lightly.

“I have, everything is taken care of.”

She visibly relaxed in her position. Rodolphus found it difficult to paint a picture of her fair beauty in his mind, although it was quite a long time ago. When she was once a young girl.

“The dark lord would be exceptionally pleased,”

She halted squinting a little, her eyes were calculating, she studied his face. Rodolphus shifted visibly glancing away for a second or two. It bothered him till this day that his old friend and wife was still extremely perspicacious and quick witted.

“You’re still thinking about her-” It was a statement, because deep down she already knew. “Rodolphus, I didn’t think time would make you so soft hearted.”

“I have not become soft hearted, she’s our gran-” the expression on her face and her soulless eyes stopped him from continuing.

That’s right, she completely disowned them.

“She’s my granddaughter Bella.” He fixed his tie and collar. Tensing up.

“Just like you’re pursuing your daughter, I too, have the right to pursue the fatherless girl, who is from my own blood.”

Bellatrix’s face visibly fell her fingers clenching tightly on her extension of witchcraft in her hold. “Aliana is more important, in the end the girl is a pureblood, unlike that filthy half breed.”

She huffed almost snapping the wood at her fingertips. “This is all your Cassie’s fault,” if she could spit her name out he thought she would. “If that darned girl would’ve listened to us instead of going off her own bloody way. She wouldn’t have tainted our bloodline and had that bastard child!”

“Enough, Bella, please that’s enough.” Rodolphus grunted, he rubbed his head preparing for their guest to enter. The beat of the wooden doorway echoed, as he gave the signal for the figure to enter he was met with a cloaked form.

The average height was what he first noticed followed by thin figure, the cloak did it’s best to shield him from the sight of the figures face.

He could make out the outline of lips and a chin. The cloaked human stood at a distance and once there had fallen the quiet and vacancy of nobody but them in the room the tips of the fabric draped across the corpse lit up in flames and transfigured into those of feathers as a huge and an unattractive and hideous looking bird; what seems to be an augury, perched across the -now visible- females shoulders.

She was dressed in black robes similarly like her mothers and females that were affiliated with the black family. Although they were extremely revealing and tight fitted, uncommonly so.

Rodolphus took in her facial features her lips and face were structured similarly to Bella, except she had the dark lords eyes. Rodolphus couldn’t forget the first time he had seen young lord Tom Riddles eyes. Beads of obsidian that hung loosely in pearl white paint with swirls of red marbling in his orbs. She was a few years younger than her father at that time. But she held immense levels of charisma and power.

“I wouldn’t look too long into my eyes, I’ve been told they curse and possess.” A chuckle resonated from her chest, but it was nowhere near friendly or cheering. The sound instilled unsettling fear and disquieting horror in him.

“I see Mr Mattheo didn’t join you, Aliana?” Rodolphus inquired wondering were the dark and fair male; her ‘Other half’ as they said, was. The two were very much inseparable.

“He should be here soon, but his attendance isn’t required at the moment.” Aliana smirked.

“Very well, they’ve prepared a room for your arrival on the second floor. The elves have taken care of your belongings.

Maybe I have gone a little soft hearted?

He greeted the witch and as he allowed her time of her own to settle down, he thought back to his personal choices. Rodolphus thought back to his own granddaughter, and naturally Bella’s words. They echoed in his head. Rodolphus wanted silence though, he wanted them to stop.

“From my own blood,”

She may not be a black to her, but she’s a lestrange.

[08:12PM HOGWARTS]

“So? What do you think?” the long Satin dressing robes flowed gently down long fingers holding them from their strappings above.

It was drawing close to the Yule ball, most of the students were being sent robes and gowns for the special evening. Selene was trying to block off their squealing, noises of euphoric happiness and excitement.

Counting snowflakes was much more infatuating to her than listening to those rampant bunch babbling on about what material looks more expensive and how short to go before it can be ‘deemed inappropriate’.

“Selene, what do you think of this colour?” Clenching her jaw she huffed turning around and plastering a sickeningly sweet smile. “looks lovely.”

“Selene what’s wrong with you?” jinsoul dropped the fabric at the edge of her bed, pushing past the others she shuffled over sitting across the ginger. “You’ve been a bit off for a while? Everything ok?”

Although Selene was still quite disappointed in Jinsoul she knew what she was doing must be quite embarrassing even for her to know about it. Although they were different. They were close, like sisters. She didn’t have to hide from Selene. But the ginger pushed it aside valuing the long years of friendship they had.

“I’m feeling fantastic, great even, but just a little suffocated.” The sarcasm was evident in the witch’s voice. This wasn’t against jinny, she really was feeling moody. Jinny looked back at her with an empty glance. Her face expressionless, she was waiting for an explanation.

She isn’t going to get one though, to explain to Jinny was like talking to a child, there was going to be more questions than there was listening going on.

“Selene.” A nagging tone spewed past her lips and the puppy eyes came out.

Said girl took in jinny features for a moment. She was definitely a beautiful witch, selene slamost envied jinsoul at times. Round eyes supple skin with rosy cheeks. Not to mention the soft sunlight warm coloured hair that splayed down her shoulders.

“I’m worried for you, you never sleep and when you do its filled with tense sniffles and tugging on sheets. Talk to me.” It all went in one and out the other ear.

That bastard, James and his stupid friends would love someone like her under their filthy paws. Truthfully, Selene felt bad for the poor girl. She was being manipulated.

“I’m-“ Selene spluttered standing up quickly. She grabbed her wand, dazing for a short moment. Jinsoul picked up on the strange movements.

“You alright there?”

No response. Jinsoul noticed the path of Selenes sight looking out past the snowy fog and into the hills below the towers,

“Hey,”

The figure below was pulling at Selene’s attention unbeknownst to jinsoul, she watched the dull expression perk up on the gingers face, her fingers subconsciously tightened on her wand.

“I think you should come try dresses with us, yeah? Get your mind off things?”

“No,”

Selene finally turned around to face the girl, “I have a better idea.”

“And what’s that?” but before she could get an answer from her she watched her friend run straight for the doorway of their shared room.

“SELENE! Where are you going?” jinsoul offically decided, she’d gone mad or completely suicidal, what was she going to do out this late? throw herself off the edge?

The bellows and shouts could be heard from past the painting gateway of their dorms and the moving staircases as Selene quickly made her way down the tall towers.

“For the love of Merlin! Will you SLOW DOWN!”

Jinsoul didn’t stop at the stairs like the others, she followed the witch down the stairs. But once they made it to the courtyard past the almost hauntingly empty great hall Jinsoul couldn’t bring herself to step out.

“SELENE!”

“Fucks sake, what is it? Why are you following me now?”

“What has gotten into you, you buffoon? Have you completely lost it?”

“Maybe? What if I have lost it?” Selene screeched back, this time stepping closer back to her to avoid yelling. Yep, her theory was correct, Selene was beyond mad.

“Selene, please, don’t do this now. It’s so late out. Just come back to the dorms.” She glanced worriedly around her. “If we get caught-”

“’We’ won’t because you’re going to go back up, I’ll be fine. I don’t need to be babied.”

Selene tumbled back as she signalled the anxious witch bye and ran off. Further past the archway and down the bridge.

Selene -out of breath by now- reached the hill where she saw the lanky durmstrang boy.

After catching her breath by grasping at her knees from the sprint, she hissed calling for him. “Yangyang, where are you.” Standing straight she looked around. It couldn’t be hard to miss him. Even with the dull cold toned lighting from the lunar view.

Where is he?

All at once the field of empty she was in began to settle in her conscious awareness. She could hear the simple brushing of scions across the edge of the hill and whistling night breeze. It was eerily silent, Selene swore she could almost hear the last echoes of Jinny calling her back. Bouncing from ear to ear.

Selene’s attention focused in on two figures forming from the shadows the -what looked to be male- figures step out, holding their wands forward. Although she didn’t see them wearing robes she recognised the features, their expressions.

Students, my year. They’re from Slytherin.

Her eyes frantically glanced from side to side, chest tightening as she picked up on the invasive stance they held against her.

Her arm slowly rose to defend herself. Step by step they were getting closer, What’s going on?

“What do you two want from me?” Selene mentally cursed herself for letting her voice sound much weaker.

“Now now, lets not harrow the poor girl like the evil wizards we are?” a spine tingling timber of a familiar voice echoed into the crisp air behind her figure and Selene felt her blood turn cold.

If they are doing his ‘bidding’ then I’m in for it tonight.

“Selene,” Rosier himself stepped into her line of sight and towards her from a distance. He was twirling his wand in his two fingers.

“An archaic lunar deity. A Greek word for moon and a Roman version of the name Luna.” He came to stand central and ahead of the two boys behind him.

“Or in such an instance it could also be the name of a blood traitor, a bastard.” He spat his stare cold, freezing her into her place and sending shivers down her spine.

A tingle of vulnerability coursed through her, she barely uttered the words.

“Jisung, what do you want with me.”

“Don’t you dare utter my name from your tainted lips!”

“I wouldn’t hesitate to kill you right here and now, your life isn’t of any value to anyone! Even your mother loathes your existence.” Jisung rasped

Selene felt pricks down her chest, she jerked just a little from the words finding it hard to respond or deflect anything. It was as if he was pricking millions of minuscule, poisoned needles puncturing them through her physical barrier of skin spreading the venom, a sour poison to every inch of her being.

I feel paralysed,

“You’ve caused too much trouble and hassle, I have to deal with it all in the end. Such a bother.” He gritted stepping closer, the lack of space between her and him was alarming.

He lifted the sharp wand grabbing her wrist to stop her from stumbling back and slipped the wand down her neck. “Although if you weren’t here I wouldn’t have to do any of this. We could all simply live peacefully without a bothersome half-breed getting in the way.”

“I- I didn’t… I didn’t do a- anything. I swear.” Selene knew he was more than capable of doing every miasmastic action he just mentioned and probably 10 other torturous ones he had thought up in is head at that moment.

Selene was grabbed by the two beside Rosier, her arms held tightly towards her back. The male held up his wand muttering the first few syllables of a jinx. She struggled against him pulling and tugging at her constricted self, momentarily losing balance.

“Jisung, stop!”

Rosier face fell grunting as he rolled his eyes. “Lucky lucky Selene,” he muttered. She picked up on the pure frustration evident on his face.

“What are you doing?”

Greengrass himself appeared from a distance, walking up to the four, he recognised the ginger girl in their arms.

“Chenle, now’s not the time.” He turned to face the blonde, “Me and Adams were—shall we say-- ‘discussing matters’.” he flashes a grim smirk.

The tense air between the two was almost visible, a knife to cut through butter wasn’t enough to describe it. Chenle glanced towards the vulnerable looking girl. His eyes almost darkened.

“Let go of her.”

“Chen—” “Do as I say. Please” he whispered the last part.

Jisung, as reluctant as he was -paused, he looked into his friends eyes seing no hope of turning back- signalled the two next to Selene; she pushed herself off their hurtful touch. Stepping away from all 4 boys.

“Go!” Rosier spat back at the dumbfounded males, as they staggered back, frustrated he brushed the hair from his eyes frowning, “You’ll regret this, I told you not to. Just remember that.” He was almost hurt? His tone had a worried slither laced in.

Jisung stalked back towards the castle. Leaving the two together when she didn’t need to be left with Chenle of all people.

“Uh,”

Selene started pulling her sleeves down her arms and fixing her jumper.

“I never, uhm… I didn’t thank you. Earlier. For the potion,” she glanced up at him. “Y-you saved me.” She sighed a shaky breath leaving her lips. “So, thank you.”

He nodded, Chenle didn’t respond with any words. He slowly turned and made his way back towards the stones covering the dipping hill and the edge of the forbidden forest.

“Wait!” he paused in his tracks at the sudden hiss.

“I mean--

He glanced away for a quick moment before stepping towards the female. “I don’t suppose you want to go back to your dorm now, do you?” he spoke monotonously.

Relieved she nodded.

“Come.”

Trudging towards him she did well to remember a reasonable distance and kept up with his pace. Selene didn’t mumble a thing when they reached the edge and entered into the sombre and caliginous weald.

After stumbling and making distance he stopped her and they were at a distant clearing of the edge and at the tips of the black lake. It was eerily relaxing and silent in the space he settled in.

Maybe it was the distinctive overcast view or the tinkling of the water lapping at the cold ground. But he wanted to talk. Let out what he was going through. The blonde slid down the tree he leaned against.

Fiddling with the objects he’d brought with him.

Selene stood to the side glancing across the night sky as it meets the hills and dark lake. Understanding finally where the name ‘black lake’ was derived from.

“Can I ask—

she sounded weak, weaker than usual. barely sounding any tone in her words Chenle grimaced but responded “Yes.”

“What were you doing out, I mean when we were in the clearing.”

“This.” He showed the items before him. Selene recognised them to be an array of herbs and plants. “Herbs?”

“Not just any herbs!” he frowned, taking a slight insult. “Some of the ingredients we needed for the potion.”

How did he manage to gather so many in such little time?

“We’re going to have to make multiple drafts wont we?” Selene took her place next to him mindlessly observing the odd and unique plants. Her fingers grazed his to touch the petals of a blossom he held.

But like that they quickly made distance after the contact. He glanced towards her eyes. Taking in the proximity. Catching her stare he blinked a few times. Scared she could see right through him.

“How did you find me? i mean-- find us?”

Chenle really felt like he was a ghost with the way she looked into him and not at him.

“I—I wanted to see … the—

But the sentence never finished because Selene didn’t want to have a reasoning, she didn’t want to have an excuse to be close. Even if he did hurt her before.

If Selene truly dug down deep and truthfully she wanted contact, even madder, she wanted it from him and wanted it to last long but why?

She didn’t know why.

Selene quickly changed the subject. she didnt want it to become awkard, if it was awkward he might leave. “I can’t sleep.”

“You’re having those nightma—”

“Yes. Except…”

There was a pull. It was strange it was getting stronger the closer he got it was hard to pull back like a magnet he could feel himself falling further and further. This was worse than any curse or jinx he’s read about.

Half of him was clawing himself back up with every force, the other half was freefalling deeper into the unknown clutches of this emotion.

“You. You’re the nightma--.”

She didn’t dare whisper the last syllable. There was less than a thread of space between the two. She fluttered her eyes shut. The terror was building inside her. Threatening to overflow.

It never came though. His chapped cold lips never caressed hers.

“No. I-- We can’t.”

@ajuniceuajuniceu @chenlefthearts @sensiblebutch @kangkinoa @nctzen2020 @mystic-jungkook @merryandhappylele @bcbymingi @mochischeeks @rilakunma @jaehyunspaghetti @commentgirl @99jjh @johnnys-wifeu @misaraem @apricottulips @h2ogamergirl @angelsnowflake @j3nm1n

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exodusmc · 1 year

Text

Insider 08

Genre: Power au, war au, rebel au

Words: 2022

Paring: Light manipulator Baekhyun x Reader

Side character/s: Exo, Bts

Warning!: Hinting forced birth, mention of death

a/n: I’m sorry for being gone again but I’m currently working on a royal Jimin fic, which is around 10 k already and I’m looking for ideas to write the next part in my hogwarts series. I was supposed to post a little earlier but then the news about Moonbin came out. I’m seending my condolences and wish everyone the best. Please now that there will awalys be someone who loves you and that you are enought!

Gif is not mine

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About two four months had passed, months filled with training. Minseok and Jongdae worked with you almost every day, giving you everything they had. It was hard but one on one was nothing. You didn't see Namjoon or Seokjin around much, only Jungkook and Hoseok. They were skilled in combat, their smiles bright.

Jungkook was better in close contact, brown hair pulled back as dark eyes turned sinister, while Hoseok usually worked with long-range weaponry. He had locks close to red on his head, a gaze sharp like an eagle. The two of them built a team, just like Minseok and Jongdae, something you learned from the many late nights.

The rebels were one team but they valued never being alone, which led to a system of two people making sure the other was safe. It was their way of keeping the majority alive. But apparently wasn't it something healers had, as long as they didn't go out in combat. Jongdae told you almost everything, how their lives had been built and what rules there were. They thought of you as one of them, a part of their mindset...Maybe you had accepted them, never smiling but you spoke more, retoring sarcastic words which made Jongdae howl with laughter and occasionally huff in annoyance.

You felt at home with the two special men, their ever different stands on life which seemed to keep them close to one another. Even Jungkook and Hoseok made you a little less of a feather floating in the wind. But there was still one thing you couldn't talk about and that was your parents, the mere thought of them made the walls too close. Maybe there was some sort of repressed memory, something your child brain thought was too scary.

“Y/n?”your eyes snapped from staring at the wall, finding the leader smiling down at you. Namjoon stood tall above your sittig form, no one else around.”Is everything okay?”

You snuck away to be alone for just a second, finding a small room where you sat. Sure, you did like the others but going from not working with many people and being a lieutenant weren't easy, the constant work with keeping their feelings in mind and trying to understand somethings they did.

“Yes, sir.”

“You don't have to call me sir.”Namjoon sighed, sitting down by your side. He had a new scar by his mouth, small enough to be invisible for untrained eyes.” I have some questions I would like to ask you, they would probably be great help in what we are about to start..”

His words were ominous, surely hinting to a war you weren't sure anyone was ready for. Every since you arrived at the rebels, you didn't know anything that in the republic but it didn't mean you were clueless. They wanted the rebels gone and over time had you started to understand people a little more, making the higher ups far from human.

“Okay..”

“It’s about the republic and what you know..”you weren't surprised, eyes staying on your fingers. There was invisible blood on them, blood you tried to scrub away but it was still there.”Tell me anything you feel comfortable with..”

“They tried searching for you in the sky when I last heard about strategies but I don't think they will do it for a long time…”your gaze rose to the wall, a fan swishing over your head. Everyone was so young and yet they had to lead a revolution for rights you didn't think about before. Suddenly did you remember the book you wrote, hoped that it was destroyed when the hospital exploded.

“They have already stopped…”Namjoon, you learned, was only 20, so much responsibility laying on his shoulders at the tender age. It didn't make sense to you but if no one stepped up, would nothing change..”A base was bombed, most of the people in it died..I think around 80 made it..”

You didn't like the feelings in your body, cold and nauseous, hot and clawing. They were dead and you could have been the one killing them.

“Junmyeon has been asking about you and how you’re doing..”Namjoon saw the color start draining from your face so he changed the subject.”I’ve told him that you’re doing really well and seems to like Jongdae and Minseok..But maybe you can call him so he calms down a little?”

“Okay..but I-I want to tell you something…”your head felt like mush, heart picking up its pace. Stress never faced you in battle, it didn't matter if Minseok tried to impale you with ice, you didn't care, but the second you started to think about everything, were you shaking. Guilt, you guessed you felt guilt.”..They have hidden buildings where they birth children for the armies..”

Namjoon stared at you, his orbs darkening to a thunder night sky. No one knew about it and you had only seen a sip bit of a video, the dying body which would never survive the birth. You weren't supposed to care so you didn't, brain forcing the images to burn.

“I don't know where but I know where they keep the videos..”he stood up, towering with broad shoulders. Namjoon was beyond rage at your confession.

“Come with me, we need to speak with Junmyeon..”

Baekhyun ate quietly, thoughts turning in his head. You weren't back and Yixing was always busy, even after he returned..The light bender had no clue what he was doing, only that the doctor ran around and smiled anytime he saw Baekhyun. They didn't share a room anymore..well maybe they did but Yixing never slept there so Baekhyun wasn't sure what to believe.

At least, he wasn't alone. Chanyeol and Sehun were always there. Goofed around and laughed, even when they were training. The two of them were close and made Baekhyun smile with little effort. It was weird how fast things could change, only short of half a year had passed and he felt like he belonged somewhere.

Everytime Baekhyun looked in the mirror could he see muscles on his arms and a fuller face due to the fact that he got to eat. His skin wasn’t dull and it had a slightly darker tone to it now, made him more alive to the eyes of bystanders. He was appealing to look at, Chanyeol would often tease him because of the multiple females and males sending him long gazes, but he couldn't find one he actually felt something for. It was something he couldn't tell anyone, since it was a lie. He couldn't find anyone here but he would often think about someone somewhere else.

Baekhyun coughs slightly, breaking his gaze from the table just for it to get stuck on the chair before him. You circled his mind whenever he got a moment for himself. He wasn't sure what feeling you brought him but he knew that no one else occupied his brain as much as you did. Your eyes were empty but you cried and now when he felt safe in himself, was he remembering the shimmer in them, the depths of a well with high walls built on lies. People never knew anything more about you than that you were a lieutenant, that it was your choice to kill for them, but Baekhyun knew more, just like Yixing and probably Junmyeon. You were just human like everyone else. Human with a buried heart, guarded by thorns and locked behind mirror orbs.

“Sup Baek!”Chanyeol broke him from his trans, the clatter of tupperware brought him back to the canteen.

Sehun sat to his right while a boy named Kyungsoo sat to Chanyeol’s life. Kyungsoo had come and gone over the course of three months, his eyes dark but easily flammable. Baekhyun still felt the ache from training the first time with Kyungsoo who was completely ruthless, seeding stone after stone right at his face.

It had been extremely tiring for Baekhyun since he had to use copious amounts of energy to destroy the blocks but in the end did he manage...it was not like passing out and had to be pushed aside by Sehun’s wind or anything. Kyungsoo was a little nicer the times after but still didn't stop until everyone in the room was panting.

“Still not gonna give Soha a chance?”Baekhyun cringed at the name, remembering the teleporting girl and how she turned up while he just finished showering.

“Please..can we forget that?”Chanyeol snickered before shrugging his shoulders.

Everyone started eating, the rustle around them fading into a slight buzz, but Baekhyun suddenly saw Junmyeon making his way over them, his stepps fast.

Sehun noticed the slight confusion in his friend's face, fork stopping just for his mouth.

“Kyungsoo can you come with me?”four pairs of eyes rested on the eldest torne face. Junmyeon had aged due to his position and his past, everything the still young man had seen.”It’s urgent…”

“Is something wrong?” Chanyeol was ready to leave and fight in a second, arms tense as he almost stood up from the chair.

Baekhyun learned over time that the power one possessed was growing from your personality in some way, but he didn't tell anyone this, even as Chanyeol with fire in his heart held his head high, or when Sehun moved through space quietly, observing everything with a fleeting touch.

“I need to talk with Kyungsoo and it’s important but right now it is not dangerous..”with that, both of them walked away.

Watching them, hair moving with every step, Baekhyun had a feeling that he would be seeing the one he thought about sooner than later.

Soft sounds of beeping and turning paper floated in Yixing’s head, fingers gracing over every file he had as the room was peaceful. He spent most of his time by his bed, flipping through the documents he mangade to steal. Your parents were among them but the words were nothing of help, only small bits of useless information since the republic didn't know who they were.

Sighing, Yixing pressed his fingers against his drumming temples, the slowly rising headache making him irritated. After the explosion and his injury had the headaches been more regular, creeping up his spine to hammer at his skull. But it’s whatever, he’s fine even when feeling in his right leg starts to fade.

Suddenly there was a small sound of sheets moving and his dark gaze found honey eyes on a honey boy who had paled slightly.

“Jongin?”

“How come we get to use the tunnels now?”your question made Minseok send you a side glance, his packing movements stopping for a millisecond.

You had changed, maybe not as much as Baekhyun according to what Junmyeon said, but there was something hiding in your gaze. There was a fire in your movements, another force he couldn't feel in the beginning.

Minseok never knew you parents but it was your mother who found him and…, she found all of them and saved them. You had her lips when they weren't pulled into a deep frown, he wondered if you knew..that you still had a connection to them even though you really had no clue who they were.

“Because they trust you more now?”Jongdae grinned, his hand coming to rustle your hair even if he wasn't that much taller than you.”You’re on our side now so I’ll let you in on all our secret tunnels..”

Jongdae laughed, leaning closer to your ear so Minseok could hear what he was about to say.

“Even the ones they don't know about..”his smirk was playful, eyes shimmering like they always did.”Hanhee won't tell..”

Minseok turned to stare at them both, the sheepish look on Jongdae and your indifferent face. He sighed, having slept too bad to scold Jongdae.

“Come on, they will be here soon..”

So after four months would you return to the place you woke up in, you would meet them all again...and everything would begin.

Tags: @shesdreaminginoverdose

#baekhyun x reader #EXO baekhyun #baekhyun au #byun baekhyun #Power AU #rebel au #exo #war au #exo au #exo au scenarios #light baekhyun #baekhyun scenarios #baekhyun series #baekhyun fanfic #exo scenarios #exo fanfic #exo x reader #kpop fanfic

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soybeantree · 4 years

Text

pairing: do kyungsoo x (reader) genre/warning: fluff, hogwarts!au word count: 1.2k-ish description: pre-epilogue era. professor!au a/n: may installment of our ‘trying to write a kyungsoo story for every month that he is in the service’ series. check out the other’s here.

[Thursday, August 12th, 2010; 12:00 p.m.]

Standing in the abandoned train station which welcomes the Hogwarts Express each year, you tap your wand to your robes, changing them from blue to black to green to magenta and back to blue again. The Headmistress has given you the great honor of welcoming and acting as guide to this year’s itinerant professor: Do Kyungsoo, Master of Ancient Oriental Arts. Professor Do was due to arrive at precisely 11:45 which was fifteen minutes ago.

As you contemplate a daring combination of gold and mauve, you hear the telltale pop of apparition. A flick of your wand straightens your clothes, and you turn with a bright smile to greet the new arrival. Your smile freezes as you catch sight of the itinerant professor. Your heart, however, decides to work over time, forcing you to breathe deeply as you attempt to calm it.

“Hello and welcome to Hogwarts.” The words flow easily as you extend your hand in greeting. Being a professor has taught you many things. The most important in this time of crisis is the ability to speak boldly no matter the situation. “I am Professor Y/L/N, and I will be escorting you to the castle and helping to get you situated.”

Kyungsoo’s brows furrow as he reaches to grasp your hand. “I wasn’t aware any of the professors at Hogwarts spoke Korean.”

“None do.” Your smile dims as you clear your throat. “I am the charms professor and am quite skilled at translation spells.”

“I am fluent in English. I wouldn’t have accepted the position otherwise.” He informs you as he throws his luggage on the back of the carriage.

“I know. I just thought it would be fun to practice the charm.” You shake your head as you climb in behind him.

[Friday, September 3rd, 2010; 7:37 p.m.]

First comes the deep breath as you prepare yourself to be brave. Next comes the knock. Kyungsoo glances up from his desk, and his greeting smile steals your bravery. You’re already here though, no backing down now.

“Professor Abkre and I are going to the Hog’s Head to celebrate the end of the first week. Would you like to come?” The grandfather clock which sits in the far corner of Kyungoo’s office announces each second that ticks by. When you have given up hope of ever breathing again, Kyungsoo nods.

The Hog’s Head during your school days had been dark and dingy and frequented by people of questionable repute. Aberforth had owned the pub back then, but when he passed and the pub’s new owner arrived, the pub began a new era. Minseok had opened the windows, cleared the cobs, and kept the old wood polished. He had also expanded the menu beyond alcohol to include teas and coffee. The pub was now an oasis for professors.

Professor Abkre, the Divination professor and your best friend, sits waiting for you, a cup of tea steaming in her hand.

“Emmaline.” You greet her as you slide into the other side of the booth. Kyungsoo slides in beside you, and the three inches between you steals a large portion of your thoughts. “Emmaline?”

Your friend’s attention finally snaps to you. “Oh, Professor Do, you agreed to come. Welcome.”

“Is there something behind me?” Kyungsoo cranes his head, but Emmaline lunges for his robe’s collar, directing his attention back to the table.

“No. Nothing.”

“Minseok.” Your correction earns you a glare and a warning, and you remember who is sitting beside you. You mouth an apology as your eyes plead for mercy.

“Are you two dating?” The question startles a snort from you.

In response to Kyungsoo’s bewildered expression, Emmaline says, “No, I think he is attractive.That’s all.”

“Have you talked to him?”

The addition of an outsider to your duo always reminds you how odd your behaviors are. “No,” Emmaline continues. She picks at her nails and, with a sigh, explains, “Y/N and I don’t talk to men that we like. We stare at them from afar and do nothing until the feelings go away.”

“Why?”

“That’s a much longer explanation.” You chime in. “And we came here to drink. I’m going to order.” You warn. Emmaline shakes her head, and you flag Minseok down.

As he approaches your booth, he slows. A wide smile splits his face. “Kyungsoo!” He greets the itinerant professor, launching into a conversation in Korean.

Emmaline’s eyes go wide as all the color leaks from her face. She leans forward, and placing a hand to the side of her mouth, whispers, “What are they saying?”

Mimicking her posture, you respond with “I have no idea. I didn’t cast my translation charm.”

“I am going to kill you.”

“I know.” Both of you lean back as the men finish their conversation.

“You two know each other?” Emmaline squeaks.

“Minseok is the one who told me about the opportunity at Hogwarts.”

Emmaline nods. “Well, I need to be anywhere that’s not here.” And with that, your friend is gone. Minseok glances after her, his brow furrowing.

“I’d like a Butterbeer please.” You draw his attention away from your friend. “Kyungsoo?”

“I already gave him my order.” Kyungsoo’s voice is soft. Minseok nods to both of you before going to get your drinks. “I didn’t say anything to him.”

“I know.” You sigh, slumping in your chair. “It’s just-” You make a vague gesture with your hands but words fail to explain the sensation elicited from the situation.

“Do you two really not talk to men you like?”

Your response is immediate, born of endless conversations with your family and Emmaline’s, but you swallow the answer when you glance at Kyungsoo.

[Friday, December 24th, 2010; 8:53 p.m.]

Christmas, typically, means a reprieve from students and duties, you had explained to Kyungsoo before the fall term started. He could even return home for the holiday. He had shrugged, explaining that the holiday did not hold the same sentiment for him.

Halfway into term though, you both learned that this Christmas will be more stressful than classes. The Head Boy and Girl along with the prefects decided to have a Yule Ball. The Headmistress volunteered you and Kyungsoo as chaperones for the ball. Being a chaperone means ensuring that the punch remains punch, the students maintain proper school distance, and that you thwart the inevitable pranks.

The night before the ball, you stay awake into the dawn. When Emmaline makes a jibe about the reason, you brush it off. While you have spent several of the hours planning your outfit for the next day, you kindly explain to her that the main reason is finishing chaperone preparations.

The prep is definitely needed. As you hit the ground running once the sun rises. By the time the ball starts, you are ready for bed. Your robes which had started the day neatly pressed sport more wrinkles than a Sharpei, your perfectly coiffed hair fared no better, and you lack the motivation to charm it back in order.

Pulling another set of students apart, you shoo them out of the shadows and back on the dance floor. You remain in the background, pulling a flask you had confiscated from a sixth year not five minutes into the ball, from your robe’s inner pocket. He had attempted to unload the contents in the punch. A quick swig confirms it as Fire Whiskey.

“May I have a sip?”

You jump, the flask fumbling out of your hand. But it freezes a foot from the floor. The whiskey catches in a delicate amber arc for a moment. Then slowly, it slips back into the flask as it rights itself and floats into Kyungsoo’s waiting hand. He slips his wand back into his robes before taking his sip.

“Confiscated?” He asks.

You nod. “Not that I’m above bringing my own.” You chuckle, running a hand through your ruined hair and regretting your lack of motivation. The shadows thankfully conceal your wrinkles.

“How many hours do we have left?” He asks as he returns the flask. His fingers brush against yours, sending a thrill up your arm.

Shaking yourself, you check your watch and groan. “Another three hours at the least. I’m sure we’ll be rounding up students until well after three though.”

He smiles as he comes to stand beside you, his gaze scanning the hall. “I suppose that’s not so bad. I had school friends who partied until the sun rose.”

The idea pulls your shoulders down with the imagined weariness. You have never – nor have you ever had the desire – to spend so much time away from your bed. “Did you?” He shakes his head. “Did Minseok?” He shakes his head again with a chuckle.

“Minseok and I were the boring members of our group.”

“That makes sense. After all, you did become a professor of Ancient Oriental Magic.” You tease.

“And Charms is more exciting?” Despite his level tone, you catch the hint of mockery in the way the corner of his lips quirks up.

“I never said it was.” You fight the urge to stick out your tongue because you are an adult. “I picked Charms because I am good at it. I’ve never been the adventurous type.”

“Is that why you don’t talk to guys you like?”

Your breath catches, and you force yourself to shrug. “Like I said that’s a long explanation.”

“You don’t have trouble talking with me.”

“I was forced to talk to you.” The words are out before you fully realize what you're saying. “What I mean is as your guide it was my job to talk to you.” He turns his full attention on you, and words start to spill out. “I had to start talking to you; instead of ignoring you. It’s the starting that’s hard. Once I talk to somebody, it’s easy to continue talking to them. So it’s different with you.”

He nods, his eyes going unfocused, and you wish you had a gift for legilimency. “If you were not my guide, you would have never spoken to me.”

“Yes.”

“Because you like me.”

“Yes. NO!” But you have already spoken the truth, and the grin spreading across his face buries any hope of convincing him otherwise. With a sigh, you lean your back against the wall, and keeping your gaze on the revelers, continue, “Yes, I like you, but I expect nothing from my crush. I am content to like you from a distance and continue as your friend.”

“But what if I like you too?”

You snort, but swallow your response when you catch sight of his eyes. The candle light glints off them, highlighting his sincerity. “What?”

He steps forward, capturing your full gaze and shielding you from the rest of the hall. “I like you, and I do not want to continue as only your friend.”

“Oh.” You blink. “Well in that case, I guess we could date?” The word feels silly, but Kyungsoo smiles.

“I’d like to date.” He steps back, and the bright lights of the Great Hall flood in along with the sound of song and revelry.

Your foot taps along to the tune, and your heart leaps to join the dancing. You content yourself with smiling, and when Kyungsoo slips his hand in yours, you hold tight.

#kyungsoo #hmw #exo #D.O.#kyungsoo collection #kyungsoo drabble #hogwarts #harry potter au #exo drabble #kyungsoo fanfiction #exo fanfiction

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baeklooming-day · 4 years

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Blue - the Constellation | Baekhyun

Previous part: Blue

Summary: Even though you are Slytherin’s queen of delinquents whilst he is Gryffindor’s praiseworthy admirable student, you manage to make your relationship work just excellently. Until one night, when you discover that there is something the stars didn’t tell you.

ft. older mean brother Sehun

Genre: Hogwarts!au, bad girl!au, good boy!au, fluffish

Word count: 4.3k

A/N: Y’all. I can’t believe that I’m doing this, I will probably cry halfway. If you haven’t read the first part (which was actually supposed to be the only part), then let me tell you to go and read it first before you start this one, otherwise you won’t wholly understand the plot!

~ play this <3

“My hour is over, leader.”

Actually, your hour has already been over a whole fifteen minutes ago. You impatiently tapped your navy blue nails on your book, looking at the tall boy before you.

Chanyeol.

It was only two weeks ago when you even noticed him being in one of your classes, the potion class precisely. Being the totally careless you, never paying any attention to others surrounding you, you probably would never know the boy existed if it wasn’t for Baekhyun, who was in Gryffindor as well.

Well, you could recall something that your brother said about him those two weeks ago, or at least you thought it were already two weeks that have passed, because since the particularly memorable yesterday you were feeling as if you were moving in completely another time lapse.

That’s right, it was just yesterday when after the unpleasant confrontation with Taehyung and other boys from Ravenclaw, you finally opened up to Baekhyun about your true feelings, loosing yourself in the softest kiss of his delicate lips, already knowing that you didn’t want to wait any longer and making things official right away, with your closest circle to witness that moment.

It was just yesterday, and right the next day which was, well, today, you appeared to have more than enough time to get yourself in trouble again, and end in your thousandth detention, again.

Even though it was practically just taking away your own free time, you couldn’t bring yourself to care about it, detention was literally your everyday’s bread at this point.

The only good thing about it was that, that your lovely boyfriend was so nice to take some time from his studying to come a little earlier and wait next to the room you were in until you were finally dismissed from your detention, just to walk back with you.

At this point, you couldn’t really decide if you preferred the boring detention in class, basically just sitting around without moving and looking at the wall until your time was over, or something like the last time when professor Snape threw you out for spilling the potion and ordered you to clean the whole damned Quidditch field.

When you thought about it, even though it was literally collecting all that old rubbish that was laying around, forgotten, with your own two hands because you weren’t allowed to use magic for that, it was some kind of wonderful to be in Baekhyun’s company, only the two of you and clear blue night sky above your heads.

You looked at your nails, painted with navy blue nail polish that were still quietly tapping on your astrology book.

Blue was indeed a thing that brought you and Baekhyun together, you could state.

Blue was also something that resembled Ravenclaw, and as much as you loved this color itself you honestly disliked remembering that it was your former boyfriend who was lucky enough to wear it every day included somewhere in his stupid uniform.

You have always hated the green of your own house, but at the same time you couldn’t imagine yourself being in any other house than the proud Slytherin.

One thing that you could imagine right now though, was finally getting the hell out of this detention, in those fifteen additional minutes that you have been kept in there you would manage to make at least ten circles on a broomstick around the whole school.

You knew it, and you were fully aware that ending up in detentions was your own fault, but of course you wouldn’t admit it out loud.

Normally, the reasons which almost always lead you to be placed there were your careless and often disrespectful manners which, you always used to justify that in moments when something or someone decided to make you totally angry, you couldn’t really control and let it out on the one who woke up the volcano known as your nerves.

You also loved to blame it on the stars.

You loved astrology, even though you never talked openly about it knowing that even in magical world not everybody believed in the things it said, so if anybody was about to ask you about it, you would probably answer that it was a guilty pleasure of yours.

And right now, your little guilty pleasure as called, was the reason for your one hour and fifteen extra minutes detention of being held hostage in an empty classroom.

Well, almost empty, if you overlooked Chanyeol.

You just didn’t understand why what looked like all the teachers trusted and praised him so much that he ended up being the one selected to watch you for the rest of your forever alone detention until you could finally leave.

Frankly, you really didn’t get it because he wasn’t even a prefect.

To be honest, Chanyeol seemed to be quite popular amongst the teachers as well as students, but in contrast to you his fame was good, yours was that of a full time girl delinquent who was just a whole lot more impulsive and unapproachable than her older brother.

For all you knew, Sehun and Chanyeol were kind of friends, that’s why right now you started to wonder if Chanyeol really overlooked those damned fifteen minutes on the clock, or if your stupid brother told him to keep you there longer than necessary only to get on your nerves again.

“Look, Y/N, I really wanna leave too but-” Chanyeol leaned on the desk behind him. “I guess you didn’t hear the last sentence.” You could already see a little frustration on his face. “They said that your detention will be now thirty minutes longer for every rule you break... Don’t look at me like that, you know that I don’t make the rules... So, there are still another fifteen minutes left.”

You shrugged. “Screw them.”

Chanyeol gave you a look of disbelief. “Oh my god, Y/N, how can you not care?”

“Like this.” You looked at him with a straight face, raising your both arms in some sort of a ‘what can I do?’ sign.

“Y/N.” He started again.

“Don’t call my name so often, you are wasting the oxygen.” You stopped him. “More than that, Baekhyun should be already waiting for me outside, so if you could let me go. Didn’t you mention that you were about to go meet up with some of your friends or whatever? Then you can go to them immediately if I’ll go now, so” You were carefully observing him, looking for any kind of change in his expression that would show that you won.

He looked like he was questioning his own life choices right now, but finally he spoke up, confirming your thought. “Alright let’s just go, I wanted to hang out with Taehyung before anyway...”

You looked up at him with question in your bright eyes. “You hang out with Taehyung?”

“Uhm, yeah” He answered a little confused.

“Well, you do know that this dirty clown has been bullying Baekhyun since, like, yesterday?” You couldn’t believe this. Naturally you knew why Taehyung bothered Baekhyun whenever there was an opportunity to do so now, you were the mere reason. But you made it your mission to never be quiet and verbally destroy Taehyung every time when he thought it would be a splendid idea to open his own mouth and talk trash about your poor boyfriend who was way too nice to tell anyone anything mean himself.

The mean part was obviously your area of expertise.

Without waiting for Chanyeol’s reply, you stood up taking your book and dashed to the door, expecting to be met with Baekhyun’s lovely smile right after you pushed them open.

And to your delight, he was there waiting, but as soon as you took in the state he was in, you felt the hot blood coming up to your cheeks making a vexed dark blush appear, a signal that you were starting to loose all your cool.

Baekhyun was sitting on a wooden bench right next to the door, leaning his back on the cold wall.

His uniform was completely drenched in some black, unidentifiable slimy substance, and so was his hair, face, and even glasses.

You stood there frozen in your spot until he finally noticed you and hurried up to come closer to you, although avoiding your eyes, looking at his shoes.

“Which b-” You started, only to be interrupted a second later. You intended to ask him who did it to him, but of course you already knew which ‘b-’ it was.

“I had the pleasure to run into Taehyung on my way here.” Baekhyun said. “I-” He continued. “I’m stupid. I can never talk back to him, and I feel even more stupid now that I let him do this to me and-”

This time it was you who interrupted him, by placing your hands on his black stained cheeks and gently pulling him in for a soft peck on his lips.

A light blush creeped up on his skin from underneath the stains and his pupils dilated ever so slightly, a completely melting look which you loved on him.

“So this ass did it to you?” You asked.

“Yes, I really-”

“Is it beef yeah” You concluded. “I’m calling backup-”

You pulled him on his sleeve, directing yourself to your dorm. “Wait, Y/N, what backup” Baekhyun gave you a questionable look, but let you lead him anyway.

“As in, my wand, the backup.” You answered. Since the Quidditch field cleaning punishment without magic, you weren’t allowed to show up to any detention with your wand, so it was left in your dorm. Jerks. “I will jinx this raven shit until his own mother won’t recognize him.” You said.

“You can’t fight fire with fire, my diamond, you” Baekhyun tried to sound more earnest, but he failed to hold back a chuckle at your comment.

“Then what do you suggest me to do?” You asked. “Because I won’t let that jackass continue this. It’s payback, bitch. If he wanna play then I will show him how to play. Because I’m the freaking coach and I’m pissed off right now.” You crossed your arms on your chest, letting off his sleeve that you have been holding.

Baekhyun gave you a lopsided smile. “Well, for starters I actually need to clean up.” He said.

“Fair enough.”

And with that being said, you decided to leave your evil plans on how to come back at the Ravenclaw boy be, at least for the time being.

You would have plenty of time to think about it later.

If there was something that visibly distinguished you from your older brother, it would be the detail that Sehun was way more composed than you were.

If there was something that particularly pissed you off about him, well, it would be quite everything. And in the least expected moments.

“But WHY-” You whined. “Why won’t you just give me the damn spell! Last time when you went and jinxed him things were quiet for two weeks.” You continued whining, following your brother around the Slytherin common room like a puppy, tugging on his arm because, that cruel moron, decided to instantaneously become deaf to your pleas.

“Listen up, my baby freak sister.” Sehun whirled around only to give you a look of unmasked disapproval. “That was the first and the last time I went down to your sick level of solving problems. Do you want to go and mess him up every two weeks then, what the-”

You lightly punched his shoulder. “You clown! I will mess you up if you don’t help me out, what kind of brother are you-”

“Not my fault that you always get involved with cuckoos.”

“Sehun I swear I will-”

“Will you calm down finally?” A subtle voice filled the air behind you, followed with soft footsteps audible on the floor. Soon Minseok appeared next to you, with his hands in his pockets. “I know that all that brother-sister fight is apparently necessary for something but your yelling can be heard at the beginning of the hallway.”

Yeah, apparently it was, and in particular when your brother was Sehun.

That’s why you were glad that Minseok, as well as Kyungsoo, were your a whole lot calmer cousins who watched out for eventual flying insults and roasts becoming too loud for everyone’s liking.

“Then tell him something.” You pointed at Sehun, a pleading look in your eyes thrown to your cousin next to you.

“Oh my god-” Minseok covered his face with both his hands for a moment. “You know I love you both but we just had one drama a while back and now a new one is up?” The question was more directed to you.

You immediately jumped up. “It’s always the same drama! I come out of detention, first thing I see is Baekhyun splashed with some black slime from head to toe! This asshole Taehyung made it his goal to make his days go down the freaking toilet.” You remarked.

Minseok lifted one corner of his mouth, an apologetic smile. “Dear cousin, this is a quite common thing when your ex boyfriend hates your new boyfriend.” He paused for a brief moment. “But okay, that shows that this kid is cracked.”

Sehun straightened. “I told you he was bananas. I never liked him.” A sparkle flickered in his eyes, only to squint them right after and put a finger on his lower lip. “Actually, I was always right when I said someone you were starting to fall for in the past wasn’t right for you. Beginning with that one oblivious dirt, what was his name again, something with D-”

“QUIET, YOU FILTH” You interrupted him, slapping his shoulder one more time.

All three of you were so invested in the discussion that you completely failed to acknowledge the last member of your family quietly entering the room carrying a pile of books.

“Woah, what’s up squad” Kyungsoo carefully put the books on the nearest table. “Is it an unannounced assembly again?” He let out a soft chuckle, moving over to the rest of you.

“Soo, save me” You leaned your cheek on your cousin’s shoulder in a childlike manner, starting to tell him the newest events which the other two already knew.

All in all, you didn’t complete your evil plan for Taehyung that day, but nonetheless you felt a little better knowing that your brother and two cousins were there to listen to you, even when you came up with totally crazy nonsense.

And again, you really needed to appreciate your family a little more.

Later the following day, just when you finished your beloved Astronomy class, you dashed through the hallway for your next up lesson, the History of Magic.

You weren’t particularly pleased at the moment, even though Astronomy was always able to cheer you up whenever you felt upset, at the same time being as good as the only subject which always had your full attention.

But today you couldn’t really follow the lesson in tranquility as much as you wanted because unfortunately, Astronomy was also the class that you shared with Taehyung.

Taehyung, who apparently planned it before to bother you for the whole damned lesson for whatever sick reason that time.

Although you were sure that it was always the exactly same reason as before.

First, he started to blow small bluebell flames in your direction which came right at your temple.

As a matter of fact at that point to be completely honest, you didn’t know if you were more astonished by the fact that he could actually perform this spell, or that even though he was being so obvious Professor Sinistra didn’t warn him even one time.

And there was no way that she didn’t notice what he was doing with his own wand during the lesson.

When you kept on ignoring him, next up were little flying notes landing on your desk. There were merely ugly sketches of a person covered in some black mass, which was obviously supposed to be Baekhyun.

You felt the extreme need to just stand up from your seat, walk over to him and smash a book on his nose but you decided to keep your cool at least in that one class.

So before you could change your mind, as soon as you were all dismissed you collected your belongings and left the room, not even looking back.

You looked at one of your deep-coloured tarot cards which you’ve been whirling around with your fingers on your way to your next class.

Nine of Cups.

Monthly card for Capricorn, you wished it was something less optimistic though knowing that your ex boyfriend was indeed, a Capricorn.

But so was Kyungsoo, so you weren’t really all about instantly despising the said sign.

You continued walking, actually there was quite some free time left until the next lesson but right now you just wanted to keep your distance from every possible source that could make you mad all over again.

Your thoughts were full of Baekhyun though, you wished he would be there right now, be it just looking at him was enough to relax you.

Before you knew it, you heard fast footsteps behind you, followed by a loud voice right after.

But unfortunately, that voice didn’t belong to the one you wished to hear right this instant.

“Look who it is” Taehyung quickly appeared before you, his eyes fixed on you. “I just don’t get it how you can be so stupid, Y/N. This is your last call to come back to me-”

“Oh, what a waste, there’s no signal to call so I think this is YOUR last call, how you described it, to screw off before I mess you up” You said.

“You know that I’m just getting started” He let out a stupid laugh. “I will make your dear Baekhyun regret that he ever laid his eyes on you-”

“Touch him and I will end you, you sorry excuse of a ma-”

You couldn’t finish your sentence as he abruptly pulled you closer by your left wrist, a clearly wrathful look in his eyes. “You were never like this with me. So protective. Tell me Y/N” He paused. “Have you done this with him?”

You felt like your eyes became ten times bigger, looking at him not believing he was really asking you that question. “What? Are you actually stupid? And even if, I wouldn’t tell you.”

“I will literally murder him, and I will make you watch this.”

Alright, now you really were out of it. What on earth.

Before you knew it, you already took your wand to your free right hand, ready to use whatever that came to your mind on him, when you felt someone else’s fingers around your right wrist, stopping it.

Sehun.

“What are you DOING.” Said your brother in a firm voice. “Enough is enough Y/N.”

You gave in, letting him take your wand away. For a moment you really were about to leave it be and follow Sehun, but when you saw the impertinent, triumphant smile playing on Taehyung’s lips, you just couldn’t.

In a matter of seconds, you grasped him by the collar, pulled him down to your level and measured a concrete blow to his nose, which to be completely honest was tempting you this whole time already.

Then everything happened in a blur, soon running appeared Professor Flitwick together with Professor Snape, taking in the state you put Taehyung in with blood coming out of his nose.

“What-” Started Professor Flitwick. “Miss Y/L/N! What is this!”

You moved to properly face your two teachers. “We are Slytherin, and this is jackass.” You said pointing at Taehyung, as if nothing wrong just happened.

“It is always you!” Professor Snape’s voice joined in. “Oh Sehun and Y/N! You are both a disgrace for Slytherin. Yes, you too Oh, I know everything about jinxing Kim Taehyung. Minus FIFTEEN points! Each of you! Now LEAVE!” He yelled at you before turning around and quickly walking away, letting Professor Flitwick deal with Taehyung and his bloody nose alone.

Sehun grasped your wrist, pulling you with him as he walked away. When you were both far enough, he spoke again. “You are my biological sister, but you are quite literally freaking insane.” He said. “But I must give you that one, that punch was something.”

You looked at your brother, meeting his eyes and, as soon as you did so the two of you broke down in an uncontrollable laughter.

“That’s crazy. I feel like-” Baekhyun looked deep in thought, his eyes wavering on something in the distance. “I feel like this is kind of my fault.”

You squeezed his hand, a reassuring gesture. “No, it isn’t. It’s-” You looked up. “the Gemini constellation.”

You started to walk a little slower, so that you could take a more proper look. It became dark really fast that time, just when you and Baekhyun decided to go and take a walk, alone, without Sehun, your cousins, or most importantly without Taehyung spoiling the atmosphere like he used to do every time when he showed up these days.

You ended up on the quiet, empty Quidditch field, the place where your heart started to flutter for the shy Gryffindor boy for the first time.

You felt like ever since that moment when you got together crazy things kept on happening to the two of you, turning out in a total mess which at the end of the day neither of you seemed to have or at least try to have under control.

But then again, for some reason you didn’t care.

Baekhyun was all you cared about, and at the same time as you realised it, you felt like you just discovered a completely new side to you as well.

You were still a little amazed by the fact that you managed to move on so quickly but, maybe it was all written in the stars?

You felt a little pull backwards, realising that Baekhyun stopped still holding onto your hand.

“Those two stars in Gemini are shining the brightest.” He said. “They kind of remind me of those little sparkles in your eyes when you genuinely laugh.”

You smiled uncontrollably.

He was talking about you being his diamond, but it looked like he didn’t even see what a diamond he already was himself, especially now when the cold starlight was falling down on him, illuminating his fair skin and dancing on his black hair, making him look as if he was glowing in an angel light.

“You know-” He started again. “That diamond can also mean a star? As in, the diamonds, the stars-” He scratched the back of his neck, looking suddenly a little nervous.

“Mhm” You muttered, reaching out your hand to brush off those few dark locks that fell on his eyes.

“So-” Baekhyun’s cheeks were now giving in to the dark blush that started creeping up on them. “There’s something I never told you. I like to sing sometimes. And-” He bit his lower lip. “I wrote a song for you.” He didn’t say it, he whispered it, but loud enough for you to hear it well.

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“Sing it for me.”

You expected him to start right away, but instead he took your other hand and gently pulled you with him, only to let it go and place his own hand on your waist, slowly spinning around with you in his arms.

“You really do shine like a real diamond, you know” He adoringly smiled at you, gently caressing your cheek with his thumb before he started to sing.

If you thought that Baekhyun’s normal voice was like honey, then you could say you were quite literally blown away by how velvety his singing voice was.

There were only the two of you on the deserted Quidditch field, slowly dancing to the only music which was Baekhyun’s voice.

In that moment, you couldn’t help it but let out a giggle, being so grateful for making that potion explode in your class back in the day and getting a detention for that.

It was all worth it.

You got a stupid detention, but you also ended up getting the sweetest boy you could wish for in one go.

“I love it.” You told him when he finished the song.

“You do?”

You didn’t answer, instead you threw your arms around his neck and pulled him in, now only milimetres away from his face.

“Wh-” The dark blush on his cheeks was now beaming. “What are you doing...?”

You gave him a cheeky smile, enjoying his embarassment. “That what you are apparently too shy to ask for.”

A second later, you were kissing him so passionately, catching him completely off guard, causing to lose the balance and fall back on the grass, being pulled down together with him.

You landed on top of him, having the perfect view on his surprised expression. “Is this what they meant by saying that you were impulsive-” He quietly asked, eyes locked with yours.

You started laughing, bringing your hand up to gently run your fingers through his hair before you kissed him once again. “I don’t know, people talk a lot.”

There it was, that lovely smile that you loved to see on him so much.

You didn’t know how much time has passed while you didn’t even bother to stand up from the ground, just laying there with him laughing and kissing as if his lips were the only source of oxygen for you, with just the blue dark sky above you to see this moment.

After a while, Baekhyun spoke up again in a soft tone. “Y/N... Do you know what I love more than blue?” He asked you.

“What?”

“You.” He answered. “I love you more.”

A/N: i am posting this from my grave yall, i am dead and super anxious about this, leave me your opinions ;__; feel free to reblog as always if you liked it >,<

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