[title song: polarize - twenty one pilots]

a better adversary (to the evil i have done)

--

Byun Baekhyun had tried to read a war novel once, about the muggle World Wars, and he remembers thinking of how theatric it had all seemed, with guns and artillery and canons and a sort of loudness he could only imagine was vaguely similar to a potion gone wrong. Or even of the fanfare at a professional Quidditch match.

Back then, Baekhyun had thought that maybe he’d be prepared for a war, that there was something interesting about it all.

He had been wrong. He is still wrong.

It’s nothing but silence, eerie stillness occasionally shot through with shouted words and screams of pain. There is no muggle fanfare to their kind of warfare, just drawn out silences and spontaneous battles, Death Eaters clad in masks and dark cloaks appearing at odd hours of the day, glinting silver grins adorning their masked faces as they tear down innocents with silent brutality.

Eerie silence is what Byun Baekhyun is most afraid of. It’s the reason why Baekhyun finds Kim Junmyeon, especially a day or two after a battle, and drags him away from his piles and piles of paperwork (every dead person adds to the pile, Junmyeon constantly complains, his expression serious but his eyes glassy) and to the nearest pub, muggle or magic, Baekhyun doesn’t mind.

Baekhyun just needs a reason to fill the silence and Junmyeon needs a reason to stay out of his own thoughts.

They find solace in each other, during a time when solace is a damn rare sight.

~.~.~.~.~

Baekhyun arrives on site exactly fourteen seconds before Junmyeon apparates in, appearing a couple meters away. Junmyeon turns on his heels, his black cloak swathing his tiny form completely.

Baekhyun snorts softly at the sight. “You couldn’t get dressed properly first?”

“I was told this was an emergency.” Junmyeon snaps back in a soft voice, gaze pointed. “Accidentally grabbed Yifan’s robes.”

Baekhyun raises a brow at the name. “Is that a thing again?” Baekhyun tilts his head, thoughtfully. “As your boss, I think I should inform you that office relationships are looked down upon.”

“No, it’s not a thing. It never was.” Junmyeon mumbles, glare half-assed as he fumbles with his sleeves, rolling it up. “Why did you call me out here?”

Baekhyun stares at Junmyeon real hard and Junmyeon stares back, gaze unwavering.

Finally, Baekhyun sighs and nods towards the sky. He looks past the leafy tree tops and long tree trunks, the sinister green skull they’ve all become entirely too familiar with peeking through the branches beside a full moon, a few hundred meters to their left. The forest is dark, hard to maneuver without a simple lumos, and Baekhyun can see Junmyeon reaching for his own wand in the mixed silver and green light coming from above.

Baekhyun reaches out and puts a hand over Junmyeon’s, shaking his head slowly.

(He ignores the slight tremble in Junmyeon’s fingers, his own heart beating wildly against his own ribs.)

Junmyeon’s a Ravenclaw through and through, and Baekhyun’s positive that his brain is running at lightning speed. Baekhyun understands Junmyeon, in a way, because he’s a Slytherin through and through and he’s come to learn exactly how similar their mindsets are. Even back in Hogwarts, Slytherin house and Ravenclaw house had always operated with a mutual sort of understanding, their ambitions, although displayed differently, were similar in a sense and both houses allocated the other a tandem of respect for that. Their ideals, however, were always vastly different, yet sometimes eerily similar.

“We don’t know what we’re walking into and the lights will work both ways.” Baekhyun murmurs, his fingers wrapping around Junmyeon’s fingers briefly. He squeezes his hand reassuringly and Junmyeon levels him with a steady gaze, the kind of steady gaze Baekhyun always relies on him for, though he’d never ever mention it out loud.

“We want the element of surprise.” Junmyeon states rather than questions, nodding briskly.

“Exactly.” Baekhyun murmurs, his fingers curling around his wand as he slips through the forest. “Let’s take these ers out.”

“Did I ever tell you that you talk like a Gryffindor?” Junmyeon murmurs, winding through the trees carefully, his eyes flickering up to the sky occasionally.

“Gross.” Baekhyun mumbles, wrinkling his nose. “Are you trying to get demoted or something?”

Junmyeon snorts unattractively, nerves bringing out (what he claims to be) the worst in him. Baekhyun grins, but it never quite reaches his eyes.

~.~.~.~.~

They reach a beautiful blue cottage that sits right beside a blooming rose bush. A row of bright yellow daisies lines the sidewalk, glowing softly in the eerie lighting. The house is doused in soft green light, a color Baekhyun used to equate to home back when he was a good little pureblood Slytherin. The lights are all turned off in the house, the single bulb hanging on the white porch swings back and forth back and forth back and forth on a wire, the bulb flickering over the doorstep.

Baekhyun’s eyes follow the movement of the bulb, involuntarily, and he feels like he’s watching a ticking clock.

The door hangs wide open on its hinges, welcoming them into unknown darkness. The silence is deafening, haunting really, and Baekhyun pushes back the nerves, the fear of what this silence could mean for them.

The first thing that runs through Baekhyun’s head is that it isn’t even spring yet, his eyes flickering over the rose bush.

The second thing is that they have to go inside.

(His instincts tell him to run, save yourself.)

Baekhyun steps forward first, stepping onto the porch.

The porch creaks loudly beneath his weight and he closes his eyes, wincing. Junmyeon touches his back and silently urges him forward.

Baekhyun breathes, staggering and soft, and walks the length of the porch, his wand at the ready.

Baekhyun enters the house, prepared for a spell that doesn’t come. Junmyeon falls back into the dining room and Baekhyun follows him, his eyes drifting over the five sets of tableware set out, bowls of food scattered over the table. Baekhyun’s eyes drift past still photographs of smiling muggles and he makes himself ignore how untouched the room looks. Baekhyun glances at Junmyeon, who seems to drink in every sight, and sighs.

(Although Ravenclaws and Slytherins are similar in more ways than one, they are also fundamentally different. Baekhyun selfishly ignores, Junmyeon curiously absorbs.)

They drift to the stairs and Baekhyun wonders if they’re just too late to find anyone. It’s happened before.

But then they hear a bang and a growl from beyond the basement door, coupled by a scream that has both Baekhyun and Junmyeon jumping into action.

~.~.~.~.~

Baekhyun reaches the basement stairs first, the door creaking open on its hinges. He barely glances down the dark set of stairs before he carefully steps down, wand at the ready and eyes trained on the dimly lit room before him.

The minute he reaches the foot of the stairs, he's met with an unsettling image, an unconscious teenager hunched over in the corner while a baby faced man hovers over him, all dark shadows and wide, sharp-toothed grin. A werewolf, Baekhyun realizes, eyes zeroing in on the jagged nails lazily flicking at the boy's chest, the werewolf's gaze landing on Baekhyun. His eyes are narrowed, years of hatred swirling through them, haunting in its darkness. Baekhyun doesn't mean to hesitate, but his eyes flicker over to the person casually lounging against the wall beside the wolf, swathed in a dark cloak, eyes glinting in the dim light of his wand behind their silver mask. His moment of hesitation gives them time to poise themselves, eyes watching Baekhyun’s wand carefully.

"A Death Eater." Junmyeon whispers from beside Baekhyun, his wand held high. At any other time, Baekhyun would have rolled his eyes at the obvious statement, but the silent tension in the room has Baekhyun tightening his grip around his wand, eyes flickering from the Death Eater to the werewolf to the kid and back again, one after the other.

The Death Eater pushes off the brick wall, the werewolf tightening their grip on the unconscious teenager, fingers clawing at the boy’s shirt, tearing it the tiniest bit. Baekhyun watches with tension in his shoulders as the Death Eater tips his wand between his fingers.

The Death Eater tilts their head to the side a fraction of an inch, before speaking, “The Ministry’s only sent two of you, huh?” His voice is soft and vaguely familiar to Baekhyun. Baekhyun narrows his eyes, stepping forward, but the Death Eater stands his ground, crossing his arms, “I’m offended.”

Baekhyun wrinkles his nose, “Huh, well, I’m offended that the two of you are so damn pathetic that you’re attacking a couple of muggles who can’t even defend themselves properly. So I guess that makes two of us.”

The Death Eater laughs then, loud and all-encompassing and so, so familiar that Baekhyun finds his mind reeling, trying to put a face to the voice.

“No, I think the most offensive thing about all this,” The Death Eater makes a large sweeping gesture, gesturing at the unconscious teenager in the werewolf’s grip. His voice drops from amusement to cold fury in the blink of an eye, “Is that our infamous Byun Baekhyun is now a ing blood traitor.” The Death Eater turns to the wolf, “Don’t you think, Minseokkie?”

Baekhyun blinks and blinks, bells ringing in his head, his eyes drifting between the werewolf—Minseok, Baekhyun remembers, the name familiar to his tongue—to the Death Eater.

Junmyeon speaks up then, his eyes widening. “Minseok? You mean Kim Minseok.”

The werewolf grins, all his teeth showing, and his eyes glint like black gold in the dim wand light.

Baekhyun glances back at Junmyeon and he looks horrified, his eyes filled with recognition.

(Baekhyun vaguely remembers Kim Minseok, who had been three years above Baekhyun, a Ravenclaw just like Junmyeon. Baekhyun wonders if they were friends and he figures from Junmyeon and Minseok’s expressions that they most certainly were.)

Baekhyun stares and stares and stares at the Death Eater until the voice, the association to Minseok, all clicks into place. “Wait…” Baekhyun squints “…Jongdae?”

Baekhyun feels his heart claw its way into his throat and he blinks. The Death Eater—Jongdae, Kim ing Jongdae—nods. “Long time no see, best friend.”

(Baekhyun is lucky, then, that he’s been training as an Auror for so ing long, that his Auror instincts are now second nature to him, because he swears his brain would have completely shut down otherwise, lost in memories, in thoughts and childhood memories Baekhyun wishes he could just forget.

Baekhyun remembers back when he was a good little Slytherin boy, back when Kim Jongdae had had a heart and they’d pull pranks that’d rival the infamous Marauders on whomever dared to cross them, from Head Boy Junmyeon to the half-Veela exchange student from Beauxbaton, Kim Jongin, to Do Kyungsoo, their year’s prefect to Luhan, the pretty Gryffindor who seemed to have a personal vendetta against every Slytherin he’d encounter.)

“I was hoping the rumors weren’t true.” Jongdae says, suddenly, softly, the tension in the room high strung. Baekhyun feels the softness of his tone in his bones, in the memories he suppresses in his head, and he tries his best to steel his expression, looking on with narrowed eyes and emotional indifference like he was trained. Then he laughs, and it sounds awfully bitter to Baekhyun’s ears. Jongdae steps forward, just a single step, and his words ring out. “But I should have known when I found out about the mudblood.”

Baekhyun doesn’t even flinch, he just looks on, surveys Jongdae’s thin form for weak points, like he had been trained to do.

(But Baekhyun’s brain is reeling.

Baekhyun remembers the summer after graduating from Hogwarts, when Baekhyun had watched everything he’s ever lied about blow up in his face, when his mother turned her wand on him and cried out why, when he had run from everything he had once known and learned that his best friend was the same as the rest of them, doused in black magic and hatred. Baekhyun had found solace in Park Chanyeol, a muggleborn Hufflepuff, then. Baekhyun remembers being so incredibly amazed by the sheer wonder of mundane muggle life and Baekhyun had learned much more during those two years than he had learned in his seventeen years in his childhood home. Baekhyun would be lying if he says he didn’t miss Chanyeol, but it had been inevitable because, as Chanyeol had eloquently put it, they’re soulmates but they were never meant to be, not when Baekhyun has the tendency to apparate into the ing bathroom instead of walking the couple steps. Especially when all Chanyeol wanted to do was survive while Baekhyun understood that he already had that privilege. It was his responsibility to throw himself into the thick of it all.

Two weeks after they broke it off, rumors popped up all over the place, about Harry Potter’s disappearance (some whispered that he ran but Baekhyun doubts Harry Potter could turn coward now, of all times), about the Ministry, until Baekhyun found himself helping Chanyeol pack his bags, uncertain goodbyes at the tip of their tongues as Baekhyun watched Chanyeol reach for the portkey Baekhyun illegally activated for him.)

Baekhyun blinks, eyes narrowing into slits as he eyes Kim Jongdae as heatedly as he can in the dimly lit basement.

“And I was hoping you would be a little bit more proactive in your career choices. Yet here you are.” Baekhyun snorts, “Sauntering about as a masked, murdering cult member. A bit stereotypical, isn’t it?”

Jongdae throws his head back and laughs and laughs until Baekhyun’s head hurts at the familiarity of it, the cutting edge to it.

“Forgot how funny you were, Baek. It’s a shame you’re an Auror and a muggle er.”

“Right, okay. But you’re a Death Eater. Can you even take a without notifying your precious Dark Lord?” Baekhyun snaps back, rolling his eyes.

Minseok growls then, the sound emanating from the back of his throat, and Jongdae does not laugh. Jongdae just stares at him, his fingers tightening around his wand, “Funny.”

“Thanks, I try.” Baekhyun points his wand in the muggle teenager’s direction, “Now let the kid go and come quietly. You are under arrest through orders from the Ministry and the Minister himself.”

Jongdae snorts, derisively, “The Minister is dead, Baekhyun. The Ministry is ing crumbling and you’re on the wrong team.”

Junmyeon stiffens beside Baekhyun, “The Minister is not dead.”

Minseok smiles then, all sharp teeth and glinting eyes, “That’s what we want you to think.”

It’s silent for a long moment when Junmyeon takes a step forward, eyes pinned on Minseok, until Jongdae lets out a drawn out sigh, “Let’s get out of here, Minseok. They’re going to be dead anyway.”

Minseok bares his teeth and before Baekhyun or Junmyeon can react, he bites the teenager in his clutches, sinking his teeth into the kid’s shoulder with a sickening sort of crunch that has the kid jolting away with an ear piercing scream.

Junmyeon shoots out a binding curse, then, mouth moving soundlessly. Junmyeon is fast, one of the fastest spell casters on their team, but Baekhyun knows Jongdae is faster (he had been the best in their class in Defense Against the Dark Arts, ironically enough).

With a flick of his wrist, Jongdae sends Junmyeon’s curse veering into a shelf, glass trinkets exploding into sparks. Minseok tosses the kid, lunging for Junmyeon so fast, Baekhyun barely has a chance to stop him with a stunning spell. With a loud bang, Minseok is tossed back into a coffee table and Junmyeon manages to drag the kid behind the two of them.

Baekhyun breathes softly, watching as Jongdae turns on him, his eyes dark behind his mask. There’s a vindictive edge to his tone, “You’re going to die.” Jongdae states, “The Dark Lord will succeed and he’ll kill you first for being a blood traitor. Are you aware of that? Are you aware that you’ve lost all chances of mercy?”

“Yes.” Baekhyun nods briskly, he’s known the consequences of his actions since the day he turned his back on his family and he doesn’t regret it.

(He’s a Slytherin through and through and loyalty runs deep in his blood. His loyalty for his family was just never there to begin with.)

“You’re a ing idiot.” Jongdae says, an underlying tremor running through his voice, so light Baekhyun barely detects it. His heart clenches the tiniest bit as he watches Jongdae look him in the eye.

(It reminds him of the nights during summer break, when Jongdae would tap on his window on a broomstick, when he’d refuse to tell Baekhyun why he had snuck out of his home or why he had a purpling bruise on his cheek, instead handing him a bag of chocolate frogs and sugar quills as a silent sort of explanation, a plead for no questions really.)

“You’re going to die.” Jongdae repeats, steadily, and Baekhyun can’t help but wonder what he looks like behind that mask, what his expression holds that he won’t allow his words to.

Baekhyun brandishes his wand and shrugs as nonchalantly as possible, a small grin spreading across his face. “It’ll take more than you two to kill me, Jongdae.”

It’s quiet again, the whimpers of the muggle filling the room.

And then Jongdae says, “I suppose you’re right.” There is no emotion behind his tone, nothing but a glinting silver mask and stony eyes.

And then he does the unexpected, Jongdae turns to Minseok and holds out a hand. Before Baekhyun can stop them, Jongdae apparates away, flickering out of the basement without another word.

Junmyeon drops to his knees, gently pushing the muggle boy onto his back, slightly trembling fingers hovering over the bite, and Baekhyun tries to breathe, his fingers curling around the communications device stuffed deep in his robes.

~.~.~.~.~

“His name is Oh Sehun.” Healer Zhang Yixing hands Baekhyun a short piece of parchment, heavy with curvy, bare decipherable words. Yixing’s electric blue robes peek out from beneath his white medic coat, contrasting starkly, black, thin rimmed glasses hanging from a string around his neck.

Baekhyun glances over his shoulder, the doors to St. Mungo’s muggle ward swinging on its hinges as another healer steps in. “Is he going to be okay?”

Yixing looks him in the eye, then, dark fringe falling into his eyes. It’s loud all around them, voices echoing up and down the hospital walls. But Yixing is the opposite of all that. He’s quiet, steady, the calm before the storm. Yixing’s dark eyes twinkle in fluorescent lighting. Slowly, he shakes his head. “I’m afraid only time will tell.”

Yixing glances down the halls, where a few nurses in sweeping robes haul chains between them. Baekhyun watches them walk by, watches them swing open the muggle ward doors, the chains tinkling against each other like wind chimes.

(At first Baekhyun doesn’t understand, but then he sees the signs beside the door, the white words of containment etched beneath the room number.)

“How long?” Baekhyun turns to look at Yixing, someone he’s gotten to know a lot over the years thanks to his profession.

“Tomorrow night.” Yixing responds, sighing as he drags a hand over his eyes and down his face.

Baekhyun watches Yixing sigh, his eyes flickering upwards to the ceiling, before he bids a soft goodbye, a hand squeezing Baekhyun’s shoulder on the way out.

(Baekhyun leaves the hospital late that night, the almost full moon shining down on him mockingly, burning in its intensity. Somewhere in the distance he hears a low howl and he closes his eyes and tries to breathe.)

~.~.~.~.~

Baekhyun leans against Junmyeon’s desk, eyes drifting over the pile of paperwork Junmyeon’s practically drowning in.

“He didn’t say a word, he just went straight to his desk and got to work.” Yifan steps into the room, a folder in his hands. He glances between Baekhyun and Junmyeon with a stoic sort of expression, concern hidden so deeply in his eyes, Baekhyun wouldn’t have noticed it if he hadn’t known Yifan so damn well. “And you’re quiet, too.”

(There’s a silent question in the quirk of his eyebrows: What happened?)

Baekhyun shakes his head, tries for a smile, and Yifan doesn’t buy it. Baekhyun just sighs and nimbly lifts a huge pile of paperwork into his arms. Junmyeon blinks, pausing in his paperwork. “What are you doing?”

“Paperwork.” Baekhyun mumbles, lugging the pile to his desk before he plops down on his chair. Baekhyun stares at a moment, flexing his fingers, “Why do you handwrite everything? You’re a wizard, aren’t you?”

“It’s relaxing.” Junmyeon responds, blandly, rolling his eyes as he returns to his paperwork.

Yifan stares at Baekhyun, watching with wide eyes and an open mouth as Baekhyun dips a new quill into a pot of ink. “Holy , you’re actually doing work.”

“Shut up.” Baekhyun mumbles, throwing his quill in Yifan’s direction. Yifan just ducks away, slipping out of the room with a giant gummy grin. Next thing Baekhyun knows, his coworkers are peeking in on him, Kim Jonghyun peering in from under Choi Minho’s elbow and laughing loudly at Baekhyun.

Baekhyun throws a handful of Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans at them and they all tumble out the door giggling and falling over themselves, Lee Jinki choking on a mouthful of Lee Taemin’s hair while Baekhyun mumbles to himself about getting a new office to work in, Junmyeon smiling slightly as he continues with his paperwork.

A moment later, Jessica Jung steps over the pile of Aurors in front of the door with dainty steps, her dark red robes billowing out. She drops a manila folder on Baekhyun’s desk and proceeds to ruffle his hair. “Good work, boss.” She says, eyeing the paperwork in front of Baekhyun appraisingly, smiling widely. Yifan bursts into laughter and Baekhyun reaches up to smooth down his hair, scowling at her as she walks away, stepping over Minho’s long, lanky limbs with ease.

“I should seriously fire you all.” Baekhyun says, “You’re all disrespectful.”

“Then who else will put up with your ?” Jessica calls from the other room, Jonghyun calling out a muffled agreement from beneath Kibum’s elbow.

Suddenly, Junmyeon snorts out a soft laugh, and Baekhyun’s lip twitches upwards when he sees the satisfied glint in his team’s eyes, even as they continue bickering with each other.

~.~.~.~.~

Later that night, Baekhyun drags Junmyeon out of the office, the silence of an empty office ringing in his ears almost as loudly as Jongdae’s cold, bitter laughter. It’s late, so late that Baekhyun feel the heaviness in his eyes, but he refuses to let sleep come, to let the bad dreams keep him awake. Everyone’s gone home already the stillness of the halls unsettling, their footsteps echoing up and down the halls. Even the few portraits are asleep. They step into the Ministry elevator, side by side.

The elevator jolts backwards and to the right when Junmyeon begins to speak, voice barely louder than the tinkling elevator music. “I didn’t know he was bitten.”

Baekhyun peers sideways at Junmyeon, watching the way Junmyeon’s head tilts back, his neck outstretched as he stares up at the elevator door. “How do you know Kim Minseok, anyway?” Baekhyun asks, suddenly, softly.

“He was my senior at Hogwarts.” Junmyeon is silent for so long, Baekhyun’s head begins to pound. Finally, finally, Junmyeon speaks, stumbling over his words. “He was quiet, incredibly smart, unexpectedly caring and just so…”

(Baekhyun pretends not to notice the hitch in his tone, the slight offbeat of his words, he tries not to think about the times he remembers catching glimpses of Junmyeon and Minseok holding hands in the halls or laughing with their heads held close while he’d hurry by, looking for Jongdae or Chanyeol.

Baekhyun closes his eyes and tries not to remember.

It doesn’t work.)

“He changed a lot since then. I guess war changes people.”

Baekhyun nods, thoughts wandering to Jongdae. Then he shakes his head, “No, it just brings out their true colors.”

(That night Baekhyun finds the busiest pub in London and Junmyeon doesn’t even protest when Baekhyun drags him along.)

~.~.~.~.~

A week later, Baekhyun returns to St. Mungo’s and, with persuasion (which consisted mostly of Baekhyun repeating Junmyeon please for ten minutes straight until Yifan snapped and shoved both Junmyeon and Baekhyun out of the office, Jessica slamming the door shut behind them), Baekhyun had managed to convince Junmyeon to join him.

Baekhyun huffs, rubbing his cold hands together as he tugs his scarf further up his pink nose, eyes lifting up to the abandoned red brick department store in front of him. Grey clouds loom over them, puffy and dark, and Junmyeon tugs at his coat, the wind biting.

They step through the window and nearly run into a frazzled healer sprinting past the entrance as she uses her wand to hover an unconscious body through the air.

Baekhyun finds the room easily enough and Junmyeon steps through first. There are white curtains pulled around the beds, blocking the patients from view, except for a single bed in the far corner. Baekhyun notices a small daisy on the bedside table, wilting petals dropping over the tiny brown pot.

Baekhyun steps up first, half-expecting Oh Sehun to be sleeping. In a way, he had hoped that’d be the case so he didn’t have to deal with this just yet.

Instead, Sehun’s sitting up in bed, long limbs crossed beneath him as he stares at a book in his hand.

Baekhyun spends half a minute just standing there, staring at the teenager, at the bandages wrapped around his neck, at the scars riddling his milky white skin, all from one full moon.

“Can I help you?” Oh Sehun speaks then, without looking up from his book, his tone bland, bored.

“Uh…” Baekhyun fumbles over his words, startled by Sehun’s sudden question. Junmyeon, on the other hand, looks unfazed, a steady, determined look in his eyes.

“My name is Kim Junmyeon and this is Byun Baekhyun. We’re Aurors.”

Sehun’s dark eyes flicker upwards, darting back and forth between Baekhyun and Junmyeon, before he wrinkles his nose and returns to his book. “What the hell is an Auror?”

Junmyeon frowns, seemingly wracking his brain for a safe muggle equivalent. “The wizard police.” Baekhyun supplies, offhandedly.

Junmyeon gives Baekhyun a sidelong warning glance and Baekhyun rolls his eyes, “What?” Baekhyun sighs, turning to Sehun, “I’m sure you’ve been informed about wizards and witches and everything, yeah?”

Slowly, Sehun nods, eyes still fixed on the book in his lap.

“See?” Baekhyun looks at Junmyeon, “I’m not violating any secrecy laws. Besides,” Baekhyun doesn’t let his half-grin falter, nor does he look at the boy with pity because he doubts that’s what Oh Sehun would want right now. His tone, however, is solemn, low, and careful. “He’s a werewolf, now. He’s not a muggle anymore.”

(Baekhyun watches Sehun stiffen, watches as Sehun stares at the same exact page he’s been on since they’ve walked in here, and something in his chest tightens.)

It’s quiet again, so so quiet, until Sehun murmurs, “If you’re supposed to be the police, then why didn’t you save my family? Why did you let them die?”

It’s supposed to be an angry accusation, cold and harsh verbal slaps, but the way Oh Sehun’s eyes glint, the way his expression twists the tiniest bit, the blankness overcome by emotion, the lilt in his tone, makes his statement come out less sharp, more hurt than anything. It doesn’t affect Baekhyun any less, though, it still hits Baekhyun right in his bones, right in the center of his chest, constricting his heart. But this isn’t the first time he’s heard these words, he’s heard it from magical people and muggles alike, from sobbing wizards clutching on to his shirt in desperation, ruins that were once their homes looming in the background, to horrified muggles, physically unhurt but emotionally haunted, just before he erased their memories of all signs of magic existing.

“We didn’t get there on time, Sehun.” Junmyeon murmurs. “We were only able to save yo—”

“You didn’t save me!” Sehun cuts him off, his voice rising as he slams the book shut in his lap. He’s glaring at Junmyeon now, eyes darting from Junmyeon to Baekhyun, eyes dark and cold. “If you saw what happened to me a week ago, then you would know that you sure as hell didn’t save me. You didn’t save anyone.”

Junmyeon flinches and Baekhyun steps forward, a hand settling at the middle of Junmyeon’s back, in comfort, his fingers curling a bit in misplaced anger. “You’re alive, aren’t you?” Baekhyun snaps back, “You’re ing alive and, believe it or not, that’s a blessing a lot of people didn’t get.”

Sehun looks pissed, monumentally pissed, his jaw tensing and Baekhyun has a feeling he’s the type of person who knows exactly what to say to ruin a person. “You want me to be grateful that I’m alive?” Sehun laughs and it’s bitter, so, so bitter and vindictive. “I’m not blind, Byun Baekhyun. I’ve been here for a week and I can already see exactly how you people treat werewolves. I can see the signs and I sure as hell saw the cages and chains the night of the full moon. I can hear, too. You didn’t save me and, judging from the way those doctors are looking at me, I’m not going to be able live either. But, I have to be grateful to be alive, right? I’m breathing so obviously that’s a blessing, right? You’re in a war, right? How do you feel about being alive? Are you feeling blessed?”

Junmyeon’s frown deepens, his forehead crinkles and his fingers shake the slightest bit, as Sehun takes deep, ragged breaths, his jaw tense and his eyes teary. Baekhyun rubs Junmyeon’s back for a moment, ignores the sting of Sehun’s words, and speaks bluntly, sharply in the ringing silence, “Are you done? Did you let it all out?”

Sehun’s eyes narrow into slits. If looks could kill, Sehun would have killed them both by now. “ you.”

Baekhyun just smiles, all teeth and crinkled eyes, “I guess not. We’ll be back when you can think straight.”

Junmyeon pulls Baekhyun back by the sleeve when Baekhyun turns on his heels, “What are you doing?” He hisses, blinking.

Baekhyun shakes his head, sharply. “We’re leaving.” There’s finality in Baekhyun’s tone that has Junmyeon sighing and crossing his arms, rolling his eyes in anger. He strides out ahead of Baekhyun before Baekhyun can say another word, head held high and back stiff.

Baekhyun catches a glimpse of Sehun’s glittering eyes and he sighs, following after Junmyeon.

~.~.~.~.~

Later, Junmyeon looks him in the eye and murmurs, “He was hurting. And you blew him off.” Junmyeon doesn’t look at him for a long time after that.

At least until later, much later, when Baekhyun’s drunk off one of the bottles of firewhiskey Jessica’s sister, Soojung, sent the office for Christmas, and he’s leaning on his desk, limbs spilling over his elbows. He speaks slowly, softly, “That’s why I didn’t ask him to help us, you know. It wouldn’t have been right. He needs time to recover, to stop thinking with his emotions.”

Junmyeon looks at him in confusion then, looks at him for the first time in a while, before realization dawns on him, “You wanted Sehun to help us?”

“Kingsley thinks Lupin has too much on his shoulders and too much to lose. Sehun doesn’t. Besides, we need another set of eyes in the were-community.”

Junmyeon blinks, blinks over and over again, quill dropping from his fingers with a soft thunk. He shakes his head, lips pressed into a thin line. “He’s just a kid.”

“I know.” Baekhyun sighs, tips the bottle of firewhiskey for another sip. The burn of it makes him think of hell and he thinks it’s strangely fitting. “I know, but it can’t be helped, I guess.”

There is a war, is the silent statement drifting between them. It’s always there, the war, it’s always looming and Baekhyun isn’t quite sure when it’ll hit them full force. It makes him nervous knowing Voldemort and his Death Eaters are biding their time, lurking behind closed doors. What Jongdae had said still haunts him and he’s scared, terrified really.

A distant look grows in Junmyeon’s eyes, Baekhyun notices the resignation in his eyes, “We’re all just kids.” Junmyeon says as he rubs his tired eyes. It’s not a statement of rejection. They both know getting Sehun involved is an inevitable circumstance; they need him.

Baekhyun drinks to that, nodding in agreement, the firewhiskey burning his throat on the way down.

~.~.~.~.~

Baekhyun begins to notice subtle differences in his surroundings when he’s entering the office. He notices the lethargic look in some of his coworker’s eyes, he notices the lack of appearances from the Minister, and he notices an occasional Ministry lobbyist scrutinizing him carefully as he steps out of the floo, examining eyes pinned on him. It’s only when he starts to notice the lack of assignments from above, his squad growing more and more restless in the office, that he starts to set about on extra precautions.

(At this point, Jonghyun spends three hours reorganizing their book shelf by color and Kibum and Jessica have resorted to owl ordering various random items from Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes. A box overflowing with clever inventions is already sitting on Yifan’s desk while Yifan tries to help Junmyeon with the influx of paperwork, Minho and Taemin throwing darts at a drawing of Voldemort that happens to be right over Yifan’s desk.

They nearly scalp Yifan with a few darts and Baekhyun doesn’t bother trying to stop that fight, despite Junmyeon’s Evil Eyes of Disapproval.)

Baekhyun isn’t the lead Auror of his team for nothing. He was always the observant type and he knows when he’s being watched and followed, so he sets up Sneakoscopes all down the hallway and in his office. He takes the long way to the hospital and he stops flooing from his apartment, apparating instead.

Sometimes he wonders if he’s just being paranoid, but then he enters his office early one morning to a Sneakoscope whirring out of control. Baekhyun searches all morning (Jessica, Taeyeon, and Tiffany (two members of Heechul’s squad next door), even spend their lunch break sitting on Yifan’s desk and watching Baekhyun scour through the office, as if he’s their own personal entertainment, much to his annoyance).

Later that afternoon, Taeyeon pats him on the head in comfort, suggesting he go out for a drink with Tiffany and her to unwind (which Baekhyun rolls his eyes at because he absolutely does not want to be relegated to a third wheel by his ex-girlfriend-turned-close-friend and her latest girlfriend, thank you very much) before she bounds out of the room, all flowing black hair and dainty steps. After she leaves, he spots the tiniest piece of torn green fabric sticking out from one of his bottom left drawers.

Baekhyun slides it open and peers at the files, easily plucking the torn piece of fabric from between the edges of his desk. Slowly, Baekhyun sinks to the floor and pulls out the files, slowly sifting through each manila folder.

Baekhyun ruffles his hair, yawning, until he reaches the last folder. Usually, Junmyeon’s the one in charge of organizing his files so Baekhyun doesn’t usually pay attention to the paperwork, but he recognizes this folder. Baekhyun flips it open and stares at the medical files, Yixing’s familiar handwriting scrawled messily throughout the page.

It’s Oh Sehun’s hospital admittance file, the one Jessica had brought him earlier. It’s all filled with mundane information, from Sehun’s admittance date to his reason for admittance. Until Baekhyun spots the notes at the bottom left corner, underlined once by Yixing. His location.

Slowly, Baekhyun rises to his feet and shuffles through the papers stacked on his desk, until he finds a blank piece of parchment and a sharp quill, before he writes out a quick message to Yixing.

Baekhyun clutches the piece of paper in his hands, throwing the medical files in his robe’s inside pockets and hurries out of the Ministry building as quickly as he can, noting the blank eyes of a woman who works in Law following him out the elevator.

~.~.~.~.~

I’ve pulled some strings to get him moved, which was one hell of a task by the way. You definitely owe me like a thousand favors.

You’re welcome,

ZYX

~.~.~.~.~

Days after moving Sehun out of the containment ward, Yixing sends Baekhyun an owl, short and to the point, his handwriting barely decipherable.

Baekhyun stares up at Yixing’s apartment, sighing because he definitely owes Yixing something now. The man moved Sehun into his apartment, for Merlin’s sakes.

Sehun looks glum, resigned, and Baekhyun figures he regrets his earlier outburst, though Baekhyun knows he had made some very good points. There’s a reason why Voldemort has such a large army of werewolves on his side, why so many slighted magical creatures have turned to side with Voldemort. Usually, he would have to follow some kind of extensive protocol surrounding Sehun’s involvement, despite him being of age in the wizarding world, but Baekhyun figures they’re beyond that point. Sehun is being in hidden in Yixing’s apartment of course.

Besides, Baekhyun is being watched and he’s pretty sure it has something to do with running into Jongdae and Minseok. He figures that means everyone he’s involved with is being watched, too.

“You want my help, don’t you?” Sehun asks, eyes flickering up to meet Baekhyun’s. He doesn’t look away and Baekhyun thinks it’s admirable. Sehun is a smart kid, observant and analytical, maybe even incredibly resourceful.

Baekhyun nods, rubbing his nose before he taps his chin. “I know you’ve found out about our world less than a couple weeks ago, but we’re a bit desperate, not going to lie.”

“So desperate you’re giving a spy mission to a nineteen year old with no experience in, well, anything?” Sehun snorts, leaning back against the couch as he looks at Baekhyun carefully.

Baekhyun grins, “I mean, there are people still banking on the Boy Who Lived and he’s, like, a ing seventeen year old. You could be worse.”

“You’re right. I could have been a twenty one year old who looks twelve like you and Junmyeon.” Sehun suggests, nodding, a twitch of a smile tugging at his lips.

Baekhyun snorts over his coffee in amusement and Sehun smiles.

~.~.~.~.~

Junmyeon visits Sehun a lot and sometimes Baekhyun worries that he’s growing too attached. They are sending him on a mission that has a very high mortality rate.

Occasionally, Baekhyun stops by Yixing’s place for the hell of it, exhausted with all the paperwork he’s been helping Junmyeon with. Junmyeon isn’t in the office and Baekhyun’s eyes hurt from squinting, his fingers numb from gripping the quill, and his head hurting from the stillness surrounding him. Yixing hands him his own cup of tea the moment Baekhyun stumbles through his front door and Baekhyun mumbles thanks. Yixing just pats his cheek affectionately in response.

One afternoon, Baekhyun finds Sehun whimpering underneath his bed and he has no idea what he’s supposed to do. He’s seen this before, with members of his own squad, with Taeyeon, with Heechul’s entire team. When things get too much, sometimes they relapse, sometimes they forget where they are, sometimes they fold back into their memories and they can’t get out. Junmyeon, Jessica, and Minho were always the best at bringing everyone back from wherever they go, Jessica murmuring something like post-traumatic stress disorder to Heechul and him afterwards. He knows that, with war, it’ll only get worse, and he feels like an absolute because he never knows what to do to help.

Baekhyun feels useless, right then, as he lies on his stomach and holds out a hand, helplessly watching Sehun cry soundlessly, desperate hey it’s okays leaving his lips, until the door creaks open and Junmyeon joins him on the floor, sprawled out on his stomach. Baekhyun watches as Junmyeon holds out a hand, inviting him to take it, and Sehun takes it hesitantly before gripping it as if he’s holding on for dear life.

It’s quiet between them aside from the whimpers, the silent sobs falling from Sehun’s lips, before Junmyeon presses his cheek against the cold, wooden floor and speaks soft, gentle words. He describes the Ravenclaw common room, the flowers freezing over when a dementor is floating nearby, he describes gentle images, his voice soothing, the world he paints with his words relaxing. Junmyeon breathes to a steady beat and Sehun tries to follow the rhythm until eventually it begins to work.

Baekhyun watches as Sehun stops shuddering, as his breathing begins to regulate, and then Junmyeon speaks again, “Let’s get you a glass of water, yeah?”

Slowly, carefully, Sehun nods.

“We’re always going to be here for you,” Junmyeon says, later, in a reassuring tone and Baekhyun knows Junmyeon’s grown too attached.

(So has Baekhyun, for that matter.)

~.~.~.~.~

“Promise us one thing.” Junmyeon murmurs two nights later. Baekhyun glances over his shoulders, peering around them. They’re at the edge of a forest, Sehun dressed in some of Yixing’s old clothes and a pack filled with a golden communication galleon, courtesy of Dumbledore’s Army, and enough food for a whole week. “Promise that whatever you do, you won’t get caught up in revenge.”

Baekhyun peers at Junmyeon, watches the way Junmyeon places a hand over Sehun’s forearm, gentle and reassuring. They’ve grown close over the few days, Junmyeon’s usually repressed helicopter parent instincts resurfacing full force whenever he gets within a meter of Sehun. Apparently, Sehun enjoys being doted on and Baekhyun can’t help but feel strangely attached to Sehun, too, as if Junmyeon’s fondness of him has somehow rubbed off on him.

Sehun nods, but his eyes are hidden by shadows, lost in the moonlight, “I won’t. Even if the bastard deserves it, I won’t.”

They watch him trek into the forest before Baekhyun finally speaks, peering up at the half moon. “I’m going to miss him.”

“He’s not going to die.” Junmyeon states, stepping past Baekhyun. There’s hopefulness to it that Baekhyun finds himself latching on to, too.

Junmyeon apparates away and Baekhyun is left whispering, “I really hope not.” to the moon and stars.

~.~.~.~.~

It’s a Thursday morning when Baekhyun notices that something is completely off.

He’s running later than usual, hurrying into the Ministry building through the toilet entrances, eyes drifting across the lobby as he picks up a copy of the Prophet and pretends to sift through it.

There’s a man in a crisp, black suit standing at the center of the lobby, a large piece of parchment paper hanging before him as his wand scribbles all over the parchment. Baekhyun squints, barely making out a sort of blueprint of something.

The next thing he notices is how quiet the corridors are, how is footsteps echo up and down the corridors, reverberating in his very bones.

Baekhyun feels a chill travel down his spine when he reaches his squad’s office door and he pauses, eyes drifting to the corner of the hall, where he’s hidden a Sneakoscope.

It’s whirring and flailing, but before he can turn he hears a smattering echo of footsteps behind him, slowly coming closer. Baekhyun allows himself a glance over his shoulder and he spots an unfamiliar face from the Law department walking in his direction, steps lethargic.

Baekhyun opens the door, slamming it shut behind him before quickly casting a locking spell on the door. It won’t hold much but it gives him a strange peace of mind.

“That’s not going to help.” An unfamiliar voice calls from behind Baekhyun.

Baekhyun turns on his heels, wand at the ready, and glares, unsurprised, at the sight of a man swathed in black robes leaning against his desk, the glint of his silver Death Eater mask visibly hanging around his neck.

Slowly, with a lazy tilt of his head, Baekhyun forces his expression into an amused little grin, “I was wondering when you’d show up.” Baekhyun glances around the room, noting the overturned chairs, the dartboard broken in half, the drawing of Voldemort ripped in half, and even the strewn paperwork. His team isn’t there, however, and Baekhyun wonders if they’re all right. His eyes snap back up to meet the Death Eater’s. “Instead of digging through my like some erted stalker.”

The Death Eater narrows his wide eyes and Baekhyun finds his looks to be incredibly deceiving. He’s got big eyes and heart shaped lips, handsome in an innocent sort of way Baekhyun knows has to be deceiving. Death Eaters aren’t innocent. He also looks vaguely familiar, his dark hair falling into his eyes in a way Baekhyun swears he’s seen before.

“You’re annoying.” The Death Eater says, observing him with a look Baekhyun finds unsettling.

“What do you want?” Baekhyun cuts right to the chase, raising his wand as he steps forward.

“My sources say you’re up to something, Byun Baekhyun.” The Death Eater stares at him, blankly, emotionlessly, and Baekhyun wonders if the man is more dense than he looks.

“Sources?” Baekhyun hums, “You mean the Ministry employees you’ve got under an Imperius Curse?” Baekhyun purses his lips, “They can’t even walk straight on their own and you really think they’re reliable?”

“You’re annoyingly observant, too.” The Death Eater adds and Baekhyun wonders if there’s a reason to his insults. Baekhyun opens his mouth to retort, when the Death Eater speaks again, staring at him unblinkingly. “Just like Jongdae said.”

Baekhyun blinks rapidly, “Excuse me?”

“You don’t remember me, do you, Byun?”

“No. Why would I?”

Kyungsoo snorts, “You should know the name of your killer, at least, don’t you think?”

For a moment, Baekhyun observes the familiar looking Death Eater with serious, calculating eyes, before he breaks into his own amused grin, “If you’re implying that you can kill me, I think you need to get your head out of the clouds, bud.”

“My name is Do Kyungsoo.” The Death Eater — Kyungsoo, Baekhyun jolts, memories of Hogwarts flitting through his mind, when he and Jongdae would get in trouble and Kyungsoo, their year’s prefect, would either give them a full week of detention or let them go with a warning, depending on his mood — breaks into a smile, one that’s handsome and beautifully heart shaped, though there’s a twist to it that has Baekhyun immediately on guard. “You killed my friends. Prepare to die.”

Baekhyun blinks rapidly when Kyungsoo advances on him, pushing off the desk, a tense aura growing in the room. But then Baekhyun registers Kyungsoo’s words and he snorts in laughter, his eyes crinkling into crescent moons, “Please tell me you did not just quote Princess Bride on purpose.”

Kyungsoo pauses, blinks in confusion, owlishly, “What the hell is Princess Bride?”

“A really good muggle movie, you should check it out.” Baekhyun responds.

Baekhyun expects Kyungsoo to follow up with another question, instead he goes straight for the big spells, shouting out, annoyance etched across his face, “Crucio.”

Baekhyun swiftly dodges the curse with a soft protego and a tumble to the side, wincing when he hits the ground before rolling to his feet.

“Ok, this is how we’re playing, huh, Kyungsoo.” Baekhyun mumbles, stretching his fingers before turning on Kyungsoo. He speaks louder, tone goading, “Didn’t know my movie suggestions would offend you that much.”

“God, do you ever shut up?” Kyungsoo retorts, throwing a silent curse at Baekhyun. It must have been the sectumsempra because a gash appears on Baekhyun’s arm, pain shooting up his nerves almost instantly.

“No, not really. It’s a known flaw of mine.” Baekhyun calls out, throwing out his own sectumsempra, silently, grinning when Kyungsoo’s jolts back, blood darkening his black cloak along his torso.

It’s spell after blinding spell then interspersed with snarky comments on both their parts. Baekhyun dives behind Yifan’s desk and wonders why no one can hear the commotion, why his team hadn’t come into the office today, why it was so quiet in the lobby this morning.

“They’re all dead.” Kyungsoo’s voice echoes from across the room, reverberating low and soft. Baekhyun doesn’t answer, instead dragging open one of Yifan’s drawers and reaching for the muggle gauze Junmyeon had forced each of them to hold on to. He’s too busy wrapping it around his arm, to somehow staunch the bleeding a bit more, to answer Kyungsoo. “Your useless Auror friends.” Kyungsoo clarifies when Baekhyun doesn’t answer him.

Baekhyun blinks, looks up, and realizes that day has finally creeped up on them. Voldemort and his followers have finally taken over the Ministry. If Baekhyun finds a way out of here, he’s going to be on the run in a world run by Voldemort. He doesn’t want to believe Kyungsoo, but some of them might actually be dead. Yifan, Jonghyun, Minho, Taemin, Kibum, Jinki, Jessica, Junmyeon, Merlin knows what’s happened to Heechul and his squad, to Taeyeon and Tiffany and Ryeowook and –

Boom.

Baekhyun jumps when the desk he’s lingering behind explodes, splits into thousand sharp little splinters. Baekhyun scrambles back onto his feet.

Kyungsoo is across the room, leering at him, but Baekhyun can see the paleness in his face, the slight tint of blue to his pink lips, the sectumsempra spell making him lose too much blood from his torso.

So Baekhyun grins, “You can’t kill me. You can barely hold yourself up.”

(Baekhyun ignores the lightheadedness from loss of blood in his arm, ignores the swimming vision and the fact that he’s running on adrenaline.)

Kyungsoo rolls his big eyes and begins to step closer to him, “Is that a ing challenge?”

“Sure,” Baekhyun smiles, shrugs nonchalantly, “Why not?”

Kyungsoo throws another curse, a binding curse, and Baekhyun barely avoids it. Baekhyun huffs, watches as Do Kyungsoo comes closer. Baekhyun’s not usually impulsive, he’s not a Gryffindor, for ’s sakes, but all he can think about is getting the out of this situation, of knocking Do Kyungsoo out so he can figure out if his team is alive.

Kyungsoo lifts his wand, but before he can spring a curse on him, Baekhyun drops his wand, clenches his fists, and throws a punch, the muggle way.

He hits him square in the jaw, throwing his whole body weight so hard, Kyungsoo’s thrown back, eyes wide with surprise, before he tumbles into the ground with a groan, skidding across the stone floors. Baekhyun doesn’t pause to check if the Death Eater is unconscious or not (he probably isn’t due to him groaning out ing blood traitor, what the hell was that? while clutching his face). He snatches up his wand before he skids out of the office and through the halls.

Sometimes, he’d turn the corner only to come face to face with a coworker, one he vaguely recognizes. The person steps towards him and he admittedly panics. Baekhyun doesn’t even allow himself a moment to gauge if they’re on his side or not, assuming they’re definitely not. Baekhyun hits them with a stunning spell or a binding spell before he sprints by, praying for the first time in a long time.

(He prays he’ll get out of here, of this underground hell hole, he prays that his squad, Junmyeon, Yifan, Jonghyun, everyone, is okay, that they’ve escaped whatever kept them from coming into the office. For the first time in a long time, Baekhyun prays to whatever is up there in the sky, prays his prayers will be good enough.)

~.~.~.~.~

It’s a major risk on Baekhyun’s part when he apparates into Yixing’s flat, clutching his bleeding arm, face pale and head heavy with dizziness. Merlin knows if Yixing’s alive or not at this point.

Because the moment his feet touch the ground, he’s blasted into the wall, his limbs binding together so tightly, Baekhyun nearly blacks out at the pressure on his wound.

“ing hell.” Baekhyun gasps, his body spread out plank straight on the ground, while his head is bent at an awkward angle against the wall.

He hears a familiar voice then, a familiar, “Holy , Baek.”

The familiar voice is hard for him to put a face to, since his head feels light, but he does feel a sense of security right then, knowing he’s not about to be flayed alive by an ex-best friend, his parents, his brother, or some other Death Eater.

Baekhyun blinks up at Yixing’s hovering face and tries for a scowl, “Well, now we know that your security works.”

“Use the front door next time.” Yixing wrinkles his nose, snaking an arm around Baekhyun’s waist as he taps his limbs with his wand, freeing him from the binding spell. Yixing’s eyes lock onto Baekhyun’s arm and his eyes grow serious, “You escaped.”

“Of course I did.” Baekhyun scoffs.

Yixing just sighs and helps him to his feet.

~.~.~.~.~

Yixing is a blessing, really, because the next time Baekhyun opens his eyes, he sees Junmyeon curled up on the couch opposite him, purpling bruises scattered across his cheek but otherwise all right.

Baekhyun winces and Yixing is suddenly hovering over him, carding a hand through his hair in a comforting sort of way and lifting the edges of the bandages around his arm carefully, another roll of gauze in his hands.

“We just have to keep it covered for a bit. It’s healing quickly.” Yixing mumbles, peeking under Baekhyun’s bandages. Then his warm brown eyes flicker upwards, momentarily meeting Baekhyun’s before passing over Junmyeon, “And so is he.”

Baekhyun sighs, the corner of his lips twitching upwards, “Thanks.”

(Baekhyun’s tone is uncharacteristically soft, careful, and Baekhyun hopes Yixing knows he’s not just talking about the bandage.)

Yixing just shrugs, “Now you owe me two.”

Baekhyun snorts and Yixing just smiles, tightening the bandage around Baekhyun’s arm before patting his shoulder, gently.

~.~.~.~.~

“Scrimgeour is dead. The Ministry has fallen.”

Baekhyun closes his eyes and tries to breathe.

It doesn’t work and the silence filling the room while Yixing stares at where Kingsley’s patronus had been a moment ago, while Junmyeon stares at his own hands, leaves him in danger of panic, in a sort of vulnerable uncertainty he hasn’t experienced since the day he ran away from home.

Baekhyun shudders, allows himself just a small moment to break, before he sits up, squares his shoulders, and returns to business.

“We need to go.” Baekhyun murmurs, pushing off Yixing’s couch.

“Where?” Yixing asks, bewildered, the concern swimming in his eyes nearly capable of drowning Baekhyun.

“Anywhere, but here.” Baekhyun looks at Yixing, his breath caught in his throat. “We’re wanted criminals now and you’re not. You’re just a healer on sick leave. We can’t put you in danger any more than you already are. You have kids and a family back in Changsha. You’re just transferring for a couple of months. You can’t get involved. You can’t—”

“I’m already involved.” Yixing shakes his head, stares steadily at Baekhyun, “The whole world is involved, now.”

(Baekhyun wishes that weren’t the truth, he wishes this wasn’t happening. But it is.

Yixing refuses to go with them, however, shaking his head briskly. “I have patients to take care of. Besides, the hospital is a great way to gather information.”)

“Stay out of trouble.” Junmyeon tells Yixing, pulling him into a quick embrace.

Baekhyun tries to hand him the golden galleon, but Yixing shakes his head, pulling an enchanted coin of his own. “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”

Junmyeon places a steadying hand on Baekhyun’s shoulder and Baekhyun nods, slowly, eyes narrowing in a half-hearted glare. “You’d better be.”

~.~.~.~.~

“Jonghyun, Jinki, and Minho are okay. They’re in the same situation as me. I don’t know where Taemin is. Jessica’s worried something will happen to her sister, more than anything else, so she’s gone into hiding. I think she mentioned something about losing contact with Tiffany and Taeyeon halfway through a phone call...so Merlin knows what happened to them, let alone Heechul and the rest of his team.” Yifan’s voice is hushed, gravelly static interspersed with his voice. He pauses before continuing and there’s a slight hitch to his tone, “And Kibum…we think he’s dead. There’s been a struggle in his apartment. It looks like…it looks like he’s been dragged out of there, Baek.”

Baekhyun has never felt so damn grateful to Chanyeol for introducing him to muggle technology, his fingers wrapped tightly around the pay phone. “.” Baekhyun murmurs, his knuckles turning white from the strength of his grip, Kibum’s smiling face flickering in his mind when he closes his eyes. Baekhyun won’t lose it, though, he can’t. “Why haven’t they attacked the four of you yet?”

Yifan sighs, long and drawn out. “Oh, they’ve attacked us. Kept shouting something about keeping blood traitors in check while they tried to get information out of us. Now we’re under surveillance, even though they want us to keep working at the Ministry. It’s ing awful. But we’re purebloods, Baek, they can’t afford to waste a drop of pure blood.”

Baekhyun figures that makes sense. Kibum was, no is (he refuses to believe Kibum is dead), a muggle born, just like Jessica and Taemin. Junmyeon’s a half blood and Baekhyun’s pretty sure he doesn’t get the pureblood protection every other person is getting because he’s directly pissed off entirely too many Death Eaters to count, including his own family and most of the people he was once friends with.

(Baekhyun’s found that Slytherin blood traitors with incredible potential in the dark arts piss them off the most.)

“Then what do we do? Do we just sit here and wait?” Baekhyun asks, incredulous.

Yifan is quiet for a moment, the silence filled with static, before he speaks up again, “That’s the best we can do. Kingsley and the others are working on it.”

“Sehun’s still out with the werewolves. The muggle papers are filled with deaths and accidents.”

“I know.” Yifan sounds resigned. “Just stay safe until we contact you, okay?”

“Fine.”