The boys walk along the edge of the lake, Changkyun nervously checking every so often behind them to make sure they aren’t being followed. They stop and set up a resting place on the other side in a sandy area, pulling out blankets and food Changkyun didn’t notice them swiping from the table earlier. He can tell they’ve done this many times before by how prepared they are, how casual they are about sneaking out and creating a makeshift camp at the water’s edge.

“I wish I’d have brought more chicken…” Kihyun murmurs disappointedly as he unwraps what little he had managed to snag before. Hyunwoo chuckles at the pink-haired boy, leaning back on his hands to take in the view of the night sky. Hyungwon pulls a book out of his bag, Hoseok lying down across the blanket they share and resting his head on the younger’s lap. Jooheon and Minhyuk take up the third blanket. Minhyuk pulls the younger close to him, resting his head on his shoulder. Jooheon beams up at the first year glancing around, who’s obviously feeling a bit lost, and pats on the blanket invitingly. Changkyun takes the offered seat gratefully.

“Wonnie,” Hoseok says in a slight, whining tone, “write a poem for us. It’s been weeks since I’ve heard one of your poems. Use the word lakeside.” Hyungwon chuckles lightly, the delicate sound dancing through the air. There’s a long, thoughtful pause, and Changkyun wonders if Hyungwon will even comply with their hyung’s wish.

“Later tonight,” the taller begins slowly, “we will be heading back to our dorms—“

“Very true,” Hoseok interrupts, smiling up at the younger. Hyungwon only shoots him an annoyed glance in response.

“Hyung,” he complains, “you ask me for a poem but then interrupt me when I finally tell you one.” The others chuckle lowly, as if knowing this would happen. Hoseok apologizes, telling the third year to continue. Hyungwon glances up at the stars, attempting to recall where he was.

“Later tonight, we will be heading back to our dorms
Another day done, and another one to begin tomorrow, a pattern that will
Keep continuing for years.
Even when we graduate, we will still be sitting under these twinkling
Stars, together and happy.
I know our goals seem far off, but one day we will
Debut.
Eventually, our names will shine in lights as bright as those stars…”

For a while after Hyungwon finishes, everyone is quiet. Hoseok grasps onto the younger’s hand and runs his fingers across his knuckles affectionately. Jooheon and Minhyuk share a smile at the poem, the sincere sentiment of it warming them from the chilly air. Finally, Kihyun’s voice breaks the silence.

“Hyungwon-ssi,” he says, his voice holding a humorous air, “was that an essay? It was supposed to just be a poem…” The group shares a laugh at the comment, all tension dissipated with a single joke.

They spend the next couple hours talking about nothing in particular, swapping childhood stories and tales of terror. The tales of terror bit doesn’t last long, though, for Jooheon becomes too anxious in the night despite the light charms Kihyun and Hoseok had produced with their wands for them to continue.

“So,” Hoseok says as he gives up on telling his ghost story, “have you made your decision on whether or not you’re joining the Dueling Club yet?” Changkyun pouts in thought, staring up at the twinkling stars silently.

“I don’t know,” he answers. “It seems kind of fun, and a good way to practice spells, but I don’t want to go home over Christmas holidays with a broken limb or anything, so I guess I’ll just think about it some more.”

“Why would the school send you home with a broken limb?” Minhyuk asks confusedly.

“It’s easy to fix broken limbs here,” Kihyun explains. “There’s a spell for it.” Changkyun’s mouth drops open in awe.

“Oh, sorry,” Minhyuk says, “I forget muggles have to wear a cast for months for broken limbs.”

“That’s so cool,” Changkyun mumbles. “Why doesn’t the magical community share that with muggles? I mean, it’d surely help a lot of people out, especially if their injuries are keeping them from going to work.”

“I don’t know,” Minhyuk says, “that’s just how it is.”

“Muggles don’t like things that are different from them,” Kihyun interjects, his voice taking on a hard edge. “So the wizarding community stays hidden to avoid persecution. I mean, come on. Could you imagine what would happen if the wrong people found out about all this? They'd either enslave or ensnare any witch or wizard they could get their hands on.”

Changkyun catches how Hyunwoo's hold around Kihyun tightens ever so slightly, as if in reassurance. The first year feels as if he's accidentally caused his hyung to bring up unpleasant memories. He looks away, hoping he's wrong. He'd hate to have brought on some sort of distress for the older. He makes a mental note to ask later, in hopes of keeping everything good between them.

“Enslave or ensnare,” Hyungwon muses aloud, reaching across Hoseok towards his bag to scribble the phrase down into one of his notebooks. “I could use that...” Hoseok coos at his boyfriend, wrapping his arms around the boy’s lank frame and hugging him close. Hyungwon chuckles lightly at the affection, and the warm scene brings a smile to Changkyun's face. It's nice to see such open displays of affection.

All too soon, it's time for them to return to the castle. It takes Hoseok and Kihyun a bit longer at the stairs than it does everyone else, neither seemingly willing to say goodbye to their boyfriends for the night. However, Kihyun finally manages to separate both himself and Hyunwoo and Hoseok and Hyungwon successfully, having to practically drag Hoseok away from the tallest of them all. Hoseok pouts as they march down to the dungeons, mumbling about how far their dorms are from the Ravenclaw tower, how unfair it is.

"We're Slytherins, hyung," Minhyuk sighs, reaching over to grip Hoseok's hand reassuringly. "Nothing is fair when you're a Slytherin."

The boys silently change into their sleepwear and snuggle into their beds, all too tired from the day to stay up any longer and talk. Changkyun finds himself alone in the dark, listening to the varying sounds of sleep surrounding him. He tosses and turns for a bit, hugging his puppy plush tight against him. It smells of home, and he finds himself missing it terribly at the moment.

He gets up, and pads over quietly to the window in the room. He sits in the small alcove, pulling his knees up to his chest as he stares out at the murky waters that serve as his view. He becomes lost in the waves, the way the light seems to penetrate even the deepest depths of the lake.

Changkyun falls asleep there that night, leaning against the stone wall, lost in thought.