I wrote this a while back, but well, things have been rather hard recently with everything that's been happening, and made me really sad. I hope things get resolved soon, I can't stand all this waiting and negativity. But anyway, I decided to post this first. I don't think I'm going to post anything further until there is a proper resolution though, cross fingers. Pray and hope everything will be alright.

For info, I was inspired a little bit by Taemin's scarily violent hammer blows in the Shinhwa variety show, haha. And Minho during Dream Team's special episode where he won a car.

Warning, this is long because I decided to combine everything into one chapter. I didn't edit much either so sorry if it doesn't read well or have mistakes.

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There are worse ways to spend a Friday afternoon. Worse ways, Minho tells himself, than dangling from a broomstick by the tips of his fingers about fifty feet in the air, with the imminent possibility of plunging down to the ground to certain death any moment. Worse ways, than experiencing gusts of cold air whipping unmercifully around him, causing him to shiver and almost lose his desperate grip on the broomstick. Worse ways, than very humiliatingly almost-falling off when going in hot pursuit of a Snitch, right in the middle of the Quidditch Cup final and in front of the entire school population.

Far down below him, he can hear screams and yells distantly floating up towards him, but he pays no attention. He knows the referee and teachers on the ground are whipping out their wands and getting ready to rescue him any minute now. But if that happens, the game is as good as over for him, and he cannot afford to let that happen.

Definitely worse ways to spend a Friday afternoon.

He takes a deep breath, dimly aware he has barely seconds before the referee appears in front of him and he will be forced to return to the ground. Straining every muscle in his now-burning arms, he mutters a prayer before channeling every ounce of energy in his body towards heaving himself upwards into the air, and swinging his legs back down towards his broomstick. Thankfully, all those long weekends of strenuous exercise had paid off, and he lands his safely on his broomstick, albeit also rather clumsily, and he's gasping and panting with the exertion of it all. A loud cheer erupts from the crowd below. He takes a moment to steady himself, before swerving downwards to where the thick of the action is once more.

Yunho, in his position as Keeper, nods at him tersely. There is a slight cut to his cheek where he had thrown himself at a Quaffle to keep it out of the goal post just before, and a trail of dry blood now runs down to his chin. "Good save there Minho. Pity about the Snitch. Keep your eyes out." He calls out to Hongki and Woohyun, who are hovering around them anxiously. "You two Beaters need to keep a better eye on the opponents. They almost ended Minho there."

Hongki flushed and cursed. He was still clutching his left arm and wincing a little as he gingerly rotated it. "I'm sorry, Minho. I couldn't believe he would move so fast. We will make sure that won't happen again." Woohyun nods vehemently as well, with an apologetic look in his eyes.

Minho nods and smiles, telling them it's alright, and then moves slightly above them again, perching himself just above the goal post.

Across the field, he can see the Slytherin players pausing to take stock. He catches a glimpse of blond hair, and turns to see Taemin smiling rather impishly at him. From below, he can hear his teammates cursing Taemin again, and he sighs.

Just a few minutes before, he had spotted the Snitch and swung into instant action to pin it down. The whole Slytherin team had immediately raced towards him, of course, but his deft maneuvers and the protection of Hongki and Woohyun flanking him had helped him to get within a few inches of the golden Snitch. Just as he was close to grabbing it out of the air, he had suddenly heard a loud groan and looked over to see Hongki topple jerkily towards him, clutching his shoulder in agony. He had been hit by a flying bludger, causing him to lose his defensive position. Minho had barely taken that in before realising almost simultaneously that another Bludger was already looping past Hongki to head right for his own face. He had frantically swung upwards as rapidly as possible and consequently lost his balance, leading him to the afore-described humiliating scenario of toppling over his broomstick and barely clinging on by his fingers.

It had been a heart-stopping moment, yet even in the midst of the frenzy, he had found room in his mind to admire Taemin's skills. Since joining the Slytherin team, Taemin had exceeded all expectations and carved out a name for himself as one of the best Beaters around, with an uncanny aim and strength belying his slim figure. He was almost single-handedly responsible for Slytherin's unbeaten record in Quidditch to date, although it had also led to growing ire towards him from the other Houses, especially those who had been on the receiving end of his deadly Bludgers.

Minho shakes his head again, and looks at the score. Currently Slytherin is leading by forty points, and there is little time left. Their powerful defense has made it slowgoing for Gryffindor's Chasers, so the pressure on himself is vital. He starts to rove high up in the air, sweeping the ground intently in hopes of catching sight of the Snitch.

From across the field, Baro, the Slytherin Seeker, was fully focused on him as well, slowly edging forward. Baro is strong and lithe, and Minho knows he cannot underestimate him. He had moved too quickly and impatiently just now, attracting everyone's attention. That was his mistake. He must move more carefully, more thoughtfully. Concentration, he tells himself. That is the key.

Suddenly, he catches a flickering glimpse of telltale gold out of the corner of his eye, and his heartbeat quickens. He forces himself to maintain a neutral expression as he casually moves his head from side to side as if in search, and finally spots it. There it is! The Snitch is hiding beneath a clump of flowers right in the center of the field. Minho can just make out its tiny whirring wings.

He takes a deep breath and assesses the situation below him. The Chasers and Beaters are going hard at each other, but any movement from him at this point would instantly stop that and bring a rainstorm of Bludgers on him. He decides to circle them in his continued pretense of looking for the Snitch. Looking up, he ensures Baro's eyes are still fixed on him, before he quickly assumes a look of surprise and flies back toward the Gryffindor goal post.

As expected, Baro immediately hurries towards him. Slytherin's two Beaters quickly stop their attack on Gryffindor to converge towards him as well. He sees Yunho looking at him in some confusion and slyly winks at him. Instantly catching on, Yunho gives a barely imperceptible nod, and turns his attention on the Slytherins rocketing in from behind Minho.

At the very last minute, almost as he can feel Baro's shadow falling on him, Minho suddenly grabs his broomstick to veer sharply upwards and backwards. In an upside down position, he turns back towards the center of the field with all possible speed. From below him, he saw a waiting Yunho purposefully crashing into Baro who had not managed to get out of the way in time, before skillfully dodging the Bludgers sent in his direction. At the same time, Yunho shouts out to the rest of Gryffindor team to cover Minho.

The months of training and tough discipline had clearly paid off as the Gryffindor players instantly moved on one accord to block the Slytherins. He hears Woohyun yells as he (presumably) heads off an incoming Bludger, and Nickhun screaming at someone to cover his left. He does not allow any of this to distract him however, he knows this is now or never. Minho's mind is a blank as he moves at the fastest he ever has, coaxing every possible speed out of his broomstick to hurtle downwards towards the Snitch. From all sides he could feel the wind rushing around him as both friends and opponents rocket towards him, but he could not spare the time to look. Biting his lips, he throws himself downwards with all his energy, body leaning to one side so as to be almost horizontal with his broomstick, before he comes to a stop just above the clump of flowers with one hand reached out.

He has been moving so fast the momentum continues to carry him forward and he is thrown from his broomstick to roll onto the ground. He hears a series of gasps and groans from around him, but he does not heed them either. Slowly, he climbs onto his knees, and realises he had grabbed so hard when reaching downwards he had pulled out the entire clump of flowers and grass altogether.

Total silence descends on the pitch. The referee appears in front of him, a questioning look in her eyes. Slowly, painfully, he smiles at her before raising his clenched fist. As the rest of his teammates move closer to peer at him, he opens up his fingers, to reveal, amongst a lump of mud and petals, the fluttering gold Snitch.

Nighttime. The moon hangs high in the sky, and there is a silvery glow of peace across Hogwarts. That is, except for the Gryffindor common room. The riotous celebrations had begun since late afternoon, with the decisive victory of the Quidditch Cup, and shows no signs of stopping, hours later.

Minho stands, to one side, watching the party mania in front of him, and thinks there are somethings that are best not witnessed again. Nickhun dancing with Woohyun, for instance. Or Chanyeol and Sehun singing their lungs out. He is smiling though, despite his exhaustion from the match. He thinks to himself, I am so happy. Surely, I have never been happier. Outwardly, he nods patiently at Kibum's ongoing chattering next to him, recounting the match blow-by-blow to anyone who would listen. He grins.

An odd friendship has emerged between Minho and Kibum, mostly consisting of Kibum's nagging and Minho's teasing. Minho had thought he would not get along with Kibum, yet somewhere along the way, he had realised that Kibum's bark was far worse than his bite. Kibum enjoyed taking care of people, and once Minho agreed to succumb to Kibum's ministrations, their friendship had grown to a whole different level. Minho willingly allowed Kibum to design and select his wardrobe, even hairstyle, since he was generally indifferent to such things so long as he looked decent enough. He had had to put his foot down firmly at one point, though, when he woke up to see Kibum crouched in front of him painstakingly plucking his eyebrows. Kibum had sulked for a whole week on that.

On the other hand, Kibum willingly put up with Minho's obsession with Quidditch, to the extent of voluntarily running through various Quidditch tactics and strategies with him. Kibum also played a critical role in the design of the new Gryffindor Quidditch uniforms, which had won them universal admiration across Hogwarts. Minho was grateful for Kibum's kindness, and also felt a certain protectiveness towards him. For despite Kibum's general popularity, his occasional quirkiness had rendered him somewhat vulnerable to some of the more boisterous students in Gryffindor. Minho discovered this one day when he came across a couple of second-years teasing and pushing Kibum around for being unworthy of being in Gryffindor. For the first time in his life, Minho's temper was unleashed. He had jumped right in to challenge the two of them, and if not for Chanyeol and Sehun stepping in in time, Minho would have beaten them up thoroughly. The seniors had debated the incident, and decided that Minho should apologise. He did so, with grace, but also announced loudly that he would not brook any further rudeness towards his friend. This was firmly backed by the seniors as well, and Gryffindors had taken heed. There were no more bullying incidents for Kibum, and it further cemented the friendship between the two.

"Hey, little brother. Good work today." Minseok appears in front of him, swaying slightly and holding another Butterbeer. "I'm proud of you."

Minho smirks at him. "How many of that have you drunk, Minseok? Am I actually hearing you complimenting me? You wouldn't have needed me if you had managed to score more goals, you know."

Minseok aims a quick chuff at Minho's head, which fails, mainly because he is so buzzed right his aim is completely off. "Hey, it wasn't easy being Chaser against Slytherin, ok. Their defence is something else. And those Beaters... I don't know how you can be friends with that Taemin. It looked like he was trying to take you out, to be honest. Along with every single one of us."

Minho stiffens. "No, he wasn't, Minseok. He was just playing fair, what he was supposed to do. I would... I would have done the same too."

Minseok shakes his head at him, but knows his brother well enough not to challenge him further on this point. He hugs him suddenly, a surprising show of affection. "Well, I meant it when I said I was proud of you. You got us the Quidditch Cup this year. You're a hero already to Gryffindor, you know that, right."

Minho smiles, a little shyly. He is still unused to the attention being a Seeker has brought him, and he is glad that everyone around him has mellowed sufficiently that they have decided to leave him alone. Even Kibum has fallen relatively silent and is quietly conversing with Changmin and Kyuhyun.

Taking a deep breath, he stands and smiles at his friends. "I'm heading to bed, ok. I'm exhausted."

They nod at him, bidding him a cheery goodnight. As he turns, he catches Yunho's eye, who was standing by the door. Yunho was smiling, which was freaking out most of the Gryffindors a little. But Minho thinks it suits him, and beams back at him.

"Good work today kiddo. You made us all proud. You know..." Yunho pauses, then looks directly at Minho. "I think you will have a bright future in Quidditch. I don't know if it is a career you are thinking of, but if you do, please do not hesitate to contact me. I would like to help you all you can."

Minho is taken aback, to put it mildly. He knows, of course, that Yunho already has offers from several Quidditch clubs, this being his final year, and he has already been spotted by many scouts to become one of the most coveted talents in recent years. That Yunho would say this to him, is beyond his comprehension. He stammers, "Wow, I mean... Thanks, Yunho-hyung. That is such a compliment. I would love to consider it. I mean... if anyone wants me... It is my dream to play Quidditch professionally."

Yunho's smile is gentle. "Yes, Minho, I can think of several clubs that would. It's not just your talent, you know, and you are very talented in Quidditch. It's you, as well, your personality and character, everything that you embody. You will be a very popular star."

Minho blinks at him. "Huh? What... do you mean?" Minho has always been painfully aware of his shyness and awkwardness, hiding in his brother's shadow. He cannot think of anything in his personality that could be considered to be attractive.

Yunho shakes his head, and laughs quietly to himself. "Never mind, Minho. It's one of the nice things about you. Stay the sweet lad you are, ok?" He pauses, as if unsure how to continue. "And be careful about the friends you make. I just mean, some of your hyungs won't be around next year. And you are a very trusting person."

Unconsciously, Minho stiffens again. He knows exactly who Yunho is alluding to. Since the beginning, the rest of the Gryffindors sunbaes had looked askance on his closeness with Taemin, and had made allusions at times to Taemin's family's reputation. He gathers that Taemin's family had probably created a negative reputation previously when they were at Hogwarts, but he could not help feeling that it was very unfair to tar Taemin with the same brush. He felt the rudeness particularly when Taemin joined him at some of their Gryffindor parties together with Jonghyun and Jinki. While the latter two were popular and welcomed, the atmosphere inevitably turned cold whenever Taemin appeared. Even Minseok, whom Minho had confronted, would simply shrug and murmur something about Minho not being able to understand. Quite understandably, Minho was frustrated.

"Look, I know you all think Taeminnie was too aggressive in the match." Minho tries to speak calmly. "But he was just doing his part. He's a fantastic Beater actually. And he is a very nice person. You can ask Kibum too, Kibum is good friends with him as well but you all don't give him any trouble about it!"

Yunho eyes him, his expression inscrutable. "Minho, I am not criticising him because of the way he plays. And if you are just friends with him the way Kibum is... that would be ok. But, sometimes, there are other things to consider. Like his family. I know you don't like to hear that but... "

Minho almost feels like exploding. "But what has his family to do with it!? Isn't it unfair to blame him for what his parents did when they were here? Besides that was so long ago. And I don't know what you mean, we are just friends." He finishes rather lamely.

Yunho sighs. "Alright Minho, this is a good day for us so let's not ruin it. We all want the best for you. You know that right?"

Minho runs his hand through his hair, then smiles sheepishly back at Yunho. "Yes Yunho-hyung, I know. I do appreciate everything you all do for me." He speaks sincerely, trying to express his gratitude.

Yunho laughs then, and hugs him warmly. "That's the Minho we know. Alright go to bed. Good night."

Minho's sleep that night is sweet.

He wakes up surprisingly early, at sunrise. Around him, he can see his roommates sprawled over their beds in various states of undress, and chuckles to himself. He can imagine what state the Common Room is in right now.

On a sudden impulse, Minho decides to go for a walk. He is not typically an early riser, but months of hard training have made his body more used to getting up at this time.

Wandering out into the open grass, Minho breathes in the fresh morning air with delight. He is so lost in thought he fails to notice the slight figure standing in front of him.

"Hi Minho, penny for your thoughts." A light voice breaks his reverie.

Minho looks up. "Taemin! It's you!" A bubble of joy springs up inside him. "What are you doing outside at this hour?"

"Shouldn't I be asking you the same question?" Taemin laughs. He reaches out, and catches Minho's fingers in his. "I was waiting for you. I knew you would come out."

Minho blinks at him. "Really? How did you know that?"

Taemin grins, but his voice is serious as he replies. "Because I know you Minho. I know you inside out."

Minho is suddenly overwhelmed with a strange tingling in his stomach. He looks away, but keeps his fingers interlocked with Taemin's.

"Aren't you going to offer me consolation?" He can hear Taemin's grin in his voice. "We had a very gloomy night last night over at Slytherin you know."

Minho looks at him apologetically. But before he can open his mouth, Taemin laughs again. "I was joking! You won it fair and square, after all. I was happy for you." He reaches out his other hand and touches Minho's blushing cheek gently. "And I'm glad you are alright. I was worried, you know, when you almost fell off. But I knew you would make it also."

The tingling in Minho's stomach tightened into a twist that makes him feel all nervy. He tries to speak, but his throat seems all seized up also. He almost wants to laugh at himself. What is the matter with me? He wonders. This is only Taemin, after all.

Taemin is still smiling at him, the soft breeze rippling his blonde hair in waves and casting dappling shadows on his face. His skin is so very luminous in the morning sunlight. Minho cannot help marvelling once more at Taemin's beauty. "Taemin-ya, you are so very beautiful."

Taemin moves one step closer to him. It is a small step, but somehow makes Minho feel as if the world is shifting. "Do you really think so, Minho?"

Minho tries unsuccessfully to look away from Taemin's clear green eyes. "Yeth... I mean, yeth... urgh, yes." His lisp has to come back at this moment of course.

Taemin laughs softly. "I think it's cute. You are cute" His hand moves from Minho's cheek to his lips, brushing over it. "I like you. You know that right." He looks up at Minho, whose eyes have widened. "I really, really like you. Minho-ya. Since that first day on the train. I've always liked you. How kind you are, how gentle and caring. Will you ... like me too?" Watching him carefully, Taemin takes another breath, then slowly closes the gap between their bodies. When Minho still does not say anything, he leans his body gently against Minho's chest, his head coming to rest on Minho's shoulder. His hand tightens on Minho's, the other lies flat against his chest.

It is a moment of pure silence.

Minho feels as if the world has stopped spinning and come to a final stop. Never in his life had he felt emotion as completely as this. He is acutely aware of everything around him, the morning breeze, the rustling grass beneath his feet, the flutter of birds above him, but all that dissolves into insignificance compared to the feeling of the person leaning against him. Taemin raises his head to look at him, and Minho loses himself in Taemin's gaze. Can anyone be so completely wrapped up in someone else? Minho understands the meaning of this now. He opens his mouth to speak, but no words come out. His throat is too dry. Taemin smiles at him, and shakes his head softly. He understands.

Almost timidly, Minho's arms slide around Taemin's slim figure. He feels so light and cool, Minho's grip instinctively tightens. He can feel Taemin smiling into his shoulder, and it makes him smile as well. He trembles, just a little, when he feels petal soft lips on his, but Taemin's arms are around him as well and hold onto him fast. His heart is beating so fast he can hear the pounding in his ears. Lips brush his again, and Minho's eyes flutter shut, losing himself in the sensation of Taemin's kiss. He drinks in Taemin's breath, a light, spicy fragrance, and tastes it along his tongue. He jumps, just a little again, when he feels Taemin's tongue glide against his, but then eagerly accepts it, the warmth of his own tongue enveloping Taemin's.

He has no idea how long they have been kissing when they finally come apart. Taemin's lips are ruddy and swollen, and his cheeks are glowing. Minho admires him, bashfully realising he is the cause of it. Taemin laughs at him, and the silver musicality of his laugh rings in Minho's ears.

Hand in hand, they make their way slowly back towards the school. Taemin kisses him again, tenderly on the cheek, and Minho hugs him, just before they split up to their respective tables for breakfast. Minho sees eyebrows raised at him, and Minseok's darkening face in the distance, but he shrugs it off. He is too drunk with happiness.

News spread, of course, and before breakfast is over, Minho and Taemin are known to be an official couple.

"Hurry, we are going to miss the train!" Minho yells at Kibum, grabbing his luggage together with his and hustling the grumbling Kibum ahead of him.

"Ya, we have plenty of time. I still haven't done my hair properly." Kibum mutters at him even as Minho half-drags him onto the train and into a carriage.

Minho sighs. "Kibum, you are just going home. What does it matter how your hair looks?"

Kibum glares daggers at him. "Of course it matters, I just turned it pink specially for them. I want them to appreciate it properly, which means it needs to look good." Turning to the train window for a mirror, he focuses all his attention once more on his hair.

Ever since Kibum had managed to learn his powers properly and control his looks as a Metaphormagus over the school year, he had revelled in changing his hair and eye colour, even skin colour, every now and then. It had won him great respect among his peers and of course, flying colours in his Concealment and Disguise classes since he didn't even have to master any of the spells. It had also gained him greater confidence, and Minho knew Kibum was looking greatly forward to going back home and showcasing his skills to his Muggle, but no less adoring, parents.

Minho shakes his head at Kibum from behind him, and is rewarded by the reflection of Kibum's tongue sticking out at him from the glass window. "Why are you in such a hurry anyway? Don't you need to kiss your boyfriend goodbye for, I don't know, the hundredth time?"

Minho rolls his eyes. "For your information, we don't go around kissing all the time, please don't make us sound so sleazy. And I already said goodbye to him properly before his family came for him."

Kibum turned around, eyeing Minho in curiosity. Minho knew what he was going to ask, and hurriedly pre-empted him. "No, I didn't get to meet them. Um... we both thought it was for the best. I mean, they were just coming to pick him up, it would have been weird for him to suddenly introduce me, you know..." Minho's voice trailed off. The truth is, it is a well-known fact that Taemin's family is well-to-do, it was obvious from the way Taemin dresses and his general air of having everything at his disposal. In contrast, Minho's family has always had to be careful about their expenditure, and Minho and Minseok are not strangers to working part-time jobs over the summers to supplement the family income. It has never been an issue for Minho until he started dating Taemin, however. Even though Taemin was a total sweetheart and never seemed to notice any difference, Minho could not help but be painfully conscious of the wide gap in their family backgrounds.

Kibum smiles at Minho, and although it is a snarky one, his voice is kind. "Minho, Taemin is anything but a snob. You know that, we all know that. Don't worry, he just needs to prep his family first and then you can meet them as the prospective son-in-law" Kibum cackles when he sees Minho sputter at that. "Anyway, where's Jonghyun and Jinki? They should be on the train by now."

Eager to change the subject, Minho offers to head out to look for them. He soon catches sight of Jonghyun strolling down the platform, surrounded by a bevy of girls who all seem intent on elbowing each other out of the way. Minho turns his head to hide his smile. Jonghyun has turned out to be a true lady-killer, to nobody's surprise. His puppy soft eyes and sweet smile belying a razor-sharp intelligence and y figure form a lethal combination to which most first-year females (and in truth, other years as well), are unable to stay immune to. He waves eagerly to Jonghyun, who waves back energetically and watches as the girls around him proceed to fight over who gets to carry his luggage for him atop the train. Minho frowned a little, though, when he realises that Jinki was not with Jonghyun.

"Hello, hello, isn't this like deja vu? Who would have thought one year would pass so fast, and we are back here?" Jonghyun chirps merrily as he steps into the carriage. He fist-bumps Minho and then plops himself next to Kibum, chattering and giggling over some inside joke.

Minho feels a little left out. He clears his throat. "Um, Jonghyun, where is Jinki? Isn't he joining us?"

Jonghyun pauses, and looks up at him. His expression is neutral, and yet Minho suddenly feels a weird unease. Kibum does not turn his head, but his eyes are also on Minho 's reflection in the window. "Nah, Jinki is with his Ravenclaw mates, I think. He had some things to discuss with them, some deadly boring summer project I presume." Jonghyun smiles briefly at Minho, before proceeding to his conversation with Kibum.

Minho doesn't bother to question further, but sits down instead on the opposite seat and stares out of the window. He realises that it has been a while since he has seen Jinki, in fact, since the Quidditch Final, was it? After that, he had been so caught up in his relationship with Taemin and also prepping for his year-end exams that he had gradually lost track of his friends. He knew they did not blame him of course, everyone was caught up with studying, and they still tried to catch up now and then, if only for joint cramming sessions. However, he suddenly realises, Jinki had never attended any of those sessions, only Jonghyun and Kibum, and his mates from Gryffindor. Minho feels a bit guilty, he should have noticed earlier. Looking over at Kibum and Jonghyun chatting eagerly, he decides to leave them alone and announces to no one in particular that he's going to get some food.

Slowly weaving through the other carriages, Minho pauses occasionally to chat with friends, including his brother Minseok who grins at him, but keeps an eye out for Jinki. Where is he? He wonders. He cannot find him in the Ravenclaw-designated carriages. Walking out even further, he suddenly comes to a halt, noticing a familiar black haired head in a lone carriage.

"Jinki?" Minho's voice was tentative. He felt strangely timid.

Jinki's head whipped around, his bespectacled eyes widening in surprise. "Minho? Why are you here?" His voice was soft and sounded tired. Minho's heart ached to hear it.

"Oh, I wanted to take a walk, stretch my legs, you know. And Jonghyun and Kibum were in their own world, as usual." Minho was not sure if he sounded convincing enough. "And, well, I wanted to look for you too."

A soft flush tinted Jinki's cheeks. He does not ask why but suddenly smiles more brightly at Minho. "I forgot, Taemin's parents came to fetch him right? Instead of letting him take the train. You must be lonely."

Minho smiles back at him. "Yes, it's too bad he couldn't take the train. But we will keep in touch over the summer, by owl, you know."

Jinki nods, and smiles again, but the smile is more tired now. Minho looked at him, and notices how Jinki seems to have lost weight, how drawn his face looks. Minho knows, as well as any other student, that Jinki has been working very hard this year. He has achieved full marks for every class he has taken, a feat that has not been achieved in anyone's memory, marking him instantly in Hogwart's history as a legend. At the same time, he had taken on responsibility for shepherding the notoriously clever but lazy Ravenclaw students to victory in several school-wide activities, such that he has managed to win the House Cup for Ravenclaw for the first time in decades this year, beating out the incumbent Slytherin and even Gryffindor which had put up a strong fight thanks to its victories in Quidditch.

"Jinki-ya." Minho speaks on impulse. "You have been working too hard. I hope you get a good rest over the summer."

Jinki's soft grey eyes turn to Minho, and he smiles again. "Thank you, Minho. Well, yes, I will try. I still have to take on a part-time job, you know. But I will have time to rest, I'm sure. I'm just not very good at coming up with social activities for myself, I'm afraid." He looks down at the book in his hands rather ruefully.

Minho is struck by an idea. "Let's hang out. We live near each other, don't we? In fact, I have to take on a summer job too. We can hang out when our shifts are over. You can show me around!" Minho had been amazed to learn early in the year that Jinki actually lived near him, but their paths had never crossed simply because Jinki came from a Muggle family.

Jinki looked a bit astounded as well. "Um, well, yes sure. I don't know what you want to see though. I don't know many interesting places."

Minho almost stumbled over his words in his eagerness. "Yes, there is! Like movies! Can you bring me to the movies! I would really like to watch one. And also, to normal cafes? I keep hearing about how good Muggle drinks are and I really want to try them."

Jinki cannot help laughing, and his laughter is so infectious, Minho starts to laugh as well. He looks up at him affectionately, and Minho feels a tide of gladness sweeps over him. He has missed Jinki more than he knows. He is suddenly happier about the summer, although he knows he will miss Taemin.