“Howwazzithowwazzithowazzit?”

“A good witch doesn’t kiss and tell.”

“Oh,” Yuri’s eyes glinted with mischief in the warm glow of orange light. “Dating a Slytherin is more intense as expected. Kissing on your first date already.”

“I didn’t kiss her.”

“She kissed you!”

“Shh!”

“Oh my God, she really kissed you?”

Taeyeon sighed, regretting her cheeky reply at the beginning. Once Yuri got started, she wasn’t about to calm down soon. “She kissed my cheek.”

“Wow . . .”

Taeyeon lay flat on her bed and closed her eyes, replaying the moment in her mind.

“Was it nice?”

Taeyeon threw an arm over her eyes and pretended to sleep.

“Hey, tell me,” Yuri whined, tugging at Taeyeon’s sleeve. “Stop pretending.”

“No comment.”

“Your eyes are turning red. It must have been nice.”

Taeyeon pulled the cover over her head. “Goodnight, Yul.”

x

It was as though she had become somebody else. Stares, hushed whispers and fingers followed her from the moment she stepped out of the Hufflepuff common room and continued all the way into the Great Hall where breakfast was waiting. And from the Slytherin table, eyes of scorn and sneer added the icing to the cake.

“What’s going on?” Taeyeon asked Yuri as she sat at their table.

“Everyone’s talking about you and Tiffany.”

Taeyeon sighed. “I hope Tiffany isn’t having a hard time in Slytherin because of this.”

“You’re worrying more about her than yourself.”

“Being in Hufflepuff is less stressful. I have you to back me up but she won’t if they turn on her.”

“That’s true . . .”

Taeyeon finished her breakfast sooner than usual and headed back to the Hufflepuff common room, hoping to avoid the attention that was unnerving her. But just as her luck would have it, Bellix and Narcy ‘ran’ into her not far from the Great Hall.

“Hey, Loserpuff,” Bellix taunted.

“It’s Hufflepoop again,” Narcy added.

Taeyeon tried to walk around them but her path was obstructed by the two bulky witches. She looked up at their sneering faces towering over her and decided to stand her ground instead.

“You’re so lame,” Bellix said with scorn. “It’s ridiculous this school accepts lame puffs like you. Just because you’re in Hogwarts doesn’t mean you deserve to be here.”

“That’s not for you to decide,” Taeyeon retorted even while chiding herself for answering.

“Fwitch. You think you’re somebody just because Tiffany talks to you.”

“I am somebody even if she doesn’t.”

“You poor delusional, Loserpuff. You think Tiffany is really interested in you? Dream on, fwitch. She’s only playing with you for fun. You’ll be dumped when she’s bored with you.”

“Yeah, and you’re such a loser, she’s already bored,” Narcy added with a cruel slant of her brows and they burst into bouts of rude, ugly snorts.

“I don’t know if she’s bored but I know I am,” said Taeyeon. She turned to walk away but Bellix moved around and blocked her.

“Running away like a Loserpuff?”

“Hufflepoop,” Narcy added from behind.

“Move out of my way,” Taeyeon said in a low voice. 

“Or else?” Bellix taunted some more.

“Tae!”

“What’s going on here?”

Taeyeon looked left and right. Yuri was striding to her from the left and Tiffany from the right.

“Here’s the Loserpuff’s friend,” Bellix taunted.

“Are you here to protect your Loserpuff and bring shame to Slytherin?” Narcy questioned Tiffany.

“I am not protecting anybody. As a prefect, it is my duty to ensure no rules are being broken.”

“Loserpuff needs help from Slytherin, again,” Bellix spat in condescension.

“Is that all you have to call me?” Taeyeon retorted. “You can’t call me a loser when I haven’t lost at anything.”

“Bet you’ll lose to us on a broomstick.”

“Just because I chose to join the Frog Choir doesn’t mean I’m not good on a broomstick.”

Bellix and Narcy snorted like trolls. “If you can dodge all our bludgers, we’ll stop calling you a loserpuff,” Bellix taunted.

With ire in her belly, Taeyeon fired back, “How many?”

“Ten,” Narcy stated with a slimy grin. “Only ten.”

“Tae, don’t fall into their trap,” Yuri hissed from the left.

“Enough. There will be no bludger challenge,” Tiffany stated with authority.

Taeyeon was past the point of no return. “Tomorrow,” she growled at Bellix and Narcy. “Ten bludgers, then you two leave us alone. And if I hit either of you with the bludger, both of you will shut up forever, not a single bad word about us ever again.”

“Tomorrow,” Bellix and Narcy declared with slimy smiles and walked away, snickering like sly foxes hatching an evil plan.

“Tae, have you lost your mind?” Yuri asked, her face spelling deep concern Taeyeon had never seen. “Why did you agree to it?”

“Taeyeon, Bellix and Narcy are Slytherin’s best Beaters. You’re going to be injured. You might break your arm,” Tiffany said with a grave tone.

Taeyeon shook her head. “I’m not afraid. I’m not going to let them bully me for the rest of my life.”

For a moment, Tiffany frowned. Then she put a warm hand on Taeyeon’s shoulder and smiled. “I’ll help you.”

“I’ll help you too,” said Yuri. “I’ll round up our friends too.”

Taeyeon broke into a grin. “Thanks, Yul. Thanks, Tiffany.”

x