As the weeks go on, Irene and Wendy returned to their routine but not like how they have in the past. Instead, their arguments have now turned into playful bickering and a competition as to who can fluster who more.

For a while, unbeknownst to the other girls, the two had created a secret game in which they’d steal random pecks on the cheeks or on the forehead whenever it seemed like it was just the two of them such as being the last two remaining in a classroom or in a empty hall. Whoever gave the least amount that day would have to do the other’s homework. Of course, they’d tell themselves that these small kisses meant nothing, that it was simply a competition. Yet, neither of them would ask themselves why their faces would heat up after the fact or why they would go to bed smiling regardless of whether they lost that day or not.

The game eventually came to an end after the first task...

Wendy was really about to face a dragon. A DRAGON.

On the outside she looks calm, cool and collected, but in the inside she’s losing her freaking mind. She was grateful that Sana, who has now become one of her good friends over the past few weeks, attempted to give her a peptalk. Still, it didn’t seem to change the gnawing feeling of nervousness. Even JB, the new Durmstrang Champion who replaced Jackson, was visibly worried as well. 

Wendy was beginning to question why she thought submitting her name was a good idea when she heard a noise near the back entrance of the tent.

“Psst!” 

She hesitantly walked up to the area in which she assumed the noise was coming from and asks if anyone is there.

“It’s me, dummy.” 

“Irene?”

Suddenly, a small head with a bright smile peered around the curtain. Wendy panicked and quicky joined the older girl outside of the tent, now out of view of the others.

“What are you doing here? Not that I’m mad, but you could get in a lot of trouble!” She said as quietly as possible.

“I just wanted to come and wish you good luck because I know you’ll need it,” Irene smirked.

Wendy wouldn’t admit it outloud, but seeing Irene had made her nerves go down almost immediately. Ever since the night she fought Jackson, their bond grew stronger and stronger and now she tends to find comfort in Irene these days.

Nearly every night since, the two would hang out secretly. Not because they didn’t want anyone to know per se, but moreso the fact that in these moments, it was simply just the two of them and no one else. It happened by chance really. One night Wendy snuck her way up to the Astronomy Tower because she couldn’t sleep and to her surprise, Irene was already there. Instead of being asked to leave, Irene simply patted the floor next to her and the two sat there looking up at the stars with a conversation sparking every once and a while.

They'd talk about the silliest things one night and then very serious topics the next. Often times Wendy would act greasy and say cringey space-related pick-up lines while Irene would act like she hated it but secretly loved it. ("Hey Irene, are you an alien?" "Wendy, I swear-" "Because you abducted my heart!")

Essentially, they were their normal bickering selves during the day and then a near-inseperable duo at night.

The moments they shared during those nights had unintentionally turned into a secret. These meetings had turned into their new thing. Secret meetings like the one happening now.

“You know, I really want to say that I don’t need luck because I’m the Wendy Son, but at this point I’ll take anything I can get so thank you,” the Ravenclaw said graciously.

"Well, if you ever get nervous out there, just look for me-for us!" Irene stuttered. "Us as in Joy, Yeri and I! Since, ya know, Seul will be with the Hufflepuffs. I mean you could look for Seul of course! Although, it might be a bit more tough since she's just one girl wearing yellow surrounded by other people wearing yellow and-"

"Hold on," Wendy laughed as she stopped the girl from rambling. "You, Joy and Yeri are going to be wearing your house colors too. How am I even going to spot you three from the rest of the Slytherins?"

"You're supposedly a smart girl, Son. I'm sure your Ravenclaw brain will find me quickly since I tend to stand out in a crowd," Irene teased. "In case you don't though, well, I've planned something to make sure of it."

Before Wendy could ask what Irene's back-up plan was, the two heard Wendy’s name being called from inside the tent. With the momentary distraction, Wendy took her chance to peck Irene on the forehead and began her escape as she excitedly whisper-yelled. “Point Wendy!”

“Wait!”

Wendy looked back to Irene just before she entered the tent.

“Promise me,” Irene’s voice a bit more serious now. “Promise me you’ll make it out okay so I can make the score even.”

"Cross my heart," Wendy winked back.

-----

It all happened so quickly.

All she could remember was hearing her name being announced in the speakers, coming face to face with a dragon, grabbing the golden egg, being launched into the air and seeing a blue scarf in a sea of green before everything else went blank.

Now, Wendy woke up to find herself lying in a bed in Madam Pomfrey's infirmary. She attempted to sit up, but immediately groaned. She looked at the source of her pain and saw that her left arm and leg were completely bandaged. Clearly she had broken them. What in the world happened to me during the first task? She thought to herself.

Wendy began to observe her surroundings and noticed that the sun was starting to rise. To her left, a bottle of Skele-Gro was on the table and she couldn't help but grimace at the sight realizing that she was going to have to drink it soon. Next to it were a "Get Well Soon" card, a huge teddy bear and a small bouquet of flowers.

After some inspection, she found out that the card was from her Quidditch team and the bear was from Seulgi, Joy and Yeri. Pinned to the bear was a handwritten note saying "We love you bear-y much! Have fun drinking Skele-Gro <3 - Seul, Joy, and Yeri."

Lastly, she figured out that Sana had sent the flowers as she couldn't help but laugh at the small notecard attached to it: "Recover quickly, Wen! You're the only worthy competitor I have ;) - S."

Feeling grateful for her friends and teammates, Wendy's heart swelled.

At the same time, however, she couldn't help but notice that there was no trace of her small, but mighty Slytherin among the gifts. It wasn't until she looked to her right to understand why.

There, sitting in a chair with her head and arms resting on the side of the bed, was a sleeping Irene. Or atleast so she thought.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer," Irene said with her eyes still closed.

"You're awake?!"

"Now I am," the Slytherin rubbed her eyes as she sat up and stretched her arms. "You groaned really loudly."

"Oh-uh sorry. How long was I out for?"

"Only for the night. Your injuries were pretty bad, but it definitely could've been worse. Thankfully, Madam Hooch was able to soften the blow. How are you feeling?"

"Could be better, but I kinda prepared for this, remember?" Wendy joked, calling back to when Irene was worried about her previously injured hand. 

"Too soon?"

The Slytherin could only nod.

"Do you um-what's the last thing you remember?" Irene asked.

Wendy did her best to remember more details, but everything still felt scattered.

"Blue," she responded. "It's still kind of a blur, but the last thing I remember was seeing you... wearing my blue scarf. Have I ever told you how good it looks on you?"

Irene blushed as Wendy smirked before continuing.

"I guess your back-up plan worked. You were indeed quite easy to notice out of all that green. If I'm being honest, I probably should've looked for you as soon as it was my turn. Any of you."

Irene didn't say anything so Wendy continued. "Maybe then my focus would've been way better and I wouldn't be here. I wouldn't have these injuries. Gosh, the Skele-Gro is going to be horrible. If only I found you sooner."

The two remained silent until Wendy heard Irene sniffling. "Hey, hey, what's wrong?"

"You broke it," Irene whispered, looking away.

"Broke what?" Wendy asked in concern. She hated seeing Irene upset. 

"You... you promised me." As Irene looked back towards Wendy, her voice sounding broken. "You promised me you would be okay and n-now I feel like it's my fault. If-if I had just told you that I'd be wearing your scarf maybe then you would've looked for me as soon as you went to face the dragon and I-I could've helped you focus." 

Wendy's face softened as she remembered her conversation with the older girl before the task. 

"I swear to you that it's not your fault," Wendy reached out to caress the older girl's cheek.

"You have nothing to be sorry for. After you came to see me, I felt focused and confident enough as soon as I walked out. Even if you told me about the scarf, just seeing you beforehand gave me a huge boost to the point where I thought I didn't need to look for you or even the other girls right at the start," Wendy explained. "It was my fault for miscalculating how tough it was going to actually be. And despite what may be running through your mind right now, I'm okay. Once I drink the Skele-Gro, I'll be up and ready to go figure out what the egg has to do with the second task."

Irene closed her eyes as she leaned into Wendy's hand for comfort.

"And since I'm okay... that means my promise still stands. Granted, you should technically only have an attempt to steal a kiss, but since I'm kinda stuck here I'll give you a freebie," Wendy teased, pointing towards her injured leg in an attempt to try and lighten the mood again.

To Wendy's relief, Irene laughed this time as she lifted her head from Wendy's hand.

"You do have a point, Son. And just so you know, I could very easily steal two kisses and be in the lead, but I'll be nice too and just make the score even as promised."

Not wanting Irene to have the last say, Wendy was trying to think of a comeback quickly. Just as Irene began to lean in towards her cheek Wendy blurted out.

"Then make it count."

Irene froze. 

Wendy turned her head to face the older girl. 

It was as if time slowed down as their eyes flickered down towards each other's lips. The tension in the air thickened as both girls had become mute. 

Hesitantly, Irene her lips and leaned in.

Their eyes fluttering close as their lips got closer and closer and-

"GOOD MORNING!"

Irene jumped backwards, kicking the chair by accident and causing it to fall. Suddenly, her face turned red and she bolted out of the room. 

"Irene?" Seulgi's eyebrows furrowed as said girl quickly brushes past her. "What was that all about?" Seulgi asks, turning to Wendy. 

Wendy was dazed. Irene was actually going to... Did Seul not notice we were about to kiss?! 

"Wait a second... how was Irene even in here already?" Seulgi asked. "Madam Pomfrey rarely allows visitors, let alone overnight ones. She only let me in because I was already waiting outside when she arrived and she had to go the restroom. Good thing she didn't come in here first or Irene would be screwed."

Wendy looked to Seulgi in surprise. She had completely forgotten about Pomfrey's strict visiting rules and she didn't even question how Irene was there when she woke up.

"Yeah, she sure is lucky she didn't get caught. So, how are you doing Seul?" Wendy asked, trying to hide her blushing cheeks. 

"How am I doing? I should be the one asking you that, Wen!"

----- Many Days Later -----

Physically, Wendy feels great as if she had never broken any bones. Emotionally, she's been a mess.

You see, Wendy has a tiny problem. 

She struggles to deal with a certain type of feelings. Especially if they involve a small but intimidating and cold yet very hot Slytherin.

After her "incident" with Irene the morning after the first task, Wendy finally faced what she had been trying to bury for the past five years. 

She likes Irene. A lot. 

And instead of confessing to said girl, what does she do? 

She avoids her. 

As mentioned earlier, Wendy has a hard time dealing with her feelings. It's not like she wants to avoid Irene, it's moreso that she's trying to avoid those feelings. And if she sees her, well, then her feelings will come flooding in and she just won't know what she'll do.

So instead, she's been hanging out with Sana a bit more often than usual. 

-----

"What's her excuse this time?" Irene asks as she watches Wendy head towards Sana just as Irene had reached the table Joy and Yeri were at in the Great Hall.

"They are going to go work on solving the clue in the golden egg some more," Joy explained. "Apparently, they're pretty close."

"That's what she said last time, wasn't it?" Irene said dejectedly as she sat across from the duo.

"Who knows? Maybe they are really close to cracking the code," Yeri reassured.

"I hope so. I'm sure you guys already noticed, but we've barely spoken ever since we almost kissed. I thought we were finally getting somewhere."

When Irene had left the infirmary that day, she headed straight to the Slytherin dorms to find Joy and Yeri.

**

"OH MY GOD. WhAt dID I jUsT dO?!?!" 

Irene burst into her room.

"Well good morning to you too," Joy said groggily.

"Wh-wHaT hApPened?!" Yeri sat up straight up in bed, clearly having just woken up due to Irene's frantic voice.

"I-I almost kissed her!" Irene panicked.

Joy and Yeri looked at each other confused. 

"Wendy. Wendy and I. We. Almost. Kissed."

If the younger duo weren't already completely awake, they sure were now.

"Details stat! Tell us everything!" Joy squealed, tugging Irene over to her bed as Yeri came over to join.

Irene was still a blabbering mess, but managed to tell them everything up until Seulgi interrupted them.

"You ran away?"

"I mean, it was kind of embarassing," Irene admitted. "It felt like getting caught by your parents."

"On the bright side, she was going to kiss you! She practically asked you," Joy said with a huge smile.

"It can only go up from here," Yeri added.

**

That was obviously not the case.

Irene was going to confess later that same day. After talking to the younger Slytherins, they convinced her to. 

After so many shared nights, cheesy pick-up lines and pecks on the cheeks and forehead, Irene finally believed that it must've also meant that Wendy liked her too.

So, she marched right back to the infirmary with her head held high and was mentally rehearsing what she was going to say to the younger girl. Hell, she was even thinking about asking Wendy to be her date for the Yule Ball that was coming up. 

But once she reached the entrance, she saw that Sana was already there. 

They were laughing and Wendy had such a huge smile on her face as she was talking to the Beauxbaton. After a few seconds of Irene standing near the entrance silently, Wendy finally noticed her. 

And then it happened. 

As soon as they made eye contact, Wendy's smile faltered and she instantly looked away from Irene.  

Irene's heart shattered. 

Since then, after Wendy was discharged, Wendy stopped showing up to their late night meetings and their game had come to a complete halt. Everything that reinforced Irene's belief of Wendy's feelings for her were no longer there. 

To add to that, Wendy practically ensured that they'd never be left alone. If they were to hang out, Seulgi, Joy and/or Yeri would always be with them and even then they would barely talk to each other. They had become awkward to one another.

"What if she likes Sana?" Irene tries to reason. "What if... after almost kissing me, she realized that she liked Sana? And that's why she's been hanging out with her so often."

"Maybe? But, the task-"

"So, when she looked away from me at the infirmary, she probably had figured out that I liked her by then. Since, you know, I leaned in to kiss her. And after realizing her feelings for Sana, she felt bad once she saw me and looked away."

"You're wrong," a new voice spoke. 

Irene looked up and saw Seulgi, who had just arrived and proceeded to sit next to her. 

"I didn't want to say anything, but since it looks you guys practically hit a restart button in your relationship, I have no choice," Seulgi began.

"Remember a while back when you first admitted to us that you liked Wendy?"

Irene nodded.

"I was going to tell you then that Wendy liked you too," Seulgi put her hand up to stop Irene from saying anything yet. "But! I felt like I kept getting interrupted for a reason. That I should let it come naturally. Not to mention the fact that I still wasn't completely sure if Wendy had feelings for you because she never explicitly told me. It was more like a gut feeling."

The three Slytherins listened on intently, taking in Seulgi's every word.

"As the days went on, I knew I did the right thing because I noticed that your and Wendy's dynamic had changed after her fight with Jackson," Seulgi smirked. "I may not be the smartest of the bunch, but I know about your game."

Irene gasped as Joy and Yeri's eyebrows rose.

"What game?" Yeri asked.

"Not my secret to tell," Seulgi said while giving Irene a wink.

"W-Wendy told you?"

"No, she didn't. Let's just say I'm a good observer. Anyways, friends or 'enemies' don't play games like that unless something else is going on. So, after seeing that, I just knew Wendy would come to her senses and either realize she has feelings for you or atleast by then gain enough confidence to confess."

"But that's where you're wrong, Seul. Look at how we are now. The only thing she realized was that she likes Sana, not me."

"That's the thing," Seulgi said. "She may not have told me how she feels about you, but she told me about Sana."

Irene in a breath.

"They're are just good friends," Seulgi finished.

"Her feelings can change, Seul," Irene says moments later, still unsure. 

"Trust me on this," Seulgi starts again. "Since you already told Joy and Yeri about it, I'll add that I knew the two of you were about to kiss when I walked in to the infirmary that morning. You had left so quick that you failed to see how flustered Wendy was. Her cheeks were the reddest that I had ever seen them."

"That still doesn't explain why she's still acting strange around me now," Irene said sadly.

Seulgi sighed, it was as if no matter what she'd say, the older girl would never be convinced.

"Look, for as long as I've known Wendy, she has... she has always had a hard time facing her uh..uh-"

"Spit it out, Seul!" Joy said impatiently before immediately apologizing right after.

"She struggles with her... romantic feelings..," Seulgi said shyly as she buried her head into her hands. "Ugh she's gonna kill me for telling you guys that."

Joy and Yeri bursted out laughing.

"You've got to be joking!" Yeri clutched her stomach as she kept laughing. "You're trying to tell us that the biggest flirt in the entire school has trouble with romantic feelings? Yeah okay!"

"Will you keep your voice down!" Seulgi said quickly. "Listen. When Wendy flirts with other girls, it's never anything serious. But, when it comes to love, the girl is a whole mess."

"L-love?" Irene sputters.

Seulgi nods.

"If I'm being honest, over these past few weeks-hell, over these past couple of years! I've noticed that whenever it's just Wendy and I, she practically lights up whenever we talk about you. And when we all hang out, even when you guys may not be talking-gosh Irene the way she looks at you," Seulgi smiles. "It's as if you put the stars in the freaking sky. As if you're the center of her whole universe."

Irene sits still, stunned silent.

"You guys have been putting off something great for far too long," the Hufflepuff makes Irene look at her. "I ran into her and Sana earlier and they said they were going to the bathroom. Something to do with the next task apparently."

"Stop wasting time and go get your freaking girl!" Joy motivates.

Irene's still hesitant and rightfully so. She has been on such an emotional rollercoaster with Wendy this past month. For the past 6 years, she thought her crush has been one-sided and now she thinks she may have been wrong. Still, Wendy has been giving mixed signals.

What happened the second time she went to infirmary wasn't really helping her case.

But on the flip side, at this point with Wendy practically ignoring her already, getting rejected probably won't seem like it would make the situation any worse. So, what does she have to lose?

"Screw it."

-----

Irene made her way through the hall while holding a few of her textbooks.

She remembered Seulgi said that Wendy and Sana were headed to the bathroom and so she heads to the nearest one.

As she begins to walk in the hall alongside the courtyard, a flash of blue catches the corner of her eye.

From her point of view, Wendy was sitting alone.

Perfect Irene thought.

Just as she was rounding the pilar to go into the courtyard, Sana was revealed to be sitting next to the Ravenclaw. Immediately, Irene hid behind the pilar. Her back now against it with her books clutched to her chest. She could hear Wendy and Sana talking, but tuned it out as she thought of what she should do next.

After a few seconds, Irene realized how she shouldn't be hiding right now. Nothing should stop her from confessing. Who cares if Sana is there? she thought. Having made her up mind, she made the move to reveal herself when she heard Wendy ask a question that caused her to stop.

"So, what did you want to ask me?"

"Well... I know we haven't known each other for that long, but you've become someone very special to me," Sana began. "I know this may be sudden, but I have a feeling that you feel the same."

Both Irene and Wendy silently waited for the Beauxbaton to continue.

"The Yule Ball is coming up and I was wondering if you'd like to be my date..."

Irene's breath hitched, her grasp on her books loosening.

"... as my girlfriend?"

Wait.

"I'd love to!"

What.

A loud bang catches the attention of all three girls.

The Slytherin quickly realizes what happened as she looks down to see her textbooks near her feet. In an instant, she rushes to pick them up, one of which having landed a bit further away in the courtyard. Irene reaches for it as fast as she can in hopes that neither Wendy or Sana recognize her.

"Irene?" 

.

For the second time that week, Irene runs away like her life depends on it.

"Wait!" Irene hears Wendy's yells fade as the distance between them increases. "Irene!"

----- That Night -----

Irene was alone at the top of the Astronomy Tower again like she had been for the past couple of days.

However, this time she was wasn't wishing that Wendy would join her.

She was leaning against the guard rail looking up at the stars when she heard footsteps approach her. They were slow, hesitant.

Eventually, the person behind her joined her at the railing. Their shoulders grazing.

The Slytherin scoffed, sliding a step away from the Ravenclaw.

"What a warm welcome," Wendy joked and Irene rolled her eyes in response.

"Oh come on, it was a joke."

Irene continued to the ignore the girl. She had nothing to say to her.

No matter what Seulgi had said, there's no point in confessing anymore after hearing Wendy become Sana's girlfriend. She doesn't want her confession to cause any tension or even a break-up and hurt Sana. The girl has never done anything to her so she doesn't deserve it.

And if she's being honest, the frustration that Wendy had caused from avoiding her had finally caught up to her and so she can't help but get angry at the sound of her voice. To add to that, she's also painfully aware now more than ever that after all these years, her feelings for Wendy has been and will continue to be one-sided. At this point, having any sort of relationship with Wendy would just hurt.

And so, Wendy's the very last person she wants to see right now.

"You can't seriously be ignoring me right now."

"You do realize how ironic it is for me to hear you say that," Irene finally replied with a bitter tone, referring to the Ravenclaw's actions during the past couple of days. "Leave me alone and go find your girlfriend."

"Just hear me out-"

"Wendy. Leave."

"I-I didn't mean to hurt you," Wendy held on. "If you just give me a chance to explain-"

"Please."

Wendy could hear the crack in Irene's quiet voice and now her thoughts fought each other, questioning whether or not she should stay or go. It didn't take long for her to make up her mind. The answer was simple.

"No."

Irene sighed in response.

"Fine. If you won't, I will."

Her back was now facing Wendy as she began to leave, but she could hear the younger girl following her. Irene only took a few more steps until she was forced to stop by the call out of a word.

A name.

"Joohyun-."

Irene slowly turned around and Wendy was met with a face full of anger.

"Don't," Irene pointed at Wendy as she made her way to her.

"You," the older girl was close enough now to forcefully push her finger into Wendy's chest as she said each word, making Wendy take a step back each time.

"ing. Dare," A tear fell down Irene's face. "Call me that."

Wendy felt her back hit the guard rail.

''You have no ing right! You-You've been avoiding me for days Wendy! Like I didn't exist! As if after everything we've been through, all those nights," Irene's hands now formed into fists as they softly landed onto Wendy's chest. "...meant nothing to you."

Wendy pulled Irene into a hug and wrapped her arms around her. She could feel her shirt getting wet with the older girl's tears

Wendy whispered into Irene's ear, "They meant everything to me."

A pause.

"You mean everything to me, Irene."

"No-," Irene wrestled out of the Ravenclaw's embrace as if she broke out of a trance that Wendy had casted over her. "You don't get to say that."

Irene sniffles as she takes a deep breath. Then, she let it all go.

"I'm tired, Wendy. I'm so freaking tired of this... of us. This ridiculous back and forth that we've had this month, it's too much," she sees worry appear on Wendy's face but ignores it as she goes on. "I-gosh... l've liked you for so long Wendy.. so long and I've put up with every fight we've had because at least it was something. Something we had. And I held onto this flicker of hope that one day, we'd stop fighting and turn that something into something more. And for the first time, it felt like it was going to happen, but I guess it was simply too good to be true. Now, here we are, and my heart just can't take it anymore, Wendy."

They stare at each for a moment, before Wendy let's go of a breath she didn't realize she was holding in. She turned around, leaned against the guard rail and gazing into the vast night sky.

"Do you know why I fought with you the same day Seul introduced us to each other?"

"What? No...," Irene's eyebrows knitted in confusion. She remembered the day like it was yesterday. Wendy had walked up to her and asked her to leave the school, thus prompting their very first argument. But, what has that got to do with anything?

"Well, over these past few days I figured out that it was because I was actually fighting my feelings for you. You had such a strong effect on me even though I barely knew you and it scared me so much. The rush of emotions I had in that moment, it was overwhelming and so, when we were younger, the only thing 10-year-old me knew to do in order to deal with those feelings was to argue with you. So, I told you to get out of Hogwarts," Wendy couldn't help but chuckle at the memory. "And I stuck with that, arguing, hoping it would help make my feelings go away."

Now it was Wendy's turn to get emotional as she turned to look back at Irene.

"But, they didn't. In fact, they grew stronger and stronger everyday," Irene stood silent as Wendy continued. "That day in the infirmary when we almost kissed, those feelings that I've feared and have been burying for so long came rushing back stronger than ever. So once again, I tried to avoid them and as a result I avoided you and I'm sorry for that. But, I'm not scared anymore. I like you Irene, so much."

"Please Wendy, don't say that," Irene said, her eyes filled with uncertainty. "N-not when you have a girlfriend."

Wendy could only smile as she wiped away the few remaining tears on Irene's face. "I don't have a girlfriend."

"But, Sana-"

"Sana was practicing what she was going to say to Dahyun."

Irene's eyes widened. "D-Dahyun? Your teammate?"

Wendy nodded. "She has a huge crush on Dahyun. Whereas I," she grabbed Irene's hands and gently pulled her closer, their faces now inches apart. "...have a huge crush on you."

The Slytherin gasped as she felt a hand lift up her chin slightly.

Just like in the infirmary, time seemed to have slowed down as Wendy glanced down towards Irene's lips before looking back into her eyes.

"If you kiss me, you're stuck with me," Irene answered with a whisper. Half-playful, half-serious.

"Don't you get it by now? You've had me since the moment I met you," Wendy finally admitted before closing the gap between them.

----- One Month Later at The Yule Ball -----

"Now introducing our Triwizard Champions!"

"First, from Durmstrang Institute, Jae-beom Lim accompanied by Momo Hirai."

"Next, from Beauxbatons Academy, Sana Minatozaki accompanied by Dahyun Kim."

"Lastly, from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Wendy Son accompanied by Irene Bae."

The crowd went crazy.

"Gosh the lack of men," Yeri chuckled to Joy as they watched the champions dance begin. "It's brilliant."

"You know what else would've been brilliant? If I had a date," Joy sighed. 

"Cheer up! You don't need a date to have a good time."

"Says you. You're only going to talk to me for a bit and then go back to your date," Joy huffed. "Everywhere I look, everyone's got somebody but me! Hell even Jackson has one!"

A little while after the dance ended, Irene, Wendy and Seulgi were at the snack table. The Slytherin was looking at what to eat next as the two best friends spoke to one another. 

"I couldn't do it Wendy."

"It's okay, Seul," she patted the Hufflepuff on the shoulder. "The night has just begun though. Didn't you say that they might not have come with a date?"

"Yeah, but they are so gorgeous. I'm sure some dude from Durmstrang asked her last minute."

Seul has a crush? Irene couldn't help but overhear.

"You never know. I wish you'd tell me who she is," Wendy whined. "Is she a Beauxbaton? I could get Sana to tell me if she has a date or not! Or maybe it is someone from Hogwarts! What house is she-"

"Babe."

Wendy looked at Irene who was giving her a pointed look.

"Okay, okay... I'll stop probing."

"Thank you," Seulgi says gratefully to Irene.

"But if I may add," Irene starts. 

"Not you too," the Hufflepuff groaned.

"If there's anything that you taught me when it comes to crushes, you should go for it. Like you said to me, maybe she looks at you like you put the stars in the sky but you're just not aware of it."

Seulgi knew she had a point, I mean, that's exactly how Wendy was looking at Irene right now. Who knew her own words would be used on her. 

"You got me there," Seulgi smiled at the couple. "Okay, I'm gonna go for it and ask if she'd like to dance with me!"

As Seulgi began to walk away, Wendy pouted at Irene.

"How come she listens to you so easily and not me?"

Irene kissed her cheek in hopes to get rid of the awfully cute pout.

"I can't explain it, I'm just too good," Irene giggled as Wendy's pout was replaced with a smile. "Who do you think 'she' is anyways?"

"If she's from Beauxbatons, I think it might be Jihyo," Wendy looked up in thought while Irene was watching Seulgi, waiting to see who the girl was going to approach. "But if she's from from Hogwarts, it's definitely gotta be-"

"Joy," Irene finished.

"Joy?" Wendy looked at her girlfriend in bewilderment. "No way."

"Think again," Irene smiled as she pointed towards Seulgi.

The couple watched her go up to what was once a lonely Joy at the table and saw them go into conversation. Joy had a sad look on her face, but it was soon replaced with a blushing smile as she grabbed Seulgi's outreached hand. Wendy and Irene stared in awe as they headed towards the dance floor. 

"Who would've thought that Joy was the one Seul kept gushing on about to me," Wendy says in disbelief.

In perfect timing, a slow song began to play. 

Wendy cleared as she turned to face Irene completely and bowed.

"Ms. Bae, may I have the honor of being your first dance?"

Irene laughed at her girlfriend's silly antics.

"Wen, you do remember we already had our first dance at the beginning of the ball?"

"Yeah, I know, but that was the traditional champions dance. This one will be romantic," Wendy wiggled her eyebrows at the final word and offered her hand.

"Gosh you're such a dork," Irene intertwined her hand in Wendy's and tugged them towards the dance floor as she gave her answer. "Well if you're the one who's asking, always."

When they finally reached an open spot, Wendy wrapped her arms around Irene's waist as Irene's wrapped around her neck.

They swayed blissfully as they danced to the song. Irene rested her face onto Wendy's chest and took comfort in her scent. The same one on the Ravenclaw's scarf: Vanilla. (She has yet to return it by the way.)

Wendy rested her cheek against Irene's head and closed her eyes. She's happy. Ever since that night in the Astronomy Tower, Irene had made her truly, utterly, unmistakenly happy. She wanted to stay like this forever. 

As she opened her eyes, she caught a glimpse of Seulgi and Joy. The younger Slytherin's back was facing her and Seulgi's eyes found Wendy's.

The best friends couldn't help but beam at each other. Wendy gave the Hufflepuff a subtle thumbs-up as Seulgi's smile widened even further. Then, Wendy turned her attention back to the girl in her arms.

"Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?"

She felt a smile form against her neck. "About a million times."

"Make it a million and one."

"Aish-stop being so greasy," Irene said in fake disgust. 

"You know you love it," Wendy teased. 

"Yeah I do," Irene lifted her head and gazed into Wendy's eyes tenderly. "And I love you."

Wendy felt like her heart was about to beat out of her chest. 

"Y-you l-love me?"

"Wendy Seungwan Son," Irene's gaze softened. "I know we've only been dating for a few weeks, but I have loved you with my whole heart for years."

"Well, not that it's a competition but... Irene Joohyun Bae, I love you more."

Wendy gently pressed her lips into Irene's smiling ones, before deepening it moments later.

By the time they pulled apart, Irene was left breathless. Causing a smirk to appear on the Ravenclaw's face. 

"Point Wendy."

Irene shook her head in amusement as she brought Wendy's lips back to hers. 

-----

"Two for two? I'm impressed." 

Yeri felt her palm get filled with cash as she watched Wendy and Irene as well as Seulgi and Joy slow dance. 

"They're all oblivious idiots," Yeri had a content smile on her face. "But they're my lovable idiots."

"Hey! Don't call Wen an idiot, she did help me get with Dahyun after all," Sana replied. "Speaking of Dahyun, I better go find her before the song ends! Go dance with your girl too!"

"I will! I know Saeron's somewhere waiting for me," she smiled. 

After the two waved goodbye, Yeri looked backed to her four friends

Finally.

----- The End -----

A/N: Thank you so much for reading! (Apologies if there were any grammar mistakes that I missed.) 

This kinda feels a bit rushed in terms of pace I feel, but I hope you still enjoyed reading it :)

As mentioned in the foreword, this was my first time writing so I'd love to hear what you guys think in the comments and happy wenrene day!

Thanks again for reading! - S