Another day, another selection. Familiar students sit through the usual spiel of best behavior and appearance but don’t pay much attention. While most of the cats groom one another, the dogs tear around the room to run off some energy but just get more excited.

Easily outpacing his best friend, a Corgi, Chanyeol stops in his tracks. Baekhyun runs into his backside and falls, complaining with a huff and nip to Chanyeol’s heel.

Chanyeol doesn’t even apologize. His tail slowly starts to wag, and Baekhyun notices their classmates are also on alert and getting antsy as the master witch’s smart heels sound in the hall.

A witch is coming.

“Everyone, please, best behavior.”

Once upon a time, groups of finally-old-enough witches would be introduced to potential companions all at once. The meetings quickly devolved into great messes of magic and playing, however, and the tradition was ended at Chanyeol’s school after some fur and whiskers got singed. He heard they never grew back.

Older witches and traditionalists—including the master witch—complain, but parents have been happier with introducing witches one at a time and allowing the familiars to not get overwhelmed with so much magic at once.

A big meeting sounds like a lot more fun. Chanyeol loves meeting new people.

Baekhyun yips an alert, and the room fills with cacophonous calls as the door opens. One look from the master witch commands silence. One of the more nervous dogs groans, a thin whistle has the group snickering.

“Children, you are all of age and skill to find your witch.” The master witch smiles coolly but not unkindly. “Congratulations. Our first young witch is eager to meet you all. Mr. Kim.” She steps aside and gestures for the boy outside to enter the room.

He’s a nice looking boy, ambling inside with what he probably hopes appears calm confidence. The animal instinct of familiars sense his nerves, though, but they’re excited nerves, and that just feeds their own eagerness and curiosity like growing static.

“Hello. I’m Jongdae,” he greets with a grin. When directed to the front of the room, he joins the teacher and waves to the group. Cats on the desks reach for him with little paws only to shy away when offered a hand.

Baekhyun bounds forward and circles Jongdae. He seems nice! Everyone thinks so. They swarm Jongdae’s feet, but Chanyeol is the one to follow the pull in his chest and drop his forepaws on the witch’s shoulders. He eagerly sniffs Jongdae’s chin and happily his cheek.

The tingling across his flesh erupts to the ceili