all that glitters and golds

Donghae tap his fingers on the table irritably as he looks outside the widow of their study table, seeking a glimpse of someone in the sky that isn’t there at all.

“Isn’t Hyukjae’s practice this afternoon?” Sehun asks, unheeded and unwelcome next to him. 

“Yes,” Donghae says, gritting his teeth. He turns back to his blank parchment and the quill and ink pot that lay uselessly beside it. 

“So why are you even still here?” Sehun probes further, his quill moving quickly down his own parchment. Row and row of words filling up the page even as Donghae barely make a dent on his.

At that reminder, Donghae lips twist into a frown. “I’m forbidden to attend their practice.”

“Wow, it’s not even two months into the year and you’re already on the Gryffindor’s list,” Sehun says distractedly, clearly with no sense of preservation at all.

Donghae’s frown turns into a scowl and he slaps a hand over Sehun’s parchment, jerking him from his essay and sending Sehun’s quill flying across the table. “Okay, okay, sorry, hyung,” Sehun says, raising both of his hands up in surrender. He casts a quick at Donghae’s blank parchment and sighs deeply. “At least pretend like you’re actually working on your charm essay.”

Feeling slightly lenient, Donghae pulls out his wand and casts a quick accio to retrieve back Sehun’s quill. “You can help me with my essay when you’re done,” he says, handing Sehun back his quill with a cheeky grin as Sehun lets out a defeated groan.

“I’m not even in your class,” Sehun grumbles but dutifully restart his essay again.

And just like that, peace and quiet settle between them. Donghae once again lets himself turn back toward his viewing window, leaving his parchment blank and untouched, and his mind wanders off again.

Annoyingly Sehun was right, he should be out there today, sitting out there in the field and watching Hyukjae’s practice with his team, but the overflowing outcries of his presence there previously forced Donghae’s hand. Though Donghae knows Hangeng likes him for whatever reason, that has nothing to do with his own charm Hyukjae had assured him, his housemates were very vocal in their protests against Donghae at their Quidditch practice. Something about spying that would benefit his house and make Gryffindor lose their upcoming match against Slytherin.

Donghae’s loyalty to his House is a sure thing—as sure the magic that surrounds them—but he’s not dumb enough to risk his relationship with Hyukjae for something like Quidditch. Unlike the majority of the Wizarding population, Donghae has very little interest in it. Even if he wasn’t banned from ever playing because of his Veela’s charm wrecking havoc against the enemy team and effectively neutralizing them completely, Donghae wouldn’t be caught dead on a broom lest it was for a class or go flying with Hyukjae.

His only interest in it pertains to the fact that its Hyukjae. He just wants to watch Hyukjae’s fly, watch him take to the sky like it’s his birthright because nobody flies as beautiful and exciting as Hyukjae. Even if that means he’s constantly sideline by Quidditch instead.

Though in hindsight that may not be his best move, pushing Hyukjae to take up Quidditch knowing the seeker position was up for grab when Kwon Boah retired this year to focus on her N.E.W.T. studies. But it was what Hyukjae had always wanted because Hyukjae had looked at brooms and the sky the same way that Donghae had taken to dragons and mermaids.

As much as he’s glad to be the one to push Hyukjae toward Quidditch, it’s day like these when he’s crammed into the four walls of the library and Hyukjae is not there to keep him focus and grounded, that there’s a part of him that wishes to keep Hyukjae, tucked away like a secret, that no one else is privy to.

That fumbling insecure mess of a boy that Donghae had met in his first year had grown up to be a fine young man who easily turn the head of the girls and boys alike and Donghae, who was used to commandeering all of that attention onto himself, now has to learn to share it.

He isn’t all that bitter. No really.

He thinks of the early years of their acquaintanceship when Hyukjae’s back was often hunched over, his eyes were always fixated on the floor, and his delicate hands that had to seem too small for his wand. Now, Hyukjae stands with his head high and back straightens, his eyes never look away from anyone again, and those hands had filled out in the end as he grips his wand with a resolute firmness that outclasses everyone in their DADA class.

Donghae had looked at Hyukjae’s growing into himself with a sense of pride and rapid jealousy because now people are actually paying attention to the boy that Donghae had been coveting all these years, see the truth that Donghae had always known.

It’s so unfair. So goddamn unfair that they get to reap all the hard work that Hyukjae did when they were never there to see Hyukjae spending hours after class reworking his spells because he was afraid of falling behind, the summers he spent over at Donghae’s manor practicing flying over his estate, and the long nights he stayed up going over tomes and tomes of his text so he can maintain his standing in class.

Donghae has been the only witnessed to all of these trails that Hyukjae had put himself through, the rest of the world only got to see the superficial surface it. They see the rising star seeker of Gryffindor, the top student in their DADA’s class, and the hopeful future of Hogwarts’ new Head Boy one day, and don’t notice the shy and hesitant boy behind that perfect image who still worry he can’t measure up to everyone’s expectation of him so he works himself to death to earn it.

But, Donghae drop his hands to his lap and bites down on his lip enough he can feel a sting of pain, he too can be just as shallow as them because what’s the difference between the world and Donghae when he saw the greatest in Hyukjae and still want to drag him down to Donghae’s level of depravity.

Beyond Hyukjae’s wholesome personality, his kind smile, and his gentle hands—Donghae can only stare hungrily at his sculpted back from all that Quidditch training, his narrow waist that Donghae often find excuses to wrap his arm around, his enticing lips and the peek of his pink tongue whenever he wet them, and his fine cheekbones so sharp that Donghae want to fall on it—it’s deadly to his heart.

He fantasizes about pushing Hyukjae down and climbing on top him, to press his hands against the broad of Hyukjae’s chest, touches every inch of his open skin, and swallow every one of Hyukjae’s moans that Donghae manages to elicit from him.

It’s obscene. These dreams that haunt him in sleep and every waking hour. Worst is that it isn’t just mortal flesh that plagues him. The animalistic side of him that’s all Veela, claw, and screech at anyone who dares encroach on what is his—one part possessive and the other obsessed, but wholly in love.

He just wants. Oh, how he wants for Hyukjae to be all his, to chain him to Donghae and lock him away so nobody can get to him. It would be so easy to throw his Veela’s charm around to lure Hyukjae in but even if Hyukjae wasn’t immune to Donghae’s charm, Donghae would have found other ways to bind Hyukjae to him forever him.

These lustful thoughts and obsessive feelings.

It’s aggravating and so childishly embarrassing, he knows it full well, so he won’t tie Hyukjae down like that. When Hyukjae takes Donghae’s hand it will be his choice and only his choice, and it is in his choice that Donghae will accept their relationship in the end because otherwise, it will be pointless. Donghae wants no doubt that Hyukjae chose him in the end, no Veela’s charm, no unquestionable doubts in the back of his mind that it is Donghae that he loves.

That is the only truth that Donghae will allow in the end.

“You smell so good, hyung,” Sehun says suddenly, leaning in to sniff him and touches his shoulder, sliding a hand down to reach for Donghae’s waist. 

Donghae carefully edges away from him and his wandering hands. “Sehun, if you touch me again I will hex your balls off,” he says cheerfully, pulling his wand out of his sleeve and raising it up for emphasis. Sehun, a clear first casualty of Donghae’s potent Veela charm leaking through unchecked when Donghae’s mind wander and his thought leads to Hyukjae and Donghae’s endless fantasy about him. He should have taken his suppression potion this morning, he grumbles, even though he hates the bitter taste of it.

Sehun not deters by the threat at all, surges forward and clasps Donghae’s free hand in with his own. “Have I mention how beautiful you are today? Because you look absolutely stunning. Nobody can even compare to your heavenly beauty. You’re a gift from above and there must be something magical because I have fallen under your spell.”

“Right,” Donghae says evenly, a rising current of annoyance quickly stomp down any humor he’s finding in this. “I’m getting out of here before you do something stupid that will embarrass the both of us.” He picks up his texts, clutching it to his chest and quickly makes his escape, quickly heading in the direction of the library’s exit before another disastrous incidence occur.

“Where are you going, hyung? I love you so much!” Sehun shouts desperately from behind him.

“Not interest,” he responds, waving a hasty goodbye as he makes his way out through the labyrinthine like library, passing students in their study table who immediately stop their studying to turn toward him with a sudden and terrifying interest. Several of those eyes trained on him and their expression somehow akin to people who have been deprived of food for weeks and Donghae is a tasty morsel that had just appear before them.

Donghae quickly picks up his pace and he can see the exit is within his grasp when someone steps right in front of him, blocking his path.

“Move,” Donghae snaps, pushing past the blockade with an startling ease as the girl crumbles under his touch and lets out a pleased whimper.

“Please bear my children!” someone says vehemently behind him, enough to attract the curiosity of the neighboring students.

Donghae freezes up, the exit is within his reach but he can’t let a comment like that go ignored. He pivots around and grabs the front robe of—he blinks in surprised as he stares at the rapture face of Kim Myungsoo. Sobering up, he hisses and punctuates each word with enough venom to kill a man twice his size,  “Need I remind you that I am a man and I can and will break every single bone in your body if you continue that train of thought.” 

Myungsoo doesn’t seem perturbed though, and keep on looking at Donghae with starry eyes like Donghae is the answer to everything. “Then, please let me bear your child,” he says earnestly instead.

Donghae suddenly lets go of Myungsoo’s robe and steps back. “Okay, this is getting ridiculous,” he says and quickly turns around, heading toward the exit once more as fast he can but there is a group of students suddenly blocking his path, eyes dazed and vibrating with intent, standing in his way with a manic hopeful look written all over their face that is more than likely the desire to rip Donghae’s clothes off.

“Please choose me instead!” a girl shouts among the crowd and a chorus of assent rise from the horde.

“No, pick me! My father works for the ministry —,” another declares.

“No, no, my family—”

“Don’t listen to them! I can offer you—”

“Take me please, I just love you so much—”

“Oh Merlin,” Donghae curses as they suddenly swarm him like a pack of hungry wolves.

 ---

The golden glint casts down by the evening sun is soft and mellow, peeking through the melancholic mixture of grey and yellow-tinted clouds. It’s not the best day to go out and have a Quidditch practice but they have a game coming up against the Ravenclaws and they can’t afford to be lax when their opponent has Sooyoung on their side who is absolutely terrifying on a broom—arguably one of the best flyers in Hogwart.

But even the wind isn’t kind to them today, with the way it blows violently against his cheeks and pushes at his broom. Hyukjae has to maintain precise control over his balance lest he falls victim to the wind and spiral out of control, especially when he’s this high above the sky.

Hyukjae’s eyes scan across the open and wide field of the Quidditch Pitch, looking down at his teammates playing a skirmish match below him. They are a speck of red and gold quickly moving about and Hangeng, their captain and beater, shouts out orders to his teammates, as they run drills back and forth all the while they all try not to be perturbed by the cold chills of fall settling into their bones.

High above them, Hyukjae experiences a pickling chill that cuts deep into him but even though he had cast a warming charm on himself, he stills feel the lingering touch of cool icy tendrils across his exposed skin.

He rather be anywhere but here right now, that much is true. If he could have his way he rather snuggle up close with a certain someone at the fireplace in his dorm than be out here and even his eyes can’t help wandering to the Slytherin’s stand, searching for a trace of silver and green of a familiar figure that always made is presence at Hyukjae’s practice no matter the time or day.

It’s strange for Donghae not to be here, especially when he makes it his purpose to let his presence be known despite any protests coming from Hyukjae’s teammates , but he can’t let the thought of that terrifying idea or the cold distract him  from searching out the snitch though, because he got a job to do and a game to win for his House. Donghae always mock his sense of duty and honor to his task but Hyukjae made a commitment to Quidditch so terrible weather aside he’ll follow through. And so Hyukjae’s turn his attention back to searching for snitch but finding a tiny golden ball of wings in the vast sky is hard—which is why Hyukjae likes being a seeker so much. It’s the challenge and the pride of success that spurs him on. The harder it is the catch the more rewarding it is in the end when you do succeed.

Hyukjae leans close to his broom, his upper chest several inches off from touching it, as he urges forward for another lap around the field to look for the snitch. He keeps his eyes wide and open for another glimpse of gold and it’s long before he sees a flicker of wings.

But before he could do anything about it—Hyukjae catches sight of a tiny figure close to the field moving toward them with frantic speed. He thinks, hopes rising, that it’s who he has been missing out but close they get the hope is quickly dashed because Donghae will never disgrace himself by running across the field like a Dementor is on their heels. There are few observers in the Gryffindor’s stands—they’re mostly significant others, friends, and housemates watching and supporting them in the upcoming heated match—but the figure is not heading toward the stands but they look toward the sky, searching for something, or someone, desperately instead.

Hyukjae flies his broom closer to see and upon a closer inspection, Hyukjae quickly realizes its Suho from Ravenclaw and another one of Donghae’s many distant cousins. He pushes his broom to draw in close as Suho finally spots him and yells something at him.

Suho’s voice is muffled by the wide distance between them and the billowing of the wind that carries it away from Hyukjae, then he raises his wand and must have cast sonorus because the next thing Hyukjae hears, loud and clear, is, “Hyukjae-hyung! Donghae’s Veela charm got out of control again and he—”

Hyukjae didn’t let Suho his sentence because he’s already pushing his broom swiftly down to the ground. Everything is a blur as he descends at unmentionable speed, nearly freefalling from the sky. He drops down right in front of Suho, nearly startling him out of his skin.

“Where?!” Hyukjae demands furiously, pulling up his broom and gripping it tightly in his hands. It’s never a good thing when Donghae’s Veela charm is triggered. The last time it had happened, there was almost a riot in the street of Hogsmeade in their third year and Donghae had a broken arm and sprain leg for his trouble because people wouldn’t stop trying to grab him for themselves.

Donghae is headstrong, proud, and he’s a Slytherin through and through, to him this is a sign of weakness as if asking for help make him the one at fault but Hyukjae couldn’t care less about Slytherin’s sentiments because Donghae is in trouble. Though Donghae always teases him for being a stupid noble Gryffindor, Hyukjae is always a little stupid when it comes to Donghae.

 ---

Hyukjae doesn’t have time to change out of his quidditch gears nor ask to be excused from practice to his captain, but the desperation that must have been written all over his face because Hangeng dismisses him before he could even utter a single word. He even threw his prized broom, the magnificent Starfire he got for his birthday last year from Donghae, at Junsu to take care of it before dashing across toward the school with Suho closely following behind him.

By the time he got to the library, chaos reigns and there were people stunted on the floor and spells were flying as a handful of students were fighting each other, and at the center of it all is Donghae. They were all clawing at Donghae like rabid zombies, mindless and feverish and completely madden with the desire for him. Hyukjae doesn’t hesitate and holds his wand out as he cast the first spell that comes to his mind.

His private dueling lessons with Kim Heechul coming to the forefront as he keeps the spell coming and throwing students aside with a single word and a wave of his hand, breaking through the mass to get to Donghae.

“You think you can protect Donghae with that measly protego? Pathetic.” Heechul sneered, staring down at Hyukjae’s wounded form on the floor. “Donghae can out duel you blindfolded on his worst day. If you intend to stick by my cousin’s side in the future, you better shape up and learn to use your wand not just as a tool but an extension of yourself. Donghae is the pride and jewel of our family, our most precious treasure, he had spent his entire life dodging attempted assassinations and kidnapping because of our family’s name and who he is, and to think he would choose to associate himself with a Muggle-born,” Heechul says and sighs deeply. “He’s better off sticking to just our house, at least we can guard him better and there won’t be another repeat of the Hogsmeade’s incident and I wouldn’t have to visit my dearest cousin in the infirmary.”

“Don’t. I—I won’t let you take him away from me,” Hyukjae had spit out, and slowly rise to his feet even when every moment causes his body to cry out in pain. He held his wand out again and this time it no longer trembled as he pointed it directly at Heechul. “I’m not done yet. Again.”

For a moment, as brief as a blink of an eye, Hyukjae could have sworn he’s seen a most pleased smile on Heechul’s face before it all but disappeared and his face adopted an unimpressed look once more. “Alright, it’s your funeral little Gryffindor.”

Those grueling and torturous hours he had spent with Heechul had paid off in the end because in a moment like when countless spells are woven together by many different people, with their voice rising as they lay jinxes and hexes after another, Hyukjae finds his calm amongst the storm of it all. He attacks and dodges the spell thrown at him with a ferocity reserved for his enemy and each and every one of them who touch and hurt Donghae is his enemy in this red haze of battle fever.

Eventually, he pulls Donghae out of the horde and just in time for the prefects and teaching staff to arrive and shut it all down completely.

Donghae gets a firm instruction to get out of there so they can clean up the mess and bring back order to the library, so Hyukjae lets the professors and prefects deal with the rest of the charmed students as he drags Donghae away. He leads Donghae down the winding hall of Hogwarts and toward the Slytherin dungeon. The safest place for Donghae right now.

Donghae silently trails after him as Hyukjae directs him to his dormitory but Donghae doesn’t seem to want to go there for some reason not when every step Hyukjae takes forward with Donghae in it feels like he dragging a wall.

Hyukjae abruptly turns around and glares at Donghae, a snappish remark on his tongue about Donghae dragging his feet but when he looks at Donghae and his feet it dies. “Where is your other shoe?” he asks gruffly, after finally noticing the reason for Donghae’s sluggish pace.

“I think someone took it,” Donghae grumbles, looking down at his right foot displeasedly and wiggling his bare toes.

Now that the battle fever finally left him, sobriety crashes down on Hyukjae with a dawning horror he takes a real close look at Donghae.

Donghae wears a sour expression on his face as lets Hyukjae looks him over and as Hyukjae’s eyes slide past Donghae’s disarray hair, the tattered remnants of a chunk of his robe, and there—right there is a slight scratch on his left cheek.

Hyukjae grabs Donghae’s chin forcibly as Donghae’s let out a surprised gasp. He tilts it upward and toward him for a closer examination.  “Who,” he demands, low and guttural as his thumb brush the red thin streak of abrasion rising from Donghae’s soft skin. He thinks of all the noble, heroic traits Donghae likes to that tends to attach itself to his House and knows Donghae would be so disappointed in him if he can see the true side of Hyukjae. Whenever he thinks someone hurting Donghae, putting something however temporary as it is on Donghae’s person, he wants to rip them apart, tear right into them, and think of the most painful and cruelest of curses and let it pass his lips.

They don’t get to leave their mark on Donghae. Nobody touches Donghae, not even over Hyukjae’s dead body.

Donghae rolls his eyes and pushes Hyukjae back with an annoyed huff. “Kangsoo’s unmanicured fingernail that’s who. I’m going to pay him back tenfold as soon as I see him again,” he threatens with a malicious grin, as though forgiveness was easy as that when Hyukjae is the one who is clouded with indignant rage and his head is filled with a horrifying amount of terrible thought on Kangsoo’s person. The crime he wants to commit in Donghae’s name.

No, no charm can elicit such a response from him, that’s all him. All Hyukjae, he thinks remorsefully, he’s not so golden and noble at all when it comes to Donghae. If only Donghae realize that. 

“Right, we’re going to the infirmary,” Hyukjae suddenly declares, anger still thrumming low in his vein but more importantly the sickening feeling directed at himself.  “Madam Gan is going to check you over.”

“Do we have to?” Donghae complains. “I have been in there so much many times already that Madam Gan might as well reserved a bed with my name on it.”

Hyukjae’s narrow his eyes and resists a more malicious comment on that. “And why do you think that is?” He glares.

Donghae’s lips protrude out in a pout. “It’s not my fault that my Veela’s charm got out of control so suddenly and I was the one who was attacked, so why are you blaming me.”

Hyukjae sighs, raking a hand through his hair wearily. “Let me ask you this, did you take your Veela Suppression Charm potion this morning?”

Donghae quickly diverts his gaze away from Hyukjae, looking down at the floor. “Um,” he says and that’s all Hyukjae need to know.

“Donghae,” he bites out, so furious with Donghae that he nearly combust with it. “You should know better!”

Donghae jerks his head up and glares. “I forgot okay? I thought it’ll be fine if I didn’t take it one day, just for one day. I didn’t plan for my Veela’s charm to get so out of control like that! Do you think I like when people start professing their undying love to me without a care about my own feelings and force their way into my personal space like they have every right to,” he shakes his head furiously and his hands tighten into a fist, “And—and if people really wanted me to keep my Veela’s charm under control, then they should have made the Veela’s Charm Suppression potion taste better because every time I drink it it’s like someone threw up in my mouth.”

Hyukjae’s step forward and caught Donghae’s fists in his, unfurling the clenched hands and holding them gently in his. “I’m sorry,” he says regretfully and he is, he wants to take all of Donghae’s burden, all his suffering onto Hyukjae’s shoulders and carry it if he could. “I know that I can barely understand what you’re going through but just please, please don’t forget to take your potion, okay? I worry I can’t help it whenever I think if I didn’t get there in time what would happen to you and that scares me.” At Donghae’s slow nod, Hyukjae smiles and continues, “But what triggered this outburst of your Veela charm this time?”

There’s a lengthy pause before Donghae answer. “I don’t know,” he says, chewing on his lower lip thoughtfully and it’s a lie. For a Slytherin, Donghae could be a terrible liar sometimes or maybe Hyukjae just got better at reading Donghae after all these years but Hyukjae will let it slide because if Donghae is not ready to tell them he’ll wait. He has always been particularly good at waiting.

“You should be more careful next time then,” he says, instead. “What if I wasn’t there in time to help you?”

“But you always come and save me anyway,” Donghae says, surging forward and moving into Hyukjae’s space, nearly startling him. 

Hyukjae shakes his head, trying to step back but Donghae won’t let him. “I can’t always be there though.” It’s something that he hates admitting to, but Donghae can’t rely on Hyukjae forever because there will be times when he isn’t there or is not needed anymore, and—and a dark twisted part of him, that claws at his heart, desperately hopes that day will never come. 

“But you’ll find a way anyway,” Donghae insists, locking his gaze into Hyukjae’s and there’s no Veela’s charm, no love potion, no spell that could explain the way Hyukjae is feeling. The tightness in his chest, the dryness caught in his throat, and the feeling of total unadulterated love he feels for Donghae, so huge and all-consuming that he’s drowning in it. The anchor of their entire friendship hinged on the fact that Hyukjae’s immunity to Donghae’s ‘otherness’ that make him different than everyone else that desire Donghae in that way.

“How can you be so sure?” he demands, trying to pull away—trying to escape but Donghae’s hands tighten around him, refusing to let go.

Donghae’s face blossoms into a slow and sure smile. “Because you’re Lee Hyukjae, you’re the first to charge into any sort of situation without even considering the danger around you and the thought of anybody being harm in any way when you could have done something about it, hurt you to your very core. You got the soul of Gryffindor and the heart of a Hufflepuff, being all noble and heroic is pretty much in your blood. I just know you will come for me no matter what because it’s you,” he says confidently. “I believe in you if nothing else.”

Hyukjae’s cheek flush. “Stop saying such embarrassing thing,”

Donghae grins. “It’s true though,” he says, lacing their fingers together.

Hyukjae couldn’t help smiling then because as much as he's afraid of this feeling inside of him, festering like an open wound, he's glad that's it's Donghae that he gives his heart to.

He leans in and presses their forehead together. His heart thudding in his ears as everything around them goes dark and fades into the background because his entire world is right here in front of him, in this small insignificant space share between them. “You’re so stupid for having so much faith in me,” he murmurs, so close to Donghae that he’s breathing Donghae in and out as if he could take all of Donghae into his body. “That’s just not very Slytherin of you though, you giant Hufflepuff.” 

Donghae scowls, shoving him away as Hyukjae stumbles back with a laugh. “Here I am complimenting you and you insult me instead,” he says sulkily. “And don’t call me a Hufflepuff.”

“Fine, fine,” Hyukjae acquiesces even as he couldn’t hide the amusement in his voice. “Okay, we should be going now, I want to make sure Madam Gan have time to look you over.”

Donghae looks down at his feet one more time and then up at Hyukjae again with a cheeky grin. “Carry me then,” he demands impertinently.

“What, did you hurt your leg or something?” he asks, waves of concern seeping through his voice.

“No,” Donghae shakes his head, “I’m just tired so carry me,” he says, spoken like the youngest child of a pureblood family who has never known the word no.

Hyukjae just lets out a heavy sigh but he turns around anyway, bending over and hunching down for Donghae.

“Yay,” Donghae says with no shame at all as he hops on to Hyukjae’s back. Childish, whimsical, and fiercely loyal—Donghae never does anything by halves and Hyukjae always gives and give till there’s nothing left of him.

Hyukjae reroutes his path to the infirmary with Donghae clinging to his back. They’re halfway toward their destination in companionable silent when Hyukjae recalls a nagging thought that wouldn’t from earlier. “You haven’t been coming to my quidditch practice,” he says, trying for casual but it was anything that.

After a loaded second, “Your housemates make it perfectly clear they don’t want me there,” Donghae replies and there’s an underline of bitterness that broke through.

Hyukjae pulls to sudden a stops as Donghae tightens his grip on Hyukjae, wrapping his arms around Hyukjae’s neck as though it would anchor him there. “That never stop you before,” Hyukjae points out quietly. It’s the most permissive thing he can say without explicitly requesting that Donghae be there at Hyukjae’s practice just because he misses seeing Donghae’s distinct figure in the stand.

It’s another tense second before he finally answers. “Okay, I’ll come by next time,” Donghae murmurs and though he can’t see the expression on Dognahe’s face, Hyukjae can feel a ghost of smile pressed against his back and that’s enough.

It has to be for now. Hyukjae won’t ask for much, he’ll take what he can get and if this is all he can have then so be it.

 ---

Junsu stretches out his left arm and flexes the wrist, working on his swollen joints and getting his muscle to move again. He holds back a slight hiss pain from an injury incurred by Donghee’s accidentally hitting his forearm with the quaffle, snapping at his wrist that had Hangeng ordered him down on the pitch to rest up as the team continues on with their practice.

It isn’t that bad compared to the other hits he had taken before by other teams but their captain is a worry worth and Junsu decides to indulge in his over-protectiveness so he can spend some time out of the chilly air kicking through the pitch. 

Who thought practicing just as the bite of winter hits is a good idea? Clearly, they didn’t ask or wanted Junsu’s opinion. He sighs, resting his left hand back down on his lap and lets himself enjoy this moment before he goes back to the pitch.

“Not joining practice?” an annoyingly familiar voice disrupts his reprieve. “I see they decide you’re not worth it, eh?”

“What are you doing here again?” Junsu demands instead, ignoring the quip, as the intruder slides into the seat next to him on the bench much to his chagrin. “Come to spy on us so you can ruin our chance at getting the Cup this year again?” He casts a suspicious glance Donghae’s way. 

“Please,” Donghae scoffs, rolling his eyes as he settles down in the seat, “like we even need to cheat to beat your pitiful team.”

Junsu bristles at that. “We’ll win this year,” he asserts at the reminder of that bitter defeat before the Cup. To have Hyukjae catch the snitch but still be outscored and lose the game anyway was a painful experience for all of them that none of them bare to repeat it again.

“Lie to yourself that will make it better,” Donghae says with a rather cherry smile and Junsu has the vivid reminder why the two of them don’t really get along and it has nothing to do with the animosity between their House.

“You—“ he starts but Donghae shushes him with a flap of his hand.

“Anyway, don’t worry I’m just here to support Hyukjae,” he tells Junsu, pulling his robe closer as the first sign of winter breezes past them. “I have no interest in the inter-house rivalry.”

“Right,” he says a little doubtfully but leaves it at that. Donghae wouldn’t be here if Hangeng didn’t allow it and he’s not going to argue with his captain, even if he thinks Hangeng is a little blind to the Slytherin’s conniving ways.

They sit in silence, stewing in the chilly air of winter and watching the practice going on around them.

“Hangeng is going to make Hyukjae captain next year, right,” Donghae says and it’s not a question. His eyes are trained on the sky, at the several specks of dots zooming back and forth above them, but he's intently focused on one particular dot that shoots all over the sky whom Junsu can only assume is Hyukjae because who else would Donghae’s bother that much with. 

“Yea,” Junsu reluctantly admits, it’s not exactly news when Hangeng is pretty much training Hyukjae to take his place since Hyukjae had joined the team in their third year. “Hangeng is graduating soon, so he wants to focus on his study more and let Hyukjae take over next year.” 

“Hyukjae is going to be a good captain,” says Donghae, rather matter-of-factly like there’s no doubt in his mind and it’s as sure as the sky is above them.

Even with their House dividing them, Junsu doesn’t have much in common with Donghae anyway, their entire relationship mostly revolves around catty comments and sidestepping each other so that Hyukjae stop making increasingly hurt expression at the two of his favorite people inability to get along with each other but Donghae is vicious and demanding and refuses to surrender any part of Hyukjae to anyone, even though Junsu knew Hyukjae first. It’s a rather tense relationship they have with each other, with only Hyukjae as the lynchpin that holds them together but despite it all, even he knows that Donghae has Hyukjae’s best interest at heart, even if he’s rather devious little that can’t be exactly trusted with anything.

Donghae stares up at the sky, transfixed at the dot flying across the field and his eyes are eerily bright and he seems to glow with a warm and fuzzy aura and–   

“Control yourself,” Junsu says tightly, voice low and his body flushed with an indiscernible heat as the urge to grovel at Donghae’s feet and promising to lay an entire nation at his feet.

“Oh,” Donghae says, blinking and seems to be taken back by it. He shuts his eyes and concentrates as the compulsion to please Donghae starts wane within Junsu and he can almost feel his common sense crawling back into his head again. “Sorry,” he says, opening his eyes up again and has the grace to look abashed about it.

“Just try not to do that again,” Junsu grumbles, regaining his composure and doesn’t feel the impulse to wax poetry about the color of Donghae’s eyes and the way the light of hits him in all the right way and–

“It’s just–” Donghae starts, cheeks tinting and eyes bright, and it’s kind of strange to see him lacking the high and mighty Slytherin’s pretense that he always wear, “I love seeing Hyukjae fly like that, so free and unguarded and the way he controls the broom and makes the entire sky his own like—“

“Oh god stop talking,” Junsu pleads, letting out a groan as heat pools at the pit of his stomach, “I don’t want to hear those filthy thoughts about my best friend coming from you of all people.”

Donghae’s lips purse into a sulky pout.  “They’re not filthy, I was just complimenting him!”

“From your mouth it is,” Junsu mumbles under his breath as Donghae sends him a withering glare. 

Donghae shoots him a glare before turning back to the sky once more, and the silent overtakes them again.

Junsu doesn’t know how anyone can not notice the raging crush Donghae has on Hyukjae that it can be practically seen from outer space. He almost feels pity for Donghae if Donghae wasn’t so—so Donghae.

It isn’t until several minutes later, he watches Donghae turn his gaze from the sky and pulls out his wand from his robe. Junsu automatically reaches for his as the fight instinct kicks in but Donghae points the wand at his scarf and murmurs, “Evanesco,” and just like that the green and silver Slytherin’s scarf disappears from his neck.

Junsu blinks. “What are you–,” he begins but he hears a whistle blow and turns his head to see Hangeng calling his team in for short break.

Donghae abruptly gets up from his seat and rushes toward the middle of the field, waving his hand as Hyukjae spots him from above. He drops his broom down next to Donghae with a graceful flourish that always makes Junsu a little jealous.  

“You’re here,” Hyukjae says, his face opens up into a beatific smile.

“Why wouldn’t I be? I just have to check out the competition for our upcoming Slytherin-Gryffindor match, of course,” he says coolly as though he hasn’t had the same conversation with Junsu and said something entirely different.

“Oh? And how do we look?” Hyukjae seems entirely too amused by it to be a real concern.

“Passable,” he says waving a dismissive hand and Hyukjae smiles in response, snatching Donghae’s hand in his.

“You’re freezing,” Hyukjae says, alarmed and drops the broom in his other hand to clutch both of Donghae’s hand in his. “Where is your scarf?”

Junsu watches with a sick fascination as Donghae, with seemingly no hesitation or remorse, calmly weaving an inventive tale to Hyukjae. “Oh right, I was rushing to see you that I forgot it in my dorm,” he says, and even pulls off a convincing huff to go with it. “When I finally realized I forgot it, I was already here and decided it wasn’t worth the trip back.”

“You’re going to catch a cold at this rate,” Hyukjae says, frowning like an overly concern mother. 

That sly little snake, Junsu grudgingly thinks in admiration.

“Warm me up then,” Donghae demands haughtily, and if it was Junsu, he would have probably had punch the brat in the face but Hyukjae looks fondly onward like the kind of parent who is entirely blind to their child misbehaving way no matter how painfully obvious it is.

“Here.” Hyukjae pulls off his scarf and carefully wraps it around Donghae’s neck. “Warm enough for you, Your Highness?”

Junsu feels sorry that Hyukjae doesn’t even realize how completely ensnared he is in Donghae’s trap.

“Could be better,” says Donghae charitably, tugging the scarf closer to his lips and Hyukjae laughs, sounding delighted as he squeezes Donghae’s hands in his and looking a little too cozy for Junsu’s taste.  

“Hey,” Junsu says loudly from his spot, feeling like some kind of ert looking into something he really shouldn’t be seeing.

Donghae turns around and narrows his eye at Junsu like Junsu is in the wrong here, which Junsu wisely proceeds to ignore.

Hyukjae’s eyes widen at the sight of him. “Oh hey Junsu, I didn’t see you there, ” says sheepishly as though he has just taken notice of Junsu for the first time since Donghae saunters up to Hyukjae and taken all of his attention away, like some sort of black hole.

Junsu takes it back, these two clearly deserves each other. They are the actual worst.

a/n: you have no idea how much this 'verse made me cry but omgomg it's done. slytherin!donghae started off as joke w/ my last hp fic and then several years later im willing to die on this hill of slytherin!donghae. this is my 2nd hp fic and I ALWAYS ALWAYS BEEN A HUGE ER FOR CREATURE FIC esp veela in hpverse so i knew deep in my heart this fic fulfilled all my childhood dream.

ANYWAY, let's get down to srs bsn: i kinda made my own interperation of veela in this story. donghae's ancestor married a veela hundred years ago and every now and then someone in their generation is a throw back to it and donghae is that but his veela blood is unusually thick so his charm RUN AMOK A LOT. he spent most of his childhood trying not to get kidnapped by people wanting to take him away bc he's 'exotic' so donghae grew up kinda basking in his veela traits (bc his family are super protective and supportive of him) and resenting it bc it cause him sooo much bull. he and hyukjae met in their first years and donghae NOT EVEN STARTED SCHOOL yet was much talk about already and ofc catched everyone attention while hyukjae early on was a zero known factor. SO THINGS HAPPEN (spoiler) AND THEY BECOME FRIENDS but for hyukjae to stand beside donghae he can't just like hide in the shadow so he work super SUPER HARD TO BE SOMEONE OF OUTSTANDING for donghae. that's one of the main reason he work his off to finally get the acknowledgment from everyone... not that donghae know that lol.

so donghae's veela's charm doesn't work on hyukjae for REASONS (spoiler) so hyukjae is the perfect bodyguard/guardian over donghae and he take it v v v seriously. so donghae's charm work differently for different people 1) you're immune if you're already happily love already 2) donghae is completely OUT OF YOUR TYPE (like if you're a girl and your into other girls... so donghae is no go lol, tho this can be a bit flexiable if donghae isn't your type-type like if you only go for tall boys but if he push his charm even more maybe you're sway to think maybe short guys are ok) 3) you’re just naturally immune bc genetic lottery. Hyukjae is immune… but CAN YOU GUESS WHY??? ;DDDD