“You’re going to drop him you idiot,” Tao hisses as Kris stumbles for the millionth second time on the way back to the school.

“I am not,” Kris says back furiously. He’s so sick of Tao looking at him like that. He’s sick of seeing Tao’s smiling face turn into a glare every time Kris walks into the room. He’s sick of Tao spending all of his free time with Kai. 

He’s sick of not talking to his best friend.

And now they’re stuck carrying a Hufflepuff that Sehun hates back to the school because stupid Kai had to be stupid and leave Tao and Kris alone with Luhan.

Kris sighs. He’s got to figure out how to make things right between him and Tao. He doesn’t think he can last another week acting like they’ve never been friends before. 

He glances at the angry Slytherin in front of him. “Tao,” he starts, and Tao’s shoulders stiffen a little more, “remember that time when you convinced me to come with you to do that stupid dare with the greenhouses? Sehun was in on it too, I know, but you asked me to come with you guys.”

Tao keeps walking, but Kris knows he’s listening just because he hasn’t told Kris to shut up yet. 

“And then there was that time when I couldn’t find my wand anywhere, and I was freaking out and saying I couldn’t afford a new one, and you offered to buy one for me. And last year, when everyone wanted to go to the Halloween feast, but you were sick, so I stayed back in the common room with you, and I ran all the way down to the Great Hall to get you some of that pudding you love so much, and then we laughed so hard that you ended up spewing pudding everywhere.” 

Kris laughs a little at the memory, and Tao is walking faster, tugging poor Luhan between them.

“Oh, and then there was that one time with the-”

“Stop it Kris,” Tao suddenly interrupts, his voice unsteady.

Kris stops walking.

“What the-” Tao starts, turning around when Luhan’s legs are jerked from his grip. 

But his words are cut off as Kris pulls him into a bone-crushing hug.

“Let, ugh, go-” Tao groans, struggling against Kris’s chest. 

But Kris only tightens his hold, until Tao has no choice but to stop moving and stand still. 

“I’m sorry about the other night,” Kris says to a now-squished Tao, who’s trying hard not to kick Kris right between the legs.

But the apology seems to make Tao’s anger deflate, and he sags against his friend. 

“It’s okay,” Tao mumbles.

They stand there for a second, not moving, Luhan lying forgotten at their feet.

Kris pulls away first. “I guess we should catch up with the others,” he says, glancing down at where Luhan is starting to murmur in his sleep, nestling farther into the snow.

Tao nods, and smiles at him for the first time in forever, and even though both of them don’t know what they are to each other yet, at least they’re still friends.

“So why aren’t you back there helping Tao and Kris with your boyfriend?” Kai asks Sehun once they’ve finally made it back to the castle grounds.

Sehun almost drops Lay in surprise, and Suho makes a strangled noise behind them.

“Kai,” Sehun hisses, his temper flaring, “would you shut up for once?”

So that’s what the wink had been about back at The Three Broomsticks. Kai thinks he has a thing for the clumsy Hufflepuff. As if.

Kai smirks. 

Suho looks like he’s going to be sick. 

Lay is drooling on Kai’s coat, but Kai doesn’t seem to mind. 

Or maybe he’s just too busy making kissy faces at an increasingly frustrated Sehun.

Finally, after what feels like forever to Sehun, the four make it up