Pairing(s); Xiuchen and xiuchen and xiuchen

Rating/Notes;  PG? again, we are not off hiatus! However, I've written these ages ago, and decide to give yall an update, esp since there hasn't been xiuchen since the very beginning, and xiuchen is actually meant to be the main plot. So enjoy!

Jongdae had been a grand total of twelve years old when he, too bored with the engorgement charm (as if he didn’t know and use it already), sought after something much, much more exciting.

He was ticking off spells in ‘An Advanced Wizard's Guide to Spellwork' when he came upon a particular one he has always been dying to try out. And it’s not like his mother ever said anything against trying it out or forbidding him to do it until a certain age, and he was sure it wasn’t so complicated that he’d have to write to her.

So twelvie Jongdae picks up his wand and the big heavy book and journeys to the astronomy tower after dinner, where stars were just beginning to emerge in the evening sky. Jongdae sat down for a minute or so, admiring the streaks of colour dyeing the clouds pink and slowly blending into dark blue before standing and surveying the tower itself.

True that he was about halfway to figuring out some sort of a disassembling spell, but that’s not the point.

So Jongdae leaves his book sitting on the stone underfoot so he wouldn’t have to keep holding it and takes another glance at it, before raising his wand against the setting sun and muttering “expecto patronum”.

Jongdae had been confused. Why wasn’t anything happening?

Taking another glance at the book, he gives his wand another whirl of the wand movement. And waited. No silvery puff of smoke, nothing springing to life from wand point. Save for the stars, the night air around him remained as empty and lonely as before.

‘Think of your happiest moments’

Jongdae frowns. Was receiving his Hogwarts letter not his happiest moment? Or was he not thinking hard enough?

Clearing his throat, Jongdae goes for it again—he’s prepared to camp up here if it means he’d eventually get it right.

Now. Jongdae prepared himself, stopped for a moment to think of a singular moment of his greatest happiness. When was he happiest?

“Expecto Patronum!”

And Jongdae was knocked back by the gush of a HUGE silver thing that shot out from wand-tip, illuminating the entire tower as it darted around him before settling into shape infront of his eyes.

A dolphin?

Jongdae blinks once, twice, slowly climbing back to his feet, with his wand held in front of him.

Then suddenly, his face erupts in a brilliant smile, almost as bright as the glow of his silver patronus—he reached out a hand to its head with the tips of his fingers, hearing it’s chirrups and click-clicks in appreciation. It pokes its snout into Jongdae’s hair, and the sounds of his bubbling giggles and the dolphin’s chirrups echo in the silence of the tower.

Jongdae spent a good few hours lying on the cold tiles of the tower with the heavy book as a pillow, watching his patronus dance amongst the stars until the time came for Filch to move onto patrolling the dungeons. Only then does Jongdae deem it safe to go, with his patronus gliding down the dark Hogwarts hallways infront of him, much more effective at lighting the way than a spark of light at wand-tip.

“You WHAT?”

Jongdae rolls his eyes as his best friend grabbed him by the front of his robes.

“What even is that??”

“It’s a patronus, Chanyeol.”

“You mean where you turn into an animal?”

“No,” Jongdae sighs impatiently. “Where you summon an animal embodiment of positive energy in order to use it against dementors.”

“OH. But isn't that hard for most wizards to do?”

“Is it? Oh well.”

“SHOW ME.”

Jongdae rolls his eyes again, before muttering a quiet ‘expecto patronum’, and Chanyeol’s knocked off his bed in the boys' dorm with a loud yell as the large dolphin springs to life, lighting up the entire, messy, room.

Even after Jongdae vanishes it with a quick move of his wand, Chanyeol continues staring from the floor with frighteningly crazed eyes and jaw hanging wide enough for an acromantula to climb through, which is exactly what Jongdae informs him of before Chanyeol quickly shuts it.

“Holy ing ,” Chanyeol whispers.

Needless to say, when Jongdae and his brothers returned home for the holidays, Jonghyun has never been more green as he watches the dolphin swim from Jongdae’s wand, merry chirrups filling the air as it swam around them.

Their mother gasps in delight, treating Jongdae for his success and daring, while Jonghyun pouts as nothing more than wisps of silver float from his wand.

It’s like a red flare popped up in his head the moment he sees the boy’s face round the corner.

Minseok fumbles, scrambling blindly around, not knowing to go right or left, to dive in the broom closet or unused classroom, to head into the Charms or Arithmancy corridor.

Meanwhile Jongdae slows down, watching Minseok panic, running around like the frantic hamster he is.

He made up his mind: he was going to go to that new pet shop next Hogsmeade trip and buy a hamster and name it Baozi.

Minseok, with a little squeak, runs wildly down the Charms corridor after a few moments of hesitation.

Jongdae waits for him to round another corner and collapses on the carpet, dying of laughter. That was how a professor finds him, and sends him down to the Head Master’s office, believing he was taking such enjoyment out of someone else’s misery again.

Technically that was true, but this time he really didn’t do anything.

Which makes Jongdae wonder, as he finally gets out of the cursed place in time for lunch, why that baozi boy avoided him like the plague. He cranes his neck, looking over Do Kyungsoo’s short little head over to the Hufflepuff table.

Minseok was peeking up through his eyelashes at the blue table, and then sees that unmistakable T-rex face peep up to look at him. He instantly drops his head, almost right into his bowl of soup and tries eating with as much subtlety one can get with their face millimetres from their bowl.

Poor, poor Minseok—unfortunately, ‘T-rex boy’ happened to have caught that and was holding his breath in a poor attempt to cover his giggles, face dangerously close to his food too. Lee Jinki stares at him, then looks over to the Hufflepuff table, eyebrow raised. Confused, he just returns to his food.

From the corner of his eyes, Jongdae watches until no one seems to take note of him, then lets out a quiet snort of laughter. Kyungsoo stares at him in alarm.

Jongdae finally lets out the laughter he’s been holding in.

Minseok decides it not safe to visit the kitchens that night. He really doesn't want to be a hamster again.

Minseok sticks his head around the corner. His hair flips wildly from side to side, scanning the empty corridor. A wide grin spreads across his face. He straightened up, strolling casually around the corner, stuffing the last of his pumpkin pie in his mouth, munching.

From behind a shield of darkness, a pair of eyes was trained on the Hufflepuff beater as he walked past, just off his fingers. A wand was raised, pointed at him.

Minseok was instantly swung up into the air by the ankles. He lets out a loud, very much feminine scream, eyes wide in horrified shock.

His limbs flail wildly, robes almost slipping over his head, constantly letting out a stream of shrieks.

“WHAT THE HONEST ”

As Jongdae gazed at him from the shadows, he begins internally praising himself—he’d placed a sound barrier in preparation beforehand. He pokes his head out from behind the statue he’d taken refuge behind.

Minseok had stopped screaming though. It wouldn’t do any good if a teacher –or Filch—was attracted to the site. Sure he’ll be let down, but that doesn’t free him from interrogations and possibly detention as to why he was creeping along the corridors from the kitchens a good deal past midnight.

Jongdae saunters forward, a wild grin stretched across his face. “Hi!”

Minseok gives a sudden start, noticing Jongdae having suddenly stepped out from behind where he couldn’t previously see. His jaw drops open the best it could hanging upside-down. He just gapes openly at Jongdae, before a single word punctured the silence. “…You!”

“How’s it hanging, baozi?” Jongdae flashes him a row of teeth. He already found it irresistible holding in his grin. Minseok looked part adorable part hilarious with his jaw dropped open, arms holding down his robes and face turning red from the blood rushing down to his head.

“Don’t. Call. Me. That.” Minseok hissed through gritted teeth, emphasising each and every syllable. “And do I look very happy hanging to you?!” he snaps.

“Why shouldn’t I call you that?” Jongdae pokes a slightly-pink cheek and giggles. “To be honest, you’ve upgraded from a hamster. You look like a chipmunk.”

Minseok scowls at him, narrowing his eyes in constant paranoia Jongdae would pull that hamster-cheeks thing on him again. “Go. Away.” He paused. “ACTUALLY, don’t go away, let me down THEN go away. And STOP. POKING. ME!” He shrills.

Jongdae gazes at him in increasing amusement. Was it strange he found him adorable, like this? “Aww come on, I’m just having a bit of fun,”

“Well,” Minseok grits his teeth. “I’m not having too much fun here.”

Jongdae’s eyes find an abandoned pastry, that he had much reason to believe fell out of one of his pockets. He bends down to pick it up, offering it to him. “Cheer up baozi, trying to be grumpy doesn’t suit you.”

Have you seen a hamster look utterly pissed off? Jongdae could swear Minseok looked like that.

Minseok was glaring through half-slitted eyes, staring unwavering at the pastry Jongdae was patiently holding out to him for quite a while, gears in his mind turning as he contemplated. It was only a matter of time before he took it anyway. “This isn’t good for digestion,” he mumbles through a mouthful. “I might throw up because-” Minseok munches. “I’m upside down.” He pops the rest of it into his mouth, cheeks puffing out.

“Doesn’t seem to stop you from eating it though, does it baozi?” Jongdae had been mildly disappointed—he’d wanted to see if he’d be able to feed him the pastry. But watching him eat compensated for it quite well.

Minseok scowls at him. “Nothing stops me from eating are you kidding me?”

Jongdae lets the laugh that’s been building up in his throat spill out. It set Minseok off.

He glared at him. “What are you laughing at??!” he snaps. “And I keep telling you to STOP. CALLING. ME. THAT!”

Jongdae his head playfully to one side, the corners of his lips still quirked up as his laughter subsides. A warm surge of anticipation blossoms from his chest. “What, baozi?” he grins. “Well what do I call you? I don’t know your name.”

“…..It’s Minseok. Kim Minseok.” Minseok settles for telling him after a moment of hesitation. “JUST so you’ll stop calling me baozi.” He huffs indignantly.

Jongdae only manages a tight close-lipped smile, stretching out a hand. “Nice to meet you, Kim Minseok, I’m Kim Jongdae.”

Minseok blinks, dragging out a long pause filled with suspicious half-squinting-chipmunk-glare directed at Jongdae, who stood his ground despite wanting to giggle and squish Minseok’s cheeks. Minseok awkwardly sticks out a hand, weirdly shaking Jongdae’s to the best of his ability upside-down.

“Okay.” Minseok mumbles gruffly. “Can you let me down now?”

“Let you down?” Jongdae his head to the side, a sickeningly sweet smile quirking up the corners of his lips in mock confusion. “Why would I do that?”

Minseok gapes at him at a mild loss of words. It wasn’t long before he manages to regain his composure to resume to scowling at Jongdae. It’s not every day you meet someone of such arrogance, he thought. In fact, Minseok doesn’t remember ever having to converse with anyone like this Kim Jongdae in a while. “What if I throw up all over the carpet.”

With a lavish wave of his hand, Jongdae pulls out a bucket from nowhere, all the while beaming at him. “Got you covered.”

Minseok lets his jaw slack again, eyeing the bucket.

“So, what year are you in, Kim Minseok?”

Minseok doesn’t answer straight away. He gives a low sigh. “Six. And WHERE do you even get all this from anyway???”

Jongdae shrugged in what he thought was a casual, cool manner. “If I’m anything, I’m always prepared. I’m in fifth year.”

Prepared for WHAT?? Minseok thought, but the last line catches his attention. A triumphant grin spreads across his cheeks.  “Well HAH I’m older than you!”

“And so you are.”

“…show more respect to your seniors, Kim Jongdae.” Minseok frowns at him. The guy was unnervingly rude, in Minseok’s books.

Jongdae had his hands sticking in his pockets, eyes fixed on Minseok. “Earn my respect, Kim Minseok.”

It left Minseok moderately stunned. His mind blanks. But he could feel his head spinning from being upside-down much too long, and opted for the desperate decision. He frowns at Jongdae. “Kim Jongdae I actually feel sick.” He paused, studying Jongdae’s face, before letting out a long “Kiiiiiiim Jooooooonngggdaaaaaaaaaee”.

Jongdae tilted his head to the side. “Are you trying to persuade me?”

“…somewhat.” Minseok pauses before blinking (read: batting his eyelashes best he could) and letting his lips curve into a pout. “Jongdae. Jooooonnngggggggdaaaeeeeee.”

Jongdae blinks, and smiles despite himself. “Aegyo? I didn’t know chipmunks could aegyo.”

“…well I’m not a chipmunk.” Minseok sighs. “It’s some mind-blowing Muggle science, but I’m actually a species called human.”

“Never heard of it.” Anything, Jongdae was desperately chanting inside his head, hoping it wasn’t showing on his attempted stoic face. Anything for that aegyo back…

Minseok heaves a sigh. “Of course YOU haven’t. But are you letting me down or not?” he scrunches his nose. “I actually have to go to sleep, I have quidditch practice tomorrow morning I’m not going to be able to wake up and Fany’ll kill me.” his words (with just the right bit of whine) were complimented nicely with a pout.

Jongdae found himself battling a war of will. He inhales, sharply, and doesn’t breathe out, eyes fixed on Minseok and lips pressed into a thin line. His heart was screaming at him—he found himself in an utterly vulnerable state, absolutely with zero resistance against that adorable pout. “Okay, okay,” he manages to breathe out, letting him down in a hurry. He didn’t want to see any more.

Minseok barely had enough time for his wide smile before he crashes face-first into the carpet. After a moment, he heaves himself up into a sitting position, rubbing a read forehead, pouting. The world spun, and despite sitting on his backside, he felt like he was swaying. But his eyes land on Jongdae, and another wide grin spreads across his face. Victory.

Minseok giggles, the tip of his tongue sticking out. “Thanks Jongdae!” he chirps, staggering to his feet, and taking a few tentative steps down the corridor, arms out for balance.

Jongdae gulps, and in the next moment, found himself calling after him. “Hey, if you like… I can help with your sleep problem too!”

Minseok slows down, just after he’d managed to walk a bit faster, turning around, walking backwards. He promptly trips over his own feet, falling on his . “What…?”

Jongdae was trying desperately to hold in a laugh. “I could make you a potion of dreamless sleep, it’ll help you get some rest.” He said earnestly.

Minseok blinks twice, and gets up, dusting off his . “Uhmm… o-kayyy…?” he drawls, clearly hesitant to spend another second with Jongdae.

Jongdae tilts his head back towards the general direction of the kitchens. “I’ve got the ingredients back there, it’s not hard to make.”

Minseok stays a short while in silence, contemplating. “Do you live in the kitchens or what? You were in there exploding potions last time too.” He shrugs. “Alright. AS LONG AS,” he quickly cut in, seeing the beginnings of a smile shadowing Jongdae’s lips. “you don’t hang me up again.” He scowled at him for the countless time that night.

Jongdae’s hands flew up in mock surrender. “No more suspensions for tonight, promise.”

Minseok’s eyebrow gives a twitch. “Okay then.” And Jongdae watches a grin turning his lips up. “Off to the kitchen we go!” he sings.

Jongdae lets him walk the slightest ahead, a small smile hanging on his face, watching Minseok fling his arms around in such a childish (cute) manner.

His chest thuds.

And Jongdae gets the same reaction, five minutes later, when he looks up from his cauldron in the space cleared in the kitchen, to see Minseok sitting on a tall, wooden stool, legs swinging around happily, surrounded by plates and plates of food.

“So how did it go with Do last time?” Minseok says between mouthfuls of cheese and crackers.

“Absolutely brilliantly. I still have to thank you for that,” Jongdae laughs above the bubbling from his cauldron, bustling to and from the cupboard of ingredients and the counter. “I detached his eyebrows from his face, making them flap together above his forehead, and guess what? He ing fainted.”

Minseok nearly chokes on the pastries he just shoved his mouth, Jongdae immediately offering a cup of water, watching him explode in giggles once he managed to down everything.

A smile pries Jongdae’s pressed lips apart, chuckling to himself. He pulls back, giving the potion one final stir. He fills a flask, handing it to him. “Now, remember to drink it all in one go WHEN YOU GET BACK TO YOUR—”

Minseok was blinking innocently up at him, the cup emptied.

Jongdae breaks out into a rush of panic. “YOU WEREN’T MEANT TO DRINK IT NOW!”

Minseok blinks, eyelids already growing heavy with the prospect of sleep. “Why—” He gives a wide yawn. “Why not?” he blinks sleepily up at Jongdae.

“YOU’RE GOING TO FALL ASLEEP RIGHT AWA—Never mind.”

Jongdae was half-way back to his table ready to clear out his ingredients and such, when Minseok sleepily sways on the precariously tall stool, body heavy with sleep, having lost the ability to sit upright. At one point, his head was barely an inch from crashing into the wall.

“.” Jongdae dove forward, an arm stretched out, ready to catch him.

However, Minseok doesn’t seem to notice any change—he was sleeping soundly against Jongdae’s arm, pinning it in between his head and the wall. He gives a little sniff, scrunching up his nose, and grabs the edge of Jongdae’s robes, nuzzling into it.

Jongdae freezes. “Errm, Kim Minseok?” he gulps, and gently prods Minseok’s arm.

Minseok replies only with a couple of incoherent mumbles, snuggling into Jongdae’s side.

Jongdae’s eyes spelled out the severe confusion conflicting with the thuds of his heart. He lifts his spare arm, and awkwardly pats Minseok on the head, soft hair passing under his fingertips.

Minseok cracks an eye open, blinking, shielding away from the strong sunlight spilling in. He lifts his arms above his head, stretching. And then pauses. And as if he’d only just realised, he swings his head around, all trace of sleepiness gone, half alarmed at the change in location—he wasn’t in his dorm. There was a shuffling at his feet. He looks down, finding a large-eyed house-elf. “….why am I in the kitchen…”

“You is falling asleep here last night, master Minseok!” the elf chirps, though Minseok had intended his statement to be more to himself.

“…I did?” and with a sniff of the air, he catches the unmistakeable trace of food. “OOOOOH is that breakfast??? Oh wait, I might be running late…”

“We is already making breakfast for you, master Minseok, you is not needing to worry!” the house-elf squeaks.

“Ooooooh, thanks guys!” Minseok grins. “What time is it?” and all of a sudden, the smile dwindles. “ Fany’ll murder me if I’m late to practise AGAIN…”

“It is just past seven, master Minseok! We was just going to be waking you up!”

Minseok blinks. “Oh!” His eyebrows were raised in surprise. “Oh wow I actually have time to eat my breakfast AND pack some snacks!” he was beaming, eyes lit with unexpected wonder.

“Yes, yes!” The house-elf nods enthusiastically, almost like sharing Minseok’s glee. “Just as master Jongdae is saying!”

Minseok pauses, the smile drops, and his eyebrows fly up, turning to stare at the house-elf. “……master Jongdae?” he repeats dumbly.

“Yes sir!” The elf was saying. “Master Jongdae is telling us to wake you and make you breakfast so you is not late for Quidditch practice!”

Another pleasant wave of surprise floods through Minseok. “…. Oh…! Really he said that…?”

“Yes sir, he is saying that to us.” The elf repeats firmly.

Minseok blinks, eyes wide. A small smile tugged at the corners of his lips. “Oh… well then… guess he probably isn’t that bad then, huh?” and his smile grows.

Minseok trudged up from the change rooms, grinning. Tiffany didn’t only refrain from yelling at him, she praised him quite a few times in practise, and looked visibly pleased he didn’t run late and wasn’t complaining about hunger all through practise. Those elves really fed him up, until he really couldn’t eat any more or he’d be risking throwing up after flying. The entire team was freed from Minseok’s hunger problem the entire session.

Minseok rounds a corner, and crashes head-first into someone and lands unceremoniously on his . Wincing, he looks up to find a laughing Kim Jongdae.

“Oh, hey baozi! You seem to like tripping over quite a bit, eh?” but Jongdae doesn’t bother to help him up, just staring down at him, grinning.

Minseok rubs his . “Didn’t I tell you my name so you wouldn’t call me baozi anymore?? And hey, it’s not my fault—you happened to be there around the corner.”

The twinkle in Jongdae’s eyes passes by Minseok, unnoticed.

“Oh yeah!” Jongdae pulls a mock thinking face. “What was your name again?” he snaps his fingers, as if just remembering. “Oh, Kim Minseok! What a boring name, I think baozi is much better.”

And with that, Kim Jongdae grins at him, and walks off.

Minseok had his mouth hanging open in a dramatic gape after him. “…Nope, you know what, I still think he’s a massive jerk.” He concludes, climbing to his feet and shooting a last glare towards where Kim Jongdae disappeared off to.

A/N: LOL THESE BITS DON'T MAKE SENSE

I wrote these a long time ago, and I just dug them up and tried to string them together but I did it awkwardly so now I think I ed up the order things were meant to go in. Sorry unicorn.

anyway, sorry about this train wreck, but we do have more we can offer you, so look forward to that at least? Esp more xiuchen. Lots of xiuchen.

~bunny