Gryffindors, and a Piece of Cloth

“OW.” Baekhyun yelped in pain as he grabbed his foot. Dammit.

“Sorry, sorry.” He heard Chanyeol whisper apologetically, “Walk— walk a bit over to the wall.”

Baekhyun huffed, “I would hit you on the arm, but I dunno where your arm is.”

“Amen for that.” Chanyeol muttered.

Baekhyun cursed silently, this wasn’t what he signed up for.

[An hour earlier]

“--So we just down the invisibility potion, and off we go.” Chanyeol explained excitedly, bouncing up and down in the sofa across from Baekhyun.

“Are you sure this is gonna work?” Baekhyun asked hesitantly, poking at the fireplace in the Gryffindor Common room, “I mean, what if we get caught by the beast instead?”

Chanyeol pouted and cuddled a feather cushion a bit closer to his face.

“Hey Baekhyun!” Luhan called from the dormitory staircase, “Just got word from Jongdae— he asks if any of you’ve seen Kyungsoo?”

“Well gee,” Baekhyun replied sarcastically, “I wonder where he could be, during a lockdown.”

Luhan frowned, “Don’t have to be so bitter ‘bout it.”

“Sorry Luhan,” Chanyeol apologized, scratching his head, “Tell Jongdae we haven’t seen him around.”

“Alright.” Baekhyun heard Luhan mutter something along the lines of “Ugh I don’t wanna send another owl,” as he went up the stairs.

“Anyway,” Baekhyun continued, flinching away as spark shot up from the embers, “ouch— so this is gonna work, right?”

“Hell yeah.” Chanyeol agreed, tossing aside his cushion, “And don’t try to hide it: I know you’ve brewed like, a stack of invisibility potions in the second drawer next to your bed.”

“I’m flattered you remember so much about my personal belongings.” Baekhyun replied flatly, stabbing the hearth now.

Chanyeol blushed and stuttered, “No, it just— uh, you drink them a lot? I guess? And I sometimes see them when I— uh.”

“Alright, alright.” Baekhyun laughed, “Geez, calm down.”

Chanyeol sank lower into the couch.

“Well, yeah. We could give it a try, I guess.” Baekhyun said nonchalantly, setting aside the fire poker and returning to the ottoman beside Chanyeol, “And we could always run if it goes bad, right?”

Chanyeol’s face lit up as he clapped Baekhyun excitedly on the back, “Knew I could count on you.”

Baekhyun huffed smugly, “That’s what friends are for.” He stood up, “I’ll go grab the potions, then we’ll be off.”

“Mind you, it’s almost midnight.” Baekhyun said, annoyed.

He heard Chanyeol sigh, “Yeah, I know. But we’ve gotta catch up to Ravenclaw in House Points at least, right?”

Baekhyun didn’t answer, and instead waited for the staircase to connect to the second floor platform.

“It’s gonna be fine, Baek.” Chanyeol said, no doubt a look of stupid smugness on his face, “If we catch this beast, there’s at least five hundred house points in it for both of us.”

“...Really?” Baekhyun replied.

“Yeah.” Chanyeol assured him, “Now come on, this way.”

Baekhyun stared at the empty corridors in front of him, no sight of Chanyeol. Damn, he’s really beginning to regret this whole invisibility thing.

“Which way is that.” Baekhyun stated flatly, “I can’t see you, you lil’.”

“First corridor on the left,” Chanyeol’s voice sounded more far away now, with an echo, “and no need for the language.”

Baekhyun sighed, “How do you even know which way to go.”

“Trust my instincts, will ya.” Chanyeol replied simply.

Baekhyun hurried his footsteps.

It felt strange walking through these corridors with no shadow cast on the walls and floor, and with only Chanyeol’s voice and footsteps as guide.

Perhaps he could cast Lumos. He fumbled around in his pockets for his wand, but it was extremely difficult as he couldn’t see where his pockets were. Baekhyun grumbled, and stopped in his tracks to dig deeper.

“Chanyeol?” He called, not looking up because he couldn’t see the giant anyway, “I think I lost my wand.”

“You probably just left it in the common room.” Chanyeol’s voice kept getting closer, “Where are you, anyways?”

“Under the painting of the pear.” Baekhyun answered, and looked down sadly, “I can’t believe I lost my wand.”

Chanyeol’s voice sounded much closer now, “Like I said, you must’ve left it in the common room.”

“...I guess— OW.”

Baekhyun clutched his foot in pain.

“Sorry, sorry— I didn’t see.”

“Bloody hell, Chanyeol.” Baekhyun swore, looking down at where his feet were supposed to be, “You’re gonna have to buy me a new pair after this.”

“Your shoes are nothing compared to the thousands of house points we’ll get.” Chanyeol said softly.

Baekhyun pouted, “How dare you insult my shoes.”

He heard Chanyeol sigh, “We should stay quiet from now on, so we don’t attract attention.”

Baekhyun stopped himself from nodding when he remembered they were invisible, “Alright.”

“So we’ll just meet up in front of the Hospital Wing, the potion—”

“Should wear off by then.” Baekhyun agreed.

“--and we’ll be able to see each other again. This is perfect.” Chanyeol said excitedly.

“Right, well.” Baekhyun said, “See you there.”

“You ready?” Jongin whispered, and looked back to see Kyungsoo nodding his head in affirmation, “Alright, let’s go.”

He carefully pushed open the doors of the Hospital Wing, and as he held his wand carefully in front of him, Jongin took the first step—

“OW.”

“OUCH— what—”

Jongin winced as he crashed headfirst into something soft, like a person, except— no one was there.

“Jongin, what—” Kyungsoo asked from behind him, his eyes wide.

“What are you doing here?” A deep and familiar voice boomed, “Wait, Kyungsoo was with you?”

“Who—” Jongin stuttered, “C-Chanyeol..?” he asked hesitantly.

“And Baekhyun.” Someone else added, “with a sad pair of been-stepped-on-three-times shoes.”

Kyungsoo groaned quietly, “Ugh, Baekhyun.”

Jongin carefully reached out a hand, and retracted it in shock when he touched something— someone.

“Are you two...invisible?” Kyungsoo asked softly, now besides Jongin.

“Well,” Baekhyun said regretfully, “Soon we won’t be.”

Jongin’s eyes widened in shock as two pairs of feet (and Baekhyun was right, those loafers did look sad.) slowly started appearing in front of them, with one tapping impatiently.

“Hm.” Chanyeol hummed, “Since you’re here, we’ve got some serious competition.”

Jongin blinked, “For what—”

“Well, I’d never have expected a Slytherin and a Hufflepuff teaming up, but you know—  whatever floats your boat.”

“Um.” Jongin stuttered, “What.”

“Competition for what?” Kyungsoo asked, stuffing his wand back into his pocket.

“For the beast, of course.” Baekhyun replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, “I mean, isn’t that what you two are here for too— although, Kyungsoo, I don’t know why out of all the people you could’ve brought, you bought Jongin? I mean, he can’t do besides flying—”

Kyungsoo looked up in shock with wide eyes, “What?”

Jongin silently swooned at Kyungsoo’s incredibly cute expression, but quickly pulled himself back to reality as he too, muttered an angry, “What did you say?”

“Offense intended.” Baekhyun muttered, now visible.

Jongin furrowed his brows, and angrily stomped on Baekhyun’s loafers.

“OW.” Baekhyun groaned, “You two lil’s, wait till I get my revenge…”

Kyungsoo sighed, and buried his face in his hands, “You guys— ”

But Kyungsoo never got to finish his sentence.

“RAAAARGH”

It was a terrible growl, like thundering echoing off the walls, like a wild beast out of its cage. The four turned around in alarm, facing the direction of the roar.

“La vache.” Kyungsoo swore quietly.

Jongin’s hand was around Kyungsoo’s wrist immediately, tugging him in the opposite direction.

“It’s here.” Jongin whispered frantically, his footsteps quiet but hurried, “Merlin, we’ve g