Disclaimer: I do not own any parts of the Pottermore Universe, including but not limited to: settings, characters, the mechanics of magic, etc. All of this belongs to the author of Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling, and Warner Bros. respectively. Idol characters are purely fictional and have no affiliation with the actual person and/or group.

A/n: Hello! I was going to post this yesterday, but then the photos and interview of Son Chaeyoung from the September 2019 issue of GQ Korea were released and I got too distracted. Y'all . . . Chaeyoung is aboely one of the most gorgeous persons to ever exist and has the iest mind on earth. I could write numerous of essays and critical analyses about Son Chaeyoung and her influence on this generation and within popular culture. Maybe I will one day. Graduate thesis, here I come. Haha. 

Anyway, here is a SaiDa one-shot: During her first-year at Hogwarts, Dahyun stays behind at school to accompany Sana as they celebrate Christmas together. Originally I intended this to be short and then somehow it ended up being fairly long. I don't know if all of the other one-shots will be this length, but I'm trying to not be long-winded. Oh well. This is super fluffy because story!Dahyun has been having a rough time in the OG plot and deserves some love. 

Dahyun anticipated the Christmas holidays. She loved the winter days spent in the coziness of her home, waking up on Christmas day to presents underneath the tree, and seeing her family’s reactions to the gifts she got for them. Arguably it was her favorite time of the year. She looked forward to going back home, eager to dish out the details about her new school life to her parents and her childhood best friend, Son Chaeyoung.

However, as she watched her good friend and Housemate Minatozaki Sana read a letter that morning, her heart was deterred. A scowl shadowed Sana’s sharp features – a rare sight for the third-year who was usually bright and bubbly.

“Is everything okay?” asked Dahyun, her voice slightly concerned.

Sana shook her head. “It appears that I will be staying here for the holidays . . .” She trailed off, not bothering to elaborate why she couldn’t go home during their break, but Dahyun suspected it must’ve been serious. Sana’s eyes scanned the letter over and over again, as if the more she read each word, their meaning would change somehow.

Finally setting down the parchment, Sana let out a sigh.

Immediately, something tugged at Dahyun’s heartstrings and she wanted to pull her Housemate into a long comforting hug. She knew that Sana didn’t have any siblings and whilst she was super close to Hirai Momo, another Hufflepuff girl, Momo was already scheduled to go on a cruise with her sister over break.

It must be really lonely being an only child, Dahyun thought to herself. She couldn’t imagine not having her older brother with her growing up!

“I’ll stay with you, Sana!” Dahyun exclaimed impulsively. Sana threw the pale girl a look of bewilderment.

“Oh, Dahyunnie, you don’t have to. This is your first year here at Hogwarts and it’s probably been difficult staying away from your family for a long time. You should go home,” Sana fussed.

Dahyun shook her head vigorously. “But you’ll be left alone here!” she cried out, and then quietly added, “and I don’t want you to be alone . . .”

Sana pressed her lips together. Dahyun noticed that though the older girl was hesitant, there was a glimmer of hope in her warm, honey-colored eyes. “A-are you sure? Will you actually stay here for the holidays?”

The pale girl didn’t even need to think it over. “Yes,” she declared. “I’m sure my parents will be fine with it.”

Dahyun’s parents weren’t exactly fine with her staying for the holidays. After she had written them a lengthy letter explaining her sudden desire to stay at school over Christmas, they immediately sent back a response expressing their disappointment. Dahyun could tell that in between the lines, her family had dozens of unanswered questions, but nonetheless, they let it be and said if this is what she wanted to, they would support her. In spite of her upcoming absence though, Dahyun’s parents were happy that she was making new friends at Hogwarts. They wished her an early Merry Christmas and said they’d send her presents when it got closer to the holiday.

And so, it was set: Dahyun and Sana would spend the winter holidays together at school.

Sana bounced up and down happily when Dahyun confirmed the news. She pulled the first-year into a tight hug. “This is so great! Thank you, thank you, thank you, Dahyunnie! I honestly can’t tell you how much this means to me.” Dahyun smiled into Sana’s shoulder, reciprocating the hug.

After several minutes of embrace, the two girls let go with grins still sitting on their lips.

“I can’t wait for Christmas morning! Exchanging gifts, drinking hot chocolate with the beautiful, snowy scenery outside . . . both of us wrapped up in blankets, cuddling next to the fireplace!” squealed Sana. “I never really celebrated the day with anyone aside from my parents and grandmother –goodness, I’m so excited! This will be the very best Christmas yet!”

Sana continued to blab on how thrilled she was whilst Dahyun faltered, jaw slacked. Presents? She was well-aware that the spirit of Christmas was all about giving, but it hadn’t occurred to her until that very moment that she actually needed to get something for someone she hadn’t known for that long. They only met four months ago! And since Sana was raising her expectations for this holiday to be the very best, Dahyun felt the pressure to find the perfect gift for her Housemate.

What could she possibly get Sana for Christmas?

Dahyun started by asking the person who knew Sana the best: Momo. The two were practically sisters. Although they had not known each other before coming to Hogwarts, after both being sorted into Hufflepuff, the girls immediately clicked and had been inseparable ever since.

“A gift for Sana . . . hmmm . . .” Dahyun and Momo were lounging in the Hufflepuff Basement one evening, their homework sprawled out in front of them accompanied by a plate of snacks. The two would usually hang out together in the common room after a long day of school. Dahyun seized the moment to ask Momo because Sana was busy with Quidditch training (yes, even with winter and snow approaching).

“Well, what do you get her each year?” asked Dahyun, thinking that perhaps she could get some inspiration.

Momo her chin thoughtfully as if she had an imaginary beard. “We typically just pick out clothes for each other from a shopping catalogue; we exchange presents before we leave on break. This year I got her a new coat that she really wanted and a pair of socks with a badger’s face on them.”

“Oh.” Clothes were nice and all, but Dahyun didn’t think they were the perfect gift for Sana. Besides, Dahyun secretly thought that Sana already had enough clothes in her closet. (She had been inside the third-year’s dorm room before, and let’s just say calling it a ‘pigsty’ was being nice.)

“You could try appealing to her other interests,” suggested Momo.

“Which are . . .?”

Momo furrowed her brow in deep thought. “Uh . . . cute things?”

Dahyun’s shoulders slumped. That was very specific - NOT!

“Sorry I’m bad at this, Dahyun. Maybe you should ask Nayeon or Jihyo, I think they’d be better at giving suggestions,” Momo said, offering the pale girl a sympathetic smile.

“That’s okay,” Dahyun replied with a sigh.

This was going to be a lot harder than she thought.

The next person Dahyun planned to ask was Nayeon. The older girl was a fourth-year in Slytherin, which many said was an excellent fit. Confident. Bold. Ambitious. Persistent. Annoying. All words had been used to describe the Im Nayeon . . . making Dahyun utterly intimidated to approach her.

Dahyun chewed her bottom lip as she hid behind a bookcase filled with volumes of herbal solutions to fungal foot infections. Currently, she was in the school library. She had followed Nayeon around the entire Saturday morning, hoping to gain the courage to talk to the older girl, but hadn’t been successful yet. She was getting there . . . (she hadn’t budged from her spot for the last fifteen minutes).

Nayeon was sitting at a table with another girl, both surrounded by parchment and piles of books – though many remained unopened. The Slytherin was trying her best to balance her quill on her upper lip whilst her friend rolled her eyes and scolded Nayeon. The two started bickering, causing Madam Pince – the school librarian – to shuffle over and tell off the girls for being a disturbance in the library. (The irony that Madam Pince’s voice was by far the loudest of the three.)

Nayeon and the other girl were promptly kicked out. The latter looked rather displeased though Nayeon didn’t seem to really care. She strutted out of the library with her chin held high, leaving a huge mess on the table as if to say go an egg to the librarian. The other girl, however, waved her wand returning the books back to their proper place. She gathered their parchment rolls into her arms, then took off after Nayeon.

Quietly slipping out from behind the bookcase, Dahyun followed the two. It took only moments before she was caught though.

Nayeon halted to an abrupt stop and whirled around, staring Dahyun straight in the eye. The pale girl tried to turn away, but Nayeon’s voice stopped her. “You there! Are you stalking us?”

Dahyun winced. “Um . . .”

“C’mon Nabongs, don’t scare her. She looks like a first-year,” the other girl said. Dahyun noticed that the girl had a Gryffindor crest on her robes; she stood tall with her hair cut short and colored a light blonde. The girl gave Dahyun a friendly smile and winked.

“Oh my goodness, Yoo Jeongyeon! I’m not trying to scare her. I just want to know why she is following us,” said Nayeon as she tossed her hair. She directed her attention back to Dahyun, “Are you a fan? If you want an autograph, I’m afraid I am not giving any out at the moment.”

What the heck? Fan? An autograph? Ooookay, these higher-years were officially weird.

“N-no . . . I . . . um, I wanted to ask you something about Minatozaki Sana,” explained Dahyun. “Momo said you could help me,” she added hastily when both Nayeon and Jeongyeon raised their eyebrows.

Nayeon smirked. “Yes, Sana is indeed single – even if it may not seem like it – and yes, she does like girls, but I’m afraid you might be a bit too young for her. You’re only a first-year, sweetie – it’s a little too early for you to know what love is. Though I understand why you might think you feel this way, Sana tends to have that effect on people. I do too, if you know what I mean.”

“I . . . WHAT?” Dahyun turned beet red. Did this fourth-year actually think she was in love with Sana? Merlin’s Beard! How ridiculous! “No, no, no, no! T-that’s not it!” she sputtered.

“Oh. Okay!” Nayeon tilted her head and narrowed her eyes as she inspected the first-year who was now staring at the floor. “Wait . . . I know you! You’re that young Hufflepuff girl who Sana and Momo took under their wing!” she exclaimed, snapping her fingers. “You’re . . . whatsyourname? . . . Dah . . . Dah . . . Hmmm . . . . Kim Dayeon?”

“Dahyun,” corrected Dahyun.

“Ah, right. Dahyunnie,” Nayeon said, imitating Sana’s voice, “how could I forget?”

“Anyways . . . what did you need help with?” Jeongyeon asked.

Dahyun quickly summarized her situation: staying at Hogwarts over break, Sana’s high expectations for this year’s Christmas, and Momo’s lack of good advice. She mentioned that she was looking for a gift for Sana, and asked Nayeon if she had any suggestions.

“Awww! That is so sweet of you to spend the holidays with Sana,” gushed Nayeon, playfully ruffling Dahyun’s hair with a wide smile. Dahyun noticed that the Slytherin had bunny-like front teeth. “Sana loves bottled fragrance, so I got her this expensive eau de parfum from the new line of Mademoiselle Kandí. It hasn’t even debuted to the public yet!”

Jeongyeon frowned. “How did you get your hands on it then?”

“That third-year from my House - Jennie Kim - she has connections.”

“You could get Minatozaki a broom servicing kit,” recommended Jeongyeon. “I heard that she got a new broomstick this term – a Hermes silver deluxe in fact! Ugh, it’s such a beauty! Have you seen the craftsmanship? It was modeled to emphasize a flyer’s agility: its sleek, narrow build allows the rider to take sharp, difficult turns with ease and the balancing charm supposedly works wonders! The broom has been a popular choice recently with the all-girls Quidditch team, the Holyhead Harpies.”

Nayeon made a face of disgust. “You’re such A NERD! All you ever do is talk about Quidditch!”

“Excuse me? It’s a lot better than just staring at myself in the mirror all the time,” Jeongyeon snapped back. “Honestly, I think you beat Seokjin with how long you can fawn over your reflection.”

“Duh. Of course! How can I not when I look this good?”

The two older girls continued to squabble whilst Dahyun stood aside, unsure of what to do. Seconds passed. Then minutes. When it became clear that the arguing was not going to stop anytime soon, Dahyun mumbled a quiet thanks and awkwardly left the pair.

That was somewhat of a success. She learned a little bit more about Sana (maybe more than she had originally anticipated), but she didn’t think she was any closer to finding her Housemate the perfect gift.

Dahyun found Jihyo one afternoon in the Great Hall. During the day, the hall was open to everyone for study and leisure. There were sparse numbers of students scattered across at the four long tables, and since it wasn’t meal time, anyone was free to sit wherever they pleased.

The Gryffindor second-year sat across from a Ravenclaw girl with a chess board was placed in between them. The latter looked particularly stern with concentration, muttering to her chess pieces to make their next move whereas Jihyo didn’t seem as invested. Dahyun didn’t really understand chess, but she noticed that the Ravenclaw girl had a lot more pieces on her side compared to Jihyo.

Much like with Nayeon, Dahyun had difficulty drawing the courage to speak with the two girls, but Jihyo noticed her awkwardly eyeing them and beckoned her over.

“Hey there,” Jihyo greeted to a rather timid Dahyun. “Can we help you?”

“Um, yes . . . you’re Park Jihyo, right? A friend of Minatozaki Sana?”

“Yes, I am – to both of those,” replied Jihyo, “and you are?”

“I’m Kim Dahyun . . . also a friend of Sana’s.”

Jihyo laughed. “Well, will you look at that? My mate here is also one of Sana’s friends. Goes to show how much of a social butterfly Sana is if we all have that in common.” She gestured to the Ravenclaw girl who nodded curtly. “This is Myoui Mina.”

Score! Maybe Mina could help too! Dahyun thought to herself. “That’s great because I actually need help with something in regards to Sana. I’m trying to find her the perfect Christmas gift - I asked Momo and Im Nayeon what they’re getting her this year, but so far nothing seems to spark any ideas.”

“Hmmm . . . Sana is usually the type who will accept whatever she is given,” stated Jihyo thoughtfully. “But since you are looking for inspiration, Mina and I are knitting her a hat and scarf this year. We’re almost done, and we did it in Hufflepuff’s colors too. Maybe you can make her mittens? It would make for a nice set.”

Dahyun hadn’t even considered making Sana a gift! “I don’t know how to knit,” she said, dejectedly.

“Crocheting works too,” joked Jihyo, but immediately her expression changed to concern when she saw Dahyun’s sullen face. She stood up and placed a reassuring hand on Dahyun’s shoulder, “Hey, don’t worry, Kim. You’ll be fine. I just know it.”

After gathering all of Sana’s friends’ suggestions, Dahyun concluded that she still had absolutely no idea what to get her Housemate. Momo, Nayeon, Jihyo, and Mina knew Sana so well, they didn’t have to think twice of what the third-year wanted – heck, even Jeongyeon knew too! But to Dahyun, none of the ideas encapsulated the feelings she wanted to deliver. For one, all of the ideas weren’t hers to begin with.

Dahyun really wanted to give Sana the perfect gift because she hoped that she could pour in all of the gratitude she felt over these last few months. She wanted to show Sana just how much she cherished their friendship.

She groaned and banged her head against the keys of a grand piano in frustration. It was late in the evening and she was in the Muggle Music classroom, trying to find an escape from her current worries. The room was a decent size with several muggle instruments and music stands shoved in the corners, bookcases filled to the brim with sheet music, and the chalkboard was poorly erased from the day’s earlier lesson. At the far side was an old record player and a run-down beatbox.

Muggle music, unfortunately, wasn’t a popular class amongst the student body. Once witches and wizards learned they actually had to learn an instrument and not just charm one into playing by itself, they dropped the elective in a heartbeat. Music required dedication and practice, and many didn’t have the time or patience for it.

Dahyun liked that though; the classroom was like her private getaway.

“Oh, I’m sorry!”

Dahyun was pulled out of her thoughts and saw Myoui Mina standing at the entrance. The Ravenclaw girl was dressed in black leggings and a dark gray hoodie, and her hair was tied back in a ponytail. In one hand she carried a large vinyl album (Dahyun knew what vinyl was thanks to Chaeyoung), and in the other she had a pair of ballet pointe shoes. “I didn’t think anyone would be in here,” Mina said so softly that Dahyun almost didn’t hear her.

“Are you here to dance?” Dahyun asked, indicating to the shoes in Mina’s hands.

The second-year blushed slightly. “Yes. I come here sometimes when I need to clear my head; there aren’t a lot of places in the castle where there’s an open floor. But I can leave if you’re -”

“N-no!” Dahyun shouted, startling the girl. “I mean . . . it’s okay . . . I was just about to leave anyway.”

Mina watched as the first-year scrambled to tidy up her sheet music from on top of the piano. “Do you play?” she asked, curiously.

“Yeah, I’ve been playing since I was five,” replied Dahyun. “Like you, I come here to get away from the busyness of life. I think it’s the only place in the school where I can find some peace and quiet – aside from when there’s class, no one really ventures to here.” Dahyun smiled. “Except for you, of course.”

Mina’s lips faintly curved upwards. “I don’t mean to pry, but have you figured out your gift for Sana yet?”

Dahyun shook her head. “You all had great ideas, but that’s because you know her so well. I can’t think of anything that seems authentic enough that it feels like it’s from me.”

“I think your heart is in the right place. Don’t worry about overthinking it – you know, even small things can be done with great love – er, not that you love Sana . . . I just . . . you know, like a friend . . . um . . . you get what I mean.”

Dahyun grinned as Mina’s face turned even redder. “Yeah, I do.”

“Sana hasn’t stopped talking about you since the start of school,” Mina said in a hushed tone, leaning in closely like Sana was suddenly going to jump out of nowhere and interrupt them. “She really likes you, Kim; staying here with her during the break is probably the best present she could’ve asked for. Sana hates being alone. I . . . thank you.”

This time it was Dahyun’s turn to blush. “Er, yeah. No problem. She’s a great friend.”

“She is, isn’t she?” Mina eyed the piano and with a knowing smile, she told Dahyun, “If I have one piece of advice for you on Sana’s gift, it’s this: play to your strengths. She’ll understand your sentiments if it genuinely comes from you.”

“Uh . . . thanks, Myoui.”

“One more thing, Kim.”

“Yeah?”

“Sana’s birthday is also four days after Christmas. Please keep that in consideration.”

As Dahyun walked away, she could hear music echoing through the walls and she imagined Mina gracefully dancing in the empty classroom. She thought about Mina’s advice. Play to your strengths.

Suddenly, she knew the perfect gift for Sana.

Christmas morning snuck up on Dahyun fast, and it hit her hard.

Normally, the pale girl loved finding any excuse to sleep in just a few more minutes (or hours) during the winter holidays, and Christmas was no exception. Snuggled beneath three-layers of blankets and her fluffy white pillows cushioning her head, Dahyun was in no mood to leave her paradise, and nothing in the universe could make her get up.

Well, almost nothing.

“GOOD MORNING, DAHYUNNIE! MERRY CHRISTMAS!” Sana shouted at the top of her lungs before she flung herself on top of the first-year.

Dahyun groaned as she struggled to breathe beneath Sana’s body. She peeked an eye open and caught sight of her alarm clock; it read: 6:00 am. What the bloody hell. How could someone be so chipper this early in the morning?

“Morning, Sana. Why are you up at this hour?” Dahyun tried to keep the slight annoyance out of her voice.

Sana giggled. She hovered over Dahyun with a cheeky grin, dressed in a white long-sleeve shirt and plaid pajama pants. “Aw, aren’t you so adorable! Quit scowling and get up, silly! It’s Christmas! Getting up early means we’ll have more time to celebrate!”

If only it was as easy as Sana said. It took about two hours until Sana successfully dragged Dahyun out of bed, the first-year now (mostly) awake. Still, Sana did not seem put off by the fact that Dahyun was not a morning person. She grabbed the pale girl’s hand and led her down the dormitory stairs to the common room which was deserted. Beneath the House Christmas tree was a huge pile of presents.

“Unlike the other Houses which leave the gifts at the foot of your bed, Hufflepuff can get away with just leaving them out in the open like this,” stated Sana, “I guess it’s because others assume Hufflepuffs would never steal – especially from each other.” She sat Dahyun next to the warm fire and retrieved a blanket for her, wrapping the girl like a burrito. “So! Now that we are here, presents first!”

Dahyun watched as Sana rummaged through the pile and pulled out all of the boxes with Dahyun’s name written on them. There were a lot more than she expected: she saw from the tags she got presents from her parents, Chaeyoung, Sana, Momo, a few other school friends, and even some from people she didn’t expect.

The first present she opened was from her family: inside a navy blue box was a fluffy, white sweater along with a case of homemade fudge. Dahyun immediately slipped the sweater on over her pajama shirt; it was warm and cozy, smelling just like home. The nostalgia caused a small pang in her chest, and she realized how dearly she missed her parents and her brother – it would be another six months until she saw them face-to-face. Enclosed with the gifts was a short letter from her mother giving the season’s greetings and updates from everyone back in town.

Dahyun skimmed her mother’s impeccable, cursive writing and noticed a small message at the end:

Although we miss you, we are so proud that you are making friends at school! We hope you enjoy the holidays with your new friend. Please deliver our gift to her and let her know we are truly thankful she is making our Dubu happy at Hogwarts.

The first-year quickly searched for Sana’s present in the pile and plucked it out. “Here,” she said, “this is from my parents. They wish to thank you for being my friend.”

Sana was speechless for a moment, gingerly taking the gift from Dahyun’s outstretched hands. “Is . . . Is this really for me?” she finally asked.

Dahyun nodded.

Sana carefully opened the present as if it was the most fragile thing on earth. Slowly, she untied the ribbon and peeled back the wrapping paper. Her movements were gentle and tender, savoring every precious second. As she lifted the top off, she let out a squeal of delight. Her face was filled with adoration as she took out her own sweater which was a light pastel lavender.

“THIS IS SO AMAZING!” Sana held the sweater out in front of her, gazing at it with starry-eyes. “Thank you! Your family is too kind! Aww, now I feel bad I didn’t get them anything. I’ll have to write a super special thank-you note to them.”

Dahyun felt her heart skip a beat as she observed her Housemate. The genuine joy on Sana’s face was something she wished she could see forever.

The two continued to open their gifts, though promising to save each other’s for last. Dahyun got a vast array of presents this year, and she was quite pleased. From Chaeyoung, she received a couple of poetry books and a luxurious eagle-feather quill that Dahyun knew her friend probably blew her entire savings on; from Momo, there was a box full of chocolate snacks including her favorite: chocolate cauldrons; surprisingly, there were also gifts from Jihyo and Mina – her own set of a hat and scarf knitted to perfection; and from Jeongyeon, a poster of the Holyhead Harpies. Dahyun burst out laughing as she opened an envelope from Nayeon containing a signed photograph of the Slytherin girl winking.

“And now, time for the final gift!” Sana announced, theatrically posing with a medium-sized, cream-colored box. She enthusiastically gave it to the first-year and laid down next to her, propping her head up on her hand. “I hope you like it. To be honest, I wasn’t exactly sure what to get you.”

Dahyun dug through the tissue paper and pulled out a pair of pajama pants that were checkered black and yellow, just like the ones Sana was currently wearing.

“Look! Now we can be twinsies,” said Sana as she raised a leg in the air.

Dahyun chuckled. “Thank you, Sana. I really appreciate this.”

“That’s not all, there’s more inside.” Sana urged Dahyun to check the box again. Settled at the bottom was small, square-shaped camera. It was white with a large lens in the front and a slit at the top like a mouth. “This is what the muggles call a polaroid camera,” explained Sana. “Unlike our own cameras, the pictures don’t move, but they come out instantly in the form of small cards. There are instructions somewhere in the box. Here, I also got you some film.” The third-year pulled out a few packages and handed them to Dahyun.

Dahyun stared in amazement at her camera. She had vaguely remembered Chaeyoung mentioning something about polaroid cameras and how they were the perfect aesthetic because they were vintage and classy – whatever that meant. She never really thought much about photography until now. All of the sudden, Dahyun was overcome by the desire to take pictures of everything.

“Can I try it out?” She couldn’t keep the excitement out of her voice.

“Sure! Go ahead.”

Hastily reading the instructions, Dahyun pulled out a roll of film and placed it in her new camera. Then she searched for something to be her first subject. “Um . . . can I take a picture of you?” she asked Sana, shyly.

The older girl kindly agreed, and gave Dahyun a cute smile.

Click!

As soon as the photograph spilled from the camera’s mouth, Dahyun waved it around frantically, wanting to see the image as soon as possible. Slowly, Sana’s face appeared on the card. It wasn’t the best taken picture; it was blurry and the flash washed out Sana’s whole head. But still, Sana’s beauty shined through. Dahyun gulped subconsciously.

“How did it turn out?”

“Um . . . not too great . . .” Dahyun showed Sana.

“It looks good to me,” praised the third-year. “You’ll hone your skills the more you use it too, no worries. It’s actually not too shabby for a first time.”

When it was Dahyun’s turn to give Sana her gift, she confessed, “my present for you is not here. We need to go to the Muggle Music room.”

Sana raised an eyebrow, but then grinned. “All right. Lead the way, Dahyunnie.”

Dahyun sat at the piano, her fingers placed on the keys. She tried to keep calm; Sana was sitting right next to her on the bench, staring at the first-year with keen anticipation. Ordinarily, Dahyun didn’t get nervous playing in front of anyone. Yet this time it felt different.

Taking a deep breath, Dahyun closed her eyes, concentrating on her hand placement. And then, she began to play.

Dahyun’s fingers glided across the piano in a fluid motion as if she was running her hand through water. The melody started off shy and melancholic; the quiet, low notes brought the two back to the first day of September.

HUFFLEPUFF! The Sorting Hat’s voice rang clearly throughout the Great Hall – it hadn’t even been on Dahyun’s head for ten seconds before it made its decision. The table at the far left erupted with cheers. Dahyun bounded towards her new home to open arms. She sat next to an older girl with long dark hair and a sharp nose.

“Welcome to Hufflepuff!” the girl greeted warmly. “I’m Minatozaki Sana, but please just call me Sana.”

The evening quickly became a blur as student after student wore the hat and was sorted into their house. The cheers seemed to be endless, the faculty announcements even moreso. Dahyun’s head spun as she tried to process everything, but it was too overwhelming. When the feast started, she couldn’t keep up with all the chatter, her voice unable to find a place of its own amongst her peers. Sinking down in her seat, Dahyun decided that maybe she should just concentrate on her food.

But Sana reached out to her. She asked Dahyun a lot of questions, listening to the younger girl’s answers with undivided attention. She happily explained what the teachers meant during their briefings or who the angry ghost was hanging out at the Slytherin table or what to expect the next day when classes officially started. She offered advice when needed and even promised to show the girl around the castle.

Sana stayed with Dahyun once the feast ended, walking alongside her as the Hufflepuff Head Boy and Head Girl led the first-years down to the Hufflepuff Basement. (Dahyun hadn’t asked her to, but she was glad that Sana didn’t leave her.)

As the song began to speed up, the tune shifted to happier tone - one that was lighter and sweeter. A smile crept onto Dahyun’s lips.

Dahyun and Sana became very close right away. Day after day, the two girls were in each other’s company. Soon Sana introduced her to Momo, and the three spent every second they could together. The two older girls showed Dahyun the nuts and bolts of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry: from the meanest teachers to the nicest, to the best hiding spots, to ways you could sneak snacks into the library without Madam Pince finding out, to what it truly meant to be a student of Hufflepuff. They took in Dahyun like she was a child of their own.

A stray tear escaped and rolled down Dahyun’s cheek as she finished. Her hands stopped on the last note, letting it fill the space between her and Sana. Dahyun turned to her Housemate and saw that Sana was weeping into her hands.

And for a moment, the room stood still. Only Sana’s heavy breathing could be heard. Dahyun didn’t have to wonder if Sana received her heartfelt message, she knew the older girl did.

Finally: “that was beautiful,” was all Sana could muster up between her sobs. She wiped away her tears and did her best to recompose herself. Clearing , Sana straightened her back and threw her arms around Dahyun will full force. “You composed that all by yourself, right?” Her voice was a whisper, tickling Dahyun’s ear.

Dahyun returned the hug. “Yes, I did. I wanted to thank you Sana, for everything. It was hard, you know, coming to a new school and having practically no friends at the start - it meant the world to me when you reached out that day in the Great Hall.”

Sana beamed through her sniffles. “Merry Christmas, Dahyunnie.”

“Merry Christmas, Sana.”

Bonus:

Four days later on Sana’s birthday, Dahyun conducted a small birthday surprise for the girl. Though she was the only one of Sana’s friends who stayed at the castle, she managed to recruit a few house elves, the Fat Friar (Hufflepuff’s residential ghost), and a random Slytherin girl to join in on the festivities in an empty classroom. Together, they all celebrated Sana’s thirteenth birthday, wishing for the upcoming year to be the best one yet.

Dahyun used her new camera to go around and take pictures of the party; she wanted to make sure Sana had a keepsake to remember the celebration.

She adjusted the lens on the birthday girl . . . Click! Dahyun inspected her work. Sana was right, she was getting better little by little.

On a nearby table, Dahyun placed the newest photo next to dozens of others. There were pictures of Sana blowing out the candles on her birthday cake, some of frosting being smeared on her face, some of her dancing with the house elves, and others with her singing with the Fat Friar. In all of the photographs, Sana’s face was in focus. (There were also a couple of the Slytherin girl whose name still eluded Dahyun.)

“Dahyunnie!” Sana ran over to the first-year, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. “Let’s take a picture together!”

“Uh, o-okay.”

Sana took the camera in her hand and pointed it towards them – for she had the longer reach. “Ready? One . . . two . . three!”

As Sana’s finger pressed down on the button, the third-year leaned over and pecked Dahyun on the cheek. Dahyun froze, her breath hitched in the back of .

“Ohh! I can’t wait to see how it turned out!” Sana said as she pulled out the photograph.

Moments later when the image was clear, Dahyun saw that Sana had indeed kissed her – the pale girl’s face was completely red and shocked. Carefully, Dahyun brushed her fingertips over the place where Sana’s lips had been. Her heart pounded loudly and she felt like it was going to leap out of her chest. What was this?

“We look so cute!” Sana took out her wand and waved it around whilst mumbling a spell. Magically the photo in her hand became two. She handed the original back to Dahyun. “One for you, one for me! Let’s remember this forever!”

“Er, t-thanks, Sana.” Dahyun wasn’t sure if she could ever look at the picture again, she would probably die of embarrassment.

“This has been one of the best birthdays ever. I’ll never forget this, Dahyun.” The brightest, most Sana-esque smile glowed on her face, radiating like the sun. “Thank you.”

If Dahyun had needed any justification for why she stayed at school over the holidays, that was it. That smile. She knew in her heart she had made the right decision.