Kai looked him up and down before clicking his tongue in disapproval "Hey, if you're going to a Gryffindor party you might want to change" 

"What? Why?"

Krystal scoffed "you're going to stick out like a sore thumb, stupid"

"Pfffft it'll be fiiiiinne" 

 

But it wasn't fine. They were right, he did stick out like a sore thumb. He assumed he would be able to sneak into the Gryffindor common room undetected but he was wrong. The painting of the fat lady outed his identity the moment he walked up to it. Many Gryffindors were going in and out of the common room and he thought he could camouflage himself into one of the groups entering but sadly it wasn't possible so he opted to wait outside for Jonghyun. Many students stared at him and only one actually spoke to him.

"If Jjong thinks he's sneaking you in here then he has another thing coming" said a Gryffindor that bared a striking resemblance to Jonghyun but obviously wasn't, the Gryffindor was a girl and before Taemin could respond she spoke again "wait here I'll go get him for you" 

 

He didn't really have anything better to do so he did wait, leaning against a wall next to a flight of stairs; waiting for the Jonghyun look alike to return with the real Jonghyun. Instead she returned with a different girl and Taemin made no effort to hide his displeasure. He didn't know either of their names and he didn't really care, the girl that didn't look like Jonghyun started to speak but once she met Taemin's glare she started to stutter.

"Um Jjong isn't in there b-but the las-s-st time we saw him, he was with M-Min-Minho"

 

Taemin didn't even realize he was suppressing his feelings and blocking out the fear and confusion that was pulling him towards the flight of stone stairs. He didn't even thank the two before he darted up the stairs. It was mostly dark and he cautiously made his way up while trying to make as little sound as possible.

He could hear muffled voices. A completely sober Jonghyun and a less sober Minho, Taemin was trying to control his anger but it was extremely difficult considering Minho's slurred words were becoming more and more aggressive and Jonghyun was obviously scared.

It was the same fear he felt when he found Jonghyun practically cornered by Jessica.

 

By the time he made it to the top of the tower the voices were crystal clear. "I-I wouldn't-t feel the s-s-same way you feel" it was Jonghyuns voice; it had been a while since he heard Jonghyun stutter and he only ever did it around people he didn't know well or when he was embarrassed or scared, Jonghyun knew Minho extremely well so that wasn't the reason, Taemin didn't feel embarrassed so the only answer left was that he was afraid of Minho. This infuriated Taemin, Minho was supposed to be Jonghyuns best friend not someone that made him uncomfortable. 

 

 

The silence and the sight he was greeted with made his blood boil.

He wasn't stupid enough to think Jonghyun betrayed him; the look on his face said it all, his eyes were wide open in shock, he was struggling to free his wrist from Minho's grip and the look of horror on his face when Taemin finally swooped in and pushed Minho off of him, gave him an indication that the kiss wasn't consensual.

Jonghyun was clinging on to the back of his robes as he tried to calm down. Minho stumbled as he was thrown off but regained his balance when Taemin menacingly pulled out his wand.

 

Minho laughed and did the same. Jonghyun was now calm and he stepped in front of Taemin as he tried to lower his wand but he stood his ground "Taemin, I'm being serious now. it was nothing lets just go"

"Nothing?!" Taemin hissed and with all his might he shot a glare at Jonghyun who was once again frozen in fear. "If it's a fight he wants its a fight he'll get!" Minho still trying to steady himself, Jonghyun then turned his attention to Minho "Min please" Minho only pushed Jonghyun to the side which angered Taemin even more.

 

"Don't touch him! I knew there was something wrong with you and now I see it!" "Taemin!" Jonghyun was once again at Taemin's side, this time gripping his sleeve.

"Well you two weren't even supposed to be together! You only met because Jjong felt sorry for you!" "Minho!"

Taemin knocked Jonghyun of his arm and cast the stinging hex that sent Minho crippling to the floor in pain. 

He only grunted and refused to show that he was in any pain, he quickly stood up and held his stance again.

 

Minho sent a hex Taemin's way but Taemin was quick to block it. Jonghyun distanced himself from both of them, no longer holding back his tears. He wasn't afraid of getting hit; he was more afraid of Minho and Taemin causing more damage to each other and both of them being seriously injured, he was so distraught the last time Taemin was in the hospital wing and he never wanted to see him that way again. 

After a few minutes of duelling back and forth Minho and Taemin were hit a few times, both were panting and Minho's lip was bleeding but apart from that both were practically unharmed.

 

Jonghyun wiped his eyes on the Slytherin scarf he was still wearing and pulled out his own wand. He didn't want the informal duel to get anymore out of hand, he only whispered "Expelliarmus" and both of their wands flew out of their hands. When they realised this they both stormed at each other and started a fist fight, Minho landing the first and only punch to Taemin's left eye. Jonghyun in a fit of panic stunned Minho "Petrificus Totalus!" And with that Minho's frozen body fell to the ground.

Before Jonghyun could even look at Minho on the floor, Taemin grabbed his wand and Jonghyuns wrist, dragging him down the stairs.

 

Taemin's grip was tight and it started to hurt "Taemin you're hurting me" "well you hurt me" he snapped in response. They made down stairs and Jonghyun snapped as well "you know it wasn't like that! You felt it!" Taemin scoffed and tried to keep a hold on Jonghyun "yea? You know what else I felt? You being ing terrified and I didn't know why! I thought you were in actual danger but no it was just because you can't say no to people!" By this time a small crowd of Gryffindors were watching outside the common room, Baekhyun and Chanyeol noticed Minho hadn't come down with them and raced up to see if he was okay.

 

Jonghyun was desperately trying not to let his voice waver and not to cry again but he was failing quite miserably.

"You can't seriously be blaming me for that are you?! I didn't know how he felt! How was I supposed to-" "everyone knows how he felt, Jonghyun! You were the only one too oblivious to notice! And for Merlins sake! Learn to stick up for yourself! It's pathetic!"

It went silent after that, the hallways echoed with Taemin's voice and Jonghyun spoke up once again, very calmly. "You want me to stick up for myself?" Taemin nodded; he expected Jonghyun to agree that he was in wrong and run into Taemin's arms, apologise and for everything to be okay again but instead Jonghyun began to scream even louder, his voice even went up an octave "I didn't ask for this to happen! I didn't ask for you to swoop in and try to protect me! Even from people I don't need protection from! You're the pathetic one! I'd rather be oblivious than have anger issues, starting a duel with anyone who so much as looks at me isn't the right thing to do, Taemin! And you can have your stupid scarf back!" He unwrapped the green and grey scarf from his neck, rolled it up and pushed it into Taemin's chest. He looked Taemin in the eyes a final time; they were watery and his right eye was fading back to its original blue. He wasn't able to appreciate them because of how angry Jonghyun was. That was when he remembered he was also supposed to be angry and held his glare. 

 

"How's that for sticking up for myself!" Jonghyun turned his back on Taemin and walked into the Gryfinndor common room, Taemin tried to follow but the portrait of the fat lady only slammed in his face, she looked at him in disgust.

Taemin groaned and leaned against one of the walls, sliding down until he was on the floor, he sneered at people who passed him and looked for too long. After a while Baekhyun and Chanyeol came back carrying a unconscious Minho, neither of them spoke a word to Taemin and quickly passed by him as well.

 

He waited outside of the Gryfinndor common room for an hour. Maybe two, he wasn't sure. The fat lady began to huff and complain about his presence "I will call for the head boy and he will reprimand you!" Taemin remained silent, he didn't really care, Jinki could shout at him all he wants but it wouldn't matter at this point.

He saw one of the painted figures jumping from frame to frame and soon enough Jinki came for him.

 

He was in pyjamas and looked more tired than angry. Taemin didn't look at him, even when Jinki spoke he kept his head down. "I hear you're having relationship problems" this made Taemin laugh bitterly, "i really ed up, Jinki" Taemin was never an emotional person but he was still close to tears. Jinki was sympathetic to so say the least, he helped Taemin up and walked him to the heads dormitory, he said the password in a hushed voice and they both entered "you can tell me all about it in here, you could sleep here too if you wanted" "is that allowed?" Jinki shrugged and flashed one his famous eye smiles "Tiffany sneaks Taeyeon in here all the time, I'm sure it'll be fine"

Jinki set him down on one of the sofas and offered him ice wrapped in a cloth "for your eye" Taemin thanked him and he finally got around to telling his brother about what happened.

 

After the whole story was told Taemin simply asked "it's not my fault is it?" Jinki sighed and shook his head, he couldn't tell whether it was an answer or if he did it out of disappointment.

"You don't understand how lucky you are, Taeminnie" Jinki's voice was sombre and he even used Taemin's childhood nickname, "what do you mean?" "Well I mean- well let's just put it as- you could say-" he sighed and started again "I love Luna with all my heart" Taemin looked at Jinki in confusion; not knowing where he was going with that.

"But sometimes you can't be with the person you love because of ridiculous reasons such as race, gender, age or in my case blood status" 

Taemin understood then, he knew Luna wasn't a pureblood but he thought that wouldn't matter, so why bring it up?

 

"We're not betrothed. Luna and I, if father or mother says no about us then there won't be an us anymore. When Voldemort died you would think that would be the end of this but it's not. Thousands upon thousands of years of this kind of prejudice doesn't just go away, it follows us forever, especially people like you and me. I'm the heir, Taemin. If they don't won't me to do something I won't, I can't. Luna and I may not be this free forever but you and Jonghyun are something so complex that I can't even understand and you don't see it because you're so young. Do you know what soulmates are?"

"No?" 

 

Jinki made himself more comfortable on the sofa as did Taemin "a soulmate as I know it, is someone who was literally made for you in every way possible. If you find your soulmate then it will be incredibly hard for you to stay away from them. Kind of like how magnets are pulled together. Luna told me a story once that in Greek mythology the first humans were created with four arms, legs and eyes and with two heads, noses and mouths, Zeus was afraid of their power so he spilt them all into separate beings, condemning them to spend their lives trying to find their other half. It is the term used today to describe soulmates. I think they are connected in more ways than one, some say they have psychic connections as well as emotional but it is near impossible to actually find ones soulmate but who knows, by the sound of it you found yours and at such a young age, you should be grateful. A little fight shouldn't cause much trouble. Just apologise and I'm sure you two will be happy again"

 

"Thanks, Jinki. For everything" Jinki smiled again and ruffled Taemin's hair "I'm your older brother, it's my duty to guide you" he got up briefly and returned with a blanket. Taemin thanked him again, wrapped himself in the blanket and went to sleep with a smile on his face, happy that he could finally explain to Jonghyun what they were. Soulmates.