Taemin woke on the first of November before the sun was even up. He was feeling unusually nervous. Kai rubbed his eyes and looked at a jittery Taemin pacing around his bed. He resembled his brother. 

"Tae? What are YOU doing up so early?" Taemin's eyes widened at the sound of Kai's voice, sprang to his side and grabbed his shoulders "Kai! Are you prepared?! Because I'm not! What if we lose?! What if I fall of my broom?! What if-" "shhhhhhhhh" Kai placed his hand over Taemin's mouth, silencing him. 

"Okay. Firstly you're being loud. Secondly since when do you get nervous about quidditch? And Thirdly it's just against Hufflepuff now calm down and let me sleep" 

 

Taemin glared at Kai as his mouth was covered. "Ewwww don't me!" Kai exclaimed as he wiped the saliva off on Taemin's arm.

"Seriously Tae, go back to bed I'm sure everything will be fiiiiine" 

Kai yawned and slumped back against his pillow and his breathing evened out. 

Taemin huffed but returned to his own bed and tried to sleep. 

 

Everything wasn't fine. The Slytherin quidditch team were a mess. They were eating breakfast together in their quidditch robes as were the Hufflepuff team who were smirking at them from their own table. They expected a match the day after Halloween would stop Sehun from his usual antics but there he was looking positively green as he swallowed what looked like muggle medicine. Kai himself wasn't in his best form either but he wasn't as bad as his younger counterpart. Yerim and Joy were both extremely anxious (not only was it their first match but it was also the first match of the season) Taemin surprisingly matched their expressions despite being an experienced player. Kyuhyun was in a whole other world, looking at nothing in particular with a sinister look on his face. All in all Jessica was furious. 

She slammed her cutlery down "this isn't what I signed up for! I agreed to lead a team not babysit you all!" She hissed and Sehun in his disoriented state decided it would be a good idea to challenge her authority. 

"Pfft don't worry guys she's just mad that her boyfriend left for Durmstrang and left her here all by herse-" Sehun's sentence was cut off by a wand pressed against his throat.

"Want to repeat that, Oh?" 

 

Everyone remained silent and Jessica lowed her wand, she then turned her attention to Taemin. "Disappoint me today Lee" she leaned closer to Taemin menacingly "and there will be hell to pay" Taemin swallowed his fear and nodded. 

"Well since I assume we're all done eating lets go, we've got to put Hufflepuff in their place" 

Jessica stood and the rest followed leaving their half eaten breakfast behind. 

 

*

 

Taemin and his team were waiting to make their way onto the quidditch pitch. The team had finally pulled themselves together and looked as intimidating and as dominant as ever, except of course Taemin. He was still fidgeting as he gripped his broom so tightly his knuckles turned white. This had never happened to him before, even when he played his first match in second year he held his head high and walked with his team arrogantly. He couldn't reminisce as he felt a slap on his shoulder he turned to see Sehun looking calm and sympathetic. He held Taemin's gaze for a while before speaking

"Taemin-ah, never don't mind about a thing" 

 

He supposed in Sehun's mind what he said made perfect sense but for Taemin it was the most confusing words or encouragement he's ever received. "Okay? Thank you?" Taemin said but he didn't have time to dwell on the words as he heard the soft voice of the quidditch commentator, Im Yoona, announcing the teams. This was their cue to walk to middle of the field along with the Hufflepuff team. Jessica shook hands with the Hufflepuff captain, Henry Lau. The first whistle signalled the players to mount their brooms and the second was to send them into the air. Taemin could hear the roars from the crowd of students and even some enthusiastic teachers. 

 

By the third whistle the quaffle was released along with the bludgers and the golden snitch. Jessica quickly snatched the quaffle, giving Slytherin the advantage and thus the game had started. 

 

As seeker, Taemin had one job and one job only, to catch the snitch but it was very unlikely he would even see it so early in the game so he flew further up and kept an eye out for the small golden ball. He was scanning the pitch and he couldn't help but notice the spectators; he saw those in his own house cheering, their screams echoing throughout the pitch. 

 

Maybe it was his keen eye for small things when it came to quidditch or perhaps it was something else but Taemin spotted Jonghyun. He was amongst the crowd clapping and cheering enthusiastically whenever one of the rookies or Jessica would score. 

Taemin's nervousness was long forgotten as he flew closer the the stands a smirk on his face as he saw Jonghyuns face light up and he waved. Jonghyun was surrounded by rowdy Slytherins but his attention was now solely on Taemin.

Taemin gained confidence from Jonghyuns attention and pushed all his weight forward, pushing until he did a complete front flip on his broom. He assumed Jonghyun was impressed when his eyes were wide open in amazement and his mouth was open. 

"Cute" Taemin thought when suddenly Jonghyuns amazed expression was replaced with one of horror he didn't know why until he heard a "Taemin! For Merlins sake pay attention!" And a smack of a bat he turned to see a (surprisingly) serious Sehun with a bat in his hand and a bludger flying in the opposite direction to them. It was obvious now what happened when Taemin turned his back. 

 

While Yerim and Joy were passing the quaffle amongst themselves while dodging past the Hufflepuff chasers, Jessica flew up, barked at Sehun to return to his position and glared at Taemin. 

"Lee, if you don't stop trying to show off to your little boyfriend" she nudged her head in Jonghyuns direction "a bludger will be the least of your problems, do you understand?" Taemin nodded and Jessica flew off, satisfied with his answer. 

 

Taemin smiled reassuringly at a worried Jonghyun before a flash of gold was caught in his peripheral vision followed by a speeding Hufflepuff seeker. 

His attention was now fully on the game. He knew he would get the snitch. He was certain. He was even more certain once he past the Hufflepuff seeker in their pursuit for the snitch. 

 

It was now right in front of him only an arms reach away. The cheers weren't even heard as Taemin could only hear his own heartbeat. With one final push Taemin extended his arm and finished the game. 

"Lee Taemin has caught the snitch! Slytherin wins!" 

 

*

 

The entirety of the dungeons were celebrating. Slytherin house were throwing a party for a perfect start to the quidditch season. The players were being showered in congratulations. Taemin couldn't even keep count of how many hands he shook that night and Jessica herself wasn't able to go anywhere without her entourage worshipping the ground she walked on. 

 

The common room stank of victory or Taemin's opinion, booze. "Shawty imma party til the sun down" Sehun said as he took a swig from a bottle of fire whiskey "Sehun the sun is already down I think you should stop" The smell was becoming quite overwhelming for Taemin and he decided to leave for some fresh air. He was leaving the dungeons when he bumped into something small but solid, it was Jonghyun. It seemed neither of them were paying attention to where they were going.

 

Taemin didn't even realise it was Jonghyun until he spoke "oh Taemin! I was hoping to bump into you! I was just coming down to congratulate you! You played really well and I think you looked really cool" Jonghyun didn't mean to say the last part and the both of them blushed a bright red 

"Oh it was nothing you know" Taemin said trying to regain his composure as he flipped his hair out of his eyes, trying to look "cool" once again. 

"But thank you for supporting me, it really means a lot coming from you" 

 

What Jonghyun did next was completely unexpected. He placed his hands on Taemin's shoulders and stood on his toes. Taemin gulped and he closed his eyes expecting to feel a pressure on his lips but instead felt it on his cheek. Jonghyun then let go of his shoulders and said in a voice barely above a whisper "I wish you luck for the rest of the season" before making his way back to the Gryffindor tower, which left Taemin alone in a dark and empty corridor but it wasn't as empty as it seemed.

 

Kai emerged from behind a pillar "sooooo, when are you going to tell him you love him?" Taemin wasn't even able to get flustered, his mind was completely wiped blank. "I wouldn't say it's love"

 Kai sighed, obviously not convinced "well whatever it is you should tell him" Taemin then moved his hand to his cheek, caressing where Jonghyuns lips have been not a moment ago.