"Hurry up!" 

"I'm tryin-"

The two girls stopped, flattening themselves against the wall as they both held their breathes simultaneously. The tower high and the flight of stars never seem to end, and it didn't help that it was pitch dark out there except for the moonlight streaming in through the pockets of open square spaces every few steps or so. Still, using a light was too much of a risk, though making that much noises assending wasn't going to help them either.

Nonetheless, they picked no light over less noise.

Tiffany strained her ears, head tilting as she peered into the darkness, then nodded, only to realise the other girl had clearly not seen it. She rolled her eyes, lightly poking the fellow student, feeling the soft fabric of her robes. "Continue. Up up up!" she whispered aloud, and the steps pattered as they both rushed up the winding stairs.

The cold wind was much appreciated as they reached the top, and Tiffany couldn't withhold a giggle seeing Taeyeon spread her arms, equally thankful to be free of the occasionally musky scent within the small space of the old towers. Sneaking out in the middle of the night could mean detention, but for sixth years like them, learning how to work around the situations even if it meant breaking some rules, could make their school life a tad more interesting. Taeyeon folded her arms and rest them on a lower ledge, head on top of the arms and sighed dreamily. It's not often one get to enjoy such views late at night, in the privacy of her own, within a shared common grounds. 

Tifanny stood one foot away, doing the same, but she glanced at the clear skies ahead, watching as stars danced in their stead. 

Amid studying, clubs, and worrying about the future, such serenity was a rare chance indeed. 

"How long as it been since we came here?"

"You mean like, a few minutes ago?" Tiffany grinned, waving her hands at the eye roll. "Months? Studying took a lot of time, and before you knew it, our year is coming to an end. And next year will be our last in Hogwarts - just picture that!"

"Nu-uh, nope. I'm not picturing that," the girl slumped over, adjusting her red scarf with yellow stripes. "Why do time past so fast...it felt like yesterday when we stumbled upon this place."

"Certainly," the Hufflepuff student pouted, resting her cheeks on top of her palm. It was back in their fourth year did the duo decided to sneak out and explore the castles, but the curiousity and mild rebelliious turned into learning responsibilities as they matured. Studying became a priority, because they both knew that beyond the walls of Hogwarts, this is really the last time you get to decide what you want to do.

And yet, they had no inkling besides the popular stipulated careers, what not with working in the ministry and being an auror. What about those that dreams of something else? Like a chef, or an author? What do then, could school teach to bring forth the right skills to these people?

"If you could turn back time, what would you do?" Taeyeon asked out of the blue, pulling back to look at the other. The stars were bright but at that moment, it made her dreams dimmed, outshining with an unknown sense of mockery to these sixth-years' situations.

Tiffany shrugged, "nothing much. Well, maybe just change my fate and be sorted in the same house as you?" That was an easy way out of such questions, but she made no efforts to hide the sincerity in her voice.

The Gryffindor student laughed, short black hair flying with another gust of wind. "Well, thankfully we can't turn back time, or we'd still end up like this - just you in Gryffindor and me in Hufflepuff."

"Thankfully indeed," she laughed. Perhaps it was the chill of the night, but there was a slight change in her tone, dragging her voice downwards. "Taeyeon-ah," she called out softly. She always prefered calling the other by her birth name. It felt special, to be the only one in the whole school to be able to call her that, though it felt like time wasn't on her side and soon, even she will lose footing of this priviledge. She turned away from the skies, from the stars that told of ten thousand stories of love and hope and things that she couldn't get. "Have you decided your path?"

It was too late to change courses, but never too much to steer from career choices, albeit limited ones. Taeyeon shook her head - she said she wanted to be an auror when she grew up, or an explorer, but now...she wants neither. She wants not of the dreams fed to her, but what was her true dream, and what was her true fate? It was something she could never have an answer to. "I told my parents I want to do something...bold. But I don't think..." 

She trailed off, and Tiffany nodded. She understood her, like she always did - always will. Even if it meant that was all there was to it.

"I think you should go for it, though. You have a killer voice!"

"Come with me, then."

There was a pause, Tiffany raising her head to look at the other like she suggested something totally out of the wizarding world and beyond. Taeyeon gave a smile, but she could see it - the nervous trembling around those lips even in the faint lighting. For all these years as she claimed to be her number one fan, the short-haired girl had brushed her off with a hearty laugh, saying that it's impossible. That she's going to leave for Korea once her course end, because of her parents departure from England halfway through their Hogwarts years, and the same goes for Tiffany. It's not like such distances made much differences to witches like them, but it did mean something. That they are worlds apart. And Tiffany never would have imagined anything more than to spend the last summer with her, to fall asleep in the courtyard to her singing voice, before they both pack up and leave with empty promises of meeting again.

But now, Taeyeon was inviting her to her world.

It's almost foolish to think that way, she chided herself, but she recognized her tone and the meaning behind her words.

She always does, and Taeyeon knew.

"I-"

There was a flicker of light, and she jumped, pulling Taeyeon with her away from the ledged walls into the Astronomy classrooms. They both half crawled, Taeyeon tugging at the brunette's robes, pulling them to hid right under the teacher's table just as the door swung open with a bang. Flinch's voice could be heard, the grump of an old man as he stomped around. They both held their breath when the glow of a light could be heard, pulling close to each other in their anxiousness. The table nearly moved as their legs collided, hands holding onto each other. The footsteps drew away, the old man moving past the table as they risked another shaky breath of air, breath mingling with one another under the desk. It's warm, Tiffany thought, from both the intertwined hands and her breath, the embarrassment creeping up her cheeks and knees pressed against one another.

And finally, the door slammed on them, jerking them from their reverie. Eyes met one another, large and amused, and they both broke out in a series of soft giggles.

"That was close."

"We almost lost our badge out there."

Taeyeon poked her tongue out just as the brunette did, and they both shared a smile. It's still cramped under the table, but neither moved from their spot, and Taeyeon could feel the soft caress of the thumb rubbing against her knuckles.

"You-"
"I-"

The short-haired blinked, then pat the other on the head quickly, sniggering at the whine coming from the younger. "Jinx~ Got you again."

"Not fair!"

"It's never fair."

"It's never fair with you."

"...so that's a yes?"

"Running away to some other Asian country that included my heritage for a singer's dream? Sounds crazy." she grinned.

"Well, at least, we don't have to run there. We can visit there, eventually, but...we don't need to run? I'm not in a hurry, are you~?"

It's Tiffany's turn to blink, staring straight ahead.

"I don't plan to go that far if you're coming with me," she replied to the question marks popping on her face, reflected in those confused orbs, "England...here is fine. I'd start here. Maybe sing a tune or two starting at some Hogsmeade stages." 

"...for me?"

"...I guess you can say I do need a backup singer- ow!" Taeyeon whinced at the pinch, lips pursed into a pout. 

And then it happened.

The press of lips, soft and almost hesitant, but instead of pulling away, Taeyeon tugged at their hands, leaning forward, her wordless acceptance of the affection.

Because she knew Tiffany, like how Tiffany knew her. And after the irony that they knew each other too much to make a move prior, Taeyeon wants to get back at the time they already lost. And kissing her felt like a splash of pink on a red velvet cake, soft and sweet and everything she'd imagined it to be, but better. 

...much better.

"Who's there?"

"Professor Sprout!" Tiffany jumped from turning the corner, and so did Taeyeon at the other's voice. 

"Professor Sprout," the raven greeted with a half bow.

"What are you doing here?" The Hufflepuff head asked, but there was a chirp in her tone, one that brought smiles to her students' lips. Definitely, better Professor Sprout than anyone else.

The two girls cast a look at each other, and it was Taeyeon who spoke out first, "prefect duties, Professor. Just rounding up and heading to bed - time flies faster than I thought!"

The Hufflepuff student bit back a laugh, head cast to the floor - it was a little late, no doubt, but can she fault her girlfriend for it?

Just that thought plastered a wide smile on her face, one that she couldn't hide. 

"Ah right. It's nice seeing you all work together even coming from different houses!" 

The two looked at each other once more, then bowed in greeting again as they hurried away around the curve, giggling softly while hearing the hum of their professor down the hallways before it disappeared. 

"Oh god, Fany! Are you alright?"

She yawned, waving her friend's concern as she plopped down on the bench in the hall, a lazy smile on her face. 

"You looked like you didn't have any sleep!" 

"Yeah...? I had a good...memory though..." she yawned again, before her eyes shifted through the crowd, landing on the one person that hogged her thoughts for the whole night. Her smile cracked a tad wider as their eyes met through the gap of other passing students through the benches and piles of food.

"You mean, like, a good dream instead?" her classmates asked, spoon in as she made a grab for the apples.

"...yeah, it was a good dream indeed." And an even better reality, she thought, sending a wink before looking away, the glow of her cheeks a contrast to the dark circles around her eyes. 

A good dream indeed.

A/N: The Harry-Potter AU! ; u ; I'm sorry for not being able to grasp their characters better, but Taeyeon and Tiffany are the ones I'm most well verse with. I hope this is fine and you'd enjoy it!