The amazing thing was that they seemed to manage just fine.
It had been a month by now and they had gotten used to the bond being between them. It was a whimsical and fickle little thing that demanded more attention than the both of them had guessed, but they made do with what they had.
Sehun was easier to be around than Jongin had ever though. The Slytherin was funny, albeit sometimes snarky and his sarcasm was something the Ravenclaw quickly grew addicted to.

Just like the voice that could invade his mind any time, as long as they weren’t too far apart. It was still hard for the Ravenclaw to do the same to the taller, but he had made progress.
If he concentrated hard enough, he could reach the mind of the student bound to his own. It was still a mystery to him how the other had managed this feat so effortlessly, but the Slytherin still didn’t want to offer any insight on this.
And Jongin knew better than to press him.

The thing with the bond was that it required them to touch at least once a day. Hand-holding mostly did the deal, but if they resisted for too long they were faced with headaches and other physical pains. Jongin and Sehun had learned that the hard way.
Not just in their first week when they had tackled this problem – but the blonde had left the school premises for a weekend and the Ravenclaw was proud to announce that they had both decided on even ground to never do that again as long as they were in this condition.

Jongin had almost puked his soul out of his body.

Sehun’s skin had looked almost translucent, the fever that had latched on to him lasting until a day after they had ‘reunited’.
But since then they had grown more careful. They met up every evening for their homework sessions, holding hands or leaning back to back while they were doing research or comparing their assignments.
They survived.
And it really wasn’t that bad – he had to do his homework anyway. Sneaking to the Astronomy Tower was a risk yes, but he was not chosen for Ravenclaw for nothing. He found a way. And to say that Sehun had no qualms about defying rules in order to get something he wanted was superfluous, right? Besides, they could always bring up Professor Wu if things would go down the drain. He was involved in their mess after all and would probably vouch for them. They only wanted to get this over with in peace and not have other students asking questions. Taemin, Jongin’s best friend knew of the events, but that was it.
And he really didn’t want people after him or Sehun, if they suddenly saw them studying together every day, holding hands or being generally pretty intimate with each other.
Their condition was supposed to stay secret – and so they rather hid away.

“What about this one?” Jongin nudged the male currently leaning against his back with his own, immersed into their potion books. Sehun shifted, turning his head to let his eyes wander over the page.
/Sounds pretty complicated to me/ he muttered in their link that Jongin forgot to use all the time. Perhaps that was also a reason why he was only slowly improving with this feat of their magical bond.
/I’m up for it. But are you sure you can keep up? This is a high level potion./ Sehun teased and the Ravenclaw hissed at him, poking him in the ribs with his elbow.
“Sod off, will you! I have an E in Potions, thank you very much. That was one time! Okay, one time!”
/That you blew something up and it ended with us getting bound together?/
Jongin grumbled at that, but thanks to the playful tone hidden among those words he knew not to feel insulted. By now he could read and understand the Slytherin much better and well… Sehun wasn’t really good with words – probably because he could not talk and he was like a toddler learning how to communicate from scratch.

“One time! Will you stop holding it against me, huh?” Jongin pouted and tapped his fingers on the page of the book again where the potion was described.
“I think it’s good. No idea why they let us work together again after the last time, but Professor Wu told us to choose an adequate recipe, right?” he shrugged his shoulders and watched Sehun do the same.
“So, this is an advanced potion. If we pull it off and don’t up the essay about it later, I’m sure we’ll pass his class. Even with… that incident…” Jongin concluded and cleared his throat nervously.
He was kind of glad that Sehun saw the whole accident as a joke by now.
It would only last three months after all, right?

Then their bond could be revoked – and they wouldn’t have to spend that much time together anymore. And Jongin wouldn’t have a snarky Slytherin in his head, teasing him day in and day out.

Two more months to go. Sehun would probably be glad to be rid of him by then as well.

/Fine. You win. We will do this your way. But leave the actual brewing to me/ Jongin growled lowly in his throat at the smirk that he received from the other.
Sehun really did not believe him that he had an E in potions. He might not be too fond of the subject, but he studied hard.
And he got by.
/Oh Sehun!/
The chuckle that drifted to him through their mind link made him stop before he could seriously hit the other in his playful rage. The sound made him rigid, his eyes taking in the Slytherin’s amused face. How he was trying to stifle the laugh, his hand shielding his mouth.
The sound that he heard was not ringing in his ears.
It was only in his head.

Jongin dropped his hand, smiling slightly at the other student. How anyone ever thought that the other was an arrogant bastard was beyond him. He was just like them.
Only that he could not speak.
And was slightly afraid of getting attached to people.

/See, I just have to push you enough and then you suddenly know how to get through/ the Slytherin hummed in their mind link and Jongin sputtered
“You are! Just!”
Sehun smirked, his body now fully turned to him. His blonde hair fell over his dark eyes and he looked even more mischievous like that.
Just like someone might imagine 'the Slytherin prince'. But Jongin knew Sehun too well now for this kind of game to work.
“By Rowena, you’re really the worst. Don’t try that face with me, I’m not going to fall for it like those first-year students who swoon at you.” He grumbled and Sehun wagged his brows at him.
/It’s just harder to breach your defences up there/ Jongin said and knocked with his index finger against the Slytherin’s forehead.
/It’s like your door is really heavy or something like that. Don’t you have to put in some effort when you want to open the link to me?/

The other seemed to consider the question for a moment, tilting his head.
Jongin was really curious about that answer – in the beginning he hadn’t been able to breach Sehun’s defences at all. It was better now, but it still took a lot of effort from him if he was honest.

/No./ the other answered then, their eyes meeting again.
It wasn’t that easy to read the Slytherin student, but in this moment Jongin was fairly sure that Sehun was telling him nothing but the truth.
/It’s not hard. I just… think in your direction. And as you can hear me… this seems to do the trick. Sorry there, mate./

Jongin let out a sigh at this.
“Okay, so I’m just naturally bad at this. Great.” He muttered, blinking a moment later when a warm hand fell on his thigh, squeezing it
/Don’