.
, , . They were in deep . Being ordered to the headmistress’ office never entailed something good, because if it did the headmistress would seek you out first to tell you the good news.
Professor Wu had looked angry – and most of all disappointed. Jongin had never seen the professor in such a state like when he had ordered Sehun to follow him.

But why had the other not protested?

Instead, with his eyes cast to the floor, he had followed the professor out of the potions classroom and out of Jongin’s sight. The blonde hadn’t even tried to make a point, to make it clear that it hadn’t been his fault, but that they had been bullied by the very same guys who were now smirking victoriously at each other.
And Jongin?
He had been frozen in place, a weird sensation tingling through his body as he saw the defeated look on Sehun’s face.
Why had he not moved?
Why had he not opened his mouth?
Why had he not called the bullies out?
These thoughts kept running through his head and he cussed under his breath, blaming himself.

It made no sense and Jongin hated it.

“Have you seen him?” he heard one of the bullies snicker behind him.
“He even looked all guilty! Serves him right, that ugly pureblood. He knows he’s ed up!” they boasted together and Jongin felt his fists shaking with anger.
The brunet wanted to reach for his wand, wanted to hex them so bad they wouldn’t even remember his name.
But he was a Ravenclaw and it was obvious that they had the upper-hand in a three to one duel as none of his other classmates seemed ready to step in.
Where were those bloody Gryffindors when you needed them?

In Charms class with the Hufflepuffs, his brain provided, but that was definitely beside the point.
“He’s not guilty,” Jongin pressed out between clenched teeth, his hand now in his robe’s pocket where he had his wand, “You provoked him!”
He couldn’t strike first though – it would only get him in even more trouble. But self-defence was something else.
His grip tightened around the thin hornbeams wood, but he stood his ground. He didn’t cast a whispered Flipendo or anything else, even when they started laughing at him.
“You’re terrible! He will clear this up and then it will be the three of you who will be the laughing stock! Just so you know!” he growled, his teeth bared as he made a few steps backward.
“And how should he?” the tallest bully snickered, his lips pulled into an ugly smirk “He’s bloody mute!”

The three of them burst into fits of laughter, patting each other’s shoulders as if they had just won the Housecup.
Jongin bit the inside of his cheek, his knuckles turning white as his fingernails dug into his own skin. Sehun was not –

Only that he was.
Jongin stilled, revelation washing over him as if he had been plunged into the Great Lake. Sehun was mute – just because Jongin could hear him did that not change anything about this fact.
The Ravenclaw was the only one in Hogwarts who was able to connect to Sehun via their thoughts. He was the only one able to hear – to understand – the blonde Slytherin.

Dread settled over him. His legs nearly gave away when he willed them to move, but then he finally his heels and ran out of the classroom, something that he should have done the moment Sehun left it.

He should have followed, even if he had felt like frozen in place. It had probably been shock, but his friend needed him.
Perhaps the headmistress knew a spell that allowed Sehun to talk and explain for a moment, but perhaps there was no such thing and he would have to write it out. Explain in sign-language?
Whatever it was, Jongin should be there to help.

This whole thing only happened because of him anyway – Sehun had tried to defend him from the bullies when they had started to get physical with him for standing up to them. And what had he done?
Watched silently as Professor Wu took him away.

“Bloody hell!” he cursed as he ran up the stairs, praying that they wouldn’t change directions until he had reached the right floor.
Two more up and he finally opened the door to the corridor that led to the headmistress office.
Or more like that held the staircase leading to the office – a staircase that needed a password in order to activate it.

Jongin came to a stop, his lungs protesting after he had pushed himself so hard. They were burning from the lack of oxygen, but he took a few deep breaths to calm them down. For now this was a dead-end for him anyway.
“Rowena’s Brains…” he muttered as he examined the marble statues blocking the way. There was no way in hell he would get past those without the password…
And he didn’t have that.

Nausea settled over him as a sense of helplessness threatened to overwhelm him. Ravenclaw’s were good in solving riddles – but there was no riddle to solve that would grant him access to the staircase. He didn’t have a single clue to even get started on this. There had been a headmaster who loved to use the name of sweets, but their headmistress?
Jongin didn’t know enough about her to even make a guess on that matter. He swallowed the lump in his throat, his hand touching the statues, trying to find out if there was some kind of additional mechanical trigger… but there was nothing.
Not a single part of these statues was loose enough to pose as a secret lever.

“Bloody brilliant…” he cursed and let his back meet the nearest wall, a sigh ripping from his lips. What was he supposed to do now?
Sehun needed him!
His eyes travelled back to the hidden staircase and as strange as it sounded, he knew that the Slytherin was there – it was as if the bond told him. The feeling was nothing new if he was honest, they were able to find each other easily… especially if they hadn’t seen each other for a while. The bond kind of demanded them to spend time together…
And to touch.

A blush crept up his cheeks and Jongin tried to fight it back down. This was definitely not the time nor the place for this.
He had a mission – the Ravenclaw had to explain the situation and thus safe his friend. Better yet, take the blame all together. Sehun already had enough on his platter.

And he only had Jongin to share it with.

He was the only one he could really talk to – the only one he could connect with quite literally. And Jongin realised with a start that he was the only one probably who had ever heard Sehun laugh.
Whole-heartedly and even though it had been at Jongin’s expense, as he had messed something up yet again, it had been a moment to remember – the way Sehun’s laughter had travelled through their mental link and rung in his ears.

Jongin still remembered it vividly.

His fingertips started to tingle and the weird tug in his chest grew more prominent – the feeling that told him to go see Sehun, only that sturdy marble was keeping them apart.

“Let me through, please…” Jongin tried, pleading with the statues despite his better judgement. This place was magical – and there were enough people who claimed that Hogwarts had a soul. So it was worth a shot.
Only that it missed.
The statues stayed still – unmoving, unyielding in their command to hide and guard this place.

The Ravenclaw felt lost and powerless in this moment a