Chapter Three: Pure-blooded Fascination

If he had to endure one more bloody second of Baekhyun and Jongdae giggling like coquettish old ladies, Kyungsoo swore he'd perform the Cruciatus Curse upon himself. Walking through the cobblestone streets of Diagon Alley, he wondered how circumstances brought him to this pitiful state. Junmyeon was solely to blame for this, of course! 

Hogwarts planned to organise their Hogsmeade trip the coming week which meant that the workload would pile up to unbearable limits if things didn't work out in a systematic manner. Therefore Junmyeon, being the leader gifted with an abundance of foresight, requested Kyungsoo to finish up the shopping early. What Kyungsoo wasn't so delighted about, however, was the additional baggage (read Baekhyun and Jongdae) he was forced to carry. He'd quietly asked Junmyeon, steering clear of the celebrating duo, if he could change his decision. Junmyeon replied in the negative, stating major reasons of concern, the main one being their reckless destructive behaviour in the absence of Kyungsoo. It was a known truth that no one, except him, could control those two. (Junmyeon obviously spoils them but hey! Kyungsoo is here to clean the mess so why even bother? he thought miserably) 

Watching them hex each other with juvenile spells and laughing at their own ridiculousness, that too, right in the middle of the main street of Diagon Alley, Kyungsoo silently resigned himself to his damned fate.

'Oooh, look!' exclaimed Baekhyun suddenly, causing Kyungsoo to wince in pain at the shrill sound, 'Weasley's Wizardly Wheezes are having a sale!'

Jongdae smirked evilly. 'Think about it Baek. We could get one of those self-timed Dungbombs for Junmyeon—'

'—and jinx it so that it sticks to him—'

'—we'll conceal it with an Disillusionment Charm—'

'—and the next time he goes abroad for one of those meetings, the Dungbomb will release itself, thereby knocking out everyone around him with that God-awful smell!'

The duo simultaenously threw back their heads and cackled like maniacs, drawing looks of disapproval from witches and wizards walking beside them. Kyungsoo grinned back at them apologetically, foolishly wondering if Azkaban was worth killing these dolts over. 

'Shut it, you two!' he whispered back angrily, 'We're here to shop for ingredients, not for devices to humiliate Junmyeon with.'

'But Soo,' whined Baekhyun, 'The Wizardly Wheezes are offering discounts! And it only lasts for a day!'

Jongdae was quick to add, 'Besides, we'd probably be a hindrance to you and your... er... systematic purchase of ingredients.'

Kyungsoo pondered over that for a moment. Jongdae was surprisingly being wise for once— they were, after all, "unnecessary baggage".

'Alright,' he spoke at last, 'you can go, but—' the look of excitement on their faces immediately turned sombre—'I better not return to find the both of you in any kind of trouble, big or small. Or else I'll make it my personal mission to put you through so much torture that you'll end up begging for the Dementor's kiss instead, got it?'

Baekhyun paled and Jongdae offered a feeble nod, and once Kungsoo had turned his back to them, they hurriedly stumbled up to the infamous joke shop. Kyungsoo then headed straight for Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, fervently praying they would be in posession of eight gallons of No-Melt ice cream.

'WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT'LL TAKE ANOTHER FOUR HOURS?!!' yelled Kyungsoo till his voice cracked, 'WE PLACED THE ORDER THREE DAYS AGO!!!'

'B-but s-s-sir,' squeaked the mousy assistant behind the desk, 'I assure you the ice cream will arrive soon. The Ministry has laid stringent rules on magical transportation so the order will be a bit delayed... Just a few short hours.'

Kyungsoo ground his teeth to stop himself from slapping the glasses right off that assistant's face. Slowly, he mentally recited the recipe of Butterbeer toffee and treacle fudge and retraced his steps, out of the shop and back into Diagon Alley. Convinced that all he needed was a breath of fresh air, he looked around in search of a quiet spot away from the bustling crowd when lo and behold, his eyes caught an elusive figure in black robes, making its way towards The Leaky Cauldron. It felt as though all the air was knocked right out of him and before he even knew it, Kyungsoo had already confronted Park Chanyeol, who, come to think of it, nearly disappeared from his life almost a month ago.

'Hello there. Long time no see,' he greeted, a little bit viciously.

To his bemusement, the colour drained from Chanyeol's already pale face. His clothes and hair were ruffled more so than usual and he was panting heavily. Kyungsoo couldn't help but feel as though Chanyeol didn't want him to find him here. But that thought was soon erased from his mind as Chanyeol managed to beam at him with his million-watt grin.

'Hey, this is a pleasant surprise! How are you?' he greeted, raising his arm for a friendly wave. 

'What's that on your arm?' shot back Kyungsoo reflexively, his eyes spotting ink on Chanyeol's forearm.

Immediately Chanyeol put his hand down to his side and made sure to pull his sleeves upto his wrists. 

'Oh, it's nothing... I spilt some ink during work and forgot to wash it and now it's all dried up... am I rambling again? Sorry...'

Kyungsoo narrowed his eyes at him. 'You're acting fishy. Is something wrong?'

Closing his tired eyes, Chanyeol ran his fingers through his hair before sighing out loud:

'I'll try explaining to the best of my abilities.You see, I need to go shopping for some Muggle stuff. Now I mean no disrespect to Muggles but... let's just say that my first experience in the Muggle world was an utter disaster to say the least.'

'Why was that?'

'Umm... not sure but I guess it's because I tried pairing a poncho with a viking helmet... hey, don't laugh! How was I supposed to know Muggle fashion?'

Try as he might, Kyungsoo simply couldn't stop the spring of laughter bubbling from within his chest. Leaning against a brick wall for support, he finally spoke, while wiping the tears from his eyes,

'The crowd must have laughed their arses off! I can't even imagine— Alright, I'm sorry. That truly must have been humiliating.'

'I'm too traumatised to step out through The Leaky Cauldron,' muttered Chanyeol, shaking his shaggy head.

Out of the blue, an impulsive desire to help the poor bloke erupted in Kyungsoo's soul.

'I can come with you... if you want. But promise me you'll wear regular Muggle clothes.'

'Really?! You would do that for me?' exclaimed Chanyeol happily, looking very much like a puppy wanting to play fetch, 'And there's nothing to worry about— I did my research and it's currently under my robes.'

'Great. Let's get going then.'

Stepping through the crowded bar of The Leaky Cauldron, Chanyeol hurriedly removed his black robes, underneath which he had worn a grey T-shirt and dark jeans, and stuffed it into his trusty satchel. By the time they walked into the busy Muggle streets, he had pulled a full sleeved jacket over his broad shoulders. 

(And Kyungsoo nearly walked into a fire hydrant because fluffing fiddlesticks, the sight was almost divine to take in at once.)

'Look at that Kyungsoo! There's something in the sky,' cried Chanyeol, drawing the attention of a very flustered Do Kyungsoo and a few others. 

'That's what we call an aeroplane,' replied Kyungsoo as calmly as he could, internally glad that he could finally focus on something else for a while.

'What's an air-oh-plain?' came the next question.

(Kyungsoo swore his frozen heart melted at the innocence of it all.)

What followed was an hour-and-a-half long explanation of machines, engines, hydraulic principles and non-magical flying, which Chanyeol absorbed in quiet amazement.

'This is why I love Muggles,' he stated once Kyungsoo concluded the lecture, 'They craft such ingenious stuff. Look at us wizards, with our boring old broomsticks.'

Guess the grass is always greener on the other side, mused Kyungsoo in amusement before starting, 'So what kind of Muggle instruments do you need?'

'Okay, so I'm planning to build a crib for my sister's baby and I'll need a new set of tools,' he cried with enthusiasm, eyes sparkling with joy, 'It's not that I don't trust the house elves to do the job but I feel as though it's my duty as the soon-to-be uncle.'

'We have wizarding tool shops back there too, you know.'

'But they're all tuned to work on their own accord. For once, I want to take care of my own responsibilities.'

Kyungsoo smiled. 'Alright then. Suit yourself.'

At the hardware store, Kyungsoo had a tough time helping Chanyeol find the perfect hammer whilst also trying not to lose the long-legged man-child amidst the wonders of Muggle-made mundanities. He nearly had to drag Chanyeol off by the feet from the electronic gadget section. 

('Smart phoneys! And we're still stuck with horrid old owls...' wailed Chanyeol in despair, as he tried to claw onto the help desk in desperation.)

After helping Chanyeol with Muggle money in order to pay for his purchases, Kyungsoo successfully managed to exit the cramped shop and out into the fresh, open air of the busy market street. From over his shoulder, Chanyeol was still watching the glossy windows of the store with longing, much like a child mesmerised by the candy in Honeydukes. To ease his mind, Kyungsoo piped up,

'Hey! How about we go and get some ice cream? There's this place I frequent and it's just down this lane.'

That suggestion seemed to pull Chanyeol away from his woes as he turned to face Kyungsoo with a gentle look in his eyes, saying,

'I'd like that!'

(Kyungsoo silently wondered if he'd made the right choice by asking him out on this unofficial date.)

The quaint ice-cream parlour with its brick walls and pastel interiors exuded a homely warmth as they sat in a corner booth, preoccupied with their own thoughts— some regarding the beautiful working of a freezer, others related to the frightening acceleration of one's own heartbeat. The racket of an old bicycle clattering its way through the side lane broke through the nervous silence and as always, Chanyeol spoke first. 

'I'm sorry I didn't come by Honeydukes for the past few weeks.'

And like that the awkwardness enveloping them increased tenfold, if that was even magically possible.

'It's been a month,' clipped Kyungsoo, sounding harsher than he'd intended. 

Chanyeol's eyes widened at that as he worked at the lapels of his jacket. 

'I didn't— wow... I never realised... gosh, I'm so terribly sorry!'

But Kyungsoo was riled up enough and he wasn't having any of his explanation. 

'Save your breath!' he snapped icily, 'Mind telling me where you were all these days after you so courteously promised to visit Honeydukes more often?'

Great, went the voice at the back of Kyungsoo's head, now I sound like some crazy, desperate girlfriend.

'I apologise for speaking out like an imbecile,' he resumed in a more collected manner, 'You surely must have been busy and I shouldn't have expected you to sacrifice your time for me and the uplifting of Honeydukes. It wasn't right of me to ignore your situation and that makes me pretty selfish— wait! Have I started rambling like you?!'

Chanyeol chortled as did Kyungsoo, and the tension dissolved into thin air. As though to supplement the lightness of their situation, the waitress promptly arrived with their orders— a sundae for Chanyeol and an ice cream soda for Kyungsoo.

Taking a spoon of ice cream and hot fudge, Chanyeol mumbled, 'I was particularly busy these few days honestly but I should have made some time for yo— I mean, uh, Honeydukes, of course!'

'I can't believe I've never asked you this but... what exactly do you do for a living?' inquired Kyungsoo, pretending to ignore Chanyeol's near slip of the tongue.

At that very moment, Chanyeol began choking on a cherry that slipped down his wind pipe. Tears streamed down his face while a concerned Kyungsoo rushed to thwack him on the back. After a few good frantic seconds of gulping for air, Chanyeol helped himself to sips of Kyungsoo's soda.

(Not that Kyungsoo thought it was strange for them to share a straw or anything, really.)

Once he returned to normal, Chanyeol was back to being interrogated by his smaller friend.

'Let me guess. You're a part of the showbiz just like the rest of your family?'

'What? No, of course not! Why would you think that?'

'You look fit enough to be an actor.'

'Are you indirectly telling me that I look handsome?'

Ah. The gall.

'Yeah, more like the apt person to play the village fool!'

'Hey!' cried Chanyeol, placing a palm over the left hand side of his chest, as he feigned hurt while grinning the whole time.

'So you're not associated with the entertainment industry even a bit?'

'Nope.'

'Then what do you do?'

Chanyeol scrunched his nose in distaste, throwing off Kyungsoo for a second. 

'This sundae is not even half good. I guess Muggles have a lot more catching up to do when it comes to culinary skills.'

'Is it not good enough for your pure-blood refined taste?'

Chanyeol smirked. 'It just isn't as good as the treats you make.'

Now it was Kyungsoo's turn to choke. The simple honesty behind it warmed his heart in a beat.

He wasn't trying to poke fun of him. He wasn't saying it to make him uncomfortable. He said it because he genuinely meant it.

And Kyungsoo wasn't entirely sure as to what he had to do with this piece of information. 

'Don't try to change the topic,' he argued in an attempt to regain some stability to their current situation. 

'Damn it! I thought you wouldn't notice,' whined Chanyeol but his half-hearted tones didn't go unnoticed by Kyungsoo. Both of them knew what he truly meant. But neither attempted to break the understanding. 

Stepping out of the parlour and into the warm sunlight, Kyungsoo was suddenly reminded of the duo he had left back at the Wizardly Wheezes. Praying that he wouldn't end up finding them murdered, he turned to Chanyeol for a good-bye, who, in turn, listened amusedly to the reason behind Kyungsoo's early departure. 

'And I still need to get those eight gallons of ice cream I had ordered a century ago.'

'Tell you what... why don't you go and get those two back to the shop? That seems a bit more urgent than the need for ice cream.'

'But the Hogsmeade trip—'

'Relax. Fortescue's is a good place. You're in safe hands.'

And true to Chanyeol's statement, when Kyungsoo returned to Honeydukes, dragging Baekhyun and Jongdae by their collars,  he was surprised to see Yixing lugging in the eight gallons of No-Melt ice cream inside. Junmyeon rushed to Kyungsoo's side and passed him a small card, on which it was written in flowy letters:

Just a little something I could do for my brother's little friend. All it took was my autograph and a few tickets to a show.  -Park Yura.

Baekhyun and Jongdae shared wicked side glances from behind Kyungsoo's shoulders as Junmyeon gushed about Yura's generosity. Kyungsoo, however, remained silent with his own train of thoughts. 

Oh fudge.

This was it.

The moment he'd anticipated with fear.

There was no use in denying that he was in love with a lanky, clumsy yet nevertheless good-looking idiot in flowing black robes.

And all it had taken Chanyeol were a few honest compliments and his endearing, goofy smile. 

Fugde Chanyeol and his charming ways.

Fudge his silly heart for falling deep.

Fudge it all.

AUTHOR'S HEARTFELT NOTE:

Guys I am so so so sorry! I didn't mean to delay the upload this much... please forgive me :-(

It's just that I underestimated the atrocities of medical studies. Sirius Black's 12-year wait in Azkaban is nothing compared to how much you had to put up with me... I'm currently the worst author on this planet and I hope you guys forgive me... And thank you for not losing hope. 

Please read and comment :)))