Edit: for some reason people couldn't read this chpater so I'm posting it again. Sorry :(

Warning: I may or may not have rambled for 13k words so get comfortable and get some popcorn!

This chapter contains: lots of pink, the word Valentine repeated too many times, Luhan being an idiot, extreme levels of fluffiness, me thinking I can write funny dialogues. 

Enjoy :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A mischievous trick and an awkward date

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dinner time had passed. Stomach filled and mind hazy with tiredness, the young wizards and witches were traveling back to their common rooms to spend their nights playing chess, filling their scrolls with homework or simply talking until sleep won over them.

One particular student however was not: Yixing was lost.

Okay, this time it really hadn’t been his fault: he was going back to his room, lulling his mouse to sleep in his pocket, when suddenly the staircase started moving. Nothing out of the ordinary, he just had to wait for it to move again or go down and take the long route from the second floor, but he stood there.

His shoulders felt heavy, just as much as his chest. There was something, a weight placed right above his heart that was not leaving him alone. In his sleep, in his dreams, all he could think about was his promise: Ravenclaw had won the game, that meant he had to keep his word and talk to Junmyeon. But talk and say what? That he still was confused and didn’t know how to feel?

It was unfair to Jun and his feelings. It was unfair to the courage it had taken him to confess and Yixing could have been a fool but he was not cruel.

When he thought about Jun…

“Hey, are you going to keep sitting there?”

“Yeah kid, what’s wrong? Peeves pulled a joke on you again?”

Yixing’s head shot up and saw the various characters inside the paintings and portraits adorning the Great staircase looking at him in concern. There was a knight in his armor holding a casket of fruits, an entire feast of monks and a plethora of maids and dames.

Even the portraits were taking pity on him now. Yixing sighed.

“No I’m…”

“Suffering from pains of love.” Finished a hollow voice.

Floating in front of Yixing was now the Gryffindor ghost: Nearly Headless-Nick, or, as he preferred to be called, Sir Nicholas. Yixing had rarely seen him outside the Great hall and he had never talked to him, but he had heard he was the funniest ghost, aside from the topic of his not headless self.

“How did you know?” he asked, ogling the ghost.

Sir Nicholas gave a mere shrug, sitting next to him as shivers of damp coldness oozed form him.

“I could see it in your eyes: there’s only one thing powerful enough to trouble a wizard at this hour, and that is love”

“But you’re dead. What do you know about love?” Yixing asked, without even a hint of malice. He knew nothing about the ethereal spirits living in the castle and he was curious.

Sir Nicholas shot him a theatrical smile, parting his lips in a comical laugh.

“You forget that I too was once walking among the living. And I too was once in love”

“Really?”

“For sure. She was a beautiful maiden that asked me for help. You see, she had terribly crooked teeth and wanted me to practice my magic on them”

Yixing curled his lips in a faint smile, eager to know the rest of the story.

“Did she love you as well? Did you two marry?”

The ghost looked at him in disbelief before erupting in a boisterous laugh, dramatically holding his stomach.

“You don’t know the story? Ah, what do they teach you in History of Magic these days…

Well, you see, she wanted her teeth to be beautiful and I was infatuated enough to lend her my magic, but I had always been a poor student in Transfiguration and gave her a tusk instead. They condemned me to the guillotine but that fool of an executioner used a blunt axe and never finished to take away my head.”

As to demonstrate the fact, he grabbed one of his cheeks and pulled, taking away all of his head if not for a little piece of his skin still attached, flashing his limbs inside his neck.

Oh. Oooooh… Yixing smacked his face with a hand. Of course, he was not called Nearly Headless-Nick for nothing.

“For this reason, no, kid, we didn’t marry. But doesn’t mean my passion for her died with my body. So tell me, what is your problem?”

The Hufflepuff sighed, feeling once again the dread above his heart.

“You see, I have not many friends here. The ones I have though are the most precious people in my life; one in particular, Kim Junmyeon, he’s my best friends. He’s been since we met years ago and there’s no one I care about more than him outside my family.

This Christmas he… confessed to me and I didn’t know what to say. We’ve been friends for so long and I honestly have no idea what to think. I care about him so much and I keep on hurting more every day”

He could feel the tears slipping from the edge of his lashes dripping down his cheeks, cool on his skin. The weight on his chest was becoming unbearable and he couldn’t think of a way to alleviate his pain, if not with tears.

“There, there, kiddo. Let it all out, you’ll feel much better after. But let this old ghost give you some piece of advice: in my eyes, there was no doubt that Lady Grieve was my love, because as soon as I saw her I just couldn’t ban a smile from my face. She was the star of my system and I would’ve done everything to make her happy. Her teeth were crooked and she would only smile if they were repaired, so I tried to help her.

Now think, is this Kim Junmyeon the same for you? Because if not, you are better rejecting him and protect your friendship”

Yixing wrinkled his brows, concentrating on the ghost’s words.

If he thought about Jun…

They stood like that for some minutes, the ghost and the Hufflepuff sat on the stairs as they moved around, before Yixing finally shot up like a spring. He was buzzing with energy, tapping his feet on the steps like a marathoner ready to race.

“I think… I think I got it” he said, jumping up and down with a grin eating up his face. He still wasn’t sure if that would be the answer he wanted, but it was a start and the lightness in his feet was filling him with bubbles.

Sir Nicholas looked at him and nodded proudly.

“Good job kid. Now go and win the damsel”

Yixing laugh that night probably woke up the entire castle (it certainly woke T-rex because he almost bit off his owner’s finger), but as he raced through the halls to his dormitory, he didn’t care. For once, he knew where he was going and he was determined to get there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The morning after, Yixing woke up in his bed. It was still a foreign feeling and his mattress was still hard as a brick, but he was gradually getting used to it.

As he sat up, eyes still closed, something fell on top of his nose, making him sniffle. He slowly opened one lid and saw… well, he saw pink.

Pink and red, they were everywhere. Pink striped hearts hanged from every corner of the room while little red and white balloons were floating on the ceiling. Yixing could swear there was pink glitter glistening in the air.

What was going on?

His dorm room mates were just as puzzled as he was, but one thing was certain: it was professor Park’s fault.

Poor professor Park forever single and looking for a girlfriend. Now in his forties, he was obsessed with the idea of meeting his soulmate and live in the perfect romantic movie, and what better occasion than Valentine’s Day?

Yixing shook his head in bewilderment, removing his mouse from his hair and gently waking him up.

That was going to be a bizarre day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Great Hall had met the same sickly sweet touch of professor Park because the ceiling was a beautiful shade of pink, with little blue birds flying between the lazy clouds. Hearts dominated the walls and even the dishes and cutlery had been turned red and glittery.

The same look of either marvel of nausea could be found in every wizard’s face, including the other teachers. The Headmaster however was smiling sweetly at his students and so was professor Park, clearly enjoying his doing.

As he sat down at his table, Yixing’s eyes immediately scanned the room searching for Junmyeon. They found him talking to a girl with vibrant green hair, surrounded by other three girls who looked on the edge of their seat. The Hufflepuff stretched his neck, hoping to hear what they were saying, but their talk was drowned in the sea of early morning chatters.

The girl took out a letter from her pocket and handed it to Junmyeon who politely accepted it, returning to his table with a deep bow. The three girls erupted in joyful squeals and hugged their friend, pinching her cheeks.

Yixing returned his gaze to his bowl of cereal and abruptly stabbed the content with his spoon, making his fellow Hufflepuffs jump in surprise.

If he had had any doubts, now he was sure: he had to talk to Junmyeon. That night.

 

 

 

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One phrase. Four words.

Jongin wanted to sleep.

Was it so difficult to understand? He was sitting down at the Hufflepuff table using his arms as a pillow and lazily munching on some cookies when suddenly a group of girls had come to disturb his sleep.

They all had boxes and letters in their hands, looking expectantly at him as if waiting for their queue.

“Wfaht?” which was a sleep deprived, cookie-eating version of “What?”

One girl with beautiful dark skin and curly hair took a step forward, handing him a pretty heart shaped box with too many bows glued on the lid.

“Happy Valentine’s Day Jongin. I hope you can accept my feelings”

Jongin, now fully awake, suspiciously eyed the box. Valentine’s what? Seeing that the boy had practically a question mark written on his face, the girl smiled sweetly and explained:

“Today is the celebration of love. You get something for your loved ones and pour your feelings into it. You can do it for your friends but it’s usually a thing for couples and…”

At the word love Jongin mind became a flat encephalogram. Was he supposed to make presents for- OH MY GOD HE HAD NO PRESENTS DAMN MERLIN AND HIS FAKE TOUPEE.

Chopping the rest of the girl’s sentence away, Jongin scrambled out of his seat and made his way to the Slytherin table and urgently grabbed Sehun’s arm, almost making him drop the cup of tea he was holding.

“What the hell are you…” the Slytherin didn’t even need to look at his friends face to know Jongin was doing the puppy eyes thing and wanted something from him “What?”

“You need to come to Hogsmeade with me”

Sehun snorted.

“Are you mad? Only couples are going today”

“Well, I… Wait, why only couples?”

“Are you braindead? Haven’t you noticed those atrocious decorations?”

Jongin looked up, probably for the first time that morning, and stood in awe at the beautiful peachy sky. Obviously, he hadn’t noticed.

“Why do you want to go anyway?”

“I haven’t bought any presents!”

“Jongin, Valentine’s Day isn’t Christmas, it’s for…” his voice trailed off in a sigh. If there one thing he knew about Jongin was that he could be extremely stubborn if he wanted “You know what, never mind. Those hearts on the walls are making me sick. Hogsmeade it is”

The Hufflepuff beamed in victory, plopping down beside him and leaning onto his shoulder.

“Have I told you that you are the bestest of friends ever?”

“No. And please don’t, I can tolerate up to a certain level of sugar today. Cross that limit and I’ll begin with the fire”

 

 

 

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There was just one thing Luhan loathed more than Oh Sehun: Oh Sehun.

After his fantastic (insert here Luhan scoff) achievement at the Quidditch match he had suddenly become the most popular wizard in all Slytherin.

He had battled two crazy Bludgers for nearly an hour and the only compliments he had gotten had been from Tao. Oh, and a smirk from Sehun himself, which was a thousand times even more infuriating. Was there any justice left in the world?

He was in the middle of a Potion lesson when the idea came to him. He was midway into brewing a Hair-Raising potion and frankly he was bored when he read a little note in the corner of the page of his textbook:

“Please keep in mind that an overabundance of rat tails can convert the Hair-Raising potion into the Repellent potion which will make the unfortunate drinker seen as repellent by his peers for a whole day. Proceed with caution.”

A sly grin slowly appeared on the Slytherin face as he dog-eared the edge of the page and patiently waited for the end of the lesson.

Suddenly Potion lessons had become a whole lot more interesting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Hell to the no Lu. He’s one of my best players and my only seeker. Feel lucky I’m not reporting you to a Prefect”

“Oh come on Tao. Valentine’s day is the perfect occasion! You wouldn’t do this for your best, and may I add only, friend?!”

Tao stopped sprinting down the halls, all decorated with pink and white curtains and tapestries, and turned to face an adorably pouting Luhan. He was not having it.

“First of all, I have other friends other than you thank you very much. Second of all, the answer is still no. I’m busy”

The two Slytherins started walking again, shoulder to shoulder as Luhan wasn’t going to give up so easily. He still had one last ace in his sleeve.

“Busy with a certain Gryffindor blondie?”

And again, Tao’s walking came to a halt, his ears faintly redder than before.

“What are you talking about?”

“Oh, so you didn’t bet against Kris that if you won he had to do everything you say for a day. Sorry, my mistake, must’ve heard wrong”

Tao inhaled deeply and pushed all his murderous thoughts to the side

“You can’t kill him now; his mom will torture you till you’re eighty-eight”

Luhan had that vicious twinkle in his eyes that he knew couldn’t be stopped. He had tried before and was not going to lose another haircut this time.

“Okay, let’s say I do want you want me to do. Then what?”

The other wizard finally dropped the innocently evil act and broke into a giggle.

“You distract him while I pour the potion into his drink and then BAM! Laughs ‘till dawn”

Tao grimaced while he watched his friend dreamily twirl around as he envisioned the scene. That kid was walking down a dark path and he didn’t want to be the one asking him for directions.

“I have the bad feeling that this will go very wrong, but if it makes you happy…”

Luhan looked up to him with his big sparkling eyes, batting his eyelashes. In all those years of friendship he had never been able to say no to him. And even if he tried, he always ended up helping him one way or another.

“But if it makes you happy I’ll do it” he finished, feeling by now defeated.

Luhan in response let out a victorious roar, launching himself on top of his friend.

“Ugh Lu, you owe me”

But even when squished between the Slytherin surprisingly strong arms, Tao couldn’t help but smile. For the past week Luhan’s morale had gotten to an all-time low, and even if the reason for his happiness was indubitably a terrible one, seeing his friend’s grin was still a pleasure he wanted to keep on living.

After all, he truly was his only friend.

 

 

 

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Ten more rat tails and it should be fine”

As Luhan hovered over the boiling cauldron, he inhaled the earthy scent of the potion and wondered if Sehun would be able to taste it in his drink. He shoved those thoughts aside as he noticed he was out of rat tails.

He was in the Potion room, a gentle concession of the professor, but even as he scanned the drawers he found none, probably because his class had used them all in their previous lesson that morning.

With an impatient shrug he walked out the room to the storage, softly whistling his favorite song.

If he had had a of luck or misfortune we shall never know, because as soon as he exited the room, a shadow entered, flat on the walls, without making a sound. It hovered above Baekhyun’s cauldron like he himself had done it before and rapidly put a finger inside, moving its mouth without saying any word.

The potion turned green and then purple before returning to its original clear maroon, without any trace of it ever been altered.

As the shadow slipped out the room, the only noise heard in the hallway was the sound of a single tear slipping onto the pavement. And then it was gone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“A what?”

“A special practice. I was wondering if you were up for it, since it would be only you and me. It is because you’re so young and me and Madame Hooch are a little concerned it could be dangerous putting you on a broom with barely any knowledge on tactics”

Lies.

Tao was spatting out one lie after he other with the most innocent look of concern on his face, so falsely genuine it fooled even the Oh’s heir as he attentively listened to his captain ramble about Quidditch tactics and broom types.

Meanwhile, another Slytherin stretched his hand and titled his little bottle so that three drops of potion would land in Sehun’s cup, immediately hiding it again under his robe.

Luhan watched in silence as the wizard brought the cup to his lips and took a sip of his tea, without any hint of it tasting differently.

“Let the fun begin”

 

 

 

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Do you ever get the feeling that the universe is making fun of us?”

“Tell me about it”

The Prefects meeting had just ended and Junmyeon had offered Kris to take him to the library and have a study session. The Ravenclaw was already preparing for his O.W.L.S. and Kris didn’t mind keeping him company since he was buried in homework himself.

But as they strolled down the hallway the topic of their conversation quickly veered to their troubled love life. On one side there was heartbroken Junmyeon, still waiting for Yixing response, on the other was defeated Kris, waiting for his lost bet to come biting him in the .

“So he’s still avoiding you?” asked the Gryffindor, trying not to gag at the sight of the little cherubs floating above on the ceiling. Seriously, professor Park was having a little too much fun with the decoration.

“It’s not that he’s avoiding me, I barely even saw him these past few days. Weird thing is, this morning when I was going down the Great staircase the portraits were giving me weird encouragements”

Kris lifted an eyebrow in amusement.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, they were staring at me in silence, and you know that never happens, so I asked what was wrong. With all that has been going on lately I thought something had happened, but no. They just smiled at me and gave me their blessings, telling me to wait and see”

Kris snorted, almost missing his step.

“Their blessings? What, like you’re getting married?”

Junmyeon followed his friends and started laughing wholeheartedly. That was one thing he could always count on: Kris sarcastic sense of humor. He was all for puns and wordplay, while the Gryffindor was more for the tragicomic approach in life. And seeing his everlasting of back luck, he could see why he had become like this.

“Hey, I’m not the only one with boy problems. How about you, mister I-love-him-but-hate-him?”

The smile on the Gryffindor’s lips immediately vanished, replaced by an exasperated grimace.

“I have no idea. One moment he’s a normal wizard and we have a solid bonding moment, but as soon as I let my guard down he does something totally crazy and I end up doing whatever he wants.”

“What are you going to do?”

Yeah, what was he going to do? He couldn’t even walk down the hallways without flinching at every corner, expecting Tao to come popping out of nowhere and drag him into his personal Hell. Even his sleep was now tormented by either vivid dreams in which Tao came hunting him down or ones in which they were heavily making out. Either way he always woke up breathless and covered in sweat.

There was no in-between, just like their current relationship. So when the Slytherin appeared from inside a classroom and came lightning-fast at barely five centimeters from his face, he almost wasn’t even surprised.

“Stranger danger” he found himself whispering.

Almost.

“Miss me?” Tao said, drawing back a couple of steps.

Feelings himself as a third-wheel Junmyeon excused himself with a nod and skidded down the hallways, shooting one last worried glance at the Gryffindor before disappearing behind a corner.

Kris was left alone, frozen into his spot while Tao still waited for his reply. Fortunately, he had had many years to practice his bronze face and quickly collected himself. Even if on the inside he felt himself dying, outside he was his usual cool and calm self.

But of course, Ta had made it his mission to see him suffer.

“So, I’m searching for someone who owes me something, something he had promised to do. Have you seen him? Tall, blonde…”

“Cut the crap Tao. I lost the bet and I’m going to honor my words, so just tell me what you want”

Holy Merlin, that was not going to end well. He could almost feel the viciousness oozing out of his eyes as the Slytherin smirked, giving him shivers.

“Okay. Let me see… how about strolling from now till sunset?”

Kris stared at the Slytherin in disbelief. He was now smiling innocently, like he hadn’t just asked him to throw away his pride and reputation and strip from his clothes, begging to get pneumonia. Was he serious?

“Or maybe you could go to professor Park and ask him out on a date, that could be fun”

The Gryffindor let the image of him and Professor Park on a date into his mind and immediately trashed it, shaking his head as if wanting to toss it out. He urgently needed to Obliviate himself.

“I’d rather go ” he deadpanned.

Tao shot him an amused look before doubling over in laughter. Even when making fun of him, he still managed to look as dashing as always. It was really unfair.

“Oh Merlin, I can’t believe you believed that”

Kris felt his muscles relaxing as he let out a sigh of relief. It was true that a bet was a bet, but there were limits.

“So… is there anything that you actually want me to do? Because if not I’m going to the library”

Kris tried to sound cold and uninterested, but the true reason he wanted to run away was because he felt his heart on the edge of bursting out of his system. He made his move to walk away, but a hand shot up to his sleeve and pulled him back. Tao had grabbed is arm and was now looking on the floor, almost… hesitant.

“I don’t want you to do anything weird, if that what you think. I was just thinking that maybe we could go out”

“Going out. You and me”

Kris was left speechless. That had to be another joke. Tao cocked an eyebrow, seemingly gaining back his confidence.

“Do you see someone else I’m asking it to? Yeah, you and me. This evening, Hogsmeade. Any questions?”

“I… No”

That said, Tao nodded in approval and patted his shoulder, walking out of his frame of vision.

Kris didn’t know how much time passed as he stood in that hallway. Minutes? Hours? Days? Could have been ages and he still would’ve been there, thinking about how warm Tao’s hand had been against his skin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“You’re not serious”

“Oh I am very serious”

In front of Kris was the pinkest, most cavities inducing shop he had ever seen. Madame Puddifoot’s Tea shop, the hottest spot for couple in all Hogwarts. Its façade was decorated for the day with little paper flowers flying across the windowpane and tiny red hearts which sang cheesy love songs with every costumers opening the front door.

Kris wanted to die.

“Okay. You want us, two very single guys, to enter this bloody place on Valentine’s Day?”

“Yup. Come one big guy, have some faith”

The inside was even worse than the outside, with frilly pink and purple decoration everywhere. Kris felt something colliding with his scalp and he found out that on the ceiling were real golden cherubs throwing damn pink confetti at the costumers.

He was done.

He was so done. But Tao looked like he was enjoying himself, hopping up to the counter to order two cups of hot chocolate with a happy grin on his face. Kris wasn’t sure if he wanted to punch the guy or kiss him. Alas, the Hamletic doubt.

They sat at one of the last free tables seeing as Kris had been right: the place was filled to the brim with couples lovingly looking into each other’s eyes (if not worse). He suddenly felt his hands sweating.

“So…”

Tao stifled a laugh, thanking the waitress that had just brought their orders.

“What, afraid of a little pink and frills?”

“That’s not it. I just feel a little…”

“Uncomfortable?”

Kris nodded, eyes glued to his cup of hot chocolate. The tension was getting to its peak and the only thing Kris wanted to do was go back to Hogwarts and hide himself in the quiet library, following Junmyeon example. He could run there, couldn’t he?

“At first it was the same for me, but this place has the best hot chocolate in all Hogsmeade. We can go fetch some Butterbeers if you prefer”

Hearing Tao’s surprisingly sweet voice the Gryffindor cautiously looked up, finding not a single glimpse of mockery or ruse in his face. He was simply concerned, and that confused him even more.

“No, it’s okay, we already ordered these anyway” he replied with a weak smile.

As much as he loathed the place, it was definitely warmer than The Three Broomsticks and the chocolate did taste amazing. And then there was the fact that his very confusing crush was right in front of him, smiling sweetly at his mug like a kid with a new toy.

It could’ve been worse.

As the cold from February wind melted and chocolate got less and less present into their cups the two started talking more easily. They shared experiences about school and Quidditch, just like last time. Talking came effortlessly as they slowly forgot where they were and ordered two more cups of hot tea and ventured in a heated conversation about what the hell had happened on their match last week.

“I sent a letter home to ask if anything had ever happened like that, but my father said it was his first time hearing about accidents like those” Kris mumbled, taking a sip of his Earl gray.

“Yeah, me neither. It was all so strange; even the professors looked worried”

“Haven’t you asked your brother?”

Tao almost jumped in surprise, eyes wide in shock.

“My what?”

“Wasn’t your brother captain of the team for like five years? I’m sure he knows more than us about technicalities like those.”

The Slytherin said nothing, his face darkening in a painful expression, and Kris immediately regretted ever bringing up that topic. Had he struck a sore note?

“I’m sorry, just forget about it”

“No, I…” Tao gulped down all his tea in one go, wiping his mouth on a lacy napkin “Me and my brother don’t really get along. These days he’s never home and we barely talk.

He has always been the raising star of the family and I was just the younger brother that nobody really paid attention to. Even if I tried asking him, he probably would’ve just pretended I wasn’t there”

Tao’s voice was so low and soft, almost like the whisper of the wind. For a moment, something gleamed deep inside his eyes, something that looked a lot like… sadness. Kris felt an aching writhing in his stomach and instinctively took Tao’s hand in his, squeezing it lightly.

“I’m sorry. If it makes you feel better, I think you’re way too evil to be ignored”

Tao looked at him in confusion for a split second, parting his lips to say something, before cracking up, retrieving his hand to hush his voice. Even so, a few heads turned to look at the two wizard interrupting their intense eye contact session.

“Oh my God, has anybody told you you’re too much?”

“What are you talking about?” Kris deadpanned “The ladies love me”

And Tao burst laughing again, holding his stomach as tears rolled down his face.

“Please stop, they’ll force us out”

Kris held in his breath as a moment of silence fell on the pair, before they couldn’t take it anymore and doubled over in their seats with laughter.

As terrible as the day had started, Kris was beginning to think Tao was a very different person than he let other think. And one that was infinitely more endearing then he had anticipated.

Once again, he was so ed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jongin tip toed to reach the top of the shelf and took down the box. It was striped with white and gold and inside were the cutest biscuits he’d ever seen: they were shaped like tiny penguins holding tiny hearts, covered with a layer of honey and a glistening charm.

Jongin beamed, holding the box to his chest. It was perfect.

“I think I found it” Jongin exclaimed, waving the box in front of Sehun’s face.

The Slytherin was looking outside, brows furrowed in confusion. Jongin followed his gaze but found nothing if not the entrance door of the shop. There was however something strange in the air: it was a louder day than they expected, with giggles and murmurs following them everywhere they went, but with Jongin that was a given. What was so strange was that mixed with the female voices were some deeper ones, and certainly not talking about the Hufflepuff.

He knew Sehun had suddenly become popular, but the amount of people following them down the Main Street of Hogsmeade was becoming scary. The only thing he wanted was to shop in peace and now that he had found what he was searching for he was ready to put his on the return train back to Hogwarts.

“Are you okay?” Jongin asked, placing a hand on his friend’s shoulder.

Sehun let out a frustrated sigh and turned to face him, his body leaning forward.

“Yeah. I guess I’m just tired, but there’s something… off. I can’t explain what though”

Jongin nodded, knowing what the Slytherin was talking about, but he dismissed the feeling with it being the effect of Valentine’s Day. Everybody felt that electric excitement buzzing in the air, the urge to move, smile and express their feelings.

The two went to the counter and paid for the biscuit’s box, smiling back at the waiter who wished them both a “Lovely day with their lucky girlfriends”. As soon as they were out of earshot they both burst out laughing.

As they navigated the smaller streets of the town, they began again to feel that strange pressure on their backs, as if someone was following them. And sure as hell there was a crowd of both boys and girls walking a few steps behind, clearly tailing them. And when the duo began walking faster so did they, until they found themselves almost surrounded by witches and wizards, looking expectantly them.

“Jongin” Sehun murmured.

“Yeah?”

“What the hell is happening?”

“I have no idea. It’s not me”

The Slytherin was creeped out beyond words, but he stepped in and cleared his voice.

“Ehmm, guys, can we help you?”

One boy took word, taking out an envelope from his robe:

“I… I don’t know how to say it, but I think I fell in love with you. Please go out with me!” he yelled.

Sehun looked at the boy, speechless. What the bloody hell was going on? Was that a prank?

“Do I even know you?” he asked, shooting a puzzled look at Jongin who shrugged in response. He didn’t know either.

“No, but you are just so beautiful I couldn’t help it” the boy responded, a hazy look in his eyes, like they were full of fog. “I looked at you earlier and I suddenly realized that you must be my soulmate”

Suddenly, more voices from other boys and girls started declaring their undying love to Sehun, one louder than the previous one, all trying to one up the other. The Slytherin found himself with arms full of letters and gifts, heart-shaped notes and boxes full of chocolates. One girl even tried to hug him but he swiftly avoided her, looking more and more terrified by the minute

The circle of people began tightening around them as they all were waiting for Sehun’s response, but the only words that came out of his mouth were:

“Jongin, RUN!”

He did not have to repeat it twice as the two sprinted down the main road like their life depended on it, nudging their way to the train station in the sea of people. They could hear the cries and shouts behind them, asking for Sehun to stop and “Hold my ing hand, you handsome idiot!”.

They didn’t stop to look back until they were safely inside an empty train compartment. Jongin anxiously took out his wand and hissed:

“Colloportus”

The doors to sealed themselves shut with a screeching sound, startling them both. They were still out of breath and without a clue of what had just happened.

Sehun ran a hand through his hair, now floppily glued to his forehead, and tried to slow down his breathing, placing a hand on his chest and feeling his heart about to leap out of it.

Was there a sane explanation for what had just happened? No, but as he kept turning the thought over and over, it all started making more sense. And oh boy, if he was right, someone was just waiting to get some.

“So” Jongin’s voice broke the silence as the engines of the train started springing up in motion “Why didn’t you tell me you had a new boyfriend? Or, you know, forty-five new boyfriends”

Sehun rolled his eyes, not able to drive away the smile on his face. Jongin could be a pretty dumb sometimes, but that was exactly what he needed to lighten up. Years of friendship had taught him to loosen up, if only in Jongin’s presence, but it was always the Hufflepuff the wittier of the duo.

“Ha, ha. You’re hilarious”

“Hey, you don’t need to be mean. It’s not my fault you’re such a Don Giovanni and never told me”

The Slytherin slid further down his seat, a malicious grin on his lips.

“You know, I have a feeling I know who’s behind this. And trust me, when I catch him, you’re going to hear the screams”

Jongin felt a shiver down his spine. An angry Sehun was a sight to behold, but a furious Sehun… well, it was better to start running.

 

 

 

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Chanyeol, please tell me it’s not Baek again”

Kyungsoo and Chanyeol had monopolized a table in the Gryffindor common room and were drowning in scrolls, spilled ink and piles upon piles of books. Apparently Valentine’s Day was not a good enough excuse not to do their homework; they had at least five essays to finish before starting to work on their charms for the next day and were not even nearly close to the end.

Kyungsoo was determined to finish it all before dinner time, eyes focused on the paper, but Chanyeol had other plans:

“Of course it’s him! I wanted to make him something but I have no idea what to do. I don’t want to write him a letter, you know how cheesy I get if I start talking about him and If I get chocolate it will be too obvious, but maybe if I wrap them in white parchment…”

After barely three words Kyungsoo tuned him out. Valentine’s day had gotten Chanyeol in full panic mode as he had seen Baekhyun chatting with some girls who had given him letters and presents. What if someone confessed before him and Baek said yes? Disaster, tragedy, catastrophe!

Kyungsoo had tried to cheer him up, because knowing Baekhyun, those girls were probably just his friends. A kid with a boisterous personality like his wasn’t hard to like, but tougher to love. But of course, Chanyeol had already gone into complete shutdown, his brain capacity lowering to a zero.

And behold! Kyungsoo wrote the last line of his essay, finally putting down his quill on the table and Chanyeol was still rambling about what to give the Gryffindor as a present.

“Yeol” Kyungsoo called, but the wizard was in his own little world and did not hear him.

“YEOL!” he yelled, turning a couple of heads in the room.

Chanyeol snapped back to reality with a jump, nervously pushing back his hair.

“Kyungsoo, if I don’t give him something it will be the end. Caput. Game over”

The Gryffindor sighed, shaking his head. There were times when he felt a little too old to be dealing with Chanyeol’s tantrums. Was it so difficult to speak to another person? Not that he was the one to speak, but still.

“You are so dramatic, has anyone told you that?” he suddenly stood up, stretching his limbs after all that writing “Come with me, I think I have an idea”

The redhead followed him as he navigated though the hallways, sure-footed in his steps, eyes never lifting from straight ahead.

Sometimes Kyungsoo could be a little intimidating, he knew. His eyes were dark and his expression hard; when he decided something there was no way to make him cease, just like his mother, but there was always a soft spot in his heart for his friends.

Growing up in a little town had been tough because there were few other kids his age and he had always been very shy, but now that there was someone he cared about having troubles, he wanted to help.

They reached the library, quieting their steps as they entered. As always the room was filled with the faint noise of quills on paper and books moving in their shelves, some vibrating, some glowing, some even trading places with others. But they were not there for the books.

He found them where he knew they would be; in the furthest corner of the library sat Minseok and Jongdae, one quietly sleeping on top of the other’s shoulder.

For a second Kyungsoo pondered if it was better to leave them be, but as soon as he saw Chanyeol’s hopeful smile he made up his mind and started charging towards them at full speed.

“Minseok” he greeted murmuring.

The Ravenclaw looked up from his books and waved at him, batting his lashes in curiosity at Chanyeol, a silent question on his lips.

“I was wondering if you could take us to the kitchens. My friend here wanted to make something special for his… well, let’s say friend”

Minseok stared at the two Gryffindor for a moment as if lost in thought, before breaking into a delicate smile, nodding. He turned to Jongdae and gently shook his shoulder, calling his name.

“Dae, wake up. Our services have been requested”

His voice was so soft, the gesture so intimate that Kyungsoo felt the need to advert his eyes.

Not a minute later they were sprinting down to the kitchens with Jongdae’s loud voice to fill the gaps of his partner’s silence. There was something off about them, Kyungsoo thought, but he couldn’t understand what it was. They had always looked so in synch with their movements, as if they could read each other’s minds, but that day their rhythm had broken.

Sure enough, they soon found themselves going down the same stairs leading to the Hufflepuff’s Basement, but taking a left and coming to a halt before a painting of a bowl of fruits. Minseok stretched his hand to tickle the pear, which giggled in delight before transforming into a large green door.

After the entrance was an enormous room with high ceilings, almost as big as the Greta hall. There were mounds of shining brass pots and pans heaped around the stone walls and a great brick fireplace at the other end, warming up the environment. Dozens of House-elves were busy preparing dinner, teleporting the ingredients from one side of the room to the other with a mere snap of their fingers.

A particularly short one came greeting Minseok and Jongdae, his ears flapping in delight.

“Oh, young masters, are you here hiding from some kind of misdeed again?”

Minseok let out a brief laugh before shaking his head.

“No, not this time. We were wondering if you could let us use a stove for a few hours. Our friend here needs cookies. And before you offer, we have to do this ourselves, thank you Dori”

The House-elf nodded, turning to his colleagues and spreading the news. The fours wizards were given space and ingredients, before being left alone once again in a corner of the kitchen, as requested-

“Do you two come here often?” Kyungsoo asked in amusement.

He had never seen a House-elf and he didn’t know anything about them, but they were interesting creatures, surprisingly lovely in their courteous smiles. He would have loved to ask one of them about his life in Hogwarts’s kitchens, but that was not the right time.

“Sometimes.” Jongdae replied with a mysterious smirk “Okay guys. Let us explain the difficult art of magical cookies. You must first channel you inner MasterChef, then take out your spatula and-

“You pour the flour and the sugar in the bowl with the cocoa, then you add the eggs and milk”

Kyungsoo shot Chanyeol a look before trailing down on the two Ravenclaw. Minseok hadn’t even let Jongdae finish before turning on the oven, substantially ignoring him. Jongdae opened his mouth as if to shoot one of his snarky responses, but he withheld, grabbing a spoon and the sugar.

Yup, something was really off.

Kyungsoo went to help Minseok with the wet ingredients, the eggs and the milk, while Chanyeol tried not to make a total mess with the flour and the sugar. At the end, they had their dough, ready to be rolled out and cut into shape.

“So, Chanyeol, tell us about this crush of yours. Is she pretty?” Jongdae asked in a teasing tone, wiggling his eyebrows.

The Gryffindor, already completely covered in flour, managed to blush deep crimson to the tip of his ears, earning a few chuckles from his friends.

“Well, he is very pretty. His eyes are beautiful, and his voice… guys, I wish you could hear him sing, he’s heavenly. And he’s the funniest person I know; there’s something about him that always makes me laugh. Plus, he always got some food for me which is beyond attractive, if you ask me.”

“Sounds quite like the charming fella, doesn’t he?” Jongdae murmured, more to himself than anything else.

Chanyeol’s cheeks warmed up even more, so much Kyungsoo could practically see the flour beginning to bake on his skin.

“He has a very strong personality, but sometimes people forget that he’s also very sensitive. He always knows what to say to cheer me up” he added, hiding a shy grin behind his hands.

“But of course my clumsy can’t help but getting into embarrassing situations as soon as I see him so I am a lost cause” he stopped to stare at his cookies, now ready to be put in the oven, as his lips curled upward “I hope he will like these. I’d really like to see him smile”

And then there was something. A moment. A spark of electricity through the air.

Kyungsoo felt his hair raising, his heart beginning to accelerate, as he saw Minseok and Jongdae looking at each other. Not a word was said, but in that single glance more than a million were shared, a private conversation for them only to understand.

And then, as quickly as it came, the moment passed.

“What was that?” Kyungsoo thought, looking down at his moist hands. He could feel his heart still raging in his chest as drops of sweat trickled down his back. Had that been some kind of magical phenomenon? Or had it been simply…

Chanyeol put the raw cookies in the oven and began counting.

As his voice resonated in the room, among dozens of other squeakier ones, Kyungsoo let his mind wonder. As he ventured in the deep ocean of his mind, a blinding spark of white made his way through his memories.

He recalled Chanyeol’s words and wondered if maybe, just maybe, that could be called love.

 

 

 

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Gentlemen, I think we baked enough to feed a small country”

In front of the four wizard was probably a ton worth of cookies arranged in a tall stack on the plate. One touch and it would have been like Pompeii all over again, with lava sweet enough to give you cavities.

It was getting late so they neatly arranged the batch into two piles. Both Minseok and Jongdae took out their wands, focusing each on one.

“Coloravia” they chanted and the sweets changed color, turning from brown to stripes of red and gold.

Then, Jongdae raised his stick once more, his forehead wrinkled in concentration. This time he did not usher a word, silently moving his lips to form a non-verbal incantation. The cookies began shaking and faintly glowing before turning back to normal.

“What… what did you just do?” Kyungsoo asked, looking at the Ravenclaw in marvel.

“It’s just a trick my mother has taught me. She uses this spell that makes food taste like your favorite dish, but I’m not skilled like her so it only works for a couple of hours. You better hurry Casanova” he said, playfully hitting Chanyeol in the chest.

Kyungsoo was left speechless, unsure how could that even be real. For the thousand time he wondered how had humans managed to go all those years without ever experiencing magic.

They asked for two boxes and put their creations inside, sealing them with a pretty bow. As they waved goodbye to the little elves, Kyungsoo promised them to come visit again.

“They must feel so lonely” he thought.

They walked back up the stairs and found themselves on their way to the library again. the hallways were filled with half-asleep students who had just finished their homework and the Gryffindor couldn’t help but groan at the thought of how much work they still needed to finish once they went back to their rooms.

“Wait, what are we going to do with this?” Kyungsoo asked pointing at the second box.

The two Ravenclaw broke into a sly smile at the same time, giving him a knowing once-over. All the tension between them had apparently been left tin the kitchens as they began teasing him.

“Well, maybe you could take it and give it to a special someone” said Minseok.

“Maybe someone with white hair” continued Jongdae, winking.

Kyungsoo immediately froze, feeling the skin on his cheeks coming to a boil. How did they…

“PARK CHANYEOL!”

Only Merlin knows what restrained him from jumping on top of his friend and put his hands around his throat.

“Sorry Soo, but they asked and I…

“You just couldn’t help but spilling all my secrets. No, okay I see how it is. From now on I won’t help you at all. Not even with your Potion essays”

Kyungsoo folded his arms and turned his back on the Gryffindor, hiding his quivering smile. Chanyeol, however, at the mention of Potion immediately stiffened and fell on his knees, hands gripping on his robe.

“Come on Soo, not Potion! You know I with that, don’t be mean”

“La la la, I can’t hear you”

Ignoring Chanyeol he took the second box in his hand, waving goodbye to two laughing Minseok and Jongdae who reluctantly went back to their studying (or, in Jongdae’s case, sleeping). He then turned to his friends and helped him back up, patting his back reassuringly.

“Okay, so what’s the plan?” he asked as they were walking back to their common room.

“The plan?”

“You mean you haven’t thought about what to say once you see him?”

Chanyeol widened his eyes, slapping himself on the forehead.

“I knew there was something I had forgotten. Oh Merlin, Soo, what do I do now?!”

Kyungsoo curled his lips in a thoughtful pout. He had never had a boyfriend, nor a girlfriend so he really wasn’t the best person to seek advices from, but his mother had been an avid consumer of romantic movies, so he considered himself somewhat knowledgeable.

All those hours spent watching ‘How I met your mother’ had to be worth something.

“Well, it depends on what you had in mind. Definitely don’t say how you’d make cute babies together, trust me. Never got anywhere with that”

Kyungsoo was only joking but he shot a worried glance at Chanyeol’s ears as they had quickly become cherry red. He decided to let that one slide.

“Just keep your cool and you’ll be fine. Say “Baekhyun, I like you, please go out with me” etcetera. It’s that simple”

The Gryffindor didn’t look convinced yet, but it was to be expected. He didn’t work well under pressure, that was something they had all discovered when the Charm professor had told them to try start a little flame with their wand and they had to evacuate the room because Chanyeol had set his hair on fire.

When they arrived in front of the portrait of the Fat Lad, Kyungsoo gave Chanyeol a pat on the back and turned left, making his way to the Great staircase. He had another destination in mind.

 

 

 

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chanyeol took a deep breath and started smoothing out his robe with his fingers, trying to push down his hair.

“How do I look?” he asked the Fat Lady.

The woman gave him a doubtful look before starting giggle, hiding her lips behind a nook of her silky pink dress. Even the background of her painting had been changed to fit the mood of the day, with her crown being replaced by a garland of hearts and little cherubs flying above the marble arch.

“Dashing. Now password please”

The Gryffindor groaned, recalling what Professor park had decided the password to be for that day.

“Lovebirds”

“You may enter”

The portrait swung backwards, letting him enter the hole leading to the tower. In the common room were just a few students, most already putting away their things and getting ready for dinner. And of course, among them stood Baekhyun.

He was sitting on a velvety sofa talking to a girl, lazily throwing pieces of chocolate into his mouth between yawns. Maybe Chanyeol was a little biased, but that day Baek looked even more handsome than usual, his hair a little curly from his recent shower and his eyes glinting in the dimly lit room. The light from the fireplace made his skin look like porcelain, as if he had just used a beauty spell on his face.

Chanyeol felt his legs turning into jelly, but when the girl stood up and made her way to her dormitory he saw his opportunity and walked up to him, hiding the box of cookies behind his back.

“Oh hey Yeol, what’s up?”

That was his queue, his big moment. He just had to say those magical words and they would have their magical happily ever after he had spent an embarrassingly amount of time dreaming about. Or not, if he decided to reject him, but Chanyeol didn’t want to think about that possibility.

He opened his mouth a couple of times, unsure where to start. Baekhyun looked at him, batting his eyelashes, waiting.

“Pixie got your tongue?” he said with a playful smirk and goddamn he looked so beautiful. Abort mission, I repeat, abort mission!

So of course, Chanyeol did the only sensible thing to do: he yelled.

“HERE, FOOD!”

He threw the box in the wizard’s face, not even stopping to see if he had accidentally gouged out his eye, and ran away as fast as he could, leaving a very stunned and confused Baekhyun.

He sprinted to his room and rolled himself into a ball of blanket on his bed, his face ablaze.

What the hell have you done? He thought to himself. It was the perfect opportunity, the timing could be more right, so then why? He let out a yell of frustration, cuddling himself deeper in the blanket-burrito.

Park Chanyeol.

Yes?

You are so dumb.

 

 

 

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Jongin, if we don’t make it out alive, I want you to know that I loved you”

While on the return train Sehun had explained Jongin his theory: somehow Luhan had made him become irresistible to people and there was only one thing capable of doing that: a potion.

“But then why am I not affected?” asked Jongin.

He saw nothing different in his friend if not for a very dangerous vein, pulsing with anger on his forehead. It was unclear what was keeping Sehun from breaking down in a fit of rage, but Jongin knew that once at the castle it wasn’t going to end prettily.

“Well, given your nature, I wouldn’t be surprised if you were immune”

They still didn’t understand why Luhan would have wanted to make Sehun irresistible to people if he hated him so much, but may Sehun be damned if he knew what was going on inside that crazy head.

They had gotten used to the comfort of the empty carriage and had naively thought that once at Hogwarts things would be normal again. but of course they were wrong.

As soon as they stepped into the castle, students around them began turning their heads, their eyes full of the same fog as the ones in Hogsmeade.

Sehun shot a terrified glance at his partner who looked equally scared.

“Jongin, let’s split up”

“Okay”

Under the baffled look at the ghosts and portraits patrolling the hallways the two sprinted down the Great staircase, one turning left and the other right nodding each other goodbye.

As Jongin slowed down his pace he eavesdropped to hear if someone had followed him, but he found himself alone. It was indeed Sehun the person they were all searching for, so his theory must have been correct.

After all that sprinting his body felt heavy. For him running was a very intimate activity, one he enjoyed with a passion but only when his feet could feel the ground below them and the smell was of leaves and fresh rain, not dust and old bricks.

He wasn’t tired, he was drained. He dragged his feet across the hall and then down the stairs to his dormitory trying to recall the rhythm of ‘Helga Hufflepuff’ that would let him in. With the comforting thought of the proximity of his bed he sped up his pace, not even thinking about going to dinner, when he suddenly collided with something.

“Whoa, easy there”

He caught the poor victim by his collar, efficiently making him gain back his balance but suddenly captivated by a pair of large brown eyes.

“Hey”

Kyungsoo’s voice was as soft as always, but there was something different. They had talked plenty of times and Jongin was sure he had never seen him with his cheeks so flushed.

“Kyungsoo. what are you doing here?”

All of a sudden Jongin’s bag felt a little too heavy. His present was still inside and that was the perfect opportunity to give it to his consignee, but he found himself shying away. Looking at Kyungsoo had never been a difficult activity: the boy was beautiful, from his cute round cheeks to his lean body, but in that moment it was hard even peeking at his shoes.

“Actually, I was searching for you”

Jongin finally found the courage to look up and was left blind by a shy smile. Merlin, Kyungsoo’s lips had been made to be kissed.

Not really the most useful thing to think about when the owner of said lips was right in front of him, but he couldn’t help it.

“What a coincidence! I was searching for you too”

“Oh, okay. Than you go first”

“No no, you arrived before me so you first”

Kyungsoo nervously scratched his ear, still keeping a hand behind his back. There was nothing that Jongin wanted more than to take those cheeks between his hands and squish them, his hands itching to do it, but he clenched them into fists.

Self-control Jongin, self-control.

“How about we go together?”

Jongin nodded, taking the bag down his shoulder.

“Okay, one… two… three…”

“Happy Valentine’s Day” they said in unison, shoving the two presents in each other’s hands.

They both looked stunned at what had been given to them. Kyungsoo opened his box while Jongin did the same and chirps of joy left their mouths.

“Jongin, you didn’t have to”

“You too, these looks exquisite”

And then the thought came back again, resurfacing with full force. Kyungsoo was cooing at the penguin-shaped cookies, taking one between his slender fingers and giving it small bite, his eyes shutting in delight; all Jongin could think about was how soft those lips looked and how much he would’ve given for just one peck.

Oh Merlin and his underpants, Kim Jongin you are in love.

“Do you… errr… would you like to go to dinner with me?”

Kyungsoo furrowed his brows, his mouth still full of sweet chocolaty dough.

“Wfaht?” a glutton version of “What?”

Jongin couldn’t help but giggle at the sight. They truly were alike.

“You know, it’s almost dinner time. We can walk there together”

“Of, shuuuree” (Oh, sure)

The comfort of his bed quickly forgotten, Jongin offered to carry both boxes in his bag and they began walking together. The hallways were beginning to fill with hungry students headed to the Great Hall which they hoped had gone back to normal. Knowing professor Park, it probably wasn’t. Kyungsoo had met him on his way to the Hufflepuff Basement and apparently he had just been rejected by his long-time crush, the Divination teacher.

Their quickly fell into a lazy conversation about Jongin’s experience in Hogsmeade. Kyungsoo could see the fatigue in Jongin’s eyes and hadn’t wanted to pry on the details, but laughed wholeheartedly at the tale of the Hufflepuff’s strange adventure that evening.

“Wait, isn’t Luhan Slytherin’s beater?”

“Yeah. Sehun described as Satan incarnate, and after this I don’t struggle to believe it”

They were a few feet away from the entrance to the Great hall, the alluring smell of food seeping its way to the hallway before, but Kyungsoo abruptly stopped and looked right into Jongin’s eyes, gluing him to the spot.

“Jongin, I was wondering something: last week at the Quidditch game, why were your hair full of petals? It’s winter, where did you get blossomed flowers?”

The Hufflepuff felt his heart skipping a beat. Did Kyungsoo knew? His tone was surprisingly harsh and his face had become stone-hard, waiting for an answer. He needed a lie, quickly.

“I went to help Sehun with his Erbology project and while we were in the greenhouse I fell. The petals probably got stuck in my hair because it’s so fluffy”

Kyungsoo seemed to weight his answer, searching for any trace of a lie in his face, but fortunately his scary expression softened in a meek smile. Jongin could resume breathing.

“Makes sense. I was just worried about you, thought you had gone to the Forbidden forest or something, but I’m glad it’s nothing like that”

“Yeah, just a clumsy mistake”

It felt horrible to lie to Kyungsoo in that way, but even then, he had no choice. It was not him who made the rules.

“By the way, there was something else I was wondering about”

Jongin felt his muscle tense again, ready for another dangerous question, but what came out of the Gryffindor’s lips was ten times more surprising.

“Is your hair real?”

Students were walking past them in groups, their chatters and laughs filling the air, but Jongin couldn’t hear any of it. Was Kyungsoo really asking if he was secretly bald? He almost choked with a laugh.

“Merlin yes, it is very much my hair”

He was still snickering when he saw Kyungsoo’s embarrassed expression and dried his tears with the palms of his hands.

“Sorry, sorry. I didn’t mean to sound rude, but it’s just the first time anyone had ever asked me something like this”

“Well, you know… I didn’t grow up with magic. My mother is a muggle so I have no idea if those on your head are hair of a mystical creature coming out from my worst nightmare. How am I supposed to know? Magic is still a new thing for me”

“Don’t worry. I wasn’t accusing you of anything, just… it was a funny question, that’s all. You can touch them if you want”

Kyungsoo widened his eyes in surprise. The expression on his face showed that yes, he very much wanted to, so Jongin lowered his head and let him run his fingers though his scalp. It was smooth and thin, shifting from snowy white to a more golden color with the light.

It had been a long time since anyone had touched his head like that and Jongin was trying to capture the moment to keep it in his memory. Kyungsoo’s touch was so delicate, so careful. He wanted to stay like that forever, but then the other wizard put his hands back down and he lifted his head once again.

“Are your parents the same?” he asked.

“Well, my father has normal black hair. Junmyeon, my brother, is the same.”

“So is it you mother?”

The word mother. Just hearing it out loud made him feel sick in his stomach. He missed her dearly, but at the same time there was a knot in his throat that didn’t want to come undone. It was always there, a reminder of what he was and what he had left behind. He was a wizard, but before that he had been a son.

“Yeah, she…” he paused, struggling to find the right words “She’s very beautiful. I look more like her than my father. When I was…”

He couldn’t continue, he didn’t have the strength.

Suddenly he was enveloped in a warm embrace, Kyungsoo’s arms locking on his back. He was too short to reach his height, but his face found a perfect spot in the crook of his neck, the warmth of his body soothing on the skin.

Instead of accelerating like usual, his heartbeat slowed down. His breathing returned to normal and he felt a powerful sense of calmness filling his body. It was like slipping in the realms of dreams, only he was very much awake.

Kyungsoo smelled like wood and gingerbread.

It was too brief, too quick for Jongin to fully register what had just happened and as soon as Kyungsoo broke the hug, he found himself floating three feet from the ground.

“I’m sorry. You don’t have to talk about it if it makes you uncomfortable. I shouldn’t have asked”

The Hufflepuff snapped back to reality, noticing they had attracted quite an audience of students, looking at them with curious eyes.

“I… That’s not… Ugh!”

Words were suddenly mixing up in his brain and he couldn’t find the ones he wanted to say, but Kyungsoo beat him on time, extending his hand.

“Shall we go eat?”

For a brief moment wondered who had he saved in his past life to deserve this. He took the Gryffindor’s hand and squeezed it between his fingers, still not sure if it was real or a figment of his imagination.

“Yeah, sure”

As they entered the Great hall, a sudden thought hit him:

“Where the hell is Sehun?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, Sehun was running.

Or at least, he had been when they had separated at the entrance, going down the narrow passage to the Dungeons and praying to himself that there weren’t any Slytherins in his pursuers. As soon as he got close to the entrance he whispered the password:

“Ectoplasm”

Before sealing it shut behind him. He leaned on the cold stone and waited, listening to the sound of his heart drumming in his chest. He counted the seconds, heeding if he could still hear the sound of footsteps, but after he had gotten to twenty and heard nothing he abandoned his position and scanned the room.

Anger was now boiling in his body like a steamer and he knew who he wanted to see.

“YOU”

The room had fortunately been deserted, the only sound coming from the creatures living in the lake outside their windows, but the second he had begun to catch his breath Luhan had descended from his quarters and there was only one thing Sehun wanted to do: vengeance!

As soon as Luhan saw him he pinched his nose, eyes wide in surprise and worry. The potion worked with smell and he really didn’t want to fall victim of its spell, even though he already detested him and would’ve been pointless. He still didn’t know his plan had failed, but he was about to find out.

“You idiotic son of a troll, what have you done to me?”

Sehun strode over to the other Slytherin, so close Luhan could practically see the insides of his fuming mouth. Even though he knew Sehun was furious, he pushed the fear of being set on fire (an awful habit the wizard was said to have) and smirked, feigning ignorance.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He mocked “You look so tense Hun, you should drink some Calming Drought”

Sehun broke into a terrifying grin, his eyes bloodshot with rage.

“Calming Drought my . People have been following me all day and I’m exhausted.” He pointed a finger at Luhan’s chest, hitting it harshly with its nail “You are the only idiot who would do something like this to me, so explain”

Luhan looked confused. Wasn’t his potion supposed to keep people away?

“Wait, they were following you? I don’t…”

But in in heat of confusion he forgot he was supposed to keep his nose pinched not to fall victim to the potion and suddenly the room was a little too hot. His vision was hazy and his movements groggy like after a round of Butterbeers, but then he lifted his gaze and oh Merlin. How had he not noticed how good looking Sehun was before? Those eyes, those lips… and how close were they! Just a step further and he would’ve bene able to feel his breath ghosting over his skin.

What was he doing before? Arguing? How could he argue with such an angelic creature as Sehun?

He stepped forward and hooked his arms behind the Slytherin’s neck, standing on the tip of his toes to glue his body to the other’s.

“How can you be so handsome?” he asked in a whisper, lost in the beauty that were his eyes.

Sehun on the other hand was paralyzed in shock. He knew that was the effect of the potion, and now he had confirmed it had indeed been Luhan to make him drink it, but he hadn’t expected the culprit to fall for his own trick and was now unsure on how to react. Luhan’s face was a little too close for comfort, his body pressed against his.

It was the first time being so close to someone in his life and while he wasn’t exactly disliking the feeling, it was still Luhan we were talking about, his greatest nemesis.

“Get the hell away from me” he said, his voice quivering as Luhan ignored him and pushed himself even closer.

It was a strange situation. If Sehun would have wanted he could’ve shoved the Slytherin away with mere brute force and shut himself in his room, waiting for the effects of the potion to wear off, but all of a sudden a memory came to his mind: Luhan at the Christmas party trying to hide his blush in his robe, Luhan fighting like a madman at the Quidditch game, Luhan looking at him like there was something he wanted to hear, Luhan, Luhan, Luhan…

What was going on inside his head? Had he gone crazy?

The Han’s heir was nothing but a narcissistic, egotistic son of a rival family. He hated him and there was that.

Still trapped in his thoughts, he suddenly snapped back to reality when he felt a finger slowly tracing down his chest, sending shivers down his spine.

“I never knew you were so toned under this shirt”

Okay, time’s up. Sehun was beginning to fear for his life when he felt the finger twirling down the edge of his belt and immediately shoved Luhan away from him, his face hot as lava. His thoughts had melted into grey gelatin just as much as his legs. He needed to get away, now.

Luhan however was not going to give up so easily: he shook his head and regained his balance, walking up to him once again with a pout on his lips.

“You are so mean. Don’t you love me Hun?” he paused, taking a good look at Sehun’s completely appalled face “Because I do”

And then, ladies and gentlemen, came what was going to be remembered as “That day in February which shall never be named”.

Luhan took Sehun’s face in his hands and placed a feathery kiss on his lips.

 

 

 

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yixing was in his room, pacing the distance from his bed to the door when he heard a faint scream.

“Did you hear that T-rex? Sounds like it came from the Dungeon”

The mouse, fully nested on his bed, gave the Hufflepuff an indifferent look. There were more pressing things to discuss.

Everything was ready: on his bed was Junmyeon’s Christmas gift, ready to be put into use. He had made up his mind; he knew what he needed to say and had carefully chosen every word to make sure they were the right ones. Now the only thing left to do was… well, to go.

Even though he knew he was ready, nervousness was eating him alive, making his fingers tremble when he took the little crystal bird in his hands. T-rex jumped down from the bed and scrambled to get in his pocket, his tiny snout poking out in a mute encouragement.

“Okay T-rex, here we go”

He brought the bird close to his lips and whispered Junmyeon’s name. Suddenly the room was filled with the chirp of the bird, wings spread as it started flaying towards the door. Yixing felt his heart accelerating and quickly started following his guide, nose up in the air.

He was so concentrated on the little bird that he almost ran over a couple of students on his way. With each step he repeated his speech in his mind. He couldn’t afford to make mistakes; it was too important to him. For Junmyeon who was hardworking and always managed to bring him happiness without asking for anything in return.

For Junmyeon who deserved the world.

He was so concentrated on those thoughts he didn’t even register when he arrived. Before him was the door to the library, carved wood on iron. Most students had now gone to dinner and the desks were empty. The only sound left was the murmuring of the books and a single quill, still tracing elegant loops on the paper.

Junmyeon was sitting in one of the furthest corner of the room where the was more light, his face leaned forward on the parchment, his lips slowly following the words he was writing.

As soon as Yixing entered, the crystal bird twirled in the air and landed in his other pocket, now back to an inanimate object.

Yixing took a moment to observe Junmyeon, because he knew that after what he was going to say everything was going to change, for better or worse. The wizard was far from being perfect, like every other young man that age, but in his eyes he had always been stunning. His sunny smile was what had made him his friend, his caring personality, his weird sense of humor… there was not an end to the list of things he loved about him.

So then, he took a step forward. And another, and another, until he was in front of the Ravenclaw. Junmyeon had been so absorbed in his writing that when Yixing cleared his throat he jumped in his seat with a little whimper.

“Merlin Xing, you almost gave me a heart attack. What are you doing here?”

He tried to sound cool and collected, but on the inside he was screeching. That was their long awaited talk, wasn’t it? If so, Junmyeon was ready to die in the spot.

He knew what Yixing was going to say:

“Sorry Jun, but it’s better if we stay as friends”

He had envisioned the scene almost a million times in his mind and there was no other outcome he saw as possible. Is love was born to be one-sided and he was going to learn to live with it.

However, when the Hufflepuff started speaking, it was not pity what he heard in his voice, but… nervousness?

“I used your bird” he murmured, afraid that speaking louder than a whisper would make his words fly away.

“Oh, really?” Junmyeon replied, touched Yixing had remembered his Christmas gift. It had been meant to serve him as a guide, but maybe also their own personal Cupid.

“Yeah. Well, I promised you an answer so here I am”

His speech, all he had prepared in his head was suddenly gone. Looking into Junmyeon’s hopeful eyes there was no other thing he could say

“These past few days I’ve been thinking about what you said, about you and me. I… I don’t know what love his, I only got you and there is nothing else. I don’t want us to grow apart and I would never ever want to hurt you”

His eyes were filling up with tears, but he dried them away with his sleeves. His chest ached as if there was something fighting inside his ribcage, roaring to get out. His blood, his mind… he felt himself on fire.

“I still don’t understand what this feeling is, but someone told me that when you’d give the world to see a person smile, even if it costs you everything, that is love. And Jun…”

There. That was the moment Junmyeon knew he would get rejected. It was only natural like that, Yixing would never-

“I’d do that for you. I know I am an airhead and I always get lost. I’m no good with Transfiguration and I still need someone to keep a door open for me when I don’t remember which direction my room is anymore, but if you could accept me, I’d gladly love you back”

Junmyeon closed his eyes. If that was a dream he didn’t want to wake up, not now that there were tears dripping down his cheeks because goddamn it he had been waiting for this moment for too many years and the happiness he felt was about to rip out of his chest.

The sobs came, then the smiles, then the laughs.

He was in love. He had been in love for five excruciatingly long years and only now he felt himself finally breathe again.

He was loved. He didn’t need anything else.

He stood up and gently took Yixing flushed cheeks between his fingers, finally doing what he had ached to do since the first time he had saw him. He leaned forward and pressed his lips on his in an unhurried, beautiful kiss.

 

 

 

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bonus, A little after midnight.

 

 

When Kyungsoo came back to his room it was late. He had spent his time with Jongin in the Great hall, with permission from their teacher, to just talk and lazy around. They weren’t the only ones sitting on the benches: some Hufflepuffs were playing wizarding chess, two girls from Slytherin were opening their Valentine cards and sharing the most hilarious ones with each other.

Kyungsoo and Jongin hadn’t done anything special; they just talked about nothing, enjoying each other’s company until it was too late to keep their eyes open. They had shared their presents with one another, finding out that Jongin’s favorite dish was apparently grilled chicken with sauce and Kyungsoo’s was his mom’s spaghetti.

After their goodbyes Kyungsoo had staggered down the halls with a yawn on his lips and a full stomach, ready to go to bed.

When he entered his room he found Chanyeol fast asleep in a weird cocoon of blankets, only the top of his head peeking out. His ferret Dori was also asleep in her little house, making Kyungsoo smile. Since Chanyeol had brought him to Hogwarts the little animal hadn’t once left his bed. Like father like son.

He was about to change into his pajama and fall on his bed when he noticed something on Chanyeol’s bed stand: it was a little red box, with a note on top that said.

“HERE, FOOD too you too <3

B.”

That night, Kyungsoo fell asleep with a laugh still bubbling in his throat.

 

 

 

 

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hi, have you made it to the end? Kudos to you because apparently I was very inspired (and very cocky) and practically wrote an essay on Exo, Hogwarts and Valentine's day, which in Italy we don't even celebrate, so all my knowledge on how it goes down comes from typical American teen movies and that one time in Harry Potter when they celebrated it, so I'm sorry if there are any mistakes.

And yes, I tweaked some events from Sir Nicholas' back story and made up an attracting potion, but hey, a writer's gotta to do what she's gotta do. I tried to sprinkle some plot in this, but it's very minimal. I just wanted to write Exo being fluffy and funny and honestly I don't really know if I did a good job, but it's so long and I'm satisfied as it is. 

For everyone who do celebrate happy valentine's Day! I hope you eat lots of chocolate and have fun with your friends and\or significant other :)

I have no idea what to say about next chapter because I haven't even planned it yet. This one was so draining with all the twelve exo members all together and le t me tell you, multiple characters are fricking complicated!!

Anyway, I wanted to thank all the people who took time to leave comments on my story because gosh you are so lovely! sometimes I just go and read them again to brighten up my day and just... my heart <333

So if you's like, leave your thoughts and concerns in the comments, I really appreciate them ^__^

BYEEE