An Exo-mas Carol III: 

Part 2: 

The ones with a sad smile

It was like waking up from a long dream. Not one of those where you think you’re having fun with your friends and you are on top of the world, one of those where you fall. And you fall, and fall, and fall, and when you wake up and the weight of your body suddenly catches up to you and for a moment you can't breath.

Shortcut for that: it was terrible.

But, and that was one significant but, Luhan was back in his body. He looked down at his hands and they were back to normal, so was his torso and legs. Merlin, he had missed his short legs. Not that he was short, he was an averagely tall wizard (let’s underline tall).

“So you did know how to turn us back” Sehun murmured, looking marveled at his newfound body.

He didn’t look particularly happy to be back, just very… out of place. Well, after what he had witnessed that night he couldn’t blame him: how awful was it to wake up every day in an empty house if not for that mean man calling himself his father? The Slytherin still couldn’t comprehend why is heart had beaten so fast, why Sehun’s words were still resonating in his mind, but the blazing flame of hate he'd felt at their first glare was now long extinguished.

“I’m sorry”

Never hd he thougth those two words could come out of Oh Sehun’s mouth. Well, not towards him anyway, they loathed each other. Or did they? Because now, looking at the lanky boy in front of him, he could believe he had hated someone like this: a wizard who had done nothing, with just about a hard life as anybody else, if not worse.

A faint shout echoed in the air and suddenly something cold landed on Luhan’s nose: it was a snowflake. Someone was making it snow, for that White Christmas magic. Every other year he'd thought it looked tacky, but in that moment, it seemed so right. White covered everything: rooftops, streets, sounds... even a person's heart.

Sehun was looking up, icy flakes now trapped in his hair and robes. Luhan could have made a snarky comment about the fact that he now looked like a frosted ice-cream, but he didn’t. He just didn’t.

“You’re cold” Sehun said.

Luhan hadn’t realized the other wizard had stopped looking up and instead was looking at him.

“I’m not.” He replied, grimacing.

“You have goosebumps all over your arms, your teeth are rattling and your lips are turning blue. Sure you’re not cold?” Sehun raised on of his brows and smiled slyly. "How about a warming spell, mister "I can do magic better than you"?"

Luhan widened his eyes and discovered that, indeed, he was doing all of those things, and he hadn’t even noticed. What was his brain doing? Oh yeah, stuck on stupid Oh Sehun and how he didn’t hate him anymore. Bloody hell…

“I don’t know about you, but I’m going inside” Sehun headed towards the door, but before he could open it he stopped, arm midway to the handle, and turned “Aren’t you coming?” he added, offering a hand.

A hand.

His fingers were wet with snowflakes, trembling slight because of the cold. Sehun words touched Luhan's face in the form of cold steam. For a long moment, the stayed there, each unsure of what to do next.

Luhan was sure Sehun’s brain had turned to troll’s snot if he thought he would take that damn hand. But he was also positive his brain was undergoing some type of similar procedure. His mind capacity was now overloading, so he decided to go with plan A: ignoring everything he wanted to say and be an . 

“Eat a Dungbomb, Oh Sehun”

Not taking the hand, he walked through the door alongside Sehun, hiding his face in the collar of his robe. It was not like he wanted the entire Ministry of Magic and Beyond to know his cheeks were flaming red.

Sehun wanted to laugh. He really wanted to, but he abstained. Was Luhan really trying to hide his blush in his clothes like a turtle? Mouth hidden behind his mouth, he watched in silence as the Slytherin tried to make his way to the nearest fireplace with his face cranked inside his robe's collar.

Unfortunately, that peaceful moment couldn't last long: with the corner of his eye, he spotted his father. Not only his father, but his famous “fuming with anger father” and he immediately knew it was time for him to go.

“So, still enemies?” he asked, offering once again his hand.

Luhan looked at him like he had just turned various shades of blue. He still sported a really evident blush on his cheeks and his eyes were shining so bright they almost looked watery. Couldn’t that kid be more transparent?

“O-Of course we are still enemies. Who do you think you are? Just because we talked doesn’t mean everything’s changed now.”

“Didn’t think it was the case”

Sehun hand was still there. This time, Luhan shook it.

But they both knew: something was different, something was going to be forever different. If not enemies, maybe… friends?

***

Hogwarts, Ravenclaw tower, right after midnight

Yixing stood there for what felt like eras. Mute. Astonishment had taken all his words away.

Junmyeon was still in front of him, his gift was still in his hands, they were still breathing, alive. So why did he feel so frozen? Had he made another mistake? Was he forgetting something important again? Or was it another dream?

Junmyeon, sweet and reliable Juny who had always cheered on him even if he was a lost cause, who had let him inside his room in the dead of night every time he got lost, who had been his most loved person in the whole universe since they had met.

He loved him.

Junmyeon loved him.

“Xing? Are you… okay?”

The Ravenclw’s voice was trembling, so soft and faint it almost sounded like a whisper.

But the answer was that he didn’t know. How was he supposed to feel? Was he supposed to feel or maybe he just had to feel? He was missing something. It was always like that: he was always behind, never getting what everyone was talking about. He walked through his life asleep, in the realms of dreams, because it was the safest one, but with Juny it was different: he got him, so well it was almost magical.

But now he didn’t. He got nothing.

“I…”

Something fell on the ground, startling them both: T-Rex had finally woken up and had jumped from his pocket to the ground, carrying something in his teeth.

“What’s that?” Junmyeon asked.

“It was my gift to you” he murmured “I know we don’t usually exchange them but this time I thought… I thought you might need some unguent for your hands. I saw there were full of calluses from Quidditch and I…”

He didn’t know what to say. His train of thoughts had derailed.

The Ravenclaw picked up the package, rubbing T-Rex’s head with his thumb, and then stood, eyes piercing though his face, as if trying to read his mind.

“I know you didn’t expect this. If you want, you can choose to never have heard my words and we can continue with being just friends. I… I’m okay with that” Junmyeon said, but it was clear as day that it was not, in fact, okay “We can pretend this never happened and go play chess in my room”

Yixing felt his heart quiver. The person he cared about the most was in pain and he couldn’t do anything about it. Even worse, he was the cause of it all. But even as dazed and shocked as he was, he knew he didn’t want to forget. He couldn’t pretend that had never happened, it wasn’t fair.

“No.” he said, suddenly calm “I don’t want to forget this. I just need some time to think, would this be okay with you?”

Junmyeon looked at him first in disbelief, then with sparks of joy coming out of his ears. If was obvious he hadn’t thought about a positive response, or even a neutral one.

“Of course. As much time as you need”

Yixing wanted to hug him. How many times had he done it? Countless. A sickle a hug, he would’ve been a millionaire by now. But he couldn’t, not this time. This time, Junmyeon’s gift safe in his pocket next to his sleeping mouse, he got down the Ravenclaw’s Tower and went back to his room. No detours, no getting lost, just straight to his room.

His bed, never been used, was cold and hard, that room unfamiliar. He decided to open Junmyeon’s box, T-Rex on his head as witness. With extreme care he opened the package and inside he found another mouse, a twin to his own, but beautifully crafted with glass of every color. While T-rex inspected his opponent, he took out the card and read.

“Dear Yixing,

May my guide always light the way for you, as much as you do for me,

Love you always,

Junmyeon.

Ps: If you break it I swear to Merlin I’ll kidnap T-rex, so be careful”

A tear fell on the paper, smearing the ink. It had been a long time since he had cried himself to sleep.

***

Hogwarts, Ravenclaw tower, dead of night

The Gray Lady was just doing her usual stroll around the Ravenclaw tower, but, just as she passed through the dormitory’s walls, she heard an unnamable sound coming from one of the beds. Worried it could be a sick student having a nightmare, she leaned in, ready to call someone, but what she found wasn't what she was expecting. With a heavy sigh, she stood up, continuing her night tour through the window pane.

As always, lovesick boys were the worst.

***

Hogwarts, Dining hall, a little after midnight

“So…”

Packages of every color, shape and weight had suddenly disappeared from under the magical tree. Kyungsoo and Jongin were seated on either side of the Gryffindor table, a comfortable silence befallen. The only light were the enchanted branches of the Christmas tree, warm and mellow, tinging everything in its color. It was truly the time of the witches, midnight, but after that it was the night of just magic, magic in its purest form.

Kyungsoo still felt as if it was all a dream. It was too beautiful to even imagine, but there he was, underneath a tree that could teletrasport objects through continents and in a room which ceiling was enchanted to be a marvelous sky, with shooting stars racing between clouds.

“So…”

His eyes were starting to close, but he ddn’t want to sleep. He wanted to be awake all night, talking to Jongin and listening to his soothing voice, looking at his beautiful brown eyes and laugh with him.

“Tell me about where you come from” Jongin said with a long yawn.

“Well” Kyungsoo started, scratching his eyes awake “Me and my mother live in a little town far from the big city. She works in a flower shop, but she also writes books in her spare times. She uses this big old typewriter she loves; it makes so much noise when she types.

Our house is always full with plants from all over the world and we try to let them grow in our climate with various experiments, it's our hobby. Go figure, she works with flowers and she’s super allergic”

The two broke off in a laugh.

“I used to help her with work when I wasn’t at school, I wonder how she’s managing without me” his voice quivered.

Jongin looked at him with the corner of his eye, hiding behind a lock of his rebellious hair. That boy must love his mother so much, he thought as bitterness flooded his mouth. If he thought about his family… he was better off at Hogwarts.

“Your mother must be a lovely person” he said, searching for Kyungsoo’s eyes.

They were glassy, his cheeks red. The Gryffindor hid his mouth with the palm of his hands, biting down his lips.

“Yeah… she is.” he hiccupped, fat tears rolling down his cheeks “You’d love her”

Jongin immediately shot up from his seat and rushed to hug him, slowly massaging his head.

Lonely boy, lonely boy,

far from home, devoid of joy.

Kyungsoo remembered it was a poem his mother had read to him a long time ago. He hadn't understood then, but now all that suppressed loneliness was swelling up in his eyes and he felt like crying forever. 

“It’s okay, don't worry. Everything it's going to be fine” Jongin whispered in his ears, and again and again, until he was sure Kyungsoo was done crying and was now breathing fine.

His face was pale and his eyes red, irritated, but a meek smile was back on his lips.

“Thank you Jongin. I’m sorry to be such a mood killer here” he said with half a laugh “I think I’ll go to my room now, goodnight”

With a little wave, the boy in the gingerbread men pajama left, unsteady on his legs, light in his heart.

Jongin, however, stayed right there.

Kyungsoo’s mother was such a lucky person to have a son that loved her that much. She was worth crying for, because distance hurts if you care about someone as deeply, as intensely as that.

And his mother? What came to his head when he thought about her? He reached for a lock of his hair and a sudden rush of adrenaline ran in his veins. He needed to run, now. As fast as he could, he navigated the castle, freezing the stairs with his wand so that they would move, making his feet soundless as he had learned from his brother, all the way up to the seventh floor.

Waiting for him was a door, behind that door, a forest, dark and thick. Some other wizard would have cowered in fear at the mere thought of entering it, but Jongin merely kicked of his shoes and placed his bare feet on the grass, inhaling the scent of freedom.

Then, like lightning, he ran.

When he finally came back he was tired. His feet were full of cuts, so were his arms and legs and his hair was full of leaves, but he felt better. So much better. But nothing could top the feeling of coming back to his dormitory and finding presents on his bed.

From Junmyeon, a tiny glass terrarium with a tiny forest and tiny animals living in it. He was sure the tiny deer had smiled at him.

From Sehun, an autograph of one of his favorite Quidditch players, accompanied by a small card with a middle finger on it. Apparently the event at the Ministry had gone well.

From his family, a postcard from Bucharest. Nothing written on it.

And then, even if he thought the list had finished, another package. It was slim and soft, wrapped in so many bows he didn’t know where to begin opening it. When he finally did, a little help from his wand, he found a pair of white earmuffs, covered in fluffy fur. He tried them on: they were perfect, almost lost in his hair.

“To you,

With the bright smile.

Kyungsoo”

***

Kyungsoo wanted to sleep really, but as soon as he launched himself on the bed, his collided with something rather hard and pointy thing and he had to fight back a swear worthy of a port hauler.

But he didn’t stay mad for a long time: the rather hard and pointy things were in fact presents!

A collection of tea and herbs with names he had never heard before, from Lavender’s tears to Troll’s snot, from Minseok and Jongdae; a warm hand-knitted red scarf from his mother and his grandma, alongside a long letter from both in which they explained their horrible time in the city (something involving café’s that didn’t serve actual coffee but something mysteriously called lattes); from Chanyeol, a barrel worth of candies in all shapes and form, some moving, some sparkling, some fizzing on his bed; from Baekhyun a eerie box of biscuits that claimed to turn your skin whichever color you liked.

And then, in the golden package, a little doll shaped as a man with his mouth open. As soon as he touched its belly, a burst of bubbles of every color invaded the room, catching the light of his lamp like fireflies.

Like that night in the hospital wing, Kyungsoo went to sleep with a smile on his lips, hands searching for something that wasn’t there, but he was sure to find in the morning.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Guess who's back from the dead? Not me, because I'm still buried with homework and exams, but I wanted to finish my exo-mas trilogy in December so that we were all ready for Christmas and the fricking Christmas album that I'm too broke to buy ;) Also, Lay is kind of back?! I'm tearing up, I missed him so much.

Hope this chapter felt bittersweet and put you in the right mood to celebrate (also I'm sorry for the amount of times i used the words gift or package, I'm still a noob at English language). Next time you'll see the boys in the struggling with Quidditch, love and finally some decent plot with the mystery that has been going around at Hogwarts (hope you didn't forgot ehehehe).

As always, if you liked it (or not) let me know in the comments, they brighten up my day ^__^