Something in the Pumpkin Juice

EXOLLIARMUS PROMPT NUMBER 17

WORD COUNT: 6.6k

RATING: PG/PG-13

 

Baekhyun wiped the sweat from his brow as he added the last ingredient to his love potion—a dash of pearl powder. He stirred the sparkly fluid forming in the cauldron as each magical ingredient reacted with the other. Once sure the potion was ready for consumption without any unexpected side effects, he poured some into a vial—or maybe a few vials—and headed to the kitchen in hopes the house elves would lend him some pumpkin juice to give the Slytherin Quidditch team captain, Oh Sehun, as something to hydrate the hard working man; he had a bit of a crush on him. He didn't forget, though, to leave the extra vials of potion in the Hufflepuff common room as freebies for anyone who would simply like to woo someone—the vials were labeled of course—you can't give a Hufflepuff an unlabeled vial and expect anything good to come out of it.

 

To his luck, the house elves working in the kitchen were kind enough to lend him a large goblet of pumpkin juice. With a quick bow and a promise to repay the elves—which they claimed was unnecessary—he ran as fast as his short legs would allow, stopping behind a pillar to add the potion into the goblet, and then continuing along calmly over to where he knew the Slytherin team would come through after their practice. It took about 5 minutes before Baekhyun was greeted by Sehun’s handsome face, the relatively shy Hufflepuff slowly holding out the goblet toward him and hoping he would take notice. He did, in fact, take notice–giving Baekhyun a slight smirk which almost made him faint right on the spot.

 

“Is this for me?” Sehun chuckled, reaching for the goblet with that stupid smirk still on his lips. “Thank you, don't mind if I—”

 

“Ah ah ah.” A finger waggled in Sehun’s direction. A finger belonging to the Slytherin seeker and heart breaker, Park Chanyeol. He was overrated in, Baekhyun’s opinion. A cheeky man, that’s for sure. “You shouldn't drink that Sehun. It could be poison. I'll take it instead~”

 

Chanyeol yanked (what an exaggeration) the goblet out of Baekhyun's hands before the smaller had a chance to react, eyes widening in horror as the tall man started to drink from the goblet. He took a few steps back, not wanting to be there when the potion kicked in, not wanting Chanyeol's sights on him. But he was too late. Just as he was about to turn, that obnoxiously deep voice called out for him in a cooing tone. Baekhyun blanched, peeking back at the male and immediately bolting back towards the Hufflepuff dorms once he noticed the practical heart eyes in the seekers eyes.

 

As he rounded the corner all Baekhyun could hear behind him were the faint noises of Chanyeol’s struggle to free himself from his friends’ grips and chase after the object of his temporary affection, and Sehun’s voice as he made a comment about how “at least it wasn't poison.” Baekhyun wished it was. Okay, that would make him a murderer. He just wished it was anything other than a love potion.

 

---

 

 

The moment Baekhyun stepped out of the Hufflepuff dorms he was greeted by the chest of someone with Slytherin regalia. He wasn't necessarily shocked by the sight, nor was he clueless of who it would be considering the chaos he had accidentally caused. He sighed as his head raised to meet those wide brown eyes that belonged to the very man he had instilled with false infatuation.

 

“Chanyeol..” the small Hufflepuff breathed out. “Can you go somewhere else, please? Preferably far away from here.”

 

The Slytherin boy’s lips formed an—in Baekhyun’s eyes—uncharacteristic pout at those words, and long arms wrapped around Baekhyun's head, cradling him against the very chest he didn't want to touch.

 

“Don't be like that, sweetheart. You know I can't bear to be apart from you~” The deep bass came out in what Baekhyun could only describe as the most annoying, teasing coo—as if Chanyeol was talking to a baby. Baekhyun's lithe hands pushed Chanyeol away and he glared up at the tall male.

 

“Don't ever call me sweetheart again, understand? Heck, don’t even talk to me at all. Your voice gives me the worst migraine I've ever had to bear.” Baekhyun grumbled to himself, stomping off and leaving Chanyeol frozen in front of the Hufflepuff dorm. It didn't take long before he jogged after Baekhyun though, his hazed mind could only comprehend the idea of following his “beloved” around.

 

“Baaaaaabe, wait up!” Chanyeol shouted as he ran towards Baekhyun, eventually catching up to him.

 

“I’m not your babe, Chanyeol.”

 

“But I love you~”

 

“No, you don’t.”

 

“Yes I do! I’ll prove it!”

 

The Slytherin grabbed Baekhyun’s face and press his lips against his—accidentally stealing the boy’s first kiss. The Hufflepuff’s eyes widened and he pushed Chanyeol away, dashing away as fast as he possibly could.

 

Baekhyun lowered his pace into a run, rounding a corner and diving into a nearby supply closet. He fumbled with the door clumsily until he managed to get it shut, catching his breath as he heard loud footsteps run passed. He knew the potion he made wasn't of the best quality. If he was lucky, this wouldn't last much longer. Brushing himself off as he slightly panted—he wasn't the most athletic person in existence—Baekhyun left the closet, clearing his throat and making his way down to the great hall, internally bracing himself for the presence of the man he least wanted to see.

 

Once he made it to his destination he was happily shocked to see no Slytherin boy waiting for him at his table. “Maybe he's still running around in search of me..” he thought to himself, shrugging and starting to head toward his Hufflepuff friends, freezing however when he locked eyes with the man he assumed wasn’t there. Park Chanyeol, eyebrows furrowed and eyes cold. The real Park Chanyeol. Baekhyun couldn't help but gulp, quickly tearing his eyes away and heading to sit with his fellow Hufflepuffs, a few murmuring to him a thank you for the extra love potions he had left behind to which he responded with an uneasy smile and a soft “It's no big deal, really” before picking at the pumpkin pasty sitting on his plate.

 

Breakfast went as well as it normally did. Quiet aside from the soft mumbles of students as they chatted with their friends. As soon as the bell rang to signal the end of breakfast and the start of classes—Care of Magical Creatures was first for Baekhyun—the Hufflepuff male dashed out of the great hall in hopes of avoiding confrontation. He didn't make it far though before his arm was grasped abruptly and his feet stopped moving. His head turned back and up slowly, greeted by the soft eyes and smile of Sehun, definitely the nicer Slytherin. A note was placed in Baekhyun's hand, diverting the boy's attention toward the parchment in his palm.

 

“Read it when you get the chance little buddy.” Sehun chuckled, patting Baekhyun on the back and gliding towards his next class, muttering something akin to “filthy mudblood” as soon as he was out of earshot from Baekhyun. Something about the letter made him feel uneasy, but he brushed it off, deciding to cling onto the little ray of hope that the letter was a love note from his favorite man. With the note clutched tightly in hand, Baekhyun sauntered his way to class.

 

---

 

It wasn't until he was seated in the great hall again for lunch that Baekhyun finally had the chance to open the neatly folded parchment. Nimble fingers fumbled with the letter until it was opened in it's full glory, and oh boy— pumpkin juice flew everywhere as Baekhyun did a spit-take, already caught off guard as his little ray of hope faded into darkness. It wasn't a love letter from Sehun, no. It was a letter from Park Chanyeol containing instructions and—is that a threat? Yeah, it’s a threat. It read:

 

“Meet me in the astronomy tower. Tonight at precisely 9PM, or there'll be consequences.”

 

The letter was signed with a stamp of a snake, the mark of a Slytherin. Baekhyun could feel the eyes on him after his little outburst, and he dared to raise his head a bit. Oh, he regretted that. Chanyeol was smirking in his direction, an expression full of cockiness. Baekhyun wasn't one to enjoy having all eyes on him, especially in embarrassing situations like this. He stood up and bolted to the Hufflepuff dormitories, diving under his covers and spending the rest of lunch, as well as the rest of his day—he had no afternoon classes today—underneath his warm blankets and away from the magical world.

 

He dreamt of butterbeer and playing in the snow on the Hogwarts grounds and in Hogsmeade for as long as he could, but eventually he had to get up and face the outside world. A hand gently shaking him free of his imaginary world.

 

“Baek..” muttered an owl-eyed boy, his dormmate and best friend. “You can't sleep in here all day… You'll wake up late and end up starting your day at two in the morning, and you know how brutal potions class is when you're running low on energy.”

 

Baekhyun had no choice but to note that he had a pretty good point.

 

“Ah.. Thanks Kyungsoo.” He flashed his signature rectangular smile at his friend, sitting up and stretching. “What time is it?”

 

“It's 6 o’clock.” Kyungsoo returned Baekhyun's smile with his own heart-lipped one, ruffling his friends hair and causing a sleepy pout to form on Baekhyun's lips.

 

“Great…” He yawned, attempting to fix his hair. “Three hours ‘til I'm stuck in a tower with an arrogant prick.”

 

Kyungsoo blinked curiously at Baekhyun, tilting his head as he sat next to him on their shared bed. “Arrogant prick?”

 

“I… I may or may not have gotten myself into an issue with Park Ch—”

 

“Park Chanyeol?! Byun Baekhyun, are you out of your mind?!” Baekhyun admits, he might've flinched a tiny bit.

 

“I-It was accidental Soo I- I tried to give Sehun a love potion but Chanyeol drank it instead and of course he saw me first, so he followed me around and it's not like I didn't try to get him to stop following me around, I didn't want him there- but now the potion has worn off and-” Baekhyun held his face in his hands, sighing exasperatedly. “Now he wants to meet me in the astronomy tower, what else am I supposed to do other than comply? That idiot would find some way to make studying here miserable. I already had to deal with him under potion influence, imagine all year..” Baekhyun trailed off, deciding to avoid telling his friend that the Slytherin had stolen his first kiss.

 

Kyungsoo frowned at that—his friend really got himself into a mess this time:

 

“...Did you go after Sehun? Is that how you ended up that close to Chanyeol?” Baekhyun nodded, Kyungsoo sighed. “Baek… be more careful next time okay? And be extra careful tonight. Park is unpredictable and his family is powerful in the wizarding world. One wrong move and you could get hurt, I don’t want that.”

 

“Okay Soo.” Baekhyun's small arms wrapped around Kyungsoo’s torso, pulling his friend into a grateful hug. “Thank you.”

 

Kyungsoo smiled, patting Baekhyun’s back gently. “Of course.”

 

The two spent the next two and a half hours arguing over which Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans flavor was the best flavor, or whether butterbeer was better served hot or cold.

 

---

 

At around eight-thirty, Baekhyun decided it was time to sneak out to the astronomy tower. With Kyungsoo in tow, he made his way to the common room. The two exchanged another hug for good luck, and then Baekhyun was out the exit and into the dim hallways of Hogwarts after curfew. It took him about 10 minutes to make it to the tower, and another 10 to climb the tower stairs, which left him with 10 minutes to spare. He'd use that time to bring his breath back to a normal pace, instead of the embarrassing wheeze that was currently passing his lips with each heave of a breath. He rested his chin on the edge of the window in the tower, staring off at what he could see of the grounds in the moonlight. It was a mesmerising sight, the last thing he saw before his eyes drifted shut and Baekhyun was once again asleep, slumped against the wall of the highest tower in the castle.

 

Chanyeol mentally cursed himself. He was late. He was going embarrass himself in front of that midget, again. He climbed the tower two steps at a time, breath still intact as he reached the top. At first he didn't notice Baekhyun, and he let out a breath of relief that he wasn’t too late, but then he saw the soft glow of moonlight on skin. He saw the peaceful features of a sleeping boy.

 

He had to admit, Baekhyun was quite attractive.

 

Chanyeol enjoyed the silence for a few more minutes before deciding it was time to wake the boy from his slumber, poking his forehead with slight force. Baekhyun winced as his head tapped the wall behind him, a grumpy pout on his lips as he rubbed the spot that made contact with the brick.

 

“We’re here to talk, not sleep.” Chanyeol hummed, staring down at him.

 

Baekhyun scoffed as he stood up, brushing off his robe. “Because I obviously want to talk to you.”

 

Chanyeol rolled his eyes. “Tell me, why did you give me the potion if you dislike me so much?”

 

“It wasn't meant for you.”

 

“Ah, right. It was meant for Sehun, yes? Why? Did you think that would turn out well?”

 

Baekhyun fidgeted with his tie and shook his head. “Have you ever had a crush on someone, Chanyeol? I had- have a crush on Sehun. I-I figured it would be a way to get him to notice me some, but instead I ended up with you following me around.”

 

“Sehun has a boyfriend.”

 

Baekhyun felt his heart fall all the way to the bottom of the castle.

 

“...He does?”

 

“Kim Jongin.”

 

“Oh…” Now that he thought about it, those two were quite touchy with each other. “So, even if I had succeeded in my plan I… still would've failed?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Baekhyun sighed, his gaze flitting toward the ground as he stood there being unusually silent. Chanyeol was just a tad worried at the lack of sarcastic remarks coming from the Hufflepuff, even more worried when Baekhyun looked up at him with blank eyes and a smile so obviously fake.

 

“Well.. it was nice chatting with you, Park, but I should head back to the dorms. Kyungsoo is probably worried about me.” Baekhyun started to walk towards the exit, and Chanyeol doesn’t know why he did it—instinct perhaps—but his hand shot from his side and grabbed Baekhyun's arm before the boy could pass him.

 

“Wait-” Chanyeol cleared his throat, dropping his hand back to his side. “May I walk you back to the dormitories?”

 

The corner of Baekhyun’s lip twitched before he gave a soft nod in response to Chanyeol's offer. “Sure, why not.”

 

Baekhyun lead the way, walking down the stairs slowly—one by one, a step at a time. Chanyeol couldn't help but chuckle internally at the caution in the boys steps. It was cute.

 

They eventually reached the bottom of the stairs, walking side by side in a surprisingly comfortable silence. They glanced in each other’s direction occasionally, both boys wanting to break the silence but neither one knowing how exactly to do so and thus, quick glances had to suffice. It took them maybe 30 minutes to make it to Baekhyun's destination—thanks to said male’s extra slow stair descent and the purposefully slow pace he and Chanyeol had taken on the way. Once they arrived, Baekhyun instinctually gave Chanyeol a hug—he always gave hugs as thank you’s—and the Slytherin boy’s arms enveloped him in a hug of his own. They held themselves like that until Baekhyun realized just who he was hugging, the smaller pulling away and stepping back into the opening the painting had made for him with his hand awkwardly rubbing at his arm.

 

“Thank you for walking me back, Chanyeol. I'm really sorry you got caught up in my attempt at love.” Baekhyun mumbled, his face scrunching up slightly in distaste. “I'm kinda glad you drank it instead though. Better to face you than direct rejection, right?”

 

Chanyeol couldn't help the frown that presented itself on his lips. He reached out to ruffle the shorter’s hair.

 

“Baekhyun.. do me a favor and cheer up, okay? I like it better when you've got some sass in your step.”

 

He laughed a little, nodding and thanking Chanyeol once more before turning and retreating into the common room and up the stairs to his dorm. Chanyeol remained stationary until Baekhyun was out of his sight.

 

---

 

As soon as Baekhyun walked into his shared dorm he flopped face down onto his bed, laying quietly there until Kyungsoo piped up with a few concerned questions.

 

“How'd it go? He didn't hurt you did he?”

 

Baekhyun sat up, hugging his knees to his chest and shaking his head.

 

“It went fine, Soo.. He didn't hurt me, he was actually kinda nice. He walked me back from the tower.”

 

A soft blush appeared on Baekhyun's cheeks. He himself didn't notice the pink tint, of course, but Kyungsoo did—the owl-eyed boy decided to keep it to himself though, not wanting to pry.

 

“Sehun and Jongin are dating, did you know that?” Baekhyun sighed out, resting his forehead on his knees and letting his arms drape beside his curled up form. “My plan was ruined right from the start..”

 

Kyungsoo frowned. “I'm sorry, Baek.. At least you seem to be taking it well though.”

 

“It's not a big deal.” Baekhyun uncurled himself, sprawling out on his back and staring at the ceiling. “I know he's taken now, and I didn't have to face rejection, so it's easy. There’ll be someone else who comes along eventually”

 

His bestfriend let out a hum. “I guess you're right, it is easier without direct contact with the person involved hm? Let’s get some rest Baek, it's getting late.”

 

Baekhyun nodded and got off the bed momentarily to change into some comfortable pajamas—yellow shirt and black pants, Hufflepuff colors—before climbing back onto it and covering himself with his soft blanket. He covered his mouth as a yawn passed his lips.

 

“Goodnight, Soo..”

 

Kyungsoo turned off the lights, laying in his own bed.

 

“Goodnight, Baek..”

 

---

 

Breakfast the next day went well, Baekhyun chattering with Kyungsoo and the other Hufflepuffs as animatedly as usual. He felt lighter than usual, he guessed that dropping his secret crush on Sehun had made him feel a little less burdened. He locked eyes with Chanyeol once throughout breakfast, the Slytherin giving him a soft smile, which the Hufflepuff, returned with a cute eye-smile of his own and he swore he saw Chanyeol bite back a laugh before his attention was stolen by one of his housemates. Baekhyun’s stare lingered a little longer until he resumed talking to his own housemates.

 

At the end of breakfast, Baekhyun waited by the great hall entrance for Kyungsoo who was chatting to one of their other Hufflepuff friends—Yixing. Today they all had potions class together with the Slytherin house and Baekhyun didn't want to walk in there without his bestfriend. How else would he be sure Kyungsoo’s seat wouldn't be stolen? Baekhyun was quite popular amongst his Hufflepuff peers.

 

Eventually Kyungsoo finished with his conversation and skipped over to Baekhyun, the two boys linking arms and laughing their way to potions class, oblivious to the three Slytherins behind them, two of which were also oblivious to the little Hufflepuffs, but the remaining one watched a particular boy with a gentle smile.

 

Once they got to the potions classroom Baekhyun and Kyungsoo sat near the front, Yixing seated with them. Chanyeol, Sehun, and Jongin situated themselves behind them. The two groups chatted amongst themselves until the professor cleared his throat and signaled the start of class.

 

Baekhyun was particularly clumsy, Chanyeol noted. The small Hufflepuff kept fumbling with the ingredients for the potion they were tasked to make, he almost dropped a fairy wing. Thankfully though, Kyungsoo noticed too and relieved Baekhyun of his task in the group and instead advised him to read off the ingredients like Kyungsoo originally had been. Baekhyun didn't argue, just giving a quiet nod and resuming where his friend left off. Chanyeol's attention switched to his friends after he heard a quiet snicker from their direction, jaw clenching when he noticed what they were laughing at. They were watching the Hufflepuff and whispering loudly about him, laughing at him.

 

“Stop, Sehun.” Chanyeol hissed between his teeth, voice barely above a whisper.

 

“Stop what, Park? Talking about the little idiot who wanted to give me a love potion?” Sehun chuckled, voice at an audible level. Chanyeol saw Baekhyun freeze in his peripheral vision.

 

“His intentions were innocent.”

 

“He wanted me to cheat on my boyfriend with a measly thing like him.” Measly… Baekhyun felt sick.

 

“He didn't know you had one.”

 

Sehun scoffed. “And I care why? Even if I didn't, the most I'd do with that thing is his sweet and then drop him.”

 

Those words cut through Baekhyun like a knife, his head turning back to look at the two Slytherins.

 

“Crush or not, I would never have let you touch me like that.”

 

“A mudblood like you is too weak to resist a pureblood like me.”

 

Baekhyun felt his resolve shattering, almost giving Sehun the satisfaction of seeing him cry. He didn’t though, fragility replaced with slight shock as he watched Chanyeol’s fist collide with Sehun’s face, really hard.

 

“Have some ing courtesy for other people.” Chanyeol growled out, walking to Baekhyun and dragging him out of the classroom by his arm, taking him somewhere safe that he hoped would appear for him.

 

“C-Chanyeol..?” Baekhyun muttered barely above a whisper as he winced. “Can you let go, or loosen your grip a bit at least..? It hurts..”

 

Chanyeol's hold softened as well as his facial features. “Sorry, Baekhyun. I didn't realize my anger was affecting the tightness of my hold on your arm.”

 

“It's okay.” Baekhyun gave him a smile. “Thank you for trying to defend me, but you didn't have to punch him you know.”

 

Chanyeol frowned as he stopped them in front of a door Baek had never seen before.

 

“I know I didn't need to, but you heard what he called you. I was angry. It just happened without much thought.”

 

“Try to think it through next time, huh? You shouldn't waste your energy on people like that, Chanyeol.” Baekhyun smiled, patting the tall man on his shoulder before a curious pout formed on his lips and his attention turned back toward the door. “I've never seen this before, isn't this wall just… a wall? In normal circumstances, at least-”

 

“Ah.. This is the room of requirement.” Chanyeol flashed Baekhyun a grin as he turned the knob on the door and pushed it open, revealing two comfortable chairs, a bookcase, and an unlit fireplace—but that was an issue easily resolved.

 

Baekhyun couldn’t help but gape at the nice decor. He’d never heard of this… “room of requirement.” What did that even mean? He didn’t get it. But, he wouldn’t complain. It seemed like a nice place to get away, and it was perfectly set up for two people to sit and converse by a warm flame. He walked in and sat down in one of the chairs, Chanyeol sitting in the other and lighting the fireplace with his wand after pointing it at the wood and muttering the word “incendio”—Baekhyun vaguely remembered reading about that in The Standard Book Of Spells, Grade 1. He also recalled using it on Devil’s Snare in first year Herbology, but that isn’t important.

 

“So… this room, what exactly is it for- what does it… require?” Baekhyun inquired with a slight tilt of his head. The Hufflepuff wasn’t sure if this was something he should’ve known, and he shifted slightly as he began to feel a little anxious. Chanyeol came from a magical family, Baekhyun didn’t. He was afraid Chanyeol would judge him for not knowing, he’d already had someone exploit his lack of magical upbringing once today.

 

But, Chanyeol didn’t—the Slytherin explained it to him with an amused smile on his face. Baekhyun let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.

 

“The room of requirement doesn’t really have a main purpose. What’s inside the room depends on what you need, what you require. Hence, room of requirement. I didn’t expect it to show for us, honestly. I guess my anger made my desires more compelling and the room couldn’t help but comply.” The tall boy rubbed his neck sheepishly. “You didn’t know about it? Most of my friends knew- our parents told all of us about it.”

 

Baekhyun tensed up at the mention of his parents, anxiety sweeping over him again. Chanyeol noticed, taking the smaller’s hand and gently rubbing his thumb across his knuckles. A gesture of calming.

 

“My parents didn’t know magic existed until I got my letter. The story of the room was never possibly able to be passed down to me, as a lot of magical tales weren’t either.”

 

“Oh, right, you’re muggleborn... That’s adorable~”

 

That wasn’t the reaction he was expecting at all—Baekhyun couldn’t help the confused nose scrunch that made it’s way onto his face after that comment.

 

“...Adorable?”

 

“Yes! It’s cute! I’ll get to teach you about all kinds of magical things, maybe even show you some if you haven’t seen or tried them already!”

 

“Don’t most purebloods resent muggleborns-”

 

“You think I’m-” Chanyeol laughed loudly. “Not all purebloods are like that, no—but my blood isn’t pure. Both of my mom’s parents are muggles and as far as I know there were no wizards on that side of the family until she was born, my father comes from a bloodline that has been a constant mix of muggles and wizards. I don’t resent you at all Baekhyun.” Chanyeol reached out to pinch the Hufflepuff’s cheek, grinning from one elfish ear to the other.  

 

A cherry red blush made it's way onto Baekhyun’s cheeks, and he swatted Chanyeol’s hand away, rubbing the slightly sore spot that had fallen victim to the pinch.

 

“...You said you'd show me things right? Do you think there are any children's wizard tales in that bookcase?”

 

“I'm sure there are! I'll see if I can find The Tales Of Beedle The Bard. That one had some of my favorite stories.” Chanyeol smiled, patting Baekhyun’s unpinched cheek and standing up to go look through the books.

 

Once the book full of children's tales was found successfully, Chanyeol plopped back into his seat and began reading from the first story to the very last. Baekhyun rested his chin in his palm, listening diligently to each and every word—Chanyeol could see a sparkle of childish excitement in the Hufflepuff’s eyes every time he peeked up from the book.

 

“...And then he greeted death as an old friend, and went with him gladly, and, equals, they departed this life.” Chanyeol finished, closing the somewhat dusty book and grinning at Baekhyun. “You, my friend, have now heard the tales from my childhood.”

 

“That's all?” Baekhyun pouted. “But I want more! That was so entertaining! Wizard stories are so much cooler than muggle stories.”

 

Chanyeol laughed, reaching over to ruffle the Hufflepuff boy's hair. “That's the end Baek, if I could add more for you I would.”

 

The smaller nodded quietly, fixing his hair as the pout remained on his lips.

 

The two sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes before Baekhyun perked up.

 

“..You’re a lot nicer than I thought you were. A lot less arrogant, a lot more… friendly, loveable.” Baekhyun rubbed his arm, cheeks rosy from embarrassment. “I prefer this side of you from the one I originally perceived.”

 

The Slytherin boy hummed. “I do admit that I tend to be a lot more playful in an arrogant sense around people I don't know, moreso when Sehun is near—you've seen how Sehun is…”

 

“Do you think maybe… maybe you could show people this side of you? You'd surround yourself with better friendships, Yeol.” Baekhyun smiled sheepishly as the nickname slipped out. “I'm not sure if you stick with certain crowds for popularity or something but, I know for sure your popularity wouldn't change if you became friends with not-so-popular people. If anything you'd go from being a classic jerk to everyone's best friend. The good kind of popular.”

 

“That sounds like a good idea Baek.” Chanyeol chuckled. “I'll start with you, and then today at dinner I'll try to befriend some other Slytherins.”

 

“Yes yes! And then during our free time in between dinner and curfew I could introduce you to my friends!” Baekhyun fidgeted with the sleeve of his robe. “Kyungsoo might not take too kindly to you at first.. I promise he's a nice guy though. Yixing is a very very loving human, I know he won't hesitate to be your friend.”

 

“That would be great! I wouldn't have to steal you away from your friends to hang out, I could just hang with them too.” Chanyeol nodded to himself, confirming the thoughts he spoke aloud and eliciting a giggle from Baekhyun. “We should head back to the dorms, yeah? Dinner is soon, the last class bell rang during my reading.”

 

“Wow, time goes by fast.. I'll see you during our free hours then?”

 

“You’re not getting rid of me just yet, I'd like to walk you back to your dorm before we part ways little guy.”

 

“Oh, okay, that works too… and I'm not little. I'm average sized!”

 

“Okay shortie.” Chanyeol chuckled, standing up and opening the door with a gesture. “Small people first.”

 

Baekhyun grumbled, standing still until he eventually gave in and walked through the door sulkily. Chanyeol only grinned at him and walked beside him as the two made their way to the Hufflepuff dorm. The boys made small talk until they reached the painting outside the Hufflepuff common room, Baekhyun uttering the password and giving his Slytherin friend a wave of goodbye before they parted ways—Baekhyun retreating into the room behind the painting, and Chanyeol making his way to his own dorm.

 

As soon as Baekhyun opened his dorm door, Kyungsoo bombarded him with questions about where exactly he and Chanyeol had been, what they had done, why their departure was even necessary. Baekhyun responded with a flick to his friend’s forehead and a calm recap of what occurred. Kyungsoo only eyed him skeptically as if he couldn't believe Park Chanyeol had good motives. He dropped the topic, deciding to tackle Baekhyun and tickle him until he apologized for flicking him.

 

“I’m sorry I’m sorry!” Baekhyun yelled, voice cracking as he let out distressed giggles. Kyungsoo stopped, laughing at the miserable expression on his friend’s face as he caught his breath.

 

When the dinner bell rang, the two stared at each other.

 

“Race you to dinner? First person gets the other’s pumpkin pasty.”

“You’re on.”

 

The two ran towards the great hall, Kyungsoo losing his breath before Baekhyun. The latter ate his extra pumpkin pasty triumphantly next to a moody Kyungsoo.

 

“Das whaf you gef for making-” Baekhyun swallowed, “that bet in the first place.”

 

“Oh shut up, I didn’t think I would lose to you. All you do is sleep and eat, I’ve never seen you run so fast before.”

 

“Hey, I’ve done some exercise the past few days.” Baekhyun took another bite, hmphing at his friend.

 

“Some is not nearly enough to boost your athletic skills.”

 

“You’re just jealous I could outrun you.”

 

“Hey!” Yixing intervened, holding out a pumpkin pasty to Kyungsoo. Uneaten and perfect in all it’s glory. “Stop arguing, you can have mine Soo~”

 

Baekhyun squealed, reaching across to smoosh Yixing’s cheeks. “You’re so so so so so cute!”

 

Kyungsoo laughed at his bestfriend and grinned at the smooshed-cheek smile on their other friend’s face.

 

“Thanks, Xing.”

 

---

 

After dinner Baekhyun and his two Hufflepuff counterparts met Chanyeol in the courtyard. Kyungsoo, of course, was still skeptical of the Slytherin, but Yixing immediately warmed up to the tall man—giving him a bone-crushing hug immediately upon greeting.

 

The group met up constantly after that day. They pulled pranks together, joked around, and sometimes took trips to Hogsmeade for some chit-chat over butterbeer. Kyungsoo eventually opened up to Chanyeol, and also picked up on Baekhyun’s shy habits around the boy, teasing his best friend whenever the Slytherin was near.

 

Yixing and Kyungsoo left the two by themselves sometimes too, as per request of the duo. Chanyeol and Baekhyun enjoyed the time alone together. They'd have snowball fights near the lake once winter hit, or secret little rendezvous in their first (formal) meeting place—the astronomy tower.

 

Now it was almost time for Christmas break. They had taken their tests and all that stressful stuff, all that was left was the final quidditch match before they went on holiday—Slytherin vs. Ravenclaw. Baekhyun was, of course, cheering for Slytherin. He sat in the Hufflepuff stands as close to the field as possible, Kyungsoo and Yixing sandwiching him.

 

“Who do you think’s gonna win?” Yixing piped up, peeking at the player entrances for any sign of the teams through his binoculars.

 

“Slytherin, of course.” Kyungsoo responded. Baekhyun agreed.

 

“Ravenclaw are good, but Slytherin have Chanyeol as a seeker. He's fast.”

 

“Good point. But what if he doesn't catch the snitch?” Yixing put his binoculars down, looking at his friends. Baekhyun laughed, Kyungsoo reached over to pinch Xing’s ear.

 

“I doubt he won't. Even if he doesn't, Slytherin are undefeated this year, they'll probably still win.”

 

“Okay okay! Ow! Please let go of me..”

 

Kyungsoo retracted his hand, patting his friend’s ear apologetically. The boys talked amongst themselves until the announcer’s voice echoed across the field, signaling the entrance of the teams and the start of the game.

 

At the beginning, both teams seemed to be at a standstill. Neither one could get the quaffle passed the other and into the goal posts. The snitch hadn't been released yet, so they couldn't rely on that either. Baekhyun watched Chanyeol hover on the sidelines as he waited for his role to come into play, locking eyes with the Slytherin briefly. Chanyeol smiled at him, quickly turning his focus back to the game  though once the announcer stated that the snitch was being released—Baekhyun felt like melting on the spot.

 

The seekers zoomed after the snitch, dodging their teammates and each other as they both tried to reach that speedy little ball. The difference between the Ravenclaw seeker and Chanyeol though was that Chanyeol had strategy. After unsuccessfully following the snitch, he stopped his broom, hovering in place as he analyzed the golden snitch. He watched it's patterns, movements, path. It was consistent and he figured out just the perfect way to catch it. The Slytherin sped his way to the opposite side of the field, sitting and waiting as the snitch headed right for him. He held out his hand and then—

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He caught the snitch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The crowd erupted in cheer. The Slytherin team had scored enough during the seeker’s chase that the catching of the snitch had given them victory.

 

Chanyeol flew down to meet his team on the field, everyone huddling together and jumping around as they celebrated their win. And then, he hopped on his broom again, flying toward the Hufflepuff stands.

 

Time seemed to slow down—for Baekhyun at least. The Slytherin boy landed right in front of him. His large hands cupped his cheeks and—

 

 

 

 

 

for the very first time, Chanyeol kissed him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not under a potion, not under any sort of manipulation, he planted a huge kiss right on Baekhyun's lips.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The cheers grew louder, Kyungsoo and Yixing were practically screaming in his ears. Chanyeol pulled away, Baekhyun's entire face tinting cherry red. The Slytherin laughed heartily, pinching his cheeks and placing another kiss on his lips before flying back down to the field. As much as he wanted to stay and coo over the cutie, he had to go celebrate with some butterbeer and his teammates. Baekhyun understood his unspoken duty to his team, so while he was a little disappointed, he didn't mind all too much. It wouldn't make sense to have a celebration without the man who caused the victory in the first place, right?

 

The Slytherin team cheered with the crowd once more before departing off the field, the students in the stands soon departing to head back to their respective dorms.

 

Baekhyun didn't, though. Instead, the lithe boy made his way to a bench in the courtyard, waiting there all bundled up for Chanyeol to return.

 

 

---

 

 

When the Slytherin team returned, the first thing that caught Chanyeol's attention was bright yellow in the corner of his eye. The yellow was an odd sight in contrast to the pristine white of the snow, so the tall male made his way towards the out of place blurb only to find it was Baekhyun's jacket, the boy curled up on the bench; asleep and slightly shivering. He was glad he had noticed the yellow, or else the poor boy would've slept outside in the snow alone all night.

 

Chanyeol lifted Baekhyun off the bench carefully, carrying him inside and towards the room that only shows to those who need it. The room of requirement.

 

Luckily, it appeared, as it always seemed to whenever Chanyeol hoped it would.

 

He opened the door as best he could without dropping the Hufflepuff boy in his arms, revealing a fireplace, a sofa, and a bed. Perfect.

 

The Slytherin boy set Baekhyun down on the sofa and lit the fire with a quick mumble of incendio then moved to help the still sleeping Hufflepuff out of his jacket so the warmth would have easier access to his cold skin.

 

This slight jerk of his body the removal of the jacket caused woke Baekhyun up, the boy blinking sleep away and wrapping his arms around Chanyeol to pull him closer, burrying his face against the taller's chest and soaking in the body heat he emitted.

 

“Warm…”

 

Chanyeol chuckled, running his fingers through Baekhyun's hair as he settled down on the couch, lifting the boy to rest on his lap, snuggled up tightly in his arms.

 

“Go back to sleep, Baek.”

 

“No..” The Hufflepuff shook his head, looking up at Chanyeol with pouty lips and droopy eyes. “Break starts tomorrow… I wanna talk to you before you're gone for a few weeks, Channie..”

 

Chanyeol couldn't help but smile at that, Baekhyun was so so adorable. He let out a soft coo, holding the now warm boy as close as possible. Baekhyun instinctually clung onto the back of the Slytherin’s hoodie and buried his face in the crook of his neck. They had cuddled like this many times before—on the floor of the astronomy tower.

 

“I'm staying here for break, I'm not leaving.”

 

“...Really?”

 

“Yep, you're stuck with me all winter. You get to experience firsthand a Christmas with none other than I, Park Chanyeol.”

 

Baekhyun laughed a little. The two sat in a comfortable silence for the next few minutes, Chanyeol being the one to break the silence first.

 

“Hey.. Baek?”

 

“Mn…”

 

“I.. I think..” Chanyeol cleared his throat nervously. Baekhyun leaned back, sleepily eyeing the taller and tilting his head.

 

“Hm?”

 

“I think I love you.”

 

Baekhyun's cheeks became as red as a cherry.

 

“You.. love me?”

 

Chanyeol nodded firmly, Baekhyun looked down shyly.

 

“I.. I love you too, Channie…”

 

The Slytherin lifted Baekhyun's chin, flashing him a bright yet teasing grin before leaning down to press a gentle kiss on his lips.

 

“I know you do.”

 

Baekhyun spluttered, punching Chanyeol playfully while the Slytherin boy had a laughing fit.

 

“You're too cheeky- Maybe I'll go home for the winter.”

 

“Ah, no way mister.” Chanyeol squeezed Baekhyun, kissing the top of his head.

 

“You're mine and I'm yours. From now on, we'll always be by each other’s sides.”