A/N: This was one of the first JeTi (and SNSD) fics that I wrote. I think I technically started it in October 2012, although I didn't write quite a bit of it until 2013. Also, this was originally untitled and I gave it a title just now. I tried to use a nice quote but couldn't really find anything that would work as its title.

“And then yesterday, just when we were getting ready for practice, the mother of all storms came.” Yuri waves her arms around wildly, almost knocking over Yoona’s pumpkin juice. “I mean, does life or what?”

“It’s your fault for having practice at ungodly hours in the morning,” Sooyoung says, mouth stuffed with steak-and-kidney pie. “I mean, nobody’s even awake at five, not to mention able to play Quidditch.”

Sunkyu wrinkles her nose as she picks a piece of potato out of her hair. “Sooyoung, do the world a favour and close your mouth while you eat.” She grimaces exaggeratedly as she wipes her hand with a napkin.

“Seriously, Yul,” Sooyoung says, completely ignoring Sunkyu. “I think that storm was a sign.”

Yuri raises an eyebrow. “A sign?”

“Yeah, a sign that nobody’s supposed to have Quidditch practice at ungodly hours in the morning.”

“Hey, guys,” Tiffany says cheerfully as she takes a seat beside Sunkyu. “You don’t look very good.”

“You wouldn’t look very good either if this crazy military leader woke you up at four thirty for Quidditch practice,” Hyoyeon says darkly, pointing to Yuri.

“Yuri just wants us to do well,” Yoona speaks up defensively. “I mean, Slytherin’s won the House Cup for the past three years. Don’t you want to break the streak too?”

“Yoong, you’re too nice to the sergeant,” Hyoyeon says. “She’s bad enough, don’t spoil her.”

“Oh my god, guys!” Taeyeon gasps, running over like a Basilisk’s on her tail. “Did you hear the news?”

“What news?”

“We have these transfer students coming from Beauxbatons,” Taeyeon says excitedly. “It’s some kind of exchange program.”

“Can they send Yuri to France?” Sooyoung asks.

Yuri just rolls her eyes at her. “Stop being such a baby.”

“No, Hyuna and Hyunseung went,” Taeyeon replies.

“They get all the luck,” Sunkyu grumbles. “I want to go to France! The clothes are out of the world there. I saw the prettiest dress robe in a magazine one day—”

“The point is,” Taeyeon cuts in. “You guys have to be on your best behaviour. We have to give a really good impression of Hogwarts.”

Sunkyu and Hyoyeon exchange a look. Sooyoung just snorts and digs into her mashed potatoes.

“I’m so excited,” Tiffany gushes. “I’ve never met an exchange student before.”

“I wonder if we’re going to get someone who plays Quidditch well,” Yuri muses. “I could do with a new Chaser.”

“What’s wrong with us?” Sooyoung demands.

“You’re not exactly demonstrating a lot of enthusiasm for Quidditch.”

“That’s just because I like my sleep too. Doesn’t mean I don’t like pulverizing Slytherins.”

“It’s usually them doing the pulverizing, unnie,” Yoona points out.

“Yoong,” Sooyoung sighs. “I see Yuri’s pulled you over to the dark side.”

Taeyeon groans. “I have my work cut out for me.”

“What work?” Tiffany asks.

“If I were a transfer student and I came here with you bunch going at it like this, I’d be rushing back to where I came from before you can say Floo powder.”

Sooyoung flicks a crumb at Taeyeon. “Hey, don’t hate, appreciate.”

“We’re fun,” Hyoyeon says. “We liven up the castle.”

“It’s okay, TaeTae.” Tiffany pats Taeyeon’s arm reassuringly. “We’ll be on our best behaviour.”

“At least for the first day,” Sunkyu adds. “I make no promises beyond that.”

Yuri claps her hands together, an evil glint in her eyes, and declares that to make up for the missed rehearsal, their next one will be extended by an hour.

Hyoyeon drops her face to the table, barely missing her plate, Sunkyu starts swearing under her breath, and Sooyoung just fixes Yuri with the mother of all glares.

“I have my work cut out for me,” Taeyeon repeats, and Tiffany can’t argue with her.

“Hello, everyone, I have an exciting announcement to make!” Their headmaster, Professor Moon, announces cheerfully.

He’s an…interesting fellow to most of the students. With his wrinkle-free skin and jet-black hair, he doesn’t look old in the slightest, but he doesn’t exactly look young either. He always seems happy and upbeat, but nobody knows whether it’s because that’s just his natural disposition or if his daily Gillywater really contains a healthy dose of Firewhiskey like rumours say. With his round, almost luminescent cheeks, most students call him ‘Professor Moonface’ behind his back. Some to his face, even.

Their old headmaster had resigned under mysterious circumstances last year. Actually, nobody knows if he really resigned; he just disappeared one day, and then it was Professor Moon from then on. Maybe that would be headline news in another school, Tiffany muses, but in Hogwarts, hardly anything surprises people anymore.

Well, that’s what she thinks until Professor Moon finishes his speech (with a start, Tiffany realizes that she’s tuned most of it out. Then again, so had most of them, except Taeyeon, who takes the title of Head Girl very seriously, and Hyoyeon, who is actually very responsible underneath all her snark and who also has a keen sense for interesting news) and the two girls walk into the Grand Hall.

The Beauxbatons transfer students, Tiffany realizes.

They’re both slim and dressed in sleek cloaks, although the similarities end there. The taller girl has pitch-black hair, and she’s standing with her spine perfectly straight and her eyes raised attentively to take in everything. Tiffany thinks that she looks about their age, probably a little younger.

The other one – well, Tiffany can’t make out what she looks like at all, due to the hat pulled low over her face and the scarf wrapped around what the hat doesn’t cover. She has one ankle crossed over the other, shoulders faintly slouched – the posture of someone who doesn’t want to be where she is.

“Please welcome our transfer students from Beauxbatons Academy of Magic!” Professor Moon makes an encouraging hand motion, and a small wave of tentative claps starts.

“Honestly, this place has absolutely no school spirit at all,” Sooyoung whispers.

“We have school spirits, literally.” Yoona’s eyes flicker to the pearly figures of the ghosts floating leisurely around.

“Now, now, kids,” Professor Moon says, as though they’re misbehaving children who need to be given a talking to. “Why don’t we listen to the nice Beauxbatons students introduce themselves?”

The taller girl gives her companion a hesitant look, before she steps forward slightly. “Hello, my name is Juhyun, and I’m in my sixth year—”

“She looks really young for a sixth year,” Yuri says.

Yoona, usually one to follow up when Yuri makes a comment, doesn’t say anything, her eyes still on Juhyun with an interested look.

“She’s tall though,” Sunkyu says with a distinct note of wistfulness in her voice.

“Everyone is tall compared to you,” Sooyoung snorts, and Tiffany puts a restraining wrist on Sunkyu’s wrist before she gets out her wand to cast a well-aimed spell at Sooyoung. Sunkyu’s bat bogey hexes are something to behold.

“—please take care of us. Thank you for having us.” Juhyun finishes with a bow.

The other girl doesn’t make a move to introduce herself or even straighten up to look at them properly. Professor Moon clears his throat, and Juhyun nudges her. Tiffany swears she hears a sigh, although she knows that’s impossible from her distance.

The second transfer student slips off her hat, shaking out her bangs, her hair falling like a curtain of gold around her face. She straightens her shoulders, drawing herself to her full height (which is not very impressive, but somehow she seems to tower over Juhyun, who has at least two inches on her) and undoes the clasp on her cloak so it falls over one side of her.

She’s slim, dressed in silver-grey robes, and so beautiful half the boys and some of the girls fall over themselves trying to get a better look at her.

“Whoa,” Sooyoung whispers. “She – she’s—”

Beautiful, Tiffany thinks. Absolutely out of this world gorgeous. And she looks like she’s going to fall asleep any second now.

“Half-Veela,” Yoona says.

“How do you know?” Sunkyu asks her.

“Let’s just say my family has huge reunions and you meet some strange people there.” Yoona’s expression makes it clear it’s not something she wants to discuss. “And anyway, look at the boys, they’re looking at her the way Sooyoung looks at food when she’s hungry.”

“Hey!” Sooyoung pouts.

“Sooyoung’s always hungry,” Hyoyeon snorts.

“The other one.” Yuri points. “The one beside Ms. Witch Weekly – she doesn’t look like she’s having a great time.”

Indeed, Juhyun looks uncomfortable with the amount of attention her blonde schoolmate is receiving – uncomfortable, but not unaccustomed – and she’s standing off to the side, hands twisted meekly together.

“Poor girl,” Taeyeon says. “I wouldn’t be feeling so great either if I had to go on an exchange trip with a half-Veela.”

“Not a self-esteem booster, that’s for sure,” Hyoyeon agrees.

“Fany.” Sunkyu nudges Tiffany with her elbow. “You okay? You haven’t said anything in…”

“World record time,” Sooyoung supplies.

Tiffany remembers that can, in fact, close, and that the world doesn’t revolve around beautiful blonde half-Veelas who look like all of Hogwarts is worth about as much as the dust beneath her shoes.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Tiffany clears . “Just great, actually.” Her eyes meet with the blonde’s from across the hall, and she feels like her heart is going to jump out her chest. The blonde just gives her a look that’s, if possible, even more apathetic, and walks away to talk to Juhyun.

Tiffany’s heart sinks slightly, but she vows not to let the blonde’s cold behaviour deter her. She’ll make friends with her, ice princess or not. Tiffany Hwang doesn’t back away from challenges.

“Sica unnie is actually very nice once you get to know her. It’s just that she’s…”

“Sica unnie?” Yuri asks.

“Jessica unnie,” Juhyun clarifies, “but everyone calls her Sica.”

“She looks like she’d take your head off if you called her by a nickname.” Sooyoung watches as Jessica glares at a Slytherin boy who’s trying to reach the roast beef and (seemingly) accidentally touches her arm.

“That’s just one of her default expressions,” Juhyun says.

Sooyoung smirks. “I like you already, kid.”

“I didn’t mean it like that.” Juhyun blushes. “I just – Sica unnie has a tendency to look either bored or sleepy or…”

“Like she’s practicing her Basilisk glare,” Sunkyu muses.

“She’s actually very nice once you get to know her,” Juhyun repeats.

“I’m Tiffany Hwang,” Tiffany says with a smile, holding out her hand.

Jessica doesn’t take it. She gives Tiffany a cool, bored look and nods at her. “Jessica,” she says brusquely.

Tiffany’s smile wavers slightly. “How do you like Hogwarts so far?” she asks, keeping her voice light-hearted.

“It’s all right.”

Tiffany nods. “Juhyun seems to like it here,” she says, scrounging for topics to talk about.

“Juhyun is like that,” Jessica says, her voice warming the tiniest bit at the mention of her fellow Beauxbatons student. “Look, Tiffany, let me just tell you something up front. I didn’t want to come on this trip. I don’t want to be sitting here right now, making small talk with people I have nothing in common with. We’re Potions partners, we’re stuck with each other for the rest of the year, and things would be a lot easier if you just stop playing Twenty Questions with me. Let’s just each do our own work, okay?”

Tiffany closes her jaw, swallowing. She’s never heard Jessica speak so much, but the fact that what she said was a long speech about how Tiffany annoys her and Jessica doesn’t want anything to do with her makes her eyes prickle. “Okay,” she says in a small voice, dropping her eyes to the jar of lionfish spines on the table.

“Are you going to cry?” Jessica sounds derisive, but there’s something behind her voice that sounds almost nervous.

“No.” Tiffany glares at her. “Of course not. What kind of a person cries because a complete stranger was being rude to her?”

“I wasn’t being rude. I was being honest. In you Gryffindors’ minds, there seems to be a difference.”

“Well, seeing the way you Slytherins think, I like how our minds work much better.”

Jessica suddenly smiles, small and dry, but it’s still a smile, and it makes Tiffany’s palms sweat. “Spoken like a Gryffindor indeed,” she says, her tone marginally friendlier now, no longer so frigid.

“Sica unnie’s half-Veela. Sometimes she…well, I probably shouldn’t say sometimes. She attracts people like moths to a flame. She doesn’t do it on purpose. In fact, it annoys her but she can’t control it. If she so much smiles as someone, they get all…well, I’m sure you’ve seen.”

“Is that why Jessica’s so cold to everybody?” Taeyeon asks. “Because she thinks that people don’t like her because of who she is, but because of her Veela blood?”

“Yes, exactly,” Juhyun says, looking relieved that Taeyeon figured it out. “She wouldn’t like me talking about her like this, but I know that Jessica unnie is just… She’s afraid of letting people close. She thinks that people like her because she’s half-Veela, not because of who she is.”

“It must be hard,” Yoona murmurs. “To constantly think that people like you for what you are, and not who you are.”

“Yeah, you described it perfectly, unnie,” Juhyun says, and Yoona smiles at her. “It was better in Beauxbatons, because at least she had Krystal.”

“Krystal?” Yuri asks, confused.

“Her little sister,” Juhyun explains. “Sica unnie is cold and sarcastic, but Krystal is downright…well, nobody dared to flirt with her.”

For some reason, that makes everyone laugh, and if anyone notices that Tiffany doesn’t join in, that she’s been uncharacteristically silent the whole time, they don’t let on.

Do I really like Jessica because of Jessica? Tiffany wonders. Or is it just the Veela magic at work?

She remembers the first time she saw Jessica, and how she was completely blown away by her at first glance, and Tiffany had thought it was because of a connection, but…

“There must have been fights that broke out over her,” Yuri says, glancing at Tiffany. “Did anything really extreme happen?”

Juhyun looks a little uncomfortable discussing Jessica in length behind her back, but she answers. “There were these two guys who literally fought over her. One transferred to Durmstrang, and the other one wouldn’t look at her again after that.”

Everyone’s silent after the news for a while, and then Sooyoung says, “Well, at least nobody died.”

“Unnie!” Juhyun exclaims, looking shocked at her response.

“Hey, I wouldn’t be surprised if two guys duelled to the death to win over Jessica,” Sooyoung says. “It seems like exactly the kind of thing that would happen in romance novels.”

“This isn’t a romance novel,” Sunkyu says.

“There’s not enough dating for our lives to be a romance novel,” Hyoyeon adds.

Sooyoung grins. “That can change if Yonghwa gets his guts and finally asks Juhyun out.”

“Or if Kyuhyun beats him to it,” Sunkyu adds.

“I don’t want any boys to ask me out,” Juhyun says hurriedly, eyes flickering to Yoona.

“How about a girl?” Yuri winks, slinging an arm around Juhyun’s shoulders. She drops it when she sees the look on Yoona’s face. Yuri likes having two arms; she wouldn’t want to change that anytime soon. She can’t be a Keeper with only one arm.

“Can we not talk about this?” Juhyun asks, sounding mortified.

“Yeah, let’s not talk about this anymore,” Tiffany says, and something in her voice makes everyone shut their mouths.

“You said you didn’t want to come here,” Tiffany says. “Then…why did you?”

“If you want me to go away, you can just say so,” Jessica replies, sounding rather amused.

Tiffany frowns at her. “You know I don’t want you to go away. I just want to know more about you.”

“There’s not much to know.”

“There’s not much you want me to know,” Tiffany counters. “You’re so reclusive.”

“And yet, here we are,” Jessica says with a wry arch of a brow and a faint upward tilt of her lips.

“So?” Tiffany asks expectantly, not one to give up easily.

Jessica looks at her. “Sorry, what was the question again?”

Tiffany almost face plants into the ground. The sad thing is that she doesn’t know whether Jessica’s being purposefully difficult or she really forgot what they were talking about. Knowing Jessica, both options are quite plausible.

She switches gears. “Are you…unhappy that you came here? Are you unhappy here?”

Jessica her head to the side for a moment, and then she smiles, a smile that is not meant to charm but does so effortlessly. “No. I’m not unhappy here.”

“Even if they don’t serve bouillabaisse?”

Jessica laughs. “Even if they don’t serve bouillabaisse. They do have a mean treacle tart here though.”

“It’s great,” Tiffany agrees, finding herself thinking about dinner already. Clearly, she’s spent too much time around Sooyoung. “A lot of things are great about Hogwarts,” she says earnestly. As a Muggle-born, she couldn’t even have dreamed of something as grand and awe-inspiring and…well, magical as Hogwarts, but here she is living something beyond her wildest dreams. Here she is talking to someone straight out of a dream.

“That’s true,” Jessica says softly. “There is a lot that’s great here.”

And at the look in Jessica’s eyes, Tiffany wonders if she’s actually dreaming.

“Speaking of great things…” Jessica clears , her voice abruptly lighter. “Come on, I feel like getting something to eat.” She grabs Tiffany’s wrist and starts tugging her along, navigating the winding corridors and spiralling stairs with startling efficiency.

“You would think I’m the new student here and you’re the old-timer,” Tiffany remarks, half-breathless, partly from their hasty pace and mostly because of the way Jessica hasn’t let go of her hand even for a second.

“Never underestimate a Slytherin.” Jessica looks back with a small but distinctly mischievous smile, and Tiffany smiles back.

Jessica eventually leads Tiffany to a corridor she’s never been to before, and she finds herself staring at a painting of a bowl of fruit. She tilts her head to the side, studying it. “This isn’t a magical painting where the fruits turn into real food, is it?”

Jessica opens , and then closes it two seconds later. “Well, the first part is right.”

“I’ve never been here before.” Tiffany looks around the corridor with interest. “What is this place?”

“You’ll see in a moment,” Jessica says briefly, and then she reaches out and tickles the pear.

Tiffany stares, eyes wide, as the pear squirms, giggles in a high-pitched voice, and then transforms into a green doorknob. Without hesitation, Jessica turns the doorknob and then pushes the door – painting? – open. “Come on,” she says to Tiffany, who’s still staring with her eyes as round as Galleons, and then takes her arm without any hesitation and pulls her along into an enormous room with high ceilings, pots and pans piled everywhere, and flames merrily dancing in a large brick fireplace.

There are five tables positioned exactly the same as in the Great Hall, which Tiffany realizes should be directly above them, and the enticing smells of cooking meats and rich sauces wafting all around them.

Somehow, it takes Tiffany the longest to spot the house elves, who bow at them and ask them what they would like with their squeaky voices.

“Welcome to the kitchens,” Jessica says. “You said you were hungry, right?”

“Jessica Jung.” Tiffany shakes her head in admiration. “You really are something.”

“Something good or something bad?”

“Something special,” Tiffany replies honestly, and she swears she sees the faintest of blushes steal over Jessica’s pale cheeks.

“I am so done for,” Tiffany mutters to herself, under her breath.

“What was that?” Jessica asks her, the blush gone now.

“I said, um, I’m so starving. And after you talked about treacle tart, it really made me want some.”

“Rudy,” Jessica says sweetly. “Would you happen to have some treacle tart left over?”

“I’m sorry, missus Jung, but we don’t,” one of the many house elves around says sadly. “Rudy can make a new batch for you and your friend though!”

Somehow, Tiffany’s not surprised that Jessica knows them by name.

“Ms. Jung, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t plan on sleeping through my class again,” Professor Park says.

“I don’t plan on falling asleep, sir,” Jessica says, looking as apathetic as always. “I just do.”

There is a half-stifled wave of laughter, and a vein twitched in Professor Park’s forehead. “Five points off from Slytherin for your snark, Ms. Jung. And if I see you asleep again, it will be twenty points off and detention. Do I make myself clear?”

“Crystal,” Jessica drawls, looking like she doesn’t give a damn.

“Do you not get enough sleep at night or something?” Yuri asks. “Every time I see you, you’re nodding off.”

“Oh no, I get enough sleep normally,” Jessica says. “I just like sleeping. It’s like Sooyoung and food. She gets enough food normally, but that doesn’t mean she’s not stuffing her face all the time.”

“Hey, I heard that!” Sooyoung yells from a few tables over. Jessica just gives her a bored look.

“You shouldn’t get your House in trouble though,” Tiffany says. “I mean, you’re always losing points because you’re falling asleep or ‘using snark’ or whatever.”

Jessica raises an eyebrow at her. “I didn’t mean you’re a bad student or anything,” Tiffany says immediately. “I just – I don’t want you to get in trouble.”

“Relax, Tiff.” Jessica rolls her eyes. “I know you don’t exactly have a brain-to-mouth filter.”

Tiffany flushes as red as her House colour and looks down.

“Hey,” Jessica says, softer. “It’s okay. The Slytherins aren’t going to curse me in the dorms for losing points, okay?”

“Maybe they can invent a curse to keep you awake 24/7,” Sunkyu muses.

“Maybe they can invent a curse to lock your face so you’re not sticking your bottom lip out all the time,” Jessica shoots back. “Oh wait, they already have.” She puts her hand on her wand.

“Geez, Sica, no need to let the Slytherin out.”

Jessica rolls her eyes, but she lets go of her wand. “Go brew your potion and leave Tiff and me alone.”

“Oh, I see how it is,” Sunkyu huffs, sniffing dramatically, but then she winks at Tiffany, whose heart pounds loudly at Tiff and me. Jessica had said it like they’re together, one unit, inseparable—

“You’re zoning out again.” Jessica pokes Tiffany with a Gurdyroot. “I thought that was my specialty.”

“Guess I’m taking over,” Tiffany says, that dazed, dreamy feeling going away all of a sudden. She has to remind herself that Jessica is half-Veela, and she is involuntarily dazzling. It’s not like she tries to dazzle Tiffany all the time. (She doesn’t have to try.)

“Ms. Hwang, Ms. Jung, are you done with your conversation or are you going to start potion-making tomorrow?” Professor Park asks.

“Sorry, Professor.” Jessica flashes a brilliant smile at him. “We just got…momentarily distracted.”

Professor Park blinks at Jessica, a cloudy look entering his eyes and a slightly dopey smile on his face. Tiffany resists the urge to sigh; Jessica is pouring on the Veela charm.

“It’s okay, Jessica,” he says. “But refrain from that behaviour from now on, okay?”

“I promise, Professor.” Jessica turns up the wattage on her smile, and suddenly a potion explodes in the back of the room, drenching the people around it in bright orange liquid.

Tiffany realizes that Donghae, bewitched by Jessica’s smile, had dropped his infusion of wormwood into his potion.

Professor Park’s expression instantly turns alert. Donghae and Hyukjae, his partner, are growing large, purple boils, while Jinki and Jonghyun, who are sitting the closest to them, are turning green. Literally.

“I’ll deal with you later,” Professor Park says to Jessica, before he rushes to his potion-poisoned students.

“Jessi,” Tiffany sighs. “This is why you don’t go around charming everyone to get out of trouble.”

“It’s worked for me so far,” Jessica says, smiling at Tiffany – not that mesmerizing Veela one, but small and conspiratorial, like she’s sharing a secret – and Tiffany feels like she’s melting anyway.

She decides that the effect Jessica has on her (the way she wants to brush Jessica’s hair away from her face when she’s sleeping, the way she feels like there’s no oxygen left in the room when Jessica smiles at her, the way she wants to be with her every moment of the day) is not because Jessica is a half-Veela.

It’s because Tiffany is in love with her.

“Sometimes, I’m really surprised that you’re a Slytherin.”

“Why is that?”

“Because you’re so nice.”

Jessica raises an eyebrow at her. “And Slytherins can’t be nice?”

“Well, a lot of them aren’t.” Jessica’s eyebrow climbs a little higher, and Tiffany hastens to add, “I just feel like you would fit better at another house.”

“What, like Gryffindor?”

“Maybe Hufflepuff,” Tiffany says brazenly. “You can be very sweet and loyal.”

“You make me sound like a Pygmy Puff,” Jessica grumbles.

“You’d make an adorable Pygmy Puff,” Tiffany says sweetly. “I would keep you with me all day, and you can sleep on my bed at night.”

“You know what, that doesn’t sound too bad, actually…”

Tiffany giggles, and Jessica’s eyes twinkle with laughter.

“Tiff.” Jessica takes hold of her shoulders. “I’m a Slytherin, because we put in our all to get what we want, and I’m very good at getting what I want.”

Tiffany shivers. “Is that so? And what do you want?”

“I think you know,” Jessica whispers, her breath fanning over Tiffany’s lips like the steam rising over a cauldron of Amortentia, before she presses their lips together.