I.

KIM MINGYU's ultimate dream was to become Head Boy. Oh, imagine how wonderful that would be. A red and gold badge with a neat golden Head Boy across it, the higher honor of being entrusted a particularly important job and alas, and perhaps the most rewarding on them all - proud look on his father's face whenever he tells his friendsat Three Broomsticks about how his boy - his son, Kim Mingyu - was once the Head Boy of Hogwarts. It was everything he could've wished for and it wasn't a secret.

Everybody knows Mingyu wanted this job the baddest, but clearly that doesn't mean everyone would understand where he was coming from. Most of them - including and most especially his own house mates - think Mingyu's ambition was stifling and Slytherin-ish. Some of them even think he wanted the Head Boy position so much just because he liked bossing every one around. 

"Just because you want something so bad doesn't make you Slytherin. They're not the only ones capable of dreaming," he would reply indignantly whenever it was pointed out on random occasions. Plus being Head Boy requires a great deal of dedication and hard work which would be too much a bother even for him if he only wanted to "boss everyone around".

They just don't understand and they don't even bother to. 

His good intentions and hard work were often misunderstood, and easily enough due to his ceaseless giving out warnings and loitering tickets ("Yes, they are very much a thing, thank you") from the oldest of the seventh-years to the most innocent of the first-years, making sure everybody goes into their individual houses after dinner, no loitering along the hallways, thank you, you have your common rooms, no nicking food from the kitchens way past curfew where the hell have you been when everybody's stuffing to their fill?, and tons more offenses worth of tickets. Mingyu was easily the sore to everybody's eyes the moment he starts patrolling along the hallways with his hawk eyes, dispersing students with grumbles even if he was still twenty feet away. But that just because he takes his Prefect duties very seriously, sticking to the rules and making sure everyone else on his watch was doing the same thing. He even devotes himself a routine everyday, just as the sun kisses the mountainous horizon with its warm glow, Mingyu parades the Hogwarts' corridors first thing, badge dustless and glistening gold on his chest for everyone to see almost as if he's Head Boy already. His routine consisted of assuring the Gryffindor Tower is free of disturbances before breakfast, seeing to the school corridors, loitering tickets ready at hand for students who fail to assemble at the Great Hall for whatever reason and breaking up havoc before it was even wreaked by naughty (usually) third-years.

Mingyu was a tall man fit for intimidation with his perpetual cold, sharp look in his eyes and tensed yet pinkish lips. He would've made quite a looker with his height and undeniably handsome face if he wasn't so uptight and bossy. Being Prefect was something he had took very seriously in stark contrast to his fellow Prefects who obviously knew when to kick back and relax. The most lax of the lot was Hufflepuff Prefect Lee Seokmin - a fellow sixth-year - with his cheery aura and a perpetual sunny smile on his lips worthy of Hufflepuff. Seokmin has given out the least tickets every year since he was made Prefect ("You only gave out one ticket this year, Seokmin. That's right. One. Merlin, these tickets exist!") and was deemed most popular of the Prefects on the first year of being one by a survey on an underground wiz-site run by Gryffindors that even Mingyu himself cannot shut down.

"It's hopeless, Mingyu. That wiz-site is enchanted by twenty wizards, five from each houses. Either you're strong enough to disentangle such complex knot of enchantments alone or you leave it alone," said Ravenclaw Prefect Lee Jihoon (who was in charge of monitoring the Who's and Ho's of Hogwarts underground wiz-site) to him when he tried to shut it down one day with his help. Certainly not because the poll has just been released and once again, Mingyu landed on the bottom of it. It was only a coincidence. 

"Can any of you do it then?" Mingyu asked exasperatedly.

"If we can, we would've done it by now, wouldn't we?" Jihoon retorted, a ghost of irritation hinting across his usual face of disconcern. "Honestly don't get your up in a bunch too much. There's not a rule here about founding underground websites nor are they doing anything malicious that will earn them a force shut-down - not even a ticket, Kim. The Head Prefects aren't doing anything about it, are they? That should tell you so much. Even Headmaster Hobby thinks something like this is healthy." 

"Does he now?" Mingyu spat bitterly, recalling how Headmaster Hobby appreciated this kind of initiative, and ah "student bonds".

"Honestly," Jihoon quirked a brow at him. "Lighten up before I light you up myself. Stop bothering me already."

Wiz-sites like this would've been unheard of a few decades back but as Muggle technology advances and its fascination inside the wizarding world also increases, wizard developers had found a way to develop a network similar to the Muggle Internet right at the tips of every wizard and witch's wands. It was cleverly named WizNet that does pretty much everything Muggle Internet does with a few but grand modifications fit for every wizards' needs. Such as Summon Shipping where you don't have to go to far wizard markets like Diagon Alley to shop for school supplies but instead have your goods delivered to you through Owl Package or Summon Shipping.

Online wiz-sites and wiz-forums had also been quite popular ever since the invention of WizNet, enabling willing wizards to communicate from far sides of the world where owls cannot reach in a short time. The WizNet was developed a few decades back by a group of Hogwarts students (a team composed of three Ravenclaws and one smart Slytherin) as a project for their Muggle Studies and has earned recognition throughout the wizarding world. The lot has earned enough galleons each to last their lifetime and a Novel Prize for such an achievement. 

Even Hogwarts and its students has adapted to this technology thus giving way to various underground wiz-sites, Who's and Ho's of Hogwarts being the most popular and most sought-after. Well, almost every student except our bitter Mingyu, who takes pleasure in giving out tickets to those students seen viewing these wiz-sites in the grounds. Mingyu was fashionably old-fashioned and preferred the ways of the old more than his generation's. (Not because of the poll or anything!) He, along with some of the old wizards, believes wizards are far more superior than any Muggle to be copying such technology and giving it a new name. He even goes on and on about wizarding pride among his circle of friends, usually responded with a few eyes rolls and exasperated sighs. Everyone thinks they're just being old hags who cannot embrace changes (except for those real hags who do appreciate and use WizNet themselves). 

"Keep frowning like that Mingyu and you'll go down to the most hated wizard in all Hogwarts," a seventh-year from Slytherin, Yoon Jeonghan whispered to him one day at Potions. Sixth-years and seventh-years share this class on that day for Professor Hitchpool, sixth-year's Defense Against Dark Arts professor had a bad case of dragon pox and Professor Stewpee was asked to take the sixth-years in while the poor man try to recover for a month. 

"I don't remember giving a damn about Muggle hocus-pocus, Jeonghan," he hissed. 

"Aha, that's not what I heard when you asked every Ravenclaw you come across to gather a sufficient lot to shut that wiz-site down," Jeonghan's brown eyes twinkled in mock delight. "You know, you're quite popular on that side of the wiz-site I tell you, why don't you see for yourself and find out how much everyone loves to hate you? Oh and the comments! Very generous indeed. A reward worthy of your hard work, I must say."

Sadly there wasn't any ticket on Mingyu's hand fit for that comment so he clenched his wand in his hands, taking all of his power not to zap a curse at Jeonghan for the fear of damaging his record as Prefect.

"Oh don't mind it much, Mingyu, they'll come around. It’s just a wiz-site," Seokmin would say to him during their patrols. "Plus Jeonghan hyung told me it's good publicity . . . whatever that means."

Obviously for the most liked and not for him. Though Mingyu told himself and everyone around him he didn't care, still, this topic was met with a bitter taste crawling in his mouth for some reason. He clearly didn't have anyone to blame at all but himself for such assessment, he knew that. Maybe he was indeed being rough towards everyone but they already dislike him, didn’t they? Might as well just use this to his advantage as long as he does his job. Still, it was a very rubbish wiz-site if you're going to ask him. Bah, most liked. Nobody was supposed to like Prefects because they’re Prefects, it’s their job ruin the fun and nobody wants their fun being ruined and having tickets given to them.

And what is it with them and tickets anyway? In Mingyu’s defense, that ticket idea was brilliant. They couldn’t give detentions but once an offender has received enough tickets of five, they’ll be forced to be in detention by orders of Deputy Headmistress.

The Ravenclaw Prefect, Lee Jihoon was almost to Kim Mingyu's level of uptight and almost share the same amount of dislike from the entire student body, but he was a pale guy with short stature and slightly puffy cheeks, nowhere near his daunting 190cm. Jihoon was snappy and cranky most of the time but at least he does not hand out tickets as often as him and yell "FIVE POINTS FROM RAVENCLAW" whenever a housemate brews trouble (which is extremely rare). The Slytherin Prefect Xu Minghao, an elfish bundle of sly, was of course, out of the question. He was pretty popular especially to the girls, thanks to his bloodline – pure, no less – and silver tongue worthy of Slytherin, smooth enough not only to every girl’s liking but also even to professors who seemed usually pleased with the Slytherin Prefect. Except Mingyu, along with the rest of the Gryffindors, who has this inexplicable dislike towards Slytherin and their slick. He pretends not to notice Minghao during prefect meetings with Deputy Headmistress Seraphina and he most especially pretends not to notice the lingering stares the Slytherin throws him every time, thinking they were stares of mutual loathing. Or probably mock pity for being the least liked Prefect for two years running.

II.

THOUGH HUFFLEPUFF and not a fellow Gryffindor, Mingyu was quite fond of Seokmin. He was the closest he had for a bestfriend and since they’re both sixth-years, they share all of the classes despite being on separate houses.  He goes with him during patrols and keeps him cheerful with his hilarious ghost jokes (just don’t let Jaeyeon, the Jinxed Ghost of Ravenclaw hear them) and Muggle animal jokes. During lunchtime when he can't sit on the Hufflepuff Table to be with Seokmin, he finds himself among Junhui and Soonyoung, talking about the upcoming Quidditch World Cup, cats and Newt Scamander's adventures (they're particularly fond of animals, so to speak). Junhui and Soonyoung crack some mean jokes too that would keep just any conversation lively and relatively noisy. He loved their company as much as he loved Seokmin's and wished maybe someday they can sit together on one table together. After a moment he would think otherwise, putting into consideration the kind of mischief and trouble the trio would brew when they do meet. 

That one particular lunchtime, as he was about to dig into his second helping of fish and chips, Professor Seraphina called in an emergency meeting.

“I have received word of sightings of boggarts all over the castle. I believe everyone in this school has already received proper education against them but be on alert, Prefects as your help might be needed by first-years who may not still get the hang of expelling boggarts all by themselves. I entrust you to take care of any boggart unattended. We already have all the teachers on the look out and there’s no need to panic. I want you to stress that to every student in each of your houses. That will be all. I expect you to do your nightly patrols for another extra hour if that’s alright. Head Boy and Girl, please take charge.”

"Of course Professor," Choi Seungcheol, the Gryffindor Head Boy nodded as well as the Hufflepuff Head Girl, Im Nayoung.

"Dismissed."

There was a chorus of "thank you Professor", Mingyu looked the most enthusiastic to take on an extra hour of corridor and grounds patrol. The least happy was Jihoon, though he tried his best not to look it, as the other Prefects dispersed and the sixth-years make their way to their next class. 

“I have tons of revisions to make,” he grumbled silently as they slipped out of the office.

“Don’t we all though?" Minghao said, smirking. "Just it up for awhile Lee, I’m fairly sure lack of revisions won’t kill you. It’s not as deadly as missing a lesson now, is it?”

Mingyu found himself smiling a little whereas Seokmin cackled and clapped his hands.

“Your humor is spot on as always, Xu. Really hilarious.”

“I pride myself on my humor, Lee, thank you for noticing.”

Minghao left with a quick wink over to Mingyu, who immediately ceased smiling as he stared at the Slytherin’s back wondering if the wink was all in his head or not.

A boggart is an amortal non-being that has no definite form in the dark but once released, it takes the form of a viewer's worst fear. The charm that counters boggarts is the Riddikulus charm that requires a strong mind and concentration. To defeat it would be to think of your worst fear and to picture it into something less frightening or even comical. With a wand up and the spell "Riddikulus!", a boggart would lose it's scary form and once a laugh was prompted out of the caster before it, the boggart disappears. Mingyu and the rest of the Prefects had this on their Defence Against the Dark Arts way back the first year and it was probably Mingyu’s most favorite spell to cast against dark creatures so he was more than willing to take on the job. Throughout the day, he busied himself looking at dark cracks and cupboards where boggarts can be possibly hiding and diligently dispelled a total of three boggarts; one in an unused classroom’s cabinet, one behind a painting of a lady along the staircase to the Gryffindor portrait hole and one under a first-year's bed. 

When Mingyu passed along a hallway on the way back to the Gryffindor Tower, he caught sight of a bunch of first-years crowding at a classroom entrance. The ones outside tried to look at what's happening inside by tiptoeing or jumping up and down, curiosity blending in their faces with what seemed like nervousness. Rushing to their aid with his wand clutched tight in his hand, he found Minghao amidst the chaos inside, with his hand on a violently shaking flask cabinet's handle. 

"So you guys haven't seen a boggart yet?" he asked smoothly, stance relaxed but wand in hand. "Not yet there with Professor Hitchpool?"

The first-years shook their heads innocently (all first-years look so cute and innocent). One replied. "I think we're about to, sir. Probably next week but then he got sick."

"'Sir'?" Minghao chuckled, the cabinet shook again earning a ripple of panicked gasps from the young onlookers. "Call me Minghao."

"B-But you're—"

"Boggarts embody your worst fear," Minghao said in a booming authoritative voice, cutting off whatever that first-year was about to say. "Yet as we are a lot, the boggart inside this cabinet would be confused as to which fear it would assume as I let it out. But probably it'll assume mine first, since I'm the closest. Stand back."

In a blink, he pulled the handle, letting out another version of himself drifting among clouds of dense black smoke spreading all over the classroom. Tension crept up as the second Minghao, who was wearing the exact same clothes as the original Minghao, shifts closer slowly. His figure then warped, clothes swiftly turning to dirty tattered bits and black veins popping all over his neck spreading upwards right under his jawline. His skin turned dull and whitish pale, then wrinkled and ugly as his eyes became bigger and blacker. When it hissed, sharp fangs were revealed dripping with saliva and venom . . . 

"Riddikulus!" 

The boggart Minghao blinked as it grew a beard so fast until it reached the floor in a blink of an eye. With a fast sweeping motion, the beard had wrapped around its legs and body until no inch of the once scary Minghao was visible and it tripped, prompting laughs from every student, including Minghao himself who seemed to be enjoying every bit of it. The boggart disappeared so was the tension inside the classroom replaced by enthusiastic cheering and laughing. 

"A very good prerequisite to next week's lesson on boggarts, don't you think?" Minghao turned around with a smile and easily spotted Mingyu hovering by the entrance because of his height. They held gazes but not for long, Minghao ushering the cheering and awed audience out of the classroom. "Run along now."

Mingyu did too and as he made his way to Gryffindor Tower, Minghao's boggart buzzed inside his head longer than it should. 

III.

AFTER DINNER, the prefects proceed to their rounds by pair. Seokmin brought a book with him, scanning it under the dim hallway lights. Apparently he was also worried about the upcoming exams and thought an extra hour of night patrol wasn't about to come between him and his revising. Mingyu volunteered to hold his wandlight for him as they trudged up and down the halls eyes and ears peeled for boggarts and lurking curfew-breakers. 

"Hey Mingyu. Why do you think boggarts suddenly decided it was a good time to infest Hogwarts?" asked Seokmin, eyes still on his book. 

"I also wonder the same thing," he replied, suddenly recalling Minghao's encounter with a boggart for some reason. Aside from the instructions to expel any boggart seen, Professor Seraphina has told them nothing more about them nor even how they got inside the castle walls in the first place . . .

"You know, I heard boggarts are like . . . like Hydra's head. One destroyed, two more grow out of the shadows."

"Elsewhere, probably. No worries. In a few days' time, they'll all be gone." 

The pairings switched out the following day and Mingyu was tasked to patrol the north tower with Minghao. It should've been an easy task if his partner wasn't missing. He proceeded to his task alone and took twice longer. When he was about to turn in for the night, he found Minghao sitting on one of the windows' ledge, an arm rested on his knees as he gazed through the window solemnly.

"I doubt Professor Seraphina would appreciate your spending your precious patrol time gazing out the window looking so teenage-angsty, Prefect Xu," Mingyu said hotly. 

Minghao turned to him, startled at first then it died down to a pleasant gaze. 

"Oh. It's you. You've caught me loitering. Do I get one of those tickets you've been giving everyone? Being Prefect does sometimes make you miss out on small things, don't you agree?" Minghao said sleepily, eyes drooping almost snake-like; taunting and seducing. 

"Oh I wouldn't hesitate to issue you one if that's what it takes to get you back to your dormitory," he replied. "Patrol is done. Seungcheol said we should go back to our dormitories now."

Mingyu scribbed frantically across his clipboard and handed it to Minghao. The Slytherin laughed as he scanned the ticket. "You're a funny man, Mingyu. I wonder why everyone loathe you so."

"Everybody loathes anyone who abides the rules and makes sure everyone does the same."

"But I find you funny," Minghao's brown eyes twinkled. "That means I'm not part of everybody."

"A poorly concealed mockery Xu, not your best. I believe I have wasted enough time with you and now if you'll excuse me."

"Don't you think it's kind of strange, Kim? Us, patrolling an extra hour?" 

Mingyu twirled, squinting at him. "Apparently, not only have you not received your share of the issued tickets, but you also have not received a memo of our job description. But I'll let you know it requires us, Prefects of Hogwarts, to do extra hours of patrol if the situation calls for it." 

Minghao laughs. "A stunner both in the eyes and ears, I see."

"And in skill, too." Mingyu holds up his wand, twirling it in between his long fingers. "Want to try?"

"That, I'll have to pass as much as I want to be stunned by you." The Slytherin smiles. "I was just hinting, why boggarts, of all disturbances? Why not pixies, they sure are a handful. Why boggarts? Why now?"

"An interesting thought, I'm sure. But keep your muses to yourself, I have better things to do."

"The boggarts are set loose by whom, Mingyu?"

Mingyu narrowed his eyes at him. "What do you mean set loose?"

"Hasn't the Ravenclaw figured it out yet? Why the boggarts suddenly came out of nowhere?" 

Mingyu paused thoughtfully. "Boggarts can't be let loose. They appear where they find most convenient."

"Hmm," Minghao said. "Do you remember the Screaming Bogey of Strathtully and Lyall Lupin?"

"What about them?" Mingyu asked, brain whizzing with bits he can remember from the History lessons he had taken. Lyall Lupin was easy to remember enough. He was a world-renowned authority on Non-Human Spirituous Apparitions and was famous for his expertise at handling and dispelling dark creatures such as poltergeists and boggarts. 

"Lyall had managed to trap a Scottish Boggart taking an elephantine black shadow form in a matchbox,” Minghao said with a shrug. “Boggarts appear where it’s most convenient for them of course, that’s true. But for a whole lot to be settling at Hogwarts at the exact same time . . . it is indeed far too convenient, don’t you think? Unless someone had intentionally let them loose at Hogwarts with Lyall Lupin's methods at capturing boggarts." 

“Are you suggesting this wasn’t a natural occurrence?”

Minghao smiled at him, brown eyes twinkling and his dangling silver earring glinting under the moonlight. “The boggarts are set loose by whom, Mingyu? And why?”

Mingyu had natural hated mind games, even more in front of a Slytherin who knew something he doesn’t. It has never occurred to him this was some sort of set-up to give more headaches to the admin. Mingyu was still mildly awed by the possibility that someone had set those boggarts loose. They’ll surely be in a lot of trouble if caught

“I’ll talk to Professor Seraphina about this. Thank you for that . . . interesting theory.”

"Not so fast, Kim. I still have a question about the tickets. Haven't asked for those yet. Mine to give out," Minghao said in a honey voice. "Do you happen to have any tickets for thieves?"

"Thieves? Who, now? They deserve no tickets. They deserve to be suspended—"

Mingyu's breath caught in his throat as he had abruptly leaned close against Minghao by force, a hand holding him down tight by the collar. A warm breathe met his and he blinked fast or else he'd be cross-eyed trying to glare down at the smirking Minghao. 

"How about a thief of a quick kiss?" 

Before he knew it, a pair of sweet lips caught his and Mingyu, though had casted stunning charms a handful of times, finally knew what it was like on the receiving end as he stood still as if in trance and closed his eyes, mind slated clean but of Minghao's soft lips.  

IV.

"MINGYU, ARE you feeling fine?" asked Seokmin who was staring at him for awhile now awaiting Mingyu to notice it. 

"I'm fine," Mingyu replied faintly. 

"Are you sick? Shall I bring you to Madam Spuggard?" 

"I'm fine, really, just—I think I hadn't gotten enough sleep."

"Shall I tell Seungcheol to give you some slack for tonight’s patrol?" Seokmin suggested, concern written all over his face. "You will need to sleep early."

"No I'm fine really, I just need to drink a tonic. Or something." To keep my mind off of . . . things.  

"Let's ask Professor Stewpee if she's got a potion for that. Do you feel nauseous?" 

He wasn't nauseous, but his stomach was definitely churning restlessly probably still filled with last night’s shock that has absolutely nothing to do with any boggart. The shock came from a particular git who was still eyeing him from across the room, the nerve. It had happened so fast that Mingyu was positive this was the whiplash haunting him. As for the git's motives, he was too lightheaded and distracted to think of any possible ones.

What’s even more disturbing apart from Mingyu slacking from his usual strict patrolling, was the reoccuring memory of that certain someone’s lips that refuse to grant him a peaceful sleep the night before. What was once a being easy to ignore has now become the biggest threat to Mingyu’s focus in classes. At times when he lose grasp of himself, his eyes absentmindedly sweep around to find him somewhere inside the vicinity. Sometimes, Mingyu’s eyes content themselves landing discreetly on Minghao’s tousled orange hair down to his silver earrings, noting how the light gets caught in it prettily. At worse timings when their eyes meet, Mingyu would look away abruptly as if his eyes were burned and focus on the next most interesting instead, trying to salvage his wounded pride. (Nowhere near interesting than Minghao’s long pretty neck though. How could he just notice that?)

Despite Seokmin’s efforts the following day to convince Mingyu to get checked in the infirmary, he brushed it off saying he was just feeling a bit under the weather and it’s nothing serious to fuss over. Apparently it wasn’t only Seokmin who had reasons to be worried, but also a few others around him who seem to treat this slack as if its something terminal.

“The Gryffindor Prefect’s sick I know it. Dying, probably. He isn’t so much of a nowadays, don’t you agree?”

“Do you think the boggart hunting has gotten to him yet?”

“Seen his worst fear I reckon. Probably saw him lose his Prefect Badge.”

“Good one, Kang!”

A few Slytherins cackled as they walked pass him along the hallway. He growled but didn’t say anything, as no ticket in his hand fits the offense of bad-mouthing targets in radar.

Night patrols went on as always, Mingyu have paired up with all his fellow sixth-years and has returned to the next rotation. That meant patrols with Minghao, which was something he was unusually ready for.

Minghao waited for him at the bottom of the Gryffindor Tower’s staircase, a lamp in hand while leaning against the bottom banister. He looked up when he heard him descending and they were off to the dungeons without so much as a word.

Mingyu took out his wand and muttered “Lumos” conjuring his own wandlight. He heard Minghao sigh almost inaudibly as he did.

“So,” Minghao said, his voice echoing inside the dungeons as they tiptoe hall after hall. “Have you thought about what I said?”

“Yes, I have,” Mingyu replied coolly. “And it’s trash.”

“That is an interesting opinion.”

“And yours was trash. I’ve thought about it alright. No student is skilled enough to do that after all, let alone have the intentions strong enough to risk being suspended – or worse, expelled.”

Despite the dim light, Minghao’s eyes twinkled. “You’ve done well, thinking that. But go backwards. If it isn’t a student, then they probably have a strong motive behind haven’t they? They’re clearly above explusion. Someone who has—”

A rattling noise erupted from the dungeons used as a Potions classroom to their right. The two Prefects exchanged looks as they hurried inside, making noise as they trudged on doesn’t really matter at all. Mingyu whispered a lighting spell and the candles lit up, a sliver of black slipping swiftly inside a cabinet’s crack. Minghao advanced towards the cabinet, holding his wand ready.

“Do you want to take this, or should I?”

“I’ll take it.”

Mingyu took his place in front of the cabinet, one hand clutching on the handle and the other his wand.

“Don’t look at the eyes, Minghao.”

He pulled it, and out crept a huge Basilisk, green and mean with yellow eyes reflecting the candlelights. It hissed at him harshly, retreating it’s enormous head back as if poised to strike. Before it did, Mingyu yelled, “Riddikulus!” and the snake swelled in a heartbeat, its yellow eyes bulging out of the sockets and its long slimy body inflating, getting bigger and bigger . . . Mingyu laughed and the snake burst with a loud pop.

“You’re afraid of snakes?”

“That was the Basilisk,” Mingyu corrected, still grinning. “Always feels good to do that.”

Minghao snorted. “It was just a snake.”

“Easy for you to say, Slytherin,” Mingyu said. “I was haunted by the idea of them. Had countless nightmares. Especially around that time when they thought they found a Basilisk egg, published it front page on the Daily Prophet as if it was the best idea in the world. That was the first thing I saw as I ate my breakfast eggs, mind you. Appetite's out of the window faster than you can say Riddikulus.”

Minghao laughed, prompting another grin out of Mingyu.

“But had.” Minghao pointed out. “Right. You still fear them.”

Mingyu snorted. “Obviously.”

“A Gryffindor, admitting he’s still scared of snakes in front of a Slytherin,” Minghao smirked. “This is priceless.”

“No point denying right? You’ve seen the boggart. Seems fair. I’ve seen yours too,” Mingyu flicked his wand. “You fear yourself?”

“As a vampire. We come from a line of vampires. Thought I’d be one too, feared I’d be one,” Minghao said. “We were so relieved I wasn’t. But it was too late. The fear had stuck. Everytime someone mentions vampires I see myself in that form, that monster . . .”

Mingyu had no spiteful retort when Minghao has that befallen expression on. Also he was too surprised at the fact that Minghao had vampire roots to even conjure more sensible words except . . . “You must have . . . you must have a lot of bad times with them.”

“Some. Some that bad, some not so,” Minghao shrugged, eyes darkening. “I don’t fear them as much as I fear myself. I still have vampire blood in my veins. Pure blood, sure. But with this stain. Even if it was just a drop. It’s there and I hate it. All those what-ifs . . . I don’t want to be like them. I hate them. I hate myself. I hate my ancestors. I . . .” he cuts off. “I shouldn’t be telling you this.”

Mingyu didn’t say a word, instead he sat down one of the stools and beckoned Minghao to do the same. “Sit. We’ve got a lot to talk about.”

A few moments later, they found themselves breathing each other’s breath as their lips on each other’s forcefully and deeply. Mingyu had his hand behind Minghao’s neck as he feels for the latter’s hand on his hips, his robes as if its his lifeline. Wands were long forgotten at the table so as the patrol.

Minghao was an awfully good kisser, nibbling along his bottom lips just enough to set fire to his desires and his insides tingling. He didn’t force his tongue in but let it linger on the outskirts of his lips, taunting, sweeping, tasting. Mingyu melted at this and met his lips with such fervor that sent Minghao stumbling back with a breathy laugh. They part when their lungs screamed for air, panting and smiling as they gaze at each other’s swollen lips.

“You know,” Minghao managed to say, inching close again as soon as he parted. “Snakes aren’t so bad.”

“So I’ve heard,” Mingyu replied, leaning in.

“Prefect Kim, we could get in trouble for this.”

For awhile, it was as if Mingyu was struck by lightning. He blinked, looked around as if he just realized where he was, what he’s doing and blinked some more. He looked at Minghao who was tilting his head slightly to the side, studying the change in his expression.

“Good point.” Mingyu said.

“But you know, we still have like one more hour to spare . . .”

“A very good point too.”

Minghao grinned and kissed him again.

V.

“SO, VAMPIRES huh?”

“Yeah."

“That was such a poor attempt to win my sympathy. Really. Nothing less from a Slytherin.”

“That earned me a kiss didn’t I?”

“Sly.”

“If I say I am also part werewolf, would you give me one again?”

“Slick.”

“But with style, I always say. How long did it take you to realize vampires don't exist around here?”

"Shut up."