It was Hogsmeade Day. Baekhyun had his Prefect duties to perform. He had to make sure that the Third Years who were going to the village for the very first time did not get lost, and arrived safely. He was being assisted by Kyungsoo. The Ravenclaw prefect had a scary reputation, but somehow they had got along well from the very beginning. They were the studious duo who outperformed in exams. They had that in common.

Their methods were poles apart though. Baekhyun cheerfully guided the students around the Village, but Kyungsoo was grumpy when anyone asked for help. He also glared at Head Boy Junmyeon for good measure when the poor fellow came up to them to congratulate them for doing a good job of ushering the Third Years.
"Would you look at those two? Park Sandara can do so much better than that Slytherin." Kyungsoo scowled in the general direction of Madam Puddifoot's, from where the lithe forms of the Slytherin Keeper and Head Girl were emerging. Baekhyun and Kyungsoo were, of course, hidden from view, so Baekhyun openly stared, taking in the sickening sight of his crush being clutched possessively by the Head Girl.

Chanyeol can do so much better, he thought, his good mood from earlier disappearing.

He had been avoiding Chanyeol, not giving the other a chance to apologise, being petty like that. He was not even sure if the Slytherin wanted to apologise in the first place, whether he thought about Baekhyun at all. This was another low blow, Park Chanyeol and Park Sandara on a date, arm in arm, wrapped in warm clothes and each other, making full use of the Hogsmeade outing. Baekhyun felt bitterness acutely then, lamenting why he had to chance upon those two at Hogsmeade.
Baekhyun teared his eyes away from the happy looking couple, and looked around. Everywhere were happy faces, excited squeals and hushed whispers. There were couples too, hand in hand, arm in arm, fingers interlaced, whispering sweet nothings. Observing people who were happy with their lot made Baekhyun happy on other days, but today, his fists were balled, and he felt down in the dumps. Unawares, he began walking in the opposite direction, suddenly missing Jongdae. His best friend knew exactly what to say or do whenever he was blue. But today, Jongdae was on a date with Joy, probably feeling up the Fifth Year Griffindor somewhere in a corner alley.

Baekhyun found a bench on the side of a street to sit down and wait until the funny feeling passed. Lost in thought, he did not realise when late morning turned into afternoon. He saw Sehun and Jongin march by, arms laden with the stuff they bought. For a minute, Baekhyun thought Sehun would notice him and come up to say hi. His insides warmed at the thought. But they passed by, oblivious to his presence. Of course, thought Baekhyun, he was sometimes invisible that way. Chanyeol walked by too, alone, this time in a hurry, his fingers scratching his head.

Sometime later, he saw, to his amazement, Kyungsoo and Jongin disappearing in a corner alley. Kyungsoo looked nervous for once.
Baekhyun hugged himself tighter, feeling a chill in the air. Junmyeon noticed him though, and was beginning to walk up to him, no doubt with another errand in mind, when he saw Baekhyun's lost stare and gloomy mood. The boy was sitting all alone in a bench, looking so small, as if he was about to cry. The Head Boy stopped short in his tracks and waved at the boy apologetically before walking away.

It was cold, too cold. The Prefect began humming to himself, drawing a strange strength from his own voice. He would be in the warm interiors of Griffindor Common Room soon, he told himself, and Jongdae would hug him and crack jokes and he would be alright. Naturally cheerful, he was never one to be down in the dumps for a prolonged time.

"I see you have regained your voice."

Baekhyun whipped around. It was Park Chanyeol.

Baekhyun blinked, lips forming a small pout. "I have." he said.

Chanyeol, whose hands were inside his pockets, bent sideways to get a better look at Baekhyun's face under the beanie. A tender smile played on his lips.
"I went up and down the Village looking for you, Byun Baekhyun. If not for the red beanie, I would have never spied you sitting all alone like this. Why are you sitting here all alone? Aren’t you part of the Griffindor trouble maker group?"

Baekhyun could tell Park Chanyeol was turning on the charm, hands in his pockets, comma hair in place and a devilish grin playing in his face.

"I wanted to give you this." Chanyeol fished out a package tied with a fat ribbon from his pocket.

Baekhyun’s hands flew out for the package before he could even stop himself and act cold. He was a stupid Griffindor, if there was ever one. Stupid and impulsive.
The contents inside the package turned out to be a lovely scarf.

"Sky blue? But why sky blue?"

Chanyeol had an indulgent look on his face. "It reminded me of you, the colour. I also believe it will be a welcome change from your usual red?" He then proceeded to remove Baekhyun's muffler and carefully draped the blue scarf around his neck instead, "There," he said, softness in his eyes, "You look like the sky now."
He was smiling, and Baekhyun was smiling too, a little giddy, forgetting to be rightfully angry for what happened during the day of the match, forgetting even that he had chanced upon Chanyeol and Sandara earlier.

Chanyeol did not say sorry. There was no need for it. His gesture was enough to let Baekhyun know that Chanyeol regretted his conduct.
The Slytherin booped Baekhyun's nose, "So will I see you at practice? Usual time?"
Baekhyun chuckled, before nodding. Yes, he would like that very much. It was much later that Baekhyun realised that the Slytherin had walked away with his red muffler in hand.

**

The Griffindor was at his wit’s end. It was Chanyeol's birthday in a couple of days and he had no idea what to gift.
"Why do you bother?" Jongdae's tone was harsh, "He did not even invite you to his party."

True. It was somewhat of a setback to learn that Chanyeol was throwing a birthday party for his fanclub. And only Sehun and Jongin were invited. Those two, and the girls of course.

Baekhyun passed Jongdae his homework assignment so that the other could copy. They were sitting in their Common Room, books littered around, with only Elvis Pelvis for company. Elvis Pelvis was Jongdae's kitten. He had a sibling, Chickpea, who owned Junmyeon.

"It’s more like a fanmeet, Dae. It’s better for my heart if I do not see him with his girl fans."

Jongdae whined, "Why couldn't you have fallen for Sehun instead, rascal though he is? You know that boy likes you."

Baekhyun gave his best friend a tiny frown, "Sehun is like a brother to me, just like you are. I know you have been trying to dissuade me with the Chanyeol thing, and I get why. But my heart is what it is. And he is not as bad as you think."

"You don't owe him anything."

"But I do. He gave me this really expensive scarf and I would like to return the gesture."

Jongdae pulled Elvis Pelvis from inside his robes, "Silly kitten. Not there. It’s my tummy, not your heater." He set the kitten on top of his homework. “You should gift him your own handiwork. Charm a stone or whatever. You are good at that sort of thing."

Indeed he was. Baekhyun pondered over the matter that night and woke up with an action plan. He spent the entirety of his free time that day holed up inside the library, looking up spells and incantations. Jongdae would not leave him alone though. He and Joy also cooped up in a corner of the library, not doing much reading, Baekhyun could tell. By the time he was done taking notes, it was dusk outside, and Baekhyun made a mad dash to the Fourth Floor. He was almost half an hour late and he could only pray that Chanyeol was still waiting for him.
Chanyeol was there alright, and he did not seem to mind the wait.

"I was in the library. I totally lost track of time." Baekhyun explained.

"What were you reading up on, to have lost track of time like that?" Chanyeol's face wore an amused expression. He seemed to like this nerdy side of him.

"Oh! Umm - I was looking up Transfiguraton spells, the more complex ones."

Chanyeol smiled good naturedly, "Is that part of our syllabus? I wouldn't know, you see."

Baekhyun laughed along with Chanyeol. The Slytherin had zero interest in academics.
"No, not syllabus. I am doing this for myself." Baekhyun sat down on the chair. "Shall we begin?"

Chanyeol hummed, before setting his guitar down determinedly. "Show me something then."
Baekhyun looked up, puzzled, "Hmm?"

"Show me some magic tricks. Transfigure something for me."

Colour rose to his cheeks and he smiled shyly, "Come on, you grew up in this world. You see magic tricks every day."
"I want to see yours." Chanyeol pressed, “None of my friends have ever turned blades of grass into fairies, or a fountain into liquid silver. That sort of thing takes imagination."

"Please, don't make me do this." Baekhyun whined, feeling shy, but to no avail. Chanyeol was dead set on his demand. And who could say no to those bright eyes and even brighter smile? Chanyeol was the darling of the school and the keeper of his heart. So he relented.
He took a long look at Chanyeol's expectant gaze, and whispered, "Expecto Patronum."

A shot of silver burst through his wand and took the form of a Siberian cat in no time.

Chanyeol held his breath. The Patronus Charm was advanced magic, far beyond N.E.W.T. level, "ridiculously advanced", but here Baekhyun was, grinning smugly and cooing at his spirit guardian. "I have never even tried producing a Patronus." Chanyeol whispered, as if he would scare the silver Cat away, afraid that the charm will break, too mesmerised not to stare with his mouth slightly open.

Baekhyun smiled at him and whispered words in his Patronus' ears.

The Siberian Cat looked up at Baekhyun, nodded as if in understanding, and approached Chanyeol. Awestruck, Chanyeol held out his hand to pat it, but in a swirl of smoke, the silver animal disappeared inside the Slytherin's sleeves.
Chanyeol looked up puzzled at Baekhyun; the latter just mouthed 'wait". In the very next moment, the Siberian Cat haughtily climbed out from inside Chanyeol's sleeves, followed by another Patronus, this time a Siberian husky.

"There." Baekhyun said, almost too fondly, "It has brought your Patronus out to play. Say hi."
"A Siberian husky? My Patronus is a Siberian husky!" Chanyeol looked very vulnerable in that moment and Baekhyun cemented that look in his memory.
"It seems so.” Baekhyun's eyes were twinkling.
"But - How?"

Baekhyun waited to answer while Chanyeol acquainted himself with his spirit guardian. Not until their Patronuses had dissolved did Baekhyun offer his explanation. The first time discovering one's Patronus is a heady experience after all.
"We are all connected in the spirit world. My Spirit Guardian can communicate with yours, under certain circumstances. So all I did was ask my Patronus to draw out yours."
Chanyeol frowned, "But - I thought you really had to be focused on your happiest memory to produce a Patronus. And even then it is hard."
"Ah yes. A Patronus is a corporeal form of our positive thoughts. You must have been really happy when I showed you my Patronus, otherwise it would not have worked." And Baekhyun left it at that. He did not tell Chanyeol how the hearts of persons must be truly aligned for their Patronuses to communicate with each other. It was small wonder that James Potter's Patronus was a stag and Lily Potter's was a doe. Some things are pre-ordained, occuring in Nature as happenstances. Chanyeol was looking at him with pride. In that moment, Baekhyun knew that he could ward off twenty thousand Dementors with his Patronus. He was in love, and wasn't love the truest form of magic there was.

"How did you even master this?"

"I am really, really happy to be at Hogwarts. Everything delights me. The castle, the lake, the forest. When I learnt that I was a wizard, when I went to Diagon Alley for the first time, when my wand chose me, when I was sorted into Griffindor, when I made friends like Jongdae - I think I have received in abundance. I fell in love with this world." I fell in love with you. "So tell me, how could I not have mastered the Patronus Charm when I have been so happy all along?"

Chanyeol was looking at Baekhyun as though seeing him for the first time. He could see the Slytherin was moved.
Chanyeol, who had picked up his guitar, set it down again, “Let's not practice today. I want to show you something. Come with me."
"Where to?"
"The Gamekeeper's cabin."

They walked in silence to the cabin, built on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Chanyeol refused to divulge what he had to show, and Baekhyun quit asking after his third try. They passed by Sehun and Jongin on the way, but Chanyeol grunted "Laters" before either of them could put their curiosity in words. Baekhyun waved at Sehun, and smiled shyly at Jongin. But Chanyeol did not let him pause to exchange pleasantries.

"Those two." Jongin whispered, "Something is brewing. You were right all along."

Sehun looked partly smug, partly irritated, "I always am."

The Gamekeeper was nowhere to be seen.

"Ah! He must be off to the Forest to tend to the other creatures. The cabin door is never locked though. We can walk right in."

Baekhyun hestitated, "Let’s just wait for him. It would be bad manners to just barge inside his hut. We are here to see him, after all, are we not?"

Chanyeol winked conspiratorially, making his heart thud, " We are here to see Toben."
He whistled, and lo! It was followed by a puppy's bark from inside the cabin.
"Daddy's here, Tobennie." Chanyeol called out, as Baekhyun looked on. It was his turn to be amazed now.

A puppy with lovely black curls came bounding towards the tall Slytherin. Chanyeol scooped him up in his arms and cuddled him. Baekhyun looked on, dumbfounded. "Hogwarts doesn't allow dogs to be kept as pets. So I may have bribed the gamekeeper to provide Toben's fooding and lodging."
Baekhyun had to tiptoe to pat Toben, who was now his master's cheek.

"What a curious name. Toben."
"It’s short for Beethoven. Bee like your name. Baekhyun."

They locked eyes at this, and for a second, the puppy was forgotten. Baekhyun suddenly realised they were standing very close. Too close. He could smell the Slytherin's musky scent. He his lips. Chanyeol seemed distracted too, especially by the uncalled for appearance of Baekhyun's tongue.
The Slytherin suddenly laughed, putting Toben down, and thereby putting some distance between him and Baekhyun. "Your tongue is as small as our Tobennie here."

Baekhyun pouted. This amused his companion further. "Your pout is like Tobennie too. Are you sure you are not an Animagus?"
The Griffindor laughed nervously, "It's not like Jongdae and I haven't given the idea any thought. So, let’s not talk about it so lightly." His eyes flitted around, alert.
"You have!" Chanyeol's eyes were as large as saucers. The other boy gave him a dazzling smile, and nodded. "Dae and I talk about it. I mean - if it can be done, why not!"
"What animal do you want to change your shape into?"
"I dunno. Please, don't tell this to anyone."
"Well, there's a price for my silence."
"And what is that?"
"You will have to be my pet."
"What now? Ha Ha. I don't think you would like to keep an Elephant as your pet?"
"Byun Baekhyun, are you daft! Why would you turn into an Elephant? Turn into a pink rabbit so I can feed you carrots, and keep you in a basket."

Baekhyun laughed, ears slightly red.

"Ahem. If you boys are done flirting, I am standing right here."

Baekhyun froze. The gamekeeper had arrived. He swallowed. Did it look like they were flirting? But they weren't - Chanyeol wouldn't - Chanyeol spoke almost immediately, so none of them noticed Baekhyun blush. "Hello. I came to see Tobennie. Thank you for taking such good care of him."

"He is a well behaved lad." the gamekeeper said, peering at Baekhyun in the dark, then recognising him all at once.

"Oi, you. Didn't I tell you and yer friend to never come near my Hut ever again?"
Baekhyun gulped. "I swear I did not enter your Hut. Chanyeol here can vouch for that."

The gamekeeper turned his glare towards Chanyeol, “I look after yer dog because I am fond of all creatures. But you have no business bringing thieves in my home."

"Thieves?" Chanyeol echoed.
"Thieves." Baekhyun nodded, looking abashed.

"Him and his bag of bones friend stole Acromantula venom from my hut last year." the gamekeeper thundered, making little Toben inch closer to Chanyeol.

"You did?" Chanyeol turned to Baekhyun, who in turn bit his lip.
"No we did not."
Chanyeol laughed. Baekhyun was horrible at lying.

"Yer did too."
"It was Jongdae's idea." Baekhyun whispered, trying to keep his amusement from reaching his eyes. Chanyeol was openly laughing. After that, their exit from the vicinity of the gamekeeper's hut was quick.

"It was Jongdae's idea. Terrible, I know. We sold it at a very good price to Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. Dae received a huge supply of Weasley's Wildfire Whiz-bangs in return. The Deflagration Deluxe version, no less. He made some very bad enemies when he set those off outside your Common Room."

"Oh my God. It was you guys?"
Baekhyun looked sheepish.

"You and Jongdae are close, huh?"
"Very. He is like my soulmate. But he says I am like his soulfighter. So I dunno."
Chanyeol suddenly gripped Baekhyun's wrist, forcing him to stop midway.
"Hmm?"
Chanyeol did not say anything for a moment, simply taking in Baekhyun's wild hair, his button nose, and his lips shaped like a budding flower about to bloom to its fullest potential.
"But you will be my pet, won't you?"
"Hmm?" Baekhyun was floating and it was Chanyeol's strong grip on his wrist that held him in place.

Chaneyol cleared his throat, "You will be my pet when you turn into an Animagus." he stated, letting go of the wrist, showing teeth in a very predatory way.
"If you fancy keeping an elephant as pet." Baekhyun teased, easing the tension in the air.
The rest of their walk back was in silence.

**

"It’s a boring party" Sehun observed, wishing he did not have to come to Chanyeol's birthday party at all.
"The food more than makes up for it." Jongin said, biting a thick chunk off a chicken leg. They were the only two gathered in the dungeon, where the party was being held, to partake in the feast. All the girls were too busy taking autographs of and photographs with Chanyeol, their star Quidditch player.

"Chanyeol is one lucky sonofa. Look at the pretty girls." Jongin was pointing at Lola, the fanclub president. She was easily the prettiest among all the girls.
"Don't let Kyungsoo hear you." Sehun sing songed. "Besides, none of them hold a candle to Baekhyun. Chanyeol is a fool."

"And you are not?" Jongin asked shrewdly.

Sehun spared him a glance, "What is this? You Kim cousins think along same lines."

"Jongdae is onto you too?"

"Jongdae is a shrewd one. He was the first one to call me out. Asked me what game I was playing, throwing Chanyeol in Baekhyun's path, especially when I myself - when I -"

Jongin patted him on his back in a show of sympathy.

They watched as Chanyeol opened his gifts one by one, thanking his fans. The girls had gone all out with the expensive gifts, but Sehun knew that what was in his pocket was thousand times better than any item that could be bought with money. Chanyeol had arranged for return gifts for all of them, a basketful of assorted candies from Honeydukes.

"Have you heard of agape love, Jongin? It’s the highest form of love."

Jongin nodded again, sympathetically.
"Shall we see, then, the magic of agape love?" Sehun winked at his friend, before walking up to where Chanyeol was. His strong presence and aura suddenly silenced the over excited girls.

"Ready for your present?"

Chanyeol grinned, "You already gave me a quill this morning."

"Who said this is from me?" Sehun pulled a white stone from his pocket, and handed it over. "Hold it close to your heart and set it carefully on the ground." he instructed the birthday boy.

Chanyeol held out his palm for the tiny object. It was a nothing special, just a stone, but the moment it landed on his palm, he knew. The stone was buzzing with potent magic. He clutched the item to his heart, and gingerly set it on the ground. What followed amazed the entire crowd. This sort of magic was way beyond N.E.W.T. level, and there was only one person he knew who could attempt it. Verily, as though someone has sung it to life, the stone cracked and a green sapling emerged from its midst. Jongin abandoned his chicken to get a closer look at what the girls were oohing and aahing about.
The green sapling turned brown as it grew taller, and taller, its branches spreading horizontally, green leaves uncurling from the stems. The tree soon reached the ceiling of the dungeon, covered in lush greenery.

"It’s like the tree of life", someone squealed.

The tree was radiating an ethereal glow, as though it was both of this world and otherworldly.
Nothing prepared them for the sight when pink cherry blossoms started blooming, as pink and as delightful as their creator's lips. Chanyeol was unprepared for the onslaught of emotions, the tightness in his chest and the momentary suspension of his senses. All he could see was Baekhyun's magic unfolding, and all he could hear was Baekhyun's song.

Sehun watched the expression in Chanyeol's face with satisfaction. Baekhyun's magic was beautiful, his love was pure. The girls clapped and cheered themselves hoarse when the tree dissolved into nothingness after blooming to its full potential, leaving a dark void in its wake.
Chanyeol remembered to breathe. He found Sehun's eyes on him and felt exposed all of a sudden.

Sandara Park pinched Sehun's arm, "This bespoke gift was from Byun Baekhyun, was it not?" Her voice was urgent, a whisper meant only for Sehun's ears.
There was no point denying it. Baekhyun was the absolute best at Transfiguration.
Sehun did not like Sandara's accusatory tone, "And what if it was? What does it matter to you? As far as I can see, it is none of your business."

"I am dating Chanyeol." Sandara whispered aggressively, "I will make it my business."

Sehun scoffed, his respect for the Head Girl melting away, "Don't live under any false pretensions. You're no closer to dating Chanyeol than I am to dating Miranda Kerr."

Sandara gave her trademark sickly sweet smile, "At least I am closer to dating Chanyeol than Baekhyun is."

She observed Sehun's change in demeanor. "Ah. You thought I wouldn't know that that Griffindor prefect has his eyes set on my man?"
Sehun marveled at how jealousy could turn a beautiful girl like Sandara ugly. "If Chanyeol is indeed your man, why are you so insecure? Sandara, I respect you. But don't for a minute assume that I haven't watched from afar how shrewdly you have eliminated competition. I will, however, not watch idly if you so much as attempt to harm Baekhyun in any way. Consider this a fair warning."

Sandara laughed bitterly, “As if you are any better! As if your carefully laid plans are not obvious to me. It is all so clear now. You want them to be together. Chanyeol and Baekhyun. That is why you asked Chanyeol to do your friend a favour. You hope that Chanyeol would somehow fall for that mousy little nerd."
Sehun his wand, wondering if he would be forgiven if he jinxed Sandara at Chanyeol's birthday party. He was too much of a gentleman to hurt girls, though. Maybe Jongdae could hex Sandara on his behalf. Jongdae did seem the type to not differentiate between genders when it came to Baekhyun's wellbeing.

"You're wrong." Sehun simply stated, prying his fingers away from his wand.

"About Baekhyun being a mousy nerd? Please Sehun. I thought you had better sense than that."

Sehun restrained himself, but leaned towards Sandara just the same, "You're wrong to think Chanyeol will not fall for Baekhyun. From where I see, he is already falling. And there is nothing you can do about it."

Chanyeol thanked Baekhyun for his birthday gift profusely the next day. And that was that. For some reason, Chanyeol was really concentrating on their practice. He didn't need to, considering how they had mastered the song by then. He did laugh at Baekhyun's silly jokes, but cracked none himself.
Baekhyun cast anxious glances at the Slytherin, who seemed otherwise normal. He bit his lip. Was his gift too over the top? Did Chanyeol not like it? But there was no way of knowing as Chanyeol remained tight lipped, and oddly restrained.

The next day fared no better. Chanyeol was distant. Baekhyun was positive now that Chanyeol was behaving coolly towards him. For the life of him, Baekhyun could not understand why. He did venture to ask if everything was alright, to which the other boy replied that he was nervous about the upcoming match with Ravenclaw. Baekhyun could tell he was lying. Chanyeol had not been even a slight bit nervous about the match with Griffindor. Normally, the Slytherin Vs Ravenclaw match was played on the third or fourth week of February each year. But due to Hogwarts Helping Hands, the matches had to be rescheduled this year.
Chanyeol usually made it a point to make eye contact during their shared classes and smile at him. These days however, the Slytherin would hardly look up. Baekhyun was puzzled and hurt at the cold treatment. Fine. So be it. He would not go and ask why. It was Chanyeol's life after all. He could do as he please, act all aloof and distant.

It was December anyway, and the frenzy around Hogwarts Helping Hands was palpable. It was supremely evident by the fact that girls could only talk about the Charity Ball, the dresses they were wearing and their dates. Jongdae had already asked Joy to be his date for the Ball. No one had asked Baekhyun to go with them yet, and he did not have any particular girl in his mind.

He was doing a lot of running around, fixing and arranging odds and sods. Sometimes Jongdae helped, other times he refused to. He began seeing a lot of Kyungsoo, Yixing and the other Prefects, and a lot less of Jongdae and Sehun. Sometimes, he had to skip class to run errands, and on those occasions, he made it a point to skip Potions. There were two reasons - Potions was his least favorite subject, and in order to make it easier for Park Chanyeol. It was increasingly obvious that Chanyeol wanted to avoid him.

The stress was telling on Junmyeon, who was also preparing for his N.E.W.T.S.

"He is beginning to crack." Jongdae whispered gleefully one evening. "He has taken to mumbling to himself. Never a good sign. Do you think we should offer him some of our good stuff?"
'Good stuff' was smuggled Firewhiskey.

Baekhyun giggled, the lightheartedness of his best friend rubbing off on him. Jongdae's merry nature was always a welcome relief. It had been a long day. He held a meeting with the kitchen elves early in the morning to discuss the menu for the Helping Hands' ball. Later, Professor Flitwick and he brainstormed over the decorations. The Ball was taking place in the Great Hall, and the charity bazaar and other events were being held on school grounds. Professor Flitwick congratulated him on the stunt he pulled with the stone for Chanyeol's birthday. Somehow, the feat had reached the Professor's ears.

"I will teach you how to enchant the trees to bear the flower, and how to keep it blooming and not dissolve." Baekhyun spent the rest of the day mastering the art.
Next, he had a formal meeting with Sehun, who was in charge of the Kissing booths. Each person would have to cough up a Galleon to be able to kiss Chanyeol or Jongin. They will have to choose either of the two and no person will get the chance to kiss both Jongin and Chanyeol. Sehun asked for an additional hand, and Baekhyun proposed Jongdae's name.

The Dueling Competition was another headache. Not that Baekhyun was in charge of it. Head Girl Sandara Park was in charge of the competition and she always made sure that she had very little to do with Baekhyun anyway. Sandara was a Pure Blood, just like Park Chanyeol, Oh Sehun and the Kim cousins. She had always looked down at Baekhyun for being of Muggle descent. Jongdae's interest in dueling was the cause of Baekhyun's headache. He was determined to take part in the competition, and asked Baekhyun to be his second. In the event that Jongdae could no longer continue with the duel, Baekhyun would have to duel in his stead. He knew he was nowhere as good as Jongdae in dueling, preferring always to use defensive magic rather than offensive.

"Relax" Jongdae said, "I am going to win this competition and Joy's hand in marriage."
This boy was never serious.
"Are you almost done practicing your duet?"
"It is coming along fine." Baekhyun said non commitally. If Jongdae detected a slight hint of sadness, he did not comment upon it. Where was the time to be sad really? His schedule was chocabloc with more tasks.

"We are still going to the match tomorrow, right? Slytherin vs Ravenclaw? Or have you forgotten all about it?"

Of course Baekhyun hadn't. Chanyeol was devoting very little time to their practice sessions these days due to Quidditch practice. He was determined to win this match and score those points.

The Slytherin Keeper need not have worried so much about the outcome of the match. Due to his stellar keeping, Slytherin won by a huge margin, thereby collecting all the points. Baekhyun had cheered for Slytherin standing alongside Sehun all throughout the match. Jongdae had ditched him to sit with Joy. Baekhyun also waved the pink banner shamelessly, much to Sehun's eternal embarrassment. They were so engrossed in the match that they did not catch Sandara Park eyeing them from where she stood.

Sehun pulled him towards the players, "Come. Let's go and celebrate." The Slytherin prefect was much too eager to high five his best friends. He tugged the Griffindor along, breaking the crowd apart to reach his House mates celebrating the victory. Sehun had already spotted Jongin and rushed to the tan Beater to choke him with a hug.

Baekhyun smiled at the sight. Then he spotted the Slytherin captain, wet with sweat, disheveled hair, looking every bit the handsome Keeper that he was. With a strange light in his heart, he dared to walk up to the winning team's captain. However, before he could make a move, Sandara Park appeared out of nowhere and enveloped Chanyeol in a tight hug. The bashful words he was about to say turned to ash in his mouth. What hurt more was that Chanyeol hugged her back, and lifted her off her feet in post-match glee. To Baekhyun, it was a scene straight from the movies. The boy lifting the girl and the girl laughing in joy. Romantic love right there for you. Baekhyun hadn't seen Chanyeol laugh like that in days, with pure joy and wild abandon.
It hurt him, and he did not know if he had any right to be.

He should have walked away, but he was a masochist that way. He watched as his long time crush and the Head Girl joyfully smiled at each other and whispered words in each other’s ears amidst the din. He really should have walked away, but now, the Slytherin's eyes fell on him. He looked surprised.
What a sight Baekhyun must make! A streak of red among the celebrating colours of green.

Jealousy reared its ugly head. He knew he should not fan ugly feelings, but he was only sixteen, and had not much idea how to practice what he preached. He knew he was probably glaring at the boy who had so carefully wrapped a sky blue scarf around his neck at Hogsmeade the other day. He was glaring at the boy who had been so distant with him but could now gleefully celebrate with Sandara Park. He had written Chanyeol a love letter with his birthday gift, toiling day and night over it, and Chanyeol's aloofness tasted like betrayal.

Before Chanyeol could say a word, or take a step, Baekhyun gave a small wave, and ducked out of sight. Coward.
Yes, to a sixteen year old, unrequited love felt like the greatest tragedy, the only tragedy a person could suffer. And he was suffering right now, his wind pipe choking.

He was not aware that the Slytherin had followed him, not until firm hands grabbed him and turned him around.

"Baekhyun." Chanyeol whispered, a little out of breath from running after the boy.
Baekhyun bit his lip, unable to congratulate the Slytherin Keeper as he had intended to earlier.
"Why are you running away?"

Baekhyun was scared his emotions were on his face for Chanyeol to read, all of them, love, jealousy, hurt, anger and betrayal. Chanyeol looked at him, and in that moment, in that very moment, the Griffindor knew that his love for the Slytherin was laid bare on his face. Baekhyun waited to see what Chanyeol would do with that knowledge, after all love was like a fire that couldn't be concealed for long. Either you let it out, or let it consume you. So Baekhyun waited. Surely Chanyeol could tell, he could not be so daft, so thick. Surely he had to know, right at this instant, how he fell about the other boy. And Baekhyun was done hiding his feelings.

His stomach lurched when Chanyeol slowly released him, comprehension dawning in his face. Aha, at last, at long last, thought Baekhyun bitterly.

"Baekhyun, I don't - I can't - " Chanyeol was taking a step back.

Baekhyun took a deep breath as well, his insides screaming, "I understand." he whispered back, putting distance between them.
Chanyeol looked at Baekhyun for what seemed like a length of time, before running his fingers through his hair.
"Baekhyun -” he began again, and Baekhyun saw pity in his eyes.

"It's okay." Baekhyun cut him short, "Fine, really." He took a deep breath, before faking a cheerful smile, "Go celebrate with your friends. They must be waiting for you."

Baekhyun internally screamed at the other to go and leave him alone. He wanted to deal with rejection on his own. Chanyeol must have understood, for he did just that, and it was Baekhyun standing all alone, fingers balled, until Sehun found him. It was Sehun who hugged him tight, and rubbed his back as he broke down.
"Chanyeol doesn't like me." he sobbed, and Sehun clutched him tighter. "I am a fool."
"You're not a fool." Sehun simply stated. But Baekhyun did not see the fire in the Slytherin Prefect's eyes.

"I thought you had fallen for him. I thought you liked him." Sehun hissed; spit flying in the air, as he accosted Chanyeol in the Slytherin Common Room. It was late. There was no one around except for Jongin, who seemed to suddenly find his homework very interesting.

"You are the one who said Baekhyun should be loved and not toyed with." Chanyeol spat back, "I am doing him a huge favour here."
"Then do not whine later when he slips away from your grasp."

Chanyeol took in the thin smile of his best friend.
"You did ask me one day if I had a crush on him. Well, I like him. How much, do you ask? To the point of stepping aside, letting myself be an onlooker, pushing you towards him, willing you guys to be together, for his sake. That is how much I like him. Because he has eyes only for you. From the beginning, he had eyes only for you."

Chanyeol's face could no longer hide the shock.

"If you like him, you should have -" Chanyeol let the words hang in the air.

" you, Chanyeol," Sehun cursed, "He likes you. He loves you. Do you have any idea just how stubborn that fool is? He is hell bent on you, no matter if you like him back or not." Sehun howled, not attempting to hold back his distress, his carefully controlled anger coming out in waves.

"This is too much for me to handle, Sehun. I need some quiet."

"Why, because you feel emotions you haven't felt before? You're not willing to commit? Or simply because Baekhyun was just that, another person fawning over you, feeding your pathetic ego? Because you cannot be so daft. You had to know that Baekhyun has feelings for you. That poor boy is so obvious even though he thinks he hides it so well."

Jongin hissed.

"Sehun" Chanyeol warned, his hands shaking.
Sehun took a deep breath to calm himself.

"Do Baekhyun a favour then. Stay the hell away from him. He is not Lily, or Sandara, or any of your other silly conquests. You don't get to speak of him as another notch on your bed post, you hear me? Just stay the hell away from that boy."

Sehun's voice was deathly quiet. Chanyeol did not know what to say, looking guilty.

"No more practice sessions for you guys." Sehun was laying down the rules. He barely acted as one so possessed. "No more nose booping, no giving him gifts, no hanging around after hours with Toben. You perform on stage at the charity event and that is it. You stay the away from him."

"This is so out of character, Sehun." Jongin remarked, once Chanyeol stormed out of the Common Room.

"You shut up. You could have said something. Don't ask me to pass messages to Kyungsoo from now on."

Jongin raised both his hands in defence, "Come on man. Chill. I'm not interested in getting into an argy-bargy with you guys. Don't make me choose between my two best friends."

**

It was easy for Baekhyun to hide in the library. He did not want to face Chanyeol. The next couple of days saw Baekhyun inventing crazy excuses to not attend Potions classes. When he ran out of outlandish excuses, the failsafe 'I am unwell' came to his rescue. His absence was not missed, not by the Potions Master and certainly not by the Slytherin he was avoiding.

The patience of the Potions Master had run thin and he was done with Baekhyun skiving off classes. He especially asked his favourite student to attend the next class, or risk losing a hundred and fifty points for his House. Baekhyun had no choice but to turn up at the dungeon, feeling very self-conscious. The recklessness of the other day had evaporated and he was very unhappy to be in the same room as Chanyeol. How do you face someone who turned you down? Why were these things not taught at Hogwarts? Could he still say hello or should he act like they were strangers? Funny thing was, he had a feeling that Chanyeol was glaring in his direction. He was a coward and he simply would not lift his head to check if his suspicion was true.

Lily May Mac's shrill laughter reached his ears as he laid out ingredients beside his cauldron for the Elixir they were preparing. Truly, girls were most high pitched around the boys they liked. The knot inside his tummy tightened and he gripped the peppermint sprigs hard. Two or three porcupine quills bounced away from his table at his clumsiness. Damn his shaking fingers! Jongdae threw him a quizzical glance but said nothing. They were not divided into teams that day. Each student had to prepare his own Elixir to Induce Euphoria. 

Baekhyun was really struggling with the Elixir, his mind running away. Park Chanyeol, the Slytherin Keeper who had shrugged his feelings off casually, was definitely looking at him. And he was making no effort to hide it too. Baekhyun wanted to vanish. Could he just rustle up an Invisibility Potion from thin air and hide? Oh wait! He had no idea if such a potion existed in the first place.

"Please do not talk among yourselves. Concentrate on the Elixir. It is a fairly easy one and detention for those who fail to brew it perfectly. It should be a lovely sunshine yellow colour by now. Check if it is releasing a delicate aroma. If not, feel free to add an extra sprig of peppermint." The Professor was beginning to go around the desks, peering at the cauldrons to check the consistency and colour of the elixir.

Baekhyun realised with some horror that his elixir was neither yellow, nor releasing any scent. He panicked when he could not remember how many times he had stirred his potion anti-clockwise. Jogdae nudged him, and Baekhyun his lips, shaking his head in surrender. The Potions Master was inspecting Park Chanyeol's cauldron.

"Dear oh dear. You seem to have entirely forgotten to add wormwood. Your elixir will only make the drinker cry. Ten points from Slytherin."

Chanyeol did not seem to be the least bit perturbed. A couple more Slytherins had points taken away before the Potions master advanced towards the Griffindors. Jongdae's elixir was declared passable. The Griffindor Seeker breathed an audible sigh of relief.

"The ones who did not do too well will have to wake up to collect Morning Dew from the Forbidden Forest at the crack of dawn tomorrow." The Potions Master was advancing towards Baekhyun now. "The usual suspects. Mr Oh, Mr Kim, Miss May, half of the Slytherins, and" he stopped abruptly at Baekhyun's table, and seemed shocked. "You too, Mr Byun?" It could as well have been et tu Brutus. Baekhyun swallowed and hung his head in mock shame.

"It is such a pity. But you did say something about being unwell today and not being able to turn up for class. I am most sorry for making you attend class today. I wonder if I should let you sit the punishment out. After all, if you are unwell -”

The Potions Master had to change course as the Slytherins began to protest at the abject partiality.

"Very well, very well. Mr Byun shall also be punished." The Potions Master eventually gave in to the class' demands. "I shall expect you to collect the dew in the especially charmed glass jars that are now sitting on my desk."

Baekhyun caught Chanyeol's eye, who raised his brow as though in silent challenge. He looked away. The tension was too much for him to bear. He wanted to shatter it.

Ten of them sleep walked to the Forbidden Forest at first light the next morning, jars in hand. Sehun seemed too groggy to put two sentences together and Jongin was actually sleep walking. Park Chanyeol was being ever the gentleman and guiding Lily May Mac through the Forest, pulling low hanging braches out of her way. Baekhyun maintained a safe distance from the Slytherin, applying himself to the task at hand. His jar was almost full with Morning Dew.

He marveled how Lily May Mac had managed to turn up with impeccably done make up even at the crack of dawn. The Griffindor was in his pajamas, and a worn out woolen jumper. Conversation between the students on detention that morning was very limited. All they wanted was to collect the Morning Dew and head back to the comforts of their bed.

Chanyeol was softly walking beside Lily, looking every bit gorgeous. Even with his morning hair, the Slytherin looked regal.
Baekhyun tumbled over a tree root on the way back and went flying towards the ground. His jar fell out of his grasp. Luckily, it was charmed, and break proof. It was Chanyeol who gently held him by the shoulders to lift him up. He took a good look at Baekhyun's face. "Are you unwell?"
"Huh?"
"The Potions Master said you did not attend the last few classes because you were unwell. Is it true?"

His hand immediately came up to Baekhyun's forehead to check his temperature, a look of concern on his face. Baekhyun shrugged Chanyeol's hands off him, as if he was burnt by the touch. He will not fall for Chanyeol's faux concern again.
"I am fine."

Chanyeol, who was leaning over Baekhyun, straightened. "Just as I thought. You have been avoiding Potions classes not because you are unwell, but because of me."

Baekhyun did not know where to look, and he definitely did not want to have this conversation. How could Chanyeol be so laid back as though he was talking about the weather? That's right. He was the one with the huge crush on his classmate, and not vice versa.
"Can we not talk about this?" He wanted to say it coldly but it came out as a whine.

The Slytherin's expression was contemptuous.
"Fine. Be that way. Be childish."

"I am being childish?" Baekhyun's eyes were as large as saucers. "I am being childish?" he repeated.

Chanyeol crossed his arms in front of his chest but did not say anything.

"Who started avoiding me when they learnt that I have feelings for him?" Baekhyun suddenly accused, startling the other.
"Baekhyun -” Chanyeol began as though reasoning with a petulant child.
"No, stop. Please." Baekhyun's anger suddenly flared up. He could see Lily May Mac a little distance ahead. She was waiting for Chanyeol.
"You cannot be angry with me because I did not reciprocate your feelings." Chanyeol suddenly spat.

Baekhyun wanted to throw his glass jar at the Slytherin. He was so mean.
"What feelings! Feelings have died. Why shall I harbor feelings for a boor like you?"

That did it. A mask fell on Chanyeol's face. "Have a good day, Byun" he muttered and stalked off. Baekhyun leaned against a tree trunk to support himself, feeling exhausted. His anger abated just as quickly as it had come. He felt like a fool for letting his anger get the better of him. But no matter. What was done was done. And with any luck, his feelings for Chanyeol would truly evaporate.

"Why is the Slytherin Keeper glaring at you?" Jongdae muttered. They were having breakfast at the Great Hall.

Chanyeol had alternated between listening to Sandara Park, and throwing tough looks at Baekhyun the whole while the petite boy was buttering his toast.
Baekhyun tossed his hair flippantly and rubbed his lips with his index finger and thumb.

"Who cares?" Baekhyun looked across to the Slytherin table, held Chanyeol's gaze, gave him a very sweet smile, before glaring back. This seemed to startle the Slytherin. Chanyeol finally looked away with a puzzled frown.

"Jongdae, I am done mooning over him. Perhaps you were right. He never deserved my affections."

**

The Hogwarts Helping Hands was upon them, merely two days away. Students were already in the holiday mood, and their Professors were cutting them a little slack. Breaking tradition, every pupil was staying back till the Ball and would only make the onward journey to their homes for the Holidays on Christmas Eve.
Jongdae and Jungmyeon would depart for holidays the next morning of the Ball itself, and so would Sehun and Jongin. Baekhyun had no idea what Chanyeol intended on doing, but he himself was staying back. His parents were going on a tour of India to see the Taj Mahal, and Baekhyun did not feel like accompanying them this year. His spirits were a little down in the dumps, if truth be told.

It was a tight schedule but no one wanted to miss the Charity event. Everyone was taking part in some competition or other. The festive cheer seemed double this year.

Their Potions Master was very much clued in on this gaiety.

"Students. This is our last class before the Christmas holidays and I have a special gift for you. You remember that I made some hapless students collect morning dew the other day? It was for the preparation of this potion." The Professor brandished a small vial, and the class looked on, awed by the beautiful light golden colour of the Potion.

The Potions Master's eyes were twinkling.

"This here is a rare Potion, prepared with rare ingredients indeed. It is my Christmas Gift to you. The first one to tell me its name, why, he or she can have it. I daresay they shall find it very useful given the present festivities lined up." The Professor chuckled. "Of course, I shall give clues. The colour of this potion should have been enough for our witches and wizards to deduce. However, I shall name a few of its ingredients. Shall we begin, then? "

The classroom immediately began to buzz with excitement. Sehun cracked his knuckles in anticipation and Baekhyun passed him a beatific smile. The smile was not missed by a certain Slytherin who did not look too pleased.
"What do you think that is?" Jongdae whispered urgently, beginning to calculate in his head whether he wanted the potion or not.
Baekhyun shrugged, although he did have a slight idea.

"Very well, the first ingredient is, morning dew, of course." The Professor raised his eyebrows, pausing to see if anyone could guess correctly.
"The second ingredient," the Professor thundered, " very rare again. A lock of unicorn hair."

Baekhyun groaned inwardly. He had a fair idea what this potion was, but was uncertain if he wanted it. The classroom was ringing with barely concealed excitement now.
A couple of students took wild guesses, Jongdae included, but were shot down by the Professor, proving their guesses wrong.

"Oh come on, class. You have to be better than this. Think. I may have mentioned this potion while explaining the uses of unicorn hair. Any other guesses? No? Very well. The third ingredient, and this is the last clue, mind you, is fairy wings." The professor beamed at the students.

With a sigh, Baekhyun raised his hand.
No, Baekhyun did not want the potion. But he knew the answer whereas the rest of the class seemed clueless.

"Yes, Mr Byun?" the professor looked hopeful. Jongdae was chuckling and rubbing his hands together. Any potion to land in Baekhyun's hands was his property as well.

"It's the Beautification potion." Baekhyun answered in a small voice, and blushed immediately afterwards.
"Correct answer." the Professor shouted amidst the din. "The Beautification potion it is. Light golden in colour. Whoever drinks it turns to a perfect, radiant, flawless version of themselves. Girls swoon over the drinker, in this case, our Mr. Byun Baekhyun. With the Ball coming up, I daresay you shall find it effective if you haven't managed to snag a date yet. Aye?"

Baekhyun took the small vial with trepidation, intending to use the potion NEVER.

"No one will be able to resist you, my lad. Your tiny freckles will all but disappear, as will your moles. You will become cuter and manlier." the Potions Master went on, much to Baekhyun's eternal mortification. Jongdae hooted with delight. The boys were all snorting, and the girls were sighing for having missed this opportunity to snag the date of their dreams.

Junmyeon was surrounded by his Griffindor friends at dinner that night. He was as pale as Nearly Headless Nick, and close to tears. One goddess like Ravenclaw, Kim Taeyeon, had refused to be his date for the Charity Ball. He was inconsolable.
"He is a disgrace to the family." Jongdae muttered, chewing his food. His comment was not lost on the Head Boy, who turned an unappealing shade of grey. Baekhyun, who could empathise with Junmyeon, rubbed the Head Boy's back in an attempt to console him.
"I wish I could do something to make you feel better." Baekhyun said to the Head Boy.

Jongdae jumped at the opportunity which presented itself so innocently. The truth of the matter was, he liked being the bane of Baekhyun's existence.
"Oi. Stop crying, bro." he said loudly, "Baekhyun here is going to show a trick. It will make you feel infinitely better. I can guarantee it will make all our Gryffindor feel better."
Then Jongdae laughed maniacally.

"You'll show a trick to cheer me up? How kind." Junmyeon rubbed his eyes and looked at Baekhyun in anticipations.
The boy in question looked cornered, and unsure. "I will?"

"Oh yes, you will." Jongdae pushed his plate away and crawled on top of the table. "My dear fellow Griffindors, gather your wits. Baekhyunee will perform a rare feat today." His voice carried and gathered the attention of the other Houses as well. Jongdae drew himself to full height on the dinner table, as though conducting an orchestra.

"He has a vial of Beautification Potion in his pocket. Who here wants to see him use it?"

A chorus of I Dos rent the air. The Hufflepuffs, led by Yixing, were knocking their goblets on the table, cheering Baekhyun on.

"My lovely beauties, line up. Our Baekhyunee is about to turn on his charm. Who here wants to accompany him to the Ball?"
Baekhyun frowned, shaking his head vehemently. His mouth turned dry and he suddenly wanted to escape to the dormitory.
"Lovely brown eyes, jet black locks, beautiful singing voice, the perfect Prefect. Beautiful girls of Hogwarts, I give you Byun Baekhyun."

Jungmyeon's face fell at Baekhyun's hesitation. The Prefect immediately felt bad.

"Go on, Baekhyun." Luhan, the Griffindor Quidditch captain, egged. "Junmyeon could really use some distraction."

Baekhyun was in a tight spot. He wanted to cheer Junmyeon, he did. And he hero worshipped Luhan as well. Those are things you cannot say no to. He guessed he shall have to throttle Jongdae later on, at night, when his best friend was fast asleep.

"Well. What the heck!" he breathed, fishing the vial out.

"Woohoo." Jongdae clapped.

Baekhyun downed the Beautification Potion in one gulp, and bowed low to Jongdae, Junmyeon and rest of the Griffindors. The Hufflepuffs cheered from their tables. Even their Potions Master was looking on happily from the teacher's table.
The effect of the potion was instantaneous. The whole aura around Baekhyun changed. A glow noticeable from the far off Slytherin table was emitting from his body. His hair was shinier, his eyes sparklier, and his smile deadly.
It seemed the candles floating around the Great Hall dimmed and Byun Baekhyun was the source of all light.

Junmyeon's mouth fell open, thoughts of Kim Taeyeon evading him.
Even Jongdae was looking at him with delight.

"He is sooooo cute." the Ravenclaw girls sang in unison, climbing out of their seats to come closer to him. The Griffindor girls were already whispering among themselves, looking at Baekhyun with barely concealed admiration. They were the first ones to ask him out for the upcoming ball. The Hufflepuff girls would not stay behind either.

"Please go out with me. Please go out with me." they squealed.
"How come I never noticed him before?"
"He looks like a puppy."
"Isn't he the cutest?"

And the more bold ones.

"He will fit in my alright."
"Oh my God! Look at his ."
"Look at his hips."
"Look at his lips."
"Look at his neck."
"Look at his mole."
"My ovaries are exploding."
"Byun Baekhyun can take my ity."

They surrounded the petite boy, hands outstretched to touch him.

Even Baekhyun found it hard to not smile sheepishly, flattered by the attention.
Unnoticed by any one amidst the cacophony of noise, Jongin dragged Sehun away from the Great Hall.

Evil Jongdae would have auctioned Baekhyun off to the highest bidder that night. He was about to, when a tall Slytherin foiled his plan, or fell right for it.
Chanyeol had watched from the shadows for as long as he could. Then his competitive side kicked in. He stood to full height before marching towards the Griffindor.

Chanyeol looked like a Shinigami who had come to collect a soul, his stance prepared for a fight. He glared at the others until they backed a few paces off, and then turned to give his full attention to Baekhyun.
"Are you done playing the coquette?" his voice barely concealed the danger. Baekhyun shrank. There was pin drop silence for a while before angry murmurs of the girls surrounded him.

"Beautification potion, really Byun? Is this all a joke to you? Aren't you done playing games yet?"

Baekhyun freed his hand from Chanyeol's tight grasp with a violent shake.

"Unlike you, some of us need help. Do you see any one lining up for me to take me to the ball? Do you think I am as popular as you?"
Jongdae immediately came and clasped Baekhyun from behind, dragging him back a few steps. Chanyeol raised his brow when he saw that the Griffindor Seeker had his wand out.

The Slytherin should have been offended at the mere thought that Jongdae believed he would be able to last it out with a duel with him, Park Chanyeol. But looking at Baekhyun's stubborn face, he found his dark mood vanishing. Baekhyun looked incredibly attractive, and Chanyeol knew it was he himself who was in grave danger.

The Slytherin wasted no time, grabbing hold of the Griffindor, who was much smaller in comparison to him. He found it quite easy to drag Baekhyun away from the commotion, but not before throwing a dirty glare at Jongdae. Baekhyun's best friend winked at him, not at all apologetic.

The air outside was chilly.

"You are hurting my wrist. How are you not affected with the beautification potion? How can you treat me roughly when I know I am looking my cutest best?"
Chanyeol towered over Baekhyun.
"I am doing you a favour here, Byun. Besides, the way you look to me now is no different than the way you look to me on most days."

They pretty much glared at each other.

"What do you mean?" Baekhyun asked slowly.
Chanyeol paced the area, looking agitated. "I mean that I have always found you pretty, Beautification potion or not."
"Pretty?" Baekhyun mocked.
"Charming. Cute. Whatever, Byun." Chanyeol was frustrated.
"Then why are you behaving like a boor?"
"Because I am angry. I don't think I like other people looking at you. There. I said it. ARE YOU HAPPY NOW?"

Baekhyun shrank back, his momentary high from earlier receding, and a different kind of sensation pooling in his stomach. He his lower lip in.
"Don't do that." Chanyeol growled, "It makes me go crazy."
Baekhyun let his lower lip escape from his teeth with a light pop.
"Argh. WILL YOU STOP IT?"
Chanyeol stomped his feet.

Baekhyun slowly pulled out a small glass vial.
"What's that?" Chanyeol eyed the vial suspiciously.
"It is the antidote to the Beautifying potion." Baekhyun uncorked the vial. "I wasn't really trying to snag dates." He snorted. "We were just trying to cheer up the Head Boy. Well, can't say we didn't have fun. Now - “Baekhyun lifted the vial to his mouth and gulped the liquid sloppily.

"There,” he said, rubbing his lips with his dainty fingers, "Not so pretty anymore, huh?" The Griffindor laughed mirthlessly. "Now you can go back and pretend like you can't see me. Like I don't exist."
"Surprisingly, you are quite a handful, Byun Baekhyun. Has anyone ever told you that?"

Chanyeol took three steps to reach Baekhyun's side. He lightly dabbed around Baekhyun's mouth with his thumb, wiping away the remaining traces of antidote. He looked like a predator.

"This can't be the antidote because your lips still look like rose petals that need to be crushed between fingers to release the fragrance."
Chanyeol's gripped Baekhyun's chin with his hand and forced the boy to look up.
Baekhyun blushed, making the other chuckle.

"And your cheeks are still my favorite shade of pink mochi cake. But this mole makes me go crazy the most. What should I do with it? Should I punish it?" Chanyeol pinched where the mole was, and he was not gentle.
Baekhyun stepped back, discomfort written on his face. And embarrassment.
"What? Feeling shy all of a sudden now? Wasn't this the reaction you were going for, with that little stunt you pulled back there?" Chanyeol carded his fingers through his hair, as if an errant child had bothered him no end. "Run along now, Byun Baekhyun. Steer clear of such crude tricks in future."

Baekhyun dipped himself in the bath tub of the Prefect's bathroom. His nerves were in a tizzy. He was mad at Park Chanyeol. Damn him for teasing him so. And now he was hard. It took him a while to cool off and come down from the high. Damn Chanyeol. It was so frustrating. What did the Slytherin want, really? What did the events of tonight mean? The cool water did not help Baekhyun even the slightest bit. Did it perhaps mean that Chanyeol had developed feelings for him?
He quickly shook the idea off his head. He could not let himself begin to hope like that. Hope could kill a person as much as a wrongly spelt curse.

Chanyeol was faring no better. He flopped on the couch in their Common Room, and glared at Sehun, who smiled back at him softly.
"What did you get me into, Oh? He is a piece of work."
"That he is." Sehun acquiesced. "Told ya, didn't I? You will be putty in the hands of the one you fall for."
"He says his feelings for me have died." Chanyeol stated darkly. "And anyway, you're wrong. I haven't fallen for him."

Sehun took some time to reply. "We were in our fourth year, Chanyeol. It had been heavily raining that morning. Jongin, you and seven of us had bunked Divination classes and were huddled in front of Greenhouse Three. You do not remember? I remember the day quite well, probably because Jongin and I were in a heated debate and I came close to smacking him and unfriending him for life. I do not remember why the argument had gotten so dirty but he said something about Tutshill Tornadoes and you know how I hate anyone who disses my favorite Qudditch team. Halfway through our heated argument, I realised that you were hardly invested. We were discussing Quidditch, for God's sake, and you were not even looking in our direction. You thought no one was watching, but I noticed you. You gaze was fixed on a boy in Griffindor robes, faraway in the distance, and not that he was doing anything extraordinary. He was jumping on a puddle of water, drenching in the rain, yoohooing about with Jongdae, and you found it so interesting. You surprised me that day."

"What does that mean? I don't even remember it. You are making things up."

"Then perhaps you won't remember this too. In our very Second Year, Park Chanyeol, you seemed to have forgotten to bring your Quill to class. I was standing right next to you, but no, you went down to Baekhyun and borrowed his quill instead of mine. I saw you take quite the good look at Baekhyun while he fidgeted with his bag. But wait a minute, was it Potions class? Why did you even need a quill that day? We did not even take down any notes."

Chanyeol's face was blank.

"Last year, we were studying for O.W.L.S. in the library. Jongin had already left for Quidditch practice but you vehemently turned him down to stay back with me. I was jotting down notes for the Vanishing Charm, and you were supposed to be copying long paragraphs on Fanged Geranium. Except, when I look up, what do I find? Your quill lax on your fingers, your mouth literally drooling, Park Chanyeol! Some tables away, one Griffindor Prefect was memorising notes about how to identify all of Jupiter's moons."

"Baekhyun was muttering to himself quite loudly. I just found it funny," Chanyeol said defensively, "how someone could be so serious about Astronomy."

"So you do remember?" Sehun shook his head slowly, and patted Chanyeol's shoulders. "I am going out for some cool air. You want to come?"

"No. I might head out for a shower. It’s humid. Suffocating."

Sehun left his friend to his brooding. He made his way out of the dormitory, and into the corridors, whistling to himself as he mindlessly walked, no particular destination in mind. Jongin had sneaked off to the Astronomy tower for his nightly rendezvous with Kyungsoo. Good for Kyungsoo that he was a prefect and he could make his way around the castle without being called out.
He was walking by the Sun Dial garden when he heard hurried steps approaching him from the other end. It was dark, and after hours. Sehun held his wand tightly.
"Who goes there?"

The profile of the baby faced Griffindor Chaser greeted him.

"Sehunnie?" Luhan ventured, "It is me. What are you doing so late at night?"

"What are you doing?" Sehun asked, suspicious.

Luhan patted his neighbour's head playfully. "I came to the Owlery. Sent a letter to Mum. I was meaning to do so earlier, but I totally forgot to after the stunt Baekhyunee pulled at dinner earlier."

Sehun relaxed. Luhan and he had grown up in the same neighbourhood. Sehun hero worshipped the Griffindor Chaser, who was also his first crush. Too bad that Luhan had tenderly turned him down two years ago. They had drifted apart after that. Perhaps tragedy was written in Sehun's love life.
It had been a long while since they had come face to face, now more strangers than neighbours.
Luhan was a little shorter than Sehun. He looked angelic when he looked up like that.

"How are you, Sehunnie?” Luhan asked, a little uncertainly.

"I am better than when we spoke last." Sehun remarked drily. It has been two years since they had last conversed. Time was such a relative concept, whizzing past on happy days, slowing down on other days for sadness to engulf you better.

"Do you still resent me?"

"No hyung. I would never."

Luhan patted Sehun's cheeks fondly. "You have grown up to be such a handsome young man."

"Hyung. Don't." Sehun's voice caught up in his throat and he took a step back.

Luhan himself looked caught up in a dilemma.
"Do you still go to that Bubble Tea place?"
Sehun shook his head, not trusting his voice with an answer.

"It is quite late, Sehunnie. Perhaps the Prefect can accompany me to the Griffindor dormitory?" Luhan's voice was soft, as soft as his features.
"You need not even ask, hyung."
They walked in silence till they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady.
Luhan stood infront of the portrait uncertainly, reluctant to turn away.
"So I guess I shall see you around." he whispered, a smile in place.

Sehun just nodded, his expression stoic. Luhan seemed to hesitate a bit, before surprising Sehun. The Griffindor Chaser must have surprised even himself when he stood on tiptoes to leave a small kiss on Sehun's forehead.
"Take care, Oh Sehun."

Sehun stood rooted in place, long after Luhan disappeared behind the portrait.

**

The Hogwarts Helping Hands was finally upon them. The school woke up to a prettily decked Castle. It was early to say if it shall be a white Christmas, with the sky being overcast. The cloudy weather, however, could not dampen the spirits one bit, not when magical Hogwarts turned even more enchanting. There were singing Christmas trees decorated with the finest ornaments, and unexpected gifts around every turn of the Castle. Luhan and Xiumin had stumbled upon a box of Every Flavored Beans on their way to the Owlery, stylishly packaged and addressed from the Headmaster of the School. Hunts for hidden treats began soon after, and groups of students could be seen sweeping every inch of the castle to look for cutely packed gifts. Joy got a stuffed teddy bear and Kyungsoo got a miniature Firebolt that whizzed around the palm of his hand.

Junmyeon was in his element, barking directions left and right.

The events lined up that day included the Charity Bazaar, the Dueling Competition, Lucky Charms Competition, the Raffle, and the Pet Fashion Show. Participants had to deposit a few Sickles to take part in the events, and the proceeds thus collected would go to The Three Broomsticks. Madam Rosmerta, landlady of the Pub, would be present for the Raffle, having promised free Butterbeers for lifetime to its winners. Almost everyone in the school had purchased raffle tickets.
Kyungsoo the Treasurer's charmed Wallet was jingling with money collected from students and professors alike. Baekhyun had barely enough time to get dressed and break his fast before the Prefects' supervisory duties began.

He had to excuse himself from his duty at the Pet Fashion Show because the Dueling competition was about to begin and he was Jongdae's second.
If Head Boy Junmyeon was in his element, his younger brother Jongdae was more so. The Griffindor Seeker's Aspen wand eliminated all competition in the first stages. It is said that the owner of an Aspen wand is often an accomplished duelist, and there was no doubt on that front.
Professor Binns was the duel master and due to his leniency, a few students had already stumbled to the Hospital wing. Jongdae was sporting a few burns, and his arm had a deep gash but he was too thrilled to care. They had learnt nonverbal spells that year and Baekhyun watched from the crowd as his best friend shot innovative curse after curse at his opponents. It was not a nice thing to say but Jongdae had had far too much prior practice jinxing others. Baekhyun was bored. His own wand, cherry with dragon heartstring, was snug inside his pocket, and Baekhyun knew there was nil chance that he might get to use it. His own style of magic was defensive rather than offensive.

Jongdae though, had gone all guns out. He used the Twitchy Ears Hex, the Tickling Hex, the Tail Growing Hex, and Pus Squirting Hex to great effect. Joy was there, cheering for her boyfriend. Both Sehun and Jongin had taken part. Sehun had a burnt eyebrow to show for his attempt and Jongin retired with slugs coming out of his mouth. It was a disgusting sight. Kyungsoo dragged him to a far corner of the dungeon and was helping Jongin vomit the rest of the slugs.
Park Chanyeol was there too, although he had not put his name down for the competition. Baekhyun was a bit relieved that Chanyeol's aggression was reserved for Quidditch games. Baekhyun was hidden from the Slytherin's view, courtesy his height. But he could see the tall Keeper alright.

Gregory Gagarin from Slytherin and Jongdae made it till the end. There was a short break before the final duel. The competition suddenly became even more enticing as a Slytherin and a Griffindor turned out to be the finalists. Students quickly swapped sides in the dungeon where the duel was taking place, one side now representing Slytherin and the other side supporting Jongdae.

Gregory Gagarin was a stockily built Seventh Year who had broken a few arms and rendered a few others toothless in due course of the day. He looked quite menacing indeed. If truth be told, Baekhyun was a little worried for Jongdae. He had barely survived the last round with the skin of his teeth.
Baekhyun and Joy stepped closer as Jongdae stepped inside the Dueling ring. Chanyeol had finally spotted Baekhyun and he had a displeased look about him, perhaps because Professor Binns had just announced Baekhyun as Jongdae's second, loud for everyone to hear.
Gagarin started with the Jelly Leg Jinx but Jongdae expertly deflected the curse, at the same time shouting, "Melofors". Gagarin moved to one side quickly to avoid his head being turned into a pumpkin.

The Slytherin threw a Furnunculus curse to make boils erupt in Jongdae's skin.

"Protego" Jongdae yelled, and his shield bore the brunt of Gagarin's jinx. The crowd was cheering for both of them. Baekhyun held his breath. Sparks were flying back and forth, as Jongdae and Gagarin dueled, done with the warming up now.
The objective was to disarm the other, but Baekhyun could see right from the start, that Gagarin wanted to send Jongdae packing to the hospital wing. He kept blocking Jongdae's hexes and shooting his own with alarming speed and accuracy. The hair on Baekhyun's neck stood on end as the duel steadily rose in intensity.
To his right, Joy was clutching her own wand, ready to come to Jongdae's defence if necessary. Baekhyun wanted to tell her that this was not necessary at all, but at that exact moment, Gagarin shouted, "Confringo."

The Blasting Curse went flying towards Jongdae. The Griffindor Seeker fell to the ground to avoid the fire like blast and rolled over, pointing his wand at Gagarin.
"Titillando."

The crowd gasped in unison as the Tickling Spell hit Gagarin squarely in the chest. He began to wiggle and twist, his body tickling in unmentionable places. Gagarin was sweating and appeared to be in great torture. Jongdae laughed.

"I would love to see you move like this in the next Quidditch match." he goaded.

Gagarin was sweating, and red with fury, and yet he could not stop moving in place like a crazy dancer. He did something then which was not allowed in Duels. Snarling like an angry hound, Gagarin bodily tackled Jongdae to the ground, and both of them rolled over the floor, throwing punches at each other. Joy shrieked, shouting colorful curses at Gagarin to let her man go.

Baekhyun face palmed.

"Mr. Gagarin. Mr. Kim. Let go or I shall disqualify you both." Professor Binns aimed a spell of his own at the duo wrestling on the floor and they let go of each other immediately, as if burnt.

Gagarin spat on the ground. Jongdae's nose was bloody and he was clutching tufts of Gagarin's hair in his palm.

"You broke my wand, you jerk." Jongdae whined, shaking his broken wand at Gagarin's face. Baekhyun knew Jongdae must be dying of agony inside.
Baekhyun caught Sehun's eye. The Slytherin Prefect's eyes were glittering with nervous anticipation. Everyone knew what would happen now. With Jongdae's wand broken, Baekhyun would have to take his place. Joy had already gone to help Jongdae off the floor and she was glaring daggers at Gregory Gagarin. Baekhyun smirked to himself. If he was Gagarin, he would be very careful of unexpected dangers lurking around in the next few days.

Gagarin stood sniggering at a safe distance. Professor Binns was addressing Baekhyun.

"Mr. Byun, as Mr Kim's second, I would like you to step forward. Mr. Kim, Miss Park, please step outside the Dueling ring."
Jongdae limped off, throwing a meaningful look at Baekhyun.

"Please relax. You are making me nervous as well. Baekhyun can take care of himself." Sehun spoke to Chanyeol who looked like he would whisk the Griffindor Prefect away from the dungeon any moment now.

"Gregory should have been disqualified."
"It's the final duel. They need a winner."

Baekhyun's wand was finally out now. Gagarin sized Baekhyun up. "What are you guys? The beagle squad?"
Baekhyun did not reply to this, waiting for his opponent to make the first move.

"Avis" Gagarin said, almost lazily. A flock of birds emerged from the Slytherin's wand, aiming for Baekhyun.
The Griffindor twirled his wand and the birds turned into flowers, falling harmlessly to the floor. He was smiling.
Sehun nudged Chanyeol in the ribs. He was grinning. "Who do you think Jongdae practices dueling with?"
Gregory and Baekhyun began circling each other, the latter waiting for his opponent to make the next move.

"Flipendo."
"Protego"
"Incendio." Gagarin barked. A flame erupted from his wand, flying for Baekhyun.
"Aguamenti" A sharp jet of water shot from Baekhyun's wand, dousing the flames.
"A conjurer at best." Gagarin spat.
"What the hell, Baekhyun? Attack him." Jongdae was shouting directions.
"Stupefy"
"Expelliarmus."

The flash of red from Gagarin's curse rebounded from the ball of blue light emanating from Baekhyun's disarming charm.
Baekhyun's eyes were shining. He came to stand towards the side where the Slytherins had crowded.

"I remember you, midget. You are Park Chanyeol's fanboy, aren't you, the one with the banner and all?"

Suddenly, all eyes in the dungeon turned towards Baekhyun. Incensed, the Prefect shot a red streak of light towards Gagarin, knocking the latter off his feet. The Griffindors clapped. Gagarin stood up slowly, his face twisted with anger and pain. He shot arrows from his wand now, and the Griffindor had barely time enough to raise his shield. The Slytherin used the distraction to close in on Baekhyun and give him a bodily push.
Baekhyun could think of no way to fight with the law of physics as he was sent flying. Baekhyun's wand flew out of his grasp, knees colliding painfully with the ground. The crowd gasped collectively.

Before Professor Binns could cry foul, Gagarin gave a decisive twist of his wand and muttered the words to the multi shot jinx.
Three things happened all at once. A fumed Joy directed the Trip Jinx towards Gagarin. Sehun shouted "Expelliarmus" and surprising every one, Park Chanyeol emerged out of nowhere to swoop over Baekhyun, shielding him.

So, when Baekhyun tentatively turned and lifted his head, wincing because of the pain in his knees, it was to to see a breathless Chanyeol stooping protectively over him.

The crowd had gone berserk, and Gagarin was fuming at Joy because she had tripped him and sent his jinx flying off to the ceiling. Jongdae's shrill voice could be heard amidst the din.

"What happened?" Baekhyun asked.

Chanyeol did not say anything. Sehun came and peered over Chanyeol's shoulder to check if Baekhyun was alright. He was clutching Gagarin's wand in his hand and his mouth was pressed in a thin line. Upon learning that Baekhyun was mostly fine, Sehun walked away.

"What just happened?" Baekhyun asked again.

"My beautiful girl friend hexed Gagarin before he could aim his curse at you. Also, Sehun defied House loyalties and disarmed Gagarin. Park here swooped in to take the blow for you. I never thought I would say this but -”

"Shut up, Kim." Chanyeol muttered before hastily standing up. "You should help too instead of putting him in harm's way. Take him to the hospital wing and check whether his bones are fine." He would not look at Baekhyun.

There was some debate about who should win but Baekhyun was adjudged the winner, seeing as how Gagarin had used bodily contact to push both Jongdae and Baekhyun to the floor. Physical contact was not allowed in duels. Gagarin looked murderous, but Jongdae, Joy and Baekhyun were not around to see. They were walking towards the Hospital wing. Baekhyun was limping.

"I am indeed indebted to you." Baekhyun grinned at Joy. He decided she would make a good match for Jongdae.

"I wanted to punish that Slytherin for breaking Jongdae's wand is all."

Baekhyun totally approved of her. Jongdae was smirking. He could tell what Baekhyun was thinking. They laughed together. The weather did not seem all too cold or grey then.

"Chanyeol dashing to take one for you, that was surprising though."

Baekhyun stopped in his tracks, "I can't figure him out. Why would he even do that?" He could feel the blush spreading in his cheeks.

"Can't you?" Joy smirked, "I know why Park did that."

Two pairs of eyes looked at her.
"Why do you boys think I jinxed Gagarin?"
"Because you can't stop falling for me." Jongdae had a eating grin.
"Precisely."

Baekhyun went redder at what Joy was implying. He was given a tonic for the slight pain by the Nurse but otherwise declared fit to carry out the rest of his duties. Junmyeon wanted Baekhyun to chill for the rest of the day, apologising on behalf of his little brother.