Snow floated down from the enchanted ceiling, stopping about a meter above the student’s heads. It collected on the myriad Christmas trees lining the walls of the Great Hall, caking the needles in a frosty white.

Preparations had already begun for the students to leave for the holidays. Deep cleaning of the dorms and the common rooms took up most of everyone’s time when they weren’t studying for exams. And, soon after exams finished, heaps of luggage started to accumulate by the front door.

Minho sat between Gilbert and Martin, tapping the letter in his hand against his palm. If Geum-nan would just show up already then he could figure out when his parents would be at King’s Cross to pick him up. Kibum’s mom would be home for Christmas this year and he was actually excited about seeing her.

At least, that’s what he kept telling Minho.

The owls flew inside the Great Hall in a rush, creating flurries in the wake of their flight. They dropped packages and letters as they blustered past, some landing on the tables in front of their students. Minho reached out, patting Geum-nan’s head as he took the letter from her. “Thank you,” he said quietly as he unraveled it.

Minho,

We trust your classes are going well and that you are applying yourself to your studies. Your father and I wanted you to know, in case you decided to write us during your break, that we will not be in the country until the new year.

Your Uncle Junho has invited us to come visit him and his wife and new son over the holidays, and we’ve decided to accept his generous offer.

We’ll send you pictures when we get home, and we’ll tell Sooyoung hello from you, as well as Jinki and Taemin if we get to see them. We hope you’ll have a great Christmas and a happy new year!

Love,

Mom, Dad, and Minseok

Gulping, Minho crumpled the letter he wrote in his fist. He extended a finger and the soft feathers on Geum-nan’s cheek. “You can go back now, thank you.” The napkins on the table ruffled as Geum-nan took flight, following the other owls back to the owlery.

“What’d they say?” Gilbert asked.

Minho shrugged, stuffing his letter in his robe pocket. “They’re going back to Korea. It’s fine,” he said, forcing a smile when he noticed the concern in Gilbert’s eyes. “I’ll just stay here again.”

He sighed when Martin patted his back as he got up. “That , buddy. I wish we could stay with you, but – “

“No, it’s okay. I’ll be fine.” And alone. Completely and totally. Every other Hufflepuff – except for Melissa, the Keeper – would be going home for the holidays. But, Melissa already told him that she would be spending the entire holiday with her best friend in Ravenclaw, so he’d have the entire common room to himself.

Which could be fun, but…

Across the room, Kibum laughed, and it drew Minho’s attention despite the din of the other student’s voices. It was his loud, gasping laugh that happened when something really, really amused him. Callum was doubled over and Aaron pounded his fists on the table, both laughing as hard as Kibum.

Minho leaned forward, craning his neck to see the Slytherin table better. When Kibum glanced his way, Minho waved, and soon he was out of his seat and coming over to sit with Minho. He was still giggling by the time he settled across from him.

“What’s so funny?” Minho asked, smiling.

“Oh, well,” Kibum’s cheeks dimpled as he wiped tears out of his eyes. “Carson got a fake flaming newt from his dad as a practical joke and, well…it’s kinda hard to explain. It’s sorta a Slytherin inside joke.”

“Ah.”

“Hey!” Minho raised his eyebrows. “Is that from your parents?” He nodded. “What’d they say?”

“Nothing.”

Kibum squinted and Minho sighed. “They’re going to Korea for the holidays,” Gilbert answered for Minho.

“Well, damn…that .”

Minho shook his head and fiddled with his parent’s letter. In his peripheral vision, he saw Gilbert nod and Martin patted his back again. “We’re gonna go pack.”

“Yeah, see you later, buddy.”

Minho turned to watch them leave as Kibum ducked under the table and slipped into the seat beside Minho. They were both quiet for a moment, and Minho started fraying the end of his parents’ letter. “I’ll stay with you.”

“Kibum…”

“Nope, no arguments. I’m staying.”

Despite the surge of happiness that coursed through him at Kibum’s declaration, Minho shook his head. “What about your mom, though? Won’t she be back? I thought you were excited about seeing her again.”

“I mean, yeah, but…I don’t want you to be lonely.” He nodded back toward the door. “Gil and Martin are both leaving, are Seb and the others staying or going?”

“Going. Same with all the other Hufflepuffs.”

“Wait, wait, wait. You have the entire House to yourself?”

“Yup.” Kibum repeatedly smacked his arm in his apparent excitement. “Uh, ow?”

“We could hang out the entire time! You could show me around Hufflepuff, and…and…I gotta go write Grandma to tell her I’m staying.”

“Bummie – “ he started to say, but Kibum was already out of his seat and running to the door. Minho slipped his parents’ letter into his other robe pocket and started after Kibum, a grin blooming as he ran out of the Great Hall.

* * * * * * * * * *

The ticking of Aaron’s alarm clock in Kibum’s hand kept him focused. Alert. Vigilant. It was almost eight in the evening, and Minho said that he would be there to open the barrel to let Kibum inside exactly at eight.

7:57

Groaning, Kibum tapped his thumb against the face of the clock, his gaze darting from barrel to barrel as he tried to remember which one held the entrance to Hufflepuff. He shifted the mass of presents and blankets and pillows in his arms, hoping that Minho would be the slightest bit early to open the door so he could finally put them down.

“Promise me you won’t even try to get in yourself.”

Kibum had huffed at the time, watching as a pair of Gryffindor girls walked past them in the library. “I’ve seen you do the password probably a hundred times. I’m sure I can get in.”

“Fine,” Minho leaned back, crossing his arms after he flipped the page of his book. “If you want to get sprayed with vinegar when you get it wrong, that’s up to you.”

Staring at the barrels now, he really didn’t know which one it was. Or even the right syncopation of taps. He had always teased Minho that Hufflepuff would be the easiest House to break into, but now, looking at the entrance, he knew he was wrong.

Not that he would ever admit that to Minho, of course.

7:59

“Come on, come on...”

Soon, there was a soft scraping sound coming from one of the barrels before the one right in front of him creaked open. Kibum jumped back, dropping one of the packages from Grandma in the process.

A warm, amber light seeped out behind Minho as he slipped out and stood. There was an earthy sort of smell that followed him, and Kibum’s heart leapt to his throat, nearly choking him. He was finally about to see Hufflepuff, where his mom and dad and grandma lived during their years at Hogwarts. He was going to exist in that space; he was going to see it for himself.

It...it was a lot to take in.

“Here, let me help you with some of that,” Minho said, distracting Kibum momentarily. He took the heap of blankets into his arms and bent to pick up the package before he focused on Kibum again. “Hey, are you all right?”

“Fine,” he squeaked, then cleared his throat. “I’m fine.”

Minho grinned. “Let’s go then.”

He dropped the blankets inside the barrel and crouched, pushing them ahead as he crawled inside. Kibum set the pillows and the other gifts down and followed Minho. The door -- if that’s what it could be called -- swung shut behind them,  and instantly the sounds of them shuffling forward were amplified. Minho tucked the blankets and the package to his chest as he swung his legs off the ledge and jumped down into the common room.

“What do you think?”

All the descriptions that Grandma and Dad and Mom gave Kibum over the years did not even begin to do the Hufflepuff common room justice. He sat down in the tunnel, his legs dangling over the edge.

Minho laughed, grabbing Kibum’s knee and gently shaking it. “Don’t you want to come inside?”

“Give me a minute.”

Where Slytherin was cold and green and dank, Hufflepuff was warm and yellow and...alive. Tangled vines clung to the stones and the dirt between them and the rafters. It sort of reminded him of Professor Sprout’s home, even down to the intricate root designs protruding from the wall, the biggest, most detailed one hanging over the hearth.

Somehow, even the winter sun streaming through the windows between the rafters was warm and inviting. There was a faint smell of cinnamon mingling with the earth, which explained the sort of comforting scent that always seemed to follow Minho.

Smiling, Kibum scooted forward, but he did not jump out of the tunnel quite yet.

A fire roared in the fireplace between two round holes in the far wall -- those must be the entrances to the dorms -- and several plush mud-brown couches and armchairs were arranged just so around the hearth. There were more by the bookshelves, and over the back of each laid knitted blankets in every hue of yellow Kibum could imagine.

It reminded him of home. Had Grandma designed her house after Hufflepuff? It wouldn’t have surprised him in the slightest.

He jumped off and slipped his shoes off. Minho bent down and set them next to his own. “Okay so, this is the common room.”

“Obviously,” they said together.

“Boys dorms,” he said, pointing to the tunnel on the right, “so if you want to just follow me.” Kibum trailed behind him. He turned slowly as he walked, taking in as much of the common room as he could. Once he reached the right tunnel, he hefted himself up and hurried after Minho. There were several interlocking tunnels, kind of like how he imagined what the inside of a badger’s nest might look like.

Which, he guessed, made sense.

He peeked down one of the dim tunnels, searching for any trace of -- “Minho?”

Footsteps pounded ahead and Minho appeared down at the curve in the second tunnel. The tip of his wand glowed brightly, creating a silvery-white halo before him. “Down here! Sorry,” he said once Kibum caught up with him. “I forgot that you don’t know you’re way around yet.”

“That’s okay.”

Minho shifted the things in his arms, reaching toward the wall. It was then that Kibum noticed a circular door in the wall. He wasn’t sure quite how he missed it -- it was bright yellow with the number two painted on it. Minho turned the knob in the center and pushed it open.

The dorm room was set up almost identically to Kibum's own, which he didn't know why that surprised him. Six bunks, all pushed against the far wall, with small round windows in between them. He found Minho's bunk easily -- the one with the Quidditch uniform draped over the back.

Kibum walked past Minho and dropped his things on the bunk to the left of his. It was the third one from the wall, just like his in Slytherin. Minho set his armful down on the bed and dug under his pillow for his pajamas. He turned his back to Kibum as he changed into them, and Kibum sifted through the things he brought from Slytherin for his own pajamas.

Once Minho finished changing, he went between the bunks to the nightstand. "Here, help me."

Kibum hurried to his side once he pulled on his shirt and picked up one end of the nightstand. They hefted it to the other side of the room and Minho rubbed his hands together as they looked back at the beds. "What'd we do that for?"

"You think the beds will be too heavy to move on our own?"

"I mean, we can try..."

They both went around the side of the bed that Kibum had chosen, grunting and huffing as they pushed the heavy wooden beds flush together. When Kibum looked over at Minho, he was grinning. “You wanna go explore?”

Instead of answering, Kibum bounded out of the room, Minho's laughter following him.

* * * * * * * * * *

They didn’t talk about it much.

About Kibum, a Hufflepuff legacy, being sorted into Slytherin. For his part, Minho just didn’t care. The Houses were where the students slept and studied, and nothing more. Others, usually the wizard-born students, took great pride in their Houses. On some level, Minho understood that.

He liked Hufflepuff; he liked it a lot. The students who were sorted here were kind and helpful and understanding. The House itself was the second most relaxing place he could be in the entire castle -- second only to his and Kibum’s study closet.

But, Kibum...

He rarely talked about Slytherin, but when he did it was usually brief and with disdain. Seeing him now, taking in the common room with bright eyes and a slight smile, Minho could not help but feel a little guilty. Like always. Why couldn’t their Houses have been switched? It clearly meant so much more to Kibum.

Minho lowered his gaze to his dangling feet when Kibum looked his way. “Is it always so warm in here?”

“In the common room? Yeah...I can put out the fire, if you want.”

“No, no! I like it!” Minho peeked up at him to see him glancing around the room. “Where’s the loft?”

Hopping off his perch in the tunnel to the boy’s dorms, Minho slid a little way on the floor before he started walking toward the bookshelves on the other side of the room. He hunkered down before the third set of shelves and reached for the worn copy of The Hobbit. Once he tipped it back, the shelving opened up to reveal a darkened, winding staircase. Minho whipped out his wand, whispered Lumos, and started up the stairs only to stop a second later when Kibum squeezed behind the stairwell.

“Bummie...Bummie?” When there was no reply, Minho stepped off and went to join him.

“Dammit,” Kibum said as he fumbled around in his pockets. “I think I forgot my wand on my nightstand.” He squinted up at Minho, patting the blankets laid on the ground beside him. “Help me look.”

Minho plopped down beside him, the light from his wand flickering as he twisted it back and forth between his fingers. “For what?”

“My parents' initials.”

Beneath the loft stairs, hundreds of names or initials were carved into the wood and earth. The was only the second time Minho had been down here, the first being when Rhys was giving the initial tour last year. It was often used, however, just not by him. Mostly couples, now that he thought about it. He never gave the secluded spot much attention while he was on his way to the loft.

Minho held up his wand, shining the light on the wood. “What are their names again?”

“Park Kimee -- that’s my mom -- and Kim Bumji.” Humming, Minho leaned forward, inspecting the names. “Why are there so many names?”

“Well...” Minho moved his wand, the shadows in the many indents shifted. “The loft has been here since the 30s and a lot of people come down here to, uh -- “ he paused, squinting. What was the term that Seb used? “ -- make out,” he said in English before switching back to Korean. “So, I guess it makes sense.” Minho glanced back at Kibum, then did a double take when he saw how wide his eyes were. “Did you find them?”

Sputtering, Kibum looked from the carvings to Minho and back to the names again. “Do you know what that means? Making out?”

“No, but -- “ Was Kibum blushing? It was hard to tell in this light. “ -- a lot of people do it so...What does it mean?”

“It...it’s, well...it’s like...a lot of kissing, and...and stuff.”

“Oh.” Minho’s entire face heated, and for once in his life, he was thankful for the darkness. “Well, that explains...” Kibum cleared his throat, and Minho held his wand back up to names. “Do you want to go up to the loft, now?”

“Sure!” Kibum said -- a little too enthusiastically -- and Minho shot up and hurried to the open doorway again. He started up the stairs once Kibum reached him.

“People come up here to study or read or just relax somewhere that’s not their room. It’s usually occupied during the day -- ”

“That makes sense.”

“ -- yeah. But I like coming up here at night.” Once they reached the final step, Minho moved to the side so Kibum could see.

During the day, one could see inside the little cave of a room. Massive pillows and handmade blankets abounded in the loft. There was a small iron stove in the back of the room with a kettle and a shelf of mugs above it. Right now, it was cloaked in shadow, and the only light in the room came from Minho’s wand and the moonlight streaming in from open-doored balcony overlooking the grounds.

“Where is this?” Minho made a confused noise and Kibum sighed. “Like, where in the castle is this?”

“It’s right beside the kitchen if that’s what you’re asking.”

“Oh, okay.”

“Most people hate being up here right before dinner because they’re usually hungry and the smell is just too much.” Kibum laughed, patting Minho’s shoulder as he moved further into the room.

“Why do you like coming here at night?”

“Here,” Minho said, heading over to the balcony. He whispered Nox to his wand when he stepped through the doorway and gestured for Kibum to join him. Snow crunched beneath their feet as Minho looked up at the night sky.

Oh, good, it was a clear sky tonight.

“Oh, it’s so pretty!”

Minho glanced over at Kibum, letting out a relieved sigh when he saw his dimpled grin. “Yeah, I like looking at the stars, I guess. It’s relaxing.” Kibum nodded, his teeth chattering. “Cold?”

“A little.”

“We can explore more tomorrow. Let’s go get some hot cocoa.” Minho relit his wand and led Kibum back down to the common room. He put The Hobbit back in its place and started toward the exit as the shelving came back together.

“Wait, where are we going?”

“The kitchen?”

“But it’s after hours?”

Minho chuckled. “Yeah, so?” Kibum gave him a confused blink, and Minho grabbed his hand, leading him to the tunnel and out of the barrels. They walked down the hall and took the first right, both glancing around at the many still life paintings of food lining the halls. Minho stopped after a while at one of the bowls of fruit paintings. He reached out and tickled the fattest part of the green pear and stepped back, waiting for its familiar giggle.

“Wait, what?” Kibum asked when it came, and Minho just laughed as he pulled on the door handle that took the pear’s place. He pushed open the wall and stepped back for Kibum to walk through before him. “Woah...”

With the exception of the enchanted ceiling, the kitchen of Hogwarts was almost an identical copy of the Great Hall. There were shelves on every wall leading almost up to the ceiling, and they were all filled with food. Pots and pans and cauldrons and kettles hung on the rock wall around the ginormous fireplace. Hooks and stands for the pots were posted all around the fire for the house elves to cook with.

The reason the walls were filled to the brim with food and equipment was laid before them -- the five long tables from the Great Hall. They were the same size as and arranged exactly like the ones upstairs. Sookey, Minho’s favorite elf, explained it to him one night when she was making him hot cocoa. These tables were enchanted to be attached to the ones upstairs, and that’s how the food magically appears.

This was Minho’s sixth -- or seventh, he couldn’t remember -- visit to the kitchen, so the novelty had sort of worn off by now. A glance at Kibum told him that his best friend was still awe-struck. Smiling, Minho darted off between the Gryffindor and Slytherin tables to reach the roaring fire. He grabbed a kettle off the wall and went over to one of the sinks, filling it up. By the time he had returned to the fireplace, Kibum was starting to meander through the kitchen.

“I didn’t think it would be so big.”

Minho laughed and set the kettle on its hook. “Yeah, I was the same way when I first saw it.” Kibum eventually reached him, but he was still looking around. “Come on, let’s get mugs.”

He guided Kibum back over to the sinks and pointed out where the cups were, and Kibum grabbed two. Minho opened the drawer and pulled out two of the packets of hot cocoa his parents would send him periodically. He kept some in his room but he also asked Sookey to put a couple in the kitchen as well. Once Kibum returned with the mugs, Minho tore the packets open and dumped them inside.

Soon enough, the kettle was singing, and they were on their way back to Hufflepuff with steaming mugs of hot cocoa. “We’ve got to hurry,” Minho said as he tapped in the password. “I think it’s almost lights out.”

They crawled through the tunnel and into the common room as the lights dimmed. Minho whipped out his wand and lit the tip. “Hold onto my shoulder so you don’t get lost.” Once Kibum grabbed him, Minho started for his room.

The bright yellow door of the second year’s dorm almost glowed in his wandlight, and soon they were tucked into bed, sipping on their hot cocoa.

“Still have the stars?”

“Hmm? Oh...” Minho looked up at the glow-in-the-dark stars tacked to the ceiling of his bunk. Mom had bought two more packs for him to bring with him this year, and they had definitely helped. Still, it was embarrassing. He was thirteen now, he shouldn’t still be scared of the dark...but he was. At least Kibum was kind about it and didn’t make fun of him. “Yeah.”

“I still have the one from last year.” Minho almost choked on his hot cocoa. “I put it with my polaroids.”

“Really?”

In the darkness, Minho barely saw Kibum nod. He smiled and took another sip of his cocoa. Kibum set down his mug on the windowsill between their beds before he slipped under the covers, facing Minho. “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

“Me?”

“No, the ghost behind you.” Minho almost jumped onto Kibum’s bed in shock, the rest of his hot cocoa spilling onto his pajama shirt. “Oh, no, I was kidding! I’m sorry, Min...” he said as he climbed out on Kibum’s side and felt his way to his dresser, setting the now-empty mug on top of it.

“It’s okay, Bummie,” he said, laughing now.

Why would there have been a ghost in the dorm? And Kibum was even more scared of the ghosts inhabiting the castle than Minho was so he would have screamed if there really were one. He quickly pulled off his shirt and changed into a new one before he crawled back into bed.

“I’m really sorry.”

“Don’t be, it’s okay.” Kibum huffed, but then laid back down when Minho did. “I don’t know...what I want to be when I grow up. I guess I haven’t really thought about it.”

“You could play Quidditch.”

“For a career?” Kibum hummed his ascent and Minho scoffed. “I’m not good enough for that.”

“Minho...”

“No.” If there were enough light to see, Minho would probably find Kibum almost-but-not-quite glaring at him with squinted eyes and a set jaw. He pulled the covers up to his chin. “What about you?”

“A banker.”

Minho blinked. “Like, at Gringotts? Why?”

“My dad, he was a banker, both for Muggles and for the few witches and wizards living in Korea.”

“Oh. That’d be cool.” Silence stretched between them, and Kibum yawned. “Sleepy?”

“A little.”

“Okay. Good night, Bummie.”

Another yawn. “Night...”

Minho rolled over onto his stomach, hugging his pillow. Patches of moonlight gleamed onto their mattresses, and Minho stared at the one that grazed the fingertips of Kibum’s hand. It rested on the edge of Kibum’s bed, and Minho wanted to prod it gently back to Kibum’s side.

But, he didn’t. Instead, he just watched it until his own eyelids grew heavy and he fell asleep.

* * * * * * * * * *

On Christmas morning, Kibum woke when the wind shuddered the windowpane between the beds. A snowstorm had kept them all inside during the holiday since the others left for home. Not that Kibum minded. At all.

The days until Christmas passed far too quickly for Kibum. He tried to pack as much time as he could into exploring Hufflepuff for himself, and thankfully, it seemed that Minho was more than happy to indulge him.

The morning after his first night there, they ran back to Slytherin to get his wand and his camera that he forgot in his excitement. After breakfast, they rushed back to Hufflepuff so Kibum could see it in the light of day. If he was being honest, there wasn’t much to explore, but it was still nice to actually see all the places and things his family had told him about for years and years.

He also took more pictures than he had during the entirety of last year. Of himself, of Minho, of he and Minho together, or even some without them at all. His favorite was the one he took by the fire on Christmas Eve. Minho was sitting in the biggest armchair Kibum thought he had ever seen, reading, and Kibum jumped across his lap and pulled him into the frame. They both laughed, and before the scene restarted, Minho had pushed him away, blurring the final couple shots.

Sighing, Kibum looked up from the photo at glanced at the still-sleeping Minho. His face was smashed into his pillow, and a little bit of drool was pooling beneath his parted lips. Kibum sniffed in amusement as he set the picture aside and slipped out of bed.

He shuffled over to Minho’s dresser, where he had been keeping his things during his stay, and opened the drawer, his gaze settling on the yellow and black striped tie and the uniform folded beneath it. Reaching out, his fingertips grazed the cool silk before he quickly drew back his hand.

Minho was still asleep if his soft snoring was anything to go by...plus, he probably wouldn’t mind.

Kibum glanced back, just to make sure, before he grabbed Minho’s uniform and hurried over to the mirror between the two dressers. It took some effort, but soon he had draped Minho’s uniform around him, with the tie hanging loosely around his neck.

He turned to the side, admiring himself. The yellow suited him better than the green, he thought. Even without actually wearing the uniform, he definitely looked more like his dad when he was in school.

“Bummie?” Minho’s voice cracked, and Kibum dropped the uniform into a heap on the floor, before he turned to find a rather sleepy and confused looking Minho sitting up and watching him. “What are you doing?”

“Uh...” He looked down at the crumpled pile of gray and black and white, and then at the tie still hanging around his neck. Grimacing, he pulled it off his head. “Sorry, I, uh, I’ll fold them back up.”

Minho patted Kibum’s vacant bed, a quiet beckoning. Sighing, Kibum dropped the tie on top of the heap and trudged back to bed, hugging his knees once he was situated. Minho leaned back against the wall, folding his hands in his blanket-covered lap.

For a long time, neither said anything. Kibum kept trying to, his mouth opening when he thought he found the right words. He rested his chin on his knees and took a deep breath. “You’re really lucky.”

“How so?”

“Just, you know,” he gestured around the room, and Minho glanced around. “Being here. In the nice House. The good House. Not the evil House.”

“Slytherin isn’t evil.”

Kibum scoffed. “Uh, yeah, it is.” Minho’s brow furrowed as he met Kibum’s incredulous gaze. “You’ve heard of Voldemort, right?” Minho nodded slowly. “Slytherin. It hasn’t even been ten years since he was defeated...like...some of his Deatheaters -- all Slytherins, I think, if they went here -- are still all on trial, according to the Daily Prophet. Grandma -- “ his voice cracked and he cleared his throat. “Whenever she brings up Slytherin, she sounds almost...angry, you know?”

“Not at you, though.”

“No, not directly. But she still is. Anytime Slytherin comes up, I’m always like ‘Is this it? Can tell her now?’ and every time...I don’t.” Minho sighed, his fingers fidgeting in his lap. “I need to, though, I know I do. And I hate it...I hate lying to her.”

“I know.”

“And I hate myself, too,” Kibum almost said, but he held back. His bottom lip trembled, and he took a deep breath. “This just .” He turned his head away from Minho and wiped away a falling tear. “Because like, in the back of my mind, I know that she will accept me, a-and forgive me -- “ he paused again, gulping past the lump in his throat. “ -- but I’m still terrified, because, what if...what if she doesn’t?”

His voice broke then, and he tried to cover it by clearing his throat, but Minho scooted across his bed and wrapped him in a tight hug. Any hope Kibum had of holding back his tears dissolved when Minho started rubbing his back.

“It’s okay,” he said when Kibum buried his face in Minho’s shoulder, his own shoulders shaking as he started to sob. “It’s okay, Bummie.”

Kibum hated crying -- his face would get all scrunched up and he’d just be all drippy and gross. If he were to cry, he would try to wait until he was completely alone so no one would ever see him.

Right now, though, he couldn’t even bring himself to care that Minho was here -- oh god, his tears and snot were probably soaking into Minho’s shirt right now...ugh, they were. He turned his head to a dry part of Minho’s shoulder and wiped his nose. Usually, he would be beyond embarrassed to be seen like this, but, this was Minho, his best friend who was trying his hardest to comfort him.

It didn’t take long for his tears to dry up, and once they did, Kibum sat still, focusing on the rhythmic back and forth of Minho’s hand across his back as he tried to steady his breathing. He did feel a little better, getting all that out helped some. Still, he wished he could find it within himself to tell Grandma the truth.

Would he ever be ready? Only time would tell...

“You know,” Minho said, his hand pausing on a downstroke. “I don’t think Grandma will think you’re a Deatheater.”

Kibum snorted and pushed himself out of Minho’s arms, smiling at him as he wiped his nose with the back of his hand. “That’s true.”

“A-and...I know I’m not the best when it comes to advice, especially with this sort of thing, but...I’m here if...if you need to talk, okay?”

“Okay.”

“So, do we want to open presents now, or -- “ Minho was interrupted by the bell for breakfast, and both of them scrambled out of bed. He hurried over to his dresser and dug around for his hoodie while Kibum ran to the mirror.

“Does it look like I’ve been crying?”

Minho inspected his face when Kibum turned to him. “A little. We can stop by the bathroom first so you can splash some cold water on your face. A-ha! Found it.” He pulled out sweatshirt he had gotten from his parents a few weeks ago for his birthday and yanked it on, throwing the hood off his head. “I hope they have French toast again this year.”

“Ooo, me too.”

* * * * * * * * * * 

There was French toast. And, of course, it was delicious. 

The chatter around the table was quiet but lively, and lead mostly by Headmaster McGonagall. She was the only Hogwarts staff member present, and there were only ten students there, including himself and Kibum. McGonagall asked them how their years were going and how their families were doing. 

Kibum and Minho sat quietly, eating and listening to everyone’s stories. While Gregory, a Ravenclaw, was talking about his dog back home, Kibum took a tangerine segment from his plate and dropped it into the pool of syrup in one of Minho’s pieces of French toast. 

Minho blinked at it before he pushed it aside with his fork. Another one replaced it, and Minho looked over at Kibum, who was trying to conceal his dimpled grin behind his hand as he continued to peel his tangerine. 

“Stop,” Minho said, his attempted stern tone breaking with a giggle. Kibum popped the next one in his mouth and started chewing as Minho cut off another bite of French toast. 

Good, he was feeling better -- Minho had been worried. The tension he had sensed from Kibum since the moment he first came inside Hufflepuff seemed to be gone now, which was a huge relief. 

Another tangerine segment plopped onto his plate and Minho dropped his fork, fixing Kibum with the hardest glare he could muster. Kibum burst into giggles and Minho chuckled, glancing up at the head of the table to where the Headmaster sat. Her gaze flicked between the two of them a small smile brightening her features before she returned her attention to Gregory.

Once breakfast was finished, they ran downstairs to Hufflepuff, eager to open their presents from Grandma. He had already opened the one his parents gave him last week -- he had been too excited to wait. It was an iPod mini, and it was full of most of his favorite songs, which meant that Minseok must have helped them. It came with a charger, but Minho had been unable to find a plug-in anywhere in the castle so far.

Still, it was the thought that counted.

Kibum grabbed their presents from under his bed and sat down on the floor, tossing Minho’s to him when he sat. He unwrapped the sweater-feeling one to find that, yes, it was a sweater. 

“Ooo, I like this a lot,” Minho said, holding up his new lilac sweater. 

“Look at mine!” Kibum draped his new navy blue sweater across his chest. 

Minho laughed and reached for the polaroid. “No, put it back up and pose.” Kibum turned his head to the side and posed dramatically as Minho took the picture. “You’re stupid,” he said with a chuckle as the picture started developing and Kibum smacked his arm. 

“You -- shut up.” 

“’Kay.” Minho grabbed the next present, opening it up to reveal a chocolate frog and a box of Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans. 

“Huh...” Minho hummed in question. “Uh, she usually sends pumpkin pasties or something, but there’s nothing.”

“Maybe her oven is broken? Or she was just busy?” 

“Maybe.” Kibum pulled off his t-shirt and slipped into his new sweater before he grabbed his box of jellybeans. “First one who finds the earwax one loses.” 

“What does the winner win?” 

“Not finding the earwax one. Duh.” Minho snorted, his gaze shifting down to the picture he just took as the scene restarted. The tell-tale yellow bedspread was very obvious behind Kibum. Frowning, he opened the box of jellybeans and popped one into his mouth without looking, coughing a second later. “Earwax already?”

“Pepper.” He coughed again. “Hey, I don’t know if you show Grandma any of the pictures from this week...until you tell her, I mean.” 

“Why not?” 

Minho squinted as he chewed on a lemon jellybean. “It’s a little too Hufflepuff...well...you know...”

“No, you’re right.” He let out a long sigh. “I won’t, I swear.” Kibum held up another bean and Minho dug around in the box for his next one. He hummed happily while Minho spit his out. “What’d you get?” he asked with a laugh.

“I don’t want to talk about it.” 

“Did...did I win?” 

Minho widened his eyes and wiped his mouth with the back of his hands. “I said, I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Woo! I won!” Minho rolled his eyes and shook his box, looking down at the beans rattle around. “All right, whoever finds...vomit loses.” Kibum already had a bean out, a bright green. 

“That could be vomit.” 

“Or green apple. I’m willing to gamble.” 

“Oh, really?” Minho poured out the beans into his hand and also found a bright green one. “Same time.” Kibum nodded, and they both popped them into their mouths, chewing. Yes! He had gotten the green apple, and judging by the look on Kibum’s face... 

His sweater fell to the ground as he launched across the room, grabbing the empty mug on the nightstand. He spit several times into it and reached for his t-shirt, wiping his mouth off on it. Shuddering, Kibum returned to his place and opened his chocolate frog, biting off its head.

“I don’t want to play anymore,” Kibum said around the chocolate in his mouth, and Minho fell back on the ground, laughing heartily.