Dear Jjong, 

Hi! To answer your first question, I’m doing okay. Well, honestly, not great, but not bad. I hope you’re doing okay, too.

As for your second question, I don’t know for sure how Kibum is doing. He wrote to me when he first got back, which was like a week ago, but other than that, I haven’t heard anything else from him. I promise I’ll write to you as soon as he gets in touch with me….I’m really worried about him….but I don’t know what else I can do.

If he writes to you, will you let me know? Thanks…

I hope the new school year is going well for you. I would write more but I want to send this to you before dinner, so I’m gonna stop now~

Love, Minho

Minho tossed aside his pen, stretching his hand as he looked around the study closet for an envelope. He and Kibum didn’t usually keep them up here...maybe he’d have to go downstairs and check the library. With a groan, Minho folded up the letter and stuffed it in his pocket, grabbing his robe on his way out. 

Hogwarts without Kibum was quite a surreal experience. He didn’t enjoy it. At all. It was probably just because he knew why Kibum was gone...but the sky seemed grayer, and the classes duller. Even the air felt heavier.

He straightened his robe, brushing a bit of lint off of the lapel as he strolled into the library. He asked the librarian for an envelope, and then quill and ink when she handed one to him. Minho wrote Jonghyun’s information as quickly as possible and then hurried back out the door. There were only about ten minutes left until dinner, so he’d have to run to the owlery to be able to make it in time. 

Once he reached the bridge, he gathered up his robe and ran as fast as his feet could carry him.

* * * * * * * * * *

“Kibum...Kibum, sweetheart…” 

He stirred, turning away from the sound of Mom’s voice. The fluorescent lighting in the waiting room flickered in his vision as he spread his fingers covering his eyes. Groaning, he curled further in on himself, clenching his jaw when Mom touched his shoulder. 

“I know you’re tired, honey, but I need to sleep and I know Grandma probably doesn’t want to be alone right now. Even if she’s asleep.” 

Kibum relaxed his body with a sigh. She had been awake for over a day, now, and she had been dealing with all the doctors and nurses, so she was probably beyond exhausted. Reluctantly, he sat up, meeting her eyes for a second before he dropped his gaze. “Is it okay if I study?”

“Of course...which reminds me. Mrs. Prue brought our mail again today and Minho sent you another letter.” She dug around in her purse, handing him a thick envelope. “Here.”

He inhaled deeply as he took it, letting it out in a huff. “Probably the notes from class again.” 

“Do you remember which room she’s in?” Gulping, he nodded. “All right, I’m going to get a few hours of sleep, I’ll come to get you when I wake up.”

“Okay.” He turned as she took his place on the chairs, clutching Minho’s letter as he walked through the halls to where Grandma was. 

The steady beeping of her vitals monitor and the rattling of her breath were the only sounds in the hospital room as Kibum took the seat beside her bed. She was asleep, like Mom had said, and looked like she would be for a while. It was strange, seeing her like this. So pale and frail. Was that...bruising? Or were his eyes just playing tricks on him... Maybe the shadows in the room and the blues in the scarf wrapped around her head were bringing out bruise-like patches on her skin. 

The letter crinkled in his hand as he tightened his grip around it. He knew he should study, but...but he couldn’t bring himself to look away. Admittedly, he had been doing everything in his power to avoid seeing her like this, but now that he was actually with her, she captured his full attention. 

She had been sleeping for days, now. Since they arrived and settled at the hospital. She had only been awake for a few hours over the past week, refusing to eat or drink each time she woke up. Kibum wasn’t sure if it was in solidarity or just because he was a nervous wreck, but he hadn’t eaten much since they got here, either. 

Just as he was mustering up the strength to look away, Grandma stirred, sitting up a little in bed and looking over at Kibum. “Ah, so you are here,” she said, her voice breaking as she started to cough.

“Just lie back, Grandma,” he said, half-sitting, half-standing. “Don’t strain yourself. You need to rest.”

“I’ve been resting, let me sit up in peace, dammit.” She fumbled with the call button on the side of the bed, a nurse appearing a couple of seconds later to check on her. Soon, she returned with a cup of ice chips and the promise to bring Grandma lunch soon. When she left, Grandma returned her attention to Kibum. “How are you holding up?” Kibum clenched his teeth as his bottom lip quivered, and he shook his head as he shrugged. “I’m sorry that we had to pull you out of school.” 

“Don’t…” A deep breath. “Don’t be sorry.” 

She reached out her hand to him, and he quickly took it, hoping that he didn’t flinch from how cold her skin was against his. “Can you do something for me?”

“Anything.”

“Promise me you’ll keep making your parents and me proud of you. You’re doing so well in school right now, and I can only imagine what you’ll be like when you finish.” She let out a chuckle that turned into a coughing fit. Kibum could only hold her hand a little tighter while he waited for it to subside. “You remind me so much of your father when he was your age, and I’m sure you’ll grow up to be just like him.” 

“I…” Just say promise, he told himself as he gulped. She won’t be proud anymore if she knows the truth. “I…” Kibum closed his eyes, trying to block out Minho’s voice telling him that he should tell her the actual truth. “I have something to...to tell you.” His stomach dropped as he spoke the words, and his mind went entirely blank.

What should he even say now? Where to begin?

“What is it?”

“I haven’t...I haven’t been entirely honest with you. Um, I, uh, I was never, um...sorted into Hufflepuff.” The beeping of the monitor was the only sound cutting through the silence. “I’ve been in...in Slytherin this whole time…I’m sorry.” 

, he couldn’t even bring himself to look at her, but he could feel her eyes on him and he could almost sense the disappointment radiating from her. 

“Why did you wait until now to tell me?” 

“I…” He bit his lip as tears started to fall. “I didn’t want you to be a-ashamed of me. You were so...happy when you thought I was in Hufflepuff. I, just...I’m sorry, Grandma.”

She released his hand to adjust the way her blanket was covering her legs, and Kibum could almost feel his insides crumpling. It was just like he feared; he shouldn’t have said a goddamn word. He wiped away his tears as he slowly withdrew his hand from Grandma’s bed, only to have her grab it again before he could move away. 

“I’m sorry, Kibum.” What? “I’m sorry that you felt you couldn’t tell me.” Kibum sniffed, finally looking up to meet her watery eyes. “Darling, I could never be ashamed of you.” A fresh wave of tears stung his eyes, and he held her cold hand tighter as they fell. “You’re my pride and joy; you always have been and always will be. No Hogwarts house sorting -- “ her chuckle turned into a cough again. “ -- could ever change that.” She moved her hand, Kibum loosening his grip, and hooked their pinkies together. “No matter what happens, please never forget that I love you.” 

Kibum barely nodded, then, glancing down at their hands, pressed their thumbs together. 

He let go of her hand when the nurse came back in with Grandma’s lunch. Kibum sat back in his chair and tucked his legs up under him, smiling when she started to eat. 

Minho was right that he would be relieved once the truth was finally out. He just hadn’t been expecting relieved to be such an understatement. Kibum let out a heavy sigh as he tore into Minho’s letter and unfolded the notes. Letting out a soft sniff of a laugh, he glanced over the notes, focusing on the little drawings Minho made in the margins instead of the actual classwork. 

“Did Minho send you that?” 

His eyes flicked up to meet hers, and he nodded. “They’re just notes from class. How’d you know?” 

“No reason,” she said, but she seemed to be holding back a smile. Did he have some sort of expression that was reserved specifically for Minho? Jonghyun, Analecia, even, and now Grandma seemed to think so. Whatever, it wasn’t a big deal...so what if his best friend made him smile when he really didn’t feel up to it. “When you get back,” Grandma said, derailing Kibum’s train of thought. “Be sure to tell Minho that I love him, too.” 

“Will do.”

“So,” Grandma said once she had finished her meal. Kibum set the notes down in his lap and met her gaze. “Why don’t you tell me all about Slytherin? I’m sure there are quite a few things you’ve been wanting to tell me.” 

“Well,” Kibum stuffed the notes back into the envelope and set it back down on his lap, smiling. “I do have a couple of stories…” Grandma listened with rapt attention as Kibum described the Slytherin common room and the Lacuspectio and all the stupid things he and his dorm mates had done. He amended some of his old stories and told several new, the beeping of the vitals monitor almost drowned out by the sound of his voice.

Almost.

Mom and one of the doctors came in in the middle of his retelling of second year’s Christmas break, and Kibum immediately quieted when Mom motioned for him to follow her outside. “How is she?”

“Better, I think. She finally ate something.” 

Her eyes barely widened and she looked away with a sigh. “Okay. How are you holding up?”

“Mrs. Kim, if you would, please?”

She glanced back at the sound of the doctor’s voice. “Give me a minute.” 

“I’m okay, Mom.” He nodded to the open door. “You should go.” When she turned, he started back toward the waiting room, his steps lighter now.

By the time night fell, Grandma was asleep again, but both he and Mom decided to stay in the room just in case she woke up. The next day when Mrs. Prue came with their mail, she offered to sit with Grandma for a few hours so they could go home and refresh themselves with a shower and a fresh change of clothes. Reluctantly, Mom took her up on the offer, and they were home and back in London in just under three hours. As anxious as he was to be away from Grandma, Kibum was glad for the slight reprieve. 

She still hadn’t woken up by the time they returned. The doctor said that she is still aware of what’s happening, she just doesn’t have the energy to be awake. He suggested that they talk to her, and so, when he left the room, Mom prompted Kibum to keep telling Grandma stories about Hogwarts. Neither of them left the room, except to use the restroom when they needed to. 

On the third day, Kibum completely ran out of stories to tell. She still hadn’t woken up, and it was really starting to worry him. He tensed when Mom stood up. “I need to use the restroom and I need more coffee,” she said, patting his shoulder as she passed him. “Can I get you anything?” 

“Hot cocoa?” She nodded, and he waited until she left the room to turn back to Grandma. “Can you keep a secret?” He paused as if waiting for a response. “I think she forgot that my birthday's today, but it’s not a big deal. I don’t really feel much like celebrating either, to be honest. We can wait for you to wake up...” 

The breathing hitched then continued to its usual, as of late, rattle. 

“I know...a couple days ago you said I was your pride and...and that you’d always be proud of me. But, I just want you to know that I won’t ever take that for granted. I...I know now that you’ll love me no matter what stupid …” His eyebrows raised and he covered his mouth. “Sorry, Grandma. Stupid stuff I put you or mom through, but I really...I’m going to do everything I can to make you as proud as possible.” 

Her thumb barely twitched, and Kibum glanced down at the movement. He reached out and held her hand. It could have just been his imagination, but he was sure that her hand gripped his, however lightly. “I love you. So much. I know I didn’t always act like it, but I do.” The beeping of the monitor changed its cadence, and Kibum glanced up at it, his eyes widening. “Please wake up. Grandma, please…” 

Her chest rose then fell, and the rattling stopped. The room grew quiet, save for the beeping of the monitor. Seconds later, the beeping changed to a constant ringing. A pair of nurses rushed into the room, and Kibum let go of Grandma’s hand to give them the space to work. He sat back in his chair, closing his eyes when dizziness overcame him. God, the ringing...it wouldn’t stop. It was just high-pitched enough that he could hear it over the nurses’ voices.

Mom rushed back into the room, halting doorway as the nurses covered Grandma with a sheet. “Time of death, 3:07 PM.” She slowly made her way over to Kibum, one of the nurses switching off the monitor before she reached him. “Take all the time you need to say goodbye,” one of the nurse’s said. “Let us know when you’re ready for the next step.”

“Thank you,” Mom said, her voice quiet. She waited until the nurses left the room to approach Grandma’s bed, her shoulders shaking as she started to cry. Kibum stared at the white sheet covering Grandma, only half-listening as Mom apologized to her for leaving the room. Even though the monitor was turned off, he could only barely hear Mom over the sound of the final ringing. 

He didn’t think he would ever forget it.

Mom stayed at the hospital that night, arranging everything with the staff for when Grandma would arrive in Nottingham, and Mrs. Prue took Kibum back with her, dropping him off at Jonghyun’s mom’s house for the night. She doted on him, catering to his every need without him even asking. Thankfully, she seemed to understand that he didn’t feel up to talking, so she didn’t try to bother him with conversation. She let him sleep in Jonghyun’s room, which was vacant, now that he was back at school, and left him alone for the night. 

He couldn’t bring himself to lay down. Not yet. He was tired, to be sure, but he wasn’t in the mood to sleep. His gaze landed on Jonghyun’s writing desk, and Kibum slowly stood, trudging over to it. Parchment sheets and a quill and ink bottle were in the drawer, and he took them out, unscrewing the cap.

Min,

So, yeah, she died today. I don’t know what else to say. I overheard Mom say that the funeral will be here on like, Monday, but I don’t know when I’ll be back to school. Probably before October. We haven’t talked about it yet, so I don’t know.

Sorry, I really don’t know what to say. Thank you for taking those notes for me, and I’ll see you when I get back.

Kibum

There was an envelope in the drawer, too, and Kibum stuffed the letter inside, addressing it to Minho and leaving it on the desk and flipping off the light as he turned back toward the bed. He crawled under the covers, staring up at the ceiling. 

Even now in the silence of the night, the flatline still rang in his ears. 

* * * * * * * * * *

“Does the dais look a little empty today?” 

Minho looked up from his breakfast, squinting at the line of professors at the far end of the hall. O’Neely was there, sitting at the far end, but Sprout, Trelawney, Hooch, and Headmistress McGonagall herself were all missing. 

“Where’s everyone else?” Travis asked when he set down his pumpkin juice. 

“I’m not sure.”

Fortunately, they didn’t have to wait long for an answer. When Minho was about mid-way through his second helping of breakfast, O’Neely stood and made his way to the podium. Just the act of him getting up instead of Headmistress McGonagall was enough to garner the attention of the entire hall. 

“I’ve been instructed by the Headmistress to let you know that those of you who have Herbology, Divination, and either of the Flying classes that those periods are free today. Professor Sprout, Professor Trelawney, Madam Hooch, and Headmistress McGonagall are all attending the funeral of a dear friend today. Your regular schedules will resume tomorrow.”

He nodded to the students and returned to his seat beside Professor Chanin. 

“I wonder who it is,” Seb said, his mouth full of toast and eggs.

“Maybe someone they went to school with?”

Minho pursed his lips as he slathered more dirigible plum jam on his toast. He didn’t have to guess. Kibum’s letter arrived yesterday morning, so he knew the funeral would be today. Granted, he didn’t know that so many of the professors would be attending, but it wasn’t that really that big of a surprise. Kibum had mentioned that Grandma had attended school with some of the professors, so it made sense that they would want to be there. 

He stared across the Great Hall, finding the empty space where Kibum would have been. 

“Is he still not back?” 

Minho blinked and looked over at Gilbert, shaking his head. “Probably not until the end of the week.”  The bell rang, and Gilbert grabbed one last piece of toast before he hurried to stand with the rest of their dorm mates. Minho dropped his fork as he stood and grabbed his backpack, slinging it on as he followed them out of the Great Hall.

“Minho?” His eyebrows raised in surprise, and he turned to find Analecia jogging up to meet him. “Can I...talk to you?” Her gaze flicked to Gilbert and Marvin before nodding back toward the Slytherin side of the Great Hall.

“I’ll meet you guys upstairs,” Minho said to them, and Gilbert and Marvin continued with the flow of students as Minho followed Analecia back over to where Aaron, Callum, and Kibum’s other dorm mates were waiting at the table. He crossed his arms when he reached them, taking a deep breath before asking, “What’s up?” 

“Let’s just get right to it…” Aaron cleared his throat. “Is Kibum at that funeral that O’Neely mentioned?” Minho nodded, and Analecia slowly took a seat on the bench. “Who is it for?” 

“His grandma.” Staggered gasps sounded around the table. “He found out in May...remember that day that you had to come to get me?

“Oh…”

“That explains so much,” Analecia whispered.

“He didn’t want to mention it to you guys because he didn’t want you to treat him any differently, so, if, um, if you could try to be as normal with him as possible? When he gets back, I mean...I think it’d be easiest.” 

“Of course we will.” 

The second bell rang, and all of them looked up at the sound. “We should probably go, huh?” Callum said as he stood. “Thanks for telling us, Minho.” 

“Yeah, no problem.” He lowered his eyes, bowing slightly to the group, and stepped away from the table, more than eager to put breakfast behind him. 

* * * * * * * * * *

“Are you sure you’re ready?” Mom asked as Kibum was unbuckling himself. He clenched his jaw as he looked out the window, watching Hagrid unlatch the gate to let him inside. “You don’t have to come back if you’re not. McGonagall said you can take as long as you need.” 

He blinked sleepily as Hagrid met his eyes, then awkwardly looked away. 

The drive from Nottingham to Hogwarts had been long and almost painfully quiet. Neither of them felt inclined to speak, nor had Mom packed any cassettes for the trip. Conversation seemed futile, anyway. There was nothing left to say, not when Mom had another assignment opportunity again, for the first time in over a year. Which meant she’d be leaving him. Again. Russia, this time, if he remembered right. 

No, Hogwarts was the best place for him right now. Probably. He heaved a sigh as he scooted forward in his seat, then turned to face her. “I’m fine.” It would be a relief to be out of that house and away from the memories. Some distance. Kibum gave her a half-hearted smile as he popped the door open. “I’ll see you in June.” He slammed the door before she could say anything else and made his way over to Hagrid, who let the gate swing open to let him inside. 

When the gate clanked closed behind him, Kibum glanced behind him to find Mom turning the car around and driving away. He raised his chin, and followed Hagrid back to the castle, ignoring his bumbling attempts at conversation. 

* * * * * * * * * *

“Great job out there today, you guys!” Meg said as she straddled the bench. Minho sat down at the far end of the bench and began to unlace his boots as the others sat down around the Hufflepuff locker room. “How are our newbies feeling?”

“Good!” Samantha -- or Sam, as she preferred to be called -- said. “I think I'm getting used to finding the Snitch.”

“It's okay if it takes a little while. It's a tiny ball and there's a lot going on. If you have any questions, go ahead and ask Minho. What about you, Min?”

He pulled off one of his boots with a grimace, looking up at the sound of his name. “Hm?”

“How do you feel about becoming a Beater?”

“I like it so far. Carrying around the, uh, bat will take a while to get used to.”

Meg smiled. “That's what I thought at first, too. It’ll probably happen faster than you think.”

It was a strange relief to not be the Hufflepuff Seeker anymore. Even if he was getting the hang of it now, he was glad to be free of the position. He wished Sam more luck than he had had with it, and if she had any questions or needed any pointers, he would be more than happy to help. 

Meg stretched her arms over her head as she yawned. “We’ve only got one more practice before our first game. First of the season, too! Are we ready?” She only got murmurs in response. “Come on, guys, I know it’s against Gryffindor, but it won’t be that bad. We only lost one player last year, so we’re coming into this season strong.” Minho pulled off his other boot, wiggling his toes. “Okay!” She patted her thighs before she stood up. “See you all back here next Saturday!” 

Minho, as well as his other teammates, collected their gear and discarded robes and went over to their prospective lockers. He deposited his gear inside and bundled up his robe under his arm as he made his way out to the hallway to the lawn. 

Someone was running from the castle toward the Quidditch pitch, but at this distance and through the falling rain, Minho couldn’t tell who it was. Once he reached the end of the corridor, he could see that it was Aaron, but he didn’t have his Quidditch uniform on. Maybe he left it in his locker? Minho covered his head with his robe and hurried out into the rain to meet him.

“Don’t you have practice now?” he asked once he caught up to him.

Aaron shook his head as he attempted to catch his breath. “Charity canceled practice today,” he said between labored breaths. Minho started to ask why he was running out here then but Aaron cut him off. “Kibum...he’s back.” 

His robe whipped and billowed behind him as he took off running back toward the castle. He almost slipped on the rain-slick grass several times, but even that wouldn’t have stopped him from racing to the basement. Minho was shivering by the time he stood in the shadows in front of Slytherin, the cold seeping into his skin. Rain dripped off his clothes, the sound loud in the dark corridor. 

Damn, he didn’t have his wand on him...and he didn’t know the Slytherin password yet. Luckily, it didn’t take Aaron long to catch up to him, and soon he was inside Slytherin, the warmth from the crackling fire sending another shiver through him. 

“Wait here,” Aaron said, touching his shoulder before he walked back toward the dorm rooms. 

Minho hugged his crumpled robe to his chest, painfully aware that he was dripping water inside the common room under the watchful eye of every Slytherin inside. One of them walked by, pulling her wand out of her pocket as she did, and waved it in a curious flicking motion as she passed. A blast of hot air whipped around him, drying him and the ground below him completely. He would have said thank you, but Kibum appeared under the arch leading to the dorm room, and anything Minho would have said vanished from his mind. 

The tension in Kibum’s shoulders relaxed when he met Minho’s gaze. Was that a smile? If it was, it was slight. He stepped down, and as he sauntered over to Minho, his smile grew. “Hey, Choi! Miss me?” 

Minho gulped as Kibum stopped before him, and he shoved his free hand in his pocket. The light of his smile didn’t meet his eyes, not even a little bit. Maybe it was just the green tinge to the lighting that was washing out his face, but the circles under his eyes looked like bruises. Had he slept at all since Grandma died? Or, even since he left? It took every gram of willpower Minho had to not hug him in front of everyone and ask him how he really was doing. 

No, he’d have to play along with Kibum’s facade while they were around other people like he did at the tail end of last year. Even though it was a struggle, he grinned. “A little...a lot, actually.” 

Kibum returned his grin. “I knew it.” 

The bell rang, and Kibum flinched at the sound. “It’s dinner, are you hungry?” 

His chin raised as he regained his composure. “Yeah,” he said, scoffing. “Mom only had Black Cat Crisps for the entire drive up here.” 

Minho stuck to Kibum’s side as they followed the others out into the hall and up the stairs to the first floor. “Do you want me to sit with you?” He glanced around at Callum, Aaron, and Analecia, who were hovering close by to them in the doorway of the Great Hall before he shrugged. “I’ll be fine. Don’t want to get in trouble my first day back. We should wait until at least tomorrow for that, buddy!” He patted Minho’s back, smiling as he turned and followed the other Slytherins to their table. 

He waited until Kibum was sitting down before he slowly turned and made his way to the opposite side of the Great Hall. Dinner was nothing special -- no offense to Sookey and the other house elves, he just wasn’t much in the mood to eat. He made it halfway through his first helping by the time Kibum stood to leave. Minho rushed to meet him at the doorway.

“I’m just going back to my room, Min,” he said, plastering on a smile when someone passed by them. 

“I’ll walk you down, then.” They turned off at the door leading downstairs, Kibum tensing beside him as they stepped through. Minho followed half a step behind him once they were in the basement, their footsteps the only sound until Kibum triggered the wall to open. “Hey,” Minho said, the single word stopping Kibum in his tracks as he stepped into the common room. “I know you probably need your space right now, and I’ll do my best to respect that, but...if you need me for any reason at all, don’t hesitate to come to me, okay? I just want to help you, Bummie.”

Kibum inhaled deeply and let it out slowly. “I know.” Then, he stepped completely inside the common room, and the wall closed up behind him. 

By Monday, everyone seemed to be treating Kibum normally. On the surface, he was fine. More than fine, by the way he was laughing at everyone’s jokes and being abnormally attentive during class. But the dark circles were still there, bigger than they were when Minho first saw him again. It was painful to watch him pretend that he was okay when it became increasingly clear that he wasn’t. 

As the days passed, his focus during the classes Minho had with him was practically non-existent, and that was if he wasn’t nodding off. Not that he ever actually fell asleep, because he would always jolt awake seconds later. Minho made sure to take extra careful notes. He also brought one of his pens and notebooks for Kibum to doodle in during class. 

To say he was worried would be a severe understatement. But, every time he tried to talk to him alone, Kibum would subvert the conversation, or start talking to someone else who happened to be close by. He was trying to maintain his patient demeanor with Kibum, but as the days turned to weeks, it was getting harder and harder. 

It wasn’t until one night, when he was lying awake and looking up at the glow-in-the-dark stars above his head, that he felt a glimmer of hope. The fourth-year’s dorm room door creaked open, and Minho pulled back his curtain to see who the intruder was. Whoever they were, the moonlight hadn’t reached their silhouette yet. 

“Minho?” Ah, it was Jacob Riley, the Head Boy.

“Yeah?” he whispered back. 

The shadows shifted and Jacob stepped into the faint light from the window, crouching by Minho’s bed. “Kibum just came in and he’s asking for you.” 

“Is he okay?” Minho asked as he jumped out of bed, forcing himself to keep his voice down. 

“I don’t know, dude. It’s late. I left him in the common room, but I’m going to bed.” Minho started to walk past him, but then Jacob grabbed his arm. “Don’t wake anyone up.”

“We won’t.” Jacob huffed and he walked around Minho, who followed him to the door. He closed it behind himself and shuffled past Jacob as he made his way down the tunnel and to the common room. 

Kibum stood with his back to the common room, staring into the dying embers of the fire. Minho hopped down from the entrance to the tunnel, drawing Kibum’s attention to him. “Sorry to wake you up,” he said. The false confidence that had been coloring his voice lately was completely gone.

“Don’t worry, I couldn’t sleep.”

Kibum sniffed in what could have been amusement as Minho rounded the couch to stand next to him. The warm, orange light from the embers and the still-lit candles around the room, as faint as it was, flickered across Kibum’s face. He blinked slowly, his eyelashes casting shadows on his cheeks. His eyelids drooped, then closed once more before a tear fell, the track down his cheek glistening in the candlelight. 

“Hey, hey, come here,” Minho said, opening his arms for Kibum to fall into, only to get pushed away.

“No, I don’t need your...pity,” he spat the word, his voice tight. “I don’t need anyone’s pity.” 

A long silence stretched between them, punctuated only be Kibum’s stifled sobs. “What do you need, then?” Minho asked when Kibum wiped his eyes dry. 

“I need her back.” He met Minho’s gaze again and held it as another tear fell. “Is that too much to ask?” He bit his lip, averting his eyes then. “I can’t...do this. Not again. I can’t…” 

Gulping, Minho tentatively reached out to touch his arm and, when Kibum didn’t recoil, pulled him into his arms. However long they stood there, Minho wasn’t sure, but he didn’t move or speak until he was sure Kibum had stopped crying. He noticed that Kibum had quieted a little while after he had started petting the back of his head. It was something Mom would do if he was distressed, and it usually helped him calm down. Minho paused, cradling the back of Kibum’s head, and the lowered his hand. 

“You wanna move up to the loft?” he asked as he stepped back to look Kibum in the eye. “There’s less chance of us being interrupted up there.”

“Why would people be up this late?” Minho raised his eyebrow and Kibum rolled his eyes as he scoffed. “I know we’re up this late, but I don’t see why anyone else would be.” 

Minho smiled and took a step toward the loft, picking up his pace when Kibum followed him. He found the worn-out copy of The Hobbit, even in the dark, and he reached for Kibum’s hand when the bookcase swung open. They hurried up the winding staircase, well, as fast as they could in the dark. Kibum bumped into Minho when he stopped in the doorway, squinting to find his way in the dark. 

“There should be a pile of -- ow -- “ he stubbed his toe on a table leg. “Of blankets and pillows….right here!” He pulled Kibum down, smiling when a surprised oof sounded beside him. “Just make yourself comfortable.” Kibum shifted, their shoulders pressing together and staying together once Kibum stopped moving around. Minho’s eyes had adjusted to the darkness, and he could see the faint line of Kibum’s silhouette when he turned his head toward him. “We haven’t had much time to talk, lately -- ”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay!”

“No...I feel bad for avoiding you…”

Minho cleared his throat. “Why did you?”

Kibum turned to face him then, even if they couldn’t see each other. “I wasn’t ready to talk. I am now, I think.” Minho folded his hands over his stomach, listening to each of Kibum’s tiny intakes of breath as he tried to start explaining. 

When he did, he started with when he first got back, filling Minho in on every detail that he could probably remember from the duration of his time at the hospital. He was surprised but pleased to hear that Kibum had told Grandma the truth; he even laughed when Kibum begrudgingly admitted to him that he was right. Even now, he did feel better, having told her about his true Sorting. His voice grew tight again when he told Minho about her death, and he made every effort to not let Kibum know that he was crying. 

“I still can’t get it out of my head,” Kibum said. His declaration was followed by a dull thump and then another. Minho reached out into the darkness and grabbed his arm before he could hit his head again. “I can’t sleep with the ringing. It’s just...it’s constant. I can’t do it.”

“The ringing of the monitor?” He heard Kibum nod. “Will you be okay by yourself for a minute?”

“Why?” Minho’s heart ached at the slight panic in his voice. “Where are you going?”

“I’ve got something that might help you. I’ll just be a few minutes.”

“Okay.” 

Minho patted Kibum’s arm as he released it, and made his way through the dark to the staircase. He counted the steps on the way down and hurried across the common room to the tunnel to the boy’s dorm rooms. Once he reached room number four, he slipped inside, tiptoeing across the room and digging around underneath his pillow before he pulled out his iPod and earbuds out from under his pillow. He turned it on, breathing a sigh of relief when he saw that the charge was still good. 

He glanced at the open door and started for it, scrolling through his music until he reached Yiruma, then he hopped down onto the floor. Minho put the earbuds in the audio port and wrapped the wires around his hand before he went back up the stairs to the loft. Slowly, he made his way back to Kibum, feeling around for him to make sure he didn’t trip over his best friend. 

“That was quick. What’d you get?” 

Minho unraveled the wires and held out one earbud for Kibum to take. “Stick it in your ear,” he said as he did the same. He the screen, smiling at Kibum’s tiny gasp as he scrolled through his music again to find Yiruma. “When I was trying to learn how to play the piano, I tried to play a lot of his songs.”

“You play the piano?”

“Uh, emphasis on trying, Bummie. It wasn’t my thing. Besides, Minseok took to it better than I did…” he cleared his throat, pressing his thumb on Spring Rain. “If I have trouble sleeping, I’ll listen to him play. I was thinking he might help you, too.” Kibum’s head fell back onto the makeshift bed. “Do you want both earbuds? It might block out the ringing better.”

“Just the one is helping.” 

Minho nodded, then turned to make himself comfortable. “I’m glad I could help.” He reached around behind them, feeling for and finding a blanket to cover themselves with. As he arranged it over Kibum, a soft snore sounded between them. In the faint light of the screen, Minho confirmed for himself that Kibum had finally fallen asleep. He watched him, making sure that he didn’t stir until he couldn’t keep his eyes open himself. 

* * * * * * * * * *

If the sunlight streaming into the room hadn’t have woken Kibum, the merry chirping of the birds sure would have. He groaned as he opened his eyes, then blinked rapidly. 

Where was he? 

A small, cave-like room seemed to be the answer. Plush pillows large enough for two people to sit comfortably in littered the room, along with many, many blankets. The entrance to the cave was a small arch that was open to the outside world. Beyond it lay an almost clear blue sky and the lawn between the castle and the Forbidden Forest. 

He tried to sit up, but there was an unexpected weight slung across his middle. When he glanced down, he was surprised to find an arm wrapped around his side. He followed the arm, barely turning around to see Minho cuddled up behind him. 

Oh right, he finally went to see Minho last night. Which turned out to be the best decision he could have made because he felt rested. Well, rested compared to how he was feeling before. 

Kibum slipped out from under Minho’s arm, tucking it back under the blanket that had been covering them. He stayed crouched beside the sleeping Minho for a second “Thanks, buddy,” he said softly as he pulled the blanket up over his shoulder, his finger accidentally grazing Minho’s cheek. “I...I don’t know what I’d do without you.” 

With that, he stood, sliding to the door on socked feet in the hopes that no one else from Hufflepuff was awake right now. If he was lucky, he’d be able to slip back into Slytherin unnoticed. 

But, when was he ever lucky? When he reached the doorway, he glanced back at Minho to make sure that he was still asleep, and then he hurried down the stairs.