There are two coinciding bonus scenes for this chapter! I've got links marked with asterisks where they take place inside the chapter (I didn't want to put them in because I felt like it would disrupt the flow of the chapter)...so hopefully you enjoy! Merry Un-Christmas everyone lol

* * * * *

It was Kibum’s turn to nap in History of Magic. 

He was slouched over on their desk with one of Minho’s spare robes balled up beneath him as a makeshift pillow. Binns was droning on about the goblins and werewolves alliance in the Goblin Rebellion of 1752. Minho was doing his best to take careful notes, but Kibum’s soft sleeping noises and the letter from his parents that was burning a hole in his pocket were slightly distracting.  

Movement from Kibum drew his eye, and he looked over to see him hugging the robe a little tighter and nustling his face a little closer. He smacked his lips, his mouth hanging open as he continued to sleep. Minho watched him for a moment, Binns monotone voice turning to indistinct chatter in the background. He made himself look away, reaching into his robe pocket for the crumpled-up letter from his parents. 

It was his father’s handwriting, not his mother’s, which was definitely out of the ordinary. 

Minho,

Actually, no, you can’t stay at Hogwarts for Christmas. It’s Minseok’s second to last Christmas before he goes off to serve his time in the military, and we’d like to spend as much time together as a family as we can. 

Don’t you want to be with your brother before he has to leave?

We’ve even bought your ticket…

He stopped reading after that, holding up the train ticket. Setting it aside, he stuffed the letter into his pocket again, then checked to make sure that Kibum was still asleep. Slowly, as to not make any unnecessary noise that would wake him, he pulled his notebook out of his backpack as well as one of his pens. 

Dear Mom and Dad,

I’m really sorry, but I actually won’t be coming home. I didn’t want to talk about it before, but Kibum’s grandma died on his birthday this year. He will be stuck here, by himself, for his first Christmas without her, and I don’t want him to be alone. 

I hope you can understand, and please tell Minseok I’m sorry.

Love, Minho

He folded up the ticket in with the letter and stuffed it in his other pocket to send home later. Beside him, Kibum stirred, and Minho clicked his pen a couple of times before he dropped it into his backpack. Kibum sat up, the creases and folds from the robe indented in his cheek. He yawned, staring at Minho blearily as he came to. “Did you sleep well?”

“Wha..?” Minho tried not to smile too wide as he repeated the question. “Mm.” 

“He’s still going if you want to sleep more.” 

He turned his head, glancing at the moving pictures behind them, and Minho reached out to fix his sleep-mussed hair. “No, I’m good I think. Did I miss anything?”

“What do you think?” Kibum sniffed, amusement twinkling in his eyes.

Once he sent the letter to his parents, it only took a few days for him to receive something in return. The train ticket. Just the train ticket. He stared at it while the others ate their breakfast around him, debating for a moment. Should he send it back? Or should he even respond in any way?

“I'll see you guys in class,” he said, grabbing a scone from his plate, and hurried out of the Great Hall. 

He finished his scone by the time he reached the Hufflepuff common room, and he plopped down in the armchair, pulling the ticket out to look at it. If he returned home now, after saying no...Minho shuddered, his gaze drifting away from the ticket. Not that he was really considering it, of course, he meant what he said about not wanting to leave Kibum alone. 

That was out of the question.

Minho sighed heavily, looking up when the bell rang. Time for Defense Against the Dark Arts. He stood, closing his fist around the ticket as his gaze trailed over to crackling fire. After a second of thought, he stepped forward, tossing it into the heart of the flames before he went back to his room to get his backpack for class. 

* * * * * * * * * *

For whatever reason, the eerie quiet of the castle during Christmas break still surprised Kibum. The scraping of their forks and slurping of their piping hot soup was absurdly loud in the empty Great Hall. 

Everyone had packed up and left after lunch that afternoon, leaving him and Minho, the Ndiaye sisters and Chloe in Gryffindor, and Adam Wyatt in Ravenclaw. Out of the teachers, only McGonagall, Trelawney, Sprout, and Hooch were staying at the castle over the holidays. As usual, McGonagall insisted that they all eat together as a family, with the teachers at the head of the Gryffindor table and the students on either side. 

It was nice, actually, being able to get to know the Headmistress and their professors a little bit better. Minho stirred his soup, sighing as he cut a chunk of potato in half before he scooped it up with his spoon. 

“So,” Kibum tore off another bite from his fresh dinner roll, chewing it as he asked, “What’s the plan for tomorrow?” 

“I was thinking Hogsmeade.” Minho glanced over at McGonagall as she asked Adam to elaborate on...whatever, Kibum hadn’t been focusing on the conversation. “Sprout said we’d be able to go during the day whenever we wanted during the holidays.”

“Really?” 

Minho smiled, glancing over at him for a second before he went back to his soup. “Yeah.” 

“Next thing,” Kibum lowered his voice, despite the fact that no one could understand him except for Minho. “Are we staying in...yours or mine?” Minho hummed in thought. “I’m fine with either…”

“Mine, then. It’s warmer.” 

Did Minho say that just because he knew how cold he gets? Minho was concentrated on his soup, so luckily he didn’t see Kibum’s expression soften. It was just for a second, but both Jonghyun and Analecia would have picked up on it, were they here... “Okay, that works.” 

He had been doing well -- as well as he could, that is -- with suppressing whatever feelings he had for Minho. This week and a half would be the real test, though, given that they wouldn’t spend hardly a second out of each other’s company. 

A couple of days ago, he had overheard a couple of the Ravenclaw girls discussing their crushes before Transfiguration started. He tried not to be obvious as he eavesdropped, but...he was confused. Why did they feel awkward or even speechless around their crushes? Was that how crushes were supposed to work? If that were the case, maybe he didn’t have a crush on Minho. 

But, he had already resolved not to think about it.

Not that he was succeeding, of course, but he was doing he best. 

Minho followed him down to Slytherin once dinner was finished to help him pick what he wanted to bring with him to Hufflepuff. Which meant that he was sitting at the foot of Kibum’s bed, folding the clothes he passed him from out of his trunk. It didn’t take them long, and soon they were on their way down the hall to Hufflepuff. 

“You can put those in my drawer,” Minho said once they were inside the fourth year’s dorm room. “Top left.” 

Kibum nodded, looking back once he heaped his clothes on the top of the dresser to find Minho moving the nightstand between two beds aside. His eyes widened as he turned back toward the dresser, opening the drawer. “Are we pushing the beds together again?” 

“I don’t see why not!” Gulping, Kibum arranged his clothes next to Minho’s. The springs on the bed creaked as Minho hopped into his, then a drawer opened. Minho cleared his throat and Kibum turned back around.

“What are you doing?” 

Minho looked up, his wand still pointing at the other bed. “Shh, I have to concentrate. Accio!” The bed inched closer to Minho, Kibum cringing at the way it scraped across the floor. Minho swished his wand, breaking the spell when he started breathing heavily. It had made it about half of the distance, but Minho fell back on his bed with a chuckle. “, that’s heavy.”

“You okay?”

“Yeah, I just need to breathe for a minute.” 

Kibum perched on the foot of the bed before he crossed his legs, making himself comfortable while he waited for Minho to sit back up. “We could try to move it ourselves if it’s too heavy for you.” 

“I can do it, I think,” Minho said, sounding like he was close to breathing normally. “I need the practice, anyway.” 

“You’re doing well so far, this year.” Kibum glanced down at his hands when Minho sat up and situated himself beside him. “Flitwick seems like he’s proud of you.” 

Minho started to smile as he lifted his wand again. “Accio!” Kibum turned his head when the scraping started again, grabbing the sleeve of Minho’s sweatshirt. He let go when the bed bumped flush against Minho’s. “It’s a good thing there’s nobody below us, because that’s probably really disturbing.”

“Nobody below us...that we know of,” Kibum said as he scooted over to the other bed. Minho looked at him with wide eyes, his face slightly pale. “Min, I’m just kidding!” He grabbed one of the blankets Minho had on his bed, stuffing it between the crack in the mattresses. “It’s just rocks and stuff underneath the castle.”

“We don’t know that. We don’t take Care of Magical Creatures.” Minho sat back on his heels as Kibum rolled his eyes. “There could be all sorts of things!” 

“Like what?” Minho let out a long uhh, obviously trying to remember what Seb had told him about the class. “While you’re thinking, I’m gonna get into my pajamas.” He slipped off the bed, walking over to where he had left them on top of the dresser. Minho got off the bed, too, but he ducked out of Kibum’s view for a second, only to reappear with a book in hand. “What’s that?” 

“Seb’s Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them…” he said, flipping through the pages. “I’m curious now…” 

Kibum rolled his eyes with a smile as he started to change out of his clothes and into his pajamas. Once he finished, he got back into bed, leaning over onto Minho’s side to read the textbook for himself. “Find anything?” Minho didn’t respond, instead, he turned the book a little so Kibum could read it better and turned the page.  

“Oh, here!” Minho sat up in his excitement, rousing Kibum who had started to doze off on Minho's shoulder. He blinked, looking at the little hedgehog-looking creature Minho was pointing at. “Knarls. They make their homes in the rocks, as they distrust people and their motives...eat mainly daisies...known to wreak havoc on gardens.” Kibum hummed to let Minho know he was listening, his bleary eyes unable to read the text. He sensed Minho’s gaze as it fell on him. “You probably want to sleep, huh?” 

“Little bit.” 

“Okay.” Kibum sat up and away from him as Minho hopped out of bed to replace the book he borrowed, then he dimmed the lanterns before he slid back under the covers. “Sorry for keeping you up.” 

“Don’t worry about it.” Kibum opened his eyes, easily finding Minho in the pale moonlight that streamed between them. Tiny shadows briefly filtered past, falling across the sheets until they disappeared below the window sill. Hm, it must be snowing...unfortunately, Kibum didn’t have the energy or desire to lift his head to check. Instead, he nuzzled closer to his pillow, his eyes drooping closed. “You can make it up to me tomorrow.”

“How?” Minho asked, his smile exceedingly evident in his voice. 

Kibum hugged his pillow a little tighter, trying to keep from smiling himself. “I don’t know. You figure it out.” 

For a moment, the only sound between them was their steady breathing. Kibum opened his eyes a little, his gaze tracing the outline of Minho’s shadow-shrouded face. A sleepy sigh and he closed his eyes once more.

* * * * * * * * * *

Christmas Eve morning dawned and, without being disturbed by Gilbert’s alarm clock, Minho woke naturally. Dim gray light streamed through the slats that made up the headboard of the bed. Minho blinked several times before he rubbed the crusty sleep from his eyes.

“Oh, hey, you’re up.” Kibum was sitting up, reading Seb’s Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. He searched Minho’s expression with the smallest hint of a smile before he turned back to the textbook. “It snowed a lot last night.”

“Really?” 

Kibum nodded, glancing over at him when Minho moved to sit up. Just as he said, a heavy blanket of snow covered the lawn -- even the Whomping Willow seemed tired of shaking the snow off itself, based on the thick layer of it accumulating on its branches. Minho sat back on his heels as he kept staring out the window, looking over at Kibum when he asked, “You ready for breakfast?” 

“You haven’t eaten yet?” Kibum scoffed as he shook his head. “You could have gone without me! Or woken me up!” 

Were his eyes deceiving him, or was Kibum blushing? He turned the page of the book with a huff. “I wasn’t too hungry...also, I knew I’d never hear the end of your complaining if I did.” Minho rolled his eyes and shook his head, and without looking up, Kibum said. “Don’t roll your eyes at me, you know I’m right.”

“Whatever. Are you hungry now?” 

Kibum raised his chin slightly, primly avoiding Minho’s amused gaze as he read. “I could eat.” 

Minho snatched the book out of Kibum’s hands and tossed it onto Seb’s bed as he hopped out from under the covers. “Let’s go then!” 

“In our pajamas?”

Instead of answering, Minho grinned as he opened the door and looked back at Kibum before he hurried through it. By the time he reached the common room, Kibum was right behind him. Once they reached the Great Hall only Madam Hooch and Imena Ndiaye, one of Gryffindor’s Beaters, were there. They made their way down to the far end of the Gryffindor table, sitting across from Imena. 

“We were wondering when you two would show up,” Hooch said, breaking off a piece of her scone. “You got a package today, Mr. Kim.”

“Oh?” Kibum looked up at her as he stopped pouring himself his pumpkin juice. “From my mom?” 

“It didn’t say,” she said, reaching for where it was on the bench beside Imena. 

Minho’s shoulders dropped when she held it out for Kibum to take. It was a box wrapped up in old Daily Prophets, the edges yellowed and the ink smeared. It was tied together with a cheerfully bright red ribbon. Only one person sent packages like that to Kibum, and it wasn’t his mom. His hand shook as he reached out to take it, then he quietly excused himself from the table. Minho was on his feet in an instant, running after Kibum before he made it too far. 

He tried to shake Minho’s hand off when he grabbed his arm, but Minho’s grip tightened. “I just want to be alone for a minute, okay?”

“Okay, I can do that. Just…” He lowered his head, his eyebrows raising as he waited for Kibum to meet his eyes. “Where will I be able to find you?” 

“Upstairs.” Kibum’s thumb brushed over the ribbon, and Minho let his arm go. “Just give me, like, ten minutes.” 

“Will do.” 

Reluctantly, he watched Kibum go, turning back toward the table when Kibum slipped out of his line of sight. He deflected Madam Hooch and Imena’s curious gazes with talk about Quidditch. Surprisingly, Imena gave him sound advice for being a good Beater, despite the fact that she was on an opposing team. He almost lost track of time and Madam Hooch started talking about broom techniques they both needed to master as Beaters, but then he glanced over at Kibum’s undrank glass of pumpkin juice. Minho swiftly excused himself and started to run once he reached the stairs.

He reached the seventh floor, completely winded, and hurried over to the water fountain to quench his thirst as he caught his breath. He stopped the water from flowing and looked out the window at the snow falling past. It was heavier now. Hopefully, it would let up a bit before they went to Hogsmeade later...if Kibum was still up for that. 

Minho glanced over his shoulder before he started down the hall and toward their study closet. The door was there, confirming that Kibum was inside. He rested his knuckles on the door before he lightly knocked. “Bummie, can I come in?” He waited for Kibum’s quiet yeah before he reached for the doorknob, letting himself inside. 

Honestly, he had expected to find Kibum crying. Which, he was. He was curled up in the back of the closet, one hand clutching a letter and the other a mass of something knitted that was very green. Knowing Grandma, it was either a scarf or a sweater. 

He closed the door behind him before he made his way to Kibum’s side. To his surprise, Kibum passed him the letter once he was sitting beside him. “Please,” he said, sniffing. “I can’t read it because I keep tearing up.”  Minho was about to ask if he was sure, but then Kibum grabbed his hand and squeezed it. He took a deep breath and laced their fingers together before he turned his attention to the letter.

“My dearest Kibum,” he gulped, his throat suddenly tight. “I hope this letter doesn’t come as a shock to you since I probably won’t be here when it reaches you. And if it does, I’m so sorry, darling.” He cast a cursory glance over to Kibum, who was staring at the green sweater -- judging by the size -- in his lap. “It was lucky, I think, or fate, even, that I waited to make a green sweater for you until this year. If you’re looking at it now, you’re probably thinking I i made it too big for you, but I’m giving you room to grow. I hope it will keep you warm and bring you comfort for many, many years to come.” 

Minho stopped reading when Kibum started to cry again, his own throat tight as he brought their joined hands up to his chest, holding them there. He rested his chin on their fingers as he waited for Kibum’s go-ahead to continue reading.

“As nice as it would have been to know about your Sorting before today, I understand why you couldn’t tell me. I truly am sorry that I made you feel that you couldn’t be honest with me. I haven’t said the nicest things about Slytherin over the years, and the stigma surrounding your House is less than ideal. But, just you being in Slytherin lifts its name in my mind. You’ve already made me so proud, sweetheart, and I know that with each passing day, you’ll give me more and more reasons to be even prouder of you than I am right now.”

He glanced over at Kibum when he sniffed loudly and watched him wipe his eyes dry before he continued to read.

“If you’re home today, I hope you spend the day doing something fun together with your mother or Jonghyun and that you enjoy the holiday. If you’re stuck at Hogwarts during the holidays, I hope that you and Minho will be able to spend as much time as possible together.” Minho’s voice faltered as he skimmed over the last few lines, and he cleared his throat. “I’m getting tired now, so I’m going to rest. I’ll give this to your mother to mail to you in time for Christmas, and I’ll see you when I wake up. With all my love, now and forever...Grandma.” 

Kibum let out a shuddering sigh, and Minho squeezed his hand as he pressed it closer to his heart. “Are you okay?” 

“I will be.” He took another deep breath as Minho folded up the letter. “I just wasn’t expecting it, that’s all.”

“Yeah…”

Kibum turned his head to glance at him before he lowered his gaze to the sweater as he dried his eyes with his free hand. “Thanks,” he murmured. “You...you’re always here when I need you the most and...and it means a lot.” 

“Yeah, well,” Minho leaned over, knocking their shoulders together. “You’re stuck with me, remember?” 

Ordinarily, Kibum would fire back with some smart remark, but instead he just leaned his head on Minho’s shoulder. Minho glanced over at the top of his head before he closed his eyes, sighing. He would be okay...Kibum nuzzled his head in his shoulder for a moment before he sat back up, letting go on Minho’s hand. He spread the sweater across his lap and partially onto Minho’s. 

“She wasn’t kidding about it being too big.” 

“I think it would fit my dad.” 

Kibum took another deep breath, letting it out through his nose. “Probably.”

“Were you still wanting to go to Hogsmeade? We can go tomorrow or later this week if you’re not up for it today.” 

“I am.” He smoothed his hands over the sweater, and Minho reached out to feel how soft it was for himself. “I just want to change into this, first.” 

“Of course.” 

They were out of their pajamas and bundled up in coats and scarves and on their way to Hogsmeade within the hour. Minho hooked his arm with Kibum’s, holding him close while the wind and snow whipped around them. There were drifts up to their knees by the time they reached the main street, the carolers’ song barely audible in the wind. The chilled had kissed the tips of Kibum’s ears and the apples of his cheeks, and probably his own as well. He pulled on Kibum’s arm, dragging him inside Madam Puddifoot’s* to get themselves something to warm them up.

Kibum must have been a lot colder than he thought because his face was flushed the entire time they were inside the tea shop. Cocoa in hand, they went back outside to peruse the village, stepping inside Dervish and Banges when the wind picked up again. 

“Are your parents gonna send you a package tomorrow?” 

Minho almost laughed. If he was lucky, the only thing they’d give him for Christmas was forgetting about his refusal to come home during the break. “I doubt it.” 

“That .” 

He shrugged, glancing over when Kibum held up what looked to be a cigarette lighter, even if it was too big to be a regular one. “What about you...do you think your mom will get you something?”

“If she does, it’ll be late.” He looked up then, meeting Minho’s eyes as he set the lighter back down. “It’s not a big deal. I wasn’t expecting anything.” 

“What if...we made each other something?” Kibum’s brow furrowed and he walked over to the next set of shelves, Minho following behind. “Think about it,” he said, leaning against the shelving as Kibum inspected the bits and baubles on display. “I don’t have much money, and I don’t think you do either. It’d be kinda fun, don’t you think?” 

“Maybe.” Kibum picked up a palm-sized moon, shaking it gently before he set it back on the stand. Minho turned to look at it in awe once it started to glow. “Okay, let’s.” 

“Really?” 

The faux moonlight gleamed in Kibum’s eyes as he nodded. “I know just the thing.” 

Oh ...now he’d have to come up with something. And fast. 

He really didn’t think this through.

* * * * * * * * * *

“Hey, why are you following me?” Kibum blinked as he refocused on Minho, his footsteps crunching in the snow as he came to a stop. “I thought you said you wanted to go straight to the castle.” 

Before they had left Hogsmeade, Minho decided to buy a treat for Geum-nun and Nutmeg at The Magic Neep. He was off to the owlery to give it to them, while Kibum had been wanting to head to the library to do some reading on how to make Minho’s present. 

“Lost in thought, I guess.” Which was true. He was internally running over how exactly he would be able to capture the night sky in a glass ball, much like his Lunessence at home. He was pretty sure he would be able to do it, he just wasn’t sure quite how...yet. If he could get it to work, Minho would absolutely love it. 

Smiling, Kibum looked back to the castle. “I’ll see you later.” 

“Okay.”** Minho said as Kibum started to jog up the path to the castle. 

He stomped his feet clean of snow once he reached the hall, and braced himself on the door jam when he almost slipped in the puddle he created. Once Kibum steadied himself, he started down the hall and to the library, the squeak of his wet boots echoing in the empty corridor. 

Usually, the library books were floating about the large room, rearranging themselves from where the students misplaced them. But, as Kibum walked inside now, all was quiet and still. It was almost unsettling. He hummed a couple of measures from the new song Flitwick had had them memorizing before the break as he scanned the spines of the books on the first row of shelves. What was the title of that book, again? Flitwick had suggested it in class one day when Analecia asked about a more advanced spell.

“Olde and Forgotten Bewitchments and Charms,” Kibum muttered aloud as he pulled the battered book from the shelf. He flipped to the back, scanning the index for anything close to what he needed. An entry titled Enchanted Ceiling, Hogwarts caught his eye and Kibum flipped to the right page, skimming the text until he found it. 

Enchanting the ceiling in the Great Hall was Rowena Ravenclaw’s doing. It was one of the few cosmetic changes she and the other Founders made to the original castle, as most of the modifications were wards to protect the future students and to maintain secrecy from Muggles who could have been passing by. 

It is unknown why she decided to make this change to the ceiling. Sources differ in their explanation, some implying that it was so that future students and staff could be prepared for the weather of the coming day and others stating that it was made purely for the aesthetic. Helena, her only daughter, had once said that her mother had done it for her because she knew of her love for the sky.

Unfortunately, no sources state what spell she used to enchant the ceiling, as she performed both wandless and wordless magic to do so...

Kibum stopped reading after that, heaving a sigh as he flipped back to the index. Even the Lunessence entry proved to not be helpful, as the only explanation for a spell was acquiring moondust in a glass ball and performing Lunieto which was loosely translated to mean “moon beam,” apparently. He groaned, planting his forehead on the page as he squeezed his eyes shut. 

He had no way to get stardust...as it was one of the rarer substances used in potions. There might possibly be some in the closet in the Potions classroom, but Slughorn would know if even a gram was missing. Still, where would he even find a glass ball? 

Wait…

There was that Remembrall that he and Callum found in the hall one day on the way to Transfiguration. He had kept it...Kibum shot up, closing the book and holding it up, waiting for the magic in the air to take hold and carry it to its place. Once it did, Kibum hurried over to the table that the Latin dictionary was chained to, and flipped through it, grabbing a scrap of parchment and a quill, marking down the words he might need to create a spell of his own. 

He rushed downstairs, then, and straight to his room in Slytherin, grabbing the Remembrall out of his nightstand drawer. As he held it up, the swirl of gray mist inside stayed gray, much to his relief. “Okay…Night sky...capture the night...stars…” He hummed to himself, scanning his scrawled words. “What about -- “ he grabbed his wand out of the nightstand, pointing it at the Remembrall. “Nox Caelo!”

Kibum shook the Remembrall, and nothing happened. He tried different reiterations of night sky in Latin, but it was to no avail. Huffing, he tossed the Remembrall at his pillow and caught it before it rolled off his bed. “Um…” he picked up his wand again, glaring at the Remembrall. “Capere Stellas?” 

As he shook it, he fully expected nothing to happen. Except, this time, something did. 

The gray mist shifted to black, as though a drop of ink had been spilled inside and was seeping into the mist. It swelled then, filling the inside of the Remembrall in pitch black, and seconds later, little pinpricks of light dotted the night sky. Stars....he had done it! Kibum sat up in his bunk, grinning at his handiwork as he shook the Remembrall again. It went back to normal, and as a test, he shook it once more to see if it would work again.

It did.

Kibum let out a long sigh of relief as he sank into his bed, staring at the stars he had captured for Minho. He had no doubt that Minho would love his gift, but now, as he set it back in his drawer for safekeeping, he couldn’t help but wonder what Minho was making for him. 

Regardless of what it was, he knew he would absolutely love it. 

He curled into his pillow, clutching his wand as his eyes slid closed. After everything that happened since breakfast, he was tired enough to nap. But now, the silence of the room gnawed at his ears, unsettling himself enough to shift and open his eyes. Luckily, the ringing didn’t bother him anymore. Well, not as much. Whenever it did, he would borrow Minho’s iPod for the night and give it back in the morning after breakfast. 

Kibum rolled over, sliding out of his bed and knelt to check under his bed for a small box to put the...what should he even call it? Stellessence? Star...ball? He snorted, worrying his bottom lip. Really, he didn't have to come up with a name for it. 

He grabbed the box that had been the biggest care package Grandma had sent him and dug through it. Inside were random things he collected or wanted to save during his years here. All the letters from Grandma, Mom, and Jonghyun, as well as every little note from Minho. His dad’s wand was tucked inside as well. He rubbed his thumb over the intricate leaf detail just above the ribbed hilt. Sighing, he grabbed the tiny box that was there, dumping out rolls of used film for his polaroid that he kept inside. It looked like it would be a perfect fit for the...thing he made. 

Sitting up, Kibum opened his drawer and took out the ball, shaking it again, just to be sure that it still worked. He grinned when it did, and he shook it again, returning it to its normal gray mist before he slipped it into the box and closed it up. 

He turned the lanterns down before he left his room, picking up the clutter in the common room on his way back into the hallways. He glanced down the hall when he reached the stairwell, his eyebrows raising when the barrel leading to Hufflepuff closed. Was Minho back already? Kibum turned, jogging down the hall and opening Hufflepuff for himself. As he ducked down to crawl through the barrel, he laughed when he spotted Minho, who was standing frozen in the middle of the common room with his eyes blown wide in surprise. 

“Hey! Did you finish making your present?” 

Minho relaxed as Kibum started making his way through the tunnel. “Yeah, I just did.” Kibum stopped when he reached the end of the tunnel, one leg swinging down when the bell rang. “What’s that for?”

“Dinner, I think.” Nodding, Minho stepped toward him, holding his hand out for the box in Kibum’s hand. “No peeking.” 

“I would never,” he said with a mischievous grin, chuckling when Kibum squinted at him. “Save me a spot.”

“Of course.”

His hair was sticking up on its ends by the time he crawled back out into the hall, and he smoothed the static as he walked down the hall to the stairwell. Minho joined him in the Great Hall moments later, slipping in quietly beside him while Sprout was answering Adam’s question about the Venomous Tentacula. He bumped his shoulder into Kibum’s, smiling to himself when Kibum looked over at him. Kibum rolled his eyes, sliding the plate of rolls to Minho as he started to dish up his plate. 

After a relaxed dinner, tea was served, and they listened to the professors’ stories about the Christmases long past until the lights in the Great Hall dimmed. Headmistress McGonagall dismissed them, then, wishing them all a good night’s sleep and a merry Christmas. The professors stayed at the table, pouring themselves another cup of tea, while the students left to go to their Houses. Minho slung his arm over Kibum’s shoulder as they broke off from the others on their way to the basement, and Kibum waved to the others on their way to the towers. 

“You getting sleepy?” Minho asked as he let go of Kibum to unlock the Hufflepuff common room. 

“I guess.” He was yawning by the time they reached Minho’s dorm room, and he stretched his arms above his head as Minho closed the door behind them. “Should we exchange gifts in the morning? Or right now?” 

“Uh,” he dragged his hand across the nape of his neck as he went over to his bed. “Either works. Technically, it’s Christmas now.” 

Kibum’s sleepiness was momentarily eradicated and he looked to his bed to find the box with his present sitting atop his pillow. Grinning, he hopped into his bed, grabbing it and ducking to watch as Minho came around to his bed. “Should I go first or should you?” 

Sighing, Minho stooped over and slid into bed, crossing his legs as he made himself comfortable. “Mine’s really stupid.” 

“I’m sure it’s not.” 

Minho averted his eyes as he pursed his lips, then reached under his pillow and pulled out a thin silver chain with a small curved rock as a pendant. He held it out to Kibum, still not meeting his eyes, as he pulled another chain out from under his sweater. Kibum caught a glimpse of the Boötes necklace that he got for him last year and he smiled as he tried to meet Minho’s gaze. 

“I made us best friend necklaces, uh, your’s has Min on it,” he said, holding out the necklace for Kibum to take. And, sure enough, a tiny Min was etched in Hangul, the flecks in the rock glinting in the pale moonlight and the dim light of the lanterns. “Mine has Ki.” He held it up, slipping it back under his sweater. Kibum gulped as he looked down at the pendant in his hand, his heart swelling. “I know, it isn’t much -- “

“No, I love it.” He brushed his thumb over the pendant with a smile. “It’s perfect.” 

“Really?” He could hear the surprise in Minho’s voice, as well as the smile, but he couldn’t look away from the pendant. “I’m happy to hear it.” In the corner of his eye, he saw Minho reach for the box on his lap. Kibum looked up then, nodding when Minho raised his eyebrows in question. He slipped on his necklace as Minho opened the box, tucking it into his sweater. “A Remembrall?”

“You have to shake it.” Minho did, his eyes widening in adorable surprise when the gray mist shifted to the inky black of night. He met Kibum’s gaze when the stars appeared in the mist. “It’s so you can always have the stars with you, wherever you go.”

“Bummie…” 

“...Do you like it?” 

Minho’s chin quivered as he nodded and set the Remembrall down beside his pillow. He slipped out of his bed, wiping his eyes as he went over to the dresser.  Kibum smiled to himself, turning away when Minho started to change into his pajamas. While he knew he would love it, it was still a relief to see that he really, truly did. When Minho crawled under the covers, Kibum got out of bed, dimming the lights before he changed into pajamas himself. 

The light from the captured stars guided him back to his bed, and he slipped under the covers, staring at the stars before he searched for Minho in the faint light. His fingers felt for the pendant beneath his t-shirt, curling around it when he found it. “Merry Christmas, Min.” 

The stars glimmered in his eyes as he looked up, his smile meeting his eyes when he found Kibum’s gaze. “Merry Christmas, Bummie.”