The snow that lingered long past Christmas break had finally gone with the coming of the seemingly unending spring rain. Well, mostly. There were still remnants of winter clinging to the peaks of the mountains and lurking in the shadows of the Forbidden Forest. But, spring had taken over, now, returning the lawn and the forest and the gardens to their blossoming glory. Even the Whomping Willow was starting to bud, which was a sure sign that the cold season was at an end. 

Wispy clouds stretched across the cerulean sky, curling and spreading with the wind. It was the first day in almost a week that it hadn’t rained. Kibum stepped out of the castle, taking a deep breath of the petrichor still lingering in the air, as well as the smell of the gardens. The freshly tilled earth, the green scent of thriving plants, the budding roses, and blossoming apple trees... 

It reminded him of home. 

Minho, when he stepped up beside him, did the same, only to sneeze a couple of seconds later.  “Hey! You ruined the moment!” 

“I won’t apologize for my allergies!” Minho said as he kept walking through the gardens, a smile in his voice. With an amused huff, Kibum followed him. 

Apple blossoms rained down around them, much like the cherry blossoms did back in Daegu, according to Mom, since he didn't remember much of their old life in Korea. Several caught in Minho’s hair, but they flew off when the whistle blew down at the Quidditch pitch and Minho started to jog towards the stadium. He stopped a couple of paces outside the garden, turning around to wait for Kibum. 

“I was gonna say,” Kibum said as he stepped up beside him and continued down the path into the lawn. “There’s no need to rush today since Hufflepuff isn’t playing.” 

“It’s just a habit, I guess.” Minho grabbed his arm, pulling him to a stop before he started to brush the pale pink petals out of  Kibum’s hair. He looked away when Minho’s gaze met his, and Minho slowly dropped his hand from Kibum’s arm. “Now, come on! We don’t want to miss the toss!” He grinned and bounded off toward the pitch again. Kibum watched him for a second, his smile turning fond before he ran after him.

Callum had their spots saved for them, and Minho apologized to everyone they had to step over to get to them. Slytherin and Ravenclaw were still warming up as they took their seats, and Kibum searched for Aaron in the air as Callum passed him his open bag of Black Cat Crisps. 

“Where is he? I don't see him.”

Callum pointed to the far end of the pitch just as Minho said, “Goalposts. He's Keeper this year.”

“I need to get out of the habit of watching the Seekers.” Kibum glanced Minho's way when he snorted. He reached into the bag, grabbing a small handful of crisps, and Kibum held the bag closer to him as he took his hand out. “Are you getting used to being a Beater?”

"Mm-hmm."

“That's what I'd be, if I played,” Callum said, taking the crisp bag back from Kibum.

“Yeah? No .” Callum shoved him in response, knocking Kibum’s shoulder into Minho’s. He leaned there for a minute, watching the players swoop down and return to the ground, making their way to their positions. He glanced over at Minho, unsurprised to find him watching the teams intently. 

“Hey...” Kibum waited for Minho to look his way, his eyebrows rising in question. “Do you want anything from the snack bar?” His eyes widened and his brow furrowed. Kibum tried very hard to keep his expression neutral, but a concentrating Minho was an adorable Minho, so he wasn’t sure how successful he was. “I was just gonna go get some pumpkin juice -- “

“Yeah, that sounds good.”

“ -- and maybe a snack...to share?” 

“Oh, the sweet popcorn!” 

Kibum smiled, patting his knee as he stood. “I’ll be right back.” Minho hummed absently, distracted now that Hooch had blown the whistle and the teams had taken to the sky again. He hurried through the bleachers, being careful not to step on anyone’s toes or discarded sweaters. Once he reached the door, Kibum glanced back, amused to find Minho sitting as tall as he could and watching the first play unfold. 

He slipped into the stairwell, heading down to the lawn and turning right toward the center of the stadium wall. The Seven Cauldrons, the snack bar run by the seventh years during Quidditch matches, was in the center hallway leading to the pitch. Once he turned the corner, he rolled his eyes. There was a bit of a line, but it wasn’t going to be too terrible of a wait. He couldn’t see much of the game through the doorway at the far end of the hall, but judging by the cheers, it must have been a pretty exciting play. 

A trio of players -- two green-robed and the other blue -- flew past the entrance, sending a gust of wind down the hallway. Kibum shivered involuntarily and yanked down the sleeves of his green sweater, glancing up at the seventh year behind the counter when she called “Next!” 

“Uh, yeah, can I get a large pumpkin juice and some sweet popcorn?”

“Which one?” she asked as she started to fill up a cup with the pumpkin juice on tap. “Kettle, Karamel, or Kauldron?”

“Kauldron, please.” While the Kettle Korn had a hint of sweetness, and the Karamel Korn was coated in caramel with little globs of it binding the popped kernels together -- both delicious in their own right -- the Kauldron Korn was his and Minho’s favorite. It was flavored with a bit of honey and cinnamon that was melted with the butter with a sprinkle of salt to finish it. 

She nodded, setting the cup on the counter before grabbing the Houses-colored striped popcorn bag. Kibum took the pumpkin juice, taking a cautionary sip to take a little bit off the top before he’d have to make his trip back to his seat.  When she handed his popcorn to him, he was tempted as he was to take a couple off the top but refrained. Instead, he set down his pumpkin juice to produce the Galleon and Sickle to pay for his treats. 

“Thank you,” he said and walked away slowly, being careful not to spill anything on his way back to Minho. A little bit of juice sloshed over the sides as he crept up the stairs, and he stopped to sip a little bit more. When he turned the corner, he spotted Minho at the banister close to the stairwell, watching the game. He glanced over, and then again when he realized it was Kibum, his expression brightening from the focused-Quidditch-spectator Minho to the happy-to-see-his-best-friend Minho. 

Or maybe he was just happy to see the food. 

Kibum smiled as he approached, holding the pumpkin juice out for Minho to take. He the pumpkin juice off of his hand before he wiped his hand on his jeans. “How’s he doing?”

“Aaron?” Kibum nodded. “Well. Ravenclaw hasn’t scored yet, despite trying to a couple of times.” 

Watching games that Minho wasn’t participating in was less fun since he was much less invested in the outcome of the match. They were, however, less stressful, which was a definite plus. Still, despite them being less fun, it didn’t mean that he didn’t enjoy himself at the matches. Sure, Quidditch might not be his thing, but it was definitely Minho’s. And...and it was fun to watch him watch the game. 

Kibum grabbed the pumpkin juice that Minho set down a little too forcefully so he could yell instructions to one of the players. “I don't think they can hear you,” Kibum wanted to say, but instead, he just watched Minho's frustration when the Slytherin player dove instead of flew above the play with the Quaffle. Minho’s eyes squeezed shut when the Ravenclaw Chaser stole it and started for the other end of the field, and he sighed heavily.

“They're not listening to me.”

Kibum held out the popcorn for Minho to take some. “How dare they.” 

He kept his eyes on the play and tried not to smile when Minho turned to him. Minho took some of the popcorn, dropping a kernel or two onto the banister. “You’re making fun of me,” he said, his amusement evident in his voice.

“I would never.”

“Uh-huh.” Kibum cracked a smile when Minho bumped their shoulders together. His fingers brushed against Minho’s when they both reached for the popcorn at the same time. “Sorry,” he said, leaning away from Kibum as he went back to watching the game. 

He’d been doing that a lot lately...leaning away. 

Kibum was doing his best not to read into it too much. But, there was the underlying thought that he knew about, well, how Kibum was feeling towards him and this was how he was responding. By leaning away. Silently showing his disinterest. Maybe he was trying to let Kibum down easy rather than...well, he wasn’t sure. He pursed his lips, looking away from Minho and down at the popcorn in his hands. It wasn’t that he had gotten his hopes up or anything, but still…

Sighing, he refocused on the game, just in time to watch Aaron block another one of Ravenclaw’s attempts at a goal. He cupped his free hand over his mouth, letting out a half-hearted cheer with the others in the stands behind them. 

“You okay?” 

Kibum nodded without looking away from the play, and he released the pumpkin juice when Minho reached for it. 

The sun had almost dipped below the tips of the trees of the Forbidden Forest by the time Slytherin’s Seeker caught the Snitch. Which meant that Slytherin had won by a landslide. Kibum held his hands over his ears when the stands behind him erupted in cheers. He pressed them even harder when Minho joined in. Only when Minho tapped his arm did he pulled his hands away. 

“You can head back if you’re not in the mood to help me out,” he said over the din of the others filing out of the bleachers on their way back to the castle. 

After every game, the members of the non-playing teams were supposed to hang back and clean up a section of the bleachers -- picking up discarded wrappers and cups and sweeping up spilled popcorn. Whenever it was Minho’s turn, Kibum usually hung back to help him, if he didn’t have choir practice to get to. Which, he didn’t today. 

His thoughts from earlier, however, still lingered in the back of his mind. “Do you want me to?” 

“To head back?” Kibum nodded. “No! Not unless you want to, I mean.” 

“I don’t.” 

Minho glanced behind them to find the bleachers emptied out, with the last few people heading down the stairs on the opposite side. When he turned back to Kibum, he was grinning. “I’ll be right back, then!” 

* * * * * * * * * *

“You can head back if you’re not in the mood to help me out.” 

Minho’s brow furrowed when Kibum crushed a fallen kernel beneath his thumb and brushed it off onto the floor. His mood had soured in the middle of the game, and it had thrown Minho off a bit, because he wasn’t sure why. He glanced behind them and frowned when there were still people loitering in the bleachers. If they weren’t there, he could reach out and take Kibum’s hand in silent comfort until he hopefully felt better. 

“Do you want me to?” 

“To head back?” When Kibum nodded, Minho almost scoffed. “No! Not unless you want to, I mean.”

Kibum still didn’t look up at him, but he started to smile as he brushed another popcorn kernel off the banister. “I don’t.” 

He almost sighed in relief when he turned around to see that the last of the Hufflepuffs were leaving, heading down the opposite stairwell. Instead, he smiled and turned back around to find Kibum watching him. “I’ll be right back, then!” He patted Kibum’s shoulder and gave it a quick squeeze before he started down the stairs. 

The last of the stragglers were halfway across the lawn by the time Minho stepped out of the stairwell. He watched them as he made his way to the center hallway, and smiled at Marc in the Seven Cauldrons as he made his way to the broom cupboard at the other end of the hall. The hinges creaked as the door opened to reveal the retired broomsticks and the burlap trash bags. Minho grabbed two of each, tucking the bags and one of the brooms under his arm before relatching the door.

“Is Kibum helping you?” Marc asked Minho as he passed by the snack bar again.

“Yup!” 

He hurried back to the lawn, running as fast as the broomsticks would allow -- they were definitely awkward to carry -- back to the stairwell. He nearly dropped the broomstick under his arm, as the twigs kept knocking against the stairs. His trek up the stairs must have been a tad noisy, given the fact that Kibum was peeking his head out of the doorway. Any trace of his sour mood or anxiety had been replaced by amusement.

“Was I being too loud?” Minho asked as he walked up the last couple of steps. 

“A bit.” His eyebrows raised and Kibum grinned, belying his feigned annoyance. Minho looked down, smiling to himself as he made his way back to Kibum's side. He took the broomstick out of Minho's hand before he started for the opposite end of the bleachers. “I'll meet you in the middle!”

“Hey, wait…” Minho trailed after him, untucking the burlap sacks and passing him one.

“Thanks.” 

Minho watched him walk away, blinking when he realized he hadn't moved for several seconds. He shook his head, forcing himself out of his vague reverie before he took up his broom and began to sweep the floorboards. 

Together, they made quick work of the bleachers, stuffing all of the cups and empty popcorn bags into the burlap sacks. Kibum held his bag open for Minho to lift the piles of debris with Wingardium Leviosa and dispose of them there. 

“Okay, you ready?” Minho glanced up to the tall stairwell and the balcony at the top. He sighed heavily and hefted his bag over his shoulder as he followed Kibum to the tower. While the balconies were a smaller area to clean than the bleachers, somehow they managed to be even messier than the stands below. He trudged up the stairs, the twigs of his broom smacking against each step. “Come on,” Kibum said with laughter in his voice as he made the turn on the final landing. “It won’t be too bad.” He came to a stop in the doorway, leaning against the door jamb and giving Minho space to stand beside him. 

He had spoken too soon.

Popcorns -- of all varieties -- were strewn across the floor and the banisters and the seats. The paper popcorn bags were shredded like confetti, and multiple cups of butterbeer and pumpkin juice had spilled on the floor and the stands. 

“Are you ing kidding me?” 

Minho nudged Kibum with his elbow as he walked inside and dropped his sack on the closest of the bleachers. “It’ll be over sooner if we hurry.” 

“Did they have a ing...food fight?” Kibum asked as he pushed himself off of the door jamb.

Minho glanced around. “I hope so, or else they all have a serious eating problem.” 

Kibum snorted, his smile returning as he shook his head. Minho grinned at him before he got to work. This time, Kibum went around picking the trash up and putting it in his sack while Minho swept the floor, working his way down from the top of the balcony. Once Kibum had picked up all the loose garbage, he pulled out his wand, cleaning the spilled drinks with Aguamenti. Minho had all the paper pieces and popcorn in a huge pile by the banister by the time Kibum finished up with the last of the spills. 

“Are we done?” Kibum asked, glancing over at Minho as he finished putting the last of the garbage into the burlap sack. 

“I think so.” He stretched, his smile broadening as he put his wand into his back pocket. Minho watched him turn toward the pitch, taking in the scenery, as he tied off the bag. “See something interesting?” he asked when Kibum rested against the banister, his eyes scanning the horizon. 

“Hm?” Kibum didn’t look over at him when he stood, glancing out at the pitch as Minho made his way to Kibum’s side. He didn’t answer, but now that Minho was standing, he didn’t need to. 

The sunset was gorgeous. 

It was the beginning stage of sunset...when the sky beyond the clouds and the golden halo of the sun was still a pale blue. Night crept in as the sun dipped below the trees of the Forbidden Forest, but it didn’t quite have a firm hold of the sky yet. Vibrant oranges and dusky peaches painted the underbellies of the clouds that stretched out over the trees.  Fireflies danced in the shadows of the empty Quidditch pitch, little pinpricks of light floating in the growing darkness. A breeze swept through the balcony, and Minho huddled a little closer to Kibum, his arm resting across his shoulder and holding him close without a second thought. 

“It’s really pretty,” Minho said, and Kibum hummed his agreement. Minho glanced over at him to find him looking away and back out at the sunset. “Kinda wish the trees weren’t in the way, though…” 

“True. I guess the Astronomy tower would have a better view, but we can’t go up there except for class.” Minho's gaze trailed away from the sunset for a moment and he snorted. “What?” 

Minho nodded to the goal posts. “You can see over the trees on those. And they’re actually wider than you think, so you could definitely sit up there.” 

Kibum blinked once, then twice before he glared at Minho. “If you think that I’d climb all the way up there to look at a goddamn sunset…”

“Not climb!” Minho laughed, resting his head on Kibum’s shoulder for a second. “Like, you know, fly? On brooms?” Kibum rolled his eyes as he went back to looking back over the Forbidden Forest, his dimples appearing as he tried not to smile. “Not right now, obviously -- ” 

“That’s good.” 

“ -- but it might be fun. Someday.” 

“Maybe.” Minho rubbed his thumb back and forth over Kibum’s shoulder before he dropped his hand at the sound of the clock chiming. “It’s probably time for dinner, huh?”

“Yeah…” He moved away from Kibum’s side, grabbing his broom from where he left it in the corner and passing it to Kibum before he picked up both of their burlap sacks. Kibum started down the stairs and Minho took one last cursory glance around the balcony to make sure they had cleaned everything they needed before he followed Kibum down the stairs.