The hinges of the door to Classroom 2E creaked as it swung open, the fourth-year at the front of the line stepping into the darkness. Once the shadows swallowed them, the door closed of its own accord. Kibum stepped forward with the others still left in line, leaning a little closer to Rhesa as he tried to listen to what was happening inside. 

As it was with the other six students that went before him, he couldn’t hear a thing. 

Flitwick liked to shroud his exams in secrecy -- you wouldn’t think it just by looking at him but he definitely had a flair for the dramatic. Kibum appreciated it, for sure, but when it came to the end of the school year, few things were more anxiety-inducing than the Charms exams. 

The ominous note posted on the double doors didn’t help much, either. Kibum glanced up at the scroll posted there, reading the calligraphy once again. 

This exam is a simulation that should last five to seven minutes. 
Keep your wits about you and act on your instinct. 
Fire off red sparks when you have completed the course.

Kibum gulped, shoving his hands in his robe pocket, feeling for his wand. He found it in his left-hand pocket and gripped it tightly. In the other -- he frowned, feeling a spare scrap of parchment. He had just gotten his robes cleaned yesterday after class! There shouldn’t have been anything in the pockets yet...unless he forgot something and now whatever it was was ruined. Sighing, Kibum pulled it out, only to find that it was folded perfectly, without any water damage. 

Curious now, Kibum unfolded it, a slow smile forming when he recognized Minho’s penmanship.  

Good luck, Bummie~ I’m sure you’ll do great~

The door opened again, and Kibum immediately shoved Minho’s note back inside his pocket.

“Where do they go, you think?” Rhesa asked him as she stepped forward -- referring to the students who went before them. None of them had exited the classroom.

Kibum shrugged. “Maybe out through his office? I guess you’ll find out next.” She looked back at him as she reached the doorway, her smile tinged with fear. “Good luck.” 

She took a deep breath, nodded, and stepped into the darkness, the door closing behind her.  

He shifted his stance, his hand returning to his pocket and feeling for Minho’s note. It was the third day of exams -- tomorrow would be the last day. After this exam, he only had the History, Herbology, and Divination left to take, and he would be getting to History after this. Minho had taken this exam the day before and he said that he was actually kind of fun. As the door swung open to let him inside, Kibum could only hope that Minho wasn’t being sarcastic in his earlier assessment. 

Kibum let go of Minho’s note and switched his wand to his right hand and stepped inside. The boom of the closed door seemed louder in the darkness. He opened his eyes wider, hoping to see something, anything in the pitch blackness. 

He started when the shade covering one of the windows shuddered and rolled up, a beam of daylight shining upon a closed chest where Flitwick’s podium usually was. Kibum calmed his breathing as he tentatively approached it, rolling his wand between his fingers as he brought the spell he needed to the forefront of his mind.

“Cistem Aperio!” 

A flash of blinding white light seared the surrounding darkness as the lid of the trunk burst open. Kibum kept his wand pointed at it, squinting now as he watched for any sort of movement within it. After a moment, sound, not movement, came -- a near silent slither that would have gone unnoticed if not for the tranquility of the darkened classroom. Kibum froze where he stood, his blood chilling as a snake’s head -- larger than he had been anticipating -- rose above the side of the open trunk.

Kibum took a step back, pondering for a split second whether this could be the moment that he found out if all Slytherins were born with inherent Parseltongue knowledge. He quickly shoved aside the thought when three other snakes, equal in size to the first, appeared over the edge. “,” he murmured, gulping when the heads of the snakes all turned toward him. 

Two flicked their tongues out of their mouths, tasting him on the air, and another hissed as it dropped onto the floor, rapidly making its way toward him.

“!” 

He ran backward, being careful not to take his eyes off of the fast-approaching snakes, and waved his wand in their direction. “Depulso!” he yelled, hoping he hit his target. 

He did, albeit inadvertently. 

His charm caught a desk instead of one of the snakes, and it shot across the room, carrying two of the snakes with it. They were soon free, of course, and after him again, but Kibum adjusted his grip on his wand and pointed at the one closest to him, casting it away with the Banishing Charm. It landed with a dull thump against the wall, which was followed by the tinkling of broken glass. Were there not three other snakes to worry about, Kibum would have cringed at the sound.

No matter how many times Kibum flung them away, no matter how many times they crashed into the walls or desks or benches or blackboards, they always came back. It wasn’t long before Kibum was backed up against the door he came in at, his skin slick with sweat as he tossed another snake aside with his magic. 

He wiped the stinging sweat from his eyes, blinking, refocusing on the snakes before him. He didn’t allow himself to groan when the other joined their ranks. With a huff of his breath and a raise of his wand, Kibum paused, the memory of one of the first spells of the year came to mind. He remembered it specifically because of Minho’s little animated drawing around the charm in the notes he sent him while he was away. 

Kibum raised his chin and pointed his wand at the snake that was about to strike. “Bombarda!” 

It shuddered, its scaled skin writhing as it leaped from the floor to Kibum, fangs bared. Kibum closed his eyes, raising his hands to protect his face when it just...shattered. Pieces from the snake flew everywhere, splattering against Kibum and his robes, the floor, and the discarded remains of desks and chairs from Kibum’s myriad Banishing Charms. 

Gagging slightly, Kibum opened his eyes. The one snake was completely and totally dead. Relief started to set in, but then the other three approached, angered by the death of their brother, perhaps. Without a second thought, Kibum swept his wand before him, shouting the Exploding Charm once more. He turned, pressing himself against the door as it went into effect, and he waited until the sounds of it ended before he turned back around. 

As if on cue, the lighting lifted, if only slightly, illuminating the room a touch more. 

“Oh, …” 

He knew he had wreaked havoc on the Charms classroom, but he hadn’t expected it to be this bad. Kibum absently wiped the snake guts off of his robes as he took a step away from the wall, inspecting the damage he wrought. Broken desks and chairs and paintings were strewn along the walls. The blackboard was cracked in two places, and one of the windows was shattered. Kibum’s eyebrows raised and he looked down when something he stepped in squelched. Wincing, he looked down at the mess he had made with the dead snakes on the floor, the walls, and even -- unfortunately -- himself.

“Merlin’s beard,” he muttered with a grimace, stepping back and raising his wand and pointing it at himself first. “Scourgify!” 

There was no light emitting from his wand...it was more like a shower, but without the water. Freshness surrounded him, cleansing him from his head, and as he lowered his wand, to his toes. He directed his wand outward, cleaning the floor with the charm until there was not a drop of blood or a fleck of guts left to be seen. 

Then, he sat on the floor, taking a series of deep breaths as he surveyed the classroom once again. “Okay.” Another breath and he let it out in a long sigh. “Reparo!” he said from where he sat, waving his wand about the room to clean up the damage. The chairs and desks mended themselves, the broken glass clinked together as it returned to its place, the whistling wind dying down. The cracks in the blackboard sealed, the desks and chairs realigned themselves. And, once everything was back where he remembered it being, Kibum fell back on the floor, staring up at the ceiling as he caught his breath. 

“Oh right...sparks…” With effort, he raised his wand once again, flicking his wand. “Vermillious,” he whispered, dropping his wand once a series of red sparks spurted from the tip of his wand, dissipating in the air. Behind the row of desks, a door opened, and Flitwick himself came into view when Kibum raised his head off the floor.

“Well done, Mr. Kim! You should be proud of yourself!” He grunted, laying his head back down on the floor. “I have to reset the simulation for the next student, would you mind joining the others in my office? You can replenish your strength there with the refreshments I’ve provided.” Kibum blinked, sitting up. He took Flitwick’s proffered hand and hefted himself up, following him to the door. 

Flitwick went back inside the classroom, closing the office door behind Kibum. He looked around, inspecting the small space. Part of the room was partitioned off with a navy and bronze striped curtain, though Kibum spotted a corner of the foot of the bed as he stepped further into the room. The students who went before him were clustered around the desk, eating whatever treats Flitwick had prepared for them and sipping on some tea.

“Kibum!” Rhesa said, her eyes brightening when he looked her way. “You made it!” 

He let out a chuckle and moved to stand beside her, scanning the smorgasbord of pastries laid out for them. Tiny cakes and butterbeer cookies and pumpkin pasties and scones and little sandwiches cut into triangles were laid out for them, as well as decanters of water and pumpkin juice beside the tea, cream, and sugar cubes. For a second, Kibum stared at the pumpkin pasties, his mouth watering at the thought. 

It had been almost a year since he last had them. Grandma had made him one last batch before he left for school. She was having a good day, and despite his many protests that he didn’t need her to make them for him, she still did. 

Sighing, he reached past the pasties and grabbed one of the sandwiches and one of the scones. Oh, it was lemon...To his surprise, Rhesa laid her hand on his arm as she reached out to grab a scone for herself. Kibum recoiled slightly and moved to the other side of the table to get himself a cup of water. When he glanced her way, she was frowning at him.

Whatever. 

He looked to the door when Flitwick rejoined them, closing it behind him. Flitwick immediately walked up the stairs leading to the long, thin, horizontal window looking into the classroom. He paced along the ledge, his eyes never leaving the window. 

Kibum finished his water and automatically poured himself a fresh glass. When he finished it, he set his cup aside, grabbed two more of the sandwiches, and started for the door. 

He glanced up and down the corridor before following the other students making their way to the History exam. Once inside Classroom 4F, Kibum scanned the students already sitting at the desks, finding Minho easily. 

Minho's expression brightened as he noticed Kibum's approach, his smile shifting from sweet to -eating when Kibum sat beside him. "So, how'd it go?" A small smile broke Kibum’s stony demeanor as he punched his arm. Minho's laughter filled the entire room. "That bad?"

"'It was actually pretty fun!' you said. Maybe don't ing lie to me next time!" 

Minho continued to laugh and grabbed Kibum's fist before he could playfully punch him again. "You made it though, right? Plus, when you look back at it later, you'll be like, 'Oh wait, maybe I'm actually badass?'" Minho chuckled when Kibum tried to free his hand, his grip tightening. Kibum's face heated when Minho's thumb brushed over his knuckles. He stopped struggling. It was just for a second, but it took the fight right out of him.

"Whatever," he said, shrugging nonchalantly as he pulled his hand away. "How'd you do with Arithmancy?"

"Not bad, I don't think." 

"Good." He stretched, leaning against the desk as he turned to him. “Ready for Transfiguration?” Minho’s expression fell and Kibum offered him a sympathetic smile. “I’m sure you’ll do fine.” 

“Why are the exams so much harder this year?” Minho asked, his bottom lip jutting out in a cute pout. 

“They’re probably preparing us for the O.W.L.s next year.” Minho’s brow furrowed and he looked over at Kibum, a question in his eyes. “You know, the Ordinary Wizarding Levels? O.W.L.s?”

“Why do they get a name?” 

“I’m not sure. Maybe because they’re hard?” 

Minho scoffed and went back to the notecards they had finished making on Monday. “This year should get a name too then.” 

Kibum hummed in thought and Minho flipped through three notecards before Kibum said, “G.N.A.T.s…”

“What?”

“Gruesomely Nasty Annual Testing.” 

Minho laughed, falling into Kibum’s side before pushing him away. Someone several rows ahead shushed them, and Kibum bit his bottom lip to stop from laughing. Why was it that everything becomes ten times funnier when you’re supposed to be quiet? Minho covered his grin with his fist, his silent laughter shining in his eyes and shaking his shoulders. Kibum tore his gaze away from Minho when he glanced his way, and he grabbed the discarded notecards, reading them as other students trickled into the classroom. 

* * * * * * * * * *

All was still in Classroom 1 as yet another group returned to their seats. Minho tapped his wand on this thigh in a staccato rhythm and glance furtively at Pandora beside him. Professor Crowell cleared and looked up from her roll of parchment. “Let’s do the -- “ she drew the word out as she looked back at her parchment. “ -- toad to hamster switch next, please.” 

The four of them slumped in their seats, sighing heavily. Of course, their group would be the last ones to go up. Minho leaned forward, pressing his forehead onto his desk and suppressing a groan. 

While they would be judged and graded as a group, that was only half of their grade for the exam. The other half came from their portion of the presentation. The others chose the parts they wanted to speak about, and Damien suggested that Minho do the spell at the end. “It’d be easier for you,” he had said during their final study session after Pandora and Richard had left the library. “The other parts will be quite a bit of talking and I know that’s not really your strong suit.” 

“I can do whatever works for the group.” 

“Great.” Damien had smiled then, and Minho flinched when he clapped his shoulder. “How’s the spell coming along?” 

“I just finished it.” 

“Oh? Can I see it?” Minho clenched his jaw and took his backpack off as he went over to the nearest table and sat. He leaned away when Damien crowded him with an arm over the back of his chair as he took his notes out of his backpack. He pointed to where he wrote Exnorve Infelis and he was about to launch into a simple explanation for his thought process behind it when Damien clicked his tongue and shook his head. “No, that’s too complex -- “

Minho held back the comment that leaped to the tip of his tongue about how cross-species switches were complex so it would make sense for the spell to be a little complicated. But, even then, it wasn’t.

“ -- my research said that Felifors is the right spell for that.” 

Minho’s brow furrowed and he glared at his notes instead of Damien. “Isn’t that the spell to turn a cat into a cauldron?” 

Damien chuckled. “That’s what we learned it for initially, but like I said this spell works for this, too. Believe me, I’ve tried it out already and it works. You just have to think really hard about switching a rat to a cat and it works.”

Minho blinked several times before he met Damien’s eyes, leaning away when he realized how close he was. “Why don’t you do the spell part, then, if you’re so sure about this?” 

Damien’s smile crinkled the corners of his eyes as he straightened. “I just wanted to give you the most minimal opportunity to this up for the rest of us.” His smile left his eyes but still remained in his expression as he held Minho’s gaze. “Try to be a team player.” 

“Hey,” Pandora whispered, patting Minho’s shoulder and returning him to the present. “We’re up.” 

Gulping, Minho reached down for the cage by his feet, lifting it onto the tabletop. He popped open the latch, holding his hand out to catch the rat inside before she could scurry away. Jwi, he named her, though he didn’t tell the others. Her whiskers tickled his skin as she burrowed into the sleeve of his robe, her head resting in his palm. Minho smiled and opened his hand as he followed the other three to the front of the classroom, letting her see. 

“Whenever you’re ready,” Crowell said once they were standing at the front of the class. 

Pandora cleared , then quietly began to speak. She gave a brief overview of their studying over the past couple of months, brief because her speed increased as she continued to talk. Minho glanced down at her when Richard started his portion, giving her a small smile as she let out a heavy sigh. Richard talked about the similarities in biology between rats and cats, Minho slowly nodding along when he recognized his research in Richard’s speech. When Richard finished, Damien stepped up, describing the conclusion they came to as well as how they -- as a group -- came up with the spell. 

Minho struggled not to roll his eyes. 

When Damien finally stopped talking, all eyes turned toward Minho. He gulped, glancing at his group. Damien mouthed the spell he had told him to use several days ago, and Minho looked away from him, stepping up to the podium. He set Jwi down on the edge, her golden-piebald fur glistening in the daylight behind them. As soon as she was free, she scurried into the safety of his robe sleeve, eliciting a chuckle from the class. 

“Hey,” Minho whispered to her, tapping the podium in the hopes that the noise would coax her out of hiding. When it didn’t, he reached into his pocket, grabbing his wand and setting it on the podium before going back into his pocket for the last half of the cookie he stuffed in there from lunch. He broke off a small corner of it and held the crumb out, luring her into the light.

Jwi’s tiny hands reached out to grab the crumb, and she started to nibble on it -- and, by extension, Minho’s fingers -- while Minho took up his wand, pointing it at her. 

Hopefully, this wouldn’t hurt her.

He closed his eyes tightly as he took a deep breath, barely opening one as he said “Exnorve Infelis!” 

A thin white light shone out of the tip of his wand, encircling Jwi in tendrils of light. It lifted her up from the podium and away from the remains of the crumb between his fingers. She revolved slowly within, the speed of it increasing as the light became brighter. Minho squinted, trying to see between the gaps in the light and at the convulsing form of Jwi. All he could see, however, was the shadow of her as she started to fall slowly, returning to the podium. Once she settled, Minho pulled his wand up, and the light vanished. 

An orange tabby kitten immediately darted to the crumb between his fingers, her paw latching onto them and holding them steady as she returned to nibbling at it. 

Minho stared at the kitten, his mouth agape. He’d done it. He’d actually done it. 

Slowly, he stuffed his wand into his pocket then carefully scooped her up, turning around to show his group mates. Pandora immediately stepped forward, cooing at the kitten as it cuddled up against Minho’s chest. He scratched Jwi behind the ears as he looked at Crowell, surprised to find her smiling.

Or, at least, her best attempt at a smile.

“Well done. To you all,” she said, looking out at the class then. “You’ve done well this year and your grades will certainly reflect that.” She looked up when the bell rang, and Jwi burrowed deeper into the crook of Minho’s arm, letting out the tiniest mew he had ever heard. “If you have another final today, I suggest you go and prepare for it, and if not, go enjoy the rest of your day.”

Minho returned his attention to his group when Richard started to pet the kitten. “It’s hard to believe it actually worked,” he murmured in awe, then grinned at Pandora. “Good work, everyone.” 

“What are we gonna do with it now?” Damien asked. Minho knew without looking his way that he was glaring at him. 

“If you four don’t mind vacating the classroom -- “ They all jumped at the sound of Crowell’s voice. “ -- I do have other exams to give.”

“Yes, Professor.” 

Minho followed the others out, cringing with a smile when Jwi’s claws dug into him as she climbed up to his shoulder. Her tail twitched back and forth over his ear as she inspected her new surroundings. 

“So?” Damien asked, referring to his earlier question.

“I think we should just let her roam Hogwarts.” Minho patted her side once, smiling when she leaned into his palm. “Just let her be as free as she wants to be.” 

Damien looked like he was about to protest until Pandora said, “Yeah, we should.” He sighed, glaring at Minho once more before he stalked off toward the staircase. Richard was right on his heels, and Pandora watched them leave. “I wonder why he’s pissed off.”

Minho smiled to himself and the kitten’s side again. “No clue.” 

She shrugged, and they started downstairs towards Hufflepuff. Minho paused at the corner, looking down the hallway toward Slytherin. “Hey,” Minho glanced back at her. “Can I take her? I want to show her to everyone.” Minho nodded, and she detached her from Minho’s robe. “Do you have a name for her?”

“Jwi.” Pandora repeated it in question. “Yeah. I’ll be right there, I wanna go see what Kibum is up to.” 

“Okay, see you later.” Minho started down the hallway, looking back when Pandora called out to him. “I’m glad we were in the same group!” 

Minho’s smile grew. “Me too!” 

Jwi meowed as Pandora disappeared behind the wall, it echoed down the corridor as Minho turned back toward Slytherin. By the time he made it to the entrance of Slytherin and raised his wand to the brick, the wall opened on its own before Minho could say the password. He stepped aside, letting the group of girls pass before he walked inside, heading straight for Kibum’s dorm room. 

He knocked twice before he let himself inside, only to find it empty, except for Connor. Minho stopped in the doorway, glancing over when Connor lowered his book. “You just missed him, but he’ll be right back.” 

“Okay.” 

Minho took off his shoes and left them by the door before he went over to sit at the foot of Kibum’s bed, crossing his legs beneath himself. He tapped his thumb on his knees, watching the door. Pages rasped together as Conner turned another page of the book, the deafening silence returning. Minho gulped, his focus immediately shifting to the door knob when it jiggled. 

Callum walked in and smiled at him, then Aaron, and then…

Minho’s heart leaped at the sight of Kibum. He grinned, his dimples appearing as he crossed the room to meet him. “How’d it go?” 

“Great! It actually worked!” 

“See?” He shoved Minho a little as he sat beside him at the foot of the bed. “I told you you’d do fine.” 

Minho let out a clipped sigh and lowered his gaze to his hands in his lap. “Do you wanna meet her?” 

“Her?” 

“The kitten. Jwi.” 

Kibum laughed out loud, his hand grazing Minho’s shoulder as he fell back onto the bed. “What’s so funny?” Callum asked.

“Jwi...Jwi means ‘rat’,” Kibum said, still laughing. "Where is she?" 

"Pandora has her." Kibum grabbed Minho's arm, hoisting himself up and off the bed. Minho followed him as he started out of the room, but took the lead before they reached the common room. “Did you get to sleep like you wanted to?” he asked as they walked down the hallway toward the golden light of the Hufflepuff corridor. 

“Nope. Callum and Aaron were playing wizard’s chess in the room because some of the others were studying in the common room and they wanted it to be quiet.” 

“Are you still tired?” he asked once they reached the barrels. 

Kibum smiled as Minho took out his wand, tapping in the password. “Yeah, but don’t worry. I’m still up for studying tonight.” 

Smiling, Minho crawled through the barrels, Kibum on his heels, and into the Hufflepuff common room. Pandora was not at all difficult to find, given the crowd of students huddled around her. Minho grabbed Kibum's hand and pushed his way through the crowd until he reached her. 

Jwi instantly looked his way, and to Pandora's surprise, hopped out of her lap and climbed up the armchair so that Minho could grab her. He let go of Kibum's hand then, picking her up and letting her perch on his shoulder. 

"Oh, my god," Kibum whispered as Jwi crept toward him, her tail standing straight up as she sniffed his nose. "She's so ing cute."

“Yeah, she is,” said someone behind him. 

Minho looked past Kibum for a second before he felt his eyes turn to him, and he readily met his gaze. “Good job, buddy,” he said softly in Korean. Sighing, Minho smiled.

Kibum scratched her a couple of times behind the ear before Minho picked her up and returned her to Pandora. “We can take her up to the study closet after dinner,” Minho said as he led Kibum to his dorm room. While they waited for the dinner bell to ring, they started to pack up their things, leaving only the things they would next two days out for their use. “Did I tell you that Minseok got a summer job at one of the pools in town?” he asked as they were walking back to Slytherin to get Kibum started on packing. 
 
“Really?”

“Yeah! We’ll have to get swimming trunks and go hang out when he’s on duty. It won’t be as cool as our pool, but -- ” He laughed when Kibum shushed him as they walked through the common room. “Dude, they can’t understand us, it’s fine.” 

“Oh, right,” Kibum said, snorting.

Kibum’s trunk, since it was much bigger than Minho’s duffle bag, was quite easier to pack. He busied himself arranging his clothes inside while Minho went around the room, picking up random things and stuffing them inside, waiting to see if Kibum would notice. It wasn’t until he tossed the string of still twinkling Christmas lights inside that Kibum really saw the contents of his trunk. 

“Hey!” He fished it out with a laugh, and they clattered to the floor when he tossed them toward Minho. Minho grinned and ducked out of Kibum’s line of fire when he tossed Callum’s stuffed bear his way. "Don't put other people's in here!" 

He peeked out from behind Fredrick's bed, feigning disgust. "Ew, why would I put in your -- " His disgusted demeanor broke with a giggle when Kibum threw a pair of rolled up socks at him. The spring pair of his For Every Season socks.

"Don't be gross," he said, trying to hide his amusement as Minho made his way back, settling beside him on the floor. 

He tossed the socks back inside. "You're the gross one. I would never suggest that." Kibum shoved him away, and Minho fell to the floor, grinning at Kibum as he bustled around the room, picking up the last of his things. 

Dinner came and went, the Great Hall filled with the nervous yet excited chatter of the students who still had exams tomorrow and the ones who finished today. After Minho finished second helping, he started over to the Slytherin side of the Hall only to find that Kibum was on his way to meet him.

"You ready?" he asked once he stepped up beside him.

Kibum yawned. "Yeah." They started down the corridor and turned to the stairwell. Minho touched Kibum's arm as he started up the stairs. "Do you mind if we study in the loft instead?" Kibum's brow furrowed. "I don't want to take Jwi out of the common room quite yet."

"Oh, okay, that's cool." 

Kibum followed him downstairs, breaking off at the corner to run and get his notes from class. Minho jogged down the hallway, opening the barrel and crawling inside. As he drew nearer, he heard the small, quiet meows of Jwi, and he quickly slipped through the tunnel. He ripped his shoes off before he dropped down into the main room, tossing them aside and clicking his tongue.

"Jwi? Come here, baby?" He clicked his tongue again and let out a relieved sigh when she appeared at the opposite end, in the tunnel leading to the dorm rooms. "Stay there!" He got a running start then slid across the hardwood floor to catch her before she jumped down. 

Someone behind him snickered, and Minho smiled, rolling his eyes to find Kibum sitting on the edge of the tunnel. He started back towards him, Jwi crawling into the safety of the crook of his arm.

"I'm so ready to be done with exams," Kibum said as he hopped down.

"At least it's just Herbology and Divination left. They'll be easy."

"For sure." Kibum pet Jwi a couple of times, until she lifted her head to look at him. 

They made their way to the loft, Kibum plopping down on one of the oversized pillows while Minho went around to turn the lanterns up so they could see better. At first, they tried to focus on studying, but they were soon distracted by Jwi pouncing at a fly as it flew past. Kibum picked up a quill, dragging the feathered end across the floor for her to chase. Their books and notes were soon discarded and forgotten, and they played with her until she climbed across Kibum’s lap and curled up between them on the pillow.

“Well, now we can’t move.” Kibum shook his head, petting the top of Jwi’s head with the back of his finger. “Can you reach the books?” He stretched his foot out, but their abandoned books were still centimeters away from it. Kibum slumped then, his head resting on Minho’s shoulder. “Ah, at least we know the material.” 

Kibum chuckled quietly. “Yeah.” 

He yawned, stretched, and crossed his arms over his chest before he nuzzled his head further into the pillow and Minho’s shoulder. Minho glanced over at him as his eyes slipped closed. Oh, right, Kibum did his Charms final today...no wonder he was so tired. He looked up when the lanterns dimmed, the warm golden light almost giving way to the night. 

His gaze fell back on Kibum, and after a moment, he could feel himself smiling, even if he wasn’t sure quite why. Well, really, he knew why, but it wasn’t like Kibum was trying to be cute at the moment. He just was. Especially when his nose scrunched up for a second and he turned slightly, curling into Minho. 

For a moment, Minho debated waking him so he could head back to his own bed in his own house, but he thought better of it. Instead, he carefully moved Jwi to lay up by his head, ignoring her sleepy meow in protest, and reached for a blanket to cover them both. His gaze drifted back to Kibum, tracing constellations in his freckles until the flames in the lanterns winked out, covering them in darkness. Minho closed his eyes, his head lolling until it rested against Kibum’s, and let himself succumb to sleep.