It was almost strange to see the Great Hall decked in yellow and black. 

In Minho’s four years at Hogwarts, this was the first time that Hufflepuff had won the House Cup. He smiled as he walked down the Hall to where the seventh years were getting a group picture taken with McGonagall and the rest of the professors. Their parents, siblings, and the other students waited patiently behind the camera. Minho squinted when the flash lit up the room, and he blinked it away as he made his way over to Cameron. 

“Have you seen Sam?” Minho started to shake his head, but then he glanced over Cameron’s shoulder to find the little Seeker pushing her way through the crowd to meet them. She stood beside Minho, glancing up at them and crossing her arms while they waited for Meg and the others to break free from their parents. “It shouldn’t be too long, now…” 

Minho looked around, searching for Kibum in the sea of people crowding the Hall. Hopefully whatever Meg wanted to talk to them about wouldn’t take too long. 

“Hey! Over here!” Cameron yelled, stepping up on his tiptoes and waving Melissa and Marc over. Claire was soon to follow them, and once Meg slipped out of her mom’s embrace she ran over to where the rest of the team was. 

She hooked her arms over Sam and Clarie’s shoulders, the rest of the team following her lead and forming a huddle. Her bottom lip quivered and she sniffed. “I’m really gonna miss you guys. This was a great year, and I’m really proud of all of you.” Meg took her hand off of Claire’s shoulder, wiping her eyes. “Marc, I wish you the best of luck at your apprenticeship! You’re gonna do great, I just know it.” He grinned. “And, I hope this means that once you’ve designed the best new broom, you’ll give me a discount?”

“Of course!” 

She chuckled, squeezing Claire’s shoulder. “I know you’re nervous about becoming an Auror, but you’re gonna be amazing.” Claire nodded, pursing her lips as she tried not to cry. “Mel, I hope you’ll be able to start writing as soon as possible for the Daily Prophet.”

“I can already see my first article…'New Harpy Astounds Onlookers With Her Brilliance and Competitive Spirit.’”

“I think that’s a bit too long for a headline,” Cameron said, and Meg chuckled, her gaze falling to the remaining three on the team. 

“I know this next year will be a bit rough since it’s a rebuilding year, but I couldn’t be leaving the team in better hands.” Her gaze settled on all of them in turn, and she sighed. “Win or lose, just know that I’ll still be proud of you. And I’ll try my best to come back for a game or two!” She slipped her hand off of Sam and Claire’s shoulder and dug into her pockets, producing the handheld cassette player from one and a small silver badge from the other. It had a C engraved in silver, flanked in bold yellow and black checkers. She passed them across the huddle to Cameron. “Hooch will probably send you one over the summer, but Tanner gave me this one when he left.” 

She kept her hand stretched out, grinning at the lot of them. “What do you say...one last time?” Minho glanced down at her hand, then reached out, covering it with his own. The others were quick to follow suit. “Badgers on three...one...two...Badgers!”

The din in the Hall quieted for a moment when they yelled Badgers in unison, but they soon went back to their chatter. Once the huddle broke, Meg and the rest of the seventh years went back to their parents, and after saying goodbye to Cameron and Sam, Minho started off in search of Kibum.  

He found him easily, as he was sitting with his head down in his crossed arms in his usual spot at the Slytherin table. Analecia sat beside him, rubbing his back lightly, and smiled as Minho approached. 

"Hey, buddy," he said as he slid onto the bench across from him. He lifted one hand in a half-hearted attempt at a wave, and Minho's brow furrowed. "What's wrong?" he mouthed, and Analecia's smile turned into a smirk. 

"Allergies."

Kibum lifted his head and sniffed dramatically, making Minho snort. "I think I'm allergic to Jwi."

Minho's amusement quickly morphed into worry. "Oh no...Ember…" Kibum nodded slowly, sniffing again.

"Your cat?" Analecia asked him. Minho hummed his assent. "What about her?" Before either could answer, she gasped, her attention shifting to Kibum. "Are you going to his house for the summer?"

"Just for a month," Kibum said at the same time that Minho asked, "You didn't tell her?"

It could have been Minho's imagination, but it looked like Kibum's face colored. He buried his head in his arms again. Minho patted the top of his head with a small smile. "Let's stop by the infirmary and see if Pomfrey has anything that can help, hm?"

He coughed. "Okay."

Minho slid off the bench, Kibum eventually following him down the table and out of the Great Hall. He led him down the corridor, past McGonagall's office, and to the hospital wing. "I'll be right with you," she said without turning around. 

He reached across the bed to the nightstand when Kibum sniffled again, grabbing the wooden box of tissues and holding it out to him. Kibum took one, blew his nose, and then another, and Minho folded his hands around the box while they waited. 

The trio of girls Pomfrey was helping filed out of the infirmary, all clutching small satchels. Minho watched them until they disappeared behind the doorway, his attention snapping back to Pomfrey when she cleared . “What can I do for you?” 

Kibum let out a long sigh that led to a chesty cough. “He just realized he’s allergic to cats, and he’s staying at my house for a while…”

“And you have a cat, I take it?” Both Minho and Kibum nodded. She turned, walking over to the armoire with her potions and remedies. “How long will you be there?” 

“At least a month, I think. Maybe more.” 

“Hm…” She picked up a bottle from the cupboard and one of the drawers below opened of its own accord.  After she finished rummaging through it, she walked back to them, her finds in hand, and the cupboard and drawers closed behind her. She popped the cork out of the green, bulb-shaped bottle and poured a little of the viscous potion into a tiny glass. "This is the Stinging Draught," she said as she passed the glass to him. "Stewed from nettles and rosemary. Should clear you up in five minutes." 

Reluctantly, Kibum raised his glass to his lips. He held his breath as he downed it in one swig, Minho grimacing in sympathy. He coughed as he handed it back to her and she slipped the bottle and the glass into her apron pocket.

"Now, that'll last you one, maybe two days at the most. So, for the rest of your stay, you'll take these." She handed Kibum a colorful box that said Sneeze Away - an allergy remedy you can sink your teeth into!. Minho frowned at it and looked back up at Madam Pomfrey. "You'll take one capsule every morning that you'll be around cats. It turns to gum and you'll need to chew it for at least thirty minutes before you're in contact with your allergen."

"Can't he just take Claritin?" Minho asked as Kibum flipped over the box, reading the instructions on the back. 

"Is that a Muggle remedy?" Minho nodded. "Those tend not to work for us."

"Ah, okay."

"Thank you," Kibum said after clearing his throat, his voice already sounding closer to normal.

"This should last you for the summer, but if you end up needing more, you can find this at any apothecary in London." Kibum nodded and tightened his grip on the box. "Is there anything else I can do for you two?"

He looked at Minho, who shook his head. "No, ma'am."

“You’d better hurry, then,” she said, turning away from them. “I think the carriages are leaving soon. Enjoy your summer!” she called after them as they ran out of the hospital wing. 

“Let’s double-check to make sure we didn’t miss anything in our rooms and then meet in the courtyard?”

“Sounds good.” Kibum patted his shoulder before he broke off and started down the hall toward Slytherin, leaving Minho to follow the golden light leading to Hufflepuff. 

* * * * * * * * * *

Fallen leaves skittered across the cobblestones of the courtyard.  Kibum stuffed his hands into his jeans' pockets, the hem of his dad's Weird Sisters t-shirt tickling the back of his hand as it billowed in the breeze. A heavy sigh, and he looked around, scanning the windows for a glimpse of Minho through the group of students waiting for the horseless carriages to come back to the castle. 

As much as he was looking forward to a break from schoolwork, he was already wishing that it'd be the start of term again right away. Which was ridiculous. This summer would be a blast because he got to spend most of it with Minho, but… The breeze picked up, whipping around him, and Kibum shivered despite the warmth. 

To be entirely honest, he was nervous. 

Why had Minho's parents relented to let him come? It seemed so odd, and Minho thought nothing of it. Maybe he was just being paranoid…

He looked behind him again, turning when he spotted Minho darting past the window. He ran right past the doorway and Kibum chuckled and frowned, making his way through the group of students to the open doorway. Minho was nowhere to be seen, but just for a second. He reappeared from the doorway leading to the greenhouses, grinning when he saw Kibum. 

“What were you doing?” Kibum asked as Minho jogged the length of the hall to meet him.

He took a second to catch his breath, pointing over his shoulder with a smile. “Sprout agreed to look after Jwi for the summer, so I just had to drop her off before we left.” 

“Ah, okay.” 

“Apparently Hooch likes cats.” When Kibum frowned in question, Minho huffed a laugh. “She was there with Sprout when I dropped Jwi off. It was kinda funny to see here coo like that.” 

“I can’t even imagine.” Minho smiled and slipped through the doorway, Kibum following him back through the crowd to where the horseless carriages were coming up the lane. Except… “What the ?” 

“What?” Kibum pointed at the strange, dark creatures pulling the carriages. They were still too far away for Kibum to make out any details. His brow furrowed when Minho said, “I don’t see anything different?”

“How? It’s....they’re…” He took a step back as the carriages drew near, slipping behind Minho as the creatures’ features became clearer. 

They were shaped like horses, that much he gathered, but their bodies were skeletal and grim, and they carried with them the scent of blood. Kibum gulped, slipping his hands tightly around Minho’s arm, his quick breaths steadying slightly when Minho’s hand covered his. Their gaunt frames were covered with a thin layer of black membrane, so thin that Kibum could see the bones moving beneath it. 

“Okay, students,” Crowell said. “Load up! Come on!” 

Around them, everyone moved, eager to be on the carriages so they could begin their journey home. 

Kibum, however, couldn’t find it within himself to do the same. 

“Bummie,” Minho whispered, his hand squeezing Kibum’s fingers. “We gotta go.” 

“You can’t see them?” 

“See what?” Kibum nodded to the terrifying horses, freezing when the closest one to them looked their way at the movement, its frosty white eyes focusing solely on him. “Sorry, I don’t.” 

Oh, great, he was going insane. Just what he needed. 

He could only tear his eyes away from the creature when Minho stepped in front of him, stealing his full attention. "Can you still see it?" Kibum shook his head, his attention slipping when one of them screeched in what he hoped was a whinny. "Hey," Minho snapped his fingers, and Kibum's eyes darted to meet his. There was worry there, in his eyes. Kibum took a breath to calm himself so that Minho could relax too. "Just keep looking at me, okay?"

He held out his hand to Kibum, who reluctantly took it, and led him to the nearest carriage that had open seats left. Minho didn’t let go once they stepped up nor when the creature surged forward, carrying them down the lane to Hogsmeade. He didn’t even let go when the Gryffindors sitting across from them gave them strange looks. Kibum didn’t have it in him at the moment to focus on whoever they were. The creature turned its head, preening its wings for a moment before looking back to the lane before it.

Kibum couldn’t help but gasp, and Minho just squeezed his hand tighter. “So what’s the first thing you wanna do?” 

“Hm?” 

“When we get back to Manchester. What do you wanna do?” 

The creature's long, thin tail flicked like a whip to slap away a fly off of its hindquarters. "I...I don't know."

Minho's thumb rubbed back and forth over his, the touch distracting him a little. Enough to look back at Minho. He lowered his head, meeting Kibum's eyes with his eyebrows raised. Right, focus on Minho, not the creatures. 

That shouldn't be too difficult.

He felt a little bad, not listening to whatever Minho was planning for them. His voice was just slightly louder in Kibum's ears than the rumbling of the carriage. He took steady breaths as he stared into Minho's eyes. Maybe it was because of the sun shining in them, but they looked almost amber now. Or, rather, like freshly brewed tea. The corners of his eyes crinkled up as he grinned, and Kibum couldn't help but smile with him. 

The carriages came to a stop, and Minho stood, pulling Kibum out of his seat before the Gryffindors stood. “You’ve never seen Star Wars, right?” he asked as they walked past the carriages. Kibum kept his gaze trained to the ground, doing his best to avoid looking at the creatures. 

“No, I haven’t.” 

Minho swung their joined hands between them for a second. “Okay, I’m adding that to the list.” 

Once they reached Hogsmeade and the carriages were behind them, Kibum wriggled his hand out of Minho’s grasp and stuffed it into his pocket, finally looking up. Minho was watching him, of course, his eyes wide in a silent question. Are you alright? Kibum offered him a smile and a nod before he followed the others to the train station.

Analecia waved them into her train compartment, and Kibum slid onto the bench beside her, nodding in greeting to Aaron and Callum on the other side. Minho closed the door behind himself before he took the spot beside Kibum. The others resumed their chatting about their summer plans, and just as Kibum was starting to listen, Minho's fingers brushed against his thigh. 

He started tickling him a second later, and Kibum smacked his hand away, looking over at him to find him grinning cheekily. Kibum rolled his eyes and scooted away, only for Minho to stretch out and tickle him again. Kibum laughed, holding Minho's hand down on the bench between them. 

"Why are you so annoying, hm?" he asked, wishing his fondness weren't so evident in his voice. At least he was speaking Korean, but still...

Minho just smiled in return, his head bobbling in smug satisfaction as he pulled his hand out of Kibum's hold and crossed his arms over his chest. 

The ride back to King's Cross was just what Kibum needed to take his mind off of the strange creatures. About halfway across Scotland, rain started to drizzle, the constant pat pat patting of the raindrops soothing his mind. When the Trolley Witch came through, Callum loaded up on snacks, much to everyone's surprise. 

"If I come back with extra money after school, they'll send me with less next year," he explained with a mouthful of licorice wands. He dumped his arm full of goodies out onto the bench, gesturing to the others to take what they wanted.

Minho grabbed one of the pumpkin pasties, passing it to Kibum and looking back when Kibum didn’t take it immediately. He just shook his head in response to Minho’s unasked question, and Minho nodded, dropping the pastry back onto the bench, grabbing two handfuls of candy instead before he went back to sit beside Kibum. He let the candy fall onto the bench between them, and they snacked on it while they waited for their turn to play Exploding Snap with Callum’s set of cards. 

The cards were reduced to ashes by the time the Hogwarts Express rolled into Platform 9 ¾. Minho brushed some of the flakes out of Kibum's hair as they followed the others out of the compartment and onto the platform. He had soot smudged across his nose, but he didn't stand still long enough for Kibum to wipe it off. No, there he went, running across the platform to find their luggage in the heap of everyone else's. 

Kibum couldn't help but smile as he jogged after him. 

Once they got their luggage and their owls, they ran -- Aaron lagging behind them -- to meet their train. All three tumbled onto the train just before the doors were closing, and they stuffed themselves and their luggage into a booth. 

Nervous anticipation ate at his stomach as the train rattled on. Minho and Aaron talked about Muggle things, sports mostly. Kibum didn't really mind, especially not when Minho shot him a cute apologetic look. 

Minho hugged Aaron goodbye when his stop came, and they both waved at him until he disappeared through the window. His hand dropped to his lap, and Kibum felt the weight of his gaze on him. "Hey," he said, his voice surprisingly soft. "You doing okay?" 

Kibum gulped, thinking back to the creatures he saw. "Yeah." He took a deep breath, his eyes flicking over to meet Minho's. "Thanks, by the way. For believing me." And for not thinking I'm crazy, he wanted to add, but the words died in his throat when Minho grabbed his hand, lacing their fingers together. 

"Of course." He squeezed Kibum's hand a couple of times. "I'm here for you, buddy."

Kibum smiled, his gaze dropping from Minho's to his nose where the soot was still smudged. "Hold still." He the tip of his thumb and cupped Minho's cheek as he wiped it off.  "There." Minho rubbed the tip of his nose with his palm, frowning at it when nothing came off. "So, who do you think will be there to pick us up?"

* * * * * * * * * *

"Got your stuff?" Minho asked as he hooked Geum-nan's cage with two fingers, picking her up as the train doors opened in Piccadilly station.

"Yeah!" 

They waited until most of the adults and families had cleared the car before they stood and followed them out onto the platform. His brow furrowed as they walked up the steps and he tried to remember which way to go. Kibum bumped into him when he stopped in the middle of the lobby, looking every which way for any sign of his family.

“Hey!” Minseok’s voice bellowed over the din, and both Minho and Kibum whirled around to see him, Minho grinning as his brother pocketed his keys and made his way over to them. 

“I thought Mom would be here?” 

“I’ll just off and you can walk home since, clearly, you’re not thrilled to see me.” Minho scoffed and Minseok grabbed his duffle bag, glancing behind him. “Hi, Kibum.” 

“Hello.” 

“Where’s Mom?” 

“Dad left work early and took her out for the night. They left us with pizza money.”

“Ooo -- “ 

Minseok nodded to Kibum’s trunk as he hefted Minho’s duffle bag. “Help him with that, and try to keep up!” 

It took a couple of tries to stuff their luggage and the owl cages in the trunk and backseat of Minseok's Ford -- Kibum could barely buckle his seatbelt. Minho slipped into the front passenger seat, glancing through Nutmeg’s cage to make sure that Kibum was doing alright. When he noticed Minho’s eyes on him, he smiled, and Minho turned back around, reaching out to adjust the volume dial on the car radio only for his hand to get smacked away. 

The drive home went by quickly, mainly because Minseok handed Minho his cellphone so that he could call Mom. He let her go almost as soon as he called since she was out with Dad, and it didn't take much longer for Minseok to pull into the driveway. He and Kibum pulled their stuff inside while Minseok hurried to unlock the door and trap Ember before she could run out the front door. 

Kibum followed Minho up the stairs to his room, his trunk thunking against each step as he dragged it behind him. Minho opened the door and went to drop his backpack and duffle bag on his bed before he opened the door. 

"Come on," he said as Kibum dropped the handle of his trunk and settled on the edge of Minho's bed. "Let's go get the owls."

Once Geum-nan and Nutmeg were happily on Geum-nan's perch, Minho flopped down on his bed, covering his eyes with the crook of his arm. The mattress dipped as Kibum sat beside him, but Minho didn't stir. 

"I wonder what they were."

"Hm?"

Kibum sighed heavily. "The creatures. The ones pulling the carriages."

Minho pulled his arm away and his eyes instantly found Kibum. He took in the droop of his shoulder, the downcast turn of his head… He sat up, slinging his arm over Kibum's shoulders. "I'm sure someone else knows. Maybe next time we -- or you -- go to Diagon Alley you can ask someone about it."

He hummed in thought. "Mom might know, too."

Minho nodded, patting Kibum's shoulder. He glanced about the room, his eyes settling on the folded-up air mattress beside his bed. He kicked it with his toe. "We should probably get this set up." 

"Yeah."

The mattress was about halfway filled with air by the time Ember paraded into the room, her tail held high. Minho patted his thigh, beckoning her over to him. She rubbed her head against his knee and let him scratch behind her ears for a few seconds before she went over to Kibum and climbed into his lap. 

Minho burst out laughing at Kibum's bewildered expression and he reached out to squeeze his knee when Kibum his teeth at him. 

"Is it really that funny?" He asked as he started to tentatively pet Ember's head. 

"Yeah, it is." 

He could tell that Kibum was trying hard not to smile,  and he redirected his attention to the air mattress, turning off the machine once the mattress was full. Ember jumped out of Kibum’s lap and sauntered out of the room, meowing at nothing in particular. He helped Minho stretch a fitted sheet over the mattress, and by the time they grabbed the blankets, Minseok yelled from downstairs that the pizza was on its way. 

Minho ran downstairs, Kibum on his heels, and hopped into Dad’s armchair and snatched up the remote before Minseok came into the room. Kibum plopped down in the spot closest to Minho, staring at the TV as Minho turned it on. “What do we want to watch?” 

“You mentioned Star Wars?” 

Minho’s eyes widened and he hopped out of the armchair, hurrying to scan the shelves filled with DVDs. He pulled out A New Hope and put it in, rushing back to his seat as Minseok came in with the pizza and soda. 

“What are we watching?” 

“Star Wars,” Minho and Kibum said at the same time. The starting screen appeared, the familiar theme playing as Minho reached back for the remote to the DVD player. “I’ve never seen it before,” Kibum added as Minseok set the pizza boxes on the coffee table. 

“What? And you’re starting him with A New Hope?” 

Minho’s brow furrowed. “It’s the first one?” 

“Not chronologically!” 

Minho groaned and let his head fall back against the armchair dramatically. “It’s not like the prequels are any good. You only like them because you think Natalie Portman is cute.”

“And I’m right about that. Put in Phantom Menace or you’re not getting pizza.” 

“Seriously?” Minseok took a bite of the pizza in his hand and smiled. “Ugh, fine.” 

Mom and Dad got home just as the pod racing was about to start, and Minho bounded out of his dad’s chair to go give them a hug in greeting. They seemed happy to see him, which was a relief. Honestly, he had been expecting them to be slightly miffed, given his refusal to come home and his insistence that Kibum stay with them for the summer. But it was okay, they were fine. 

He took the spot beside Kibum on the couch, since Minseok had taken Dad’s chair in his absence, and reached for the last slice of now-cold pizza. Oh, good, he had missed the entirety of the pod-racing scene. By the time the end credits started to roll, Dad came back into the living room and told Minho -- and, by extension, Kibum -- to go get ready for bed. Minho was about to protest -- it was barely nine o’clock and it was summer, after all -- but then he glanced over at Kibum and saw how exhausted he looked. 

“Okay, we’ll see you in the morning.” Kibum followed him out of the living room and up the stairs to his bedroom. “You wanna shower first?” 

“Sure.” 

“Here, let me show you how it works again.” 

When Kibum returned to his room, hair damp and pajamas donned, Minho swiftly went to go get ready for bed himself. Once he finished brushing his teeth after his shower, he went back across the hall to his room, immediately stepping on his tiptoes when he saw that Kibum was already asleep. Ember was curled up beside him, and Minho went over to her, scratching her head and smiling when she stretched her front legs out toward him. He went back and flicked off the light, swinging the door almost closed before he felt his way to his own bed. 

He had been about to drift off to sleep when Kibum’s breathing shifted. It came in short, stilted breaths as if he were running from something in his dream. Minho sat up, watching his prone form in the dim moonlight streaming through his window. Nutmeg’s wings fluttered and Minho started, the sound loud in the quiet of the night. His attention fell quickly back to Kibum when he stirred and sat up, catching his breath as Ember jumped down and darted out of the bedroom, the tip of her tail twitching. 

“Are you okay?” he asked when Kibum glanced his way. 

“It...it was just a dream.” 

Minho scooted back toward the wall and pulled back his covers, patting the empty space. For a moment, Kibum hesitated,  but then the air mattress creaked beneath him as he slid off of it and slipped into Minho’s bed. Minho stretched out toward his nightstand, reaching for his charging iPod and his earbuds before he relaxed back into bed and pulled the comforter over their heads. His forehead brushed against Kibum’s as he settled on the pillow, and he plugged the earbuds into the audio port. 

“Sorry, I only have one pillow,” he whispered as he scrolled through his songs, trying to find the perfect one. 

“I mean, I could grab mine…” His breathy chuckle caressed Minho’s cheek, which made him stop scrolling for a second. “But I don’t really feel like it.” 

Minho smiled to himself and passed Kibum one side of the earbuds before he stuck the other in his ear, then he started Yiruma’s “Maybe”. Kibum tucked his hand beneath the pillow, making himself comfortable beside Minho, who looked down and away when Kibum's eyes found his in the dim light from the screen. 

"Thanks." 

Minho slowly lifted his eyes, meeting Kibum's. "Was it...was it the creature? From earlier?" Kibum just nodded. "Are they here right now?" He shook his head as the screen timed out and went dark. "You're safe now."

"I know," Kibum said, his smile evident in his voice. "I'm with you." 

Silence stretched between them for several heartbeats and was broken when Kibum cleared his throat. "Goodnight, Min."

"Goodnight."