A/N: It's finally here...the day of reckoning...I hope you have some popcorn lol

* * * * *

"Everyone, to your feet!" O'Neely said cheerfully from the front of the classroom. "Move your desks aside and grab a partner so you can practice your hex deflecting!"

Pandora slid off the bench and waited until Minho did the same before she hoisted their bench up and started to move it to the side of the room. "You wanna be my partner?" Minho asked her once he set their desk down.

She pursed her lips, glancing sheepishly to the side. "Rhesa and I are partners, sorry…"

"It's okay! Don't worry about it."

He looked around the room, searching for another person to partner up with, and his eyes met Damien's. Damien smiled and started for him, and Minho's shoulders started to sag. Reluctantly, he looked back up at him, but before he could approach him, an arm slung over Minho's shoulders.

Minho’s eyebrows shot up as he looked over...Gilbert.

“You wanna partner up?”

Minho started to smile, pointedly avoiding Damien. “Sure!”

He grabbed his wand from his pocket, twirling it between his fingers as he waited for O'Neely's word. Pairs of students gathered on either side of the room, leaving the center of the classroom open for O'Neely to walk through. His robe billowed behind him as he strode down the opposite end, stationing himself below the tail of the dragon skeleton hanging above him. "Are we all partnered up?"

"Yes, Professor."

"Excellent. Who wants to go first?"

Minho glanced at Gilbert who shook his head. "Third," he whispered, then smiled when Minho cocked his eyebrow. "Gets us out of the way early on but without the pressure of being the first."

"Ah, okay."

“Now,” O’Neely continued, and Minho returned his attention to him to find that Chelsea and Richard were standing with him, waiting to go first. “Each of you will get the opportunity to attack twice and deflect twice. Take turns. Do we all remember the deflection spell?”

“Salvio hexia!” Minho answered with the others.

“Perfect! Make sure to swipe across yourself, like so -- “ He demonstrated, holding his wand above his shoulder and swishing it across himself to point at the floor. “You’ll need to do this as soon as you see the flash of light from the tip of your opponent's wand. Be sure to point your wand at the floor because you’re quite literally deflecting the spell. You don’t really want to hit any of your other students with a hex, now do you?” He smiled when chuckles rippled around the classroom then he looked to Chelsea and Richard. “Are we ready?”

“Yes, Professor!”

“Let’s go, then!” Chelsea stayed where she was beneath the tail of the dragon skeleton and Richard walked about ten paces away. “Back up a little more, Mr. Chaplin. Until you’re under the dragon’s head. There you go.” O’Neely stepped out of the way, standing at the far end of the classroom behind the students, no doubt watching and waiting for a hex to go wrong.

Minho glanced between Chelsea and Richard, wondering to himself which one would go first. It seemed like Richard was waiting for her to attack, but growing steadily impatient as she didn’t do more than just raise her eyebrow in disdain.

“So, they broke up, you think?” Gilbert whispered and Minho covered his grin with his fist.

“Steleus!” Richard finally said, and Chelsea immediately counteracted with “Salivio hexia!” only to fire back with two hexes in a row. Richard was only able to block one, but the other stunned him, knocking him back a few steps. Minho watched him, wide-eyed, as his head started to balloon with the after-effects of the hex. When he glanced back at Chelsea, she was sporting a smug little smile.

“I’d say…” His eyes trailed after O’Neely as he hurried across the room to help Richard reverse the hex. “Definitely.”

When the second pair finished, Gilbert patted Minho’s shoulder. “Be nice to me.”

Minho scoffed. “Yeah, okay.”

“Who’s next?” O’Neely asked, scanning the room and looking to Minho and Gilbert when they raised their hands. “Alright, get up here.”

As he walked over to stand beneath the dragon’s head, Minho mentally ran through the hexes he could remember. Tail-growing, tickling, scalping… He twirled his wand between his fingers as he waited for Gilbert to turn around.

“Spiritus ignus!” Gilbert shouted as he turned, dramatically flourishing his wand

Minho countered it, the light from the hex winking out at his feet. “Crescoda!” he said with a swish of his wand, smiling when Gilbert successfully deflected it. A relief. He would have looked incredibly stupid with a tail. A second later, Gilbert cast the Twitchy-Ears hex, which Minho easily deflected, and Minho cast “Titillando”, ending their session.

“Very good, you two!” O’Neely said with a small smile as they walked back to where they were on the sidelines. “Who wants to go next?”

Most everyone was able to deflect the hexes hurled at them, but the occasional curse got through a few of their defenses. O'Neely was quick to swoop in and reverse the effects of the hexes while the other student showered them with apologies.

"We're down to our last pair, right?" O'Neely said with a sigh -- he had just reversed the Twitching Ears hex Seb hit Travis with. Nick's hand rose and Damien stepped out into the center of open area. "Brilliant." The bell rang, and both of them stopped to look up at the sound. "That's just the first one. We have five more minutes." He snapped his fingers and both Damien and Nick hurried into their places beneath the skeletal dragon.

Damien glanced Minho's way with the slightest smirk before he refocused on Nick. Their duel was rapid-fire hexes, back and forth and back again. After the light of Damien’s Densaugeo fizzled away, Nick looked up at him, who gave him the slightest nod, so slight that Minho wasn't even sure he saw it. "Excorio capillum!" Damien caught the curse with the tip of his wand, but instead of flinging it to the ground like he was supposed to, he flung it outwards…

Minho lifted his hands in defense of the hex hurtling toward him. The light of it enveloped him, the cold breeze that tingled over his head lingering long after the light disappeared. He blinked and opened his eyes, shrinking back at the obvious shock on everyone's faces.

Even O'Neely's eyes were blown wide.

"What happened…" he whispered out of the side of his mouth to Gilbert.

"You...your hair…"

Tentatively, he reached up, lightly touching his now bare scalp. His entire face inflamed; he knew his face was brighter than the red in Gryffindor's uniforms.

"Merlin's beard, Minho, I'm so sorry," Damien said, sounding genuinely apologetic. "I don't know what happened. My wand slipped, maybe."

"That's enough," O'Neely said, crossing the room to get to Minho. "Go ahead and leave for your next period, everyone. Brent, Russell, work on putting the desks back where they should be," he said, his voice gruffer than usual. Before he stepped in front of Minho to reverse the hex, Minho glanced at Damien again, only to find him smiling.

When he caught Minho looking his way, he winked.

"Hold still," O'Neely said, drawing Minho's attention away from Damien. "This will only take a second." He waved his hand over Minho's head, leaving a nearly unbearable itch in its wake. As soon as he lowered his wand, Minho reached up to touch his hair.

Thank god, there was hair again. Tears sprang to his eyes as he murmured his thanks to O'Neely. He hung his head as he made his way back over to his desk to wear his backpack was. "I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to -- " Damien said, his voice dropping off when the door to O'Neely's office shut. "Looking good, Choi."

"I have to get to class," he said, sniffing.

"Aw, are you crying?" He ruffled Minho's hair and Minho flinched, ducking out of his reach. "You got your hair back, it's no big deal."

"Leave me alone."

He reached over to ruffle Minho's hair again and laughed when he hurried for the door. "Have fun in class!"

Minho kept his gaze on his feet, practically running out the door. He slowed when he passed the threshold and glance past the Slytherins and Ravenclaws gathered outside Classroom 3C. "Min!" Kibum's voice cut through the din, and Minho gritted his teeth as he stopped himself from glancing his way. If he spoke to Kibum, he would start crying.

To be honest, if he even looked at him, he probably would cry as well.

He picked up his pace, all but running to where the girls in his Arithmancy class were clustered outside the door. He avoided Camila's sympathetic gaze as she opened the door for him. As the door closed behind Priyasha, Minho slumped down in his seat, burying his head in his crossed arms. And there he stayed, swallowing past the lump in his throat as he waited for Professor Vector to arrive.

The click of her heels down the corridor came a moment later, Minho and the others sitting at attention as she closed the door behind her. "Let's open to page 104 and pull out some parchment and a quill. Now -- "

Her voice dropped off and all eyes turned to the door when a slam outside shook the wall. The classroom remained still for a moment. No other loud sounds came, and Vector waved her wand around the room, cloaking it in tranquility. "Probably just a Gryffindor boy getting rowdy again. No offense, girls."

Camila snorted and Theo said, "None taken."

"Alright. Let's pick up with the reading I assigned last week. Chloe, start with the section on numeral cycles."

* * * * * * * * * *

Crusty sleep dug into Kibum's eyes as he rubbed them. He teetered, accidentally bumping shoulders with Analecia as they walked past the Great Hall on their way to the moving staircases.

"Sorry."

"It's okay."

They started up the steps, Kibum slowly waking up as they walked. Was this how Minho felt in the morning? Disoriented as ? No wonder he was so grumpy. Kibum hadn't meant to nap, not really. He had just been doing the assigned reading from History while lying in bed and, well, the reading was as boring as the professor, so…

Analecia reached the third floor first with Kibum only a step or two behind her. They waded through the sea of Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors on their way to their next period. As they drew closer to Classroom 3C, Kibum went up on his tiptoes as he walked, catching a glimpse of Minho. Wait, what happened to his hair?

"Min!" He heard him, given the way he slowed and his jaw clenched, but he didn't turn to look at him as he hurried down the corridor.

"I wonder what happened to him…" Analecia said, and Kibum hummed in response, his eyes not leaving Minho until he slipped into the Arithmancy classroom.

Laughter from inside the Defense classroom drew his attention away, and Kibum glanced over at Damien and Nick as they slipped outside to mingle with the Slytherins and Ravenclaws. "I swear on my own life," Damien said, and Nick schooled his expression. "I'll never forget how ing stupid he looked." Nick snorted and Damien bumped Kibum's shoulder as he walked past. "Oh, sorry."

Kibum turned, watching him go.

"Like, it was just a little hex -- "

"Right? And O'Neely fixed him right up."

"Just a slip of the wrist," Nick said, flicking his wand daintily.

"Hey," Kibum said, his voice stern enough to stop Nick in his tracks. Damien kept walking until Kibum called out his name. He turned, his eyebrow raised in curiosity. "We're both prefects, yeah? So maybe we should try not to be or make fun of other students behind their backs."

"I'm not making fun of anyone."

Kibum squinted. "Right. Well, see, my head isn't sticking so far up my that I can't hear anything but the sound of my own voice, so I did hear what you just said." Silence settled over the corridor, the students who had been heading inside the classroom or down the stairs freezing in place.

Damien smiled then glanced over at Nick before he shoved his hands into his robe pockets and started back to where Kibum was standing. He cocked his head to the side. "How ing precious."

"Excuse me?"

"It's just -- " He pressed his hand over heart and feigned joy. " -- So sweet how eager you are to defend your boyfriend." Kibum blinked rapidly, taking a step back as his face heated up. "Oh, you didn't know? I thought everyone did."

"Kn - knew what?"

"That you and Minho were a…" he snapped his fingers, glancing at Nick as if he were thinking of the right word. "A thing."

Kibum's hands clenched into fists at his sides, and Analecia grabbed the sleeve of his robe, holding him in place. "We're not, he's my best friend."

"Oh, okay, that makes more sense. You're a Slytherin, after all." With a flourish of his robe, he turned around, heading to the staircase with a smirking Nick.

"What the is that supposed to mean?"

"No true Slytherin would want to dirty themselves by...interacting with a Mudblood."

For a split second, Kibum's mind went completely blank, save for slur echoing within. It was silenced, however, as his rage boiled over. He tore his robe off, releasing himself from Analecia's grip, and lunged for Damien. Ordinarily, he probably wouldn't have been able to shove him an inch in either direction, but today…

He grabbed the collar of his shirt and sweater, tugging back until Damien toppled to the ground. "What the f -- "

"Don't...you...dare...call...him...that…" he said, punctuating each word with a kick to his ribs. As he was about to strike again, Damien grabbed his ankle and twisted it. Kibum lost his balance and fell, his knee and his head hitting the stone floor. Wincing, he rolled over to see Damien crawling to his feet.

He held his hand to his ribs as he staggered over to where Kibum was scooching away from him. "This wasn't the first time. Probably won't be the last." He dug into his pocket and pulled out his wand. "Impedimenta!" he said, pointing the tip of his wand at Kibum and flicking him toward the opposite wall. Kibum crumpled against it, a throbbing pain slicing through his brow.

"He's just a charity case to you, isn't he? Some loyal enough to not care that you're just trying to feel better about being sorted into He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's house."

He squeezed his eyes shut to eradicate the stars floating into his vision and sat up, touching his fingers to his eyebrow. There was something wet. He pulled his hand away and his stomach turned at the bright blood dripping down his fingers. With a grimace, he wiped the blood off onto his sweater and braced himself against the wall as he stood, facing Damien once again.

There was an underlying panic in his eyes as he focused on the blood dripping past Kibum's eye. He could feel it, cooling his skin as it slipped over his cheekbone.

It only took a glance toward Analecia for her to know what he wanted her to do -- to toss him his wand. As soon as he caught it, he swished it through the air and shouted "Expelliarmus!", effectively collecting both Damien and Nick's wands. Both of their eyes widened as they retreated a few steps. "Don't you ing act like you know me. At all. Stupefy!"

Both Gryffindors shot off in opposite directions -- Nick toward the staircases and Damien down the hall, slamming into the wall close to Minho's classroom. No one in the gathered students moved until Damien started to sit up. Nick scurried away, no doubt running back to Gryffindor Tower. Kibum let him go with a glance; this fight wasn't with him anyway.

He took a step toward Damien as soon as he propped himself up, but that's as far as he got.

"Mr. Kim," Professor O'Neely said, his stern voice silencing any chatter that had begun amongst the others. "My office, now." Kibum stuffed his wand in his back pocket and held onto Damien and Nick’s tightly. He raised his chin as he turned and started for the door. If O'Neely was surprised by the state of Kibum, he made no show of it. "To everyone else, let's reconvene after your last class of the day."

"Sir," one of the Ravenclaw girls said, a little timidly. "Damien -- "

"Yes, I see him. Be on your way, now. I'll see you all later."

Kibum turned quickly and hurried inside the classroom when O'Neely started down the hall, presumably toward Damien. He made his way up the steps and let himself inside his office. Adrenaline was still coursing through his veins, so much so that he wasn't able to sit still while he waited for O'Neely and Damien to return. Instead, he paced. Back and forth in front of the bookshelves, looking at the spines but unable to focus on the words inscribed there.

The door cracked open and Kibum's grip on the wands tightened as he stopped to watch them come inside.

"Sit."

Kibum hesitated, waiting until Damien slumped into one of the armchairs before O'Neely's desk before he sat at the edge of the other. The nervous clacking of the wands against his knee was loud in the quiet of the room.

"So...who wants to go first."

Kibum cleared his throat and glanced back at Damien. He had yet to look up from his scuffed knee. "I will." He told him about the conversation he overheard before he was going to head inside Classroom 3C.

He stopped when O'Neely abruptly held up his hand and looked at Damien. "So that was on purpose, then?" Kibum glanced down at Damien, his brow furrowing slightly.

"Yes, sir."

O'Neely closed his eyes and clenched his hand into a fist. "Continue, Mr. Kim."

He detailed the rest of the fight, internally flinching when he got to the part where he had to say that Damien used the M-word. O'Neely's already stoic expression turned stony, and Kibum hurried on, eager to be done with it. Once he finished, the room fell silent again.

"Is this what happened, Mr. Brent?"

"Yes, sir."

"Do you have anything you would like to add?"

"No, sir."

O'Neely clasped his hands before him on his desk. "I see." Silence returned, more awkward this time than the last. Kibum had to stop himself from tapping the wands on his knee in anticipation. "Duels are not permitted between students outside of practice under the watchful eye of a professor. Because of this, I will be writing to both of your mothers, detailing this incident and the punishments I've given you."

"What will that be, sir?" Kibum asked quietly.

"Both of you will be stripped of your Prefect privileges and will receive detention this Saturday instead of being able to go to Hogsmeade."

It was then that Damien lifted his eyes. "We're not being expelled?" O'Neely shook his head, and Damien let out a long sigh.

"Mr. Kim, you can head to the infirmary. Mr. Brent will be right behind you."

"Yes, sir."

Kibum started to walk away, turning back when he noticed the wands still in his hand. He set them on the desk and made his way outside, closing the door behind him. He made his way down the hall to the far staircase and involuntarily glanced at the closed door of the Arithmancy classroom as he passed it.

The bell rang by the time Kibum was settled into his assigned bed. He looked up at the sound before Madam Pomfrey drew his attention again with her mutterings. It was time for Charms, which meant it was only a matter of minutes before Minho knew about the fight. Before he could think about that anymore, Pomfrey was back at his bedside with a needle, thread, and a small pair of scissors.

"Sit up and sit still. This won't take me very long."

Kibum hurried to obey her.

* * * * * * * * * *

By the time the bell rang, Minho had calmed down from Defense. He was no longer on the verge of crying and he was eager to get to his next class. It was with Slytherin, which of course automatically meant that it would be fun. He gathered his book and utensils, following the girls out of the classroom and into the corridor.

It was strangely quiet.

He hurried over to Classroom 3C, peeking inside to find it empty. Huh...they must have finished before the bell rang… Odd. Kibum usually waited for him when that happened. He made his way down the hall, glancing every which way to make sure that Damien wasn’t lurking anywhere nearby to pester him again. Luckily, he made it to Classroom 2E unscathed. Most of Slytherin and Hufflepuff were inside, but after a quick scan of the room, Minho couldn’t find Kibum. Analecia waved him over, and he slid onto the bench beside her.

She cleared as she sat. “Where’s Kibum?” Her eyes widened a little, and the chatter around the classroom quieted. Minho glanced around, shrinking back a little when he found most of the Slytherins watching him. “I-I know he said he wasn’t feeling well at lunch...did he go to the infirmary?”

“Uh…”

“Welcome, students!” Flitwick’s cheery voice distracted Minho momentarily. “Today we’ll be learning more about the Levitation Charm!”

Minho opened his book to the reading then glanced around again to find that most of the Slytherins had stopped looking at him and were instead focused on Flitwick now. He looked over at Analecia when she tapped his elbow, then down at the scrap of paper she was passing him.

Kibum got into a fight before Defense. With Damien Brent. It was about you but I’m not sure why. Anyways, O’Neely took them into his office to talk and that’s all I know right now.

Minho stared unblinking at the parchment before he folded it up and tucked it into his pocket. Well, his concentration was officially shot. He couldn’t focus on a single word for the entire duration of the lesson, and when the bell rang, he bolted out of his seat and ran for the door. It wasn’t until he reached the ground floor that he realized he left his backpack in the Charms classroom. Not that it mattered -- he could go get it once he was sure Kibum was okay.

He rounded the corner to the infirmary, scanning the beds until he spotted Kibum.

A thick white bandage was wrapped around Kibum’s head and a red mottled bruise near his hairline seeped out from under both sides of it. This is why...this is why he didn’t want to mention anything to Kibum. Because he knew he would get involved and that he would get hurt. Kibum glanced up from the book in his hands, catching Minho’s gaze and not letting it go.

“Are you gonna come in or just hang out in the doorway all day?”

Reluctantly, Minho stepped forward, trudging to Kibum’s bedside. “Are...are you okay?”

Kibum, instead of answering, searched Minho’s expression until he sat down on the bed beside him. “How long?”

“How long what?” Kibum his teeth and nodded across the room. Minho looked where he directed and found Damien watching them, though he looked away as soon as Minho met his eyes. To Minho’s surprise, he looked fairly beaten up, too. “I don’t know w -- “

“Cut the . How long has he been bullying you?”

“I...I wouldn’t call it bullying…”

“Choi Minho, I swear to Merlin himself -- “

“First year.”

“First…” Minho lunged forward to keep him from getting out of bed to attack Damien again, presumably. “If I so much as see you glance in his general direction, I’ll make you wish you’d never set foot in Hogwarts! Do you ing understand me?” By the time Kibum finished yelling, Minho had pulled the curtain around his bed, cutting off their view of Damien, and vice versa.

“Okay, you slipped into Korean at the end there, but I think he got the gist.”

“Min, this isn’t funny to me.”

“It’s a little funny.”

Kibum glared at him until he sat down beside him again. “Do you not trust me?”

“What? Of course, I do.”

“Why couldn’t you tell me that this was happening, then? Did you tell anyone else?” Minho shook his head and Kibum leaned back, settling into his pillow. He stared at Minho, clenching and unclenching his jaw. It didn’t take long for Minho to drop his gaze, focusing instead on his wringing hands. “Is this why you’ve been doubting whether you belong here or not? Because of things Damien has said?”

“Yes.” After a moment of silence, Kibum let out a clipped huff. “Are you mad at me?”

“Obviously.” Minho’s brow furrowed as he looked back up at Kibum. There was an enticing fire dancing in his eyes now. “I don’t like it when we don’t tell each other . I’m mad at myself for not even ing noticing that you’ve been going through this. Or, even, that you felt like you couldn’t come to me for help. You’ve been there for me when I’ve needed you. Why couldn’t you let me do the same?”

“I didn’t want you to get hurt. Or in trouble.”

Kibum scoffed and gestured to his face. “Clearly, you’re worth it to me. Oh, and another thing -- “

Whatever tirade Kibum launched into fell onto deaf ears. Minho watched him with a faint smile as he was no doubt yelling at him. He was worth it -- something he was, for whatever reason, unsure of until right now. The fire in Kibum’s eyes had yet to dim, and Minho couldn’t help but let himself be engulfed by it. It warmed him from the inside out, just knowing that Kibum cared this much about him. And so what if his care was manifesting in anger right now? He wasn’t truly upset with him, not really. He was more upset with himself, which was probably why he was still yelling.

Minho traced Kibum’s face with his gaze, staring at the bit of gauze that was starting to become unraveled. Without a second thought, Minho leaned closer and reached out to tuck it back into place. Kibum immediately stopped talking, his eyes widening as Minho's thumb caressed his cheekbone.

"Does it hurt?" Minho asked as he started to lower his hand, only for Kibum's to grab onto Minho's wrist to hold his hand in place.

His gaze dropped to Minho's lips for the tiniest of seconds, then he met his eyes again. "A little. But...but not right now."

Wait, did he...did he want to kiss him right now? Minho cursed himself internally as his gaze dropped to Kibum's lips too, and he his own. "I'm sorry." Kibum pulled his hand away, letting Minho drop his. He rested it between them on the bed. "I should have told you sooner."

"Much sooner. But," Minho looked down at their hands when Kibum brushed his finger against Minho's. "I understand why you kept it to yourself. I'm sorry for yelling at you."

Minho sniffed a laugh and looked up at Kibum again. "It's okay."

Maybe it was the warmth of the infirmary or the blankets Kibum was bundled under, but his face started to color. It bloomed across his cheeks and onto his ears. Soon his whole face was a bright shade of pink. He gulped, his gaze flicking between Minho's eyes and his lips, settling on Minho's eyes.

The fire was still there, in Kibum's eyes; dancing, flickering in the natural light streaming through the windows. It drew him in, and he leaned slightly closer, the tips of their fingers interlocking.

They were secluded, after all. Shrouded from view by the curtain. Maybe this was the moment he had been waiting for. Maybe he didn't have to even say it…

"Mr. Kim," Madam Pomfrey said, her voice eradicating the electricity in the air between them. They both immediately leaned back before the curtain was drawn back so she could walk through. "Let me check how your stitches are holding."

"I -- " Minho shot up from the bed and cleared his throat. "I should go. Left my backpack in Charms."

Kibum's expression turned fond. "."

"Yeah." Minho smiled when Kibum's dimples appeared, then glanced back at the door. "I'll see you later?" Kibum nodded and Minho practically ran for the door. He ducked into the nearest stairwell and pressed his hand over his heart, taking deep breaths until the beating of it calmed and his face felt less flushed.

Almost...so ing close…

"," he whispered breathlessly.

For a moment, he let himself imagine what it would have been like. Nice. More than nice, probably. He slumped against the wall, closing his eyes as he replayed the moment in his head. Over and over. He opened his eyes as he smiled, then pushed away from the wall and took the steps two at a time until he reached the Serpentine Corridor.

The door to the Charms classroom was left ajar and he slipped inside, finding his backpack easily. He slung it over his shoulder and hurried back outside.

Even though there was no one else around, he ran up the steps to the seventh floor and waited impatiently for the door to appear to their study closet. When it did he went inside, lighting a few of the candles before it closed.

"Where is it?" he muttered to himself, digging around under their blankets for his phone. When he found it, he went straight to his messages between himself and Sooyoung.

17:04 // Are you still awake?

When she didn't respond immediately, he relaxed against the wall and sorted through his other messages, answering his brother and his mom.

Sooyoungie
17:09 // it's like
17:09 // 1AM
17:10 // what

17:10 // sorry I didn't mean to wake you up

17:13 // it's okay
17:13 // what's up kiddo?

17:17 // okay so you remember me talking about my best friend? Kibum? You asked me when I was there if I liked him and I said I wasn't sure and well that was kinda a lie because I knew I did but like it's hard to admit but you know that. Anyways. Well today we almost kissed
17:17 // well we got close, I think

17:18 // wait really? How close?

17:19 // I don't know. Maybe I was just imagining it

17:19 // well
17:19 // what did he do to make you think that he wanted to kiss you?

17:19 // uh

He tapped his phone against his knee, closing his eyes as he relived the moment once more.

17:24 // I think he was looking at my lips a lot and he might have been trying to hold my hand a little bit

17:24 // I mean………

17:24 // I'm overthinking it, aren't I

17:26 // in this case, I don't think it's a bad thing. I know this isn't something you want to think about but has he ever shown interest in anyone else? Who else is he close to? He might not like guys or maybe he sees you two as just friends. It's something to keep in mind. I know he means a lot to you and I want you to be sure of his feelings as well as yours before you take that step you know? I don't want you to get hurt, Ming. Not by your best friend, especially

Minho deflated, staring blankly at his screen. Had Kibum shown interest in anyone else? Was he interested in guys, too? If he wasn't, then he probably had a crush on Analecia, given how much time they spent together. But was it really worth getting his hopes up? What if he lost him because he was too impulsive and acted rashly on this rush of feelings?

No, it was better to keep these thoughts to himself. The last thing he wanted or needed was Kibum feeling uncomfortable because of him.

17:27 // sorry, I know that's not what you wanted to hear

17:27 // it's okay

17:27 // if it makes you feel better, based on what you've said, I do think he likes you

17:27 // I'm glad I have you to help me keep my head on straight

17:28 // well, not straight, but you know
17:28 // do you need me for anything else?

17:29 // no, I'm good, you can go back to sleep. Thanks for helping me out~

17:30 // bye~~ love you~~

17:30 // love you too~~~~

When she didn't respond again, he turned off his phone and tossed it into the pile of blankets, letting out a long sigh.

* * * * * * * * * *

“I’ll see you later?”

Nodding, Kibum watched Minho rush out of the infirmary. He didn’t look away until Madam Pomfrey turned his head toward her so that she could unwrap the bandages. “How is it feeling?”

“Okay. I don’t really notice the pain right now.”

“That’s because the mandrake root is still in effect. Hold still.” He obeyed, but his gaze settled on the indent Minho had left on the bed. If only Pomfrey hadn’t shown up when she did, they might have...well, Kibum wasn’t sure if they actually would have or not but...it was sure looking that way. He sighed and froze when Madam Pomfrey pulled the bandages away. “Come back after dinner so I can check to see if they’re holding.”

“Am I good to go now?”

She answered with a nod and she pulled back the curtain then directed one of the nurses to turn down Kibum’s bed once he left it. He glanced across the room to where Damien was, but his view was blocked by Madam Pomfrey checking the bandages wrapped around his chest.

Just as well. He didn't really want to see him, anyway.

He looked both ways as he was leaving the infirmary, scanning the corridor for a glimpse of Minho. His heart sank a little when he didn't see him. It wasn't like he was expecting Minho to almost kiss him...maybe…again. That moment had passed.

But…

Oh god, what if he had come on too strong and freaked Minho out? He had been very eager to leave the hospital wing…

"." Why was he so goddamn stupid? Did he just ruin everything? He was too lucky to have someone like Minho in his life in the first place, so it only made sense that he would it up at some point.

He trudged down the hall to the nearest staircase and made his way downstairs. Once he reached the corner between Hufflepuff and Slytherin, he looked down the hall toward Hufflepuff. No, he should leave him be. He probably didn't want to talk to him right now anyway.

Maybe he should apologize for making things awkward between them?

Hmm...or he could ask Jonghyun for his advice.

He turned, heading down the dark hallway and unlocking the entrance to the common room. All eyes turned toward him as the bricks fell into place. Callum and Aaron hopped over the back of the couch and ran toward him.

"Dude, are you okay? Those stitches look like they hurt."

"I always knew you had it in you," Callum said, lightly punching Kibum's shoulder.

Kibum suppressed his wince. The aches from the duel were starting to settle into his bones. "Thanks? And I'm okay. I'm just gonna go lay down for a bit." Aaron nodded, both following him to the archway leading to the dorms. "Alone, if possible."

"Oh, right."

"Yeah, of course."

Kibum continued on, closing and locking the door behind himself before he flopped down on his bed. He let out a long sigh, rolling over on his back and staring up at the pictures moving across the roof of his bunk.

Damien saying your boyfriend flitted through his mind as he watched the memories replay. Was he really that obvious? Did the whole ing school know? Did Minho? What if he just tolerated Kibum's feelings for him because he didn't want to hurt him?

Kibum covered his eyes as tears started to well up, only to cup his hand around his sliced eyebrow. His chin quivered as he started to cry.

What a ty day.

He let himself cry -- after the day he had had, he ing deserved it -- until he had no tears left. Once his tears were dried, he rolled onto his stomach and reached under his pillow to grab his notebook between him and Jonghyun.

When you have a minute, can we talk?

Kibum stared at the page for a moment, half-expecting and half-hoping that Jonghyun would respond right away. Several minutes ticked by, and nothing. Kibum snapped the notebook shut and stuffed it under his pillow again. As soon as he slipped out of bed there came three light raps on the door. Analecia. Slowly, he opened it to let her peek inside.

“Hey, it’s time for dinner.” Kibum sighed and slipped into the hallway behind her. "You doing alright?"

"It's just been...a day."

She offered him a small smile. "Yeah."

He followed her out into the common room where they congregated with the stragglers on their way to the Great Hall. Dinner smelled good, from the whiff he got from the kitchens on his way to the staircase. Footsteps from above drew his attention, and to Kibum's surprise, Minho hopped down onto the landing as they were coming up to it.

He stared at Kibum with wider eyes than usual before he blinked and looked down. Great, he knew he had made him feel uncomfortable. How would he ever rectify this? Minho fell into step beside him, and Kibum could feel his eyes on him as they walked with the others out into the main corridor. He immediately looked away when Kibum glanced up at him. Kibum would have apologized right then and there, but they walked through the threshold of the Great Hall, and Minho smiled at him before he made his way over to the other side of the Hall.

Analecia patted his shoulder when he sighed. “Come on.”

Dinner was a warm and hearty beef stew with sides or freshly baked rolls and herb-covered roasted vegetables. Kibum picked at his food, as he was not really all that hungry, and tried not to think about the events of the day. He mashed a roasted carrot beneath his fork and peered through the people between himself and Minho. Of course he was eating like it was his last meal. Kibum rolled his eyes and smiled down at his plate, spearing a potato before looking back across the Hall at Minho.

Oh? He was getting up?

Kibum scooted over once he passed the threshold and watched him until he plopped down beside him. “So, I’m the worst person ever,” he said, reaching over to grab one of the carrots off of Kibum’s plate.

“I knew that, but continue.”

“I didn’t take any notes in Charms today. But!” Minho added on with a laugh when Kibum feigned shock. “It was just a revision of the Levitation Charm so it’s not that big of a deal.”

“Well,” Kibum raised his eyebrows haughtily as he moved the carrots on his plate closer to Minho. “I suppose I can forgive you.”

“So generous.”

“Oh, I’m aware.” Minho shook his hair out of his eyes, blinking hard before he reached for another carrot. “Is it too long now? Your hair?”

“A little bit. I don’t know if I like it or not.”

“You do usually have it shorter. Maybe you can go to the hairdresser on Saturday?”

Minho’s brow furrowed. “You won’t come with me?”

Kibum shook his head. “I'll be at detention. Oh, hey,” he turned to Analecia then. “Would you want to go with him?”

She gave him a confused look as she put down her water. “Where? You guys were speaking Korean.”

“Right, sorry. To the hairdresser on Saturday?”

Analecia peeked around him to look at Minho. “If you want me to, I will, but I could also cut it for you.”

“Really?” Kibum and Minho asked at the same time.

She smiled. “Yeah. I cut my roommates’ hair when they need it. I’m done eating if you want to go now.”

“Sure!” Analecia and Kibum stood and Minho started to, only to stop mid-way and stare past them. “What’s wr -- “ Kibum’s voice dropped off when he noticed O’Neely quickly making his way toward them.

“Mr. Choi, can I speak with you for a moment in my office?”

“Uh,” Minho’s eyes flicked to meet Kibum’s. “Yes, sir.” O’Neely breezed past them and Minho turned to follow him. “I’ll meet you guys there?” Kibum nodded and shoved him a little, getting him started on his way. It was about an hour before Minho found them in Kibum’s dorm. He looked a little red around the eyes -- probably had been crying. Kibum’s heart ached as he watched him close the door, and he shook his head at Analecia, hoping she knew not to say anything. “Sorry, that took a bit longer than I thought.” He cleared his throat and glanced between them. “Where do you want me?”

“Right in front of Kibum’s trunk is fine.” He crossed his legs and sat before her and she started to card her fingers through his hair. “How short do you want it to be?”

“Like it was before, if possible.”

“And where’s your part?”

“On the left,” Kibum said before Minho could.

Analecia smiled to herself as she started to trim his hair. They both asked her questions about the Charms lesson, which frequently distracted her from cutting Minho’s hair. By the time she was done, Callum, Aaron, and Fredrick had come in, cutting their relaxed conversation off. Analecia left as soon as she was satisfied with how he looked and after she brushed most of the hair off of his back and shoulders. Minho and Kibum were soon to follow her, though they headed out into the hall so Minho could look at his hair in the bathroom mirror.

“Do you like it?” Kibum asked, watching him inspect his appearance in the mirror above the sink.

“Mhm. She did a good job.” He patted down a bit the was flipped up, only for it to spring back up immediately.

Kibum watched him for a moment until he looked away from the mirror. “How did the talk with O’Neely go?”

His lips pursed crossed his arms over his chest, rubbing his sides. “Uh, fine. Damien was there, so it was a bit awkward.”

“He was?”

Minho nodded. “O’Neely wanted to hear both sides.” He chuckled to himself and reached up to rub the nape of his neck. “I cried like some kind of a ing idiot about halfway through.”

“Hey, no, not like some kind of idiot. I know I don’t know what all he did -- and if you want to tell me, that’s fine -- “

“I don’t want you to get expelled for fighting him again.”

“Me neither, but I’ll do what I have to.” For you went unsaid, but it hung in the air between them.

Minho scanned his face, no doubt looking at his cut, scrapes, and bruises, before meeting his gaze again. “I would have done the same if it were you.”

“I know. Just…” He sighed and shook his head with a wry smile. “Just ing promise me that you’ll tell me if this happens again. Not just with him, but -- “

“Yeah, I promise. Although -- “ He started to grin. “I don’t think anyone will mess we me now that they know my best friend will kick their .” Kibum laughed at that, and when he looked back at Minho, he found him watching him. Almost thoughtfully. “I…”

“What?”

He clenched his jaw and stepped toward him, pulling him into a tight hug. “Thank you,” he said, his voice low and quiet by Kibum’s ear. “For being there for me. I-I…” A heavy sigh. “I really appreciate you. And I’m so glad and so grateful to have you in my life.”

Kibum gulped past the lump in his throat as he squeezed him a little tighter. “Yeah, same.” He closed his eyes when Minho’s hand moved up to the nape of his neck. He petted there lightly before, unfortunately, moving away and slipping out of his embrace.

“Get some sleep, okay?” Kibum nodded, unable to break their eye contact, even though he knew he should. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Okay.”

Minho left the bathroom first and Kibum watched him go, shaking himself out of his daze a moment later. He returned to his room and crawled under the covers without thinking to change into his pajamas. For a moment, he just lay there, staring without looking at the pictures adorning his bunk. That was until he noticed the fluttering of the notebook pages under his pillow. Quickly, he whipped it out and grabbed the pen he had stolen from Minho and opened to the page he and Jonghyun had left off on.

Sorry, I was at dinner and then we had practice for a while. What do you need?

Are you still awake?

Kibum only had time to click the pen shut before Jonghyun responded. Yeah~

I think Minho almost kissed me today. Or I almost kissed him...I don’t know, the details are fuzzy from the day I’ve had.

Why the are the details fuzzy? Also, why didn’t you?

Madam Pomfrey came by to check my stitches.

Stitches???

Uh... Kibum launched into as detailed of a retelling of today’s events as he could muster at the moment. He dropped his pen on his pillow and massaged the cramp out of his hand as he watched Jonghyun reply.

Would it be warranted for me to send Damien a strongly worded letter? Kibum chuckled quietly, but before he could write his response, Jonghyun continued. I’m really proud of you, though. That’s not an easy thing to do, and I’m sure Minho really appreciated it.

He did, he just told me before he went off to bed.

And you didn’t try to kiss him?

No?

Even though they were countries away, he could almost hear Jonghyun’s exasperated sigh. At this rate, you’ll both be on joint deathbeds after living with each other for years and years and years and years and even by then you still won’t have told him how you feel about him.

So...you’re saying that’s an option...

off. Kibum laughed out loud, then apologized to his roommates who were trying to sleep. I mean, I’m all for you taking your time and being sure about this and everything, but the fact that you both tried to kiss each other says enough, in my opinion.

Yeah, well, I was probably just imagining things. I don’t want to get my hopes up and ruin everything, you know?

Yeah, I know.

Do you think it was a missed opportunity?

Not really, no. I think you’ll get a chance again. If it’s meant to be (which, it is), then you definitely will have the opportunity to do so.

Thanks, Jjong.

Yeah, no problem.

How was your day? Do anything fun?

Besides make out with Pierre for a while after practice ended? No, not really. But we can talk more tomorrow. I’m sleepy.

Okay, sorry for keeping you up.

Talk to you later~

Bye~

Kibum slowly closed his notebook and slipped it back beneath his pillow. If the opportunity did come again, then he really shouldn’t squander it. If...or, more likely...When it happened again, he would just have to seize it. Butterflies fluttered in his stomach, but he fell asleep before he could identify whether they were because he was nervous or excited at the thought.