The slamming of closing textbooks and the screeching of bench legs against the stone floor filled the room before the final ring of the last bell before the Easter holiday died in the air. Flitwick cleared his throat shrilly several times before the Charms classroom paid him any mind. Kibum plopped down in his seat, and Minho was frozen half-standing beside him, trying to fit their textbooks into his overfilled backpack when his attention shifted to their tiny professor.

“Students, before you return to your dorms, please head over to Classroom 3A. Professor O’Neely wants to have a little meeting about the career consults before the start of the holiday.” He clapped his hands once before he waved them away. “Enjoy your two-week break!” Staggered responses of Thank you, Professor, and You too, Professor followed Kibum and Minho out into the hallway.

“Crazy that they’re already here, huh?” Kibum asked, looking up at Minho as they stepped out of the Serpentine Corridor.

“The career consults?” Kibum nodded. “Yeah.” Minho glanced down at him and Kibum looked away when one of the Hufflepuffs nearly bumped into him as they passed by. “Do you have any clue what you want to do?”

“Not even a little bit.”

Minho chuckled. “Me neither.” Kibum his teeth and shook his head. “What?”

“I feel like it’s really obvious what you should do, but that’s just me, apparently.” Minho’s brow furrowed incredulously. “Quidditch, ! You should really consider it. But only if you want to, that is.”

Minho huffed, but anything he was about to say he kept to himself because they reached the Defense classroom. He led the way to their favorite spot -- the middle back of the classroom, right beneath the skeletal dragon’s wing -- and Kibum followed him, sliding into the bench beside him. O’Neely was already at the front of the classroom, talking with one of the Gryffindor seventh years. The conversation was quiet but quick, most likely cut short by the arrival of the fifth years, and soon he was on his way out of the classroom, letting O’Neely’s attention shift to the rest of them.

“Ready for the holidays?”

“Yes, Professor!”

“Are we all here?” He glanced around at the seated students, probably counting them. “Excellent. All right!” He reached behind him, holding a stack of pamphlets and started counting them out once he reached the first row. “Each student take one and then pass the stack to the student behind you,” he said as he dropped a stack off on the desk.

“Inside here -- “ He held up the next stack of pamphlets before setting it on the next desk. “ -- is a brief description of all the options for occupations there are in the wizarding world. I’m giving you these now so you’ll have the time to look them over during the holidays. Those of you going home, please discuss them with your parents. Those of you staying here for the holidays, if you can talk to your parents about this, I highly suggest doing so.”

He set the last of the pamphlets on the last desk and returned to his, leaning on it as the students continued to pass them out. Minho leaned forward to grab the ones that Analecia and Gilbert handed to them, took two from the stack, and reached back to pass them to Chloe and Priyasha behind them. Kibum opened one of the ones Minho took and started flipping through it, more skimming than actually reading it.

“The consultations will begin on the day the term resume and a schedule will be handed out to you by your Head Students. It will be helpful not only for you but also for your Head of House to have some sort of idea of a direction you would like to go with your future occupation. Each consultation only lasts about twenty minutes, so you’ll want to be using your time wisely during the session.” He clasped his hands together before him, surveying the class. “Any questions?”

No one moved. Or even spoke.

“All right, then. I’ll see you after the holidays!”

Excited chatter filled the room as soon as O’Neely’s back was turned. Kibum and Minho got swept up in the flow of exiting the classroom, but broke off from the rest and headed to the far stairwell, heading up. Their footsteps echoed in the hollow stairwell, as did Minho’s sigh. “I don’t know if it’s even worth it.”

“What?”

“You know.”

Kibum watched him as he passed him. “I’m not saying that you have to choose Quidditch, I’m just saying its an option. That you should consider.”

Minho clenched his jaw and took the next few steps two at a time. “Why are you always so insistent about this?”

“I’m not trying to be insistent, I’m literally just saying it’s an option.” Minho turned around with a slight shake of his head. “Don’t ing roll your eyes at me.”

“I wasn’t even facing you, how did y -- “

“I know you.” Minho stopped on the landing. “Look, I didn’t mean to hit a nerve or whatever. I won’t bring up Quidditch again if you don’t want me to. I promise I won’t.” He looked over his shoulder, watching Kibum walk up the steps to meet him on the landing. “I just don’t understand why you’re so against it when you enjoy it so much?”

Minho looked like he was trying to figure out what to say, but instead, he glanced at the door at the next landing and started for it. Kibum sighed and followed him. The study hall door had appeared before either of them had reached the troll tapestry, and Minho opened the door to let Kibum inside first. He closed the door behind them -- a surprisingly soft click, given Minho’s shift in mood -- and Kibum lit a few candles. Minho had settled at the back of the closet, his head resting against the wall with his eyes closed.

Kibum joined him, turning his head so he could watch him. “Help me understand, Minho. I swear on your life that I won’t bring it up again if you don’t want me to.”

“You swear on my life?” Minho asked, cracking a smile without opening his eyes.

Kibum sniffed a laugh. “Yeah.”

Silence stretched between them, the sound of each breath lingering longer than it should. Until, finally, Minho spoke again. “It just...It doesn’t seem feasible.”

"What doesn't, exactly?"

Minho let out a long sigh, opening his eyes and looking over at him. "I'm not sure. The whole thing, I guess."

Kibum pursed his lips before he said, "Would it kill you to be more specific?"

Chuckling, Minho shook his head and looked down at his wringing hands. "No." The silence returned, longer this time. Kibum considered piping up to apologize for bringing it up in the first place and that he'd try not to do so again, but then Minho cleared his throat. "I just, I know what my dad would say about this. Like, me even thinking about this as a ing possibility, you know?" His head swung up to meet Kibum's gaze again, and Kibum nodded slowly. "He thinks the whole magic thing is ridiculous in the first place, but you knew that already."

That...he unfortunately did.

"The fact that I'm even considering...a career in the wizarding world...just that will be enough to upset him. But, like, adding the possibility of it being basically wizard football?" Minho laughed mirthlessly, the hollow sound making Kibum's heart ache. "I think he's hoping that when he sends me back to Korea to join the military after school ends that they'll get rid of all the...the...magical bull."

Right, he kept forgetting that Minho would be heading back for that.

Minho's lips were clamped tight, and Kibum waited for a moment to see if he would speak again. When he didn't… "What is it that you want, though?"

"What do you mean?"

He would have thought his meaning was clear, but apparently not. "Like...what do you want to do? Because it's your life. Not your dad's. Not your mom's. Not Minseok's. Yours. You should get to choose what you get to do." Minho slowly looked up, meeting his eyes again. "Which one appeals to you more? Which one sounds more fun to you?"

"Fun?"

Kibum scoffed. "Yeah? Don't you wanna have fun after school?"

"Uh, of course."

"And you can't ing lie to me, because I've been to every single one of your games, as well as a bunch of your practices, but I know you have a ton of fun playing Quidditch-- why, I'll never know, but this isn't about me." Minho smiled and Kibum cocked his head to the side, sighing. "I just want you to think about yourself in this, not what your dad thinks. Not even what I think! I can't make your decisions for you."

"That might be easier."

Kibum scoffed. "You don't want that and you know it." Minho grinned then, and Kibum relaxed against the wall. Good, his happy Minho was back. "Just promise me one thing."

"Anything."

"That you'll honestly think about what you want, and in turn, if you decide against Quidditch, I promise that I'll never bring it up again."

After a moment, Minho held out his band, pinky extended. Kibum readily hooked their pinkies together and Minho pressed their thumbs together.

, it'd be so easy to kiss him right now. They were already sitting close; it would take very little effort on Kibum's part. He his lips, focusing on Minho's. He would just have to sit up a little straighter and...and… Gulping, Kibum averted his eyes to their joined hands and pressed his thumb harder against Minho's instead.

"You wanna look through the pamphlets now?" he asked as he released Minho's hand.

"Sure."

It took several days for them to finish reading the pamphlet, given that they had decided to research the occupations that they didn't recognize right away. Most of their time was spent in the library, reading the dusty old books or laughing at things that wouldn't have been that funny if they didn't have to keep quiet.

They may have gotten thrown out of the library once or twice...or five times.

But, by the end of it, they felt not only a bit more informed but also a bit more confident in their options for jobs.

All that was left was to get input from their parents...

* * * * * * * * * *

"Are you sure no one is coming?"

Kibum sighed heavily, looking over his shoulder from his lookout position by the door. "Min, for the last time, no one even knows about this place. And have you ever, in our five years of being here, seen someone come up to the seventh floor?"

Minho huffed and whipped out his phone from its hiding place in the wall. He wouldn't give Kibum the satisfaction of being right. He scrolled through his contacts quickly. A little too quickly -- he had to go back up after passing his Home number.

He pressed call then turned it on speaker and motioned for Kibum to stay quiet. Kibum nodded and closed the door, settling beside him as the call was picked up.

"Hello?" His mother answered. Relief surged through him.

"Hi, Mom!"

"Minho? Is that you?"

"Yeah!"

"Hon, Minho is on the phone!" she called out, her voice a little louder. A pause, then: "Hold on, darling, your father will be here in a second."

Minho sat back on his heels, tapping his thumbs together as he glanced over at Kibum, who was watching the phone intently. Just as he was about to look away, Kibum met his gaze, mouthing "Are you sure you want me to listen?" Minho nodded, and Kibum relaxed beside him, leaning against him.

"What are you calling for?" Dad asked instead of a hello. "We weren't expecting to hear from you at all."

"It's Easter break right now, and…" He cleared his throat, glancing over at Kibum who gave him a quick, supportive nod. "And we've been looking over careers that we might or could be interested in and we're supposed to talk to our parents about it, if possible."

"Will they be normal?" What? Minho voiced the question, and Dad continued. "Will they be normal careers?"

"I mean, like, normal for...wizards..?"

He could hear the furrow in his dad's brow in his tone. "Why would you bother us with this? You won't be having anything to do with that school or those...people when you've finished your schooling anyways." Minho snatched up the phone when Kibum squeezed his knee and turned it off speaker. "There's no use even wasting your time thinking about this."

"But, Dad -- "

"No buts. You're better off setting your sights on something that'll make you some money for when you have a family someday." Minho looked back at Kibum, holding his concerned gaze until his father spoke again. "We can continue this discussion when you return home for the summer."

"Are...are you going to pull me out?"

Kibum's grip tightened on his knee again, releasing a second later. "I said we'll discuss it when you get home."

"Yes, sir."

"How are classes going, Minho?" Mom asked, clearing the tension, somewhat. He talked about as much as he could, which wasn't much at all since he skirted around the stories involving Kibum and magic. And, in return, they told him all about Minseok and how well he was doing in the army back home. Before they said their goodbyes and I love yous, Mom asked him to write home more often.

Once he hung up, he dropped his phone into his lap and leaned over, pressing his forehead into Kibum's shoulder and heaving a sigh. "Everything okay?"

Minho nodded against Kibum before he lifted his head. "Went about how I expected it to."

He picked up his phone, glancing through his messages before he put it back in its hiding place. "What was that about them pulling you out?"

"Oh, uh, " Minho squinted at the floor. "He just thinks it's pointless to...you know…"

Kibum nodded slowly. "Then why -- " His voice dropped off abruptly, and when Minho looked up to see why, Kibum shook his head. "Nevermind."

"Has your mom written you back yet?"

Kibum shook his head again. "Any day now." Minho took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "You okay?"

Tension knotted in his chest; the deep breaths weren't helping. He needed some other kind of release… "Yeah, uh…" He cleared his throat, looking back at where his phone was hidden. "I think I'm gonna go fly for a while."

Kibum moved to stand. "I'll come with."

"You don't ha -- "

"I know. But I'm still coming with you."

Even just walking down the seven flights of stairs was enough to help ease his anxiety, although nowhere near enough to eradicate it. Still, it helped. As did having Kibum beside him. He kept up with Minho's quicker pace, even once they reached the lawn.

The cool spring breeze washed over him, soothing him. He breathed deeply, letting it fill him. He glanced over at Kibum, smiling when he saw his eyes closed -- he was clearly enjoying the nice day as well. He patted Minho's back when they reached the outside of the stadium, then moved away to go up to the bleachers.

Once he slipped beyond the wall, Minho darted down the corridor, his heavy footfalls echoing behind him. He felt along the wall for the groove and pressed when he found it. The wall of the pitch opened up to reveal the Hufflepuff team's brooms. He found his quickly and got a running start before he hopped on his broom.

The breeze became a wind, buffeting him, whipping through his hair as he zipped around the curve of the pitch. The pent-up stress from talking to his parents rippled out of his chest and mind with each turn he took until he was once again free of it.

It was just him and the wind now.

He whooped, the sound loud in his ears, and brought the stick of his broom up, jetting up toward the clouds. They weren't within reach today, but he made his way as close as possible to them until the ringing in his ears became more than irritating.

Then, he leaned back, taking in the pitch, the castle, the Black Lake, and the surrounding mountains as he did a backwards flip before hurtling back towards the ground. He couldn't hear his laughter over the sound of the wind, but he could feel it bubbling out of him as the ground came up to meet him.

As he drew nearer to the pitch, he pulled up on his broom, slowing his descent. He wiped the tears from his eyes -- he hadn't been crying, the wind tore the tears out of him -- and searched the stands for a glimpse of Kibum. And, when he spotted him, he made his way over to him.

"What the was that?" Kibum half-yelled at him once he tethered himself to the banister.

"What was what?" Kibum rolled his eyes at him and Minho grinned, pulling himself closer to the banister. "You wanna hop on?"

"You've got to be kidding."

"Not even a little bit." Kibum eyed him, then leaned over the banister a little bit to see how far down the ground was. "I won't go too fast, I swear." Kibum huffed. "Or too high. I just want to show you…"

"Show me what?"

"Why I like it so much." Kibum brow furrowed and he gulped, glancing at the broom, from the tip to the sticks. "You don't have to if you don't want to. No hard feelings at all if you don't."

"I know." He reached out, tentatively touching the stick. "Can it hold both of us?"

"Probably. Let's see." Minho barely lifted the handle, guiding himself over to the closest row of bleachers. "Climb on." When Kibum hesitated, Minho added, "I won't move at all until I get your okay, don't worry."

"I know you won't." Kibum let out a long exhale before he climbed up onto the bleacher and swung his leg over the handle. It dipped a tad with the added weight, but not enough to worry Minho. His hands slipped around Minho's waist, his arms trembling against him.

Minho grabbed his hands one by one, pulled them tighter around himself until Kibum was holding onto him tightly. His cheek was pressed into Minho's shoulder, his breath tickling him slightly. He held his hand over Kibum's, his thumb lightly back and forth over the back of his hand. "You good?"

"Just go before I change my mind."

Cautiously, so not to scare Kibum, he kicked away from the bleachers, steering them away from the stands. Kibum's already tight hold on him got even tighter once they cleared the banister. "Do you trust me?" Kibum nodded against his back, and Minho picked up his speed ever so slightly, taking a slow lap around the pitch before flying up to the lowest goal post. "Do you wanna get off here and enjoy the view or do you wanna head back?"

Kibum lifted his head for a second before pressing it back against Minho's shoulder. "We can take a few more laps before we head back."

"Really?"

Kibum nodded. "You can go a bit faster if you want, too."

"Hold on tight, then."

Minho picked up his speed, though not by much, as he took Kibum around the pitch a few more times before he brought them back to where they started. He let Kibum slip off first before he did so himself, letting his broom hover before them. Kibum plopped down on the nearest seat, catching his breath as Minho sat beside him.

"I think I get it now." Minho glanced his way, studying his profile. "It's still terrifying, obviously, but it's also exhilarating." Minho nodded with a small smile as Kibum looked over, meeting his gaze. "I see why you like it so much."

Minho looked back at his broom, his smile growing. "I'm glad."

He sensed Kibum's attention turn to him, but he didn't look back his way for a minute or so. When he did, Kibum asked, "Are you feeling better now?"

"Yeah. Flying usually helps."

Kibum looked like he wanted to ask him something else, but apparently, he thought better of it, since he kept silent. A bell rang back at the castle, both of them looking over their shoulders at the faint sound. "That's probably dinner."

"Meet you downstairs!" Minho said, jumping out of his seat and clambering onto the banister.

"Careful!" Kibum blurted out as Minho casually hopped onto his broom and let it drop him to the pitch. He chuckled to himself, smiling up at Kibum once he reached the ground.

Kibum met him by the outside door to the corridor, smacking his shoulder for scaring him -- Minho laughed at that -- and together they walked back to the castle.

The remaining days of the holiday passed without event. They spent their days lazing in the sun with Jwi or studying for O.W.L.s with the other fifth years who stayed behind. Kibum's mother didn't write back until the Sunday before lessons resumed. "Here," he said when Minho slid into his spot beside him at lunch, passing him the letter from her. "Just read the last few paragraphs."

Nodding, Minho skimmed the letter.

I can't believe I forgot that the consults were happening this year. We could have discussed it before you returned. Regardless, I'm glad that you wrote, but I'm sorry that you're feeling confused about which direction to go. I know it's all a bit daunting, trying to figure out what you want to do with your life after school, but I'll do what I can to help.

You're right that your father was a wizard's banker at a Muggle bank, and most mundane Muggle occupations have wizarding departments. You'd just have to know where to look for them. I can help you with that, once the time comes if that's what you want to do. But, I do agree with you that something with potions would be good for you to consider. So I'd look into becoming a Potioneer or Alchemist if that's the direction you want to pursue.

Though, all that being said, I'm very happy with my Muggle job. It's incredibly fulfilling and if you find something that interests you or you find joy in, and it's a Muggle job, I highly encourage you to look into it and pursue it. It's unnecessary and can be stressful to pursue a career that bores you. You'll be amazing at any career you set your mind to, so don't settle for anything that doesn't excite you!

In any case, I love you, I'm proud of you, and I want what's best for you. Please keep me updated on this all unfolds!

Love, Mom

P.S. Say hello to Minho for me~

"Hi, Mom," Minho said as he passed the letter back. Kibum smiled as he folded it up to stick in his pocket. "Still no clue what you'll do?"

He shook his head. "Like, I'm glad she thinks I'm capable of anything -- "

"You are."

Kibum's face colored a little. "But that still doesn't help me much."

"Well, hopefully Slughorn will help you narrow down something." Kibum let out a rather unconvinced /yeah/.

The restart of the term dawned with Miguel Vasquez, Hufflepuff’s Head Boy, knocking loudly on the door and coming in before any of them could even murmur a response. “Consultation schedules are in,” he said, tacking it to the wall by the door with a loud slap. “Be sure to be on time for them.” The door slammed shut behind him, and Eli dragged himself out of bed to read it.

“Martin, your’s is after lunch today -- “

“!”

“Gil, your’s is in the middle of Defense and Seb your’s is during the free period before Charms.”

“Merlin’s beard, why don’t I get to miss class?”

Minho rubbed his eyes with a chuckle before he refocused on Eli. “Minho, your’s is right after Charms gets out. Me and Travis will be going tomorrow.”

Minho rolled the “Remembrall” between his palms before he opened the drawer and set it inside beside the My love candy heart. He waited until the rest of them got around for the morning, slipping out of bed once Eli and Marvin left for breakfast. He changed into his uniform quickly, smoothing the wrinkles in his robe in front of their mirror before he hurried to the Great Hall. Instead of going straight to Hufflepuff like usual, he turned left at the threshold and made his way to Kibum’s side.

“Morning,” he said, blinking slowly as he looked over at the mildly surprised Kibum. Cute.

“Hey,” he said before he took a bite of his pancakes.

“Did you get your schedule this morning, too?”

“Mm.” He chewed quickly and once he swallowed, he said, “Mine’s tomorrow during Muggle Studies.”

“Mine’s today.”

“Are you ready?” Kibum asked as Minho reached over to grab a strawberry off of Kibum’s plate.

He shrugged. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

Minho inspected Kibum’s plate, reaching out for another strawberry before Kibum smacked his hand away. “Go away and eat your goddamn breakfast.”

Snorting, Minho snatched the strawberry he had been going for before he jumped up with a grin. “See you later. Oh! And tell Jonghyun ‘Happy Birthday’ from me!”

“Will do!”

The hours of the day crawled by, each minute seemingly longer than the last. Anticipation had a funny way of messing with one’s mind. Once Charms finally rolled around, Minho couldn’t concentrate on it. He stared blankly at the chalkboard as Flitwick taught, unable to tear his eyes away for a few seconds. Not even to look at Kibum’s doodles in the margins of his notes.

When the bell rang, he hopped out of his seat, only to double back to get his bag. “Just go,” Kibum said, his amusement evident in his voice. “I’ll pack your bag up.”

“Thanks.” With that, he swept out of the room, students parting for him as he ran down the Serpentine Corridor and the stairs to the garden.

The door to Greenhouse 5 was left ajar and Minho made for it when he noticed some movement between the leaves. Jwi’s meowing greeted him, and he smiled as he picked her up. Her tail curled lazily around his side as he looked around the greenhouse. The mandrakes squeaked in the pots, the sound ringing in his ears, as he moved passed them. “Professor?”

“Come downstairs, Minho!” His head snapped at the sound of Sprout’s voice and he followed the tinkling of dishes together, followed by the whistling of a tea kettle to the trap door. Jwi climbed onto Minho’s shoulder as he started down the ladder, pulling the door closed behind him. He looked around with a small smile, ducking around the chandelier hanging down from the low ceiling. Did she design this to be like a hobbit hole? “Care for some tea?” she asked from the other room.

“Yes please, Professor.”

“Go ahead and make yourself comfortable. I’ll be right in.” Jwi hopped down from his shoulder and made her way over to the couch, making herself comfortable on the armrest. Minho sat beside her, folding his hands in his lap as he waited for Professor Sprout to appear. When she did, he sat up a little straighter, reaching out for the tea she handed him. “I didn’t know how you take it so I made it like I make mine.”

“Thank you.” He took a sip of it. More cream than he usually liked, but it was still drinkable.

“Let’s get started, shall we?” she said, putting on a pair of reading glasses as she shuffled through some parchment. She tapped them on her knee, straightening them out. “Have you given much thought for what you see yourself doing once you leave Hogwarts?”

“Well…” That was a loaded question, really. “My dad wants me to join the military.”

If Sprout seemed surprised by that, she didn’t show it. “Will you?” Minho nodded with a shrug. “Will that be the career you stick with?”

Minho shook his head. “It’s just a two-year thing.”

“I see.” She scanned the parchment again, and Minho tried to peek around to see what was on it. “What about after that?”

“I...I don’t know.”

She nodded slowly. “Well, your grades are fairly good, which means that your options are fairly open to any career you choose. Did you get a chance to look over the pamphlet with all of the careers?”

“Yes.”

“Did any stick out to you?”

“Um, the, uh, the Healer did.”

“Really?”

Minho nodded. “And,” he added with a nervous laugh. “My best friend says I should think about Quidditch as a career.”

“Ro -- “ She cleared . “Madam Hooch has said the same thing.” Minho blinked, taken aback. “I think those are both fine options for you to pursue. As it stands right now, your grades in Herbology, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Charms are all Outstanding, and your Transfiguration is Exceeds Expectations. You’ll need to work on getting your Potions above Acceptable with your O.W.L.s, as well as maintain your other grades at the level they’re currently at. Those classes are the ones that are necessary for becoming a Healer, which means that at the end of this year, you’ll be able to drop any other classes and focus solely on those.”

“No more Divination?”

“Or Astronomy or Arithmancy, if you like. You can keep them if you wish, but I will warn you that come sixth year, your workload increases, and you may want to have as few classes as possible.”

“Okay…”

“In terms of Quidditch, there’s not much it takes to become a professional player, as far as classes go. You might want to consider, however, taking the Advanced Flying class. Not only do you learn tips and tricks, but you also get to sit in on lessons from actual professional Quidditch players. It’d be quite helpful for the team, too.”

Minho grinned slowly and sniffed a laugh.

“How does that all sound?”

“Pretty good, I think.”

She produced a quill out of thin air and jotted a few notes down on his parchment. “Just be sure to maintain your grades and get your Potions grade up and you’ll be all set. Any questions?” Minho downed the last of his tea and shook his head as he swallowed. “Have a good rest of your day, then, Minho.”

“You too, Professor.”

He let himself out the same way he came in, stopping in his tracks as he made his way into the castle when he noticed Kibum crouched beside the tomatoes, weeding. “Were you waiting for me?” he asked as he hunkered down next to him, joining him in weeding.

“Obviously. How’d it go?”

“Well enough, I think.” Minho summarized the discussion quickly, including Hooch’s comment about him and Quidditch.

Kibum didn’t say anything to that, but his smile did curl a bit upwards. “I can help you study for Potions if you want.”

“Yeah, that’d be great. Thanks, Bummie.”

Kibum scratched his cheek, leaving a smudge of dirt behind. It smeared across his freckles and dipped into his dimple. The spring breeze tousled his hair, and Minho allowed himself a few seconds to appreciate Kibum’s profile before he turned his attention to the weeds and the dirt and the grass between them with a heavy sigh. Kibum looked his way for a split second before he pushed himself up. “Come on, we should go get washed up before dinner.”

* * * * * * * * * *

The tinkling of what sounded like the world's tiniest bell filled the air. Kibum glanced up from his essay on lightbulbs to look at Chanin and did a double-take when her eyes met his.

"It's your turn, Mr. Kim," she whispered, so she didn't disturb the others still working. Nodding, Kibum stood and set his book over his parchment. Analecia smiled at him before he slipped out of the classroom and into the corridor, slowly closing the door behind him. He walked briskly toward the stairwell leading downstairs, heading down the darker hallway leading to the Potions classroom. Slughorn’s classroom was just beyond that, hidden behind a set of double doors.

Kibum knocked twice before he entered, letting the heavy door fall shut behind him.

A set of crackling and sparking fireplaces helped to drive away the gloomy shadows clinging to the columns and staining the walls. Where the light from the fires or lanterns touched, Kibum could see framed photos and newspaper clippings. He scanned them as he made his way around to Slughorn’s desk, not letting his gaze linger too long on any of the faces. They were all probably part of the former Slug Club. Dad had said something about an elite club of students that Slughorn had formed, handpicked by himself alone, but he didn’t know much about it, as he and his mother weren’t one of the chosen special.

Well, if it were still around today, Kibum certainly hadn’t heard anything about it.

Maybe he wasn’t one of the chosen few.

“Hello, Professor?”

“Mr. Kim, is that you?” Slughorn’s reedy voice called from beyond the nearest column. Instead of answering, Kibum made his way around the stone, offering the professor a half-smile when their eyes met. “Come sit, make yourself comfortable!”

“Thank you,” he said as he sat in one of the thinly lined armchairs in front of his desk.

Slughorn straightened the hourglass on his desk. “Let’s get right into it, shall we?” Kibum nodded, taking a deep breath. “Have you given much thought to what you want to do once you graduate?”

Kibum nodded again. “I have, but I still have no clue which direction I should go.”

“So, what are the directions you’re considering?” he asked, looking down at the rolls of parchment on his desk.

"Well -- "

"Just based off of your performance in my class and your grades, I'd suggest something to do with potions. You have a real talent for it."

"Thank you, Professor. I was just gonna say that was my first thought. But I'm not quite sure what sort of career would be good with that...training…"

He gestured to himself. "Potions Master, for one. I think you would probably be a good teacher if you put your mind to it." When Kibum didn't respond right away, he continued. "There's also a Potioneer. You'd have to have a higher grade in Herbology and Defense Against the Dark Arts by the time you take your N.E.W.T.s to be able to pursue that because they tend to work with apothecaries."

Kibum nodded, letting out a thoughtful hum. "I thought I saw something about an Alchemist in the pamphlet?"

The falling sand in the hourglass slowed noticeably, distracting Kibum for a second. "You're curious about Alchemy?"

"Maybe."

"Well, it's a fascinating subject. There is an Alchemy elective you can take come sixth year, provided there is enough interest. I must warn you, though, that it's much harder than Potions."

Kibum held back a scoff. Like, that only made sense that it would be, so… "Do you think that'll be taught next year?"

"You might be able to join the seventh years next year if I give you some tutoring to catch you up. Unless, of course, enough of your fellow fifth years show enough interest in it." His quill was poised over the parchment, a bead of ink threatening to drip. "Do you want me to put you down for that?"

"Uh…" His mouth dried up, his gaze flicking down the to the parchment and back up to Slughorn. "Is it possible for me to think about this for a little while longer?"

Slughorn set his quill aside with a flourish. "Of course. Meet me here after dinner and let me know then."

, that was so soon. Still, he was lucky to be getting this extension in the first place, slight though it may be. "Yes, Professor." He had to talk this over with Minho. See what he thought.

It wasn't that he needed Minho to decide for him, rather...he needed to voice his thoughts and sort them out, and Minho was always willing to listen to him.

"I'll see you then, Mr. Kim."

Nodding, Kibum slipped out of his chair and rushed for the door, his tumultuous thoughts almost getting him lost in the shadowed, winding corridors.

He grabbed his Defense and Charms textbooks on his way back up to the third floor. He made it to the door of Classroom 3A just as Minho’s class was letting out. He stepped back, letting them pass to get to their next classes. That was, until Minho stepped through the doorway, giving him a bright, surprised smile. Then he grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the stream of students.

“How’d it go?”

“I have to go back and talk to him later.” Minho’s brow creased with concern. “Nothing’s wrong, I just...can we go outside after Charms and talk?”

“Yeah, of course.”

Kibum let go of Minho’s arm, sighing. “Okay.”

Minho glanced behind him, nodding to Analecia as she approached. “See you later. Good luck today,” he added in English with a playfully foreboding lilt.

“That sure sounds ominous,” Analecia said as she passed Kibum his textbook and essay from Muggle Studies.

Kibum snorted. “Yeah.”

It was.

For the past two days, O'Neely had been going over Homenum Revelio -- the human-presence-revealing spell -- and today was the practical lesson. After everyone was inside and O'Neely told them to put their books away, the blinds were magically pulled shut and the candles and torches winked out.

"Slytherins," O'Neely's voice rose above the confused din. "Find a hiding place. And Ravenclaws, in a minute, use Homemum Revelio to find them."

It was quite a fun class. Kibum wasn't found two out of the three times Slytherins hid. "I'm sure I'd be able to find you every time," Minho said once Kibum told him how his class went.

"You think?"

Minho scoffed. "I know."

As much as he wanted to continue the conversation, Flitwick was up at his podium, continuing his discussion on the Eradication spell. Once Charms concluded, he and Minho gathered their things and followed the rest downstairs. Kibum tossed his books and robe onto his bed, turned around immediately and heading back out to the stairwell. Minho was waiting for him out there, a hoodie donned and one in his arms that he immediately passed to Kibum. He breathed in the comforting scent of Minho and Hufflepuff, smiling when he pulled his head out of the neck-hole.

“Ready?” Kibum started up the stairs instead of answering, Minho following him a step behind. Once they reached the doorway to the gardens, Minho fell into step beside him. “So, what’s up?”

Kibum scuffed his toe on the path as they walked. "Why is the future so confusing?"

"Maybe it wouldn't be if we were doing better in Divination."

"Why are you like this?"

Minho laughed. "Sorry."

"No, you're not." Despite the annoyance in his tone, Kibum smiled. He didn't have to look over to know that Minho was smiling too.

They let the silence linger between them, the breeze whistling, the birds chirping, the water lapping over the stones once they reached the shoreline of the Black Lake. Kibum held his tongue until he was sitting comfortably on a large rock overlooking the water. Minho crouched beside him, inspecting the stones and picking up a few that he liked.

"Slughorn thinks I could be a Potions Master."

Minho looked up at him, clinking the rocks he had together in his palm. "That's a high compliment from him."

"I know."

"Is teaching something you're interested in?"

"See, that's the thing. I don't know!" Minho stood slowly, looking down at the rocks in his hand. He picked one out and met Kibum's gaze again. "I know I could probably do it, but I don't know if I'd want to."

"The only reason I'm doing as well here as I am is because of you." He tossed the rock out onto the lake. Both of them watched it skip once, twice, then fall into the water with a distant plunk. "And I'm really...so grateful to you. For everything."

Kibum watched Minho fidget with the rocks in his hand, clearly embarrassed by his admission. He smiled when he averted his eyes. Minho cleared his throat, tossing another rock. It skipped four times. "I think you could be a teacher. I think you'd do well, but I don't think it interests you at all."

He was right; it didn't.

"He thinks I should do something with potions, which makes sense to me. I know I'm good at them, and it'd be a shame to let that go to waste." Minho nodded, hunching down to look at the rocks again. "He also said something about a Potioneer, but they tend to work in apothecaries -- "

Minho looked up, his eyebrows arched. "Hey, If I became a Healer, we could work in the same shop!"

"That'd be cool." The odds of that happening, though, were slim, given that Minho was leaving for the military almost as soon as they were graduated. "Something I thought that might be cool, though, is maybe becoming an Alchemist."

"Like Edward!"

Kibum's brow furrowed. "Who?"

Minho's expression blanked before he laughed. "No one, nevermind."

"I don't know, just the little bit I was able to find out about it, it sounds fascinating and exciting. Just, like, figuring out which combinations would make new potions or dyes or elixirs… What...what if I was able to figure out the cure for cancer?" Minho sighed, searching his expression. Kibum shook his head. He was fine, the thought had simply crossed his mind and spilled out of his mouth. "Don't worry, I know it's highly improbable, but, like...I don't know…"

"I know it is possible. And if anyone should discover it, it's you."

Kibum's shoulders slumped and he looked back out over the water, watching the stone Minho tossed until it slipped below the surface. He watched him skip two more before he looked back at Minho. "Can you teach me?"

"To skip rocks?" Kibum nodded. "Sure." He slipped off the rock and brushed off the seat of his trousers. “Look for the smoothest and flattest rock you can find. The bigger the better,” he said as he crouched again. Kibum joined him, both inspecting the rocks around them. Once Kibum found a couple, Minho leaned over to look at them. “Yeah, let’s try these.”

Kibum stood then, adopting the stance he had seen Minho take numerous times -- turning to the side and pulling back his arm to throw the rock.

“No, wait, hold your arm higher. That’s too high,” he said, holding back a laugh. “Here, let me -- “ He stepped up, his chest pressing against Kibum’s back as he reached around him to adjust his hand. “The rock needs to be parallel to the water, see?” Minho’s voice was soft in his ear as he moved his hand back and forth, showing him the movement. “It’s all in the wrist. Just a quick flick.”

Kibum gulped, trying to quell the fluttering of his heart and the impulse to lean into Minho’s embrace. “Swish and flick?” A quip to clear some of the -- no-doubt imagined -- tension between them.

Laughter bubbled out of Minho, dancing in the air and making Kibum’s heart sing. “Yeah, swish and flick.”

It took several tries, but by the fifth rock, Kibum was able to make it skip three times before it fell in. Minho let out a whoop in celebration, which made Kibum laugh. “What do I get for succeeding?”

“The satisfaction and pride of a job well done. Also...” Minho looked around the shoreline and bent over to pluck a tiny blue flower from where the grass met the shore. “This flower.”

“Can I have more than one?” Minho shook his head emphatically and Kibum snorted, taking it from him and twirling it between his fingers. “What am I supposed to do with this?”

Minho took it back and scanned Kibum before reaching out to tuck it behind his ear. “There. Now stop asking stupid questions.”

Their eyes met as Minho’s hand fell away from Kibum’s face. Was this it? The opportunity Jonghyun was talking about? Whatever it was was short-lived, as it was unfortunately washed away with the smattering of raindrops and the rumble of distant thunder. Minho looked up immediately while Kibum's gaze lingered on Minho for a few seconds more, dazzled by the stars in his eyes.

Minho pulled up his hood and Kibum followed suit before they ran back to the castle. They were drenched and breathless by the time they reached it, but from the looks of it, dinner was starting, so they wouldn't be able to go change into dry clothes.

They parted ways at the threshold of the Great Hall, and Kibum didn't pull off his hood until he was sitting beside Analecia. Callum asked something, but he couldn't understand him because his mouth was full of food. "What?"

"He said," Analecia said. "What's with the flower?"

Oh . He quickly pulled it out from behind his ear, stuffing it into his pocket. "I-it's nothing." His face was flushed, he knew it, but he hoped against hope that the chill-kissed pink from being outside in the rain still tinged his cheeks.

Thankfully, blessedly, dinner concluded with no other incidents. He was out of his seat once he had finished and hurried downstairs alone, slipping into his dorm to change out of his still-damp clothes. Once he had pulled off Minho's hoodie, he dug into the pocket and pulled out the flower.

It had five pale blue petals, yellow in the center. He recognized it from a Herbology lesson from a few years ago. It was a primrose, and its petals were an ingredient for potions. He couldn't remember which ones right now. Not that it mattered...

The doorknob jiggled and Kibum quickly hid the primrose beneath his pillow, looking up to see Minho coming inside.

"Why'd you leave so early?"

"Wasn't that hungry."

“Ah.” He pushed the door open a little bit more. “You ready?”

“Yeah.” Minho didn’t start walking until Kibum reached him and together they started for the common room. “Who told you the password?”

“Analecia, as well as a couple of the fourth years.” Kibum stopped in his tracks and gave him an incredulous look. “I haven’t told you?”

“What?”

Minho chuckled as the wall opened up to let them back into the hall. “So, usually you’re the first one to tell me when the password changes, but like, for the next couple of days I’ll have Slytherins come up to me to tell me what the new password is.”

Kibum laughed, the sound ringing down the winding corridor leading to the Potions classroom. “So everyone knows you’re an honorary Slytherin.”

“Yeah, basically. I mean, if the Hufflepuff password changed at all, I’m sure it’d be the same for you.”

“Probably.”

The door to Slughorn’s classroom was left ajar, the flickering golden light from the fireplaces slicing through the shadows. “I’ll wait out here,” Minho whispered. “Good luck.”

“Thanks.” Kibum nodded and pushed open the door after knocking a couple of times. He cleared his throat. “Professor?”

“Come in, Mr. Kim! Sit down.” He left the door ajar, briskly making his way to the seat he had sat in earlier that day. “Have you come to a decision?”

“Yes, I think I have. I’d like to be able to study Alchemy if I am able.”

Slughorn’s smile broadened. “That means your classes would consist of Alchemy, Potions, Herbology, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Charms, and Transfiguration.”

“Will I have to catch up with the curriculum?”

Slughorn glanced down at the parchment in his hand. “No. You’re the fifth one to sign up, which is just the right amount. All you have to do is achieve good marks for your O.W.L.s and you’re set for the start of term.”

“Okay.” Kibum slapped his hands on the arms of the chair, stopping himself from pushing himself up. “Is there anything else you need from me, Professor?”

“No, Mr. Kim, you can go enjoy the rest of your night.”

“Thank you,” he said, trying not to run for the door.

Minho grabbed his arm once he was outside, and Kibum shushed him before he could say anything. They went back to Slytherin, both not feeling up to the climb up the stairs to the seventh floor. “So…Alchemy,” Minho said once he had settled at the foot of Kibum’s bed and Kibum at the head.

“Yup."

He nodded, a smile slowly growing before he turned his attention to Hogwarts: A History. Kibum watched him for a second before he opened up Common Defense Theories and the Derivation. Their quiet study session was interrupted by his roommates heading to bed for the night, which sadly prompted Minho to hand back his History textbook. “I’ll see you in the morning,” he said as he slid out of his bed, saying goodnight to the other guys. Minho paused at the doorway, glancing back at Kibum. “I’m really proud of you,” he said in Korean. “I was hoping you’d choose Alchemy.”

“Why?”

Minho looked around at the others before his gaze settled on Kibum again. “It was the one you were most excited about. I could see it in your eyes.” He offered Kibum a tired, half-smile. “You’ll be amazing at it, I just know it.” And, before Kibum could offer any sort of response, Minho ducked his head in a miniature sort of bow. “Goodnight, Bummie.”

“Night.”

He closed the door behind him, and if any of his roommates were curious about what he said, none of them voiced it.

Kibum changed into his pajamas and was in bed continuing to read for about a half-hour before the lights switched off for the night. Once they did and everyone else had settled into bed, Kibum pulled the flower out from beneath his pillow. Amazingly, it wasn’t as crumpled as he thought it was going to be. Was it stupid of him to want to keep it? Possibly, because Minho probably didn’t mean anything by it. Kibum slipped the stem of the primrose behind one of the stars tacked above his head and tucked himself into bed.

He was doing his best not to get his hopes up, but, despite his best efforts, there was a glimmer of hope flickering at the back of his mind, growing gradually with each passing day.

And it just got a little brighter.