A/N: I am so, so sorry it took me this ing long to post this. I've been feeling a bit down about this story lately (feeling a bit better now, thankfully) but yeah...I'm really excited about the next two chapters so we'll see how long it takes me to write and post them lmao

((Oh god I just realized the cliffhanger I left you guys off on I am so so so so so sorry))

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The chatter of the other students in the Great Hall tore at Minho’s ears, grating against his nerves. He sat with his roommates, staring unblinking at the food before him. He only moved when he heard the popping of a cork from across the table, followed by the glugging of liquid being poured. Travis was having another bottle of his Calming Potion -- a gift from Tanner. He had sent it last week when the studying for O.W.L.s intensified. A dozen bottles of the stuff, no doubt brewed by Tanner himself. 

“Anyone else want some?” Travis asked after he took a sip of his potion and pumpkin juice concoction. Seb mutely held out his hand and took a long drink of it before he passed it across the table to Marvin. Minho took it after him, taking as long of a drink as he dared. Gil and Eli did the same, and Travis finished it off. 

Minho’s stomach gurgled, and he stared at the untouched food before him. He needed some sort of sustenance, he knew that, but every time he tried to eat, he almost made himself sick. 

It had been almost two days since he had been able to eat anything more than toast. 

In theory, the roasted chicken leg and the array of herb-coated vegetables looked appetizing, but just the thought of putting any of it on his fork, let alone eating it, turned his stomach. 

He blinked hard. His eyes stung from the lack of sleep.

When would the O.W.L.s be over? They had to start first...and they would. Tomorrow. 

Charms was the first in the gauntlet, and the anticipation of it was threatening the sanity of all of the fifth years. The seventh years had it worse, with the N.E.W.T.s starting tomorrow -- in fact, none of them were to be found in the Great Hall -- but Minho decided that he wouldn’t worry about them. Not yet. Not until he had to. 

He stood, staggering a bit as he made his way along the wall toward the doorway of the Great Hall. It was either from lack of sleep or food. Or, more likely, both. A glance over at Slytherin told him that Kibum had skipped dinner. Again. 

Minho heaved a sigh and trudged toward the stairs, each step heavier than the last as he started to climb the stairs to the seventh floor. Yup, his suspicions were right; Kibum was still holed away in their study closet. He knocked on the door before he entered, not surprised that Kibum didn't seem to notice his arrival. 

"Hello…" Kibum mumbled when Minho sat beside him, his attention focused solely on the array of Charms notes before him. 

Smiling, Minho allowed himself a moment to let his gaze wander and take in as much of Kibum as he could. The deep furrow of his brow, the sharp frown marring his...beautiful features. Minho gritted his teeth, looking down at his hands. He couldn't let himself get carried away. Not anymore. It wasn't good for his heart. 

He leaned his head back against the wall, the light thud finally rousing Kibum. He jumped, looking a bit panicked as he searched the small room for the source of the noise. Relief settled his shoulders when he saw that it was only Minho. 

"When did you get here?"

"About an hour ago?" Kibum's eyes squeezed shut as he gave himself a forceful facepalm. "Bummie, I'm kidding. It's just been a few minutes." 

"Still, I'm sorry. I'm just…" His voice trailed off again when his attention was caught once again by the notes. 

"I know." 

Kibum rubbed his hands over his face, then his fists into his probably itchy eyes. "Take them away while I'm not looking or else I won't take a break." 

Minho immediately obliged, forcing himself not to focus on the notes either. Instead, he folded them up and set them against the wall furthest away from Kibum. "How are you holding up?"

"Miserable." Not quite right, but...Minho understood. "I'm hungry but I don't want to eat, but my hunger is distracting me from the notes. And, like, I know I need sleep for the information to settle or whatever and to get rid of my headache but like I don't want to sleep because what if I don't remember anything after I fall wake up and -- " 

He stopped talking abruptly when Minho cupped his face with his hands. "Relax.” He took a deep breath and Kibum followed suit, both letting it out together. “It's gonna be okay. They're just exams." 

"They're not just exams and you know it." 

Maybe he should move his hands away from Kibum's face. His thumb lightly caressed Kibum's cheekbone before he dropped his hands, scooting a little further away. "Yeah, I know." He patted his lap, and Kibum looked down at the noise before he met Minho's eyes again. "You said you had a headache, right?"

Reluctantly, Kibum turned his back toward Minho and lowered down so that his head was resting on Minho's thigh. He was only able to sit still for a few minutes while Minho lightly massaged his scalp before he got too antsy. Minho switched hands, stretching out for the set-aside Charms notes. He shook them out, grazing the words until he reached a good question. 

“What does Incendio do?” 

Kibum relaxed against him, his eyes closing as he sighed. “It makes a jet of flames so you can set things on fire.” 

“What about Diffindo?” 

"That's the, uh -- " He held his hands up, the sides of his hands flush together before he pulled them apart. "The Severing Charm."

Minho chuckled, probably too fondly. "Yeah."

He continued on through their notes, amused at how their penmanship had evolved over the years. His had become tighter, scratchier, but in a neat way, and Kibum's had shifted to be a tad more blocky. Minho also kept massaging Kibum's head, in the hopes that it would help get rid of his headache a bit faster, but the only thing it did was make him nod off mid-way through their fourth-year notes. 

Minho let his voice drop off, still Kibum's head as he made himself a bit more comfortable in his sleep. His leg was going numb from the dead weight of Kibum's head on his thigh, but he didn't care in the slightest.

Honestly, he probably should wake Kibum up and get them both to their own beds, but he couldn't. His hands lingered as he started to snore. Sighing, he allowed himself a second to caress Kibum's face, the pad of his thumb the scar on his eyebrow. Then, he drew his hands back and his eyes started to droop, but he fought to stay awake. Long enough, that is, to maneuver his sweatshirt off to cover as much of Kibum as he could. He rested his head back, letting his eyes close. 

When he opened them again, he was lying curled up against the wall, his sweatshirt draped over him. He propped himself up on his forearm, blearily surveying the empty study closet. "Bum?" he asked, his voice cracking from overnight disuse. When no answer came, he dropped back down, his head resting on his arm, and sleep claimed him once more. 

The second time he opened his eyes, Kibum was back with, by the smell of it, breakfast. 

"Good morning, sunshine." 

Minho rubbed his hand over his face as he struggled to sit up. " off."

Kibum snorted and pushed a heaping plate of food to Minho. "Eat. You'll feel better if you do." He stared at the food, frowning. “Jjong convinced me to try to eat this morning after I woke up. He said we’d study better if we did, so…” 

Minho’s mouth went dry as he stared at the plate of pancakes and fruit, any hunger he felt drifting away. Of course he went to Jonghyun. No, stop...it’s not either of their faults that Kibum didn’t like him back. Jealousy would only hurt himself, in the end. Still, he ground his teeth as he sat all the way up and pulled the plate towards him. “Thanks.” 

“Of course.” 

He could feel Kibum’s gaze, but now all he could think about was Jonghyun. Minho cut into his pancakes and cleared his throat. “So, uh, have you and...and Jjong made any plans for the summer?” 

“Eh, not really. I’m sure we’ll figure out something fun to do.” Minho nodded, not looking up from his plate. “What about you? Is Minseok gonna be there?” 

“Nope. He can’t travel that far on leave. Mom said something about a trip to visit him, though, so we’ll see.” 

“Ah.” Minho finally ate his first bite of pancakes. His stomach contracted with hunger and he quickly cut off another bite, and then another. “I wish we could hang out this summer. I...I still feel bad that I ruined that for...for us.” 

Minho stopped chewing and looked up, finally meeting Kibum’s eyes as he swallowed his food. “It wasn’t your fault, Bummie.” He wiped the syrup from his lips when Kibum started to respond. “Really. My dad was being a jerk.”

“I know, but -- “

“No, really, it’s okay. Besides,” he looked down at his plate again, watching the syrup drip off of his pancakes. “You spend the rest of the year with me. Wouldn’t you rather spend your summers with Jjong?” 

Kibum hesitated before answering, but Minho kept his eyes on his food. “I mean, it’d be more fun if you were there, too.” 

Minho swallowed thickly and pushed one of the blueberries on his plate into the pool of syrup. "We should probably get back to studying, huh?"

"Probably. Keep eating, though," Kibum added when Minho started to set his plate aside. "We probably won't be too hungry for lunch." True. Directly after lunch finished, the Great Hall would be transformed into a classroom for all the fifth years to take the first of their O.W.L.s -- and then later on, the seventh years would take their N.E.W.T.s. Minho cut off a smaller bite, looking up as Kibum reached for their Charms notes. "Alright, where did we leave off?" 

They continued to study, scouring the notes for any relevant information they could find, all while trying not to get distracted by their many, many doodles. 

"What do you think that was supposed to be?" Kibum asked, tilting the parchment to the side. 

Minho leaned over to inspect it for himself, his chin resting on Kibum's shoulder. "Not sure. You drew it, though." 

"It's all smudgy. How can you tell?" 

Moving away, Minho settled back against the wall. "I can always tell when it's yours." 

They continued to study until the bell for lunch rang, and only when it rang a second time did they finally venture downstairs. Once they reached the Great Hall, they sat huddled with the mix of fifth years from all Houses at the end of the Ravenclaw table. None of them touched a scrap of the food. In fact, the smell of it was making Minho's stomach churn. 

He groaned, resting his forehead on the tabletop, and Kibum wordlessly patted the back of his head. 

Lunch dragged on, no doubt due to the dreaded anticipation of the O.W.L.s, and once it was finally over, Flitwick's shrill voice rang through the Hall. "Please, everyone except for the fifth year students please vacate. Quickly and quietly, if you please!" 

There was a series of Good luck, mates and back pats as the rest of the students passed by, and Minho only looked up when the door to the Hall closed. The boom of it resounded ominously. 

"Go ahead and set your books and notes against the far wall. Mr. Stewart? That includes you, sir!" 

" my life," Callum muttered under his breath as he scurried to the wall. 

Minho stepped aside, glancing after Kibum as he joined the others in putting their things away. His attention shifted quickly back, however, when the tables vanished and were replaced by rows of desks, each perfectly spaced apart from each other. Kibum's elbow brushed against his as he returned to his side. "Here we go." 

Minho smiled ruefully, glancing down at Kibum before he started for an empty desk. Kibum got swept up in the anxious crowd, finding his spot about five places away from Minho. He offered Minho a shrug and a small smile before he looked back to the front of the Hall. 

Flitwick was standing on the dais, a stack of papers as tall as him beside him. "We'll start with the written.” As he said that, the exams started floating off of the stack, filing down the row of desks before settling before the students. Minho touched the edge of the exam when it landed before him, then picked up the quill as it materialized beside it. “You'll be given an hour and a half to complete it, and once the exams are all turned in, we will commence with the practical portion of your exam." 

Once the last exam fell into place, Minho looked over at Kibum. He glanced at Minho, then back again when he realized he was watching him. Minho gave him a quick thumbs up, which made Kibum crack a smile. He nodded at him, as if to say /Good luck to you, too/, and then returned his attention to Flitwick. 

“You may begin.” 

* * * * * * * * * *

“Bummie…Bum...Kibum…” 

He didn’t look up from his copy of Encyclopedia of Toadstools, instead offering Minho a distracted “Hm?” in response. 

“We need to go to bed. It’s lights’ out soon.” 

“Hm...what?” 

Minho let out an amused sigh when Kibum looked up at him. “We should go to bed soon.” 

“Five more minutes.” 

He rested his head on Kibum’s shoulder, and for a moment Kibum thought about shaking him off. But then he got caught up by the medical uses of shiitake mushrooms and their dosage in potions. Tomorrow would be the third day of the O.W.L.s and Kibum, as well as every single other fifth year, was eager for them to be over already. He still had yet to have a restful night’s sleep, though last night he did make it to his bed, or eat three full meals a day. 

None of them had been to Hogsmeade since the start of May.

Exam season was truly the worst time of the year. 

Just as Kibum was about to turn the page, Minho snatched the book out of his hands, holding it out of his reach with an annoyingly cute impish grin. “Time’s up.” Kibum lunged forward, reaching for the book, only for Minho to lean further away, his tired smile growing ever so slightly.  “Nope! We need sleep.”

“We can sleep up here and keep studying.” 

“Bummie…” 

The flickering candle light made the shadows dance across his face as he leaned back against the wall, heaving a heavy sigh. Kibum grabbed onto the book then, tugging slightly when Minho didn’t let go. “Please? Just for tonight?” A bald-faced lie, and they both knew it. But, as Minho searched Kibum’s expression, there was the slightest twitch of Minho’s eyebrow. Kibum knew that his resolve was starting to waver. Kibum’s smile grew. “Besides, you’re better at Herbology than I am...I…” He suppressed a laugh. “Help me, Choi Minho, you’re my only hope.” 

Minho slumped against the wall as his laughter filled the closet. “Fine! You win.” 

Grinning now, Kibum snatched the textbook back with ease. “You’re too easy, Choi.” 

“Whatever.” 

Kibum stretched out on the floor, taking the blanket with them. He lazily covered his shoulders, looking up when he felt Minho's eyes on him, worrying his bottom lip. "Do...do you mind if we share the blanket?" 

His brow furrowed and he shook his head, making sure he didn't stare too hard  at Minho as he slipped beneath the blanket to lay beside him. Since he came out, things hadn't necessarily changed. Which was a huge relief. But, that being said,  there were little oddities now...like Minho asking if he could share his blanket. Or him scooting farther away from him when they sat together at lunch. 

Little, insignificant things. 

Still, questionable. 

Maybe he was a bit uncomfortable with him now that he knew...maybe he was making sure that Kibum knew that he didn't like him. 

Maybe it was a good thing that he didn't blurt out his feelings in the midst of coming out. 

"What?" Minho's voice grabbed his attention, chasing away the anxious thoughts. , he'd been staring at him this whole time. 

"Nothing," he said, turning immediately to the Encyclopedia of Toadstools. 

He found his place again, and Minho sidled a little closer, and Kibum found himself leaning into his shoulder. "Where'd you leave off?" He pointed to the paragraph about powdered shiitake in the Immunization Potion. "Oh, that bit was so cool!"
 
Kibum propped his chin on his fist as Minho started to eagerly talk about everything he could remember about shiitakes and the other medical uses for the mushrooms. It was cute how animated he got when he talked about plants and fungi.

Really cute. 

Distractingly cute. 

"Sorry, am I boring you?"

"Hm?" Kibum snapped out of his haze. "No, not at all. It was fascinating."

"Okay, so like I was saying --" 

They stayed awake for about another hour -- it was always difficult to tell the correct time in their study closet. The warmth of the blanket and their shared body heat eventually lulled them to sleep. Kibum first. The last thing he remembered was Minho yawning as he was flipping through the other Herbology textbook. He had rested his head on Minho’s shoulder and closed his burning eyes. To rest them, of course. 

When he woke several hours later, he was sharing the open One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi textbook with Minho as their makeshift pillow. Grimacing, he sat up, popping his neck. Some of the ache went away, thankfully. He blinked, looking down at the still sleeping Minho then around for another, better option for a pillow. He grabbed a folded blanket and Minho’s discarded robe, setting the blanket aside and using Minho’s robe to wipe up the little puddles of drool where he had been sleeping as well as by Minho’s lips. Then, carefully, he lifted Minho’s head, cradling him gently as he moved the book and placed the blanket beneath his head. 

Setting the book aside -- open, so it could dry -- Kibum laid back down, replacing the blanket around his and Minho’s shoulders, and fell back asleep. 

As he woke a second time, he was lying flat on his back, his hand resting on Minho’s arm that was wrapped around him. It took a few minutes for him to wake up enough for that to register, and when it did, Kibum rolled over on his side, being careful not to dislodge Minho’s arm around him. In a perfect world, he would have already told Minho that he...liked him, and Minho would definitely return his feelings. He wouldn’t have to get by on stolen glances where he had to look away before he really got a chance to appreciate Minho’s laugh. Or his smile. Or the glimmer in his eyes when he was going to do something funny or stupid, just for him.

His linked fingers twitched against his chest and he held his hands tighter to keep himself from reaching out to Minho. A lock of his hair was hanging before his closed eyes... Sighing, Kibum sat up, slipping out from under Minho’s outstretched arm. He tucked the blanket around Minho once he was free of it and he slipped quietly out of the closet and into the hallway. 

Pale daylight mingled with the torchlight lining the walls. The new day was dawning. Kibum made his way down the hall to the water fountain, looking out over the land and the sun was slowly rising on the horizon. Peach and yellow clouds stretched across the pale blue sky, and Kibum’s vision went fuzzy as his gaze went unfocused. It was probably about five in the morning right now, if he had to guess...six at the latest...which meant that the Herbology exam would be happening in seven or eight hours. Just after lunch. 

Despite having just woken up, exhaustion was already settling into his bones. Charms and Transfiguration were already done, and as soon as they finished the Herbology O.W.L. today they would immediately begin cramming for their Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W.L. tomorrow. Maybe he would try to take a nap after they finished, but... He let out a weary chuckle as he hung his head, staring past the stone mermaid perched on the water fountain, waiting for his command to start pouring water. Given how he -- and the rest of the fifth years, really -- had been so far about studying, the odds of him taking a nap seemed slim. 

He could catch up on sleep during the summer, right? It wasn’t like he had anything really to look forward to, other than getting to hang out with Jonghyun. 

If only he had been able to keep his stupid ing mouth shut, then maybe he’d be able to still go over to the Choi’s house.

Whatever. It’d be better if he didn’t dwell on it.

Kibum pushed away from the water fountain and trudged back to the closet, unsurprised that Minho hadn’t stirred at all. He knew better than to expect that. He closed the door with a quiet click and made his way to the back of the closet, picking up One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi on his way to sit down. He rested his head against the back wall as he yawned and then, with an effort, he scanned the page until he found where he left off before crashing. 

Was he still tired? Yes, absolutely. Was there any chance that he’d be able to sleep now that he was awake? Not a ing chance, unfortunately. 

He grabbed the end of the blanket and pulled it over his legs. Minho smacked his lips in his sleep, his arms curling a little tighter around the blanket-pillow. Kibum smiled to himself as he tore his eyes away and forced himself to start to read. Starting with Dittany, he read all the way through to Gillyweed by the time Minho sat up, squinting at him in the dim candle light.

“Wh...what time is it?” 

Kibum stretched out to grab Minho’s phone, pressing one of the buttons to turn on the screen. “8:24.” Minho’s head thudded back against the blanket-pillow and he let out a groan. “Are you hungry?” He mumbled something, and Kibum frowned. “What?”

“A little.” 

“We should eat, then.” 

They packed up their books and the stack of Herbology notes from the past five years and started downstairs. Minho staggered a bit once they reached the ground floor, most likely still groggy, and he leaned against Kibum until they reached the Great Hall.

The fifth years were all gathered at the end of Gryffindor’s table, huddling together before their untouched food and studying like their lives depended on it. Because, well, it sort of did. Kibum grabbed Minho’s sleeve at the elbow and guided  him to an empty spot. Minho set their books between them as he reached out for the plate of crepes. Across the table, Damien glanced up at the movement. He watched Minho for barely a second before his attention shifted to Kibum then quickly back to his plate. With a smug little smile, Kibum grabbed their stack of notes and shuffled through them to find where they left off in their studies last night. 

When the first -- and even the second -- bell rang, not one of them moved. Not even to look up at the students passing by them. The Great Hall fell silent around them, aside for the raspy whisper of pages being turned and the occasional anxious groan. Kibum only looked up from his notes when hunger started to gnaw at his core, and Minho glanced over at him. Without even needing to ask, he tapped his unfinished breakfast toward Kibum and slid him his fork before he went back to reading. 

Kibum nibbled on the remains of the half-eaten crepes and the few fresh berries that Minho left behind. He finished eating by the time Professor Sprout arrived in the Hall, the doors falling shut behind her. 

“I hope you all are ready! Put your books away, if you please!” 

Begrudgingly, Kibum passed over the stack of notes to Minho as they both stood. He stuffed them into the Encyclopedia for Toadstools as he made his way over to the wall with the others depositing their books and notes. Kibum stepped away from the table, glancing over the Hall in dismay as the tables transfigured into desks. He sat at the nearest one, propping his chin on his fist as he watched the others find their seat. 
 
Once everyone was situated, a stack of parchments and a self-inking quill appeared in front of Kibum. “Let’s begin!” 

Sighing, Kibum flipped the parchments over and grabbed the quill. 

1) _________ is the study of magical and _______ plants and fungi. The Muggle equivalent is ______.

Kibum quickly jotted down Herbology, mundane, and botany. If all the questions were going to be like this, then he was worried for absolutely nothing. And, it was for a little while, until…

7) ____________, the benign cousin of _______ _____, has healing properties. When cut, it produces a clear, gel-like substance that can be applied to cuts, scrapes, and burns to reduce swelling and the chance of infection.

Well . 

The answer for it was right on the tip of his tongue, but for the life of him, he couldn’t remember. He glanced over at Minho, who had already gone through at least one sheet of parchment, and looked back at his own test. He’d have to come back to the question once he was finished with the “Fill in the Blanks” section. Or -- he scanned the rest of the O.W.L. -- maybe when he was finished with the “Purely Hypothetical” section.  

11) The _________ bush is known to quiver or shake. It is a sentient plant that blooms once a _______, and the flowers that grow adapt in _____ to attract careless passersby.

Was that the Flitterbloom? No...oh! Kibum went back up to the seventh question, hurriedly scribbling down Flitterbloom. “Right,” he whispered, though not loud enough for him to get in trouble. It was the distant cousin of the Devil’s Snare, so Kibum wrote that in the blank spaces and went back to question eleven. Not Flitterbloom, but something similar. It took everything within him not to glance over at Minho. Not for any sort of clue, of course, but...Flutterby! The bushes only bloomed once every century. Kibum smiled to himself as he penned in the answers, writing scent for the last blank. 

What sort of scent would it choose for him? Not that it mattered right now...

Kibum shook his head, continuing on. He finished with the “Fill in the Blanks” with minimal struggle. Same with the hypothetical questions, as all three of the topics had been fairly recently taught and Minho had gone off on quite the long-winded rant about gillyweed when that lesson had been given. The essay questions, however…They took him way longer than he ever intended, and even then he wasn’t sure he got them right. The worst part was Minho was right there, and he couldn’t ask him for advice like he usually would. 

He wrapped up his answer about the uses of belladonna berry juices in potions with a half-thought prayer. Kibum glanced at Minho as he stood, offering him a tight-lipped smile as he hurried to turn in his O.W.L. before the sand settled in the hourglass. He quickly returned to his seat, folding his hands tightly on his desktop as he glanced over at Minho.

"How'd you do?" he mouthed, and Minho's gaze dropped to his lips for a second. He gave him a thumbs up, then nodded to Kibum, who shrugged. 

"We'll see," Kibum thought he mouthed, and he nodded. 

He looked up at Sprout, who was walking down another row of desks, then back at Minho. He held his fingers up to his eyes, then pointed them out to the Great Hall. Minho nodded, sitting up straighter. "Green." 
 
Minho's brow furrowed in a determined scrunch -- Kibum let out a fond sigh -- as he perused the Hall. In all honesty, Kibum wasn't sure what he was even had "spied" but his reaction was cute when Kibum continued  to say no every time Minho pointed out something green. 

By the time the hourglass settled and Sprout called time, Minho still hadn't found it. "What was it?" he whispered as the rest of the students brought their O.W.L up to the front. 

Smirking, Kibum tugged on the green lapel of his robe. 

" you," Minho said with a quiet, disbelieving laugh. It took all of Kibum's willpower not to cackle and disrupt the exam. 

“Alright,” Sprout said once she finished straightening the stack of O.W.L.s and stood behind the desk. She started walking down the center aisle. “Let’s all head to the greenhouse so we can begin the practical portion of your exam."

Minho hooked his arm around Kibum’s shoulders, pulling him close as they left the Great Hall and headed down the corridor to the doorway leading to the greenhouses. Kibum couldn’t help his little smile, even though he tried to suppress it,  when he looked up at Minho. Just for a second. He probably didn’t even notice it. Kibum leaned towards him as his arm started to slip away, but caught himself. 

No need to get carried away.

“Everyone!” Sprout said after clearing . “Eyes up here, if you please. Now, the practical portion is quite simple. Each of you will be given a riddle -- “ A couple of groans sounded around the garden. “ -- that will tell you what it is you’ll be expected to do inside the greenhouse.  The only rule is that you have to solve it yourself. There’ll be no showing your riddle to anyone else, is that understood?”

“Yes, professor.” 

She tapped the stack of small parchments against her palm, and they all vanished before the third tap. “Check your pockets, and once you’ve completed your task, and shown me the riddle, you can go!” 

Kibum dug into his robe pockets, parchment crinkling beneath his fingers. He pulled it out, leaning away from Minho so he couldn’t read what his said.

Your trial will go as follows:
Aside from a few strange fellows
The plants inside are quiet and meek.
Your luck, I’m afraid, is rather bleak. 
Hide your hands, lest they be bitten
By one with teeth larger than a kitten.

Bitten? Beside him, Minho hummed in thought, and Kibum glanced over at him as he stood and strode confidently to the greenhouse. What he wouldn’t give for Minho’s proficiency in Herbology.... Kibum shook his head and reread his riddle twice. Well, the possibility of being bitten implied that there were teeth he had to watch out for. 

The Fanged Geranium. He’d have to collect one of its fangs. Lovely. 

Kibum’s heart settled into the pit of his stomach. Why? Why him? Why’d he have to get that one? Why couldn’t it have gone to Damien? Or someone else Kibum didn’t give a about? 

He reread it again, three more times, in the hopes that he would discern a different meaning, but it only became blatantly obvious. Besides, the sooner he started, the sooner he could be back inside and studying for tomorrow’s O.W.L. With a heavy sigh, Kibum pushed himself up off the ground and stuffed the riddle into his robe pocket again. 

Kibum stepped through the open door just as Minho was walking out, a vial’s worth of bubotuber pus all over his robe and sweater, as well as a full and stoppered vial in his hand. He snorted when Minho glanced his way with a rueful smile. “Shut up,” he said through gritted teeth as he passed him, and it was all Kibum could do not to laugh as he put on his dragon-hide gloves. 

All thoughts of Minho slipped away when his gaze settled on the Fanged Geranium. Sprout had mentioned once that it was the largest domestic Fanged Geranium in all of Europe. If Kibum didn’t know any better, he thought it might have been Audrey III.  

Actually, the design of the alien plant from the show his parents took him to see after they first arrived in New York were strikingly similar to the Fanged Geranium... Maybe one of the people from the Broadway show was a wizard.

Kibum shook his head, refocusing on the present. 

The Fanged Geranium took up the entire upper left corner of the greenhouse, its tendrils suspended it in midair while its roots plunged into the ground. The red of its heavy head bled into the leaves, mixing with the green. If he let his imagination run away from him, he would have thought it had gotten to be that shade of red from the blood of its victims, but really, it was probably just it’s coloring. 

He tightened his hands into fists, the dragon-hide gloves squeaked as the scales rubbed together, and started towards it. One fang. That’s all he needed. Just one. 

He let Chloe pass as she walked through the doorway, ignoring the gloves altogether, then stepped forward, slowly making his way to the Fanged Geranium. The ends of its tendrils coiled as he drew nearer, the wooden beams they were clinging to groaning under the strain. The mouth -- if you could call it that -- hung open as if it were waiting for some prey to be stupid enough to fall into. He focused on the nearest fang, which wasn’t the largest by any means, and gulped as he reached out with both hands for it. 

A firm tug would be all he needed and he’d be free to go. He latched onto the fang with a wince, and as the jaw of the geranium started to snap shut, he pulled the fang loose and bolted out the door. Kibum was breathless by the time he reached Sprout, and he held out the fang to her. 

“Your riddle?” 

“Oh, right.” He shook off his glove, letting it fall aside, and dug into his pocket for it. “Here.”

She read it over quickly as she took the fang from him. “Good job, Mr. Kim. You may go.” He started to dart off, until... “Please put the gloves back first, though.”

“Right!” He ran back, picking up the one he discarded, and put them both back on the counter before he turned back to the castle. Kibum made his way straight downstairs, heading for Hufflepuff instead of Slytherin, and let himself inside the common room. He lightly knocked twice before he let himself into the fifth year’s room. “What the happened?” he fully intended to say, but the words didn’t register in his brain. 

“Oh, sorry!” A very shirtless Minho said as he turned his back to Kibum and tugged on a T-shirt. His face was a bright shade of crimson when he turned back around. “How did yours go?” 

“W-well enough. Had to defang the geranium.” 

Minho’s eyebrows shot up. “Wow!” He gave Kibum a once-over, no doubt checking for injuries. “I wish mine had been that cool.” 

Oh, right, that’s what he came down here for. To make fun of him for his mishap. “What happened to you?” 

He sighed and rolled his eyes as he plopped down on his bed. “She must have gotten a wild Bubotuber plant because that thing was feisty.” Kibum started to laugh as he joined him on the bed, and in turn, Minho chuckled. “It's not that funny.” 

Kibum laid back on the bed, grinning up at Minho. “It is, though.” 

Minho smiled softly at him, which set his heart aflutter, then sobered a little as he looked away. “We should study.” 

“Do you wanna go upstairs?” 

“Maybe after dinner?” He bent over, reaching for his Defense textbook. 

“My book is upstairs.” 

Minho gave him a confused frown. “We can share?” True, but… Minho patted his pillow, and Kibum shifted over as Minho lay down on his belly. Kibum scooted up to lay beside him while Minho flipped the book open.  As much as he wanted to focus on studying, Kibum let his eyes wander. From his bitten nails -- a new habit because of the O.W.L.s -- to the slight definition of the muscles on his arms and shoulders -- thank you, Quidditch -- and his slightly rumpled, still damp hair from the shower he undoubtedly took before Kibum finished his exam… Kibum sighed, and Minho glanced his way, then did a double take. 

.

“What?”  

“What are you looking at?” 

“Nothing,” Kibum lied, sliding the textbook closer to him as he avoided Minho’s gaze. “You still smell like petrol, that’s all.” 

“God ing dammit!” 

Kibum burst into giggles and buried his face in the textbook while Minho ranted about how long he scrubbed to get the smell out. Odds were they weren’t going to get much studying done before dinner.

Not that he minded, of course. 

* * * * * * * * * *

“Alright, everyone,” Professor Sinistra said, clapping her hands as the clock struck midnight. “That’s time. Please turn in your star charts and return to your dormitories.”

Minho set his quill on his easel, stretching his hand out from its cramped position, and looked over at Kibum. “How’d you do?” 

Kibum shrugged and tilted his head, inspecting his chart. “, I misspelled Andromeda.” 

“I’m sure you’ll be fine.” Kibum sighed, holding his hand out for Minho’s star chart, which he readily passed to him, and made his way up to where Sinistra was collecting them. Minho popped his neck before he stood and gathered their things, joining everyone else in their rush to get some rest before tomorrow’s O.W.L. 

Potions.

At least they only had three more to go. Honestly, Minho was numb to the routine of it now. 

“You ready, buddy?” Kibum asked, patting Minho’s back as he slipped through the door. Minho’s vision unfogged and he followed him out and down the stairs. The many nights of studying made him step out of line and through the seventh floor doorway. He was halfway down the corridor before Kibum caught up to him. “What are you doing?”

Minho’s brow furrowed. “Aren’t we studying?” 

“I mean, we can.” Minho sensed a but, but it never came. Instead, Kibum walked past him, heading to the rapidly appearing door to their study closet. He jiggled the handle and held the door open for Minho to go inside first. Minho dropped their things where he thought the row of books ended, but from the sounds of it, he misjudged it. Books toppled over in the darkness, and parchments fluttered and swished against the wall. 

“Sorry, Bum.” 

“It’s okay. Incendio.” One candle, then two, then three were lit, filling the small room with a soft yellow glow. “Are you sure you don’t want to try to sleep?” Minho nodded as he crouched to fix the mess he made. “Min?”

“Hm?”

“Are you sure?” 

“I said yes.” 

Neither moved for several seconds, but then Kibum’s shadow turned back around and he lit a few more candles. “I didn’t hear you. Sorry.” 

, he didn’t mean to make Kibum upset. He grabbed his copy of Magical Drafts and Potions and moved to the back wall, slumping there until he made himself comfortable.  Kibum settled beside him, a little further away than usual. His eyes stung as he opened the textbook, but he couldn't tell if it was from unwanted tears or the fact that he was so tired. 

Probably both. 

As much as he wanted to study, it didn't take long for him to start nodding off. He tried to fight it, forcing his eyes open when Kibum snapped the book shut. "I'm awake, sorry."

"Yeah?" Kibum said with a quiet chuckle. "But you shouldn't be. Let's sleep for a bit, hm? Then get back into it." He set the book aside before Minho could protest. Minho leaned back against the wall, watching with bleary eyes as Kibum put together a makeshift bed. He patted the floor when he was finished, and reluctantly, Minho pushed away from the wall. 

He fell asleep as soon as his head hit the blanket-pillow. 

Only to be shaken awake after what seemed like a moment later.

"Min," Kibum said, sounding just woken up as well. "Your phone. Ringing." Minho lifted his head off of the pillow, barely opening one eye as his Midi ringtone registered in his mind. "Third time." 

Groaning, Minho pushed himself up and fumbled around for his phone. He glared at the screen, waiting for the text to come into focus. 

Sooyoung? What did she want at this hour?

"Hello?"

"Oh my god," Sooyoung said, her voice thick with tears. "Did I wake you up?"

"Yeah."

"I'm so sorry. I didn't know who...who else to call…"

"D'worry. What's wrong?" He rubbed his eyes, waiting for her to respond, and sat up a little straighter when she sniffled. "Soo?"

"They found out." He blinked, his exhaustion melting away as realization dawned. "My parents...Miyoung's…"

Kibum sat up, giving Minho a look of concern. He shook his head. He'd explain later. "H-how?"

"I don't really know. I think...I...I think one of the students told a teacher, or something. I don't know. I -- " She burst into muffled tears, which gradually grew quieter. She must have set the phone down. 

"Soo, what's gonna happen to you?"

She gulped as she raised the phone to her ear. "What?" After he repeated the question, she sniffled again. "I don't know. Mom and Dad pulled me out of school today and are discussing it right now. Mi...Miyoung's parents are taking her b-back."

"Back? To America?"

"Mhm. ," she said, whispering now. “I can hear them coming upstairs. I’ll text you later if I can.” 

She hung up before Minho got a chance to even think goodbye.

Blinking, Minho set his phone aside. “What happened?” His eyes stung with tears and he worried his bottom lip. “Minho?” 

“She’s...well, she was in a relationship with her friend and her parents found out.” His eyes flicked up to meet Kibum’s. “She...she’s gay.” 

Kibum’s concern melted away, leaving his expression blank. “Oh…I...I assume it didn’t end well?” Minho shook his head, grimacing as tears started to fall, and buried his face in his crossed arms. After a moment, Kibum’s arm draped over Minho’s shoulders and his head rested against his. Neither moved, other than to make themselves more comfortable, and Minho cried himself back to sleep.

When he woke, his eyes felt gritty, and he rolled over onto his back so he could rub them. "How are you doing?" Kibum asked, and Minho lowered his hands to look at him. 

"Okay. I still feel terrible for her."

"Of course...You said you might be going back this summer, right?"

Minho shrugged. "Mom said she and Dad were and that they'd try to get me a ticket, but we'll see." 

When Kibum didn’t respond right away, Minho looked up to find him watching him. He offered him a half-dimpled smile. “It right now, but I’m sure she’ll be okay soon.” 

“Hopefully.” 

Kibum sighed. “Yeah.” 

Minho laid back down, his head thudding against the blanket-pillow. “I can’t wait for exams to be over.” 

“We’re almost there.” He could hear the smile in Kibum’s voice. “At least today is an easy one.” 

Scoffing, Minho looked up at Kibum. “Maybe for you.” 

Kibum swatted at his foot. “You’ll do fine. Don’t even worry.” He laid back down, huffing. “Do you want to study, then? Or what?” 

“I suppose. Up here, though,” he added when Kibum started to stand.  “Just in case Sooyoung texts me back.”

“Okay, but we still need to eat.” 

“True.”  

Kibum helped him stand, and together they made their way downstairs, eating a light breakfast with the rest of the fifth years. Minho picked at his food and tried to keep himself from glancing Kibum's way too often. Hopefully Sooyoung would be alright. Her parents' reaction, though, started him worrying about how his parents would be when he...if he and Kibum... Not that it was even a possibility in the first place, but in the off chance that they did end up becoming...something...there would be multiple reasons for his parents to be pissed about it. 

"You ready?" Kibum asked, his voice drawing him away from his anxious thoughts. 

"Mm."

They slipped away from the table when the others were off to class, heading back upstairs. No texts greeted him -- Sooyoung was probably asleep. Or her phone got taken away. Honestly, either was possible.

"Okay, where do we want to start?" 

“From where we left off last night?”

“Wiggenweld Potion,” Kibum muttered under his breath as he flipped to the right page. 

They crammed as much studying as they could before the bell for lunch rang, only getting about halfway through the material from fifth year. Minho gathered up their many notes and Kibum the rest of the note cards that he had made and they went downstairs, walking slowly as Kibum asked Minho questions from the note cards. He passed them to Minho once they sat down, and he ate while Minho continued to study.

Minho made it down to three note cards before the Great Hall started to clear out. Truthfully, he wouldn’t have noticed the mass exit if Kibum hadn’t tapped his arm. “Hold on,” he muttered when he flipped the second to the last one over, checking his answers.

“Slughorn is here. Min,” he added a second later, shaking his arm.

“.” He stood, not taking his eyes off of the last note card as he walked over to the wall to put their things away. “Ginger, scarab beetles, newt spleens, and armadillo bile are the key components for...Wit-Sharpening?” He flipped it over, smiling when he found that he was right.

“If only we had some of that right now,” Travis whispered as they set their books and notes down.

Minho let out a quiet, clipped laugh. “Yeah.” 

He found an empty desk adjacent to Kibum, who looked back at him with a small, reassuring smile. Minho took a deep breath and smiled back, both looking away and to Slughorn when he cleared his throat. He flipped over his hourglass and Minho picked up his quill. "You have an hour. Go ahead and begin." 

1. The most important thing to remember when brewing potions is to ___________.
   A. Have the right ingredients 
   B. Have the right temperature
   C. Follow the recipe exactly
   D. All of the above

Minho circled D, gulping as he moved on to the next question. Multiple choice exams could be nice, but not really when you’re out-of-your-mind exhausted and studied to death. Then it’s just a recipe for over-thinking and possibly disaster. Actually, probably disaster. He fisted his hand in his hair as he debated whether a Cure for Boils was a real thing or not. 

9. Fire seed is used in which of these two potions?
   A. Pepperup Potion and Fire-Breathing Potion
   B. Antidote to Uncommon Poisons and Fire Protection Potion
   C. Fire-Breathing Potion and Antidote to Uncommon Poisons
   D. Pepperup Potion and Fire Protection Potion

Tentatively, Minho circled B, continuing on.

15. The correct order of ingredients for brewing Doxycide are?
   A. Bundimun acid, streeler shells, dragon liver, hemlock essence, and cowbane essence.
   B. Dragon liver, bundimun acid, hemlock essence, streeler shells, and cow bane essence.
   C. Hemlock essence, cowbane essence, bundimun acid, dragon liver, and streeler shells.
   D. Streeler shells, cowbane essence, bundimun acid, dragon liver, and hemlock essence.

Minho groaned under his breath, then did a cursory glance to make sure no one noticed his distress. He remembered reading the note card for this one, but for the life of him, he couldn’t remember what it said. His instincts told him that A was correct, because the shells and liver would need to be broken down more than they were, despite probably being crushed and chopped, respectively. So it would make sense if the acid was the first ingredient. Right, yes, okay. He circled A and looked over at Kibum. He was probably on the essay questions by now. 

The essay questions, when he got to them, weren’t as bad as he was thinking they would be. Or, possibly he was an entire idiot and completely ed them up. Either was possible at this point. Kibum got up to turn in his O.W.L. when Minho started scribbling his answer for the question about the Wiggenweld Potion and its importance in modern wizarding medicine. 

“That’s time,” Slughorn said as Minho was reading over his exam one last time, his reedy voice carrying easily through the silence of the Great Hall. “Turn in your O.W.L.s, and head downstairs, please.” Minho reluctantly put his exam together and followed the others who were handing over their exams to Slughorn. Kibum was waiting for him at the doorway, and Minho hurried to join him. They walked downstairs with the others, and if Minho hadn't been so out of it, he would have noticed how eerily quiet everyone was. “Grab your cauldrons and find a station,” Slughorn’s voice goaded them into the classroom. “Quickly now.” They all hurried to obey, and Slughorn was sitting behind his desk by the time they all looked back at him. “Alright, you have an hour to brew a perfect Draught of Peace from memory. Beware, because you’ll be testing it yourself once you’ve finished.” He flipped over his hourglass and set it on his desktop. “Begin.” 

Kibum immediately moved to get the ingredients, and Minho followed him, grabbing whatever he grabbed. Was that cheating? Not really, he didn’t think. Or really care, at this point. 

Once he dumped everything on his station and set his cauldron over the flame, adjusting the height of it before he picked up his beaker and went over to the faucet to fill it up with 240ml of water. He picked up his bag of powdered moonstone, taking a little scoop of it and carefully shaking it over the water until the color shifted from clear to a milky emerald. Minho set the moonstone aside and picked up his spoon, stirring it carefully.

Kibum reached out to turn up his flame, and Minho wondered if he should do the same. No, no, he’d brew this at his own pace. Not try to copy Kibum, and all that. In fact, he shifted, turning his back slightly to Kibum so that he wouldn’t be tempted to copy his every move. Oh, the potion was a bright sapphire blue now. Minho grabbed his scoop of moonstone and shook it over the potion again, waiting for it to turn purple. When it did, he stirred once, making sure all the moonstone was incorporated, and set his spoon aside. He turned up his flame a little, watching the little bubbles come to the surface of the brew.

Some of them were starting to turn pink by the time they reached the surface, so he was getting closer. Once it was fully pink, Minho grabbed his vial of hellebore syrup and added some, a drop at a time, until the potion turned a nice sea foam turquoise. By the time Minho was shaking the porcupine quills, Kibum had raised his hand to have Slughorn check his potion. He had tasted it and was gone once Minho stirred the quills into the potion. It turned a rich, russet orange, and Minho added more of the quills, until it was back to the sea foam turquoise. 

He stopped stirring and turned up the heat again, waiting for it to turn purple once more. When it did, he added some powdered unicorn horn, then more moonstone, then more of the quills until it was a milk white. He grabbed the hellebore again, holding his hand steady as he counted the drops.

“Six...seven.” 

He took the hellebore away, stirred twice, then pulled out his spoon to see if the brew took on the same silvery sheen that Kibum’s did. When he could see his reflection looking back at him, he caught Slughorn’s attention and waited for him to come over to inspect it. “Go ahead and give it a taste.” 

"How much?" 

"Just a sip of a teaspoon, please." 

Tentatively, Minho took up the long spoon he had been stirring with and dipped it into the [color] potion. He held his hand below it to catch any drips as he blew steam off the surface. Gulping, he sipped and swallowed. 

Well, he didn't immediately pass out, which was a good sign. Setting the spoon aside, he glanced back at Slughorn. As he did, warmth bloomed in his stomach -- the potion must be taking effect. A light tingle spread across his chest, up his neck and over his shoulders, down his arms. He let out a sigh as the tension he had been carrying for weeks now released from his body. 

He gave Slughorn a dopey smile -- he knew he looked like a complete idiot, but he couldn't help himself -- and the professor smiled back before he marked off something on his clipboard. "Go on then, Mr. Choi." 

"Yes, professor." 

Even though he knew he was walking out of the classroom, it felt more like he was floating. Hopefully he'd float to where Kibum was, because at the moment he didn't care where he wandered off to. 

He made his way down the corridor towards the light, stopping in the stairwell when he heard someone call out to him. "Hm?"

Kibum's half-lidded eyes lit up when Minho turned around. The potion must still be affecting him. "Hey, how'd you do?

"Not bad."

His smile broadened. "Good...Wanna go outside?"

Yeah...outside sounded nice… 

Instead of answering out loud, Minho turned and plodded up the stairs, Kibum on his heels. They stumbled into the garden, and Minho squinted at the sudden brightness of the summer day. Kibum hooked his hand on Minho's arm as he started walking down the path to the lawn. They walked all the way down to where the Whomping Willow was, though out of it's reach. Minho watched it whip it's branches around until Kibum tugged on his arm, and he joined him on the grass. 

Kibum laid down once Minho settled, letting out a long sigh. "Just two more." His voice sounded decidedly less dreamy now. Potion must be wearing off. 

There were a few clouds that were spread across the otherwise clear blue sky. A few big, billowy ones. In the distance. Some thin streaky ones overhead. Minho couldn't take his eyes off of them. "Mhm."

"With a day off in between."

"Mhm."

Kibum rolled onto his side, turning toward him. Minho still couldn't peel his eyes away from the clouds. "Do you feel like studying tonight?"

"Mm...no."

There was a smile in Kibum's voice when he settled on the grass again. "Me neither. We can start back up tomorrow. Besides, it's just History and Divination. We're not doing either of those classes next year, anyways." 

"True." Minho let out a long sigh, until his lungs felt empty, then he breathed in again. "Would you hate me if I fell asleep on you?" His brow scrunched up as his words registered in his mind. "Not on you, just -- "

Kibum's chuckle cut him off. It was almost melodious, in a way. "I know what you meant. I'll still be here, Min, don't worry.” Closing his eyes, Minho flexed his hand, his fingers brushing against Kibum’s and sending his heart aflutter. He barely opened his eyes, catching a sliver of blue sky before they closed again. When he opened his eyes again, the sky had shifted. More clouds had appeared, and the sun was nearing the horizon. It almost grazed the tips of the trees of the Forbidden Forest. Minho reached up, rubbing his eyes before he looked Kibum’s way. 

His hands were folded behind his head, his eyes closed as he soaked in the almost-summer sun. A smattering of freckles dotted the apples of his cheeks, and Minho already couldn’t wait to see how many more he got this summer. A self-satisfied smile brightened his face and Minho couldn’t help but stare at the dimple adorning his cheek. His lips moved -- he was saying something -- but Minho was too caught up in the dip and curve of them to hear him.

“What?”

“I said,” Kibum repeated, no doubt more sarcastically than before. “You’re finally awake.”

“How long was I out?” 

Kibum shrugged, finally opening one eye to look over at Minho. His smile grew. “Probably an hour. Feel better?” 

“Yeah. You?” 

He glanced up at Minho’s hair for a second, his smile turning into more of a smirk, then raised his hand to shield his eyes from the glaring sun. “Yeah. Wanna head in? It’s probably almost time for supper.”  

“Sure.” 

With an effort, Minho pushed himself up and together they made their way back to the castle, both heading downstairs to change into casual wear. They split off at the corner, Minho picking up his pace to a jog until he reached the barrels. He let himself into Hufflepuff, frowning at the others who gave him strangely amused looks. That is until he got to his dorm room. He glanced at himself in the mirror as he started to disrobe and immediately looked back when he spotted little dots of yellow littered through his hair. 

He pulled off his robe and tossed it in the general direction of his bed as he walked closer to the mirror. Flowers. Kibum had put ing spearworts in his hair. Lesser spearworts, to be exact. They were arranged to form a sort of crown...or diadem, really, since they didn’t reach the back of his head. Smiling, he pulled one of them out of his hair and twirled the stem between his fingers, watching the swirl of yellow dance back and forth. 

No, he couldn’t be stupid about this. It meant nothing, obviously. Kibum liked someone else and he shouldn’t get his hopes up.

He shook them out of his hair, tossing all but one into the waste bin. That one, he set next to the candy heart in his nightstand drawer.

* * * * * * * * * *

“Quills down,” Binns said, stirring from his nap behind the podium. 

Kibum could feel his grin spreading from ear to ear as he flicked his quill out of his hand, finding Minho in the crowd of cheering fifth years. Of course he was excitedly bouncing around with Seb and Marvin, laughing like a sleep-deprived maniac. The O.W.L.s were over. Done. They wouldn’t have to worry about bull like this until the N.E.W.T.s came around in seventh year. 

“Hey,” Analecia said, leaning back onto Kibum’s desk. He tore his gaze away from Minho, his eyebrows raising in question. “Rhesa says that she can convince the girls to come over for a slumber party tonight. Can you convince Minho? Or the guys?”

“Just Hufflepuff?” 

“Yeah.” 

“No problem. It’ll be in the Laciospecto, right?” 

She nodded, turning back around when Gilbert called out her name. He stretched his arms out in front of him, then over his head with a yawn. His desk creaked and he opened his eyes to find Minho leaning on it, giving him a crooked smile when his eyes met his. Kibum pushed his bench back and started for the door. Minho followed him, and they left the noisiness of the Great Hall behind.

Minho hooked his arm over Kibum’s shoulders, and Kibum slipped his around Minho’s waist as they started down the stairs. “We ing survived…”

Kibum looked up at him for a second, sniffing in amusement. “It was a bit touch-and-go there for a second, huh?” 

“Definitely.” 

“Which would you rather do right now? Eat or sleep?” 

Kibum hummed in thought, glancing down the hall to Slytherin. “Analecia said something about a Slytherin and Hufflepuff slumber party. In the Laciospecto.” Minho let out an interested Oh? and Kibum nodded. “So, probably sleep right now.” 

“Okay.” Minho kept walking toward Hufflepuff, dragging Kibum along with him. No one paid them any mind -- it wasn’t a strange occurrence for Kibum to accompany Minho in Hufflepuff -- as they walked through the common room toward the boy’s dormitories. “I’m probably gonna have to get a new robe this summer, aren’t I?” Minho asked, holding out his arm so Kibum could see the sleeve length. 

The hem of it hit a tad shy of his wrist. “You’ve gotta stop growing, Choi…” 

Minho smirked as he pulled his robe off and sloppily folded it, setting it on the chest of drawers by the full-length mirror.. “I’ll try.” 

Kibum tossed his robe over Minho’s duffle bag before he climbed into his bed, relaxing almost immediately with a sigh. “I think Hufflepuff beds are softer than Slytherin’s.” 

Minho pressed down on the mattress before he slipped in beside Kibum. “Maybe. I wonder what Ravenclaw and Gryffindor’s are like?”

“Maybe we should infiltrate them and find out?”

“That sounds like a great plan that definitely won’t get us expelled.” 

“Nah, that’s just detention, for sure.” 

Minho smiled, but it waned a second later. “I wonder what our grades will be…”

“We’ll find out on Saturday.” 

“I know.” He let out a long sigh. “I could go for some more Draught of Peace right now.” 

Kibum laughed out loud, and Minho joined him a second later. 

* * * * *

A/N: Please look forward to the bonus chapter! I'll be posting it as soon as I finish writing it