Snow continued to fall throughout November, stopping only for a few days here and there to let the sunshine through. But the cold remained. As the end of term drew nearer and nearer, the homework load of all increased, so much so that Minho had to cancel Quidditch practice on Saturdays until the start of the new year so that he and his team could focus on the tests. Hardly anyone went to Hogsmeade, but he wasn’t too concerned about that. He and Kibum would have a pretty free reign of the village once the majority of the school was home for Christmas break.

Minho turned a page of his copy of Flesh-Eating Trees of the World and underlined a portion of how to properly juice a Snargaluff pod, then made the note Roll in on the table before you cut into it. More juice that way in the narrow margin. Yawning, he dropped his pen in the textbook as he closed it, then reached over to pat the back of Kibum’s knee. “You ready to head downstairs?”

He didn’t answer. Blearily, Minho looked up to where Kibum was laying across the study closet floor, his head resting face down in his Advanced Potion Making.

“Not again.” Minho rubbed his hand over his face before he scooted up to sit by his side. “Hey,” he said, shaking him. “Buddy, wake up?” Usually, that would be enough to draw him out of his no doubt fitful sleep so that Minho could get him to bed. “Bummie…” He shook him again. Nothing.

Sighing, Minho rested his hand on Kibum’s shoulder, rubbing it softly with his thumb. He’d been like this for days now, all caught up in the -- admittedly -- important Potions test that would determine whether or not he’d represent the school at the competition in the spring. He let out a quiet snore and Minho smiled down at him. It’d be best to let him sleep. It wasn’t like they had a class to be at first thing in the morning.

Minho settled beside him, pulling the blanket Kibum had been using over both of them. He grabbed his folded up robe and rested his head atop it, his eyes drooping as he blinked. Candlelight flickered over the walls and ceiling, and Kibum turned his head to face him, though still squashed by the book. “M...Min…” he mumbled against the pages.

His brow furrowed as he smiled sleepily. “Yeah?” He didn’t respond, he only lightly smacked his lips in his sleep. Minho reached out, brushing Kibum’s soft hair off of his forehead. “You can tell me in the morning, buddy.”

When he woke several hours later, Kibum was still asleep, though he had shifted so that he shared Minho’s robe-pillow instead of his open textbook. Minho slipped out from under the blanket, tucking it around Kibum before he slipped out into the dark corridor. Torches lit in a burst of flame as he passed them on his way to the water fountain. Only, when he reached it, he realized he had left his wand back in the closet.

“.”

“Min?” Kibum’s groggy voice echoed in the hallway.

“Down here!”

After a moment, Kibum shuffled into view, the blanket wrapped around his shoulders and dragging behind him on the ground. He asked something, but his voice came out so garbled that Minho couldn’t understand what he said. “What?”

“What’re you doing…”

“I got thirsty, but I forgot my wand.”

Kibum perked up a little at that and fumbled with the blanket as he dug around for his wand in his pocket. “Water,” he said, pointing it firmly at the stone mermaid who just stared back at him. “Ag...Aguamenti, I mean…” Water spurted from the spout and Minho bent over, drinking his fill. Kibum did as well once Minho had finished, looking significantly more awake when he tapped the head of the mermaid with his wand, cutting off the water. “We should probably get to our actual beds, huh.”

“Is there any point to going now?” Minho asked, glancing out the window. The new day was slowly dawning, the sky growing to be a pale gray as sunlight crept over the surface of the Black Lack and the tips of the trees and the roofs of the towers of Hogwarts.

“I guess not, but it’d be nice to get a few hours in our actual beds.”

“True. You know,” he added once they had gone back to the closet to extinguish the candles and were on their way back downstairs. “I can help you. With studying, I mean. If you want.”

“You have your own tests to study for.” Kibum yawned as he started to stroll down one of the moving staircases, stopping at the end while he waited for it to come to a halt. “I don’t want to take you away from them.”

“These ones aren’t as important as the end of the year ones.” Kibum his teeth at him as he started walking again, and Minho chuckled. “Don’t argue, you know I’m right.”

“Sure, yeah.”

Minho scoffed. “I’m feeling pretty confident in them, anyways. So really, just let me help you, okay?”

Kibum shook his head as they started down the stairs to the ground floor, looking up at Minho when they started for the basement. "Fine."

"I just know how important it is to you that you do well, alright?" Even though his voice was quiet, it still echoed in the stairwell. They stopped walking once they reached the corner between the two Houses, and Kibum looked up at him. "It's happening in a week from today, right?"

"Yeah, next Friday. Last day of the term."

Minho nodded, blinking slowly. "We can head to the library after we finish breakfast."

"Sounds good." Kibum turned and started for Slytherin. "Get some sleep -- "

"You too!" Minho called after him.

"And I'll see you later!"

Minho watched him until the light from within Slytherin illuminated him, then he started for Hufflepuff, each step aggravating the ache in his body from sleeping on the floor. Sleep claimed him almost as soon as he crawled into bed, and didn’t release him for another few hours, until it was nearly time for lunch. As quickly as he could manage, Minho changed into his uniform and ran up to the library. He was still tucking his shirt in once he reached it. He knew Madam Pince would give him a verbal lashing if she caught him running between the shelves, so he speed-walked, glancing up and down the aisles until he spotted Kibum by one of the tables by the window.

He combed his fingers through his hair as he hurried over to him, sliding into the seat across from him. “I’m so sorry, Bummie,” he whispered as Kibum looked up, clearly amused. “I overslept.”

“I figured. Don’t worry about it, Min.”

“I know, but -- “

His dimples indented his cheeks, and Minho relaxed a little into his chair. “It’s fine.”

“So, what do you need me to do?”

For the next few days, up until it came time for Kibum to take the test, Minho quizzed him, using the flashcards Kibum had put together until Minho only had to say a few words of the question for him to know the answer. He was flipping through them as Minho walked him down to the Potions classroom, even when the hallway was too dark for him to see. As they stepped into the light of Slughorn’s classroom, Minho held out his hand for them, and Kibum reluctantly handed them over.

“You’ve got this, Kim!”

Kibum smiled over his shoulder at him, turning back around as Minho moved aside for Priyasha to slip into the classroom. He patted the notecards against his palm, sighing heavily as he made his way toward Slytherin. He slipped off his shoes once he was inside and he made himself a cup of coffee before he went back to Kibum’s dorm room, only to find a very surprised Aaron and his Quidditch team sitting in a circle on the floor.

“Don’t mind me,” he said, averting his eyes with a smile as he stepped inside to drop Kibum’s notecards on his bed. “Not here to spy, I swear.”

“Well, see, now I’m suspicious!”

Minho winked at Aaron, who laughed, and he let himself back out into the hall. What to do… He took a sip of his coffee as he meandered through Slytherin, nearly spilling his coffee when he accidentally walked into the invisible barrier protecting the girls’ dorms. Several of the girls ran out of their rooms to see who the male intruder was, most laughing and moving out of Analecia's way when she stormed down the hall, her stern expression dissipating.

"Oh, it's just you."

"Yeah, sorry. Hufflepuff has a door that we can't open between the two dorms so I'm just not used to it."

"It's okay. I've had to write up a few of the fourth year for trying to sneak in as of late. Boys will be boys, unfortunately."

Minho nodded, sighing. "Sorry for bothering you."

"No worries. I was just packing, but I can finish it later." She walked through the invisible barrier and led him back down the hall. "Is Kibum taking that test he's been stressed about?" Minho nodded, and she patted his shoulder. "I'm sure he'll do great."

"Me too." She slipped inside the Laciospecto and Minho followed her over to one of the boulders near the center of the room. He leaned against it and looked up at the algae swaying in the current. "Do you two have any plans for the break?"

"None that I'm aware of. You?"

"Gil is coming over on Boxing Day, which should be interesting."

"Do your parents like him?"

She chuckled, looking away from a merperson watching them then back up at him. "I'll get back to you on that." Minho took a sip of his coffee, and she perked up. "Oh, that's a good idea. I'm gonna go get some and head back to finish packing." She started for the threshold, then said over her shoulder, "If I see him I'll tell him you're in here."

"Thanks!"

He leaned against the boulder, the dampness seeping through his robe and sweater. As he finished his coffee, he watched the marine life swim past, including the giant squid he had only heard rumors about. He hadn't realized what the shadow behind the algae was until the big golden eye shone through the dark water of the lake.

Minho blinked slowly before he pushed away from the boulder and walked toward the light of the common room. He made himself another cup of coffee before he went over to the couches, sitting close to the fire while he watched some of the younger students play a few rounds of gobstones. Whenever the wall opened up, he turned to see if it was Kibum, but it was only other Slytherins coming in from their final class of the term or heading out, all bundled up to go play in the snow.

When Kibum did appear, though, he found Minho almost immediately and changed direction to join him. He climbed over the back of the couch and settled beside him, resting his head on the cushion.

"I think my brain is fried."

"Want some coffee?"

"Mm, no. I'm too wired as it is."

Minho patted his knee as he stood and went over to the teapot, grabbing his wand from his pocket. He tapped the side of the pot three times with it before he got a fresh mug and poured a steaming cup of hot cocoa. Kibum looked up as Minho sat back beside him, handing him the hot cocoa.

"What would I do without you?"

Minho settled into the couch with a smile.

The next day came with a flurry of activity -- everyone rushing around after breakfast to say goodbye and wish each other a Merry Christmas before they went off to Hogsmeade on the "horseless" carriages. Minho, with Kibum, the professors who lived in the castle, and the two other students who were staying over the holidays, waved goodbye before heading inside to warm up by the fire.

Minho led Kibum into Hufflepuff, and they both went straight over to the hearth. Kibum sat down on the stone, a bit of steam from the melting snow on his clothes curling off his back. "Do you wanna move your stuff in here?"

"Hm?" Kibum asked after a second. Minho repeated the question and Kibum nodded. "Yeah, sure, sounds good."

"Are you okay?" Kibum shrugged half-heartedly. "Still thinking about the test?"

"Yeah…"

Minho slipped his arm around him, holding him close. "I'm sure you did great."

"I just hate waiting...Maybe we can go figure out where Slughorn lives in Hogsmeade and ask him if he graded them yet!"

"Or, and hear me out...we could not do that and just go to Hogsmeade like normal people."

"You're no fun."

"I'm aware."

Despite Minho’s best efforts, Kibum was still distracted days into the holidays. He would stay awake into the wee hours of the morning, tossing and turning in the bed beside Minho. He would come with Minho to Hogsmeade, but he seemed vacant. Disinterested. Minho leaned his head back against the cushion of the armchair in the common room as he stared into the dancing flames.

He couldn’t sleep himself, he never really could on Christmas Eve. He and Minseok used to wait up to see if they could spot Santa Claus flying over the moon like he did in the movies. Now that he thought about it, wouldn’t Santa Claus be the most famous wizard of them all? Traveling around the world by apparition and floo powder, carrying gifts for everyone in a bag enchanted with the Undetectable Extension charm?

Maybe Santa was real after all.

Minho chuckled to himself as he rubbed his hand over his eyes. The clock in the clock tower chimed in the distance, and Minho looked up at the sound. It was Christmas, now. Sighing, he stood and started back for dorm, only to stop in his tracks. An idea, a crazy one at that, to distract Kibum for at least the day struck him. Would he be able to pull it off?

He his heel and started for the exit, then made his way down the dimly lit hallway to the kitchen. He started working on a batch of pumpkin pasties, and once the dough was chilling, he rummaged around in the drawer for some rolls of parchment and a quill. He worked through the night, rolling out and filling the pastries and baking them off between writing down his ideas.

Once he pulled the pasties out of the oven, he was a little over halfway through writing, but he was stuck. He looked up, rubbing his eyes when he saw the Fat Friar slip through the kitchen wall. "What rhymes with choose?"

"Rouge," the Friar said, rolling the R and smiling when Minho chuckled.

"What's that?"

"I think the girls call it blush, these days."

"Oh, thanks, that'll work."

He bounced more rhyming ideas off the Friar, but even with his help it took him until dawn to finish, and once he did he crept back into the bedroom, setting the plate of pumpkin pasties on his bed with the first of the notes folded on top.

Carefully, quietly, he slipped back outside and reached into his pocket for the guide he had written for himself as he fished out the second note.

As tired as he was now, it would be a while before he got any rest.

Hopefully, it would be worth the effort.

* * * * * * * * * *

The smell of freshly baked pumpkin pasties wafted into the bedroom. It drew Kibum away from the plague of thoughts about the test, and he slowly opened his eyes to find Minho slipping into bed beside him. "Thought you'd be sneaky, hm?" Kibum asked as his eyes slid closed and he sank further into the warmth of their bed.

"What?" Minho leaned over him. Even though his eyes were closed, he could tell, since his shadow blocked out the light of the snowy Christmas morning. His hand caressed Kibum's cheek, who turned toward the touch. "I don't know what you mean." His whispered words tickled Kibum's lips before he kissed him, his smile growing until he pulled away.

"I wasn't fi -- " Kibum started to say as he opened his eyes to find no Minho. He blinked in confusion before it hit him and he fell back against his pillow. "Just a dream."

But, the scent of pumpkin pasties lingered.

Slowly, Kibum opened his eyes again, taking in the room. He wasn't in his bedroom back home, like he had been dreaming. No, he was in Hufflepuff, and Minho's bed beside him was empty, aside from the plate of steaming hot pumpkin pasties.

He sat up with an effort, reaching out to grab one. He bit into it as he glanced around. "Min?" he called out, his mouth full.

As he looked back at the plate, Kibum noticed a little folded note on top with a #1 written on the face of the parchment. His brow furrowing now, he stuffed the rest of the pastie into his mouth as he grabbed it and held it open.

Here in the hall
Where we convene
Both great and small
Red, blue, yellow, and green.

"What?" he said around his mouthful, reading it over again. "Minho?"

Whatever this was, it was about the Great Hall. Kibum set the note aside as he grabbed another pastie, eating it before he slipped out of bed and got dressed for the day. Once he was ready, he picked up the note again and flipped it over.

Make sure you bundle up! I don't want you to catch a cold~
Also bring your wand along, just in case

Kibum squinted at the note before he shoved it into his jeans pocket. He grabbed his wand from under his pillow before he slipped Minho's oversized yellow hoodie over his sweater, then wrapped his Slytherin scarf around his neck and started for the door. He stomped up the steps and into the Great Hall in his snow boots, and scanned the room.

As decked out as it was for Christmas, it was a bit difficult to see where the next note might be. He thought he saw something, hovering in the air over Kibum and Analecia's favorite spot at the table. He started over to it, and plucked it out of thin air.

"Number two," he muttered to himself as he flipped it open.

You always choose
To watch from here
Either to fret or to cheer
Whether I win or lose.

Kibum looked around the Great Hall, his shoulders slumping as his anticipation left him. Minho was nowhere to be seen. "What is happening…"

He must be referring to the Quidditch pitch. Kibum let out a long sigh, pocketed the note with the other, and started for the door. Heavy snowfall greeted him as he walked out into the gardens. A trail of snowed-over footprints caught his attention immediately, unsurprisingly leading toward the Quidditch pitch. Kibum pulled up his hood, stepping into the first of the footsteps and hurrying as fast as he could -- in knee-deep snow -- down the trail. Once he reached the stairs, he noticed another trail veering off toward the Forbidden Forest.

“Where are you leading me, Minho…”

He rubbed his hands together as he ducked out of the snow, stomping it off his shoes as he made his way up the stairs. Sure enough, another note hovered in the air exactly over the spot on the bleachers where Kibum sat during Quidditch games. He plucked it out of the air, brushed the snow off of the #3 and opened it.

Slipping and sliding
Sometimes gliding
We cannot firmly stand
In this winter wonderland.

“Well, at least this isn’t about the forest…” he mumbled to himself as he pocketed the note. The problem was, however, that this could be referring to two places. Either the pond behind Hogsmeade where they went ice skating last year or the Black Lake because of that one time he almost fell through way back in second year. Now that he thought about it, though, it could really only be the pond behind Hogsmeade. The other wasn’t as fond of a memory, and that didn’t seem to be what Minho was going for with this.

Whatever this was.

He followed Minho’s footsteps down the other staircase, and kept on following them along to the Forbidden Forest. There, it seemed, that Minho had ducked under the cover of the trees to have a little reprieve from the snow. He followed the forest until it reached the road to Hogsmeade, and as he glanced down toward the village, he spotted him. Minho. Sloshing through the knee-deep snow on his way back to the castle.

“Hey!”

Minho looked up at him and stopped in his tracks for the moment. They stared at each other until Kibum started for him, and Minho began to run. “Wait, no!” Kibum said, laughing now. Minho was grinning as he tried to pass him, but Kibum grabbed onto his coat, holding him there until Minho shook him off and continued back to the castle.

“What are you doing to me?”

“Follow the clues!” Minho called over his shoulder, his laugh reverberating off the nearby trees.

“I could just follow you!” he yelled back, but he didn’t move toward him. Instead, he stayed, watching as Minho slinked further and further away.

He heaved a heavy, plumed sigh, and turned when Minho waved at him to go to Hogsmeade alone. It took him quite a while to walk there, or maybe it just seemed longer because Minho wasn’t beside him the whole time.

The air, once he reached the village, was filled with the scent of roasted chestnuts and the Christmas feast that the Three Broomsticks was preparing. Kibum brushed the snow that had started to cake onto his jeans off, now that he was in the well-worn streets of the village. He passed by all the shop windows and the Hogwarts Express, hopped over the train tracks, and started stepping in Minho’s footprints in the now thigh-deep snow of the Scottish countryside as he made his way out to the pond.

Just as he expected, there was a note hovering over the center of the pond. “Accio clue,” he said, his teeth chattering as he flicked his wand at it. It flew toward him and Kibum grabbed it before it reached him, holding it open.

Head to the spot
Where we first met.
I was fraught;
You were kind
And eased my mind
And I am ever in your debt.

Kibum stared at the clue for several blinks, the words settling into his mind. “Oh,” he said aloud after a minute, his heart constricting a little. He looked back at the little copse of trees between him and Hogsmeade. “Why are you like this…”

He pressed his hand against his heart as he started heading back towards the village. When he reached the train tracks, he went up the platform instead of around it like he would have usually. He glanced around to make sure he was alone on the platform before he tried the door to the right car. Locked. Huffing, he pulled out his wand and flicked it with a thought of Alohomora and the lock clicked open.

He kicked the snow off his shoes before he walked down the hall toward the compartment. And, as he was expecting, a note hovered over the bench Kibum had sat on when he introduced himself to Minho for the first time. Kibum took the bench again, staring across at the empty bench where Minho had been, all those years ago. He’d never forget how scared and nervous he looked, or how relieved he was when Kibum spoke to him in Korean.

Funny how the best gifts life can give you happen when you least expect it.

Kibum glanced up at the note and plucked it out of the air.

Find your favorite
Slip it on, check the view,
And search its pocket
For your next clue.

“Okay...what?” He sat back against the bench. Okay, the first clue where the answer wasn’t immediately clear. What was this referring to? Clearly nowhere at Hogwarts…

“Favorite...pocket...Gladrags?” That was the only place that made sense, now that he thought about it.

He pushed himself off the bench and started for the door, heading back into the heart of the village. Once he made his way to Gladrags, he slipped inside, glancing up at the bell. “It’s just me,” Kibum said as Mr. Gladrag poked his head out of the back room.

“Minho was in here earlier.”

“Did he show you what he looked at?”

Gladrag smiled. “I’m not supposed to say.”

Kibum huffed, turning away with an ill-concealed smile. “Fine.” He perused the racks for a little while, pulling out colorful pieces that he remembered trying on -- whether it was a joke or not. But none of them seemed right. He walked around to a bargain rack, feeling the soft sweaters and cardigans. He stopped at a gray one, the softest cardigan in the whole store, he remembered labeling it. He pulled it out, and who would have guessed? It had pockets. Kibum dug around in one and then the other, his eyebrows raising when he felt parchment.

#6, the parchment read. He glanced over at Gladrag, who was making himself look busy behind the counter, before he opened it.

Here you’ll find lacy frills
As well as self-cleaning spills
Too many drinks from which to choose
In a room the same color as Crowell’s rouge.

Kibum laughed out loud, and Gladrag looked up at him. “You found it, then?”

“I did,” he said, sobering a little as he started to put the cardigan back in its place on the rack.

“He bought that, too.” Kibum looked back over at him. “Said you’d be taking it with you.” Kibum stared at him, his mouth slightly agape. “Do...you want a bag?”

“Uh, yeah,” he said, shaking his head a little as he went over to the cardigan with the cardigan in hand. He left a moment later, the paper bag swinging at his side as he crossed the street to Madam Puddifoot’s. Quickly, he scanned the pink room. Almost immediately, he spotted the next clue hovering over the little table by the fireplace.

Ghosts live within these walls
All with scary stories to tell
To shriek to scream or to yell
Each one gouged in the hall.

“No...not there…” He closed his eyes, leaning his head to the side as he sighed. He had only been to the Shrieking Shack that one time, and once was more than enough.

“Kibum?” the woman behind the counter called after him as he started for the door. He turned to her, his eyebrows raised when he saw one of the pink to-go cups in her hand. “He said to have a hot chocolate ready for you.”

“Oh,” he shook his head slightly as he pocketed the seventh clue with the others. “Thank you.”

“Merry Christmas!”

“You, too!” Kibum called out as the door closed behind him with a jingle of the bell.

The journey to the Shrieking Shack would have been long and arduous, had it not been for the hot cocoa. It still wasn’t overly pleasant, given that the snowfall had picked up to be more of a blizzard. Still, he trudged on, curious to see where Minho was taking him.

Relief coursed through him when he noticed the floating note beneath the awning of the Shack -- he wouldn’t have to go inside. He quickened his steps as much as he could, in the thigh-deep snow, and huddled out of the wind as he read the eighth clue.

Let’s go back home, now
Back to the darkness and the cold
Where the view never gets old
As we watch the strange creatures roam.

By home, he must have meant Slytherin or Hufflepuff, and since Minho wasn’t with him, it was probably Slytherin he was referring to. Which meant -- “The Laciospecto,” he said aloud, his teeth chattering as the wind whipped around the Shack.

The castle was barely visible in the storm. He looked back at the door. Should he? No, not alone. He wouldn’t want to face the Whomping Willow without Minho there. Kibum downed the last of his hot cocoa and hugged himself to retain any warmth he could as he stepped out into the storm again.

His face was numb by the time he reached the castle again, stinging in the heat of the enclosed space. He brushed the snowflakes that had accumulated in his hair, hood, and face away as he made his way downstairs. Once he let himself into Slytherin, he dried himself off with the Hot Air Charm, immediately feeling a bit better, even if he was still shivering. He threw his empty cocoa cup away and dropped the Gladrags back off on his bed before he went to the Laciospecto.

It was darker than usual inside for this time of day, probably because of the storm. Kibum lit the tip of his wand as he started into the room, glimpsing the note beneath the curved shield holding back the water. A grindylow snapped at him as he plucked it out of thin air, but Kibum ignored it.

Here we’ve spent quite some time
We come broken, leave mended,
Are rarely left unattended
Healed by potions made with thyme.

Kibum smiled to himself as he read it over once more before stuffing it into his pocket with the others. He slipped his shoes on before he started up the stairs to the ground floor, scanning the halls for another glimpse of Minho. Maybe he was in Hufflepuff? A cursory glance into the library as he passed it told him he wasn’t in there. He peered into the infirmary, finding it to be empty. The door to Pomfrey’s office was closed and did not open as Kibum walked inside.

There, hovering over the pillow of the bed Kibum had been in after his brawl with Damien, was the tenth clue. Kibum grabbed it and looked around again, as if Minho or Pomfrey were somewhere behind him, before he opened it.

Up here, where the candles flicker
We find that we rarely bicker.
Instead, our time is mostly used
For studying and the occasional snooze.

“Merlin’s beard, Min, so much walking today…” He shook his head, looking around the room again before he started for the door.

It was a long walk up to the seventh floor, though not as long as the trek between the Shack and Hogwarts, and much less cold at that. He stopped to get a drink of water at the fountain before he made his way to the already materialized door.

Strange, that it was already here.

He opened the door slowly, peeking inside to find a few of the candles already lit and Minho laying curled up in a nest of blankets on the floor. Kibum’s smile grew as he closed the door behind him and crept over to Minho, sitting beside him. It was a relief to finally sit, especially in a quiet, warm room. He leaned his head back against the wall, staring down at Minho, his heart constricting again.

“Hey,” he said softly, shaking Minho’s shoulder. “Wake up, buddy.”

It took several tries before Minho stirred enough to roll onto his back and look up at Kibum, who started absently his hair. “Merry Christmas, Bummie.”

“Merry Christmas to you, too. What the was that?”

“Hm?” Minho asked, his eyes slipping closed as he leaned his head against Kibum’s thigh.

“Why’d you do all that? The clues and stuff.” Minho mumbled something unintelligible before he yawned. “What?”

“You were stressed. About the test. I...just wanted to distract you a bit, that’s all.” Kibum stopped Minho’s hair. The sweet-natured audacity… “Did it work?”

“Y-yes.” The test hadn’t even crossed his mind once since he woke up this morning. “How...how long did it all take you?”

“All night.” He rolled back over onto his side, his back resting against Kibum’s thigh. “Couldn’t sleep anyway.”

“Get some sleep now, then,” Kibum whispered as he picked up carding his fingers through Minho’s hair. “I’ll be here when you wake up.”

But Minho was already asleep again by the time the words were out of his mouth. The words he longed to say, however, remained unspoken. Though, once Kibum was sure that he was definitely asleep, he bent to press a light kiss to the crown of his head.

That would have to do, for now.

* * * * * * * * * *

A quiet melody played in Minho's head as he wrestled a niffler for the Snitch. Hagrid had accidentally let one loose in the pitch during the final game of the season, and, as the Seeker, it was Minho's job to catch it. He wrenched it's tiny hands free of the Snitch and flung it away, only for it to apparate in mid-air and steal the Snitch out of his pocket.

Minho woke with a start, fumbling for his Quidditch robes pocket that wasn't there. A notebook snapped closed, and Minho turned, looking up at Kibum, who was looked down at him, his eyebrow quirked in amusement.

"You good?" he asked as he set Jonghyun's notebook aside.

"The niffler dream again."

"Huh. You keep having that one." Minho nodded as he resettled into bed. "Maybe I should ask Trelawney to do a dream reading for you."

" off," Minho said, chuckling as he closed his eyes again. "Were you humming something?"

"I was. The new song for choir. Could you hear it?"

"Mhm." The Quidditch pitch was reappearing in his mind, the jeering of the other students starting to ring in his ears, until Kibum shook him awake.

"Nope, you're awake now, I've decided."

"Oh, you've decided."

"Like you have a problem with that. Let's go!"

Once Minho was dressed for the day -- bundled up, at Kibum's request-- they went up to the Great Hall for breakfast. And, as soon as Minho set his fork down, Kibum swept him off to go outside.

The storm from yesterday had cleared, for the most part. It was still gray and overcast, but the snow was more of a flurry than a blizzard. Kibum hooked his arm with Minho's, the end of the sleeve of the cardigan Minho bought for him yesterday poking out from his coat. Minho smiled at him before looking away, his heart singing.

He was back; his plan had worked.

He dug into his pocket for some change when they reached Hogsmeade, but Kibum pulled his hand away and offered to pay for cocoa they ordered, and the roasted chestnuts and the candy Minho pointed out in Honeydukes.

"What are you doing?" Minho asked him after he pulled a book about dragons off the shelf of Tomes and Scrolls and Kibum asked him if he wanted it.

"Nothing. Why?"

"Why do you want to pay for everything? You're never like this?"

Kibum shook his head and shrugged, averting his eyes to look at a set of quills. "Oh, these are pretty!"

Minho side-eyed him, but let him change the subject. For now. When Kibum moved away to look at inks, Minho checked the price of the quills. Oof, three Galleons. He wouldn't have that much until his allowance from his parents came after term resumed. He set the quills back on the shelf and glanced over them again, burning them into his memory so he would remember them for later.

It wasn't until evening, after Kibum paid for a Christmas dinner for two at the Three Broomsticks, that Minho was able to bring it up again. He snatched Kibum's silverware as soon as Rosmerta left and held it out of his reach, despite his protests.

"Just tell me what's going on. Please," he added when Kibum looked away.

"Fine." Kibum sank back into his seat, giving Minho an unconvincing glare. "I feel bad, alright?"

Minho's brow furrowed, and he rested the hand with their silverware on the table. "But...why?"

"I...I was in such a bad mood that you went to all that trouble yesterday. Just for me to feel better."

"That wasn -- "

"And then I didn't even get you anything? For Christmas? Like what kind of ty friend am I?" Kibum stared at him for a second, searching his gaze before he dropped it to his plate. "Stop looking at me like that."

"Sorry." Minho blinked and looked down at his hands before he set Kibum's silverware beside his plate.

"How can you even stand to put up with me…" Kibum said, quiet enough that he thought he hadn't intended for Minho to hear him. "I wouldn't even put up with my bull."

"Because you're my favorite person. On the whole planet," Minho said, watching Kibum for his reaction. "I'm sorry you feel that way about yourself, but you should know that's not what I think about you."

Kibum looked up from pressing his fork into his mashed potatoes, surprise twinkling in his eyes.

"I know you, Bummie. Probably better than I know myself, somedays." He chuckled to fill the silence, then cleared his throat. "I know you've been stressed about this test since October when you first heard about it. And I know that, now that it's out of your hands and you can't control what happens, it made your stress worse. I don't like seeing you stressed out. It hurts my heart, too. So, of course, I'll do whatever I can to help relieve even a little of that stress. And I didn't do that expecting anything in return from you, okay?" Kibum nodded mutely, his food forgotten. "I did it because you're my best friend and I love you and I just wanted you to feel better. Not like you’re indebted to me."

Kibum sniffed, rubbing his nose with his sleeve.

"I'm sorry I made you feel bad."

Kibum made a choking noise, as if struggling not to laugh, as he shook his head. "No, no, I'm okay. Don't worry about me."

Minho picked up his fork and raised his eyebrows as he looked across the table at Kibum. "You sure?"

He nodded, and Minho cut into his slice of turkey. He dipped it into the mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce before bringing it up to his mouth. Only, he paused, staring over his fork at Kibum, who was watching him fondly.

"What?"

Kibum shook his head, smiling to himself as he dug into his food. Then, he looked back up as Minho stuffed the fork in his mouth. "Please, don't ever change, Min."

Minho covered his mouth until he swallowed his food. "I'll try not to."

By the time they slipped into their beds that night, Kibum was back to normal. Which was a relief. And, when he woke the next morning, Kibum was already up at breakfast, and there on Minho's side of the bed lay a book. The one from yesterday. Minho picked it up, scanning the cover. Of Dragons and Brooms: What We Learned About Flight From Watching the Beasts. Smiling now, Minho slipped it under his bed with his textbooks, eager to spend a few days curled up by the fire with that.

But, the new book would have to wait. Schoolwork came first, even during the holidays. Both spent their time studying and working on the backlog of reading that was assigned over the break. The other two students, a brother and sister from Gryffindor, were in their third and fourth years, which meant they basically had the castle to themselves while Minho and Kibum holed up in the library, annoying Madam Pince every five minutes or so asking after a book.

It was always a struggle, readjusting to living with the others when they returned to the castle. Minho and Kibum were sure to move him out and back into Slytherin the morning of the inevitable return, as well as prepare for the onslaught of all the fun things people did with their families. Honestly, it was hard to keep the details of everyone’s stories straight.

Good news came in the afternoon of the third day back. Minho was, once again, in the library with the others, waiting for Kibum to get out of Alchemy so they could all work on the essay about the history of Protego, the Shield Charm. He leaned back in his seat, his gaze shifting to the door for probably the hundredth time, and stretched his hand. He almost lost his balance when he noticed Kibum strolling into the library, looking quite satisfied.

“Well?” he asked in a voice louder than a whisper, earning him a harsh shh! from Pince. "Did you?"

He grinned at Minho, before glancing around at the now-curious others. “What do you think?”

“Woo!” Minho yelled as he hopped out of his seat, nearly tackling Kibum in a hug. “I knew you could do it!”

“Do what?” Analecia asked, still attempting to whisper.

“You didn’t tell them?” Minho asked around Kibum’s hand, who was trying to quiet him down.

But, it was too late. Madam Pince cleared behind them, and in the split second he saw her, he knew that she was too angry to say a word. He let her silence speak for itself. Or, rather, Kibum did, as he guided Minho out of the library and into the corridor. Once they were free, Kibum started to laugh, hanging onto Minho for support.

“I can’t believe you got us kicked out of the ing library,” he said once he caught his breath.

“Not the first time, and probably won’t be the last.” Kibum looked up at him, his eyes bright with amusement. “When do you leave?”

“Not until April.”

“Hopefully you’ll still be here for the Slytherin game…”

“When’s that?” Kibum asked as they started to head downstairs.

“The eleventh of April.”

“Well, if not, I’ll make sure to write to whoever is in charge and tell them we need to reschedule the entire competition because my best friend is needy.”

"I'm needy?" Minho asked, acting affronted.

"As if you didn't already know."

Minho laughed, shoving Kibum’s shoulder once they reached the basement.

Day after day melted together as the term progressed, assignments overlapping and essays taking weeks to complete rather than just a few days. He still hadn’t gotten his allowance yet, and as the day to the first Hogsmeade trip since the return to school drew nearer, Minho became a bit more antsy. That was, until the day before the trip.

Geum-nan swooped in with the other owls at breakfast, dropping his usual letter from Mom on the table before him. “Thanks,” he said, offering her a sausage. She snapped it up before she flew away and Minho watched her go as he opened the letter with one of the only clean butter knives on the table. He spotted a few tenners in there as well as a letter. Probably just another long-winded update on how Minseok was doing in his last few months with the army.

He unfolded it, picked up his pumpkin juice, and started to read it as he took a sip that he almost spit out.

Dear Minho,

Your father and I have decided to attend your next Quidditch game. The one in February. Please let us know what we need to do on our end...