Spring arrived after a week-long rainstorm washed away the last remnants of winter. Green grass replaced the blanket of white, and wildflowers popped up all over the grounds, swaying in the gentle March breeze. Minho flipped a page of Of Dragons and Brooms: What We Learned About Flight From Watching the Beasts then rested his head against the tree he was leaning against and glanced back up at the castle. It was Saturday, which meant that their morning and afternoon was filled with practices -- Minho, Quidditch right after breakfast, and Kibum, choir followed by yet another session with Slughorn.

He wasn’t sure what time it was since he didn’t have a watch on and he couldn’t see the clock tower from this angle, but the next apparition lesson was scheduled to happen sooner rather than later. Most everyone from sixth year was outside, all clustered in little groups either reading, or studying, or messing around down by the lake. Gil, Analecia, Chloe, and Amelia were doing just that, though what they were doing Minho couldn’t be sure. Analecia and Chloe were crouched down by the water, inspecting something, while Amelia watched and Gil attempted to skip rocks. He stopped when Analecia smacked his leg, looking down at whatever they were watching.

If he weren’t feeling so lazy at the moment, he would have gotten up and to go see what they were looking at, but he was somewhat comfortable here, tucked away from everyone else.

Minho glanced back at the castle, then did a double-take when he saw someone he was sure was Kibum crossing the lawn. He reached into his pocket for the bookmark he had been using and put it between the pages before he set the book on his lap and watched Kibum draw nearer. Though, his course changed and he went over to see what Analecia and the others were still looking at before he made his way over to Minho, plopping down beside him on the ground.

“What were they looking at?”

“A mermaid. They were trying to get her to surface and talk to them, but she seemed shy.”

“It’s not like they know Mermish, anyways.” Kibum snorted and leaned his head against the tree beside Minho’s. “How was it?”

Kibum let out a long sigh. “Fine, like usual. The Polyjuice Potion still has a few more days before we can test it to see how I did.”

“It’ll probably be perfect.”

“Hopefully,” Kibum said, a smile in his voice. “I swear, I’m gonna be sick of Slughorn by the end of this.”

“I’m surprised you aren’t already.”

Kibum sniffed a laugh. “Yeah, true. Hey,” he leaned against him, and Minho turned his head toward him. “Do you want to head down a bit early?”

“Sure, why not.” They both stood, Minho once again glancing over at Gil and the others at the lakeside, shaking his head with a smile when Gil nearly fell in. He tucked his book under his arm and stuffed his hands in his robe pockets as he looked up at the overcast sky. “Puddifoot’s before or after?”

“After, I think.”

It’d probably be better to get it afterward, he had to agree. Judging by the overcast sky and the heavy scent of petrichor in the air, they were going to be in for another storm. A nice cup of tea or cocoa in the cozy shop would be just the thing to wait it out in, even if they would be surrounded by overly-into-each-other couples.

The path to Hogsmeade was soon populated, Minho found as he turned around, by the others on the way to the Apparition class as well as some just coming for recreation.

Kibum sidestepped a muddy puddle, pushing Minho out of the way before he walked right through it. “What day does Minseok get released?”

“Uh, the 26th. Mom and Dad are already there.”

“Already?” Minho chuckled. “Seems a bit early.”

“They’re just excited. Plus, it’s another excuse to visit family.”

Kibum nodded, humming quietly before saying, “It’ll be nice to see him again.”

“Yeah. Maybe we should take him to Knockturn Alley on purpose this time.”

Kibum’s laughter rang through the clearing, and Minho smiled as he looked his way. “Or, what if we didn’t do that and lived to see our seventh year?”

Minho stopped walking for a second, and Kibum turned around to look at him. “Seventh year...That’s so weird to think about.”

“I know. It feels like we arrived for the first time just the other day.” Minho glanced over at where the Black Lake would have been, had it not been blocked by trees. He would never forget the tumultuous rush of emotion that coursed through him that day, all those years ago. He turned back, his gaze meeting Kibum’s fond one, and he sighed, smiling.

Though he may never know why his parents decided to send him here, and what their intentions initially were, he couldn’t help but be grateful to them.

They arrived at the Three Broomsticks first and they made their way to the back room where they found Wilkie Twycross, the Apparition instructor, and several of the other professors already waiting, Kibum slid into one of the benches along the wall, and Minho sat beside him, pulling out his book while he waited. When he was ready to turn the page, Kibum whispered, ”Wait, I’m not done.” Amused, Minho waited until Kibum tapped his arm, and they continued to the next page.

The room soon filled up with the other sixth years and the occasional seventh year who hadn’t been old enough to take the class last year. Callum sat beside Kibum, drawing his attention away to talk about something Minho didn’t quite catch. He set his book aside when O’Neely called for their attention, and the wispy Twycross made his way to the front of the room.

“Let’s...review, shall we?” he asked, his voice almost as thin as he was. Minho sat up, popping his neck. “What are the Three D’s that are necessary for proper apparition?”

“Destination, Determination, and Deliberation,” Minho said drolly, along with the others.

“And why are they important?”

Across the classroom, Rhesa raised her hand. “Because you need to have the exact destination in mind, the determination to get there without being distracted. And, you need to be deliberate, without being hasty, because haste hurts,” she said as if she were reciting it out of a textbook. Which, she might as well have, because it was word for word what Twycross said during every lesson.

“Yes, good. Five points to…” He squinted at her, probably trying to see what color her lapels were.

“Hufflepuff,” Professor Crowell whispered behind him.

“Right, yes, Hufflepuff.”

He nodded slowly then motioned for them all to stand. “Get your hoops out and set them further away than you did last time, but still not too close to the person beside you.” And, like usual, at these words, he lifted his vine-thin wand and flicked it toward the walls, and the room started to expand to make room for all of them.

Minho grabbed two hoops and brought them over to where Kibum was saving a section of the floor for them. He handed Kibum his hoop and backed a few steps away, setting his hoop down and taking a few long strides back. One more than he had done last time. So far, he had been pretty successful. A bit slow at the start, but once he got a bit of confidence, he was able to apparate quite well.

Kibum, of course, was more of a natural at it. Minho cast him a furtive glance just in time to watch him apparate a couple meters. He disapparated beside him with a flourish of a spin and appeared in the center of the circle with a loud crack. Minho grinned at him, holding his hand up for a high-five as Kibum made his way back over to him.

He had done it successfully a few times. Not as often as Kibum, but it had taken him a lesson or two before he had been able to appear within the hoop. He had thrown up directly afterward, the sensation of spinning while also feeling like you're being pulled apart and put back together had been a little too much to handle.

He didn't feel too bad about it, though. Kibum and most of the others had thrown up as well, after their first few tries.

Minho lifted his wand, holding it out in front of him while he stared at the hoop a few meters away. He didn't blink for several seconds, as he was trying to memorize everything he could about the location. Then, he closed his eyes and cleared his mind, muting the murmurs and chatter around the room.

Just as he could feel the static of the magic tingle around him, Kibum laughed. A short, clipped one. The kind of laugh that he had when he was being sarcastic. Minho smiled, wishing he had been able to see what he was laughing about, and then he was gone.

In reality, he was nothing for less than a second. But when you've been torn apart and you're roiling through the air like you just got stuffed through Mom's paper shredder, time is bound to stretch.

And it did. The seconds ticked on until he reappeared across the room accompanied by what sounded like a car backfiring.

He squeezed his hand around his wand and grimaced when it ached a little. It also felt...strangely wet. Frowning, Minho looked down.

His pinky was gone.

Like, cut clean off. Splinched, actually was the proper term, but now didn't seem like the moment to be technical. And, really, it wasn't clean.

Blood pooled in his hand and dripped onto the floor. His wand clattered on the floor. Oh, there was his severed pinky...right by the toe of his shoe. He blinked at it, struggling to process what was happening. "Uh…"

"Oh, !" Kibum said from across the room. In English. The room went quiet, and he was by his side in an instant, his hands hovering over Minho's arm, clearly unsure what he was supposed to do in this situation.

Madam Pomfrey arrived a few seconds later, completely at ease as she bent over to pick up Minho's pinky.

Honestly, if he was more in shock, he might have laughed at the sight, but he was too dazed. "Hold still, Minho," she said. He was standing as still as he could, but he couldn't stop his limbs from shaking. "Kibum, can you -- "

She didn't have to finish her thought before Kibum gently grabbed Minho's arm, and the other hand linking with his unsplinched one.

"I'm fine," he said, and he truly meant it. If only his voice hadn't trembled like that, then maybe Kibum and Pomfrey would have believed him.

She cleaned Minho's pinky off with a spell he didn't recognize -- not that he would have been able to focus on it now, anyway -- and pressed it back into place before she tapped it with the tip of her wand and a rushed Episkey.

"O-ow…" Minho said involuntarily. He could feel the joint snap back in place, the muscles and tendons sew themselves back up, and the skin around his knuckle melting back together. All that was left was a thin, shiny pink scar, ringed around his right pinky. He couldn’t stop staring at it.

“Minho?” Pomfrey’s voice swam toward him through the haze, and Minho could only blink as he stared at the scar.

“Minho,” Kibum said, his voice clear as it cut through the haze in his mind. He looked up at him, and then Madam Pomfrey.

“Can you move it?” Minho looked back down at his pinky, moving it back and for, rolling in it a sort of wave. It was fine. Little stabs of pain twinged with every movement, and he could tell just by looking at it now that there would be quite the nasty bruise, but he could move it. The pain was just his brain catching up to the situation. “Why don’t you sit the rest of the lesson out?”

He nodded absently, glancing up at Kibum before he ducked his head again, avoiding the gaze of everyone else in the room. Well, this was certainly embarrassing. Granted, not his worst moment, he didn’t think.

He looked over at the bar before he went outside, unsurprised to find that it was already raining. The fresh air was quite nice, actually, and he leaned against the wall as he stared out at the abandoned street. Everyone was tucked into Zonko’s and Honeydukes, it looked like. Most everyone, anyway. He watched them walk past the windows of the shops, their shadows cutting through warm golden light from the lanterns inside.

From inside the Three Broomsticks came the light commotion of everyone leaving after class. Minho pushed himself off the wall, turning to watch and wait for Kibum. But, he was the first one out. He grabbed Minho’s left hand and led him out into the pouring rain, both trying in vain to cover their heads until they arrived, completely drenched, at the stoop of Madam Puddifoots.

The little bell above the door greeted them, and the couples within didn’t pay them much mind. Kibum let go of Minho’s hand and shook himself dry before he used the Hot Air Charm on them both. Madam Puddifoot herself brought out two mugs of hot cocoa, setting them on the table Kibum and Minho were heading for. Minho slipped into his chair by the fire and once Kibum was seated across from him, he grabbed Minho’s injured hand, inspecting the scar and purpling bruise for himself.

“Bummie, I’m fine.”

He winced when Kibum poked the bruise. “See? No, you’re not. I’m taking you right back to -- “

“It’s bound to be a little sore, Kibum. It just got reattached less than an hour ago.”

Kibum huffed and picked up the hot cocoa that Minho knew would be too hot to drink right now. He drank it anyway, leaving a bit of whipped cream and chocolate shavings on his upper lip. Minho let out half a chuckle until Kibum snapped, “It’s really not funny.”

“No, buddy, you got-- “ he gestured to Kibum’s lip and he rubbed at it absently with the sleeve of his robe, only swiping away half of it. Minho leaned across the table, cupping his chin with his index finger and swiping away the whipped cream with his thumb. He held it up for Kibum to see before he wiped it off on Kibum’s sleeve.

“Are you ing serious.”

Minho snorted and picked up one of the spoons on the table, stirring in his whipped cream before he took a tentative sip. “What’s your problem?”

Kibum blinked at him, slowly at first and then rapidly, squinting as he did. “You’re kidding, right?”

“No?”

“You...I...You got splinched, Minho.”

“Yeah, and I’m fine now?”

“I know. I can ing see that.” Kibum’s gaze flicked away, and he put his hands up for a second as he took a deep breath. “I just couldn’t concentrate for the rest of class, alright?”

Minho’s brow furrowed and he sat up a little straighter. “You didn’t get splinched, did you?”

Kibum leveled him with an irritated glare, his eyebrows raising. “No. Why were you worried, if it isn’t a big deal? Hm?”

“Because it’s not a big deal if it’s me,” he said without thinking, but once he registered the words, he instantly regretted them. “I didn’t mean that,” he said as Kibum’s anger melted away.

“You did, though.”

Minho couldn’t meet his eyes. Instead, he stared at the slow swirl of the creamy bubbles on the surface of his cocoa, listened without comprehension to the quiet conversations happening around them. Kibum was still staring at him, he could feel it, but he still couldn’t look up.

“Min.” His eyes closed, and he held them shut for a few heartbeats. “Your feelings do matter, you know that, right? Like, you’re allowed to prioritize yourself.” He paused, and Minho cleared his throat. “I know it’s not always easy, but like, let me be worried about you?” Minho sighed. “Okay, if it had happened to me, how would you have reacted?”

Minho looked up then, meeting Kibum’s insufferably satisfied gaze. “That’s beside the point.”

“Is it, though? And if I reacted like you are now, dismissing your worries over my well-being, you’d be a bit irritated too, right?” More than a bit, probably. Not that he needed to say it; Kibum knew he was right. Kibum leaned across the table, grabbing Minho’s injured hand gingerly with both of his. “Let me take care of you like you do for me. I know you don’t think you need it or deserve it or whatever, but, please. Let me try.”

Minho squeezed Kibum’s hands lightly. “Sorry.”

“No need to be sorry, Min. Just, oh, I don’t know...promise that you won’t try to hide what you’re feeling from me.”

Yeah, it never ended well, did it? He couldn’t help it if he didn’t want to be a burden, though, right? He thought back to the summer, to all the times he watched Lord of the Rings. Sam’s voice rang through his head, as he was cradling Frodo in his arms on the side of Mount Doom. I can’t carry it for you, but I can carry you.

Maybe he was being dramatic, comparing the two of them to Sam and Frodo...Although, Frodo had also lost his finger in Mount Doom, so maybe he wasn’t. He smiled at the thought as he met Kibum’s eyes, then raised his uninjured pinky to Kibum. He stared at it for a second before he reached out with his right and linked their pinkies, pressing the pads of their thumbs together, sealing the pinky promise.

“I can try.”

“That’s all I ask,” Kibum said, pressing his thumb a little bit more into Minho’s before he pulled his hand away. “We should probably drink this cocoa before it gets too cold.”

Minho watched him for a second, as he turned around to check on the rain. The pale gray light would have washed anyone out, but the warmth from the fire beside them set him aglow, shining in his hair, on his cheeks. If Kibum noticed him staring when he picked up his mug, he didn’t say anything.

“We can head back when it lets up.” Minho nodded as he took a sip of his cocoa. “And we can ask Pomfrey if she has anything that can help with the healing.”

“Works for me.”

Kibum smiled then, the satisfaction in his eyes no longer insufferable. In fact, it was rather endearing.

* * * * * * * * * *

The extra lessons with Slughorn continued over the following weeks, even into the Easter holiday. So far, he had learned how to make Polyjuice, Veritaserum, and Wolfsbane, as well as memorized a good chunk of the potions that Slughorn remembered using while he was at the competition.

It was all...so ing exhausting.

Kibum laid on his bed, staring up at the moving pictures without really focusing on them, while Minho rummaged around and packed his duffle bag for him. “Will you need casual clothes?”

“Slughorn didn’t say,” Kibum murmured, squinting as he watched the picture of him and Minho playing in the leaf pile.

“I’ll pack some, just in case.”

He lifted his head a little, peering over to where Minho was sitting on the floor by Kibum’s trunk. “As much as I appreciate this, you really didn’t have to do this, you know.”

Minho scoffed, but didn’t look up from rolling up Kibum’s robe. “You leave tonight, you need your rest before the competition.” Kibum sighed as he rested his head back on his pillow, his gaze returning to the pictures. “When are you guys heading to the airport?”

“Airport?”

“Aren’t you guys flying?”

“No,” Kibum chuckled. “We’re using a portkey.”

“Oh…”

“They’re, like, objects that you can touch that transport you from one place to the next instantly. Like apparating, but you can do it at pretty much any distance, and it’s to a set location.”

“Ah, okay.”

Kibum smiled to himself. “I’m just trying to imagine Slughorn on a Muggle plane. I don’t think the wizarding world would be a secret anymore after that.”

“Oh, for sure not.”

By the time the bell rang for dinner, Minho had everything Kibum needed or thought he could possibly need in the week that he was gone packed in his duffle bag. It was swinging between them as Minho carried it up the stairs to the Great Hall. He and Slughorn would be leaving immediately after dinner, and he didn't want to have to rush back downstairs for it after eating.

“Thanks for letting me use that, by the way,” Kibum said as they were making their way upstairs with the others. “Were you able to fit everything in your drawers of the dresser?”

Minho started to laugh, his forehead scrunching up a little. “Bummie, I always am fully unpacked by the end of the first week of September. The duffle bag just makes more sense to travel with for a week than a whole ing trunk.”

“I suppose I’ll let you be right. Just this once.”

“So generous, thank you.”

Kibum snorted and started for the Slytherin table with Minho following behind him. Minho ate his fair share of the meal, as well as the carrots from the roasted vegetables on Kibum’s plate, but Kibum wasn’t able to eat much of anything. Too nervous; too excited. Whichever or both, he couldn’t tell the difference between the emotions at the moment.

His excitement died away, however, when Slughorn took an unprecedented stand behind the podium, and raised the tip of his wand to his throat, magnifying his voice. “Mr. Kim Kibum, please bring your luggage and join me on the dais?”

Everyone turned to look at him, his face growing hotter by the second. “Oh …”

“Bummie, you gotta go or it’ll only get worse.” He looked over at Minho, immediately regretting the fact that he was leaving at all. “Come on,” he stood himself, helping Kibum up. “Write to me when you’re settled, okay?”

“Okay.” Minho shoved him toward the dais, and Kibum gripped his duffle bag tighter as he made his way to the front of the Great Hall. He tentatively took the stairs, one at a time, until he was standing beside Slughorn.

Kibum cast a furtive glance over the sea of faces watching them, hoping that in the split second he looked, he’d be able to find Minho’s. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. Slughorn was making an announcement, probably talking about the competition, but Kibum couldn’t focus on it at all. Sweat dripped down his face and into his eyes. He did a double-take over at the podium when Slughorn brought out an old book and opened it to release a worn-out boot.

Kibum stared at it, then over at Slughorn, who was motioning for him to come forward. Kibum opened, stepping up to the podium and holding his hand over the boot, just like Slughorn was doing. “And please,” Slughorn said, his voice booming congenially around the room. “Pay close attention to Ms. Granger while she takes over my lessons. I’m sure she’ll let me know how you all do in my absence.” Kibum looked over at him when he felt his beady gaze on him. “Are you ready, Mr. Kim?”

“As I’ll ever be, Professor.”

A couple of the people closest to the front chuckled at that, and far down the Hall, Minho yelled, “You’ve got this, Kim!”

Quiet laughter rippled through Hall, and Kibum couldn’t help but smile as he followed Slughorn’s lead and put his hand on the toe of the boot while Slughorn grabbed the ankle.

And with that...they were gone.

* * * * *

A/N: so, sigh I came up with another AU and I've been thinking about and writing it a l o t lately lol so I haven't written the next chapter of this yet, so it might be a few weeks before I get around to writing/posting CH58, so you have my apologies in advance for a delay in posting

the new AU, however, I'm really looking forward to posting once I'm finished. It's gonna be much shorter than this one (thankfully lmao) so it probably won't take me too long to write. I'll give you guys a bit of a teaser right now! It's Minkey, of course, and for those of you who don't follow me on tumblr, it's a Hunger Games AU! So a bit different than my usual type of fic (which is why I'm so excited about it lol) so please look forward to it!