“This is awkward…”

Minho glanced over at Kibum and smirked as he looked back at the other two pairs. Turner and Roselyn and Miloni and Genadi. Both, much like Minho and Kibum, were standing or sitting close together, either looking at the other pairs or their Headmistresses while they talked quietly. It seemed like an overly large classroom for this, the special dance practice for the Champions and their partners, but the Headmistresses partners would be here soon, so --

Kibum looked over their shoulders when the door creaked open, and Minho followed suit. It was only Hagrid...He was probably here to dance with Madam Maxine, as he was the only one tall enough to do so. Minho averted his eyes when they greeted each other, and Kibum hid his smile behind his fist. “I lied, now this is awkward.”

Minho snorted. It was hard to ignore Hagrid’s exuberance when he talked to Madame Maxine, but he couldn't help but be happy for the guy. It must be difficult to not be around someone you can relate to all the time. His gaze slid over to Kibum, who was watching the door as someone else came in. As different as they were from each other, there was also an overwhelming amount of similarities. Probably because of how much time they spent together. Regardless, he was lucky to have someone like Kibum in his life.

"It'll be over soon," Minho whispered back, turning when he heard O'Neely come in, talking with Harry. Krum trailed behind them, as did Fleur a moment later. O'Neely surveyed the room, found Minho, and gave him a small smile.

"Hopefully."

Once Flitwick arrived and got the gramophone set up, McGonagall gestured for everyone to stand if they weren’t already. Minho reluctantly got to his feet, glancing over at Miloni and then Turner as Kibum stood beside him. “Now you,” she said, her gaze darting between the three sets of them. “You’ll open the ball with a waltz. Nothing too complicated. We still have a few weeks to work on getting the choreography just right. But we’ll start with what you learned in the lesson with your Head of House.”

“Do you want to lead?” Kibum whispered to him after McGonagall nodded to them.

It was hard to focus on the right response when it felt like every eye in the room was on them. So instead, he nodded, gulping as his hand rested on Kibum’s waist while his other took his outstretched hand.

If no one else had been around, Minho would have probably let himself get lost in the moment. He couldn’t let himself relax, though. He couldn’t even let himself look at Kibum for longer than a second. It took some effort, but he focused on when he was supposed to pause or hold Kibum’s hand as he twirled away from him. To his relief or chagrin -- he wasn’t quite sure which at the moment -- Kibum seemed just about as stressed as he was.

They ran through the choreography a few more times before the adults joined in. Only then, when the others’ attention was on their partner and not them, did Minho let himself relax, and even then it was only marginally. His gaze lingered on Kibum for a few seconds at a time, and almost every time, Kibum’s eyes were on him, too. As the music swelled and the waltz came to a close yet again, Minho’s arm slipped around Kibum’s back, holding him close like they were supposed to. He couldn’t look away from Kibum’s bright eyes and the way they searched his own.

What for, though? Well...he didn’t want to get his hopes up, did he?

“Alright,” McGonagall said, the clap of her hands bringing him back to the present, reminding him that he and Kibum weren’t alone. Blushing, he let go of Kibum, shoving his hands into his pockets as he cast a cursory glance about the room to make sure no one was paying them any mind. “We’ll meet every Saturday so we can perfect this before the Ball. For now, however, everyone except the Champions and the other Headmistresses, please leave.”

Minho’s eyebrows shot up. Oh, this must be it. Finally.

“Upstairs?” Kibum whispered as he started to walk away, and Minho turned to watch him go, nodding.

Once the others filed out of the room, McGonagall gestured for the Champions and other Headmistresses to sit. After a nod to Fleur, she joined them, sitting somewhere behind Minho as Fleur stepped up before them. “The second task,” she said, her French accent not quite as thick as Turner’s. “Will be one that tests your magical capability. You will all, individually, go through an obstacle course, with both magical and physical obstacles that you have to overcome. We will not be disclosing the details of the obstacles, only that you will be allowed your wand and your broom, as the obstacle course will take place in the air.”

.

His broom.

.

“The event will take place four weeks from today on December the twelfth. In the meantime, study defensive spells.”

Turner raised his hand. “Will we be allowed to fly before the next task?”

Fleur glanced over their heads, no doubt at the Headmistresses. “I don’t see why not. Until the construction of the course starts, that is.”

Minho cleared his throat, and she looked his way. “Will we be given brooms for the task or will we use our own?”

“Your own.”

Fantastic. Just what he wanted to hear.

Maybe it'd be fine; maybe another broom would work just as well. Only, he had used the same Clean Sweep since second year. He knew that broom as well as it knew him.

Still. They had a month. Maybe he'd be able to think of a solution by then.

“That’s all we have for you, for now,” McGonagall said, and Minho turned to look at her. “We’ll let you know if anything changes. Enjoy the rest of your Saturday.”

Minho trailed after the others and, after glancing back to find the former Champions and the Headmistresses still talking, closed the door behind him. To his surprise, Kibum and the others were still there, getting up from the floor on the other side of the hall. “I thought you were going upstairs?” he said, watching as the other pairs started making their way downstairs.

“I was, but then they sat down, so I thought I should join them. What’s it gonna be?”

“The task?” Kibum nodded, falling into step beside Minho as they turned toward the staircase in the wall rather than the moving ones the others were heading for. “An obstacle course. In the air. That I need a broom for.” Kibum’s mouth opened in a silent O. “Yeah.”

“At least it’s not another dragon.”

Minho chuckled. “True.”

“Don’t worry, buddy. We’ll figure something out.”

“We have a Charms test coming up soon, right?” Kibum nodded, and Minho stopped at the threshold, glancing up the stairs. “Do you wanna study with the others or by ourselves?” Kibum paused beside him, considering, then started up the stairs.

The first snow of the year came the next day, distracting everyone. After breakfast, nearly everyone bundled up to go play outside. The students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang joined them, eventually. And, after a single snowball was lobbed from one of the Hogwarts students into the ranks of the Durmstrang students, the mood shifted from detached amiableness to an all-out, playful war.

“Protego!” Minho called out, his wand brandished, defending the Hogwarts students behind him from the onslaught of snowballs coming their way. They bounced off his invisible shield, and he stepped back, grinning as Turner directed the other Beauxbaton students to launch an attack on Durmstrang.

“Minho!” several voices called from behind, and he allowed himself a second to look. There, down by the Forbidden Forest, was a barricade of snow with the intermittent popping up of the heads of Hogwarts students. “Minho, come on!”

He dropped his Shield Charm and ran, slipping in the powdery snow before he jumped over the barricade and hunkered down with the others.

“What’s the plan?” Aaron asked, and he glanced around at the others. Everyone was watching him expectantly, bright-eyed and rosy-cheeked.

“I don’t think the alliance with Beauxbatons will last very long.” He wiped at his numb nose with a sniff and peeked over the top of the barrier, watching the fight for a second. “Chasers, Beaters, and anyone else who wants to join can man the attack. Seekers and Keepers will guard the stronghold. Everyone else can stay behind and make snowballs. You can start now.”

“With rocks in them?” someone from the back asked.

“No,” Minho said at the same time that Kibum said, “Yes.”

"Kibum…" He shook his head, and a couple of people started to chuckle.

Kibum shrugged. "Just an idea."

Minho tried to hide his amusement, but given Kibum's smug smirk, he failed miserably. “There’s more of us than there are of them combined, so it’s only a matter of time before they unite and turn on us. This is our home, and we need to fight to defend it!” A couple of the Gryffindors behind Aaron let out a rallying cry, and Minho turned around, poking his head over the snowbank.

All was quiet.

Just like he had thought, they had joined together. A short wall was formed, stretching between Hagrid's hut and the outskirts of the Whomping Willow's reach. A couple of the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students were watching them over the wall, and Minho ducked back down. “Captains,” he whispered, and Aaron scooted closer to him while Damien and Arabella peeked around some of the other students. He held Damien’s gaze. “You and Arabella, sneak behind Hagrid’s. Aaron and I will attack from the front. Take your teams.” Arabella nodded emphatically, and Minho looked away, glancing between everyone else. “How are the snowballs coming?”

“Good, so far,” Callum said, and Minho nodded when they were sent up to where he and the other attackers were.

“Good, keep it up.” He grabbed a few of them, as did the others. “Let’s go -- for Hogwarts!” he yelled as he stood, hopping over the banister and trudging through the snow as he and others ran across the No Man’s Land. A rallying cry from the opposition rang out, and soon the air was filled with a hailstorm of snowballs.

Chloe slipped and fell face-first into the snow, her snowballs falling to the wayside. Amelia, laughing, stopped to help her get the snow off of her while the others raced on. A snowball clipped Minho’s shoulder before he threw his first, and he spotted Miloni watching him, her eyes alight with amusement. When she noticed him, she squealed and ducked down, and Minho darted over to her, throwing one of his snowballs at her back, only to get ambushed from behind by Turner and some of the other Beauxbatons boys.

He didn’t go down without a fight, but since it was four on one, he did indeed fall.

Minho laid there in the snow, watching flakes as they fell from the gray sky and melting in the plumes of his breath. The fight went on around him, the air filled with laughter and shrieks and the occasional barking of Fang, who romped amidst the battle, tail wagging happily. From the sounds of it, Hogwarts was advancing. Minho knew he should get up, join in the fight. But, for the moment, he was comfortable.

The crunch of footsteps approached and Minho lifted his head to see who it was, smiling as he let it fall back down in the snow. Kibum soon appeared in his line of vision, standing over him and watching him with exasperated amusement. “You good?”

Minho, feigning pain, reached out to Kibum, who took his hand and dutifully looked concerned as he crouched beside him. “Tell...your mother….I love her…”

“My mother?” Minho cracked up then, and Kibum smiled, looking over at the snowball fight being waged behind Minho. “You’re such a dork.”

“Yeah, but you love it.”

He looked back down at Minho, his eyes searching his before he looked away with a sigh. “Are you gonna get back up? The troop needs our fearless leader.” Smirking, Minho tugged on Kibum’s hand, which prompted him to stand and pull Minho to his feet. Together, they returned to the fight.

Hogwarts would have won, had Madame Maxine not come out of her carriage to put an end to the fight. She said something about trying to sleep, but she slipped in and out of French, so it was hard to follow. Everyone dispersed, though most stayed outside to continue playing in the snow. Some headed back for the castle, while some, like Minho and Kibum, made their way into Hogsmeade.

* * * * * * * * * *

If anything, the snow fell harder the further they walked.

Kibum sniffed, rubbing his nose, his shoulder bumping into Minho’s with every other step. Neither seemed to mind, though, so Kibum didn’t move away. He rubbed his hands together before he cupped them over his mouth and nose, blowing warm air into them as they reached the main street. “Where to first?” he asked, his voice slightly muffled by his hands.

“Hot cocoa, I think.”

Nodding, Kibum started them toward Puddifoot’s.

During the winter, Hogsmeade always took on a certain sort of charm. The streets were full of visitors -- witches and wizards on vacation, Kibum assumed. A hint of Christmas hung in the air already with the perfume of roasted chestnuts wafting through the streets. He stomped the snow off of his boots on the steps before he followed Minho inside the chintzy tea shop. It was full already, so Kibum stepped up beside Minho, looking over his shoulder at the others. His attention shifted back to Minho when he felt something in his hair, only to find that Minho was brushing away the accumulated snow.

“Thanks.”

“Do we need to go get a hat?”

Kibum shook his head, and Minho looked up when his name was called.

He ordered them both hot cocoas, and the warmth from the cup made his cold hands tingle as they went back outside. Kibum glanced about the shops, trying to decide where to go next when the sign for Spintwitches caught his eye. He nudged Minho, and when he looked his way, nodded to it. “Do you think they could help you with your broom?”

Minho’s eyes lit up. “Maybe?”

“Let’s go, then.”

Before the Tournament, the Quidditch shop was much busier than it was when they walked in. The bell above their heads tinkled weakly, as if it had forgotten how to, and Ms. Sprint, the shopkeeper, came out of the storeroom, her eyes wide with surprise. “Hello!” she called out to them, and Kibum nodded to her while Minho greeted her. “What can I do for you?”

Minho stepped up to the counter and Kibum followed him, leaning on it as Minho started to explain his situation. He cocked his head to the side, picking up a gold ring with a dangling charm on it, touching the little roaring lion's head. He dropped it back in the bowl, picking up one of the silver rings with a snake charm on it.

"What's this for?" he asked when there was a lull in Minho's explanation.

"Oh, those are little tokens of House pride that can slip onto your broom handle. They're two Sickles a piece."

Kibum's eyebrows shot up, and he dug around in it to find a gold badger while Minho, who was now smiling, continued.

"I see," Ms. Spint said once Minho had finished. “Well, I could retwig it for you, but that could take some time. I assume you don’t have the broom with you?”

Both of them shook their heads, and Kibum said, “We came here on a whim, just to see what o -- his options were.”

“Would you be interested in purchasing a new broom?”

Minho let out a thoughtful hum, and he and Kibum followed her over to the window where her options of brooms were displayed. She explained the differences between them, all of which Minho understood, but Kibum zoned out to watch the snow falling beyond the brooms, catching bits and pieces like “racing broom” and “ideal aerodynamics”.

“Bum,” Minho said, as he patted Kibum’s side, bringing him back into focus. “I’m gonna go test some out back, do you want to come with?” Nodding, Kibum followed him and Ms. Spint, surging ahead of them when they stopped to decide on which of the brooms in the storeroom Minho wanted to try first.

A blast of cold air hit him as he stepped outside, and he hugged himself to conserve his heat. Everything was white, as far as he could see. Even the Shrieking Shack was camouflaged by the thick blanket of snow. He turned at the sound of Minho’s laughter, finding him walking beside Ms. Spint with an armful of broomsticks.

“Okay, let’s start with something familiar, then. The Clean Sweep.”

“Sounds good.” Minho fumbled with the brooms in his arms, Ms. Spint taking two while Kibum caught the one that almost fell into the snowbank. “Feels nice,” he said as he mounted it, and, as soon as Kibum and Ms. Spint stepped aside, he shot up into the air, soaring through the falling snow.

He flew out beyond the Shack, pulling a hairpin turn around it and jetting up into the sky. For a second, Kibum thought he was going to slip into the clouds, but he did a backflip, hurtling to the ground before once again pulling up.

Kibum let out a quiet sigh and glanced over at Ms. Spint when she said, “He’s quite good.”

“Yeah, he’s amazing.”

When Minho landed back in front of them, he splattered their shins and feet with snow, but he didn't seem to notice. Kibum barely did -- he was too caught up in the bright excitement in Minho's eyes to care too much.

"Let's try the Comet 350 next."

That was the one that Kibum was holding, he and Minho switched, and as soon as he mounted, he was back in the air, zipping through the snow. It was much faster than the Clean Sweep, Kibum could tell that much from the ground. The thought was confirmed when Minho's high-pitched laughter resounded to them. Kibum smiled.

"How much is that one?"

"One-hundred twenty-five Galleons." Kibum almost choked on his saliva, and she chuckled. "I know, it's a lot. I'm not expecting him to buy that one."

"How much was the Clean Sweep?"

"Seventy-five."

, that was still so much.

Minho came back, his cheeks, nose, and ears tinged red and his hair charmingly windswept and snow-dampened. "Which one is next?" he asked, passing Kibum the Comet 350.

Ms. Spint looked at the handles, handing Minho one of them. "Nimbus 3000," she managed to say before Minho was already up in the air. She chuckled as she watched him fly. "He'll have to invest in a good quality broom someday. A Clean Sweep won't cut it for forever, I can tell."

Kibum nodded absently. For some reason, he didn't really see Mr. Choi being okay with that. "For now, how much would it be to retwig his broom?"

"I won't know until I see it, because it sounds like it'll need some restoration as well, but I'm estimating thirty-five to forty Galleons."

Kibum gulped, nodding again. "Okay." That was their only option, and yet… "How long will it take you?"

"A few weeks, at the most. Business is slow right now, so it won't take me as long as it normally would."

"When will you need his broom?"

She squinted, and Kibum glanced up to where Minho was flying in a tight ringlet up into the clouds. "When is the next task?"

"December….twelfth, I think."

"Hm...If someone can bring it by tomorrow, I can start working on it then. That should be enough time."

. Coming into Hogsmeade on a school day definitely wasn't allowed. Not even for this, probably...but what else could they do?

Ice crystals were forming in Minho's hair and his teeth were chattering loudly when he got back, but he didn't seem to notice at all. Not even when his hands refused to let go of the Nimbus 3000. his teeth, Kibum pulled off his gloves and held his hands over Minho's, warming them enough for him to let go.

"Hey, don't go so high this time," he said in Korean as Minho reached for the other broomstick in Ms. Spint's hand. The Firebolt, he thought she said. He wasn't sure if Minho heard him, but he nodded before he once again flew away. Kibum shook his head as he watched him, leaning a bit closer to Ms. Spint. "Sorry, he's not usually this rude."

She laughed, and he looked down at her. "Don't worry, it's fine."

Kibum huffed, his breath forming a cloud, and he allowed himself a small smile as he watched him fly.

Once Minho came back down, both he and Kibum thanked Ms. Spint for her time. He chattered excitedly with her about the different brooms as they put them away in the storeroom. Kibum had to practically drag him out the front door, or else they would have been there past light's out that night, and she had already kindly given up so much of her day to them.

"I d-d-don't th-th-think I've ever g-gone that f-fast before," Minho said, his teeth chattering now that the chill from flying around so much was catching up to him. "Th-that was amazing!"

"Mm-hmm," Kibum hummed as he guided Minho into the Three Broomsticks and set him down by the hearth. "I'll be right back. Stay put."

He ordered two mugs of warm butterbeer at the bar and returned to the hearth, sitting beside Minho before he offered him one. He sniffed as he accepted it. "Thanks."

"No problem."

He toyed with the handle of the mug, brushing the tips of his fingers along it. "The brooms are way too expensive."

"I know." Minho sighed, all the pent-up excitement from flying being dispelled with it. "If you want, you could ask Sam or Odette or someone from the team if you can borrow their broom."

Minho took a long sip of his butterbeer, the marshmallowy froth off of his upper lip. "But what if something happens to it during the task?" He shook his head. "I couldn't do that to them."

He guessed that made sense. "Retwigging, then. Did she tell you how much it was?"

He nodded sadly. "My parents have been sending me more money this year, but not that much…I can pay the deposit, though."

Kibum patted his back, and Minho leaned a little closer to him. "We'll figure something out. We have to get it to her soon, though."

"I know."

“Do you want to get it to her today?”

Minho let out a long sigh. “Sure.”

They finished their butterbeer before they headed back out into the snow. It had stopped falling, for now, but it was lonely a matter of time before it picked up again. They sloshed through it to the Quidditch pitch, and Kibum waited outside while Minho went in to get his broom handle. His shoulders were slumped when he came back out, and Kibum didn’t have to imagine why.

If Kibum hadn’t known any better, he would have thought that it was just a slightly charred walking stick. Aside from the groove where the twigs had been fastened and tied, there was no indication that this was ever a broomstick. Kibum slipped his arm around Minho, squeezing him as he sighed, and they started back toward the torchlit village.

The overcast sky was darkening by the time they reached the castle. After dinner, they went to the library with the others to study for their upcoming Transfiguration, Herbology, and Charms tests, but Minho was still forlorn. And disinterested, even in Herbology. So much so that Analecia gave Kibum a concerned look. He just shook his head. He’d tell her later, if she really was curious, but it looked like Gil was explaining what was wrong.

In the morning, just after they got out of their Charms lesson, Harry came bounding up, pulling Minho away for yet another Tournament related thing. Kibum watched him go, his heart clenching. What could he do to ease his worry? Aaron walked by him, chatting merrily with Arabella...wait…

“Aaron, Arabella…” They both turned, giving him curious glances before he whirled back around, searching the Gryffindors who were still milling around. “Damien!” he called out just as he started down the main staircase. He froze, looking back at Kibum with wide eyes, and started back towards him when Kibum waved for him. “Sorry, Ana, I need Gil for a second. Come on!” The Quidditch Captains -- and Gil -- followed Kibum down the corridor and into the stairwell.

Arabella frowned when he closed the door behind them. “What’s this about?”

Kibum glanced down at the Go! Go! Choi Minho! buttons on all their chests -- Damien’s included -- before he met their inquisitive gazes. “I have a favor to ask…”

* * * * * * * * * *

"Minho!" He stopped walking at the sound of Harry's voice, looking over the heads of the other curious students to find Harry jogging towards him. "We need you upstairs," he said once he reached him.

He glanced over at Kibum. "Will you guys be in the library afterward?"

"Yeah, probably."

"Okay." He offered Harry a small smile as he walked through the parting crowd of seventh years, then followed Harry up the staircase. "What is it today?"

"Romilda is here again," Harry said, his voice colored with a hint of disdain. "She wants to interview you all before the second task."

"Ah."

Harry led him up to the same classroom they were having their dance lessons in, finding that Mrs. Kim, Miloni, and Romilda Vane were already there. Romilda smiled congenially at Minho as he came inside, taking the seat beside Miloni. Harry slipped out before Romilda could greet him, closing the door behind him.

"I trust your arm is doing better?" she asked, gesturing to his wand arm.

"Uh, yeah…" The Quick Quotes Quill started scribbling in the air behind her. Had the interview already started? "Got my bandages off after the feast."

"Madam Pomfrey is quite good." Minho nodded, not quite sure what to add. Miloni inclined her head to him, and as he turned to see what she was going to say, Romilda went on. "I know you're not allowed to go into detail about the next task, but what about the Yule Ball?" Minho froze, his eyes darting to Mrs. Kim. She had been putting her camera together, but she slowed to an almost complete stop. Waiting. Listening. "Have you asked anyone yet?"

"I...I'm taking my best friend."

Romilda's eyes lit up, clearly intrigued, but Minho's eyes darted back to Mrs. Kim when she lifted her gaze to him, giving him a small smile. "Oh? What's her name?"

"His name is Kibum."

opened and snapped shut. She blinked rapidly before her easy smile returned. "How long have you two known each other?"

"Since the first day of first year. We met on the train." She nodded mutely, clearly unsure what to say. Minho cleared his throat to fill the deafening silence, but it didn't help. "I wanted to take him because he's always been there for me and...and it doesn't make sense to go with anyone else because...because we're always together anyways and, like -- "

The door creaked open, cutting off Minho's meandering thought. Turner peeked inside, a curly blond lock of hair falling into his eyes before he shook it out and closed the door behind him. Minho would have to find a way later to thank him for saving him.

"Let's talk about the next task, shall we?" Romilda said as soon as Turner was settled beside Minho. His brow furrowed, and he blinked at the flash of Mrs. Kim's camera. "I know, I know, you said that couldn't go into detail...but won't you give us a hint?"

Another camera flash as Minho glanced between the other two. Miloni shrugged, and Turner whispered, "It doesn't have to be anything too interesting…"

True. Miloni cleared , and Romilda and her Quill turned their attention to her. "Brooms will be mandatory."

"Interesting…" Her sharp gaze bored into Minho. "Has your broom been fixed yet?"

His stomach churned as he shrunk back in his seat. "It's being worked on right now."

"Oh good! That's a relief! I know how important brooms are to you Quidditch players." Minho gave her a tight smile before her attention shifted back to Miloni. "So are you feeling more confident, now, after having won the first task?"

"I suppose, yes," she said.

Turner sat up straighter. "We don't know what we have to face, but at least I don't think it'll be a dragon."

They all laughed at that, which Mrs. Kim got a snapshot of. The interview didn't last much longer, which meant that it shifted into more of a photo shoot. More casual, less posed, Romilda said, but in reality, they were the most posed candids Minho had ever had taken. Mrs. Kim would lean in to fix their stance or their hair while they held the most unnatural-feeling natural poses.

He was exhausted by the time they left the classroom, rolling his lips with his heavy sigh. “Glad that’s over,” he said as Miloni let the door close behind her.

“Me t -- “ Turner started to say, but stopped when the door opened up again, revealing Mrs. Kim.

Minho glanced at the other two, waving his goodbye as they started back down the stairs, no doubt heading for their respective carriage and ship. He bowed slightly to Mrs. Kim when he looked back at her. “I know broom repairs can be quite expensive. Do you need any help paying for it?”

He stared at her, wide-eyed, for longer than was probably normal. She had already done so much for him. He could never, would never ask her to help him out, especially after she bought his dress robes. Sure, he never actually found out the price of it, but it couldn’t have been cheap, right? No...he couldn’t ask her to pay for it. He couldn’t accept even a single Knut from her.

It would be too much.

His cheeks hurt as he smiled at her -- smiling for over an hour during a photoshoot had its drawbacks -- and he said, “No, it’s okay. I wrote to my mom to see if she could send me my allowance early.”

A lie, but now that he thought about it, it wasn’t a terrible idea. Maybe that’s what he could do...They seemed to want to be extremely accommodating to him this year, but he wasn’t sure if it was Minseok convincing them or the overhanging guilt from the summer.

“Are you sure?” He nodded, but her brow furrowed. “Don’t hesitate to come to me if you do end up needing the help, okay? You’re family.” He nodded again, his throat suddenly tight. She pulled him into a quick hug, the back of his head before she pulled away to look at him. “I’m glad you’re taking Kibum to the Ball. Romilda and I will be there, so I’ll want to get a few pictures of you two.” His groan morphed into a laugh when she her teeth at him, just like Kibum did. “I really do mean just a few.”

“I believe you.”

She shook her head, smiling. “Go on, I’m sure you have some studying to do.”

"Thanks, Mo -- Mrs. Kim."

Her smile grew, then she sighed and patted his cheek before she started back for the door. "Tell Kibum I said 'Hi'."

"I will."

He turned when she closed the door behind her, hurrying down the stairs to the library. Kibum, their friends, or even their roommates occupied none of the center tables between the aisles of bookshelves. Minho frowned as he glanced around, looking up and down every row until he spotted Analecia sitting alone by the frosted window. He started for her, and she looked up as he drew nearer.

“Hey, how’d it go?”

“What, the thing?” he asked as he sat before her, and when she nodded, he went on. “Good. It was just another interview.”

He looked up, sure that Kibum was just around one of the bookshelf corners. “He’s busy.” Minho’s gaze flicked back to meet hers. “Wouldn’t tell me what with. I’m sure he’ll be back soon.”

“Gil or Kibum?”

“Both.”

“Huh.”

She sniffed a laugh and flipped the page of her textbook. “Do you remember what the wand movement was for Reducto?” Nodding, he made a sort-of pointed right-facing bracket in the air. She picked up her quill, jotting it down in her notes. “Thanks.”

“No problem.”

His attention drifted to the window. It was difficult to see through it on most days, given the slight distortion of the glass, but now with the frost, he could barely see the snow outside. The scritching of Analecia’s quill on parchment lulled him into an almost trance as he stared outside, thinking. She stopped writing to dip her quill tip in the ink bottle, then continued.

Would it be asking too much from his parents? Mentally, he calculated the conversion...If his math was right, that would be around two-hundred pounds that he’d be asking for. If it was guilt that was driving them, he didn’t think it would extend that far.

No, he couldn’t...could he? Well, the worst they could do would be to say no, right? From this distance, at least, it would be.

“Ana.” She stopped writing, looking up at him. “Could I borrow a quill and some spare parchment?”

She readily handed some over, returning to her studious note-taking while Minho stared at the blank sheet of parchment. How to even begin? Should he explain about the Tournament? He hadn’t even mentioned that to them, yet.

Dear Mom and Dad,

Hello~ I hope you are well. I am well, too...

, he sounded so stilted. He crumpled up the parchment, batting it aside. Analecia looked up. “Do you need another one?” He nodded, and she pulled another sheet out. “What are you doing?”

“Writing a letter to my parents.” She paused, then counted out a few more sheets before handing them over to Minho. “Thanks.”

Dear Mom and Dad,

“Is it weird to start letters to your parents off with Dear?”

“I mean, I do it.”

Hi!~ Sorry, I haven’t had much time to write back to you this year. The final year turned out to be a lot more interesting than I expected. But, I won’t bore you with the details. The thing is, circumstances being what they were, my broomstick got destroyed. I’m getting it fixed right now and I was able to afford the deposit, but I don’t have enough money to pay for the entire repair.

It’s quite a lot to ask, but would you be able to give me an advance on my allowance? 200£ should be enough to cover it, and you don’t have to send me any money for the rest of the year. If you can, I’ll need it before December 12th, but if not, I understand and I’m sorry for bothering you.

I hope you’re all doing well! Sorry again!~

Love,
Minho

He groaned quietly, shoving the parchment aside as he rested his forehead on the table. He could feel Analecia’s gaze, but she thankfully didn’t say anything.

Should he just rewrite it? But what else was there to say?

Minho pushed away from the table, folding his letter and muttering a goodbye to Analecia before he headed out to the covered bridge. It was a tad icy, so he stepped carefully as he made his way to the Owlery. The steps, like always during the winter, were slick, so braced himself on the banister as he hurried up to the keep. He stopped, though, in the doorway, staring up at the hooting owls.

No.

He couldn’t be that desperate, could he? Why be that vulnerable if you’re not sure what the result will be?

Minho fished the letter out of his pocket, staring at the yellowed parchment. Gulping, he reached for his wand and touched the tip to it. “Incendio,” he whispered. Flames hungrily ate at the parchment, turning it to ash that flitted away across the forest on the wind.

He’d find another way. Any other way.

Days faded into weeks, and still he had yet to come up with a solution. But schoolwork and preparation for the second task kept it off his mind, aside from the occasional thought of , I really need to get this sorted out. Whenever he voiced that, Kibum would agree, but then bring the topic back to their studying. His anxiety on the subject simmered until a week before the task, which was when the repair was supposed to be finished.

Kibum plopped down beside him at breakfast, taking one of the orange segments from Minho’s plate. “You wanna go pick up your broom today?”

Minho stabbed his fork into the bite of pancakes he just sliced off. “Not really.”

“What? Why?”

He glanced across the table at Seb and Travis, who were avoiding looking their way but clearly listening. “Because I don’t have the money for it still,” he said in Korean as he set down his fork.

“Maybe she’ll let you use it for the task and pay for it later?”

“Uh…”

“I’ll talk to her, don’t worry.”

Kibum seemed confident enough in his ability to make her do what he wanted, but Minho didn’t think that worked on anyone but himself. Regardless, there was no arguing with that. It was worth a shot, at least.

Gil and Analecia accompanied them on their walk down to Hogsmeade. Christmas was even more in the air now, with the holly leaf wreaths hanging at every shop door. Gladrags had a sign in the front window advertising for some last-minute shopping before the Yule Ball, specifically a buy one get one free set of dancing shoes. Gil took Analecia to Puddifoot’s while Minho and Kibum kept on to Spintwitch’s, asking after Minho and Kibum’s order as they parted ways.

The bell above the door alerted Ms. Spint to their arrival, and her face brightened when she came out of the storeroom. “I was wondering if you two would be here today. I just finished up your broom! Would you care to test it out?”

“Uh,” he glanced over at Kibum, who nodded. “Sure?”

“Alright, come on.” He followed her behind the counter with Kibum on his heels, all three stopping at the workstation.

If it hadn’t been for the distinct knot in his broom handle, he never would have recognized it. The handle itself was stained a glossy cherrywood color, and the twigs themselves were trimmed to neat perfection. The clamps holding it on were brassy gold, but at the tip of the handle sat a silver ring with a charm dangling off of it. Frowning, Minho reached for it, only to find a little coiled silver snake resting on the pad of his finger.

“We can change it to a badger,” Kibum said, a nervous laugh in his voice. “I asked her to put that on as a joke.”

“You...asked her?”

Minho tore his attention away from the charm to look over at Kibum, who fumbled in his coat pocket for a card that he handed to Minho. “We wanted it to be a surprise.” Minho looked down at the card, which on the face of it had a little painting of him on his broom with a Snitch, a Bludger, a Quaffle, and a fire-breathing dragon in the background. He carefully opened it.

Good luck, Minho!

You’re making us proud!

You’re the best Champion ever! I know you’re gonna win!

He blinked away tears as his gaze darted from one message to another, all showering him in encouragement, until he found Kibum’s familiar scrawl.

We decided that, since you’re representing us, we need to do what we can to support you. So, the Quidditch teams of Hogwarts got together to pay for your broom. Then, he added in Korean, so that only Minho would be able to understand. Please, don’t fight it and just accept this gift from us. We all want to help you succeed. He switched back to English to finish off his message with Go, go, Choi Minho!

“Bummie…”

He looked up at him, only to find Kibum shaking his head and taking the card back. “Go on, go try it out! I know you want to.” When he started reaching for the broom, Minho pulled him into a hug, burying his face where his neck met his shoulder. Kibum patted his back as Minho worked to keep himself from crying.

“Thank you.”

“You want to fly, don’t you?” he asked, a smile in his voice. “Come on, don’t keep her waiting.”

Right, right. Ms. Spint was still waiting. He blinked hard as he leaned away from Kibum, returning his attention to his broom and Ms. Spint. “I’m sorry.”

“Oh, don’t worry. I thought it was a sweet gesture when they offered to pay for it. Are you ready?”

Nodding, he took his broom off the table, staring at the jingling charm as he followed Ms. Spint to the snow-covered meadow. As soon as he was clear of the door, he mounted it and jetted up into the air. The wind ripped through his hair as he flew around and around the Shrieking Shack. After his third turn, he pulled up slightly, aiming for the puffy white clouds in the bright blue sky.

It was perfect. Just perfect. It was just like his old one, but more streamlined. Before he could feel the lag from the twigs, but now? It flew like a dream.

He glided back down to them, unable to keep from grinning, and after thanking Ms. Spint profusely, they were off to find Gil and Analecia. They were on the stoop of the shop, his and Kibum’s drinks in hand.

“Do you like it?” Gil asked, standing to inspect it for himself.

“Is that a snake?” Analecia asked as she passed Kibum their drinks. After he nodded, she smacked his shoulder with an amused shake of her head.

“I don’t mind, really.”

He thought he heard her mutter Of course not before she took a sip of her drink, but Gil suggested heading up to the pitch to put Minho’s broom away. And they were off, treading happily through the snow toward the pitch. The door to get in was unlocked as usual, but the door that opened into the pitch was locked. Construction for the obstacle course had probably already started, and as much as he wanted to get a glimpse of it, the rules were rules.

Minho opened up the cupboard to set his broom amongst the others, smiling as he fiddled with the snake charm before he closed it back up again. When he returned to the conversation, he was amused to hear Gil yet again talking excitedly about the matching corsage and boutonniere that Analecia was making them.

“Wait, do we have to do that, too?” he asked before he could stop himself.

“I don’t think it’s mandatory,” Analecia said as Kibum passed him back his cocoa, her amusement clear in her voice.

They started back toward the castle, lagging behind Gil and Analecia. Minho cleared his throat, glancing over at Kibum when he felt his gaze. “Thank you, though. Really.”

Kibum leaned closer, nudging him with his elbow. “I just feel a bit bad keeping it a secret from you. I know you were stressed about it.”

“It was a nice surprise. I’m really, truly grateful to you.”

Kibum smiling, his dimples adorning his cheeks. “It wasn’t just me.”

“Yeah, but...it wouldn’t have happened without you, right?” Kibum shrugged and shook his head a little, but his smile was still there. A sure sign that he was getting embarrassed.

He would drop it, for now, but he would never forget it.

Now that the weight of his broken broom was off of him, the days until the task flew past until he was once again in the Hufflepuff hall, grabbing his broom before he joined the others in the Slytherin hall where they were waiting for their names to be called to go through the trial alone. Miloni was already there, waiting in the dark with Professor Sprout. He clutched his broom, the little dangling snake tinkling on its chain as he stomped the snow off his boots and sat beside her. Turner arrived moments later, sitting on Minho’s other side.

During the last meeting, the order of the tests was revealed. Because Turner was in last place, he would be going first, then Minho, and then Miloni would wrap up the task with her run. Turner gulped noisily, his thumbs tapping an erratic rhythm on his broomstick.

“You were in Jonghyun’s band, right?”

“Oui.”

“Will you be playing with them when they come to the Ball?” Turner stopped tapping his thumbs and let out a sigh. He offered Minho a small, nervous smile as he nodded. “That’ll be fun!”

“I think so, yes.”

“Turner Bellamy!” McGonagall’s voice rang out, and Turner went stiff beside Minho.

“It’ll be okay,” Minho said, patting his arm. “It’s just an obstacle course, not a dragon.”

“Not a dragon,” he repeated, smirking and nodding. “Okay.”

“Good luck!” Miloni called after him.

Minho sank back against the wall, his attention shifting to Professor Sprout, who opened the door and slipped onto the pitch. Miloni let out a shuddered sigh, and Minho held his hand out to her, palm up. She clasped it readily, squeezing it tightly. The cannon burst startled both of them, but after that, there was nothing they could do but listen to the cheers and gasps of the crowd and wonder what Turner could possibly be facing.

When McGonagall called out Choi Minho!, he released her hand, wiped his clammy palms off on his trousers before he stood, and started for the door.

* * * * *

“Choi Minho!”

Kibum tensed in his seat, still staring where Turner had vanished behind the wooden structure in a flash of white light. That could only mean one thing...Dementors…

“He’s gonna be okay, Kibum,” Analecia whispered to him. Kibum could barely nod.

Minho soared over their heads, his robe billowing behind him until he paused in the highest goal post ring. Before him lay the obstacle course, a wooden series of twists and turns that he and the others had to follow. McGonagall had said something about an enchantment to keep the obstacles contained within their confines, but if necessary, the Champions could fall out and onto the waiting nets below. He had stayed rooted to his seat during Turner’s run -- which meant that he didn’t quite know what to expect. But now that Minho was here, he knew that wasn’t going to be the case, given that he was already on his feet and stepping around the others to get to the banister.

“Minho!” he called out, cupping his hands around his mouth. “Minho!” He turned his head, searching the crowd for him. Kibum waved, eventually catching his attention. “Good luck!”

He couldn’t see Minho’s expression at this distance, but Minho held out his hand firmly in what he assumed was a thumbs up.

Then, the cannon fired, and he was off.

* * * * *

The boom of the cannon resounded in his ears as he surged forward and into the twisting wooden course. He couldn’t tell what was to come, given the twists and turns, but it reminded him of a rollercoaster, with the way it looped up and around, under and over each other. He hadn’t been able to catch a good glimpse of it as he flew up to the goalposts, so he wasn’t entirely sure what his path would be, let alone what obstacles he would have to face.

As soon as he flew a meter inside, all sound was muted and muddled. The air warbled around him like he had ducked his head below water. The only sound that remained was his stuttered breaths and the beat of his heart. Another meter in, and another sound joined the other two. High-pitched chatter rang in his ears, growing more distinct the further he flew. He slowed, his brow furrowing as recognition dawned.

Pixies. Cornish pixies.

O’Neely had done a lesson on them once, years ago.

He glanced around, moving forward as he slowly reached for his wand at his thigh. But, before he could, he was nearly yanked off his broom by a pixie that grabbed his ear. He yelped in surprise, batting at it with his wand rather than using magic. It just laughed as it latched onto his arm, biting down on his hand. As he tried to shake it off, he was swarmed with what seemed like hundreds of others, but he knew his brain had to be exaggerating right now.

Think, Minho, think!

He hurled the Revulsion Jinx at them, but as soon as they released him, they just flew back, attacking him with more fervor than before. Shaking them off did nothing. Groaning in frustration, he yelled, “Immobulus!” and concentrated on getting the complicated wand movement just right.

The pixies floated away, twitching as they fought off the effects of the Freezing Charm. With an exasperated huff, Minho zoomed forward, onto the next obstacle.

As he flew through a wooded ring, the chatter of the pixies immediately ceased. Okay...what's next? Before him sat another wooden ring, and beyond that another, and another, the path they were making curving out of his line of sight.

Did he just have to fly through these? This wouldn’t be hard at --

Oh.

The furthest ring he could see burst into flame, then the one before that, and so on. Gulping, Minho pressed himself close to his broom, making himself as small as possible, and flew. He made it through four rings before the flames reached him, writhing around him, threatening to destroy his broom once more. The heat was nearly suffocating as the rings grew smaller and smaller.

But he couldn’t stop. Couldn’t hesitate. He had to keep flying.

Minho gritted his teeth and squinted as he flew through the final ring and into the open...well, not open. He reoriented himself, finally allowing himself to cough from the smoke of the fires.

It was a cage.

An empty cage?

He looked up, his eyes widening.

No, not empty.

A huge, scorpion-looking thing scuttled around over his head, the tip of its stinger sparking as Minho froze in the opening of the cage. What the was that thing? In a blast of flame, it flew at him, but he was able to duck and evade it by flying further into the cage. It glanced off the side with such a force that Minho was sure it was down...but the shiny gray exoskeleton saved it from the impact.

Was there any point even trying to use spells against that...that deranged lobster? The exoskeleton looked thicker than the Ironbelly’s hide...there was no point even trying, really. He forced himself to look away from the creature as it righted itself, scanning the walls for the exit that was sure to be there.

And there it was, up in the far corner of the cage.

Another burst of flame, and the thing hurtled toward him once again. He ducked on instinct, pointing his wand at its underbelly as it soared over him with a thought of Impedimenta! That seemed to work, if only for a few seconds. But a few seconds was all he needed to right himself and fly away towards the hole in the cage. The sound of an engine failing to start sounded behind him, just as he reached it, and he turned, watching in horror as the thing yet again lunged for him.

He leaned back, flying backward into the hole of the cage where he was swallowed by pure darkness.

His eyes stayed wide as he looked madly about, listening for anything. Some lurking terror, the cheering of the crowd...literally anything. The only things he could hear, however, were his heavy breathing and the quiet jingling of the snake charm with every move he made.

It had been years since he was scared of the dark, and now, in this moment, he couldn’t stop the little bit of that fear that crept back in.

Deep breaths. “You’re fine,” he whispered. “You’ll get through this.”

Gulping, he started forward, only to freeze a second later. No. He had gone through the opening backward...Minho lit his wand, but that didn’t help much aside from creating a white halo of light around him.

"Okay, this has to end sometime."

Cautiously, he moved forward, slipping further into the darkness. He had to extinguish his wand after a while, as the light of it was starting to hurt his eyes. Once the flash was blinked away, he saw it. A single, twinkling star in the darkest of nights.

That must be the exit.

He surged forward, turning his broom this way and that on instinct when the darkness felt like it was closing in. The star grew bigger, brighter, the closer he drew to it. His eyes stayed trained to it, like he was being pulled into the daylight by magnets. The circle kept growing and growing, until all at once, it swallowed him. He burst into the sunlight, squinting.

He was at the center of the pitch now, and while the course curved, the space was free and clear around it. Nothing, no obstacle stood out to him, except...There were these strange, green cocoons. Rather large, too...if there was a butterfly inside, he did not want to encounter it. Frowning, he flew forward, deciding that it would be best if he avoided the cocoons entirely.

Following the curve, Minho glanced over his shoulder to make sure that the cocoons weren’t disturbed.

Of course, he’d have no such luck.

They unfurled into monstrous, sting-ray sized butterflies with skulls for heads. Five of them, at least, but there were more unopened cocoons ahead. Minho whirled back around, mouth suddenly dry as he sped along the course. The swish of their swooping flight followed him, surrounded him until soon the cocoons ahead of him were opening up to reveal more of the evil-looking creatures.

One latched onto his neck, but he jerked away so violently that it dislodged. He cast spells after charms after jinxes as he flew on, none of them making any sort of difference. They swarmed him, their hissing ringing in his ears. He raised his wand to his mouth, and after shouting “Incendio!”, breathed the jet of flames that came from the tip of his wand at the creatures, sending them further away, giving him enough time to escape as he flew through yet another wooden ring.

.

Another cage, though this one was designed to be more like the forest. The Forbidden Forest. Stretched between the trees set up before him was a massive spider’s web, wet with what he hoped was dew. He took a quiet, shuddering breath, his gaze slowly drifting up as he listened to the scuttling of many legs.

.

The clicking of their pincers echoed around him, bouncing off the trees. Through the web, he spotted the exit, whether to the next obstacle or the finish line, he wasn’t sure. He looked back up, watching in frozen horror as an acromantula dropped down into view on a thick string of web.

There wasn’t time to think, to scream, to panic...there was only time to fly. So, fly he did, darting around it and weaving through the low-hanging branches of the surrounding trees. Heavy thuds and resounding cracks sounded behind him, but Minho didn’t dare to peek to see what was happening. His imagination was doing enough on its own without visual aid.

In his mind’s eye, a hoard of the giant spiders were giving chase, falling from their perches in the trees to catch and eat him.

He swerved over and around and under all the webs in his path, until once, he swerved too close, and the tail of his robe got caught in it. He hung there, clinging to his broom as he tried to keep flying. The clicking drew nearer, the web behind him shivered as a spider crawled over it, inspecting him from above. Something dripped from its pincers, wetting his shoulder.

Minho’s deep breaths turned erratic as he looked back at the spiders on the ground and in the trees. There were closing in from every side.

Don’t panic...Don’t…

“Diffindo!” he yelled, slashing his wand behind him. The tail of his robe stayed behind as he fell back onto his broom, and he dodged an acromantula that jumped at him from the ground, soaring over the rest to the exit.

He took a deep breath of chilly air as soon as he passed through the wooden ring, his eyes widening. Dementors...loads of them. He counted up to ten before they started for him. They...they probably weren’t real. Just the boggart ones that O’Neely had last year.

Still.

His hand shook as he raised it, but no sound came out of his mouth. They drifted closer, Minho’s skin feeling brittle and dry with the sudden cold. Like, sure, it was already December, but the chill of winter was still warm compared to that of a dementor.

His gaze dropped to his broom, his eyes focusing on the silver snake charm near the tip of his broom.

He could get through this. He could do this.

As a dementor floated before him, its decayed mouth gaping as it started to siphon away his happiness, he clasped his hand over the charm, closing his eyes as he let the thought of Kibum flood his mind. Kibum, and the way his laughter filled the room. Kibum, and the way a simple touch from him could comfort him. Kibum, and the way his eyes lit up when he incessantly. His protective nature, his constellations of freckles, his smile that shamed the sun.

Just Kibum. His Kibum.

He wasn’t sure if he invoked the Patronus Charm -- in the moment, he couldn’t remember -- but a blinding light emanated from his wand, pushing the dementors away.

Far, far away.

* * * * * * * * * *

Kibum, though he was still clutching his heart, had to shield his eyes as Minho's incorporeal patronus drove the dementors into the invisible barrier. Squinting, he ran alongside the banister, as he had been during Minho's entire run through the obstacle course, heading for the finish line.

He crossed it, it was over.

Kibum leaned on the banister for support -- the stress and exertion no longer able to keep him upright -- while Minho slid off his broom, kneeling in the snow of the Quidditch pitch. He flinched away from O'Neely and Crowell, who were helping him up off the grass, as McGonagall called out his time.

"Seven minutes and thirty seconds! The new time to beat!"

The crowd from Hogwarts erupted in cheers, but Kibum couldn't stomach joining them. His eyes never left Minho, who was now staggering into the Ravenclaw hallway, his broom in one hand and his other arm slung around O'Neely.

"Move!" Kibum said as politely as possible, endeavoring not to shove people out of his way as he made his way down to the next staircase. He slipped in the snow as he ran around the back of the pitch, jiggling the locked handle of the Ravenclaw hallway. "Alohomora!"

The door creaked open and he pushed it inside, his gaze immediately finding Minho.

O'Neely was setting him against the wall, arranging his broom that he was still white-knuckle clutching in his lap so it wasn't at an awkward angle. He looked up when the door hit the wall, letting out a heavy sigh. "Good, you're here." Kibum walked slowly over to him as his eyes fell back on the very out-of-it Minho. "Make sure he eats the whole thing," he said, passing Kibum a chocolate frog box on his way to go check on Turner.

Kibum hunkered down in front of Minho, gently brushing his hair off his clammy forehead before he started to unwrap the box. "You were so brave, Minho," he said in soft Korean. Minho stirred a little, blinking once. "So brave. You should be proud." He caught the frog before it hopped out of the box and broke off one of its hind legs. "Can you eat this for me?" he asked, holding it up to Minho's lips.

Gulping, Minho opened his mouth slightly, allowing Kibum to stick the leg in a little. Clearly, with some effort, he detached one of his hands from his broomstick to take hold of the piece of chocolate. Kibum broke off the other leg, waiting until Minho finished the first to hand it to him.

"Are you cold?"

"A l-little," Minho muttered after he finished the second leg.

"Here." Kibum pulled off his coat and tucked it around Minho's shoulders. He combed Minho's hair back again, scooting a little closer. "Better?"

"W-hat about y-you?"

Kibum his teeth. Leave it to Minho to worry about him after going through all that. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired." Kibum nodded, relaxing. He glanced back at the open door, watching O'Neely pace past the door. "I think you might have to take c-care of the spiders for a bit, buddy."

Kibum looked back at him, breaking off another piece of the chocolate. Up in the study closet, spiders would show up when they least expected. They always freaked Kibum out, which meant that Minho was stuck taking them out to an open window. He hadn’t been able to see more than bits and pieces of the acromantula section, but from what he saw...He repressed a shudder. "Don't worry about me, Min."

"But I'm always worried about you," he said in the most adorable, matter-of-fact way.

Kibum smiled, longing to reach out to him again, but instead said, "I think you're still out of it." Minho nodded, his tired eyes eventually meeting his. He let out a quiet sigh as he blinked, slowly, his expression softening the longer he stared. "What are you looking at me like that for?"

"You're nice to look at." Kibum blinked rapidly, his face immediately inflaming. "Especially after facing dementors."

Kibum's mouth popped open, and Minho started to smile when he scoffed and hit his shoulder. "I'll throw you right back in with the dementors."

"I'd like to see you tr -- "

The rest of Minho's thought was cut off when a blood-curdling scream ripped through the air. He sat up, looking more alert than he had since the end of the task as O'Neely dashed past the door, running out onto the pitch.

"Stay here," he said quickly, getting up before either Minho or Turner could. He ran for the door, stopping in the threshold as he watched the professors bustle about under the nets.

Miloni was still a fair way away, so he couldn't see her clearly, but she was hovering in the air, covered in spider webs. And it looked like she was sobbing. Crowell and Sprout were coaxing her down, and O'Neely latched onto her broom as she fell into Crowell's arms. McGonagall was saying something, but Kibum couldn't focus on it right now. His attention was trained on their slow progression toward him than anything else.

Kibum stepped aside as O'Neely hurried up to the door, rushing past him. "Minho," he said, drawing Kibum's attention away from the still crying Miloni. "Can you fly?"

"Do...do I have to go back in?"

The tremble in Minho's voice sent a sharp pang through Kibum. "No. You won, Minho."

"I…" His attention trailed after Miloni as Sprout and Crowell helped her sit. They pulled the webs off of her, trying to calm her with soothing words, all while she pleaded with them to Get them off, please get them off of me. "I won?"

O'Neely nodded distractedly, feeling in his pocket for a vial of something. Hopefully some Draught of Peace.

"Come on, Min," Kibum said, hurrying over to help him stand. "Do you want him to take a victory lap or something?" he asked O'Neely, who didn't seem to hear him. "We'll ask Flitwick." Kibum threw his coat over his arm before he held his other arm out, keeping Minho steady as he guided him to the door. "Professor?"

"I won?"

"Of course you did," Kibum said in rapid Korean. "You were amazing, like usual. Professor, what do y -- " But Flitwick was already guiding Minho away from Kibum, leading him further onto the pitch. He shakily took to the sky when Flitwick told him to, regaining some of his balance when he was greeted by deafening cheers. Kibum watched him, a smile slowly spreading across his face as Go! Go! Choi Minho! rang in the air.

Everything up until they left the pitch together was a blur -- the exit interviews, the miniature photoshoot... Whatever O’Neely gave Miloni seemed to calm her down enough to be coherent for it all. Genadi, when he joined Kibum in waiting for them to finish, quietly explained that she had had a deathly fear of spiders her whole life. When they were released, Minho came straight over to him, and Kibum started them for the castle.

“There’s probably gonna be a celebration in your common room, you know. Are you up for it?” Minho shrugged. His exhaustion seemed to be setting in. “If you want, I can make sure you get some rest first. You could sleep for a bit in my bed. You won’t be disturbed in Slytherin.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“Okay, well, if you get too tired, just let me know. I’m not afraid to tell people to off if I need to.”

Minho nodded with a smile.

There was indeed a party in Hufflepuff. Even some Gryffindors and Ravenclaws were in attendance. Everyone rallied around Minho, cheering for him, congratulating him. It seemed to enliven him, if only for a little while. As the party dragged on, however, Kibum lost track of him. He scanned the room, getting slightly frantic until he spotted Minho curled up in an armchair by the fire.

“Hey,” he said, poking Minho’s arm until he stirred. “I thought you were gonna tell me when you got tired?” Minho mumbled something that sounded vaguely like Sorry. “It’s okay. Let’s go get some sleep, yeah?”

He helped Minho up and to the tunnel leading to the dorms. No one was paying much attention to them, all talking amongst themselves about the feats of bravery they saw from all three Champions today. The seventh year dorm was blessedly vacated, and it would stay empty, aside from them, until Minho woke up again.

Kibum settled him into bed before crawling in beside him, and Minho latched onto him as he threw the blankets over them. “I just hope you don’t have any nightmares after all that,” he said, absently combing his fingers through Minho’s hair.

But Minho didn’t respond.

He was already fast asleep.

“Sleep well, Min,” he said, pressing a kiss to the crown of his head. “You’ve earned it.”