The shift from April to May was nearly inconspicuous, given that it was nearly all one long rainstorm. There were a few days, here and there, where it didn't rain, but summer didn't start to shine through until around the middle of May. And even then, it was fleeting.

Humming quietly to himself, Minho drummed his fingers on the library table, his gaze continuously drifting toward the rain-streaked window. Everyone else -- Kibum, of course, included -- was cramming for the upcoming N.E.W.T.s, and he alone did not have to. He would have been preparing for the final task instead of tagging along with his friends had he known what it was. A month had passed, however, and still no word on what it might be, though he had spotted Harry and the other former Champions around the castle several times.

Part of him wished, no matter how daunting the N.E.W.T.s were, that he would be able to take it alongside Kibum and the others. But that thought never lingered very long, no matter how much he wanted to be included.

He uncrossed and recrossed his legs under the table, his toes accidentally brushing against Kibum's calf. Eyes widening, he looked Kibum's way, only to find him suppressing a smile with a twinkle in his eyes.

"Please, babe, I'm trying to study," he murmured in Korean, which in turn made Minho snort. Kibum's smile grew slightly, and he turned the page of his Defense textbook.

His gaze lingered on Kibum a little while longer, smiling at the way his hair stuck up after he fisted his hand in his fringe and the little splotch of ink on his cheek that still went unnoticed. Sighing, he turned away, his attention returning to the window.

Someone was meandering through the ground, despite the drizzle. He could imagine that choice few would be that bored right now, and judging by the gait, he had a fair guess who it could be.

"Hey," he whispered, several of the others looking his way in interest. "Do you guys need me to help you study?"

A few of them shook their heads, some returning to their books. "No, it's okay, you can go." Kibum offered him a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry you're bored."

"It's not your fault."

"Where will you be?" Kibum asked as Minho quietly stood.

He shrugged. "Downstairs probably. I wanna go outside first." Frowning, Kibum's gaze darted to the rain outside before he looked back at Minho. "Just for a little while."

"Okay, I'll see you in a bit."

Nodding, Minho started to lean in to kiss him goodbye. He froze, glancing around the table to make sure he hadn't been caught. No one, not even Kibum, was paying any attention to him. Biting back a relieved smile, Minho left the study group, waving to the grouchy-looking Madame Pince as he left.

The corridors were populated with a bunch of the younger students, some of them looking up at him in awe as he passed them by. Danny was among them, and he hurried over for a quick hug before he ran back to his friends.

Petrichor filled his lungs as he stepped into the courtyard. Raindrops wet his hair as he reached the lawn. Minho started to jog, soon catching up with the familiar figure of Miloni. She looked his way, a hand raising in greeting. "Are you bored too?" he asked as he fell into step beside her.

She nodded with a sigh, attempting to blow a wet strand of hair out of her face. "Everyone else is studying for exams." She peeled the lock of hair off her lips and tucked it behind her ear. "I saw Turner heading down to the forest alone, so I figured -- "

Whatever else she said was lost on Minho as he immediately turned to the forest, finding a lone periwinkle silhouette amidst the dark shadows of the forest.

"We'd better hurry," Minho said, Miloni starting to jog to keep up with him as he picked up the pace. "Turner!" he called out to him once they drew close enough, relieved when he immediately turned around.

"Oh, hello," he said in a bored voice before he looked back into the depths of the forest. Minho stopped beside him, and Miloni knocked into his elbow with a whispered apology as she stopped on his other side. "I didn't know you had centaurs here."

"Really?" Minho peered through the forest, searching for one of the elusive beings. He knew there were there, of course, he just had yet to see any in person. "Well, I know they probably don't want us barging into the forest."

"Is it really forbidden?"

Minho nodded, tearing his gaze away from the gaps between the trees and the figures moving within. "Except for detentions sometimes...which is weird…"

Miloni hummed noncommittally, stepping out into the downpour again. Minho followed her, overtaking her with his longer strides as he led them to the Quidditch pitch. "We're not gonna get in trouble again, are we?" she asked as he opened the door to let them inside the Hufflepuff tunnel. When he shook his head, she moved past him with Turner on her heels.

Minho shook the droplets out of his hair, digging in his pocket for his wand to unlock the locker room. "I thought we could dry off in here."

The room lit itself as they stepped inside, and Minho glanced around the locker room with a forlorn sigh as the other two dried themselves off with the hot air spell.

"I miss Quidditch," Turner said once he had looked up from his robes, voicing Minho's thoughts.

"Me too."

"What position did you play?" Minho asked them both as he settled behind his desk, watching them wander about the room. Turner was looking at the various Quidditch banners pinned to the wall, the one that Minho had taken out of the giant squid's beak at the forefront. Miloni was inspecting the pictures Minho had asked Kibum to take of the team after every game.

"Beater," Miloni answered absently.

Turner glanced over his shoulder at him. "I was a Seeker until I became a Keeper last year."

"Are all of us the Captains of our teams?" Both Miloni and Turner nodded, and Minho smiled. "Funny how that worked out."

"Isn't it?"

Turner sat on the edge of Minho's desk, one eyebrow quirked. "Would you rather compete in the Tournament or the World Cup?"

For a second, Minho thought he might have been referring to the football event, but then remembered before he said anything that there was also a Quidditch World Cup. "Quidditch would probably be a lot faster…"

"That's true," Miloni said as she slumped into the chair across from Minho, crossing her arms over her stomach. "Do…" Her voice faltered and she glanced between them, clearing before she spoke again. "Do either of you regret putting your name in the Goblet?"

Minho blinked, his gaze shifting to Turner before he refocused on Miloni. Part of him did, he couldn't deny that. He wished that he could have had a normal year like the rest of his classmates. As someone who had always felt like a bit of an outsider here at Hogwarts, it didn't exactly help to have such a different final year than the rest of his classmates. However, when he wasn't face-to-face with monsters, the Tournament in and of itself was actually pretty fun. He enjoyed the adrenaline rush he would get during the tasks, even if it was a bit stressful at times. He wasn't sure what exactly he'd have to face throughout his life, but everything else basically paled in comparison to climbing down the face of a dragon or escaping a hoard of Acromantula or basically climbing inside the beak of a giant squid. If he was brave enough to do all that, he could do anything he set his mind to.

On top of all that, without the Tournament and the subsequent Yule Ball, he and Kibum probably wouldn't be dating right now.

Smiling, he lifted his eyes to meet Miloni's. "I don't. It was one of my best decisions so far."

"You think so?" Minho nodded. "I wouldn't go that far, I don't think, for myself...but I don't regret it."

Turner cleared his throat, garnering both of their attention. "I don't necessarily regret it, but I do wish Roselyn could be here."

Miloni pursed her lips and cast a furtive glance at Minho. Evidently, she knew about the situation, too. "How is she doing?"

Turner left out a heavy sigh. "Good. Her parents aren't too mad at her anymore, and the baby is healthy, so…"

"That's good!"

"You'll be able to go home soon," Minho added quietly. "We're almost done."

Turner nodded and Miloni's gaze snapped over to meet Minho's. "I wonder what the final task will be."

"Me too. There's not much of the school year left, so they've gotta tell us soon, right?"

Turner wiped at his eyes before he shifted, turning to face them. "You'd think."

Minho tapped his thumbs together, glancing around the room to the pictures of his team. His eyebrows shot up and he looked back at the other two. "How many people from your teams do you have here?"

"A few."

"Why?" Turner asked.

An idea for all of them to blow off some steam was rapidly coming together in his mind, but one that he didn't want to voice quite yet. He pushed back his chair, standing and striding for the door. "Follow me."

He led them back out into the rain, cutting across the Quidditch pitch to where Hooch’s office was hidden in the wall. They all huddled together beneath the minuscule awning while Minho knocked, and once she answered, he opened the door and let the other two inside first. Miloni and Turner watched him as he closed the door and walked up to Hooch’s desk. She grabbed her wand, flicking it their way and immediately drying them.

“Thanks, Professor.”

“What’s this about, Choi?” she asked, her hands folded on her desk.

Minho cleared his throat, glancing over at the other two, who were watching him curiously. “Would it be alright if we had an unofficial game between Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang?” Both Miloni and Turner straightened, and Hooch’s sharp yellow eyes searched Minho’s expression. “Just, you know, like a scrimmage or something?”

“Like, Hufflepuff versus the other two teams?” she asked, squinting.

“Not just Hufflepuff. I thought maybe the Captains of the House teams and our choices from our teams versus a…” His voice trailed off and he made a vague coming-together gesture with his hands. “A combination of the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang teams.”

Hooch glanced past Minho to the other two Champions. “Would you two be okay with that?”

Minho looked over to find Turner nodding, his expression brightening. Miloni stepped forward, clearly trying not to smile too broadly. “Yes, ma’am, we would.”

“Well, I don’t see a problem with it, as long as it's sometime this week. I know they’ll be starting the set up for the final task on Monday.”

Minho’s eyebrows shot up. “Do you already know what it is?”

He expected her to give them a knowing smile, but instead, it shifted to something more grim. Just for a second. Then she was back to her usual stern self. “Will Saturday work for you all?” Minho nodded, and the other two must have as well because she jotted down a quick note for herself. “I’ll referee to make sure it’s a clean game, so be sure to have your teams sorted by then.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

They returned to the downpour after she dismissed them, Miloni punching Minho’s arm in excitement as soon as the door was closed behind them. “This is gonna be so fun!” Minho grinned at her as she twirled happily, her wet hair fanning around her.

He had been right, then. They all needed a little break from the stress.

They shooed him away once they reached the lawn, claiming that they needed to talk strategies and who they wanted from their teams. Minho watched them go for a second before he started jogging across the slick grass toward the castle.

The bell was ringing for the start of the next period -- which was also free, if he remembered right -- by the time he reached it, and then again once he had quickly dried himself off and ran to the library.

"Oh, Damien!" he nearly shouted in his excitement, stopping him in his tracks. He watched Minho with wide eyes as he drew nearer to the library doorway and he nodded breathlessly back inside once he reached him.

"See you in a bit," he said with a nod to Nick, who eyed the odd pair of them as they entered the library together. "What's going on?"

"Give me a second and I can explain," he whispered as they breezed through the library, back to the table where he had left Kibum.

His spot was still cleared, Kibum and the others still studying. Kibum looked up as Minho slid into his seat, his gaze drifting back to Damien and away before he did a sharp double-take. Out of the corner of his eye, Minho saw Damien shrug and he could feel Kibum's withering glare, even if it wasn't directed at him. He patted Kibum's thigh below the table, hopefully relaxing him as he leaned across the table to get Aaron and Arabella's attention.

They looked at him, then Damien. Realization dawned in Arabella's eyes and she shot out of her seat and came around to Minho's end of the table, Aaron -- ever the dutiful boyfriend -- on her heels. "What's this about, Minho?" she asked once Aaron had settled beside her.

Minho started to smile. "You guys up for some Quidditch?"

It took the rest of the week and quite a bit of arguing to narrow down the four House teams. From Hufflepuff, himself as one of the Chasers and Sam as their Seeker. From Slytherin, Aaron as their Keeper. From Ravenclaw, Arabella and Tracy as the other two Chasers. And, from Gryffindor, Damien and Nick as their Beaters.

Another thing they argued about was which House's uniforms did they want to wear. It was Kibum, actually, who came up with a solution. He tested his spellwork out on one of the older Hufflepuff uniforms, but once he was satisfied that he could change the colors of the uniforms and return them to normal, he got to work. The robes he designed for everyone were pitch black with thick stripes of each House color around the waist that crossed at the back then flared out on the tails. Their names and numbers were all in their original House colors -- a feature that everyone seemed to be pretty happy with.

"I really appreciate your help," Minho said once the others had started back for the castle, his arms slipping around Kibum's waist in a back hug and his chin resting on his shoulder as he held him close. He smiled when Kibum's hands covered his and he turned his head, kissing his neck. He tensed as Minho's lips brushed against his skin. "Sorry, did you no -- "

But before he could finish asking, he was being kissed. Quite thoroughly. Minho smiled as Kibum's hand cradled the back of his head before he was pushed up against the Hufflepuff corridor wall. He tightened his embrace, pulling him as close as he possibly could, and slid down a little so that they were at a more even height.

It had been a little while since they had been able to be alone like this. What with all the studying Kibum and the others had to do for N.E.W.T.s now coupled with the preparation for the game tomorrow. They were just always with other people. Which wasn't necessarily a bad thing...But at the moment, Minho was sure he'd be fairly easily convinced that the best possible idea was for them to run away to some deserted island so that they could...do whatever they wanted to their hearts' content.

The creaking of the door to the pitch preemptively drove them apart. Both turned to the door, but when Minho saw no one there, he looked back at Kibum. His lips glistened in the light of the peach-golden sunset, and even though the ever-present reminder that they could be caught was once again lurking in the forefront of his mind, he couldn't help but be drawn in by the magnetic pull Kibum had over him.

"We should head back," Kibum said just before Minho kissed him again. Chastely, this time. Minho pouted when Kibum pulled away, making him chuckle as he smoothed Minho's hair that he had messed up. "I know. I wish we didn't have to hide."

"Someday we won't."

Kibum smiled at him, his glittering gaze searching his expression, and he pushed himself away from the wall of the hallway, pulling Minho with him when he grabbed his hand. Together, they started for the castle, holding each other's hand as long as they could without being seen.

An excited buzz hung in the air of the Great Hall after McGonagall announced the upcoming game. Not that there wasn't a Hogwarts student who had yet to hear the news, but her announcement reinvigorated everyone's anticipation. Even those on the House teams who had been passed over were excited.

The combined team -- and Kibum -- all sat at the far end of the Hufflepuff table until Tracy finished her sandwich. Then, led by Minho, they all moved to leave. Shouts from well-wishers filled the room and they were met by smiles and waves from the combined team until they slipped out of view of the Great Hall. Just as they reached the courtyard, someone, a deep male voice, called out for Kibum. Both he and Kibum stopped in their tracks, turning at the sound while the others made their way into the lawn.

The man jogging toward them was a tall, black man wearing a dark Muggle suit covered with silver-highlighted wizard's robe. He smiled at the pair of them, glancing between them. "Which one of you is Mr. Kim?"

Minho wordlessly pointed at Kibum who said "I am." He sounded wary, but not confused. Minho frowned, tearing his eyes away from the Ministry worker and looking at Kibum. "Go ahead and head down, I'll be there soon."

Kibum had to nod him away before Minho left his side. He kept glancing over his shoulder to see if he was coming as he walked across the lawn, which slowed his progress. By the time he reached the doorway to the Hufflepuff hallway, he looked back again to find a lone figure following the path toward the pitch.

Minho changed quickly, letting the other captains get the team excited as he strapped his armor on since he was too distracted to focus on anything else. He grabbed his broom as he followed the others out onto the pitch, mounting without a thought and joining the others in their warm-up laps. He spotted the combined Beauxbatons and Durmstrang team coming out onto the pitch, stretching on the lawn like they did in the Hufflepuff locker room.

Each time he passed Kibum's favorite section of the stands, he scanned the faces already sitting there for his. It took three laps for him to arrive, and Minho immediately dropped out of formation and flew up, anchoring himself there at the banister as Kibum, who had been about to take his seat, joined him there.

"What was that about?"

Kibum gulped then pursed his lips. Gradually, that shifted into a smile that definitely came across as forced. "It was nothing." Minho squinted at him, and he let out a nervous-sounding chuckle. "They wanted me to become a potioneer at the Ministry. Slughorn must have mentioned me to them or something…" His voice trailed off, and he searched Minho's scrutinizing gaze.

He was lying, of that much Minho was sure. But why?

"Well, what'd you say?"

Kibum gulped again, his right eye barely twitching. As if it was taking considerable effort to speak. "That I'd think about it." Minho's brow furrowed as he nodded. Kibum knew he knew that he was lying. His expression was too pained for him not to know. What was going on? "Min -- " he said, latching onto Minho's wrist as he pushed away from the rampart. "Just focus on the game, okay? We can talk about it later."

He nodded, Kibum released him, and Minho flew off to rejoin his team.

After a few more laps, Hooch’s whistle blew and she called for the Champions to join her. Minho flew down, buffeting her, Miloni, and Turner with the gusts of air that followed him. She flipped a Galleon -- Miloni called heads and won -- and they chose the left side to start on. Minho suppressed a smile. Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw almost always started on the right side, and they made up the majority of the team. He shook hands and ran back to his team, calling everyone into a huddle.

“We’re starting on this side.”

“What play should we go with?” Arabella asked, scooting in a bit closer.

“If we get possession…” He hummed in thought, glancing back over his shoulder at the opposition. They had yet to see them play, so it was hard to make a judgment call right now...They’d have a better idea for a play at the first time out. “We’ll try to shoot from the right, aim for the lower hoop just to see what Turner plays like. Pass it to Tracy, she’s got the best aim out of us.”

“Thanks, Minho!” she said, sounding quite surprised.

“Damien, Nick. You two keep Miloni and their other Beater occupied. And -- “

Hooch blew her whistle again, and Minho patted Aaron and Arabella’s backs before he straightened his stance. “We’ll figure it out as we go. We’ve got the definite advantage here. Let’s go!” he said, clapping twice to signal to everyone to go to their places. Hooch walked between the two teams, checking the lineups that the Champions had gotten to her yesterday.

The silver snake charm jingled as Minho’s thumb flicked it back and forth. He worried his bottom lip, looking up to where Kibum was until Hooch blew her whistle again. Then he mounted and flew up to the center of the pitch opposite a burly Durmstrang Chaser. “Hi!” Minho said, his eyebrows raising when the guy just nodded in response.

The Snitch was released, then the Bludgers, and then with yet another blow of Hooch’s whistle, the Quaffle was thrown between them.

Minho surged forward, snatching it out of the air before the Durmstrang Chaser could even move. On instinct, he immediately tossed it over his shoulder to where Odette would have been waiting, but as soon as the Quaffle left his hand, he remembered that he wasn’t playing with his full team.

“.”

He whirled around, heaving a relieved sigh to find that not only had Arabella caught it, she was already on the move with Tracy on her twigs, flying tight with the three other Chasers following them. Minho started to follow them but pulled up on his broom when Arabella faked left, dropping out of the play and taking the attention of everyone -- Turner included -- while Tracy flew up with the Quaffle, giving the Hogwarts team their first easy ten points.

Minho grinned, cupping his free hand around his mouth to cheer for them before the opposition got possession. He glanced up at Sam, unsurprised to find her flying above them all, surveying the goings-on. She knew to wait until they were fifty points up to start searching for the Snitch in earnest.

The play was fast approaching and Minho quickly scanned the oncoming mess of limbs, Bludgers, and flapping robes to find that the smallest Chaser from Durmstrang had the Quaffle in her possession. Just as he was about to dive in, a Bludger zipped past his ear. A resounding crack filled the air behind him and the same Bludger curved around him, knocking one of the Beauxbatons Beaters into a tailspin after clipping his broom. Minho glanced over his shoulder to get a nod and half a smile from Damien before he raised his bat again and flew off after another Bludger.

Just like the actual Tournament, the teams were fairly evenly matched. Hogwarts would be up one minute and down the next. Poor Hooch had to keep flying back and forth between the two goalposts, monitoring penalty shots from either side. Apparently, the leniency of Quidditch fouls was a tad different at both schools, and the combined Hogwarts team wasn’t above inflicting some fouls themself.

Minho adjusted his grip on his broom, breathing heavily as Arabella flew up to the opposite goalposts to take the penalty shot that Hooch just awarded her. When a chorus of Go! Go! Choi Minho! Sounded to his left, he blinked and glanced over, smiling when he found Kibum, Analecia, Gil, and his team that he hadn’t been able to pick cheering for him.

He waved before he returned his attention to the goalposts, only to find Arabella’s hand being checked on by Hooch. That Bludger must have really done a number on her hand… When his friends started cheering again, Minho drifted a little closer to them. “Hey, Kibum!” he called out in Korean. “You wanna know which position you’d be if you were a Quidditch player?”

“Which one?” he called back, sounding adorably confused.

“The Keeper!” Minho grinned, finally looking over at him. “Because that’s what you are! A Keeper!”

Even from this distance, he could see the flare of embarrassment reddening Kibum’s face. “I want a divorce!”

Minho burst out laughing, nearly slipping off of his broom. Before he could retort, however, Arabella took her shot -- making it, of course -- and the play began again. Still laughing, he flew away from Kibum’s set of bleachers and back into the fray.

He called their third time out when it started to rain, all of them huddling together under the awning for the two minutes they had to strategize. Minho took the cup of water Sam handed him, swishing it around in his mouth before he swallowed it. “You still haven’t seen it?”

She shook her head, wincing as she swallowed her mouthful of water too. “I did a few times earlier but I know you like to be up higher than we are now.”

They only had a twenty point lead right now. Not much, but it actually didn’t matter much, did it? “, I’m an idiot.” Aaron sputtered on his water with a laugh, and Arabella patted his back. “We’re not playing for the House Cup. Being up by a lot doesn’t matter right now. Sam -- “ But the whistle blew, drawing them apart. “ -- If you see it, go after it.” She nodded, grabbing her broom and jetting off before the others could even mount their brooms.

He could barely focus on the play itself, he was searching for the slightest glimmer of gold in the downpour. For a second, he thought he spotted something up by the opposition’s goalposts, but before he could even turn to tell her, she had already zoomed off, the Beauxbatons’ Seeker following after her. Minho lost sight of the Snitch, but Sam had always been a better Seeker than he was, and her flight changed. She dove, flying beneath the play that had all but stopped to watch the Seekers. Up, then over, then around, then down again. All the while, the Beauxbatons’ Seeker on her twigs, inching closer and closer to catch the elusive Snitch.

She stretched as far as she could, looking very much like she caught it just before she pulled sharply up to avoid slamming into the wall. An unfortunate over-correction, and one that sent her careening to the pitch.

Minho was already flying toward her as fast as his Clean Sweep would allow, jumping off his broom before he had fully slowed and running the rest of the way toward where she lay sprawled on the grass. He reached her before Hooch did and he knelt at her side, searching her expression for signs of pain.

“You good, Sam?”

Her free hand covered his as she lifted the one clutching the Snitch. She grinned. “Just got the wind knocked out of me, Captain. I’ll be fine.” He patted her side, looking up when Hooch came to check on her. “I’m fine, Hooch, don’t worry,” she said, passing her the Snitch and grunting as she sat up. Minho helped her, slipping her arm around his shoulder as he helped her to stand.

“Hogwarts wins!” Hooch said, her voice magically amplified so the entire stadium could hear her.

The rest of the team landed around them, congratulating Sam. The Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students landed closeby, prompting Minho to jog over to them, thanking them for the good game. Turner grinned as he shook his hand. “Honestly, I don’t even care that we lost. It was just nice to finally play some ing Quidditch.” Minho laughed, pulling him into a quick hug before sending them off with a wave.

They all dried off as soon as they reached the locker room, changing out of their robes and into their casual clothes. “Just leave those here!” Minho said when Arabella and Tracy picked up their Quidditch robes. “Kibum will change them back for you.”

“Why are you volunteering me for ?” Kibum asked as he pushed open the locker room door. Chuckles ripped around the room, and Minho’s breath caught at the sight of him. Which was dumb, since he saw him all the time, but he couldn’t help it. Not when he was smiling like that. “Who says I’ll help out now that the game is done?”

Minho shrugged nonchalantly. “I mean, if you don’t want to be a , you will.”

Kibum rolled his eyes, sighing heavily as he plopped down on one of the benches. “Fine.”

“It’ll take a bit, so you guys can head out. We’ll deliver them later.” He followed them all to the door of the locker room. “Thanks for playing today!” After they called out their goodbyes, Minho closed the door, surprised to find Sam sitting beside Kibum. “Still doing okay?”

“Yeah, don’t worry about me. Do you need help cleaning up?”

He shook his head. “You can h -- Wait...Come here for a second.” He led her into his office, leaving the door open so Kibum could listen in if he wanted. When Minho sat down behind the desk, he glanced up to find him leaning against the threshold, watching him in interest. His attention quickly shifted to Sam before he got distracted. “So, next year…”

“Right.”

Minho opened the top drawer to his right, glancing down at the walkman and the Captain’s badge that Cameron had given him. The one that had been passed down for who knew how long. He gulped, his throat suddenly tight, and reached for it. “I’ll be recommending you to Hooch. To take over as Hufflepuff’s captain.” popped open in surprise as he leaned across the desk and dropped it into her hand. “You’ve more than earned it. I think you’ll be a great captain.”

“Do you mean it?” Minho gave her a tight-lipped smile, nodding quickly. She jumped up, rushing around the bench to smother him in a hug. “Thanks, Minho. It really means a lot, coming from you.”

“Oh, come on.”

“I mean it.” She squeezed him a little tighter before she let go. “Can I tell people?”

Eh...there were only three weeks left of school. What harm could it do? “Don’t go overboard, but…” he nodded, and she let out a quiet squeal before he brushed past Kibum in the doorway.

Neither of them moved until the locker room door swung shut behind her. Only then did Kibum push himself away from the door and saunter over to where Minho was sitting behind the Captain’s desk. He leaned against it, his gaze slowly taking Minho in until he met his eyes with a smirk.

“What?”

Kibum’s lips twitched into a sort-of frown as he shrugged before his smirk returned. “You played well today.”

“Yeah?”

“It’s just a shame you’re gonna have to give that up.” Minho’s amusement started to dim, and Kibum scooted a little closer, cocking his head to the side. “I’m not asking you to go against your father or anything. I get it.”

“Do you?”

“Sorta. Not really. It’s beside the point.” Minho huffed and Kibum chuckled, knocking their knees together. “Look, if it were up to me, I’d take you with me wherever I end up. Whether that’s New York City or staying here or going...literally anywhere.”

“You could come with me to Korea.”

Kibum snorted. “And join the military? I’d rather not.”

“I’m not saying that you’d have to, Kibum.”

“Well, I wouldn’t.” He laughed when Minho started to roll his eyes and pushed himself off the desk before sitting in Minho’s lap, his arms draped on his shoulders, his hands clasped around his neck. “Let’s start over.” He leaned in for a kiss, stopping just before he reached Minho’s lips. “You played well today.”

“Thank you,” Minho started to say, but Kibum kissed him before he could get even a syllable out. Smiling, Minho wrapped his arms around Kibum’s waist, pulling him closer still, almost letting himself get thoroughly distracted by everything Kibum, until...An image flashed in his mind -- the one of that man stopping Kibum before the game -- followed by the one of Kibum’s tense expression when Minho caught up to him afterward. With an effort, Minho pulled away, catching his breath before he asked, “Who was he? That guy from earlier?”

Kibum, who had started to kiss along Minho’s jawline, froze. “You’re just in the mood to fight today, huh?”

Minho frowned at him as Kibum put some distance between them. “I’m not, I’m just curious. You’re the one who said we’d t -- “

“I know what I said.” The furrow in Minho’s brow deepened, and Kibum squeezed his eyes shut, sighing. “Look, I don’t want to argue about this. But I can’t tell you.”

“Wh -- “

“I just can’t, okay? Believe me, I wish I could.”

“Well, why not?”

Kibum opened his mouth, but no sound came out. After a few seconds, he tried again with the same result. His face scrunched up as he left Minho’s lap and swept out of the office, storming toward the pile of Quidditch robes he had to change back to their original House colors. Minho stayed put, watching the tension leave his shoulders as he worked. He worried his lip, sighing. Regardless of how far it would take Kibum away from him, for who knew how long, he knew Kibum would excel at the Fashion Institute in New York City. It’d probably be the best decision he’d make, career-wise. He was clearly a natural…

He stood, closing the office door behind him and sitting at one of the benches while Kibum returned the last of the robes to its original state.

“Babe,” he said softly as Kibum set his robes aside. “I’m sorry. I don’t want to fight.”

Kibum sniffed a quiet laugh. “Believe it or not, me neither.” Minho started to smile as Kibum looked back at him. “And I’m sorry that I can’t say.”

He shoved away the urge to ask why. Again. Instead, he stood and helped Kibum in gathering the robes before they started back to the castle. They rushed back, since it was still raining, and returned to the castle sopping wet. In their hurry to return everyone's robes, they forgot to dry themselves off until they sat beside Analecia at Slytherin, who blasted them with hot air before they could even sit down.

Everyone dispersed to study after they were dismissed from dinner, but Kibum didn’t join them in the library. No, he followed Minho back downstairs and into Hufflepuff.

“It’s been too long since I’ve played Quidditch,” he said, straining to rub his shoulders as Kibum closed the door to Minho’s dorm room.

“Sore?” Minho nodded, and Kibum slid into his bed, patting the side of the mattress. “Sit.”

Confused but undoubtedly curious, Minho obeyed, resting his head against Kibum’s crossed ankles. He got his answer as Kibum started to massage his shoulders. Albeit, a little clumsily at first, but still appreciated all the same. Minho closed his eyes, smiling. He could picture it now...coming home after a long day, both of them taking turns to alleviate the stress of the other in quiet, simple ways like this. Maybe he’d greet Kibum with a cup of his favorite tea and a kiss. Or he’d fix something around their home that he’d been meaning to get to. Or --

Kibum placed a lingering kiss in his hair. “Sorry, my hands are getting tired.”

Minho grabbed his hands before he could retract them from Minho’s shoulders, pulling on them until he rested his chin on the top of Minho’s head. He kissed one palm, then the other. “Thank you, Kibum.”

“You’re not still mad at me?”

Mad wasn’t the right word, but he couldn’t think of an adequate replacement right now. He shook his head, and Kibum kissed his head again before he pulled himself out of Minho’s grasp and slipped out of his bed.

“That was quite the game earlier. You must be tired.”

“I am, now that you mention it.”

Kibum gulped as he looked down at him, and he forced his smile again. Just like before. More questions surged to the forefront of his mind, but Kibum crouched next to him, cupping his jaw. “Sleep well, okay?” Minho nodded and he closed his eyes as Kibum kissed him -- the passion in it surprised him. It took a second for his eyes to open after Kibum pulled away. “Sweet dreams, Min.”

“After that, I think they’re bound to be.”

Chuckling, Kibum kissed him one last time before he made for the door. But Minho had yet to release his hand. He pulled him back and into his lap again, kissing him until he was no longer thinking about their argument from earlier. Until the only thing he could think about was getting Kibum to stay with him tonight. By the time they broke the kiss, Minho’s heart was beating fast. Kibum smiled against his lips before he rested his forehead against his. “What was that about?” he whispered when Minho leaned forward to pepper kisses on his cheeks.

“I just wanted to make sure you’d have sweet dreams, too.” Kibum’s smile turned into a grin as he extracted himself from Minho’s embrace. “Where are you going?”

“If I don’t leave now, I never will.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

Kibum glanced over his shoulder with a wink once he reached the door. His smile started to wane the longer they held each other’s gaze. He opened it, glancing down the hall before meeting Minho’s eyes again. “Good night, babe.”

“Good night.”

And with that, the door closed behind him, and he was gone.

* * * * * * * * * *

The ticking of Aaron's alarm clock was starting to grate against Kibum's nerves. He glared at the glow-in-the-dark star above his head, as if that would make it stop. These last few hours of waiting for morning to finally arrive just dragged by. And the week that followed would be even slower.

He closed his eyes as he pinched the bridge of his nose. At least he had had the chance to say goodbye…

He didn't think that knowing what the final task was and what the consequences were would stress him out this much. The other three times hadn't so why would this one? But, then, given what it was...given what his role was, knowing how Minho would react… He shook his head, his eyes automatically finding the star again when he soon as he opened them.

Try as he might, he never would have been able to break the Secrecy Charm that Mr. Thomas placed on him. And he did try.

"At least you got to say goodbye," he whispered to himself, repeating the mantra in his head as he had since he and Minho parted ways just a few hours ago.

He'd be okay. Just stressed. Really stressed...Hopefully, he'd realize it was just a simulation. That Kibum and the others were alright.

A clean white light shone through the crack beneath the doorway, and Kibum froze for a second before he shifted and slipped out of bed. The door creaked open. A tall silhouette entered, the wand light shimmering in Mr. Thomas's eyes. "Muffliato. Do you have everything?"

Kibum nodded, slipping out of his bed and grabbing the bag he packed before the others came in for bed.

"Let's go, then."

His stomach churned as he grabbed the bag and he slipped on Minho's yellow sweatshirt before he followed Mr. Thomas into the hallway, the door falling shut with a heavy thud.