A/N: so, fun fact about this chapter...while I was sending a snippet to my friend, I accidentally sent it to my (homophobic, Christian) mother instead lmao A mistake that will haunt me to my grave, and yes, that's why this chapter took me so long.......anyways, I'm curious if you guys can guess which scene it is. Bonus points if you get it right!

* * * * *

The sun was just barely starting to peek over the horizon, painting the bellies of the clouds in pink and orange. Dew glittered in the pale light, wetting the hem of Kibum's pajama bottoms as he followed Mr. Thomas across the lawn to the…

"We'll be in the Quidditch pitch for a week?"

Mr. Thomas nodded. "One of us will be there with you the whole time."

Kibum his teeth in disdain, looking away from him and over to Hagrid's cabin, where a similarly dressed Ministry worker was leading a girl out of one of the carriages. And then, further down toward the lake, two figures were approaching from the ship. Celeste and Genadi, if he had to guess…

Celeste would be the only one who was underage, why would they need a Ministry worker babysitting them the whole time?

Mr. Thomas unlocked the concession tunnel, leaving the door open for the fast approaching other pairs of student and Ministry worker. Kibum trailed after him, glancing around the pitch once they were inside. Maybe he shouldn't have been surprised that there was another room hidden within the walls of the pitch, but for whatever reason, he was.

Actually, now that he thought about it, they could have just conjured a room for them to live in for the week. And as soon as Mr. Thomas opened the secret door leading into it, Kibum was sure that was the case.

It was set up almost like his house, with a tiled entryway and stairs leading presumably up to bedrooms. Mr. Thomas continued on the ground floor, so Kibum followed him into the living area where he found a kitchen and a room off to the side with soft-looking couches and armchairs.

⁸I didn't know trolls had such comfortable living arrangements," Kibum muttered mostly to himself, though Mr. Thomas chuckled.

Before he could reply, Celeste and her Ministry worker arrived, her gaze falling on Kibum. Genadi wasn't far behind her.

"Now that we're all here," Mr. Thomas said, leaning against the kitchen counter. "There are a few rules you need to be aware of. One, under no circumstances will you be able to leave this room until the day of the task. Two, there will be absolutely no communication with your Champion or anyone else on the outside. So, if you brought any methods of communication, please turn them in right now."

He paused. No one moved. As much as he hated to do it, Kibum had left his notebooks with Minho and Jonghyun tucked neatly in his nightstand drawer.

"And lastly, you will be expected to keep up with your schoolwork, which I know for you, Mr. Kim, will be difficult, given that your N.E.W.T.s are starting next week. Your professors are aware of the circumstances and have prepared study sheets for you to use this week in preparation."

Kibum nodded, glancing at the other two. Genadi must not be in his final year like he had assumed.

"Mr. Kim and Mr. Kvinski, your rooms are upstairs and Ms. Bellamy, yours is across from the kitchen. I know we woke you up early, so if you'd like to go get settled and try to catch up on some sleep, you're free to do so."

After a few seconds of hesitation, Kibum turned away, heading back for the stairs. Genadi was on his heels, but he breezed past him when Kibum stopped at the first door on the right. He let himself inside, locking himself in.

It was a plain room. Suffocatingly white walls surrounded him. A basic single bed sat pressed up against one of the walls. The wall opposite him was enchanted to have a window. He knew it was fake because it just showed the Scottish countryside and not the interior beams of the walls of the Quidditch pitch.

Kibum threw his bag onto the bed before he slumped into it, rolling onto his back and staring up at the bare ceiling.

His mind wandered, as it often did, to Minho. He was probably still asleep. Blissfully unaware of his absence. That wouldn't last for long, though...

Hopefully, he'd be okay.

, this was gonna be a long week.

* * * * * * * * * *

“Where are you going?” Minho murmured as Kibum slipped out of bed, heading for the morning light-obstructed door.

“I’m gonna get some coffee going.”

“Hm.”

He stopped in the doorway, looking back at him with an exasperated smile. “Don’t you want some?”

“Hm.”

Kibum’s laughter resounded in the hall before he turned, climbing back into bed beside him. “You’re so needy in the morning,” he whispered when Minho rolled over, slipping his arms around his waist. He Minho’s hair, which only made him snuggle closer to him. “What do you want, babe?”

“You.”

Kibum’s hand slipped from his hair to his cheek as he pulled away, meeting Minho’s gaze. There was something alight in his eyes, something he couldn’t quite place. He gulped dryly as Kibum started to smile, excitement thrumming through him.

Light suddenly filled the room, obliterating everything. Minho’s eyes squeezed shut as he rubbed the burning brightness out of his vision, and when he opened them again, he found himself definitely not in the misty and insubstantial bedroom he had just been in. Where nothing existed but himself, Kibum, and the warmth of their bed.

No, he was still in his dorm room.

He squinted, his bleary eyes following Gil as he changed into his uniform, not really awake enough to register that he was speaking to him. “What?”

“I said that they’re both probably awake by now so we should hurry.”

Minho rubbed his eyes, slowly sitting up. He sat there for a few moments, waiting for his brain to wake up a little more before he slipped out of bed and got ready for the day. A Sunday, so no classes...everyone would probably be busy with studying though. Hmm, maybe he could see if Miloni and Turner wanted to go hang out or something.

He pulled on a sweatshirt, a pair of worn jeans, and some socks before he followed Gil out into the common room. He couldn't stop yawning as they made their way into Slytherin, so much so that Gil had to be the one to unlock the entrance.

Analecia was already awake, coffees for all of them -- except Gil, who preferred tea in the morning -- already made. Minho settled into his usual spot opposite her and Gil sidled up beside her, greeting her with a kiss on the cheek. He pulled his and Kibum's coffees closer to their side, glancing at the empty archway that led to the dorm rooms.

"He probably just overslept," Analecia said, answering his unasked question. Minho nodded and reached for his coffee, happy to find that it was already at the perfect drinking temperature. "Ugh, I can't wait to find out the testing schedule so I know what we need to focus on first."

Gil shrugged, setting aside his tea. "Doesn't matter too much to me. My dad's already got me a job at the Leaky Cauldron. I'm set."

"For now," Minho muttered into his coffee.

"And my aunt offered me an internship at her hair salon in Diagon Alley."

"So, see! The N.E.W.T.s results don't really matter for us!" Gil's grin started to wane when Analecia frowned at him. "What?"

"These jobs will work for now, but don't you want to do something more with your life than...than cleaning tables at the pub?"

Minho sighed, mentally checking out of the oncoming argument. Not that it would turn into a full-blown one, because that's not how they were. It was just way too early for this . That, and he couldn't help but let his jealousy for how easy their relationship was for them flare up a bit. Well, maybe not easy, because their families weren't fully on board, but at least they'd be able to see each other every day after school let out…

What would that even be like?

Maybe he and Kibum would live in an apartment above one of the shops in the Alley, happily tucked far out of Dad's reach. He'd never have to go back to Korea, and maybe Kibum wouldn't get into the college in New York. They could sleep in the same bed every night until the end of their days...Kibum would probably complain about the neighbors being too loud. And, it'd probably be a ty studio apartment -- since that would be all they could afford, at first -- which meant they'd be busy coming up with magical solutions to fix whatever problems arose.

It wouldn't be much, but to them, it'd be home.

Movement in the archway caught his eye and he sat up, anticipating seeing Kibum, but it was only Amelia. She was soon followed by Chloe, Callum, and Aaron, who frowned as he came into the common room.

"Is Kibum in the loo?"

Minho's brow furrowed, shaking his head. "We thought he was still asleep."

"He's not in there. His bed isn't made either…"

Aaron kept talking, but Minho tuned him out, setting his half-drunk coffee cup beside Kibum's full one. Was he sick? Was that why he was acting weird yesterday? What had that man said to him?

Before he knew it, he was off the couch and halfway across the room. He wasn't even sure where he was going by the time the wall closed behind him. First, he checked the basement bathroom -- empty aside from someone who sounded like he was struggling. Grimacing in pity, Minho turned around immediately and made his way upstairs to the Great Hall, which was actually empty, then to the infirmary.

He wasn't there, either.

It took effort not to call out his name in the library, but besides a few studious seventh year Ravenclaws, the library was empty, too.

He tamped down the panic bubbling inside him. If that man hadn't shown up and Kibum's behavior hadn't changed after, it probably wouldn't stress him out this much. But he had. And it did.

Minho took the stairs two at a time until he reached the fifth floor, where he poked his head into the Prefect's bathroom. Empty, too. Panic gnawed at his throat, now. Where could he be? He ran back, toward the stairs, heading two more flights up until he stood before the wall where the study closet door usually appeared.

It wasn't there.

He paced, back and forth, his hand shaking as he reached for the knob once it materialized. His heart thudded loudly in his ears as a chill washed over him.

Kibum wasn't in here, either.

Minho slumped against the door jam, his head knocking against the wood and stone. What was he supposed to do now?

Before he could even partially make up his mind, a familiar voice drifted toward him. Harry's voice. "It's just cruel and you know it, Dean."

"Look, mate, you know I didn't make that decision. Caldwell did. Besides, you had to do the same thing, right?"

"Not for this long!"

One of them sighed. Minho couldn't tell who. "The tie-breaking task was decided before the Champions were even chosen. I couldn't fix this even if I wanted to…"

Footsteps sounded, then the squeak of a sole against the stone floor. "No portkeys?"

"Everyone will stay inside the pitch the whole time."

A long drawn out sigh, probably from Harry. "I don't like it -- "

"I know."

" -- But -- " Minho closed the door to the study closet, but the click echoed down the hall, cutting off Harry's conversation. He stepped around the wall, followed by the man who had pulled Kibum aside earlier. "Minho, what are you doing up here?"

But Minho didn't acknowledge Harry at all. He stared past him. At Dean. "Where is he?"

Dean didn't reply. Harry cleared his throat as he drew nearer, his hand resting on Minho's shoulder. "Come on, you'll find out in a minute." He led him away. To McGonagall's office.

Minho took the first chair he reached in front of her desk, the other two empty for now. He picked at the skin around his fingernails, his knee bouncing as he glanced about at the whirring silver instruments around the room. As if Kibum would be hidden in here somewhere. Just as he was about to get up and start pacing, the door behind him opened, revealing Miloni and Krum.

She looked stressed, too. Who was missing for her? Genadi, probably. Did she know yet?

Turner arrived with Fleur a few moments later, and he took the seat on the other side of Miloni.

"Where's Headmistress McGonagall?" Minho had been about to ask when a burst of green ignited in the fireplace across the room, revealing a short and stout man.

His pasty skin, bleached hair and goatee, and gold-threaded robes were dotted with soot that he brushed away carelessly. He took off his dusty bowler hat, giving the Champions a wide smile as he approached McGonagall's desk. He sank into her chair, set his bowler hat before him, and steepled his ringed fingers over the top of it as he glanced between them.

"Pleased to meet you all, I'm sure," he said, his voice higher pitched than Minho had been expecting. "I'm Courdrey Cadwell, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports at the Ministry of Magic. I've been keeping up on your progress and I dare say, I'm quite impressed with your performance thus far."

What any of this had to do with Kibum being missing, Minho had no clue. Nor did he care.

"This is only...Yes, it's only the third time in all of history that the events of the Triwizard Tournament have resulted in a three-way tie. The first time being in 1304, the second in 1589, and now the third. In 2010. Truly remarkable. You all should be so proud."

Yes, yes, get the on with it.

"There is a plan in place each year the Tournament is held since the events of 1304 that the Ministry of Magic decides on a fourth and tie-breaking task for the three Champions to endure. This year, the task was up to me, and Headmistress McGonagall has asked me here to explain the event to you."

Minho's hands fisted in his lap. He never would have been able to work that out on his own. Truly groundbreaking information.

"The fourth and final task is one that tests you on your bravery as well as how well you can operate under pressure. Which, I'm sure the other Champions can attest is something that comes in handy in the real world." Minho glanced back at Harry, doing a double-take when he saw the intensity of his glare at Mr. Caldwell. "You may have noticed an absence this morning." His attention immediately swung back to Cadwell. "Someone close to each of you has been kidnapped by a stench of trolls. It will be your job to find them, and the first one who does, wins the Tournament and the one thousand Galleon prize."

A wave of nausea surged within him, but he gulped it back down. The odds of them...of Kibum actually being held captive by trolls was very slim. He knew that. But the thought of it…

Did Kibum know yesterday? Was that why…Hadn't they already been through enough with the other three trials?

Tears stung his eyes as his throat tightened, but he blinked them away.

"How long," Turner's voice cracked around the words.

"How long until the task?" Miloni finished for him.

"For you," Caldwell said, his smile telling Minho that he had no idea how to read a room. "The task will begin at ten in the morning this Saturday." A week? A whole week? "So, I would suggest reading up on trolls and figuring out what you should expect going into the task. Any questions?"

No one responded. None of them even shook their heads.

"Brilliant. I'll be returning on Saturday. I'll see you all then!" He grinned at them as he put his bowler hat back on, then swept over to the fireplace where he pulled back the gem of one of his rings, poured a little bit of Floo powder into the flames, and vanished in a flash of green.

Eventually, wordlessly, the Champions left McGonagall's office, the former Champions staying behind, no doubt to continue their argument from earlier. They stood together in a stunned huddle just outside the hallway with the revolving gargoyle. Turner coughed weakly, garnering both of their attention. "Who…"

"I'm not sure yet. Krum woke me up for this meeting."

"Kibum, for me." Miloni gasped, clasping Minho's arm.

Minho gulped, pulling them both into a tight hug as tears sprang to his eyes again. It was foolish to cry, he knew that. Kibum was probably totally fine. No matter how many times he told himself that, though, it didn't help.

Miloni's grip around his -- and probably Turner's -- waist tightened. "We'll figure it out."

Minho nodded, steeling himself with a deep breath, and pulled away from their embrace. Now that he'd faced a dragon, a giant squid, and all those ing creatures in the obstacle course, he knew for a fact he'd rather endure all of that again.

Really, anything but this.

* * * * * * * * * *

The sun in the enchanted window was higher in the sky, now, hiding behind a swath of ominous-looking clouds. Kibum stared at the clouds as he sat motionless on the armchair by the fire, willing them to start raining. In his periphery, Genadi shifted on the couch, and Kibum tore his eyes away from the window to glance between the other two.

Genadi had been nursing the same cup of tea since he came back downstairs who knew how long ago. Celeste sat on the opposite end of the couch of him, a book open in her lap that she never once looked at.

"Do you think they know yet?" Celeste asked, her usually quiet voice loud in the painfully quiet room.

"I think they do, yeah," Kibum said after a moment. His heart had started aching something awful about an hour ago, and he could only assume, no matter how delusional the notion, that Minho was now awake. And that he knew.

Celeste turned a page of her book, letting out a long sigh. "I'm glad Roselyn went home." Kibum blinked and focused on her. "If she were here instead…" She shook her head, her eyes widening. "My brother would have gone crazy."

"He won't for you?" Genadi asked, speaking for the first time since their arrival at the...whatever this was.

She gulped, giving him a small smile. "It's not quite the same."

Perhaps not.

Kibum’s attention drifted back to the sky outside, a little of his anxiety quelled when he found that it was finally raining. He watched the drops cascade down the window until he was yanked out of his trance by the sound of the front door being opened. All three of them froze, slowly glancing to the kitchen. Mr. Thomas appeared seconds later, tossing his rain-soaked robes aside with a huff. “Are you guys hungry yet?”

None of them answered, but Genadi slid off the couch and moved to join Mr. Thomas in the kitchen. Celeste and Kibum followed a few seconds later. He shot them a tired smile as he reached into the cupboard to pull out three different plates. One was the gold-rimmed china that Kibum had seen for seven years now, which Mr. Thomas immediately set in front of Kibum. Another was bright white with delicate, pale blue leaves ringed around the outside. The other was also gold-rimmed, but it had a two-headed eagle in the center of it.

“Am I to assume that this -- “ He held up the plate with the leaves. “ -- Is Beauxbatons’, and this -- “ He held up the other with the eagle. “Is Durmstrang’s?” Both Genadi and Celeste nodded, and after scrutinizing both of them, he set their plates in front of the others. All three of them watched him expectantly. “Oh, I can’t cook. Just ask my husband. He knows more than anyone...”

Kibum’s eyes widened a fraction. Husband? But before he could ask, Mr. Thomas continued.

“You’ll be eating the same meals as those back at the castle...or the carriages or the ship,” he added with a glance at the other two on either side of Kibum. “It’ll appear like normal in a few minutes.”

Kibum nodded, his gaze trailing after Mr. Thomas as he left the room to go hang up his robe in the hall. By the time he was back, their plates were magically filled, his with the usual breakfast that he'd have every morning, and from the looks of it, it was the same for the other two. He stared at Celeste's croissant, wishing he could have one, too.

"Anyone want some coffee?" Mr. Thomas asked as he poured himself a cup.

“Yeah,” Kibum said immediately, and Mr. Thomas set the cup he had been pouring on the counter before Kibum then reached around for another.

They ate quietly, Mr. Thomas forgoing breakfast and just having two cups of coffee instead. He took their plates when they were done, Genadi retreating upstairs and Celeste heading back to the living room to pick up where she left off in her book. Kibum, however, felt rooted to his stool at the counter. His gaze was fixed on the back of Mr. Thomas’ head as he waved his wand to start the dishes cleaning themselves. It took him a moment to realize that Kibum was still there.

His eyebrows raised in question, and Kibum gulped. “I...was just curious. You said you have a husband?”

Mr. Thomas’ eyebrows shot a little higher up as he searched Kibum’s expression. After a second, he relaxed a bit, smiling. “I do, yeah. We met at Hogwarts, actually. Best mates all seven years, though I’d been in love with him for ages.”

“Did you start dating here?”

His smile grew. “Technically.” He glanced over to where Celeste was a few meters away, but she wasn’t paying any attention to them. “It was after the battle against Voldemort. I...we got separated during the final attack, and I was so relieved to see that he was alive that I just ran up and kissed him. In front of everyone,” he added with a chuckle. Kibum smiled, and Mr. Thomas searched his expression again. “Would you like to see him?”

Kibum nodded eagerly, and Mr. Thomas grinned, reaching around for his wallet in his back pocket and pulling out a worn photograph. It was of the two of them, Mr. Thomas and his handsome, shorter-than-him husband. They were dancing together, both laughing...Based on the dress robes, it was probably at their wedding.

Kibum handed back the photograph and watched Mr. Thomas stare at it for another few seconds, stars clearly in his eyes, before he tucked it back into his wallet. “What’s his name?”

“Seamus.” Kibum folded his hands together on the countertop. “Are you…”

Kibum nodded when Mr. Thomas’s voice trailed off. “Minho is my boyfriend.”

Mr. Thomas’s eyes widened slightly and he looked away, clearing his throat. “I’m sorry.”

“How is he?”

He met Kibum’s gaze again, squinting slightly. Probably deciding whether he should be truthful or not. “Last I saw, he was a bit out of it. But I’m sure he’ll be okay.”

Kibum worried his bottom lip, nodding.

The day wore on, the sun reappearing just before it sunk below the horizon. Mr. Thomas returned for dinner after heading back to the castle, chatting with them while they all ate. Before he sent them all to their new rooms for the night, he gave Kibum the scrolls from each of his professors for things he should focus on for studying for the N.E.W.T.s, since he wouldn't be in class.

He dumped them on his bed, staring blankly at them before he sat down beside them. For a split second, he thought there might be a message from Minho tucked away in one of them. But he knew better. The Hogwarts professors would abide by the rules of the Tournament. There'd be no note-passing between them, as depressing as that thought was.

He brushed the scrolls off the bed with a few swipes with the back of his hand, then he laid down, blinking at the bare ceiling. After several contemplative seconds, Kibum reached beneath his pillow and grabbed the wand he had tucked there hours ago. He pointed it at the ceiling, squinting.

"Nox Caelo."

Night bloomed across the ceiling, swallowing it whole in dark mist and pinpricks of stars. He rested his hand on his chest, the tip of his wand poking into his periphery. It would wear off eventually, but he could always recast it.

As beautiful as it was, it wasn't as nearly comforting as the few glow-in-the-dark stars he had stolen from Minho over the years.

For now, though, it'd have to do.

Actually...He cocked his head to the side, his blank expression turning into the tiniest of smiles. Minho would probably really like this, now that he thought about it. He scanned the stars, finding the Boötes constellation above his head and a little to the right.

He'd have to remember this little charm for their future home.

He stared at Boötes until his eyes started to burn from exhaustion, then he fell into a restless sleep, only to wake to the sounds of what could only be construction. Confused he made his way downstairs, starting when the walls of the hallway shuddered around him. Someone beyond their confines called out, just indistinct enough for him to miss their meaning.

The woman who had attended to Celeste was waiting for them in the living room. Evidently, he was the first one up this morning. She looked up as he entered the room, smiling pleasantly before she went back to her magazine.

Something let out a drawn-out creaking noise outside, which caught Kibum's immediate attention. "Relax," she said, not looking up from her apparently riveting magazine. "They've just started working on the arena."

"How long…"

"A few days."

Gulping, Kibum sat back in his armchair. Time, somehow, started passing even slower, now.

* * * * * * * * * *

“Minho,” Marvin’s harsh whisper startled him out of his daze. Crowell’s voice floated back to him, but he didn’t take in any of what she was saying. “You’ve gotta stop.” He stopped bouncing his knee, which he now realized had been knocking against the bottom of their desk. He offered Marvin a sheepish smile before he forced himself to refocus on his notes.

If you could call them that.

He’d been useless for days. Ever since... No one knew how to react to his muted demeanor. Minho would sit with the others in the library while they studied, just for the companionship of it all, but no one and nothing could fill the gaping hole that was Kibum’s absence. Marvin wrote down something, once again reminding Minho that they were in class. He had to focus, to take notes for Ki --

Marvin nudged him, and he looked up from his textbook and to the door when Marvin nodded to it. Harry was there, wearing a sad sort-of smile. Nodding, he gathered his things as quickly as he could and hurried for the door, Crowell’s lesson on whatever the continuing as soon as Harry closed the door behind him.

“How’re you doing?” Harry asked as if he already knew the answer.

Minho shrugged, his backpack strap slipping off his shoulder. “You know.”

Harry nodded. And he probably did, too. He patted Minho's shoulder in silent sympathy before he led him up the stairs to the fifth floor. A door down the corridor opened, revealing Fleur.

"Hello," she said, smiling as she drew nearer to them. "Harry, will you and Ginny be able to come to our anniversary party?"

"Yes, of course -- "

"I'll just head down?" Minho asked, already moving past the former Champions before either could answer. He opened the door Fleur had exited from, unsurprised to find Turner, Romilda, and Mrs. Kim awaiting him inside. Miloni must be on her way.

Gulping, he made his way over to where Turner was sitting, clasping his hands firmly in his lap as he avoided Mrs. Kim's curious gaze.

"You look grim as well," Romilda said, her teeth. "Pity you can't tell us why...or can you?"

Minho simply shook his head. One question in and he was already exhausted. What a great start. The door opened, and Minho glanced up to see who it was, even though he didn't have to.

Miloni walked in, her despondent expression matching Minho's mood. He glanced over at Romilda, who was watching Miloni sit beside him with obvious concern, then Mrs. Kim, who had an unmistakable question in her eyes.

The interview ran shorter than usual, as did the following photoshoot. Neither of them seemed to want to draw this out for their sake. Mrs. Kim dismissed them, but she cleared as Minho turned to leave, so he lingered.

"What's going on?" He pressed his lips together tightly and shook his head. Every part of him wanted to tell her, but he didn't want her worried, too. "Minho?" Gulping, he met her eyes, her already sympathetic gaze becoming more so when a tear spilled down his cheek. "Oh, honey, come here."

She pulled him into a tight hug, the back of his head like his mom used to when he was little.

"For a second, I thought you and Kibum must be fighting, but you all seem upset."

He shook his head against her shoulder. "We're not. We don't, really."

She nodded, pulling away to look at him without letting him go. "I know you can't tell me, so I won't even ask. But, with it being the final task, there's bound to be some added pressure." He blinked hard, meeting her gaze. "Just know that, win or lose, I'm very proud of you. You've given your all in every task, and I'm sure you will for this one, too."

"Thanks, Mom," he said without thinking.

Her expression brightened, and she gave him another quick hug before she let go of him completely. "I have a letter for Kibum. Could you deliver it for me?"

He clenched his jaw, nodding just before she turned away.

"It's from the Institute, so it's probably his acceptance or rejection letter."

"Oh."

She pulled it out of her camera bag and handed it to Minho who had trailed after her. "It's going to be okay, Minho." He could feel the weight of her gaze as he stared at the envelope. "You can tell me if you're fighting. I know he can be a bit stubborn sometimes."

Minho sniffed a laugh, smiling at Kibum's printed name. That was the understatement of the year. It was cute, though, so… He sighed, meeting her eyes. "We're not. We're doing great, actually." She searched his expression, eyebrows furrowing slightly. "You'll understand soon," he said, immediately turning away.

If he had stayed a second longer, he knew he would have told her everything. The last thing he wanted was her to be worried about Kibum, too.

Without thinking, he went up instead of down, making his way to their study closet. He paced before it, watching the wall until the door materialized. After he closed the door behind himself, he flicked his wand to the candles, wordlessly lighting a few before he slumped against the back wall.

He tapped the letter on his knee, staring at it again. As curious as he was about what Kibum's result was, Minho knew he couldn't open it. That would have to wait until Saturday, when they were reunited again.

This was what it would be like, wouldn't it? When he left Hogwarts for the military all the way in Korea? They would be apart for so long...too long… Would Kibum be worried about him like this? Would the time difference be too much? Would they ever be able to see each other again? What if...what if something happened, and he wasn't able to return to Kibum…

Minho stopped tapping the letter on his knee, his grip on it tightening. Kibum had already lost so much, he couldn't bear the thought of him being the cause of his suffering…

.

No, now wasn't the time to think about this. Not when he was distraught like this. Later. After, he could. Minho cleared his throat, blinking back tears. He didn't want to break up, he loved him too much.

But if this week was hard...two years would be pure torture, and Kibum didn't deserve that.

Minho tossed the letter to the side where it slid to a stop on the tops of the books. He had to stop thinking about this. Especially while he was alone. He pushed himself up and rushed for the door, eager to be downstairs. Hopefully, someone down there could distract him for at least a little while.

He found Analecia and Gil in the library, and he sank into the seat across from them. “Are you okay?” Analecia immediately whispered as Minho crossed his arms on the table and pressed his forehead into his forearms. He let out a heavy sigh and she reached across the table, his head.

“The task is in a few days, Minho,” Gil said softly. “He’ll be back soon.”

Minho nodded, then made himself sit up. While he was here, he might as well do some more studying. As if he’d be able to really focus on it, but it was worth a shot. “Be right back,” he muttered before he left the table to peruse the aisles and the myriad books on the shelves.

Without asking Madam Pince for help, he found as many books as he could carry that possibly contained even a shred of information about trolls. Sure, they had learned about them in Defense Against the Dark Arts, but that was ages ago. He returned to the table, Gil and Analecia making room for him to spread out. She even let him borrow a spare roll of parchment and a quill so he could take as many notes as he could.

They were dumb and violent, which was something he had already known, but the anecdotes in Travelling with Trolls by Gilderoy Lockhart really detailed just how much their stupidity exacerbated their aggression. And, in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them…

Mountain trolls store their prey in caves so it’s easily accessible for them during the winter. River trolls preserve theirs underwater, usually near bridges, both natural and man-made. Forest trolls string their prey up in trees to keep wild animals from feeding on it until they’re ready. All of them tend to hibernate during the winter -- mountain trolls especially -- so they save up both human and animal food supply for themselves before winter arrives. 

Luckily, it wasn’t anywhere near wintertime, or else he’d have to be anxious about finding Kibum tied up in a tree or some . He shuddered at the thought, perusing on until the lights of the library dimmed. He looked up, blinking hard when he found the table around him completely abandoned, as well as the aisle connecting him to the main part of the library. Had he missed dinner completely? Was it already lights out?

Without waiting for himself to come up with an answer for that, he gathered up his things and hurried out of the room, the sound of Pince shelving the books following him out into the corridor.

Instead of heading straight to bed like he probably should, Minho let himself into the kitchen, setting his notes down on the place at the table nearest to the door. He shoved his hands into his robe pockets as he looked around at the high ceiling and the endless supply of shelves for the pots, pans, and food the house-elves used every day to prepare their meals.

It seemed a much bigger space without Kibum there beside him. Chatting away about whatever was on his mind while Minho made them both cocoa or tea or whatever they wanted. He leaned against the counter where Kibum usually sat while he waited for him, staring at the blank space.

The silence of the kitchen was deafening.

Minho let out a long, tired sigh, pushing away from the counter and trudging over to the hearth where he plopped down. It’d just been a few days, what were a few more...he could do this…

If Kibum did end up wanting to stay a couple while they were apart, well, it’d just be something they’d have to get used to, wouldn’t it?

* * * * * * * * * *

It was honestly amazing how quickly the days passed. Maybe because it was all a blur, or the fact that they weren’t allowed to leave that made the days and night blend together until Kibum woke to find that it was time. That they were to get ready to head out into the arena where they would wait for their Champion to arrive.

He changed out of his pajamas and into a pair of jeans and Minho’s bright yellow sweatshirt before he made his way downstairs.

He was excited, he couldn’t deny it. Not for the sitting alone in the Quidditch pitch part. Obviously, that would . But he’d get to see Minho again. Win or lose, he’d be seeing him today, and if that wasn’t a reason to be excited then he didn’t know what was.

All three of their Ministry-appointed “handlers” were waiting for them in the kitchen. Celeste was already up, but Genadi, as usual, still had yet to come down. Kibum slid into the stool at the end, reaching for the coffee that Mr. Thomas was handing him. “What’s the plan?”

“We’re waiting for Genadi to arrive,” Mr. Cordlin, Genadi’s assigned Ministry worker, said. Kibum started to roll his eyes as he took a sip of his coffee. Genadi didn’t emerge, sluggish and bleary-eyed, until Kibum drained the last of the dregs of his coffee. As soon as Genadi sat between him and Celeste, Mr. Cordlin cleared his throat. “Alright, let’s go over what the plan is for today. The task starts in -- “ He pulled out a gold watch from his waistcoat pocket, inspecting the time. “ -- About three hours. We need to get you situated in your entrapments before we release the trolls.”

“Entrapments?” Celeste asked, leaning forward on the counter. “We’re not going to be together?”

Ms. Mavis, the other of the Ministry workers, shook her head. “You’ll all be separated.”

“Whose ing idea was that?” Kibum blurted without thinking. . At least Mr. Thomas chuckled.

Ms. Mavis continued as if Kibum hadn’t said a thing. “Our boss thought the stakes would be higher that way and the Champions would be more incentivized to perform well.”

Kibum, though he didn’t know who the boss was, thought that he’d very much like to have a few words with him. Maybe try out a couple of hexes, just for fun.

“Do you all remember the hovering screens in the third task?” Kibum nodded, his attention shifting to Mr. Thomas. How could they forget? “You will be the ones on the screens this time so that everyone will be able to see who is the winner of the Triwizard Tournament in real-time.” Mr. Thomas turned, grabbing their plates and setting them before them one last time. “Breakfast will be served soon, and then you all need to get packed and ready to go.”

Kibum nodded, arranging his plate before him. As if he hadn’t been packed and ready to go since last night. Even so, once he had finished eating, he went upstairs to do a quick sweep of the room. There was no mark of him ever being there, aside from the night sky blanketing the ceiling, but even that was fading away.

He traipsed back downstairs, passing his bag off to the waiting Mr. Thomas. “I’ll put this back in your room.” Kibum nodded. “Forest, river, or mountain?”

“Excuse me?”

Mr. Thomas laughed. “You’re the first one who’s ready, so you get to choose where you get hidden.”

“Ah.” Those were the three classifications of trolls, so that meant he’d be choosing a particular kind of troll for Minho to ultimately go up against. The thing was, he couldn’t necessarily remember the distinctions between them. He himself had faced a river troll, and based on his experience, that one was out… Forest trolls, he knew next to nothing about them, but the thought of potentially being stuck in a tree until Minho found him and then having to evade an angry troll didn’t sound like any fun either. “Mountain, I think.”

“Okay, let’s head out now. We’ve got quite a walk ahead of us.” He opened the door leading to the pitch, letting Kibum through first. “Mountain is taken!” he called out before he followed Kibum into what was once the Quidditch pitch.

Much like the first task, it had been completely changed.

For starters, they were surrounded by trees. Sunlight glimmered between the gaps of the leaves as they walked through the tranquil forest. The sound of gurgling water and birdsong drew Kibum’s attention to his right, and he was soon met with a stream cutting through the trees. They followed the grassy bank until they reached the edge of the forest.

“Holy …”

Mr. Thomas sniffed a laugh. “I know.”

Mountains towered over them, scraping the sky. Dark crags jutted out from beneath a thick blanket of snow. Wispy clouds surrounded the peaks, giving the illusion that this would be just a peaceful, early summer’s day. Mr. Thomas nudged him, starting Kibum walking again.

He wasn’t sure quite how long they had walked -- though it felt like hours -- but Mr. Thomas didn’t stop or slow until they reached a dark cavern carved into the mountainside. “Here,” he said, gesturing for Kibum to enter it first. He obliged, and Mr. Thomas immediately followed him. “You’re to stay here until Minho arrives or until the competition is one by another Champion. Even after, you will stay here until I come to collect you, and possibly Minho. We’ll be removing the trolls before we extract you all for your safety.”

“How kind.”

Mr. Thomas started to smile. “Also, if Minho does end up arriving here, you need to send off red sparks to alert us, just in case it’s a close call. Is that understood?”

“Yes, sir.”

“I’m going to cast some enchantments so that the troll can’t pass through the mouth of the cave, but before I leave, do you have any questions?” Kibum shook his head, and Mr. Thomas scrutinized him. “I’m sorry that this had to happen. But at least you get to see him today.”

“At least.”

“We’re not supposed to have favorites, being from the Ministry and all, but…” He shrugged, and Kibum gave him a half-smile. “I hope he wins.”

“Me too.”

Mr. Thomas flicked his wand at the wall, one of the translucent orbs that followed Minho around in the Black Lake floating up the wall opposite him, then turned to leave. As soon as he passed through the mouth of the cave, he cast a couple of protective spells in cross-like motions, then he was gone.

Kibum stared out of the mouth of the cave, his mouth drying by the second. Was this the wrong choice? Would the forest troll have been easier to deal with? What if he had just handed the competition to one of the other two Champions? He sank to the floor, hugging his knees as he involuntarily glanced up at the watching orb.

There was nothing to do now but wait.

* * * * * * * * * *

Sunlight streamed through the small round window of Minho's nook. He looked up, squinting at the new source of light -- other than just the light emanating from the tip of his wand. The Whomping Willow stretched its many limbs as if it had just sighed. Minho tore his gaze away from the tree, his attention snagging on the mists spilling over the rim of the Quidditch pitch.

Kibum was probably down there now. Maybe with the others. They were probably just getting set up for the task.

At this point, Minho couldn't give less of a if he won. He just wanted to see Kibum again. Granted, that would probably change after the fact...hopefully he'd be able to perform well…

Someone, Gil probably, stirred and slipped out of bed. "Minho?" Yeah, it was Gil.

"What?" He asked, matching his sleepy whisper to not wake the others yet.

Gil pulled back the curtain, poking his head in Minho's nook. "Did you sleep?" He shook his head even though Gil could probably tell that for himself, just from looking at him. "When does it start?"

"At ten."

"Do you wanna come with me to get some coffee?"

Minho shook his head again.

"Okay." He started to pull out of the nook before he froze, meeting Minho's eye again. "You sure, mate?"

Minho chuckled. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Nodding once, Gil ducked out of sight. A few seconds later, the door opened and shut behind him. Minho sighed and extinguished his wand. He looked back out across the lawn, once again staring at the distant pitch.

How were the other two doing? He hadn't seen them since the interview. They were probably just as upset as he was.

Shaking his head, he closed Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and set it aside before he slipped out of his nook. He dressed in his special Hogwarts Champion suit one final time, inspecting himself in the mirror before he hurried out to the common room. A chorus of Good luck, Minho! followed him to the tunnel, and it was silenced when he closed the barrel behind himself.

He stuffed his hands in his pockets, fiddling with his wand as he made his way upstairs to the courtyard. The thought of breakfast turned his stomach, which was something that Kibum would probably yell at him for later.

He smiled to himself; he was definitely looking forward to that.

It would be hours before they would be let inside the pitch, he knew that. The sun was barely up, after all. And yet, he walked on, eager for something to do that made it seem like it was nearly time for it to begin. He had walked around the pitch once when he glanced over at the lake, finding a lone figure striding purposefully toward him.

Miloni.

Unable to keep still, he paced back and forth, keeping his eye on her as she drew nearer. Once she reached him, her expression was stony, though he didn't think it was directed at him. He held his arms open for her to fall into, and after a second of hesitation, she did. Minho patted her back as they swayed slightly, neither speaking until her hold loosened and she slipped out of his embrace.

"I want to fight that Caldwell…"

He let out a sharp bark of a laugh. "Me too, sorta." She shook her head glancing up at him before her gaze drifted behind him.

He turned, curious what caught her attention.

There was nothing but blue sky, aside from a few clusters of benignly puffy clouds on the distant horizon. "At least it's not going to rain," she murmured as Minho turned back toward. "That's the last thing we need."

He nodded, glancing at the carriages near Hagrid's cabin. Still no movement there.

"Wanna walk off some of this energy?"

After she nodded, they set off again, circling the pitch twice before Turner was jogging up to join them. As they passed around the back once more, Miloni stopped to inspect one of the delicate purple flowers growing on a vine that seemed to be strangling the tree of the Forbidden Forest it clung to.

"Wait, Miloni."

Minho picked up a twig so he didn't have to touch the petals directly. As soon as he slid the tip of the twig beneath the flower, the twig curled outward, turning soot-black before the bark started being eaten away as if it had been dipped in acid. Miloni gasped and Minho dropped the twig before the soot reached his fingers, but the three of them huddled around to watch the twig disintegrate before their eyes.

“What is it?” she asked in an awed whisper.

“It’s called the Ipomea Venen, or the Choking Glory. A not-so-distant cousin of the Morning Glory. It’s used in many poisons, as far as I know.” That’s what Kibum said, anyway.

“It’s no wonder why,” Turner said, poking at the ashes of the twig with the tip of his toe before he moved away from the tree.

They paused occasionally, then, Minho pointing out the different plants they came across as well as answering questions they had about the Forbidden Forest. It must have been a topic of great interest to the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students. Apparently, several students from each school were reprimanded for attempting to enter the forest. Though Minho himself had little experience of what it was actually like within the dense, dark trees, they were still interested in the one detention he spent with Kibum and Hagrid where he fed the hippogriffs.

Just as he was about to launch into the rant that even Kibum was tired of about the hanging fungi that only grew on the branches of the pines, someone called his name. Then Miloni's. Then Turner's. All three of them perked up, interested, as they hurried to where the pitch curved around to show the castle once more.

"Minho?" Mrs. Kim said, her voice still distant.

"Over here!" he called back as they jogged over to meet her, Romilda, Dean and the other two Ministry workers, and Mr. Caldwell just outside the doors leading to the Hufflepuff hallway.

Dean's eyes were on him, though he wasn't quite sure why. He glanced his way and found Dean giving him a small you-can-do-it smile. "I hope you're all ready!" Mr. Caldwell said, his voice way too excited for the occasion. He pulled a watch out of his waistcoat pocket, peeking at the time. "We've got about five minutes until we let you loose inside. Remember, your mission is to rescue your captured Companion from either the forest, river, or mountain trolls."

As if he, or any of them, could forget.

“Do you have any final questions?” Minho barely shook his head, and the other two must have had a similar response because Caldwell’s smile grew. “Fantastic! Let’s get a few pictures before we head up.”

Mrs. Kim arranged them around Mr. Caldwell, her camera flashing several times once she was satisfied. After Caldwell checked with her, he sent them on their way, Dean and the other Ministry workers following the Champions into the hallway while Mr. Caldwell, Mrs. Kim, and Romilda all presumably made their way up to the announcer’s box.

The door fell shut with a bang, startling Minho enough for him to jump, albeit barely. The other two were as on edge as he was, now that the task was going to begin. They huddled together by the door leading into the pitch, Minho looking up when Caldwell started announcing the parameters of the final task.

He slung his arms over both of their shoulders, pulling them a little closer. “Whatever happens, whoever wins, I’ll be happy for you.”

Miloni smiled, looking up at him and then Turner. “Same for me.”

“Yeah. I’m glad it was us three. I feel like we -- “

But whatever Turner was about to say was cut off by the sound of the cannon. Minho’s arms slipped away from the other two as the double doors before them opened of their own accord, mist spilling into the hallway. Instinctively, he reached for his wand and after a deep, steeling breath, he stepped onto what was once the Quidditch pitch.

The mist only cleared when the doors boomed shut behind them. They still stood together, all three’s attention snagged immediately -- not by the stunning landscape -- but rather by the three distant screens hovering in the air where the announcers stand usually was. To the furthest left was Celeste, apparently unconscious and tied securely to the branch of a tree. To the right was Genadi, assumedly also unconscious given that he was submerged below water. In the center was Kibum, awake and alert and hunkered down on the floor of somewhere dark, making himself look very small.

A cave, if Minho had to guess.

Okay.

He looked around then, taking in as much of the vista as he could.

The Quidditch pitch had been enchanted to resemble some Scandinavian countryside, judging by the surroundings he had seen of pictures of trolls. The land was lush and green with rolling hills, a glittering lake surrounded by a blanket of dense forest with snowy mountains beyond it.

Tightening his grip on his wand, Minho ran forward, his gaze shifting between the image of Kibum -- who was now pacing back and forth and glancing somewhere off-screen -- and the distant mountains. Whether the others followed him, he didn’t know. Or care. It was just him and the task before him now.

Sunlight gleamed off the surface of the lake, shining in his eyes as he ran past. The air was chilly for early summer, though that could have just been because of the environment. If he hadn't been so desperate to see Kibum, he probably would have slowed so he could have taken in the majesty of the landscape. Maybe he and Kibum would have to visit the Scandinavian countryside together, someday.

Once he reached the swath of trees skirting the mountain range, he waded through the mouth of the river, hoping that there wasn't a river troll or two nearby to apprehend him. By the time he clambered onto the grassy bank, he was soaked up to his waist. As distracted as he was, it took him a few minutes of running through the shadowy forest to remember that he could dry himself with a simple spell.

Minho ran and ran, never stopping so much as to breathe, even when the forest started to slant upwards. As if he were trudging up a mountain.

He was getting close, he could feel it.

The trees started to become more sparse, and a dusting of snow from the peaks crunched beneath his feet. "Kibum?" He called out as he broke free of the trees.

He, of course, did not reply. Minho's brow still furrowed as he looked around for any sign of the troll.

Or trolls.

There was nothing, though. No footprints, no noises to guide him. Just the whistle of the lonely wind ringing in his ears as he surveyed his surroundings. Gritting his teeth, he pressed on, traveling up, up, up the mountainside. He shivered as he stepped into a misty cloud, moisture beginning to crystallize on his skin until what little body warmth he had left melted it.

The cloud shifted. Cleared. Minho stopped in his tracks, eyes wide as he stared straight ahead.

There he was.

Kibum.

His Kibum.

He stood in the mouth of a cave, doing a double-take when he realized that Minho was really there. His slightly irritated neutral expression shifted to one of shock, lips slightly agape as Minho took a step toward him.

It couldn't be this easy, right?

And another step.

There had to be some difficulty to this?

Another, and Kibum's smile grew -- giving Minho a burst of energy. The closer he drew, however, Kibum's smile started to fall, his gaze shifting behind him.

He just had to reach him and this would be over. They wouldn't be touched by the --

A bellow of a roar rang out somewhere above him, stopping Minho in his tracks. He heard it then, the rumble of many, heavy footsteps. Gulping, Minho motioned for Kibum to back away from the mouth of the cave as he turned, his eyes widening as four enormous trolls advanced. Then, from behind, an earth-rattling thud.

Minho almost didn't want to turn around, but the heavy breathing and guttural grunting answered his unasked question.

Five trolls. Okay.

He brandished his wand, turning around to face the troll between him and Kibum. His heart dropped to the pit of his stomach as he slowly took in the massive troll. It was at least twice his height. , aside from the ratty loincloth that Minho hoped to ing Merlin would stay in place. Its legs were as thick as tree trunks, hands and nails long and curved. It bellowed again, its beady eyes glaring at Minho as it lifted the knobby club in its hand.

“Confundo!”

The pink jet of light glanced off its skull, ricocheting off two of the trees before it winked out.

.

As it lumbered toward him, Minho slashed his wand before him with a yelled “Impedimenta!” before he started to run backward, just in case...

A crackle of turquoise hit the troll, stunning him enough to slow his pace. Before Minho could let out a relieved sigh, something gripped him by the shoulder and tossed him into the air. He grappled for his wand, mind racing for any spell that would help him land softly, but before he could think of any, he hit the ground, rolling a few meters. His arm was immediately throbbing. A glance showed blood streaming from his shoulder where he had landed on a protruding rock. Grimacing, he moved to get up, only to bite back a cry seconds later when he put his weight on his injured arm.

It was probably broken. Unsurprising, considering the fall.

One of them -- the youngest, judging by its size -- started barreling toward him, leaving the others up where they were congregating by the mouth of the cave. Minho gripped his wand as he struggled to his feet, holding his broken arm close to his chest as he stared down the oncoming troll. There wasn’t a thought in his head besides/Get to Kibum/. Not even the pain registered in his mind as he flicked his wand at the troll.

Red lightning erupted from his wand, latching onto the troll and throwing it back up the mountain. Minho trudged on, his attention shifting from the fallen troll to the next two who broke away from the stench. Another swipe of his wand, and they fell back to the earth, petrified by his Full-Body Bind curse. The one between him and the leader of the stench threw its gnarled club with a grunt. Before it could reach Minho, however, swished his wand once more.

Blue light burst from his wand, shattering the club and sending shrapnel in every direction. He ducked, wincing as pain shot up his injured arm and the sting of the flying wood scraped his skin. Some of it, he discovered as he looked up, stuck in the chest and abdomen of the troll. But it was still advancing.

“Stupefy!” he yelled, his voice hoarse now.

The troll was thrown, flying back and landing on the final troll he had to face. Maybe it was down now, too. Maybe he could pass saf --

The largest troll bellowed again as it kicked the one on top of it off. Like it was nothing. Minho shrunk back as it righted itself, gulping as he glanced behind it. Kibum was still there. Wide eyes on him. Following his every step. His hand fisted around his wand as he stood a little taller and advanced.

He needed it to go down and stay down. But it was angry now, and already seemed impervious to some charms. It started to lift its club, but before it could, Minho called out “Relashio!” and it slipped from its grip. Then, again, “Stupefy!” It staggered a few steps back, closer to the cave, and Minho picked up his pace. Again, and again, the air around him lit up with red as he pummeled the troll with the Stunning Spell until it finally collapsed before him.

Minho watched it for a few seconds, waiting for it to twitch before he stunned it again. When it didn’t move, he stumbled through the mouth of the cave, chest heaving with labored breaths. An invisible barrier rippled around him, as though he had just walked through a wall of water, and something warm and solid immediately embraced him. He tensed up, for just a second, until the scent of Kibum’s cologne registered in his mind.

“Am I hurting you?,” Kibum whispered, and Minho’s eyes squeezed shut as he hugged him tighter still.

"No." It was a lie, but he didn’t mind the pain in the slightest. He nuzzled closer to him, relishing in the comfort of his arms until --

“Babe, let me go for a second.” Minho reluctantly did, watching as Kibum dug into his pocket to retrieve his wand. He flicked it, sending a shower of sparks out of the mouth of the cave that rained down on the stunned mountain troll just outside.

The response from the distant announcer’s box was immediate. “Choi Minho has won the Triwizard Tournament!”

Cheers filled the air around them, but everything, even the next thing the announcer said faded to the background as Kibum returned to his arms, eyes bright and shining in the daylight. Minho allowed himself to take him in, to caress him with his gaze while Kibum no doubt inspected his injuries. “I’ve missed you.”

Kibum met his gaze then, giving him a soft smile before his eyes dropped to Minho’s lips for a second. “It would have been weird if you didn’t.”

Minho scoffed, his smile growing as he cupped Kibum’s jaw with his good arm. “Kibum, I -- ” he whispered, but before he could get any further than that, Kibum was kissing him. His heart, though fluttering madly for a few seconds, finally found peace. He was back where he should be. With Kibum. All was once again right in the world. Kibum held him tighter, pulled him closer, even when Minho broke the kiss. “I love you. So much.”

Kibum let out a quiet laugh, bumping their noses together as he rested his forehead against Minho’s. “I know.”

Minho blinked, slowly at first, then rapidly as he started to grin. “Did you just Han Solo me?”

Kibum smirked. “So what if I did?”

Before Minho could kiss that stupidly smug smile off of Kibum’s face, footsteps sounded behind them. Kibum instinctively moved out of Minho’s embrace, but not out of reach, and Minho turned around to find Dean running up to them. “Hey,” he said, his voice slightly exasperated as he fished in his robe pocket for his wand, pointing it at something behind them. “Just a reminder, in case you forgot, there was a camera in here this whole time.”

Oh god.

Kibum went stiff beside him. “Uh…”

“It’s gone now, don’t worry.”

Dean left them, hurrying back outside to where O’Neely was running up to help him with the still unconscious trolls. Gulping, Minho looked down at Kibum. He was staring out of the mouth of the cave, his jaw clenched tightly.

, what had they done?

* * * * * * * * * *

Minho moved away from the mouth of the cave before Kibum did, a quiet groan of what he assumed was pain echoing off the walls. Kibum tore his attention away from Mr. Thomas and O’Neely, who were working to restrain the trolls before they woke, and turned to where Minho was sitting in the depths of the shadows. He adjusted his hurt arm with a grimace, spurring Kibum into motion.

“Hold still,” he said softly when he reached his side, gesturing with his wand to Minho’s arm. “Ferula.” A splint appeared on Minho’s upper arm, tied on by thin white bandages and supported by a sling. Minho’s pained expression melted into one that somewhat resembled relief, and he leaned back against the rocky wall. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking…”

Minho’s brow furrowed as he met his eye in the dim light. “I mean, me neither.” He reached out, taking Kibum’s hand with his free one. He kissed his knuckles reverently. “Bummie,” he said, his voice a hoarse, yet tender chuckle. “We’ve only got a few more days here. I’m sure it won’t matter at all. People will be too caught up with finals to care that we’re a couple. If not, then their priorities are seriously out of whack.”

Kibum laughed, reaching out with his other hand to cup his dirty, bloodstained cheek. “I’m so proud of you, you know.”

“I assumed.”

“Stop being annoying.”

“No, I don’t think I will.”

Grinning, Kibum leaned forward, his hand sliding to Minho’s neck as he pulled him into another kiss. Happiness bubbled up within him again as Minho’s good arm slipped around him, holding him close. Yes, it had only been a week that they had been apart, but it was a very long week. “I hope -- “ he managed to say before Minho kissed him again. He slipped his hand between them, pressing against Minho’s chest for some distance so he could finish his thought. “I hope you weren’t too anxious.”

Minho sighed, his chapped lips, and rested his head against the wall. “It doesn’t matter now.”

“I really wanted to say something.”

Minho’s thumb Kibum’s side as he gave him a tired smile. “It’s okay. We don’t have to ever do this again.”

Kibum searched his expression, worrying his bottom lip for a second. “How are you feeling? Excited?”

“Relieved. And exhausted.”

“Well, after we see Pomfrey, we can go take a nap.”

Minho’s eyebrows shot up. “We?”

“Do you expect me to leave you alone for a second today?” He his teeth, shaking his head as he scooted back a little. “Honestly, Min…”

He let out a tired chuckle, and Kibum’s stern demeanor broke into what he knew had to be a soft smile. I love you. So much. The words ran through his mind once again, his heart soaring at the thought. It wasn’t necessarily a surprise to hear them from Minho, but actually hearing them… His smile grew and he leaned a little closer, catching Minho’s interest, but before he could return them, the rock wall behind Minho started to fade. Kibum sat back on his heels, glancing back toward the mouth. O’Neely and Mr. Thomas were no longer in view, but the cave around them was definitely losing its saturation.

Was the enchantment lifting?

He made to stand, helping Minho up once he was able. Minho slung his arm over his shoulders and Kibum slipped his around his waist, supporting him as they made their way to the rapidly disappearing cave mouth. The countryside he had passed through had all but vanished now, returning to the oh-so-familiar Quidditch pitch. They stayed standing where the cave had been, which soon became the stretch of lawn near to the stands and the far Quidditch hoops.

The onlookers and announcer’s stand was visible now, too. It felt as though all eyes were on them. And they probably were.

Minho patted his arm, and Kibum looked across the pitch to find Miloni and Genadi and Turner and Celeste not only reunited but also heading their way. He winced as he started walking toward the center, Kibum of course following his lead. As they drew nearer, Kibum’s heart sank to find Miloni and Turner in similar states as Minho, though all looked reasonably happy, despite losing the Tournament.

“Congratulations, Minho,” Miloni said, and Minho lifted his arm from Kibum’s shoulders to pull her into a hug.

“Yeah, great job,” Turner added, a tired smile in his voice.

“My arm’s broke, I can’t hug you, too.” Turner snorted and stepped forward, gingerly wrapping his arms around the other two. Minho mumbled something into the group embrace, and Miloni said something just as quietly.

McGonagall was saying something over the din of the crowd, but Kibum couldn’t focus on it. He watched Minho, waiting for him to return to his side, but as soon as he stopped hugging the other two, he looked across the pitch.

Romilda, Mom, and some weird old guy were making their way to them. Pomfrey, a few steps behind them. Kibum motioned to Celeste and Genadi to join him over on the sidelines, but Romilda stopped them before they made it a few steps. “Where do you think you three are going? I have questions for everyone!”

The entire student body had dispersed by the time she finished asking everyone questions -- all while Madam Pomfrey bustled around, bandaging everyone up -- and Mom had finished taking pictures of everyone. She slipped one to him with a wink while Caldwell, the old guy, profusely and annoyingly congratulated Minho and started asking him which vault in Gringotts he needed to deposit the Galleons into. By the time Kibum was able to pull him away from the others, the sun was starting to set behind them.

Their progress to the castle was slow, but Kibum didn’t mind. He glanced up at Minho when he sighed. “What is it?”

He shook his head. “Do you think Romilda will print that in the article?”

“What?”

“That bit about us.”

Oh.

She had asked how long they had been a couple, which they answered truthfully. But, it was still weird. Having other people outside those in the know bring it up.

“Probably.” Minho met his eyes, his expression unreadable. “Is that a problem?” He started to smile, shook his head, and reached for Kibum’s hand, holding it until they reached the castle. Then, he didn’t release it as they walked through the threshold by the gardens. In fact, he laced their fingers together, holding on tighter as they made their way to the Great Hall where it sounded like the others were.

Silence fell as they walked through the double doors. All eyes turned toward them. Kibum’s grip on his hand tightened, and Minho squeezed his hand in return.

“Go! Go! Choi Minho!” someone from the Slytherin side yelled, and a rousing cheer filled the Great Hall as Kibum raised their joined hands, grinning.

Minho was swept up by the crowd, and since he wasn’t letting go of Kibum, he was too. He was being congratulated on every side, and Kibum couldn’t stop smiling. He deserved every accolade, every single word of congratulations, and so much more. He was so proud, so proud. Even if he hadn’t won, he still would have been.

Kibum was the one to detach himself from Minho, but only because McGonagall was pulling him up on the dais and calling for quiet. Once the students obeyed, she cleared and began. “I cannot even begin to express how happy I am that our Champion, Choi Minho, was the one to win the Triwizard Tournament.” She clapped her hands together twice, the tables filling with food. “In celebration, we’ll skip classes and exams on Monday, to give all of us a break before we finish up the last few weeks of school. For now, let’s eat! Minho,” she said to him once everyone was finding their places around the tables. “You can eat up here with us today.”

“Can Kibum come with, too?”

Her eyebrows raised, and she looked down, meeting Kibum’s equally surprised expression. “Of course.”

Space was made on the dais table for both of them -- Slughorn and Crowell scooting down a few seats so that Minho could take the spot by McGonagall like she wanted and Kibum slipping into the seat beside him as soon as Slughorn vacated it.

Minho ate heartily, which Kibum could only assume that he barely ate anything this whole week because of stress. Which, unfortunately, was relatable, but he hated the thought that Minho was stressed over his absence. Especially when nothing of any consequence happened to him.

They left the Great Hall once most everyone else was gone, holding hands again as they descended the stairs. “How are you feeling?” Kibum asked him as he let himself be led to Hufflepuff.

“Sore, but otherwise okay. It’s a bit surreal.” Kibum tugged on his hand once, and Minho leaned down a little, giving him the kiss he had silently asked for. “Do you want to sleep with me tonight?” he murmured as Kibum pulled away. Kibum’s eyes widened, and after a second, Minho’s did too. “Uh, that’s not...um -- “

Kibum let out a huff of a laugh, letting go of Minho’s hand to let them into Hufflepuff. “I know.”

“You keep saying that today.” The smile in Minho’s voice was quite evident.

“I’ll stop saying it when it stops being true.”

Kibum ducked down, starting the long crawl through the tunnel to Hufflepuff, Minho following him a little slower. He helped him hop down into the common room, glancing around at the curious onlookers. A few of them offered Minho their congratulations again as they made their way over to the bookshelf and opened the loft.

The lights were on, which meant that the loft was already occupied. "Do you still want to go up?" Kibum whispered when he looked back at Minho.

"Yeah, for a bit. We can go upstairs after." Kibum nodded and started up the steps, reaching for Minho's hand just before they reached the doorway.

"There they are!" Gil exclaimed and Kibum and Minho froze, looking around the loft.

It was fuller than he remembered ever seeing it during their time at Hogwarts. Most, if not all of the seventh years from all the Houses were lounging around the room, watching them progress into the room.

"So…" Callum looked up from their still joined hands. "How long?"

Minho let out a quiet cough as Kibum said, "Since the Yule Ball." Toward the back of the room, Priyasha held out her hand with a smug smile and Rhesa dropped what looked a few Galleons into her hand, rolling her eyes. Kibum scoffed. "Okay, wait, how many people figured it out?"

Analecia, Gil, Priyasha, Aaron, Arabella, and Damien raised their hands and Arabella added, "You're not even remotely subtle."

"Never have been," Analecia said quickly, grinning cheekily at Kibum when he attempted to give her a withering glare.

"How many had an idea?" Minho asked, cutting in before Kibum could retort. The vast majority raised their hands -- everyone but Travis and Seb, it looked like.

"Mate, I'm sorry."

"We're just really dense, we didn't mean what we said."

Kibum had a response ready but was once again cut off, this time by the appearance of Eli and Marvin who were lugging a case of butterbeer from the kitchen. Enough for everyone. Kibum released Minho's hand and went over to grab one for each of them, opening Minho' and handing it to him before he opened his own and went to take a sip.

"To Minho!" Gil said, raising his bottle. "For putting some respect to Hufflepuff's name!"

Kibum clinked his bottle with Minho's, raising it to sip again.

"To Minho!" Gil said again, a few others around the room groaning quietly. "For winning the Tournament like we always knew he would!" Sighing, Kibum clinked his bottle with Minho's again, but before he could even lift it -- "To Minho…"

ing hell, what now?

"...And Kibum! I don't know what for, though," he said, looking to Analecia.

"May you have many more years of happiness by each other's side!"

Bottles clinked yet again around the room, but Kibum only had eyes for Minho. The urge to return his earlier declaration of love flared up within him yet again, but he knew he should wait until they were alone at last.

They stayed with the others until the lights started to dim, then everyone dispersed, both of them blending in with the Gryffindors and Ravenclaws who were on their way up to their towers. Minho tugged on his hand, pulling him away once they reached the secret passage and they took the shortcut up to the seventh floor.

"While we're up here…" Minho said as he opened the door to the study closet. "Mom gave me a letter."

Kibum looked away from lighting the candles. "Your mom?"

"No, yours." Groaning, he knelt by the books, picking it up before he situated himself on their nest of blankets.

He passed it to Kibum as he sidled up next to him. It was from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City...this was it. He flipped it over, his brow furrowing. "You didn't open it?"

"Of course not?"

"Hm. I probably would have."

Chuckling, Minho pressed a kiss to Kibum's cheek as he tore open the letter.

Dear Kibum,

Congratulations! On behalf of the Fashion Institute of Technology community, I am pleased to announce your admission to Fall 2010!

There was more, but Kibum couldn't focus on it. Instead, he looked up, meeting Minho's gaze. "I'm...I'm going to New York." And he was going to Korea. It was official, now. There was nothing to be done about it. "What -- "

But Minho hugged him tightly, whispering, "I'm so happy for you."

"Are you? Because I'm not sure I am."

Minho rubbed his back before he pulled away enough to look at him. "We'll figure it out as we go, like we always do."

"Yeah." Kibum reached out, brushing Minho's hair off his forehead. "You must be exhausted, babe. Let's go to sleep."

He stood back up while Minho arranged the blankets, extinguishing the candles before he crawled back in beside Minho. He let out a contented sigh when Minho snuggled up beside him. "It's nice to finally be alone." Minho nodded against his chest, and Kibum gulped. "I-I had wanted to say it earlier, but -- " Minho's head lifted, and even in the darkness he knew he was watching him. "I love you, too. I have for..well, forever."

Minho's hand left his side, gently cupping Kibum's cheek. He was smiling -- Kibum could hear it -- when he said, "I know."

The desire to laugh swelled up inside him, but instead of giving in to the urge, Kibum let himself be kissed. Again and again, until he could barely remember what it was like before he had realized that Minho was the love of his life.

* * * * *

If you have a guess for which scene, let me know in the comments lol