Helloooo I'm back with a new one shot. This one took forever to finish oml but luckily I had the help of my genius of a sister who mostly helped me write the romance scenes (bc god do I at that).
I'm gonna have to give you a little warning for a tiny bit of violence but other than that you're in for a soft ride. 

I hope you'll like it 

 

Jisung would say that he was a pretty good Keeper.

Focused, fast and skilled. He'd joined the Ravenclaw Quidditch team in his third year after long years of endless training with Chan. When he had come to Hogwarts he had known absolutely nothing about Quidditch, since he descended from muggles, but his passion for flying was something he had been born with.

He had been over the moon when he'd learned about the wizards' sport, determined to become an outstanding player.

This year, the Quidditch season didn't seem to go well for Ravenclaw, though. First, they'd lost the game against Slytherin last month and now things weren't looking good against Gryffindor. It was January, meaning that Jisung's eyesight was slightly compromised due to the snow that was falling onto the Quidditch pitch.

Gryffindor was leading with thirty points and Jisung couldn't help but ask himself how their Keeper, his best friend, Lee Felix, could hold as many Quaffles as he did.

One thing, or rather, one person, that had caught Jisung's eye despite the bad weather was one of Gryffindor's Chasers. She had scored most of Gryffindor's goals and as much as he'd like to blame it on the weather, he couldn't really deny that he was a tiny bit awestruck by this girl's beauty.

"Jisung, for Merlin's sake! Would you stop daydreaming?!" his team captain Momo yelled at him over the wind.

"Sorry!" he replied, trying to focus on the game, but his eyes always trailed back to that Chaser girl. She was probably new on the team since he'd never seen her in a previous game before.

There hadn't been a female Chaser when he had last played against Gryffindor.

She was fully in her element, though. That girl belonged on a Quidditch field. Her long brown hair was flying in the wind, and though it was damp because of the snow, she still looked amazing.

Jisung simply had to find out who she was.

~

Needless to say, Gryffindor won the game.

Their Seeker, Kwon Soonyoung, a seventh year, had caught the snitch and thankfully ended Jisung's embarrassment, shortly after Gryffindor started leading with sixty points. He apologized to his teammates for doing a terrible job, but they just patted his shoulder and told him that it probably just hadn't been his day.

He knew better, though. He could have played better, but he had been too distracted and impressed by the new Gryffindor Chaser.

He walked back to the castle after changing back into his robes when Felix caught up with him. "Hey, you alright?" the Gryffindor asked.

Jisung nodded. "Not my best game, but I'm fine. Congrats on the win," he replied honestly. Felix grinned.

"Thanks... Binnie told me that he'd give me a present if we won, so I played with extra determination."

Jisung made a face. "Keep the dirty details to yourself, please," he joked, cackling when Felix blushed and mumbled something among the lines of "it's not like that".

They entered the entrance hall.

"Well, I don't want to keep you from Binnie any longer!"

Felix fake-glared at him and swatted at his arm. Jisung dodged, laughing again. Felix was about to take off when the Ravenclaw remembered something.

"Oh right! Who was that girl? Your new Chaser?" he questioned, trying not to sound too interested. Felix raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"Her name is Son Eunseo. She joined recently after Yoon Sanha quit the team to focus on his OWLs. She's one of the best players I've ever seen, but she didn't make the team for some reason," he explained. "Why are you asking?" Jisung shrugged, trying to look indifferent.

Felix' face lit up in realization and he stepped closer to Jisung again. "Don't say you like her," he exclaimed in disbelief.

Jisung felt his cheeks burn up. "I-I mean, I don't know her..."

"Dude, I hate to say this, but she's way out of your league! She's a seventh year, first of all... and I'd be surprised if she weren't dating anyone!"

Jisung's ears practically perked up at the thought. "Can you ask her?" he questioned, successfully ignoring the fact that she might be out of his league.

"I can't! Changbin might get the wrong idea!" Felix protested.

"Please, you're the jealous one in this relationship!" Jisung argued.

"May I remind you of our pretend-relationship! Changbin was very jealous!" Felix said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"First of all, let's never talk about that again. I still have nightmares of Changbin smashing my face in with Minho's bat. And second, those were completely different circumstances!" the Ravenclaw protested.

Felix rolled his eyes. "Well, if you want to know if she has a boyfriend you can ask her yourself! Be a man, Han Jisung!" he said in a tone that was probably supposed to be uplifting.

Jisung didn't know if he could look the pretty girl in the eye after his failure as a Keeper today. Felix patted his shoulder.

"You got this! Now, as much as I'd love to help you with your love life, I actually really have to meet my boyfriend now," he told him.

Jisung sighed. "Fine, fine... I'll ask her myself."

~

Jisung decided to wait for Eunseo to come back from the Quidditch pitch. He paced around in the entrance hall, nervously whipping around every time the door opened and practically deflating like a balloon, each time it wasn't her.

Finally, after about fifteen minutes the door opened, and a brunette girl stepped inside with Ravenclaw's Seeker Kang Yaebin. They were laughing about something when Jisung approached them. He was a little embarrassed to do this in front of his teammate, but he felt like he would chicken out if he didn't do it now.

"Hey, Eunseo?" he tried to sound confident, but her name came out as more of a question than anything else.

She looked at him, with question on her face. "Oh, you're Ravenclaw's Keeper, right? Jisan?"

Yaebin snorted.

"Jisung, actually... I just wanted to say, you're a really good player." He wanted to hit himself. That wasn't what he'd wanted to tell her at all. But he felt somewhat outnumbered with Yaebin there, so asking her if she had a boyfriend seemed a little too bold for a first conversation.

Eunseo smiled at him. "Thank you, so are you! Don't be too bummed about today," she said in a friendly tone. Jisung's heartbeat picked up at, both, her words and her smile. He had to play it cool, though.

"Right, next time I won't let you off so easily," he replied. She chuckled.

"We'll see about that," she answered.

Yaebin watched their exchange with a raised eyebrow. "We gotta go, Eunseo. You wanted to help me with my Potions essay before dinner..." she reminded the other girl.

"Yeah, right... well, see you around, Jisung," she addressed the younger boy, before she walked off with Yaebin. He turned around just in time to see his fellow Ravenclaw grin at Eunseo and heard her say "what was that?" Eunseo shrugged.

And Jisung's heart went crazy.

He hadn't figured out if she had a boyfriend today, and it had seemed like she hadn't taken him completely seriously, probably because he was younger than her but he was determined to get to know her a little better.

~

Hyunjin grinned at Jisung when he sat down next to him in Defense Against the Dark Arts the next day.

"What?" the Ravenclaw questioned, not really sure if he wanted to know.

"Changbin told me that Felix told him that you have a crush on Son Eunseo, aka Gryffindor Quidditch legend aka way out of your league," Hyunjin said, the teasing grin never leaving his face.

Jisung rolled his eyes.

"Felix needs to learn how to shut his mouth," was all he answered. Hyunjin chuckled and rested his elbow on the table.

"I guess it's safe to say that you have a thing for Chasers," he teased. Jisung gave him a look, but he couldn't help but grin a little bit.

"Maybe, but this time I'm the chaser," he replied, causing Hyunjin to just downright laugh at him.

"Good luck. If you chase women like you chase a Quaffle I wouldn't put my hopes too high. She has a boyfriend," Hyunjin informed him, making his friend's face fall.

"She does?" he questioned.

Hyunjin nodded; at least he had the decency to look somewhat sympathetic. "His name's Jung Jaewon... he's–"

"Gryffindor's Beater... I know him. But... what does she see in him?"

"Um, have you seen the guy? He's all broad shoulders and dimples. He could hit me with his bat, and I'd say thank you," Hyunjin swooned.

Seungmin, who sat at the table in front of them, turned to his boyfriend, eyebrows raised. "Excuse me?"

Hyunjin grinned sheepishly. "I didn't mean it like that, baby, you know I only have eyes for you," he told the younger Ravenclaw, who just turned back around with a "thought so" and a satisfied smile on his face.

Jisung playfully rolled his eyes at the couple. They were so cute with each other but seeing them together just painfully reminded Jisung of how single he was. It had been a while since he had even been on a date because he'd just put most of his focus on Quidditch.

Class started soon after, but Jisung spent most of his time thinking about Eunseo, instead of paying attention.

Why did she have to have a boyfriend? Why Jaewon?

But then again, it wasn't really that much of a surprise for her to date someone, considering how gorgeous and talented she was.

At that point, he should have probably given up, but Han Jisung was not a quitter. If he couldn't romance her, he would just have to get closer to her as a friend.

~

The next time, Jisung saw Eunseo she was alone. She was looking for something in her bag, so Jisung did what every man in his situation would have done.

He pretended to bump into her.

Okay, maybe that wasn't the best approach, but he didn't know what else to do.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't see you!" he apologized to Eunseo, who just looked at him, recognition flashing across her face.

"It's alright, Jisung," she replied.

Jisung tried not to be too happy about her remembering his name. "Are you looking for something?" he questioned casually as she had begun rummaging around in her bag again.

"My bracelet. I had it before Quidditch practice and now I can't find it anywhere," Eunseo said absent-mindedly.

"Did you check back at the dressing rooms?" Jisung asked.

"Yeah, I've searched everywhere, retraced all my steps and tried every spell I could think of..." Eunseo replied, finally giving up and slinging the bag over her shoulder.

"Well, what does it look like? I'll keep my eye out for it," Jisung offered.

Eunseo gave him a small smile. "Thanks, it's a golden bracelet with a heart-shaped pendant. It's simple, but it means a lot to me..." she told him.

Jisung nodded in understanding. "I'll let you know if I find it," he replied.

Eunseo thanked him again before she took off in another direction. Jisung clutched his heart for a second, silently praising himself for not being too awkward around her. He also made it his duty to find her bracelet at all cost!

~

After a day of fruitless searching for a golden bracelet he'd never seen before in a huge castle, Jisung decided to declare defeat for now. He was starving, and dinner was about to start. He decided to sit at the Gryffindor table with Chan and Felix. Of course, his fellow fifth year was grinning at him and wagging his eyebrows.

"How's your crush going?" he questioned teasingly.

Jisung glared at him. "Is there anyone you haven't told?"

Felix chuckled, knowing that Jisung wasn't actually mad at him. He knew that his friend would never spread those kinds of news to anyone but his closest friends. Chan grinned at him.

"I guess I have your crush to thank for my team's victory, then," he teased.

Jisung groaned in annoyance. He probably should have just sat with Jinwoo and Jeongin at the Hufflepuff table.

"Can we just eat, please?" he questioned in desperation, much to the amusement of his so-called friends. He was just in the middle of scooping some food onto his plate when he heard a familiar voice near him.

"...it's really important to me, Jaewon."

It was Eunseo's voice. She seemed to be talking to her boyfriend about her lost bracelet. Jisung tried not to be too obvious about eavesdropping.

"It's just a bracelet, babe, I'll buy you a new one," Jaewon answered. Jisung made a face.

What a douchebag.

"You don't understand! It's the last present I ever got from my grandmother. I don't want a new one! It's like a lucky charm... when I wasn't wearing it last year before Quidditch try-outs I got sick and couldn't participate!" Eunseo told her boyfriend.

"Babe, come on... you don't seriously think that was because of a stupid bracelet, do you?"

Eunseo didn't say anything for a few seconds, causing Jisung to look over at where she sat across from Jung Jaewon. She looked at him with an unreadable expression before she got up and stormed out of the Great Hall, ignoring her boyfriend's call for her to come back.

"Jaewon has the tact of the silver spoon he was born with..." Jisung muttered under his breath.

Chan raised his eyebrows. "Damn," he commented as Jisung bitterly watched Jaewon get up as well to follow his girlfriend out of the Great Hall.

"Someone's whipped," Felix said.

"You're one to talk," Jisung replied. Felix just grinned and shrugged.

The rest of the dinner remained uneventful, even if Jisung wanted nothing more than to check on Eunseo himself or much rather, punch Jung Jaewon in the face for making her upset. Maybe he was whipped. But if the bracelet was really that important to her, he wanted her to get it back as soon as possible.

~

Jisung had made it a habit to write a letter to his family about once or twice every month to let them know how he was doing in Hogwarts. He usually wrote one to his mother, one to his father – since his parents were divorced and another one to his older sister and her husband.

He had just finished writing the letter to his sister and currently made his way to the Owlery to borrow one of the school owls. Once he had picked an owl, he tied the letters to its leg and sent it off.

Jisung was just about to turn around and get back to the common room when he saw something shimmering lying around on the floor. He had almost stepped on it, but he saw it just in time and picked it up.

It was a golden bracelet with a heart pendant on it.

Jisung's face broke into a grin. He had really just found Eunseo's bracelet! But he figured just giving it back to her wouldn't be fun. He got an idea and started to rummage through his bag, getting a piece of parchment and an envelope. He placed the parchment on the windowsill and looked at it, trying to think of a message that didn't sound lame.

In the end, he decided to go for a simple 'Wanna hang out sometime?' and he even dared to draw a tiny heart. It probably wasn't the most creative thing Jisung could have written, but maybe it was the way to slowly win her over. He put the note and the bracelet into the envelope, sealing it with a spell before getting another owl and tying it to its foot.

Jisung left the owlery with a satisfied grin and a spark of hope.

~

Breakfast couldn't come quick enough for Jisung. He had never waited for the mail as impatiently as today. Having Hyunjin sit at the Ravenclaw table and teasing him about his impatience wasn't making things easier at all.

Couldn't he just go back to being cute with Seungmin and leave him alone?

Once again, he found himself thinking that he needed new friends.

Finally, the owls flew into the Great Hall and Jisung perked up. Hyunjin got distracted by a package he just barely caught before he began to open it with Seungmin. Jisung had already spotted Eunseo at the Gryffindor table. He saw her catch the envelope, looking at it questioningly, but opening it nonetheless.

Her eyes widened when she fished out her bracelet. She looked at it in disbelief for a few seconds before her face brightened up and she slipped it on. Then she looked at the note. Jisung figured he probably should have signed it.

What if she thought that it was from Jaewon? Then again it would be kind of weird for her boyfriend to ask her to hang out sometime.

Eunseo looked up, coincidentally looking in his direction and their eyes met. She smiled at him, looking like she understood. Jisung returned the smile, feeling giddy. Eunseo looked happy about getting her lucky charm bracelet back and seeing her happy made Jisung feel incredibly soft.

"Wow, you are so lucky that Jaewon doesn't seem to be here right now," Hyunjin, who had finished opening his package, pointed out when he saw the staring contest between his friend and Eunseo.

Jisung broke eye contact with her and looked at Hyunjin with a bitter face. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Hyunjin shrugged. "I'm just saying, with the way you look at her it's pretty obvious that you like her. And look at her, giving you heart eyes," he said.

Jisung stole another glance in Eunseo's direction. "She's not even looking here anymore!" he argued.

Hyunjin chuckled. "Just be careful. Jaewon seems to be the type to punch you first and ask questions after."

Jisung hated to admit it, but Hyunjin was probably right. Jaewon seemed like the type of idiot who'd pick a fight with any guy that so much as looked at his girl. He wasn't particularly scared of Jaewon, though. He had simply returned Eunseo's bracelet, something he didn't even seem to care about.

He looked at Eunseo again, a little longer this time. She seemed to feel his eyes on her, since she looked up in his direction again, a small smile grazing her lips.

However, this time, Jaewon – speak of the ing devil – appeared, sat down next to her and kissed her, effectively distracting her.

He turned to his friends, ready to rant to them about how Jaewon probably wasn't even a good kisser. What he didn't expect to see was Hyunjin and Seungmin just all up in each other's face, casually making out at the breakfast table. Jisung made a face and focused back on his food.

Why was everyone around him in in a relationship?

~

"Jisung," Eunseo's voice called out to him when the Ravenclaw left the Great Hall to head to class. He stopped in his tracks and turned around to see her approach him, smiling at him again. He could get used to that sight. Her smile was gorgeous, even more so when it was directed at him.

"I wanted to thank you. I almost gave up on ever getting my bracelet back," she said once she came to a halt in front of him. Jisung waved off, pretending not to let his chest swell with pride.

"It was a mere coincidence," he told her. Eunseo looked at her wrist where her bracelet was shimmering in all its golden glory.

"Coincidence or not, thank you!" she said sincerely.

Jisung saw his chance to ask her about the note. "So, about hanging out..." he trailed off.

Eunseo chuckled. "Sure, I'd love that," she said. "I have to get to class now, but maybe you could practice down at the Quidditch pitch with me later? I'm still pretty new on the team, after all," she suggested.

"Yeah, sure! Though, with your talent I don't think you need much practice," Jisung said in a spur of confidence. Eunseo grinned.

"How do you think I got this good?" she joked and winked, leaving Jisung weak in the knees. "I'll see you later, okay. Let's say four? I'll meet you there"

"Y-yeah, four's good..." Jisung answered.

She beamed and took off with a 'see you then'.

Jisung was pretty sure he'd forgotten how to breathe. He was really going to hang out with Eunseo later! He all but floated to his classes, the slightly dumb grin on his face never quite vanishing.

Seungmin gave him a weird look when he sat down next to him in Transfigurations but chose not to comment on his friend's behavior.

~

4pm came a little too quickly for Jisung's nerves. He was constantly praying that he wouldn't make a fool out of himself in front of Eunseo. This was his chance to impress her after his absolute embarrassment during the last game.

He made his way down to the Quidditch pitch, already dressed in his practice robes.

Eunseo already waited for him when he reached the field. She was dressed in her red and gold Quidditch robes, her long brown hair falling over her left shoulder in a braided ponytail. She gave him one of those gorgeous smiles which always made him weak.

"Hi," he greeted her, mentally cursing himself for sounding so shy.

"Hey," she replied. They looked at each other awkwardly for a while. "Um, I've never really practiced one on one with anyone..." Eunseo said.

"Oh, um... I guess you'll just throw Quaffles at me and I'll try to hold them..." Jisung answered, helpfully.

She chuckled. "Okay, then."

They got on their broomsticks and Jisung took the familiar position in front of the goal posts. He always felt more confident in the air.

Quidditch was his thing, he was good at it. But something about the way Eunseo held herself in the air gracefully like a goddess kind of turned him into an absolute idiot.

Eunseo had retrieved the Quaffle beforehand and was now throwing it around in her hands seemingly getting ready. He tried to focus on the volleyball-sized ball. This was his chance to prove himself to her and make up for his awful Quidditch season this year.

~

After a while of playing, and Jisung surprisingly not making a complete idiot of himself, they decided to fly over to the spectators' area and sit down for a bit. One thing Jisung noticed was that playing Quidditch together wasn't the best way to get to know each other, so he was thankful for getting the opportunity now.

"So, that bracelet of yours..." Jisung trailed off, sneaking a glance at the older girl's wrist. She followed his gaze with a fond smile.

"My grandma gave it to me for my 16th birthday. It's kind of been my lucky charm ever since I got it. Like, I'm usually not superstitious, but every time I don't wear it something weird happens. If I had lost it for good, I don't think I ever would have forgiven myself..." she explained.

She seemed to really care about the bracelet a lot, which was understandable, since Jisung had overheard her say that it was her grandmother's last gift to her. It was only natural for her to treasure it.

"Where did you find it anyway?" she questioned looking at Jisung.

"In the Owlery... I saw it lying around on the floor," Jisung answered.

He smiled at the memory of her face lighting up when she'd opened the envelope at the breakfast table. Eunseo chuckled.

"I guess that explains your way of giving it back to me... I didn't even notice that I lost it there," she said. "But seriously, I can't thank you enough for finding it!"

"I'm just glad I could make you smile," Jisung told her before he could stop himself. He wasn't sure if it was due to the cold or his words, but her cheeks seemed to tint a faint shade of pink.

"We should probably get back to the castle. It's getting dark," Eunseo said. Jisung grinned at her flustered tone but rose to his feet alongside her nonetheless.

"I had fun practicing with you, Jisung. I meant what I said after the game. You're good," she told him as they casually walked back to the castle.

"I'm not just a keeper when it comes to Quidditch," he half-joked.

She laughed. "You're adorable."

Jisung wasn't really going for adorable but he had to start somewhere.

"We should do stuff together more often," she suggested. "I liked hanging out with you."

Jisung's heart almost stopped beating. She wanted to hang out again? Like a date? No, of course not... she had her stupid boyfriend. Well, for now, Jisung guessed, he should just be her friend... it was better than pining after her from afar.

"Sure, I'd like that too," he finally replied.

~

Over the course of the next week, Jisung and Eunseo spent quite a lot of time together.

They would either head back to the Quidditch pitch to practice – sometimes with other players like Chan or Felix – or they'd stay inside playing wizard's chess or talking about the muggle world. She was muggle born like him, which delighted both of them since they could talk about the crazy stuff that had happened to them in the muggle world without having to explain typical muggle things to each other.

Eunseo told him that Jaewon wasn't too interested in the muggle world since he grew up with wizards surrounding him. According to her, he had called her weird on numerous occasions. Jisung couldn't understand how Jaewon wasn't eager to listen to her excitedly going on about her hometown and her parents and all the stuff she'd gone through in elementary school when she hadn't been aware of her magical powers yet.

Jisung was almost content with just being her friend. He'd grown closer to her in just a week than he'd even dared to imagine, and he loved every second he spent with her, but there was just this slight ache in his heart whenever she mentioned Jaewon. Or whenever he would suddenly pop up out of nowhere and kiss her right in front of him. He'd give anything to be with her.

If only he knew how to get past the "adorable" stage with her.

He would try to lowkey flirt with her occasionally and get her flustered by making compliments, but he wasn't sure if it worked even as he grew more and more confident around her. She laughed about his stupid jokes and reacted to his silly actions, sometimes subtly touching his arm, which gave him confidence.

~

Jisung sighed for the nth time that morning. Why did he have to tag along to Hogsmeade with Hyunjin and Seungmin? He felt like a third wheel, having to watch them hold hands and walk close to each other because of the cold.

Why the heck were all his friends in a relationship?

Everyone else seemed to have someone to go to Hogsmeade with.

"Guys, I'll stop by at Spintwitches. I need a new pair of Quidditch gloves. I'll meet you back at the castle," he finally said.

Seungmin looked at him. "Do you want us to come with you?" he questioned.

Jisung waved off and shook his head. "No, you two go, have fun. I'll be fine on my own."

Hyunjin and Seungmin exchanged a look before agreeing. Jisung walked off, leaving the couple be.

He considered really going to Spintwitches Sporting Needs, but since he didn't actually need new gloves, he figured that he'd just spend his money on unnecessary stuff there. So, he just walked around aimlessly, not really in the mood to go to Honeydukes or buy something at Zonko's. He wasn't particularly thirsty either, which kept him from entering the side alleys and heading to the Hog's Head Inn, since he preferred the pub over the Three Broomsticks.

Jisung thought about just heading back to the castle when someone called out for him. He turned around and saw Eunseo, wrapped in a Gryffindor scarf, her open hair flying in the January breeze. His entire day seemed to brighten up at the mere sight of her.

"Hey," he said giddily. His shyness from a week ago had completely vanished. "Where's your boyfriend," he added, trying not to sound bitter. Eunseo rolled her eyes.

"Busy with Quidditch practice. I would have joined him, but he said it was just a casual practice between him and the boys," she explained. "I'm here on my own."

Jisung didn't miss the displeased tone in her voice.

"So am I... kind of. I third-wheeled on my friends' date so I bailed," he told her with a chuckle.

"We could walk around together for a bit," Eunseo suggested. She didn't have to ask Jisung twice. He wanted nothing more than to spend time with her, but he wasn't going to show her just how excited her offer had made him.

Instead, he extended his arm in a cool fashion, inviting her to link her own arm through his. She chuckled and followed the silent request.

"What's your favorite place around here?" Jisung asked her when they just started casually walking around the small village without any kind of destination on their minds. Eunseo hummed in thought.

"Well, I like Tomes and Scroll, the bookstore. It's really quiet in there, so it's a great place for when I just have to get away, you know. Jaewon doesn't like it there. He says the smell of books reminds him of homework," she told him.

"You don't seem to have very much in common with him," Jisung pointed out against his better judgement.

Eunseo shrugged. "He's a nice guy, so I mostly see past that. Besides, there's always Quidditch to talk about..." she trailed off, not sounding too enthusiastic, but maybe it was just part of Jisung's imagination. He wanted her to dump him. If she wanted to spend all day at Tomes and Scroll enjoying the quiet atmosphere and getting lost in the books around there, he'd gladly keep her company.

They didn't talk very much more after that. However, the silence was a comfortable one. Eunseo walked a little bit closer to him every time the wind would blow particularly hard and it took every ounce of Jisung's willpower not to put an arm around her shoulders and pull her into his side to keep her warmer.

They ended up at the Shrieking Shack eventually. Jisung couldn't say that he'd been here very often. He'd heard all kinds of spooky stories about the place; about werewolves and vampires and whatnot, but he wasn't sure which parts were true. They were still a good walk away from the actual building which was separated from them by a half-assed wire fence – not that Jisung had any intentions of getting closer to the Shack.

He and Eunseo spent some time just standing there by the fence, looking at the Shrieking Shack, still in that comfortable silence. That is, until Eunseo decided to break said silence by facing him fully.

"You know, Jisung... this might seem out of the blue..." she trailed off. Jisung looked at her, his interest piqued, "...but I always have such a good time when I'm with you..." she finished.

It didn't seem like that was what she actually wanted to say. He reached for her gloved hand, feeling adventurous today. This time he was sure that the blush that spread on her cheeks was because of him and it made him feel beyond euphoric. He also noticed their proximity. Eunseo was the tiniest bit shorter than him, a thing he'd never really noticed before.

She was also really pretty up close.

While Jisung admired the girl's beauty, he noticed her eyes travel to his lips. Next thing he knew, she put her fluffy-gloved hands on the Ravenclaw's cheeks, softly pulling him closer to her face. The younger closed his eyes as their lips touched and it felt like a sudden summer had broken out. The cold air Jisung had felt on his skin before suddenly felt like a warm flush.

Instinctively, Jisung put his hands on her hips and pulled her closer to his warm body.

It felt like a movie.

They stayed like this for a few seconds; Jisung found himself enjoying every single one. Eunseo, however, broke the kiss just as Jisung figured that he could get used to this. She took a step away from him, trying to calm her breathing. Jisung could see her breath in the cold air.

"I can't, Jisung... I have a boyfriend..." she said, looking anywhere but his face.

He reached for her hands. "But you like me. I know you do," he told her.

He was sure of it. She had been the one to initiate the kiss, after all.

You didn't just kiss somebody like that if you had no feelings for them.

"Even if I do... I can't just dump Jae. I'm not like that," Eunseo finally said after a few seconds of silence.

"Well, it's either me or him. You can't have both of us," he told her.

She took half a step back, gently freeing her hands from Jisung's, muttering a barely audible "I'm sorry..."

Jisung stood up straight, taking another step back from her, before speaking up, his tone cold: "I guess I should go, then. Don't worry, I won't bother you anymore." With that he took off, ignoring her when she called after him.

He just wanted to get away from her.

He scoffed at himself for his stupidity. He had seriously believed that Eunseo would choose him over Jung Jaewon. Even if the guy was insensitive and they had literally nothing in common aside from Quidditch, she still preferred him over Jisung. Why? Probably because he was older and more handsome than him.

Still, it hurt. For just a second, he was able to pretend that Eunseo liked him back. He'd played himself, but he also felt played by her. She made him feel like he had a chance with her.

He walked through the crowded streets of Hogsmeade. He even spotted Seungmin and Hyunjin in front of the windows of Honeydukes, but he wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone right now so he just made his way back to the castle with quick steps, ignoring everyone and everything.

~

"Hey, are you okay? I was looking for you at dinner," Seungmin told him, when he entered the Ravenclaw boys' dorm and found Jisung lying around on his bed, staring at the ceiling.

"I didn't want to disturb your couple time with Hyunjin," Jisung answered monotonously.

Seungmin raised his eyebrows. "What? You know that you're never disturbin–"

"Just leave me alone, would you?" Jisung interrupted him. He really wasn't in the mood to talk to his friends. He just wanted to feel sorry for himself about falling for a taken girl.

"Damn, who shat into your pudding?" Seungmin muttered, walking over to his own bed and getting his pajamas, before leaving Jisung behind to change.

He felt a little bad for taking his bad mood out on Seungmin. It wasn't his fault that Jisung couldn't seem to find a proper girlfriend or boyfriend. He decided to apologize to his slightly younger friend once he'd returned from the bathroom.

However, sleep rolled over him before Seungmin returned.

~

The next morning, Jisung woke up late. Since it was Sunday, that wasn't a big deal, but it also meant that Seungmin was already gone, probably studying at the library or spending time with Hyunjin. He still wanted to apologize to him for his behavior the previous evening, so he went downstairs in order to find him.

He got lucky at his first stop, the Great Hall. Seungmin was sitting at the almost empty Ravenclaw table with his History of Magic book in front of him. Jisung sat down across from him, waiting for him to look up.

He didn't.

"I'm sorry about yesterday. I wasn't in the best mood and I shouldn't have taken it out on you," Jisung spoke up. Seungmin didn't react for a few seconds. Then, eventually, he shut his book and looked up. "I'm not mad at you. I figured that something must have happened... do you want to talk about it?" he questioned. Jisung shook his head, glad that Seungmin didn't seem to hold a grudge.

"It'll just drag me down again," he muttered. Seungmin eyed him with a concerned expression, so he just did his best to give him a reassuring grin. "I'm okay, I promise," he said.

The younger didn't seem to believe him, but he knew better than to press it further. Jisung would talk to him once he was ready.

"Where's Hyunjin?" Jisung questioned, dying to change topics and divert the attention from himself.

"I don't know, we don't always stick together," Seungmin answered with a shrug.

"Could've fooled me," the other Ravenclaw said teasingly. Seungmin fake-glared at him, but his friend didn't miss the slight blush on his cheeks. Jisung chuckled. As alone as he felt with all his friends in committed relationships, he couldn't deny how cute Seungmin was when it came to Hyunjin. Those two were really made for each other.

"Do you want to study together? OWLs aren't that far away, you know," Seungmin suggested.

Jisung scrunched up his nose. "Nah, I'll study for OWLs another time... I'll be okay," he waved off.

Seungmin raised his eyebrows in slight disbelief. "How can you be so casual about that?"

"I just don't like to stress myself out," Jisung answered.

He'd always gotten through school with only studying as much as he absolutely needed to, and it had been working just fine so far. Seungmin was naturally good at anything, but he had the habit to study more than he needed to. Sure, he had outstanding grades, but Jisung was fine with just being average.

"Anyways, I think I'll find something more fun to do than studying. I'll see you at the common room or something," Jisung said and rose from his seat. He was kind of hungry, but breakfast was already over, and he didn't feel like heading down to the kitchen to get something.

Lunch wasn't that far away anyway...

~

Over the next week, Jisung tried his best to avoid and get over Eunseo. He kept telling himself that she wasn't that great anyway and that she should just stay with Jaewon if it made her so much happier. However, those attempts were fruitless.

He was already in too deep... he already liked her too much.

His friends knew that something was up, and that it most definitely regarded his crush, but whenever they asked him about it, he shut them down. He didn't want to seem pitiful to them; the guy who had to fall for a taken girl.

On top of that, he was late for Quidditch practice today of all days. Momo had told them to be on time today, since they were going to discuss some new strategies for the next game that would show if they would come in last this season or at least managed a third place. He practically sprinted to the pitch, changing as fast as he could, before running onto the field, ready to get an earful from her.

Momo gave him a disapproving look but chose not to scold him in front of the whole team, which he was thankful for. He could barely focus on practice, though, his mind constantly flashing back to the time he and Eunseo had played Quidditch together. He barely listened to Momo at all.

She took him aside after finally calling it a day. His teammates swarmed to the dressing rooms, a few of them sending him sympathetic glances.

"What's up with you today?" Momo asked him once she'd made sure that all their teammates were out of earshot. Jisung lowered his gaze.

"I'm just unfocused, is all... I'm sorry," he apologized.

Momo placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's not just about the game, Jisung. I care about the well-being of my teammates... are you alright?" she questioned.

Jisung just nodded, not feeling like getting into it. He hadn't even really spoken to his friends about it. Not that he didn't consider Momo a friend as well.

"I'll do better next time," he promised, hoping that it would be enough for her.

It didn't seem to be, but she let him off with a sigh and an "alright, go change..." Jisung did as he was told, ready to head back to the castle and just get to his dorm and stare at the ceiling all day.

What he didn't expect, was someone waiting for him outside of the dressing rooms. Eunseo still looked as gorgeous as ever, which made sense, since Jisung had last seen her a week ago. He tightened his lips into a straight line and proceeded to walk past her.

"Jisung, wait..." Eunseo called out to him. Jisung stopped in his tracks and looked at her.

"Why? So you can kiss me again only to tell me that you don't want me?" he snapped. Eunseo at least had the decency to look apologetic.

"I'm sorry about that..." she said. "I-I told Jaewon about the kiss..." she added. Jisung raised his eyebrow. "He broke up with me."

"And now you need a rebound?" the Ravenclaw asked.

Eunseo waved her hands around frantically. "That's not why I'm here," she clarified. "After you left that day in Hogsmeade, I did some thinking. And I realized that the best parts of my day are the ones I spend with you. I told Jaewon that I kissed someone else because I wanted it to end..." she exclaimed. Jisung didn't quite know what to feel.

Was she serious? Or was she just confused?

"Somehow, I'm worried about my face now..." he finally said after a few seconds of silence. "If your boyfriend broke up with you because of me, I'm sure he doesn't like me very much right now."

Eunseo half-smiled. "Well, he's not a violent person, so there's not much to worry about... besides, I didn't tell him that it was you," she reassured him. Jisung didn't really know if he should take her word for that.

"Just to be clear... I'm not a rebound?" he asked again, carefully.

She took a step towards him. "Not at all. But you could be my date tonight if you want to..." the Gryffindor suggested. Jisung's heart stopped.

Had Eunseo really just asked him on a date?

"A-a date?" he stammered.

Eunseo nodded. "Yeah, I was thinking that maybe you'd like to sneak into the kitchen with me after dinner. This way we could eat and talk more comfortably..." she suggested. There wasn't much to do around Hogwarts, so going to the kitchen to have a private dinner with her, sounded pretty nice.

But he still wasn't entirely sure whether he should trust her yet.

"Suggestion, I'll let you think about it and just wait for you there. If you don't want to, I'll leave you alone," Eunseo spoke up again when Jisung didn't answer after a minute. She reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. She looked like she wanted to say something but decided against it. Eunseo slightly squeezed his shoulder before turning around and walking back to the castle.

Jisung leaned against the nearby wall, trying to process what had just happened. What was he supposed to do now? Did he really want to risk falling even harder for her only to get his heart broken again? He already liked her a lot, though... and if she was serious this might turn into something great.

He had a decision to make...

~

Jisung had spent the following few hours after his conversation with Eunseo thinking about whether he should meet her for dinner or not. Was he ready to forgive her for choosing Jaewon over him? Was he ready to face Jaewon's wrath if he and Eunseo were to start dating?

He ran a hand through his hair nervously before reaching out to tickle the pear on the fruit bowl portrait that would lead to the kitchen. It had been a while since he'd been here, but nothing had changed. There were no house elves around, but since dinner at the Great Hall was already over, he figured that there was no reason for them to be here anymore.

Eunseo sat at the table that stood in the middle of the kitchen. It was set for two and the food already seemed to be ready as well, if the bowl of chicken that sat in the middle of it was anything to go by. Eunseo's face brightened up when Jisung entered and she got up to meet him halfway.

"You're here!" she exclaimed, reaching for his hands and gently dragging him along to the table.

"Yeah... I wasn't sure at first, but I figured that you deserve a second chance..." Jisung explained.

She smiled at his words. "I'm glad to hear that. I made a mistake by letting you go that day..." she told him with a slight blush on her cheeks. Jisung felt his own cheeks burn at her words. He hadn't expected her to be this straightforward with him. Before Jisung could answer, though, Eunseo pointed to the food. "Let's eat, shall we?" she said. Jisung nodded and sat down across from her.

"I asked the house elves to prepare this..." Eunseo told him when he inspected the chicken. "I don't know about you, but I love chicken," she added.

Jisung chuckled. "So do I," he replied.

They began to eat in silence for a few minutes, just enjoying their food and each other's presence.

Eventually, though the Gryffindor broke the silence. "Can I be honest with you again?" Jisung looked at her, nodding carefully. "When we first met, I thought you were gay," she admitted with a chuckle. Jisung shrugged with a slight grin. "Well, I did date guys before... I guess I'm just not into labels..." he admitted. "I hope that's okay for you..."

Eunseo nodded her head. "Of course, it is. You like who you like, right?"

"Yeah, and right now I like you," Jisung retorted smoothly. This time he was the straightforward one, effectively making her blush.

"I like you too," Eunseo said, sounding unusually shy.

"You know, for a long time I felt like there was no spark left between me and Jaewon. Like you said before, we didn't have much in common. I just figured that since he was my first boyfriend, I should try to make it work at all cost..." she explained. "But I feel like the first time I really noticed all that was when I started spending time with you." She reached for his hand across the table. "I'm really glad you decided to show up tonight."

"I would have regretted it if I hadn't," Jisung told her honestly.

~

It got pretty late, so the two of them decided to leave the kitchen to sneak back to their common rooms. Jisung decided to walk Eunseo to the Gryffindor tower – which was basically just an excuse to spend just a little more time with her. They had almost reached the portrait of the Fat Lady when they saw a flicker of light from around the corner.

Jisung didn't think very long and pulled Eunseo behind the next best gargoyle. He was glad that those things were so huge as they were hidden from plain sight. Eunseo looked shocked for a second, suddenly standing so close to Jisung, but he just put a finger on his lips, signaling her to be quiet.

A teacher patrolled down the hallway. The two students held their breaths, waiting for them to pass. Jisung couldn't see who it was, but it wasn't important. He just hoped that they wouldn't suspect anything and check for students behind the gargoyles.

Finally, the teacher rounded another corner and the tension in Jisung's shoulders relaxed. He took a small step back when he finally noticed just how close they were standing together. Eunseo grinned and peeked into the hallway before reaching for Jisung's hand and continuing their way to the Gryffindor common room.

"That was fun," she whispered.

Jisung gave her a side-look. "If you count me almost having a heart attack fun, I guess," he joked.

Eunseo chuckled. "You're so cute," she mumbled as they reached the portrait.

"Excuse you, I'm not cute," he argued.

Eunseo only laughed. "You are cute. Like a baby squirrel," she told him.

Jisung pouted mock-offended. He didn't actually mind if she found him cute. He also didn't mind being called a baby squirrel. Eunseo kept laughing at his expression and Jisung couldn't help but join in eventually until the Fat Lady told them to either enter or be quiet.

Eunseo pulled him away from the portrait and looked at him. "Tonight was really fun," she said.

"It was," Jisung agreed.

Eunseo looked a little sheepish. "I know Jaewon and I just broke up... but I really like you, Jisung. I'd like to spend more time with you... as more than friends."

Jisung smiled, his heartbeat picking up in speed. Instead of answering he took both of her hands in his and pulled her closer. He connected their lips shortly but softly. They both smiled into the kiss but had to pull away soon because both of them knew that Jisung had to get back to his own dorm.

"I feel like we should keep this lowkey at first, though. At least, until things have calmed down between you and Jaewon," Jisung said. She nodded.

"That's probably a good idea..." she agreed. "I guess I'll go inside now before a teacher catches us after all," she told him with a chuckle. Jisung nodded, only reluctantly letting go of her hand.

"Good night," he muttered.

She smiled and turned to the portrait of the Fat Lady. "Dragon egg," she said, and the portrait swung aside. Eunseo climbed through and turned around to give Jisung a last smile and a little "good night" before the Fat Lady shut the entrance again.

"You better go to your own common room, lover boy, before I tell on you," she snarled.

"You're a bitter old lady, you know that?" Jisung retorted, turning to leave and ignoring her exasperated gasps.

He made his way back to the Ravenclaw tower, feeling like the happiest guy alive. He had definitely made the right decision by giving Eunseo another chance.

~

"Do I want to know why you're showing up here at 1am looking like you just won the Quidditch Cup?" Seungmin questioned when Jisung entered the dorm. The slightly younger boy was sitting on his bed with a book, the glasses he only wore at the dorm almost slipping off his nose.

"I had a date," Jisung answered honestly.

Seungmin raised his eyebrows. "I didn't think you'd get over Eunseo so quickly," he stated.

Jisung just grinned as he flopped down on his bed. Seungmin made a noise of realization.

"It was with Eunseo, wasn't it? I thought you two had a fight, considering how you were so down all week. Are you finally going to tell me what happened between you two?" Seungmin babbled. He shut his book and all but jumped onto Jisung's bed.

"Oh my god, can you be quiet. I don't want you to wake the others!" Jisung whisper-snapped at him.

Seungmin just giggled. "I'll be quiet if you give me the details," he said. Jisung rolled his eyes playfully, actually excited to tell Seungmin about everything.

"Alright, I'll tell you, but you cannot tell anyone! We're still kind of keeping it a secret," he gave in.

Seungmin looked even more excited at that. "A secret romance? My poor heart," he swooned.

Jisung slightly hit his arm with a chuckle before proceeding to tell Seungmin all about their kiss followed by their fight, Eunseo's apology and today's events. He couldn't wipe the giddy smile off his face the entire time and Seungmin made sure to about it frequently. Eventually they both fell asleep in Jisung's bed, since Seungmin was too tired to move over to his own bed which was only a few feet away.

~

"So, you and Eunseo, huh?" was the very first thing Hyunjin said when Jisung saw him the next day at lunch. Jisung raised his eyebrow and looked at Seungmin who raised his hands in surrender.

"I only told him; I swear! You know, I can't keep stuff from him," he explained himself.

Hyunjin looked from him to Jisung and back. "Um, I didn't know it was a secret," he muttered. "I may or may not have mentioned it to Minho and Changbin..." he added.

Jisung sighed. "That means Chan and Felix know as well..." the Ravenclaw said in a defeated tone.

"I'm sorry, Jisungie," Seungmin apologized, sounding like he'd just ran over his puppy.

Jisung sighed again. "It's okay... just as long as Jaewon doesn't find out. I'm not prepared to die yet..."

Unfortunately, Jisung's hopes were shattered a mere hour later. He saw Eunseo on the way to her next class and pulled her aside to tell her that their plans to keep their thing a secret hadn't quite worked out. She didn't seem too concerned. But then again, it wasn't going to be her face that was going to get smashed in by Jung Jaewon.

"It's going to be fine, Jisung. I told you, Jaewon and I are through... he's probably just as glad that this is over as I am," Eunseo tried to assure him, caressing his arm slightly in order to calm him down.

"I'm not worried about Jaewon," he lied. He wasn't going to look like a coward in front of his girlfriend.

She raised her eyebrow, seeming not to fully believe him. "Great, then we might as well have dinner together later. Now that the cat's out of the bag anyway," she suggested.

Jisung nodded. "Why not," he replied, trying to sound confident.

"See you later then," Eunseo said. She quickly kissed him on the cheek before taking off.

Jisung ruffled his hair in desperation. He wasn't scared of Jaewon per say, but he'd also never been the reason someone broke up with their boyfriend.

"Han!" somebody roared through the hallway just as Jisung was about to head to his common room, since he had no more classes this afternoon. He froze, not daring to turn around. "I know you heard me, coward!" the voice called out. Jisung squeezed his eyes shut for a second before turning around. A few students stopped to watch the action that was about to unfold.

Jung Jaewon was approaching Jisung, looking anything but happy. "So, you're the one who stole my girl!" the older said. Jisung scoffed involuntarily, his slight fear getting replaced by anger.

"She's not your property, you dumb!" he told Jaewon in a moment of bravery.

"Just you wait! I will crush you like a mosquito for ever getting in my way!" Jaewon answered, pushing past him, not without making sure to bump into Jisung, hard.

"If I recall correctly you were the one who broke up with her," the Ravenclaw pointed out. In hindsight, he probably should have shut his mouth, but something about the way he talked about Eunseo got his blood boiling.

"If I recall correctly," Jaewon imitated him mockingly as he turned back around, "she kissed you while I was still with her!"

"And why do you think that happened?!" Jisung retorted, crossing his arms over his chest defensively. He really expected Jaewon to punch him so hard he'd fly all the way to the other side of the castle but instead the Gryffindor just got all up in his face, face red with anger.

"I'll end you!" he growled, before storming off and Jisung swore there were fumes coming from his head.

He was screwed.

~

Jisung had promised to have dinner with Eunseo and he was going to keep that promise. However, he did not miss the death glares Jung Jaewon would shoot him across the room. Even one table and about fifty students away, Jisung could still see an angry vein that popped out of his forehead. He shuddered and focused his attention back to Eunseo who sat across from him, talking to Seungmin and Hyunjin.

"So, how's that gonna go?" Hyunjin asked just when Jisung had tuned back into their conversation.

"How's what gonna go?" Jisung questioned.

Eunseo chuckled. "The friendly match between our houses this weekend," the Gryffindor enlightened him.

"We're worried that your ego might get bruised beyond repair when you get crushed by your girlfriend's team," Hyunjin .

Jisung glared at him. "That won't happen," he promised. He might get crushed by Gryffindor's Beater alone, but he wasn't going to tell his friends that.

~

The good news; Jisung was finally back on track after two of his greatest Quidditch humiliations of the year. The bad news; Jaewon really had it out for him. As a Keeper, he had never had to dodge that many bludgers before.

The friendly match between Ravenclaw and Gryffindor didn't look too friendly in Jisung's eyes. The first bludger might have been an accident, as those little s tended to do whatever the they wanted. After the sixth bludger, though, Jisung looked around and found Jaewon glaring at him, probably seeing him as an easy target, since he couldn't really go anywhere if he wanted to protect his goal posts.

Jisung wouldn't go down easily, though. If Jaewon wanted to play, so be it. He dodged the next bludger and smirked in Jaewon's direction. He gave him a challenging look, silently asking him 'is that all you can do?' That seemed to piss him off even more. For some reason, the angrier Jaewon got, the more he wanted to anger him.

Jaewon tried to hit him from a closer distance. Even Seungmin, who was narrating the game, had picked up on the Gryffindor Beater's antics. "Gryffindor's Beater seems to have a personal problem with Ravenclaw's Keeper since all his bludgers seem to be aimed at him." Jisung chuckled at the comment, while Jaewon looked like he was about to explode.

"Alright, you rat! Get off your broomstick we're handling this like real men," Jaewon shouted eventually. Eunseo flew over after Seungmin had pointed out the little battle going on between Jisung and Jaewon.

"Would you cut it out!" Jisung heard her shout.

"What do you want with this little kid, Eunseo?" Jaewon replied.

"Um, it seems like the game has involuntarily been interrupted, since the players are getting too caught up in the drama that's unfolding near Ravenclaw's goal posts," Seungmin announced. It was true. None of the players seemed to be focused on the game anymore.

"It's none of your business who I date!" Eunseo shouted back.

"This weasel's all talk and no game. If your 'boyfriend' is really that great, I want him to prove how real of a man he is!" Jaewon said in a challenging tone, before shifting his attention to Jisung again. "I challenge you to a duel tonight at 9 in the Paved Courtyard," he announced.

"Come on that's stupid! This isn't the middle ages," Eunseo protested.

"No, if he wants to have a duel, we'll have a duel," Jisung stepped in.

Eunseo looked like she wanted to strangle both of them. "Fine, have your barbaric duel. But right now, we're going to finish this damn game," she said and flew off, snatching the Quaffle from Chan who had just watched the whole scene, too dumbfounded to even react.

The game kind of went back to normal after that. Jaewon had finally stopped sending Bludgers his way (at least most of the time) and Jisung was able to focus on the game. He noticed that Eunseo seemed to throw the Quaffles with extra fervor, but that anger made it easier for Jisung to see through her and hold them.

In the end, Yaebin, Ravenclaw's Seeker caught the Snitch, ending the game with a score of 220-50 in Ravenclaw's favor.

Jisung was quick to get off his broomstick and change back into his clothes. He half-heartedly listened to his teammates' praise on how good of a job he'd done out there.

He caught up with Eunseo halfway up to the castle. "Are you mad at me?" he questioned.

"No, I'm not... I'm mad at Jaewon for acting like that. "A real man" what the does that even mean..." the older girl complained. "He just completely embarrassed me and the entire team in front of the whole school. I get that he feels wronged, but he broke up with me and that's that."

Jisung reached for her hand, getting her to stop walking. "I'll be fine during that duel," he assured her.

"I still think that it's a stupid idea..." Eunseo told him honestly. "But I guess, there's no talking you out of it, is there..." she added. Jisung shook his head apologetically. "Fine... then I'll see you tonight..."

Eunseo said, gently slipping her hand from Jisung's grip and leaving him behind. Jisung sighed. He knew that this whole duel thing wasn't really what she wanted but he wasn't a coward.

Maybe, this was the only way to get Jaewon off their backs, if he won, that is.

~

Chan and Felix waved Jisung over during dinner. It was 7pm, two hours before the battle. Jisung walked over to their table and slumped down next to Felix.

"That was quite the scene at the game," Chan pointed out.

"I guess..." Jisung answered.

Felix pouted. "I missed everything, cause I had to stay over at the goal posts," he muttered.

"Are you really going to duel Jaewon?" Chan questioned, ignoring Felix' protest.

Jisung shrugged. "Sure... he's a prick..." he answered.

"He's also twice your size," the younger Gryffindor pointed out.

Jisung gave him a 'thank-you-for-reminding-me' look.

"Are you sure that's the way to go, though, Jisung? Battling your girlfriend's ex?"

Chan seemed genuinely concerned about Jisung's well-being which he appreciated, but it wasn't like he could just walk over to Jaewon and go like "hey, sorry man, but I've changed my mind about the duel." That was exactly what he told Chan as well.

"I'm gonna do this. And I'm gonna win," he said with way more confidence than he actually felt.

~

Jisung hadn't expected the courtyard to be packed with curious students. He found Eunseo sitting on one of the steps that led to the entrance, her arms crossed, and still looking completely unamused. The rest of her Quidditch team seemed to be there as well as the Ravenclaw team.

"So, you actually showed up," Jaewon mocked him. "I figured we could make this more fun... no wands, no magic. Just man on man combat," the Gryffindor announced, pulling his wand out of his robes and handing it to one of the guys near him who took it with a smirk. Jisung couldn't say that he had been prepared for this, but this was not the time to back out.

He also pulled the wand out of his robes, glad to see Felix jogging up to him and taking it. He sneaked a short glance at Eunseo, who had started to look slightly more alarmed by the turn of events.

"Now, this is how you muggles do it, right?" Jaewon questioned, stepping closer to him. Jisung clenched his fists.

"Only the ones with the brain of a Neanderthal, but that seems to fit you just fine," he answered, his jaw tightened in anger. Jaewon's face reddened again and before Jisung knew it, the older had placed a punch right across said jaw.

He stumbled backwards, trying to ignore the pounding in his head. Jaewon smirked triumphantly, while most of the crowd began to boo at the unfair start. Jisung surged forward, managing to place a punch himself. Jaewon cursed, clutching his eye, seeming to get madder by the second.

Jisung tried his best, blocking the following punches sent to his face and stomach, but Felix hadn't been wrong when he'd pointed out that Jung Jaewon was twice his size. Besides, Jisung may have grown up in the muggle world, but he'd never been involved in any kind of fist fight.

He fell to the floor when Jaewon landed a particularly hard punch to his stomach. His whole body felt like it was on fire. He rolled onto his back, seeing Jaewon stand over him.

"Maybe now you'll stay away from things that are out of your league!" the Gryffindor spat before walking away from the scene.

Jisung just remained lying on the floor, feeling beaten and ashamed as the crowd dispersed. Felix tried to help him up after handing him his wand, but he'd waved him off. Eunseo was nowhere to be seen. She had probably seen how much of a weakling her boyfriend was and decided to go back to Jaewon.

The Ravenclaw had no idea how long he had been lying there, but eventually he chose to get up, pain shooting up every inch of his body. He couldn't face the other students yet, so he took the path down to the boathouse. He just wanted to be alone for a while.

Jisung had lost the fight and he'd most likely lost his first girlfriend too, so he wasn't in any rush to get back to the castle.

He sat down, leaning against the cool stone wall of the boathouse. How could he have agreed to get his beaten in front of the whole school? He should have ing known that things would turn out like this. He should have known that Eunseo wouldn't settle for him for long. He was just a weak little Ravenclaw that couldn't even win a tiny little fist fight.

"Hey..." a female voice spoke up, effectively startling Jisung.

It was Eunseo standing in the doorway.

She stepped inside and sat down across from him, placing a bag next to her on the floor. She leaned forward, inspecting the bruises on Jisung's face, which proved to be a challenge in the dim lighting.

"Shouldn't you be with him?" the Ravenclaw asked.

"Who, Jaewon?" she asked, reaching to open the bag and pulling a wet wipe out, carefully cleaning the drying blood off the younger's face. "I'm not choosing my boyfriend based on a barbaric fist fight. I left to get this and when I came back the fight was over, and you were nowhere to be seen," she told him, referring to her little med bag.

"So you knew I'd lose," Jisung said.

Eunseo gave him a look. "I did witness the first few minutes of it. But I could have told you that. He's built like a Beater... I've just never seen him get violent," she mumbled the last part. "What were you thinking, Jisung?"

The Ravenclaw lowered his head in shame. "I just wanted to prove to you that I can fight for you. I'm younger than you, so you probably see me as a baby. Felix was right... and so was Jaewon. You're out of my league," he told her, voice sounding small, but still echoing in the small boathouse.

Eunseo started tending to his wounds again. "That's ridiculous," she said. "You're my baby squirrel, yes. But you're also more of a man than Jaewon will ever be," she reassured him, pressing a little kiss to his nose, after she'd finished cleaning the wounds on his face.

Jisung couldn't help but smile a little at her words. "Do you mean that?" he questioned. Eunseo nodded.

"Of course, I do... that's why I'm here. To tell you that you don't have to fight any battles to make sure that I'll stay. I'm not going anywhere..." She was about to continue treating his wounds, but he stopped her, by grabbing her wrist and pulling her in for a hug.

He already felt a thousand times better just by having her close to him.

"I'm sorry for getting into that fight," he muttered.

She pulled back and looked at him, gently running a hand through his hair. "It was dumb. But on the other hand, it was also kind of sweet how you tried to fight for me. You really know how to make a girl feel appreciated. Just... please don't do it more often," she pleaded.

Jisung smiled, but it was cut short by a wince, when his busted lip protested.

Eunseo rose to her feet, helping Jisung up along with her. "Come on... we should get you to the hospital wing. Madame Pomfrey can handle this way better than me..." she said.

Jisung still felt like three cars had run him over, but Eunseo by his side did help ease the pain, as cheesy as it sounded.

Jisung sneaked several side glances at her. He found himself mentally thanking Chan for adding her to Gryffindor's Quidditch team. Who knew how things would have turned out if that former Chaser had decided to stay? He shook his head gently, not eager to find out.

He was bruised and beaten, but for the first time in his life, he felt like he might have found someone he could fall madly in love with.