- October 21, 2005 -

The cloud of smoke and incense in the Divination classroom was almost suffocating. The smoke smelled like Christmas trees and the jasmine flowers Grandma kept in her greenhouse. Everyone kept sniffing and coughing, and, while it could rightly have been the rampant flu spreading through Hogwarts, Kibum thought the incense to be the most likely culprit.

“My children, please,” Professor Trelawney said, waving her arms wide from her place at the front of the classroom. She closed her eyes once everyone looked toward her. “Drain your minds of all thought, take your partner’s dominant hand, and begin your reading of their palm. When you are finished, begin to write your findings on a roll of parchment to turn in to me at the end of the period.” 

Both he and Minho sighed as they turned to each other. “You wanna go first?”

Kibum’s eyebrows raised. “Reading? Or?”

“Reading.”

“Sure.” He grabbed Unfogging the Future, opening it on his lap and flipping through the pages. “Which page number did she say it was on?”

“Uh...in the 40′s, I think.”

Kibum nodded, holding out his hand for Minho’s when he found the right page. “So, your -- “ he checked the book then lightly traced the middle of the three deepist lines in Minho’s palm. “Your head line...splits, which means you’re empathetic and sensitive to other people.”

Minho’s hand twitched in his. “Do you think that’s true?”

“Yeah, I do. Your heart line,” he followed the top line to where it ended in the center of Minho’s palm. “It’s short and sort of straight, which means you show your affection through actions, not words. Huh.” Also true. Time and again, Minho was there for him when he needed him, never really with advice, but rather with a listening ear and open arms.

Kibum cleared his throat, pointing to the line that curved around Minho’s thumb and went to the base of his palm. “Your life line is long, which means...you’re dependable and there for people when they need you the most.”

He let go of Minho’s hand, who then stared at his palm until he noticed that Kibum was holding out his own. “Oh, right!” He took Kibum’s hand, his fingers warm against his skin, and grabbed the open book from Kibum’s lap. 

“Okay...your head line is long and curved, which means you’re a creative thinker! Which is true...your heart...hey, it’s the same as mine!” He grinned at Kibum before he looked back at his palm. “And your life line is short, which...oh, there it is. It means that when life gets hard, keeping yourself occupied makes you feel better.”

“Interesting. I wonder how true these are.”

“No clue.” Minho sighed, his shoulders slumping as he glanced over at his backpack. “I guess we should get started on our classwork.”