- December 24, 2006 -

"I’ll see you later.”

“Okay.” Minho’s gaze followed Kibum as he jogged up to the castle, his panic setting in. 

What the should he make? Or rather, what the could he make? The possibilities were not only endless but also limited, as he didn’t have much time. Of course, Kibum already had an idea, and whatever it was would probably be perfect. He thought about it all the way to the owlery, and then all the way back to the castle...still, no clue. He wandered away from the castle, the drifts in the blanket of snow making it hard to walk down to the lawn. He cut through the greenhouses, weaving through them and where he knew the garden rows were, as he traipsed down to Merlin’s Beard.

Snow filtered through the skeletal trees, coating the bare branches in a thin layer of white. Minho squinted as he looked up, blinking away the flakes that caught in his eyelashes. It really was very pretty here in the winter, with the way the world got washed in white and gray. He threw his arms out to balance himself as he walked along the bank of the creek, putting one foot in front of the other until he reached the shore of the Black Lake. 

Ice stretched out from the shoreline, a dusting of snow coating the surface of it until it was broken by the crests of the unfrozen water. Heavy clouds draped over the peaks of the surrounding mountains. Minho inhaled deeply, relishing in the chill that filled his chest. 

Crouching by the shoreline, he dug into the snow and picked up a couple of rocks, turning as he tossed one across the ice. It skipped three times before it plinked into the water. He shuffled the others in his palm, listening to them clink together before he tossed another one. 

One...two...plink. 

Minho glanced down at the two remaining rocks, tracing the jagged natural line that split one of them in half. He sniffed a laugh, cocking his head as he flipped it over. It sort of reminded him of the necklaces he would see in stores sometimes. Sooyoung had one with Miyoung, their initials etched on either side. Sooyoung had Miyoung’s initials, which meant that he would have Kibum’s if he made this rock into a pendant. 

Was that how it was supposed to work? Or did they just do that because they were dating? Heat crept over his face and he looked back over the lake, debating on whether he should just throw the rock away. It was a stupid idea, anyway. 

But, it wasn’t...that...it wasn’t that he liked Kibum...it was just that...they were best friends and this was a best friend necklace. Or, it would be. Just because his cousin and her girlfriend wore one didn’t mean that...just...every situation was different. 

And, it wasn’t like he had any other ideas, either...

With a sigh, he dropped the other rock and brushed the one he intended to use onto his jeans, buffing the dirt and melted snow off of it. He pulled his wand out of his back pocket and set the rock down on the rotting log behind him. Squinting, he pointed the tip of his wand at the thin white line covering the face of the rock like a lightning bolt. 

“Diffindo!” he said with a couple of swoops of his wand, a bright pink light illuminating the copse of trees for a second. Once the splinters from the log cleared, Minho knelt and dug around for the pieces of the rock with the tip of his wand. He found one and stuffed it in his pocket while he searched for the other. When he finally found it, he sat back on the shore, where he had been searching for the stones.

Minho pulled out both pieces, setting the larger of the two aside on his knee. “Scribo,” he said holding his wand at the tip as if it were a pen. His brow furrowed in concentration as he scraped Ki into the face of the rock. He brushed his finger over the inscription before he wrote over it until it was deep enough. When he finished with that Ki, he pocketed it and grabbed the other, copying the procedure, but this time with Min. 

Once he was satisfied, he brushed the snow and dirt off of his coat and , checking his pockets multiple times for his wand and the two halves of the stone. He made his way back through Merlin’s Beard, following his meandering path through the snow to the castle. It was snowing pretty heavily by the time he made it inside, dusk already darkening the gray sky. 

He instantly headed down the stairs to the basement, sparing a cursory glance down the Slytherin hallway out of reflex. He made it through the barrels and started over to the bookshelves leading to the loft until he heard the barrels open again. Minho glanced over his shoulder in surprise, relaxing when Kibum’s laugh echoed down the tunnel. 

“Hey! Did you finish making your present?”

“Yeah, I just did.” A bell rang as Kibum came to an abrupt stop at the end of the tunnel. “What’s that for?”

“Dinner, I think.” Ah, of course. Minho glanced down at the small box in Kibum’s hand, his curiosity piqued. His eyebrows raised as he reached out for it and he met Kibum’s eyes as he took it from his hands. “No peeking.”

“I would never,” he said with a mischievous grin, chuckling when Kibum squinted at him. “Save me a spot.”

“Of course.”

Minho leaned, watching Kibum crawl back out the tunnel. He waited until the lid of the barrel closed behind him before he darted for the loft. Up the winding stairs he ran, a little breathless once he reached the room and lit the tip of his wand so he could see. In the far corner of the room, there was a little table filled with crafting supplies since Helga Hufflepuff wanted them to be prepared for any and all emergencies. He dug through it, eventually finding usable chains to finish making these necklaces. 

He carried the chains downstairs, attempting to assemble the necklaces on his way back to the room. It was difficult, though, with Kibum’s present for him in hand. He set the box on Kibum’s pillow before he laid across his bed, his fingers fumbling with the chain. After a while, he pulled his wand out, drilling a tiny hole in each of the pieces. 

A heavy sigh. Minho held them up, both swaying with the sudden motion. He stuffed Kibum’s under his pillow before he slipped his own on, glancing at the unsuspecting box that was waiting for him to open it. Even though he was beyond curious, he knew better than to open it.

Minho tucked his pendant underneath his sweater, his fingers brushing against the Boötes necklace Kibum had bought for him last year. 

Hopefully, his ridiculous present would measure up to Kibum’s expectations...he really didn’t want to let him down.