News traveled faster than Sungkyu could walk down the stairs to the Great Hall. The moment he set foot into the entrance hall, he heard his name called. A second later, Montague was at his side, smirking. He hung an arm around Sungkyu's shoulder and planted him into place so that two other Slytherins could approach them without hurry.

Flint and Malfoy wore smug expressions.

„I really didn't expect you to do something like this!", Flint said in admiration. „I thought you were all stuck up but then you blow that Gryffindor into pieces."

„A shame he survived," Malfoy spat. „To have such scum walk in Hogwarts is just shameful."

„Absolutely!" Montague exclaimed as if to show he was still here. Sungkyu gave him a questioning look. „I can't believe I ever doubted you, friend."

That ‚friend' came out way too forced but it didn't seem to bother neither Flint nor Malfoy.

„Hey, I thought about it for a while – I mean, we're friends – so I really wanted to introduce you to my other friends!" He waved in the other two's direction and silence struck the area.

„Uhm, I..." Sungkyu didn't know what to say. He was well aware what he wanted to say – there was a load to scream at Flint for example and Malfoy deserved a good curse for his behaviour towards Hoya too – but then there were the things he was supposed to say. Like ‚cool' and ‚woah, I'd really love to hang out with you guys'.

His parents would be extremely pleased if he was closer with Montague and Flint. They didn't like the Malfoys too much but they would be happier with him than with Pucey.

„Uhm, thanks but I err..." There was only one way to escape this now without making him look like he was siding with the wrong people. „I really need to study to make up for the points I got taken away. You know how parents are..." There was a twitch in Flint's face. He nodded understandingly and Sungkyu rushed off as fast as his feet carried him. They automatically moved towards the library although he had no parchment or quill with him to study. Just in the door frame, he stopped.

Inside the library, alone and confused, sat Lee Sungyeol. Sungkyu had never seen him study before and neither had he ever seen the boy worried.

Was it because of Nam Woohyun?

The Ravenclaw kept tweaking the pages of a book. He had his head down but he never turned the page and his face was scrunched up in thought. There was a drip of ink on his cheek and his hair was dishevled. He looked up and their eyes met.

For the blink of an eye an incredible wave of worry hit Sungkyu, then Sungyeol found his smirk again, stuck his tongue out and got back to his book. Sungkyu gulped and made an immediate retreat.

Not the library either.

⋘ ──── ∗ ⋅◈⋅ ∗ ──── ⋙

Sungkyu knew that breaking the rules was the worst thing he could possibly do right now but the forbidden forest was the only place he wouldn't be found by anyone.

News travelled fast in Hogwarts and this kind even faster. A Slytherin attacking a Gryffindor for whatever reason was like fuel to the hatred that was rooted deeply into this school. Sungkyu wasn't ready for any of the reactions. Neither Gryffindor's hate nor Slytherin's celebration nor the anger of his friends.

From how he knew them, they'd feel betrayed right now because he'd blamed them for something he himself had done in the end. It bugged him that he'd treated Warrington and Pucey like that when truly he was the worst among them.

But all of those worries were pushed away by another: The blue letter was now flying somewhere over the city of Birmingham, ready to deliver bad news.

Sungkyu was happy he didn't have to see their reaction. He was aware that at some point, consequences were bound to come but for once he preferred the uncertain wait over the fast pain. 'At least I'm not expelled', he wished to tell them right now.

And if they heard who he had attacked! Surely they'd be proud; if his parents were at this school, Sungkyu didn't know how long Woohyun could've held out as the boy's family was about the most queer of all. Sungkyu still remembered the day he nearly choked on his food when Woohyun had publicly advertised his squib brother. As if a muggle mother wasn't enough. And as an auror and known supporter of Dumbledore, Woohyun's father was number two on his parents death-list.

Yes, if they knew he'd attacked such 'scum', everything would be forgiven.

However, he hadn't done it for the proper reason, he didn't know how far his lying skills could get him. Up to this point, he'd always utilised brutal honesty to escape from bad situations. Or he'd hide away like he did now. Slipping past Hagrid had become so easy over the past three years that he sometimes wondered where