Summary: heejin and hyunjin don't need magic to know that they love each other. how their hearts beat is more than enough.

~

Hyunjin visits Heejin during the summer again.

This time, Hyunjin had the decency to warn Heejin of her coming in a letter she sent, although vaguely. Sent almost two weeks ago and read the day after being sent, Hyunjin wrote, “I got my hands on another portkey—not that there’s anything wrong with the hanger, but, I think a hairbrush is a little more inconspicuous. I’ll see you soon, Heekie!”

(Written in parentheses at the end of her letter and in small print, “I miss you so much. I can’t sleep because I get so excited thinking about seeing you again.”)

For the past two weeks since, Heejin had tentatively made plans with her friends and every time she went out, she hoped Hyunjin would have the telepathic sense to know when to arrive. As far as hope comes with Hyunjin being attached, Heejin has never been let down—even telepathically, she learns—because when Hyunjin flashes into her room, Heejin is leaning against her bedframe sketching in her journal (her muse being an orange cat she saw meandering around in her neighborhood).

Hyunjin’s entrance is far from graceful as she takes a step to steady herself, but, trips because Heejin’s legs are splayed out on the floor. Her face meeting the floor, Hyunjin imagined this going a completely different way. She imagined suavely flashing in, startling Heejin enough to laugh at her bewildered face, kissing her hello, swarming in her usual put together and calm charm Hyunjin is so confident in.

“Oh my God!”

(As it turns out, Hyunjin’s forewarning of her arrival did little to ease the terror of having someone magically transport to her room. Heejin feels her heart might just stop beating at the spontaneity of everything. Too bad Hyunjin’s too busy staring at the floor to laugh at how shocked Heejin is.)

Disgruntled, Hyunjin rolls over onto her back and groans at the turn of events.

Putting down her sketchbook and leaning over to check on her girlfriend, Heejin pushes away the hairs that cover Hyunjin’s face. Looking at her and taking all of her in, Heejin can’t help the smile that comes and rests her hand on Hyunjin’s cheeks (at which Heejin can feel its scarlet blush). It’s almost preposterous how little she has seen Hyunjin over the summer. The way Heejin’s heart races at her sudden appearance is the telltale sign of her longing.

“Are you okay?”

Sighing, Hyunjin puts her hand over the one that’s on her cheek and nuzzles into it.

“I’m okay; it’s not the first time I fell for you.”

Lightly squealing at Hyunjin’s line, Heejin pinches at her cheeks until Hyunjin pulls her hand off to properly link their fingers together. Pulling her up from the floor, Heejin kisses her cheek and everything about them is soft and new and timid, but, at the same time, comfortable and warm and safe.

Everything about Hyunjin—the way she is, how she gets Heejin through, Hyunjin all on her own—is home. She’s comfort and safety and the peace of mind Heejin needs.

“I haven’t seen you for more than two months and all I get is a kiss on the cheek?”

Heejin knocks into her shoulder and tilts Hyunjin’s face towards her with her finger, “You’re gonna have to come closer if you want more.”

Leaning closer, Hyunjin trails her fingers down the arm that Heejin has hovering in the air as she placed her finger under her chin, Hyunjin’s other hand gripping tighter to the one linked with hers. Nudging at Heejin’s nose with hers, Hyunjin can see how Heejin’s eyelashes flutter shut, how pretty she looks under the sunlight glowing on her. In a whisper, a bubble that is meant only for them, Hyunjin feels Heejin’s fingers running through her hair and it makes her shiver, “I’m closer now; is there anything more-”

In all of the tension of missing her girlfriend, of having her closer than an eyelash’s length, Heejin presses their lips together and it feels like finally breathing—it feels like warmth coming through when the clouds part, the smell of air after it rains. Hyunjin sighs on her lips when they part and everything feels just as it should when she dots a kiss on her nose, the moles on her cheek and by her eyes.

Settling back against the bed again, legs out and all, Heejin picks up her sketchbook and goes back to detailing the orange cat on her paper while Hyunjin adjusts herself to sit cross-legged in between them.

Heejin is nothing short of incredible and Hyunjin often finds herself in awe over her. In all of her abilities, her hobbies, and her interests, Heejin is someone who has so much to show the world.

(Hyunjin is more than glad to have the honor of being one of the people to experience it all.)

“You draw, too?”

Heejin nods her head shyly, but, there is still a glimmer of pride in her eyes.

“My parents put me in classes when I was younger and I consistently went to enough of them to be more than averagely good at drawing.”

Tickling at the legs beside her knees, Hyunjin’s gaze is soft and affectionate, “Well, if I could have the chance, can you draw me?”

Stilling and flicking her eyes up at Hyunjin, Heejin pauses at how Hyunjin’s eyes look so adoringly at her. Even more shy at this point, Heejin tucks her hair behind her ears and smiles, “I can’t say that it’ll be the greatest thing you’ll see, but, I’ll try.”

Hyunjin smiles too and it’s comforting and reassuring, “If it’s coming from you, I’m positive that it’ll be one of the greatest things I’ll ever see.”

If there was one thing Hyunjin didn’t have the tolerance for, it would be Heejin’s habit of downplaying her abilities and efforts. Heejin works too hard, too full-heartedly for anything less than what she deserves. Her own worst critic, Hyunjin promises to be the one to lift her up and encourage her, even if she is the only one doing it. (Although, Hyunjin doesn’t see that being a problem because she could confidently count on ten other girls being beside her to do the same).

When Heejin flips the page to start drawing the girl in front of her, the orange cat Heejin finished drawing stares patiently at her. Constantly looking up to accurately sketch the features of her girlfriend’s face, Heejin feels a sudden pressure to do well. (In addition to that, she discovers that it’s quite difficult to draw perfection). When she sketches her eyes, the warmth that shines from them translates onto the page. From the gentle slope of her nose to the small lift of her lips, Heejin feels herself mirroring the girl when she focuses on how Hyunjin’s smile is soft and caring. Hyunjin cracks a joke and it lifts the burden to do well on Heejin’s shoulder.

(In Hyunjin’s eyes, the way Heejin’s grin teases at her lips and breaks at each glance up she takes warms the beating heart thumping in her chest.)

It doesn’t take too long for Heejin to sketch out a drawing of Hyunjin. When she caps her pen and inhales deeply, the nerves to do well arrives again. Hyunjin draws shapes on Heejin’s legs to reassure her. Flipping her sketchbook around and showing her the drawing, Hyunjin coos at how well the piece turned out. (She knew it was going to be good, she just didn’t know it’d be that good.)

Cartoon-like, but, strikingly similar to Hyunjin, the girl being drawn can’t help the pride that blossoms in her chest. Something about Heejin doing well gives her the greatest sense of pleasure. Unfolding her legs and cupping Heejin’s cheeks to leave a quick kiss on her lips, Hyunjin wonders which force in her life to thank for giving her Heejin, especially in the way that she has her.

“May I have it?”

“You want my drawing?”

“Of course, I want it. You drew it for me!”

Heejin’s grin that peeks out from hiding is pleased and grateful. Ripping out the sheet, the girl feels like it’s more than just a piece of paper she is giving to Hyunjin.

Once in Hyunjin’s hand, she pulls out her wand and points at the drawing, “Reducio!”

When it shrinks into a much smaller size, Hyunjin looks up to see Heejin’s confused eyes gazing at her. Taking out her wallet and putting the tiny piece of paper in it, Hyunjin takes Heejin’s hand and kisses the back of it.

“I didn’t want to fold it and I don’t want to forget it when I leave, so, as long as I don’t forget my wallet, it’ll follow me wherever I go.”

(What Hyunjin really means is, “I want you wherever I am. And even if you’re thousands of miles away from me, this part of you is a part of me and everything will be okay.”)

Hyunjin comes down for dinner, and like last year, Heejin’s mother and father welcomes her warmly. (Even with Heejin and Hyunjin’s new title, the two don’t receive a lecture about being alone in her room. Heejin’s parents trust her enough to follow the rules of the household. They also don’t subscribe to the thought of ualizing their daughter’s relationship for the sake of their entertainment.)

Somehow, even with Hyunjin and Heejin cleaning, a mess ensues as a soapy water fight arises amongst the now clean dishes. When Heejin calls truce (because Hyunjin would never do such a thing), the two take to wiping the floor of the soap and water that fell and retire back to Heejin’s room.

“If I remember correctly, you said you’d sing for me the next time I came around?”

Heejin, who is normally shy about singing in front of an audience, is fueled with the motive of redemption and swaddled in the comfort of being around Hyunjin. (Sometimes, when Heejin thinks about her Yule Ball proposal, she feels a shiver of shame over how embarrassing it was. Hyunjin says that instead of embarrassing, it was just genuinely raw and true and that she loved it anyway. It’s the only thing that gives Heejin enough confidence to bounce back.)

Taking her guitar, which is smaller and more proportionate to her body than the one back at the store in Hogsmeade, Heejin slings the strap over her body and confidently carries out a tune that is well practiced for her. When she sings, Hyunjin feels herself fall even more. Her voice is light and warm, smooth like silk, and a complete pleasure to hear. Heejin’s usual talking voice is low xand cool, but, the range to which she sings is impressive. Able to reach the high notes with ease and seamlessly transition between tones and registers, Hyunjin thinks Heejin could have been a successful performer had she not wanted to be a mediwizard. With the personality she has, her motivation and work ethic, as well with her talent that just coursed through her body like the blood in her veins, Hyunjin could see Heejin making a favorable impression on more people than just her. When Heejin finishes her song, Hyunjin feels her heart call out for Heejin’s and she doesn’t have the resolve to stop herself from kissing her. (Not that Heejin would have wanted her to stop anyway).

Heejin did say she would fall in love with her voice.

Hyunjin did think that there was more to fall in love than just her voice.

Unbeknownst to her, there is no wrong answer between the two.

~

The ride to Hogwarts is a little emptier than usual.

While Hyejoo, Chaewon, and Yerim sit on one side, Hyunjin, Jungeun, and Yeojin sit on the other. Jiwoo and Heejin had been pulled by the Head Boy for a meeting in the prefects’ cabin. When they patrol the corridors of the train, the two find any reason to stop and pause at the compartment their friends are in.

In one of the many paces Heejin makes up and down the corridors, she comes to realize that this train ride to Hogwarts would be the one of the last for Jungeun and Jiwoo. A part of her wishes she could turn time back, all the way back to her first year when she knocked at Chaewon’s compartment, fingers crossed in hopes of making a new friend, or at the least, having someone to occupy her for the train ride. (Heejin didn’t know Chaewon would lead her to having friends all in different years and houses, but, Merlin is she grateful. Heejin’s first year was more the merrier thanks to Chaewon. Of course, Heejin thinks, that Hyunjin being the first friend she made all on her own is kismet. In a world so foreign to the one she knew, in the collision of it all, she found Hyunjin all on her own.) But, the other part of her reminds her of the friends she made on the way. Yerim, Hyejoo, and Yeojin are all gems of their own. Heejin figures that the sand in her hourglass falls the way it should because she would never take back a single moment, day, or second of the past five years of her life. Everything happens for a reason, but, Heejin wishes it wouldn’t be so hard to accept the bittersweet losses in her life.

For the four that have already left, Heejin tries to keep consistent contact with them. In the hurricane that is growing and living, time is a commodity and taking advantage of it is something Heejin learns early on. At any free time she can get her hands on, she drafts letters to Haseul, Sooyoung, Vivi, and Jinsol (as well with the letters she sends to her parents). They all write back, eventually. Still, it doesn’t feel quite the same. She misses Haseul’s voice, how boisterous Jinsol sounds when she laughs, hearing how Vivi subconsciously sings under her breath when she studies, how Sooyoung sounds when she talks about the things she loves. Yet, reading of Haseul’s ventures in interning at the Ministry of Magic (Heejin likes the stories where Haseul proves entitled employees wrong), Vivi’s chronicles at auror training (especially stories where Vivi depicts practice duels), Jinsol and Sooyoung’s accounts in quidditch (the most exciting ones were the ones where they faced each other in their respective teams), Heejin knows that things are the way they should be.

Missing them is just a consequence of how much she loved them, how happy she was being around them. (Heejin doesn’t think there’s an existing measurement to gauge just how ing much she loves them, how happy they make her. If by how she used to cry at night is any measure, Heejin thinks that’s the closest she could ever get.

But then again, those are, equally, nights she spent laughing beside them.)

When Jiwoo passes by Heejin and sees how her eyes have turned misty and her smile has become smaller compared to the big, cheesy smiles she’s been sending Jiwoo at past turns, Jiwoo stops the girl from walking and holds her at arm’s length with concern written through her facial expression.

“Eh? What? What’s wrong?”

Heejin holds the hands that rest on her shoulders and shakes her head. Dismissively, just as how she pushes away her forlorn thoughts, Heejin tries to assuage the Hufflepuff, “It’s nothing important, Jiwoo unnie. I’ll tell you later.”

Jiwoo pouts because if something is strong enough to get Heejin down, then the something is absolutely important. But, to not make matters worse, Jiwoo takes her answer and pinky promises for the conversation to be had later.

As Hogwarts Express reaches the final stretch of its journey to the castle, Jiwoo and Heejin are able retire to the compartment their friends occupy. Now, with the couples on one side and the younger ones on the other, Jiwoo’s watchful eyes couldn’t even see a glimpse of the sadness Heejin harbored on their patrol.

(When Heejin and Jiwoo arrived, Yeojin switches sides. Childishly indignant, Yeojin complains, “I don’t wanna fifth wheel the couples!”

Her saving grace for sitting on the other side is that the other three straddled the grey area between official and not official at all.)

~

The last of the first.

When Jungeun and Jiwoo walk through the doors of Hogwarts, their hands find their natural place together. Jiwoo whispers into Jungeun’s ear, “The last first time we walk through those doors to start the year.”

Jungeun doesn’t have to be a genius to know Jiwoo is struggling to accept the idea of moving on. Jungeun, too, feels the bitter sweetness of this year’s welcome. In the various places her eyes scan, she sees memories of her friends, kissing Jiwoo before leaving for class, teasing Hyunjin in the middle of the courtyard, where she had her first meal as a first-year Ravenclaw. Squeezing the hand in hers, doing her best to comfort Jiwoo, Jungeun can do only that. Sure, they have plenty to look forward to. They have classes they are highly interested in, Hogsmeade dates to fulfill, futures to work hard for. But still, Heejin is not the only one with the wish to stop the flowing of time just to savor a little longer what is being had.

The walk back to their dorms after their dinner, although the same as the year’s last, feels even emptier. When Jungeun parts away from the group’s route to settle in at her dorm, the sight of her leaving makes Hyunjin wish she wouldn’t have to depart.

The last of the first.

~

As sixth-years who were accepted into N.E.W.T level classes due to their success with their O.W.L.s, the three friends discover that the caliber of magic taught is a major gear shift to how last year’s was. With much smaller classes, there is a greater attention to detail and the focus is highly concentrated in the subject and they see now why succeeding in O.W.L.s is a necessity to move on.

When Heejin found out that she had almost all O’s, eight being O’s and two being E’s (damn Arithmancy and Divination), she Facetimed the one wizard that she could, Jinsol. Buzzing with excitement, Jinsol couldn’t get much out of what Heejin was babbling about, but, from the looks of her report card that the girl was waving around, the blurred presence of the two letters is enough for her to shout along with Heejin and send praises to her. When Heejin settles down long enough to write letters to her friends, her messages are still b with excitement.

(When Heejin gets responses back, their messages are equally bouncy and bright.)

With this success in hand, Heejin takes to asking her parents for permission to use the portkey that they had locked in one of the drawers they had in their closet. No magic in the household is usually a strict rule that Heejin adheres to, for the safety of herself and her family, but, Heejin hopes that her parents will be sufficiently pleased with her performance to be flexible enough to let her transport to Hyunjin to share the good news with her.

Luckily enough, Heejin gets proper permission to use magic and is lectured thoroughly on how to safely use the old newspaper portkey that they had in their possession. Recalling the plans that Hyunjin had told her the week before when she surprised her, Heejin hopes that Hyunjin won’t be off with her sisters discovering dragons.

Using the location that Hyunjin had disclosed to her, Heejin ends up in the backyard of a one-story house. Magical transportation, as quick as it is, turns Heejin’s stomach upside down. Needing a moment to collect herself, Heejin wonders how Hyunjin looked so nonchalant and unaffected by the twisting of time and space.

Hyunjin, who is in the living room, is writing her own letters of news to her friends about her O.W.L results. Getting almost all O’s as well, Hyunjin is particularly proud of the one she has in Care of Magical Creatures. Ever since her third year, she always had a certain fondness for this class. There was something about taking care of magical creatures—the preservation and the nurturing—appealed to her. As each year came by, Hyunjin found more and more reasons to love the idea of becoming a Magizoologist. She knew that if quidditch were to ever fall through, she would be more than eager to indulge in such a career.

Just as she was about to start her letter to Heejin, her sister’s voice comes from the kitchen.

“Uh, Hyunjin? Why is your girlfriend in our backyard? She looks kinda sick.”

The Slytherin quickly ruffles through her memory to recall if Heejin had said anything about visiting. She doesn’t have to look long because Hyunjin would definitely remember if Heejin made plans to visit. Finding no recollection of the nonexistent memory, Hyunjin pops up from the couch and runs to the kitchen to see if she heard her sister correctly.

Lo and behold, there stood Heejin in her backyard, looking lost and disoriented.

(But still, beautiful as ever.)

Almost slamming her door open, Hyunjin is riddled with shock when Heejin walks up to her, kisses her cheek, and confirms that she is, in fact, not a figment of her imagination.

Hyunjin bobs open and closed like a fish would.

“How did you get here? Why are you here? I mean- not that I’m not happy you’re here, but- Huh?”

Finally, Heejin can experience the entertainment of surprising her significant other and not be on the other end of confusion, for once. It’s incredibly amusing and she understands why Hyunjin gets such a great kick out of doing it.

“I know this isn’t your front door, but, may I come in? It’s really hot and I can feel myself starting to sweat.”

Hyunjin, still lost, only gestures for her to come in. As Heejin steps further into her kitchen, Hyunjin scratches at the temple of her forehead in confusion.

Before Hyunjin can repeat her questions, Heejin hands her a folded sheet of paper. Hyunjin frowns, “You’ve been mailing me all summer; there’s no way your parents let you come here to just hand me a letter.”

Heejin shakes the letter in her hand insistently, “It’s not just any letter! It’s from Hogwarts!”

Realizing what the letter is, Hyunjin hastily snatches the sheet of paper from Heejin and unfolds it. If Heejin had been elated, Hyunjin had unlocked her own level of Jiwoo-excitement. With Heejin’s letter in one hand, her arms wrapped tightly around Heejin, and her lips leaving kisses on every surface possible on her face, Hyunjin’s heart bursts with pride and happiness for her girlfriend. The way Heejin laughs rings like warm welcoming bells—it’s a sound Hyunjin wants to hear for all of the days she spends breathing.

Heejin had worked so excruciatingly hard studying and seeing her efforts validated is almost greater than the pleasure of Hyunjin’s success. The girl in Heejin’s dance class was right; Heejin has the tendency to be so suffocated in her own expectations that she would have worked herself to the point of fainting. If it weren’t for Hyunjin pulling her textbooks away and Chaewon tucking her into bed, Heejin might have had a visit to the infirmary.

(When Heejin whines about time being lost, Hyunjin, who is rarely ever stern, is harshly serious when she doesn’t allow for Heejin to study more, “You’re working yourself to exhaustion, Heekie. It’s not good for you and it’s not helping you in the long run. I mean, if you think about it, if you happen to faint, by some awful chance, that’s time you lose being stuck in the infirmary. You know Madam Choi isn’t going to let you go until you’re 110% okay.”

Heejin doesn’t like being wrong, but, Hyunjin is absolutely right. Heejin is rarely wrong, but when she is, it is usually Hyunjin’s common sense that brings her back to think more clearly.)

(Hyunjin thinks back to the entitled prick back in their fourth year and figures karma gave him its kiss—the kiss being Heejin’s astronomical measure of success.

When Hyunjin learns later on from word being whispered around that he had earned a P in charms, Hyunjin almost feels guilty for not having pity in his failure. Almost.

When she thinks of how hard Heejin hit the ground (and got concussed) after the then fourth-year’s nasty foul play, Hyunjin doesn’t even feel the slightest bit of guilt.

She figures, what goes around, comes around.)

The clamoring in the kitchen is anything but quiet and it garners the attention of Hyunjin’s parents. When they come out of their room to find a girl in their kitchen being smothered in Hyunjin’s affection, they make the safe assumption that the girl is Heejin.

When they clear their throats, the pair jump like startled cats. Heejin, who had not been counting on suddenly meeting with Hyunjin’s parents so formally, pushes Hyunjin away, fixes how messy her hair became after Hyunjin’s pampering, and bows to the pair of adults in the room.

“Hi Mr. and Mrs. Kim! I’m sorry for coming unannounced, but, I received the results of my O.W.L.s and I really wanted to share them with Hyunjin.”

Looking to each other, the parents indulge in Heejin’s motives without hesitance.

“And how did you do?”

The grin that comes to Heejin’s face is relieved, happy, and treads the line between confident and cocky.

“Eight O’s, two E’s.”

And with grades li