It was shockingly easy to convince Sana and Momo to attempt to talk things out.

Well, Mina couldn’t take all the credit, really— or even half of it for that matter. She’d been sitting at her usual table in the library, trying to construct a seal proof plan, when suddenly there were two hands slamming onto the table in front of her. After jumping in her seat and just narrowly holding back a shriek of alarm, she looked up to see Nayeon and Jihyo standing there staring at her.

“What’s the plan, boss?” Nayeon asked seriously, her voice a bit too loud for the library. Jihyo must have noticed this as well, rolling her eyes and elbowing her girlfriend to get her to lower her voice.

Mina blinked a few times. “Um… sorry?”

“You know… To get Sana and Momo together?” Nayeon explained slowly, waving her hands. “Yoo mentioned you were devising some kind of genius plan or something.”

Now that was surprising— Mina hadn’t directly said anything of the sort to Jeongyeon. Had the Gryffindor really gleaned all of that just from observing her reactions during their Potions conversation? She couldn’t help but be a little impressed.

Returning to reality, Mina nodded. “Oh, yeah,” she shrugged a little helplessly, “I haven’t really thought of anything, though, except for the obvious. Trying to convince them the old fashioned way.” The girls just continued to stare at her, so she elaborated somewhat awkwardly, “You know… just straight up asking them to talk...?”

The humming noise Nayeon made sounded critical. “Well, my idea was to lock them into a closet together and see what happens, but Ji here thought that was a bad idea.” She rolled her eyes, gesturing to her girlfriend with a thumb.

“As you’ve probably noticed, Nayeonie here suffers from a complete lack of tact,” Jihyo sighed, pulling two chairs out for her and Nayeon to sit. Once again, her intense gaze left Mina somewhat intimidated and unable to maintain consistent eye contact. “I know that we’ve been friends with Sana and Momo longer than you, but even so, you spend the most time with them. You know them best. Do you think they’d listen if we tried to convince them to meet?”

Mina paused for a few seconds. That was the same question she’d been considering for the past couple of days now. “I think…” she began, her voice uncertain at first then strengthening, “All of us can see that they’re miserable even if they’re pretending everything’s fine. I think if we all point that out to them, make them see reason, then they’ll listen. At this point, I think they’re waiting for any kind of sign or opportunity to fix things, they’re just too stubborn to seek it out themselves.”

Both older girls nodded in agreement, Jihyo clapping her hands once and pushing back from the table. “Let’s get to work, then!”

As it turned out, Mina’s theory proved to be correct. She, Jihyo, and Nayeon approached each Hufflepuff in turn as a team, laying out the hard truth: that it was awful seeing them so upset, and that they needed to talk to the other or else they’d likely live to regret it forever. Would they really let their years-long friendship end like this? Not with a bang, but a whimper? Without fighting for it at all?

Both Sana and Momo were resistant at first, but it didn’t take long for them to break down and admit how much they missed their best friend. The Hufflepuffs made plans (through Mina as a mediator) to meet up in the room they used to share.

Mina prayed that things would work out. After all, she wasn’t sure what she’d do if they didn’t.

——

Sana got there first that night, exactly as she’d anticipated. Momo’s Quidditch practices always ran late on Wednesdays. She walked into the room slowly, looking around. She hadn’t been here since the day after her and Momo’s fight— in the morning, as soon as she’d been sure the room was vacant, she’d snuck in to grab her robes and toiletries like the coward she was. Regardless, it didn’t look like Momo had spent much time here recently, either.

The blonde padded over to the bed and leaned back into it. Closed her eyes, inhaled as she waited. Squeezed the bunched-up quilt beneath her fingers and tried to calm her breathing when finally, finally she heard the door creak. Sana didn’t move— didn’t even open her eyes. And though she couldn’t see Momo, she knew from the lack of footsteps that the girl must have been hesitating in the doorway.

The moment passed, and it was like Sana felt Momo approach more than she heard her. A foot bumped into her own, so Sana moved over, eyes still shut like if she opened them, the moment would dissipate from her memory like a dream. But then Momo was settling next to her, their shoulders just barely touching and their feet hanging off the edge of the bed— she was really there, for the first time in almost two weeks, right next to Sana. She was real, this moment was real.

For a few minutes, the only sound was their breathing— taking turns at first, then falling in sync, slowly but surely. It wasn’t so much a standoff, them waiting for someone to break the silence— it wasn’t an act of stubbornness on either of their parts. It was like their bodies, their minds, were taking the time to recalibrate, just from being physically close to each other again.

Momo sighed. I’ve missed you. Sana reached for her hand, and their fingers intertwined, fitting together like pieces to a puzzle.

I’ve missed you, too.

They stayed like that for a while— just holding hands, their eyes closed. The anger and bitterness that had surrounded their last encounter melted away, and the moment was peaceful. But Sana knew better than to think that this was over, that the harsh words they had said to each other were totally forgiven and the pain they had felt was totally gone. Not everything could go unspoken— they both learned that the hard way.

Sana was surprised when Momo spoke first, it being uncharacteristic of the older girl.

“I know- I know that I’m not good with my words,” she began. Her voice was choked, shaky— Sana’s heart clenched in her chest, and it came like second nature, giving her best friend’s hand an encouraging squeeze. “I know that I’m not always good at telling you how I feel, or what I want. I know it’s not fair to expect you to just, know all of the time. And- and I promise you I’ll be better,” Momo finished firmly.

“We’ll both be better,” Sana amended, near tears already. She’d been holding herself back, not wanting to smother Momo too fast, but she couldn’t take it anymore. In an instant she was wrapping her arms around Momo and burying her face into her neck, taking a deep breath. “God, Momo, I can’t- I thought I was going to lose you forever. Being apart from you—”

“It killed me too,” Momo agreed, bringing Sana close to her chest. Eventually she pulled back slightly, nudging at Sana to prompt the girl to look up at her. Their noses bumping together, Momo murmured, “I’m right here, though. You won’t lose me, not really… Now or ever.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

Sana closed her eyes, releasing a breath. “I’m so sorry, Momo. What I said that night… it wasn’t fair to you. I shouldn’t have been so harsh, you don’t deserve to be spoken to in that way.” She gave a humorless laugh. “I just kind of… lost it, I guess.”

All Momo did was nod— accepting Sana’s apology without dismissing the fact that her words that night had been extremely hurtful. There was a pause, then Momo spoke again. “It just- I guess, it just made me feel like what we had, it wasn’t special to you,” she explained, her words a bit fumbled, voice a little strained. It was true that Momo wasn’t great at expressing her feelings out loud— she’d always been the kind of person who preferred actions over words— but Sana appreciated the fact that she was trying.

“Of course it was- is- special to me.” Sana’s hand came up to rest at Momo’s jaw, the soft skin there with a thumb. When their eyes met, Sana murmured, “I’ve been in love with you since we were eleven, Momo. Before I even really understood what love was.”

The older Hufflepuff’s eyes turned to molten chocolate at those words, so big and gentle and warm, and Sana melted a little, too. All she wanted at that moment was to kiss Momo, to show her how much she loved her, but still Sana continued speaking. She couldn’t leave this part unsaid, either.

“I just,” she paused to bite her lip, “I didn’t know if a relationship was what you wanted. You were always so hot and cold with me when I showed you affection, I didn’t know what to think, maybe that… I don’t know, maybe that I was just misinterpreting everything.”

Momo was pouting when Sana looked back at her face. “I just thought that was our thing,” she complained lightly, playing with the hem of Sana’s robes now. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you feel that way. I thought you thought it was, I don’t know, endearing or something, the push and pull. I didn’t think it actually hurt your feelings.”

Sana just released a laugh, shaking her head. “We really are Dumb and Dumber, huh?” she teased lightly.

“Only if you’re Dumber,” Momo shot back, with that dazzling grin that Sana had missed so much it had become an unbearable ache.

The blonde stuck her tongue out and dug her fingers into her best friend’s sides, Momo squealing and trying to push her away. She didn’t put much effort into it, though— they’d spent too much time apart to want anymore distance between them.

Both girls settled back on the bed again, laughing, the previous tension in the room dissolved. It wasn’t as if nothing had happened, rather that they had found a way to return things back to normal. They were Sana and Momo, and that was enough.

“I think,” Sana began, suddenly reflective, “I think that these last couple of weeks… Even if they were incredibly painful, I think it was good for us, actually. I mean, for the past six years we’ve barely spent more than a couple of hours apart, right? Maybe we just… took our time together for granted? Took each other for granted?” She puffed her cheeks and blew out some air, “Does that make any sense?” Momo nodded, and Sana took her hands again. “So this last week… It made me realize how much it hurts to not be with you. Not just physically, but also in not being able to call myself your girlfriend, you know? I guess what I’m trying to say is…” She steadied her breath, looked deep into Momo’s eyes, and finished, “I want to be with you, Momoring. In both senses.” Sana tilted her head somewhat. “What do you think?”

Even if Sana was 99.9% sure how Momo would respond, nerves still fluttered in her stomach. No matter how sure you might be that the other person felt the same way, there was still something terrifying about offering someone your heart, to keep safe or break as they pleased.

A hand cupped around the back of Sana’s neck, guiding her face closer to Momo’s. “I know that I love you, Satang,” Momo murmured, “and I know that I want to be with you, too.” She smiled as she added, a bit teasing, “In both senses.”

At that Sana closed the gap between them, the movement practically muscle memory. Their lips met, and Sana could feel the emotion behind Momo’s kiss— they’d told each other “I love you” before, but of course the circumstances of this time made it more meaningful. Momo’s free hand squeezed at Sana’s hip, urging her even closer.

Sana would’ve been content to spend the rest of the evening getting lost in Momo’s kisses and her touch, but she knew that Mina would most likely be waiting for them in the Great Hall. Eventually— and reluctantly— she pulled away, smiling widely at how Momo’s eyes dazedly fluttered open.

“Hey,” Sana said simply, gaze taking in every inch of Momo’s face.

“Hey.”

Momo all of a sudden looked nervous, if her own shifting eyes were any indication. Before Sana could even start to inquire about what was wrong, though, Momo began, “There’s still one more thing we need to talk about. The same thing from… from before.”

Sana frowned. Last time she had immediately jumped to conclusions, assuming Momo was talking about Seulgi, but obviously she had been very wrong about that. Now, she had an inkling about what Momo was about to say, and she hoped she wasn’t wrong this time.

“I do want to be your girlfriend, more than anything,” Momo assured her, before Sana could become too nervous. “It’s just… Do you ever get this feeling, like we’re not…” She gestured vaguely. “Like we’re not complete, just the two of us? Like there’s another part, a missing piece.” Her voice was heavy with insinuation.

A slow smile appeared across Sana’s lips, realizing that she had indeed been right. She nodded once in confirmation. “I know what you mean. I feel that way too.”

Momo, also clearly relieved, sighed. She leaned back against the bed again, bringing a hand to her forehead. “So what are we going to do about it?”

“I guess we’ll have to go find our missing piece.”

———

Mina was waiting outside the Great Hall, the anticipation making her thoughts and heart race. The nervous energy twisting up her stomach urged her to pace, but instead she forced herself to sit at one of the benches off to the side, still other than her bouncing legs.

After sitting there for what seemed like an eternity, Mina’s gaze snapped up from her feet when she heard the unmistakable sound of Sana and Momo’s voices filling the hall. She opened to greet them— they didn’t seem to notice her sitting in the corner— but her own voice faltered when her eyes fell on them.

They both wore beaming smiles, their arms interlocked and Momo leaning into Sana’s side. They fit together perfectly— two halves of a whole. A perfect picture, just by themselves, like they were meant to be. Exactly what Mina had been fighting for, what she’d wanted for them, and yet a strange lump in kept her from calling out.

It was a sudden, intense hurt that hit her, the kind that abruptly made her eyes water. A hurt intensified by an accompanying wave of self-loathing— this is what she wanted. She wanted them to be together. Seeing them be happy should make her be happy, if she was even a halfway decent friend. She shouldn’t be feeling this way— like she’d just sacrificed something important.

Sana and Momo disappeared into the Great Hall, and after a few moments of steadying her breath, Mina stood and followed.

When she sat across from them, she could barely meet their eyes. Sana, ever observant, asked her what was wrong, but Mina just forced a smile. “I’m so happy for you,” she said, trying to convince herself, maybe. Why did it sound like a lie, even to her own ears?

The two Hufflepuffs weren’t any more touchy that evening than they usually were, but every casual touch that Mina caught in the corner of her eye felt like another physical blow. She forced herself to make it through the majority of dinner before finding some excuse— Charms homework, she thinks she said— to leave. She didn’t catch the wounded expressions on the two girl’s faces as she lifted herself from the table, making her way to the exit. All she knew was that she didn’t understand what was going on with her, but if she stayed there any longer, she would burst into tears.

Stupid, selfish, pathetic, repeated in Mina’s head, over and over, her vision blurring as her feet instinctively led her in the direction of the library. Stupid, selfish, pathetic girl. Did you really think they wanted you?

Mina made her way to her little nook, but something stopped her. She saw Yoohyeon and her friends at their own usual table, quietly giggling and pushing each other around. The younger Ravenclaw must have hesitated for too long, as after a few seconds, her thoughts were interrupted by a voice calling her name.

“Hey, Mina! Potions buddy!”

Once she had returned to reality, she saw the voice belonged to one of the Slytherins from her Potions class. Both Bora, the girl who had spoken, and Siyeon were waving energetically, gesturing for her to come closer.

Feeling a sense of dejavu, Mina approached the table. She offered the Slytherins, and the rest of the group in turn, a half-hearted nod of greeting.

Yoohyeon twisted in her seat, the huge (and endearingly dorky) grin on her face a stark contrast to Mina’s small, forced one. “Hey!” she said enthusiastically. “Are you gonna sit with us?”

“Um…” Mina’s shoulders rose, trying to make herself look as small as possible— an old habit of hers that she had thought she’d stamped out for good. Old habits die hard, right? She looked away, hating herself for being so unsure, for not being able to speak properly, for being such an embarrassing mess.

“Dongie just left, so you can take her seat,” a different voice piped in, and Mina glanced up to meet the kind eyes of a blonde Gryffindor girl.

Mina considered her options for a moment. With everything going on lately, maybe she needed a different group of friends to hang out with until she could figure out why she was feeling whatever she was feeling.

Eventually she nodded, “Yeah, sure. Thanks.” She moved to fill the empty seat between the Gryffindor and a Hufflepuff who both introduced themselves as Minji and Yubin respectively.

Like the majority of the people Mina had been lucky enough to meet at Hogwarts, the girls were kind and welcoming, if not a little (read: extremely) chaotic. She tried to absorb herself in conversation, especially with Yoohyeon who was asking her rapid-fire questions about the Japanese language, but Mina’s thoughts were disorganized.

She didn’t want to hurt Sana and Momo by ignoring or avoiding them, especially now that they had just recovered from their own painful issues. The problem was, not hurting them meant invariably hurting herself, and she always had been a coward.