Dahyun was in an alley. Knockturn Alley. She was alone, looking for something. No, someone.

She walked with a hurried step across cobblestone. Everything about the wizarding world seemed to be backwards by a good hundred years or more. No one had gotten the memo that their money was too heavy, that writing letters was slow and impractical, and that the internet could actually be really useful. 

She rounded the corner, heading quickly to a small set of steps. There were eyes on her, but that was a normal thing in this place. For some reason, it made her more nervous this time. 

In the next moment, Dahyun came out of the shop, a small stack of books deep in her bag. 

That was when she saw who’d been looking at her. 

They’d gathered around her, their faces covered. Not with the masks that had belonged to Voldemort’s followers, but simple cloths to cover everything but their eyes. She didn’t take into account the colours. All she did know was that their eyes were filled with disgust. 

Then the air closed around her legs. Something broke. Dahyun didn’t scream, but she collapsed. She hadn’t been able to scream. Pain erupted in her leg. 

They were asking her questions. She didn’t answer them.

They wanted to know something she couldn’t tell them. Something she’d sworn never to tell. 

Pain spread through her body. Had she screamed?

She had the choice of whether or not to tell them. She could see the decision dangling in front of her—a platform that hung from a rope. The people asking her questions were piling stones onto that platform with each curse. They threw them on with such a force that it cracked the wood. 

She knew the platform would fall, either because the wood would break or the rope would snap. She didn’t know which was which. Was she the platform? Cracking underneath the stones thrown at her? Or was she the rope? Straining to hold on, stretching where it shouldn’t have been stretching, and slowly reaching the point where it would be torn into two?

Then the stones were all lifted. The alley came back into view. 

Dahyun lay on stone. She was aware that she was bleeding. She was aware that she was sweating. She was aware that she had just been in agony and that was raw. She didn’t feel any of it. She was just tired. 

Someone knelt beside her. The one who’d cleared away the rocks. She didn’t see their face, but knew that with them she was safe. 

And while the platform was battered, the rope probably frayed, it was still intact. 

Dahyun opened her eyes. There was a general bustle around her. She blinked. The bed underneath her was so soft. A pretty big contrast to stone. 

She sat up, her muscles still sore. She wondered if that was the lingering effect of the sleeping draught having gone so wrong. Had the healing process of her body been permanently delayed?

No, that wasn’t true. Her scars were healing faster than would’ve been possible if she was treated by normal doctors. She just had to avoid getting into a mixup like that. Which meant no wakefulness or sleeping draughts unless it was actually necessary, like the one Selen had given her after Raven had tracked them down. 

“Made up your mind?” Jihyo asked. She was brushing her hair. She’d just come back from the shower. She didn’t use the Prefect’s Bathroom for that. Dahyun was pretty sure she hadn’t used it much either, but she was in the mood for a bath. Maybe later this week when she didn’t have patrol. She had it today. 

“Yeah,” Dahyun nodded, resisting the urge to rub her eyes, “I’m staying in.” 

The other girl just smiled. “Don’t work too hard.”

“I’ll try,” she winked, “bring me something sweet?” 

Jihyo rolled her eyes. “Will do, Your Majesty.” 

Dahyun swung her legs out of bed and got out her money pouch. 

“Nope,” Jihyo said quickly. “My treat.”

“Ours.” Dahyun handed her ten sickles. “You just have to keep Momo from sneaking in a bite before dinner.” She was tempted to ask if Jihyo already knew about Momo and Nayeon. She didn’t. What if she didn’t and Dahyun just started an argument no one needed. 

She laughed. “Mission Impossible: Fend off Momo.” Still, she pocketed the money. 

Dahyun quickly got ready, which just involved casting the spell to cover everything she didn’t want people seeing, and putting on a purple hoodie and black pyjama pants. 

Jihyo was fighting a smile when Dahyun got to the common room. “You’re dressed up.”

“It’s functional!” Dahyun protested. “And it all goes together fine.” 

She shrugged. “If you say so.” 

For a second, Dahyun wondered if she was right. She wasn’t studying alone today. Sana would be there. Just Sana. 

Or was that the wrong way to put it? Then again, it was starting to look like Dahyun was ‘just Dahyun’ to Sana. So she could keep the pants. 

They went to breakfast where the others were gathered around the Ravenclaw table. Everyone was in their normal clothes. There was a severe lack of first and second years. They were still sleeping.

“Dubu!” Momo called. “Another letter. Plus a care package.” 

Dahyun smiled. She thought of her dream. Then dismissed it. That wasn’t something to think about now. If anything, she’d try her best to forget it.

At the table were seven. The only thing that wasn’t adding up was the fact that Nayeon and Momo sat on opposite sides. Or were they keeping it a secret? Dahyun was happy she hadn’t asked Jihyo about it. 

Dahyun sat down next to Momo. Opposite her was Sana. She was wearing an oversized grey jumper and looked, well, stunning. 

Briefly, Dahyun wondered if they’d look completely mismatched. Then she remembered that didn’t matter. She turned her attention instead to the huge box on the bench. She opened the letter first. 

“Boring,” Chaeyoung muttered. “What if they smuggled in a puppy?”

Dahyun shook her head. “I don’t think that's allowed.”

A few chuckled. 

“Since when has that stopped you?” Most of Momo’s attention was on her breakfast, but she kept sneaking glances at the box. 

The letter was written in the neat scrawl of her mother. 

We wish we could be there with you. Most of this is for you and the girls, but the other box is for her. I’m going to get your Christmas presents over there even if I have to buy a drone to join the owls. 

Then in her father’s less legible writing. 

Send us a list. I don’t want to read a thing about costs. You want a Switch, a handbag, you name it, we’ll get it. 

We love you. 

P.S. Don’t work too hard. 

Dahyun folded the letter and tucked it into her bag, making sure it was between one of the books. Her eyes burned slightly. 

She opened the box next, gaping at its contents. A bit of home cooking, of course, and plenty of sweets. But there were also brand new keeper gloves, a new quill and a few ink pots, several normal pens, exactly the brand Dahyun loved, and a Skiving Snack-box. There was also a pouch with some wizarding money. Dahyun’s parents had gone straight to Diagon Alley after her, and maybe McGonagall’s, letter had reached them. Underneath that was another box with a letter attached to it. On it, Dahyun’s mum had written a different name.

Dahyun took it out first and put it on the table in front of the recipient. 

Sana stared at it. “For me?”

“I’ll take it if you don't want it,” Momo snickered, “if it’s a pastry, you’re in for the best thing you’ve ever tasted in your life.”

“So don’t open it here,” Dahyun cut in, “or else you’ll never taste it.” She had no idea what was in that box. 

Sana just smiled and opened the letter. 

Dahyun wanted to watch, but she started eating breakfast instead. When she glanced up, she saw that Sana’s eyes were wide. She hadn’t opened the box yet. 

The others had started talking about where they wanted to go, but Sana was still reading the letter. She wondered what her mother (maybe parents, because her dad liked to pitch in) had written to her. She hadn’t told them about the end of last year, but they knew that Sana wasn’t a stereotypical Slytherin at least. She was also still known as Dahyun’s first wizard friend, but her parents seemed to forget that things had changed in the past four-five years. 

Then Sana folded the letter as well, putting it away. 

She opened the box. 

It revealed something wrapped in baking paper. 

Sana’s eyes lit up. Then she peeled it back. Banana bread. 

“Not a pastry,” Dahyun smiled, “but it’ll still be great.”

“I think she had a good source,” Sana said quietly. She was smiling. 

Dahyun felt her face warm. She now really wondered what was in that letter.

“Are you tearing up?” Momo asked. She was reaching behind Dahyun to sneak a packet out of the box. Dahyun let her. 

“Maybe,” Sana said. “Your mum’s really nice.” She blinked a few times. Her eyes were actually glassy. 

What had been in that letter? Her mother was good with words, but that good?

Dahyun didn’t reach out over the table, but she lightly tapped what she hoped was Sana’s foot. 

Said girl glanced up from the box and nodded slightly. 

Then it was time for the others to go to Hogsmeade. Sana and Dahyun both stayed where they were and waved. 

Dahyun watched how Nayeon and Momo trailed behind. Nayeon winked, while Momo smiled. 

“I didn’t know it was gonna be a secret when I told you,” Sana whispered. 

“Haven’t said a word,” Dahyun replied. 

Sana smiled. “I know.” Then she nodded at the care package. “What’d you get?” 

She showed her the contents. 

“Your parents did all this? So quickly?” 

“Apparently Yuri gave me the fastest owl alive,” Dahyun shrugged, “I think they apparate it over, but that’s just a theory. A magic theory.” She cringed at the joke. “Sorry.” 

Sana frowned. “Why're you sorry?” 

“It’s a reference,” she said. “Not my best.” 

The Slytherin giggled. “If I don’t understand it, I can’t even tell if it’s bad or not.”

“I guess you’re right,” Dahyun got to her feet, “I’ll bring this downstairs. Meet you in the library?” 

Sana had her bag with her. That meant she was going to study too, right? She wasn’t sure. 

“I’ll come with you,” Sana stood too, “if that’s okay.”

Dahyun shrugged. “It’s broad daylight, I’ll be surrounded by the younger kids rushing through school, but okay.” Again, she thought of her dream. Of the pain it’d brought back to her mind. 

Again, she pushed it down. 

Sana rolled her eyes. “Maybe I also want to keep you company?”

Dahyun just picked up the box her parents had sent and walked in the direction of the Great Hall. Her face had started to burn. Already. 

This had the potential to be a difficult day. As long as it wasn’t related to what’d happened, she could handle that sort of difficulty. 

____

“Here we are.” Nayeon set down a few butterbeers.

Mina followed soon after. She took the seat beside Chaeyoung. Just being next to her made a blush rise up her cheeks. 

Chaeyoung silently chided herself. While she was a school girl, that didn’t mean she had to act like it. 

“If I have to get asked again about who Sana’s dating, I’ll make the next person’s teeth the size of their hand,” Nayeon grumbled. 

“Why so surprised?” Jeongyeon asked. “As far as everyone else knows, this's a record for how long she's been single.” 

The Slytherin scowled, but didn’t respond. It was surprising. Chaeyoung expected her to throw that curse right now. 

Beside her, Mina was also silent. 

“So what were your guys’ plans for today?” Momo asked, gripping her butterbeer. “Hang out here? Or actually go to a store?” 

“Tomes and Scrolls said they had a new selection,” Jihyo sighed, “maybe that’ll help me get something useful for the DADA essay.”

“That’s at the end of term,” Nayeon’s brow rose, “you’re already working on that?”

“Already?” Jihyo repeated. “It’s less than a month away.”

“More than two weeks away, you mean,” she corrected. “Think positively.”

The Hufflepuff shrugged. “Your choice.” 

They all drank their drinks. A silence fell over the table. Chaeyoung tried not to look uncomfortable. They couldn’t talk about Dahyun, because the Three Broomsticks was the least subtle place to be. There’d be prying ears all over. She’d already seen several people look over at them, visibly confused that people from all four houses were sitting together. Especially their groups. 

And Momo wasn’t talking as much as she usually did. She seemed distracted, staring down at the butterbeer, as if she’d read the future in the foam. 

Then Chaeyoung saw one of the last people she wanted to see. Especially today. 

“Aren’t you a colourful bunch?” Luke raised a brow. He had a few of the Gryffindor Quidditch team around him. 

“What do you want?” Chaeyoung didn’t bother sounding nice. 

“Wanted to check in.” He smirked at her. “That guy who they arrested. He attacked both Dahyun and Minatozaki?” A frown appeared.

What was it in his tone that made her want to punch him?

“We know as much as you do,” Jihyo replied. “So there’s no use asking us.”

“As if,” one of the girls beside him said. “You were the ones who visited them after. You know from them.”

“And why would we tell you?” Nayeon squinted at them, butterbeer in hand. Chaeyoung almost wanted her to throw it at them. She wanted to do the same. 

“Maybe I shouldn’t be asking about that,” Luke’s smile was infuriating (and very worth getting butterbeer all over it), “are Sana and Dahyun really dating?” He peered down at them, narrowing his eyes specifically in Nayeon’s direction. 

“Is that any of your business?” Chaeyoung raised an eyebrow at him. 

“It is if it’s Sana,” he retorted. “She’ll just bring Dahyun down further.” 

“Watch your mouth.” Nayeon scowled. 

He held his hands up. “Dubu's muggleborn and as far as I know you girls aren’t sympathetic to muggles and all that,” he shrugged, “can’t blame a guy for being concerned. Especially if the new girl’s got a whole girl of the month thing going on.” 

Beside her, Chaeyoung felt Mina tense. 

“Come on, Luke,” Jihyo frowned, “just go.” 

“Never thought you’d stoop to her level, Jeong,” Luke winked at Jeongyeon, “but maybe you, Hirai.”

Nayeon’s arm shifted. “Get out of my sight.” Her eyes were cold. Chaeyoung really wouldn’t have been surprised if she pulled out her wand now. 

Luke seemed to get the memo then. He left. 

“Bastard,” Tzuyu muttered. 

Jihyo smiled. “Agreed.” 

Chaeyoung sat back in her seat. She hated Luke, but did he have a point? With everything that surrounded her, Sana was definitely not going to be great for Dahyun’s reputation. Dahyun usually didn’t care about that stuff, but when she came up against the people Sana associated with, people who thought muggleborns weren’t much better than muggles, that probably wouldn’t end well.

Then there was Sana’s own reputation, one she’d made for herself pretty easily. And quickly. Where was Dahyun going to fall there? Maybe Sana actually liked her, but she probably wasn’t in it for the long term. 

The rest of the time in the Three Broomsticks was just awkward. Jeongyeon and Jihyo left first, then Tzuyu went out by herself, leaving Momo, Nayeon, Mina, and Chaeyoung. Each of them finished their drinks. 

“I’ve got something to check at Dervish and Banges,” Nayeon said. “My sneakoscopes need updating.” She hurried off. 

“And my quill broke,” Momo said sheepishly, her eyes on the street. 

“How?” Chaeyoung chuckled. 

She blushed. “Rather not tell that story.”

Mina laughed. “We’ll leave it to our imagination?”

Momo grinned. “Yep.” Then she was off as well. 

That left Chaeyoung and Mina alone. 

“Where to?” Mina smiled up at her. 

“Need something? New cauldron? New quill?”

“Actually,” she started, “wait no.” She shook her head. “Zonko’s?” The Slytherin turned in the opposite direction Nayeon and Momo had gone. “I only ever went into the Weasley shop.”

“Oh,” Chaeyoung tapped her chin, “you’re in for a ride.” She grabbed her hand and hurried down the street. She brushed aside the weirdness and her worries. Today was going to be an easy day, spent on a maybe/potentially/hopefully date with the girl next to her. 

____

Sana tried not to sigh as she looked up from her essay. She wasn’t surprised at what was going on in front of her.

Dahyun was bent over her book. It didn’t look like a healthy position. 

Sana watched as the Hufflepuff grabbed another book, flicked to a page somewhere in the middle, and muttered something under her breath. Then she was writing it down in her book. It was different to the notebook for potions. That one was dark brown. This was light green. 

The furrow in Dahyun’s brow was back, as well as the tension in her lips. It was like she was poised to express her thoughts at any moment. 

Sana fought the urge to sigh again. Most of her study sessions with other people didn’t have this much studying. She should’ve expected it, but a part of her had hoped Dahyun would make good on her intention to take it easy. Maybe this was just her way of doing that. Sana wasn't sure she agreed with it. 

Then Dahyun glanced up. “Doing okay?” With her choice of clothes, Sana found her more than adorable. Then she spotted her glasses drifting down the girl's nose bridge.

Sana pushed them back. “Can we take a break?” 

“Soon.” Her eyes went back to the book. “You can go already if you’re hungry.” 

“I’ll wait.” Sana rested her head on the table. She looked up at Dahyun, watching how she remained focus on her work. It was both admirable and a bit intimidating.

“You could use this time to finish whatever paragraph or section you had.” Dahyun looked back at the book. 

“That can wait.”

There was a small smile on Dahyun’s face then. Sana loved watching it grow. 

She felt a tingling in her chest. She wanted to look away. She also wanted to keep looking. 

After what felt like five full minutes, Dahyun clicked her pen and set it down.  

“Break?” she asked as she organised her stuff. 

Sana leapt to her feet. “Yes.” She started moving away when she realised that Dahyun was taking her time. She stopped to watch. 

The Hufflepuff put a colourful bookmark in both her book, tapped a word in her notebook, and checked her finger before closing it. And then she started putting her pens away. 

“So this isn’t gonna be a five minute break?” Sana asked. She’d gotten Dahyun to agree to that much, if only to stretch and walk around the first floor. 

“Do you want it to be?” Dahyun stopped. 

“Nope!” she grinned, “please continue.” Then she realised she’d basically shouted. She looked around, sending a few apologetic looks at the rest. 

“Come on.” The Hufflepuff took her bag with her. “I’m pretty hungry.” 

“Me too.” Sana linked their arms. “You took so long.” She drew out the so. 

Dahyun laughed. “You could’ve just gone early.” 

She squinted at her. “We’re study buddies. We’ll eat together too.” 

“Okay.” She patted Sana’s arm. “Lunch buddies too.” 

This was the moment where Sana could have asked, ‘are we just buddies?’ With someone else, they would’ve left it ambiguous, maybe turned red. She was pretty sure Dahyun would just say a simple, ‘yep!’ 

Instead, she spotted something by the front desk. 

Sana stopped them. 

She leant closer to Dahyun’s ear. “Look over there. Be subtle.” 

Dahyun chuckled. “You’re not being so subtle.” But she still looked where Sana had pointed. 

“What does that look like to you?” 

Professor Bae and Madame Kang were reading a book with identical expressions of perplexed frowns. 

“Like very good friends?” Dahyun said. “I didn’t know they were so close.”

Sana sighed. “You’re kidding.”

“What?” She glanced at her. “I barely knew that Momo and Nayeon were becoming something until yesterday.” 

“Oblivious,” Sana muttered. “It’s pretty obvious with these two now.” 

Kang leaned even closer to Professor Bae, muttering something. Her otherwise stern face had softened immensely. Bae pressed a hand to , her eyes forming crescents. She looked up at Kang with such warmth that Sana nearly looked away. 

“You got all this from that?” Dahyun asked. “You do that all the time.” 

Sana froze. She didn’t respond.

“Let’s stop spying.” The Hufflepuff tugged her over to the door. 

Sana had never been more happy to leave the library. 

“So that’s the gossip about the teachers?” Dahyun looked up at her. “Kang and Bae?”

Sana smiled. “You’re telling me you’ve never seen Madame Kang outside of Bae’s office before?”

“I mean once after I had to stay and,” she trailed off. “Oh.” 

“Yeah,” Sana laughed, “oh.” How was Dahyun ever going to be aware of what Sana felt if she couldn’t pick up on the romance between the DADA professor and the librarian? She wasn’t sure if that level of obliviousness was reassuring or disheartening. A bit of both?

They went down the stairs. 

“You probably think I’m a really boring study partner.” Dahyun chuckled. Her other hand was already on the banister. 

“No,” Sana said. Maybe a bit too fast.

“You can be honest,” she looked up at her, “we’re past the overly polite stage, aren’t we?” 

For some reason, Sana’s face warmed. “You’re still not boring.” 

They reached the ground floor. Dahyun was smiling. She squeezed her hand. 

They went into the Great Hall, still hand in hand, something that amazed Sana to no end. Few paid them any mind. There were a few fifth and seventh years who looked as though they’d only slept seven hours the entire week. The rest were first and second years eagerly chatting away, some chatting about where they’d explore next. Hogsmeade trips were always perfect for exploring Hogwarts. 

“Come on.” Sana pulled her to the Slytherin table. She was sad to let go of her hand and ducked underneath to sit on the other side. It wasn’t how you did it, but no one would care. 

“Really?” 

She sat down, catching a few confused looks from a group of second years. She winked at them. 

“We’re setting an example,” Sana said. 

Dahyun raised a brow. “Hufflepuff and Slytherin this time?” 

“I sit with Momo and she sits with us a lot to do the same thing.” 

“You trendsetter,” she glanced down the table, “but I think they have us beat.” 

Sana followed her gaze to see a group of six girls. Three were first years she recognised. There was one other first year, a Ravenclaw. Two others were second years, one Hufflepuff and a Gryffindor.

“All four houses united, I’d say.” Dahyun smiled fondly. There was some pride in her eyes. Then she caught Sana looking at her. “Something wrong?” 

“Nothing.” 

She raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

Sana chuckled. “I’m serious.”

Dahyun sighed. She started eating. The corner of her lip kept tugging up. “If we manage to get our friends on good terms, we’ll have that combination too.” She chewed with bright eyes. 

Sana felt strange as she looked into them. She didn’t look away. 

“You’re hard to read sometimes.” Dahyun took another bite. She didn’t continue, just ate, chewing very contentious. 

“What do you mean?” Sana started eating herself. She was glad Dahyun hadn’t picked up on that. 

She set down her fork and met her eyes. She had an inquiring look. “Well,” she trailed off, “I either have to get a lot of hints or you tell me exactly what you’re thinking.” 

“Give yourself some credit.” Half the time, Sana had no idea what Dahyun hid behind her smiles. Nowadays, she did, but if she hadn't lived through some of it with Dahyun, she would have never guessed. That bothered her. 

The thought reminded her of something. She paid more attention to Dahyun then, looking for the details. The skin around her eyes was smooth and had no shadow, her scars were faint, but her shoulders hung. 

“See?” Dahyun smiled broadly. “I don’t think I have to give you hints.” She blinked and something else entered her gaze. 

Sana couldn’t read it. It was both thoughtful and hesitant. What did it mean? 

And then it was gone. 

“Our friends want to talk to us.” Dahyun looked to the other side. “Can they?” She gave her a sideways look, all trace of that weird look gone. 

Sana nodded, wishing she could ask about what else the Hufflepuff had wanted to say. 

Dahyun waved, a brightness to her expression now. 

Sana followed her gaze. She saw the six girls scooting over, half of them looking rather shy. 

“Hi!” Yuqi sat beside Sana. “Are we interrupting something?” Her deep voice had a lightheartedness to it that made her smile. 

The older Hufflepuff’s brow rose. “No?” She glanced at Sana once. 

Sana didn't want to answer that. “Hey,” she nudged Yuqi with her elbow, “who’re your friends?”

“Soojin,” she pointed at the Ravenclaw, “Minnie and Miyeon.” The second years from Hufflepuff and Gryffindor. 

They waved, slightly timid.

“We know you already,” the Hufflepuff, Minnie, said. She had very well kept bangs. “So no need for introductions.” She smiled. Although she was one of the older ones of the group, she seemed almost more childlike than Soyeon did. 

“Great,” Dahyun had another bite, “so how’s the day been going? Find the best secrets of the castle yet?” 

Shuhua brightened. “We looked for the ruined Room of Requirement.”

“Did you go in?” Sana asked. It wasn’t quite the safest place. The Fiendfyre that’d destroyed it had made it even more unpredictable according to the older students. Not dangerous, but it was still weird. And weird wasn't always safe. 

She shrugged. “For a couple minutes.” She nodded at Miyeon. “That one found a ruined cabinet, plus the leftovers of a weird book.” 

“What kind?” Dahyun asked. “Real stuff or not?” She leaned forward as she did, her complete attention on the girls and not on the people looking over at them. 

“Old potions book?” Miyeon sighed. “But that’s all I could see. We tried repairing it, but nothing worked. Not even a Charms professor could do the trick.”

Sana almost expected Dahyun to say she could try it. She saw the curiosity in her eyes. 

“That’s what the Fiendfyre does,” Dahyun smiled sadly, “it destroys things completely.” 

“So they’ll never be able to make a new room like it?” Minnie’s eyes widened. “But it was so useful for years!” 

She shrugged. “If someone comes along who can recreate the magic of the four founders, then maybe they’ll be able to.” 

“Oh?” Shuhua’s brow rose. “So it’s possible.” 

Sana had to smile. They were going to take it as a challenge. 

“I’d say so,” Dahyun chuckled, “but I’d start with something small first.”

“Like?” Yuqi propped her head up on her elbows. 

“Do any of you have a notebook with you?” she asked. “Something you won’t mind me changing a little bit?”

The Ravenclaw girl, Soojin, pulled out a thin black notepad. “You won’t erase the words, will you?” Her voice was soft. She reminded Sana of Mina. 

“Nope,” Dahyun said. “But before I mess it up,” she pushed it to Sana, “clone it?”

Sana knew full well that Dahyun knew how to cast the doubling charm. Why was she including her here?

She tapped it with her wand. “Geminio.” The notebook appeared on top of it. Sana took the original and gave it back to its owner. 

“Well,” Dahyun pulled the copy over, “I can’t tell you, at least not right now, how to cast it, but it’s still cool on its own.” She looked over to her. “What’s your full name?”

“Seo Soojin.” While her voice was still quiet, her eyes were locked on the notebook, questions burning in her eyes. 

Dahyun pulled out her wand, opened the book to a page filled with cramped notes and placed the tip the bottom of the page. She started muttering something. She was good at casting a spell verbally without making much of a clear sound. Had the Ministry taught her that? Why?

They watched as the words on the page disappeared. It was as if time had reversed and each of the words vanished. 

“I promise, this isn’t erasing them.” Dahyun was smiling eagerly as she picked it up. She flicked through the pages. They were completely blank. “Now,” she handed it back to Soojin, “how’s it look?”

The Ravenclaw took it with wary hands. She opened it and gasped. 

“What is it?” Shuhua stood to look over the girl’s shoulder. “Why’s it back?” She stared at the pages. 

Sana also leaned forward. 

Soojin showed them the book. The words were back on the pages. 

“Even if someone put your hand on it or something like that, they wouldn’t be able to reveal it,” Dahyun said. “It’ll only appear when you want it to.” 

The words vanished. 

Soojin’s eyes lit up. “Wow.” She finally smiled. It transformed her from shy to cute in a heartbeat. “Thank you.” 

“No problem.” Dahyun grinned. “They don’t teach you this for a couple of years, maybe not even here, but you need to get good at basic illusion charms first.” 

“Your get good is being a master,” Yuqi groaned, “they said you invented a spell.” 

“Me and my friends adapted a spell,” Dahyun corrected. “They say students worked together to create a map.”

“The Marauders?” Minnie straightened. “They also became animagi by their fifth year, right?”

She nodded. “That’s not to say you do that any time soon,” a teasing smile, “but the rest should be cool enough to try.”

“Unless you really want to turn into an animal,” Sana gave Dahyun a look, “then go for it.” She winked at them. “But if it goes wrong, you could turn into a half-bird creature that can’t fly or walk.”

Yuqi’s eyes widened. “And that could happen easily, right?”

“Only if you mess up,” Soyeon added. Her eyes glittered. “Professor Jung says it takes years.” 

Sana was convinced that she’d try it. She also had the feeling that the rest would join her. 

“You’re clearly interested.” Dahyun dug a hand in her pocket. She pulled out a notebook and a pen. Then she wrote down some things. “Try your best not to break into the library for these.” She tore out the page and slid it to Soyeon. It was blank. Then she tapped it with her wand. The words appeared. Book titles. 

“RS?” Soyeon raised an eyebrow. 

Dahyun’s smile was bright. “You’ll know what that is.” 

Her eyes widened and a broad grin appeared. “Seriously?”

“Yep,” she said. “But skim through as many books as you can in the available sections. They tell you a lot already. Leave the other one for later.” 

“That’s a lot of reading.” Minnie pouted.

Dahyun winked. “It’s how you’re gonna learn. Plus during your classes.” 

“And if we can’t figure it out?” Miyeon frowned. “We just spend weeks on one spell?” 

“Sometimes you have to,” Dahyun replied. “Took me and the others a couple months to figure out how not to make ourselves bald.”

They smiled at that. 

“And,” she paused, probably for dramatic effect, “if you catch me at a good time when I’m not busy, I’ll help you.” She glanced at Sana. "But she's a lot better at Transifguration than me. I'll still help with the charms though." 

Shuhua smiled slightly. It took a lot to get her to do that. “Really?” 

“Definitely,” Dahyun nodded, “but today we’re studying.” She gave Sana a breathtaking smile. “Or at least trying to.” 

“So this is like a date?” Minnie waggled her brow. 

Sana felt her face warm. She looked at Dahyun, wondering what her response would be. 

Dahyun blinked twice. “A little?” 

Sana couldn’t believe her ears. “Yeah?” 

“We’ll leave you to it,” Miyeon patted the other girls, “we’re going to the library.” 

The six of them got up and left. 

Sana worked on finishing her food. She wasn’t hungry anymore, but she needed to do something. 

Did Dahyun consider it a date? Was she just humouring them? Was it a joke? 

Did Sana want it to be a date? She knew the answer to that. 

“Have we unleashed six little monsters on Hogwarts?” Dahyun rested her head on her fist. She looked very proud now. 

Sana swallowed her food. “You did that yourself.” 

She grinned. “I guess I did.” Her enthusiasm was contagious. 

Then Sana realised she couldn’t let it slide. “Did you mean it?” 

Her brow rose. “That I’d help them?” She nodded. 

“I know you would,” Sana replied. She fiddled with her fork, “is this a date?” 

“Oh.” Dahyun looked down at her empty plate.

She was sure then that Dahyun hadn’t meant it. But bolder words came over her. “Did you want it to be?” 

The corner of the Hufflepuff's lip tugged up. “Maybe?” Then she looked at her watch. “Time to get to it. Our break was ten minutes too long.” 

“Ten minutes?” Sana gasped. “Unacceptable.” 

Dahyun got to her feet. “My thoughts exactly.” She started down the hall. She’d left her notebook.

Sana took it and followed. Her head was still reeling. From a maybe. 

“You almost forgot this.” She held it up to Dahyun’s eyes. 

“Oops,” Dahyun smiled and took it, “but it’s got that fancy enchantment, so I’d have been okay.”

“Did they teach you it?” she asked the question quietly. 

The smile faltered. Sana watched as different degrees of uncertainty passed over Dahyun’s eyes. She was debating whether or not to tell her. Did that mean she still didn’t trust her? Or was this her default? Neither option was all that great. 

“Yeah,” Dahyun said. She took hold of the banister again. “Helped if I needed to make notes at home or something. It’s a pretty strong enchantment.” She looked at her notebook. “And it keeps my top secret plans of world domination a secret.” Her smile appeared again. It was fake. 

Sana had struck a chord. She didn’t know why her question had had this effect. She also knew Dahyun wouldn’t want to tell her. Why that was, she also didn’t know. She wished they could just talk about it. 

Dahyun kept walking, now silent, her smile already fading. She was walking in front of Sana, probably thinking she hadn’t seen it. 

Not only had Sana struck a chord, she’d hit a wall. 

____

In the distance, the clouds were a very dark grey. It probably wasn’t going to rain, but Mina was ready to summon an umbrella if necessary. 

“Come on!” Chaeyoung grinned. “Have you at least been in a Weasley store?” 

“A few times,” Mina retorted, smiling. “Do you take me for that snobbish?” 

She gave her a brief look. “No.” 

Mina tried not to dwell on how there’d been a pause there. “But it’s been a while since then,” she said. 

The Ravenclaw nodded and then rounded a corner. The garish orange store came into view. 

Inside, the smell was almost overwhelming in how many different scents there were. There were just as many people as well. 

“That’s for if you wanna cheat,” Chaeyoung explained, “but unless you’re really good at smuggling, you’re not gonna get far with ‘em.”

They passed by enchanted scrolls and quills. 

I match your writing style, but just make it a whole lot better. 

I’ll get you the quotations you need. Just put me on a book. 

“Interesting charms must’ve been used for that,” Mina said. 

“You bet!” Her grin was blinding. “I tried doing that to my quill, managed to get a decent introduction, bad paragraphs, and a terrible conclusion.” 

Mina smiled. “I suppose that’s for the best?” 

Chaeyoung snickered. “Probably.” Then she stopped at a wall of boxes, each varying shades of orange. 

“Not very subtle.” 

“I always change the colour after getting it. Black and blue usually work.” 

“If you’re not allowed those,” Mina frowned, “then why’d Dahyun get a Skiving Snack-box from her parents? They still search her stuff.”

Chaeyoung’s dimple showed when she smiled. “I bet it’s because they want her to use it.” 

They continued to browse. Chaeyoung bought five boxes and several interesting looking potions ingredients. 

Mina bought nine shield cloaks. They weren’t used as often. The price had gone down, but the Ministry and others still bought them. That meant they still took something out of Mina’s money. But that was fine. 

“Here,” Mina said as they went out, “for you.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“It’s a shield cloak,” she replied.

“Not what I meant,” Chaeyoung said. “Why’d you buy them?” 

“In case someone tries something,” Mina held it out, “do you want a curse cast on you like what happened with Sana?” 

“You think that was Raven?” 

That made her frown. “It’s obvious it was him, right?” 

Chaeyoung shrugged. “I mean, a lot of people held Dahyun’s fall against her.”

She didn’t know what to make of that, but let it go. 

“Anyway,” Mina sighed, ”it’s better to be safe than sorry.” She looked at the other cloaks. “I’m gonna give these around to the rest.” 

“You bought for all of us?” 

She only nodded. “Dahyun’s afraid for us too. Maybe this is too much, but I know she’ll feel better knowing we have something like this.”

Chaeyoung smiled. “You know her well.” She took some of the cloaks. “Good idea.” 

Mina returned it. “Thank you.” 

They walked in the direction of the Three Broomsticks. Then Mina spotted a couple coming out of Honeydukes, laughing. Each had a bag in their hand. One was blonde, newly so. 

Beside her, Chaeyoung froze. 

They saw them then. Nayeon’s eyes widened, but Momo only sighed. 

“You’re with her now?” Chaeyoung asked. “Of all people?” Her eyes blazed with a sudden anger. 

“All people?” Nayeon repeated. She frowned. “I’m a little offended.” 

“Were you even planning to tell people? Or just hold it in front of Jeongyeon’s face at some point?” There was so much venom in her voice. Why?

Momo pulled her hand from Nayeon’s. “Chaeng, calm down.” 

Students were walking past, clearly listening to what they were saying. 

“What the hell?” Chaeyoung was half shouting. “You know what happened and you’re just gonna let that slide?” 

This was coming out of nowhere. How had Chaeyoung also been against Nayeon? 

“That was between Jeongyeon and her,” Mina said. “Not you and Sana, or Momo and her, or Nayeon and you.” 

Chaeyoung’s expression didn’t change. “Maybe not directly, but Jeongyeon’s my best friend and I stand by my friends.” 

Mina shook her head. “I can’t believe this. I thought we left that in the past.” 

“In the past?” she repeated. “Nayeon's not my friend. Tzuyu isn't and neither is Sana. I was a for how I blamed her, but this doesn’t mean we’re friends.” 

“Just because you’re not friends doesn’t mean you can treat her like this,” Momo shot back. 

Mina noticed how Chaeyoung flinched. 

Still, she had to say something as well. 

“And what about Sana and Dahyun?" Mina asked. "Last I checked you weren’t so against it anymore. And why’s that not a problem, but it is here?” When Nayeon had come into their group, she hadn’t pushed Momo out. If anything they all got closer. How was Chaeyoung not making that connection? 

“Do you even know everything that happened?” Chaeyoung crossed her arms, frowning at Momo. “Because if you’re just seeing the side she shows to everyone else, you’re way off.” 

Momo’s eyes were surprisingly cold. “Yes, I know the whole story. I heard both sides a few times already.” She scowled. “Enough to know that Jeong wasn’t right and that Nayeon wasn’t either,” she paused, “and that none of it concerns me.” 

“It will when you get hurt,” Chaeyoung scoffed. "Or Jeong hears about you two."

Momo looked around at the small audience they’d gathered. Her normally carefree expression became a scowl. 

“And what’ll happen? Another battle?” Nayeon asked. “Are you two really that immature?”

Momo reached out a hand, as if to steady her. “Let’s not go there. Not here.” She took her hand. 

“I’ll go with you,” Mina said. “Make sure you get those cloaks to the others.” She went to join the other two. 

Chaeyoung said nothing. 

“Secret for a day,” Momo sighed, lacing her fingers with Nayeon’s before linking her arm with Mina, “not bad.” 

“I didn’t think it’d all go to like that,” Nayeon frowned, “do they still hate me that much?” 

“They don’t like you,” Momo replied. “But they don’t hate you.” 

“Which shouldn’t matter,” Mina said. “They’ll have to deal with it.” 

Nayeon leaned forward to look at Mina, her eyes serious. “I didn’t want to mess things up with you and Son either.”

Mina shook her head. “She did that herself.” 

____

Sana heard Dahyun sigh. She’d spread out all across the table. There was a clear space between them, one Sana was sure Dahyun had left so she had plenty of room. She hadn’t needed it. 

When she looked over at the Hufflepuff, she saw her brow was furrowed and her hand gripped her pen with white knuckles. It didn’t look like school work. 

Sana couldn’t make much from it, only that she’d written in a book where the ink didn’t show up. What could she be doing now? Wasn’t she supposed to be off of whatever she was doing? How could they expect a student to handle that pressure?

Then Dahyun caught her looking. 

“Dinner?” The tension vanished from her face. It was fake as well. Something had switched after lunch, or something else had just gotten too much. Whatever the case, she was caught up with something. And handling it alone. 

“Sure.” Sana packed up her things. 

Dahyun was still frowning at something when she was finished. Sana walked around the table, trying not to look too curious about the books. Most were about potions. 

“You okay?” Sana sat on the space beside her. 

“Fine,” Dahyun said, her voice strained. 

“You’ve been working on this for at least an hour,” Sana put a hand on her arm, “and your brain’s not gonna work if you’re hungry.” She wished she could ask if she could help, but she already knew the answer to that. 

The smile that appeared was tiny, but genuine. “You’re right.” She looked at her for the first time then. Sana saw the disappointment in them. Then she started putting together the books. 

Sana let go of her arm. She watched how Dahyun piled the different papers haphazardly on top of each other. They looked like older notes, but not all the sheets were visible for Sana. The only ones she could spot were calculations with numbers and symbols that made little sense to her. 

Then Dahyun was done. Both of them got up and went out the library. Some fifth years had come straight here after getting back, maybe feeling guilty that they hadn’t studied the rest of the day. Sana had not been like that during O.W.Ls. She knew someone who had been. 

“So,” Dahyun said. “Productive day for you?” She still looked put out. Sana wished she could reassure her that she was doing way more than she had to, but she had no idea what she was reassuring her about. 

“Yep,” she replied. “Finally finished a potions assignment I’d taken way too long to get to.” And a few other smaller things, but she didn't mention them. 

The small smile appeared again. “Good.” Her eyes were still distant. 

Sana would’ve taken her hand then, but there were people around them who would definitely spread that. The wrong way as well. She didn’t want to start any rumours again. Or add fuel to existing ones. 

“You’re not gonna ask me what I was doing?” Dahyun asked, her hand only lightly gripping the bannister. She was still distracted. 

“If you’re not allowed to tell me, then I won’t make you.” 

Her brow furrowed then. She looked guilty. Then it vanished. “Thanks.” 

Sana fought a sigh yet again. If only Dahyun could tell her what was bothering her. If only she’d let someone in on it. From what Momo had told her, Dahyun had barely spoken about Raven or Yuri. And Momo wasn’t that far off from being as close to Dahyun as Chaeyoung was. Dahyun was just keeping it all to herself. From what Sana could see, it was building to something that’d probably overwhelm her. 

They reached the ground floor without saying anything else. When Sana opened the door to the Great Hall, she scanned the Hufflepuff table first. She found Jeongyeon, Jihyo, and Chaeyoung. She looked to the Slytherin table and spotted Mina, Nayeon, and Momo. None looked particularly happy. There were also a lot of people looking between them. 

“I,” Sana trailed off, “guess we’re not sitting together today?”

“Guess not,” Dahyun said. Then her bottom lip jutted out. “Well, we’ll see both sides of whatever happened?” Her eyes had brightened immediately. An easy smile was on. Another image of hers. This was exactly what had made Sana feel uneasy before. Now it almost annoyed her, but she pushed that down. Dahyun had her reasons. Sana just wished she could know what those were. 

Sana went over to her friends, ignoring how people looked at her with unspoken questions. If she couldn’t even walk with someone without that being a speculated relationship, that said a lot for how Hogwarts students thought. 

“How was it?” Nayeon brightened as she sat down. 

“Great,” Sana admitted. “Actually productive too.” 

Momo smirked. “I knew she’d rub off on you.” 

She laughed. “Now I know how you passed the O.W.Ls.”

The other Gryffindor just winked. 

Sana went right to it. “What happened?”

Nayeon did most of the talking, explaining how Chaeyoung had picked up on her and Momo, taken it really badly, while Jeongyeon seemed to take it even worse. 

“Jealousy?” Sana raised a brow. 

Nayeon and Jeongyeon had started dating two years ago, secretly, because of Gryffindor and Slytherin still being at odds. The fallout had come a year later during fifth year, caused by annoyance and stress. Nayeon’d wanted their relationship to be official, but Jeongyeon had kept insisting it was better to keep it a secret. So Nayeon had pushed and pushed, but never crossed the line. Then in the middle of the year, it wasn’t enough. Nayeon had asked her one more time before actually going to her in a corridor and acting like a normal girlfriend. Jeongyeon had pushed her away. Physically. 

Needless to say, that’d pushed Nayeon far beyond her limits. She’d taunted her in the halls, goading her—all before breaking up. She’d flirted with others in her house, as well as out of it. Sana hadn’t been sure if it was to get a reaction out of her or just to get on her nerves completely. 

It was when Nayeon had kissed someone at a party that Jeongyeon had lost it. Their friend groups were genuinely close to fighting it out with their wands. The rest was history. 

Nayeon snorted. “Nope. Just mad.” Then her gaze softened. “She thinks I’d do the same.” She looked to Momo, a very clear question in her eyes. 

Momo smiled and took her hand. “I don’t.” 

“The rest of them do,” Mina sighed, “they can’t let it go. None of them can.” 

“She has,” Nayeon said, nodding. “Doesn’t talk to me like I’m rubbish at least.” She glanced at Sana. “And you said she’s honest in that way.” 

Sana nodded. “When it comes to that, she is.” She looked to the Hufflepuff table then. 

Dahyun wore a broad smile. It lit up her eyes completely. The rest smiled hesitantly. She was cheering them up. 

Then the rest of the Hufflepuff quidditch team joined them. Lisa wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She whispered something in her ear.

Sana finally let out a sigh. 

“You do know that’s a front, right?” Nayeon gave her a sympathetic smile. “Manoban's trying to make someone else jealous.” 

“And clearly doing it too well.” Momo elbowed her. 

“Shut up.” Sana whined. She watched as the smile grew and Dahyun leaned her head on Lisa’s shoulder. “Fine, it’s working, whatever.” She started eating. 

“The chicken’s already dead,” Tzuyu remarked. 

“Don’t test me, Chewy.” Sana stuffed a forkful in . She’d been starving. 

“Did you make any progress?” Nayeon asked. “The good kind.” She was playing around with her food, her brow furrowed. 

“She might’ve called it a date?” She told them about the first years. 

Momo laughed. “I love those girls!” She wasn’t having trouble eating. 

Sana did too, but that group seemed more unpredictable than they had been at their age. Which was mildly worrying, but also sort of exciting. 

“We should keep an eye on them,” Mina said. “In case they do break too many rules.” 

“Teach them not to get caught,” Nayeon said. “And get ‘em an invisibility cloak or two.” 

Momo raised a brow. “Really?”

“Maybe,” she winked, “if you can’t stop them, help them get away faster.” 

Sana knew that a few someones would call them absolutely terrible influences. Maybe they were right. 

She glanced at the Hufflepuff table again. Lisa was still glued to Dahyun’s side. Dahyun was still smiling brightly. From where Sana sat, she could tell it was genuine. 

And then something changed. Dahyun’s expression became slightly different. Then it was a fake smile. There was still laughter around them, but Sana couldn’t help but think that some thought had come back to the Hufflepuff. 

“Stop looking,” Mina nudged her, “eat your dinner.” 

“Yes, mother.” Sana grumbled. She still looked down. 

“I got us shield cloaks,” she said. “All nine of us.” She put something on the bench between them. “Give the other to Dahyun today on patrol.” 

“What did they cost?” 

Mina gave her a look. “You’re not paying me back.” 

“These aren’t cheap,” Sana replied. “Aurors use them.” Which meant the Weasleys—because that was an opportunity anyone would take—had hiked up the price. 

“And they’ll be worth it,” she pushed them closer, “Dahyun’ll feel safer. And I’m not telling you what they cost, because you’ll tell her, or she’ll get it out of you somehow, and then I have to ward off her money.”

Sana smiled. They’d come to know one of that group really well. 

Then it dawned on her. “Are you disappointed?” She looked at the table, purposefully ignoring two of them. 

Mina shrugged. “I should’ve expected it.” Her eyes gave away how much she hadn’t. “But I thought at least one good thing had come from this.” She waved at the rest. “We’d all be in a group.”

“Some of us are,” Sana poked her side, “we don’t have to like all of them.” Though a part of her was surprised at how big this still was. 

“Maybe,” she sighed, “but it still .” 

They talked about what they still had to do, carefully steering away from the more sensitive subjects of what exactly had happened today. 

Then they were done. Sana got up, avoided looking around the room, and headed quickly to the dungeons. She needed to drop her things off in the dormitory first. And shower. She could’ve gone to the Prefect’s Bathroom, but most of the time too many were there. Especially on a weekend. And she wasn’t planning on having any sort of confrontation. 

With still wet hair, her cloak, and loose clothes, she went up the stairs. She knew she looked disheveled and nothing like the Slytherin others had dated in the past, but she was surprisingly exhausted. 

Dahyun was waiting already. She wasn’t reading, only smiling gently as Sana came up the stairs. She was relieved to see it was genuine. 

“Hi.”

“Hey,” Sana said. “Let’s get started?”

Only a nod. Dahyun turned away and started walking down the hall. 

And there it was again. The awkwardness. The silence. Everything Sana hated. And she had a good idea of what the reason for it was. She wanted to ask her about it, but didn’t know if Dahyun would just pull away further. 

She had to try. “Are you okay?” She sped up so that they were level. 

Dahyun nodded again. “Tired.” 

“Just that?” 

“Yep, maybe a bit of stress,” a forced smile, “but you were right. Eating helped.” 

“Can we slow down?” Sana asked. “I feel like we’re running.” 

Dahyun slowed. “Sorry.” Her hands went to the pockets of her robes. Sana was sure one of her notebooks was in there. One where the pages were hidden to everyone but her, but she still wrote carefully, maybe not that neatly. Its contents had something to do with what she was still working on. For the Ministry. They were using her potions knowledge. It was perfect for her. 

At least it seemed like it. If everything else was happening because of it, how could Dahyun still think it was worthwhile? Sana had no idea what exactly she was doing, only that it couldn’t have been worth this. 

"Mina gave me these," Sana said, holding out the shield cloak. "Got them for all of us." 

Dahyun looked at it. "Wow, these are expensive." Her brow rose. "How much?"

"She said I can't tell you." 

A huff. "Guess I'll ask around." 

Then they were walking in silence again. Sana felt a nervousness and a growing frustration. They'd be able to talk if she knew more. It didn't even have to be about the Ministry, just about Dahyun. What she was feeling after all of this.

“Your mum’s lovely,” Sana said. “And I can't wait to try the cake.” She knew Dahyun had had a hand in that. Her mother had written as much in the letter. Her chest still tightened when she thought of it. 

Thank you for helping her when we couldn’t. I don’t just mean recently. 

All I know is that you took a liking to baking and Pokémon. I hope she hasn’t overwhelmed you with that gaming jargon. Even for a muggle like me, it’s a lot. 

Which is why I also packed in something to help you keep up properly with my daughter in that world. And to, hopefully, take her mind off of everything else. 

We hope you and your friends (both groups) are doing well with all that’s happened. She doesn't want me saying this aloud (which is why I’m writing this), but I’m so glad you’ve been there for her. 

Thank you again, Sana. 

“She also gave me a guide to the pocket monsters.” 

Dahyun turned then. “Really?” Her eyes were both wide and bright. Surprised and happy. “Oh.” She looked away, but the smile grew. 

Sana felt lighter just seeing it. 

“I’ll guess you’ll have other homework now,” Dahyun chuckled, “maybe I’ll give you pop quizzes.” 

Sana liked the sound of that. “Oh no,” she sighed, “another monster I’ve unlocked.”

She laughed. “Maybe.” Her eyes lost some of the light. Another thought had crossed her mind. 

The silence came back. Sana slowed a bit more, while Dahyun sped up. She watched as Dahyun was steadily getting a full metre away, then two. She knew how well Dahyun could concentrate. How long would it be until she broke from her thoughts?

It took a good minute. Sana didn’t call to her. She wanted to see how long it would take. 

Then Dahyun slowed and turned as she walked. A question was in her eyes, a furrow in her brow again. This time only directed at Sana. 

“What’s on your mind?” she asked, her usual poised smile came on. 

Sana didn’t want to see it. “Nothing.” She put on her own fake smile. Her face felt hot. Not because of nerves. 

Her expression grew serious, the corners of falling. “Really?” 

Sana couldn’t help but scoff. “So you’re allowed to lie to me, but I can’t pretend for you?” 

“What does that mean?” More confusion. 

That triggered something in her. “You’re pretending like you’re fine all day,” Sana said. “Sometimes you get so good I can’t even tell the difference.” Which unnerved her. “And then you lie to me every time I ask you something that’s a little too close.”

“Don’t say it like that,” Dahyun frowned, “I thought you understood why.” Her face fell. 

“I know why you do it with the others,” she said. “But not with your friends. Not with me.” 

The Hufflepuff looked at her for a long moment. Sana could practically hear her response. 

Why should you be any different? 

Just the thought hurt. Sana braced herself for the impact. Her saying that would hurt her more than Dahyun saying she regretted the kiss. Because they were more than they were last year. They were closer. Weren’t they? 

A hand cupped her cheek. 

Sana jumped. 

The hand fell away. Dahyun was frowning. “You're crying.”

Sana closed her eyes and wiped at her face. She was being pathetic. She’d already teared up, just at the thought of something. 

“I’m sorry,” Dahyun murmured. “You’ve seen me at my worst once, at places above that a few times too.” 

A pause. 

Sana peeked out of one eye. 

Dahyun’s eyes were trained at the floor. No put on strength or playfulness. Just Dahyun. 

“You shouldn’t have to see that,” she said. “I don’t want you to see me that way.” A dry laugh. “Where you just see me as someone who can’t go down the stairs without holding on to something.” 

“But someone who makes me comfortable and happy?” 

A nod. “Yeah, I guess.” Dahyun sighed. “With you, my friends, there’s a point where I stop pretending. But to get there, I can't think about the rest.” 

“Because the conversation goes somewhere else?” In the back of her mind, Sana caught on to the separation between herself and Dahyun’s friends. Was she less than that? Or just different? 

“Exactly,” Dahyun nodded, “which is probably not a great reason, I know.” She ran a hand through her hair. “But I just—I like feeling better. There’s a phrase, probably a muggle one, you know, where they say to fake it ‘til you make it. It’s for confidence, but I’m taking it here, ‘cause it fits. I,” she trailed off. “I guess it—it’s—I just,” her lip was pulled between her teeth, “I want you to see the good sides of me. Like when we talk about the muggle world, how things mix, how great at quidditch you are…that stuff.” She closed her eyes. “Merlin, just forget it.” 

Sana took both her hands. “I won’t,” she replied. “It makes sense when you tell me,” she let that sink in, “and that’s all I really wanted to hear.” It was something honest. 

Dahyun’s brow rose. “Really, that’s all?” The corner of her lip tugged up. 

“That’s all. If it’s really like that, then I guess,” she bit her lip, “I don’t how know how to say it.” It's enough.

“You don’t want me to lie to you?” Dahyun suggested. “And hiding's the same as faking it.” 

Sana squinted at her. “You’re too good at this.” 

She smiled. “I’ve been thinking about it a lot.” 

Of course. She’d been dealing with hiding her worries for a while. 

“And there’s not enough to prove me wrong,” Dahyun laughed dryly, “I didn’t tell my friends and Raven didn’t target them. I told you, and he did.” She closed her eyes. 

“Don’t go there again,” Sana tugged on her hands, “I told you it wasn’t your fault.” 

Dahyun didn’t open her eyes. “I can’t go home, Sana, because I can’t protect my family out there and I’d make it worse by being with them.” She sighed. “And I can’t tell you why, or what they want, because just knowing that could make everything worse.” She opened her eyes. They were teary. “But I decided to get involved and stay involved. They want me to reconsider.” Her hands were shaking. “And I don’t want to, but I should.” 

Sana wanted to know. Maybe she could help better if she did, but she knew Dahyun wouldn’t tell her. 

“So that’s why we shouldn’t bother about this. It’s something where we’ll just go around in circles, I’m hiding something from you, and that’s nothing you should have to put up with.” Dahyun sighed. “You can call me out on the bull, if you want.” 

“I won’t,” Sana repeated. “Because it’s not. Not really.” She pulled her in for a hug. “If you can’t tell me, or if you don’t want to tell me, that’s okay.” Even if she wanted her to. “But you don’t have to hide if you’re exhausted, if you’re angry, or anything like that.” She tightened her grip. “I’m right here.” 

“You don’t have to be,” Dahyun murmured. “You’ve done so much already.” 

That said another thing. Was Dahyun afraid of being a burden? Did she think that just because she was going through a bad time, they’d not be there for her? 

“No,” Sana pulled away, hoping Dahyun would meet her eyes. She did. “If you did something nice for Chaeyoung, would you really think you’d done enough? That you wouldn’t have to be there for her anymore?”

Her small smile was answer enough. 

“Just like how we’re not gonna stop going back to the common room together, I’m not gonna say I’ve had enough being here for you.” Carefully, she put a hand to Dahyun’s cheek and brushed away a few of the tears there. She brought up the other and did the same on that side. Dahyun didn’t push her hands away. 

Dahyun smiled. It was a real one. “Happy to hear we’re gonna keep our common room route system,” she said. “Really lets me have a whole lotta beauty sleep.”

Sana tried not to laugh, but she failed. “You’re great at keeping things from getting too serious.” But it wasn’t a way of evading it, at least it didn’t seem like it. 

Dahyun just didn’t want to spend too much time on it. 

“It’s a Sunday,” Dahyun replied. “A day for rest, relaxation, and usually no tears.” 

Sana realised then how close their faces were. Her hands were still cupping Dahyun’s face. Both of them. If she leaned forward ever so slightly, she could kiss her. 

She should’ve pulled away then, but she didn’t. She shouldn’t have let her eyes wander, but she did. 

Dahyun wasn’t pulling away either. She also didn’t look stunned. 

Sana looked up from Dahyun's mouth to her eyes to see them looking back at her. 

And then she heard something. 

Sana pulled her hands away and grabbed her wand. Dahyun did the same beside her. 

They rushed over to the stairs. Sana glanced back at Dahyun to see that, once again, all trace of vulnerability, as well as humour was now gone. 

“It’s alright,” Dahyun’s hand closed gently around Sana’s arm, “our friends’re sneaking around.” She pointed to the staircase coming up from the dungeons. Then she pointed her wand at them. “Just to check.” 

Nothing happened. 

Then Dahyun relaxed. “Do we go after them?” 

The six girls were going up and not outside. Were they coming from the Hufflepuff or Slytherin common room? Sana watched them. They were going to the library. 

“No,” Sana said. “But if they’re not going back by the time we’re finished, we find them.” 

Dahyun smiled. “Isn’t that encouraging them?”

She shrugged. “I loved to sneak out.”

A small pause. “Me too.” 

Sana gasped. “You?” 

Dahyun poked her side. “We snuck out together too, you know.” 

“I know,” Sana winked, “but didn’t you get more mature?”

“Debatable.” Dahyun started walking down the hall, resuming their patrol, as if nothing had happened. As if Sana hadn’t been so close to kissing her. 

They started talking about how often they’d snuck out. Dahyun had, unsurprisingly, been one of the people to sneak into the library, but not just that. She’d snuck into the Restricted Section with Chaeyoung and Jihyo. 

“How?” Sana asked. “I tried getting in a few times, but it never worked.” Apparently, it’d been closed off by a rope once, but after so many younger students had ended up learning things they really shouldn’t have, a proper door with a lock had been installed. Alohomora didn’t work on it. 

“Don’t pass this information on,” Dahyun said, a glint in her eye. “It’s a very well kept secret.”

Sana nodded. “I won’t tell a soul, not even a ghost.” Maybe Shuhua if she asked really nicely. 

“We used water.”

“Water?” She narrowed her eyes. “Really?”

Dahyun laughed. “Really! You can put it in the lock, freeze it, and you get the shape of the lock, as long as the ice doesn’t break.” She looked a bit sheepish. “Sure it took a while and we might’ve made the lock rust faster, but we got a key.” 

“Didn’t it melt?” Or had they also found a way to not do that?”

She nodded. “I found a book on alchemy in there. After spending a good two weeks on it, I finally figured out how to turn the water into wood, which wasn’t great. Eventually I got it to be metal.” 

“When was that?” Alchemy was only available at sixth year. 

“The water was the end of first year,” Dahyun shrugged, “and I finally figured the rest out in second year.”

“Second year?” Sana repeated. 

“You should’ve seen what Chaeyoung was learning,” she said brightly. “One of the reasons Ravenclaw didn’t lose a ton of points whenever Chaeyoung jinxed someone was because they couldn’t believe that she’d cast a spell like that. I think Grent was tempted to give her points once when he saw her cast a trip-jinx on Jackson.”

“Weren’t they wondering where she learned all that stuff?”

“Probably,” Dahyun chuckled, “but we weren’t that bad.”

Sana smiled. “You broke into the Restricted Section.” 

“But I never tried to vandalise a book.” 

She lightly whacked Dahyun’s arm. “That was one time. You did all that many times.” 

“Alright,” the Hufflepuff said. “I’m guilty. Many times.” 

They kept walking and chatting until they heard people on the stairs again. They looked to see the same girls hurrying down the stairs, giggling a bit as they did. They had books in their arms. They still let you take books out during the evening, despite it not exactly being allowed. Madame Kang had an understanding for late night revelations that needed a run to the library. 

“They’re off the hook then." Dahyun sighed. As if she hadn’t given them the list of books to take. 

Sana sniffed. “And you wanted to go after the poor girls.”

She chuckled. “Real hypocritical of me, I know.” 

There was a comfortable silence as they walked. Sana could almost forget how close they’d been. Almost. 

“Today was really,” Dahyun began, “great.” She smiled. True. “Except for how it ended.” She frowned. “Who would’ve thought?”

“Yeah,” Sana sighed, “do you think we’ll get back from that?”

“Definitely.” She nodded. “Jeong’s the one who needs to apologise, but Momo’s always been forgiving.”A pause as she pursed her lips. “And Chaeng has to see the other side too.” 

“And what about the others?” Sana didn’t think her friends had done anything wrong, but she wanted to see where Dahyun stood. 

Dahyun shrugged. “As far as I know, all Nayeon and Momo did was get together. Mina’s defending it.” A pause. “And Tzuyu’s innocent.” 

She smiled. “As usual.”

They kept walking for a bit. The silence was comfortable again. Sana nearly sighed in relief. 

“Right after they broke up,” Dahyun said. “I didn’t think our groups would be talking to each other. All of us were mad,” her brow rose, “it was like a war without curses.” Then she looked at her. “Unless someone got a puking pastille.”

Sana had to stifle a laugh. “Something like that.” At the time she’d been furious that Dahyun’s friends would be that petty. Looking back, it probably had looked hilarious. Nayeon probably still didn’t think so. Even though most understood the effects of a Skiving Snack-box, that didn’t mean no one had laughed. 

“Yeah,” she trailed off, “but look at how far we came.” She pointed between her and Sana. “How many people would’ve thought we’d be study buddies and patrol pals?”

Sana laughed. “Patrol pals?” Again, she asked herself, are we only that?

“Alliteration, remember?” Then Dahyun’s expression sobered. “Then again, we were pretty fine after they split.” 

Pretty fine. Sana wanted to tell her that it was very different to that. “I mean, it wasn’t us who’d had the break-up.” There would’ve had to be a relationship for that.

“No,” Dahyun said. “But we did kiss.” 

Sana whipped her head around. 

Dahyun wasn’t smiling. She wasn't frowning either. She was just looking at her. “And we both know how I reacted to that.” 

Sana just nodded. 

“I knew I didn’t just like guys then and I won’t say that wasn’t the problem, but it wasn’t the main one,” she bit her lip before letting go of it quickly, “but—I don’t know how to say this without maybe being—”

“You thought I was just interested in you for a week,” Sana finished. What was she supposed to say now? Her heart was racing and she was desperately hoping this wasn’t going to end in some disaster. She was also scared that it would happen. 

The other girl was quiet for a few seconds, her eyes wandering the halls. 

“But you said that changed?” Dahyun's brow rose. 

“No, I,” Sana was quickly losing her nerve, “if we—“ this was ridiculous. Sana stopped walking. 

Dahyun did as well, looking back. There was that same look from yesterday, one that was expecting something, almost hopeful. Hesitant too. 

“It was never like that,” Sana said. “And it–it still isn’t.” 

The Hufflepuff’s eyes were unreadable. Again. 

Sana forced herself not to look away. If Dahyun wanted to politely tell her she wasn’t at all interested, then fine. They were close enough that they could still be friends. At least she hoped so.

“When you say 'still isn’t',” Dahyun finally said. “What do you mean?” 

Sana chewed on her lip. She really wasn’t making it easy. And it wasn’t even on purpose. Yet Sana was scrambling for an answer. She was like a fish flopping around in search for water. 

“I still really like you,” Sana said, ignoring how terrible the words sounded. “I did then and I do now.”

Dahyun’s brow rose and her eyes widened. 

“But if you’re not ready, or don’t feel the same,” she was stumbling over the words, but they had to be said, “then that’s okay.” 

“Not ready?” Dahyun asked. “I’ve been single a bit longer than you.” It looked like she was fighting a smile. 

Sana wasn’t sure if she was avoiding the subject or actively trying to make light of it. Both cases spoke more for her not feeling the same. 

She felt her face grow hot. This was the moment she’d really not wanted to face. 

“Wait,” Dahyun frowned, “you mean not ready at all?” Her brow furrowed again. “I can handle a relationship.” A small dry chuckle. “It’s not like I’m emotionally drained.” She started to walk again. Her expression had closed off. Again.

“That’s not what I meant.” Sana hurried after her. That was the good thing about patrol. Neither of them were leaving any time soon. So Sana could either dig herself deeper into a hole or she could climb out of it. “I’m exhausted from what we went through,” she said. “I have no idea what any of it really meant, except for what I’m allowed to know and I’m still scared.” 

Dahyun slowed, but didn’t respond. 

Sana took it as her cue to keep going. “And because of all that, I know you’re even more tired than I am. You said it yourself, you want things to be normal and, well,” she pointed at the two of them, “is this really that normal?” 

Dahyun shrugged. 

They just stood in the hall then, neither saying anything. 

“You’re making this really hard for me,” Sana said. She wasn’t mad, but she was too nervous for this to go on. Dahyun had to say something clear. Either she liked her, or she didn’t. 

“Sorry,” Dahyun grimaced, “I’m processing it.” 

“Then let me make it easy.” Yet again, Sana tried not to sigh. “You said you can handle a relationship. Do you want one?”

“With you?”

Sana felt her heart plummet further. She just nodded. This time she looked away. “Just be honest with me. Don't talk your way around it.” 

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Dahyun walk over. Then she took Sana’s hand. Was this where Dahyun’s sweet nature would make the rejection easy? That would be just about impossible. 

“Hey,” a hand brushed her cheek, “you’re acting like I said no.” Dahyun squeezed her hand. “But I didn’t.”

Sana glanced at her. 

Dahyun gazed up at her and her smile grew when they met eyes. It was a genuine smile. “Can I kiss you?”

Sana blinked. “What?” 

“Or did you want to do that this time too?” 

She opened , then closed it again. Then she found her voice. “You’re sure?” 

Dahyun’s brow rose. “Want me to repeat it?” “

Sana raised her hand to her cheek. “No need.” Slowly, she leaned in. She expected some sort of jinx to knock her off her feet, some sort of interruption that would break them apart again. There wasn’t one. 

“Don’t be a wimp.” Dahyun chuckled. Her eyes were somewhere else on Sana’s face. It still felt like it wasn’t real. “Come here.” 

Sana smiled. She leaned in. 

Dahyun’s lips were soft like she remembered. 

She pulled her closer. 

When Sana pulled away, she couldn’t stop smiling. 

“This time," Dahyun said softly. Her eyes were still closed. "I definitely don’t regret that."

_____

Author's Note

It should go without saying, this chapter is a beast. However, I'm not sorry for the length this time. It was a blast for me to write, some scenes more than others, but I've finally been able to uncover a few of the underlying issues that've been present since the beginning of the story. The animosity between the two friend groups isn't just because of one factor. There are different factors strengthen the other reasons. Think Sana's dating habits coupled with the newer 'revelations' regarding Nayeon and Jeongyeon. For those of you who ship 2Yeon, I apologise for giving the HP version of them this backstory.

In honour of their comeback (which I highly recommend), but also because I adore having a group of chaotic first years starting their Hogwarts career, (G)-Idle featured a bit more in this chapter than before. Also, they're fully formed. Plus, they may or may not have found the best mentors of Hogwarts for sneaking around and (depends on how you see it) breaking into the library. 

Regardless, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It had its ups and downs, some which might turn into further dips, others that may turn into ups again. For me, it's been a return to their 'school life' rather than facing immediate threats like Raven. Even so, that doesn't mean that part of the story's over.

Would love to hear your thoughts about the (lengthy) chapter! Quite a few things happened, so zero in on one if that's what caught your attention the most. 

Hope you're all healthy and well. I'll see you in the next chapter!