Changmin’s bedroom floor was, unfortunately, littered in bug carcasses. He groaned, grabbing the broom beside his door, sweeping up the dead bugs. ‘Strawberry,’ he said to the tiny dragon, which was currently rolling on his bed, his scales. ‘You can’t keep doing this, okay?’

The dragon snorted a puff of fire, thankfully dissipating before it caught the bed on fire. Changmin sighed, running a finger along the dragon’s spine. ‘Alright, well, just remember that we’re leaving today.’

Kyuhyun and Sooyeon were coming over to hang out, and then they would be going to Diagon Alley, staying there by themselves until September 1st. Surprisingly, no one’s parents had protested, but Changmin’s parents made him promise that he’d come back this year for Christmas.

Changmin didn’t actually know how Kyuhyun and Sooyeon would be arriving. Last time he and Kyuhyun went to Wales, they’d travelled by Floo Powder, but somehow, he had a feeling that Sooyeon didn’t like Floo Powder.

He was correct; they arrived by muggle means, waving out of the window of a white SUV. Changmin waved goodbye to his parents, and off they drove to Diagon Alley. Kyuhyun sat in the passenger seat, awkwardly turning around to talk to his friend.

‘Guess who I saw two days ago?’ he said mysteriously. Changmin could not guess. ‘Victoria! Apparently, she lives hella close to a family friend.’

Sooyeon looked at Changmin expectantly. He didn’t know what they wanted him to say, so he said, ‘Wow. Cool.’

Kyuhyun chuckled and let the subject drop. They chatted about mundane things, what everyone did over the summer, until they reached The Leaky Pub. There, a few bartenders magicked their belongings up the stairs into a large suite, and then Kyuhyun pulled out his Hogwarts letter.

‘Right,’ he said, looking it over once. ‘New books, new potions ingredients, yuck.’ Suddenly, his eyebrows knit together. ‘Should I get a pet?’

‘Please not a cat,’ Changmin warned. ‘I’m allergic to them and I will sneeze all over you in your sleep.’

Sooyeon giggled. ‘Don’t worry, Chwang, I’ll take care of it if he does get one.’

He high-fived her as Kyuhyun pouted beside them. ‘Who said I was going to get a cat? I want to look at the pet shop, come on, guys.’

It was Changmin’s first time in this shop. He couldn’t stop looking around at all the exotic animals and flitted around, trying to interact with them all. To his endless glee, he saw a completely jewel-encrusted crab and what looked like a normal pug.

‘That’s a crup,’ Sooyeon said, pointing to the pug. ‘Their tails grow in forks so they usually get cut off.’ She looked at him weirdly. ‘It was in Fantastic Beasts, did you read it?’

‘Um…’ Changmin realized today that he shouldn’t have slacked off during class. Sooyeon gave him a pointed look, and Kyuhyun joined them with what looked like a custard-colored puffball. ‘Is that also in the book?’

Kyuhyun held back a smile. ‘It’s a puffskein.’ He reached into the bag and the fur. ‘I had one as a kid, but then it died and I was sad for a long time. I’ll call it Nimblewimble.’

‘After your first one?’ Changmin cackled, and even Sooyeon laughed. Kyuhyun huffed but did not deny it.

In the week before school started, Changmin would like to say that they ‘ed around’, but in reality, all they did was eat ice cream, look at all the things in all the stores, and sleep. There was honestly nothing else to do, even though Diagon Alley wasn’t necessarily a boring place. Changmin was almost glad to leave.

He, Kyuhyun, and Sooyeon sat in their usual compartment, and not two seconds later, Victoria joined them. A few moments later, Jihye and Yunho also showed up. Jihye threw herself down into her seat, and Yunho hovered awkwardly.

‘Don’t you have somewhere you need to be?’ Jihye said in a bored voice. Yunho scowled at her, eyes flickering to Changmin, who offered a smile. Victoria stared at the wall stonily.

‘Nice to see you, Yunho,’ Kyuhyun said finally, breaking the very awkward silence. Sooyeon chimed in with, ‘Good luck on your rounds!’

Yunho finally smiled with his eyes, nodding in thanks. ‘I’ll see y’all later, then.’ He glanced at Changmin one last time before leaving. Changmin watched his robes, black lined with yellow, disappear beyond the corridor, and could not explain the emptiness within his heart.

The atmosphere within the compartment was not, so to say, it. Jihye looked out the window the whole time, and Kyuhyun and Sooyeon soon fell asleep. Victoria tried to make small talk, but Changmin couldn’t bring himself to respond enthusiastically.

Finally, halfway through the ride, Jihye turned to Changmin and hesitated. Clearly, she had something to say, but Victoria, senses sharp, beat her to it.

‘Changmin, I know you have a crush on Yunho,’ she said, and Changmin felt a sense of foreboding. ‘But he does have a girlfriend, and I really like you.’ Her eyes were wide and sincere. ‘I’d like you to give it some thought, and if you want, we can try something out. If not, we’ll still be friends. Okay?’

It felt like he had been hit by a train. Victoria liked him? What? Since when? Jihye’s eyes were wide as saucers, and the incredulous look on her face told Changmin that she didn’t approve in the slightest. In fact, she looked hurt and betrayed.

While it was true that Changmin found Victoria attractive, he’d never really thought about dating her. Jihye glared at him, willing him to say no, but he couldn’t help himself from hesitating. What would it be like to date her, to be liked and cherished? Maybe he would, at least for the time being, stop pining over someone he couldn’t have.

He looked at Victoria, uber-aware of Jihye’s stare burning into his head. ‘Okay, let’s try something out.’

---

As a girlfriend, Victoria was cute and bubbly, and Changmin liked being with her. Kyuhyun and Sooyeon relentlessly about it, and though he whined at them to stop, he didn’t mind. Jihye, on the other hand, had all but stopped talking to him. He felt guilty whenever he saw her, but she seemed to be pretending that he didn’t exist.

‘What’s wrong with her?’ he complained to Kyuhyun one night, letting Strawberry Swirl curl up on his stomach. ‘It’s not like I murdered her family or anything.’

Kyuhyun scoffed, tickling Nimblewimble. ‘You might as well have,’ he reminded. ‘Yunho, hello? She was really rooting for you.’

‘Yunho has a girlfriend!’ But a sharp pain stabbed through his heart, and he mumbled, ‘I have a right to be happy too.’

Silence, broken only by the quiet puffs of smoke that Strawberry Swirl blew out. ‘Yes,’ Kyuhyun said, ‘but she tried very hard, and I think she views you dating Victoria as a betrayal, not just to Yunho, but to her as well.’

Changmin stopped him before he could say any more. He didn’t need the reminder; he felt it every day, the low-level nausea in his stomach when he hugged Victoria and inhaled the sweet vanilla scent of her shampoo, when he passed Yunho in the hallways and smiled tightly at him, when he ran into Boa and she waved at him happily.

He felt it every day, and it hurt him, but he had to try to move on.

It was hard, especially since, being in more advanced level classes now, he passed Yunho in the hallways a lot more than before. The older boy was still prefect and Quidditch captain, and occasionally, Changmin caught him taking points away, a stern look on his face. The sight always caused his chest to tighten, and he’d have to wait until his heartbeat was calm again to walk into class.

The first Quidditch match of the season, thankfully, would distract him from everything going on. He and Sooyeon hurried to the Slytherin stands and Victoria rushed in the opposite direction. As the match was Gryffindor vs. Slytherin, it would have been socially unacceptable for the couple to stand together.

Changmin was ashamed of how relieved he was. Without Victoria by his side, it seemed like he could joke around without bounds again. ‘She feels like a mom,’ he said to Sooyeon as they squeezed their way to the front. ‘I don’t really like that.’

‘Have you tried talking to her about it?’ Sooyeon scanned the field for Kyuhyun. ‘Granted, it’s only been, like, a month, but still.’

He grunted unintelligibly, spotting Kyuhyun in the middle of silver-and-green robes. It wasn’t hard; he had a naturally regal air about him. That, and he’d begun to grow. He wasn’t quite as tall as Changmin, but that was because Changmin had undergone a sudden growth spurt during the summer. He was now about as tall as some of the fifth-years, which felt both awkward and exciting at the same time.

Suddenly, a flash of yellow from across the pitch caught his eye. Changmin dug out a pair of binoculars and looked; it was Yunho, looking forlorn. He had his chin propped up in one hand and seemed to be blanking out, but there was no mistaking the sorrow in his eyes. Out of curiosity, Changmin followed the path that his gaze seemed to take, and was hurt but unsurprised to see Boa at the end.

He didn’t know why it hurt so much. He jerked the binoculars away, rubbing his eyes furiously. He had a girlfriend, Yunho had a girlfriend, they were both happy. Well, okay, maybe they weren’t happy. But they were content, weren’t they?

So why was Yunho so sad all the time? And why couldn’t Changmin love Victoria the way she wanted him to? Sooyeon glanced at him, and for a panicked moment, Changmin thought he’d said his thoughts out loud, but she only asked to borrow his binoculars.

He gave them to her, and then tried to focus on the match. He cheered when Slytherin scored the first goal, and the second, but then Boa scored, and the match became heated. Despite everything, Changmin couldn’t stop focusing on Yunho. For some reason, he’d worn his Quidditch robes today, and though he looked hot, it was odd since he wasn’t playing. He’d propped his leg up too, and was leaning against the railing, a dark look in his eyes. Changmin found it extremely attractive, but he couldn’t get over the guilt of lusting after Yunho whilst dating Victoria.

Clearly, Sooyeon realized that something was wrong, because she tugged at his arm, and they left the match early. She didn’t ask, which he was grateful for, but she did tell him, ‘If you want to talk, you know where to find me, and what happens between us stays between us.’

---

A few days later, Changmin took a walk, accompanied only by Strawberry Swirl, hovering by his head. He didn’t have a destination in mind, just needed to clear his head. The crisp October wind struck a feeling of nostalgia into his bones, and Changmin headed to the Owlery, leaned out of the open windows on the staircase leading up, and sighed.

Strawberry Swirl let out a melodious wail, and he put his head down on the cold stone. ‘Life’s a mess,’ he said quietly. The wind snatched his words away, but it was better this way. ‘Victoria doesn’t deserve this. I would say that I don’t deserve it either, but I do.’

‘Deserve what? Pain?’

By this point, not even Yunho’s voice could shock him. Changmin turned around tiredly, meeting the other boy’s eyes. Yunho smiled, but it was a sad smile. ‘Changdol,’ he said quietly. ‘I know you’re unhappy. I won’t ask what, but no one deserves to be unhappy.’

Changmin couldn’t stop looking at him, even if it did hurt. His eyes, brown and illuminated by the afternoon sun; his hair, jet black and waving slightly in the wind; his stance, quietly confident yet also impossibly tired.

His breath suddenly hitched in his chest, and he wanted to cry. He wanted to run into Yunho’s arms, feel the older boy hold him and have him murmur comforting words in his ear, but it would be wrong, to Yunho, to Boa, to Victoria.

But why, why did he want it? It was a sin, yet Changmin delved into it, revelled in that feeling, and he was scared. He was scared of himself and what he might do in the moment, and so he fled. He ducked his head, feeling the tears prick at his eyes, and barged past Yunho, choking out an apology.

Kyuhyun found him curled up underneath his covers, Strawberry Swirl burning holes in the fabric. Wordlessly, he lied down beside him, and the night felt impossibly long. At some point, Changmin fell into a fevered dream-state where Yunho and Victoria looked at him with hate, and Boa taunted him for being a lost little child who didn’t know anything.

Finally, when day broke, Changmin woke up, drenched in sweat. Kyuhyun stirred, pulling him into a hug, and Changmin felt, for the first time in months, at peace.

Neither of them talked about it. There was no need to, and they went back to being the snarky friends insulting each other whenever possible. But Changmin avoided Victoria from then on, saying that his classes were too busy, or Kyuhyun wanted to talk to him.

He could sense how frustrated and angry she was, but stuck in his own misery, he could have cared less how she felt. Still, he knew deep in his heart that he needed to end things with her. But he felt terrible, and under the excuse of needing to find the right time, Changmin kept pushing it off.

The right time, as if knowing that he needed it, came soon, in the form of the Slytherin vs. Hufflepuff Quidditch match. Being a supportive friend, Changmin came with Sooyeon to support the Slytherin team. Victoria had also tagged along, but Changmin ignored her for the most part, leaving Sooyeon to respond to her comments.

Changmin, again in the first row, tried to focus on Kyuhyun instead of on Yunho, but Jung Yunho was hard to ignore. He basically glowed, and it pained Changmin to even look at him, so he didn’t. Instead, he trained his eyes on Kyuhyun, following his friend’s every move, even if it made him feel kind of nauseous.

The match progressed smoothly, but then, having spotted the Snitch, Kyuhyun and the Hufflepuff Seeker both shot into the air. It seemed that the Hufflepuff Seeker was a little too eager to prove himself, and he rammed his broom to the side, sending Kyuhyun flying.

The crowd roared in rage, and Changmin screamed. He could hear Sooyeon screaming too, as Kyuhyun’s body flew gracefully through the air. Then, he hit the ground with a whump, sand flying all around him like a halo, and became still.

He was whisked away, and the Hufflepuff Seeker, pale and clutching the Snitch, yelled something. Changmin didn’t stick around to listen; he, Sooyeon, and Victoria rushed down the stands, pushing and shoving anyone in their way.

Madam Pomfrey barred them outside, no matter how much they begged and cried, but eventually, she softened and agreed to let them in for a quick visit. ‘He’s asleep, though,’ she warned. ‘Don’t wake him up.’

Sooyeon flew to Kyuhyun’s bed and collapsed beside him, sobbing quietly. Changmin was surprised to find tears flowing down his cheeks too, and he quickly wiped them away. Victoria, for once, had nothing to say and only sat down. For a while, they watched over him silence. There was a bandage around his head, and his right arm was in a cast, but otherwise, Kyuhyun looked fine. 

Changmin only hoped he was.

The door opened with a creak, and all three whipped around, only to see Yunho standing in the doorway, still in his Quidditch uniform. He had an apologetic expression on his face, and Changmin was surprised to see Jihye trail in behind him, clutching her brother’s robes like a child.

‘I’m here on behalf of my Seeker and the entire team,’ Yunho said quietly, ‘to apologize for causing him harm.’ He hesitated, taking in the extent of the injuries. ‘I hope he recovers quickly. He’s a good player.’

Jihye stood behind her brother, looking at the floor. She glanced at Changmin, apology and sorrow in her eyes, and for some reason, that made Changmin break down. Clearly shocked, Yunho knelt down and took him in his arms, comforting him silently.

Yunho held him tight, and though Changmin could feel Victoria’s eyes on him still, he knew there would only be resignment there, and cried harder into Yunho’s chest. The older boy let out a sigh, burying his nose in Changmin’s hair, and in that moment, Changmin knew what he needed to do.

---

‘You don’t need to say it.’ Victoria’s voice, though quiet, echoed through the empty hallway. ‘I know you’ve always been in love with him.’

‘Yes. I’m so sorry.’ Changmin took a deep breath and forced himself to look her in the eyes. ‘I betrayed your trust and feelings, and I also betrayed myself, my true heart. You didn’t deserve this. No one does.’

Tears welled in Victoria’s eyes, but she managed a wobbly smile. ‘Well,’ she said, and stopped, choking up. ‘Well, I’m glad you found your true heart. I was very happy with you, Changmin, and I thank you for doing what you could.’

Then she ran away, and Changmin closed his eyes, leaning against the cold granite wall. There was a window nearby, and he slowly walked to stand in front of it. The setting sun washed amber over him, and he spread his hands, letting the warmth soak into his skin. A small scaly tail poked out from his sleeve, and Changmin smiled, letting Strawberry Swirl climb onto his hand.

‘That’s a very beautiful dragon.’

Yunho’s voice only served to amplify his sorrow, but he also felt more at ease than he had in a long time. With a small smile, Changmin turned to him, placing their hands together so Strawberry Swirl could climb onto Yunho’s fingers.

‘His name is Strawberry Swirl.’

Yunho smiled, watching the little dragon huff out a burst of fire. ‘It’s a good name. Strawberries are delicious. They’re my favorite.’

‘I know.’

Yunho didn’t ask how he knew. Instead, he smiled and placed the dragon on Changmin’s shoulder. Then, he looked out the window at the tranquil Scottish landscape. The orange light made him look ethereal, like an angel, but Changmin was tired of being hurt and could not summon more emotion than sadness.

‘I broke up with Boa,’ Yunho said quietly. ‘We were not a good match. She wanted more than I could give, but was unwilling to give me what I wanted.’

Changmin was unsurprised. ‘I’m sorry to hear that.’ Then, after a pause, ‘I broke up with Victoria as well. I was only dating her to distract myself from what I really wanted, and it was unfair to her.’

‘To you as well.’ Yunho sighed, and in this moment, he looked impossibly old. Old and tired. ‘That was also what I did. I am not proud of myself.’

There was nothing more to say, and they stood in silence together, watching the sun set over the gray Scottish landscape.

---

Jihye returned to being Changmin’s friend, though Victoria did not. For the first time, Changmin would be going home for winter break, and he was glad for it. This year had been too hectic emotionally, and maybe all he needed was to see his family again.

He brought plenty of snacks and joke items for his sisters, and his parents welcomed him happily, probably blaming his exhaustion on having travelled for so long. They stuffed him with food and chattered about how well he must be doing in school, and Changmin felt a wave of emotion rise in his chest.

He hadn’t been focusing on schoolwork, and it felt terrible to lie to his parents, but admitting what’d actually been going on felt silly. Changmin excused himself early and lied in his bed for the rest of the night, playing with his phone and debating whether or not to text someone.

In the end, he fell asleep and did not text anyone. But when he woke up the next morning, both Jihye and Kyuhyun had texted him. Kyuhyun’s message was short, asking him how he’d like to meet up after Christmas. Jihye had sent no words, only a video of Yunho laughing.

Unbidden, Changmin smiled, though his heart still hurt slightly. The sight of Yunho laughing so carelessly, so joyfully, was enough for him, and even if he’d never be with him, knowing that the other boy was happy was enough.

He replied to Kyuhyun and sent a thumbs-up emoji to Jihye, and then turned off his phone. It stayed off until Christmas Day, whereupon he powered it back on to wish his friends Merry Christmas. Kyuhyun responded immediately, reminding him of their meeting a few days from then. Jihye sent a bunch of Christmas tree emojis, along with a picture of Yunho sitting cross-legged on the floor, eyes closed in a smile, a Santa hat on his head.

The hat squished his bangs down, and they flopped over his eyes. The sight evoked such a pain in Changmin’s heart that he almost smashed his phone on the spot. Instead, he swallowed around the knot in his throat and sent a shocked emoji.

A few days later, Changmin bundled himself up and caught a taxi to Central London to meet with Kyuhyun. His friend, upon seeing him, immediately tackled him into the snow, and they rolled around wrestling until the cold became unbearable. Then, they casually walked into a fancy department store, pretending that it was okay for rowdy fourteen-year-old boys to be there.

Changmin pointed out all the ridiculous ‘statement fashion’ clothes, while Kyuhyun was simply awed at how muggle department stores worked. He seemed especially caught up on the escalators, comparing them to Hogwarts’ own moving staircases. He insisted on riding them over and over, and Changmin, doubled over in laughter, accompanied him.

For the first time in months, Changmin felt happy.

---

‘Imagine not liking transfiguration.’

Changmin groaned, but Jihye slapped his head. ‘Hey, I didn’t say I wouldn’t help you. Get off the book and I’ll show you how to do it.’

He followed her every movement, copied them to a T, but the rat in the cage still wouldn’t turn into a guinea pig. Changmin threw down his wand and banged his head on the table. ‘This is impossible,’ he whimpered.

Jihye sighed, throwing a piece of cloth over the rat cage. ‘You know, you could always ask Yunho to help you again.’

There was no way he was doing that, and she knew it. Changmin sighed and peeled his bruised forehead off of the table. ‘Let’s try it again.’

But alas, there was no progress. If it was possible to make negative progress, Changmin would be doing that. Finally, unable to stand more of this struggle, he’d reluctantly agreed for Jihye to flag down Yunho.

When the older boy came over, it was with a genuine smile on his face. He seemed lighter, happier, like a child again. ‘Ah, it’s the rat one, isn’t it? Don’t worry, a lot of people struggled in our year. I’m sure you’ll get it! Now, let’s start with the basics.’

Changmin didn’t know if it was Yunho’s teaching skills or the fact that he could focus better now, but he succeeded after only a few tries. Beside him, Jihye scoffed. ‘Of course,’ she muttered, and Yunho ruffled her hair affectionately.

‘Do you have any plans for the weekend, Changmin?’ Yunho asked casually, watching him pack up his books. ‘Want to go to Hogsmeade? Jihye’s been wanting to go, so I thought we could all go together. Kyuhyun and his girlfriend too.’

Jihye glared at her brother, but Changmin jumped on the opportunity. ‘Sure!’ he said, hoping that he didn’t sound too enthusiastic. ‘I’ll ask Kyu about it later.’

Yunho’s eyes crinkled into crescents, and he touched Changmin’s shoulder briefly before heading off. Jihye practically hissed with wrath.

‘He’s so unnecessarily protective!’ She jabbed her wand in the air angrily. ‘I don’t need his permission to go to Hogsmeade! But somehow, every time I sneak out, he always finds out! I hate it!’

Changmin only laughed, and she turned to him. ‘Of course you don’t mind!’ He knew she didn’t mean any harm and only shook his head in amusement, leaving her seething as he left to look for Kyuhyun.

Unfortunately, Kyuhyun was not free for the weekend, and Sooyeon came down with a headache the night before, so Changmin walked to the front doors alone. Yunho and Jihye were already there, and they headed off together through the cold.

The Three Broomsticks was, as always, warm and lively. Yunho seemed to know everyone there, greeting everyone with a casual ‘hey there’. Jihye pulled off her scarf and sat down heavily in a chair. ‘I hate winter.’

‘It’s not that bad,’ Changmin said right as Madam Rosmerta approached them. He smiled politely at her, and Yunho also flashed a tight smile. Jihye ordered three Butterbeers.

‘My dear brother doesn’t find the madame quite as charming as some of our peers,’ she said with a glint in her eye. Yunho gave her an annoyed look, but Changmin hummed.

‘Me neither,’ he admitted. ‘She’s nice and pretty, just not my type.’

Yunho snapped his fingers. ‘Exactly!’ he said, leaning back in his seat. ‘As expected, Changmin knows what I’m talking about.’

Jihye made a face, but the Butterbeers arrived at that moment, and the conversation dropped in favor of sipping the rich, smooth drink. Changmin realized that Yunho barely touched his drink, pushing it to Jihye after a few mouthfuls. She took the bottle, throwing it back like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Noticing Changmin staring, Yunho smiled. ‘I don’t like to drink,’ he explained, ‘but Jihye loves this stuff, so I give her mine.’

They had a strong bond, Changmin suddenly realized. Sure, she always insulted him, and he might have been a tad overprotective, but they cared deeply for each other, even if it didn’t seem that way. Hell, Yunho even went out of his way to order a drink he hated only to give it to his sister.

Sitting with them, Changmin had a feeling that he had been accepted into the family too, was as close to them as siblings were. He had an urge to laugh but managed to hold it in. If only Kyuhyun had come along; he wouldn’t have said anything, but he would have looked at Changmin with eyes that plainly said, ‘I told you so.’

He tuned back into the conversation when Yunho said his name. ‘How’s studying going?’ he asked, fingers tapping some soundless melody into the table. ‘You take your OWLs this year, right?’

‘Next.’ Jihye finished the second bottle of Butterbeer with a satisfied sigh. ‘I can’t believe you have such a bad memory.’

Yunho shrugged. ‘I have more important things to remember.’ He flashed a smile at Changmin and fell quiet. As if she hadn’t noticed anything, Jihye continued talking about how Flitwick gave too much charms homework, how it was way too cold to learn anything in Care of Magical Creatures, and Yunho nodded along, eyes trained on the table in front of him.

He really had beautiful features, Changmin thought. His lashes brushed against his skin when he blinked, and the smile that rested on his face was gentle, affectionate, and his cheeks were so damn squishable. Changmin wanted to run his hands across his face, but the mere thought of that caused his heart to hurt, so he forced himself to stop thinking.

Afterwards, they went to Honeydukes because Jihye wanted to stock up on Chocolate Frogs. Yunho picked up a heart-shaped candy - it would be Valentine’s Day in a week - and jokingly presented it to Changmin. He desperately wanted to accept it for real, but as it was, he swallowed the pain and jokingly took it, holding it to his heart with a smile.

Changmin spied Jihye watching from a while away, smiling, though she seemed a bit worried. He couldn’t lie; he was worried too, worried that he’d fall to deep for Yunho only to get his heart broken again. This year was tough enough already, and he doubted that he could take another one.

Despite everything, they still spent the whole day at Hogsmeade, and by the time they stepped back inside Hogwarts, the sky was already dark, and Changmin could barely see five feet in front of him. They headed off to the Great Hall for dinner, and Kyuhyun nearly spit out his food when he saw them walking together.

‘Dude,’ he whispered when Changmin sat down. ‘Is this progress?’

Changmin shrugged, but couldn’t help the grin spreading across his face. ‘I don’t know. But I hope so.’

Sooyeon looked like she was going to cry out of happiness, and Changmin dug into his food, heart full to the point of bursting.

---

During April, right before exams, Care of Magical Creatures took them on a trip to the Scottish moors. The heather was just beginning to bloom, and though they were technically there to search for magical creatures, the sky was cerulean blue and the day was gorgeous. Soon, Hagrid gave up trying to wrangle them in and let them play around.

Changmin and Kyuhyun walked up a small hill and stood, looking over the light purple landscape. The wind rose, and Changmin threw his hands into the air, yelling out. Kyuhyun joined him, and soon, everyone was yelling.

Things would be okay, Changmin knew. He had his friends, and even if Yunho didn’t like him back, they were still friends. Life would be okay.

He would be okay. 

---

it sounds like the end but it's not; there's one more part before i start on the bonus stories lol