Looking out the window of her usual train cabin, Yujin observed the busy-bodies fumbling and bumping on each other as another year in Hogwarts was about to start again. 

 

Yujin, now in her fifth year, has gotten used already to being one of the early students to ever arrive at the station. Her father, being the pureblood he is, believes that the wizard who arrives early, is someone who will be one of the best wizards in the future which Yujin strongly opposes, given the procrastinating nature that she grew fixated on.

 

Nevertheless, Yujin still followed her father because her father has been nothing but kind to her and he indeed managed to take care of her alone and showered her with all the love and support (With a bit of his trickery, a typical Ahn.) which Yujin figures were the reasons why she inherited the traits to get sorted into her own father's house, which was Slytherin.

 

Being too early boarded in the train, she settles and warms herself up in the usual train cabin, chewing on her freshly bought Drooble's, admiring the chaotic but satisfying scene of another start of a new year.

 

Just as the crowd outside began to slowly dissipate, Yujin felt her green woolen sweater being pulled abruptly, which caused her to jump in shock. Only to find out that it was Yena, her wingman of mishaps and mischief.

 

On her first year at Hogwarts, after she got sorted to Slytherin, the third year Yena was actually the first one to shake her hand and offer her a leg of half-devoured chicken, the feeling of being welcomed all drawn from her harmless facade, enveloped Yujin's shy one. One wouldn't even guess that Yena belonged to Slytherin if it weren't for the green colored robe she was wearing. She was too kind-looking.

 

"Eyy! Ahn Yujin!" Yena was about to reach for Yujin's hand for a handshake but Yujin just smiled at her mischievously, looking at Yena's other hand that was hidden behind her.

 

"Don't even think about it." Yujin was fast to point out her wand against Yena's hand, which was retreating already, carefully removing the trickery from her palm.

 

"What a bore. I just wanted to try if it really works." Yena huffed while she crossed her arms to her chest.

 

"It will work. The Weasleys doesn't falter when it comes to their products." Yujin chuckles as she reaches out on the overhead compartment above them, almost falling from the sudden force from the movement of the train that was now steaming and preparing to go.

 

"Speaking of Weasleys, I spent some of my savings at Wizard Wheezes." Yujin pulls out a small bag from the compartment, then she settles herself by the window, with a foot distance away on the seat across Yena. 

 

She unintentionally buries her arm in the small bag while she reaches in deeply, the extension charm evidently working on her bag. (She learned it on her third year after being reprimanded by no other than the prefect of Slytherin herself, Kwon Eunbi, after pulling up Bang Bang Boggart Bangers she got from Yena during Care of Magical Creatures class, causing a panic to students and also to the unicorn in front of the whole class; She wanted to keep her tricks hidden up 'in her sleeve' after the incident.)

 

Yujin finally pulls out a couple of practical joke objects, from Dung Bombs and U-No-Poos, to the extravagant Basic Blaze Box and Crystal Incantation Rocket. Yena's eyes grew wide, her mischievous conscience starting to be as excited as Yujin was when she first bought it.

 

"You're a rich one! Blazing Blaze Boxes are expensive!"

 

"Nah. This is all for you to enjoy your last year, Yena." Yujin chuckles and high fives Yena, a seal of their mischievous duo. 

 

Just as the train finally sped up, their cabin door was abruptly opened, only to reveal Chaewon and Yujin's other pair. Her favorite. 

 

It was her Minjoo.

 

Not technically hers, but she was indeed Yujin's most favorite person in the whole world.

 

"Choi Yena, I finally caught you red-handed! You are to be sent to Azkaban immediately!" Chaewon shouts across the cabin, pointing at the firecrackers she has on hand. However, Yena just shoves the firecrackers away to Yujin's hands just to pull Chaewon and ruffle her hair, messing with it until Chaewon screamed for pity, Yena's green clashing with Chaewon's yellow from horsing around like they used to.

 

"Ahn Yujin, do something!" Chaewon tries to pull herself off Yena but she fails miserably. 

 

It's natural for them to horse around like this because Chaewon is indeed Yena’s bestest friend. The friend Yujin also befriends long after Yena told her that they will get along just fine and they did. Chaewon was a much more gentle version of Yena (Chaewon, after all, found refuge in Hufflepuff because of that manner). Yena was more mischievous with her mishaps along Yujin and her own set wizard wheezes. Chaewon was the wholesome version of the practical joker Yena.

 

"Better hide those before Kwon comes here and get those." Minjoo finally chimes in the cabin, then sits beside Yujin clumsily, clad in her blue-trademarked robe, a shining blue 'Prefect' pin by the logo of the school itself by her left chest. 

 

"Oh, Miss Ravenclaw, Kwon won't know unless you tell on us." Yujin sneers as she grabs her newly bought Wizard Wheezes and stuffs them in her seemingly small bag.

 

Despite being in different houses, Yujin has grown accustomed to her blue house presence. Given the fact that Yena was friends with Minjoo even before Yujin came to Hogwarts. Unlike Yena and Chaewon, Yujin was more gentle towards Minjoo and she kept her gentleness as they grew a lot closer over the years. 

 

Yujin doesn't even pay attention to their differences. Minjoo, being a muggleborn Ravenclaw sixth year, then Yujin, being a pureblood Slytherin fifth year. 

 

Through the years, Minjoo has been nothing but kind to her, teaching her things that are well related to the muggle world and not Yujin's world.

 

As Minjoo mentions about the wonders of the so-called being on-the-line or even Minjoo's favorite chocolate called Kinder Joy (Which, in fact, piqued Yujin's curiosity if that chocolate does bring instant joy just like it does on Minjoo), it suddenly became one of the reasons why Yujin grew fond of the company of the prefect. She was interested in learning more new things, learning more about the muggle life if it takes learning about Minjoo as well.

 

While Yena was busy bickering with Chaewon over some pumpkin pasties and cauldron cakes, Yujin takes this opportunity to scoot closer to Minjoo, eventually letting her arm pull the worn-out Minjoo into the warmth of her embrace. 

 

"Tired?"

 

"Totally. The crowd a while ago made me think twice on why I volunteered to take this exhausting prefect work but next year is my last year so I made the most out of it." Minjoo finally loses tension in Yujin's arm. (Something they already got used in doing ever since Yujin fell asleep accidentally while hanging by Minjoo's bed at the Ravenclaw house dormitory; Yujin woke up in Minjoo's arms while her roommates stare at their prefect, having to cuddle a Slytherin over.)

 

As priceless moments of trickery and lighthearted chuckles went by, Yujin didn't really notice until now that it was Minjoo's last year the following year in Hogwarts after Yena and Chaewon finally graduate. Along with Chaewon, Yujin met Minjoo through Yena during her first year in Hogwarts. The young and naive freshman Yujin was surrounded with the best people in school during her first year, and still now, during her beloved friends' last year.

 

She surely would miss Yena just as much as she would miss Chaewon. These two had helped her in surviving Hogwarts along with Minjoo. A sudden feeling of sadness envelopes her but she tries not to get too sentimental with it.

 

Holding Minjoo closer than she already was, the scent of Minjoo's signature floral woody musk fragrance suddenly seeped gently to her nose. It was the scent that Yujin takes as a reminder that another year was about to begin. 

 

"What's the name of the perfume you're wearing?"

 

"You won't find it in any store in Diagon Alley, Yujin. Let alone let your great family find it for you." Minjoo chuckles as they silently watch the scene unfolding before them. (Yujin thinks she should break Yena and Chaewon up anytime soon.)

 

"It's from a muggle fashion brand. My mother gave it to me. Now I think its scent's now imprinted on me." Minjoo draws some circles on Yujin's wrist whilst Yujin takes another whiff off Minjoo's strong scent.

 

"Tell me more about this... fashion brand your kind fortunately has in possession." 

 

"I don't really know a thing or two about it. My mother just buys it for me." 

 

A couple of beats of silence went before Minjoo jumped away from Yujin then she smacked her arm, enough to make Yujin flinch from the impermanent pain it caused just to raise awareness that she did something again.

 

"Stop sniffing me!"

 

"I can't help it!" Yujin aids her arm, caressing the hidden light red spot beneath her sweater. 

 

"Eyy, Ahn Yujin. Your dog senses are showing." Yena laughs as she envelopes her and Chaewon's trolley pastries to her chest, sharing it to her mischievous yellow-donned friend.

 

"I take well you're related to Fluffy?" Chaewon joked while she pockets a piece of pasty in her robe.

 

"Shut up, both of you." Yujin huffs defeatedly while the two just snicker at her wholeheartedly. Yujin just admired Minjoo's perfume, why the hell was she getting laughed at?

 

Maybe it was a bit overboard, Ahn Yujin.

 

As soon as Yena and Chaewon minded their own world again, now finishing their food up, Yujin then sees Minjoo shift beside her, getting something from her bag (A bag which Yujin admires, a simple one yet very stylish, like Minjoo; The wizarding world can provide her with lots of magical bag but this bag Minjoo possesses is indeed one of a kind)

 

"Here." Minjoo hands her a blue woolen sweater, the smell of her pleasing perfume hitting Yujin's nose very sudden, hinting that the sweater was doused in Minjoo's perfume. 

 

"Don't mind them. If you love my scent so much, you can have this." Minjoo smiles at her, the warmest smile Yujin has ever seen today.

 

"If this becomes too worn out, don't blame me!" Yujin wraps the blue one around her shoulders, letting her green clash with it while she lets Minjoo's scent transfer to her using the sweater. 

 

Yujin looks at Minjoo once again, who was now busy with her own things, fidgeting with her muggle color puzzle cube (That she has been solving since ages, which relieves not just Minjoo's own boredom, but Yujin's too, sometimes.) and then she pans her sight towards Yena and Chaewon, who were now sitting side by side peacefully, Chaewon's head against Yena's shoulder while they talk peacefully as the mornings in Hogwarts would be.

 

Yujin wouldn't trade anything else for this kind of train rides, her favorite persons with her in this secluded cabin and as she admires the peace she is currently in, she breathes in the familiar scent of Minjoo from the sweater around her shoulders, the scent making her feel like she is indeed home once again.

 

----------------------------------------------------

 

Sure, Yujin did enjoy her third-year at Hogwarts but as far as she could remember, what Yujin loved the most during that year was attending Defense Against the Dark Arts classes. That one subject she never pulled a prank on due to the fact that she indeed favors the subject the most. (Which was also Yujin's classmates' favorite, making it the safe haven they have from her mischievous pranks.)

 

For some reason, (to be specific, the reason was Yena mistakenly fed her a fever fudge from her newly-bought Skiving Snackboxes) Yujin missed one class in which they were taught about defending oneself against the horrors of the Boggart. Yujin never got to face her Boggart herself even though she knows the right spell to banish one. With that, Yujin never really got to know her fear.

 

Yujin was never the one to retreat from fierce challenges. From pulling pranks to acing different DADA exams and pop quizzes, Yujin's fear was starting to get buried within her to the point that she never really knew what it was. Her funny and charming facade was all that was left to see of her while her fear was buried beneath all under it.

 

As soon as Yujin remembers the reason why she wasn't able to observe Boggarts in a non superficial way unlike they did during their third year— or like only her classmates did— Yujin knew she had to ask Minjoo for help.

 

Minjoo fits well in Ravenclaw for the most specific reasons stated in Yujin's list written on a small parchment folded and slipped beneath the last page of her journal:

 

Minmin is INTELLIGENT. Minmin is as wise as an old wizard. Minmin looks good GREAT in blue (Yujin really doesn't know if this was a valid reason; "Does sorting hats consider looks as a reason?")

 

Knowing that Minjoo must have aced this task at hand, she wastes no time and finds Minjoo at the nearest corridor from the classroom, where she sees her doe-like eyes bulge gently through her skull, observing every student to make sure they were in order as she humbly flaunt her shiny prefect badge donned on her robe.

 

"Minjoo! Minjoo!" Yujin squeezes herself through the crowd, only for her hand to find Minjoo's gentle one and she pulls her along, leading her to one of the benches in the middle courtyard, away from the crowded halls of red, blue, yellow, and green.

 

"What is it? You're spoiling my afternoon rounds." Minjoo sits idly beside Yujin.

 

"I need your help."

 

"If it's about your pranks again I swear to god—" Minjoo was about to stand abruptly, readily walking away from Yujin when she stops her by putting her hand reassuringly on the prefect's shoulder.

 

"No! It's about... something from Defense Against the Dark Arts class." Yujin can't let Minjoo know this was just from her sudden curiosity so she lets the last sentence hang from her lips hesitantly, knowing what Minjoo was about to tell her.

 

"But I thought you're good at it..." 

 

"Oh really? Why would I be asking for your great presence if I am?" Yujin sneers while she looks over the courtyard where students are flocking and rushing to get to their next class. Luckily, Yujin's next class wasn't still until the next hour.

 

"Fine. What is it?" Minjoo asks, just as she rummages through the pocket of her robe.

 

"It's about boggarts." Yujin looks at Minjoo, who is now breaking her beloved Kinder Joy in hand. "I really never got to face a boggart that's why I need your help."

 

Eating outside the great hall wasn't exactly prohibited but no one really ever eats beyond the halls. Minjoo is a prefect, she isn't really that much scared of reprimanding because she knows the rules.

 

Yujin watches Minjoo scoop the almost liquid chocolate with the "plastic" (a term Minjoo taught her for these fragile things) spoon that came along the package while the prefect hums in deep thought, letting her wise words come up in her mind.

 

"Obviously Yena can't help you with it, she's too busy with courting a girl,—"

 

"Courting a gir—" Yujin's eyebrows furrowed.

 

"—Chaeyeon isn't really good with Defense Against the Dark Arts, Chaewon's God-knows-where, Eunbi is busy doing afternoon rounds which I was also currently doing," Minjoo glares at Yujin who throws a peace sign at her.

 

"Makes sense you asked for my help." Minjoo the spoon with a satisfied look on her face, the Kinder Joy doing its magic again despite being a muggle made candy. 

 

"Or maybe because you're always the first one that comes to my mind."

 

Realizing what has slipped off her frank tongue, Yujin suddenly had the crimson red color spreading across her cheeks. Minjoo didn't really react, she instead smiled shyly and peeled her eyes away from Yujin, directing her attention to her half-devoured chocolate.

 

"Fine, I'll help you." Minjoo peels the plastic away from the other half of the plastic egg, where Yujin's favorite lies, the toy that comes with the mysterious egg physique of Kinder Joy. Yujin really wishes Honeydukes would offer treats like Minjoo's favorite. (Maybe it'll change Minjoo's mind to not leave this world for her own.)

 

"Here. I'll see you after class, okay? I still have Potions class. Chaeyeon will kill me if I'm late." Minjoo hands her a funny looking figure which Yujin silently receives, all confused with what it was.

 

Yujin weirdly stares at the small figure on her palm while Minjoo walks away from her slowly, an evident pleased smile plastered across her face.

 

"He's Doraemon. I'll explain later! Same place!" Minjoo runs away from Yujin, disappearing to the shade under the corridors, walking with the flock of students.

 

Yujin's grip now tightens around the funny looking figure called Doraemon. Whoever or whatever he is, Yujin surely will treasure it with all her heart and maybe bring it over the Ravenclaw common room later, where they always hang.

 

----------------------------------------------------

 

Yujin wastes no time and as soon as she finishes eating dinner and washing up, she puts on Minjoo's sweater, the scent of the prefect filling her senses. Yujin would've loved to let everyone in the Slytherin common room smell her while she dons the blue sweater which strays her from the house she was currently in but that would've been too weird and time-consuming. 

 

So Yujin prepares her things (She almost forgot the "Doraemon" figure who's standing on her trunk) then hangs her scarf by her shoulders, letting the green and blue complement with each other but as soon as she was already prepared to go, she suddenly encounters Eunbi by the stairs, her hand holding Chaeyeon’s own, now seemingly off with their robes, their color-coded ties now hanging loosely on their white collared polos.

 

"Ahn." Eunbi sternly acknowledges her. Yujin doesn't really blame her. Her troubles are also shouldered by Eunbi, making the job of the Slytherin prefect a bit more challenging. Given also that they are roommates, with Yena (It has been like that since the pranks started.) thus giving Eunbi this scary but protective and caring aura towards them.

 

"Kwon-nie." Yujin smiles at her sheepishly but then when Chaeyeon waved at her, she immediately smiles at her ever so widely, offering a high five to the latter.

 

"Chaeyeon-nie!" 

 

"Yujin, Ahn Yujin!" Chaeyeon laughs along with Yujin.

 

"Off somewhere?" Eunbi scans the sweater Yujin was currently wearing. Yujin thinks there's no use in lying anymore so she just nods calmly then she fiddles with her green scarf in an obvious manner.

 

"Ravenclaw common room." Yujin smiles, which Chaeyeon snickers at while she leans against Eunbi's shoulder.

 

"Seems like we'll be exchanging. Girlfriend duties." Chaeyeon teases which turns Yujin as red as a phoenix.

 

"I'm not Minjoo's girlfriend!" Yujin denies very quickly. However, Eunbi just clicks her tongue at her, a hint of doubt lingering to its tone.

 

"Yeah, right. Better not a make a mess there with your silly pranks while Chaeyeon's not around. See you tomorrow, I guess." Eunbi finally pulls Chaeyeon to the stairs but instead of letting her pull her completely, Chaeyeon's lags behind for a moment and faces Yujin.

 

"Eunbi’s in a foul mood. See you tomorrow, Yujin!" Chaeyeon almost whispers before finally following Eunbi to the stairs. Yujin just shakes her head before she finally continues walking on her way out of their common room.

 

It's no surprise that even in the first week of classes, Chaeyeon was already spending the night at their room. Yujin doesn't really blame her. Vacation meant having time off from her loved one, Eunbi, a half-blood born witch with parents who often bring her with them on their business trips. 

(Explains her passion to become a prefect; her parents are both aurors)

 

However, the most sad reason of them all was this year's already Chaeyeon's last year to see Eunbi everyday, for this year's already the prefect's last year at Hogwarts. Adding to that, Chaeyeon is currently the team captain of Ravenclaw's quidditch team which makes their schedules a bit tighter than usual.

 

It bothers Yujin greatly that next year, it will be her turn to suffer from what Chaeyeon was experiencing right now, a great deal of utter sadness and anxiety towards having to separate from the person you most wanted to see everyday.

 

Yujin's stomach suddenly ties in a knot at the thought of Minjoo, finally living life in the muggle world away from her. It was suddenly dawning on her, the bliss of having the prefect in her arms slowly sink into oblivion and it makes her suddenly rethink of the past, if she has done enough to make her stay at Hogwarts contenting or more. 

 

After struggling a little bit with her breathing from climbing from the Slytherin Dungeon to the Ravenclaw Tower, Yujin tries to catch her breath by lingering a little bit more just outside the common room's entrance, just in time for Minjoo to arrive the same time as hers, still comfortable with her robe and still as fresh looking as she was a while ago.

 

"You look familiar. Do I know you?" Minjoo asks her in an innocent but pretending manner. Yujin doesn't even believe her even for a second. Minjoo is really that bad at lying.

 

"I'm no one, don't mind me while I hang around here with my beloved Doraengmong which a pretty friend of mine gave." Yujin pulls the funny looking blue figure from the pocket of her sweatpants which sends Minjoo chuckling at her antics, a sign that she finally raises a white flag against Yujin.

 

"It's Do-rae-mon." Minjoo rolls her eyes while she finally walks, approaching the entrance of her own common room with a Slytherin. 

 

"You look good in my sweater. Maybe you should have it." Minjoo winks before directing her attention to the door, a bronze eagle knocker waiting to be slammed by another student to enter the room.

 

Yujin silently blushes at Minjoo's last remark, not really bothering to speak anymore, afraid that she might blurt out a sudden confession which might lead to unpleasant events.

 

"Where do vanished objects go?" The bronze eagle suddenly spoke, letting Yujin hear a new conundrum for Ravenclaws to answer. Yujin did already attempt to answer one of those riddles but without Minjoo, she really can't get past the eagle. (Yujin now takes note of erasing the third reason why Minjoo fits well in Ravenclaw; Yujin does look good in blue, but she's never a Ravenclaw)

 

"Into nonbeing." Minjoo answers with such conviction, finally opening the entrance to their common room. Looking around, Yujin sees the usual sight she sees whenever she enters: a number of students hanging around the wide airy room with their head buried either on books or on the latest issue of the Daily Prophet. Either way, they all do love reading. 

 

They both walk in the common room, the sight of a stray Slytherin not really bothering them because they know Yujin, maybe Eunbi too. Yujin waits for Minjoo to scan the common room for a brief moment, just to let her habit pass by, before following her to the stairs leading to the dormitories.

 

Just as they were about to enter Minjoo's dorm, they were greeted by none other than her other roommate, Hitomi, a Japanese transferee who's the same year as Minjoo whom she befriends in no time due to her warm personality and cute traits.

 

"Yujin-chan! Long time, no see!" Despite her arm cradling books which were seemingly borrowed from the library, Hitomi still managed to smile at Yujin while she struggled to carry the heavy-looking books.

 

"Hii-chan! I was just going to study with miss prefect here, I hope you don't mind." 

 

"Not at all! It's not like you haven't stayed here before." Hitomi finally manages on her own. "I'm off to study at the Great Hall so the both of you can manage. Take care, you two!" Hitomi finally leaves the room in a hurry, leaving the both of them alone, together.

 

Yujin wastes no time and jumps on Minjoo's bed, getting comfortable with the comfort she always gets from it whenever she sleeps over (It's just the bonus. Minjoo's arms around her were the best part.)

 

"I didn't think you'll even bring Doraemon with you." Minjoo chuckles while she hangs her robe neatly on a hanger, the. loosening her tie, finally comfortably breathing outside her prefect façade.

 

"You gave it to me so I'll cherish this muggle toy." Yujin fiddles with it on her stomach. "What is this Doraemon, anyway?" 

 

"He's a talking cat from a famous Japanese TV show. He's famous among us."

 

"TV? You mean the mirrors that display different lights and moving pictures?" Yujin's face lights up at the memory of Minjoo having to explain what a TV is. She clearly remembers that day because Minjoo had to explain literally all day how it worked with her doe-like eyes filled with passion.

 

"Yes, that one." Minjoo chuckles.

 

"Oh yes, I remember that one!" Yujin exclaims proudly, wanting to impress Minjoo about how much Yujin finally knows about the little things in the big muggle world.

 

"I hope you do remember what you're here for too."

 

With that, Yujin groans.

 

----------------------------------------------------

 

Yujin lays supine on the comfort of Minjoo's bed, occupying her usual side of the bed while Minjoo lays on her stomach, her old Defense Against the Dark Arts parchment on hand and in fact, she was reading it out loud for Yujin to understand even more about this shape-shifting non-being.

 

However, Yujin's mind is too clouded, the thought of not knowing her fear suddenly emerging from her mind again. Yujin really wanted to know what her darkest, deepest fear was and for some reason, they weren't really allowed to encounter a boggart just by themselves. The students are too mentally weak, not really able to take on the horrors of the boggart as the professors would say. So Yujin really longs for the day she gets to encounter one.

 

"Yujin? Yujin? Are you still listening?" Minjoo's voice suddenly became clear to her ears which snapped her out of it, smiling apologetically at Minjoo.

 

"What's wrong? Is it already getting too boring?"

 

"No, not at all. It's just that talking about boggarts makes me wonder what I fear the most." Yujin fiddles with her Doraemon at hand. "You know, since I never got to face one." 

 

Yujin sees Minjoo shift her position from lying on her stomach to actually lying supine beside Yujin, ready to answer Yujin's sudden inquiry.

 

"For me, you really don't need a boggart to know what you fear the most." Minjoo states in an as-a-matter of-factly tone. 

 

"What do you mean?"

 

"Sometimes, your heart and your stomach does the job. When you feel your heart beating out of your chest or hurting, or when you feel your stomach twist." Minjoo hums in a calming manner, hoping that it finally answers Yujin's curious question.

 

Yujin just stays silent, looking back and thinking of the moments she encountered such sensation as mentioned by Minjoo.

 

By far, she has not really encountered enough yet to make her heart or stomach feel something but now that Minjoo has mentioned it, she fathoms within her memories and herself which she felt even the slightest bit. (Yujin now takes a mental note to request a pensive from her father the next time she sends a letter to him)

 

"How about you, Minjoo? What did the boggart look like when you faced it?" Yujin asks after a brief moment of silence between them.

 

"When I first encountered it, it looked like a ghost but then the second time around, it already changed into something new." Yujin silently smiles at the thought of the ghost turning into something funny in just one wave of the wand with the spell Ridikkulus. "Chaeyeon's fear was the