“I’m the worst.” Jinsoul just about slammed her head on the table. 

“And you just lost braincells that you need,” Sooyoung pulled her back up, “take a deep breath and think it through.” 

“I have!” she whined. “There's nothing.” 

Jiwoo patted her hand. “It’ll come.”

“All I’ve got is a hat,” Jinsoul retorted. “A hat.”

“It’s really cute and you made it,” Yerim said. “She’ll love it.”

“She made a whole room with fish,” she groaned, “I need to get something at least half as amazing at that.” She lowered her head back to the table, a bit more gently this time. 

Of all the times in the year, she hadn’t expected to dread Christmas. 

But then Jungeun had turned into an owl and made the most beautiful room in the castle—for Jinsoul. In less than a week. 

And here Jinsoul was, scrambling to think of a good Christmas gift. 

“She said you banned her from getting you a present,” Jiwoo said. “Did you mean that?”

“Of course!” Jinsoul shot up. “She’s not allowed to give me a Christmas or birthday gift.” 

Heejin frowned at her. “You’re willingly going to sit out on a gift she’d give to you?” 

She gave her a look. “She gave me a gift before we were even together.” Then she looked at her. “What about a niffler? I know someone.” 

“No!” Was the chorus around the table. 

Someone smacked her head. It was Sooyoung. “And it'll do everything the last one did and more. What do we do when it's set loose when she decides to go all owl and leave its cage open?”

“Jungie wouldn’t put it in a cage.” 

Another smack. “Exactly,” she narrowed her eyes, “knew it was a bad idea to get you two together.”

“It was a great idea,” Yerim said. Then she patted Jinsoul’s now sore head. “I’d take care of the niffler when she goes owl.”

“Enabling,” Sooyoung put her head down on the table, “I don’t need another terror on the castle.” 

“Then what do I do?” Jinsoul whined. “I just know animals. She’d love a bowtruckle, she’d never forget a fire salamander, but the rest of—”

Someone elbowed her. 

Jinsoul was ready to protest that she wasn’t being ridiculous when she saw Jungeun walking through the doors. 

She was just wearing a blue jumper, but the smile she had on was blinding. 

She came straight for their table, squeezing Jinsoul’s shoulder once before sitting down. 

“Everything okay?” she asked, looking between them. 

“Everything’s great!” Sooyoung said quickly, rising quickly. “What’s your Christmas gonna look like?” 

Jungeun’s brow rose and Jinsoul dreaded the moment she asked them what they’d just been talking about. 

Then Jungeun just smiled. “Staying here for the holidays.” Her hand brushed Jinsoul’s. 

“Did they send you the stuff yet?” Jiwoo asked. 

“The stuff?” Jinsoul repeated, looking over at her. 

Jungeun shot a look at Jiwoo once, before meeting Jinsoul’s eyes. “Hadn’t gotten to tell you yet. I applied for an internship. They sent me some work for the winter before then.”

“Did you get it?” Jinsoul pushed away all thoughts of the presents. She’d learned that Jungeun had been torn about what she was doing after graduating. She’d been getting good enough grades to have a decent selection, but she still had no idea. 

She chuckled. “I won’t if it , but they said I have it.” 

Jinsoul hugged her, congratulating several times. She couldn’t help but wonder why Jungeun hadn’t told her sooner. Maybe it hadn’t been for that long. 

But even then, Jiwoo had already known and she was almost certain Haseul and Jungeun’s other friends in Slytherin knew. 

Jinsoul pulled away as the rest started debating their next visit to Hogsmeade. 

“We’re not going to the Shrieking Shack,” Sooyoung glared at Hyejoo, “we know it’s not haunted anymore and I’m not going back through the Womping Willow either.” 

Hyejoo smirked at her. “And if I gave you five galleons for it?”

She hesitated. 

“She’s doing it!” Chaewon grinned. “Now,” she held out a hand to Yerim, “gimme a galleon and we won’t dye your hair purple.” 

Yerim frowned. “You were going to dye my hair?” 

“Don’t listen to them,” Jinsoul gave both of the Slytherins a sharp look, “and don’t pay them a thing.” 

Jungeun laughed. “You two do know she’d love the purple, right?”

Jinsoul lightly shoved her. “You’re their prefect! Don’t encourage them.”

She laughed harder. “I’m not! I’m just telling them they should think of something different.” 

“Maybe an actual Christmas present instead of the mess she got last year?” Jiwoo suggested. She was smiling, but there was a slight warning in her eyes. 

To her credit, Hyejoo only looked slightly intimidated. “That was a real gift.”

Yerim frowned. “Chocolate covered our entire dorm.” 

“And then we gave you the actual lava cake.”

“You had the house elves make it,” Jungeun said. “This year, try for something a little nicer.” She winked. “Like we talked about.” 

If Jungeun had had a hand in it, Jinsoul was positive Yerim would be getting a wonderful present. 

What did that mean for Jinsoul’s? 

She tried to hide her nerves. 

They were lessened when Jungeun properly leaned into her side. She didn’t like showing too much affection in public, but she was in a good mood today. 

_____

They were in the room, the stream still trickling in, despite the Great Lake being frozen over outside. Jungeun hadn’t wanted to let the room be at the mercy of the seasons. 

That meant it was warm enough for Jinsoul to take off her cloak and roll up her sleeves. She was lying on the moss, reading a book for Charms. 

Jungeun flopped on the ground beside her. She’d been practicing a spell for Transfiguration, something that’d only taken ten minutes. 

“Interesting?” she asked. 

“No,” Jinsoul marked her page before closing the book, “it’s just going over incendio and the dangers. As if burning is something we don’t already know about.” 

Jungeun smiled. “I’m pretty sure it’ll get interesting. Maybe they’ll talk about how you can change the colours of the flame.” She rested her head on Jinsoul’s shoulder. “Or more on how to protect yourself.”

“The introduction did talk about using water for it,” she replied. “Maybe there’s a way to make a wall of it.” 

Jungeun hummed once. “Should I get some more water in here? Then we can practice.” 

Jinsoul fought a sigh. “Not today.” She pulled her a bit closer. Once again, Jungeun was being doting. She wasn’t overbearing when she did it, but Jinsoul couldn’t help but feel subpar. “What’s the work you have to do?” She hoped Jungeun wouldn’t get overwhelmed with work. They still had a good amount to do for exams in the new year. 

“Not much,” she said. “But they wanted variations of that box stuff.” 

The boxes that had somehow transported everything needed for the forest. Jinsoul had tried to wrap her head around it. Jungeun had tried to explain it, but she’d shut it all out. 

Jinsoul looked at her. “Did you make them?” 

Jungeun blushed. “I had help.” 

“But you made them.” She grinned. “That’s amazing.”

Jungeun looked away. “Not really,” she muttered. “Things like that already existed.”

“Weren’t as pretty.” Jinsoul kissed her once. “You’ll make them here or do you have to go somewhere else?”

“I can stay here.” Jungeun was smiling, her ears still rosy. “Unless it distracts you?”

Jinsoul shook her head. 

The sounds of the stream were still there. Jungeun would start working too. So would Jinsoul. Maybe she just had to ask now. 

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Jinsoul asked, trying to keep her voice as light as she could. “About the internship?”

“I didn’t know if I’d get it,” Jungeun shrugged, “they’re pretty competitive.” She looked away then.

“And you still got it.” She nudged her shoulder. She wondered if Jungeun hadn’t told her, if she’d have just kept it a secret the entire time. “Will you tell me next time? It’s okay if you don’t want to—not that you have to tell me.” She bit her lip, looking away as well. 

“I will,” Jungeun replied. ”Sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I just wasn’t sure,” she bit her lip. 

“Not sure about what?” 

She shook her head. “It was stupid.” 

Jinsoul gently pushed her to lay down, resting her own head on the soft moss below them. “I doubt that.” 

Jungeun sighed once. “I started thinking about it because of you,” she said quietly. “You always know what to do next. You’re always keeping an eye on what you want to do in the future.”

Jinsoul frowned. “Not really?” 

She smiled and shook her head. “What do you do every summer?” 

“Well it’s not the same thing, but,” Jinsoul started. 

“Either you’re at the Menagerie, here for the creatures, or somewhere else.” She chuckled. “Someone actually told me once that you’d gone to take care of dragons in your third year.” 

“My fourth,” Jinsoul corrected. “And that was once for Christmas.” 

“Fourth year and dealing with dragons.” Jungeun looked at her, an undeniable fondness there. It made her face warm. “You know what you want to do. I guess I want to too.” 

“And you didn’t tell me because of that?” 

She shook her head. “You were telling me about the job you got with Professor Kwon. I wanted you to focus on that.” 

“I can do both.”

“I know,” Jungeun closed her eyes, “that’s why it was dumb.”

Jinsoul laughed and inched closer to her. 

“You know what else is dumb?” Jinsoul whispered. 

She peered out of one eye then. 

“Books that turn into dolls that sing Christmas carols.” 

Jungeun laughed then. “But they were cute!”

Jinsoul poked her side. “You nearly gave Vivi a heart attack. The dolls were terrifying according to her.” 

“They were based on yours.” Jungeun waved her wand and a book came to hover above them. Then it turned into a doll dressed in the red and white Santa outfit and started to sing. Silent Night with a set of strings along with it. 

Jinsoul picked it from the air. “She thought this was scary?” She hugged it close. There were small vibrations in time with the words of the song. “I’ll have to talk to her about that.”

She just patted its head. “They’re a little scary.”

Jinsoul sent her a look. 

Jungeun held her hands up. “But cute.”

_____

Hogwarts always managed to make Christmas feel warm no matter how frozen the outside was. The tree, taller than any Jinsoul had ever seen, decorated with baubles that might have cost more than the holiday should have been worth, but made possible through different conjurations and transfigurations. 

She started to go up the stairs, avoiding a trip step that she usually missed most other days. Then she looked back at the catalog she’d loaned from Haseul. Beyond which creatures she was almost certain Jungeun would dote on, she didn’t know what to get her. The others vetoed almost every other suggestion and the ones who did agree with her would support her even if she got Jungeun a dragon’s egg, no matter the threat a fire-breathing or acid-spitting dragon posed to the rest of the school. 

So Jinsoul was looking for books, trying to find something that Jungeun hadn’t already found by breaking into the Restricted Section and wasn’t too simple. In addition to Transfiguration, Jungeun did enjoy Charms. 

On the one hand, Jinsoul knew she’d be enabling even more of Jungeun’s antics, but the more she saw them, the more she smiled whenever she saw ink splattered across the floor, or the remainders of some other conjured monstrosity in a courtyard or in the fields.

Still, she did have to watch out every now and then. Jungeun had dropped a button on her way down from the Ravenclaw common room once and Jinsoul had stepped on it the next morning. Her robes had turned a bright green and her shoes to snakes. Not ones that bit her, but she’d managed to get both into a crudely shaped glass bowl and bring them to Jungeun, telling her to turn it all back before she banned her from the common room (for two days that could have been negotiated down to a day, or twelve hours). 

Then she heard a rustling noise. She looked up, only to see an owl almost freefalling between the stairs, before flapping its wings once and righting itself again. It perched on the banister of the stairs on the third floor then. 

Jinsoul smiled. She kept going up the stairs, closing the catalog as she went. She already had two books she wanted to look into more. One for the transfiguration of electronical things, an apparent cutting edge text for bridging the gap between muggles and wizards, something she herself wanted to see more about. Then there was another book for charming your own features to change. Jungeun had already learned how to charm her hair to change its colour, a spell invented years ago by previous students. She’d been talking about how to change her eye colour temporarily. Not just to blue or green, but to red like her animagus form. Jinsoul wondered if that wasn’t just to find a new way how to scare people in the halls. 

The owl then jumped off its perch, half dive-bombing again until she changed direction, flying in one large arc around the stairwell, before settling on Jinsoul’s outstretched arm. There was a gentle hoot of hello, before Jungeun hopped onto her shoulder. She nudged her head against Jinsoul’s. 

“You know Miyeon doesn’t know it’s you when she sees an owl in the halls.” 

A short hoot. Jinsoul chalked that up to being Jungeun’s I don’t care. Then the owl hopped onto the top of her head. Her claws barely dug in. Jungeun was always gentle when she did that. 

Jinsoul laughed. “You know,” she reached up and scratched her side, “I’m not sure if it’s the best idea for me to spend so much time with my girlfriend when she’s in owl form.” 

Another hoot and Jungeun was on her shoulder again, leaning her weight onto the side of Jinsoul’s head. 

“I like it too,” Jinsoul pulled her from her shoulder and into her arms, “but the conversation does end up being a little one sided.”

Another hoot, this time sounding a bit offended. 

Jinsoul laughed again. She patted her head. “But it’s nice.” 

Jungeun’s head bobbed once, before she was quiet. Tired. 

They went up the stairs, Jinsoul telling her a bit of the work she’d been doing by Hagrid’s hut. The groundskeeper may not have been doing a lot in his age, but that didn’t mean he didn’t keep his number of creatures down. There were Hippogriffs who’d just given birth. Jinsoul had been spending every free evening down there trying to get them to trust her enough to let her near the baby. Today she’d been able to pet it for a minute before the mother started to look at her threateningly. 

“His feathers were soft too,” Jinsoul told the owl in her arms, “like yours but even more. Almost like fur.” She danced a bit. “They grow fast too. When he’s older, Bruni might let me fly with her again.” 

Jungeun looked up at her, her head tilting to the side. 

“I got to fly around the grounds with her,” Jinsoul told her, “before she got pregnant and wasn’t letting me close unless it was to feed her or massage her wings.”

A sharp snort. 

“Don’t laugh,” Jinsoul chided. “They get a little touchy when a baby’s on the way. Even more when it’s born.” 

A small series of little hoots. 

Jinsoul hugged her a bit tighter. “They wouldn’t even let a little owl near them without trying to charge you. Or hit you with a wing.”

Jungeun let out a squawk then. 

“They have pretty good aim.” 

And then Jungeun was patting her arm twice. Jinsoul hurried up to the top of this set of stairs before putting her down on the ground. 

Then Jungeun transformed in front of her, her white feathers turning into a dark green jumper and black leggings. She looked up at her from where she squatted on the ground. The image made Jinsoul laugh. 

“Please don’t tell me you played catch or something with the hippogriffs,” Jungeun said, getting to her feet. 

“I did,” Jinsoul replied. “And cricket.” 

Jungeun stared at her. “Really?”

She winked. “Come with me next time and I’ll show you.” 

“But don’t they not like strangers?” Jungeun linked their arms as they walked. “Plus I’d probably smell like something threatening if we did go.”

Jinsoul gave her a look. She reached up and brushed some of Jungeun’s hair from her face. It wasn't always messy from the transformation, but sometimes it made it seem like her ruffled feathers would reflect in her hair after. It usually managed to make her laugh. “Planning something?”

“No?” 

“Sure,” Jinsoul kissed the side of her head, “and I don’t have plans to adopt a dragon.”

Jungeun did a double take. “You do?” Then she smiled. “Should we go dragon shopping? You wanted a Hebredian Black, right? Or a Fireball?” 

“Officially neither,” Jinsoul told her, even if one of them was exactly right. “Because no dragons allowed for a gift. I mean it.”

She just shrugged. “You did say no gifts. Dragons would break that rule.” 

Jinsoul wrapped an arm around her. “No gifts.” 

Jungeun stopped at the next floor and pulled her closer. “Then what are you doing with that book?” 

Jinsoul didn’t skip a beat. “I'm not the one who's banned. And it's for Vivi. You know how hard it is to find her a book she hasn’t read.” 

She just winked at her. “You could always get her a necklace. She still talks about how that niffler took hers.” 

“And Haseul got it,” Jinsoul protested. “Everyone should be thanking Eevie for that.” 

Jungeun nodded. “What happened to her?”

“I had to send her back,” Jinsoul sighed, “no one trusted her after she stole from Professor Lovegood.” 

“Except for Lovegood.”

Jinsoul smiled, remembering how their headmaster had come to her asking gently to get her wand back. She’d been mortified, but Professor Lovegood had offered to take Eevie into her office, saying it’d be nice to have her there and maybe she’d bring something back with a few charms on it. Jinsoul hadn’t asked after what that was, knowing full well she’d unlock a very long talk about nargles and other creatures. She liked those talks, but even Professor Lovegood could talk about them longer than she could. 

“The common room?” Jungeun asked then. 

She shook her head. “Library.”

Jungeun gave her a look. 

Jinsoul just shook her head. “You don’t get to be critical when you barely have a sleep schedule.”

“I’m working it out!” 

“You fly around the grounds at night.”

“And sleep during class, it’s perfect.”

Jinsoul nearly retorted that it wasn’t, but Jungeun’s academic prowess spoke against most of what she wanted to say. 

“Either way,” Jinsoul said, keeping them going up the stairs. “I need to go finish an essay.” And figure out what else to get you. They were already on the floor to the library. 

“I’ll pick you up,” Jungeun said softly. “And even if you’re on the last paragraph, you’re going to have to go to bed.”

“You’ll either have to sit there until I’m done, or go to bed.”

“Or I fly around the library and we know how they feel about that.”

Jinsoul lightly shoved her. “Madame Kang would find a way to put you in a cage or freeze your wings.”

“She didn’t manage it last time, she wouldn’t this time.” Jungeun then slowly turned her in the direction of the library. “Get to writing.” She tapped her head to the back of Jinsoul’s once. 

“That’s not as cute as owl you.” Jinsoul couldn’t help but smile. 

“I’m owl me.” She pushed her a bit more into the hall. “Go study.”

Jinsoul hurried down the hall, knowing full well that Jungeun would keep that promise. She had a few more ideas than before, but she needed the time. 

_____

Christmas was getting closer. Jinsoul was still nervous, but if Yerim’s word was anything to go by, Jungeun apparently didn’t know either (even if she doubted that). Of course there was the blatant refusal to acknowledge the ‘no gift’ promise, but Jinsoul had known she’d try to do something anyway. 

Jinsoul was knitting. It helped to ease her nerves a bit more. She watched the fire. 

She’d come back from early practice. The Slytherins had come after that, with Jungeun trailing behind, the edges of her hair singed. 

Jinsoul had made her stop and asked her if she’d blown something up. Jungeun had told her that she’d tried to iron her uniform. With her wand. 

When she’d gotten to the castle, she’d seen Hyeju holding robes half burned away completely, while Haseul was casting variations of reparo on it and the ashes on the floor. 

“There you are,” Sooyoung sat on one of the deep blue armchairs, “I’m dying.”

“Why?” Jinsoul smiled. “Eat too many of Jiwoo’s cookies?”

“That,” she nodded, “and I don’t know if she’ll like my gift.”

“At least you have a gift.” Jinsoul pouted.

“Don’t look like that.” Sooyoung threw a sock at her. 

Jinsoul tossed it back at her, wrinkling her nose. “What was that for?”

“You’ve got books and whatever that’s supposed to be,” she pointed at her lap, “all I’ve got are a new quill and something for that muggle singing activity.”

“Car,” Jinsoul started. “Car-e—” 

“Karkoke,” Sooyoung said. “Wait,” she frowned, before waving it away, “nevermind, but is it enough?”

She’d thought about doing something related to muggles too, but she both didn’t know enough about what Jungeun liked there nor did she know what was really a great gift there. 

She didn’t know in their world either. 

“Jiwoo’s been trying to think of a way to introduce more of the muggle world to you anyway,” Jinsoul replied. “She’ll love that so much.”

“Yeah?” Sooyoung lifted her head. 

“Trust me,” Jinsoul nodded, “try and get dinner there or around it too and you’ll make that one of the highlights of the year probably. For both of you.” 

She smiled, almost dreamily. 

Jinsoul fought her own. “Just as long as you figure out how to get there.”

“I’ll manage!” She straightened. “Their trains aren’t as different from ours.”

“They’re modern. And there’s those taxi things to worry about too.”

“I’ll do it.” Sooyoung nodded. “Somehow.”

Jinsoul laughed. 

The other sock was sent at her head. She threatened to throw it into the fire until Sooyoung gave her one of the muffins the house elves had gifted them yesterday. 

_____

Jinsoul walked in only to see Jungeun hovering right below the ceiling on her broom. Her face was halfway in the vegetation there. 

“Jungeun?”

She squawked. There was a crack. The broom fell to the ground and so did a small white figure. 

Jinsoul was running across the moss, barely keeping herself upright. 

Then she caught Jungeun, turning to avoid squashing her before she landed on the ground. 

“Are you okay?” Jinsoul looked at the very dazed looking owl. “Did you hit my arm wrong?” 

Jungeun’s red eyes cleared as she blinked. Then she was turning into a human again. 

“Quidditch really does help you in the real world,” Jungeun muttered. She whacked her arm then. “A warning next time,” she laughed slightly, “well, this is your room, but,” she trailed off.

“What were you doing?” Jinsoul looked up at the ceiling only for her head to be tilted back down. “Not—” Lips silenced hers. 

“Nothing really," Jungeun said when she pulled away. 

“You were on your broom on the ceiling,” Jinsoul replied. “You’re plotting something.”

“The ceiling's not going to fall in on itself,” Jungeun said. “I made sure none of the plants go in and weaken it.”

She frowned. “That’s what you were doing?”

“I did that alread—” Jungeun closed . “I was doing that.” 

Jinsoul narrowed her eyes. 

“Did you need the room?” Jungeun started to get up. “I’ll let you do whatever you were planning.” She reached for her broom. 

“You’re going already?” Jinsoul stood with her. 

“I mean,” she was blushing, “I didn’t really come here for studying.”

Jinsoul gave her a look. 

Jungeun only shrugged. “What’re you here for?” 

“I haven’t been spending enough time with them.” Jinsoul pointed to the pond. The fish had had children and Jungeun had expanded it. “Did you feed them?” She looked into the water, seeing them still nibbling away at the food floating in the water. “Of course you did.” Jinsoul smiled. 

“I’ll leave you alone,” Jungeun kissed the side of her head, “the Bowtruckles are shier when I’m here anyway.” 

“If you just sat down and did nothing, they’d come to you.” Jinsoul sniggered. “And didn’t smell like fire.” 

She looked down at her robes. “Nothing a bit of magic couldn’t fix.” Then she shrugged. “But have fun with Bulbasaur and Twig.” She went to the door. “And Leaf!” She waved, before leaving. 

Jinsoul pulled off her shoes and socks, rolled up her pants, and then slowly put her feet into the water. Immediately, she felt one of them, Hazel, nibbling on her toes. Jinsoul giggled and put her fingers in, letting her do the same here. 

“I’ve missed you,” Jinsoul said quietly. “Spending a bit too much time with the Hippogriffs maybe.” 

There was a rustling sound as one of the Bowtruckles, Bulbasaur (name courtesy of Jungeun, who’d told her the name fit perfectly with a muggle game), came closer. She looked at her once, before going to inspect her bag. Jinsoul had made sure there were no books that she’d find and realise had once been trees, before tearing them apart. 

After looking through the bag, Bulbasaur reemerged, let out a small set of sounds, before she hopped over to Jinsoul, crawling onto her leg. 

Jinsoul gently pat her head. 

“If she were me,” Jinsoul whispered, “you would’ve been the perfect gift.” 

The others came out as well. Twig settled on her shoulder, while Leaf decided he wanted to inspect her hair. 

Jinsoul sighed. “What can I do to compare to all of you?” she asked. “I don’t even know what I did to get this.” She looked around the room, from the pond to the large windows where its edges were covered in vines. She looked at the mossy floors and the flowers around it too. 

She remembered how Jungeun had hauled up boxes of blue velvet, filled with everything she’d needed to make this. She’d been so nervous she’d turned into an owl. Jinsoul still wondered how that worked. 

Then again, Jungeun had turned into an owl when Jinsoul had scared her just now. 

There was a high little squeak. Jinsoul looked down to see Bulbasaur reaching for the fish. They were surrounding her, both curious and potentially hungry too.  

She plucked her up. “No water,” she told her, “they’ll eat you or you’ll drown.” 

Bulbasaur stared up at her. Another squeak.

“You really should talk to Jungie more,” Jinsoul muttered. “You’re just like each other.” 

Still staring. Then Bulbasaur scurried up out of her hand, over her arm, and to her other shoulder. 

“Cute,” Jinsoul said. She checked to see if anyone was on her back, before slowly laying down. Two of them came to rest on her chest, while Leaf still clung to her hair. 

Jinsoul closed her eyes, happy to just rest where she was. The end of year sprints before the holidays in every single class were always hard. Jinsoul counted herself lucky she was on track and could afford an afternoon like this. Meanwhile, she knew that Haseul was scrambling to balance all of her classes, extra than their usuals, to somehow get the better grades for her N.E.W.Ts. Jungeun also had her own share of challenging classes, but she managed as well. 

Slowly, absentmindedly scratching the head of one of the bowtruckles laying on her chest, Jinsoul drifted off to sleep. 

_____

Later, Jungeun came back, pausing when she saw Jinsoul sprawled out on the moss, the bowtruckles also asleep on top of her. She took a mental image of it, smiling as she took her broom back up to the ceiling of the room. She looked back at her once, before continuing the work on the ceiling. 

An hour later, she woke Jinsoul up, careful not to touch the bowtruckle clinging to her neck. Two of them scurried away when they saw her, but one looked up at her with oddly inquisitive eyes. 

“She’s yours,” Jinsoul said. “The one you named.” 

“Bulbasaur?” 

The creature cocked its head to the side. 

Jungeun laughed. 

“She likes you,” Jinsoul held out a hand, her voice still heavy from sleep, “but that means you have to watch out when you’re here and she comes out.” 

“Really?” She looked at her. 

Jinsoul nodded, leaning her head on Jungeun’s shoulder. “She likes the water and Hazel would try to eat her if she fell in.” 

Jungeun looked back at the bowtruckle that was still looking at her, even though it was hanging on to Jinsoul’s fingers. 

She felt an almost overwhelming feeling then looking at them. There were leaves in Jinsoul’s hair too, a gift no doubt from the three creatures. This was why she’d made the room. She hadn’t expected she’d be able to come in like she did now either, but she was so happy she could. 

Jinsoul had plans too to bring in more creatures when she could. Some of them Jungeun barely knew a thing about, but she also knew that Jinsoul would tell her about them like she had the bowtruckles. She loved it when Jinsoul started to explain to her what the creatures ate, what they liked, what they hated, ways to get them to trust you. Jinsoul’s eyes always lit up for that. 

And they were always so bright when they were in this room too. 

“What?” Jinsoul was looking up at her. “Starting to love her?” 

Jungeun nodded, bringing her eyes back to the bowtruckle. “I think I am.” 

_____

It was the day of Christmas Eve. Jinsoul had everything she needed. She still wasn’t sure it was enough, but she was at a complete loss for what else to get. 

The last gift had come to her when she’d visited the giant squid at the lake. It was more or less frozen save for one section that Hagrid had asked her to melt away for the squid. She’d been throwing in chunks of meat and vegetables when two tentacles had emerged. One had dragged the meat down into the depths, while the other, as well as a third tentacle had grabbed the vegetables and thrown them right back at Jinsoul. 

She’d tossed more meat in, yelling an apology, before the same two tentacles had come out. They’d slowly wrapped around her legs, squeezing once, before letting go. When she’d looked down, she’d seen two matching pale gold rings around it, etched with the marks of the merpeople. They’d be on the rest of the tentacles too. It wasn’t a captive, living in peace with the community there. The gold bands were proof of that too. 

And then Jinsoul had gotten her idea. She’d hurried back to the castle, going to the Owlery to write out a quick order, before going back to the castle to gather everything else she needed, as well as a long stay in the library. When she’d gotten out again, she’d started her own patrol of the sixth floor this time. She’d also spotted how Jungeun tried to sneak past her in owl form, watching as she’d flown from the top of the banisters opposite her to the tops of paintings, waiting. She’d pretended to read something and watched out of the corner of her eye how Jungeun flew through to the seventh floor. It wasn’t hard to figure out what that meant. 

And now they were back in the Great Hall. Vivi, Haseul, Jiwoo, and Sooyoung had all gone home for the holiday (for some time also to each other’s homes). Yerim had stayed and smuggled herself into the Ravenclaw dorms to stay over with Jinsoul, with Yeojin joining them too. Hyeju and Chaewon had almost managed to come with her, but Jinsoul had banned them for all times except afternoon, knowing full well that the common room had the risk of becoming a war zone, especially when Jungeun was there as well. 

“Please tell me right now that we don’t have some animal-related surprise coming tonight.” Hyeju was grimacing. 

“I don’t,” Jungeun said. “Not this Christmas at least.” 

Jinsoul looked at her. Jungeun just shrugged. 

“Please don’t tell me you’re getting a Niffler.” Heejin lifted a brow. "Or some freaky thing you're convinced is cute."

Jinsoul laughed. “No magical creatures or animals this time.” Then she sent her a look. "And they're always cute."

“This time,” Chaewon repeated. “This Christmas.” She sighed, leaning into Hyeju’s side. “They’re threatening us with more in the future.” 

“No we’re not,” Jungeun took her hand, “it’s a promise.” 

There was a collective groan, while both Yeojin and Yerim clapped. 

“So when’s Yerimmie’s hair getting dyed?” Jinsoul asked. 

“I’m hoping tonight,” Yerim replied. “I’ve been excited for this.” She looked at the other two. “Better than a lot of what you might be planning.” 

Hyeju and Chaewon both stared at her.

“Won’t be Christmas unless my hair’s purple,” Yerim winked at them, “you can make purple hair dye in the Potions room.” 

“You don’t want them brewing a potion,” Yeojin shuddered, “I’ve seen it happen.” 

“Nothing a good visit to the Hospital Wing can’t fix.”

Hyunjin was just looking between them. “You’re as crazy as the rest of them are.” 

Heejin elbowed her. “Not sure if you get a say in this.” 

“You definitely don’t,” Jungeun chimed in. “You were sneaking out with me to—” She stopped, closing . 

“To?” Jinsoul repeated. 

“Nothing!” 

“We stole from the Restricted Section,” Hyunjin said simply. 

“Well I knew that.” Jinsoul laughed. 

Jungeun looked at her. “You did?” 

“Haseul told me a few things. And there’s some things I figured out when you started making those modified Exploding Snap cards and saw some very similar spells in the books there.”

Jungeun grinned, looking more than a little proud. Jinsoul had found that infuriating before.

“Can we please go to Hogsmeade now,” Heejin was getting to her feet, “I still need presents.” 

Jinsoul got up, Jungeun with her. 

“Any last minute Christmas wishes?” Jungeun asked, a playful glint in her eyes. 

Jinsoul just pushed her in the direction of the doors. “A nice warm butterbeer.”

“I can do that!” 

_____

When they came back, dinner was almost an hour away. They’d split up to get warmed up again from the cold and changed into clothes more fitting for a Hogwarts Christmas. When they came back down, the Great Hall was bathed in a golden light from the many magical lights that’d been conjured into the night sky of the room. The students who’d stayed over the break were there, their places filled with food. Some wore their cloaks with house colours, the others had abandoned cloaks completely. 

Jinsoul and Heejin found themselves a place at the Slytherin table where Hyunjin and Yeojin were already sitting. Food appeared in front of them almost immediately. 

She immediately started to fill her plate, watering at the smell of the steaming hot soup and goose. 

She was so absorbed in the food that she almost didn’t notice when more joined them. Only Heejin’s gasp got her attention. 

She looked up only to be greeted by a Yerim with deep purple hair who promptly sat down next to her. She almost looked shy. 

“Wow?” Jinsoul grinned. “You look amazing.” 

Beside her were Hyeju and Chaewon. Their hands were the same exact purple.

Hyunjin bust out laughing in the next moment. 

Jungeun sat down beside Hyunjin, snickering as well. She was just diagonal from her. She’d done her makeup, her blonde hair in a high ponytail, and her previously burned robes perfectly ironed over a white turtleneck. 

She looked beautiful. 

“What did you do?” Heejin was staring at Chaewon’s hands. “Did you massage the dye in by hand or something?” 

“We had the mixture ready,” Hyeju protested, “and it’s perfect, by the way, but when we cast the spell it was still in my hands.”

“Then how did it get on Chaewon’s?” Hyunjin asked between giggles. 

“When I was making it,” Chaewon grumbled. “But it worked.”

“Does it get on your hands?” Jinsoul looked to Yerim who shrugged. 

“We’ll see.” 

“There’s spells to just change the hair,” Yeojin said. “Why didn’t you just use those?”

“That’s boring,” Chaewon replied. “No potion, no risk.” 

Yerim blinked. “Risk?”

“You going bald,” Hyunjin shrugged, “that dissolving your hair.”

Heejin stood then and stuffed a spoonful of mashed potatoes in Hyunjin’s mouth. “Nothing that can’t be fixed in the Hospital Wing, like you said, Yerim.”

Jinsoul patted her leg. “And we’ll be here if your scalp starts burning.”

Yerim pouted. “You’re supposed to comfort me.” 

“I am!” Jinsoul pulled her flush to her side. “And you look very pretty.” She kissed her cheek. 

Yerim was smiling when she pulled away. “And if my scalp does start burning, you’re treating the rest of all our Hosgmeade visits this winter.” 

Hyeju and Chaewon just nodded. 

The dinner went on, a brief message from Professor Lovegood around the middle, before dessert started. There were several large mugs too that when lifted, filled with a hot chocolate. For those who were lactose intolerant, they just had to tap twice on the handles and they’d get a substitute. 

“Peeves and I have a truce this Christmas,” Jungeun was protecting herself from a small assault of cookies thrown over by Hyeju, “promise!”

“I refuse to walk out of there and get a face full of ink again.” Hyeju tossed a berry next. “Already have enough.” She brandished a purple hand in front of her face. 

“And you won’t,” Jungeun gave her a high five, “I made a deal.” 

“You made a deal with a poltergeist.” Heejin lifted a brow. 

“He wanted a platter of the most rotten cheese and I got him that,” Jungeun replied. “So he’s promised to leave us alone tonight.” 

Jinsoul caught Hyeju exchange a look with Chaewon then. 

“I was kind of looking forward to fighting our way down to the dungeons,” Yerim laughed, “but I’m glad we’ll have some peace and quiet on Christmas Eve.” 

They went on, part of the discussion being about the logistics of transporting rotten cheese that was horrible enough for a ghost to be able to taste it, as well as transporting it through the castle without anyone causing an uproar at the horrific smell. 

And then Heejin was yawning too much to say anything else. Hyunjin got up, offering to walk her up to Ravenclaw tower. Yeojin followed soon after, Yerim in tow. Hyeju got up, announcing that she’d forgotten something in the library. Chaewon had watched her go, the confusion almost too clear on her face, before she looked back at them, announced she wasn’t going to be the third wheel, before leaving too.

“Hyeju’s not done with her present yet,” Jungeun whispered, scooting down the bench so she sat across from her. “Think it was something to do with getting a lavender perfume finished and something else.” 

“Will it explode?” Jinsoul asked, feeling slightly concerned for Hyeju after the purple hands situation. 

“Already told someone to check on her. Then later I’ll go too.”

“Later?” Jinsoul reached across the table. “You’re not tired?”

Jungeun just smiled. “Are you?” She took her hand. 

“Not for a while,” Jinsoul laughed, “I think I ruined my sleep schedule again.”

“In that case,” Jungeun started, “can we go for a walk?”

Jinsoul nodded, picking up her bag and slinging it over her shoulder. 

Jungeun climbed over the table, before hopping down beside her. 

When they left the Great Hall, Jungeun was immediately pulling her to the stairs. 

“This wouldn’t be a walk to the seventh floor, would it?” 

“It would.” Jungeun was smiling, but her ears were already turning red. 

They made their way up the many stairs. 

“You look really nice,” Jinsoul said. 

Jungeun looked back at her. “You too. You always do.”

Jinsoul laughed. She was wearing slightly nicer trousers and a shirt. “It’s the blue.” She tugged on her robes. 

“And the badge.” Jungeun winked. She tapped her own green prefect’s badge. 

They reached the seventh floor, Jungeun still pulling her along.

“So I’ve maybe broken the no gift rule.”

“I would’ve never guessed.”

Jungeun sent her a look. 

“But,” Jungeun bit her lip, “it’s still kind of a work in progress. I didn’t think it’d take this long.” 

“That’s okay,” Jinsoul said as they walked. “Does it mean I’ll see you flying into the ceiling or doing something else too?”

Jungeun just shrugged, her eyes almost sparkling.

They were at the door then. 

“What happened to gifts on Christmas Day?” 

“It’s already past midnight,” Jungeun replied. “And depending on what’s in that bag,” she trailed off, meeting her eyes. Then she looked down again, fully blushing now. 

“Good point.” Jinsoul squeezed her hand. 

Then she was opening the door, pulling out her wand and muttering something. 

Jinsoul only heard a rustling sound, but the room was otherwise dark. 

Jungeun just held it open, looking up at the ceiling, before looking back at her. She looked nervous. 

She walked in. It was still dark, but there was some light. It became more pronounced when Jungeun closed the door. 

And then Jinsoul looked up. She gasped. 

The vines that had decorated the ceiling were mostly gone. It almost seemed like the stone had vanished, opening up to the sky above them. There was no moon, but only stretches of white speckles. 

“Stars?” Jinsoul gaped up at the ceiling. It was a sky she’d see looking up from the astronomy tower. Except here it was warm and she could still hear the steady and calming trickle of water into the pond. 

“They’re not perfect,” Jungeun scratched her neck, “I’ll keep working on them.” 

There might have been stretches where the stone was still there, but most of the ceiling was covered in night and stars. Jinsoul knew that they would be there too when she came during the day.

“It's beautiful,” Jinsoul said, pulling her close. “You made a perfect room even better.” She kissed the side of her head. “Thank you.” She hugged her tightly.

“You really like it?” Jungeun asked. “It’s not too,” she started. 

“It breaks the no gift rule by a lot,” she replied. “But I really do love it, Jungeun.” Then she pulled out her wand and cast a weak spell for light. It hung a bit above them, glowing enough so that she could see her bag when she took it off her shoulder.

They both sat down on the moss. 

“It looks like a lot, but it isn’t.” Jinsoul pulled out the first pouch. She made the light from her wand a bit brighter. 

Jungeun lifted a brow at her, the corner of her lip already tugging up. She pulled out the books, the smile appearing fully. 

“Aren’t you enabling me?” She lifted the book on pyromancy. 

“Trying to avoid another half burned set of robes,” Jinsoul replied. 

She held up the other about merging muggle technology with the wizarding world. Then the one of transforming your features.

“One I want to read over with you,” Jinsoul said. “If you want. The other because you like changing your hair. And maybe we can avoid another purple hand scenario.” She started to pull out another pouch. 

“How much is there?” Jungeun was staring at the bag. Even in the dimmed room, she could see she was still red. “All I did was—”

Jinsoul put the pouch in her hand. “You made me an entire room and gave it stars.” 

Jungeun opened it, pulling out the two hats. One was a lot smaller than the other. 

“Did you knit these?” Jungeun put the larger one on. It was a green beret with a blue pommel. 

“For both forms.” Jinsoul nodded. 

Jungeun was looking at the other one, a Christmas hat she hoped would fit Jungeun’s head when she was in owl form. 

“Jinsoul,” she started. 

“One more.” Jinsoul pulled out the third pouch. It made a small jingle as she passed it to her. 

“Money?” She was smiling, but still very red. Even her forehead was tinged with the colour. 

Jinsoul just waited for her to take what was in it out. Her chest fluttered with a small wave of nerves. 

Jungeun reached into it, her eyes flicking to Jinsoul’s the question clear. Then her hand came out again with the two presents. 

One had deep blue beads with a red and white feather. The other had dark green ones with the same two feathers as well.

“One if technically for me,” Jinsoul said. “But you can choose, or keep them both.” She took the one with the red leaf and put it on her wrist. “The red because, you know, your eyes and some of your feathers. The rest, our houses.” She bit her lip. “You can’t lose these. No matter what, I made sure they can’t fall off unless you’re actually taking them off. Even if you transform, they won’t fall off.” 

“You,” Jungeun started. “Knit a hat?” She looked at her, then back at the bracelets. “Made these? Then bought me three boo—” She broke off, the end of the word turning into a sound Jinsoul barely recognised. 

Then there was an owl in front of her. 

Jungeun hooted once, then again. She hopped onto her head, stomping once. It didn’t hurt, but Jinsoul laughed. 

Another hoot and Jungeun fluttered onto her knee. She looked up at her, hitting her once with her wing. 

“What?” Jinsoul scratched her stomach. “Too much?”

A sharp hoot was the response and Jungeun flapped her wings where she stood on her leg. She realised then that Jungeun’s feathers were ruffled across her neck, down her front, and her back. 

“You’re not going to attack me, are you?” 

Jungeun rammed her head into Jinsoul’s front, hitting it again and again. 

Jinsoul laughed, putting a hand over her chest to stop her. Then she saw it around her wing, a dark blue stripe. 

“Look,” Jinsoul smiled, “you’ve got a bit of Ravenclaw now.” 

Jungeun was looking. Her head tilted to the side. She stomped on Jinsoul’s leg once, but like the other smaller attacks when Jungeun was an owl, it didn’t hurt. It also explained why Jungeun was a bit more violent as a bird than as a human. 

Jinsoul reached for the Santa hat. “Can I?” 

Jungeun looked at her. Jinsoul knew exactly the incredulous expression she’d give her if she had her normal face. 

She put the hat onto her head, breathing out a small sigh of relief when it went on. 

“That’s not too tight is it?” Jinsoul asked, fighting a smile as she watched Jungeun tilt her head, the small Christmas hat on her head. 

Jungeun hooted once. 

Jinsoul cooed and pulled her into her arms. “Are you still mad?”

A muffled series of hoots. Jungeun’s wings patted her side. She hoped it wasn’t just her trying to punch her again, but she was pretty sure Jungeun was trying to return the hug. 

“Can you turn back or should I use the spell?” She put Jungeun back on the ground. 

In the next instance, Jungeun was turning back. She was crouching on the ground in front of her. The bracelet was still on her wrist. So was the beret, while the Christmas one rested on top of it. 

“Too much?” Jinsoul asked, raising her hands in front of her. “I wasn’t sure if this was enough,” she told her. “I thought getting more would do it, but then I thought that wasn’t enough. Then I was making things, and I liked them, but didn’t think that was enough. Then the bracelets,” she looked at her, “Jungie?”

Jungeun reached forward, grabbing the edges of her robes, before pulling her forward for a kiss. 

In the back of her mind, Jinsoul wondered if she’d have kissed her if she hadn’t turned into an owl, or first tackled her and/or smacked her arms. 

Jungeun’s additional kisses pushed the thought from her mind. 

“They were all perfect,” Jungeun said after a while, pulling away. “Gift bags and all.” 

Jinsoul blinked. She could still taste the hot chocolate. 

“I mean it,” Jungeun’s words got her out of her daze, “perfect.” She grinned at her. “Too much, but I love it all. 

“I’d say that to the stars too,” Jinsoul replied. 

She kissed her again. “So the bracelets,” she whispered, “you said for both of us?”

“I did.” 

Jungeun was pulling away. She came back with the green bracelet and put it on Jinsoul’s own wrist. “Thank you.” She knocked her forehead against Jinsoul’s. “This was a better Christmas than I expected.” 

Jinsoul laughed. “Which part?” 

“This.” Jungeun slipped her arms around her waist, before bringing them both to lie down on the ground. “Can we stay here a bit?” 

“I thought that was the plan.” Jinsoul dismissed the light so they sat in almost complete darkness. Save for the stars above and the leftover dim light still managing to make its way through the windows. 

“As long as you liked your gift.” “So if I didn’t,” Jinsoul started. 

“Either the lake or just back to the common room,” Jungeun replied. 

She hummed once, shifting until she was comfortable beside Jungeun. She looked up at the ceiling. 

“I really love it,” she said. “The entire room.”

“I’m glad.” Jungeun let out a soft chuckle. “But I have to say I like this place too.”

“Good thing I let you in here.” Jinsoul squeezed her arm. 

They were quiet for a few seconds. 

Then Jungeun was turning around. Jinsoul moved to face her. 

“Merry Christmas,” Jungeun said. She was smiling. 

Jinsoul echoed it. “You’re amazing.” 

Jungeun turned away, but she was still smiling. “Stop,” she muttered, “I’ll turn into an owl again.”

“It’s cute.” 

“It’s annoying to just be a metre shorter.” By Jungeun’s tone, she knew she was pouting. 

“Still cute.” 

“You think all animals are cute.”

“And you’re cuter.” Jinsoul paused. “Than most.” 

Jungeun poked her side. 

Jinsoul laughed. 

_____

Author's Note

A belated merry Christmas and/or happy holidays to all of you! I'd wanted this to be ready for Christmas day, but writing went a bit slower than planned. Still I hope this came as a nice surprise! I absolutely love Hogwarts and I really enjoyed writing owl Lip and the one-day magizoologist Jinsoul so it was nice to be in this world some more. 

This was a Christmas gift to you as readers. I don't know how many of you have read the first fic, but this was a continuation of it I hadn't really expected to write. Thank you so much for reading my works and if you're a new reader, thank you for reading this one as well. 

Thank you so much for everything. This has been a great year and I really hope you enjoyed this small fic. Hope you're all doing well and are healthy!