Author’s warning: A narration heavy slightly angsty part 1 ahead. Brace for a rocky ride.

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It changes, until she decides for it not to.

“What have you been up to these days? It seems like you hang around Eunbi most of the time.” Minjoo asks, too engrossed to let her sight leave the current page of the Defense Against The Dark Arts book she’s in. (Chaeyeon has been looking at it for a long time already, a little confused with how the book says it is for fourth years. Then again, she is reminded of Ahn Yujin; Minjoo probably coming to aid her in her studies.)

“Just spending time with her, I guess.” Chaeyeon lets herself loosen up a bit on the couch beside Minjoo, who was sitting demurely by the edge.

“I’m actually impressed. Eunbi really never lets someone stick around her most of her free time.” Minjoo smiles smugly, sure enough that she caught Chaeyeon’s attention with the way she rose up from her lazy posture.

“What do you mean?” Chaeyeon asks eagerly, placing her chin on her palm with her full focus on what Minjoo was to say next. “Why does she like to be alone?”

Chaeyeon has been nothing but curious as to why Eunbi was that mysterious. It has been more than a month on her endeavor to get to know Eunbi yet there is still this invisible barrier that Chaeyeon still can’t seem to cross.

“It’s not my story to tell.” Minjoo monotonously states. “It’s for you to find out. I’m sure Eunbi is finally getting comfortable enough to tell you.” 

“Eunbi is… different...” Chaeyeon grunts, returning back to her former position, lounging lazily on the blue couch.

“I know. But I’m hella sure she’s going to tell you some time.” Minjoo pats Chaeyeon’s shoulder in an attempt to comfort the latter.

“Hella?”

“It’s a— You know what? Nevermind. It’s an expression.”

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Chaeyeon follows Eunbi roam around the castle first, letting her take her time and complete her rounds first then report to Professor Im at the Slytherin Headmistress office (Which Chaeyeon never steps into; She just waited for the head girl outside the office, trying not to look through the open entrance, where Professor Im’s dagger of a stare was waiting for her to meet)

Then they walk a couple more, Eunbi not leaving any corner unattended while the both of them garner attention from just simply passing by a couple of students of different houses. However, that wasn’t simply just the case. It was her, fifth year Ravenclaw quidditch captain Lee Chaeyeon with the sixth year Head Girl Kwon Eunbi. It was a pairing everyone was least expecting to grace the halls together, them suddenly representing truce for blue and green. Chaeyeon silently wishes for the attention to divert from them, for Eunbi to at least finally feel comfortable around her. Having a big name wasn't exactly convenient in times like this, and it’s not really something she wanted.

Just as Chaeyeon silently follows Eunbi, humming a couple of unknown tunes she just made up five seconds ago, her feet were starting to feel worn out. They have been walking for what seems to be ages already but Chaeyeon just shakes the weariness off her feet, then just kept walking with Eunbi in comfortable silence until the place finally became very familiar with Chaeyeon.

It has not been days ever since Chaeyeon has stepped on the Training Grounds but to feel the grass beneath Chaeyeon’s soles was enough for her to feel that she is now in her comfort place. However, Chaeyeon wonders why Eunbi brought her to this place. Out of all places, and out of all the people, why would Eunbi choose to ask Chaeyeon to go to the place where she was most familiar with?

“Here?” This was the first question in many moments they were silent. However, Eunbi just kept mum, just nodding in response with a light tinge of pink on her cheeks from the chilly weather. 

By the corner of the walls of the Quidditch Training Grounds by the wall, Eunbi led her before sitting right by it which Chaeyeon followed, sitting right beside the head girl. Despite the weather, Chaeyeon liked how peaceful everything suddenly was. Chaeyeon’s life has been nothing but filled with enthusiasm and fun, talking a lot with different people and hearing a variety of everyday sounds and the only time she hears a deafening but comfortable silence was when she was already in her room, having to rest after a very long day.

She never thought the Training Grounds could be this peaceful and never did she think she gets to spend a moment like this with just Eunbi, having to look at the nice view of the castle in the middle of the day. Chaeyeon admits that it does feel nice to be alone once in serenity, like taking a break from everything.

“I finally understand why you always wanted to be alone. This is amazing.” Chaeyeon leans back while she uses her arms for support then she hears Eunbi chuckle, both of their gazes still at the castle before them.

“I figured I should bring you here.” Eunbi hums before continuing. “I come here often to sort things out in my head.” 

“Is it because I bother you so much that you need to shut me up with this hella amazing view?” Chaeyeon teases which Eunbi just finds lightly funny. Chaeyeon has never heard such mellow giggles until she heard the head girl do so. 

“Where did you learn that?” Eunbi lets out a breathy chuckle.

“Someone I know.” Chaeyeon takes a mental note to thank Minjoo for rubbing the ability of making Eunbi laugh on her. Then silence followed again, just the sound  rustling of trees nearby filling the air between them and Chaeyeon is glad it wasn’t as awkward as she would picture it.

“Is there something you're thinking of right now?” Chaeyeon asks, turning her gaze from the view to Eunbi, laying a worried gaze on her. 

“Maybe.” Eunbi sighs. “I just wanted to feel like a normal one for a moment. No titles, no superiority, no anything.”

Then a beat of silence followed, before Chaeyeon asked another question again. “Why me?”

“What do you mean?” It was now Eunbi’s turn to be curious.

“Why did you bring me here out of all the people?” Eunbi doesn’t answer at first, her lips still pressed on a thin line while Chaeyeon’s eyes never left her, observing how Eunbi was moving and it seemed like the head girl was in the process of gathering her scattered thoughts from the corners of her mind and the least thing Chaeyeon could do was wait.

“I can’t explain. You’ve been bothering me a lot these days without fail, popping out of nowhere like a mushroom.” Eunbi sighs in an elated way. Just as Chaeyeon’s face was about to fall out of guilt, Eunbi clears and continues. “It made me think that maybe, I do want to be bothered for once.” 

Chaeyeon sees Eunbi turn to her, finally looking back at her with an unreadable expression but hey, it was something Chaeyeon would take any day.

“You’re really annoying and persistent, the first one I met since I existed.” Eunbi nudges Chaeyeon’s arm in the most gentle way possible while Chaeyeon still looks at her on a confused note.

“I’m sorry for that.” However, Eunbi paid no mind to Chaeyeon’s apology.

“The day at the broom cabinets. I came from here to there just to check but my emotions got the best of me.” Eunbi curls her knees close to her chest. “It was a letter from my parents. The type of letters you get as worst as a single howler but without the screaming.” 

Chaeyeon has heard about Eunbi’s parents already. Both of them are well-known aurors, her mother a muggle-born then her father a pure-blood. The Kwons were indeed a force to be reckoned with and it was no surprise that their daughter does take well from their image. However, the slight difference was just unlike her parents, Eunbi is still just as frail behind her compelling facade.

“No one has really bothered me yet with good intentions until you.” Eunbi continued with a smile. However, it was a sad one, a sad smile Chaeyeon can’t really comprehend.

“Why are you telling me this?” Chaeyeon’s voice failed her as it faltered halfway. Chaeyeon’s frankness was not even able to hide the chagrin she was feeling from seeing Eunbi’s dejected smile. 

“Chaeyeon, really. I appreciate your kindness but I’m not used to this.” Eunbi finally had the courage to turn and face Chaeyeon. “Like you said, I like being alone. I grew used to being alone. It’s better off that way.” Eunbi’s hands trembled on the ground while she fidgets with the grass beneath them, trying to calm herself as much as possible. “I can’t afford to live just to be a disappointment for anyone anymore.”

Chaeyeon is a sma