"That's why you went to Durm?" Heejin's voice softens with a bit of disbelief, her mind now engrossed with Hyunjin's past. "I-... I'm sorry."

"No, don't be," Hyunjin reassures. "It's not like it was horrible the entire time I was there. There were some good, even great moments actually."

Heejin gives a small smile.

"And believe me, I'm not telling you all of this to diverge from your question," Hyunjin says quickly. To be honest, Heejin nearly forgot about her question that had started Hyunjin's reveal, but she's glad to know that the Slytherin wanted to give her an answer instead of keeping her left to wonder. "There's a point to all of this, I promise."

Heejin nods understandably so Hyunjin continues.

----- | Hyunjin - Year 1 at Durmstrang | -----

Early on, Hyunjin made it very clear that she wasn't there as some sort of joke like how some of the Durmstrang boys had tried to make it out to be. She was only there for a week and there were already so many rumors as to why Hyunjin had attended the school with many boys refusing to believe that she was there for quidditch.

Ultimately, there were two reasons as to why she was there. 

Of course, none of them managed to guess the first, more private reason and thankfully, her first quidditch practice led them to drop the rumors altogether because she was able to prove the second, 'the one to tell people' reason.

"Show 'em how it's done," was all Coach Park told her before the scrimmage had begun. When she had introduced herself and told the other players that her position was seeker, she could see a lot of them trying to hold back their laughter while some stayed stoic. One would think it would make her want to shrink and disappear, but instead it only fueled her desire to regret their quick judgement.

Long story short, she beat the school record for the fastest time to catch the snitch. That record was formerly held by the team's current seeker, who was a 7th year, and the person she also had to play against.

So, to say the least, she showed them how it's done.

After the fact, many of the boys who held back their laughter stayed silent, but the stoic ones went up to congratulate her with welcoming smiles and pats on the back. Even the current seeker was happy for her. So, she couldn't stop the smug smile from reaching her face when taking in the different reactions. On her way back to her personal locker room, she caught something in the corner of her eye. Her gaze fell on her dad, who was watching from the stands. The man gives her a nod, but Hyunjin ignores it and heads inside.

--

It didn't take long for word to spread about Hyunjin's amazing feat amongst the rest of the school boys. Afterwards, it was like there was a complete shift with the way they would treat her.

The next day (and everyday following), whenever she walked through the halls, the boys would make a path for her by moving towards the walls. Then, instead of whispers wondering why she's there, they were now talking about her skills both on and off the pitch. While she appreciated it, Hyunjin still hated being the center of attention. For the first half of the school year, no one dared to try and befriend her. Even her quidditch teammates were still a bit hesitant to talk to her. Only the 7th year seeker and captain would talk to her, but it was mostly only to provide advice during their practices.

And even though her name was whispered throughout every corner and all these pairs of eyes were felt as she'd walk to class or the dining hall, they treated her as if she were the plague.

A talented, female plague.

She tries to and does blame the fact that her dad being a professor at the school and thus always being around was the reason why she hadn't had any friends for months. It wasn't because she was a girl, but rather no one wanted to mess with a professor's daughter.

But then came Winter break.

She's not sure how she managed to pull it off, but she convinced her parents to let her stay at the school up until the week of Christmas. Although she dearly missed Haseul and even her mom, she just wasn't ready to be home yet. If it weren't for the fact that the majority of the students will be heading home, Hyunjin probably would've changed her mind. But since most will be, the idea of having less attention at school and not being in the awkward atmosphere at her house was blissful to her. So, she pushed for the idea to become reality and to her amazement it paid off.

Lia now knew that Hyunjin had been forced to go to Durmstrang, but only to the extent that her dad wanted her to be in its quidditch program, so Lia tells her that he probably let her stay because he felt like rewarding her after doing so well with quidditch and being a 'good sport' about the situation. (Which by that, her dad means 'thanks for not causing any drama.')

Anyways, one day near the beginning of winter break, she had just gotten off the phone with Lia when she decided to head to the dining hall to eat lunch. Per usual, she was eating by herself and due to the lack of students, she got the chance to actually enjoy her meal thanks to the reduction of the not-so-subtle glances that were sent her way every time. She opens  to take another bite into her sandwich when someone sits across from her, causing her to stop her movements.

"Hi," the boy in front of her, who looks to be the same age as her, says casually then starts to put food on his plate. 

"Uh.. hi?" Hyunjin says, stunned. This was the first time a student had approached her outside of quidditch so she was caught off guard. 

"Oh sorry! I'm-uh not really good at this kind of stuff. I probably should introduce myself, huh? Well, my name is Choi Soobin and I'm a fellow first-year," he says with a quick, yet nervous smile then goes back to eat. 

Hyunjin can't tell if the boy was nervous and was using the food to avoid any awkward tension, or if he was just normally like that. 

"I'm Kim Hyunjin," she responds, although she's sure that Soobin already knew her name. She gives the boy a once over, questioning why in the world he chose to sit with her and even conversate with her considering the past few months of barely having interactions with others. "Was there something you needed?"

"Friends," the boy says bluntly, but then his eyes widen as if embarrassed with the realization at what he had just said. "Sorry! I didn't mean-I mean it is true, but-"

Hyunjin bursts out laughing, causing the few other students in the dining hall to look their way. "It's okay," she chuckles in hopes to calm the boy down. "I need friends too," she says with a smile and just like that, Soobin relaxes.

"Cool, cool," Soobin tries to play off smoothly then clears his throat. "Sorry for-uh-not coming up to you sooner, it's just that I'm pretty shy hence the 'need friends' bit. Not to mention the fact that it was kinda intimidating to approach you because of your popularity."

"So, you thought now would be a good time since nearly everyone's gone?" Hyunjin asks.

Soobin nods in confirmation, "It was my step-brother's idea really... well kinda. He kept telling me to find someone in my year who has the same interests in me, but because I'm not really a conversation starter, it was hard to find people. But then I thought, 'There's a first year on the quidditch team, so I should befriend them since they obviously like playing the sport just like me!' and now here we are."

"You play quidditch?" Hyunjin asks excitedly. 

"Yeah! Fingers-crossed I make the team next year. If I do, I hope it's because of my talent and not my step-brother," Soobin reveals. 

"What's he got to do with it?"

"He's the captain of your team."

"Kim Taehyung is your step-brother?!?" Hyunjin drops the sandwich in her hands while Soobin nods. "Does that mean you're going to try out to be a chaser like him?"

"Nah, I want to be a beater."

"Hey, that's perfect! That means you can keep those bludgers away from me so I keep focus on the snitch," Hyunjin says excitedly then lifts her hands up for the two of them to fist bump.

The two continued to talk for the next hour, going from quidditch, to video games, to music, and so on. They had managed to click with one another so easily to their own surprise and so they continued to hang out until she had to head home for the holidays. Hyunjin never thought she'd find a friend during her extended stay at the school. It wasn't her intention, but she's so glad that she did.  

----- Year 4 -----

As time went on, more and more students began to open up and had become used to Hyunjin's presence at the school. Instead of being considered as just 'the professor's daughter,' she had established her own identity and students began to respect her not only for her quidditch talent, but also her academic achievements. Sure, she wasn't exactly the smartest of the bunch, but students often came to her for help.

Of course, there were still some stuck up students who despised the fact that she had 'infiltrated' their school and would say that she would only get good grades because her dad would treat her differently, but Hyunjin stood her ground refusing to let those comments get to her. Not to mention the fact that she often had her quidditch teammates or Soobin in her corner to back her up just in case.

Speaking of Soobin, their friendship grew stronger as the two saw each other as the sibling they never had. Neither had a sibling of the opposing gender so the dynamic between the two was new and refreshing for both of them. But even though they saw each other as family, the rest of the student body did not. 

Before Hyunjin headed home for Winter break during their first year, she had become worried that Soobin may not talk to her as much when she returned because he would get shy and feel pressure from their fellow classmates. But as soon as they had locked eyes in the hallway when she had come back, Soobin ran up to her and gave her an amusingly awkward hug that she gratefully returned. 

("Is that a guitar case?!" Soobin says excitedly after releasing one another. 

"Yeah!" My mom and sister got me a guitar for Christmas! Thought it'd be good to have another hobby besides quidditch," Hyunjin picks the case up, after having had to put it down to hug her friend, and pats it with a huge smile.)

Flashforward three years later and now everyone thinks they're dating. 

The rumor never really bothered the best friends, however, and the two would even joke about it amongst themselves. The only time it did was whenever her dad would bring her and Soobin's friendship up. He would always try to imply that there was something more between the two of them despite Hyunjin's constant denial. You'd think a parent would be opposed to their young daughter potentially dating someone, but no. Not her dad. 

"You look exhausted despite the fact that practice hasn't started yet which could only mean one thing," Soobin tells her as soon as she reaches him in the middle of the quidditch pitch. "What'd he do this time?"

"He wants me to 'take the initiative,'" she gestures with air quotes, "And ask you out on a date since you won't ask me. It's like whenever I tell him that we don't see each other like that, it goes in one ear and out the other."

Hyunjin drops her broom, lies on the grass, closes her eyes and lets out a long exhale, "At this point, I might just lie and tell him we're dating just so he'll get off my back about it."

When she doesn't hear Soobin respond, she peeps one eye open and sees him look as if he were in deep thought. 

"I got an idea," he says after a few moments with a smirk, then sits down next to her as he reveals his plan.

-----

"He wants you to what?!?" Hyunjin has to pull her phone away from her ear a bit as Lia talks. "Y-You can't be serious, Hyun."

"But his plan is genius! Think about it. My dad practically thinks we are dating already and due to how long we've known each other, he'll definitely believe that when we 'break-up,' it'll be too much for me and therefore allow me to transfer schools," Hyunjin says excitedly.

"Hyun, do you even hear yourself right now?! You can't seriously believe that that will work. Plus, how long would you guys even date to make that seem realistic?"

"We were thinking about a year or two should suffice," Hyunjin replies and she can hear Lia sigh over the phone.

"A year or two? That means you'd only be at Beauxbatons for 2 years or even just one! Is it really worth all that effort?" Lia questions, still clearly hesitant about the whole ordeal.

"Of course it's worth it!" Hyunjin says firmly, then her voice softens, "You'll always be worth it, Lia."

"Hyunjin...," Lia trails, her tone low. "I just.. I don't think dating him is a good idea."

"But we're not actually dating," Hyunjin frowns. "Why are you so against this?"

The line stays quiet after a while and for a moment, Hyunjin thinks that she had accidentally hung up on the girl. After what feels like an eternity, Lia finally speaks up again, "I didn't want to tell you this, Hyun because I know the two of you are close, but there's something about Soobin that I just don't like."

"Lia, he's my other best friend and he's like a brother to me. I think I could tell if he had something up his sleeve."

"Hyunjin, you're a pretty girl," Hyunjin's heart rate picks up at the compliment, but as Lia continues her smile fades. "I'm sure there are a lot of guys who are interested in you and who's to say he isn't just using this as an opportunity to make you fall for him."

Hyunjin nearly laughs out loud at the comment, "That's impossible! Believe me when I say he definitely doesn't like me like that."

(She had come out to Soobin during their second year and he was completely supportive of her just like Haseul has been. He's also completely aware of Hyunjin's entire situation with her feelings for Lia and how she ended up at Durm. He was just as mad as Haseul had been and wanted to help Hyunjin get to Beauxbatons, hence his grand idea of fake-dating. So, yeah, he doesn't like Hyunjin in that way.)

"Whatever. Do what you want," Lia says plainly. "Look, I've gotta go. I'll talk to you later." The line goes dead before Hyunjin could say goodbye. 

----- Year 6 -----

Hyunjin and Soobin end up 'dating' for another year following their 5th year at Durm, both agreeing that her dad probably won't be that swayed if they were to only date for a year.

Their plan had been quite convincing and successful to say the least. When they had announced that they were together, their classmates weren't shocked, her dad was (overly) ecstatic and her mom was surprised but supportive. Haseul, who knew that it was all fake, was skeptical of the scheme at first, but ultimately trusts her sister.

As for Lia, her opinion on the matter hadn't changed much. When they talk, Hyunjin knows to never bring it up especially since it had clearly impacted their friendship. Over the course of the past year since she had first told the idea to Lia, Hyunjin couldn't help but notice that the frequency that they would talk had decreased and even the quality and length of their conversations had declined. Hyunjin tries to not be disappointed at this change, refusing to believe that it had anything to do with Lia not liking Soobin. Lia doesn't even know the guy and she never seemed to have a problem with him up until that day.

So, why did Lia's attitude towards him suddenly change?

Sadly, Hyunjin never got the answer.

As her 6th year at Durmstrang was coming to a close, Hyunjin and Soobin finally decided to 'break-up' and did it in dramatic fashion. They had pretended to get into an argument in the middle of the hallway which would then lead to Hyunjin and Soobin mutually agreeing to break-up in the heat of the moment. She even ran away with her hands in her face to hide her 'tears' from being seen.

To really make sure of the intended effect, they had ensured that they'd 'fight' when her dad wasn't teaching a class so she could run to him after-the-fact. To go even further, they even had the break-up effect the way they play quidditch. Since they play on the same team, they had to ruin their perfect chemistry on the pitch so it would be more believable about how the break-up had affected her not only emotionally, but also her ability to play. And of course, if Hyunjin's quidditch skills decline, so do her chances of being prospected and her dad can't allow that to happen.

So, with the addition of Hyunjin's pleading for days and also just feeling bad for his daughter, her dad allowed her to request a transfer to another school of her choice. "Let me know by the end of the day so we can start making arrangements," her dad tells her. Obviously, she was going to go for Beauxbatons, but she decided to wait to tell him later as she knows he's probably hoping for her to pick Hogwarts.

As soon as Hyunjin closes the door to her room, she can't help but be giddy as she jumps up and down in celebration of the success of Soobin's plan. She'll definitely celebrate with him later, but there was someone else that she just had to tell first. She fishes out her phone in her pocket and dials Lia's number. After a few rings, her call is answered.

"Hello?"

"Omo-I must have dialed the wrong number," Hyunjin quickly says after hearing the voice of a guy instead of her best friend's.

"Wait, don't hang up! If you're calling Lia, this is the right number!" he says in a hurry.

Hyunjin's eyebrows knit together in confusion, Why did this random dude answer her phone? She's about to say something when she hears a voice in the background. It was Lia's, her voice playful, "Hey, who are you talking to?"

"Oh sorry, babe. Your phone was ringing and since the contact was saved, I answered it for you," the boy on the line says.

Babe?! Why is he calling Lia 'babe?' Is-Does Lia have a...a, the end of that thought makes Hyunjin's once light heart feel heavy.

"Who is it?" she hears Lia ask him.

"Uh.. 'Hyunnie' was the name that popped-up," suddenly, she hears the phone sound like it's being jostled around and then comes Lia's voice.

"Hyun?" Lia calls her name, but it sounded different, frantic almost. "Sorry, that was my-uh... my..," Lia stammers.

Boyfriend.

"Oh shoot!" the quidditch player cuts her off, then rushes her next words. "Sorry, Lia, but I-I gotta go. I just checked the time and I've got practice. My goodness, silly me for calling you without even realizing that I've got places to be! I'll talk to you later, yeah? Yeah," Hyunjin tries to laugh off, albeit awkwardly.

"Oh.. okay," Lia says with both uncertainty and worriedness laced in her voice. "Um..bye-"

Hyunjin ends the call immediately and moves to land on her bed to lie down. The idea (who is she kidding, it's a fact) of Lia being in a relationship hits her harder than she had thought so she had to hang up before she could potentially say anything she'd regret. As she looks up at the ceiling, she nearly laughs at how ironic the day had turned out to be. She's supposed to pretend to be 'heartbroken' over Soobin, but now it looks like there will be some truth for the reasoning behind her mood thanks to Lia.

With her emotions high and thoughts running wild, she gets out of bed and heads straight to her dad's office. When she enters, she sees her dad still sitting at his desk doing paperwork.

"Hey kid, have you made a decision yet?" he stops what he is doing to look at her.

"Yeah," Hyunjin takes a deep breath. "I want to go to Hogwarts."

----- One Week Before Going To Hogwarts -----

Over the course of the summer, everything was in place for her to transfer to her newly chosen school without a hitch...well, kind of.

Now, she'll admit (to only herself, Haseul and Soobin) that the main reason why she had decided to go to Hogwarts was because she didn't and still does not think she is ready to see Lia. She's still shaken over their last phone call that had occured months ago and the two have yet to have spoken again since. Granted, Lia had attempted to reach out to her a few times, but Hyunjin refused to answer. For a while, Hyunjin thought that maybe she was overreacting. Maybe that guy on the phone wasn't Lia's boyfriend and maybe he just calls her 'babe' because they're good friends. Maybe she's risking losing her childhood best friend over nothing. Maybe. And so, to keep herself from entering a world of doubt, frustration, confusion, sadness and heartbreak, she tries not to think about her.

But, of course, the world is cruel.

"So, Hyunjin, are you excited to go to your new school?" her mom perks as the family eats dinner and she just hums a "Mmhm," before taking a bite of her food.

"Which house do you think you'll be sorted in?" her mom tries to get more out of her.

Before Hyunjin has the chance to answer, her dad cracks, "Whichever house has the best quidditch team, am I right, kid?" and he laughs, although Hyunjin feels like her dad kind of hopes for it.

"Yeah," she awkwardly laughs with him, then clears . "But-um, honestly I don't know. I don't think the whole 'house' thing is that big of a deal as others try to make it out to be. I'll be happy wherever I end up."

"That's good to hear. As long as you're happy, I'm happy. Although, I am a bit sad that you aren't going to Beauxbatons," her mom dramatically sighs at the last sentence, but soon after gives her a playful smile. She and Haseul laugh at their mom's antics as it was clear that the older woman was only joking about being upset with Hyunjin's choice of school, but apparently it wasn't so funny to another.

"Well, I'm not sad about it all," her dad speaks seriously. "Not only will she get that experience of playing quidditch with all genders, but it'll also ensure that she still won't have to see that girl."

And just like that, the atmosphere in the house shifts like it had all those years ago. It was obvious to everyone as to which girl her dad was referring to despite not having said a name. It was the first time her dad had mentioned, or alluded to, Hyunjin's female best friend. Hearing her dad talk about Lia had given Hyunjin a surge of different emotions, but one in particular had overtaken her.

She was angry.

Not only with Lia, but her dad.

Over the past four years, she had still held a grudge with him. Sure, it had weakened seeing that her years at Durmstrang haven't been as bad as she thought they would've been and if she hadn't gone, she would've never met Soobin. Not to mention the fact that he had allowed her transfer to another school. So, was she as mad at her dad like she had been 6 years ago? No. But was she still mad? Very much so.

She wants to bite back and let out all of her frustration at him after all these years, but instead holds her tongue. She's realized that when it comes to her dad, actions are clearly more convincing and more powerful than words. So, right now, there's no point in telling him that 'that girl' has a name and that she was still hung up and has feelings for 'that girl.' Instead, what she needs to do is show him, that she likes girls and only girls because it was clear with the way he spoke that he was still very against homouality.

Granted, it didn't help the fact that Hyunjin had 'dated' Soobin and it wasn't like she'd be able to go to Lia and be like, "Hey, I like you. Be my girlfriend to show my dad that I am in fact into girls." That just wasn't an option considering the state of their relationship at the moment (if there even is one at this point). Hell, it even hurts to think about the girl.

So, she needs a plan (and a distraction) to prove to her dad about her homouality and thankfully, Soobin had already given her one.

----- | Heejin - Present | -----

"So, what you're saying is that you wanted to find a girlfriend, real or fake, to bring home for winter break to show and convince your dad that you like girls," Heejin reiterates. "And at the same time, focusing on that goal was also used to be a distraction to not think about Lia?"

"Exactly," Hyunjin confirms.

"Are you... are you sure you're over her? It hasn't been that long and it sounds like your love for her was deep," Heejin says, not with jealousy, but rather genuine concern for the other girl's emotional well-being.

"I'll be honest and say that there's still this lump in my throat when she comes to mind, but at the same time she still holds a place in my heart because she was my best friend for years regardless of my feelings for her, you know? Something like that... it can be hard to let go," Hyunjin looks down and sighs before looking at Heejin again.

"Thankfully, I have an amazing girlfriend who I am insanely head over heels for and can help me heal. Helping me not as a distraction, not as someone to be overly dependent on, but as someone who I can wholeheartedly trust and be myself with."

"Girlfriend?" Heejin asks, taken back at the sudden label drop.

"Out of everything I just said, that's what you catch?" Hyunjin giggles, then reaches out to caress Heejin's cheek.

"Sorry, it's just-I didn't know that we are... you know," Heejin trails as she suddenly feels embarrassed.

"Girlfriends?" Hyunjin giggles again. "Well, just so we're clear: You, Jeon Heejin, are my girlfriend while I, Kim Hyunjin, am your most beautiful, talented, funny and most flawless girlfriend that you've ever had."

Hyunjin's hand trails down her face before landing against the bottom of her chin, pulling her into a kiss. She can feel the Slytherin smile against her lips and Heejin does the same.

"How are you going to compliment yourself and not your girlfriend?" Heejin asks teasingly as they pull apart for air.

"Because," Hyunjin pecks her lips. "If I had to compliment you, the list would've gone on and on forever and I wouldn't have been able to kiss you. And you see, I can't let that happen," then Hyunjin kisses her again.

"You're going to be the death of me, Kim Hyunjin," Heejin blushes then finishes with a kiss on Hyunjin's-

Her girlfriend's cheek.

A/N: Yay!! Officially girlfriends!!

As you can see (to which some had guessed correctly), Heejin was not Hyunjin's first fake relationship and now we know how she got the idea to fake date in the first place. I hope it was fun to read more about Hyunjin's past and find out how she ended up at Hogwarts as well as why she wanted to fake date in the first place!

Anyways, I don't know about y'all, but I wonder what Lia is doing these days... maybe she's back home like Hyunjin for Winter break? Hmm. We're also going to be meeting the present day Kim family soon so I wonder how that's going to go. Thoughts? Lemme know here or on twitter!

If anything, it's all happy times!... For now? Sorry not sorry folks, but Heejin and Hyunjin's story is far from over ;)

Also, just a heads up, updates may be slower because I will be going back to school. But don't worry y'all, I hate leaving things unfinished and it's a bit late, but Happy 3rd anniversary with our 12 crazy, talented girls!

- S

(@rv_twice5 on twitter)