“Stay,” Heejin chokes out. “Can you stay with me for a little bit longer?”

When the words had escaped , she only had one thing in mind. She didn’t think about how desperate she would sound. She didn’t think about how vulnerable she has allowed herself to become. And she didn’t think, no, she didn’t care about the few other students in the infirmary who could possibly be hearing everything they’re saying.

Granted, there isn’t anything to hear at the moment as a dense silence fills the room–one that goes on for what feels like an eternity for Heejin. And as each second passes, the lack of any sort of reaction from Hyunjin eats away at her and the possibility of hearing something that will hurt becomes more and more likely.

“I’m sorry about what happened after the game,” Heejin decides to break the eerie quietness. “What she said was uncalled for.”

Hyunjin’s eyes fall to the ground as she nods, already knowing what Heejin is referring to without her having to delve further. Their eyes meet, “It’s fine, it’s not like we ever told the school how we ended our relationship.”

The fact that Hyunjin chose to respond gave Heejin little hope.

“It’s not though,” Heejin defends. “You don’t deserve that kind of name-calling, especially from her. I mean, I practically told her that it was all on me, but I guess she’d rather believe the opposite. Actually, I think my whole house thinks that way considering how some of them played the other day.”

“Well, if it makes you feel any better, some of my housemates haven’t exactly been calling you the nicest things either so maybe our guilt evens out. I try to get them to stop, but the fact that I won’t say anything encourages them.”

Heejin’s eyebrows knit together, “Why not just tell them the truth? If anything, I deserve the heat more than you.”

“Honestly, it’s none of their business. Maybe it was in the beginning, but not now. Not anymore.”

And just like that, another wave of self-disappointment flashes through Heejin. Even though Hyunjin had every reason to tell Slytherin house how Heejin had left her lost and confused, she never badmouthed her to anyone all the while Heejin tried to make her feel even worse and regretful.

“Well-”

“Heejin,” Hyunjin suddenly cuts in with a tone Heejin has never heard from her, making the Ravenclaw turn stiff. "What are you doing?"

"What do you mean?" Heejin asks, puzzled with the girl's switched tone.

"You know exactly what I mean," Hyunjin doesn't waste any time.

"I- I don't know."

"You don't know what I'm talking about or you don't know why you're messing with me?" The Slytherin's voice comes out exhausted.

"Messing with you?! I'm not messing with you."

"Really? Then why are you trying to keep me here?"

Heejin's hands ball up against the bed sheets, now turning anxious under the girl's eyes. Her mind races with the thought of throwing out her plan of the 'long game' and just telling Hyunjin that she flat out wants to rekindle what they had.

"Because I screwed up," Heejin finally decides to say, her gaze into Hyunjin now unwavering.

Hyunjin takes in the Ravenclaw's admittance with silence, but makes no sign of leaving.

"I shouldn't have let you walk out of the Room of Requirement that day. I should've called out your name. I should've chased after you," Heejin's regret and desperation seeps through her words. Heejin doesn't have many regrets in her life, but some of the things she did then are definitely at the top of her list. “I just want you back.”

There’s a pause.

"Do you remember what I last said to you that day?" Hyunjin's response comes out calm, but Heejin is not naïve.

Heejin feels a lump in at the memory, "Well… you said that we weren't good for each other, but-"

"Heej…," Hyunjin stops her again, sounding exhausted. "I also said that we've hurt each other enough and yet, I'm still hurting. This, what's happening right now, hurts. It hurt seeing you with other people. It hurt that I felt the need to run after you when you saw Choerry kissing my cheek. It hurt when I had a sudden urge to finish the quidditch match when you got hit. And maybe I shouldn't be, but I still care for you, Heejin. I think I always will. But right now, caring hurts."

Hyunjin continues as if she's been wanting to say this for ages, "Everything has just been so- so confusing. You have been making everything so confusing. It's like one second, you hate my guts and then another second, you're trying to act like what happened in the past didn't happen and all is well. As if what we did to each other wasn't a big deal and instead just some obstacle that you will easily get over."

"I don’t see it that way at all," The Ravenclaw finds her chance to speak as a new revelation begins to dawn on her. So, she goes on, “I’ll admit that the way I have been handling this whole thing has been far from perfect. And believe me, I haven’t forgotten the past because the past is the reason why I have been acting this way. The way I felt and the way I continue to feel is why I’ve been doing all of this.”

“But have you ever once considered my feelings?” Hyunjin doesn’t waste a second to ask. 

Heejin finds herself speechless as the question hits her like a ton of bricks. 

Hyunjin pushes on, “Did you ever think about how everything that you’ve done has affected me ever since you left? Did you expect me to just fall back into your arms just because you’re trying to win me back?”

“N-No, of course not-”

“You claim that you want me back, but how can I be sure that you're even telling the truth? How do I know this isn’t just another revenge plot?” Hyunjin pauses. “And even if everything you’re saying is true, how can I be sure that you won't shut me out again if we have another misunderstanding?”

Heejin winces, but she knows the verbal lashes were self-inflicted. The only person she can blame for Hyunjin’s insecurities is herself. She places herself on that low pedestal.

And so, the Slytherin made points that Heejin submits to. The initial question was by no means uncalled for as it ignited a much needed reflection on herself and her way of thinking. Ever since that fateful night, Heejin allowed the wrong person to overtake her thoughts. Had she not been so focused on the Choerry part of the situation, she probably would have realized the pain in Hyunjin’s voice when they had talked in the Room of Requirement. And now, had she not been so focused on her own desires to win Hyunjin back, she could have realized that Hyunjin may not have wanted to be won over in the first place. 

All this time, she had been so worried about how much power Hyunjin had over her emotions that not once did she ever truly consider how much power she had over Hyunjin’s.

She’s been selfish.

And she should have seen it coming.

Deep down, she knows she has always been selfish whether she means to be or not. It’s the reason why she loves the attention, the parting students in the hallways, the whispers and the stares. All her life she has always put herself first unless for her family and friends. And it is without a doubt that Hyunjin should have been one of those exceptions, but she wasn’t. Because Hyunjin was a homeland that was under the guise of foreign territory.

“You’re right,” Heejin lets out a shaky breath. “I want to answer your questions. I want to say that I’ll never hurt you again. But I can’t see the future and I know you deserve so much more than how I’ve treated you. I’ve been too focused on how things have been affecting me when they have been affecting you just as much or even more.”

The somberness of the environment seeps in as Heejin continues, “So I don’t blame you for questioning every word and action I’ve said and done so far. I’ve lost your trust and it’s been really unfair for me to try and… force you to let me start gaining it back when I thought it was right. Hell, I probably lost that chance to gain it back a long time ago now, right?”

Only a few seconds pass without a word from the other girl, but it raises a sense of urgency. In case this was truly their last parting words from one another, Heejin had to make sure that she would say what she should have said from the start, “I’m sorry, Hyunjin. For everything.”

The two seem to share one last look at each other and Heejin doesn’t expect to hear much after her apology. As long as Hyunjin knows the sincerity behind it, Heejin will still be content if Hyunjin says nothing in response.

And so, there is no disappointment within Heejin when the Slytherin opts to start walking away from her. Almost as if to distract herself from the lingering gloom, Heejin then shifts her attention to the remaining potions Madam Pomfrey wants her to take.

“You never lost it, by the way,” Heejin’s head whips back around, startled at the voice that stuck around. Hyunjin is only a few steps away now with her body partly facing away from her. Hyunjin is looking back at her as she clarifies, “The chance to gain my trust back.”

Heejin sits still, stunned as she processes the words.

“And I’m not saying this because I expect us to get back together or to lead you on, but because I know we will both grow from this. Everything between us happened so fast and now, we just need time. Time to grow and to heal from it all… on our own. For how long? That I don’t know. But what I do know is that,“ Hyunjin’s gaze unexpectedly softens with a small, yet melancholic smile, “If we ever cross paths in the future, I’d like the first thing that I think of to be all of the good times… because they really were great.”

With that, Hyunjin returns to her bedside to lean in and place a gentle kiss on her forehead, “Goodbye, Heejin.”

Before she knew it, Hyunjin was gone and she was left alone. The pressure from the Slytherin’s lips has turned phantom, although there isn’t as much pain attached as she expected. Some form of pain was inevitable, she knew that. But Hyunjin’s parting words were also reassuring.

Of course, Heejin heard and understood not to take her words as a sure sign of rekindling their relationship in the future. So, it is not that she felt reassurance in the sense of getting back together, but rather from the fact that there can still be some good that comes out of all of this.  That despite the fallout, they should one day be able to look back and smile at the memories.

All it needs is time.

----- April -----

“Time must be on my side!” Yves declares proudly with her hands on her hips and a wide smile as the trio of best friends enter the newly decorated courtyard.

“Over-exaggerate much?” Gowon teasingly covers her ears.

“This is by no means an exaggeration,” Yves defends with no signs of her happy mood disappearing. “My timing usually isn't that great, but this!? Do you not realize how lucky we are that our seventh year lands on this commemorative year and that it's going to be here? I’ve waited since our second year for this feast. That is five very long years to wait and now I only have to wait until next Saturday!”

Heejin nudges the excited Ravenclaw in the ribs, “I get that, but maybe try not to look so happy about it? You do remember why we have this commemoration, right?” 

Every five years, it is known that three schools of witchcraft and wizardry come together at one place. Long ago, such an act was for a competition famously known as the Triwizard Tournament. However, after the unfortunate death of a Hogwarts student, the schools now come together for a week to commemorate and honor his life. Now, some traditions of the tournament remained such as only letting the seventh years participate, but that exclusiveness was only for the real highlight of the visitation held on the last day of the week: the extravagant Remembrance Feast.

“Well, I don’t think the guy wants us to have our tears soaking in the food. He’d want us to celebrate him and that’s exactly what the feast is for,” the tallest of the trio continues.

“You’re insane,” Gowon quips.

“I’m not insane. I’m hungry,” Yves corrects.

“Anyways,” Heejin cuts in and stops walking to take in the courtyard’s new look. “You did great with the decorating, Gowon. I still can’t believe you even volunteered to do this with Jiwoo’s group.”

“Why thank you, Heej. You know, if the thought of me helping out was surprising, imagine my reaction when Olivia said she’d do it too,” Gowon wiggles her eyebrows.

Both Heejin’s and Yves’ jaws drop in sync.

“Crap, that’s probably why Jiwoo was giving me the cold shoulder yesterday. You got Olivia of all people to do it and then there’s me, the girlfriend of the president of that club, who didn’t help… imagine how bad I must have looked!” And just like that, Yves’ happy mood turns into slight fear. 

Gowon pats her on the back, “You win some, you lose some, Ha. If it’s any consolation, she did end up ripping a decoration.”

“Really?” Yves turns hopeful.

“Yeah,” Gowon chuckles at the memory. “A few of us were having a stupid competition over who could hang them faster and her and Hyunjin- oh sorry.”

“Guys, c’mon. You can say her name, you know?” Heejin lets out a deep sigh as her friends look at her like she’s a fragile piece of glass that could shatter at any moment. “And stop looking at me like I’m a kicked puppy whenever you mention her or when we happen to be in the same room as her. I’m fine. Seriously.”

“Okay-”

“I mean, it’s been just over a month since we last spoke- since we last did anything and I’m feeling good. Maybe not great, but good which is something and that something is me growing and moving on.”

“Okay.”

“Okay,” Heejin huffs. “Now, as you were saying, Gowon?”

Gowon clears , “Yeah, so um- Olivia and Hyunjin were on the same team and the two had gotten so competitive. At first, that spirit was against the other team, but then they ended up getting competitive with each other. Next thing you know there’s one big streamer left and the two literally fought over it saying that they each had a better and faster strategy to put it up. And after a bit of tugging, it ripped, hence the gap right… there!”

Gowon points at the spot where the last streamer was supposed to go and all three of them burst out laughing. And just like that the three best friends go on about their school day like any other day.

Kind of.

This was actually the first time either of her friends had said Hyunjin’s name. Before, they would only give cautious glances at her when Hyunjin walked into the same room as them or vice versa as though they were asking her if they should leave. And each time, Heejin would stick it out.

It was weird, really. One would think seeing your ex would bear more weight rather than hearing their name. And yet in Heejin’s mind, she could at least imagine Hyunjin’s physical body as just another student, especially when the Slytherin’s back was facing her. But hearing her name coming from her friends makes her real. There was no other Hyunjin with memories attached with her and her friends. Honestly, there was no other Hyunjin she could think of except for her.

So when Hyunjin walks into their second shared class of the day, she notices her this time. She notices her the minute she walks through the door as if her presence demands attention. Hyunjin isn't looking at her though, instead she's in the midst of a conversation that apparently must be funny because she's smiling so wide her eyes crinkle as she talks.

Heejin's eyes trail her path and observes how her hair seems to flow like she's in some shampoo commercial before it all comes to a stop when all that's left to look at is the signature Slytherin green that is lined inside the hood of her robe.

Now back to her senses, a new fact settles into her mind. 

Hyunjin looked happy. No- Hyunjin is happy… without her.

There’s a couple of ways Heejin could react to this newfound knowledge. One of the more probable ones given her history would be to feel offended. And yet, she ultimately ends up feeling more neutral. Neither mad nor sad. She is simply okay with it.

If anything, she's grateful that Hyunjin is doing good and can only hope that the pain she has caused her lessens everyday.

Soon enough, their class is over and Heejin’s gaze just so happens to gravitate back to the Slytherin almost naturally. As she watches Hyunjin pack up her things, there’s a sudden temptation to do something. She doesn’t know what she would do exactly, but there’s an itch she knows she shouldn’t attempt to scratch just yet. Thankfully, Heejin is approached by a classmate to distract her from Hyunjin overtaking all of her thoughts again.

Turns out her classmate was the Head Boy, Lee Jeno, “Hey Heejin, sorry for the late notice, but we talked to some of the visiting students a while back and we just got the 'OK' from the Headmasters to hold a mixed Quidditch match. Amongst the three schools, only us and Beauxbatons have seventh year Seekers so we were wondering if you would like to represent Hogwarts for one of the teams?”

“What about Hyunjin?” Heejin blurts out before thinking. She couldn't help it when the Slytherin was obviously the only other seventh year Seeker at Hogwarts.

Jeno appears thrown off at receiving a question for a response before awkwardly answering, “Well, the Student Council has been going back and forth between you two, but considering that she’s a transfer the choice was pretty straightforward based off of that alone.”

While Heejin is flattered, the competitive side of her makes her ask, "And if it was based on skill alone?"

Jeno hesitates and that gives her the answer to which she's both disappointed, but not necessarily surprised. The poor boy looks like he's about to crap his pants so Heejin pats him on the shoulder, "Don't sweat it. We both know Hyunjin has a slight, very slight, edge on me."

Heejin recalls the day she had first heard about Hyunjin coming to Hogwarts at the beginning of the school year. It feels so long ago when she was taken aback by the excited whispers about the girl who was so talented at Quidditch that Durmstrang just had to make an exception for her. And how her transfer announcement had spread like wildfire across the student body so soon as it was a big deal to have a top prospect come here.

Heejin goes on, "Ask her first and if not, then count me in. I just want to make sure these other schools see Hogwarts’ best." She gives her award-winning smile and Jeno looks relieved as he nods before heading off to find the other girl who had already left the room.

It was a weird feeling to admit out loud that she might not be the first choice for something she excels at. Admitting that she was second best.

And maybe she's only okay with it because it was rightfully Hyunjin at the top.

She lets out a deep exhale and then grabs the rest of her things as she now whisks Hyunjin out of her mind before she could think of her any further than needed. When she steps out of the classroom, she looks to the left and right, observing the students walking by who are going about their day like it was any other. And Heejin does her best to go back and do the same.

----- The Day of Arrivals -----

After being at Hogwarts for seven years with the same roommates, Heejin is no stranger to being woken up by either one or both of them. However, this morning’s version of a wake-up call was a first.

Her entire body is startled, scared with the jarring movement of her mattress, “WHAT THE FU-”

“Heejin! We gotta go now if we want good spots!” Yves tells Heejin eagerly as she jumps up and down on her bed.

Heejin is ready to literally kick the girl off, but Yves senses it and jumps off before waving her wand around. Next thing Heejin knows, her clothes are hurling towards her and her eyesight is obstructed for a few seconds by her white button-up and Ravenclaw tie until they fall down from her face to her lap.

The first thing she sees is Yves’ face writing in horror at the realization of what she’s done.

“You’re dead meat, Ha!” Heejin rushes out of her bed and is about to chase the tall girl around the room, but is basically bear-hugged by Gowon to stop her.

“Apologize Yves so we can get out of here faster!” Gowon demands and lets go after the tall girl mutters her remorse.

With that, Heejin takes note of the time and groans, “Guys?! It’s six freaking am! Durmstrang isn’t arriving until eight. Getting up this early to see Beauxbatons? Sure. But for Durmstrang?”

“They come up from the sea, Heej. IN A SHIP!” Yves stresses. “We live in a wizarding world, but it’s not everyday that we get to see something like that. And the whole school knows it, hence the fact that yes, we are getting up right now to secure our clear view!”

“Fine,” Heejin concedes and begrudgingly gets ready to go.

By the time they reach the courtyard, Heejin is actually surprised that there were some students who were already there. And to both Yves and Gowon’s delight, there was still plenty of room along the edge of the courtyard in which the arrival of both schools would be visible. 

Now with the Spring weather, the morning chill was evident and Heejin has been continuously rubbing her arms as they wait against the stone ledge. She has been debating on going back to the dorm to grab a sweater, but considering how quickly the crowd has been growing as the time went on, she knew she would have a hard time trying to get back to Yves and Gowon if she were to leave. And so, she holds out with much determination.

“I see the crow’s nest!” Heejin hears one student shout and she’s immediately relieved knowing that she will be able to leave soon. There’s supposed to be some time in between before Beauxbatons arrive so surely other students will leave and come back later too.

Then, the body of students began to roar loudly and despite Heejin’s lack of interest when she was woken up, she now finds her eyes glued to the not-so-random crow’s nest that was sticking out of the sea. There’s a wave of ‘Woah’s from all around the courtyard as that small part of the ship’s structure begins to rise. And just like that, a ship bigger than Heejin has ever seen emerges out of the water in seconds and each friend looks in awe.

When the ship finally docks, the crowd starts to shift as they move around to create a path for the Durmstrang guests while others are now trying to change their spots to get a view of when they pass through the courtyard.

Unsurprisingly, Heejin, Yves and Gowon attempt to do the same. It is then when Heejin is reminded of her status at this school because when the students grasp that it is them trying to get through, no one hesitates to give them room.

Guess I really could have left earlier to get my sweater.

Eventually, the trio were now at the front to watch the Durmstrang students and their Headmaster make their way towards the entrance where the Hogwarts Headmaster was waiting.

It only takes a couple of minutes before the seventh year students from the academic institute intended only for boys enter the courtyard. Considering that it wasn’t the Reunion Dinner yet, their more elaborate, eye-catching entrance wasn’t showcased and instead they walked with unexpected wide smiles while waving to everyone.

As the visitors pass, another cold gust of wind passes by and Heejin is irked that apparently all of these students huddled together doesn’t create any sort of barrier against it. And so, Heejin’s body shivers, making her hands shoot up to generate some friction on her arms again.

Heejin can only think of how her attempt at warming up is barely working when she suddenly feels her entire body engulfed in a type of warmth she has never experienced. The back of her fingers wiggle against what feels like fur.

“I apologize if I startled you, Miss. It’s just that you looked quite cold,” a deep voice tells her while she registers that the cloak draped upon her was red–a red that was not the distinct Gryffindor shade. 

Then, it clicks.

Heejin looks at the owner of the voice and is the least bit surprised when it belonged to a Durmstrang student. What did surprise her, however, was how tall he was. He looked skinny, but by no means weak. He had styled black hair to Durmstrang’s standards and it was hard to miss the dimple that paired with his friendly smile.

To put it simply, he was cute.

“Thank you, really. It’s a kind gesture,” Heejin smiles back graciously, yet makes a move to take off the cloak. “But I don’t-”

She stops herself short when she realizes that the boy had actually started walking away from her already. She stands frozen momentarily at the situation before yelling out, “Hey! I don’t need this!”

The kind Durmstrang boy looks back at her and shows off what clearly must be his signature grin, “Just hold on to it for me then, will ya? It looks better on you anyways.”

And before Heejin could ask anything, he adds, “And in case I can’t find you later, just tell one of these doofuses you’re looking for Soobin.”

The boy is soon playfully headlocked and dragged away by one of his classmates due to the name-calling and thus Heejin still fails to get a word in as she watches him head into the castle. Her eyebrows scrunch, muttering to herself, “Soobin? Why does that sound-”

Yves whistles and plucks at the cloak still lying across Heejin’s shoulder, “You know I’ve got to say, even after looking at your face for so many years, I still don't get what everyone sees.”

“Aw shut it, you wish people looked at you the way people look at me,” Heejin smirks. Even now, a lot of students are looking at her after the unexpected interaction with the Durmstrang student. There is no doubt this will be the talk of the town today.

“Oh believe me, the only person I want looking at me like that is Jiwoo,” Yves replies happily.

Gowon pretends to gag, “That’s it! I’m going to find Olivia. Meet you guys here when Beauxbatons arrive?”

“I have to go grab my sweater anyways, so I’ll see you both in a bit too,” Heejin reminds them and they all nod in agreement. With all the Durmstrang visitors now clear of the courtyard, the three split ways in different directions with Heejin heading towards their dorms.

She can already feel all of the eyes on her no doubt with the help of the deep red garment on her body. She can’t help but purposely readjust the cloak as if the action will add more fuel to the fire. Now, is she really that excited about having the piece of clothing or just the romantic notion of having it? Not really. But she might as well take advantage of it.

When she returns to her room, she casually tosses it onto her bed without a second thought and searches for her much preferred sweater. She is digging through her trunk when she gasps.

She takes out the blue garment, taking a proper look at it as the memories come flooding in. It was the matching couple sweater that her mom had made for her and Hyunjin.

I wonder if she still has hers. 

She remembers how that visit changed the trajectory of her life from mistletoe to confessions. And how could she forget that chaos that came from her aunt's family unexpected arrival. Which speaking of…

“Omo!” Heejin’s body shoots straight. “Yiren!”

How could she forget that Yiren would be here this week? Her cousin is a Beauxbaton student after all. Under normal circumstances, seeing her cousin isn’t as worrying as seeing her aunt. But you see, they might not know that she and Hyunjin had broken up and the last thing she needs is Yiren finding out about it through the Slytherin and not her.

Honestly, Heejin shouldn’t really be freaking out about this. Even if she’s concerned about her aunt’s gossiping habits, she knows Yiren isn’t like that at all. So if she asks her to not tell anyone else in their family, there’s no doubt Yiren wouldn’t say a peep.

And so, Heejin drops the sweater in hands back into the trunk and lets out a contented sigh when she finds the one she was looking for.

--

For the second time that day, Heejin finds herself back at the courtyard, however some things are different. To start, she fails to find her friends as she waits for the Beauxbatons. She could search for them, but to be frank, she was more concerned about seeing her cousin.

Another change is that there are some Durmstrang boys littered around the yard now too, but Heejin hasn’t seen the one who had given her his cloak.

And lastly, she doesn’t have to wait for someone to call out the Beauxbatons' arrival because Heejin’s eyes were already on the sky. What was once a small dot is now getting bigger and bigger as the huge blue carriage comes closer and closer. When the horses that led the carriage finally land, the crowd switches positions just as they had done when the other school had touched down.

As the influx of girls come walking by, Heejin eagerly keeps an out for her cousin. She does find herself getting a bit distracted by some of the Beauxbatons dressed in baby blue because yes, a lot of them were very pretty, but thankfully she didn’t have to stay on her tiptoes for too long because Yiren managed to spot her first.

“Heejin!” A high pitched voice comes from her left and she is soon crushed into a hug. After recognizing who it was, Heejin doesn’t hesitate to hug her back.

"Long time, no see," Heejin jokes as they split apart.

"Oh my gosh, this is so amazing," Yiren says in awe as she takes in the Hogwarts castle. "I've seen pictures, but this… this is next level!"

"Wait until you get inside," Heejin replies proudly. She's always been one to have school pride.

"Oh! Before I forget," Yiren begins to look amongst the sea of Beauxbatons. “Ugh, where did she go? One of my friends said that they knew someone that goes here and I'm curious if you know which Hogwarts student it is. Ah, there she is!" Yiren waves towards one direction and soon enough, a body emerges from the crowd.

No freaking way…

When the cousins are joined by the third person, Yiren doesn't waste a moment to introduce them to each other. But little did she know that it wasn't really necessary.

"Heej, this is Lia. Lia, this is my cousin Heejin! The one I was telling you about," Yiren tells the other Beauxbaton happily, clearly oblivious to the change in atmosphere.

"We know each other," Heejin reveals first, tone neither friendly nor unfriendly.

"Really?!" Yiren exclaims. "How?"

They both answer simultaneously, "Hyunjin."

Yiren looks back and forth between the two of them, confused, "Hyun…jin?"

Silence.

"Hyunjin?" Yiren repeats as she still processes what was going on and then it clicks. "Hyunjin! AS IN QUIDDITCH PLAYER KIM HYUNJIN?!" 

Yiren looks at Lia almost accusingly, "That's the person you were talking about?!? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Why didn't you tell me your cousin was Heejin!?" Lia gives back the same energy.

"Because Heejin is just a cousin and Hyunjin is THE Hyunjin!"

"Okay ouch," Heejin mumbles.

"You know what? It's fine. It's fine," Yiren calms herself down. "Saves me the effort I guess since you both already know each other and the person Lia is looking for is Hyunjin who just so happens to be Heejin's Hyunjin."

Okay. Maybe that hurts a bit more.

"Actually," Heejin tucks some hair behind her ear awkwardly. "We aren't um- together anymore."

"Oh," Lia's eyebrows raise slightly. 

Yiren wears an empathetic smile, "I'm sorry, Heej."

"No, no, don't be," Heejin reassures and does her best to look unbothered. "Some things just don't work out, right?"

"Right," Yiren agrees. The topic seems to stall the conversation, but amidst the pause, it looked like Lia had more to say. Before she gets the chance to though, Yiren speaks up again when she realizes that most of their classmates were now inside Hogwarts. "Oh we better get going Lia or else we'll be left behind! I'll catch up with you later then, cousin?"

Heejin nods and the two basically fast walk to catch up with the rest of the Beauxbatons. She herself is about to head inside too, but stops in her tracks when someone calls out to her.

"Heejin!" She's nearly tackled from behind. Heejin looks over her shoulder and is ready to retaliate in some way until she realizes it was Yves.

"Geez Yves! You scared me half to death," Heejin complains.

"That was Yiren right? I guess Gowon and I will have to say our 'Hello's' later since our best friend decided not to look for us," Yves huffs out. "And who was that other girl?"

"She's best friends with Lia. Hyunjin's ex-best friend and who she used to have a massive crush Lia," is all Heejin blurts out in response.

Yves stops her fake annoyance and Gowon sighs, "Oh boy, this is going to be a long week."

--

The day has really only just begun and yet so much has already happened. Heejin knew this day would bring such a commotion, but when Yves abruptly woke her up this morning, she really didn't really think that one of the headliners would be about her.

But alas, maybe it was inevitable, considering her murmured track record throughout the Hogwarts hallways–especially when it comes to her love life.

And now, there’s a level of excitement in the air that the school never seemed to have experienced in the seven years Heejin has been here–no doubt being due to the students donned in different uniforms roaming among them. And here she is in those very same halls, carrying a uniform that clearly wasn’t hers with everyone knowing exactly who it belongs to.

With these two factors combined, an environment is created. One that Heejin would normally thrive and fly freely in.

But when she finds herself stuck in an entangled web of people during the Reunion Dinner, she wishes she never had wings to begin with.

A/N: Yee-haw baby.

Finally got inspiration to beat my writer's block because of Red Velvet's Third Full Album (bc I have a RV conversion of this fic)!!! BUT ALSO SO MUCH HAS HAPPENED IN THE LOONAVERSE SINCE WE LAST SPOKE!? ARTMS? Air Force One? Sensitive? Yves lyricist? Howl? Plastic Candy? Algorithm? Had to celebrate all of this with y'all so this chapter shows some much needed character development on Heejin's side. She's working on herself and maybe one day it will be enough for the both of them.

But alas, a new challenge has been tasked with some first-time meetings and first-time reunions! Did you really think I was only gonna let Hyunjin's past simply last for a few chapters? Well an *cough* another *cough* old friend of hers won't allow it ;)

Thanks for sticking around, pals! See you next chapter, stay healthy and let us manifest more OT12 success <3

- S (rv_twice5 on twitter)