« I don’t understand why we have to ask Wheein. »

« Because you are drunk! »

Hyejin doesn’t leave room for Byulyi to argue as she walks even faster down the busy hallways of Hogwarts. It is the first day and already Byulyi managed to get herself in trouble. It is nothing Hyejin can’t deal with, but it is enough to ruin her mood.

Coming back to Hogwarts is always an exciting experience and the euphoria and general chaos unique to the students on the first day always make Hyejin a bit giddy inside. Even if she doesn’t have a lot of friends and she saw Byulyi most of the summer break, it feels nice to be here again.

Byulyi must have thought the same and had decided to show it by drinking herself to oblivion with some loser friends of hers. It is a miracle that no Prefect or teachers caught her, but Hyejin wonders if it wouldn’t have been best that her friend actually got caught – to put some sense into her.

Hyejin already has managed to get passed the groups of students discussing their summer break just everywhere around the castle. The moving stairs have been a real nightmare as Byulyi told her she felt like throwing up, but Hyejin threatened to transform her into a toad if she just made a sound. It worked and they are now on the fourth floor on their way to the library.

Because Wheein is always at the library.

Hidden between two rows of books, her brunette hair is in front of her eyes as she is absorbed in a large book. There is a pile on her left and another on her right acting as a book rest for a second book opened in the middle. Hyejin wonders what could have possibly been so pressing for the girl to be at the library on a Sunday. Especially knowing they just arrived yesterday night at Hogwarts.

« Wheein! »

« Quiet or you become a toad. »

Byulyi puts her index finger in front of her lips, that is what she thinks she does because her index finger is actually under her right eye. Hyejin sighs. She really needs Wheein’s help.

« Hello, you two. Long time no see. »

Wheein raises an eyebrow when Byulyi walks up to her for a hug and she gets a strong smell of alcohol. Not like the nice butterbeer they sell at Hogsmeade but the strong and dirty liquor that none of them should be drinking.

Hyejin shakes her head at Byulyi’s behavior.

« What can I do for you two? »

Wheein knows they wouldn’t have gone through the trouble of visiting the library if they weren’t looking for her. She looks expectantly at Byulyi, before realizing that the girl is in no state to give any proper answer.

« I missed you, Wheeinie! »

Wheein chuckles. She pulls a chair out for Byulyi and tells her to sit down. She then turns toward Hyejin.

« So, why were you looking for me? »

Hyejin doesn’t miss how Wheein gently pets Byulyi’s hair. The girl is now leaning her face on the table to rest and unlike Hyejin, Wheein doesn’t seem concerned by Byulyi potentially throwing up on all the books.

« Byulyi lost her wand. »

« Hum. Sounds troublesome, indeed. »

Wheein offers Hyejin an understanding smile, before starting to collect her books. All of them go to the cart, but she keeps one with her. Her eyes look at Byulyi for a long time and Hyejin wants to ask her if she is going to help them or not.

« Where did you find her? »

« Near the Great Lake. There was a friend of hers too, but she knew nothing about Byulyi’s wand. They went outside to search for her wand last night as they all met after dinner on the Training Grounds, but when they went back to search for Byulyi they were so drunk they couldn’t make their way back to the castle and so they spent the night there. »

Wheein is amused just imagining the scene. Hyejin doesn’t find it funny. She finds it irresponsible and stupid. This is why she didn’t join Byulyi and her friends when they decided to have a little party after dinner, and went to bed.

« Well we should go and check. »

« We can’t. On the way here, I heard that someone had found a wand and bottles of alcohol in the Training Grounds in the early morning, apparently the teachers heard some noises last night and they know some students were not in their bed past curfew. They are searching for the owner of the wand and I am sure they won’t be happy to learn that it is Byulyi’s and that she has been drinking on school grounds. They could cut her out of the Quidditch team for it. »

Wheein nods, now understanding the situation better.

Byulyi hasn’t always been the most well-behaved kid. Actually, she has always been one to seek trouble as she breathes, putting herself and Hyejin in major troublesome situations more than once. It came to a point last year that the Headmaster almost kicked her out of the Quidditch team.

« Now I know why you need my help. »

Wheein helps Byulyi out of the chair and puts her arm over her shoulders as she helps her walk out of the library, followed by Hyejin. She rejects Hyejin’s offer to help and tells her that she will walk Byulyi to the Slytherin’s Dungeons with her.

Wheein and Hyejin aren’t friends. They happen to both be friends with Byulyi and from one thing to another, they became acquaintances, but never really built a close relationship. Hyejin’s reserved nature prevents her from confidently growing closer to the other girl, keeping their few interactions to greet each other when they meet in the hallways or share the same class.

Wheein leaves Byulyi and Hyejin in front of Slytherin’s Dungeons, promising Hyejin that she will take care of her wand for her. Before walking away, she pulls a hair from Byulyi’s scalp and gives a mischievous smile at Hyejin.

« Here. Byulyi’s wand. »

Wheein has pulled Hyejin away from the crowd of students eagerly entering the Great Hall for dinner. While it has been rather easy to find out where they kept the wand, it has been an entirely different story to get it without anyone noticing. Still, Wheein had managed with the help of her favorite furry friend. Her cat, Ggomo.

« How? »

Hyejin inspects the wand quickly. It is indeed Byulyi’s.

« A great magician never reveals his tricks. »

Wheein smiles, a dimple revealing itself as she does so. Hyejin thanks her, not having anything better to say to the girl. Somehow, Wheein always had this little effect on her. She makes her feel the need to impress her in some type of way by saying something smart, but more often than not, nothing comes to her brain and she finds herself staring stupidly at the girl.

« I will be going, now. I am starving. »

Hyejin nods. She puts Byulyi’s wand in the pocket of her jeans. She doesn’t have anything smart to tell Wheein.

« Oh, and I hope Byulyi is recovering from her night out. Tell her I was happy to help. »

Wheein waves at Hyejin as she disappears in the crowded Great Hall. Hyejin stands still for a moment before walking to her group of friends. Since it is the weekend, everyone can dress as they please and they don’t have to eat at their House table. Hyejin likes it better in those days.

« Miss Ahn! Would you please give me the pleasure of staying awake during my class? »

Hyejin jumps awake at the sudden call of her name. She isn't asleep, she is just resting her eyes, she tries to explain to the teacher, but he doesn’t want to hear her excuses. It really isn’t her fault if the sun has been shining right on her face, making her feel drowsy – the event of last night didn’t help either, but she swears it isn’t her fault.

« Come forward. It will be easier to follow the class. »

Hyejin doesn’t agree, but she collects her stuff anyway and sits down at the free spot on the first row. Which happens to be right next to Wheein, not that she doesn’t like the girl, but she would have preferred to stay at the back under the warm light of the sun.

This is what happens when you party too hard.

Hyejin reads the piece of parchment Wheein slides over to her. She checks on Wheein, but the girl is following the course of History of Magic with great interest. Quickly, she glances at Hyejin and smiles before looking back at the blackboard.

Weren’t you invited?

Hyejin slides the piece of parchment back to Wheein.

I was. Byulyi wanted to thank me for her wand.

Hyejin sighs. Byulyi could thank Wheein another ten times as the girl saved her from being kicked out of the Quidditch team.

Why weren’t you there?

I was sleeping.

Wheein shrugs. It isn’t very important to miss a party or two, there are so many more occasions to come to have fun at Hogwarts. Especially at the beginning of the year, each House throws a welcoming party in their common room for the new students and also for the sake of being back at Hogwarts. It is generally all fun and games, nothing crazy as they don’t want to anger their teachers right from the beginning. Usually, only the members of the House are invited, but more often than not other students join them.

There is a party at Gryffindor’s on Friday. Do you want to join?

Wheein smiles at Hyejin before focusing back on the course.

Hyejin knows Wheein has a rather large number of friends, but she doesn’t know the girl has friends in every house. Especially in Gryffindor, whom Hyejin can barely bear to be around for more than a few hours as they love to gloat about themselves a bit too much to her taste.

Still, Hyejin answers positively to Wheein’s question. It would be an opportunity for them to know each other better – well if you can really learn anything about someone while at a party. It is a good thing, anyway, because Wheein asked her to do something with her, and Hyejin always wanted to do so, but never found the courage.

Wheein has always been this very impressive friend of Byulyi that she only talked to because Byulyi was in the same room as them. Wheein always seems so sure of herself, while still giving a kind smile to everyone. She is friendly, easy-going, brilliant, and good at everything. A lot of things that Hyejin isn’t which often made her feel less of an interesting person than Wheein.

The bell rings, pulling Hyejin out of her thoughts. As she puts her stuff back in her bag, she realizes that Wheein is waiting for her, and they exit the classroom together. Hyejin explains that she will drop by Slytherin’s Dungeons before lunch, and Wheein follows her.

« I am actually going to see if Byulyi is doing better. »

« Don’t tell me she is legless again. »

Hyejin sighs. She wishes she could tell Wheein that their mutual friend hadn’t drunk herself to oblivion once again and just had a difficult time waking up because of her lack of sleep, but no. Byulyi just couldn’t celebrate the Slytherin welcoming party like everyone else and had to consume hard liquor with her friends in the bathrooms of the dungeons.

Hyejin found her with her three friends completely passed out on the floor of the bathroom. She forced Byulyi into a cold shower before leading her to bed. Unfortunately, it hasn’t been enough and in the morning, Byulyi was still completely passed out in her bed, unable to attend her classes. Hyejin really hopes that her friend manages to make it to the third period or else she will be in big trouble.

« Nice to see you, Byulyi! Always on your best day, I see. »

Wheein chuckles as she crouches down in front of Byulyi lying in one of the sofas of the common room. Fortunately, no one is around as all the students are currently in the Great Hall for lunch. Like all three of them should be.

« Wheeinie. Don’t scream, please. »

Hyejin tells Wheein that she has to get something from her room for her afternoon lessons and she disappears in the staircase. Wheein finds herself alone with Byulyi in the quiet and very green common room. It isn’t her favorite place to be as Slytherin’s Dungeons always feel so cold in her eyes, but she appreciates the tapestries telling the story of Salazar Slytherin’s life.

« You do realize that we are only Tuesday and you already passed out twice from heavy drinking? »

Byulyi groans in response.

« You don’t know how to stop, Byulyi. That is concerning and I am telling you because I am your friend. »

Byulyi tries to throw a pillow at Wheein but fails miserably.

« I made that for you. I made it after seeing you Sunday morning. I didn’t know you would need it so quickly. It should make you feel better. Try it. »

Byulyi takes the flacon from Wheein’s hand, because at this point anything would be better than this terrible nauseous state. She finishes it in one sip, not bothering to ask what is inside but grimacing at the terrible taste.

Unfortunately, she doesn’t have time to complain about it, as she feels a warm wave of energy running into her body. It spreads everywhere, in every cell of her body, almost like a shot of magic has been given to her.

« Merlin’s Beard! That’s amazing, Wheeinie. »

« What did Byulyi say when she was you? »

Hyejin grimaces. Byulyi wasn’t happy to see her wearing so little clothes, especially to go to a party at Gryffindor’s. Wheein thinks Hyejin looks great in this skirt, but she also knows Byulyi must have nagged at Hyejin for wearing it.

Still, Hyejin managed to make it out of Slytherin’s Dungeons rather easily. It has been harder to make their way to the fourth floor as Mrs. Vera’s office, Gryffindor's Head of House, has her office on the same floor and it is almost impossible to get to the Gryffindor’s Tower without walking past it.

Wheein told Hyejin to be very quiet and they got through without any trouble. They only had to hide behind an alcove once because they thought a teacher was coming their way, but it was only one of the ghosts passing by. Still, Hyejin finds it funny to be with Wheein.

The girl has been nothing but nice to her, quickly erasing the nervousness of Hyejin with a funny anecdote. As they enter Gryffindor’s Tower, Hyejin realizes that the party is way bigger than what she had in mind, and also Wheein is way more liked than she thought. A group of students turn around as soon as Wheein steps in to greet her, and as they walk into the crowd, many more students greet Wheein with either a smile, a hug, or a fist bump.

Hyejin feels small next to the girl. She is surprised when she feels Wheein’s hand finding hers. Wheein winks at her and pulls her closer so they don’t lose each other in the very crowded Gryffindor common room that Hyejin has never been in before. She doesn’t have the time to look around, Wheein pulls her in one direction and she follows.

« Wheeinie! »

Hyejin feels Wheein’s hand letting go of hers.

In front of her, there is a brunette taller than her by a few centimeters opening her arms for Wheein to jump in. They hug for a good minute, leaving Hyejin all the time to feel awkward and like she doesn’t belong here. Hyejin believes they will never let go of each other and that she should maybe find something else to do or maybe just leave.

« Hyejin! Come! »

Wheein pulls her by the wrist. Finally, she is face to face with the brunette. It isn’t an unfamiliar face, but it isn’t one that she sees often either.

« Hyejin, that is Yongsun unnie. »

Unnie?

Hyejin didn’t know that the girl was Korean. Actually, she doesn’t know a lot about Kim Yongsun. Like everyone at Hogwarts, she knows the girl is a Gryffindor, and most importantly she is part of the Quidditch team. The girl is a legend as she refused twice the very coveted position of Seeker and instead became a Keeper.

« Unnie, this is Hyejin. »

« So nice to meet you, Hyejin. »

Hyejin realizes Yongsun has drunk because the girl is loud. She shakes her hand, not really knowing what else to say as the most interesting people of the entire school are standing right in front of her. It is Hyejin’s eternal struggle, not knowing what to do with herself as she is scared of what people will think of her, she doesn’t want them to think that she is weird or lame.

« Hyejin! »

Hyejin turns around, too happy to be pulled away from her mental struggle. She smiles in surprise when one of her friends pulls her into a hug and steals her away from Wheein and Yongsun.

It is better like this.