Hogsmeade lay empty and still under a blanket of snow that was just thick enough to coat the streets in white, and the cold flakes fell on in endless spirals.

It had been snowing ever since Christmas, sunny days seeming nothing but a distant promise, and Joohyun and Seungwan made their way to the village amid intermittent sprinklings of white, the small flakes sticking to their clothes and hair. Their warming spells made short work of the things, turning them to a puff of steam in a fraction of a second, but the sensation of cold was hard to dispel, more psychological than physical.

Headmistress Kwon hadn’t been entirely truthful when she’d claimed that the shops would be open. Although a few familiar places cast a warm glow into the street, doors invitingly ajar and windows spilling light, many others were dark and empty, with only the upper floor, where the owners lived, showing any sign of life.

At a first glance, Joohyun saw that Dervish and Banges, Gladrags Wizardwear, and the tea shop were all closed, and if it was the same as in previous years, then Dogweed and Deathcap would also be shut for the holiday season. It was mostly the inns and sweet shops that were open at this time, which was far from a problem for Joohyun, since they were exactly the places she would be inclined to visit.

“I’ll be at the Lionheart,” she told Seungwan once they’d arrived at the main street, tilting her head toward the pub near the end of the street. The girl quickly understood Joohyun’s hint that she would like to visit it alone and studied her surroundings, trying to find which shops were open.

“I’ll go see what they have at the Dolce Far Niente, I suppose.” Her gaze had fallen on the sweet shop, halfway down the road that branched off to her right. “Do you want anything?” she added as an afterthought, and Joohyun shook her head with a quick “Thanks”.

Seungwan disappeared around the corner and Joohyun carried on, taking advantage of the temporary lack of snowfall to fully take in the empty village. It looked so small and cosy, so picturesque as it sprung up from the snow, that it seemed almost unreal, a toy model of a wizarding settlement for the curious to explore. A postcard come to life.

A pleasant fire filled the pub with heat and as she entered, Joohyun quickly dispelled the magical warmth that had been enveloping her in favour of the more natural one. Only a few of the older clientele sat inside, exchanging slow words over half-empty tumblers, and the owner sat behind the counter looking a bit bored. As soon as Joohyun stepped inside, her face brightened with recognition, a happy smile gracing her lips.

“Joohyun, dear, I was wondering whether I’d see you,” she called out cheerfully, already reaching for a mug. Her pink hair glittered in the uneven light, healthy and shiny as only magically treated hair could be. “Take any seat you’d like, I’ll be with you in a moment.”

“Hello, Sunny,” Joohyun replied with her own smile. It was always difficult to resist the woman’s pleasant mood, doing more to warm her from the cold December weather than anything else in the pub. She took a seat at a table near the fire, enjoying the view of the flickering flames. “How was your holiday?”

“Busy, as always,” Sunny answered in a chirpy tone, moving around the counter with a full mug of butterbeer which she dropped on Joohyun’s table. She stopped the Slytherin’s hand, which had already travelled to her pocket, and tapped the edge of the mug. “It’s on the house. For the only student who’ll come to visit lonely old me over Christmas.”

Joohyun wanted to insist, but past experience told her that it was useless, so she let the few Sickles she’d grabbed slip back into her pocket without protest.

“That’s no way to run a business, you know?” she said instead, a playful jab.

“Well, I’ve kept the pub afloat for quite a few years now, so I’d say it’s working out for me.”

With a quick look around to make sure she wasn’t needed elsewhere, Sunny took a seat next to Joohyun as she took her first swig of the drink, its sweet flavour masking the very slight alcoholic aftertaste.

“How is everything at school? The last year is always the hardest,” Sunny carried on once Joohyun had set down her mug. “Especially with all those NEWTs you’re taking.”

“It’s only six,” she mumbled self-consciously. It was hard to feel too proud of it when some students walked around taking twelve. Well, just the one student. And she was dangerously close to crumbling under the pressure. But still.

“That’s twice as many as I took,” Sunny pointed out. “Not many people took more than four in my time, not unless they were after a particularly demanding career. Aurors and such. Minister of Magic,” she added with a chuckle, which Joohyun echoed.

“Everything’s alright, I think,” she finally answered, shrugging a bit before taking another sip of her butterbeer. “It’s a lot of work, but I’m managing it.”

“That’s good. Don’t push yourself too hard, it’s only school. Don’t let the Professors know I said this, but there’s plenty of life outside academics. Plenty of jobs that don’t need any NEWTs at all.”

“Well, yes, but…”

“I know, I know,” Sunny assured her at once, letting her hand fall on Joohyun’s forearm. “But it’s good to know it won’t be the end of the world if something goes wrong with your exams. It might take the pressure off a bit.”

Joohyun smiled at her words, grateful for Sunny’s reassurances but nevertheless uncomfortable at the subject. She didn’t particularly enjoy being reminded of the looming future and all the pressure to not only pass her exams, but achieve distinguishing grades. No matter how much Sunny insisted that she had options, it didn’t feel that way to her.

“Well, enough of all this school talk. You’re on break, after all,” Sunny said after a moment, seeming to notice the tension that the previous topic had introduced. “How was your Christmas? And the feast?”

“It was alright. I talked to some teachers, got a few Chocolate Frog cards that I don’t think Seulgi’s gotten yet, so she’ll be happy to see them. Professor Heechul got an exceptionally ugly tie,” she added as she found herself running out of things to mention.

Sunny nodded as she listened, snorting at the mention of Professor Heechul, but she didn’t respond to any of what Joohyun said. “And did you have any sweets?” was what she asked, a topic she’d clearly decided on beforehand.

“I got some for Christmas,” Joohyun answered with a tilt of her head. “Some more at the feast, but I ate them all there.”

“Would you say you’re all done with sweet things until the end of the year? No room for a single piece more?”

“Sunny…” Joohyun began as she noticed the woman reaching into her pocket, but she already knew she wouldn’t listen.

“Because if that’s the case, I might have to hang on to this until after your break,” Sunny concluded, flashing a wide grin as she pulled a bag of sweets from inside her apron. There was no marking on the simple transparent thing, but Joohyun could guess it had come from Dolce Far Niente.

“Merry Christmas,” the innkeeper said as she dropped the bag on the table. It was fairly full, and Joohyun could see the varied selection inside, from best-sellers like Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans and Chocolate Frogs to all of Joohyun’s favourites, including nougat chunks and sugar quills.

“I thought the butterbeer was the Christmas present,” she said, still eyeing the bag.

“No, the butterbeer is for the pleasure of your company. The sweets are for Christmas,” Sunny clarified, still smiling widely.

Joohyun bit her lip, unsure of whether she should accept it, but she didn’t want to spoil Sunny’s happiness, so she eventually pulled the bag closer to herself, opening it to further inspect its contents.

“How did you get this, anyway?” she asked as she pushed two ice mice aside to find a pack of Drooble’s Best Blowing Gum. She wouldn’t be eating anything while she still had her half-full butterbeer to focus on, but it was nice to know what awaited her. “I doubt you just walked into Dolce Far Niente and bought it.”

“I acquired that bag through entirely legal means and I dare anyone to prove otherwise,” Sunny said in a suddenly serious tone, brows furrowing slightly in distaste. “And don’t mention that name in front of me.”

“I can’t mention the store either?” Joohyun asked with genuine curiosity. “I thought it was just Choi Sooyoung that I couldn’t bring up.”

“Don’t mention either of them!” Sunny insisted, forcing her voice down to a harsh whisper to avoid bothering the other clients.

“Alright, alright, I won’t.”

Sunny sat in silence, expression darkened by the allusion to the sweet-shop owner. Joohyun wondered how to change the topic, but she was interrupted by the innkeeper’s further complaints.

“I swear, she’s so… rude, and obnoxious. I don’t know how she gets so many customers. I suppose children will flock to any sweet shop, regardless of the owner,” the woman muttered bitterly, eyes narrowed with clear displeasure. “No matter how successful she is, she can’t hide her true self from me. Lazy and ill-mannered and- And freakishly tall, and-“

“Over there,” Joohyun interrupted awkwardly. Sunny studied her in confusion, so she raised her arm to point outside the window. Sunny turned around just in time to catch Sooyoung as she passed by it for the second time, stalking angrily. “She must have noticed the absence of those sweets you acquired legally.”

Sunny let out an indignant huff and sped to the door, obviously intent on chasing after the woman. Joohyun lagged behind, emptying her mug and pocketing the bag she’d just received. Once she was sure Sunny wouldn’t turn around, she dropped two Sickles on the table and hurried to join her on the snowy street.

Sooyoung’s back was turned to them, her long brown overcoat fluttering slightly as she strode rapidly down the street. Something whizzed through the air, too quickly for Joohyun to make sense of it, then there was a splatter of white as a snowball crashed into the back of Sooyoung’s head, some of it dripping down her neck. Joohyun shivered slightly as she imagined the cold, unpleasant sensation.

“Who did th-“ Sooyoung began as she swivelled around, never finishing her sentence once she set eyes on Sunny. “You,” she remarked drily.

“Sorry,” Sunny called out, not sounding sorry at all. “I couldn’t help it, your height makes you such a perfect target.”

“The same certainly can’t be said for you,” Sooyoung replied in a flash, taking in all of Sunny’s short frame with a scowl. “But your width makes up for it, I suppose.”

“Are you calling me fat? You take that back right now!”

“Why don’t you give back the sweets you stole?”

“I didn’t-“ Sunny attempted, but was quickly interrupted by Sooyoung’s own snowball, prepared with discrete motions of her wand behind her back. She wiped the snow powdering her front with calm dignity, then tried again.

“I didn’t steal any sweets. I wouldn’t be caught dead touching anything you sell.” Joohyun was impressed by the perfect ease with which the lie rolled of Sunny’s tongue. “You probably ate them in your sleep. I wouldn’t put it past you.”

They were still screaming at each other from opposite points of the street, but each slowly stepped toward the other with each insult and accusation. Standing motionless by the pub, Joohyun found herself increasingly distant from the confrontation, for which she could only be thankful. She threw a quick look around herself, hoping that there were no bystanders, and saw Seungwan standing a few steps behind Sooyoung, looking very out of place. She held a Dolce Far Niente sweet bag and Joohyun suspected that she was the reason Sooyoung had suddenly noticed her missing stock.

They exchanged glances and Joohyun raised a hand to wave, which Seungwan returned awkwardly. The Hufflepuff nodded questioningly towards the two women loudly arguing in the middle of the street and Joohyun shrugged in response. She really didn’t have any explanations to offer. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a sugar quill and nibbled at it.

“You!”

In the silence that followed, Joohyun finally realized that Sooyoung’s exclamation had been aimed at her.

“Yes, you! What have you got there?”

Sooyoung stalked towards her with Sunny in tow and it only took Seungwan a few moments to join them, rather than stand alone in a corner of the street while the madness unfolded.

“Sweets,” Joohyun mumbled, trying her best to keep her expression neutral. She was good at that, although Sunny’s panicked gaze from behind Sooyoung’s back, eyes opened impressively wide, was somewhat distracting.

“And where did you get those sweets? Diagon Alley? The trolley in the Hogwarts Express? Right here in Hogsmeade, perhaps?”

Now that she thought of it, Sooyoung’s eyes were also quite wide, though more filled with righteous indignation than panic.

“Christmas present,” Joohyun replied curtly, biting off the tip of the quill with a small snapping sound that startled Seungwan.

“Oh, how lovely. From anyone I know?” Sooyoung insisted.

“Sooyoung, will you leave the girl out of your conspiracy theories?” Sunny called out from her side. Sooyoung turned to face her and Joohyun immediately took a few steps back, putting some distance between them. She edged towards Seungwan as silently as she could.

“I will, Soonkyu, as soon as you stop involving her in your schemes!”

Sunny let out an affronted gasp at Sooyoung’s response and although Joohyun couldn’t see the taller woman’s face, she could imagine the smirk on it.

“Do not call me by my given name in front of the students,” Sunny exclaimed angrily, to which Sooyoung only chuckled.

“I don’t understand all this worry about your name being ugly,” she commented, and Joohyun wondered whether she was really about to say something supportive. “I mean, that’s why it suits you so well.”

Sunny let out an angry yelp, pulling her wand out of her pocket and aiming it straight at Sooyoung, who laughed both at her own joke and at Sunny’s reaction. Joohyun took advantage of this moment of distraction to reach out and grab a handful of Seungwan’s robe sleeve, pulling her away towards the nearest side street as quickly and silently as she could manage.

It was only when they took the next turn and found themselves in a parallel to the main street, where Sooyoung and Sunny’s arguing could still faintly be heard, that Seungwan dared to speak.

“That was intense,” she breathed out, following Joohyun as she walked on. “It was- I didn’t know Sooyoung and Sunny hated each other like that. This is real Hogsmeade gossip.”

“They don’t exactly hate each other. It’s more like a rivalry,” Joohyun explained. She remembered that she was still holding Seungwan’s sleeve and casually dropped it. “I think they’d miss each other if one of them left.”

“Miss each other? Sunny seemed a blink away from casting a Hex on Sooyoung!”

“It’s… complicated. They’re a bit strange. But these things they do, I mean, Sunny stealing Sooyoung’s sweets and all. They go out of their way to get in each other’s business. Like they want the attention.” She paused to take a look around and check that Seungwan was still close by. “That’s not something I’d do if I hated someone. I’d be trying to put as much distance between us as I could. Besides,” she quickly added, before Seungwan could dwell for too long on the topic of Joohyun hating someone, “there’s some other things as well.”

“Other things? Like what?”

“Well, do you remember that woman who was helping out at Dolce Far Niente last year? Pretty, tanned, almost as tall as Sooyoung?” Seungwan hummed in agreement. “That’s Yuri. And she wasn’t a shop assistant, she was Sooyoung’s girlfriend. Can you guess how I know?”

“Sunny told you?” Seungwan asked with some surprise.

“It was all she’d talk about. It really upset her. She said it was unfair that it was two against one, but that always seemed like a flimsy excuse.”

“You think she was jealous?” Seungwan asked. Joohyun nodded, as they were walking side by side now. Slowly, they approached the edge of town and the small path that led away from it. “So… Sunny has feelings for Sooyoung?”

“Strange ones, but yes. I think Sooyoung feels the same, but I don’t know her that well.”

“She doesn’t seem to be dating Yuri anymore,” Seungwan pointed out. Joohyun shrugged in response. “Wait, where are we going?” the Hufflepuff asked once she finally noticed that they weren’t on the road back to Hogwarts.

“The Shrieking Shack.”

“What?” Seungwan stopped in her tracks, but Joohyun ignored her and walked on, a small smile on her lips as she heard the girl’s hurried footsteps a moment later, scrambling to follow her. “But… why?”

“Well we can’t leave yet. We’ve barely done anything,” Joohyun complained, not just to convince Seungwan to follow along, but because she truly didn’t want to go back to Hogwarts and to her work so soon.

“No, no, we’ve done plenty. I’ve got my sweets and you’ve got your…” Seungwan gestured towards Joohyun’s sagging pocket, heavy with Sunny’s stolen treats. “...uh, illegal contraband. All in all, a lovely outing.”

“Has it even been an hour?” Joohyun pointed out. Seungwan shrugged dubiously. “I refuse to go back until the Sun is at least showing signs of setting,” she demanded, pleased at the way the Hufflepuff seemed to waver under her insistence.

“I suppose we can stay a bit longer,” the girl gave in with a wince. “But do we really have to go to the Shrieking Shack? Can’t we just have a look around and see what else is open?”

“Why? Are you scared?” Joohyun teased with a smirk, turning to face Seungwan for an instant before returning her attention to the crude path. Already in bad conditon, it slowly became a muddy mess as their steps mixed the snow with the dirt underneath.

“I- Am not!” Seungwan replied at once, nearly choking her way through the words. Her eyes grew a little wider, lending little credibility to her assertion. “It just makes no sense, is all.” Joohyun eyed her questioningly. “If it isn’t haunted, then there’s no use in poking around. And if it is, we should just leave it alone.”

Joohyun hummed thoughtfully. “Sounds like something that a scared person would say.”

Seungwan averted her eyes and gnawed at her lower lip before answering. “I don’t think being scared would be such an unreasonable response. Not that I am,” she added with a defiance that was betrayed by the way her eyes continued to dart around.

“Alright then. Prove it.”

“P-prove?” Seungwan asked amid a flurry of nervous blinking.

“Go knock on the front door,” Joohyun suggested. The Hufflepuff squeaked out something incomprehensible and she sighed in fake disappointment. “Fine, fine. Just get close to it, past the fence. Throw a pebble at a window or something.”

As if on cue, they finally arrived at the desolate hill where the Shrieking Shack stood, surrounded by , sickly trees and dirt-spattered snow. A rickety fence separated it from the footpath, so worn down that the front gate, swinging off its hinges, was hardly ever used to enter the Shack’s grounds. Wooden planks had been nailed across every door and window in sight, although those moulding pieces of wood stood mostly as warning. The main deterrent from entrance was actually the strange enchantment that had been cast on the place to keep out all visitors.

Seungwan studied the construction carefully, like she hadn’t seen it many times before.

“A pebble, you said?”

“Yes. At a window.”

Seungwan swallowed drily then nodded, looking anything but confident in her decision. With jittery steps, she made it across the fence and began to slowly shuffle towards the Shack.

Joohyun followed the girl’s progress, impressed at her determination, then silently pulled her wand out of her pocket. She waited a few moments more, to make sure she wouldn’t turn around, then flicked her wrist and whispered a few words, causing the snow in front of her to congeal into an adequately-sized sphere.

With another quick flick, the snowball went flying at the Hufflepuff, who was struck squarely on the back. Joohyun swore the girl had never cried out so loudly, which was quite an achievement for Seungwan.

When Seungwan turned around, the fear in her eyes slowly giving way to confusion, which battled all the while with betrayal, Joohyun couldn’t hold in her laughter any longer. She cackled freely, not stopping once as Seungwan stomped down the hill, lips curling into the slightest pout, and finally arrived by her side to give Joohyun all the ruthless punishment of a weak tap on the arm.

“Why did you do that?” the Hufflepuff demanded sulkily. All traces of snow had already disappeared from her robes, dried off by her warming spell.

“Because. It was fun.” Seungwan’s glare didn’t waver, especially when Joohyun let out another peal of laughter. “Come on, wasn’t it a little fun? Now that the fright has worn off.”

“It was… alright, I suppose. I’ll let it slide if you help me do it to Seulgi.”

“You’ll let it slide?” Joohyun mockingly echoed Seungwan’s sudden bravado, smirking as the girl reddened slightly at her provocation. “Anyway, I can’t claim all the credit. Hyuna pulled the same trick on me two years ago. I haven’t been past the fence since.”

Seungwan let out a complicit chuckle before she froze into an expression of suspicion. “Wait, why did I have to go in there if you were the one who wanted to come here in the first place?”

“The thing about Slytherins, Seungwan,” Joohyun began with a flutter of her rube, turning around to step back into the path to Hogsmeade, “is that, no matter how subtle it is, you’ll very rarely find us doing anything we don’t want to do.”

As soon as Seungwan reached her, there was already another complaint on the tip of her tongue, and Joohyun bore it patiently, thinking all the while.

They weren’t friends; she didn’t think they were quite that. But perhaps they weren’t simply study partners either. They were Joohyun and Seungwan, and that by itself was complicated enough. So maybe they could be something in between. A work in progress.

Yes, Joohyun thought with an absent nod of her head, a work in progress. She could handle that.