Joonmyun thinks the Hufflepuff house colors look great painted across his face, the enchantment he added to lessen the itching against his skin working like a charm (as intended).  He’s all smiles, voice going hoarse as he cheers as loud as the rest of his section when the Hufflepuff Seeker whizzes past in search of the snitch.

And suddenly the crowd is jumping up, the stands vibrating under Joonmyun’s feet as they hold their collective breath, await the all but inevitable victory when Baekhyun gets his fingers around the little golden ball.

Screaming that sounds far more frightened than excited hits Joonmyun’s ears and he turns his head in time to see someone barreling toward the stands, broom out of control as it spins through the air.  There’s no time to move, Joonmyun squeezing his eyes closed and hoping to Merlin that he doesn’t die an early death.

All the breath is knocked from his lungs as his back meets the bleachers, the edge digging hard into his spine.  He wheezes, dizzy from the impact and the dead weight atop his small frame.  Joonmyun makes out the gold and red of Gryffindor’s colors and a mop of auburn hair, groaning aloud when he realizes what this means.

“In a spectacular display of the age-old broom courting ritual, Gryffindor’s Beater has managed to score a goal of his own,” comes the voice of Yifan from the announcer’s box and Joonmyun feels his face going red.

Gryffindor’s prized Beater, one Park Chanyeol, is responsible for this mess and suddenly Joonmyun is digging hands between their bodies to shove Chanyeol up and away.  He’s aided by those of his house, each of them with a grip on the Gryffindor until he’s on his own feet.

“Whoa,” is all Chanyeol says and that deep voice of his is not the reason for the shiver that runs up Joonmyun’s spine.  “Sorry about that, shortie.”

Shivers gone.

Joonmyun huffs and allows himself to be plucked from the ground, ignoring Chanyeol’s outstretched hand in favor of Yixing’s.  “I’m not short,” he grumbles, but he isn’t heard over the cheers.  

“AND IT LOOKS LIKE HUFFLEPUFF’S SEEKER HAS FINALLY CAUGHT THAT PESKY SNITCH!” Yifan booms.

Joonmyun feels a sense of pride for his house; it’s been a long time since Hufflepuff’s beaten Gryffindor in a Quidditch match.

“HUFFLEPUFF WINS 360 - 210!  NOW STAY TUNED TO SEE IF CHANYEOL SCORES -”  There’s a muffled grunt and Yifan goes silent, leaving Joonmyun very uncomfortable with the way people are looking at him.

Chanyeol visibly deflates, shoulders drooping and smile falling.  “I don’t suppose I could get a consolation kiss?” he asks, eyebrows raised and face so hopeful that Joonmyun nearly says yes - until he remembers that Chanyeol is the source of most of his inner turmoil for the last several years.

“Go find someone else to make kissy faces with,” Yixing bites, pushing at Chanyeol’s side until the Gryffindor remounts and takes off with more grace than he ever manages on legs.  “If he hurt you, I’m going to pour shrinking solution in his pumpkin juice at dinner,” Yixing declares.

Joonmyun grins at his friend, admiring his confidence even if he doesn’t believe in such tactics.  It’s nice to know Yixing cares enough.  “I’m fine,” he assures Yixing, dusting the dirt off his backside as the stands empty.  Everyone is down on the pitch, congratulating Baekhyun for a splendid catch so Joonmyun has a moment to compose himself, push down the butterflies that erupted in his stomach at the thought of kissing Chanyeol before letting Yixing link their elbows so they can join the rest of their house.

 

These days, Joonmyun keeps his mind focused on his NEWT classes, hoping to pass with enough Es (exceeds expectations) to make it as a Healer.  There’s a party in the Hufflepuff common room and as much as Joonmyun would like to shirk responsibility and attend, he finds himself sprawled on his four-poster bed with his quill and parchment, fastidiously working on his Herbology essay.  No one ever tries to pull him away from his work anymore; he’s spent the last six years politely declining every invitation for fun and it seems the lesson has finally hit home.  And even if he’s glad for the peace, there’s still a sadness that hangs heavy around his neck because he knows no one will come for him.  It may have been distracting, but it was nice to know they thought of him.

The thought comes unbidden and Joonmyun quashes it as soon as it forms - Chanyeol is the only one who hasn’t given up.

If anything, Chanyeol’s insistence to get a reaction other than annoyance out of Joonmyun has gotten stronger over the years.  Joonmyun still remembers when the gangly kid tripped over his own robes as the new first years filed into the Great Hall for the Sorting.  He hadn’t been remarkable until he smiled, that lopsided grin that intrigued Joonmyun far too much for him to admit as he stumbled up to the Sorting Hat.  He’d barely gotten the thing onto his head when it bolted out a, “GRYFFINDOR!”, prompting Joonmyun to lose interest (mostly).

It wouldn’t be until a few years later when Chanyeol secured himself a position on the Gryffindor Quidditch team that Joonmyun noticed him again - this time because he was all gangly limbs and wild hair, boisterous and overly enthusiastic for someone riding a broom through the torrential rain.  But the image stuck and soon enough, Joonmyun started seeing Chanyeol everywhere.  One happenstance where Joonmyun had to intervene and aid Chanyeol to the hospital wing after being hit by a jelly-leg jinx and Chanyeol was convinced they were best friends - or at least that they should be.

Passing each other in the halls between classes turned into Chanyeol craning his neck to find Joonmyun and wave enthusiastically enough to have him usually knocking an elbow into someone’s face or passing through an unhappy Bloody Baron as he trolled through the dungeons.  And as much as Joonmyun tried his best to ignore Chanyeol, the waves morphed into Chanyeol touching him - an arm around his shoulders, palm against the flat of his back, ruffling his hair teasingly now that Chanyeol is far taller than Joonmyun.  The way his skin heated and body shuddered under Chanyeol’s touch was a warning unto itself.

Despite his best efforts, Joonmyun realizes he’s fallen for the gangly Gryffindor and it’s all the more reason to avoid him.  He doesn’t need a distraction this close to his dreams.

 

Hogsmeade is bustling with students and other patrons, clumps of people moving as one while entering and exiting the shops.  Joonmyun isn’t sure why he came because he still has both his Transfigurations and Potions assignments to do.  He figures this is a rest for his brain, a little down time to recuperate and unwind before he shuts himself away in the furthest corner of the library again.  (There are still ink stains on his gloved fingers and a callous forming where his quill presses against the side of his finger and he picks at it out of habit now.)

He’s looking for - he thinks - Yixing or even that snooty Slytherin Jongdae who seems to have taken a liking to teasing Joonmyun about his studying and then gluing himself to his side in an attempt to find that spark of excitement that must be buried in him somewhere.  When he sees neither, he slumps in disappointment.  It’s not as if they’d be waiting for him or searching because Joonmyun rarely ventures out to Hogsmeade anymore.

This is precisely when Chanyeol makes his presence known by sneaking up behind Joonmyun and slapping both hands down on his shoulders.  Joonmyun shrieks, spinning and stumbling backwards until he falls on his .  Joonmyun is red with embarrassment and Chanyeol looks worried, hauling Joonmyun to his feet and fretting over him.  (Joonmyun could have done without the pat down, but he’s still in shock and hasn’t the mental capacity to stop him.)

“Didn’t mean to scare you,” Chanyeol apologizes, scratching the back of his head and frowning.

“S’alright,” Joonmyun mumbles, pressing his hands to his cheeks to make sure he’s still alive and breathing and not hallucinating.

“Were you waiting for someone?” Chanyeol asks, perhaps a bit too excitedly.

Joonmyun shakes his head, too long bangs falling into his eyes so he brushes them back.  “No, you?”

“Found him,” Chanyeol replies with a grin, rocking back on his heels.

Joonmyun’s head swivels in several directions to see who else could be around until realisation dawns.  “Oh.”  And he goes red, cheeks burning.

"Can I buy you a butterbeer?" Chanyeol offers, probably hoping to catch Joonmyun while his guard is still down.

But Joonmyun is wary, a thousand warning bells going off at the mention of spending time alone with Chanyeol.  His stomach aches because his emotions are playing against his practical side, the inklings of a crush valiantly braving through the rush of logic that tries to reason that a distraction the size of Chanyeol will only bring trouble.  But then, when have people been solely rational?

"Consider it an apology for knocking you down."  Chanyeol takes a moment and scrunches his face.  "A lot."

Joonmyun chuckles because Chanyeol has indeed been the cause of most of his tumbles, especially as of late, and he accepts the offer before he can reason his way out of it.  Perhaps a shot of Chanyeol in the midst of his academic life will do him some good.  There's also the added benefit of Chanyeol's blinding smile oriented right at him as he holds out an arm for Joonmyun to hold.  "So you don't get lost," Chanyeol explains.  "I won't have you getting out of this now that you've finally said yes to me."

A fresh blush covers Joonmyun's face as he allows himself to be guided into The Three Broomsticks.  He finds himself pushed against Chanyeol as other students rush in and out, some with mugs nearly overflowing and others chattering and simply not paying attention.  And if Chanyeol is bothered that Joonmyun has to cling to him so he won’t get lost in the crowd, he doesn't let on.

Joonmyun isn't confident they can find a table for the two of them and he's reluctant to head back out into the cold, but Chanyeol manages to work his charm and clear out a space for them near the back.  Warm butterbeer sloshes over the brim of Joonmyun's mug and it trails over his fingers, prompting him to it off before it dries and makes a sticky mess.  It tastes wonderful.

The first swallow rushes straight down Joonmyun throat, sending a wave of heat all the way to his toes and he finds himself grinning, clutching his drink close.

"You look like a third year on their first trip down," Chanyeol observes and Joonmyun chokes down a nervous laugh.

"It's been a while," he admits.

"All work and no play," Chanyeol chides, but there's no ill intent.

"You seem to have the opposite of that problem," Joonmyun shoots back.

"I'll have you know I take my studies very seriously," Chanyeol says with a smile.  "I just don't let them consume me."

"I'm not consumed," Joonmyun huffs, even though he knows it's a lie.  He's been totally focused on his work to the point that his friends don't even offer to take him out anymore.

Chanyeol doesn't dispute Joonmyun's outburst, but he does look at him knowingly before taking a large swallow of his butterbeer.  "What do you do for fun then?  Extra Potions essays?  Hide and seek with Peeves?"

Joonmyun scrunches his nose.  "The only games I play with Peeves are the involuntary kind," he grumbles, remembering several times when the poltergeist had deemed it amusing to hide Joonmyun's ink pots on the top of his door so when he closed it, they all fell on his head.  Or the time he spilled disappearing-reappearing ink on his homework and he'd had to do it all over on new parchment.  No, Joonmyun doesn't much like Peeves.

But he does like Chanyeol's company, especially when he has him laughing, palm slapping down on the table.  Joonmyun's heart does a flip and if he weren't such a clever wizard, he'd assume it was tap dancing against his rib cage.

"When's the last time you were on a broom?" Chanyeol asks and Joonmyun's shrug prompts this gleeful look to break out on Chanyeol's face.

"What?" he asks hesitantly.

 

Joonmyun has to admit that despite the bitter sting of the wind on the tips of his ears and the case of the sniffles he's acquired, sitting on a broom with Chanyeol's arms around him from behind is an exhilarating experience.  They're making use of the quidditch pitch since everyone is either inside by the fires in the common rooms or still down in Hogsmeade enjoying their free time.

Chanyeol seems at home in the sky.  Joonmyun envies his skill and devotion to such a simple, yet enjoyable thing.

The broom dips on a wind current and Joonmyun startles, gripping the broom tight with both hands as Chanyeol chuckles behind him.  His chest vibrates against Joonmyun's back and his breath is warm on his neck and Joonmyun's stomach falls to the ground below.

They’re headed for the tallest goal post, broom slowing and the tips of Chanyeol’s trainers catching on the edge when they reach the bottom curve.  It’s a very precarious moment for Joonmyun when he slides off the broom and onto the slope of the ring even if Chanyeol is behind him, assuring him that he’ll catch him if he falls.

They sit on the metal, feet dangling high off the ground and Joonmyun squeezes Chanyeol’s hand tighter, convinced he brought him up here just so Joonmyun wouldn’t let go.  And he won’t, but it’s not entirely because he’s afraid he’ll fall to his death.

“So tell me,” Chanyeol starts, voice deep and loud in the open air, “what is it exactly that keeps you so preoccupied and unwilling to let loose?”

“I’m a Seventh Year,” Joonmyun grumps, as if that should explain it all.  It’s not as if NEWT level exams are going to be a walk in the park and he needs to be at his peak to pass them all.  Chanyeol, however, is still waiting for a better - real - answer.  “If I want to do well enough to be a Healer for St Mungo’s, I need to be at the top of my game and everything else is just a distraction.”

Now that he’s said it aloud, Joonmyun feels like a wet blanket and wonders how it is that Chanyeol actually wants to spend time with him.

“It’s admirable that you’re so focused, but if you spend your best years with your cute little nose in a book or pressed against inky parchment, you’re going to miss out and regret it later.  Being a Healer is about giving someone a chance to keep living their life, right?  So what about your life?”

Chanyeol leans back and raises his arms, his hand still clasped in Joonmyun’s so his arm goes up too.  “It’s all about living life to the fullest.”

“Is that what you’re doing with quidditch?” Joonmyun inquires now that he’s not terrified Chanyeol is about to fling them to their doom.

“Quidditch is just a hobby.  I’m going to be a curse-breaker after I graduate,” he announces.

Joonmyun is taken aback.  The requirements for being a curse-breaker are pretty high and if Chanyeol is in his sixth year, it means he passed with the necessary OWLs to get the right courses.  “You’re surprisingly smart for a Beater.”  It’s painful to say, but Joonmyun’s sincere and a dusting of pink invades his cheeks.

Chanyeol taps his temple with two fingers.  “It’s the thick skull.  I used to fall off toy brooms a lot when I was a kid.  My parents said I built up a layer of scar tissue in here.”

And as dumb as that sounds, Joonmyun still chuckles, trying to rein in his smile, but it’s hopeless.

“You could tag along with me, you know,” Chanyeol teases, nudging his elbow into Joonmyun’s ribs gently.  “Be my personal Healer, save my life from all the horrible curses I’m bound to stumble in to.”

Joonmyun looks offended, but his stomach is swooping dangerously.  The very idea of him and Chanyeol out in some remote location, working together to open some magicked cave or tomb is enough to send his mind reeling with all the possibilities.  Maybe . . . 

Maybe it’s the thinner atmosphere all the way up here or because of the butterbeer loosening him up, but Joonmyun finds himself braving the forces of gravity to tug Chanyeol down for a kiss that is supposed to go on his cheek.  Chanyeol turns his face at the last moment, planting one right on Joonmyun’s lips.  Joonmyun swats pathetically at his chest before letting his arm drop, content with the way things are.

 

"Gryffindors are starting a pick-up quidditch game, come on," Baekhyun says out of breath, still heaving from running all the way from the Great Hall to the common room.  Yixing rolls his homework parchment and tucks it away, handing Joonmyun back his quill.

"Count me in," Yixing says before rushing to his room to grab his scarf.

"Will Chanyeol be there?" Joonmyun asks and Baekhyun looks surprised he voiced anything at all.

"He's the one who's putting it together."

With a smile, Joonmyun begins packing his things too, although more gently than Yixing.

"Wait, are you coming?"Baekhyun squeaks.

"I'll be spectating," he clarifies with a blush.

Yixing is more than excited that Joonmyun is somewhat participating even if he's bringing along his assignments just in case.  They rush out onto the field and over to the others gathered around who want to play.  Joonmyun pulls away to head over to the stands only to be stopped with a warm body against his back, nearly knocking him over.

"Yah!  Chanyeol!  Stop molesting Joonmyun already!" Baekhyun yells out and Yixing tosses in a few well-chosen insults to go along with it.

Joonmyun turns to see Chanyeol beaming down at him, not a worry on his face and it's Joonmyun who pulls him down by his scarf for a kiss.  There's the sound of a body hitting the ground and Baekhyun shouting, "Yixing!" just after, but Joonmyun doesn't care.  He just kisses Chanyeol again and wonders how much he can distract his boyfriend during the game.