It was still early morning, but the Great Hall was already buzzing with students. It was a Hogsmeade week. Students from third year and above all were entitled to go to Hogsmeade and Changmin could feel the energy was thumping through the air. The exam session was over after all; this was the start of the break everyone was waiting for.

Changmin scooped some of the scrambled eggs to his plate. His mind was elsewhere. Tonight he would go back home, his father had been calling for him and Junsu to come home. It must have been an urgent issue, otherwise he wouldn’t have called them. He even went through all the trouble to sort things out with the headmaster.

Urgh. Changmin then scowled automatically. Even the mention of the headmaster brought annoyance to him. 

The headmaster already made so many faults in Changmin’s eyes, and his current fault was that he was detaining Junsu. Junsu always had a short catch up session with the headmaster every Saturday morning. The headmaster called it a catch up, but Changmin knew it was not that. 

That old man always had a spot for Junsu, preferably if the teenager was kneeling in front of him or bending over a table. 

Someone sat in front of him. He glanced up to see Yoochun looking all disheveled. His hair wasn’t as shiny as it used to be, there were bags under his eyes, and the fact that they were all apparent even with the Veela glamour was saying something. Changmin raised an eyebrow. “How do you expect to catch the Golden Boy’s attention if you’re looking like a troll?”

Yoochun made a face. “Shut up.”

Changmin shrugged and drank some of his pumpkin juice. “Just saying.”

Yoochun muttered something again under his breath, but Changmin didn’t pay attention. A commotion was heard and instantly hundreds of owls flew into the Great Hall. A brown feathered owl scooped low near where Changmin sat at, and dropped a bundle of Daily Prophet to his scrambled eggs. 

Bugger. No matter how many times Changmin had protested, these owls always dropped their packages onto someone’s plate and therefore ruining the breakfast. Sighing, he picked up the Daily Prophet. Flicking some of the scrambled eggs of the pages, Changmin read the front page: Minister of Magic said The Ministry was establishing a new plan to breed more dragons in Britain.

He easily ignored his father’s moving photograph. The man was talking to a bunch of reporters, probably spoke about the new plan, but to Changmin, he was more interested at four figures who stood rigidly like statues a bit further back. He recognized them as top Aurors who were working for The Ministry. Their main job was to keep the Minister of Magic safe. The fact that there were four Aurors now to guard his father instead of three, meant something was going on.

His father was taking more precautions with the extra security.

Changmin was about to flip to the second page when a familiar figure at the doorway caught his attention. Junsu just stepped inside the Great Hall, looking a bit loopy and confused. Instantly Changmin put down his Daily Prophet. His heart was racing. Merlin, I hope he’s alright.

A quick look-over told Changmin that Junsu seemed fine. He was able to breathe easier after that. He watched as Junsu made their way to the Slytherin table. He bumped into few students, but none took a closer look to study him. They probably just thought he was being sleepy.

The moment Junsu was within arm’s reach, Changmin fought the urge to hug the other close. A wave of possessiveness ran through him, followed by deep hatred. He hated, he hated that headmaster. How dare he. How dare he.

Junsu then sat down next to Changmin, whose hand immediately found his boyfriend’s. Junsu was still a bit confused, like he was not all there, but there was nothing that Changmin could do. He had to wear for the Forgetfulness Potion effect to go off. 

The headmaster always gave Junsu a memory potion, or a memory spell to make him forget what had happened during their catch up. That old man wasn’t stupid after all. He wanted to avoid any chance that Junsu might remember, and that he would go off tell everyone what had really happened, what he had made him do. This way he could avoid getting caught. No one would get suspicious if he called Junsu once every week either, he was Junsu’s legal guardian after all.

But Changmin knew what the headmaster did. Initially he was only curious because Junsu never seemed to remember what the catch up was about. And then he was always looking loopy and confused, much like he was now. Changmin was nothing if not smart. It didn’t take him long to put two and two together, and managed to find out about the memory spell and potion. 

Then one day, he decided to find out things one step further. He put a Sleeping Potion in Junsu’s tea one Saturday morning, and after that he himself drank a Polyjuice Potion where he had put Junsu’s hair in it. He had made his way to the headmaster’s office then. 

However he didn’t expect that the headmaster would him, thinking that he was Junsu.


 

They took a Portkey to reach Changmin’s house later that afternoon. His father hadn’t specified when exactly he wanted the two to come home, but Changmin thought the sooner the better. He wanted Junsu to be in a place where he was really really safe. 

Taking Junsu’s hand, he led the other uphill where a seemingly rundown mansion stood. Few moments later, they both felt something cold went through them and Changmin knew they had just past the magic barrier. Everything became different since then. The fountain was filled with water, the Romani statues moved slightly as they both passed. What was a rundown mansion was now a beautiful estate, few smokes could be seen rising from the chimneys. A house elf was waiting for them at the door.

The house elf bowed low. “Dobby welcomes Young Master.”

“Thank you Dobby. How are you?”

“Dobby is well Young Master,” the house elf answered as he beamed. “Anything Dobby can bring for Young Master and his Companion?”

Changmin looked at Junsu, who was looking back at him. Junsu no longer seemed loopy, but the Forgetfulness Potion made him eat very little during breakfast. Deciding that his boyfriend needed something nutritious before dinner, Changmin answered, “Some sandwiches and pumpkin juice for Junsu. Tea for me.”

The house elf bowed again before disappearing with a loud pop. Another one appeared and opened the door for them. Without letting go of Junsu’s hand, Changmin led them towards the sun room where he knew his mother loved to spend her time at. He was not disappointed when he saw her slender figure sat on a chair, a book in her hand. “Mother,” Changmin called out. 

He watched as she turned around before her beautiful face filled with joy. “My dear son,” she replied affectionately. 

She hugged him tight and placed a loving kiss on his head. “Your father told me you were coming, but I didn’t know you’d come this early.”

Changmin didn’t answer, knowing her mother didn’t need any reason. She was happy to see him, and he in return. His mother had weak body so she spent most of her time in the mansion. She came to social function once in a while, playing the role of a good wife befitting that of a Minister of Magic’s wife. She was a Slytherin, and therefore although she rarely came to society, nothing escaped her. She even had helped her husband building his career all the way up with her own unique ways.

“I’ve missed you, mother,” Changmin said truthfully.

A motherly blossomed on her face. “I’ve missed you too. And you too of course, Junsu dear.” Letting go of Changmin, she walked towards where Junsu stood and enveloped the young man in her arms as she did to Changmin. “How are you? Is Changmin treating you well?”

“Mother!” 

“It’s only a question. Besides, I have to make sure you do your job,” She tsk-ed.

Changmin rolled his eyes. Sometimes he swore that his parents loved Junsu more than they loved him, their only son. But that was alright. Junsu’s parents died when he was six years old and he never experienced a parent’s love. Certainly that bloody fool of headmaster never qualified as parent.

Junsu laughed, the sound was bright and cheerful and it brought warmth to Changmin’s heart. “I’m fine Mrs. Shim, and your son is treating me very well. He spoiled me too much sometimes.”

“Well then. That’s good. If there is anything I can do for you, you just let me know dear.”

Changmin saw Junsu nodded. At that moment, Dobby arrived with a pop, bringing a silver tray filled with sandwiches and a jug filled with what Changmin was sure of as pumpkin juice. Another house elf appeared, holding another silver tray with teapots, cups and jar of sugar lumps and milk.

“Can you bring some cakes as well Dobby?” he heard his mother asked.

“Certainly miss.”

Few moments later, the three of them were sitting in front of a fireplace. Changmin watched as his mother elegantly poured the tea, followed with milk and two lumps of sugar, just the way he liked it. A mother never forgets, that’s what she always said to him. Junsu was sitting on the couch next to him, sandwiches and pumpkin juice in hand. Bread crumbs were all over his napkin. Junsu was always a messy eater, but that’s just another quirk of him that Changmin loved.

He loved everything, and he meant everything about Junsu. 

Changmin nodded his thanks as his mother gave him his tea. “Mother, do you know why father is calling both of us home? He said he had something important to talk about? What of it?”

She gave him a secretive smile. Handing him a slice of orange cake, she replied, “You have to wait for your father for that.”

“Oh come on.”

“You do. It’s not my news to tell and I’m sure he can explain everything in better way than I do. He’ll come home around 5, and that should give us enough time to talk. Now, I want to hear everything about your school, both of you. Start with the O.W.L.s”


-End of Chapter Two-