Longest chapter yet for this fic xD Slight warning for people outing other people.

Not even an explosion or twenty in Potions can excuse the students from missing a lecture. Freshly showered and full from lunch, Nana and Hyukjae watch amusedly as they spot brightly stained students scattered about the lecture theatre. “So glad we finished early,” Hyukjae whispers, waving as Sungmin walks to the row in front of them. Nana notices Donghae standing behind him and doesn’t miss the panicked way his eyes widen when their eyes meet. A little worried about the fear in his expression, she smiles warmly at him and nods. He blinks with surprise but manages to give a small smile back before Sungmin drags him into his seat.

Nana just has time to greet Raina and Lizzy as they take their seats to her left before the lecture begins. Pulling out the lecture slides she’d printed in the library – available from the folders transferred to the library computers before the semester begins to compensate for the lack of an internet connection – she withdraws a pen and takes notes while she listens. Maintaining most of her focus on the Runes displayed from the projector, she finds herself occasionally looking over at Donghae’s predominantly orange coloured head. Halfway through the lecture she identifies Gayoon and Hyuna sitting a couple of rows in front, their hair slathered in blue and red slime. Giggles and hushed comments are a constant throughout the lecture until the professor pauses to warn the talkers that their own practical will yield similar results.

As soon as the lecture finishes Nana tucks herself back into her seat to allow Hyukjae, Raina and Lizzy to race to their Laws and Regulations tutorial. She quickly catches Donghae before he can run away, walking along side him. “You’re done for the day now, right?” she asks.

Averting his eyes and shoving the hand not cradling his books into his pocket, he nods.

“Great! Let’s hang out,” Nana smiles, slinging an arm over his shoulder. “Your place or mine?” she asks jokingly.

Struggling to suppress a grin, Donghae relaxes. “Since we wouldn’t want to disturb Han Geng, I think yours would be the wiser option.”

They keep the conversation to neutral topics as they make their way to the third year dorms, aware that anybody could overhear them. Once they’re safely inside Nana’s room and have dumped their books on one of the desks, Nana flops onto the bottom bunk. Noticing Donghae standing and looking around for somewhere to sit, she pushes herself up the bed and pats the spot in front of her. “You can sit here. Sorry for making your potion explode, by the way.”

Donghae snorts and crawls onto the bed, turning and sitting against the wall and crossing his legs. “Yeah. That wasn’t the best timing.”

“Sorry,” she apologises again, scrunching her nose. “I tend to act without thinking sometimes. The realisation hit me and I just, yeah.”

“It’s okay,” he shrugs, picking up a spare pillow and hugging it for warmth. “I kinda knew you’d figure it out but I wasn’t expecting it to be right then. I was so shocked the potion literally blew apart. It was so loud and sudden it scared everyone else into exploding theirs!” he chuckles, shifting to hug his knees with the pillow between them.

“I owe everybody an apology card by the sound of it,” Nana groans, guilt battling with amusement. “I didn’t mean to sabotage everyone.”

“They should’ve handled it better,” Donghae snorts, “I should’ve remembered the potion. My grandpa’s gonna have a field day when he hears about this.”

“Are you close with him?” she asks, finding the fond smile on his lips cute. “You look like you love him a lot.”

“I do,” Donghae grins a little bashfully, hiding half of his face behind the pillow. “He had my dad pretty young so he’s only seventy. He’s really good at potions and has been teaching me since I was a kid. My dad’s better with incants. I’m so-so with some incants, but I like the weather ones.”

“I noticed,” she snorts, lifting an eyebrow. “Lightning. That’s not even on the list!”

“Neither was vortexes and volcanoes!” Donghae protests. “It was small but it was hot. Warning hot. That guy’s got some serious skill.”

“Are you rivals then?” Nana asks, grinning with amusement at how animated he’d become.

“Rivals?” Donghae blinks, tilting his head for a moment in thought before he halts the movement. “Nah, we swapped details so we can study together. Not much point in going against each other when we can work together to learn even more.”

“Oh. I haven’t thought of it that way before,” she says thoughtfully. “You have a point.”

“What are your strengths?” Donghae asks curiously. “You seemed good at the attack incant.”

“I like that one,” Nana grins. “I like runes. I’m better at the trait ones, you know, the ones that are more subtle and involve skills like memorisation or cooking. I like the non-trait ones too though because they’re really cool.”

“Like invisibility and barriers?” he suggests, remembering the strength of their sound barrier.

“Exactly,” she nods. “I need to work on some of them but I’m good with most of the ones we’ve learned so far. I like incants but I’m not so great with weather ones,” she laughs. “Not like you. That was like watching a movie! You both looked so cool and Tablo looked like somebody’d slapped him. It was hilarious.”

Burying his face in the pillow, Donghae mumbles, “It wasn’t that good. We were just trying to keep up with each other without putting anyone else in danger.”

“You’re gonna be one to watch for when you get stronger,” she grins, her eyes bright with excitement.

“So are you!” he protests, peeking at her embarrassedly from behind the pillow. “And a bunch of us too – Sungmin, Hyuna, Han Geng. Jihyun and Gayoon too.” Lowering his volume, he continues, “Our skills are pretty varied, actually. We’d all make a good team.”

“We would,” she agrees. Falling quiet in thought, a comfortable silence fills the room. Running the conversation through her head, a sneaky grin forms on her lips. “So–o,” she draws out, watching apprehension creep into Donghae’s face. “You like Hyukjae.” Donghae lets out an embarrassed whine and buries his entire face in the pillow. “You do!”

“Do you have to say it like that?” he complains, his voice high pitched and muffled.

“Like what?” Nana asks, resting her head in her hands while her elbows rest on her knees. “Like it’s a fact?”

Donghae groans and doesn’t remove his face from the pillow. “It’s embarrassing.”

“It’s cute!” Nana grins, reaching forward to rub his arm. “Just the other day he was all down because he thought nobody liked him.” She frowns slightly as Donghae’s arm stiffens beneath her hand. “Maybe I shouldn’t have said that.”

“So he doesn’t know I like him?” he asks weakly, turning his head to peer at her with a bright red face. Nana shakes her head and he sighs, dropping the pillow to collapse onto the bed. “Oh thank .”

Nana laughs loudly, falling forward and clutching at her stomach. “You – you’re funny, Donghae.”

“What? I don’t want him to know I like him,” he grumbles, slinging an arm over his eyes and waiting for his blush to subside.

“Well he definitely doesn’t,” Nana giggles. “Why don’t you want him to know?”

Groping blindly for the pillow with his legs, he captures it and kicks it to his chest. He puts it over his face again and says, “For one, it’s embarrassing. For another, I don’t know how he’d take it. What if he’s homophobic? I mean, yeah he’s a witch but that doesn’t guarantee an open mind,” he finishes, his tone dropping with sadness. “Telling someone you like them is hard enough but when they think you’re a freak? Not fun.”

Frowning in concern, Nana asks cautiously, “Did somebody tell you that before?” When the pillow moves with Donghae’s nod she sighs. “Are you comfortable with me hugging you?” After another reluctant nod she pulls at his sleeve until he sits up and moves into her embrace. “Well that guy is an arseface who doesn’t deserve you anyway,” she nearly growls while Donghae’s arms hesitantly wind around her waist. Thinking of how shy Donghae is yet how enthusiastic he can become once he’s comfortable, a river of anger simmers in her blood. “I can guarantee you Hyukjae wouldn’t react like that,” she says, forcing the fury out of her voice. “I can’t tell you about his uality because I don’t like outing people without their permission,” she says carefully, “but I wouldn’t say you don’t have a chance. Talk to him! He’s a nice guy.”

Donghae is quiet for a long moment. Just when Nana’s about to speak he says, “He doesn’t even know me though. Sungmin said so.”

“Make him know you,” Nana says simply. “There’s a lot of us so it’s not surprising that he doesn’t. There are lots of people I still don’t know. I didn’t really know you either!” Donghae hums in acknowledgement but doesn’t reply. “Hey,” she says after a moment of thought, “how long have you liked him? How’d you get to like him then?”

“So many questions,” Donghae complains but grins. “We had a class once and I thought he was handsome. Then he was friendly and made the people he sat with laugh all the time. I got hyper-aware of him and at some point it turned into a crush.”

“So cute,” Nana coos, holding onto Donghae while he struggles while protesting. “It is! When was it? Last year?”

“First year,” he grumbles.

“That long ago?” Nana’s eyes widen with surprise. “Huh. Talk to him!”

“But it’s embarrassing,” he whines, his tone high but more joking than embarrassed.

“You’ll be fine,” she grins. “We’re having a study group on Thursday. Come with us!”

Donghae groans in complaint but eventually agrees. “Maybe it’d help with avoiding explosions. Professor Boa’s been nice with me so far because I reverted them to their normal state but I doubt she’d be so forgiving if they continue.”

“There you go,” she says, satisfied. “We’re doing incants. We’ll meet outside the lecture and then find a spot outside.”

“Sounds good.”

“Hey. Nana. You awake?” Raina’s soft voice sounds in the darkness.

Turning over onto her back, Nana rearranges the duvet to keep the heat in. “Yeah. What’s up?”

“Why were there people covered in that colourful stuff today? What happened?” Raina asks, the clarity in her voice telling Nana she hadn’t been sleeping at all.

“Their potions exploded,” she shrugs, closing her eyes when they dry out too quickly. “It’s super sensitive so big emotional spikes will make it explode. I think the colours depended on the type of emotion as well as what point it exploded at.”

“Did yours?”

“Almost,” she grins, “Hyuk and I kept it calm. It wasn’t easy though. Everyone was so noisy, and one guy tried to distract us.”

“How’d you keep calm? I’m a bit worried mine will explode…” Raina sighs. “Potions isn’t my strong point.”

“I just focused really hard on the potion and blocked everything out. Reciting song lyrics in my head, picturing an ocean… focusing on my breathing.” Nana blinks and stares until she can just make out the bunk above her. “Don’t listen to what’s going on around you; it’d just distract you.”

“Okay. Thanks Nana.” Nana listens but when Raina doesn’t continue, she rolls onto her side to go to sleep. Just when she’s about to drift off, Raina speaks again. “Hey. Guess what.”

“U–um,” Nana draws out, her mind slowly connecting guesses but dismissing them as unlikely. “What?”

“Lizzy and I met an ace guy today,” Raina says excitedly.

“Oh?” Turning onto her back again, Nana pinches her cheek to wake up a little. “Did you?”

“Yeah. He’s aro ace and completely open about it. We were in the courtyard after a tute and someone asked him out and he told them, and by extension, us. So I told him I’m ace but romantic and Lizzy said she’s aro but ual. The look on his face! He’d only ever met one other person on the ace or aro spectrums so he was really excited.”

“I can imagine,” Nana smiles at the enthusiasm in Raina’s voice.  

“Get this.” Raina’s tone lowers, amusement thick in her voice.

Curiosity increasing, Nana opens her eyes. “What?”

“The aro guy Lizzy’s got a ‘friends with benefits’ kinda thing going on with?”

“Tao?” she asks to clarify. “The regular from high school?”

“That’s him. He’s the guy’s best friend.”

“Huh.” Rearranging her pillow, Nana finds a more comfortable position. “Small world.”

“I’ll say. Kris – that’s the guy from the tute – says that Tao knows he’s a witch.”

“What?!” Nana nearly shrieks, sitting up and leaving lethargy behind her. “How does – he’s not supposed to!”

“Kris has half a magical family. His mum left him with the neighbours without warning him to avoid using magic so it just happened. He’s known since they were little.”

“No way,” Nana breathes, concern furrowing her eyebrows. “Does the council know?”

“They don’t,” Raina sighs, “their parents don’t know he knows. Tao’s not the type to tell secrets and he hasn’t told anybody, even when he was little. The only ones who know he knows are Kris, and now Lizzy and me and you.”

Nana grimaces. “We’re supposed to report this.”

“Please don’t,” Raina begs, “he hasn’t told and nothing’s gonna happen. If we tell they’ll erase his memory, probably of all of us too. Please don’t tell anyone, Nana. Promise.”

Sighing heavily, Nana mulls this over. After a long minute, she agrees. “Okay. I won’t say anything unless it’s just us.”

“Thank you,” Raina sighs with relief. “Tao only knows Kris is a witch – he doesn’t know we are too.”

“Or so we think,” she warns. “If he knows we exist he might’ve noticed some things.”

“Spoilsport,” Raina’s grin is evident in her voice. “Well we’ll find out when we go back home, I guess.”

“Are you going back home for the break?” Nana asks curiously.

“It’s just a week, but it’s a week to see my family,” Raina replies. “So yes. Are you?”

“Mine are going on holiday,” she grunts. “So I’ve got no way to get home. So, nope. Staying here.”

“That ,” Raina says sympathetically. “You can stay with us if you like.”

“Thank you,” Nana grins, “but I’ll stay here to practise. The grounds are more suited to practising the more dangerous spells than home.”

“Very true. My parents were not pleased with the Christmas tree being set on fire.”

“That was Lizzy,” Nana says immediately.

“Or the oven exploding.”

“Pretty sure that was Hyuk. I bet it would’ve exploded even without his magic,” she snickers.

“Or the hole in the wall,” Raina finishes resolutely.

“Okay, that was me,” Nana laughs, “and I’m still sorry. I was thirteen! And it fixed okay. Besides, you melted my bedframe and set the carpet on fire so we’re even.”

“Sorry,” Raina giggles, “accident.”

“Our poor parents,” Nana winces while continuing to chuckle. “I’m never having kids.”

“You say that now,” Raina says. “Do you think Sungmin would tell us if we will?”

Nana snorts. “Sworn to secrecy,” she mimics sarcastically. “He’s not gonna tell us.”

“Probably not,” Raina concedes. “Oh, . It’s one A.M. Good night Nana.”

“Night Raina,” she yawns, settling herself beneath the duvet again.

The study session ends up larger than Nana had anticipated. After the lecture their group grows larger and larger until it’s a crowd of twenty heading outside. Nana inspects them as they walk, recognising almost everybody except two boys Donghae is using to shield himself from Hyukjae’s view. She gives him a pointed look and turns when Lizzy taps her arm. The blonde grins at her, jerking her thumb to the reluctant blond boy she’d dragged with her. “This is Kris. Kris, this is Nana. Become friends so we can have sleepovers together.” With that said, she disappears into their crowd to leave them alone.

Looking at Kris’ stunned expression, Nana grins. “Lizzy’s very blunt.”

“So I’ve noticed,” he says, shoving his hands in his pockets. “She told me they told you about me.” When Nana nods he continues, “and they told me about you. Do you mind?”

Nana’s eyes widen with surprise before she recovers quickly. “I guess that’s fair. Now that I think about it, are you the guy who kept shattering beakers in Chemistry?”

Kris shoots her a strange look. “How did you even know about that? Did you go to my high school?”

Nana shakes her head. “Tao told me.”

“Ah.” Nodding, Kris’ lips twitch into an amused smirk. “Of course. Yes,” he gives the kind of long-suffering sigh only one knowing Tao for so long could manage. “That was me. Covered it with the hot glass to cold water excuse.”

“Less of an excuse and more the cause for me,” Jia says from beside Kris. She grins up at him. “Now you I do remember from that class.”

“Small world, huh,” Nana murmurs. “Did you know each other then?”

“Not really,” Kris shrugs noncommittally while ignoring Jia’s light punch to his arm. “I had the feeling she was magic but I didn’t talk to her.”

“He was obviously stunned by my beauty,” Jia jests. She cackles when Kris rolls his eyes. “More like I freaked him out when I beat that bully back in primary school. Right?”

“My mother told me to stay away from you,” he replies flatly. Despite his cool attitude, Nana notes that he isn’t backing away as many others are prone to do whenever Jia teases them. “My father told me to challenge you. Of course, being the thinking ones in the family, we ignored him.”

“I can relate,” Nana laughs under her breath.

“It sounds like I’d get along with your dad better than you then,” Jia snorts, crossing her arms yet grinning widely. “So. Magic in school. Guilty or not guilty?”

“I’m not answering that,” Kris grunts, facing away. He stubbornly keeps his gaze to the left while Jia tugs on his arm insistently.

“She’s like a dog with a bone,” Nana whispers when Amber distracts Jia. “Better to answer her than not.”

Heaving another sigh eerily similar to the one inspired by Tao, Kris finally looks down at Jia as they pass through the university’s main entrance. “Guilty.”

“That time the teacher missed the classroom for like ten minutes?” Jia asks, raising an inquisitive eyebrow expectantly.

“Yep. I hadn’t finished all of my homework,” Kris says reluctantly.

“Knew it,” Jia mutters.

“What’s the punishment for that?” Nana asks curiously. “That sounded intentional.”

“I was fourteen, so still under my mother’s supervision,” Kris replies. “It was up to her to punish me. I couldn’t watch TV for a month.”

Nana winces in sympathy. “Not fun. But kinda fair.”

“It was fair,” he agrees. “And it got my homework done. Time management, not cheating.”

“Just as well.” Nana watches as some members of their group run forward to claim a spot on the mostly unoccupied lawn. The other students reading or chatting on the grass glare at them and collect their belongings to sit further away, along the perimeter of the lawn. Lizzy and Jessica high five and wave their arms as if the spot they’d claimed wasn’t obvious enough. “Any idea what we’ll be doing?”

“Just the first bunch of incants from the book,” Amber replies, leaving Jia alone to walk beside her. “We’re gonna practise on each other.”

Nana hums as they reach their spot. “Are we going to have–”

“–Partners!” Several of their group scream, Jia and Lizzy’s voices among the loudest. Nana stands still, stunned with surprise when everyone starts rushing around each other to claim their partner. By the time she catches up mentally, almost everybody has linked arms with someone else. “Crap.”

“Hey Hyuna,” Nana hears Donghae say. “Go partner with Nana, she’s free.”

Caught between wanting to glare at Donghae and not be rude, Nana turns to see one of her biggest rivals walking to her. Hyuna gives her a friendly smile, averting her eyes at first but then keeping her gaze confidently. Nana returns the smile, suppressing the out of place bubble of nervousness chu