Chapter Text
⚡Chapter 4⚡
Jongin felt utterly miserable.
The Ravenclaw was not sure he would ever be able to explain these feelings to anyone who had never shared a bond with another, but he could definitely start with saying that it bloody hurt. He was still in the hallway, looking after a blonde Slytherin who wasn’t there anymore and the longer he waited, the longer he stayed put, the chillier he felt. Jongin pulled his robes tighter around his body in an attempt to banish the cold when he knew deep inside that this was not caused by the wind howling through Hogwarts Castle.
This was solely caused by feeling locked out, the link between them, that was usually a warm presence in the back of his mind, frozen solid. Nothing could be transmitted. No voices, no emotions.
Nothing.
Jongin exhaled shakily, willing his mind to concentrate and his legs to loosen up. He needed to focus, couldn’t let the emotions that started to bile in his stomach get the better of him until he understood what was happening. Why Sehun had left and why he had cut their connection like that.
No, not cut.
Bloody blocked it, that stubborn snake.
Jongin exhaled, trying to reach out to the other. Yet, it felt to him as if the connection trembled, like a brittle leaf in a storm. Their bond was growing more and more fragile and that sent his heartbeat into a frenzy.
Brilliant, he whined out.
But he knew that he would gain nothing from remaining here and so he finally left the scene, descending through the grand staircase, while hoping that they wouldn’t put him through too many detours while going below the basement of the western tower where the Slytherin common room was located. It was the only logical place where Sehun would be and Jongin realised that he never had to really search for the other before. Thanks to their bond he had always kind of known where the Slytherin was – he could simply concentrate on the other’s presence in his mind and follow that feeling until he bumped into him. But now when he tried to reach out… there was nothing but a thick, polished wall between them. The blonde’s presence wasn’t fully blocked from him,luckily. Jongin knew he was there at least – he knew he was alive… but that was basically it.
The brunet didn’t even want to imagine what would happen if…
No.
As soon as that thought had entered his mind had he banished it already. This was not up for debate and simply overdramatic.
So where would you look for a Slytherin student? In the dungeons obviously. There were other places he would consider if the circumstances were different, but if Sehun wanted to avoid him… then this was the only logical call.
The stairs took him down another floor and he passed the Potions classroom that sent another shiver down his body. After that accident he wasn’t sure if he could ever stir a potion again without flinching at the quietest sizzle from the kettle.
His feet eventually carried him to the door of the Slytherin common room where he stopped, exhaling. What was he thinking? Running after the other like that… if Sehun wanted to avoid him he would simply not come out… and as Jongin himself was a Ravenclaw was there no way in hell that he could go inside.
A Polyjuice Potion might work but that involved brewing said thing and at that Jongin was already out. Besides, he wasn’t the best in Potions to begin with. Sehun would-
Sehun.
It had felt like someone had dumped freezing water over him the moment he realised that he could not reach the other, back in the corridor, and now he kept shivering as if his clothes were still wet. This was definitely not good. Jongin remembered how they had felt more and more miserable after the accident had happened until they had finally given in and had spent time with each other, had satisfied the bond through proximity and touches…
And now that he couldn’t touch him at his leisure, satisfy the bond that kept them tied tightly – how long would it take for those headaches to come back?
Bloody hell, Jongin muttered under his breath. He needed to solve this quickly and make up with Sehun. Whatever had happened there would be a logical explanation. And the brunet was a Ravenclaw – he could deal with logic.
What had he done to make the other react like that?
The brunet had thought that they were in this together, and really this had been his fault too! They should have simply ignored those bullies whose names he didn’t even know.
But instead, Sehun was the one who had been taken to the Headmistress office and not them. It had even felt like the blonde was trying to protect him.
But now… he wasn’t even letting him through in their shared link.
He didn’t have to, Jongin would have followed and explained and…
“Are you going to ssstand there all day?”
“Yah!” Jongin yelped as a female voice rung through the empty corridor all of a sudden. Weren’t people supposed to be in class? (Like he himself?)
“Where- Who?” the brunet turned around, looking left and right and even up to the ceiling as he was trying to find out who had spoken. There was no one.
Had it been one of the ghosts?
“Where are you looking at, little sssparrow…”
Jongin swallowed, his heart thundering in his chest as this was too spooky… why was it now of all times that a ghost was trying to pull a prank on him?
“Go away! Whoever you are I don’t have time to play with you!!” he tried and stepped closer to the Slytherin door, hoping that the ghost would not pop out of any wall.
“I can’t, little sssparrow. I’m kind of made of ssstone…” said the voice in an exasperate tone. Jongin blinked at that, realising that the voice was coming from his right.
And then things finally moved into place as he realised that the pattern of the door that he hadn’t paid much attention to, was actually the body of a snake.
And the head… was detached from the wood of the door, looking at him with tiny emerald eyes.
“Rowena’s brains…” he muttered, staring.
The snake shook its head, tilting it.
“Sssparrows do not nessst here. Ssstate your businesss or leave.”
Okay. No problem. He was in a magical castle for magical students. A talking stone snake should not take him by surprise. But he should seriously consider asking Sehun why he had never mentioned this… peculiar door.
“I…” he narrowed his eyes, eying the head of the snake with interest. How did it work? Wondered the ever curious Ravenclaw in him. Not that he would get an answer to that – Hogwarts was full of enchanted things and his skills were probably far too undeveloped to even understand the first step of such complex magic.
“You are ssspeechless at my presssence, I reckon.” Said the snake and Jongin pouted at that. That thing was poking fun at him! Just great. Exactly what he needed right now.
“I am not! I am looking for someone!”
“And who might that be?” the stone figure asked, waiting for him to continue.
“A Slytherin student. Sehun. Oh Sehun. Tall, blonde, mute-“
“You do not need to dessscribe my ssstudents to me, sssparow…” the snake hissed, placing its head on the handle of the door as if to emphasise that Jongin could not enter.
“The one you ssseek is not home.”
Jongin blinked.
“What? But- he has to. Are you sure?”
“Are you tesssting my patience, bird?” the statue pressed, unmoving except for its tongue that came slithering out repeatedly.
“N-no I just…” Jongin bit the inside of his cheek. This was definitely not good. If Sehun was not in the dungeons then…
“Very well, young sssparrow. Your bounded is not here. Try your luck elsssewhere.”
“But-“
Too late.
The stone lay still. Nothing gave away that the figure had been moving, had been brought alive by magic.
And Sehun was not here. He doubted that the snake had lied to him – she could have simply announced that he did not want to speak to him, which was exactly what he had expected. But now he was left without any clues, though it meant…
Sehun could be anywhere in the castle.
Jongin sighed, trying his hardest to ignore the ache in his chest and set his foot in motion again. It would take him some time to get all the way up to the Ravenclaw common room and it would get him in trouble with his teachers tomorrow, but he simply did not feel like going back to class right now.
Dropping face first onto his bed sounded alluring though and that was exactly what he did, after another detour thanks to the stairs and a riddle he barely had a mind for solving.
⚡⚡⚡
After that small nap he had taken the day had dragged on tediously. In the late hours he had gone to see Madam Kwon and asked her for some potion that would make him sleep fast and deep. She had eyed him with worried eyes and as she was informed about his … special circumstances, offered to excuse him for today’s lessons he had missed.
He had been so thankful that he nearly hugged her.
But she was still school staff and so he had refrained from that. The potion had been quite potent, he had found out later when he was clad in his pyjamas and ready to just ignore the annoying pull he felt for Sehun. If he could – if only he could – he would have given in immediately, searching proximity with the Slytherin student that would not only ease the bond but also his mind.
They were friends, bloody hell! Even if they weren’t tied together like that he worried for the other. And he didn’t want the blonde to be cross with him for whatever reason…
If only he knew what was wrong in the first place…
Thoughts like that were the very reason he had unstopped the phial, chugging down the clear liquid as fast as he could without choking on it.
And before he had placed the now empty container on his bedside table did his vision already begin to get hazy.
He closed his eyes, curled into a ball and let the darkness welcome him.
⚡⚡⚡
Sehun was not at breakfast.
His Wake-Up Charm had made sure that he did not oversleep and he had been mindful enough to actually set it one hour earlier than usual, coming down to the Great Hall the moment they started to serve breakfast.
If Sehun wanted to grab something to eat without anyone around, coming early was the only possibility and Jongin wouldn’t be a Ravenclaw if he hadn’t thought of that.
So he was here, sitting on the deserted Ravenclaw table while nibbling on a simple slice of bread. A few Hufflepuffs had joined him in the hall too and a single Slytherin girl was seated facing the wall and away from him.
No Sehun.
And even when other students piled in the blonde did not show up. Taemin had plopped down next to him by now, ignoring all house rules as always and eating his beloved croissants he needed to function in the mornings, but Jongin’s attention was elsewhere. His eyes continued the study the entrance, his mind sharpened to react to any sign of Sehun’s presence should he finally make an appearance.
Nothing.
His fingers were drumming a restless tune on the table top, the discomfort growing. He wished he could pull on the bond, could make Sehun come to him instead of waiting like some forgotten puppy. But Sehun had much better control of their bond and didn’t let him through. Was the other feeling anything like him even?
Jongin didn’t know.
“Trouble in paradise again? Or why are you looking for your boyfriend like that?”
Of course Taemin was trying to tease him. Of course.
“Taem…” Jongin mumbled, his hand coming up to massage his temples. Not that it would help to dissipate the feelings inside of him. But perhaps his best friend would understand that he was really not in the mood for this.
“Yes?”
“Please. I have no idea where he is.”
His friend tilted his head at that and after a long sigh and a big swallow of his tea did Jongin fill the other in. About the class, the bullies and what had happened after, motioning for him to be still until he had finished. Surprisingly, the other complied.
“Wow, shit.” Taemin finally said, blinking. “That doesn’t sound good. And that bond of yours…”
“Is like blocked. Yeah. It’s… wearing me out, Taem. I’m used to feel and see him every day and now… I can’t even speak to him. It’s terrible.” he whined and ruffled his brown locks.
“I’m worried too… he’s my friend. I … I want to apologise, for whatever I did.”
His best friend hummed at that, his eyes narrowing slightly.
“Sorry mate, but I can’t really see anything that you have done… I hope he comes clean about it… perhaps it’s something else that upsets him.”
“Perhaps…” was all that Jongin could say as he let out another tired sigh. His friend squeezed his shoulder, trying to encourage him but Jongin couldn’t take any comfort from that. Stupid bond that made him want Sehun’s touch that much more.
For what purpose had such bonds even be created? They were troublesome.
A flutter of a dark coat caught his attention then and he got up from the bench, excusing himself before hurrying to the door. Professor Wu had just exited, and Jongin guessed that he might have some insight.
Anything would help, really.
“Professor!” he called, catching up to the Potions Master who stopped, turning around to face him.
“Ah, Mister Kim. What can I do for you?”
“It’s about Sehun!” he exclaimed immediately.
“I can’t… I can’t find him anywhere… Can you tell me what the Headmistress told him? Please…”
The professor frowned at that. In a way, Jongin was glad that it had been Professor Wu involved in the incident yesterday. At least he knew about him and Sehun. Being Bound that was.
He motioned for him to follow him down the hallway to a more secluded area where the professor stopped, crossing his arms over his chest.
“I’m sorry Mister Kim. That’s confidential. Is everything alright with the bond?”
The brunet sighed.
“Please, Mister Kim. If something is wrong we need to examine it immediately. We cannot have the bond affect you negatively until the remedy is ready. It might be dangerous.”
Jongin worried his lower lip between his teeth. He knew that. And still, it felt weird discussing the bond with someone else. No one else could really understand him. Understand how it felt like.
“Sehun has me blocked. He is avoiding me since you took him to the Headmistress yesterday and… I’m worried. I feel fidgety… I need to see him.”
The Professor frowned at that, pulling out his wand and casting a quick charm over him.
“I see. Your magic is disorientated. It would indeed be wise to search proximity soon, Mister Kim.”
“But I can’t!” Jongin protested, feeling frustrated, “I don’t know where he is. And he is avoiding me after whatever happened in the Headmistress’ office!”
“As far as I know, Mister Kim, Mister Oh received a few hours of detention for his misbehaviour. It could be far worse. I don’t see why he would be avoiding you, seeing as you are bonded…”
The Ravenclaw was ready to pull his hair out. Why was the Professor not trying to help? Was this not pressing enough as it had barely been a day?
How long could they be kept apart until the bond would cause greater damage? The brunet felt like left in the dark, without his wand to cast a ‘Lumos’.
Jongin sighed.
“If he got detention, then perhaps I can find him while he tends to that. I was at fault too… I should actually join him…” he tried, looking up to the Professor in an attempt to make him feel pity. Wasn’t it enough that they were bonded? Shouldn’t that excuse him in the first place? Of course he needed to be close to Sehun and Professor Wu knew that better than anyone actually!
His hands balled into fists and the heat rose in his body, the magic of the bond being upset at being kept apart like that.
Then, a large hand landed on his shoulder and the Professor let out a long sigh, looking at him with a gaze that tried to tell him that he understood.
But no one really did.
“Mister Kim. First, I advise to keep a close eye on your magic and your emotions while this predicament is not solved.” Professor Wu whispered. Their bond was not something the whole school body should know of.
“I will, Professor. So can you finally tell me what kind of detention the Headmistress dished out?” Jongin pressed, the anxiety rising in him.
It felt like he was finally close to open a door, but the Professor was not ready to step aside yet.
“It won’t help you Mister Kim, I am sorry. But I promise that I will try to talk to Mister Oh when I come across him. The detention was set for the Forbidden Forest after curfew. As a Ravenclaw, I trust you to know that the location and the time make it impossible for you to catch Mister Oh at the occasion. Please stay put. The bond will make him come to you eventually.”
Jongin blinked, his mind trying to make sense of what he had just heard.
“The Forbidden Forest?”
“Yes.” The Professor nodded, “I will talk to him. Go see Madam Kwon as soon as you feel strange changes with the bond or your magic. Now excuse me.”
And with that Professor Wu turned around, his cloak fluttering as he made for the staircase down the corridor.
Bloody hell.
Jongin had expected anything but not the Forbidden Forest. It has been off limits for years! The only ones who received permission to enter were students excelling in Herbology or Potions in company of their professor.
What did detention in this case even mean?
Jongin grit his teeth together as anger shook him. Sehun did not deserve this punishment! He had only tried to defend himself against those bullies, and if anyone would have cared to actually question some witnesses… the Headmistress would have known the truth as well.
The brunet was pissed.
And he would definitely find out what was going on.
First, he would find a way to enter the Forbidden Forest on his own and join Sehun with whatever task he had been given. That would hopefully lead to the blonde telling him what was wrong.
And then he would make sure to get an audience with the Headmistress.
But for that, Sehun had to comply as well.
A grumble left him.
First things first. He needed to find a way to sneak out after curfew – which definitely sounded like the hardest part as well. Too bad they banned invisibility cloaks. That would come in handy, which also explained why they were banned from the Ministry.
Jongin ruffled his hair and decided that he needed to speak with Taemin about this. After all, was his best friend a Slytherin after all so if anyone had experience in being sneaky, it would be him.
But for now the brunet clung to the sliver of Sehun’s presence in his mind, feeding of the feeling that it brought and hoped that that would be enough to help him through class.
⚡⚡⚡
Halfway through Charms, the professor suggested Jongin to leave and look for Madam Kwon. The brunet felt exhausted and the way his magic was running havoc by now inside of him did not help. Every Spell or Charm he had tried to execute had backfired to the point that the security of the other students couldn’t be guaranteed anymore.
So he had left.
The bond strained, as if one of them was trying to walk through the bubble that was supposed to keep them close. It hurt, tugging at his insides, sending his magic wild.
Jongin didn’t even understand! It had barely been twenty-four hours since he had last seen the blonde and he was already feeling like this?
“Oh dear,” came the gentle voice of the nurse, “you look terribly my dear. Lay down. The bond?”
Jongin only nodded, climbing one of the beds and bottoming out immediately. Resting felt nice – but it was no cure to the storm that was raging inside of him.
“I’m sorry, dear,” the female mumbled and put some vial on the bedside table. “the bond must be really upset for you to feel like this. I have received note of your Charms professor about your magic… this potion might help.”
Might.
That didn’t sound so convincing but what other choice did he have? So he drank the potion, emptying the bottle to the last drop.
“I don’t want to hurt anyone…” he muttered “My magic is… I can’t explain. It feels like a torrent that has no guidance…”
Did that even make sense? Jongin didn’t know how else to describe this so he tried.
“I am not very versed in Bond magic, Mister Kim, but my guess is that your magic is looking for the one of Mister Oh. You are used to being connected and to balance each other out. As you are currently lacking said connection, it’s going wild, not knowing where to go. The potion should cancel that for a while. I’ll give you another bottle should the feeling become overwhelming again.”
Everything was overwhelming right now.
Jongin just wanted this perpetual strain to go away. He wanted Sehun to be there. He wanted them to poke fun at each other and he wanted to know what in all hells he had done wrong.
/Sehun…/
Silence.
“Thank you.” Jongin muttered, closing his eyes for a moment. The nurse squeezed his hand then in what was supposed to be encouraging and left him alone after another moment.
The potion was coming to work quickly and soon enough he basically felt as if his magic had been drawn out of him, leaving him empty.
It was scary, feeling an even bigger void, but he mused that it was better than setting anything on fire by accident.
“By Salazar, Jongin!”
The brunet whipped his head around just in time to see his best friend close to door of the medical wing behind him. Well, that certainly made it easier to tell the other of his plans. No need to look for him at lunch.
“Yes?” he hummed, tired and empty.
“This whole bonding business is getting too serious…” Taemin grumbled, plopping down on the edge of the bed. “You need to get it lifted as soon as you can! Finding you here was definitely not what I imagined when you told me ‘see you later’ at breakfast!”
“Me neither.” Jongin said, shrugging his shoulders.
“I just need to see and talk to him, then I’ll be better. Have you seen him in the dorms?”
Taemin’s lips formed a thin line before he shook his head.
“Nothing. Believe me, if I saw him, I would have beaten some sense into him!”
“Taem!” Jongin yelled, his hand going for his wand in his pants pocket.
“You won’t hurt him!” he growled, deeply, his nostrils flaring as a weird sense of anger and protectiveness took hold of him.
“You won’t even lay a finger on him…” the grip on his wand tightened, his eyes narrowed as he watched the face of his best friend.
His hand opened.
He gasped, nearly choking on the air that filled his lungs.
Bloody hell-
“I’m sorry!” he breathed out, panting. His eyes locked with the dark brown of his best friend who watched him warily.
“It’s…. alright….” But he could see that it was not.
Jongin’s shoulders shook slightly as he tried to straighten his back, placing his wand on the bedside table. What in Rowena’s name had he been about to do?
This was madness!
“I… it’s the bond. I need to see him. He must be feeling some effects as well.”
At that did the Slytherin pull up his eyebrows.
“This bond goes two ways. If I am feeling side effects… he must be as well. Don’t look like that. He is a good guy. Perhaps everything is just a big misunderstanding.”
He really hoped it was.
“Taem, please…”
“I don’t like this, Jongin. I’m being honest. This bond… it’s making you go crazy.” And before Jongin could send him a glare he added a quick “both of you, if you will.”
“We just need to satisfy it again and we will be okay…”
“Fine.” Taemin muttered. “Fine, okay? I help. What do you need?”
Jongin smiled a little, his muscles relaxing slightly. He hadn’t even realised that he had been this tense before.
“I need to sneak out tonight. After curfew.”
Taemin once again frowned at that, but eventually shrugged his shoulders as if not impressed. Typical for Slytherins, right? Of course, they would know a way how to get out after curfew. Probably passed down from generation to generation or something.
“Can probably be done. And then? Where do you need to go? Where is he?”
“The Forbidden Forest.”
And that has Taemin’s eyes finally widen in surprise.
A/N:
And it has been an awful long time again~ I apologise ^^” The summer has been really hot over here so even thinking about working on my burning laptop has had me sweating…
So sorry for the long wait ><
I hope you enjoyed the new chapter! Need to get the hang of this again….
Thanks for reading!!
Don’t we all want to know what’s up with Sehun :P
Xoxo Voltage