Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The chatter of people around you filled the air as you sipped happily on your butterbeer. The warmth of the soothing drink mellowed you out. Hogsmeade was as bustling as ever and even though it was snowy, the sun shone the brightest it has since you arrived. The town was filled with Hogwarts students, since it was a day all students over their third year got to go to town. You were situated comfortably at a table. But you did tug your coat on further as the door to the tavern opened. ultimately letting a gust of cold air into the otherwise warm room. The breeze died down quickly as the door shut, but the chill remained in the air for a moment.

“Can I have a piece of gum?”

You pulled out your pack of gum and just tossed it to him, a smile playing on your lips, “Just keep it, you ask for it so often it’s basically yours.”

Hyunjin smiled triumphantly as he popped a piece of mint gum into his mouth, then slid a piece over to you. Which you took gratefully for after you finish your butterbeer.

“So why do you insist you only take my gum?” You asked after taking another sip of butterbeer.

Hyunjin glanced up at you before tucking the pack of gum into his pocket, a smile tugged on his lips. He shrugged, “I like it better.”

“You have a mustache,” He snickered and reached out to wipe the supposed butterbeer mustache off your lips. You blushed, not only out of embarrassment but also out of the closeness as he leaned in. Your hand pushed on his chest and you rolled your eyes, then wiped the rest off yourself with your forearm.

Without the throng of people filling the the Three Broomsticks, you would’ve welcomed the intimacy. But there were too many eyes and not enough space, it felt too crowded for you as even more people entered the tavern. Cold air hit your cheeks once more until the door shut, your cheeks were probably hued pink due to the chill. 

You eyed Hyunjin’s empty butterbeer mug and figured he was waiting on you to finish yours to leave and explore the town. So you silently sipped the butterbeer while you watched the patrons filling the Three Broomsticks. Plenty of Hogwarts students were splayed across the tavern, it was popular amongst the school. You spotted Han Jisung leaving, he ducked his head down as he maneuvered through the crowd to reach the exit. He was accompanied by a couple others. You recognized one as Lee Felix, a cheerful Hufflepuff in your year, he always seemed to brighten the mood. The other one accompanying him was Lee Minho, he was a Slytherin that graduated last year, you remembered he and Jisung being really good friends when he still attended Hogwarts. It kind of made you happy that they were still in touch. While passing by, Minho noticed Hyunjin and stopped by your table.

“Hyunjin! How’ve you been?” Minho smiled. He waved his hand at Jisung and Felix to keep going, “I’ll catch up to you guys later.”

Hyunjin leaned back and smiled, “It’s been a while, I thought you were moving away to become famous.”

“I’m on that path already, I got chosen to dance for a muggle broadcast, you wouldn’t know. But I can tell you it’s a big deal for somebody new like me.” Minho smiled proudly, his hard work paying off. If you remember right, Minho is a half-blood, and had a keen interest in muggle dance and arts.

You leaned forward in interest, “Which broadcast?? I might know.”

“I’m going to be a back up dancer for this big boy group, but listen, I’ll be at the front one day.” Minho crossed his arms and his eyebrows perked up, clearly determined. He then nudged Hyunjin with his elbow, “I thought you weren’t interested in dates?”

Hyunjin raised a hand leisurely, “We aren’t dating.”

You shook your head in agreement, then you introduced yourself, “We’re friends, I’m y/n.”

“So you’re Hyunjin’s type,” Minho teased, an evil glint in his eyes. “Hyunjin was never interested in any of the girls I pointed out, I began to think he swung the other way.”

Hyunjin coughed unexpectedly and he panicked for a moment, caught off guard by Minho’s words. He hit his chest a couple times before glaring at Minho and whacking him on the side, “Ah stop with that, you’re annoying.”

And an exuberant laugh bubbled up from Minho, then teased one last time, “Fine fine, enjoy the date.”

Minho patted Hyunjin’s back before leaving, your eyebrows were raised curiously. You looked at Hyunjin, “He’s quite the character, now isn’t he.”

“Oh he’s something alright.” Hyunjin huffed, his nose scrunched is irritation. But then a smile played on his face. “Spend five years with him and you learn some things.”

“Like what?”

“How to be annoying.”

You giggled before finishing your butterbeer. Sighing contently as you set it down, the glass thudding on the wood table. You stretched your legs out under the table and prepared to leave. Hyunjin also began gathering his belongings up. He also took the opportunity to plop another piece of gum into his mouth. You sent him a weird look.

“Didn’t you just have one?”

“Ahm…I may have choked that down.” Hyunjin laughed timidly, his hand rubbing the back of his neck. Amused, you shook your head at him. The two of you were about to get up when a girl approached you both, her hands were clasped together in front of her and she smiled at Hyunjin. She bounced on the balls of her feet and giggled shyly. She was pretty and had her hair done nicely, curled in a precise way.

“Hi Hyunjin. I’m Ana” The girl was a little younger, you recognized her as a Gryffindor in her fourth year. She was perky and kind, if not a bit of a trouble maker. Other than that, you didn’t know much about her. You tilted your head, wondering what she wanted. But you had a feeling you knew where this was going.

Hyunjin nodded at her politely and stuffed the pack of gum back into his pocket. He was pulling his jacket on to leave, his eyes looked blank and unconcerned. You stood up, as soon as you saw the look on Hyunjin’s face, you knew how this would turn out. Waiting patiently, you pulled some money out to leave on the table and a little extra tip as well.

“I was wondering if you wanted to walk around a bit,” she side-eyed you, “alone. There’s this new place in-”

Hyunjin stood up and fixed his jacket out, straightening the creases while she was talking. He looked down at the girl and sent her a stiff smile, “I’m already busy today, sorry.”

She took a step closer to him, insistent, “Then another day? Maybe next week, we could go on a date, it doesn’t even have to be in Hogsmeade.”

There was a telling breeze in the air as Hyunjin’s lips twitched down slightly, the icy air matching Hyunjin’s expression at that moment. He dropped the polite act quickly as he eyed her up and down, “I’m not interested in the slightest, so please leave us alone. I’m be spending the day with y/n.”

That seemed to poke a flame in her since her eyes quickly grew fiery. Her hands, which were previously tucked in front of her politely, were now clenched in fists at her sides. “What do you mean? I was only asking, besides you’re not even dating her.”

Ana sent you daggers and grew bitter, her delicate hands looked strained from the fists she made, “I don’t see what’s special about her anyway, don’t you want somebody more fun to hang out with. I could actually give you a good time.”

Hyunjin raised his eyebrows, looking down at the small girl as his chin raised up. He smirked, “Just because I’m not dating her doesn’t mean I’m not interested in her. Now does it?”

“You said you were just friends!” She huffed in frustration while your eyebrows raised in surprise at his words. You would have to bring his comment up later when you got the chance.

“Oh now you’re eavesdropping?” Hyunjin mused, he smiled coyly and patted her head, then sighed, “Let’s go y/n.”

The two of you walked out on the girl, leaving her fuming and rejected. You thought Hyunjin’s reaction was a bit much, but she was rude anyway so you let the whole thing go. Footprints were left in the snow behind you as you walked side by side with Hyunjin, wondering where to go next in the nice village. People crowded the streets while shopping for the holidays, there were festive candles strung up in the trees as well, they emitted a warming yellow glow. You two passed by Zonko’s as loud music blared out from the joke shop and laughter erupted from the inside. The chatter and laughter of people just having fun filled the air around you, making the atmosphere of the town quite pleasant and cheerful. But the interaction with the fourth year girl was still on your mind, it was a little amusing to you. And you weren’t about to pass up an opportunity to tease Hyunjin. 

“You’re popular, now aren’t you?” You bumped Hyunjin with your shoulder and teased him, “And that girls a firecracker isn’t she? Why don’t you go on a date with her.”

“No thanks, she’s young and would probably bite my head off. I’ll pass…” Hyunjin shivered at the thought, his nose scrunching up. Then a solemn look grew. “I’m not a big fan of what she said about you anyway.”

“Ah don’t worry about that, just jealousy talking, and like you said, she’s young.” You waved it off, not bothered much by the girl, “I wouldn’t worry about her.”

Hyunjin nodded, “Yea, I didn’t want anything else nasty coming from her so I thought it was best to leave. Girls like her…they only ever seemed to care about how I look anyway.”

“Hm..” You hummed thoughtfully, then tilted your head up to look at Hyunjin yourself. Your eyes tracing his pretty features, “Well, I guess you don’t have to worry about being ugly.”

“Yeah but…I’m sure if they got to know me they wouldn’t be as enthusiastic.” Hyunjin grimaced as the thought.

A frown settled on your face, you knew what he was talking about and it upset you that he thinks so lowly of himself because of it. The two of you hadn’t talked about it much after he first sat you down and explained it to you, why he couldn’t love. Well, you guys hadn’t talked about the kiss either, and you were dying to know what he meant in that kiss, what he wanted and why. You found Hyunjin was difficult to read at first, but in the time you’ve spent with him, you discovered it wasn’t as hard as you initially thought. Hyunjin was just, thoughtful. So you weren’t usually bothered as much by his ‘mysterious’ persona. But your bones itched to talk about what happened that day in the potions room, the kiss and the intimacy you’ve shared since then. Ever since that day, you and Hyunjin became incredibly close, subtly flirting as well. He even seemed a lot more cheerful these days and if you were the cause for that then you were incredibly grateful.

Despite all of that, you hadn’t kissed again or even spoken about it. The curiosity was killing you. You tugged on his arm to go off the beaten path, dying to know what all of this meant. And to do that, the two of you needed some privacy.

“Oh, where are we going now?” Hyunjin mused as you pulled him through the snow. His arm limp as he allowed you to lead the way.

“Just somewhere where there are fewer people…it’s really crowded today.”

You ultimately lead him to a little clearing that overlooked the abandoned shrieking shack. There was an old fence that blocked off the cliff over the shack and a patch of woods behind you. You could hear the distant chatter of the town, but as far as you could tell, the two of you were alone. You looked around satisfied and plopped yourself in the snow, eyes focused on the shrieking shack. Hyunjin sat himself down next to you, cross-legged and looking at you with a smile.

You laughed, “What’s that look for?”

Hyunjin was just smiling as he looked at you, his eyes turned to little crescents. He shrugged and his lower lip jutted out childishly, his eyes playful. “What look?”

“That,” You made a gesture towards his general face, giggling, “that smile. What’s it for?”

“People smile when they’re happy. I’m happy.” He explained simply, hands raised at his side. You grinned back as your heart warmed in your chest, just being with this goofball made you happy.

“So…I make you happy?”

“Of course you do.” Hyunjin eyed you, not sure where you were taking this.

You hummed in response, then your eyes cast downwards. You suddenly got nervous as your tongue didn’t seem to want to form words. The heat from your coat was starting to get uncomfortable, even as you sat in the snow. Hyunjin noticed this. Unsure on how to even bring up the topic without feeling weird about it, you were worried. Hyunjin couldn’t feel love, you knew this, and yet that spark of hope was still blooming in your chest. Curse your feelings.

“I wanted to,” You let a drawn out pause fill the air, attempting to collect your mangled thoughts into a coherent sentence. Hyunjin waited patiently. Lips parted, eyes still cast downwards, you began again. “I wanted to talk about…about what our relationship is.”

Hyunjin’s eyes lit up, he knew where this was going now. But he was avoiding this exact conversation this whole time, he shifted. A weird feeling bothered him and he felt conflicted. He licked his lips dryly, “What about it?”

“Well,” You hesitated again, combing through your thoughts. But you felt as though the best way was the honest way. So to avoid dancing around the subject, you decide to say it outright, albeit with some shakiness to your voice. “I know you know this, but, I’ve fallen for you, Hyunjin. And I really really like you. Like, shit, I love spending time with you and just being around you. But you’re…sending mixed signals. I know you can’t feel love, you know I know that. So why are you, why are you acting like you feel the same way as me…?”

As you just let your feelings spill out, you suddenly felt insecure. You weren’t exaggerating or being arrogant when you say Hyunjin’s been flirty. There would be times where he would do something out of the blue, and it would remind you of how a boyfriend should act. It caught you off guard as well as confused you. You caught him looking at you often, just like earlier. He also did little actions that would cause you to blush, the small intimate moments. And while you welcomed how close the two of you have gotten recently, your hearts been in turmoil ever since. You haven’t even begun to talk about the kiss yet.

Hyunjin was frozen though, his knees were pulled up to his chest and he stared at the snow beneath his feet. He was thinking as well, you saw the gears in his head turning as he tried to comb through his own thoughts. It was silent for a while as your question was left to hang over the two of you like a cloud. You shook your head.

“And Hyunjin…the kiss? What was that about? We never talked about it, and I really think we should. We shared something that day…we shouldn’t ignore it.” You rambled on, your incoherent thoughts voicing themselves. But then you doubted your words, shaking your head again, “No, maybe I’m just delusional, maybe I’m just hoping too much. Maybe I just think we, we shared something nice. At one point I wondered if you were just playing with me.”

A feeling of warmth wrapped around your cold hands. Hyunjin grabbed onto your hand and finally looked up from the ground. His gaze caught yours as he subtly shook his head, gentle words leaving his lips. Soft spoken, for only your ears. “No…no, we do. I’m just trying to express how grateful I am to you the best way I can…”

Hyunjin was slowly getting closer, he was leaning down again, about to steal another kiss from your lips. And you were defenseless to stop him, you knew where this would lead but couldn’t find it in you to stop him. If anything, you leaned in as well, wanting him to kiss you. You wanted him to comfort you, give you that closeness you felt that day in the potions room. You wanted him to reassure you that he felt the same, despite you knowing it was impossible. So as his lips met yours, you accepted it fully. A weight was temporarily lifted from your shoulders as you leaned into him, your free hand resting on his chest. His hands still holding yours sweetly. The kiss was gentle, soft, a little hesitant.

And when you both pulled away, you leaned onto his shoulder, resting your head in the crook of his neck. There was silence for a long time, and it was just the two of you on a small overlook. While you played with his fingers, you could tell Hyunjin wanted to talk but something was stopping him. It was only when you prodded him to speak, he let you know what he was thinking.

Hyunjin’s eyes were downcast, then flicked up hesitantly, “I want you to use the Amortentia on me.”

Your head snapped up, your eyes trained on him for any signs of joking. But his face was blank, no signs of a small smile or his crescent eyes. Instead, they looked sad.

“Hyunjin, why, you know that that’s not a solution.”

“I know but, y/n, I want you to know I want to love you. I like you, I trust you, I want to reciprocate your feelings. But I can’t. I was born under a love potion. I can’t love you, it’s physically impossible. At least, not how you love me.” Hyunjin snapped, his words had a bite to them. But his voice softened as he saw your sad eyes staring up at him. “It’s the closest I could get to feeling love, I don’t want to feel cold like this anymore.”

You shook your head sternly, “No, Hyunjin, I won’t do it. I refuse.”

“Please y/n I-”

“Absolutely not, we will find another way, I promise you.”

Hyunjin looked unsure.

“I want to help you, we’ll figure it out.”

“Okay, I trust you.”

You placed a soft kiss on his cheek, and he smiled.

∎∎∎

It felt like there was a rock settling in your stomach. Discontented, you looked down at the finished Amortentia. It looked perfect, it regained its pearly sheen. The smoky wisps floated through the air delicately, and the light blue swirled around its base. This was the final session you had with Hyunjin, the project was finished now and you should really be jumping for joy, but you felt just about doing the opposite at that moment.

“Did something go wrong?” Hyunjin stood up from his seat after he noticed your conflicted expression, walking over to you to glance into the potion, “Is it not done? It should be perfect, I haven’t touched it at all.”

You shook your head, the uncomfortable feeling in your stomach slowly growing as tears began to well up. You weren’t sure why this made you cry, or why this was even happening. You gulped and rubbed your arm awkwardly, trying to steady your breathing. But Hyunjin quickly took notice of your state and gently pulled you into a hug, rubbing your back.

“Hey, what’s wrong?”

You shook your head into his chest, confused about how you should feel, “I don’t know.”

“Yes you do, take your time, but please tell me.” He frowned, worried about your sudden change in attitude. Earlier you were ecstatic to finally finish this project, and you were especially content that it went so well. But now as you stood in front of it, something happened.

Something about your mixed and confused emotions lead to your teary state, but the catalyst was what set you off. Just after finishing the Amortentia, you could smell the potent potion right away. But something was missing, and it was Seungmin’s jasmine tea scent. It was replaced by a clear mint smell, which was undoubtedly supposed to be Hyunjin’s. You felt conflicted most of all, as well as saddened by the distance you put between yourself and Seungmin. Were you supposed to be happy? You loved Hyunjin, and the minty smell only confirmed it. But a small voice nagged at you, he wouldn’ t love you back.

“I don’t smell jasmine anymore…” You mumbled into his chest.

“Hm?” Hyunjin hummed, rubbing your back sweetly, his chin resting on you, “What’s that mean..?”

“The jasmine…the jasmine was Seungmin’s jasmine tea. I smelled it that day in class when we were learning about Amortentia. Remember?” You pressed your cheek onto his chest as you leaned into him, your frown prominent as you tried to sort through your conflicted feelings. “I don’t smell it anymore.”

Hyunjin remembered, he was particularly catty that day due to the nature of the lesson. It only reminded him of how different he was, how he had one less thing than everyone else that made people human. And when he went up to smell the Amortentia, he smelled nothing, not even a vague whiff. His hopes dropped significantly that day, and he was actively avoiding trying to smell the Amortentia the two of you brewed. His hands rested on your waist, “Old books, oranges, and jasmine; I do remember that…what do you smell now?”

What people smelled in the potion particularly interested him, mostly due to the fact he wanted to be able to love. In the past weeks he’s spent with you, he noticed your love for the things you smelled in the potions; your love for books as you read and your fondness for the oranges you ate often. Even weeks later he remembered what you smelled in the potion because your words stuck with him. He wasn’t sure why.

You wouldn’t answer him for a while, but Hyunjin already knew what you were going to say. He had a feeling it was his fault, he was the reason you lost that scent. Well, more like he hoped for it. He hoped you would smell something that reminded you of him. He really wanted that.

You said something, but it was so faint and muffled that he couldn’t catch. But before he asked you to repeat it, you said it again yourself.

“Mint. I smell mint.” Your arms hugged him tighter.

The hands around your waist tightened their grip as Hyunjin felt his heart skip a beat, he couldn’t form words. It wasn’t love but it was something. He felt something. And he clung to that feeling for as long as he could, not wanting to let go of you. Or maybe it was love? An odd pride bubbled up in him and despite your conflict, he was happy. A twinge of guilt passed through him.

“I’m sorry but…I feel oddly proud of that.” Hyunjin muttered, bringing his hands up to your face. You leaned into his touch, comforted by the warmth he provided you. “I don’t want you hurting.”

“Now, I’m not an expert at love, I think that’s clear.” Hyunjin continued, and you smiled at the comment, “But, I think I know enough to know that just because you don’t smell the jasmine, doesn’t mean you don’t love and care for him. He’s been your best friend for years, you can’t lose a relationship like that so easily. And maybe, maybe when you smelled jasmine before it was just a platonic love. Maybe it’s always been platonic, I remember you’ve told me you felt conflicted about those feelings. Don’t force yourself to feel something just because you think you have to.”

Oh how ironic those words were coming from Hyunjin, but you saw his point. And as you contemplated his words you were thinking that he was right. And hearing it out loud calmed your nerves. You let out a sigh, not completely okay and shaky, but better.

You nodded into his chest and mumbled something. Small and insignificant, maybe they were just words to him. Maybe he wouldn’t see much significance to the words that meant the world to you. But you said them anyway.

“Hyunjin…I love you.”

“Hm? What was that?” Hyunjin bent down, not quite catching your little words. his ear turned towards you. His eyes turned up curiously. The little action stopped your heart for a moment, you heard the beat in your ears and felt the thumping in your chest. Your eyes flickered to his plump lips parted ever so slightly. He was so close but, not.

You simply tightened your hold around him, “Nothing, I was just saying thank you.”

Hyunjin pulled away and held your shoulders in his hands, he had a stern look on his face as he prompted you to look at him. “Y/n, I know you feel conflicted and confused. But, don’t force yourself into anything, you can’t help how you feel.”

You nodded and felt like a child in that moment. Teary, sniffly, and pouty. Your thoughts were choppy and words didn’t come easily. After a moment you brought a hand up to wipe your tears away, not wanting them to spill over. “Thank you, I don’t know why I’m crying. I-I didn’t think I’d be so upset. Even…even though I knew already.”

“Knew what?” He asked kindly.

You sniffled before smiling at him cheekily, “That you stole my heart.”

Hyunjin looked at you blankly before cracking up, it started with a small smile until his giggles became uncontrollable, “You’re so lame.”

The atmosphere suddenly became much more light hearted, and your smile widened, “You like it, don’t lie to me.”

“Yea, you’re right. Because even though you’re lame, you’re my lame…uh.” Hyunjin furrowed his eyebrows, his words not quite working right. You laughed at him, seeing what he tried to do but failing miserably at the attempt at being cheesy. Even Hyunjin hung his head as he chuckled at himself.

“You’re lame too!” You hit his chest lightly, “You were trying to be cheesy huh?”

And Hyunjin nodded in defeat, a smile on his face. The two of you messed around some more, being goofballs and idiots after your heavy angst moment. While cleaning up, it seemed like everything was back to normal. But you couldn’t quite shake that weird feeling off, the feeling of guilt maybe. Even though you were past the initial shock, Seungmin still hung around in your mind, you felt bad about the distance you put between you two. While tears threatened to come up again you quickly shook it off, deciding to talk to him later tonight to apologize. He was still your best friend and wanted to make it up to him. You hummed contently, a smile played on your lips as you thought about bringing him a few oranges to eat while you talked. Seungmin was reasonable, you were sure you wouldn’t have a problem.

While you were in the supply closet putting ingredients away, Hyunjin was left alone in the room. And when he realized that, his eyes traveled to the Amortentia. From across the room he contemplated going over to test it, to see if anything changed about what he smelled. It would be a fruitless effort, Hyunjin always knew that, but every time he was hopeful that he would smell something. Anything. He gulped as curiosity got the better of him and he reluctantly moved to the cauldron. He stood in front of it for a brief moment before he leaned over to take a whiff and he expected nothing. He didn’t smell anything.

Not at first.

Only a moment before he was going to give up, something faint drifted up from the potion. And Hyunjin thought he was going crazy.

He took a sharp breath and stepped back, bewildered and confused. Tentatively, he tried again, and he still smelled the faint scent. It was hard to pinpoint but it was clearly there. Despite his hopes shooting up, he tried to suppress them for now, scared of being disappointed again. His palms were sweaty.

“There’s no way…” he stood in front of the cauldron for another minute when he finally got a good grasp on the smell. And the joy he felt was indescribable as he recognized the cool minty scent coming from the potion. In disbelief, a smile broke out and he jumped up shouting joyously, “There’s no way!”

A tense thought came to him, and he quickly patted himself down, trying to locate any packs of gum on him. But when he found none he relaxed and celebrated again, spinning and shouting and jumping for joy. He was definitely smelling Amortentia.

When you walked back into the classroom to find your partner jumping around like crazy, you had to laugh.

“What’s this all about!?” You shouted over his cheering. His rambunctious mood was infectious and you almost wanted to jump around with him.

Hyunjin whipped around upon hearing your voice. A toothy, childish grin spread wide. He threw his arms up in the air, “Y/N!! You won’t believe it!”

“Hyunjin!” You copied his wild movements, confused and incredibly curious. “What what what??”

He pointed both hands erratically at the cauldron situation at the top of the desk. “I smelled it!! Y/n, I-I smelled something. It was faint and I might be going crazy but, but, it was there..!”

Even from across the room you saw the fanatical look in his eyes, his smile leading up to bright crescent eyes. And it was contagious. First, a giggle slipped out from your lips, then a smile broke out. A wide, joyous, cheek-aching smile.

“Y-you did!! That’s…that’s impossible, oh Hyunjin I’m so happy for you!” You exclaimed, excitement bubbling up. Then Hyunjin rushed over to you, wrapped his arms around your waist and spun you around.

“It was mint!” Hyunjin gulped, chest heaving but the smile never left his face. His eyes searched yours, and your reaction didn’t disappoint. Your eyes softened and you reached up to pepper his face with kisses. Laughter filled the space, and you found the highlight of your year at this moment.

Between the giggles and disbelief, the atmosphere calmed down but the jovial mood carried on. Hyunjin sniffed, and you looked up to find him with tears brimming his eyes, a shaky smile played on his lips. “I…I can say I love something.”

He breathed deeply before continuing to speak, “For the first time ever…in my life, I can say, truly y/n, I love you.”

As he finished his thought, the tears spilled and he sobbed with shaky shoulders. But his smile still shone through and his hands tightened. Tears coming to your own eyes, you wiped his tears from his face and nodded. “I love you too, Hyunjin.”

He leaned down to sob into your shoulder, the tears wetting your robes but you were too excited to care. You stroked his hair gently, allowing him to release all that was pent up within him as he continued to weep with joy. Before long, you felt your cheeks becoming soaked with your own tears slipping through, and you cried with him. Your mind was running a hundred miles an hour at how this was possible, your joy for Hyunjin, and now the life you could have with this wonderful boy. In the past, you’ve heard many stories about the power of love and how strong it was. But it was this moment where you sincerely believed in what the power of love could do. And you decided that Hyunjin was worth everything.

“I’m so happy for you Hyunjin, love comes softly.”

Time was lost to the both of you and you weren’t sure how long it was until it was time to leave. But you left that room with the most satisfying feeling ever as Hyunjin left you with a sweet kiss. You each also took a vial of Amortentia with you, for safe keeping and to maybe take a whiff whenever you were feeling down. Hyunjin was incredibly adamant about taking it with him as well, which you couldn’t deny him when he kept smiling as he held the potion up to his nose. So the two of you left with a vial each and each other in your thoughts. As you strolled up to the Ravenclaw tower with lovestruck eyes, Hyunjin did the same as he made his way to Slytherin dungeons.

After solving the riddle to the common room, you stepped inside and sighed happily at the homey feeling. You even spotted Seungmin in one of the armchairs, reading something.

“Seungmin, hi!”

He looked up from his book briefly before turning his attention back to his reading. Rolling your eyes, you approached him and leaned on the back of the chair and looked over his shoulder. “Don’t be a grouch, it’s late, we should get some sleep.”

Still no response from him. Seungmin was reading a potions textbook, and you pursed your lips, confused. Your hand stretched out over his shoulder and pointed to the page, “Hey…this lesson was weeks ago. Why are you looking over it again?”

With furrowed eyebrows, you saw he was reading the lesson on Amortentia, and nudged him gently. Speaking softly, “Hey, if you need help with this lesson don’t hesitate to ask me. I was working on this with Hyunjin so I could help. We actually finished it recently and it turned out pretty great! I know I haven’t been hanging out with you as much, but still, you can come to me…”

Seungmin suddenly snapped the textbook shut and sat up straight, he breathed in slowly before he spoke, “I think we need to talk about something, y/n.”

In an instant, you grew worried as Seungmin stood up to face you. He had a stern look on his face, much sterner than usual and lacking the friendly nature to him. You knew this face and you knew he was very serious, upset, and angry. For some reason your eyes looked towards the ground, avoiding his gaze. “Seungmin…what’s it about..? Look, I’m sorry I’ve been a little distant, I actually want to fix tha-”

“It’s not about that.” He snapped, and you looked at him in surprise. Your friend was normally so level headed. “It’s about your deceptive little snake of a boyfriend.”

His words leaked venom, and you stepped away. Taken aback by the uncharacteristic harshness, while Seungmin may have been sarcastic at times he was never so stringent with you before. You gulped as you struggled to form any words to say, hurt by his cold attitude with you.

“Speechless huh?” Seungmin laughed sardonically and shook his head at you. “You’re always so irresponsible and oblivious to things around you. It was okay when you were just daydreaming in class or stalling your work, but now you’ve really done it. I thought you were smarter than this y/n. You may be book smart but your common sense is nonexistent, and this just proves it.”

While you listened to his words, you were dumbstruck and lost. “Seungmin, I’m not sure what you’re…talking about.”

“Didn’t you hear me? I said your snake of a boyfriend.” He sighed, impatient with you. “I can’t believe I have to spell it out for you. But I guess I can’t help that you’re being deceived.”

“Deceived? No no, please tell me what’s going on.” The previous joy you felt left you as you attempted to reconcile with Seungmin, but you’ve never seen him so pissed off at you before. “Did Hyunjin do something or, or what?”

“Did Hyunjin do something…” Seungmin repeated, “No, you just decided to be dumb enough to fall for whatever lies he’s feeding you.”

You frowned and suddenly got defensive. It was okay to be passive when he was irritated with you, but you opted to stand up for Hyunjin. “He hasn’t fed me any damn lies, I don’t know what you’re thinking but Hyunjin’s actually a very genuine person so what would you know.”

“I just don’t see how the hell you could fall for somebody who can’t even love you back.” He hissed, taking a step towards you. “Do you know what that does to people? How twisted it makes them in the absence of love?”

Your jaw dropped and you gasped, “How do you know that?”

Desperately, you searched for something in Seungmins eyes that would tell you something, anything. It was a while of silence, and you spent that time fuming, contemplating, and with an aching heart. You had no idea how Seungmin had known about Hyunjin’s secret, and it infuriated you that he could think of Hyunjin as twisted and deceptive.

“It doesn’t matter how I know, it matters that you know that too and continue to follow his heels like a lost puppy. Y/n I don’t want to see you go down a dark path, but do you know who else was conceived under a love potion?”

“Don’t you dare say it-”

“Voldemort.” He was testing your patience, and he kept speaking still, “And you know, I’m sure you’ve heard… When he was still known as Tom Riddle, he was just as charming, attractive, and likable as Hyunjin is. But he was never close to anybody, and you know wh-”

“Shut it!” You shoved him back, already knowing what he was going to say. “Shut it! I don’t want to hear it, but you know what Seungmin, you haven’t spent so much time with him. You haven’t heard him speak, heard his feelings out. You don’t know what he goes through. And you know what? I’m disappointed in you. You are usually so understanding and-and patient and pleasant. But now you’re acting just like the snake you’re describing.”

“I’m sorry, I should’ve been more understanding like you said.” Seungmin stared at you for a few long moments, he was analyzing you, and he calmed down a bit. As he took a deep, long breath you thought he was going to try to listen to you. But instead you only heard bullshit come out, “Listen, I was just reading about it, you saw. But I believe you’re under Amortentia, or some kind of love potion. It really would explain everything. You’ve only been hanging out with him lately, you talk about him so much, and you’re being very defensive right now. Those are signs of obsession, if you let me, I can help out okay?”

“You…you think he has me under a spell? You know nothing.” You spat, absolutely fuming, and continued to speak. “How do you know he can’t feel love, if anything I believe he’s felt it. He’s told me-”

“Lies, He’s told you lies.” Seungmin interrupted, and took a step forward, holding his hands up in defense. “And I don’t want you falling for them any longer.”

“Why are you pinning him as evil? I can’t believe you.” You seethed, “He’s not some twisted and cruel villain like you believe him to be. He is a person, a person with emotions and thoughts and feelings. You’re not even listening to me.”

“You’re not listening to me.” He retorted, then ran a hand through his hair. “Please…I want to help you.”

“I don’t need any help. If you’re going to keep pushing this, then just leave me alone.” You jeered and began to make your way to the girls’ dormitories. A good mood ultimately ruined.

“Think about it y/n!” Seungmin called after you, but you just stomped up the stairs stubbornly.

As you trod into your dorm, one of your roommates was up and studying. She glanced at you before sitting up straight and stretching her back out. “Welcome, you’re back late.”

You forced a tight lipped smile and collapsed onto your bed, visibly exhausted and upset. “Seoyeon, I just feel awful right now.”

“I heard you and Seungmin from up here, not all of it, but it sounded serious.” Seoyeon frowned and leaned on the back of her chair to look at you. Her eyes up in worry, talking gently.

You lifted your head to look at her, and you sighed. In your mind, she was being pitiful of you and your situation. And that was probably the last thing you wanted. You’ve known Seoyeon since your first year, you were her roommate for years along with a couple other girls. There weren’t any big problems you had with any of them, and of course there was some bickering. But the look Seoyeon was giving you right now, you saw pity and distress. You’ve known her long enough to know what that look means, and what she’s probably thinking right now.

She agreed with Seungmin.

Shaking your head, you just pulled the covers up over you as you felt a headache coming on. You had no idea how many people were thinking exactly what Seungmin was, and you almost didn’t want to know.

“Seoyeon, how many people know?” You mumbled quietly, an odd sense of vulnerability in your tone.

She didn’t answer you after a long stretch of silence in the room. But a few moments passed before you heard the click of the lamp and the room fell into darkness. “Goodnight y/n.”

∎∎∎

Turns out, the whole school knew.

The next day you sat with Soyeon in the Great Hall, sleep didn’t come easy for you that night and it showed. You were pale, your eyes were tired, and the exhausted frown never left your face. As you picked at your breakfast, you felt self-conscious. Eyes looked at you in quick glances, you felt them as they would stare at you for a moment before looking away quickly. Gossip spread quickly in this school, and you hated it. Bits and pieces of conversation were brought to your ears, and it only made you feel smaller.

“…Hwang Hyunjin…a Slytherin.”

“You’re kidding…monster….”

“On y/n? I thought…”

It made you sick.

There were a few people who were disinterested in the drama, rumors just being rumors. And there were a few who made no pass of judgement, not simply believing through word of mouth. But despite those few, the majority of people were sucked into the rumors and prattle, and believed it blindly.

Your head hung and you refused to entertain anybody, so you just sat. Soyeon had noticed and rubbed her arm awkwardly, unsure what to say. If she could even say anything. The atmosphere around you was suffocatingly awkward

You felt muggy; hot and uncomfortable underneath the piercing gazes looking your way. Snide comments were made, barely above a whisper but you heard them anyway. How could you not when half the hall was speaking about it, and being hyper-aware of those around you.

Any mention of the infamous Voldemort always got Hogwarts riled up, but you thought this much attention was ridiculous. Ridiculous and embarrassing. Just down the table, idle gossip was heard from a few fourth years; while earlier Seungmin compared Hyunjin to Voldemort, these kids were saying he was Voldemort’s illegitimate child. The thought made you scoff, Ravenclaws were supposed to be smart, right? But you figured they probably thought the exact same thing about you.

Being in the center of all the talk, it made you feel angry, uncomfortable, and self-conscious. Your palms became clammy and so you not so discreetly wiped them on your robes. The irate expression was clear on your face but you hung your head low, timidly attempting to hide yourself. Amidst the loud whispers and heated pressure on your shoulders, you didn’t notice Hyunjin enter the Great Hall. Despite that, you did notice the significant loss of sound amongst the chatty students. The hall had gone quiet to stare, to judge, and to be entertained. and so did you, but once your eyes landed on Hyunjin underneath the doorway, a bit of pressure was lifted. Just seeing him in front of you brought some confidence to your chest. So the stares and gossip almost didn’t seem as bad. Almost.

Hyunjin, on the other hand, looked distressed. His eyes scanned the Great Hall and saw so many eyes on him; mocking, judgemental, and venomous. Standing there silently, his hair was a mess and so was his breathing.

First, Hyunjin looked to the Slytherin table yet made no move to sit. Second, he searched the Ravenclaw table until he found you. And third, he looked back towards the whole room. The once lost and frightened gaze he wore slowly darkened until he was glowering in the room. The headmaster made a move to stand and control the situation, ease the tension, but Hyunjin spoke before he could. The bitter malice dripping off his tongue accompanied by a cold gaze that reigned over the room.

With a voice still maintaining his dignity, he yelled out, "What are you all staring at? Mind your own damn business, I’m not a fucking tabloid.”

Throughout the whole room, his words sent a chill into the air. The harsh biting tone of his voice and glaring look in his eyes quickly sent students back to their food. Many quickly turning around in fright and embarrassment at being called out. And the hall was silent for another minute, and you looked at Hyunjin.

He tread across the hall to you, a blank expression on his face with a solemn air. Students still stared, of course, but they at least had the decency to be discreet about it this time. When Hyunjin was a few feet away, you moved to stand up, frowning and desperate to get out of the room

But you felt a hand pull you back down, you looked, and Soyeon was gripping your wrist. She had a pleading look in her eyes and looked scared. Scared for you? For herself? You couldn’t tell.

“Y/n…stop. you don’t have to.” She spoke lowly, not quite a whisper but stern in her intentions. After eyeing her, you looked down your table to see Seungmin and Jeongin staring as well. You looked away quickly.

You simply tugged your hand out of her grip, scowling and red, “I want to.”

“Y/n, let’s go.” Hyunjin said softly, you saw how he was trying to maintain his harsh, cold facade. But as you looked into his eyes at his request, you saw the pain and dejection he really felt. Like a kicked puppy trying to fight back, staying strong to avoid the abuse. You nodded before leaving the hall with him, your head was still low until Hyunjin nudged you, his eyes speaking for him as he tipped his head up a bit. So you left the hall with your chin up, looking as if the stares and judgment of the other students were nowhere to be found.

Whispers erupted after the two of you left, and soon enough the whole hall burst out as it was filled with the voices of all the students. The noise was heard all the way down the hallway.

Sensing Hyunjin tense beside you, you slipped your hand into his to walk in silence. You didn’t realize that Hyunjin was actually guiding you to the Room of Requirement, not until you saw the doors in front of you. Hyunjin kept the cold, steely look on his face until the very end, but when he closed the door behind him the facade began crumbling in front of you. Your eyes catching the slight tremble of his shoulders and a moment of silence followed. Hyunjin turned around to face you and you saw just how vulnerable he was, his eyes were pleading for help. That’s when the mask completely broke. You didn’t see the cold, evil Slytherin the rest of the school saw, instead you saw a sensitive, vulnerable, and hurting boy.

Hyunjin dropped his head, his eyes blinking rapidly to ward tears off. Then you heard him mumble something, small words that broke your heart.

“Please don’t doubt me.”

“What?”

“Please don’t doubt me,” Hyunjin’s lip quivered, his eyes darting around as he attempted to fight off the oncoming tears. “I-I really did smell the Amortentia, I feel love and…I don’t want to lose it. I don’t want to lose you.”

“Oh Hyunjin baby,” You approached him gently and lifted his chin up, your eyes locking onto his. There was a pain in your chest just seeing him crumble in front of you. You saw tears brimming, threatening to fall, “I never doubted you.”

“You didn’t?” His voice was small, delicate as he tentatively grasped your hand in his. Tears finally overflowing, wetting his cheeks and he hiccuped. Your lips trembled at the sight, seeing how much he was struggling with this.

“No,” You reassured him and he pulled you into an embrace, arms securely around your torso and his head in the crook of your neck. You felt your shoulder growing wet as Hyunjin shed his silent tears. You sniffled as you attempted to hold back your own tears, “Just let it all out.”

You guided Hyunjin to sit down, as you sat near the arm of the couch Hyunjin leaned into you. This allowed him to let it out and calm down. You were a comforting presence as he held your hand. Some time passed until he relaxed, his sniffles growing quiet until there was silence in the room. And at some point, his head ended up in your lap as he laid on his side; you took the opportunity to play with his hair. The little strands hung over his eyes and he didn’t seem bothered enough to move them.

“I didn’t know that falling in love hurt so much,” Hyunjin mumbled, “I was so happy yesterday…”

“How did you find out?”

“Jaemin brought the rumors up… and we argued about it.”

“Same thing happened to me, Seungmin and I had a fight…” You frowned, recalling all the things he said to you last night caused a pang in your chest.

Hyunjin’s head popped and he turned around to look at you, a surprised look on his face, “Seungmin too? I would’ve thought he’d be more understanding.”

“You and me both buddy.” You scoffed. Hyunjin frowned, then laid his head back down and signaled for you to keep playing with his hair. You complied, twisting the locks around, “He seemed concerned for me, but, he was convinced you used some spell or potion on me…I got really mad and it just became a spat.”

The words hung in the air and Hyunjin scrunched his eyebrows, he thought for a moment. “Jaemin said something similar, We didn’t exactly fight but, we argued. He asked me if I really used…” Hyunjin trailed off hesitantly.

“Used what?” You prodded gently, your hands fiddling around as you waited for his answer. He took a moment before speaking.

“If I really used the imperius curse.” Those words sent a chill down your spine as your hands were put on pause. Hyunjin’s’ voice was eerily cold as he spoke of the unforgivable curse.

You shook your head, “It’s all just talk Hyunjin, they have no proof because it’s not true. It’s hard, but these words will pass. Hell, I heard some fourth years saying you’re Voldemort’s illegitimate child for fucks sake.”

“Pfff what?” Hyunjin sneered. Then his voice lowered and mumbled with venom on his tongue, “That’s ridiculous.”

Conversation quickly veered off into more comfortable silence and for the first time that day you took the time to admire your surroundings. The Room of Requirement had transformed itself into a comfy sitting room, one where the atmosphere gave you a homey feel. A large stone fireplace sat in the nearest corner, it was lit as smoldering coals heated the room. Large windows stood tall and showed off a view of the Great Lake, as well as brought a lot of light into the room. The warm feeling made you drowsy, especially since you got very little sleep the night before and the feeling was welcomed. Also judging by the bags under Hyunjin’s eyes, he didn’t sleep much either. In fact, he grew so quiet and still that he could’ve already been sleeping. So before you knew it, you rested your head and closed your eyes.

When you woke up, Hyunjin was still sleeping.

A little disoriented, you had turned to check the large clock hanging on the wall and found you two slept all the way till noon. Well, you did, Hyunjin was still sleeping like a log. You squeezed your eyes shut and yawned, stretching your arms out since Hyunjin was still making a pillow out of your legs. That’s when you really recalled in detail what happened that morning. How the Great Hall was filled with whispers and stony eyes and how you were suddenly treated very differently. Left to just pick at your food and not wanting to make the rumors worse. But after Hyunjin’s dramatic entrance and exit, you were sure the school was buzzing with news about it. You suddenly grew self-conscious again as you wondered what kind of things people were saying about you now. Even worse, what they were saying about Hyunjin. He was getting the brunt of the attacks and was taking it pretty hard. 

A while later you heard Hyunjin groan as he woke up with a yawn, his hands rubbing at the sleep in his eyes. The sight brought a tiny smile to your face, “Good morning sleepy head.”

“Mmm,” He responded and sat up to stretch before slumping back to lean against your shoulder, “mornin’”

“By the way, it’s past noon, I guess we’re skipping classes today.”

“I don’t care, I’d rather not be stared at today anyway.” He grumbled, sleep still lacing his voice.

“Me neither. Think of it this way, this is just a big misunderstanding, it’ll blow over like all drama does, and things will go back to normal.” Your voice was positive, but it sounded like you were trying to convince yourself more than him.

Hyunjin slipped his hand into yours, “I hope so.”

The rest of the day was leisurely and neither of you dared to step outside, just wanting to spend time next to each other. And for the most part, the two of you fell into the usual. Once the drama left your minds, laughter and smiles followed soon after. The way you and Hyunjin were was like two puzzle pieces, it really felt like you belonged together. Oh, there was some kissing too. Hyunjin, as per usual, was interested about hearing about your life in the muggle world. You actually had to tell him to shut up to stop asking you so many questions.

And so he became pouty, “Come on, I barely knew anything about muggles, I’m learning.”

You rolled your eyes at the way he emphasized nearly every other word, “It’s not like I’m cutting your life supply off, but you really just asked me how rubber ducks work. I can’t answer that!”

You threw your arms in the air, a goofy smile on your face.

“Butttt babeeeee.” He whined, grabbing your hands in his and begging, “Please?”

“Pfff,” You couldn’t help but snicker, “How about we make a deal okay?”

Hyunjin looked skeptical, sitting up straight and narrowing his eyes at you.

“What’s that look for! It’s nothing bad I promise.” You urged, amused. “I’m just saying, if you stop asking so many questions, then when Christmas break comes I’ll show you around the muggle worl-”

“YOU WILL!?” Hyunjin practically jumped to his feet, very enthusiastic and very willing for your proposal. He was absolutely shaking in his shoes, he reminded you of a giddy child, “Oh my god I love you!! Are you serious?”

Your laughter at his excitement was cut off when he leaned over to squish your cheeks between his hands and kissed your lips. He pulled back quickly, pupils blown out wide and a sparkle in his eyes.

“Uh, yea! I’m serious you dork.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.” You giggled.

Now, you didn’t believe Hyunjin could become any happier, but once you said those words his eyes shone brighter than the stars. And at that moment, you believed Hyunjin to be the most beautiful person you’ve seen.

“Say it again.”

“I love you.”

“God, I could listen to you say that all day.” He whispered, eyes boring into yours. Then his lip tipped up in a lopsided grin, “But the best part is that I can say it back. I love you y/n.”

You broke out in a smile before placing a sweet kiss onto his lips, “You are the best person, that, I’ve ever met… Please don’t change.”

Hyunjin shook his head, “No, I’ll change, I’ll love you more. I want to love you more, better than anybody else can. Got it? I feel it…getting stronger? My love for you that is.” His thoughts were choppy, as if he was struggling on finding the right words to express himself. “It’s like, I can get high on this feeling, it’s new and scary but, but if it’s for you then I’ll give you my all. And it’s still growing! Um, it’s slow and-and gradual…but it’s so clearly growing and I can feel it!”

The hope and yearning in his voice was strong, but he was elated. And it made you happy; happy to hear him happy and happy to see his wish coming true. Hyunjin was experiencing what it was like to love and you were the one he was loving. He was still clumsy with the feeling, he could barely describe it now, but the absolute joy he felt was worth it.

“I’ve been wanting this for so long and…now I finally have it, and I promise you I won’t mess this up. I…I think the first time I felt it, was our first kiss, in the potions room. It was faint, and it was so small I could barely tell. But, it was there, and I went to sleep that night more alive than I’ve ever felt. And that feeling just keeps growing every moment I spend with you y/n. I’ve never known that loving can hurt, but I think that…this-this um, this obstacle just helped the feeling grow stronger. So even if love hurts, I’ll love you. I’m so happy.” Hyunjin poured his heart out, serious as his words reached your heart.

You smiled, “Hwang Hyunjin, there is no greater honor than to be loved by you.”

“I could say the same.” He shook his head, then suddenly perked up and sat on his knees. “I almost forgot, but I had this on me.”

Hyunjin dug through his robes until he pulled out a little vial, filled to the brim with a pearly liquid sheen. Amortentia. He held it up proudly, “I really just wanted to thank you. Remember last week in Hogsmeade, I asked you to use this on me.”

You nodded sadly, “I do, I would never though…”

“I know, and now I know how foolish it was. But, now it’s comforting to have this, I can always just pop it open and now I smell mint. It’s a reminder, a uh, a reassurance that I really really do love now.” Hyunjin explained, smiling happily at the little vial. “Besides, it reminds me of you and me.”

“God you’re so sweet,” You held his cheeks in your hands, then spoke in a faux evil voice. “who would’ve thought the evil Hwang Hyunjin could be so loving.”

He rolled his eyes at your antics but pulled you into a hug nonetheless. And just basked in your comforting presence. He chuckled to himself.

“What are you laughing at?”

“I just realized I began to cry a lot ever since I met you.” He said, amused.

“What?” You teased, “you weren’t always so fussy?”

“Oh shut up.”

“I’m teasing baby, I’m a crybaby you know.”

It was only hours later when you began to untangle yourself from Hyunjin. The two of you decided your time was best spent just cuddling, talking about who knows what. But being curled up together by a fire was definitely an emotional boost for the both of you. You even went over your Christmas break plans and what you would show him. He was pretty elated about that. In return, Hyunjin sang for you, which was a pleasant surprise. And one more thing you’ve learned about the “mysterious” boy.

But as you sat up, Hyunjin was already tugging you back down on the couch with him, complaining at the loss of contact. “No, we gotta get out of here at some point, and classes have been over by now.”

“No, let’s just stay in here forever,” He hung his arms limply off the couch, pouty. Then rolled over to hide his face in the throw pillow, voice effectively muffled. “Block the world.”

You grabbed his arm and shook it, then pulled to try to get his lazy ass up. And he only groaned, shook you off and laid there.

Your hand rested on your hip, “Well, while you lay there like a butt, I’m gonna go and turn in our project to Professor Lee, I hope you remember that it’s due today.”

“Mmmm, no I’m coming.” He mumbled, “Just gimme a sec.”

So on the walk to the potions room, you got a few stares. You couldn’t blame them though.

After the whole scene that morning, you were sure most of the school knew what was going on. Or at least they thought they knew. Rumors are a flame that just don’t stop. Thankfully neither of you ran into anybody you knew personally. And that made the walk to Professor Lee’s room a little bit more peaceful. Neither of you wanted to deal with awkward confrontation.

“I wonder if Professor Lee and the other teachers know what’s going on.” You mused as you approached his classroom.

“Hm,” Hyunjin began opening the door, “I guess we’ll find out huh.”

As you entered the classroom you felt suspense, it was an odd feeling in your chest. Maybe it was anxiousness, nervousness? You weren’t sure, but your grip on your papers tightened in anticipation. Hyunjin held the little pot of Amortentia, the amount Professor Lee requested.

“Professor? It’s Hyunjin and y/n, we came to turn in our bonus assignment.” Hyunjin called out, not seeing Professor Lee sitting in his usual desk. “Maybe we can just turn it in later, we’ll leave the potion here though, I don’t really want to carry the pot around.”

You nodded and tucked the papers into your robes, “Yea, I don’t see a problem with that.”

The pressure on your chest was relieved a bit, you weren’t sure why Professor Lee’s opinion of you mattered so much. You just wanted to do good on this project, but you were sure the little accident affected it a bit. Besides that, you left the odd feeling you had behind you, just a little worried the rumors got to Professor Lee’s ears.

“Now,” Hyunjin clapped his hands together and turned on his heels to walk away, “Let’s go back to the Room of Requirement!”

“Nooo,” You snatched his wrist and pulled him back, “we are getting out of there and hanging out outside. Okay?”

He sighed but silently agreed, walking alongside you. Since it was after classes most students weren’t walking around the halls, and that made it easier for you two to pass by peacefully. The problems only arose when you came to the more populated areas of Hogwarts, and it made both of you apprehensive.

Eyes stared, no shame if either of you noticed. Raucous whispers were heard as well, even more gossip being spread among the students. But it was enough that it could be ignored, just hold your head up high and walk through it all. You felt Hyunjin slip his hands into yours, he was nervous. When you looked up at him, the steely look in his eyes was back; you frowned and squeezed his hand to try to reassure him.

The stares and chatter persisted, even outside. You thought that the cold, snowy weather would drive people away from going outside, but the courtyard was as populated as it usually was. People were just bundled up now. You swallowed a lump that formed in the back of your throat, suddenly much more nervous than before. All eyes turned toward the two of you when you walked into the courtyard, there was an eerie silence that made you prefer the low whispers and avoidant stares more. Now, people were unabashedly looking at you and Hyunjin, obvious judgment in their glaring eyes. And as your eyes landed on Seungmin and Jeongin, you knew you wouldn’t be able to avoid the oncoming argument. The two fellow Ravenclaws were standing among a group of your classmates, their stares in particular were more scorching than others. It made you feel small.

You felt Hyunjin’s grip on your hand tighten, and you glanced up at him to see he was looking the same way as you. Eyes on Seungmin, icy and biting.

Tension. You hated it.

Hyunjin began tugging on your hand, pulling you away from the courtyard and away from all the cold eyes. You followed him, head low once more to try to ignore the attention on you. There was near complete silence, and you almost thought you’d be able to make it out without any confrontation, but you’d be a fool. As you passed by the group with Seungmin and Jeongin, your friend spoke up.

“Hey asshole, where do you think you’re going with her?” Seungmin jeered, and the suspense in the courtyard was amped up to ten. If everyone wasn’t looking before, their attention was certainly caught now. And you could feel everyone was on Seungmin’s side. Hyunjin was the villain in this story.

You tried to tug on Hyunjin’s arm, tried to pull him away to not cause a fight. But he shook you off and faced Seungmin, eyebrows pulled together and lip taut in a frown. “It’s none of your business, it’s nobody’s business except ours, actually.”

“It is my business, y/n’s been my friend for too long to see her be manipulated by some asshole who can’t even care about her, about anybody.” Seungmin retorted, hitting a nerve in Hyunjin.

“You don’t know shit, you call yourself her friend? You don’t even listen to her.” Hyunjin let go of your hand and the cold air sent a chill through you. But you were too invested in Hyunjin’s words to pay it any mind. “She said you two fought, and for what? I thought you were better than that but I guess some Ravenclaws have to be idiots.”

Seungmin pursed his lips, taking a step forward, “You’re changing the subject Hwang, you’re not denying it. That you can’t even fucking love her even if you wanted to. And she deserves better than a heartless bastard who has to manipulate her to get her to pay attention to you. She follows your heels like a lost puppy and that’s been made clear this morning. If you’re hurting y/n anyway then-”

“Then what if I’m not? Huh?” Hyunjin curled his lips, taking a step towards Seungmin, “You ever thought about that? Or are you all drones that just take anybody’s word as truth? You’re all fucking fools.”

“You think I didn’t think about it? Everyones thinking it, the whole school knows you’re a heartless bastard. Stop the facade, there’s no point in lying.” Seungmin stepped away from the group. He was never one to be confrontational, but this is the angriest you’ve seen the boy. It worried you.

“Have any of you even asked y/n?! Where’s the damn proof?” Hyunjin pointed to you, fed up with the accusations as well as obvious invasion of a secret he so desperately wanted hidden.

Seungmin stood still, eyes darted from Hyunjin to you and back to Hyunjin. He took a deep breath, but his eyes were still steady. “You don’t know? Neither of you’ve seen it?”

“Seen what?” You spoke up, worried about Seungmins hint at actual proof.

There was another bout of silence, then Seungmin looked behind him at Jeongin. He looked unsure for a moment, but then Jeongin held his wand up in front of him and cast a spell. A new and familiar one to kids your age, you could only describe it as ‘saving videos’ on your wand; a spell modeled after the rise of cell phones in the muggle world. Jeongin’s wand projected a scene, a ‘video’ of you and Hyunjin. It looked like it was taken far away, but the audio was oddly grainy; like it was clear in some spots and fuzzy in others.

A new flame of anger rose in you at the scene, it was taken the day you and Hyunjin were at Hogsmeade and went off to have some privacy. But clearly, it wasn’t as private as you had thought. The scene played out in front of you two.

“I wanted to….I wanted to talk about what our relationship is.”

“What about it?”

“…you’re…sending mixed signals. I know you can’t feel love, you know I know that. So why are you, why are you acting like you feel the same way as me…?”

Hyunjin was silent, a blank look on his face and you began speaking again.

“And Hyunjin…the kiss? What was that about? We never talked about it, and I really think we should…maybe I’m just delusional, maybe I’m just hoping too much. Maybe I just think we, we shared something nice… you…just playing with me.”

The audio began to become fuzzy. But then the image showed Hyunjin holding your hands and leaning in close to your ear, whispering words not caught on the video. And you were silent in his words and made no move as Hyunjin then leaned down to kiss you. The video continued to play, sped up until it stopped again and the audio was heard again. But it was grainy.

“I want…to use the Amortentia…”

You were obviously shocked at his words, and gave him a weird look.

“Hyunjin, why…”

The audio became weird once more but the video showed Hyunjin becoming snappy with you, and the small tidbits of audio that was heard showcased his biting tone as he spoke to you. You gave him a sad expression, eyes searching and lost.

And the video suddenly ended there. Jeongin lowered his wand, but he looked at you sadly, large eyes looking for your reaction.

“Where the hell did you get that?” Hyunjin snapped as soon as it ended, eyes furious and looking around. He took several more threatening steps towards Seungmin, his anger especially bubbling at the invasion of such an intimate moment for the two of you.

“That’s not what happened!” You cried out, speaking up for the first time. “Wherever you got that manipulated the video!”

“Memories can be manipulated too.”

“Oh fuck off, bastard.” Hyunjin uttered the words, malice lacing his tone as he pushed Seungmin in the chest. The crowd parted ways, forming a circle around the two as Seungmin pushed back.

You began panicking as you made your way towards the boys, but Jeongin grabbed your arm to hold you back. The two struggled against each other for a moment, but Hyunjin got an upper hand as he grabbed the front of Seungmins robes and pulled back to get a punch in.

He didn’t get the hit because as soon as Jeongin appeared at your side, he disappeared to help his friend, suddenly pulling Hyunjin off of Seungmin. Ultimately throwing him off balance as he was slammed into the cold, snowy ground. A small object fell out of his robes, but he was too dizzy to notice he lost the vial.

You ran up to Hyunjin, helping him stand up but more importantly pulling him away from the fighting. Hyunjin tugged against you, irate and still fixated on fighting. Jeongin was doing the same for Seungmin, pushing him back away from Hyunjin. Profanities poured from both sides.

But when you looked at Jeongin, he seemed suspiciously calm, aberrant in the chaos. Jeongin was staring at the ground, eyes narrowed. You followed his gaze until it landed on the vial of Amortentia laying in the snow, the sunlight glinting off its glass. Your stomach dropped but before you could grab it, Jeongin brought it to attention.

“The hell is that?” He said, loud to catch people’s attention, but calm enough to not add fuel to the fire. The crowd slowly got quiet once more as you scrambled to pick it up, but Jeongin grabbed it before you could. He held it up in front of him. Hyunjin looked lost, he patted his pockets and looked at you when he didn’t feel the vial in his robes.

Silently he sighed and handed it to Seungmin, who looked at it. He lifted his head to look at you then at Hyunjin, his tone bordering on retained anger “Don’t tell me this is what I think it is. Did she know about this?”

Hyunjin stammered, unable to explain the situation properly, only causing the blame on him to solidify in the mind of others. He looked at you for help, you gulped and stepped up to Seungmin, your hand stretched out to ask for the vial back. “Seungmin…it’s not what it looks like. We need that back though, it’s important.”

Seungmin pulled back cautiously, “Y/n, this stuff doesn’t make you think quite right. Amortentia is the most powerful love potion we know. If he’s giving this to you then you’re always going to side with him. We can take you to the infirmary okay? The evidence is right here in front of you, please just a few days away and you’ll feel better.”

“Seungmin,” you warned, taking another step towards him, “You’re not listening to me. We need that back.”

“Why?” He pressed, his grip on the vial tightened, “Why in the world would you need a love potion.”

You pursed your lips and shook your head, “Even if I explained it, you wouldn’t believe me.”

“You used to be able to tell me anything, if it’s not incriminating then why not say it?” Seungmin challenged.

“Because it’s private.” You hissed, a whisper only he could hear. He was getting on your nerves.

Seungmin only scoffed and took a step back, “It’s private…”

“It is! If I need to go to the fucking infirmary then I’ll go but give me the damn vial back.” You snapped at him and swiped for the Amortentia, but he pulled back again.

“Not until I, and we all, get a good fucking reason.” Seungmin retorted and raised his voice. He pointed harshly at Hyunjin, “Whatever’s going on with him is scaring the whole school and the two of you are being suspiciously private about it. Neither of you denied that he can’t feel love, there’s the video of him saying shit about using Amortentia, and he literally has the potion on him. For fucks sake y/n, it’s scary how similar he is to-”

“What’s going on here?” A voice boomed, making the argument subside as the crowd parted for Professor Lee. He walked up, a stern look crossing his face. “There better not be a fight.”

“No, sir…” You muttered, “Just an argument.”

Professor Lee’s eyes landed on the vial of Amortentia, he looked at Hyunjin, “I see the two of you finished the project. Seungmin, may I see that?”

Seungmin hesitated for a split second before handing the potion over, “Sir, I-”

“One second my boy,” Professor Lee held a finger up and faced you, “I believe a couple essays were required with this project as well?”

“Uh, yes, professor.” You stammered as you dug through your robes and pulled out the slightly crumpled parchment papers and handed them over. “We stopped by your office just before this to drop it off but you weren’t there.”

He hummed in acknowledgment as he thumbed through the essays, “Yes, I was out talking with the Headmaster. There seems to be quite the…scare running throughout the school. We were discussing it.”

Professor Lee looked around at the small crowd and furrowed his big eyebrows. “What’s everyone looking at? Go on, mind your own business.” He motioned for all other students to go back about their own business and the crowd reluctantly dispersed. Hyunjin stayed silent beside you throughout the whole ordeal. Until Professor Lee looked at him.

“Hyunjin.”

Hyunjin perked his head up upon hearing his name, “Yes, Professor?”

“I would like to talk to you in my office alone, please.” Professor Lee requested calmly, with reverence. Hands clasped behind his back with a polite grin. Hyunjin glanced at you, and you saw the nerves in his eyes but you nodded towards him and made an encouraging gesture. So Hyunjin quietly followed the professor out of the courtyard, a vastly different attitude than minutes prior. For some reason he suddenly got more timid, reluctant.

You let out a long, drawn-out sigh as you stood there alone. For the first time you realized just how attached at the hip you and Hyunjin have gotten. It felt weird to suddenly stand there without him beside you, and now you understood why Seungmin said you were like a lost puppy. Although the wording still irked you, you saw why it seemed that way. You spent most of your time with Hyunjin nowadays; you now went to quidditch games and even some practices, hung out after school most days, and even studied together. Slightly scolding yourself, you just stood there as you looked at the ground. Eyebrows furrowed together at the way the two of you really just ‘blocked the world’.

Seungmin walked up to you, stopping just a few feet away and just looked at you sadly. It was as if he was trying to figure out what thoughts were swimming through your head. “Hey y/n…”

You peaked up at him meekly, “Let’s go to the infirmary.”

“Why? Are you hurt at all?” Seungmin took a few more steps towards you, worry written on his face and arms lifted to help.

“No, no” You shook your head and stood up straight, shooting him a subsistent smile, “we were going to get me tested right? For…for the love potion.”

“Oh.” He uttered dumbly, arms dropping to his sides. He scrutinized you, trying to see if you were being serious, “Are you sure?”

The courtyard around you two calmed down immensely without Hyunjin in the area, and nobody really paid much attention as you and Seungmin walked out. You gave a small wave to Jeongin and the other rest of the group, but other than that, you walked in silence.

As the two of you made your way to the infirmary, you almost forgot just how much you missed Seungmin. Just to have him walk beside you again was a good feeling, very familiar. But it wasn’t the same comfortable silence that usually fell over you, it was awkward and tense. Once again you scolded yourself for not being more aware of just how distant you’ve been. Because now there was a wall beside you that was never there before, and Seungmin was on the other side.

You gulped nervously before looking at Seungmin, “Hey…how long have the um, rumors been going around?”

Seungmin looked down at you, making you tear your eyes away and look forward, “A few days I’d say, but there was still doubt until that video got spread around yesterday.”

“That video…” You grumbled, then looked up at him again, eyes pleading for you, “It was manipulated Seungmin, I promise you that’s not what happened. Not all the words were caught and the audio was all messed up, I swear.”

The hallway was silent after you spoke and Seungmin stopped and looked at you, lips taut and eyebrows furrowed. You were about to give in and continue walking, but then he nodded, “Okay, I’ll believe you. But, I want your full explanation after we get to the infirmary.”

“Okay,” You nodded, a small smile tugging on your lips where you would usually roll your eyes at his nagging tone. There was a pain in your chest as you realized just how much you missed Seungmin. And there was a big part of you who suddenly wanted to just be with him for a while. To hear his voice, witness his mannerisms, and to laugh with him. Like how you always did.

∎∎∎

“I’m sorry.”

Seungmin apologized, playing with the loose frays of his robes. Your results for any potions in your blood came back negative, as well as being under the influence of any spells. And so you got the chance to explain everything to Seungmin. How you got close to Hyunjin, the kiss, what really happened at Hogsmeade, and finally how Hyunjin was able to smell the Amortentia. The nurse gave you an apologetic look as she rushed the two of you out the doors, apparently there was something urgent she had to attend to.

Then Seungmin was bashful afterward, profusely apologizing and red-faced. His previous pride and anger was nowhere to be seen and you couldn’t stay mad at him. You could only smile in sympathy as Seungmin’s usual confident words turned into shy stammering, and then you pulled your best friend into a hug to tell him it was okay.

And that’s how you ended up here, in Seungmins dorm room, the comfortable and familiar presence Seungmin always provided was back to normal. It wasn’t rare to see you hanging out in Seungmins room, at least, before you began spending so much time with Hyunjin. But all that mattered now was that you finally got some quality time with your friend.

Sitting across from Seungmin on his bed, you laughed “That was like, the hundredth time you apologized today.”

“Cause I was an ass,” He whined, hugging a pillow to his chest, “I should’ve listened to you, but I was just…so worried for you. And caught up in all the talk going around, I was dumb.”

“Come onnn, don’t worry about it anymore. I’ve forgiven you, but if you really want to make it up to me, then just answer some questions I got.” You smiled as you rested your head against the bed frame. Seungmin luckily claimed the bottom bunk of the bed, something Renjun always got salty over.

“Oh am I gonna get interrogated now?” He teased.

“Yes.” You answered firmly and pointed at him. “Cause I was highly distressed this morning and you at least owe me an explanation.”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Who told you about the rumors, and do you know who started them?” You frowned, eyebrows pulled together in concentration as you awaited Seungmin’s answer.

“Jisung told me, uh Han Jisung, not the other one. I’m pretty sure the rumors began with the Gryffindors.” He answered right away, then he looked confused as he stared down at his duvet, “I’m not sure why though, you’d think the rumors would begin with some Ravenclaw or Slytherin, considering that’s what you guys are.”

“Really…?” You mumbled, the gears in your head twisted and you grew angry. “What do any of them have with my business? Why would they…oh my god, that wretch!!” At the sudden revelation, you pounded your fist into the mattress and huffed indignantly.

“What?? What is it? Who?” Seungmin asked in rapid succession, startled by your outburst. He sat up straighter and leaned in, really interested in your apparent epiphany.

“That little Gryffindor girl!! She got rejected by Hyunjin at Hogsmeade! She must’ve followed us…and recorded us.” You fumed, face growing red at your deduction. “I can’t believe she actually spread it around, that little brat!”

“Hey hey hey, calm down okay?” Seungmin held his hands up defensively, “We can’t just jump to conclusions, we don’t know it was her.”

“Well that’s my best guess,” You crossed your arms and slumped down, a clear pout on your lips. “I really can’t believe somebody would do this…”

The tips of Seungmins lips turned up at your pout, then dropped the next second. “I do feel bad for Hyunjin, he’s getting the brunt of the hate. And, and I contributed to it.”

His eyes reminded you of a kicked puppy. There was no way you’d let Seungmin get away with that sad look on his face, not under your watch. You pursed your lips before shuffling your way over to him, careful not to knock your head off the top bunk and pinched his cheeks back, “Hey mister, stop it with that sad look. I’m finally hanging out with you again and I don’t want to see you being all puppy dog sad. Got it?”

Seungmin wrinkled his nose in response and pushed your hands off, then rolled his eyes. “You’re one to talk, you were just fuming seconds ago.”

“That’s different from being sad with your big puppy dog eyes.” You giggled before settling down in front of him, your knees under you.

He scoffed with a contradictory sweet smile on his lips. “I missed you.”

Your chest constricted uncomfortably and you were vaguely reminded as to why you liked Seungmin. Why you loved Seungmin. His big brown eyes were warm and sweet and despite all the nagging, it showed that he really just cared. You smiled, a smile full of melancholy. “I missed you too, Seungmin. I really missed you.”

“I’m sorry,” It was your turn to apologize. You even felt tears beginning to prick your eyes, “I-I was just so caught up in him that…the rest of the world just didn’t seem to matter. I’m just dumb and blind. I mean, I guess you were kind of right when you said I’m irresponsible…”

“No no, don’t listen to me y/n. I’m the dumb one, I was just…jealous.” He said reluctantly, pausing for a moment before continuing. “I thought I lost my best friend and I was too quick to judge him. I was irresponsible if anything. Oh, please don’t cry.”

You laughed at his plea then hiccuped, it was too late, tears were already beginning to run down your cheeks. Seungmin stayed calm and brought his hand up to wipe the tears away, a small smile on his face. “You’ve always been a crier, huh?”

“No.” You pouted stubbornly, sniffling and going to hold his hand. A comforting gesture that never failed to calm you down. But among all the tears, you were really just glad to have your friend back.

The moment didn’t last long though, brief laughter was heard outside the door before it suddenly swung open. And who were the culprits? Renjun and Jisung. Seungmin pulled his hand away at their loud entrance and it dropped by your side. Their laughter died down after seeing you in the room, giving you solemn and unreadable looks. The mood change almost gave you whiplash.

Among the tension, you realized that you were still judged. Still in the spotlight for gossip at Hogwarts. You were suddenly brought back to reality as the stares made you feel small. And that feeling of vulnerability quickly turned for annoyance. You weren’t quite sure at what, but you quickly decided not to be passive about this anymore. Straightening you back, you turned your attention towards Han Jisung. Determined to gain just a little bit of your pride back.

You quickly wiped the remaining tears and pointed an accusatory finger at Jisung, “You’re not supposed to be here, you’re a Gryffindor.”

At your sudden allegation, which caught him off guard, Jisung straightened his back and held his hands up in defense. Then he narrowed his eyes and pointed at you as well, “Hey neither are you, you’re a girl.”

“Touche.” You sighed and looked at Renjun, “But it’s not like I’m not a normal guest, right Renjun?”

“Well, no, but I thought…” His gaze shifted to Seungmin and then back to you, “I just thought…”

And in response, Seungmin rapidly shook his head. So Renjun dropped the subject, “Uh, welcome back y/n.”

“Thanks for the warm welcome.” You smiled sarcastically before turning your attention back to Jisung. “Anyway, I have questions for you.”

“Actually, it might be better if I go.” Jisung cocked his head nervously and began to make his way towards the door, “I think we might’ve interrupted something…”

“Hey, no.” You pointed to the other bed, “Sit.”

And he sat.

You could feel their eyes on you, and you knew what thoughts were probably going through their heads. Renjun shifted awkwardly from foot to foot, then leaned back against his desk. Jisung fidgeted with his hands, he sat stiffly across from you but avoided your gaze. They were wondering why you were here. Why you were with Seungmin again. And why in the world you seemingly had a bone to pick with Jisung.

A breathy laugh escaped you as you looked on the scene. Seungmin caught on and smiled, “Guys she’s not going to chew your heads off, relax.”

“Then why did she sound so angry?” Jisung shuddered, his eyes blown wide as his head darted between you and Seungmin. He placed a hand on his chest dramatically and let out a nervous chuckle as he spoke. “I thought she was gonna hex me with the look she gave me!”

Renjun rolled his eyes and laughed, “Didn’t you guys just fight like, an hour before.”

You shook your head, “We talked everything out. It’s all a big misunderstanding, which, turned into paranoia. It’s all a mess and I’ve been caught up in it, and Hyunjin’s getting the brunt of it all. And it’s all just…really stressful-”

Well, so much for gaining your pride back.

In that moment, the floodgates burst open and your cheeks felt wet. They were silent tears, at least at first, and your nose scrunched as you felt frustrated at yourself. You cried often these days, but you never broke down quite this bad before. The boys around you fell solemn and speechless for a moment, not expecting the sudden shift in dynamic. Seungmin reached up to comfort you, but faltered, hesitating for whatever reason. You suddenly inhaled a shaky breath before furiously wiping your embarrassing tears away. Your cheeks burned bright and your thoughts were staggering as your fists clenched the bedding beneath you, but you couldn’t stop talking. You stammered and stuttered and fumbled through your sentences, sounding borderline hysterical as you recounted what you’ve been through. While you were sure you were making a fool of yourself, you had to let it all out. It was like a switch was flipped and you can’t flip it back, like you couldn’t find the off button for your mouth. But you were grateful, since Renjun and Jisung were listening patiently through your mess of an explanation. And while you didn’t even notice it till now, Seungmin slipped his hand into yours in reassurance. You were probably cutting the poor boys circulation off with how hard you were gripping his hand back, but he never complained. So, as you were hiccuping, eyes red, and words just tumbling out of your mouth nonstop. They heard your side of the story and understood.

“Wait!” Jisung interrupted you, his hands were held up in front of him. His tone was desperate and buoyant all the same. As he handed you another tissue, he gave you a coy smile, “I got some info you might wanna hear. And I can help you out a little.”

You sniffled into the tissue, nodding at him softly to continue.

∎∎∎

“So, they believed you?” Hyunjin inquired, peeling some oranges for the both of you. Brushing the peels into the trash beside you. You two sat in a little alcove, a place in the halls where people don’t come by very often. It gave the two of you a little privacy without feeling like you had to hide from everybody. The past few days were rough and the stares made you want to hide at times; but at this point, you were sick of the rumors and were working on ending them.

Deciding to save yourself the embarrassment, you brushed past mentioning your breakdown to him. You nodded, “Mhm, I guess I was quite…convincing. I’ll explain everything to you. I was able to get some info out of Jisung.”

“Good, I’m getting tired of being avoided like the plague.” He popped an orange slice into his mouth then handed you one. Which you took gratefully. Then set the rest between where you two sat. The tall window behind your back let plenty of light through, and it was a calm day. “Some first years give me this terrified look whenever I walk by, you know?”

“Oh no, it’s cause you’re an oh-so-scary dark wizard.” You teased, “I doubt you even have an ounce of dark magic in you.”

“Right, I forgot, I’m evil now.” Hyunjin rolled his eyes, “So, what did Jisung say?”

You clasped your hands together and scooched closer to him, “I know who did it. Who spread the rumors and eavesdropped on us and everything.”

He visibly perked up, “Who? Who was it because so help me, I’ll hex them into oblivion.”

“Just like the evil wizard you are, huh.” You chuckled, then shook your head. Your teasing mood quickly took a nosedive the more you thought about it. She put a bad taste in your mouth. “Remember that little fourth year Gryffindor, the one who asked you out at Hogsmeade?”

Hyunjin’s expression quickly soured, his nose scrunched and lips curled back. “You’re kidding, that little-”

“No, and she followed us and took that video.” You muttered bitterly, but then gave Hyunjin a coy smile, “But there’s good news too.”

“And what’s that?”

“We all came up with a plan.” You glanced down the hall, suddenly very aware that people could be listening in. Hyunjin noticed and looked down the hall as well. But you digressed nonetheless, “So, apparently…this little girl is planning on asking you out again.”

Hyunjin jeered, showing his clear disgust with the idea, “What, is she crazy? What makes her think that I’d want to-”

“Because,” You interrupted, holding your pointer finger up to emphasize, “she thought I would run away from you. But more than that…” you paused for dramatic effect, “the little hypocrite bought a love potion.”

There was a beat of silence before Hyunjin raised his eyebrows in surprise, not expecting that. “How do you know?”

“Jisung said he heard her talking about it with her friends. Apparently, she’s gonna approach you soon to try to ‘comfort’ you. So basically she’s gonna act as your savior. Be all nice and friendly and caring. And offer you a snack. That’s where the love potion is gonna be, right? Now that I think about it, she should be in Slytherin instead of you.” You mused, seeing just how cunning the little Gryffindor was.

“She’d fit right in.” Hyunjin muttered, crossing his arms and leaning back against the windowpane. He looked down in thought, “So what do you want me to do?”

You smiled, “Get the evidence, then we expose her.”

“Oh! Actually,” Hyunjin suddenly perked up, “I forgot to tell you, but remember how Professor Lee called me to his office yesterday?”

“Oh yea! What happened?”

“Well,” He looked up, “he told me not to worry, the headmaster is actually trying to take care of it right now. Sometime before the end of the week, he’s going to make an announcement and try to debunk the rumors. So, I mean the plans great and all, but it’s already being handled.”

You pouted, scooching over to him to lean against him, “I still think the plan is a good idea.”

He chuckled, “Cause it is, we’ll still go through with it if need be, but I want to avoid that girl as much as I can…”

“Yea, me too.” you sigh, suddenly really tired as the two of you fell into a bout of silence. It was nice just to enjoy the little moments in the day. These were the moments you really appreciated because while all the excitement is fun and all, it was moments like these that really solidified the comfort you felt with Hyunjin. To be able to just sit together and enjoy each other’s presence. You were grateful to be able to have that with him. You began to play with his hand, twisting the rings on his fingers and such. At some point, you slipped a ring off his finger and placed it on one of yours. Hyunjin questioned it, commented on how it was a little loose, but let you borrow it nonetheless.

“So…you and Seungmin are good again?” Hyunjin broke the silence as he chewed on another orange slice, hence muffling his speech.

“Mhm,” You smiled and ducked your head down, trying to contain your joy at just the thought. It still amazed you how much you miss Seungmin. “I’m meeting up with him later, we decided we needed to catch up some.”

“Oh,” Hyunjin’s brows knotted, he sat up a little straighter, “Okay.”

You straighten your back as well, mirroring his actions, “Is something the matter?”

Hyunjin held his hand onto his chest and stared down at the floor in front of him, but he didn’t answer you. He was frozen there until you placed a hand on his shoulder hesitantly. That’s when he looked up to meet your eyes. His brow was still knotted and confused. It was strange like he was in a trance of some sort. The change in demeanor was very jarring and he wasn’t helping you much, not answering in the slightest.

“Are you hurt?” You began to panic, placing your hand over his on his chest, instantly very concerned. Hyunjin only stared at you for a second. But then his gaze tore away and looked away from you with a cold chuckle, all while shaking his head at you. You pulled your hand away, blinking at the harsh look he had, almost mocking. Then he stood up, subsequently ignoring you.

And you, not about to deal with any more crap than you already were, grabbed his wrist and yanked him back down to his seat. You stood up instead, arms crossed and looked down at him sternly, “Hyunjin, answer me, what’s wrong.”

That’s when he scoffed at you again and moved to stand up, but you placed a hand on his chest and gently pushed him back down. Sighing, you took his hand in yours and sat next to him, “Please, I don’t want to fight, and if you’re mad at me then please tell me why.”

You felt Hyunjin’s hand tighten around yours, but his sturdy gaze softened and his head dipped down. And if you weren’t mistaken, his cheeks were red. “It’s stupid. It’s just dumb.”

“No it’s not, what happened?”

“I just…I think I got jealous. Sorry, I-I don’t know why I acted like that. It was just very sudden and I kind of felt…wronged.” Hyunjin shook his head, laughing at himself bitterly. “I’ve never done that before, I’ve never felt that jealous before.”

If you were being honest, you had to hold yourself back from cooing and teasing him about it. It was cute, but he was clearly embarrassed about it, so you were going to save the teasing for later. Instead you nodded understandingly and just shrugged, “It’s okay, it’s a new feeling? And like, who doesn’t get jealous from time to time. Don’t worry about it.”

“Yea, I just feel dumb.”

“Cause you are.”

“Thanks.” He smiled at you before wrapping an arm around you. “I’ll try not to do that again. No guarantees though.”

You could only shake your head lovingly at the boy and kiss his cheek, you also kept toying with his ring on your finger. Being out instead of cooped up in the room of requirement was a good move. It was great and all for privacy, but sitting out in the hall cleared your minds a bit. Even if it was a more secluded part of the school, students still passed by. So you enjoyed the moment with Hyunjin, it was much less tense than days prior and you both seemed to loosen up a little bit. Eventually it came time for you to meet up with Seungmin, so you split up with Hyunjin and left.

And that’s how you ended up sitting in the astronomy tower with Seungmin. Side by side on the floor, you stared at the stars in wonder. At first, you two were just going to meet up in his dorm room, but he said that the rest of his roommates were there. And he didn’t think it’d be an ideal place to catch up. While the astronomy tower wasn’t usually open like this, you convinced Seungmin that bending the rules a little wouldn’t hurt. And he did his usual nagging while going along with your lackadaisical actions, not really caring for the rules.

Catching up with him was a lot more relaxed than you originally thought. For some reason, you had the idea in your head that this was going to be a tense and slightly awkward meeting. But you fell into routine and ease just like how you always did. You guess that just how your relationship with Seungmin is, it was always relaxed and you just felt comfortable next to him. It was always like that, which was one reason why you were so shocked when he lost his temper before. But none of that mattered now, conversation came easily and you talked for hours about who knows what. Seungmin filled you in and you filled Seungmin in. Topics strayed then came back then strayed again. All until your chat fizzled out and your attention turned more towards the stars and constellations. The stars were beautiful that night in particular.

“Did you do the homework yet.”

“Nope,” You continued to stare at the stars, “I can do it later.”

“It’s already midnight.”

“And?”

You heard Seungmin chuckled beside you, “I’m glad you haven’t changed.”

“Just cause I began hanging with someone else means I’m suddenly going to be doing my work on time?” You said, sarcasm dripping from your tongue. “Who do you think I am? A diligent student? Pfff”

“I’m just saying, you got that project with Hyunjin in on time.” Seungmin shrugged, looking at the same part of the sky as you.

You smiled softly, tracing constellations with your eyes, “Believe it or not, I actually had to motivate him to do some work.”

“Yea, that’s hard to believe.” Seungmin leaned back on his palms, looking at you, “Your eyes are glowing.”

Blinking a couple times, you tilted your head and looked at him, confused. “What do you mean?”

“Looking at the stars, your eyes look like they’re glowing.” Seungmin smiled at you and made you do a silent double take. As you looked at him, you struggled to form words. Just something in the way he said it, or maybe how he looked at you. It took you off guard.

“Yea?” You replied simply, “Well they’re beautiful tonight.”

“I agree.” Seungmin nodded, looked down for a moment, then up at the stars. He then sat up straighter and turned his body so he was fully facing you, a little sheepish. “But, I wanted to meet up for more than just to catch up.”

Unsure of what he was doing, you stared at him blankly, lips parted as you waited for him to continue. He fiddled with his hands in front of him and then smiled at you, “I wanted to tell you that I like you, more than just as a friend. And I have for a while.”

“I…what?”

Seungmin held a hand up, stopping you from speaking any more. But quite frankly, you were speechless from the confession. So you closed your mouth with wide eyes and listened to him. If he didn’t have your full attention before, he certainly did now.

“I don’t know how long I’ve liked you, I just know it’s been a while. And I realized it when I realized just how strange it felt to not be around you, and I’m not talking about recently. I just remember back in…I don’t know, fourth maybe fifth year, I came to the epiphany that something felt empty without you. I just, I just never knew if you felt the same and I was still happy with being your best friend. It was only when you told me what you smelled in the Amortentia, is when I began building up the courage to tell you. Because, tell me if I’m wrong, but you smell jasmine right? That’s…the tea I drink right?”

Not having the heart to tell him that the smell changed, you nodded solemnly.

“So, I was going to confess to you and everything after that. But, that’s when you got closer to Hyunjin and I couldn’t seem to get a moment with you. Then the rumors got out and I just felt…wronged. And I got mad and jealous and you didn’t deserve the backlash I threw at you. I was just bitter.” Seungmin shook his head, talking carefully and clearly. He was always good at talking, “I just thought you deserved to know. Know why I overreacted and got just unreasonable… I also just felt like I needed to get this off my chest to…”

Seungmin trailed off and didn’t finish his sentence. You looked at him expectantly. But when you didn’t continue, you prodded him to finish his thought. “To…what?”

“To move on.” He smiled as his eyes cast down, the despondent smile caused your chest to pang weirdly. It caused you to frown and look down as well, not sure what to say. Seungmin, your best friend, just confessed to you. The guy you wished would do this for years, is now confessing just like you wanted, but you couldn’t feel happy at all. Your thoughts remained lingering on Hyunjin as you kept twisting his ring on your finger.

“Seungmin…” You murmured, words not coming to mind. More like you couldn’t bring yourself to speak.

But then Seungmin stood up, “It’s okay, I understand. To be honest, I really needed to get this off my chest, so just telling you feels better for me…”

“Wait, are you leaving?” You stood up as well. Not quite ready for him to go, you took a step closer to him.

“Well, I’m being rejected aren’t I?” Seungmin shrugged and smiled again, “I just don’t want this to affect our friendship. I value you too much to lose you over this, can you promise me that?”

“I promise…” You nodded sadly. In a weird way, you felt as if you were the one being rejected. Then a thought came to you, you furrowed your eyebrows as it came to you. And so before you could linger on the idea for too long, you just put it into action. Taking another step closer to him, Seungmin looked confused. But didn’t move away as you placed your hands on his shoulders and leaned up to place a sweet kiss to his cheek.

At your actions, he looked at you in astonishment and disbelief, pretty brown eyes wide and mouth hanging open. Yet, just as you were about to step away from him, embarrassed, he grasped your wrists. Not tightly, but just enough to keep you close to him. You didn’t have any time to think before Seungmin was leaning down and placing a chaste and tender kiss to your lips. This time, it was his turn to leave you doe-eyed and surprised.

Seungmin just kissed you.

And you were frozen at the thought. But you felt your blush quickly rising to your cheeks and you brought your hand to gently touch your lips. To say he caught you off guard would be an understatement. Your eyes darted around quickly before landing on Seungmins to find him scratching the back of his neck, looking away from you.

Seungmin was blushing as well, then he looked at you before placing a finger to his lips in a shushing motion. He wore a coy smile, “Just once okay?”

“That was a bold move,” You let out a breathy chuckle as you let your arm hang limply at your side, “maybe you’re changing quicker than I am.”

His attention seemed to be caught by the stars and he breathed in deeply, then exhaled as he replied, “Yea, that’s the plan. I’ll have to if I’m going to move on.”

“Yea…” You followed his gaze towards the stars, “you’re still my best friend okay?”

“And you’re my best friend.” Seungmin nodded before placing a kiss on your forehead. Then began to move away, “I’m going to go now…”

You suddenly became bashful again and perked an eyebrow up at him, “Do friends kiss friends?”

He shrugged, “Give me some slack, I just got rejected. I’m just wishing my friend luck in her future relationship with a certain Slytherin.”

“Goodnight Seungmin.” You chuckled and ran a hand through your messy hair. Watching as he gave you a wave goodbye before descending the astronomy tower. All of a sudden, he felt a lot more mature than a couple months ago. And you were proud of him.

So, you stayed up in the astronomy tower for a little longer. Left alone with your thoughts and the stars, quietly toyed with Hyunjin’s ring.