Chapter Text
'But there's more,' Jackson says and Mark raises his eyebrows.
'More than pulling a giant middle finger at the house rivalry?'
'We can't be the only ones,' Jackson says, 'So. I managed to get Youngjae and Bambam to blab, and it turns out Jaebum-hyung used to be friends with the Slytherin seeker. I don't know why exactly they stopped talking, but maybe-'
'They stopped talking because Jaebum was a prejudiced dick,' Mark says lazily, 'but if you were going to suggest asking Jinyoung to help, I think there's definitely a chance he will.'
Jackson blinks. 'Wait, you know about Jaebum-hyung and Park Jinyoung?'
'Well, yes,' Mark says, 'Almost everyone who was at Hogwarts at the time- so, fifth year and up- knows. It's kind of a large part of why I didn't tell them about you. I mean, the house has always been wary of Gryffindors to start with, but it took a few prefects to convince people in the house that Jaebum was just being a dumb kid and shouldn't be beaten up because of it, especially since Jinyoung was so furious with him he wasn't exactly planning to stay friends with him.'
Jackson gapes.
'I'm sure he's lovely,' Mark adds hurriedly, 'It was a long time ago.'
'Why didn't you tell me Jaebum-hyung knew a Slytherin?' Jackson cries.
'I thought you knew,' Mark says with a shrug. 'I didn't realise Jaebum hadn't told anyone.'
'I went to so much trouble and personal expense to bribe that information out of Bambam and Youngjae,' Jackson laments, and shakes his head. 'Okay. But if he was that angry, do you think he'll help?'
Mark shrugs. 'What were you thinking of asking him to do?'
'Mend bridges?' Jackson suggests weakly. 'That is, if that's possible. I mean if he hates Jaebum-hyung's guts-'
'I don't think that's quite the case,' Mark says, the ghost of a smile playing at his lips. 'I'll talk to him.'
--
Mark didn't even have to seek out Jinyoung, the sixth year approaching him soon after he got back to the Slytherin common room.
'Hey, can I talk to you?' Jinyoung asks and Mark nods in surprise, allowing himself to be lead into a secluded part of the common room.
'Is it true you're dating a Gryffindor?' Jinyoung asks after checking to see no one was listening and Mark's eyebrows raise.
'Wow, news travels quickly,' he remarks.
'Rumours travel quickly,' Jinyoung corrects, 'and your friends weren't quiet.'
Mark sighs. That's something else he's got to deal with.
'So it's true?' Jinyoung presses, an indecipherable look crossing his face when Mark nods. 'Jackson Wang?' he says next, and now Mark's really surprised. 'Friends with Im Jaebum?'
'How did you know that?' Mark asks, genuinely curious, and Jinyoung raises an eyebrow.
'That he's friends with Jaebum-hyung?'
Mark tries not to grin outright. 'That it was Jackson.'
Jinyoung shrugs. 'He's always looking at you. When I heard you were dating a Gryffindor, he was the logical first assumption.'
'To see that, you would have to be looking at him,' Mark points out and Jinyoung blinks, taken aback. 'But it's not him you're looking at, is it?' Mark continues before Jinyoung can say anything. 'It's Jaebum.'
Jinyoung looks down at the floor, caught off-guard.
'You still call him hyung,' Mark notes and Jinyoung meets his gaze again.
'I've known him since I was three,' Jinyoung says by way of explanation, cheeks a little pink but seeming altogether unflustered.
Mark flashes him a smile. 'Nothing to do with him daring to get hot?' he teases and Jinyoung's eyes widen as his cheeks flood with vibrant colour.
'How...' Jinyoung clears his throat. 'How loud did I shout that, exactly?'
'Loud enough that I could hear it while walking past your open door.'
Jinyoung pauses. 'Did I... I wouldn't've said... how did you know I was talking about Jaebum?'
Mark grins. 'I didn't for sure until just now.'
Jinyoung gets a look of resignation on his face before he laughs. 'You goddamn Slytherin,' he says, ruefully fond, and Mark grins in return.
'I actually wanted to talk to you about Jaebum,' Mark says.
'He will almost definitely try and convince Jackson to break up with you,' Jinyoung says instantly, 'because he's too stubborn and prideful to admit that he's an idiot and was wrong.'
Mark blinks. 'Oh, he's been doing that for a while now,' he dismisses, 'No, we were thinking more along the lines of.... you being the bigger person.'
Jinyoung stares for a few moments before snorting. 'Bigger person, my ass, you want me to make nice with him so he can't say anything about you and Jackson.'
Mark grins and shrugs, not ashamed in the slightest at being caught out.'
'I'm in,' Jinyoung says.
Mark's eyebrows raise. 'Just like that?'
Jinyoung nods. 'Yeah. This got old second year already, and he's certainly not going to do anything about it. So. Just like that.'