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Mark looked at the clock. Class had started twenty minutes ago but there was still no sign of his boyfriend, Lee Donghyuck. It was weird. Donghyuck had always showed up to class early, no matter the occasion. Even when he was sick he would defy Madam Pomfrey herself, drag his body to class and somehow still manage to be five minutes earlier than everybody else. That was the first warning sign that something was off that day. Apart from Mark wearing his shirt inside out, burning his tongue as he hastily chugged down his morning coffee and him wearing mismatched socks. Oh and Mark tripping over Jaemin’s copy of Hogwarts: A History lying on the floor somewhere in their dorm. It was a bad day, but Mark was confident that Donghyuck would make it better. He always did.
Mark turned his attention back to the task at hand. There, bubbling in his cauldron, was Amortentia, the strongest love potion to ever exist. Mark had no idea why Professor Slughorn was adamant on teaching a class full of impulsive 17 and 18 year olds a potion that might or might not find its way into the food or drinks of unsuspecting victims but it’s whatever. Slughorn had always been weird. 8.30 a.m. and Donghyuck was still nowhere to be seen. Mark was getting worried. What if he ran into trouble? What if he was so sick he couldn’t even get out of bed and there was no one else there to help him in the Slytherin common room because everyone was here in the Gryffindor-Syltherin joint potion class? What if? Mark had half a mind to ditch class and run to Donghyuck’s side, just to make sure he’s okay but the look Slughorn was giving him told him otherwise. He sheepishly smiled at his professor, embarrassed to have been caught zoning out during an important step which could make or break the potion.
Minutes passed by and slowly, but surely, the smell of lavender had seeped into the classroom, filling Mark’s nose and reminding him of the boy he loves. Lee Donghyuck. He absolutely adored the lavender-scented body wash Mark got him from Lush last Christmas, making it a point to show the latter how much he appreciates it by using it everyday. Mark smiled as more scents made themselves known.
The smell of freshly cut grass, of old LP records left on shelves, of hot chocolate topped with whipped cream that’s only drunk after the clock strikes midnight. Mark had a specific memory for each scent, making his heart swell more and more the stronger the scent was. Lee Donghyuck, the human embodiment of the Sun, outshining even the brightest of stars and lighting up the darkness that was once Mark’s heart. He had barged into the Gyrffindor dorms one day, surprising Mark and the other occupants of the room. “Mark Lee, I’m bored!” He exclaimed before lying down on top of Mark, effectively preventing him from moving. “What do you propose we do?” He fondly asked, brushing the hair out of Donghyuck’s eyes. “Let’s go out and play! The weather’s way too good to waste by just lazing around in this cold, damp castle,” He whined before ultimately getting off of Mark. The grin he sent Mark when Mark eventually got dressed was blinding.
The smell of old LP records. Donghyuck always had a peculiar taste in music, loving artists who had gone long before he was born or musicians who had passed when he was just a young child. Whenever they went to the muggle world, Donghyuck would always drag him to the record store to buy a new QUEEN LP or to check out the latest Michael Jackson merchandise that was released as a tribute. He would hum their songs as he browsed the store, sometimes breaking out into a whole rendition of the song when he got way too excited, attracting the customers in the store with his melodious voice and killer moves — so he says. Mark would often have to cover his face in mock embarrassment as Donghyuck air guitars to Brian May’s solo in Bohemian Rhapsody or when he plays the drums along to QUEEN’s Radio Ga Ga. Even in those moments, he shined brightly.
The smell of hot chocolate. Donghyuck had always been a fan of anything and everything that had a high glucose content which worried Mark deeply. But when Donghyuck jutted his bottom lip and widened his wide, beautiful eyes, how could Mark deny him? It was a lost cause. A losing battle. Donghyuck, however, had pity on Mark’s poor soul and decided to compromise, eating sweet treats occasionally only if Mark agreed to join him and drink his weekly hot chocolate. They would always sneak out to the Great Lake long past curfew, enjoying the serenity and tranquility of early mornings. The way Donghyuck’s face was lit underneath the moonlight was a memory Mark could never, would never forget. The moment when he realised how even in the darkest of hours, Donghyuck would still be shining brightly.
The day Mark confessed to Donghyuck was the best and worst day of his life. It took place two years ago, on the 14th day of the second month. Valentine’s Day. Mark had heard from Jaemin that Donghyuck loved grand gestures and surprises which led him to that very moment. A very nervous Mark Lee, clutching onto the guitar Johnny gave him last Christmas, pacing outside the Grand Hall. He was about to serenade the apple of his eye in front of the whole student body. Surely, that was reason enough to panic, wasn’t it? He took a deep breath and entered the Great Hall. It was bustling with activity, with students wolfing down dinner and chatting with their friends about the love letters they gave out and the ones they received. Mark scanned for the orange haired boy he liked, spotting him sitting amongst the Hufflepuffs and next to his bestfriend Lee Jeno. Mark discarded the last remains of his dignity and made his way to the Gryffindor table, pointedly ignoring all the looks he received as he started climbing onto the table once the food cleared out. The once noisy hall became silent, which was a rare feat but hey, seeing Hogwarts’ golden boy standing on top of a table with a guitar in his hands was a rare sight too. Mark made it a point to lock eyes with Donghyuck and with every bit of courage he had, he began playing the first notes to Jason Mraz’s I’m Yours, singing along soon after. He can’t remember much after that, to be honest. He remembered shouting a “Lee Donghyuck! I like you! Will you go out with me?” while a teary-eyed Donghyuck vigorously nodded his head and the whole hall was chanting for them to kiss.
Mark took one last inhale of the potion that reminded him of his beloved, satisfied that it was finally complete. He carefully scooped it up and poured it into a vial which would then be graded by Slughorn. As he was forcing the stopper in, the door slammed open, revealing a distraught and dishevelled Donghyuck. He let out a huge sigh of relief, glad that no harm fell upon the younger. He grinned widely and was about to gesture for said boy to sit with him when the next words that left Donghyuck’s mouth caused him to stop in his tracks. “Why does the class reek of Lee Jeno?” The vial in Mark’s hand crashed to the floor, breaking into a thousand pieces and the smile that was gracing his lips was immediately wiped out. The smell of lavender had once again seeped into the air, accompanied by a painful stab to his heart this time. He could feel eyes on him, looking at him with pity. Poor boy. His love was never reciprocated, they thought. Donghyuck looked at Mark, perplexed but a look of realisation dawned upon him as his gaze fell upon the whiteboard. Today’s lesson: Amortentia! “Mark, I’m sorry. I can explain,” Donghyuck began but Mark was having none of it, too engulfed in his heartbreak to pay attention. He stared intensely at the broken vial, at the glass pieces that broke into thousands with that one sentence, just as how his heart did when it was first uttered. He could feel Donghyuck standing beside him, tugging his sleeve and asking for Mark to look at him. After what felt like hours but in reality it was only seconds, Mark tore his gaze away from the vial and onto his love’s face. Donghyuck had tears streaming down his face as “I’m sorry,”s left his mouth, making Mark’s heart clench in pain. It was unfair. Even as Donghyuck breaks his heart with every word, even as Jeno enters the classroom to whisk Donghyuck away from prying eyes, even as Mark slowly sank to the ground, unable to believe that the love of his life just left him. Even then, Mark thought, Donghyuck shined brightly.