Chapter Text
Clothes had been sorted—or more like shoved—back to his wardrobe. Books and parchments were piled—thrown—on his desk. Everything looked to be in their appropriate places and Junmyeon could finally breathe easily as he finished his last-minute tidying up early on a Tuesday morning.
His prefect duties were too exhausting last night, what with having to patrol to maintain order among the students starting from the train journey up to the sorting ceremony, that he didn't bother to change out of his shirt once his cheek hit his warm bed in their dorm.
September first happened to be a Monday this year, and it bode an excellent start for Junmyeon who would be having his final year at Hogwarts. He was close to humming while he tied his green and silver necktie in front of the mirror but chose to go around preparing as silently as possible as he didn’t want to disturb his baby dragon of a roommate. The soft snores of the said underclassman were audible under the blanket covering his head while his feet were left exposed on the other side. Junmyeon was tempted to cover the said feet with socks but the risk of awakening The Possible Menace was high, so all he did was dump his ball of warm blanket on the younger before he headed out to start his day.
The smell of the fresh parchment he pulled out from his bag was something to be considered a reprieve given that first day of school tends to be all-out busy like the rest of the days of the school year. Junmyeon relished the lazy mood of most upperclassmen just coming back from vacation the whole morning, taking down notes regarding the requirements for each of his courses which weren’t included in the syllabus the professors had provided.
He wasn’t late for his prefect duties as well. Joohyun, a fellow seventh year prefect, beat him into getting to their meeting place by three minutes. There was never a competition between them, but the sharp glances and challenging smiles between him and Joohyun had served them well for the past years. It pushed them to be better at their given duties. Not to mention, it became a good foundation for friendship when each of them was admittedly extremely shy and awkward around people. One could never look at them together before without feeling an oncoming mayhem, but luckily they were both able to get past the awkward phase and work together to maintain a part of the Slytherin house intact.
Their task today was to tour the first year Slytherins around their assigned part of the castle—namely the Great Hall and the surrounding areas—and it went well, to the point that the crowd clapped their hands, impressed, when it concluded just because Junmyeon and Joohyun were seamlessly completing each other's sentences the whole time. They both just smiled at the praises and after they had sent the group to lunch, they shared a secret fist bump for a script well-prepared and performed in the hallway and went their separate ways.
He opted to wrap a serving of his lunch—a few cuts of ham, cheese, and bread—and poured his cup of juice in the bottle he brings with him and immediately set off to start doing his most important assignment for the day.
The trip to the basement didn’t take long, and luck was surely on his side when he saw a huddle of yellow-scarfed students in the hallway. The guy whose head was a mop of brown locks, which was like a beacon from the middle of the crowd, was the guy Junmyeon was looking for.
“Hi Jongdae,” he greeted as he came nearer. The other’s beam widened upon seeing him and returned his greeting with a cheery ‘hullo’. Junmyeon only got a few curious gazes and some alarmed ones from the rest, though, but that didn’t really matter. He didn’t mean harm in the first place.
As expected of the student wonder who was Jongdae Kim, he’d be flocked with energetic and highly protective admirers this early. There was no magic in the guy’s popularity, though. Jongdae was an academic achiever—he got ten Es in his O.W.Ls a year ago while being a prefect; and also an amazing athlete—he had been a Seeker for his team since his second year, a position he had performed stupendously well at, that he was nicknamed “The Blitz”, and was currently the captain of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team. Junmyeon could only longingly sigh at the guy's achievements.
It was quite funny, knowing that Junmyeon’s lank, dark fringes on his forehead, pale skin, and the combination of green and silver markings on his robe were sometimes enough of a warning for other students to stay away. But he never felt as much as a drop of hostility, like what he had experienced from other houses, from the students staying in the basement. The crowd, which was curiously eyeing him until then, dispersed when Jongdae stepped out of the circle to meet him halfway and Junmyeon could only send them off with a grateful smile.
“Can I help you with anything?” Jongdae asked him and before Junmyeon could return about how he knew that was the case, the sixth year Hufflepuff had a knowing grin on his face and added, “You seem like you need my help, that’s why.”
“Thanks,” Junmyeon said as they started walking, back towards the direction of the Great Hall. It wasn’t a big favor per se, but he still had reservations because however friendly Jongdae was to him, Junmyeon didn’t think their friendship was on a level of doing each other favors. What they had was civil at most—one which was fostered through familiarity because they were both prefects of their own houses. The kind which they exchange pleasantries and pass on announcements which were purely work—nothing personal.
It still quite niggled him, though, asking favors because it felt like he was using a nice person like Jongdae to his advantage. But on another note, he had to ask a Hufflepuff at some point to get his task done. That fact somehow made approaching Jongdae bearable. “Uhm, my cousin is asking me to pass something for his friend and I'm looking for the person.”
Jongdae nodded in understanding, his gentle, grin not leaving his lips. “I reckon the person you're looking for is from my house.”
“That’s indeed the case. I’m looking for Zang?” he said, vaguely recalling the name he had repeatedly read from the wrapped box last night. He could check it right then, but it would be better to make sure Jongdae could help him first.
“Zang—? I know of some Jangs and Jungs—” the younger muttered, thinking. “Are they a girl or a boy?”
“I'm not quite sure. The name, I find it difficult to read. It says Yeek-sing—?”
The sound of the other's steps halted and it was soon followed by a gasp. “Yixing!” said Jongdae, the twinkle in his eyes going back after it dimmed a bit while he was thinking earlier. Junmyeon wasn't given much time to be amused, though, because the other’s hand was soon wrapping his wrist and pulling him. “Well, Irish people are known having unreadable names, don't they? Chinese ancestry makes it doubly impossible. Come, come! Do you have a class anytime soon?” Junmyeon shook his head and Jongdae continued, “Good. ‘Coz we might need to go ‘round the castle.”
What Junmyeon wasn’t expecting was that Jongdae meant it literally. It took them about an hour to go around inside the castle asking for ‘E—sing’s’ whereabouts and when it was fruitless, it took them almost another hour to scour the grounds outside. He could only be thankful he set out early, found Jongdae, and his next class was still at four in the afternoon.
“Of course, we should’ve just checked this place out first. My bad,” muttered Jongdae as they both diverted out of the paved walkway along the side of the greenhouse, hopping to the other side of the knee-high bushes and towards the biggest tree overlooking the lake. The younger sat on the biggest root and patted the space next to him for Junmyeon to follow. “We’ll have to wait here and I hope you’ve brought a book with you,” Jongdae told him, pulling out a copy of Advanced Arithmancy from his robe. “You can share with me if you haven’t.”
All the questions Junmyeon had been meaning to ask since earlier were forgotten when his mind prioritised declining Jongdae’s offer because Arithmancy was so not his thing. His stomach growled in time to the rescue. And his plan to make ‘eating lunch instead of reading’ an excuse to avoid talking about numbers with Jongdae became lesser of a lie as he pulled out his wrapped lunch from his leather bag.
“Yixing Zhang—” he started while busying himself with stacking his lunch together into two sandwiches. He felt Jongdae pause from his reading and waited for him to continue. Junmyeon finished making the sandwiches first and he handed one to the other who gratefully accepted it. “Is he a friend of yours?”
Jongdae had already taken a big bite from the sandwich when Junmyeon finished his question, making it impossible for him to answer immediately. Not with the way his cheeks were bulging. But the younger soon held two fingers together in front of Junmyeon’s face and he could only wait for the answer. “This close,” Jongdae said. “We're roommates.”
“This is the first time I’ve heard of him,” he admitted. “Which is a bit odd knowing you’re popular among the students.”
“Maybe you’ve seen him before and just didn't know his name,” Jongdae guessed as he licked the crumbs off the curly corners of his lips and pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe his hands with.
That would most likely be the case. Junmyeon would miss putting a name to a face or two especially if they didn’t belong in the same house. He might be a prefect, but he wasn't keen on allotting some space in his brains to memorize all of the students’ faces.
“Don’t worry, you’ll meet him soon,” assured the other and it somehow calmed him down.
Later on, when Junmyeon decided to go over his syllabus, Jongdae offered to test his Arithmancy on him. The Hufflepuff was fast in filling his parchment with calculations, applying various formulae from just the initial query of Junmyeon’s birthday.
Soft wind blew while Junmyeon was struck dumb with how the younger worked next to him. There was the sound of a bird leaving its perch from the tree above them most likely spooked, when Jongdae let out a loud laugh after writing a string of numbers at the bottom of the page. And more than the curiosity on what Jongdae might have gleaned regarding Junmyeon’s future through the numbers, he was rather surprised to hear the other’s laughter. It was like a clap of thunder, and his nickname synonymous to the lightning became more fitting.
“Perhaps,” a soft voice that loomed before them said, “you can just ask him directly what he’d want for dessert.”
“Had a good rest in this lovely weather?” Jongdae returned without looking up from his writing after sending out a snort.
“Sure look it,” answered the newly arrived person with a smile. He then offered his hand to pull Jongdae up when the latter finished tucking his quill, parchment, and book back into his coat.
Jongdae patted down the fluff of raven hair in front of him, taming some stray strands on the person’s head while the guy returned the gesture by dusting and smoothing Jongdae’s cloak. It was amusing to Junmyeon who was watching, like seeing two animals grooming each other.
“Anyway, Junmyeon here is looking for you,” Jongdae said, interrupting Junmyeon’s reverie at the mention of his name.
“Hello. What can I help you with?” Soft droopy eyes matching the voice fell on him who was still sitting dumbly on the tree root.
It took another second for Junmyeon to realise that the person was the one he was looking and waiting with Jongdae for. He was soon up on his feet and offering his hand for an introduction which the other accepted and shook.
“I'm Junmyeon Kim and my cousin has asked me to pass on a parcel.”
“Pleasure. I'm Yixing Zhang.”
Junmyeon was soon opening his bag and pulling out a medium-sized box which he soon handed to Yixing. “He told me to tell you to read the letter first before you open the package.”
“Thanks for this.” And there was a soft smile on the guy's lips, albeit the confused glaze on his eyes earlier.
Junmyeon nodded to that and smiled, happy that he had finished his most important task for the day so far. With his thing over and done, Jongdae didn’t wait any longer as the Hufflepuff pulled them two away from the shade and back to the castle, looping an arm around Junmyeon's right and the other to Yixing’s left.
With the three of them this close, it was quite vexing on Junmyeon’s part to realise that he was the shortest. Jongdae and he were almost on the same height, the former maybe taller by an inch at most, or it might be the guy’s curly hair, but the Hufflepuff had wider shoulders which made Junmyeon the actual smallest. Yixing wasn’t as tall as Junmyeon’s beanstalk of a roommate, but the raven-haired guy was a good forehead taller than Junmyeon, and that much difference was already relevant. At least looking up the Hufflepuff wasn’t as straining. And the two were nothing but profoundly soft and warm, as opposed to his tough and cool, which somehow made Junmyeon a bit bigger and as tall as them.
“You made us wait long, Yixing,” pouted Jongdae to his right as he dragged them along.
Yixing nodded to that, smiling apologetically to his friend and also to Junmyeon. “That I surely I did, didn't I.”
They all paused from their walk as Jongdae turned, held Junmyeon's hand by the wrist and opened his free hand with it in front of Yixing like they were begging for alms. The tallest in their company only chuckled in resignation, pulling out a small cloth purse from his sleeve.
Junmyeon's eyes rounded, but not as huge as the two profiteroles given to each of them. It was the size of a Bludger; a little bit bigger and it would be as big as his head.
“‘Tis the singing one?” Jongdae asked Yixing as he made a huge bite from his share. It took an effort for the Hufflepuff to swallow, automatically bringing Yixing’s hand to soothe his back.
The taller shook his head and said, “Just the muggle version.”
Junmyeon sighed in relief and bit into the profiterole, thankful that Hufflepuffs are actual angels. He wasn't the one to stereotype but his roommate was a menace of their house some older generation of Slytherins would be proud of with the way the guy subjected Junmyeon to his ‘playful’ concoctions. There was blatant difference on how students in each of the houses work.
Taste-wise the snack was brilliant—the type Junmyeon would consider hoarding. He was yet to ask whether Yixing made these himself but if it were the case, Diagon Alley would finally have a decent boulangerie with a variety and not just an eternal supply of black bread if Yixing was to put up a business.
Although, he had to note that the serving size is surely not British. An observation he might have said out loud with the way Jongdae cackled and Yixing agreed to. “I am not British,” the guy told Junmyeon as they made their way back to the castle.
✦
A thin shadow loomed, covering his parchment with darkness and making Junmyeon look up once from the report he had been working on for the past hour.
“Thanks for finally noticing,” Sehun said as he left the side of Junmyeon’s desk and flopped on Junmyeon’s bed. His brows were furrowed by an incessant thought and Junmyeon hoped whatever it might be, it was up to something good.
“Sehun, I need to finish my report and if you don't get on it now I'll have your butt out of my bed.”
“Merlin, you’d want me in your bed because I'm the least dirty thing on it.”
Junmyeon threw a disdained look towards his bed and his roommate and shook his head, ready to ignore the heck out of the younger.
Sehun pulled Junmyeon’s bolster from the pile of pillows, hugged it to his chest and finally looked at Junmyeon with a measuring gaze and pursed lips. “Can I join in on your plan?” he asked.
“Sorry?”
“Let me on in whatever you’re scheming.”
“I am not sure I understand.”
There was a loud tsk of dissent from the younger as he pushed himself to sit up, making Junmyeon's bed give out a surprised squeak. “I saw you and Jongdae Kim earlier. Lots of students did, actually.” Junmyeon’s mouth rounded and his thick brows crumpled at the insinuation. “He’s currently the most popular Hufflepuff and he's a muggle-born. What is it?” Sehun’s tone was conniving as if ready for Junmyeon’s evil plan revelation.
“Oh come on!” he groaned, suddenly tired with the stupid idea that he was out to get muggle-borns just because he belonged in Slytherin. Some of the others from his house could still be considered hostile but then again, they were no longer in the Wizarding War era where Voldemort was still in power.
Sehun’s and Junmyeon’s families were part of the New 24, for one, and such arrangement was made possible because of the Wizarding World’s awareness that discrimination didn’t move much things forward. Besides, Hogwarts benefited from enrolling muggle-borns like Jongdae Kim because the Hufflepuff was just too talented.
“So you seriously like him?” asked Sehun.
“Yeah, sure, I like him,” Junmyeon answered as he turned to minding his report.
“Merlin's saggy left you're crazy!” cried Sehun.
What was not to like in a person like Jongdae anyway? Everybody in the castle liked the guy in his defence.
Sehun then jumped out of the bed and headed to the wall, snapping towards Junmyeon and pointing at the pinned poster of Cedric Diggory with an accusing finger. “It's his fault isn't it?”
“What is Cedric's fault?” Junmyeon wondered.
“A Hufflepuff, a prefect, a Quidditch player and everybody’s best friend. He is Diggory but with Asian ancestors! You are projecting your attraction to Diggory through Jongdae Kim!”
“I am not!” Junmyeon shouted back, offence taken from Sehun's accusation. Junmyeon almost pulled his wand out to hex the younger but he thanked Merlin for the honed self-control and his mouth’s ability to attack like a howler when threatened. “Are the O.W.Ls making you bonkers? I just want to be good friends with the person!”
“You’ll tell me later, anyway.”
“Tell you what, Sehun?”
“Your plans.”
“I plan to hex you if you don’t take me seriously. It is either you shut up and study right now or shut up and sleep,” Junmyeon warned his roommate as the younger turned to tuck himself into his bed and bade Junmyeon good night.
• ✦ •
What Junmyeon liked about weekdays was that he would be mostly away from the dormitory and would only get to see his menace of a roommate asleep when he would turn in the night. It sometimes made him wish that the new dorm rules was not implemented during his first year because in that way, he could still be rooming with three other like-minded Slytherins in his year level than doing babysitting duties with the likes of Sehun Oh.
It shouldn’t be misunderstood as him hating the younger, but the most he had gotten from Sehun for the past days they were seeing each other were sneaking glances and scheming grins; not to mention that Sehun would be somewhere in the periphery whenever Junmyeon and Jongdae would chance upon each other in and out of the castle.
Having people around with unabashed slyness most of the time like his roommate was slowly contributing to Junmyeon’s poor health that he was also hoping he could turn back to the time he was on the stool during sorting ceremony and fervently wished ‘Not Slytherin’ like Harry Potter did. With that said, he could be in Gryffindor, or Ravenclaw, or better, in Hufflepuff where some of the people he found interesting were in.
Too bad he was assigned to the dungeon gang and maybe the reason for that was the Sorting Hat had gleaned how much he’d find Herbology challenging. Hufflepuffs were quite the green-thumbs of the school. Herbology was on a Monday this term—surely an unlucky combination for Junmyeon—but attending the plant class was better than facing Sehun so Junmyeon settled with the lesser evil.
The signal for the next period had rung and Junmyeon hastily shoved his books and notebooks into his bag to be one of the first ones outside the classroom. He could just review the caring for Demogorgonias later during his free time and maybe research on the topic in the library because his brain was an utter mush from the lecture earlier that forcing it to recall the discussion might cause further injury.
He almost kicked one of the two students scrambling to pick some parchments and quills on the floor in front of him because he was too out of it to notice, when the person stood up to Junmyeon’s apology and a familiar face was suddenly in front of him.
“Oh, hello, Kim,” Yixing Zhang greeted. He then turned to hand the parchments he was holding to the other student, a younger Ravenclaw, who soon thanked him for the help and left.
“Hi,” Junmyeon returned as they started to walk together along the corridor. “You can just call me Junmyeon. Jongdae’s a Kim, too, right?” The Hufflepuff nodded in understanding, the action making his wavy dark locks bounce on his head.
“Dead day, isn't it?” Yixing Zhang asked as soon as they turned to another hallway.
“For a Monday it sure is,” answered Junmyeon. “I'll have to borrow notes for today's lecture in Herbology. I fell asleep.”
“Thought so,” Yixing returned while Junmyeon threw him a confused look. “You can borrow mine. Although I have to complete the tables first because the one discussed earlier was the short method. You'll get a frond slap if you are not truly careful with one step. But I'm guessing Professor Longbottom genuinely forgot to mention that one.”
“You’re in seventh year, too? We're classmates?” Junmyeon gaped.
Yixing Zhang’s lips rounded for a moment until chuckles rumbled from his chest. “We have been in donkey’s years,” he answered.
“I'm sorry I haven't noticed. Let’s sit together next time.”
“I don’t want to give up my window seat, though.”
Junmyeon suddenly didn’t want to tell Yixing that the last time he sat near the window and it was sunny outside, the professor almost marked him absent for the whole term because he ‘was a little pea and blended with the sunlight’. Yixing noticed his hesitation and brushed it off with a smile and “It’s fine. Thanks for the offer still.”
Then the Hufflepuff was silent for a moment, his stare blank up ahead until his face cleared upon remembering something. “By the way, about Minseok. I am planning to send him a mail back,” Yixing Zhang said.
“You can give it to me and I can send it back home so he can receive it through his mum,” offered Junmyeon, then earning him a bedimpled, kind smile from the fellow seventh year.
“Thank you,” said Yixing Zhang. “Pardon me but I gotta head on now. See you around.”
“Yeh.” Junmyeon’s wave went unnoticed as he watched the Hufflepuff walk away from him, greeting other Hufflepuffs and some Ravenclaws along the way.
When the next Monday came, his neck craned for the raven-haired classmate in Herbology and Junmyeon’s beam widened when he found Yixing Zhang seated at the back corner of the room, near the window. The Hufflepuff returned Junmyeon’s wave of a greeting with a nod and a smile and gestured for his parchment, mouthing ‘after class’ which Junmyeon eagerly agreed to.
Zhang's notes didn't disappoint when Junmyeon opened to read and copy them back in the dorms. There were more doodles of plants on them than actual texts, a bit more into the chaotic side in terms of handwriting but the overall balance of it was something Junmyeon would find commendable. He’d even say it was an entertaining note and Junmyeon wondered what were Yixing Zhang’s notes like for the other classes, say, Care of Magical Creatures if he did pursue the subject.
“What is going on in your mind?” a voice asked from the back of his head.
If Junmyeon wasn't familiar with Sehun's kind of menacing, he would have elbowed the younger's nose from the sudden intrusion.
“Nothing,” shrugged Junmyeon as he set Zhang's notes aside to spread his own parchment in front of him.
“You’re collecting Hufflepuffs.”
“It is called making friends, Sehun.”
The younger Slytherin hummed as he leaned on the back of Junmyeon’s chair and wrapped his arms around Junmyeon’s shoulders for a back hug, resting his chin on it. “What's the point when you’re graduating anyway?” muttered Sehun.
“Just tell me you’re getting jealous with the new friends I’ve got so I can spend more time with you, ” he reminded his roommate who recoiled from the hug and almost shoved Junmyeon towards the desk.
“Blooming niet!” Sehun spat with venom rivalling a baby serpent’s.
“Then stop throwing a wobbler when it comes to people I make friends with! I'd still be friends with them even if they're not from Hufflepuff, okay?”
“But they are and you can't sell them like pygmy puffs, you know?”
“Oh, sod the blooming off Sehun Oh—”
There was a knock on the door and a voice Junmyeon recognized as Kibum’s, the seventh year from the next room, said, “If you two don’t settle your domestic scores in two minutes, adjacent rooms will have to mute you.”
“We’re sorry, Kibum!” Junmyeon responded as he turned to glare at his roommate.
“Time for me to sleep,” Sehun hastily muttered and headed to his bed to hide himself under his blanket. After a brief silence, he said, “There's a practice game tomorrow. Support me and Jongdae Kim.” Junmyeon didn't make an acknowledgment as he tried to ignore the younger for riling him up. “Also, I missed talking to you,” Sehun muttered, his voice almost drowned by the rustling on his bed.
The remark had Junmyeon forgetting to remind the younger to have his brains tested. He mumbled a good night, as soft whistling breaths from the younger Slytherin started filling their room.
• ✦ •
The sky was overcast but the field was heated when Junmyeon arrived on the viewing tower and sat himself. He saw Sehun first but it was Jongdae who noticed him in the audience and gave him a wide smile from the field. When Junmyeon looked at the younger Slytherin who was just a few yards away and hovering from his Hufflepuff friend, Sehun was having his scheming smile on, enough to make Junmyeon grab for a thick book from his bag and warn his roommate with it. The younger shrugged it off like Junmyeon was dumb.
“Slytherins aim for the win!” he was soon shouting, earning him a few wide-eyed expressions from both the younger Hufflepuffs and Slytherins from the small audience.
“That's the nicest cheer I've heard from your house,” a voice said as Junmyeon turned to the source to his right and found an amused Yixing sitting next to a younger Ravenclaw named Jongin; the latter Junmyeon had come to know in one of his family’s gatherings.
“We can’t all be mean all the time,” he quipped and upon approaching the two’s huddling, noticed books and notes opened between them. “I thought I was interrupting a date.”
Jongin strongly shook his head that Junmyeon felt defensive for Yixing while the Hufflepuff only let out a chuckle. The two were adorable, enough to call this want for Junmyeon to ruffle the guys’ hair, but not what they were studying about—any witch and wizard who had listened well in their 5th year Herbology class would know the face of the menacing plant on the opened page in front of them.
“Chomping Chinese Cabbage?” He gaped. “I do understand it’s a 5th year topic but isn’t it too early?”
Jongin timidly nodded in admission and answered, “I am planning to brew my own Skele-Gro and Yixing is helping me with the plant aspect.”
“Jongin is really smart he also tutors Dae in Potions. But he believes plants hate him,” Yixing volunteered, making Jongin’s face beet red in embarrassment. Junmyeon could easily relate to the younger Ravenclaw that Herbology was indeed a challenge. It was only people like Professor Longbottom and Yixing who made it sound like plants were adorable living things.
“What’s the Skele-Gro for? Can’t you request from the hospital wing?”
“My roommate breaks things a lot—mostly his bones—so I thought I could help out,” Jongin softly reasoned.
“Park is a patron of Skele-Gro that he had finished a whole bottle last year,” said Yixing. Junmyeon's confusion might be blatant on his face that the Hufflepuff clarified, “Ravenclaw’s Beater Chanyeol Park.”
Memories from last year’s matches flashed before Junmyeon’s eyes, especially that of the Slytherin versus Ravenclaw where a lot of the members from both teams ended up in the Hospital Wing for falling ungraciously from their brooms or whacked accidentally by stray Bludgers. Chanyeol Park was a special case because it was Sehun who more or less played the Bludger which shattered the former’s leg.
Now it made perfect sense why Jongin would think for his roommate because if Sehun were as careless, Junmyeon would not think twice locking the younger in their room. Fortunately, Sehun was trained to be shrewd since he was a kid and had always used the talent to fulfill his dreams, therefore Junmyeon was not really needed. He even speculated that the S in Sehun was for shrewdness and Slytherin.
Junmyeon excused himself after wishing the two the best, sitting back on the bleachers to continue watching the practice game. He alternated cheering for his house and Hufflepuff that at some point, Sehun flew past and shouted for him to make up his mind and choose a side.
A Bludger hit the bleachers just about a yard away from Yixing and the two students were barely fazed from their huddle. The Hufflepuff surely looked back, but soon dismissed it easily as ‘that gave me a fret’ while the younger Ravenclaw passively threw a crumpled piece of parchment at the hole made by the aggressive ball.
The game went on until Junmyeon’s attention on the field was cut by the dash of golden in his periphery. The snitch was curiously hovering around Yixing although the two students remained unperturbed. And Junmyeon saw how the winged ball was suddenly snatched by the Hufflepuff without looking up from what he was reading.
“Oh,” Yixing said as he looked at the thing he caught in his hand. A whistle blew from the distance while Jongin started cracking up when he noticed.
“Not again!” the younger Ravenclaw said, wheezing.
Yixing held up the snitch and waved it towards his roommate in the distance. “I'm so sorry, Jongdae! I caught it! I promise I thought it was an insect!” he shouted. The younger Hufflepuff only beamed and waved back, signaling his other team members to go down since the practice was technically over.
On the way back to the dorms, Sehun was moaning how Yixing was wont to commit something like catching the winged ball at every practice game but at the same time, thankful that no matter how outstanding Jongdae was as a Seeker, it wasn’t Zhang the snitch magnet who they were left to contend with. The professors knew about Yixing’s special talent, Sehun rambled, but they could never convince the guy even with Jongdae’s help to play for Hufflepuff.
Junmyeon could only nod dumbly, still flabbergasted from earlier and how his mind kept going back to the moment Yixing Zhang caught the snitch and how Junmyeon’s heart sang victorious praises like it was an actual Quidditch match. Not to mention that he did note Zhang’s dazzling smile when their eyes met.
Yixing Zhang pulled a blinder and Junmyeon was surely blinded.
• ✦ •
What was fascinating about Hufflepuffs when they convened was that they looked like a warren of rabbits in terms of effect—fluffy and adorable and something Junmyeon was tempted to approach and pat and just be happy about. But he remained seated in the Slytherin table, enjoying his bowl of breakfast soup as he observed Jongdae receiving birthday greetings from other students.
Yixing was sitting across Jongdae and after handing a wrapped box to the latter, the younger celebrant jumped in his seat, ran around their table and hugged the older, while the spectators gave out cheers and amused laughter at the scene. Junmyeon could only sigh as he watched Yixing chuckle in the distance and hug Jongdae back.
“How I wish I'm a Hufflepuff. Those kisses and hugs seem really nice and warm,” Sehun said, reminding Junmyeon that the younger had been observing next to him as well.
“I can do that for you on your birthday, too,” Junmyeon offered.
“No thanks,” Sehun returned without blinking.
Junmyeon followed the younger’s gaze as they watched the two Hufflepuffs leave their table and head somewhere. Their gawking, though, was made aware to be recognized when Yixing tapped Jongdae’s shoulder and the two turned and waved at them with a smile before exiting the halls.
“Why is Zhang like that?” Sehun sighed wistfully as he brought his awkwardly waving hand down.
Junmyeon nudged his roommate upon seeing where the conversation was heading. It was about time he could provide the younger some advice and tease the hell out of him now that an opportunity had presented itself. “So, Yixing eh?” he asked, earning an unamused glare from Sehun.
The younger was affronted, evidenced by how high his brow raised upon turning to Junmyeon. “Is it not you who has been crushing on him?” Sehun asked.
Wait, that was ridiculous. “What? How come?”
“You stare at him more than you do with other people.”
“I stare at people all the time. Yixing Zhang is not an exception.”
“It’s been more than a month since you've realised his existence but you’ve only had good words for him,” Sehun argued.
“I’ve only had good words for Jongdae,” Junmyeon reminded. It was a fact that he only had good words for Hufflepuffs in general.
“You’ve known Jongdae Kim for years,” pointed out the younger as he grabbed for some buns from the basket and slipped it into a bag in his robes. “Just last term you were moaning about his shocking pink PJs in case you have forgotten.”
Junmyeon huffed. There was no point arguing with Sehun, was it? His room mate could convince himself whatever he wanted and life would still go on for Junmyeon. “That still doesn't mean I have a crush on Yixing,” he said as he grabbed his books from his side and left the younger scrambling to catch up.
• ✦ •
The wind had gotten a little chilly as Junmyeon walked the path from the dorms passing the courtyard.
A huge weight hit his back, knocking the air out of his lungs as he tried to maintain a clear mind to identify the source of his sudden ire.
“Sorry, Junmyeon! That was supposed to be a greeting! I'm in a rush!” Jongdae said in a frantic voice. Soon, the younger Hufflepuff was at the end of the path, running, like he apparated.
“Where are you off to?” Junmyeon asked loudly, following the younger who had slowed down to wait for him. Their footfalls echoed on the stone flooring.
“Yixing! He'd sleep the rest of the afternoon off if I don’t bring him to Eccles,” the younger answered.
“I can help,” offered Junmyeon.
Jongdae nodded absently. “Sure sure thanks,” he said but as they turned at the corner, they almost collided with another Hufflepuff who was wheezing and sweating profusely.
“Kim, I've been looking for you. Hooch wants you in her office now,” the other student told Jongdae.
At that moment, Junmyeon saw how troubled the younger was with the way his eyebrows knitted on his forehead. “Look, I promise I'll find and bring Yixing to Eccles, okay?” he assured Jongdae. It instantaneously relaxed the younger’s eyebrows and a bit of a smile was already on Jongdae’s lips.
Air was knocked off of Junmyeon’s lungs the second time when Jongdae hugged him tight. “I owe you,” the Hufflepuff said. When Junmyeon answered with a pat on his back, the younger let go and started to follow the other student.
“I owe you!” Jongdae shouted again, while Junmyeon waved at his retreating figure.
The lakeside was the location Junmyeon thought best to check first. Then he could check the halls if he’d not find Yixing.
Luck was shining on him when he noticed a pair of legs partly hidden by the gnarled root of a tree and upon approaching, he found the Hufflepuff he was looking for.
“There you are,” he gently announced as he scooted in front of him. The other student was still comfortably asleep, head slightly nodding off and making his fringes cover his eyes. Junmyeon thought of shaking Yixing awake, but instead, his hand neared the Hufflepuff’s face and his fingers touched the stray fringes. They were soft, as expected from the person in front of him.
Junmyeon might have seen it coming, as his heart started skipping a beat, when fingers suddenly wrapped tightly around his wrist.
“Told you not to play pranks on me when I’m sleeping like this, Dae,” Yixing warned in his raspy, newly awakened voice. His eyes were still closed, and the soft smirk on his lips somehow made his warning a tad softer.
“Our roommates can be quite handful, yea?” Junmyeon chuckled. Yixing’s eyes shot open in surprise, but were soon narrowing on Junmyeon probably due to the light. “It's me, Junmyeon,” he told the Hufflepuff.
“Oh.” Yixing brought a hand to cover half his face and his embarrassed smile as Junmyeon took this time to straighten up. After a moment, he looked up, still squinting, and greeted, “Hullo.”
“Jongdae is needed somewhere so he sent me to wake you up,” Junmyeon informed the guy as he offered his hand to pull him.
The action was something as automatic to Junmyeon pulling Sehun out of bed. But when the Hufflepuff accepted his offer, Junmyeon suddenly felt the giddiness of handling a crateful of puffskeins. His heart was so light that the simple blowing of the wind could make him fly.
“Shall we go?” Yixing asked, tugging at their connected hands while Junmyeon’s mind slowly returned to their current location. And situation. Also Yixing’s hand was cold to the touch.
Junmyeon only tightened his hold, thinking the Hufflepuff’s hand might need some warmth as he nodded. He was the one supposed to drag the other somewhere, but was instead being dragged by Yixing back to the castle. It felt unclever of him but Junmyeon didn’t mind. His palm was starting to sweat but Yixing still held his hand. And Junmyeon didn’t mind.
✦
“Not a crush but a boyfriend?” Sehun's mouth ran like loose bowel before Junmyeon was able to greet him and before the door to their room closed behind the younger.
Junmyeon could only turn back to his roommate from his desk, away from his open books and notes in confusion while Sehun continued, “I was looking for someone earlier and I saw you and Zhang holding hands. You were grinning and close to prancing like Dorothy the actual witch down the Yellow Brick Road.”
He briefly wondered at what point the younger had seen him and Yixing but that was just entertaining the younger’s idea. Junmyeon let out a long suffering sigh as he waved Sehun closer. When his roommate was near, he reached for both of the younger’s hand and firmly held it in his.
“Does this mean anything to you, Sehun?” Junmyeon asked. And when the younger took a while to answer, he then said, “My point, exactly.”
“It might have meant something to you while holding Yixing’s hand.” Junmyeon let out another heavy sigh as he silently remembered Yixing’s firm grip on his sweaty hand. Which eventually reminded him that Yixing has strong, beautiful hands.
“You're thinking about it,” Sehun said as he smiled his manic smile like some god of pestilence watching everything die a horrifying death.
“I'm just thinking how I'll hex your blooming arse because you’re quite incorrigible lately, Sehun.” Junmyeon saw how the younger's smile fell and his gaze flickered on his table. His grin stretched wider as he held Sehun’s hand tighter. “You're looking for my wand?”
“I'm more sleepy than wanting to know your wand’s affairs. Can I go to bed now?” stammered the younger, making Junmyeon internally pat his back for successfully turning the table against his roommate.
“Sure.” Junmyeon released the held hand as Sehun rushed to take his shoes off, wave his wand to change clothes and bury himself under the blankets.
The younger’s head was still sticking out from the covers, though, and his staring still unrelenting and bothersome that Junmyeon had to acknowledge it.
“What is it, Sehun?”
“It makes me wonder how come it's so easy for you to admit you like Jongdae but you can’t say the same for Yixing.”
Junmyeon shrugged. He had long accepted that his younger roommate was a few sandwiches short of a picnic. “I really can’t say anything for the guy. I’ve only known him for weeks,” he said as he turned to face his notes again.
“Go Slytherpuffs!” Sehun cheered and with Junmyeon’s glare, he ducked hastily under the covers and muttered, “It’s my dream to go in double dates, you know.”
“Which Hufflepuff would even date you, Sehun?”
“I swear to Merlin’s balls you'll take that back!” the quilted lump on the bed shouted under his blankets. “I'll even have a Hufflepuff date faster than you admitting you like Yixing Zhang.”
With an unhesitating flick of a wand and a zap, Sehun was left whimpering on his bed with Junmyeon’s langlock. “Good night, Sehun,” he said as he finally returned to his studying.
• ✦ •
Junmyeon Kim would like to ask the great wizard and witch ancestors of his, why, of the past six years of being a Hogwarts student, had he only known of the existence of Yixing Zhang.
The guy had been his classmate in Herbology for years, he was Jongdae's roommate and friend, he had a face and personality far from being ignorable, and he had been recently guilty of sending Junmyeon’s heart pumping faster than the rhythmic chugging of the Hogwarts Express on a fine weather.
Yixing. Even just the thought of his name nowadays brought this warm painful feeling in Junmyeon’s gut. And it was starting to be a bother to him aside from Sehun’s regular pestering. Just a bit of Yixing’s attention would send Junmyeon into an internal frenzy in which it felt like it was the first time he rode his broom that he got real sick as a result. Or the time in his first year when he got an Outstanding in most of his subjects. It was like wanting to throw himself to the Hufflepuff and running away from him at the same time.
There was nothing outwardly different happening, though. Yixing would still smile and wave back when Junmyeon would look towards his seat. Or greet him when he’d approach Jongdae. Or hand Junmyeon and Sehun pastries and cakes when he had too much to share. Nothing changed while Junmyeon’s insides had learned to squirm with happiness at the mere thought of seeing the seventh year Hufflepuff.
Junmyeon was busy minding his plate of ham and eggs and hot cup of gingerbread-flavoured coffee when Sehun started nudging him like a pest. And him knowing the younger, he just ignored his roommate’s attention-seeking behaviour.
“Yixing Zhang's coming,” Sehun whispered.
Showering the younger with breakfast coffee from his mouth could also be added to the things he could do with Yixing’s presence but luckily, his throat chose to swallow the bitter liquid albeit the high probability that Junmyeon would gag from it.
There was a dull ache on his ribs as he felt the hot liquid drop to his insides and his heart started pounding faster. He didn’t know coffee could work that fast until then. And if his brain could actually think properly aside from processing how he’d greet the approaching figure, Junmyeon would be able to tell that coffee didn’t have that kind of instant effect.
Yixing Zhang, Junmyeon had to pause to take a deep breath in, was almost floating in the air like some sentient, magical being as he neared their table. Junmyeon’s mind provided his vision with some butterflies fluttering around the guy and sparkles timed to every bounce of his steps making Yixing a blooming Veela. Which, also reminded him that there was certainly something wrong with his coffee.
“Hullo,” Yixing greeted, finally done with being whimsical in Junmyeon’s mind and just being himself with a pair of big round glasses.
“Glasses,” Junmyeon squeaked instead of a decent 'Hello Yixing, having a great day?'. He had been wondering that there was something different about Yixing that morning.
“Barely gotten sleep studying so m'sight's pretty bad,” supplied the guy in the most notable accent Junmyeon had heard him speak. “Hope I have not forgotten a joint report.”
“No, none of that sort,” Junmyeon answered with a rather enthusiastic shaking of head that’d make Sir Nicholas and his neck envious. No matter how messed up his brain had recently become, he was sure he didn't miss any papers and reports. He was sure of it, especially because he needed to impress a certain classmate. That said, a joint report was a nice idea. Maybe he should suggest to their Herbology professor to have more of it as a requirement.
The Hufflepuff huffed in relief which caused another disturbance in Junmyeon’s heart rhythm. “Jongdae's down with a lurgy and restin' lots,” Yixing said. “You were starin' at our table and I reckon you were lookin' for 'im. If you need anythin' I can pass the message.”
Junmyeon simply shook his head, a bit giddy his staring was noticed but thought of as something else by the person he was staring at. It was a bit of relief which he wasn’t expecting.
“Still, thanks, Yixing. It's odd not seeing him around. Please send our well wishes,” he told the Hufflepuff.
Yixing nodded and smiled at him. He was about to say something when Sehun’s loud sniffling interrupted, bringing his attention to Junmyeon’s roommate. “Did you take a dip in the lake, too, Sehun?” he asked.
Poor Sehun immediately choked on his coffee which had him coughing. “He’s not very careful,” Junmyeon told Yixing as he patted his roommate’s back, recalling the time Sehun got back into the dorms drenched.
“He sure wasn't,” Yixing returned with knowing tone, watching as Sehun wiped the spilled coffee on the table with his robes. Junmyeon was by then lost at the conversation but more so with the way Yixing’s dimple poked his seemingly supple cheeks as he watched the younger’s struggle. Had Junmyeon, by the way, mentioned Yixing smelled so damn sweet he smelled like a freshly baked cake?
“I'll be careful next time,” muttered the youngest in the conversation.
“You smell like cake, Yixing,” Junmyeon thought he just thought but actually said out loud. And Yixing was smiling with his sweetest dimpled smile at him, attention returning to Junmyeon while Sehun was back to hacking his lungs out much to Junmyeon’s embarrassment.
“Do I?” asked the Hufflepuff, amused. Sehun was still dealing with an awful case of whooping cough after snorting his drink for the second time and Junmyeon could no longer care if the younger were to shame himself by drowning in coffee because all that mattered at the moment was the way Junmyeon almost drooled with Yixing’s sweet, sweet scent.
“Yeh,” Junmyeon answered uncleverly.
Yixing gave him a thoughtful look and after a moment, pulled out a small satchel from his sleeve which Junmyeon could recall was the bag for profiteroles. “I guess I’ve been found out,” he said and pulled out a brown cupcake from it.
Junmyeon might have learned something from Jongdae because both his palms immediately opened to receive the mini cake as he noted how ‘Huge’ and ‘Heavy’ it was in his hands. It was the size of a Quaffle.
“It’s choco-berry lava cauldrons. Made a batch with a friend for Jongdae to make 'im feel better.”
“I’ll not question Jongdae's appetite or your penchant for making huge treats but I’ll have to share this with Sehun, I guess. Thank you, Yixing,” Junmyeon mumbled which earned him a chuckle from the guy.
“Yeh, you do that. See you guys around,” Yixing said and left.
Junmyeon watched the Hufflepuff pause before a Ravenclaw who turned out to be Park the Quidditch player by the Hall’s exit. He could not see Yixing’s expression but could clearly saw Park’s face and huge eyes almost cry rainbows when the other handed him two choco berry cauldrons. Junmyeon just hoped he didn’t look as funny as the Ravenclaw.
“So the giant moody pixie got two choco cauldrons. Doesn’t that make him a better friend?”
“Sehun, whoever taught you how to be a nosy old toad must be utterly chuffed right now. I’m going ahead,” Junmyeon said, shoving his books to his bag, picking up Yixing’s present and leaving before The Menace would be able to retort.
“I was just being a friend and you were not by leaving me behind! And we’re gonna share that!”
Junmyeon didn't bother to answer and just attempted to roll his eyes while fleeing the hall. Sehun could choke on his remaining coffee.
He was soon beaming and his steps almost turned to skips, pleased with the way other students gaped at the huge choco-berry cauldron in his hands. He was close to screaming ‘A friend gave it to me!’ when he chanced upon some Slytherins who greeted him and noticed what he was holding.
His grin only became bigger when he realized that he liked the thought of him seeing Yixing as someone better than ‘another student he knew.’ He liked it. He liked Yixing.
Yes, he actually liked Yixing, he thought. Oh yes, he did!
That wasn't so difficult to admit, was it.