Archive of Our Own

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Twenty-five years after the Battle of Hogwarts and everything was peaceful. Silence echoed over the vast school grounds and even the usually raucous Forbidden Forest was silent.

Sixth-year Lee Jeno slept happily in his bed, unaware of the rest of the world, or how painfully late to double Potions he was going to be if he didn’t wake up at that moment.

Thankfully, the sun chose to shine through the thick burgundy curtains at that moment, straight into the slumbering boy’s eyes. He stirred sleepily in his bed and blinked in the sudden glare, lifting his wrist to peek at the dented watch on his wrist.

“Shit!” he exclaimed, suddenly sitting up and throwing back the bed covers. He scrambled around the dorm, sleepily grabbing at the clothes scattered around the floor, only stopping to sniff at a suspicious sock and throw it away in disgust. Once he had haphazardly tucked his shirt in and thrown a red and gold tie around his neck, he ran out to the common room to shove his books into his book bag.

Over the past few years, Jeno had perfected the art of getting ready within minutes. More often than not he overslept, and though Jaemin tried in vain to wake his deeply slumbering friend, it was almost impossible to rouse him. The culprit of this new habit was his overactive mind- keeping him awake into the wee hours of the morning until he eventually fell into a light slumber from exhaustion. Jaemin often joked that Jeno was too busy fantasizing about Huang Renjun to sleep at night, but little did he know that Jeno’s half-hearted laughs were more for his friend’s benefit than his own.

It wasn’t like he spent hours imagining what it would feel like to hold Renjun’s hand within his own, or what the short hair at the nape of his neck would feel like between his fingers, and he definitely didn’t spend hours imagining what the other boy would look like in one of Jeno’s Gryffindor sweater or what he’d look like after he’d kissed him breathless.

Ok, so maybe Jaemin was right.  

Jeno ran down to the common room, just barely missing the tail of Mark’s pet cat sleeping by the dwindling ashes in the fireplace. He dodged a clawed swipe at his ankle, then raced out of the portrait hole, taking care to close the heavy door completely behind him before racing down the corridor, his long robes whipping behind him.

So far today he had missed Arithmancy and Advanced Charms. He’d need to get the homework from Mark or Jaemin, though he’d prefer to ask Mark- he’d receive fewer snide remarks and disapproving glares in response. However, the homework could wait. As of right now, he was late for Double Potions with Slytherin.

And despite his current state of panic, Jeno’s heart gave a small flutter. Lately, he’d been looking forward to every class with the Slytherins. He hated the class with every fiber of his being, but any chance to see a certain honey-haired boy gave him a reason to tolerate it. Even Mark and Jaemin had begun to pick up on his new affinity towards Potions. Mark dismissed it as a sudden “change of heart” and believed that perhaps he had finally begun to care about his studies, but Jaemin knew better. Jeno was his best friend. There was definitely something up.

Jeno made it to the dungeons and descended down the stairs two at a time. His quick footsteps echoed loudly off of the stone and bounced off the walls, reverberating in his ears and his empty stomach. His stomach rumbled angrily as if to remind him that he had missed breakfast, so, fortunately, he had nothing to empty onto the floor. He absentmindedly ran a hand through his messy bedhead and brushed nonexistent lint off his sweater. Even if he had rolled out of bed hardly minutes before, he was on a mission to impress.

Just before he reached the classroom, Jeno slowed to a walk and allowed himself to catch his breath. He straightened his gold and burgundy tie, flattened his dark hair as much as it would allow and took a deep breath before pushing open the heavy wooden door.

A cold draft immediately hit the boy’s face as he walked into the dank, dimly-lit classroom. Amid the stares of his classmates, Professor Kim turned to face him, and a smile lit up his round face.

“I see you’ve finally decided to show up, Mr. Lee,” he said, not unkindly, turning back to the student he was helping. “I hope you know I have to mark you tardy,” he said a moment later, winking at the winded boy with a jovial glint in his eyes.

Jeno nodded dumbly and was about to make his way to his station when he paused. He sniffed the cool air and raised an eyebrow.

“Why the hell does the room smell like it’s been drenched in Renjun’s cologne?” he asked loudly, failing to realize what he had said soon enough.

A stifling silence filled the room as everyone stopped and stared at him with wide eyes. A few students even snickered. Jeno saw Renjun’s face flush from the corner of his eye. “What?” He glanced over at his friends and saw Jaemin’s eyes wide with astonishment.

“This is Amortentia, Jeno,” Jaemin said quietly, an amused look in his eyes, “It smells different to everyone, according to what attracts them.” Mark looked like he had been punched in the stomach, his eyes comically large and his jaw dropped open. “Mark, close your mouth, you’ll catch flies,” Jaemin said offhandedly while crushing something with his pestle, a small smirk playing on his lips.

“Amortentia-” Jeno began before trailing off. The weight of the word suddenly hit him and he felt as if all of the air had been sucked out of the room.

Shit.

Whispers broke out among the students and filled the suffocating air. The raven-haired boy felt his face flush uncomfortably and he rushed to his station, ducking his head and avoiding the questions from his peers.

He barely heard the whispers from his classmates as he ran to his station. Blood rushed through his ears and he felt his stomach forcing his way up his throat but he swallowed his pride and walked past Renjun’s table. The honey-haired boy looks stunned but avoided Jeno’s gaze and stared intently at his cauldron. Another Slytherin boy, with the darkest black hair and sharp features, smirked at Jeno as he passed by.

“Careful, lover boy,” he said, just loud enough for Jeno to hear. He flinched slightly but kept walking.

Finally, after what felt like miles, Jeno reached his station. Mark unfroze as his friend sat down, and began to work again, but at an incredibly slow pace as if he was still processing what he had heard.

“So you…,” he began, “Renjun…?” He shook his head comically. “Wait- so it wasn’t a joke?” Jeno didn’t respond but sat awkwardly, attempting to dice his rat tails while his stomach churned uncomfortably.

By this point, the class finally returned to work, but it was distracted and noisy. A few people turned when they heard Mark speak and indiscreetly listened for Jeno’s answer. For once, thank god Renjun is on the other side of the room.

Jeno didn’t answer and crushed his pearls with unwavering concentration. Of all days to have double Potions . He felt his face flush again with shame and embarrassment.

Jaemin snorted loud. “I can’t believe I actually thought you had some regard for your studies. Of course not.” Mark still had said nothing coherent and continued to absentmindedly stir his potion as he stared at Jeno with disbelief. “Mark! Your potion is smoking!” the peach-haired boy shrieked, pushing his shoulder. The other boy quickly cast a cooling charm on his cauldron, causing the bubbling potion to turn a murky brown color instead of the shimmering gold that Jaemin had achieved.

Jeno ignored the two bickering and added his now crushed pearls to his simmering potion. It bubbled slightly and emitted a soft aroma in a puff of iridescent steam. He managed a smile, in spite of himself. He sniffed the pearly steam and inhaled the wonderful fragrances surrounding him.

Jeno could detect the fresh scent of the air after a thunderstorm, freshly baked ginger snaps, the warm smell of freshly ground coffee, coconut and peach shampoo (Jaemin’s, which he refused to stop using, even though it made Mark sneeze), mint toothpaste, and of course the lingering whisper of Renjun’s cologne. Jeno closed his eyes as he attempted to wash out the stares of his classmates that pinned him to his seat.

“Hey, guys, Jeno’s dreaming about Renjun!” someone shouted across the classroom, and Jeno’s eyes flew open, his cheeks flushing with mortification again. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Renjun shift uncomfortably as the Slytherin boys jokingly shoved his shoulder. Jeno felt the honey-haired boy turn his gaze in his direction and he quickly redirected his eyes back to his cauldron, his heart thumping painfully in his chest.

When Jeno looked back at his cauldron, his Amortentia had turned from a beautiful, iridescent gold to a dark, sludgy green that reflected how he felt in that particular moment.

--

It wasn’t for another hour and a half until Professor Kim dismissed them.

Jeno packed his book bag as quickly as he could, barely managing to place his crystal vial of Amortentia on Professor Kim’s desk before racing out of the classroom as fast as he could. He ignored the whispers of his classmates and even the calls of his friends as he took the stairs, two by two again, out of the stifling dungeons. Only until he was halfway up the stairs to the Astronomy Tower did he stop running, and as he reached the balcony, he gasped and gulped icy air into his burning lungs.

He bent over as his chest heaved and he screwed his eyes closed. The boy’s heart was still pounding in his ribcage and his hands shook with an effort to still the rush of adrenaline coursing through his veins.

It had to be a dream- right? It was a dream and he was going to wake up right now-

“Jeno?”

In a fresh fit of panic, Jeno’s head snapped up, and he stumbled backward to distance himself from the honey-haired boy across from him. But his foot slipped, and Jeno would have fallen from the balcony of the Astronomy Tower if it hadn’t been for the strong pair of hands that wrapped around his wrist.

“H-hey,” Jeno whispered, his voice getting caught in his throat. He swallowed painfully and let the other boy pull him back onto the balcony. His chest was heaving as well and his eyes were alight with worry.

Jeno tore his wrist from Renjun’s grip and muttered an awkward word of thanks, using all of his efforts not to throw himself on the smaller boy and kiss him until he couldn’t breathe. Even when he was mildly disheveled, the Slytherin looked heavenly, with his hair messed up in the back and a light sheen of sweat sitting on his brow.

Jeno couldn’t breathe- and it wasn’t because he had just run up five and a half flights of stairs.

“Jeno? Did you hear me?”

Jeno jolted back to reality. “I’m sorry-”

“Was it true?” Renjun asked, “What you said?”

Jeno blanched, his mind going blank. Everything he wanted to say to Renjun suddenly disappeared. The words died on his tongue and he stared blankly at the other boy.

“Jeno?’ Renjun asked again. His voice was soft as he took a step towards Jeno.

“It was true!” he blurted, and any confidence he might have had flew off the balcony. He cast his eyes at his feet and waited for the other boy to respond.

Fortunately, Renjun didn’t run like Jeno thought he would. Instead, he took another agonizing step closer and tentatively grabbed Jeno’s hand in his own. His hand was much smaller than Jeno’s and it was almost comical how easily Jeno could engulf the other boy’s hand in his own. The thought made his heart ache and he forced himself to look at Renjun.

For what felt like the millionth time that day, Jeno couldn’t breathe. Renjun was even more beautiful up close. All the times Jeno had cried about him was nothing like being this close to him in real life and Jeno almost threw himself off the balcony again. All of the times he imagined tracing the faint freckles across the boy’s nose, all of the times he imagined seeing his clear, hazel eyes up close- it all hit Jeno in the chest and suddenly his lungs weren’t working properly.

“So if what you said was true…,” Renjun started but trailed off nervously. It wasn’t until Renjun anxiously played with Jeno’s fingers that he realized he was still holding his hand. Jeno pulled his hand from Renjun’s hold (even though it hurt him a lot ) and took a step back.

“Renjun-” he began, but his voice died on his tongue when the other boy looked up at him imploringly. Embarrassment and shame bubbled in his stomach again and suddenly, he needed to get out.

“I have to go-” he stuttered before awkwardly step-siding Renjun and running down the stairs. The other boy made to say something, but Jeno was already halfway down the steps before he could utter a word.

For a second time that day, Jeno ran until his legs couldn’t move anymore. He stumbled back to the common room and barely croaked out a “ Fortuna Major ” before he was attacked by his friends.

“Lee fucking Jeno, you have some explaining to do.”

—

Fortunately, Jeno’s friends took the news surprisingly well. It was annoying how perceptive Jaemin was sometimes. (“How dense do you think we are?” Jaemin had asked him. “You always looked so lovesick in Potions. You hate that class.”

“Well, I never realized,” Mark had chimed in. Jaemin rolled his eyes.

“Correction: how dense do you think I am? We all know Mark would never have the brain cells to put two and two together.”

This comment earned Jaemin a hard punch to the shoulder.)

But now that he didn’t have to worry about how to tell his friends, any free moment in Jeno’s brain was left to thinking about Renjun because any other moment was left to stressing about how he was going to talk to him again without peeing himself.

Most of his time now was spent gazing forlornly at the Slytherin table during meals and picking at his food while watching the back of Renjun’s head. Jaemin usually rolled his eyes at his lovelorn friend, but today he turned to look Jeno squarely in the face while grasping his hand tightly.

“Go talk to him,” he said firmly. Knowing Jaemin, he’d refuse to take “no” for an answer.

“Are you crazy? In front of everyone?” Jeno asked, shaking his head vigorously. “I could never.”

“The whole school already knows,” Mark chimed in from the other side of Jaemin. “What else are you going to do? You can’t avoid him forever.”

“Watch me,” Jeno replied, gritting his teeth. Mark didn’t argue. He knew how stubborn Jeno could be. Jaemin sighed and, shockingly, left it at that.

He did stick his tongue out at Jeno and flick a bit of potato at him, though.

Later that evening, Jeno sat in one of the squashy chairs by the fireplace, reading and taking notes from his Arithmancy book, when there was a small tap on the glass. He peered over his shoulder and saw a snowy owl, perched neatly outside the window with a small scroll tied to its leg. Jeno set down his book with a sigh and walked to the window, unlatching the windowpane and letting the owl into the common room. It gave him a small, impatient nip and unruffled its beautiful, golden feathers. It was a gorgeous creature- too beautiful to be a school owl- and it stuck out its leg as it waited for Jeno to untie the message tied to its claw.

Jeno complied, and clumsily untied the paper. He gave the owl a few gentle pats on the head and letting it nip his finger affectionately before he unrolled the note. It was written in messily scrawled handwriting as if it was written in a hurry.

Jeno -

If you’re reading this then I sent it to the right person. I hope Xiaxue didn’t annoy you too much. (“Xiaxue? Fitting,” Jeno said to the snowy owl. It hooted quietly as if it agreed.)

Can we talk? I know you’ve been avoiding me. But if you’re willing to talk, meet me in the third floor girls’ bathrooms- the one with Myrtle. That’s the only place I can think of where we can be alone.

Hope to see you soon.

 - R

“Alone,” Jeno breathed. He figured he knew who “R” was, after seeing the majestic owl drop off daily treats and presents to a certain golden-haired boy at the Slytherin table. He glanced around the common room. It was pretty much empty, except for a few first years in the corner playing a game of Exploding Snap. Jeno tiptoed upstairs to the boys’ dormitory and wrote a quick note for Mark and Jaemin- in case they wondered where he was- and placed it on his pillow. Jeno considered waking them from their deep slumber, but after Jaemin gave a particularly powerful snore, he decided against it. They rarely went to sleep before Jeno, but Yukhei, the seventh-year Gryffindor Keeper, must have run them extra hard at Quidditch practice today.

Jeno crept back down the stairs and out of the portrait hole, clutching his wand in front of him, desperately hoping the halls would be empty. He padded down the stone corridor, attempting to make as little noise as possible, but every footstep echoed in his head and every breath felt like a scream.

After what felt like hours, and only with a few issues, Jeno found the third-floor girls’ bathrooms. He gently pushed on the door and let his cloak drop off his shoulders.

Renjun was waiting, just like he said he’d be. There were no lights on in the bathroom- just two lanterns lit in the corner and a large window that allowed soft moonlight to filter through, creating mottled patterns on the stone. And even in almost complete darkness, Renjun looked stunning. The moonlight reflected off of his paler skin and his eyes flashed in the light, like a cat watching and waiting for his prey.

But there was nothing predatory about Renjun. He was soft, and delicate and small, and all Jeno wanted to do was hold his hand and press soft kisses to his knuckles and maybe even his nose. He pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind and forced himself to focus on Renjun, who had a pleasant look on his face.

Jeno mentally kicked himself. Was he seriously going to stop breathing every time he looked at Renjun?

“Hi, Jeno,” Renjun said quietly. He offered a soft smile.

Fuck. Yes, he was.

“Hi-” Jeno croaked, and cleared his throat awkwardly. “Hi.” Renjun laughed softly and it sounded like hundreds of tinkling bells. Jeno swooned.

Renjun scratched the back of his neck nervously, and looked around the bathroom. “Sorry we had to meet here. Myrtle doesn’t usually bother me.” The ghost of a girl popped her head over a stall door at the mention of her name and waved forlornly at the Slytherin. Renjun waved back, quite cheerily, and ignored Jeno’s obvious shock.

“Are you friends with her?” he asked incredulously. The only other time he’d heard of a student being friends with Myrtle was some other Gryffindor boy who also opened the Chamber of Secrets years and years ago. He was a bit famous at Hogwarts- somewhat of a legend, really.

Renjun shrugged nonchalantly. “Yeah, why not? Although, she’s tried asking me out a few times- unfortunately, I’ve had to tell her that I’m a bit interested in someone else,” he said, and tipped his head to the side, examining Jeno quizzically. Jeno felt blood rush to his cheeks, but he watched Renjun in the moonlight.

“Speaking of which… can we talk about that?”

Jeno nodded slowly. “I’m sorry I ran away last time… I was afraid that you would hate me. That was probably ridiculous- maybe it’s not- do you hate me? Am I annoying? I don’t want to-”

“Jeno,” Renjun said, quickly crossing the room and grabbing Jeno’s hand in his own. He was so close that Jeno could see the constellations of faint freckles dusting his skin, along the lines of his soft cheeks and angular nose. Jeno sucked in a quiet breath, and forced his pulse to a slow pace. Renjun said nothing, but watched him with curious eyes.

Huang Renjun.

If Jeno had a notebook to fill with all the things he loved about Renjun, it would be filled within minutes. The Slytherin was confusing sometimes and incredibly hard to read, but he presented himself with poise and grace. He liked to speak his mind, and if he didn’t like something he would let everyone know. His sharp words could nick paper cuts into your skin, but they would heal over quickly as he pressed quiet “I’m sorry”s to the wound.

Apart from his short temper, Renjun was also very kind. He made sure all of his friends ate breakfast, and he helped others with their homework. He held open doors for other students and purposely carried spare quills in case someone had forgotten theirs. He was always ready to listen and give advice, and somehow, he knew all the answers. It was like he knew what you were going to say before you said it. He was incredibly intuitive, and his eyes looked like they held thousands of stories- hundreds of years of wisdom and knowledge- far too much experience for one seventeen year old boy to have.

But Renjun was also surprisingly loud. He could tell jokes that would make the whole Slytherin class erupt into raucous laughter. He was bubbly, and bright and incredibly aware of his surroundings. He always looked on the bright side of things, even if it seemed helpless. He had eyes made of liquid gold, that flashed dark when he was upset, and a mouth that would turn down at the corners whenever he frowned. He never liked to start conflict in public, but held his annoyance internally. Renjun was a mystery that Jeno tried desperately to solve, but whenever he seemed close to the solution, it always ended up being a red herring that somehow led to another loose end. If Jeno found anymore loose ends, he’d be left with a knotted mess.

Oh, yes, he could write novels about Huang Renjun.

“Where did you go?” Renjun asked, his dark eyes searching Jeno’s for an answer, “Just now?”

Jeno reddened. If Renjun could read his thoughts, he’d have laughed at Jeno. So Jeno cleared his throat uncomfortably and offered a gentle smile. “Nowhere in particular. Just thinking.”

Renjun shook his head slightly. “You are impossible to read, Lee Jeno.”

Jeno almost laughed out loud. “Me? Impossible? Hardly,” he scoffed, but he melted at the way Renjun giggled softly in reply.

“Your eyes- they turn into little crescent moons when you smile. It’s really cute,” Renjun said, and he pulled Jeno’s hand, bringing him towards the window before unlacing his fingers from the other boy’s. Jeno’s hand suddenly felt very cold without Renjun holding it. Neither one of them spoke for a moment until Renjun sighed quietly.

“Can we talk? About what happened?”

Jeno didn’t answer right away. There’s no point in avoiding it. “I guess so.”

He screamed internally.

“What is true, what you said? I asked you a week ago and you ran away before you could answer,” Renjun asked, playing with the hem of his sleeve. He suddenly looked very tiny in the moonlight as he waited for Jeno’s response.

Jeno paused and blew out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. “I was telling the truth. I wasn’t trying to start anything, I promise.”

Renjun nodded slowly, a smile creeping over his face. “I like you, too.” After a moment, when there was no reaction from the other boy, Renjun’s face fell as Jeno nodded, hardly processing the words that had spilled from his mouth.

I like you, too.

“Oh!” Jeno yelled, suddenly standing a bit straighter. “ Oh .” He blushed harder, if that was even physically possible. Renjun’s eyes were glittering at this point, and Jeno was convinced that he was made of stars. Every part of his face glowed in the dim light of the dark bathroom- his pale, olive skin tone glowing in the white moonlight, his smile outshining even Astraea’s brightest stars.  

“Will you two just kiss already?” Myrtle whined from her spot in the corner, and the two boys jumped. Jeno had forgotten that she inhabited the bathroom, she had been so quiet.

This time it was Renjun’s turn to blush. He turned to Myrtle and threw her a very pointed look. The ghost smirked and giggled before flying into the air and disappearing into a vent in the wall. Renjun rolled his eyes and returned his attention to Jeno, who was watching him with unwavering longing. When Jeno took a step forward, he saw Renjun’s breath hitch in his throat.

“Yeah, I guess,” Jeno breathed, and he watched as Renjun’s cheeks burned an even darker shade of crimson.

The smaller boy didn’t back away as Jeno approached him. In fact, he instinctively laced his fingers through the hair around Jeno’s ears and pulled him close so their foreheads were touching. Jeno couldn’t breathe. The room around him disappeared and suddenly it was only Renjun.

The honey-haired boy smiled serenely and Jeno could feel Renjun’s breath tickling his lips tantalizingly as he giggled. It was almost intoxicating, being this close to him.

“Oh, whatever,” Renjun said, and he closed the small distance between them.

The kiss wasn’t anything special. It was awkward and clumsy, but Renjun still seemed to enjoy it. The other boy may have seemed calm and collected, but Jeno felt like his bones were on fire. After years of pathetic pining and sleepless nights, here he was, kissing Huang Renjun in the moonlight.

When Renjun pulled away, his eyes were gleaming. Somehow he just always knew how to make everything okay .

The two boys giggled and Renjun intertwined his fingers with Jeno’s again.

Maybe everything would be okay.

--

It wasn’t for another week and a half until he talked to the honey-haired boy again.

Since their bathroom adventure, Jeno had been unable to catch the Slytherin at a free time. Any open opportunity was filled with Quidditch practice, studying for NEWTs, or mounds of homework- there was hardly time to breathe, let alone visit the boy with the honey-colored hair.

Rain thundered against the windows of the castle, and even the ghosts were hiding away in the dungeons. Jeno was running late (again) to Herbology, doing his best to avoid the large muddy puddles, when he collided with something very solid.

The person in front of him was sent sprawling and Jeno froze. He knew that head of hair anywhere.

“Renjun! Oh my god, I’m so sorry, oh no- are you alright?” Jeno blubbered, running around and gathering the contents from Renjun’s sodden bookbag. His heart raced as he watched the other boy, who stood and squeezed his robes, now sopping wet with muddy water. But despite being dirty and wet, the other boy’s demeanor was bright and lighthearted.

“You should probably watch where you’re going,” he said, not unkindly, and smiled as Jeno, apologetically, handed him his books. He was pleasant as he vanished the mud from his robes and even offered to walk with Jeno. Halfway up the hill and Jeno was still apologizing profusely.

“I’m really sorry, Renjun,” Jeno moped, and lagged behind the chipper Slytherin.

Renjun rolled his eyes. “When will you stop sulking? I said it was fine.”

“I know… I just feel bad. Your books are all wet. Your hair is- messy,” he shrugged. Jeno instinctively reached out a hand to fix the other boy’s hair, and almost brushed through his hair when he pulled his hand back.

Jeno felt his breath catch in his throat and he realized that they had stopped walking. The rain was soaking through their robes at this point, and the smaller boy was beginning to shiver, but he watched Jeno expectantly as the boy’s fingers hovered above his head.

The entire affair hardly lasted ten seconds, but time seemed to drag. Every breath was agonizing and Jeno felt like his knees could collapse at any moment when Renjun was less than an arm’s length away from him. Jeno lightly brushed his fingers through Renjun’s hair and made sure that no hair was out of place.

Were his eyes always so deep brown? Could he always see flecks of the sun in them? Could he always feel the other boy’s breath on his nose? When did it stop raining?

Jeno was sure he stopped breathing. At this point, his hands were back at his sides, but Renjun hardly moved. His eyes were locked on Jeno’s and his chest was rising and falling gently. Surely Renjun could hear his heart beating through his chest. Surely he could sense the way anticipation crackled in the air between them. Jeno expectantly leaned forward towards the honey-haired boy and he felt the other boy’s breath on his lips-

But Jeno blinked, and suddenly Renjun was standing away from him again. The raven-haired boy’s heart ached with the abrupt absence of the other boy and he wished he could throw his arms around Renjun and bury his nose in his hair. Against his will, he let out a quiet whine and immediately felt his ears flush red.

Fortunately, Renjun made no indication he had heard Jeno and instead, smiled sweetly. “We’re going to be late to Herbology,” he said, holding out a hand behind him, beckoning Jeno to follow him. Jeno didn’t react. He swallowed his heartbeat and spoke, his voice quivering.

“Let’s go somewhere else.”

Renjun turned to face Jeno and quirked an eyebrow. “But we have class.” A small smile played on his lips and he watched Jeno inquisitively.

Jeno shrugged. “We’ve already missed half of it at this point. We can catch up tomorrow.” Renjun nodded slowly but said nothing. “Let me show you something.”

He didn’t know what had prompted it, but here he was, leading Slytherin’s top student to a hidden spot only he knew about. It was ludicrous, but Jeno had missed him more than he let on.

Jeno walked down the slope towards the hill overlooking the gardens, Renjun following faithfully behind. They passed the groundskeeper’s hut and traveled down to the Quidditch Pitch, where Jeno led the other boy to a small corridor behind the Gryffindor changing room. Being one of Gryffindor’s three Chasers, he was down here quite a lot.

The two boys squeezed in between the changing room wall and the stadium scaffolding until they escaped on the other side.

Renjun sucked in a breath and when Jeno glanced over, his eyes were alight with wonder.

They were in a small alcove that Jeno had discovered one year behind the Gryffindor changing room- a small little corner where he could hide away. It was a small area of grass, barely five meters wide, but it had a stunning view of the lake and the mountains that made Jeno’s heart ache.

Renjun dropped his book bag unceremoniously and took a step forward. He spread his arms wide and let the breeze whistle through his fingers. The sun winked from over the mountains as if to say hello to the piece of itself currently waving enthusiastically back at it.

Jeno had never seen anyone so ethereal as Renjun. He had a halo of golden sunlight around his head and his eyes were closed as the warmth of the spring sun washed over his golden skin. His black robes billowed around him, swallowing his small frame, but he looked regal and poised and fuck , Jeno had never wanted to kiss someone so bad before.

“What do you think?” Jeno asked breathlessly. He was too caught up in Renjun to think clearly.

“It’s so beautiful,” he replied, turning back to look at Jeno.

“I think you’re beautiful,” he murmured. Wait- did he say that out loud? Fuck-

Renjun hardly reacted, but his ears were tinged pink. He smiled, and his whole face glowed. If it was possible for angels to exist on earth, Jeno was sure he had met one.

“Why are you here with me?” he asked. “Why have you been so nice to me?”

Renjun turned around and took a few steps towards the dark-haired boy. “Do you want to know what I smelled in my Amortentia, Jeno?” Jeno nodded dumbly.

“I smelled freshly cut pine,” he took another step towards Jeno, “maple syrup, Honeycrisp apples.” Another step. “And-“

He was standing right in front of Jeno at this point. Jeno’s stomach was in his throat and he felt like he could pass out at any moment but he swallowed awkwardly. His palms were sweating so much he was sure he could wring out his hands into a glass. Jeno, that’s gross. Don’t ruin the moment.

“And?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Renjun lifted his hand and gently flicked a piece of Jeno’s floppy black fringe out of his eyes. “I smelled your hair gel, I smelled the detergent you use, I smelled your aftershave, which- let me tell you- was a little distracting-“

“Can I kiss you?” Jeno breathed, his eyes glued to Renjun’s lips. The other boy nodded quickly, his breath shallow and quiet.

And Jeno gave in. He didn’t know what pushed him to do it, but suddenly he was pulling Renjun towards him and his lips met the other boy’s. There were no fireworks like he expected, no foot-popping moments or sudden epiphanies, but fuck, it felt good.

Renjun made a small squeak of surprise but hardly resisted. In fact, he melted into Jeno’s embrace and sighed quietly. Jeno’s hands were shaking, but Renjun delicately placed a small hand over the one set gently under his jaw, the light touch bringing Jeno back to earth.

This was better than anything Jeno could have ever imagined. This kiss was new and unfamiliar, and completely different than the kiss they shared in Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom. Renjun tasted like mint toothpaste with a hint of raspberry jam from breakfast and it sent Jeno reeling. Every soft brush from Renjun’s fingers against the small of his back was electric , and each delicate touch sent shocks up and down Jeno’s spine.

The kiss hardly lasted a minute. It was hardly even thirty seconds, but when Jeno pulled away, he was breathless. Angels can definitely exist on Earth.

“Renjun-”

“Shut up,” the smaller boy said before grabbing Jeno’s face and pulling him in again. Jeno (happily) obliged, placing his hands around Renjun’s small waist and pulling him flush against him.

There was something so exhilarating about kissing Renjun behind the Quidditch Pitch, overlooking the lake and the Forbidden Forest. Jeno drank in every detail at that moment- the way the heady scent of Renjun’s cologne filled his nose and made him dizzy, the way Renjun hiccuped a few times when he couldn’t catch his breath, the way he smiled into kisses, the way that he grasped the front of Jeno’s robes to pull him closer, the way Jeno felt whole .

When the two boys pulled away for a second time that day, they were panting and Jeno had never felt more alive. Renjun was gazing at Jeno with a look so sweet it made Jeno want to scream. He brushed a stray hair out of Renjun’s eyes as the other boy absentmindedly toyed with the hair at the nape of his neck.

“I guess that was worth the wait,” Renjun joked, his eyes alight with mirth. Jeno’s face flushed and he laughed softly. Renjun tipped his head to the side, smiling fondly at the dark-haired boy. “You blush a lot, you know. I noticed it after we met in the bathroom.”

Of course Jeno blushed again. Renjun just laughed softly, and slotted his fingers with Jeno’s. It had become a little routine for them; a simple gesture with more meaning behind it than anyone knew.

“I think I’ll have to add it to my list of favorite things- the way you look when you’re happy. Your whole face is lit up with the brightest glow. It might be the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” Renjun said, and he smiled at Jeno with the most tender look in his eyes. His hair was messy on the right side of his head, and he had dirt smeared across his cheek, but he hardly noticed as he gazed at Jeno with the fondest look upon his face.

"Please go out with me," Jeno blurted. He didn't even blush. Renjun just nodded, and shrieked as Jeno tackled him to the ground.

For the fourth time that day, Jeno kissed Renjun until he couldn't breathe.

It was definitely something he could get used to.