Archive of Our Own

Today was the day Jeongguk was finally going to ask Jung Hoseok out on a date.

Maybe.

Possibly.

Like, he was one hundred percent sure that it might happen.

But now that Jung Hoseok was standing in front of him, waiting for Jeongguk to speak, he wasn't so sure.

Hoseok looked so cozy wrapped up in his Hufflepuff scarf. The tips of his ears and cheeks were tinted bright pink, probably from rushing into the castle from the cold. It had everything to do with the snow outside and absolutely nothing to do with Jeongguk.

Right?

"Jeongguk-ah?" Hoseok asked, and butterflies fluttered in his tummy at the nickname. "You said you wanted to talk to me?"

"Oh!" Warmth flooded Jeongguk's face. "Yes. Um."

Maybe this was actually a good idea. Hoseok was smiling at him, all soft and warm and ... something else. Jeongguk recognized it as the way he looked at Hoseok all the time.

The long, arched windows shimmered with a million stars. Snow gently drifted down from outside. Hoseok's hair was ignited by moonlight and the candles lighting up the corridor. It was the perfect, romantic moment.

Now, if only the butterflies would just calm down a little.

"Yeah, but um. Before I ask," Jeongguk said, shuffling with something behind his back. "I made you something."

"You did?"

"Yeah, for, like, Christmas." Jeongguk's face felt like it was on fire now, but he pressed forward, mustering his courage. "It's not much but ... well, I hope you like it."

Jeongguk shoved a small green bag at him, stuffed with sparkly red tissue paper. Jeongguk specifically chose a green bag because he knew was Hoseok's favorite color.

"Oh!" Hoseok beamed, delighted. "Thank you so much! Can I open it now?"

Jeongguk nodded, his palms sweating. Hoseok's smile broadened before tossing aside the tissue paper.

"Oh my god! You got me bungeoppang?"

"Yeah, I made it for you."

Hoseok's eyes widened. "Jeonggukie, you really made this yourself? From scratch?"

"Yeah." He ducked his head to hide the blush searing his cheeks. "I know you said you missed bungeoppang from Korea. I'm sorry if it's not exactly the same as the ones you remember."

"It's perfect." Hoseok's voice was so soft that Jeongguk looked up. "I love it."

Jeongguk grinned. The butterflies returned in his stomach, but he took a deep breath. "Hyung, there's something I really wanted to ask you."

"Hmm?" Hoseok looked over the bungeoppang before biting it directly in the middle. Some crumbs fluttered around his mouth. "What is it?"

"I was wondering if ... Maybe you'd want to ..."

Suddenly, there was a loud crack, followed by an explosion of white smoke.

Jeongguk yelped. He coughed and waved a hand in front of his face. When the smog cleared, Hoseok was gone.

"Hyung?"

Anxiety curled in his gut. Did Hoseok know Jeongguk was going to ask him out? Did he just not want to hurt his feelings so he grabbed a smoke bomb and disappeared? It seemed unlikely, but maybe ...

Something tugged at his shoelaces. Jeongguk glanced down.

A ferret. It was a ferret.

The bungeoppang rolled across the floor, a giant bite still crunched in the middle. Hoseok's Hufflepuff robes were sprawled out over the stones, along with his scarf and shoes. Jeongguk looked all around and then back at the ferret.

"Hobi?"

The ferret let out a distressed squeak.

"HOBI?"

Oh, my god. I've turned my crush into a ferret!

Jeongguk picked the ferret up under its armpits. "Is that you? Hobi-hyung, is that really you?"

The ferret let out another distressed sound. It's coat was sleek and black, just like Hoseok's natural hair color, but it's muzzle was white. It had the same freckle above its top lip as his Hobi-hyung. And most of all, its eyes shone back at him, oddly human.

Jeongguk's heart dropped into his stomach. "Oh, my god."

The ferret's body shuddered, as if it were about to cry.

"Oh, no, no. Please don't cry!" Jeongguk didn't understand. He made the bungeoppang normally. It was supposed to be a gift, not this. "I promise, hyung, I didn't do this! I don't know what happened!"

The ferret chirruped and wiggled his back legs.

"I'm so sorry!"

What should he do? Should he go to a teacher? The headmaster? The hospital wing?

"Jeongguk?"

He flinched and turned around. Namjoon and Taehyung, fellow Ravenclaws, stood behind him giving him strange looks.

"Are you okay?" Taehyung asked. "What's up with the ferret?"

Namjoon stared at Hoseok's clothes tangled along the floor. His gaze shot to the ferret in Jeongguk's hands.

"Jeongguk ..." he asked, very carefully. "Where is Hoseok?"

Jeongguk felt everything inside of him crumple. Oh, god. This was real. Hoseok was gone. Funny, beautiful, adorable, loud, amazing Hoseok was gone and now a ferret was here instead. Tears started to gather in his eyes. He tried to speak, but he let out a muffled noise instead, hoisting the ferret up to Namjoon.

His mouth dropped. "How?"

"I don't know? I made him bungeoppang and he took a bite and then ..."

"Oh, my god."

"I didn't do it on purpose! It was Seokjin's recipe! I just followed the recipe!"

"Come on." Namjoon gathered Hoseok's robes in his arms. "We need to go to the hospital wing."

"What about the headmaster?"

"You didn't see the note taped onto the griffin? He's on Christmas break already."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, but the hospital wing should know what to do."

Right. That made sense. The healers should be able to help. This was a medical problem, right? Students got cursed everyday, right?

"Wait," Taehyung said. "What if he gets expelled?"

Jeongguk groaned.

"It was an accident," Namjoon said. "And we can't leave Hobi like that."

Taehyung shifted, looking unsure. But then he took one look at the ferret and a certain kind of resolve seemed to settle over him. "Okay," he said. "Let's go."

They power walked to the hospital wing. The whole way, Jeongguk muttered soothing, soft words to Hoseok, hoping it would calm him. Taehyung lead the way and burst open the doors.

The hospital wing was mostly empty. They only saw a first-year sleeping in one of the beds. The healer looked up at them, surprised.

"Madame Phillips," Jeongguk gasped, holding Hoseok up, newborn Simba style. "Please, change Hoseok-hyung back!"

She blinked at him. "What?"

"Our friend was changed into a ferret," Namjoon explained. "It was an accident."

"An accident?" Madame Phillips huffed. "Mr. Kim, there's only one spell I know of that turns a student into a ferret and that's certainly no accident."

Had someone cursed Hobi when Jeongguk hadn't been paying attention? "I don't know... Maybe someone did, and I just didn't see?"

"Okay dear, set him down."

Jeongguk did. Hosoek sat up on his hind legs and looked up at her. The healer clicked her tongue and lifted her wand.

"This shouldn't hurt a bit. Ready, sweetie?" When the ferret cocked his head, she cleared her throat. "One ... two ... three!"

She said the countercurse.

Nothing.

Madame Phillips frowned. She tried it again.

Nothing.

"Is he an animagus by chance? Are you three pulling my leg?"

"No, ma'am," Namjoon said. "We would know if he was one!"

"Hmph, I guess we'll see then." She pointed her wand at Hoseok. There was a flash of sky-blue light. And when it faded, he blinked up at her, exactly the same. "Odd," she breathed, muttering to herself. "Very, very odd ..."

"It happened after he ate a dessert." Jeongguk said, his brow crinkling. "I don't know what else could have done it."

"Let me see it."

Namjoon handed both halves of the bungeoppang over. She examined them and muttered a spell. When nothing seemed to reveal itself, she sighed.

"Well, I don't see anything abnormal, but I'll take a closer look at it tonight and see. We should get the transfiguration professor up here right away."

They waited for the professor to come. He arrived in his pajamas, grumbling and summoned out of bed. He tried everything he could and when Hobi still came out exactly the same, Jeongguk's heart sank into his stomach. Madame Phillips could do nothing but give Hoseok a little cat toy to distract himself as they fussed over him.

"I don't understand," the professor said. "Which one of you gave him this?" He lifted the bungeoppang, eyes darting between the three of them.

"I did," Jeongguk said.

"Well, what did you do? Poison him?"

"Are you kidding me?" Jeongguk's face flushed with anger. "Why would I purposely turn my crush into a ferret?"

Hoseok stopped moving. He cocked his head at Jeongguk curiously.

Everything in Jeongguk's body froze. Oh, no. Did Hoseok still understand him? Did he just admit his year-long crush while the love of his life was a ferret?

But then, Hoseok flopped over onto his back. He chittered and gnawed at the cat toy.

Jeongguk let out the breath he was holding.

Nevermind. Thank god.

"Listen, I don't know what you kids did, but it looks like we will have to study this more. I'm sorry, but I don't know what to do."

"What?" Namjoon's mouth popped open. "You can't be serious."

"I am." The professor shrugged, looking both lost and angry. "I'll do everything I can. In the meantime, you guys should keep an eye on him. Don't spread this around. We don't need the whole school knowing Jung Hoseok is a ferret."

Jeongguk sprawled out on his back across the Ravenclaw Common Room's floor. The ferret tittered and crawled along his chest, sniffing for treats. Jeongguk didn't react. Didn't move. He stared up at the ceiling, the stars twinkling back at him, all his grace gone.

"Come on," Namjoon said, nudging him gently with his foot. "It's going to be okay."

"Is it?" Jeongguk's face was void of all expression. "No spells worked. The headmaster is gone, the hospital wing can't help, the professors can't help ..." His mouth flattened into a scowl. "I don't see how any of this is okay."

"I didn't say it was. I said it's going to be." Namjoon sank down beside him. "I promise, Jeongguk, we're going to fix it. Hobi isn't going to be stuck like that forever."

"Yeah, exactly." Taehyung settled deeper into a chair. "We just have to think more."

But Jeongguk didn't feel very hopeful. If the adults couldn't even help, then how could they?

A calico cat jumped into Taehyung's lap. He scratched it behind the ears, his thick brows quirking in thought. "Does Hoseok have any enemies?"

"It's Hobi," Jeongguk said. "Literally, who hates Hobi? You'd have to be a monster."

"Well, it's Seokjin's recipe, right?"

"Are you suggesting Seokjin wanted to turn Hobi into a ferret? That doesn't make any sense. They're best friends."

"Do you have any other ideas?"

Jeongguk clamped his mouth shut. It seemed far-fetched, but they didn't have any other leads. And there was no getting around that Seokjin's bungeoppang had turned Hobi into a ferret.

"Do you still have the recipe?" Namjoon asked.

"Yeah, it's in my bag on a lavender sheet of parchment."

Namjoon dug around for it. Taehyung's cat stared at the ferret with glowing eyes, it's tail flicking back and forth. After a moment of shuffling, Namjoon smoothed out the parchment and sighed.

"Everything on here seems normal," he said.

"Did you put something in there by accident, maybe?" Taehyung asked. "Like an ingredient that wasn't supposed to be in there?"

"I don't think so." The idea seemed unlikely. Jeongguk grew up in a wizarding family, so he would be able to tell the difference between magical ingredients and regular ones. "Maybe we should just track down Seokjin tomorrow and ask him about it."

When Hoseok didn't show up at the Hufflepuff dorms tonight, Seokjin was going to be wondering where he was anyway. He might approach Jeongguk tomorrow.

Taehyung nodded. Meanwhile, Namjoon stood up and crossed over to the bookshelves lining the common room walls. "We can start looking for ideas for now," he said, hands skimming over the spines of the books. He plucked out a few and handed them to Jeongguk. "Here."

Jeongguk cracked one open. Meanwhile, the ferret snuggled into his side and peered up at the ceiling, staring up at all of the stars.

Jeongguk awoke from a blast of searing sunlight. He groaned and rubbed his eyes.

Taehyung was still fast asleep. The armchair was too small for him to use as a bed, but he somehow made do with his head hanging off the armrest and his long legs tangled across the other side. A book gently rose and fell on his chest with each of his steady breaths. Namjoon slumbered soundly on the sapphire rug, his cheek plastered against an open transfiguration book.

Jeongguk's whole body felt sore and uncomfortable from sleeping on the floor. He sat up and stretched. The book that had been on top of him off to the side, along with another heavy weight.

There was a squeak.

He stiffened. "Hobi?"

The ferret blinked groggily at him. He yawned, revealing rows of tiny fangs and then crawled into Jeongguk's lap, where he curled up and tried to go back to sleep.

Jeongguk scrubbed a hand down his face. They had been so caught up in trying to find an answer that they hadn't even went to bed or changed into their pajamas.

It was probably time for breakfast. The Great Hall was the best bet for them to run into Seokjin.

Jeongguk scooped Hobi up, much to his dismay. He straightened his robes and waved his wand. The books levitated and slotted back into their place on the bookshelves. The one Namjoon had been using for a pillow slipped out underneath him, jolting him awake.

"W-what?" A red imprint was pressed into Namjoon's cheek. He rubbed at it, his face screwed up in confusion and sleepiness. "Did something happen?"

"No," Jeongguk said, "we just fell asleep out here."

Namjoon stood up and brushed himself off. One side of his hair stuck up like a hedgehog's. "I didn't find anything useful but maybe today will be better."

Jeongguk nodded. They woke up Taehyung, who reported not being able to find anything either, and then quickly got ready for the morning. When they were decent and had all their belongings for classes, they made their way into the Great Hall.

The enchanted ceiling drifted with marshmallow clouds today. Sunlight glittered down upon their heads and filled the room with a bright, cheery atmosphere. Much different from the anxiety twisting in Jeongguk's chest.

Jeongguk stood up on his tiptoes to look over the crowd. He didn't see Seokjin at his usual spot at the Hufflepuff table. Was he skipping breakfast today?

His stomach curled seeing Hobi's usual spot was unoccupied too. Guilt tugged at his heart as the ferret crawled along his shoulder.

"It's okay. Maybe he's just not here yet," Namjoon said.

"Maybe."

Jeongguk sighed as the three of them sat down. He picked up his knife and fork and poked at his breakfast, which didn't seem all that appealing. He started cutting up eggs and bacon for Hobi and adding it onto a separate plate. Could ferrets eat this kind of food? Would it matter if he was really human? Jeongguk hoped it would be okay.

Someone suddenly shrieked. Jeongguk jerked his head up. There seemed to be some kind of commotion at the entrance to the Great Hall. A small crowd began to form and blocked the opening.

Taehyung blinked. "Uh, what's going on?"

"I don't know." Jeongguk sat up straighter and tried to get a better look. "I can't see anything."

Namjoon's eyes widened. "Uh, Gguk," he said, "it's Hobi."

"What?" He shot up and looked around, realizing the ferret, was indeed, not there. "What's going on?"

"I think a snake is trying to eat him."

"WHAT?"

Jeongguk didn't wait for Namjoon to finish explaining. He jumped over the bench and bolted straight to the entrance.

His crush was going to be eaten. Eaten by a snake! His crush hated snakes!

Jeongguk zigzagged through the crowd. When he finally broke through the chaos, he saw Slytherin Min Yoongi bending down to pick up a serpent writhing at his feet.

The snake's scales shifted in the light, all pearlescents and soft silvers, like the inside of a shell. It was curled around something, but Yoongi lifted it away, revealing a trembling Hobi. The poor ferret was pressed so deep into the floor that it looked as if he was willing himself to disappear through the stones.

"Hyung!"

Yoongi and his boyfriend, Park Jimin, looked up. So did Hoseok.

The ferret squeaked. He bounded across the floor and dove straight into Jeongguk's robes, hiding behind his ankles.

"Are you okay?" Jeongguk picked Hobi up and cradled him to his chest. He seemed whole and fine, but he wouldn't stop shaking. He stroked the top of his head, hoping to calm him, and then hid him inside his robes.

Taehyung skidded to a stop next to Jeongguk. "Are you guys okay?" Namjoon stopped next to them, just as out of breath.

"I think so," Jeongguk said.

"Okay, okay. Shows over." Namjoon waved at the crowd. "Go on, shoo. Everything is fine."

The crowd muttered to themselves before slowly dispersing and going back to their tables. Yoongi's snake hissed and settled around his shoulders like a massive feather boa.

Jeongguk's temples throbbed, furious. "Are you even allowed to have snakes here?" he snapped.

Yoongi scoffed. "I don't know. Can you have ferrets here?"

"Ferrets aren't dangerous."

"Neither is Suran."

Suran? Like, the singer?

Jeongguk's stomach twisted with nerves. Yoongi was one of Hoseok's good friends, but he hadn't interacted with him very much, aside from the occasional small talk here and there. He knew he had a pet snake, but he didn't see it outside of the Slytherin Common Room very often. Why was it here now?

Namjoon crossed his arms. "She literally just tried eating someone's pet."

"No, she didn't," Yoongi said, sighing. "She was only curious about him. Your ferret is just skittish." He gave the ferret a closer look and then frowned. "By the way, have you seen Hoseok anywhere?"

"Um." Jeongguk's palms started to sweat. "Why?"

"Because he was supposed to stop by to help me study, but he never showed up." His frown deepened. "And you two have been together an awful lot lately."

"Oh." Heat flushed into Jeongguk's face. "Uh, no. Sorry, I haven't.

The snake slithered down Yoongi's chest. She extended her long body towards Hobi, who was now trembling in Jeongguk's hands. She flickered out her pink tongue.

Yoongi's eyes darkened. "Are you sure?"

Jimin arched an eyebrow. He looked between Yoongi and Jeongguk, suspicion slowly crawling into his face.

"Who are you talking to?" Taehyung asked, confused.

But Jeongguk had a sinking feeling. Yoongi tilted his head, as if listening to someone whisper in his ear. The snake's starlit scales glinted as she continued to coil around his chest. When Yoongi looked at Jeongguk again, his mouth settled into a scowl. "Suran says there's something weird with your ferret."

Horror flooded through Jeongguk's veins. "Y-you're a Parseltongue?"

"Yup."

Jeongguk's heart hammered in his chest. Hoseok shifted out of grasp and crawled up onto his shoulder.

"Something weird?" Jimin looked back and forth between them. "What do you mean? What is she saying?"

Yoongi leveled Jeongguk with a glare. "Suran says Jeongguk's ferret is human."

Namjoon opened his mouth to explain, but Yoongi was already drawing his wand. "What did you do to Hoseok?"

"Hoseok?" Jimim's eyes widened. "That's Hoseok?"

"Wait!" Jeongguk fumbled for his wand. "I can explain!"

But Yoongi and Jimin pointed their wands at his chest. At the same time, Taehyung and Namjoon brandished theirs over Jeongguk's shoulders.

"Yoongi-hyung, calm down," Namjoon said. "It isn't what you think."

"Really? Because it looks like to me you guys turned one of my best friends into a fucking ferret."

"No, that's not what happened," Jeongguk said. "Well. Kind of. But not on purpose!"

"You're not helping your case here," Jimin said. His eyes flicked to the top of Jeongugk's head, where Hobi was now relentlessly chittering. "You better explain."

"B-bungeoppang," Jungkook sputtered out. He lifted his hands in mercy. "I gave him bungeoppang for a Christmas present but ... it turned him into a ferret!"

"So you poisoned him?"

"No!" Jeongguk gasped. "I have the biggest crush on him, okay? I would never do that! I was in the middle of asking him out on a date and ..." Jeongguk stopped, his face bright, bright red. This was the second time he admitted his crush out loud. He hoped to god Hoseok didn't understand him. "Please, I don't know how it happened and we're trying to fix it."

"If you were trying to fix it then why didn't you take him to the hospital wing?" Jimin asked. Neither of them lowered their wands. "Or a teacher?"

"We tried," Taehyung said, butting in. He and Namjoon kept their wands steady over Jeongguk's shoulders. "No one knows how to fix it."

Yoongi paused, considering. "Where did you buy the bungeoppang?"

"I ..." Jeongguk winced. "I made it."

That did it.

"You made the bungeoppang and then expect me to believe you didn't transform him on purpose?"

Jeongguk had never seen them so angry. Yoongi was always so chill and soft. And Jimin was always giggling and showering people with affection. But now -- now they looked like they could murder him on the spot.

Oh, no. It was happening again -- the butterflies. But this time they were unpleasant. They were anxious and made it hard for Jeongguk to breathe. "Please, you have to believe me. I really don't know what happened. I just followed my friend's recipe!"

Jimin's eyes flickered to the top of Jeongguk's head. "Uh." He began to lower his wand. "Yoongi."

"What?"

"I ... think he's telling the truth."

"What?" Yoongi glanced at him sharply. "Why?"

"Because." He pointed. "Look."

Yoongi's eyes shifted to the top of Jeongguk's head where Hobi was ... growling. The sound vibrated straight down the back of Jeongguk's neck. He felt his little claws curling in his hair.

Yoongi stared, unsure. He slowly lowered his wand and the snarling stopped. Hobi released his hold on his hair. Namjoon and Taehyung frowned, cautious, but began to lower their wands, too.

But then, Yoongi snapped his wand back to Jeongguk's chest. Namjoon and Taehyung shot their wants back up, and Hoseok snarled. This time, he spread himself out across Jeongguk's head like a weird, fuzzy hat, his front paws clinging to his forehead.

Yoongi snapped his wand down. Hoseok relaxed and sat up straight.

"Interesting," Yoongi muttered.

"What?" Jeongguk's heart was still racing. "What's interesting?"

"I believe you."

"Just like that?" Namjoon asked, suspicious. He and Taehyung still had their wands raised. "Why?"

"Hoseok's protecting Jeongguk for a reason, so ..." Yoongi shrugged. "Must be because it wasn't intentional."

Jeongguk let out the deep breath he had been holding. "Thank you," he said, his voice so small that Hoseok shifted to his shoulder. He pressed his fuzzy nose to his cheek.

Namjoon and Taehyung finally pocketed their wands. Suran let out a soft hiss next to Yoongi's ear.

"You've tried the professors and the hospital wing and they couldn't help?"

Jeongguk shook his head. "We were looking for Seokjin-hyung because it was his recipe, but we haven't seen him yet."

"He might be skipping breakfast," Yoongi muttered. "Do you still have the bungeoppang?"

"The healer took one half to examine it, but we have the other one." Taehyung rustled around in his bag before presenting the other half, the chocolate mostly dried up by now.

"I can help," Jimin said. "I'm good at potions. If it's a weird ingredient that got thrown in, I might be able to find it. Though..." His brows furrowed. "I've never heard of a potion that turned someone into a ferret. Only a spell."

"We tried the countercurse for that spell already, so it's not that."

"Right. Well." Jimin glanced at Yoongi. "Hoseok means a lot to both of us, so we'd like to help."

Jeongguk let out a sigh or relief. "Thank you."

Taehyung handed the bungeoppang over. The paper crinkled as Jimin put it away for safe-keeping.

"This whole thing is bizarre," Yoongi muttered, crossing his arms. "I don't see Seokjin wanting to hurt Hoseok like this either. But he'll definitely have to come to the Great Hall for lunch."

"Right..."

The bell rang, indicating breakfast was over. But maybe, with all of them working together, they'd get down to the bottom of this after all.

Classes went by at a snail's pace. Jeongguk couldn't concentrate on any of his lectures. His mind kept drifting back to the bungeoppang, of the explosion, of Hoseok's face right before he transformed. He kept flinching whenever the ferret would rustle around in his bag. He was constantly checking in on him by pretending to grab an extra sheet of parchment or a quill.

When the bell for lunch rang, Jeongguk shot out of his desk. It wasn't until he was in the hallway did he open his bag and allow Hoseok out. The ferret crawled up his arm and burrowed into his favorite new spot in his robes, against his chest.

"Hey, Jeonggukie!"

Jeongguk jumped. He whirled around to see a grinning Seokjin, walking up to meet him in the hallway.

"Oh, thank god." Jeongguk placed a hand to his heart. "I've actually been looking for you this morning."

"Oh? I was looking for you, too. Hoseok wasn't in any of his classes. I went to bed early last night, but when he wasn't in the dorm this morning, I thought maybe he got up to have breakfast or something. But when he didn't come to class, I got worried. Is he sick?"

"Um ... Kind of."

"Kind of?"

On cue, the ferret popped his head out of Jeongguk's robes. He extended his long neck, nose and whiskers wriggling. A tiny paw splayed out against Seokjin's chest.

"Ah! So cute!" Seokjin's face cleaved into a grin as he scratched Hoseok underneath his chin. "I didn't know you had a ferret. I have sugar gliders at home."

"Oh, um. Actually ..."

"How did the bungeoppang go? It's my mother's recipe. Did Hobi like it?"

"Actually." Jeongguk sighed. "It didn't go well."

"Really?" Confusion flashed across his face. "That's weird. I thought ... Well, with how you two have been lately, that he would have said ..."

Jeongguk's heart jumped. "N-no, not that! You don't understand." He quickly changed the subject, gesturing to the ferret. "This is Hoseok-hyung. He ate the bungeoppang and now he's a ferret."

"Come again?"

"I said the bungeoppang turned him into a ferret."

Seokjin stared at him as if he had bugs crawling out of his ears. "What?"

"Look." Jeongguk held up the ferret to him. "Just look at his face! See the little mole above his top lip? And his eyes? It's Hobi!"

Seokjin squinted at the ferret. Concern was starting to wash over him. "Jeonggukie, I don't know what kind of joke you're making, but..."

"It's not a joke." Jeongguk huffed and stuffed Hoseok into his arms. "That's Hoseok. Your bungeoppang did this to him."

"First of all, be careful. That's my mother's bungeoppang you're talking about."

"Well, it's her recipe that I followed!"

"I've been eating her bungeoppang my whole life, and as you can see, I'm still very much human."

"Hyung, please. I'm being serious. This is real. Is there anything in that recipe that could have done this?"

Seokjin shook his head. "I'm sorry, but no." The more he looked at the ferret, the more unnerved he seemed to become. "Is this seriously Hobi?"

"Yes! That's what I've been trying to tell you."

"Well then why didn't you take him to the..."

"We've done everything already. The hospital wing, the teachers. Everything. No one can help us."

There was a loud crash, making them flinch. They turned to see a Hufflepuff boy bending down to pick up his textbooks.

"Sorry," the boy said. "Didn't mean to startle you."

Jeongguk frowned. The Hufflepuff looked familiar, but Jeongguk couldn't place his name or where he had seen him.

"It's fine, Adam." Seokjin waved him off. "See you around."

The boy nodded and left.

Jeongguk's stomach twisted. When he was out of earshot, he shuffled closer to Seokjin and muttered, "Do you think he overheard us?"

"I don't know. I guess there's not much to do if he did." Seokjin sighed and handed Hoseok back to him. "How about we go to lunch and try to figure this out, okay?"

Jeongguk nodded.

Seokjin sat between Namjoon and Taehyung at the Ravenclaw table. Jeongguk gave the ferret his own plate. He was happily munching along on top of the table and didn't seem to have a concern in the world as they began to discuss things.

"The professor and Madame Phillips still haven't found anything from the bungeoppang," Taehyung said. "Namjoon and I split up to ask. They said that so far, it just seems to be normal ingredients."

Jeongguk slumped in his seat. It didn't make any sense.

"Are you sure it was from eating it?" Seokjin asked. "Did you see him touch or pick up anything else?"

"No," Jeongguk said.

"Was there anyone else around that could have done it?"

"Not that I'm aware of ..."

Jeongguk shivered at the idea of someone spying on them while Jeongguk was asking him out. It was even worse to imagine someone waiting for an opportunity to curse Hoseok.

Right then and there, a massive book plopped down on the table on Jeongguk's left. He yelped and looked up to see a breathless, grinning Jimin. "Mustelidae Potion!" he announced.

"W-what?"

"Mustelidae Potion," he repeated. He sat down and flipped through the book. "See here? That page is missing."

"Wait," Namjoon said. "What's Mustelidae Potion?"

"It's here in the index under animal transformations." He reached across the Ravenclaw table and took a big bite out of a muffin. "It has a picture of a ferret next to the name. So, that's got to be it. Only problem is, none of the other potion books in the library had it."

"Wait, you were in the library? Didn't you have class?"

"Yeah." Jimin chuckled. "Doesn't mean that I actually went."

Seokjin, a Hufflepuff prefect, frowned, but whatever he was thinking, he didn't say--not when he glanced at Hoseok, giving his ear a little scratch with his back leg.

"Mustelidae Potion," Jeongguk repeated. Hope flooded in his stomach like sunshine and was quickly starting to spread. For the first time, they had something new to work with. "Maybe one of the books in the Ravenclaw Common Room has something."

"Yeah, but don't you see?" Min Yoongi appeared from behind him and slid into the empty seat next to Jeongguk. "That means someone made that potion and spiked your bungeoppang. Why else would the page be missing?"

"Someone..." Jeongguk's heart started racing. "Someone did this to him on purpose?"

"It's the only thing that makes sense."

A heavy air settled over them. It was only Hoseok who didn't seemed bothered, squeaking along and swiping food off their plates. Not even Suran seemed to frighten him. Maybe it was because she was sleeping soundly across Yoongi's shoulders. Seokjin, however, started to grow pale.

"But it doesn't make sense," Jeongguk mumbled. "Who would want to do that to Hobi? He's wonderful. He's so kind and perfect and..." He clamped his mouth shut, his face growing hot. "I just don't understand."

"Well," Yoongi said, huffing out a breath. "There is someone who might."

"What?" Namjoon blinked. "Who?"

"Possibly the Hufflepuff who has been glaring at us for the past ten minutes."

The entire group whirled their heads to the Hufflepuff table. The boy who dropped his books earlier flinched and quickly ducked his head, fiddling with his plate.

"Adam?" Seokjin asked.

Yoongi blinked. "You know him?"

"Yeah, he's a year younger than Hoseok. He's pretty quiet though. Keeps mostly to himself."

But Jeongguk's stomach was in knots. "No, wait..."

He remembered where he had seen Adam's face before. It had been in the kitchens, when he was following Seokjin's recipe. Adam had said he had popped in for a midnight snack. Jeongguk remembered dropping one of his measuring cups, and when he picked it up and went back to work, Adam was gone.

"It's him," Jeongguk breathed. "It has to be."

Yoongi frowned. "Are you sure?"

"He was the only other person I saw in the kitchen that night. The house elves would have never done that."

Namjoon stood up. "Only one way to find out."

Jeongguk stuffed Hobi into his robes. He watched as Adam's eyes widened as the whole group stood up to face him. Jeongguk could see him shaking, even from here. Before they could even make their way towards him, he threw his bag over his shoulder and started power walking towards the door.

"Hey, Adam!" Seokjin called. "Wait up!"

He ran.

"Hey!"

The group bolted after him. Adam's robes fluttered behind him as he sprinted out of the Great Hall and down the corridor. Jeongguk urged his legs to go faster, his feet clapping against the stones as he pulled out his wand. He aimed at his feet.

"Tarantallegra!"

There was a flash of light. Adam yelped as he was pelted across the floor and landed with a thump.

Jeongguk got to him first. He hauled him up, but was forced to support his weight. Adam grabbed onto Jeongguk's shoulder's, trying to stand up right, but his legs kept jerking and twisting underneath him.

"You," Jeongguk said, panting. He pressed him up against the wall. "Did you poison Hoseok?"

"What?" Adam shoved him away. "I don't know what you're talking about." He immediately began to slide to the ground, his feet moving every which way. "What the hell did you do to me?"

Jeongguk had hit him with a dancing jinx. He waved his wand and muttered the countercurse.

"Listen, we just want to talk," Seokjin said.

"Like hell you do! Leave me alone!"

"No, really." Namjoon said, out of breath. "We just want to talk. Our friend was poisoned recently and you were the only other one there so ..."

"I had nothing to do with anything like that."

"Really?" Yoongi tilted his head. "Then why did you run?"

Adam froze. Suran, who was now fully awake, stared at him. Her tail flinched around Yoongi's waist. The Hufflepuff backed away into the wall. "What the hell kind of snake is that?"

"Answer our questions," Yoongi said, tapping his wand against his hip. "Do you know anything about a certain Mustelidae Potion?"

"Of course not!"

Jimin snarled. "Yes you do!" He lunged forward and pressed his wand into the guy's throat. "Talk!"

But Adam's mouth was sealed shut. His chest rose and fell with panicked, strangled breaths.

"Talk," Yoongi repeated. He settled next to Jimin without even lifting his wand. Suran hissed instead and lifted her head, as if about to strike.

"Okay, okay! Fine! I'll talk! I'll talk!"

Yoongi whispered something to his serpent. Jeongguk watched, fascinated, as she calmed back around his shoulders.

"I was jealous, all right? I tried out for the Quidditch team and he wouldn't let me on!"

Hoseok was the captain of the Hufflepuff team. This is what this was about? This guy poisoned Jeongguk's crush over Quidditch?

"He gets everything I want! So, I did it, all right? I spiked your stupid dessert!"

"What's the cure?" Jeongguk demanded.

"I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"I found the recipe in a book, okay? I didn't care about a cure!"

"You better care," Jeongguk snapped. He had never been so angry in his entire life. His body shook with it. It spread throughout his veins and burned, red hot, boiling straight up into his head. "He can't stay like this forever!"

Adam scoffed. Jimin's lip curled as he jabbed his wand harder against his throat. "You better think fast about that cure," Jimin said. "Yoongi hasn't fed his snake today."

Jeongguk was pretty sure Suran didn't eat people. Hogwarts would never allow that kind of creature inside the castle. Right? But as Suran's head swayed over Yoongi's head, with her forked tongue flicking out, Jeongguk wasn't so sure.

Fear flashed behind Adam's eyes. "Okay, okay! I'm sure it's in the potion book I found. Just find the book. It's in the library in the restricted section."

"You mean this book?" Jimin waved it in front of his face. "I already found it. I didn't see any cure."

He stared at it. And to Jeongguk's horror, a new kind of emotion flickered over Adam's face. It wasn't anger or fear. It was remorse.

"I remember now," he said. "It was on the other side of the page I ripped out."

"Then give us the page." Taehyung extended his hand. "Now."

"I can't."

"And why not?"

"Because I burned it."

Seokjin took Adam to the transfiguration professor. Jeongguk wasn't sure what would happen to him after that -- if he would only get a detention or if he'd be expelled, but Jeongguk didn't stay to find out. He didn't even go to his classes; he went straight to the potions classroom.

It was still lunch hour. The potions master usually never ate lunch in the Great Hall, but he knew exactly where to find her.

Jeongguk entered without knocking. Professor Yarrow looked up, mid-bite of her sandwich.

"Jeongguk?" She was the youngest professor at Hogwarts. Her wand was tangled up in a messy bun, wispy bits of blonde hair curling around her face. "Are you okay?"

"Mustelidae Potion," he gasped. He placed the ferret down on her desk. Hoseok immediately crawled over and began sniffing her sandwich. "Someone spiked my friend's food and turned him into a ferret with Mustelidae Potion."

"What?" She blinked, shocked. "Are you serious?" She looked down at the ferret, who was now successfully eating a bit of her ham. "Who is this?"

"Jung Hoseok." Jeongguk swallowed. "Please, Professor Yarrow, you have to help us."

"Sweetie ..." Her mouth opened and closed, horrified. "I'm so sorry, but I'm afraid I've never heard of that potion."

Dread settled like oil in his stomach. "But you must know something."

When Professor Yarrow didn't speak, Jeongguk felt like crying.

"The person who did it said they burned the page in the book with the cure." His voice broke. "The healer and the other professors couldn't help. The potion isn't listed in any of the other books in the library. I don't know what else to do."

Professor Yarrow was his last hope and now ...

But she stood up. "Don't you worry, Jeongguk." She crossed over to her bookcase. "We are going to find it."

Jeongguk and Professor Yarrow spent the entire rest of their day going through all the books she had. As the sun began to sink low in the sky, Jeongguk was beginning to grow even more concerned.

Hoseok wasn't acting like himself. Before, there had been a human-ish quality to him. He'd press his nose up against Jeongguk's cheek whenever he had been sad, growled at people who threatened him. Now, he just seemed like he was becoming more and more like ...

A ferret. Like a normal, fuzzy ferret.

Professor Yarrow lit the candles in her office to give them some light to read by. The sun wasn't fully down yet, but it would be soon. Hoseok curled up into a little ball on her desk. He yawned and fell asleep.

Exhaustion weighed over both of them. Why did Adam have to go off and do this? Not only was his excuse petty, but it was wrong. It was so wrong.

Just as Jeongguk was beginning to lose hope, Professor Yarrow shot to a stand. "Ah-ha!" She slammed her hands against the pages of an open book. "It's here! I found it!"

Relief flooded through him. Jeongguk ran over to her side of the desk and to look over her shoulder.

"See?" Professor Yarrow pointed to the text. "It says here that you only need to have Hoseok eat a flower that's been grown under starlight. They're called Wishing Flowers."

Jeongguk knew about those flowers. They were in the greenhouse. They were kept under a black sheet during the daytime when he took Herbology class. "That's great! I'll just take him downstairs and ..."

The smile dropped from Professor Yarrow's face. "Oh, no."

"What?"

"It says if you don't give him the cure within twenty-four hours, he'll be stuck as a ferret forever."

The anxious butterflies flooded his stomach. Jeongguk had given Hoseok the bungeoppang yesterday night. It was evening. If he didn't hurry ...

"I have to go!" He yanked the ferret off of the desk. "Thank you Professor Yarrow!"

"Jeongguk, wait! You might not be able to get in so late by yourself!"

But he couldn't wait. If it was locked, he'd find a way in. There was no time. He couldn't let this happen, Hoseok couldn't be a ferret forever. He couldn't, he couldn't...

By the time Jeongguk had gotten to the greenhouse, there was a painful stitch in his side. His breath came out as thin, heavy wheezes. He waved his wand. "Alohomora!"

He heard the lock click open. He flung open the door and thrust himself inside.

The Wishing Flowers glowed bone white. The blanket had been tossed to the side, probably earlier by the Herbology teacher. They were shaped like stars and smelled like candyfloss.

"Hoseokie," Jeongguk whimpered, pulling him out of his robes. "You have to eat these, okay?" He didn't know if he understood him anymore. The ferret was trying to fight out of his grasp. "It will change you back, I promise."

He bit at his thumb.

Jeongguk yelped. Pain welled and sharpened, but he didn't let go. He kept a firm grip and ripped one of the flowers out by the root.

"Hobi, please. You have to eat it!" But the ferret growled and turned his head away.

Jeongguk had no choice.

He pried open his mouth and stuffed the flower inside. He didn't know if Hoseok needed to only eat part of the flower or the whole thing. The ferret gagged, but chewed down, bits of white petals flying. Jeongguk forced his mouth closed and waited until he swallowed.

He held his breath. Moonlight pooled over them and covered their bodies in silver.

Jeongguk waited.

And waited.

Nothing was happening.

"Have more," Jeongguk said. He repeated the process, forcing the stem and root down. "It has to work." Tears pricked his eyes. "Please, it has to work."

But when the ferret bit his hand again, Jeongguk's heart stopped. It wasn't working. He had eaten the whole thing, and he was still a ferret.

"Hobi." The ferret snapped down between his thumb and pointer finger. Blood spilled down Jeongguk's hand. "I'm so sorry. I couldn't help you." His lungs heaved with a sob. "I'm so sorry."

The ferret released him. He licked at his wound.

"I'm so sorry..."

The ferret huffed. He yawned and rested his head against Jeongguk's arm. He closed his eyes, as if going to sleep. Jeongguk couldn't stop apologizing. He kept stroking the ferret's back, as if that would help, as if that would solve anything.

But it was too late.

Hoseok was gone.

What was he going to tell Hoseok's parents? His sister? Their friends?

He would kill Adam for this. He would kill him. He would, he'd ...

There was a puff of smoke. A heavy weight filled into his lap. Jeongguk gagged and turned his head away, smoke cleaving his lungs. When the smog cleared, Hoseok was in his arms, his shoulders heaving as he coughed.

"Oh, my god! Hobi!" He threw his arms around him. "You're back. You're really back!"

"Jeonggukie?" His voice came out raspy and thin. "Is that you?"

Jeongguk couldn't bring himself to pull away. He just nodded, his face hidden in Hoseok's neck.

Hoseok's arms slowly circled around him, shaking. He smelled as good as Jeongguk remembered. His heart felt as steady and strong as he remembered, too. He ran his hands up and down his back, up into his hair. His hair. His beautiful hair! Not fur!

"Oh, my god." Jeongguk tried to stop crying. He tried, but he couldn't. "It's you. It's really you."

"Hey," Hoseok whispered. He pulled away and made Jeongguk look at him. "Don't be sad." He wiped Jeongguk's tears away with his thumbs. "I'm okay."

"I'm just so happy you're not a ferret."

"Me too."

Jeongguk ducked his head and then squeaked.

Naked. Hobi was naked.

"I-I'm sorry!" He quickly crawled out from under him. "I didn't mean to see!"

"Huh?"

Hoseok still seemed a little out of it. So, Jeongguk quickly took off his Ravenclaw robes and threw them over him. Hoseok looked down at himself and reddened.

"Oh." He cleared his throat. "I see."

Scorching heat spread all the way up into Jeongguk's ears. "S-sorry," he sputtered, focusing all of his attention on Hoseok's face. "I really didn't mean for any of this to happen."

"Jeongguk-ah, you didn't do any of this."

"I know, but ..."

"You helped me. You changed me back and ..." Hoseok stilled. He glanced down at the blood on Jeongguk's hand and paled. "Did I do that?"

Jeongguk shrugged.

"I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault. You weren't yourself."

But Hoseok brought his hand up to his lips. He pressed a kiss to each bite. Tingles spread up Jeongguk's body and rooted him to the spot. "Really," he whispered, "it's okay."

Hoseok shook his head. He wiped the blood from his mouth. "It's not. I hurt you."

"It's only a flesh wound."

Hoseok let out a wet laugh. "Isn't that from a muggle movie?"

"I visited Taehyung's family one summer." Jeongguk had always wanted to say that line. Now that he had, he felt kind of badass. Even if it was only a few tiny ferret bites. "Do you remember anything?"

Hoseok touched his head, frowning. "I don't remember much of it to be honest. Only bits and pieces."

That was probably for the best. "What parts do you remember?"

"I remember Yoongi's snake. I remember you guys cornering Adam. And I think I remember you saying you had a crush on me." He turned to look at him. "Multiple times, actually."

"Oh."

They were back again; the butterflies. But for the first time all day, they were the pleasant kind, the sunny kind he only got around Hoseok. "I do. I've liked you for a long time, actually."

"Yeah?"

"Y-yeah." He couldn't meet his eye. He didn't want to see what kind of expression was on his face. "But really, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for any of it to happen or--"

Hoseok leaned his forehead against his. Jeongguk met his eyes and the rest of his sentence puffed into smoke.

"I like you too," Hoseok whispered.

His heart jumped. "You ... you do?"

"Yeah." A weak laugh. "I've liked you for a long time, actually."

"Really?"

"Yes. But I seem to remember you wanting to ask me something."

Jenggguk couldn't breathe. "O-oh?"

A smile lifted on one side of Hoseok's face. "Yeah." He pulled the Ravenclaw robes tighter around himself. "So what was it, Guk-ah? What were you going to ask?"

"Well." His mouth suddenly went very dry. "I was going to ask if you'd ... like to go on a date with me to Hogsemade before the break started."

Jeongguk took a sharp intake of breath as Hoseok cupped his jaw. "I'd love that."

"Really?"

"Really."

Jeongguk felt a large, bright smile unwind across his face. Hoseok smiled back at him and then giggled, embarrassed, turning away.

A date. Jeongguk had a date. And not only that, but Jung Hoseok liked him back. Jung Hoseok liked him and more importantly, he was human again.

This was the best day of his life.

"Jeonggukie?" Hoseok asked, and the air changed between them, just like that. Jeongguk watched fascinated, as his face turned a slight shade of pink. "Can I kiss you?"

"Yes."

When Hoseok leaned in, the wishing flowers seemed to shimmer brighter in response. When his eyes fluttered shut, Jeongguk could count each and every one of his eyelashes. It wasn't until Hoseok's hand curled around his neck did he remember to close his eyes, too. And when his lips met his, Jeongguk's heart soared.

He tasted like something sweet. Jeongguk couldn't get enough of it. His hands disappeared into Hoseok's hair, pulling him closer. Hoseok let out a surprised sound. He laughed into his mouth, pulling away. "You're a little eager, aren't you?"

Jeongguk only giggled and tried to tug him in for another one, but Hoseok's shrilled, wonderful laughter filled the greenhouse. Jeongguk couldn't even kiss him because he was laughing so hard, too. And the second time, when Hoseok finally kissed him again, it was deeper and fiercer. And that time, when Jeongguk pulled away, Hoseok was the one tugging him in for another.