Archive of Our Own ^beta

It’s only when the rain starts to beat down on his cold hands, draining into his eyes and ears, that Jimin regrets dozing off in Flitwick’s lecture on umbrella charms.

Frankly, he can deal with the cold and he’s pretty much mastered the art of balancing on his broom with no hands - it’s just that wet hands mean shaky hands and shaky hands means blurry photos and Jimin has not spent the past 6 years trying to be school photographer just to embarrass himself at the first Quidditch match of the year.

Jimin’s trying his best to reach for the wand in his boot whilst keeping upright when there’s a loud gasp from the below and, before he can see the commotion himself, he feels himself spinning horizontally on his broom and a loud whoosh sounding dangerously close to his head.

Fortunately, he’s been on the sidelines of these matches long enough to develop reflexes that allow him to grip the camera tightly and use his free hand to steady himself quickly on the broom. No one even notices the slight blip in his stance. Heart beating heavily on his chest, Jimin hurriedly brushes the soaked hair from his forehead and peers through the heavy rain to try and make out the game.

Of course. None other than Kim Seokjin is weaving through the Slytherin chasers - signature smirk on his lips as flashes of his yellow robe show across the pitch. Click. Jimin snaps a few shots of the Hufflepuff captain in action and prays that the rain hasn’t completely destroyed his lens.

He makes a mental note to show Taehyung later, his best friend’s voice echoing in his ear ‘the view from the stalls can never do him justice chim!’.

Jimin is watching through the lens, eager to catch more shots of the other players, when the screams of the crowd only grow in anticipation as the elder races towards the goals. Jimin flinches back from the camera slightly when a Slytherin chaser gets knocked away by the two Hufflepuff beaters.

He knows enough about Quidditch to know that Seokjin is definitely gearing up to score with his heels upturned as he leans back and his shoulder rising from behind. Jimin’s hands grip the camera tighter as he prepares to capture the perfect scoring picture when a glimpse of green shoots past him.

All too quickly, Kim Seokjin is no longer focused on the goal as his face morphs into barely concealed ire to stare at Min Yoongi, the Slytherin captain.

There’s no longer the roar of the school sounding in the back of Jimin’s mind and everyone is stunned into silence. Jimin’s breath catches in his throat.

The two captains hover opposite each other - Seokjin shooting daggers at his rival while Yoongi looks way too relaxed for someone who's about to be descended upon by the entire Hufflepuff defense. But Jimin knows enough about Quidditch to know that the game can change very quickly.

Despite the rain and wind, the silence around them allows Jimin to catch their conversation.

“Yah! Nice of you to finally show up, god knows your team could use some help” Seokjin shouts as he raises the Quaffle above his head, eyes still burning into Yoongi.

Instinct, however, screams at Jimin to keep his camera focused on the Slytherin Captain.

Jimin takes a moment to look at the boy, drawn to the way he brushes his drenched locks back with his fingers and the sudden glint of amusement in his eyes that Jimin knows he only catches because of his sharp camera focus.

Jimin moves his eye out from behind the camera and takes a moment to chide himself for not paying attention to the game before righting himself again.

Yoongi’s smile only grows wider as he shakes his head. “Well I couldn’t show up empty handed” he replies, voice dripping with sarcasm as he reaches into his pocket.

Jimin hears the sound of the camera shutter before his mind catches up with the action - thoughts drowned out by the heightened shrieks coming from his house tent as Min Yoongi is tackled all the way back to the ground by his teammates.

Across the field, something small and something gold flits between a deflated Hufflepuff team and Jimin snaps a shot of a pissed Kim Seokjin as he rolls his eyes, unimpressed.

---------

Cleaning up after the match takes longer than usual, Jimin taking an embarrassing length of time to perfect the hot air charm for his soaked robes and waterlogged boots. Eventually he has showered, cleaned his part of the dorm and, with his developing potion brewing for the moving pictures, Jimin finally heads down to the Great Hall for dinner.

The Great Hall thrums with the glow of the first Quidditch match, even the unlucky Hufflepuff table seems hardly crestfallen. He’s still riding his high from the match so his usual dread of sitting alone at the far end of the Slytherin table is almost non-existent. After all, his housemates are awfully rowdy and caught up in their victory so no one takes notice when Jimin stumbles in late.

Almost as soon as he’s seated, the Hall is hushed into silence. Dumbledore clinks his chalice at the podium.

Clearing his throat, he starts his speech, “I believe congratulations are in order this evening” he raises his chalice and with a flick of his hand the glasses across the table are filled. Jimin lifts his drink to his lips alongside everyone else.

“Once again, Slytherin House have demonstrated the merits of teamwork, practice and, even in the harshest of conditions, resilience”, his voice carries across the whole room even over the clapping and whooping of the Slytherin table.

Dumbledore continues, “and special congratulations are in order for Captain Min Yoongi who has started his team off for what should hope to be another term of success”.

Jimin tunes out of the speech as movement along the table catches his attention. He zeroes in on where the team is sitting at the head of the table.

Through all the shoving and, what Jimin assumes is friendly, ruffling of hair between the giddy teammates, he catches sight of Min Yoongi. He’s sitting directly at the head of the table, practically the furthest seat possible from Jimin.

His hair is no longer drenched and instead it’s smooth and flops over his eyes. Jimin watches as the boy next to Yoongi whispers something in his ear and Jimin gets lost in the way his lips turn into a smile and he muffles his laughter against the back of his hand. The light from the chandelier casts diamonds across his face and Jimin thinks he sees the ghost of a blush forming on the Captain’s cheeks. Pretty.

That familiar feeling weighs on his chest and he forces himself to look away. He sees Taehyung playing rock paper scissors with his friends on the Hufflepuff table and finds himself smiling at Taehyung’s pout having lost to a first year. Soon, however, they’re being hushed by the rest of their table and Jimin thinks he should also catch the end of the speech.

“-And that’s why it is advised to avoid interacting with the second staircase portraits until further notice”, he rushes the end of the sentence and that’s a sign the speech is coming to an end.

Dumbledore takes a sip of the drink in his hand and raises his eyebrows at the paper on his podium.

“Finally, should you wish to indulge in more highlights of upcoming Quidditch matches” he starts and Jimin’s hand tightens around his glass.

No.

“A new display will be exhibited alongside the Quidditch trophies on the third floor” Dumbledore continues and Jimin holds his breath, please let that be it, he thinks.

“Courtesy of Hogwarts’ first ever School Photographer…”,

His eyes grow wide as he searches across the room for the faces of his friends but all too soon the words are tumbling out of the Headmaster’s mouth.

“...Park Jimin”, his voice rings out like a bell and Jimin freezes.

Muttering erupts around him, combined with the hurried clinks of cutlery - in the back of his mind Jimin knows Dumbledore must have given the call to eat. He keeps his head down, gaze trained firmly on the empty plate below, maybe if he pretends they can’t see him, he won’t hear them either.

But Jimin knows that’s never been the case. He pieces together the irritated words of those around him. They’re angry.

As they should be Jimin’s mind supplies, he’s an outsider, mudblood, and now he’s parading muggle technology throughout a magical school. Jimin has managed to keep a low profile with his photography so far - the occasional Quidditch match and wand fight here and there but nothing to make anyone even angrier.

He’s no stranger to the things his classmates whisper around him but it’s the same for all muggle born students as Jimin’s come to understand. Yet, there’s more to life than highschool and he needs something to show for his summer internship applications.

Now, Jimin doesn’t even know what he was thinking when he pitched having a bigger role. Jungkook and Taehyung had just been so excited for him and maybe-

No. Jimin knows this announcement has definitely signed his social suicide note for the resr of the year and as progressive as the school masks itself to be, he’ll always be an outsider here.

For the rest of the meal Jimin pretends he doesn’t notice that the few of his housemates that were nearby have scooted further down the bench. He distracts himself by shovelling down more food ignoring that it feels like sand in his mouth.

------

Two weeks fly by in a flurry of Jimin disguising his camera under his robes and dodging harsh glares in the corridors. Alas, all suffering must come to an end and now it’s Game Day so Jimin has to get back to shooting.

At least it’s a Saturday so house seating doesn’t apply and the promise of seeing his best friends for breakfast is enough motivation for Jimin to stumble out of bed early.

Jimin thumps the back of Jungkook’s head as he slots on the bench next to him, “Slow down” he teases, enjoying the way Jungkook’s full cheeks bunch up in confusion, “I haven’t even sat down yet and you look like you’ve already eaten half the table!”

Jungkook rolls his eyes but swallows and takes a sip of water. He closes the book he has open on the table next to him.

“Where’s Tae?”, Jimin mumbles through a mouthful of toast.

“Not sure”, Jungkook looks over to the main doors and watches as Kim Seokjin saunters through the door, “but something tells me he’ll be here any moment-”

Not a second after the Hufflepuff Captain, a sheepish Taehyung arrives at the hall and hurries over to his friends.

“...Now”.

Taehyung ignores the knowing looks on their faces as he goes to sit opposite Jimin and Jungkook, dramatically swinging his bag onto the seat beside him.

“Hello, my darling, my soulmate, my angel Chim”, Tae beams at Jimin before looking over at a, still smirking, Jungkook, “Hi Jungkook”. Then he digs into the sausages.

Jungkook and Jimin roll their eyes at the same time but Jimin feels his mood lifting now that his closest friend is finally here.

“I know I’m late but after the loss in the match last time, Jin has the team working out together every morning”

“Of course” Jimin scoffs.

“What?”, Taehyung pokes back, “It’s better than watching an actual match” he lifts his fork and points it at Jimin as if he’s about to give out the winning lottery numbers “no robes blocking the view.”

Jimin throws his head back in a laugh the same time Jungkook clangs his cutlery back down on the table.

“That’s enough!” Jungkook cries, “I don’t want to hear you talk about my brother like that - especially not at breakfast!.”

“Awww, sorry Kook”, Taehyung taps him lightly on the chin. He’s not sorry at all.

He sighs but Taehyung moves the conversation on anyway.

“So…”, he begins cautiously, “how are we feeling about the game today?”

Jimin feels their gazes heavy on him. He knows he’s been worrying them because usually Jimin’s the first to hype everyone up before a match.

“Well, the weather is looking up today so at least the sun is on my side”, Jimin tries, thinking that imposter syndrome is far too heavy a topic for nine am “The storm gave me such bad headaches so dance that week was unbearable.”

It’s not much of a lie, the good weather has helped clear up Jimin’s dread for now.

“Oh yeah”, Jungkook perks up, “Joonie Hyung was moaning about reseeding his garden.”

Jimin and Taehyung share a look.

“Joonie hyung”, Jimin nudges Jungkook’s shoulder.

“No! It’s nothing like that he’s just been sharing some books...” Jungkook looks up but his friends don’t miss the reddening of his face, “...for class.”

“Well you two sure seem to be spending a lot of time together outside of class”, Taehyung teases, his hand propped up on his chin as he smiles at the younger.

“So does that mean he calls you Kookie, then?”

Taehyung high fives Jimin the same time Jungkook chokes on the water in his mouth.

Thankfully, the small commotion they’ve caused at the end of the table is interrupted by squawking above.

Hundreds of owls tumble in from all over the Great Hall and while the sight would have overwhelmed Jimin once, he notices his owl almost immediately.

Mimi has her amber wings outstretched as she hovers by the ceiling. Jimin lets out a small laugh as he watches her beady eyes dart across the tables before eagerly swooping down to him and his friends.

Her talons are holding a small package and Jimin can make out where she’s gripped a little too hard and the paper has begun to rip. Luckily, after the incident in first year, Jimin’s mother makes sure to always double wrap.

The parcel is light and falls nicely into his lap. Mimi sloppily brushes the length of her wing across his cheek before swooping out the window; warmth floods Jimin at their familiar greeting.

His mother’s handwriting is scrawled over the parchment.

It’s not even been a month but I know you too well!! It looks like winter is in a hurry so wear your scarf x

After gently tearing away the layers, he pockets the rolls of film but not before Jungkook sees it.

“More film?”

“Ah, yeah, I’ve been running low”

Taehyung raises an eyebrow at Jimin, “Could a certain Quidditch Captain have anything to do with that?”

Jimin sputters, “What! He doesn’t even know me, I’m not some sort of pervert, Tae!”

“Of course you aren’t, but have you had a good look at that Quidditch Highlight’s display of yours?”

Jimin is confused. He tries to picture the board; there’s the score cards, the slytherin ribbons after the victory, quotes from the commentat-

“-Min Yoongi waving to the stalls”, Taehyung cuts him off and Jimin realises he’s been thinking out loud, “Min Yoongi saving a goal, Min Yoongi catching the snitch-“

He reaches a desperate hand over the table and basically smashes his hand against his best (debatable) friend’s traitorous mouth.

“-Ok, ok! I get it! Now shut up before someone hears you!”

His face is terribly blushed. Jungkook snickers through the entire interaction.

“It’s not that bad, right?”, he worries. Suddenly, the embarrassment has caught up with him.

Taehyung’s eyes soften and he gently nudges Jimin’s leg under the table. “No, no, honestly, Kook and I only notice because we know you.”

He kicks Jungkook, not so gently, prompting him to nod in agreement.

“Otherwise, your Yoongi shrine stays undetected” Taehyung reaches out his pinky, “I promise.”

Pouting, Jimin locks their pinkies anyways - he knows Taehyung is telling the truth. Jungkook whines next to them and reaches out his hand too.

After they break apart, Taehyung dares Jungkook to see how many hash browns he can stuff in his mouth at once; They’re laughing again and Jimin can feel that, whatever anxiety was laying low in his chest, slips away with the sound of it.

------

Thin streaks of light fill the hallway as Jimin pulls back the curtains. Opposite, scattered across a stone wall, is his Quidditch display.

Jimin runs his hands over the tilted photo frames as he spends a couple minutes righting them and clearing space for the changes after the upcoming match.

Dust litters the table beneath the display cabinet so Jimin blows out and brushes along the surface with his hand. It’s only when he decides to retie the green ribbon to the cup handle that the air grows cold.

The rough scruff of a shoe echoes behind him but Jimin keeps his focus on the ribbon. He’s almost done with double tying the bow when a large hand slams down on the table next to him.

Jimin tenses, fingers shaking as he looks up.

Leaning against the table, sneering down at him is the Gryffindor Seeker, Kim Seungmin.

“Oh, sorry” Jimin tries to step back but then a second hand clamps down on his shoulder from behind.

He can feel the harsh breathing of someone on the nape of his neck, no doubt another Gryffindor player. Jimin doesn’t look away from Seungmin - maintain eye contact and he won’t look weak. Right?

“Park Jimin”, Jimin flinches back at the harsh tone but doesn’t look down.

Seungmin glances at the wall by Jimin’s head; his photos.

“School photographer”, the boy behind Jimin scoffs and Seungmin smiles at the sound, “What a joke.”

“What do you want?” Jimin is surprised he can hear his own voice over the pounding in his chest. He is no stranger to the scepticism but he doesn’t care much for this show Seungmin wants to put on.

“Cut the bullshit, Park”

Huh?

The confusion must show in his face because Seungmin shakes his head.

“Come on, it’s just us here, you don’t have to act like you care about this shit”, he gestures to the photo wall again and Jimin’s eyes follow the movement. “Everybody knows you’re just there to throw off the other team”

“No wonder he’s always getting in the way”, the boy behind him mutters.

What? Jimin takes a second to catch up. They think he’s...sabotaging them? It’s laughable, really, that they believe anyone from the Slytherin team even talks to him - let alone would enlist him for some high school quidditch corruption scheme.

Instead, he musters out a pathetic, “What?”

He sees the way Seungmin’s face changes, short temper bursting through with the way his hand slams against the table.

“You’re not fooling anyone, Park, look how shit these are!”

Jimin doesn’t let it get to him; a nagging voice in the back of his mind reassures Jimin that Seungmin probably knows next to nothing about photography. But the weight against his back and angry glint in Seungmin’s eye has Jimin biting his tongue.

Seungmin pokes his crooked finger against Jimin’s chest, prompting Jimin to hold his breath.

“Just stay out of the way tonight” he warns and Jimin doesn’t have to be a genius to understand the threat beneath the words.

The grip on his shoulder relaxes but not before shoving him forward into the table.

The two of them hurry out of the hallway, the clunky thuds of their feet clashing with the echo of the Quidditch cup as it tumbles onto the floor. Jimin slumps against the wall, head heavy in his hands and green ribbon scrunched up around his feet.

————

Match time rolls around sooner than Jimin would like and he finds himself rushing to get on the field before the teams’ entrance. Students are still filling the seats along the stalls and Jimin flashes his friends as wide a smile he can before turning to set himself up on his broom.

They don’t know about his run in with Seungmin, mainly because Jimin hopes if he ignores it he can also pretend it never happened. The coarse feeling of the wood on his broom helps ground Jimin as he flies up to the usual spot for the entrance shots.

Cheering from behind Jimin grows louder and louder as the Quidditch teams fly in from opposite ends of the pitch. First is the Gryffindor team speeding in alongside screams and shouts. Jimin gets lost in taking as many opening shots as he can - jittery at the way the sunlight gleams against the gold of their robes.

His excitement is short lived, though, as through the lens of his camera he’s met with resentful eyes glaring back at him. Jimin instinctively inches his broom further back, Seungmin’s words from earlier echoing in his head.

Stay out of the way

Seungmin snaps his gaze away from Jimin and soars around the pitch, preening himself on the shouts and waves of adoration even from members of other houses. What they see in him, Jimin doesn’t know but he can’t dwell on it long. Soon, the Slytherin team is also swarming the pitch and he has to get back to work.

The first half of the match passes relatively calmly with Slytherin keeping a steady five point lead. The whole time, Jimin is sure to keep a healthy distance between Seungmin and any of the Gryffindor team.

It only really starts to go downhill when Min Yoongi spots the golden snitch.

He’s been chasing it for only about five minutes when Seungmin notices the focus of his opponents attention and is hunting it down with equal fervour.

Despite his reservations about Seungmin, Jimin can’t pass up the value of these photos with the set of rivals clashing so closely. He’s sure to remain slightly elevated as he follows the action; always heeding Seungmin’s warning.

They clash brooms above him, spitting harsh words at one another as they go. It’s neck and neck from where Jimin can see, he’s flying backwards with his entire frame tilted up as he catches more and more action shots.

Both Captain’s have their arms outstretched, veins in their hands straining as they reach forward. It seems the entire audience has caught on to the confrontation and the air grows thick with suspense.

Yoongi’s fingers just about brush the edge of the snitch and Jimin follows the movement - fingers taut around his camera. He’s bracing himself to take that perfect winning shot once again and-

-and then he’s falling.

It almost doesn’t feel real, for a moment, Jimin can picture himself still on the broom staring down at his camera after another Slytherin victory. But quickly Jimin returns to reality.

The heel of a boot against his shoulder. Stubby fingers just missing their grip on the broom. Falling.

Strange, Jimin thinks, he can feel the push of his wand against his boot but mentally he’s forgotten it. He’s just falling, for a long time. Waiting for when his back hits the ground and hopefully he passes out and won’t feel the impact.

He closes his eyes in fear when the sounds of the stalls grow close and the ground can’t be far now. His breathing slows and Jimin tries to prepare himself for the impact when something grabs at his hand.

Jimin’s eyes shoot open but his vision remains blurry as he feels his arm being pulled up. Quickly he’s seated? And upright?

Maybe he’s already hit the ground and this is just him dreaming?

But quickly Jimin’s eyesight clears up and he can still feel the constant pressure against his hand from where it’s wrapped around his saviour. He lifts his head up and comes faced with the Slytherin logo and strands of black hair ruffle against his face in the wind.

Oh

Jimin looks down, vision swimming, only to realise he’s on a broom. In the air. Not on the ground.

There’s loud clapping that forces Jimin to look up and he watches as Seungmin is tackled to the ground by his rowdy teammates. It’s obvious that Gryffindor has won the match. Jimin glances around, his empty hand twitching for his camera, searching for the Slytherin team and their reactions.

They’re grouped together above on their brooms and by the scoring board. Jimin doesn’t even get to study their faces for reactions because he notices there’s someone missing. Where is the Slytherin Captain? Surely, he’d be trying his best to raise their spirits and it’s completely unprofessional to leave a match without-

Wait. Slytherin logo? Black undercut? Jimin’s face morphs into something terrified as he pulls back from the figure infront of him. His eyes scan the top of the robe and he swears his heart stops when he reads the enchanted inscription by the collar. Captain.

Jimin gulps and he begins to piece together what must have happened. He must have fallen off his broom, distracting Yoongi, Seungmin caught the snitch and Yoongi pulled him up.

He doesn’t dare move his hand all too aware that it’s clasped in the Captain’s gloved one.

Yoongi glides down to the far end of the pitch, slowly Jimin assumes for his own sake, where Taehyung and Jungkook are waiting. Jimin all but falls off the broom (again) but this time into the worried arms of his friends. They grab his arms on either side and start dragging him inside.

Jimin doesn’t get the chance to say thank you.

———

The evening after the match is hazy, at best, in Jimin’s mind. His friends worry over him for ages until Jimin becomes overwhelmed and bids them goodnight in favour of hiding out in the Slytherin dorms.

He’s lying in his bed, covers pulled all the way over his face. Now that he’s had the chance to calm down he’s come to face the horrifying truth that he is responsible for Slytherin losing.

Not only that, but the entire school is also aware of this; it’s not like they even saw Seungmin kick him, nope, just Jimin.

And there’s the even worse predicament that it was Min Yoongi of all people who caught him. God what must he think of Jimin! What if that was his first impression of Jimin?

With a groan, Jimin rolls over face down onto his pillow with the events of the day still playing on his mind. It’s going to be a long night.

As much as he would like to wish away the weekend moping in his bed, Jimin has dance Sunday mornings. He knows Hoseok would probably understand and let him skip but Jimin has had enough of the self pity and heads out.

As soon as Jimin steps through the studio doors he’s being squashed between excited arms and the pressure helps calms his nerves. Unfortunately, the embarrassment and self loathing aren’t the only things to come of yesterday’s incidents.

His Hoseok-hyung, painfully observant as their dance troupe leader, immediately notices Jimin wince as he pulls back from the hug and his off-posture. He must have pulled a muscle in his back with the force he was pulled up.

Hoseok ushers him to sit on a bench in the far side of the studio and gives Jimin strict orders to stay there and take mental notes on the choreo.

So, essentially, he could have stayed in bed and moped the weekend away after all. But Jimin guesses watching the dance is a good distraction. He focuses hard on the little changes and tries his best to copy the footwork from the bench.

The hour passes and soon enough Hoseok heads over to the bench by Jimin to start stretching.

“Here you go, Hyung”, Jimin passes a water over.

“Thanks”

They slip into a comfortable silence where Hoseok continues stretching and Jimin gets lost in thought. Distantly, the bell for 12 o’clock lunchtime sounds and Jimin starts to panic at the thought of sitting with the Slytherin table today.

Something must show on his face because Hoseok nudges him on the shoulder.

“You good?”, he asks, concern knitted into his eyebrows.

“Hmm?”Jimin starts, “Yeah, I’m fine, just tired I guess”.

“I bet”, Hoseok is sporting a devilish grin now as he peers down at Jimin, “Yesterday was… interesting”

Jimin sighs as he hides his face in his hands.

“Oh God, you saw that”

Hoseok has the audacity to laugh.

“I think everybody saw Jiminie. But at least Yoongi was there to pull you up!”

“Don’t remind me!”

Ruffling Jimin’s hair, Hoseok goes to sit on the bench. “There’s a party tonight, in the basement. You should come”

“Oh, I don’t know-“

“Come on! It’ll be fun, you can bring your friends too!”

“Uhh”, Jimin has heard stories about the Hogwarts basement ‘gatherings’ and he’s not sure that wagering on troll fights is the best thing to help his mood.

“Just think about it, okay?”

“Okay”, Jimin concedes.

“Yay!”, Hoseok moves to wrap his arm around Jimin. He scoots away just in time.

“Ugh! You’re all sweaty, go shower.”.

Hoseok gets up to leave but not before shooting one last look at Jimin. “Promise me you’ll think about it?”

“Yes, I promise. Now go before you stink out the whole studio”, he shouts as Hoseok runs back into the changing rooms.

——————

Jimin collapses into the chair next to Taehyung. “That was the most stressful thing i’ve ever done”

Taehyung chuckles and starts examining the sandwiches Jimin placed on the table.

“Getting Lunch?”

“Yes!”, Jimin flops his head down on Taehyung’s lap - in another corner of the room the librarian shushes them, “Everyone was staring.”

“That explains why you got”, Taehyung holds a sandwich in front of him, “Egg mayo?”, he gags.

He sits up to glare at his best friend, “Shut up.”

They eat and study in silence for a little bit until Taehyung reaches his limit and starts tearing at the cardboard sandwich rappers. He tries his best to slip Hoseok’s party invite into conversation undetected, but Taehyung quickly picks up on it.

“Perfect! What are we wearing?”, Taehyung chirps, already closing his books to leave.

“I don’t know, I don’t think it’s such a good idea”, Jimin worries, “You’ve heard the stories.”

“Lighten up, Chim. No one’s gone missing in centuries!”

“Well I want to be safe”, Jimin huffs, “Besides, what about movie night with Jungkook?”

Not unlike a puppy drawn to the call of its own name, Jungkook stumbles into the library and rushes over to their table.

“Guys, you’ll never guess what”, he’s out of breath and Jimin guesses he must have run here.

“What?”, Jimin wonders suspiciously.

“Hyung invited me to a party tonight and you guys have to come too”

Taehyung eyes Jimin smugly.

“Guess it’s settled, we’re going out tonight!”

———-

It’s just turned midnight and Jimin thinks he’s about done getting ready for the party. He gives himself a once over in the mirror and smiles because tonight he looks good.

The tight black jeans he dug out from the bottom of his cupboard hug his thighs nicely. His big blue jumper frames his shoulders well and should double to keep him warm downstairs.

He’s even curled his hair a little and when Jimin moves his head the blonde locks fall over his forehead. Jimin’s about to head out when he passes the pink crop jumper on his bed; It was his first outfit choice but he swiftly decided his confidence was not quite ready for it yet.

Instead, with a last minute change of heart, Jimin snatches his camera from the bedside table and runs to meet his friends.

They’re huddled together below where Jimin is looking down from the staircase. The candles hanging above them flicker with the way the air shifts as Taehyung lets out another loud laugh. Hoseok has his arm draped across Jungkook’s shoulders as the three of them chat.

Jimin snaps a few photos of them in the lowlight and then descends the stairs.

“Chim!”, Taehyung greets, “We were worried you weren’t gonna show”

“Sorry I had to change a few times, I wasn’t really sure what the dress code is for these things”

Jungkook chimes in, “You look great Hyung!”

He smiles and thanks his friends. They make light conversation on the walk down and each of them check on the cloaking spell to ensure they don’t get caught.

“Jimin, I was mentioning to Jungkook earlier that he should totally come check out dance practice next week” Hoseok mentions from behind him.

“Jungkook!”, Jimin smiles and grabs his friends’ arm, “I didn’t know you danced”

Jungkook blushes a little under all the attention, “I did some classes when I was younger but I’m thinking about picking it up again”

“He freestyled for me earlier”, Hoseok smiles, “He’s really good”

Jimin laughs quietly and hugs Jungkook closer to him, “I’m gonna ignore that Hoseok-hyung saw you dance before me because I’m happy for you but you’re gonna have to show me soon.”

“And Me too!” Taehyung slides in beside Jungkook and Jimin giggles.

The entrance to the party is a wall and Jimin instantly regrets coming here, images of brick walls, the smell of steam engines and terrible motion sickness play on his mind. He’s about to turn back - absolutely not in the mood to run through another solid surface - when Hoseok mumbles something and the wall disappears completely.

It’s like a black veil is draped over the opening and Jimin’s stomach churns. But he doesn’t get the chance to voice his concerns because Taehyung grabs his arm and soon they’re both stumbling across the portal.

Now Jimin understands why they needed to use the basement, the cloaking spell and the portal barrier. Because this party is loud - and not like ‘bass booming from your neighbours’ frat party loud’ but wizard loud.

Across the first room, vines line the walls from floor to ceiling and are forced to wind across tables and chairs. A few playful ones twist around the people on the dance floor. Little fairies are perched on the leaf faces and Jimin listens to their excited buzzing as they exchange wizard gossip.

Taehyung spots Seokjin and Namjoon over in the far corner and forces Jungkook to walk over and introduce him. Jungkook is worried about leaving Jimin alone but he brushes them off to go have fun. Gesturing to the camera in his hand, he assures them he has plenty to keep himself entertained.

Fleetingly, Jimin considers heading over to the dance floor but turns against it upon the realisation it’s occupied by overexcited couples - almost glued together despite the chaos. He’s also still sporting that ache in the middle of his back and wouldn’t want to do even more damage.

In the far corner, Jimin spots a doorway to another room and traipses through the crowd to get to it. There’s a huge cauldron in the centre of the next room with a horde of people crowded round it as they cheer.

He spots a small label on the underside reading ‘Dragon Barrel Brandy’ and hurries on to the next room - not too keen on being stuck with a bunch of tipsy Quidditch players for the rest of the night.

The third room Jimin enters is almost empty and cast in a delicate blue glow. One entire wall is dedicated to a fish tank, the bottom decorated with neon coral and in the centre sits a little Hogwarts replica complete with the turrets and wooden bridge.

Jimin raises his camera and makes sure to turn up the exposure to gauge the splendour of the scene. Eventually, he retires to a small sofa beside the tank and he soaks up the faint jazz music seeping through the walls.

He feels small tinges of regret that in his whole six years this is the first time he has come down here because so far it’s only left him awed and wanting more. He’s wholly content and lost for time with snapping cute action shots of the squabbling flying seahorses.

That is, until another eye appears on the other side of his lens and startles him into dropping his camera. Cat-like eyes peer back at him - free of any plastic lens, amusement twinkling along dark irises. Jimin gulps.

Min Yoongi.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you”, he says and Jimin is briefly stunned by the raspy tone of it.

He must take too long to respond because then Yoongi is clearing his throat and moves to sit on the couch next to Jimin. He lies one arm on the head rest, near Jimin’s head.

“I know we haven’t actually met before, so, hello” - he holds out his hand - “I’m Yoongi and you’re Park Jimin, right?”.

Jimin’s mind screams at him to take Yoongi’s outstretched hand but as he does, he brushes against something coarse and unlike skin. Looking down, he notes the cast.

“Yoongi-ssi what happened to your hand?”, Jimin stammers, despite having his suspicions of the answer.

Yoongi’s mouth turns into a small smile as he looks at his hand.

“Oh this? Well, I believe it happened when I saved a certain photographer from plummeting to his death yesterday”, he’s joking but Jimin’s too far in his head to catch on.

Panicking, Jimin starts, “Shit, Yoongi-ssi I’m so sorry, I should’ve been more-“

“Hey, hey!”, Yoongi rests his hand in Jimin’s shoulder - which does nothing to slow his inner turmoil -, “It’s ok, I’m just playing around, I’m not mad”

“But I messed up the game! An-And now your hand too apparently! Yoongi-ssi I’ve basically ruined our whole house’s Quidditch season!”Jimin's panicking even more now because why isn’t Yoongi mad at him.

“Yah Park Jimin”, Yoongi thuds Jimin on the forehead and it surprises him into silence, “You shouldn’t think so highly of yourself. Besides, Slytherin has enough points to carry us into the lead until the season starts again next term.”

The information actually does calm Jimin down, the realisation that he hasn’t singlehandedly undone a three year streak always a welcome one. Though his mind does recall a specific Gryffindor Captain who would feel the exact opposite.

“And if ur worried about this” he points at his wrist “it’s just a sprain, it’ll be all healed in a week”

Jimin still can’t shake the guilt but he nods and gives Yoongi a half smile anyway because the elder shouldn’t have to keep reassuring him again and again. He watches the blue hues from the fish tank dance across Yoongi’s face and a part of him almost asks for a picture.

“Oh and Jimin”

Jimin hums

“You can stop with the Yoongi-ssi, we’ve officially met and so I’m your Hyung now” he sounds so confident and Jimin is definitely warming to the idea of him and Yoongi getting closer.

“Well, thank you Yoongi-hyung. For saving this photographer from plummeting to his death”

“Anytime”, Yoongi winks. Luckily, before he notices the spiral it sends Jimin down, the Slytherin team drag him back into the cauldron room. Jimin’s so giddy he can’t even register the strange looks they send his way.

He collapses back against the couch and lets out a much needed breath. He runs his hand across his palm and presses at his pulse point - not surprised by how his heart is racing. Is Min Yoongi really his hyung now?

Jimin doubts the elder will even remember tonight; the shouts of his name and the smell of brandy growing stronger. With a spring back in his step, Jimin collects his camera and moves to find the exit.

———

Jimin’s running late to breakfast the next morning - body not fully recovered from the late night. At least his regular spot at the end of the table isn’t taken!

He sighs to himself when he realises there are no more bacon strips and settles for grabbing a banana and some cereal. He’s just about done pouring the milk when a plate is set down on the bench opposite him.

Smiling in front of him, a bacon strip caught between his teeth, is Min Yoongi. Jimin gawks. Yesterday shrouded in the shadows had been one thing (a one time thing, Jimin assumed). In public and daylight is another incident all together.

Once again, Jimin has been caught short for words and Yoongi jumps in to fill the silence.

“Did you want one?”, he’s enthusiastic for a Monday morning, Jimin marvels, as he hands over a bacon strip from his plate.

Taking it, Jimin squeaks out a ‘thanks’ before immediately biting into it.

“I thought you might like one, the guys tend to hoard them at the other end”, Yoongi lets out a quiet laugh to himself. It’s low and lovely and Jimin finds himself smiling.

They eat for the most part in silence, Jimin too nervous to start a conversation lest he scare Yoongi off. Jimin takes that time to mull over what’s really happening here; Yoongi remembers him.

A darker, nagging voice tells Jimin it’s probably because Yoongi just feels sorry for him and how pitiful he must have come across. But Jimin still can’t understand why he would taint his reputation just for that.

Soon, Jimin’s finished eating and grabs his bag off the floor to go. He looks back at Yoongi to say goodbye only to see he’s collecting his things and walking over to Jimin. Doesn’t he usually walk to class with the team?

Jimin assumes once they leave the Great Hall Yoongi will go his separate way. Yet, they’ve already passed the first turning and their steps have even synced up.

Having had enough of this emotional rollercoaster, Jimin pipes up.

“Uh Yoongi-ssi”

“Hyung”, Yoongi draws out.

“Right, Yoongi-hyung what’s your first class?”, maybe they’re just headed the same direction.

“Seventh Year classes usually start at Noon so I’m free until then”

Now Jimin is confused. If Yoongi has nothing to do, what’s he doing here?

“Is your first class Charms, then?”, Yoongi guesses from the turn Jimin takes.

“Yep”

“Well we better pick up the pace then, Flitwick always was a dick about timings”, he remarks.

Jimin halts mid-stride. Yoongi is walking him to class? He has a half mind to ask why but Yoongi notices Jimin lagging behind and shouts.

“Come on, Jimin, you’ve already cost Slytherin enough points!”

“Hey!”, Jimin cries back, turmoil forgotten as he runs to catch up.

They stand just outside the doorway to the classroom. Jimin peers in through the window and groans when he notices that the class has already begun.

“Shit! What should I say?”, he asks Yoongi.

Yoongi rolls his eyes at Jimin’s clear stress.

“Ok go in, let me handle it”

“What?”

Avoiding answering, Yoongi pushes open the door and they both stumble in.

The class goes silent and every open eye shoots up to stare at them. Jimin watches a wide eyed Taehyung dart between him and Yoongi in shock.

Jimin’s about to turn and apologise to Professor Flitwick when Yoongi’s voice sounds from behind him.

“Sorry for keeping Jimin, Professor. I needed his help for something, it won’t happen again”, his voice is strange here, Jimin thinks, it’s not playful anymore but stiff and serious instead.

Jimin wonders when he became so attuned to the elders voice in the first place.

Flitwick waves Yoongi off so he steps out of the classroom with one last grin at Jimin. Abashed, Jimin keeps his head down as he goes to sit next to Taehyung.

Taehyung, still gawking, goes to question Jimin who ends up speaking first.

“Later”, he whispers, “with Jungkook.”

He’s sceptical, but not wanting to cause more commotion, Taehyung closes his mouth.

———

His and Yoongi’s routine continues for each day of the week. Granted, it’s just breakfast and walking to class but Jimin finds himself looking forward to it every morning.

Jimin learns that Yoongi liked to watch muggle basketball games and even tried to learn the rules once but couldn’t shoot at all. The image of a tiny Yoongi throwing tantrums and shooting hoops had him laughing so hard he could’ve sworn milk came out of his nose.

In turn, Jimin finds himself loosening up to Yoongi more and more. By the end of the week, he feels lighter than he has in years. Even though he’s unsure why Yoongi has been spending so much time with him, Jimin can’t be bothered to ask - happy to continue the way they are.

What they are, on the other hand, gives Jimin a run for his money. Are they friends? Acquaintances? It hurts Jimin’s head to think too hard about it and he concludes it’s a subject better to ignore.

Friday night rolls around and Jimin and Jungkook lie, sweaty and exhausted, on the dance studio floor. Hoseok is somewhere fiddling with the stereo and the rest of the troupe have all cleared out to go shower.

Jungkook had really given it his all and Jimin can’t help but be proud.

“You did good, Kook”, he pants, hand reaching up to pat his arm in encouragement. They cool down eventually and lie against the mirrors to chat. Hoseok scolds them for leaving marks but lets up after they promise to clean up.

Jimin is about to leave and suggest it’s getting late when Namjoon shows up at the door. Jimin doesn’t think he’s seen him up close before but takes note of his deep dimples and the permanent grin etched into his face.

“Joon! Nice of you to finally come and watch me dance, although you’re rather late”, Hoseok beckons.

“Ah, sorry Hobi, I actually came here to drop this off to Jungkook”

Jungkook perks up at the mention of his name and hurries to his feet. Namjoon reaches into his backpack and pulls out a dusty book. Jimin catches most of their conversation.

“It’s my copy of the Nocturnal Beasts book, I thought you’d like to read it ahead of our study session this weekend”

Jungkook beams and gently takes the book from his hands, “Thank you, Hyung”

If it’s even possible, Namjoon’s dimples widen as he takes in Jungkook’s excited expression. On his way out, Namjoon turns back to address Jungkook again.

“Oh and”, he scratches the back of his neck nervously, “you can leave some annotations if you like, I’d love to read them”, he fumbles over his words and Jimin finds the whole display awfully endearing.

Hoseok whispers something to Jimin.

“Just between me and you”, Jimin eyes him warily, “Namjoon never shares his own copies, let alone let them be written on.”

He pulls back and Jimin glances over to where Jungkook is waving a bashful and drawn out goodbye. Cute.

———

Saturday, Jimin’s favourite morning, rolls around and he gets dressed twice as fast to meet Taehyung for the walk down. It turns out Taehyung’s trying out some new half pyjama half rockstar looks today. It’s weird but so very Taehyung that Jimin just compliments his friend and drags him through the Hall doors.

They don’t make it far, though, because as soon as they step inside they’re met with a sight that rattles them both to their cores.

Min Yoongi and Kim Seokjin having breakfast. Together. In their usual spot. Aren’t they rivals?

Jungkook bumps into Jimin from where they’re currently rooted to the ground. He gives his friends a confused look before following their gazes.

Namjoon pokes his head out from where he was hidden by Yoongi and spots Jungkook. He waves him over and Jungkook grabs both his friends’ hands to take them with him.

“Come on Hyungs, let sit with other Hyungs”

Jimin can’t hear much of the conversation as they approach, his blood rushing loudly in his ears. This is the first time he’s going to be around Yoongi with both of their friends and he’s quite terrified to say the least. Will Yoongi ignore him? Jimin won’t blame him, honestly. Maybe he’ll say ‘Hi’ and that’ll be all.

He rounds the side of the table opposite Yoongi, Taehyung in tow, when the elder recognises him.

He puts down the glass of water in his hand, wide gummy smile shining through as he flags Jimin down.

“Jiminie!”, Jimin burns at the nickname, “Come, sit.” God and how he feels like an idiot now for ever thinking so low of Yoongi.

His relief must show as he relaxes his hold on Taehyung because he’s already abandoned Jimin to go bother Seokjin. Jimin scoffs internally but doesn’t complain when he realises the only free seat is opposite Yoongi anyway.

They’re all sitting and do some quick introductions before they start eating again. Jungkook and Namjoon get lost in their own little world at the end of the table, no doubt lost in discussion about another Magic History novel.

Still, something badgers Jimin's mind and the way Taehyung keeps shooting him bewildered looks means he must not be the only one. Their eyes dart from one Quidditch Captain to the other, watching the way Seokjin playfully steals food off Yoongi's plate or how they bicker back and forth like old friends.

Then of course, as tactfully as ever, Taehyung will always be there to save the day; He levels Jimin with a knowing stare and turns to the rival captains.

Jimin barely has the chance to intervene before the words are tumbling out of his mouth. “So does this mean you two are a couple?”

“Tae!”, Jimin and Jungkook - the absurdity of his friend dragging him out of the dregs of intellectual conversation - shout at the same time.

It seems the rest of the table is just as dumbfounded by Taehyung and they all erupt into choked laughs behind mouthfuls of cereal. Jimin finds himself focusing a little too hard on Yoongi’s unrestrained laugh and the way the sunlight flickers along his rings as he brings his hand up to cover his mouth.

“Nah, we’ve been just friends since first year”, Seokjin pipes up, “Although I’m pretty sure Yoongi did have a little crush on me after that first flying lesson.”

“Hey!” Yoongi flicks one of the peas on his plate at Seokjin, “I definitely, absolutely, a million times over did not.” He clears his throat and answers Taehyung. “I think Hyung just likes to put on a show when we’re out there. Besides,” he nudges Jimin’s leg under the table, “I bet that goes down great on camera, too.”

Jimin takes a moment to be taken aback because it’s a rare day in Hogwarts that someone has a nice word to say about Jimin’s camera. Then he’s nodding along and smiling as everyone continues eating and Taehyung beams across from him. Just as they are all finishing up, Hoseok wanders over to them and, amidst mumbled greetings, squeezes next to Jimin.

“Oh, Yoongi-hyung, Professor Sprout says to come find her before lessons start - she’ll be in her office.”

Yoongi sighs and runs antsy hands through his hair. “Fuck, I must have failed last week’s exam”

“Why didn’t you tell us you’re still struggling”, Namjoon asks, picking up on his friend’s anguish.

Jungkook perks up at this, “Hey, Jimin aren’t you also taking advanced herbology this year?”

“Yep, the classes clash with potions though so I have it at different times.”

Desperation flashes across Yoongi as he reaches over to take Jimin’s hands, “Help, please.”

Laughing, Jimin agrees, “Of course, I have some written notes I can lend you and I read ahead so we could get a headstart on new material.”

“Yes! Thank you”, his hands tighten around Jimin momentarily before going back to his side, “God, you’re a lifesaver”

“Not God,” he points to himself, “Jimin.”

“Definitely, tonight at 6?”

“Tonight at 6”

———-

That night at 6 rolls around with Jimin caught up in the dance studio showers and cursing crazily at the staircases as they work against him on literally every floor. It hits 6:15 when he staggers into the Slytherin common room, grasping at the armchairs to catch his breath.

Distant laughter echoes in the room and Jimin snaps his gaze over to the fireplace. Yoongi is sitting on the floor, slouched against the sofa with amused eyes trained on the younger.

Before Jimin can even start on his apologies, Yoongi reaches in the bag behind him and chucks a pack of crisps over to Jimin.

“Before you say anything”, Yoongi begins while Jimin heads over with his bags, “eat. Hoseok said you’re always hungry after dance.”

Stomach rumbling and heart warm, Jimin starts eating while he asks Yoongi to summarise the latest chapter on Gillyweed. He has a much stronger foundation than Jimin first thought - only seeming to get caught up in the added detail.

“What’s that?”, Jimin points to the corner of Yoongi’s textbook where a rather angry looking cactus is scrawled on the corner.

“Ah”, Yoongi raises his arm up over his head, slight colour spreading on his cheeks, “that’s Mang.”

“Mang?”

“I doodle when I get bored,” he explains sheepishly, “and it just felt rude not to give him a name after all these years.”

Jimin smiles wide at that. “Wow, you must’ve been quite angry that day.”

They both look up at the same time, matching looks staring back at the other, “Mandrakes” they groan together.

They lose track of time and eventually drift into a comfortable silence while Jimin marks some practice questions and Yoongi drafts some flash cards. Ultimately, reality does speed up to them and a few of the Slytherin team walk (or more like crash) down the stairs to the common room.

Reflexively, Jimin tenses and leans further into the corner of the room, willing himself to be shrouded by the candlelight. The newcomers quickly notice the pair of them anyway and, being sure to not address Jimin in the slightest, ask Yoongi to join them for dinner.

Jimin zones out of their conversation and only now checks the time - realising that he has well passed the window for going to eat with his friends.

“-min.”, Yoongi pulls him out of his thoughts, shifting the annoyed faces of his housemates, “you ready to go?”

His voice is soft and tired and almost makes Jimin forget about everything. Almost.

Luckily there’s always a burly quidditch player beating him to the punch.

“Min no way”, the shorter of the three pipes up, face pinched and barely giving Jimin half a glance, “this mudblood has probably got a date with his camera anyway.” He spits.

“What the-”

Jimin can’t so much as recoil before Yoongi is on his feet and grabbing the boy by his collar. For a terrifying moment, Jimin worries he’s going to throw a punch and he finds himself holding his breath.

“What did you just say?”, Yoongi’s voice is unrecognisable, quiet but layered with a palpable tension that has the other boy flinching in his grip.

“I didn’t-”

Jimin can’t see Yoongi’s face but by the way his eyes narrow and he sucks in a harsh breath, he guesses the elder tightened his hold.

“-Cat got your fucking tongue, Hyunshik?” oh and Jimin knows he’s definitely angry now, “Not so big now, huh. Got none of those slurs left to throw around?”

Hyunshik makes the mistake of whimpering. Yoongi lets go of his shirt, causing Hyunshik to stumble back, gaze lowered.

“Take it off”

“What?”

“Take the fucking top off now”, Hyunshik scrambles to take it off and Yoongi tears it from his hands. Only then does Jimin realise it’s his Team Shirt.

Yoongi grabs his wand from his back pocket, hovering it over the silver letters and starting an incantation. Jimin watches as the letters slowly fade away and quickly it becomes just another Hogwarts fleece.

“Much better,” He hands it back to Hyunshik, sinister smirk playing on his lips as the latter stands a gaping fool, eyes switching from the jumper back to Yoongi.

Hyunshik gulps so loud Jimin hears it from across the room, “What does this mean?”

“You’re done asshole,”, he peers round Hyunshik to the other boy that came in with him, “and you’re on thin fucking ice. Now piss off!”

Jimin lets out a muffled laugh at how quick the two of them stagger desperately out the room. He thinks he even spots Hyunshik wiping away a few rogue tears.

He walks over to where Yoongi’s gaze lies fixed to the door they left out of and reaches a tentative hand out to his arm. The action snaps him out of whatever stupor in which he was trapped and now focuses all his attention on Jimin.

“Hey, Jimin, I’m so sorry”, he looks so worried and Jimin can’t help but smile.

“Sorry? Hyung that was hilarious, did you see their faces?”, It frustrates him how Yoongi still looks so concerned.

“Really, it’s fine I am so fine, in fact I think I owe you a thank you”

“Thank you?”

“Comments like that get thrown around so easily nowadays,” he makes sure to keep his eyes trained on Yoongi, “So thank you for caring...and for definitely making Hyunshik pee a little”, he whispers.

Finally, Yoongi’s brow unfurls and he’s laughing loudly as he slumps against the sofa. Then his stomach rumbles.

Ah, Dinner.

Jimin raises an eyebrow at Yoongi, “I mean, I do still need to eat”, Yoongi says, hands splayed against his stomach, “but I really can’t be asked to go to dinner.”

Mirroring Yoongi’s sentiment, Jimin hums, eyes scanning around the room as he thinks of a solution. Struck with an idea he gasps, grabbing Yoongi’s attention as he hurries to collect his books and shoulders his backpack.

Ignoring his friends’ baffled expression he hurries up the stairs to dorm and shouts back. “Meet me in your room in 5! Don’t be late!”

Jimin scrambles around his room, thankfully all his roommates are at dinner so he doesn’t feel like a complete lunatic frantically rummaging through his drawers. He practically squeals when he finally finds them. In his haste, he almost forges the chopsticks but swiftly pockets them and heads across the dungeons, camera bouncing against his chest.

Only when he comes face to face with Yoongi’s door, does Jimin falter. What will Yoongi think of him just forcing himself to his bedroom? Or worse, what if he doesn’t actually want Jimin there?

He can’t dwell on it for too long though because laughter sounds from the Slytherin entrance and, not wanting to draw anymore unnecessary attention to him and Yoongi, Jimin knocks on the door.

“Come in”, Yoongi shouts through the door.

With a deep breath, Jimin steps inside.

The room is definitely bigger than Jimin expected, a small bed in the far corner and a large desk opposite with dark stains all over probably from spilled ink over the years. Standing awkwardly by the chair, hands in pockets, Yoongi offers Jimin a nervous smile.

“So...What do you think?”

Jimin scoffs, “Uhhh, I think I kind of hate you right now” he steps forward and his arm gets caught on another door handle, looking through the door he starts, “a bathroom?! Oh I know I hate you”

Yoongi laughs and sits at the edge of the bed, patting the covers for Jimin to come sit next to him. “It’s only since I made Captain, I definitely didn’t escape the shared boys’ dorm trauma, don't you worry.”

“Oh, I’m sure”, he remarks - Jimin guesses Yoongi still must have had a very different experience than himself but lets it go when he hears his own stomach growl.

“So what were your intentions with this late night rendezvous, Mr Park”, he smirks at Jimin, “and please tell me it involves food.”

Rolling his eyes, Jimin reaches into his bags and presents his plan to Yoongi. He scrutinises the packet.

“What the fuck is Ramen?”

Jimin’s jaw drops, “No way”

“What?”

“No fucking way! You’ve never had ramen?”, Jimin questions.

“Is that wrong of me?”, he’s so genuinely confused and only then does Jimin piece together that Ramen is probably another exclusively muggle delicacy.

“You’re in for a treat then, Hyung,” Jimin jumps up and grabs the mugs off his desk, “my treat.”

He looks back and Yoongi has already opened one of the packets and brought the solid ramen up to his mouth, trying to bite it. Little noodles spill onto his bed.

“Woah woah woah”, Jimin snatches the dry noodles out of his hand and Yoongi pouts, “you don’t eat them dry”

Shaking his head, Jimin washes the mugs out in Yoongi’s sinks and then fills them up with water before carrying them back out to his desk and breaking in the noodles. Whipping out his wand, Jimin waves it over the mugs and smiles to himself when the water starts to boil.

“Wow”, Yoongi murmurs from behind him, prompting Jimin to turn around, “where’d you learn how to do that, and non vocally?”

Jimin relays the story to Yoongi about that first Quidditch match of the term: the rain, the wind and the cold. He brushes over the part about the elder’s closeups and all the teasing from his friends, explaining that, after the massive head cold following that match, he taught himself the hot air charm. After his explanation, he hurries over to stir the noodles, missing the impressed look Yoongi sends his way.

At last the noodles are done and sauce mixed in so Jimin carries them over to Yoongi’s bed while the latter splits their chopsticks. Jimin stares down Yoongi as he eyes the noodles sceptically, pushing the soup around.

Jimin demonstrates, “Look, I’ll show you”, he hurriedly drags up the noodles and slurps them noisily while Yoongi watches, “see, harmless.” Too hungry to wait any longer, Yoongi slurps the noodles, drowning out the sound of Jimin’s camera shutter.

“And?”

Yoongi groans and stares wide eyed up at Jimin. “Yes”, he speaks through a mouthful of noodles.

They eat in silence, each of them too hungry to make conversation as they scarf down the ramen. Belly quickly full, Jimin places his mug on the floor and lies his head down on the bed, feet hanging over the far edge. Yoongi follows not soon after and lies his head next to Jimin, feet strung at the other end by his pillow.

They turn to face each other, faces so close Jimin can count Yoongi’s small acne scars across his cheeks.

“Are you sleepy yet?”, Yoongi whispers.

“Nope”

Yoongi tilts his head up to the ceiling, “Any more muggle tricks hiding up your sleeve then?”

Jimin braces his head up on his elbow, “Maybe one”, Yoongi looks back curiously, “but promise you won’t freak out.”

“Why would I freak out?”

Ten minutes later they’re sitting side by side at Yoongi’s desk, laptop propped up infront of them and Yoongi is freaking out.

“How are they-”, an explosion goes off in the movie and Yoongi startles to his feet, “What the fuck?”

Jimin can’t control his laughter as Yoongi frantically switches between horror and amazement as he watches the frames go by. Jimin had tried his best to explain that these are all actors and special effects and made up storylines yet it all went over his head when the movie started.

The end credits cover the screen and Jimin can’t for the life of him remember the plot, much too enthralled with Yoongi who Jimin swears he can see a lone tear running down his cheek.

“That was amazing”, he croaks out and Jimin releases a breath he didn’t know he was holding, grateful that he made Yoongi’s night better.

“I’m glad”, Jimin speaks, not expecting the waves of relief that come over him. Yoongi liked it. A yawn snaps Yoongi out of his trance.

“Sleepy now?”

Nodding, Jimin heads over to collect his things, “I’ll clean up,” Yoongi says, raising a hand before Jimin can insist, “Just don’t get caught sneaking back, will you?”

“I’ll try?”, Jimin opens the door to head out.

“Jimin,” Yoongi calls after him.

“Hmm?”

“Thank you, really, for the herbology stuff and the food”, he tells Jimin sincerely, “it was a lot of fun.”

“Don’t worry about it, I had fun too”, and it’s the truth. Jimin genuinely can’t remember a night where he wasn’t looking forward to being in bed by 10 and avoiding his roommates, “Goodnight, Hyung.”

“Night, Jiminie”, Jimin clinks the door shut softly before tiptoeing across to his room.
——-

Just like breakfast and walking to class, the study sessions and movie nights slip into their routine. In a desperate bid to save their backs and avoid more moonlight confrontations, they move from the common room to Yoongi’s room.

Somehow the whole fiction movie thing clicks for Yoongi and, although he’s less struck by each scene, he still pesters Jimin to play more movies.

Much to Jimin’s liking, his peers don’t actually care enough to bother him about frequenting the Quidditch Captain’s room. Granted, the first night he stumbled back to his dorm late and drowsy, his roommates give a blushing Jimin a round of high fives and harsh slaps on the back but soon they, too, grow disinterested.

One night, the night before a topic test, they’re up much later than usual cramming. Jimin is reciting the effects of mooncalf and dragon dung on plant growth rates when he’s rudely interrupted by the sound of snoring. He gently lowers the textbook to catch Yoongi snoring in his chair, slumped over his desk chair and neck bent in ways that make Jimin cringe.

Still, Jimin thinks he looks sort of lovely. His fingers itch to capture the peaceful moment with his camera but something stops him.

His hands are tucked into his large sweater and make him look ten times smaller (read;cuter) than usual and the shaggy ends of his hair cover his sleeping eyes. Jimin remembers all the times he’s moaned about needing a haircut but not daring to let Jimin anywhere near him with a pair of scissors (which is fair enough when Jimin considers his Elvis phase back in second year.)

The days blur together until he’s studying with Taehyung and Jungkook at Saturday breakfast.

“So what do we think Yoongi is getting you?”, Taehyung chirps beside Jimin.

Jimin narrows his eyes, why would Yoongi be getting him anything, “What are you talking about?”

“Hyung,”, Jungkook matches Jimin’s confused look as he stares back at Jimin, “Your birthday tomorrow?”

“Oh.” It was October already? God, Jimin completely spaced on writing to his parents this month as well. Taehyung dramatically drops his head into the book he was reading, mumbling to himself no doubt disappointed.

“Wait Taehyung”, his head jolts up, “and you”, he grabs Jungkook’s arm, “swear to me you won’t tell Yoongi”

Taehyung tries to pull away and protest but Jimin grips him too, “Please”, he stares hard at both his friends.

“Fine”/”Ok” The two of them reply and Jimin releases them, flicking his peas over at Taehyung when he has the audacity to rub his arm and get pouty. Unfortunately, it starts a two v one against Jimin where he’s dodging his friend’s breakfast and desperately protecting his textbooks.

Luckily, Jimin is saved from an embarrassing defeat when the owls tumble in with the post.

Mimi is near the front of the group this time and she drops the small parcel gently in front of Jimin, giving him the rare opportunity to brush her wing and tell her thank you before she scurries off with her friends.

The package this time is decorated in colourful birthday hats and excited letters and a surge of emotion runs through Jimin, both grateful that they never forget and longing to celebrate with his family again like before Hogwarts. He carefully unites the ribbon and opens the package. Jimin gasps when he sees the camera, it’s black and sleek and, when Jimin picks it up to inspect the underside, he realises it’s the newest edition.

Before his emotions get the better of him and he starts tearing up at 9am, Jimin carefully ties it back up and puts it in his bag only to meet the identical sly looks of his friends.

“I would offer to be your test model”, Taehyung starts, devilish smile hanging on his lips, “but we both know you already have someone in mind.”

Jimin lets out an exasperated sigh and ignores him for the rest of their meal.

——-

So there they are, breakfast twenty four hours later, and absolutely nothing and no one pays Jimin any unwarranted attention. Perfect. Even Jungkook and Taehyung seem satiated enough by their weekend plan for dinner in Hogsmeade,
that they don’t stir up too much of a fuss. For a fleeting moment, Jimin holds his breath as a first year drifts closer to their table with a piece of cake, but he quickly resolves when they move to sit further up the table.

Eventually they all peel off, Jungkook and Namjoon scurry off to the astronomy tower, Seokjin and Hoseok talk about paddling out the Black Lake - Taehyung tailing them as expected and then it’s just Jimin and Yoongi.

The two of them decide to spend their day out on the pitches knowing it would be relatively empty due to the cold weather. Jimin huddles up in his robes on the grass while Yoongi jets around on his broom practicing Quidditch drills. Occasionally, the elder gets bored or rush drills get a bit tedious so he starts spinning and playing tricks on his broom, even flashing Jimin a blinding smile every time he floods past and ruffles the pages in Jimin’s book. In these moments, Jimin shelters the bulk of his new camera behind his book and focuses on the Slytherin Captain.

One time he even tries jumping up to a standing position on his broom but quickly tumbles over the side and Jimin swears his heart stops for a minute. Except, quicker than Jimin can get to his own feet, Yoongi grabs the edge of his broom and swings himself up and over - mocking Jimin’s frightened stare as he continues on.

When the sun starts its descent and the chill coats Jimin’s fingers, he heads back into the castle and returns with twin hot chocolates for him and Yoongi. Yoongi spots him immediately and swoops down right beside Jimin, eliciting a startled yelp from the latter as he steadies the drinks in his hands.

Settling back onto Jimin’s picnic blanket, Yoongi swaps one of his Quidditch jerseys for a steaming mug and the two of them huddle together, teeth chattering. Together they blow frantically on their drinks in a desperate attempt to make them drinkable and help them warm up faster.

Yoongi braves the first sip, wincing slightly as it burns his tongue and Jimin giggles when some whipped cream lands on his nose.

“What is it?”, Yoongi asks, laughing along confusedly at Jimin.

“Come here,” he gestures, prompting Yoongi to edge his head closer to Jimin. Tongue poking out of his lips as he concentrates, Jimin gently uses the pad of his finger to swipe off the excess cream and, in a moment of bravery, licks the sugary sweetness off. He watches Yoongi as he brings the finger up to his mouth, the elder trailing the movement with his eyes.

They stay face to face for a few moments, small puffs in the cold air drifting between the two of them, before a cold breeze pulls the two of them apart and back under their robes.

Yoongi breaks the silence. “I was wondering if, before dinner, we could stop by the Greenhouse? I need to double check my Snargaluff ahead of class.”

“Yeah, of course.” Jimin actually feels excited by the plan - the greenhouse having been his comfort place for much of his time at Hogwarts.

Jimin packs all their blankets and books into his book and the two of them head across campus to the Greenhouses, taking the inside route to steer clear of the harsh weather. They walk close together, knuckles bumping as they walk and Jimin blushes as he entertains the idea of interlocking their fingers.

He doesn’t have to contemplate long, though, as they approach the Herbology corridor and Jimin notices the light on - promoting him to wonder if Professor Sprout is working late. Yet the plants grow tall across the glass so Jimin can’t even peer in to check.

Yoongi grabs the handle and starts opening the door and waves Jimin to head in first. Gently, Jimin pushes open the door and is so focused on brushing away the hanging plants, he doesn’t catch the movement ahead.

“SURPRISE!”, a chorus of shouts ring through the door and Jimin stumbles back into Yoongi’s chest.

Heart racing, Jimin takes in the eager stances of his friends as they crowd around a small table at the centre of the room. Taehyung and Jungkook are right up front, donning matching party hands and wide grins plastered across their faces. Standing next to them are Seokjin, Hoseok and Namjoon covered in streamer remnants, party horns gripped in their teeth. Draped along the glass are small blinking fairy lights that cast the greenhouse in a faint warm glow.

Jimin brings a hand up to his mouth, suddenly overwhelmed by everything. Taehyung must mistake it for sadness because he breaks apart from the group and comes up to his friend.

“Hey, Chim, we didn’t mean to make you sad,” Taehyungwhispers. Distantly, Jimin’s aware of a hand reaching out to his arm from behind, “I just thought-“

He’s cut off as Jimin lunges forward, wrapping his arms around Taehyung’s neck and pushing himself up on his toes, “Thank you.” He holds Taehyung close for a beat too long for anyone who doesnt know them before pulling back, eyes teary.

“Happy Birthday Jimin!,” Namjoon calls and the rest of the room chimes in.

Taehyung pulls him over to the table and Jimin instinctively reaches his spare hand round to pull Yoongi in tow.

While this may be the second Hogwarts party Jimin crashed, it’s by far his favourite. It’s obvious Taehyung and Jungkook planned everything with his favourite things in mind. They switch from karaoke to jelly bean roulette to rounds of card games and Jimin doesn't even bat an eye when Taehyung always seems to shuffle in Jimin’s favour.

In the quiz round they branch off into teams, Jimin more than entertained as Yoongi’s competitive side shines through and then he’s even more amused when Jungkook and Namjoon take the (obvious) lead. Yoongi sulks for a moment after but Jimin briskly pulls him out of it by piling cake onto his plate.

As Jimin sits there, that usual tightness in his chest unravels while he watches his friends try to smush each other’s face into the leftover cake and the sweet smoke of birthday candles lingers between them. As the second Hogwarts gathering Jimin has crashed, he thinks this is by far the one he takes favour with and the one he’ll definitely fight to remember.

The walk back to the Slytherin common room has Jimin feeling light in his step as he trails next to Yoongi. He also notes it’s the first time they’ve had a chance to talk alone.

“You were in on it too, huh?”, Jimin says.

“Yeah I was,” he turns to face Jimin, slight frown tugging at his lips, “I’m sorry, I know you told them not to tell me but, well, we’d already planned it and it was too late.”

Jimin flushes, not so sure what Yoongi must have thought when he heard about Jimin’s request. “It’s really alright, I’m just not used to having much of a celebration.”

“But you had fun, right?”, his tone is lighthearted but Jimin senses some concern..

“Yes of course,” and it’s the truth, somewhere during the night Jimin realises that not wanting to celebrate must have stemmed from not having people he would want to celebrate with.

“I’m glad.” They walk the rest of the way to Slytherin in silence, both of them wary of getting caught sneaking around this late at night.

Soon, they arrive outside Jimin’s dorm.

“Jimin, before you go”, he turns to look at Yoongi who seems preoccupied with rummaging through his bag, “found it.”

Yoongi pulls out a tall potted plant, the petals flitting near his head as he looks at Jimin. “It’s a-“

“Daylily,” Jimin whispers,

“Yes,” Yoongi steps closer. “I remember you said they were your favourite because they always seem to know how you feel.” He hands it over to Jimin and then pulls something out of his bag again.

An identical flower. “Two?” Jimin asks.

“This one’s for me.” Jimin raises an eyebrow. “Touch the petals on your one,” Yoongi says. Gently, Jimin brushes the petals and they stand so close that Jimin can smell the soju from the party as it clings to Yoongi’s jacket.

The Daylily in Yoongi’s hands turns yellow. “And now, I’ll know how you're feeling, too.”

“You charmed them” Jimin murmurs, heart racing, as he looks back up at Yoongi’s gentle smile. He knows that charms aren’t Yoongi’s forte and can’t imagine the extra work he must have put into preparing this (for you) his mind supplies unhelpfully.

Not to mention daylilies aren’t even in season yet. “Hyung, thank you, it’s perfect.”

Something clangs further down the corridor, snapping them both out of the moment and the late hour crashes down on them.

“I should go, it’s getting late” Yoongi says but makes no move to go yet.

Jimin watches the elders eyes as they sparkle under the lantern light. In the spur of the moment, he lifts himself on his toes and presses his lips to Yoongi’s cheek “Night, Hyung” he mumbles as he scurries into his dorm.

Blushing, Yoongi reaches a tentative hand to the spot where Jimin kissed. He readjusts his hold on the Daylily and gives one glance back at Jimin’s door. He’s so fucked.

———

Something shifts after Jimin’s birthday and he feels closer with his friends than ever before. Where Jimin used to worry that Yoongi’s friends were only his friends by default, the quiet way Seokjin smuggles his homemade cupcakes after a bad day or when Namjoon offers to spend all night in the library to help with a project, his doubt completely slips away.

Jimin tries his best to bury the embarrassment of his birthday and the rushed kiss he gave Yoongi until another chilly night when their group is clustered out on the pitches. Namjoon and Jungkook having (once again) sneaked off somewhere unnoticed, come stumbling back out sporting matching ruffled robes and swollen lips. While everyone welcomes them with excited claps on the back and relieved cheers, Jimin catches Yoongi’s eye and it all comes flooding back.

Jimin tries his best to see Yoongi the same way as before but it’s to no avail. Either they’re at breakfast and Jimin can’t stop getting distracted by his raspy morning voice or he becomes all too aware of the weight on his arm as they walk to class.

It also doesn’t help that Jungkook has seamlessly floated into a relationship and Taehyung, despite his ongoing impasse at gaining Seokjin’s affection, remains as enamoured and unbothered as always.

All Jimin’s thoughts come to a head when the end of term exam results start to come out and Yoongi ambushes Jimin in his dorm. His hair is swept back and his breaths come out short and fast as he collapses on Jimin’s bed and Jimin guesses he must have run the whole way here. He’s frantically waving a piece of paper and places it on Jimin’s lap.

Herbology - 86 (A)

Jimin glances up at Yoongi, matching awed expressions playing on their faces. “Yoongi, oh my god!”, he cheers and wraps his arm around Yoongi’s shoulders.

“Jimin, I don’t know how to thank you,” his breath is warm against Jimin’s neck and he fights to hold off a shudder.

“You don’t have to thank me,” he pulls away, staring Yoongi in the eye and suddenly remembers the last time they were this close, “Besides, I got my grade up too and had a lot of fun.”

Had? The words play on Jimin’s mind long after Yoongi retires for the night. He wonders if this means that Yoongi’s done with him, then. God, even the thought of going back to strangers has Jimin’s stomach rolling. He sleeps fitfully that night, chest tight as he worries what tomorrow will hold.

——-

Jimin spends the last week bidding Taehyung and Jungkook goodbye as they head home for the Christmas holidays. Jungkook holds Jimin extra tight when he learns that Jimin is staying at Hogwarts but he calms the younger down with promises to write a lot and to exchange photos in the new year.

It’s not the first time Jimin’s stayed over a holiday anyway, his parents splitting the time with him and his brother, his brother who ever since Jimin got his letter has barely uttered two words to him.

The sadness Jimin feels when Yoongi confesses he also has to go home, takes a lot longer to subside. Apparently Yoongi’s parents are tyrants for tradition and he has to show up or ‘renounce the family name’ he mentions dramatically as Jimin helps him pack his luggage.

But once he gets into a flow of the holidays, Jimin finds himself thankful for the time alone. The first snow comes early and Jimin spends most morning taking long walks around Hogsmeade, the cold urging him to clear his head. Most of the shops stay closed for the season, their primary customers already having flocked home for the Winter, but a small restaurant remains open.

Jimin notices that there’s only one lady running the joint and gradually learns that her name is Sulhee and she’s working alone having sent all her workers home for the holidays. Feeling sorry for her heavy workload and also looking for an escape from the loneliness, Jimin asks if she’s hiring.

And so, Jimin gets himself a day job.

It actually turns out to be a lot more fun than Jimin was expecting, Sulhee quickly becoming one of the funniest people he’s ever met. She’s also a surprisingly good listener and when Jimin starts to feel down that Yoongi never writes, she’s there with butterbeer and advice.

On Christmas eve, Jimin has the terrible idea of getting a tree for the Slytherin Common Room. He tugs and tugs all the way up to the castle entrance but soon realises he drastically underestimated the size of the hallways and has to abandon the tree halfway through with promises to himself he’ll deal with it tomorrow. Feeling put out and definitely lacking in Christmas spirit, he decides to head to bed early.

Christmas morning, Jimin heads down to the Great Hall early and smuggles as much Hot Chocolate in his thermos as possible before scurrying back to his dorm. He reads the letters from his parents, ignoring the ache in his chest when there’s still no word from his brother.

The day passes slowly with Jimin shifting between different spots in Slytherin to catch up on all his reading. But even that doesn’t serve a good enough distraction when Jimin’s assaulted with surprise romance in his novel and has to bury his face in his pillow to scream. He even contemplates touching his Daylily, the flower still blooming yellow, but frets that it’ll make Yoongi too sad.

In a desperate bid to say goodbye to today, Jimin wills himself to fall asleep.

He’s jolted awake by a gloved hand covering his mouth. His room is shrouded in darkness so he struggles to identify his assailant as he shoots up in his bed. Jimin reaches blindly to his nightstand, struggling for his wand or anything to use as a weapon as he raises his hand to strike.

Suddenly light bursts across his dorm.

“Yoongi?,” Jimin shouts, bewildered. The elder is perched at the edge of his bed, clad in a bright green sweater and hand strewn across Jimin’s face. Yoongi genty coaxes Jimin’s hand down where his wand is pointed dangerously at the elder’s chin. “What the fuck?”

“Hi,”

“Hi?”, Jimin asks angrily, a bit touchy after being woken so abruptly but also not sure he’s even awake at all, “Why the fuck are you trying to kidnap me?”

Yoongi laughs, the sound slowly chipping away at Jimin’s anguish, “I’m not trying to kidnap you, Jiminie. I was trying to wake you without making too much noise,” he jumps up and pulls Jimin with him, “Now come on! There’s still” he glances at his watch, “Two hours left of Christmas and we are celebrating.”

Dazy, Jimin follows Yoongi down to the common room, still half asleep so trusting Yoongi’s grip on his wrist not to cause him a tragic accident. They stumble into the common room and Jimin rubs at his eyes, arms going slack at his sides when he takes in the state of it.

Tinsel sparkles in the candlelight as it winds itself around the staircase and fireplace. There’s small, enchanted stars that dart around up near the ceiling and Jimin ducks as one comes zooming overhead. Though, the real showstopper of the room is a tall, decorated, Christmas tree. It’s wrapped in tiny, rainbow lights and strings of cranberry with a sweet smell that has Jimin’s mouth watering.

“Yeah, I saw that someone had left a rogue Christmas tree in the hallway and thought it was in need of some rescuing,” Yoongi breaks the silence, teasing tone forcing Jimin to nudge him in the shoulder, “Do you like it?”

“Hyung, wow,” he brushes his hand along the garlands, trying his best to keep his voice steady, “how did you do this? How are you even here right now?”

They migrate to the couch, “Well, once I’d sat through the most mind-numbing Christmas dinner of my life,” Yoongi groans, eliciting a giggle from Jimin, “I realised that all there is now is leftover food and drunk Uncles. I’d much rather spend it here.” The with you goes unsaid but Jimin feels the effect nonetheless.

They sit together for what feels like minutes but must be much longer. Jimin tells him about Sulhee and shows him all the snowy Hogwarts shots he’d taken on his walks and, in turn, Yoongi maps out all his family drama to Jimin to which Jimin keep a near constant hand over his mouth as the stories grow more scandalous by the second.

Yoongi disappears round one of the doors for a second and comes back carrying a small box coated in wrapping paper and thin purple ribbon. Their fingers brush as Yoongi hands Jimin the present.

“Hyung,” Jimin starts.

“No, nope,” he interrupts, probably knowing Jimin would protest, “Just open it.”

Jimin makes quick work of undoing the wrapping, huffing slightly when the knots give him a little trouble. Eventually, he reaches the present and turns it over in his hands to get a closer look. When he reads the large letters written across the side, he looks over to Yoongi.

“A projector?”

“So now we can watch movies together on a bigger screen,” Yoongi clarifies, “I had to ask Taehyung how to figure out the internet and the scammers, but it worked out. Merry Christmas, Jiminie.”

“Hyung, it’s perfect,” Jimin tells Yoongi, “Thank you, this whole night has been perfect.” Jimin thinks they must be some of the most sincere words he’d ever said. Jimin shifts in his seat, “Ok, my turn. Close your eyes.”

“What?”

“Close them!”

Yoongi grumbles but holds his eyes shut at Jimin’s request.

Jimin thinks back to fleeting glances across the pitches, fits of laughter over breakfast. He thinks of sandalwood and birthday candles and the dusty smell of the carpet in the common room. And in that moment, it all makes sense. They make sense.

So Jimin shifts on the couch again, edging closer to Yoongi. He holds his breath and tilts his chin up, pressing his lips against Yoongi.

Jimin feels Yoongi tense under him and for a slow, slow second, neither of them move and Jimin’s mind runs circles.

But then, Yoongi brings his hand up and cups his hand against Jimin’s cheek, forcing them to move impossibly closer. Jimin sighs against Yoongi’s mouth, relief and shock mixing together as Yoongi moves his lips against Jimin’s. Jimin brings his hand up to tug at the small hairs on Yoongi’s nape to which Yoongi breaks them apart by pressing a quick kiss to the edge of Jimin’s mouth.

Breathless, Jimin dares to open his eyes only to notice Yoongi still has his tight shut. He takes this moment to marvel at Yoongi’s swollen lips and ruffled hair.

“You can open your eyes, now,” Jimin whispers.

Yoongi slowly blinks his eyes open, pupils blown wide as his stare burns into Jimin. “Hi,” Yoongi runs his eyes over Jimin, and Jimin realises he must look so flushed, “Come here,” Yoong opens his arms and Jimin eagerly takes the invitation, resting his face in Yoongi’s neck.

“Merry Christmas, Yoongi”, Jimin mumbles sleepily against the smooth material of Yoongi’s sweater.

Yoongi runs a tender hand along Jimin’s hair, “Merry Christmas, baby.”

———-

They spend the week before break mostly cuddling on the couch, Yoongi catching up on holiday work while Jimin reads, legs strewn over his lap. Jimin feels like a huge weight has been lifted off his chest since Christmas. He no longer has to worry himself over keeping his heart rate down whenever Yoongi enters a room and can finally read his stack of unfinished novels.

Jimin quickly learns that Yoongi is very affectionate, the elder often ambushing Jimin with surprise kisses but also much softer touches like a hand against Jimin’s back as they walk to meals or rubbing their feet together when they lie next to each other.

Unfortunately Yoongi also despises the cold, frequently leaving Jimin to go walking alone. Only the day before term starts up again does Jimin convince Yoongi to join him, coaxing him out with kisses along his face and promises to rub his feet after.

They head down the path opposite Hogsmeade, Jimin eager to catch the sunset over the black lake.

“Hyung, close your eyes,” Jimin says after catching Yoongi shiver.

Yoongi shuts his eyes almost instantly, lips forming a small pout as he expects Jimin to kiss him again. Instead, Jimin grabs Yoongi’s hand and places it inside his pocket, alongside Jimin’s own. Yoongi yelps and his eyes shoot open at the sudden warmth.

Laughing, Jimin pulls out something small from his other pocket and shows it to Yoongi, “A hand warmer.”

“Magic?,” Yoongi asks, turning the hand warmer over in his hands.

Jimin shakes his head, smiling as Yoongi clasps their hands together inside Jimin’s pocket. They keep walking, talking about anything and everything, until Jimin loses his footing deep in the snow. Luckily, Yoongi catches him with a firm hand around the waist.

“Woah, you good there?” Yoongi asks, not removing his hand from Jimin just yet.

“Yeah, sorry, the snow is just so,” Jimin lifts his foot out of the snow, the pair of them taking note of the time it takes to reappear, “deep.”

A wide smile spreads across Yoongi’s face, showcasing his gums, “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Yoongi says.

“Snowman?”

“Snowman!,” Yoongi cheers.

They work together, piling on the snow and both push the balls when they get too heavy for just Yoongi. After a lengthy squabble over whether their snowman should have two or three layers, it stands finished and just short of being taller than Jimin.

“He needs a name,” Yoongi decides, shoulders crossed in front of him as he seems to be sizing up the snowman.

“What is with you and naming everything?,” Jimin huffs, thinking back to the little doodles in his Herbology book. Funny how things have changed since then.

They go back and forth, playing around with famous actors, tv show characters and even some of the teachers. They settle on some obscure manga character that Jimin has no idea about but the way Yoongi is so pleased with himself has Jimin just playing along.

Before they head back to the castle, Jimin whips out his camera.

“Agh, I should have known,” Yoongi groans but still poses next to the snowman, gums showing. Jimin tries a few angles before flipping the lens to face him and taking a quick selfie with the three of them.

The night the train gets in, he and Yoongi clad matching hats and huddle together on the platform to wait for their friends. Jimin shifts his feet slightly, knowing he hasn’t told his friends yet and anticipating their reactions.

He tries his best to see over the heads of everyone coming off the train but struggles to find anyone. It turns out he doesn’t have to look much longer but someone comes barreling into him from the side. Curly hair covers his face and nose and Jimin immediately realises who it is.

“Taehyung!” / “Chim” They both shout, arms tightening round each other.

Yoongi coughs exaggeratedly next to them and they pull apart. “Oh hi Yoongi Hyung,” Taehyung says, feigning boredom.

They walk up the road, Yoongi up front chatting away with a friend while Jimin and Taehyung lag slightly behind. Jimin thinks it is as good a time as ever to break the news. “Taehyung, I uh, we actually-”

“Oh I know,” he cuts Jimin off, smiling, “I saw you kiss from the train. I just have to know, did you initiate it or did he?”

“I did” Jimin speaks in a hushed voice.

“Dang it! Now I owe Jungkook ten dollars,” he looks up at the sky dramatically as if he’s a forsaken roman soldier. Jimin rolls his eyes, pulling his friend in tow to catch up with Yoongi.

——-

The first Quidditch match of the new year has Jimin freaking out to say the least. The night before and morning leading up to the match has Jimin trying desperately to forget the last match and falling rather ungracefully in front of the whole school. Thinking that Seungmin will be playing again today has Jimin’s stomach churning.

The only thing he has going for him this time is that Slytherin aren’t playing today so there’s not as much pressure to rectify their record. He meets Yoongi up by the stalls before the match starts, Yoongi reclined against the benches while Jimin floats by on his broom.

“Are you nervous?” Yoongi asks, noticing Jimin’s silence.

“A little,” Jimin shakes his legs, “Gotta try stay upright at least.”

“Especially since there’s no handsome knight coming to your rescue this time,” Yoongi teases.

“I’ll have you know I have many suitors just waiting to scoop me off my broom,” Jimin smiles as Yoongi rolls his eyes. From the ground, he spies more people filing in to watch the match and Jimin knows that is his cue to get ready.

The match passes pretty calmly with a record breaking 2 injuries only and Jimin manages to get some wide angle shots with the snow and the seekers. At some point Jimin glances Yoongi’s way only to notice him glaring daggers at someone else.

He follows his eyeline and meets eyes with the Gryffindor Captain. Seungmin. He’s braced forward on his broom, rage radiating so far across the pitch that Jimin swears he can hear his broom cracking under his angry grip. Jimin doesn’t get the chance (or mishap) to cower because a Ravenclaw beater spins into Seungmin and he’s sucked back into the game.

When the match finally ends and Gryffindor gain their narrow win, Jimin flies back into the castle to service his broom. He’s grateful for the short respite from the biting cold but a nagging voice in the back of his head tells him to get a move on before the Gryffindor team trail inside.

Jimin feels like he’s in the clear once he finishes with his broom and turns to leave but then cold air rushes into the hallway. There’s a momentarily silence that lapses between them while Jimin contemplates whether to book it or face the music. He chooses the latter.

Sighing, Jimin turns around, side pressed firmly against the cool stone to ground him and makes out Seungmin sneering down at him.

“Well, if it isn’t my favourite Mudblood,” Seungmin says, and Jimin tries his best not to flinch, “finally realised your fucking photos aren’t getting you anywhere, yet?” He chances a glance at the camera hanging on Jimin’s neck, “Pathetic.”

Truthfully, all Jimin feels is annoyed by this interaction but knows better than to speak up when he’s outmanned nine to one. He tunes out as they trade more overused insults and Jimin is about to turn tail and run when a familiar voice shouts from behind him.

Jimin takes a look and a shudder runs through his body because Yoongi looks furious.

“Yah!” Yoongi calls from behind, causing the other team to freeze but Jimin noticeably relaxes, “What the fuck is going on here?”

Seungmin seems to snap out of whatever temporary stupor and straightens out his shoulders, “Min! Should have known you’d show up, come looking for tips?”

Yoongi steps forward, stance relaxed and hands hanging at his sides but Jimin can tell by the tightness in his jaw that he’s seething. “I would keep your mouth shut, Seungmin,” his tone is light but the words are pointed, “unless you’re willing to give up that Quidditch scholarship, that is.”

Jimin revels in the way Seungmin’s face drops. “How do y-”

“My parents sit on the college board, punk, and I’m sure they would be delighted to know that they missed a bullet with the likes of you,” Yoongi’s cut off by the sound of a bell outside and the Seungmin coughs awkwardly as the rest of the team are distracted, “Victory lap time!,” Yoongi jeers, “though I doubt you’re feeling like much of a winner now.”

The team scurry out, seemingly spooked by the whole ordeal and Jimin sags against the wall.

“Seems like I did get to rescue you after all, huh?”, Yoongi’s gentle tone almost gives Jimin whiplash, “You ok?,” he asks, hands running along Jimin’s arms.

Jimin takes a deep breath, releasing all the tension and stress from the day, “I am now,” he replies honestly and reaches out a hand that Yoongi takes eagerly.

“And to think I was coming here to tell you how good your ass looked out there,” Yoongi says as they walk together and Jimin almost trips over his own feet.

“Shut up!” Jimin nudges his shoulder, flush creeping along his neck.

“No can do, baby, I’m an honest man through and through,” he takes a cheeky look at Jimin’s backside, “Ah, even better up close.”

Flustered, Jimin just buries his head in Yoongi’s shoulder, humming in satisfaction when he kisses the top of Jimin’s head.

——-

Sadly, not all Quidditch matches have a perfect fairytale ending.

There’s a fog, so thick that Jimin deems it impossible to take any photos, masking the entire pitch. Jimin was hoping to use this opportunity to cheer for Yoongi along with all their friends but the atmosphere is stagnant at best as everyone tries to catch a glimpse of the action. The time passes slowly with the announcers trying their best to fill the silence.

Jimin’s heart sinks when he sees the Ravenclaw team doing their victory lap, illuminating the snitch as they saunter past. He knows how much this match meant to Yoongi and the team, having been on the receiving end of all the Captain’s trial strategies and plays. Immediately, he jumps up and goes inside to find Yoongi.

He starts with the locker rooms. No luck. Then searches the dorms, Great Hall and libraries. Still no luck. When the sun starts to set and the worry begins to creep a little too far, Jimin spots Yoongi’s broom strewn across the doorway to a book cupboard.

Cautiously, Jimin opens the door further and heads inside.

He doesn’t see Yoongi at first, too busy trying to navigate the darkness. But a small sniffle sounds from the corner of the room and Jimin walks over.

Yoongi is sitting in a corner, so far curled in on himself that Jimin only recognises him from the edges of his shoes. Jimin crouches down next to him and Yoongi shoots his head up sharply, clearly ready to snarl at the intruder. His face crumples when he sees Jimin.

Wordlessly, Jimin coaxes Yoongi’s head onto his shoulder, holding him tight as he cries. Jimin whispers quiet reassurances as he holds him, his own heart aching to watch him like this. After some time, Yoongi’s breathing steadies and then Jimin hears a muffles sound against his arm,

“What?”, Jimin asks softly, hand briefly stilling in its movements across Yoongi’s hair.

With a heavy slowness, Yoongi lifts his head and rests it back against the wall, all the while keeping his body close to Jimin’s. Jimin watches warily.

“This is,” Yoongi rasps, eyes glancing over to Jimin, “so embarrassing.” Yoongi musters out a small laugh that has Jimin’s heart feeling lighter. “I’m not seriously crying over Quidditch. I refuse to believe this is happening.”

“Hey! Think of all the times you’ve seen me cry over stupid things” Jimin makes sure Yoongi’s looking at him, “This is not embarrasing, trust me.”

“Yeah but you also cry everytime Mufasa dies.”

“Hey!”, Jimin slaps him lightly on his chest. Yoongi feigns being hurt yet can’t help but laugh at Jimin’s pout.

“I can’t believe I made a movie reference. Who even am I?,” he muses and Jimin is glad he doesn’t seem too torn up over the match.

Still, Jimin makes sure to keep a close eye on him for the remainder of the day. He steers Yoongi to the opposite end of the bench at dinner, ensuring he doesn't have to see the Ravenclaw victory parade. Jimin piles as much food as he can onto Yoongi’s plate, both to keep him distracted throughout and hoping the extra chocolate cake keeps his spirits high.

They stay in Yoongi’s room together for the duration of the night. Yoongi lies along his bed, head heavy on his pillow and feet perched on Jimin’s lap. Jimin has his back against the wall as he reads from his book aloud. It’s another one of their traditions that started after Christmas when Yoongi had whined and whined about Jimin paying more attention to his books than him.

He loses track of time until the candle on Yoongi’s bedside burns out, disrupting his reading. As he moves to relight it, Jimin realises that Yoongi has fallen asleep.

Careful not to wake him, Jimin busies himself tidying up the space and draping a blanket over Yoongi who only smacks his lips together in his sleep. Jimin has to quieten his laugh with his hand.

Jimin presses a soft kiss against Yoongi’s forehead before heading back up to his own dorm to sleep.

———-

“Wow, Hoseok-Hyung you really don’t play around!” Jungkook says as he slumps to the dance studio floor, panting. Hoseok and Jimin laugh as they come to sit next him, sharing out a few water bottles. Jungkook brings a hand up to his soaked hair, “I feel like I’m going to have to shower twice before I see Hyung!”

“Hot date tonight?”, Hoseok asks, suggestive tone seeping into his words. Jungkook glows bright red but doesn’t deny it. It’s not long before Hoseok has to get on his feet again for practice with the second years.

“Uh, Jungkook,” Jimin begins, “how did you, you know...with Namjoon...become official?” he stutters the last part feeling slightly embarrassed at having to ask his younger friend for dating advice.

Then he’s reminded once again why he loves Jungkook a lot. His friend doesn’t indulge in even a teasing smile, instead reaches a hand out to Jimin.

“Do you think he’s seeing someone else?”

“What? No! I just mean, I don’t know if he considers me his boyfriend?” his voice grows quieter on that last word.

Jungkook scoots closer to Jimin. “Do you consider him your boyfriend?”

“I want to”, he whispers and it scares Jimin how much the idea makes his heart soar.

“Then tell him, Hyung. I know it’s scary, trusting him with so much of your heart,” Jimin ignores the fact that Jungkook was definitely reading his mind, “but you know what you want so you owe it to yourself to go for it.”

Jimin ruffles Jungkook’s hair causing him to scrunch his nose cutely, the heaviness of their conversation fast dissipating “How did you get so wise?”

“Probably my boyfriend rubbing off on me.”

“Yah!” Jungkook tries his best to dodge Jimin’s oncoming attack but can’t help it when his hands wrap around him, tickling Jungkook until he begs Jimin to stop.

As the two of them lie breathless on the floor, Jimin comes up with an idea.

———-

Jimin waves out the last customer of the night before helping Sulhee clean up. He double checks the register, wipes down the tables and then joins Sulhee in the back to get ready to lock up. After hanging up his apron, Jimin double checks his wallet.

“Woah, you running a business you’re not telling me about”, Sulhee says, spying the large wad of cash in Jimin’s hand, “What are you doing walking around with so much money?”

“I’ve been saving up. I have something important to buy tonight,” Jimin runs his hands over the money. It’s a culmination of his birthday money, tips from the restaurant and a dent in his savings but funny enough Jimin has no doubt that he’s spending it on the right thing.

“Ok Mr Ominous,” Sulhee says amusedly, “Well, better get a move on before everyone closes shop. I’ll lock up.”

“You’re sure you’ll be alright alone, Noona?”, eager as he is to get going, Jimin still worries.

“Yah!” She whacks him with her apron, “I’ve been doing this alone for 20 years! Now go!”

The walk down Diagon Alley is one quieter than Jimin is used to, shop owners line the street, murmuring quiet incantations to secure their locks. The tavern further down has a queue of patrons standing idly by as they wait, forgotten faces illuminated by the streetlamps. Finally, Jimin spots his destination.

HOGSMEADE TICKET OFFICE

Jimin treads over to the window, giddiness guiding his steps. “Hello!”, he chirps to the worker. He’s met with a bored look and has to cough into his hand to dispel the awkwardness . “Two World Cup tickets please!”

The broody man counts Jimin’s money, though doesn’t seem too concerned that Jimin would try to scam him, and then passes through the tickets. Jimin smiles as he runs his hands over the pretty gold lettering and an excited smile finds its way onto his face at the thought of showing Yoongi.

He holds back a scream when the man in the window slams down the window cover and Jimin takes that as his cue to hurry back to Hogwarts, clinging the tickets in his palms the whole way.

———

The morning of Yoongi’s birthday Jimin wakes up with the sun. He gets ready in record time, being careful not to wake his roommates, before hurrying over to Yoongi’s dorm. He knocks on the door once, then twice and when he hears nothing back decides to peer inside, just in case Yoongi is still asleep.

Jimin has to shield his eyes from the bright light that fills the room. He blinks a few times to adjust and notices the bed is made too. Damn, Yoongi’s out.

Nevermind, Jimin decides to leave out Yoongi’s card, being careful not to open it (he spelled it with his own voice singing Happy Birthday but if he has to hear it again he’ll definitely be running into walls.) He tucks a small note alongside the tickets.

Dear Yoongi,

Happy Birthday! Let’s watch a Quidditch match side by side this time :)

Your Jimin

Jimin hopes to see Yoongi at breakfast but he’s absent there as well but Jimin tries to keep his mood up by eating with Hoseok.

“Don’t beat yourself up about it, Jimin” Hoseok says, noticing Jimin’s sombre mood, “He’s not avoiding you, if that’s what you're worried about. Most likely, he went out for early morning training.”

“Yeah you’re right”, Jimin picks at his eggs, “I might as well head back to Hogsmeade real quick, I left my sweater after my shift. Can you tell Yoongi I should be back soon?”

“Sure, have fun!”, Hoseok waves him off.

Jimin makes it to the restaurant in record time, his subconscious mind obviously urging him to hurry back to spend Yoongi’s birthday with him. It’s only just past opening time so only a few regulars occupy the booths by the windows.

Which is why a certain raven haired man perched on a barstool immediately grabs Jimin’s attention. Eagerly, he walks over and covers his eyes with his hands from behind.

“Haaapy Birthday!”Jimin sing songs, laughing as Yoongi’s shoulders tense in surprise.

Yoongi spins around on his stool, “Oh, Hey!” He sounds a bit nervous but Jimin assumes he’s a bit overwhelmed at Jimin directing so much attention to the two of them, “I thought you weren’t working today?”

“I’m not, I just had some free time and had to pick up some things I left here last night. How are you up so early?” Jimin knows Yoongi’s not a morning person so to be up and about so early has his curiosity peaking.

Yoongi’s eyes dart around the room, “I just had a-”

“Son?”, a tall middle aged man approaches them, cutting Yoongi off. A pretty woman with her hair curled tightly around her face comes to stand beside him. Jimin guesses these are Yoongi’s parents. “And who might you be?”, Yoongi’s father turns to Jimin.

Clearing his throat, Jimin bows and reaches out his hand, “Park Jimin, it’s an honour to finally meet you” he praises himself for keeping his voice steady.

He doesn’t return the handshake. “Park Jimin,” the malice that mixes with his name has Jimin holding back a flinch. “I seem to remember you being the topic of many tedious school board meetings.” He slams his glass down on the counter between Jimin and Yoongi, this time Jimin actually does flinch..

“I thought my son knew better,” he glowers at Yoongi who hangs his head and averts his eyes, “than to be wasting time with filthy mudbloods.”

Jimin winces and his hands come up over his chest, desperate to hold his cracking heart. The words plunge him back into some of the worst times of his lives. Years of insults and hazings that tormented Jimin to become the weakest version of himself, the version of himself that being around Yoongi made him forget. But now as he stands in the restaurant, shame and embarrassment coursing through him with Yoongi not even bothering to meet Jimin’s eyes, Jimin breaks.

His vision blurs and he stumbles until his back hits the bar.. He can’t hear much aside from the blood rushing in his ears and somewhere where he’s not falling apart, Jimin knows he needs to get out of here. The cool outside air brings Jimin back to the present like he’s dunked his head deep into an ice bath.

He runs the path back to the castle, knowing he needs to put as much distance between all those people, Yoongi’s parents. Yoongi. Somewhere on his journey he collides with someone. Jimin turns to mumble a quick apology, too in his head to focus on the mortification, when a voice calls his name.

“Jimin?”, Jimin wipes his eyes clumsily and in that second there’s no doubt in his mind that there is a God. Before his eyes, hand clinging onto Jimin’s coat sleeve is Taehyung. Jimin all but collapses into his hold, shaking.

“It was all a lie,” Jimin’s voice cracks, “I’m such an idiot, I thought I meant more! It feels fake! It must have been, Tae I’m so stupid.” He babbles into Taehyung’s shoulder, the soothing hand on his back causing all his hurt to leak out.

Distantly, Jimin hears Seokjin’s voice next to him and clocks that they must have been out together. He’s so dejected that Jimin can barely bring himself to feel sad about messing up Taehyung’s game.

Taehyung holds Jimin close, his hands brush Jimin’s cheeks and he sees they come away wet at which point Jimin realises he’s crying. A broken piece of himself finds it funny that he didn’t notice, finds the numbness almost gratifying. His legs move on their own as he’s ushered back into the castle and not even sure of where they’re headed as his head stays firmly locked against Taehyung’s neck.

Warm hands coax him down onto something soft and gently his gloves and scarf are removed, a blanket is draped over him. Looking up he registers the Hufflepuff insignia on the walls and assumes Seokjin brought them to his room. Gratitude flows through him.

His breathing is slow and laboured and Jimin feels like he’s suffocating, like the past months meant nothing. Probably becausethey did, they must have because the Yoongi that Jimin knew, the Yoongi that Jimin has spent the better half of this year lending his heart to, would have protected him in that instance.

Jimin’s mind runs in circles as he tries to rationalise today. He knows Yoongi’s parents have always been strict and traditional and who knows maybe he was scared in that moment too, maybe Jimin was foolish to believe those kinds of views don’t transcend generations.

Jimin thinks back to how this day started, the excitement he was harbouring this morning at the thought of finally laying everything on the table with Yoongi. He brings his hands up to his face, lamenting over his stupidity and to think he bought those stupid tickets.

The tickets. Yoongi will probably have a whale of a time making fun of that singing card. Hopefully he’ll take one of his teammates to the game and that money won’t go completely to waste.

He sits huddled in Seokjin’s room for what aches like hours, Taehyung and Seokjin busying themselves at his desk and Jimin pretends not to notice the pair of them frequenting him with worried looks. He feels his eyes growing heavy as the exhaustion, mental and physical, catches up to him and just as he’s about to sleep someone pounds at the door.

“YAH KIM SEOKJIN!” a frantic voice shouts from the other side, a voice that has Jimin wanting to cower under his blanket and bust through the door at the same time. The three of them exchange startled looks.

“I KNOW YOU’RE IN THERE OPEN UP!” Yoongi keeps hammering at the door and before Jimin can express concern for the rest of Hufflepuff, Seokjin jumps up.

He speaks in a measured voice but his tone strikes a stillness into even Jimin’s breathing, “Min Yoongi if you touch that door one more time I guarantee you it won’t be the only thing getting beat today. Now back off.”

A silence lapses as the pounding stops and Jimin swears he hears Yoongi mutter a curse in the hallway. “Please Jimin, baby,” his voice cracks at that and Jimin feels his resolve wavering with it too, “come on a walk with me. We should talk.”

Jimin can’t think straight. He’s torn between hitching a one way train back home and forgetting Hogwarts ever existed or stumbling right into Yoongi’s arms and forgiving all the hurt.

His silence has Taehyung shifting next to Jimin who slips next to him under the blanket, “Jimin you know I’ll support whatever you want to do. I’ll even throw in a punch for getting you in this state,” Jimin lets out an involuntary laugh, “but I think you might regret not hearing him out. For closure at least.” Taehyung squeezes his hands.

Jimin takes a deep breath and wills himself to stand. He steps in front of Seokjin who wears a defiant look with his back pressed firmly against the door. “Are you sure?”

Jimin shakes his head, “But I have to,” he coughs a little as he speaks, voice hoarse from disuse. As he reaches for the door handle he looks back at his friends, so immensely happy to have them by his sides and he pulls them both into an embrace, “thank you so much.”

He slowly opens the door, arms folded over his coat in a weak attempt to cover up his recent emotional state. The boy behind the door has his heart screaming.

Yoongi’s arms are splayed across the doorframe, his hands gripping the wood so tight that it creaks under the pressure. His hair is bedraggled and the black locks stand up every which way and the sight also resembles Yoongi’s hair after a game, ruffled by the rushes of wind and excited teammates. Yet as Jimin runs his eyes over Yoongi, he knows it’s the result of crazed hands running through it over and over to help ground him.

But it’s his eyes that strikes Jimin to his core. Coal eyes that swim with mirth on even the most dire of days have been reduced to small abysses through which Jimin can only see himself staring back. The edges that crinkle in response to each of Jimin’s lame jokes without fail now glare back at him are so red rimmed that Jimin can’t stuff down the instinct to kiss his eyelids and smooth away all that torment.

Neither of them utter a word as they make their way outside. A breeze snatches through them in the open air and briefly Jimin glances down at their hands. the distance between them feeling like mountains. He hitches a breath when he clocks that they’re walking down the same trail from that day they took pictures with a snowman.

“Jimin I can’t tell you how sorry I am,” Yoongi utters into the silence of the wind. Jimin falters in his steps but regains his footing quickly to keep walking in tow with Yoongi, something ugly building in him as they walk. The silence stretches until Jimin steps on a twig and it cracks.

“You humiliated me, Hyung” Jimin turns to face Yoongi, eyes boring into the elder,”Where I work as well! Your dad clearly has a lot of authority, I know that and so does everyone else in there. So to have him disrespect me like that in front of people I see everyday, in the place where I work, in a world that’s still so overwhelmingly alien to me,” Jimin gestures to the floating canoes on the black lake, “it hurts.”

Jimin’s breathing heavier now, his body catching up with his outburst. It really wasn’t how he pictured their talk, he always thought he’d be the calm, diplomatic one in these situations but all the hurt and betrayal had crept up on him all at once and he had to get it all out. He sheepishly turns his head up.

Yoongi’s eyes are back but Jimin doesn’t know why he feels all the more worse for it. They churn with so much sadness that Jimin feels his heart clawing in his chest to make them bright again. Unshed tears have staked their claim across the surface and it takes all of Jimin’s strength not to wipe them away. Luckily, Yoongi starts talking before Jimin can lose his senses.

Yoongi speaks like a broken man.

“I was trying my best to keep you away,” at this Jimin does gawk at Yoongi, to which he flushes, “Not like that! I’m not hiding you away or anything, well I am but not how you think. I just-” Yoongi stops, anguish swirling in his eyes.

“You just what?”, Jimin speaks quietly but desperation coats his every word. Please prove me wrong, Yoongi.

“I had to keep you away, Jimin,” he gazes sideways to the horizon of the lake, “Because I knew I wouldn’t be strong enough to protect you from them and I couldn’t do that to you. But I did anyway and I’m so unbelievably sorry.”

He’s not ashamed or embarrassed of you. But then why?

“Shit, Hyung”, Jimin sighs, sagging most of his body as he exhales, “Do you know how easily this could have been avoided had you just told me?”

Yoongi’s eyes widen but as he opens his mouth to speak Jimin raises his hand to quiet him. “Those kinds of comments, no matter how hard I try, are always going to sting. But it hurts the most to do it alone, Hyung. Usually I have Taehyung or Jungkook and, I really thought now I have you too but maybe that was wrong of me-“

He’s interrupted by Yoongi pulling him forward by his arms and Jimin yelps against Yoongi’s chest.

“You’re not wrong, baby. You thought right.” He pulls back so he can look Jimin in the eyes, “I’m there. By your side. I wouldn’t have it any other way. I understand now, that being by your side means letting you stand by mine too, letting you hear my heart so it helps me to shield yours.”

For a second all Jimin feels is gratitude. Gratitude that Yoongi understands without Jimin having to burrow into all the nuances of what went wrong. Gratitude that Yoongi just knows.
Jimin burrows his head against Yoongi’s chest once again, emotions swelling so fast that he needs the momentary respite.

“I really need a heads up next time, ok?”

“Next time?,” Yoongi mutters so softly that Jimin would have missed it if they weren’t glued together. He peers up through his damp lushes at Yoongi.

“It’s going to take a lot more than your stupidity to scare me away,” Jimin says and Yoongi noticeably relaxes against him, pillowing his forehead against Jimin’s.

“Thank you”, Yoongi says, “thank you for wanting to see the best in me.”

“Of course,” Jimin hums because he’s right. Jimin may have had his doubts earlier but further down he knew that he could trust Yoongi. That he was more than the worst Jimin could have imagined.

He can’t believe they managed to have their first fight and make up all before even confirming they’re together.

“What was that?”

“Oh,” Jimin realises dumbly that he was thinking out loud, “I uh just was thinking that it’s kind of weird how we fought and made up all before being you know,” he points between them, “together?”

He doesn’t expect Yoongi to pull away from him, an incredulous look painting his expression.

“Are we not together?” he questions, eyes narrowed but tone light enough that Jimin knows he’s not getting defensive.

Jimin stammers, “I mean, you nev-, we never”

“Jimin.”

“Yes,” Jimin hangs his head like a scalded schoolboy. Maybe he is.

“Ask me to be your boyfriend” his head jolts up, Yoongi facing back at him, lips spread into maybe the widest smile he’s ever seen the elder wear.

So Jimin asks, the words echoing in the breeze for the calmest of moments where Jimin can only focus on his heart smashing against his chest. It turns out Yoongi isn’t a fan of words, he forgoes a verbal answer and pulls Jimin into his embrace, kissing him.

Jimin whimpers as Yoongi closes the distance between them, ecstasy coursing through him as his hands grab at Jimin’s waist. Yoongi’s lips are warm against his, chapped and firm as they trap Jimin’s own between them. Needing to steady himself, Jimin rests his hand against Yoongi’s chest, own heart lurching as he feels how fast it beats beneath him. Jimin startles when Yoongi’s hands tighten around his shirt and before he can ask what's happening, Yoongi lifts him straight off his feet, their noses bumping as they adjust to the new position.

When Yoongi groans, clearly not used to the weight, Jimin can’t help but laugh against his mouth as they pull away, hot breaths misting in the cool air.

“Just so you know,” Yoongi cups Jimin’s chin, “I’ve considered you my boyfriend for a long time.” Jimin groans, hiding his face in Yoongi’s neck, wondering how he could have been so dense.

They stay like that, warm and close. A sort of peaceful silence surrounds them as they hold each other. Of course it doesn’t last long, the stillness breaks when Yoongi’s stomach growls.

Yoongi grumbles, “Every fucking time!” he remembers that night they’d been interrupted by his troublesome stomach. Their first tutoring session and the incident with Hyunshik, how even before they were together (well before they were officially together) Yoongi did not hesitate to tear him down.

Feeling the warm hand against his lower back and shaky heart of the man against him, despite all that transpired today, Jimin doesn’t doubt he would tear down anyone if Jimin asked.

“You didn’t eat with your parents?”Jimin speaks in a hushed tone, he’s a little confused, assuming they were about to order but refuses to focus too heavily on that moment.

Yoongi leans out of Jimin’s arms, bringing his own hand up to scratch behind his ear, “Well, as soon as you...left, I sort of went off at my dad.”

“You what?”, Jimin was not expecting that.

“It got a bit heated, some of the things he’s said”, Yoongi balls his hand into a fist but Jimin notices immediately, running his own hand across his hand and linking their two palms instead. “Your manager,”

Sulhee?

“she was over in an instant, dragged him out and practically chased him halfway down the street!”

They break out into a laugh together, Jimin’s own coloured by the understanding that he was so loved today. “Yeah she can be pretty scary”

“Yep, now I get why you never dodge a shift. Anyway, I tried to run after you” Yoongi’s gaze pierces into Jimin, “but it was my mom who held me back. Told me to give you space, I’m glad she did.”

“Me too,” Jimin cups Yoongi’s jaw, my hero.

“That’s actually what I wanted to ask you, a sort of birthday wish if you’ll grant me that,” Yoongi jokes but again Jimin hears the nervous lilt, “she wants to meet you.” His lips tighten after those last words.

Jimin’s eyebrows raise so high, he could swear they disappear. “Meet me?”

“Like now,” he adds.

“Now? But we just- And my eyes are so-, really” his panic increases tenfold when Yoongi can’t stop himself from laughing, “Yah!”, Jimin slaps his chest gently.

“You look fine,” Jimin has to roll his eyes at that, “Stunning, even. But if you really don’t want to, I’ll walk you back and just go say goodbye to her, no hassle.” Jimin knows he’s dead serious.

But Jimin contemplates it. His mind wanders to all the surprises he’s had to face on this awfully long day, the hurt and the resolve and here next to Yoongi, he has to admit he feels braver than ever.

Basically, fuck it!

“Ok,” he mumbles.

“You’re sure?”

Taking a leaf out of the elder’s book today, Jimin forgoes an answer and rather outstretches his hand to Yoongi. He slots their hands together and Jimin beams when he feels the warmth of the hand warmer in his jacket pocket.

Jimin quickly comes to know that Yoongi’s mother, Yuna - she insists Jimin call her, is pretty much a polar opposite to her husband.

She looks just as put together as Yoongi’s father but there’s a striking softness to her aura. It shines through in the tender way she runs her hands along Jimin’s arms as they meet and the gentle lull of her voice as she utters apology after apology when they walk back in.

Yuna spends most of their meal all but interrogating Jimin about anything and everything. She becomes particularly invested in the concept of amusement parks and rollercoasters, gums flashing through a wide smile and slight lisp slipping into her voice as her excitement grows.

The resemblance is uncanny.

When the persistent attention borders on overwhelming, their food arrives and thankfully the conversation shifts to Yoongi. Though, talk of next year and the myriad of Quidditch camps and internships Yoongi has lined up has Jimin’s heart lurching. In a dark turn of the mind, he wonders if they would survive the distance, if Yoongi would wait that long year for him.

Yoongi must notice he zones out a little and squeezes his upper arm from where his arm rests atop Jimin’s shoulders. He chances a look to his side and it dawns on him that Yoongi didn’t even have to look at him to see something’s wrong, only feeling the dip and immediately swooping to the rescue.

My suitor after all.

Eventually they’re slumped back in their seats, empty mugs littered along the table and the coming sunset basks the room in orange. Yoongi’s mother crosses her arms across from them, lips upturned as they flit from Jimin to Yoongi.

“What?” Yoongi grumbles, hands twitching at the implied scrutiny.

“Nothing!” She’s smiling through her chirpy tone, “You two are cute, that’s all.”

Her smile grows at the shared redness that spreads across the both of them. Jimin attempts to cloud his embarrassment with his hand only to be stopped by Yoongi’s firm grip around it. His gaze trained dead ahead, lips tight. Huh, maybe he is cute.

Compared to how the day started out, Jimin surprises himself with the sudden sadness that consumes him at the time to say goodbye. The tight embrace Yuna wraps him has Jimin suppressing a yelp but he relaxes into it, happy that he made a comfortable impression at least. He might grimace slightly when she presses a wet kiss to his cheek but laughs it off when she smothers Yoongi after him.

Jimin stands aside so as to give them some room to say goodbye and spots Sulhee wiping down the counters.

“Noona!”, he speaks from behind her.

She startles, spinning on her heels and pointing the spray bottle back at Jimin.

“Jiminie,” she relaxes, lowering her weapon and looping one arm across his waist, “How are you feeling?”

He presents her with a significantly watered down version of his emotional rollercoaster today, making sure to thank her sincerely for defending him in his absence. Sulhee shoots him a crooked smile, ruffling his hair as she shoos him off to a waiting Yoongi.

Jimin gives himself the privilege to take in his boyfriend. Boyfriend! Yoongi leans against the doorway, head tilted as stray black strands wash over his eyes in the wind. The cold splashes smudges of red across his cheeks. As those same cheeks scrunch up alongside a gentle smile as their eyes meet, Jimin thinks he’s positively beautiful.

And when he presses Jimin against the door to his room, shifting his mouth to place light kisses across his jaw, Jimin forgets how to think at all. His head knocks against the door when Yoongi focuses his lips on the soft skin of his neck and Jimin has to hold back a moan.

“Yoongi” Jimin gasps when Yoongi squeezes his waist.

“Missed you, baby,” he sighs against Jimin’s collarbones, “Couldn’t breathe when you left.” Jimin tugs at the small hairs at the back of Yoongi’s neck, pulling him up and pressing their noses together. For a beat they stay like that, breaths mixing as they hold each other close.

Gingerly, Jimin adjusts his chin to catch Yoongi’s lips in his, a kiss much more tender than those a few moments ago. Jimin’s hands tighten around Yoongi’s collar, so desperate in their feat to keep him close, inhaling that familiar sandalwood smell as it threatens to consume him.

“I’m here now,” he says, breathlessly, as their lips detach, “You brought me back.” Jimin knows he doesn’t just mean today, he means everything from the day they first met. Days of dread and hiding his camera because of the endless shame transformed into the best moments of his time at Hogwarts. Meeting Yoongi brough Jimin back to himself, to someone who celebrates his craft and allows himself to grow with it, someone who has the courage to love and be loved by his friends and someone who doesn’t feel that he needs to earn his place in the wizarding world.

Yoongi makes him feel like he can just exist and still be enough.

Jimin feels the smile before he sees it, soft lips widening against his cheek and Yoongi’s gravelly laugh sparks shivers along his spine. When a jut in the wood of the door pushes uncomfortably against his back, Jimin decides to move them further into the room.

Although, despite any forte he might have in dance, Jimin remembers he’s notoriously uncoordinated. Jimin tries to step forward but their legs tangle awkwardly and the pair of them stumble backwards, landing on his bed with a thud.

Jimin groans in embarrassment against Yoongi, feeling the rumble of his chest as Yoongi cackles beneath him. It reminds Jimin of the first time they met, the tumbling off his broom and endless mortification that lingered for months after. Yet as he lies collapsed and wholly unflattering against his boyfriend, Jimin only feels safe.

A crinkling sound disrupts their moment and Yoongi helps Jimin sit up to check where the noise came from.

“What?” Yoongi lifts up the object from his bed, and Jimin notices it’s the tickets he bought for his birthday. Yoongi reads over the paper intensely, his jaw going slack when he reads the writing. “Jimin how did yo-”

“Nevermind how, just tell me that you like it,” Jimin can’t keep himself still as he watches Yoongi glance down at the tickets and back at him almost comically.

“I like it,” Yoongi surges against Jimin’s lips, trapping them in his own, gratitude and affection seeping through with every kiss, “I really like it. You’re amazing.”

“I do my best,” he jests and it drives Yoongi to give Jimin one extra peck before turning back to the other envelope.

“Don’t open that!” Jimin speaks frantically, the sudden change in his voice causing Yoongi to raise an amused eyebrow. It’s the card he enchanted with his singing voice and for all the demons he’s fought today, this one would surely be his downfall.

“Well, now I’m intrigued,” a sly look passes over his face, “What if I just,” he picks at the edge of the envelope, chuckling when Jimin reaches over to try and snatch it away.

“Okay fine, I won’t” Yoongi concedes and Jimin closes his eyes to release a deep breath. But as he’s distracted, Yoongi hurries to tear open the envelope and before Jimin can realise what’s happening, it’s being opened.

Jimin grimaces as his voice floods the silence of the room. Yoongi insists on letting the whole song play through twice before relenting, revelling in his turmoil as Jimin smashes his face against the pillow. Eventually, Yoongi joins Jimin lying on the bed, arms gently flipping Jimin over to face him.

“I’m a Slytherin, what did you expect?” he mumbles. Jimin responds with a pout but it swiftly disappears when Yoongi peppers light kisses across his cheeks and nose. Satisfied, Jimin croons against Yoongi, looping his legs over the elder’s and pulling them into a spooning position.

Pulling the covers out from under them with his free hand, Yoongi tucks them under and they both drift into a peaceful slumber.

———

Following Yoongi’s birthday, the pair of them are totally inseparable and Jimin doesn’t know how he functioned without it. Even the slightest separation for class has his heart screaming in his chest and empty hand aching for rough palms to hold. The knowledge that Yoongi is more tactile than himself also helps, the elder frequently ambushing him in empty hallways and always finding their arms to link in a crowd.

Jimin starts to really notice all the little things Yoongi shows his love through and his words from out by the lake echo in his head, I already considered you my boyfriend, and only now he appreciates what that means; Every late evening where Yoongi always arrives first after dance practice, warm tea and a kiss to make him swoon or each delicate adjustment of Jimin’s hat when the curls of his bangs go awry. The tenderness in his movements, in his very being has Jimin endlessly falling.

It turns out he’s not the only one, for an infamous Hufflepuff couple also seems to have fallen (into each other’s laps if the rumours hold any merit). A ritual Saturday morning has the two of them smack bang in the centre of their friends, feeding each other mouthfuls of their breakfast. A sight that has Jungkook trying not to gag at seeing his brother so disgustingly coupley, even Yoongi and Jimin, tactile as the two of them are, lose their appetite.

Taehyung and Seokjin only break out of their eye-sore of a stupor when Hoseok groans from the end of their table.

“Can’t believe I introduced all of you and I’m the single one!”

He throws his head back in despair when his anguish only makes the couples around him exchange fond looks and link hands under the wooden table.

Gradually the conversation drifts away from budding affections and to much more important topics.

High School Dances.

“Slytherin’s first for the Yule Ball rehearsal tonight,” Namjoon shoots Yoongi a look over the lens of his glasses, “You guys excited?”

Jimin won’t admit it out loud but he’s been waiting for the Ball since his first dance audition. The fancy clothes, dazzling lights, even the spiked drinks all have Jimin feeling giddy.

“I wish I could be there to see Yoongi,” Seokjin snickers opposite him, “Good luck hiding that extra left foot of yours.”

“Well I’m sure Jiminie will keep me on my feet.”

Jimin proceeds to choke on his cereal, frame wracking with small coughs as he tries to unpack what that means. Is that Yoongi asking him to the dance?

The universe doesn’t even give him the kindness of time to think because after the conversation lulls, everyone starts to drift off.

He seamlessly falls into step with Yoongi as they amble to class. The halls are mostly empty, only a few stragglers rushing around. Where Yoongi seems content to stroll in silence, Jimin’s mind whirs at a dangerous speed as he mulls the same question over and over.

Soon, the door to his lesson is edging into view and all the doubt bubbles up to the surface, forcing him to spin on his heel and face Yoongi.

Glazed honey pours over liquid coal.

“Did you mean it?,” he speaks so fast it’s almost indiscernible, “Do you really want to go to the ball with me?” He searches Yoongi’s face for the slightest sign of hesitation, heart racing as the pause for a reply stretches on.

But then Yoongi curves his lips into a smile, large hands gripping the fabric of Jimin’s scarf. Jimin’s breath hitches as Yoongi takes a slow step towards him.

“Park Jimin, you’re a fool if you think I’d want to go anywhere without you.”

And then and there, Jimin almost bursts into flames.

————

As it turns out two left feet was actually code for, two left feet that have definitely never taken a step in their life, have chronically twisted ankles and the sharpest heels Jimin’s ever had crash down on him. Where Jimin has had every twirl and skip mastered since his first days at Hogwarts, Yoongi apparently has to start by learning his left foot from the right.

Jimin guesses phenomenal coordination on a broom may not translate to the same on foot.

The song loops over and over and each time Yoongi’s frown deepens after each misstep or his brows furrow when he forgets a move, Jimin makes sure to keep his spirits up, loud laughter rumbling into his shoulder. He seems to cheer up when Jimin peppers small kisses along his cheeks after every successful spin out.

Soon, their housemates are drifting off, pair by pair, and Jimin can tell the exhaustion is catching up to Yoongi if the thin layer of sweat forming on his forehead is anything to go by. They agree on one last practice before heading back for the day,

They count in steps of 8, back, left, twirl, jump. The fourth count has Yoongi’s hands tightening around his waist.

On count 6, Jimin realises this is the furthest the two of them have managed uninterrupted and catches the ghost of a smile making its way onto his partner’s face.

By count 10, every other pair has cleared out, even the teacher made a sneaky exit.

Count 11, the final count, has Yoongi’s smile broadening as his confidence grows with every move. It’s the last move now, a twirl followed by a drop.

Yoongi spins Jimin out, flashes of green and gold dancing between them and before he knows it he’s bent backwards, Yoongi’s firm arm warm against his back and his proud smile glowing down at him. The record scratches to a stop and for a second Jimin thinks his world does too.

They hold that position for a beat, Yoongi panting softly as he runs his eyes over Jimin. They did it!

Then Yoongi pulls him up and he collides with the elder’s chest with a soft ‘oof’ before suddenly his feet are lifted off the floor and now he’s the one looking down at Yoongi. Yoongi spins him in his hold, gravelly laugh echoing into the studio and eyes squinting into happy crescents.

Gently, he lowers Jimin to the floor and captures his lips into a soft kiss. His shoulders sag as the triumph of today washes over him, and Yoongi pulls their lips apart and pushes their foreheads together.

“Thank God! I thought my feet were going to fall off. '' Jimin breaks the silence and misses the gentle smile Yoongi directs his way when he turns out of their embrace.

But before he can reach his bag, Yoongi’s pulling him back, onyx eyes levelling him with so much emotion swirling around that it takes everything in Jimin not to shy away from it.

“You know?” Yoongi speaks into the shell of Jimin’s ear.

“I know.”

And he does.

————

Looking in the mirror has never been Jimin’s favourite pastime, but today, tonight, he might have to make an exception.

A gentle quietness hangs in the dorm, all his roommates having sped off to get ready with their friends although Jimin’s thankful for the alone time. The last dregs of sunlight filter into the dorm and Jimin watches it wash over his reflection.

He runs a nervous hand through the gold of his hair, touching and then retouching to get the curls just right. The glitter on his eyelids shimmers as his eyes dart across the room in search of his camera. He does find it eventually, buried under the mountain of clothes strewn across his bed in a last minute panic.

Jimin’s switched out the band of his camera to a purple one to blend with the dark violet of his suit and, after draping it over his neck, he tucks it securely away into his pocket.

He checks the time, 7:00 exactly, and his heart quickens when he realises it’s time to head down to meet Yoongi. At this moment having his boyfriend in the same house is more of a curse than a blessing; None of his friends are close by to mentally prepare him for his date or hype him up last minute or even to slap him across the face and tell him to stop being such a pussy.

The creak of his door echoes into the hallway and only then does Jimin notice the whole of Slytherin is basked in silence. The heels of his shoes clack against the floor as he takes jittery footsteps towards the stairs. The landing that looks over the common room comes swiftly into view and before Jimin can chicken out he peers over the railing.

Broad shoulders are turned away from him down below, seemingly lost in conversation with the painting on the wall. Jimin watches the emerald glint from his waistcoat bounce around the crystal lights. Silently, he edges further along the landing to catch a glimpse of Yoongi as his conversation with the painting grows more animated and he begins emphasising with his hands.

The sound of a shutter going off has Yoongi (and the painting) simultaneously halting in their words as they turn heavy gazes to where Jimin stands. Jimin blushes at the intensity, gloved hand covering his cheeks. The action dissipates some of the tension as it brings a wild smile across Yoongi’s face and he eagerly gestures for Jimin to come down and join him.

Giddy, Jimin descends the staircase, eyes only leaving Yoongi briefly to ensure he doesn’t trip on the stone. His feet never even make it to the floor for, when he’s just in arms reach, Yoongi wraps his hands around Jimin’s waist, and spins him in his hold. Jimin giggles in the air.

“Been wanting to do that again since the rehearsal,” Yoongi beams at Jimin, lowering him down but hands still firm against his waist.

Jimin’s heart swells and he presses a chaste kiss to his boyfriend’s lips, “You look beautiful tonight, Hyung.” He enjoys the blush that coats his face.

Yoongi quickly shakes his head, large hands coming up to fiddle with Jimin’s dangly earring. “Don’t flatter me,” he whispers, “On your worst day you put everyone else to shame. But especially today.”

Jimin follows Yoongi’s gaze as it runs over his outfit, breath catching in his throat when his hand pauses over the thin lace of his shirt. Yoongi’s tongue darts over his lips as he quirks an eyebrow. “Pretty,” he murmurs, before bringing his hand to rest against his cheekbones.

“I agree”, a third voice in the room chimes in from behind them and the pair of them startle. The tall woman in the painting chuckles at their shock and Jimin discreetly presses his lips to Yoongi’s ear.

“I think that’s our cue to leave”, he whispers, slightly wary of causing offence to the painting lady. He laces his fingers with Yoongi’s behind his jacket and tugs. The pair of them tumble out the door, cackling the whole way down to the Great Hall.

Jimin starts to regret all the time spent styling his hair when the curls start falling over his face after only ten minutes on the dance floor. Taehyung looks just as stunning as ever, the amber of his eyeshadow casting him in an especially pretty orange glow and his gravelly laugh rumbles against Jimin’s chest when they pretend to waltz together. Quickly, the song changes and Taehyung is pulling away, insisting he has to find Seokin to dance, which simultaneously has Jimin searching for his partner.

He stretches on his toes, peering over flocks of gelled hair and oversized suits. He spots Hoseok over by the food, his hand wrapped around the waist of a pretty girl from Jimin’s flying class and Jimin smiles to himself, happy none of his friends will be too alone tonight.

The thought distracts Jimin from his task momentarily, when did he become the one worrying about someone else being lonely? But then the tell tale whir of his camera reaches his ears.

His head snaps to his left, the edge of the dance floor. Jungkook and Namjoon stand together, sporting matching smiles and navy jackets. Jungkook forks some cake into his boyfriend’s mouth and the two of them collapse into fits of laughter, forcing them to step slightly to the side.

Behind them and crouching low, with the black of his trousers clinging to his thighs, is Yoongi. His face is obscured by a camera, Jimin’s camera, but he knows it’s him nonetheless - whether by the slight tilt of his forehead as he concentrates, or the crooked bend of his pinky around the camera frame, Jimin knows.

Then the camera is rotating, twisting in a deft movement and then the focus is on him. Jimin stares back from the other side of the lens, a side so unfamiliar to him yet only a few inches from a side he’d call home. He watches the lens swirl and flushes instantly. Yoongi had taken a picture and he wasn’t even smiling.

But then Yoongi is straightening up, camera rising with him and Jimin’s heart races. Coal eyes finally, finally come into view and his heart stops all together.

And when they meet on the dance floor, warm hands pressing against a pounding chest, Jimin burns.

His fingers tighten around Yoongi’s neck nape as he pulls him close and presses their lips together. The sweet taste of the soda lingers on his lips and Jimin instinctively runs his tongue over his lower lip, asking to deepen the kiss. Yoongi sighs against him, his palms coming up to cup Jimin’s cheeks.

A sharp pain erupts along Jimin’s stomach and he hisses, pulling away. He glances down, breathy laugh spilling past his lips when he spots the camera dangling low from Yoongi’s neck. Of course.

He flits his gaze back up to Yoongi, musing at how cute he looks donning Jimin’s strap and camera.

“Hey, this isn’t a bad look for you,” Jimin teases, playfully tugging at the band.

Yoongi snorts, “Well if I’m holding the camera then that board of yours is gonna be pretty empty now, huh?” At this Jimin steps back, abashed and red as he remembers his friends teasing him for that exact same thing. “Woah, hey!” Yoongi pulls Jimin closer by the arm, finger smoothing out his pout, “I always loved them, really. And you always got my good side!”

“The left” they both say together and Jimin at last feels himself settle back to his usual colour.

They stay like that for a while, gently swaying in a tight embrace, camera tucked safely past Yoongi’s hip. Jimin rests his forehead against his boyfriend’s shoulder, enjoying the gentle way Yoongi hums the tune of the song. Yet that soothing lull is quickly disrupted when one of the Ravenclaw prefects takes over the music and heavy metal fills the hall.

They both let out identical groans, equally desperate to avoid the inevitable mob that will take over the dance floor. Yoongi lowers his hand from Jimin’s back to his hand, flashing him a quick smile over the shoulder, before leading them out the side exit.

A sharp chill runs through Jimin as they enter the open air. Yoongi must notice because soon he’s releasing his grip on Jimin’s hand and swapping it for the comforting touch of his jacket around his shoulders. “You’re really going to lend me your jacket?”

“I really am,” he replies, satisfaction seeping into his voice.

“Ok then I guess you have to let me give you mine,” Jimin’s expression morphs into a smug smirk as he slips off his own jacket under Yoongi’s and ceremoniously drapes it over Yoongi, not missing the lopsided smile that spreads over his face at the action.

Eventually Yoongi halts his steps and Jimin realises they’ve made it to the quidditch pitch. He’s just about to ask Yoongi why they’ve stopped when the action of him slipping out his wand grabs Jimin’s attention. Eyes fluttering shut, Yoongi murmurs an indiscernible incantation and a familiar song starts playing from his wand - the song from the rehearsal.

“We didn’t get a chance inside,” Yoongi starts and Jimin thinks he looks like a vision in the moonlight, “And I know you’ve been practicing-”

“Yah!” He’s cut off by the playful slap Jimin gifts him on his waist.

“Ok, ok, I really want to do this, with you”, Yoongi rests one hand against Jimin’s waist as he talks and their palms come together just in time to start the dance.

Like leaves in an autumn wind, they twirl and swoop and dive and fall against one another. Yoongi watches the starlight glitter against his boyfriend’s cheeks, small constellations etching their way into his skin with every smile. He feels every ripple of Jimin’s muscles against his palm as they glide together, a searing heat flowing through him everytime honey eyes settle on him.

In a flash of blinding light, the song finishes and the silence stretches as they catch their breaths.

“Wow,” Jimin whispers, all too aware of the weight of Yoongi’s arm against his back, lidded eyes drifting to Yoongi’s lips, then up to his eyes, then back to his lips.

Their teeth clack together with the force that Yoongi pulls Jimin against him, his lips against his. Jimin’s lips are chapped and dry from the cold and he can’t help the soft moan that leaves his mouth when Yoongi slips his tongue over them. Warm breaths mix in the cool air and Jimin struggles to focus on one thing. There’s the tight grip on his waist that only seems to grow tighter or the trailing line of open mouthed kisses Yoongi leaves along his jaw.

Yoongi breaks away first, wet lips glistening in the dark as he presses their foreheads together. “Jimin,” he rasps.

“Mmm?”, he hums, eyes opening to meet Yoongi’s.

“You know I love Quidditch,” he begins.

“Uh, yeah?”

“No, not like that just,” he sighs, slight frustration colouring his voice, “I used to think that the reason I knew my love for Quidditch was real was because it was loud and everybody could see it.”

Jimin nods along, feeling that in this second Yoongi just needs him to listen.

“But right here, in my room and in the greenhouse when it’s just us,” his voice falters but he continues quickly, ”When it’s just us and it feels so calm and mine and like home, I know I love you Park Jimin.”

Jimin’s breath hitches, vision blurring as he focuses on Yoongi’s trembling hands. Never would he have thought Min Yoongi, Captain Min Yoongi, Untouchable Min Yoongi would be telling him he loved him at (or outside) the Yule Ball. Like Pluto to the sun, like the pull of the sun to the most outcast planet, Yoongi had chosen him.

Gently, Jimin pushes a gentle finger against Yoongi’s chin to bring their faces level. Because Jimin, well Jimin thinks he chose Yoongi a long time ago.

He presses a soft kiss to Yoongi’s forehead, whispering against the skin there, “Yoongi, I know I love you too.”

When their lips meet again tonight, lingering touches urging them to close the smallest of spaces between them, Jimin lets the first tear fall.

——-

Jimin did not think his first day of his last year at Hogwarts would be mostly spent sulking in his dorm. Yet as he pins up photo after photo of his summer with Yoongi, he can’t help the endless longing.

He unpacks his plants last, knowing this way he could figure out exactly where there’d be space for them. His cactus collection snags the window sill and he places the leaping toadstools in a nice damp corner (although as soon as he turns back, they’ve already jumped over to his bed). Finally his favourite, the Daylily.

Jimin lifts it gently out of the box, fretting when his hand brushes the petals and they turn a dark blue. Damn it, now Yoongi’s going to worry!

He places the flower on his bedside, forcing his mind to think of anything that’ll lift his mood. But it’s to no avail for the flower glowers at him in all it’s mopey blue glory. Dinner forces Jimin to at least try and feel better.

Unfortunately, misery loves company and sitting with Taehyung and Jungkook who seem to be in worse states than him has Jimin eating his heart out with bacon. The silence stretches until the distant cry of owls can be heard.

Neither one of them lifts their head, the first day back meaning there’s virtually no reason to be expecting mail. Still, a small brown envelope floats onto the table before him.

He chokes on his food when he clocks the familiar handwriting and scrambles to wipe his hands to open it. But before he can fully break the seal he turns his attention back to his friends, afraid to make their sorry states worse with his mail, Jimin pockets the letter for later.

Back in his dorm, Jimin gently retrieves the envelope. Smiling, he runs his hands over the familiar writing and then tears open the seal. He pulls out the contents which happen to be one small, singular photo.

He turns it over in his hand and raises his other to his mouth to muffle his laugh. It’s Yoongi perched on his broom over a small lake - not exactly a photographic masterpiece, much more a blurry selfie taken on a second hand camera that Jimin had gifted him. But it’s also exactly what Jimin needed to patch that small loneliness before it could grow into something better. .

He carefully tucks the photo beside the plant pot, next to his favourite one of the pair of them cheering at the Quidditch Championship, grinning when the Daylily blooms yellow.