Chapter Text
Perhaps the Yule Ball isn’t the place to be giving each other dares, but it is entirely too stuffy and Wooyoung and his friends are bored. A complicated waltz is playing and the tempo has slowed down, which gives the young Gryffindor a chance to let his mind wander; some - his professors - would say that it was a dangerous thing. He folds his arms and leans back against the wall, surrounded by his friends from the different houses: Wooyoung didn’t care which House his friends belonged to, he was drawn to their personalities first and foremost.
Yeosang, his oldest friend and a Ravenclaw, nudges him. “It’s your turn. What are you going to pick?”
“Dare, what else?” Wooyoung replies, not even taking his eyes off the throngs of dancing students for a second.
Mingi, a fellow Gryffindor, laughs into his hands. “Who gets to pick yours, then?”
“I do,” Yeonjun, one of his best friends and a Slytherin, pipes up. “I dare you to go up to Park Seonghwa and dance the rest of this waltz with him.”
The air noticeably changes and Wooyoung gulps. Park Seonghwa is a 7th year Slytherin and owner of the most fearsome reputation in Hogwarts. With silvery white hair and piercing blue eyes, statuesque features and the height to match, Seonghwa was untouchable to mere mortals. Always surrounded by ravens and keeping to himself, gossip spread like wildfire about the 7th year; his only friend seemed to be a Gryffindor 7th year, Hongjoong.
“Are you serious?” Wooyoung asks, swallowing.
“What, are you scared?” Yeonjun challenges.
“No!” Wooyoung snaps. He’s not scared. He’s not.
He’s fucking terrified.
Seonghwa practically moves in the shadows, as if he took lessons from the Head of his House, Professor Snape. But where Snape was outwardly scary, Seonghwa was intimidatingly beautiful and would give someone the time of day, but watch a student that’s confessing their crush on him turn themselves inside out just trying to get their words out. It was almost worse than roasting them outright.
“If you bitch out, you know what the penalty is,” Changbin, a fellow Gryffindor snickers.
“I’m not going to bitch out!” Wooyoung snaps. He straightens out his formal robes, perhaps a little too much and looks over to where Seonghwa is fastened in the corner underneath one of the giant stained glass windows, arm resting on the windowsill of an opened window as one of his ravens chitters at him. “I just… need a minute to think of an approach.”
Yunho, a Hufflepuff, grins. “Why don’t you just lead with ‘you’re like the hottest guy here’ like you did with San?”
Wooyoung groans and puts his face in his hands. “Will you just let me LIVE? I had a whole plan then he just looked at me and smiled with those freaking dimples of his and I was done.” He suddenly straightens up and flexes his shoulders back, raising his chin; he can do this. “Watch the master.”
“But San’s trying to close the deal with Hongjoong, we can’t watch him,” Yeosang points out with a snicker. Wooyoung glares at him and turns up his head, striding out strongly into the crowd and making his way over to the far corner of the ballroom.
Seonghwa is not paying attention in the slightest to the Yule Ball, instead gently rubbing the pad of his finger along the black-feathered head of the raven that’s sitting on the windowsill. A cool breeze curls into the ballroom, and lightly douses the certifiable lava pit Wooyoung finds himself in. The moonlight pierces through the high stained glass, draping Seonghwa in a faded rainbow that seems to be tailor made to make Wooyoung sweat. The raven notices him first and chirps at him warningly, which causes Seonghwa to turn…
… and Wooyoung is not ready.
Park Seonghwa from afar was already intimidating, but up close, where Wooyoung can see his pores, almost count each one of his long eyelashes, the slope of his nose, the plush pink of his lips… the moonlight catches the multiple silver earrings that dangle from his ears, and Wooyoung is positive the rumours of Seonghwa being half-Veela are true. Seonghwa is draped in sapphire blue robes with silvery white accents, looking as if the moon itself wrapped him in them.
“Jung Wooyoung, from Gryffindor, right?”
Wooyoung snaps out of his spiralling thoughts; that… is not what he expected Seonghwa to sound like. His voice is soft and it’s immeasurably deep. “Um, yeah,” Wooyoung confirms lamely. He flinches, thanking any deity that’s listening that his friends aren’t there listening to him - though he wouldn’t put it past Yeosang or Yunho to use some kind of spell to heighten their hearing just to get front seats to this disaster. “Do you want to dance?”
He really did have a better lead-in than that, but as he looks into Seonghwa’s steely blue eyes, his gut tells him to be straightforward.
Surprise etches itself on the 7th year’s handsome face and for a moment, Wooyoung feels like the entire ballroom floor is going to open up and swallow him up for daring to ask Park Seonghwa, the most feared student in the entire school to dance to a waltz.
“Uh, don’t worry about it, you don’t have to if you don’t want--”
“...Hongjoong, can you watch Celeste?”
“--Huh?” Wooyoung looks up from his staring contest with the floor to see that Seonghwa has turned his head to his friend, Hongjoong … who is currently pressed up against the nearby wall and bracketed by San’s forearms.
Hongjoong clears his throat and pushes San back by a hand to the face. “Yeah, I can watch her.”
Seonghwa nods and rises, his robes flowing around him like they were made out of air. He straightens them out, making sure that the crystalline clasps are fastened, carding his slender fingers through the carefully styled strands. “Thank you,” he says, giving a thin smile. He turns to Wooyoung, who goes ramrod still and for once, showing proper posture. “Let’s go.”
Wooyoung’s brain helpfully short-circuits as Seonghwa gently takes his hand in his, pulling him out towards the ballroom floor. As if he commands it, the throngs of ball goers parts for Seonghwa, allowing the 7th year to guide Wooyoung to the dead centre of the floor. “Ah, this is… are you sure?” he rambles, looking up as Seonghwa easily guides him into the proper position.
“I wouldn’t joke about this,” Seonghwa replies simply, a thin smile creasing his lips as he deftly begins to lead.
Now, Wooyoung knows how to waltz. He’s consistently at the top of his classes when it comes to dance, to athletics. But right now, as he’s practically gliding with Park Seonghwa along the Yule Ball floor, he feels like he’s got two lead feet. Everyone’s eyes are on them, and Wooyoung wants nothing more than to spontaneously combust. His skin feels like it’s on fire, and everywhere that Seonghwa’s ring adorned hands are touching is like a blisteringly cool salve washing over him.
“Right, I didn’t mean to imply that…” Wooyoung stammers, trying to get himself in order. He’s lucky muscle memory is kicking in and he’s not making a physical ass out of himself. Diplomatically, however, he’s about one fumbled sentence away from flinging himself into the woods and letting one of Hagrid’s weird creatures eat him for dinner.
“I’m very happy you asked me to dance,” Seonghwa says, and Wooyoung’s pretty sure he didn’t hear that correctly.
His head snaps up and he’s stunned to see his upperclassman smiling at him, stars sparkling in his silvery blue eyes. “What?”
Seonghwa absently bites his shimmery bottom lip, looking out past Wooyoung to an undetermined spot over the younger man’s shoulder as a faint blush colours his cheeks. “I’m… very happy that you asked me to dance,” Seonghwa repeats, swallowing.
Wait.
Is Park Seonghwa nervous?
About dancing with him?
“Why?” the question’s out before he can stop himself.
Seonghwa bites down a bit harder on his bottom lip, and absently tightens his grip on Wooyoung’s hands, just barely missing his timing on a transitional move in the waltz. He recovers quickly, smoothly, and carries on like nothing happened. “Isn’t it obvious?” Seonghwa asks in return, still not meeting Wooyoung’s eyes, still staring off into the distance.
“No, no it’s not…”
“Ah, you’re going to make me say it?” Seonghwa mumbles, beautifully sloped shoulders hunching up. “Because I’m not the type of person you usually talk to.” He briefly flits his gaze back to Wooyoung, before snapping it back to the spot on the wall he’s been staring at the whole waltz. “Or that anyone wants to talk to, really…”
Wooyoung can’t believe his ears. One, from what Seonghwa has dropped on him, and two, that the waltz is already over. He could’ve sworn that they were longer, like hella long he’s-gonna-fall-asleep-during-them long.
Seonghwa gently releases his hands and inclines his head gently, his jewellery jingling melodically, like the sweetest song Wooyoung’s ever heard. “Thank you for the dance,” the upperclassman says, his smile a bit shy. “I’ll let you return to your friends now.” He nods and turns, robes swirling around him like they were gentle waves curling around the shoreline.
“--wait,” Wooyoung interrupts, hand snapping out to latch around Seonghwa’s wrist. “Tomorrow, let’s hang out.”
“...Hang out?” Seonghwa’s eyes are wide, his lips parted in surprise. “With me?”
Wooyoung blinks. “Yeah, with you! Who else am I talking to?”
Embarrassment colours Seonghwa’s beautiful features and he bites his thumbnail, eyes darting around as the ball goers are watching this with a vested interest. “Yes, tomorrow. Tomorrow is… good. Please, excuse me.” He bows and quickly extricates himself from the scene, retreating to the corner where he’d been with his raven and Hongjoong.
Suddenly, and snapping Wooyoung out of his daze was a heavy weight slamming into his back. It’s Yeonjun, judging by the flash of pink he sees when he turns his head. “You did it!” his friend exclaims, snuggling him. “Holy shit, I didn’t think you’d do it!”
“How was he?” Mingi asks, eyes wide. “Was he weird?”
“No he wasn’t weird!” Wooyoung snaps. “He was… really nice.”
Changbin blinks. “Really?”
Wooyoung nods. “Really nice.”
Yunho shares a look with Mingi. “Leave it to you to befriend the scariest person in the school.”
“He’s not scary at all,” Wooyoung protests as they lead him off the ballroom floor. (I think he’s just lonely.) He can’t remember the rest of the Yule Ball after that, his mind completely overtaken with overanalyzing his encounter with Park Seonghwa.
~*~
It takes a lot of work, but Wooyoung eventually finds Seonghwa in an offshoot of the Owlery, surrounded by a gaggle of ravens. No, wait, it was a murder of ravens. No, that was crows. A parliament of ravens? No, that was owls. -- It’s an unkindness of ravens! Who the hell came up with those names, anyway? Shaking his head, Wooyoung carefully enters the loft, making sure he’s not making any sudden movements, that he’s quiet --
“Oh, hello.” He grins as Celeste, the raven from the Yule Ball, has landed on his arm. “I’m Wooyoung. It’s nice to-- ow!” He hisses as Celeste sharply nips at his finger the second he puts it in front of her to see if she liked him. The answer was a clear no.
“Ah, Celeste!” Seonghwa, now in his normal, winter Slytherin house robes, hurries over and carefully picks the raven up off Wooyoung’s arm. “I’m so sorry, she’s… very protective. Hongjoong trained her.” He bites his lip as he places Celeste on his shoulder, gently picking up Wooyoung’s hand and running his fingers along the bite. “Oh, good… she didn’t break the skin.” Celeste huffs and flutters her wings, as if to say no, but I could have. “Be nice.”
Wooyoung somehow manages to look up from where Seonghwa is gently cradling his hand and to the older man’s face. “It’s okay,” he says finally, finding his voice. “After the Ball, I, uh, realized I didn’t know where to find you. It took like the whole day of badgering your friend Hongjoong before I finally figured out you were in the Owlery.”
Seonghwa blinks, then giggles into his hand. “Oh, that explains the message he sent.”
“--He sent a message about me? What did it say?” Wooyoung asks, instantly curious.
“I don’t think I can repeat it in polite company.”
“Wha--?”
Celeste titters, hopping up onto Seonghwa’s shoulder and nuzzling him affectionately. Seonghwa smiles and gestures for Wooyoung to join him at a little cleared out spot that has a couple of well-used cushions strategically placed on the most stable part of the floor. “Thank you for the dance last night,” Seonghwa starts, smiling shyly. “I really wasn’t expecting it. Did … anyone make fun of you? Because you danced with me?”
Wooyoung blinks. “Why would they make fun of me?”
“I know about the rumours,” Seonghwa murmurs, gently scratching underneath Celeste’s chin. “That everyone is afraid of me and that they keep their distance. That I’m cold and mean, and I use my Veela heritage to get what I want, just because I’m in Slytherin.” Celeste chirps and nips at his fingers as if to say you’re none of those things, they’re being stupid, and Seonghwa smiles. “I know. I wish I was brave like Hongjoong about it. He doesn’t care at all what people think.”
Despite his initial instinct to jump to Seonghwa’s defence, Wooyoung stopped himself and tried to process what he’d just heard. He places a gentle hand on Seonghwa’s knee. “Can I ask about the ravens? I heard that you don’t have an Owl…”
Surprise colours Seonghwa’s beautiful features, and he relaxes, nodding happily. “Owls are very anxious around us half-Veela, and where we need to deliver letters, they don’t really like to go. I noticed these lovelies following myself and Hongjoong around, so we decided to train them. It’s difficult, but ravens are so smart and can go most places Owls can’t, because of their reputation. A few of the other half-Veela students make use of them as well; I’ve spoken with Headmaster Dumbledore quite extensively and he’s approved the use of ravens for us alone, provided we don’t make a scene with the other students.”
“--There are really half-Veela here? I thought they were all in France,” Wooyoung says, eyes wide.
“Some of us have settled here,” Seonghwa explains shyly, his eyes ducking away from Wooyoung’s curious gaze. “We are a small, tight-knit group. Some of us like to keep our heritage a secret, and some will openly flaunt it. I’m very jealous of those students in particular…”
Wooyoung was reeling; big, scary, intimidatingly beautiful Park Seonghwa was… one of the nicest wizards he’d ever spoken to. He wasn’t stand-offish and rude, he was shy and quiet. The intimidation was from his half-Veela heritage, a passive quality that he knew gives the wrong impression to the rest of the student body… but he didn’t have the courage to try and combat it. “So that’s why Hongjoong trained Celeste to be so protective?”
Seonghwa smiles and nods. “Yes,” he confirms, kissing the raven’s feathery head. “This little one has been around us the longest, and she’s very protective of me. She’s even driven off unwanted suitors; a little hellion, this one.” Celeste fluffs her wings, proud. “Oh, but Wooyoung… we shouldn’t be talking just about me. You took over for Bang Chan as Quidditch Captain for Gryffindor this season, right? That must be a lot of pressure.”
Startled to have the attention on himself - a strange feeling, he was not unaware - Wooyoung blinked dumbly before smiling sheepishly. “Yeah, I’ve got some really big shoes to fill,” the 6th year admits. “But it’s been really fun; our team is really talented.” He pauses and looks over at Seonghwa. “Um, we have a game against… um, against Ravenclaw. If you … wanna come…” He clears his throat. “I know, inter-house stuff isn’t really....--”
“I’d love to,” Seonghwa replies, almost a little too quickly and he looks embarrassed. “I’ll be there.”
Wooyoung blinks, then grins. “Awesome! I’ll see you there!” He suddenly realizes something and snaps to his feet. “Crap, I’m going to be late for practice! I forgot Coach moved the time!” He bows deeply. “Seonghwa, I’m really sorry! Can we pick this up after dinner? There’s so much I wanna talk to you about.”
Suitably startled, Seonghwa nods slowly. “Yes, of course.” He smiles. “Good luck with practice, Wooyoung.”
“Thanks! I’ll need it!” He laughs, perhaps a bit too airy and forced, hurrying out, his robes fluttering loudly behind him. His heart was in his throat, pounding loudly: he’s gotta play the best goddamn game of Quidditch in his life.
~*~
“Seonghwa…”
“Y-Yes, Hongjoong?”
“Is there a reason you’re staring a hole in my head while I’m trying to study?”
Seonghwa chews his lip, fiddling with the pages of his potions textbook. There was always a higher pressure on Slytherin students to do well in Professor Snape’s class, and it positively pinched his tit that Hongjoong was one of the best students in the joint Slytherin/Gryffindor class for the 7th years. “I promised Wooyoung I would go to the Quidditch game Gryffndor has against Ravenclaw this afternoon. Will you come with me?”
Slowly, his cousin raises his head and his lips part in surprise. “You want to go to a Quidditch game?” Hongjoong asks carefully. “You always said your hearing was too sensitive for how loud it is.”
“I know,” Seonghwa admits, fiddling with one of the rings on his fingers. “I don’t know what came over me, but he asked and I really wanted to go, so I… said I would go.”
Hongjoong is silent for a long moment before reaching over and placing a hand over Seonghwa’s. “Sure, I’ll go with you.” His eyes catch movement over Seonghwa’s shoulders and he groans. “He’s relentless.”
Seonghwa blinks, before realization hits and a grin creases his shimmery lips. “Choi San?”
“He won’t leave me alone,” Hongjoong mutters. “I thought he’d get bored by now.”
The older of the two giggles into his hand, finding the usually unflappable Hongjoong being thrown so off-centre by his underclassmen incredibly amusing. He looks up as San slides in beside Hongjoong at the desk, a smile on his lips. “Ah, hello Seonghwa-hyung,” San says cheerily, waving.
“Hello San,” Seonghwa greets in kind. “What brings you to the library?”
San smiles brightly. “I wanted to study. And say hello to my upperclassmen, of course.”
“Oh, how nice. Did you want to study with us?”
“Hwa…” Hongjoong mutters warningly.
San’s eyes brighten considerably and he grins, sliding in closer to Hongjoong, who is staring a hole into Seonghwa’s head. “I wouldn’t be in the way?” San asks, pretending to be shy.
“You would,” Hongjoong hisses.
Seonghwa smiles. “I don’t think so. It would be good for you to learn a little something from Hongjoong about Potions; he’s the best student in the Professor’s class.” He turns to Hongjoong and smiles charmingly to his cousin’s sour expression. “San is having a little trouble in Potions, much to Professor Snape’s dismay.”
“Is it because he’s spending all his free time flirting?” Hongjoong asks, deadpan. “I can see where that won’t lend itself to potion-making.”
San grins. “I can tell we have chemistry, though.” Hongjoong turns and stares at him, prompting the younger Slytherin to throw his head back and laugh. “I just had to see your face!”
Hongjoong shakes his head with a sigh, glancing down at his potions textbook before a smirk creases his lips and Seonghwa’s heart drops. “San… you’re friends with Jung Wooyoung in Gryffindor, right?”
The Slytherin 6th year blinks, nodding. “One could call us platonic soulmates. Why do you ask?”
“Joong, there’s no need for this--” Seonghwa starts, swallowing. He really should have known better than to try and outplay Hongjoong.
Hongjoong waves him off and looks at San, his gunmetal blue eyes glinting in the light of the library. “I’ll go on a date with you if you help Seonghwa on how to talk to your platonic soulmate.” He points at the younger man. “If I find out you played some kind of prank instead of helping him, they’re going to have to use the whomping willow to move my foot from your ass.”
San’s eyes widen and a very faint blush colours his high cheekbones before he nods quickly. He holds up his hands as he continues to nod. “No immoral intentions here,” San promises. “--But you’ll really go out on a date with me?”
“Only after you help Hwa,” Hongjoong reiterates, pointing a finger at him. “And I want to hear it from him.”
The younger man huffs, but nods. “Fine, you’ve got a deal.” San turns and looks at Seonghwa, eyes sharp. “What do you know about Quidditch?”
“Just the basics,” Seonghwa replies, startled.
San pushes himself up. “All right, we have to start there; Woo’s the Captain for Gryffindor and lives and breathes the sport. I’ve got an idea on how to get you up to speed quickly before the game.” He turns and looks to Hongjoong, pointing a finger at him. “Don’t bitch out on your end of the deal.”
The 7th year Gryffindor waves a hand. “Yeah, yeah.” Hongjoong looks at Seonghwa and smiles. “You’ll be fine, Hwa.”
“I’m going to get you back for this!” Seonghwa threatens as San takes his hand and pulls him out of the library.
“I love you too!”
San loosens his grip considerably once they’re out of the library, but he keeps a hold of Seonghwa’s hand as they move through the halls, the students looking at them as they cut quite the striking pair. Seonghwa’s underclassman handles the attention in stride, clicking his tongue and giving any onlookers - whether they be male or female - a finger heart and a blown kiss.
“You know, when he talked to you was the first time I saw him be nervous,” San says, surprising him.
“What? Jung Wooyoung? Nervous? You’re pulling my leg,” Seonghwa sputters. “He’s the social butterfly of this school, honestly… he seems more Veela than me.”
His underclassman raises an eyebrow. “I mean, both can be true. -- alright, we’re here.” San pulls Seonghwa along into the Gryffindor team’s clubhouse out on the Quidditch arena, where there’s a pathway that leads to a ‘Hall of Fame’ of sorts. “Where is it, where is it… Here!” San tugs his upperclassman over towards a giant moving parchment poster of a Quidditch Pitch, with little players moving about in a series of plays from a very important game many years ago. “Now pay attention; there will be a quiz at the end of the lecture.”
“A quiz?” Seonghwa asks, aghast.
“I’m just kidding.” San smiles and while he’s still holding Seonghwa’s hand, explains how the game works and what to look for when watching as a spectator. “Wooyoung is a Chaser, which means his entire job is to score points. His predecessor, Bang Chan, was a Beater and he would run interference, and in the current roster, Jeongin is the Seeker and Changbin is the Keeper. Jeongin’s entire job is to look for the Golden Snitch and catch it, while Changbin keeps the other team from scoring by guarding the hoops and stuff.”
Seonghwa blinks and his eyes widen adorably as realization sets in. San has an extremely clear and simple way of explaining what has been a horridly complicated game to try and learn. Letting out a delighted sound, Seonghwa wraps his arms around the younger Slytherin. “Ah, I understand now!”
Surprise colours San’s handsome features before he hugs Seonghwa back. “I think you’re set on the Quidditch front. Now for the easy part: talking to Woo.”
“How is that the easy part?!” Seonghwa says, distressed.
San waves a hand. “He’s so easy to talk to, you barely have to do anything. If you get him started on a topic, he’ll blab for hours. The only thing you’ll have to worry about is stopping him when he gets too into a topic and you lose the plot. I fell asleep when he was explaining the history of the Canadian variant of the Beaters dynamo switch.”
“I don’t know what those words mean.”
“Don’t worry, I don’t either.”
The crash course with San is over far too quickly, and Seonghwa feels somehow more prepared and unprepared all at once. As San departs with a bow to get to his next class, Seonghwa exhales and makes his way down to the dungeons for Potions. When he arrives, Hongjoong is engaged in a back-and-forth debate with Snape, over what appears to be the answers to an assignment they had taken in the previous day’s class.
“Just admit that you’re jealous that I came up with the Bugbear Claw variant for the Lamiana Potion and we can leave this, Professor,” Hongjoong is saying, a grin on his lips.
“You’re entirely too full of yourself, much like most Gryffindors,” Snape mutters. “While I will admit that you produced a high quality potion, you did not understand the assignment.”
Hongjoong’s grin widens. “I understood the hidden assignment.”
Snape’s black eyes narrow for a moment before he smirks and inclines his head slightly. “So you did. Perhaps you were sorted into the wrong house after all, Mr. Kim.”
“Every day my mother says I should have been a Hufflepuff,” Hongjoong agrees, snickering when Snape rolls his eyes and returns to his desk at the front of the lecture hall. “Ah, Hwa! How did it go? Feel any better?”
“Yes, San was quite helpful and sweet,” Seonghwa confirms, sitting beside his cousin. “I don’t know how well I’ll be able to follow Quidditch, but I feel less lost now.”
Hongjoong nods. “It’ll be a bit easier during the game, we can make sure we sit close to the commentators; they do a good job of explaining what’s happening.” He gives Seonghwa’s hand a gentle squeeze. “Would you like Hyunjin and I to come by before the game and help you get ready?”
Seonghwa’s eyes brighten and he nods. “Yes, thank you!” Relief washes over his beautiful features; Hyunjin is a 5th year Slytherin, and one of the other Half-Veela males that go to Hogwarts alongside Hongjoong and Seonghwa.
“Remember not to cheer too loudly for your boyfriend,” Hongjoong teases. “You’re still a card-carrying Slytherin.”
“Be quiet, I know how to behave at a sporting event,” Seonghwa hisses.
The dungeon doors slam shut as the rest of the students from their year file into the classroom and Snape warily eyes his charges. “Turn to page 394.”
In truth, while Seonghwa is able to make it through the rest of Potions without issue, it’s honestly a miracle considering that his mind is entirely on the Quidditch Pitch. Once classes have ended for the day, Seonghwa fusses in his dorm room that he shares with San. He turns when he hears the door open, smiling in relief when he sees Hongjoong and Hyunjin. “Thank you for coming, I’m sorry about this,” Seonghwa frets, absently rolling and unrolling his uniform sleeves.
Hyunjin takes one look at Seonhgwa and turns to Hongjoong. “Wow, he’s really in knots over this one. Does Jimin-hyung know his darling Seongie is simping over a jock?”
“No, and you can’t tell him,” Hongjoong says, to which Hyunjin groans and rolls his eyes.
“But this is the best piece of gossip we’ve had in ages!” Hyunjin whines, draping himself over the 7th year. “Do you know how much good favour I can get from him, Taemin-hyung and Nayeon-noona if I tell them that Seonghwa-hyung has a crush on the Quidditch Captain for Gryffindor?”
Seonghwa narrows his eyes and pinches both of Hyunjin’s pierced ears. “Not a word!” he hisses. Hyunjin pouts at him and rubs his ears. “Now, help me figure out what to accessorize with; I can’t wear anything interesting other than my uniform robes but jewellery is fine.”
Hyunjin shares a look with Hongjoong who sits down on Seonghwa’s bed, and sighs, going over towards Seonghwa’s frankly impressive jewellery collection. “You’ll want to wear primarily silver because everybody’s up Tasha’s tit with school colour coordination this year… but your hair’s getting a bit longer… you can get away with this.” He plucks out a little box containing a pair of gold ear cuffs shaped like phoenix wings, inlaid with sparkling rubies and dotted with diamonds. “Someone might get on your ass about mixing golds and silvers, but you’re hot, who cares?”
“I’ve missed our talks like this, Hyunjin,” Hongjoong laughs. He straightens up when Hyunjin turns his attention to him, and raises an eyebrow. “What?”
The silver haired 5th year grins and leans in, eyes sparkling. “And don’t think word hasn’t gotten around about you and Mr. Choi San, hyung. Locking down the school’s biggest flirt is quite the accomplishment.”
“Nobody is locking anybody down,” Hongjoong mutters. Seonghwa begins to affix the ear-cuffs, fussing with his silvery-white hair in an attempt to find a proper hairstyle that would be appropriate for this afternoon’s game. “Hwa, don’t forget you’re going to be outside and there’s a wind. Whatever you do to your hair is gonna get wrecked.”
“But on the plus side, the windswept look is amazing on you,” Hyunjin adds. “Oh! Let’s add this one.” He reaches over and pulls out a pair of gold studs with a delicate chain, expertly affixing them to Seonghwa’s left and right ears. He gently moves some strands with his slender fingers, tilting his head from side to side as his pale blue eyes scrutinize the placement. “Perfect! Now you’re ready to trap yourself a jock.”
Seonghwa sighs, gently flicking Hyunjin’s forehead. “I’m not trapping him.” He smiles, though, and pulls the younger half-Veela into his arms. “Thank you, Hyunjinnie.”
Hyunjin smiles and hugs his upperclassman back. “You’re welcome, Seonghwa-hyung. Good luck! I’ve gotta go and find Felix, so I’ll see you guys at the game.” He laughs and pretends to ‘tag in’ Hongjoong. “Your turn!”
“See you later, Hyunjin,” Hongjoong says, waving. He pushes himself up from the bed and straightens out his robes, adjusting his pale blue hair. “Let’s get going before we get stuck in the shitty seats.”
Seonghwa turns and smiles at his cousin. “Don’t you want to dress up a little too? San will be there.”
“No.”
“That sounds like a yes to me!” Seonghwa smiles and puts his hands on Hongjoong’s shoulders, sitting him down in the seat at the vanity. “You should really be taking better care of your skin, Joong.”
Hongjoong groans as he hunches up his shoulders. “My skin is fine!”
Seonghwa smiles and gently brushes the younger wizard’s hair, easily getting into a style that best suits Hongjoong’s eclectic, non-conformist aesthetic. “Aren’t you going to go out on your date with San after the game?”
“I was hoping you’d forget about that.”
“Nope~”
“I didn’t think he’d actually be helpful, so I didn’t plan anything,” Hongjoong admits. “But it sounds like he was more helpful than I thought.”
Seonghwa smiles and hugs his cousin warmly. “Leap of Faith, Joongie.”
“I’d rather jump into the Mer-People’s settlement without Gillyweed,” Hongjoong mutters, allowing Seonghwa to style him as he fancies, with golden dagger earrings with ruby teardrops, and a ruby encrusted lip ring that is easily affixed to Hongjoong’s tinted lip. “Seonghwa.”
Pausing, the elder half-Veela smiles and tilts his head. “Yes?”
“I hope it goes well with him.”
A bright smile creases Seonghwa’s shimmery lips and he beams, hugging his cousin tightly. “Me too.”
~*~
It’s entirely too loud at the Quidditch Pitch and Seonghwa is already regretting agreeing to come. But he gave his word to Wooyoung, and he was going to keep it, so here Seonghwa was, sitting in the packed stands for a Gryffindor/Ravenclaw Quidditch game, one of the few spots of silver and green in a sea of yellow/red and blue/black. Hongjoong is beside him, positively bored out of his mind and barely affected by the cold, same as Seonghwa. He’s about to yawn and rub his eyes when he turns and sees that San has fastened himself to his side, pretending to shiver out of his winter robes.
“Hello, hyungs,” San greets sweetly, looping his arm with Hongjoong. “You’re looking amazing; Woo won’t have any trouble spotting you.”
Seonghwa blushes. “Ah, is it too much?”
San laughs, an airy, lovely sound. “It’s Wooyoung! It’s never too much.” As Hongjoong turns to look at him flatly, San’s eyes widen when they catch sight of the gold, ruby-encrusted lip ring curved over the edge of Hongjoong’s lower lip on the left side, eyes trailing up to the delicate chain that hooks into a gorgeous stud on his ear. “W-Wow.”
“Cat caught your tongue, Choi?” Hongjoong asks with a smirk.
“Everything’s fine,” San mutters, his face still bright red as he tightens his grip on Hongjoong’s arm. “--Seonghwa-hyung, if you have any questions during the game, just ask.”
Seonghwa smiles in relief. “Thank you, Sannie.” He leans over Hongjoong, gesturing for his underclassman to do the same. “You know, Hongjoong performs at an underground club beneath Hogsmede … you should go with him when next he goes on stage.”
San’s eyes light up and he grins. “There’s a reason why you’re my favourite hyung.”
Breaking up the chatter is the beginning of the game. Both teams fly out from their corners, dressed in their game uniforms and protective gear. Seonghwa’s eyes scan the line-ups and widen when they finally find Wooyoung, easily identifiable with the Captain’s ‘C’ emblazoned in sparkling gold thread over his heart. He’s riding a top-of-the-line Nimbus 2600, built for speed with added durability for Quidditch players. It’s a pricey broom, and Seonghwa is intrigued.
“Curious about the broom, Hwa-hyung?” San asks, as if reading his mind.
Startled, Seonghwa blushes bright red and nods, a shy smile on his lips. “Yes, forgive me. It just seems so expensive for a student to have. I know I shouldn’t assume, but…”
San smiles and shakes his head. “Woo saved all his money from sponsorships, allowances, extra jobs and the like to afford that. He spent forever researching which type to get, and even did a favour for the goblins in Gringotts to get the Galleons to pay for it. If there’s something he has set as a goal, he’s going to work like hell to achieve it.”
“It’s a pretty decent investment, especially for a Quidditch player,” Hongjoong agrees, lightly scratching the side of his nose.
Seonghwa looks up and catches Wooyoung’s eyes from up high in the Pitch. He smiles and gives a little wave. “Good luck!” he mouths.
Wooyoung nearly falls off his broom, setting off a firecracker cackle from Changbin and a facepalm from Jeongin. San snickers and shakes his head. “You might want to be careful about catching his gaze, Seonghwa-hyung.”
“Am I going to be a distraction?” Seonghwa asks, chewing his bottom lip.
Hongjoong snorts. “If he’s any good as a player, he should be able to block out distractions. It’d be his own fault if he messes up because you’re here.”
Slowly, Seonghwa nods. Still, he’s a lot more careful about specifically trying to catch Wooyoung’s gaze as the game begins, made a lot easier by the difficulty of trying to follow the flow of the game. Partway through the beginning half of the game, San begins to supplement the commentator’s chatter, explaining why they’re saying what they’re saying in a much simpler context. Seonghwa’s eyes widen as he nods, watching the action with renewed interest.
Wooyoung in the thick of a competitive game is one of the most beautiful things Seonghwa’s ever seen. His movements are deft, precise, and without any hesitation but rarely reckless. There are moments, however, when Wooyoung abruptly drops out of the sky to shake off his Beater pursuers, or when he jumps off it in order to get around a scrum and score with a wickedly powerful throw. His black hair quickly comes loose from its half-ponytail and the icy winds of winter caress the raven-black locks, almost helpful in getting it out of his eyes as he zips around the Pitch.
Deftly, Wooyoung spins around his pursuers and scores another goal, blowing a kiss to the crowd. Seonghwa gasps and claps his hands, almost rising out of his seat but quite quickly sitting back down and hiding behind Hongjoong when he gets a few nasty stares from his fellow Slytherin. San flips them off and mean-mugs them until they turn their judgmental stares elsewhere.
Jeongin snatches up the Golden Snitch just as Wooyoung flings the Quaffle into the right goal ring, ending the game with a commanding lead cinched by Gryffindor. The stands erupt into cheers, and it’s easier now for Seonghwa to get to his feet and cheer as well, now in the vein of good sportsmanship. He catches Wooyoung’s eyes and waves, his smile bright. “Congratulations!” He calls, his voice carrying above the icy winds and up to the Quidditch Captain.
Wooyoung blushes furiously and waves, disappearing into the Gryffindor corner before his teammates can tease him. “Do you want to go and wait for him outside the dressing rooms?” San asks Seonghwa.
“Oh, can we?” Seonghwa asks, tilting his head. “I must admit, I don’t know the proper fan etiquette for a Quidditch game.”
San laughs and nods. “Yeah, though there’s going to be a crowd because your boyfriend’s pretty popular.”
Seonghwa sputters. “He’s no, that’s… San, please.”
“Yeah, golden boy has to ask him out first,” Hongjoong points out. “Or maybe Hwa will ask him out first. Who can say?”
San blows a low whistle as they rise up from their seats. “That’s true. I think it would really throw Woo off balance if you did, hyung.”
“I don’t know about that,” Seonghwa murmurs as he follows them out of the stands and towards the dressing room area exit. He stays close to Hongjoong and San, the latter of the two deftly moving in and out of the throngs of excitable, house-loyal students. Eventually, the 6th year brings them to a safe pocket underneath a yellow and red awning. “It’s so loud…”
Hongjoong rubs his ears, sighing. “Yeah, the Gryffindor side of the school is going to be loud as hell for the next couple of hours. I might sneak in and stay with you tonight, Hwa.”
San raises an eyebrow. “How do you even get in? The password changes every two days.”
“You guys aren’t as slick as you think,” Hongjoong replies with a smirk as he tongues at his lip ring, knowing full well San’s eyes are following the movement and the jingle of the delicate chain that hooks into his earring.
Saving San’s sanity is Wooyoung, who whoops loudly and bounds over, dressed in his winter robes but with a light sheen of sweat giving his tanned skin a healthy glow. “You made it!” he says happily, latching onto Seonghwa and giving the 7th year Slytherin a tight hug. “I saw you cheering!”
“A-Ah, you did?” Seonghwa stammers, turning as bright a red as Hongjoong’s house robes. “I hope I wasn’t distracting.”
“Yeah, we saw you nearly blow it at the beginning,” Hongjoong says, snickering when Wooyoung briefly looks sheepish. “But good game, Captain.”
Wooyoung grins and nods. “Thanks! Hey, do you wanna come to Hogsmeade with us? We’re going to go and celebrate getting into the playoffs. We have special permission to go.”
San leans in and grins. “And what about us mere mortals, golden boy?”
Wooyoung rolls his eyes and gives his friend a shove. “Anybody who was at the game can come too, duh.” He turns and looks up at Seonghwa with bright eyes. “Come on, I wanna show you the scenic route to Hogsmeade.”
Startled, Seonghwa can only nod as he’s disengaged from Hongjoong and San, and whirled away on Wooyoung’s tide. The young Quidditch Captain is a ball of energy, happily talking about the game in a level of detail that Seonghwa was not prepared for. Suddenly, everything San was saying about Wooyoung prattling on at length about highly specific topics made sense. Despite barely being able to process the detail of what the younger wizard was saying, one thing that came through loud and clear was Wooyoung’s passion.
Seonghwa quietly placed a hand to his chest, feeling a warmth spread through him. He smiles when Wooyoung looks up at him expectantly. “I have to admit, I’m a little lost but … you really are very knowledgeable about Quidditch.”
A shy smile crosses Wooyoung’s handsome face and he looks embarrassed. “Sorry, I know I can go off on tangents,” he apologizes sheepishly. “It’s so easy to talk to you though; I don’t know why I was nervous.”
(San was right? He really was nervous to talk to me?) Seonghwa watches the younger wizard with curious eyes, but there’s no doubt from his voice and Seonghwa’s sensitive ears that Wooyoung’s telling the truth. “I’m relieved,” Seonghwa says earnestly. “Talking to you, it’s … it’s fun. You see things so differently.”
“You can say I’m weird, it’s okay,” Wooyoung replies, laughing. It’s a high pitched squeaky sound, and ordinarily it would trigger Seonghwa’s sensitive hearing, but strangely… he adores it. Pure joy is something that Seonghwa has always chased, something that he loves to hear, and it’s laced throughout every bit of the 6th year’s tone. “Did you really enjoy the game, though?”
Seonghwa nods. “It was fun, surprisingly. I tended to stay away from them because of how noisy it is.” He reaches up to tuck a little bit of his hair behind his ear. “My hearing is very sensitive and I can get bad headaches from a cacophony of noises, so…”
Wooyoung’s eyes widen. “Ah, why didn’t you say something? I wouldn’t have asked if it was painful for you!”
“No, it’s okay,” Seonghwa insists, waving his hands. “Being in the thick of it, having Hongjoong and Sannie there and having something to focus on, it made it easier.” He smiles a little, teasing. “I don’t think I can cheer for you when you play Slytherin, but I can at other games.”
“I don’t want you to have Professor Snape up your ass about something like that,” Wooyoung agrees. “There are a lot of cool Slytherins but he’s not one of them.”
Seonghwa smiles a little. “You’re definitely in line with all the loud Gryffindors I know.”
“Oh, thanks, I -- hey!” Wooyoung laughs and punches Seonhgwa in the shoulder, giggling as the two of them follow the trail of boisterous, celebrating students into the town of Hogsmeade.
While he’s been here several times with his cousins, it’s entirely different being here as part of a giant celebration for a House he’s not a part of. Revelry lines the streets, and there’s singing, dancing, and lights are bright everywhere. Seonghwa’s mouth parts as he looks around, his skin and hair illuminated by the warm magical glow of the lanterns. He can pick out the singing from the little faeries that have poked their little heads out at the energetic students, and giggles when they ask him to sing along.
‘Please sing with us!’ they plead, swirling around Seonghwa’s head. One of them lands on his palm and kisses his thumb.
“Okay, okay,” Seonghwa agrees, smiling. “You have to lead, though.” The faeries nod and start their song, leaving room for Seonghwa to harmonize with them. He has no idea what song they’re singing, of course, he’s not a fae, but he can add to their song, his voice beautiful and steady. The faeries are delighted and glow in multiple pastel colours as they dance around Seonghwa and Wooyoung, separating when the song is over. “They’re so sweet. I…” Seonghwa trails off as he finds the 6th year staring at him with wide eyes. “W-Wooyoung? Are you okay?”
Suddenly, Wooyoung shakes his head and smiles - bashful and nervous. “Yeah, I… sorry for staring, that was… your voice is really pretty. How come you’re not in the choir?”
A light blush colours Seonghwa’s flawlessly smooth skin and he shakes his head. “Oh, I could never do that. Hongjoong, Hyunjin … they’ve followed in our sunbae’s footsteps and pursued music, but I don’t think I could ever get the courage to do the same. I’m not as experienced as they are with toning down the magic in my voice, so I could hurt someone.”
“I think you’d do great with a really pretty slow ballad or something!” Wooyoung suggests, running a hand through his hair. “I’d go and see you sing.”
Seonghwa stops just outside of Honeydukes, surprise etched on his beautiful features. “You would?”
Wooyoung nods firmly. “Sure I would! Just tell me when and where.”
“If… I ever do, I’ll let you know,” Seonghwa says slowly, carefully. Wooyoung’s smile is bright, and there’s a slow burn of something in Seonghwa’s gut that he suddenly realizes is courage.
~*~
After an absolutely - pun intended - magical evening with Wooyoung in Hogsmeade, Seonghwa had to retire early due to his commitment in maintaining the Ravenloft the next morning. His ravens were picky, they were talented, and they were used to a routine… one that Seonghwa trained them in. The Common Room for Seonghwa’s house is located in the Slytherin Dungeons, guarded by a password that changes every two days, sometimes every two hours if someone was feeling particularly nasty. Whether it be the answer to a puzzle, a brain teaser, a riddle wrapped in history, it always required cunning and cleverness to enter the Slytherin Common Room.
Professor Snape always thought that Seonghwa was giving Hongjoong the passwords, but in reality, Seonghwa knew his cousin was figuring them out on his own. Hongjoong wasn’t an idiot, thankfully, and didn’t spread the passwords to anyone else so it seemed the Bloody Baron was content to let him continue to sneak in if he could.
As Seonghwa enters the Common Room, he’s unsurprised to find Hongjoong on one of the love seats, but he is very surprised to see San breaching the 7th year’s personal space and attempting to disconnect the golden chain from Hongjoong’s lip ring with a kiss. The energy between them is charged, and Seonghwa feels his throat tighten: Hongjoong’s eyes are glowing blue, a clear sign that he’s definitely reciprocating the energy San is putting forward.
Hongjoong notices him first and breaks away, his eyes returning to their usual gunmetal blue, much to the younger wizard’s annoyance. “Hwa! I can’t believe I beat you back here. How did it go with Wooyoung?” He pushes himself up off the couch, looking a bit rumpled with his white uniform shirt slightly unbuttoned.
Heat rises to Seonghwa’s face but he forces it down as he remembers the warm, fuzzy memory of walking through Hogsmeade with Wooyoung, of singing with the Faeries. “Really well,” Seonghwa answers, smiling. “The energy is unbelievable, Hongjoong, just a … beautiful melody of happiness. Loud, very loud, but it was fun.”
“And Wooyoung?” Hongjoong asks pointedly, nudging his cousin.
The blush darkens on Seonghwa’s cheeks, spreading to his ears. “He said he would come and hear me sing,” the eldest blurts out. “If I performed, I mean. I-In exchange… in exchange for my watching his game. As a s-show of support.”
“Is that… something you want to do? Perform?” Hongjoong asks carefully.
“I can’t … not in the huge shows you do,” Seonghwa protests.
Hongjoong nods. “I know. Those are… they’re tough, even for me. There are much smaller shows, though, more intimate clubs below the town. Only 30 people, really small.”
Seonghwa raises his head, lips parted in surprise. “Really? That small?”
“Yeah, sometimes it’s more intimidating because you can see everyone, but … it’s also easier, in a way, to start there,” Hongjoong explains, nodding. “Do you wanna come and see one of them? Hyunjin is starting his own shows.”
Seonghwa exhales slowly and shakes his head. “I want to be in one.” He swallows. “Not by myself, with … with you, if you don’t mind, but … I want to do this. I want to try.”
His heart is in his throat as Hongjoong falls silent, but soon his cousin smiles at him and nods. “I got you.”
~*~
Wooyoung rolls his eyes as he rubs San’s back as his platonic soulmate groans loudly and presses his forehead against the Captain’s shoulders. “Every single time I think I’m getting somewhere, something just gets in the way and I’m dying here, Woo!” San complains. “Either it’s Seonghwa-hyung or Hongjoong-hyung is pushing me away!”
Yeonjun raises an eyebrow. “You said his eyes were bright blue the last time?”
Blinking as he pulls away from Wooyoung but still sulkily hanging onto him, San nods. “Yeah. Why?”
“That means he’s interested, mate!” Felix, a Hufflepuff, says as he comes over with a sealed box in his hands. “A Veela’s eyes change colour depending on their mood. Bright blue is a pretty good sign!” He beams. “Anybody want brownies?”
“Do you even need to ask?” Yeonjun asks in return, making grabby hands at the box. “And how do you know that, Lix?”
Felix blushes a little bit and grips the box before opening it and letting his ravenous friends descend upon the baked goods like feral hippogriffs. “Hyunjin is a half-Veela and he talks about it a lot.”
Changbin swallows a big bite of a brownie and looks over at Wooyoung. “What colour were Seonghwa’s eyes when you saw him?”
Blushing brightly, Wooyoung shakes his head. “I don’t know!”
“What do you mean you don’t know?” San demands. “Where the hell were you looking when you were on your Hogsmeade date?”
Wooyoung’s shoulders hunch up and he puts his face in his hands. “He was singing with the faeries and there were so many sparkles and latent spell song magicks flying around I couldn’t focus on anything!” he protests, his voice a pitched whine.
His friends share a long look with each other before Yeosang smirks and pokes Wooyoung’s cheek as he slings an arm around the shoulders of his long-time friend. “Guys, be nice to him.”
“Yeah, Yeo’s on my side!”
“It’s really hard to focus when you’re simping so hard your eyesight blanks out.”
“KANG YEOSANG.”
Changbin throws his head back as he cackles, falling sideways into Yeonjun, with the pair of them looking like a pair of hyenas. “So, golden boy, when are you going to ask Seonghwa out?”
Wooyoung coughs and nearly chokes on his brownie, needing San to rub his back and give him a sip of his drink to help him through it. “Who says I’m going to--?”
San smirks. “Please, Woo, we all see how bad you’ve got it for him. Half the school’s rooting for you.”
“What about the other half?”
“They think you’re going to blow it.”
“Wow, great. Do none of you believe in me?”
“I believe in you.”
Wooyoung’s head snaps over to where Hongjoong is standing on the fringe of the little seated gathering in one of the courtyard gathering areas. There is an albino raven sitting on his shoulder, whose red eyes seem intent on staring a hole through San. “Y-You?” Wooyoung stammers, completely thrown off; he definitely isn’t expecting to see Seonghwa’s cousin without Seonghwa nearby.
To his surprise, Hongjoong nods. “It goes without saying that if you hurt him that they’re never gonna find out what our cousins are gonna do to you, but I’ll say it anyway.” He reaches into his robes and pulls out a little envelope, closed with a wax seal. “Here.”
“…what’s this?” Wooyoung takes it with a bow, curiously peering at it. The wax seal is a beautiful sparkly blue, with what appears to be a family crest.
“An invitation,” Hongjoong explains. “There’s a club called Siren’s Dirge underneath Hogsmeade; entrance is strictly screened, and that’s going to get you and two friends in on Saturday.” He gives the Quidditch Captain a small smile. “Hwa is looking forward to seeing you there. I hope you can make it.” He turns to Changbin and catches his attention. “Chan-hyung and Jisung wanna know if you’re still okay to come to the studio on Friday, Binnie.”
Straightening up, Changbin nods. “Yeah, for sure!”
Hongjoong grins and nods. “Awesome.” He inclines his head to the group of underclassmen politely and turns to leave, hands in his pockets.
“Wait!” San gets to his feet, drawing the attention to himself as he straightens out his robes. “What about our date?”
At this, Hongjoong smirks slightly. “Make sure you’re one of the two that gets to come with golden boy.” He waves a hand as he turns back around, heading off down the hall.
Wooyoung grins cheekily at San. “So, what are you willing to do to make sure that you get to come to the show?”
His friend turns and levels him with an unimpressed stare, sending chills down Wooyoung’s spine. Slowly, San leans in and gets in close enough that the younger wizard’s eyes nearly cross. “Jung Wooyoung,” he murmurs softly, dipping into his regional dialect, “if you don’t want me to tell Seonghwa-hyung that he can find you at the bottom of the mer-lake, you’d better think very carefully about how much you tease me right now.”
“That’s so hot,” Yeonjun comments, breaking the tension. “Hey, if Hongjoong doesn’t want you, I’m available.” He hisses when Felix nudges him. “What?”
Wooyoung swallows and nods. “Y-Yeah, um, no worries, Sannie.” Quickly, he turns and looks at Changbin. “Um, wanna come, Binnie? You’ve performed there before, right?”
Changbin blinks and nods. “Yeah, with Jisung, Chan-hyung and Joong-hyung. You sure you don’t want Yeo or Jun to go with you?”
“Please, those two would steal Seonghwa-hyung from me in an instant!”
“It’s true, we would.”
“Speak for yourself, I have my eye on someone else.”
Wooyoung snaps his head over, suitably distracted. “Who?”
Yeosang snorts. “None of your business.”
The Quidditch Captain for Gryffindor rolls his eyes. “What’s the point of being childhood friends if you won’t tell me the juicy gossip?”
“Because if I told you, the entire school would know before I finished telling you,” Yeosang points out, rolling his eyes. “And I’m not stupid.” He plucks at his House Crest on his robes, smirking. “Sometimes House stereotypes are right.”
Wooyoung rolls his eyes and sticks out his tongue. “I’m glad I’m not taking you to hear Seonghwa sing! You’d just ruin it by being weird.”
“I don’t think anybody could out-weird you.”
“Yeosangie!” Wooyoung whines, throwing his arms around his oldest friend and nuzzling him incessantly. “Why are you being so mean to me?”
“Bored, mostly.”
Felix offers San another brownie and smiles when the Slytherin takes it with a pout. “There ya go,” he praises, beaming when San takes a bite, his expression relaxing. “You shouldn’t be so hard on yourself; Hongjoong is, like, notorious for playing hard to get.”
San blinks at him. “What?”
“He and Hyunjin are cousins,” Felix explains, biting into one of his own brownies and giggling when he gets a little spark of pop rocks. “And Hyunjin says that Hongjoong doesn’t believe anybody’s actually serious about pursuing him so he’s always testing them. Kind of like… protecting himself, y’know?”
Changbin licks his fingers. “And, y’know, you’ve got the reputation of the school’s biggest flirt.”
San groans and takes a sulky bite out of his brownie. “Stop bullying me. Is it my fault that everyone’s beautiful and I want to tell them that?”
Wooyoung rolls his eyes. “It is when you’re trying to prove to a Veela that you’re serious about them. — Now come on, I need you two to help me pick out what to wear this Saturday.”
“I’m tapping out, get Felix to help you,” Changbin says. “I’m not a fashionista.”
Yeonjun smirks. “We’re aware.”
“Rude.”
~*~
It’s rare for Wooyoung to get a chance to let down his hair and really go out on the weekend; usually they were filled with practices, extra study sessions to pick up what he missed due to practices. So he’s practically vibrating with excitement as he enters Hogsmeade with Changbin and San, all three of them dressed in stylish casual clothes. When he had a mild panic attack over what to wear to see Seonghwa perform, San and Yeonjun talked him down from the edge and told him to go with the basics and dress it up with accessories.
So here he is, dressed in slim jeans and a fitted black t-shirt and his pea coat fastened close to his slender frame. He turns to San who looks back at him with a raised eyebrow. “Are you going to ask me how you look again?”
“Do I still look good?” Wooyoung frets. “Did the wind mess up my hair?”
“Do you want us to say no or something to keep you on your toes?” Changbin asks, rubbing his cheeks as they make their way to Siren’s Dirge’s secret entrance. “You look adorable.”
“Adorable?” Wooyoung exclaims. “I don’t want to be adorable.”
San sighs and pushes Wooyoung through the door once Changbin opens it with a spoken incantation that was written on the invitation Hongjoong gave them. “You look good enough to eat, now get in there!”
Wooyoung stumbles and struggles to right himself as they head down a long set of winding stairs, having to hold onto the Slytherin as Changbin leads them further and further down. He’d never heard of an underground music venue before, but with how many secrets Hogsmeade had, he wasn’t terribly surprised. There are all sorts of stories about The Three Broomsticks, The Hog’s Head, and Merlin knows about The Shrieking Shack.
This is way cooler, though, and Wooyoung looks around curiously as Changbin brings them down a different corridor and into an open space with a stage and roughly 30 chairs. The stage is simply dressed, with two stools and a pair of microphones set in their stands. It’s curiously muggle-like and Wooyoung is intrigued. “Here’s Siren’s Dirge,” Changbin says, waving a hand around. “They like using stripped down equipment, keeping it close to how muggles make music; make a challenge out of it, you know?”
“Maybe we shouldn’t sit in the front,” San says, rubbing his neck. “Back a row or two? If we’re dead front and centre it might cause problems.”
Changbin grins. “Yeah, Woo’s gonna be gaping like a fish all night; we better make sure there’s at least some cover.”
Wooyoung huffs and punches his shoulder. “Shut up!” He grabs both of their hands and picks a spot in the second row, dead centre. San is on his left, and Changbin is on his right; he wants both of them right there so he can grip their hands tight enough to bruise because right now, even though the show hasn’t started yet, his heart is in his throat.
Seonghwa had been so nervous about the idea of singing, let alone in front of an audience, and now he was going to perform? There were two microphones, so maybe Hongjoong or Hyunjin was going to perform with him? He’d heard from Felix that Seonghwa’s other cousin liked to perform for the attention and the reclamation of his Veela heritage. What kind of song would he be singing? Something sweet and soft, or something more in line with what Changbin likes to do? He could honestly see Seonghwa sing anything.
He opens his mouth and San gives him a look. “I wasn’t going to ask about me,” Wooyoung mumbles. “What kind of song do you think Seonghwa-hyung’s gonna sing?”
San blinks. “Got me. Could be anything,” he admits, scratching the side of his nose. “But I think it’s something soft.” He looks over at Changbin. “Did Hongjoong-hyung say anything to you about what it is?”
Changbin shakes his head. “No, he kept this one tight to the vest. I think he might have asked Chan-hyung for help, but those two know how to keep a secret. Unlike somebody.”
Wooyoung rolls his eyes, the banter helping steady his pulse. “It was one time.”
The rest of the crowd quietly fills into their seats, and Wooyoung doesn’t recognize anybody. It’s not that surprising, he supposes, this is outside of Hogwarts and this is a club that not everybody knows about; it’s exclusive as hell. A part of him selfishly wanted no one else to show up so it was just himself and Seonghwa, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized they’d probably both spontaneously combust.
His eyes widen as the lights dim and the stage is transformed with a glamour spell into something that looks like a forest he’s only heard about in history books. Everything is shades of silvers, whites, blues and blacks, ethereal and otherworldly despite their world being one made entirely of magic. The glamour spell extends out into the audience and Wooyoung jumps as he feels a strange tingly sensation curls round his ears and eyes; it feels like Seonghwa.
Faeries appear from the fringes of the stage, each one of them holding a tiny instrument and they sit in little chairs made out of vine and leaves, petite and beautiful. A large silver rose, long and slender, stands in the middle of the stage, startling the crowd as they somehow hadn’t noticed it before. Hauntingly beautiful music begins to play, anchored by a synthetic beat that’s coming from the speakers; it’s a mashup that Wooyoung never would have expected.
Hongjoong comes out on the stage, dressed in a silvery white suit, his hair slicked back and his accessories sparkling white-gold. He’s played to his strengths, and a hush falls over the crowd as he begins the song, his flow soft, poignant and smooth. Wooyoung swallows as even though Hongjoong’s not looking at him, he feels completely disarmed and pushed out into the line of fire. If he feels that way, he wonders about San.
As Wooyoung turns to his platonic soulmate, if Wooyoung felt disarmed, San looks like Hongjoong has grabbed him by the throat and pulled him out onto the stage himself. His cheeks are flushed bright red and he swallows thickly, trying his best to stay still in his seat. “What the fuck,” he breathes, “what possessed him?”
Wooyoung has to agree: Hongjoong is quiet and low on the social-energy scale, but the man on stage has complete control of the crowd, skillfully using his enhanced and magical singing ability to enthral the whole audience. But it’s only one person in particular that he’s singing to, and Wooyoung wonders if it’s possible to third wheel with 28 other people. Maybe after this they’ll stop dancing around each other and Wooyoung will finally know peace.
Partway through his verse, Hongjoong makes his way over to the tall rose, and peels back a petal, causing the rest to fall to the wayside …
… and reveals Seonghwa, draped in flowing silvery white robes that simultaneously hug his svelte frame and obscure it. Wooyoung’s mouth dries out as he realizes a fair bit of Seonghwa’s costume has shimmery, see-through fabric and he can catch quite the glimpse of a toned abdomen, lined with sparkling stones. His slender neck is adorned with a sparkling necklace, the chains draping down and encircling his narrow waist. Every step he takes out of the magical rose brings a cascading chime that hits all the right auditory triggers for Wooyoung, ones that the 6th year didn’t even know he had.
Seonghwa opens his mouth, and Rest in Pieces, Jung Wooyoung.
His voice is angelic, a bit deeper than Wooyoung anticipated but no less beautiful. As he sings, the faeries that were playing their musical instruments set them aside, flying up towards the half-Veela and twirl around him, harmonizing with him almost perfectly. Wooyoung has no idea what’s being said, it’s in a language he doesn’t understand and he’s far too overwhelmed with the auditory and visual stimulation in front of him for his brain to be of any use.
Yet somehow, he knows exactly what Seonghwa is saying to him. His heart beats out of his chest as he keeps Seonghwa’s silvery-blue eyed gaze, feeling as if they were the only two people in the entire room. He can hear Seonghwa sing directly into his heart:
I like you.
Those words, that feeling falls from Seonghwa’s lips and they’re wrapping tightly around Wooyoung’s heart and it’s taking everything in him to stay planted in his seat. Vaguely, he can feel San and Changbin squeeze his hands, giving him something to ground himself to, but it’s too late. He’s swept away on the tide of Seonghwa’s voice, running further into the forest as he’s beckoned by a literal siren.
Will you go on a date with me?
Wooyoung jolts at those words, spoken directly to his heart, and he realizes that the song has ended and Seonghwa is looking at him expectantly. It dawns on him that the 7th year is waiting for an answer and suddenly, a rush of courage shoots through him and he stands up, nodding. “Yeah! Yeah, of course!” he confirms, perhaps a bit too loudly, smiling brightly.
A similarly bright smile graces Seonghwa’s lips and Wooyoung feels like he’s walking on a cloud. He carefully makes his way out from his seat, vaguely regretting sitting in the middle of the wave of seats. “I’m so relieved,” Seonghwa says softly, blushing brightly. “I felt so foolish singing it like that in the song, but Joong said it would work.”
“He was right about that! Seonghwa-hyung, you were amazing,” Wooyoung praises sincerely. “I felt like… you were leading me into an enchanted forest and we were gonna go and sing with the faeries. It was really, really cool.”
The blush on Seonghwa’s cheeks brighten and spread quickly to his ears, making his silver jewellery stand out even more against the reddening skin. “Thank you,” he replies earnestly, his smile widening on shimmery lips. Being this close, Wooyoung can see that Seonghwa is wearing makeup, a dark, midnight blue smoky eye that fits Seonghwa so well that the Quidditch Captain feels faint. “We can talk later, about, you know, but—”
“What the fuck? Are you serious, Seonghwa?!”
The moment is shattered by the rough exclamation from behind them and Wooyoung doesn’t think anything of it until he sees the colour drain from Seonghwa’s beautiful face. “I thought you got the hint, Daeho, he’s not interested,” Hongjoong says, narrowing his eyes. “One more complaint from one of us and you’re getting expelled.”
Daeho, a Gryffindor 7th year, doesn’t even respond to Hongjoong’s statement, instead walking strongly up to Seonghwa. He’s a few inches taller than the half-Veela, built like a shit brick-house and with a face to match. Wooyoung’s well aware of him; he’s tried out for the Quidditch Team several times and has been denied every single time because of his temper and tendencies of using spells during matches in order to win.
“I don’t know how many times I have to tell you that there’s no one in this school that’s worth your time other than me,” Daeho points out, rolling his eyes. He shifts, putting a hand on his hip and waves his other hand around in a show of theatrics… and slips his hand into his pocket, sliding his fingers around his wand.
Wooyoung narrows his eyes and flicks his gaze up to watch Daeho’s mouth, which is currently spewing nothing but nonsense. Too much nonsense, actually… and Wooyoung’s the master of the filibuster, usually doing far more than is necessary in debate club or trying to convince Professor Snape to not be a hard ass, and he knows how to bullshit.
(He’s sure talking a lot…) Wooyoung frowns, shaking his head. He turns back to Seonghwa and his eyes widen; the 7th year’s eyes have begun to glaze over and his expression has turned from concerned to blank. (Wait! He’s—) “Expelliarmus!” Wooyoung suddenly exclaims, his own wand out and pointed with lightning speed.
Daeho’s wand flies out of his hand and snaps against the wall, nearly taking out one of the poor staff members of Siren’s Dirge that was cleaning up the stage. “What the hell do you think you’re doing!?” Daeho demands, face bright red. “You can’t use magic outside of Hogwarts!”
Wooyoung steps in between Daeho and Seonghwa, jaw set tight. “You were trying to cast Imperio! Don’t play stupid! You were trying to force Seonghwa-hyung to go with you!” Changbin’s at his side now, and Hongjoong is holding onto Seonghwa tightly alongside San, the two of them speaking quickly to one another.
“We’re taking Seonghwa to the infirmary,” Hongjoong says, barely able to keep his cool as he cradles Seonghwa, who’s begun to slump against him. “Keep that asshole here!”
Changbin nods as he blocks Daeho’s path of exit, for once thankful for how small the performance room is. “He’s not going anywhere! Get Seonghwa-hyung out of here; he’s the priority.” They share another nod before San and Hongjoong rush Seonghwa to a hidden apparate gateway that sneaky students use to travel to and from the Siren’s Dirge to the school.
Using magic of any type outside of Hogwarts was expressly forbidden, and within seconds, Professor McGonagall was there alongside a pair of staff members from the school. “What is going on here?” she demands, her tone icy. “Mr. Jung! Mr. Park! Explain yourselves, now.”
“Gladly!” Wooyoung replies, glaring at Daeho. “He tried using Imperio on Seonghwa-hyung! He was hiding the incantation in a bunch of nonsense words! I used Expelliarmus to break his contact with his wand so Hongjoong-hyung and Sannie could take Seonghwa-hyung back to the school!”
McGonagall’s eyes flash and she turns to Daeho, who has gone white as a sheet. “We will be having a formal disciplinary hearing about this and we will get to the bottom of this. — Mr. Seo, please ensure that Mr. Jung gets back to the dorms.” She turns to the staff members. “Please escort Mr. Park to the Headmaster’s Office. I will handle the investigation here.”
Changbin bows deeply and nods once he’s straightened up, taking Wooyoung’s arm. “C’mon Woo,” he says softly.
“…Yeah, I’m coming,” Wooyoung mumbles, letting himself be led back to the school. As soon as they’re on the trail back to Hogwarts, Wooyoung glances at his best friend. “What the fuck was that, Binnie? I didn’t think anybody would actually cast one of the Unforgivable Curses.”
“Me neither,” Changbin admits, nodding.
Wooyoung worries at his lip the closer they get to Hogwarts. “Has that guy… always been bothering Seonghwa-hyung?”
Changbin doesn’t answer him until they get into the Common Room and then to their dorm room. “Yeah,” he answers finally. “Usually we’re able to get him to fuck off without much work, but I guess seeing that Seonghwa-hyung’s into you and not him set him off.”
Frowning, Wooyoung turns to his bed and blinks, seeing a white raven sitting on the bed. Realizing that it’s the same raven that was on Hongjoong’s shoulder, Wooyoung swallows and crouches down so he’s eye level with the bird. “Do you have a letter for me?” he asks gently.
The white raven chirps and nods. She holds out her little clawed foot, letting Wooyoung remove a tiny, coiled strip of parchment from the bird’s leg. Wooyoung gently rubs the raven’s head as he sits down on the floor, unfurling the sliver of parchment.
Wooyoung,
Seonghwa is ok - you stopped the curse just in time. He won’t be in class for a while, but he’ll be ok.
Thank you. I owe you.
~ Hongjoong