Chapter Text
The Great Hall buzzed with laughter and chatter as students dug into their breakfast, but one voice carried above the rest.
Song Yuqi.
A Slytherin through and through—sharp, untouchable, and born into an old, powerful Chinese pureblood family. She carried herself like royalty, her emerald-trimmed robes draped over her frame like they had been made for her alone. People feared her, adored her, followed her blindly.
No one crossed Yuqi unless they wanted to suffer the consequences.
And then there was Jeon Soyeon.
A Ravenclaw, brilliant and razor-edged. Unlike Yuqi, she had no family name to shield her, no wealth or influence to command respect. She was an easy target—too blunt, too unbothered by the cruelty of others. The Slytherins, especially, hated how she never flinched, never cracked under their taunts.
Yuqi had noticed that about her.
And she had claimed her because of it.
It started subtly. Passing glances, a smirk when their eyes met across the library, Yuqi's presence lingering just a little too long. Then, the "accidental" run-ins—always when Soyeon was alone, always when no one was watching.
Then, one night, Yuqi cornered her.
Soyeon had been walking back from the Astronomy Tower when the sound of footsteps echoed behind her. Before she could turn, Yuqi's voice, low and teasing, ghosted against her ear.
"You never say hello to me."
Soyeon didn't stiffen—she never gave people that satisfaction—but her fingers twitched at her sides. "Why would I?"
Yuqi stepped in front of her, blocking the hallway with an easy smirk. The torchlight flickered, casting her in a dangerous glow, making her look every bit the predator everyone whispered about.
"Because I've been watching you," Yuqi murmured, her voice smooth, practiced. "And I think you've been watching me too."
Soyeon scoffed, shifting to push past, but Yuqi was faster, fingers curling lightly around her wrist.
"Come on," Yuqi purred, head tilting just slightly, her gaze unreadable. "Let me show you something."
That was the start of it.
A secret that neither of them spoke of, but both of them fell into.
Yuqi would drag Soyeon around the castle once she was sure everyone else had gone to bed, showing her places no one else knew existed. Hidden passageways, secret chambers deep in the dungeons, abandoned classrooms where moonlight spilled through cracked windows.
And Soyeon—Soyeon became tangled in her.
Yuqi was sweet in private, softer than anyone would ever believe. She would run her fingers along Soyeon's wrist absentmindedly, brush strands of hair behind her ear, whisper secrets against her skin when they were alone.
But in public, Yuqi was cruel.
She never let anyone else touch Soyeon, but she made it look like it was only because she had the right to torment her.
If a group of Slytherins cornered Soyeon, Yuqi would appear with a sharp smile and a careless flick of her wrist.
"This one's mine," she'd say, voice dripping with disinterest. "Don't waste your energy."
She would sneer at Soyeon in front of others, make cutting remarks that only Soyeon understood were empty. But when they were alone, she would touch her, coax her in, whisper things that made Soyeon's heart stutter in her chest.
One night, as they sat by the Black Lake, the moonlight silvering Yuqi's skin, Soyeon exhaled sharply.
"You pretend to hate me," she murmured, not a question but a statement.
Yuqi smirked, fingers ghosting along the inside of Soyeon's wrist. "I have a reputation to keep."
Soyeon turned to look at her, eyes sharp despite the warmth blooming in her chest. "And what am I to you, then?"
Yuqi tilted her head, watching her carefully. "Mine."
Soyeon should've pulled away. Should've told her that she didn't belong to anyone.
But she didn't.
Because she craved Yuqi.
And Yuqi knew it.
The Prefects' Bathroom was quiet at the late hour, the only sounds the occasional drip of water and the soft ripples against the marble tub's edge. Soyeon sank deeper into the steaming bath, letting the warmth soothe her aching muscles. She had stayed out too late the night before with Yuqi again, and while she would never admit it, she was exhausted.
She exhaled, watching the enchanted bubbles swirl around her, shimmering with hints of violet and gold. It was peaceful here—one of the few places in Hogwarts where she could truly be alone.
Or so she thought.
The door creaked open.
Soyeon startled, gripping the edge of the tub, but before she could say anything, a familiar figure stepped inside and locked the door behind her.
Song Yuqi.
Slytherin robes draped lazily over her shoulders, her tie undone like she had just woken from a nap. She leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, a smirk tugging at her lips.
"Well, well," Yuqi drawled, eyes gliding over the scene in front of her. "Fancy running into you here."
Soyeon's heart lurched. "What are you doing here?"
Yuqi shrugged, pushing off the doorframe and strolling forward. "I could ask you the same thing."
Soyeon flushed, sinking further into the bubbles. "Bathing. Obviously."
Yuqi hummed, pausing at the tub's edge. "You know, you really shouldn't leave the door unlocked."
Soyeon shot her a glare. "I didn't, you know that-"
Before Soyeon could finish, Yuqi was tugging her robes off, letting them pool onto the floor. Then she slipped her tie over her head, unbuttoning her shirt with a maddening slowness, until finally, she was slipping out of her undergarments.
Soyeon's throat went dry.
"What... what are you doing?"
Yuqi arched a brow. "What does it look like?"
And then, with absolutely no hesitation, she slid into the water.
The warmth of the bath wasn't enough to explain the heat rushing to Soyeon's face. She kept her eyes locked on a random spot on the wall, refusing to acknowledge Yuqi, who was now drifting closer, the bubbles barely concealing the smooth expanse of her shoulders.
Soyeon swallowed. "You're invading my bath."
Yuqi smirked. "I prefer to think of it as sharing."
She moved effortlessly through the water, stopping just a little too close—close enough that Soyeon could feel the faint ripple against her skin, could catch the hint of jasmine and something darker, something unmistakably Yuqi.
"Why are you blushing?" Yuqi asked, tilting her head.
Soyeon scoffed, willing her face to cool down. "I'm not, i'm just hot from the water,"
Yuqi studied her for a long moment, then smirked. "You're not having weird thoughts, are you?"
Soyeon stiffened, eyes looking up to meet Yuqi's. "What kind of thoughts?"
Yuqi didn't answer.
Instead, she leaned in—slow, deliberate, giving Soyeon just enough time to pull away if she wanted to.
But she didn't.
The kiss was soft at first, a mere brush of lips, but the moment Soyeon exhaled—just the faintest, shakiest breath—Yuqi deepened it.
Soyeon's fingers gripped the edge of the tub like it was the only thing keeping her grounded.
By the time Yuqi pulled away, Soyeon was breathless, her mind spinning.
Yuqi grinned. "Still think it's just the heat?"
Soyeon opened her mouth, then closed it.
Yuqi chuckled, trailing a finger through the water before standing. "I'll see you later, Soyeon."
And with that, she stepped out of the bath, leaving Soyeon alone—heart pounding, face burning, utterly ruined.
Yuqi thought she was careful. Thought she had hidden the truth well.
But her friends weren't fools.
Minhyuk and Seojin had started watching her more closely. Noticing how she lingered too long when Soyeon was around. How she always seemed to know when Soyeon had been hurt, even when she pretended not to care.
One night in the common room, Seojin leaned against the armrest of Yuqi's chair, swirling her goblet of firewhiskey lazily.
"You've been distracted lately," she mused, eyes flicking toward Yuqi.
Yuqi didn't look up from the chessboard in front of her. "Have I?"
Minhyuk smirked from across the room. "It's funny, really. You act like Jeon Soyeon is beneath you, yet you're always the first to make sure she stays that way."
Yuqi finally glanced up, expression unreadable. "She's entertaining. That's all."
Seojin hummed, taking a slow sip of her drink. "Good. Because if we didn't know any better, we'd think you actually cared about her."
Yuqi held her gaze.
And then she laughed.
Low, amused, just mocking enough to make them doubt themselves.
"Please," she scoffed, reaching for a pawn and moving it across the board smoothly. "If I cared, I would've broken her by now."