Chapter Text
“I can’t believe someone as oblivious as Professor Seong actually exists.”
Junho looks up from his chocolate scone to see Saebyok and Jiyeong hunched close together, quietly snickering as they sneak glances at the High Table. He follows their gazes and easily finds The Care of Magical Creatures Professor speaking animatedly to Professor Cho. Despite how much Gihun-hyung appears to be rambling — and based on personal experience, Junho knows he can get very enthusiastic about things — the Potions Masters seems to be listening to him intently, the shadow of a fond smile on his lips.
Junho turns to Daeho to see if the other boy could tell him what the two girls are talking about, but the Hufflepuff only shrugs as he continues chewing his breakfast, looking as confused as he feels.
Saebyok notices their puzzled expressions and raises her eyebrows. “I stand corrected — maybe all men are hopeless.” Jiyeong cackles.
“I don’t think Professor Cho minds listening to Professor Seong,” Daeho says slowly after he swallows, and Saebyok just sighs.
“Look closer.”
Junho trains his attention back to the two professors, both still heavily engaged in the conversation. At one point, a strand of hair falls into Gihun-hyung’s face as he gestures wildly, and Professor Cho reaches out to tuck it back with a practised ease. The Head of Hufflepuff House pauses, then laughs as he ruffles his hair again, unaware of Professor Cho’s soft gaze.
“Are you saying Professor Cho and Professor Seong are…” Junho trails off, unsure.
“Inconclusive," Saebyok says, shrugging, "but there is definitely something going on there. Although,” she leans forward with a grin, “you’re also missing one crucial point.”
Junho’s about to demand she just tell him what the hell is going on when Junhee breezes over and settles beside him.
“What are you guys talking about?” she asks as she grabs a blueberry muffin from the pastry basket.
“How these two can’t read social cues,” Jiyeong replies, flicking Daeho on the forehead when he starts protesting. “Saebyok’s trying to help them figure out the mess unfolding at the High Table.”
Junhee tilts her head as she scans the scene for a few seconds before casually peeling the wrapper off her muffin. “Huh, I’m surprised they’re being that obvious.”
Daeho squawks around a mouthful of toast, “What's obvious?”
Junho sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Okay fine, we’ve established that something is going on between Professor Seong and Professor Cho. Can you please just tell us what else we’re not seeing?”
Saebyok looks at him, bemused. “I’m feeling magnanimous today, so I’m going to give you a clue. Look at Professor Hwang.”
Junho’s eyes immediately seek his brother, a few seats away from Gihun-hyung. On first glance, he appears to be eating just like everyone else. But when Gihun-hyung bursts out laughing at something Professor Cho says, Junho sees it — Inho’s jaw clenching as he stares hard at his plate, the grip on his fork tightening slightly. Junho feels his breakfast rolling in his stomach.
Daeho, being the idiot that he is, asks, “Does Professor Hwang…have a problem with Professor Seong?”
“Oh for the love of—“ Saebyok buries her face in her hands dramatically, while Junhee giggles.
“Wait,” Junho starts, eyes wide, “you’re not seriously suggesting Professor Hwang's…jealous?”
Saebyok leans back and crosses her arms. “Are you saying it’s impossible?”
Junho gapes at her for a moment, wondering if he had misunderstood this whole conversation. When Saebyok only raises an eyebrow in response, he splutters, “My brother’s not g—“ He lowers his voice as a ghost floats past their table, “—Professor Hwang isn’t gay!”
The Gryffindor narrows her eyes, clearly unimpressed.
“I mean,” Junho says quickly, "I wouldn’t have a problem with it if he is, but I would know by now if he were!”
The silence that follows is damning, and Junho wishes he could somehow Obliviate the whole lot of them without getting into trouble. “He’s only ever dated women,” he adds weakly.
Jiyeong rolls her eyes. “Bisexuality does exist, you know.” Junhee chuckles as she pats Junho’s shoulder sympathetically before grabbing another muffin.
***
In hindsight, Junho should’ve known his brother harboured feelings for Seong Gihun.
After all, wasn’t he the reason Inho gave up his budding career as an Auror and became a Hogwarts professor in the first place? Although Junho supposes that isn’t entirely fair. Anyone could see how Inho was itching to leave since that disastrous smuggling case. Gihun-hyung just happened to be the catalyst.
Junho still remembers that late summer morning in Diagon Alley, three years ago. Despite still recovering from his injuries, Inho had kept his promise of taking Junho shopping for his Third Year supplies. They were leaving Flourish & Blotts with a stack of new textbooks when Inho, peering out the shop window, suddenly stiffened before slipping through the crowds.
Calling out after him, Junho ran in pursuit, catching up just in time to see him grab the shoulder of a taller man in a dark green robe.
“Gihun?”
The man turned, the frown on his face quickly melting into a huge grin. “Inho—Hwang Inho?” When Inho nodded, they quickly embraced. “Merlin, I haven’t seen you since I finished school!”
“I thought you were stationed permanently at that dragon reserve in Bulgaria,” Inho said once they’d parted, his hand still resting on Gihun-shi’s shoulder. Junho was surprised to see the almost soft look on his brother’s face, an expression Inho rarely wore.
“Oh, I was — until a month ago!” Gihun-shi explained brightly, eyes crinkling as his smile widened. Junho wondered if he’d ever met a more cheerful wizard. “I was getting homesick, and the Care of Magical Creatures position opened up in Hogwarts, so I jumped at the chance. How about you? I heard from Jungbae that you became an Auror.”
“Yeah, 10 years now,” Inho breathed out, still looking at Gihun-shi like he might actually vanish if he blinked. “I can’t believe we’re finally meeting again after all this time.”
“It would’ve been nice to get an owl from you after I left,” Gihun-shi said softly, and Inho's lips parted, though no words came out. Junho was beginning to wonder whether he should sneak off and give them some privacy when Gihun-shi’s gaze landed on him. “Ah, hello there.”
Inho finally turned to him, his expression snapping back into neutrality. “Oh, Gihun, sorry. This is my younger brother. Junho, say hi to Gihun-hyung.”
Junho did so, earning him one of Gihun-shi’s (well, it’s Gihun-hyung now, Junho supposes) bright smiles. “I don’t remember you mentioning a brother before.”
“He was born after you graduated.”
“That explains it!” Gihun-hyung exclaimed before turning his attention back to Junho. “So, is Inho taking you out to buy supplies for the new school year?”
Junho nodded. “I’m starting my Third Year this fall.”
”Wonderful! Will I be seeing you in my class?” Junho nodded again, a bit shyly this time, and Gihun-hyung’s smile widened. “Well, I hope you’re ready because I’ve got an exciting syllabus lined up!”
“What are you doing later today?” Inho asked after Junho had promised he would do his best in class. “Let me buy you a drink.”
“Ah, I’ve made plans with Sangwoo already,” Gihun-hyung said apologetically, running his hand through his hair. “You remember Cho Sangwoo, right? Another Slytherin, just a year above you. Hey! How about you join us, and we can all catch up?"
Junho saw his brother’s jaw clench imperceptibly, immediately wondering what this Sangwoo-shi did to illicit such a reaction. But to his credit, Inho’s voice remained even. “How about tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow is good! Leaky Cauldron at 6?”
“I’ll be there,” Inho said, and the two men hugged goodbye. Gihun-hyung gave Junho an excited wave before walking away.
Junho remembers watching his brother’s face as he stared after the retreating figure, surprised at the wistfulness so nakedly displayed, despite Inho’s uncanny ability to always mask his feelings. He remembers Inho coming home the next night, tipsy and warm, smiling to himself like a besotted teenager. And he most certainly remembers that early winter morning, just before Christmas, when he’d receive an owl from Inho asking him if he’d be okay with Inho taking over the DADA position when Professor Oh retires next year. Junho had baulked at Inho’s decision to abandon his chance of becoming Head Auror, especially considering how, at that point, the Ministry was practically begging him to take the spot. But he recalled how terrified he and his mom had been when Inho was held hostage by that smuggling ring. How the fire in his brother’s eyes had dimmed, only to flicker back to life after meeting Gihun-hyung again. How could he say no? The following year, Inho started teaching, and Gihun-hyung became a constant presence in their lives.
So yeah, in hindsight, Junho really should’ve known.
But what he figured out after a few more weeks of observation is that Gihun-hyung is also completely nuts over Inho. He watches, increasingly bewildered, as the two men dance around each other, their longing so clearly visible to everyone else but themselves. He contemplates leaving them to figure it out on their own, but when he’s continuously saw how crestfallen Inho would look whenever Gihun-hyung was around Professor Cho, he resigns himself to the fact that — unfortunately — he does actually love his brother enough not to let him mope around like a tragic lead in one of his mom’s bad romance novel.
Inho better be bloody grateful.
***
As he walks towards Inho’s office, Junho wonders for the hundredth time that day if he’s making a colossal mistake.
Their significant age gap meant that Junho had always kept away from his brother’s personal life, and he could very easily keep on doing so. But honestly, if he had to sit through one more meal watching Inho pining over Gihun-hyung, he’s really going to hex someone (most likely, himself).
So here he is, knocking at Inho’s door after dinner, steeling himself as he hears Inho’s quiet, “Come in.” His brother stops writing as soon as he walks in.
“Junho, is something wrong?”
“Nah,” Junho shrugs nonchalantly, dropping himself into a chair in front of Inho’s desk. He peers at the scrolls laid out, recognising them as their last DADA assignment. “Just wanted to visit.”
Inho assesses his slouched form for a moment before snorting and returning to his markings. “Try again. We all know by now you’re a terrible liar, so I don’t know why you still bother.”
Junho grits his teeth. “I really wanted to ask how you’ve been.”
“We grab lunch together every Sunday, it’s not like we don’t talk,” Inho says matter-of-factly. “How about you tell me what’s really on your mind. Or should we talk about how well you did on this essay instead?”
Realising there’s no chance of being tactful, Junho decides to just dive right in. “Hyung, what do you think of guys liking guys?”
Without missing a beat, Inho says, “Is this you coming out to me?”
“Wha—no!” Junho splutters. “I—I’m not gay! I dated Song Jiwoo last year, remember? And I took Junhee to the Yule Ball!”
Inho raises an eyebrow. “Bisexuality does exist.“ Junho shudders as he is hit with a sense of déjà vu. “Is this because of that older Gryffindor Chaser you’re always talking about? What’s his name again—Kim?”
Junho flushes as he thinks of the last time he saw Kim, at the locker room after their last Quidditch match. He hesitates, remembering how his whole body had warmed when Kim reached over to rub some dirt off his cheek, a gentle smile on his face. How Junho had admired his long fingers, the width of his palm.
“Ugh, stop deflecting, hyung,” Junho groans, banishing thoughts of Kim (and willing his hormonal body to calm the fuck down). How did this turn into an introspection of his sexuality?
“What are you trying to ask exactly?”
“I’m trying to figure out if you like men!”
Inho fixes him with a sharp gaze, and Junho swallows nervously, realising why Inho had always been great at interrogation. If he were a criminal, that look would most assuredly have him folding.
But instead of chewing his head off, Inho just sighs. “Is it a problem if I do?”
Junho blinks. “No, I just—I mean, I just wanted—" He fumbles, suddenly embarrassed. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to push.”
After another tense second, Inho laughs, reaching out to ruffle his hair. Junho swats his hand away with a scowl. “Don’t worry about it,” Inho says, “It’s not like I’m trying to hide it. I just didn’t know how to bring it up before.”
Junho starts to relax even more until Inho narrows his eyes. “What brought this on, anyway?”
“Right so,” Junho starts, licking his lips, “it’s come to my attention that you very obviously have a huge crush on Gihun-hyung.”
At this, Inho’s lips flatten, eyes darting to some spot over Junho’s head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Junho mentally screams, dropping his head on the table. “Hyung, we’ve been doing really well with the heart-to-heart so far. Drop the act, and just admit it. I know you do.”
There’s a pause, and Junho lifts his head to see his brother grimacing. But then his face falls, and he exhales, almost defeatedly. “It…doesn’t matter,”
“What do you mean it doesn’t matter?” Junho demands, resisting the urge to shake him. “He’s your best friend! And besides, have you seen the way Gihun-hyung looks at you?”
A flicker of hope crosses Inho’s face before the stubborn bastard snuffs it out. “He looks at everyone that way,”
“Wow,” Junho says dryly, "and here you’re always giving me shit for my observational skills?” He jabs a finger into Inho’s chest. “How were you ever in the running for Head Auror if you can’t see what’s right in front of you?”
“Gihun—he and Sangwoo—“
“I admit, they seem particularly close, and I’m pretty sure Professor Cho is madly in love with him, too. But have you even asked Gihun-hyung if there's anything going on between them?”
Inho shakes his head immediately.
“So you’ve just been assuming they’re together?” Junho cries, throwing up his hands. “You guys hang out all the time! How has this never come up in conversation before?”
“We just…don’t talk about our love lives,” Inho shrugs, almost sheepishly.
Junho gapes at his brother for a second, wondering how two adult men could be so useless (oh Merlin, maybe Saebyok’s right) before he exhales hard and says, “Look. That just proves it. Gihun-hyung doesn’t ask you about your love life either because he’s scared of the answer. Trust me, hyung, he’s head over heels for you.”
When Inho looks unconvinced still, Junho continues, “I’ve been watching both of you for weeks. At mealtimes, when you’re not sitting next to each other, Gihun-hyung would always glance at you just as often as you would stare at him. Last Saturday, at The Three Broomsticks, I saw Gihun-hyung help you finish half a bottle of Firewhiskey. Gihun-hyung hates Firewhiskey and will always turn down a glass from anyone else, even from Professor Cho. And whenever you do wandless magic, he looks at you like he wants you to—“ Junho cuts himself off with a grimace. “You know what, I’m not going to finish that sentence. You can fill in the blanks yourself.”
Inho blinks, taking it all in. Then, to Junho’s surprise, he chuckles. “Huh, I guess your observational skills aren’t as abysmal as I thought.“ Junho has a biting retort ready, but he swallows it when he sees Inho’s small smile. “Maybe you’ve got a shot at being an Auror after all.”
Junho rolls his eyes. “Haha, thanks for the vote of confidence. But seriously — are you finally going to confess?” And put me out of my misery, he adds internally.
“I’ll think about it,” Inho murmurs, and Junho decides to take that as a win. Inho glances at the clock on his mantelpiece and frowns. “You should head back to your dorm. It’s getting late.”
“Yeah, that’s all I wanted to say, anyway,” Junho says as he stands and grabs his things. “Don’t sleep too late, hyung.”
“Junho,” his brother calls out, just as Junho reaches the door. He turns to see his brother standing, his face soft.
“Yeah?”
“It’s okay too, you know,” Inho says quietly, “if you also liked men.”
Junho thinks of shutting down the idea, but he can’t find himself to do so. Instead, he nods once before slipping out the door.
***
“Well, that’s new,” Saebyok says a few mornings later, eyes trained on the High Table once more.
Junho sighs, bracing himself for another round of Inho’s longing stares, when he sees what Saebyok means.
At first glance, it seems like his brother and Gihun-hyung are just chatting over breakfast. But even from his seat, Junho can see how closely they’re leaning towards each other, the way their shoulders are basically pressed together. When Inho reaches over and places a Danish on Gihun-hyung’s plate, the other man practically melts.
Nearby, Professor Cho sips his tea without a word. He doesn’t look at the pair, but when Gihun-hyung laughs, he couldn’t hide a pained smile before turning to join Professor Park’s conversation with Miss Cho.
“You owe me five galleons,” Junhee says to Saebyok, who grumbles but hands over the coins graciously.
“You were betting on my brother?” Junho asks incredulously, unsure whether to be offended or impressed.
Saebyok shrugs. “It was just a matter of time before one of them folded. That was one serious love triangle.”
“Wait,” Daeho starts, blinking innocently after a swig of pumpkin juice, “what love triangle?”
The entire group groans in unison as Jiyeong flicks Daeho’s forehead. “You’re definitely a lost cause.”
Junho chuckles and turns back toward the High Table, startled to find his brother looking directly at him, a smug smile tugging at his lips. Then Inho tilts his head, subtly nodding at something across the room. Junho follows the gesture, almost choking on his toast when he sees Kim staring at him.
Their eyes meet for half a second before Kim quickly ducks his head, cheeks flushed pink as he focuses on his breakfast like it’s the most fascinating thing in the world. Junho swallows, stomach fluttering, but forces himself to keep his eyes on Kim. After a few moments, Kim looks up at him again. But this time, he holds Junho’s gaze, raising one eyebrow instead, a smirk on his lips.
Junho feels his heart trying to beat out of his chest.
Okay, that he can definitely figure out on his own.