strange sounds

[exolliarmus]

Recipient: djongdae
Title: Strange Sounds
Pairings: XiuHan, hinted!ChanTao, side!KaiSoo
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: 15.8k
Warnings: unsanctioned wizard duels, pierced Minseok, inappropriate use of Prefects’ Bathroom, and way too many kissing scenes.
Summary: Luhan and Minseok might share the same room in the Gryffindor Tower, but they are not friends.
A/N: I started this with PG intentions, then I got severely derailed. I blame my thirsty tlist<3 To my beta superstar, BLESS YOU. Also, for the hardcore HP fans, I know the Room of Requirement does not actually produce food. Just think of that scene as a Christmas miracle, okay? ;)




***Gryffindor Tower***

The morning sun shines bright and warm over the snowy landscape of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The natural white cover sparkles blinding white, reflecting light everywhere. The school’s many windows are aglow as they let the sunbeams in to warm the castle’s insides.

Luhan groans as one such beam slides directly across his face. Hadn’t he closed the damned curtains last night? He throws an arm out and grabs his wand from the bedside table. He murmurs a spell and the thick, sun-blocking drapes close around his four-poster bed.

Much better.

He opens his eyes slowly and whines. There’s a faint pounding in his left temple, the result of too much studying followed by a sleepless night. He’d gone to bed relatively early, but then the strange noises started. It was the same thing again—the scratching, the patter of clawed feet over stone, and things falling over in the wee hours before dawn.

Luhan still doesn’t know what makes the noises. Over the past months, he’s gotten up to check more than once, only to find nothing amiss. His room is at the top of the Gryffindor Tower, and with only two beds set in the small round space, he has a pretty good idea of who the culprit is. After all, the noises coincidentally started this year with the arrival of his new roommate—the pink haired, multi pierced, badass attitude, Minseok.

Sadly, Luhan hasn’t been able to prove Minseok is behind it all. Yet. As soon as he finishes the tests this week, he’s going back to stalking his roommate and finding out exactly why he is messing with Luhan’s beauty sleep.

The drapes snap open.

“Ow! What the—” Luhan slaps his hands over his eyes. The light. It burns.

“Woops, didn’t know you were still in there,” Minseok says, sounding unrepentant as ever. “I was just picking up the room before I left since you never bother.”

Luhan throws his covers aside and sits up to glare—watery red eyes and all—at his roommate. “You’re depriving the castle elves of their work, you insensitive piece of dragon poop.”

Minseok slings his messenger bag around his neck and settles it at his waist. He runs a hand through his messy hair, now vivid pink, which means he dyed it sometime this morning while Luhan was still in dreamland. His khol-rimmed eyes narrow as he stares at Luhan. “Just because it is their work, doesn’t mean we shouldn’t help.”

The urge to eye-roll is strong, but the now pounding headache would make it hurt. Instead, Luhan points to the door. “Get out.”

Minseok smirks and makes his way to the door. “Always lovely to chat with you, candyboy.”

The nickname grates, but Luhan chooses not to react. Minseok always acts so superior and all-knowing just because he comes from old money and Luhan is a candy maker’s son. By the stars, he’s annoying.

“Oh and,” Minseok peeks back in, earrings and brow spike-bar glinting in the sunbeam hitting the threshold, “you’re so late for class.”

Luhan glances at the ancient clock on the wall, with the gears exposed and rusting, but always on time. And right now it says he’s out of time for Transfiguration class.

“Fuck!”

Minseok’s laugh echoes down the stairs as he leaves.

Luhan arrives fifteen minutes late to Transfiguration class. He’s a disheveled mess—tie undone, sweater backwards, shirt untucked, robe hanging off one shoulder. Headmistress McGonagall takes one look at him over the rim of her glasses and her disapproving stare is stronger than any tongue-lashing.

He searches around for a group to sit with. They’ve been practicing summoning spells in groups so that while one person casts the other vanishes whatever is called forth. Unfortunately, the only table with a free space is Minseok’s. This is turning out to be a bad morning.

“You could’ve woken me up on time,” Luhan hisses as he takes the seat beside his evil roommate.

“I did,” Minseok says, pulling at his lobe earrings. “You sat up, mumbled something about snow, then fell back to sleep.”

Luhan doesn’t remember any of it, but he really doubts Minseok would’ve been considerate enough to bother waking him up. His roommate has been nothing but a pain in the ass ever since he moved in. The first week, he’d organized Luhan’s carefully crafted mess until he couldn’t find anything. A few weeks later, Minseok had yelled at him for borrowing a book without his permission. Two months in, Minseok took to casting sleep spells on Luhan whenever he became ‘too much of a nuisance.’

And that was just the top of the iceberg of Minseok’s abuse against him. The guy was a complete troll when it came to basic roommate etiquette.

Luhan settles down and takes out his wand with too much force, almost poking his roommate in the chest with it.

Minseok’s brow rises, piercing and all, and says, “Ready?” He waits for Luhan’s nod before summoning a frog.

Luhan vanishes it with a flick. “Boring.”

Minseok calls a pair of snakes next.

Luhan yawns. “Boring again.”

Minseok grins. “Okay, tough guy. Let’s see you handle this. Avis.”

A flock of birds comes out of Minseok’s wand heading straight for Luhan’s face. Unprepared, he screams a manly scream and ducks under the table. His classmates erupt into laughter and his cheeks flame up in embarrassment.

“Very nice, Mr. Kim,” McGonagall says. “But next time, make sure your partner is actually capable of countering the spell. Mr. Lu, you can spend the rest of class vanishing those birds. I do not want them leaving a mess in my classroom.”

Luhan grits his teeth. Stupid Minseok.

By the time Luhan finishes vanishing all the birds and cleaning up the little messes they made, everyone had already left. He picks up his bag and robe, and heads outside. But before stepping out he hears two distinctive voices.

Luhan peeks around the door and sees Minseok talking with Kris, the tall, blonde god from Slytherin. The height difference is ridiculous, his tiny roommate seems to be the one in charge here.

Minseok stands with his arms crossed, regarding the other with a slight frown. “You don’t look so good. Need help tonight?”

“Yeah, it’s…I’m fine, but if you could—” Kris he doesn’t look fine at all. He’s paler than usual, and the sheen of sweat is visible under the sunlight filtering through the mosaic windows. “Tao is almost done with the potion anyways. So, next time you won’t need to.”

“You know this would be a lot easier if you just tell—”

“No!” Kris’s eyes widen so much, Luhan sees white all around the Slytherin’s pupil. It’s pure terror. “I can’t. You know how it is. Please.”

Minseok sighs. He rests a hand on Kris’s arm. “I won’t say anything. But if it ever gets out of control, I won’t think twice about it. Even if it means putting my secret on the line.”

Kris nods.

Secret? Luhan had always thought Minseok was a bit intimidating and, to be honest, scary. Those dark, hooded gazes were enough to pin someone on the spot, and the piercings just added to the dangerous aura. That Minseok was hiding something big, something potentially dangerous was no surprise. But how could he have kept it from Luhan all this time? It’s not like they were the closest of roommates, but Luhan was very observant. He would’ve noticed anything amiss—

The strange noises.

Minseok was responsible for the noises. Did it have something to do with his secret? Curiosity runs in his veins. Luhan needs to find out exactly what his roommate is up to at night and what it has to do with Kris. It would be the perfect blackmail material to get Minseok to behave. Heck, he could even use it to force Minseok to move out of their room.

A wicked grin steals over Luhan’s lips. There’s nothing he likes more than a good mystery so that, like a rubik’s cube, he can solve it piece by piece.



***Owlery***

Minseok dips his quill in the blue ink, taps it against the edge to get rid of the excess, and then starts to write.

Dear Hawk,

Your whining is driving Paws crazy. She asked, no, begged me to write to you and tell you to stop being pathetic. I have to agree. The stories she’s told me…embarrassing, man. Just man up and tell that boy how you feel!

I got Smiles’ letter. He said he would totally make it in time for this reunion. I bet you five galleons that he gets lost and arrives two days later.

Can’t wait to see you three during break!
~Kitsune

The weather outside looks promising, so after the ink dries and he seals the letter with wax, Minseok grabs his scarf and heads to the Owlery. Ironclaw is a sleepy bird, so he’s sure to find him dozing with the other owls. The air carries a chilling bite when he steps outside, but the cold has never bothered him anyways.

Along the way he runs into Tao who, aside from looking like he hasn’t slept in a while, is bundled up head to toe in the warmest school clothes.

Tao waves weakly at him. “Gege.”

“Hey, Taozi,” he says, grinning at the kid. “How are you doing?”

“The potion is coming along well.” Tao bounces a little in place. “It should be ready by the next full moon.”

Minseok nods. “That’s not what I asked.”

“I’m fine, hyung,” Tao says with a slight smile. “Just stressing out a bit. Between the potion, classes, and Striker getting sick, I haven’t been able to sleep that well.”

“You need to rest,” Minseok says. “Why don’t you ask Chanyeol to take a look at Striker today after classes and I’ll guard the potion tonight.”

Tao’s nose wrinkles. “The clumsy half-giant from Gryffindor?”

“He’s really good with pets.”

“Hmm. Okay.” Tao still looks dubious. Except for Sehun, Tao doesn’t trust many people near his pet snake. “But are you sure you can watch the potion? I thought you said your roommate was getting suspicious of your nightly escapades.”

Luhan. Right. “It’ll be fine. I’ll take care of him.”

Tao exhales as if a huge weight has been lifted off his shoulders. He’s the youngest, and everything has been resting on him brewing that potion to perfection. The poor kid really needs to rest.

Minseok pats him on the arm. “Take care, Taozi.”

Tao smiles. “You too, ge.”

A light coating of snow covers the path that leads to the Owlery. A few foot tracks are visible. Other students no doubt sending letters home informing their parents that they’re going to see them during break. Minseok hasn’t bothered sending a letter home in the past five years. His parents are never home during holidays.

The only people whom he celebrates Christmas with and the only people who matter are Dongwoo, Hakyeon, and Amber. The three of them became partners in crime the day they were locked in the same crib during one of his family’s events for rich and snobbish wizards.

They’d been inseparable ever since.

Well, inseparable until Minseok was sent to Hogwarts, Dongwoo to the Salem’s Witch Institute in the US even though he barely spoke English, Hakyeon to Durmstrang even though he hates the frozen tundra up north, and Amber to Beauxbatons even though she hates anything that’s too frilly or overly girly. Yeah. Their parents aren’t any better than Minseok’s own when it comes to listening to their kid’s wishes.

It’s their turn to visit him at Hogwarts this year, and they are all excited about it. The Forbidden Forest is after all the perfect place for their runs. They’ll probably volunteer to help with Kris as well. His friends are cool like that.

Minseok smiles. He can’t wait for winter break to start.

The Owlery is deserted when he enters, which is a little weird. There were too many tracks outside, so he’d been expecting at least one or two students to still be inside.

Ironclaw descends from his perch.

Minseok gives him a treat and pets him. He takes out his letter, but hesitates. There’s something wrong. It’s a feeling he gets sometimes, that he’s learned to listen to over the years. He listens now.

A faint sound comes from the back. Minseok doesn’t immediately look towards the place, but he lets his eyes wander as he pets Ironclaw. Empty cages. Hay blocks. A shock of blonde hair behind a crate.

Ahh. Luhan is still following him around. It’s been a week since his roommate tried to follow him when he sneaked out of the dorm after curfew to help Kris. Minseok was forced to use petrificus totalus that night, to keep Luhan frozen in his bed until morning. After being unfrozen by Kyungsoo, his roommate had been pissed, but he doesn’t seem to have learned his lesson.

There’s also a shoe poking out at the bottom which scuffles back after a moment. No doubt Luhan’s best friend, Jongin. This complicates things. Minseok wouldn’t hesitate to do some damage to Luhan, but he doesn’t want to drag Jongin into their fights. The young Hufflepuff doesn’t deserve it.

Some quick thinking gives him the solution. Minseok casts a spell, duplicating the letter in his hands. Another spell changes the contents of the second letter. He grins as he imagines Luhan’s face when he finally decodes the new message.

“Don’t fight,” he whispers to Ironclaw. “Just scare them a bit and then return to me. Okay?”

Ironclaw snaps his beak.

“Good boy.”

Ironclaw takes the letter and flies away.

Minseok walks outside and sits on a cluster of rocks nearby. He watches his owl get attacked in the distance. Luhan’s tiny owl looks like a bee going after a bear. Ironclaw lets the letter fall after putting up a lame attempt at fighting. His owl banks and flies back around, shooting like a comet into the Owlery.

Minseok laughs at the screams that follow. He blows warm air into his hands and watches the mess unfold. A cacophony of screeches. Owls flying out of the windows and door. A figure—Kyungsoo?—running inside to help.

Ironclaw finally flies out.

Minseok extends his arm and braces himself. Ironclaw descends on it, flapping his wings and settling his weight slowly so that Minseok can adjust to it.

“I said scare them, not cause chaos,” Minseok says, checking his pet for injuries. His tail is a little singed, but nothing major.

Ironclaw gurgles, which Minseok has taken to mean his owl is laughing or happy about something. Evil creature. But loyal to a fault.



*** Gryffindor Tower***

The Gryffindor common room is as warm and cozy as ever. His friends are a welcome sight at the end of a long day. Kyungsoo has his face plastered in a school book like always. Sehun is playing with his cards on the rug in front of the cheery fire. And Baek looks to be quite asleep, wrapped like a cocoon in a blanket on the plush seat by the window.

Luhan smiles wide and waves at them. “Hey, guys! What are you doing?”

Baek groans. “Sleeping, until your chirpy voice kicked me out of dreamland.”

“Good! Now you can help me study for Charms,” Luhan tells him, but Baek rolls over and gives his back to the room.

Luhan shakes his head. “What about you two?”

“Ignoring you,” Sehun pipes up from the rug. He has his tarot cards spread in front of him, and a scroll by his side with notes.

“Yah! Do not sass me, fetus!”

Sehun completely ignores him and continues taking notes. Probably Divination homework. Thank the stars, Luhan doesn’t have to deal with that class anymore. “Hey, Jongin,” Sehun says. “Want me to read your future?”

Jongin shakes his head, but takes a seat on the rug across from Sehun anyways. The two are in the same year, but they’ve never been close friends. Jongin is nice to everyone, but he doesn’t let anyone in too close.

Kyungsoo lets his feet down from the nearby table and glares at Luhan. “You know it’s not allowed to bring in outsiders.”

“Outsiders?” Luhan laughs and glances at his best friend. “It’s not like he’s a spy invading our territory. Jongin just came to visit Magnus. Have you seen Chanyeol, by the way?”

“He kind of is invading,” Kyungsoo bites out.

“Aw, come on.” Luhan sits on the couch next to him and drapes an arm around his narrow shoulders. Perhaps he can help Kyungsoo get over his fight with Jongin. “You still mad about yesterday?”

“No,” Kyungsoo says, at the same time Sehun provides a, “Yes.”

Luhan looks from one to the other. Sehun never lies. “We already said sorry.”

Kyungsoo arches a brow. “Actually, you didn’t.”

They had apologized for getting Hellfire, Kyungsoo’s owl, knocked out with a spell during the incident at the Owlery. It had been a necessary precaution in the chaos of it all, because Hellfire had been trying to get at Magnus, Jongin’s pet rat. Jongin had thrown himself over both pets to protect them, and ended up injured himself. Honestly, Kyungsoo should be thanking Jongin. Luhan sighs.

“Well then, we are sorry,” Luhan says, putting on his best smile and apologizing yet again. “Truly. We are. Right, Jongin?”

Kyungsoo looks at Jongin. His friend’s tanned fingers play with a loose string on his school bag as he refuses to make eye contact. Luhan wants to smack Jongin. Even after they’d talked about second chances, he is still being stubborn. Why can’t they all just play nice and be friends? That’s what Luhan does. He is friends with everyone.

Except Minseok.

“Are you studying for the Charms test tomorrow?” Luhan asks, catching Kyungsoo’s attention again. “I really need help, and Baek is useless right now.”

Kyungsoo shuts the book closed unnecessarily hard and stands. “Just finished. And I think I need a nap, too.”

“Aw. Come on! Don’t be like that.” Luhan leans over the edge of the sofa. “Why are you punishing me? It’s Jongin you are pissed at!”

He watches Kyungsoo stomp up the stairs to the dorm rooms, and shakes his head. Well, he’d tried. Luhan looks at Jongin and smiles. “Don’t mind him. He’s always grumpy before a test.”

“I don’t think that’s the reason,” Jongin says.

“Well…you did K.O. his owl with a spell.”

“To protect Magnus!”

Luhan puts his hands up. “I know. But he doesn’t know. All Kyungsoo sees is that you had an issue with Hellfire, and then you attacked her. Actually, now that I think about it, you’re both doing the same thing. Accusing the other without proof.”

Jongin’s mouth drops open. “Whose side are you on, hyung?”

He sighs and reaches out to ruffle Jongin’s hair. “Yours. Always.”

Sehun, who had been quietly observing, says, “I think you should apologize.”

Jongin frowns. “To Kyungsoo?”

“To Hellfire,” Sehun says.

Jongin takes a breath to answer, but ends up saying nothing. Sometimes there is no way to respond to Sehun’s random words.

“Let’s go find Chanyeol,” Luhan says.

Sehun shakes his head. “He’s out.”

“Where?”

Sehun picks up his cards. “I’ll go find him. You two need to talk.”

Luhan shrugs, used to Sehun’s unexpected departures.

Jongin stays on the floor, but rests his back against the sofa. “Don’t you need to study?”

“I can do that later. I have important news to share.” Luhan relaxes into the sofa. He drapes one arm over the back and another over the armrest. He can’t contain a grin. “Jongdae decoded the message.”

“Wait,” Jongin frowns, “I thought you burned the letter?”

Luhan points at his head. “Photographic memory, remember?”

Jongin rolls his eyes. Fine, he didn’t have photographic memory, but he was really good at remembering things.

“Anyways, Jongdae decoded it and do you know what it said?” Luhan waits a beat. “Piss off.”

“What?”

“The letter said ‘Piss off, Luhan.’”

Jongin tilts his head, small wrinkles appearing between his brows as his frown deepens. “He was telling you to piss off…in a letter?”

“No! Don’t you see? He knew we were there!” Luhan slams his fist against the armrest. “He must’ve seen or heard something and decided it wasn’t safe to send his letter. Then he switched them at the last minute.”

“Maybe he just didn’t want anyone snooping at his correspondence….”

“Whatever he’s hiding, it’s big,” Luhan says, ignoring his friend’s words. “Talking in hushed tones with Kris, weird noises in our room that he claims not to hear, and now correspondence with someone outside the castle. It all points to Minseok breaking the rules. I just need to know why. What is he doing?”

“So you’re going to keep following him even though he clearly doesn’t like it.” Jongin sighs. “Hyung…don’t get into too much trouble.”

“When have I ever gotten into trouble?” Never in his six years had he gotten detention or a big reprimand by any of the professors. That’s not to say he hadn’t caused more than his share of problems. It’s just that he was good at getting out of them unscathed.

Jongin shakes his head. “Rephrase. Don’t cause too much trouble.”

Luhan cackles.

The sound of footsteps makes them both glance at the dorm stairs. It’s not long before a figure comes rushing down into the common room.

It’s Minseok.

His white shirt is untucked, the top three buttons undone, and sleeves rolled up his lean forearms. His pink hair is disheveled as of he just woke up from a nap. And yet, instead of looking soft, Minseok looks ready to do battle. There’s danger in the way Minseok walks, the way his dark eyes gaze around the common room and narrow when he spots them.

There’s a slight break in his stride, but then Minseok flashes an easy smile. He tips an invisible hat. “Ladies.”

When he’s gone, Luhan turns to Jongin. “Stay here. I’m going to follow him.”

“Hyung, I don’t think—”

“You’ll be fine,” he says, quickly. “Sehun should be back soon with Chanyeol.”

He leaves a slightly panicked Jongin on the couch by the fire and runs after Minseok. Once outside, he takes his wand out as a precaution—he’s reckless, not dumb—and disappears down the stairs.



***Dark Castle Hallways***

It’s his turn to watch the wolfsbane potion again and he totally forgot! With all the messes that have been going on—failing a Herbology test, the Owlery chaos, Luhan’s questions every night—Minseok has been feeling extremely tired. He’d fallen into bed for a quick nap, and had woken up hours later and late for his meet with Kris and Tao.

Minseok keeps walking at a fast stride down the dark castle hallways. He has his wand and magical map out, checking it periodically. He and Kris created a replica of the Marauder’s Map, so that they could escape the castle unnoticed during the full moon. But their copy turned out wonky. Unlike the original, it didn’t show the names of people on the map, only their footsteps. It sucked not knowing if it was a professor down the hall, another student, or the person you were looking for. Still, it’s better than nothing.

At the moment, the map showed there was someone behind him. And Minseok didn’t need a banner on the map to know who it was. No one else but Luhan had the balls to follow him at this hour.

He puts away the map and gets ready. There’s a last corner coming up before the hallway of the Room of Requirement and he’s going to make his move then. It should be easy taking Luhan by surprise. Minseok smirks. He’s done it a hundred times.

Minseok hurries around the corner, then whirls around. “Immobulus!”

His spell bounces off a shield.

Luhan’s figure appears behind the shield, whatever concealment spell he used having been removed by the blast. His hair is perfectly styled as always, but his pretty face is unsmiling for once. Serious Luhan is…kinda hot.

Minseok shakes his head. It’s no time to be having those kinds of thoughts. Not that he’s had them before. Nope. “You’re going to end up in the Hospital Wing if you keep following me like this.”

Luhan’s mouth quirks up into a grin. “What are you doing Minseok?”

“Taking a midnight stroll.” He jabs his wand forward like a fencer. “Stupefy!”

Luhan blocks again. Either he’s been practicing, or he was this good all along. Interesting. “You take midnight strolls often?”

“Whenever I need to get away from my nosy roommate,” Minseok says. He hadn’t counted on Luhan actually fighting back. Now he needs to think of a way to get rid of Luhan or disappear himself, before Tao and Kris come out to look for him.

“I’m not nosy.” Luhan takes a step closer, then vanishes. “I’m friendly.” His roommate’s voice is at his back.

Minseok turns quickly, in time to block another spell. “Apparition? Very impressive.”

Luhan inclines his head. “Thank you.”

“Also very illegal without taking the test.”

“Oh, please, spare me. It’s not like you’re not doing illegal things yourself.” Luhan points his wand at him. “Now tell me what the hell you’re hiding. I need to know what evil deeds you’ve been doing behind my back.”

“You’ve been reading too many of Jongin’s fantasy books.” Minseok tries to keep calm when Tao’s head peeks out of the wall right behind Luhan, like a grotesque hunting trophy. Minseok opens his eyes wide and the Slytherin retreats.

“Expelliarmus!” Luhan shouts.

Minseok’s counter attack is stronger.

Luhan’s wand goes flying, and he stumbles back against the wall, mere feet from where Tao had appeared. Minseok apparates and is on him a second later, securing Luhan’s hands to each side of his head. Luhan struggles against his hold, but Minseok is stronger.

“Let me go,” Luhan says through gritted teeth. His cheeks have gone red in his anger. He looks really pretty like this.

Minseok cuts that train of thought. “You need to stop following me.”

Tao peeks out again.

Luhan turns to look this time, but Minseok shakes him, pulling him and then slamming him back against the wall.

“Ow. Fuck.” Luhan growls. “That hurts.”

There has to be a way to divert Luhan’s attention long enough that he doesn’t notice the figures coming out of the room. But how to distract him? How?

“Let me go.”

Minseok stares into Luhan’s brown eyes, full of anger just for him. “You started this.”

Luhan buckles and tries to aim a knee between Minseok’s legs. It’s by sheer luck he evades the kick. He shoves his body against Luhan’s, pinning him to the wall to still his thrashing.

Tao peeks out again with Kris by his side.

Shit.

It’s now or never.

“If you don’t let me go right now,” Luhan says, “I’m going to—”

Minseok presses his lips against Luhan’s, effectively shutting him up. Luhan makes this little surprised noise, but doesn’t pull away. Minseok brushes his lips over Luhan’s, nibbling a bit, sucking on the lower lip. His heartbeat thunders in his ears drowning out all the rest. He licks the upper lip, asking, no, begging for entrance.

Luhan grants it, surprising him momentarily. He lets their tongues meet, earning a whimper from Luhan. And holy shit, why does he taste like chocolate and coffee? He can’t get enough of the taste, so he keeps kissing Luhan. Slowly. Softly. Exploring every inch of his mouth. He doesn’t know who starts it, but their hips start to move, looking for friction.

Minseok lets go of Luhan’s wrists and cups his face. He kisses him deeper and grinds harder, earning a loud moan that makes him pull back in surprise. Luhan’s eyes are half-lidded and his pretty mouth is open as if waiting for another kiss. Minseok can’t deny it any longer. His roommate is so… “Beautiful.”

Luhan’s dazed eyes come into focus, and he shoves Minseok away. “W-What are you doing?”

Minseok blinks. What is he doing? Somewhere between deciding to shut Luhan up by kissing him—how had he even reached that plan of action?—and actually melding his lips with Luhan’s, he’d forgotten his goal. He’d forgotten that Luhan and him don’t get along. He’d forgotten that Kris and Tao were counting on him. He’d forgotten they were in a hallway and they were dry humping each other against a wall.

“What the hell was that!” Luhan shouts. His lips are swollen and shiny with spit. His eyes blown with the remains of lust. The pretty blush over his cheeks has deepened, and Minseok wants to kiss it, but he’s sure Luhan will choke him if he tries anything else.

Minseok takes a shaky breath and tries to ignore the semi in his pants. “It’s…I just…Goodnight.” He walks away and Luhan, for once, doesn’t follow.

That night, Luhan doesn’t return to their dorm room.



***Library***

Jongin’s mouth drops open. “Oh my stars. You guys really think I like him?”

Luhan has been asking himself the same question ever since Minseok kissed him. The kiss had been a diversion. Obviously. But that didn’t mean it hadn’t been nice. More than nice. Full on body shiver, fireworks behind his eyes, cock rising to the occasion, type of nice.

Fuck. He really needed to stop thinking about how nice it was.

“On some deep and twisted level,” Jongdae says, lips turning up at the sides in a kittenish smile, “yeah.”

Jongin starts banging his head against the table, but Luhan stops him. It is his duty as BFF to provide him with some words of wisdom. “Stop that. It is not the end of the world to find out you like your nemesis. Sometimes fighting can be a sort of unconscious foreplay until one day you realize that you don’t hate him. You actually like him, but now he thinks that you really do hate him, and—”

There’s an awkward silence.

Luhan doesn’t even know why he said that. It’s not like he likes Minseok. Does he? He doesn’t blush or stutter like Jongin, but he certainly spends much of his day thinking about his roommate. About his dark looks and heated stares, about the strength in his arms as he’d pressed Luhan against the wall and the way he’d rutted against—

It was just a kiss, dammit!

His friends are still looking at him like he was hit with a curse and grew another head, so Luhan stands up. “Did you hear that? I think someone called out my name.”

He makes a hasty retreat and disappears between the shelves. He walks along the aisles, breathes in the familiar smells—books, dust, old wood, magic. Luhan likes the calm hush of the library as much as the boisterous conversations of his friends, but only here can he really think.

He needs to focus. He still hasn’t found out Minseok’s secret, and getting sidetracked by a simple kiss is foolish. His hormonal body will just have to get a grip and deal. Luhan didn’t get to be one of the top Gryffindor students by letting silly things like enemies, crushes, or crushes who were enemies distract him from his goal.

Minseok is definitely up to something illegal, and Slytherin god Kris is in on it. That much Luhan has gathered. But what is it? What can the two have in common? What can they be working on together? Luhan keeps walking as he composes a mental profile of the two.

Kris, sixth year, Slytherin. Quidditch captain until a year ago when he suddenly quit and became a self-exiled outcast. He broke off his thing with Kyungsoo, though their relationship had been close to vomit inducing levels of cute and perfect. He is good at Defense Against the Dark Arts, which means he probably knows some seriously evil spells and counter-spells. Friends list includes Tao and Minseok.

Minseok, sixth year, Gryffindor. Self-declared badass and piercing junkie. Everyone naturally stays out of his way, but no one ever describes him as mean. Luhan being the exception. He is ridiculously good at Transfigurations. Known friends are….

Luhan couldn’t think of anyone who’d call Minseok friend.

See? Kris and Minseok have nothing in common. So, why are they working together? And on what?

Luhan stops walking. There’s a murmur of voices coming from the end of the aisle. It doesn’t sound like the usual snogging couple trying to get frisky. Curiosity, as always, wins over Luhan. He’s careful to make the least possible sound as he moves closer. The voice soon becomes very familiar. Luhan slinks to where it’s coming from and peeks between the shelves. He grins. Caught you.

Minseok is running a finger over the spines of books while Tao leans against the bookshelf itself. Even with a robe on, Luhan can appreciate the width and bulk of Minseok’s shoulders.

“I don’t know if it will be ready on time,” Tao says. “Kris-ge is getting anxious about it, too. He…screamed at me this morning.”

Minseok’s hand stops. “Did he hurt you?”

Tao’s eyes open wide. “No! No, he would never.”

Minseok sighs out loud and runs a hand through his faded pink hair. “I’ll go speak to him. He shouldn’t treat you like this when you’re the one—”

“It’s fine, ge. I know he didn’t mean it,” Tao says. “He’s just…stressed.”

They lapse into silence for a while.

“Relax.” Minseok finally turns and pokes Tao’s belly. “You can do this, potion prodigy.”

Tao blushes. “Y-you heard that?”

Minseok chuckles. “I heard Chanyeol bragging about it to Baekhyun.”

“Chanyeol needs to mind his own business,” Tao says.

“Are you his business?” Minseok asks.

“Ge!”

Minseok laughs. He swings an arm around Tao’s waist and starts pulling him away.

Luhan leans back against the bookshelf.

Tao was in on their scheme too. It’s another variable which he needs to account for, and still nothing makes sense. He has no choice. Luhan will have to continue following Minseok and hope he isn’t discovered the next time. Though if it goes anything like the last time…

No! Nope. Focus, Luhan.

He returns to his friends, who are still discussing Jongin’s possible crush on his nemesis. Jongin has it good. At least, Kyungsoo isn’t running evil schemes with people from other Houses.



***Forbidden Forest***

It’s dawn. The sun has barely begun to warm the horizon, but the full moon has already run away to cast sleep on another hemisphere. It’s been ten minutes since Minseok led Kris back to the edge of the forest, where the werewolf proceeded to slump over and begin his transformation back into human form. Unlike an animagus shift, werewolves didn’t transform with their clothes on. Minseok had passed Kris the packet of clothes the Slytherin had brought, and turned around to watch the world come awake.

“So fucking cold,” Kris mutters.

Minseok goes back to his friend and hands him the thick blanket he’d left stashed nearby. Kris takes it with a grateful smile, and pulls it quickly over his shoulders. “Thank you for watching over me,” Kris says.

Minseok punches the Slytherin’s arm. “No problem, man.”

Kris looks up at the lightening sky. “If the potion turns out well, this will be our last run.”

Minseok tilts his head. “It doesn’t have to be. You’ll still turn during the full moon, only you’ll be conscious. You don’t have to give this up.”

Kris shakes his head. “This side of me…it’s not something I want to indulge in. I come out to run because it takes me away from everyone in the castle. They stay safe.”

“So, what? You’re going to stay locked up in your room, miserable and hoping you didn’t grow fur all over once a month?” Minseok punches him again. “Come on. This doesn’t have to be a curse.”

“It’s not the same, ge,” Kris says mournfully. “I’m not the same. You chose to become something else. You choose exactly when you want to do it. I have no choice. But if I did...if I did, I’d choose not to turn. Ever.”

Minseok sighs. He always tries to change Kris’s mind about the shift by showing him the good stuff—like the forest runs and the enhanced senses. But Kris is too deep in his own darkness and hatred for who he has become, who he is now. The Slytherin looks to his past as the only good thing in his life, instead of trying to create more ‘good times’ with his new reality.

“Kris…you’re a werewolf,” Minseok says. “Though that qualifies you as a monster, it doesn’t mean you are one. You don’t need an infinity trunk to jump into and lock yourself up whenever the full moon comes out.” Kris had bought the magical trunk a few days ago and shown it to him. Minseok’s stomach had turned at the idea of his friend doing this to himself.

“Even with the potion,” Kris says, “I wouldn’t trust myself.”

“That right there is your problem.” Minseok glances around. There’s a weird sensation on the back of his neck, as if they’re being observed. There’s an almost inaudible sound from the far right. “Did you hear that?”

“What?” Kris eyes the forest, his lip pulling back in a wolfish snarl. “Is it someone?”

Minseok settles a hand on Kris’s arm. “Settle down. It’s probably nothing. Just…let me.”

Kris relaxes somewhat under Minseok’s hold. It wouldn’t do to have him rampage again so close to sunrise. Minseok lets him go and steps away. His hearing is still as acute as a fox—it always lasts a bit after the shift—so he turns slowly, trying to catch the sound again.

The wind whispering through the trees.

A small animal darting away behind a bush.

Leaves crunching underfoot.

Minseok whirls. A bright yellow light shoots from his wand as he casts with a single thought. There’s a split second where he realizes his mistake and wishes he could re-direct his spell.

Luhan has no time to evade the shot. It hits him in the chest and he falls back against the leaf-covered forest floor.

Kris snarls.

Minseok presses both hand’s against the tall Slytherin’s chest and pushes hard. Kris fights him on it. “Calm down. It’s almost sunrise. You need to go back to the castle,” he tells Kris. “I’ll fix this.”

It takes a moment for Kris’s breath to even out. “Sorry, I’m not…Sorry.” He backs away and leaves, casting a final worried glance over his shoulder.

Minseok hurries to Luhan who is still lying on the ground. He helps him up into a sitting position. Luhan looks up at him, confused but seemingly fine. Then a loud rumbling comes from Luhan’s belly. Minseok has time enough to move his roommates face away. Luhan heaves, coming up empty at first. But then he’s throwing up all over.

Again and again until tears are dripping down Luhan’s cheeks, and he’s groaning in pain. Minseok feels horrible. He rubs soothing circles on Luhan’s back, hoping the motion brings some comfort. “I’m sorry,” he says. “I’m so sorry.”

Luhan pulls away. The anger in his eyes is very real, and Minseok feels his heart drop. If he’d known it was Luhan, he wouldn’t have cast this spell. He would’ve used something else.

At some point, Luhan stops vomiting and starts to sob. Minseok picks him up, filthy from vomit and all, and carries him all the way to the Hospital Wing.



***Gryffindor Tower***

Luhan groans into his pillow. There’s a spot above his left temple, a little bit to the side, that’s throbbing in time with his heartbeat. Opening his eyes to the bright-lit room makes it worse, so he shoves his face deeper into his pillow.

They’d released him from the Hospital Wing the night before. He’d gone straight to bed and remained there the entire morning, not caring about classes. There was no way he could sit through a full lecture and not fall asleep. He’d probably drool all over his desk, too.

He’s debating whether or not to skip lunch and stay in bed a while longer, when Minseok walks in. Luhan can’t hold his glare when he sees the soft shade of lavender that is his roommate’s hair. He seriously wants to ask Minseok what is up with the soft colors when the rest of him—glinting spike piercings, khol-rimmed eyes, strong stance, and cocky grin currently directed at Luhan—screams badass.

Luhan rolls over to his side. “What are you doing here?”

Minseok jumps onto the bed, making it and Luhan’s head bounce. Luhan wants to kill him. “You weren’t in Charms or Transfiguration,” Minseok says. “I got worried.”

“Get off my bed,” Luhan says.

Minseok dangles a paper bag in front of Luhan’s face. It smells of fried stuff and cheese. Luhan snatches it out of his roommate’s hand and opens it. A glorious basket of cheesy fries waits inside. He glances up at Minseok.

Minseok smiles and runs a hand through his lavender locks. Luhan wants to do the same. “I’m sorry,” Minseok says.

“Apology not accepted.” Luhan closes the bag, even though his stomach is calling him idiot and all sorts of names, and crosses his arms. “Get off my bed.”

“But I brought you cheesy fries.”

“I don’t care.” He resists the impulse to grab the fries again.

“You were the one following me like a stalker.” Minseok’s frown is combined with a pout, making him look all kinds of adorable. Luhan wants to scream. “I should be the offended party here.”

“I am not a stalker.” Screw it. He grabs the bag, opens it, and pops a fry into his mouth. A heavenly choir sings on his taste buds.

“Yeah. I think you are,” Minseok says, observing Luhan with a slight smile. “First in the Owlery, then after curfew. What is your deal?”

“I didn’t want to lose any more house points because of you sneaking out,” Luhan says, mouth full of food and not caring one bit if he was being disgusting. Maybe it would put Minseok off the idea of kissing him. Not that Luhan expected any more kissing to happen again. Ever. No.

Minseok laughs. “Good excuse, but try again.”

Luhan sits up. He cleans his hand on the bedspread, and grins when Minseok grimaces at the action. The guy was a neat freak. “I know you’re hiding something.”

Minseok raises his pierced brow. “So?”

Wait. What? “You’re not going to deny it?”

“No.”

Luhan sputters. Of all the things he expected, Minseok admitting his crime was not one of them.

Minseok reaches out and rests his fingers on Luhan’s cheek. It’s as if he’s been shocked with electricity, everything exploding inside in a buzz. “You’re so cute when you’re outraged.”

“I am not cute.”

The finger caresses his cheek. “Adorable. You had cheese there.”

“I’m not—”

Minseok licks his finger clean. “Very pretty, too.”

That’s it!

Luhan slaps Minseok’s hand away from his lips and the obscene thing they were doing there. “Do not call me pretty.”

Minseok’s eyes widen and he blinks. But then a crooked grin spreads across his lips. “Okay, beautiful.”

Luhan reaches back and grabs his pillow. He whacks Minseok on the head with it. Hard.

Minseok looks slightly angry now. He stands, walks to his bed, and grabs his pillow. “You started it this time.”

Minseok hits him back and the cheesy fries go flying. They fall onto the floor and Luhan’s heartbroken gasp echoes in the room. “You insensitive piece of—I’ve been craving those for days!”

Luhan stands on his bed, pillow in his hands. He jumps and swings the pillow at Minseok, who turns and takes the hit on his back. Minseok retaliates quickly, hitting Luhan back twice, before running for safety. Luhan pursues him around the room, getting in random hits that make Minseok squawk and being hit in return. It’s not long until they’re calling each other names, teasing, and laughing as their fight turns into a game.

In the end, they both fall breathless onto Luhan’s bed. The throbbing in his head has stopped, which meant it was more stress than anything.

Minseok laughs. “If I get you more fries, will you forgive me?”

It must be contagious because Luhan finds himself laughing too. “Get me fries for a month and I’ll consider it.”

Minseok chuckles, but doesn’t say no. “I am sorry about hitting you with that spell. If I’d known it was you…well, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. I just need to work better on my shields,” Luhan says, “so that next time I’m following you, your spell won’t hit.”

Minseok groans. “You won’t give up, will you?”

“Nope.” Luhan’s grin turns into a frown. “You’re bleeding.”

“What? Where?” Minseok looks at his hands and torso, as if he’s expecting to see a stab wound or something.

Luhan reaches out and touches the helix piercing in Minseok’s ear. The skin is completely red, and there’s a tiny bit of blood around the hole.

Minseok winces.

“It must have been one of the pillow hits.”

“It’s okay. It happens,” Minseok says. “Sometimes they get caught on my clothes and I rip them a bit, too.”

Luhan traces his finger along the piercing and down to the others—two lobe lops and a tragus spike. Luhan wouldn’t have the patience to keep so many himself, but they look amazing on Minseok. “Why so many?” he asks.

“I started just to piss off my parents,” Minseok says. “But then, I sort of liked them and the effect they had on people.”

Luhan frowns. “You mean they make everyone think you’re a thug?”

Minseok laughs quietly. “They keep people away, keep them from asking too many questions. I guess they didn’t work on you though.”

“No…they didn’t.” Luhan glances up and meets Minseok’s gaze. It’s soft and open, and Luhan doesn’t know what to do with it. And Minseok seems to know Luhan is getting flustered because he smiles.

Minseok is lying on Luhan’s bed and smiling at him.

Minseok is lying on Luhan’s bed—looking deliciously disheveled, lavender hair all a mess, slightly flushed round cheeks—smiling at him and Luhan is still touching his ear.

WHY.

Luhan takes his hand away, and rolls onto his back to stare at the bed canopy. “Get off my bed,” he says, but there’s no fire behind his words, only uncertainty.

There’s movement and the rustling of sheets, and Luhan can almost breathe easier knowing Minseok is no longer so close. But then Minseok’s face comes into his line of vision and he sucks in a quick breath.

Minseok stares at him from above. “Can I?”

“What?” he squeaks.

“Kiss you.”

“No.”

“Are you sure?”

“...”

“I won’t ask again.”

Luhan rises up and lands a peck on Minseok’s lips, before falling back onto his pillow. Oh stars, what has he done? Why did he…? It’s just that the lips were there and he wanted to prove if they felt as soft as he remembered. He was curious. Just curious. Just…fuck.

Minseok doesn’t smile. He doesn’t tease. He simply closes his eyes and lowers his lips onto Luhan’s stealing his breath away.

It’s as mind-blowing as he remembers, if not more. The way Minseok’s tongue tangles with his in a persuasive dance that has Luhan agreeing to more and more. How Minseok bites his lip and right after pulls a bit back and nibbles the hurt flesh as if in apology.

Minseok’s fingers skate up along his ribs, thumb brushing across Luhan’s nipple. And even through the material of his thermal shirt, it sends a jolt through his body that shoots straight to his groin.

It clears his head like nothing else.

Luhan shoves Minseok off of him and runs away. A chant in his head of “too much, too soon, too good, so good.”



***Room of Requirement***

“Lumos.” The castle’s dark corridor appears before him, illuminated in the pure white light coming off his wand.

It’s the night before winter break. In the morning, students will vacate the castle and he won’t have to work so hard at sneaking around. He doubts anyone followed him tonight, but he left enough misdirect and confuse spell traps on the way just in case. Tao better return the copy of the Marauder’s Map before he leaves to visit his family though.

Minseok rounds the corner to the hallway of the Room of Requirement and comes to a jerking halt. The torches are lit and Luhan leans against the bare wall, the one that produces the magic door to the room you wish to appear.

Shit. How did Luhan get here before him? Did he disable the traps or go around another way? But that would mean Luhan anticipated this.

Minseok approaches him, wand at the ready. “What do you want Luhan?”

“To talk.”

Minseok eyes him a moment longer. Luhan stays relaxed against the wall, hands in his pockets, so he puts his wand away. “About what?”

“Animagus.” Luhan drops the word like a nuclear bomb.

Minseok entire body sort of locks into place and he remains unmoving, hands still clutched around his wand now inside his pocket.

“I finally figured it out,” Luhan says, a small grin appearing on his lips. “At first, I thought you were a werewolf, like Kris. But, no. You don’t always disappear during the full moon. So, then I kept thinking. What would a werewolf want with you?”

After their encounter in the forest and the resulting accident, Minseok hadn’t been sure how much Luhan knew. It seems his roommate was smart enough to put all the pieces together. The question is, what does he want now that he has the knowledge to destroy both Kris and him?

“It’s not the wolfsbane potion. You suck at brewing. Tao’s doing that, potions prodigy that he is.” Luhan continues his monologue. “But then I remembered one of your conversations with Kris. He said, ‘Thank you for watching over me.’”

Minseok snorts. Seriously? Luhan is more observant than he’d previously thought, if he pieced his secret from that.

“I almost didn’t figure this part out,” Luhan says with a light shake of his head. “But I did. Because no one can get close to a werewolf when he’s shifted. No one except another animal. So, what are you? A Chihuahua? A wild cat? Because all that infernal scratching and pawing at night—”

Minseok draws his wand out again. His hand is steady when he points it at Luhan. He really doesn’t want to do this. “Are you planning on telling people?”

“Unregistered? Figures.” Luhan steps forward, dark brown eyes serious. “Put the wand down. You look silly.”

“Answer the question.”

Luhan stares at Minseok for a moment. “I won’t tell anyone, but…you have to teach me.”

Minseok blinks and then lowers his wand. “This is not something you’ll learn overnight.”

“I know.”

“You won’t learn it in a year either.”

“Uhum.”

Minseok’s eyes narrow. “Why do you want to learn?”

“I just do. Do we have a deal?”

Minseok extends a hand and Luhan grabs it. They shake on it and let go, but not before Minseok feels the familiar tingle that accompanies every one of Luhan’s touches. It shoots straight up his arm and into his chest, to do funny things in his heart.

“So…when do we start?”

Minseok’s lips twitch into an almost smile. “Right now.”

The way the Room of Requirement works is by walking in front of the wall while thinking of the thing that you need. Minseok does this and soon a plain brown door appears. He opens it and, with a flourish, motions Luhan to go in first.

The room is sparse, with a couch, an old leather chair, and a fireplace with a bubbling cauldron hanging over the flames. Tao is sitting in front of the fire with a bunch of books strewn around him, and Chanyeol by his side murmuring things in his deep voice. They both stand immediately when they see them come in.

“Tao, meet Luhan,” Minseok says, trying and failing not to let his surprise show at seeing the half-giant there.

Tao bows his head respectfully, but his eyes remain wary.

“Is that the wolfsbane potion?” Luhan makes to approach the cauldron, but Minseok grabs the back of his roommate’s shirt.

“No touching.”

Luhan rolls his eyes, but stays put.

Minseok jerks his head to the door and Tao follows him.

The Slytherin isn’t happy at all. “Kris won’t like this,” Tao says. “He is going to murder us. Why did you bring Luhan here? I thought you wanted to keep him out of this.”

“It was out of my hands. He figured it out.” Minseok runs a hand through his short hair. “Besides, what is Chanyeol doing here?”

Tao swallows and looks away.

Minseok sighs. “It’s okay, Taozi. As for Kris…don’t worry about it. I’ll deal with him.”

Tao nods. He calls Chanyeol who comes lumbering, happy as an overgrown puppy and they both leave. Minseok pulls a hand down his face. Shit. Kris is going to be worse than a dragon without its meal when he finds out that more people are in on his secret.



***Room of Requirement***

It’s been three days. Three horrible, frustrating, and torturous days of animagus training. It sucks. Luhan just wants to shift already, but he can’t!

“You have to feel the shape!” Minseok shouts for the twentieth time that morning.

“Arg! I thought I had to know the shape!”

Minseok waves his comment away. “Yes, yes. Know the shape, of course. But to transform you have to feel it. You have to want it and feel it.” His roommate walks forward and presses his hand over Luhan’s chest, palm resting over his heart. “Feel it here.”

Luhan loses a moment getting caught staring at Minseok’s khol-rimmed eyes. The black is so thick it looks like a permanent mask. He steps back before Minseok can feel the rapid beating of his heart. “Okay. I have to feel it.”

“Want it!”

“W-want it,” Luhan says. “Want it and feel it.”

Luhan closes his eyes and thinks of the shape. He thinks of its graceful legs, and lithe body, of the way it moves through the forests. Then feels the shape, feels the animal he wants to become and lets the magic work.

He hears a choked off giggle.

“What? Am I changing?” Luhan opens his eyes. A quick inspection of his body shows him that he has not shifted yet. “Why are you smiling?”

Minseok points at his head.

Luhan raises a hand to his hair, tentatively touching until his fingers meet something hard sticking out. He gasps and acts surprised as he uses both hands to inspect his new appendages. “I grew antlers!”

His roommate doubles over guffawing.

“What? Isn’t this progress?”

“You look—ridiculous!” Minseok says between gasps.

“Oh, yes. Go right ahead and make fun of me when I’m the one who’s managed to learn to shift part of me in just three days.” Luhan crosses his arms and raises a brow. “How long did it take you to achieve this much?”

Minseok wipes his mirth tears. The khol doesn’t run. Must be waterproof. “Longer. Probably a year. But when I did, I shifted completely.”

Luhan huffs. “You’re no fun.”

“This isn’t meant to be fun,” Minseok says with finality.

“But it’s Christmas, you insensitive piece of—”

Minseok pulls at his lobe piercings. “So?”

“So?” Luhan’s mouth drops open. “What do you mean so?”

Minseok heaves a sigh. “I don’t see what’s so special about—”

Luhan rushes over and shoves his hand over Minseok’s mouth. “Don’t even think of finishing that sentence. It is a time to celebrate! And open presents! And…and eat until you’re in a food coma!”

Minseok frowns.

“Didn’t you ever have a fun Christmas?”

“When I was little, I spent it at home bundled up in a kid tux and playing at being the obedient child for my parents and their guests,” Minseok says. “Now, I just stay in the castle or go visit my friends. That’s the only fun I get.”

“That’s just fucking sad,” Luhan says.

“Excuse me?”

“Sad that you’ve never experienced a real Christmas.”

“Feeling sorry for me now?”

“Absolutely. Come on.” Luhan grabs Minseok’s hand and pulls him outside of the Room of Requirement. He closes the door and lets it disappear.

“What are you doing?”

“Showing you a real Christmas,” Luhan says. He paces—more like stomps—in front of the wall, thinking of his favorite place in the whole world. A red door with a Christmas wreath appears on the wall. He pushes Minseok towards it.

Inside, it’s just as he remembers. Tables cover almost every inch of floor space, full of trays and crystal jars brimming with candies from all over the world. Mountains of cauldron cakes and pumpkin pastries. Barrels of chocolate frogs and jelly slugs. Centerpieces of licorice wands that reach up to the shop’s ceiling and are not just for display, but actual sweets people can buy.

An entire wall of tube dispensers full of Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans covers the back wall, where you can place your bag under it and receive a surprise amount of the magicked candy inside. There are chocolates, gummies, hard candy, sweet drinks, and every kind of sugary delight in bright colors that dazzle the eyes. But Luhan’s favorite part is the smells, so he closes his eyes momentarily and inhales the delicious scents—peppermint, cinnamon, pumpkin, chocolate, sugar.

“Is this your home?” Minseok asks full of awe.

Luhan nods. “The Room made a pretty good copy of it. I used to spend every Christmas in the shop, running around with Jongin while Mom and Dad attended the customers. They would let us eat whatever we wanted.”

“Why did you stay at Hogwarts this year?”

“Jongin wanted to stay to let Magnus recuperate,” Luhan says. “I couldn’t leave him alone.”

“You two are really close,” Minseok comments, picking up a bag of Fudge Flies and setting it down again after reading the ingredients.

Luhan smiles. “He’s my brother in all the ways that count.”

Minseok shoves his hands into his pockets and smiles back, no longer tense and serious. Had he been jealous?

“Hey, check these out,” Luhan says, handing Minseok a bag of Coffee Brownie Bears. “They’re my favorite. Mom sends me a bag of them every month. Try them.”

“Is this why you taste like coffee and chocolate?” Minseok asks, but then his ears turn bright red and he shoves the candy into his mouth. He chews for a bit and swallows. “These are really good!”

Luhan giggles. It’s like he’s helping Minseok discover a whole new world. “What’s your favorite candy? I’m sure they have it here.”

“I…uh…my parents didn’t let me eat much candy when I was little,” Minseok says. “I don’t really have a favorite.”

Luhan mock gasps. “This atrocity must be corrected! Come on. We’re not leaving here until you’ve tasted everything and picked your favorite!”

This is how they spend their Christmas night, tasting every single candy in the shop and ranking them on a scale of ‘too sweet’ and ‘not enough.’ When their bellies start to ache from too much sugar, Luhan pulls Minseok under the big, round table in the middle of the shop. The top of it is crystal, so they’re able to sit under it and stare at the blinking light display of the Christmas tree on top. It’s so beautiful and it reminds him so much of his childhood that Luhan finds himself fighting back tears.

He clears his throat. “Do you have a favorite yet?”

Minseok hands him a box of Glacial Snow Flakes. “These.”

Luhan laughs. “Figures you’d go for the soft ones.”

Minseok reaches out and wipes his thumb over Luhan’s chin. “You’re such a messy eater.”

Luhan laughs. “You should see your face before pointing any fingers.”

“Then clean me up.” Minseok shuffles closer, resting a hand right above Luhan’s knee. He tilts his head up and waits.

The heat of a blush starts creeping up his neck, towards his cheeks. But this is a challenge, and if there’s one thing Luhan never does is back out from a challenge. He leans forward and licks the chocolate stripe clean, letting his tongue caress Minseok’s jaw twice more before pulling back.

Minseok’s hand tightens on his thigh.

What does it mean?

Luhan stares at Minseok. The colorful lights from the tree above them, cast his features in a myriad of colors, showing off the angles and planes of Minseok’s face. His piercings blink back in turn, reflecting the rainbow.

Does he want more?

Minseok licks his lips. Luhan remembers how pink and puffy they look once they’ve been well and properly kissed.

Do I want more?

He also remembers how good Minseok’s hands feel on him, gripping him strongly, holding him steady, even as he unravels with a kiss.

Abso-fucking-lutely, yes.

Minseok pulls at him and Luhan gets the message. He sits up quickly to crawl forward and straddle Minseok. In his haste, Luhan forgets the table above. He rises too high and bam! “Ow! Fucking hell!” Luhan braces the back of his head with his hands.

Minseok laughs under him. “Are you okay?”

“Ugh. Fine,” he says, though he knows he’s going to have one heck of a bump in a few minutes. Right now, his pride is more hurt than anything else.

Minseok kisses his cheek. “Let’s find you some ice for that.”



***Prefects’ Bathroom***

It’s New Years Eve and once again, Minseok didn’t allow Luhan to slack off and have a free day. He’s warmed up to the idea of Luhan becoming an animagus and maybe joining him for runs in the Forbidden Forest. So, he woke his roommate up at the crack of dawn and took him to the Room of Requirement to practice his shifts.

Luhan has turned out to be a fast learner. He can not only grow antlers now, but he can also grow a tail. A cute little brownish-gold tail with white underside that he wiggles from side to side on top of his cute little butt. Not that Minseok had been staring and cooing at Luhan’s tail or butt. Yeah. Um. Small progress is better than no progress at all.

Anyways, to celebrate Luhan’s new achievement and as thanks for sharing his family’s candy shop with him, Minseok is going to share a place of his own. As an animagus he’s found many of the nooks and crannies inside Hogwarts, but what’s best of all is the things that he’s heard. Things like passwords that grant access to exclusive places.

Minseok drags Luhan to the fifth floor, to the door beside the statue of Boris the Bewildered, where one such exclusive place exists.

“What are we doing here?” Luhan asks,

Minseok simply grins. He gives the correct password—“Lemonade”—and leads Luhan inside.

There are bathroom stalls to one side, where students can change and leave their clothes. To the other side there’s a circular room with the special feature of the prefects’ bathroom—the medium-sized pool sunk into the ground with hundreds of taps that dispense all sorts of liquids to make the experience heavenly.

“Is this is some sort of weird training?” Luhan asks. “Not that I’m complaining, but how exactly is taking a bath going to help me shift?”

“It’s not,” Minseok says. “We’re here to…You’ve been doing really well in your training and I thought you could use some time to relax.”

Luhan grins. “Is this my reward?”

Minseok scratches the back of his head. “Yep.”

“It’s about time.” Luhan slaps him on the back and goes to change in one of the cubicles. “I’ve actually never been here before. Oh! Sponges in the shape of the House animals. Cool!”

Minseok grins, knowing Luhan is enjoying this already, and heads to another cubicle.

When they’ve both stripped and come out in nothing but a towel around their waist, it becomes awkward. Who takes it off first? Will the other peek? Of course the other will peek.

Luhan swears under his breath, takes off his towel, and dive bombs into the pool, splashing water everywhere. Even onto the mermaid on the window mosaic, who looks disapprovingly at him. Minseok has to open the water tap again to refill the lost water, before taking off his own towel and sliding into the warm water.

“I’ve always wanted to come here,” Luhan says, careful not to look at Minseok. His cheeks are deep pink. He totally peeked. “How did you even get access? Who told you the password?”

Minseok winks.

“Fine, don’t tell me!” Luhan splashes water in his direction.

Minseok wipes water from his face. “Ugh. You’re insufferable.” He points to the tower of faucets at the end of the pool. “Pick some bubbles and scents.”

Luhan claps like a seal and wades over. “Why are none of these labeled? What if I pick the wrong one and we end up smelling like troll ass?”

Minseok laughs. “They’re all good scents, just don’t mix too many and we’ll be fine.”

Long minutes pass as Luhan fiddles with the many faucets, working like a mad scientist to get the perfect concoction of scents going. Luhan even shouts “Eureka!” when he closes the last handle. Minseok simply grins at his roommate’s childish antics.

Their pool bath now smells like Christmas morning, of pine trees and baked goods, of a cheerful fire and good company. Minseok sinks further under the water and sighs contently.

“Thank you,” Luhan says in the sudden silence. “This is really nice.”

“No problem.”

Luhan swims closer. “So…what’s the deal with Kris? Why are you helping him? And why hasn’t he told anyone about being a werewolf? It would be so much easier if he just told. They have a special program for werewolves now, you know.”

Minseok inspects a lock of his hair. The lavender has worn off. He sucks on his lower lip before exhaling. “It’s his family. He doesn’t want them to know, because they would disown him. He would literally lose everything.”

“That’s a really shitty family,” Luhan says.

Minseok shrugs. “Mine would do the same.”

“I’m sorry.” Luhan pulls the lock in Minseok’s fingers, and says softly, “Try orange next.”

Minseok nods at the suggestion. “At this point, I really don’t care if mine find out and cast me out of the family tree,” he says. “I just don’t want to get my friends in trouble.”

“Your friends?”

“Oh…uh.” He hadn’t meant to spill that much. But with Luhan nearby, all wet and beautiful, it’s hard to think. “Me and my friends are all animagi.”

Luhan laughs. “The rich kids have a secret group. That is so cliché.”

Minseok splashes Luhan.

“Okay. You still haven’t told me why you’re helping Kris,” Luhan says when he’s finished wiping bubbles from his face.

“Because he needed me,” Minseok says.

Luhan blinks and waits.

He hasn’t told anyone else what happened that day, not even Tao who is closest to them. Whenever he thinks about it now, it all seems like part of a horrible dream. But it was real. “It’s not my place to tell you his story. Just know that I made an unbreakable vow to him and promised to help him deal with life as a werewolf.”

Luhan opens his mouth and then closes it.

Minseok smirks. “Did I just destroy your every expectation of me?”

Luhan coughs. “Sort of. I thought I had you all figured out,” he says. “I had all these scenarios in my head of you and Kris working on evil plans together. I imagined you as a bad guy when all along you were playing the hero.”

Minseok shakes his head. “Hero is just a label for people who care.”

They settle in silence once more, only the drip-drip of water coming out of the main faucet breaking the quiet. There’s a little less steam coming out of the water now.

“You know, you’re not at all what I expected either,” Minseok says.

Luhan settles against the pool wall beside him. “How so?”

“Well…I thought you were this airheaded, doesn’t-care-about-consequences, and always talks too much kind of guy,” Minseok says. “And I was right.”

“Hey!” Luhan shoves his elbow into Minseok’s side.

Minseok grabs the arm and turns fully to face him. “You’re all those things and more,” he says. “You’re kind, fiercely protective of your friends, funny, so very badass in a wizard fight, and so very beautiful when you’re like this.”

“When I’m like what?” Luhan asks, voice gone breathy.

Minseok cups Luhan’s face. “Cute.”

Luhan gasps. “I’m not—”

Minseok quiets him with a kiss, laughing into it as Luhan protests, but eventually gives in. Their breaths turn labored and uneven as the kiss deepens, but Minseok still pulls back. Luhan’s pupils are blown wide with lust and he looks vaguely confused about why they’re stopping. Minseok wants nothing more than to press close and kiss him until they’re both dizzy and aching. But he wants to give Luhan the option.

Continue? Or Save and Exit.

There’s no hesitation when Luhan’s legs go around his hips and pull him in. Luhan’s arms go around his neck and he kisses him with an urgency that has Minseok’s hands trembling as they roam over Luhan’s face, neck, and chest. It’s familiar how their tongues sweep against each other, how Luhan nips at Minseok’s jaw before reclaiming his lips, not giving him time to breathe properly or think. This is a continuation of the many failed and fumbled starts they’ve had, and neither is ready to stop this time.

Finally, Minseok presses as close as he wants to, pushing Luhan against the pool wall and melding their bodies together. Their cocks meet underwater between their bodies, sending sparks of lust singing through his nerve endings.

“Minseok.” Luhan gasps, and the most delicious whimper escapes his lips when Minseok ruts against him. Splashes of water, wanton moans, and aborted gasps is the music they sing. It’s not long until they both have aching erections begging to be taken care of.

Luhan’s nails scratching down his backside push Minseok into action. He grabs Luhan by the waist and lifts him up and onto the edge of the pool. Luhan’s face is heartbreaking, probably thinking Minseok is pushing him away. But that’s not it at all. Minseok follows, pulling himself out of the water and crawling forward, pushing Luhan back until he hovers over him.

Luhan’s hands roam up Minseok’s arms and over his chest, down his navel to grip at the wet, heated flesh of Minseok’s cock. “Stars, you’re ripped,” he whispers with something close to reverence, as his hand pumps Minseok.

“Fuck, Lu.” Minseok drops his head against Luhan’s neck.

“Come here.” Luhan lets go of Minseok’s cock, and spreads his legs wide open. He pulls Minseok close again.

Minseok licks the water off Luhan’s clavicles, then down to his chest, biting the puckered pink nipples. He keeps sliding his hips back and forth, rubbing his aching cock against Luhan’s.

Luhan thrashes a bit, letting out whimpers and pleas for more. Minseok steadies him by holding onto his hip with one hand, and moving up to steal Luhan’s breath with a searing kiss. Their tongues tangle and their teeth bite at their already swollen lips.

Minseok moves the hand away from Luhan’s hip and around. He goes further down, over Luhan’s firm ass cheeks and into the cleft between them. His fingers tease the puckered entrance there and Luhan moans, needy and filthy in Minseok’s ear.

“Oh fuck.” Luhan sneaks a hand between their bodies, and grips their aching erections. He starts pumping them with urgency, and Minseok swears he sees stars behind his eyelids. “Minseok…please….”

“What do you want?” Minseok asks Luhan, biting the shell of his ear.

Luhan moans.

“You have to tell me, candyboy.” Minseok presses the tip of his finger in and Luhan keens. His hand pumps faster, and Minseok has to breathe hard for a second or risk coming then and there. “Tell me.”

“Come…I-I want to…please,” Luhan says, the last word coming out in a sob.

“Then come,” Minseok says, shoving his finger inside fully. “Come for me.”

And Luhan does.



***Gryffindor Tower***

After cleaning themselves up, with much awkwardness, shy glances, blushes, and tiny smiles, Luhan and Minseok return to their dorm room. Luhan picks out his favorite sweater from his trunk, the one that’s so big it reaches his knees and jumps into bed.

Minseok is still in his pajama bottoms, digging around for something. Luhan takes a moment to appreciate the way his roommates muscles tense and contract. Does he work out? Damn. Luhan thinks of his own thin frame, the way some of his bones stick out in sharp angles. He grows a bit self-conscious. Ridiculous considering what just happened in the prefects’ bathroom.

After throwing on a white tank, Minseok bounds over and jumps onto Luhan’s bed with a plastic kit in his hands. “Help me with these, will you?”

Luhan kneels in front of his roommate and begins taking off the piercings on Minseok’s left ear. The helix first, then the lobe loops, and finally the tragus spike. Once Minseok finishes taking off the earrings on the other side, he takes them all and sets them inside the kit—“To clean later,” he says. Then he takes a cotton swab and presses it against a bottle of, by the smell of it, alcohol.

Luhan takes the cotton swab from his hands and gently cleans both of Minseok’s ears, while Minseok hums a soft tune under his breath. It feels as if they’ve been doing this for ages instead of the first time. The longer he thinks about it, the stronger the fluttering in his stomach gets. Though that might be hunger. Yeah, let’s say it’s hunger.

Luhan touches the brow piercing.

“I cleaned that a few days ago,” Minseok says, moving away. He places the kit and the used cotton swab on the bedside table, and then returns to Luhan’s bed.

Luhan finds himself being manhandled onto his side. “What are you doing?”

Minseok wraps his arms around Luhan’s torso and pulls him close. He digs his nose in Luhan’s shoulder and inhales. “Snuggle time.”

“Are you serious?” Luhan asks, trying to pull away unsuccessfully. “Is that why you took off your piercings?”

“You did rip one the last time we were in bed together,” Minseok says.

“That was an accident!” A sharp sting on Luhan’s shoulder makes him yelp. “Did you just bite me? Is this a game to you?”

A giggle. “No. I’m very serious about the snuggles.”

“Fine.” Luhan stops struggling and turns to face Minseok. He’s smirking.

“Hi,” Minseok says.

“Hi.”

“What are you thinking?”

“That I didn’t get you off,” Luhan says.

Minseok chuckles. “It’s fine. You were…um, pretty tired. No stamina.”

Luhan hits him. That is only partially true. He might not be super fit like Minseok, but that doesn’t mean he has no stamina. He just hasn’t done anything of the sort in a while with anyone other than his left hand.

He lets his fingers run over Minseok’s arm, the strong biceps and defined shoulders. Luhan smirks when Minseok shivers. “What are you thinking?” he asks.

“That I like you.” Minseok burrows his nose on Luhan’s neck. “I like you a lot.”

Luhan fights back a shiver of his own. His pulse races, warming him all over. He’s getting quite addicted to all the new sensations that come with being this close to Minseok. It feels nice falling in love. Wait. Love?

“Aren’t you supposed to say something?” Minseok pulls back.

“Huh? Oh, yes. I like you too.”

Minseok rolls his eyes. “Love the enthusiasm.”

Luhan rolls them over until he’s sitting on top of his roommate. His sweater lifts and ends up somewhere around his hips, leaving him bare because he hadn’t bothered putting on anything else. He grins at the shocked look on Minseok’s face. “How’s this?”

“Is it laundry day?” Minseok asks.

Luhan laughs. “Nope. Just anticipating things.”

“Anticipating?”

“You know….” Luhan grinds, letting his cock rub against Minseok’s belly.

Minseok sits up and slides his hands under the sweater and up Luhan’s back. A full on body shiver overtakes him as Minseok’s fingers trace his spine.

“Stars, that feels so good.” Luhan rests his forehead against Minseok’s. “Don’t stop.”

A hurried patter of feet and the door bursts open. “Hyung, I need Brock again—” Jongin makes an odd sound.

Luhan turns and sees his best friend frozen on the threshold, eyes uncharacteristically wide.

“I…uh…I’ll just come back later,” Jongin says backing away. “Or not.”

“Jongin! Come back! It’s not what it seems!”

Minseok giggles. “Isn’t it?”

Luhan slaps Minseok on the chest. “This is your fault!”

“I’m not the one straddling another man with nothing but a sweater hanging crookedly off one shoulder.”

Luhan’s cheeks heat up. “Yeah, well…if you hadn’t baited me, I wouldn’t have had to jump you in the first place.”

Minseok sits up. “You don’t need excuses to jump me, sweets.”

He is going to self-combust. “Shut up and kiss me.”

Minseok obliges.



***Hogwarts Entrance Hall***

Minseok laughs at Luhan’s lame joke and pushes him playfully away. They are on their way to the Room of Requirement. It’s a full moon out and they will be testing the potion tonight. He’s running a bit late since he spent almost twenty minutes arguing with Luhan, who insisted on coming. He lost that fight.

“Gege!”

Tao is breathing heavily, leaning against the wall, one hand clutching his side.

“Tao!” Minseok runs over to him. “What happened? Where’s Kris?”

“The potion. It didn’t work,” Tao says, taking big gulps of air. “Or it didn’t work completely. I must’ve done something wrong!”

“Easy, easy. Tell me what happened.”

“Kris started to change. He yelled at me to run, but I couldn’t just leave him! Minseok-ge, please—” Tao swoons.

Minseok catches him and lowers him to the ground.

Luhan helps Tao lie down on his lap, and the Slytherin smiles weakly in thanks. “Did he scratch you? Bite you?”

“No, no. But he did throw me around quite a bit.” Tao digs his hand into his back pocket, groaning a bit when he turns his body. He waves the copy of the Marauders Map.

Minseok quickly checks the map. “He’s headed to the Great Hall.” He takes off his robe and grabs his wand. “Stay here. I’m going to make sure he heads outside and not towards the kitchens or the Hufflepuff dorms.”

“I’m going with you,” Luhan says.

Minseok shakes his head. “Stay here and help Tao.”

Luhan makes a sound of protest. “You can’t take a werewolf on your own!”

“Luhan! I don’t have time to argue with you again,” Minseok snaps. “Just stay here, where it’s safe.”

The fire in Luhan’s eyes tells him there will be hell to pay later, but Minseok doesn’t have time to think about that. Kris is loose in the castle. And it’s his fault for not being there on time to make sure everything went smoothly. He has to make sure Kris doesn’t harm himself or anyone or else the unbreakable vow will kill them both.

The Great Hall comes into view and he stops running to listen. There are no odd sounds, which is odd in itself. Kris is big and when he shifts, even bigger. If he’s desperate for food or to get out, he should be making a ruckus. But all is silent.

Minseok breathes and centers himself, ready to change. The amplified senses will make his search easier, plus Kris won’t attack him. He needs to do this fast though, before—

The hit comes from his back. It launches him some feet forward and he slides against the rough stone floor. Minseok doesn’t have time to turn around and face Kris, because he’s lifted into the air and thrown.

This time he’s ready. “Ascendio!”

The spell pulls him high into the air and then lands on his feet. Minseok faces the werewolf. Kris is unrecognizable, his body morphed into the grotesque lupine form of the werewolf. His long, thin limbs are covered in a coat of ash colored, wiry hair, and a long snout displays a full set of dangerous teeth. Minseok swallows. “Kris, hey buddy. What are you doing?”

Kris hesitates.

Maybe the sound of his voice is working, so Minseok keeps talking. “You need to go outside. It’s not safe to stay here. So…just let me open the door for you, okay? Let me help—”

Kris moves fast, way too fast.

Minseok’s back slams against the castle’s entrance door with such force that he feels it give behind him. It opens with a loud groan, and he hopes someone heard it and comes with reinforcements, because Minseok doesn’t think he can take Kris on alone anymore.

But he still tries.

“Stupefy!”

The stun spell hits Kris in the face. The werewolf reels, pawing at his muzzle rapidly. The spell should’ve dropped him.

Minseok doesn’t waste time. “Incarcerous!”

Thick ropes coil around Kris’s large body, tightening around his flailing limbs. The werewolf howls. He claws and bites at the bindings until they’re all gone.

“Obscuro!”

Kris simply rips off the blindfold that appears over his eyes, and continues approaching Minseok.

He’s run out of ideas.

Kris picks him up like he weighs nothing and flings him away. Minseok braces for impact, trying to roll with the fall, but he does it wrong. His head and shoulder slams hard against the rough stone. Black threatens at the edge of his vision, but he blinks rapidly and it goes away.

The castle’s floor is oddly warm under him. Do the stones have some kind of heating spell? Either way, it feels really good to lie there, while his body shivers in trauma and shock from the blows.

Kris’s looming figure lumbers closer, spittle from his jaws dripping onto the floor near Minseok’s face. This is either how he dies or how he starts his life as a werewolf. He mentally sighs, because sighing in reality would hurt a lot. Does it have to be so messy? What is he even thinking?

“Kris…please.” He tastes copper in his mouth. Must have bit his tongue at some point. “Don’t do this.”

Kris snarls. There’s not a trace of humanity left in his eyes.

Minseok doesn’t quite know what happens next, his mind too sluggish and threatening to surrender to unconsciousness. It doesn’t make sense when a great golden stag crashes against Kris’s side. The werewolf howls in pain as the antlers puncture his side.

The stag paws at the ground and lowers its head, readying itself for another charge. Kris’ lips turn up in a fierce growl at the display, but at the slightest hint of movement from the stag, he cowers back. Kris growls, no doubt in frustration at his interrupted fun. The stag charges and Kris turns around with his tail between his legs and runs away into the night.

Minseok breathes out hard. It hurts, but he is too relieved to care. Kris will probably head to the familiar grounds of the Forbidden Forest. He won’t hurt anyone there.

A long and wet nose sniffs at his hair, inspecting him all over. Minseok hadn’t heard the stag approach. He pushes the animal away when its tongue leaves a wet trail along his ear.

“Thank you,” Minseok manages to say before blacking out.



***Castle Hallways***

The hallways are cold and empty, a mirror reflection of how Luhan is feeling. The Kims had taken Minseok with them after the attack. That had been four days ago, and there was still no word from Minseok. Luhan had sent Brock with letters—twice—but they’d come back unanswered. The seals were not cracked, which meant Minseok hadn’t even opened them.

Luhan was pissed.

Was this Minseok’s idea of breaking up? Did they even have anything to break up about? A handjob and sleeping in each other’s beds, in each other’s arms wasn’t anything serious, right? It had all been fun, casual and without attachments.

His heart clenches painfully at the thought. Who the fuck is he kidding? He wouldn’t be the sick with worry, this pissed if it had been casual. Luhan more than liked Minseok. He didn’t want things to just end. He wouldn’t let it.

Luhan, now fueled by anger and determination, isn’t really looking where he is going. So, around the corner, he crashes into someone and stumbles back. He’s about to snap at the idiot to get out of his way, when he realizes who it is.

Minseok looks amazing. His hair is the darkest chocolate brown, showcasing his pale skin to perfection. It accentuates his features too, the foxy eyes, the tiny mouth, and that amazing jaw Luhan loves to nibble on. He’s wearing only two studs in his ears, the rest of the piercings gone.

Even though he wants nothing more that to cling to Minseok and kiss him senseless for being alive and well, Luhan snaps. “You better have a fucking awesome excuse for ignoring my letters.”

“I’m sorry.” Minseok drops his gaze, cheeks going red. “My parents were really upset about what happened and about the unbreakable vow I made. They were threatening to pull me out of Hogwarts and have me homeschooled, so I had to play the good son for a couple of days.”

“And that included not letting your friends know you were alright?” Luhan clenches his fists. “Not telling me.”

“I didn’t want to give them another reason to be angry,” Minseok says. “I didn’t want to drag you into this. I’m sorry.”

“I’m already in this, you insensitive piece of troll ass!”

Minseok laughs weakly. “You know, those insults are quite funny.”

Luhan tries to shove him, but Minseok holds on to his arms. He pulls Luhan into a tight embrace. “Don’t be mad.”

“I’m not mad,” Luhan says, and clears the knot that has formed in his throat. “I’m pissed.”

Minseok holds onto him and leans against the wall. “I don’t want to fight, Lu. I spent the last four days fighting with my parents and I’m so tired. I just want to hug you, okay? Just let me hug you.”

Luhan sighs, his breath hot against Minseok’s neck. “You made me worry. I don’t like worrying. When you didn’t answer my letters, I thought…I don’t know, that you were ending things. And then I felt like an idiot because I wasn’t even sure if there was something to end.”

Minseok hands rub circles into Luhan’s lower back. “There was, there is,” he says. “I’m not the type to do those things without meaning. I told you. I like you. A lot.”

“The thing is…I think I like you more than like,” Luhan whispers. He panics slightly when Minseok doesn’t respond. “I know it’s too soon to be saying that, but I’ve never felt this way about anyone else before. And I think…I think I love you.”

His heartbeats are so loud in his ears that they drown out everything else.

“Minseok?”

No response.

He pulls away and Minseok’s head droops. “Are you drooling on my shoulder?” Luhan yells.

“Wut?...oh, sorry.” Minseok pulls back and rubs his eyes. “The potion I’m drinking for internal injuries is quite strong. What did you say?”

“I’m not repeating,” Luhan says.

Minseok pouts. “But I want to see your face when you confess your love for me again.”

Blood rushes so fast to his face that Luhan feels dizzy. “You’re such an inconsiderate piece of—”

The kiss stops his barrage of words. Luhan presses Minseok against the cold castle wall and steals his breath away. The kiss is nothing gentle, and exactly what he needed after the uncertainty of the last couple of days. The way Minseok’s tongue lays claim over his mouth melts his insides and his knees threaten to give way. He can only manage a whimper and then Minseok’s hands are gripping his sides, keeping him standing and steady.

This is what Minseok does to him—he unravels Luhan and rebuilds him stronger at the same time. Sometimes it’s not about having all the pieces, but about having the piece, the one that completes you.



***Hogsmeade***

They leave the Three Broomsticks, all bundled up in their coats, and walk down the quiet and snow covered Hogsmeade street. Luhan had been surprised when Minseok pulled him away from his friends. But now his roommate seems content enough, kicking the snow and bumping playfully into Minseok.

“That was Kyungsoo’s birthday you just pulled me from,” Luhan says. “Do not blame me if he changes your hair to puke-green the next time you see him.”

“He’ll survive without you for a couple of hours,” Minseok says. “Besides, with the way he couldn’t keep his eyes off Jongin, I doubt think he’ll even notice you gone.”

Luhan snorts. “So, what did you want to talk about?”

“Headmistress McGonagall pulled me aside today. She wanted to update me on the Kris case.” Minseok had been forced to confess what had been going on with Kris and how he’d helped the Slytherin all this time, which had then led to the Professors and the Wizard Council getting involved. “She told me that Kris was allowed to continue at Hogwarts as long as he took the potion, this time made by Professor Draco. She also said I’d been granted special permission to keep my animagus status anonymous.”

“That’s great!”

“Yeah, but that’s not all. When I asked her why the special treatment, she said that they couldn’t risk revealing the identity of the one who saved me,” Minseok says. “That it was a matter of wizard international law and security.”

Luhan coughs and doesn’t meet his eyes.

Minseok stops walking. “It was you, wasn’t it? You’re the golden stag,” he says. “You’re an animagus!”

Luhan slaps a hand over Minseok’s mouth and drags him to a secluded corner between two houses. “You can’t say that out loud. Ever.”

“Explain.”

Luhan stares at him, apparently debating whether to speak or not. In the end, his roommate nods. “All the wizards and witches in my family are animagi,” he says. “There’s something in our blood that makes the shift easy to learn, as easy as breathing. Some call it having a magical gene. In the past, some of my ancestors were hunted down and caged for experiments, to see if there was a way to re-create the gene. It wasn’t until my grandfather pleaded with the Wizard Council, that we were granted special dispensation and erased from all the registered animagi files.”

Minseok’s mouth is open. “Woah.”

“Every member of our family swears an oath that binds us from revealing our talent,” Luhan says. “So, it’s not that I didn’t tell, it’s that I couldn’t.”

“That’s why I was granted special permission,” Minseok says slowly, “because revealing how I’d been saved meant revealing you.”

Luhan nods.

“But…Wait, why did you ask me to teach you? You acted like you didn’t know how to shift.” Minseok shakes his head in disbelief. “All those hours practicing and you already knew how.”

Luhan scuffs his boot against the snowy ground. “I wanted to spend more time with you.”

Minseok fixes his beanie, as he blushes under Luhan’s confession. This thing between them is fairly new, so blushing is still a thing. “You saved my life and my secret. I think I owe you big time.”

Luhan looks up through his long, dark lashes. “You can pay me in candy…and kisses.”

Minseok laughs at Luhan’s fake coyness. “Will do.”

“Is that what you wanted to talk about?”

“Yes, but I also wanted to ask you something,” Minseok says. “Would you like to meet my friends?”

Luhan’s brows go high. “The ones you kept sending secret letters to?”

“Stalker.”

“Evil roommate.”

“Sexy roommate whom you want to—”

“Shut up!” Luhan screeches.

Minseok laughs as he dodges Luhan’s playful punch. They chase each other, calling taunts and throwing snow, all the way back to Hogwarts. There, Minseok leads them to the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

“Shady meeting place,” Luhan says. “Are they even allowed in the castle?”

“The Headmistress knows, if that’s what you’re asking,” Minseok says. “They were supposed to visit me after New Years, but then the accident happened. They’re just here for one more day and then they have to leave.”

“Oh…Um, don’t you want to spend some alone time with them?” Luhan asks. “You know. Catching up and stuff without me hanging around.”

“Actually, I wanted to introduce you,” Minseok swallows, “as my boyfriend.”

Luhan turns all shades of pink and red. It’s so adorable that Minseok can’t help himself and pulls him in for a quick kiss.

“I’d love to meet your friends,” Luhan says, voice breathless but full of happiness.

Minseok smiles. “I want to see you shift first.”

Luhan backs away from him and breathes in deep. When he exhales, his form shimmers and changes into the golden stag. His coat is smooth, his antlers deadly. Minseok marvels in the face of such an incredible creature. He reaches out with a hand, and Luhan allows him to pet his nose and forehead.

Luhan pulls back and pats the ground with his hooves, before shifting back. “Your turn.”

Minseok grins. The shift takes a few seconds longer in his case. When he’s done, Minseok runs circles around Luhan.

“You’re a fox!” Luhan laughs.

Minseok sits, waiting for Luhan to inspect him. The view is different in his fox form. Luhan looks huge, and his animal instincts are telling him to run, but he holds steady.

“Of course you’re a fox.” Luhan scratches behind Minseok’s ears, and he yips happily. “That eyeliner you use so much, it’s to cover up the eye markings, isn’t it?”

Exactly. The year he finally achieved the transformation, the markings around his eyes had appeared. The only way to hide them was by making it a part of his daily look. It was a good thing eyeliner went with his whole pierced, rocker look.

“You’re beautiful,” Luhan says.

Minseok groans internally and shifts as fast as he can. “You can’t just say stuff like that when I can’t kiss you.”

Luhan grins. “Now you can.”

Their lips meet and their hearts beat as one.

In the evening, Hogwarts’ many turrets are bathed by the light of the dying sun. The snow clinging to the rafters shines like pieces of gold before being engulfed in cool shadows. Down by the Forbidden Forest, darkness blankets the ground where a hawk, a bulldog, and a chocolate Labrador play around on the banks of the lake. A deer and a fox soon join them, springing into playful leaps and bounds. They all play in the snow.

Comments

[kyx1994]

I really liked this!! <3 <3 <3
Who's the author???