#5: Apple of My Eye

[exolliarmus]

►username: anonymous
►prompt #: 5
►title: Apple of My Eye
►pairings: sehun/luhan, side!chanyeol/baekhyun, side!jongin/kyungsoo, yifan/yixing if you squint
►rating: pg
►word count: 12,748
►warnings: none
►summary:There was a Muggle saying that said, “Love your enemies.” Luhan might’ve taken the quote too far.
►author's notes: enjoy the fic!! \\(^_^)//




FIFTH YEAR

Sandwiched between his friend Baekhyun and a bloke who was screaming his heart out while he held a proud Gryffindor banner up in the air, Luhan's face scrunched in discomfort as he tried to breathe properly, inhaling the unpleasant smell of sweat and bad breaths mixed in the air. Luhan swore that he saw some tears forming on some people's eyes, First Years specifically, as they cheered for their house. They must be really passionate.

“This is the most intense game I’ve seen in my 5 years here,” Baekhyun said loudly, enough for Luhan to hear over the deafening yells of the crowd and the booming voice of Kim Jongdae, the commentator,

Luhan squirmed his way out of the two, breathing heavily to collect the air he had lost at the suffocation awhile ago. In a second, a stranger’s elbow found his way on Luhan’s face. The action made his head throw back and made his life flash before his eyes. He rubbed his victimized nose to ease the pain all the while. He looked for the stranger who had hit him to give him a piece of his mind, but gave up, since the person was probably older than him by a few years, considering the fact that he and Baekhyun (and that crying First Year) were mostly surrounded by Sixth and Seventh years, while their batch mates were at the other end of the crowd.

Somehow, he was surprised at the constant energy both houses were emitting, since the game had been going on for two hours long already. He was excited and giddy at the first part of the game―which was something, since he wasn’t much of an avid fan of Quidditch. But now that the game was dragging along, he just stood there idly, looking like a sunflower in a field of roses.

Though, his constant audience participation in the games made his appreciative level of the sport hike up. In his early years, he would just stay in the common room to study, despite the relentless begging of Baekhyun. Though, on a one fine day in his Fourth year, he finally obliged to his friend’s request to come with him in the games due to his promise to treat him his favorite sweets in Honeydukes. Luhan couldn’t say ‘no’ to that. Besides, their friend, Kyungsoo was part of the team as a Seeker. His support would be much appreciated, thank you very much. Luhan understood why people were bonkers for the games. Almost all the games Luhan had watched were toe-curling and breath-stoppers. He would be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy them.

The crowd’s cheer went up a volume, making Luhan’s head snap back to the game. The Seekers of both teams had finally found the Snitch. Kyungsoo was ahead of Slytherin’s Seeker, Kim Jongin, by a small space. The chase became more intense as the cheers and yells of both crowds went louder. The Snitch was only almost an arm away from both Seekers. Luhan’s palms started sweating, nervous as if he was the one on the field. He could hear Baekhyun’s prominent shouts, mainly directed at Kyungsoo, encouraging him to go faster (more like threatening him, really.) It was amusing of some sort, since the two would almost always fight at the smallest of things, though in a very fondly and funnily manner. Sometimes, one would really believe that the two loathed each other despite being best friends since birth.

The crowd’s incoherent screams turned into a simultaneous ‘Ooh’ in a downward pitch. In a blink of an eye, Kyungsoo tumbled in the air, holding on the tip of his broomstick to regain his balance, as he was hit by a Bludger that looked like it came from nowhere.

Jongin took his chance, successfully grabbing the Snitch. He held it up in the air, proudly in front of the Slytherins, and mockingly in front of the Gryffindors. From afar, he swore that he could see Jongin smirk and wink at Kyungsoo teasingly.

And with that, the game ended with the Slytherins’ deafening shouts.

Luhan looked for the direction where the Bludger probably came from, and it seemed like it came from Oh Sehun, the Slytherin Captain and Beater, who was a Fifth year like himself. He looked indifferent (as always), despite the loud cheering of his housemates over the back-breaking 2 hour game. Oh Sehun was a given prodigy at the sport, ‘Merlin’s gift’ as what some people say, and boy were they right. Not only that―he was also one of the top students in his house, and was so insanely attractive that many girls have attempted to make him drink love potion disguised as pumpkin juice.

Luhan puffed his cheeks and slapped it in an attempt to stop the blush creeping up to his face. Alright, so maybe he did start watching Quidditch not just because of Baekhyun’s bribe to treat him to Honeydukes, but also for Sehun―who he had been crushing on ever since he embarrassingly tripped in front of him on the way to Potions class last year. Sehun might’ve rolled his eyes and stared down at him as if he was something filthy, but Luhan was absolutely smitten the moment he laid his eyes on the Slytherin Captain.

Mumbles of disappointments were heard from his side of the crowd. In all honesty, Luhan felt the dark mood, too, and worry―since his friend was injured. But deep inside, he was literally okay (not because Kyungsoo was injured, but because the Slytherins won.) Blame: Oh Sehun and his utter perfection and skills. As they were exiting the stage, feat the incessant anger emitting from Baekhyun, Luhan could only nod, itching to look back at the cheering Slytherin team specifically at the light blonde haired bloke, still up in the air.

There was a meeting by the Common Room, as usual after every Quidditch game; win or lose. Their prefect and Head Girl congratulated the team and assured them to a good praise that they still did their best, and still brought pride to the house.

Ten minutes later, they were called to get ready for dinner. As they go down to the Great Hall, Luhan, Baekhyun and Kyungsoo stood side by side. They plop down on their usual spot at the table. Kyungsoo sat beside him while Baekhyun sat opposite the two of them. A minute later, Chanyeol, the beater of the Quidditch team, Baekhyun's boyfriend, joined them. He sat down beside Baekhyun and instinctively wrapped an arm around the latter’s shoulders.

“Baekhyunnie, I’m so tired,” Chanyeol whined.

Baekhyun shrugged of Chanyeol’s heavy arm and playfully hit him. “Then sleep early later, okay? On your own bed.”

“Nooooo,” Chanyeol whined. “I like sleeping on your―”

“We don’t really need to know that,” Kyungsoo cut off. He then hit Luhan by the arm to show him that he needed the support to stop the PDA of the couple in front of them. Luhan jumped and nodded, “Uhm―yeah…”

Before Kyungsoo could comment about his lack of focus in his surroundings, the Headmaster finally spoke up.

“Good Evening, everyone! Before we could start supper, I would like to congratulate the Slytherin house for winning the Quidditch game held awhile ago!”

Slytherins’ yells of pride fill up the air, while the other houses clapped idly. Kyungsoo, though, didn’t bother to do anything. He simply crossed his arms with a subtle sour face. He caught Jongin’s eyes from the other table and immediately tensed up when the latter mouthed a mocked, ‘Fighting!’

“So, Kyungsoo, how’s your waist? That Bludger probably hit you hard,” Baekhyun asked, a few minutes after the Headmaster announced that they can start eating.

“Yeah, I’m doing fine,” Kyungsoo assured. “It aches sometimes though, when I move too much.”

“Don’t worry, I’m totally going to get that Sehun guy next time,” Chanyeol said determinedly.

At the mention of Sehun's name, Luhan’s perked up. And before he could stop his tongue, he asked, “What?”

Baekhyun rolled his eyes. “Chanyeollie, I think if you did get Sehun back next time, Luhan would be very mad at you,”

Chanyeol paused and then, “Oh yeah I forgot Luhan fancied Sehun,”

Luhan sipped his pumpkin juice and frantically shook his head. “No, I don’t! Where are you getting those ridiculous assumptions?”

“Maybe because you sometimes secretly give him the sweets Baekhyun and I buy for you from Honeydukes?” Kyungsoo quipped.

“And that one time where you had your panties in a twist the week when Sehun had a leg injury from the Slytherin versus Ravenclaw fight last time?” Baekhyun added.

“I don’t fancy him!” Luhan insisted, though the reddening of his cheeks said otherwise.

“You know there was a time where he hexed me. He made all of my hair fall off,” Chanyeol informed. “But Luhan, I think you really do fancy him.”

“I really don’t,” Luhan tried again. He then shifted his eyes to the Slytherin table, catching the eye of the subject of their conversation of the moment.

“I really don’t,” Luhan repeated, though he wasn’t really convincing anyone.

“We haven’t really uttered more than ten words to each other,” Luhan continued. “So, no, I don’t really fancy him, you tossers.”

He does fancy him to a great extent, actually, despite them not really interacting with each other. Kyungsoo and Baekhyun would emit sighs of defeat as Luhan would suddenly stop in his tracks while walking down the hallway ‘to fully appreciate the wonderful specimen’―as he would put it. He had automatically installed the action inside his brain; during those times, it was inevitable for him, Kyungsoo, and Baekhyun to get pushed around by the other students rushing to their classes―unlike Luhan, who went absolutely bonkers for the Slytherin’s Beater, and definitely had his priorities not straight.

(Baekhyun and Kyungsoo would smack Luhan on the head with their heavy Potions book most of the time to snap Luhan back to the real world, when he had stared too much at Sehun.)

Classes with Sehun were very critical. Baekhyun and Kyungsoo would sometimes bet if Luhan would send Sehun a flying paper airplane with a love note inside during class. (Luhan doesn’t, in a miracle. Baekhyun grudgingly handed Kyungsoo 5 galleons.) But if they would bet how many times Luhan would lose focus on the lesson, and instead turn to Sehun, Baekhyun would be a millionaire.

“I don’t get it,” Baekhyun said, shaking his head. He flipped through the pages of his Charms book, frantically studying for the test while he sloppily ate breakfast. “I study hard and have my priorities straight, but our dear Luhan here who always have his eyes glued to that Slytherin, always gets higher grades than us.”

Luhan, apparently, heard what his friend had said. When he turned to Baekhyun, shifting his eyes away from Sehun, munching an apple, you could say that Baekhyun, Kyungsoo and Chanyeol were gobsmacked.

“Maybe because I study hard at night while you and Chanyeol snog each other under the bed sheets?” Luhan smiled, the piece of apple gathered in one cheek, making him look like a distorted hamster. “I do other things too, you know,”

“We don’t snog each other under the bed sheets at night!” Baekhyun and Chanyeol said at the same time.

“We sleep like what people usually do,” Baekhyun added.

“Yeah, right,” Kyungsoo muttered, obviously not believing the lie.

Luhan gathered his things, and while he did, he informed, “I study in advance,” Luhan stood up and smiled at his friends. “So that in class, I don’t really have to listen, because I know all the things that the Professors say in front―which leaves me some time to stare at my Sehun.”

“So much for telling us that you don’t fancy him,” Chanyeol mumbled, thought it was enough for Luhan to hear.

“I don’t fancy him!”

“Where’s the credibility behind your words?” Kyungsoo questioned.

Luhan humpfed. “I just find him dashingly attractive. Eye candy.”

Baekhyun stood up and with exaggerating gestures, “’Oh, Sehun looks so good in that Quidditch uniform. Ah, his eyes are so piercing, I feel like I’m going to melt every time I look at it. His skin is so pale, I just want―’”

Luhan’s eyes widened. He immediately placed a hand to cover Baekhyun’s blabbering mouth. “Quiet down, will you! What if someone heard you?”

Baekhyun’s voice was muffled behind Luhan’s hand, and as expected, Baekhyun licked his palm to retract the hand away from his mouth.

Luhan wiped his hand clean on his robe and frowned at Baekhyun. “I do not talk like that!”

“Yes, you do,” Kyungsoo nodded.

Luhan started to walk away from them, while the other three snickered their way to follow him out of the hall.

“You are all traitors,” Luhan muttered.

“You’re the one who’s in love with a bloke that’s from the other house!” Chanyeol exclaimed.

“I’m not in love with him!”

Luhan was alone in the secluded corner of the library, quill scratching against his parchment as he finished up the essay on Oneiromancy for Divination class. Beside the parchment were a stack of books on dream interpretations, and the diary where he would fill up with dreams after he’d wake up from slumber as an assignment for the class. Luhan tried his best to gather all the necessary information for his essay. He loved studying for Divination, fascinated by the meanings behind their dreams and the impact of it for their future. He was immersed in finishing his essay until he heard the library door open, the sound amplified because of the stillness of the area.

Luhan didn’t bother to look up as he was focused on doing his work. Minutes pass and he felt his eyes drooping from tiredness. He yawned silently and stretched his arms to ease the drowsiness. He then gathered his things and went on a mission to bring the books he had borrowed before the library could close.

As he placed the last book on its rightful place by the shelf near the entrance of the library, he mourned over missing supper. He felt his stomach grumble. He wished that Baekhyun, Kyungsoo and Chanyeol bothered to sneak some food.

When he was about to exit the library, his eyes shifted to a bloke that sat on the table just in front of the librarian’s desk. He had an open book draped on his face, making him unable to recognize the person. Though, he knew that the person was a Slytherin from the robes he wore. He took the liberty to wake the guy up as the library was about to close.

He took tentative steps toward the said boy and subtly tapped his shoulder. Still unmoving, Luhan repeated the action until the boy woke up. And when the latter did, Luhan yelped in surprise as the book thumped down on the floor, earning stares from the other remaining students.

Luhan immediately bent down and reached for the fallen book. “Uhm, here you go. The library’s about to close, so―”

Luhan paused at the sight in front of him. The words from his throat clogged, tongue-tied as if he was charmed.

“Uh―”

“Why did you wake me up?” Sehun asked, his eyes piercing right through Luhan’s soul. “Uhm…uh…the library was about to close, so,” Luhan explained. He mentally cringed at his stuttering.

Sehun stood up and took the book from Luhan’s hand. He gave him a glare and bumped his shoulder as he passed, muttering an annoyed, “Tch.”

Luhan felt like dissolving on the spot like goo. He cleared his throat. When he turned around, a loud bang came from the door as Sehun exited the library, earning a nag from Madame Pince that led to no avail. Luhan gulped and thumped his hammering chest with a closed fist.

He walked toward the doors to exit and was greeted by an empty hall. He breathed a grateful sigh as Sehun was nowhere to be seen. He’d probably faint this time if he were to confront Sehun again. Sure, they had classes together, but the acknowledgement of the other’s existence was entirely one-sided.

Oh Sehun is bad news was what Baekhyun and Kyungsoo told him the moment they found out that Luhan had been fancying him. ‘He jinxed Kim Minseok from Ravenclaw without reason! And he’s a 6^th year!’

Kyungsoo nodded. ‘I heard he hexed another Hufflepuff last week. He’s serving detention right now.’

‘I’ll believe what I’ll see!’ Ignorant Luhan said. ‘He doesn’t do anything immoral whenever I see him.’

‘Kim Minseok walked around without any fingers for a day!’

Okay, maybe, Luhan was a bit ignorant, but he knew well what he was getting into, thank you very much. If Oh Sehun was bad news, just like what most people say (victims and first-hand witnesses to justify), then Luhan would be the one to decide if he should continue his feelings or not!

He walked with a small tinge of uneasiness on the empty hallway, shaking his thoughts away. He gripped his Divination assignment tightly, taking long strides of steps to move faster. Something was weird. He felt as if someone was following him, though when he looked back, there was nothing.

When he heard some students filing out of the library, filling the atmosphere with their hushed conversations, Luhan sighed in relief. He wasn’t alone anymore―”Oomphf!”

He was pressed against the wall of a small hallway, intersected with the one he was walking on awhile ago. He was hidden from the students’ sight, so no one knew that he was being attacked right now. Instinctively, he took out his wand and―

“Don’t,” The voice of the attacker said. Luhan had heard it before, he was sure. The attacker smelled like mint with a tinge of vanilla.

He looked up. Now that his vision could focus on the figure towering over him, he could finally make out his features, despite the little light that shone on them. Luhan felt his breath hitch and his cheeks redden. Sehun’s hand was on his mouth, preventing him from being able to speak. The touch of his palm against his own skin and lips made Luhan’s heart pound harder. His hand was incredibly soft, despite playing Quidditch. He was magic himself.

Sehun put down his hand. And for a moment, Luhan assumed that Sehun might do something bad. He may be good-looking, and the breathing, walking personification of Luhan’s desires, but he won’t hesitate to fight back. So, was he going to see what Kyungsoo and Baekhyun had said? He hoped not.

“Put down your wand, please,” Sehun said, his gaze softening. “I won’t hurt you.”

What?

“W-what?”

“I won’t hurt you,” Sehun repeated. “So would you do me a favor and put down your wand?”

Luhan did as Sehun said, his mouth hung slightly open. Sehun was too close to him that he could feel his breath. He was sure that he was red as a tomato as of the moment, but he couldn’t help it. He thanked the angle he was seeing right now, because he could intricately see Sehun’s features up close. I think I’m dreaming, Luhan thought.

“I want to apologize for yelling at you awhile ago,” Sehun looked away and cleared his throat. “Don’t think it means anything. I want to thank you for waking me up.”

Luhan’s eyes were wide as saucers. Finally finding his voice, “Yeah…no problem,”

Sehun nodded and without another word, he walked away from Luhan.

Luhan’s feet were glued on the floor, and he stayed there until Sehun’s walking figure disappeared from his sight.

He hastily walked all the way to the common room, and then bolted to the dorms, ignoring Kyungsoo and Baekhyun’s invitation to play a Muggle board game with their other housemates. He thumped down on his bed, and hiked his blanket all the way up to his chin.

‘Sehun talked to me’ kept repeating in his head until he believed that what happened awhile ago was real and wasn’t a dream. His cheeks hurt. He realized that he’d been grinning like a Cheshire cat all this time.

“What happened to him?” Chanyeol asked.

Kyungsoo and Baekhyun shake their heads. “We don’t know,” Kyungsoo answered. “But he’s been like that the moment he woke up. You never know, he might start spouting Orchiedeous and hand out flowers to everyone he’d pass by.”

Baekhyun and Chanyeol looked at the direction where Luhan was looking, and of course, they weren’t surprised at the subject of their friend’s focus.

Baekhyun then looked back at Luhan, and pointed out, “Oh, dear Merlin…he’s biting his lip! A new level has been reached.”

“Someone, snap him out of it,” Kyungsoo begged.

Chanyeol waved his huge hand in front of Luhan’s face, but Luhan just slapped it away, his eyes unmoving from Sehun. Luhan opened his mouth to munch the apple in his hand and before he could―

“Accio, apple!” When Chanyeol got the apple in his hand, he expected that Luhan might yell at him. But, surprisingly, he didn’t care.

Baekhyun, Kyungsoo and Chanyeol continue to blink at Luhan, and swore that they heard Luhan giggle softly. When Luhan started blushing madly, the other three decided that it was time to give up. What was the use of snapping Luhan out of his staring session? They were used to it, anyway.

But the moment the three started to talk about other things, Luhan spoke up all of a sudden, “You know…Sehun’s not bad news just like what you all said.”

“And what made you say that?” Baekhyun asked, turning away from their conversation about the newest broom sold in Diagon Alley.

Luhan shifted his gaze from Sehun and then to them with a wide grin. “We talked yesterday…”

“Really?”

“Mhmm,” Luhan bit his lip and started to tell the story, “He was sleeping in the library―and mind you all, I didn’t know that it was him, since a book covered his face―and I woke him up. After that he shouted at me!”

Baekhyun, Kyungsoo and Chanyeol stared at him incredulously.

“―and then I went out of the library after he did. And while I was walking in the hallway, someone suddenly pinned me against the wall―and turns out, it was him! He said he apologizes for yelling at me in the library. He even thanked me for waking him up. He’s so nice and has manners, don’t you think?” Luhan’s eyes twinkled.

“Oh Sehun apologized to you?”

Luhan nodded.

“That’s new,” Chanyeol said, surprised. “I heard he doesn’t really apologize to people. They said that even if he’s the one at fault, the other ends up apologizing to him because he’s scary.”

“Are you sure that really happened, Luhan?” Baekhyun snickered.

“Of course!” Luhan exclaimed. “What do you think of me?”

Kyungsoo glared at Baekhyun and then turned to Luhan. “Luhan, I’m really happy for you,”

“Thank you, Kyungsoo,” Luhan said. “Unlike Baekhyun and Chanyeol over there, who are totally unsupportive!”

“Well, I don’t exactly…” Kyungsoo trailed.

“What?”

“Nothing!”

SIXTH YEAR

To say that he was jubilant of the game was an understatement. Luhan was positively beaming, howling and shouting when and when he shouldn’t, really. Baekhyun had given him weird looks, occasionally glancing at him with an expression that said, “I think you should go to Madame Pomfrey.”

Luhan, at one point, might think that his inner desire for the opposing team to win will cause him to be sent to prison. You never know, there might be a special wizard by the Gryffindors that possessed a power that can read minds. It made him guilty somehow, but there was a minute that Sehun came close by the audience area, close enough for Luhan to see that he was slightly smiling. It made him almost drop everything (underwear included, maybe.)

Now that he was a Sixth Year: more mature and more subtle. Luhan had been lessening his obviousness at his fancying over the Slytherin Beater lately, in an attempt to make himself less embarrassing. He was afraid that Sehun might find out his undying feelings for him that he’d find him absolutely daft and stay away from him. They would come across the hallways sometimes, and Luhan would just subtly stare his way at Sehun, not pausing just like what he used to do back then. It gave Baekhyun and Kyungsoo quite a shock.

“Kyungsoo’s in a better shape, don’t you think?” Luhan asked. He watched as Jongin tail Kyungsoo around, while Kyungsoo led him to the trap of their beaters. Chanyeol successfully hit Jongin with the Bludger, with a borderline sinister smile.

Baekhyun enthusiastically nodded. Luhan then set his eyes back to the game that he didn’t catch Baekhyun’s surprised expression on his face.

“Wait―is that you, Luhan?” Baekhyun asked seriously.

“Yes, of course, why?” Luhan answered.

“I thought you were going to talk about Sehun or something, like you always do,” Baekhyun mused. “You only attend Quidditch games for him! I’m quite surprised that you haven’t talked about him ever since the game started ago.”

Luhan shrugged and smiled as he bit his lower lip. “Because words cannot simply describe my feelings for him!”

Baekhyun sighed in defeat.

They focus their eyes back at the game. Kyungsoo and Jongin were still looking for the Snitch, while the Chasers were trying their best to score. It was a usual phase at the part of the game, so the crowd went quiet for a while, waiting for the next interesting thing to happen.

The crowd needn’t wait for long.

A Bludger hit Sehun square on the head, causing him to lose balance on his broom. His eyes rolled from the back and in a moment, he fell from his broom, 30 feet high from the ground.

Luhan bolted upright, finding his way to get a better view. His heart pounded in panic. Madame Hooch, the head referee, whipped her wand out and casted a floating charm on Sehun’s falling figure to cushion his fall on the ground.

Madame Hooch gave them the signal to continue the game. Luhan could see Sehun being carried to the Hospital Wing to be tended. His palms started to sweat and his face started to heat up from nervousness and worry. All he could think about was Sehun at the moment, uncaring of the ongoing game in front of him―though, some of his housemates were relieved of Slytherin’s disadvantage; Sehun’s absence gave a prominent crack at the root of the opposing team’s teamwork.

Kyungsoo found and caught the Golden Snitch minutes later, causing the side where Luhan was on jump for joy. Luhan could only clap and jump slightly with an expression that didn’t quite match his housemates.

Kyungsoo was nowhere to be found and Baekhyun and Chanyeol were probably snogging in the dorms. Luhan sighed tiredly after giving up on searching for his friends. He then decided to eat supper by himself, since he was pretty sure that the grumbling of his stomach wouldn’t want to wait for anybody.

It has only been a day since the incident, and Luhan was absolutely and positively going bonkers, Sehun crossing his mind more than the usual. He was itching to go to the Hospital Wing to go see Sehun. But wouldn’t that be awkward? They weren’t really close. Luhan was just a mere spectator and was involved in a one-sided love with the Captain. He’d seem weird and downright creepy if he would barge in the Wing to just check on him.

Luhan internally groaned, burying his face on his hands.

“You know, I went to the Hospital Wing before coming here, just to check on Sehun,” The girl beside him revealed to her friend who was sitting opposite of her.

Luhan’s ears perked. He gripped the handles of his spoon and fork tightly, his head tilting a bit to the side to hear more of the conversation beside him.

“Really? How is he?”

“Well, there were a lot of gifts for him, as expected. It had to occupy about one and a half beds for it to be placed on,” The girl informed. “Madame Pomfrey had to move it to the Slytherin dungeon.”

Luhan felt his insides clench. Now that he knew of the fact that numerous admires had visited Sehun (he was sure that Sehun probably didn’t know some of them), he was then tempted to do the same and leave a gift (now, he’d be one of the admirers that Sehun didn’t know). Besides, he had sent Sehun gifts anonymously before, only when there was a special occasion like Valentine’s Day or Christmas, or sometimes when the Slytherin team had won a game.

“He’s going to be confined for 3 days at least,” The girl shrugged. “Madame Pomfrey told me.”

“Really?”

The girl giggled. “Actually, no. I just checked her clipboard in secret,”

Luhan thanked the girl to some extent, for giving him some valuable information, despite the knowing wasn’t directed at him and that he was positively fuming. Tomorrow was a weekend, and weekends meant that he could go on a trip to Hogsmeade. He’d buy something special for Sehun there.

Luhan stood up abruptly as soon as he finished his dinner, bringing an apple along with him―which he expertly hid inside his robe pocket. There was a large amount of students walking along with him by the stairs, making their way to their own common rooms. While he climbed the stairs, he thought of what possible gift could buy for the Slytherin Captain. Chocolates? He probably got an influx of them already―so do cards and other varieties of sweets. Luhan had sent Sehun handmade scarves and gloves and a short written letter on a small piece of parchment attached to the piece of clothes before; maybe he should send those kinds of gifts again? He learned ‘knitting’ from a friend who took up Muggle studies, and also from his Mother with Muggle blood. Luhan then sighed. His gifts were nothing fancy, really―compared to the gifts his other admirers bought him. This time, he wanted something that he assumed that Sehun might at least appreciate; something very special besides those scarves, gloves and sweets he had sent to the Captain before.

“It’s your fault!” A voice boomed. “You insufferable twat―”

Luhan flinched a bit at the sudden ruckus happening near him, just in front of the staircase of the Entrance Hall that he was climbing. Sudden murmurs filled the area, students pausing to watch the scene. Some people that had just exited from the Great Hall craned their necks upward to watch the show.

The two Slytherins were arguing about something that went along the lines of someone flirting with the other’s lover. Luhan recognized one of them―Yifan, his old Potions partner. His face was fuming, though his eyes were ones of a snake; seething and almost apathetic, but the booming of his voice contradicted his rather calm expression. The other Slytherin then started spouting nonsense rooted from mere smugness and anger, which provoked Yifan more. Minutes later, the Prefects were already making their way to stop the scene.

More shouts ensued. And before everyone knew it: the two started to hex and jinx each other. The Prefects did their best to alleviate the fight, but the effort led to no avail as one of the two jinxed had jinxed them.

“You two!” Their Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher pointed the moment he got out from the Great Hall. “What do you think you’re doing?”

Before the two Slytherins could stop their fight, Luhan felt his knees bend to the opposite direction. A hex casted by one of the Slytherins hit him accidentally. A flash of pain in his lower body part spread throughout. Luhan could feel his heart fly out of his chest as he stumbled down the stairs, his limbs intricately damaged by each flight.

And then Luhan’s vision went black.

When Luhan opened his eyes, he was greeted by a ceiling different from the one in the Gryffindor dorms. Sunlight filtered through the curtains, blinding him a little bit. A calming smell greeted his nose, easing him from the tension of his muscles. He tried to sit up, and when he did, his head throbbed badly while his legs did the same. His arms felt sore and heavy, and his back ached in ridiculous pain. He tried to recall what happened before he got here in the Hospital Wing.

Luhan groaned. He was struck by a knee-reversal hex. Just as he was about to move again, Madame Pomfrey immediately went to him and said, “Don’t move too much, dear Luhan!”

“Sorry…” Luhan apologized, a bit taken aback from the croakiness of the voice. “How long have I been out?”

“A day,” Madame Pomfrey answered. A day? He internally groaned at all the lessons that he was going to catch up to, and the assignments that he has yet to pass. “Some of your friends visited you, though. Mr Byun, Do and Park. They were worried sick,”

“You’ll be staying here for a few days, until all your bones are repaired and healed,” Madame Pomfrey continued. “And until your head stops hurting. You need to be more careful, darling.”

Luhan nodded meekly. The mere action made him wince in pain. Madame Pomfrey carefully lifted the upper part of the bed, his body following.

“Here drink this,” Madame Pomfrey handed the vial she held. Luhan gulped the contents swiftly.

“Better?”

“Yes, thank you,”

“You’re almost in the same situation as Oh Sehun here; broken bones and headaches and all that,” Madame Pomfrey said, pointing to the bed on his left. “I will be tending you from time to time, and while I don’t, I’m going to have to ask you to lessen your movements.”

“Understood, Madame,” Luhan said. The mention of Sehun’s name made his voice shaky.

When Madame Pomfrey walked away, Luhan carefully craned his neck to the left only to see Sehun staring back at him. Like him, Sehun had a cast around his head. Luhan’s eyes widened. He gulped and looked away.

“Who did this to you?” Was the first thing that came out from Sehun’s mouth.

Luhan looked at him again; a bit taken aback by his question―much more that he was initiating a conversation with him.

“I-I don’t know…” Luhan mumbled.

Sehun narrowed his eyes and repeated, “Who did this to you?”

Luhan stared at him, wondering why he was so intent on finding out who hexed him. Really, he didn’t know who; just the fact that Yifan was included in the fight. It couldn’t be Yifan who hexed him, because the last time he checked, both of them were on good terms. It couldn’t be the bloke he was fighting either, since Luhan clearly remembered that he didn’t do anything to offend him. He didn’t want to point at anyone―and if he did find out who really hexed him, he wouldn’t really bother to tell Sehun despite his wanting to know who had him in this situation. But Sehun looked angry though, his eyebrows furrowed and his fists clenched. Luhan thought that maybe it was because he wasn’t responding.

“It was just an accident, anyway,” Luhan let out a laugh. He didn’t know why but his heart started to beat erratically as Sehun stared him straight in the eye. “It doesn’t really matter.”

“It doesn’t matter?” Sehun raised his eyebrows. “You fell down the stairs and broke your bones and it doesn’t matter?”

“Well, it does…” Luhan fidgeted. “I, uhm―

“Just answer me…” Sehun insisted. “Please, Luhan.”

Luhan blinked at him, “You…know my name?”

Sehun frowned. “We have classes together, how could I not know your name?”

Luhan felt blood rush to his cheeks. He cleared his throat in an attempt to calm down. Sehun knows his name! The thought of it made Luhan want to jump all the way to Hogsmeade. Well, after he’s all better and his bones were all healed.

“Plus, you’re the top student in almost all of the classes we share, so I’m bound to know who I’m up against when it comes to academics,”

Oh.

“Just kidding,” Sehun smirked, causing the butterflies in Luhan’s tummy to go bonkers. Sehun notices him!

“Uh―uhm…I-I,”

“Now, Luhan, would you fancy telling me who in the bloody hell did this to you?” Sehun asked once again, though his tone was much softer than the last time he did.

“Why do you want to know?” Finally, he said something coherently.

“No reason, really,”

Luhan gulped. “Uhm…there were some Slytherins fighting―”

Sehun frowned.

“And they started hexing each other…one accidentally hit me,” Luhan reported. “I don’t know who casted it. It’s fine, though. I’m not angered by them.”

Sehun nodded. “Alright,” Then with that, he turned away from him.

Luhan released a deep breath. Sehun closed his eyes and Luhan assumed that he drifted off to sleep, so he didn’t bother to talk to him more, despite his strong desire to. Luhan bit back a coming smile. If this was a dream or if this was just a symptom of the treatment Madame Pomfrey gave him, he didn’t want to wake up.

Luhan opened his eyes again, feeling a bit better than before, physical-wise. But when he sat right up, he saw that Sehun wasn’t on the bed beside him anymore. He sighed disappointedly.

“He was discharged earlier, when you were sleeping,” Madame Pomfrey informed as if she read his mind.

“Oh…”

Madame Pomfrey smiled. “Lie back down, darling. I will now rub lavender oil on your forehead to make your headache go away. Folk wisdom says that it’s very effective!”

Luhan gave Madame Pomfrey an appreciative smile, “Thank you,”

When Madame Pomfrey had finished rubbing lavender oil on his forehead and went back to her usual place, the doors of the Hospital Wing opened, revealing a worried Baekhyun and Kyungsoo.

“Luhan! How are you feeling?” Baekhyun cried, running beside him while Kyungsoo followed behind, an apple in his hand.

“I’m feeling better,” Luhan answered honestly, smiling at the sight of his friends. “My bones are still intact, so it’s fine.”

“Here, I sneaked an apple for you,” Kyungsoo said, handing him the said apple. “We missed you.”

Luhan took a bite of the apple. “I missed you guys, too! Very much!” Luhan said while he chewed the delicious fruit.

“We’re glad you’re doing fine, Luhan,” Kyungsoo smiled. “We apologize that we couldn’t visit you earlier, because we had classes this morning.”

“Did you guys already eat?”

“Yep,” Baekhyun replied. “We ate something before coming here,”

“Good,”

“The culprit who hexed you and the one he fought with are serving detention right now,” Kyungsoo said.

“Really, Luhan…we’d beat him up to a pulp if you ask us to,” Baekhyun said with full of determination.

“How did you guys know that I was accidentally hexed, when both of you weren’t present during supper?” Luhan huffed. “What were you guys up to that night, anyway?”

Luhan’s question silenced Baekhyun and Kyungsoo. The both of them then blushed, while they looked down on their shoes.

Luhan’s eyes widened. “Oh god, are you two having an affair?”

“Blimey, that’s gross, Luhan! Why would you thing of such a horrible thing?” Baekhyun exclaimed.

“If a dementor would appear in front of me, then that would be the sight I’d see―and Merlin knows that I don’t want that to happen,” Kyungsoo said.

“I was shagging with my wonderf―”

“Shut up!” Luhan and Kyungsoo yelled at the same time. “Too much information!”

“Too much information?” Baekhyun then faced Kyungsoo. “You were the one who was openly snogging with Kim Jongin in front of our Common Room!”

“What?!” Luhan’s eyes widened, the words Baekhyun said slowly sinking in his mind. “But you hate that cocky guy!”

Kyungsoo then turned red faced, from anger or from the memory. Probably both. “You twat!” He then slapped Baekhyun by the shoulder and then turned to Luhan. “He’s charming sometimes, but most of the time, he’s insufferable. So in short, I still dislike him.”

“Since when have you been snogging?” Luhan asked, still dumbfounded.

“I’m not going to share my…er…that!” Kyungsoo crossed his arms. “Unlike Baekhyun here who’s very open about his sex life,”

“What’s wrong with that? It’s not like Chanyeol and I are exhibitionists. Though it’s quite sexy if you show off your partner sometimes, don’t you think?”

Baekhyun snickered while Luhan lay on the bed, gobsmacked.

Kyungsoo rolled his eyes. “Anyway, I got a very valuable piece of information from him,”

“Jongin?” Baekhyun raised his eyebrows.

Kyungsoo groaned. “Yes, Jongin,”

“What is it?” Luhan asked.

“It’s about the Slytherins who fought by the Entrance Hall,” Kyungsoo said, ignoring Baekhyun’s snickering. “Yifan―I’m sure you’re familiar with him―picked a fight with a guy’s name I couldn’t remember, because he was flirting with his boyfriend.”

“Yifan wasn’t the one who accidentally hexed you, though. It was the other bloke.” Kyungsoo continued. “Though he was still ordered to serve detention.”

Now that Luhan thought about it, he suddenly remembered something very important Yifan told him as they worked on their cauldron in Potions class last year:

“Luhan,” Yifan started as he stirred the contents in the cauldron gently, while Luhan added the right ingredients.

“Yes?”

“I’m not hitting on you, nor am I going to,” Yifan said casually.

Luhan blinked at his statement. “The feeling is mutual,”

“Good,” Yifan nodded. “I’d be dead if I did―”

“What?”

“Nothing,”

Luhan nodded slowly, not quite understanding what Yifan had said. He then picked up another ingredient that he had cut with great effort earlier and dropped it to the cauldron.

“See that Hufflepuff there,” Yifan pointed at the table on the middle of the room as he continued to stir.

Luhan looked up briefly to where Yifan was pointing. “Zhang Yixing?”

“Yeah, he’s my boyfriend. He’s very lovely, don’t you think so?” Yifan said with a small smile.

Luhan stared at his partner and then to the said Hufflepuff back and forth. He had never imagined the two would ever date, since as what Luhan knew, the two had polar opposite personalities. Though, he had seen them danced together near the table where Luhan sat alone in the Yule Ball last year, sulking about how lonely he was. They were cute.

“Anyway,” Baekhyun stretched. “We have to go now. We still have Defence Against the Dark Arts after this!”

Luhan bid goodbye to his friends after promising that they would visit Luhan again later this supper, but Luhan told them that it was fine if they don’t, since they would have Astronomy to worry about later this evening. Kyungsoo also added that he wrote him notes from the classes he missed. Luhan smiled and thanked the both of them.

Madame Pomfrey told him that it’d be okay to discharge him early in the morning tomorrow, since his bones were doing well already and that his headache would be completely gone by tomorrow thanks to the lavender oil she had rubbed on his forehead earlier. Luhan thanked Madame Pomfrey sincerely with a bright smile.

As predicted, he was discharged the next morning, early enough to attend his first class. When he entered the Potions classroom, he was thankful that the Professor wasn’t there yet. He went to his usual seat and looked up as he felt something weird around him. It was suddenly quiet. He realized that, apparently, all eyes were on him. Understandable, since half of Hogwarts’ population knew about the incident that happened to him―but really, do they need to stare at him like that?

“What?” He challenged loudly, enough for the whole classroom to hear. Such nuisance, Luhan thought. Don’t they anything better to do than blink at an accidental victim of a fight he wasn’t in any way involved in?

The students scrambled and looked away from him, back to minding their own businesses. He looked around to see that Yifan wasn’t present. He must still be serving detention. Baekhyun and Kyungsoo then entered the classroom, and ran to Luhan as soon as they saw him with relief etched on their faces.

“Luhan!” Baekhyun plopped down the seat beside him, while Kyungsoo sat on the desk beside Luhan and Baekhyun’s.

“We really tried visiting you last night, but Astronomy class ended 5 minutes before curfew time,” Baekhyun explained.

Luhan smiled at his friends’ concern. “It’s fine, don’t worry about it. I’m well now.”

Before Baekhyun could say something more, the teacher entered the classroom and immediately told them to ready their parchment and quill. As the teacher started his lesson, the door of the classroom opened and revealed a bored Sehun and a rather enthusiastic Jongin as his companion.

“You two are late!”

“Sorry, sir,” Jongin explained, “but I had to accompany Sehun to the Hospital Wing, since he needed to be re-checked up again,”

The teacher narrowed his eyes at the two and asked them to sit on their places immediately to take down notes.

Luhan caught Sehun’s eyes looking right back at him. When he did, he turned his head away and tried his best to focus on the lesson instead, since he wasn’t able to study in advance due to his confinement.

Amortentia. The teacher wrote on the board. Luhan had heard of the love potion before, came across it in the different potion books that he had read in the library. He doesn’t have much knowledge of the potion, since he had only skimmed over it (he was particularly feeling bitter about love around that time, that he had automatically tuned out the words ‘love’ and ‘romance’ out of his vocabulary.)

“Amortentia is the most powerful love potion in the whole wizarding universe!” The teacher said. “It causes powerful obsession and infatuation from the drinker―” Luhan took down notes furiously. “―and Amortentia doesn’t create actual love. The person under the effect of the potion will only hold an obsession for the person who administered it.”

“One should not underestimate the power of infatuation, for emotions are one of the vital things that all people have―it enables them to do dangerous and crazy things if they don’t have their desires under control.” The teacher stated. “Now, I want all of you to stand up, yes?”

The students did as what the teacher said. The teacher led them to other part of the classroom. There was a large cauldron that sat on the small space. Their teacher uncovered it, and what greeted them was an ambiguous swirling movement of the steam of the potion. “Now, I’m going to ask someone to step up and describe us what they smell,” The teacher walked slowly, scanning the faces of his students.

“Mr. Luhan, step up!”

Luhan took a deep breath. He stepped forward and slightly bent over to the cauldron to take more of the smell. Luhan gulped at the aroma that filled his nose. It was the most luring fume he had ever smelled.

“I smell…apples,”

“Mhmm, apples…” The teacher nodded. “What else do you smell?”

“I can smell parchment―newly bought parchment. It’s quite similar to what a new book smells, so I guess it’s that, too.” Luhan licked his lips. “And something like mint with a tinge of vanilla to it?”

Luhan frowned. He recalled where he smelled that―

He blushed brightly, finally remembering that it was Sehun who smelled like that. He knew because of last year’s happening when Sehun pinned him against the wall by the hallway leading to the library. He felt embarrassed, because surely, Sehun who stood a foot away from him, knew how he himself smelled like. Luhan looked up at him, and found that Sehun was looking down at his shoes as he sniffed his robes.

He suddenly felt his cheeks hotter than before. So he cleared his throat and nodded to his teacher to get rid of the warm feeling and remind himself that he should focus on the lesson right now. “Sir, that’s all I can smell,”

The teacher thanked him for his participation and proceeded to call another student to step forward. Luhan tried his best to listen, and totally not think of accidentally describing how his crush smelled.

“Another Quidditch game is coming up,” Kyungsoo informed, eating his breakfast diligently. “Slytherin versus Hufflepuff,”

Baekhyun raised his eyebrows, “Slytherin? Oh, Luhan, must be excited now,”

Luhan hummed. “Mhmm,” Another Quidditch Game meant another time to ogle and indulge in the greatness of Sehun’s skills? Sign him up.

Speaking of which, Luhan’s eyes then went to the Slytherin table. His eyebrows furrowed as Sehun was nowhere to be seen. He must’ve been training for Quidditch, but then majority of his co-members sat by their table, eating happily.

Kyungsoo looked at where Luhan was looking and said, “He must be off somewhere. Slytherins’ practice is later this afternoon. Each team is taking turns in using the field,”

“Mhmm,” Baekhyun nodded. “Of course you’d know that,”

Kyungsoo rolled his eyes and threw a piece of carrot at Baekhyun. “Of course I would know, I’m the Seeker for our team, remember? I’m bound to be updated with Quidditch games.”

“Speaking of lovers,” (“What do you mean by ‘lovers’? Kyungsoo asked, rolling his eyes.) Baekhyun started, his eyes sparkling, “Valentine’s Day is coming up!”

Luhan groaned. He usually did nothing on that day, but third wheel Baekhyun and Chanyeol with Kyungsoo in Hogsmeade. But now that Kyungsoo has Jongin, he was all alone.

“Jongin…asked me to go on a date with him in Hogsmeade,” Kyungsoo said quietly and then turned to Luhan apologetically.

“It’s okay,” Luhan assured. “I expected it,”

“Then what about you, Luhan?” Baekhyun asked. “Any plans?”

“Sulking,” Luhan answered monotonously. “Seriously, did you really need to ask that question?”

“Why don’t you just confess to Sehun already?” Kyungsoo suggested.

Luhan choked on his drink. “You know I can’t do that!”

“You can, Luhan,” Baekhyun insisted. “You’ve been crushing over the guy for decades already.”

“Yes, and don’t tell us that you don’t want anything to happen between you two, since Baekhyun and I are pretty sure that you imagine having babies with him.”

Luhan blushed. “I-I don’t,” Yes, please.

“That or you want to live alone for the rest of your life or find that person who’s been sending you Valentines letters ever since Second Year,” Baekhyun laid out.

Luhan had received numerous letters from people, all of them were sweet and he appreciated all of them. Though on a one Valentine’s Day, he had only received one letter (he wasn’t really disappointed though). That person always sent him vanilla scented parchment inked with poetry and a short personal message down below. The person had been very constant, never failing to send Luhan letters for Valentine’s Day, while his other (ex) admirers already stopped doing so.

But Luhan fancied Sehun too much that he doesn’t even think of looking at another person as an object of his affection.

Breakfast ended. While they roam freely around the halls, the three of them saw a large amount of students by the large open windows. Curious, the three of them paved their way through to see the cause behind the commotion.

There were two Slytherins who had their feet dangling up in the air, hanging upside down. The people who took care of them each happened to be Sehun and Jongin, playfully swinging them from left to right. Baekhyun and Kyungsoo stood gobsmacked, while Luhan gasped.

Sehun had a condescending smirk on his face, while his other minions, including Jongin who stood by his side, laughed boisterously. Luhan stared at Sehun and then at the blokes they were hanging up on the air, and had a sudden moment of epiphany. It was as if the fairy tale bubble that Luhan had made up popped―shattered. He felt his heart drop to his stomach in a bad way.

Kyungsoo took a deep breath and bolted. Before Baekhyun could follow, he tugged Luhan’s hand, urging him to follow their friend. Luhan was as stiff as an ice statue, but he eventually complied, his thoughts running different directions.

Baekhyun and Luhan followed Kyungsoo, and apparently, Kyungsoo headed to the scene itself. Luhan’s heart pounded. He couldn’t look at Sehun, afraid of what he might see primarily.

“Don’t try to stop me!” Kyungsoo yelled to Baekhyun and Luhan. When Baekhyun was about to argue, the Gryffindor Seeker already ran to Jongin particularly, whipping his wand out threateningly.

“Jongin, you twat!” Kyungsoo yelled. Jongin stiffened and put down the bloke not-so-gently. He turned to face Kyungsoo, fear etched on his face.

“K-Kyungsoo, I…” Jongin took a step forward, but Kyungsoo stepped away.

Kyungsoo put down his wand and tried to compose himself. “I told you to not do it,”

“I’m sorry, I―”

“Forget about everything!”

Kyungsoo stomped away from Jongin, but Jongin didn’t give up. In a flash, Kyungsoo and Jongin were in a game of chase, stomping their way back inside the castle, while the latter apologized profusely. But Kyungsoo disregarded him.

Luhan finally landed his eyes on Sehun, who was staring right back at him, his mouth slightly agape. The Slyhterins they hung in the air were already by the ground, catching their breath, and wheezing in pain, as the impact of their fall broke their arms.

Luhan wanted to do something, but he knew that he shouldn’t try anything. He was no one to Sehun: just a bloke he talked to the library last year, just a bloke who happened to be injured the same time as he was. He was just merely a bystander who had a change of perception about the person he had fancied to a great extent, and was a huge fan of his Quidditch skills. It was just a silly little thing, Luhan thought. He was just a person with his own thoughts, anyway. He shouldn’t be greatly affected. If he looked at the situation simply, the bloke he liked turned out to be a huge arsehole.

Luhan cleared his throat, and before Sehun could take a step forward, he tugged Baekhyun and left.

Valentine’s Day came, just a week after the whole incident. The teachers found out about it eventually, and gave Sehun and the others a proper punishment. Luhan hadn’t seen Sehun for the whole 7 days that had passed, and he was glad that he didn’t. Moving on was hard, Luhan learned. Moving on was hard for a person who fell in love with his own illusions.

Whenever there was free time in classes, Luhan would overhear people gossiping about the infamous Sehun and his cases; where he made Kim Minseok’s fingers disappear (which he had already heard of), how he casted variety of jinxes to Kim Jongdae from his own house, how he hexed people for the sake of fun.

“Hey,” Baekhyun called Luhan’s attention. “Are you alright?”

“Not quite,” Luhan answered honestly. He bit his apple dejectedly.

The space beside him was empty. Kyungsoo was nowhere to be found. Luhan thought that he shouldn’t really worry about it, since Kyungsoo always knew what he was doing and had always been rational. Jongin probably caught up to him.

Luhan didn’t intentionally do it, but he craned his head to get a glimpse of Sehun on the other table. He had his palms against his chin, elbow on the table, playing with his food. Suddenly, an influx of owls entered the Great Hall, their claws holding a variety of colored envelopes, and some with rolled parchment. Luhan turned away from Sehun and waited for his own owl. The love letters were here. Some girls squealed in delight as the letters their owls drop to them land on their hands, some whipped their heads around to look for their owls, while the others simply didn’t care at all.

A letter fell on his lap, and Luhan needn’t sift the parchment hard. The vanilla scent made his way to his nostrils, making his mood lift up just a bit. He unrolled the parchment while Baekhyun did the same with his’ (from Chanyeol, of course.)

Luhan tilted his head in anew as he noticed that there wasn’t a poem written on the parchment.

All it said was, ‘Go to Hogsmeade. Meet me at Madame Pudifoot’s Tea Shop.’

Luhan gulped.

“Aw, my Chanyeollie is so sweet!” Baekhyun fanned himself.

“What did he say?”

“Parental Guidance is advised,” Baekhyun said with a wink.

“Merlin,”

“What about yours? What did it say?” Baekhyun asked trying his best to peer at the letter Luhan was holding.

“This person told meet at Madame Pudifoot’s…” Luhan folded the parchment and placed it back inside the envelope. “I don’t know if I should, though…”

“You should!” Baekhyun insisted. He then shifted on his seat, “Look, my dear Luhan, you’re trying to move on from Sehun, correct?”

“I really don’t know…” Luhan blurted. “I just…I don’t even know why I’m this affected. I don’t really know him and we’re not really close. Since I fancied him too much, maybe I’ve created an ideal vision of him inside my head. I don’t know…maybe I was just a bit disappointed at myself. That’s all.”

“Maybe he has a reason for doing that, you never know,” Baekhyun offered. “But, I advise you to meet up with that person,” He pointed to the parchment Luhan was holding. “Try something new, you know? If he’s not your type, then you could go all Sehun again,”

“I really don’t―”

“I wasn’t finished,” Baekhyun pointed a finger at him. “You could go all Sehun again, and if you do―you have to confess.”

Luhan took one last bite to his apple, tossing the finished fruit on the plate. “You know what,” He said with full determination, “I think I really should.”

“That’s my boy! Getting his spirits up!”

“I should, so that all of this could end and I could live on with my life happily, becauseIsurelyknowIamgoingtogetrejected,” Luhan then covered his face with his hands and let out a frustrated groan.

“Don’t cry,” Baekhyun said with a sympathetic voice. “And you never know, maybe there’s a chance…”

“I’m not crying!” Luhan snapped. “And in my dreams! I doubt that would happen,”

“You know what, Luhan,” Baekhyun reached out and slapped both of Luhan’s cheeks, squishing his face. “Don’t worry about Sehun right now. Worry about your date later.”

Luhan agreed with Baekhyun. If he was intent on moving on, then he should at least try with this date.

“Besides, Sehun is an arsehole anyway, and he’s totally missing out on your beauty, attitude and brains. It’s his loss!”

“Baekhyun, it’s not really a loss if we weren’t together in the first pla―”

Baekhyun then stood up and urged Luhan to follow him, not allowing the latter to make any protests. “Hush! Now up, up, let’s get ready for the Hogsmeade trip!”

“Luhan’s going on a date?” Chanyeol’s eyes widened.

They were walking down the streets of Hogsmeade, weaving their way through the crowd. Baekhyun and Chanyeol agreed to walk him to Madame Pudifoot’s before they set out for their own date.

“Yes, he is,” Baekhyun nodded enthusiastically. “And he is ecstatic,”

“Not re―”

“With who?”

“You know that person who constantly sends me letters every Valentine’s Day?” Luhan asked.

“Yeah, you’re going on a date with that person?”

“Yup,” Luhan nodded.

“But you don’t know who that person is,” Chanyeol reasoned. “You don’t know if it’s a girl or a boy!”

“Chanyeollie,” Baekhyun touched his shoulders. “I’m pretty sure that Luhan’s admirer will come up to him if he or she sees him enter the shop. Besides, that person was the one who set up the date anyway.”

“But don’t you fancy Sehun?” Chanyeol asked in a confirming tone. “You’re absolutely bonk―ow!”

Baekhyun slapped his arm, a gesture to tell him to shut his mouth. “Luhan here is trying to move on from Sehun,”

Luhan nodded meekly. “Besides, I’m sort of curious who this person is. I should at least thank him or her for the effort of sending me Valetine’s day letters every year.” He sighed. “I’m sort of nervous―I mean this is the first I’m going to go on a date…”

“Just be yourself!” Baekhyun advised while Chanyeol nodded along. “You never know, maybe this person is really the one,”

Luhan felt bitterness in his chest, more so, a denial feeling.

The three then stopped in front of Madame Pudifoot’s. Baekhyun fixed Luhan’s sweatshirt, while Chanyeol rambled about first date jitters. Luhan thanked them for helping him and wished their date to go well, too.

Luhan opened the door of the tea shop, the bells jingling as he entered. He pursed his lips briefly and took a deep breath. He wished his hands and feet would stop sweating.

“Luhan?” A voice called.

Luhan, nervous, turned around and was greeted by a smiling Lee Minhwan from Ravenclaw. So it was a guy…

Lee Minhwan was very popular among the girls. He was the Ravenclaw’s Seeker and team Captain. Of course Luhan knew him, since he had unintentionally caught his name from the loud squeals of his name from girls that he would pass by the corridors.

“It’s really kind of you to go here, you know. Such a refreshing sight from a very wonderful person like you,” He said sincerely with a bright smile.

“Oh…uhm―thank you…” So this was the person who kept sending him letters? He was surprised. Lee Minhwan was a year older than him, already at his last year in Hogwarts. He suddenly felt shy at the fact that a higher year noticed him yet neutral for some reason he couldn’t pinpoint.

“I’m Lee Minhwan,” The guy offered his hand which Luhan took demurely. “You might be quite freaked out that I came up to you all of the sudden, since well, we hadn’t really talked before.”

“Oh, it’s fine…”

“I’m quite interested in you, Luhan,” Minhwan confessed confidently with a wink. “I’ve been admiring you from afar,”

“Thank you…?” Luhan didn’t how to respond to the personal confession, though he was really intent on thanking him for the letters with all his heart. “I mean it. But…uhm…you know, I really apprecia―”

Before he could finish his sentence, a hand took his arm and dragged him away from Minhwan, making Luhan yelp a little.

“Bugger off,”

Luhan’s eyes widened. He looked up to the owner of the hand that was gripping him. Luhan gulped and felt his chest beat the loudest song it can inside him.

“Excuse me?” Minhwan crossed his arms, slightly annoyed. “Can’t you see that I was just―”

“I said bugger off,” Sehun spit, looking at Minhwan as if he was ready to kill. “Don’t make me repeat myself again.”

What’s happening?

Blood rushed to his cheeks and his breath hitched. He felt as if he ran a thousand marathons, felt like he was flying too high in the sky on his broom.

So much about moving on from the Slytherin Captain.

“And why should I?” Minhwan challenged.

Sehun smirked. He wrapped his arm around Luhan’s shoulder, slightly stroking the part with his thumb. “Because he’s my boyfriend, and I would really appreciate it if you don’t hit on him,”

Sehun doesn’t even wait for Minhwan’s reply. He dragged Luhan far away from the Ravenclaw, to the very corner of the tea shop. So many thoughts ran Luhan’s mind: Why did Sehun do that? Why was Sehun dragging him? Why was Sehun still holding him? Wasn’t Minhwan the one who sent him letters? Who set up this date?

He felt hot all over. His palms started to sweat profusely, and his toes curled with every step―anything to keep his shock intact, even if the actions he was doing were small.

“I’m sorry,” Sehun apologized with a soft tone. He licked his lips and gestured Luhan to sit.

“What the bloody hell is going on?” Was the first thing that came out of Luhan’s mouth as soon as he sat down on the comfortable wooden chair; he was sort of surprised at what he said, but he couldn’t really think of anything else to say besides the nagging question. Here he was, sitting with his long time crush at probably the most romantic hang out for couples in Hogsmeade, while he had the clear will to move on.

“Do you hate me?” Sehun asked for a start, his lips pressed into a thin line, looking at Luhan straight in the eye.

Luhan was taken aback at his question. He cleared his throat, and placed a small pat on his chest with his closed fist, as if to stop the loud hammering of his heart. He could never hate him, really. “N-No, I don’t…”

“Good,” Sehun sighed in relief. He blushed once again as he saw a small smile on Sehun’s lips. “Thank you,”

Before Luhan could say anything else, Sehun said, “Look, I want to explain to you the incident that happened last week,”

Luhan bit his lower lip, and subtly fidgeted on his seat. “You don’t really have to,”

“You’re right, I don’t have to,” Sehun said determinedly, “But I want to, Luhan,”

Luhan stayed silent and laced his fingers together on his lap, silently urging Sehun to continue.

“Those guys that you saw we were dangling on the air…one of them was the real culprit―the one who really hexed you,” Luhan perked as Sehun continued, “Neither Yifan nor the one he fought with did it to you. That guy―” Sehun clenched his fists. “He was from the crowd. I don’t know why he attacked you, though―that was why I was trying to get the answer from him by…uhm…dangling him on the air upside down.”

“And about the other guy,” Sehun continued. “It was Jongin’s business. It just so happened they were friends, so we took the both of them out together for convenience,”

Something stirred inside Luhan. Why is Sehun acting like this?

“Then…what about the time when you casted many jinxes on Kim Jongdae?” Luhan asked, staring at his eyes fully.

Sehun chuckled. “Okay, so are you going to interrogate me with every offense that I did?”

Luhan blinked, he suddenly felt that he wasn’t supposed to―

Sehun smiled, suddenly interrupting Luhan’s thoughts. “I’ll gladly answer all of your questions with honesty.” He promised.

Luhan blinked and cleared his throat, “So…why?”

“His commentaries during Quidditch games are outrageous and suckish,” Sehun shrugged.

Luhan pursed his lips then proceeded to the next question, “Why did you hex Park Chanyeol and made his hair fall off?”

“I actually don’t remember doing that,”

“What about that one time you hexed Kim Minseok and made his fingers disappear?”

Sehun paused. “Simple. He fancied you,”

“Then―wait, what?” Butterflies in Luhan’s stomach suddenly went into havoc. “You…hexed…him just because he fancied me?”

Luhan shook his head as if to ignore the influx of emotions he was feeling as of the moment. He continued, “Why would you do that?”

Sehun leaned forward, holding Luhan’s eyes to his own. Luhan’s palms sweated even more, so he wiped it with the hem of his sweatshirt. Who was he kidding about moving on from the bloke in front of him?

“Luhan,” Sehun licked his lips. “I think my letters to you are enough to answer your question.”

Luhan’s world stopped for a moment.

After all this time, it was Sehun who wrote him those sweet letters?

After all this time, Sehun fancied him?

Sehun took Luhan’s silence as an advantage for him to elaborate more, “Luhan, I fancy you quite a lot, if you haven’t had that point across.”

“What?” Luhan was breathless. He looked bewildered as Sehun’s confession hadn’t sunk in his mind yet. Sehun fancies him? He must be dreaming.

“Stop joking,” Luhan said, though his voice was shaky.

“Do I look like I’m joking?” Sehun countered, blushing hotly.

“Are you serious?” Luhan asked, his voice a pitch higher. He started babbling, “Did you bump your head on something? Is this some sort of trick―a bet? Because I’m totally not going to fall for that.”

“No,” Sehun shook his head. “I just want you to fall for me.”

Luhan bit his lip, and if he felt like fainting awhile ago, he felt like dying right now. Maybe go to the Forbidden Forest and leech off to the lifeless mysteries to fit the environment with his character.

“You, uhm―in our first year, you were the first person I bumped into,” Sehun started explaining. “You were incredibly nice to me when you helped me get up from the floor. I don’t know but you just took my breath away that moment.”

Luhan’s eyes widened.

“You might not remember me from that time, but ever since then I started fancying you. Quite silly at a young age, don’t you think? So I let it pass―but as it turned out, my feelings for you got deeper through the years.” Sehun licked his lips. Must be a habit. “This is getting too cheesy, but I’ll continue,” Sehun took a deep breath. “I overheard you and your friends talk about Quidditch one time by the halls. I thought that you must like Quidditch, so I tried out for the team, for you to―uhm―notice me.”

“You…tried out for Quidditch because of me?” Luhan pursed his lips and pinched his thighs, just to make sure he wasn’t really dreaming. Merlin, he wanted to grab Sehun and kiss him full in the lips right there and then.

Sehun nodded. “Yes. And, uhm, I’m not usually this uncool, so forgive me,” He chuckled. “I’m not really a bad guy either. I, okay, maybe I’m a bit sadistic, but what can I do? Look, I’ll completely stop with all the tomfoolery―”

“Sehun,” Luhan cut off and smiled, making Sehun pause and take in the beautiful sight in front of him.

“Yes?” His voice got caught in his throat.

“I…uhm…fancy you quite a lot, too, actually,” Luhan confessed shyly, his heart hammering so fast. “More than I should; you cross my mind more than you should, and I notice you more than I should.”

“Luhan,” Sehun’s voice was firm. “Will you give me the permission to snog you right now?”

“W-what?” Luhan’s face went hotter than the sun.

“Can I?”

Luhan then laughed―a nervous yes-this-is-finally-happening one, and Sehun swore it was the most sonorous sound he had ever heard.

“You may.”

“Baek, I don’t really think it’s a good idea to that you pushed Luhan into meeting someone else,” Chanyeol said as he and Baekhyun walk hand in hand by the aisles of Zonko’s Joke Shop.

Baekhyun frowned and scoffed as he picked up a toy from the aisle. He could use this to spite Kyungsoo. Without looking at Chanyeol, he stated, “Well, Luhan needs to be more exposed to the romance area, other than him chasing Oh Sehun,”

“Exactly,”

“What?” Baekhyun whipped his head to face him.

“Oh Sehun,” Chanyeol said simply.

Baekhyun paused and narrowed his eyes at the wavering expression of his boyfriend. It wasn’t hard for Baekhyun to read his partner’s actions, since both have been together for years already and have outlived many relationships in Hogwarts.

“Spit it out,”

“Okay,” Chanyeol gulped. “So I overheard from some Slytherins―”

“Where?” Baekhyun asked sharply.

“By the showers after practice! We divided the field for our practice time so that all of us would be able to go to Hogsmeade!” Chanyeol replied quickly. “Why do you like you’re going to murder me?”

Baekhyun rolled his eyes. “Continue,”

“So these Slytherins were talking about our Luhan,” Before Baekhyun could open his mouth to say something, Chanyeol said, “Let me continue!”

Baekhyun crossed his arms, red alarms going off his head as his overprotective side for his friend turned on. But he calmed himself for the meantime and hummed, “And?”

“They were talking about how much they want to date him and take him out for Valentine’s,” Chanyeol said. “And I heard that lots of people―from different houses, might I add― actually fancy Luhan but none of them have the guts to confess or make a move,”

“Wait, what?” Baekhyun frowned. “Why?”

“Because, as I quote, ‘Man, it’s so devastating that none of us can’t make a move on Luhan,’” Chanyeol mimicked their voices at best of his abilities. “’Yeah, man, because Oh Sehun will certainly castrate us if we do!’”

Baekhyun’s jaw unhinged and dropped the toy from his hand.

SEVENTH YEAR (EPILOGUE)

Sehun pinned Luhan against the wall and started kissing him frantically, his hands snaking its way under the latter’s robes. Luhan smiled against the kiss, and tugged his boyfriend closer, whispering, “We’re making out just in front of my common room and I think the Fat Lady is saying something,”

Sehun smirked. “I don’t care,”

“Yeah, me too,” Luhan grinned.

“You exhibitionists!”

They didn’t together literally on the day that they confessed to each other. With a few exchanged kisses and lots of giggling, they decided to get to know each other more before starting an actual relationship. They spent Hogsmeade weekends together, lunches together―and when breaks came, both made time to see each other and went on dates.

Luhan felt like floating on cloud nine, felt like all the good Muggle songs he had listened to. Every waking second with Sehun felt like an utter bliss, and until now, he sometimes still question what one earth he did to be in this grateful situation―Sehun fancying him back and confessing to him first.

There came a moment when it was sort of an unspoken agreement that both of them were, indeed, certified lovers (as cheesy as it may sound.) They held hands as they walk the hallway, library dates became a ritual, and they would sometimes snog by an empty hallway or inside their own common rooms if no one was around.

It gave their friends quite a shock, though Sehun’s side was more of like, ‘Ah, so you finally did it.’

It was Quidditch season again, and of course (as always), tensions between the opposing houses ensue.

“Hey Luhan, how do you deal with it?” Baekhyun asked, tipping his toes while he held onto the railings.

“What do you mean?”

“Your boyfriend is on the other team, and you’re supposed to cheer for your own house,” Baekhyun stated.

“I cheer for our house, but my heart is with him,” Luhan replied, smiling as he watched his boyfriend hit a Bludger at one of their Beaters for the third time today. “Plus, if we lose, I wouldn’t really feel sad, well because, he won. And if it’s the opposite, I’ll still naturally feel happy because our house won.”

“Nice,” Baekhyun nodded and then, “Kyungsoo, you better get that bloody Snitch!”

“I think you should ask Kyungsoo the same thing, too,” Luhan added. “He and Jongin are literally ripping each other’s head off during competition, yet they’re still in a very stable relationship,”

Luhan and Baekhyun cheer for their own house, yelling and chanting along with their housemates. But Luhan would catch Sehun’s eye for a short moment and would put a thumbs up and would make a small kissy face.

“Gross,” Baekhyun muttered.

“You and Chanyeol are worse,” Luhan retorted, his eyes still glued to the game.

Before they knew it, Jongin and Kyungsoo spotted the Snitch, and were making dives for it, going head to head with each other. Both stretch their arms for it―and just as Kyungsoo’s fingertips could touch the Snitch, a Bludger hit him and sent him tumbling down. Jongin successfully caught the Snitch with an immediate woop that followed after, and then came the sudden realization that his lover was dangling off on the edge of his broom. Sehun would’ve smirked menacingly if Kyungsoo wasn’t one of his boyfriend’s best friends. But hey, it was for the game. Instead, he kept an apathetic face as his team gathered around each other screaming loudly with victory and ecstatic faces.

The Slytherins cheer loudly, while the Gryffindors quieted down, some mumbling incoherent curses, while some sighed in disappointment. In the midst of overwhelming feelings―Sehun then flew all the way to the Gryffindor side of the field, earning confusing stares from both houses and a rising volume of mumbles. Luhan’s eyes widened and in the blink of an eye, Sehun cupped his face and kissed him full on the lips; searing, passionate, and something that he would think about for the rest of life―as if their lips promised a page in Hogwarts: A History.

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