2014: I Don't Want to be Friends (for aqilahfilzah)
For: aqilahfilzah
From: ANONYMOUS until December 30, 2014
Title: I Don't Want to be Friends
Rating: PG
Pairing: Baekhyun/Kyungsoo
Length: 5,910 words
Summary: Kyungsoo makes plans to avoid Baekhyun, Baekhyun makes plans to undo them all.
Notes: Harry Potter, I'm sorry I made your son a loser but that's what happen when you name him Albus Severus. P.S. Krysoo is the dream beater team.
There are a lot of things Baekhyun likes about Hogwarts (especially now that his brother has finally graduated so, for the first time in six years, he doesn't have Baekbeom hovering around) but getting to play quidditch is definitely the thing he loves the most. It's his idea to try out for the team during their sixth year.
Chanyeol flatly rejects this idea. "I don't want to," he says stubbornly. "I'm clumsy enough walking around, you want me in the air?"
"Thought Gryffindors were supposed to be brave," Jongdae snickers, and his grin only grows wider when Chanyeol gives him an offended look.
"There is nothing wrong with self-preservation."
"Okay," Jongdae says, patting Chanyeol on the arm. "We wouldn't want you falling off the broomstick and hurting that pretty little head of yours."
Baekhyun narrows his eyes when he sees Chanyeol's face turn red. The two of them have been acting weird since the start of their sixth year- weirder than usual because the two of them are pretty odd on a regular basis. Then Baekhyun hones in on a word that Jongdae had used. "We?" He looks at him hopefully. "Are you trying out too?"
Jongdae pulls a face. "Yeah," he says, poking Chanyeol in the ribs until he slides over and makes room for him on the bench. "I promised Kyungsoo I'd try out with him."
Chanyeol whips around so fast he almost falls out of his seat.
Baekhyun perks up. "My favourite stick-in-the-mud is trying out?"
Jongdae ignores the dig. "Yes, he's actually really excited about it. He's been talking about it all summer."
"What position is he trying out for?" Baekhyun briefly entertains fantasies of flying high, with Kyungsoo right beside him, fingers outstretched towards the snitch. Maybe that can be his ‘in' with Kyungsoo. Maybe he can ask him if he wants to practice together? Quidditch can help him woo Kyungsoo.
"Beater."
Chanyeol pulls a face. "Yeah, I'm definitely not trying out now."
"You can cheerlead," Jongdae suggests grinning, and Chanyeol happily agrees.
Baekhyun rolls his eyes. They're going to be insufferable this year, he can already tell.
Kyungsoo is a completely different person when he's playing quidditch. And okay, Baekhyun is technically only at the Slytherin try-outs to support Jongdae- who is also a completely different person when he's playing, just not…in a good way.
Not that that's stopping Chanyeol from cheering for him loudly and screaming his name every time he manages to keep the quaffle without almost falling off his broomstick. Baekhyun would be a little insulted at how whole-heartedly Chanyeol is cheering for Jongdae because he wasn't half this enthusiastic when Baekhyun was trying out, but he figures he knows why Jongdae and Chanyeol are being so weird around each other now.
Baekhyun has tuned out Chanyeol and is paying attention to Kyungsoo, who looks like he's actually smiling. It may be the first time he's seen Kyungsoo smiling without a hint of a snarl behind it. Honestly, Kyungsoo is a vicious little thing, but he's cute and smart and nice to Jongdae, and Baekhyun wants him.
It's kind of terrifying how good Kyungsoo is with the bat. Baekhyun can't tell if it's because of all that practice Jongdae had been talking about, or if Kyungsoo is just taking out all his internalized rage whenever he hits one of the bludgers.
He blinks when he realizes there's a tissue blocking his eyesight.
"To help with the drooling you're doing over Kyungsoo," Chanyeol says when Baekhyun gives him a questioning look.
"I'm just scoping out the competition," Baekhyun says, flinging the tissue at Chanyeol's face.
"You're not even on the team yet."
Baekhyun's not worried. He had definitely caught the snitch a lot faster than the other student trying out to be the seeker. The third time, the second-year student hadn't even seen the snitch until Baekhyun caught it.
"Okay, seriously, you can at least pretend to be supporting Jongdae," Chanyeol says, nudging his shoulder. "Tear your eyes off Kyungsoo for a second."
Baekhyun waves a dismissive hand at him. "I'm pretty sure Jongdae is only listening for your cheering."
Chanyeol mumbles something under his breath, and it's probably not anything nice, but Baekhyun notices he starts to cheer a little louder now.
"I can't believe you used to hate Kyungsoo when we first started Hogwarts," Chanyeol says, when Jongdae is finally done (he's one of Baekhyun's best friends but he doubts Jongdae's going to make the team). "Now look at you. You're practically- hey, Jongdae!" He jostles Baekhyun out of the way to get to Jongdae first.
Baekhyun meets Kyungsoo for the first time when they're first years and they're on the boats on the way to Hogwarts. Kyungsoo isn't very interested in making conversation with Baekhyun or the other boy on the boat with them, who turned out to be Chanyeol. In fact he attempts to throw Chanyeol off the boat after the latter kept trying to talk to him.
So Baekhyun isn't surprised when Kyungsoo is sorted into Slytherin. "Helps to explain his homicidal tendencies," he mutters under his breath, and he's immediately chided by his brother.
"That's a stereotype," Baekbeom says, "don't assume all Slytherins are bad. Every house has had their own troublemaker."
Baekhyun thinks his brother implying Voldemort was a troublemaker is an understatement, but whatever.
In the beginning, Baekhyun really does assume the worst of Slytherins, even though his brother has been telling him otherwise since he started his first year at Hogwarts. Baekbeom was always inclusive and friendly though, so Baekhyun just assumed that of course his brother would make nice with the Slytherins too.
Kyungsoo being the first Slytherin he met didn't help to endear him to the house. It just solidifies the idea that people in Slytherin are unlikeable. He definitely didn't think that one of his best friends would end up being a Slytherin.
Their Potions professor gives them an impassioned speech about how he believes in inter-house bonding and how this is the time to set differences aside and form friendships that could last for life (clearly he has been spending too much time getting high off all the potions in the unventilated classroom, Baekhyun thinks), and then announces that their partners for the rest of the year will be someone from another house.
All this before he even introduces himself. Professor Albus Severus.
Of course Harry Potter's weird, hippie kid was preaching about togetherness. His insistence on making the houses mix makes sense to Baekhyun now. How could he not be a hippie with a name like Albus Severus though?
Chanyeol is whispering silent prayers under his breath because the angry kid from the boat is in their class and he doesn't seem to like anyone. Even the boy sitting next to him, who keeps talking and poking Kyungsoo for a reaction every now and then. Baekhyun curls his lip when he ends up being paired with the boy who apparently likes Kyungsoo.
Except he's actually kind of nice. He talks a lot, which isn't a problem because Baekhyun does too. He just never assumed he'd have so much to say to a Slytherin.
Jongdae laughs when Baekhyun makes a disparaging comment about Professor Albus Severus. "Never had a chance," he agrees cheerfully, leaning over Baekhyun's shoulder to look at their list of ingredients. "And you know, he's probably spent too much time sniffing all the potions too."
Baekhyun wonders if Jongdae was sorted in the wrong house? No, impossible. The Sorting Hat was never wrong.
"And why is he using both his names?" Jongdae continues. "Why can't he just be Professor Potter?"
"Right," Baekhyun snorts. "You'd think he wouldn't want to draw attention to his name." He gets a bright smile from Jongdae in reply and he's been one of Baekhyun's favourite people ever since.
Being friends with Jongdae by extension made them friends with Kyungsoo. Sort of. Kyungsoo sticks to glaring at them any time they cross paths and Baekhyun swears that he's heard Kyungsoo refer to them as riff raff.
It's a sore point at first.
"He tried to kill me," Chanyeol says, who clearly hasn't gotten over almost being thrown off the boat.
"Kyungsoo would never do that," Jongdae says crossly. "He's just…misunderstood."
Baekhyun wants to laugh at how offended Chanyeol looks, except Jongdae follows it up with, "Why would anyone try to kill you anyway?"
Chanyeol stares at him cluelessly and after a few seconds of silence, where even Baekhyun tries to figure out if Jongdae is maybe too nice because he can name a bunch of kids who want to throw Chanyeol in the lake, he says, "I don't know, but he did."
"The Giant Squid would've saved you," Jongdae says confidently.
The Kyungsoo Issue is only put to rest when Jongdae stops talking to them for a week after he gets tired of listening to them complain about Kyungsoo.
"He never says anything bad about you guys," Jongdae says when Chanyeol drags Baekhyun over to apologize.
Baekhyun scoffs. "He calls us names. To our faces."
"Yes, but he doesn't keep whining about why I'm friends with the two of you. Maybe he doesn't like you guys but he knows that I do, so he respects that." Jongdae gives them a pointed look.
"Fine," Baekhyun says pouting. "I won't complain about the stick-in-the-mud." He can't help himself.
But Jongdae shrugs, already smiling. "That's the only name you get to call him."
Baekhyun only comes around in their fourth year when he finds out that he and Kyungsoo have exactly the same class schedule. Plus the professors keep pairing them up as partners for a lot of their classes- especially Potions because Professor Albus Severus is determined to help them "work out their differences."
"How is it any of his business whether or not we get along?" Baekhyun complains, angrily throwing a handful of fire seeds into the cauldron they're working at.
"That's too much!" Kyungsoo huffs when their potion turns an unpleasant shade of green and starts bubbling.
"Boys." Professor Albus Severus gives them a disappointed look. "This won't work unless the two of you work together." Their cauldron disappears with a flick of his wand and a new one appears. "Let's try again, shall we? Remember, together."
"Hippie," Baekhyun mumbles.
Kyungsoo looks up from measuring the powdered grapehorn. "What's a hippie?"
Baekhyun stares at him. "A hippie? You know, the peace-loving, flower power people?"
Kyungsoo gives him a blank look. "Is this a muggle thing?" he asks, already wrinkling his nose in distaste.
Baekhyun pauses. Was it a muggle thing? Surely there must have been wizard hippies? "I guess," he says unsurely.
"I was under the impression that Gryffindors subscribed to this idea of love and peace."
Baekhyun rolls his eyes. What a pretentious jerk What kind of fourteen-year old talked this way? Was he born sixty? "Not with a Slytherin."
Kyungsoo snorts. "You seem to get along fine with Jongdae," he says, tossing in the fire seeds.
"Jongdae plays well with others," Baekhyun says. "You are a pretentious loser."
"I'm sorry that having a better vocabulary than you somehow makes me pretentious," Kyungsoo says calmly. "I'm sure if you applied yourself-"
Baekhyun rolls his eyes again. "Shut up and get the Billywig stings."
Baekhyun is actually really smart. He knows Kyungsoo knows this because the two of them are always competing for the highest marks in class. It's a little annoying because Baekhyun likes being smart and Kyungsoo is ruining all his fun, because now he has to work extra hard to stay at the top of the class instead of just cruising like he usually does.
When he gets stuck on a problem for Arithmancy (what is the point of numbers?) he moves to the library after he gets too distracted by Jongdae and Chanyeol talking about some Muggle entertainment show, something to do with poking?
He isn't sure how long he's been staring at this problem set when he feels a shadow fall over him. "What?" he snaps when he sees who it is.
Kyungsoo rolls his eyes. "I was looking for Jongdae," he says. "I suppose he's busy making eyes with Riff Raff number 2 since he's not here."
Baekhyun stares at him. "Was that a joke?"
Kyungsoo stares back at him. "Well, it wasn't literal."
Baekhyun still has no idea if that was a joke or not. Probably not. Kyungsoo probably didn't know how to be funny. How could Jongdae be friends with someone so boring? "He's in the Great Hall," he says, turning back to his homework.
Kyungsoo pauses and Baekhyun is about to turn back and ask what he wants when he says, "It's easier if you use the chart from the first problem."
Baekhyun blinks before he glances up at the chart he created for the first question. It does make more sense now. "Thanks," he says begrudgingly.
Kyungsoo shrugs before he leaves him.
The next time Baekhyun gets stuck on a problem, he tracks down Kyungsoo in the library and sits down next to him.
"To what do I owe the pleasure?" Kyungsoo asks, not looking up from his parchment.
Baekhyun sits there stiffly and he can't believe he's about to do this. "I need your help," he manages to force out, awkwardly.
Kyungsoo finally looks up and glances at Baekhyun's Arithmancy textbook. "I'll help you with Arithmancy if you help me with my Runes homework."
Baekhyun blinks and feels like he's missed something. Kyungsoo needs help with something? Incredible. "Okay," he agrees, and he can't help the wide smile that spreads across his face.
"This doesn't make us friends," Kyungsoo says, picking up his quill again.
"No, of course not," Baekhyun says cheerfully. "Who'd want to be friends with you?"
"Jongdae," Kyungsoo answers, not skipping a beat.
"Well, Jongdae has very poor taste in friends."
Kyungsoo's lips quirk up slightly for just a second, maybe even less than that. "I agree."
Chanyeol is the one who catches it. At first he's just a little surprised when Baekhyun tells him and Jongdae that he and Kyungsoo help each other with their homework sometimes. Then he starts looking more and more incredulous the more Baekhyun talks about Kyungsoo.
"You like him."
Baekhyun is so offended at this accusation. This very wrong accusation. "I do not! Just because I keep mentioning how smart he is doesn't mean I like him. Intelligence is a very attractive quality."
Chanyeol looks smug. "So you admit you find him attractive."
Baekhyun grimaces when he realizes he's backed himself into a corner. "Just…his personality is…" Ugh, he had no leg to stand on because really, Kyungsoo's personality? That's what he was using to defend himself?
"You're so sad," Chanyeol says gleefully. "You have a crush on the stick-in-the-mud."
Fifth year is something that Baekhyun likes to pretend never happened.
It's all Kyungsoo's fault really. If he hadn't made the decision to drop Ancient Runes, then Baekhyun could still be helping him and he wouldn't have to go to such drastic measures to try to get his attention. (Okay, it's Baekhyun's fault a little too because he drops Arithmancy, but honestly, what sane person would willingly keep studying numbers?)
There are several...incidents, that Baekhyun would prefer not to talk about because they're embarrassing, even for him. It ends with the Slytherin prefect, Junmyeon, asking Baekbeom to talk to his little brother about leaving Kyungsoo alone. And honestly, there's nothing more embarrassing than being told off by the headboy, who also happens to be your brother.
Kyungsoo makes everything worse by flat out telling Baekhyun that he's not interested in being friends with a Gryffindor.
Kyungsoo was such a stick-in-the-mud. Didn't want to be friends with a Gryffindor? What kind of backward thinking was that? What would Professor Albus Severus say?
But that was fifth year. Baekhyun has spent all summer regrouping and he decides that subtlety was the way to go with Kyungsoo. Subtlety wasn't exactly one of Baekhyun's strengths but he'll figure it out.
"Kyungsoo says he's glad that you made the quidditch team," Jongdae says when he joins them at the Gryffindor table for breakfast. Why couldn't they all sit at the Slytherin table? "I thought that was nice, until he said he hoped it would make you leave him alone."
Chanyeol laughs as he reaches for the orange juice. "He obviously hasn't forgotten last year."
Baekhyun pouts. "Why am I supposed to win him over when he doesn't even want to be friends with me? He was nice when we studied together during fourth year."
"Nice," Chanyeol snorts.
"Hey." Jongdae jabs him in the ribs. "He's nice. He just doesn't care about Gryffindors. It's not his fault. He was raised that way. If you think Kyungsoo is rude, you should meet his father. He's terrifying. He hates me."
Baekhyun looks at him curiously. "Why?"
"Because I'm a half-blood mutt," Jongdae says grinning. "I don't care. Kyungsoo likes me."
"So he picked up his dad's hatred for Gryffindors but not for half-bloods?"
Jongdae shrugs. "I guess it's different. I'm just saying, it's not just that he doesn't like you. I mean, you really hurt your cause last year but even if you hadn't, it's a little bigger than you, I guess. He's really respects his father."
Baekhyun sulks. That was entirely unhelpful.
"This is the worst commentary," Baekhyun mutters, huddling under his sweater. He has no idea who the new commentator is but he's pretty useless.
"And that Yixing guy dives to grab the big round thingy and- he catches it in time! Do Kyungsoo aims the creepy-looking round thing at him and oooh, that had to hurt. Hufflepuff loses the red thingy and- no, wait! Here comes Kim Jongin, he retrieves the quaffle and-"
"Oh god, it's that weird Sehun kid," Baekhyun realizes. "Of course he only gets the terminology right when his boyfriend has the quaffle. How did he even get that position?"
"He managed to convince Professor Choi that he's very enthusiastic about quidditch," Jongdae says shivering and shifting closer to Chanyeol. "He looks pretty annoyed though." He gestures to where their Muggle Studies professor is crossly glancing towards the commentator box.
Baekhyun is about to say something when there's a loud screech from the commentator box.
"Foul!" Sehun yells loudly. "Soojung knocks Kim Jongin out with a bludger in a shocking display of atrocious sportsmanship! Off with her head!"
"Mr. Oh!" Professor Choi starts to march towards the commentator's box but Sehun storms out of the box before he can get there.
Jongdae groans. "He's going to make a scene."
Professor Choi looks exasperated. "Oh Sehun, we need a commentator!"
Baekhyun raises Jongdae's arm for him. "Jongdae will do it."
Okay, Baekhyun should have asked Jongdae if he even wanted to be a commentator, but in between being around for all of Kyungsoo's quidditch practices and some of Baekhyun's, he knew a lot about the sport- he definitely knew more than Sehun. Who really did try to cause a scene, but Jongin had waved him away because he was fine, and Soojung called him stupid when he tried to get her to apologize.
And Jongdae did an amazing job. He was a lot more livelier than Sehun, who only sounded excited when Jongin had the quaffle.
Baekhyun and Chanyeol rush over to congratulate Jongdae on doing a good job and probably being the official new commentator, but Kyungsoo beats them to it.
He's hugging Jongdae tight when they get there. "That was so great," he says, squeezing Jongdae. "I didn't know you knew so much. You always look so bored when I talk about quidditch!"
"I'm not bored," Jongdae says, extracting himself from Kyungsoo. "And me? What about you? You won! We won."
Kyungsoo smiles that not-snarly smile of his and Baekhyun thinks about how he really is so lovely when he smiles sincerely. "I don't think Sehun is pleased."
"Don't be such a nag, Sehun," Soojung says, shoving Sehun away. "You're a Slytherin. We won the game."
"We don't have to win by cheating and injuring others!"
"Your boyfriend's fine. Look." Soojung points to where Jongin is waving at Sehun, and Sehun leaves after one last glare at her. "Idiot." She blinks when she notices the four of them. "Good game," she says, roughly punching Kyungsoo on the arm before she heads off the pitch.
"You should change," Jongdae tells Kyungsoo.
Kyungsoo nods but he's looking at Baekhyun. "You're here."
"I came to tell Jongdae he did a good job," Baekhyun says. "Not because of you."
"Baekhyun is the one who told Professor Choi I could fill in for Sehun," Jongdae says.
Kyungsoo looks surprised at that. "That's...nice."
"I'm nice to my friends," Baekhyun answers.
Kyungsoo stares at him. "Okay, I'm bored now, I'm leaving." He nods at Jongdae. "I'll see you later."
Professor Choi comes up to them, smiling broadly. "Jongdae, wonderful job. Come to my office so we can talk about you filling in the position permanently."
It's only when Jongdae disappears with their professor that Baekhyun realizes that Chanyeol has wandered off back towards the stands.
"Why are you all the way over here?" Baekhyun asks when he joins him.
"Your boyfriend scares me."
Baekhyun laughs. "Goofball," he says fondly, linking an arm through Chanyeol's. "And he's not my boyfriend."
"Look." Chanyeol stops walking and pulls away. "While it was really fun watching you make an ass of yourself last year, maybe you should just talk to him?"
Baekhyun pouts. "I tried that."
"No, I mean, without hitting on him and being obnoxious," Chanyeol says. "Jongdae tells me stuff and-"
Baekhyun's pout deepens. "Stuff that he doesn't tell me? Why isn't he telling me stuff? I like hearing about stuff."
"Baekhyun. Listen, okay? Jongdae says Kyungsoo really respects his father and he never steps out of line. The most he's done is to keep being Jongdae's friend, and Jongdae says his father was really mad about that. He told Kyungsoo not to come for Christmas that year. Second year, do you remember that? He got over it when he realized Kyungsoo wasn't going to give in. So just take it easy, okay? I don't think he's used to going against his father. If you really like him then don't push so hard."
Baekhyun is at the library not working on his assignment for Magical Theory, even though he has a long essay due in a week and his parchment only has two words written on it. He's too distracted and when he sees Kyungsoo, object of his distraction, walk in, he perks up.
"Ugh." Kyungsoo makes a face when he sees Baekhyun and he stomps off to the farthest available table.
Baekhyun scoffs. He didn't have to be so prickly.
"There's a reason I chose a table as far away from you as possible," Kyungsoo says when Baekhyun sits down across the table from him. "Please go away. You're becoming a nuisance."
A nuisance. He even complains like a sixty year old, Baekhyun thinks. "I'll leave in a minute," he says. "I just want to apologize for last year."
Kyungsoo raises an eyebrow. "For which part?"
Baekhyun feels his cheeks flush. "All of it," he mumbles.
"Okay. Apology accepted. Goodbye."
"Hey." Baekhyun grabs Kyungsoo's wrist to get his attention back. "I mean it. Just listen for a second and then I'll go."
Kyungsoo snatches his wrist away but he gestures for Baekhyun to go on.
"Look, the thing was, it was nice spending time with you in fourth year."
"Studying. We were not spending time together."
"You told me your brother has a pygmy puff named after a muggle boyband," Baekhyun says flatly. "We didn't just study all the time. But I mean, Jongdae's always saying you're nice and that was the first time I got to see that he was right. And I just...I like you."
Kyungsoo knocks over his ink at that. "What? Ugh, look what you made me do."
"Sorry." Baekhyun tries to help him clean up but Kyungsoo clears it up with a quick spell.
"You like me?"
Baekhyun blinks. "Yes?"
Kyungsoo stares at him. "Is that a question?"
"Yes," Baekhyun says, more firmly this time. "I like you." He laughs a little. "What did you think I was trying to do last year?"
Kyungsoo looks appalled. "I thought you were just being stupid. Or trying to pull something so that Jongdae and I would stop being friends."
Baekhyun is perplexed at this. He's stupid but he's not mean. "I wouldn't do that," he says, even though he may have tried when they were first years. "You're important to him. You're his best friend."
"One of them," Kyungsoo says. He smiles, just a bit, but he's still smiling. At Baekhyun.
"One of them," Baekhyun agrees.
"So." Kyungsoo smirks. "You like me."
Baekhyun rolls his eyes. "Yeah. I mean, you're still really pretentious. Just because you know big words doesn't mean that you need to use them. Show off."
Kyungsoo's smile deepens. "Intelligence is an attractive quality."
Baekhyun laughs. "It is," he says. "So. Again. I'm sorry about last year. I shouldn't have been so pushy and obnoxious."
"Baekhyun." Kyungsoo sighs. "I know you think I'm being really weird about the whole Gryffindor and Slytherin thing, but it's not as simple as-"
"I get it," Baekhyun interrupts. He doesn't, not really. But then again, even though he never liked Slytherins until he met Jongdae, his family never encouraged his dislike. He can't imagine what he would be like if they had tried to instill hating someone just based on their house. "I really just came to apologize."
"Okay." Kyungsoo seems bewildered but he doesn't say anything else so Baekhyun leaves him alone.
A week later, Baekhyun is in the library again and is most definitely working on his Magical Theory essay because it's due the next day. All he can hear is the sound of his quill scratching along the parchment when someone drops down in the seat across from him. He looks up expecting to see Chanyeol or Jongdae, and he almost does a double-take.
"We're not friends," Kyungsoo says, unrolling his own parchment.
"Of course not," Baekhyun says, grinning as he turns back to his essay. "Who'd want to be your friend?"
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." Kyungsoo looks distressed as he paces by Baekhyun's bed in the infirmary ward. "It was just doing my job, you know? You were about to catch the snitch. But I didn't mean to break your nose."
Baekhyun enjoys seeing this new side of Kyungsoo. He rambles. It's kind of cute. "I still caught the snitch though," he says smugly.
Kyungsoo gives him an unhappy look as he steps closer. "I really am sorry about your nose."
"S'okay," Baekhyun says, waving a hand dismissively. He can't really feel anything. The school nurse had healed him up pretty well and given him a potion that would help him sleep well. "I could have avoided it."
Kyungsoo raises an eyebrow. "You'd rather win with a broken nose?"
"I didn't know I was going to break my nose," Baekhyun complains. "How do you hit the bludgers so hard?" He gives Kyungsoo the once over. "You're probably hiding insane arms under that uniform."
Kyungsoo smiles. "Wouldn't you like to know."
"I really would," Baekhyun says, giving Kyungsoo the most pitiful look he can muster. "Are you going to give me a gift for breaking my nose?"
"Yeah, a black eye maybe."
"So violent." Baekhyun shifts and pats the space beside him. "Sit and keep me company. Since you broke my nose and you won't even be nice enough to give me a peek at your gun show."
Kyungsoo's eyebrows knit in confusion. "What does that mean?" He hesitates before finally sitting at the very edge of the bed.
"It's a saying." Baekhyun closes his eyes. "Kyungsoo, your lack of knowledge involving muggles is astounding. It's very tiring to have to explain everything to you."
"I hope you know I'm only putting up with this nagging because I feel bad about breaking your nose."
Baekhyun squints an eye open. "You should feel bad," he says, gingerly touching his nose. "It was a very cute nose."
Kyungsoo rolls his eyes. "There's nothing wrong with it now," he says patiently. "It's still a cute nose."
Baekhyun's eyes are drooping but he still manages to look smug. "Cute as a button nose."
"Shut up and go to sleep." Kyungsoo laughs when Baekhyun crinkles his nose and Baekhyun wishes he had enough energy to open his eyes because he doesn't get to enjoy Kyungsoo's laugh as much as he'd like to. "You're a ridiculous human being, you know that?"
Baekhyun hums sleepily. If by ridiculous he means ‘amazing,' then yes, Baekhyun is aware. He's about to drop off when he feels something brush against his nose.
"Loser," Baekhyun mumbles. "Did you just kiss me on my nose?"
"It's a very cute nose," Kyungsoo says solemnly. There's a pause and Baekhyun's not even surprised when Kyungsoo adds, "We're still not friends."
"You can relax," Baekhyun says, bumping Kyungsoo's shoulder on purpose just to watch him jump. "We're just going to Hogsmeade. Why are you so jumpy?"
Kyungsoo glances around. "I don't know," he says, sounding unsure. "I'm not used to coming here without Jongdae."
Baekhyun makes a face. "Yes, well, Jongdae and Chanyeol are too preoccupied to come with us."
"More like preoccupied with each other's mouths." Kyungsoo mutters it under his breath but Baekhyun hears him anyway.
He briefly thinks about saying that maybe they could be preoccupied with each other's mouths too but Kyungsoo won't even talk to him about his lame (but also really cute) kiss on the nose.
"We can have fun without them," Baekhyun says, linking their arms together.
"Baekhyun." Kyungsoo looks pained even though he doesn't pull away.
"Sorry," Baekhyun says sheepishly, before he lets go of Kyungsoo's arm. "I didn't mean to- I'm just used to doing it with Chanyeol and Jongdae."
"I know," Kyungsoo says stiffly. "I'm just not-"
"It's fine." Baekhyun gives a little tug on his sleeve instead. "Come on. Let's go to Honeydukes before it becomes too crowded. I need more Sugar Quills."
They have fun despite Kyungsoo being such a stick-in-the-mud.
"How can you be so boring?" Baekhyun complains as he trails after Kyungsoo when they return to Hogwarts. "There are exactly three shops at Hogsmeade that no one cares about and of course you wanted to go to all three of them. We spent so much time at the herbology shop we didn't even get to go to Zonko's."
Kyungsoo seems content with all his purchases at the herbology shop, though, and he ignores Baekhyun's whining.
"You're such a nerd," Baekhyun goes on. "You didn't even buy anything at Honeydukes. You're the only person I know who leaves Honeydukes empty-handed. Do you even know how to have fun? Or are you missing the-"
"I had fun today," Kyungsoo says, cutting him off. "With you. I had fun with you today."
Baekhyun blinks, caught off guard by this. "Oh. Okay. Well, um, good." He doesn't realize that they're already at the portrait of the Fat Lady until he hears her ask for the password.
"Thanks," Kyungsoo adds, and Baekhyun thinks it's endearing how awkward he sounds when he's being nice- like it requires so much effort from him.
"Sure," Baekhyun says, grinning. "I had fun too." He bats an arm at the Fat Lady when she asks for the password again, this time more impatiently, because Kyungsoo is still lingering instead of marching off like he usually does.
"We should do it again sometime," Kyungsoo blurts out, lurching forward to press a quick kiss to Baekhyun's cheek and then fleeing right after.
Baekhyun touches his cheek and he can't believe that Kyungsoo has kissed him and ditched him again.
"I know what you're thinking," Baekhyun says as he helps Kyungsoo towards the Slytherin team's locker room. "You're thinking I did it on purpose, as payback for the broken nose, but I didn't."
"I don't think you did it on purpose," Kyungsoo grunts, trying to take in a ragged breath. "I was thinking that you weren't lying when you said you were a crappy beater. I shouldn't have asked you to help me get in some practice time."
Baekhyun winces. "I'm sorry."
"I know. I told you it's fine." Kyungsoo collapses on the bench inside the locker room and tries to fend Baekhyun off. "I'm fine."
"Let me help," Baekhyun insists. "Chanyeol and I are really good at patching each other up. You won't believe the number of scrapes and bruises we've accumulated between the two of us."
"I'm pretty sure I will," Kyungsoo says drily. "It's just going to bruise. I've had worse, trust me. Soojung is a tougher beater than you are."
Baekhyun isn't sure if Kyungsoo is too busy trying to assess the damage or if he really just doesn't care, but he's surprised when Kyungsoo actually unbuttons his shirt. He tries not to stare but there's so much bare skin.
Look at all that real estate for hickeys, Baekhyun thinks. Prime real estate.
Baekhyun really is sorry about his poorly-aimed bludger hitting Kyungsoo in the chest, but he can't help feeling amused when he sees the bruise forming over Kyungsoo's heart. Direct shot to the heart. Baekhyun feels like a more violent version of Cupid.
"Pretty," he says aloud, reaching out and briefly pressing his fingers against the bruise before he pulls away.
Kyungsoo raises an eyebrow but he doesn't say anything. "Weak bruise," he says. "You should've seen some of the ones Soojung's given me."
"Maybe next time," Baekhyun says, grinning. "I'm sure she'll give you more bruises."
"Yes, and I'll be sure to call you to display them for you." Kyungsoo says it with a straight face, and Baekhyun still isn't quite sure if Kyungsoo knows how to crack a joke or not. Never mind. He'll analyze whether or not Kyungsoo has a funny bone later. He's got better things to do now.
"So…" Baekhyun slides along the bench until their shoulders are pressed together.
"So…?" Kyungsoo looks at him, waiting.
"So," Baekhyun says again, turning his head so he's facing Kyungsoo. "Am I ever going to get a chance to do the kiss and ditch thing or do you just want that to be your thing?"
"That's my thing," Kyungsoo says obstinately. "Think of your own thing."
Baekhyun hums as he runs his fingers along Kyungsoo's jaw. "You're such a stick-in-the-mud," he says, leaning in close until he's just a breath away. "You really should learn to share."
"Shutting up and kissing can be your thing," Kyungsoo says before he leans all the way in.
Baekhyun has been thinking about Kyungsoo and his heart-shaped lips since the start of fifth year and he can't remember what his expectations were, but he's pretty sure Kyungsoo and his lips lived up to them.
Kyungsoo's skin feels warm under his fingertips and when Baekhyun manages to work his mouth open, he makes this little whimpering sound and Baekhyun definitely needs to hear more of that.
"Just so you know," Kyungsoo says, tugging lightly on Baekhyun's hair to pull him away. "We're still not friends."
Baekhyun leans in to kiss along the curve of Kyungsoo's smile. "Who'd want to be your friend anyway?"
From: ANONYMOUS until December 30, 2014
Title: I Don't Want to be Friends
Rating: PG
Pairing: Baekhyun/Kyungsoo
Length: 5,910 words
Summary: Kyungsoo makes plans to avoid Baekhyun, Baekhyun makes plans to undo them all.
Notes: Harry Potter, I'm sorry I made your son a loser but that's what happen when you name him Albus Severus. P.S. Krysoo is the dream beater team.
There are a lot of things Baekhyun likes about Hogwarts (especially now that his brother has finally graduated so, for the first time in six years, he doesn't have Baekbeom hovering around) but getting to play quidditch is definitely the thing he loves the most. It's his idea to try out for the team during their sixth year.
Chanyeol flatly rejects this idea. "I don't want to," he says stubbornly. "I'm clumsy enough walking around, you want me in the air?"
"Thought Gryffindors were supposed to be brave," Jongdae snickers, and his grin only grows wider when Chanyeol gives him an offended look.
"There is nothing wrong with self-preservation."
"Okay," Jongdae says, patting Chanyeol on the arm. "We wouldn't want you falling off the broomstick and hurting that pretty little head of yours."
Baekhyun narrows his eyes when he sees Chanyeol's face turn red. The two of them have been acting weird since the start of their sixth year- weirder than usual because the two of them are pretty odd on a regular basis. Then Baekhyun hones in on a word that Jongdae had used. "We?" He looks at him hopefully. "Are you trying out too?"
Jongdae pulls a face. "Yeah," he says, poking Chanyeol in the ribs until he slides over and makes room for him on the bench. "I promised Kyungsoo I'd try out with him."
Chanyeol whips around so fast he almost falls out of his seat.
Baekhyun perks up. "My favourite stick-in-the-mud is trying out?"
Jongdae ignores the dig. "Yes, he's actually really excited about it. He's been talking about it all summer."
"What position is he trying out for?" Baekhyun briefly entertains fantasies of flying high, with Kyungsoo right beside him, fingers outstretched towards the snitch. Maybe that can be his ‘in' with Kyungsoo. Maybe he can ask him if he wants to practice together? Quidditch can help him woo Kyungsoo.
"Beater."
Chanyeol pulls a face. "Yeah, I'm definitely not trying out now."
"You can cheerlead," Jongdae suggests grinning, and Chanyeol happily agrees.
Baekhyun rolls his eyes. They're going to be insufferable this year, he can already tell.
Kyungsoo is a completely different person when he's playing quidditch. And okay, Baekhyun is technically only at the Slytherin try-outs to support Jongdae- who is also a completely different person when he's playing, just not…in a good way.
Not that that's stopping Chanyeol from cheering for him loudly and screaming his name every time he manages to keep the quaffle without almost falling off his broomstick. Baekhyun would be a little insulted at how whole-heartedly Chanyeol is cheering for Jongdae because he wasn't half this enthusiastic when Baekhyun was trying out, but he figures he knows why Jongdae and Chanyeol are being so weird around each other now.
Baekhyun has tuned out Chanyeol and is paying attention to Kyungsoo, who looks like he's actually smiling. It may be the first time he's seen Kyungsoo smiling without a hint of a snarl behind it. Honestly, Kyungsoo is a vicious little thing, but he's cute and smart and nice to Jongdae, and Baekhyun wants him.
It's kind of terrifying how good Kyungsoo is with the bat. Baekhyun can't tell if it's because of all that practice Jongdae had been talking about, or if Kyungsoo is just taking out all his internalized rage whenever he hits one of the bludgers.
He blinks when he realizes there's a tissue blocking his eyesight.
"To help with the drooling you're doing over Kyungsoo," Chanyeol says when Baekhyun gives him a questioning look.
"I'm just scoping out the competition," Baekhyun says, flinging the tissue at Chanyeol's face.
"You're not even on the team yet."
Baekhyun's not worried. He had definitely caught the snitch a lot faster than the other student trying out to be the seeker. The third time, the second-year student hadn't even seen the snitch until Baekhyun caught it.
"Okay, seriously, you can at least pretend to be supporting Jongdae," Chanyeol says, nudging his shoulder. "Tear your eyes off Kyungsoo for a second."
Baekhyun waves a dismissive hand at him. "I'm pretty sure Jongdae is only listening for your cheering."
Chanyeol mumbles something under his breath, and it's probably not anything nice, but Baekhyun notices he starts to cheer a little louder now.
"I can't believe you used to hate Kyungsoo when we first started Hogwarts," Chanyeol says, when Jongdae is finally done (he's one of Baekhyun's best friends but he doubts Jongdae's going to make the team). "Now look at you. You're practically- hey, Jongdae!" He jostles Baekhyun out of the way to get to Jongdae first.
Baekhyun meets Kyungsoo for the first time when they're first years and they're on the boats on the way to Hogwarts. Kyungsoo isn't very interested in making conversation with Baekhyun or the other boy on the boat with them, who turned out to be Chanyeol. In fact he attempts to throw Chanyeol off the boat after the latter kept trying to talk to him.
So Baekhyun isn't surprised when Kyungsoo is sorted into Slytherin. "Helps to explain his homicidal tendencies," he mutters under his breath, and he's immediately chided by his brother.
"That's a stereotype," Baekbeom says, "don't assume all Slytherins are bad. Every house has had their own troublemaker."
Baekhyun thinks his brother implying Voldemort was a troublemaker is an understatement, but whatever.
In the beginning, Baekhyun really does assume the worst of Slytherins, even though his brother has been telling him otherwise since he started his first year at Hogwarts. Baekbeom was always inclusive and friendly though, so Baekhyun just assumed that of course his brother would make nice with the Slytherins too.
Kyungsoo being the first Slytherin he met didn't help to endear him to the house. It just solidifies the idea that people in Slytherin are unlikeable. He definitely didn't think that one of his best friends would end up being a Slytherin.
Their Potions professor gives them an impassioned speech about how he believes in inter-house bonding and how this is the time to set differences aside and form friendships that could last for life (clearly he has been spending too much time getting high off all the potions in the unventilated classroom, Baekhyun thinks), and then announces that their partners for the rest of the year will be someone from another house.
All this before he even introduces himself. Professor Albus Severus.
Of course Harry Potter's weird, hippie kid was preaching about togetherness. His insistence on making the houses mix makes sense to Baekhyun now. How could he not be a hippie with a name like Albus Severus though?
Chanyeol is whispering silent prayers under his breath because the angry kid from the boat is in their class and he doesn't seem to like anyone. Even the boy sitting next to him, who keeps talking and poking Kyungsoo for a reaction every now and then. Baekhyun curls his lip when he ends up being paired with the boy who apparently likes Kyungsoo.
Except he's actually kind of nice. He talks a lot, which isn't a problem because Baekhyun does too. He just never assumed he'd have so much to say to a Slytherin.
Jongdae laughs when Baekhyun makes a disparaging comment about Professor Albus Severus. "Never had a chance," he agrees cheerfully, leaning over Baekhyun's shoulder to look at their list of ingredients. "And you know, he's probably spent too much time sniffing all the potions too."
Baekhyun wonders if Jongdae was sorted in the wrong house? No, impossible. The Sorting Hat was never wrong.
"And why is he using both his names?" Jongdae continues. "Why can't he just be Professor Potter?"
"Right," Baekhyun snorts. "You'd think he wouldn't want to draw attention to his name." He gets a bright smile from Jongdae in reply and he's been one of Baekhyun's favourite people ever since.
Being friends with Jongdae by extension made them friends with Kyungsoo. Sort of. Kyungsoo sticks to glaring at them any time they cross paths and Baekhyun swears that he's heard Kyungsoo refer to them as riff raff.
It's a sore point at first.
"He tried to kill me," Chanyeol says, who clearly hasn't gotten over almost being thrown off the boat.
"Kyungsoo would never do that," Jongdae says crossly. "He's just…misunderstood."
Baekhyun wants to laugh at how offended Chanyeol looks, except Jongdae follows it up with, "Why would anyone try to kill you anyway?"
Chanyeol stares at him cluelessly and after a few seconds of silence, where even Baekhyun tries to figure out if Jongdae is maybe too nice because he can name a bunch of kids who want to throw Chanyeol in the lake, he says, "I don't know, but he did."
"The Giant Squid would've saved you," Jongdae says confidently.
The Kyungsoo Issue is only put to rest when Jongdae stops talking to them for a week after he gets tired of listening to them complain about Kyungsoo.
"He never says anything bad about you guys," Jongdae says when Chanyeol drags Baekhyun over to apologize.
Baekhyun scoffs. "He calls us names. To our faces."
"Yes, but he doesn't keep whining about why I'm friends with the two of you. Maybe he doesn't like you guys but he knows that I do, so he respects that." Jongdae gives them a pointed look.
"Fine," Baekhyun says pouting. "I won't complain about the stick-in-the-mud." He can't help himself.
But Jongdae shrugs, already smiling. "That's the only name you get to call him."
Baekhyun only comes around in their fourth year when he finds out that he and Kyungsoo have exactly the same class schedule. Plus the professors keep pairing them up as partners for a lot of their classes- especially Potions because Professor Albus Severus is determined to help them "work out their differences."
"How is it any of his business whether or not we get along?" Baekhyun complains, angrily throwing a handful of fire seeds into the cauldron they're working at.
"That's too much!" Kyungsoo huffs when their potion turns an unpleasant shade of green and starts bubbling.
"Boys." Professor Albus Severus gives them a disappointed look. "This won't work unless the two of you work together." Their cauldron disappears with a flick of his wand and a new one appears. "Let's try again, shall we? Remember, together."
"Hippie," Baekhyun mumbles.
Kyungsoo looks up from measuring the powdered grapehorn. "What's a hippie?"
Baekhyun stares at him. "A hippie? You know, the peace-loving, flower power people?"
Kyungsoo gives him a blank look. "Is this a muggle thing?" he asks, already wrinkling his nose in distaste.
Baekhyun pauses. Was it a muggle thing? Surely there must have been wizard hippies? "I guess," he says unsurely.
"I was under the impression that Gryffindors subscribed to this idea of love and peace."
Baekhyun rolls his eyes. What a pretentious jerk What kind of fourteen-year old talked this way? Was he born sixty? "Not with a Slytherin."
Kyungsoo snorts. "You seem to get along fine with Jongdae," he says, tossing in the fire seeds.
"Jongdae plays well with others," Baekhyun says. "You are a pretentious loser."
"I'm sorry that having a better vocabulary than you somehow makes me pretentious," Kyungsoo says calmly. "I'm sure if you applied yourself-"
Baekhyun rolls his eyes again. "Shut up and get the Billywig stings."
Baekhyun is actually really smart. He knows Kyungsoo knows this because the two of them are always competing for the highest marks in class. It's a little annoying because Baekhyun likes being smart and Kyungsoo is ruining all his fun, because now he has to work extra hard to stay at the top of the class instead of just cruising like he usually does.
When he gets stuck on a problem for Arithmancy (what is the point of numbers?) he moves to the library after he gets too distracted by Jongdae and Chanyeol talking about some Muggle entertainment show, something to do with poking?
He isn't sure how long he's been staring at this problem set when he feels a shadow fall over him. "What?" he snaps when he sees who it is.
Kyungsoo rolls his eyes. "I was looking for Jongdae," he says. "I suppose he's busy making eyes with Riff Raff number 2 since he's not here."
Baekhyun stares at him. "Was that a joke?"
Kyungsoo stares back at him. "Well, it wasn't literal."
Baekhyun still has no idea if that was a joke or not. Probably not. Kyungsoo probably didn't know how to be funny. How could Jongdae be friends with someone so boring? "He's in the Great Hall," he says, turning back to his homework.
Kyungsoo pauses and Baekhyun is about to turn back and ask what he wants when he says, "It's easier if you use the chart from the first problem."
Baekhyun blinks before he glances up at the chart he created for the first question. It does make more sense now. "Thanks," he says begrudgingly.
Kyungsoo shrugs before he leaves him.
The next time Baekhyun gets stuck on a problem, he tracks down Kyungsoo in the library and sits down next to him.
"To what do I owe the pleasure?" Kyungsoo asks, not looking up from his parchment.
Baekhyun sits there stiffly and he can't believe he's about to do this. "I need your help," he manages to force out, awkwardly.
Kyungsoo finally looks up and glances at Baekhyun's Arithmancy textbook. "I'll help you with Arithmancy if you help me with my Runes homework."
Baekhyun blinks and feels like he's missed something. Kyungsoo needs help with something? Incredible. "Okay," he agrees, and he can't help the wide smile that spreads across his face.
"This doesn't make us friends," Kyungsoo says, picking up his quill again.
"No, of course not," Baekhyun says cheerfully. "Who'd want to be friends with you?"
"Jongdae," Kyungsoo answers, not skipping a beat.
"Well, Jongdae has very poor taste in friends."
Kyungsoo's lips quirk up slightly for just a second, maybe even less than that. "I agree."
Chanyeol is the one who catches it. At first he's just a little surprised when Baekhyun tells him and Jongdae that he and Kyungsoo help each other with their homework sometimes. Then he starts looking more and more incredulous the more Baekhyun talks about Kyungsoo.
"You like him."
Baekhyun is so offended at this accusation. This very wrong accusation. "I do not! Just because I keep mentioning how smart he is doesn't mean I like him. Intelligence is a very attractive quality."
Chanyeol looks smug. "So you admit you find him attractive."
Baekhyun grimaces when he realizes he's backed himself into a corner. "Just…his personality is…" Ugh, he had no leg to stand on because really, Kyungsoo's personality? That's what he was using to defend himself?
"You're so sad," Chanyeol says gleefully. "You have a crush on the stick-in-the-mud."
Fifth year is something that Baekhyun likes to pretend never happened.
It's all Kyungsoo's fault really. If he hadn't made the decision to drop Ancient Runes, then Baekhyun could still be helping him and he wouldn't have to go to such drastic measures to try to get his attention. (Okay, it's Baekhyun's fault a little too because he drops Arithmancy, but honestly, what sane person would willingly keep studying numbers?)
There are several...incidents, that Baekhyun would prefer not to talk about because they're embarrassing, even for him. It ends with the Slytherin prefect, Junmyeon, asking Baekbeom to talk to his little brother about leaving Kyungsoo alone. And honestly, there's nothing more embarrassing than being told off by the headboy, who also happens to be your brother.
Kyungsoo makes everything worse by flat out telling Baekhyun that he's not interested in being friends with a Gryffindor.
Kyungsoo was such a stick-in-the-mud. Didn't want to be friends with a Gryffindor? What kind of backward thinking was that? What would Professor Albus Severus say?
But that was fifth year. Baekhyun has spent all summer regrouping and he decides that subtlety was the way to go with Kyungsoo. Subtlety wasn't exactly one of Baekhyun's strengths but he'll figure it out.
"Kyungsoo says he's glad that you made the quidditch team," Jongdae says when he joins them at the Gryffindor table for breakfast. Why couldn't they all sit at the Slytherin table? "I thought that was nice, until he said he hoped it would make you leave him alone."
Chanyeol laughs as he reaches for the orange juice. "He obviously hasn't forgotten last year."
Baekhyun pouts. "Why am I supposed to win him over when he doesn't even want to be friends with me? He was nice when we studied together during fourth year."
"Nice," Chanyeol snorts.
"Hey." Jongdae jabs him in the ribs. "He's nice. He just doesn't care about Gryffindors. It's not his fault. He was raised that way. If you think Kyungsoo is rude, you should meet his father. He's terrifying. He hates me."
Baekhyun looks at him curiously. "Why?"
"Because I'm a half-blood mutt," Jongdae says grinning. "I don't care. Kyungsoo likes me."
"So he picked up his dad's hatred for Gryffindors but not for half-bloods?"
Jongdae shrugs. "I guess it's different. I'm just saying, it's not just that he doesn't like you. I mean, you really hurt your cause last year but even if you hadn't, it's a little bigger than you, I guess. He's really respects his father."
Baekhyun sulks. That was entirely unhelpful.
"This is the worst commentary," Baekhyun mutters, huddling under his sweater. He has no idea who the new commentator is but he's pretty useless.
"And that Yixing guy dives to grab the big round thingy and- he catches it in time! Do Kyungsoo aims the creepy-looking round thing at him and oooh, that had to hurt. Hufflepuff loses the red thingy and- no, wait! Here comes Kim Jongin, he retrieves the quaffle and-"
"Oh god, it's that weird Sehun kid," Baekhyun realizes. "Of course he only gets the terminology right when his boyfriend has the quaffle. How did he even get that position?"
"He managed to convince Professor Choi that he's very enthusiastic about quidditch," Jongdae says shivering and shifting closer to Chanyeol. "He looks pretty annoyed though." He gestures to where their Muggle Studies professor is crossly glancing towards the commentator box.
Baekhyun is about to say something when there's a loud screech from the commentator box.
"Foul!" Sehun yells loudly. "Soojung knocks Kim Jongin out with a bludger in a shocking display of atrocious sportsmanship! Off with her head!"
"Mr. Oh!" Professor Choi starts to march towards the commentator's box but Sehun storms out of the box before he can get there.
Jongdae groans. "He's going to make a scene."
Professor Choi looks exasperated. "Oh Sehun, we need a commentator!"
Baekhyun raises Jongdae's arm for him. "Jongdae will do it."
Okay, Baekhyun should have asked Jongdae if he even wanted to be a commentator, but in between being around for all of Kyungsoo's quidditch practices and some of Baekhyun's, he knew a lot about the sport- he definitely knew more than Sehun. Who really did try to cause a scene, but Jongin had waved him away because he was fine, and Soojung called him stupid when he tried to get her to apologize.
And Jongdae did an amazing job. He was a lot more livelier than Sehun, who only sounded excited when Jongin had the quaffle.
Baekhyun and Chanyeol rush over to congratulate Jongdae on doing a good job and probably being the official new commentator, but Kyungsoo beats them to it.
He's hugging Jongdae tight when they get there. "That was so great," he says, squeezing Jongdae. "I didn't know you knew so much. You always look so bored when I talk about quidditch!"
"I'm not bored," Jongdae says, extracting himself from Kyungsoo. "And me? What about you? You won! We won."
Kyungsoo smiles that not-snarly smile of his and Baekhyun thinks about how he really is so lovely when he smiles sincerely. "I don't think Sehun is pleased."
"Don't be such a nag, Sehun," Soojung says, shoving Sehun away. "You're a Slytherin. We won the game."
"We don't have to win by cheating and injuring others!"
"Your boyfriend's fine. Look." Soojung points to where Jongin is waving at Sehun, and Sehun leaves after one last glare at her. "Idiot." She blinks when she notices the four of them. "Good game," she says, roughly punching Kyungsoo on the arm before she heads off the pitch.
"You should change," Jongdae tells Kyungsoo.
Kyungsoo nods but he's looking at Baekhyun. "You're here."
"I came to tell Jongdae he did a good job," Baekhyun says. "Not because of you."
"Baekhyun is the one who told Professor Choi I could fill in for Sehun," Jongdae says.
Kyungsoo looks surprised at that. "That's...nice."
"I'm nice to my friends," Baekhyun answers.
Kyungsoo stares at him. "Okay, I'm bored now, I'm leaving." He nods at Jongdae. "I'll see you later."
Professor Choi comes up to them, smiling broadly. "Jongdae, wonderful job. Come to my office so we can talk about you filling in the position permanently."
It's only when Jongdae disappears with their professor that Baekhyun realizes that Chanyeol has wandered off back towards the stands.
"Why are you all the way over here?" Baekhyun asks when he joins him.
"Your boyfriend scares me."
Baekhyun laughs. "Goofball," he says fondly, linking an arm through Chanyeol's. "And he's not my boyfriend."
"Look." Chanyeol stops walking and pulls away. "While it was really fun watching you make an ass of yourself last year, maybe you should just talk to him?"
Baekhyun pouts. "I tried that."
"No, I mean, without hitting on him and being obnoxious," Chanyeol says. "Jongdae tells me stuff and-"
Baekhyun's pout deepens. "Stuff that he doesn't tell me? Why isn't he telling me stuff? I like hearing about stuff."
"Baekhyun. Listen, okay? Jongdae says Kyungsoo really respects his father and he never steps out of line. The most he's done is to keep being Jongdae's friend, and Jongdae says his father was really mad about that. He told Kyungsoo not to come for Christmas that year. Second year, do you remember that? He got over it when he realized Kyungsoo wasn't going to give in. So just take it easy, okay? I don't think he's used to going against his father. If you really like him then don't push so hard."
Baekhyun is at the library not working on his assignment for Magical Theory, even though he has a long essay due in a week and his parchment only has two words written on it. He's too distracted and when he sees Kyungsoo, object of his distraction, walk in, he perks up.
"Ugh." Kyungsoo makes a face when he sees Baekhyun and he stomps off to the farthest available table.
Baekhyun scoffs. He didn't have to be so prickly.
"There's a reason I chose a table as far away from you as possible," Kyungsoo says when Baekhyun sits down across the table from him. "Please go away. You're becoming a nuisance."
A nuisance. He even complains like a sixty year old, Baekhyun thinks. "I'll leave in a minute," he says. "I just want to apologize for last year."
Kyungsoo raises an eyebrow. "For which part?"
Baekhyun feels his cheeks flush. "All of it," he mumbles.
"Okay. Apology accepted. Goodbye."
"Hey." Baekhyun grabs Kyungsoo's wrist to get his attention back. "I mean it. Just listen for a second and then I'll go."
Kyungsoo snatches his wrist away but he gestures for Baekhyun to go on.
"Look, the thing was, it was nice spending time with you in fourth year."
"Studying. We were not spending time together."
"You told me your brother has a pygmy puff named after a muggle boyband," Baekhyun says flatly. "We didn't just study all the time. But I mean, Jongdae's always saying you're nice and that was the first time I got to see that he was right. And I just...I like you."
Kyungsoo knocks over his ink at that. "What? Ugh, look what you made me do."
"Sorry." Baekhyun tries to help him clean up but Kyungsoo clears it up with a quick spell.
"You like me?"
Baekhyun blinks. "Yes?"
Kyungsoo stares at him. "Is that a question?"
"Yes," Baekhyun says, more firmly this time. "I like you." He laughs a little. "What did you think I was trying to do last year?"
Kyungsoo looks appalled. "I thought you were just being stupid. Or trying to pull something so that Jongdae and I would stop being friends."
Baekhyun is perplexed at this. He's stupid but he's not mean. "I wouldn't do that," he says, even though he may have tried when they were first years. "You're important to him. You're his best friend."
"One of them," Kyungsoo says. He smiles, just a bit, but he's still smiling. At Baekhyun.
"One of them," Baekhyun agrees.
"So." Kyungsoo smirks. "You like me."
Baekhyun rolls his eyes. "Yeah. I mean, you're still really pretentious. Just because you know big words doesn't mean that you need to use them. Show off."
Kyungsoo's smile deepens. "Intelligence is an attractive quality."
Baekhyun laughs. "It is," he says. "So. Again. I'm sorry about last year. I shouldn't have been so pushy and obnoxious."
"Baekhyun." Kyungsoo sighs. "I know you think I'm being really weird about the whole Gryffindor and Slytherin thing, but it's not as simple as-"
"I get it," Baekhyun interrupts. He doesn't, not really. But then again, even though he never liked Slytherins until he met Jongdae, his family never encouraged his dislike. He can't imagine what he would be like if they had tried to instill hating someone just based on their house. "I really just came to apologize."
"Okay." Kyungsoo seems bewildered but he doesn't say anything else so Baekhyun leaves him alone.
A week later, Baekhyun is in the library again and is most definitely working on his Magical Theory essay because it's due the next day. All he can hear is the sound of his quill scratching along the parchment when someone drops down in the seat across from him. He looks up expecting to see Chanyeol or Jongdae, and he almost does a double-take.
"We're not friends," Kyungsoo says, unrolling his own parchment.
"Of course not," Baekhyun says, grinning as he turns back to his essay. "Who'd want to be your friend?"
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." Kyungsoo looks distressed as he paces by Baekhyun's bed in the infirmary ward. "It was just doing my job, you know? You were about to catch the snitch. But I didn't mean to break your nose."
Baekhyun enjoys seeing this new side of Kyungsoo. He rambles. It's kind of cute. "I still caught the snitch though," he says smugly.
Kyungsoo gives him an unhappy look as he steps closer. "I really am sorry about your nose."
"S'okay," Baekhyun says, waving a hand dismissively. He can't really feel anything. The school nurse had healed him up pretty well and given him a potion that would help him sleep well. "I could have avoided it."
Kyungsoo raises an eyebrow. "You'd rather win with a broken nose?"
"I didn't know I was going to break my nose," Baekhyun complains. "How do you hit the bludgers so hard?" He gives Kyungsoo the once over. "You're probably hiding insane arms under that uniform."
Kyungsoo smiles. "Wouldn't you like to know."
"I really would," Baekhyun says, giving Kyungsoo the most pitiful look he can muster. "Are you going to give me a gift for breaking my nose?"
"Yeah, a black eye maybe."
"So violent." Baekhyun shifts and pats the space beside him. "Sit and keep me company. Since you broke my nose and you won't even be nice enough to give me a peek at your gun show."
Kyungsoo's eyebrows knit in confusion. "What does that mean?" He hesitates before finally sitting at the very edge of the bed.
"It's a saying." Baekhyun closes his eyes. "Kyungsoo, your lack of knowledge involving muggles is astounding. It's very tiring to have to explain everything to you."
"I hope you know I'm only putting up with this nagging because I feel bad about breaking your nose."
Baekhyun squints an eye open. "You should feel bad," he says, gingerly touching his nose. "It was a very cute nose."
Kyungsoo rolls his eyes. "There's nothing wrong with it now," he says patiently. "It's still a cute nose."
Baekhyun's eyes are drooping but he still manages to look smug. "Cute as a button nose."
"Shut up and go to sleep." Kyungsoo laughs when Baekhyun crinkles his nose and Baekhyun wishes he had enough energy to open his eyes because he doesn't get to enjoy Kyungsoo's laugh as much as he'd like to. "You're a ridiculous human being, you know that?"
Baekhyun hums sleepily. If by ridiculous he means ‘amazing,' then yes, Baekhyun is aware. He's about to drop off when he feels something brush against his nose.
"Loser," Baekhyun mumbles. "Did you just kiss me on my nose?"
"It's a very cute nose," Kyungsoo says solemnly. There's a pause and Baekhyun's not even surprised when Kyungsoo adds, "We're still not friends."
"You can relax," Baekhyun says, bumping Kyungsoo's shoulder on purpose just to watch him jump. "We're just going to Hogsmeade. Why are you so jumpy?"
Kyungsoo glances around. "I don't know," he says, sounding unsure. "I'm not used to coming here without Jongdae."
Baekhyun makes a face. "Yes, well, Jongdae and Chanyeol are too preoccupied to come with us."
"More like preoccupied with each other's mouths." Kyungsoo mutters it under his breath but Baekhyun hears him anyway.
He briefly thinks about saying that maybe they could be preoccupied with each other's mouths too but Kyungsoo won't even talk to him about his lame (but also really cute) kiss on the nose.
"We can have fun without them," Baekhyun says, linking their arms together.
"Baekhyun." Kyungsoo looks pained even though he doesn't pull away.
"Sorry," Baekhyun says sheepishly, before he lets go of Kyungsoo's arm. "I didn't mean to- I'm just used to doing it with Chanyeol and Jongdae."
"I know," Kyungsoo says stiffly. "I'm just not-"
"It's fine." Baekhyun gives a little tug on his sleeve instead. "Come on. Let's go to Honeydukes before it becomes too crowded. I need more Sugar Quills."
They have fun despite Kyungsoo being such a stick-in-the-mud.
"How can you be so boring?" Baekhyun complains as he trails after Kyungsoo when they return to Hogwarts. "There are exactly three shops at Hogsmeade that no one cares about and of course you wanted to go to all three of them. We spent so much time at the herbology shop we didn't even get to go to Zonko's."
Kyungsoo seems content with all his purchases at the herbology shop, though, and he ignores Baekhyun's whining.
"You're such a nerd," Baekhyun goes on. "You didn't even buy anything at Honeydukes. You're the only person I know who leaves Honeydukes empty-handed. Do you even know how to have fun? Or are you missing the-"
"I had fun today," Kyungsoo says, cutting him off. "With you. I had fun with you today."
Baekhyun blinks, caught off guard by this. "Oh. Okay. Well, um, good." He doesn't realize that they're already at the portrait of the Fat Lady until he hears her ask for the password.
"Thanks," Kyungsoo adds, and Baekhyun thinks it's endearing how awkward he sounds when he's being nice- like it requires so much effort from him.
"Sure," Baekhyun says, grinning. "I had fun too." He bats an arm at the Fat Lady when she asks for the password again, this time more impatiently, because Kyungsoo is still lingering instead of marching off like he usually does.
"We should do it again sometime," Kyungsoo blurts out, lurching forward to press a quick kiss to Baekhyun's cheek and then fleeing right after.
Baekhyun touches his cheek and he can't believe that Kyungsoo has kissed him and ditched him again.
"I know what you're thinking," Baekhyun says as he helps Kyungsoo towards the Slytherin team's locker room. "You're thinking I did it on purpose, as payback for the broken nose, but I didn't."
"I don't think you did it on purpose," Kyungsoo grunts, trying to take in a ragged breath. "I was thinking that you weren't lying when you said you were a crappy beater. I shouldn't have asked you to help me get in some practice time."
Baekhyun winces. "I'm sorry."
"I know. I told you it's fine." Kyungsoo collapses on the bench inside the locker room and tries to fend Baekhyun off. "I'm fine."
"Let me help," Baekhyun insists. "Chanyeol and I are really good at patching each other up. You won't believe the number of scrapes and bruises we've accumulated between the two of us."
"I'm pretty sure I will," Kyungsoo says drily. "It's just going to bruise. I've had worse, trust me. Soojung is a tougher beater than you are."
Baekhyun isn't sure if Kyungsoo is too busy trying to assess the damage or if he really just doesn't care, but he's surprised when Kyungsoo actually unbuttons his shirt. He tries not to stare but there's so much bare skin.
Look at all that real estate for hickeys, Baekhyun thinks. Prime real estate.
Baekhyun really is sorry about his poorly-aimed bludger hitting Kyungsoo in the chest, but he can't help feeling amused when he sees the bruise forming over Kyungsoo's heart. Direct shot to the heart. Baekhyun feels like a more violent version of Cupid.
"Pretty," he says aloud, reaching out and briefly pressing his fingers against the bruise before he pulls away.
Kyungsoo raises an eyebrow but he doesn't say anything. "Weak bruise," he says. "You should've seen some of the ones Soojung's given me."
"Maybe next time," Baekhyun says, grinning. "I'm sure she'll give you more bruises."
"Yes, and I'll be sure to call you to display them for you." Kyungsoo says it with a straight face, and Baekhyun still isn't quite sure if Kyungsoo knows how to crack a joke or not. Never mind. He'll analyze whether or not Kyungsoo has a funny bone later. He's got better things to do now.
"So…" Baekhyun slides along the bench until their shoulders are pressed together.
"So…?" Kyungsoo looks at him, waiting.
"So," Baekhyun says again, turning his head so he's facing Kyungsoo. "Am I ever going to get a chance to do the kiss and ditch thing or do you just want that to be your thing?"
"That's my thing," Kyungsoo says obstinately. "Think of your own thing."
Baekhyun hums as he runs his fingers along Kyungsoo's jaw. "You're such a stick-in-the-mud," he says, leaning in close until he's just a breath away. "You really should learn to share."
"Shutting up and kissing can be your thing," Kyungsoo says before he leans all the way in.
Baekhyun has been thinking about Kyungsoo and his heart-shaped lips since the start of fifth year and he can't remember what his expectations were, but he's pretty sure Kyungsoo and his lips lived up to them.
Kyungsoo's skin feels warm under his fingertips and when Baekhyun manages to work his mouth open, he makes this little whimpering sound and Baekhyun definitely needs to hear more of that.
"Just so you know," Kyungsoo says, tugging lightly on Baekhyun's hair to pull him away. "We're still not friends."
Baekhyun leans in to kiss along the curve of Kyungsoo's smile. "Who'd want to be your friend anyway?"