[One-Shot] Owlet [BaekSoo]
Originally posted by exolliarmus at owlet
►recipient: sengen35
►title: owlet
►pairing: baekhyun/kyungsoo, side!kris/baekhyun
rating: pg-13
►word count: 4677
►warnings: mentions of kris and luhan
►summary: Kyungsoo misses his stop on the Knight bus and trips out the door, right into his nemesis's arms.
►author's notes: I loved the prompts thank you so much for letting me have so much fun writing this. I hope it's to your liking. I put a Korean twist on things since I had a hard time writing them into Hogwarts >< (Daegon Alley = Hongdae + Diagon Alley, Bunjeon Alley = "fighting tooth and nail" + Knockturn Alley, houses are based on French words for elements) Also a big thank you for Ren for helping me brainstorm!
Scenery flashed past the windows with amazing speed, flickers of images as the vehicle zoomed past everything, executing sharp turns down streets without even skidding. Lights were bright, flashing outside like the headlights of a race car. Inside the triple decker bus, there were rows of beds, tables and chairs, not moving an inch even at the speed at which the bus was driving. In one of the beds towards the back, an old man with a white beard and was permanently in his pyjamas and nightcap was sleeping soundly, as if he was sleeping at home. A woman stalked past, tray balanced on her hand as she placed a plate with a sandwich down on a table. The ham and cheese sandwich was cut diagonally to form two halves shaped like triangles, only known when it lifted into midair and was completely devoured by an invisible being that sat at that table.
On the opposite side of the bus, a boy sat still, eyes blank and looking out the window. His face lit up as the lights flew past, the rain outside splashing against the glass but he paid it no heed as he rested his chin on his palm, elbow planted on the table securely. The soft swell of his cheeks puffed out, lips drawn into a pout below a small nose and furrowed eyebrows. Usually large eyes were slightly squinted with thought, the boy looking like an owl plotting to take over the world. Black hair was brushed neatly to frame his face, smooth and silky, almost like it was ironed into perfection before being shoved under a cap. A black sweater covered his torso, hood drawn up over the cap, long sleeves tugged over his palms, hiding away his hands save for the fingertips of his three longest fingers. Underneath that, he wore black jeans and a pair of plain black sneakers. If it wasn’t for his amazingly youthful face, the people on the bus would have thought he was Death and left him in the rain when they saw him on the side of the road. The boy had been standing there, shivering in his once wet clothes, trunk at his feet and arms trying to shield his pet owl from the rain. The woman assisted him onto the bus, the boy reluctant but with the promise of hot chocolate and food to fill his growling stomach. She dried him with a flick of her wand, the water sucked from his clothes and belongings into a bubble of water at the tip of the wand, the woman flinging it outside before letting him step further into the warm interior of the bus. He was sceptical at first, telling her that he needed to get to Daegon Alley, at least there he would be able to run into people he knew when they came there to get their new books and potions tools. With a nod the driver, a short old man with a balding head and squinty eyes, stepped on the gas and the bus zoomed off into the night.
She had then produced a plate of warm jjajangmyeon out of nowhere, placing it on a table for him before walking to the front of the bus where she stood next to the driver, silent and foreboding like a dementor. The boy moved to the bed closest to the table, dumping his things on top of it as if someone was about to steal it from him. It wasn’t much, a small trunk, a backpack and a pet carrier in which a loud yowl erupted when the bus screeched around a corner. Quickly moving to open the latch that locked the door, the boy let the metal bars slide open. Out slinked a white Persian cat, fur as white as snow, as soft as feathers and looked as angry as if someone stole it’s milk. His name was Chen, the last gift from the boy’s parents before they decided to move back to the other side of the world, leaving him with his relatives. The boy had just only left for Souls Magnifique. Sometimes it seemed like the cat cared about the boy, curling up on his lap when he was upset or playing with him to keep him from remembering the unfortunate events of his past, and sometimes the cat just plainly ignores him like he was trash flung to the side of the road. Scooping the cat into his arms, the feline staying still instead of squirming out of the hold like he usually does, and moved to the table where the noodles sat, letting the cat curl up on the table as well before the boy sat down to eat.
The boy and the cat ate in silence, the cat staring at him with those grumpy eyes while the boy stared back with an equally piercing gaze, mouth chewing on the strands of noodles. It took 5 minutes of their stand off for the boy to cave and start feeding the cat saucy strands. After their late night dinner, Chen slinked over to the bed and curled up on the pillow, letting out content purrs as he settled down to sleep the rest of the night away, that lazy cat. The empty plate was stowed away, table wiped and cup of water consumed before the boy settled back in the chair, staring out into the darkness where the wind whipped past and slapping droplets of rain against the glass.
He had nodded off for about the 20th time when the woman approached him, his head nodding along with the bus movements, his eyes closed and hair flopping to shield his eyes. Her hand was gentle when it nudged him, slim fingers shaking his shoulder until the boy groaned and blinked up at her with a dark expression. Eyes puffy from sleep and half-squinting, half-glaring at the woman, he mumbled something soft before standing up to gather up his belongings from the bed. The cat had long retreated back into the travel cage, seeking the comfort of his own blanket and cat toys. As the boy pulled his suitcase over to the exit, the door rattling as the wind buffeted it from the outside, the darkness slightly intimidating.
“We hope you enjoyed your trip on the Knight Bus! That will be 11 000 won please.”
There was rustling as the boy counted out coins from his pocket, making sure not to mix up normal mundane money with their wizard coins. After payment, the woman stowed away the coins in a magical coin purse that made itself visible and invisible before and after payment to prevent thievery. She offered the boy a smile.
“Next stop-“ The bus made a screeching sound as it swerved around someone on their broom who had swerved in front of them. “-Alley!”
The vehicle stopped. There was no sudden jerk of a stop, no tables and beds sliding dramatically, no people flying into the air. The door hissed and slid open, the light from inside only illuminating the cobblestone a meter or so and anything beyond that was a mass of black and faint flickering golden in the distance, streets only lit by the moon overhead. With a heave, the boy nudged his trunk towards the door but his foot caught onto a notch in the floor, his arms flailing and his body wobbled slightly before he fell forward. With a curse, the boy tumbled out of the bus, the pet cage falling to the ground, eliciting a loud ‘mREOW!’ from inside as the poor cat was tossed around in the small confines. His trunk fell with a crash and the boy fell face-first into the darkness. Instead of hitting the hard cobblestones like he expected, the boy had landed on something rather soft and warm, covered in fabric and had hands that were pressed against his sides. There was a soft murmur of ‘Lumos’ and a bright light shone out from underneath him, his hands moving up defensively to shield his eyes from the brightness. There was a groan and hands pushed him away quickly.
“Well, well, well… If it isn’t Third Year’s star student, Do Kyungsoo.”
The voice chilled the boy to the bone, the teasing tone and dark chuckle sending him stumbling backwards. He knew that voice. The voice that taunted him since his first day at Souls Magnifique, the voice that made him want to punch the owner in the face, the voice that made him want to go back to the day he had a run-in with Byun Baekhyun, the now-Fourth-Year Aire student. It had been unfortunate that Kyungsoo was running late to his first Astronomy class that he had crashed into the then-Second-Year snogging some upperclassman in a shortcut to the Astronomy tower. The older boy had let out a girly squeal, clinging to the senior while Kyungsoo dashed past, bag and books in hand, it was not his fault the stairs decided to change halfway up. Because of Baekhyun’s embarrassment (word spread around the school quickly about how the boy screamed like a girl despite his tough-guy image), he started to go out of his way to make Kyungsoo’s life a miserable one.
“I didn’t expect you of all people to jump off the Knight bus like that, even for a puny owlet like you.”
Baekhyun smirked, letting Kyungsoo fall ungraciously to the ground as he stood up to shine his light into the younger’s face. The bus had long gone, probably zooming off halfway through Kyungsoo’s fall. There was a hissing sound nearby and Baekhyun turned his wand to bring light to the scattered cage and suitcase, Chen making the sound as his cage was upside-down. The smaller boy ran forward, pulling the cage and his suitcase out of the mud with a heave. The rain had long passed but the wet path it left behind made Kyungsoo cringe in disgust, lucky his suitcase was the sealed type that had a spell to keep out any foreign dirt and bugs once closed. Unfortunately, Chen's cage wasn't proofed with any spell so the cat just hissed at any mud that may have dripped inside. Sighing, Kyungsoo set his things onto the empty road, the tarmac illuminated by just a few scattered streetlamps and Baekhyun’s wand.
“Where am I? This doesn’t look like Daegon Alley.”
“Are you stupid? Does this place look bright and happy to you? You’re in Bunjeon Alley. And if you’re wondering why I’m here, I got lost in the Floo Network. I didn’t want to come here on purpose alright?”
Baekhyung yammered on, something he usually does when he’s making excuses. Kyungsoo on the other hand, didn’t care about why the older was there anyway. He knew he had to get to Daegon Alley before any shifty people find him in the run down streets of Bunjeon Alley. Luckily he knew that though they are entirely different, the two alleyways are quite close so he assumed that the bright lights in the distance was the Daegon Alley he was looking for. With a heave, he picked up his suitcase in his right hand and the pet cage in his left, taking wobbling steps along the side of the road towards his destination. Each step was a sickening squelch in the mud, his trousers and shoes completely ruined while Baekhyun seemed to have the time of his life under his umbrella and strolling casually on the road like he wasn’t in the middle of hostile territory. Almost halfway through their journey, Kyungsoo’s foot got stuck in a deep mud pit and he fell face first into the mushy ground. To the side, Baekhyun just lets out a bark of laughter, watching the younger struggle with everything. Once he was free, Kyungsoo moved forward with a frown on his face, eyes glistening with unwanted tears at how much of a dickhead the ‘more mature’ one was. Baekhyun continued giggling as they walked, eyes more trained on Kyungsoo than on the road ahead, the sound becoming more and more irksome until Kyungsoo swung around, to glare at the older, tears threatening to fall from his eyes.
“Why are you picking on me? I have never done anything wrong to you yet you’re out to get me for three years. Do you really hate me that much for accidentally running into you? Just tell me so I can stop trying to be your friend!”
Kyungsoo was tired, sleepy, thirsty and covered in mud. Now he was stuck with someone who would go out of their way to humiliate and ruin his day. With a grumble, Kyungsoo stomped off, continuing his journey to the lights of Daegon Alley. Baekhyun, however, was taken aback at the tone Kyungsoo had used, as if the star pupil was truly burning with hatred for the older.
“Hey now,” Baekhyun hurried after Kyungsoo, steps light on the road, “I don’t hate you for that, I mean I used to but not anymore. I’m not out to get you.”
"Yeah? What about when my underwear was hung on the Great Hall chandelier for everyone to see? That was a week after I was late to Astronomy and ran into you."
There was an unusual buzz in the hall that morning, the crowd of students surprising as there was the smell of breakfast wafting out of the doors of the Dining Hall nearby but the trickle of students slowed everyone down. In the middle of the hall, there was a huge ladder and Mr Choi Minho was at the top, picking up what looked like a pair of boxers from the chandelier that hung high against the ceiling. It took Kyungsoo a full minute to realise why the underwear looked familiar, they were his. At that moment, there was a gentle nudge on his side, Baekhyun appearing in his peripheral vision and smirking.
"I never knew you had such cute underwear. But I shouldn't have expected more from a little owl like you."
The whispers started after that, the news spreading amongst the student body like wildfire. Kyungsoo was cooed at for the next month, his face completely red and he had mailed his family to buy him new underwear the next time he was home for the holidays.
"Yeah that was my fault. Yifan dumped me and I was really angry at you so I blackmailed someone named Joonmyeon to sneak into your dorm and steal your underwear. At first I was going to hang them in the Astronomy tower but they were too cute so I put them in the Hall."
Baekhyun nodded and chuckled, remembering the scene with amusement. Kyungsoo on the other hand, flushed with reminiscent embarrassment before huffing, stomping ahead of the older.
"That was only one time. You don't have to hate me--"
"What about that time when I was in first year and you made me get detention for shooting Professor Jung in Potions class?"
Professor Jung Taekwoon swept into the cold dungeon, black robes billowing out behind him as his shoes tapped against the cold ground. He was one of the most silent teachers ever, his presence bringing a cold chill into whichever room he happened to be in at the time. In reality, many of the older students have seen him stopping by the grounds keeper's cottage to pet his animals, once even seeing him running away from a Hippogriff that had woken up when he was petting it. But being first years, the man was intimidating with his long black hair and electric blue eyes ("it’s actually some sort of muggle invention called contacts" students from wizarding families had whispered in the halls).
"Almost at the end of the first year, how exciting..."
The man trailed off, staring blankly at the kids. It was then that Kyungsoo spotted Baekhyun in the reflection in a cabinet filled with jars that contained things that should not be mentioned. When he had turned to look out the door, his wand rolled off the desk and Baekhyun took that chance to shoot a spark at the Professor's robes. There was a panicked gasp and the man stamped out the flame that had flickered to life at the hem of his robes. A burnt smell wafted throughout the dungeon and everyone turned towards the direction in which the spark had flown from, only to find Kyungsoo on the ground with his wand. The boy had scrambled to pick it up when it dropped but the fact that Baekhyun had long dashed off and he was the only one with his wand in hand left him guilty.
"Mister Do. Your grades have been impeccable the whole year yet I did not expect this sort of behaviour from you. You will report to the dungeon after dinner for detention with Professor Jung."
"But Professor--"
Professor Cha Hakyeon raised his hand, he was the head of the L’eau house, a skilled Charms teacher that always seemed to dance around his classroom when he teaches. That day he was faced with such a hard decision as Kyungsoo was one of the best students of his grade, it was such unexpected behaviour from the boy even when he claimed that it was Baekhyun's fault. The professor had heard about their run-in and the rumors that flew around, he wasn't sure if this was Kyungsoo putting the blame on someone else but since he was the one holding his wand at the time, the punishment would have to be his.
"I'm sorry, Mister Do. Since we have no evidence of Mister Byun being there, you will have to accept the punishment. 10 points will be deducted from L’eau."
Kyungsoo had left the room with shoulders slumped, a defeated sigh escaping his lips as he trudged to his next class. Along the way, he passed by Baekhyun and his lackeys, their sniggering filling his ears. The voice that had put a stain on his perfect academic career sneered at him as they crossed paths.
"Aww look it's the little owlet. Off to do your detention now like a good little boy?"
Usually Kyungsoo would reply with his own witty remark but that day he had no energy left, he was thinking too hard, feeling too upset. He continued walking, not listening to the voices that teased him. What Kyungsoo didn't see was the way Baekhyun's face fell slightly at his lack of reply, watching as the younger disappeared around the corner before his friends congratulated him on scaring the boy.
"You gotta live a little! You're always Mister Perfect Grades I had to give it some sort of unique quirk."
Baekhyun smiled a bright smile, laughing at his reasoning. He didn't want to admit it was under peer pressure that he was coerced into taking revenge on the younger.
"Thanks for the quirk," Kyungsoo hissed, "When my family found out I was grounded all Christmas."
Baekhyun blinked, he didn't realise it would have affected the younger so much.
"Okay maybe it was abit harsh... But I had a reputation to uphold!"
"Is that why you attacked me during last Quidditch season too?"
The sky was clear, there was no wind, perfect for the Quidditch semi-finals. It was Aire verses L’eau, the two houses cheering loudly as the players waited inside their respective areas. Kyungsoo swung his bat gently, making sure he was used to it. Beside him stood his good friend and upperclassman, Minseok. They were the two Beaters of the team, their small figures making them harder to target as well as easier to fly. The Chasers of the team were a trio of self-adopted brothers, Yukwon, Taeil and Jihoon. Their Keeper was a muscular guy named Siwon and their Seeker was a scrawny fifth year named Kevin. Together they were like family, they worked hard to perfect their teamwork and flying skills. There was a shout from outside and the curtains started to lift, a voice ringing out on the speakers.
“Aaaaaand here comes the L’eau team! There goes their captain, fearsome Siwon, the Chaser brothers, their seeker and the ultimate Beaters pair!”
There were roars from the crowd, their cheers egging on the players that zoomed out on their mops. They formed a semi-circle above the centre of the pitch, Aire players making up the other half: Chasers (Captain) Luhan, Jaehyo and Henry, Beaters Baekhyun and Jongdae, and Seeker Himchan. Below them, Professor Kwon Jiyong smiled up, the chest that contains the balls laid open next to his feet. In his arms, he held the Quaffle like how a muggle would hold a soccer or basketball. He spun it around on the tip of his finger, giving each one of the players a look in the eyes.
“Now I want a nice, clean game.”
He brought the whistle up to his lips and blew, the sound ringing through the air and the Quaffle was sent flying. The six Chasers flew in, a mass of moving limbs, mops and colours entangled with each other until they parted, the captain of the other team, Luhan, in possession. Meanwhile, Kyungsoo and Minseok parted ways, the Bludgers zooming out of the box and towards team members. Kevin was long gone, searching for the Golden Snitch amongst the sea of colours. Kyungsoo had just directed a Bludger away from Taeil when there was a call of his name, albeit teasingly from behind him.
“Hey owlet. We meet again. How about this time we test our real skills, huh?”
Kyungsoo turned his head to look at Baekhyun, the skinny guy almost wobbling dangerously on his mop while Kyungsoo just floated in mid-air casually, giving the older a blank expression. A Bludger flew between them and instead of focusing on the actual match, Kyungsoo and Baekhyun continually flew around the pitch, hitting the Bludger between them. L’eau was leading by 50 points and it seemed like Kevin was hot on the tails of the Snitch, so Kyungsoo felt that is was alright to let out some of his frustrations by hitting a heavy ball at Baekhyun’s face.
They were between the crowds of Terre and Feu when Baekhyun held up his bat defensively, unbeknownst to Kyungsoo that there was a second bludger heading towards them. The ball bounced off the bat, Baekhyun swinging it with a ‘thwok’ sound, the skinny boy sent back a few meters, and ricocheted straight to Kyungsoo. It took only a few seconds, one moment a ball was flying at him and the next he was hanging upside-down on his mop with a Baekhyun peering at him with a worried expression.
“You alright, owlet?”
“Hey, hey! That was not really my fault! It decided to fly at you, I didn’t hit it at you… well not really.”
Baekhyun offered a small shrug, a light frown on his face as Kyungsoo gave no reply. He quickened his pace to catch up with the younger, his tone apologetic.
“I’m sorry for almost killing you during that match. It’s just…”
“It’s just what, Baekhyun? Just what?” Kyungsoo rounded on the older with a fire burning in his eyes. “It would have been fine after the first time, you got your revenge what else do you-“
“You’re cute, alright? You’re really cute and I wanted your attention but I didn’t know how to get it because you seem so out of my league. And quite frankly, I wanted to see all your cute expressions, even ones of pain-“
Baekhyun was cut off with an elbow to the ribs, the older doubling over and wheezing while Kyungsoo continued his walk. Although in the darkness, Kyungsoo was blushing and he thanked all the ghosts of Souls Magnifque that the other couldn’t see his red face.
After that, they walked in an awkward silence, Baekhyun stealing glances at Kyungsoo as they trudged closer and closer to Daegon Alley. Just before the gates though, Kyungsoo stopped and turned to face Baekhyun with an unreadable expression. The older stepped back slightly, swallowing thickly.
“H-Hey… No hard feelings…?”
Kyungsoo took another step forward, then another, until he was face to face with his nemesis. Baekhyun closed his eyes, waiting for the worst when there was a gentle brush of lips against his cheek, his eyes flying open to stare incredulously at a now completely red Kyungsoo.
“You should have just got my attention the normal way, hm?” Kyungsoo gave a lopsided smile, “I-I think you’re handsome…”
He trailed off, an uncomfortable silence befalling them again, both with bright faces. Until Chen yowled loudly, breaking Kyungsoo out of his trance and with a bow of his head, he dashed towards the alley. It took Baekhyun a few seconds to gather his incoherent mind but his face broke into a wide smile before running after Kyungsoo.
“OWLET! LET’S CLEAN YOU UP AND GO ON A DATE RIGHT NOW!”
There was the sound of something hard making contact, a grunt of pain and a ‘no not my arm, I need that to be a Beater!’
Epilogue
It was the first time Kyungsoo had stayed back at the castle during his Christmas holidays, curling up in front of a fireplace under a blanket and a warm glass of cocoa in his hands. Next to him, his boyfriend slept like a baby, mouth open and soft snores escaping the cavern. There was a soft ‘meow’ and Chen appeared, as white as new snow and as soft as a feather. He slinked between Kyungsoo’s limbs and nuzzled up to his master with a purr. Kyungsoo absentmindedly stroked the cat’s fur until he was done, getting up and padding over to Baekhyun and promptly curling up on his face. Kyungsoo counted down the seconds before Baekhyun would wheeze and flail his arms, complaining about the cat once again.
“3… 2… 1…”
“K-Kyungsoo… Chen-“ Baekhyun tried to grab the cat, Chen hissed at the fact he said his name, “ YOUR cat is s… sitting on my face….”
“Serves you right.”
“No please… Soo…”
Kyungsoo rolled his eyes at Baekhyun’s dramatic flailing, lifting the cat off easily and letting him settle in his lap.
“He hates me.”
“What are you talking about? He’s such a loving baby, aren’t you Chen Chen~?”
Kyungsoo cooed at the cat, Chen purring and leaning to lick over his master’s face lovingly. Baekhyun sighed, hesitantly reaching out a hand towards the white fuzz ball that was his boyfriend’s cat. Why couldn’t he have gotten an owl like most people do? Just as his hand was within range, Chen stopped licking Kyungsoo’s face and glared at Baekhyun, his usually angry face even more pissed off and he hissed loudly, taking a swipe at Baekhyun’s beautiful hand, leaving a small cut on his index finger.
“Ow!”
“See? Chen is such a loving pet, he doesn’t like you for what you’ve done to me for three years.”
“But Soo, he cut me…”
Baekhyun gave Kyungsoo his best puppy face, eyes wide and watery and lips drawn into a pout. The younger rolled his eyes and leaned to give the other’s finger a gentle kiss.
“Better?”
“Now I have a cut on my lips~”
Kyungsoo chuckled and leaned up to peck at his boyfriend’s lips sweetly, Chen hissing between them and the fire crackling in the background.
( Next to the door was a few small ears attached to strings that led around a corner. They were sent over from London by some friends and worked wonders on eavesdropping. Several boys made gagging faces while a few sighed, wanting that sort of cheesy relationship for themselves. A tall boy rounded on the others, grin plastered on his face as he held out his hand.
“Cough up, I told you they got the hots for each other.”
The other boys grumbled and slapped wads of notes into his hands. Amongst them were Prefects Changmin and Kyuhyun, first years Zitao and Sehun, and captain of the L’eau Quidditch team, Siwon. )
►recipient: sengen35
►title: owlet
►pairing: baekhyun/kyungsoo, side!kris/baekhyun
rating: pg-13
►word count: 4677
►warnings: mentions of kris and luhan
►summary: Kyungsoo misses his stop on the Knight bus and trips out the door, right into his nemesis's arms.
►author's notes: I loved the prompts thank you so much for letting me have so much fun writing this. I hope it's to your liking. I put a Korean twist on things since I had a hard time writing them into Hogwarts >< (Daegon Alley = Hongdae + Diagon Alley, Bunjeon Alley = "fighting tooth and nail" + Knockturn Alley, houses are based on French words for elements) Also a big thank you for Ren for helping me brainstorm!
Scenery flashed past the windows with amazing speed, flickers of images as the vehicle zoomed past everything, executing sharp turns down streets without even skidding. Lights were bright, flashing outside like the headlights of a race car. Inside the triple decker bus, there were rows of beds, tables and chairs, not moving an inch even at the speed at which the bus was driving. In one of the beds towards the back, an old man with a white beard and was permanently in his pyjamas and nightcap was sleeping soundly, as if he was sleeping at home. A woman stalked past, tray balanced on her hand as she placed a plate with a sandwich down on a table. The ham and cheese sandwich was cut diagonally to form two halves shaped like triangles, only known when it lifted into midair and was completely devoured by an invisible being that sat at that table.
On the opposite side of the bus, a boy sat still, eyes blank and looking out the window. His face lit up as the lights flew past, the rain outside splashing against the glass but he paid it no heed as he rested his chin on his palm, elbow planted on the table securely. The soft swell of his cheeks puffed out, lips drawn into a pout below a small nose and furrowed eyebrows. Usually large eyes were slightly squinted with thought, the boy looking like an owl plotting to take over the world. Black hair was brushed neatly to frame his face, smooth and silky, almost like it was ironed into perfection before being shoved under a cap. A black sweater covered his torso, hood drawn up over the cap, long sleeves tugged over his palms, hiding away his hands save for the fingertips of his three longest fingers. Underneath that, he wore black jeans and a pair of plain black sneakers. If it wasn’t for his amazingly youthful face, the people on the bus would have thought he was Death and left him in the rain when they saw him on the side of the road. The boy had been standing there, shivering in his once wet clothes, trunk at his feet and arms trying to shield his pet owl from the rain. The woman assisted him onto the bus, the boy reluctant but with the promise of hot chocolate and food to fill his growling stomach. She dried him with a flick of her wand, the water sucked from his clothes and belongings into a bubble of water at the tip of the wand, the woman flinging it outside before letting him step further into the warm interior of the bus. He was sceptical at first, telling her that he needed to get to Daegon Alley, at least there he would be able to run into people he knew when they came there to get their new books and potions tools. With a nod the driver, a short old man with a balding head and squinty eyes, stepped on the gas and the bus zoomed off into the night.
She had then produced a plate of warm jjajangmyeon out of nowhere, placing it on a table for him before walking to the front of the bus where she stood next to the driver, silent and foreboding like a dementor. The boy moved to the bed closest to the table, dumping his things on top of it as if someone was about to steal it from him. It wasn’t much, a small trunk, a backpack and a pet carrier in which a loud yowl erupted when the bus screeched around a corner. Quickly moving to open the latch that locked the door, the boy let the metal bars slide open. Out slinked a white Persian cat, fur as white as snow, as soft as feathers and looked as angry as if someone stole it’s milk. His name was Chen, the last gift from the boy’s parents before they decided to move back to the other side of the world, leaving him with his relatives. The boy had just only left for Souls Magnifique. Sometimes it seemed like the cat cared about the boy, curling up on his lap when he was upset or playing with him to keep him from remembering the unfortunate events of his past, and sometimes the cat just plainly ignores him like he was trash flung to the side of the road. Scooping the cat into his arms, the feline staying still instead of squirming out of the hold like he usually does, and moved to the table where the noodles sat, letting the cat curl up on the table as well before the boy sat down to eat.
The boy and the cat ate in silence, the cat staring at him with those grumpy eyes while the boy stared back with an equally piercing gaze, mouth chewing on the strands of noodles. It took 5 minutes of their stand off for the boy to cave and start feeding the cat saucy strands. After their late night dinner, Chen slinked over to the bed and curled up on the pillow, letting out content purrs as he settled down to sleep the rest of the night away, that lazy cat. The empty plate was stowed away, table wiped and cup of water consumed before the boy settled back in the chair, staring out into the darkness where the wind whipped past and slapping droplets of rain against the glass.
He had nodded off for about the 20th time when the woman approached him, his head nodding along with the bus movements, his eyes closed and hair flopping to shield his eyes. Her hand was gentle when it nudged him, slim fingers shaking his shoulder until the boy groaned and blinked up at her with a dark expression. Eyes puffy from sleep and half-squinting, half-glaring at the woman, he mumbled something soft before standing up to gather up his belongings from the bed. The cat had long retreated back into the travel cage, seeking the comfort of his own blanket and cat toys. As the boy pulled his suitcase over to the exit, the door rattling as the wind buffeted it from the outside, the darkness slightly intimidating.
“We hope you enjoyed your trip on the Knight Bus! That will be 11 000 won please.”
There was rustling as the boy counted out coins from his pocket, making sure not to mix up normal mundane money with their wizard coins. After payment, the woman stowed away the coins in a magical coin purse that made itself visible and invisible before and after payment to prevent thievery. She offered the boy a smile.
“Next stop-“ The bus made a screeching sound as it swerved around someone on their broom who had swerved in front of them. “-Alley!”
The vehicle stopped. There was no sudden jerk of a stop, no tables and beds sliding dramatically, no people flying into the air. The door hissed and slid open, the light from inside only illuminating the cobblestone a meter or so and anything beyond that was a mass of black and faint flickering golden in the distance, streets only lit by the moon overhead. With a heave, the boy nudged his trunk towards the door but his foot caught onto a notch in the floor, his arms flailing and his body wobbled slightly before he fell forward. With a curse, the boy tumbled out of the bus, the pet cage falling to the ground, eliciting a loud ‘mREOW!’ from inside as the poor cat was tossed around in the small confines. His trunk fell with a crash and the boy fell face-first into the darkness. Instead of hitting the hard cobblestones like he expected, the boy had landed on something rather soft and warm, covered in fabric and had hands that were pressed against his sides. There was a soft murmur of ‘Lumos’ and a bright light shone out from underneath him, his hands moving up defensively to shield his eyes from the brightness. There was a groan and hands pushed him away quickly.
“Well, well, well… If it isn’t Third Year’s star student, Do Kyungsoo.”
The voice chilled the boy to the bone, the teasing tone and dark chuckle sending him stumbling backwards. He knew that voice. The voice that taunted him since his first day at Souls Magnifique, the voice that made him want to punch the owner in the face, the voice that made him want to go back to the day he had a run-in with Byun Baekhyun, the now-Fourth-Year Aire student. It had been unfortunate that Kyungsoo was running late to his first Astronomy class that he had crashed into the then-Second-Year snogging some upperclassman in a shortcut to the Astronomy tower. The older boy had let out a girly squeal, clinging to the senior while Kyungsoo dashed past, bag and books in hand, it was not his fault the stairs decided to change halfway up. Because of Baekhyun’s embarrassment (word spread around the school quickly about how the boy screamed like a girl despite his tough-guy image), he started to go out of his way to make Kyungsoo’s life a miserable one.
“I didn’t expect you of all people to jump off the Knight bus like that, even for a puny owlet like you.”
Baekhyun smirked, letting Kyungsoo fall ungraciously to the ground as he stood up to shine his light into the younger’s face. The bus had long gone, probably zooming off halfway through Kyungsoo’s fall. There was a hissing sound nearby and Baekhyun turned his wand to bring light to the scattered cage and suitcase, Chen making the sound as his cage was upside-down. The smaller boy ran forward, pulling the cage and his suitcase out of the mud with a heave. The rain had long passed but the wet path it left behind made Kyungsoo cringe in disgust, lucky his suitcase was the sealed type that had a spell to keep out any foreign dirt and bugs once closed. Unfortunately, Chen's cage wasn't proofed with any spell so the cat just hissed at any mud that may have dripped inside. Sighing, Kyungsoo set his things onto the empty road, the tarmac illuminated by just a few scattered streetlamps and Baekhyun’s wand.
“Where am I? This doesn’t look like Daegon Alley.”
“Are you stupid? Does this place look bright and happy to you? You’re in Bunjeon Alley. And if you’re wondering why I’m here, I got lost in the Floo Network. I didn’t want to come here on purpose alright?”
Baekhyung yammered on, something he usually does when he’s making excuses. Kyungsoo on the other hand, didn’t care about why the older was there anyway. He knew he had to get to Daegon Alley before any shifty people find him in the run down streets of Bunjeon Alley. Luckily he knew that though they are entirely different, the two alleyways are quite close so he assumed that the bright lights in the distance was the Daegon Alley he was looking for. With a heave, he picked up his suitcase in his right hand and the pet cage in his left, taking wobbling steps along the side of the road towards his destination. Each step was a sickening squelch in the mud, his trousers and shoes completely ruined while Baekhyun seemed to have the time of his life under his umbrella and strolling casually on the road like he wasn’t in the middle of hostile territory. Almost halfway through their journey, Kyungsoo’s foot got stuck in a deep mud pit and he fell face first into the mushy ground. To the side, Baekhyun just lets out a bark of laughter, watching the younger struggle with everything. Once he was free, Kyungsoo moved forward with a frown on his face, eyes glistening with unwanted tears at how much of a dickhead the ‘more mature’ one was. Baekhyun continued giggling as they walked, eyes more trained on Kyungsoo than on the road ahead, the sound becoming more and more irksome until Kyungsoo swung around, to glare at the older, tears threatening to fall from his eyes.
“Why are you picking on me? I have never done anything wrong to you yet you’re out to get me for three years. Do you really hate me that much for accidentally running into you? Just tell me so I can stop trying to be your friend!”
Kyungsoo was tired, sleepy, thirsty and covered in mud. Now he was stuck with someone who would go out of their way to humiliate and ruin his day. With a grumble, Kyungsoo stomped off, continuing his journey to the lights of Daegon Alley. Baekhyun, however, was taken aback at the tone Kyungsoo had used, as if the star pupil was truly burning with hatred for the older.
“Hey now,” Baekhyun hurried after Kyungsoo, steps light on the road, “I don’t hate you for that, I mean I used to but not anymore. I’m not out to get you.”
"Yeah? What about when my underwear was hung on the Great Hall chandelier for everyone to see? That was a week after I was late to Astronomy and ran into you."
There was an unusual buzz in the hall that morning, the crowd of students surprising as there was the smell of breakfast wafting out of the doors of the Dining Hall nearby but the trickle of students slowed everyone down. In the middle of the hall, there was a huge ladder and Mr Choi Minho was at the top, picking up what looked like a pair of boxers from the chandelier that hung high against the ceiling. It took Kyungsoo a full minute to realise why the underwear looked familiar, they were his. At that moment, there was a gentle nudge on his side, Baekhyun appearing in his peripheral vision and smirking.
"I never knew you had such cute underwear. But I shouldn't have expected more from a little owl like you."
The whispers started after that, the news spreading amongst the student body like wildfire. Kyungsoo was cooed at for the next month, his face completely red and he had mailed his family to buy him new underwear the next time he was home for the holidays.
"Yeah that was my fault. Yifan dumped me and I was really angry at you so I blackmailed someone named Joonmyeon to sneak into your dorm and steal your underwear. At first I was going to hang them in the Astronomy tower but they were too cute so I put them in the Hall."
Baekhyun nodded and chuckled, remembering the scene with amusement. Kyungsoo on the other hand, flushed with reminiscent embarrassment before huffing, stomping ahead of the older.
"That was only one time. You don't have to hate me--"
"What about that time when I was in first year and you made me get detention for shooting Professor Jung in Potions class?"
Professor Jung Taekwoon swept into the cold dungeon, black robes billowing out behind him as his shoes tapped against the cold ground. He was one of the most silent teachers ever, his presence bringing a cold chill into whichever room he happened to be in at the time. In reality, many of the older students have seen him stopping by the grounds keeper's cottage to pet his animals, once even seeing him running away from a Hippogriff that had woken up when he was petting it. But being first years, the man was intimidating with his long black hair and electric blue eyes ("it’s actually some sort of muggle invention called contacts" students from wizarding families had whispered in the halls).
"Almost at the end of the first year, how exciting..."
The man trailed off, staring blankly at the kids. It was then that Kyungsoo spotted Baekhyun in the reflection in a cabinet filled with jars that contained things that should not be mentioned. When he had turned to look out the door, his wand rolled off the desk and Baekhyun took that chance to shoot a spark at the Professor's robes. There was a panicked gasp and the man stamped out the flame that had flickered to life at the hem of his robes. A burnt smell wafted throughout the dungeon and everyone turned towards the direction in which the spark had flown from, only to find Kyungsoo on the ground with his wand. The boy had scrambled to pick it up when it dropped but the fact that Baekhyun had long dashed off and he was the only one with his wand in hand left him guilty.
"Mister Do. Your grades have been impeccable the whole year yet I did not expect this sort of behaviour from you. You will report to the dungeon after dinner for detention with Professor Jung."
"But Professor--"
Professor Cha Hakyeon raised his hand, he was the head of the L’eau house, a skilled Charms teacher that always seemed to dance around his classroom when he teaches. That day he was faced with such a hard decision as Kyungsoo was one of the best students of his grade, it was such unexpected behaviour from the boy even when he claimed that it was Baekhyun's fault. The professor had heard about their run-in and the rumors that flew around, he wasn't sure if this was Kyungsoo putting the blame on someone else but since he was the one holding his wand at the time, the punishment would have to be his.
"I'm sorry, Mister Do. Since we have no evidence of Mister Byun being there, you will have to accept the punishment. 10 points will be deducted from L’eau."
Kyungsoo had left the room with shoulders slumped, a defeated sigh escaping his lips as he trudged to his next class. Along the way, he passed by Baekhyun and his lackeys, their sniggering filling his ears. The voice that had put a stain on his perfect academic career sneered at him as they crossed paths.
"Aww look it's the little owlet. Off to do your detention now like a good little boy?"
Usually Kyungsoo would reply with his own witty remark but that day he had no energy left, he was thinking too hard, feeling too upset. He continued walking, not listening to the voices that teased him. What Kyungsoo didn't see was the way Baekhyun's face fell slightly at his lack of reply, watching as the younger disappeared around the corner before his friends congratulated him on scaring the boy.
"You gotta live a little! You're always Mister Perfect Grades I had to give it some sort of unique quirk."
Baekhyun smiled a bright smile, laughing at his reasoning. He didn't want to admit it was under peer pressure that he was coerced into taking revenge on the younger.
"Thanks for the quirk," Kyungsoo hissed, "When my family found out I was grounded all Christmas."
Baekhyun blinked, he didn't realise it would have affected the younger so much.
"Okay maybe it was abit harsh... But I had a reputation to uphold!"
"Is that why you attacked me during last Quidditch season too?"
The sky was clear, there was no wind, perfect for the Quidditch semi-finals. It was Aire verses L’eau, the two houses cheering loudly as the players waited inside their respective areas. Kyungsoo swung his bat gently, making sure he was used to it. Beside him stood his good friend and upperclassman, Minseok. They were the two Beaters of the team, their small figures making them harder to target as well as easier to fly. The Chasers of the team were a trio of self-adopted brothers, Yukwon, Taeil and Jihoon. Their Keeper was a muscular guy named Siwon and their Seeker was a scrawny fifth year named Kevin. Together they were like family, they worked hard to perfect their teamwork and flying skills. There was a shout from outside and the curtains started to lift, a voice ringing out on the speakers.
“Aaaaaand here comes the L’eau team! There goes their captain, fearsome Siwon, the Chaser brothers, their seeker and the ultimate Beaters pair!”
There were roars from the crowd, their cheers egging on the players that zoomed out on their mops. They formed a semi-circle above the centre of the pitch, Aire players making up the other half: Chasers (Captain) Luhan, Jaehyo and Henry, Beaters Baekhyun and Jongdae, and Seeker Himchan. Below them, Professor Kwon Jiyong smiled up, the chest that contains the balls laid open next to his feet. In his arms, he held the Quaffle like how a muggle would hold a soccer or basketball. He spun it around on the tip of his finger, giving each one of the players a look in the eyes.
“Now I want a nice, clean game.”
He brought the whistle up to his lips and blew, the sound ringing through the air and the Quaffle was sent flying. The six Chasers flew in, a mass of moving limbs, mops and colours entangled with each other until they parted, the captain of the other team, Luhan, in possession. Meanwhile, Kyungsoo and Minseok parted ways, the Bludgers zooming out of the box and towards team members. Kevin was long gone, searching for the Golden Snitch amongst the sea of colours. Kyungsoo had just directed a Bludger away from Taeil when there was a call of his name, albeit teasingly from behind him.
“Hey owlet. We meet again. How about this time we test our real skills, huh?”
Kyungsoo turned his head to look at Baekhyun, the skinny guy almost wobbling dangerously on his mop while Kyungsoo just floated in mid-air casually, giving the older a blank expression. A Bludger flew between them and instead of focusing on the actual match, Kyungsoo and Baekhyun continually flew around the pitch, hitting the Bludger between them. L’eau was leading by 50 points and it seemed like Kevin was hot on the tails of the Snitch, so Kyungsoo felt that is was alright to let out some of his frustrations by hitting a heavy ball at Baekhyun’s face.
They were between the crowds of Terre and Feu when Baekhyun held up his bat defensively, unbeknownst to Kyungsoo that there was a second bludger heading towards them. The ball bounced off the bat, Baekhyun swinging it with a ‘thwok’ sound, the skinny boy sent back a few meters, and ricocheted straight to Kyungsoo. It took only a few seconds, one moment a ball was flying at him and the next he was hanging upside-down on his mop with a Baekhyun peering at him with a worried expression.
“You alright, owlet?”
“Hey, hey! That was not really my fault! It decided to fly at you, I didn’t hit it at you… well not really.”
Baekhyun offered a small shrug, a light frown on his face as Kyungsoo gave no reply. He quickened his pace to catch up with the younger, his tone apologetic.
“I’m sorry for almost killing you during that match. It’s just…”
“It’s just what, Baekhyun? Just what?” Kyungsoo rounded on the older with a fire burning in his eyes. “It would have been fine after the first time, you got your revenge what else do you-“
“You’re cute, alright? You’re really cute and I wanted your attention but I didn’t know how to get it because you seem so out of my league. And quite frankly, I wanted to see all your cute expressions, even ones of pain-“
Baekhyun was cut off with an elbow to the ribs, the older doubling over and wheezing while Kyungsoo continued his walk. Although in the darkness, Kyungsoo was blushing and he thanked all the ghosts of Souls Magnifque that the other couldn’t see his red face.
After that, they walked in an awkward silence, Baekhyun stealing glances at Kyungsoo as they trudged closer and closer to Daegon Alley. Just before the gates though, Kyungsoo stopped and turned to face Baekhyun with an unreadable expression. The older stepped back slightly, swallowing thickly.
“H-Hey… No hard feelings…?”
Kyungsoo took another step forward, then another, until he was face to face with his nemesis. Baekhyun closed his eyes, waiting for the worst when there was a gentle brush of lips against his cheek, his eyes flying open to stare incredulously at a now completely red Kyungsoo.
“You should have just got my attention the normal way, hm?” Kyungsoo gave a lopsided smile, “I-I think you’re handsome…”
He trailed off, an uncomfortable silence befalling them again, both with bright faces. Until Chen yowled loudly, breaking Kyungsoo out of his trance and with a bow of his head, he dashed towards the alley. It took Baekhyun a few seconds to gather his incoherent mind but his face broke into a wide smile before running after Kyungsoo.
“OWLET! LET’S CLEAN YOU UP AND GO ON A DATE RIGHT NOW!”
There was the sound of something hard making contact, a grunt of pain and a ‘no not my arm, I need that to be a Beater!’
Epilogue
It was the first time Kyungsoo had stayed back at the castle during his Christmas holidays, curling up in front of a fireplace under a blanket and a warm glass of cocoa in his hands. Next to him, his boyfriend slept like a baby, mouth open and soft snores escaping the cavern. There was a soft ‘meow’ and Chen appeared, as white as new snow and as soft as a feather. He slinked between Kyungsoo’s limbs and nuzzled up to his master with a purr. Kyungsoo absentmindedly stroked the cat’s fur until he was done, getting up and padding over to Baekhyun and promptly curling up on his face. Kyungsoo counted down the seconds before Baekhyun would wheeze and flail his arms, complaining about the cat once again.
“3… 2… 1…”
“K-Kyungsoo… Chen-“ Baekhyun tried to grab the cat, Chen hissed at the fact he said his name, “ YOUR cat is s… sitting on my face….”
“Serves you right.”
“No please… Soo…”
Kyungsoo rolled his eyes at Baekhyun’s dramatic flailing, lifting the cat off easily and letting him settle in his lap.
“He hates me.”
“What are you talking about? He’s such a loving baby, aren’t you Chen Chen~?”
Kyungsoo cooed at the cat, Chen purring and leaning to lick over his master’s face lovingly. Baekhyun sighed, hesitantly reaching out a hand towards the white fuzz ball that was his boyfriend’s cat. Why couldn’t he have gotten an owl like most people do? Just as his hand was within range, Chen stopped licking Kyungsoo’s face and glared at Baekhyun, his usually angry face even more pissed off and he hissed loudly, taking a swipe at Baekhyun’s beautiful hand, leaving a small cut on his index finger.
“Ow!”
“See? Chen is such a loving pet, he doesn’t like you for what you’ve done to me for three years.”
“But Soo, he cut me…”
Baekhyun gave Kyungsoo his best puppy face, eyes wide and watery and lips drawn into a pout. The younger rolled his eyes and leaned to give the other’s finger a gentle kiss.
“Better?”
“Now I have a cut on my lips~”
Kyungsoo chuckled and leaned up to peck at his boyfriend’s lips sweetly, Chen hissing between them and the fire crackling in the background.
( Next to the door was a few small ears attached to strings that led around a corner. They were sent over from London by some friends and worked wonders on eavesdropping. Several boys made gagging faces while a few sighed, wanting that sort of cheesy relationship for themselves. A tall boy rounded on the others, grin plastered on his face as he held out his hand.
“Cough up, I told you they got the hots for each other.”
The other boys grumbled and slapped wads of notes into his hands. Amongst them were Prefects Changmin and Kyuhyun, first years Zitao and Sehun, and captain of the L’eau Quidditch team, Siwon. )