HE'S been praying to the heavens above that you didn't notice him.
"Am I really that good at hiding and making my presence unknown or is she just plain flat ignoring me…?" San frowns, finally asking himself the questions that endlessly bugged him.
It's been three days since he's been doing this — sneakily following you around after his encounter with you in the Great Hall and after knowing that there's another student left with him in this enormous school — he felt less lonely.
San didn't want to appear as a creep, he totally didn't want to. And he's been hoping that you didn't notice him silently trailing after you all along and therefore creating that same assumption-him being a creep, inside your pretty little head.
Let's just say, you had piqued his interest.
Well, you have been since the first time you walked through the doors of Hogwarts, dressed in your robe and uniform, old-looking glasses perched on the bridge of your nose and your slightly curly hair tied up in pigtails.
That was the first time the young Slytherin saw you.
San remembered how tiny you were and he kept wondering how a tiny person like you would fit in with the 2nd years like him.
From that day on, his eyes never left yours, as well as you never left his mind.
San didn't know what it is with you that has grabbed his attention fully. Was it the way you looked so lost in the crowd of students, that he wanted to step up from the shadows, introduce himself to you and become your friend? Or was it the way your eyes seemed to sparkle every time you got a hold of one of your books?
Was it to be called a small infatuation? A crush? A puppy love? Or was it just his mere curiosity over you?
San doesn't know how to properly call it. All he knows is that his eyes are on you since day one.
And maybe, just maybe — his friends had caught on too. No, his friends definitely had caught on to him and the frequent stares and glances he'll steal from you.
Yeosang was right, he's not being discreet as he was before.
Who knows, maybe one of these days, his secret will eventually come out, and the rest of the school will know of the girl that had caught the eyes of Hogwarts' so-called notorious trickster.
And perhaps, his heart too?
...
"I'm going...I'm not going. I'm going...I'm not...I'm going- urgh!"
You fall back on the bed with a groan after the last petal of your blue daisy was plucked.
Pouting, you turn your head to your cat, Niki, who straight up stared at you with a blank face. The feline, as if sensing that you're going to rant on him and ask for his opinion, turn his body away from you and proceed to casually lick his paws.
If Niki can talk, he'll probably be saying that he doesn't have the time to deal with your shit ass problems and therefore you have no choice but to deal with it on your own.
But he doesn't talk, so you proceed to rant on him anyway.
"I just want to peacefully grab the next volume of the book I'm reading- but! He'll be there! And I just know he'll be staring at me for god knows how long." You cry. Niki who was beside you just stays silent and continues licking his paws.
"Why is he even staring? Is he like, I don't know, plotting in his mind whatever trick he'll play on me? Niki, should I be scared?!"
Prior to your original plan, which you didn't end up following — just staying inside your room and reading a book until the end of the week — you end up going back and forth to the library after that one visit you did.
You were just going to check if the library had the continuation to the series you were reading and, oh god did they have it. And so, you've been cooped up inside that place for three straight afternoons.
But, not alone.
Choi San was there too.
Yes, that Slytherin and his frequent glances at you. Yes, you noticed it. And yes, it bothered you. Slightly.
Anyway, Choi San would find a seat at the corner opposite you, his dark hair and figure clad in black blending in with the shadows, that you didn't even notice him at first. Not when you heard him let out a tiny sneeze, which he thought you didn't hear since he had his face hidden by a book, but you obviously did.
Since then, you didn't fail to notice the stares he'll give you and the rich smell of his perfume, that by now you're sure you'll notice his scent right away wherever you go.
Today's a Thursday and you have just finished another book of the series and you're supposed to go to the library and read it straight away, but then, you remember San.
He'll be there again.
And you don't know if you'll be able to take it. Three days under his gaze and three days with his scent filling your nose that got your head spinning — can you still manage a fourth?
You have no choice. You just swore earlier that you'll let the little blue daisy flower decide your fate for this afternoon.
And it said, yes, you're going out.
You are going out to head to the library to read that book.
Fuck it.
But is that really the only reason you're going out, or is there something else?
...
Dressed in your favorite light blue sweater, tucked in one of your dark jeans, you head to the library, Niki comfortably nestled in your arms.
Once you stepped inside, you sighed internally. You weren't wrong. Choi San was here, early.
So unlike the previous days, you figured you've had enough.
Why even is he hiding from you? It's not like you'll eat him alive. No, you don't bite. If you'd ask yourself, it actually might be the opposite.
"You can quit hiding now please." You voiced out, loud and clear. From the corner of your eye, you saw him visibly flinch, but he remained still in his place.
"Choi San, I know that's you. And for your information, I've noticed you since Monday..." You softly continued as you plopped down on your usual seat at the corner opposite of him, but this time you have Niki with you.
With that mentioned, the black feline jumps out of your arms and walks to the shadows where San was.
When the Slytherin male notices an extra bump of shadow forming on the table and moving closer to him, he shrieks. Only to realize later that it was a black cat - your cat, Niki.
Embarrassed, San was quick to clear his throat. He throws you a glance first, and when he sees you already staring back at him, he looks away, his face heating up.
"You scared me y'know." San scolds Niki in a whisper, who just meows in return. Then, the cat inches closer to him and lifts its right paw, tapping it on the male's arm.
San, having enough experiences with cats, as their family has one, immediately complies to its request. Stretching out his hand, he places it gently on Niki's head, his fingers threading the cat's black fur.
Niki purrs in delight. And you looked at both of them with wide eyes.
How?
"How?" You voiced out this time, eyes incredulously big in shock and maybe, amazement?
Because Niki doesn't like strangers. Heck, he even hisses when someone touches him - except for you and Sara. But what did you just see? Niki asking someone to pet him? For Choi San, to pet him? A stranger at that?
The content smile on San's face falters as he looks up at you with a slight frown, asking, "What do you mean by how?"
Walking towards the table he's at, you puffed out air from your mouth, your lips curling upwards after to form a smile of disbelief.
"This!" You blurt out, gesturing your hands exaggeratingly to his form and the cat that's currently enjoying his touch as he continues to pet it. "How?? Niki doesn't let any people touch him that easily! So like how?"
Then your hands flew to your mouth, gasping loudly when you realized something.
"You casted a spell on him didn't you?! Oh my god, I can't believe you!"
"What are you talking about? I didn't!" San shouts back, his eyebrows furrowing deep. He was now standing on his feet, hands now already off of Niki, much to the cat's dismay.
"Yes you di-"
"I didn't." San growls, making you still on the spot. You were too busy shouting at him that you didn't even notice when he walked towards you.
And now, he's a breath away from your face, eyes sharp and his body, now out of the shadows and instead, looming over your much smaller form.
Seeing him right in front of you made your breath hitch. You weren't able to form any words right out of your mouth as you continued to stare up at him.
His cat-like eyes, his sharp nose, jelly-like pink lips - and are those freckles on the side of his neck?
Choi San was stunningly gorgeous, and it's almost bewitching.
It's like he's casting a spell on you. Was this what he did with Niki too?
No wonder your cat was immediately drawn to him.
"I'm sorry if I scared you." A voice snaps you out from your bubbling thoughts. You shook your head lightly and when you looked back at San, his lips were now formed into a light frown as he stepped back.
"Huh?" You say, not quite processing what was happening.
"For coming so close to you and probably making you uncomfortable? And, I swear — I didn't cast a spell on your cat or anything! I didn't!"
"I'm not sure if I can trust you on that…" You mutter, biting your lower lip as you look away.
"Why not?"
You wanted to answer, 'How can I trust someone who does tricks on others as a hobby? And Slytherin's famous trickster at that?' But it seems like the male in front of you has caught up with your thoughts.
"Right." San mutters and presses his lips in a tight smile. Then he walks back to the table, his hands finding purchase in Niki's soft black fur, once again.
"I didn't take you as one who relies on other people's beliefs, though."
"What do you mean?" You were now the one stepping closer.
Without raising his head and looking you in the eye, San continues. "Would you believe me if I said that I also have a cat back in our home, and maybe that's why I'm good with them too? Maybe why Niki opened up to me so easily?"
"I-I guess…? I mean, yes." You quickly corrected yourself. Why are you even stuttering?
San pouts. "You're scared of me, aren't you?" This time, he finally looks at you.
"What makes you think so?" You threw back at him, lifting your head much higher as you tried to not falter under the intense gaze he's giving you now.
The next thing he does surprises you. San throws his head back and ends up in a fit of laughter. And when he recovers, he bore his gaze back at you, lips twitching into a full smirk.
"It's obvious by the way you take one tiny step at a time, darling. I can sense you're trying to be cautious around me."
"You know I can't help it, especially everyone knows what you're capable of-"
"Of what? Of playing small tricks on students? Doing a little spell to put them in their places? C'mon, now. It's all just fun and stuff. No serious harm done." He says, raising both of his hands in the air while he lightly shakes his head.
"That's still trouble. You're still trouble."
San fakes a hurt expression. And you were about to shout at him, thinking that he'll run off when he suddenly scooped Niki in his arms. But you stop and close your mouth when he trudges towards you instead.
"I know you're smart. Pretty smart, if you ask me." He starts off. "So why don't you take the sweet little time of getting to know me, hmm? No pressure, though. But maybe through that, you'll see that I'm not one you should be scared of." Then he pauses and hands Niki to you.
"But trouble, I guess that's what I am, and we can't change that now, can't we, darling?"
And with one last smirk, he was gone.
Long gone was the mousy San you've met in the span of three days. Just, the San that everyone knows.