𝐥𝐞𝐞 𝐣𝐞𝐧𝐨 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠
"jeno, where did mark go?"
"i don't know. he just disappeared, but i'm sure he'll be back soon." jeno told yunhee who had returned from comforting aerin and her friends.
"still, i want to look for him. i'll be back..." she mumbled, heading for the doors.
"wait. i'll join you." he said, freeing jisung from his hold. he rushed to keep up with her as she left past the doors and into the destroyed corridors.
"where should we look first?" she whispered to herself, puffing her cheeks.
"cute." jeno said, poking her cheeks. she blushed in response and placed a hand on her stomach, feeling butterflies.
"come on." she turned the other way, walking further down the empty corridors.
"yun, wait up. i wanted to talk to you about something." he called after her and she came to a halt. he looked around, checking that they were alone.
"what is it?"
"i've been wanting to talk about this for a while and i understand this may not be the right time, but we can never know when will be the right time. i just want — no, need — to get this off my chest. yunhee, i—"
"i know." she cut him off, her smile masking her crazily beating heart.
"what?"
"you think i haven't noticed all the glares you send when i'm around other boys and the times you've purposely flustered me were because you were flirting and wanting to know if i felt the same. jeno, i even overheard a conversation you had with mark about you liking me..."
jeno faltered, his mouth agape. he didn't know what to say. he didn't know if he should turn around and run out of embarrassment or continue the conversation even if she rejects him.
then a small smirk appeared on his lips as an idea came to mind. he composed himself, turning the smirk into a frown before she could notice.
"you didn't have to destroy my pride like that..." he muttered, appearing as sad as he could.
"oh, i'm so sorry!" she exclaimed. "i should have let you finish your sentence. i'm sorry!"
"yeah, you should have." he scoffed, leaning forwards to which she leaned back. he kept doing that until she found herself trapped against a wall. "oh? am i making you nervous?"
"you are. my heart is beating really fast right now."
"i..."
he was taken aback by her straightforwardness and she saw an opportunity to get him back. she stepped forwards, placing her hand on his biceps. he shivered, gazing down at her hand then her satisfied grin.
"jeno, is your heart going crazy too?"
"kim yunhee, what are you doing to me?" he breathed, placing his arms on either side of her on the wall.
"what you did to me all those times when i was still confused," she said, pressing her back against the wall as he kept moving forwards. "but i'm not confused anymore. i can see clearly now. jeno, i like you a lot."
"i'm glad you see it now. i've been waiting for this moment for so long." he held her chin, tilting her face up. her knees felt weak at the action so she tightened her grip on his biceps, pulling him closer and closing her eyes.
her body language was enough to tell him she was yearning for this just as much as he was, so he leant down, swiftly placing his lips on hers. she responded immediately by moving her hands from his biceps to his neck. her eyes opened again and she could see his that were staring back at her so full of passion and love. this was a moment she'd remember for the rest of her her life.
even when they pulled away, he was staring at her with those same captivating eyes. she leaned forwards again, but he stopped her by placing a finger against her lips.
"i think someone's here." he whispered and they stayed quiet, listening for footsteps.
mark appeared from around the corner and when he saw the two so intimately close, he froze, so many different feelings overwhelming him. but then he smiled. he smiled because he was glad that his best friend was the one to win her heart. he smiled because he knew he would treat her right when he was gone.
"where are the others?" he asked as the two stepped away from each other, a little embarrassed that they had been caught by their friend.
"we last saw them in the great hall." jeno replied, averting his eyes as his neck felt hot.
"let's find them. i need to talk to you all." mark said, walking over to where they were. "by the way, you two are cute together."
"thanks..." yunhee mumbled, sheepishly, as they began making their way to the stairs.
towards the bottom, they could see the rest of their friends sitting and looking stressed. when renjun noticed them, he jumped up onto his feet and ran over.
"where have you been?" he asked, shaking mark's shoulders. "we were worried mark had gone to the forest and you two followed."
"i'm going there now."
"what?" jeno's head snapped towards mark and he stared at him in disbelief.
"are you mad? you can't!" chenle yelled.
"i have to and i'm sure you all know why. you've probably known for a while, but we've always brushed it aside."
"there's a reason why you can hear the horcruxes... because you are one." jisung said and mark nodded his head.
he turned to each of them, hugging them one by one, till it was jeno's turn.
"mark, there has to be another way. please don't go." he begged, hugging the gryffindor tightly. mark shook away his tears, pushing him back by the shoulders.
"everything will be okay. jeno, take care of them all." he jutted his head to their friends then ruffled his hair, whispering, "take care of yunhee. i'm glad she picked you, so don't mess it up."
"i promise..."
the seven friends watched mark disappear out of the castle, knowing it may possibly be the last time they see him alive. after a moment of silence, yunhee wiped away her tears, a shaky breath leaving her lips.
"i'm going back to the great hall."
she headed down the stairs, passing by them. jeno slipped his hand into hers when she walked past him and they made their way to the hall together.
"you alright?" he asked when they stopped by some empty benches.
"how can you even ask that...?" she replied, a frown on her face. he realised he shouldn't have asked such an obvious question and felt guilty.
"you're right. i'm sorry." he let go of her hand, deciding he should leave her alone in case he upset her, but she quickly entwined her hand with his again.
"it's fine. you can keep holding my hand. yours is warm." she mumbled, averting her eyes, hoping not looking at him would calm her beating heart. she really liked holding his hand.
"sure." he replied, smiling at the actions he thought was cute. "so what happens now?"
"we wait. most likely, voldemort is going to come back here to brag."
"if he does i'm going to stand up to him—" at the displeased look on her face, he poked her cheek. "and you can't stop me."
"then i guess i'll just have to join you." she said, removing his finger. "let's just rest for a bit, okay?"
"yeah, sure."
they sat down on the benches, holding each other's hands in silence. even when a long duration had passed, they stayed like that. the silence and skin-ship was comforting.
"why are you guys holding hands!" a voice yelled from across the room. shaken by the sudden loud voice, the pair looked over at the owner, aerin. "are you dating?!"
"that's a good question. yunhee, what do you say?" jeno asked as his younger sister bounced on her toes, anticipating the answer. it was like she had been waiting for this moment forever.
"i don't know. i just don't think now is the right time to discuss this." yunhee glared down at her feet. "i'm sorry. you must be disappointed."
"no, i completely understand." he tapped underneath her chin. "i'll make sure to ask you when it is the right time."
"be right back. i need to plan a wedding." aerin sang, skipping across the hall to probably tell the rest of her family about jeno and yunhee's not entirely official relationship — which was good enough for her.
"jeno! yunhee!" jisung ran up to the pair, out of breath, his hands on his knees. "i-i... hu... quick."
"jisung, breathe first." yunhee told him, patting his back. "what's wrong?"
"come outside, quick! it's mark!" he exclaimed and in a second, they were rushing out the castle.
other people had overheard and began leaving the great hall as well to see what was happening outside. when they did see, they really wished they hadn't. mark, who looked dead, was on the floor by voldemort's bare feet.
yunhee's hand flew to her mouth at the sight and jeno squeezed her hand to comfort her while trying to hold back his own tears.
"mark lee is dead!" voldemort yelled and the death eaters burst out into maniacal laughter. "you see? mark lee is dead! do you understand now, deluded ones? he was nothing, ever, but a boy who relied on others to sacrifice themselves for him! it is over now!"
"NO! it's not over!" jeno's voice echoed throughout, making several people flinch. to her disappointment, he let go of yunhee's hand and pushed his way to the front of the crowds.
"shit. jeno." she mumbled, trying to follow him.
"mark may be dead, but that doesn't mean this is all over." jeno continued as she reached his side, slipping her hand back into his.
"mark lee was a great person. he always stood up for us all, for what was right. he only ever wanted to get rid of the darkness clouding the wizarding world, so he sacrificed himself in order for that happen." yunhee said then turned to glare at voldemort. "do not poison our last memories of him with your pitiful deceits."
"the difference between you and mark is that he still lives on within us, however, when you die, your death will only be celebrated and then... one day everyone will forget about you because you have no love in your life." jeno said, his hand sneaking to his hip where the sword of gryffindor was resting. "and i intend to kill you so that that will happen."
voldemort laughed at him then rolled up his sleeves. "and how will you kill me, the greatest and most powerful wizard in the world?"
"with this!" jeno held up the sword, his eyes wandering the area to find the snake. from her peripherals, yunhee caught sight of it slithering towards them.
"jeno!" she yelled as the snake approached them faster, but was moving more towards her.
jeno noticed this and not having enough time to attack with the sword, he instead wrapped his arms around her, squeezing his eyes shut as he prepared to use himself as a shield. only they never felt any pain, but they did hear a loud 'thump' followed by exclamations.
"confringo!" mark's voice could be heard as he knocked back the snake from the pair hugging each other. at the sound of his voice, they let go and rushed to follow their classmates back into the castle.
"mark!" donghyuck exclaimed, wrapping his arms around the boy.
"good to see you too, hyuck." he replied, patting his back till he moved away. "now, guys, we have to kill the snake, the last horcrux, and then it'll truly be over."
"you deal with voldemort. we've got this." jeno said, pushing him further into the castle. he nodded then disappeared up the stairs.
"the snakes over here! it's going after mark!" jaemin yelled. "who's got the basilisk fang?"
"me." yunhee tossed it at him.
he caught it, slowly approaching the snake to attack, but it suddenly turned around, striking at his hand. the fang fell out his hand and into a nook in the floor. chenle rushed over to get it out, but they were running out of time. jaemin and jisung were on the verge of being killed by the snake and the others couldn't do anything about it... until renjun realised something.
"the sword of gryffindor! it destroyed one horcrux. it can do it again!" he yelled while helping jisung avoid the snake.
"shit. i dropped it outside." jeno said, turning around to get it, but yunhee was one step ahead of him. she was already outside, searching for it. he joined her, struggling to find it, as each passing second made them even more anxious.
"it's here!" yunhee exclaimed, lifting the sword above her head.
"quick!" jeno yelled, holding his hand out to her. she grabbed it and they ran back inside where the others were scrambling to get away from the snake.
jeno went up from behind the snake and just as it lunged towards their friends, he stomped his foot down on its head. it wasn't enough to kill — not at all — but it was enough to buy them time.
"yunhee, now!"
without hesitation, the brunette swung the sword of gryffindor at the snake as jeno removed his foot and hurried a safe distance away. the sword sliced through its body and everyone watched as it began to turn into dust, floating away into the air until there was nothing left to prove there had ever been a snake there.
yunhee glanced up at jeno and he was already staring right at her. both of their breathing was ragged, but their feet moved quickly. they met halfway and his fingers immediately found her face, pulling her in for a kiss. the sword slipped out of her hands as she wrapped her arms around him, causing a loud clattering sound that filled the silence.
"what the...?" donghyuck mumbled as the two pulled away. the others couldn't help but feel disappointed at the fact that they weren't the ones that were chosen by her. but seeing her happy was enough for him.
"did i skip a chapter or something?" chenle asked.
"luckily i didn't." mark's voice could be heard by the castle entrance. he had the elder wand in his hand, suggesting to them that voldemort was finally gone.
"mark!" renjun flung his arms around him, tugging him towards the rest of the group. "so you knew these two had something going on?"
"you could say that." he shrugged. "but i don't believe jeno has asked her the question yet."
jeno playfully rolled his eyes at his best friend who was trying to encourage him. he brushed some hair behind yunhee's ear, grabbing her attention.
"kim yunhee, will you be my girlfriend?" he asked.
"yes." she replied, leaning forwards to rest her forehead against his, a large grin on her face.
"was this the right time to ask though?" he asked, mirroring her smile, his eyes smiling as well. she laughed at him and pinched his cheeks.
"the perfect time."
𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐝