Sunday, November 27th. 07:43 AM. Hogwarts, Slytherin Dorms. Choi San.
San woke up feeling ecstatic. He rolled to his side and stretched his limbs, an idiotic grin on his lips before he'd even opened his eyes. Last night's events came back to him one by one. Drinking games with everyone, slow dancing with Wooyoung, and finally making out with him by the fireplace...
San buried his face in his hands and let out a quiet squeal. He might have believed it to be a dream if not for the sweet sensation of Wooyoung's lips he still felt on his own. Excitement pulsed through his veins. It felt like his very first kiss all over again, except this time it had been with his first real love. Life was beautiful. The world around him was vibrant with colors, and his skin tingled with warmth and joy. No matter what kind of trouble the world may have planned to throw at him today, San was ready to face anything head-on. Not even the headache the Firewhiskey had gifted him stood a chance to darken his mood today.
He kicked his blanket aside, pulled back the sleek emerald curtains of his bed, and jumped to his feet. He put on the pair of black sweatpants he'd left on the ground and straightened out his blanket. Wide and rectangular, the room was furnished with a bunch of beds, an ancient yet cozy armchair, a wooden desk in the far corner, and a small square fountain in its center. The absence of windows and the low ceiling produced a somewhat dingy gloom – typical for a room down in the dungeons. Torches that burned with green flames only added to the mysterious atmosphere.
San shared the shadowy room with four other sixth-year Slytherins: Mingi, Yeonjun, Changbin, and Haknyeon. They'd been his dorm mates and good friends ever since their first year at Hogwarts. To San, they were like brothers.
So far, he was the only one awake. Mingi lay sprawled across the bed to San's left, flat on his back with his lips slightly parted. Yeonjun had his face pressed against his bear-shaped pillow, Haknyeon had wrapped his entire body in his blanket, snoring heartily, and Changbin lay curled up in a ball, his curtains only half-drawn. San grabbed some fresh clothes from the luggage under his bed and tip-toed across the room to the spacious shared bathroom, careful not to wake them. After a quick shower, he wrapped a towel around his hips, slicked back his wet raven hair, and began to brush his teeth. He'd just finished when Mingi entered.
He let out a long yawn and ran a hand through his messy brown hair. Eyes half-closed, he dragged his feet as he shuffled toward the sink. San observed him in the mirror, trying not to snicker. "You good?"
"Shit, how much did I drink last night?"
"I don't know. Enough to make out with Yunho."
"Don't even bring that up dude," Mingi groaned and patted around for his toothbrush. "Let me pretend that was just a nightmare."
Yeonjun was next to stagger into the bathroom, soon followed by Changbin. Their hair was just as wrecked as Mingi's. San couldn't help but chuckle at their hungover state. Not only had they had far more shots of Firewhiskey than him last night, but he'd always been superior to them when it came to alcohol tolerance.
After he'd splashed his face with water a couple of times, Changbin shot San an impish grin. "I assume you and Wooyoung got it on last night?"
"What?" spluttered Mingi, eyes wide. He almost choked on his toothpaste. Yeonjun hollered with the toothbrush still in his mouth. The inappropriate symbols Youjin had drawn onto his cheeks last night were still there, but he was too occupied with the topic at hand to care.
San only grinned at them. He decided to have some fun with them and play along for a bit. "Let's just say I gave him what he wanted. I'll let your imagination do the rest."
"Score, dude!" exclaimed Changbin. He and Yeonjun high-fived and drummed their hands on San's naked back.
Mingi wore a dumbfounded look on his face. "Wait, seriously dude?"
"Just kidding, we didn't do it." San laughed. "We just made out by the fireplace. I'm taking it slow, remember? Like a gentleman."
"Oh," Mingi said lamely. He continued to brush his teeth.
Changbin rolled his eyes. "Be careful, dude. Take it any slower and you'll end up waiting until marriage." That earned him another high-five from Yeonjun.
San rolled his eyes and laughed along with them. He changed into a pair of white jeans, a pale blue sweater, and some converse. Once the others had finished changing too, he had to endure their jokes about his chivalry all the way through the dungeons on their way to breakfast. Ever since he'd started seeing Wooyoung, they'd made it their mission to tease him for being a hopeless romantic almost every day. They could be pretty annoying sometimes, but San loved them for it. He couldn't imagine Hogwarts without them.
At last, they reached Entrance Hall. San hadn't realized how hungry he was until Changbin complained about the loud grumbles his own stomach plagued him with. The delicious scent of toast, bacon, and eggs that wafted into their noses before they'd even entered the Great Hall wasn't much of a help either.
Despite all that, however, San's mind was elsewhere. He found himself excited, exhilarated almost, to see Wooyoung at breakfast. Was he there yet? Had he slept well? Had he also woken up feeling incredible? Should San greet him with a kiss or should he save that for later? He couldn't wait to see his smile again. He headed left as soon as he'd set foot into the Great Hall and scanned the Gryffindor table for Wooyoung.
But he wasn't there.
San paused and checked again, but to no avail. Wooyoung was nowhere to be seen. He even checked the Ravenclaw table, thinking that he might be eating with Yeosang. He wasn't. And he didn't show up even by the time San, Mingi, Yeonjun, and Changbin had almost finished their meals.
"Maybe he's sleeping in," said Yeonjun with a shrug.
Changbin nodded. "Yeah. He did have a lot to drink last night."
"You'll see him at dinner later," added Yeonjun.
"You're probably right." San sighed, unable to hide his disheartenment. He should've known. This wasn't the first party he'd taken Wooyoung to, after all. When he was hungover, he often slept until past lunch, swore he'd never touch a single glass of alcohol ever again, and regained his usual cheerfulness by dinner. Still, he'd really wanted to see him.
"Oh no," gasped Changbin all of a sudden. "What if Wooyoung doesn't even remember your romantic little make-out session by the fireplace?" He and Yeonjun mockingly puckered their lips at San.
He rolled his eyes at them. "You guys are the worst." His grin returned. "And besides. If he really doesn't remember, I'll just give him a romantic little reminder tonight."
Yeonjun and Changbin hollered once more, but Mingi was awfully quiet. Now that San thought about it, he hadn't said much all morning. His focus seemed directed inward as he absent-mindedly picked at his scrambled eggs. It wasn't like him at all to act lost in thought like that. Usually, he'd chime in on Yeonjun and Changbin's jokes.
About an hour of joking around and chatting later, Changbin disappeared, saying he'd made plans with Seungmin. Yeonjun soon followed suit. He claimed he was craving more chicken and made his way down to the kitchens to persuade the house-elves there to make some for him. For a moment, San considered paying Wooyoung a surprise visit to his dorms but decided against it. It was best to let him have his beauty sleep for now. Instead, he and Mingi left the Great Hall together and returned to the dungeons. They didn't have anything to do until they had to clean up last night's party leftovers in an hour.
The common room was almost emptier than usual. The only souls present were two first-year students playing wizarding chess in a cozy niche by the window, a seventh-year student reading a hefty book on the flight of stairs that lead to the dorms, and the Bloody Baron talking to a girl prefect whose name San didn't remember. Now that the exam season had passed, many students spent their weekends in Hogsmeade while others played games with their friends in the Great Hall or camped in the library to prepare for the next round of exams. That meant San and Mingi had the two couches by the fireplace all to themselves. They promptly claimed one couch each and were quick to get comfortable in the warmth the crackling flames provided.
Needless to say, San loved the common room. He always had. Chains with round, greenish lamps hung from the dungeon's rough stone walls and dowsed every surface in the dim light they radiated. Slytherin's house emblem, the serpent, was engraved in the walls and stitched into the emerald banners that garnished the room. Its broad windows looked out into the depths of the Black Lake. One could see the giant squid swooshing by from time to time – and sometimes more interesting creatures. It had the aura of a mysterious, underwater shipwreck. It felt like a second home.
Mingi was still acting rather quiet. Every time San tried to start a conversation, he'd respond with nothing but a hum. He stared melancholically at the ceiling, an introspective expression occupying his typically carefree features.
San regarded him for a few seconds and sighed. "Is this about Yunho?"
Mingi jolted out of his thought at the mention of his name. He glanced at San as if he had forgotten he was there. Then he averted his eyes again. "Maybe."
"Come on, Mingi. You always act like this after you're with him." It was true. Last night had certainly not been the first time they had drunkenly made out and gone back to loathing each other the next day. They'd been acting like this for over a year, and Mingi refused to speak about whatever had happened to them. It was beyond frustrating.
"I wasn't with him."
"You know what I mean. When will you finally tell me what happened between you two?"
"You already know! He and I used to be friends, now we aren't anymore. What's the big deal?"
San sighed. "Believe it or not, I figured as much. But mere ex-friends don't make out like that."
"With enough alcohol they might..."
"Mingi. We both know something happened between you two and I can tell how much it's bothering you. Stop avoiding the topic and just tell me."
"Have you always been this shamelessly persistent?" asked Mingi through gritted teeth.
San grinned. "I think so, yeah."
Mingi rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "Fine, I'll tell you. But only because you won't shut up about it."
"I'm all ears, bro."
After he'd taken a moment to organize his thoughts, Mingi finally explained. "Yunho and I were friends," he began. "Best friends, even. Everything used to so be easy between us. I never expected him to have romantic feelings for me... or for me to return them." Mingi's cheeks reddened as he fiddled around with his hands. "At least until he confessed to them to me."
"He...what?" San rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Wait, but if you two liked each other then what was the problem?"
Mingi narrowed his eyes at him. "I was getting to that." San raised his hands in defense and gestured for him to continue. "Well, you know... His confession was so out of the blue that I kind of... rejected him."
San couldn't hold back. "You rejected him?! But why? I thought you - "
"Look, I don't know either, okay?! I panicked!" exclaimed Mingi. "One moment we were cracking dick jokes and the next he said he wanted to be with me and stuff! I didn't know what to say!"
The seventh-year student slapped his book closed and rose from his seat on the stairs. He shot Mingi an irritated glare before he disappeared up the stairs into his dorm.
San lowered his voice. "You didn't know what to say so you rejected him?"
"I know how stupid that sounds but as I said, I panicked!"
San shook his head. "I guess that went as bad as it possibly could have," he said with a sigh. "I still don't understand why you hate each other's guts though."
"Well, after I said what I said, he completely freaked out on me and stormed off!" Mingi got to his feet and began to pace around the room, agitated. "That day, when I went to bed, I thought about the things he'd said about how he felt about me. The more I mulled it over, the more I realized that I may have seen him as more than just my best friend this whole time too. I felt like an idiot for rejecting him. I regretted it. It took me two days to get my shit together and set things straight with him, though. But I knew that I had to tell him that I changed my mind. It took me hours to find him. I assumed he was actively avoiding me, you know? Figured maybe he was embarrassed or hurt." Mingi halted for a moment, and his expression darkened. "Turns out I was way off. He was just already over me."
San furrowed his brows. "How do you know that?"
"Because he was kissing other dudes, damnit! Throwing himself at them! In front of my very eyes!" Mingi clenched his fists. He was practically shouting by now. The two first-year students promptly packed up their chessboard and scrambled out of the room, intimidated. "And he wouldn't hear me out when I tried to talk to him! Now I don't even know if he meant any of the things he said to me!"
"But – "
"Whatever, I'm done with this topic! I don't care about him! I'm over him anyway!" Mingi plopped back down on the couch, shaking with fury.
San opened his mouth to say something, but for the first time in a while, he couldn't find the right words. He felt bad for having brought up the topic in the first place. It didn't take a genius to see how deeply this bothered Mingi. Even his favorite brand of Chocolate Frogs couldn't brighten his mood.
Half an hour later, Yeonjun and Changbin waltzed into common room and the four of them made their way to the former Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom to clean.
Down in the dungeons, it had been hard to tell what the weather was like. Thick raindrops hammered against the classroom windows. The sky was veiled with gray clouds, blocking off any sunlight that might've brightened up the day a little. Purple cans, plastic cups, and confetti littered the wooden floor of the classroom. Yeosang, Jongho, Yunho, and a bunch of others were already there and had gotten started without them. They were handed a few plastic bags to sort the trash into, though they let their wands do most of the work. Thanks to Yeosang's extensive knowledge of cleaning spells, they were able to finish in less than two hours. Seonghwa being the insufferable teacher's pet he was had dropped in around noon to point out every single piece of purple confetti they might have overlooked. Mingi - now too distracted by his close friends to worry about Yunho's presence - mocked him whenever he turned around, which made Yeonjun and Changbin stifle their laughter at his antics. San tried to hold back a chuckle at the way Mingi imitated Seonghwa's signature arrogant strut when Yeosang pulled him aside.
"Hey. Can I talk to you for a second?"
"Sure." He let Yeosang take him to a window on the other side of the room. He glanced around uneasily as if to make sure nobody overheard their conversation. "What's up?"
"Look," Yeosang began. "Usually, I would discuss this with Woo, but he's probably still passed out in his dorm and I need to get this off my chest."
San smirked. "Consider my interest piqued."
"I..." Yeosang bit his lip, hesitant to get the words out. "I think I kissed Jongho last night," he blurted out.
"You think?"
"I was very drunk!" Yeosang retorted defensively. "I remember that he helped me get back to my dorm and I think that's when I kissed him."
Now, out of all the things San had expected, this must've been at the bottom of the list somewhere. Sure, Jongho and Yeosang had known each other for quite some time, mainly through Wooyoung. And they'd become closer friends ever since San and Wooyoung had started seeing each other. But there had never been any kind of romantic chemistry between them. Not that San had detected any, at least. Then again, San's surprise aside, both of them were single. As far as San knew, nobody would mind if Jongho and Yeosang became a thing. "Okay...and?"
Yeosang gasped, highly exasperated. He looked at San as if the problem should've been obvious. "And... I don't know! It's weird! Why did I do that?"
San shrugged. "They say when you're drunk you say and do the things you say and do when you're sober. Maybe you just like him?"
"But that's the thing! I don't like him!" Yeosang reconsidered. "Well, I mean, I also don't dislike him. He's an alright guy and all that. I just... never thought of him like that, I guess."
"And now you do?"
"No! I don't know! Help!" Yeosang whined and gave San a helpless look.
San considered him for a moment. "Well, why don't you just talk it out with him?"
Yeosang's eyes widened and his cheeks turned rosy. "I-I can't do that! It's gonna be so awkward between us now..."
"Jongho's a laid-back guy. I'm sure he'll be cool about it. He'll understand if you explain yourself."
"I don't even know if he remembers..." Yeosang sighed and glanced at Jongho, who was laughing along with Mingi, Yeonjun, and Changbin. Eventually, he seemed to have made up his mind. He smiled. "Still, I guess I'll think about it. Either way, thanks for hearing me out."
San smiled back. "Anytime."
"Is there anything you'd like to get off your chest?" Yeosang's smile transformed into a grin. "I haven't seen Wooyoung since the party but knowing you, I don't believe you let him off the hook that easily."
"Well, he and I did make out by the fireplace last night..."
Yeosang gasped. "Ugh, finally! He's been whining about wanting you to kiss him for days."
"He has?" That explained a lot. After all, it had been Wooyoung who had initiated their kiss. San scratched the back of his head. "I thought I was being a gentleman."
"And it worked. He's into that for some reason."
"Is that so?" San grinned to himself. "You see, first we – "
Yeosang held up a hand to interrupt. "Hold it right there, gentleman. No details please. I'm sure Wooyoung will tell me all about it later and I'm not listening to twice."
San shrugged. "Your loss, pretty boy."
They returned to the group and joined the other guys who sat cross-legged on the now clean, confetti-free floor. Yeonjun and Changbin reminisced about their favorite past party adventures and the amount of trouble some of those had brought them. Almost everyone cracked up at their stories and the way they told them – even Jongho couldn't hold his laughter – but Mingi had fallen back into his sour mood from earlier. Even Yeonjun's rendition about that one time he went streaking through the castle as a dare didn't shake him.
Instead, he threw nasty glares at Yunho, who apparently sat a little too close to Seonghwa for his liking. Well, at least until Seonghwa became fed up with Yeonjun and Changbin's wild stories. He rolled his eyes and excused himself, claiming he had prefect duties to attend to. He muttered something about strengthening the school regulations on his way out. Yeonjun and Changbin mocked his pompous tone as soon as the door had fallen shut behind him.
Yeosang glanced at his wristwatch. "Oh, it's almost dinner time."
"Already?" asked Yunho. "I can't believe we've been here for that long."
"I'm starving, let's go to the Great Hall," Jongho suggested. The group got to their feet and left the classroom.
Excitement washed over San. Finally, he'd see Wooyoung. There was no way he wouldn't be at dinner. San wondered once again whether or not he should greet him with a kiss.
But just like this morning, San's grin was wiped from his face when they entered the Great Hall. Wooyoung was nowhere to be seen.
Yeosang placed a hand on San's shoulder, his eyes searching the Gryffindor table. "Is he still at the dorm?"
"I suppose," said San. He couldn't help but feel disappointed. "But that's not like him at all."
"Maybe he really drank too much. Though I'm a little worried that he hasn't had a single meal today." A frown of worry appeared on Yeosang's face. "Should we bring him something?"
San contemplated the suggestion for a moment, then he shook his head. "No, let's let him rest for now. I'm sure he'll be fine by breakfast tomorrow."
Yeosang nodded, though he still seemed worried. He left to join some of his other friends at the Ravenclaw table. San absent-mindedly walked to the other side of the room and joined Mingi, Yeonjun, and Changbin at the Slytherin table. He picked at his steak, unable to focus on whatever conversation they were having. His eyes continued to flicker towards the large door. A part of him still hoped Wooyoung would walk in cheerful as ever. He didn't even notice that the hall had started to empty out until Mingi put an arm around his shoulder and called him back into reality.
"It's getting late. Let's go back to the dorms," he said. Yeonjun and Changbin had already left.
San looked around, then nodded. "Alright."
They rose to their feet and followed the crowd of students filing out of the Great Hall. They had almost reached the set of stairs that would lead them down to the dungeons when a thought struck San. He came to an abrupt halt, causing two older Hufflepuff students who'd been walking behind him to curse at him as they passed. What if Wooyoung felt seriously sick? San hadn't even thought of that. He might've spent the whole day at the hospital wing. That would explain why he hadn't shown up to any of the regular meals in the Great Hall. Nurse Vane would've given him something. San had to check.
"Wait, bro!" Mingi called after him. "Where are you going?"
"Hospital wing. I need to check if Wooyoung is there."
Mingi threw a look at the dungeon entrance, then he looked back at San. "Alright. I'm coming with you."
San nodded and the two of them scaled the Great Stairs for the second time today. The hospital wing was located on the third floor. Hogwarts' students and teachers went there to have their injuries and illnesses treated – whether they be magical or non-magical. It consisted of one large main hall and a few smaller side rooms that were furnished with rows of beds with white sheets, privacy screens, and bedpans - San had scrubbed them several times as a result of detention. He would've headed straight to the main hall to see if Wooyoung was there, but he and Mingi didn't make it past the door to Nurse Vane's office.
"What are you two doing here?" She spoke in a friendly yet strict tone. Nurse Vane was a tall and slim, middle-aged witch, who always wore her long black hair in a high ponytail whenever San saw her. Her dark eyes were already scanning their bodies for any visible injuries. "Come back tomorrow if it's nothing urgent. It's almost curfew."
"It is urgent, ma'am." said San. Mingi nodded beside him.
Nurse Vane raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? You look fine to me."
"I'm looking for one of my classmates," explained San impatiently. "His name is Jung Wooyoung. He's a Gryffindor, about this tall, ravishingly beautiful..."
Her expression changed as soon as San mentioned Wooyoung's name. "Did you say... Jung Wooyoung?"
"Yes, ma'am. Have you seen him? Is he here by any chance?"
She looked sincerely apologetic. "He isn't unfortunately. I'm... deeply sorry."
San's heart sank. "You're positive?"
"Absolutely."
Mingi put a reassuring arm around San's shoulder. "Alright, that's all we wanted to know. Thanks, ma'am."
Nurse Vane nodded and averted her eyes. "You should return to your dorms. And again... I'm sorry." She returned to her office.
"Come on, let's go back," said Mingi, and the two of them left the hospital wing.
Gloomy shadows creeped over the cobbled ground of the dungeon corridors. San and Mingi made their way down the narrow spiral staircase that led to the Slytherin Dungeon. An uneasy feeling nagged at San. Something was off. His distress must've been visible on his face; Mingi nudged his side. "Cheer up, man. Isn't it a good thing Wooyoung wasn't in the hospital wing? It means he's resting in his dorm."
"I guess that's true..." San hummed in thought. "But wasn't Nurse Vane acting kind of strange?"
"How do you mean?"
"I don't know... she seemed almost a little too sorry that Wooyoung wasn't there. Does that make sense?"
Mingi scratched the back of his head. "I'm not sure, dude. Maybe."
Their conversation ended when they reached the familiar, bare stone wall.
"Windroot," said San. A passage revealed itself and made way into their common room. They immediately went into the sixth-year boys' dorm, washed up, and went to bed.
The other boys soon fell asleep, but San lay wide awake. The clock on his nightstand ticked endlessly as minutes and hours passed him by. No matter how many times he rolled from side to side, San couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. Was he being paranoid? No more than twenty-four hours had passed since he'd seen Wooyoung. Surely, he was alright... Right?
San up straight in his bed. He grabbed his wand from the nightstand, muttered "Lumos," and used the light that erupted from its tip to search through the bag he'd dumped next to his bed. He got out his writing feather and a small piece of parchment.
I missed you today. Hope you aren't too hungover. I can't wait to see your beautiful smile again tomorrow. Keep your lips ready.
Once he'd scribbled the message onto the parchment and signed it with a little heart, he gave it a tap of his wand and sent it out the door. He'd charmed it to find Wooyoung's dorm room. Charms had always been San's strongest subject, Defense Against the Dark Arts being a close second. When he and Wooyoung had just started going out, he'd always leave him enchanted little messages like that. They'd tell him when and where to meet, or simply delivered little compliments – and a few rather suggestive comments here and there. Flirting with Wooyoung was his favorite hobby, and he knew Wooyoung loved it too. He smiled at the thought.
San sighed when the clock struck three. Writing that note had offered at least a tiny sense of reassurance. Mingi was right. It was a good thing that Wooyoung wasn't in the hospital wing. At the very latest, San would see him in Charms tomorrow.
At last, San's eyelids became too heavy to bear, and he drifted off to sleep.
.