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IT STARTED IN POTIONS CLASS, when Min Yoongi approached Hoseok and Taehyung, hand dug deep in his pockets and his eyes looking everywhere but Hoseok's face. He nervously brushed his blond bangs out of his eyes. Hoseok could vaguely recognize the older boy in front of him as the captain of Slytherin's Quidditch team. He was a good player with more victories under his belt than any of the other captains this year.
"Hello," Hoseok said, with a smile on his face. He nudged Taehyung, who was busy gaffawing at the captain, now turning red. "You're Min Yoongi, right?"
"Yes," he said, smiling (though it looked more like he was baring his teeth). "Professor Snape told me that you were the top student in Potions. I was wondering if I could study with you."
Taehyung, off to the side, pouted. "I thought we were going to study at the library together, Hoseok."
"You'll be with playing around with Jungkook anyways," Hoseok mumbled to his friend. He turned back to Yoongi, who was turning redder by the second, "Of course you can come. We'll be studying all night for the finals anyways . . . you can come whenever you want."
"Thanks," Yoongi sighed in relief, grinning more naturally now. "I'll see you tonight, then."
"Okay," Hoseok gave a little wave, watching Yoongi walk proudly to his own table, where his friends were hooting and hollering (though, not for long, for Snape was in an especially bad mood today).
"Why'd you let a stranger into our study group?" Taehyung asked, fiddling with vials of unlabeled colorful liquids. "Don't you know that Slytherin captain is trouble? All he does is slack off and play Quidditch. He's definitely not your type of person . . . he gets into fights all the time!"
Hoseok shrugged, "It doesn't hurt to make more friends. Besides, didn't you see how nervous he was? I don't think he was disingenuous about studying. Maybe he really does want to change his ways, Taehyung. We should always give people a second chance to prove their selves." He ruffled his friend's hair, smiling affectionately. Taehyung was always so clingy but hesitant to bring new people into their friend group. As was expected of a Hufflepuff, he staunchly stood by his friends no matter what, but he was so selective with the people he let into his heart. It was a miracle Taehyung became friends with that Ravenclaw boy, especially since they had not liked each other very much before.
"Still," Taehyung frowned, preening from Hoseok's attention, "wasn't that a bit odd of him? You've never spoken to him before."
"I think he's quite nice," Hoseok said, returning back to his potions homework. "And I think it'll be nice to not be the third-wheel for once with you and Jungkook."
"That's not true, hyung! We always include you," Taehyung defended hotly.
"Anyways," Hoseok quickly steered the conversation a different direction. "Let's make a schedule for everything we have to do before finals . . ."
YOONGI HAD SHOWN UP TWO HOURS earlier than Hoseok. He had been sitting quietly in the corner of the library by himself, his robes filled with snacks, humming eagerly until the three other boys had shown up. He was in the middle of completing Defense Against Dark Arts homework when Hoseok tapped lightly on his shoulder, startling the older boy. When he realized it was Hoseok, the anger that flamed in his eyes was immediately extinguished and a bright smile lit up his face.
"I came early and saved a table before it was full," Yoongi explained.
Hoseok looked around and nodded at Yoongi's decision. He was certainly right about the library being full, as it seemed every table within the dark room was filled with diligent students. He noticed that Yoongi's friends were also in the library, but he had not chosen a seat near them, and instead picked the cleanest and quietest area. "Thank you, Yoongi," Hoseok beamed, eliciting a blush from the other boy. "Thanks to you, we can study comfortably."
Jungkook and Taehyung quietly shared looks.
I don't trust him, Jungkook wrote down in his notebook.
Taehyung nodded and quickly scribbled down, But Hoseok hyung likes him, so we should too.
He keeps looking at Hoseok hyung.
I've never seen him display any interest in Hufflepuffs before.
Well, Hufflepuffs and Slytherins don't really like each other.
Slytherins don't like anyone. Period.
As Jungkook wrote down his response, Hoseok glanced over and read through their messages. Yoongi, who had caught his gaze, looked over too, but Hoseok was quick to rip the paper out of Jungkook's notebook and crumple it.
"Ah, it was nothing," Hoseok said when Yoongi inquired what had happened. "They were just writing love notes to each other . . . Yoongi, are you hungry? You've been here a while, I could get us drinks and snacks from our dorm."
Yoongi dug into his robes and pulled out a multitude of snacks and banana milk. He shoved them all towards Hoseok's direction, "I brought these in case you got hungry. I have more in my bag, if that doesn't suffice." He revealed a gummy smile, which was starting to grow on Hoseok.
"Thank you," said Hoseok, opening up a chocolate frog. "You're very considerate, Yoongi."
The older boy basked in the compliment and looked down to hide his red ears. Hoseok began, in that moment, to think that perhaps Yoongi wasn't such a troublemaker after all, and just a cute boy who wanted his help with studying. He couldn't help but smile back at Yoongi, pleased with the result of a new friend.
WHEN YOONGI LOOKED UP, HOSEOK HAD dozed off, his head rested on his arms atop his Potions textbook. Taehyung and that Ravenclaw boy had long since scampered away, claiming that Professor Flitwick had asked them to do some errands for him (but really, they went off to sneak off campus with those troublesome redheaded twins), which left Yoongi and Hoseok alone at their table.
The sun had set hours ago, and the general noisiness of the library had quieted down to a hum, as most students had retreated back into their dormitories. Even Jimin and the others had given up on spying on them after realizing they really were just studying.
Yoongi walked around the table to Hoseok's side and slid off his robe, placing it gently on top of the younger boy.
He sat down next to Hoseok as quietly as possible, laying his head down on his arms in Hoseok's direction so that their faces were just inches away from each other. Yoongi heard Hoseok's soft breathing, and up close, could tell how bad the dark circles under his eyes were. He must have been so tired, he thought. He's always going about and doing something as Head Boy . . . he must be overworked.
He gently moved Hoseok's bangs out of his eyes, fingers lingering over his cheek.
"Pretty," he mumbled to himself, taking back his arm.
Yes, Jung Hoseok was very pretty. Despite his second-hand robes and the prominent dark circles underneath his eyes, the way his tan skin glowed underneath the sun and his presence filled entire rooms, he was incomparable to anyone. Even Seokjin, who had been voted handsomest boy at Hogwarts, seemed small compared to Hoseok.
The first time Yoongi had seen him was at the sorting ceremony. He had never been interested in those, seeing as younger students mostly irritated him by being so confused and dazed all the time. But, as fate would have it, he had been watching as Hoseok was being called up, and his disinterest disappeared as he watched the younger boy walk up the steps to the Sorting Hat. He had chestnut hair, big brown eyes, and robes a bit too long for him. He could see the excitement on Hoseok's face, breaking out in a huge grin as the Sorting Hat thundered: HUFFLEPUFF.
In slight disappointment (he was hoping perhaps the pretty boy would be sorted into his House), Yoongi watched him run straight into the arms of Taehyung, who had also been sorted into Hufflepuff seconds before.
Cute, he had thought then.
Beautiful, he thought now.
He liked Hoseok so much, it was impossible to hide it. The fondness kept growing, only hindered by the fact that the only class they shared was Potions. Yes, he had gone through nearly five years this way, watching Hoseok from afar. Years went by, scanning the Quidditch bleachers for a certain chestnut-haired boy, always accompanied by his lanky friend. He began to think of him as a good luck charm, for when he caught sight of his boy, he played extraordinarily well. But when Hoseok was missing, more often than not, his team lost.
This one-sided schoolboy crush lasted until Namjoon and Seokjin (his only Gryffindor friends) had forced Yoongi to talk to Hoseok, threatening that they would expose his five-year infatuation to Hoseok if he didn't.
Now, up close, Yoongi was certain he had fallen in love. He had never felt such a draw to another person before.
Hoseok's sweet smile and pleasant personality made him wish he had acted a bit less unruly at school, because it felt impossible for such an upstanding student to be interested someone as notoriously apathetic in school as Yoongi.
"Do what Namjoon did," Seokjin said, referencing the first time Namjoon had asked him out. "Ask Hoseok to study. He's a top student at this school, and he's always willing to bring people along into his study groups. Then, get to know each other. It'll come naturally from then on."
But it had not come naturally, partly because Yoongi was so shy and tongue-tied near Hoseok, but mostly because Hoseok was a diligent student, and it was hard to start conversations when he was taking notes.
Yoongi was okay with it, though. He liked watching Hoseok study. He didn't say much, but he was sure Hoseok felt his admiring gaze on him.
"Is it okay if we stay like this for a while?" Yoongi asked, quietly. "Just until the sun comes up."
FROM THEN ON, YOONGI FOLLOWED Hoseok around like a lost dog. Whenever Hoseok went to the library, Yoongi said he needed to study too. When Hoseok stayed behind to talk to professors, Yoongi was always there, loitering at the doorway. It had become so serious that every time Hoseok raised his hand to go to the bathroom, Yoongi jumped up and raised his hand as well. No one was sure how Hoseok felt about this, as his passive face always expressed a smile no matter what he was feeling, but Taehyung and Namjoon were getting sick of it.
"Tell your friend to stop following my hyung around," Taehyung said, crossing his arms in a childish way. Taehyung, Jungkook, Namjoon, Seokjin, and Jimin were watching the Slytherin captain and Hufflepuff prefect "study" together. What was really happening though was Hoseok studying, and Yoongi pretending to study, his chin on the desk, quill in hand, but eyes glued up at the younger boy.
"Don't you think we've tried?" Jimin asked, rolling his eyes. "He's completely infatuated, and once Min Yoongi starts liking something, he doesn't stop."
"That's true," Seokjin nodded. "He still has all his childhood book series because he can't let them go."
"Hoseok hyung must have a clue, right?" Jungkook wondered, trying to read Hoseok's body language.
"If he doesn't, he's a thick fucking idiot," Namjoon grinned. "Look at the way Yoongi is looking at him. He looks like Viktor Krum when he's following that Hermoine girl around. But, you know, less handsome."
"I think Yoongi is handsomer than Krum," Seokjin said defensively.
"Am I handsomer than him, hyung?" Namjoon asked, acting cute and blinking his eyes quickly.
Seokjin rolled his eyes and moved to turn away, but Namjoon followed him, pestering him and clinging to his robes until the older finally admitted he thought Namjoon was cuter than Krum.
"Ew," Jimin said.
"What about me, Jungkook-ah? Am I cuter than Krum?" Taehyung asked, copying Namjoon's pose.
Jungkook revealed a wicked grin and said, "No."
"Ah, fuck you," Taehyung crossed his arms.
"Aren't Hufflepuffs supposed to be nice?" Jungkook asked.
"Aren't Ravenclaws supposed to be smart?" Taehyung mimicked.
"Ew," Jimin repeated, gagging.
HOSEOK FINDS A NOTE ON HIS desk one morning.
Will you cheer me on during the Quidditch game tomorrow?
If I win, I want to tell you something.
Yours,
Yoongi
He pockets the note and hums pleasantly to himself, wondering what he should wear tonight.
HE FINDS HOSEOK ON THE BLEACHERS wearing two scarves, one from Taehyung, which he wraps around his neck (showing off the black and yellow colors of Hufflepuff), and the other, Yoongi's green and black one that he loaned him last week, wrapped around his waist. In his left hand, he holds the Hufflepuff flag, in his right, he holds Slytherin's flags. The kids around him were no doubt wondering why he's cheering for both teams, especially when the two teams he was cheering for were competing against each other, but Hoseok doesn't notice. He's yelling Taehyung's and Yoongi's name as loud as possible.
Yoongi grins and raises an arm, eliciting cheers from the Slytherins (and one certain Hufflepuff).
He flies around before the game starts, hovering above the section Hoseok is in, waving wildly.
"Hello!" Hoseok shouts over the other boys.
"Wish me good luck!" Yoongi shouts back.
Hoseok laughs, thinking how silly it is of Yoongi to single him out just to get a good luck. "You don't need my luck, you're the best player out there!" At this, some Hufflepuffs boo, but the traitorous prefect ignores them.
"I don't care," Yoongi smiles. "I want your luck!"
A wave of "awhs" and "oohs" ripple through the bleachers, summoning some teasing. But Yoongi doesn't go. Not until Hoseok wishes him good luck.
"Good luck, Yoongi," Hoseok grins.
Yoongi, heart soaring, flies back onto the field, feeling adrenaline rush into his veins.
The game is a heavy loss for Hufflepuffs. Slytherins win 180-10.
"WHAT DID YOU WANT TO TELL ME?" Hoseok asked, once the game has ended. They're sitting in the Hufflepuff commonroom in front of the fireplace. They're dripping wet from the rain that had begun to fall in the middle of the game.
Yoongi squirmed nervously, "Am I allowed to be here?"
"I'm the prefect, I can do what I want," Hoseok said, impatiently (which was against the Hufflepuff ways). "What did you want to say?"
Yoongi looked into Hoseok's wide expectant eyes. He felt his courage drain away when he sees Taehyung's sweater still hanging off his neck.
Perhaps he had felt that Hoseok was in some way interested in him. They had spent nearly every day since finals with each other, and sometimes, in the oddest moments (usually when he's laughing so hard or deeply concentrated on his work) he looks up to see Hoseok staring at him with a blank expression on his face. Something had led him to believe that Hoseok was waiting for him to confess, but could he have gotten friendship confused with romantic interest? After all, Hoseok was equally, if not more, affectionate toward Taehyung as he was to Yoongi.
"I . . ." Yoongi turned red, floundering for an excuse. "Just wanted to know if you thought I played well today."
"Oh," said Hoseok. Was he disappointed? "Yes, you played marvelously. I should come by and watch more often. Taehyung played well, too. Of course."
"Ah," said Yoongi.
The room was silent except for the crackling fire.
"We should get to class soon," Yoongi said. "Before Flitwick gets too upset."
"I've already told him we're going to the nurse. I'm . . . 'sick,'" Hoseok grinned.
"You're a very bad Head Boy," Yoongi said aloud.
"No, I'm wise and fair."
Yoongi smiled, drinking from his hot cup of cocoa.
"So," Hoseok said, continuing the conversation. "Who are you rooting for for the Triwizard Championships?"
"Potter,"
"I'm rooting for Diggory. Which, I'm guessing, isn't that much of a surprise," Hoseok smiled.
"Isn't he taking Cho to the Yule Ball?"
"Yes," Hoseok said. "Cedric really likes her. He's a good guy."
Yoongi looked up at Hoseok, who was busy stirring his hot cocoa. Water clung to his eyelashes in droplets, making them seem longer. He was dressed in warm pajamas, his knees drawn up to his chin. The fire gave him an orange glow, making him look softer around the edges. He was the most beautiful boy he had ever seen.
"Hoseok," Yoongi said, softly.
"Hmm?" Hoseok looked up, a small smile on his face, revealing dimples.
"I really like you," he said, shifting his body toward Hoseok. "I think you're the prettiest, nicest boy at Hogwarts. I like your smile and your laugh and the way you look when you're studying at the library. Whenever I play a Quidditch game I always look for you first in the bleachers because you're my good luck charm, and you make me want to play better. In class, I can barely focus because you're all I can think about. I've felt this way about you since I first saw you, at the Sorting Ceremony, but I thought it was just a stupid little crush that would go away . . . well, it didn't, and now I think I might love you."
Hoseok was quiet for a bit, looking down at his knees, his bangs covering his face. Yoongi drank all of his hot cocoa at once, unaware of the burning sensation in his throat. He jumped up, "If I've made you uncomfortable, I can leave you alone from now on. I don't want you to feel burdened by my feelings."
"No!" Hoseok hopped up as Yoongi turned to leave, his hands catching Yoongi's. "Don't go," he smiled, intertwining their fingers together. "Let's—Let's go to the Yule Ball together, hyung."
At the word "hyung" Yoongi's heart skipped a beat.
"Okay," he said, stunned.
"Okay," Hoseok grins, looking down at their intertwined hands.
"Does this mean we're . . ." Yoongi didn't need to finish the sentence, Hoseok nodded. Immediately, he threw his arms around Hoseok with uncontrolled happiness. He buried his face in his hair, and asked, "Can I kiss you?"
"Not yet," Hoseok grinned, reciprocating the hug. "But maybe later."
"Okay," Yoongi nodded eagerly, still dazed from the excitement of his confession. He held Hoseok tightly, as if he were afraid Hoseok might change his mind. "I can wait for you. I'll always wait, if you want me to."