Work Text:
“Are you still working on that history of magic essay?” Jeno questions, sliding into the empty space next to Mark on the library bench. The aged wood creaks under their combined weight and Jeno wonders how long it will take before Professor Kim is on their ass about ‘library ethics’ again.
Yes, again, because that old man can’t seem to keep his nose out of their business.
Mark hums, his eyes still trained on the parchment in front of him, occasionally flitting up to the textbook he had open. Jeno knows that Mark has definitely been in here for far too long because Jeno had spent a considerable amount of time staring longingly at the Hufflepuff table— with no sign of Mark— before he reluctantly filled his plate with food.
Don’t get him wrong, he loves that Mark is such a diligent student and is usually the proudest about Mark’s grades and how he can do more wandless magic than most, but sometimes he wishes it wasn’t the case. Especially when it’s been over a week since the last time he spent any time with his boyfriend despite sharing several classes with him.
Even Renjun has seen Mark more over the past few days and Jeno just thinks that’s a crime when Renjun can barely think past his almost boyfriends on the daily.
Jeno watches Mark for a bit longer as he writes, quill scratching at the paper in familiar chicken scratch. Mark has never been a neat writer, it was the one thing that God didn’t grant him the innate talent for.
That, and cooking.
He thinks it’s adorable how Mark’s eyebrows furrow in confusion every now and then, pushing his glasses up his nose when he understands whatever it is that he was struggling with.
He will also never understand how a person stays so focused while doing homework for the History of Magic out of all of the subjects they studied. Maybe that just had something to do with their teacher.
He doesn’t see the appeal of Professor Dong like most do but Donghyuck says that's just because Jeno’s jealous of the attention that Mark gives him.
Well.
Mark and Jeno are the only normal couple in their friend group — yes, they are— and yet somehow they are the ones that get the least amount of time together, he just thinks it's unfair. Mark taking up too many electives and Jeno’s quidditch practice spanning over all of Mark’s free time.
One of these days Jeno is going to take a bludger to the face trying to spot Mark from the bleachers.
Maybe he will lose some points for it, but the look of admiration in Mark's eyes whilst adorned in Jeno’s house colours will definitely be a scene worth an infirmary visit.
“I think Hyuck finally realised what potion Jaemin was brewing the other day,” Jeno says because he knows that it’s a foolproof way to get Mark’s attention: mentioning any mess that their friends had gotten themselves into. He might not seem it, but he was a bigger gossip than anybody else.
“Oh? The amortentia?”
“Mhm,” Jeno pushes their bags off the bench and they land under the desk in an unceremonious pile, the sound echoing in the silence of the library.
Mark looks at him for the first time since he sat down, one eyebrow raised in mild exasperation.
“If Professor Kim comes over I will hex you, but tell me, how did you know about Hyuck?”
“He cornered me in the Great Hall this morning, asked me what Jaemin smells like, all frantic and panicking,” Jeno lays down, his head resting on Mark’s lap and Mark moves to make room for him. Mark smells the same: like Jeno’s fabric softener and lemon oil, it’s as familiar as it is soothing for Jeno.
There’s also a hint of candlewax, probably because of how long he has been sitting here surrounded by the candles.
Mark lets out an amused laugh, his attention now completely on Jeno. Under the soft remnants of the candlelight, Mark looks angelic— the light reflecting off of his dark hair making it seem like a halo around his head, it has Jeno giggling just a little bit.
“Donghyuck couldn’t have just asked you to confirm what potion Jaemin was making? Remind me to bring this up next time they say that Gryffindors have better critical thinking skills.”
“Hey! I’m also a Gryffindor!”
Mark laughs again but doesn’t refute the implication. He turns, lifting Jeno’s head from his lap to straddle the bench. Once Mark is comfortable and is sure Jeno is too, he removes his wire-rimmed glasses, placing them on the table before burying his fingers into Jeno’s hair.
“Any improvement to the renlesung situation?”
“Last I heard, Jisung was freaking out about Renjun wearing yellow to his game and Chenle was throwing a hissy fit about it,” It’s late, they should start packing up soon if they didn’t want to get thrown out in a more disgraceful fashion for staying past curfew, but he’s comfortable and Mark seems content enough where he is, so he stays.
He considers the idea of trying his hand at a disillusionment charm, to extend this moment for just a bit more. Just a few more minutes.
Maybe he will look for a time turner to exhaust these few moments that he gets with Mark by reliving them over and over again.
“Sounds about right. What about you?” Mark caresses his cheekbone, pressing lightly at the scar he had gotten during the duel with Donghyuck in the last DADA class.
“What about me?”
“Tell me what you’ve been upto without me knowing these past few days.”
“You say that like you came to see me at all,” Jeno eyerolls but continues, “That scar is from yesterday. Duel in class. Donghyuck was too close to me when I disarmed him. Wand nicked my face when it flew.”
Jeno raises his hand to trace the little scar just under his eye, mouth twisting in annoyance as he recalled Donghyuck’s face when he had realised that Jeno had just gotten himself injured while casting a disarming spell. Bloody idiot.
“It might scar.”
“Well, I sure hope my boyfriend doesn’t dump me over a scar that doesn’t even span an inch.”
Jeno had missed this, the comfort he felt around Mark, incomparable to any other, akin to that of knitted jumpers in a snowstorm.
He wishes he could take Mark back to the Gryffindor common room and snuggle together on a couch in front of the fireplace. But alas, the mouths on their juniors are not to be underestimated.
It’s not that nobody knows that they are dating, because in addition to some students, the house ghosts definitely know more than they show. It’s just that they would prefer for the professors to be kept out of the loop of their love lives for everyone’s sake. Especially after they had gotten caught in an almost compromising situation by Professor Lee of all people.
The man didn’t snitch, but he made sure to remind Jeno of the incident every time they crossed paths.
Vague remarks, snarky looks and the whole kit.
So they have to make do with whatever time they are able to steal with each other outside of the dorms and classes. In the library, in this case.
“I have a game this weekend. We’re playing Ravenclaw,” Jeno raises his hand to find Mark’s, pulling so that their joined hands are in sight. Mark lets him.
“Yea? Important game?”
“Well, not really. They’re lame and we’re definitely going to win,” Jeno scoffs, twisting the ring on Mark’s index finger before laying his palm flat against Mark’s open hand.
He’s heard that this was how muggle teenagers flirt, what an odd bunch.
“Renjun doesn’t care about quidditch but I have a feeling he would have a lot to say if he heard you say that,” He sounds amused and it's so easy to hear the smile in his voice.
“That’s why I told you and not him.”
They stay that way, basking in the contentment that comes with simply existing in the presence of one another, closing the distance between them with the simplest of touches.
One, two, three fingertips touch.
“We should head back.” Mark says, his voice lowering to a whisper. Oh so now he wants to leave.
“Oh come onn. I haven’t seen you in soo long,” Jeno resorts to whining, turning his face to press into Mark’s thigh, his fingers meshing through the gaps in Mark’s.
There’s silence for a moment and Jeno begins to think Mark folded for him, when Mark says—
“Yea, I was wondering, do you think we could sneak into the Ravenclaw Tower without getting caught?” The look Mark gives him is that of pure glee.
“We could stargaze,” He adds.
A pause.
“Sometimes I wonder if the sorting hat was wrong with you,” Jeno retorts but slowly sits up and starts his quest to collect everything that fell out of his bag, “We won't know until we try it.”
Mark’s smile stretches wider, and Jeno wonders if he could point out exactly where Mark’s dimple falls even in this light. Maybe he should try under the moonlight when they successfully break into the tower.
“If we’re successful then we have to brag about this to Jisung. Oh my God, we should take a picture!”
“Isn’t this unfair? You’re head boy, of course it’s going to be easier for you,” Jeno reminds Mark, just in case he was forgetting the privileges he had before continuing. “Don’t you need one of those machines to take that? A picture, I mean,”
“It’s not unfair, I’m just using all the resources available,” Mark slings his bag over one shoulder and shrugs. “Also yes, and I happen to have one of those machines on me.”
Jeno waits for Mark to elaborate, to explain whether this machine is in his bag under an extension charm or whether he plans to accio it. Or just something else entirely because you just never know with Mark.
But he offers no further explanation and Jeno can’t be bothered to prod.“The sorting hat was definitely confused about you.”
Jeno is about to walk ahead of Mark to leave, pulling out his wand when Mark tugs at his robes. A small tug at first and then hard enough to pull Jeno into him, almost toppling them both over with the added weight.
“Wh—.”
Mark cuts him off with a kiss, soft and lasting only a second before pulling back to look at Jeno. He just stares at Jeno for a moment more, affection so apparent on his features, and leans forward to place another sweet kiss on the scar that he had been tracing with his finger just a few minutes ago. Sweet and so so adoring.
“I like you so bad, dude.”
It startles a laugh out of Jeno and Mark simply watches on as Jeno tries to stifle his amusement into a smile.
“I like you so bad too, dude. ”
“What? No ew, don’t call me dude,” Mark blanches, his face twisting away from him. Jeno doesn’t say anything and just raises an eyebrow.
“It’s different when it’s me, okay. You can’t call me dude, that’s like, the rule.”
“The rule. Okay and who’s making these rules?” Jeno asks, incredibly fond of this overgrown hufflepuff baby he calls his boyfriend.
“Me, of course.”
“Of course. God, you’re such a loser. Cast the disillusionment, I don’t want to be seen with you anymore.”
Mark’s laugh echoes in the hallways outside the library and the spectators wonder what had happened for the head boy to be laughing by himself after lights out