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The day started like any other.
Autumn was settling well and it was settling fast, and the overcast facade cast upon the enchanted ceiling really served to outline the somewhat drab atmosphere of the season. It was getting chillier now, a little rainier, and students were taking to dressing in their thicker jumpers to preserve their body heat. And while it may have been cold and wet and grey, there was an odd sort of enjoyment to it. Because not only was magic bloody amazing, but the castle stayed warm and inviting no matter how inconveniencing the weather got.
Breakfast in the Great Hall was the same as it’s always been, an uncharacteristic silence intermixed with the occasional chatter as half-awake students attempted to shed the sleep from their minds. Pleasant scents of fresh toast and eggs and sausages wafted through the air, a group of Gryffindors were gearing up for their practice on the Quidditch pitch, and Headmaster Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall were engaged in a heated discussion at the Head Table.
Just like any other day.
For Hogwarts’ resident sunshine, Hufflepuff Prefect, and Quidditch Seeker, however, it was perhaps the worst morning he’s ever had.
“If Professor Babbling keeps this up, I’ll never live to become a Magizoologist!”
“I told you not to sign up for Ancient Runes, Lix. This is no one’s fault but yours, I’m afraid.”
Felix slammed his book shut, groaning into its cover.
“Kill me now, Jeongin. I can’t do this.”
Jeongin set aside his utensils. “Why do you even need to take Ancient Runes? You’re already taking Care of Magical Creatures and Arithmancy. Just how many classes are you taking this year?”
The Hufflepuff lifted his head, crossing his arms over the massive tome, sighing as if the entire Wizarding World’s problems were braced on his tiny little shoulders. “Well,” he began bashfully, “I didn’t need to, not necessarily.”
Jeongin raised a brow in obvious derision.
“But I convinced Professor Dumbledore to add an extra elective for me in place of lunch block–which is why I haven’t joined you guys for lunch, by the way–and I had to decide between Muggle Studies and Ancient Runes. But I already took Muggle Studies for the last two terms, so I asked Professor Sprout, and she really encouraged me to sign up for Ancient Runes. You know, challenge myself and all that.” He smiled crookedly at the Ravenclaw, batting his lashes and blinking owlishly, hoping to appeal to the mushy soft spot the younger had for him.
“And look at you now, preying on my nonexistent homicidal tendencies to free you from said…challenge.”
The blond pouted. Mission failed pathetically. “Look, I don’t regret taking it. Really, I don’t. Ancient Runes is fascinating and incredibly helpful, it's just…it’s just a lot. And I feel like this exam really fudged up my grade.”
“I doubt that, Lix. You’re brilliant. And Professor Babbling adores you. Besides, we’re only two weeks in. Relax.”
Felix exhaled deeply, running troubled hands through his hair. “Thanks, Innie. I know that. I just…I just hope you’re right.”
The brunet smiled, eyes scrunching into charming crescents and dimples denting his cheeks. “I’m always right,” he declared triumphantly, taking a swig of pumpkin juice.
Felix rolled his eyes. “Yes, yes. But in any case, I need to-”
There was a crash, followed by the sounds of rapid footsteps and a gust of crisp, autumn air.
“Erm…we have a slight problem.”
The pair turned to see a flustered Han Jisung staring back at them with wide eyes. His cheeks were flushed, nose and ears tinged pink from the cold.
“Sungie!” beamed Felix, “where have you been? The dorm was empty when I woke up, I-” he cut himself off, straightening his posture to fully observe the sight before him.
His fellow Hufflepuff rubbed at his nape in embarrassment. His tie was askew, his shirt untucked, and his wand was clasped tightly in his hand. “What the bloody hell is going on…?” Felix then asked, brows drawn in perplexion.
“We…as in, uh, you and I–but really mostly you–have a problem.”
“A–what?”
Jisung placed his hands on his hips, blowing out a puff of air from his cheeks. “I think it’s best if you see for yourself.”
Felix blinked. He glanced at Jeongin who looked just as concerned and confused as he did, and then flicked his eyes back towards their friend. Jisung was biting his lip–more like chewing on it, really–and his eyes reeked of urgency and panic.
Without another seconds’ worth of hesitation, Felix grabbed his wand and his cloak, then he and Jeongin followed Jisung out of the Great Hall.
And only then did it occur to Felix, as he was rushing past the few students lingering in the corridors, that it wasn’t just any other day, now was it?
No.
It was Felix’s birthday.
The courtyard was all but deserted.
Save for a small cluster of people by the entrance, that is.
Jisung grinned sheepishly at the pair as he continued to lead them towards the group, and suddenly Felix recognised the familiar heads of their friends. He saw Chan and Minho, Changbin, Seungmin, and…wait, where’s-
He stumbled over a misplaced rock, gasping as Jeongin grabbed onto his arm to keep him from falling. The Hufflepuff shot him a grateful look, to which the Ravenclaw nodded in acknowledgement.
They kept walking.
Felix wasn’t sure how he should feel. On one hand, he was a canvas painted in shades of anxiety and nerves, on the other, fear and trepidation. And if he had a third, he’d say it was doused in hues of intrigue and curiosity.
But he doesn’t have three. He has two, and both of them tell him that whatever he’s going to find behind that wall of witless wonders is not gonna be good.
He took a deep breath and prayed to Merlin that he doesn’t die of a heart attack.
They reached the quartet and immediately, Felix was upon them like a vulture to an animal carcass. “What in Godric’s name is going on? And where is Hyunjin?”
No one dared meet his gaze. Nor did anyone dare to grace his inquiry with a response. Instead, they were all staring at the lump of clothes on the cobblestone, just a few metres away from them. The silence was ticking him off–rightfully so, in his opinion. And just as his eye began to twitch in the way it does before he explodes, Jisung pushed his way through the throng, skidding to a halt in front of him.
“Okay–wait,” interjected Jisung, laughing breathlessly, “before you get your wand in a knot…we just, uh…”
Exasperatedly, “spit it out, Jisung!”
“Wejustwantedtosayhappybirthday!”
Felix’s eye twitched.
He stared at Jisung, who was blushing profusely, then to Chan, who had his hands shoved in his pockets with an aloof expression on his face. Minho and Seungmin appeared nonplussed, yet Changbin looked almost…guilty. Felix’s eyes narrowed infinitesimally, mouth set in a serious line, completely gobsmacked.
“You–y-mmph-” he shut his eyes, bringing a tightly closed fist to his mouth. He stayed quiet for a few moments, opting to compartmentalise his frustrations lest he combust in a mess of Fiendfyre and most probably, pixie dust. “Where,” he breathed, “in the name of Merlin-” he opened his eyes, “is Hyunjin.”
Jisung hesitated before moving to the side. And that’s when Felix let his gaze trail down to the object of everyone’s focus.
The scowl on his face morphed into a full-blown frown once he took note of the emerald green lining along the cloak’s interior. The belt with a buckle he knew all too well, shoes that he’d be able to differentiate even in the largest of crowds. The tie, the Prefect pin. The family ring. The eleven-inch wand with a core of unicorn hair, made from Rowan wood.
Then a white, furry little head poked out of the swathes of dark fabric.
Felix’s jaw dropped.
“You turned my boyfriend into a ferret?!”
The first thing Madam Pomfrey did when Felix barged into the Infirmary bearing a ferret was ask the boy, “do I want to know, Mr. Lee?”
Felix sighed, cradling the ferret against his chest. “Definitely not,” he said, turning to glare at his friends. “But he-he won’t turn back. We’ve tried everything.”
“Sorry, Mr. Lee, but did you say turn back?”
Felix swallowed.
“Yes, Ma’am. I did. This,” he explained, lifting the wriggling animal in his hands, “is Hyunjin.”
It would take a week for the counter-potion to take effect.
Madam Pomfrey was indeed a skilled healer. But seeing as her area of expertise lies with humans and not ferrets, she was hesitant to administer anything that would require active magic. It turns out that Hyunjin had enlisted the help of their friends to carry out a new spell he wanted to try out. Only, there were some…complications, and their magic rebounded and manifested into a mega-spell that transformed its target into a small, oblong mammal. Thus: Ferret-Hyunjin.
Essentially, she feared that even more magic would put too much strain on Ferret-Hyunjin’s little body, and she was unsure of how his biology would handle it. There was the probability that it could result in an irreversible permanence of his transfigurative state. Meaning that Hyunjin may very well remain trapped in the body of a ferret forever.
Therefore, in its stead, she prepared a remedy potion that would reverse the effects of whatever residual magic was keeping him in that form. He had to drink it twice a day, for seven days, without missing a single dose. And when she saw the crestfallen expression on Felix’s face, she patted his shoulder and assured the distraught Hufflepuff boy that he’d be back to normal in no time.
But that meant that Felix’s boyfriend for the next week was a ferret.
A ferret, for Helga’s sake.
Felix didn’t know the first thing about ferrets, but after inquiring with Hagrid about basic ferret care, he had a small semblance of understanding.
The only thing was that…well, Ferret-Hyunjin was still very much Hyunjin.
Kind of a snob, more-than-kind-of a scaredy-cat, and above all, an absolute menace. Topped with a ferret’s natural propensity for mischief, well, let’s just say that Felix had his work cut out for him.
A slippery little bugger, he was. Slithering in and out of places he knew damn well he ought not to be slithering in–especially when it came to taking his potion, which he absolutely despised and tried to avoid at all costs. Yet he seemed to forget that his boyfriend was a fantastic Seeker, and while his ferret dexterity posed a challenge, it wasn’t enough to stop the Hufflepuff from successfully shoving the potion down his throat.
Gently, of course. He wasn’t a monster.
But Ferret-Hyunjin was.
He stole wands and scarves from unsuspecting students, hats and pieces of parchment, shiny trinkets like watches or earrings or rings, and even bits of chicken. And those things, without fail, would always end up in Felix and Jisung’s dorm, tucked away in some nondescript corner or under a wardrobe or behind a cupboard.
How he managed to do all of that was still a mystery.
Felix, in consequence, received numerous complaints about his thieving boyfriend, all bearing claims that he’d pilfered their things while their heads were turned or from their bags or pockets or what have you. Felix, unknowingly and naïvely, denied each and every one, upholding the belief that Hyunjin would never do such a thing.
It was a dreadfully embarrassing moment when he discovered Ferret-Hyunjin’s stash of wands;
(there were at least ten or twenty).
When he happened upon his collection of rings;
(there were at least twenty or thirty).
And finally when he interrogated the little rascal in order to locate his horde of gloves.
(there were too many mismatched pairs to number).
A teeny, sceptical part of Felix was convinced that his boyfriend was enjoying his newfound ferrethood. Being carried around the castle, hand-fed, bathed, and entertained. Having his every need attended to, his every ferrety desire fulfilled, and all the attention he could ever fathom wanting from anyone he came across. Even after his roguish tendencies were uncovered, it was hard for people to stay upset with him. He’d gain their forgiveness just by being so bloody cute.
Their words, not Felix’s.
Of course, that wasn’t far off from his usual experiences, even as a human. Slytherin Prince and all that. Hogwarts’ Number One It-Boy, handsomest student, the pride and joy of one, Severus Snape.
Still. The bloody weasel was really laying it on thick.
And Felix could say that because he was the one scooping Hyunjin’s shite off the floors and fishing his own socks and ties out from under his bed.
But even Felix had to admit that Ferret-Hyunjin was rather cute. Unbearably so, in fact. He had this long, soft body, fur white as snow, the cutest little feet, the most precious ears and nose and tail. But Felix’s favourite part of Ferret-Hyunjin was his eyes.
He could see that Real-Hyunjin was there. Behind that intelligent, depthless gaze. He could see that his Hyunjin was there, aware and waiting.
Felix…he really missed him. He missed his voice, his laugh. He missed the scent of his skin and the feel of his lips. He missed his hugs, and the way his hair felt through his fingers, and the way he split his licorice wands in half to share with him.
Ferret-Hyunjin was cute and he was entertaining, but Felix just wanted Hyunjin back.
He just wanted his boyfriend back. And yes, technically, Hyunjin was still here. But it wasn’t the same. It just wasn’t.
A week became terribly long when one was separated from their other half. And it was no different for the freckled Hufflepuff, who, after a long day of classes and studying, was curled onto his side in bed, staring at his boyfriend as he slept.
Ferrets did that a lot, he learned. Sleep. The first time Ferret-Hyunjin fell into what Muggles called a “dead sleep,” Felix had sobbed into his limp, furry body and assumed the absolute worst.
He then cried his way to Professor Grubbly-Plank’s office, carrying Hyunjin in his hands and panicking even more as his head bobbed lifelessly about. It was a surprise that he didn’t trip over his own feet and break his face open.
But Felix assumed it was alright when she assured him that Hyunjin was just asleep, and that he was perfectly sound in both body and mind.
Suffice it to say, but Felix started to pay a little extra attention during the stretches of time that Ferret-Hyunjin spent slumbering away.
He ran a finger over his tiny head, smiling as his nose twitched slightly. He was so soft and warm. So small. Belatedly, Felix rejoiced over how this was the only time he’d ever be the bigger one in their relationship.
The thought was endearing. But the emptiness of not having Real-Hyunjin was nearly debilitating.
He leaned over to kiss his forehead. Just a little longer. He could do this.
“Goodnight, Hyune.”
Just a little longer.
He flicked his wand to extinguish the lamplight, then fell asleep to the warmth of Hyunjin’s body against his cheek.
It was finally, finally day seven.
And day seven found Felix holed away in his favourite corner of the library, working on his paper for Charms. Ferret-Hyunjin was near-comatose on the desk next to his completed rolls of parchment, his little hands covering his face and tail wrapped around his legs.
Because of the excitement and anticipation he felt for this exact day, however, Felix realised that he overlooked a rather keen detail.
He had no idea when the transformation would take place, how it would occur, or even what sort of trigger would prompt it. Madam Pomfrey hadn’t really provided that information. He imagined, upon administering the final dose of Hyunjin’s potion, that a chain reaction of un-ferreting magical properties would unravel the effects of the mega-spell and redeliver his boyfriend to him in all his human glory.
But it had been two hours since he’d given Ferret-Hyunjin the remaining potion, and there was no change to his size or shape or speaking abilities whatsoever.
Felix was pretty sure he was beginning to fall into hysteria.
He couldn’t have a ferret boyfriend forever! He can’t marry a ferret! What would he tell his mum?
Does this mean that he’ll never hear his voice again? Never see his gorgeous face or play Quidditch with him ever again?
Does this mean he’ll never get to kiss him again or hug him again or lay next to him with his head on his chest again?
Merlin’s Beard-
Needless to say, Felix was hysteric.
In order to combat said hysteria, he redirected the hyperactivity of his thoughts and plunged headfirst into his Charms essay, hoping that by the time he was done, Ferret-Hyunjin would be Ferret-Hyunjin no more.
But then he finished.
And Hyunjin, much to his dismay, was still very much an animal.
The Hufflepuff fidgeted in his seat, reaching a hand to stroke along Hyunjin’s back. They’d been in the library for hours now, and soon enough curfew would be upon them.
Felix was exhausted . His eyes were burning and his brain felt like it had been replaced by the elves’ rice pudding. Which, actually, sounded pretty good right about now. Just…just not in his head. In general, rice pudding sounded good. He may stop by the kitchens for a bowl on his way back to the dorms.
For now, however, he supposes a quick nap would do him well.
He gathered his things and placed his quill back into its inkpot. He stood from his chair and stretched his arms over his head, yawning as if he hadn’t slept in ages.
Then, he carefully picked Ferret-Hyunjin up, cradling him in the crook of his arm as he walked back to the loveseat next to his favourite stained-glass window. He sank into its plush leather, sighing, gazing down at the white bundle in his hold.
Hyunjin was fast asleep, oblivious entirely to the world, and to his boyfriend who was one intrusive thought from registering as a ferret animagus so that he could spend the rest of eternity with Hyunjin in blessed weasel-hood.
…It wasn’t a terrible idea. If all else fails, it certainly is a viable option for him.
But he couldn’t give up now. Felix doesn’t know what he’s going to do should things take a turn for the worse, but he does know that he can’t just give up. Not yet. Not while there was still time and hope. So he wagers that while he waits he should cry, or scream. Throw a fit or set his scarf on fire, even. Anything to vent his frustrations about having an idiot for a boyfriend and even bigger idiots for friends.
But he digresses. Instead, he figures that a rested mind fares better than a tired one. So without stalling any longer, he drapes Ferret-Hyunjin over his neck, pulls the throw over his body and settles in for a nap.
Who knows, he ponders tiredly, maybe this is all just a dream.
When he came to, he felt crushed beneath an immovable weight. It was pressing into his ribs and his chest and pressing him painfully into the arm of the loveseat.
“What in the devil…” He cracked his eyes open and the first thing he saw was blond. A lot of just…long…blond…
His eyes widened.
…hair?!
Felix shot out of his reclined position, turning his head to take in the sight of-of Hyunjin. Staring at him.
Real-Hyunjin staring at him.
“Hyunjin!” he exclaimed, hands falling into place on either side of his stunning gorgeous beautiful face. “You’re back!”
The Slytherin nodded his head, hands clasping the Hufflepuff's forearms. “I’m…I’m back!”
Felix laughed, tears brimming his eyes. But then the joy on his face was quickly eclipsed by unadulterated rage. “You bloody moron,” he screamed, beating Hyunjin with the nearest book. “What were you thinking?”
His hands came up to defend against his boyfriend's halfhearted abuse, but it was to no avail. The tiny man was simply too aggrieved.
“In my defence, it should have worked.”
Felix stopped, lowering the book to his lap, breathing heavily. “What were you even trying to do?”
Hyunjin laughed lightly, palming his nape. “Well,” he started, gazing deep into Felix’s tear-stained eyes. “I just wanted to surprise my Pixie for his birthday.”
The Hufflepuff sniffled.
“The enchantment was to embed that piece you like from that one Muggle composer, uh…Debo, Debs…”
“Debussy? Claire de Lune?”
Hyunjin’s eyes lit up, “yeah! Yeah that’s the one. I wanted to embed it into the jewellery box that I’d made for you. But, um, you see, Bin and Seungmin got into an argument while they were in the middle of casting a stasis charm in the event that something blew up or whatever and it kinda…well, it kinda distracted me when I was casting the enchantment and they sort of clashed and…well, you know.”
Good Godric, Felix was in love with this boy.
“You did all of that for me?”
The Slytherin nodded, wiping a tear from Felix’s eye. “Of course, love. It was all for you.” The smile on his face was unbearably fond, but then his brows cinched together, “well, not the turning into a ferret bit, that wasn’t part of the plan, but the-”
Felix kissed him.
“Idiot,” he laughed against his lips.
“Your idiot,” murmured Hyunjin in return. He cupped Felix’s cheek, wrapping his other arm around his waist. “I know that technically I’m late, but, happy birthday, Lixie.”
The Hufflepuff grinned, leaning in for another kiss.
“It is now.”