Chapter Text
O N E ☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ
Jongin can practically hear the thundering of his own heart as he nervously stretches a hand out. “Here. I...uh saved you some pudding from breakfast earlier. You know, in case you get hungry from all that studying.”
The Hufflepuff clad in a comfy striped yellow sweater looks down at the cup then back at him. Beaming brightly, he accepts the sweet treat. “Thanks Jongin, I really appreciate it.” He offers the brunette a friendly pat on the arm before running off to catch up with his friends.
It’s a miracle that Jongin’s shaky legs haven’t given up on him yet. He cradles his warm cheeks between his palms and hangs back to gaze dreamily at the spectacled male teetering down the corridor.
There’s an amused snort by his side. “Could you make your big fat crush any less obvious, Kim? It’s nauseating at this point.”
Jongin’s giddy smile is instantly replaced by a hostile scowl as irritation seeps through his skin.
He whips around to glare menacingly at the familiar blonde leaning against the wall with a smug grin. If it had been any other wizard, Jongin might have thought twice about blowing his top. But this particular one deserved everything that was coming.
“You know Sehun, I know you’re obsessed with me—” he pauses. “but my ass has been kissed enough lately, so you might wanna focus on your own sloppy bum and stay the fuck out of my business.”
He stares incredulously at the brunette with a raised eyebrow, before a deep chuckle slips out of his mouth.
Something about the Slytherin’s whole nonchalant facade thoroughly irked Jongin to his core.
“That’s rich coming from you, pudding.” The blonde unfolds his arms, pushing himself off the wall. ”And may I timely remind you once again in case you’ve conveniently forgotten,” he starts, “but your business is just as good as mine.”
Sehun ominously towers over Jongin with his unnecessarily broad shoulders and tall stature.
If there was one thing Jongin would ever admit to being jealous of, it would be his physical inability to stare back down at the blonde. Curse his older sister for all those noogies she’d given him as a kid...
Sehun tilts his chin down challengingly to level their gazes and Jongin glares right back with thinly concealed disdain.
“Keep your enemies closer remember?” With a firm clap to his shoulder, he brushes past the Gryffindor with a confident smirk playing on his lips.
“See you on the pitch, loser.”
☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ
“Love potions,” Professor Zhang’s wand is raised as he looks up from the boiling cauldron in front of him. “can induce powerful infatuations if the potioneer is skilful enough. And today, I’ll be showing you how to brew the most powerful love potion in all of existence—“
He pauses for dramatic effect. “Amortentia.”
A cheshire grin blooms on his face when he hears the light tinkling of excited murmurs floating around the class.
“Seems like a good time to remind you however, that no wizard has been able to successfully brew for a truly unbreakable, eternal and unconditional attachment that alone can be called love.”
He adds a dash of powdered moonstone and pearl dust into the mixture. “And of course, students are not allowed to be brewing love potions in Hogwarts—for obvious reasons.” he glares pointedly at resident troublemaker, Lucas, at the front of the class—who’s been uncharacteristically attentive since the start of the lesson. “But since Valentines’ Day is coming, I’ve decided to indulge all you lucky Year Six wizards.”
He stirs the cauldron once, before stepping back to sweep across the eager faces around the room.
“Now, who would like to try?”
A flurry of hands fly up frantically in anticipation of being chosen.
Professor Zhang points at the corner of the class. “Alright... Byun Baekhyun and,” He glances to the back of the room and smiles amiably at the stoic wizard; clad in a crisp white shirt embellished with a green serpent crest, staring back impassively with crossed arms.
“Oh Sehun.”
The male in question barely stiffens at the sudden call of his name. “Thank you for eagerly volunteering to be today’s test subjects.” Jealous groans fill the entire room as the blonde rises from his seat.
Jongin’s eyes are glued to the sandy haired boy with glowing cheeks, situated right at the front of the room. His keen eyes follow the latter’s every move as Baekhyun leans in for a closer look at the concoction.
There’s a knowing nudge on his side. “Dude, chill. You’re gonna burn holes into the poor guy.”
He swats the intrusion away without batting an eyelid. “Don’t distract me, Ravi.”
Professor Zhang beckons the pair over to the cauldron. “You can go first, Baekhyun. Tell the class what you smell.”
The Hufflepuff closes his eyes and draws in a deep breath.
The way his soft lashes flutter against his puffy eye bags are the most endearing thing he’s ever seen, Jongin thinks.
“I smell... verbena, a hint of citrus and... some kind of wood?” his eyebrows furrow in uncertainty.
“Wood? What kind of wood?” Professor Zhang probes helpfully.
“Like...” a faint blush blooms prettily on the apples of his cheeks. “like that of a lute.”
Minho whistles from a corner of the room. “Sounds like a certain Gryffindor I know.” He throws a suggestive arm around Chanyeol’s shoulder and the class bursts into a collective chorus of taunting “ooohs”.
Baekhyun’s cheeks visibly redden.
Professor Zhang holds a placating hand up, smiling. “Okay okay. That’s enough teasing. Baekhyun, you may be seated.”
Jongin’s shoulders visibly deflate at the sight of Chanyeol’s equally red ears. The Hufflepuff positively avoids the taller’s gaze as he shuffles back to his seat with a subtle smile on his lips.
Yanking a cube of toffee out of his pocket, Jongin pops it into his mouth sulkily, hoping the sweet buttery taste would overwhelm the bitterness on his tongue.
Ravi claps an encouraging hand on his roommate’s shoulder. “Chin up, my guy.”
The brunette in question huffs out a frustrated groan and rests his head on the table— tuning out the rest of the lesson.
Reaching behind him, the Professor pulls the bored Slytherin over by the arm to stand in front of the cauldron. “Now Sehun, your turn. What do you smell?”
The blonde male leans forward with mild curiosity, steadily inhaling the pink wafts of smoke that are curling up into the air.
“Roses.” he murmurs. “And something sickeningly sweet. I don’t know, strawberries maybe. And caramel I guess.”
Ravi turns around to glance at Moonkyu—who looks back at him with equally wide eyes, then down at Jongin who still has his head tucked neatly between his arms.
The class erupts into speculative whispers as Sehun straightens back up to meet Professor Zhang’s amused expression.
“Well, the person you like must have a very sweet tooth then.”
The Slytherin scoffs lightly, casually stuffing his hands into the pockets of his dark trousers. “There’s no such person.”
Professor Zhang offers a mysterious smile in response and turns his attention back to the class.
“One thing that all wizards should know about Amortentia, is its ability to manipulate both the conscious and subconscious mind. Which is what makes it all the more an exciting, yet extremely dangerous method of compulsion.”
Sehun squints skeptically at the Professor—briefly wondering if the lunatic knew more than he let on. Then, rolling his eyes, he proceeds back to his seat.
☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ
Jongin flops onto his soft bed with an exasperated sigh. “Do you think I’m in love, Moonkyu?”
The brunette swivels around in his chair, eyebrow raised and feather quill tapping against his chin thoughtfully.
“The question is, are you really in love? Or are you in love with the idea of love that you’ve conjured in your own mind?”
He ignores his best friend in favour of sulking even harder. “Why does Baekhyun have to be the most attractive wizard in the entire school? It’s just not fair.”
Moonkyu shakes his head, pushing his glasses higher up his nose-bridge. “What’s not fair is him being both Quidditch captain and the fastest chaser, while maintaining one of best grades in Hufflepuff.”
Jongin flips over and groans into his pillow in frustration.
“Nobody appreciates chivalry anymore! What more do I have do to get his attention? I’ve carried his books, walked him to class and I even gave him a brand new bag of popcorn on his way to the common room. And he still won’t spare me a glance when we walk past each other in the hallway!”
Moonkyu chuckles heartily, eyes pinned on the levitating quill in his palm. “Oh Sehun would though.”
Jongin’s head snaps up at the mention of that godforsaken name. “What does Oh Sehun have to do with any of this?”
With a casual shrug, the brunette glances up at his roommate with a devious smile on his face. “I mean, besides the fact that he’s a Slytherin, you two have so much in common. Not to mention your rich history together. Maybe you should try getting with him instea—“
A pillow comes flying across the room as Jongin chucks it at the brunette angrily.
“You know how much he bothers me, why would you even bring up that little shit?”
The brunette hauls the pillow right back at his roommate. “You literally butt heads with him for absolutely no reason! Just because you both want the title of best seeker every damn year, doesn’t mean you can’t like each other. This anti-Sehun agenda is completely uncalled for. He’s a good desk mate you know.”
“He’s also a Slytherin,” Jongin huffs indignantly. “how many times has he tried to sabotage my chances of competing in the Tournament?”
“So what if he snitched on you for ditching class that one time? That was clearly on you, and you barely got benched.”
It’s not that Jongin had never considered the prospect of liking Oh Sehun. On the contrary, if it wasn’t for the fact that the blonde was an insufferable egomaniac who only knew how to rub his wins in the Gryffindor’s face, Jongin probably would’ve fallen for his disgustingly attractive looks (not that he would ever admit that out loud though).
Additionally, their deep-seated rivalry was something neither of them could ever let go of so easily. With them, it’s always been about getting ahead of the other; and the entire school knew that.
“You’re supposed to be on my side, you know.” Lips pursed into a pout, Jongin folds his arms across his chest in petulance.
Ravi jumps to his feet after completing his last set of push-ups, dusting his hands off.
“All is fair in love and war,” he declares.
Moonkyu nods in agreement. “Exactly.”
Jongin broods, eyes trained on the intricate designs of the ceiling.
“You guys are useless. Why are we even friends?”
A scoff is heard. “Because we’re the only ones who can tolerate your stubborn ass?” Ravi flashes a forced smile at the bronzed male before pulling a house sweater over his head.
Jongin throws an arm over his eyes tiredly, “Unrequited love sucks.” His mind ponders over other ways he could possibly get Baekhyun to like him.
In the midst of sieving through his thoughts, a bold idea suddenly latches itself onto his big brain.
He sits up in excitement.
“Hey, you know what....maybe you’re right. All is fair in love and war.”
Ravi did not like the mischievous look on Jongin’s face. “What are you scheming?”
After a brief glance over his shoulder, he leans forward.
“Amortentia.” He whispers discreetly, as if the wandering ghost of Nearly Headless Nick might jump him if he’d said it any louder.
Jaws drop simultaneously as Jongin’s roommates gape at him like he’s grown a second head.
The brunette bites on a chipped nail nervously, allowing the silence to stretch. “If I could just get my hands on one vial maybe I can—“
A sudden smack to the back of his head effectively breaks him out of his thoughts.
“Ow!” He looks back up at Moonkyu, offended. “What the hell was that?”
A stern look is painted on the latter’s face. “I know damn well you did not just tell us that you’re planning to smuggle in a love potion just to get your crush to notice you. Not even gonna consider the consequences to your reputation if you get caught? Or all those points you’ll be costing our House?”
He holds an open palm up in disappointment when Jongin opens his mouth to retaliate.
“Don’t even think about it, Jongin. I’m no longer associating myself with you if you even think to mention that in front of my face again.”
“I hate to agree with Mr-know-it-all over here but he’s right dude. You’re gonna get Gryffindor into a shit load of trouble.” Ravi clicks his tongue.
“Come on, just for a week! I just wanna know what it feels like to have my feelings reciprocated.”
Ravi sighs with a look of pity. “Look, we get where you’re coming from. But not like this, dude.”
Falling back into his bed with a disappointed huff, Jongin turns on his side and pulls the covers over his head.
“Whatever.”
☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ
Acting inconspicuous was so much harder than it seemed.
As other wizards graze past by him in the corridor, Jongin nervously tugs his hood further down his head to cover his eyes. His hurried footsteps halt once he finally reaches the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy. He closes his eyes shut and clasps his hands together, pacing past the picture three times.
When he opens his eyes again, the entrance to the Room of Requirement conjures right in front of him.
Shuffling in, he navigates through a long, narrow passageway until he reaches a dead end. He patiently waits for the portrait of Ariana Dumbledore to swing open before he toes through the secret entrance.
There, waiting for him on the other side, stood a familiar figure donned in a dark navy robe. The brunette briefly lifts his hood up to meet the former’s cat-like eyes.
“You got what I asked for?”
The potioneer pulls out a vial of pink liquid from his pocket and slips it into Jongin’s crimson cloak. “This one’s fresh so the effects might last about a week. A little longer if you’re lucky.”
“Thanks hyung, I owe you one.” he nods at the wizard in gratitude. His cousin Minseok had graduated from Hogwarts as the best potioneer in his year. If there was one person he could trust to get the brew done without snitching, it was him.
“Look, I’m not even gonna ask what it’s for.” He rolls his eyes. “Just don’t get caught. And if you do, remember—“ he lifts a stern finger up for emphasis. “this meeting never happened.”
He draws the hood over his dark mullet and turns sharply on his heels before the Gryffindor can even open his mouth to respond.
“Hyung, wait up!” Jongin immediately follows suit.
Might as well swing by Sugarplum’s Sweetshop to buy Baekhyun some treats since he was already in Hogsmeade.
☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ
The brunette peers out into the Hall of Hexes, silently hoping nobody catches him sneaking out of the room. He closes the door as gingerly as possible to avoid making any noise.
“Well, look what we have here. A little rat?”
Jongin startles at the deep voice that resonates from behind and hastily turns around.
He comes face to face with his worst nightmare in the flesh; standing in the middle of the hallway with his arms folded across his chest, sporting a smug grin.
“Had fun?” he lilts.
Jongin scoffs incredulously. “As if that’s any of your concern?”
“Woah, aren’t you being a little too defensive for someone who just got caught sneaking out? Again.”
“Maybe I was hungry.” The brunette answers curtly, hoping to no longer delay the conversation. But the Slytherin had no intentions of letting him off the hook so easily.
“Dinner wasn’t enough for you? Had to go get a late night snack too?”
Feeling cornered, the only thread of patience that was left dangling for dear life in Jongin’s conscience finally snaps.
“Fuck off, Sehun.”
Sehun’s gaze flickers down to the brunette’s hands behind his back. “You know, you’re acting really strange. Should I call Professor Zhang on you?”
Panicking, Jongin nearly lashes out at him. “Am not! Why would I be acting weird? I literally have nothing to hide so you shouldn’t make a big deal out of it.”
“Okay. Then show me what’s behind your back.” The Slytherin raises an accusing brow.
A bead of sweat trickles down the side of Jongin’s angular jaw. “Just... pastries for my roommates.” he shrugs, pulling a hand out to show off the treats. “Not that you of all people deserve an explanation.”
Sehun narrows his eyes at Jongin, extremely skeptical of the excuse he seems to have conjured up on the spot.
“You’re up to something.” He saunters over to the brunette in confident strides and leans in for a threatening whisper.
“And when I find out what that is, best believe the whole of Gryffindor will be cussing you out for all those demerits you’re about to earn them.”
He ruffles the top of Jongin’s head with a sinister smile. The latter blinks nervously as the blonde glides past him in the opposite direction. Once the footsteps fully recede, Jongin exhales a heavy breath he didn’t even know he was holding onto.
Oh Sehun really knew how to ruin his day.
☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ
Whistling a merry tune as he slicks his hair back with a comb, Jongin prepares to leave for a new day of classes when Moonkyu enters the room with a light spring in his step.
“Oh hey, you’re still here?” Moonkyu nods at him from the doorway.
Jongin smiles, an aura of excitement oozing out of him. “Yeah, how was your supplementary class?”
“Pretty good—you know how much I love Dark Arts. Hey we should get going though, where’s Ravi?”
“He’s got a Sphinx Club meeting. He’ll meet us in first period.”
As Moonkyu crosses the room to grab his books, Jongin saunters over to the wooden table. His eyebrows furrow in confusion when he notices the absence of his nicely wrapped box of Cauldron Cakes.
“Moonkyu.”
“Yeah?”
“Where’s the bag of Cauldron Cakes I left here yesterday night?” his face blanches at the thought of his roommates eating the Amortentia-infused delicacy. Jongin starts to search the room frantically.
“Oh? I brought it with me to my morning class and shared them with Sehun. He seemed really hungry, I didn’t even get a bite in.”
The brunette halts in his tracks. “You what?”
“Why? Was I not supposed to? You left them on my side of the table, so I thought they were for me—“
Jongin sprints out the door without even listening to rest of his excuse. Swinging the door open, he crashes headfirst into something solid. He winces and raises a hand to rub at the sore spot on his nose, eyes tearing away from the wooden floor.
Nothing in this world could have ever prepared him for the sight of Oh Sehun standing before his very eyes with the dumbest lovestruck expression on his face.
“Hi,” he smiles, and for a split second, Jongin’s heart skips a beat at how genuinely pretty it looks on him.
“I’ve been looking all over for you.” he curls a hand around Jongin’s waist and pulls their bodies impossibly close. The brunette’s hands fly up to the Slytherin’s broad chest, keeping a respectable distance between them.
“Speaking of...did...did you eat my Cauldron Cakes by any chance?”
Nodding slowly, Sehun hums in acknowledgement. “Mhmm.”
He fixes a fond gaze on the brunette and stares dreamily into his eyes. “They were really sweet,” He leans in to kiss the corner of Jongin’s lips and the latter completely freezes, body overcome with extreme shock.
“I can see why now.”
Heat instantly floods Jongin’s cheeks when Sehun continues to rub against his face with small nuzzles. “You smell nice.” He murmurs into the curve of Jongin’s neck.
Something finally shatters in the Gryffindor’s head and he uses all his strength to shove the blonde away altogether. Shame plagues his entire being when he realises what he’s done.
“Fuck,” his eyes widen in horror.
“Oh,” Sehun nods eagerly as he recovers from a stumble. “we could definitely do that.”
Jongin instinctively steps back when the taller attempts to close the distance. “No!” He draws in a deep breath. “Just—listen Sehun, you’re not in the right state of mind right now. You can’t—“
“Jongin, why did you just— Sehun?” Moonkyu’s eyebrows furrow in confusion when he notices the tall blonde standing coyly outside their door. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m here for Jongin.” he breaks out into a bright smile as his uncharacteristically soft eyes flicker away from the brunette to his roommate.
“Oh? That’s new. What for?”
“Just wanted to profess my love—“
Jongin instinctively clamps a firm hand over the blonde’s mouth, interrupting. “—For the Cauldron cakes!”
“Yeah,” The tanned male chuckles nervously. “He wanted to tell me that he really enjoyed them.”
Jongin feels a hand ghosting along the side of his waist and flinches at the ticklish sensation. Moonkyu’s eyes flit over to the small movement. The brunette inwardly curses in his head.
He swats Sehun’s hand away and glances at his roommate awkwardly.
“We should go! Professor Suho is gonna be so mad if we’re late again.” He spins Moonkyu around and pushes him towards the direction of their transfiguration class.
Glancing over his shoulder, he pins Sehun with a stern glare when the blonde makes a move to follow after them.