Archive of Our Own

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It all started with a handshake.

The blurred faces of two people whose hands fit each other like a small piece of puzzle finding its match in a thousand piece set.

And it felt soft. So soft.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Chanyeol awoke with a start. His sister was gripping his robes. She must’ve been shaking him against the car’s backseat.

“Yoora, knock it off,” the annoyed teen brushed off his sister’s hand.

The elder Park rolled her eyes as she pointed outside. “We’re here, stupid. Mom and Dad went ahead with your trunk.”

“I’m going,” he said as he ran a finger through his silver locks and brushed the bits of morning star underneath his emerald eyes. He could feel Yoora’s gaze on him. “What is it?”

His sister was a journalist and it was her job to keep people informed. But ironically, he knew his family was keeping something from him. Every since they came back from their trip not only did his family members become cautious around him, but their servants did as well. They stole glances that made him shiver, leaving him to wonder if their change in demeanor was good or bad. They thought he was clueless but he wasn’t. He wished he was.

“Take care,” His sister mumbled as she stepped out of the car to move to the driver’s seat.

The seventeen-year-old nodded, climbing out of their family car and waving at his sister with a smile.

It was remarkably crowded at King’s Cross Station, but it always was every 1st of September. Busy muggles minded their own business as scours of wizard children made their way bizarrely unnoticed inside Platform nine and three quarters.

Park Chanyeol, a seventh-year student who wore a silver and green necktie over his white button-down shirt, pushed his trolley towards the wall between platforms nine and ten and was immediately greeted by the sight of the Hogwarts Express. The rumbling steamer still glimmered of the same red, black, and gold colors bearing the emblem of the greatest wizarding school of this day and age, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The old enchanted train traveled at least six times in a year, transporting thousands of young witches and wizards in training from King’s Cross in London to Hogsmeade Station somewhere in Scotland.

The seventh-year boy breathed in deeply and closed his striking emerald eyes, running his long fingers through his extraordinarily beautiful silver hair. He basked in the noise of what would be his last year as a student, the jumbled noises of the students on the platform fading together into something almost poetic.

He felt a bit melancholic. The start of term was yet to open but here he was already missing the hustle and bustle of his juniors, especially the first years, with their anxious and nervous faces. He, too, was once a curious first year, not quite sure of what was in store for the new semester. But he learned to succeed with a lot of help from his seniors, and now that he was appointed Head Boy, it was his duty to make sure the young ones received proper guidance as well. His appointment letter came in while he was on a vacation in Africa. To say he was ecstatic would be an understatement. Even his pet dog, Toben, wagged his tail excitedly when the delivery owl from the Headmaster arrived as if sensing the good news beforehand.

The summer would’ve been perfect until Fiendfyre devastated the street they stayed in. Wizarding tyrant Grindelwald, though imprisoned, had legions of cult followers who were named as the primary suspects in the unfortunate incident. The news reached London, and their family’s involvement earned them unwanted attention. To prevent the press from harassing the family, the British Ministry of Magic took the whole family under their protection.

“Chanyeol-ah. We’re very proud of you,” the words of his parents brought him out of his thoughts and back onto the platform. Mr. and Mrs. Park stepped up to his either side and hugged him tightly, each taking turns to kiss his forehead. He was almost the same height as his tall dad, but he had to bend his knees to let his mother have her way.

He exchanged a knowing glance with his father. Chanyeol had a feeling this year would be the hardest for his family. With Grindelwald imprisoned and his followers lying low and collecting supporters involuntarily, it was only a matter of time before heads turned on them. The threat was visible and the ministry seemed to pick up on this.

Mrs. Park brushed her fingers on his silver locks, trying to tame the ruliness of which Chanyeol felt was an addition to his charm. She also helped him fix his robes, re-pinning his Head Boy badge where everyone could see it. The initials H and B was carved beautifully on its surface, displaying his obligation to not only uphold the moral values of the school, but also to guide his fellow students in need. And with a final hug, he bid his parents farewell.

******

The sky over the Hogwarts Express already sparkled with a million stars as Chanyeol closed the door to the compartment. Two boys were already there, having reserved the space for both him and Kyungsoo.

Do Kyungsoo, a 6th year, was more than a head shorter than him with the tips of his forehead barely passing Chanyeol’s shoulder. Nevertheless, the Slytherin prefect was one of Chanyeol’s most trusted buddies and reigned him in when his childish tantrums surface. In his defense, the shorter male was just too mature and responsible which technically was a good trait, but Chanyeol knew his best friend could be an uptight son of a bitch if he chose too.

The two of them greeted the young’uns in their compartment. Seated on the window side to complete their Mythical Four were 5th year Slytherin beaters Kim Jongin and Oh Sehun. This pair of mischievous best friends had discovered a hidden passage leading to and from the edge of the Forbidden Forest when they were just in their second year. It was pretty valuable when they needed to escape detention.

“Hey guys, listen,” Chanyeol turned to Sehun, the tall blond Slytherin, who jumped up on his seat at the window side of the compartment, giddy to share his story. “Jongin and I saw glimpses of the new aurors aboard the train.”

“There’s an awful lot of them this year,” Jongin, the tan Slytherin nearer to Chanyeol, spoke. “Do you know the one with fiery red hair and golden robes? He looked foreign and yet familiar at the same time.”

The description sounded familiar to Chanyeol, and yet he couldn’t put a face to it. “I’m not sure, but you can search for him there.” The Head Boy pointed at the thick pile of papers in Kyungsoo’s arms. The two of them just came from a meeting with all the prefects to orient the fifth years to their new duties. Chanyeol received the auror profiles during the meeting as well. As Head Boy, it was his duty to coordinate patrols with the professionals, most especially during official school events, to ensure the safety of all students.

“He was a tad bit short…? Not really important but his eyes! Golden!” Sehun enumerated the auror’s features towards the prefect who obliged and scoured through the pile. “And he doesn’t look a day older than that other auror,  Kim Minseok!”

Jongin rolled his eyes. “Haven’t I already proven that Kim Minseok is a real vampire??”

“I digress,” Sehun huffed. “And even if he is, he can suck my blood anytime.” The fifth year wiggled his eyebrows which elicited loud groans and sentiments of disgust.

“Can you guys please keep off the aurors? They’re just trying to do their job here,” Chanyeol felt a slight headache.

“Saving a damsel in distress?” Sehun chuckled as he placed the back of his hand lightly on his forehead. “Oh dear, Minseokie! Save me!”

Kyungsoo grabbed the thick folder in his arms and pretended to smash it over Sehun’s face. The younger Slytherin twitched in fear as he cackled and pointed at the prefect. “Yah!! You act like you don’t get all lovey dovey with Jongin! Can’t a guy flirt with his crush in peace?”

Chanyeol sighed as he settled down beside Sehun and confiscated the files in Kyungsoo’s arms who sat across him. “No one’s hitting anyone. And no one’s gonna hit on anyone, especially the aurors.” He glanced at Sehun who slouched in his seat with a dejected pout.

“Okay… the file says the golden robed auror is Byun Baekhyun. His page is blank.” The prefect creased his brows as Chanyeol double checked the file and found that there really is nothing written on the profile given to him. “This guy… I overheard my parents talking about him last night. Something to do with the Ministry of Magic,” Kyungsoo mumbled as Chanyeol chewed up the information. Besides Yoora being a journalist, his parents, like Kyungsoo’s, also worked under the Ministry of Magic which allowed him to eavesdrop on classified events. Their hushed voices at the back garden carried the name   Byun Baekhyun and Chanyeol was itching to know why.

The mention of the name seemed to perk up the fifth year beside Kyungsoo. “Byun Baekhyun? The Byun Baekhyun? Mahoutokoro seeker? His school played a rehearsal game against the youngest players of Chuddley Cannon a few years ago while he was a student. He’s actually kind of well known. He’s born around the same year as Chanyeol hyung.” Jongin excitedly divulged his knowledge on the golden robed auror.

“An auror at seventeen?” Sehun scrunched his eyebrows. “Isn’t that too young?”

Jongin shook his head. “He’s eighteen. And yes, now that I think about it, I’ve read one of Yoora’s reports on him. You see, Mahoutokoro students are handed robes which change color as they learn and understand magic. Not all adults are able to achieve golden robes on their graduation but Baekhyun had it when he was fourteen. He’s pure talent.”

The train ride was long and the stories exchanged between the childhood friends were many. Chanyeol divulged everything that happened to his family during the summer holidays, Sehun shared his adventures touring Asia while Kyungsoo was celebrated by his family for perfecting his O.W.L.s.

“Jongin,” Kyungsoo sighed as the younger Slytherin looked at him. “Please tell me you wore socks.”

The fifth year Slytherin grinned as he removed his shoes and proceeded to wiggle his bare toes in front of the sixth year’s face. “Guess.”

“Ewww,” Sehun exclaimed as he shoved Jongin towards Kyungsoo which earned a whine from the younger. Kyungsoo seemed to have frozen in shock from the impact.

Chanyeol smiled as he watched his friend’s antics, his headache slightly receding. “Hey, you guys, any congratulations for me? Your handsome ex-captain, and now, Head Boy?” he pointed to himself.

“Oh, congrats hyung!!” Sehun looked at him with a grin and Chanyeol could feel their group’s running joke coming. “You’re finally single!”

This earned Sehun a light slap on the back of the head from the Head Boy who sighed. “That’s old. And I was not in a relationship with my Captainship.”

“No! It’s too soon! It’s only been months since they broke up! His heart hasn’t healed yet!” Jongin laughed at his friend’s misery which in turn earned him a slap to the back of the head from Kyungsoo.

“Hey!” they simultaneously whined.

“Your new Slytherin Quidditch Captain is here. Need I remind you that your O.W.L.s are this year. You should be preparing for that,” Kyungsoo stated. “I’m wondering whether or not I should remove you from the Quidditch team.”

“What?!” Jongin stood up, towering over the prefect. “You can’t just do that! Quidditch is my life!”

Kyungsoo turned to the younger Slytherin. “No it is not, honey. Your O.W.L.s matter so much more.”

“But that would leave me alone in the beater position. Are we doing tryouts this month, then?” Sehun asked.

“Sehun,”

“Yes?”

“Are you a fifth year?”

“Why are you asking me stupid questions? You know Jongin and I belong in the same year.” The youngest laughed.

Kyungsoo rolled his eyes and Chanyeol snorted as he controlled the urge to add fuel to the flame. Sehun seemed to get the implication of Kyungsoo’s words as his mouth formed a big ‘O’ while shaking his head.

“No, you wouldn’t,” Sehun creased his eyebrows, “My godfather just bought me a new Cleansweep One. It’s the best racing broom specifically designed for sporting use ever.”

“Soo,” Chanyeol intervened before Kyungsoo could respond to Sehun. “We seemed to do just fine, juggling O.W.L.s with the Quidditch practices. They’ll be okay.”

“Yes, that’s true!” Jongin was the first to chime in followed by an eagerly nodding Sehun.

Kyungsoo glared at the 5th years causing Chanyeol to cover the prefect’s eyes. “Stop glaring at your boyfriend.”

“He doesn’t act like my boyfriend,” Jongin muttered.

“Wow.” Kyungsoo slapped Chanyeol’s hand from his eyes as he looked up to meet his boyfriend’s gaze. “You courted me in the middle of my review for O.W.L.s. and I allowed you to so that I could focus.”

“I’m sorry to be such a distraction then. You can go study for your NEWTs in peace now. But don’t think you can take Quidditch away from me,” Jongin stomped his foot as he huffed and walked out of the compartment, leaving Kyungsoo with a headache.

“You didn’t mean it that way, did you?” Chanyeol tentatively asked his best friend. He knew Kyungsoo adored Jongin since they were little and would never fail to step up and defend the younger one’s interests.

“I just don’t want him to regret not studying for his O.W.L.s,” Kyungsoo sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “He has enough problems with his family putting so much pressure on him to excel and uphold their legacy.”

“But you’re taking away the thing he loves the most, well, second best. Seeing as he cares for you the most,” Chanyeol added as an afterthought which succeeded in drawing out a small smile from the shorter male.

“I did say it was just a plan. Nothing’s set in stone yet,” Kyungsoo sighed.

“Explain that to him. Not to me. You guys work it out. Talk,” Chanyeol advised.

Kyungsoo didn’t waste any time as he muttered a word of gratitude to his best friend and went out in search of his boyfriend.

“So, I can still play this year, right hyung?” Sehun asked once the Head Boy closed the door and settled in his seat.

*****

The Great Hall was filled with chatters of returning students from all four houses; Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, and Slytherin. The high walls reached up to the enchanted ceiling covered with floating candles and a clear night sky. The Sorting Hat ceremony had just finished and Chanyeol could finally breathe a sigh of relief after seeing all the first years settle down. He nodded at the prefects from the corner and sat on the seat beside his friends near the back of the hall.

At the front of the hall was the High Table where the Hogwarts staff were seated. Chanyeol nodded in acknowledgement to his Potions professor, Kim Junmyeon. His attention then went to the relatively new Headmaster whose white locks were balding, faint brown streaks on some wisps of his hair. Professor Armando Dippet was currently serving his second year in the highest post following the death of his predecessor. The headmaster stood up from the center of the High Table, walking to a podium for the whole school to see.

“Good evening,” Headmaster Dippet’s hoarse voice boomed with the help of the voice enhancing charm. “To our newly sorted students, welcome, to our old students, welcome back! Another year---”

“I bet 10 Sickles he’s going to say not to stay up past curfew,” Sehun muttered as Chanyeol shook his head.

“No one’s betting anything, just listen to the headmaster,” Kyungsoo scolded.

Sehun turned to his best friend, Jongin, who only shrugged in response, obviously taking the side of his boyfriend.

“Glad to know you guys made up then,” Sehun muttered. Chanyeol signaled the younger Slytherin to focus his attention on the Headmaster.

“---Let the feast, begin.”

In an instant, hordes of banquet sized food adorned the long tables of all four houses as well as the main table of the teaching staff. The boys didn’t waste any time and stuffed themselves full, clearly starving from the long and exhausting journey onboard the school train.

Chanyeol shoved a generous slice of breaded pork chop, the last piece of food on his plate, into his mouth while thanking all the house elves in his mind. He glanced at the entrance of the Great Hall just in time to see a glimpse of a figure with intense fiery red hair at the corner of the hallway talking to Professor Kim. There were two aurors dressed in brown robes at either side of him. As if hearing his curious thoughts, the red headed auror peeked from over the professor’s shoulder and caught Chanyeol’s stare, slightly surprising the Head Boy which caused him to choke.

“You okay there, mate?” Kyungsoo asked as he patted Chanyeol’s back. Jongin decided to help by slapping the back of the Head Boy even further.

“I’m fine. I’m fine. I just got startled.”

“Isn’t that Byun Baekhyun? He looks gorgeous and very... golden,” Jongin whispered loudly which earned him a pinch from Kyungsoo. “Oww—what was that for?”

“Stop checking out golden eyed celebrities or I will break your neck…” the small prefect murmured.

“Tsk. That’s what you get for giving up your single life,” Sehun chuckled at his best friend’s plight but immediately zipped his mouth once the prefect turned his attention to him.

The auror named Kim Minseok entered the great hall, walking towards the end of the Slytherin table where Chanyeol and his friends were. Sehun squealed, pursing his lips and hitting Jongin’s arm. The Head Boy suppressed a laugh as he shook his head. He placed down his empty goblet and watched it be magically refilled with pumpkin juice. Elf magic was the best.

“What now--?!” an annoyed Jongin tried to block his best friend’s surprise attacks only to discover the reason for the youngest’s outburst. “Oh… Minseok!”

Auror Xiumin, also known as Kim Minseok, was of average height, the top of his head reaching Sehun’s chin. The Head Boy wouldn’t even put it past the younger to be so bold as to place his chin on top of the auror’s head. Even so, the auror seemed to be fond of Sehun and let him get away with almost anything. Chanyeol notes how different the auror’s robes were this year. The standard robes for the aurors guarding Hogwarts were of earthy color. Minseok’s were of the same brown color as last year, but he now had a wide stripe of purple on top of his shoulders running down both sleeves, the school crest on his left chest area.

The auror seemed to be approaching their group in the first place and needn’t be hollered. He stopped just beside Chanyeol and handed him a thin folder. “Hello guys! How was your summer?”

“Lonely without you,” Sehun had the audacity to pout in front of the auror who simply smiled. Kyungsoo made gagging noises in the background while Jongin rolled his eyes and busied himself by looking at the reflection of the red headed auror on his goblet, that of which only Chanyeol noticed.

Minseok laughed as he patted the youngest’s head in adoration. “Didn’t your friends accompany you?”

“They did not!” At this point, Sehun didn’t care if people saw him blatantly flirt with the auror. With the increase in the number of aurors guarding the castle, who knows when he’d get rotated to watching over his class of Slytherins again?

“Oh, come on Sehunnie. You said you didn’t want to go to Africa or Romania,” Chanyeol interjected as he read through the file given by the auror.

“Because of the dragons! And Africa is so hot in the summer,” The youngest explained as he stuck out his tongue to an uninterested Head Boy before he turned his attention back to the auror, eyeing his change of wardrobe. “What’s with the purple stripe?”

“Chain of command,” Minseok started. “With the increase in auror population here at Hogwarts, Mr. Scammander thought it best to let us organize our roles in case something does happen.”

Kyungsoo nodded as he took special interest in the conversation. “And what does your robe signify?”

Minseok smiled sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his neck bashfully. “I’m one of the ten Senior aurors.”

“That’s great!” Kyungsoo remarked at the same time Sehun exclaimed with an “I’m so proud of you!” while nodding his head enthusiastically, hyping up the auror’s new position.

“Thank you!” Minseok smiled at them moving his attention to the Head Boy. “Chanyeol, you don’t need to memorize it now.”

“I wasn’t. Your rotation of patrols are always complex but pretty efficient. I was just appreciating how you came up with it in such a short time,” the Head Boy complimented as he closed the file and passed it to Kyungsoo who was more than eager to gobble up the information.

“There’s also something that I must talk to you about,” Minseok’s eyes turned serious as he motioned for Chanyeol to follow him outside. “You guys don’t mind if I borrow the Head Boy for a bit, right?”

Upon seeing no signs of protests, the auror ruffled Sehun’s hair before waving goodbye to Kyungsoo and Jongin, as well as the other students who wanted a bit of his attention much to Sehun’s chagrin.

Chanyeol looked at Kyungsoo asking him to cover for a while and to call him immediately when he’s needed. The prefect nodded and promised him that the first-year students would be safely escorted to their common rooms after the feast should he take too long. The Head Boy stood up from his table and walked towards the entrance, pausing slightly to bow to the aurors in plain brown robes that guarded the Great Hall’s entrance.

Minseok abruptly stopped after they turned a corner. The auror turned to him and spoke in hushed tones. “Do you remember the auror the ministry sent you after the mishap in Africa?”

Chanyeol nodded, unsure where the conversation was leading.

“He’s gone.” Minseok whispered. “Vanished.”

“What does that mean?” Chanyeol’s stomach dropped.

“It means we can’t trust anyone. Grindelwald may be imprisoned right now but he has followers everywhere. The aurors are losing ranks. We’ve had kidnapping reports coming in dozens. We try to protect the pureblood community, but we end up losing both the family and the guards. Also, there’s a Legilimens from Asia that sought safety in the Ministry. I think he means well, but whatever it is he brought to our continent will bite us in our arse.”

“What are you saying?”

“I’m just saying that you need to watch your back. And always stay alert,” Minseok sighed as he gave another piece of parchment to Chanyeol. “This is your Occlumency lesson schedule. He’s your new tutor.”

Chanyeol stared at the parchment which was a letter addressed to the headmaster, and signed by Mr. Scammander, Head Auror. It stated that his lessons were to be held by a Mr. Byun Baekhyun, gold tier Mahoutokoro auror, every weekend from 9 o’clock in the morning to 12 o’clock noon, at a place Mr. Byun deems worthy. The letter was signed in acknowledgement by the headmaster.

The schedule was just right for him. He would have enough room to fulfill his duties as Head Boy as well as squeeze in some study time for his upcoming N.E.W.T.s.

“Mr. Byun Baekhyun?” the Slytherin asked.

Minseok nodded as he looked towards the other end of the hallway where a few people were now walking in their direction. Along with them was Professor Kim and Minseok’s protégé , Chen.

“Xiumin!” Chen hollered as he waved towards them.

Minseok gave one last smile to the Head Boy before he was whisked away in the opposite direction, leaving him alone with Professor Kim and his companions, including the golden robed auror.

“Park Chanyeol, meet your new Occlumency tutor. He’s an auror from Asia, Auror Byun.” Professor Kim said as the Head Boy took a step back to look at the famous auror. The teacher then pointed to the two much older aurors wearing brown robes. “Auror Lee and….. Auror Choi will also be along if they are needed.”

Chanyeol missed the pause in the professor’s words, instead, focusing on the familiar auror in front of him.

Byun Baekhyun had intense, fiery red hair which grew just past his ear. His front locks were in a meticulously planned disarray. They contrasted with the shiny, almost sparkling, golden robes that proudly draped on the auror’s shoulders, complimented by big round gold-rimmed glasses that rested on the bridge of his button nose. The end of the glasses’ frame was connected to what looked like a feathery light chain that laced around his nape.

The Head Boy grasped the auror’s hand firmly as he introduced himself. “Park Chanyeol, 7th year, Head Boy, and Slytherin Seeker.”

“Head Boy, wow. Bravo,” the golden robed auror complimented sincerely. His voice was smooth and Chanyeol felt himself strangely addicted to the timbre and melodious pitch. His head was angled upwards due to the height difference. “Byun Baekhyun, Auror, Mahotoukoro graduate, and former seeker.” If one looked close enough, through the auror’s glimmering spectacles, they would see a tinge of guilt and anguish, that of which he skillfully masked with an illusion of brightness. It made Chanyeol second guess the sweet smile the auror had plastered on his pretty face. He must have been staring for a while, as the auror cleared his throat with his hand outstretched towards him.

“A seeker?” Chanyeol raised an eyebrow, underhandedly questioning the auror’s Quidditch abilities. As a seeker himself, he did hold a high regard for others of the same position.

“Our school holds the sport yearly, if that’s what you’re asking,” the auror raised his eyebrow in return and teased the Head Boy even more. “Would you like to try me, Mr. Park?”

“I never lose,” Chanyeol replied, feeling a sense of Slytherin pride well in his chest. He felt the auror’s grip tighten and he reciprocated.

“As it should be.” Professor Kim smiled and laughed as he tried to dissipate the building tension. “We, Slytherins have enjoyed the glory of winning the-"

Chanyeol could barely hear his potions professor. He was focused on the the auror in front of him. The fiery haired golden robed Mahoutokoro seeker turned auror and now his Occlumency tutor intrigued him too much. Despite having the air of haughtiness, he found the Auror’s eyes mysteriously mesmerizing. The cute button nose betrayed the dark eye make-up the Auror wore, probably to inspire fear against adversary. However, Chanyeol oddly didn’t find the auror’s face to be scary at all. He would even go so far as to call it pretty .

The golden robed auror raised one of his eyebrows and scoffed.

“-a streak which will not be cut short this year,” Professor Kim droned on as he worriedly looked at Chanyeol and the Auror’s still joined hands. They looked like they were both ready to break each other’s metacarpals.

But the Head Boy was now thinking of other things, like how his hand fit so comfortably with the auror’s. If only Chanyeol could continue holding the Auror’s soft and nimble hands. His hands were really soft .

Baekhyun smirked, rubbing his eyebrows, partially concealing his flushed face with his other hand. Chanyeol looked oddly at the auror and could swear he felt a feathery light touch in his mind like a wisp.

“Are you-?” Chanyeol creased his eyebrows as he felt his pulse rate hasten. A rosy tint flooded his cheeks as he pursed his lips in dismay. “You’re a Legilimens, you can read my thoughts. Why couldn’t I--”

“Yes, I am,” Baekhyun blinked as he coughed. He looked clearly flustered as he stared at Chanyeol’s emerald orbs. “That’s why I wanted you as my student, I could see the potential.” The auror praised him while he shook the Head Boy’s hand up and down as if reminding him to gather his wits together. “But you really have to start taking your Occlumency lessons seriously. How long have you been studying the art, exactly?”

Chanyeol released his grip on the auror’s hand as if it was a burning broomstick. “A month. I know. I’m working on it.”

“Clearly not enough,” Professor Kim butted in as he patted Chanyeol’s shoulder. “Auror Byun is one of the best, if not the best Legillimens we have in this country. You’ll learn a lot from him. After all, the ministry is looking out for you and your family’s welfare.”

The Head Boy tried to conceal his doubt as he nodded his head. Why is the Ministry doing more than what is necessary? Even though he was the same age with the auror in front of him, he seemed to be much too important and must have other things on his plate and yet he was here to teach him Occlumency. Chanyeol decided it was not a topic to be discussed as of now. He chose to express his gratitude instead. “My family is always appreciative of what the ministry does for us. As a part of the pureblood community, we know the hazardous situations that might befell any one and we are humbled by the importance they give to our family’s lineage.”

“Grindelwald doesn’t choose purebloods because of their purity, he chooses them because of the influence each clan has over many of their followers. Getting purebloods to support the cause is one way for him to fund his organization,” the Mahoutokoro auror spoke as if he knew from experience and Chanyeol was not rude enough to ask how he knew this information. Even though they are of the same age, the golden robed auror looked like he had been through a lot.

Sensing the building tension permeating the air, the potions master decided it was time to dissipate their tiny group. He waved at Chanyeol, effectively dismissing him. “It was nice talking to you. Go back to your duties, Park.” The Head Boy took this as a sign to leave and return to the recently ended welcome banquet.  

“Auror Byun, this way,” the brown robed aurors turned the opposite direction, leading the fiery haired wizard to the West Wing of Hogwarts.

Chanyeol discreetly glanced one last time towards his mentor. He didn’t know why but he felt magnetized by the foreigner. He rubbed his tired eyes. Seeing students exit the Great Hall left him with no chance to dwell on such thoughts. Donning on his Head Boy voice and stature, he directed the prefects perfectly and guided all students to their respective dormitories.

--

.

.

A room full of candlelights.

A silhouette of a person waving his wand as the firelight dimmed until there was no more than a sole candle burning for two.

The soft caress that sent shivers down his spine.

Chanyeol breezed through his first day of class with a positive mindset. Kyungsoo perfected his O.W.L.s last year and this motivated the silver haired Slytherin to aim for perfect NEWTs. His subjects were tailored for a career as an auror, that of  which was fully supported by his parents especially due to the recent events that befell them. However, dark wizard catchers are one of the most tedious careers and he needed to ace everything and go above and beyond the curriculum.

To qualify for Auror training, Chanyeol needed to attain at least five NEWTs of no less than Exceeds Expectations. Currently, he was taking on NEWT-level Defense Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, Charms, and Potions. He needed at least two more classes to stack the odds up in his favor. Last year, he filled up his schedule with Herbology, Divination, Arithmancy, and Care of Magical Creatures but with his Head Boy duties on top of his weekend lessons, he needed to drop at least one.

As he silently finished his dinner in the Great Hall, Chanyeol was thrumming  his quill on the two empty slots in his time schedule when Professor Kim tapped his shoulder.

“Sir!” Chanyeol exclaimed as he quickly swallowed and turned to his potions professor. “Is there anything I could do for you, professor?”

Professor Kim took a peek at the parchment in front of him and looked at the Head Boy. “I’d recommend dropping Arithmancy. Contrary to popular belief, Divination matters. It’s all written in the stars.”

“I’m actually considering dropping both of them,” Chanyeol sheepishly replied.

The professor shrugged. “Oh? Well, it doesn’t really matter. You’re a good student, and talented, very talented. The auror office really looks after the character, you know? That’s why there’s a series of character and aptitude tests to further test the worth of their applicants.”

“Such as?” Chanyeol trusted the professor’s words. Even though the professor was on the younger age group, he had his merits.

Kim Junmyeon, a fellow Slytherin, was appointed Head Boy, like him, during his school days. His parents died young, leaving him under the protection of his paternal grandparents who passed away just a few years ago under the hands of Grindelwald’s followers who were trying to convert them to the cause. His entire family tree went up to flames after dark wizard catchers tried to nab him. The professor escaped and had since been working at Hogwarts full time, permanently residing in one of the staff quarters generously given by the headmaster under the recommendation of Professor Dumbledore who had been his mentor.

Chanyeol could only imagine how much the professor desired to end Grindelwald’s terror; it was one of the reasons why he volunteered to handle Chanyeol’s affairs with the aurors. He was also Chanyeol’s confidant and the only other person to know of his dreams beside his best friend, Kyungsoo.

“That’s a bit complicated and may be discussed better with an actual auror, Mr. Park,” Professor Kim curtly replied, clearly closing the topic. “Anyways, chop chop. It’s past 1 in the afternoon on a Monday. Don’t you have a class to attend to?”

-

The rest of the week flew by. Chanyeol regularly had meals in the Great Hall with his friends where they caught up on their days. He gave as many tips as he can based on his experience on the subjects and professors he had taken before.

“Professor Dumbledore gives superb NEWT level classes but you really need to master the basics or else you’ll get lost. He has a tendency to speak in riddles and sometimes he just assumes that you already know what he means.” The seventh year won’t admit but he does feel accomplished whenever he gives good advice, especially to someone like Kyungsoo. They were interrupted by Jongin banging his head on the notes that laid open on the table.

“I thought I’d be able to push through awake during the entirety of my class in History of Magic, but Professor Binns just drones on and on and on and on…” Jongin whined.

Kyungsoo doted on his boyfriend, responding with comforting phrases and nodding at all the right times, while effectively making his boyfriend eat. The presence, or rather the absence of the youngest was then noticed. Kyungsoo decided to ask the fifth year about it. “Where’s Sehun?”

Jongin violently rolled his eyes as he threw a childlike whine towards the older Slytherins. “He’s out flirting with Minseok hyung. I swear, he is a disgrace. Does he feel like he’s in theater? Student-auror relationships aren’t allowed, right?”

“I think you mean, teacher-student,” Kyungsoo corrected him. “And seeing as Minseok is neither a professor nor is he teaching Sehun, there is technically nothing wrong with that.”

“But Minseok is old. He’s a vampire.”

“For the umpteenth time, no one has actually proven that.”

“Are you siding with Sehun?”

“I’m not siding with any one of you. I’m just stating my opinion. And I do think Sehun is old enough to decide what do with his life. If he wants to date the auror, then that’s his prerogative.”

The couple’s bickering was shut when Chanyeol cleared his throat.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Professor Kim walk by their table. The professor didn’t stop for chitchat but instead, tapped on his pocket watch and gave the seventh year a piece of paper. It was the location of Auror Byun’s tower and the password to the entrance. He knew it was situated in a far part of the castle which was very curious. The professor didn’t seem to be in the mood to talk so the Slytherin didn’t dare ask why and simply followed the written instructions.

“What does it say hyung?” Jongin curiously asked him.

“Just a reminder of my class tomorrow.” Chanyeol responded as he hid the note in his pocket while Kyungsoo lectured him about taking too many electives instead of focusing on his strengths.

-

The following morning, the silver haired Slytherin woke up extra early to prepare his mind for the daunting lesson he would partake in. He knew he needed to really concentrate on his Occlumency lessons; if not for his career, then for his family’s safety, especially with the recent events last summer. He was grateful that Auror Byun agreed to be his mentor while he stayed in Hogwarts. The Head Boy hurriedly packed up his stuff and walked towards the auror’s tower.

The single hallway to the Southern Tower was barren. At the end of the hallway was a large circular area with a stone statue of a hippogriff at its opening. Chanyeol could see the brown robed aurors inside, silently patrolling along the stony walls of the empty room, their footsteps echoing with a dull thud against the cemented pavement.

“Mr. Park, we were expecting your arrival,” Auror Lee nodded at Auror Choi who pointed towards the hippogriff. “The statue will fly you straight up to Auror Byun’s room.”

The two aurors then stepped away to give Chanyeol space as he looked at them confusingly. “Why are you moving away?”

“We’re not allowed to know the password. Whisper the words to the hippogriff and he will fly you up towards the sole entrance of this tower,” Auror Choi told the Head Boy.

Hippogriffs are proud creatures. This may be a statue but Chanyeol didn’t want to overstep his boundaries that might be aggressive to the hippogriff, alive or dead. He stood in front of it and opened the paper given by Professor Kim and whispered the password, the words drifting into the air, reaching. The hippogriff’s wings creaked as if exercising a muscle that hasn’t been moved in ages. When it finally unfolded, the hippogriff flapped once before tucking it in, acknowledging the presence of Chanyeol. The Slytherin yelped at the sudden gush of wind but lowered his head, showing respect towards the mighty creature. A few seconds passed before the hippogriff stepped one hoof back and bowed in reply.

Chanyeol sighed in relief and started petting the statue for a while. Once he felt it was safe enough to fly, he mounted the hippogriff statue, careful not to fall. At once, the hippogriff statue registered his weight and turned towards his back where a huge chunk of wall revealed a secret door towards the field.

The statue flew. It circled around the windowless tower a few times until it reached the top. The tower wasn't as tall as the other main towers of Hogwarts, but it was enough for one auror with secrets to hide.

The hippogriff landed softly on the roof of the tower where a single jail like door stood at the center. Peeking into it, Chanyeol saw stairs leading down. He jumped off the hippogriff with a grunt. The hippogriff then bowed as it wandered around the area, its stony feet clacking against the pavement as if patrolling.

The Slytherin approached the entrance, realizing it was unlocked and pushed it open.

"Lumos."

A bright light appeared on the tip of his wand, illuminating the tiny stairway. The straight stairs started to hug the tower walls as he climbed further down in a spiral manner until he reached  a landing where brown giant double doors were lit by a chandelier floating at the center. Upon closer inspection, the chandelier itself was lit by thin white candles.

The door suddenly opened and a startled Chanyeol pointed his wand toward its direction.

"It's me," Baekhyun pushed the door further with his foot as he held both hands midair. The candlelights illuminated Baekhyun's face and the Slytherin relaxed.

"I can see that.’" Chanyeol took in Baekhyun's clothes.

The Mahoutokoro auror was wearing a dress robe which was popular in Asia. He vaguely remembered his sister yap about her travels across the sea and deduced that it was called a yukata .

The auror pursed his lip and bit it inwards as he nodded. "It is. You can't expect me to wear my uniform all the time. It's too…. dazzling."

Chanyeol raised an eyebrow at the auror's wording. "Dazzling? Isn't the golden robe all Mahoutokoro's students' dream?"

"It is, but..." the auror sighed as he opened the door further and signaled for Chanyeol to follow him. "Let's just start this class." Chanyeol didn't protest and silently followed.

Behind the giant doors was a small hallway lined with small wall lights that were lit by the same thin white candles. A small step separated the concrete floor from a polished wood flooring. Indoor slippers were lined up on the floor right at the step.

"For guests."

The Slytherin watched as Baekhyun changed his shoes to a pair of straw slippers that were enchanted to look pinkish under the candlelight. The auror pointed to a pair of blue ones and Chanyeol made quick work of his shoes. The slippers were oddly comfortable. He made a quick mental note to have a pair like this in his room.

The style of Baekhyun's room was like the picture books Yoora shows him whenever she comes home from Asia; wooden walls and floors. To his immediate right was a huge rug in the living room lit by a stony fireplace, and to his left were wooden tables and stools with overhead cabinets in the kitchen.

Further down the hall was a wide empty space which Chanyeol assumed would be their training area while the single door at the end leads to Baekhyun's quarters. From the outside the tower didn't seem that big but Baekhyun was a talented wizard. He wouldn't be surprised at all if the headmaster allowed the auror to make adjustments as he saw fit.

The floor was carpeted and numerous sconces that were lit up by candlesticks lined the walls. A great chandelier decorated the high ceiling as it floated in the air. It, too, was lit by candles. It seemed like all the light fixtures were full of candles.

"Have you eaten?" Baekhyun inquired as he lead him to the wide space in the middle.

"Yes, you?" It was only polite for Chanyeol to ask in return.

Baekhyun nodded and extended his hand towards him. "Let's start with introductions. I know we've been introduced before but still… I'm Byun Baekhyun. You can call me Baekhyun or Baek for short.  I'm eighteen, graduated three years ago from Mahoutokoro School of Magic in Japan. I’ve been an auror for two years. Just a disclaimer, I've been a Legilimens my whole life and I've never officially mentored anyone. But we'll go with the flow." The auror ended his introduction with a small smile.

The taller man was quick to receive the handshake. "Park Chanyeol, but my friends call me Yeol. Turning eighteen in a few months. Seventh year Slytherin and Head Boy. I'm sorry to bother you with my lessons. I was informed that my previous mentor went missing."

Baekhyun nodded. "I heard."

"So…" Chanyeol bashfully rubbed his nape with his other hand as they let each other go. "Uhmm.. my previous mentor started our lessons with theory…"

Baekhyun nodded to let him know he was listening. "I was thinking of testing you first but before that..."

Chanyeol watched as Baekhyun conjured a wooden table with different equipments on top. Another smaller and lower table stood between the two of them, just reaching his knees. "What--"

"Legilimency is easy for me," the auror began as he opened a leather case on top of the big table. It held various wands that were carefully organized. "Which means it is also easy for a few others. And that poses a huge threat."

"And so…"

"I was told you had a penchant for resisting the Imperius curse. Had it not been for your father, you could've been urged to do something you won't forgive yourself for."

"I..."  Chanyeol could still remember it vividly. They were in Africa for the summer holidays when he met a girl a few years younger. She reminded him of lilies and bittersweet memories, and Chanyeol always felt drawn to broken people. He made it his mission to make the people around him be happy. His looks may have seemed cold and unfeeling with his silver locks and emerald eyes, but his heart was delicate and easily led. Delightful but friable, and yet his soul was steadfast. What his heart couldn't take, his mind made up to cover the void. Mind over matter. He was told he'd do great in Occlumency. "I'm... It's not exactly a secret…"

"It should be. The ministry already classified the case, and even the International Confederation of Wizards placed their foot down to keep it on the down low," Baekhyun sat on his legs in front of the smaller table and gestured for Chanyeol to sit across.

"I didn't know that," Chanyeol creased his eyebrows as he settled down, cross legged on the carpeted floor. "Nobody told me anything."

"In their eyes you're just a boy. Your parents still think you're a child they need to protect and the government thinks you're weak and need guidance. That’s one of the reasons they agreed to let me teach you."

"But you're barely older than I am."

"Exactly my point," Baekhyun sighed. "Adults think that just because you're in school, you haven't proven yourself worth trusting their lives to. Compared to me and my little above two years' worth of service to our wizarding community."

Chanyeol tried to keep up with the auror. "Wait. Why would I need to earn their trust?"

The red haired auror closed his eyes and took a deep breath, inhaling steadily through his nose then exhaling as slow as he can through pursed lips. "They have gathered evidence showing a strong likelihood that you can become an extraordinary wizard. And you being on the wrong side might prove detrimental to the wizarding community."

"You mean the ministry is afraid I'll choose to side with Grindelwald?" Chanyeol was confused. Just a month ago, his previous mentor told him the ministry offered him an opportunity to defend himself. "So... they're teaching me to defend myself."

"To defend yourself from outside influences, yes," Baekhyun conjured a glass of water on the table and let the student drink. He watched as Chanyeol gulped down the glass. "But we're at this point where they feel a bit on the edge. You just lost a mentor and he might be on the other side."

"I have friends whose parents are not well versed in magic and even though I'm in Slytherin, that doesn't mean I see muggles as lesser beings. I have no desire to lord over them."

"That's great then. To put it in simple words, as early as now we're recruiting you to fight against Grindelwald's ideals."

Chanyeol felt dizzy at the pace they're going. "Wait. How can I already be recruited, I'm just a student!"

"In a few more months, you won't be," Baekhyun stared at him with those golden eyes that seemed to expect so much from him.

"I know but..." Chanyeol watched the glass fill with more liquid. He found that drinking that stuff calms him down. "A calming draught."

The auror nodded, pushing his gold rimmed glasses up to rest on the top of his nose bridge. "I thought you needed it."

"Thanks."

"I know you've been thinking of becoming an auror and acing your NEWTs is one way to grab that opportunity. But this is the real deal. We're losing ranks left and right and we've gone so far as hunting down previous students, even drop outs, to help us fight. You remember Newt Scammander?"

"Of course I do. Professor Dumbledore was seen holding one of his newly published books. The first years use it as main textbook in their Care of Magical Creatures subject."

"He was the one who captured Grindelwald."

"In New York?" Chanyeol read the Daily Prophet. His sister was a journalist and he knew of the events in New York as well as the mass scale Obliviate they did to the city. It was all over the news. "So he was at the right place at the right time."

Baekhyun nodded. "But that didn't sit well with the ministry and they're now on the lookout for him."

"Trust issues?"

"Probably. They do have their doubts with me too. So I said I would become your mentor."

"Alright. So… either I become an auror under your guidance or risk becoming a fugitive student? Because of that thing in Africa?"

"There's also something else I want to discuss with you."

Chanyeol was grateful that they were sitting down on the floor when they started this conversation. He foresaw himself falling off a chair had they been sitting on one. The thought of the ministry seeing him as a potential threat is absurd.

He watched as Baekhyun bit his thumb, trying to delay the inevitable. Whatever it was that bothered the auror nagged the corners of his mind. He looked at the auror who puffed his cheeks and started waving his wand.

"Muffliato. Cave Inimicum. Magicus Extremos," The auror enchanted thrice and Chanyeol felt the room grow warmer. Baekhyun then pointed to the ceiling. "Nox."

The candles lost their brilliance as Baekhyun waved his wand downwards, the motion cascading in a clockwise manner as he put out each candle. The room was dark, save the white candle that appeared on the table in front of them.

Chanyeol felt Baekhyun's gaze zone in on him alone. He wondered about the auror's actions but didn't blurt out his curiosity.

The auror, as if sensing his discomfort, softened his gaze towards the Slytherin. "Do you know what an augur is?"

Naturally, Chanyeol shook his head. "An augurey? The Irish phoenix?"

"Not quite the mournful beast. Augurs are humans who dream…" Baekhyun started, capturing his attention. The auror's face was lit by a single candle, its firelight reflecting against the auror's gold rimmed glasses. Chanyeol was mesmerized but blinked it off as he tried his best to focus. "…in the most literal sense, they are predictors. Folklore thought the augurey birds could tell one's impending death, a story which was proven wrong already. What augurs could do is to predict. One may say they are somewhat akin to what we now know as seers. But seers tell prophecies that may pertain to one or more persons, the hows and the whys, and usually requires the participation of both parties in which the prophecy would be made. Augurs just know."

The auror continued. "Augurs know impending events by dreaming of the future. But not the hows and the why, and most of the time, they do not know whose future it is they are seeing. They just feel it will come true. A power like that can easily be manipulated and greedily sought after, which is why the ICW keeps a close watch on them. Both to control and to protect."

"And I am one?" Chanyeol held his breath, fists closed under the table.

"They've known you were one, years ago. Did you know it is genetic?"

The Slytherin's eyes widened in surprise. He felt his heart pound loudly against his chest. "Nobody told me my dreams were…"

Baekhyun grimly sighed. Chanyeol could feel the auror tried to cushion the overload of information he was giving his student, but what should be said must be said. What should be known must be known. Baekhyun didn't believe in keeping someone in the dark. Only bad things and misconceptions arose from secrets. "Your family all have it, which makes them great for stealth missions. I met your sister in Mahoutokoro when she personally came and asked me to challenge her Occlumency skills three years ago. She was personally trained by your mentor here in Hogwarts during her seventh year when her powers started to take form. Just like you."

"At first, they were vague dreams. I was in fifth year and I dreamt of winning the House Cup. I didn't think much of it back then. Mostly, I didn't know whose future I was seeing. But in Africa…" Chanyeol's voice droned on.

"You don't have to tell me now if you're not ready. That memory seemed to take the most toll out of you."

"By now I already know how you feel when you invade my thoughts. Like a warm light pulsing behind my eyes," Chanyeol attempted to change the subject, eyes downcast as a million thoughts ran through his mind.

The auror gently smiled as he pointed out an observation. "You wear your heart on your sleeve."

"Does not give you the right to pick on my mind all the time. Don't you have Legilimency code or something?" the Slytherin chuckled, easing the tension for a bit.

"We do," the auror grinned.

"Are you having fun reading my mind?"

"Maybe."

"How about now? Try to read my mind now," the Slytherin challenged, already feeling the slightest bit of heaviness oozing out of his shoulder.

"I don't need to use Legilimency to figure out your little crush on me," Baekhyun laughed. "Is this your way of confessing? You've known me for a day."

"Technically, it's been a week since we've been introduced."

The two of them laughed. Chanyeol appreciated how mindful the auror was of his feelings and emotions as he watched Baekhyun laugh along with him. The laughter didn’t last as long as he wanted to. He had realities to accept and he wasn’t one to give up and back down easily.

"My life is fucked. I thought I was just a clairvoyant or something. I even tried to hide it from my family…" the Slytherin banged the side of his head on the low table and stayed that way, heaving a huge sigh. "…turns out they knew even more than me."

"Your family have their reasons for keeping you in the dark."

"I know. Don't get me wrong, I'm fine with it, I just thought if I asked them about my dreams, they would've told me the truth and it would come from them instead of a stranger."

Baekhyun nodded. The seventh year wondered if the auror knew the feeling of being kept in the dark and understood all the regrets he had for staying mum and not asking when it would've ended his misery sooner.

"What we could do now…" the auror stated. "…is train you in the art of Occlumency so you could defend yourself. And be just a tiny bit more useful so as not to warrant a babysitter."

Chanyeol smiled as he shook his head, sat up straight, and ruffled his hair. "Learn Occlumency. Work as an auror. Avoid being recruited involuntarily to Grindelwald's cause. Get the Ministry and the ICW off my back," he enumerated. "I'm ready."

"You sure? I'm really good at Legilimency. Try your best to throw me off at most. Even a small nudge would be great."

"You underestimate me. But if you do penetrate my mind, try not to fall in love with me, Baekhyun."

The auror rolled his eyes as he took off his eyeglasses and pointed his wand at the augur. The eyeglass fell on the floor but the auror paid no attention to it. Baekhyun seemed like he could still see perfectly without the artifact. Chanyeol took a deep breath as the auror opened his mouth to start their lesson.

"Legilimens."

The force was enough to almost knock the seventh year backwards as his silver locks got swept by a wind that was not there. He gripped the low table in front of him as if he held on for his life. The auror’s eyes shined, it gleamed with the reflection of the candlelight at the center of his gold irises.

“Ahhh—” Chanyeol shouted in pain.

“Control your emotions, Chanyeol. Discipline your mind.”

“You say it like it’s a walk in the park,” Chanyeol breathlessly replied as he clenched his teeth and tried hard to resist, but he was too tired. He was exhausted mentally and emotionally from the talk they had a few moments prior. He was drained from all the new information thrown at him. He tried to control his breathing as he felt his shoulders tense, but he couldn’t make himself relax.

Memories of their championship match kept flickering in and out of his mind... Then there were flashes of him and his friends aboard the Hogwarts Express, at the Great Hall… Baekhyun shook his hands outside as Minseok got pulled by Chen… And then he was flying on the hippogriff statue…

“Focus. Concentrate. Empty your mind.” He could hear Baekhyun say words of encouragement and advice but Chanyeol could feel Baekhyun’s warm light at the back of his head. It pulses as it peels off each layer of his brain like turning the pages in a book.

Soon enough, the training room swam in front of his eyes, the images of the Quidditch championship replaying in and out. It blinded him to his surroundings. He was so tired. Chanyeol let go as he dove head first into the memory.

“Minho scores!!! It’s 100-20 in favor of Slytherin!” the voice of a 6 th year Ravenclaw announcer boomed around the Hogwarts Quidditch pitch.

Chanyeol surveyed over the field. The Quidditch pitch looked miniscule and the chasers of both teams were playing well and flying all over the field in rehearsed formations.

“Irene takes the quaffle and passes it to Minho. Ouch! Irene gets hit by the bludger but no worries! She’s saved by the healers!! It’s Zhang Yixing on the play field, he tumbles as chasers zoom past him but he quickly makes his way to the fallen Slytherin Chaser!! He just casted Mobilicorpus----- owww! What?! Oh, yeah, sorry ‘bout that!! Minho is intercepted by Kibum but he flies high and scores!!! Another ten points to Slytherin!!”

The Slytherin captain and seeker heard a small buzzing overhead. Looking up, a glint of gold shimmered against the cloudless sky. It was the golden snitch. Chanyeol took a glimpse at the opposing seeker and found him near the Slytherin hoops. At the opposite side of the field. Good. The snitch dove down as if sensing Chanyeol’s gaze sending the seeker hot on his tails.

“Slytherin Seeker and Team Captain Park Chanyeol has finally made his move! The golden snitch is just ahead of him as he dives down near the faculty. Oh no! The Hufflepuff Keeper was distracted by the flying seeker. Do Kyungsoo scores a goal!! The scores are up to 120-20!”

Chanyeol felt the wind hit his goggles as he sped faster and faster towards the snitch, narrowly missing the stands where the faculty was seated. He zoomed and criss-crossed his way as he focused on the tiny object in front of him, never removing his sight. Vaguely, he could hear the chants of his name as he neared victory.

He held his arm in front and kept a steady flight as the golden snitch was inches ahead. Suddenly, he heard the rumble of a bludger whizzing past him which grazed his left ear. No matter, it could’ve been worse had he not been attentive and moved the slightest inch towards his right.

The slight distraction was enough to lose sight of the snitch but Chanyeol could still hear its buzzing sound.

“Above” Chanyeol deduced as he flew straight up, never stopping as the opposing seeker caught up with him on his tails.

The golden snitch went up and up as the Slytherin seeker zoomed vertically.

He felt it. His fingertips grazed the smooth ball. He hooked his ring finger around the root of its wings and wrapped his whole hand around him.

Chanyeol opened his eyes to a dimly lit room, a fireplace burning in front of him.

“You’re awake.” The Slytherin looked to his right where Baekhyun sat down, sipping tea on a couch to his right. He watched as the auror set down his tea and fixed his glasses. “That was a nice technique, actually… with the snitch. I always say the wings may move fast but its root is always there.”

It was only then that he realized he was lying down on a sofa. Chanyeol stood up slowly as he rubbed his temples. His head wasn’t hurting but it felt, for the lack of a better term, naked and exposed. “What happened?”

“I checked just how far you have mastered Occlumency,” Baekhyun placed his elbows on his thighs as he leaned forward, gesturing to a heart meal and a glass of water on the table which Chanyeol accepted. “You’ve been out for at least a few hours. You missed lunch.”

“And?”

“I’m impressed? But at the same time, you’re very… How should I say this…” the auror bit his thumb as he thought. “Raw? All over the place? It’s like you know what to do but you’ve jumbled up the sequence, therefore, you drained your energy so fast when it’s supposed to be little steps and small nudges.”

Chanyeol sighed as he looked up at the high ceiling, watching the chandelier’s candles flicker dimly then with a slow increasing intensity until it burned as bright as Baekhyun wanted it to. The living room livened up, showing the rug on his feet that he noticed upon entering. “What happens now?”

“Well, first of all, eat your lunch. Then go to the library and read up on your basics for the rest of the day. I suggest the discipline section and that part where it teaches you never to lose your grip,” the auror ordered as he stared at Chanyeol. “Eat.”

The Slytherin ate the meal in front of him. He wondered if Baekhyun cooked this or if he got it from the Great Hall. It didn’t taste much, but he might be really hungry. He didn’t want to react to the food just to be sure so he kept a neutral face.

“And yet when you don’t want something to be found out you can block me seamlessly.”

“You were trying to read?”

“Just slightly. I can’t read your brain now with my minimal effort.” Baekhyun declared. “Anyway, you can see yourself off after you eat. I have to arrange your class for tomorrow.”

Chanyeol watched as the auror stood up and walked away. Just like that. The augur swore that Baekhyun would only do that today. He would work hard to gain his mentor’s friendship. And to do that, Chanyeol must also prove that he’s worthy of being called the auror’s friend.

He finished up his meal and with renewed determination, he set out for the school library. Augurs be damned, Chanyeol didn’t need his powers to know that without effort, talent and skills would be wasted.

*******

The past few weekends turned out to be quite productive for Park Chanyeol. With more than five Occlumency lessons under his belt with his new friend and mentor, he felt more accomplished as a wizard and the compliments the auror gave him were enough to boost his confidence.

The soft caress as Chanyeol felt Baekhyun let go of his mind sent shivers down his spine. Three weeks had come and gone and yet he still felt a tinge of shyness when Baekhyun unexpectedly unlayered private memories.

"That should do for now." Chanyeol looked up and saw Baekhyun looking at his pocket watch. "It's late. I'll see you next week. I'll set up a series of tests to challenge you more. Go have lunch."

"And you? I've never seen you go out of the tower," Chanyeol stood up and rubbed his sore legs. Sitting on the floor mat was a pain on the ass but he'd rather not complain.

Baekhyun simply smiled as he cleaned the room. The stacks of glasses on the table flew to the kitchen cupboards on their own as the tables arranged themselves at the corner of the training area where they now reside.

Chanyeol tried his luck to make the auror go out of his tower. "We have Quidditch tryouts this Friday. Do you want to come and watch?"

The mention of Quidditch seemed to perk up the auror.

"My best friend, Kyungsoo. You've seen him in one of my memories. He took over the captainship position when I resigned. You know… conflict of schedule. As seekers, we're more lenient with team practice and usually really need to be in sync with the beaters. Our team has fine beaters, Jongin and Sehun. They're both fifth years though. Jongin is Soo's boyfriend. He makes them take weekly quizzes and it drives the fifth years crazy," Chanyeol laughed, slapping his hand on his thigh as he bended over a little.

The auror couldn't help but chuckle. "You're pretty close with your friends."

"Yeah, we've been together since before Hogwarts. They're the precious younger siblings I never had," the Slytherin smiled as he recalled his friends. "So, what say you to a round of Quidditch?"

Baekhyun raised one eyebrow. "I thought I was only watching?"

"Nobody applies for seeker position, especially now that I'm in my last year. Add to that that I remain unbeatable," Chanyeol grinned.

"Your self confidence is admirable but you've never trained the way I did. Don't set yourself up for defeat. You’ve neither looked for the snitch nor evaded a bludger over a turbulent sea in stormy conditions."

"Are you challenging me?"

"You challenged me first. There's only so much haughtiness I could take. Someone needs to pull you down from your pedestal," Baekhyun stuck out his tongue.

"So we're sticking out tongues now?" Chanyeol wiggled his eyebrows.

"Fuck off, Park. Don't start with your lewd thoughts again," the auror made a disgusted face while laughing.

"It's your fault for wearing that loose robe yesterday! Your collar bones were showing!"

Baekhyun rolled his eyes as he pushed Chanyeol's back towards the hallway and in front of the door. "Just go. I'll see you on Friday."

Chanyeol stopped midway from wearing his shoe to look at the auror. "So you'll come?"

"Yeah. yeah. I'll arrange my schedule," Baekhyun waved and tried to come off as indifferent.

Extreme happiness surged within the Head Boy as he enveloped the tiny auror in his arms and lifted him in the air. "Oh they're gonna be so excited to finally meet you!!"

"Alright Chanyeol!! Put me down!! Now!" Baekhyun placed his hand on the Head Boy's surprisingly muscular shoulder as he slowly wiggled his way down.

Chanyeol smirked.

The auror huffed as he turned around and nagged him to finish wearing his shoes while hiding his flushed face.

"Hey, Baek," Chanyeol called out.

"What?"

The Head Boy ruffled the auror's hair as he peeked his head on the auror's right side. "I'll see you around…"

Chanyeol grinned as he pinched the auror’s cheek and made a quick escape, shutting the door close behind him just as he heard a loud thud hit the shut door, supposedly Baekhyun's slipper.

“Park Chanyeol!! You-,” the flustered auror’s colorful words were drowned as a grinning Chanyeol climbed up towards the roof, remembering how quickly time flies and how attached he had become to Baekhyun. It wasn't hard to like the auror. They clicked so well from their first lesson, and he appreciated how Baekhyun made him feel secure and told him the real reason why he needed these lessons.

The flight back down was as smooth as a feather gliding down a surface thanks to the incredible enchantments placed on the hippogriff statue that he now called Lightwings. The trap door behind him closed with a soft thud as he greeted the guards politely, promising both auror Choi and auror Lee some Chocolate frogs when he returned. They were very amicable and Chanyeol grew fond of them. He still didn't know why they needed to guard the tower, but he supposed that Baekhyun's status as a foreign auror with ties to the ICW warranted extra security.

***

A few students trickled in the Great Hall alongside the Head Boy, who received greetings left and right. First years buzzed about their latest lessons, still excited with every new learnings while the older students talked about their impending trip to Hogsmeade in a few months. Chanyeol found his friends waiting for him at the Great Hall when he arrived for dinner.

"What's with the goofy smile?"

"Didn't you just come from your extracurricular?" Both Kyungsoo and Jongin asked as Chanyeol sat down in front of them, a grin still plastered on his face.

"Baek-- ahh... I mean, auror Byun would join us for the tryouts this Friday."

The couple both stopped eating and raised an eyebrow towards him. Chanyeol blinked his eyes in reply. "What?"

"Are you on first name basis with THE auror Byun?"

"Why is he even joining us on Friday?"

Chanyeol leaned back as the couple leaned their faces towards the Head Boy. "Woah. Wait. Uhhhhhhh---"

"Uhhhhhhh.."

"Uhhhhhh~"

"Uhhhhhh!!!"

Coming towards them were aurors Kim Minseok and Kim Jongdae as well as Professor Kim Junmyeon. Sehun was a few steps behind, covering his ears as he rolled his eyes.

"Why do you guys do that?"

"It's fun, Sehunnie~" Minseok replied.

"You're losing words again Chanyeol. I told you to practice your public speech," Professor Kim butted in and waved at the other Slytherins as he walked further, taking his place in the staff table.

Chanyeol sighed as Sehun sat to his right, joined by the aurors. "Huh. Even Minseok hyung sat with us tonight. And Chen too."

"You're Head Boy so it's not weird for us to be hanging around you. We directly work with you for the safety of the younger wizards in training."

"Hanging out with me means hanging out with Sehun," he deadpanned.

"I didn't say anything," the oldest auror in the group shrugged as he got a piece of meat that magically appeared in front of their huddle. "I'm here for dinner."

Sehun chuckled as he leaned towards the auror. "Am I your dessert?"

A collective of groans erupted within the group with matching gagging noises courtesy of Kyungsoo. The youngest was quick to defend himself. "Hey! You two act lovey dovey all the time!!"

"We save our bed talk for in the dorms, not where everyone can practically hear."

"Not everyone is as kinky as you, Sehun," Jongin joked which earned him an under the table kick on the shin by Oh Sehun. "Oww---"

"Ewww. Please no more sex talk," Chanyeol covered his blushing face which piqued the interest of his friends.

"Mate," Kyungsoo started. "You're blushing."

"Park Chanyeol is blushing?" Jongdae chimed in.

"Because I'm embarrassed for you all!" Chanyeol jaw dropped as he stared at the youngest auror. "Chen, how could you gang up on me?"

Kim Jongdae was a Beauxbaton graduate, the same as Kim Minseok. Their families think they're a match made in heaven but the two are as platonic as can be. Though Chanyeol once thought that Jongdae, as they fondly called him, had a minor crush on Minseok, that of which he violently declined.

"Dude, we might be same aged friends but I'm just an auror in training. I gotta take the side of my mentor," Jongdae held his hands up in surrender. "I gotta graduate with high recommendations."

The group laughed as they shared quick stories of their first few weeks back in the castle. Jongin was right when he said that Sehun usually hanged around Minseok's vicinity when they didn't have classes which elicited a sigh from Jongdae, as he always had to third wheel.

***

The Head Boy immersed himself in his studies for the rest of the week. Being top of the class wasn't easy to maintain. He had classmates like Amber, the Hufflepuff Head Girl, and Jongdae, who sits in for the units as a foreign student. Though Jongdae already had a mentor and was highly likely to enter their auror ranks as soon as he graduated.

Chanyeol might have been a tiny bit jealous when he heard about Jongdae's arrangements with Minseok the year prior. However, ever since Baekhyun had technically recruited him a few weeks ago, he felt a sense of security and pride because his mentor is THE Byun Baekhyun. His reputation preceded him.

If Chanyeol was being honest, he really didn't want to stalk the auror much but he does wonder why he was well known. For sure it wasn’t just because of his Quidditch prowess or his natural talent in Legilimency, or getting his golden robes at fifteen. Okay, that might be enough reason but deep down, Chanyeol felt that there must be something more. There were times when the auror would space out and look at the direction of his quarters as if afraid of something, not even noticing how often he did it.

The Head Boy decided he couldn't bear to be kept in the dark. It was Thursday evening, the Slytherin tryouts would be the next day. Chanyeol sat on one of the dark green sofas of the Slytherin common room in the dungeons as he and his group of friends diligently completed their respective homework.

"Hey, Sehun. Do you happen to know where Minseok hyung is at this time?"

"Why does everyone assume that I know where he is?" Sehun slammed his pen down on the low table where he was sitting cross legged on the floor and whined. "Even the aurors think I have a copy of his schedule. Do I look like his keeper?"

The sudden outburst caught the attention of Kyungsoo, who was cuddling with Jongin on the sofa nearest to the fireplace. There were a few other Slytherins in the common room rushing their parchments but they kept their head low, pretending not to listen.

"Trouble in paradise?" Jongin jested which earned him a nudge from Kyungsoo who warned him with his eyes.

Jongin followed Kyungsoo, obviously pouty because of the disruption to their cuddle time. But Sehun seemed upset and they wanted to be good friends.

"What's wrong Hunnie?" Kyungsoo asked as he sat on the carpeted floor beside their youngest who was glaring at his parchment.

"Nothing's wrong!" Sehun grumbled as he continued copying notes from a bounded book to his parchment. "He can tutor his protege in the library however long he wants. It's not like I'm begging for his time. I'm busy studying for my OWLs."

Eyebrows shot up from all three friends. So Sehun was jealous that Minseok chose teaching Jongdae over spending time with him. But Chanyeol could better see the other side of the situation. He would expect Baekhyun to focus his time teaching him than spending time romanticizing someone else. It was a wonder how Jongdae held up this far without demanding Minseok's time. In a way, the senior auror was honor bound to his protege which seemed to irk their friend. Chanyeol sighed.

Kyungsoo, the softest and most concerned person in their group, lightly tapped Sehun's shoulder as he gave comforting words. Chanyeol wanted to join in but his best friend shooed him away, giving him eye signals towards the door. He understood at once that Soo was telling him to go to the auror since he had questions that need answers.

The Head Boy shook his head as he sat down on the other side of Sehun. He'd rather give his presence to their upset friend. Besides, if the auror didn't have time for Sehun, he's pretty much sure that the auror was also not in the position to entertain him that night.

******

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Falling fast.

Falling slow.

Someone's arms wrapped around the other as both feet touched the ground.

Chanyeol was in his official Quidditch uniform, a green and silver padded attire bearing the emblem of the Slytherin House. He held his Cleansweep One on his right hand as he entered the Quidditch pitch, an elongated oval playing area a quarter of a kilometer long and around fifty five meters wide with three golden hooped goals on either side, elevated by high rise stilts.

Two chasers and the keeper graduated last school year and with Chanyeol’s new duties, Kyungsoo was appointed as the Team Captain. There were plenty of participants for the Slytherin Quidditch Trials this year. As expected, no one signed up for the Seeker position. Chanyeol pouted for a bit after seeing the list earlier but shrugged it off. At least Baekhyun would be here to play against him during the trial game.

He didn’t really mind giving up the Seeker position if someone was more talented than him. He had a lot of things on his plate but he loved Quidditch so much that he couldn’t just simply drop it. The best thing he could do was to was to give up the Captain position and let Kyungsoo take care of the members while he focused on his own duties of taking care of the entire student body.

Being a Head Boy had its ups and downs. He had access to almost every section of the Hogwarts grounds and the caretaker didn’t so much as blink an eye when the Head Boy roamed the corridors late in the night, especially the week prior when lessons with Baek were rescheduled to nighttime due to his other duties and ended later than they intended. But it also meant huge workloads on top of his school work, and having to become the go to person for all the incident reports and conveying them to not only the faculty but also to the aurors for security.

Speaking of the auror, Baekhyun emerged from the right field entrance where he came from, followed by auror Lee. His mentor was wearing what looked to be the official Mahoutokoro Quidditch attire. Yoora showed him this in pictures before and compared it to the outfit of the Asian assassins they called ninjas. The only difference was that the Quidditch attire had coat tails and padded materials to help identify the player and for safety.

The Oriental touch looked phenomenal on the auror, with its white and black color scheme and a head dress that covered Baekhyun's red hair and revealed only the auror's golden eyes which was further emphasized by the loss of his golden rimmed eyeglasses. A huge number 04 was printed in white on the auror's back with his family name Byun on top. Chanyeol's attire, meanwhile, had his number 61 printed in silver with his family name Park on top.

"Are you ready for a crushing defeat?"

Chanyeol couldn't see his mentor's mouth but he could feel the auror smirking which made him scoff. "You belittle me. Just because you won against the Chuddley cannons' seeker years ago doesn't mean you're any better than me."

The auror lowered the cloth masking the lower half of his face, revealing a grin. Chanyeol reinforced the defenses around his mind as he felt the familiar touch of the auror's Legilimency. This seemed to widen the auror's grin.

"Impressive. Very good defense," Baekhyun commented.

"Thanks. I learned from the best," he replied as they walked towards the center of the pitch where the remnants of the Slytherin team crowded.

Professor Kim waved his hand as Chanyeol spotted him sitting on one of the spectator seats. The seats towered around the Quidditch pitch as it was intended to be built higher than the three hoops for a good vantage point. Beside the professor was their school's Healer Zhang Yixing who bowed his head lightly which Chanyeol acknowledged.

The black clothed auror stepped closer to his side. "Who is he?"

"The one sitting next to Professor Suho?" Chanyeol asked as the auror nodded. "That's Yixing. He's the school healer's apprentice. He's the best. I broke my rib from a nasty fall last year and he stitched it in one touch. I didn't even drink anything."

"Hmmm," Baekhyun simply shrugged as he followed the Slytherin to his teammates.

"Chanyeol!" the beaters simultaneously called out.

Chanyeol waved his hands and looked back slightly towards Baekhyun. He gave Baekhyun a slap on the back. "Are you ready to meet my friends?"

"It's not like you're introducing me to your parents," the auror rolled his eyes.

"Oooh. Thinking about that already, Byun Baekhyun?" Chanyeol held up both his arms just in time, successfully defending his head from being hit by the auror's hand. "Missed me."

Another hit came from the side which he almost failed to deflect had it not been for his fast reflexes, lithely evading to the right. "Missed me again! Are you sure you're a pro fighter?" The Slytherin seeker grinned as he stuck his tongue out towards the increasingly annoyed but smiling auror. "Catch me if you can~" He challenged as he ran towards his friends.

"You're such a child, Park Chanyeol," the auror huffed as he maintained his pace, not easily led by Chanyeol's antics.

Jongin couldn't contain his excitement and rushed forward, reaching with both hands. The moment Baekhyun was an arm's length away, the Slytherin beater shook his hand eagerly. "Kim Jongin, 5th year, Slytherin beater. Oh my god, I can't believe I'm shaking hands with THE Byun Baekhyun, seeker of the century. If only you chose to play the professional league, I would've been your greatest fan! I still am, though! You're also a great auror! Oh my god? Is this actually happening? Can i call you Baekhyunnie?"

Chanyeol shook his head as he looked on while Sehun snickered to his right side.

Kyungsoo stomped towards the fanboy and karate chopped their entwined hands with his right. The younger Slytherin yelped as Kyungsoo twisted Jongin's ear using his left. "Please forgive my boyfriend . He gets easily excited when he sees celebrities."

Baekhyun smiled as he reached out the same hand towards the captain. "That's alright. I'm Byun Baekhyun and this is auror Lee. Chanyeol invited me to watch but then it became a challenge and I'm not one to decline a Quidditch match. He swears he's good."

"He is. I'm Do Kyungsoo, 6th year, Captain and Chaser for the team. Thanks for being here. Chanyeol needs the challenge or else he won't improve," Kyungsoo shook hands with both Baekhyun and auror Lee as Sehun stepped forward.

"I'm Oh Sehun, also a 5th year, and the best beater, period." The aurors shook hands with the youngest who grinned back at Chanyeol. "You were right, he does have soft hands."

"Hey! Don't say that out loud!" Chanyeol slapped his hand over the youngest’s mouth as he regretted ever telling them about the first time he shook hands with Baekhyun outside the Great Hall.

"Oh come on, Chanyeol. It's not like I didn't know that already," Baekhyun chided.

"You're only giving them more ammunition," Chanyeol sighed. "Besides, read my mind now."

"You know I won't read your mind if you ask me to. Who knows what I'd see?"

"Fine, then don't."

"I won't."

"Fine."

"Fine."

"…"

The two stopped as they realized they weren't in the confines of Baekhyun's tower and were actually under the eyes of at least two dozen people.

"Your uniform looks nice, Baekhyunnie," Jongin butted in, not bothered by the awkward atmosphere.

"Kim Jongin, he didn't even give you his consent and now you're being disrespectful." Kyungsoo hit Jongin's arm once as he walked out of their small group and moved on to where the Slytherins interested in joining the team crowded together.

"It's alright, you guys can call me Baekhyunnie or Baek. I'm fine with it." Chanyeol gave Baekhyun a small appreciative smile for his kindness.

Their small huddle dispersed as Baekhyun stepped away and started walking to the side, choosing to observe from afar while the rest followed the captain. Chanyeol stood a good meter away from Kyungsoo as he observed how he was holding the tryouts, trying not to get in his way.

"Good morning, Slytherins," the Captain started as the young hopefuls followed his every word. Kyungsoo explained the flow of the tryouts focusing on getting a new keeper and two chasers to fill up the positions, followed by a trial game.

The 6th year Slytherin Chaser spent a bit of time discussing the rules of the game, the responsibilities of each position as well as the different balls used.

"And the last one is the Quaffle, the Pennifold quaffle to be specific. It is bewitched so that when it drops, it falls slowly like a stone thrown in the water." Kyungsoo threw it upwards and everyone watched as the quaffle landed slowly back in his arms. "Meaning, us chasers would be able to grab it mid-air easily."

A hand shot up in the air. "What if it falls to the ground?" a second year hopeful asked.

"Then the Chasers would secure it for the team without their feet touching the ground. That hasn't happened in a long time, though," Kyungsoo answered while a bunch of other hands shot up in the air.

"What if we want to steal a Quaffle, but the opposing team is holding it, are we allowed to grab it?"

"Yes. As long as you don't seize hold of any part of another player's anatomy," Kyungsoo was very patient in answering the questions. "Also, please be reminded that we are winners and we do not resort to blagging, blatching, or cobbing. Our chaser hopefuls must also be reminded that Haversacking and Stooging are all fouls. And keeper hopefuls, please stay in front of your goal posts, no flacking please."

A few more minutes were dedicated to answering questions. Chanyeol almost wanted to step in as they were losing precious sunlight but decided not to butt in. He noticed Baekhyun's gaze at him and he immediately knew his mentor could feel his agitation. He took a deep breath and pushed his mentor out of his head and reapplied his defenses so as not to be caught off guard again.

Fortunately, the Chaser and Keeper trials went on smoothly and without any injuries as Kyungsoo graded each hopeful. There were four others who tried out for the beater position but Chanyeol felt that none were as good as the current members.

It was well past an hour when the practice game started. Kyungsoo divided the current beaters to each side for fairness as he stood at the side as a referee. Chanyeol was assigned to Sehun's side while Jongin was placed in Baekhyun's team.

Both teams hovered at the center where Kyungsoo stood.

"Just a reminder, this is a fifteen minute practice game only. At the end of the time limit, the team with the most points wins," Kyungsoo grinned up at the two seekers. "or whoever could catch the one hundred and fifty point snitch in fifteen minutes."

"Yeol, you can do it!" Sehun hollered at Chanyeol who was above the players. "The fastest snitch catch is at 3 something seconds!"

The Slytherin seeker gave the 5th year a thumbs up. "As long as Jongin doesn't knock me off my broom!!!"

"Sorry Yeollie!" Jongin laughed. "Beater's first rule is to take out the seekers!!"

"I'll protect you!!" Sehun swung his bat above his head as he pointed it towards Baekhyun. "Baekhyun should fly fast if he doesn't want to be hit by my bludger!!"

A whistle echoed in the pitch as all eyes returned to the captain. "Chasers, all eyes on me," Kyungsoo held the quaffle with his right with the whistle still on his lips. The snitch was already flying in the air as the captain started his countdown to toss the quaffle upwards. "In three, two, one!!"

The chasers flew and Baekhyun's team grabbed hold of the quaffle first. Chanyeol lifted his broom up for a better vantage point as the auror followed him.

"If you could grab the golden snitch before me within fifteen minutes, I'll give you a wish."

Chanyeol raised an eyebrow towards the auror. "And what if I lose?"

"Then I get a wish."

"What if I don't want to do it?"

"Then don't. I'm not gonna make you do something you don't like if that's what you're afraid of. You know I'd never force you."

Just then, a bludger whizzed towards Baekhyun courtesy of Oh Sehun. In an instant, Jongin zoomed past Chanyeol, effectively batting the bludger away.

"Aww, you don't have to play so hard, Hunnie," Jongin whined.

"Why? They were just hovering there like sitting ducks," the maknae pointed at both seekers. "They make for great target practice."

From below, Chanyeol could hear Kyungsoo as he nagged at him. "Move your bloody arse, Park Chanyeol!! It's been five minutes and you're not even trying to look for the snitch!!"

"He's right, hyung," Jongin nodded in agreement as he flew away to defend his teammates from Sehun's aggressive bludgers.

Chanyeol huffed as he glared at the Mahoutokoro seeker who shrugged. Baekhyun's golden eyes glinted with mirth. The Head Boy knew he was being played so he decided to ignore his mentor and focused on looking for the snitch.

He looked left and right, deciding where to start. He only had ten minutes left. He flew to the right, hoping to find the snitch somewhere near. To his chagrin, Baekhyun tailgated him.

"Can you look on your own and stop following me?"

"Answer me first."

"Fine. You better be prepared for my wish though."

"But I'm faster than you though."

"You're underestimating me again."

There. Chanyeol heard the telltale flapping wings of the Golden Snitch. It buzzed near his left ear. The Slytherin seeker quickly turned and positioned his hand.

Everything seemed to move forward in slow motion. Chanyeol's hand raised around the snitch just as he felt Baekhyun step on the front of his broomstick. The weight tilted him in front and caused him to grasp thin air as the snitch went uncaught, sliding between his thumb and index fingers. The auror used this opportunity to nip the snitch by its wings before enclosing his palms on its entirety. The action being done right in front of Chanyeol's disbelieving eyes.

"You owe me a wish," Baekhyun whispered to his ear as the shocked Chanyeol could only open and close his mouth like a fish.

The Slytherin seeker wanted to sound his protest when a bludger whizzed towards him dangerously close while Sehun and the other beater was at the other side of the pitch. Out of panic, Baekhyun pushed Chanyeol away with both hands as the bludger hit him hard enough on the stomach causing him to fall off his broom.

Loud gasps echoed as everyone saw Baekhyun got hit by the bludger. Chanyeol was the first to whip out his wand.

"Arresto momentum!" Chanyeol caught Baekhyun mid-air and safely put him down on the field.

The first thing he did was look at Baekhyun's eyes as he fussed for other injuries. "Are you alright? You blanked out for a bit."

"I'm fine," Baekhyun looked ashen as he removed the mask covering his face. He looked at Chanyeol. "I have to go. I need to check on something."

There was nothing Chanyeol could do as Baekhyun ran towards the exit of the pitch.

******

Kyungsoo shook his head as he browsed through the names on his list. Chanyeol nudged his best friend as the Slytherin Captain scooted to give him space on the edge of the couch.

"How is Jongin? Is he still beating himself up for that bludger?"

Kyungsoo sighed as he nodded. "Yeah, he batted it from the far side of the pitch just before Auror Byun caught it. He wanted to distract you but it ended up throwing his idol off his broomstick. To say he is in distraught is an understatement."

"I could go talk to him," Chanyeol offered.

"No. Let him be. He'll eventually realize it's not his fault. Besides, auror Byun already talked to him and told him he was fine."

"They talked?"

"Yeah, the auror went to the hospital wing for a painkiller. Even Yixing hyung assured Jongin that the auror was fine," Kyungsoo then showed Chanyeol the list of the applicants and his comments.

"Have you decided? They all seem great."

"Seulgi and Wendy are a great pair. They would do well and perform even better under pressure. Just a bit of training would increase their synergy. It's the Keeper that I'm more concerned about."

"Sicheng has talent."

"He's a second year. Are you sure you want him to play on the field? Quidditch is a dangerous sport, especially for a keeper."

"Alright, then how about Yuta? He's been training for over a year and I think he's ready to play the field. Minho hyung trained him personally before he graduated last year."

"Let me think about it. My greatest concern is that we have four 5th years on our team."

"And so?"

"I would have to place a performance restriction. They should be studying for their O.W.L.s. You think it would be too much if I give quizzes before we start our game just so I could gauge how well they are studying?"

"That might be a bit of an overkill, mate."

Kyungsoo sighed and looked at Chanyeol. "You have other things to worry about than the roster."

Chanyeol tried to avoid his bestfriends' gaze.

"You're dreaming again. Aren't you? Both your mentors told you to clear your mind before you sleep. Besides, Africa was not your fau-”

Chanyeol shook his head.

"What was it you were dreaming about today?"

Chanyeol hesitated for a second. "I didn't think it would be Baekhyun. I just saw someone falling. But it was him. This was the second time already. I'm sure it's because I can't get him out of my mind."

"Hmm.. You said you dreamed about your first class right?"

Chanyeol nodded.

"It's the first time anyone's seen him outside his tower. There's been rumors and the other kids call his tower a prison."

"A prison, in Hogwarts?" Chanyeol raised one of his eyebrows. "It doesn't look like a prison to me."

"Not to you, of course. You're always there. But the rest of the school can't so much as find the entrance to it. And believe me, many have tried." Kyungsoo waved his hand towards the exit of the Slytherin common room to pertain to the students of the other houses. Chanyeol debated telling Kyungsoo about the hippogriff statue he named Lightwings, but decided against it.

His best friend continued. "Anyway, rumor has it that the minister wanted to keep a closer watch on him from here. We have hoards of aurors on the grounds to keep students safe. They would be able to contain him if he decides to run away. They think that's what auror Lee is for."

"Run away? Why? Where? We can't apparate inside Hogwarts."

"But he's a great flier."

"Yes, but--" Chanyeol thought about the enchanted windows in the room. He found it odd that there were no windows seen every time he circled the tower with Lightwings. The wall decorations must've masked the awkwardness of the window placements.

Kyungsoo finalized the roster on his hand and placed it on the table facing the Head boy.

"Look Chanyeol, don't mind the rumors. I'm sure you also want to know why auror Byun is here. For sure he's not here just for you. But whatever that is, I personally believe he wouldn't willingly choose to harm anyone. Besides, he looked panicked after your fall, that's not a look someone evil would have. You should offer him something in return for teaching you."

The two of them heard the portal to the common room open, turning their heads to see who it was.

“It’s me,” Jongin said as he approached the two.

“Are you alright?” Chanyeol asked.

“Yeah, by the way, Professor Kim told me that Healer Yixing told him to tell me to tell you that Baekhyunnie needed rest.”

“So, he’s not required to go for weekend classes?” Kyungsoo asked.

Jongin nodded. “Until further notice.”

“Thanks Jongin,” Chanyeol thought about his best friend's words before he slept that night.

----

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He saw a boy sitting in front of a mirror, loneliness bleeding out.

The boy in the mirror was standing and holding a small black stone with hatred in his eyes.

If only looks could kill.

Chanyeol munched on the last piece of his pumpkin pie while he read the Daily Prophet his sister sent him via owl. The great hall was a bit loud for a Sunday afternoon.

The Head Boy had finished the morning meeting with the prefects well. Halloween was coming in a few weeks and the prefects submitted their proposals for the Great Hall decorations as well as the auror's proposals regarding security. Chanyeol never thought there'd be a time where he gets to order aurors around. It was a childhood dream come true.

"Park," Chanyeol looked towards his caller and saw Professor Kim coming towards him. "How've you been?"

It's been two weeks since the Slytherin tryouts. Two weeks since Professor Kim told him not to come to Baekhyun's tower.

"Professor," the seventh year lightly bowed in acknowledgement. "The prefects came up with very creative proposals for the Halloween and I'm rearranging security patrols with the aurors. The headmaster told me he'd approve whichever one I pick. He complains he's been busy fielding parental complaints left and right. The government seems to be pushing him too, but he'd much rather I be left in the dark. I digress, but he was adamant that I focus on my duties only. However, I heard the Ministry of Magic came and sought for Professor Dumbledore. Things must have been… pretty hectic."

"Ahhh.. that's true," Professor Suho surprised the Head Boy by sitting beside him, reaching out for a pumpkin tart. "Have you been practicing your occlumency?"

"About that.." Chanyeol wondered if he should ask about Baekhyun again. "Is auror Byun well?"

"That was one nasty bludger and an almost nasty fall too. Yixing told me he was afraid of heights… of falling to be exact. Makes you wonder why he loves being a seeker in the first place. And that godawful tower too. I've only seen it from the outside. Maybe that's why it didn't seem to have any windows," Professor Suho replied, munching on the tart. "Mmm. This is tasty."

"Professor, when are we going to resume our classes?"

"What classes?” The professor raised one of his eyebrows and looked at him curiously.

"But..." Chanyeol's heart raced. Has he been skipping lessons then? How? Was it all in his mind? "…Jongin told me that Healer Yixing told you to tell me to let Auror Byun recuperate after the tryouts. That our lessons are postponed until further notice. I've never been since."

"Yixing did?" Suho looked at him with creased eyebrows.

"Scourgify!" The Slytherin shot up from his seat as his enchantment worked to stack up his papers and placed them inside his bag. He didn't even want to think of how he thought he wasn't going to get lessons.

"It's a Sunday, Park. You skipped more or less five lessons, six if we're counting today." Suho reached out for a piece of strawberry cake and placed it on a clean plate as he conjured a dome like cover for it. The professor who tried to mask his increasing worry, gave it to the panicking Head Boy. "Here. An acquaintance once told me that Auror Byun loves strawberries. Just in case he's a bit angry."

The Slytherin mumbled a word of gratitude before speeding past the hallways on his way to Baekhyun's tower.

He ran so fast that even the aurors guarding the tower pointed their wands at him threateningly.

"It's me!! I'm late!!" Chanyeol easily hopped on the statue's back.

"You've been sick?" Auror Lee asked but Chanyeol didn't have time to entertain questions so he shook his head as the hippogriff brought him up the tower.

He hopped off as fast as he could and climbed down the stairs a few steps at a time. The door was unlocked. Chanyeol didn't want to assume but a thought did cross his mind. That he was welcome anytime. Who else would Baekhyun expect? As far as Chanyeol knew, he was the only person who knew how to go up the tower. The aurors knew it was the hippogriff but they didn't know the password, while Professor Kim knew the password but wasn’t aware about the hippogriff statue coming to life.

The Slytherin pushed the double doors open. The hallway was quiet and the only sign of life seemed to come from the few lit chandeliers in the training room further ahead. He kicked off his shoes, skillfully lining it up neatly outwards as he slipped on the blue slippers he always used.

"Hello?" he peeked at the living room to be sure but the silence was enough for him to deduce that Baekhyun must be in the training room.

The Head Boy left his bag on the wooden kitchen counter along with his peace offering.

"Baekhyun?" Chanyeol called out the auror as he entered the training area.

Numerous tables lined up at the center, stacked in an organized manner while some sort of contraptions were subtly shoved into the corner.

He called out again in a whisper. "Baekhyun."

The door to the auror's quarters was wide open. Curiosity got the best off the seventh year as he stalked towards it.

He peeked.

The room was of normal size. As big as his room in the Slytherin dungeons. But he shared the room with four others whereas Baekhyun had the space to his own.

To his immediate right was a sofa set similar to the one in the living area albeit smaller in size. A bit in front was a king sized four poster bed and a dark wooden chest on its foot. To his left was what looks to be a huge standing vanity mirror with gold encrusted top and edges.

"Why are you here?" a rough voice spoke to his right.

Byun Baekhyun was in his golden robes, looking all high and mighty, his gold rimmed glasses perched perfectly on his cute button nose.

"I--" Chanyeol wanted to start out with an apology, however, the auror seemed pissed and slammed the door to his room and walked towards the kitchens. The Slytherin followed. "Baek, I---"

"Save your apologies, Park," the auror muttered, stopping at the entrance of the kitchens. "What's this?"

Chanyeol approached the kitchen table and opened the lid. "Strawberry cake? Your favorite?"

Baekhyun looked at him as if he wasn't impressed even though he cutely stole side glances at the dessert. "I know what a strawberry cake looks like. What's it for?"

"Peace offering," the Slytherin rummaged through the utensil cabinet and found a fork. He'd been around Baekhyun's home for almost a month and knew where everything was, especially when they started eating lunch together whenever they extended. He placed the fork at the corner of the plate.

The auror sat down across him and picked up the fork. He stabbed the cake cleanly and placed the piece of the dessert in his mouth. "Just because I've accepted your offering doesn't mean I forgive you."

There was a lilt in Baekhyun's voice, like a child who offered his favorite toy but his playmate refused. And now he's too petty to indulge said playmate the second time. Chanyeol should've found it off-putting but Baekhyun just looked too endearing with his pouty lips.

"Hey," Chanyeol softly started. He placed both elbows on the table as he cupped his face with his hands. "You know I'm not the kind to ditch. Especially you. We might not have known each other for long but you've been inside my head too many times to think I would do that to you deliberately."

And it was true. Baekhyun knew Chanyeol valued their friendship so much. The Slytherin liked the tiny auror for god's sake, not that Chanyeol was trying to hide his feelings. He was always open about liking Baekhyun and it poured out in his thoughts and emotions.

Legilimency and Occlumency weren’t that hard to understand, as they're not opposites of a spectrum. Instead, they created a juxtaposition of the complexities of the mind. Of layers upon layers of memories moved by emotions of varying intensities. Of control and reigning in urges to act upon blooming feelings. Of veils that wanted to be lifted and the tug of war that ensued.

The opposite, if there could be, was the Imperius curse. An Unforgivable curse. Banned for centuries due to its incapacitating nature of ripping a victim's free will. The smell that allured and invaded the mind. There was no tug of war, no spell that could protect anyone. It was through sheer raw inner willpower that Chanyeol was able to break off the curse in Africa.

"I know," Baekhyun mumbled as he ate another piece of cake conscious of the Head Boy staring intensely at him. "So stop it."

"Stop what?"

"Stop liking me."

"No."

"I'm not the person you think I am."

But the Slytherin wasn't listening. Chanyeol looked at how Baekhyun clenched his fist around the fork before striking down the poor cake, bringing it to his lips. The Head Boy gulped. Those sinful lips looked as red as cherry, moistened by the tongue that peeked.

"Yeol!" Baekhyun slammed his other fist on the table, shocking the Slytherin.

"What?! It's your fault you kept licking your lips!!" the Slytherin whined.

"Huh?"

"O-Oh, nothing, I thought you read my mind."

"I don't do that anymore. I know what goes on there when you start staring and salivating like I'm a piece of meat."

Chanyeol had the audacity to sheepishly grin as he looked elsewhere and pretended to be preoccupied by the firelights of the kitchen chandelier.

The auror sighed as he finished the last of his strawberry cake which lifted up his mood. "There's something bothering you."

The Head Boy nodded and focused once more. He stared seriously at his mentor.  "I was told not to go here."

"Hmmm.."

Chanyeol hesitated a bit. He didn't want to implicate and arouse suspicion against one of his favorite professors or to the healer, or to his friend. But it didn't sit well with him. One of them surely must've lied.

"You…" Baekhyun brought down his glasses and Chanyeol could feel the auror overpower all the defenses in his mind. The auror was too good when he wanted to.

"Someone told me not to come." Chanyeol told his mentor. "I didn't even question it."

"Hmm.."

"I trust my friends and my professors. I'm sure somewhere along the way, someone forced them to tell me not to come." Chanyeol tried to retrace his steps after the Quidditch tryouts. "I'm drawing a blank. The only logical explanation I could think of was that someone with ill intentions didn't want me getting lessons. Do you think anybody else knows I'm an augur?"

"I know your sister personally. That's the only reason I know you are one. It's not something widely known even in the magical community. Does anyone know you have dreams of the future?"

Chanyeol thought hard. "Professor Kim? Kyungsoo? But I never told them what I was. As far as I'm concerned, they only concluded that I think too much in my sleep."

"Both of them wouldn't stop you from coming to me. There's no motive. Professor Suho knows I am an active auror against Grindelwald. With his history, he won't ask that of you."

"Baek, I think it's highly likely that someone has infiltrated Hogwarts." Chanyeol felt chills go down his spine as he spoke his thoughts. "They knew I was your only connection outside this tower. They would be able to recruit without you investigating them. Even with the increase in auror population, you are the only one actively fighting against Grindelwald. But the question is… why go to such lengths to recruit for their greater good? This is a school."

"That’s not--- There are much more important things hidden in this school," Baekhyun hung his head low. "And pureblood families would go to lengths to protect their heirs. As far as I know, Grindelwald would never use students especially purebloods as collateral. But there's no telling with his followers. Seeing that he's captured now, nobody knows who's holding the reigns."

"Wait. What do you mean by hidden things?" the Slytherin asked.

"It's nothing of concern to you," Baekhyun placed the used dishes in the sink.

Chanyeol was a highly logical person. This was one of the reasons he stayed on top of his year and the reason he was allowed to practice the art of Occlumency. From Baekhyun's actions, it seemed that whatever it was that he was hiding had to do with why he was here in Hogwarts. "Baekhyun, I've been meaning to ask you something since the first time we met,"

"What is it?"

The Slytherin stood behind the auror, observing him do the dishes with magic. "Why are you here? In Hogwarts? In Europe? You're running after Grindelwald but until a few months ago, he was in America. Not here."

Chanyeol saw the auror's shoulders tense up. It was not a typical Baekhyun behavior. It definitely wasn't the immediate response he expected.

The auror's silence seemed to go on. Baekhyun seemed to collect his thoughts, placed the newly cleaned dishes on the side, and turned to face Chanyeol with a smile so fake it was too painful to watch. "I---"

"And don't say it was because of me. If my lessons were really that important, you would've sought me yourself. Or at least sent a word of warning, anything. But you never left your tower." Chanyeol curiously stated as he stepped forward.

Baekhyun held on to the counter behind him, leaning back to create an illusion of distance between him and his student. "I left my tower when we played Quidditch."

"But before that? After that? None. You never left once. What are you hiding here so bad that even when you left the tower, one of your guards stayed behind?"

"Stop it, Chanyeol," Baekhyun's grip on the counter tightened. "Don't ask for information that you can't keep to yourself. It will only do more harm than good."

"So there is something," Chanyeol creased his eyebrows in deep thought. "I've been dreaming a lot these past few days and all the signs point me to you."

Baekhyun's eyes widened. "Fuck. What dreams? I told you to not think of anything when you sleep. Empty your mind, numb your feelings. You're a fucking augur, this is why I told you to practice more!"

"So it's my fault??" Chanyeol gritted his teeth as he felt anger well up inside him. "What did you not want me to see?!"

The auror ignored his question and asked another. "What did you see?"

"It's nothing! I don't even think it's important!!"

Baekhyun removed his eyeglasses and penetrated Chanyeol's mind.

“Ahh!” The sudden invasion surprised him and he felt a tinge of pain but his mentor was quick to soothe him, peeling the layers of his mind slower as if they had all the time in the world, all to ease his pain.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," The auror whispered and cupped Chanyeol's cheek using his right hand as they both saw flashes of memories and emotions, disjointed and raw.

There was a girl who placed him under an Imperius curse. They were in Africa. He dreamed of her surrounded in flames. He wanted to save her. Then it skipped to where his father shackled the girl. The memory zoomed to Chanyeol, minutes after he broke the curse on his own. He saw the devastation his Fiendfyre did on the street and the scared looks of the bystanders directed towards him.

The scenario panned out and Chanyeol saw Baekhyun the moment he fell in the Quidditch pitch. There was a look of alarm on the auror's face when he took the bludger on his abdomen. Then Chanyeol saw how panicked he was when they landed and desperately ran outside the pitch with his injury.

Then it was Chanyeol's dreams… of the back of a golden robed person sitting in front of a mirror… but the reflection was not the same.… it was standing and holding something…

Baekhyun released his hold on him, slow as ever, afraid to hurt him. The auror now had his head down and Chanyeol didn't know what to think of it. He didn't want to push the issue but he wanted to try his luck.

"Baek?" Chanyeol held the hand cupping his cheek while he used his other to lift the auror's face so he could see him. His eyes widened when he saw silent tears escape the older one's closed eyes. The Slytherin felt a pang in his heart as he wiped the auror's tears. "What's wrong, Baekhyun?"

"This is why I hate untrained augurs," Baekhyun clenched his left fist and pounded it on Chanyeol's chest once. "And this one even had the audacity to like me."

Chanyeol smiled and let out a chuckle, hoping to ease the tension. "You were very enticing."

"Shut it, Chanyeol. You need to double.. no.. quadruple your efforts in mastering Occlumency from now on," Baekhyun glared harmlessly towards the taller male. "I want to stop you from liking me but if you're so adamant to do so, at least learn to protect my secrets too. I hate it when untrained augurs zone in their dreams on a favored person."

"So that's why I keep seeing you in front of that mirror. I've always thought that was you. It really is you."

"Can you stop mentioning that dream? That's highly confidential. Ugh," Baekhyun retrieved both his hands and covered his face, wiping away the rest of his tears, annoyed at the fact that he even showed weakness in front of his student.

"Why? I want to ask if it's the same mirror I saw in your quarters?"

"I said shut it, Park! We do not talk about the mirror, ever! You've never seen it! You've never dreamed about it!" The auror stomped his foot on the ground, extending both arms on his side with clenched fists, as he gave another glare and tilted his head upwards. In Chanyeol's eyes, the small auror looked pretty angry. Very pretty, but angry. And pretty. Did he say pretty? Cute too.

"O…kay! No mirror ever!" Chanyeol and Baekhyun both knew it was never gonna happen.

The auror sighed as he conjured two glasses and filled it with a calming draught. He gave the other glass to Chanyeol. They waited a few minutes for the draught to take effect.

"To be fair, I need to confess something. But first, follow me," Baekhyun said as he led Chanyeol to the training room, holding up a hand to stop him from following. "Wait here."

Chanyeol waited patiently as the auror went inside his quarters. It only took a minute before Baekhyun got out.

"Here, take this."

"Is this what I think it is?" Chanyeol looked at the palm of his hand. Baekhyun gave him a ring. It was more like a thick silver band with a stripe of black in the middle. "Yes, I do."

The auror smacked his hand on the Slytherin's bulky arm. "Stop fooling around. We need a way to communicate and so I used the most inconspicuous thing I had. It's been enchanted with a Protean charm."

"This is not inconspicuous in any way you look at it, Baekhyun," The Head Boy grinned as he shook his head. "Did you not take into consideration the hordes of students falling in line to get me to wear a couple ring? I'm Head Boy! What kinds of rumors do you think would erupt from me having this?"

"Then place it on a chain! I didn't say you needed to wear it, j-just have it with you all the time! It's not a damned couple ring," the auror mumbled in defense as he continued hitting the Slytherin's arm. "Communication!"

"Ow--- Can't you just be a normal person? You don't look like the type to be kept in a tower," Chanyeol rubbed his sore arm. He looked at Baekhyun with worry. "You're not imprisoned here, right? ‘Cause that's what the rumors are saying."

The look Baekhyun gave him was one of confusion laced with judgement against his way of thinking. "What do you take me for? A damsel in distress? Really now…"

"I was just concerned."

"Be concerned about yourself. I told you, I'm not who you think I am."

"Then who are you if not my mentor and friend?"

Chanyeol was a very earnest man who wore his heart on his sleeve. The trainings helped him control outbursts of emotions and from losing control. Occlumency was starting to become like second skin to him but not yet as connected as Baekhyun with his natural borne Legilimency.

"Someone who genuinely wants to look out for you through his own means and his own gains." Baekhyun sighed as he confessed. "I was the one who wanted to keep you out of this tower. The day I went to talk to Jongin and Yixing. I asked them for a favor. To tell you any excuse to prevent you from coming here. It's only been two weeks and here you are again."

Chanyeol frowned. His bottom lip jutted out in a pout.

"It’s not because I didn’t want you here. I love having you around. But that day, during the Quidditch tryouts, someone took advantage of my absence. My guards and I share an enchanted coin which we use to communicate. Before the bludger hit, I felt it warm up in my pocket which distracted me," Baekhyun showed the coin and lifted it to Chanyeol's eye level. "When we hit the ground, Auror Lee was already running back and I followed. He found Auror Choi unconscious and obliviated. When I got up, the whole tower was ransacked, even my quarters."

"Why didn't you tell me? Were you hurt? Did it happen again? Did you tell the headmaster?"

"This is why I didn't tell you. I told you this doesn't concern you. Professor Dumbledore already searched the tower for any signs of the intruder but there was none. While we continue to look for the intruder, I wanted to keep you out to protect you."

Chanyeol went silent for a few seconds, the wheels in his head turning. "It's the mirror, right?"

The auror let out an exasperated breath. "Chanyeol. If I could, I would obliviate the mirror from your mind at this instant."

"Why not do it?"

"It's pointless. You're an augur. And your fixation on me would only lead to more dreams. It's better for you to know that it is a memory you should guard and not a piece of a puzzle you're very curious to look into."

The two of them stood in the middle of that training room, both with questions that didn't have answers. What was certain was the truth that they might've been strangers just a few months ago but were now bonded by the harshness of reality, slapped together with such a force that intertwined their lives. Their need for each other would only increase from here on out and they both accepted and acknowledged it.

****

In a couple of months, Chanyeol kept improving leaps and bounds. Halloween and Christmas went by. He talked to both Jongin and Healer Yixing who apologized for keeping him in the dark. He told them he understood why Baekhyun asked for such a favor even though both Jongin and the healer didn't know the reason. They, too, accepted and honored Baekhyun's wish for them to be kept in the dark.

Quidditch was one of the only times Chanyeol let himself free from all the responsibilities bestowed on his shoulders and the heaviness of the future just within his grasp. He let the wind whip on his face as he zoomed past his teammates and their opponents, dodging bludgers and evading chasers. The feel of the snitch safely in his hands was as exhilarating as the chase.

His studies were going along fine. All the while fulfilling his Head Boy duties impeccably, earning him the respect of the entire student body. The ring that rested on his left hand remained to be one of the hottest gossips in Hogwarts. No one knew who he was seeing but most of the seniors had an inclination about his weekly trips to the Mahoutokoro auror's west wing tower. Stories upon stories were being built with just a single ring on his finger. It was almost absurd how obsessed some of the third years were with him.

Nobody but his closest friends knew what it really was for. Their maknae would never settle for being kept in the dark, easily maneuvering his way around Minseok, one of the senior aurors who pleaded in the youngest's stead for Chanyeol to confess what it was really for. It wasn't until Baekhyun himself told the Head Boy to ease the senior auror's job that Chanyeol sheepishly apologized to his friends and told them how the ring was cleverly enchanted with the Protean charm.

His lessons with Baekhyun increased during the winter holiday to encompass even his weekdays. But it wasn't a bother for him. He obviously loved the auror's company. Besides, he would only be a burden to his family who was currently trying their best not to attract the attention of Grindelwald's followers. He was the weakest link, he needed to become better for his sake and for his family's as well.

***

It was a grim day. The news came in the form of the Daily Prophet being distributed all over the Great Hall in the morning. Grindelwald had escaped from his prison, on a Thestral carriage, the same ones used to transport non-first year students from the Hogwarts Express to the castle at the start of the year. The headmaster addressed everyone over dinner to not panic.

"The presence of a tyrant must not hinder us. He is but a person. As is each and every one of us and the rest of the world. There is always light. Even a spark could grow into a pillar of fire."

To say the students were worried was an understatement. Everyone knew the crimes of Grindelwald. Maybe not all but those known to the public were already alarming enough.

Chanyeol and his friends were hanging out in the dungeons when he felt his finger warm up with a message from Baekhyun. His day wasn't going too well but the thought of Baekhyun thinking of him placed a smile on his otherwise grim face. He started gathering the parchments that littered on the large study table.

"Who else didn't come back after the winter holidays?" Chanyeol looked at Kyungsoo who was browsing the files they had of the students who boarded the train after the holidays. It had only been a couple of weeks in the new year.

"Rosier," Jongin answered his boyfriend.

"Goyle, too," Sehun piped in.

The Slytherin common room looked more bare than ever. Of course, most of the pureblood families either joined the cause or avoided Grindelwald and his followers like the plague. The thestral carriage was apparently enough to scare some families from sending their heirs to school.

"You're leaving?" Kyungsoo asked as the two fifth years looked at Chanyeol who was unconsciously rubbing the ring on his left hand.

"Baekhyun hyung calls," Jongin smirked as they watched Chanyeol gather his belongings.

"He's so whipped," Sehun remarked in a singsong voice.

"And you aren't? With Minseok?" Chanyeol tried to rebuttal.

"He defends. He fails! He's whipped! His fanclub weeps!" Jongin jested, obviously enjoying as they teased the Head Boy. "Too bad it's not a couple ring. It's the slavery ring."

"To be at the auror's beck and call. Ahhhh..  What a life…" Sehun added.

"You kids should just focus on studying for your OWLs rather than spending your energy on poor Chanyeol." The Head Boy was about to give his best friend a grand gesture of appreciation but the Slytherin prefect and Quidditch captain wasn't done yet. "He's already too far gone. Let his whipped ass go to his master."

Chanyeol rolled his eyes as he immaturely stuck out his tongue to his friends' laughter.

Halfway through his walk, he passed by Jongdae who looked in deep thought as he almost walked past the Head Boy without acknowledging his presence. Not that Chanyeol demanded to be greeted but it was uncharacteristic for Jongdae to not have a joke for him even though it is to his expense.

"Jongdae?"

The auror-in-training gasped as he almost leapt a feet backwards from his position beside Chanyeol.

"Yeol. Don't scare me like that!" Jongdae sighed as he placed a hand on his chest to calm his heart.

"Why are you so jumpy?" Chanyeol saw Jongdae's worried face.

"Minseok hyung got an order from Mr. Scammander. He was to go after some trail at the forbidden forest where the thestrals are."

"They really think Grindelwald escaped using the thestrals from Hogwarts?"

"The thestrals were trained, Chanyeol."

"Why are you going this way then?"

"Minseok asked me to get the map Sehun and Jongin made. They had a shortcut to go to and from the forest."

"Oh that. Yeah, they're both in the common room. There's a few first years loitering the corridors, you can ask them to get  Jongin and Sehun to go out to talk to you."

"Alright. Thanks!"

Jongdae then waved at him and the Beauxbaton student sprinted towards the dungeons.

It didn't take long for Chanyeol to go to Baekhyun's tower. The two aurors greeted him with a nod as he rode the hippogriff once more. Baekhyun was waiting for him in the living room, sipping what looked to be hot chocolate. The weather was noticeably getting colder and colder as snow blanketed the castle grounds.

"Aren't you cold?" Chanyeol asked.

The auror looked down at his clothes. He was wearing his usual blue yukata. "It's enchanted." Baekhyun tapped the seat beside him and Chanyeol obliged.

"So?" the Slytherin started. "Why'd you call for me? Our next lesson is tomorrow."

"I'm leaving."

Chanyeol stiffened in his seat. He whipped his head towards the auror and looked for any signs of jesting. There was none. A jolt of pain pierced his chest and he found it hard to hide his frown.

"When?"

"Soon," the auror kept his eyes focused on the fireplace. Baekhyun had an obsession with firelight which was why he used enchanted candles to light up the room. "I need to help the aurors first with the thestral case."

"Why?"

"Why what?" the red haired auror softly asked. "Why am I leaving? Or why am I helping?"

"Both."

"You've mastered the art of Occlumency enough. You don't need my focused guidance anymore."

"That's it?"

"You know I didn't stay here for you."

"I'm not asking you to stay."

"I know. Which is why I should go. If Grindelwald discovers where I am, you'd be dragged in my mess. He doesn't know what you are and I plan to keep it that way."

"So you're trying to protect me again," Chanyeol clenched the fists on his lap. "I don't need protection. In a few month's time, I'll be joining the auror ranks. You asked that of me on our first lesson."

"I did. I remember. And until that day comes, you need to remain under the castle's protection. Promise me you won't find me til the time is right."

Chanyeol hesitated at first but nodded. There was nothing he could do. He was a mere student under the orders of his mentor whom he highly respected.

"I think you've deduced that I'm not running after Grindelwald. Previously, yes. But now, I have something they want and I brought it with me. I need to go before they set their sights here. There's already been a case of breaking and entering and I can't let that happen again."

The Slytherin nodded. Baekhyun wouldn't confine himself in a tower for months end if he wasn't hiding. And he wouldn't up and leave this fast at the first news of the prison break.

The mirror. It all comes back to it. To his dreams of a sad Baekhyun looking at an angry reflection of himself. But Chanyeol learned his lesson and didn't bring it up any further.

"So you're helping Minseok hyung track the thestrals used in the forbidden forest?"

The auror nodded. "Tomorrow."

"And after that you'll go?"

"Yes."

"Take care."

"You too."

"Thank you."

"You're always welcome."

The silence that enveloped the living room wasn't sad. It was more of a hopeful parting with a promise of a possible future.

The following day, Sehun and Jongin gave Minseok and Baekhyun the map leading to the passage they discovered years before. The Mahoutokoro auror praised their skills and the two fifth years giggled in happiness after receiving such a compliment.

The rest of the day went by as usual. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary.

-

That night, Chanyeol tossed and turned in his sleep. Groaning and drenched in cold sweat.

Kill. Kill. Kill. He heard the voice. He knows. He knows. Kill.

The apparition of the stony walls of Baekhyun's tower appeared and in front of it, Auror Lee lied unmoving. Dead.

And then a shout "Crucio!"

Chanyeol gasped as he sat up and looked around his empty room. The dream looked too realistic. He just knew it was only a matter of time til it happened.

He rubbed the ring on his finger, asking the auror whether he was alright. But no reply came. He asked again if there was an intruder in his tower right now.

Too impatient to wait a second longer, the Slytherin grabbed his robes and his wand, and sped up the dungeon stairs towards the Slytherin common room. He was greeted by a bewildered Sehun.

"Chanyeol!" the dark haired boy exclaimed. "Are you alright? You're ashen."

"Sehun. Something’s wrong, I need to go to Baekhyun."

"Baekhyun? They're back?" the 5th year asked. “What? Why? Do you want me to call Kyungsoo hyung?”

"No. It might be dangerous."

"But----" Chanyeol rushed past Sehun out of the dungeons.

Chanyeol didn't know what came over him but he sensed that Baekhyun might need his help. And if he was at the other end of the Cruciatus curse, then he must move fast.

Upon arriving at the foot of the tower, his nightmares came to life. There lied the dead body of Auror Lee just in front of the statue of the hippogriff. There looked to be no signs of assault which meant he was taken off-guard. Who would’ve known Auror Choi would turn on them? It wasn’t an everyday occurrence to see Unforgivable curses thrown around inside Hogwarts without the professors knowing. He was sure they knew and was on their way as well if not for the ban on apparition inside the castle grounds. Chanyeol only counted on that fact alone before riding the hippogriff.

"Chanyeol. What's wro---" He heard Kyungsoo gasp at the sight of the dead auror. Trust Sehun not to keep his mouth shut. Still, Chanyeol was thankful that at least he could see his friend before he dove head first into unknown peril.

"Baekhyun’s in danger. My dreams. They're true. It’s happening now. I knew something was bound to happen. He told me he was leaving to protect us but they're here!” Chanyeol muttered under his breath.

"This is dangerous. We should call the faculty."

"There is no time. Whoever is up there has an intention to kill Baekhyun." Chanyeol irritatedly said. "I’m sure with someone dead in the castle, they’re on their way. But yes, please. We need all the help we can get."

Chanyeol felt his best friend's hand coil around his arm. "I'm here, mate. You're not alone."

The head boy nodded as he whispered the password to the statue. Lightwings spread its wings and flew up towards Baekhyun's room hoping he was just in time to save his beloved teacher.

The hippogriff swerved a full circle around the tower before landing on the top. The door was blasted by what Chanyeol could only infer was a Bombardment charm. The statue seemed concerned and stepped backwards. He placed a hand on Lightwings’ head as if to pet it which seemed to calm the enchanted hippogriff. The Slytherin mumbled thanks before stepping down. He landed on the roof with a soft trained thud, years of Quidditch practice finally having its use.

“Lumos,” he muttered under his breath as he took a deep breath. Bright light illuminated his surroundings from the tip of his wand as he went down the steps.

It was oddly dark. The room which was once lit and warmed by a hundred candle lights was now entrenched in darkness. Chanyeol let out a breath which fogged the air in front of him. The living room to his right was a mess, the coffee table turned to its side and the sofa upturned and bits of its cotton poured out from where it had been pierced. The kitchen to his left was the same. Plates smashed into pieces laid on the ground, the cupboards emptied out and not even the stools were spared.

Did Auror Choi ransack the place months ago and pretended to be a victim? Was he just waiting for Baekhyun to leave his tower again? The red haired auror was adamant on staying in his tower and rarely left it unattended. Chanyeol remembered he asked about it once and was shut down so fast he never brought up the topic again.

In seconds, Chanyeol felt an invisible pull towards the inner room where Baekhyun’s bedroom was. A wave of panic chilled his bones as he frantically tried to be free of the spell.

The figure of the golden robed auror appeared in front of him, wand out and pointed towards him. Chanyeol let out a sigh of relief as he saw Baekhyun’s familiar face. “I thought I was right but I was wrong. Thank goodness you're alright.” The tall male enveloped the auror in a hug.

“O-okay. I couldn’t have you standing idly in the entrance when s-someone clearly ransacked my tower.” The auror wiggled his way out of the embrace with an odd look on his face.

Chanyeol looked around the dimly lit room. Baekhyun’s quarters was enormous and a huge mess. There was a king sized four poster bed in the middle of the circular room, bedsheets roughly pulled and pillows sliced and diced. A closet with a study table on its either side and a fireplace just beside the door where a single couch was situated. Baekhyun walked towards the closet, revealing a mirror from behind him which stood peacefully just beside the bed. It seemed like it was the only thing left untouched. It was the mirror in Chanyeol's dreams. He only had a glimpse of it once.

“Auror Choi---” Chanyeol started, but Baekhyun held up a hand to silence him. Baekhyun’s golden robes gleamed under the moonlight. The minimal light was enough to showcase the older one’s beauty. He couldn’t help but feel a huge sense of relief, seeing all was fine with him and he was in under no threat from the Cruciatus curse.

“Do you remember mentioning about something I hid?” Baekhyun asked him and he nodded in response thinking about why he was opening up the topic himself. “It’s in here right? This mirror. Would you like to try and find it?”

Chanyeol felt a prodding in his mind. A pressure, a voice, a commanding presence. He looked at Baekhyun who looked at him in the eye. “I thought we were done discussing about it… Byun Baekhyun. You made me promise not to talk about it. Why the sudden change of mind?”

“For a challenge. Don’t you like challenges, Park?” There. Another prod. But why did he feel so unfamliar? By now, Chanyeol knew how Baekhyun felt like when he dissects his mind. First he would caress, then subtle strokes as if teasing before gently pinching and peeling off the layers in his brain. This person seemed like he was trying to do the same but it’s not the same. Alarm bells rang through Chanyeol.

This wasn’t Baekhyun. He was sure of it.

Baekhyun was out with Minseok in the forbidden forest today. There was no sign that he returned. And there was only one person Chanyeol originally thought was in here. He closed off his mind, months of training drilling into him as he swept his wand from below to disarm the auror.

But Chanyeol wasn’t fast enough and he saw the sinister look from the poser’s eyes. He knew what was coming.

It was him. The curse was for him.

“Crucio!!”

Hot. It was so hot. As if the fires of hell made their way into the world above, swallowing him whole. Like a witch burning on a stake in magical fire. The pain seared deep in his bones and scalded his unburnt skin all around. It was pain he had never felt before. He twisted and turned, his joints at awkward angles as his mouth opened in a silent scream. It was a pain brought about by pure evil. A pain that made him want to die.

Then the pain slowly ebbed away. He didn’t realize that he had closed his eyes. When he opened them, Baekhyun’s golden eyes greeted him, but it wasn’t Baekhyun. Chanyeol hated these eyes. His Baekhyun wouldn’t look him in the eye and smile at his pain. His Baekhyun wouldn’t force him up as if he was a rag doll.

The impostor stood behind him as they faced the mirror. “I can see the stone. Can you?”

“What stone?” Chanyeol slurred as he swayed weakly, the effects of the Cruciatus curse still hot in his body. Another prod. By now, this impostor should know that Chanyeol was well versed in the art of Occlumency and no forced Legilimency could break through his barriers save for a natural like Baekhyun. “Don’t even try reading my mind. You suck at Legilimency.”

“Imperio!”

Ahhh. Sweet. Chanyeol’s first thought was it smelled so sweet. Like unicorns and bunnies that made him happy. Made him want to follow it around. But no, he’d never disclose it. Not even to his closest friends. Kyungsoo knows though. About the bunnies. And puppies. Chanyeol loves puppies. He had one at home with his parents and Yoora. They named him Beethoven. Toben for short. He was a little black poodle and they all love him very much. The pup would run around the house and Chanyeol would gladly chase him or the pup would do the chasing. Why was he thinking about puppies again? Ahhh, the sweetness. Oh look, a mirror. Why am I holding a stone?

Chanyeol felt his hand lift and pointed at the mirror. Oh, I want it?

“Get it.”

“No,” Chanyeol heard himself. He wants to get it but he knew it was wrong. Baekhyun lashed out that day. About this mirror, and how he tried so hard to hide. Whatever this stone was, he knew it must not go through the wrong hands. But it smelled so sweet. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to try and get the stone. Baekhyun surely must have other stones like that. Besides, what could a stone do?

“CHANYEOL!” Baekhyun. It was Baekhyun’s voice. His Baekhyun. Not really his, maybe soon-to-be his. The imperioused Chanyeol smiled goofily.

“Baekhyun would get mad if I get the stone,” he knew it was his voice. The impostor growled in anger as Chanyeol felt a more powerful pull, slamming him to the bed bouncing on the blankets as rolled to the other side.

“Don’t touch him!” an angry Baekhyun shouted as he dueled with his impostor, bright sparks flying everywhere.

Chanyeol felt his hand lift. Fight? No. Yes. He pointed his wand at Baekhyun.

Baekhyun noticed the conflict in his mind. "You placed an Imperius curse on a student?? You coward!" The auror was seething.

"Impedimenta! Expelliarmus!" The curse was not permanent but it held off the impostor from coming on to them as Baekhyun faced Chanyeol.

The Slytherin looked at Baekhyun's golden eyes as he kept his position, the incantation for Fiendfyre was once again at the tip of his tongue. It reminded Chanyeol of Africa and how he was betrayed by his dreams. He only wanted to save but he ended up to be the one who needed saving. He might’ve broken the curse on his own but his Fiendfyre left a lasting impression even if he was skilled enough and was able to successfully restrain it upon breaking the curse.

The auror pointed an unarmed finger towards his wand. The ring on Baekhyun’s finger glowed with an engraving of Chanyeol's message.

Chanyeol felt a stir in his heart. This was Baekhyun he was pointing his wand to. No. He didn’t want to hurt him.

“Chanyeol, fight it.” With a flick of the wrist, Baekhyun pointed down. There was no mind control needed. Chanyeol would follow Baekhyun. Because it was what his heart demanded. Because it was what he wished. Because he would follow Baekhyun to the ends of the earth.

Chanyeol felt the sweet aroma grew stronger only for his sense of smell to be bombarded by the smell of a rainforest and of a river that flowed endlessly. Baekhyun. It was too much. His head ached as he pounded a hand on his temple.

The Slytherin fell to his knees and Baekhyun was there to catch him midway. The auror opened his arms and wrapped it around Chanyeol's chest, cushioning but not able to prevent their fall as his muscular weight was too much for Baekhyun's tiny frame. They slid down the floor where the auror helped him lean on the bedside.

"You can do it, Chanyeol," the auror whispered as he pushed away a few tendrils of hair blanketing his forehead. Baekhyun placed a blindfold on Chanyeol while the rest of the blanket wrapped the seventh year in a straight jacket and held him in place on the floor.

"Crucio!" A whiplash resounded against the walls of the room.

Baekhyun evaded and counter-attacked the curse. "You are getting on my nerves."

He couldn’t see it but he knew Baekhyun’s magic. The auror understood magic to its highest level. The impostor was no match for Baekhyun’s magical prowess. It was over in a few seconds.

With his façade in shatters, the intruder was bound thrashing around on the floor with a special rope. An incarcerous charm with a dash of Baekhyun’s flair and love for lights. Securely in place, Chanyeol felt Baekhyun turn his attention on him as the blindfold slipped down, the auror's hand waved on the ceiling which lit up the entire room. And to Chanyeol, that was what the auror was in his life. A blinding light amidst his darkness.

Baekhyun climbed on top of the blankets that binded him. “Get a grip Park Chanyeol. Break the curse.”

Chanyeol felt his wand hand twitch. Kill. Kill the golden robed auror. Get the stone. Kill. No. Yes. Kill. No. The pressure in his head started to build. Throbbing and pulsating. “Ugghhh”

“I cannot knock him out just yet, so you have to break it on your own just like Africa,” Baekhyun’s calm voice tried to hide what he was really feeling inside. But Chanyeol knew. It was worry. “That’s it. Slowly. You can do this. It’s just like trying to throw me out of your head,”

Chanyeol felt a warmness bloom from inside his chest. It wasn’t like the fiery hell he felt under the Cruciatus curse, but this felt more powerful and it enveloped him in a fierce yet careful embrace.

Baekhyun placed both his hands on Chanyeol’s cheeks and gently leaned his forehead against his. “I cannot fight this battle for you. If I get inside your head, your mind won’t be able to take too many people in. It would be a tug of war and you will break. The best I can do is this bubble around us. So please, fight him. Kick the fucker out of your head.”

The chains that bound him relentlessly tried to keep its hold. It was so near. Just one Killing Curse and the golden robed auror would be dead and their plans would be set into motion without having someone blocking their path. But if it was a battle of willpower, Chanyeol had all the determination the size of Mt. Everest or even more.

Kill him.

He didn’t know if it was because he didn’t want to hurt Baekhyun or was it the realization that what he felt was more than that. It was more than that. The Slytherin was certain. He was ambitious. He was prideful. And a Slytherin would do all means necessary to get what he wants.

Kill.

With a heavy grunt, the Slytherin mustered up his will and focused on the foreign entity invading his mind. It was as if he was pushing to close a secret door that had been forcefully opened. It was a bit like his lessons with Baekhyun. But Occlumency required a certain control of emotions which Baekhyun had drilled into him. He still needed to perfect his control but when it comes to willpower--- raw determination--- Chanyeol was confident he’d outdo even someone as powerful as this auror.

Ki--

A give. Chanyeol felt his opponent’s strength waning. Under the blankets, his fingernails dug against the palms of his closed fist. With a loud grunt, he bellowed.

----

Silence. Chanyeol felt the soothing caress of Baekhyun’s mind over his. “You’ve worked hard. You did it, Chan.”

A relieved smile bloomed on Baekhyun’s face. His red hair fell on Yeol’s face which made him scrunch his nose. “Your hair tickles Baek.”

Chanyeol, now that he felt like he owned his body again, didn’t really know the gravity of what he did. He broke the Imperious curse using his sheer will. The Imperious Curse was one of the three unforgivable curses and couldn’t be broken by just anybody. It took strength of character and a certain confidence to overpower a will that was not his own.

“You’re amazing. You did well. Were you hurt?” Chanyeol watched as his mentor doted on him, messily unfurling the blankets that bound the student. Baekhyun surveyed his entire body to look for injuries or even any signs of being battered. But the torture Chanyeol went through couldn’t be seen physically. And the reminder of how the Cruciatus felt was enough for Chanyeol to reflexively wince. This seemed to worry Baekhyun even more which set off a panic alarm in the older one’s head. “You’re hurt??? Where?”

“I’m---” He didn’t know where to start. Should he disclose that he was a victim of the Cruciatus Curse? But Baekhyun was worried enough and Chanyeol can’t seem to bear the pity in his mentor’s eyes like he wasn’t able to defend himself. It was real though. He was merely a student and he was battling with a highly trained impostor.

He felt Baekhyun trying to prod his mind. He wanted to fight him off. To prevent Baekhyun from seeing what he had been through. What he felt. He was tired but he focused and glared at his mentor, holding his ground impressively. He never felt this strong before. Maybe it was the adrenaline rush. Baekhyun huffed as he creased his eyebrows, confused as to why Chanyeol wouldn’t want him to see what had happened. “You’ve improved so much. Any more than the power I'm using and you'll be drained of all your energy. So I won't prod. But whatever it is you’re hiding, I’ll get from him.”

“Baekhyun…” Chanyeol murmured his opposition but the stubborn golden robed auror got off the bed and stood in front of the wriggling impostor restrained on the floor.

Baekhyun looked calm as the impostor could do nothing but smile wickedly as if he had a secret and still held the upper hand.

Beneath the calm exterior was an angered wizard. But it was not the time for vengeance, they needed information as to the objective of this intruder. Why he sneaked inside the tower in the first place and what he did to Chanyeol.

With a swift swipe of his wand, the messy room rearranged itself. The stools got fixed and the upturned tables stood right side up. The pillows were mended with the cotton in place as well as the sofa outside. The shattered plates on the floor stuck to each other like puzzles. Chanyeol was exhausted but seeing Baekhyun’s magic in action would always mesmerize him.

“Your turn.” The red headed auror turned back to their captive as he let out a gasp. The impostor lost consciousness the instant Baekhyun tried to penetrate his mind.

The change in demeanor and the surprised widened eyes made Chanyeol curious. What did Baekhyun see?

“Revelio!”

In a heartbeat, the golden robes were shed and in place was a black robe with the patch of Hogwarts crest on its left chest.

It was Kim Junmyeon who lied in front of Baekhyun.

“Professor!” Chanyeol gasped as he sat upright, rubbing his eyes.

At that time, noises of stomping feet got louder and louder as the faculty and a couple of aurors entered the room together with Chanyeol’s friends.

“Is that…. Professor Kim?” Sehun asked. The brown haired Slytherin felt Auror Kim Minseok grab him by the wrist and pulled him behind, protectively. Chanyeol could see the fifth year's blush from where he was sitting on the bed.

The brown robed aurors pointed their wands at the professor.

"Don't," Baekhyun warned. "He didn't mean to do harm. He’s under the Imperius curse."

"What do you mean?"

"The professor is under the Imperius Curse." Baekhyun’s breathing quickened as if he was panicking. "But I didn't take into consideration--- I didn't know he was--"

Chanyeol knew what Baekhyun was trying to say. His mentor previously didn’t want to delve into his mind because it would break him for having two other forces trying to get a piece of his mind.

"Baekhyun," the Headmaster, who seemed to immediately grasp the situation, called out as the auror looked at him. "It’s alright. You didn’t mean any harm. The aurors would escort Professor Kim to the Hospital Wing."

Four aurors flanked Professor Kim on each side as the lead auror cast the Levicorpus charm to lift him forward.

The headmaster turned towards Chanyeol. “A detailed explanation of the events that occurred is in order after we get you checked by the healers. Go with them and once they deemed you healthy, you shall report to my office as soon as you can.”

Baekhyun looked at Chanyeol with a displeased look. He definitely was upset because he didn’t tell him what happened earlier. But no matter, the truth will come out anyway, he just didn’t need pity right now. He didn’t even want to worry him. That story can be postponed to a later date when the rush dies down.

Chanyeol stepped up beside the aurors and with a bow to the headmaster, then exited the tower.

The Hospital Wing’s resident healer, Zhang Yixing was there to receive Chanyeol and the professor. According to the healer, Baekhyun unintentionally delved into the mind of the professor while the Imperius Curse was in place. He wasn’t sure what happened in that split of a second but it was enough to cause disarray in the professors mind. However, all was well as Yixing’s specialties involved the complexities of the mind. He prognosed the professor would need to be placed in forced comatose state to let his mind heal for a couple of months or so.

When Yixing examined him, the healer pursed his lip. He knew and that look of pity flashed before Chanyeol again, as if he was a fragile glass. He wanted to say that he was fine. That he was a survivor and the pain didn’t drive him insane. It was enough to drive a normal person to death but for some miracle, or some sadistic tendencies by his perpetrator, he spared Chanyeol. He was needed for something. A thing that the intruder was so frantic to find. And it was with Baekhyun.

Chanyeol was told that he didn’t have any physical injuries. He knew that already. That the only injuries he had was that of the heart. He was broken.

The Head Boy wearily went towards the headmaster’s office. Baekhyun was there as well as a few aurors and the Heads of Houses.

"Chanyeol," the Headmaster called out. The crowd was dismissed leaving him alone with Baekhyun and the headmaster.

"Yes, sir."

He was asked about the events that unfolded that night. He told the headmaster about his dream and about the previous breaking and entering that happened during the Quidditch tryouts. He also told him about the impostor who pretended to be Baekhyun, and turned out to be Professor Kim who was cursed most likely by the suspiciously missing Auror Choi.

He told him how he was placed under the Imperius curse as well as the Cruciatus curse.

There was an audible gasp beside him as he saw Baekhyun clench his fist and grit his teeth, the auror's eyes seethed with rage.

"But I'm okay," he bravely smiled at the headmaster before he turned towards Baekhyun. "I'm fine."

The debriefing was fast and Chanyeol tried his best to answer all of the headmaster’s questions as accurately as he can. He was also informed of the upcoming investigation team that would interview him in the days to come. The Head Boy simply nodded as he took in all the additional requests before they were promptly dismissed.

At the foot of the Headmaster's tower, Chanyeol was greeted by his friends. Kyungsoo. Jongin. Sehun.

"Yeol!!!"

The trio enveloped their tallest member in a hug.

"Hey guys," the Head Boy greeted. "Thanks for calling out for help."

As he received arm smacks and nagging from his friends, Chanyeol saw Baekhyun turn around the corner. The trio stopped their shenanigans and looked at the direction their friend was looking at.

Kyungsoo was the first to break the silence. "I saw him come while I waited at the foot of the tower. Auror Byun. He ran so fast. He conjured a broom then destroyed the secret door and flew up. He looked scared and angry and worried."

"Minseok hyung spotted me at the entrance asking where you were. Apparently they finished their work at the far side of the forest and was on their way back when Baekhyun hyung looked at his ring and ran. He must've seen your message," Sehun pointed at his ring.

"He really cares for you, Yeol. He must've been so shocked with the news of his dead guard and the one who escaped. We heard he's leaving," Jongin remarked. "You should go to him."

Chanyeol didn't need to be asked. His two feet walked towards the direction of his mentor's tower.

There were debris at the foot of the stairs. The hippogriff statue was probably still on top of the tower but he could see flying broomsticks stacked at the side like the ones they used to go down the tower in groups. He flew up.

The rooms were cleaned by the Scourgify charm that Baekhyun performed earlier. Chanyeol changed his shoes and stepped inside the room where everything happened.

He knocked at Baekhyun's door.

"Come in," the voice inside exclaimed.

Chanyeol opened the door and saw the numerous luggages being stacked on the corner. It flew on top of one and the other.

The auror was busying himself with placing his books in his luggage using the levitation charm. He truly was gifted and Chanyeol couldn't help but smile fondly at his stooped back.

"Leaving so soon?" he continued his smile as he stepped nearer the smaller wizard.

"The faster I leave, the lesser the danger it poses to the castle."

Chanyeol sighed. Baekhyun had a knack for carrying a burden that was not even his own on top of burdens that he wasn't willing to share. For someone so little to carry so much weight on his shoulders… it wasn't an easy task. He had all the respect in the world for this auror but too much was too much.

The hiccup that escaped the auror betrayed his mask. Chanyeol's gaze softened even more. He knew Baekhyun was crying, again. The man had very low tolerance for crying.

"Baek," he softly spoke as he reached the auror's back. Chanyeol placed both his hands on the auror's shoulders. "Don't be stubborn. Stay the night and rest. Tomorrow I will see you off."

"Just because you're Head Boy doesn't mean you can skip classes, you moron," Baekhyun huffed as he gave up pretending to be occupied.

"I've never been absent. Maybe it's time for a change, you know? Let me be a rebel just this once," Chanyeol replied. "Stay."

Baekhyun nodded as he wiped his tears with his left forearm. Chanyeol gently took hold of the auror's wrist and slowly turned him around. Baekhyun's bloodshot eyes sent pangs in his heart.

"Why are you crying? It's over. The professor would recuperate. I'm still here," his words seemed to open up a whole new dam in the auror's eyes as Chanyeol cupped his cheeks and wiped his tears with his thumb. "Hey. What's wrong, Baekhyun?"

"I'm…" The auror hiccuped as tears continuously flowed through his cheeks and to Chanyeol's hand. "I'm sorry."

"What for?"

"It--- It's my f-fault."

"You didn't do anything wrong. I told you, the professor would heal."

"But h-he tor--- tortured you."

Chanyeol felt tears well up in his eyes too. Baekhyun seemed to have that effect on him. If the auror was happy, he was too, and when he wasn't having a good day, even Chanyeol felt down. A crying Baekhyun was like seeing a puppy being scolded for wreaking havoc that was not his doing but silently enduring as he took the blame.

"Did you point the wand at me? No. Did you wish a thousand years of pain on me just for the heck of it? You didn't. Nothing is your fault, Baek. You saved me from the Imperius curse. If not for you, I might’ve burned the whole castle to the ground." A lone tear escaped the Head Boy's eye but he was immediately able to collect himself and be strong for Baekhyun.

The auror suddenly wrapped his arms around the Slytherin and grabbed a fistful of fabric at the back of his robe. Chanyeol's heart skipped a bit as his mind registered what was happening. It wasn't until the series of apologies that streamed out of the auror's lips that he realized Baekhyun was hugging him.

"I'm sorry you had to experience this. I'm sorry for barging into your life. I'm sorry I used my lessons with you so I can seek shelter in this castle. I'm sorry for opening this castle to so many dangers. You, of all people, tried to save me when I should've been here in the first place. I knew leaving the tower was wrong. You were so brave but you're such. An. Idiot!" Baekhyun buried his face on Chanyeol's chest. The auror was pushing and pulling the Slytherin's robes, Chanyeol was a bit worried he would be able to really rip him to pieces. "I want to pound you to pieces!"

"Eh?" Chanyeol was about to wrap his arms around the smaller wizard when he felt a shove as the auror now pounded the side of his fist on his chest. It hurt. "Ow-- Baek---"

"How many fucking times do I have to remind you to empty your thoughts at night. You motherfucking piece of shit, do you have any idea how worried I was when I got your message?" Baekhyun's eyes were wide as he raged, now reduced to slapping Chanyeol's arm. "I was on the freaking far side of the Forbidden Forest, I ran a mile an hour just to save your ass! You idiot! Moron! You should've waited for the professors or even some aurors to escort you. Do you think studying under me makes you an auror? No! That was me teaching you Occlumency! Just Occlumency!"

"Baek-- Ow-- Sorr--" Chanyeol tried side stepping but the auror was trained to catch the darkest of wizards. It made sense how accurate he was despite Chanyeol's efforts to evade. But the Head Boy laughed. How can he not when the golden robed auror was puffing his cheeks in anger. It was the epitome of cuteness. "Can….hahaha…s-stopahahaha….."

"You're laughing? Just because we're okay now doesn't mean we're okay because I'm not over this yet? You could've died!" Baekhyun stopped harassing the Slytherin as fresh unshed tears threatened to fall. "Sure, you got through the Cruciatus curse. You overcame a freaking Imperius curse, for goodness' sake! But what if you didn’t?"

"Baek, no… Come here… Let’s sit first..." Chanyeol held the auror's wrist as he sat them both down on the bed. They were close enough that the Head Boy brought the auror's hand to touch his chest. "See… It's beating... I'm here… I'm alive…"

"What if I was a second too late? And what if you did break the curse when I wasn’t there? Who knows what he would've done to you? He did it to Auror Lee, what makes you think he would've spared you? I was so afraid," the auror pouted as he looked up at the ceiling trying to reign in his tears. "Ever since I came here I only brought you sufferings and more headaches that you could've done without. You dream about me and that in itself brings you the most harm. You would be better off if you haven't met m-------mmhh"

Chanyeol had enough. He knelt on the bed to gain some leverage as he angled his head down, in line with the auror's tilted head. Baekhyun smelled like the fresh rainforest of the Japanese mountains but his lips tasted like strawberry. It was soft and warm, like how he imagined it in his dreams.

As fast as he moved to shut the auror up, Chanyeol let go of those cherry red lips just as fast, as he intensely gazed down Baekhyun's golden eyes. "You're not allowed to regret meeting me. Because you're the best thing that ever happened in my life."

"Chan.." Baekhyun bit his bottom lip as he hiccuped, head still tilted upward to stare back at Chanyeol's emerald eyes. Baekhyun's tears streamed down from the sides of his eyes, down his temples. "I don't deserve you."

"That's not true. You don't know how beautiful you are. You are powerful, yes, but you are graceful. You are swift but you know how to take your time. You don't let anyone cloud your judgement and you showed just how much potential there was in me. And you are damn stubborn and resilient but you know when to bow out. Besides.." Chanyeol pressed his forehead on top of Baekhyun's, his silver locks blanketing their faces. He hated how Baekhyun's insecurities were getting the better of him. Even a powerful auror such as Byun Baekhyun feared he was too far gone to find happiness. Chanyeol found it absurd. "What does it mean to deserve someone? Why do we need to live up to societal expectations, seeking other people's opinions on how to live our lives? Can't I just choose who deserves me? Because I chose you, from the very first time I saw you, I already knew my heart would choose you over and over again. You can walk out that door right now and hide from me but I will go to the ends of the Earth to find you… and I’ll make you happy."

"Chan…" the auror whispered as he closed the distance between them.

Chanyeol held his breath as Baekhyun's lips reached up and captured his. The Head Boy's mouth twitched from the surprise. The auror then used that split second as a leverage to snake his tongue in. The sudden intrusion blanked his mind out from their surroundings. All Chanyeol could see was Baekhyun. All he could smell was Baekhyun. All he could taste was Baekhyun.

The auror pushed him slowly as Chanyeol obeyed until his back rested on the mattress while Baekhyun lied on top of him, never letting go of their kiss. The taller wizard didn't mind the weight. He loved the feeling of Baekhyun pressed against his entire body.

The red haired auror splayed his hand inside Chanyeol's robe as he reached down under his shirt, his hand, warm on Chanyeol's bare abdomen.

"Baek…" Chanyeol moaned.

Baekhyun let go of Chanyeol's lips as he stared at him, shocked. The loss of contact created creases on Chanyeol's eyebrows as he stared questioningly back at those golden eyes.

"Chanyeol, you have abs..."

"…."

"Abs…" Chanyeol felt the auror poke his hardened abdominal muscles as he uttered the word.

The Slytherin laughed.

"What…" Baekhyun slapped his abs. "Stop laughing!"

"Oh, Baekhyun..." Chanyeol placed a forearm on his eye as some tears of joy spilled to the side. "How adorable can you get?"

"Aahhh!" the auror yelped as Chanyeol manhandled him and flipped their positions. "Excuse you. I let you manhandle me because I have so many emotions to sort out right now."

"If you say so, boss," Chanyeol grinned down as he pecked the auror on the lips. "I have a few of my own to sort as well. But you're the genius auror so yes, boss."

"I prefer master but boss is fine too. Like the American mafias."

They both giggled as Chanyeol exhaustedly lied on his side, scooping the smaller wizard in his arms and pulling him against his chest. "I can't believe I'm hugging you."

"I can't believe I'm letting you hug me too."

"I can't believe you kissed me."

"Me neither," Baekhyun let out a small chuckle as Chanyeol traced swirls against his tummy. "Hey, that tickles."

"I hope this isn't a dream. But if this is a dream, I'm sure it'll come true too. And I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm never going to forget this day, ever."

"Want me to try and obliviate you right now?"

"Baek.." Chanyeol whined as he tightened his grip around the auror's waist. They were silent for a few minutes but even the silence felt comfortable. "What are you thinking about?"

"Stay the night?"

"Who? You? Aren't you?"

"Idiot, of course I was asking you. Are you gonna make me ask again? ‘Cause you know I won't."

Chanyeol smiled as he kissed the back of Baekhyun's head. "Alright, I'll be right here, boss."

"But I'll still leave tomorrow. I need to."

"I won't stop you." Chanyeol murmured. "I'm graduating in four months, I'll follow you then."

"I've never mentored an auror before."

"There's no other mentor for me than you."

"You need to pass my standards."

"I think I already did."

"You arrogant bastard."

"Hey," Chanyeol propped his head on his hand, supported by his elbow on the mattress as Baekhyun leaned back and twisted to look at him. "You've been cursing me more frequently these days. For your information, I prefer to be called love, boyfriend, honey, darling, sweetheart, baby, or even hubby."

The auror rolled his eyes as he lied back down properly. "Don't push it, Mr. Park."

"Why does that sound erotic, coming from you?"

A pillow met the Head Boy's face, expertly thrown by the auror. "You're having lewd thoughts again. Stop it or I'm gonna push you off this bed and you can sleep on the cold hard floor."

Chanyeol sheepishly grinned as he lied back down, ready to resume their previous position. He pulled the auror to his chest once more. However, the auror, instead, rolled towards him, and rested his head on the Head Boy's chest.

No words needed to be said. Chanyeol simply wrapped his arms around the petite auror and slept their first night together. For tomorrow would hold a hopeful goodbye with a promise of meeting once again.

-----

EPILOGUE

Baekhyun watched as the Knight Bus pulled up in front of him. The current driver was his good friend Luhan who happily greeted him as he recited his traditional Knight Bus spiel. The Mahoutokoro auror waved at the driver, Kris Wu, who didn't hesitate to fly through the roads at full speed after the door closed, sending the poor auror crashing to one of the bunk beds where a man slept.

"Ooops. That's Huang Zitao. I wouldn't wake him up if I were you. He's a skilled martial artist with insomnia. See the panda circles on his eyes."

Baekhyun would never fail to recognize that voice anywhere. He looked up at the second floor and saw a pair of emerald eyes looking at him.

The tall man spoke. "Pink hair suits you."

The now-pink-haired auror grinned at the figure in front of him. Chanyeol must've grown a couple more inches since he last saw him half a year ago. "Your black hair isn't all that bad as well. What made you change it?"

"Silver felt too… arrogant." Chanyeol grinned.

Baekhyun nodded as he continued to stare, not knowing how to progress their conversation. Chanyeol seemed to always know what to say. He really did.

"Hey boss."

-end-