siderus

Oct.15 || 3:43 p.m. - Library

It takes a little bit more than two weeks for the reality of the murder to fully sink in. He had been reading over his History of Magic notes, stopping only when the thought that he’d never see the teacher again made itself very real. The date 28th of September being the very last entry before everything changed.

But had anything really changed that much? It had been surprisingly easy to forget his death. After all nobody remembered what they had done the very day he’d been murdered. And between the aurors running the halls, the classes resuming without fail and the quidditch game lifting everyone’s spirits, the thought that some lunatic was still living among them was easy to forget. 

Jihyuck swallows and closes his notebook after realizing he’d been blankly staring at it. There was a murderer among them. Someone had committed a crime right under their noses and has gotten away with it. They had done it so perfectly that they had even erased their own memory  just so they wouldn’t give themselves away.

It was a good plan, he had to admit. It’s always easier to feign innocence when you don’t even realize you’re guilty in the first place. Had they kept their memories, they probably would have fled as soon as they could. As far as Jihyuck was aware, nobody had deserted the castle or had gone missing. He supposes they could have stayed a while longer just to play the part, but with the Aurors watchful eyes it’d be very hard to slip by unnoticed. Even if they claimed urgent matters outside, he was sure an Auror would escort them through the whole trip. 

The wolves were among the sheep but they had forgotten they were wolves. What were the sheep to do?

He rests his chin over folded hands, gazing briefly around him.The few students that were in the library kept working, blissfully unaware of the ticking bomb in their midst. Or perhaps they were aware of it but chose to ignore it, much like he had. It was easier to not acknowledge there’s a killer among you. 

Someone you may or may not know. 

Someone you might care about.

The thought sends a shiver down his spine. It was times like these he wished his brother was still around. Cai always made his worries disappear. He knew he could trust him unconditionally, but the same couldn’t be said about everyone else.

In fact, he wasn’t too sure on what made him innocent either. He had forgotten the 30rd, just like everyone else but that feeling. That feeling that someone had been with him that day was deeply rooted in him. He knew it was a stupid but he couldn’t shake it off. Rationally he knew he could have only been with three people. Vincent, Junjie or Celeste. Yet neither of them could assure him of that. Plus Jihyuck was kind of glad the teacher was gone. 

The man was a giant prick. He understood not everyone shared his opinion but they weren’t berated for merely breathing. The teacher used to make it his job to constantly drill into Jihyuck how much of a disappoint he was just because of his looser attitude. He’d never be like his brother, no matter how hard he’d try he’d never amount to it. He was an old bastard that never grew out of his bully phase. 

Jihyuck could have just dropped the class and not deal with him but then what else could he do? He sucks at potions. He’s weak at duels, he couldn’t even cast a Patronus. He can’t control a broom properly. He hates dealing with plants and dangerous animals. All that was left were the books and even that was being threatened by a giant asshole that got off by keeping his scores low.

So what was it exactly that assured him he hadn’t done it? He had a motive. He knew he was weak and probably could never manage an Avada Kedrava in his lifetime but people could do extraordinary things when they’re angry. Angry and scared. People could do just about anything if they were properly scared. 

He didn’t notice he had been shaking until his phone vibrated. Snapping out of it, he quickly checks the text before blushing promptly. Celeste was really something. They had only been dating for a few weeks and the girl was already doing her most to keep his heart beating. Only it didn’t. Not for her at least, and it was slowly consuming him. 

He knew eventually he’d have to tell the girl the truth but every time he thought about it, he’d instantly recoil. He cared about Celeste, he didn’t want to lose her just because he had been trying to piss Elio off. But damn did it feel good to see Elio burning with jealousy. It wasn’t evident since he liked to keep a facade but Jihyuck knew. Jihyuck knew because he did the very same thing whenever Elio would monopolize his brother. It was almost sweet.

Replying to the girl, he quickly starts picking everything up to go meet her. Celeste should be bored in the common room killing time before practice so he should at least go there and keep the supportive boyfriend persona.

He vaguely stops to look again at the people in the library. This peace they were living in was temporary and absolutely fake. All it was needed were the right set of words or the slight suspicion for everything to go hazard but he knew it’d still take a long time before anyone snapped.

@cpxceleste

6th Oct. - Later, after the Quidditch game 

“Took you a while…”

Jihyuck instantly detaches himself off the wall when he sees the Gryffindor coming his way. He knows how upset she gets when her team doesn’t win a match. It’s just how she is. Always striving for the win, no matter what she has to do. It’s almost endearing. 

He smiles before leaning to plant a kiss on her forehead. It’s still pretty foreign to him acting like a boyfriend, especially with Celeste. He’d figure it’d be easier to pretend since they were so close, yet it was as awkward as it gets. 

He’d snuck out early morning, Jihyuck still sound asleep by the time he left the Ravenclaw Tower, and Vincent was almost hit with the ushered news that the professor had been killed and that aurors were coming over to Hogwarts.

His morning was spent trying to shadow, of some sorts, what some Aurors were doing, trying to overhear most of what was being said among them regarding the murder and seemingly odd wave of amnesia that had swept everyone in the castle.

Skipping classes wasn’t an unusual thing for him, but he figured if he’d skip lunch too it’d raise too many questions, so he hurried to the Great Hall to sit at the Ravenclaw table, figuring that Jihyuck would pop up sooner or later.

While still alone he let his gaze sweep the tables. Tense would be the best way to describe the overall feel at the Great Hall, he couldn’t tell the last time lunch time was so seemingly quiet and peaceful. 

Jihyuck got to him just as he noticed one face missing from the Gryffindor table.

“Yesterday?” Vincent asks back, blinking quickly. “I think so? Maybe at lunch? I’m not fully certain though” he let a frown take over his features. 

The words were enough to sooth him. Jihyuck visibly relaxes, almost slouching forward on his roommate. He knew the other hadn’t confirmed anything to him but what Vincent had said pulled on his rational side. They were probably together for lunch, they almost always were. It certainly could explain the feeling he had woken up with this morning. Even if his gut told him otherwise. 

“So you forgot too…”

Jihyuck leans closer, gesturing for Vincent to do the same. He knew it was suspicious but he couldn’t risk it. Plus everyone was doing it, the events kept everyone on the edge. Conversation had to be sensible and kept barely above a whisper. 

“You would tell me if you remembered anything right?” He allows the other to reply before pulling the conversation back to himself. “I woke up with this feeling…that someone was with me. I know it’s stupid but i’m completely sure i was with somebody yesterday.” 

His eyes flicker briefly around, spotting the familiar faces of their friends but he misses an important detail. He stares back to Vincent, checking his reaction.