Reality Is Much Worse

An old leather journal, you toss it aside.

A dagger. Cool but you toss it aside.

A jagged, slightly rusty crown. You twirl it in your fingertips….and then toss it aside. This is not what you’re looking for.

You rifle through until the very bottom when finally you stumble upon a small box, which makes you think that finally, your search is over. It is a small box. Wooden, which is unusual for what you think is inside there, but it didn’t matter. There’s a heavy inscription upon the seal, but you can’t recognize the language, it doesn’t even look like a language and as such you ignore it.

You crack open the box and breathe a sigh of relief. You knew it, you just knew it! Ms Witterman would never sell them!

In the box, there sits a ring. Quite possibly the most beautiful ring you’ve ever seen. It was big and ostentatious and the many years that it probably endured had not damaged it one bit. The ring was made of pure gold and on its side, there was a dragon, closer to the slim dragons depicted eastward and a tiger on the opposite side.

They wreathed themselves through the golden band and in their open mouths, in the middle of the ring there sat a brown gem. Not a dull, cheap brown that many other rings had but mesmerisingly deep shade. Almost black in the sides, then turning lighter and melding into pronounced brown, interwoven with slight hues of red and orange like a ring of fire. Looking at it, your drunken mind almost makes a connection that it resembles a closeup of someone’s eye. For a mere second, it makes a chill pass through your bones, sobering you up. If it was an eye, then it was looking directly at you. But you shake yourself out of it, thinking more rationally of what it was. Just a ring. A very beautiful ring, though in the end a simple accessory.

It was Halloween. Only normal of your mind would wander to more fanciful deviations of the natural order. You scramble yourself off the ground, Maeve would not wait for you any longer and then all this preparation would have been for nothing. You brush your white, silky robe and straighten the blonde wig, giving yourself a passing glance in the mirror. Your Galadriel outfit was immaculate and now with the vintage ring, provided generously by some poor bastard who probably died in these old walls, it was also complete. You run down the stairs as fast as you can, slamming the door behind, which makes the dead ivy twisting around the dark porch almost fall off the side of the house.

You slip on the ring on your index finger, only to be halted in mid-step when it refuses to glide over. You push the ring, it does not go further than half your nail.

“Can you please move your fat ass over?” Maeve leans out the window of her crappy, green Moskvitch. In your mind, the thing should be handed in an automobile autopsy, to see how it could still be rolling after three generations.

“Just, wait for a fucking second!” you yell back to her, taking the ring off and putting it in the air, against the flickering yellow of the streetlight. It seemed almost too big for you if you looked through it. Maybe your fingers had somehow swollen? You try it on your middle finger. If possible, the hole on its own shrinks even smaller. You yank it off, now inspecting the ring with an irritated glare. You think, once again, that it's looking back at you, feigning innocence.

“It shrank or expanded in an odd way,” Gandalf’s line from chapter two comes to your mind. Perhaps you had chosen a ring that fit too well for the narrative. Then you scoff at yourself. Rings could not think or change sizes of their own volition. And you will not be beaten by this inanimate object. It was an object! That. Is. All.

You huff and try the fourth finger of your left hand, it slips on, this time with no restraint or complications, sitting snugly at the curve of your finger like it belongs there. For a second, you think that once again it’s sitting there too tight, and instead of not being able to get it on, this time you won’t be able to get it off. But it was a ridiculous idea and you had no time to object to the fact that it was finally on. You lock the doors behind you. Safely and securely. It was a small town, one suburb hugging the other, everyone knows each other type of town but it was exactly in places such as these those strange things happened and Sallington, if anything, was a breeding town for strange.

It was a place where Halloween was all year round. As Maeve’s Moskvitch puffs miserably towards the Gym hall, you’re only reminded of it further. And of course, the cutouts of werewolves and cobwebs and lights and frankly the glorious display of Dascălu’s annual Mothman statue, helps along, it doesn’t change the fact that it was inherently creepy.

The houses were all Gothic, no exceptions. Of varying sizes, shapes and colours but all made it that specific Gothic revival style that was more or less pictured on the cover of every 60’s comic about witches. You yourself resided in a Gothic type townhouse, that for most of your life was used as a privately owned children’s home. Specifically, Ms Witterman’s Home for Special Children, which was a softcore way of saying children who were abandoned by their parents and unwanted at large. A wonderful house to grow up in, you and the many scars on your shoulders can vouch for it.

But, yes, Sallington was creepy. The backstory was that it was once a town run by witches, who in one winter night picked a fight with the wrong type of people. The following day they were found dead, ripped apart and unrecognizable on a nearby field. Whether true or not, the memorial still stood in the town square. The alleys towards it were narrow, lined with bending trees that in summer grew so much, the curtain of leaves could not be penetrated by the sun, in the autumn the branches stretched unsettlingly into the sky, like malicious fingers ready to seize another victim. Needless to say, the children of Sallington had very vivid imaginations.

But the most unsettling spot, the crème de la crème of this Jeepers Town, was the old Sallington glade - Hell Mouth as the youth so picturesquely called it. It was a small round opening and around like any other forest grew trees, all but one were healthy. And as was the custom, the only dead tree, split two by stray lighting was right in the middle of the glade. You had seen it only once, give or take when you were ten. It was an unnatural, frightening thing. Pale for a tree, devoid of any leaves or bark or anything that made it look like a part of natural fauna. In it, as prophesied by others who were more daring to go to Glade whenever their parents would loosen their watch, was a large hole, hence the name Hell Mouth.

According to the town lore, the Devil himself used this very hole in order to climb atop the mortal surface, where he would find his next victim and drag them, screaming, back to hell. It was of course an old story, no more credible than the one that said the third-story bathroom of Sallington High School was haunted by the Headless Homeroom teacher or the one that said that if you find a stick with two broken branches, you could use it to find lost items. While nothing had happened that one time you went to the glade, your scared adolescent brain prevented you from ever stepping a foot there again. And you lived more happily for it.

Maeve’s car came to a screeching, fuming halt, breathing out a bellowing huff of gas, when it did. So much so, for not being noticeable. Bobby Picket’s “Monster Mash” poured through every available window possible and in the air there was a pungent smell of cheap alcohol. You got out of the car and breathed deeply that intoxicating scent. There truly was no Halloween party like a Sallington party. Orange balloons streamed and lingered by the large doors as you and Maeve dived headily into its embrace.

Despite the fact that somewhere along the way you managed to lose your Galadriel wig, the evening was an absolute success. You danced, you laughed, you accidentally tipped a punch bowl and hustled the local kid for some spiked brownies. Truly a night to remember, or well not to remember, considering how free choosing you were with the booze. But you had decided to let go for a single night, just a single night to be as young as you actually were and not think of the looming pressure for you to move out of your home.

As weird as it was, as lonely as the house was, since you were now the only one left there, it was still your home. No other place would have that sort of charm, of small occult shops and vintage horror comic booths. No other place the sun would shine quite so dimly and cool to always remind you of autumn even in the height of July, or the wind would howl through the roof to sound like the exact replica of a classic werewolf howl. This weirdness is what brought you comfort and outside of it, you didn’t know how to function. Sallington in a way was removed from the rest of the world. A quiet, peculiar nest where people could be weird (within legal meaning) and not be judged by it. There was no pressure to aspire to be someone, to fulfil a checkmark of greatness, people could just be and take in day by day.

So you let yourself sink right into the heart of all that the town stood for - the odd, the creepy, the unrestrained - and danced the night away, forgetting all about the strange ring that seemed to wind on your finger tighter and tighter. As if it didn’t want to be removed.

“I love you, you know that,” Maeve slurred heavily while cupping both your reddened cheeks. You nodded happily in her hands, drunk out of your mind. The leafless trees looked like they had smiling small fairies wrapped around them, waving joyously towards you. That’s how much the inebriation was hitting you. The bottle of whiskey which you had christened as a pre-drink, surely didn’t help the fact. Or the potted brownies. Or any other million things.

The crack of lightning, erupting with a blinding flash of light, halted her usual drunk confession, cutting the many “I-love-you’s” short. You both look up, feeling the first touch of what promised to be heavy rainfall. Perfect weather for All Hallow’s Eve. Maeve presses a gentle, sloppy kiss on your lips and then stumbles down your porch, where her younger brother was awkwardly waiting to drive her home. You look at her retreating back, swaying lightly and running a tongue over your lips. They’re dry and taste of booze and maybe if you focus enough, also of Maeve’s watermelon lip gloss. She sends a flying kiss, hanging lopsidedly out of the window before her brother hauls her in by the hair and they drive dizzily off down the road, her old car coughing out small clouds on the way. Perhaps half the reason why you wanted to stay in Sallington so bad was to do with her fiery locked head. She would never leave this place and you didn’t want to leave Maeve, no matter how confusing the friendship/relationship was.

Another lighting whizzes by your head and somewhere in the distance a dog howls. The rising wind brushes the dead leaves across the grey pavement creating a high-pitched rustling sound. The rain falls harder on you and at its cold touch, you sober up a little. There’s only you on the street. The neighbours were fast asleep. There’s no music, no lights. Just you, the faraway howl and the obnoxious pitch of the flickering streetlight. Perhaps, this was too creepy, even for your liking. You run back into your home, lightning basking your empty hallway in a flash of light, before submerging it in darkness anew. You close the doors behind, slumping at the safety of familiarity. It is cold, you realize and in the empty dark, the old grandfather clock was chiming too loud. You laugh quietly at yourself. You’re getting scared of the dark, like a kid. You kick off your shoes and throw Galadriel’s flowy dress somewhere. You’re going to pick it up tomorrow. You fall on your bed, stomach first only to gather yourself to wash off the makeup and slide on an oversized Jack Skellington shirt.

As you drift off to your sleep, you think you can hear the hinges creak to your bedroom door. At first, you dismiss it, mouth hanging open and saliva trickling on your pillowcase. You’re tired and this house was ungodly old. It made noises all the time. It isn't until you hear the unmistakable tap of a shoe heel clicking against the wooden floor that the daze evaporates and you become acutely aware of the fact that someone wasn’t just in your house, they were standing arm's length away from your bed. Your breath automatically hitches but you mask it with a sniff.

You’ve turned your face away from them, so you can’t see who it is. But it isn’t Maeve, she can’t hold a joke this long. And no one came in after you, which means that the intruder was hiding in your house before you got to it. Random thieves wouldn’t do that, they would have taken everything valuable and left. Means that this person wanted you. They take a step closer, along with the pattering of their boots you can hear a chain jangling. Perhaps just an accessory of sorts but still it makes your stomach turn over. There was a high possibility you were about to be murdered.

“I know you’re awake,” a voice says.

A deep, gruff voice, ending in a rough drawl. Very calm, gentle even. Perfect for an attractive, but psychopathic maniac waiting to kill women in their own homes. You’ve watched enough horror movies and even more morning news to know that these things happened. Usually in quiet, small towns with young women living alone. You squeeze your eyes harder, face contorting. In the rhythmic flash of lighting, he can see your shoulders tightening, reacting to his words. The intruder sighs and goes around your bed, to face you.

"How long are you going to pretend to sleep?"

Blindly you quickly reach for the first thing available. It is an aged candle holder. Not a massive one, it was after all meant only for a single candle but still heavy enough for your hand to wobble from the weight and the intruder to fall back when he is unceremoniously slammed with it.

You make a run for it but before you can rush into the hallway, not to mention the front door you feel an arm slide around your waist and yank you back. So you are going to die.

You let out a loud shriek and start kicking and screaming in his arms, which by now are two around you. He pins you on the bed and tries to put a hand on your mouth. You bite into his palm as a retaliation. In case he does kill you, you'd have some sort of DNA on you.

"I'm not trying to harm you!" he howls in pain, struggling to grip your jaw away from his hand. In the end, he succeeds, and pushes a slender palm against your mouth, muffling your curses and pressing your head against the bed.

You stare at him in horror, taking in the stranger's face in the brief flash of light.

Feline eyes, dark and alert, black hair and an angry red scar across his left eye. On his neck, there were many chains that rattled with his every movement and hung right in the line of your sight. You focused on the largest one, a masked pendant of a smiling or a grimacing man.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” he reiterates, vaguely aggressively. “Promise not to bite me and I’ll take my hand off your mouth.”

Lightning. White pouring like the ocean in the small of your old bedroom, during which you meet his stare. He barely even looked human, crouched over you like a starved, unearthly beast. A mere mix of dark and pale flashing in front of your eyes. Still, you nod, what else is there to do, and the stranger, to his credit, does as promised.

He takes his hand off your face and slides away, the lack of weight leaving your body free to move and to run if needed. The stranger takes two steps back and throws an almost calculating glare. Whatever he finds, he does not share and you don’t care enough to ask. The intruder does something then, so bizarre, so unexpected, that nothing, no amount of thinking or presumption, could have ever prepared you for it.

He drops down on one knee, bows his head and in that raspy, inscrutable voice of his, says -

“I’ve come to take you home, Your Majesty.”

→ next

Trivia:

Moskvitch - Soviet/Russian automobile brand.

Sallington - Easter egg for those keen-eyed few who have read my other story, "To Have, to Hold, to Make You Stay". This is the same town mentioned, meaning both of these stories are set in the same universe.

The reader is an orphan and queer.

Yoongi is so hot it's not even remotely funny 😩

I meant to update this a lot later, but I just couldn't wait! An update will be out next week - Monday most likely.

Tag list (open):

@sugaaddiction; @ggukkieland; @loveyoongles; @xjordynary;@alpacaparkaseok; @grandqueen1533; @xxsugababexx; @mayla548;

There was a time where the wizardry world was encased with war. The deaths that scattered throughout the land were too many for one to count, pure and innocent souls taken away because of darkness. The thought of a sunny day was a foolish one but many craved it. The foolish thoughts turned into destiny and the war was finally over. Families rejoiced but others cried into the dry dirt, praying for this to be a falsity. While some families went on with their lives, L/N Y/N stood frozen as everyone else continued. She stood there holding her grandmother’s hand as she watched her mother and father get lowered. Even though her parents were muggles, they knew about the magical world. Their siblings were both witches and wizards while they were muggles. That’s why they were killed. They knew too much about the magical world and death eaters made their way to end them but what they didn’t take in a count was that little Y/N was hiding, watching the whole thing.  

Her grandmother took her in and later on it was revealed that Y/N was a witch. Her grandmother was ecstatic to know this and Y/N felt closer to her parents. They would tell her stories about their siblings and all the wonders of the wizardry world, it only brought more curiosity to her. That's when time started to move forward for her. The flowers in the garden became a safe haven for the young girl because it was the last thing her mother planted. Her love of plants only grew from there. 

She remembered the first big lesson of her life when she was eight years old. It was when one of her mother’s roses died and it was only natural for it to happen but it still made the young Y/N cry. Her grandmother rushed to her side and hugged her tightly. She picked up the fallen petals and smiled at her, “These petals will be carried by mommy and create beauty wherever it lands, don’t be too sad. It’s going to be okay, no matter what.” She remembers how her grandmother picked up the petals and took her to the beach. They released the white petals into the ocean and watched them drift away. 

When she turned eleven, she got a letter from Hogwarts. She walked through Diagon Alley with her grandmother and all those stories that she heard turned into a reality. She looked around the area with wonder and big eyes. It was something she would never forget. She entered the bookstore while her grandmother picked up other things. The busy atmosphere brought excitement to her as she ran into an aisle without thinking much. She looked up to see the never ending supplies of books with a sparkle in her eyes. She went to reach for a book when she overheard a conversation between two girls, “Did you hear Yoongi is coming to Diagon Alley today?”

“Is he really? I want to see him pick out his robes, let's go.”

This was the first time she heard Yoongi’s name. Whoever he was, he sounded popular. She continued to collect her books and when she was at the last textbook, she was exhausted. She reached out for the dark purple when another hand came into view. She raised her eyebrow and looked to her side to see a young boy with pale skin and the darkest black hair that she has ever seen in her life. Out of nervousness, she dropped her hand and gave him a small bow, “Sorry...” 

He gave her a small smile and shook his head, “It looks like we both need it...here.” 

She felt her chest feel lighter but she ignored it and gently took the book. She gave him a smile and looked down at the cover, “Thank you.”

The boy smiled, grabbing another book before leaving her alone in the aisle. She didn’t know at the time that it was Yoongi but she didn’t really bother to learn his name. His smile was enough for her to remember him. That was the first time she met Yoongi and she was sure he had long forgotten about her but it was the opposite for her. On sorting day, she watched him confidently walk to the stool as everyone watched him with a close eye. Some looked at him with jealousy while she looked at him with a look that no one could explain. He was put into Slytherin which made sense since his whole family had been in that house. She watched him sit with the others while she stood with strangers. 

When her name was called, she slowly made her way to the stool and she heard whispers about her. They were talking about her parents and how she was a muggle born but she ignored this. She sat comfortably on the stool and the hat was dropped on her head. The words Ravenclaw echoed throughout the room as turned to walk to the table with a skip in her step. She didn’t notice dark brown eyes on her as she talked to the people around her when she sat at the table. 

As the years passed, she never noticed the dark brown eyes on her. She was too focused on her studies and becoming friends with her fellow Ravenclaws. She heard rumors about Yoongi, some were good while others were bad. There was one rumor that he only passed potions because his father threatened the professor. There was another one that he was dating Kim Sowon, this one stuck out to her the most but she wouldn’t tell anyone that. Even though there were so many rumors about Yoongi, no one dared to ask him if there was any truth to them. As cliche as it was, he was the school's bad boy. Always landing himself in detention as he would always get into a fight in the halls of Hogwarts, but there was something about him that Y/N liked. He only got into fights when someone talked down about others or was bullying someone else, no one ever mentions that fact to anyone. The only thing others spoke of was that “Min got into another fight” but she knew the truth. 

Now that she's seventeen, she sits in her herbology class as Professor Longbottom enters with his wide smile. He clapped his hands, making some students jump because they weren’t paying attention, “Today we will be reading about dittany. Y/N, would you like to explain what dittany is?”

Y/N smiled and closed her textbook, “Dittany, is a healing herb. You can use it within a potion or you can consume the plant to heal shallow or moderate wounds.” 

“Correct, ten points to Ravenclaw.” 

She bowed her head at him and looked over to her friend who gave her a small smile. Jeon Jungkook was Y/N’s best friend who was a fellow Ravenclaw. The two were always together and some even thought they were dating but that rumor was soon put down when Jungkook started dating a Hufflepuff girl named Yeri. Jungkook leaned in close to her, whispering in her ear, “When are you going to notice Yoongi staring at you?” 

She raised her eyebrow at this, quickly looking behind her to see Yoongi writing in his notebook. She rolled her eyes and looked back at Jungkook, “I don’t think he stares at me. I sit in the front so anyone can easily assume that he's looking at me when in fact, he's looking at Professor Longbottom.” 

Jungkook let out a small chuckle and shook his head, “But in potions, you're in the back while he's in the front. How do you explain that one?” 

“He could be just cracking his back. I think you're thinking too much about this.”

“If you say so...”

The lesson carried out normally but Y/N couldn’t help herself from glancing over her shoulder to see those dark brown eyes on her. Their eyes met for a second and she could've sworn she saw a small smile on his lips but she quickly looked away with a flush. Feeling embarrassed getting caught looking at him. He really did get rather handsome over the years. 

When the lesson was over, Professor Longbottom called up Y/N and Yoongi. She felt nervous that she got in trouble for looking at him and the sweat on her hands increased. She waved goodbye to Jungkook and made her way forward to the professor’s desk with Yoongi trailing behind her. Professor Longbottom smiled at them as his gaze settled on Y/N, “Ms. L/N , you're my top student in the seventh year, well actually every year,”

 Y/N eyes widen at this because she actually didn’t know this but Yoongi did and he smiled behind her, “and Mr. Min, I believe in you but maybe my teaching methods aren't right for you. Y/N, I was wondering if you can help Mr. Min. I know my teaching methods aren't for everyone but maybe if you get help from your peer things can be easier.”

Y/N blinked her eyes at this and felt a presence next to her. She looked to the side and saw Yoongi standing so close to her that his warmth made her dizzy. He had his hands in his pockets with his robe pushed back and looked at Professor Longbottom with a nonchalant look, “If I must.”   

His deep voice hit her ears making her face blossom into a light red shade. Professor Longbottom smiled at this looking at Y/N with a soft look, “Is that okay for you, Ms. L/N? You can always decline it if you're busy with your studies.” 

She shook her head side to side at him with a smile on her face. She glanced at Yoongi to see that he was already looking at her (with a blank expression), “I would love to help.” 

“Alright, thank you Ms. L/N. Mr. Min I expect your next test grade to be at least a 70.” 

They nodded their heads almost in unison and left the classroom. She saw that he was walking faster than her and she grabbed his arm to stop him. He glanced at her and she noticed that he never had a smile on his face. She gave him a nervous smile and looked down at 

the ground, “I was wondering when you want to study. I usually study on the weekends to make things easier but if-”

“We can study on the weekends. I have charms to get to, can I go?” 

She let go of his arm and looked down sheepishly guilty that she kept him from his class, “Yeah...I’m sorry about that. I guess I’ll see you around.” 

“Yeah.” 

She watched him go down the hall until he disappeared. She frowned to herself and looked down at her shoes, Yoongi, you're so weird. When Yoongi turned the corner, he leaned against the wall and clenched his chest as he felt his rapid heart beat on his hand. He felt his face turn red now that he's alone and he hoped no one saw it. He ran his hand through his hair as he let out a deep sigh, “Y/N...”

Min Yoongi, a pureblood and the youngest son to the heir of the Min family fortune. Yoongi’s life has always been easy, he saw something he wanted and his mother would get it for him. No matter what it was. Even though he got what he wanted whenever he wanted, he didn’t really ask for much. His parents were focused on his older brother the heir while his maid, Irene, basically raised him. When he got older, he deduced this is why his parents were so quick to get him stuff. Yoongi never felt seen by his parents but at least he had his best friends to fix that. Yoongi’s best friends, Jung Hoseok and Kim Namjoon are the only people that truly knew him (Besides Irene). The two Gryffindor’s knew Yoongi like the back of their hands. All those rumors that went around school were ridiculous and they knew the real reason why he fought people in the halls. 

“So you're finally going to be with Y/N.” 

Yoongi rolled his eyes at Hoseok as he leaned against the brick column in the courtyard. It was currently break time in between classes and he immediately went to their spot to tell them what had happened the day before. He was never good at talking about his feelings but whenever he talked about Y/N, his feelings tended to get the best of him. 

“She’s just going to tutor me...I’m going to tell her that we can study in the room of requirement.” 

Namjoon raised his eyebrow at this and took a sip of his pumpkin juice, “Why?” 

“I don’t want her to be seen with me, it’s dangerous for her...you know how people act when they see a muggleborn and pureblood together. Mixing of the blood and what not.” 

“That’s what other people think, so it doesn’t matter, they aren’t you or us. Are you finally going to admit that you like her?” 

He let out a grunt and shook his head, “I don’t like her...” 

“You beat up anyone that talks bad about her, dude I think you like her.” 

“Namjoon, shut up. No one deserves that treatment.” 

Yoongi glanced at Namjoon but his eyes went over his shoulder when he heard that familiar laugh. He saw Y/N talking to Park Jimin, a fellow Slytherin in a year below him (he thinks) but talking to Jimin was never simply innocent. Jimin was a flirt and everyone knew this but he doesn’t think Y/N knew that by the way she carried on with him. She nodded her head at something he said and she waved her hand towards Jungkook who pushed Jimin out the way. Since when was she friends with so many boys? Not that Yoongi had a problem with that...he just didn’t know that information.

Namjoon turned around and looked back at him with a smirk, “Jealous?” 

“W-Why would I be jealous?” 

Hoseok took a bite of his biscuit and shrugged his shoulders, “Maybe it's because you're too scared to talk to her.” 

“I can talk to her.” 

“No you can’t. That’s why you stare at her.” 

“I don’t stare...I admire her. Don’t make it sound like I’m creepy.”

Namjoon let out a scoff and shook his head, “It doesn’t matter now. You're going to be trapped in a room with her, you better get some courage to talk to her. Also, don’t be a dick to the girl you like. It doesn’t make you attractive to her, if anything it makes you less attractive.” 

That night, Yoongi laid in his bed staring at the ceiling as the silence echoed through his ears. His mind kept going back to Y/N and how she looked at him with a gentle smile. The only gentleness that he's ever received was from Irene. Even though Y/N knows about him, she still gave him that gentleness that she gave to everyone. He wondered how she reacted to the rumors. If she felt disgusted on the inside and could easily hide it from him. He quickly shook his head at this and turned in this bed to let the moonlight shine on his pale face. 

The stars outside made him think of Y/N’s bright eyes whenever she knew the answer during a lesson and the moon itself made him think about the brightness she bestowed upon him during the day. She was known throughout Hogwarts as the brightest witch of her age. But to Yoongi he saw her as the brightest and the most beautiful witch of any age, no one could compare. He still remembers her from Diagon Alley and how she looked so timid to him. He thought he saw the same timidness on her yesterday but he didn’t want to give his hopes up.  He finally closed his eyes and was haunted by Y/N’s eyes in his dreams. 

The next morning, Yoongi was a ball of nerves. Today was the first day of his tutoring sessions with Y/N and he didn’t know what to expect. He took two showers that morning in order to wake himself up and he kept redoing his hair until he just said fuck it going with his usual style. He sat nervously in the library playing with his fingers as he waited for her to show. He looked out the window and saw that the weather wasn’t being so kind as the harsh rain hit the window. The flowers by the glass played hide and seek with him but his eyes landed on the pink hydrangeas. 

“Yoongi?” 

He turned his head and there she was walking towards him in her casual clothes. He had not seen much of her outside of her wizard robes so this was a welcome change. She was wearing a white fluffy sweater with a collar that hid her gold chain, black loose jeans and her school shoes. She walked towards the table and words couldn’t make it past his lips as she sat at the table. He watched her place the textbooks and journals on the hardwood table giving him a confused look. 

“Yoongi?” 

He shook his head and looked at her with a blank expression, “Yeah?”

“Are you ready to study?” 

“Oh about that...I was thinking of another place to study.” 

He watched her raise a single eyebrow but she slowly nodded her head at this, “Okay...as long as you're comfortable with it.” 

He scratched the back of his neck and stood up without saying anything to her. He took the textbooks and journals in front of her and walked away. He felt his face turn red as he felt her eyes on his back but he didn’t dare to turn around to confirm that. They walked through the empty halls with Y/N trailing behind him. He didn’t notice that Y/N had a small bag of snacks for them and she was sad that she couldn’t give him a snack before studying. 

They stopped walking and Yoongi turned towards her, “Here we are.” 

She quickly looked at him before her eyes traced the brick wall with a confused face, “I-I don’t understand...is this a prank?” 

“What? No, just wait until the door appears.” 

“Door-” Just then the brick wall was slowly transforming into a dark wooden tall door shocking Y/N into silence. In all her years at Hogwarts, she had never seen this room before. She was puzzled on how this door had evaded her in her explorations of the castle through text and in person. What other secrets did Yoongi have in store for her? Yoongi glanced down at her and the way her eyes widened at amazement made a gentle smile appear on his lips. It was the way she looked at the door that appeared that sent his heart into a panic. She looked so innocent, something he wished he could experience more in his life. 

She turned her head to look at him as he quickly looked at the door, “Is this where you go on the weekends?” 

“Y-Yeah...it's good to have time to yourself.”

“I like alone time too but I have my cat with me...I don’t know if that's truly alone time.” 

“As long as you feel content then that’s what matters.”

She gave him a smile and nodded her head at this. She looked at the door tilting her head at it, “Do I just walk in?” 

“That’s what you do with a door, right?” 

She let out a small laugh and Yoongi wanted to smack himself for saying that, “Yeah your right, I’ll open it for us.” 

He watched her open the door, the bright light from the room outlined her body perfectly but his eyes couldn’t leave her face. She slowly turned around and the light showed off her eyelashes perfectly highlighting her puffy rosy cheeks, she looked like a beacon of light beckoning to his darkness, “Beautiful...” 

“What was that?” 

He shook his head and walked into the room without looking at her, “N-Nothing, lets sit.” 

The room was the definition of comfort. It was filled with couches that one could easily sink into, the bright flowers that surrounded the room looked even brighter behind the dark green wallpaper, and the roaring fireplace that sent out pure warmth. She turned her body to truly look at the room and Yoongi watched as he sat on the floor. When she paused and looked at him with wide questioning eyes, “Yoongi, what is this place?” 

“It’s the room of requirement...it turns into any room you want basically.” 

“That’s so cool, I’ve never heard of it.” 

He let out a small chuckle patting at the carpet next to him, “Not a lot of people know about this place.” 

She sat next to him peering closely at his face as he spread out the textbooks on the table. He looked so handsome under this lighting and she wanted to crease his face but that would've been weird. He glanced at her with a raised eyebrow, “Are you okay?” 

She quickly grabbed a journal and let out a small cough, “Y-Yeah, I’m fine. Let’s get started.”

Minutes turned into hours as the two sat on the black carpet near the fire. She had shedded her jacket as the fire was rather warm. This whole situation left Y/N rather confused. Yoongi was getting every question right, to anyone it would look like two people just studying. Not her tutoring someone in a subject they're supposedly doing bad at. Doing so bad to the point a professor had to recommend tutoring. She closed the journal looking at him curiously as though he was a specimen, making him raise his eyebrow, “What?”

“I don’t understand...you’ve gotten every question right. Did you really need help?”

He froze at this. He couldn’t tell her the reason why he always failed was because he always got distracted by her and was thinking of ways to talk to her. He rubbed the back of his neck nervously and shrugged his shoulders, “I have test anxiety...also to be fair, we were only looking at the easy stuff.”

“I wouldn’t say easy because everyone is different. I’m glad you think it's easy so far, does that mean I’m a good tutor?” 

“Of course you are, you're the brightest witch in our year.” 

Her eyes widened at this and stared at him as he looked at her with a nervous look, “You think I’m the brightest witch in our year?”

He rolled his eyes and glanced at the fire with a small smile on his face, “Y/N, you should give yourself more credit. You're always the top student in the classes you take and the professors adore you. You heard what professor Longbottom said.” 

“It's different coming from you...it feels special.” 

He looked at her and the two of them stared at each other with a look that anyone could see there were feelings between the two. He stared at her face trying to memorize every little detail of her face now that he didn’t have to look away. He looked at her like the way he did when they first met, with hope. She leaned forward a bit and he did the same but as he moved forward, he didn’t notice his hand was pushing the textbook. When he felt the tip of her nose against his with a magnetic force, a loud sudden bang made them jump back with red faces. They looked to see the textbooks opened on the carpet. She glanced at him and let out a small laugh but he wasn’t laughing. He felt so stupid but he didn’t want her to feel awkward so he let out a small awkward laugh, hoping she didn’t notice his awkwardness. 

She gathered the journals as he watched with nervousness, “Yoongi, you did really well today. Do you want to study tomorrow with me?”

“Yes! I-I mean yeah...if you think it could help me.”

“I’m going to assume you want to study here. Honestly I like studying here more than the library, it just feels more peaceful and has more possibilities. I can see why you like it here so much.” 

“Yeah, it's peaceful. Is it okay for you to study here?” 

“Honestly I would like to be anywhere with you...” Her eyes widened when she realized what she said and covered her mouth with her hand. He sat there frozen because he couldn't believe what she said. Was he dreaming? “Y-You're just so easy to talk to...I like it. Anyways, we should get going for dinner.” 

“Okay.” 

The two walked down the hall but he was lingering in the back. He kept glancing at her and then looking at the wall with a nervous look. She said that she liked talking to him, that made him feel special. Of course he was going to tell Namjoon this (not Hoseok, he's too loud). She glanced behind her and looked at Yoongi who was rubbing the back of his neck aggressively. She turned around and walked up to him, “Yoongi, are you okay?”

He stopped in his tracks and if this was a cartoon, there would be steam coming out of his ears. In front of him was Y/N with her head tilted with curiosity and worry written on her beautiful face. He blinked his eyes at this and covered his face to hide his red face, “I-I’m okay...I gotta go!” 

He ran past her leaving her standing there with confusion and deja vu. She let out a small laugh and pushed the journals further into her chest, “Yoongi, you're so weird.” 

Yoongi ran to the closest bathroom and splashed water on his face. How can she be so cute? He let out a deep sigh but something made his eye twitch. In the bathroom was a group of Slytherin’s that were on his hit list. They were notoriously known to be spilling their ridiculous views on muggles, their target was almost always Y/N. 

“Even though Y/N’s a mudblood, she's hot.” 

“Too bad she has bad blood because I would’ve-”

“Finish that sentence and I’ll knock you out.” 

The group of boys froze in fear and slowly turned around to see Yoongi with his wand at the ready. Yoongi was known as being the best dueler in his year and many feared him because of this title. The leader let out a nervous laugh and put his hands up (as if Yoongi had a gun pointing at him), “We were joking, Min.”

“I don’t give a fuck, you don’t talk about her like that. How many times do I have to teach you that?” 

“L-Lets go to dinner!” 

The boys ran out and Yoongi watched them with a heated gaze. He clicked his tongue and looked at himself in the mirror to see his normal cold expression on his face again, “Fucking bastards...they ruined my mood.” 

The past two months, Y/N and Yoongi have been together every weekend. The two of them have gotten closer to the point where they would hold hands reading the textbook (by accident of course but neither one of them moved their hands). Yoongi’s denial of his crush on Y/N was proven to be an idiotic move on his part. The more he fought his feelings, the stronger they became for her. She was sweet and witty, her wittiness fit perfectly with his straight forwardness. He felt the same way when they first met actually, that feeling never went away he just pushed it down. 

The two just finished their last session of the year and it was the start of their Christmas break now. As she grabbed all her journals, Yoongi glanced down at his shoes with nervousness. Hoseok gave him confidence earlier that day to ask her but now that she’s here, he doesn’t know what to do. She was about to stand up but he grabbed her wrist to stop her, making her raise her eyebrow, “Yoongi is everything okay?” 

“Do you want to go somewhere with me?” 

“This late? We're supposed to be in our dorms in an hour.” 

“Please?”

She glanced down at his hand and then back at him with a smile, “I-I would love to go with you...what about the journals and textbooks?” 

“We can bring it with us. No worries.” 

She nodded her head and pushed the journals into her chest with excitement, “Where are we going?”  

“Where we can see the stars.” 

The two walked through the empty hallways as Yoongi's fingers were intertwined with hers. She glanced down at their hands and felt herself smiling. The walk down the hallway felt like they were in slow motion. Each step they took felt like an eternity and she didn’t care, as long his hand was in hers then nothing mattered. He brought her up the spiraling stairs, a pair of stairs that she has never seen before. 

“Do you know all the secrets of the castle?” 

“Just the ones that are fun.” They continued up the stairs and she was met with the beautiful sight of the night sky. The stars were shining bright as the moon took a step back. Yoongi looked down at her and gave her a smile, “Do you like it?” 

“Like it? I love it!” 

She ran towards the railing and leaned forward looking out into the sky. Yoongi let out a small chuckle and set the books on a table. He looked her up and down with a wide smile. The way she always looked with pure wonder in her eyes and it made his heart beat faster. He walked up next to her but she didn’t hear this, she was too focused at looking out on the grounds. He wrapped his arm around her waist as he looked up at the sky. Y/N jumped slightly at his touch but she relaxed into his touch. They both stared out into the night sky as she placed her head on his shoulder. 

“Are you going home for the holidays?” 

He shook his head and glanced down at her with a nonchalant look, “My parents are taking my older brother to France and I can’t go, so I’m staying here.”

Her eyes widened at this and glanced up at him with sadness in her eyes, “You can’t go? That doesn’t seem nice.” 

“You get used to it. 

“You shouldn’t have to...I’m staying for the holidays too. My grandmother has a business meeting, sadly. Do you want to spend Christmas with me?” 

Shock doesn’t describe how he felt. He swallowed some spit and embarrassedly stuttered out, “W-What?” 

“We should celebrate it together...If you want.” 

He blinked his eyes at her and he felt his whole face turn red, “I-I would love to celebrate it with you.” 

She smiled at this and leaned forward to place a kiss on his cheek. When she came back down the only thing that Yoongi could do was smile at her. She looked at him with a soft gaze because it was a smile that she had never seen before, it was pure happiness. She turned her head to glance out to the stars again avoiding his stare, “I’m so happy that I got to be with you in these two months, Yoongi.” 

“I feel the same way, Y/N.” 

It was Christmas, which meant it was the “date”. Y/N kept brushing her hair out of nervousness because she has never been on a date before. Sure she had some guys that she flirted with during her school years but she never went further with them. Yoongi was different and she knew this when she was eleven when she first met. His dark brown eyes always made her think about what was on his mind. He was mysterious but at the same time he wasn’t, it was just confusing for her. She sighed and placed the brush back down on her vanity. She got up and before she left her room, she looked at herself in the mirror. She wore a dark green sweater with black jeans and her black boots. She actually put on jewelry for once, she had a pearl choker and teardrop earrings to match. She looked cute but she didn’t know if it was enough for Yoongi. She shook her head and left her room before the insecurities took over. 

She walked down the stairs and jumped when she heard her name, “Jungkook! Don’t yell in the common room. That’s how you got in trouble last time.” 

Jungkook looked around him and shrugged his shoulders, “No ones here to get me in trouble. Are you excited?” 

She rolled her eyes and rubbed her arm gently, “I am...just nervous. It feels different this time. A good different.” 

He smiled at this and nodded his head, “I think it's good for you. Maybe you can get your first kiss.”

“Shut up...I’m going now. Don’t wait for me.” 

“Have fun!~” 

She walked out of the common room and rolled her eyes at Jungkook’s tone. She quickly made her way down to the empty hallways and heard the voices of the ghosts echoed. She paid no mind to this because her anxious thoughts gave her a distraction. Sure, she spent time with Yoongi alone before but this time it was different. It was Christmas. There was romance in the air even if you didn’t want to acknowledge it, it was there. 

She saw him standing outside the door with his arms crossed over his chest. Her heart started beating fast and steps echoed through her ear. He turned his head and she stopped midway at his appearance. He was wearing a bottom up shirt and glasses, she didn’t even know he wore glasses. Her mouth dropped at him because he looked like an anime character. She ran towards him now and stopped in front of him with wide eyes, “You wear glasses!?” 

“Y-Yeah?” 

“You look so handsome!” 

He let out a nervous cough and looked at the girl with wide eyes, “Y/N, s-stop yelling...let's go inside.” 

He turned around with his red face as she let out a small laugh at his reaction. When he opened the door, the scenery before them was different. It was a romantic dinner setting instead of their regular studying room. Her eyes widened at the single candle in the middle of the table with food already cooked. She looked back at him with a shy smile, “Did you do this for me?” 

“I-I wouldn’t say that, I mean I cooked all the food but the room I made it-” 

“I love it.” 

He smiled at this and gently grabbed her hand to lead her to the table. He closed the door and the table was illuminated now. He pulled out the chair for her as she smiled shyly at him. He went to the other side of the table with her watching with pure shyness. When they sat down, the two awkwardly smiled at each other. She looked down at the plate and her eyes widened at the food, “You made my favorite?”

“Oh is it? It’s my favorite...” 

“I mean to be fair it's just a simple dish. It’s just chicken alfredo.”    

The two continued to eat their food making small conversation with each other. The small conversation they shared was about basic likes and dislikes. Yoongi let out a small laugh at her jokes while she gave him shy smiles whenever he talked. 

At one point, Yoongi made roses appear and he handed them to her. After finishing dinner, Yoongi brought her over to the fireplace and sat on the carpet watching the flames dance away. She moved closer to him to the point her head was on his shoulder as he wrapped that same arm around her shoulders. 

“Merry Christmas, Y/N.”

“Merry Christmas, Yoongi.” 

Yoongi felt seen by someone and Y/N felt the butterflies that she thought would never happen in her life. They didn’t notice that the room of requirement produced a wreath that was in the shape of a heart on top of the fireplace.  

New years meant new problems. The next test for Herbology was just a week away and Y/N was stressed for Yoongi. He was doing so well within their sessions but taking the test was different. Yoongi, on the other hand, was calm. He just needed to focus on the test and not on Y/N for once. Some of his Slytherin friends were growing suspicious of him (calling them friends was a stretch but he got along with them). Especially William and Jack Cooper. Twins that Yoongi met in his first year and they just stuck around him. He didn’t really mind their company, they didn’t do anything that made him angry or annoyed so, he called them friends. 

During Christmas, they sent letters to him asking what he did for his break. When he answered them by hanging out with a friend, they got curious. Yoongi didn’t have a lot of friends and they wanted to know who it was. In the first week of coming back, they followed him. They were shocked to see Yoongi with Y/N, that mudblood in Ravenclaw. The twins saw this and decided to use it against him but they had to wait till the time was right. You see, the Cooper family were never invited to the Min’s high classed party. They were seen less than all because they had an aunt that married a muggle. If they used this against Yoongi then their family can finally be where they were supposed to be, on top. 

Professor Longbottom went to his desk and gave everyone a smile, “I know it's barely the new year and you still have Christmas on your mind but we have to do this test. I believe in you guys and take a deep breath if you have to.” He walked around the tables and placed the papers in front of each student. When he reached Yoongi, he gave a comforting smile and a small nod, “I believe in you, Mr. Min.” 

Yoongi nodded his head and read the first question, not hard. He glanced up and saw Y/N glancing at him with a wide smile. She put a thumbs up at him and he didn’t care that they were in public, he returned the thumbs up. She looked back at the test and Yoongi watched with a dreamy gaze. He quickly shook his head and smacked his cheeks lightly, he couldn't disappoint Y/N and failed because he was too busy looking at her. 

The test was easy and he couldn’t tell if it was because of his knowledge or was it Y/N’s help. He was actually the first one done and right behind him was Y/N. Her eyes widened at this but felt proud that Yoongi felt confident. Professor Longbottom allowed them to leave class early and they went inside the greenhouse, holding hands. They sat on the bench and Y/N turned towards him with a wide grin, “You finish first? Is that a good thing or a bad thing?” 

“It’s a good thing. It was actually pretty easy.” 

“Really!? That’s so good Yoongi.” 

“It’s all thanks to you, Y/N.”

He looked into her eyes as she felt her face flushed. He smiled at her and let out a nervous laugh, “You look beautiful, Y/N.” 

“Uh, do I? Thanks I put lotion on...” Why did I say that

“Oh, that’s good.” 

He hesitated for a moment but he leaned forward, with his nerves jumbled up. His breath was warm and she watched his dark brown eyes to her lips (or she hoped it was her lips). Their lips shyly touched each other under the sunlight. His lips were soft and she noted that he tasted like peppermint while she tasted like honey. His forehead was against hers and he quickly pulled away with a bright red face, “I-I’m sorry! I should’ve ask-”

He couldn't finish his sentence because Y/N brought him into another kiss. This kiss was rougher than the last but he didn’t care. He knew he had a stupid grin. When they pulled away he gave her a soft smile, “You don’t know how long I've wanted to do that.”  

“I’m glad I could make it come true, Mr. Min.” 

Unknown to them, William was outside the greenhouse and saw everything with his eyes. Pure excitement went through his body and he couldn’t wait to tell his brother. He ran off as Y/N and Yoongi shared another kiss with the plants.

Yoongi needed to talk to Y/N. He wanted to take things to the next step but he was afraid that she would get hurt because of who he was. He didn’t care that she was a muggleborn, she could be anything and he wouldn’t care. What he did care about was her safety. He walked down the hallway in a nervous manner and when he turned the corner, she saw her talking to Jungkook and Jimin. He felt his palms getting sweaty but he quickly wiped them on his robes. Before he could walk forward, he was pulled back.

He was pinned against the wall as he let out a groan. He opened his eyes and there were the twins that he barely knew, “Jack? William? What the hell are you doing?” 

“We went to be invited to your party Min.” 

“What the hell are you talking about?” 

William rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest as Jack pushed harder into his shoulder, “That party that you won’t let our family come.” 

“I have no control over that. Why the fuck your pushing me into the wall?” 

“We saw your kiss with that mudblood. It would be embarrassing if everyone found out about your relationship.” 

His eyes widened at this and roughly pushed Jack off of him. He glared at the twins and scoffed, “Like I give a fuck what you guys think of my relationship.” 

“But little Y/N could get hurt and that would be sad, don’t you think Jack.”

“I do, Will.” 

Yoongi bit his bottom lip and looked down at the ground before looking back up, “What do you want from me?” 

“We want to be invited to that party or little Y/N is going to get hurt.” 

“You might want to stay away from her too or we will make her life a living hell.” 

Yoongi cursed under his breath and nodded his head, “Fine. I’ll send a letter to my mother...just don’t touch her.” 

“The prince protecting the princess, how cute. Isn’t that right Will?”

“Very right, Jack. See you later, Min.” 

Yoongi watched them walk away and he scoffed to himself, “Friends my ass.” 

He hid behind the wall as he glanced at Y/N who was letting out a loud laugh at something Jungkook said. His heart fluttered at this and he smiled at her, she looked so cute. He frowned and put his head against the brick, he let out a deep sigh and closed his eyes, “Fuck.” 

It’s been almost a week and Y/N was depressed. She's been trying to talk to Yoongi but he kept avoiding her. At one point, he ran from her. That kiss made her feel something that she has never felt before, it made her feel special. It could be that he regretted it and was saving her from the hurt but Jungkook thought otherwise. 

“That dude has been in love with you since forever.” 

Y/N shook her head and glanced at the fire in the common room, “Maybe the kiss was just a kiss...nothing more or nothing less.” 

“Bullshit, Jimin said that’s not how he is.” 

She raised her eyebrow and glanced at him, “Did you tell Jimin to spy on him?” 

“No...anyways, I think something is wrong. I’ll talk to him if you want.” 

“No, no...I’ll do it. Maybe he doesn’t like me.” 

“Shut up, he likes you. Trust me.” 

“I trust you...I don’t trust fate.”  

Another week has passed and Y/N didn’t have the confidence to talk to him yet but weird things have been happening to her. There were two Slytherin boys that had been following her. At first, she tried to ignore it but it slowly became a problem. Sending random attacks making her almost fall down the stairs and sending birds after her. She wasn’t sure why they were doing this but she heard them mumble mudblood and she quickly got why. 

It was one of those rare days that Y/N was by herself and she quickly made her way to the Room of Requirement. Hoping she would see Yoongi. She ran up the stairs and through the hall but was stopped mid way when she saw the boys that have been harassing her with an evil smirk on their faces. She took a step back from them and gave them a scared look, “W-What do you want from me?” 

The boy laughed and looked at his twin, “Jack, she’s asking us what we want.” 

“I know Will. Little girl, why hasn’t your boyfriend given us an answer?” 

She tilted her head at them and confusion was written across her face, “What are you talking about?” 

“DON’T PLAY DUMB MUDBLOOD!” 

She jumped at the yelling and started rubbing her hands in a nervous manner, “I-I-”

“Is that all you can do? Stuttering idiot.”

“Did you tell your boyfriend to avoid us?” 

She took another step back when they pulled out their wands and pointed it towards them. She put her hands up out of fear and shook her head, “I-I really don’t know what you're talking about!” 

“YOU MUD-”

“Finish that sentence and I’ll kill you myself.” 

Her eyes widened and she looked behind the boys and smiled when she saw Yoongi, “Yoongi...” 

Yoongi quickly took the wands out of their hands as his wand continued to threaten them. The twin boys stared at Yoongi with a fearful look, “Min, we were just messing around.”

“Yeah, you don’t have to hurt us. It was a joke.” 

Yoongi nodded his head and shrugged his shoulders, “Oh...?”

“Yeah, it was a joke!” 

He nodded his head and took a step forward with a nasty smirk on his face, “Too bad, I’m not laughing. Locomotor Mortis.” 

Y/N watched their legs lock and quickly moved to the side as they fell down the stairs. She ignored the sounds of grunting as her eyes landed on Yoongi who was already looking at her. Around them it was pure silent but a symphony started playing between them. They didn’t even realize they were moving towards each other until they were in each other’s embraces. He wrapped his arms around her waist tightly as she did the same. He kissed the top of her head and held her as if she was going to disappear. 

She pulled away and looked up at him with sad eyes, “Yoongi...why?” 

He knew what she was asking and looked away as he felt ashamed. He looked back at her with a frown, “I’m going to start from the beginning...” 

She nodded her head and looked down at the marble steps with nervousness, “O-Okay.” 

“They were after you because you're a muggleborn and I’m a pureblood. They used my status against me because I knew how other people saw me with you. I thought I could protect you from afar by beating people up and threatening them...I thought if you were seen with me then I would make your life harder and that hurt more than you can ever know, my darling. The moment we met in the bookstore-” 

“You remember that?” 

He let out a small chuckle and nodded his head, “Of course I remember, it was the first time I laid eyes on you. The first time I felt my heart beat out of my chest. I was infatuated with you the moment I saw you in the aisle. I wanted to hide you away from everyone because I didn’t want you to get hurt...I’m sorry for that. I hid you away in the Room of Requirement for my own selfishness and I didn’t even tell you why. I don’t want to hide you, I-I want the whole world to know how much you mean to me but I’m scared that you’ll get hurt because-”

She placed her hands on either side of his face and brought him in for a quick kiss. When she pulled away she shook her head, “I will be by your stand...no matter what. I wouldn’t want to be away from you because that does more damage than what someone can do to me. Talk to me, Yoongi, I’ll listen to you.”