shining

RAVENCLAW’s Oh Sehun and HUFFLEPUFF’s Jace Jung both sped towards the snitch, coming up higher and higher before dropping out of the sky completely in a complete nosedive. Both seekers have their arms out reaching for the snitch.

M: HUFFLEPUFF – D: WHO’S IT GOING TO BE, THE GAME IS ALMOST AT IT’S END –

However with a final push of his broom, RAVENCLAW’s Oh Sehun caught the snitch mid-dive! Concluding the game with the final score of:

( RAVENCLAW 180 : 40 HUFFLEPUFF )

D: WE– M: WE LOST, BLOODY FU– D: GREAT GAME BY RAVENECLAW! Yes, it was a very exciting game… Now we’d like to make an announcement Quidditch won’t be back until February 17th! In the mean time, everyone stay warm and have a Merry spectacular Christmas!

“engorgio.” baekhyun points the tip of his wand to the last piece of danish pastry on his table, causing it to grow triple its’ size–not exactly what he wanted, but who can deny extra food? especially when it’s the last piece left despite the few amount of students that stayed over in hogwarts during christmas break. what kind of terrible creature that ate that much pastry?

it was one of the christmases where baekhyun decided to stay behind at the walls of his school instead of going home like the other students. home back in korea for him is nothing but a block of bricks filled with house elves and humans that proclaim themselves to be his parents. his brother whom usually he spend his christmas with was sent off to usa for an emergency conference, which leaves him all bored and alone here.

well, not exactly bored now that he has a book of history of hogwarts. some people say the castle has lots of mysteries to be uncovered, and his name isn’t baekhyun if he doesn’t try to find out.

munching on the pastry that’s not even halfway eaten yet, baekhyun shifts his gaze to the entrance of the grand hall. he smiles at the girl that just came in, offering her the seat across his. she looked rather bummed out… “hey! want some pastry?” maybe he won’t be so alone after all.

it was dark, for some reason. so she had to use her wand to light her way. it was her first time staying behind for the holidays and she wasn’t sure what to do. their professors had informed them of the times food will be available and some stayed behind to accompany students. she was hearing some people hosting parties and get togethers. amelia had been invited but she had politely declined. she felt uncomfortable with strangers. and she thought she would take this time to find something to eat. maybe she’ll drop by later.

she sought out the great hall, careful that her steps weren’t too loud as they echoed in the empty hallways. her mother had always told her that when she walked she sounded like a old man. now, she tried to walk and imagine herself as a little mouse that will just grab its food and run away. the great hall smelled especially tasty today. she sniffed the air, inhaling the different aromas of the food laid out for them. she was about to head to the hufflepuff table when she heard a voice.

she stopped in her tracks, craning her head to look at the source of it. he was someone she hadn’t seen before. and as the holidays allowed them to dressed as casually as appropriate, it was hard to tell which house and year he was in. amelia herself was clad in what was her pyjamas. she felt shock at first, not sure why she was being called over. she registered the question but still. why her? she looked around to make sure that she was the only one in the great hall with the boy and cautiously walked towards him.

she had already rejected the chance of socializing with someone earlier. she wasn’t about to reject this one. plus, he was alone and he was offering food. gigantic food. who would say no to that?

once she was close enough, she looked at the enlarged bread in front of the boy. she let a laugh slip past her lips though it was quick. “did you...purposefully ask someone to make this for you or did you use a spell to make it larger?” she tentatively asked, careful with the words she chose and with her tone. she din’t want to sound too amused or too uninterested. with new people, she always felt like she needed to be careful. taking a seat a good distance away from him, she looked at the bread and poked it to see if it was real. another laugh came from her unexpectedly. “ah, it is real.” 

being the studious type that she is, astrid made it a habit to do some advance reading in every class she has whenever she gets the chance to. so while the professor was talking about the charm they were going to do today (which she already knew), she decided to read more about it. she carefully flipped the pages of her book, eyes scanning everything from left to right, line to line so she wouldn’t miss some important things about that certain charm. it wasn’t long after when she noticed the notes placed on her table. she settled her gaze on that specific paper, looking up to check if the professor wasn’t looking. once the coast is clear, she slowly picked the notes up and read them. she wrote a reply quickly after.

「 ｡     ➟ “ EXPRESS NOTES / amelia」

               ⤑  💭 ;  what is it?

her expression remained calm and collected, same as before. quickly, she went on with her interrupted business, hand reaching out to carefully place the piece of note on top of amelia’s table without a glance.

amelia always enjoyed classes with astrid. she was studious and pretty which made her ten times more susceptible to her advances. amelia was no newbie at charms, said subject being one of her favorites alongside her potions class, which allowed her to think that she could get away with goofing around. she was drawing small hearts and whatnot in black ink on the piece of paper. how she wished she had her gelly rolls or her colored pencils. it would make her notes even prettier.

「 ｡     ➟ “ EXPRESS NOTES / astrid 」

                ⤑  💭 ;  i might be going away for a little while

                ⤑  💭 ;  will you miss me?

she refused the urge to let tears fall down her eyes. she’d been keeping it in really well these past few days since she had been informed. she really wished that she didn’t have to leave and face reality. she folded the note carefully, slipping it on the edge of astrid’s seat. she pretended to drop her quill and sent their professor who was talking about the silencing charm. students were being briefed on it and were asked to go in pairs soon after learning how to properly cast the spell. amelia, excited, held her wand and mouthed the spell along with the class.

“very good, miss im.” 

he’s excited for the first day of school when he can whisk himself away from the reminder that he has left wishes unfulfilled, never to be fulfilled as long as his heart was made of soft down instead of venomous fangs. there are more than enough people here that have placed imprints in his heart and he is sure there will be more to come. after all, there were always first years, new wide-eyed children some expecting greatness and some confused.

it’s the confused hufflepuffs he seeks, entrapped by a kind heart his mind tells him to aid them just as older former housemates had offered him an inviting hand when he first entered. it’s not too difficult to find one, this time a girl who looks as if she’s found a place in the small picture but is much lost in the actual grandeur which settles upon hogwarts.

it takes him a minute, not even so to bring out the confidence and tenderness which otherwise hides behind a foolish curl of lips. he bounds over with vigour but fingers are so gentle when they settle themselves upon her shoulders briefly. there is a glitter in the depths of chocolate irises as he flashes her a comforting smile.

”you alright there? not to overstep or anything but you look a bit…lost.”

her parents had always told her how extremely special a magical school was. the both of them had attended hanseong previously and after its demise, they moved far away. now, wanting their daughter to have the magical education she needed for her future, they had placed her in hogwarts. much to amelia’s excitement despite how hard it was to be apart from a beloved friend. she imagined him now, running in his robes. probably too big or too small for him, yelling out nonsense with a steady grip on his wand. she imagined how he would look like once he cast his first spell, the fire in his eyes as he desired to learn more.

amelia missed sanha terribly. 

lost in reminscing, she was completely unaware of her surroundings until she felt a touch on her shoulder. she let out a yelp, backing away and closing her eyes. she had raised her arms above her face as if it were a shield, a reflex move she had mastered throughout the years of being bullied. she closed her eyes, arms shaking and waiting for the impact of a book or an apple or whatever was fun to throw. but instead, she heard a clear and pleasant voice.

slowly and cautiously, she lowered both of her arms and opened her eyes. they first observed the surroundings around her which was, in this case, the hufflepuff common room. the fire warmed the otherwise chilly atmosphere and she looked up at the boy standing in front of her. there was no malice or mischief in his eyes. only this warm smile that made her think that her reaction was totally uncalled for. she blushed in embarrassment, running tiny hands against her skirt. then looked up again, this time smiling, except still tight lipped. “you didn’t overstep at all,” she manages to croak out. she coughs, repeating what she said a bit louder. “i’m really...well...i’m not quite.” she hasn’t talked to anyone ever since they entered the common room.

Riley couldn’t help the large grin the spreads to his lips as the Gryffindor table welcomes him with pats on the back and ruffles on the hair, heart still hammering in his chest and he feels like he’s going to burst into loud shouts again, but the stern look he gets from the headmistress is enough to quiet him back down to just wide grins. The mood however, is broken when he hears someone shout with a familiar voice a name that he hasn’t heard for a long time. He looks up and around, curious but also at the same time alarmed that someone knew of his birth name (and had the audacity to shout it in public. Sanha was dead and he’s Riley. not Sanha, not anymore.) 

The shout has also garnered the attention of the rest of the students (I mean, who wouldn’t hear that?) and the general direction of their heads turned had made Riley follow their line of sight, and the owner of the familiar voice, and the familiar face, and the familiar way of their sobbing makes his blood run cold. 

It was her. 

The one who babysat him, the one who played with him, the one who he punched someone for, the one who put up with his pranks, the one who left. 

The one who betrayed him. 

His face scrunched up, the conflicted emotions clear as glass on his young face. Anger, Worry, Happiness, which one does he feel more?? “You.” was all he could say, and if there was slight venom in his word, then he blames it on Sanha that might still be alive.

A pair of warm hands guide Amelia away from the front and towards Riley. Her feet carry her despite wanting to run away again. There is a mixture of guilt, regret, happiness and relief that coils in her stomach. She knows snot is running down her nose and tears running down her eyes, leaving her face looking like a mess. But Sanha had seen her cry many times and there is no room for feeling conscious.

“You.”

Her eyes widen and her sobbing stops momentarily. Riley’s emotions are on the surface, so tangible yet she couldn’t find the words to describe them. It was the first time he had seen this kind of intensity in his eyes. They scared her and she grips the edges of her robes. The Great Hall was resuming the Sorting Ceremony already. They were asked to sit down but Amelia shook her head stubbornly. She didn’t want to part with Riley yet. She didn’t want to sit down with the unfamiliar faces with false smiles and foreign eyes. But when she is pushed towards her seat by the teacher, she breaks free. “M-Meet me later! I have a lot to tell you!” 

It was all she could tell him before she was forced to sit down with her fellow hufflepuffs. Had she been sorted into gryffindor, she could have easily sat beside Riley and tell him everything while they had dessert. But instead, she fully turned so that she faced the gryffindor’s table, eyes never leaving any part of Riley she could see past the crowd. If she did, she was scared she was going to lose him again.

If only her parents didn’t force her to keep the secret. If only she woke up early that day in time to say her goodbyes. If only the train was late and the flight even later. If only she had more time then. Amelia gripped her robes as tight as she could, her knuckles turning white.

SLYTHERIN’s Evan Bae and GRYFFINDOR’s Irene Bae both sped towards the snitch, coming up higher and higher before dropping out of the sky completely in a complete nosedive. Both seekers have their arms out reaching for the snitch.

M: MERLIN’S BEARD THEY’RE CLOSE! D: WHO’S GOING TO GET IT WHO IS GOING TO–

However with a final push of his broom, SLYTHERIN’s Evan Bae caught the snitch mid-dive! Concluding the game with the final score of:

( SLYTHERIN 180 : 50 GRYFFINDOR )

D: MERLIN’S BEARD! SLYTHERIN WINS THE FIRST GAME OF THE SEASON. M: SLYTHERIN DID IT! YOU GO EVAN BAE! D: AND THAT’S A WRAP. THANK YOU FOR TUNING IN, SEE YOU NEXT WEEK AND GOOD LUCK TO HOUSE UNITY. 

Commentators: Demetrius Picklesquire & Amelia Kim | Hufflepuff, 7th Year 

D: One more hour, one more hour to place bets, to support your teams and kiss house unity goodbye!

The match will officially begin in an hour at 10pm EST! Students are welcome to make their way to the Quidditch Pitch at their leisure to support the Gryffindor and Slytherin Quidditch teams. 

status: accepting // meme !!

his eyes widen at this unexpected… exclamation. he staggers back a bit, gaze shifting as he begins to laugh nervously. bite your tongue, bite your tongue, bite your tongue. until, finally:

there are certain things he regrets. they’re never something he regrets for the other person’s sake, though, only ever selfish thoughts and wishes. he’s a pureblood slytherin, he doesn’t have to think about what other people might feel. he’s more important than other people. 

his mother’s voice echoes in his mind, always. he doesn’t think he’ll ever get away from her.  

the sight of a package landing at the hufflepuff table has him raising an eyebrow, if only because it lands in front of amelia, his ex-girlfriend. he’d only dated her out of pity, partially because he’d been amused that she had actually somehow worked up the guts to ask him out the previous year, and partially because she was still a pureblood, and he didn’t mind dating purebloods. 

after they’d broken up, him making it clear that she could not hold his interest, they had parted ways, and he hadn’t spoken to her since then. she’s a bit of a flobberworm, he thinks, easily caving to everyone else, and he has no patience for people like that. his current girlfriend, however – his fiancée – now, that’s someone he can truly respect.

the more time passed, the more anxious she became. she wasn’t thinking, always impulsive enough to take a step into the wrong direction, whenever she made decisions. she could very well ignore her mother’s request, seeing how cold his stare was at her. there was never anything close to affection or even nonchalance. cold. amelia did not expect the pang of hurt that made her cast her gaze downwards. she had always been too soft and emotional. she at least expected him to nod and acknowledge her.

he was never really the prince she thought he was at first. 

this was something he realized too late.

letting out a shaky breath, she gripped the edges of the package sent to her. she didn’t even know what evan would leave behind. she opened it up carefully after she had eaten, only to see that the package contained something very insignificant. a shirt. amelia could think of only two people that was around her house enough to leave their things behind. at least, in the past. inspecting the shirt further, she realized that it was similar to evan’s style. perhaps her mother thought the same. hence why she sent it. 

sighing again, she carefully put the lid on the box and with shaky legs thankfully hidden underneath her robe, she walked towards the slytherin table. she was given looks. looks of disdain and disgust. only her blood status saved her. and she hated it. she tried to walk in a dignified manner (she failed miserably, she knew. she was so transparent that it was impossible to put up an act), passing rows and rows of students until she reached him. “see me after dinner. i’ll be waiting outside.” with that, she continued to walk outside. once outside the great hall, she pressed her back against the nearest wall and tried to calm herself.

you don’t need to do this and you know it.

i know.

but why are you bothering?

i don’t want him to forget me. i just want us to be friends. 

even if he never had feelings for me, we can at least be friends, right?