hyewolfies

Help me.

The subway halts into a sudden stop, startling Jinsol awake. The car was definitely crowded when she came in a few stations ago – but now she’s alone, with only the little betta fish she got on her trip to the shops to keep her company.

A sigh escapes her lips. It was probably the fifth time Jinsol fell asleep on the subway and missed her stop. This time, she guesses, she ended up in one of the final stops of the line. She raises her eyes to check where exactly could this be.

But the display is broken.

Jinsol is sure it was working right before she fell asleep.

She tries looking around once more, but the world is too quiet, too empty.

Help me.

The voice makes Jinsol lose the grip on the fish bag. Worried, she looks around frantically, trying to find it’s owner.

There’s a raven haired girl sitting right beside her.

“Help me”, she pleads again, her voice now pratically a whisper in Jinsol’s ear.

The weather was still nice enough, so you and Hyunjin decided to move your first study session of the year from the library to the gardens. Afterall, it was a Saturday, so a nice change of environment would certainly motivate you to study for your exams.

Hyunjin, though, was running late.

You look for a secluded patch of grass, settling your blanket under the shade of a tree, facing the Great Lake in the distance. You sigh as you sit down, pulling quills and books from your bag.

“She should’ve just told me she was going to be late, it’s not that hard”, you whine to yourself,  “We’re room mates, we see eachother all the time!”

You suddenly notice an orange tabby cat approaching your study nook – probably looking for some peace and quiet outside of the bustling castle. You run a hand through its colorful fur, scratching right behind its ears.

“Hey there”, you greet. “Did your friend stand you up too?”

“Hey, I didn’t stand you up”, it suddenly answers.

You shriek, taking a few steps back with the help of your hands. Instead of the tabby cat, Hyunjin sits next to you, fixing her green tie as if nothing happened.

“You scared the hell out of me!”, you complain. “Was it really necessary to transfigure yourself into a cat just to give me a heart attack?”

Hyunjin just smiles to herself. “Well...”

“Ok, fine”, you say, putting your quill down. “What are you not telling me?”

“I didn’t exactly transfigure myself”, she starts.

“Don’t tell me you-“

“Promise me you won’t freak out”, Hyunjin asks, holding both of your hands in front of her.

“Why would I-“

“I’m an Animagus now”, she informs, a big smile plastered on her face.

“Yeah, right”, you manage to say, freeing your hands from her grasp.

You knew Hyunjin loved Potions and Transfiguration - the most important subjects to master to accomplish such a feat – and even took the advanced classes for them. But an Animagus? 

The process for the transformation was hard and time-consuming, so there were only a few of these wizards nowadays. Besides, the risks of everything blowing up were huge and the person could end up half human, half animal for the rest of their lives.

“I’m not kidding! I’m registered and everything”, she continues.

“And when exactly did this whole Animagus thing happen, Jini?”

“Oh, I did it for fun over the summer”, Hyunjin explains nonchalantly, eyes now focused on the book and the roll of parchment she’s picking out of her bag.

Red alerts fill your mind. Hyunjin is a brilliant witch and you’d never doubt her abilities, but she was as impatient as she was ambitious. If she thought she could do something, she’d want to do it right away.

“You’re telling me you spent an entire month of your summer vacation chewing on a leaf and hanging around thunderstorms for fun?”

Hyunjin keeps her eyes on her homework and, instead of answering you properly, asks you a question about the Potions section. Classic move from someone who is clearly trying to change the subject.

“Are you out of your mind?”, you cry out, hitting her with one your books.

“You’re freaking out”, she states.

“Do you have any idea how wrong this whole thing could’ve gone?”

“Ouch! Ok, fine, fine”, she says, rubbing the arm where you hit her. “Principal McGonagall has been helping me out with it since the beggining of the fifth year. Although I did get my registration and do the whole leaf thing this summer.”

Immediately filled with relief, you wrap your arms around her. “Oh, thank goodness”, you mumble into the crook of her neck. “You really had me there for a moment.”

“I’m not that crazy”, Hyunjin says, laughing as she hugs you back.

“I’m really glad you’re okay, though. Why didn’t you say anything?”, you ask. “I mean, shouldn’t we tell eachother these things?”

“I really wanted to, but McGonagall asked me not to tell anyone”, she explains. “She wanted to focus on my training and didn’t want any extra students, just so we could get everything right.”

“So that’s what you were doing in her office all this time”, you wonder.

“Exactly!”, she exclaims. “Oh, I feel so much better now that you know. And I have so. Much. Free. Time.”

“Still, Jini”, you mumble. “We’re best friends, remember? I could’ve been there for you this summer.”

“I know”, Hyunjin adds with a sigh. “I just didn’t want to worry you.”

“You know I’d get worried anyway, even it was a simple spell”, you’re quick to answer, placing a hand on top of hers. “I’m always here for you.”