#hufflepuff;

                                               someone told me there’s a girl out there                                                                 with love in her eyes                                                                & flowers in her hair. 

He observes the marvelous creature in awe, lips parted and eyes widened ever so slightly as he takes in the sharp talons, the large wingspan, and the curve of its beak as it's rear hooves are planted firmly on the ground, shifting slightly beneath the gentle touch of the professor and giving a call that rings out through the air, echoing off the trees and through the hills. The other third year students around him stir nervously, but some are just as intrigued as himself, and as the caretaker of the beast asks if anyone would like to approach, his hand raises instantly, among a few others. 

"Now, now-- you'll each get your turn. But first, Taemin-- you're a gentle one, aren't you? Come up here."

And that's when his heart begins to race, with both excitement and nervousness as the feelings intermingle and swirl in the pit of his abdomen as he approaches the Hippogriff, hand outstretched and steps careful and calculated. The professor's deep voice reaches his ears, with words of 'easy now', 'steady', 'careful', and others of the like until finally, after what feels like eons, he reaches the beast and his fingers brush over the feathers just above its beak. The creature takes a step forward then, and his palm is pressed flat against the soft texture, a warm instantly spreading across his lips.

"Would you like to ride 'em?"

The third year Hogwarts student has had his fair share of classes, and as he sits in the daunting classroom where History of Magic takes place, he can't help but find his mind wandering. While he cherishes learning new things, especially of the wizarding world, he never imagined a subject could be so boring, and as the ghostly professor drones on monotonously about some unfortunate fate an ancient wizard had stumbled upon so very long ago, he can't help but wish that he were in transfiguration at this very moment. There, at least, he could have his precious wand in hand and hone his wizarding skills. 

His eyes bore into the thick, bounded history text book that sits upon the table in front of him, his quill is in hand, jotting down notes into his notebook whenever something sounds particularly important, but otherwise, his thoughts remain elsewhere--  on transfiguration. Perhaps he's a bit of a nerd, thinking of another class rather than other fun things, but the subject of transfiguration is just so interesting, and perhaps it helps that he's among the top of his class in the subject. To be able to turn people and things into animals, and vice versa, is something that he would have never imagined learning had he remained in the muggle world. It's all so complex, and he absolutely loves it--

"Taemin."

Oh.

He blinks, returning to reality as his focus lifts to the professor. All students are staring at him, and he can't help the tint of pink that rises to his cheeks.