Standing rather confused in the door frame of the 4th year Hufflepuff dorm, Youngsaeng looked at the bare room before him and contemplated whether or not he should be following the little student that had just scurried, sniffling and dragging all of his belongings past him just afe minutes prior. He still wasnāt sure why his feet hat even brought him to this spot in the first place; one moment there was a unfamiliar owl tapping on his window, and the next, his instincts had brought him to this place where heād discovered Yejun, indeed preparing to leave as heād indicated on the piece of parchment that was folded inside the Slytherinās breast pocket. And yet, even at the sight of the boy packing, he hadnāt argued. On the contrary, heād let the Hufflepuff go almost instantaneously. It was probably because so some extent he understood how it felt to feel suffocated and unable to breathe, looking for an escape but struggling to find one. It might have even been because he had vowed to never control others as heād been controlled for so long. Either way, he had just watched him leave without second thought until nowā¦ now he was regretting his decision.
Something inside Youngsaengās gut told him to follow and for no other reason than not being able to shake the feeling, he did.
Making his way down the hall in the direction the Hufflepuff had gone, he entered the back stairwell. As took a few steps down, his breath hitched in his throat at the sight of a pile of robes puddled on the floor at the base of the stairs, the boy beneath them only identifiable by the shock of blonde curls that were undeniably visible against the cold stone floor. Practically tripping down the stairs himself, two steps at a time, he immediately crouched beside the fallen boy. āHey,ā he called sharply, reaching out to touch Yejunās hand, pulling away in shock immediately at the deformed state of the Hufflepuffās fingers. His stomach turned at the realization that after such a fall, there were probably more pressing issues than the dislocations. Namely, the fact that Yejun was frighteningly still and as he called out once more there was absolutely no reply. Kneeling, Youngsaeng anxiously bent down with his ear close to the boyās mouth. For a moment he froze, dread settling into his stomach at the utter stillness of everything before the slightest whoosh of air tickled his skin sending a wave of relieve through his tensed limbs.
Yejun was still breathing.
Letting out his own breath which he hadnāt even noticed that heād been holding until now, he sat back on the ground shaking slightly. Heād been taught first aid but heād never actually had to use it. Either way, he knew he had to make a decision quickly. Shrugging off his jacket, he wrapped it tightly around the boyās fragile frame, making him seem even smaller than Youngsaeng would have ever though humanly possible. With one hand he cupped Yejunās cheek and gently shifted the younger maleās head close to his own chest to stabilize it, trying not to move his neck too much. He had no idea the extent of the injuries that might have been sustained and he didnāt want to take any chances.
Standing so slowly that it felt like it took a half hour just to get off the ground, he looked down as something warm brushed up against him. A kitten, so small he was liable to get stepped on looked up and him and mewed loudly. He could only assume that it was Yejunās, the way it didnāt stop looking up as it rubbed up against a heavy wood trunk a few feet away. āHeās going to be alright,ā Youngsaeng told it, feeling quite foolish for talking to a cat but saying the words more or less to convince himself. Drawing his wand, he quickly charmed the trunk to float along behind him and readjusted his hold on Yejun. The badger was so light it almost felt like holding nothing which was frightening in itself. āKeep up,ā he told the little furball as he set off for the hospital wing, not liking the deathly pale pallor to the younger maleās skin at all. He didnāt have the hands to carry the cat so the best he could do was hope it would follow.
He was incredibly grateful for long legs and a good sense of direction as he swiftly carried the Hufflepuff to the hospital wing, trunk and Titian in tow. Bursting through the double doors, he called authoritatively for Madame Jea who came bustling over, wand at the ready at his pleas.
āHow long has he been unconscious?ā
āI donāt know, I found him maybe six minutes ago. I think he fell down the stairs and hit his head.ā Reaching down, he gently swept the blond locks away realizing with a jolt of panic that there were streaks of red running through the strands at the back.
She shook her head, looking at him with worry etched across her face and extending her arms to take the small body. āIt doesnāt look good. I think it would be best to take him to St. Mungoās immediately.
At her words, Youngsaeng wrapped his arms around Yejun rather protectively. For reasonās he didnāt understand he didnāt feel ready to let him go. āIām going with him,ā he said decisively. āIāll apparate. You can come with me but Iām not letting him go until he gets the best care available.
She didnāt argue, just nodded and took his arm gently. A split second later, the room spun and he looked down at the blurred outline of the fragile body in his arms as their feet left the floor.
āHold on, please hold on."
