Chapter Text
It is eleven o'clock at night, and Hogwarts Castle is sunk in slumber. Only the torches on the stone walls burn on, their flickering flames casting the elongated shadows of two girls walking hand in hand through the silence.
Chou Tzuyu leads the way, gripping her wand tightly, while Kim Dahyun tiptoes behind her, constantly glancing over her shoulder for fear of discovery. Thanks to Tzuyu’s impeccable Disillusionment Charm, they easily evade Mr. Filch to ascend the windswept peak of the Astronomy Tower.
As they step out onto the balcony, a starry night sky unfolds before their eyes.
"Wow..." Dahyun looks up, her eyes widening.
The biting November wind sweeps in, making Dahyun shiver. Tzuyu immediately gives her wand a gentle flick. Soft Bluebell Flames bloom inside a hovering glass jar, radiating a cozy warmth that envelops their corner of the balcony. Moments later, a thick, cream-colored wool rug unrolls itself over the cold stone floor.
"Sit here." Tzuyu stows her wand, pulls Dahyun down, and wraps her in her arms as usual.
Dahyun leans back against Tzuyu’s chest. The steady rhythm of the younger girl's heartbeat echoes in her ear, making her forget that they are breaking curfew.
"You’re really good at Astronomy, aren't you?" Dahyun looks up at Tzuyu’s chin, asking softly.
"I get by." Tzuyu gives Dahyun’s waist a gentle squeeze, her other hand pointing toward the sky. "Look. That is Cygnus, and far over there is Ursa Major."
Dahyun squints, trying to follow her finger then chuckles and shakes her head. "I give up. To me, they all look exactly the same."
"It’s okay." Tzuyu bends down to whisper. "You don’t need to remember their names. You just need to know one thing."
"What's that?"
Tzuyu tilts Dahyun’s chin up, her gaze softening. Her voice drops low, turning earnest: "That in my eyes, you shine brighter than any of those stars."
Dahyun’s face flushes hot. This sudden, direct confession sends the Hufflepuff girl’s heart racing. She bites her lip lightly, shyly burying her face in the crook of Tzuyu’s neck, inhaling her faint mint scent.
"Where did you pick up such cheesy lines, Captain Chou?" Dahyun mumbles, her small hands bunching the fabric of Tzuyu’s robes.
"I didn’t pick them up anywhere." Tzuyu gives a soft chuckle. Her hand strokes Dahyun’s hair. "I mean it. Since first year, every time I look up at the sky, I’ve thought of you."
Silence descends upon the tower top. The only sounds are the whistling wind and the crackling of the flames.
Dahyun tilts her head up, reaching out to cup Tzuyu’s cheek, her thumb caressing the younger girl’s sharp features. Her usual cold arrogance has melted away, leaving only a gentle gaze reserved solely for Dahyun.
The distance between them gradually vanishes. Their breaths intermingle under the starlit sky. Dahyun’s heart races so wildly that she is certain Tzuyu can hear every thumping beat.
Tzuyu closes her eyes and slowly leans in. Her fingers caress Dahyun’s face before settling into a feather-light kiss on her forehead. Tzuyu lingers there for a few seconds, as if trying to etch this moment into her memory forever.
Pulling away, Tzuyu meets Dahyun’s eyes, which are curved in happiness. "Are you cold?" Tzuyu asks softly.
Dahyun shakes her head, smiling. She closes her eyes and presses her cheek against Tzuyu’s chest, basking in the tenderness that the darkness of Slytherin reserves only for the light of Hufflepuff.
"With you here, I'm not cold."
Hovering in a shadowed corner of the tower, Nearly Headless Nick floats past, tutting and shaking his head. "Youth these days are so romantic... If only I had someone to keep me warm like that back in my time."
Dahyun presses her cheek against Tzuyu’s chest, listening to the steady rhythm of her heartbeat. Tzuyu strokes the older girl's hair, feeling a peace unlike anything she has ever known. Together, they gaze up at the starry sky.
Suddenly, a massive sneeze rings out, shattering the silence of the night. They both startle and spring apart. With the reflexes of a Quidditch Captain, Tzuyu leaps to her feet. She pulls Dahyun behind her back with one hand while the other brandishes her wand, pointing it straight at the shadows behind the telescope, her gaze razor-sharp.
"Who is there? Show yourself!" Tzuyu growls.
Silence holds for two seconds, and then the air shimmers. A Multi-Layered Concealment Charm melts away, revealing a ridiculous sight: seven people crammed together behind the astronomy statue.
Hirai Momo, the culprit behind the sneeze, clutches a bucket of popcorn in one hand while wiping her nose with a tissue in the other. "Sorry... it's too windy up here, I couldn't hold it in."
"I told you to keep your mouth shut, you glutton!" Im Nayeon smacks Momo on the head with a sharp thwack, while dusting off her robes.
Beside them, Minatozaki Sana is practically tearing her hair out, looking at Tzuyu with utter disappointment. "For Merlin’s sake! I spent a whole week coaching you, setting up this breathtakingly romantic atmosphere, and you just went for a forehead kiss, Chou Tzuyu? What kind of Slytherin is this cowardly? You should have pounced on her!"
Dahyun awkwardly covers her face and groans: "Since... since when have you guys been here?"
"Since the moment this kid led you through the third-floor corridor." Myoui Mina leans against Yoo Jeongyeon’s shoulder. Jeongyeon is busy wrapping her cloak around Mina to block the wind. "We were bored with nothing to do, so we followed to see how good the Serpent Queen’s flirting skills actually are. Turns out, it’s just amateur hour."
"You people..." Tzuyu grips her wand so tightly a faint creak is audible, veins popping on her forehead. "Do you want a taste of the Cruciatus Curse?"
"Wait!" An authoritative voice rings out. Park Jihyo, who has been crouching to avoid detection, suddenly stands up, hands on her hips. "Curfew is 10 PM! You are all breaking the rules, don't you know? If Mr. Filch comes up here, all four Houses will lose a disastrous amount of points! My status as a Prefect does not allow me to cover this up..."
"Give it a rest, Park Jihyo." Son Chaeyoung yawns, holding up a charcoal sketch of Tzuyu leaning down to kiss Dahyun’s forehead under the starlight. "You were the one who suggested coming up here to watch the show in the first place, and now you want to deduct points?"
Exposed by Chaeyoung, Jihyo gives a loud cough, her face turning slightly red. "Well... I was just patrolling on my way."
On the windswept tower top, Tzuyu feels her blood pressure skyrocketing. The precious privacy, the romantic starry sky, the defining kiss... all shattered by these seven high-wattage third wheels. Murderous intent explodes, and the tip of the Serpent Queen’s wand begins to spark with menacing red electricity.
"Run for it! The monster has snapped!" Sana screams.
"Run!" Jihyo commands.
The group scrambles in chaos, turning to flee down the spiral staircase. Jeongyeon scoops Mina up in her arms to run faster, Chaeyoung hastily gathers her sketch papers, and Nayeon runs while dragging Momo - who is still trying to salvage a few fallen popcorn kernels.
In the blink of an eye, silence returns to the tower top.
Tzuyu stands there, letting out a frustrated sigh, and stows her wand. She turns back to look at Dahyun. The Hufflepuff girl is still burying her face in her hands, laughing helplessly.
"You can still laugh?" Tzuyu frowns, though her gaze has already softened.
"Because... because you look so cute right now..." Dahyun reaches up, gently smoothing out Tzuyu’s furrowed brows. "Come on, let them off the hook. They just care about us, that's all."
Tzuyu gives a light huff, pulling Dahyun into her arms and burying her face in the crook of her neck, which carries the faint scent of strawberries. "Next time, I’ll cast a Colloportus charm. Let them freeze out there."
Even though Tzuyu’s magical fire is radiating steady heat, Dahyun suddenly gives a slight shiver. She burrows deeper into Tzuyu’s oversized robes, her small hands lightly clutching the back of the younger girl’s shirt. "Tzuyu-ah... I’m still so cold. Can you hold me a little tighter?"
Tzuyu pauses, stunned. She glances at the Bluebell Flames blazing beside them - a high-level charm she is confident could keep a herd of elephants warm in a blizzard, let alone one petite girl on this balcony. Clearly, the temperature here is perfect, with not a single draft breaching her protective circle.
A sly smile flits across the Slytherin Prefect's lips. She knows full well her girlfriend is lying through her teeth, but why on earth would she expose her?
Instead of explaining the charm's efficacy, Tzuyu wraps both arms tightly around Dahyun’s small frame, pulling her flush against her body, leaving no gap between them. She leans down, placing a soft kiss on Dahyun’s soft hair, and whispers in that deep, warm tone reserved only for her beloved:
"Alright, it’s my fault. My charm wasn’t strong enough. Let me use this manual method to warm you up then... for the whole night?"
Dahyun smiles to herself, nuzzling contentedly into that solid chest. She thinks: Slytherin magic is impressive, sure, but it can never be as warm as Chou Tzuyu’s embrace.
On Thursday morning, the vast Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom is buzzing with the hum of incantations. This is a notoriously difficult practical lesson on the Patronus Charm for the sixth-years. The Professor has allowed the desks to be pushed to the side to make room. Everyone is grimacing, breaking out in a cold sweat as they try to dig up the happiest memory of their lives.
Thanks to her exceptional magical prowess, Chou Tzuyu is the only lower-year student granted special permission by the Professor to join the class alongside her beloved. She stands leaning against the wall, arms crossed, observing silently.
"It's too hard!" Hirai Momo wipes sweat from her forehead. "I tried thinking about that giant roast chicken leg from last Christmas Eve, but my wand tip just sputtered out a few wisps of silver smoke."
"You dummy, food doesn't generate enough power," Park Jihyo grumbles, waving her wand. "Expecto Patronum!"
A stream of silver light bursts forth, condensing into the shape of a small hound, but it dissolves into the air after just a few seconds, making Jihyo click her tongue in frustration.
Not far away, Yoo Jeongyeon is busy admiring her girlfriend's Patronus. From the tip of Myoui Mina's wand, an elegant silver Swan flaps its wings, gliding gracefully in circles around the classroom.
"Kim Dahyun, your turn." The Professor encourages the Hufflepuff girl standing next to Momo.
Kim Dahyun takes a deep breath. She closes her eyes. In her mind, her parents' smiles appear, along with the laughter of her best friends and that gentle forehead kiss under the starry sky from a certain someone. The corners of her lips lift and a soothing warmth spreads throughout her chest.
"Expecto Patronum!"
A brilliant stream of light bursts forth. The silver light swirls and coalesces into the shape of an incredibly adorable Puppy with floppy ears and a wagging tail. The luminous puppy trots around Dahyun's legs, nuzzling against the hem of her robes, making the whole class chuckle at the sheer cuteness.
"Excellent, Miss Kim!" The Professor applauds. Then he turns to the corner of the room, looking toward the Dark Arts prodigy. "Miss Chou, would you like to give it a try? This spell requires pure love, wizards inclined toward the Dark Arts often find it extremely difficult to perform."
The whole class falls dead silent. All eyes are fixed on Tzuyu.
Im Nayeon and Minatozaki Sana exchange worried glances. They know Tzuyu's past is incredibly burdened and solitary, finding a truly happy memory within that darkness is almost impossible.
Tzuyu steps slowly into the center of the room, drawing her wand from her robes. She does not close her eyes like the others. She has no need to search through her memories, because her happiest memory is standing right in front of her.
Tzuyu’s gaze locks onto Dahyun. Her usually cold, sharp eyes soften, overflowing with adoration and infinite tenderness. The moment she sees her Sunshine smiling encouragingly, the gloomy world around Tzuyu instantly vanishes.
"EXPECTO PATRONUM!"
A blinding source of silver energy, ten times more intense than anyone else's, erupts from the tip of Tzuyu’s wand. The entire room lights up as bright as day, forcing everyone to raise their hands to shield their eyes."
A massive Silver Wolf, nearly as tall as a human, charges out. Its form is brilliant silver, with piercing eyes and ferocious fangs and claws - a Patronus that embodies absolute power.
The Wolf throws its head back as if to howl, but no sound emerges, only a powerful ripple of light. It circles the classroom at breakneck speed, its overwhelming aura forcing everyone to recoil in awe.
Then, that ferocity vanishes the instant the Wolf halts in front of Kim Dahyun. To the utter astonishment of the entire class, the giant creature of light slowly lowers its head. It lays itself flat at Dahyun’s feet, its bushy tail wagging. Dahyun’s glowing Puppy shows no fear, trotting over to snuggle into the Wolf. The Wolf gently presses its snout into Dahyun’s palm, acting just like an oversized puppy seeking affection.
"Good heavens..." Nayeon’s jaw drops. "A Patronus reflects the soul of its master perfectly... So this overgrown Wolf... is basically a shameless version of Chou Tzuyu?"
Dahyun stares blankly at the Wolf at her feet, then looks up at the tall slender girl standing a few steps away. Her heart pounds in her chest.
Tzuyu slowly lowers her wand. The Silver Wolf dissolves into glittering motes of light that drift down around Dahyun.
"How... how did you manage to summon such a powerful Patronus?" Dahyun asks shyly, her cheeks reddening again in front of dozens of eyes. "Your happy memory... what was it?"
Tzuyu walks over and nonchalantly interlaces her fingers with Dahyun’s small hand, completely ignoring the Professor and the entire class who are staring wide-eyed. Her deep eyes holding only one reflection: "I don’t need to use a memory. Just seeing you makes me happy. You are my Patronus, Kim Dahyun."
The classroom erupts with cheers and wolf-whistles from their best friends, mixing with the gasps of the sixth-years. Jeongyeon shouts loudly: "I have to tell Chaeyoung about this right now! She’s going to be absolutely gutted she wasn't here to see what went down in this class!"
The Professor shakes his head with a rueful smile, scribbling into his notebook: Chou Tzuyu: Outstanding (O). Note: Exceptional magical prowess, but public displays of affection are strictly forbidden in my class henceforth.
Yoo Jeongyeon is not joking. That evening, during dinner in the Great Hall.
"BLOODY HELL???"
Son Chaeyoung slams both hands down on the Gryffindor table, causing Jihyo’s goblet of pumpkin juice to bounce. The genius artist stares at the scribbled sketch Jeongyeon just described, wearing an expression of sheer agony. "A giant Silver Wolf lying prostrate at Dahyun’s feet? And I missed it just because I’m not a sixth-year???"
"It’s okay," Sana trots over, patting her shoulder in consolation, though she is giggling mischievously. "I captured it with my magical camera. 5 Galleons a print, non-negotiable."
"Done screaming yet?" Jeongyeon nonchalantly cuts through Chaeyoung’s misery. She slides a silver plate toward the younger girl, featuring a golden slice of Treacle Tart that radiates a sweet aroma. "Since you're heading past the Ravenclaw table, drop this off for my Minari. She said dinner was a bit bland tonight."
Chaeyoung stares blankly at the plate in her hands then at the older girl who is waving her away like shooing a fly. Just a minute ago she was mourning the loss of the artistic masterpiece of a lifetime, and now she has been reduced to a reluctant delivery girl for these lovebirds.
"I am a genius artist, not a delivery owl..." Chaeyoung mutters but her feet obediently shuffle toward the blue-bannered table.
Hurt people really do hurt people.