2/2 (1/2)

The more Kyungsoo thinks about the clue, the more it scares the shit out of him. The Triwizard Tournament is like this, not a game for kids but some serious competition for the three best students of the best three Magic Schools. The tasks are no joke, even if wizards and witches overlook the problematic danger when they think about gold, fame and greatness.

The Tournament can mess with your loved ones and there is a record of past incidents, so Kyungsoo is surprised the clue drew his name – it’s not as if Junmyeon loved him, anyways, right?

It’s inevitable that he gets paranoid as the date of the first task approaches. He feels watched, followed, and it may be not just a sensation of his own. Junmyeon notices his agitation, probably because he’s starting to hide himself in the library too often. Considering Kyungsoo never steps into the place, not even during his exams, it’s a very suspicious behaviour.

“I quit,” Jongdae, official bookworm of the sixth year, announces one afternoon in November. There are just two days left for the first task, and of course Kyungsoo is doing his best to keep himself far from a concentrated Junmyeon. “You coming?”

Kyungsoo just glances up for a brief moment, in time to see his friend rubbing his sleepy eyes. “No. I can’t come back, they’ll look for me in our dorm first.”

Jongdae is currently piling the books between his arms, but he dignifies Kyungsoo with a tired sigh. “Who? Who wants to look for you?”

If someone were to look at Kyungsoo, really look at him, he would be sent to the Infirmary right away. His eyes, wide and alert, are bloodshot; the dark circles around his eyes extend beyond where it’s possible, and there’s a constant spasm in his upper lip. “My kidnappers!”

“What? Oh Merlin. Yeah. Whatever.”

Jongdae abandons him before he can spew more nonsense, and all of a sudden Kyungsoo realizes it’s very quiet in the library and he’s completely alone. That is, except for some distant sound of flipping pages.

“I don’t want to die,” he mutters to himself, nervously inspecting the area as if to spot a Dementor levitating towards him. “Too young, too pretty, it’s not fair.”

“Hyung?” A voice behind him calls him, and well, it’s a very familiar one, which isn’t always a good sign. “Are you talking to yourself?”

Chuckling like a madman, Kyungsoo turns around on his seat to get himself under control before the visitor. There Jongin is, between two shelves, grinning down at him as though he has just seen an angel. Within a second, Kyungsoo goes over his security list: Jongin doesn’t have his wand out, no bottles from questionable origins, and he doesn’t have intentions of offering chocolates filled with a Love Potion.

“Isn’t it a bit late to be studying?” Jongin continues, as friendly as ever.

Kyungsoo isn’t going to lose his time or the last bit of sanity dealing with this Hufflepuff. Just no. “What do you want.”

There’s an implied accusation in the tone that makes Jongin blush, and after a grunt, he blurts out, “I’m not in love with you. I’m not stalking you.”

“I didn’t say you were.”

“I’m serious,” Jongin insists, aware that Kyungsoo doesn’t believe a word. The Slytherin flinches back when Jongin takes some steps towards him, thus he stops to not scare him away. Maybe he’s trying too hard not to be creepy, but it’s in his nature and he can’t help it. “I found out there are other Slytherins who are quite interesting. You’re as boring as a Slug compared to them.”

There are two possibilities: Jongin has really forgotten about him, or he’s trying a different tactic to attract him. If it’s the second one, he’s on the bad track, because a Slytherin wouldn’t appreciate insults to their value. Either way, Kyungsoo couldn’t care less about Jongin, yet the younger is smiling as if he’s the one under the effect of a Love Potion. Not that anyone would give Jongin a Love Potion.

“Oh, I have something for you!” he exclaims then, way too enthusiastic. He doesn’t allow Kyungsoo to voice out how he doesn’t want one of his presents, and he extracts something from the interior of his robes. “Take it.”

Jongin hands him a parchment rolled up and with the Hogwarts symbol on it, and Kyungsoo knows right then and there that he won’t be coming back to the Dungeons tonight.

The last thing Kyungsoo remembers is following the instructions on the parchment, and the next thing he feels is himself opening his eyes with a terrible headache.

There is a whole orchestra of screams and altered voices, but he can hardly distinguish anything in front of him. His vision is blurred and he’s not able to move; he knows he’s lying over a hard surface, and that’s as far as his senses go.

“Soo!”