Amortentia | MYUNGHYUK + BINU

Amortentia

"I can't believe Binnie ditched me"
"He didn't do it on purpose, come on, cut him some slack"
"I even gifted him a remembrall!"
"That does nothing if you can't recall what you forgot, hyung"
"Then he should make actual efforts and stop being so careless"
Minhyuk sighed at Dongmin's never ending grumbling, walking side by side with him down the hill; when he had asked for some company, in a vain attempt to calm his nerves, this surely wasn't what he was expecting.
"At least you do have a boyfriend", he pouted. Dongmin had no rights to complain about his silly, perfect relationship, at least not when Minhyuk was right there, on the verge of panic at the mere thought of spending the afternoon with Myungjun.
"Sorry", Dongmin laughed, patting his shoulder. "You really like him, don't you?"
"He is so cute, you don't understand"
"I spent half of my life with Sanha and as you remarked, I have a partner-"
"Bin hyung is the weird type of cute and Sanha is a literal child, they don't count"
"You are only one year older, don't act like a fossil", he scolded him. "And besides, Myungjun hyung may be adorable, but that sort of get overshadowed when he can't keep his mouth closed and gives me a headache all the time"
"You don't know him, he-" Minhyuk paused, searching for the right words. "He gets so shy and quiet sometimes, when we are together"
"Really?", Dongmin asked skeptically. "Are you sure you aren't subconsciously casting spells to make him shut up?"
"I would never! I know it sounds absurd but... what if I am doing something wrong?"
"He wouldn't have asked you out, if you did"
"Maybe he is just being polite"
"By taking you on a date? Damn, Minhyuk, stop being so dense -he likes you"
That made sense, but it still felt too unreal to be true. "How do you know?"
"For one thing, you two have been flirting for months", Dongmin rolled his eyes, pointing towards the end of the path: Myungjun was waving excitedly at them, his cheeks blushed by the cold. "Second of all, we are friends but I doubt he would be so ridiculously happy to meet me, especially on a day like this -that would be worrying, to be honest"
Minhyuk chuckled, waving back. "Good point"
"And third, I may have a boyfriend but he is nowhere to be seen, while you have a concrete chance with the guy of your dreams on the most romantic time of the year", he stated. "Don't miss it"
"Do you think I should confess or-"
"If you feel brave enough, if the mood is right, why not? But even if you don't, or it doesn't turn out as you wish, Myungjun is nice and did this for you -just have fun and see how it goes"
Minhyuk nodded, slightly relieved. "You are right. Thanks, hyung, I- I will try"
"I am sure you will end up together anyway, sooner or later", Dongmin winked, just as Myungjun finally caught up with them. "Hello, hyung"
"Hey!", Myungjun greeted and gave Minhyuk a half, clumsy hug, looking even redder as they stood in front of each other. "Min-ah, I thought Binnie was with you?"
"Long story short, he is an idiot and I ended up alone on S. Valentine's Day"
"That sucks"
"It does, but I'll survive", Dongmin shrugged. "What are your plans for today?"
Minhyuk realized he had no idea and, judging by Myungjun's surprised face, he probably didn't think about it either. Dongmin had to stifle a laugh.
"You will figure it out", he said. "Whatever you do, we must be back at the castle before dinner, so try to not... you know, fool around too much"
As he left, smirking at their embarrassment, he really hoped Minhyuk could find the confidence he needed -at worst, he could have always resorted to a little bit of magic.

~

Bin was close to throw a tantrum, even though he had no one to be mad at except himself. He didn't even cared about S. Valentine's Day per se, but missing a trip to Hogsmeade for a stupid, clueless mistake was infuriating,
He wasn't the tidiest person ever, he had to admit, but he wasn't that messy either, and while his uniform, textbooks and daily supplies were scattered around, his most cherished possessions were carefully displayed on a shelf, and be damned whoever tried to touch them. It was chaos, but a methodical one, he would have said: everything was still within reaching distance whenever he needed it, and a summoning charm was still the quickest way in the most desperate cases. So, he couldn't understand how his permission form seemed to simply have disappeared into the void, no matter how long he had looked for it.
He was trying to think of a solution -sending another owl to his parents was out of discussion, with that little notice, and he knew he had no chances in convincing the Headmaster- when his name echoed up the dormitory's stairs.
"Hyung!", Sanha barged in. "Oh, here you are"
"This is such a bad idea"
Bin stood up as Jinwoo followed the youngest inside. "What's going on?"
"Sanha heard about your problem and let me tell you, I would rather prefer him minding his own businesses"
"And have Dongmin mad for the whole week and Bin hyung sulking because he can't get his attention? Thanks but no, I wouldn't be able to stand them"
"You are going to get him in troubles, and with his already unstable grades, it is the last thing he needs", Jinwoo sighed, glancing at his friend. "But you don't care, do you, Bin-ah?"
The grin on Bin's face was a clear answer. "Don't worry, hyung, I always find a way out"
"If you say so -but don't even try to ask me to do your homework, once you will start failing all of your classes"
"Dongmin will help me"
"That guy is an angel, I would have already kicked your ungrateful ass long ago", Jinwoo countered, but he was smiling.
"Can we get back to your escape?", Sanha huffed. "You are wasting too much time"
Bin nodded, moving closer to get a proper look at the parchment he was holding. "Wait, is this-"
"The Marauder's Map, yes"
"How did you even get it?", Bin's eyes were wide with disbelief. "I thought it went lost!"
"He has a rather terrific nose for these things", Jinwoo admitted. "You would be surprised"
"Is this safe?"
"How dare you-" Sanha exclaimed, offended. "Don't ever question its powers!"
"I'm sorry, I didn't-"
"Nor me, if you want my help"
Bin took a step back, eyeing Jinwoo. "Has he always been this scary?"
"They grow so fast", Jinwoo sighed.
Sanha snorted and launched into a meticulous explanation of how it worked, showing him every single shortcut, and once he was done, Bin was trembling with anticipation, ready to test his own skills in that unexpected evasion.
He was about to step out when Sanha called him back. "What?"
"Aren't you forgetting something?"
Bin stared at him, confused. "No? I have the map, my wand and-"
"I knew you were slow, but I didn't think it was this severe", Sanha said. "Here, your invisibility cloak"
Jinwoo looked defeated while they walked out of the common room and into the empty corridors, hiding behind a statue. "I can't believe I'm letting you do this. I am a Prefect, I should stop you!"
"I will be fine", Bin shrugged. "And it is worth it"
"I wouldn't be so sure about that, but if it is what you want-"
"It's just- Dongmin is so fond of these stupid festivities, I can't let him down"
"Then go and give him the best Valentine ever", Jinwoo softened. "Be careful though"
"Good luck, hyung", Sanha added.
Bin only smiled as he slid into the nearest secret passage and disappeared before their eyes.