𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐥𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐞𝐫 || 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐡𝐲𝐮𝐜𝐤

Twenty-Two

That night, unlike usual, Donghyuck didn’t seem too happy to see Mark.

“Hey…” he said cautiously. “Is everything okay…?”

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?” Donghyuck reciprocated. “That was…kind of a lot that happened this morning.”

“Yeah,” Mark sighed. “Yeah, there was.”

“You don’t actually hate me, do you?”
Mark was taken aback at the sudden question.

“Us, I guess I should say,” Donghyuck reiterated. “Us, as Slytherins. Was what your Beater said back there really true? About you telling everyone to not trust Slytherins?”

“You heard?” Mark asked, surprised that Donghyuck was still hanging around.

Never before had Donghyuck looked so exhausted. “So it’s true?” he asked again. “You know we didn’t do it, right? I have no idea what she was talking about. Whoever did it, it wasn’t us. We would never do something like that just to win. We’re better than that.”

Donghyuck's sincerity reassured Mark entirely. “I believe you,” he said calmly.

“So you don’t hate us right?” Mark asked again.

Mark nervously scratched the back of his nape, wondering how he should answer. “Well, I’m not gonna lie to you…and you know that before I wasn’t exactly fond of Slytherins. But after talking to Yuta a lot and getting closer to you, I think that’s somewhat changed now.”

But Donghyuck wasn’t convinced. “I’m starting to wonder if I’m just an exception…”

“Does that matter though?” Mark said. “I still like you, no matter what you are.”

Wrong answer, as indicated by the slightly angry look Donghyuck threw at Mark.

“You don’t get it, do you?” Donghyuck spoke slowly. “These people are my friends, they’re practically my family. They were there for me before I met you, and probably will be long after if you ever leave me. And it hurts to hear you talk badly about them like that…because frankly, I’m part of them.”

Mark felt a surge of guilt, remembering how genuinely happy Donghyuck was every time he was amongst the Slytherins.

“That’s not what I meant—” Mark tried.

“I am a Slytherin, after all,” Donghyuck stated firmly. “And I always will be.”

Though he opened his mouth to respond, Mark found that no words were coming out. Perhaps, an inner part of him knew that Donghyuck was right. As he much as he adored and loved Donghyuck as a person, perhaps there was always a part of him that wished Donghyuck wasn’t a Slytherin, just so that it would be easier for them both.

But the more he thought about it within those few seconds, the more he knew that he had been wrong.

“No,” Mark said firmly. “Being a Slytherin is a part of you. It made you into who you are today. And if you weren’t the person you are now then maybe I would’ve never fallen for you.”

Donghyuck looked up, surprised at Mark's ability to say such words.

Mark reached his arm around Donghyuck, pulling him closer. “I know how you feel,” Mark said calmly. “Before I knew you, it didn’t matter. But after I came to care for you, whenever my friends badmouthed the Slytherins, it didn’t feel right at all. Because I felt like they were talking about you.”

Mark pulled the wide eyed Donghyuck closer, making sure he understood all that he was trying to profess.

“I really like you, Donghyuck. All of you. Slytherin and all,” Mark spoke, with a confidence he didn’t know he possessed. “And it’s going to take me awhile to change completely but I promise I’m trying. Because I don’t want to make you upset anymore.”

Mark pulled Donghyuck into his arms, holding him tightly, this time trying to make him physically feel what he was trying to say. And it seemed to work, when Donghyuck reciprocated by reaching his hands up to grapple into Mark's robes, nuzzling his face into his chest.

“I really like you too,” Donghyuck was murmuring into Mark's chest. They remained like that for a while, feeling each other’s rampant heart beats through their clothes.

Mark leaned his face into Donghyuck's hand, stroking his blonde hair gently. “I promise things will work out,” he spoke. “Whoever did it, I’ll find them. And we’ll settle it properly.”

“Since when did you get so good at talking?” Donghyuck mumbled.

“I learn from the best,” Mark grinned, slightly pulling away so he could gaze into Donghyuck's blushing face.

“You should act like this more often,” Mark teased. “You’re a lot cuter this way.”

Annoyed, Donghyuck huffed as he pushed a smirking Mark away. “I’m not supposed to be the cute one,” Donghyuck declared. “Anyways, enough of this. We should practice.”

“Yeah, we haven’t done that properly in a while,” Mark noted, hand subconsciously slithering onto Donghyuck's waist.

“Hmm, I wonder why,” Donghyuck said, as he immediately grappled onto his clothes and leaned into Mark's neck with parted lips.

“Stop!” Mark yelped, blushing. He knew that if he let Donghyuck continue, it would never stop.

“Sorry,” Donghyuck smiled innocently, as they walked off together to get their brooms.