Chapter Text
Once upon a time, there was a little boy with round bunny eyes and cute bunny front teeth. And he was late for school.
Oh how fast he ran, on his nimble feet, in his dripping wet new robes. He couldn’t fly, because he wasn’t allowed his own broom yet. He couldn’t apparate, because he was a fourteen-year-old first-year who didn’t know how. He ran. Fell. Ran more. The trees in the Forbidden Forest laughed at him. The wind caressed his long black locks. He was tired but he could not stop—time was ticking away! Who was ever late for their first day of school? No one, that’s who!
But the forest path seemed to go on forever. The dark mist shrouding him would not go away. Harsh panting turned into broken cries. The trees jeered and the wind mocked. The little boy collapsed, knowing that he’d never find a way out. He’d never make it to school, even though it was his first day, even though he had waited his entire life for this very moment.
And then there was a helping hand, a dimpled grin, a voice so wholesome, so gentle.
“Are you lost, little one?”
The little boy took the hand. It was warm. And then the fog cleared away and the trees smiled, and there was sunshine and the sky was a bright, sugary blue.
Something awakened in the little boy’s heart, something he had never felt before. Something that hurt, but hurt so good.
It was at fourteen years old that the little boy knew he had found someone whom he could gladly follow for the rest of his life.
The Great Hall is buzzing with activity like always when Jungkook plops himself down at his usual section of one of the long tables. His friend group, an interesting mix of all four houses, greet him with varying degrees of enthusiasm. Jimin is the most excited, barely able to sit still, and Hoseok the least, staring at his food, looking sick to the stomach. Normally he would have been livelier, but today is a special occasion.
The participants for the Big Hogwarts Inter-house Tournament (BIGHIT), held once every four years, will be drawn during the meal, and Hoseok is rightfully nervous. Because, according to what Jungkook heard from Jimin (he wasn’t a Hogwarts student yet when the previous tournament happened), the last round involved a whole army of enchanted tarantulas the size of small cars, and of course Hoseok wouldn’t want anything to do with that.
But it’s not like he can not enter his name for the drawing. It’s not technically mandatory, but peer pressure is a huge thing, even in a wizard school. No one opts out unless they want to be called a wuss. Not the older, most qualified students. Not the students in Jungkook’s year, even though they’re only freshly eligible by just turning eighteen and therefore at a disadvantage compared to older and more experienced ones. And certainly not Jung Hoseok, Gryffindor Quidditch Captain. He’s got the team’s reputation on his shoulder.
And so here he is, leg jiggling with nervous energy, and Jungkook gives him a pat on the back as he slips into his usual seat by Taehyung. Gryffindor-Slytherin friendships are rare even now, but there’s an exception to every rule. The two have been sitting together ever since Jungkook’s first year and Taehyung’s second. But then, Taehyung has always been an exception, people often say.
Not a real Slytherin, that Kim Taehyung kid, the whispers in the hallways always go. But can you blame him when his brother’s like that? That Kim Namjoon... don’t think even his fellow Slytherins like him. No wonder Taehyung would rather hang out with those from other houses. If I were Taehyung, I’d do anything to stay far, far away from my brother as well. Ew.
Jungkook doesn’t see what’s so ew about Kim Namjoon, but that’s something he keeps to himself, something he doesn’t even tell the people he considers his best friends.
Because they, too, dislike Kim Namjoon. Jungkook likes his friends. Likes having friends.
So he keeps quiet.
But he looks. Oh boy does he look. One of his favorite things to do is to tease Taehyung about his huge-ass crush on Min Yoongi, sixth-year Hufflepuff, because, for one thing, it makes Taehyung all flustered and, for another, Yoongi is Namjoon’s best (and only) friend, and therefore they’re always together by default. By pointing out wherever Yoongi is at the moment, Jungkook gets to look at Namjoon for just a little while. Before his friends suspect.
“Min Yoongi spotted, seven o’clock sharp,” Jungkook whispers, nudging Taehyung in the elbow. Taehyung promptly blushes scarlet. Hoseok smiles a little, so Jungkook decides to take it a tiny bit further. Anything to help his fellow Gryffindor feel more at ease on this fateful day.
“If you and that Yoongi guy get together, what do we name your ship?” He wonders out loud, as more chairs at the table are filled. “Hmm... Taegi sounds good.”
“You’re embarrassing,” Taehyung whines, swatting shyly at Jungkook’s hand.
“Toongi,” Jungkook adds. “Yaehyung.”
Taehyung makes a few half-hearted attempts to whack Jungkook on the head, but at least Hoseok is full-out guffawing now, so everything’s fine by Jungkook’s standards. Besides, by pointing out Yoongi’s current location (at his table), Jungkook gets to have a glimpse of Kim Namjoon (also at his table). And that’s totally worth being whacked a few times by Taehyung, he’s not even that strong.
It’s totally worth it because damn, Namjoon looks beautiful today. Like, he looks beautiful every day if you ask Jungkook, but there’s just something... something about his overall aura at this moment that is intimidating yet mesmerizing. Maybe he’s changed his hair? Hm, no. Still silver, just like it was yesterday. Silver and slicked back, showing off his perfectly-sized forehead.
“Stop staring at Taehyung’s crush, Kook,” Jimin cuts in, yanking at Jungkook’s arm. “Aren’t you excited about the tournament? At all? Geez, If I didn’t know better I’d think you have a crush on Yoongi too.”
Jungkook isn’t sure to be relieved or offended that his friends have never, not even once, considered that it’s possible that Jungkook is actually staring at Kim Namjoon and not the cute small man next to him. Don’t they have eyes? Don’t they even realize what they’re missing out on by not looking at Kim Namjoon? But at least it guarantees that the secret of Jungkook’s big fat crush will never get out. He supposes that’s a good thing.
“Not that excited,” he tells Jimin. “It’s not like the chances the goblet will pick me are high. I’m only in my fourth year and you know how the goblet only chooses the best students from each house.”
"But you’re plenty smart for your year,” Jimin insists. “And if you think you won’t get picked, at least be excited on my part!”
“So sure you’re getting picked, huh?” Jungkook teases. “I bet there are heaps of sixth-or-seventh-year Ravenclaws who know more than you. Like, no offense, but they’ve obviously taken more classes. And you know how your house is full of nerds.”
“Excuse me,” Jimin huffs, “we just like learning! Learning is fun! Not my problem you can’t appreciate the beauty of knowledge. And I didn’t mean I’m sure I’ll be picked. But Jinnie totally will! In a couple months I’ll be the boyfriend of the BIGHIT champion! What’s not to be excited about?”
That’s true, Jungkook realizes. Seokjin, the eldest of their friend group and long-time boyfriend of Jimin, probably does have a very high chance of being chosen by the goblet. Prefect, Head boy, multiple professors’ favorite, also tremendously popular among the student body. If he’s not chosen as the Hufflepuff representative, then who else could be, right?
Right on cue, Kim Seokjin appears, striding towards the little group, his hordes of fans trailing after him. Jimin groans.
“Don’t they realize he has a boyfriend? Do they have to follow my boyfriend around all the damn time?”
Jungkook pats Jimin on the head sympathetically. Dating Seokjin must be mentally taxing. Jimin jinxed a couple of Seokjin’s avid fans once, made all the thirty-two animated Seokjin badges on their backpacks nip nonstop at their hands. The girls were delighted—they now take turns holding their fingers up in front of the thirty-two little moving Seokjins and squealing ecstatically when bitten. Maybe these are what people call hard stans.
All these hard stans swoon when Seokjin conjures a rose out of his wand and tosses it at them, before taking the spot reserved for him beside Jimin.
“They’re adorable, my fans,” he says. Jimin pouts into the pumpkin soup that had just quietly materialized in front of him. Jungkook looks down to see lamb skewers. He nudges Taehyung.
“Look,” he whispers theatrically, “Yoongi’s having lamb skewers too today! Just like me.”
Taehyung sneaks a quick glance at Yoongi and his lamb skewers, and Jungkook takes the opportunity to sneak a quick glance at Namjoon and his mushroom soup.
“Your gawking is getting way too obvious, kids,” Seokjin says fondly. “No way that Yoongi guy doesn’t suspect anything.”
“He’s prob too lazy to care,” says Yoonji, another permanent member of the little group, also Hoseok’s girlfriend and one of Seokjin’s six younger sisters (Yoonji, Hope, Namsoon, Minnie, Vivi and Bunny). “’Sides, maybe he thinks Taehyungie is just trying to catch his brother’s eye.”
Seokjin rolls his eyes at the mention of Taehyung’s brother, while Jungkook does his best to look nonchalant and casual, the way he always does whenever Kim Namjoon is mentioned.
“Let’s not talk about that meanie,” he says, trying to change the topic. Even though calling Namjoon a meanie is killing him inside.
Taehyung swallows audibly, eyes downcast, and Seokjin strokes him gently on the hand, eyes soft and genuine. “Hey. You know it’s okay, right? We love you. We’ll never abandon you like he did. We’re your family now. Your brother can rot for all I care.”
Taehyung smiles, a bit unsure, like he always does when the subject of his brother is brought up. Jungkook hates seeing him like that. As much as he admires Kim Namjoon from afar, he also knows from an objective standpoint that the guy did practically disown his little brother in front of everyone. He knows how Taehyung cried then, how he spent countless nights in Seokjin’s bed, how Seokjin stayed up every night cuddling him, showering him with promises that he’d be his new big brother and that was how it shall remain.
It’s times like this that Jungkook questions himself and his blind adoration for someone he’s never truly known. That he tells himself that perhaps his friends are right, that Kim Namjoon is every bit of a jerk as they say. That the rumors in the halls make much more sense than his mental image of his idol, painstakingly constructed in his own head.
It’s times like this that he tells himself that his stupid crush on Kim Namjoon will go away, and if it doesn’t, he’ll make it go away. His friends are right, his instinct is wrong.
They’ll never know about his big fat secret crush on Kim Namjoon. He’ll never let them.
Taehyung’s long eyelashes are still downcast, and Jungkook pokes him in the ribs. “Toongi,” he whispers dramatically. Taehyung snorts into his food, and Hoseok guffaws. Jungkook feels victorious.
They’ll never know.
The ceremony begins when everyone’s done eating. Headmistress McGonagall stands, gestures towards the goblet of fire, sitting in all its glory on the podium. She’s probably made a speech or something, but Jungkook tuned it all out, too busy fantasizing potential combinations of contestants inside his head. Because even though he’s pretty sure he won’t be picked, he can still get hyped, right? He can still imagine stuff. It’s not a crime to have an imagination.
A piece of paper flutters out of the flames, right into Headmistress McGonagall’s hand. She clears her throat and reads.
“Hufflepuff representative...” she pauses, pretending to squint through her pince-nez, but it’s probably for dramatic effect. “Seventh year, Kim Seokjin!”
Cheers burst out all through the Great Hall. Not even restricted to the Hufflepuff table. Jungkook is cheering too, while Jimin flings his arm around Seokjin and kisses him all over the face. Banners and penlights and bomb-shaped lights (what are those?) pop up everywhere. Even some professors are holding up KIM SEOKJIN MY EPIPHANY signs.
The cheers gradually die down after Seokjin sends a flying kiss, makes a shhh gesture, and pours water on some very fortunate souls. The Headmistress catches another piece of paper.
“Ravenclaw representative: fifth year, Park Jimin!”
The cheers are still uproarious, Jimin being very lovable, but Jungkook’s friends are all staring at each other in surprise. Jimin, for one, certainly never saw this coming.
“We’re going to compete against each other?” He wails to Seokjin.
“Looks like it,” Seokjin says solemnly. “I’m not gonna go easy on you just because it’s you, though.”
“And I’m not gonna go easy on you just because it’s you either!” Jimin declares. They high five. Jungkook wishes he had a relationship like that sometimes, but he’s also resigned to the fact that not everyone can be Kim Seokjin and Park Jimin.
The next thing he knows, the third contestant is being announced.
“Slytherin representative: sixth year, Kim Namjoon!”
Quiet. Deathly quiet. Compared to the insanity that had just been going on (some nicer students are still collecting the confetti on the ground with their wands for easier cleaning later), the silence is deafening.
Namjoon sits as still as a stone statue, regal, calm, face not betraying a single emotion. The room remains silent. And then—
And then next to Namjoon, a small figure in Hufflepuff robes stands up. Climbs on his bench and begins to clap. Min Yoongi.
His lone applause echoes off the walls. And then Taehyung joins in on the clapping. Jungkook notices Yoongi send a gentle, grateful glance in his direction.
Jungkook joins the clapping in support of his friend, and then Hoseok joins, and more people begin clapping. Until Yoongi gracefully steps off the bench and takes his seat again.
Jungkook’s mind is occupied by so many things that he barely even notices the final slip of paper flying into the Headmistress’s hand. She catches it so easily. Perhaps it’s her cat reflexes? Jungkook’s heard that cats take after their fathers. Did Headmistress McGonagall take after her father?
He’s aware that the Gryffindor representative is going to be announced, yes. But he doesn’t really care. He wouldn’t mind whoever it is, as long as it’s not Hoseok, who’s been in a state of anxiety for days on end. As long as it’s not Hoseok. Anyone but Hoseok. He’d make a great candidate, being Quidditch Captain and super popular and loved, but hopefully the goblet will be considerate and take his intense desire to not encounter car-sized tarantulas into account.
Mostly, Jungkook is thinking about Taehyung, about how to comfort his friend after dinner is over, because Namjoon being in the tournament means that everyone will be seeing a lot of him and Taehyung certainly doesn’t want to see him, not when it reminds him of cold holiday nights in his second year, when he couldn’t go home because Namjoon said in front of everyone that his family didn’t want him there.
Taehyung’s been spending his holidays with Seokjin’s family since his second year so things have been much better, but still.
Jungkook thinks, and squeezes Taehyung’s hand, and Taehyung squeezes back and maybe it’s because he thinks Jungkook is nervous about who the Gryffindor representative will be, which he isn’t, but it’s still nice to have such a sweet friend, and hmmm wouldn’t it be fun to ask Headmistress McGonagall what breed of cat her dad was? He’s heard that muggles do stuff called DNA ancestry tests on cats and—
“—Fourth year, Jeon Jungkook!”
What the fuck.