the Dance.
“Is my collar straight?” DK asked, gazing at himself in the mirror. “Bro, come on. I need to look perfect for this, or else she’ll never go out with me again.”
“Bro, you’ll be fine,” Jaehyun rolled his eyes. “Be more calm, like Jk. Look at him, he’s sleeping. That’s how much this night matters.”
“Jk would sleep through a Death Eater attack,” BamBam said while tying his shoes. The Gryffindor first year boy’s dorm was getting ready, the dance was starting in a half hour. Jungkook stayed asleep, too tired from his late night practice on the pitch. He would never admit it, but he was incredibly stressed about this dance. Why? He didn’t know. Maybe it was because he’d never been to a dance before. Maybe it was because he was going with Jimin, who probably was the best dancer in the school. Maybe it was because he was finally going to see Yoongi again.
All possibilities.
“Should we wake him?” DK asked, glancing at his roommate. “He wouldn’t want to be late, would he?”
“Probably not,” BamBam responded. “I bet he’s got a hot date.”
“Who?” DK asked.
“I heard from Lauren that Miranda was going to ask him, but never got the chance,” Jaehyun casually said. “He probably asked someone else, or had a whole other list of people clawing at him.”
The boys all chuckled, recalling the previous few weeks of numerous love potions that ended up in their joint room. They didn’t mind how popular Jungkook had become, because he got along with them rather well. They didn’t hang out very often, but they were so similar they didn’t really need to. All it took was a few all nighters playing wizard’s chess or poker, and they were close friends.
“Yo, JK, wake up-” BamBam shook the boy. “Wake up!”
Jungkook sprung upwards, crashing his head into BamBam’s.
“OW!”
“Fuck!”
DK and Jaehyun hollered and wheezed, pointing at the two boys who were holding their heads.
---
“-and I said yes, but I don’t think Jungkook will be too mad, and so tonight is literally going to be so awesome.” Jimin wrote, smiling as he thought how Taehyung would react to his letter. He debated for a second telling the Hufflepuff that they were going to contact Yoongi, but he went against it when he remembered what Teeth said about the mail.
“Wish you were here, love you!!!! XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO, Jiminie” he signed, rolling the parchment up and sealing it. He tied it to the foot of his family owl, and sent her off. Happily, Jimin skipped out of the owlery, ready to go change into his robes for the dance.
---
“Really Hyung, that has to be enough hair spray. It looks fine!” Hoseok laughed, but Jin ignored him and sprayed the Hufflepuff’s hair again.
“No, it has to be perfect, to match your robes. Not a strand out of place!” Jin threw the can back into his bag, before returning to the mirror to apply a little more concealer under his eyes. The two were getting ready in Hoseok’s room, seeing as his one roommate was still out on family leave. They had the entire room to themselves, free to gossip and talk as loudly as they wanted about what the night would have in store for them.
“Here, let me help you fix your collar-” Hoseok stood up and started patting Jin down. “We have to have you so beautiful it drops Namjoon’s jaw. I don’t want him to be able to say a single coherent sentence for at least a half hour.”
“Come on Hobi, we probably won’t even dance,” Jin giggled.
“Our call is at six, so yeah, we’ll miss the main dancing, but we’ll be there for the opening dance at 5:30. I’m so so so excited, I can’t even explain it.”
“I’m sorry Yoongi won’t be here for you to dance with Hobi,” Jin said honestly. “You deserve this more than any of us.”
“Oh nah,” Hoseok said with a sad smile. “I’m sure next year, it’ll all smooth over, and I’ll get my chance. He can’t run from me forever.”
“Oh Hobi,” Jin sighed, grabbing his hands and twirling them around in the dorm. “You deserve the world.”
Hoseok laughed and danced with his Hyung, trying to make his smile reach the sadness he kept inside. It was going to be a long night.
---
Namjoon knocked on the seventh year Ravenclaw girls’ dorm, face red with embarrassment. The dance was starting soon, and this was his last hope. A curly haired ginger named Jennifer opened the door, eyes wide when she saw who it was.
“Uh, can I help you?” She asked, not unblocking the door.
“Yeah, um, can you get Dawon for me?” Namjoon asked.
“OMG, yes-” She spun around. “DAWON! GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE, THE CUTE FOURTH YEAR WANTS TO TALK!”
She smiled at Namjoon and slammed the door in his face. There was a lot of shuffling and scraping sounds coming from inside, and a few squeals here and there. Namjoon grimaced as an especially loud *thump!* hit his ears, no doubt someone fell over. Seconds later, the door swung open and a disheveled Dawon stepped out.
“Oh, hey Joon!” She smiled. “What do you need?”
Her hair was half curled and half tied above her head, as if she was in the process of finishing it. She was in an oversized band tee and jean shorts, but with a full face of makeup. Through the partially open door behind her, Namjoon could hear the steady bass of speakers playing NLE Choppa’s “Slut me out” on max volume. He noticed the small burn mark on her neck too, no doubt the cause of the screaming.
“Uh, is this a good time?” He asked, unsure.
“Oh, it’s, uh, it’s fine! I just am all over the place. Burnt myself with the curling iron, you know,” She pointed at her neck with a grimace.
“Oh, okay. I uh, just needed to talk to you. About, um, something private,” Namjoon said, eyes darting to the ajar door where three seventh year’s were listening from.
Dawon kicked it shut harshly, and Namjoon heard a few *OW!*s come from it.
“Yeah, totally! What do you need?”
“I uh. . . oh merlin this is hard to ask, but. . . “
“Go on,” She said, eyes wide while she bit her lip.
“Well. . . “
“Literally ask me Namjoon. Please.”
Namjoon wasn’t sure what she expected him to ask, or why she was so antsy, but he went with it. He pulled his bowtie out from his jacket.
“Can you help me tie this? I don’t know anyone else who I respect in this tower, and all my roommates already went to the Great Hall.”
“. . . oh.” Dawon’s face fell for a second, but she took the tie anyway. “Yeah, no, I can totally help you.”
She took both ends of the bowtie and threw it around his neck before starting to tie it. They were pretty close to one another, and Namjoon could feel she had something on her mind.
“A-are you okay? Did I. . . did I do something wrong?” He asked, catching onto her cold vibe. “I can go bother someone else-”
“No! No, no it’s fine. I always had to help Hobi tie his bowtie before he met Seokjin. It’s not that big of a deal.”
“Then uh. . . why do I feel like it is a big deal?” Namjoon said, and Dawon stopped tying for a second. She glanced up at him and sighed, running her fingers through her curls.
“For being one of the smartest guys in this school, you are so dumb.”
“What?”
“Dude,” She shoved his shoulder lightly with a sad smile. “I have like, a massive crush on you.”
“Oh,” is all Namjoon managed to say.
“Yeah, oh is right.”
“I. . . I’m so sorry,” Namjoon shook his head, trying to make his brain cells start working again. What was he supposed to say? “I. . . I had no idea, I didn’t mean to lead you on or anything-”
“No, it’s fine, I figured you didn’t like me back anyway,” She replied, awkwardly rubbing her arm. “Couldn’t help it though. I thought you. . . you were going to ask me to the dance or something.”
“Oh, merlin’s beard, that makes me such an asshole,” Namjoon said with a grimace. “I’m going with Jin, I’m sorry.”
“Wait, you’re gay?” She asked, confusion taking over the sadness.
“Uh, I think so?”
“Well you better be if you’re going to the Valentine’s Day Dance with Kim Seokjin. He’s gayer than gay.”
“Then, uh, yeah?”
“Huh,” She said slowly, like she finally solved a mystery. “Well, then, I’m over it.”
“What?”
“I can’t be disappointed if I never had a chance. This way, I know you don’t like me, you just dislike my gender. Nothing I can do about that,” She casually said, resuming tying the bowtie.
“Just like that? You’re good?” Namjoon asked, unsure about how quickly she perked up.
“We’re Ravenclaws. Practical thinkers. No point with useless sad emotions over things I can’t control. I’ll get over it. But you, you’ve got a big night! Are you ready?”
“Uh, I guess? I don’t really know how to talk to guys. Like romantically. I was actually going to ask you that, along with the tie thing.”
“Well, check one thing off the list-” Dawon smiled, stepping back. “The tie is tied!”
Namjoon glanced down, and sure enough, his bowtie looked perfect.
“You look so nice and professional! There’s no way Jin won’t like it. As for speaking to him, I think you’ll be fine.”
“That’s not helpful,” Namjoon pouted.
“Well obviously he likes you enough to go with you, so you must be doing something right. Just be yourself, and I’m sure Jin will love it. Don’t overthink!”
“I think I’m going to throw up.”
“Don’t you dare.”
---
Jungkook sprinted around the corner, hopping on one foot as he tied his shoe. As soon as he was done he took off at a faster pace, racing through the empty halls. It was 5:28, and he was supposed to be downstairs at 5. Jin Hyung was going to burn him alive. He had fallen asleep, too caught up in his weird dreams about a blue and white butterfly to realize he had somewhere to be.
Finally, he reached the grand staircase and took the steps three, sometimes four at a time. At the very bottom, he crashed into a girl in light blue, knocking her over. His Quidditch skills kicked in, throwing himself forward to grab her before she hit the ground.
“Holy shit, I am so sorry, are you-” Jungkook stopped.
He wasn’t holding a girl.
He was holding Jimin.
They both paused, a weird moment of silence between them. Normally, Jungkook would expect a smart response from the Slytherin, but something made Jimin shut up. They blinked at each other, a weird tension in the air. Has Jimin’s hair always been this shiny? And his skin, it looked so soft. But his lips, wow, Jungkook had never looked this closely at them-
“Hey,” A hand grabbed Jungkook’s shoulder. “Mind letting my date go?”
Jungkook turned to see a tall Ravenclaw staring at him, unimpressed.
“Y-your date?”
“Uh, Jungkook? You can, uh, set me down and I can explain,” Jimin quietly said, his soft eyelashes fluttering. Jungkook quickly set the small boy down, and stepped back, unsure why he suddenly felt like shit.
“Jungkook, this is Taemin. He’s a Ravenclaw fourth year. He, uh, asked me to the dance earlier this week, and I. . . well I said yes.” Taemin moved closer and wrapped his arm around Jimin’s waist.
“I. . . I don’t understand. I thought-”
“Well, when we were talking about it, you and I weren’t really with the whole idea of us going, and well, Taemin and I have been talking for a bit, and-”
“But Jimin, we have uh, that thing tonight.”
“Yeah, oh, yeah no, Taemin knows that I have to leave early for Hoseok’s surprise party. He’s okay with it since I’m comin back later.”
Jungkook stared at Jimin, unsure how to respond. Why did he feel. . . so weird? Why was this weird? It shouldn’t be. They both made it clear they didn’t want to go together, so why. . . why did Jungkook feel bad about it?
Jimin must’ve been feeling weird too, because he uncomfortably shuffled in his light blue robes. His eyes darted to Taemin’s, who was boredly watching the whole interaction.
“Uh, look, I’ll see you soon Kook. Bye,” Jimin awkwardly walked away, gripping Taemin’s arm. It seemed like Jimin was almost running away, and Jungkook could only stand still in confusion. Why did he feel like this? Like his soul was being picked away, part by part, so only the bits that kept him barely alive were left?
“Hey, Kook! You look nice!” Hoseok said, coming from nowhere. “Where’s Jimin?”
“He. . . uh-”
“Merlin’s fucking beard I need some napkins!” Namjoon walked over, covered in sweat. His hair was parted into his face, already damp from how nervous he was. “I think I’m going to die. I can’t do this.”
“Come on Joon, you totally can!” Hoseok smiled, swinging around Namjoon’s massive shoulders. “You’ve got this!”
“I’ve got to throw up.”
At that moment, Jin appeared at the top of the steps. He smiled lightly when he saw them, and floated down the steps. He looked majestic, so well put together and confident, it made Jungkook’s stomach pitch.
“I’m gonna throw up,” Jungkook suddenly said, and he lunged for a nearby trash can, emptying his stomach into it.
“Oh, Jesus, Jungkook!” Hoseok rushed to help him, leaving Namjoon and Jin alone.
Well, Jin alone, because Namjoon was already gone. His mind was on another planet, and his jaw was on the floor.
“Hey, Joon,” Jin said with a quick smile. “You look nice.”
“You. . . you look, uh, I-” Namjoon fumbled, and over by the trash Hoseok did a quiet fist punch into the air. “You. . . you look nice too.”
Jin giggled at Namjoon’s failure of a sentence. He lightly brushed some lint off of the Ravenclaw’s shoulder, then held out his hand.
“Want to go inside?”
“Uh. . . yes?”
“Perfect, just give me one second,” Jin pulled out a small rose from inside his coat. “Hold it for me?”
Namjoon dumbly took the flower, and Jin walked over to the wall where Hoseok was holding Jungkook up.
“You okay kid?” Jin asked, pushing Jungkook’s sweaty hair back.
“Ughh,” Jungkook replied.
“I’ll look after him, it’s okay. One of us needs to have a good night, so you go enjoy it with Joon.” Hoseok smiled lightly.
“Where’s Jimin?” Jin asked, and Jungkook groaned, reaching for the trash can again as he threw up some more.
“Uh, don’t worry about it, I’ll figure that out. Just go enjoy the night,” Hoseok said, holding Jungkook’s robes back in case there was more vomit.
“Thanks Hoba-” Jin squeezed his friend’s arm, gave Jungkook a pitying look, and then turned around and ran off with Namjoon.
“Oh Kookie, what happened to you?” Hoseok murmured, helping Jungkook away from the trash. “On your first dance night too, you poor maknae.”
Jungkook couldn’t find it in him to say anything, so he just let his head rest on his chest. Hoseok stayed with him for a while, the two boys missing the first and second dance. Hoseok didn’t mind, there was no one for him to dance with anyway. He did wonder where Jimin was though, but he figured Jungkook would tell him when it was time. After fifteen minutes, Jungkook looked better, so Hoseok ushered him into the Great Hall to sit at a table, in a real chair.
The Great Hall was decorated with hundreds of hearts and candles, pink and red streamers floating in the magical wind. The sunset outside was reflected above them on the ceiling, adding to the mystical and romantic setting. Tiny bewitched cupids floated around, throwing confetti over select couples’ heads. The long tables had been removed for more dance floor space, and a small stage had been built up front for the band to play. There were teachers watching around all sides of the room, each one wearing some form of red, pink, or white to fit the theme.
Jungkook kept his head down, not wanting to watch as all the happy couples twirled and danced to the classical music. This didn’t stop Hoseok from doing so, and he held back an audible gasp when he saw a head of blonde hair in light blue robes dancing with someone in his year.
“Is that. . . “ and sure enough, it was Jimin. Hoseok recognized the person he was dancing with to be Taemin, a Ravenclaw who didn’t speak very much. He was one of Solar’s friends, and Hoseok briefly remembered seeing him when Solar cornered him and Jimin in the hallway a little while back. That’s how they must’ve met, but now, all of a sudden he asks Jimin out? That seemed off to Hoseok, but he wasn’t sure.
At least now he knew why Jungkook was so upset.
They’d never admit it, but Hoseok knew Jimin and Jungkook had something going on. They acted tough and unaffected, but there was definitely something there. This only proved it. Jungkook wouldn’t have thrown up for no reason.
Hoseok gently rubbed Jungkook’s back murmuring to him that they only had ten minutes left before they had to leave. Their torture could be done soon.
As happy as Hoseok was for Jin and Namjoon, he couldn’t lie to himself. This was miserable. He missed Yoongi so much, and he was incredibly jealous of them. The lovestruck couple was off to the right, spinning in lazy circles. Namjoon couldn’t take his eyes off of Jin with a stupid, lovey-dovey expression on his face. Hoseok caught Jin’s eye, who leaned in closer to Joon and sent Hoseok a raised eyebrow as if to say “What are you looking at?”
“Come on Kook, let’s go wait in the Slytherin hallway. We shouldn’t have to suffer,” Hoseok grimaced. He helped Jungkook stand up, and the two boys left. Jin saw them leave, and let them finish their dance, before tugging Namjoon along to head downstairs.
It was 5:54.
They’d see Yoongi soon.