Hey Y/n!
I just saw your name on the list of exchange students coming from Beauxbatons and I ran immediately back to the dorm to write to you! Haha, you can probably see my excitement from all the messy handwriting and ink blotches. But I’m so excited you’re coming over to see Hogwarts! I’ll take you around to the Herbology greenhouse and Hogsmeade and you’ll get to see all my friends here too. I know they’re excited to meet you.
Anyway, I’ll be ending this letter here since I have to run to Potions next and you probably saw the news before I did. Make sure you get enough rest and food before your trip. Travel safely!
Jimin
Hufflepuff 6th year, Quidditch Chaser, and #1 Awesome Best Friend and Handsome Guy
P.S. I have more Chocolate Frog cards than you do now.
…
“Whatever Jimin,” you shook your head and smiled to yourself. Your fingers stroked the edges of the parchment gently as you stared at all the blots of ink and almost indecipherable scribbles. This was probably his messiest letter yet, second only to that time when he broke his right arm playing Quidditch and tried to write with his left hand.
“Was that Jimin?” you turned around quickly to find one of your best friends Lisa sitting on your bed behind you in the room. You didn’t even hear her come in. She smirked at you and raised an eyebrow. “Judging from the expression on your face, it is.”
“Yeah, it is, it is. The love of my life has sent me a wonderful missive and now my heart is pounding with anticipation to meet him again,” you said in a high, airy voice, imitating how some of your fancier classmates spoke. Lisa snorted with laughter.
“So, are you all packed?” she asked, nudging your trunk with her foot.
“All ready!” you nodded. You actually started packing your trunk as soon as you saw your name in the exchange student program. Only 20 students in your year were allowed to join and it was pretty competitive as well since it was required to write a long essay, about two scrolls of parchment about why you should go. You never had much of a problem writing essays, or bullshitting them for that matter, but knowing that time with Jimin was at stake, you felt all the more nervous about it. So when you saw your name on the list posted in your courtyard, you could hardly conceal your excitement.
“You better pack your trunk soon! The carriage is leaving tonight,” you scolded Lisa. She groaned and lay down on your bed.
“But packing is so tiring. I never know what clothes to bring and most of the time I’ll forget something or accidentally over-pack,” she pouted. “Can you help me pack?” she looked up at you with pleading eyes.
“Maybe…” you teased.
“If you help me… I’ll do your make-up for your date!” she offered.
“W-who said there was going to be a date?” you stammered. “And I can do my make-up just fine, thank you very much,” you crossed your arms.
“Tell that to your eyeliner and brows,” Lisa smirked. You glared at her raised, perfectly-shaped brow.
“Alright,” you huffed and stood up. Lisa grinned and headed for the door, dragging you along behind her to her room.
…
“Mommy? Who is this for?” you asked, staring at your mother from across the table. She was wearing her pink apron and busy at work rolling out what appeared to be a pie dough.
“The new neighbors in front of her house,” she explained, sprinkling flour on the rolled-out dough. “I thought it would be nice to welcome them with some apple pie. After all, everyone else on our floor are just cranky old ladies.”
“That’s right,” you giggled. “Can I help?” you sat up.
“Sure, honey,” your mother smiled at you. “We’ll be done quicker at this rate.”
The two of you managed to get the apple pie baked in less than an hour. You helped your mother sprinkle sugar on top of the baked pie and carried it while your mother knocked on the door of the apartment across yours. Judging from all the other residents within your apartment you were expecting more cranky old people to answer the door. But instead, once the door opened, you were greeted by a little boy around your age who was wearing an over-sized Chudley Cannons jersey and holding a clump of what appeared to be Chocolate Frog cards.
“Hi there!” your mom greeted. “We’re the family right across yours and we heard that new neighbors were coming in.”
“Oh, hi!” the little boy grinned. You found it a bit strange that he was so friendly around a stranger but maybe that was just his nature. “Mom! There are people out to meet us!” he called. A few seconds later, his mother appeared from one of the rooms and rushed out to meet you.
“Well, hello!” she smiled and reached her hand out to shake your mother’s hand. Meanwhile, the little boy clutched his mother's skirt. “Thank you for welcoming us! I'm Mrs. Park and this is my son, Jimin.”
“My daughter and I decided to bring over a housewarming gift,” your mother placed a hand on your shoulder. “We just baked it this morning. Go on, sweetie, give the pie to Mrs. Park,” she said, ushering you over to them. You stepped forward shyly and handed the pie to Jimin's mother.
“Wow, that smells good!” Jimin grinned at you. “It's so cool that you can bake!”
“Thanks,” you nodded and smiled shyly.
“Would you like to come in for some tea?” Mrs. Park opened the door further. “I've mostly unpacked the kitchenware and only the bedroom is left to be unpacked. Jimin here would also love to have a new playmate.” Jimin grinned and nodded.
“Would you like that, Y/n?” your mother asked. You nodded as well. “Well if it’s no trouble to you then Mrs. Park, I guess we can stay for tea.”
Yay!” Jimin cheered. You noticed the way his smile reached all the way to his eyes when he was happy. If he was going to live here, wouldn’t he be going to the same school you would then? You sure hoped so. Not everyone in your class was welcoming and friendly as Jimin was.
Inside, the Park household clearly looked as if people were just moving in with all the empty boxes around. The kitchen, however, looked spotless. ‘She probably likes to bake, like Mom,’ you thought. Mrs. Park placed the pie on the dining table and started to fill a kettle with water.
“Can I show y/n my room?” Jimin asked, tugging on his mother’s skirt.
“Okay,” his mother nodded. “I’ll bring your pie up in a second.”
“Want to come see?” Jimin grinned and turned to you. “I have a limited edition Chudley Cannons poster from my dad and a Chocolate Frog card collection!”
“That’s perfect, y/n collects Chocolate Frog cards,” your mother said.
“I have the limited edition Merlin card,” you spoke up shyly. Jimin loked at you with wide eyes.
“The one with the…”
“…Prismatic background and full-body spellcasting moves!” the two of you yelled in unison.
“I have that but it’s Newt Scamander!” Jimin bragged.
“I think you two will get along really well,” your mother smiled.
“Come on! I’ll show you!” Jimin grabbed onto your hand and the two of you ran to his bedrom across the hall. There were a couple of boxes as well and a few clothes tossed on the bed. But other than that, Jimin’s room was basically a Quidditch-lovers paradise. There were posters of Quidditch players flying around and penants decorating the wall and windows.
“Haha, sorry for the mess,” Jimin smiled sheepishly.
“It’s alright,” you shrugged. “You’re a Quidditch fan after all.”
“Ooh! Check this out too!” Jimin ran to the other side of the room and opened up a door that led to a rooftop balcony. Your parents’ room had one like it too. But instead of it containing the usual chairs and table, there were flower pots and planter boxes filled with plants of all kinds and sizes. You recognized a couple of the usual flowers and shrubs as well as plants only found in the magical world and often used for potion ingredients.
“Is this yours?” you looked about in wonder.
“Yup,” Jimin nodded and picked up a watering can. “Mom was the one who started a garden back in our old house and when we moved, we decided to grow some here!” You noticed the proud expression on his face as he watered his plants. You didn’t know of anyone your age who kept a garden so well. You didn’t think any of the boys in your class would do something like this. Jimin saw the thoughtful expression on your face and put down the watering can.
“Do you… think it’s weird?” he asked, his face betraying signs of nervousness.
“No! Not at all!” you hurriedly replied. “It’s just, I don’t think anyone my age would have a garden that they keep so well. I actually think you’re kind of awesome for it,” you grinned.
“Y-you think so!” Jimin smiled brightly. “If that’s what you think, I bet we’ll be great friends!” You returned his smile.
“I think so too.”
…
“Alright, all done!” you smiled with satisfaction and stepped away from Lisa’s packed trunk.
“You’re amazing!” Lisa hugged you. “I can’t believe you managed to fit everything. You’re like a ‘Pack’ spell… but in a person!”
“You better pull through on that make-up promise,” you wagged a finger at her.
“That means you’re thinking about getting a date with Jimin, aren’t you?” she grinned sneakily at her.
“W-well, if it happens, it happens so… it’s best to be prepared!” you stammered. Suddenly, the two of you heard a knock on the door before Rose, another one of your friends and roommate, poked her head in the room.
“Y/n! There you are!” she opened the door and walked in. “You weren’t in your room so this was the second-most probable the place for you to be in.”
“Hey, she spends more time here!” Lisa protested.
“That’s because you always ask for a study buddy,” you retorted. “Anyway, did you need to ask me anything Rose?”
“Yeah, it’s about your plants,” Rose said. Since you were leaving for Hogwarts for some time, you needed Rose to take care of your plants which you kept in the balcony of the room you two shared. “When am I supposed to water them again?”
“Um, it’s not just watering…” you bit your lip and pulled out a small notebook from your coat pocket. “Some of the plants need trimming, pruning, and fertilizing as well at different times of the day. But don’t worry! I made a guide for you here,” you said, handing the pocketbook over to Rose who flipped through it curiously.
“This is…”
“A lot?” Lisa offered.
“I was going to say comprehensive,” Rose said. “But I guess I’ll ask Jisoo and Jennie to help me out too. In case I forget anything,” she winked at you and pocketed the notebook.
“Thank you so much again for helping me,” you hugged your friend.
“I know, I know, those plants are important to you,” she said, returning the hug. “I just wish I could go and meet the person who gave them. It’s a pretty unique idea, giving plants as going-away presents.”
“He is pretty unique,” you smiled, remembering the first time you met him and saw his outdoor garden. You couldn’t wait to see Jimin again.
“Aren’t those the carriages?” Rose spoke up, looking out the window. Lisa jumped up off her bed and joined her friend at the window.
“It is!” she jumped excitedly. “We better start loading our trunks already. You know how punctual they try to be.”
“You go ahead, I’ll get my trunk from the room,” you said. Lisa nodded, taking hers and heading out the door. You and Rose made your way back to the room. After giving her a few more instructions, you finally took your trunk, waved goodbye, and headed downstairs to where the carriages were.
Despite the winter cold, the inner compartments of the carriage were warm and cozy with enough blankets for everyone. Lisa fell asleep in an instant in the carriage you two share. Meanwhile, excitement kept you from closing your eyes. After leaving for Beauxbatons, you only saw Jimin during break. This year, however, you were off to a summer program in Mahoutokoro, a wizarding school in Japan. The last time you saw Jimin was last, last summer. A lot must have changed with him during that time.
‘He must have gotten taller,’ you thought. Most of the boys did in your year. ‘I hope his hair is still bright orange.’ You smiled to yourself at the memory when you barely recognized Jimin at Kings Cross because of his shock of orange hair which apparently happened because of his friend, Kim Taehyung.
You pulled his most recent letter out of your pocket and read it again using the tip of your barely-illuminated wand to see. If you had the time to write back, your handwriting would have been just as bad because of your excitement. In a few days, you were going to see him soon and have two weeks to spend time together. And with that thought in your head, you managed to calm yourself down and finally go to sleep.
…
“Y/n! Jimin is here!” you heard your mother call from the living room. Not long after, Jimin himself burst into your room. You sat up in your bed and smiled. The two of you shared the tendency to burst into each other’s rooms when you were excited. After some time, it became a regular habit for you which you never thought you were going to miss. Until now, that is.
“I got it y/n! I got it!” he grinned, jumping up and down in the air and waving a letter in your face. “My Hogwarts letter came!”
“Well, read it out loud then!” you grinned back, patting the space on the bed next to you for him to sit down. He plopped down next to you and began reading the letter.
“Dear Mr. Park Jimin,” Jimin read aloud. “We are delighted to welcome you to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.” He paused and looked up at you. “Did you get yours yet? I want to read it together!”
You bit your lip and looked down. Jimin looked beyond happy right now. He had been dreaming about going to Hogwarts for the longest time. He often talked about joining Hufflepuff and becoming a Quidditch player and doing fun stuff like pulling pranks and going around Hogsmeade. You shared those dreams with him, especially after hearing your own mother’s stories about being Hogwarts as well. You must have had that same look of happiness on your face when you asked your mother about when you were going to receive your Hogwarts letter.
“I’m not going to Hogwarts,” you said. Almost instantly, the look of happiness on Jimin’s face melted.
“But, why not?” he asked. “I’ve seen you do magic before! Remember when you magically stopped the pie from falling when your mother accidentally dropped it? Or when you got the sunflowers to grow instantly just by touching it? You’re a witch for sure!”
“It’s not because of that,” you shook your head. “I’m going to a different school. I’m going to Beauxbatons.”
“But why?” Jimin’s voice shook as he spoke. You could tell how close he was to tears.
“I don’t like this as much as you do,” you said softly. “But Mother says that thanks to my aunt who’s a professor in Beauxbatons, I’ll be able to get there for free and going to Hogwarts will take so much money and… I don’t think I can do anything else about it. I want to help Mom as much as I can.”
“Then… I’ll go to Beauxbatons too!” he protested. There were tears streaming down his face and before you knew it, your own eyes were blurring as well.
“No Jimin… You’ve always… wanted… to go to… Hogwarts,” you tried to explain in between sobs. “So… you should go.” Jimin sniffed and wiped his eyes.
“How far is Beauxbatons from Hogwarts?” he asked.
“Very far,” you hiccupped. “Very far.”
“Maybe… we can still see each other,” Jimin said. “You know, during Christmas and summer.” You yourself weren’t sure about whether you would be able to come back but you nodded your head anyway.
“I’m going to miss you when I’m there, Jimin,” you sniffed.
“Hogwarts won’t be as fun without you,” Jimin said sadly and gripped your hand. “But we’re still going to be friends, okay? I’ll buy seven owls so I can send letters to you all the time.”
“One for each day of the week?” you laughed and wiped your eyes.
“One for each day of the week,” he nodded and smiled.
“You better use one of them to send Honeydukes chocolate.”
“I promise I will,” he said, pulling you into a hug. You blinked tears out of your eyes and buried your face in his shoulder. You two had been neighbors and the best of friends all these years. It seemed perfect that you two would go to Hogwarts together. But this time, you practically had a taste of how imperfect the world could be.
But you knew Jimin well, pretty much like you knew your Mom’s apple pie recipe by now. You’ve seen him buy boxes of Chocolate Frogs after he promised he would get you a limited edition Armando Dippet card. You’ve seen him walk beside you using only his jacket to shield himself from the rain so that he could lend you the only small umbrella he had. And because you knew all that, you knew that Jimin would keep his promise.
And you knew you were keeping yours.
…
“Jimin-ah! Hurry up!” Taehyung whined. “We’ll miss the egg-hatching!”
“You can’t rush pruning a Winter Starcatcher,” Jimin huffed as he carefully snipped off a small twig with a pair of gardening shears. “These things are delicate. You can go ahead to watch the egg-hatching if you want to.”
“But I want to go with you and Seokjin-hyung,” Taehyung pouted. “How many minutes more will it take?”
“Give me five more Taehyung,” Jimin said as he surveyed the plant again. It appeared to be quite healthy since it already had a couple of dark purple, tightly-closed buds. He carefully checked it’s leaves and twigs again, snipping a couple more that looked too-small or dried-up, before finally putting down the shears. He had to be careful of over-pruning or else the Starcatcher wouldn’t bloom.
“I’m done!” he looked up at his friend and smiled. “Sorry it took a while. Let’s go see the egg-hatching already.”
“That’s okay, Professor Sprout entrusted you with it after all,” Taehyung waved off the apology and the two began to walk towards Hagrid’s hut. “I hope I get to keep a Salamander if it likes me.”
“Where are you going to keep it?” Jimin asked.
“Seokjin-hyung and I made a fireproof tank for it,” Taehyung said. “There was this weird fireproof charm that we had to use but Seokjin-hyung figured it out quickly.” As soon as they reached Hagrid’s hut, they were greeted with the smell of something burning. Seokjin and Namjoon were already there wearing leather aprons that reached down to the floor and matching dragon-skin gloves. Hagrid was busy tending a large fire and when Jimin took a closer look, he found five scarlet-colored eggs sitting on the bed of coals.
“Jimin! Taehyung! Ye two just made it in time!” Hagrid looked up to greet them when a spark suddenly flew on his beard.
“Be careful Hagrid!” Taehyung exclaimed as Hagrid quickly blew and patted the flames out.
“Believe it or not, that’s the fourth time that’s happened,” Namjoon said.
“Quick, quick! Put those on!” Hagrid pointed at the aprons and glove on the dining table. “Don’t want any of ye gettin’ burnt!” Jimin and Taehyung obeyed before standing next to Seokjin and Namjoon to watch the egg-hatching.
“Do you have the tank ready?” Taehyung nudged Seokjin.
“Yeah, right here,” Seokjin lifted a large tank filled with sand and burning embers. “I’ve also got the fire ants to feed them with.”
“Guys look! They’re hatching!” Namjoon suddenly yelled. The four of them huddled next to Hagrid in front of the fireplace. Cracks began appearing on the eggs and a small leg poked out on one of them.
“Once the li’l ones come out ye gotta fan the flames even more,” Hagrid said, handing each of them a fan. “It’s a bit difficult hatchin’ ‘em during winter. Too cold an’ these li’l fellas might freeze to death.”
“Oh! I think I see a tail!” Seokjin yelled and pointed. One of the eggs started showing even more cracks and now a leg and a small tail poked through. The four students and Hagrid watched in wonder as the baby salamander pushed through the shell before fully emerging on the bed of coals, six legs and tail and all.
“It’s so pretty,” Taehyung cooed. The baby salamander’s body was black with some dark blue and red patterns. Jimin read in one of his Care of Magical Creatures books that the patterns changed as the salamanders grew older from dark blue and red to black, orange and yellow in order for it to camouflage in volcanic areas. Soon, all four eggs were hatched except for the last one. Taehyung and Seokjin were both busy transferring coals from the fireplace to the tank while Namjoon and Jimin were fanning the flames frantically for the baby salamanders.
“Hagrid, why isn’t the last one hatching?” Jimin checked.
“Well, in every batch of salamander eggs yer bound to have a few runty ones,” Hagrid shrugged. “There ain’t that many in this bunch so that’s good.”
“But look! It’s hatching!” Namjoon pointed. Jimin ducked down and sure enough, the last egg was beginning to shake slightly as cracks emerged on it surface. Jimin noticed that it hatched quite faster than the rest of the eggs and in no time at all, a fifth baby salamander was standing on the coals. It was noticeably smaller than the rest of its siblings but very much alive and well.
“Keep fannin’ the flames fer a few more minutes,” Hagrid ordered. “Then ye can stop and leave ‘em on the embers.”
“Can we play with them?” Taehyung asked.
“Of course, of course!” Hagrid nodded, grinning at his favorite student. “But ye gotta be careful. The li’l ones especially like to—”
Suddenly, one of the baby salamanders sneezed and a puff of smoke engulfed Jimin and Namjoon’s faces.
“Do that,” Hagrid finished. Jimin and Namjoon coughed and blew the smoke away.
“Better late than never,” Namjoon rasped.
A few minutes later, the fire had gone down and the baby salamanders were left to play with each other among the still-burning coals. Seokjin and Taehyung took turns feeding them the fire ants, and dodging more puffs of smoke, while Namjoon and Taehyung were left to heat up the tank using the Incendio charm.
“Can we choose one to keep now?” Taehyung asked.
“Sure!” Hagrid nodded. “But ye better choose quick, ‘bout to be dinner soon and the special guests from Beauxbatons are comin’.”
“Wait, that’s tomorrow,” Jimin said. He knew because he’s been practically counting down the days before you arrived.
“Didn’tcha see the changes?” Hagrid asked. “S’pposed to be a snowstore happenin’ this week but they got through it an’ now they’re a day early.”
Jimin’s mouth fell open. You were arriving here! In a few minutes! He quickly took off the apron and gloves before looking down at himself.
“H-how do I look?” he stammered as he asked his friends.
“Very, very dusty,” Taehyung said. “And smoky. But who knows? Maybe y/n likes rugged-looking guys?”
“Yeah, you look fine,” Seokjin said. “Let’s just fix your hair a bit.” He stepped forward and began combing Jimin’s hair and trying to get it to lay flat. Jimin didn’t even notice that his hair was sticking up.
“Aw man, I should be taking a shower or something,” Jimin jumped up and down on the balls of his feet in nervousness. “I smell like a burnt chicken or something.”
“Is he about to meet a lady friend?” Hagrid grinned.
“He’s about to meet the lady friend,” Taehyung winked at him.
“Ye’ll be fine,” Hagrid patted Jimin on the shoulder with his giant hand, making him pitch forward a little bit. “Yer the sweetest boy there is. Yer lady friend ain’t got nothin’ bad to say ‘bout ye.”
“I sure hope so,” Jimin sighed and licked his lips. “I’ll go ahead to dinner. See you guys in a bit!” he waved one last time at his friends and Hagrid before running out the door and heading straight to the castle.
…
“Okay, you have everything packed in your trunk sweetie?” your mother asked.
“Yes,” you nodded glumly. “And the owl too.”
“Good,” she knelt down and took your hands. “I know this is hard for you and I’m sorry this has to happen. But I’m positive you’ll do great in this school,” she smiled and kissed you on the forehead.
“Thanks Mom, I’ll write to you once I get there,” you tried to smile in return.
“It’s a long carriage ride to Beauxbatons,” your mother said, looking at the long line of horse-drawn carriages in front of you. “I better get you some snacks. Wait here, dear.” She took her purse and walked away, leaving you behind with Jimin. His departure to Hogwarts was still three days from now and he wanted more than anything to see you off.
“Jimin, I really don’t want to go…” you said softly. “The weather there isn’t even the same here. Their food probably tastes weird and they probably speak in a weird different language,” you protested.
“I’m sure you’ll adjust,” Jimin patted your shoulder.
“But it will take forever,” you groaned.
“That’s why I got you a going-away gift,” Jimin grinned and handed you the package you noticed he’s been carrying since the car ride. It was a box covered in brown wrapping paper. “Go on,” he urged. “Open it.”
You took the package from him, slowly peeling off the wrapping paper, and found a box with a few holes poked on the top. When you uncovered the box, there was a small flowerpot inside with a seedling. “A plant?” you looked up at him.
“It’s called a Lemonyellow Rosemallow, a hibiscus flower native to Africa,” he explained. “It’s grown in a tropical environment so it was a bit difficult to grow it here. But think of that flower as you and your adjustment there. If it’s able to grow and blossom there, then so can you.” Jimin smiled. “I’m sure you’ll able to blossom there.”
“Thank you, Jimin,” you smiled, feeling your eyes water. “I’ll take good care of it.”
“Now, it doesn’t need water until tomorrow,” Jimin laughed despite the fact that he was starting to cry too. “So don’t start watering it now.”
“I hope you’re happy too, when you get to Hogwarts,” you smiled and wiped your eyes. “I’m sure people would love to have you as a friend. So make a ton of friends for me, okay?”
“I will, y/n,” he nodded.
“The carriage is leaving soon, y/n,” your mother came back and handed you a couple of Cauldron Cakes and two bottles of pumpkin juice. “Time to go now.” You handed your trunk over to one of the footmen but kept your owl and Jimin’s present with you before boarding one of the carriages.
“Bye Mom! Bye Jimin!” you waved out the window, feeling the sobs starting to leave your chest. You could see Jimin with tears streaming down his face again even though he told you that he wasn’t going to cry this time. “I’ll write to you two every day!” you sniffed. The carriage started moving and you saw Jimin chase after it.
“Y/n! I’ll see you this summer okay! I’ll see you!” he called after you. You covered your mouth as you sobbed watching him. The carriage picked up speed and Jimin fell behind until you couldn’t see him anymore.
It took you longer than you expected, adjusting to Beauxbatons. Everything felt strange and unfamiliar and you wanted nothing more than to just go home and curl up in your own bed. The homesickness hit you hard but you never forgot the piece of home you brought with you: Jimin’s plant. Every day, you watered it, cared for it, and when you watched the first flower bloom, you almost wept with joy. And best of all, it made the adjustment bearable. You even found yourself making a ton of new friends and excelling in your classes.
After a long school year, you were finally home with Jimin living in the apartment right across yours. You didn’t dread going back to Beauxbatons anymore. But just like the last time you left, Jimin sent you off with another plant to take care of.
…
“Hey, Lisa! Lisa wake up!” you excitedly shook your friend awake from her nap. “It’s Hogwarts! We’re here!”
“Geez y/n, did you even sleep?” she laughed and rubbed her eyes as the carriages pulled over in front of the school entrance. No matter how many times Jimin described it in his letters and conversations with you, you still couldn’t quite believe how big the castle was even when you were looking right at it. The carriage rolled to a stop and you didn’t even wait for the driver to open the door before getting out.
“This looks amazing,” you gasped. You wanted so badly to run over to the Great Hall to see Jimin but your chaperone, Professor Hildegard, always expected “proper conduct from visiting ladies and gentlemen.” Because of this, you decided to wait patiently for all the other students to leave the carriages before standing in a neat line with the others.
“Remember, ladies and gentlemen, that proper conduct is to be expected at all times within the Hogwarts school grounds,” Professor Hildegard reminded everyone as she walked down the two lines of boys and girls, passing blue rosebuds for the students to pin to their matching powder-blue robes.
“Now, are we all ready?” she asked, surveying the lines. You couldn’t care less about whether your hat was crooked or if there was a spot on your shoes but you stood up straight anyway. “Let’s go then, they’re waiting for us. And remember, smile to the students.” Professor Hildegard walked up the steps, leading the way, and towards the Great Hall.
…
“What happened to you?” Hoseok frowned as soon as Jimin took his place next to him on the Hufflepuff table.
“Why? Do I look really bad?” Jimin asked, worriedly. “There was a salamander egg-hatching and apparently they already blow smoke after being born.”
“That explains it,” Hoseok nodded.
“Attention students!” Headmistress McGonagall spoke. The tip of her wand was pointed at her throat, making her voice echo throughout the Great Hall. “As you all know, there is an exchange student program going on with Hogwarts and Beauxbatons. The twenty students we’ve sent are all on their way to the school while the ones sent from Beauxbatons are already here. A separate dormitory within the castle is allocated for these students however they will be attending the same classes with you all. Without further ado, please give a warm welcome to the students from Beauxbatons!”
The doors of the Great Hall opened and in came an elderly woman dressed in elegant gray robes and two lines of students, separated into boys and girls, wearing matching powder-blue robes, hats, and gloves. They strolled down the main hallway elegantly, each one completely imitating the other. Jimin knew that there was no way Hogwarts students could be that uniform. He sat up in his seat, trying hard to spot you.
As soon as they reached the end of the hallway, all the students stood side-by-side in a line facing the Great Hall. That’s when Jimin finally spotted you standing just a few feet in front of his table. And once he saw you, he couldn’t quite glance away. Despite the fact that he’s always seen you during the summer breaks, excluding the one last year, Jimin felt that you’ve changed slightly. Truth be told, he’d say that you looked quite pretty. It made him reconsider running back to his Common Room and taking a shower.
“On behalf of the students and faculty of Beauxbatons, I would like to thank you Headmistress McGonagall for this opportunity,” the Beauxbatons professor announced.
“And on behalf of Hogwarts, I thank you too Professor Hildegard,” Professor McGonagall replied. “Now, if you would, please introduce your students to the rest of us in the hall.”
“Of course,” Professor Hildegard, turning to her students. Jimin kept his eyes on you even as the professor announced her students’ names. He could see, based on your eye movements, that you were looking for him too.
“L/n, Y/n,” Professor Hildegard called out. You stepped forward and finally, Jimin saw your eyes land on his. You smiled at him, Jimin felt himself blush, before sweeping down into a graceful curtsy, then returning to your place in line.
“Is that y/n?” Jimin heard Hoseok ask. “She looks really pretty. You’ve made a good choice, Jimin,” he teased and nudged his friend.
“Shut up…” Jimin mumbled and moved to make space on the bench for you.
“Thank you for the introduction, Professor Hildegard,” Headmistress McGonagall said once everything was over. “Your students may now take their chosen seats within the Great Hall. I’m sure you all are tired from your journey so please eat your fill and have some rest once you are done. Your dorms are now ready with your trunks in the west wing of the castle. And once again, welcome to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.”
...
“Hey, I think she’s coming this way,” you heard Jimin’s seatmate say as you walked towards their table. Part of you really just wanted to run to him but you knew Professor Hildegard would suspend you for it, and Lisa would have another embarrassing story to share about you with the rest of her friends if that happened. With those options out, you simply left a smile on your face as you kept walking.
Also, you found that it was definitely hard to not smile at your friend. Especially since he looked so… handsome. His new hair color, a bright cotton-candy pink, brought out his eyes and lips more. He was definitely much taller than you now and his shoulders looked broader too. ‘Maybe it’s from all the Quidditch practice,’ you thought.
All the while you were walking, you noticed that Jimin’s eyes never drifted away from you. Even as you stood right in front him.
“Well, long time no see,” you greeted, smiling at him with just a hint of nervousness.
“Yeah,” Jimin nodded. “Y-you look good.”
“Thanks,” you blushed. Now that you were much closer to him, you noticed a few black smudges on his face and neck as well as the smell of smoke.
“Is it just me or is there something burning?” Lisa suddenly spoke up as she appeared behind you, making you jump slightly.
“That would be Jimin,” said the tall guy standing behind Jimin. He was wearing the same black and yellow scarf from the Hufflepuff house.
“It’s from a Salamander,” Jimin explained shyly. “Um, this is Hoseok by the way,” he introduced his friend.
“Team captain of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team,” you grinned. “Nice to meet you. And thanks for taking care of Jimin.”
“Just trying to be a good hyung,” Hoseok wrapped an arm around Jimin.
“Oh, and this is Lisa by the way,” you said, standing aside to introduce your friend.
“Unfortunately, I’m the one being taken care of by y/n,” she smiled wrapping her arms around you. “Is it time to eat now? I’m starving.”
…
Jimin really knew that he should have showered. Or at least washed his face or something. But with you finally sitting next to him during dinnertime, he didn’t want to leave. Just sitting next to you, and listening to your stories, and exchanging his, felt like home. He could almost see the walls of his room covered in Quidditch posters and his balcony filled with plants. Even after seeing you again for a couple of minutes, Jimin couldn’t bear for the two weeks to end when you would finally leave.
“Hey, maybe you should get some sleep,” Lisa said after seeing you yawn for what was practically the fifth time since you sat down. “You woke up really early and didn’t take a nap.”
“I’m surprised you haven’t snapped yet,” Jimin laughed. Back when they were still neighbors, Jimin knew never to bother you during your napping hours.
“Yeah,” you nodded. “Do you know where our dormitories are?”
“Jimin can take you!” Hoseok nudged him again.
“I can take you!” Jimin agreed. He stood up and waited for you to leave the bench.
“Lisa, are you coming along?” you turned around, only to find your friend eating chocolate pudding with her eyes closed. “I guess not then,” you shrugged.
“Seems like you’ve made good friends there,” Jimin grinned as the two of you left the Great Hall.
“Yeah,” you nodded. “Lisa’s awesome and I have Rose back at Beauxbatons taking care of all the plants you gave me.”
“I’m glad,” Jimin nodded. The two of you walked silently for a while. The quiet was a bit strange especially after your lively conversation during dinnertime. Maybe it was because it was just the two of you around. When did it ever get this awkward between you two?
“The castle is bigger than I expected,” you spoke up. The two of you were walking up a staircase to the West Wing and Jimin noticed you gazing at all the moving portraits around you.
“The Hogwarts grounds are the best part,” Jimin smiled, glad to have something new to talk about and break through the silence. “The Great Lake, the Quidditch stadium, Hagrid’s cabin. I’ll take you to see all of them.”
“Sounds like a plan,” you grinned.
“I wish you could stick around during Christmas,” Jimin continued. “They decorate the Great Hall with floating candles and lights. And in Hogsmeade, they have a giant Christmas tree that they set up around this time. And on Christmas day itself, they’ll light it all up and people come to dance in the square.”
“Is that so?” you cocked your head at him. “Hmmm… maybe I should just hide here until Christmas ends before going back to Beauxbatons,” you joked.
“Well, I do make some pretty damn good Polyjuice Potion,” Jimin played along. “And I know a few willing accomplices who would love to see Beauxbatons.”
“That definitely is a plan,” you chuckled. “But then again, they probably wouldn’t know how to take care of my plants well and I can’t risk that. So, we might need to come up with a different one.”
“How about going to Hogsmeade this Saturday?” Jimin blurted out. “They should be setting up the tree now so… I bet it still looks pretty even without all the lights.” Your face showed a mixture of surprise and slight confusion causing Jimin to feel increasingly nervous by his surprise offer. But once he saw your face break out into a smile, he let out a small sigh of relief.
“I’d love to,” you nodded. Jimin clenched his hands to keep himself from punching the air in happiness.
“Great!” he smiled and nodded back. “Well, here are your dormitories,” he said, showing her to the room. “I’ll pick you up three? Tomorrow?”
“Three sounds good,” you chuckled. “And it’s Saturday, right?”
“Yeah, I-I meant Saturday,” Jimin stammered, feeling himself blush furiously. “But I’ll see you tomorrow. In class.”
“Bye Jimin,” you chuckled again. “Good night!”
“Good night y/n!” he called after you once you walked into the room and shut the door. Jimin walked away a few paces before jumping and punching the air with excitement. Despite the fact that he practically embarrassed himself earlier, he did get the confidence to ask you out, and you said yes.
This time, he was definitely going to take a shower before seeing you.
…
“Alright, how does this look?” Jimin asked, modeling a suit and tie in front of Seokjin and Taehyung. They looked up from feeding their pet salamander and both frowned at what Jimin was wearing.
“Um, you’re going to Hogsmeade right?” Seokjin asked. “Why would you wear something that fancy?”
“I don’t know, I want to look good,” Jimin huffed in frustration.
“It’s going to be really cold out there Jimin-ssi,” Taehyung shook his head. “Maybe you could wear one of your pastel sweaters and some trousers. And like a really cool coat on top of it.”
“Will that work?” Jimin asked.
“She’s probably going to be wearing the same thing,” Seokjin said. “You don’t want to look too overdressed.”
“Alright, alright,” Jimin nodded and quickly removed the suit and tie. He pulled on his light blue sweater and a pair of white pants. They were noticeably much more comfortable. He picked up a white coat and a beige one before showing them to his friends.
“Which one should I wear?” he asked.
“The white one,” the two of them chorused. Jimin put it on and looked at himself mirror.
“Aww, our Jiminie looks really grown up,” Seokjin gushed. “Going on a date in Hogsmeade with his childhood friend.” Jimin blushed and pulled his coat closer around him.
“Wait, I think there’s something missing,” Taehyung stood up.
“Taehyung if you make me wear another weird necktie I swear—”
“Not a necktie,” Taehyung shook his head and waved his wand. “A hat!”
Jimin looked in the mirror and found a snug, knitted, cream-colored beanie on his head. He raised an eyebrow at himself and nodded at Taehyung. “Good call buddy,” he grinned and high-fived him.
“Fashion designer Kim Taehyung to the rescue,” Taehyung smiled smugly.
“Say goodbye to Charmander for luck,” Seokjin said.
“Who’s Charmander?” Jimin frowned.
“The salamander of course,” Seokjin said, lifting Charmander on his hands. It was now almost as long as Seokjin’s hand length after only a week.
“We’re naming it Newt!” Taehyung protested.
“I’m wearing a white coat so I’ll pass on saying goodbye,” Jimin backed away.
“Good call,” Seokjin nodded and tucked the salamander back into it’s tank.
“Tell us everything later!” Taehyung called after Jimin.
“Cross your fingers for me guys!” he waved at them before leaving. Jimin checked his watch to find that it was still a good thirty minutes before your set meeting time. ‘She must still be getting ready,’ he thought as he walked towards your dormitory area only to find you waiting outside already.
“Y/n!” he ran up to you. “Sorry I’m late, did you wait long?”
“Not really,” you shrugged. “I guess I was a bit excited so I decided to get ready quickly. I guess we’re both quite early.”
“Yeah, I didn’t want to make you wait too long,” he smiled sheepishly. “You look good, by the way.” You were wearing a maroon sweater with white floral designs as well as a dark gray skirt and black tights. On top of it, you also were a dark gray coat.
“Thanks,” you felt yourself blush slightly at the compliment. Lisa definitely didn’t let you down with choosing your clothes and make-up so you made a mental note to buy her some Honeydukes chocolate once you left. “You look really good yourself.” You never saw Jimin wear pastel before. Heck, you probably only saw him wearing his favorite Quidditch team jerseys over and over again. But the light pastel colors really went well with his skin and made his soft features look even softer.
“We can go to the Three Broomsticks first since it gets really packed later in the day,” Jimin said as the two of you started walking. “And then we can go to Honeydukes, like I promised you.”
“Sounds good,” you nodded. “But we should definitely go see the Christmas tree.”
“Definitely,” Jimin grinned. Outside, students dressed in winter clothing were walking in pairs or groups to Hogsmeade as well. You spotted two people who were clearly on a date, holding hands and talking as if they were in their own world, and smiled slightly at them.
“Do you have any places like Hogsmeade over there in Beauxbatons?” Jimin asked.
“Yeah,” you nodded. “There’s an old village near the school grounds with cafes and other shops that students like to go to. But most of the people who go there are couples on dates.”
“Has anyone ever asked you?”
“Asked me?” you looked up at him. “On a date?”
“Yeah,” Jimin shrugged. “I mean, a lot of people in my year go out on dates. I wouldn’t be surprised if you were asked out.”
“Well, once,” you said. “But I didn’t know him too well so I said no. What about you?” You weren’t surprised yourself if Jimin had gone on dates. He definitely looked like the type lots of girls would confess to.
“No, I haven’t,” he smiled and shook his head. “But it seems nice, doesn’t it? Going out on dates?” You looked down and remembered the couple you passed by earlier.
“Yeah, it does sound nice,” you nodded. The two of you had reached the main square in Hogwarts where the Christmas tree was being set up. You stopped and stared at it with Jimin standing beside you.
“Didn’t we have one like that, in our neighborhood park?” he asked.
“I thought I was the only one who remembered,” you smiled at him. “It was much smaller though but everyone always went to look at it during Christmas.”
“And remember our snowball fights?” Jimin added.
“Yeah!” you laughed. “I always won those.”
“No way, I remember that I always won,” Jimin nudged you. “You always begged me to stop.””
“No! That was you!” you protested, pushing him back playfully while Jimin laughed. You watched as he stopped, picked up some snow and packed it into a ball. He flashed you a knowing look and you stooped down to do the same.
“Maybe a little game will help jog your memory,” he grinned and tossed the snowball up in the air and back into his hand.
“You’re on,” you smirked, throwing your snowball and hitting him square on the face.
“No fair! You started early!” Jimin yelled before throwing his snowball right at your shoulder. You laughed and the two of you hurried to make another snowball. Everyone else passing by the main square in Hogsmeade had to witness the two of you and your snowball fight. But neither of you could care less. At one point you were lying down laughing in the snow after being hit by two snowballs when Jimin ran over to check on you.
“So, are you ready to give up?” he smirked, sitting beside you.
“No, I’m just making a snow angel,” you said, spreading your arms and legs around you.
“You’re still such a kid,” Jimin laughed and shook his head. You sat up and leaned your head against his back.
“Who’s the one who started the snowball fight?” you mumbled into his coat. Up close, you really feel that Jimin’s shoulders had gotten broader. It felt weird remembering that he used to be this little kid who could barely fit into a full-size jersey. But leaning against his back felt warm and comforting. It made you think about all those times when Jimin was there for you, when he was a shoulder to cry on despite being miles away.
“Hey, have you fallen asleep back there?” Jimin asked, turning his head to look at you.
“No,” you mumbled, still not choosing to leave your current position. “I guess I just…”
‘Miss you,’ you finished inside your head. If those words left your mouth, you didn’t know what was going to happen next. So you kept it at that.
“Y/n?” Jimin asked again, sounding a little more worried this time. Your hand was lying in the snow. You quickly gathered some of it before standing up and stuffing it down his coat.
“Surprise attack!” you yelled.
“Ahhhhh! Cold! Cold!!” Jimin quickly got up and danced around, trying to shake the snow off his coat while you laughed.
“Never let your guard down Jimin!” you pointed at him.
“Whatever,” Jimin pouted. “Let’s go inside now, I’m freezing to death.”
“So… are you saying you quit?” you asked, walking behind him.
“Fine, fine. You win,” Jimin waved you off. You laughed and caught up to walk beside him. It was undeniable you missed these moments with Jimin, moments where you two laughed and had fun without a care in the world. But on the way to The Three Broomsticks, you repeatedly asked yourself if you were okay with just this, or if you wanted something more.
…
“I can’t believe you actually like that stuff,” Jimin shook his head as he saw you sucking on an Acid Pop.
“I love unnecessary sour things,” you shrugged as the two of you walked back to the castle from Hogsmeade. "Why do you think I’m friends with you?”
“Ouch,” Jimin pretended to wince in pain. Apart from the earlier fiasco with you stuffing snow inside his coat, your day went along quite smoothly. The two of you caught up and reminisced over bottles of butterbeer in the Three Broomsticks before buying candy from Honeydukes. It was the most fun you two had together in a year or so.
However, Jimin couldn’t quite stop thinking about that moment earlier when you were leaning against his back. It sounded like you were trying to say something to him, something really important, before brushing it off with the snow in his coat. Jimin really wanted to bring it up again but he didn’t want to ruin the comfortable conversation you two had going on.
As soon as Jimin saw the Hogwarts castle in sight, he knew the day was going to be over soon. You would only have around a week left in Hogwarts before you had to leave for Beauxbatons. He walked glumly with his hands in his pocket when he spotted the Hogwarts greenhouse out of the corner of his eyes.
“Y/n, do you still have some time to spare today?” he asked quickly.
“Yeah,” you shrugged. “Lisa doesn’t expect the chocolate until much later today.”
“I want to show you something,” Jimin reached his hand out. “Will you come with me?” You smiled and took his hand.
“Alright.”
Jimin gripped your hand in his and walked away from the Hogwarts entrance and towards the greenhouse. Professor Sprout usually brought the tropical plants indoors to the Hufflepuff room so that they wouldn’t get too cold. The ones less sensitive to the drop in temperature stayed in greenhouse. Jimin unlocked the door and walked inside pulling you along with him.
“Wow, your Herbology professor sure is talented,” you smiled as you looked at the different plants all around you. You walked towards an East Asian Snapdragon snapping it’s flowers at some nearby bees. “Is this the one you got me for my third year?” you pointed.
“Yup,” Jimin nodded. “Professor Sprout said that I did a good job at growing it so she let me bring a few seeds home. But that’s not what I want to show you.” He walked further with you following behind him until he stopped at the farthest end of the greenhouse. Jimin stopped in front of a plant with black leaves that shone dark blue and violet in the light. There were three, tightly closed buds as well that were the color of snow.
“It looks beautiful,” you whispered. “But so delicate,” as if a small gust of wind could blow it away.
“It’s a Winter Starcatcher,” Jimin explained. “Native to Russia and Mongolia. They’re delicate and mostly grown indoors or in caves. It’s quite hard to prune too. But if you take care of it right, they’ll bloom instantly, even in the winter.”
He watched as you leaned closely to the plant to inspect it’s leaves and buds. It was definitely one of the hardest plants Jimin had to take care of but it was worth it to see the look on your face. “I can’t give you the entire plant since it will probably die on the carriage ride but I can give you a seed. I just hope it blooms on time.”
“Isn’t it blooming right now?” you pointed at one of the buds.
“What?” Jimin frowned and stooped down beside you. He looked at the bud you were pointing and sure enough, it was starting to open. “I can’t believe it…” he breathed out in wonder.
“You’re a better gardener than you thought,” you smiled at him before going back to watch the flower.
“Look! The other bud is starting bloom too,” Jimin pointed excitedly at the biggest bud. He read in his Herbology textbook that Winter Starcatchers, true to their name, have five pointed petals and are as white and bright as stars. Light seemed to shine out from inside the bud as it bloomed and the air was filled with the delicate fragrance of vanilla. After a few minutes, all three buds had blossomed into beautiful flowers.
“That’s the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen…” you whispered softly. “It’s so sad that they only bloom once during the winter.”
“The flowers are really special,” Jimin said. “In their native regions, young men and women pick the flowers to give to their loved ones. It’s a sign of everlasting love. But more often than not, you’ll find people simply picking the flowers instead of taking care of them.”
“But you do,” you smiled and laid your hand on his. “Your hands were meant for growing things, not taking them away.”
Jimin looked down at your hands before closing his hand over yours. He swallowed before saying, “I grew them for you.”
And that was all you needed to hear to feel assured about what you wanted to do and say next, assured that Jimin had felt the same excitement you did whenever you opened a new letter from each other. Just like that, you knew that he probably kept all the letters you sent to him like you did was. Jimin probably anticipated this day and lost as much sleep over it as you did.
You squeezed his hand and looked into his eyes. “I don’t need flowers to know what you want to say.”
“Well, actions speak louder than words,” Jimin grinned. And before you could fully interpret what he said, his lips were on yours. Actions didn’t just speak louder than words, you realized, they completely drowned them out. Once you two parted, you felt Jimin’s lips kiss your forehead and nose before placing a chaste kiss on your lips again. You giggled and wrapped your arms around his neck.
“I’ve missed you so much, y/n,” he said. “I know Hogwarts is fun and all but I just miss being with you. I… I don’t want to be so far away from you again once we graduate.”
“I know,” you took his hands again in yours. “But we’ll work it out, I know we will.” You leaned in and kissed him again. As you kissed him, you remembered the first time you came back home for the summer after your first year in Beauxbatons. You remembered the excitement you felt as the carriage passed through the familiar buildings in your neighborhood, your increased alertness despite the fact that you didn’t sleep that well during the journey, and above all that, a sense of calm from finally coming home. That was how it felt when you traveled to Hogwarts, even though you’ve never been there before.
When you and Jimin parted from your kiss and you felt his hand gently caressing the side of your face, you knew that it was because being with him felt like coming home.