Minho didn't know when exactly he had woken up. He just knew that a moment earlier he was stepping into the Hospital Wing holding his mother on one side, and Jisung on the other; and now – his body was comfortably laying on one of the many beds and surrounded by two thick wool blankets that provided a great warmth against the coldness of those last days of November.

Blinking, he opened his eyes to the sight of a curious, smiling face peeking above him. "You have woken up at last!", his mother said cheerfully.

The boy rubbed his eyes to chase the remaining sleepiness away. "What do you mean – 'at last'?" he questioned.

"Well – the others are all up already; it's five! They've gone down for dinner, but I've decided to stay here and wait for you to wake up. Oh, wait, never mind", she quickly corrected herself. "Not I, sorry: we" and she tilted her head very slightly at another bed, on Minho's right – causing him to roll over to see who it was that his mother was talking about: there – sat a couple of beds apart – was Jisung, who at the sight of the Slytherin lit up in a bright smile and waved happily at him.

Minho smiled back, – or at least that's what he hoped his still sleepy self had managed to do – but the confusion of all that information being thrown at him first thing when he woke up was too much; and he turned back to get the deserved answers from his own mother. "So you've been all waiting for me?"

The woman nodded. "Patiently. I mean – we didn't really mind, because it was obvious that you were the most tired out of all of us put together... you sure you're okay? Don't you want to sleep a bit more?" she quickly added full-heartedly.

The Slytherin shook his head – but not only to refuse the woman's offer: what were all these cares? all these concerns? Was this how it really felt to have a mother? "No no... I'm good. Actually, sorry for having had you all wait for so long... you could've woke me up earlier, I-"

"Oh, cut it. I'm glad you got to rest well. When we came here you were even claiming that you didn't need sleep, and that you were not tired! No no, as your father would say, 'it's the body that...'"

"'... decides how much you need to sleep', I know", completed Minho, a smile creeping up on his lips at the mere mention of his other parent.

The woman smiled at him, and took his hand. "Oh Minho, if you just knew how much grief and guilt I hold for having left you two behind..."

The Slytherin felt like his time to say "Oh, cut it", was now, and those was exactly the words that came out of his mouth. "I think I got the right of it. If anything, sorry for acting like a three-year-old when you were trying to explain yourself..."

"Don't say that" his mum's words came out as quite harsh. "It was not three-year-old behaviour, it was completely understandable. Although" she chuckled, but the Slytherin still felt a bit of sorrow in her voice, mixed with that unexpected profusion of happiness, "I wouldn't know, would I? I was already gone when you were three, but my presence was apparently not even that necessary – Thomas did an amazing job raising you! Minho, we have only known each other for very little" she intertwined their hands, "but I want you to know that I am incredibly proud to have you as my son".

The boy quickly prevented a few tears from starting to roll down his cheeks. He couldn't believe it – was he actually crying? He didn't recall when had been his last time crying. Even as a child, his father had always told him he was among the quietest in class and he hardly ever cried. "Thank you mum" he instead replied, lowering his eyes so that their wet surface would not be too noticeable.

"Lucretia, by the way", she added, as if to fill that awkward moment, but the name sparked in Minho a sudden memory that he had almost forgotten he still had: in the dream he had had not even that long ago, there had been a woman called Lucretia... and she was with a man, who wore a mask to cover his face!

Realization hit him, but instead of shocking him it almost made him want to laugh: it seemed as if he had been destined to eventually discover everything all along!

Lucretia – perhaps pretending to not have noticed his son's moment of self-reflection – instead brought their conversation back to a topic she had briefly touched upon earlier: "Once you feel like it, I think you should also go thank that Gryffindor boy", she said in a whisper. "He categorically refused to go to dinner before you'd wake up, – which not even the other Slytherin did; he's your friend, right?" but she wasn't waiting for answer, " and he's looked worried ever since he got up. I think he at least deserves a convo. Or, who knows... something more?"

"Mum!" Minho, in pure shock, slightly slapped his mother's arm, and hoped that the slight blushing he could feel his cheeks fading into was just a simple hallucination. "I don't even know him that well!"

Lucretia got up, as if to say 'none of my business'. "It's all yours", she whispered to her son, only to then walk up towards the exit.

Minho mentally cursed at her newly found mother, before turning around: "Hi Jisung" he muttered.

The Gryffindor – who was evidently waiting for the other to acknowledge his presence – slowly got up and moved to the bed where Lucretia had just been sitting on. He looked incredibly awkward, which Minho couldn't help but find really cute.

"So – ehm... how are you doing?" he asked.

The Slytherin shook his shoulders. "Just fine I guess. I mean, my legs feel kinda sore but nothing I've not experienced before. How about you? You looked as if you had hurt your ankle".

Jisung flinched at those words, and his ears quickly became a bright red. Minho wanted to chuckle: what was there to be embarrassed about? "No no, I'm okay. I think I was more paralyzed than anything..." an awkward, filler laugh. "But that's not the point – I wanted to thank you. You basically saved me from that free fall and supported me ever since... I also wanted to apologize for not having been the best help – I think I caused more damage than fixed any".

Minho vigorously shook his head. "Don't say that. You acted bravely and your presence did help me; you calmed me down. I don't think we would've succeeded if you hadn't been there. I need to thank you just as much as you feel like you need to thank me". The Slytherin spoke these words softly, and never left the other's eyes when doing so – which was quite tricky and funny, as the Gryffindor looked too blushing to be able to sustain that.

"So" said Minho immediately afterwards, to avoid the creation of other awkward silences between them, "are you still on for the infamous Quidditch lessons? I'm free whenever you're free" he smiled, "so just let me know when you can".

Jisung's eyes grew wide. "I – I didn't think you'd..."

"Remember?" completed the elder.

"No!" the ladder was so quick to deny it, that left Minho with no doubts on the fact that his fear had indeed been that one. "I was simply – you know... it's getting cold, and I already kinda suck... plus my ankle is still hurting-"

"So your ankle is injured" said Minho mockingly. "You know what? It's no problem. We can wait until spring or even later for that. How about we get together for the next trip to Hogsmeade? I can treat you butterbeer" he offered instead.

"You – I-" Jisung seemed incapable of uttering other words.

The Slytherin put on his best pout. "Oh, it's okay if you don't want to. I'll just ask someone else..."

"NO NO!" exclaimed the other (maybe a bit too energetically). "I – I'd love to!"

"Good" Minho smirked: he knew what the answer was going to be all along, but he was glad he had got it anyway. "And now" he added, jumping out of bed and stretching his clothes to try and make the small crannies that had formed while he was sleeping disappear, "let's go have dinner. I'm starving!"

~🤍~
americano, jowa jowa~
(i loved 2kids song a bit too much lmao)

this was such a cute (& kinda filler?) chapter!! now we're only missing a few more (:

i wrote this while listening to the instrumental of hellevator and? i just broke down crying?? bruh istg hellevator is just that bitch,,, chan is a fucking genius idk 😐

Vic🌙.