𝐑𝐄𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐀𝐂𝐇

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Felix was puzzled.

And that – surprisingly – did not come from his struggling to understand the topics of his latest Potion's class: not because he was confident that he had understood everything Mrs. Kim had explained (obviously), but because other, more important things pressed him.

The friendship bond between two of his closest friends, Jisung and Y/n, was one of them. He didn't really get why their argument had happened, the only thing he knew was that the girl had got so mad at the friend that she now wouldn't even speak to him.

"It's a tragedy!" had complained Jisung. "It's a total tragedy! Five years of friendship, gone!", but he just wouldn't explain why.

The Hufflepuff had tried to get Seungmin to speak, because Jisung had informed him that now the Slytherin was the one Y/n spent most of her time with, but the ladder wouldn't open up either.

"It's personal, Lixie", he had explained him. "I don't even really know what's going on, but Y/n's stubborn, you know, and she won't forgive Jisung until he apologizes to her".

But for Felix Y/n must be more than pissed, then, because he could see how much Jisung was trying to get the friend to talk to him, but she would always find a way to ignore him.

So, with his head full of questions, he had decided to go to the library, where he was sure to find Jeongin studying with his friends. The Ravenclaw was much more mature than most boys his age, so he assumed that if there was one person who could give him good advice on how to help Jisung, it was him.

Felix entered the room – that he didn't personally like: too many books, he always felt like his head might explode whenever he entered. But the focus on his task allowed him to advance undisturbed, and he soon found the Ravenclaw.

"Hi Innie!" he exclaimed, to get the other to notice him. "Do you have a second?"

The ladder got up immediately, and sent Felix a pretty heated glance. "Shhh!" he warned, getting up all the same. "Mme Prince is especially pissed today, she's already told us off three times" he moved to stand behind a pretty tall shelf, and gestured Felix to tag along.

"Okay" Felix was now whispering. "I wanted to talk to you about a friend, who's been in a lot of trouble recently..."

"Uh! – who?" Jeongin's curios nature immediately popped out.

Felix lowered his voice tone even more. "It's Jisung..."

Even if he then tried to recollect himself, the extremely concerned look that flashed on the Ravenclaw's features didn't go unnoticed.

"Why? What happened? What do you know?" asked Felix automatically, really starting to get worried – and forgetting to keep his tone low.

"SILENCE!" boasted in fact the librarian, opening a small gap among the books of the shelf behind which the two guys were standing and sending a most deadly stare their way.

"I..." Jeongin's tone was so low Felix had to bend towards the friend to make sure he wouldn't miss anything. "Ehm..."

"Tell me everything!" urged the Hufflepuff.

"But you won't like it..."

"I don't care, okay? Just tell me".

Jeongin tensed up. "I may or may not have overheard your conversation with Jisung..."

It did not take a genius to understand which conversation the boy was talking about. Felix didn't respond, but let out a small cry of frustration instead.

"DIDN'T I MAKE IT CLEAR ENOUGH? ONE MORE TIME, YOU TWO, ONE MORE TIME AND YOU'RE GETTING DETENTION!"

No noise could escape Mme Prince's trained ears.

Just by the looks of him, Felix could tell that Jeongin was not finished. "And I mistakenly told Seungmin..." he continued, fearfully.

Felix got so surprised his eyeballs grew so wide that they almost seemed about to jump out of his face. Not able to control himself, he skrieched at full lungs: "YOU DID WHAT?"

But the boy did not have the time to reply, because Mme Prince – who had been apparently hiding nearby – jumped out of nowhere, and with a most satisfied look in her eyes exclaimed: "HA! WHAT DID I TELL YOU, LADS? NOW COME WITH ME, THERE'S LOTS OF THINGS THAT NEED TO BE CLEANED. DEEP CLEANED!".

***

Felix passed the hundreth book to Jeongin: Mme Prince had made them reorganize the entirety of the library, and they were only now getting around it.

The Ravenclaw took it eagerly – because with every book they were getting closer and closer to finishing – but also slightly awkwardly – because Felix still hadn't talked to him back, no matter how many times he had tried to apologize.

The Hufflepuff, in fact, was furious: he could not believe that Jisung had had the courage to tell him that, and suddenly half the School knew about it anyway. Hadn't Mme Prince caught them right away, he would've probably ended up jinxing the younger boy.

Frowning, he leaned down to grab another book from the box in which they had been placed – but didn't find any. Only then he realized that they were done.

Euphorically, he started running towards the librarian's desk, and soon felt the steps of the Ravenclaw joining his: the ladder had first wanted to check the reason of Felix's sudden burst of energy, and when he had found out what it was had followed him suit.

"We're done" Felix's was not a question, nor a request and nor, above all, a beg for the permission to leave. By his tone, it would've been impossible to answer anything different from "okay".

Mme Prince brought her gaze to the two boys, and lowered the half-moon glasses she wore to read. Then, after having probably decided that the two boys were indeed telling the truth, she waved them off without pomp and ceremony.

Felix rushed speedily, but Jeongin was not going to let him run away without giving him the slightest bit of explanation, and (already anticipating what the elder's next move would be) managed to reach him almost immediately, stopping his run by grabbing the end strip of his coat.

"Felix! Please!" he begged.

The Hufflepuff turned around. "I've heard enough; okay? Now let me go, it's past midnight and I still have homework to do, that I would've done if it hadn't been for you!"
His low deep voice made the speech even more threatening.

"I'm sorry!" the younger looked almost on the verge of tears. "I didn't mean to, I swear! It just-"

But the Ravenclaw interrumpted his words, so abruptly that he left Felix rather surprised. The Hufflepuff was about to ask for explanation, but he didn't end up needing to: the sound of agitated steps, in fact, had reached his ears as well.

Before either of the two could make out what was going on, two figures appeared from the end of a nearby corridor: they were coming exactly their way, and running so quickly that the one in the lead didn't manage to stop in time.

The ladder, in fact, bumped directly against Jeongin, and the poor boy (who was still holding onto Felix's coat), by reflexes tightened his grip on the piece of clothing, causing both of them to fall onto the floor, pushed by the stranger's incredible fury.

The other stranger (who luckily had stopped in time), apart from panting didn't do nor say anything.

The one who had stumbled, however, had already got back up to his feet.

Felix was completely cueless, but Jeongin managed to recognize the two students: "Hyunjin? Changbin? What are you doing here? Why are you running? And most importantly, why can't I see your legs?"

Then Felix also noticed: of the two boys, only the torsos were visible.

"A catastrophe!" screamed Hyunjin, (The one who has fallen, Felix reminded himself). "Run, while you can! The both of you! Get yourselves safe!"

"What are you talking about? What has happened?"

"T-t-there's a giant snake in the corridor!" Changbin pointed at an uncertain area of the building.

Felix immediately checked to see if the boy was telling the truth: as far as he could see, no snake was to be seen, but he did spot two figures suddenly appearing from the vague zone the Ravenclaw had pointed.

Jisung and Minho. Felix didn't know why he was so sure about their true identity; he just was. Without even explaining, he rushed off to join them.

"Felix! Come back!" Jeongin, struggling, got himself back up. Before leaving the two fellow House members, however, he also looked at them with severity: "And the two of you – do something!"

"Like?" Hyunjin's tone couldn't have been more dramatic.

"Like going fetch the Head Boys, for a start!" Jeongin was about to scream: how could he be more mature that them?