"You nervous?" Donghyuck whispers, his gaze shifting to Chenle, who stood next to him, clutching his Quidditch broom tightly as he took in the team a few feet away from them. Despite the question, Donghyuck could feel his friend's anxious energy ripple off him in waves, "Don't be"
But at this, Chenle just scoffs, his eyes still not leaving the team all huddled together, smiling and joking around, "That's some great advice, there."
Donghyuck just smiles back, about to continue talking but then Jaemin is stepping out of the group of players and clapping his hands together as he meets Donghyuck's eyes and strides on over to the duo, calling back to his team, "Right! Come on over, you sorry lot."
Begrudgingly, the team break off their conversation, throwing a few quick snarky remarks at each other before they follow their captain, stopping just before Donghyuck and Chenle.
Chenle tries to reason with his heart to steady as a few of the players look towards him curiously. He didn't wish to come off nervous or on edge, but for the first time since he entered Hogwarts, he felt slightly unnerved by his fellow Slytherins.
"So, today's training will be exactly the same as usual", Jaemin debriefs them, keeping his tone light and as nonchalant as he can before he then pauses slightly, "But just with one small change."
"Then it's not 'exactly the same as usual', is it?" Yeri huffs, to which Jaemin just sticks his tongue out at her.
"Today, we will be trying out a new Seeker!" Jaemin announces, quickly turning to face Chenle and Donghyuck, holding his arm out towards them, "Introducing, Mr Chenle Zhong."
They already knew who he was as he hung around Donghyuck and Jaemin most days, but Jaemin has always had a slight flair for the dramatics. As the team looked to Chenle, a heavy silence smothers them, dragging on longer than what was comfortable.
Everyone looked from Chenle and then to Jaemin before their eyes lingered on Donghyuck. He was still dressed in his training gear and still had his broom in hand, and so no one for the life of them could understand what was happening.
Hyunjin is the first to speak, "A new Seeker?"
And then Yeri, "Na, have you lost your mind?"
Her voice came out icy and harsh as she ignored the younger boy, solely focusing her gaze on her captain.
"Hyuck may be a piece of work", She continues, "But he's one of the best damn Seekers we've ever had."
Tension crackled through the air, the heavy afternoon clouds hanging low as if to contain the fallout of this conversation.
In an attempt to improve the mood, Sihyeon then steps in wielding a small smile as she tries her best to put Chenle and the rest of her team at ease, "It's nice to meet you, Chenle-"
But Yuna just furrows her eyebrows, casting her own gaze to their captain as well, "Our next game is only days away..."
"Yuna is right", Rocky adds, to which Jaemin shoots his roommate a wide-eyed glance, clearly wanting him to help smooth out the situation, but all Rocky does is shrug as he can't help but side with Yeri and Yuna, "This is a big change."
"The Seeker doesn't interact with the rest of the team in the same way the other players do", Jaemin reasons, trying to get them to listen, but he can tell who is having trouble with his decision.
Perhaps he and Donghyuck should've spoken to them in private first and told them what was going on before introducing them properly to Chenle.
"This is still a big risk", Yuna murmurs, only now looking over to Chenle. She feels apologetic towards him at such a welcome, but the worries of her teammates were valid. They had a strong play that has been working for them. Why would they need to change anything, especially so close to a game?
"I'm overseeing his training", Donghyuck pipes up, folding his arms across his chest, to which Jaemin then nods along.
"And if I deem he's not ready by our next game, then Donghyuck has agreed to play until he is"
But Yeri still doesn't look convinced.
"And why aren't you playing?" She questions, poking a finger towards Donghyuck. Just yesterday, she had been happy to have him back, they'd joked around, but now that flame of warmth and fondness in her deep brown eyes had extinguished, "It's your last year- as well as the majority of ours too. I thought our plan was to win the Quidditch Cup, to graduate on a high."
"And that's still the plan", Donghyuck tries to reassure her, but again, she doesn't seem to accept his words.
The Quidditch Cup is what they've been working towards for many years. Last year they had placed second, only a handful of points behind Gryffindor- victory was almost theirs. And this year, this year was their year. They had been so sure of it. They had their strongest ever team, they had solid plays, they had a good rhythm going...
Donghyuck wanted to be on that pitch when they won because they will win. They've all worked so hard to get this far- all the dawn and dusk practices, all the aching bones and trips to the hospital wing, all the stress and strong will it has taken to become one on that pitch.
They have all given so much to this team over the years and Donghyuck is so proud of them and of himself. He may have tried out for this team because of his parents, but he stayed year after year because he loved the sport and the people.
But he also knew that for him, there were other things that he yearned to do, and Quidditch was a lifestyle. Quidditch was late nights and early mornings. It was time and thought consuming and it was tiring. Now that Donghyuck was free to pursue his own ambitions and free of his parents, he wanted his choices in his last year to be entirely his.
He wanted more time to go over potions with Johnny, and he wanted to do more in the Hospital Wing than just shadow Nurse Moon for half an hour. He wanted to be put to work. He wanted to make the most of the resources that this castle has... and if by living out his own ambitions, he could give Chenle that same opportunity, then trading in his Quidditch cloak would be worth it.
"Hyuck has been with us for several years. Even if he's not on the pitch, he's still a member of this team," Jaemin cuts in, his tone firm, and yet it eased Donghyuck's heart to know that he'd always have a place here.
"And I think Chenle will surprise you", Donghyuck adds, clapping the younger boy on the shoulder, "I have complete faith in him."
To which Chenle whispers under his breath, teeth clamped together, "No pressure there, then"
A secondary silence falls upon the group, everyone still unsure of the decision before them. But Jaemin gives them his usual charming smile as he once again tells them that everything will be okay.
"I wouldn't have agreed to this if I didn't think it was the best solution", He promises, pursing his lips as he glances from Donghyuck and back to his team, "Let's just see how today goes, and then we can all discuss it."
There's a slight grumble before Hyunjin takes pity on his roommate and calls for the Chasers and their Keeper to follow him as he mounts his broom, taking off to the skies quickly. Jaemin makes a note to thank him later.
Both Yeri and Yuna hover on the ground for a moment more, Yeri seizing up Chenle before Yuna pats her arm softly, gesturing for them to get started on their own little warm-up. She nods, not before sending one last glance towards Jaemin.
"I really hope you know what you're doing, Na."
And then she was gone, soaring high in the skies, the clouds enveloping her body, providing a slight barrier between her and the three males still on the ground.
At her exit, Jaemin turns on his heel, now facing his two friends, "Well, I think that went wonderfully well."
Donghyuck gives him a pat on the shoulder before he's herding Chenle into the middle of the pitch, ready to start talking him through a few drills.
It's only when Chenle begins nodding, seeming more relaxed as he focuses on Donghyuck's words, that Jaemin pushes off, flinging himself into the air and bracing himself for what may be a brutal two-hour lesson.
~
So... no one died.
No one died, which to Jaemin means that the training session went surprisingly well.
The Chasers went through some of their newest formations, perfecting certain catches and bluffs before trying out their plays on their Keeper. The two Beaters seemed to be making progress as they kept to themselves, working through a few new drills to improve their aim- a few Bludgers were sent Jaemin's way, but he did dodge them, so again, that was good.
It was only at their halftime mark, after the first hour, when the team touched back down on the ground for a water break, that Jaemin felt the uncertainty and hostility of his teammates start to ease.
Donghyuck and Chenle were still up in the air, and Jaemin knew that they wouldn't be joining them for a break. He knew Donghyuck well enough that his friend will keep Chenle in the air whilst the others rest so that they may glance up and see for themselves how the younger flies. He wanted them not only to see Chenle's skill but also his passion and determination.
No one on the team was a perfect flyer straight away- heck, they all still make mistakes from time and again. But it is that drive, that spark and love for the sport, that they'll admire, that'll get them intrigued on their new player.
Donghyuck knew what he was doing, and as the rest of the team watched the two Seekers in the air, he could sense a change in them.
They were still wary- of course they were, they had worked too hard for their chance at the Quidditch Cup for it to be squandered... And deep down, Jaemin wished that Donghyuck would be there next to him on the pitch when they played their final game, he wished that they'd finish the year together... but he was proud and thankful of his friend nonetheless.
The last hour of training was gruelling. They were all at various stages of tiredness, but each of them kept pushing, kept going.
For the last thirty minutes, they rounded off the session with their usual tradition of a game. They split the team in half and competed against each other- only this time it was different. This time they had two Seekers, which meant that Donghyuck and Chenle would be battling it out in the skies.
Donghyuck gave the younger a quick pep talk before they started- be ruthless but be smart, fly fast but be aware of the other players, focus on the snitch but also keep one eye out for the bludges, but most importantly, give it your all. Play dirty if you have to, just get that snitch.
It was a fierce battle, one that Donghyuck went on to win, to the surprise of nobody. Even if he had gone a little easier on Chenle than he would on a normal opponent, even if he had spat some quick tips at him as they raced alongside each other, even as he took a few moments to appreciate the feeling of flying free once again...
Despite Chenle losing against Donghyuck, the team showed him respect, for he held his own well.
There was still that uncertainty, but Chenle had begun to carve his own place into the team by the end of the session.
"It's not going to happen overnight", Donghyuck had told him as them two and Jaemin ventured towards the library, freshly showered and muscles aching, "Being a Seeker is damn hard, but you'll learn and grow. You've just got to commit yourself to it."
"You made a good impression", Jaemin chimes in, "We'll do the same next session. You two train 1-on-1 for the first part and then we will come together and weave Chenle into our other plays, see how everything goes."
At such a plan, the three of them nod, all in agreement, as they near the castle and the warmth it holds.
~~~
"You're like a Niffler", Jeno laughs, watching as Jisung unwraps another Fudge Fly, "Except instead of shiny objects, it's sweets."
"It's been a long day", Jisung huffs, and just then, Jeno, Yukhei and Mark's heads all snap up from their books, enquiring if anybody had dared bother or bully him today.
Thankfully, Jisung shakes his head, "I'm just tired from studying. No, those guys from this morning avoided eye contact with me at all costs. They even refused to be seated anywhere near me."
"Good", Yukhei nods, Mark humming in agreement before they both go back to their textbooks, scribbling down the odd notes to help with their homework.
When he gets to one line in the textbook, Mark sighs as he rubs his temples, feeling a nasty headache come on as the words begin floating around on the page.
However, before he could force himself through the following few lines, a small clear bottle is placed just in front of him, and a familiar voice is by his ear, soothing his mind, "What's it like knowing that you're the most dedicated student to your studies?"
As soon as Mark looks up, he's met with Donghyuck's caramel eyes, glistening with a playful glint as he drops a sweet kiss to the top of Mark's head before sliding into the empty seat beside him.
Mark can practically smell the vanilla and almond body wash on his boyfriend from his recent shower, and in his tired state, he doesn't hesitate to pull the boy's chair closer to him, wanting to feel Donghyuck's soft skin on his.
Donghyuck only laughs quietly as he runs a hand through Mark's hair, his boyfriend's eyes falling shut before Donghyuck taps the top of the bottle he had placed on the desk.
"A potion for your headache. Drink it up now before it gets any worse."
It was something he had conjured up whilst doing his lesson with Professor Suh.
Mark obliges just as Jaemin sinks into the seat next to Jeno and Chenle slides in next to Yukhei and across from Jisung.
"Where is Renjun?" Jaemin asks, looking amidst their group for the Ravenclaw.
"Astronomy club", Yukhei answers, not even looking up from his book. The knowing silence that follows is enough to taint his cheeks a nice red.
"Right..." Jaemin murmurs, looking to Donghyuck to exchange slight smirks, "Well, when he's done, we can set out for the shed."
They had decided that tonight was the night to relocate the creatures. They were all a little nervous about putting their trust in the spell and hoping that the animals were satisfied with their new home. Still, they simply couldn't risk having them in the castle any longer.
"You've just come from training?" Yukhei asks, noticing Jaemin, Chenle and Donghyuck's slightly damp hair and their subtle grimaces whenever they move a little too fast. Jaemin confirms his suspicions, with a slight wince as he sits himself down, "The Chudley Cannons' try-outs fall on our winter break."
The Veela's eyes go wide as he glances at Yukhei, "Wait, really?"
"Yeah, I'm hoping to get in a little more training time before our Christmas holiday", He reveals, to which Jaemin hums along. The more training he could squeeze in, the better.
"Sounds like a good idea."
"Would you want to join me?" He then asks, to which Jaemin seems to freeze, causing Yukhei to go on a babble, justifying his question, "I figured it would be beneficial to both of us- if you still wanted to try-out for them, obviously"
And Jaemin's heart is screaming for him to accept the offer, for Yukhei is right, it would be helpful to train together in preparation... but he couldn't help but hesitate for a moment, and he didn't particularly know why.
Maybe it was just nerves, maybe in the face of such a great opportunity, a slight sense of doubt clouded his mind, and he began to contemplate his skills.
But seeing Yukhei looking at him, eyes alight and excited, Jaemin finally finds his voice.
"Yeah, yeah..." He decides, Yukhei smiling in triumph, "I just got oddly nervous."
"That's natural", Donghyuck cuts in, offering his friend a sincere smile, "But you're an amazing player."
"Exactly", Jeno agrees, which has Jaemin's self-confidence skyrocketing, "And you'll always be welcome on my dragon sanctuary."
Jaemin can't help but return the Hufflepuff's soft smile, feeling himself melt as Jeno looks at him with so much affection.
"Ooh, planning out your futures", Donghyuck pipes up, nothing but mischief in his tone, "At least ask him out on a date first."
And where usually, Jaemin would snap back and retaliate with words, all he found himself doing was blushing a deep pink as he felt Jeno lean into him, his soft laughter making Jaemin's soul sing.
Donghyuck watches them both fondly, only tearing his gaze away when they begin whispering to one another, making plans for just the two of them.
It's then that Donghyuck turns to his boyfriend, nudging his arm gently to get his attention, "Speaking of the future, you may receive a letter at some point."
At this, Mark raises an eyebrow, "Should I feel as worried as I do?"
But Donghyuck only shakes his head, a smile still on his face, "Doyoung spoke to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement where the Auror offices are"
At the mention of his dream job and what Donghyuck and Doyoung are doing for him, Mark's eyes go wide, "Hyuck, you didn't have to-"
But Donghyuck only cuts him off with a kiss before pulling back slowly, Mark's eyes dropping to fixate on his lips, "I wanted to."
"This is a public space", A familiar voice behind them whines, Donghyuck looking up to see a twirl of blue robes flutter towards their table, "Please save the kissing for your dorm room."
Donghyuck only rolls his eyes playfully at Renjun, who doesn't even bother to sit down at the table. He only waltzes over to Yukhei before glancing over at everyone still seated. He waits a moment and when no one moves, he frowns.
"So, are we relocating the creatures, or what?"
—————————————————————-
Notes-
in the next chapter we'll finally have nomin's first date!
only two more chapters left...