Read my heart, not my mind

6. An Experiment, of Sorts

There was something decidedly wrong with me, I declared as I stuffed the end of a spring roll into my mouth and dashed away from the Great Hall. I hadn't been able to get Hoseok out of my mind since Tuesday, despite seeing very little of him. Sure we had four classes together since our study session but we didn't really sit together or talk in class and I never saw him or his friends during meals or in the halls. I should be able to clear him out of my mind, but all I could think about over the last few days was how good he smelled and the warm strength of his hand or the soft way he said my name.

I shook my head again as I hurried my pace through the castle. I was running behind for our next meeting and I swear my heart was only beating like a crazy horse on a rampage because I hated being late. It had nothing to do with the boy I was gonna meet, nope, nothing at all. I groaned again when I couldn't even buy my own lie. Hoseok hadn't been at lunch today and I couldn't figure out why the idea bothered me. Except maybe that meant I wouldn't get to talk to him today which would ruin my entire mood for the rest of the week.

I scowled at that idea as well, I lived five years at Hogwarts without taking any special note of him... I could survive an entire weekend. Somehow. I raced passed the students slowly making their lethargic way to the Great Hall and only smiled as they cursed me when I passed. I couldn't wipe the good mood from my face, even when I tried. And their petty hatred and insignificant words weren't going to do the trick either.

I burst through the door next to the Transfiguration room a little breathlessly, having jogged the last fifty feet. Hoseok was sitting at the desk, still in the middle of the room, his robes falling neatly to the dust covered floor. I was embarrassed that I still couldn't get the cleaning charm to work and now there was a virtual map of where all of our steps had been the last few times.

I pulled my wand out from behind my ear and pointed at the dust and debris on the floor. "Scourigfy." I smiled to myself as all of the mess quickly cleaned itself up and the floor was left shining. "Hello Hoseok." I said, still a little breathless as I walked further into the room and set my bag on the pile of desks near the back. "Sorry I'm late."

"It's okay." He answered, standing up and turning to face me. He was holding his hands bunched together in front of his chest as he stepped closer. "Look what I have." He said excitedly as he moved his hands and a splattering of chess queen's fell onto the floor. "Oops."

I giggled as I crouched down to swipe one off the floor, why was he so damn cute? It was almost unforgivable. "You transfigured all of these?" I asked, wondering if I could pull off the feat myself. "That's amazing."

Hoseok chuckled and dropped down next to me to retrieve the other pieces I missed. "I thought it would only be best if I practiced." He shrugged as he started putting the loose chess pieces in his pockets. "I think it is easier than making them vanish."

"You make it look easier, Hoobae, but don't discredit your accomplishment. Even I haven't put in that much time into mastering this."

"That is because you don't need to practice, you do it perfectly the first time." He said in a sheepish voice, making me blush all over. I opened my mouth to deny it but he was already moving on. "What should we learn today?" He asked, finally standing as everything was cleaned up.

"We have double transfiguration tomorrow." I answered, thinking out loud. "And you've clearly mastered what we learned last period." I frowned when I realized there was no reason for us to meet today. I had been looking forward to it so much.

"Hmm..." He trailed off and moved back over to the desk, "we could just hang out. I told my friends I would be with you anyway."

I cleared my throat to hide my embarrassed reaction as I looked down and plucked at the edges of my blue and bronze tie. "If you don't have anything better to do."