These little things

1.

He’s making his way into the Great Hall for breakfast in just his striped blue pyjamas, still trying to wake up from his sleepy haze. Soobin got his hands fisted, rubbing them against his eyes to get rid of any trace of sleepiness lingering. He needed to be in time for breakfast, didn’t exactly fancy going about the day with an empty stomach. The Great Hall is silent unlike the rest of the school year and Soobin almost misses the chatter. Its cold, and its Christmas holidays but his parents are out of the country which is the very reason he has to spend Christmas holidays at Hogwarts this year. It doesn’t bother him too much since it’s a week and a half before Christmas and soon he’ll get to visit his family for a couple of days before school begins again.

The sunlight breaking through the large windows, casts the hall in a homely feel. The snow is falling outside, coating everything in white. All of Soobin’s’ friends are at their homes so he’s not really ecstatic at the idea of spending time outside, after breakfast, all by himself. It’s going to be a long and lonely holiday.

The long tables are filled with platters of breakfast and Soobin inhales the fresh smell of bacon and eggs, his favourite breakfast meal. He almost takes his usual seat at the Hufflepuff table where only a couple of students are eating at when he notices a familiar mop of hair at the Slytherin table.

He stands there like a frozen statue for a grand total of three minutes, biting his lip and clenching his hands in deep thought. Should he or should he not? He’s not entirely sure if heading to the Slytherin table at this time of morning on the first day of the Christmas holidays seem like the best idea.

But then there’s Yeonjun…seated by himself at the table, head bent low as he reads and eats, and Soobin just feels sorry for the boy. Sure, he’s had a crush on the boy since the fourth grade but he’s in year six now and he’s definitely sure those bits of sparks he feels in his stomach is no crush anymore. All the same he’s itching to just greet Yeonjun in the very least. He doesn’t think the boy has ever noticed him, they’ve barely ever spoken before.

Throwing one last glance at the Hufflepuff table, Soobin legs carry him all the way to where the Slytherins are seated at. There’s very less of them too, Christmas at Hogwarts can be a little bit lonelier, a little bit colder with barely any students littering the halls, and it’s even more depressing when one hasn’t seen their families in a whole school year. Soobin misses his sisters dearly.

Very cautiously, Soobin trudges up to the table and stands idly behind Yeonjun. Some of the Slytherins notice him but say nothing.

“Hi!” Soobin finally says, clearing his throat so he doesn’t sound like he’s eaten sand or something equally rough. “Morning.”

Yeonjun turns to face him abruptly but then schools his face into a smile. His face and lips look puffy and reddish in the morning. “Good morning.” He drawls right back, his green doe eyes twinkling. He’s holding a croissant in his hand, a yellowish book open in front of him on the table.

Soobin takes that as an invitation, scooting to sit beside Yeonjun on the bench and beginning to pile his plate with food. “Not going home for Christmas?”

Yeonjun shakes his head, his hair flying with the force of it. “Nope.” He pops the p, his cherry lips popping as he says it. He doesn’t take his eyes off the book though, biting with a crunch into the croissant. Soobin feels a bit curious but he butters a slice of bread and fills his goblet to the brim with pumpkin juice. He scours the Slytherin table, everyone’s busy either chit chatting or reading the morning newspaper. Yeonjun speaks up after a few minutes, as if he’s just remembered that Soobin present. “What about you? Why aren’t you going home for Christmas?”