Stigma | Jikook + Harry Potter AU

Chapter 12: Nebulous

Jungkook hadn't realized that he was holding his breath as he waited for Sir Nicholas' answer, but he didn't miss the way the ghost had looked at him with unconcealed amusement mixed with surprise.

He chuckled, delighted, before turning around and telling him to follow behind. Jungkook didn't object, clenching his jaw as he stepped forward.

"A great young lad that boy. He had a head on his shoulders," Nicholas drifted through the hallway, nodding at a few other students who smile in return.

"Hello Sir Nicholas!" A young Slytherin girl smiled as she briskly continued towards the main hall after accepting the ghost's cheerful reply. Jungkook continued after him, having to walk around the obstacles that the other simply drifted through. His mind was swirling like crazy, because he was this far from going completely insane. There was this unsettling feeling that had came to rest down on his chest that made him unnerved, like someone was about to throw a bucket of ice cold water on him at any moment.

Sir Nicholas, on the other hand, didn't seem fazed at all, as if they were about to have some tea together to relax after a long day. Jungkook couldn't help but feel even more nervous at that.

"I think we should go outside and look at the stars. Do you ever look up the night sk–"

"Nick... my brother?" Jungkook interrupted as they turned the corner of the corridor, where barely any students were walking through at that time of the evening. Everyone else was eating or on their way to the hall, only he was foolish enough to lurk around instead.

"I told you already, he was brilliant. He was always top of the class, always willing to put in the extra effort. But he was also a charmer..." Nicholas began to reminisce, eyes sparkling, while Jungkook continued to follow him, as they meandered along, "... it's such a tragedy what happened... he deserved so much bet-"

"But do you know anything else? Did you ever see..." Jungkook fell short when the man in front of him stopped suddenly and swivelled around to face the Slytherin. The look on his face had completely changed, a serious facade making him purse his lips together in distress.

"Look, I've been here for longer than you can imagine, I witnessed the brilliance of your brother and nobody can argue that he was anything other than a great young man who unfortunately lost his way. I know you're looking for something more, but that would be more than I can offer you - I don't have all of the answers." he told Jungkook in a hushed voice. As he observed the young Slytherin's face, he knew he wasn't satisfied with his response.

"The Room of Requirement is always a handy place to go when you're looking for something," he sighed, wishing he could pat the boy on the shoulder... being a ghost had its downsides. He couldn't say he felt any empathy towards the boy, centuries of being an undead being could do that to you, but there was just something so frail in the Slytherin's gaze, that he couldn't help but sigh. Humans were still so foolish, no matter how much time went by.

Jungkook considered this momentarily. He hadn't anticipated anything when he left to speak to Nicholas, he just felt an urge to hear what the ghost had to say, after all, he knew almost everything that had occurred within these walls.

There couldn't possibly be anything in the Room of Requirement that would help him satisfy his sudden curiosity. After all, it was really only a strange gut feeling that Nick might know something that he didn't.

"What do you think could-"

"Ah! Miss Williams, nice to see you on this cold evening. How's the study for your charms test going?" Nicholas had drifted back in the direction from which they had come, conversing with another student as Jungkook sighed in frustration at the ease with which the other was distracted.