Days gone by

Congratulations

Third year. 

"God, I'm bored." Mumbled a dejected Seulgi, one grey and gloomy Thursday afternoon.

Crouched on the floor in front of the fireplace of her house's common room, with her back against the side of one small chair, her announcement came upon deaf ears. Save for the few studious fifth-years, that decided to spend the winter holidays going over some subjects in preparation for their O.W.Ls exams, the Hufflepuff common room was completely and devastatingly deserted.

With Christmas break having started more than a week ago, (12 days has passed to be exact, but kang Seulgi was not counting) almost all of Hogwarts's grounds were just as empty.

Son Seunghwan was an ocean away, visiting her sister (a new appointed Ilvermorny Charms teacher) whom she hasn't seen in two years. And while Seulgi wished she had her best friend with her, she was very happy for the Ravenclaw witch. Her letters, which came regularly mind you, were full of praises for the new American Wizarding School and for lots of magical shops that she has "absolutely emptied" trying to buy souvenirs and Christmas gifts for their classmates and some of her housemates.

Oh Sehun, on the other hand, sent only one long letter. Attached to it was a moving picture that showed him with his family at home, lazing around and teaching his new dog some silly tricks.

With her two closest companions gone, Seulgi was left to entertain herself on her very own.

Three days into the Christmas break, Seulgi has toured almost all of Hogwarts, in efforts of finding the super secretive, invisible room that her friend Bae Ju Hyeon once swore she has discovered it, and therefore should be named after her.

A day later, kang Seulgi (while still looking for the Bae Room) made the pleasant acquaintance of a seventh-year Gryffindor student, who called herself "Sunmi, just Sunmi."

The older witch was tall and elegant with delicate fingers and long waist-length black hair. She also had a beautiful and intricate tattoo-like scar on her wrist. When Seulgi asked about it politely, Sunmi smiled fondly, caressed the scar and told seulgi, rather boldly "that's a common mark left by, if you've been kissed by a Centaur."

Seulgi felt her cheeks turn a bit pink. Her mother has always told (warned) her about interspecies coupling and how only the maddest of witches or wizards were to condone these behaviours. But it's been years since Seulgi believed anything her mother told her. Besides, she did not think Sunmi mad, on the contrary she found her absolutely charming.

The delightfully mysterious witch kept poor Seulgi company for the rest of the week introducing her to some of her more peculiar hobbies such as Divination and Star Lining, before she regretfully told the younger that she needed to spend the rest of the week studying for her upcoming N.E.W.Ts.

Seulgi sighed again, this time a bit louder, which earned her some nasty glares from the few students seated across the room. Apologising sincerely, she rose from her spot, gathering up her belongings and decided on spending the rest of the afternoon in her dormitory.

Suddenly she heard the familiar sound of the barrel lid closing, announcing the arrival of another Hufflepuff into their common room.

Jaebum was dragging his trunk and carrying his cat cage while still balancing his broomstick under one armpit. The commotion caused by his entrance alongside his pet's urgent loud cries, ended the last bit of patience the overly stressful students had left. Muttering angrily, the fifth-years left the room in a hurry, probably heading for the Library.

Seulgi saw Jaebum frown and shift his confused gaze from the now closed entrance, and back to her. "Sorry?" He said sarcastically.

She laughed (rather loudly) and walked his way. "Don't mind them really. Fifth-years, O.W.L.s, you know." She told him.