hogwarts with jae.

prologue.

"gryffindor!" the sorting hat shouted, sending the respective house into a round of cheers and applause loud enough to rival a quidditch game. the freshly-sorted gryffindor joined her housemates abashedly, overwhelmed by the attention.

your heart hammered in your chest as you watched the stage get nearer and nearer, the first years that once surrounded you dwindling as they each got sorted one by one.

you glanced around anxiously, looking at the bored faces of the upperclassmen. you wondered absently which colors the hat would chose you to don for the rest of your years at hogwarts. part of you hoped it wouldn't be slytherin after hearing of their deplorable actions during the war. you knew their reputation, as everyone did, but you didn't want to bring that terrible misfortune upon yourself.

the other part of you wondered that surely, every slytherin couldn't be bad, right? did all of them deserved to be shunned by not only their fellow classmates, but by the wizarding world as a whole?

"park, jaehyung!" bellowed professor mcgonagall, jostling you from your thoughts. you looked up to see a boy walking up to the stage, head held high, unlike any of the other first years. his confidence intrigued you, almost calling for your undivided attention.

he sat down, his posture relaxed but still conveying a look of self-assurance. his ruffled black hair looked endearing, that being the only thing that conveyed any warmth in his otherwise cold demeanor. professor mcgonagall placed the worn sorting hat on his head before stepping back slightly.

the boy closed his eyes. the room felt eerily still and silent, as if everyone was holding their breath.

"slytherin!" the hat yelled into the silent great hall. there was a long pause before a smattering of pitiful clapping came from the slytherin table. the rest of the hall stared at him quietly, some with terror and others with disgust. your stomach twisted as you imagined those glares being directed at you, becoming a disgrace to the entire school in just a matter of minutes.

"kang, younghyun!"

the boy practically ran to the stage, beaming as he sat down on the stool. just his smile alone made you feel at ease again and you immediately longed to get to know him.

he looked down at the stage patiently as he waited for his house placement. you were suddenly overcome with worry as the thought of seeing the happiness drain from his face after being sorted into slytherin crossed your mind.

"ravenclaw!" the hat called. the table to your left cheered respectfully as you let out a sigh of relief. younghyun excitedly joined his housemates, accepting handshakes and high fives from those within his reach.

next was kim wonpil, a short and timid boy who looked like he could be no older than at least nine years old. his legs dangled adorably as he sat on the stool, his face in danger of being obscured by the sorting hat. it was no surprise when he was sorted into hufflepuff; his round face split into a shy smile as he walked off of the stage.

park sungjin followed in suit, a boy with such a bright and sunny disposition that it made your heart melt. he joined the gryffindors, who welcomed him with another deafening cheer. you glanced over at him and to your surprise, he was looking right back at you with a warm smile.

before you had a chance to even muster a smile back, you heard your name being called. you froze, your pulse suddenly quickening. you took a deep breath as you walked forward, desperately willing your hands to stop shaking. it felt like every eye was pinned on you and the thought made your skin crawl.

as you sat on the stool however, a new fear arose: you pictured the stares becoming those of disapproval as you take the walk of shame to the slytherin table.

the hat slipped over your head. in a futile attempt to calm your nerves, you clasped your hands together in your lap and focused on a point in front of you, rather than the muttering hat upon your head.

eventually, you decided it was useless trying to ignore the inevitable so you tuned in to what the hat was whispering to you.

"... let's see... you have outstanding wisdom and wit, young lady. you'd do quite well in ravenclaw. however, i see a great urge to seek adventure. to achieve greatness no matter the risks..." the hat pondered, completely unaware of your inner turmoil as it took its time making its decision. you waited silently, straining your ears to listen.

"...slytherin could help you, if chasing your ambitions is what you seek," it said almost tauntingly, as if it knew that the last house you wanted was to be sorted into was slytherin.

"yes... very curious..." it drawled. "ahh. i know just where you belong. gryffindor!"

you were almost in tears from the relief that you felt. you looked over to the cheering and ecstatic faces of the gryffindors; your new housemates. as you walked off of the stage, you saw sungjin gesturing to you, silently telling you to sit next to him. you shyly sat in the empty space to his right before turning to face him.

"congratulations on making it into gryffindor," he said with a heartfelt smile. you couldn't help but grin, his calm and smiley demeanor was just so infectious.

"congratulations to you too," you replied quietly, looking up as another student by the name of yoon dowoon was called.

this boy looked very young as well, his hair was messy in the most charming way. this time, the hat did partially obscure his face, causing a few students to laugh as it slipped over his forehead. he was sorted into hufflepuff, the tips of his ears turning red as he briskly walked to his table.

as the sorting ceremony concluded and food began to appear on each table, your eyes drifted over to the opposite end of the great hall. you caught sight of the boy who had captured your attention earlier, the one whose fate had been sealed by a single word. on the outside, he looked unbothered by this new development. he ate quietly, looking as relaxed as he did when he was on stage. however, his eyes conveyed a deeper emotion that you couldn't even begin to comprehend.

even as you were lead by your house prefect, lonnie rosewood, to the gryffindor common room, you couldn't shake the mental image of the slytherin boy with the eyes that said a million words.