After the Quidditch accident, there wasn't a day, Bright hadn't come to meet Win in the hospital wing and there, obviously, wasn't a day when Win blushed because of Bright.

The final Quidditch match went well and Gryffindor won it again. And everything was back to being peaceful.

The dreadful weeks of exams approached pretty fast and Win was studying all the time. He studied with Bright at the library in the morning and then returned to the common room in the evening to study with his friends.

Hermione had made them all (including Bright) a tight revision schedule despite all the grumblings from Ron about how he's gonna fail either way.

Needless to say, they gave the exam pretty well. They all were happy after the final exam as their first Hogsmeade week was on the first Saturday of December, which was one week from now.

(A/N: The Hogsmeade is a wizarding village near the Hogwarts and Hogwarts students from the third year or above are allowed to visit it on the weekend.)

"Win, do you want to come with me to the Hogsmeade this weekend?" Bright asked while staring at the book, he was holding.

They were currently hanging out at the library and Win was reading an article about Amortentia, while Bright read the advanced book of spells.

Win snapped his head up to look at Bright. Did he hear it correctly? Was Bright Vachirawit Chivaree asking him out?!

"What?"

"Are you— like do you have any plans on this weekend?" He asked, shuttering between the words.

"Um... No. I am free, just going to hang out with anyone who asks me", Win answers subtly hinting him to ask him out. His heart was thumping hard in his rib cage.

Since when was he feeling this way for Bright?

"Then do you want to go out for this Hogsmeade trip with me?" Bright asked looking for a few moments at Win's eyes and then back to his book.

"Like a date?" Win couldn't help but blurt out.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

It must be like a date, especially when they were holding hands a lot these days (for keeping Win's hands warm and for not letting him fall sick again, Bright had reasoned out, and Win too started intentionally leave his gloves back on his four-poster bed).

"If you want it to be", Bright said, immediately regretting the way it sounded.

He has been regretting his behavior towards Win ever since he met him. He tries to behave badly with the Bunny boy, probably because, he makes his heart quiver and thump out loud.

"Oh", Win said.

Silence engulfed them again.

"Hmm", Bright broke the silence, looking at Win's eyes squarely.

"See you on Saturday then", Win said, blushing even more red as he jumped out of his seat and put the book in its correct place. He then waved a hand at Bright and strode towards the front door.

Bright cursed himself for ruining the whole mood.

Win couldn't help but smile while he was with Harry and Ron in the Gryffindor common room, sitting on the squashy armchairs in front of the fireplace.

" When are you going to tell us, Win?" Ron asked.

"Tell you what exactly?" Win asked, cocking his eyebrows.

"About, why are you smiling like a creep", Harry pointed out after checking his letter which he was about to send to his Godfather, Sirius Black.

"Oh... Well, Bright asked me to go out to the Hogsmeade trip with him this weekend," he flushed red.

"And that's why you are so happy?" Hermione entered the conversation with Crookshanks.

"You were never this happy while going out with us", Ron pouted at Win.

"Uh-well..." Win tried to reason out.

"Let me ask you, Win, what do you feel when you're with him? Or interacting with him?" Harry asked folding his letter carefully and dropping it in the envelope.

"I feel... Good. Like he's a good listener. I find him interesting as well. But when he's closer to me... I feel all nervous and felt my heartbeat pace up. I feel good when he shows concern for me, but I guess it's quite normal to feel this way towards someone whom you've regarded as your enemy before", Win said.

"I think you like him already, Win!" Hermione smiled at him.

"I- come on, I can't possibly fall for him. Yes, I like him, I like him as a friend... But falling for him? No. No way!"

Something in Win's heart called him a liar. Probably, he has already started liking the Slytherin Boy.

At night, he involuntarily thinks about his feelings for Bright. He stares at the dark ceiling letting a slow realization draw upon him.

The next morning, he blushed profusely on the breakfast table as he confessed, " Hermione, I think I am in love with him."

On Saturday morning, Win woke up much earlier than he had planned to and immediately started working according to his plans.

After freshening up, he threw on his blue thick jumper and jeans, wrapped a white scarf on his neck, and pulled on a white beanie, after styling his hair in front of his mirror. Lastly, he sprayed the perfume sent to him by his parent through owl post as a pre-Christmas gift.

It was after, what seemed like, an eternity, he finally came out of the dorms and joined the Trio in the common room.

"Merlin's Beard! Win is that you?!" Ron exclaimed, almost dropping his cap from his hand.

"Seriously, Win! You look... Different!" Hermione grinned and giggled a bit, "Bright's so lucky!"

Win blushed a bit at that.

"Are you guys sure, you don't have a problem with... me liking Bright?" Win asked playing with the hem of his scarf.

"We are one hundred percent sure, Win!" Harry nodded, patting Win's shoulder.

"Plus, it's fine to give yourself a second chance in love", Ron grinned.

"Since when are you a love expert, Ronald Weasley?" Hermione teased Ron as Harry and Win giggled.

"Since forever, Granger", Ron said wrapping an arm around Win pulling him towards the entrance of the common room.

Win stopped in his tracks when his eyes met Bright's after their breakfast in the Great Hall.

Bright was wearing Win's favorite olive green jacket, black skinny jeans, and black boots, smiling at him.

He's so gorgeous!

"Hey", he breathed out.

"Hi, Bright!" Win breathed out as well.

"Let's go?" He spread his palm in the air asking Win to take it.

Win obliged nonetheless, shivering a bit when their palms touch.

Just like a date! Win chirped in his mind.

They passed the caretaker, Argus Filch, hurdling their way among the students.

Win shivered once they were outside the castle and immediately regretted not wearing his jacket today.

"You should've put a jacket on instead of the jumper", Bright said, blushing a bit, either because of the cold or because of Win (Win hoped for the latter) and scratched his nape as he said further, "even though you look kinda cute in this jumper".

Win's stomach somersaulted at the words as he blushed profusely.

"I don't feel that cold".
Pathetic excuse, Metawin!

"But still..." He trailed off, putting their intertwined hands in his jacket pocket.

Hogsmeade looked beautiful, just like a village on a Christmas card, and being with Bright made the whole trip even more surreal.

"Where should we go first?" Bright asked.

"Let's go for Honeydukes, yeah?" Win proposed.

"Okay", Bright tugged his hand and entering the shop.

(A/N: Honeydukes is a wizarding sweet shop located on High Street in the all-wizarding village of Hogsmeade. It was first established in 1641 and is owned by Ambrosius Flume and his wife, and is filled with "shelves upon shelves of the most succulent-looking sweets imaginable".In addition to the standard wizarding candy that is sold there, the owners also make their own fudge and chocolate. For obvious reasons, the shop is quite a popular destination for Hogwarts students when visiting Hogsmeade on the weekends and during the Christmas season one can barely move due to the crowd of visitors)

It was filled up with all the Hogwarts students, buying different sweets or bargaining with the owner.

Bright suddenly tightened his hold on Win's hand and carefully twisted his way towards the counter, occasionally looking back to make sure Win was with him: This small gesture made Win's heart flutter. He felt protected and cared for.

After buying a few Fizzing Whizbees and few ice coconut fudge, they left the shop.

"So, you were saying you are afraid of cats?" Bright asked, continuing yesterday's conversation.

"Not afraid, literally. I mean I have an allergy to cat furs", Win answered shivering a bit, because of the cold weather.

"How many things are you allergic to exactly?" Bright asked teasing him.

Win whined. Bright was teasing him again," oh, come on! It's not that I want to be allergic to it."

"I never said that way," Bright chuckled a bit.

Win rolled his eyes in response and started rambling about how dogs eat snow and when they passed the shop selling Quidditch items, he started rambling about how cool Harry's Firebolt broom is.

Bright smiled while looking at the overtly excited bunny boy who was animating everything with his free right hand and talking with a smile on his lips. He could watch him all day.

They passed by Zonko's Joke shop and the Weasley twins waved at Win and winked at him, soon after which Win blushed.

"Are they flirting with you?" Bright asked with a low rumbling voice.

"No no, it's not like flirting... They were teasing actually", Win blushed even more eyeing their intertwined hands in Bright's jacket pocket.

Bright blushed after getting what Win was implying.

He coughed a bit," it's just because you're shivering", he soon dragged Win inside The Three Broomsticks as per Win's request earlier. The warmth engulfed them as they entered the pub. Win sighed in relief.

"Bright, Win!" A familiar, honey-coated voice called them.

"Professor Pattranite!" Win said, waving back at her and joining her.

Win felt Bright leave his hands and was got oddly stiffened.

"For Butterbeer, I presume?" She asked.

(A/N: The Three Broomsticks was a popular inn and pub in the all-wizarding village of Hogsmeade, which was often frequented by students from the neighboring Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The inn was often warm, crowded, and a bit smoky, but clean and welcoming. The mirror behind the bar reflected the cozy atmosphere, and popular drinks such as Butterbeer and Firewhisky were served in glasses and in foaming pewter tankards, as well as gillywater, Mulled Mead, red currant rum, and even cherry syrup and soda with ice and an umbrella. The Three Broomsticks was owned and operated by Madam Rosmerta.)

"Yes, Professor", Win answered sitting opposite her.

"I'll go give the order", Bright said, excusing himself.

When Bright was out of sight, Pattranite leaned forward, "Win, are dating my cousin?"

"Your cousin?"

"Oh, right. You don't know yet. It's Bright, my cousin. Are you dating him?" She asked in a hushed whisper.

"No, not yet", Win shuttered, blushing red.

"Not yet? I thought I gave him pretty much many opportunities to ask you out!" She exclaimed, almost groaning.

"I didn't get that, Professor", Win said.

"Oh, don't call me Professor outside Hogwarts, Win. Just call me Love, I would appreciate that", She smiled.

"Oh okay, Love, please tell me do you mean by you giving him many chances to ask me out", Win asked, his heart beating faster than ever.

"Don't tell Bright. That weirdo has been in love with you since forever", Win almost fell from his seat at the words.

"What?!" He squeaked.

"Shush, lower your voice", She looked around again and then whispered," he said he's been mesmerized by your bravery when you bravely stood against Malfoy and his friends back on your first year".

"Is that... Is that why you introduced Amortentia in our first potion class this year?" Win asked, digesting the previous news.

"Not exactly. Before the term started, Bright persuaded me to let him use Amortentia to make you fall in love with him. But I denied him straight away saying that making someone swallow a love potion isn't a way to initiate a relationship. People need to work hard building up everything than just making another person swallow up some potion. Nah, not a good idea", she shook her head few times to emphasize her point.

"I chose to give you all a brief idea about the actual concept of Amortentia. Unlike what most of you believe, it has nothing to do with initiating something superior quality of a feeling, like love. The most it can do is induce a sort of obsession for the person", she sighed again.

"And that's why I wanted you to answer him if Amortentia can initiate such a deeper feeling and knock some senses in him and no doubt, you did that", she smiled.

Win's head was about to burst with all this information. So, all the time Bright was busy liking him and he was busy hating him.

What the hell!

"Then, then he wasn't messing up with my dreams?" Win asked, clutching his scarf firmly.

"No, that was me. I am sorry, but I wanted to help him by transferring his thoughts to you via dreams. Bright doesn't know anything about it, please don't hate my cousin. He really loves you he's just very bad at expressing", she said," please be a little patient with him, that's all he needs."

Win nodded, slowly.

"Let me ask you now, do you like my cousin?" she asked.

Before Win could answer, Bright brought a Firewhisky for Love," do you want Butterbeer, Win?"

Win looked at Bright and then at Love, his heart thumping loudly.

"Yes".

Win shivered violently when he went out of the Three Broomsticks. Bright immediately wrapped him with his jacket.

"Hoi! Why are doing this?" Win asked, blushing.

"You're shivering", Bright pointed out.

"But wouldn't you be cold?" He asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

Bright jogged a bit on the snow and smiled," it's not that cold, Win, I am fine!"

Win didn't buy the excuse and denied any further destinations to check out and straight away dragged Bright towards the castle.

"Um, well, Love said you were her cousin," Bright stiffened," they why did she pretended not to know your name in the potion class?" Win asked while walking back.

Bright relaxed a bit, "well, she put up a show because I didn't want anyone to know about my relationship with her".

"Well, now that I know, are you mad?" Win asked playing with the loose ends of his scarf.

"I am never mad at you Win", Bright said smiling at him, making Win blush with different shades of red," and I wouldn't mind you knowing anything that concerns me".

Silence engulfed them.

"Why?" Win mumbled loud enough for both of them.

"Because you have a portkey to my heart".

(A/N: A Portkey is a magical object enchanted to instantly bring anyone touching it to a specific location.

A/N(2) : The pick–up line 🤧)
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