Felix was once again assisting Minho with the ritual. It was his friend's fourth attempt that night, and he didn't seem any closer to succeeding, unfortunately enough. While the older went to check his books yet again to see if he'd missed anything, Felix curiously walked over to the summoning circle. It looked absolutely flawless, in his opinion. 

He was mindful not to mess with any of the drawings as he took a few steps inside, murmuring under his breath the incantation he'd come to learn by heart after hearing Minho cast it so many times – mostly doing it out of instinct, to see if maybe his friend was simply pronouncing something wrong.

But then, without warning whatsoever, the entire summoning circle started glowing as the wind in the room picked. Felix closed his eyes as a blinding flash of white light bathed the entire classroom, his ears barely registering Minho's worried shout behind him – and then everything fell completely still.

A small meowing noise echoed in the abrupt silence.

Hesitantly opening his eyes, they quickly went wide when he noticed the beautiful, fairly large white cat now sitting in the middle of the circle, with two cute little black horns popping out of its head right next to its fluffy ears.

"What—"

"I- I did it!"

Minho's breathless, joyful exclamation made Felix glance back, just in time to see his friend now rushing toward him. Walking past Felix to crouch before the cat, Minho reverently reached out to pet it but, the moment he tried to touch it, the familiar hissed at him – and then pounced on Felix. The freckled boy let out a startled yelp, slightly scared, but then the cat settled down on his chest and began to purr happily. Felix gazed at it with wide eyes, uncertain of what to do, before looking up to find Minho staring right back at him.

"Minho—"

"What did you do?" he whispered, his voice trembling a bit.

"I- I don't know, I was just walking around and I- I was muttering the spell but I didn't—I wasn't trying to cast it or anything, I swear—"

"You must have used some sort of residual magic from my previous attempt," realized Minho, his eyes going wide for a brief second before narrowing in anger. "You stole my familiar! I can't believe—I finally manage to summon one, and you jump in and make it bond with you instead!?"

Felix's eyes went wide as he jumped to his feet, the cat now in his arms. "No! It's not like that! I didn't think—"

"You messed up my ritual and now my familiar is bonded to you! Do you realize just how messed up that is!? It was already hard enough to summon this one – there's no way I'll manage to summon another!"

"But you still- you still summoned it, right? So maybe you can say it's yours—"

"I can't! If we don't have a bond, then it won't be of any use to me and it will be a danger for everyone! We'd need to banish it so I could try summoning it again, but demons aren't exactly keen of bonding again when you literally banish them back to hell the first time around!" Enraged, Minho kicked one of the candles. "I can't believe it! My deadline is coming up and now there's no way I'll be able to summon another one and bond with it in time!"

Felix felt like crying as Minho kept on shouting, holding the cat a little tighter to his chest. He never meant to mess up Minho's ritual, he didn't even think it was possible to bond with someone else's familiar. But now Minho was mad at him, and with good reason, too.

Still, it was just an accident...

"Give it here," sighed Minho, pinching the bridge of his nose. "We're gonna have to go to a teacher to get it banished at once—"

"No, please!" No matter the unfortunate circumstances, the mere thought of sending the familiar back genuinely pained the freckled boy. "Please, Minho. I know- I know it's not ideal but please- please don't banish him."

"Felix, you can't keep a familiar as powerful as this one under control. If it starts causing havoc, you won't be able to stop it. Plus, I'm the one who technically summoned it, so I get to decide, and I'm deciding we need to send it back," he insisted, frowning.

"Minho, please!"

This cat was now his familiar, no matter the reason how or why, and Felix was genuinely distressed at the thought of losing him. The beautiful demon cat felt like a soothing balm over his aching heart, as if he'd just found another piece of himself, and the mere thought of being separated was painful enough to make him cry.

The sight of Felix's teary eyes finally made Minho avert his eyes, gritting his teeth.

"Just... get out of my sight," finally ordered Minho. "Get out!"

With a small sob, Felix rushed out of the classroom. The moment he closed the door behind him, a muffled shout of anger echoed from inside, and he burrowed his face in the cat's silky fur to muffle another sob. He never meant to be such a hindrance to Minho, but it was too late to turn back, now.

Felix had a familiar – he was going to need to do some serious reading on those.

.

Thankfully enough, hiding a familiar wasn't exactly difficult. Though they couldn't communicate in the proper sense, his cat – now named Silver – easily understood that he needed to stay hidden if he didn't want to get banished, so he turned into a cute hairpiece in the shape of a paw that Felix now wore every day.

Minho was mad at him too, now – and, with his deadline quickly coming up (Christmas) he barely spent any time with them anymore. Neither of them told the others what happened, but he was obviously growing stressed out by his lack of success and, though Felix felt genuinely sorry for accidentally interfering, there was nothing he could do to help, so he simply stayed out of his way.

Hyunjin was still angry, too, and Felix felt too hurt to confront him. He was terrified Hyunjin might have meant what he said that day and, most importantly, he didn't want to upset Hyunjin further. Plus, the older was almost always with his little clique, now – constantly surrounded by numerous students who seemingly enjoyed basking in the afterglow of his popularity.

It made Felix sick to the stomach, but Hyunjin didn't seem to mind – in fact, he seemed to absolutely relish in all the attention, and he made a point of always laughing even louder at whatever one of his dutiful followers said whenever Felix was close enough to hear. It pained him, but he supposed he only had himself to blame for it – he was the one who'd accused Hyunjin of not being committed enough.

(There was a little voice in the back of his head, however, that kept on telling him that he was right – that Hyunjin was spending less and less time in the infirmary, and that his dedication to what once passioned him was dwindling by the day for the sake of his newfound popularity.)

And now, as if all that wasn't enough, he was also having some issues with Changbin.

"It's not fair! You said you were going to help me, but all that's happened so far is me doing your homework for you while you go out to have fun with your friends!"

"It's not like that, Lix," huffed Changbin, exasperated. "Look, I really need your help with this, okay? I'm in the middle of a bigger project with the others, that's why I've been spending so much time with them. We have to make a super-difficult potion as a group project, and it's been stressing me out."

Upon hearing that, Felix calmed down a bit. "Why couldn't you just tell me? You know I'm happy to help with your potions..."

"I know that, but it's a group project – there's no reason for you to get involved. But look, if you really want to help, then maybe you can help me find some ingredients? We're missing just a few, and we're not sure of where to find them just yet."

"I... sure. Okay, I'll help with that." While Felix was still a bit upset, he couldn't blame Changbin for being stretched thin by homework. "What do you guys need, still?"

"Well, a big enough dose of Swooping Evil venom, some Abraxan hair, Boom Berries, and a few Braskorn seeds, too."

"You can probably get the Boom Berries from one of the greenhouses on campus," mused Felix, thinking back to all of the plants that could be grown on the school's grounds. "Swooping Evil venom and Abraxan hair... I think my CMC teacher might have both on hand, actually. And Braskorn seeds..." Felix hesitated, thinking back to the precious seeds Professor Lee had given him, before shaking his head and offering his friend awkward smile. "Sorry, but I- I don't know about those."

Changbin, who had been noting everything down, instantly looked up and narrowed his eyes at him. Felix squirmed uncomfortably, and an excited grin instantly spread on Changbin's lips.

"You're lying. You do know where to find some!"

"I- I really don't—"

"Felix, you're a terrible liar. Come on! Why won't you tell me?"

The freckled boy heaved out a sigh. "Look, I don't... Okay, so I might have a few, but I can't- I can't give them to you, Bin. I'm sorry."

Changbin's expression grew dejected, and guilt stewed in Felix's heart. "Why not?"

"Because- because they were a gift, and they're important to me, and they're really expensive too. I'm sorry, but I can't give them up. But- but surely you can find an ingredient to substitute them, right? You could—"

"Felix, I really need those seeds," cut Changbin, now serious. "We're not allowed to pick another potion and I promised my teammates I could do it. I can't let them down. Won't you help me out? It's really important to me!"

Felix shook his head, rising to his feet. "I'm sorry, I can't."

"You can't, or you don't want to? Lix, come on—"

"I said no!" Felix picked up his bag, slinging it over his shoulder. "They're mine, Changbin. They were gifted to me, and I'm sorry, but I'm not going to waste them on a school project that isn't even my own. You'll have- you'll have to find something else."

Changbin scoffed at that. "So that's it? I need your help and you tell me to get lost?"

Felix's face fell a bit at that. "That's not fair—"

"No, you know what's not fair? It's that you have exactly what I need to get a perfect grade and finally earn the respect of my other housemates, and you refuse to give it to me for purely selfish reasons. You're a terrible friend, Felix."

"I—"

"If you're not going to help, then get lost."

Gritting his teeth, Felix spun on his heels and walked out of the library without another look back. He was hurt, hardly able to believe that this was someone he used to consider one of his closest friends. He felt used but, already, his own head was working against him.

Am I truly such a bad friend?

Was it truly so selfish? Was he wrong, to keep those seeds for himself? Was he wrong to reject Changbin when the older clearly needed his help, even asked for it?

Damn it!

.

"—or then you'll end up like Felix, so make sure you don't do that."

Unbelievable. Even when Felix wasn't even participating in the studying groups, Seungmin found a way to put him on the spot. He shoved his numerous failures in class right out in the spotlight for everyone to see, using them as counter-examples for, well, everything. And every time, everyone laughed, and every time, Seungmin seemed to enjoy that he wasn't the one getting laughed at, at last.

Still upset over what had happened with Changbin, Felix didn't even spare the group a glance as he rushed to their room. There, he found none other than Jeongin – but the moment he tried to greet him, the younger shot him a slightly panicked look and ran out of the room with a "see you later!" thrown his way.

Felix felt like crying all over again. So now even Jeongin was avoiding him?

"Oh, Felix! When did you get here?"

Seungmin was suddenly there, walking past him to go fetch a book on his nightstand. Felix hesitated for a brief second before finally speaking his mind.

"Minnie... It's great that your study groups are going well, but... could you please stop putting me on the spot like that?"

"What do you mean?" replied his friend, puzzled.

"W- well, you keep using me as an example of what not to do... And- and I get it, it's a good counter-example, but it's just... really humiliating. It's bad enough that I mess up in class, there's no need to remind everyone outside of it too—"

"Felix, you're taking this way too personally," replied Seungmin, rolling his eyes a bit. "I use other students as counter-examples too when they mess up – you just happen to mess up the most often, is all."

"I know that, but surely there's another way—"

"Look, if you don't want me to tell the other students not to do like you... then I don't know, just do better or something," he huffed, walking past Felix without even sparing him a glance. "Everyone's working hard, Lix. You should probably do the same if you don't want to get left behind."

On which he left the room, the door clicking shut behind him. For a moment, only a suffocating silence reigned in the room. Numbly, Felix walked over to his bed and fell on top of it, his hairpiece instantly shifting back into his familiar, who nuzzled against him in an attempt to comfort him.

Felix choked out a sob, hugging Silver tightly.

Why were things so messed up now?

.

"Damn it, Felix! Why can't you just shoot straight already?"

Felix stiffened at being called out. He was doing better now, managing to land on the ground without too much issue, and with his broom still intact – a distinct improvement, but apparently not one any of his friends took notice of.

He genuinely thought things were starting to get better when Jisung suddenly invited him outside to go play some Quidditch with everyone. Unfortunately, the moment they got there, it became obvious that things weren't much better. Hyunjin was still angry at him, Chan and Minho weren't even there, Jeongin wouldn't even meet his eyes for some reason, and Changbin didn't pick him like he used to, still upset too.

No one volunteered to take Felix into their team. They drew straws, and Felix ended up with Changbin and Jeongin. However, they'd barely begun to play that Changbin was already all over his back, yelling at him for messing up his shot at the goal – and, with the game now drawing to an end, he was now yelling at him because they'd lost.

This had never happened before, and Felix didn't know what to do.

"Hey, hey, hey! Calm down!" Jisung stepped in, frowning. "Why are you yelling at him like that? You know he has a harder time playing, it's not—"

"Then maybe he shouldn't play!"

There was an abrupt moment of silence, and Felix's drop completely when he realized that none of the others were actually going to defend him. He looked at them all, a tad helplessly, but none dared to meet his eyes – and he finally realized that Changbin had just said what they were all thinking.

Feeling a little sick, Felix turned on his heels and started walking back toward the castle.

"Felix! Felix, wait!"

He ignored Jisung calling out to him, mounting his broom and taking off in order to go faster. He might not be the best for playing Quidditch, but he could at least fly in a straight line now, meaning he managed to escape before Jisung could reach him.

.

Felix skipped dinner that night, and he faked being asleep when the others eventually returned. None of them tried to wake him to talk things out, which only made him feel worse about the whole ordeal. Did he overreact? Was he wrong for being upset?

The next day, he woke up before all the others and left to get breakfast early. He ate alone, and got to class in advance, too. It was potions that morning, but he was no longer excited about this particular class because, a few weeks ago, Jeongin had timidly asked him if he'd mind if he partnered up with another of his friends instead, and Felix hadn't had the heart to refuse him.

(There was an uneven number of students in the class, meaning Felix was now without a partner – and literally all of his potions went wrong, now, for some reason.)

"Oh, you're early! Good, I wanted to talk with you."

"What is it, Professor?" he asked, already dreading the answer.

Professor Hyuna bit her lower lip as he walked over to her desk. "Felix... There have been numerous incidents with your ingredients in the past. No matter how much we drain them, their cores somehow always get reactivated. At first, I believed it was because the work hadn't been done properly, but... Can you please pick this up for me?"

A tad confused, and slightly scared, Felix did as told and picked up the strange root that was on the other end of the desk. After a few seconds, the root suddenly began to glow, and he dropped it, startled. The Professor merely heaved out a sigh, as if she'd been expecting such an outcome.

"Felix... I've concluded that your magic is so unstable, it's what reactivated the cores of all the ingredients in the first place."

"W- what? How is that even possible?" he protested weakly.

"I don't know either. You have a lot of potential, Felix – but right now, your lack of control is a risk in this class. You're not to blame for it, of course, but I believe it might be for the best if you went to get tested."

"Tested? What for?"

"I don't want to scare you, but... I think it would be pertinent to get tested for a potential case of Magical Core Corruption." Felix's eyes widened a bit at the ominous name, and she lifted a placating hand. "Please, don't panic. While it's not a common ailment, it's a type of disease that basically cripples one's magical core and renders one's magic unstable. It usually happens to much older people, mostly women too, but... Well, there's always a first for everything and, for your own sake, I believe it would be safer to go and get tested."

"I- I understand... but how should I even proceed with that...?"

Noticing how scared he was, the teacher's expression softened a bit, and she smiled reassuringly. "You should go and have a talk with Healer Kim. She's certified for this type of procedure, I believe, and she'll be better suited to answer any questions you might have. In the meantime, however... I believe it would be safer if you didn't handle the ingredients at all. You can focus on the theory, alright? I promise it won't affect your grade."

"I... thank you. I'll- I'll go see her during lunchtime, then."

"Good. But don't let it get to your head too much, okay? It's a really rare disease, and it might be something else entirely. Just better safe than sorry, right?"

"R- right."

.

Everyone noticed how he wasn't handed any ingredients that day, and it didn't take a Ravenclaw to connect the dots more or less properly. Word of Felix being to blame for all of the ingredients "going bad" spread like wildfire through the halls of the school and, in a matter of hours, Felix's bullies were handed brand-new ammunition to use against him.

To say Felix was absolutely terrified would be an understatement. He'd never heard of such a disease before, but could it be the actual cause behind his lack of control?

Is it treatable? Is it lethal? Am I going to hurt someone? Are there side-effects? Is there a way to reverse it? What can I do? What am I going to do!?

Yeah, so much for not letting it get to his head.

He tried seeking out Chan, probably the only friend he had left at that point. He really needed some advice and comfort, and he knew the older would help. However, when he finally managed to track him down, he was busy with some older students, discussing some sort of club project.

"Chan?" he hesitantly called out. "Can we- can we talk for a bit?"

"Ah, sorry Lix, but I'm really busy right now—"

"Chan, please, it's really important—"

"Not now, Felix."

The freckled boy lowered his head at the harsher tone – he'd never heard Chan talk to him like that before, and it hurt. But the older, unperturbed by their exchange, merely went back to talking with the older students and, understanding he couldn't even count on him, Felix quietly walked away.

He might be dying, and no one... no one actually cared.

.

"I understand. Of course, I'll run the tests. However, it'll take me a few weeks to gather everything I'll need for those. Just make sure you don't strain yourself in the meantime, alright?" With a sigh, Healer Kim then glanced at the clock on the wall, and she clicked her tongue. "This kid... I'd have thought he would at least have the decency to accompany you for something so important, but he's just messing around, after all."

Felix knew she was talking about Hyunjin, who was more and more of a no-show to the lessons he'd personally sought out at the beginning of the year. Normally, Felix would have flown to his defense in a heartbeat, but... he simply didn't have the energy for it. He was exhausted, and scared, and alone, and he just wanted to curl up and fall asleep and not wake up for at least a week.

Healer Kim sent him on his way with a potion to help him sleep at night, and Felix headed out. He briefly considered stopping by the dinner hall but, when he peered inside, he found all seven of his "friends" now gathered together... and there wasn't even a free space for him to take, none of them seemingly bothered by his absence.

Feeling his heart clench up, Felix returned to the dorm without eating, that night.

.

A new routine began for Felix.

He got up around 5AM, quietly got ready for the day, and then left the dorm before a single other soul could even wake. He ate breakfast directly in the kitchens, the kind elves always happy to prepare him something even though breakfast was actually only served at 6AM. After what, he'd wander aimlessly until he found a spot where he could until his first class.

Since they had places assigned, Felix was forced to sit with the others, still, but the three of them stopped trying to initiate random conversations when Felix kept on stubbornly ignoring them. It pained Felix because Jisung still tried to talk with him every time they got paired up in Transfiguration, and he eventually caved in and allowed small talk – but Jisung never apologized for what happened on the Quidditch field, and Felix didn't have the strength to force excuses he didn't mean out of the boy.

He still met up with Sana for his weekly remedial lessons and, thankfully enough, the older girl didn't seem bored of helping him. She was still cheerful and encouraging, praising him every time he made some progress – and, frankly, he was already doing miles better than when school started, so he counted that as a win.

Chan kept on canceling their tutoring lessons, still. He no longer went to support Minho with his summoning ritual. He and Changbin no longer met up. Seungmin kept on using him as counter-examples in his study groups, as if trying to make a point. Hyunjin kept on avoiding and ignoring him, his fanclub growing in size by the day. Jeongin mostly hung out with his new friends, now, barely around anymore. And Jisung... Jisung kept on gaining popularity, and winning everyone's favor, and doing more pranks.

Pranks that, more often than not, got Felix caught in the crossfire.

His bullies seemingly took incredible joy in twisting Jisung's amazing creations to hurt him in one way or the other, but he couldn't bring himself to tell his friend. How would he react, if he knew what he absolutely loved creating was used to hurt someone? He'd be devastated and, no matter how upset Felix could get, he didn't want to hurt Jisung.

They were still friends, after all.

(Or at least, he hoped they were.)

.

.

.

Jeongin didn't really know how it all happened.

He'd distanced himself from his friends, that much was obvious (and kind of planned, too). He was happy with the new friends he made, he loved hanging out with them, and they were simply more available than Chan, Minho, Changbin, and Hyunjin, for example. Plus, Jisung and Seungmin were starting to grow big heads from being popular, and he didn't particularly enjoy their attitudes, so he mostly let them be.

Then there was Felix.

True, he meant to avoid the freckled boy. He had his reasons, but they certainly weren't mean-spirited in any way. However, what he'd failed to realize at the time was that he was only adding to the burden of rejection and loneliness that had slowly, but surely, begun to crush the older.

He'd noticed the strange tension, of course. How Hyunjin would scoff every time someone mentioned his name, or how Changbin would roll his eyes and change the subject. He'd also noticed Felix's growing absences, from how he disappeared in the mornings and how he seemingly skipped more and more meals. He noticed how the others didn't save him a seat at their table anymore, as if he didn't have his place with them. He noticed how they no longer invited him to hang out, even though the seven of them met up literally every weekend in an effort to nurture their friendship and keep in touch.

He noticed how the others... well, either they didn't notice all of it, or they simply didn't care enough to do anything about it.

It scared him, how mean Changbin was during that one awful game of Quidditch – he'd been so startled, he hadn't been able to find the words to jump to Felix's defense before the freckled boy ran away, and then he didn't dare snap at Changbin like Jisung did, too scared of upsetting his friend even more than he already was.

It scared him, how Felix was retreating on himself. How he was barely a shell of who he used to be, how his light kept on dimming by the day, how he no longer smiled or laughed or even talked anymore, as if numbed to everything and everyone. How he looked so hurt and miserable and alone all of the time, and how himself was somehow incapable of just stepping in and stopping this nonsense.

It scared Jeongin because he loved Felix too much to see him suffer like this.

Falling for Felix was unexpected. Not that it was hard to fall in love with Felix because really, it wasn't, but Jeongin certainly didn't expect it. For a long time, he genuinely believed he was only into girls – but, while he was dating that one girl back at the Home, he started to notice all sorts of details.

Like how Felix's eyes cutely crinkled up whenever he smiled too widely. How his laugh went deeper the more genuine it was. How cute his messy morning bedhead was, or how all of his freckles seemed to stand out even more when he blushed. How he'd instinctively check his pulse when he was nervous, or how he'd always seek out eye contact every time he said something, as if seeking approval.

Even though Jeongin was dating someone at the time, he somehow found all of his attention focused on Felix. At first he thought it was hormones provoked by pure curiosity, but the more time passed and the more he began to realize that he was developing genuine feelings for the older – feelings stronger than the ones he felt for the others of their little group.

And then, one dreadful morning, he woke up and the first thing he saw was the beautiful sun tattooed on his hip.

He knew instantly that it was Felix's mark, it had to be. It took him all morning to come to terms with his feelings but, once he did, he immediately went to break up with the other girl, not wanting to lead her on or hurt her feelings. She took it gracefully, thankfully enough, and Jeongin had then returned home newly-single and absolutely terrified. 

He couldn't tell Felix how he felt, that much was obvious. He figured he should wait until his mark began to glow – proof that Felix loved him back. But as time passed, Jeongin fell even more for the older, but Felix simply didn't return his feelings, still treating him only as a friend, almost a brother.

It broke Jeongin's heart and, when they finally started school, he became determined to grow out of his stupid feelings. Surely meeting new people would open his heart again, right? But even as he met new people and made new friends, the little sun tattoo stubbornly refused to vanish, and he eventually concluded that if new people couldn't chase his feelings away, then distance would surely help wither them. 

So, he started avoiding Felix. He tried not to make it too obvious, not wanting to hurt him, and having new friends was a good enough excuse to spend less time with him. But when even that didn't work, Jeongin started to panic. He couldn't have fallen that hard for Felix, could he?

Determined to prove the soul mark wrong, he ultimately decided to cut all ties with the freckled boy altogether.

(Not literally, of course – just a temporary separation, kind of.)

Too caught up in trying to keep his feelings in check, Jeongin failed to realize just how much his actions and his dismissive attitude were hurting Felix – and he also failed to notice just how the others had also begun treating him. And, when he finally realized that something was truly wrong, it was too late.

Felix was now the one avoiding them, their group felt incomplete, none of the others seemed to care all that much, and Jeongin didn't know what to do to fix all of it.

But I need to do something, he thought as he walked the halls, currently on the hunt for Felix, who had yet to return to the dorm despite the late hour – it was almost past curfew, now. I can't let this go on anymore. We've been friends for so long, how could we get broken up so easily?

No, there was surely something he could do – there had to be something he could do.

I'll talk to Felix, he decided, clenching his fists. I've been avoiding my feelings for too long. I'll come clean, tell him everything – and once he understands that this was all just a huge misunderstanding, we'll go talk to the others too, and we'll fix everything—

A faint whimper caught his ear, and he abruptly stopped in his tracks. Looking around, he didn't see anyone. Just as he was about to start walking again, however, another whimper caught his attention, to his left. Narrowing his eyes at the well there, it took him a moment to see the outline of a door.

Right, isn't there supposed to be a closet there...?

But the door was almost completely concealed, blending in with the wall, and Jeongin belatedly realized it was because an illusion spell had been casted on it. Quickly casting the counter-spell, Jeongin then tried to open the door – but it was locked, for some reason. Frowning, he once again used a spell to force the lock, and he finally managed to pull the door open.

It was completely dark inside the small, cramped closet, but he almost instantly noticed the small form curled up against the shelves.

"Felix!!!"

It was him. The freckled boy whimpered softly again, not even lifting his head to look at him, and Jeongin's heart broke all over again upon seeing him so pitiful and hurt. He could ask questions later, however – right now, Felix needed him. So, he carefully picked the other up, immediately startled by how light he was, and carried him out of the closet. 

Felix was crying softly in his chest as Jeongin carried him all the way back to their dorm. They briefly crossed path with the Slytherin Prefects doing their round because it was now officially past curfew but, thankfully, they didn't say anything and simply allowed them to be on their way.

They entered the common room, which was now empty considering the later hour. However, when Jeongin finally managed to reach their room, he found it empty – and that's when he remembered that both Seungmin and Jisung were having sleepovers with their respective friends, since everyone was soon going to split ways for Christmas break. 

He set Felix down on his bed, the older no longer crying by now, but his eyes were puffed-out and he looked a bit dazed. Jeongin carefully wrapped a blanket around his shoulders before going to the bathroom to fetch a glass of water. When he handed it to Felix, however, he finally noticed the blood on his hands.

"Oh, Lix..." he whispered brokenly. "What happened?"

"... they tripped me into the closet and locked me up." Felix's voice was incredibly hoarse, and Jeongin suddenly wondered for how long Felix had been calling for help before he eventually gave up. "And the door- the door wouldn't budge and no one- no one could hear me and- and—"

"Shh, it's okay, you're okay." Jeongin quickly pulled him into a tight hug before Felix could send himself into another panic attack. "You're okay, it's over now. I've got you, now."

"Innie..." Tears were spilling down Felix's eyes again. "Innie, please – whatever I did to make you hate me, I'm so sorry, I don't know what I did but I'm sorry—"

"No, it's not your fault, Lix, it's not your fault," choked out Jeongin, gently wiping his tears away. "I swear, you didn't do anything wrong. But we can talk about all of this tomorrow, okay? For now, let's get you cleaned up."

Felix offered a small whimper akin to an agreement for only answer, and Jeongin promptly got to work. He fetched a clean rag, which he soaked in cold water before he started cleaning Felix's wounded fingers as gently as he could. Felix flinched and winced a few times, but didn't utter a sound. When Jeongin was finally done, he bandaged Felix's hands, then helped the older change into comfier clothes. When Felix made a move to go lay down on his own bed, however, Jeongin stopped him and gently, but firmly made him lay down under the covers.

"You can sleep with me tonight," he assured gently. "Please?"

Felix exhaled shakily but nodded in agreement. A word too faint for Jeongin to catch escaped him and, without warning, the beautiful hairpiece that was previously sitting on Felix's nightstand suddenly turned into some sort of giant cat, which immediately came to lay beside Felix, who relaxed a bit. Jeongin blinked at the cat a few times – are those horns? – before shaking his head and carefully lying down next to Felix. They were going to have a long talk tomorrow but, right now, Felix deserved to rest.

.

Jeongin felt intense relief when he woke up the next day and found Felix still in bed with him. The cat was also still there, and Jeongin was mindful not to wake either as he shuffled out of bed go clean himself up. It was the last weekend before Christmas break, meaning they'd have plenty of time to clear the air with everyone else.

When he returned to the room, he found Felix awake, now sitting on the bed and quietly petting his cat, who was purring lowly. Jeongin couldn't help but smile a bit at the admittedly adorable sight – the cat was already big, but it looked positively huge in Felix's lap – before hesitantly joining them.

"Hey, Lix."

"Hey."

His voice was small, still hoarse. Jeongin had thought ahead and already prepared a glass of water for him, which Felix gratefully accepted. After a minute or so of silence, Jeongin finally dared to break the ice.

"What happened yesterday?" he asked gently.

"I... I was heading back to the dorms when someone made me trip into the closet. They closed the door before I could get out and then it was locked and- and I kept on trying to open it but it wouldn't work and when I tried using my wand, I only ended up melting the handle on my side..." Felix's lower lip was wobbling, fear still clearly etched on his features. "I was- I was in there for so long, it felt like forever... and- and no one was answering my calls and I thought- I thought I was going to be stuck there alone for- forever...!"

"I'm so sorry, Felix," Jeongin whispered brokenly, pulling the freckled boy against his side so he could hug him. "This is terrible. I didn't realize- I didn't realize they were still bullying you. I thought- I thought they were over it by now, if I'd known—"

"What, you'd have stopped ignoring me sooner?"

Jeongin winced at the bitter accusation. "I... Yeah. I'm sorry, Felix."

"Why did you do it?" Felix pulled away so their eyes could meet, his own shining with a hurt so real it made Jeongin's heart crack in pieces. "What did I- what did I do that was so wrong that made you hate- hate me...?"

"I didn't hate you—I don't hate you," assured Jeongin firmly, though his voice faltered a bit as he realized it was finally time to clean. He lowered his eyes. "It's... it's the complete opposite, actually."

"What are you talking about?"

Unable to bring himself to say it out loud, Jeongin silently lifted the hem of his shirt and twisted his upper body a bit, a small gasp escaping Felix's lips as he finally saw the little sun tattooed on Jeongin's hip. Jeongin closed his eyes, already half-expecting the rejection, and he startled a bit when cold fingers hesitantly brushed against the mark.

"Is that... my soul mark...?"

"I couldn't- I couldn't tell you." Jeongin's throat was dry, his heart hammering wildly in his chest – he was terrified yet, at the same time, he couldn't stop talking now that the cat was finally out of the bag. "It's been there for so long and I was scared you were going to find out and I thought- I thought my feelings were just going to pass but they didn't, and I panicked and figured... I figured it'd be easier to forget about them if..."

"If you forgot about me," completed Felix, his voice breaking a bit at the end.

"I never meant to hurt you, Lix," assured Jeongin, grabbing his hand and squeezing it tightly, still not daring to meet his eyes. "But I was so scared... I shouldn't- I shouldn't have avoided you like that, and I should have told you something, at the very least... I'm sorry. I really, really am."

"Jeongin..." After a few seconds, Felix gently squeezed his hand back. "I don't... You know I don't love you that way."

"I do," confirmed Jeongin, swallowing thickly. "And I'm not asking you to – even less considering what I put you through—"

A finger pressed against his lips, stopping him from talking any further, and he lifted his eyes in surprise. Felix's gaze was gentle and understanding, the dullness that had grown permanent in his eyes leaving place for some of the warmth that used to be constantly present in them.

"I don't love you that way," he repeated softly, the tips of his ears now burning a bit. "But I... but I'm not rejecting you. I do care about you a lot, Innie. And I feel- I feel so grateful, to have someone as amazing as you feel so strongly about me... Honestly, I'd love nothing more than to give this – us – a shot, but..."

Hesitantly, Felix lifted his own shirt and turned around, revealing the small sunflower tattooed on his lower back.

"... is that Jisung's mark?"

Felix curled up a bit on himself, unable to face Jeongin again. "I've been in love with him for so long, Innie... I think- I think I'd be able to love someone else too, if given the chance, but I don't think I'd ever be able to stop loving him... It wouldn't be fair to you—"

"I don't care." Jeongin gently grabbed Felix's shoulders to turn him around, a tad breathless at the revelation as he cradled Felix's face. "Felix, I don't- I don't care. You could love a thousand other people and I wouldn't care because that's- that's just you, Lix. You're the type of person with a heart too big to love only one person and I- I really do love that about you."

"Innie—"

"I want this," he insisted, pressing his forehead to Felix's. "I want to give it a try. You can keep loving Jisung all you want because I know- I know that if it's meant to be, then you'll come to love me just as much."

"And if- if I don't?" Felix looked on the verge of crying again. "Innie, I don't want to hurt you."

"You won't. I'd rather we gave it a try then have regrets. And if- if it truly doesn't work, after we've given it all we had, then it won't change the fact that I still care about you very much, and we'll still be friends and family no matter the outcome, okay?"

"Jeongin..." Felix hesitated one last time before his features relaxed a bit, and he leaned into Jeongin's touch as he closed his eyes, giving in. "Okay. Let's- let's give it a try."

Overjoyed, Jeongin moved forward and, though he wanted nothing more than to kiss Felix silly, he held himself back and simply kissed his forehead, instead. Felix hummed in answer, relaxing a bit more in his arms, and the two soon ended up cuddling on Jeongin's bed, both relishing in the moment.

Until a fat, fluffy tail suddenly smacked Jeongin in the face, making him splutter. Felix burst into muffled giggles, gently pushing his cat aside a bit.

"Right. Where did that big guy come from, by the way?"

"Ah, that's..."

Though hesitant, Felix eventually spilled the beans about how he'd apparently messed with Minho's ritual, and how it led to him having a familiar and Minho being seriously pissed at him. And then, as if a dam had been smashed open, Felix spilled about the rest, too – about how Hyunjin and Changbin were mad at him too, how Chan was always too busy for him, how Seungmin kept on humiliating him, how Jisung stayed oblivious to his friends' cruelty.

He told Jeongin about how lonely he'd been, about how he was always eating alone, about how none of them invited him to hang out anymore. He told him about the bullying incidents and the lack of sleep because he was constantly stressed and, eventually, he even told him about the tests he was going to undergo during Christmas break to see if he suffered from a particularly rare disease that might be the reason why his control was so lacking.

Felt was lonely, and hurt, and terrified, and it made Jeongin want to throw up because he only now realized just how much the one he claimed to love had been suffering this whole time, and he hadn't done anything to help.

"We'll make things better, Lix," he eventually promised, holding the freckled boy just a little tighter. "We'll talk with everyone, sort things out. I'll come with you to your tests, and I'll be with you the whole time, okay? And I'll introduce you to my friends, too – they're super nice, and I know they're going to love you."

"You don't have to—"

"I want to." He pressed another kiss to Felix's forehead, the other boy almost instantly melting under the show of affection. "You're going to be fine, okay? I'm not leaving you ever again. I promise."

Felix was willing to give him another chance, and he'd be damned if he let it slip through his fingers.

.

.

.

It felt strange, to not be alone anymore.

Though it had only been a couple of weeks, Felix felt like he'd been suffering from the isolation for years, so having Jeongin suddenly by his side almost 24/7 was admittedly a bit startling.

He now slept in Jeongin's bed because cuddling his not-quite boyfriend helped him get a few more hours of much-needed sleep, and he was so touch-starved a single hug could almost make him pass out. When he woke up early in the morning, Jeongin woke up with him and the two went to have breakfast together, and then they went to class together.

Jeongin effectively introduced him to his new friends: Eric, Jongho, and Beomgyu. And, though extremely anxious at first, it didn't take too long for Felix to warm up to them. Their little group mostly kept to themselves, hence why they'd never interacted with Felix or pretty much anyone else before, but they were incredibly nice, and they welcomed Felix right in the moment Jeongin introduced them.

Felix and Jeongin now sat with them during lunch and dinner, and Felix slowly began regaining a healthier complexion now that he wasn't skipping meals anymore. Though his heart still ached when he caught glimpses of the others sitting a few tables away and apparently uncaring that he and Jeongin were no longer with them, he tried his best to focus on his budding friendships.

He and Jeongin sat next to each other in almost all of their classes and, after a little talk with Professor Hyuna, she agreed to let Felix join Jeongin and Beomgyu's team – the two would make the potions while Felix worked on their notes and gave them instructions, and they worked surprisingly well together. Felix was very good at taking detailed notes, and the other two had a much easier time finishing their potions now that he was helping them – and Felix got to participate in making the potions even if he was no longer allowed to handle the ingredients.

With Jeongin and his three new friends almost constantly sticking to his sides like glue, his bullies didn't have as many opportunities to strike as they used to – and, ever since that one incident where one of them tried to trip Felix down the stairs and Jongho had immediately countered the spell and casted a much nastier one in return, they no longer attempted anything in broad daylight, much to his relief.

As such, their last week before Christmas break was the best Felix had had in a very long time, and he was admittedly a bit disheartened when his three new friends announced that they were all returning home for the holidays – he, Jeongin, and the others (as far as he knew) were staying at the castle this year, so he wouldn't be seeing any of his new friends for a few weeks. 

He and Jeongin bid them goodbye on the day of departure, waving until the train fully disappeared from sight. And, once they were gone, the two of them trudged their way back to the castle while holding hands, which did help Felix feel a little better. With his bullies also gone for the holidays, he could finally breathe a little easier.

However, when the two eventually made it back to the 1st Years' dorms, they were quite surprised to find Professor Hwasa, Professor Sunmi, and JYP waiting for them in the common room, along with Minho, for some reason. There was a slightly grim, somewhat resigned expression on his face, and he refused to meet their eyes when they shot questioning glances his way.

"Good morning, Mr. Lee, Mr. Yang," greeted Professor Sunmi. She didn't look happy, though, which put them on edge. "Mr. Lee, there is an important matter that we must discuss—"

"Oh, cut to the chase already," huffed Professor Hwasa, stepping forward. She was always a bit intimidating, but Felix felt genuine fear begin to bloom in his chest as she approached him. "Lee Felix, is it true that you have not only interfered with Lee Minho's summoning ritual, but also bonded with his familiar in the process?"

Felix's eyes instantly widened. "I- I didn't—"

"Minho informed me that, while he was performing the ritual, you entered the summoning circle and completed the bonding before he could, resulting in you stealing his familiar. Is that correct?"

Felix shot a betrayed look Minho's way, the older still refusing to look at him.

"That's not what happened," he protested weakly. "He wasn't—he was done casting the spell, and he was looking through his notes and I got curious—I didn't interfere or anything! I just- I just repeated the incantation and the familiar suddenly appeared—"

"So you are telling me that, on your very first try and without even actually trying, you somehow managed to summon a powerful Level 1 familiar completely on your own?" Professor Hwasa quirked a brow, obviously unconvinced. "Considering your... lacking performances in my class thus far, allow me to doubt those claims."

Felix shook his head. "No, it's true! It was an accident, but I—"

"You can't summon a familiar by accident, Mr. Lee," cut in JYP, pinching the bridge of his nose. "But no matter. It's forbidden for a student without specific clearance to possess a familiar, even more so one as powerful as yours – we must banish it at once."

"No, please, he didn't do anything wrong, please—"

"Hand it over, Mr. Lee. You are currently under the school's protection but, if you are caught outside of these walls without a permit, you will get in trouble with the Ministry, which could eventually lead to having your wand snapped. None of us want that now, do we? So please, cooperate."

Felix didn't want to. He loved Silver with all his heart, even though he'd only had the familiar for a few weeks. It wasn't fair. Even if it was an accident, he did summon it himself – why couldn't they believe him? But the secret was out and the consequences should he refuse to cooperate were clear.

Fighting back his tears, he pulled the hairpiece out of his hair. "Silver."

The hairpiece shifted, and he was soon cradling the large cat to his chest. There were a few gasps from the teachers, but he ignored them and hugged the demon cat tightly, burying his face in its soft fur.

"I'm sorry," he choked out. "Please, forgive me, I'm sorry."

Silver meowed softly, rubbing his head against his cheek – but then Professor Hwasa was grabbing him by the scruff of his neck and she pulled him out of Felix's arms, promptly placing it in the banishing circle that had been drawn on the floor. The cat hissed at her, but he was now trapped.

"No, please!" begged Felix, lunging forward. "Just let me—!"

"Stay back, Mr. Lee – this is a dangerous ritual," ordered Professor Sunmi, creating an invisible wall between him and the familiar.

"Please!"

But the Professors ignored him, and Jeongin took it upon himself to pull Felix back and hold him tightly at the freckled boy shook and cried in his arms, wheezing and begging as he watched them banish his familiar. As the ritual drew to a close, Felix felt a sharp pain run through his chest that instantly made him gasp and collapse in Jeongin's arms – and then, a flash of light later, Silver was gone.

"Why is he hurting like this? What did you do!?" exclaimed angrily Jeongin.

"Cutting a bond with a familiar is always a painful process – but you needn't worry, it should pass in a few minutes," assured calmly JYP, already leaving. "No need to fret, Mr. Yang. This unfortunate incident is now behind us, and he'll get over it soon enough."

Jeongin bit back the scalding insults he wanted to throw at the Headmaster's face, and instead focused on holding Felix tightly and rocking him a bit as the freckled boy sobbed in his chest. Professor Sunmi's step faltered as she walked past them, but she ultimately left without another word.

"It would seem you were right, Minho." Professor Hwasa offered Minho an approving nod. "Very well. Since your ritual was indeed interfered with, I'll expand the deadline – you'll have three more months to summon a familiar."

"Thank you, Professor. I won't disappoint you."

With another nod, Professor Hwasa then also left the common room. The moment the painting closed behind her, Jeongin glared at Minho.

"You lied," he hissed through his teeth. "Felix summoned this familiar on his own and you knew that!"

"He doesn't have the abilities for it," scoffed Minho.

"You only ratted him out because you don't have the abilities for it, and you figured using him as an excuse for your failure was the best way to win more time. You're pathetic."

Minho's eyes widened at the accusation. "Jeongin—"

"Get out," ordered the younger, carefully getting up. He was still holding Felix, who was now passed out in his arms. "Do you even realize just how much you've hurt him? Or do you only care about yourself?"

Gritting his teeth, Minho barely spared Felix a glance before he rushed outside, and Jeongin let out a frustrated noise. He couldn't understand. How could Minho, the one who used to be the most protective of Felix, suddenly grow into this cold and detached person, uncaring of who he hurt so long as he got what he wanted?

Well, no matter. If he was going to be an asshole, let him – but Jeongin wouldn't allow him to hurt Felix again.

.

Felix had a hard time coping with the banishment of his familiar, the guilt and abrupt loneliness from the cut bond eating him away. He stayed cooped up in his room every single day, Jeongin barely managing to coax him out of bed here and then. Worried about how the entire ordeal was affecting him, Jeongin ended up going to Professor Sunmi for help and, after checking on Felix, she concluded that he was suffering from withdrawal symptoms because his bond with the familiar had been uniquely strong, and thus severing it so brutally had taken its toll on his body.

The Professor felt guilty, that much was obvious, and that was the only reason Jeongin had decided to seek her out in the first place. Unfortunately, what was done was done and, as such, she couldn't bring the familiar back – instead, she had Healer Kim prepare some Pepper-Up potion for the freckled boy. 

The potions, administered in calculated doses, did wonders for Felix's mood and, after almost an entire week of sulking and crying in bed, be finally found the strength to leave their room – and that's when both he and Jeongin belatedly realized that, for some strange reason, neither Jisung or Seungmin had returned to their room this entire time.

As it turned out, everyone hadn't been as open with their plans as they first believed. Minho had gone MIA, too focused on succeeding with the ritual, and Chan was still in the castle, but constantly busy with one project or the other, so they barely managed to catch a glimpse of him in between hallways. As for Hyunjin, he'd apparently been invited by some of his Pureblood, rich friends for the break, and he hadn't bothered telling any of them he'd be gone this entire time.

Changbin was staying in the Ravenclaw tower all day long, focusing on his potion project that apparently kept him too busy for eating, sleeping, and socializing, while Seungmin and Jisung had apparently been invited by their respective groups of friends for the holidays, similar to Hyunjin's situation.

Which left Jeongin and Felix alone for Christmas.

They spent their whole time together, trying to keep their minds off their failing friendships. They explored the castle together, enjoyed long walks on the snowy grounds, went to visit the animals in the menagerie, and spent many nights stargazing in the Astronomy Tower, protected from the cold by special enchantments that had been set up all over the place.

Christmas morning came, and they exchanged presents. It felt a bit out of place, considering how, a year prior, they celebrated each Christmas with everyone else, and gift exchange was always... a bit chaotic, to say the least. They usually picked names out of a hat to decide who bought a gift for who but, obviously, that didn't happen this year...

Felix still bought a little something for everyone. He hadn't had the strength to reach out and give those gifts, but he figured he could do that when they started rekindling their friendship – which he fully intended to do once school started again. So, determined to make the most of this joyous day despite everything, he offered Jeongin his gift with the widest smile he could muster. 

In addition to the pack of sugar quills (which were Jeongin's favorite), he also bought a special cloak for the winter, which could change color and design pattern depending on Jeongin's mood or preferences. Jeongin had been complaining about a rip in his previous cloak, so Felix figured he'd like it.

"It's awesome!" beamed Jeongin, promptly putting it on even though they were right next to the fireplace. "I love it, Lix! Thank you!"

And Jeongin gifted him... something simple, but which still brought tears to his eyes. It was a beautiful picture frame obviously handmade, and the picture inside of it was of him and Silver sleeping together. It made him emotional since he'd never thought of taking a picture of the familiar – but he now had something to remember him by.

"It's perfect," he choked out, hugging Jeongin tightly. "Thank you."

It wasn't the Christmas either of them dreamed of, and it was most certainly lonelier than the ones they were used to... but they had each other, and that made it absolutely perfect in their eyes.

(And Felix was pleasantly surprised when, amidst what little gifts they had under the tree, he found three more for him – all of them coming from Eric, Jongho, and Beomgyu. He never thought the three would go out of their way to buy him gifts after barely a week of knowing each other, and he internally promised himself to thank them profusely and return the favor once they returned to school.)

.

On the last day of Christmas break, just when students started returning to school, Felix went to the infirmary with Jeongin, where Healer Kim was waiting for him to conduct the few tests required to see if he suffered from Magical Core Corruption. To say he was anxious would be an understatement but, thankfully, he had Jeongin with him.

His not-quite boyfriend (they weren't dating per se, but they were more than friends – but they were in no hurry to find a label) held his hand the entire time. Felix had to cast a few specific spells, he had to drink three different potions, take two different pills, and eventually had to give some blood – and, the whole time, Jeongin kept on reassuring him and praising him.

"It's over, Lixie," he assured when Healer Kim finished bandaging his forearm. "You were so brave, you did great. It's going to be alright, now."

Jeongin couldn't actually promise that, they were both painfully aware of it, but that didn't stop Felix from relaxing a bit at his words. When Healer finally gave them the go-ahead to leave a few minutes later, however, she briefly stopped them.

"If either of you see Hwang Hyunjin around, please make sure to send him my way," she requested with a small scowl. "I've been indulgent with him, but I'm starting to doubt if he's actually serious about becoming a Healer, and I've had enough of wasting my time teaching a student who doesn't want to learn – make sure to tell him that, alright?"

Felix gulped, while Jeongin nodded stiffly. "Will do."

"Thank you. Mr. Lee, your results should be back in a few weeks – a month, at the very most. I'll send an elf to fetch you once I have them."

"I- I understand. Thank you."

With a nod and a comforting smile, she then sent both of them on their way. The moment they stepped outside, Felix exhaled shakily, leaning against Jeongin.

"I'm scared," he whispered.

"I am too," admitted Jeongin, hugging him tightly. "But no matter what the results are, we'll figure things out, okay? I told you, I'm not going anywhere."

Felix nodded, hugging him back. There was a "I love you" burning the tip of his tongue, but he didn't feel quite ready to say it. Even if he noticed his blooming feelings for the younger, most of his heart was still dedicated to Jisung, and his head was too frazzled with the stress associated to his health to focus on anything else.

So, he simply settled for hugging Jeongin, hoping the younger would understand his feelings through his actions, instead.

.

The atmosphere in the room when Seungmin and Jisung finally returned was... awkward, to say the least. None of them mentioned anything about Christmas, attempting their hands at some small talk about classes before ultimately giving up and going to do their own things.

It pained Felix. How could years of strong friendship disappear in a matter of months?

Maybe it wasn't that strong after all, mused a vicious voice in the back of his head. Now that they have so many better people around them, what need do they have for you?

He tried his best to ignore that voice.

The next day, the break was officially over, and classes started again. Felix thanked Jongho, Eric, and Beomgyu profusely for their gifts, and the five of them had a nice time at lunch, catching up on everything they'd done during the holiday. They spent the entire day together, chatting in between classes and having fun in class.

Toward the end of the day, however, while they were heading to the Grand Hall, Felix abruptly realized that he'd forgotten a book in his CMC class.

"I'll go with you—"

"It's okay, Innie, I won't be long," he assured with a smile. "I'll join you in the Grand Hall in fifteen minutes, okay?"

"If you take any longer, I'll go look for you," he warned.

Felix chuckled, mindlessly pressing a kiss to his cheek before taking off, his ears burning with mild embarrassment, but also quite pleased with himself as he distinctly caught Jeongin's flustered expression. Giggling to himself, the freckled boy ran out of the castle and headed straight for the menagerie.

He found his book still on his desk without issue, but then voices outside caught his attention. Frowning, he glanced through the window, and dread instantly spread through his veins like ice when he caught sight of a few 1st Years who were seemingly messing around with the griffins currently outside. 

They were making rude gestures and shouting at them and, even if they were keeping a certain distance between them and the majestic creatures, Felix had no doubt in his mind that one of them was bound to lash out at those idiots – they were going to get hurt, and it didn't sit right with him to let it happen.

Rushing outside, he ran right up to the group of students. He couldn't remember their names, but he could tell none of them were a part of his Care of Magical Creatures class – meaning all of them were absolutely clueless as to what they were messing with.

"Stop!" Felix exclaimed, a bit out of breath as he finally reached them. "Leave- leave them alone!"

"Ah?" One of the boys glared at him, annoyed. "A Can't-Spell and a killjoy? Talk about being the most useless person in school."

The words were like blades through Felix's heart, but he tried his best to ignore them, glancing nervously at the griffins not too far from them. He could tell they were quite irritated now, and a single wrong move could set them off – and escaping a horde of angry griffins definitely wouldn't go in their favor.

"Just- just leave them alone," he insisted, pleadingly. "You're- you're agitating them, and they might- they might hurt you if you keep this up—"

"It's Hogwarts," scoffed the sole girl of the group, crossing her arms over her chest in a show of defiance. "This is literally the safest place on Earth – they wouldn't keep dangerous animals right out in the open like that."

"They're not keeping them – griffins are free to roam as they please," protested Felix. "They're not actually wards of the school, they just live in the area. Please, just—"

"Oh, shut up already!"

The third student suddenly reared his hand back, apparently intending to throw something at the nearest griffin. Without thinking, Felix practically pounced on the boy, tackling him to the snowy ground in an attempt to stop him. The boy let out a shout as they both hit the ground, then promptly shoved Felix aside.

"You fucking freak! Don't touch me, or my magic will start turning on me like yours does!"

When Felix tried to reach out again, all the other did was harshly kick him in the side, instantly making him collapse as pain exploded in his ribs.

'SCREEEE'

It was apparently too much agitation for the griffins, who finally snapped. Two of them began charging toward the rowdy students, who immediately took off running, while a third one aimed straight for Felix and the student who just kicked him. Felix instinctively curled up upon himself, his hands placed protectively over his head, while the other boy let out a terrified scream.

The ground thundered under the charge of the three creatures, and Felix held his breath, staying completely still – until ragged breathing and faint whimpers caught his attention. Hesitantly opening his eyes, he was surprised to find the griffin had completely ignored him, heading straight for his bully. The other student was now lying on the ground, crying as the griffin's beak snapped a tad too close to his face.

"D- don't!" pleaded Felix, scrambling to his feet. He winced as pain shot through his side but managed to stay up. "Please, let- let him go!"

The griffin was now looking at him, its eyes sharp. Despite the pain, Felix slowly bowed before it, his heart beating fast in his chest. After a few seconds that felt like hours, the griffin released the other student and slowly began to approach Felix – the bully instantly took this opportunity to run away, while Felix stayed frozen in place.

And then, soft feathers brushed his face, and a cold beak nudged him, urging him to straighten up. His breath caught in his throat when he found the griffin so close, but then the creature lowered its head in return, and a small smile spread on Felix's lips. He gently began carding his hands through the soft feathers of its neck, awed by their softness and warmth, and a breathless laugh escaped him.

He was petting an actual griffin for the first time in his life, and it felt amazing.

He didn't even notice the other griffins had approached until they were on him, nudging his arms and asking for some attention, too. Felix laughed again as he began trying to divide his attention between the three beautiful beasts. There was a strange connection between them, now, as if their acknowledgement pleased Felix's magic, somehow.

("You fucking freak! Don't touch me, or my magic will start turning on my like yours does!")

His mood dampened a bit as an echo of the student's painful words rang in his ears. Was that where the rumors had gotten? That if anyone touched him, then it would make their own cores go haywire, or something?

But my magic doesn't hate me, he tried telling himself as he gently petted the griffins, fighting back his tears. Does it?

Just as the thought crossed his mind, however, a shout caught his attention.

"There!!! I told you!!!"

He lifted wide, horrified eyes, and found his earlier bully returning with his two friends, Professor Lee... and none other than Professor Khan. He gulped, silently biding the griffins goodbye before he left their little bundle, instantly missing their warmth as the cold winter air abruptly hit him.

"Felix! Are you alright?" asked worriedly Professor Lee as he reached him.

"I- I'm fine, Professor. They didn't hurt me—"

"No, but they did hurt another student," cut Professor Khan, glaring at him.

Felix instantly frowned. "That's because they were harassing them! They were shouting at them and throwing stones—"

"He's lying! We were just passing by when he ordered the griffins to attack us!"

"What!? That's not true!"

"Well, considering your reputation, I wouldn't put it past you, Mr. Lee," hissed back Professor Khan. "I will see you punished for these actions—"

"You will do no such thing," cut sharply Professor Lee, outright glaring at her as he placed a comforting hand on Felix's shoulder. "Griffins aren't creatures that will just obey the whim of wizards. They're prideful beasts – they wouldn't lower themselves to abiding the orders of another."

"Then how do you explain what we've just witnessed? They were all over him! He's clearly enchanted them in some way!"

Professor Lee rolled his eyes, but offered Felix a small, apologetic smile. "Felix, would you mind handing me your wand for a moment?"

"Of- of course."

The moment Professor Lee had Felix's wand in his hand, he casted a spell under his breath and waved it around, bright red sparkles instantly coming out from the tip.

"The last spell that was casted by this wand was the Unlocking spell. Now, unless you firmly believe that one can control another being's mind using a spell meant to unlock doors, I daresay Felix was not, in fact, controlling the griffins," he summarized, handing Felix's wand back to him.

Professor Khan narrowed her eyes at that, obviously unhappy about being proved wrong so blatantly, and by another teacher, at that.

"Well, there are some spells that cannot be detected using this spell," she huffed.

At that, any warmth instantly disappeared from Professor Lee's eyes, and he outright glared at her, much to Felix's surprise. He appeared quite literally disgusted with the old hag, though Felix didn't understand why he was suddenly so mad.

"Are you implying, Professor Khan, that a 1st Year student has made use of one of the three Unforgivables? This is a grave accusation; I hope you remember that."

At that, Professor Khan's face paled a bit, and she finally lost her composure. "W- well, of course not, that- that would be ludicrous... I- I only meant—"

"Felix!!!"

Without warning, none other than Jeongin ran down the hill to join them, with Eric right behind him. They both shot worried looks at the other students and the two teachers, but neither of them stopped until they reached Felix.

"Are you okay? What happened?" asked urgently Jeongin.

"Felix is fine," assured calmly Professor Lee, gently nudging the three of them toward the castle. "Our business is done here. Go back inside before you catch a cold, alright?"

Felix shot a hesitant look at Professor Khan but, when she merely glared at him without a word, he looked away and nodded in agreement. Jeongin and Eric then linked their arms with his and promptly guided him away, and neither of the three looked back. As they headed back to the castle, though, Felix distinctly heard Professor Lee giving the other three students detention for harassing the griffins and for falsely accusing another student, which made him relax a bit.

At least one thing going right today.

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Like I promised: ANGST. There is a silver lining to be found in Jeongin feeling's, but have no worry - next chapter is worse! uWu

Anyway, next Friday will come out the last chapter for the first part of this story. Surprise! I've decided to divide it in two so as to allow a better story flow, so to speak. As such, no worries: the "ending" isn't the actual ending at all.

Anyway I hope this chapter made you hurt real good, please make sure to leave a comment because I really enjoy reading them and they always make my day, and see you guys next week!