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The next day, Jihoon returned to the library and again he found a Ravenclaw student with skin as pale as paper already sitting at the end of the reading table where he used to study.
That afternoon Jihoon ventured to sit beside him after confirming the boy is not a ghost by seeing his feet on the floor or not.
"You're not a ghost?"
The boy lifted his head from the book, looked back at Jihoon with a flat face.
"I thought you were a ghost, you know!" said Jihoon in a whisper.
"What makes you think that I am a ghost?" he said, still with the flat in his face.
Jihoon wanted to tell him about his thoughts but they were in the library. They might be expelled if they talk too much other than discussing books.
"So what keeps you sitting here until I thought you that you’re a ghost?" Jihoon said with slightly bulging eyes.
"Oh, your name is Asahi, right? I know from Junkyu..." Jihoon glanced at the book in front of the Ravenclaw student and said his name was Asahi.
The boy nodded a little then lifted the thick book to show Jihoon the cover.
"Wow. You read... that book?"
The Mystery of the Great Lake, written on the tattered cover of the book.
"I looked up mermaids in monster books and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander but there wasn't much explanation, so..." said Asahi.
"You're still curious about mermaids?" Jihoon chuckled softly, "You're a muggle-born, aren't you?"
"No, I'm pure-blood, actually."
"Oh?"
"They say there are mermaids under the Great Lake too, do you know?"
Jihoon tilted his head, "Why do you want to know it so badly? You're not planning on swimming into the Great Lake, are you?"
"I don’t know. I'm just curious. I asked Myrtle but she just ended up teasing me, she said she swam into the Great Lake once and it was horrible."
"You even asked Myrtle?" Jihoon chuckles excitedly. Well, Jihoon thought this boy was quite unique and adorable at the same time, because of how he wanted to find out about magical creatures and merpeople that live underwater.
Jihoon found it cute how those pairs of his light brown eyes gleamed under the sunset light behind the giant window of the library.
"You're studying for the OWLs?"
Jihoon nodded, "I'm memorizing runes, but they're absolutely confusing!" he grumbled as he took out some books and notes from his bag.
Asahi pulled out one of Jihoon's books, the book that was fully written in Ancient Runes.
"Can you read them? I mean do you know how to memorize runes quickly?"
"My father is one of the translators of books written with ancient runes, and many more."
Jihoon's eyes widened, showing enthusiasm, "Wow?"
"Let me show you."
Jihoon silently listened to the brief explanation which made him dumbfounded. Asahi was only in his fourth year, but Jihoon can say that this boy was quite a genius. Although Junkyu said that Asahi was a pure-blood who had an unusual behavior from other pure-bloods.
The days change, Jihoon is no longer studying alone in the library. Asahi always sat with him and occasionally they would study together considering that Asahi was quite knowledgeable about various things. The boy even knew how to concoct the potions taught in the sixth-year.
And oh! He also knows a lot about the muggle world!
As a half-blood who occasionally comes to London to visit his grandmother, Jihoon felt defeated by the pure-blood boy in front of him.
They didn't just meet in the library. They would be seen sitting side by side at the dining table in the Great Hall or Asahi sitting in front of the potions class waiting for Jihoon to finish class.
Or rather, the Ravenclaws boy kept following Jihoon everywhere.
Jihoon didn't mind, it was just that Asahi often asks him strange questions. Or bring the weird creatures or things he hid in his pocket to show it to Jihoon.
"For Merlin's sake, you don't have any more friends or what? Stop bothering me, I have to study and practice Quidditch!"
Asahi shook his head slowly, showed a pitiful face like a kitten being hushed. How could Jihoon refuse Asahi begging him cutely to accompany him playing to the forbidden forest.
"Okay, I will accompany you but not to the forbidden forest. I don't want to get detentions because of you"
Asahi put on a smile that he rarely showed, making Jihoon sigh because he felt defeated just by the Ravenclaw boy's smile.
Junkyu once said, "Now Jihoon has to take care of the kitten" every time Jihoon told his friend that he couldn't hang out together.
It's not the Library’s ghost that follows Jihoon, but the crocethy black cat who always asks a lot of strange questions!
Once the boy took Jihoon's tie, he said he wanted to wear a Gryffindor tie in potion class and matched it with his Ravenclaw uniform. One day he found Asahi talking to the Fat Lady, a portrait who guarded the entrance to Gryffindor Tower asking if Jihoon was inside the house or not. Or when he saw Asahi tickling the house-elf who was cooking the Hogwarts kitchen with the feather he stole from Professor Flitwick.
Anyway, Asahi was always doing something weird!
Asahi was like a cat who has just met a human who likes to feed him, he will always approach Jihoon because only Jihoon will respond to his weirdness. A black cat with long jet hair and sparkling eyes every time he looks at Jihoon curiously when he asks about odd things.
And what was surprising was that Asahi was an animagus. He really could transform into a little black cat perfectly at such a young age.
While it takes years to become an animagus to perfect the skill. Animagi was taught to Hogwarts students during their third year Transfiguration class. Asahi was such a fast learner.
But sometimes the boy would disappear for days and suddenly come with magical items that he found somewhere to show them to Jihoon.
But, well, Jihoon liked every time Asahi came to him. At least Jihoon had someone who will always come back to him.
"Have you ever heard Veela sing?" asked Asahi out of nowhere.
Jihoon wanted to shut the mouth of the Ravenclaw boy, the others said that he didn't talk much.
"I've never even seen a veela in person, they say they're beautiful and have an attractive face or something like that?"
"My aunt is quarter-Veela and she is beautiful. Her voice is also mesmerizing,"
"That's good that you heard how Veela's descendants sing," said Jihoon, still not paying full attention to Asahi.
"But I think there is something more melodious than Veela's singing," Asahi continued then made Jihoon turn to him.
Jihoon waited for Asahi to continue his words. Their eyes met only looking at each other for a few seconds until Asahi suddenly looked away while looking down shyly.
"That time… you sang," Asahi squeaked softly.
"Huh?"
"You sang, hummed a song and you have a good voice," said Asahi then ran as fast as lightning. Leaving Jihoon petrified there.
"Eh???" he blinked in surprise.
A few seconds later Jihoon smiled amusedly, "Asahi, where are you going?"
Jihoon laughed harder as he saw the Ravenclaw boy run wildly avoiding the people passing by along the corridor. Exactly like Junkyu's cat who likes to run when released.
But believe it or not, besides being surprised Jihoon likes how his stomach feels ticklish like tickling by the delicate wings of the little fairies flying inside him.
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That afternoon Gryffindor lost the Quidditch semi-finals match. Slytherin caught the golden snitch and reserved the position easily.
Jihoon couldn't help but show disappointment on his face. Even though he has struggled to score against the Slytherin's goal, what's the point if Slytherin manages to get 150 points at the end of the game?
Sad and tired to be honest. He didn't hate the Salazar's house. Just a little annoyed, considering the two failed romances because of Slytherin students.
Oh! No!
His head suddenly connected two different things. Basically, when you're upset and tired, things can just go haywire.
Jihoon was carrying his robes, walking limply back to the castle rubbing his shoes with the fallen leaves that almost filled the entire path.
He decided to skip dinner and went straight to the library. Either to continue studying or just stay quiet and calm down. He couldn't face his teammates. Too guilty and sad to face his teammates.
Jihoon wanted to be alone.
For almost an hour he sat at the desk reading, all he did was turn the pages of a book without reading its contents. Just staring at the lines of words and sentences on old yellowed paper while occasionally exhaling heavily.
A hand thrusted a few flower stalks right in front of his face, Jihoon flinched and lifted his head.
Asahi stood beside him without saying a word. It had been a few days since the boy had been out of sight and suddenly came to give Jihoon baby breath flowers.
"What's this?" Jihoon asked, frowned and looked at the flowers and Asahi alternately, "Baby breath?"
"Yes, it's a flower, for you." replied Asahi casually as he sat beside him.
"But I lost the match?" Jihoon said gloomily, accepted the flower and looked back at Asahi questioningly.
Didn't he watch the game? Or does he think I won? Jihoon thought.
And where did Asahi get it from?
Asahi slightly pursed his lips but kept a straight face, then tried to snatch the flower from Jihoon's hand, "Alright, give it back to me if you don't want it."
"That can't be!"
"Try to smell it, is it true that it can be calming?" Asahi suggested.
Jihoon complied, he smiled slightly as he inhaled the soft scent of the flower. Not a scent that smells good that makes him feel comfortable. Jihoon was amazed by how sweet Asahi was.
"You like it?"
Jihoon nodded.
"But you look gloomy?"
Jihoon raised his eyebrows not understanding. Even though he was smiling, sadly.
"Your lips look like Niffler" he said while pointing at Jihoon's lips which were still curved downwards.
"I'm sad, so...yeah..."
Jihoon's words were cut off when suddenly Asahi's hand lifted and patted his head softly, "Don't be sad," he said quietly.
Some words were like a spell that could make Jihoon freeze as if he was hit by a petrificus totalus spell, but Jihoon felt his heart dance so hard that it felt like jumping.
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Jihoon looked at the parchment sheet in his hand, showing his OWLs scores. He didn't know what to do because the result was unexpected.
The other students cheered each other with the results they got. Mutual comfort to friends who get less appropriate grades.
The hallways that afternoon were filled with fifth-years and seventh-years who had also just finished their NEWT exams.
Jihoon came out of his class and then he found Asahi sitting on the edge of the corridor waiting for him. When Asahi noticed Jihoon's presence, the boy immediately jumped up and approached him.
His eyes gleamed at Jihoon without blinking.
"I succeeded..." Jihoon muttered then smiled while holding back tears. Saw Asahi making the puddles of water at the corners of his eyes fall as he blinked.
"I got a lot Exceed Expectations," Jihoon said, sobbing.
"Asahi... Thank you..." he said again then hugged the shorter boy.
Jihoon felt that this Ravenclaw boy helped him a lot in studying. He was greatly helped by the presence of Asahi, the black kitten he met in the library.
In addition to accompanying Jihoon to study, Asahi also helped Jihoon a lot to memorize difficult lessons and spells with ease.
Anyway Jihoon was very grateful to this Ravenclaw kitten.
Pat. Pat. Pat.
Jihoon felt a gentle pat on his head.
Instead of stroking the cat, it was Jihoon who was stroked by the kitten.
“Next year when you take the OWLs, I will help you!” Jihoon said.
"You should." Asahi said.
Jihoon chuckled, then grabbed Asahi's hand and walked towards the Great Hall. It was soon to be dinner time and tonight he wanted to eat with the kitten he met in the library.
Luckily Asahi really wasn't a ghost like he thought. If Asahi is a ghost, maybe Jihoon won't have a study buddy and a kitten who always follows him everywhere.
“Let's go to the next Hogsmeade weekend trip together, I'll treat you to chocolate at Honeydukes as my return, okay?” Jihoon said cheerfully and flowery.
"Just that?"
"Oh? You want to buy other things? Alright, I'll buy it too-"
"Summer vacation" Asahi said cut off Jihoon's words, "I want to play with you during summer vacation, is that okay?"
Jihoon was silent for a moment then nodded and chuckled softly, "Of course you can!" His smile grew wider, and if flowers could be seen on his face distinctly, maybe Jihoon's entire face was already covered with pink flowers.
Asahi smirked, infected by the Gryffindor's smile, "Okay, I'll visit your house."
"But you don't know where my house is?"
"I'll find it,"
"But my house is quite hard to find, tho. You have to-"
"No! Don't give me a hint. I'll find it by myself!" he said passionately and earnestly with serious squinted eyes.
Jihoon couldn't help but laugh, "Okay, okay. I'll be waiting then,"
Fin.
