Xingdae Birthday Prompt Fest: Prompt #10 - a charming exchange
Title: a charming exchange
Genre: fantasy/humor
Rating: G
Words: ~3,930
Prompt #10:
Harry Potter!AU In which Yixing and Jongdae are prefects of Gryffindor and Slytherin respectively and every time they stumble into each other chaos ensues.
Kim Jongdae, sixth year Slytherin prefect and potions master extraordinaire, does not hurry. His preferred mode of transport is the carefree saunter and he rejects anything faster than a light jog, deeming it unfit for a class as high as his own.
For the most part, anyway.
But when your friend forgets to mention that his sweets were a supposedly stolen gift from the Gryffindors and your stomach unceremoniously declines the offer, hurrying is the only valid option.
Jongdae torpedoes through the dormitory and into the bathroom, barely making it over the toilet, before he throws up the entire contents of the bag of honey treakle tarts.
"Park," heaves, "Chan," heaves, "Yeol."
Jongdae clutches his now-empty stomach and turns around to glare at the culprit, who nervously peeks into the stall.
"Shucks," Chanyeol nervously pulls at his ears, "it was from this first year Gryffindor kid, I swear I didn't even think he'd have been tipped off by that tree-hugging worthless git-"
"Okay, okay, apology accepted" Jongdae rubs his temples and reminds himself to hire a full-time food-taster, "just bring me Baekhyun."
Chanyeol nods and turns. In doing so he almost collides with an out-of-breath Baekhyun who has just appeared with a vial of potion clutched to his chest. Baekhyun trips into the bathroom and hands Jongdae the vial.
Jongdae half-nods in gratitude, takes a swig and after a minute the color returns to his face. He stares down at the vial in steely resolve.
"That Zhang Yixing will pay for this out of his own pocket."
__________
A tousled up Yixing eases open the dungeon door ten minutes into the class period.
"Ah, Mr. Zhang, is it? So good of you to join us when your busy schedule allows," Yixing flashes a grin to counter the Charms professor’s deadpan face and winks.
"If you could take a seat in the front row please, and allow me to continue with my class."
Professor Do strides the length of the class with his hands loosely clasped in front of him.
"As I was explaining, Headmaster Suho has ever so kindly chosen my Charms class to be his vehicle for promoting inter-House unity this year."
He rolls his eyes before continuing.
"As a result, your semester-long project is a gift exchange of sorts- "
A chorus of snickers and groans fills the room.
"...where you will be assigned a secret gift recipient from a house not of your own- "
The groans grow louder and more enraged. Professor Do pauses and stares at a particularly obnoxious Hufflepuff. He shuts up immediately and sends the rest of the room into a somewhat more manageable din.
Professor Do continues in a quieter voice.
"You have the next several months to learn more about your recipient, and, create a personal gift by applying your Charms knowledge according to your recipient's taste."
"Your final product will be scored based on complexity of the charms you've used and," he furrows his eyebrows and holds up air quotes, "a happiness quotient decided by your recipient."
The class immediately erupts into protests and the professor hears a ton of dirty words that surely ought not to be spoken in a classroom setting.
Professor Do clears his throat.
"This project is almost entirely the utterly genius brainchild of the Headmaster," he shakes his head solemnly, "so please note that any objections will go unheard."
He flicks his wand and a slip of folded paper appears floating in front of each student.
"Here you have your recipient assignments. Don't even think about switching," he smiles and two Hufflepuffs yelp as their paper slips are glued to their palms.
"Finally, do not expect a reduction in my own syllabus workload with this additional project. Now, chapter 3, Silencing Charms."
At the rear of the classroom Jongdae stretches back, yawns rather loudly, and tunes out the rest of the lesson.
Beside him, Chanyeol had already read and subsequently ripped his own slip of paper into shreds and is sulking over his luck with the Ravenclaws. Jongdae turns his head to his other side and clicks his tongue at the sight.
"You know, the name's not gonna change just because you read it a hundred times."
Baekhyun mumbles something about text-altering hexes and continues to stare wide-eyed at the name on his slip.
Jongdae turns back to his own slip of paper floating in front of him. Well then, no harm in postponing bad news.
"Incinerate," Jongdae whispers. The slip burns a bright pastel yellow and falls into ashes on his desk, forming letters. Jongdae peers closer at the letters and the name they made.
The professor was able to show a practical demonstration for a silencing charm that day.
__________
“Remind me again why we’re here when Slytherin’s not even playing?”
The trio pushes aside a pair of second-year Ravenclaws amid angry protests to get to the center of the front aisle.
“Research, Chanyeol,” Jongdae adjusts his green Slytherin scarf and peers down at the Quidditch pitch.
“Unfortunate for us, my recipient will be at the game today. So keep your eyes peeled for anything you can use for his gift.”
Chanyeol sighs and stands on his tiptoes to get a better view of the field, much to the annoyance of everyone behind the giant.
A Quidditch match is an instance where one can continuously observe a person without appearing suspicious. But it’s a bit difficult to observe when the players are the size of miniature pixies from this distance. The Ravenclaw players are huddled up at the bottom of the pitch in deep discussion. How useless. The Gryffindor players are flying around riling up the Gryffindor tower into waves of cheers. Even more useless.
Soon enough, the players all disappear back into one of the towers and an amplified voice booms through the air.
“Welcome, all, to another exciting day of Quidditch!”
To his side, Baekhyun fumbles in his robe pockets and brings out a very peculiar object, something akin to Omnioculars but not quite that.
Jongdae raises an eyebrow.
“Err, souvenir from the dorm raid,”Baekhyun hesitates and places the object to his eyes. Jongdae shrugs and brings his attention back to the pitch.
“This is your one and only commentator Luhan at your service. Today’s match is between GRYFFINDOR,” the commentator pauses for the loud whoops from the audience in the other tower, “and RAVENCLAW,” another cheer, this time awfully too close for comfort. Jongdae is nearly suffocated by the wild impromptu dance party around him.
“The teams are coming onto the field now. Captain and chaser for Gryffindor, ZHANG YIXING! Looking as dashing as ever,” Yixing points at the commentator box and winks. How utterly nauseating.
“Captain and keeper for Ravenclaw, KIM MINSEOK. Also an extremely dashing fellow, if I may say so himself.” Minseok acts as if he didn’t hear anything and flies to the center with the rest of his team.
“The snitch has been released and the game has begun!”
A minute into the match and Jongdae holds his neck in pain in trying to keep an eye on the Gryffindor chaser. Can this kid not stay still for two seconds?
“Kim has the quaffle, passes it to Zhang - he’s started tutoring first-year herbology now, isn’t that the sweetest - dodges the bludger, passes to Lee, SCORE!”
Yixing punches his fist in the air and the Gryffindor team shouts something unrecognizable in unison.
“Lee back in position with the quaffle, eyeing the top goal post, can he get two-for-two?”
Another round of ear-piercing screams around Jongdae indicates otherwise.
“Well that was quick. Ravenclaw’s keeper is really good this year. Either that or he’s charmed us all into thinking he is. In any case, he’s incredibly charming, isn’t he?”
Jongdae could almost feel the embarrassment radiating out of poor Minseok. If he actually cared, that is.
His eyes move back to Yixing. He has to admit that the kid is a natural on a broom. The usual childish mischief in his eyes is replaced by a more aggressive, almost feral glint. Sparing his ridiculously windswept hair and most unflattering rosy cheeks, and he flies with a grace and control that almost makes Jongdae find Quidditch entertaining.
He suddenly reverts his attention to a matter closer at hand.
Out of nowhere, the Ravenclaw seeker has stopped to hover a mere two meters from them.
Baekhyun totters over backwards onto Jongdae.
The Ravenclaw squints at Baekhyun’s seeing contraption with mild curiosity, back at a dazed Baekhyun, and again at the contraption.
“Um,” Jongdae starts, still bearing half of Baekhyun’s weight.
The Ravenclaw steadily gazes at Baekhyun for a second more, shrinking the latter to half his size, and then flies away.
Baekhyun comes to and detaches himself from Jongdae.
“My recipient,” Baekhyun mumbles and stares down at his contraption.
__________
The rest of the match wasn’t particularly memorable. Bludgers were thrown, the quaffle was in possession by someone or another, and the snitch was chased after and missed. The two teams were very evenly matched, but the game isn’t all that interesting without one’s house pride on the line.
But as the days passed, Jongdae realizes that the Quidditch pitch isn’t the only place to observe Yixing in a civilized fashion. In fact, he barely has to try at all.
Everywhere he goes, Yixing and his troop would stir up a flurry of activity, whether it’s a heated discussion about the most recent breakthrough in Herbology or a game of impromptu Quidditch or rambunctious laughter over nothing funny at all. Disgusting, really.
Especially brutal are meal times at the Great Hall, with Yixing being a favorite for an assortment of followers from all houses as they prance and twirl for his amusement.
Jongdae has developed something of a perennial headache from this assignment.
However, all things considered, it could have been worse. How hard could it be to find something to impress a depthless Gryffindor, anyway? He ought to just give him some charmed Quidditch memorabilia and be done with it.
And with that resolution he gives himself a single resolute clap, turns off his bedside lamp, and promptly falls asleep.
__________
"Pass the butter, please."
Baekhyun peeks above his newspaper and passes. Jongdae strums on the table while he contemplates the selection of breads clamoring for attention in front of him.
"What do you suppose," he muses, picking up the butter knife, "you are charming for your recipient? For conversation’s sake.”
“I know,” Chanyeol inhales a slice of toast in between words, “I know what I’m gonna do,” another pause to stuff a bacon strip into his mouth, “I’m gonna get something sentimental, like medicine for a dying relative or somebody.”
Jongdae takes a delicate bite of crumpet, savoring the piquant berry spread. "Ah," he says, swallowing. "But being reminded of a dying relative wouldn’t up the recipient’s ‘happiness quotient,’ now, would it?"
Chanyeol brazenly waves his fork in the air, with bits of food flying everywhere.
“No, you’re right,” pause to take a swig of milk, “how about charming a picture frame of their family, or like, their pet, or their significant other, or-”
“Cliché, cliché, so obviously cliché,” Baekhyun responds without even looking up from his newspaper.
Chanyeol sighs sadly and returns to destroying every semi-edible thing in front of him.
All of a sudden the hairs on the back of Jongdae’s neck begin to prickle. He turns around to look at the Gryffindor table and instead is greeted with a robe of Ravenclaw colors, up close and personal. Jongdae reels back and looks up at the culprit with visible distaste. Ravenclaws clearly don’t have a sense of the personal bubble.
Jongdae recognizes him as the seeker from before, and he is flocked by the Hufflepuff commentator, some Luhan or whatever. They’re both paused near the Slytherin table and the Ravenclaw is eyeing what Baekhyun is reading.
“That newspaper…”
Jongdae wonders why this boy is constantly fascinated by whatever Baekhyun is holding and turns back to look at his friend.
Baekhyun freezes.
“That’s a muggle newspaper, isn’t it?”
Baekhyun glances down at what he was holding and promptly flings it down the aisle, nearly smacking a lone Slytherin in the process.
The Ravenclaw stiffens and frowns, baffled. Luhan squints at Baekhyun, his face almost unrecognizable with seriousness, and two make off to the Ravenclaw table.
Baekhyun stares off into space somewhere over Jongdae’s left shoulder.
“Um,” Jongdae kindly offers out of sympathy to the visibly embarrassed boy. He’s not even sure what exactly happened here.
But he doesn’t have time to question right then, because the hairs on the back of his neck are rising up again.
He turns to the Gryffindor table and immediately makes eye contact with none other than Zhang Yixing, with that ever-famous dazed grin ruining all other attractive qualities he has to offer.
Did he just… use the word "attractive" to describe Yixing?
This assignment has gone too far.
__________
Yixing makes his fashionably late entrance to potions with a bloody gauze wrapped around his forehead and a still-fresh cut on his chin. Normally, Jongdae would have welcomed the sight of the Gryffindor in all his beaten up and broken glory.
But today, Professor Wu had insisted that they pair up into twos. Jongdae was the only non-paired student. But that was fine with him- he’s done several labs solo with ease and was actually looking forward to some quality lab time with himself.
Until this airhead showed up.
“Why did you even bother coming to class,” Jongdae whispers as Yixing plops onto the stool next to his own.
Yixing clutches his chest in mock pain. “He does care,” he pretends to wipe a tear away. “Now don’t you worry your pretty head, I’ll make sure to take complete rest and tend my wounds right after class.”
Jongdae rolls his eyes. “Do you know what this means, you idiot,” he explains calmly, “it means we have to work together. This is bad, Zhang. Do you know why? Because I may accidentally burn your face off. Not because I want to, but because that’s the way things work. Do you understand that, Zhang?”
Yixing yawns loudly and then immediately clutches his head, blinking. “I think I have a concussion.”
“Don’t you dare vomit on or anywhere near me,” Jongdae instructs, scooting his stool two feet away from the possessed creature. “You are absolutely revolting.”
Yixing pokes at his gauze a bit, then reaches over and grabs the jar of asphodel before examining it with curiosity. “What are we making again?”
“Draught of Living Death,” Jongdae reminds the mindless imbecile. “Our midterm potions exam. Like Professor Wu has reiterated a million times. Have you had a concussion this whole term?”
“Quite possible,” Yixing nods thoughtfully. He goes to pick up a knife before stopping with wide eyes like he’s discovered a new breed of everlasting elixir.
“Um,” Jongdae expresses his annoyance with a dash of concern. For his own well-being, of course.
“Sloth brain…” Yixing has a disturbing grin plastered on his face, “sloths are supposed to sleep a lot, right? That’s why we use sloth brains for the sleep draught. Genius!” He slams his hand down on the table, awfully close to the knife.
Jongdae isn’t sure what his response should be. He decides to go for an option that would least jeopardize his perfect potions streak and gingerly picks up the knife.
“I think you need help, Zhang. In a lot of ways. But first, you’ve definitely sustained some brain injury that’s swelling up your head bigger than it already is. It would probably be in both of our favors for you to just stay put today. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a House reputation to maintain.” He pointedly adjusts his robe and begins chopping up the sloth brain with fervor.
Yixing rests his elbows on the table and places his hands on his chin, sporting that maddeningly annoying grin. “Are you trying to impress me, Jongdae?”
Decidedly ignoring Yixing from now on, Jongdae turns away and picks up the Sopophorous bean juice. He carefully drops the ingredient into the cauldron and stirs until it becomes the perfect light shade of lilac.
“Delightful,” Yixing croons, “I wouldn’t be surprised if the Sorting Hat had first offered to put you in Ravenclaw.”
“Careful with that mouth, Zhang, I could dock you for public nuisance.” Five, six, and seven counter-clockwise stirs, with a clockwise eighth for good measure.
“Pity, and I thought today would be interesting,” Yixing shrugs and spends the rest of the class doing absolutely nothing of use.
Professor Wu makes his rounds at the hour mark. He pauses at each station to give a cynical remark about everything but the students’ potions.
He makes his way to the back of the room and peers into Jongdae’s cauldron. The potion is now a pale pink, not yet complete but well on its way.
“Barely adequate,” Professor Wu murmured, giving an almost indecipherable half-nod of approval.
Jongdae beams.
“Too bad he’s under the surveillance of a Gryffindor prefect,” a voice behind him mumbles just loud enough for Jongdae to hear, “or he would’ve cheated as usual.”
He spins around to face an unfamiliar Gryffindor smirking at him.
“This might be a bit too much for your little mind to grasp,” Jongdae growls, his voice getting louder, “but has it occurred to you that I might just be that good? So good that I don’t have to cheat? So good that I’ve consistently outranked every student in Potions for the last six years and counting?”
The Gryffindor is taken aback by Jongdae’s onslaught, but he shakes it off, “But Slytherins always cheat.”
“Slytherins do not always cheat!” Jongdae practically roars. “We cheat if we need to. Or if we’re bored. Or to see if we can without getting caught. But Slytherins do not always cheat!”
The classroom comes to a complete silence. All eyes turn towards Jongdae, who bores his eyes down at the bewildered Gryffindor for a second longer before returning to his own station.
Yixing is now sitting up with that same look of bewilderment. Jongdae wonders if all Gryffindors were taught that look as part of their initiation ceremony.
“Now that was interesting,” Yixing smiles.
__________
Jongdae ends up boxing his gift hours before class. He wakes Baekhyun up at 5AM for help in applying the final touches, then promptly goes back to sleep, skipping breakfast and ultimately sleeping in through the first bit of Charms.
The classroom is noisy for a change when Jongdae walks in. Professor Do is at the front of the class surveying the bustling exchanges, glancing ever-so-often at the self-writing parchment floating in front of him.
Jongdae makes his way to his usual spot between Chanyeol and Baekhyun. The former is now preoccupied by loudly proclaiming what a dismal gift he had gotten to a small audience of Slytherins.
“There’s no point in lying,” Baekhyun jerks his head towards the Professor, “he’s charmed the quill to only record- ”
He abruptly cuts off, just as a particularly resonating laugh from a group of huddled Ravenclaws cuts through the racket. With a face of apparent worry, Baekhyun mumbles that he’ll be right back, picks up his rather large gift box, and follows the source of the laughter.
True to his nature, Yixing strides into class late again. He pauses to scan the room before making a beeline to where Jongdae is sitting.
Raising an eyebrow, Jongdae frowns. "Can I help you?"
Yixing flashes a smile and sits on the seat previously occupied by Baekhyun, legs stretched out and lazily crossed at the ankles.
"Unlikely, but lucky for me I have been volunteered to do you a courtesy." He fishes out a small box from the pocket of his robes and throws it at Jongdae. "Enjoy."
Jongdae catches the box, bemused.
“How convenient,” Jongdae slowly rotates the gift wrapped intricately in gold and maroon. “Seems like we got ourselves a give-and-take situation.” He opens his bag and pulls out a slightly larger box engraved in the Slytherin serpent on the sides.
Yixing claps his hands. “Marvelous! Let’s open them together.”
“Why not,” Jongdae murmurs, “here’s to an end of a yet another ludicrous Headmaster assignment,” and with that the two of them rip open their gifts.
Jongdae’s box contains a small card atop a package wrapped in gold tissue paper. The card, to his relief, is free of sound effects when he opens it. Inside written in a calligraphy that a five-year old Jongdae would have scorned at, is a simple message:
Self-ties for the otherwise preoccupied.
The package contains a gold and maroon striped bowtie.
“What are you playing-“ Jongdae stops. Just as he is picking it up, the bowtie’s stripes transform into dark green and silver, complete with tiny charmed embroidered snakes slithering in between the stripes.
A smile splits his face before he could stop it. Not bad for a broom-totting dunce.
He looks up and notices Zhang staring at his opened box with an expression of confusion. Immediately, Jongdae goes on rapid fire defense mode.
“Don’t be mistaken they’re not the ordinary kind but I’ve charmed them so that the wearer is protected from physical injuries well not all injuries I didn't have enough time to get through all of the ones in the book but bruises and such for the next time you bonk your head on another bludger or playing wrestling with a Devil’s Snare or something equally ridiculous..." The thought trails off as he realizes that Yixing is now wearing that typical grin of his normally found only on far lesser beings.
Concussion or not, this guy is completely mad.
Yixing shakes his head at Jongdae, still highly entertained. "Do you have any idea-" his hand shoots up in vain to restrain the giggles from escaping his lips.
Flushing lightly, Jongdae looks down. "They also complete your fashion."
The remark sets him off. Yixing explodes with infectious laughter as he holds up the pair of red socks speckled with flying broomsticks. Jongdae is momentarily annoyed before he gives in to a chuckle, himself.
Once Yixing catches his breath he looks back at the socks. He appears to be thinking. Jongdae isn’t certain, since he's never seen Zhang think deeply before, and he's not entirely sure what signs to look for.
Yixing looks back up, eyes bright.
"Thank you, really. It's perfect."
Jongdae exhales a breath he hadn’t known he’d been holding.
“And yours, as well.” Cueing the end of the conversation, he busies himself with the discarded gift wrap.
Yixing drapes his new socks on his shoulder, stands up, and turns to leave. Jongdae watches him making his way towards the Gryffindor crowd. Good riddance to this persistent nuisance.
But Jongdae feels like he missed something. He has a thought.
"Zhang... Zhang, hold up!"
Lowering his voice and speaking as disinterestedly as possible, Jongdae ventures, "you know, you could come down to the potions lab someday, if you wish to brush up on your abysmal knowledge in the subject. Professor Wu grants me extra lab hours in the evenings for my private advanced studies. That is, whenever you found yourself bored and are in desperate need of self-improvement."
Yixing flourishes the socks and grins, "not a half-bad idea. And maybe you could come down to the greenhouses and we can see just how some of these potion ingredients come about in the first place."
Jongdae bravely takes up the challenge. "Maybe I will."