There’s a chill in the lower floors of Hogwarts, Jihoon’s fingers fiddling with the chain in his hands and the snake pendant that dances from it; silver with green eyes, coiling itself as it dangles from the center. It’s small, insignificant; or so he feels. But out of all the gifts he’d given, it was the most expensive and the only one he delivered in person. He didn’t know how long he was waiting before he saw Jaewon coming out the Slytherin common room and he swallowed down his nerves.
“Jaewon,” he greeted, scuffing his sneakers to hurriedly catch him before he left. One hand reaching out, leaving his heart hastened in his chest as he takes Jaewon’s and opens it to place the necklace in. “I got this for you. It’s.. They charmed it for me, it’s supposed to protect you from bad dreams. So wear it when you sleep and you’ll only have good dreams,” Jihoon can’t stop himself explaining, slowly drawing his hands away from Jaewon’s and inching a step back.
“I have other gifts to give out—“ a lie “—so have a good Christmas.”
He smiles, bobbing his head and brining his hand to his cheek as he turns away, rubbing away the heat as he hurriedly tries to put space between them. Only to remember one thing, stopping and looking back at Jaewon. “But you can’t let anyone else wear it. I got it made especially for you, so. It’s only for you.”
Jihoon smiles, nodding his head at his own success, feet still leading him away; before Jaewon thinks too hard on his words and sees too far into his heart.
There’s a lazy drag of his boots to reach the door and actually go to class. But the second he takes a step out, he sees Jihoon– a few nights after, never the person worth forgetting.
He looks over the necklace, looking at the younger then back at the item again. “You shouldn’t have– thanks” he replies, gently catching Jihoon by the wrist before the Hufflepuff gets away.
“Mind helping me…putting it on, I mean” he says, smiles– bright and warm.