Archive of Our Own ^beta

Jungkook is panicking.

Summer is almost over and he hasn’t found himself a coven yet. Why did he think it was going to be easy?

Watching his friends immediately be accepted into whatever coven they chose gave him too much hope. And now he’s here, a couple of months until he starts his second year at the Academy - when getting into a coven becomes mandatory - and he’s covenless. For a witch, that might as well be death. Witches with no Family die of Power Loss, shunned and alone. Jungkook can’t even think of that without his hands shaking and his heart beating furiously in his chest.

The small glass vial clasped in his hand starts trembling so he puts it down. He sighs, one last look at the clutter on his desk, the spell book opened at page 126, the glass bowl he used earlier to mix the morning dew and the snake venom, the half-used candles still lit up in the corner of his dark wooden desk. He watches the light flicker at his every blink until he finally closes his eyes tightly and the flames flicker out.

He looks at the failed potion sitting black and chared at the bottom of the bowl and the sting of tears rushes over him again. Usually, it doesn’t take him this long to master a potion or a spell, Jungkook is an excellent student, diligent and resourceful. But these last couple of weeks, after getting hit with rejection after rejection, it has been more difficult for him to channel his powers and access his magic. What hurts even more when he thinks at the half of dozen covens who rejected his application is that Jungkook can’t even tell if the reason why he didn’t get in are his powers (not strong enough? not compatible?) or the witches simply didn’t like him (does he not smile enough? is he too quiet?).

He twists his head around and sees the empty bed sitting mockingly next to his, perfectly made and gloomily empty. Yugyeom found a coven the very first week he started searching, not to mention their other friend, Eunwoo, who found his fated Family the same day.

It’s just hard to not lose hope and feel dejected when everything at the moment screams at him that he doesn’t have a destined coven. And if his second year at the Academy starts and he’s still all alone, he’ll be paired up with other rejects in a made-up temporary coven. Who knows? Maybe he would like those people, maybe they would later choose to make it official, maybe…

But Jungkook doesn’t want that. Jungkook doesn’t want to leave this all up to fate because what if that temporary coven will be filled with witches who hate one another, who hate him? There are many students at the Academy who can’t stand him and who made that sentiment very clear in his first semester when a bunch of them cornered him in the storage room and left him there with the school’s pet in hopes that the giant snake would eat him. Thankfully, Kiki was actually very kind and telepathically called for Yugyeom and Eunwoo who were searching for Jungkook around the building at the time. That was also the day their friendship solidified into a bond that now runs a little deeper than just companionship. For a while, Jungkook actually thought the three of them might end up forming a coven together. But Yugyeom and Eunwoo’s Families both rejected Jungkook – albeit very kindly – by telling him that Jungkook’s magic simply doesn’t call out to theirs.

Jungkook might have cried a lot that day, hidden under his blanket with his head buried in the pillow to muffle the sobs. His two friends came to visit him the next day and it truly made Jungkook feel more comforted at the thought that the two other witches wouldn’t just cut ties with him. However, they did need to pack up and move into their new homes and for the next couple of days, Jungkook didn’t see them at all.

Right now, the two of them are still adjusting, but things are starting to go back to normal, or at least the new normal. They call and they meet up, but Jungkook – although happy for his friends and how delighted they themselves are with their fated Families – still feels humiliation build up at the back of his throat, sticky and sour, making his stomach turn over every time they ask if he found a coven and every time he has to say no.

It makes him feel small and ashamed. And Yugyeom and Eunwoo try to reassure him but it truly does not really make the young witch feel much better.

A coven is such an innate desire for a witch. To be turned away so many times hurts far deeper than the young man would ever admit out loud.

Crawling under the covers, he lets the Morning Star potion sit there on his desk like the physical representation of his failure. The white plain walls of the room are momentarily struck by the lines of light sneaking though the curtains.

It’s such a lovely and sunny day outside.

Too bad all Jungkook can feel is the cold of his imminent future, the dreadful possibility of becoming a lone witch, of gradually losing his powers as the years go by.

But Jungkook can’t let himself go like that, can’t allow to lose himself so easily.

So as another shaky sigh leaves his lips, he thinks of one of the last options he has left. He’s been avoiding even thinking about it because really, if the other covens didn’t want him, why would such an exclusive one think any differently?

Bangtan is a relatively new Family, only a few years since it was officially recognized by the Council. But it is already famous on a national scale. It’s made up of six member – all of them the best of what the Academy had to offer. And they’re all so young too, the youngest two graduated last year! People talk about them not just because they are such skillful witches though. They like to woo and aah at the fact that the coven started as a bunch of rejects. The oldest two – Seokjin and Yoongi – formed it their second year when just like how it’s been happening to Jungkook right now, they were rejected by several covens. But to establish a coven you need at least three members (magic cores are always more stable in odd numbers) and so here comes Namjoon – the prodigy who graduated with honors, way earlier than his same-age peers. After graduation, the three of them fought against the Council’s initial refusal and did everything so that they could officially form a coven of their own. Normally, a three-member Family is almost unheard of but it is said that the three witches’ magic impressed the Jury so much that their request was eventually granted and they were even offered a job as Officials. They turned down the offers, even if they still end up helping the Council every now and then in cases of emergency.

A couple of years later, Hoseok, Namjoon’s friend, joined their coven too after his graduation. And then, one year later, Jimin and Taehyung stumbled into the picture– the only members whom Jungkook actually caught glimpses of in the cafeteria sometimes in his first year (as opposed to the other members whom the younger witch has only ever seen on tv). Initially, the two youngest wanted to form a Family of their own, claiming that their bond is strong enough, that they could never be separated and that their Cores rejected other covens’ magic. But their request was denied. Two members was not enough to form a coven, nobody believed that they could stabilize their powers well enough for their magic not to get out of control. And that’s when Hoseok propositioned them. It was supposed to be a temporary solution, just until the younger two graduated. The four witches related to Jimin and Taehyung’s struggles since it was only a few years prior when they were also fighting to become official in the eyes of the law.

The two joined the others and somehow, never left.

And that is just a brief history, one that Jungkook has heard numerous times. Many people applied to get into Bangtan and every single one of them got rejected. People called the six of them pretentious, arrogant, “too much power got to their heads”. Jungkook has always thought it must be more than this though. Maybe the six powerful witches really couldn’t connect well with others.

Even so, Jungkook didn’t dare to even try.

Why would such an exclusive Family accept him anyway?

But Jungkook is desperate. So desperate that his magic is starting to get affected too. And maybe, deep down, even if he does not want, would not admit it, Jungkook is afraid.

Afraid of ending up alone and magicless.

So, he’ll face a possible humiliation if it meant that there could be even the tiniest possibility that this didn’t end up in disaster.

What’s another rejection anyway?

Death.

Jungkook ignores his melodramatic inner voice and starts to hum under his breath, a tune that one of his mothers would sing to him when he was a child.

Oh god, his mothers! They would be so disappointed! He could read it between the lines in the last couple of emails he received from them. They were also worried for him, but he knew their coven – his Primary Family – has been putting pressure on them. Jungkook is already at the age where he is supposed to break ties with his Primary Family and get into a coven of his own. A covenless witch in their Primary Family is basically feeding off of the other official members’ magic because they have no contribution to the coven’s Power Core.

It is decided. Jungkook has to try. No matter what. He will not end up alone.

He buries deeper under the covers, cooling down the stuffy air under the blanket with a soft tune. It’s always comforting to go back to his main affinity, music. He often tries to experiment with it to see what he can actually do – even if it is frowned upon and discouraged at the Academy. A witch is not supposed to use their main affinity because it is said to be dangerous without a Power Core to prevent accidents. At the Academy, you’re supposed to learn the basics – things that every witch should know – and you’re only supposed to read about your personal affinity, never practice it until your second year when you’re supposed to have already joined a coven. Most students break that rule though – Jungkook included. Sure, people whose major affinity is fire, for example, should definitely think twice before experimenting with it and accidentally setting on fire an entire bathroom (happened a couple years ago, it made national news), but Jungkook just sings and…things happen, small things like how the blanket over his head is now cold even if it’s a hot summer day today, or how the ceiling of his room suddenly spurts out stars like tiny freckles dotting its plain white surface.

Jungkook sighs and he finally lets himself have one last cry.

Tomorrow, he’ll try his luck at Bangtan and whatever the outcome, Jungkook will make it work. He can do this.

✨🕯️✨

The door in front of him seems daunting in its enormity. To be fair, it’s not that tall and it is in fact covered in pretty flowers and rich-green vines. The brick walls of the small mansion seem to be hugged on all sides by vines actually. It looks like a fairytale cottage except it’s way bigger than that.

Finding out Bangtan’s address took him longer than expected. He had to call several people, witches who have tried to apply in the past. In fact, a coven’s address is usually listed online for the exact reason of other witches who would want to join.

The bigger the coven, the stronger the Power Core and thus more powerful the members are.

However, the lack of an address clearly says Sorry, we’re full. No members needed.

Another reason that stirs all the rumors about the Bangtan coven. How can six witches be strong enough to last so long?

Normally, every coven lets at least one new witch per year to join them. But Bangtan survived four, almost five years on their own and at the beginning, for a whole year, they were only two!

Jungkook takes a deep breath. This is it. He’s been trying to prepare himself for a possible (definite) rejection, he told himself it builds character and tried very hard right after not to scoff.

He clears his throat, stops himself from checking his outfit again (all black jeans and black t-shirt as usual) and then raises his fist up to knock.

The door swings open before his knuckles ever touch the wood.

A pretty man with a wide sunny smile, dressed in a rainbow of colors, greets him.

Jungkook is blinded by a second when the sunrays hit the man’s delicate bone structure first, jawline smooth and defined, face narrow and sun-kissed. He looks like the type of man who would have his own personal space under the Sun.

“Hello! We were expecting you. Come in, come in!”

His voice sounds like eating ice cream on the beach at night, it’s all smooth sand and sweet vanilla and warm hands.

Jungkook stumbles in without ever remembering how he moved his feet.

The inside of the house is all wood and green plants, white walls covered in photos, French windows and sheer white curtains that flutter in the breeze.

The whole floor is an open space, the living room taking up the majority of the room with a long L-shaped couch in the colour of rich coffee sitting somewhere in the middle, its shade similar with the one on the floor. There are adjacent sofas on each side, a huge tv right in front of the couch and a small round table made of the same dark wood as the chairs peaking from the kitchen to the right. No walls or doors to separate the rooms so Jungkook can see a marble counter and black colored appliances in the space reserved for cooking. To the far left, there is a staircase that leads upstairs to an interior balcony that shows the hallway and the several doors along it.

Six pairs of eyes have been looking at him for a couple of minutes now. Jungkook clears his throat and opens his mouth.

“Um…hi.”

There is a small beautiful man with beady eyes pressed against another beautiful man, the sofa just big enough for the two of them to fit and while the first man doesn’t show any sort of emotion on his face, the second one smiles in a way that reminds Jungkook of that friendly snake he was stuck in a room with last year at school, the one who was supposed to eat him or something but ended up helping him instead.

Both men look a bit like a Renaissance painting or maybe that’s just Jungkook’s inner romantic speaking. He recognizes them as Yoongi and Jimin. In fact, he looks around and sees them all, glorious and powerful and beautiful.

And all of them are looking at him.

Jungkook tries to put his rattled thoughts in order, ignores the shape of Taehyung’s body and how it fits next to Hoseok’s delicate frame on the couch, he ignores Seokjin’s angelic face and Namjoon’s everything.

It’s now or never he guesses.

“Um...hi. I’m Jeon Jungkook and I…”

He catches a glimpse of Jimin’s smile turning into a shadow of a smirk and quickly averts his eyes only to see Namjoon’s lips twitch as well.

“Well, I was wondering if…you wanted…you had any…if I could apply…”

Shit, okay, it is not going well. Jungkook had a whole speech planned for this but here he is fucking stuttering and embarrassing himself in front of these six formidable witches.

He feels the traitorous warmth of a blush spreading up and around and all over his cheeks.

“Okay, poor boy’s suffering. Let us talk first, sweetheart.”

Jungkook tries to nod at Seokjin’s words, half starstruck and half way in love.

Alright, so maybe he’s exaggerating a bit. Maybe.

“Hello, Jungkook. I’m Seokjin and these are my coven mates.” He lists them all in no particular order and Jungkook gives a small nod, feeling his tongue heavy in his mouth. The older man’s calm exterior gives Jungkook hope that at least if (when?) they reject him, Seokjin is going to be kind about it. Jungkook thinks this might actually be the rejection.

There is a strange stirring in his chest, like his magic woke up, gave him a tug and then fell back asleep. A covenless witch doesn’t really have a strong connection with their magic. Sure, they feel it and they can access bits and pieces, but without a coven, they can’t really embrace it fully. Mated witches feel it like a sentient being. Until he bonds, Jungkook’s magic will stay dormant. So, this stirring is strange because he wasn’t trying to access it at all.

Perhaps this is what happens when he's surrounded by witches of this calibre.

“Joon had a vision a couple months ago. We were expecting a witch.”

Oh. Oh.

The room falls into silence. The older men seem to leave Jungkook to sort through his thoughts and give them an answer. Jungkook feels as if there is a particular thing he has to say in reply but he finds that he has no idea what that is.

Yoongi sighs, cat-like eyes half lidded as if he were narrowing them at Jungkook. Or maybe he’s sleepy. Yeah, Jungkook is going to pretend it’s the second option.

“What Seokjin means is that Namjoon doesn't dream about random witches who want to apply here. If he dreamt you, it means there is something different this time.”

Jungkook blushes. Just a bit, just a speckle of pink, half covered by unruly black hair. Yoongi’s lips twitch.

“We were half convinced that this is just about another witch comind trying to apply here, but…clearly Namjoon’s vision means more…we are officially intrigued.” Continues Seokjin, a kind and pleasant smile on his face.

Jungkook still doesn’t know if this is good or not. If Namjoon had a vision (his clairvoyance power is famous worldwide) then it definitely means that Jungkook was meant to come here.

That doesn’t necessarily mean you’re meant to stay.

Jungkook tries to cut the bud of hope from the stem so that he wouldn’t be as disappointed in the end as he could be if he were to overthink this.

He inhales and exhales quietly, gaze still roaming from the floor to their sock-clad feet, letting his gaze catch a pair of curious eyes for a fraction of a second.

“Oh, well then I want to formally apply for a spot in Bangtan.” He quickly says and then he bows at a full ninety degrees angle.

A short moment passes when nobody says anything. And then.

“We were expecting you sooner actually. We were starting to think that maybe you weren’t going to come after all.”

Jimin’s voice is a chime bell in the middle of a deserted forest in the fall.

Jungkook straightens up. “I thought I would get rejected.” His reply is soft and stated as a fact rather than as a way to defend himself. Jimin hums. “You would have. Been rejected, I mean. If not for Joon’s vision.”

Jungkook nods and finally gathers enough courage to keep eye contact with the smaller man even if it only lasts a few seconds. Someone else makes another sound in the room, a mix between a muffled chuckle and a hum, it hits like his favourite dessert, a bit too sweet, but with a distinct aftertaste that is hard to forget.

Taehyung’s smile is a tad smaller than Jimin’s. He looks at Jungkook in a more analyzing fashion, similar to Yoongi’s inquisitive gaze or Namjoon’s wise searching eyes. Seokjin and Hoseok seem the most laid back of them all, but Jungkook thinks he still sees glimpses of something in their eyes so he knows they are also making assessments of their own.

Namjoon stands up suddenly and claps his hands once to gather everyone’s attention. It’s hard not to pay attention to the beautiful giant in the middle of the room.

“Well, then, If you’re here-

The doorbell rings.

Silence.

Seokjin stands up to go answer the door. An unfamiliar voice rings out loud and clear in the quiet space between them.

“Hello, I am Song Changho and I came here to formally present my application to enter the Bangtan coven.”

Jungkook has the imminent and terrifying feeling that he is going to cry.

✨🕯️✨

Jungkook does not in fact cry. But he is left speechless, looking at the handsome young man, a colleague of his apparently that he has never met before, talking and talking, sounding intelligent and witty and Jungkook wonders if it would be wasteful (of their time and energy) to just retract and go back home already.

Because Bangtan hasn’t kicked Changho out yet. In fact, they invited him in and told him about Namjoon’s vision, smiles just as polite as earlier with Jungkook and Jungkook wants to cry, he wants to, he wants to, he wants to. He’s been fighting off the sting of tears for well over twenty minutes now because he knows exactly what this means.

Namjoon’s vision specified a male witch apparently, but never who. So they know it has to be either Jungkook or Changho who is meant to either join them or who knows…maybe neither are destined to bond with Bangtan, maybe they are here for a completely different reason. But their laws state that if two eligible and willing witches apply for the same spot in the same coven, then the two witches will have to prove themselves to the coven, implicitly competing against each other.

So Jungkook can go on and prove he’s better than this Changho guy or he can give up and…

That is not an option. Jungkook is not a quitter and even if it means he’ll try and fail, subsequently humiliate himself in front of these men, he’ll still do it.

In that moment, Jimin’s gaze locks on his and Jungkook is left a little breathless, a little bare. Jimin is good with emotions, he can feel them, maybe even manipulate them and the younger witch wonders what feeling he’s emoting right now for the older witch to look at him like that. It’s a bit disarming, a whole lot intense.

✨🕯️✨

That afternoon, Jungkook and Changho are both told how things are going to play out.

Essentially, the coven will choose a day where the two younger unmated witches are going to prepare for a Demonstration. The coven will give them a couple of trials that they will have to pass and if one of the two students’ magic answers well to the other six men’s magic, then it’s a match.

Well, at least this is how it’s supposed to go. Every coven is different.

Bangtan is especially known for being unique, for standing out. So, maybe their methods will be different in this case as well.

Jungkook feels a ball of anxiety slowly rolling around in his stomach, snowballing up to his chest and his throat until he realizes it’s been twenty minutes and he hasn’t said a word.

Changho is happily chatting away and Bangtan, although not overly friendly, they still look interested, maybe even a bit impressed as Changho lists off every high-power spell he’s mastered since freshman year.

Jungkook feels a bit of his hope crush under Jimin and Seokjin’s easy smiles.

“So, because this is a bit of an unexpected situation, we’re going to have your interviews separately.” Namjoon suddenly says, making Jungkook’s neck twist up to watch the older witch regard both of the students calmly. “Today?” he asks a bit too softly for his liking. Namjoon smiles kindly and nods. “Great!” Changho exclaims happily, looking ready to crush Jungkook’s dreams and future.

“I’m ready.”

Jungkook can tell. Changho is confident and it wouldn’t have bothered Jungkook on a regular day since Jungkook is a very competitive person and he’s usually confident in himself too.

But out of all the things he imagined today to happen, having competition was the last thing on his list.

He’s not ready.

“Great”, says Namjoon good-natured, then his dragon eyes meet Jungkook again. “Jungkook?” the younger can only nod and give a soft yes as a reply.

“Alright. Well then, firstly, you’ll each be taken into a room, one at a time and be asked questions. It’s not a test, but rather a way for us to get to know you better as a person. Sort of like a job interview.” He chuckles softly and Jungkook can’t help his own mouth from tugging up into a gentle smile at the warm sound.

“Then, we’ll call you back here for your Demonstration. Then we’ll have a couple of days for deliberations and to decide which one of you is chosen to join us.”

“Keep in mind that we have the right to reject both of you.” Adds Seokjin like an afterthought, kind smile now looking more like a fuming gun. Well, it hit the target. Jungkook almost physically reels back at the idea of being rejected. Although, he guesses there is at least a certain amount of comfort to be had if he isn’t the only one rejected. Of course, ideally, Jungkook is the chosen one, but just thinking at the possibility of perfect Changho getting selected, of Jungkook living for the rest of his life with the knowledge that he was so close to getting into Bangtan and yet not succeeding…

He admits that at first, what fascinated him the most about the six witches were the stories about their powers, the fact that they were talked about as if they were celebrities. Then Jungkook did some research and found out their history, learnt about their bond and their love and how much they had to struggle and fought and still managed to reach their dreams. He then found out how diligent and skillful they are in their crafts, not only in general ones, but also in their personal affinities. Jungkook is amazed at how different their personal abilities are – I mean a fire wielder isn’t even supposed to stand being in the presence of a water witch and yet here are Taehyung and Yoongi, who ended up a while ago pressed next to each other on the couch, holding hands.

Jungkook is in awe. He’s been admiring them for a while now, but their existences felt far away, almost surreal. Jungkook didn’t think he’d ever have the courage to even approach them. Now he’s about to try and woo them with his great personality.

Jungkook is trying to cut off the sarcasm of his inner thoughts, after all, he is sure they would much better appreciate good humor than self-deprecating thoughts.

Yoongi locks eyes with him again, his irises looking like the surface of the ocean at night. Jungkook keeps the eye-contact for longer than he realizes, getting lost and a bit floaty in the older man’s gaze. He wonders if Yoongi can manipulate minds the way he manipulates water or if Jungkook is overthinking the rush of tranquility washing over him like a gentle wave.

“Okay, Jungkook arrived first so…”

Seokjin says and the younger man startles, clears his throat and stands up on shaky legs. “Uh, yes.”

“Splendid. Let’s go, sweetie.”

Changho looks like he wants to say something but Namjoon chimes in. “Changho, we will have to ask you to choose if you wish to wait outside or if you want to wait here. But keep in mind, that you will be kept under surveillance so that we know for sure you aren’t touching or doing anything you aren’t supposed to do here.” Seokjin explains calmly and at the older man’s words, Jungkook wonders if the surveillance means cctv or if the house’s magic somehow can warn the other six if something were to happen. Just the fact that the coven offers that second option is proof enough of how confident they are that Chnagho won’t dare or won’t get to do anything he isn’t allowed to.

It’s a bit intimidating. So much confidence has to come from the knowledge that you have enough power to back it up.

Intimidating indeed. Also, maybe kinda hot too.

“Oh, I’ll wait here if you don’t mind.” Changho answers. Jungkook would have chosen to wait outside.

Changho doesn’t drop his smile at all while he talks, in fact he hasn’t stopped smiling since he arrived here. Jungkook wonders if his cheeks hurt.

“Very well.”

The other student watches the seven of them go.

✨🕯️✨

Jungkook is lead upstairs, in what he assumes is an office except twice the regular size. Three out of the four walls are covered in shelves overspilling with books, meanwhile the wall behind the desk is completely made out of glass, letting in natural light. Jungkook catches glimpses of the backyard, a double swing, a tall willow tree, what looks like a greenhouse and a small manmade pond.

It looks lovely, like a picture-perfect storybook place. Jungkook almost expects fairies to suddenly spring out between the blades of grass and the stems of tulips. Alas, he knows fairies only live in the forest, meanwhile the Bangtan household is situated somewhere at the edge of the city, closer to the river than the forest.

They invite him to take a seat in the comfortable chair in front of the dark wooden desk, cluttered in bookmarked manuals and black-wax candles sat in short individual silver holders.

Namjoon sits down behind the desk while the others occupy the sofas on the right.

Jungkook is tensed, but tries to gather his wits. This is quite literally the chance of a lifetime. How many people can say that they sat here in front of the Bangtan leader, ready to ask questions as a way to see if Jungkook is eligible to join them.

That’s right. The answer is zero.

No witch ever made it this far.

Jungkook tries to hold on to that thought.

“Hey, Jungkook, we’ll just start with a couple of simple questions.”

The student nods, swallows air down his dry throat and startles when a glass of water appears in front of him. He looks up and meets Hoseok’s sunny smile which makes it impossible not to scrunch up his nose in a smile of his own. Hoseok coos but after Jungkook finishes half of the water in the glass, he goes back to his seat in-between Seokjin and Jimin.

“Don’t be too nervous. There are no wrong answers here.”

But Jungkook knows that’s a lie. The selection process has started the moment Changho stated he came here for the same thing as him.

“So, why did you decide to apply here?”

Jungkook takes a couple of seconds to think it over. He could talk about how he admires them, how much he thinks he could contribute to their coven, how he thinks he has potential and that he could really grow and strengthen the coven’s powers. But Jungkook doesn’t think this is what they want to hear. So despite every rational thought telling him to not do it, he does it anyway – he tells the truth.

“Well, actually, Bangtan was never an option I considered until a couple of days ago.”

Namjoon’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise but he’s back to a passive expression the next second. Another man from the sofas makes a sound that Jungkook tries not to turn his head towards.

“Can you elaborate?” Namjoon sounds more intrigued than offended so Jungkook takes it as a good sign and starts to explain.

“I’ve been…looking for a coven since summer started and…well…I got rejected every time. Bangtan…was never an option because I knew how exclusive you guys were and although I’ve admired you for a while now, I’ve never even thought that the option of applying here and not getting rejected was a possibility.” Jungkook breathes in, fingers tightening a little on his shirt but he forces his gaze to stay on Namjoon who hasn’t given any reaction so far.

“The other day, I realized that I didn’t really have many options left though. Bangtan was a spur of the moment decision and I just…went for it. What can one more rejection do to me, right?” he chuckles weakly and finally looks down and away from Namjoon's sharp gaze.

“So you would say you are more of a spontaneous person?”

Jungkook opens his mouth to answers, closes it, takes a couple of seconds to form the answer in his head, then he replies with “I think I can be a bit impulsive when I let my feelings take over more, but I am usually not a very emotional person.”

“So you’re saying that you don’t usually let your feelings dictate your actions?”

“Yes, indeed.” Jungkook nods, happy he could put it into words.

Namjoon hums. “Are you aware of our personal affinities?”

“I think I am as knowledgeable about them as the general public.”

“So you are aware that Jimin here is sometimes affected by others' emotions.”

“Yes.”

“Sometimes, people who make spontaneous decisions based on their temporary feelings aren’t really able to control their emotions very well and that usually affects Jimin the most.”

Wait, shit. That can’t be good. Shit shit shit.

“Oh, come on, give me some credit, Joonie. You know I’ve gotten better at it.”

“I know, love, but it still is something we need to keep in mind.” Jimin huffs but doesn’t say anything else.

“Okay, Jungkook. We have only one more question for you.”

Jungkook nods, trying not to let the surprise show on his face. That’s it? Has it even been five minutes yet?

“Do you really think you would fit in?”

Well, that hurt. But it’s a fair question. Not many people would stand the fame and the power.

Still, it makes Jungkook feel small and inadequate.

He takes a little longer to answer and this time he sounds a bit more resigned.

“I would probably need time to adjust…I think…maybe not really. But it feels a lot like that’s the point.”

He makes no sense, he knows. Shit, this is it. He blew it.

“You think Bangtan’s purpose is to take in witches who don’t seem like they could fit in here?” Yoongi asks and Jungkook twists his head around, looks at the older man and then lowers his gaze on his hands. “Don’t you think if that were the case, this place would be flooding with witches?” Yoongi continues but Seokjin chimes in with a soft chide of Yoongi’s name.

“No. What I meant is that…”

But Jungkook feels like he’s going to cry again, a little horrified at the fact that Jimin can probably tell.

Namjoon speaks up again.

“Are you referring to the fact that we started as a coven of rejects?”

Shit, maybe that is what he meant. Jungkook doesn’t know anymore, too rattled to make sense of his thoughts. But in spite of his earlier words, Namjoon asks him another question, prolonging Jungkook’s suffering.

“What would you do if we rejected you and you wouldn’t find a coven to take you in?”

Jungkook swallows, the water from earlier filling too much space in his empty stomach.

He takes a deep quiet breath before he answers. “Well, the protocol says that I would join a temporary coven with other students who are in the same situation.”

“Are you aware that this is how my Family was formed?”

Jungkook nods, words stuck like heavy weights in his throat.

“How would you feel? Getting stuck in a temporary coven?” The one group that everybody hates and makes fun of. That goes unsaid. Jungkook thinks he knows what Namjoon is really asking. The older man wants to know if Jungkook looks down on rejected witches, wants to know if Jungkook is actually hunting for a powerful coven rather than a coven that is fit for him.

“I would be sad.” He decides to just spill his feelings, it already seems like a disaster either way. Namjoon hasn’t smiled at him since his first question. It already feels like a failure.

“I would be sad to not having had the option of choosing my Family. I…could make it work if the other witches were amiable people. I know how temporary covens are treated and I…” he chuckles, an involuntary sound most likely caused by his current overwhelmed state. “I’m pretty determined when I want to be. I would probably turn it into a competition or something. Just to show whoever is willing to see that my powers are first and foremost defined by myself and only after, by the people I’m in a coven with.”

He clears his throat. “But yeah…that’s what I would do.”

Namjoon nods and at the lack of facial expression, Jungkook adds like an afterthought, a quick one that just slips out. “I would probably beat their asses too but who knows.”

Someone laughs on the couch and Namjoon’s lips twitch.

“Okay, Jungkook. I’m going to ask you now for your Identification.” Jungkook nods, already preparing his thumb. Namjoon takes out a shallow silver tray, no bigger than his palm, from one of the desk’s drawers and places it in front of the younger witch. The tray is covered by a thin lid that Namjoon takes off and suddenly Jungkook is greeted with the sight of gold.

It’s a basic mixture of yellow pollen and fairy dust, one of the first things a witch is taught about in school.

Jungkook gently presses his thumb on the golden dust, having done this enough times to know that if he presses too hard, it’ll spill everywhere, then he takes it away. The tip of his thumb – now perfectly yellow – is then pressed to a mirror.

Later on, the coven is supposed to do a simple spell – another basic skill – to procure Jungkook’s background, Primary Family, Academy scores, criminal record if it exists.

It’s a little unnerving. The powder is also something that only authorities usually own (it can obviously become very dangerous for privacy reasons). It is in fact illegal to own such a mixture (fairy dust is very hard to come across anyway, the black market is full of harmful imitations of it). Official covens though can request it beforehand, many doing so in this period of the year where young witches start their search for a coven.

This solidifies the older witches’ earlier claims. They have been waiting for him. Or well, they have been waiting for someone.

“Perfect, we will contact you in a couple of days for the Demonstration or if we encounter any issue in the meantime.”

Namjoon stands up so Jungkook immediately rushes to follow.

They shake hands and the skin-to-skin contact is a bit dizzying, which is in itself unexpected.

When he’s back in the living room, he sees Changho sitting in the exact same spot as when they left him. It’s been probably no more than ten minutes. The other student smiles at the coven and Jungkook curses the fact that the six witches are behind him and he can’t tell if they smile back.

Hoseok leads him to the front door even if it is completely unnecessary, the door is right in front of his eyes. The older witch smiles at him, a sunny grin, just as luminous as before and Jungkook’s heart loses some of the heaviness that was filling it earlier.

He might get rejected, but he doesn’t think he could ever regret doing this. Anxiety and fear aside, being in the presence of their bond has felt a lot like standing on a beach, close to the water, but only touching the warm sand.

“See you soon.”

“See you soon.”

The door closes with a gentle sound, the flowers curled around vines and leaves near the top of the door frame losing a couple of petals that fall right on Jungkook’s black combat boots.

✨🕯️✨

When he gets back home, Jungkook is in such a state of shock, that he immediately bursts into tears. He heats up some water on the stove with tears still running down his red plump cheeks, he hiccups his way through a cup of instant ramen and then he goes and takes a shower, the redness of his face spreading now to the rest of his body due to the warm water and now the wetness of his cheeks might be from the tears, might be just from the shower.

When he finally goes to bed, it’s barely 10 pm, but he instantly falls asleep, head feeling heavy and achy, muscles sore from constantly tensing and untensing them in his earlier state of distress.

But then he wakes up. And he is panicking again. He calls Yugyeom and Eunwoo and explains what happened. They freak out, he freaks out, he panics again and bursts back into tears.

When his friends storm inside the small dorm room, having rushed here, still on the phone with Jungkook, they find him sobbing on the bed, messy hair sticking in every possible direction, still in his comfort pajamas – the ones he got as a present from Yugyeom last year – and clutching the phone in one hand and the blanket that was once Eunwoo’s in the other hand.

The sight breaks their hearts so they quickly go and wrap themselves around him, cooing and petting down the mop of hair on his head.

It takes a full thirty minutes for Jungkook to calm himself down and he now feels lighter for having let out all those slimy emotions that were sticking right on his tear ducts since yesterday afternoon. He can think clearly now.

“Holy shit, Kook. But do you realize it though?” Yugyeom lets out, a short laugh bursting out of his mouth in disbelieve.

“What?” croaks Jungkook in a pathetically small voice.

Yugyeom laughs again, grabbing his friend by the shoulders and giving him a good shake.

“You have THE chance to join THE Bangtan coven. Jesus you really are a lucky bastard!”

Jungkook sighs, tells him he doesn’t care who they are but thinks their home is lovely and their plants smell sweet and inviting, endearing flower buds swaying their little petals every time Hoseok walks by.

Eunwoo and Yugyeom watch Jungkook for a second as if the other has lost his mind. Maybe he has. Or maybe he’s been keeping in all this wordvomit since yesterday and now he finally spilled.

“Dude, you’re fucked.” And hearing Eunwoo swear just solidifies the truth of his words even more because yes indeed, Jungkook admits it now.

He’s fucked.

He starts crying again, but this time he’s silent, tears trickling down with no sobs or hiccups and no wish to wipe them off.

He spends the next couple of days trying to go through possible scenarios, possible trials that the coven might make them go through, but revisiting first-semester notes on Basic Skills or rereading last semester Potions 101’s manual does not seem fitting at all.

If anything, Jungkook thinks no guide or schoolbook is going to prepare him for what is going to happen.

The churning starts up again in his stomach and he tries to push it down, drinks water, shifts his position on his bed, throws the blanket off of his feet, shifts again, plops down on his pillows, books forgotten on the bed.

He wonders if Changho is also preparing himself, if he has better notes to read through. They must definitely look neater than Jungkook’s undecipherable scribbles.

When Namjoon calls to tell Jungkook he expects him the next day at 2pm, he immediately crashes on the bed right after.

This is it.

That night, Jungkook barely sleeps and when he does manage to fall asleep, it’s a restless one, filled with sluggish nightmares that force him awake. His stomach feels queasy the following morning, barely able to eat a banana and some almonds before he goes on a run to try to get rid of all the anxiety building up.

It helps.

He takes a shower and forces down another cup of ramen (he should really learn how to cook) and before he knows it, he’s getting ready to leave. While he’s putting on his jeans, he gets a couple of chaotic messages in his groupchat with Yugyeom and Eunwoo to which he responds with just as many emojis and a Spongebob meme.

He’s nervous, maybe a bit more than that. But these days after his first visit at the coven, he contemplated a lot on the possible outcomes. He decided to actively try to control this fear of not being accepted into a Family before the start of the year.

Who know? If it does come to that, maybe he’ll be lucky and find the same kind of bond as Bangtan has.

He sighs.

He has to keep up the good energy otherwise his magic is not going to respond well today when he’ll try to use it.

Right before he goes to leave, he hears a knock at the door.

Pause.

He’s just texted his friends and there is no one who could visit him other than those two.

He opens the door and he’s met with a smiling Changho.

Well, that’s unexpected.

“Hello, Jungkook! I thought we could walk together!”

He even holds up a paper bag that must contain some sort of pastry. This guy…

“How…how did you know where I live?”

Jungkook does not want to come off as rude, but this is a bit much. Especially since they are - for lack of a better word - rivals.

“It wasn’t that hard to ask around. Plus, I’ve seen you around campus a couple of times.”

Jungkook can’t say the same. He hesitates, mildly spooked by the flash of blinding white coming from the other student’s teeth, but he sighs. Changho is already here. He doesn’t want to throw him out. What if the other witch goes and tattles on him to the coven and then they get the wrong impression?

“Um…okay, let me put on my shoes.”

He quickly does just that, then rushes to lock his room and suddenly he’s taking a bus with Changho.

The other guy has been talking for a while, something about a Potions professor they’re supposed to both know. It sort of comes through one ear and goes out the other, Jungkook just nodding alone to whatever the other man is saying. How is Changho so relaxed? Jungkook can barely force his leg not to thump on the bus floor, anxious energy making him clench and unclench the muscles in his thighs, fisting and unfisting his hands, scratching at whatever sliver of skin he gets.

Until Changho says something that catches Jungkook’s attention. “So yeah, they were so nice, right? I mean, I’ve been told I smile a lot, but they really outshine me here.” A laugh that drops a weight in Jungkook’s stomach.

“Even Yoongi seemed so nice! I’ve heard rumors that he’s the coldest out of all of them but he was so nice to me yesterday!”

Jungkook can’t say the same. And now he’s scared he might actually physically puke his guts out right now and right here on this guy’s tennis shoes.

They already like him better. They didn’t smile at me during the interview. Yoongi seemed cold. They didn’t like you. They didn’t. They’re going to reject you in front of this fucking perfect witch and you’re going to be humiliated.

Jungkook is spiraling so he takes a deep breath and only smells the sickly-sweet perfume of the lady in the seat behind him and the chocolate flavor of whatever cupcake Changho’s been eating for the last five minutes.

“You sure you don’t want some?” the other asks when he sees Jungkook eyeing the cupcake warily.

Jungkook quickly shakes his head, the last thing he wants right now is a sugary cupcake sticking to his churning stomach. But Changho insists, because of course he does.

“Oh, no, please taste one at least. I feel bad after eating them in front of you all this time.” Jungkook tries to shake his head again, scared that if he opens his mouth, he’ll spill out his lunch, but Chungho keeps going. “Look, there’s one that I haven’t bitten into yet. Maybe you like vanilla better.”

Somehow, because Jungkook is no good at saying no, he ends up tearing off a small piece of spongey cake and throwing it in his mouth so the other would shut up already. Chungho watches him closely. Maybe he’s figured out that Jungkook isn’t feeling well or maybe that’s just how he is, the type who smiles and stares into your soul.

The bus lurches to a stop and Jungkook forces the piece of cupcake down.

“Let’s go.”

The sickly feeling in his stomach persists.

✨🕯️✨

“Welcome. We hope you both slept well last night” is the first thing Namjoon says while the eight of them stand in the coven’s garden, green grass looking almost neon under their feet. Or maybe Jungkook is about to faint. That would explain why Jimin keeps glimpsing at him, something like a shadow of concern pressing his lips together in a pout.

Namjoon makes eye contact with the two students.
“We know that usually, we would have to put you to several trials but we decided to only come up with one.”

Shit. It must be a difficult one then.

“I want each of you to show us your future. The way you choose to do that is all up to you. You can try to impress us with your skills or your creativity, or show us a side of yourself you haven’t already or maybe you will do something completely different. It’s all up to you. There is no wrong answer.”

Again, Jungkook feels like there very much is.

And what in the world…Jungkook does not have the ability to see in the future. Wait, what if Changho does?

Okay, deep breaths. He spears no glances at the other witch, he is way too focused now on the task at hand to think of anything else. Jungkook might have underplayed it when he said he is competitive. He maybe gets a bit intense every time.

“But, pay attention to mirrors. They don't always show what you want them to.” Seokjin utters cryptically, a pleased smile on his handsome face, before the six witches leave the students alone.

Jungkook sits in a bower, somewhere in their vast garden, legs crossed on the grass. He’s been brainstorming for a couple of minutes now. After thinking about it, he doubts Changho can see the future, because Namjoon and every witch in the coven in fact, knows what personal affinity Jungkook and his rival has, after the Identification. And he doesn’t think Namjoon would be this unfair. No. If they wanted Changho so badly, they would have simply rejected Jungkook from the start. They don’t seem the type to do shady things like stringing him along. Taehyung alone looks like he would tell you straight up what his issue with you is.

Thinking about the youngest witch in the Bangtan coven makes Jungkook realize the lack of interaction the both of them have had. Sure, it’s not like he had in-depth conversations with any of them, except maybe Namjoon at the interview, but Taehyung hasn’t even said a word to him. It makes Jungkook wonder if the witch spoke to Changho instead or if his competitor was met with the same silence. His chain of thoughts brings a sting in his chest, something he knows it is jealousy but refuses to acknowledge it.

Focus. Focus.

Okay, the future.

Seokjin's parting words come to his mind again. The student is almost certain that the older witch was referencing a spell but for the life of him, Jungkook does not know which one. And mirrors are usually involved in high-powered spells and he isn't sure he is powerful enough for such magic so that is out of the question.

The future...

He could try to guess it. Or he could make up something completely random. Keep it realistic or make it idealistic.

He sighs, fingers grasping at the blades of grass, compelled to rip some off in frustration but stopping himself in time. This is not his home, that would be rude.

As he lets the bridles of grass caress his fingers, he gazes aimlessly at the small white butterflies flitting about and landing on the flowers scattered around the property.

The idea springs in his mind at first like something to be discarded soon. But then, he’s peering around at the fairytale scenery in the middle of which he’s sitting right now and he supposes that fate could have withhold this sort of luck from him, could have made him change his mind a few days ago when he finally decided to apply for a spot here, or even this morning, he could have easily given up. He would have, then, missed this opportunity.

This is all him and a dash of good fate.

The feelings quiver in his chest and he lets them guide him.

He stands up, sends a faint apology to a flower grown at the base of a tree, then he gently plucks it out. Eyes closed, he starts chanting.

They weren’t given a time limit (of course, Jungkook guesses they still have to finish the assignment at a reasonable hour), so Jungkook tries to relax his mind and slowly, very cautiously he searches inside himself, probing and digging around for a thread of magic that would fit this spell. It’s something a bit out of his comfort zone, definitely the type of magic that they would be learning this year and he’s most probably doing something wrong in his inexperience but he banishes those thoughts out of his mind, because right now, he isn’t looking for a good grade, instead, he’s looking for a good result.

So, unconventional (maybe possibly dangerous) method, it is.

The next time he opens his eyes, he’s a bit scared to look at what he’s holding, fearful that he might have used too much or not enough or just the wrong magic. After all, he isn’t even supposed to dig so deep into his magic core yet.

Finally, his fingers splay out and in the palms of his hands lies a different flower now, one that does not grow in the coven’s gardens, a little freckled sunset, vibrant and sweet-scented – the way Hoseok felt to him when Jungkook first laid eyes on him. He sighs in relief, prays the burst of sudden air won’t make the delicate flower suddenly disintegrate or something. It might not be very original, Jungkook is sure the older witch’s flowers are way prettier but this one came from Jungkook and Jungkook alone and he hopes that is enough.

He delicately grabs the tiger lily by the stem and wishes for a candle or a match, but he is not sure if they are allowed to ask for supplies. Eventually, he thinks a more organic approach would be more appreciated. So he starts caressing the long rubicund petals with trembling fingers. Slowly, the tips of his fingers flare up under the skin, turning into five glowing dots that delicately churn the edges of the petals without harming their form or their texture.

Then as quickly as possible, the young witch extinguishes any fire and sets the flower down on the grass. With his eyes still closed, he digs his still cooling fingers into the earth and tries to dig again, both for magic and for…

Yes, found it.

Gently, drops of water start floating up from the ground, swaying in-between the bristles of grass until they start to stick together and form a small globe of water at the base of the torn lily stem that lifts the flower in the air and lets it float there. The water is rippling and shifting around, one moment a globe, another moment it’s the shape of a kitten paw. It’s a trick of the light.

Jungkook then inhales deeply, gathering his forces again and starts chanting a Repetition Spell under his breath. One of the petals burns itself into a pile of ashes out of the blue, but then it grows back immediately after due to the spell. And anyone could see it coming because there is no pause in between the fall of the old petal and the emergence of the new one, an unstoppable tiny disaster that you can’t get yourself to look away from (he thinks this is how Namjoon sometimes feels when he has a vision and if Jungkook is completely off in his guesses then he does not want to think about it at all right now).

He closes his eyes and thinks back to yesterday when Jimin smiled at him, takes that feeling and imprints it into the stem hoping the witch will be able to feel it too – it’s nothing extraordinary. Turning emotions into spells is something they will learn way later into the year but Jungkook read ahead about this and he’s glad he did. Lastly, he presses his palms together, still lost in the dark behind his eyelids and the push and pull of his magic. He concentrates some of his powers to the center of his palms. He’s already a bit tired, the types of spells he’s just done vary a lot from one another and that takes a toll on a young witch like himself. But he pushes through until he feels a warm dot growing in the center of his palm like getting too close to a lit-up candle. When he finally opens his eyes, he blinks rapidly to get rid of the rainbow of dots temporarily obscuring his vision. Then, as he looks down, a tiny firefly springs up from his hands and flies in the air until it lands on one of the petals of the tiger lily and makes it glow for a fraction of a second. It’s a bit childish. Seokjin could probably summon the stars in the sky to move to his own wishes. But…

This is it. This is him. And them.

This is what could happen if they let it happen.

Jungkook lets out a shaky breath, only now realizing how much he actually wants to be here. Not because he’s scared he’d otherwise be covenless, but because seeing his magic manifest itself in a shape that – although crooked and untrained – is supposed to resemble theirs, has something in his chest stirring again. A tug at the edge of whatever is growing in his chest. His magic, his soul, the desire to belong.

Jungkook lets a single tear trail down his cheek before he hastily brushes it away.

✨🕯️✨

His eyes are about to pop off, he knows, he is aware but how is he supposed to not stare at what must be Changho’s carbon copy. Did he just…clone himself?

Jungkook is impressed. He doesn’t even know what type of spell would be needed for that. He’s sure is not an easy one though and the thought makes him swallow his anxiety.

He’s giving them a flower meanwhile his rival made a whole ass copy of himself. He almost sighs in resignation but he has come way too far to give up now.

If he’s going to humiliate himself, let it be for a good cause.

Namjoon’s face does not give away any of his emotions, just like Seokjin’s plasticky kind smile doesn’t either. Yoongi isn’t even looking at them, having only spared them an unimpressed look that lasted half a second. Hoseok is the most open with the way he is surveying their work, a mixture of critical assessment and genuine curiosity (he can’t really see yet what Jungkook has made and for that, the youngest witch is momentarily grateful for).

The youngest two are talking amongst themselves, not so subtly point here and there in Jungkook and Changho’s general direction.

Don’t fucking puke, Jungkook. Get it together.

Jungkook’s tiger lily is floating in the air on his left, his hands hovering at his sides ready to catch it if his magic were to suddenly disappear or something. At this point, he wouldn’t be surprised if a dragon would pop out from behind the coven’s house like Namjoon’s personal pet or something.

Shit, no, Jungkook is sure it’s illegal to own a pet dragon these days. But who even knows with these six. Power privileges maybe.

“Okay, explain why you chose this.”

Namjoon gestures to Jungkook first, but the younger witch has frozen, mind blank, palms sweaty and heart fluttering like a hummingbird in his chest.

He realizes it’s been a whole minute and he hasn’t said anything.

“I can go first if Jungkook needs more time.”

And Jungkook really wants to deny it, to say he’s ready, but he’s not. Fuck, he isn’t. Where is that blissful acceptance he’s felt in the garden just a couple of minutes earlier? Now he’s a mess again. Jungkook does not even want to know what Jimin is thinking right now, the fear and humiliation in his chest already painful enough on their own, he doesn’t want to contemplate that there is another person witnessing his doom.

“Hello. First of all, I just want to say that this is already such an honor to be here and to be given the chance to show my abilities to such a competent coven. I have been a huge fan ever since I was in highschool and I’m so excited for this opportunity. So, Namjoon, when you said that we should show you the future, my mind was immediately flooded with ideas.”

Shit, was Jungkook expected to have prepared a whole twenty-minute speech?

What in the name of time-consuming blabbering is this?

It shows Changho is serious about it and it makes him look competent.

This is middle school all over again. Half the work is in the words you say. Dazzle them with the social skills that you don’t have damn it Jungkook, you’re screwed.

Changho is still talking and nobody has stopped him yet so that must be a good sign. For Changho.

“I especially admire your resilience in the face of adversities over the years. Now, when you mentioned the future, this is exactly what I thought about. I thought about the way I will be able to grow here and improve my powers and implicitly strengthen the Power Core of this coven. So I created a copy of how I think I would be like, five years from now.”

Changho gestures to his clone but now that Jungkook looks closer, it appears to not have a physical form, but it is rather sheer, colorful pigments clogged together to form the shape of a Changho. The resemblance is uncanny and maybe Jungkook does not want to admit it again, but it is impressive. The hollow pair of eyes are creeping him out though, so he looks away, subtly guiding his flower further behind his back.

The six witches seem to show a good mixture of polite interest and cold detachment. It’s unnerving just looking at the way their eyes go over the duplicate, moving up and down in a technical manner, probably taking notes of what spells were used, what skills Changho proved with this. They aren’t even looking at Jungkook, but their gazes are enough to make him shrink, shoulders threatening to slump.

Then out of all of them, Taehyung is the one who states his opinion first, surprisingly. “Fitting solution for the task.”

“Thank you, Taehyung.” Changho smiles, laid back and friendly.

Jungkook bites at his bottom lip, almost making the cracked thin skin bleed.

They all watch as Changho’s duplicate moves its fingers around as if preparing to cast a spell, then several orbs of light shoot out of its palms, scattering into a dozen tiny pieces that disintegrate slowly in the air, leaving behind piles of muddy dust. Miniature rainclouds start pouring next to Changho. Is that his special ability then? He can control rain? With the proper training and the right coven, Changho could learn how to start storms, control the weather, stop hurricanes from destroying a town.

Meanwhile Jungkook sings and the lights in his room turn off…

Well, that’s great. Good to know.

The other witches just nod at the other student’s project. They can probably see the potential in him too. Jungkook can’t read their faces at all, but Changho seems pleased with himself, so Jungkook won't waste time on trying to read people.

“Okay, your turn, Jungkook. Are you ready now?” Hoseok asks, a brief glance at Jimin, the action not going unnoticed by the rest of the men there. Jungkook rushes to nod, trying to spear himself any more embarrassment.

“Yes.” The six go back to their original place, only now they are standing just six feet away. He is sure they saw his project from far away earlier, but now they are going to see it from up close, they are going to analyze it, survey the details and scrutinize his motives.

Deep breaths. This is why you’re here, Jungkook.

So he takes two steps closer and brings his flower forward, letting it float gently in the air above his open palms – ready to catch it in case of anything. He sees Hoseok openly staring at it but he can’t quite tell if it’s a good sign or not yet.

“This is a tiger lily.” He swallows his spit which scratches at his dry throat but he powers through. “It’s my birth flower.”

The coven tread closer, only three feet away from the student now. Their footsteps are silent on the grass but he thinks he wouldn’t hear them anyway, not with the way his heartbeat pounds in his ears.

“You’re giving us a flower?” This is the first time Hoseok is not smiling and the image looks so unnatural that Jungkook wants to completely wipe the memory from his brain. Instead, he is forced to watch the older witch’s eyes change hues from brown to gold, from gold to honey. It’s as enthralling as it is eerie. But Jungkook does not know what the phenomenon means just as he doesn’t know why the smile that he receives next looks different than all the others Hoseok has given him.

“I noticed you didn’t have it in your garden.” He adds. Yoongi raises an eyebrow. “And what’s with the other things happening there?” he gestures, looking interested for the first time since they’ve met.

“This is…well…I have a reason for each of them.”

It's you. And me. I'd like to be a part of you.

Jungkook looks at his flower, pretty and complicated. He tries to formulate an answer, a good explanation for the why-s and the how-s, but when Jungkook decided on what to do, he didn’t think of any of these.

He just felt and then did.

“Well? What are the reasons?” impatient but not rude, silent but not necessarily cold. Yoongi is intimidating in his beautiful contrasts.

Silence.

Jungkook isn’t good with words so in the spur of the moment, impulsive like the moment he decided to give this coven a chance, he splays his arms out in front of him, palms and the inside of his elbows up. Slowly, he steps closer to the six, gaze flitting from one pair of eyes to another and then eventually resting at their feet. “I…I am not as good of a speaker as Changho.” He forces a chuckle that sounds soft if not a little sad. “So I want…I want to let you see my motives.” Gently he kneels in the grass and doesn’t dare to look at any of them. He does hear a faint gasp, a quiet sharp intake of breath.

“I trust that you would only take what I am willing to give and I ask that you trust that I would never reject whatever you would be willing to give back.”

It’s a bold move. An Interpretation Spell is kind of personal, definitely not something someone casually offers to a stranger. But as his knees sink a bit more in the soft ground, Jungkook realizes that he isn’t doing this to impress them or to make them feel like this big gesture should be rewarded with their acceptance.

He is doing this because it simply feels like the right thing to do.

His magic has never thrummed so much in his life and how could the young witch ever explain that into words? He just can’t.

So he will let them see it, the process of how he performed every spell, the reason of his every choice and his current thoughts.

Namjoon sounds hesitant when he speaks next, but there is an undertone of want in his words. The older man is trying to mask it, but even Jungkook can tell he will say yes to his offer.

“Very well.” Namjoon clears his throat and steps closer.

Jungkook’s arms are perhaps starting to fall asleep, still up near his ears, wrists and palms and soft skin exposed and vulnerable.

“Joon.” But Yoongi’s warning sounds half-hearted like even he wants to see what is going to happen next.

Namjoon’s fingers are gentle and cold on his skin and Jungkook shivers, forgets completely about the way his heart is marathoning in his chest or the way he is still trying to force his breaths to stop sounding so shaky.

Suddenly, he feels something pbscuring his mind like a sheer blanket dropped over his brain, weightless and luminous. Jungkook’s thoughts feel stuck in the liminal state between owning them and giving them away, like already dreaming when you’re half awake.

And then Namjoon sees. And it reverberates through him and ricochets in his Power Core. The whole coven stumble a bit, almost imperceptibly on their feet.

And it’s enough.

“Stand up.” Namjoon speaks up abruptly, startling Jungkook as he’s pulling the younger witch up on his feet by his arms.

“That’s enough.”

That’s enough.

Jungkook wants to cry, enough almost always means not enough.

He swallows the lump in his throat, eyes glossing over, strands of hair caught in-between dark eyelashes.

Jungkook is not enough. Why is Jungkook never enough?

“We’ll take some time to deliberate.”

But all Jungkook hears is his heart beating, pounding away in his ears and stomach, while breaking apart in chest.

✨🕯️✨

Jungkook hasn’t answered his phone in three hours, the familiar sound of his groupchat’s notification with his two best friends tearing at the silence in his room. He’s already buried under the cover, stomach empty because he can’t get himself to eat anything.

He texted the groupchat a brief explanation of what happened then he told them he wants to hop in the shower and maybe have an early night in.

The other two were sweet, offered to come over and have a movie night, but Jungkook really wants to be alone right now, stew over every little thing he has does wrong, every minute detail he could have changed if only he knew better.

The series of pings from his phone stop, the two thinking that he fell asleep.

The rush of silence that follows feels heavy in his ears, weighty over his body.

Then suddenly, his phone lights up again, a different notification sound.

Mother: Jungkook, what is this that we are hearing. Did you really apply to enter Bangtan? Are you insane??

Mom: Son, we are worried that you are reaching a bit too far. We know how brilliant you are, but Bangtan is in a league of their own.

Mother: We know we insisted that you search for a coven but don’t hurt yourself in the process.

Mom: We will support you no matter what though, son. We love you.

Mother: We know you won’t talk right now. Please take care of yourself. Call us or visit us whenever you’re ready. We love you.

Jungkook: Thank you. I love you too.

Jungkook hasn’t cried this much in years.

Maybe he should start preparing himself for the rejection, but he can’t get himself to move out of bed tonight. He opens his mouth, letting out a lonely tune broken by sobs and hiccups that finally puts him to sleep.

The phone call comes the next day when Jungkook is eating breakfast. He struggles not to choke on his milk when he hears Seokjin’s voice on the other end telling him that they are expecting him at the coven at noon for the final verdict.

Jungkook mumbles an affirmative answer and wishes the older witch a good day, but his mind is scrambling with scattered thoughts. He wishes things wouldn’t have to be so formal. That the coven could just send him an email telling him if he got in or not. But he guesses that in case of a rejection, a proper explanation would be necessary because despite the similarities, this isn’t a job application. You can quit your job and change it any time. But quitting your coven is unheard of. That’s why the selection period is so important and the covens are so strict. They have to make sure that they don’t tie themselves for eternity to a witch that they don’t actually like.

Sometimes, exceptions are made, special cases happen (mostly when it comes to covens specializing in dark magic). But those are rare and considered pretty taboo.

Jungkook feels drained. After yesterday’s good cry, he thinks he cannot possibly have any more tears left. There is a hollow resignation clouding his thoughts and he lets it numb his emotions for a while. But it’s a temporary relief and soon Jungkook finds himself in front of Bangtan’s home for the third time this week.

Today, he learns if it will also be the last time or not.

And one more thing.

Jungkook.

Will.

Not.

Cry.

✨🕯️✨

The sting of tears comes as a warning sign to his impending doom as he watches Changho greet everybody, cheerful as ever.

He knows, he knows, he knows now.

The garden sounds like a graveyard, not even the birds are singing right now. Or maybe Jungkook’s heart is pounding too loudly for him to pay attention.

He watches the six witches, scared of meeting their eyes but more terrified at the thought of never getting another chance for it to happen. So he lets his gaze glide over their forms. Most of them are the same height as him, but standing there with their backs straight and their hands crossed in front of their bodies, they look a bit larger than life.

Jimin gazes back at him unblinkingly, smiling almost encouragingly at him while his hand is swaying gently back and front, clasped in Taehyung’s larger one. The taller witch gives nothing away, handsome features relaxed into a neutral expression. Jungkook almost forces his eyes away but then Taehyung is looking at him and Jungkook feels the burn in the tips of his fingers.

“Alright, we want to formally thank you for choosing Bangtan but you know only one of you can get in.” Namjoon shares a private smile with Seokjin who continues where the other left off. “We appreciate your efforts, but we decided to choose the witch who best fits Bangtan. We think only one of you possesses the kind of magic that could blend well with the rest of us and well…”

The oldest witch hesitates for a second, changing his mind on whatever he was about to say. But Yoongi has no problem filling in the blanks. “Our Core didn’t respond well to one of you. And frankly we don’t think we’d want here a witch who thinks he can-“

“Okay, Yoongi, that’s enough.” Seokjin forces out a chuckle, shoots a half-stern look at the shorter man but Yoongi only shrugs, unapologetic.

Whoever fits here…

The one with the type of magic that would fit better with their own…

The one they like more…

After the interview, Jungkook has doubted if he could actually find a place for himself here, mostly because that seemed to be what they thought too.

Jungkook’s primary affinity is music, but Changho’s is rain. That already would fit better with Seokjin, Taehyung, Hoseok and Yoongi, whose personal abilities are related to nature as well.

And Jungkook can’t forget how content Changho seemed after the interview. That type of cheerfulness could not have come unless it went well, unless they all liked him – liked him more than they liked Jungkook.

You can cry at home, Jungkook, stop humiliating yourself more.

“Jungkook.” Jimin suddenly says his name, softly almost as if he didn’t want the others to hear even though that would have been impossible given how close to one another they are standing.

Jungkook lifts his head to look at the witch and he loses his sense of balance for a moment, swaying almost unnoticeably on his feet. He anticipates the pity in the older witch’s eyes but he’s uncertain if the other man’s glossy orbs are just reflecting back his own.

Inside, something stirs to life and goes back to sleep.

Jimin darts his gaze down, settles on Jungkook's chest and lets it rest there.

When Hoseok catches Jungkook’s eyes the next moment, the student swears he can smell lilies in the air. Yoongi shifts next to him and tugs at Hoseok’s sleeve.

Namjoon speaks again.

“Please, step forward, both of you.”

Jungkook does and just about startles when he remembers Changho’s presence.

For a second, there were only six plus one.

“Changho, you will make a very powerful witch one day, a great addition to any coven.”

The other student grins, pleased with the words. He hasn’t speared Jungkook a glance this whole time, probably confident he won’t be the one getting rejected.

“However.”

Jungkook’s heart is about to pummel itself out of his body.

“Jungkook is the one we want.” Namjoon finishes simply.

“What?” Jungkook and Changho say at the same time, both stunned and in disbelieve.

“Why?” Changho steps forwards, the offense clear in his voice even with Jungkook’s ears currently ringing.

“We have already explained ourselves to you, kid.” Answers Yoongi, but his eyes are glued on Jungkook’s shaking form, a furrow in his brows.

“But I…I fit here. I belong here.”

“You sure about that?” Taehyung asks casually, feet slowly carrying him closer to the two students. “Because power was never a criterion we took into consideration.” He stops in front of Jungkook, but the younger man can’t look at him, doe eyes stuck on a patch of grass and the tips of Taehyung’s pretty shoes.

“You good, Jungkook?” Jungkook can’t hear him. Two long elegant fingers clasp his chin and delicately raise his head.

“Oh for fuck’s sake, I can’t take this anymore.” Jimin spits out, already halfway to wrapping his arms around Jungkook. “Hey, Kook, Kookie? Hey, sweet boy, can you hear us?”

Jungkook isn’t sure if he nodded or not, but he thinks he must have, because he feels another presence next to him, this time a different hand settling on his head, gently petting at his strands. “Don’t overwhelm him, Jimin-ah.” And it’s Yoongi’s voice that does it, Yoongi’s gentle pets and his deep soothing voice that snap Jungkook out of his momentary shock.

He bursts into tears, forgetting completely about his earlier promise to himself, forgetting his own embarrassment and only zeroing in on the six witches that are now hovering around him. It should be suffocating, but Jungkook could drown in the feeling and he’d say thank you in the end.

Jungkook doesn't even notice Namjoon tagging Changho away who is still spewing protests and badly chosen insults.

Then he's back and it's just the seven of them.

“I thought you- I thought-“

But Jungkook is sobbing too much for his words to be comprehensible right now. “I thought I wasn’t-“

A loud whine, uncomfortably close to a wail bursts out of Jungkook and he would have died of mortification any other day, but right now, he can’t really control whatever is spilling out of his mouth. The wave of emotions must feel like hell to Jimin and that is the only reason the youngest witch is currently trying to stop crying, forcing sobs and tears back to where they came from. “S-sorry, Jimin, I’ll- s-stop.”

“Oh, no, no, sweetheart, it’s okay, I’m stronger than I look. Come here, will you let me help you?” Jungkook nods, blurry gaze only catching Namjoon’s concerned eyes and Seokjin’s sad smile before his face is buried in a silky shirt, the scent of flowers and sugary cakes slowly filling his congested nostrils.

Then a rush of warmth envelopes his body and clouds over his brain until the warmth is everything he can feel.

He sighs in relief when the painful sobs stop quickly, leaving behind only some sporadic hiccups.

“Let’s go inside, sweethearts.” Seokjin says gently, his hand resting comfortingly on Jungkook’s back while they all head inside. Any day, he would have laughed at the image of six grown men walking in formation, like a manmade armor around a crying boy.

But now, Jungkook can only think about the plushiness of the couch he’s sat on, can only sigh, content and snug in Jimin and now Hoseok’s arms. He feels four other pairs of arms sometimes carding through his hair, sometimes running pleasantly up and down his arms.

At some point, he hears Seokjin say that he’s going to make some tea and some warm food for them.

He hears voices murmuring atop his head, then Namjoon’s unmistakable voice next to his ear. “We would have chosen you from the start, Jungkook, but we were a bit confused and we are deeply sorry for putting you in distress. We knew it was you after we did a Gathering the night after your Demonstration.”

Jungkook hums, can’t get himself to nod or to talk.

“Our Power Core loved your gift, baby.”

Two things happen after this.

Jungkook shivers and then another fresh new tear falls. But it’s a happy tear.

Because he didn’t think of the Demonstration as a courting ritual, but it might as well have been - for them. No witch lets their Core feed on someone else’s magic unless that someone else’s theirs.

Or about to be.

How were they so confident that Jungkook was theirs?

Yoongi scoffs from somewhere close by. “Please, was there even a real competition? The other kid gave us his clone showing off what he could do in the future.” Hoseok chuckles, warm breath hitting Jungkook’s hair and ruffling the already messy strands. Namjoon is still kneeling in front of him, hands having caught Jungkook’s own and he’s been rubbing pleasantly over his knuckles. “Wasn’t the purpose of the Demonstration to show our future potential?” Jungkook croaks out softly.

Namjoon hums, neither an affirmative nor a negative answer.

“We mostly wanted to see if you saw us in your future. We don’t care about power, something that Changho put a lot of emphasis on. And after seeing your lily, we were already half-convinced that you are the one. After our magic confirmed this last night, there was no doubt.”

“Speak for yourself, Joon. I liked Jungkook better from the start.” Taehyung’s voice rings from somewhere in the room, half-amused and half-smug. Jungkook gives a broken chuckle, his own voice raspy and broken, head still buried in Jimin’s soft shirt.

“I actually thought you and Yoongi liked me the least after the interview. Especially because Changho told me you guys talked to him and I don’t know…he sounded so sure of himself.”

Taehyung makes a wounded noise and he rushes over to the couch. He kneels next to Namjoon and catches Jungkook’s head in his big hands.

“Oh, no, no, no, baby, that isn’t true.” Jungkook blinks a couple of times before his vision clears enough to focus on Taehyung’s handsome face. They’re so close that Jungkook flushes a bit as Jimin giggles next to him.

Taehyung’s lips are set in a pout and he looks genuinely pained by Jungkook’s words. The younger man instantly believes him and then every word Changho has told him replies in his mind, overanalyzed and distorted.

“Tae has a very mean poker face, sweetie, we’re sorry.” Hoseok says while pinching Taehyung’s cheek.

The latter pushes Jungkook’s cheeks until his lips form a pout as well and then they’re both giggling, sweet and relieved. And everyone coos, even Seokjin who was watching them interact from the kitchen, hands expertly cracking eggs in a glass bowl at the same time.

“We like you a lot, Jungkook.”

And just the fact that those words came from Yoongi’s mouth, it makes them sound like something more, their meaning amplified by a thousand. The older witch sends him a small smile, a hint of rosy gums peeking through and Jungkook has no idea why he ever felt intimidated by him.

Later in the day, as he snuggles on the couch, stomach full and limbs and body pressed onto someone else’s on all sides, Jungkook thinks about how fate can work in different ways for different people.

He smiles.

He found his.

His fate. His people.

It's a wonderful feeling - to belong.

✨🕯️✨

“Please, baby, come to bed.”

“Five more minutes, Jimin-ah.” There’s a collective sigh that comes from the rest of the naked men sprawled on the ginormous bed, except Yoongi who is fast asleep, skin littered in bruises and finger prints, purple spots on purple satin sheets – such a vision.

“I can’t believe inspiration struck you in the middle of me sucking you off like am I that boring to you, Kookie? Is it time I try to improve my skills?” Jimin is pouting, but the shadow of a smirk and the glitter of lust in his half-lidded gaze are enough proof to show that he knows how his “skills” don’t need any improvement whatsoever. He’s such a tease. “You should take it as a compliment, babe. You’re always my number 1 inspiration.” Jungkook mutters, head ducked down, eyes following the movements of his fingers that are currently rapidly gliding a pen over paper, writing writing writing something that he really hopes it’s the right spell this time.

“Hey! You told me that last week!” Taehyung whines, eyes closed, half-asleep. But the offense in his voice is as fake as the pout on his lips. Jungkook feels fondness spread like wildfire in his chest every time his youngest bondmate talks to him that way.  Fire for a fire. (Jungkook really loves it when Taehyung lets him play with his flames too, knowing they would never burn him.)

“Babies, go to sleep. Babiest baby, stop working and come here.” Seokjin seems the most awake, hands carding through a sleepy Namjoon’s hair and a smiling Hoseok’s mop of silver strands.

“Just a second, please.”

Namjoon sighs, exasperated but obviously endeared. He hears Hobi’s little laugh and it makes Jungkook's hand pause, because fuck, how could it not?

Jimin speaks up again. “You worked so hard today though…” the older witch forces an exaggerated sigh right when Jungkook finishes writing the last word, then he closes his notebook, ready to leave the logistics of whatever idea he just wrote for next-morning Jungkook to deal with it.

“You just want me to sing you into another orgasm, Jiminie.”

The older man’s giggle sounds like an angel falling into sin. He guesses it’s not much different from what Jimin represents. “I know you want to though…” Of course he does, Jimin can feel all the lust and the sleepiness and the love in the room right now. Over time, Jimin has admited sometimes that it gets overwhelming and that’s when Jungkook sings him a little tune, coaxes his bondmate’s magic to focus only on the love.

All of them are so proud of how far Jungkook has come with his training. A prodigy in the field of musical affinities (like the rest of them with their own primary abilities even if they don’t always agree).

Jungkook stands up from the chair, leaves whatever work-filled thoughts were plugging his mind minutes prior, at the desk in the corner and then he crawls back into bed.

Taehyung’s long fingers immediately grab at his arms, pulling him half on top of him and Jimin. Seokjin, Namjoon and Hobi watch the three youngest kiss, meanwhile Yoongi suddenly makes a noise in his sleep, a mixture of a groan and a moan.

Jungkook goes and plops down, lower half pressed on Namjoon’s glorious thighs (the honour of getting to touch them still makes him shed tears of joy sometimes) and his torso over Jin’s chest (subsequently Yoongi’s back because the smaller witch was lying there first). Hobi, on the other side of Jin, stretches a long arm and starts playing with Jungkook’s long hair.

Jungkook cuddles closer, feels Taehyung and Jimin snuggling a little closer too and he sighs.

Jungkook loves them so much. He feels the reciprocity of the feeling in his soul, deep inside his chest where their Core purrs, strong and alive.

Jungkook has finally found his place.