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Chapter Text

Jeon Jungkook was the sort of witch to whom unfortunate things just seemed to happen. 

He had a talent for being in the wrong place during the wrong phase of the moon, for zoning out on his broomstick and ending up twelve landmarks away from his destination, and for leaving just about any object he might need during his day at school safely on the kitchen table whenever he left the apartment.

His potions always seemed to result in unexpected side effects. His mother's cat familiar hated him because he was always stepping on her tail, and he hadn't opened his sock drawer in weeks because he was pretty sure a goblin had moved in.

Once, he'd been haunted by a yuurei for a month. (They'd been very lost, and after straightening things out, very apologetic.)

Once, he'd stumbled his way into a circle of standing stones on the way to the shops, and had had to call the fire brigade to pull him out.

Once, he'd gone on a week-long exchange to a coven in Thailand, only to find that they were part of the local mafia. Whose quarters were raided on his last day there. He'd called his mother from the police station, and she'd been more exasperated than worried at that stage.

The point was, he shouldn't have been surprised when one sunny summer's afternoon, he ended up zipped inside the sports bag of the school's most popular basketball player, Min Yoongi.

It happened so easily that Jungkook was actually quite impressed that with his track record, he hadn't managed to do it before.

~❀~❀~❀~

It was in Modern Interpretation of the Near and Possibly Near Future that it happened.

It was his last class of the day, and Jungkook was looking forward to a quiet evening of watching anime, starting his maths homework and helping his mother clean their newt pond. He had just finished placing his crystal ball back in the store cupboard when the earthquake warning alarm went off. 

And yes, Jungkook had heard this particular alarm at least ten times every school year. For over a decade.

Yes, he recognised it, and knew exactly what to do in case of a real earthquake (though in living memory the warlocks had always taken care of any quakes they detected).

Yes, he had been daydreaming, and got such a big fright that when the alarm sounded, he fwipped into an animal shift so fast that he actually fell the three feet from his human centre of mass to the ground, instead of pulling off his normal (albeit wobbly) crouch. In his defence, the class before this had been Transformations of the Appearance and Species, so the response was at the forefront of his mind.

It was even less fun being a small creature than a human during an earthquake warning, and somehow Jungkook seemed to be the only one miles from his desk. The other students were hurrying to get under the tables quickly, and it was only natural that he should hop into an invitingly-open duffel bag under the nearest desk rather than risk getting trampled on the way to his own.

Unfortunately, Jungkook had forgotten to factor in his bad luck. The bag was quickly zipped, and if the swooping in his stomach told him anything, was held over someone's head. Since covering your head was part of the standard earthquake procedure. Which he had known about since preschool. Oops.

Jungkook allowed himself a minute to calm his racing heart, after which he realised that in all likelihood, he was probably in a safe enough position anyway.

After all, he was under a table, protecting his head with a bag. 

The fact that he was in the bag was just a technicality, he decided, and felt better.

So, it was to the sound of the alarm and the grumbling of students who had had their after-school plans delayed that he took stock of what had actually happened.

It was dark in the bag, but Jungkook could tell that he was small, though not tiny, and had four legs and soft fur. He lifted a paw to prod at his face, finding chubby cheeks, whiskers and... yep. Floppy ears. Why was he not surprised?

He, out of all the creatures he could have turned himself into, had decided that the best thing he could do in an emergency situation was to give himself buck teeth and a cottontail.

He was a bunny rabbit.

He huffed, and settled down into the soft fabric at the bottom of the bag. Typical. He'd spent all of the last period getting the stink eye for not being able to manage a transformation, and the minute he'd really love to be human, off it went.

Jungkook couldn't say he really minded being a rabbit, though. His nose was maybe a little too sensitive for him to appreciate being in someone's sports bag, but as animals went, it was quite a comfy form to have. It felt nice to just chatter his teeth and wiggle his nose, and he loved the feeling of the muscles of his ears working. He could flip them up. He could flop them down. Could he make one ear go up and one go down?

Jungkook was so distracted by his experimentation that he forgot to pay attention to his surroundings. He let out a shocked squeak as the bag was dropped to the floor, and the muted chatter turned into full-blown chaos as the students prepared to leave. Their teacher was shouting instructions for their homework over the noise, and Jungkook strained to listen. The siren appeared to have stopped - the warlocks must have successfully tackled the quake once more - but it was still too noisy to hear. Dammit, he needed to know what their assignment was.

He was snapped out of his sulking by the nauseating feeling of the bag swinging through the air and crashing into position, presumably on someone's back.

This unfortunately resulted in Jungkook being upside down, and to make matters worse, a huge, solid object then fell on him, pushing him into the bottom of the bag. He took a moment to feel sorry for himself, then tried to push the object away from himself, hind legs paddling in circles in the dark, but the angle was too difficult.

He was now mostly on his side, something vaguely cotton-y cushioning him on one side, and the rough, rubbery object pressing into him from the other. It almost felt like...

Oh, pants.

That was a basketball. He was stuck in a kit bag with a basketball, and there was only one student in his class who was on the team.

Min Yoongi.

Terrifyingly good on the basketball court, and a terrifyingly powerful witch off of it. The whole school was in awe of him, and Min Yoongi never seemed to regard them with anything less than an aloof sort of suspicion. He preferred to spend all of his free time on the court, working (he allegedly was part of the special forces, but Jungkook doubted that) or with his coven.

This left Min Yoongi with very little time to humour his adoring fans - and it left his adoring fans plenty of time to obsess over him.

The only reason Jungkook knew this is that he preferred to hide in the library - the introvert's paradise - at lunch, and one of the several warring fan-groups had made a home for themselves at the table next to his. Jungkook did his best to avoid eye contact with them, though sometimes they would offer him one of their basketball-themed cookies if they needed to borrow a chair from his table. They were terrifying.

The main point of interest for them was his coven - the fact that he had one at all. It shouldn't have been necessary at his age, with the remainder of the student body waiting until either graduating highschool (if they intended to stay in the area) or starting university before beginning to think about covens.

Min Yoongi, though... apparently he was so powerful, he had had to enter into a coven before his first year of highschool was up in order to stabilise his magic. He was actually pretty sure the other coven members also attended the Busan Highschool for Wixen and Wandfolk, but he'd never bothered to work out their names. The government had gotten involved in order to locate suitable matches across the country for Yoongi, holding them all back for a year to allow the group to relocate and bond properly before restarting highschool together.

Hence Jungkook, who had skipped a year in primary school, was in the same divination class as Min Yoongi.

And now, he mused bitterly, he was in the same bag as Min Yoongi's sweaty socks.

Why? Why was it always him?

Jungkook quickly gave up trying to free himself. He couldn't reach the bag's zipper in this position – couldn't even kick out to make himself felt – and he didn't really feel like being upended into the busy school corridor once Yoongi realised that he had a passenger. 

No, he would wait until Yoongi had left the school building, and squeak for his freedom once the noise outside the bag had calmed down.

At least, that had been his plan.

Jungkook yelped in shock as suddenly, his surroundings began to dissolve into swirling colour, reassembling just as fast a moment later.

What in Norway?

Several loud voices welcomed Min Yoongi home, and his scrambled brain only managed to note that they had somehow travelled to a different location, before the bag he was in was dropped roughly to the floor. On its end.

Jungkook's brain, which had still been recovering from whatever it was that had somehow teleported him to Min Yoongi's house, decided to take a little time-out.

~❀~❀~❀~

When Jungkook awoke, he was disappointed to find himself still stuck in the bag. He felt winded and thoroughly battered, but not actually injured. 

He reached out with his paws, grimacing as the rough rubber of the basketball rubbed his fur up the wrong way. Where was the zip? He tried wriggling to get his feet under him, then, when that failed, did his best to squirm enough to get the bag to tip over.

Those efforts also failed (curse his fluffy, weak little body), but he had clearly attracted some attention.

"Hyung?" Called a voice from outside his pathetic prison. "Is that your kit bag?"

"Yeah?"

"Why's it moving?"

"I don't see anything."

Jungkook had paused to listen, but he put in one final burst of effort when he heard that.

"Oh. Shit. It didn't set the wards off."

"Maybe we should put it outside and wait until Jin and Joon come home."

"No, I want to wash my kit now. If it were dangerous, it would've ripped through the bag already. Just– give me that box."

Jungkook's stomach protested as the bag was tipped over, unzipped and quickly shaken. The basketball went bouncing out first, and he desperately latched on to the nearest piece of fabric with his teeth to prevent himself from flying out.

Unfortunately, the nearest piece of fabric was still only a used, sweaty sock, and so Jungkook took a messy tumble out of the bag and onto the floor.

It wasn't far to fall, but he was still disoriented enough to simply lie there, stunned, as a clear plastic box was slammed over him.

Four distorted shadows surrounded him as he lay on his side, dizzy and unimpressed. They seemed to be having an intense conversation, judging by the hand-waving going on, but the plastic box was a lot more sound-proof than the bag had been.

Jungkook spat the sock out and dragged himself into a more respectable looking crouch, dragging a paw over his mussed-up fur in a pitiful attempt to make himself look smarter. He got a bit distracted by how nice that felt, and brought both paws up to give his face a proper rub. Oooooh, that was good. He should do this more often.

The box was slowly lifted, and he was able to see the people around him more clearly.

There was Min Yoongi, right in front of him. Then on his left, two boys who looked about Jungkook's age - he thought he might actually recognise the shorter one from his Basics in Aerial Transport class - and, to his right, an older boy with soft brown hair who he didn't know. He must have been an upperclassman.

They were all still in their school uniforms (like he would really like to be, he grouched), and maybe he was biased because of his current size, but they all looked quite scary.

Jungkook twitched one ear, and sat up, determined to hold his own. Then he sprang into the air in shock as something poked his– his tail. He twisted as he landed, coming face to face with... a finger. He glared at the witch attached to it. It was the younger one who he hadn't recognised, and they gave him an unrepentant shrug.

"Always wanted to do that," they grinned. "You gonna stay like that forever? We know you're a witch."

Jungkook straightened up once more, and squeaked as contritely as he could manage.

Then he shut his eyes, focussed hard, and chanted the counter-spell. 

He managed to get back to his human form on the first try – and with all his clothes still intact, that was new – and was welcomed by a splitting headache.

Something poked his arm. He forced an eye open.

"You alright there, hubae?" Min Yoongi was staring at him. Oh no. Min Yoongi was staring at him. This was... ok, this was nowhere near the worst day of his life. But still. Not ideal.

Jungkook nodded, squinting and doing his best not to groan as his headache pulsed once before beginning to fade. That was something at least. It would be so embarrassing if he gave himself a concussion from something as basic as changing shape.

"Good. Looks like you learned a lesson today, huh? Never do that again. Our wards could have fried you if you had intentions past just stupid curiosity, alright?"

Jungkook wilted as he realised that Min Yoongi thought he'd hitched a lift on purpose. Better not to correct him, and just leave as quickly as possible.

"Ok then, you've had your fun. Get out. Take the 5a bus back to school and make your way home from there."

Jungkook nodded. He scrambled to his feet, and tottered towards the front door he was directed to.

He paused by the entrance, suddenly unwilling to leave without apologising.

"I'm really sorry, Yoongi-seonbaenim. I didn't mean to-"

"Out."

"Yep!" 

Jungkook darted out the door, tripping on the doorstep but happily able to pick himself up again quickly, and jogged to the end of the garden. He was pretty sure he recognised this street, actually. One of the flight landmarks he used on his way to school was right across the road. He might even be able to walk straight back to his apartment from here–

He'd barely made it to the garden gate before the sky darkened threateningly, and clouds that had seemingly just blinked into existence burst open and drenched him where he stood.

Jungkook yelped, and hurried to wrap his school robes more tightly around himself. His cone hat had disappeared off to somewhere - his mother was going to be so mad that he'd lost another one - and his dark hair was quickly being plastered to his forehead with the sheer amount of water that was falling.

He did his best to unlatch the gate - it actually felt like the water beating down onto his hand was trying to stop him from lifting it - but it was some sort of complicated lock. He stood, getting more and more drenched and frantic by the second, until a hand caught his wrist.

Jungkook turned, and met the eyes of one of Yoongi's coven mates through the downpour. The one with the brown hair, which even now was neat and fluffy. Jungkook always forgot that rain repellent charms existed, oops. They were shouting something, but he couldn't make it out.

He gave up trying to lipread through the blustery rain when he caught sight of his own forearm. He'd outgrown his school robes a little recently, and a good portion of his wrist, now dry thanks to the other's charm radius, was visible.

The fine hairs were standing on end. Jungkook's fingers began to tingle. He tasted metal, and his eyes widened at the horrifying familiarity, his back throbbing in phantom pain... And like he was being mocked by the heavens, some of the older witch's words made it to his ears.

"–be lightning, come–"

Jungkook let himself be tugged back up the front path and back inside.

They had no sooner closed the door than did the world whiten, and a surge of blue lightning struck the gate, leaving the metal torn, twisted and glowing so brightly that Jungkook could see it through the rippled stained glass set into the door.

A peal of thunder split the sky moments later. Jungkook turned wide eyes away from the outside to meet the other witch's raised eyebrow.

The other grinned at him like he saw freak lightning strikes every half moon, and proffered him a towel.

"Hey, I'm Hoseok. Would you like to stay for dinner?" He asked Jungkook.

Jungkook could only stare.

~❀~🦅~❀~

And that was how Jungkook found himself eating kimchi fried rice with Korea's youngest coven, Bangtan Sonyeondan, on a Thursday evening in the summer term, as a thunderstorm raged outside.

Their eldest member, Seokjin, was in his first year at the local sixth form college. He and another member, Namjoon, had joined them via what turned out to be a warlock teleportal shortly after Hoseok had announced that Jungkook should probably stay the night, too.

"Best not to mess with magical storms," he'd said, nudging Jungkook's shoulder like they were sharing an inside joke, before tsking and wrapping him more firmly into the spelled towel.

Hoseok had let him call his mother using his mobile phone to let her know he was safe, given that his own was still stuck in his bag at school.

The conversation had been intensely awkward. Jungkook's mother was in no way surprised at the mess he'd managed to get himself into. She'd teased Jungkook mercilessly for his accidental shape-shifting, told his hosts all about the time that he was taken hostage by the local merfolk during an incident he had mentally filed under reasons not to go to the beach wearing sunglasses, and told him in no uncertain terms that she still expected him to do his homework at the Bangtan residence, and be on time to school the next day.

She'd hung up after painfully extracting a love you too, Eomma from him, and then promptly texted Hoseok with a picture of a very grumpy-looking goblin peeking out from the chest of drawers in his room, captioned Tell Kookie that we'll talk about this later.

Jungkook had been about ready to crumble into the floorboards.

"Kookie?" Said the witch he'd recognised from class, Jimin. "Didn't peg you for a momma's boy."

"I did," snickered the other who was in Jungkook's year - Taehyung, he was pretty sure he'd been introduced as.

(Jungkook had sat on the floor, put his head in his hands, and stayed there until he'd been called to dinner. The others had been nice enough to leave him be.)

Jungkook had to admit that the Bangtan coven were being kinder to him than he deserved. Only Yoongi kept his distance, eyeing him warily - the others had coaxed the rest of the story out of Jungkook before the food was even properly on the table, and were finding it hilarious.

"You managed to turn yourself into a rabbit with no spoken spell, no equipment, because you got a little surprised? Like - you heard the earthquake warning and just decided you needed to be fluffier for it?"

Jungkook wondered if it was possible for him to sink down any lower into his chair.

"The question I have," started Seokjin, "is why you chose Yoongi's kitbag of all places. Could you not smell his socks?"

Jungkook pressed his lips together and desperately sipped his glass of water.

"And then what a finale! Don't worry, Jungkook, we've never let a guest get struck by lightning before."

Jungkook smiled tightly, and in an attempt to avoid eye contact, looked around the room.

Their kitchen was a lovely space with large windows, though all that was currently visible outside was the greyish blur of the rain. One side of the room was decorated in the latest Scandinavian fashion, bordered with pale yellow fitted cupboards and counters, and even had an electric oven. The other end was more like what Jungkook's kitchen at home looked like - a row of cauldrons over permanently-lit wixenflames, herbs, onions and garlic drying from the ceiling and shelves upon shelves of glass bottles and jars. The walls were tiled in green and orange, with little paintings of animals and plants creating a sort of nature-themed mosaic. 

The kitchen table he was sat at dominated the centre of the room, below a fancy light fitting. The government - or whoever had arranged for the coven to live here - clearly hadn't spared any expense.

"Jungkook?" Asked Hoseok.

"Mmmm?"

"You alright?"

Jungkook blanked for a moment, before realising that he'd fallen silent. He gave the warmest smile he could muster. "Yeah. Sorry, I was just daydreaming,"

Hoseok made an understanding noise, and the conversation drifted towards the coven's weekend plans instead.

Jungkook... Well, Jungkook would define himself as an introvert. He wasn't ashamed of the fact, but the only person he really held conversations with was his mother. 

He answered questions in class when picked on - occasionally even loud enough to be heard - and said hello to the griffin that guarded the broom shed every morning and afternoon. He distinctly recalled also saying 'thank you' and 'excuse me' at least once each this week, and it was only Thursday.

Any friends he had made in primary school had always been a little distant due to his awkwardness - his tendency to trip, to drop things, to break their possessions. Children only had so much patience, and he had quickly realised that he greatly reduced the risk of exposing himself to embarrassment if he hid in secluded corners of the playground and read.

High school so far hadn't been much different - although now he was allowed to stay inside during break times if he so chose. Which he did. The only real exercise he got was weekly yoga with his mother (a secret he was taking to the grave) and his morning flight to school. 

He skulked from class to class like he wasn't enrolled, stood just confidently enough that the bullies didn't often bother him, and if the chance of a social interaction was ever too high for comfort, he had a very high-quality map of secluded corners and bathrooms across the school in his brain ready for use.

So, it was safe to say that Jungkook was a little overwhelmed by the amount of energy in the Bangtan household during dinner. The coven was effectively a group of teenagers who'd been uprooted from their family circles, given a house and a government stipend and told to stop making things explode for the sake of the country's infrastructure, please and thank you.

It was impressive, then, that despite the lack of adult supervision, the group still managed to act like a family.

Food was shared (and stolen), stories were exchanged, and the number of spells shooting across the table was quite frightening.

Jin had caught him looking, and explained that it was good for them to release any pent-up magic they had before they had to knuckle down and concentrate on their homework. Jungkook didn't even consider joining them. That was just tempting fate.

Instead, he watched as Taehyung made a game of turning his hyung's bowls different colours, Jimin sketched with a fairylight charm on the wood of the table and the others sent repeated noise-cancelling hexes up at the skylights, so that the sound of the pounding rain didn't make talking impossible.

It was only a matter of time, though, before interest turned back to Jungkook.

"Hey. Jungkook-ah," Namjoon started, flinching a little as his chopsticks turned from wood into steel right as he had been about to take a bite.

Jungkook didn't remember when they had apparently started to talk informally, but he raised his head politely.

"What year are you in at school?"

Jungkook stared at Namjoon like he'd asked him what colour his socks were.

"He's a second year, hyung," interrupted Jimin. "He's in my flying class. We used to have a bet going as to whether or not he'd make it to the end of the year - you should have seen him in first year. Fell twenty feet from a magic carpet at least three times."

"Jimin!" Scolded Jin, though he seemed more intrigued than anything else. "You're not too old for me to take away your TV privileges."

Jungkook was fairly certain that his face was glowing bright red, and he tried to focus back onto his rice.

"So, Jungkook, you're what? Fifteen? Almost sixteen?" Namjoon persisted.

Jungkook was tempted to just nod and stay silent, but he knew he was being rude. 

"Fourteen. I skipped third grade." There. A whole two sentences.

"That explains the baby face. We're all your hyungs," crowed Taehyung, and Jungkook began to seriously contemplate jumping out of the window, regardless of the ongoing storm.

"And how was it that you managed to fall from a flying carpet?" Asked Jimin. "The school models are warded to the forests of Norway and back."

Jungkook hesitated, but he didn't sense that the other witches were trying to tease him. "I'm not sure," he admitted. "Stuff like that happens a lot."

"I can believe that," sighed Taehyung dreamily. "I've always wanted to be kidnapped by the merfolk."

"He really has," confirmed Jimin.

Jungkook flushed, and stayed quiet.

The others tried a new tack.

"It's odd, really, that we haven't spoken before. Isn't it?"

"Yeah."

"You keep to yourself?"

"Yep."

"You must have some friends."

"I don't think so..."

"Seriously?"

"Yes." Jungkook couldn't help snarking a little. "You were right. I'm a momma's boy."

Jin surprised him by letting out a loud squeak. Then, he realised that it was a laugh, and he couldn't help smiling too.

"I'm sorry, Jimin shouldn't have said that." Namjoon said.

"It's fine. It's true. My mother's a great witch."

"But there's really nobody else?"

Jungkook frowned. "I'm an introvert."

"We know that," smiled Jin, not unkindly. "Doesn't mean you can't have friends."

"True. But my luck sees to that."

The light-hearted banter paused.

"Your luck?"

"Yep."

"What about your luck? Are you cursed?"

Jungkook shrugged. "Not as far as we know. Just- a lot of strange things happen to me. Normally with impeccable timing."

To prove his point, an almighty clatter came from somewhere else in the house. The others laughed and ignored it as if this was a frequent occurrence, the conversation moved on again and Tae began listing Namjoon's many clumsy accidents to Jungkook, but he noticed that Seokjin was suddenly sitting very still. One hand was holding his chopsticks halfway to his mouth, loaded with rice. As Jungkook watched, Jin blinked, scrunched his nose, and stood abruptly, chopsticks still in hand.

"Be right back," he said.

The others hardly bat an eye, though Jungkook realised that Yoongi had registered the oddness of the situation too. He was staring after Seokjin with a frown on his face, and then his eyes flickered to meet Jungkook's so fiercely that he ducked his head and blushed into his rice bowl.

Seokjin was true to his word. Less than a minute later he was back, and reclaimed his seat. The table fell silent.

"Hyung," asked Hoseok, in a strangled tone. "What is that?"

Seokjin raised his chopsticks to his shoulder, and the hulking bird that perched there enthusiastically accepted a clump of bean sprouts.

"This," he said, "is Dionysus."

The bird flapped its wings a little to adjust its balance, and Jungkook gaped at the length of its wingspan.

Its plumage was a mass of fluffy black feathers that extended all the way up its long neck and over the crown of its head. A sleek black face with glistening eyes and a hooked beak poked curiously out of the feathers, making the bird look sillier than a raptor with wings almost as long as he was tall probably ought to be.

"And Dionysus is..?"

"My familiar, yes." said Seokjin, with a hint of pride.

The table exploded with congratulations. Dionysus didn't seem to appreciate the sudden noise, and tucked his neck around the back of Jin's, wings half open and forming a protective mantle over Jin's shoulders while his head flicked from side to side like he was watching a tennis match.

Jungkook was in awe. Most witches had to wait years to find their familiars, and not everyone ever did. If a coven wasn't perfectly matched, a familiar would turn up their nose. And it wasn't a coincidence that all public servants and law enforcement officers were required to have a bonded familiar. They were well-known to scorn the dishonest and the spiteful.

It seemed like the others were more interested in poking fun at Seokjin, rather than marvelling at his impressive familiar.

"Only you, hyung. A bird with a wingspan to match your shoulders," quipped Hoseok.

Taehyung chimed in with "you realise you're going to have to carry a massive bird around for the rest of your life? He's a vulture, right? You'll never eat again."

Jungkook felt that he should add something positive to the conversation. "He's beautiful, Seokjin-ssi."

A croaky voice resonated inside Jungkook's skull.

Thank you, youngest. Finally, some manners.

"Um," said Jungkook, nonplussed. Apparently Dionysus was telepathic. He didn't think they normally communicated with anyone apart from their bonded. "You're welcome?"

Seokjin snapped round to Jungkook. "You heard that, Kookie?"

Jungkook froze. What had he done wrong? This was why he didn't say things, Merlin dammit.

"...Yes?" He tried.

Chaos broke loose.

Seokjin was rising out of his chair, Namjoon was loudly proclaiming how he'd known since the beginning, Yoongi was staring in shock, Hoseok was for some reason on the table and Jimin and Taehyung, who hadn't quite been paying attention, were begging for someone to explain to them what was going on.

Jungkook managed to rise partway out of his seat before Seokjin crashed into him. Warm arms encircled his chest, and Seokjin actually lifted him off his feet and spun him in a little half-circle before letting him go, only to grasp his face in both hands and stare into his eyes a moment later.

"You're my baby now, Kookie, I hope your mother doesn't mind sharing. And those bunny teeth, ahhhh. I couldn't have asked for anyone more precious."

"Um," repeated Jungkook eloquently, as Seokjin pressed Jungkook's head to his heart and patted his hair frantically, reminding Jungkook strongly of how his great-aunt used to hug him at family reunions. "What?"

Hoseok joined their hug a moment later, squishing Jungkook between the two of them. 

"This is fate," wailed Seokjin. Jungkook thought the elder might actually be crying. "This is good karma from all the times I haven't throttled Namjoon for breaking my dishes. You're the future of this coven, Jungkook. You'll still be young and sprightly when we're all two hundred and shooting sparks in the care home. You can drive us to bingo. I can teach you to drive a car, Kookie! Will you visit me at my bedside? Will you–"

"Hyung," interrupted Hoseok. "Jungkook's only five years younger than you. He'll be in the care home with us."

It's nice to dream, croaked Dionysus solemnly, looking put out on Seokjin's behalf. The large vulture was fussing with Jungkook's hair too, but Jungkook was fixated on Seokjin.

"What did you just say, Seokjin-sunbaenim?" He whispered.

"Call me hyung. The bit about the bingo? Please don't tell me you're one of those anarchists that don't like bingo, please, I wouldn't be able to live with myself–"

"Um," said Jungkook. "What?"

"Or is it the car that's the issue? I promise you, it's fully electric, and I signed an advance recycling deal as soon as I bought it. This baby is so green, you could put it in a salad. Everyone should learn to drive. Brooms and carpets aren't always the answer, you should know. Why, once at my sister's second wedding–"

"Best just to let him finish," whispered Hoseok in Jungkook's ear, giving him a little squeeze around the waist. "But really, we all couldn't be happier. Seven is the perfect number for a coven, we've been hoping ever since they first put us together that we'd find one last member."

"–all the way from Mongolia. Straight into the side of the marquee, I'm telling you. He'd set up a luggage shrinking charm, and a weather charm, and about a dozen charms to keep the wind from ruining his hair. He was so tired when he arrived that it was just a disaster waiting to happen–

"What?" Hissed Jungkook, letting Dionysus place one taloned foot gently on his shoulder, straddling the gap between him and Seokjin to nibble at his ear.

"What what?" Whispered Hoseok right back.

Jungkook was starting to get overwhelmed when he was rescued by a calloused pair of hands gripping his upper arms and yanking him back to his seat at the table. Seokjin shuffled after him, still talking nine to the dozen about his uncle Daejeong and the merits of motor vehicles, but at least Jungkook could breathe now.

He twisted in his seat to see who'd intervened, and was surprised to see Yoongi also in the process of sitting back down, studiously avoiding eye contact. He rubbed one arm, wondering why he felt disappointed when Yoongi wouldn't look at him.

"Seokjin-hyung?" He tried. "What's this about covens?"

That caught Seokjin's attention. The elder looked surprised, then understanding, then somewhat embarrassed.

"Ah. It's possible that I've gotten a bit ahead of myself. How much do you know about coven bonding?"

"...Not much," admitted Jungkook. "We haven't covered it in school."

Seokjin nodded. "I suppose that makes sense. You only learn about it in your last year, when everyone gets ready to match up. And with you being so young, you probably can't feel any bond yet. But we can," Seokjin gestured around the table. Jungkook cast his gaze around, meeting the others' gazes one at a time. Hoseok gave him an encouraging smile, and Taehyung stuck out his tongue at him. He was so caught off-guard that he couldn't help but smile in return.

"And the fact that Dionysus only showed up once we'd met you, and that you can hear him, makes it a certainty," continued Seokjin. 

"Welcome to the Bangtan coven, Jeon Jungkook."

~❀~❀~❀~