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Yeon Si-eun | "Moony"

There was a time when Yeon Si-eun was known as the quiet boy from Slytherin.

During his first year, he rarely spoke unless spoken to. He spent nearly every free hour hidden somewhere in the library, surrounded by towering piles of books that seemed easier to understand than people. His hair was cut short into an awkward bowl cut he never cared enough to change, his uniform was always immaculate, and his expression had become so unreadable that most students assumed he simply disliked everyone around him. Brilliant beyond his years, professors admired his mind while quietly worrying about the boy behind it. He learned because learning was all he had. Every perfect grade, every answered question, every late night spent studying became another excuse to avoid the silence of an empty common room.

He wasn't antisocial.

He was lonely.

Then Birdie happened.

Followed closely by Nova.

Kairo Mori had the unfortunate habit of speaking to people as though they had already been friends for years. Mahina Adebayo had even less respect for personal space when she decided someone looked "adoptable." Si-eun had no intention of becoming involved with either of them.

Neither gave him much of a choice.

Somewhere between accidentally helping Kairo escape detention, listening to Mahina passionately argue that Hogwarts uniforms "lacked personality," and being dragged to the Astronomy Tower at one in the morning because "the stars look prettier when you're sleep deprived," something inside him quietly began to change.

For the first time in his life...

Someone waited for him.

Someone saved him a seat in class.

Someone knocked on the Slytherin common room just to ask if he wanted to come outside.

Someone wanted him there.

By the time third year began, even the professors struggled to recognize the boy who stepped off the Hogwarts Express.

His hair had grown longer, soft black strands falling naturally around his face instead of the rigid cut he'd worn for years. Small silver moon earrings now decorated both ears, a birthday gift from Mahina after she'd declared, "You desperately need accessories." He wore them every day. On his feet were a pair of navy Converse, lovingly embroidered with tiny silver crescents by Mahina's own hand, matching Birdie's red pair stitched with cheerful golden suns. Around his wrist rested a braided bracelet identical to the ones worn by the other Moonlighters, faded from constant use because he almost never took it off.

Later, during the summer before sixth year, the three of them made another impulsive decision.

Tiny tattoos.

No bigger than a Knut.

A delicate crescent moon rests at the center of Si-eun's inner wrist.

A golden sun marks Kairo's.

A single star belongs to Mahina.

Simple.

Quiet.

Permanent.

The Moonlighters.

More importantly...

Si-eun smiled.

Not the polite little curve of his lips people mistook for a smile during his first years.

He genuinely smiled.

He laughed.

Really laughed.

The kind that made his shoulders shake and his glasses slide down his nose while Kairo laughed even harder because Si-eun was laughing.

The first time Professor Flitwick heard him burst into uncontrollable laughter after one of Birdie's catastrophically bad jokes, he reportedly stopped mid-lecture and simply stared.

"...Mr. Yeon?"

Si-eun had gone bright red.

Mahina still brings it up.

His curiosity changed too.

Once, knowledge had been an escape.

Now...

Knowledge was something to share.

Ask him about magical astronomy and he'll forget what time it is. Mention an obscure spell, and he'll excitedly launch into a fifteen-minute explanation, complete with diagrams hastily sketched onto scraps of parchment. Birdie and Nova have perfected the art of sitting through these enthusiastic rambles with matching smiles, occasionally asking questions they already know the answers to simply because they love watching him light up.

He still disappears into books.

The difference is that now he comes back out of them.

He runs through corridors because Birdie insists he can outrun Filch.

He sneaks into the kitchens at midnight because Mahina refuses to eat "sad sandwiches."

He lies on the Astronomy Tower until dawn, naming constellations while Kairo deliberately invents incorrect ones just to hear him passionately argue.

He has learned that life doesn't always have to be productive to be meaningful.

Despite everything, Si-eun remains unmistakably himself. He is still an introvert. Crowded rooms drain him, and he often slips away from parties after an hour just to enjoy the quiet. He still notices tiny details everyone else misses, still loses himself in fascinating subjects, still struggles to understand why people sometimes say one thing while meaning another.

But he is no longer surviving.

He is living.

His world has become beautifully ordinary.

His biggest dilemma this week isn't an impossible magical theorem.

It's whether Birdie held his hand a little longer than usual while they watched the sunrise over the Black Lake.

It's pretending not to notice that Kairo absentmindedly reaches for him in crowded corridors.

It's wondering if doodling little suns across Birdie's hands means the same thing as the tiny moons Kairo always draws on his.

It's trying to convince himself that his heart absolutely did not skip when Birdie smiled at him across the Great Hall.

Mahina, of course, noticed months ago.

She has wisely decided to let the two most oblivious boys in Hogwarts figure it out themselves.

She estimates they'll need another three years.

Si-eun doesn't realize it yet, but perhaps the greatest change of all is this:

At eleven years old, he believed happiness was something people read about in books.

At sixteen...

He has stopped reading about it.

He's too busy living it. 🌙

Appearance | Yeon Si-eun

At first glance, Yeon Si-eun is remarkably unassuming. Slightly shorter than Kairo and noticeably leaner, he carries himself with an absent-minded grace, as though his thoughts always arrive a few steps ahead of the rest of him. His soft black hair falls naturally over his forehead, often refusing to stay in place no matter how many times he brushes it back. Framed by a pair of round silver glasses that perpetually slide down the bridge of his nose whenever he buries himself in a book, his features are gentle rather than sharp, giving him an approachable warmth that catches many people by surprise. His pale complexion contrasts with dark, thoughtful eyes that rarely miss the smallest details, constantly flickering from one curiosity to the next. While most know him as exceptionally intelligent, those closest to him know he has an almost childlike fascination with learning. Every forgotten spell, strange creature, or obscure magical phenomenon lights up his face with genuine excitement, his quiet voice becoming unexpectedly animated as he eagerly explains whatever new discovery has captured his attention.

Unlike the reserved boy many first assume him to be, Si-eun smiles far more often than he realizes. His smiles are usually small, subtle things, appearing almost unconsciously whenever Birdie or Nova say something particularly ridiculous. Laughter comes softly, often hidden behind the sleeve of his robes, though around the Moonlighters it isn't uncommon to hear him laugh aloud, surprising even himself. His uniform is always impeccably neat, save for one detail: a pair of well-loved navy Converse sneakers, their fabric carefully embroidered with tiny silver crescent moons by Mahina herself. Kairo owns the matching red pair stitched with little golden suns, something Si-eun accepted with almost embarrassing ease despite pretending he "didn't particularly care." He wears the Moonlighters' matching braided bracelet every single day beneath his sleeve, absentmindedly fiddling with it while reading, never once considering taking it off. Though other students affectionately call him Moony, something that might have embarrassed him years ago, he secretly treasures the nickname. Hearing Birdie call across the courtyard, "Moony!", still makes the corners of his mouth lift before he can stop them. Professors often describe him as brilliant, endlessly curious, and "far more enthusiastic than one would expect." While his fascination with specific magical subjects can become so intense that he accidentally forgets meals, loses track of conversations, or rambles excitedly without noticing anyone else has stopped following, the Moonlighters have long since learned to simply let him finish. They adore listening to him. Around them, Yeon Si-eun is not simply the quiet genius. He is wonderfully, unapologetically himself.

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Appearance | Mahina Adebayo

Mahina Adebayo possesses a presence so vibrant that it seems to brighten every room she enters. A proud Black witch with deep, rich brown skin and a soft, chubby build she wears with absolute confidence, she carries herself like every corridor of Hogwarts is her own personal runway. Her voluminous dark purple afro is always perfectly shaped, a bold crown that somehow manages to look immaculate even after crawling through hidden passageways or escaping another one of the Moonlighters' midnight adventures. Large golden hoop earrings swing gently with every expressive gesture, catching candlelight and drawing attention as naturally as she does herself. Her warm brown eyes sparkle constantly with intelligence, amusement, and the unmistakable look of someone who has already figured out exactly what everyone else in the room is thinking.

Fashion is Mahina's second language. Hogwarts robes become canvases beneath her hands, sleeves subtly tailored, scarves tied just a little differently, and even ordinary uniforms somehow transformed into something unmistakably hers. She is responsible for nearly every personal touch the Moonlighters wear. The silver moon embroidery on Si-eun's Converse, the golden suns stitched across Kairo's red pair, the matching friendship bracelets wrapped around all three of their wrists, and countless tiny repairs magically sewn into torn robes after yet another ill-advised adventure all bear Mahina's signature craftsmanship. Though she jokingly complains that the boys would "look like escaped garden gnomes" without her, she secretly loves caring for them in quiet ways they rarely notice.

Confident, theatrical, and endlessly charismatic, Mahina has a habit of filling silence before anyone else even realizes it exists. She teases Birdie and Moony relentlessly, rolls her eyes at their increasingly obvious affection for one another, and has long since accepted that she is trapped between "the two most oblivious boys in Britain." Beneath the dramatic sighs and sarcastic remarks lies one of Hogwarts' brightest minds. She rivals Si-eun academically, possesses an extraordinary talent for reading people, and never hesitates to speak when something feels unfair. Fiercely loyal, emotionally perceptive, and effortlessly protective, Mahina has become the heart that keeps the Moonlighters together. She is the first to laugh, the first to defend her friends, and almost always the first to mutter, "This is a terrible idea..." right before following Birdie and Moony into the adventure anyway. If Kairo is the fire and Si-eun the moonlight, then Mahina is exactly what they call her: Nova. Brilliant enough to illuminate the entire sky on her own. ✦