[one-shot]By The Common Room Fire - A NakajimaYuto/OhgoSuzuka Fanfiction
Title: By the Common Room Fire
Pairing: Nakajima Yuto/Ohgo Suzuka
Rating: PG - 13
Summary: "I never believed in finding your true love when you were just eleven" - Ohgo Suzuka from By The Common Room Fire. Written in the HOGWARTS!Verse, By The Common Room Fire tells the story of a pair of unlikely lovers, both opposites yet so alike, both attracted. One Muggle, one Pureblood. One Ravenclaw, one Slytherin. Both arrogant. Both in love. One encounter binds their threads of fate for eternity. Jealousy. Anger. Angst. And True Love. Along with golden cherubs and a little tea shop.
A/N: Beta-ed by lonelylilger I hope you enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed writing it. (: Features a few familiar faces. Don't hate. Written for mailnosecret for the JE White Day Fic Exchange 2011
Excerpt taken from By The Common Room Fire by Ohgo Suzuka
I never believed in finding your true love when you were just eleven like most of my classmates did since technically, almost all their relationships were flops. I didn't even believe you could find your true love EVER. I didn't even believe that there was such thing as a true love. He changed all of it.
I first laid eyes on him on Platform 9 3/4. Before that, it had never occurred to me that there was such a thing as a perfect being. But standing right before my eyes with his back straight and his head held high with that arrogant look on his face was pure perfection. He was pure perfection from the way his dark hair tossed perfectly in the wind to his defined bone structure. He was good-looking, I had to admit and I hated him upon sight. And the fact that the snowy white owl perched on his shoulder was glaring daggers at my beloved cat, unfortunately named Feathers wasn't doing any good.
To add insult to that, his parents both dressed in elegant coats that were clearly tailor-made to fit them was looking at me like I was the dirt that stuck to their polished shoes. I was positive that they were purebloods. And my guess was confirmed when I made my way past him to step into the Hogwarts Express and our gazes met as he softly muttered 'Mudblood' with such an arrogant look on his face and the smirk gracing his lips.
From that day on, I had vowed to put myself at the top. To make a name for myself. To have my name etched in history. To prove that Muggle-born witches and wizards were just as good as Purebloods. Not that it hadn't been proven by the legendary Hermione Granger but I wanted to repeat history just to wipe that smirk of his face.
From that day on, I vowed to knock Nakajima Yuto from the high pedestal that everyone had placed him on.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Being sorted into Ravenclaw had been one of the best things that had ever happened to her. The Sorting Hat had been stuck between Ravenclaw and Gryffindor but in the end, her love for knowledge had taken precedence over the bravery in her heart. The progress that she had made in her studies rivaled that of Hermione Granger's and Hermione had been a Gryffindor which gave Ravenclaw extreme pride. She was labeled as the modern day Hermione Granger which had given her even more incentive to push herself harder.
He, on the other hand, had been sorted into Slytherin. Just as Suzuka had expected of someone as arrogant and blood-biased as he was. She snorted in disgust as the Slytherin house erupted into cheers, welcoming him with open arms. She snorted a second time at the triumphant grin that screamed arrogance and that he had been expecting all along to be sorted into Slytherin. In fact, before the hat was even placed on his head, it had called out Slytherin. Turns out, he was the heir to the throne of one of the Wizarding World's leading Pureblood families, the Nakajima family who was rumoured to once be Death Eaters.
"It's obvious he would be a Slytherin. He doesn't even need to be sorted," she had muttered under her breath once Professor McGonagall had finished making her speech, welcoming all First Years.
"Sadly, most girls are attracted to that type," came the girl sitting next to her. And that was how she had made her first friend, Shida Mirai.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Have you ever noticed how beautiful Ohgo-kun is?" Chinen Yuuri had asked as he entered the Great Hall, converted into a ballroom for the day's festivities as she had passed them, dragging a very intoxicated looking fifth-year behind her who had a lovesick expression plastered on his face along with a very sheepish looking third-year girl.
Yuto snorted in disgust and glared at the retreating figure of Ohgo Suzuka, most likely off to report the couple for inappropriate activities. As expected of her. "It's just your horny fifteen-year-old brain talking," he said, marching forward into the crowd without bothering to wait for Chinen. "I don't see what's so good about her that everyone seems to be in love with her. Mudblood."
Yuto hated Suzuka with a vengeance. Not to mention that he had been taught since birth to shun all Mudbloods.
He had hated her from the very first day when their eyes had met at the train station and she had dared to give him a death glare for calling her a Mudblood. With his parents right there. He hated when she had been selected as the Seeker on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team and had beat him to the Snitch in her first game. He hated when she had been praised as the best student in Potions when he had strived to be the best in the class, mostly because his father told him that he had to make ex-Professor Snape proud. He hated that she had been selected to participate in the Triwizard Tournament in their fifth year instead of him but he couldn't really blame anyone since it was the Goblet who had picked her.
Most of all, he hated her when she had been assigned as his partner on their prefect duties. Not that she was a horrible person to be with. In fact, she was extremely pleasant which irritated him even further. If she had been annoying or ditzy or perky or talkative, it wouldn't make him feel so guilty for hating her. But, she wasn't any of that.
But what he loved was that she was horrifying at Defense Against the Dark Arts and he was top in the class. It gave him a little pride that he was good at something that she wasn't.
But Yuto never knew what would hit him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt taken from By The Common Room Fire by Ohgo Suzuka
I had received my letter of appointment in the mail as had all the other prefects, past and present. What the letter had failed to tell us that we were to be assigned partners for each duty that we were to be given. I know it was natural for us to be paired up with prefects for duties but a new rule that Professor McGonagall and the other professors had introduced was that the pairings were permanent. And it had to be a boy-girl pairing. Some claimed that it was so that Head Boy and Girl were more easily selected. Others said it was most likely to ensure that a fair verdict was meted out, regardless of gender.
Whatever the reason, it never mattered to me. I was ecstatic enough to have been selected to be a prefect. Yet...
Surprise, surprise. HE had been assigned as my permanent partner and the disgust on his face when Professor McGonagall had announced it was enough to leave a permanent scar on my heart. Not that I was exactly pleased with having him as my partner but he didn't have to be so unpleasant about it. The hatred was displayed so blatantly on his handsome face that it rather hurt.
Furious with his reaction, I had given him one of my most fearsome death glares that were powerful enough to send someone scurrying to the other end of the corridor but all he did was smirk in disgust and turn his back to me. I could feel the anger and rage radiating off of him even though I sat a few benches away from him. At that time, I wondered if I would ever be able to fulfill my duties as a prefect with such a nuisance.
How did he even get selected as a prefect, I would never know. I had once asked Professor McGonagall in passing and all she told me was that his father had not paid for him to be selected.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sixth year. This time, he had been selected as a participant for the Triwizard Tournament and he was over the moon with joy. All through the fifth year, he had watched her prepare for the competition. He had watched her compete with bated breath. He had watched as she had mingled with the other competitors and had felt a certain stab of jealousy. He had watched as she had attended the Yule Ball with Chinen and had danced the whole night with almost everyone who had asked for her hand except for him. She had not even looked at him when Chinen had suggested that she dance with him.
He had wondered if his friends were trying to set him up with her. And despite the hopeful looks on their faces and him asking her begrudgingly, in his most charming tone, she had gave him a once over and had quickly accepted the hand that had been offered from one of his Slytherin classmates. Not that he wanted to dance with her either. And just to prove to her that he didn't need to dance with her, he had pulled Keiichiro Saaya, the Slytherin princess away from whatever boy she was chatting up and twirled her around the dance floor.
And much to the chagrin of the partners of both parties, they danced their partners round and round the dance floor until they had managed to chase the other dancers to the sides and it was just the both of them, switching partners and back again in a sort of complicated dance that is now traditional to Hogwarts.
And the both of them ended up, pressed tightly against each other. Breathing hard with his hand wrapped tightly around her waist and her hand around his shoulders. Pulling their bodies so close that was barely any space between them. And their lips exceptionally close.
At that moment, something bloomed. But it was just a tiny bud. But it bloomed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sixth year. He had asked her to be his partner for the Yule Ball. She had refused. And he had taken Keiichiro Saaya instead. Gorgeous, sexy, charming and beautiful Keiichiro Saaya. As much as she was glad to not have been his partner to avoid the stigma that followed all the girls that ever dated or accepted an invitation to dance from him, something much like jealousy had bloomed at the pit of her stomach as she watched him escort the Slytherin princess to the ball, decked in a gorgeous sea-green dress that matched her eyes and declared her love for her house.
She felt her heart ache and she wondered why she had not accepted his invitation. He had done it sincerely and she had turned him down, scoffing and turning her nose up at him. She could even remember what she had said to him: Is this some sort of joke? Some sort of stupid prank that your friends put you up to? Just so you know, Mr. Slytherin Prince, I wouldn't even dream of stepping into that ballroom on your arm like some lovesick groupie. What do they call it? Yeah. I don't and never want to be another notch in your bed post. You're unbelievable, Nakajima. Go find someone else who is willing to crawl all over you like a boa constrictor.
And to retaliate, he must have taken Saaya just to spite her. He knew exactly how much she disliked her. And, he had changed. Suzuka smiled slightly as she fingered the soft material of the dress she had planned to wear. Mirai had told her that she would dazzle and stun everyone in that dress.
She decided that she might even like him. As a friend. He was a pleasant partner although he liked to pick fights with her. And although he didn't look at her as if she was the scum on the bottom of his shoe, he was still the arrogant Slytherin prince that everyone had dubbed him to be. Although he still called her Mudblood occasionally when he was extremely pissed off, there were times when she could see a certain kind of boyishness in him. Plus, he was a good conversationalist.
Sighing deeply, with a dull ache in her heart, she decided that she would rather face her Transfiguration homework than face him and Saaya cuddling on the dance floor. And as the image of them formed in her mind, tears began to form in her eyes.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Yuto wondered why he had even invited Suzuka in the first place to be his partner to the Yule Ball. She was a lousy dancer as she had demonstrated last year and being with Saaya, laughing at all the first and second years was certainly more pleasant than standing around with a board. As he sipped some punch that he had laced with Firewhisky, he wondered where she was.
Clicking his tongue impatiently, he snorted and decided that she was probably on the other side of the ballroom, doing her best to avoid him. Or maybe she was cuddling up to some seventh year, whispering sweet nothings into his ear. Her dark, dark hair spilling over one shoulder like a waterfall. Her luscious lips close to his ear as her curvy figure entwined herself around his. And her hand would wrap around his neck and entangle itself into his hair.
Quickly, he shook his head to remove those dark thoughts. No, Suzuka was so uptight that she would never even think twice about doing that. She would probably hex the guy instantly for even pulling her away to a dark, secluded corner. No, that was what Saaya would do. And that was what he enjoyed the most about her. Yet, as he imagined Saaya pulling him away to a dark, secluded corner which he was sure she would do, the face didn't belong to his date but to the girl that was nowhere to be found in the ballroom.
He hated her for turning him down when he had come to her with an open heart. He hated the words that she had used. He hated that she thought he was nothing more than a playboy. He thought that she would be able to see the person inside him that was fighting to come out. He hated that she didn't trust him. Even after almost two years of being his duty partner. He hated that she was just as blind as the lovesick groupies that followed him like lost puppies.
Most of all, he hated that she made him feel the way he did.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt taken from By The Common Room Fire by Ohgo Suzuka
I had cried that night. I did not even understand why I felt this strange stab of jealousy. But I did. And up till this night, I still do. The dress still hung in my closet even though it was months after the ball, hidden from the prying eyes of my best friend who would never understand why I had not attended the Yule Ball. Even though it was my favourite event of the year.
Yet, each time I thought of him, my heart began to ache. And hurt. And thud faster.
What was that feeling that I had been feeling? Was it even normal? I knew, at that point of time that it was not normal for me.
Came seventh year, he had begun to ignore me more often than not. And it was not the ignorance that we used to share when we were once rivals. When we once hated each other to the core. It was not the ignorance of two people hating each other. There was a sort of awkward silence between the both of us. And I did not dare to break it. He never looked at me once. Nor did he carry on a light banter as he had when we used to do our rounds to lighten the mood. He just walked. And walked. And I had to fight to keep up with his brisk pace. As if he could not be bothered to do his duties.
But, deep in my heart, I knew that it was because of me. It was because I was his partner. And to make matters worse, he said nothing.
With the other prefects and his close circle of friends, he laughed genuinely and joked light-heartedly. A changed person from the arrogant prat that he was when I had first met him. Yet, there was a sort of coolness about him that kept him separated from the others. And he smiled the smile that I love the most. And yet, when he was with me, he was all monosyllables and cold shoulders.
My heart broke. I had not been able take it any longer. And, to have to see him with Saaya everywhere that I turned was another blow to my ego and to my fragile feelings. And the worst part was that I had to share a dorm with him. I did the one thing I swore I would never do.
I had let Nakajima Yuto defeat me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nakajima Yuto was fighting a fierce battle in a treacherous and dangerous war. An internal war between his feelings and what his head was telling him. On one hand, his heart beat faster each time he saw her and butterflies came alive in his gut each time she smiled. His mouth grew dry and he urged to go to her each time she crossed his path. On the other hand, the arrogant and stubborn Slytherin Prince side told him that a girl who had snubbed him and laughed at him in scorn was one to be hated and avoided at all costs. Made fun of and insulted. It was obvious that she did not share his feelings.
Being Head Boy and Head Girl meant that they no longer spent most of their prefectorial duties together ever since they had delegated duties with him monitoring the most senior prefects and generally being in charge of the fifth to seventh year students. While, she being the one with the nicer disposition and friendlier nature was in charge of the younger prefects and the first to fourth years which hardly put them into each other's company.
Except when they were in classes or at a meetings or discussing prefectorial matters. Or, the times when their paths would cross and he would sneer at her and she would scowl at him. Though they rarely met in their dorm because he did his best to return extremely late at night when he knew she would already be in bed.
As he sat by the common room fire of the exclusive dorm that they shared, in a royal red high-backed chair and looking very much the heir to the Nakajima empire, he carried on his internal war. All the while hoping that she would not suddenly awake and come down the stairs into the common room for he knew that he would insult her intelligence and her morals and she would most definitely hex him so bad that he would barely be able to walk the next morning.
All the while as Valentine's Day drew closer.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She watched as her fellow Ravenclaw girls, girls who were usually level-headed, calm and composed gushed and grew even more excited as Valentine's Day hour drew closer. Most of the seventh-years already had boyfriends or were like her having absolutely no interest in possessing a boyfriend but watching the younger girls prepare handmade chocolates and giggling as they hid their sparkling, glitter-decorated boxes when they spotted their crushes made the dull ache in her heart grow a little more intense.
All through her life, she had never ever bothered about Valentine's Day. In fact, she hated the day. It was a silly and useless event for boys to have their egos stroked with girls bowing and groveling and handing them chocolates that they had slaved the few days to perfect them. Yet, as she watched the younger girls pour out their affection for a certain boy, she couldn't help but wonder why she had never done it. Never had an interest for pursuing a crush though she had liked a few number of boys in her seventeen years of life.
As her heart waged it's internal war, she was pretty tempted to leap over the school gates and escape the day's festivities by spending her day in Hogsmeade. It was Valentine's Day tomorrow but she was convinced that she would not be able to focus on studying with all the chocolates going round and round the class room. Sure nobody would miss her presence with almost everyone confessing and handing out chocolates.
Grabbing her favourite coat, black with gold trim and gold-rimmed buttons from her closet, and her FireFlyer 3002 from where it stood in a corner of the room, she planned to try to leap over but if that didn't work, she would try to fly. Smiling to herself, she placed the broom neatly by the door and her coat draped over the foot of her bed.
She was determined to enjoy herself tomorrow and by Merlin's beard, she would.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt taken from By The Common Room Fire by Ohgo Suzuka
I did not know and neither could I even manage to fathom the kind of surprises would be awaiting me in Hogsmeade. [insert smiley]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nakajima Yuto scowled as the chocolates poured in, mostly from the younger girls but there were still a few from the senior girls who still gave him chocolates. One of them was the overly annoying yet pleasant to be around Saaya. Usually, he was pleased whenever he received chocolates but this year, he couldn't begin to fathom as to why he was irritated. It was FREE homemade chocolate which was the best since they were usually made with quality ingredients. He should be ecstatic yet wary of the love potions that certain girls would lace the chocolates with but instead, he was annoyed.
Not to mention that the more he was presented with chocolates, the snappier he became. To add to his irritation, his Head Girl wasn't around to help him maintain order during this love fest of a day. Pulling apart students on his own wasn't very easy since there were so many of them and he refused to hex them. Suzuka, on the other hand, had this sort of strictness that made people scoot to opposite sites of the bench whenever she approached.
He had looked all over the school for her, even risking it by running up to her room to check but she wasn't there. He had the house elves running up and down, trying to locate the missing Head Girl but there was still no sign of her. By early morning, he was beginning to get exceptionally irritated and he would snap at any one who came to close to him. Where is that darned woman? he thought, clenching his jaw in anger. Doesn't she know that today is one of the days that us prefects have to work the most? McGonagall is going to have my head for this.
"Mr. Nakajima!" came a calm voice from behind him and he groaned softly. He turned around to face the Headmistress who was looking at him very sternly. "I understand that Valentine's Day is a day where teenagers alike show their affections for the opposite sex but I do expect you to maintain a level of conduct in this school. It is unacceptable for students to be displaying such risqué behaviour during school hours. Whatever they do after school hours is their own business. You of all people should know this."
Yuto hid a scowl and muttered softly under his breath about Suzuka being a pain in the butt. "Where is Ms. Ohgo?" Professor McGonagall asked and Yuto shrugged, displaying a look of pure annoyance on his face.
McGonagall nodded. His expression was enough to tell her where Suzuka was. "Very well. Tell her to see me in my office when you manage to locate her," she said in a very McGonagall way. "And you, Mr. Nakajima had best not disappear once more now that Ms. Ohgo is not around. Your badge is on the line here. Prove to me that you still deserve it. Be the prefect that you were when you were selected."
As soon as McGonagall had left, a bevy of girls rushed up to him, each doing their best to be the first one to hand him their chocolates. From afar, he could already smell the love potions that they had laced into the chocolates and he grimaced. He didn't need this at the moment. It was bad enough that Suzuka had stopped covering for him when he entered the school grounds past curfew and at times, neglected his duties for a lady friend and now his badge was on the line. Now, he had to deal with lovesick girls who deluded themselves with the thought that they might be able to score a date with the Slytherin Prince-and Head Boy.
Yuto scowled and unpinned his prefect badge, shoving it into the pocket of his robes as he brushed past the girls, telling them to leave the chocolates in front of the dorm. He was going to risk his badge for this one last act of defiance. He hadn't skipped classes in a while and while this might cause him to lose his badge, it was worth escaping the day's festivities.
Nakajima Yuto was going to enjoy himself in Hogsmeade.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ohgo Suzuka wondered if Feathers would allow it if she bought herself an owl as she peered into the pet store, filled with the ooh-ing of owls and purrs of cats as well as the squeaks of rats and croaks of toads and a great many other animal sounds. So far, she had had a great morning drifting through the streets of Hogsmeade.
She had had a deliciously prepared egg sandwich for breakfast and a lovely cup of tea to go with it at The Three Broomsticks after bribing the owner. She had learned how to brew love potions that merely lasted for an hour or so as well as love potions that were absolutely fake and love potions that lasted for a day or two from one of the witches who sat in dark corners. She had browsed in the bookstore for an hour and came out with two books, both extremely rare editions that the owner had sold her at a bargain price. She had spent the most time enjoying herself in Gladrags Wizardwear, discovering a section of antique clothing that had gorgeous patterns. And, she had even bought some Chocolate Frogs and a variety of nougat and chocolates from Honeydukes Sweetshop.
She was truly enjoying herself. She did not realise that Hogsmeade held huge loads of interesting things that she would have never expected to find on a normal trip to the small town. As she people watched while she walked, she spotted a head of hair that looked extremely familiar and the glimpse of a familiar shade of green with hints of silver. Frowning slightly, she squinted into the distance to see if she could recongise the person but the person did not turn around and she passed if off as a figment of her imagination.
She entered Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop to buy some much needed parchment and a new bottle of ink.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nakajima Yuto frowned slightly as he inhaled a soft whiff of a familiar vanilla scent that was mixed with a sort of spice that made his nose tickle. Whipping his head around, he searched for the source of the perfume but the smell quickly faded, leaving him with a sense of longing. A longing for something unattainable. He was sure that he had the source of the perfume on the tip of his tongue but he couldn't place it.
Scowling slightly, he shoved his hands into the pockets of his thick winter coat and made his way down the street, breathing in the familiar sights and sounds. He could smell the sweet, buttery scent of toffee cooking over the fire that emitted from Honeydukes which made him smile. Remembering that he needed to get his broom repaired because it was experiencing a few difficulties with flying straight, he stepped into Dervish and Banges as he inhaled another whiff of the intoxicating perfume.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ohgo Suzuka, having finally completed exploring the main street of Hogsmeade, branched off into one of the smaller side streets that was narrow but no less busy. A little way down the street, a shop emitted a pink-gold glow that drew her like a moth to a flame. She did not notice that couples entered the little shop hand in hand with expressions of true affection on their faces as she approached the shop.
The sign above the door read: Madam Puttifoot's. A little notice board that stood on an art easel just outside the door announced that it was having a promotion for a Valentine's Day special package of a variety of tea and other tidbits. She sighed softly and peered into the large ten by ten window. Little golden cherubs danced around the warm interior of the shop, throwing pink confetti that disappeared before it hit the table over the visiting couples. Suzuka noted that everyone inside the store were couples.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Leaving his WindSoarer with the owner at Dervish and Banges, he stepped outside and inhaled the fresh scent of snow and relished the crunch of snow under his boots. Towering over most of the crowd with his height, he spotted a familiar swish of dark hair and the familiar tip of a FireFlyer wrapped lovingly in the carrier that the owners of Quality Quidditch Supplies had created for easy transportation of a broom and so it could be carried around easily. Scowling slightly, finally having discovered where his missing partner had gone to.
He trailed her, keeping a safe distance that allowed him to keep her in sight but not near enough for her to notice him. He wondered if his slinking skills were due to his Pure Blood and Slytherin inheritance. He pulled the hood of his coat low over his eyes in case she turned around and discovered him trailing her. He trailed her until he lost her in the crowd emerging from a small side street but something else fascinated him. The intoxicating perfume was stronger now and lightly sniffing the air, he followed the scent till he stood only a few feet away from her.
"You bloody-" he growled lowly as he watched her stop outside Madam Puttifoot's Tea Shop but he did not complete his string of profanities as the smile on her face as she peered into the store arrested his heart, causing his mind to go blank.
Just him and her smile.
A tiny cherub that escaped from the store when a couple leaving opened the door for too long flew over her head and sprinkled pink confetti over her head as if it wanted to exact a sort of confetti-revenge on her elicited a bubbling laughter that he had not heard from her in weeks. He watched as her eyes lit up and she danced about, the confetti coating her shoulders and her hair.
He noticed the tiny cherub pout when his desired effect did not happen and scanned the crowd, looking for another victim to exact it's confetti-revenge on and as it's eyes landed on his, he noticed the mischievous gleam in its eyes. "Oh no," he muttered as the cherub flew at lightning speed and began to dust him with confetti.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ohgo Suzuka's eyes met his across the length of Madam Puttifoot's as she heard a very male yelp of displeasure and she froze. Frowning, she turned her back and began to walk away, quickly unstrapping her broom from her back and managed to get tangled as a result of her fumbling. "Suzu-chan," Yuto called, swatting away the cherub who began muttering his displeasure in a quick, angry tone as he ran after her.
"Don't come near me!" she yelled, yanking on the handle of her broom in vain as the straps that secured the carrier were tangled up.
Yuto clicked his tongue impatiently and grabbed her shoulder, stopping her and untangling the straps before releasing her broom. "There you go," he said in a soft tone. "You can go now."
Suzuka stared at him with an annoyed look. "What the hell do you want, Nakajima?" she asked in an exasperated tone. "Haven't you had enough of tormenting me these past few weeks? Just leave me alone."
Yuto scowled at her. "Me, tormenting you?!" he asked with a short burst of sarcastic laughter. "You rejected my invitation to the Yule Ball. And made fun of me."
"Being your date to the Yule Ball would only turn me into a social stigma!" she exclaimed, taking a step nearer to him and pointing a finger at him.
"And what stigma would that be?" he asked, taking a step closer to her.
"A bloody notch in the Slytherin Prince's bed post."
He laughed sarcastically, sneering at her. "I...Had...No...Intentions...Of...Dishonouring...You," he growled, angrily.
"So you claim," she sneered, poking him in the chest. "I know what you do to make you return late at night after curfew. I know what you do with Saaya each time you disappear."
"Is this now about Saaya?" he asked, smacking away her hand.
Without thinking, Suzuka said, "So what if it is?"
"You are so childish, Ohgo-kun."
"ME? CHILDISH?! You're the one who turned on me when I rejected your invitation AND went out with the slutty Keiichiro Saaya."
"A rebound, Ohgo-kun."
"No one rebounds with a slut. Do you even know what it feels like to be replaced by a slut?! It hurts. You make me seem like a bloody cheap tramp."
"What do you know about heartbreak, Ohgo Suzuka?" Yuto sneered.
"You."
Groaning softly, Yuto slid one hand under her hair and cupped the bottom of her head as he crashed his lips onto hers, his hands soon ploughing into her hair in an effort to pull her closer. Suzuka clung to the material of his shirt beneath his coat, digging her fingers into the silky material and then wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. He slid one arm down to her waist and tilted his head, deepening the war of tongues while he kept her head anchored with the other hand. Desperately seeking his warmth, she slipped her hands into his coat and wrapped her arms around his waist.
"Ohgo Suzuka, will you be my Valentine today?"
"No," Suzuka replied, kissing him lightly.
"Why not?" Yuto asked, frowning slightly at her.
"Because I want to be your Valentine's every day."
The golden cherub, finally locating his two original victims, shook a whole bottle of pink confetti over them, coating their clothes and dusting their hair in a shiny layer but neither of them took notice. "McGonagall will have your badge for skipping class," Suzuka breathed as they pulled apart, her arms still wrapped around his waist.
"Not if I bring back the missing Head Girl who disappeared to Hogsmeade," he breathed, pressing their foreheads together, "when she was supposed to be doing her duties."
"I could very easily say that I was down with the stomach flu."
"Unlikely story. After all, I checked your room and you were not there."
Suzuka frowned at him as he slipped an arm around her waist and gently nudged her into Madam Puttifoot's. "You got past the charm?"
Yuto shrugged and grinned mischievously. "I always have."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt taken from By The Common Room Fire by Ohgo Suzuka
So, it turns out, I did find true love but it wasn't love at first sight. Neither was it a love that either of us expected. It just was. Not to mention that the White Day Ball that he had convinced McGonagall to allow us to hold was an added plus, allowing him to present me with a priceless token of his affections with full grandeur in a ceremony that is now a tradition in Hogwarts.
A white ribbon with a simple charm of a teacup, inscribed with the words: You are the Seeker and I am your Snitch.
The End.
Pairing: Nakajima Yuto/Ohgo Suzuka
Rating: PG - 13
Summary: "I never believed in finding your true love when you were just eleven" - Ohgo Suzuka from By The Common Room Fire. Written in the HOGWARTS!Verse, By The Common Room Fire tells the story of a pair of unlikely lovers, both opposites yet so alike, both attracted. One Muggle, one Pureblood. One Ravenclaw, one Slytherin. Both arrogant. Both in love. One encounter binds their threads of fate for eternity. Jealousy. Anger. Angst. And True Love. Along with golden cherubs and a little tea shop.
A/N: Beta-ed by lonelylilger I hope you enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed writing it. (: Features a few familiar faces. Don't hate. Written for mailnosecret for the JE White Day Fic Exchange 2011
Excerpt taken from By The Common Room Fire by Ohgo Suzuka
I never believed in finding your true love when you were just eleven like most of my classmates did since technically, almost all their relationships were flops. I didn't even believe you could find your true love EVER. I didn't even believe that there was such thing as a true love. He changed all of it.
I first laid eyes on him on Platform 9 3/4. Before that, it had never occurred to me that there was such a thing as a perfect being. But standing right before my eyes with his back straight and his head held high with that arrogant look on his face was pure perfection. He was pure perfection from the way his dark hair tossed perfectly in the wind to his defined bone structure. He was good-looking, I had to admit and I hated him upon sight. And the fact that the snowy white owl perched on his shoulder was glaring daggers at my beloved cat, unfortunately named Feathers wasn't doing any good.
To add insult to that, his parents both dressed in elegant coats that were clearly tailor-made to fit them was looking at me like I was the dirt that stuck to their polished shoes. I was positive that they were purebloods. And my guess was confirmed when I made my way past him to step into the Hogwarts Express and our gazes met as he softly muttered 'Mudblood' with such an arrogant look on his face and the smirk gracing his lips.
From that day on, I had vowed to put myself at the top. To make a name for myself. To have my name etched in history. To prove that Muggle-born witches and wizards were just as good as Purebloods. Not that it hadn't been proven by the legendary Hermione Granger but I wanted to repeat history just to wipe that smirk of his face.
From that day on, I vowed to knock Nakajima Yuto from the high pedestal that everyone had placed him on.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Being sorted into Ravenclaw had been one of the best things that had ever happened to her. The Sorting Hat had been stuck between Ravenclaw and Gryffindor but in the end, her love for knowledge had taken precedence over the bravery in her heart. The progress that she had made in her studies rivaled that of Hermione Granger's and Hermione had been a Gryffindor which gave Ravenclaw extreme pride. She was labeled as the modern day Hermione Granger which had given her even more incentive to push herself harder.
He, on the other hand, had been sorted into Slytherin. Just as Suzuka had expected of someone as arrogant and blood-biased as he was. She snorted in disgust as the Slytherin house erupted into cheers, welcoming him with open arms. She snorted a second time at the triumphant grin that screamed arrogance and that he had been expecting all along to be sorted into Slytherin. In fact, before the hat was even placed on his head, it had called out Slytherin. Turns out, he was the heir to the throne of one of the Wizarding World's leading Pureblood families, the Nakajima family who was rumoured to once be Death Eaters.
"It's obvious he would be a Slytherin. He doesn't even need to be sorted," she had muttered under her breath once Professor McGonagall had finished making her speech, welcoming all First Years.
"Sadly, most girls are attracted to that type," came the girl sitting next to her. And that was how she had made her first friend, Shida Mirai.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Have you ever noticed how beautiful Ohgo-kun is?" Chinen Yuuri had asked as he entered the Great Hall, converted into a ballroom for the day's festivities as she had passed them, dragging a very intoxicated looking fifth-year behind her who had a lovesick expression plastered on his face along with a very sheepish looking third-year girl.
Yuto snorted in disgust and glared at the retreating figure of Ohgo Suzuka, most likely off to report the couple for inappropriate activities. As expected of her. "It's just your horny fifteen-year-old brain talking," he said, marching forward into the crowd without bothering to wait for Chinen. "I don't see what's so good about her that everyone seems to be in love with her. Mudblood."
Yuto hated Suzuka with a vengeance. Not to mention that he had been taught since birth to shun all Mudbloods.
He had hated her from the very first day when their eyes had met at the train station and she had dared to give him a death glare for calling her a Mudblood. With his parents right there. He hated when she had been selected as the Seeker on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team and had beat him to the Snitch in her first game. He hated when she had been praised as the best student in Potions when he had strived to be the best in the class, mostly because his father told him that he had to make ex-Professor Snape proud. He hated that she had been selected to participate in the Triwizard Tournament in their fifth year instead of him but he couldn't really blame anyone since it was the Goblet who had picked her.
Most of all, he hated her when she had been assigned as his partner on their prefect duties. Not that she was a horrible person to be with. In fact, she was extremely pleasant which irritated him even further. If she had been annoying or ditzy or perky or talkative, it wouldn't make him feel so guilty for hating her. But, she wasn't any of that.
But what he loved was that she was horrifying at Defense Against the Dark Arts and he was top in the class. It gave him a little pride that he was good at something that she wasn't.
But Yuto never knew what would hit him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt taken from By The Common Room Fire by Ohgo Suzuka
I had received my letter of appointment in the mail as had all the other prefects, past and present. What the letter had failed to tell us that we were to be assigned partners for each duty that we were to be given. I know it was natural for us to be paired up with prefects for duties but a new rule that Professor McGonagall and the other professors had introduced was that the pairings were permanent. And it had to be a boy-girl pairing. Some claimed that it was so that Head Boy and Girl were more easily selected. Others said it was most likely to ensure that a fair verdict was meted out, regardless of gender.
Whatever the reason, it never mattered to me. I was ecstatic enough to have been selected to be a prefect. Yet...
Surprise, surprise. HE had been assigned as my permanent partner and the disgust on his face when Professor McGonagall had announced it was enough to leave a permanent scar on my heart. Not that I was exactly pleased with having him as my partner but he didn't have to be so unpleasant about it. The hatred was displayed so blatantly on his handsome face that it rather hurt.
Furious with his reaction, I had given him one of my most fearsome death glares that were powerful enough to send someone scurrying to the other end of the corridor but all he did was smirk in disgust and turn his back to me. I could feel the anger and rage radiating off of him even though I sat a few benches away from him. At that time, I wondered if I would ever be able to fulfill my duties as a prefect with such a nuisance.
How did he even get selected as a prefect, I would never know. I had once asked Professor McGonagall in passing and all she told me was that his father had not paid for him to be selected.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sixth year. This time, he had been selected as a participant for the Triwizard Tournament and he was over the moon with joy. All through the fifth year, he had watched her prepare for the competition. He had watched her compete with bated breath. He had watched as she had mingled with the other competitors and had felt a certain stab of jealousy. He had watched as she had attended the Yule Ball with Chinen and had danced the whole night with almost everyone who had asked for her hand except for him. She had not even looked at him when Chinen had suggested that she dance with him.
He had wondered if his friends were trying to set him up with her. And despite the hopeful looks on their faces and him asking her begrudgingly, in his most charming tone, she had gave him a once over and had quickly accepted the hand that had been offered from one of his Slytherin classmates. Not that he wanted to dance with her either. And just to prove to her that he didn't need to dance with her, he had pulled Keiichiro Saaya, the Slytherin princess away from whatever boy she was chatting up and twirled her around the dance floor.
And much to the chagrin of the partners of both parties, they danced their partners round and round the dance floor until they had managed to chase the other dancers to the sides and it was just the both of them, switching partners and back again in a sort of complicated dance that is now traditional to Hogwarts.
And the both of them ended up, pressed tightly against each other. Breathing hard with his hand wrapped tightly around her waist and her hand around his shoulders. Pulling their bodies so close that was barely any space between them. And their lips exceptionally close.
At that moment, something bloomed. But it was just a tiny bud. But it bloomed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sixth year. He had asked her to be his partner for the Yule Ball. She had refused. And he had taken Keiichiro Saaya instead. Gorgeous, sexy, charming and beautiful Keiichiro Saaya. As much as she was glad to not have been his partner to avoid the stigma that followed all the girls that ever dated or accepted an invitation to dance from him, something much like jealousy had bloomed at the pit of her stomach as she watched him escort the Slytherin princess to the ball, decked in a gorgeous sea-green dress that matched her eyes and declared her love for her house.
She felt her heart ache and she wondered why she had not accepted his invitation. He had done it sincerely and she had turned him down, scoffing and turning her nose up at him. She could even remember what she had said to him: Is this some sort of joke? Some sort of stupid prank that your friends put you up to? Just so you know, Mr. Slytherin Prince, I wouldn't even dream of stepping into that ballroom on your arm like some lovesick groupie. What do they call it? Yeah. I don't and never want to be another notch in your bed post. You're unbelievable, Nakajima. Go find someone else who is willing to crawl all over you like a boa constrictor.
And to retaliate, he must have taken Saaya just to spite her. He knew exactly how much she disliked her. And, he had changed. Suzuka smiled slightly as she fingered the soft material of the dress she had planned to wear. Mirai had told her that she would dazzle and stun everyone in that dress.
She decided that she might even like him. As a friend. He was a pleasant partner although he liked to pick fights with her. And although he didn't look at her as if she was the scum on the bottom of his shoe, he was still the arrogant Slytherin prince that everyone had dubbed him to be. Although he still called her Mudblood occasionally when he was extremely pissed off, there were times when she could see a certain kind of boyishness in him. Plus, he was a good conversationalist.
Sighing deeply, with a dull ache in her heart, she decided that she would rather face her Transfiguration homework than face him and Saaya cuddling on the dance floor. And as the image of them formed in her mind, tears began to form in her eyes.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Yuto wondered why he had even invited Suzuka in the first place to be his partner to the Yule Ball. She was a lousy dancer as she had demonstrated last year and being with Saaya, laughing at all the first and second years was certainly more pleasant than standing around with a board. As he sipped some punch that he had laced with Firewhisky, he wondered where she was.
Clicking his tongue impatiently, he snorted and decided that she was probably on the other side of the ballroom, doing her best to avoid him. Or maybe she was cuddling up to some seventh year, whispering sweet nothings into his ear. Her dark, dark hair spilling over one shoulder like a waterfall. Her luscious lips close to his ear as her curvy figure entwined herself around his. And her hand would wrap around his neck and entangle itself into his hair.
Quickly, he shook his head to remove those dark thoughts. No, Suzuka was so uptight that she would never even think twice about doing that. She would probably hex the guy instantly for even pulling her away to a dark, secluded corner. No, that was what Saaya would do. And that was what he enjoyed the most about her. Yet, as he imagined Saaya pulling him away to a dark, secluded corner which he was sure she would do, the face didn't belong to his date but to the girl that was nowhere to be found in the ballroom.
He hated her for turning him down when he had come to her with an open heart. He hated the words that she had used. He hated that she thought he was nothing more than a playboy. He thought that she would be able to see the person inside him that was fighting to come out. He hated that she didn't trust him. Even after almost two years of being his duty partner. He hated that she was just as blind as the lovesick groupies that followed him like lost puppies.
Most of all, he hated that she made him feel the way he did.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt taken from By The Common Room Fire by Ohgo Suzuka
I had cried that night. I did not even understand why I felt this strange stab of jealousy. But I did. And up till this night, I still do. The dress still hung in my closet even though it was months after the ball, hidden from the prying eyes of my best friend who would never understand why I had not attended the Yule Ball. Even though it was my favourite event of the year.
Yet, each time I thought of him, my heart began to ache. And hurt. And thud faster.
What was that feeling that I had been feeling? Was it even normal? I knew, at that point of time that it was not normal for me.
Came seventh year, he had begun to ignore me more often than not. And it was not the ignorance that we used to share when we were once rivals. When we once hated each other to the core. It was not the ignorance of two people hating each other. There was a sort of awkward silence between the both of us. And I did not dare to break it. He never looked at me once. Nor did he carry on a light banter as he had when we used to do our rounds to lighten the mood. He just walked. And walked. And I had to fight to keep up with his brisk pace. As if he could not be bothered to do his duties.
But, deep in my heart, I knew that it was because of me. It was because I was his partner. And to make matters worse, he said nothing.
With the other prefects and his close circle of friends, he laughed genuinely and joked light-heartedly. A changed person from the arrogant prat that he was when I had first met him. Yet, there was a sort of coolness about him that kept him separated from the others. And he smiled the smile that I love the most. And yet, when he was with me, he was all monosyllables and cold shoulders.
My heart broke. I had not been able take it any longer. And, to have to see him with Saaya everywhere that I turned was another blow to my ego and to my fragile feelings. And the worst part was that I had to share a dorm with him. I did the one thing I swore I would never do.
I had let Nakajima Yuto defeat me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nakajima Yuto was fighting a fierce battle in a treacherous and dangerous war. An internal war between his feelings and what his head was telling him. On one hand, his heart beat faster each time he saw her and butterflies came alive in his gut each time she smiled. His mouth grew dry and he urged to go to her each time she crossed his path. On the other hand, the arrogant and stubborn Slytherin Prince side told him that a girl who had snubbed him and laughed at him in scorn was one to be hated and avoided at all costs. Made fun of and insulted. It was obvious that she did not share his feelings.
Being Head Boy and Head Girl meant that they no longer spent most of their prefectorial duties together ever since they had delegated duties with him monitoring the most senior prefects and generally being in charge of the fifth to seventh year students. While, she being the one with the nicer disposition and friendlier nature was in charge of the younger prefects and the first to fourth years which hardly put them into each other's company.
Except when they were in classes or at a meetings or discussing prefectorial matters. Or, the times when their paths would cross and he would sneer at her and she would scowl at him. Though they rarely met in their dorm because he did his best to return extremely late at night when he knew she would already be in bed.
As he sat by the common room fire of the exclusive dorm that they shared, in a royal red high-backed chair and looking very much the heir to the Nakajima empire, he carried on his internal war. All the while hoping that she would not suddenly awake and come down the stairs into the common room for he knew that he would insult her intelligence and her morals and she would most definitely hex him so bad that he would barely be able to walk the next morning.
All the while as Valentine's Day drew closer.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She watched as her fellow Ravenclaw girls, girls who were usually level-headed, calm and composed gushed and grew even more excited as Valentine's Day hour drew closer. Most of the seventh-years already had boyfriends or were like her having absolutely no interest in possessing a boyfriend but watching the younger girls prepare handmade chocolates and giggling as they hid their sparkling, glitter-decorated boxes when they spotted their crushes made the dull ache in her heart grow a little more intense.
All through her life, she had never ever bothered about Valentine's Day. In fact, she hated the day. It was a silly and useless event for boys to have their egos stroked with girls bowing and groveling and handing them chocolates that they had slaved the few days to perfect them. Yet, as she watched the younger girls pour out their affection for a certain boy, she couldn't help but wonder why she had never done it. Never had an interest for pursuing a crush though she had liked a few number of boys in her seventeen years of life.
As her heart waged it's internal war, she was pretty tempted to leap over the school gates and escape the day's festivities by spending her day in Hogsmeade. It was Valentine's Day tomorrow but she was convinced that she would not be able to focus on studying with all the chocolates going round and round the class room. Sure nobody would miss her presence with almost everyone confessing and handing out chocolates.
Grabbing her favourite coat, black with gold trim and gold-rimmed buttons from her closet, and her FireFlyer 3002 from where it stood in a corner of the room, she planned to try to leap over but if that didn't work, she would try to fly. Smiling to herself, she placed the broom neatly by the door and her coat draped over the foot of her bed.
She was determined to enjoy herself tomorrow and by Merlin's beard, she would.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt taken from By The Common Room Fire by Ohgo Suzuka
I did not know and neither could I even manage to fathom the kind of surprises would be awaiting me in Hogsmeade. [insert smiley]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nakajima Yuto scowled as the chocolates poured in, mostly from the younger girls but there were still a few from the senior girls who still gave him chocolates. One of them was the overly annoying yet pleasant to be around Saaya. Usually, he was pleased whenever he received chocolates but this year, he couldn't begin to fathom as to why he was irritated. It was FREE homemade chocolate which was the best since they were usually made with quality ingredients. He should be ecstatic yet wary of the love potions that certain girls would lace the chocolates with but instead, he was annoyed.
Not to mention that the more he was presented with chocolates, the snappier he became. To add to his irritation, his Head Girl wasn't around to help him maintain order during this love fest of a day. Pulling apart students on his own wasn't very easy since there were so many of them and he refused to hex them. Suzuka, on the other hand, had this sort of strictness that made people scoot to opposite sites of the bench whenever she approached.
He had looked all over the school for her, even risking it by running up to her room to check but she wasn't there. He had the house elves running up and down, trying to locate the missing Head Girl but there was still no sign of her. By early morning, he was beginning to get exceptionally irritated and he would snap at any one who came to close to him. Where is that darned woman? he thought, clenching his jaw in anger. Doesn't she know that today is one of the days that us prefects have to work the most? McGonagall is going to have my head for this.
"Mr. Nakajima!" came a calm voice from behind him and he groaned softly. He turned around to face the Headmistress who was looking at him very sternly. "I understand that Valentine's Day is a day where teenagers alike show their affections for the opposite sex but I do expect you to maintain a level of conduct in this school. It is unacceptable for students to be displaying such risqué behaviour during school hours. Whatever they do after school hours is their own business. You of all people should know this."
Yuto hid a scowl and muttered softly under his breath about Suzuka being a pain in the butt. "Where is Ms. Ohgo?" Professor McGonagall asked and Yuto shrugged, displaying a look of pure annoyance on his face.
McGonagall nodded. His expression was enough to tell her where Suzuka was. "Very well. Tell her to see me in my office when you manage to locate her," she said in a very McGonagall way. "And you, Mr. Nakajima had best not disappear once more now that Ms. Ohgo is not around. Your badge is on the line here. Prove to me that you still deserve it. Be the prefect that you were when you were selected."
As soon as McGonagall had left, a bevy of girls rushed up to him, each doing their best to be the first one to hand him their chocolates. From afar, he could already smell the love potions that they had laced into the chocolates and he grimaced. He didn't need this at the moment. It was bad enough that Suzuka had stopped covering for him when he entered the school grounds past curfew and at times, neglected his duties for a lady friend and now his badge was on the line. Now, he had to deal with lovesick girls who deluded themselves with the thought that they might be able to score a date with the Slytherin Prince-and Head Boy.
Yuto scowled and unpinned his prefect badge, shoving it into the pocket of his robes as he brushed past the girls, telling them to leave the chocolates in front of the dorm. He was going to risk his badge for this one last act of defiance. He hadn't skipped classes in a while and while this might cause him to lose his badge, it was worth escaping the day's festivities.
Nakajima Yuto was going to enjoy himself in Hogsmeade.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ohgo Suzuka wondered if Feathers would allow it if she bought herself an owl as she peered into the pet store, filled with the ooh-ing of owls and purrs of cats as well as the squeaks of rats and croaks of toads and a great many other animal sounds. So far, she had had a great morning drifting through the streets of Hogsmeade.
She had had a deliciously prepared egg sandwich for breakfast and a lovely cup of tea to go with it at The Three Broomsticks after bribing the owner. She had learned how to brew love potions that merely lasted for an hour or so as well as love potions that were absolutely fake and love potions that lasted for a day or two from one of the witches who sat in dark corners. She had browsed in the bookstore for an hour and came out with two books, both extremely rare editions that the owner had sold her at a bargain price. She had spent the most time enjoying herself in Gladrags Wizardwear, discovering a section of antique clothing that had gorgeous patterns. And, she had even bought some Chocolate Frogs and a variety of nougat and chocolates from Honeydukes Sweetshop.
She was truly enjoying herself. She did not realise that Hogsmeade held huge loads of interesting things that she would have never expected to find on a normal trip to the small town. As she people watched while she walked, she spotted a head of hair that looked extremely familiar and the glimpse of a familiar shade of green with hints of silver. Frowning slightly, she squinted into the distance to see if she could recongise the person but the person did not turn around and she passed if off as a figment of her imagination.
She entered Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop to buy some much needed parchment and a new bottle of ink.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nakajima Yuto frowned slightly as he inhaled a soft whiff of a familiar vanilla scent that was mixed with a sort of spice that made his nose tickle. Whipping his head around, he searched for the source of the perfume but the smell quickly faded, leaving him with a sense of longing. A longing for something unattainable. He was sure that he had the source of the perfume on the tip of his tongue but he couldn't place it.
Scowling slightly, he shoved his hands into the pockets of his thick winter coat and made his way down the street, breathing in the familiar sights and sounds. He could smell the sweet, buttery scent of toffee cooking over the fire that emitted from Honeydukes which made him smile. Remembering that he needed to get his broom repaired because it was experiencing a few difficulties with flying straight, he stepped into Dervish and Banges as he inhaled another whiff of the intoxicating perfume.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ohgo Suzuka, having finally completed exploring the main street of Hogsmeade, branched off into one of the smaller side streets that was narrow but no less busy. A little way down the street, a shop emitted a pink-gold glow that drew her like a moth to a flame. She did not notice that couples entered the little shop hand in hand with expressions of true affection on their faces as she approached the shop.
The sign above the door read: Madam Puttifoot's. A little notice board that stood on an art easel just outside the door announced that it was having a promotion for a Valentine's Day special package of a variety of tea and other tidbits. She sighed softly and peered into the large ten by ten window. Little golden cherubs danced around the warm interior of the shop, throwing pink confetti that disappeared before it hit the table over the visiting couples. Suzuka noted that everyone inside the store were couples.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Leaving his WindSoarer with the owner at Dervish and Banges, he stepped outside and inhaled the fresh scent of snow and relished the crunch of snow under his boots. Towering over most of the crowd with his height, he spotted a familiar swish of dark hair and the familiar tip of a FireFlyer wrapped lovingly in the carrier that the owners of Quality Quidditch Supplies had created for easy transportation of a broom and so it could be carried around easily. Scowling slightly, finally having discovered where his missing partner had gone to.
He trailed her, keeping a safe distance that allowed him to keep her in sight but not near enough for her to notice him. He wondered if his slinking skills were due to his Pure Blood and Slytherin inheritance. He pulled the hood of his coat low over his eyes in case she turned around and discovered him trailing her. He trailed her until he lost her in the crowd emerging from a small side street but something else fascinated him. The intoxicating perfume was stronger now and lightly sniffing the air, he followed the scent till he stood only a few feet away from her.
"You bloody-" he growled lowly as he watched her stop outside Madam Puttifoot's Tea Shop but he did not complete his string of profanities as the smile on her face as she peered into the store arrested his heart, causing his mind to go blank.
Just him and her smile.
A tiny cherub that escaped from the store when a couple leaving opened the door for too long flew over her head and sprinkled pink confetti over her head as if it wanted to exact a sort of confetti-revenge on her elicited a bubbling laughter that he had not heard from her in weeks. He watched as her eyes lit up and she danced about, the confetti coating her shoulders and her hair.
He noticed the tiny cherub pout when his desired effect did not happen and scanned the crowd, looking for another victim to exact it's confetti-revenge on and as it's eyes landed on his, he noticed the mischievous gleam in its eyes. "Oh no," he muttered as the cherub flew at lightning speed and began to dust him with confetti.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ohgo Suzuka's eyes met his across the length of Madam Puttifoot's as she heard a very male yelp of displeasure and she froze. Frowning, she turned her back and began to walk away, quickly unstrapping her broom from her back and managed to get tangled as a result of her fumbling. "Suzu-chan," Yuto called, swatting away the cherub who began muttering his displeasure in a quick, angry tone as he ran after her.
"Don't come near me!" she yelled, yanking on the handle of her broom in vain as the straps that secured the carrier were tangled up.
Yuto clicked his tongue impatiently and grabbed her shoulder, stopping her and untangling the straps before releasing her broom. "There you go," he said in a soft tone. "You can go now."
Suzuka stared at him with an annoyed look. "What the hell do you want, Nakajima?" she asked in an exasperated tone. "Haven't you had enough of tormenting me these past few weeks? Just leave me alone."
Yuto scowled at her. "Me, tormenting you?!" he asked with a short burst of sarcastic laughter. "You rejected my invitation to the Yule Ball. And made fun of me."
"Being your date to the Yule Ball would only turn me into a social stigma!" she exclaimed, taking a step nearer to him and pointing a finger at him.
"And what stigma would that be?" he asked, taking a step closer to her.
"A bloody notch in the Slytherin Prince's bed post."
He laughed sarcastically, sneering at her. "I...Had...No...Intentions...Of...Dishonouring...You," he growled, angrily.
"So you claim," she sneered, poking him in the chest. "I know what you do to make you return late at night after curfew. I know what you do with Saaya each time you disappear."
"Is this now about Saaya?" he asked, smacking away her hand.
Without thinking, Suzuka said, "So what if it is?"
"You are so childish, Ohgo-kun."
"ME? CHILDISH?! You're the one who turned on me when I rejected your invitation AND went out with the slutty Keiichiro Saaya."
"A rebound, Ohgo-kun."
"No one rebounds with a slut. Do you even know what it feels like to be replaced by a slut?! It hurts. You make me seem like a bloody cheap tramp."
"What do you know about heartbreak, Ohgo Suzuka?" Yuto sneered.
"You."
Groaning softly, Yuto slid one hand under her hair and cupped the bottom of her head as he crashed his lips onto hers, his hands soon ploughing into her hair in an effort to pull her closer. Suzuka clung to the material of his shirt beneath his coat, digging her fingers into the silky material and then wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. He slid one arm down to her waist and tilted his head, deepening the war of tongues while he kept her head anchored with the other hand. Desperately seeking his warmth, she slipped her hands into his coat and wrapped her arms around his waist.
"Ohgo Suzuka, will you be my Valentine today?"
"No," Suzuka replied, kissing him lightly.
"Why not?" Yuto asked, frowning slightly at her.
"Because I want to be your Valentine's every day."
The golden cherub, finally locating his two original victims, shook a whole bottle of pink confetti over them, coating their clothes and dusting their hair in a shiny layer but neither of them took notice. "McGonagall will have your badge for skipping class," Suzuka breathed as they pulled apart, her arms still wrapped around his waist.
"Not if I bring back the missing Head Girl who disappeared to Hogsmeade," he breathed, pressing their foreheads together, "when she was supposed to be doing her duties."
"I could very easily say that I was down with the stomach flu."
"Unlikely story. After all, I checked your room and you were not there."
Suzuka frowned at him as he slipped an arm around her waist and gently nudged her into Madam Puttifoot's. "You got past the charm?"
Yuto shrugged and grinned mischievously. "I always have."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt taken from By The Common Room Fire by Ohgo Suzuka
So, it turns out, I did find true love but it wasn't love at first sight. Neither was it a love that either of us expected. It just was. Not to mention that the White Day Ball that he had convinced McGonagall to allow us to hold was an added plus, allowing him to present me with a priceless token of his affections with full grandeur in a ceremony that is now a tradition in Hogwarts.
A white ribbon with a simple charm of a teacup, inscribed with the words: You are the Seeker and I am your Snitch.
The End.