Quidditch, Romance, and Near Death Experiences (1/??)
Title: Quidditch, Romance, and Near Death Experiences
Author: thanku4urlove
Pairing: Yabu/Takaki, with more to come
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: magic!
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, AU (Hogwarts)
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Summary: it's the wave of a wand, and dust blown off the cover of a spellbook. It's learning incantations and kicking off the ground on a broomstick. It's magic. It's a new year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, full of Quidditch, romance, and near death experiences.
A/N: Omg. it's finally here. I wrote (started writing, at least) this fic for National Novel Writing Month in November, but it still isn't finished. I feel like it almost is though, which is why I'm going against my no-posting-until-done policy and decided to go ahead and start putting these chapters up. Because this thing is long. I love Harry Potter, so this fic was super fun to write! I hope everyone enjoys it! (also shoutout to arashi_arisu for being hyped at me about this fic on twitter. love ya girl)
As always, sparkly banner cred to ryosukekoibito
The platform outside King’s Cross Station was hot, nearly to an uncharacteristic degree, the summer air blowing over Keito’s face and playing with his hair. He resisted the urge to roll his sleeves up to his shoulders though, already feeling extremely underdressed in his simple jeans and t-shirt next to his father, who was all suited up, his hair pulled back into a bun. There were people everywhere, bustling about and chattering, giving hugs and kisses to loved ones, but Keito barely noticed, a strange mix of excited nerves humming in his chest. He was more than ready to go back to school, to learn and to see his friends again, but a small twinge of sadness sparked in his chest as he glanced back up at his father.
“Have you got everything?” Kenichi asked, looking over his son and his belongings, and Keito nodded. His old owl Pablo was asleep in his cage--he was asleep more often than not these days--and everything else he hoped he would need, from his wand to his robes to his dragonskin gloves, was packed away in his painfully heavy trunk.
“I think so. Don’t you need to go?” Keito asked him, pulling his father’s arm closer to look at his watch. In less than five minutes, his father and a few other department heads had a meeting with the Minister of Magic. The meeting was important, some top-tier and classified Ministry business that his father hadn’t disclosed.
“Nah.” His father chuckled, waving an arm. “Tamori can wait.”
Keito just gave him a disbelieving look, getting a laugh in response. Keito didn’t know anyone else that would just say Morita Kazuyoshi could wait on him to see his son off to school. But his father had that casual type of approach to his job, qualified enough to feel comfortable and well-known enough to get stopped in the streets by witches and wizards every once in awhile. Keito didn’t want to make his father late for anything, but he knew better than to argue; he’d met the Minister a number of times, but Kenichi knew him much better, and therefore probably knew what boundaries were safe to push.
People began to board the train, Kenichi letting out a small sigh before smiling, pulling Keito in for a tight hug.
“See you next summer, Keito. Be good.”
“Wait.” Keito pulled back a little, frowning. “Next summer? Won’t I be coming home for Christmas?”
“You could, but you won’t want to.” That was nice and cryptic but Kenichi didn’t explain, just grinning, mussing up Keito’s hair a little, and giving his usual farewell. “Raise a little hell for me, alright?”
Keito gave a little nod and with that, he was on the train to Hogwarts. He was heading into his fourth year of school at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, a member of the Gryffindor house, something his father, a Gryffindor too, had been immensely proud of. He genuinely loved Hogwarts, and enjoyed going back every year to learn, expanding his personal library of spells and strengthening his friendships. He kept an eye out for Yuto and Yamada while boarding, or even Daiki, but he wasn’t able to find any of them, simply sliding into an empty seat as the Express began to move from the station. He wasn't too worried, or even surprised; the train was packed, and he knew that once he arrived at the school it would be much easier to see everyone, and to find them. He sat there for a moment, looking out the window and watching as the city turned rapidly into thick, blurred spanses of trees. He felt quite unsure of what to do with himself, when his compartment door opened and he was met with a cheerful voice.
“Keito!” Yuto was beaming at him, coming in and closing the door behind himself. Keito smiled back at his best friend, scooting over to make some room on his seat.
“I couldn’t find you earlier.” Keito explained, Yuto nodding a bit.
“Yeah, I was with Yamada, but then Daiki dragged him away.” Yuto waved a hand, Keito nodding in understanding. After helping Yamada and Keito himself with a few moves in their flying class during their first year, Daiki had become a close friend to both of them. Their senior Gryffindor seemed to have taken a strong likening to Yamada, however. “So! How did the last month of your summer go?”
Keito smiled, launching the story of the past few weeks. He and Yuto had sent owls back and forth all summer, but Keito had spent the month of July with his father in Bulgaria for a Ministry assignment. Kenichi and his team had been sent in to bust an extensive dragon egg smuggling ring, and while Keito hadn’t taken part in any of that action of course, he’d still been given the opportunity to see a fascinating amount of creatures, dragons in particular. As terrifying as it could sometimes be, Keito loved accompanying his father when he could.
Yuto was wide-eyed and open-mouthed throughout the story, Keito fully enjoying the amazement on his face when he finished his tale.
“I can’t compete with that!” He protested once Keito had asked to hear about the end of his summer too.
“But I want to know!” Keito insisted, and Yuto sighed.
“Alright. I went to flight camp.”
“That sounds like fun!” Keito insisted, nudging Yuto’s side with his elbow. Keito himself had a hard time even staying on a broom, but Yuto was a completely different story. He loved flying, and had heavily invested himself in learning the inner workings of how Quidditch was played, and learning technique. As a result, he had been approached by the captain of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team at the end of the previous year, asking him to please try out for the team. Yuto was extremely excited about it, and Keito was excited for him.
“Yeah, I had a good time. I learned some new tricks, so that will be fun.” Yuto grinned, launching into explanations of the moves that Keito tried his best to understand. He came away from it not quite sure he got it, despite his friend’s best efforts.
“There you guys are!” Their compartment door opened again, Yamada entering and hopping into the seat across from them. He was beaming, his eyes bright, a small box in his hands.
“Hey!” Yuto said, Keito quietly greeting him. “Where did Daiki go?”
“He went to get snacks.” Yamada said dismissively, much too preoccupied by what he was holding. “I want to show you guys the present that Daiki got me.”
“A present, huh?” Yuto waggled his eyebrows in Yamada’s direction, getting a giggly “shut up” in response. He opened the box, mumbling something about it being wrapped before and pulling out a small handheld mirror, with a long handle and intricate white frame.
“...what is it?” Keito finally asked.
“A mirror!” Yamada exclaimed excitedly, and after a few moments of silence he explained further. “It’s a two-way mirror. When we look into it at the same time we can talk to each other.”
“Woah, really?” Yuto asked in excitement, holding a hand out to ask for the object. Yamada handed it over, Yuto staring into it for a moment. “Oh! Daiki! Hi!”
Keito heard Daiki’s laughter, leaning over Yuto’s shoulder to look into the mirror. He was met with the sight of Daiki’s face, a little too close and at an unflattering angle, obviously walking through the train aisle.
“Yuto! Keito! Where are you guys?” Daiki asked, looking down his nose at them, Yuto telling him before passing the mirror over to Yamada’s grabby hands. The smile Yamada was wearing had Keito sending a glance over at Yuto, and the two of them shared a look. They were near positive Yamada and Daiki liked each other, but couldn’t think of why either of them hadn't made any moves or professed a desire to be together yet. Keito didn’t know if he should be concerned or not about that, so he simply said nothing, and Yuto didn’t speak up either.
Keito heard Daiki’s voice from outside their compartment, getting louder as the Gryffindor sixth year grew closer. Then he was there, opening the door and beaming at them all.
“I have some sweets!” He announced, and sure enough his arms were full, sitting down next to Yamada and dumping all of the food onto the seat. It was a gargantuan amount, a sound of delighted surprise coming from Yuto’s lips as they looked over the pile. Daiki just grinned at them, saying they were for sharing, Keito thanking Daiki and reaching for a pumpkin pasty. Yuto soon followed suit, and before long they were all snacking, Daiki launching into an amusing tale.
“...and after that, after all of that…”
Keito’s face hurt from laughing by the time Daiki’s tale was reaching it’s end, both Yamada and Yuto collapsed in giggles, Yamada leaning heavily on Daiki’s shoulder
“Daisuke didn’t even tell me anything! He just let me know that something’s happening at Hogwarts this year.”
“My father said the same thing!” Keito exclaimed, pointing. “Well, sort of. He told me I wouldn’t want to go home for Christmas this year, for some reason.”
“His brother and your dad both work for the Ministry, so it looks like the Ministry of Magic is planning something at Hogwarts this year.” Yuto said with a shrug, and Yamada nodded. They swapped ideas and outlandish conspiracy theories, chatting casually throughout the rest of the ride as Daiki’s pile of snacks steadily disappeared. Before Keito realized it, they had arrived at Hogwarts.
“Our robes!” Yuto exclaimed suddenly as the train began to slow, the brakes grinding against the rails. “We’re supposed to have our robes on!”
Daiki gave a laugh when he realized Yuto was right; they had all forgotten that they were supposed to change during the ride, into the black Hogwarts robes they wore throughout the school year. With their trunks all at other seats, Keito’s friends quickly excused themselves, Yamada promising he would save Keito a seat on their carriage as they hurried out. Knowing time was of the essence, Keito changed quickly, tugging the black fabric over his head as the train came to a stop with a note of finality.
Daiki, Yuto, and Yamada must have been in a train compartment closer to the front of the locomotive because when he stepped outside they were already off the Express, standing by a carriage. There was a boy standing with them, a young Gryffindor student Keito recognized as Nakajima Kento, who was by now approaching his third year. Keito only knew who he was because Kento had become a slight annoyance over the past semester, vying very hard for Yamada’s attention for reasons none of them ever managed to figure out. Kento wasn't talking to Yamada this time though, his body turned entirely in Yuto’s direction, Keito amused to see that Yamada looked slightly put out by it. Kento was called away by some friends before Keito entered earshot, quickly scurrying away.
Keito didn't have the chance to ask about it however, the carriages already beginning their journey up to the school. The four of them quickly piled into one, Keito barely able to close the door before the carriage began to move.
The carriages were black, lit headlamps on the front, their tops left open due to the fair weather. Keito had been told they were pulled by invisible horses, and invisible they definitely were--if not for the sounds of hooves ahead of them, Keito would have assumed they were being pulled by pure magic. Dusk fell as they approached Hogwarts, excitement welling in Keito’s stomach as the sky went dark. Finally, the carriages came to a stop, and they had arrived at the glorious castle.
Takaki heaved a long and silent sigh, letting his head rest for a moment on Yabu’s shoulder before straightening back up. Yabu patted Takaki’s knee comfortingly, watching the front of the Great Hall as a wide-eyed eleven year old was sorted, scurrying over to the Ravenclaw table.
“Why can’t we eat dinner while the sorting happens?” Takaki groaned quietly, looking mournfully down at the long Hufflepuff table, laden with empty golden plates. “This is taking forever. I’m so hungry.”
“It’s almost over.” Yabu lied. They were about halfway through the crowd of new first years, though a good amount of them had already been directed to their Hufflepuff table. There were more new students than in years past, Yabu noticed, but not by too much.
“Do you have any snacks on you?” Takaki asked after a few more seconds, and Yabu held in a laugh, giving his boyfriend an amused smile.
“You know I don’t.” He answered, and Takaki pouted at him before turning his attention back to the front. Yabu took the opportunity to look over Takaki’s face, over his dyed brown hair that was getting a little too long, over his jaw and nose and eyebrows, his gaze catching on Takaki’s eyes. Takaki turned back, perhaps feeling him staring, sending back a questioning expression.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
Yabu felt his face burn in embarrassment, from the tips of his ears to the base of his neck.
“Shut up.” He muttered, trying to watch the Sorting Hat, seeing a grin on his boyfriend’s face out of the corner of his eye.
“Kota--”
“You’re not supposed to be disruptive during the Sorting ceremony. I’ll report you.”
“Whatever you say, Mister Head Boy.” Takaki sounded incredibly amused, blowing a small kiss in Yabu’s direction.
“Five points from Hufflepuff.” Was all Yabu could say, grumbling, feeling his cheeks flare up again. Takaki barked out a laugh at loud enough to draw a few looks, disguising it rather poorly as a cough and glancing down at the table until everyone had looked away.
Two new Ravenclaws, a Gryffindor, and a Slytherin later, the Sorting ceremony was over. A small babble of voices began to grow throughout the Great Hall, dying back down as Headmaster Kitagawa got to his feet.
“I know YOU must be hungry, so I will not be long.” He raised his arms, and the candles floating immediately by his head drifted upwards to join all the others hanging in the high ceiling. “Welcome. Enjoy the feast.”
Food appeared on the golden plates in front of them, Takaki making a delighted sound and digging in so quickly that Yabu was afraid he might hurt himself. The food was delicious, as it always was, Yabu using the opportunity to look out at all the new faces seated around them. He ended up catching the eye of a lanky fourth year boy, who gave him a bright smile and a wave. Yabu smiled back, and Nakajima Yuto returned to his meal, and to his conversation with the Hufflepuffs around him.
Yuto was a boy Yabu had seen around a few times, bright and talkative, and somewhere halfway through the year he’d looked out the window to see him on a broomstick, practicing turns and dives. Unfortunately Quidditch tryouts had already passed for the year, but Yabu approached him anyway, asking him to consider trying out for the team. Yabu was the captain and the Keeper for the Hufflepuff Quidditch team, and since he had finally arrived at his last year at Hogwarts, he desperately wanted this year to win the Quidditch House Cup.
Yabu was painfully full by the time the feast was over, Headmaster Kitagawa getting to his feet as the food disappeared from the plates. Yabu sighed a little, his mind already past the closing remarks, trying to mentally prepare himself for the task of directing the newcomers to the Hufflepuff common room and how hectic that was bound to be. Instead of sending them on their way however, the old man cleared his throat and declared,
“I have a few rather… Exciting announcements to make.”
The chatter died down as everyone turned their attention to the headmaster. He went through the things Yabu expected, about how the Forbidden Forest was, as its name suggested, forbidden, as well as was Hogsmeade to the first and second years. There was a small aside about leaving toys like screaming yo-yos and fanged frisbees at home, reminding students that they were a few of the many knick knacks banned on school grounds. Instead of a following bid of goodnight however, a small smile grew on the Headmaster’s face, launching into his final announcement.
“Now, as a few of you may have already heard--though I suppose many of you have not--there will be an activity going on at Hogwarts this year, beginning in October and continuing through the rest of the school year. It has occurred many times in the past, and after having been canceled, unfortunately, due to outside influences, it has been approved now to begin again. It is my pleasure to announce that this year, Hogwarts will be hosting the Triwizard Tournament.”