Quidditch, Romance, and Near Death Experiences (10/25)
Title: Quidditch, Romance, and Near Death Experiences
Author: thanku4urlove
Pairing: Yabu/Takaki, Yamada/Daiki
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: get ready for some ~drama~ i am so bad at writing anything dramatic i'll see myself out
Previous Chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
“We need to do something to protect Yuto. This has officially gotten dangerous.” Daiki said, Yamada and Keito nodding in agreement.
“I can’t believe Kento would do something like this.” Keito said, Yamada remembering back to the previous year when Nakajima Kento had been vying for his attention instead. Kento had tried to give him gifts a few times, including things like chocolates, but he’d always refused. Now he felt grateful that he had.
“We could maybe talk to the teachers?” Yamada proposed. They silently considered it for a moment before Daiki shook his head. There wasn’t much teachers could do against people wanting to date Yuto, not really, and the most they could do is just discipline Nakajima Kento and tell Yuto not to accept any presents from admirers.
Professor Ninomiya let out a loud sigh, drawing them all from their problem-solving session.
“It’s finished!” He declared. He was stirring a clear potion, the cauldron on a low simmer, spooning some of it into a cup. “It’s an easy one to cook up. C'mon, bring him over here.”
They sat Yuto down and placed the cup in his hands, getting a confused look.
“What’s this for?” He asked them.
“Well…” Daiki said slowly, trying to think. “It’s… To freshen up your breath. Then you can go talk to Kento, I promise. For real this time.”
Yuto looked back and forth between all of them for a moment, Yamada giving what he hoped was a convincing nod. Then he shrugged, downing all of it. He swallowed and sat there for a moment, Yamada, Keito, and Daiki all waiting with bated breath.
“Guys…” Yuto looked up at them, silent for a moment as the embarrassment set in, Yamada watching as their friend turned the color of a tomato, lighting up from his neck to his ears. “I’m sorry.”
Professor Ninomiya let out a snort, Yuto jumping in surprise as he noticed him for the first time.
“Um… Hello, Professor.”
“So all of your memories are intact? That’s good then. I was actually a bit worried about that, but it seems like you’re okay.”
Yuto nodded. “I’m fine.”
Daiki began to laugh, and Yamada felt relieved.
“Good, it worked. Now get out of my office.” Professor Ninomiya said, kicking them out into the hallway. They filled Yuto in on what had happened as they walked back to the Gryffindor common room, their friend understandingly disbelieving.
“That’s why I was acting like that? Nakajima Kento gave me a love potion?” He looked around uneasily, as though expecting to see the Gryffindor third year over his shoulder, something that Yamada wouldn’t be too surprised about. “Well… I’m glad you guys were there, then.”
“You were crazy!” Daiki exclaimed with a laugh. “I hope you’re not actually like that when you love someone; they’d run away from you.”
“You wanted to marry him. You wanted to marry him so badly that you almost threw yourself off of the Astronomy tower.” Yamada told him. “Keito and Daiki had to drag you back.”
Yuto gave them sheepish looks. “Sorry.”
“It’s not your fault.” Keito assured him, throwing an arm around Yuto’s shoulders. “I’m just glad it’s over.”
“We are too.” Daiki assured him, and they came to the portrait hole, Keito saying “flibbertigibbet”. The Fat Lady nodded and swung open to let them enter. They collapsed on the couch, much more relaxed than they had been the last time, Keito shoving the Divination project aside.
“While you were imagining your dream date with your future husband, we were trying to think of a way to make sure this doesn’t happen again.” Yamada said. “We couldn’t think of anything, though.”
“Yeah, it’s proving pretty impossible to make you less desireable.” Daiki said, elbowing Yuto lightly in the side, and their friend laughed.
“Oh, I know.” Yamada said. “Just stop brushing your teeth. Stop bathing.”
Yuto pulled a face.
“Develop a really weird habit.” Daiki suggested. “Like… Start sneezing at the end of every sentence, or something.”
“Turn yourself blue.”
“Grow gills.”
“Stop having better ideas than me.” Yamada told Daiki, who laughed a little, ruffling Yamada’s hair lightly. Yamada pretended to protest, unable to bite back a smile as he dragged the strands back into place.
“Actually… I have an idea.” Keito spoke up. He sounded hesitant. “I’m not sure how it would work.”
“Something is better than nothing.” Daiki encouraged. “What is it?”
“Well, if Yuto were more… Off limits, in a way,” Keito said, looking as though he was having difficulty picking his words, “then people would stop trying to confess to him, right?”
“...right.” Yamada said, unsure if he understood what Keito was trying to say.
"So, maybe... If Yuto isn't single, people wouldn't try to ask him out, and he wouldn't keep getting hexed all the time." Keito said. He had a point, really, Yamada nodding.
"There's not anyone I want to date though." Yuto said.
"Except Nakajima Kento."
"Shut up Daiki."
Daiki grinned proudly while Yamada snorted back a laugh.
"You could just say you were dating someone." Daiki pointed out. "It doesn't have to be real; people just have to believe it."
"Like how you say you'll be taller than me one day?" Yuto shot back, and Daiki gave him a glare.
"You know, I'm trying to help." Daiki retorted, crossing his arms.
"He has a point though." Keito said. "You could just pretend."
"Would one of you guys pretend to date me then? Please?" Yuto asked. "I already love all of you, so it'll be easy."
"...well, Keito can't do it." Daiki said after a moment. He was looking at their soft spoken friend, Yamada glancing over to see that Keito's face was completely red. "He's way too bad at lying. It would be obvious."
"Yamada?" Yuto asked, eyes hopeful. "Please?"
"Yuto, I don't know..." He kept himself from looking in Daiki’s direction, Yuto hitting him at full force with his puppy-dog eyes.
"But we've known each other forever. We already hold hands and stuff sometimes, right? It'll be easy."
It would be easy, but something in Yamada's gut didn't feel right. Before he could say anything the portrait hole opened, Nakajima Kento stepping in. He looked around, spotting them, his face lighting up.
"Yuto!" He exclaimed, and Yuto drew back slightly, as though he was trying to get the couch to swallow him. He looked almost afraid to see the third year student, and Yamada knew instantly what he had to do. He got to his feet, stalking over to Nakajima Kento and getting up in his face.
"Listen up, kid. If you ever slip anything into my boyfriend's drink again--yes, my boyfriend--" He repeated the word, trying to garner as much attention as he could, willing his face to stay a neutral color as he pointed in Yuto’s direction, "--then I will make sure your dead body gets expelled from this school. Understand?"
That might have been overkill but it got the message across, and Nakajima Kento nodded.
"Yes." He squeaked out, scurrying away. Yamada turned back to the couch, met with the three shocked faces of his friends.
"Damn, Ryosuke." Daiki said, just as Yuto jumped to his feet.
"Thank you!" He said, beaming and wrapping Yamada in a hug. "Thank you, thank you!"
Yuto spun him in circles a few times, and when they came to a stop, Yamada finally let himself meet Daiki's eyes. He wasn't smiling, but he didn't quite look sad, just nodding a little and breaking the eye contact to stare down at his hands. Yamada's stomach sank.
Keito's heart was ready to beat out of his chest the following Tuesday, a few minutes before five, as he walked to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. It was time for his first tutoring session with Hikaru, nervous excitement twisting his stomach and rushing his feet down the corridor. He pushed the door open hesitantly, peeking in to see Hikaru sitting on the top of one of the desks, his feet swinging slightly, twirling his wand between his fingers. A smile grew on Keito's face in spite of himself and he walked in, Hikaru smiling back when he saw him.
"Hey."
"Hi." Keito answered, Hikaru hopping off the desk to stand up straight.
"What did you want to work on today?" He asked, and Keito thought for a moment. The past week of Defense Against the Dark Arts hadn't been too difficult, Professor Kimura obviously too distracted by the First Task to give them any hard spells. There was one they learned a week or so ago though that Yamada hadn't really been enthusiastic about practicing, but it was one Keito knew he needed to learn.
"Um... Would working on the Stunning Spell be okay?" He asked. Hikaru looked doubtful for a moment.
"Do you promise not to blow my face off?" He asked back, Keito turning pink.
"O-of course!" He exclaimed, not entirely sure about it now that Hikaru had asked. Hikaru just laughed.
"Sure. We just need to find a soft surface for me to land on; I don't want to break my head open on the floor."
Keito suddenly felt as though practicing the Stunning Spell might not be the best idea but Hikaru's mind was set, searching through Professor Kimura's cabinets until he found a stack of pillows. He levitated them out one by one, laying them out on the floor.
"Okay, so the wand movement is easy." Hikaru began. He stood behind Keito, extending his arm to take a hold of Keito's wrist. His hands were big and warm, and he pushed Keito's arm forward in a sharp motion. "It's just that. This is a dueling spell, after all. It can't be too complicated. And you know the word, I'm assuming?"
"Stupefy." Keito answered, and Hikaru nodded. He walked out so that he was standing just in front of the pillows, spreading his arms out.
"Hit me."
Keito's first attempt missed, the red stream of sparks sailing over Hikaru's shoulder. He blamed that for the detriment to his confidence, because his next attempt did meet its mark, but Hikaru barely stumbled back.
"Come on, you have to want to hit me." Hikaru said, hitting his chest with his hands.
"But I don't!" Keito protested, and that had Hikaru laughing, giving him a smile.
"You're cute. I can't teach you if you don't try though."
So Keito tried, and he tried harder, but he was having an incredibly hard time finding it in himself to cast the spell with the force he knew it would take to stun Hikaru.
"I'm not just a horrible teacher, am I?" Hikaru asked him on what had to be somewhere near his fifteenth attempt. He’d been able to make Hikaru lose his balance multiple times, or cause his eyelids to flutter closed, but the intent wasn’t there, and the spell hadn’t worked. "Do I need to go over it again?" He took a step forward, but Hikaru thinking the fault was his was the last thing Keito wanted, shaking his head and quickly waving his wand.
"Stupefy!"
The spell hit the left side of Hikaru's chest in a strong stream of red, Keito's heart stopping as he watched Hikaru fall not backwards towards the pillows, but off to the side, collapsing. Keito rushed forward in a desperate attempt to catch him but he couldn’t cross the distance fast enough, Hikaru landing on the stone floor below with a painful thud. Wincing, Keito knelt next to him. Hikaru was laying there, out cold, his head lolling as Keito turned him onto his back. He’d split his lip in the fall, blood trailing down the side of his face, and Keito felt terrible, pulling Hikaru's head into his lap. For a breath-stoppingly terrifying moment Keito couldn't remember the revival spell, trying to think of what to do. He went through some enchantments in his head, trying desperately to remember.
"Rennervate!" He finally exclaimed, breathing it again in relief, with his wand actually pointed at Hikaru this time. The Slytherin's eyelids fluttered for a moment before they opened, surprised to see Keito bending over him so intensely.
"Are you okay?" Keito asked, hoping desperately that the answer was yes, and that Hikaru wasn't mad at him.
"I think... Hey, you did it! You stunned me." He smiled, the expression turning into a wince a second later. "My face."
"Yeah, your lip..."
Hikaru reached up to touch the injury, his fingertips coming back dipped in red. He looked surprised to see the blood, and his expression made Keito feel worse.
"I'm sorry, I--"
"Keito, it's okay." The use of his name surprised him, and Keito could feel how loud his heartbeat was. Hikaru looked up at him, giving him a gentle grin. "It'll heal, and you got the spell right. That’s the whole point of this tutoring thing, isn’t it? I'll just make sure I aim for the pillows next time."
That made Keito smile in spite of himself, realizing there was something he could do.
"Hold on, I know."
He pointed his wand at Hikaru's face, who looked extremely unsure by the turn of events. He didn't flinch though, or turn away, when Keito waved the wand and said "Episkey!"
It was a simple spell, used for treating minor wounds, the broken skin on Hikaru’s bottom lip healing over instantly. Hikaru sat up once it had finished, moving his lips around, his silly expressions making Keito laugh a little. When Hikaru realized the cut was gone, he smiled.
"Hey, you fixed me." He remarked, and Keito couldn't help but nod, feeling a bit proud. "You're good at healing spells, then?"
"I, well..." Keito's father had used them so often for all of Keito’s stumbles and falls, they’d ended up being drilled into his head. "I use them a lot."
Hikaru's face softened a bit, and he laughed.
"Well, thank you." He said, and Keito reached over, noticing something.
"You still have a bit of blood..."
He wiped it away with his thumb, not really realizing how intrusive the action was until Hikaru flushed completely. He felt himself blushing too, saved from further embarrassment when Hikaru scurried away to get a rag to clean the blood off on. The Slytherin was smiling when he returned though, and Keito got the feeling the action hadn’t messed anything up.
“Let’s practice it a few more times.” Hikaru said, standing back in front of the pillows. Keito gave him a look of confusion.
“Are you sure?” He asked. Hikaru had just face planted into the floor, but that didn’t seem to deter him, laughing a bit at the expression on Keito’s face.
“I’m here to teach you, right? We need to make sure that last time wasn’t a fluke. Stun me five more times, and then I’ll deem you good enough to go.”
Keito was scared now, scared of hurting Hikaru again, but Hikaru’s eyes were sure and his smile was comforting, he agreed.
“Just… Fall on the pillows.”
“That’s the plan.”
Seven attempts and five revivals later, Keito was pulling Hikaru up from the ground for the last time, Hikaru’s hand lingering in his for a moment. Thankfully, there were no more cuts or scrapes that needed fixing, the pillows properly doing their job.
"Thank you for helping me." He said earnestly. "Sorry about making you fall on the floor like that."
"Well, thank you for fixing me up." Hikaru answered. "Same place, same time next week?"
Keito found himself a little surprised that Hikaru wanted to go through something like this with him again, but he wasn’t about to argue.
"U-uh yes! I'd like that."
Hikaru smiled at him, and once the pillows were put away they went their separate ways. Keito couldn't help the complete, unbidden smile on his face as he returned to the Gryffindor common room, Yamada eyeing him suspiciously.
"What's that expression?" He asked. "You're not in love too, are you?"
In spite of himself, Keito turned scarlet.
"I have a tutor." He answered. "For Defense Against the Dark Arts, so you don't have to help me anymore."
Yamada nodded a bit, though he didn’t look completely trusting of the explanation. Keito found he didn’t much care though, having to keep himself from skipping up the dormitory staircase. He had a tutor.