Chapter Text
At last your quidditch tryouts were successful. After 3 years of defeat you managed to take the extremely wanted position of the seeker. Well, you considered yourself lucky in this fourth year of yours but this was to be your position in the field for the rest of the year and nothing but a major injury or expulsion could change that. Narumiya Mei, the former seeker of Slytherin had been scouted for an international team to play in the official quidditch league but he had gotten badly injured during a game and was out for the rest of the season which meant he wouldn't seek for Slytherin this year either. Perhaps he would reclaim his position next year, perhaps not. All you knew was that you were happy with your position in the team, you were not going to let anyone down.
Entering the mess hall you were nervous to meet any eyes. You knew what they were thinking, the 'replacement' of Mei could never be as good as him. Of course you knew you weren't him, you would not win as many games for Slytherin as he had in the past. That wouldn't stop you from trying though. Oh... suddenly the realization kicked in that Mei would be attending school like a normal teenager again. What would he say to you? Would he hate you for 'stealing' his position? Would his friends bully you?
"Oh! Look who it is, (F/n)-Chan!!" Speak of the devil and you'll step on its tail. Mei's shrill voice rung in your ears and you looked up to see him at the end of the Slytherin table with some of his friends, you gave him a nervous smile and he waved you over. First years whispered franticly amongst one another, who were you that the famous Narumiya would want your attention? Well, you thought the exact same thing.
Balling your hands into fists you took a deep breath and strode forward. By Merlin's beard, Mei and his friends looked so cool you would definitely be too nervous to talk to them. The guys around him were talented quidditch players among different houses, Shirakawa Katsuyuki, Kamiya Carlos Toshiki, Yabe Koji and Yamaoka Riku. It seemed that Tadano Itsuki from a grade below you was new to their group, you admired him as he was two years younger than the talents. Arriving at your point of unintended destination you managed to squeak out a 'hi guys' and looked at Mei's smug face. (E/c) eyes quickly darted between his casted arm and the crutches that leant against the wooden bench. He really had taken a terrible fall.
"I heard you were selected to become our house's seeker this year." He said, he seemed to be waiting for your confirmation so you answered him.
"I am this years' seeker, yes." The air around the group was tense, you didn't know if they were hostile. They sure seemed to be.
Mei cast his head downwards and gestured towards the youngest one of the group. "Itsuki, help me up." His underclassman supported him to stand up and Mei was just about your height. He held out his hand to you and you looked at it like it was some alien object, then you looked back up at him in disbelief. Gently you put your hand in his and he firmly shook it. "Congratulations, (F/n). I was always positive you'd either catch up to me or definitely become seeker in your last year once I'd graduated." He pulled you a bit closer so the others wouldn't hear, except for Itsuki, the young Gryffindor who was holding him up. "The guys won't know what's gonna hit them." Narumiya slyly smirked.
He pulled back and you were grinning at him in disbelief, the look in your eyes full with gratification. "Thank you, thank you so much Mei- I, I mean Narumiya-"
"No, no. Mei. Mei is good, we are brothers in arms now." He grinned.
"Alright, Mei. I won't let you down. You will be watching, right?" You asked.
"Pff! Of course I will be! Who will mentor you, keep you in check? Honestly, you've put a heavy weight on my shoulders that I must carry for our house but if you just win everything I can sit back and relax." He chuckled and motioned for Itsuki to help him down again, he looked up at you now. "But remember, (F/n)-Chan, I cannot wait to recover. You better try and improve as much as you can while you still hold my position."
A nod was all you could offer him in return and then you turned around to leave their group. Mei was a supporter as well as a challenger and he did a great job of reminding you of that fact. Despite his words you couldn't help the grin forming in your face, this was more exciting than you could have ever wished for. A distinctive laughter was heard throughout the mess hall and you saw someone cloaked in deep red hang around a certain wizard in sea green. A grin immediately spread across your features upon seeing two close friends of yours. You trotted towards them and the Gryffindor who stood next to the sitting Slytherin noticed you first.
"Youichiii~" You sang as you approached Kuramochi, one of the key players in Gryffindor's quidditch team, he played defense but would often come up to attack out of nowhere as he was very quick on his broom. The two of you sat together in the same booth on the Hogwarts Express in your first year and immediately hit off. Unfortunately you were sorted in different houses but that did not stop you two from becoming great friends.
He grinned back at you and spread out one arm to curl around your waist, you slung your arm around his neck so that the two of you would fit together. "It's been one day of classes without me, you're hopeless." He laughed.
"Can't help it. I need to hang around an idiot like you so that I'll look clever." Upon hearing that he raised his brows and looked down at you, not embarrassed to come even closer when the two of you already stuck together.
"You wanna go, little Slytherin?" No matter how hard he tried to intimidate you, it definitely didn't work. People in the grades below you made way for him when he roamed the halls but you were not fazed by his tough acts and threats at all.
"Be careful now, you're talking to the seeker who is going to ruin your year." A playful smirk crossed your features and he pulled back, totally changing moods.
"Ah, right. I forgot about that." The hand previously leaning on his shoulder shot up to smack him over the head. "Ow! What did I do?"
Someone next to the two of you sighed. "You're really thick headed, Kuramochi. No wonder you struggled to pass last years' exams." Looking down you found your housemate, Kominato Ryousuke looking up at you.
Untangling yourself from your friend you crossed your arms and smiled at him. "Ryo-san has a point."
"Okay, I see how it is. Ganging up on me like the sly bastards you are. It's cool, whatever, I'll go back to my table where my loyal housemates won't betray me." Kuramochi backed away with his hands raised in defense and you gave him a very amused look. He was being super sarcastic and yet you could detect the salty undertone. So childish.
"See you in class, Mochi." You chuckled. After watching him leave you went and took a seat next to Ryosuke. This was his sixth year, his last. He was the captain of the Slytherin quidditch team and had taken you under his wing in your first year when you made the team to be a benchwarmer, though you always attended practice.
"You two are so close, it's actually grossing me out." Ryo said, you just laughed. He was always one to come with the 'rude' remarks out of nowhere, though you knew he never meant any true harm. He'd stood up for you once in your second year when a teammate bullied you, when he truly meant harm Ryo was scary and no one ever messed with him because of it.
"I kind of hate us too sometimes." You said as you immediately recalled crazy stuff that happened throughout the years with Kuramochi. The two of you did really dumb stuff sometimes but it was all worth it in the end.
"I'm not surprised." Your companion said before changing the subject. "What did Mei call you over for?"
"So you saw that, huh?" The boy next to you didn't answer. "It was quite odd. He encouraged me, even gave me some confidence with that but he also let me know he's retaking his position once he recovers."
Ryousuke grinned and that mildly scared you. "Looks like he's finally recognized you as his rival." You widened your eyes at his words.
"Me? Rivals with Mei?! Don't make me laugh Ryo-san, you're being ridiculous." Nervously you tried to laugh it off but it was true that Mei had said that he knew you could catch up to him. You were also well aware you weren't at his level yet.
"I'm pretty sure he told you that in his own way back there, seeing your reaction. You give your thoughts away very easily, (F/n). That's a bad quality for a seeker." He teased.
"As if Mei doesn't do that!" You dramatically gasped at him but couldn't hide your smile.
"So," He said. "how do you feel about finally having the seeker position?"
"Honestly? I always thought it would be near impossible to get there before my sixth year, when Mei would have graduated. Now with this sudden change of plans I'm insecure but also really looking forward to it, you get the best practice in games after all. I really hope to improve a lot this year." The boy next to you hummed in approval, after that dinner started and you talked about many other things with your teammates. Most of them congratulating you but they also all shared stories from their summer break. You'd met up with a few friends from Hogwarts over summer break, including Kuramochi and Ryousuke.
People often saw you hanging out with many different guys, partly because of your quidditch career but also because most of your guy friends were very easy to talk to and one way or another you'd befriended them throughout the years. All of those connections had started out small such as being in the same train booth as Kuramochi, sharing a laugh during Care for Magical Creatures with Ravenclaw's Sanada as both of you didn't understand a thing about the lecture or sitting next to Miyuki for your whole second year during transfiguration class.
Despite being surrounded by the guys you definitely did have some girl friends around, Umemoto Sachiko and Fujiwara Takako were your best friends around. They were much better at socializing with other girls so they often dragged you along in a group to Hogsmede together with Aotsuki Wakana, Natsukawa Yui and Yoshikawa Haruno. They were all great company and all of you were from different houses as well. You were grateful for the only upperclassman among the group, Fujiwara, she was in your house and had amazing advice for you whenever you needed it. It was because of her that you also got to know some other sixth year's, Ryo knew them as well but you two didn't hang out much out of practice.
Isashiki Jun had taken this weird protective liking to you and always wanted to make sure you were okay and that no one was messing with you since he heard from Ryo that such things had occurred in the past. He was great and you were truly grateful for his company whenever you had it, Jun was an amazing defender for Gryffindor and you envied his talent. Yuuki Tetsuya was one of Jun's close friends, he was Gryffindor's striker though he could have easily been seeker. Then lastly there was Tanba Koichiro, Hufflepuf's seeker. He seemed shy and timid but he was awfully talented, you were excited to take him on this year. You really wanted to make this your best year so far, not only because of your new position on the team but also because this was the last year of many of your friends and you wanted to make it memorable and treasure it for as long as you could.
-*-
Charms class from Professor Flitwick. It was not a class you particularly struggled with, it didn't come terribly easy to you either so you were always entertained when you got to learn something new but got bored easily when you got multiple lectures about the same class. You were early and didn't really feel like sitting with anyone so you picked a place next to the window where Professor Flitwick wouldn't pay too much attention to you. If you were lucky you might even get the chance to take a quick nap.
"Well, if it isn't Slytherin's newest seeker!" A familiar voice said to you. Leaning on the palm of your hand you lazily turned to where the sound came from. A deep blue cloak, your eyes flicked up and met the charming dark ones of Sanada Shunpei. The seeker of Ravenclaw.
"Do we have this class together?" You asked him, completely ignoring his earlier remark.
"We do. Did you not notice me last week?" He sounded offended though his grin did not waver.
"No. I was too busy focusing on tryouts in the first week, now that it's the second week of the year I might look around if I feel like it. I was kind of hoping we'd have Care for Magical Creatures together again." You confessed.
"Hah!" Sanada threw his head back in laughter. "Best year of my life. Those were the times, when do you have that class?"
"I don't know I think Thursdays?" (E/c) eyes darted around the room as if that would help you remember when you had your classes, you were still getting used to your new schedule.
"Hey, me too! Let's just hope we have it in the same period." He let out another chuckle as he gathered his books. "Hagrid is going to kill us if he finds out he has both of us in the same class again!"
"Hmm, he'll feed us to the Griffins." That made the two of you laugh.
Sanada was such a weird guy to be around. He was easy to talk to, yet he was completely comfortable with long silences and you loved that. Perhaps, maybe once or twice the past three years you had admired him a bit as he became seeker for Ravenclaw in his first year. Not to mention he was handsome, no one could deny that, he really had that 'perfect guy' aura around him but that faded away quickly when you got to know him. For a Ravenclaw he was the laziest guy you had ever met and he was still super smart and got amazing grades in his classes, perhaps you were also a bit jealous of him. He truly had it all but that also made you wonder why he sought you out in between classes after the two of you met in your second year.
Flitwick started his lecture and you opened your books on random pages, folded your arms together and laid your head down. Closing your eyes the murmur of the classroom became a comfortable background noise and you could feel yourself drift off slowly, that was until you felt someone blow on your ear. You jolted in your seat because of it and snapped your eyes open to be met with a grinning Sanada. You frowned at him, clearly displeased.
"I always let you nap in class and you decide to wake me up just as I'm about to fall asleep? Ass." You closed your eyes afterwards and ignored him.
"Don't be like that! I was just sad I didn't get to sleep with you." Sanada whispered as he bopped your nose with his pointer finger, you still didn't open your eyes to look at him.
"You're so funny, you should become a comedian." Sarcasm dripped from your tone and you felt yourself get heavier, sleep infiltrating your system once more.
"Hm, I'll wake you up when class ends. Sweet dreams, (F/n)." The Ravenclaw said as he gently caressed your cheekbone with his thumb, you didn't hear him, you were already asleep.
-*-
"...and then he just walked away! The second after I confessed to him!" Sachiko groaned in frustration. It was known that the Gryffindor in your grade had a crush on Hufflepuff's Kawakami. Another quidditch player, it was how you knew he existed other than that you probably wouldn't have noticed him much. Though he did hang out with Kuramochi and Miyuki sometimes. "Oi! (F/n)! (F/n), are you even listening to me? This is important to me, you know..."
Rapidly blinking you averted your gaze from Takako and Yui who were engaged in a game of Gobstones against one another as you were all hanging out in the courtyard. "I'm sorry Sachi, there's a lot of stuff on my mind and I just got distracted for a bit. That sounds not like him though, are you sure he didn't mumble something under his breath? Kawakami is shy after all."
"That's true, Nori is not the most social one out there." Takako said as she didn't avert her gaze from the game she was winning.
"You know," You suddenly got an idea, you thought it would make things very clear to Sachiko even if you weren't sure your theory was correct. "I could ask Mochi or Miyuki if they know anything is up with him. Though I must admit, I've seen him and Ono together... like, a lot."
Yui gave you side eyes as a smirk crossed her features. "Meaning what, (F/n)?"
"I think Nori is gay."
Sachiko turned beet red. "No! This can't be true, that's- I've embarrassed myself forever."
"That would make so much sense!" Takako sighed dramatically, as if she was saying 'how did I not think of this before'.
"We don't know for sure yet," You started as you stood up and dusted your cloak off. "only one way to find out. I'll ask Miyuki and Kuramochi."
"Maybe he's not gay, maybe he's bi? Perhaps there is hope. You know, Penny Haywood from Hufflepuff is bi as well." Sachiko said, it was cute that she was trying so hard. She really did admire Kawakami but you sadly had a feeling he was never going to like her back.
"Do you think bisexuality is a Hufflepuff trait?" Takako snickered as she won the game against Yui.
"Let us ask the expert." Silence fell over the group as all heads turned to Yui.
"You expect me to come out?" She deadpanned and all of you gave her a look as to say 'might as well do it now'. "Okay fine." You and the girls erupted into cheers and Takako immediately hugged Yui from where she was sitting. The Hufflepuff pried her arms away from her form and sighed. "Not so fast, I'm a lesbian."
"That's even better! Everyone knows lesbians give the best advice for like, everything." Sachiko said. Takako and you just nodded in agreement.
"Yui, I love you so much but I have to go find that four-eyed idiot right now." You said and extended your hand out to her and she placed her own in yours. You guys always did a hand hug for quick goodbyes.
"It's cool, see you in flying class!" She replied and you smiled back.
With that you left your group of friends and walked back to the main hall of the lower floor. You definitely didn't have a clue where either Miyuki or Kuramochi would be at this moment. Perhaps Kuramochi would be on the training grounds chilling in the sun with a couple of guys. Ah, you should have paid attention in charms class. The communication spell came easy to you in class but you had forgotten the right way to cast it already. Maybe you should have stayed awake with Sanada.
As you turned the corner to go back inside you bumped into someone's chest and immediately drew your wand out of instinct. A bit of a dramatic reaction as there was nothing to fear in Hogwarts.. well, only the forbidden forest but that was far away. The slender cedar wood wand in your hand was pointed directly at the forehead of no other than Miyuki Kazuya, your housemate, teammate and game maker of the quidditch team. "Woah there! What a way to greet your favorite teammate, (F/n)-Chan."
"Ugh shut up, Bakazuya." You groaned and stuck your wand in the pocket of your cloak. "I was looking for you."
"Trying to get me to skip practice with you?" He smirked.
"No, I would never. I play to win." A frown crossed your face.
"Because you care about the honor and traditions of Slytherin." He finished the well known motto for you.
"Don't you?"
Miyuki chuckled once more. "Like our emblem, I am sleek, powerful and frequently misunderstood."
"Weird that even when you say our words you sound like a Ravenclaw, you don't look out for your own as much as we all do, do you?" This hostile side of you always rose to the surface when talking to him for some reason, even though you had good times with Miyuki as well you often just argued about nothing.
"Who cares? I am but another seed of greatness, and don't you forget it!" He sarcastically said. You didn't like that he talked like that about the ancient words from Salazar Slytherin, it was like he was mocking the wizard. It was like mocking Merlin himself since he was once a Slytherin too.
"I'll ask the Bloody Baron to put you in your place." An evil grin appeared on your features at that. Miyuki visibly paled.
"He doesn't like me very much..."
"That's because you asked him how he got bloodstained, everyone knows he doesn't like that." You laughed.
"Weren't you out to find me for some reason?" He said as he scratched his jaw. Ugh, he really had a good jawline.
"Y-Yeah I was, I had a question about Kawakami and I was wondering if you, or Mochi, could tell me more." You asked.
Miyuki frowned. "Nori? What would you want to know about him?"
"Is he gay?" The wizard in front of you couldn't keep it together at your blunt question. He doubled over in laughter and you just stood there, waiting for him to calm down from his laughing fit.
He wiped a tear away from his eyes and sighed in amusement. "Don't you know?" You shook your head as a way to ask him what you should know. "He and Ono have been dating for like a year or something."
It was silent for a while, you blinked a few times to process the news. It didn't surprise you but you were really curious how you did not notice, but more so as to why Kuramochi had never thought about sharing that with you when he definitely had heard from you that Sachiko fancied him. Miyuki raised his brows, he snapped his fingers in front of you and asked you if you were still there. In silence you raised a hand. "Excuse me I have to find Kuramochi right now . Do you know where he is?"
"Training grou-"
"Thanks." You knew enough. After storming away in a hurry you heard him call after you.
"You should thank me more often, (F/n)-Chan! It sounds terrific!"
"I hate you!" You yelled back, immediately shooting an apologetic look towards Miss McGonagall who just happened to walk by.
-*-