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When afternoon arrived, the hallways were always empty, and the grassy areas outside the ancient castle were often filled with students, idly relaxing in the sun. The area leading to the Black Lake was dry if only a little moist—nothing a quick spell couldn’t fix—and many of the older students were often seen sitting near and peering over to catch the glimpse of the Giant Squid.
Not far from the lake, stood two figures, both clad in Slytherin robes as they watched students mill around.
The taller figure was a blond, whose wavy short hair was parted in the middle, with a slight stubble forming on his chin. Thin, round-rimmed wire glasses adorned the young man’s face, reflecting off the sun, and hiding his eyes.
“Immature.” Zeke clicked his tongue in disdain, especially when he spotted several students in Slytherin robes playing around near the lake. “They shouldn’t be wasting their time.”
Eren gave a quick look at the students before looking back up at his brother, cocking his head. “I see nothing wrong with it,” he shrugged.
Zeke let out a whine. “Everything’s wrong!” He complained. “I can’t spend time with you because of these stupid Head Boy duties, and these—kids are just playing around!”
The brunet clicked his tongue in annoyance. “That’s why you’re irritated? Jealousy?”
“No!” Zeke vehemently denied. “I’m just—just—” he took out a worn baseball from his pocket and held it up. “I just want to play.”
The baseball was one that belonged to Zeke’s old friend, Tom Ksaver, who was brutally murdered when Eren was still five years old. The man was an Unspeakable before his death, and he often came to their house to tutor his brother—not that Eren remembered it.
The brunet stared at his brother with an incomprehensible look before turning away, a slight blush adorning his cheeks that was hidden by his chin-length hair. “Go do your duties,” and when Zeke’s expression crumbled, he hurriedly added, “So we can play. Me, Armin, and Mikasa already finished our homework, so I’m sure that you’ll finish before curfew.”
Zeke’s lower lip trembled and his eyes turned glassy as if he was on the verge of crying, but before he could say anything, he was shoved aside—rather ruthlessly.
“Move.”
The blond’s expression immediately morphed into one of scorn. “Ten points from Gryffindor, Ackerman!” He snapped, glaring at the shorter figure.
Levi stared at the larger boy cooly before turning to Eren. “Come,” was all he told the brunet.
Zeke’s head snapped to his younger brother, and he looked at him with a pleading expression. “Wha—”
“Okay.”
“Eren!”
The brunet—who was now standing beside Levi—turned around to look at his brother. “Do your duties…” he paused, then said, “So we can play.”
“Oi, Yeager, teach me Transfiguration.”
“Huh?”
Levi clicked his tongue in annoyance. “Don’t make me repeat myself,” he snapped, before saying, “I said, teach me Transfiguration.”
Eren cocked his head to the side. “I heard that. But why me?”
“You’re good at it.”
“Why don’t you ask someone in the same house as you?”
“You’re good at it.”
“You’re a sixth year.”
“You’re good at it.”
“And I’m a third-year.”
“But you’re good at it.”
“Why, though?”
Levi paused, then answered, “Because I’m shit at it. See?” He swiftly took out a roll of parchment and showed it to the taller brunet.
Eren’s eyebrows rose. “Oh.”
It was a well-known fact that the Ackermans—Mikasa, and Levi—were prodigies in many fields, and he knew that while Mikasa was a prodigy in several subjects, she also had a subject that she was severely lacking in. Herbology. But Eren never paid much mind, because it was Herbology. Seriously.
But Levi on the other hand…
The first thing that Eren’s eyes caught on the Transfiguration essay Levi had shoved into his face was the bright red D scrawled at the top left-hand corner.
“Dreadful?” He said, and at the other boy’s nod, he continued, “How, though?”
“Keep reading.”
“Uh…”
And wow, that was horrible.
Despite the beautifully scripted letters that looked as if they were printed, the contents… were less than satisfactory. It was an essay on the Bird-Conjuring charm, and while Eren couldn’t decipher where exactly it wasn’t good, he somewhat understood the teacher’s reasoning behind giving the older boy a Dreadful. Because as a whole, the essay didn’t make sense.
“So?” Levi asked when Eren looked up.
Eren chuckled awkwardly. “Uh… are you able to do the charm?”
“Nope.”
“Okay, that’s goo—wait what?” Eren’s voice rose an octave. “B-but the Bird-Conjuring charm is among the easiest!”
Levi glared at him.
“That’s disgusting.”
And with a wave of his wand, the classroom was sparkling clean. Even the chairs with the chipped legs seemed brand new.
“Wow,” Eren said, awestruck.
The two had gone to an empty classroom in order to practice the spell, and while Eren still had no idea why he was chosen, out of all the other students who would be more than willing, he was determined to make Levi better at Transfiguration. Even if it’s only a little bit.
“So…” Eren began. “What happens when you do try to conjure the birds?”
“Flowers.”
“Eh?”
“Flowers pop out.”
“Avis?”
“Avis,” Levi nodded.
“And flowers?”
“Campanula.”
“... what?”
“Bellflowers—”
“I know,” Eren interrupted. “I was just— always Campanulas?”
Levi nodded. He swiftly took out his wand—ebony with runic carvings—and flicked his wand delicately. “Avis,” he muttered.
The tip of his wand glowed for a minuscule second before green stems erupted and grew; leaves protruding and little buds developing until it matured into a beautiful, lavender-colored Campanula.
And gosh, was that pretty.
But Eren, the ever awkward third-year Slytherin who could do nothing but stare, said exactly what he thought. “But that’s really pretty!”
It wasn’t his fault that the flowers were thrown at his face only moments later.
“I heard the Yeagers are parselmouths.”
“And I heard Ackermans were mages.”
Levi glanced at the brunet, taking in the younger boy’s features. Lime-green, doe-like eyes, long eyelashes, and high cheekbones that were framed by his chin-length hair that curled at the edges. His Slytherin robes fit loosely around the boy’s frame, and his eyes narrowed at the messy tie, resisting the urge to fix it.
Instead, Levi turned away and nonchalantly said, “Are you, though?”
Eren scratched his neck. “Yeah,” he answered. “So’s Zeke.”
“The Ape?”
“The—yes. How about you?”
“Don’t know,” Levi answered truthfully. “Kenny never told me anything about them. But they probably were.”
Eren snickered. “It would explain the Ackerman’s powerhouse-like magic.”
Levi gave Eren a look. “Except Transfiguration.”
“But it’s not like dead carcasses appeared!”
“I’d prefer that over flowers.”
“Hey! I really like Campanulas, okay? Lay off.”
Levi stilled. He tilted his head, his expression undiscernible as he stared at Eren with a strange look in his eyes.
When Eren entered the Great Hall that morning to grab a quick breakfast, he really hadn’t expected this.
Really.
“Avis.”
Eren stared at the flowers that bloomed out of Levi’s wand for a moment before cracking a slight smile.
“Not going to throw them at me, sir?” He joked.
But then Levi muttered, “Oh, I just might if you don’t take them.”
Still, Eren eventually took the flowers and held them gently in his arms, staring at them with a loving expression when—
“Eren, come to Hogsmead with me.”
And all hell broke loose.
Well…
Zeke broke loose.
“No! No! No!” Zeke screamed. He whipped out his wand and pointed it at Levi. “I won’t have you doing this!”
However, Levi, unperturbed by Zeke’s yelling, simply smirked at Zeke.
“Try me.”
“Don’t trust him.”
“Mikasa—”
“Don’t.”
“He’s your brother.”
“I don’t trust him.”
“Mikasa,” Eren said for the umpteenth time. “I trust him.”
But Mikasa wouldn’t give up. “He’s a Gryffindor.”
“And I’m a Slytherin,” Eren retorted.
“He’s four years older than you!”
“Mikasa, he’s three years older than Eren—”
“Eren, I’m coming with you,” Mikasa interrupted Armin. “I’m not going to let him defile you.”
“What?! No!”
“Zeke and Mikasa made a pact.” Was the first thing Eren said when he met up with Levi.
Levi cocked an eyebrow, unsurprised. “I expected more. Especially from that… ape.”
“Not your sister?”
“I’ll survive.”
“...”