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The Quidditch pitch was near silent as Yuuji floated on his broom, broken only by the loud noises produced when he hit the Bludgers away. The wind was cold and stinging, but Yuuji could barely feel it beneath his adrenaline and heaving breaths.
Headmaster Yaga had announced that with the arrival of Durmstrang and Beauxbatons, as well as the Tri-Wizard Tournament, there would be no Quidditch matches. Students were allowed to practice skills and hold scrimmages with other teams but there were not official matches.
Yuuji grunted as he slammed a Bludger into the ground and watched it lodge in the dirt. Shit.
He floated down, the biting wind of winter cutting through both his robes and the bitterness he felt. His upperclassmen, from the ones in his house to the ones he met on the pitch…they would never play for their house again. Yuuji gritted his teeth. Dammit, he was supposed to get better and face off against Sukuna, Gojo, and everyone else who made him the Quidditch player he was today. His poor former captain had cried when he heard the news!
He glared at the Bludger, before raising his arm to slap the other Bludger away from hitting the back of his head.
“!!!”
Yuuji jolted up. Was someone else here? “Hello?”
“H-hi…” Was the weak response from the right side of him.
He turned his head, only to jump back in horror. “Oh, Merlin! Are you alright?!”
A tired looking boy was standing there, his hand limp in his other. Yuuji couldn’t tell if he was pale because of the spotlights or the pain. Prominent dark circles were visible under wide steel eyes. His dark hair was disheveled and he looked nervous to even be near Yuuji. Even worse, he was dressed in the distinct, militaristic uniform of Durmstrang. He broke a foreign student’s arm with a Bludger less than an hour before curfew! And it was only the first day after they arrived! He could practically see Panda’s sad eyes if he found out that Yuuji ruined a Durmstrang’s idea of Hogwarts almost immediately.
“Fuck, I’m so sorry! Come here, I’ll bring you to Ieiri-sensei.” Yuuji quickly threw the Bludgers into the case, including the one next to the Durmstrang student. He pulled his wand out of his robe pocket and muttered a small healing charm. “How’s it feel now?”
The student grimaced, “Its kind of numb but it still hurts.”
Yuuji wilted. What an awful thing to do to someone! His grandpa would either laugh or shake his head at Yuuji. “I’m really sorry, dude. Follow me, Ieiri-sensei should be awake at the Hospital Wing. It’ll be fixed in less than a minute!” Hopefully she was sober.
He glanced over at the boy and frowned. His breath was labored and his ocean-dark eyes were dazed. That’s probably not good.
“Well, I’m Itadori Yuuji, a fifth year at Hogwarts. You are…?”
There was a slight pause before, “Okkotsu Yuuta. I’m a sixth year at Durmstrang.”
“It’s so cool having exchange students at Hogwarts! You’re old enough, right? Are you going to put your name in the Goblet of Fire? I know some of my friends are going to.” Yuuji turned to Okkotsu fully, eyes wide.
Okkotsu looked overwhelmed, but less in pain as he answered easily. “No, I’m here because a distant relative of mine told me it’s a good opportunity. And the extra credit.”
“You guys get extra credit for coming here? Lucky, I need it for my Potions class…” Yuuji’s voice echoed as they walked closer to the Hospital Wing, “Before Ieiri-sensei interrogates you, what were you doing at the Quidditch pitch? Do you play?”
“Mm. I’m a Chaser on my House’s team.”
“Woah! How long have you been playing? I’m a Beater for Hufflepuff!” Yuuji looked at Okkotsu with stars in his eyes. He could see the other student mouth ‘the badgers’. “You should meet some of my upperclassmen, they’re really cool!”
“I only started this year.” Okkotsu grimaced as his arm was jostled on an uneven stair. “And you?”
“Since my first year! You’re not my only victim. My first year was not my best…I hurt a lot of my upperclassmen on accident.” Yuuji admitted. “It’s why I know some healing spells. Though, I don’t know how to heal broken arms. Ieiri-sensei said that it’s possible to accidentally dissolve bones, so I don’t want to mess things up.”
Okkotsu cringed, “Please don’t do that, I quite enjoy my bones.”
“No worries! That’s why we have Ieiri-sensei.” Yuuji laughed brightly. They reached the large double doors of the Hospital Wing. He pushed open the doors. “Ieiri-sensei? Are you here?”
“Yes.” Her head is barely visible from where she’s surrounded by at least three pots of yellow boiling…something. “Did you get hit in the head again? You really need to stop getting distracted while practicing by yourself, even as a captain, you’re going to give yourself brain damage. You can’t afford a concussion with your O.W.L.s approaching. I’ve seen your classes.”
“Hey!” Okkotsu was frozen next to him but Yuuji was busy sulking. Why did Ieiri-sensei even know his grades?
She shrugged at him as she stands, stripping off her gloves. “So? You have a concussion?”
Yuuji felt like he should be offended that she automatically thought he was the one hurt. Although he did come here a disproportionate amount compared to other students but that’s just because his friends are prone to spontaneously lighting things or themselves on fire. Especially Sukuna.
“Ehm…no, it’s actually because I broke Okkotsu-san’s arm with a Bludger.” Yuuji tugged Okkotsu closer by the hem of his uniform.
“Why…?” Ieiri-sensei approached them, summoning her wand from across the room. Yuuji specifically did not think about the coppery smell filling the air. Ieiri-sensei works with too many magical animal organs for him to be comfortable.
“I was curious about Hogwarts’ Quidditch pitch and I didn’t notice it was coming.” Okkotsu smiled awkwardly.
“I see. Well, next time you’re near the Captain while he’s a Beater’s bat, pay attention or you might be the one with brain damage.” Ieiri-sensei wordlessly used the spell, Okkotsu’s body relaxing as his arm healed. “The announcement for thirty minutes to curfew will happen soon. Better make sure he gets back to the Durmstrang boat before he’s sent to the Forbidden Forest. And you know how it is to newcomers.”
The mischievous smile that slid on her face worried Yuuji. “Yes! Will do! Let’s go, Okkotsu-san!”
“Uh, yes. Thank you, Ieiri-san.” He bowed. She waved him off.
“Tell your fellow students where the Hospital Wing is if they’re injured.”
The guilt eating at Yuuji’s stomach lessened when Okkotsu turned to him with a smile, lightening his dark eyes, as they walked out of the Hospital Wing. Maybe that’s why he eagerly offered, “Okkotsu-san! We should practice together tomorrow, it’ll be fun!”
“H-Huh? Oh, sure! She said you’re a Captain, right? In your fifth year? That’s really impressive.”
It seemed that Okkotsu’s demeanor brightened now that his arm wasn’t broken. Yuuji liked it, Okkotsu seemed like a really chill dude!
His heartbeat pattered irregularly and Yuuji rubbed his chest in hopes of getting rid of it. “Yep, since my fourth year!l
Okkotsu’s eyes widened, “No! Really?”
Yuuji could feel his ears burn and he grinned brighter, “Yeah, we won our House Cup last year! I’m really proud of my team, they’re amazing.”
“I’m sure your team is proud of you as well.”
The Durmstrang student turned fully to look at Yuuji. His breath caught in his throat, the flickering lanterns around them reflecting stars into Okkotsu’s midnight eyes. Like this, Okkotsu’s pale face was washed in a warm golden light and his eyes wrinkled at the edges from the force of his smile. His long bangs were casually pushed back, exposing more of his sharp jawline and smooth skin. Yuuji swallowed.
It felt like a bird was trapped inside him.
“OI!! Get out of my hallway, brats!” A voice bellowed above them.
“Sorry, Ryou-san!” Yuuji laughed at the sour looking painting, the moment passing. Sukuna’s ancestor always looked bitter from where he was painted sitting on a grand throne, despite being immortalized as one of the strongest aurors graduated from Hogwarts. Yuuji thought it was because Ryoumen hated loud children, a trait shared with Sukuna.
Thankfully, Ryoumen’s hallway was the one that opened into the path leading down to the giant Durmstrang boat. He could see a tall student with long dark hair half up in a bun pacing at the shore. Yuuji shivered. The air was getting colder as December approached.
“Goodnight, Okkotsu-san! Let’s practice after class,” Yuuji beamed at the other. “It was nice meeting you!”
“Nice meeting you as well. See you.” Okkotsu smiled back, eyes curving slightly, and Yuuji felt the same panicking bird in his stomach.
…It’s probably nothing.
#
Yuuji had no idea where he was when he woke up. He stared incomprehensibly up at the ceiling and slowly tried to figure out when he fell asleep strapped to metal bench.
Oh! Yes, his upperclassman, Mahito, had asked him to show Yuuji’s plan for the upcoming Quidditch scrimmage before the Yule Ball. He really needed a date for that…
Yuuji wiggled slightly, but he was so tightly bound that he couldn’t reach his wand. It didn’t react either when he tried to summon it. Oh great, why did Mahito tie him to a bench using magic-suppressant straps and then leave him. He knew there was something off about that wizard.
The bench was cold against his back. Yuuji sighed, going limp as he waited for someone to find him. He looked around, the spotlight on him too bright to clearly see beyond the ring of light. He could barely make out what looked like a lot of leather and…weapons? Was this a torture chamber??
He squinted harder. Oh Merlin, that was a whip! And what looked like a weird cage! Why was there so much red rope?? This was definitely a torture chamber.
Yuuji wriggled slightly. The straps were uncomfortably tight, rubbing his skin raw. He needed to get out now! Where’s Sukuna with his explosives when he actually needed him?
The door slammed open, Kugisaki Nobara’s beautiful, wonderful, best friend-able face peeked in.
“Nobara!”
“Yuuji! What the hell?!” She rushed over, quietly using a spell to cut the ties away. He wobbled to his feet, seeing Megumi’s blankly concerned face behind her in the doorway. “Who was trying to kill you?? Was it a Durmstrang student? I bet it was that long haired Champion, he keeps looking at you weirdly.”
“Geto-san? Why would he do that? No, uh, it was Mahito.”
“Eugh, that rat bastard! I’ll kill him!” Nobara roared, swinging her hands around. Yuuji ducked on his way out of the room.
Megumi let Yuuji latch onto his arm with a sigh. Wow, Megumi must have actually been worried. “This is the Room of Requirement. It’s possible we never would have found you.”
“So basically Yuuji would’ve been trapped in Mahito’s BDSM room if your dogs didn’t hear him mumble about it like a creep and drag us over here.”
“A what room?”
His two friends ignored him, Nobara instead pulling out her camera and taking a picture of the room. “If this doesn’t get him at least a whole year of detention, I’m going to send another Howler.”
Yuuji winced, pulling them away to go back down from the seventh floor. “Uhm…I don’t know what happened but frankly, I’m too confused to ask, so let’s just go to Ijichi-sensei.”
“Agreed.” Megumi muttered darkly, removing his blue and bronze scarf to wrap it around Yuuji. The large, airy castle always became cold a in the winter.
Nobara fumed in front of them as she stomped all the way down the stairs, even as she almost tripped when one of them moved. “Detention wouldn’t be enough! I’ll rip him a new one with my bare hands! Or I’ll tell Maki-san! She’ll definitely tear him apart!!”
Two weeks later, Yuuji witnessed the Head Boy and one of the most brilliant students, Nanami Kento, tackle Mahito down a hill. He was only barely restrained by a menacing looking Gojo. It was an odd situation for sure, typically it was the other way around.
Yuuji would have felt pity for the blue-haired student but instead he just sent a subtle thumbs-up, even if he didn’t know why Nanami was trying to throw Mahito into the Black Lake. He just quietly steered Ijichi-sensei away from the hill.
No need for the teacher to know Mahito’s punishment wasn’t only cleaning out Hagrid’s skrewts’ dirty cages.
#
Nobara was sick and tired of Yuuji’s bullshit. But she was an amazing friend and let the boy complain while she riffled through her dress robes. Any gender-repelling spells had been removed from her room after she sent a Howler cussing out teachers for refusing to let her have a spa day with her best friends.
It’s one of her proudest moments.
“Nobaraaaaa, this sucks so much.” Yuuji wailed, melting deeper into Nobara’s bed. “There’s only two more days before Yule Ball and I still don’t have anyone I can go with.”
She could hear the pout in his voice.
“Why don’t you just go with Megumi? Merlin knows that he’ll never go to a dance if one of us don’t ask him. And I’m already going with Maki-san, so it’s up to you that he doesn’t be an introvert during the Ball.”
Megumi better give all of his chocolate frogs to her if she got Yuuji to go with him.
“I thought about that already but I can’t find him anywhere! We don’t have any classes together and he’s not in our usual spots on our free days.” Yuuji rolled over, muffling his voice. “I actually can’t find anyone on free days! It’s only you, Maki-senpai, and Panda-senpai. Even Inumaki-senpai! And he helps me with my Potions homework!”
Oh. Ohhhh. She forgot.
Nobara took a second for herself, leaning her head against the wardrobe and letting out a giant sigh. She needed to be paid for the uneasy tangle of teenagers pining for one of her best friends.
“Yeah, they all got detention. Or are in the hospital. Literally everyone.”
“Wait, even Gojo-senpai? But he’s the Triwizard Champion!”
“Triwizard Champions aren’t allowed to curse a classmate to throw up slugs. And said classmate isn’t allowed to blast the Triwizard Champion through a window with water.”
Yuuji’s voice was reluctant, “Was it Sukuna?”
Nobara turned around to see Yuuji looking both exasperated and concerned. Gross. “Yeah, they’ve been in detention for a week, it ends only on the actual Ball.”
“Was Megumi in the fight too?” Yuuji hummed quietly, thinking for a second. “I don’t think Inumaki-senpai would fight in public, but is he in detention too?”
Nobara took a deep breath and began to list out of all of his stupid, testosterone-headed suitors. “Megumi was dragged into the fight with Gojo and Sukuna, he’s throwing up slugs until Christmas. Inumaki was sent to the Hospital Wing for a cursed sickness that won’t let him speak at all, not even in his codes. Choso is also in the Hospital Wing because a potion exploded in his classroom and burned part of his arm.”
Yuuji’s face was visibly horrified. “Should I go visit them? Why are they all injured? Did something happen besides what you told me?”
Nobara carefully did not let her exhaustion show on her face. “I have no idea. They’re dumb and strong, they’re fine. Now, choose which one would go best with Maki-san’s black dress.”
Yuuji frowned comically large but diligently chose an elegant, dark red.
“So I guess that means no one that can take me. Ughhh.” Yuuji groaned, rolling his face back into the sheets. “Maybe I’ll just find someone who can take me on a pity date.”
Nobata hummed, unconcerned. Half of the three schools here wanted to be his bed partner, how hard would it be to find a ball date?
“Just find someone you can talk to for an entire night and is somewhat good at dancing.” She crouched to start digging around for her shoes.
Yuuji sighed loudly and Nobara turned to make him stop sounding so depressed in her presence when he jerked into a standing position.
“Ooh! I know who! See you, Nobara, have fun with Maki-senpai!” Yuuji sprinted out of her room with all the speed of someone who was an accidental track champion.
“Wait! WHO IS IT??”
Yuuji said something back but he was too far away for her to hear it. Dammit, now she’s not getting her chocolate frogs.
#
The Great Hall looked like Christmas violently threw up on it.
Sparkling tinsel and golden bubbles floated in the air, next to flickering candles. Intricate ice sculptures were placed on tables and wreaths hung on the walls. Fake- no, real snow was everywhere, creating a winter wonderland.
Satoru hated it. Everything reminded him of the tedious galas and parties his family threw, where he was treated like a god because he was a Gojo. Being in the Ministry didn’t even sound fun, stuffy old wizards who thought being young meant being weak. Satoru bet that most of them couldn’t summon a Patronus when he could summon one as a first year.
He sighed loudly. leaning back in his chair.
Well, the Yule Ball could definitely be worse.
Satoru glanced over at fucking Geto Suguru, his missing childhood best friend and the champion of Durmstrang. Maybe it wasn’t the greatest idea to take another champion, he could see Yaga having a stroke when he walked in, but Satoru lived to piss off other people. Spite was a powerful motivator and he was full of it.
Although he could really do without the fourth year girls staring at him like he was a piece of bread and they were pigeons.
“So, where’s Yuuji-kun?” Suguru leaned over, sipping at what Satoru thought was apple cider. “I thought he was coming?”
“And why do you know Yuuji?” Satoru let his sunglasses slip down his nose so he could look at Suguru without the shades, even as he shrugged to Suguru’s question.
They both glanced around the giant room, but it was hard when three schools were shoved together.
“He brought back one of my- Okkotsu?” Suguru’s glass dropped to the tabletop with a dull thump.
Satoru looked to where Suguru was facing, only to choke abruptly on his next inhale. He started to cough violently.
Maybe it was the tears in his eyes from how aggressively his coughs were or the light reflecting in his eyes without his sunglasses, but Yuuji was especially dazzling under the light of the lanterns.
Instinctively, Satoru pulled off his sunglasses fully, just to take in Yuuji in total color. They hung limp between his fingers.
Yuuji in his slightly oversized school uniform robes was a sweet, cute little boy that Satoru wanted to hold in his arms and hide him in from the world. But this Yuuji with a fitted dark red vest over a tight black button up shirt complete with flowing black robes over the whole ensemble was utterly delectable. His sakura pink hair was styled up, exposing his bright eyes as he smiled up at his partner.
Satoru narrowed his eyes. He recognized his cousin from the portraits painted on the walls of the Gojo mansion, no matter how far their paintings were spaced. Okkotsu Yuuta, the Durmstrang student he sent an owl to recommend that Yuuta come to Hogwarts. He wouldn’t have if he knew that his relative would be the one bringing his beloved Yuuji to the Yule Ball.
Yuuta slipped an arm around Yuuji’s waist and pulled him close, until their faces were barely apart. Satoru could hear Sukuna shatter a plate behind him. Behind them, Satoru spotted Nanami calmly crack a glass before mending it.
Satoru leaned back in his chair, placing his sunglasses on without removing his gaze, eyes locked on Yuuji’s radiant smile and the way Yuuta sent a brief look towards Satoru before leaning down closer to Yuuji.
Oh? How interesting.
Challenge accepted, Okkotsu Yuuta.
#
Yuuta didn’t have much of an eye for fashion but he thought Yuuji and himself matched quite well. Like a true couple. The scarlet of his Durmstrang formal wear complimented the full black of Yuuji’s outfit. They must have made a cohesive picture, Yuuji leaned against Yuuta’s side. He absently traced the curve of Yuuji’s waist under the smooth fabric of his vest.
Truly, it was embarrassing the amount of times Yuuta had felt like his soul try to float out of his body when Yuuji brushed up against him or smiled up at him. God was testing him whenever Yuuji held his arm between his own, clinging onto him as the night got later and later. Yuuji was as clingy as an octopus to everyone and only grew more affectionate with Yuuta the more they practiced together.
However, that meant Yuuji was a friendly ball of sunshine and muscle to everyone. Yuuta really would rather spend time with his crush without the multiple people trying to kill him through the power of their glares, from both Yuuji’s friends and his…love interests.
A pink haired Hogwarts student, hair a few shades a darker than Yuuji’s, was staring at him with murder in his scarlet eyes. He wouldn’t look out of place if he were to be seated on a Threstral. Next to the student sat a white-haired student, androgynous and terrifying with how they were carefully sawing meat with a knife without looking away from him.
Yuuta might have cried a few years ago, anxious in a new environment. He would’ve been far too torn up and haunted by guilt and mourning to fight for something as seemingly meaningless as love. And yet…
He leaned his head on top of Yuuji’s soft pink hair, smelling faintly of soap and some type of subtle cologne. Yuuji’s head was slotted against his neck, slow and lethargic. Most couples were on the dance floor, but Yuuta’s feet hurt from the sheer amount of dancing Yuuji dragged him into. Apparently, Hogwarts was very extensive with their dance lessons, something Durmstrang had neglected in favor of curses and hexes.
Yuuta took in the scene, from the twirling robes to the attempted murder by glares to a frail, nervous looking professor talk to the Healer woman. He wanted everything with Yuuji.
He wanted to be the only one for Yuuji.
Who else did Yuuji practice with almost everyday, until they were sweaty and exhausted? Who else did Yuuji trust to catch him if he fell while he tried new tricks? Who else watched Yuuji’s perpetual smile shatter as he spilled his grief and sadness into his shoulder? Who else would Yuuji be leaning against, like it was the most natural thing in the world?
Yuuta toyed with Yuuji’s hair, having had fallen back into its natural state over the course of the night. It felt right to be the one Yuuji could turn to when he needed help, from a practice partner who diligently kept up with that stamina monster to a Ball date to sweep him off his feet.
He made up his mind.
“Yuuji.” Yuuta murmured, pulling Yuuji’s attention away from where he was watching ice sculptures melt away and then reform into a different shape. “Come with me.”
And Yuuji followed easily after getting to his feet, unquestioning.
Teachers were prowling the campus, making sure no one was making out in the rose bushes. But here, in the darkened shadow of one of the grand statues jutting from the wall, Yuuta pulled Yuuji against his chest.
Up this close, Yuuta could see the speckles of gold in Yuuji’s warm brown eyes, mellow and gentle. The curve of his lips and how they were stained a soft pink. Suddenly there was a lump in his throat. The most beautiful boy stood in his arms.
Yuuta cleared his throat, heat creeping up his neck, ready to deliver a whole speech and confession, when Yuuji laced their fingers together and kissed him sweetly. He stumbled backwards against the wall. Yuuji stepped after him, following as easily as he did walking here.
There was no tongue and it did not last particularly long but Yuuta felt like a mess. Sparks popped at his nerves and spilled into his stomach. He burned bright red and looked away, tugging a hand away to grip his face. Somehow, he felt like hearts were in his eyes, like those old cartoons he used to watch.
Yuuji let out a charming giggle, caressing Yuuta’s wrist with his thumb. “Yuuta-san, you’re so cute.” He leaned forward to peck Yuuta’s flushed cheek, a cheeky grin affixed on his lovely face.
And under the warm light of Yuuta’s new sun, he did the only action that seemed appropriate.
Yuuta fainted.