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Taichi Yagami was the perfect example of a Gryffindor.
Chaser and Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team, a decent student in most of his subjects, a fantastic brother and the example that every Gryffindor First Year wanted to follow, he could be some sort of smug when popularity went into his head, but he had good levelheaded friends to put him down off his cloud when it was needed.
That said above, you could probably guess that he was good at romance as well, that girls and guys and basically everyone would be over him.
You would be wrong.
“Sora, you have a boyfriend.” Taichi pointed out, talking to his best friend in Dinner Time at the Great Hall.
“Brilliant deduction, Taichi” Sora replied with obvious sarcasm “Just took you three years to find out.”
“Shut up and let me talk, geez! Anyways, I wanted to ask you how I should ask a boy out.”
Sora stopped eating this delicious chicken leg that was in front of her to see her best friend in the eye, incredibly popular Taichi Yagami was a mess with romantic relationship, not because he could be a bit of an airhead, it’s just that every time he wanted to ask out to someone to a date, something terrible happened.
Yamato called it karma for cockblocking them every single time he could when they first started dating.
“Who’s the next victim, Taichi?” Mimi teased, though the conversation wasn’t with her, but she got into it anyways, and besides, she was part of Taichi’s group so it was okay.
“I’m not going to kill anybody!”
“With your love luck, it’s possible.” Sora pointed out.
“Sora! Don’t change the topic, so, Taichi…who’s the lucky guy?”
Taichi pointed out the Ravenclaw Table, and both Sora and Mimi turned to see a red-haired boy, who possibly didn’t had any idea that they were talking about him on this moment and seemed too busy talking about something to even notice that Sora stared at him for 3 minutes before Mimi elbowed her.
“Kou?” Sora asks, and Taichi nods silently.
Koushirou Izumi was a Ravenclaw who was on Mimi’s year; he had befriended Taichi and Sora in a trip they had made to Hogsmeade where he was all alone and Sora, being the Mom Friend she is, decided to take him over the wing, very dedicated to his studies and rarely showed up at Quidditch games, he also could have been a prefect but declined the chance, saying there were more capable candidates for the spot than him.
“The nerdy and the jock! How cute!” Mimi was being too enthusiast about this, maybe it was because out of them all, she could be the one who had more communication with Koushirou due that they shared some classes, though Sora and Taichi knew that their (friendly) relationship was Mimi mostly doing the talk and Koushirou listening.
“Okay – “Sora began, as Taichi continued eating like a savage (“I’m a chaser, I need to eat well” excuse here) “Where do we participate? Unless you want us to make a felix felicis and we all suck at potions.”
“I just need you to keep all the possible fucks up away from us when I ask him, casually, ‘Hey, Izumi, let’s go to Hogsmeade’”
“The only possible fuck up here is you, Taichi.”
“Sora, don’t be rude to your best friend, that Slytherin boyfriend of yours is being a bad influence.”
He didn’t want to be Sora’s boyfriend.
And that sentence was probably misleading.
(“What the hell Taichi? You tried to date that Hufflepuff a year ago but you wouldn’t consider me?”
“Because you’re like a sister to me, do you see me kissing Hikari in the mouth? No, you don’t.”
“Oh, good, I feel the same way. Besides I’m happy with Yamato”)
What the sentence really means, is that Taichi didn’t want to be like Yamato, who was…a frenemy, yeah, he could easily be his second best friend but by the way he was so different more than one time they ended physically fighting each other (honestly, he was a Slytherin Keeper, Taichi was a Gryffindor Chaser, and that would be only the tip of the iceberg).
But Yamato was the most popular guy of Hogwarts according to a poll.
He was the 2nd one with a difference of 10 votes.
The only one of his group of friends who voted for him over Ishida had been Hikari, and she wasn’t friend, she was sister and didn’t count.
Well, Hikari and Koushirou.
(“Really?”
“Yes, really.”
“Who chooses you over Ishida, though? Yamato is clearly hotter, even Daisuke could see it.”
“Thanks Mimi for your input that I didn’t ask for. First of all, popularity isn’t about who is the hottest, and secondly, I’m hotter in personality.”)
Not only because he was better looking than him (Taichi can give him that on his favor) but because despite Yamato’s lone wolf persona, he was very charming with the girls, so to the point one even was sighing dreamily as she said to her friend Yamato had rejected “but looked so hot in doing it so.”
Alas, Yamato knew how to conquer Sora’s heart when they were still half-enemies because of the house rivalry thing.
(”We were never enemies, you’re overreacting.”
“I said half-enemies, and besides, I remember you once said you wanted to throw Ishida off the broomstick when we were on our 2nd year.”
“Whoa, you did?”
“It was Taichi’s awful influence.”
“Hey!”
“Whatever, at least we grew up out it.”)
But no, he didn’t want to be a ridiculously popular lone wolf boy who was also a Slytherin. He was overrated on his humble nonbiased Gryffindor opinion.
But he wishes he could steal Yamato’s ability to manage to ask someone out without messing it up.
He hoped Koushirou liked him as much as he did, not only because if not it would affect the fantastic friendship they already had, but because he wasn’t good at rejecting people or being rejected, not to mention, how to tell him ‘let’s go to Hogsmeade in a totally-homo way’.
The only hint he had is that he voted for him on the popularity contest.
So maybe Kou considered him cool and attractive.
(“You’re none of those things, Yagami. The only person who considers you cool is Motomiya and your sister.”
“Fuck off Ishida. Takeru considers me cool.”
“No, he doesn’t.”
“Yeah he does. He told me.”
“Didn’t know Hufflepuffs could be able to betray their brothers like this.”)
Mimi, despite being a bubbly girl, wasn’t as boy-lover as some might believe, but told Taichi that Koushirou despite being smarter than possible all of them together, could be a little slow emotionally wise and Taichi might have to be indirectly direct, as you say.
Well, that’s even better, he was as subtle as a giant squid.
Sora, the love expert (she was the love expert because she was the mom friend and the only one in the group with a boyfriend, for now), gave him helpful instructions, don’t be too rush, don’t try to kiss him on the first date (if he accepts), try not to talk about how the Ravenclaws are rubbish at Quidditch (“Changed my mind, screw try, Taichi, don’t talk about Quidditch altogether”), don’t make him uncomfortable with silence but don’t be too talkative”
“Be yourself.” And that was Sora’s final advice.
“But not too much.” Yamato interrupted.
So they started fighting again.
Friday before Hogsmade.
The day had arrived.
And it was possible the worst day on Taichi’s young life.
And it was his fault.
First off, he had arrived late to Transfiguration class because his roommates didn’t had the kindness of waking him up! So he took 5 points from Gryffindor and had gotten a punishment after the class and had basically missed much of lunchtime (when he was planning to ask Koushirou for the date) and even though he was up to skip it and just ask him, he had left to his class already when Taichi had arrived on the Great Hall.
The only thing that should have been able to cheer him up was Quidditch practice.
He always tried to be with his spirits high when he was on Quidditch practice, as the captain, it was his duty to help the youngest ones to adapt to the Quidditch, that they had fun but can manage pressure (aka, the matches against Slytherin), Daisuke had been an extraordinary Seeker since the day he joined the team and despite being a little headstrong (as Taichi was, that’s why they got along so well) he always brought victory when it was the hardest.
The keeper was Taichi’s senior, so there was no problem in the back though next year he’ll have the responsibility of finding some good keeper to replace him, the third chaser after him and Sora was new to the team yet no new to Quidditch, so the upfront was good.
The problem was the beaters, the most important part after the Seeker.
It’s a common knowledge that even if the three chasers of a team go down, there’s still a chance, albeit little, with the Seeker to win the game, but for Taichi beaters were important, because the responsibility of the beaters is taking care of the chasers plus the seeker and maybe throwing a seeker or two down with the bludgers.
The thing was that their new beaters were two second years, who had potential (That’s why they were chosen), but still were very raw and inexperienced.
So they decided to practice like they always did, chasers and seeker vs the beaters and the keeper.
Taichi is glad the kids are enthusiast and talented at the ‘throwing people out of the broomsticks’ thing.
It’s a true shame…he had been thrown off by one of them in practice and got his arm broken.
When he woke up at the hospital wing, Koushirou fucking Izumi was sitting next to him reading a book.
“Oh, Taichi, you’re awake.”
He wasn’t one to blame younger kids, especially when he made them go as hard as had to when a game was coming, but he wanted to strangle two 12 years old in this very instant instant, but Tai was a Gryffindor, and Gryffindors aren’t afraid of anything, let alone talking to your crush.
“Mimi told me in Herbology that you fell down your broomstick and told me to come here to check on you, how are you feeling?”
He didn’t know if he loved or hated Mimi on this instant.
“I’m feeling great! For someone who fell from a broomstick, anyways. But it’s not the first time it happens.”
“That’s dangerous; you could get serious damage one day.”
“Don’t worry; I’ll be more careful…” He pointed his arm “And this will probably be healed by the next Quidditch game.”
“I see.” Koushirou smiled and Taichi felt his heart speeding up because of his smile “I’m glad you’re okay Taichi.” He stood up “I’d get here to chat but I promised Iori to help him with potions.”
Damn, damn, he was leaving…Taichi speak up! Say something! If you don’t ask him the day is going to be even worse and you got your arm broken for fucks sake.
“Izumi, wait!” Koushirou turned around and paid him attention “Are you going to do something tomorrow?”
“I don’t think so.” He replied with a shrug “Maybe I’ll stay at Hogwarts, why?”
“Well…” Taichi glanced up; he hoped nothing would ruin his confession, like some annoying first years screaming “I wondered…if you wanted to go to Hogsmeade.”
“Oh, of course.” He agreed and Taichi felt the sweet scent of victory for once in his love live “With Sora and Yamato and the others?”
“No! I mean, no…I mean maybe we could be with them at first but…I mean…me and you eh…together, alone together, if you will.”
Koushirou opened his eyes in surprise, apparently he got the memo.
He didn’t know if it was a good or a bad thing.
“Oh.”
‘Please Koushirou don’t say oh, oh doesn’t mean utterly rejection or acceptance, oh it’s just oh.’
“Well…this is…unexpected.” Koushirou began, looking at the floor “But…just to be clear…is this a date?”
“Um…yeah.” He had a nervious smile on his face, come on Yagami, he hasn’t showed any disgust yet “A date, tomorrow, if you want of course! If you don’t it’s okay.”
Koushirou was silent for a minute, and then he shook his head.
“I’m sorry, but no…”
Taichi would rather get knocked off his broom again than being on this moment, but when you confess to someone, this could happen.
“Oh it’s ok –“
“Wait, I haven’t finished yet.” Koushirou said with a little smile on his lips and his cheeks red “If your arm is broken, then I don’t want to go to Hogsmeade…maybe next weekend?”
Taichi wanted to call him a shithead for scaring him off like that.
“Oh eh…it’s okay then.” This wasn’t a rejection, or not a complete one, maybe this day wasn’t doomed to failure and for once he could ask someone on a date. Maybe he could get away with a bit more today, if he was lucky.
“Izumi, if you’re staying at Hogwarts we should explore the castle as a romantic date. After all, you’re a Ravenclaw and you’re curious and the wit beyond measure motto stuff”
The red-haired had an enormous smile on his face.
“Sounds great! I’ll look forward to tomorrow, then.”
Koushirou had to ask Mimi later if the butterflies he felt on his stomach after he walked out of the infirmary were normal.