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Hinata Shoyo was jittery with nerves.
It was officially the beginning of November, which meant that the Quidditch season was just starting. Their captain, Sugawara, had been running their team hard, with practices every weekend, every other weekday, and sometimes even during the school day during lunch. On the days they didn’t practice, Suga had him working on visual exercises to get his eyes attuned to spotting small objects at far away distances. It was hard work, but Hinata loved every moment of it.
After all, he was going to become the best seeker Hogwarts had ever seen.
“You ready, Hinata?” Suga asked, resting his hand on the smaller boy’s shoulder. He was already garbed in their green Quidditch robes.
“I’m gonna be sick,” Hinata muttered, clutching his stomach. It was his third year on the team, and yet he still couldn’t shake the nervousness that always gripped him before the game. The fifth year shuddered as his stomach lurched again.
“It’s alright, Hinata,” Suga assured, “If you do half as well as you did during practice, those ‘puffs won’t know what hit them.”
Hufflepuff vs. Slytherin.
The first game of the season.
Naturally.
He glanced over to the Hufflepuff table, where the seven players were already garbed up and ready to hit the field. Their unassuming captain and chaser, Kenma Kozume, whose clever eyes betrayed his tactical genius on the field, sat at the table, chewing on scrambled eggs. He was flanked by their two large-but-sweet chasers, Asahi Azumane and Haiba Lev. Their sweet-on-the-outside-but-ruthless-on-the-field beaters, seventh-year Kiyoko and fourth-year Yachi sat across from the group. The two chatted amongst themselves, seemingly without a care or concern for the game that was less than an hour away now oh my god. Hinata’s stomach twisted again.
Yamaguchi Tadashi, the Hufflepuff keeper, at least had the decency to look just as worried about the upcoming game as Hinata felt. The fifth-year was unremarkable in almost every aspect, other than his total devoted passion for the Care of Magical Creatures class (rumor had it that a Unicorn had actually approached him). It would be his first game after making the team. When Hinata had asked about the boy, Tsukishima had simply sneered at him.
“Underestimating him would be a mistake,” he had said, but offered no other information.
Finally, Hinata’s eyes fell on the last, and probably the most important member of the Hufflepuff team. Kageyama Tobio, the Hufflepuff seeker, his on-again-off-again friend and his biggest rival. He sat there coolly, chewing on a cheese omelet and sipping on a cup of orange juice. Hinata’s heart fluttered at the sight of his rival, as it had been doing for some goddamn reason.
Hinata wasn’t sure when his heart started doing that, and was somewhat convinced that Kageyama had cast a jinx on him sometime during one of their dueling sessions and that he should probably get it checked out sometime soon. It would also explain why he couldn’t get the boy off of his mind lately.
Their tentative friendship (mutual understanding?) had been formed over the course of the last five years, through a number of trials and tribulations. Hinata, the muggle-born Snake-that-shouldn’t-be and Kageyama, the pureblooded disappointment. When they had first met, Hinata had nearly taken his head off with a rogue levitating charm. The ensuing fight had given them both a solid two weeks detention.
Hinata had tried his best to avoid the boy following that confrontation, but given that they shared most of their classes, it was near impossible. It didn’t help that Sugawara’s family knew the Kageyama family very well, which led to more than once instance where Hinata ran into the boy in the Slytherin common room. It was only after they had both joined the school’s dueling club and they were partnered together that they came to a common, but strained, understanding.
And then they were paired together for Herbology.
And for Potions.
Hinata, to this day, swears that their professors did it on purpose.
It was a lot harder to hate someone when you both were stuck trying to figure out the Law of McClaggen together. And when a potion of hair growth exploded all over you. And when you both tried to trick each other into eating prank chocolates.
Kageyama looked up, and gave him a lazy wave. Hinata scowled. Couldn’t he have the decency to at least look a little nervous?! A slap on his back threw him out of his thoughts.
“You ready for the game, kid?!” Kuroo exclaimed, their beater looking more than a little excited. If their practices were any indication, the Hufflepuff beater team was going to have their work cut out for them. Kuroo had, somehow, become rougher with his bat, and Tsukishima’s aim had become better than before.
“I’m ready to kick some badger’s asses,” Saeko growled in agreement, “We gotta show em what we’re made of!” She pounded her fist into her palm to emphasis her point. Ushijima and Akaashi, their other two chasers, stood tall beside her. Ushijima cocked an eyebrow at her.
“Sugaaaa~” The brown-haired bespectacled captain of the Ravenclaw team sing-songed from the table next to them, “Good luck today!”
“Thank you, Oika-oof!” Oikawa had draped his arms over the Slytherin Keeper’s shoulders and pulled him in. He held a mobile phone over them. “Pre-victory selfie!” he declared. It was Hogwarts’ greatest mystery how Oikawa Tooru had managed to make modern technology function in the magic rich environment of Hogwarts, but the boy refused to spill his secrets (Hinata really wished he would, it would make it a lot easier to talk to his sister and parents…). Sugawara was baffled by the device, as he had been for the past seven years, but smiled anyway.
“Oi, shrimp,” Ushijima said. Hinata stiffened, he had always been intimidated by the large man. “Why don’t you go get dressed? We’ll meet you in the common room.”
“R-right!” Hinata exclaimed, saluting him. Ushijima cocked an eyebrow at the gesture, but didn’t comment. Hinata shoved a piece of toast in his mouth and ran out of Great Hall. A few housemates wished him luck on their way out. Even Tanaka and Bokuto from the Gryffindor team shouted their support on his way out.
Hinata practically sprinted to the common room. He almost ran into Professor Ukai and Takeda on the way, and ran passed them with a hurried apology. He walked quickly through the Slytherin common room door and into the fifth-year boys room.
He stood in front of his wardrobe, staring at his worn green Quidditch robes. They had been magically cleaned after his last season, although stubborn flecks of dirt still lined the hem of the garment. Hinata pulled on the robe, shivering as the cool lining touched his bare skin. He closed his eyes as he pulled on his gloves. The worry in his stomach was beginning to settle and a sense of calm went through his body. He took a deep breath.
He was ready to kick some badger’s asses.
---
The Slytherin team marched through the castle in sync. It was a long-standing tradition that the team walked together to the pitch from the common room. It was intimidating and it gave them a sense of authority and confidence. The crowds parted before them, some cheering and others jeering.
“Dirty snakes!” one Gryffindor sneered. Tsukishima’s glare was enough to silence him. Hinata could see some members of the Gryffindor team cheering them on. Tanaka, for some reason, had already removed his shirt and Nishinoya was on his shoulders, loudly yelling a mix of insults and cheers. Daichi, the Gryffindor captain, was on the sidelines.
“Good luck,” he said with a smile. Sugawara swerved to the side to plant a kiss on his lips. Daichi looked dazed at the contact.
“There’ll be another one waiting for you if we win,” Suga teased with a mischievous smile on his lips.
“And if you lose?” Daichi asked, his hand lingering on Suga’s chest.
“Oh Dai~chi,” Suga sing-songed, “That’s simply not going to happen.” Their captain turned to the team with a smile that promised certain death. “Isn’t that right, team?” A shiver went up Hinata’s spine.
“Right!” The team chorused in unison. Suga broke away from his boyfriend, and they continued on. Hinata remembered last year when the two rival captains had announced they were dating. It had been at the end of the final match of the season between Gryffindor and Slytherin. Gryffindor had won by a slim, almost negligible margin (10 points on a technicality!) When Sugawara and Sawamura had gone down to shake hands, Daichi pulled Suga into passionate kiss. In front of everyone.
Poor Coach Nekomata had no idea how to react.
The school was in an uproar after that, some players calling foul on the whole game. But it settled, as rumors at Hogwarts did, and it had become simple fact. Sugawara Koushi, Slytherin Quidditch captain and Head Boy, was dating Sawamura Daichi, Gryffindor Quidditch captain and valedictorian. A power couple made in heaven. It was very dangerous for everyone involved.
The Slytherin team marched into their locker rooms. They pulled on their protective gear. Arm braces, knee pads, and anything else that would protect them against falls, bludgers, and stray quaffles. Hinata flexed his hands, a trill of excitement going through his body. He loved this game. He was going to be the best seeker this school had ever seen. He swore it.
“HEY HEY HEY,” a loud voice boomed through the stadium. Hinata took a deep breath. It was about to begin. “WELCOME WELCOME WELCOME TO THE FIRST QUIDDITCH GAME OF THE SEASON.”
“The lovely Bokuto here~”
“AND MR. OIKAWA HERE ARE COMMENTING THIS MATCH.”
Hinata snickered. He always like when Bokuto commentated on matches. His enthusiasm was infectious!
“Today’s match we have the Hufflepuffs~” Oikawa said. On cue, the yellow-garbed team flew onto the field, circling the ring.
“VERSUS SLYTHERINS.” That was their cue. Hinata trailed behind Ushijima as Sugawara led them around the field. After a few laps, they flew to the middle of the field for the traditional handshake. Hinata sat across from Kageyama as Suga shook Kenma’s hand.
“I wish you a good game,” Kenma said.
“You as well,” Suga responded. Hinata puffed himself up, hoping he’d be a bit more intimidating. If Kageyama’s unimpressed look was any indication, it didn’t work. Hinata stuck his tongue out at him. Kageyama huffed in response.
“Ah~ The snitch has been released!” Oikawa said, “Look at it go! Which one of our lovely seekers, Shouyo or Tobio will catch it first today?”
“THE BLUDGERS ARE LOOSE. WATCH THEM GOOOO!!!” A bludger passed inches by Hinata’s head, causing his orange hair to blow around wildly. They still had a minute to go before the quaffle was in the air and the game really began.
“Hey Bokuto~ Why don’t we take a #selfie?” Oikawa said.
“I STILL DON’T UNDERSTAND THAT IS BUT YES.” A camera click echoed throughout the stadium.
“This is going on Instagram~. #Selfie #Quidditch #BestCommentators,” Oikawa said as he typed his words out. Hinata wondered if wizards had their own version of Instagram or if Oikawa just casually put the Statute of Secrecy at risk everyday (it was the latter).
Hinata looked across the way towards his rival, Kageyama. The wind was blowing his air in all kinds of directions, but he had a look of determination and concentration on his face. Hinata’s heart fluttered at the sight. He resolved to ask Kageyama what he had done to him after this game and to make it stop.
The whistle blew, the game begun, and those weird thoughts were gone.
Hinata and Kageyama both flew upwards to avoid the chaos below. Kuroo and Tsukishima were already going at it with the bludgers.
“Ohh~ It looks like Slytherin has control of the quaffle already.”
“YOU KICK THEIR BUTTS, AKAASHI!” Bokuto bellowed over the loudspeaker. Below, Hinata watched Akaashi pass the ball Saeko, who immediately passed it onto Ushijima. It was a technique Suga had drilled into them. Keep the other team’s eyes moving, so they can’t target just one player. It was dangerous, and prone to interception, but if pulled off correctly, would prove successful and incredibly hard to follow. Hinata drew his eyes away from the action, keeping one ear open for commentary.
He had a job to do. What kind of Best-Seeker-Ever would he be if he got distracted watching the action?
“And Kenma-kun takes the ball!” Oikawa said.
There was a roar as one of the teams scored, but Hinata wasn’t paying attention. So long as Hufflepuff was fewer than 150 points over Slytherin, the score didn’t matter. He leaned over his broom, practically laying on it, as his eyes scanned for any golden movement. Beneath him, he could see Kageyama circling the pitch below. It was a difference in their techniques. Kageyama thought that by moving around, he could better take in every inch of the field and get closer to the snitch when he did finally see it. Hinata preferred to see everything from a bird’s eye view. He loved the cold wind against his skin. He loved flying higher than anyone else. He loved the way his hair blew against his forehead when he dove for the snitch.
It almost made him feel like he had wings.
From his vantage point, he could see Kuroo score ten points against Hufflepuff. He blew a kiss at Kenma, who looked less than impressed. Yamaguchi was doing a decent job as keeper, much better than Hinata would’ve expected from the boy. But his still developing skills were nothing against the power of their two seventh year and sixth year chasers.
Slytherin: 40
Hufflepuff: 20
Hinata kept his eyes open, taking in as much as he could. He watched the players for subtle movements, like swatting a perceived fly away or like something was too close to their ears. His eyes scanned the field, looking for any contrast or glimmer of gold against the colorful stands or grass.
He flew down, hoping the closer vantage point would help him spot those details.
“Oi, dumbass, you’re in my spot.” Hinata jolted out of his concentration. The wind was bad today, he had barely heard the flap of Kageyama’s coat.
“Who says it’s your spot?” Hinata countered, sticking his tongue out at him. Kageyama regarded the expression with disgust.
“You have the whole sky! Get out of my spot!”
“No, you get out of my spot!”
“That doesn’t even make any sense! I was here first!”
“Yeah but I’m older than you so therefore this is my spot!” Kageyama dragged his hands over his face in frustration.
“And I’m taller!”
“That’s playing dirty!” Hinata shouted back at him. He sat back upright on his broom, crossing his arms.
“What the hell was that position anyway?! Your broom technique is terrible!”
“Well I’m sorry, not all of us grew up riding one you know!” Hinata put one hand on the broom shaft for emphasis. “You know what we do with these in the muggle world?! Sweep! You can’t exactly ride and sweep, Bakeyama!”
“Stop calling me that!” Kageyama growled.
“Bakeyama Bakeyama Bakeya—“ Hinata cut himself off and his eyes widened.
There it was.
The snitch.
It was right by Kageyama’s face. The wind was so strong that Kageyama couldn’t hear it flapping so close to his ear. If he turned even just an inch, it would be in his view. Hinata’s mind went blank. He couldn’t let Kageyama catch it. He would be a terrible best-seeker-ever if he did. He had to keep Kageyama’s eyes on him at all costs.
“Hinata?” Kageyama said, cocking his head to the side. Hinata floated closer to him, inch by inch. “What did I just say about being in my space?!”
“It’s not your space, idiot!” Hinata countered. He tried to keep his eyes on Kageyama. The Hufflepuff was dumb, but even he would notice that Hinata was staring just beyond him. Kageyama backed up as Hinata grew closer.
“W-what are you doing?!”
“Trust me!” Hinata shouted. Their brooms were now mere inches apart. Kageyama regarded him with a confused and somewhat concerned look. Their legs brushed together, causing Kageyama to jerk to the side. Hinata placed a hand on his arm. Kageyama was turning a light shade of pink. Must be the wind, Hinata reasoned.
Behind Kageyama, the snitch jerked and Hinata’s heart stopped. It was going to move away soon if he didn’t do something.
“H-Hinata, w-what?”
“OH HO HO WHAT’S GOING ON WITH THE SEEKERS UP THERE?” Bokuto’s voice bellowed through the stadium. Kageyama head jerked towards the commentators which Hinata absolutely just could not allow.
In retrospect, Hinata realized he could’ve done a lot of other things at this moment. The easiest of which would’ve been just to quickly reach out and grab the snitch. If he wanted to be flashier, he could’ve jumped onto Kageyama’s broom (although he would’ve had to deal with an annoyed Kageyama as his only line of support after Slytherin kicked Hufflepuff’s asses, which would have not likely ended well for him). He also could’ve done something cool like a loop-de-loop and grabbed the snitch.
But he didn’t do any of that.
He grabbed Kageyama’s face and planted a kiss on his dumb, chapped lips.
Kageyama drew away seconds later, now beet red. But the deed was done. Hinata had the snitch.
Hinata held the ball up in victory, flying around the stadium with his arm up in the air for everyone to see. The audience was in stunned silence.
“SLYTHERIN WINS!” And the crowd went wild.
“Using sex to win a Quidditch match, I like it,” Oikawa unhelpfully commented.
Hinata landed on the ground, his team crashing to the ground beside him. Suga ruffled his hair.
“I knew I taught you well!” he said, sounding incredibly pleased.
“That was fantastic, kid!” Kuroo exclaimed, throwing his arm over the smaller boy’s shoulders. Hinata swelled with pride. He glanced towards the Hufflepuff team.
Kageyama was furious.
Hinata would have to deal with that later, which was bound to be full of curses, hexes, jinxes, and also probably hair pulling. His heart fluttered again as the memory of Kageyama’s lips against his own came to his mind.
Oh.
So that’s what that feeling was.