#handsome mikan and yosoro

[athyrabunlord]

LLSHP Ch6 - Calling

Arc1: [Chapter 1] [Chapter 2] [Chapter 3] [Chapter 4] [Chapter 5] [Chapter 6] [Chapter 7]

Arc2: [Chapter 8] [Chapter 9] [Chapter 10 - Moonstruck (TBD)]

[Brief note about School Term] [other LLSHP AU stuff] [YohaMaRuby concept arts] [ChikaYouRiko concept arts] [KanaDiaMari concept arts] [Hogwarts Staff]

A/N: I have no excuses. I’m sorry this chapter is so delayed (눈_눈) anyone still remember this AU? lolool Maa, I would consider this a rest chapter? At least, the plot is moving =A=;;; Anyway, any feedback is very needed greatly appreciated! Words: 5,594

Yoshiko suppresses the urge to yawn, her eyes blinking rapidly in an effort to wake up. The sun is barely peeking over the Forbidden Forest in the distance, and the Hogwarts school ground is filled with silence rather than chatters of witches and wizards. Normally, a night owl such as herself would not be awake at such ungodly hour. But! There’s something she looks forward today - the early bird gets the worm and, in this case, gets the Quidditch Pit!

“Morning! Come on, hurry up you two, we’re gonna be late!”

The Slytherin waves at her Hufflepuff best friends, whose movements only speed up a little at her call. Yoshiko grumbles under her breath but patiently waits for Hanamaru and Ruby to reach her. She didn’t want to go to the Pit by herself so she… kindly invited the two girls to come with her. While neither Hanamaru nor Ruby seem too interested in Quidditch, they still agree to accompany her.

Yoshiko really appreciates their support.

Her fascination with Quidditch started a week ago after her first Flying Lesson. Being Instructor Kousaka’s fangirl, Chika was somehow present during the lesson too and noticed how much Yoshiko enjoyed flying. Naturally, she told her buddy You all about it and the two Gryffindors invited her to come watch their practice session.

Yoshiko feels it weird to watch a different House play, rather than her own, but the dynamic duo would not have it any other way. “Different House or not, you’re our friend, Yoshiko-chan! So You-chan and I will show you just how awesome Quidditch is, hehe!”

Pleased and rather touched by Chika’s words, Yoshiko has vowed to never refer to the two older girls ‘dumb and dumber’ again. Chika and You do have a completely different side when it comes to the sport. They truly are passionate about what they love and that’s something she can relate to and respect. While Yoshiko wasn’t particularly enthusiastic about muggle sports back then, she imagines Quidditch to be super cool since there’s the flying component.

Imagine, conquering the sky like the majestic fallen angel she’s meant to be!

Alas, Hanamaru’s continuous yawning is sort of dampening her excitement.

“Geez I’ve already reminded you again and again last night to go to bed early, why did you set camp at the library again?”

The petite brunette indeed looks tired, though in that content sort of way, and her steps wobble every now and then like she is sleep-walking or something. Yoshiko and Ruby keep close to her as they exchange worried looks, wondering whether to help her carry those thick textbooks or to steady her.

“I can’t help it zura. These books are just so fascinating~”

Yoshiko peeks at some of the pages with bookmarks sticking out it, since she’s unable to pull the books out of Hanamaru’s adamant grip. Hmm, these are all higher-level Potion texts. “Why were you reading these anyway? I thought you’re pretty good at the subject?”

Hanamaru gives her a sleepy smile, which Yoshiko totally does not find to be cute. “You’re still having trouble with Potions right? So once I understand the subject better, I should be able to help you zura!”

“Erm but Lily’s been tutoring me y’know? Thanks to her, I was able to breeze past the written tests!... most of the time anyway. Even she still can’t figure out why my cauldron keeps exploding when I try to brew potions. Oh! She’s been trying to charm this test cauldron so that- “

She proudly chatters on and on as she recalls all those study sessions with her awesome little demon. As per Riko’s promise, she’s been helping Yoshiko with her homework as well as taking her to visit the Thestrals weekly.

“... baka Yoshiko-chan.”

Hanamaru puffs her cheeks and briskly walks ahead, leaving a confused Yoshiko behind.

“What’s with her?”

To her surprise, Ruby is also pouting. “I-I understand where Hanamaru-chan’s coming from.”

“Huh? W-What did I do?” Yoshiko’s starting to get worried now. She teases the brunette enough that the latter gets miffed at her often, but Ruby’s never been upset at her before so this must be serious.

As if sensing her thoughts, Ruby’s expression softens though she still looks exasperated. “It’s just… well, you don’t really spend as much time with us anymore.”

“I don’t?”

Yoshiko drops her gaze, frowning thoughtfully. She took Riko and the golden cat’s advice and did end up telling Dia about everything, and to Hanamaru and Ruby as well. Since then, she would talk to Dia every night at the Slytherin common room about anything unusual that’s happened to her. Even though the Head Girl is always busy, she would set time aside and patiently listen to her. Sometimes, they would talk way into midnight, which makes Yoshiko sheepish for taking so much of Dia’s time, but the older girl never complains.

Dia doesn’t know the reason behind those blank states of mind that Yoshiko sporadically experiences, but she promises the latter that she’s researching on it. As a precautionary measure, Dia has charmed Yoshiko’s scarf to trip her whenever she gets -that- feeling again. While it’s painful to fall flat on her face, this trick has proved its worth a few times already, snapping her awake before she wanders off into the Forbidden Forest.

On the other hand, Hanamaru has buried herself in the library while Yoshiko and Ruby try to locate the Room of Requirement again. Even then, their combined efforts have been fruitless so far, whether about the mysterious room or the Boggart’s nature.

Yoshiko is still unable to acknowledge that her greatest desire is to become an angel, while her worst fear is herself, a fallen angel. Or, at least, that’s what she deduces from the encounter with the Mirror of Erised and the Boggart’s transformation. There must be something else that’s missing.

Overall, however, she is indeed spending more time with Dia and Riko.

“I didn’t mean to... I’m sorry.”

Ruby seems taken aback by her apology. “That’s not what I meant, Yoshiko-chan. Hanamaru-chan and I just want you to know that, um, you can d-depend on us more. W-We’ll do everything we can to help you.”

“You already have. You have know idea how relieved I was when I told you two everything…” Yoshiko coughs awkwardly. She refuses to get all teary again. One time is enough. “But it goes both ways too! I, the great Yohane, will protect my little demons and friends. That said, I still don’t know what the deal was with the Dementor.”

Yoshiko and Ruby glance at each other before looking at Hanamaru, who is walking ahead of them. The brunette doesn’t recall ever encountering that terrifying creature, though she admits that her mind just shuts down whenever she tries to remember. After Yoshiko and Ruby’s suggestion, Hanamaru has also talked to Dia about it. The Head Girl suggested that her mind purposefully erased the memory to protect her psyche, but her subconscious still remembers and that was where the Boggart received the information to transform.

“Yeah, you can depend on me more too, Ruby,” Yoshiko murmurs as a thought occurs to her. Ruby seems proud of their complete trust in Dia, but their closeness to her older sister probably hurts her. Surely, Ruby would want to speak to the older Kurosawa just as easily as Yoshiko and Hanamaru do. Now that Yoshiko has gotten to know Dia more, she’s certain that there must be a reason why Dia is so distant to her little sister.

Again, something’s missing from this puzzle. Yoshiko sighs irritably. Even the intelligent fallen angel gets tired of mysteries, though the answers probably won’t reveal themselves any time soon.

“I agree with Yoshiko-chan,” Hanamaru has slowed down her pace to let the other two catch up to her. “Yoshiko-chan may be a dummy, but she is helpful zura!”

“Who’re you calling a dummy, Bakamaru?!”

Ruby giggles at their banter. “This is just what I want~ … piki!” The redhead blushed after realizing what she just said. As if by unspoken agreement, Yoshiko and Hanamaru hugged Ruby on each side.

“Hehe, Ruby-chan is so cute~” The brunette fawns over her friend while the Slytherin makes a pose.

“Now, no more gloomy talk and let us get back on track for the Quidditch hype!”

“Are you thinking about joining the team, Yoshiko-chan?”

“Ku ku ku, maybe~ How about you, Zuramaru? You said you didn’t like it but you sure flew around once you got used to it!” Yoshiko still remembered how the brunette zoomed all over the field while properly seated on the school broom and shouting ‘mirai zura~’ with a rare childish expression.

“Nah, I enjoy the magical feeling of flying but I don’t think I can play competitively…”

“Ruby then?”

“M-Me?!” Out of the three of them, Ruby is the most experienced flyer, most likely due to being a Pureblood and growing up with brooms readily available. “Um, I would only resort to riding a broom if I have to…”

“Daww, but think about it, what if we each join our House team? You’re small and pretty fast so you should be a good Seeker~! Heh, I’ll probably be a Chaser so I can score like a champ and there’s nothing Zuramaru can do to stop me!”

Hanamaru pouts. “Why am I a Keeper? And why are you so sure I won’t be able to block your shots zura?”

“Because you’re slow- or, on second thoughts, you can just sit on your broom, with books stacked so high to block the hoops, and eat and eat until you balloon up and block-”

A book comes flying to her face, but Yoshiko smoothly dodges it with a smirk. Hanamaru is scowling now as she charms the heavy ‘Hogwarts: A History’ book back to her arms.

“I thought no one’s allowed to touch that precious book?”

“Don’t worry, I’ve fortified the exterior so it’d hurt extra when I hit you with it zura!”

Their staring match doesn’t last long as usual. Yoshiko doesn’t know who starts giggling first but the three of them are laughing by the time they arrive at the Quidditch Pit.

All is well, it seems. Ruby is right. Yoshiko misses this kind of light-hearted atmosphere with her best friends.

“Wow, will you look at that!”

The trio looks up at the red and gold figures streaking around the arena, in awe of how fluid and natural they appear in the sky. The sight is nothing compared to the haphazard broom-riding during those Flying Lessons.

No, these players truly are flying, as if they have become one with their brooms.

The goofy smile is nowhere to be seen on the mikan-haired Gryffindor. With a confident and fiery grin, Chika dives down and swings her stubby club at a round, jet-black ball. There is a rather noticeable ‘Kan’ upon the strike, which is the only warning that a nearby player has before the Bludger swerves towards him. Startled, the wizard drops a football-sized red ball in order to avoid getting hit in the shoulder, but his teammate easily catches the Quaffle and continues his way towards the three hoops. He feigns throwing the ball and abruptly jerks up to hurl it at a different angle.

Kanan, whose long hair is tied at her nape, snatches the Quaffle before it comes anywhere near the side hoop. Another Chaser, a dark-haired witch whose curly tresses is tied in a similar way, waves her arm at the Captain.

When Kanan doesn’t pass her the Quaffle, she smoothes back her wild strands with a defeated smile. “Ah, game’s over?”

“Yup, You’s got the Golden Snitch. It’s our loss this round, Shun,” Kanan chuckles good-naturedly as she gestures for Team A and B to gather in the middle.

Yoshiko gapes. She is so certain that she’s spotted You hovering near the ground just moments ago, but the Seeker is now circling high around the bleacher area with a winged golden ball in her hand.

“Ah~ ah~ not fair! Whoever gets You on their team would always win~” Chika twirls her bats as she nears her friend, the broom seemingly sentient for it moves without her touching the stick to direct it. The other Beater nods in agreement, casually knocking the Bludger away when it flies near them.

“Yeah, no way I can compete with our MVP,” an older wizard heartily pats You on the back. The back-up Seeker doesn’t look at all sour but rather proud of the younger girl.

“Oh come on, you were the one who taught me, senpai-” You is cut off by Chika, who wraps an arm around her neck and ruffles her hair.

“No need to be humble, You-chan! You’re our trump card, the… uhm… the Silver Lioness!”

The impromptu nickname is received with loud acclamation from the rest of the team. The Chasers juggle the Quaffle and pass it amongst them as they ascend towards the center, their balance and teamwork just as impressive. The Captain raises one fist into the air, prompting the others to pause and listen.

“Solid practice everyone. I’m pretty confident we’re going to have amazing matches this year,” Kanan’s voice isn’t particularly resonant, yet her leisurely tone seems to instill excitement in her team.

“You bet we will!”

“Yeah, we’re gonna carry the Cup home again this year!”

The collective cheer afterwards is deafening.

Yoshiko gulps. This is the famed Gryffindor Lions, the reigning champion? Her fantasies of joining the Quidditch team just evaporates into thin air. Sure, it looks fun to toss the Quaffle around and score, and badass to smack the Bludger at targets. Not to mention, being a Seeker seems like an important, almost-heroine-eqsue position that would be suitable for the great fallen angel Yohane.

Except she doesn’t want to compete with You or any of them, not after seeing how powerful they are.

“They’re really good zura…” Hanamaru whispers, and Ruby nods fervently beside her. Normally, Yoshiko would have refuted that she can do better, but not this time. Quidditch is out of her league.

After giving out a few more instructions, the Captain then calls for a break time. As the team disperses into smaller groups, the three familiar Gryffindors descends towards them.

“Ohayousorou, you three!” You’s grin is as charming as always, perhaps more so now that she’s clad in her team garb and after the impressive spectacle they just witnessed.

“I’m glad you all came~ So? What do you think, Yoshiko-chan?” Even Chika appears dazzling. With her hair pulled back and tied in a side tail and eyes bright like the sun, she seems like a different person than the playful witch who always gives out mikans.

“Urm, uh, you’re pretty cool.”

You and Chika blink, as if they haven’t expected such positive response from her.

Yoshiko’s ears redden in embarrassment. “What! Be grateful that Yohane-sama is impressed… just sliiiightly impressed, by all that flying. But I really don’t think-”

“That’s great! So what do you think? Chaser? Kurosaki-senpai is our top scorer,” Chika gestures at the older witch with wild tresses. “The other guys are awesome too! Or you wanna be a Beater like me? Heh heh, my deadly finisher, Kan Kan Strike, is not to be taken lightly!”

Chika then starts swinging her dual bats around, showing off all her moves. Yoshiko sweatdrops, but at least the Gryffindor is back to the silly version she is used to so she doesn’t feel as intimidated anymore.

“Why are you so keen on me joining the Quidditch team anyway? I’m a Slytherin, remember? We won’t be on the same team!”

“So? The more the merrier! It’ll be super fun if we can compete at a match,” Chika hugs Ruby affectionately. “How about you, Ruby-chan? Not to be rude but Hufflepuff hasn’t had a decent team for a long time… oh! But they used to kick ass when Professor Minami was on the team! At least, that’s what Coach said~”

Yoshiko raises an eyebrow. Really? Their fluffy, mellow Transfiguration Professor?

You also gives Ruby a friendly hug. “How about Seeker? Didn’t Dia-san used to be Slytherin’s Seeker? Senpai used to tell me how scary Dia-san was before I joined the team… I guess I lucked out that I didn’t have to compete against her!”

Since Chika and You are taller and are facing Yoshiko, they miss the surprised expression on Ruby’s face. Does she not know that her older sister used to play Quidditch?

“Or, last but not least, if you would rather oversee the entire Pit and hone your reflexes to block shots, then become a Keeper like Kanan-chan!”

Yoshiko looks over at the Captain and scowls at the sight of Hanamaru happily chatting with the older girl. Huh? Where did that water bottle come from? Why is Bakamaru giving the giant a towel? Is Kanan thanking her? Did she just pat Bakamaru’s head? Why is Bakamaru laughing? Is that a blush on her face? Why is this so aggravating??

“Oi~ Earth to Yoshiko-chan~”

“I’ll be right back,” Yoshiko ignores You and Chika’s bewildered stare and stomps towards Kanan and Hanamaru. Before she could even speak up, an unexpected visitor flies past her and hops off her broom near the two.

“Oh hey, Mari,” Kanan’s smile is characteristically easygoing, but it twitches when the Ravenclaw shoves a Quaffle against, ahem, her breasts.

“Ka~na~n! You haven’t forgotten, have you?” Mari is also dressed in her blue and bronze Quidditch uniform, her signature braid and hair loop replaced by a simple scrunchie that tied her hair in a low side-tail.

“Of course not. I’ve been looking forward to it since last summer.” For once, Kanan’s lax demeanor blazes in determination, a fire similar to what Chika and You exhibited earlier.

“Apparently Kanan-chan and Mari-san made a bet - something’s supposed to happen if Mari-san scores more than 100 points in their next match,” Hanamaru whispers to Yoshiko helpfully.

The Slytherin frowns. “You sure know a lot about that Gryffindor.”

“Huh?”

For good measure, she takes off Hanamaru’s glasses and cleans the lens before putting them back on the latter’s face.

“W-What? Yoshiko-chan??”

“Hnff. Do you see me now?”

“Um, yes, I do see you-?”

Yoshiko huffs and merely folds her arms. Bakamaru really is bakamaru. At least, Mari’s sudden presence here interrupts the irksome interaction between the brunette and the Gryffindor Captain. Now she just needs to drag Hanamaru away...

“Mari, you shouldn’t be here though, it’s Gryffindor’s turn to use the Pit.”

“Hmm? Who says I’m here to practice? The rest of my team isn’t here. I only came here because I sensed jealous fire~”

Yoshiko winces and glares at the smirking Ravenclaw, who then suddenly pulls her to the side.

“I overhead all of your little conversation with Chikacchi and You-chan. I think you’re suitable to be either Chaser or Seeker.”

“Why would I want to be?” Yoshiko suspiciously glances at the Quaffle in Mari’s hand. “If I become a Chaser, that means I’d have to compete against you, don’t I?”

“Not really. First Years, especially newbies like you, would not be able to join a Quidditch Team just yet. By the time you do join, Kanan, Dia and I would have graduated.”

She blinks at the revelation. “Oh, that’s right…”

“Daw, you sound sad, Yoshiko-chan~!”

“Am not!”

“Don’t be shy~ But that’s why we want to know now, whether you’d like to join the team or not.”

“Why do you care anyway?” Indeed, out of all the seniors, Yoshiko doesn’t feel particularly close to Mari because they haven’t talked much. Yet why does it feel like Mari knows a lot about her already?

“Well, for many reasons. But remember what you heard earlier, that Dia used to be Slytherin’s Seeker. Wouldn’t you like to succeed her?”

Mari’s cheshire smile is infectious, for Yoshiko finds herself returning the toothy grin as she envisions the possibility. If she becomes just as good as Dia, and somehow defeats You and the Gryffindors, she would get recognized right? Everyone would acknowledge her! And surely, Zuramaru would be so smitten that she’d bring her the water bottle, wipe her sweat away with the towel and maybe even…

“Yoshiko-chan?”

“Ack-!”

She snaps out of her fantasy and sheepishly looks away from Hanamaru’s inquiring gaze. In that brief moment of her daydreaming, Mari has long left her side and is chatting with Chika, You and Ruby, while Kanan has returned to the rest of her team and is giving pointers.

“Are you okay zura?”

Yoshiko stares at the Pit, at the players zipping around on their brooms, and lastly at the clouds high in the sky. While she isn’t quite sure why she wants Hanamaru’s attention on her and her only, she thinks that she’s found her calling in the magical world. She loves most subjects and excels in Defense Against Dark Arts, but her still-developing magical reservoir and small repertoire of spells don’t allow her to do much, not yet anyway.

However, if she can master Quidditch, she can stand out in spite of being just a First Year. The Slytherin Team would definitely want her to join by then. And, as a revered individual, surely she can get those ghosts to stop bothering Ruby altogether, and maybe she can find out what the situation is between the Kurosawa sisters. Furthermore, being an MVP should grant her special privilege and sway, so it would be easy to obtain special pass to the Forbidden Section at the Library for Hanamaru.

Be useful, that’s all she wants.  

“Yes, I’m more than okay, Zuramaru!” Yoshiko grins and points her finger into the sky. “Believe me!”

She feels very encouraged by the brunette’s subsequent smile.

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“Phew, I think I’ve gotten the hang of acceleration…”

Yoshiko breathes deeply, allowing the fresh clean air to fill her lungs as she opens her arms wide. Much to her joy, the broom continues to travel straight and her altitude does not waver at all. Good, she has synchronized with her borrowed broom enough that she does not need to give it directions for simple movements.

Now that she’s set her goal to join the Quidditch team, she needs to become skilled enough at least. It’s easier said than done, and already she’s run into obstacles in her self-training. She definitely needs an experienced flyer to give her advice on the more difficult maneuvers, particularly those that Seekers frequently use. Chika and You are more than happy to help her, but apparently Riko has the two tightly leashed due to their less-than-mediocre grades on certain subjects. Well, it is mostly Chika, but You has enough camaraderie to suffer with her partner.

Still, the Gryffindor Seeker has lent her one of her many spare brooms, a Nimbus 2016. Even though it was a gift from You’s fans, Yoshiko refuses to accept such a valuable item for free and vows to return it when she can afford her own broom.

True to her words, she carefully plans her schedule so that she would spend enough time with Ruby and Hanamaru, while still be able to attend tutor sessions with Riko and have her nightly talks with Dia.

Ah, how wonderful it is to have a fulfilling life!

Yoshiko glances at the direction of the Forbidden Forest and, after a moment’s hesitation, she decides to fly over there to see if she is lucky today. During one of her flights, -that- feeling had possessed her and since she was on a broom, the charmed scarf couldn’t stop her from going there.

It was a familiar creature who stopped her then, just like this time.

“Hehe, my faithful little demon! How are you?”

Lucifer responds by perching on her face, almost making her fall off the broom.

“Hey hey! How dare you treat your master with such disrespect!!”

The bat clicks in annoyance but pushes away from her head, allowing her to regain stability. Yoshiko is pretty certain that the creature likes her, at least enough to stop her from sailing straight into the Forbidden Forest every time.

“Hnff, to think, I brought you Lily’s sandwich too… well, insolent little demons shouldn’t get rewards, don’t you agree?”

Ears flattened, Lucifer gingerly hooks its claws on her cloak and doesn’t protest when she scratches its furry head. Yoshiko feels slightly bad to resort to bribery, but how else would she get the temperamental bat to stay?

The pair contentedly enjoys their afternoon picnic in the sky, and Lucifer even continues to fly along side her long after it’s finished the sandwich. There’s progress at least. Perhaps one day, the bat could become her pet that happens to live in the wild but would deliver and send mails for her, like how most magical folks are with their owls.

“So what do you think? Wanna become my pet? I won’t force you to do anything except help me send out mails. I don’t mind using the Aviary, and Ruby lends me her owl, but I’d still prefer to enlist the help of one of my own legion.”

Lucifer flicks its ear to show that it’s listening.

“I haven’t decided on a meeting spot with Lily this week yet, to see the Thestrals, so I’ll need to send her a mail. Maybe you can deliver that for me?”

The bat seems to be flapping its wings extra hard. That must be a yes.

Yup, one step at a time. Soon, Lucifer shall be hers. Yoshiko wonders if she should tell Riko about the bat’s crush on her.

“Ah, there’s Zuramaru again! How many times do I have to tell her not to do this? Well then, I’ll see you around, Lucifer!”

The bat glides away before she even finishes her sentences, as if to show that it doesn’t really care. Yoshiko shakes her head in exasperation before descending towards a huge tree near the shore of the Great Lake.

Carefully, she comes to a stop in front of the sleeping brunette and gets off her broom so quietly that her shoes barely make a rustle against the grass. Hanamaru continues to nap peacefully, which makes Yoshiko frown.

“Oi, you shouldn’t fall asleep like this! It’s dangerous out here by yourself. What if I’d been a bad guy? Geez, you’re so defenseless.”

“Hmmmnnn-? Yoshiko-chan?” The Hufflepuff rubs at her eyes and smiles up at her in greeting. Yoshiko refuses to acknowledge that gesture as cute and instead focuses her attention on the huge cloak draped around her friend. From the color of the hood, it was from a Gryffindor.

“...I thought you read by yourself, here by the Lake,” Yoshiko tries to keep her tone from sounding accusing.

“I do, most of the time, but Kanan-chan and I sometimes nap here together.”

“What! Her again!!”

Yoshiko seethes inwardly, mustering all her energy to keep her expression as aloof as possible. Hanamaru doesn’t seem to notice her dilemma as she digs around Kanan’s pocket for something. She pulls out a piece of parchment that has a messy scrawl, obviously written in a hurry.

“Oh, something’s come up, so Kanan-chan left in a hurry.”

“That’s awful for her to do that, to leave you alone like this. As I’ve said before, what if I’d been a bad guy and here you are, oblivious to the world around you-”

Her rant is interrupted by Hanamaru’s displeased poke. “Kanan-chan’s not awful! She’s protective of me zura! She’s always instructed her friend to watch over me as I nap.”

Yoshiko scowls. “What friend?”

The shorter girl points towards the Lake and, on cue, a massive shadow nears the surface and a tentacle bursts out of the water!!

“What the heck is that!?”

“The Giant Squid,” Hanamaru says evenly and waves at the two-story tall tentacle, which returns the gesture before submerging under the fathomless lake once more.

“... that Gryffindor made friends with that thing??”

“Well, Kanan-chan loves diving, and she said she likes the Lake because it reminds her of where she used to live in the Muggle world. She also enjoys jogging-”

Yoshiko soon zones out as Hanamaru goes on and on about the Quidditch Captain. She tries really hard to focus, she really does, but an unpleasant sensation in her chest makes it difficult to think, let alone absorb her friend’s words. Mari had said that she’s jealous, and she’s probably right. After all, who wants to listen to the person you like talking about someone else?

Wait, what?

“...Yoshiko-chan? You have a really weird expression on your face zura.”

“You’re imagining it.” She rubs her face hard, hoping that her cheeks aren’t red. Her heart is still pounding uncomfortably fast in her ribcage at the revelation. No way she likes Hanamaru. Or, yes, she does like her, but only as a friend!

She just doesn’t like it because Kanan is able to impress Hanamaru while the great Yohane can’t, that’s all. Yes, that must be the reason for her conflicted feelings. No, she isn’t jealous at all!

“Mou, Yoshiko-chan! That’s not what you agreed with Ruby-chan and I!”

“Zuramaru-?” Yoshiko gulps when the brunette grabs her face so they would look at each other in the eyes.

“You’ve promised to tell us if there’s something bothering you. And, there’s something bothering you, isn’t here zura?”

Yes, you’re too close, Bakamaru! Way too close! Yoshiko shouts in her mind while her lips remain tightly shut. Instead of replying, she tugs the glasses away from Hanamaru, who expectedly lets go and tries to reclaim it.

“Yoshiko-chan is mean! Give it back zura!”

“Nuh-uh. You’ve told me that your eyesight isn’t that bad and you really only need it for reading. Come on, look around you, see where you are. Enjoy the view! Won’t all the greenery help your eyesight or something?”

“I-I guess.” Pouting in resignation, Hanamaru leans back against the tree as she folds Kanan’s cloak into a neat pile. “My eyes do get very tired if I read for too long…”

“See? And that’s why you sleep a lot. This all makes sense now! You need to take more breaks often.”

Glad that the topic has completely changed, Yoshiko rambles on about how her night vision is amazing and she can see far, being the amazing fallen angel she is.

Hanamaru doesn’t stay peeved for long as she giggles at her antics. “Yoshiko-chan really hasn’t changed.”

The Slytherin purses her lips. “...that again? I-I’m sorry, Zuramaru, but I really don’t remember. I wish I do, but I don’t.”

“No, it’s okay zura. We were both so little, and to be fair my memories aren’t that clear either.”

“Huh? But then how come you remember what I used to be like?”

At this, Hanamaru’s cheeks darken which in turn causes Yoshiko to blush too. “I don’t remember exactly how we met, but I know that we used to play a lot, at this small park. My grandparents would take me there from time to time, and you were always there zura.”

Yoshiko scrunches her brows, trying really hard to dig through memories of her childhood. Alas, all she had are images of her being ostracized by other kids, and no Zuramaru.

“Tell me more?”

The brunette draws up her legs against her and rests her chin on her knees, her small smile full of nostalgia. “Well, you always talked about the sky, how you were originally an angel zura. I loved listening to your stories… ah, but you didn’t like it when I called them stories. You said they were real-life experiences and that you had special powers…” She trails off abruptly, her eyes widening as if realizing something.

“What?”

“The Dementor-!”

“What about it? Y-You remember how you met that creature?” Yoshiko recalls the horrendous wraith-like creature from that DADA workshop. Boggart or not, its effects had been real. The textbooks they had researched state that Dementors suck happiness and any good feeling, which was what they had experienced in the classroom that day.

“Y-Yes, I think I remember now,” Hanamaru’s voice is shaking. “Before, I only remember you saving me from something, and showing me something unbelievable. T-That’s why I’ve been interested in magic since, hoping t-that I would find you again some day.”

“Y-You’re saying, I somehow saved you from a Dementor?” Yoshiko is in disbelief. Dia and Kanan had used some sort of silvery spell against the Boggart-Dementor. The Patronus is a highly advanced spell that even the Third Years haven’t learned, so how would a small child like her know of it years ago?

Seeing how distressed the brunette is from reminiscing, Yoshiko tries to light up the atmosphere. “I’m super awesome then! Ku ku ku, I’m more badass than I thought, saving you from the Dementor with my fallen angel powers~!”

“Yes, you did zura,” Hanamaru wipes away the cold sweat from her brow, her eyes still glazed in deep thoughts and fright. “It was chasing us I think. I tripped...but you stood in front of me. You summoned a Patronus somehow, it was a silvery...fish? And-”

Yoshiko blinks, her hearing becoming muffled and her vision dimming. Flashes of images invade her mind, distorted and blurry as they are. Yes, there was a hooded creature that glided across the grass, its lifeless grey skin barely visibly under its wispy robes.

Pain pierces her chest then and she struggles to breathe as she doubles over. Hanamaru’s panicking calls are so obscured, fading along with her flickering consciousness.

“One day, I’ll return to the sky…” Yoshiko whispers hoarsely before her vision blacks out.

[athyrabunlord]

Yule Ball outfits ( ´ ω ` ) from Chapter 9 of [LLSHP AU]