Title: Keepers
Rating: K
Word Count: ~1000
Summary: Sometimes, Mako had a big mouth. Sometimes, Korra misunderstood. Sometimes, it all snowballs into a bigger argument than they should have had. Hogwarts AU. Makorragiftexchnge gift for wow-fantastic-babies.
Author Note: Sorry I'm so close to the deadline sorry! I know you said you didn't like angst but there's a bit in here because I was looking over the song lyrics you posted. Hope you like it, it's kind of cheesy.
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Mako crossed his arms in the evening chill outside the castle. With spring in full swing and summer just on the horizon, he hadn't expected to be chilled. He left his cloak draped over the chair in the library where he, Bolin, and Asami had setup to study the afternoon away for final exams. He headed for the Quidditch pitch as the sun slowly set casting long shadows across the grounds.
He hadn't expected Korra to get angry. He certainly hadn't expected her to get so angry that she levitated his chair up into the air before tilting his chair so it dumped him on his ass in front of everyone sending a quiet roar of subdued snickers across the room. He may have yelped in pain, but it was equally believable that he did it in complete surprise. Regardless, he had to follow her out and figure out what exactly had gone wrong during a rather subdued night of studying.
In many ways, Korra was predictable. He knew that when it came to approaching the center hoop in a Quidditch match, she liked to feint left before weaving right and popping the Quffle through with her left hand. He knew that she never paid attention in History of Magic, and she was prone to asking him to dig up his notes from last year (since he was a year ahead of her). He knew she was ticklish on her knees and she hated to be reminded of it. He knew she loved him, and he knew that he loved her back.
Most importantly, he knew where she went to think. Mako looked over the Quidditch pitch, and sure enough, there was a lone figure zipping through the air.
He met her first as the youthful, cocky first-year, convinced she would make the Gryffindor team. And sure enough, she did. The girl had real talent, although he loathed admitting it at first. Being a first year keeper was a big accomplishment for him; he kept his head down and played hard, knowing one day he would be captain. But Korra grew on him. She was brash and infuriating, but there was something about her that kept drawing him it. It was her kindness and her care, but perhaps it was her burning passion. Maybe it was all of it.
"Korra!" he called out, hands cupped around his mouth.
She ignored him.
Ignoring things only got her so far though. Pretending that a bludger wasn't careening her in direction didn't stop her from breaking an arm and plummeting to the ground in her third year. Of course, even then she flashed a weak smirk and declared, "at least I had scored." Bolin, a second year beater at that point, kept an extra eye on her from then on out.
Mako huffed and looked to the side of the pitch. A spare broom or two had been left aside. He never had any gripes about broom quality; the piece of dung he had grown up flying made every single broom look like an improvement. Being an orphan with a brother to take care of was hell. Leaving him behind for two years while he attended Hogwarts was hell.
"Korra!" He called again as he climbed.
The cold air snuck past his sweater and the wind chilled his hands to numbness quicker than he would have thought.
But she zipped away, rounding one of the posts and speeding away. She was just too fast for him on her Firebolt for him.
"You can't avoid me forever!" He hollered.
Korra stopped quickly, her back to him before turning and slowly flying towards him. "What do you want?"
"I just want to know what's wrong," he floated towards her.
"You really don't know?" She crossed her arms.
"I really don't."
Korra took a deep breath and ran a hand through her hair. "You said you couldn't wait to get away from Hogwarts."
"Well uhh…" he rubbed the back of his neck, "…it's true. I can't wait to finish my N.E.W.T.s and get out there."
"You said you weren't going to miss it."
"I thought you understood," he sighed. "I'm just done playing school."
"You mean…there isn't anything you'll miss?"
"Oh…oh." The realization hit him all at once.
She misunderstood and so did he.
Mako nudged his broom forward so he could take each of her hands into his. "Of course I'm going to miss you. I guess I never told you what I really won't miss…" he took a breath in, cold air filling his lungs. "After this year, I'll be of age. I can make sure Bolin and I don't have to go back to the orphanage all summer…"
"That's what I thought," she smiled, her eyes filled with the sort of empathy that he loved her for. "I'll be fine next year without you."
"I never had any doubts."
He knew that there would be people that passed through his life, leaving their mark but moving away. Then there were others: they were keepers. They were going to be able to weather whatever their world could throw at them.
"Can we uh…" Mako grinned sheepishly, "…get back to the ground?"
Korra shook her head in amusement before planting a quick kiss to his lips, "Race you there, Mr. Team Captain."