Disclaimer: NO! I don't own HETALIA, okay? Or the Harry Potter series either! (So... sad...)
Warning: This fanfiction may contain spoilers from both stories. MxM love. (Everyone get a happy ending!)
1st Year
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The Hogwarts express was shooting down plains and fields filled with different shades of greenery, but so was Alfred's face. Seriously, he had never felt more anxious in his life.
Stupid! What was he doing? He was supposed to be a hero… and heroes didn't get uneasy.
"Alfred…" Matthew nudged him and he looked up. The boy across from him looked edgy as well. He had Asian origins, and a head full of shiny black hair.
"I'm sorry, but can you please stop fidgeting like that? You're making me nervous as well." He told Alfred very politely.
Alfred fleeting look around the otherwise empty compartment they were in, then tried to grin at him. "Ah… sorry. You're a first year too?" Alfred deduced.
The boy nodded. "I'm Kiku Honda, nice to meet you." He said, putting his hand out to Alfred, who shook it.
"I'm Alfred F. Jones. This here is my brother Matthew Williams. Yeah we're twins. But we lived in different countries until now. Now we're living with our mom and step-dad in England. And we got seperate custody after our parents divorced so our names are different... yeah." Alfred told him, before wringing his hands again to stop babbling. "Hey, Kiku! Do you know what house you're going to be sorted into?"
Kiku blinked. "No. Is that what you're worried about?"
"Yeah, of course! They said that the houses in Hogwarts decide the type of person you're gonna be for the rest of your life!" Alfred told him seriously.
"That's partially true." Kiku said. "My older brother, Yao, is a fourth year. He's in Ravenclaw and he's pretty smart. Ravenclaw's got the reputation for being the house of the clever students."
"What about the other houses?" Alfred asked curiously.
Kiku shrugged. "Hufflepuff generally takes any student, or so I was told. Slytherin is more picky, and they have a… bad streak shall we say. Gryffindor is for the bravest students—"
"Then that's where I'll go!" Alfred exclaimed with a determined look on his face. "To Gryffindor!"
Kiku smiled at him. "Personally, I'm more worried about the fact that we're going to the castle on boats."
"Really?" Alfred ogled, his face excited. Matthew squeaked beside him.
"First year tradition."
"What exactly... are the s-safetly protocols for the b-boats, Kiku?"
Why was Matthew worrying about boat security? This was genuinely the best thing Alfred had heard since arriving in England. "That's so awesome!"
"Whoa, whoa... did someone say my name?" Came a voice from the train corridor.
There was an albino boy peering into their compartment with a mischievous grin on his face. He was wearing a red and gold tie with a roaring lion emblem on it. Alfred had read enough Hogwarts brochures to know by then that the guy was in Gryffindor.
"That we're going to school by boat!" Alfred replied.
The other boy chuckled. "Oh ja! That was the stuff. I remember the giant squid even came up from the black lake to greet us last year!"
"Giant squid?" Kiku and Matthew paled, but Alfred's eyes were wider than ever.
Then there was a crash from outside accompanied by profound cursing and the door to their compartment was opened with a loud bang.
Gilbert tripped inside and was followed by two other boys who nearly fell face-forward onto the floor. They both straightened up immediately. Alfred saw that the new boys each had curled serpents on their uniforms. One of the boys looked gleeful, his honey-colored haired reached his shoulders and his eyes were smiling at Gilbert. The other boy looked livid, his choppy blonde locks were in disarray and his eyes looked more like heated, green coals beneath massive eyebrows.
"Gilbert." He began sternly, addressing the albino. "You have got to be joking! Antonio just showed it to me! Flying carpets are strictly banned in Britain!"
"It was a gift from his friend in Turkey! He couldn't just throw it away." Gilbert said defensively, although he seemed to be enjoying himself immensely.
"He didn't need to bring it to Hogwarts!" Arthur yelled. "Is this the sort of thing you want your brother to learn from you?"
"Well ain't that funny... You sound just like him." Gilbert grumbled.
"What do you expect to us it for anyway? Carpet racing? Playing Quodpot?"
Gilbert's red eyes flicked thoughtfully. "Now that's not a bad idea…"
"What's wrong with playing Quodpot?" Alfred piped up suddenly.
The three older boys turned to him curiously. The boy called Arthur had a disdainful look on his face. "And who might you be?"
"Alfred. You shouldn't insult another country's sport like that!"
Arthur eyes widened as did Gilbert's smile. The albino exchanged a look with the other blonde boy.
"You're American, aren't you?" Arthur said. "I should have known. Just so you know kid, Quodpot is a laugh compared to Quidditch."
Alfred stood up, feeling hurt. It was his favorite sport! "Try saying that when you have an exploding Quod in your face! What do you know about it when you've obviously never bothered to play it!"
"Okay, okay!" Said the long-haired boy when he saw Arthur's ears turning red. "You have both made your point! Personally, I think Hippogriff racing is the best sport—"
"Oh shut up, Francis." Arthur retorted immediately. "Why don't you just go enroll in Beauxbatons?"
"Cheri, that hurt." Francis replied melodramatically.
"I wasn't done talking…" Alfred glared at them, feeling gutsier than he normally was.
Arthur gave him another condescending look then his eyes turned to Kiku and Matthew, who he just seemed to have noticed. "I'm sorry." He said, in a politer voice. "Who are you?"
"Matthew Williams, this idiot's twin brother." Matthew said in a soft voice.
"I wouldn't have known that, given your names." Francis told him with a wink.
Matthew smiled shyly. Alfred narrowed his eyes at the blond suspiciously. "Yeah, we get that a lot."
"Kiku Honda." Kiku replied with equal demureness.
Arthur gave him a thoughtful look. "You're Yao's little brother, aren't you?"
"Yao's bruder?" Gilbert asked, turning to Kiku curiously. "I thought he was sending you to Mou—er, Makaw…"
"Mahoutokoro Wizarding School." Arthur rolled his eyes before enunciating the name with apparent ease. "It's in Japan, isn't it? You decided to come here then?"
"It seemed… logical." Kiku said. "However, Arthur-san I'm sorry. I must agree with Alfred-san on the fact that you shouldn't judge so easily. Quodpot is a well-liked sport in Japan too."
Gilbert and Francis looked like Christmas, New Year and Easter had all arrived early. Alfred gave Kiku a bright smile for siding with him. Arthur had the dignity not to look chagrined at being berated by an 11 year-old, but he fumbled over his words and his cheeks turned red.
"I didn't— I mean… Nobody here plays Quodpot… so I-"
Francis seemed to think at that point that it was enough humiliation for Arthur because he pulled the boy backwards towards him by his collar and waved to the rest of them.
"Alright then, bye bye boys! We nig boys have other things to do!" They were out of the compartment and down the carriage in second.
Alfred could hear Francis's carrying voice gloating cherrily.
"Ooooo, that has to burn! Arthur Kirkland, scolded by two first years…"
"Shut up…"
Gilbert chuckled and shut their compartment door, before sitting down beside Kiku. "I'm Gilbert Beilschmidt." He greeted.
"Hello." " Hey." "Hi!" Kiku, Matthew and Alfred replied.
"Nice going Alfie." Gilbert told the boy. "I've never seen anyone stand up to Arthur like that. And you did good too Kiku!"
"What's that guy's problem?" Alfred asked." Is it because he's a Slytherin?"
Gilbert's bows rose. "Well, that's a stereotype. It's true that Gryffindors and Slytherins have always been at odds, but I'm best friends with Francis. He's a Slytherin."
"Oh." Alfred said confused.
Gilbert stared at him for a while, then smirked. "Tell you what. Why don't you see if you can restart the Gryffindor and Slytherin rivalry again? Don't let Arthur show you up! That'll be some fun!"
Matthew and Kiku didn't look like they thought it was a good idea, but Alfred was already pumped up. "Okay!" He agreed. "I'll do it! I'll even join the Quidditch team here if I have to! I'll beat Arthur and teach him how to respect others!"
Gilbert looked happy enough to hug the boy, but he restrained himself.
.
.
"Gryffindor!" The hat boomed, barely having touched Alfred head.
The boy shot up and bounded towards the table where Kiku was saving him a seat. Across from him, Gilbert winked and Alfred beamed in reply. Alfred turned to grin at Matthew who was sitting beside two copper-haired twins at the Hufflepuff table. Matthew shrugged in reply and joined one of the twins in a conversation.
"Weilschmidt, Ludwig."
"It should be spelled with a 'B' not a 'W'." The last first year informed the professor. Alfred looked up to see him climb the stairs up to the stool and watched the professor muttering an apology to him as she placed the Sorting hat on his blonde head. There was a pause. "Ravenclaw!"
"Drats!" Gilbert uttered, smacking the table loudly. "Now he's going to be brainwashed by Roderich the Priss…"
Alfred turned to him. "Is that your brother?"
"Ja… I knew that he was far too brainy for his own good." Gilbert said, glaring at someone behind Alfred.
The feast began soon after the tabby cat sitting on the center chair turned into Headmistress McGonagall and welcomed all the students to Hogwarts, smiling at the rounds of applause she received.
Alfred dug into his chicken leg with gusto when it appeared in front of him. For some reason, his eyes rose up to the Slytherin table where Arthur was pushing his food around somewhat dejectedly, ignoring Francis who was nearly draped over him. He couldn't help but feel sorry for the boy.
"Don't worry about him." Gilbert said, following Alfred's line of vision. "That's just post-traumatic guilt. Arthur'll be a jerk again in the morning."
"I wasn't worrying." Alfred replied, lowering his eyes. Finishing the chicken leg, he picked a meat pie from the dish to his right.
The next time Alfred looked up at the Slytherin table was when he was piling his plate high with jelly and custard. This time he was startled to find Arthur looking right back at him, his hands snugly around a cup of steaming liquid. Arthur didn't even seem to notice Francis stealing an éclair from his plate. He met Alfred's defiant glare and raised his hand in a rude gesture which Alfred was sure most of the second years students didn't know yet.
In response, Alfred displayed something worse with his own hands, much to his glee and Arthur's obvious shock.
.
.
Gilbert was right of course. Arthur was seen arguing loudly the next day with a brown-haired boy from Hufflepuff when Alfred arrived at the Great Hall. Alfred tried ignoring him for the moment, it worked. Arthur sneered at him for a brief second then continued bickering with the other boy.
Alfred didn't have any classes together with Arthur, who was a second year, but they met several times in the castle corridor between classes. Alfred just didn't get why Arthur spoke civilly with Kiku and then looked at him like he was trash.
"Maybe it's because of the way you look at him?" Kiku suggested.
"What way do I look at him?" Alfred asked curiously.
Kiku struggled to answer. "It's kind of… an angry look. Like you're always glaring at him."
"Well maybe I am." Alfred agreed happily.
Alfred first Quidditch match at Hogwarts was exciting to say the least. It was between Slytherin and Ravenclaw.
Arthur, with his sleek, lithe form and his hawk-like gaze was a natural born Seeker. Although Alfred's favorite sport remained Quodpot, he easily saw the attractions of a sport like Quidditch. After all, he used to watch the United States League when he had been living in America and the Fitchburg Finches had been his favorite American Quidditch team.
Alfred thought about trying out for the position of chaser the next year, as his eyes followed Arthur whizzing through the air after Roderich Edelstein, the Ravenclaw seeker. A girl with long brown hair let out a war cry and pounded a Bludger towards Arthur with shattering force.
Alfred thought that the ball would definitely knock Arthur off his broom, but the boy merely craned his neck sideways to dodge the projectile and zoomed ahead faster. Francis caught up with his bat and slammed the Bludger at Yao, who had to drop the Quaffle in order to dodge it. At the last minute Arthur looped in a sharp circle, his legs lifting up in a mid-air handstand, before plopping back onto his broom again as he kicked the Quaffle at one of the Slutherin chasers. As expected, the Slytherin stands came to life with cheers. Arthur's light chuckle could be heard even from their side of the pitch as he welcomed the fanfare with raised arms, one foot resting on his Firebolt 3.0's bipod and the other one swinging in thin air.
"Showoff." Gilbert muttered beside Alfred, but he was grinning.
Alfred rounded on him, his eyes wide. "You mean that wasn't a fluke?" A normal twelve year old boy was just not capable of pulling off moves like that.
"Fluke?" Gilbert asked. "Of course not, Arthur's really good at flying. It runs in his family. His oldest brother's a Beater for the Montrose Magpies."
Alfred's jaw dropped. "His brother's a professional player? They must be really famous!"
Gilbert shrugged. "The Kirklands are already a well-known pureblood family in England. A couple of popular kids are little change to their high-class, aristocratic reputation as a family."
"Well-known already..." Alfred mumbled as his eyes returned to Arthur. Maybe that's why he was such a jerk? Because he'd been raised like a rich prince, nobody ever saying no to him? Alfred was from a middle-class family which had seen quite a few hardships, so he had learnt a bit about humility.
Roderich and Arthur were neck-to-neck again, zooming through the sky after the Golden Snitch. It was leading them on a merry chase, doing zigzags, quirky turnabouts and whatnot. Suddenly, they both had to dive to follow it. They kept going, accelerating, the ground was getting closer and closer and the Snitch didn't look like it was about to stop any time soon. The crowd was gasping, shrieking, shouting for them to stop, but neither did. Alfred saw Arthur and Roderich turn to look at each other for a brief second. A meter from the ground, Roderich pulled up, but Arthur kept going. His hand reached forward like a striking snake and grabbed at something— but it was too late to turn around! Arthur seemed to have realized that too because he threw himself off his broomstick before it tumbled precariously and hovered an inch off the ground, leaving Arthur to careen over it and fall on to the pitch on his back, skidding a through the grass and then stopping with a groan.
But Arthur was grinning too, there between his gloved fingers sat the golden ball. The stands erupted like it was the World Cup. Francis was the first to reach Arthur and immediately pulled the smaller boy into a hug, then the rest of their team joined and began thumping Arthur on the back and shouting with joy.
"Alfred?" Kiku's voice made Arthur realize that he was standing up like half of the other students on the bleachers and clutching the steel balcony hard.
"He could have died!" Alfred exclaimed.
"You should have seen his antics last year." Gilbert told him. "First years aren't allowed on school teams but Arthur was always at the practices. His brothers Liam and Seamus graduated last year, but by then, Arthur was already a part of the team."
Alfred nodded, flummoxed. Arthur and Roderich shook hands professionally while the Slytherin captain Matthias cackled childishly at the Ravenclaw captain Berwald.
Gilbert grinned at Alfred. "Still thinking about beating him in Quidditch?"
Alfred looked up at the albino and grinned confidently. "Big time, Gilbert."
.
.
Alfred didn't know if it was just him, or if it was because he was in a new country... But he just couldn't get the hang of his spells. In America they rarely used latin spells, they were more used to English conjuring.
"Maybe if you stopped reading Quidditch Through the Ages and actually concentrated on your studies!" Matthew told him when Alfred complained about the Hogwarts curriculum to him. "You could go ask that boy at the library to help you. I heard that several first years have asked him for extra help."
Curious as to who this person was, Alfred found himself strolling into the library one weekend, extra early in the morning. It was almost empty. Alfred saw a few Ravenclaw studiously perusing over thick, leather-bound books. Madame Pince was glaring at him from her little corner, her gray hair framing her distinctly vulture-like face.
Alfred was about to leave when a startling sight caught his attention. Two first year students were surreptitiously walking around like they were looking for books but glancing repeatedly at two people as though they were waiting for something. Alfred neared the place and of course…
It had to be him. It had to be Arthur Kirkland helping out first years out of the goodness of his heart.
But Arthur was looking annoyed for some reason. His massive eyebrows were furrowed.
"You're not listening to me." He told the boy sitting beside him. It was a first year Slytherin who had pale silvery hair and violet eyes. It was true, the boy jolted out of his avid staring at Arthur's face and hurried back to his book from which Arthur was explaining something.
"Alfred-san?" Called a voice Alfred recognized from the next bookshelf to his right. "What're you doing here?"
"Kiku?" I was—" Alfred didn't know why his cheeks chose that particular moment to turn pink, he really didn't. "I came here to find you!"
Kiku's eyebrows rose in disbelief. Possibly because Alfred never woke up before 12 pm on weekends. Arthur too looked pissed when he noticed Alfred's presence.
"What are you doing here Jones?"
Alfred's teeth clenched together immediately. "I don't see how that's any of your business. Last time I checked this was a free country, and the library's a public place."
The two waiting students gave them another look and shuffled off, no doubt thinking that it wasn't the best time. Alfred was surprised to see the first year sitting beside Arthur giving him a furious glare. It looked scary, but nothing Alfred couldn't handle.
"Get up, Ivan." Arthur told the boy, picking up the large book. "We can finish this at the common room. I didn't know that Madam Pince was letting trash into the library these days."
Ivan snickered and Alfred imagined choking the boy. He watched until he and Arthur stalked out of the library, before turning to Kiku.
"What was he doing here?" Alfred asked. "Is he giving out lessons now?"
Kiku shook his head. "I don't think so. Arthur-san was trying to be nice to Ivan the other day." Alfred mildly noted the customary 'san' missing at the end of Ivan's name. "Some other students just began asking him questions and he was too polite to deny them."
"I didn't see any of that politeness rubbing of that little brat he was with, did you?" Alfred asked sarcastically.
Kiku gave him a look. "Okay, what are you doing here?"
Alfred sighed. "Okay, look, I need help with Charms." He admitted. "Mattie told me about this but… I'd rather eat dragon dung than ask for Kirkland for his help."
"He has a first name you know." Kiku smiled, taking out another book from the shelves.
"So do I, and he calls me Jones! What, you're best friends with him now?" Alfred asked crossly.
"He's civil to me. I'm civil to him." Kiku said in his end-of-the-conversation voice and Alfred sighed.
"Sorry." He muttered.
Kiku looked up at Alfred's kicked-puppy face and rolled his eyes. "Come with me." He said finally. "My brother can help you with that with Charms if you want... I told you, remember? He's a Ravenclaw."
.
.
"Alfred, we shouldn't be here!" Kiku whispered beside him under the Invisibility Cloak Alfred's had gotten for Christmas. "I believe that this is called stalking!"
"They shouldn't be here!" Alfred replied, watching Arthur and Ivan as they looked out to the Black Lake from the balcony on the Astronomy Tower. "Now shush!"
It was the best thing to do in Alfred's opinion! Stalk—erm, spying on Arthur in the middle of Christmas. Not that he had anything better to do. Alfred wished he could have gone home to his parents with Matthew, but they were renovating their new house in England and didn't have any time to spare. So for the time being, Alfred let this form of fun take his mind off things.
Kiku shook his head at Alfred's undying curiosity for the English boy, but cast a heating charm over them nonetheless since it was snowing outside. The weather didn't seem to bother Arthur or Ivan. It was a while before Alfred froze and turned to exchange an astonished look with Kiku when he realized that Ivan was crying.
"Let it out." Arthur was saying, snow falling in clumps in his hair. His hand rose to Ivan's shoulder as he hiccupped. "It's okay, Peeves won't annoy you anymore. I've spoken to him."
Ivan's voice came out muffled. "He'll listen to you?"
Arthur smiled. "He likes three certain troublemaker I'm friends with. If that doesn't stop him, well… he knows that I have a couple of dark spells up my sleeves which can have grave effects on poltergeists."
All Alfred took in from that of course, was the park about dark magic. "You heard that Kiku? I told you that there was something shady going on with Kirkland!"
Ivan's violet eyes shot up to look at Arthur when he placed his hand into the boy's platinum hair and ruffled it. "There was snow." Arthur explained, grinning down at the boy.
"I've… I've never someone c-care after me like t-this before." Ivan spluttered, his breath misting in the cold air.
Arthur frowned. "I thought you had two elder sisters."
Ivan sniffled. "My sister Katyusha tried to help, but she was taken away by my mother when my parents separated. And Natalia... you've probably seen what she's like…"
Arthur visibly shuddered. "Merlin. Even my arsehole brothers are saints compared to her." He turned to Ivan with brilliant smile. "At least she's leaving next year, eh? Small mercy?"
Ivan blinked at him.
Arthur chewed on his lower lip and exhaled. "Go on, smile already." He told Ivan. "You shouldn't even be crying today. It's your birthday isn't it? I heard someone sayin—oomph!"
Alfred didn't know what was happening until he saw Arthur's cheeks flame up and realized that Ivan had his arms around Arthur's waist, his face pressed against Arthur's chest.
"Ivan!" Arthur gasped, his hands pushing on Ivan's small shoulders. "By Salazar, your grip sure is strong— you're crushing me!"
Ivan let go of him immediately and looked apologetic. "I'm sorry." he said with an utterly angelic smile, his tears from earlier entirely nonexistent.
Arthur winced as he massaged his sides but managed to croak out a chortle. "You're okay then… Come on, let's go to the kitchens and get some hot chocolate. It'll warm us up."
"Da, Arthur…"
Ivan's eyes were locked on Arthur as he followed the boy walking back down the spiraling staircase of the Astronomy Tower. When Alfred turned to Kiku, he was surprised to see a small smile on his face.
"What could you possibly be smiling about?" Alfred asked him incredulously. "Did you see that? I mean, Arthur the Prince of Dark Arts, and Ivan the Creep of Evil Stuff! If those two become friends, then we'll have the evil duo of the century in our hands! That Ivan dude's real shifty if you ask m— what?"
Kiku just shot Alfred a disbelieving look and sighed.
.
.
Why?! Why did Arthur have to be the Madam Hooch's assistant at the first years' Flying Lessons? He seemed to have a perpetual evil eye on Alfred and looked like he was trying to figure out the best way to make Alfred topple off his broom and make it look like an accident.
At the moment, they were all practicing training exercises for the final examinations coming up the next month. The year sure went by fast enough…
"Kiku, pass." Alfred said, calling for the Quaffle. Kiku was a decent Beater, but he didn't know the first thing about handling Quaffles and threw it several feet too low. Alfred did the Sloth Grip Roll to catch it. "Nice pass, dude!"
"That's the spirit, Jones!" Came Madam Hooch's booming voice from behind him and he jumped. "A nicely handled maneuver by the way! You used to fly back home?"
"I played Quodpot with my friends on the street." Alfred didn't feel the need to explain that those friends had been the older children of insane, scary gangsters who all played violent Quodpot with illegal Quods and cauldrons. "I learnt a few tricks down there."
"Which remains to be seen." Madame Hooch said, looking impressed. "If you don't make the team next year then I don't know who will, young man. I'll put in a good word with your Head of House shall I?"
Alfred shook his head immediately. "I don't want any favors, Ma'am. That'd be unfair for others."
"A good attitude too." Hooch observed. "He reminds me of you last year, Kirkland!" She called out to Arthur who had been glaring unabashedly at Alfred until then. His expression changed dramatically when he spoke to Madame Hooch.
"Of course, professor." He said demurely. "Jones has all the makings of a great flyer. He has the perfect stance... ideal stamina. Might I add, faultless form…"
Alfred wondered if he was the only one who heard the blatant sarcasm in Arthur voice. Apparently he was. It seemed like everybody had temporarily turned blind and deaf because nobody seemed to notice Arthur flipping him off the moment Madam Hooch turned her attention elsewhere. Nor did they see Arthur grabbing a beater's bat to demonstrate something to a first year and knock Alfred clear off his broom.
.
.
Arthur was devil spawn, Alfred decided when the Hogwarts Express reached Platform 9 and 1/3. He watched the boy berate Gilbert when he lit a sixth year's skirt on fire, then douse her completely with water himself, revealing more than any boy would have desired to see. Francis was literally drooling and gave Arthur a grateful thump on the back when the girl ran off humiliated to her carriage.
"Tell me you saw that." He asked Kiku without turning around. At this point, the Japanese boy seemed to think Arthur was the epitome of Godric Gryffindor himself.
Matthew nodded beside him. "I did." He said. "But just so you know, that girl is really terrible. She bullied me no less than twenty times this year."
Kiku smirked at Alfred.
Alfred turned to Matthew with a shocked look on his face. "Why didn't you tell me?" He asked, grasping Matthew by the shoulders.
Matthew gave him a disbelieving look. "You've been busy this year, remember? Stalking Arthur all around the castle, cursing each other and dueling, swearing in a way Mom would murder you for if she ever found out—"
"Please don't tell her." Alfred begged, wincing at the very thought of an angry Amelia Jones.
"In return for what?" Matthew asked and Kiku easily turned his amused snigger into a cough beside him.
"All my chocolate frog cards?" Alfred tried. "What about my Quodpod player figurines?"
Matthew's lips twitched. "All of them? All the cards and all the figurines?"
Alfred inwardly cursed. It had taken five years of his eleven-year-long life to collect those."Yes?" He said reluctantly, biting his lip.
Matthew punched the air in a gesture of victory and Alfred groaned… Summer vacation was going to be so long!
.
.
When they reached the other side of the barrier, Alfred found himself standing right beside Arthur who standing with a red-haired man who was attracting quite a lot of attention from the Wizarding crowd. He was wearing dragonskin boots, an expensive looking jacket, and had a lip and an eyebrow piercing. Kiku disengaged politely from his brother's side and walked over to Alfred.
"Alfred-san," Kiku whispered into Alfred's ear at his confusion. "That's Alistair Kirkland, Beater of the Montrose Magpies."
But even as Alfred stared, Arthur scowled and shuffled half-heartedly in front of Alistair. He seemed to be arguing with his brother. Familial troubles? Alfred suddenly remembered Arthur calling his brothers arseholes at the beginning of the year... so something had to be up.
So since Alfred's parents were yet to arrive, of course Alfred was going to eavesdrop—err, investigate!
"…no way I'm going back there! I'll live in the estate…"
"… Alone? You could go stay with my friends—"
"Alistair, I'm not leaving England…"
Alfred's stomach did a small tumble. Was Arthur leaving? For some reason, to Alfred's utter surpirse, he couldn't really decide if he was pleased about that or not.
Why couldn't he? He hated the boy... right?
Alistair wove a hand through his hair and looked pained. Arthur ignored his brother and pushed his trolley past him towards the exit.
"I won't change my lifestyle. No matter what you say or do." Alistair called after him.
"I understand." Arthur said as he walked away. "You came to see me when I didn't expect you to. That's enough for me."
Alistair shot Arthur's back another last look and to Alfred's surprise, he walked off in the other direction.
"That was odd." Matthew commented from beside Alfred, obviously having witnessed what he had.
Alfred nodded, watching his rival's back getting smaller and smaller as he walked away- then he noticed the blonde hair and cheerful smile of a beautiful woman not too far away from them.
"Look! There's Mom! C'mon Mattie, let's introduce Kiku to her!" Alfred yelled, thoughts about Arthur already forgotten as he rushed to greet the woman they hadn't seen in a year.
AN/: LOVE my readers sooo effing much! Like... soooooo much!
(Sorry for the typos...) this was a plot bunny I just had to put up after I put up my NEW Albus and Scorpius Hogwarts fic!