"Shouyou?" Hinata heard as he sat staring out the window to the Quidditch Pitch. The sun was still barely in the sky as Professor Oiwake was still out working to maintain the field following the Quidditch season.
"What? Huh?" Hinata said, looking away from the window.
Kenma stood opposite him, giving a concerned expression.
"Hey," Hinata greeted happily. "What are you doing here? Are you looking to see when the field will open, too?"
Kenma shook his head immediately. "No. I had assumed that with the field closed, his would be a quiet place to read." He tilted his head. "Are you okay, Shouyou? I called your name a few times before you answered."
Hinata frowned slightly. He had the uncomfortable realization that he'd been thinking about the secret room again.
A worrying thought struck him.
"Hey, Kenma, what do you know about compulsions?"
If anything, the Ravenclaw boy looked more worried now.
"Not a lot," he answered cautiously. "I know they generally get stronger the longer a person is under one. There's also generally a mark that appears on one's body, usually where the charm took effect. That's the most obvious sign. People, under compulsions, generally have trouble sleeping or doing other tasks for a long period of time without thinking about the compulsion. Why do you want to know, Shouyou? You don't do think you're under a compulsion, do you?"
Hinata ran the symptoms through his head. He hadn't seen any mark on his body and he definitely didn't have trouble sleeping. Really, he'd only been thinking about the message since this morning. And that was more because he couldn't quite figure out why, but something was bugging him about it.
Kenma still looked worried at Hinata's lack of response.
"Oh, sorry," Hinata said, sheepishly. "Nah, I don't think I'm under a compulsion."
"Do you have anything on your mind," Kenma pressed.
"Hmmm, not really," Hinata answered, swinging his legs aimlessly. "Why do you?"
Kenma shook his head, still looking vaguely confused.
"Good," Hinata replied. "Oh, hey, I was reading this Quidditch book the other day and I gotta tell you about this new play I found…"
Hinata continued on, discussing various Quidditch moves-all with accompanying sound effects-and not noticing the puzzled look on his Ravenclaw friend's face.
ooooooo
Yamaguchi had already spent the better part of his Sunday trying to spot Tsukishima. His first plan was to catch him at breakfast and try to talk to him. But from a brief, and mildly terrifying talk with Tsukishima's dormmate Kuguri, he had learned that Tsukishima had apparently forgone breakfast to stay in his room.
Yamaguchi wasn't stupid. He knew Tsukishima was avoiding him.
And the worse part was, he didn't blame him. He had lied to his friend for the better part of a year, ditched him for plans, and now gotten him in detention with a point loss. Yamaguchi understood completely why Tsukishima was mad at him. He just...wanted to talk to him still. To apologize, to give him a full explanation, to...to make sure they were still friends.
He looked down at the table, blinking rapidly to forestall tears. He really hoped they were still friends.
Yamaguchi had decided that if breakfast didn't work, then Tsukishima would at least come down for lunch. Therefor, he was going to sit and wait in the Great Hall until he did. The rest of his Gryffindor friends had already come to check on him sporadically with Enoshita, Asahi, and Daichi eating breakfast with him and Noya and Tanaka coming down for brunch.
Currently, Yamaguchi was sitting in the weird time frame where it was too late for breakfast and too early for lunch. The Great Hall was basically empty except a few students working on their homework.
A movement by the entrance drew his attention. He looked up and saw Tsukishima making a beeline for some left over food at the end of the Slytherin table.
He stood up and ran, trying to catch up to the taller Slytherin.
Tsukishima obviously spotted him because he growled and abandoned the food in favor of a few bread rolls.
"Tsuki, wait," Yamaguchi called, maneuvering around the tables to catch up.
"No," Tsukishima called back, already walking back to the exit.
"Come on, please! I just want to talk," Yamaguchi pleaded, still a few meters away.
Tsukishima looked back, a pinched expression on his face.
He met Yamaguchi's eyes and Yamaguchi paused in his struggle forward.
"Not now, Tadashi," he told him firmly.
Yamaguchi bit his lip. Tsukishima only used his first name when it was really serious.
"When," Yamaguchi asked, pressing his luck.
Tsukishima sighed, thinking. "After dinner. I'll talk to you after dinner."
Yamaguchi nodded. That was at least a definite time frame. "...Okay."
Tsukishima gave a brief nod and continued his fast pace, disappearing down the hall.
Yamaguchi went back to the table and sat morosely. That conversation definitely could have gone better.. He grabbed a muffin off the table, more to fiddle with than to eat.
At least, Tsukishima still agreed to talk to him.
ooooooo
"Hurry up, Bo, I want to grab lunch before the Quidditch pitch reopens," Kuroo said, waiting outside of the Hufflepuff common room entrance for Bokuto.
Bokuto yawned, following his friend.
"How did you just wake up," Kuroo asked in amazement. "It's nearly noon."
"Me, Sasaya, and Washio got in an intense game of Exploding Snaps last night in the dorms," Bokuto told him, stretching his arm across his chest. "We couldn't just stop."
"How late were you up?"
Bokuto paused, thinking. "I don't know, I remember watching the sunrise but I'm pretty sure I passed out after that."
Kuroo shook his head but didn't comment.
"How crowded do you think the pitch will be," Bokuto asked as the two headed for the Great Hall.
"I don't know. Professor Oiwake said that he'd open it back up around one so if we're the first one's there, it shouldn't be too bad."
"Awesome," Bokuto enthused before frowning. "Ugh, I forgot I still need to finish my Divination essay."
"How is that class," Kuroo asked with half skepticism and half open curiosity.
"Great!" Bokuto replied. "Professor Onikobe gave me an E on my last assignment
"Seriously," said Kuroo. "Um, how? I mean that's great!"
Bokuto nodded happily. "Yep, his exact words were 'well, this doesn't seem entirely like troll spit, so maybe there's still hope'"
"Huh, maybe you do have an inner eye," Kuroo said, still with a rather large note of disbelief. "Come on, then, tell me my future, oh great prophet."
Bokuto stuck out his tongue before making an exaggerated gesture, templing one hand on the center of his forehead and stretching out his other hand as if reaching for the great beyond.
"I see," he started off in a low, strained sounding voice.
"Don't hurt yourself," Kuroo rolled his eyes.
Bokuto ignored him. "I see a...butterfly."
"A butterfly? That's what you're going with?"
Bokuto shushed him, but Kuroo noticed him hiding a smile. The two had both stopped at a corner to listen to Bokuto's "prediction".
"Yeah," he said, closing his eyes. "A butterfly...and….um, a wolf...yeah, a wolf. That sounds sufficiently predictiony like."
"Shouldn't you know what's 'predictiony like' if it's your prediction, " Kuroo asked flatly. "Come on, then, what exactly am I doing with the butterfly and the wolf?" Kuroo encouraged.
"Oh, you know, just chillin'" Bokuto added lightly.
Kuroo gave a bark of a laugh. "Of course, makes perfect sense. Just hanging out with wild animals as you do."
"Fine, fine," Bokuto said, now full out grinning. "You're talking to them."
"Oh, they can talk now."
Bokuto stuck his tongue out again, aiming with his eyes closed for the vague direction of Kuroo. "Yeah, they can talk now. It's a prediction. Everything talks. So now, you gotta choose between them."
"I think I'll go with the-," Kuroo cut off as he noticed something down the hall.
"Bro, stop," he whispered.
"No, wait," Bokuto said, smiling. "I'm almost to the good stuff. You gotta chose-"
"Bo, no, I'm serious, shut up," Kuroo said, pulling his friend against the wall.
Bokuto opened his eyes in surprise. "What-" Kuroo slapped a hand over his mouth and pointed.
Bokuto followed his gaze. Professor Sora was turning another corner on the intersection they were about to turn on to. The professor looked annoyed and was walking fast down the hall, frowning. The two stayed silent as they watched him turn on another hall, opposite the way to the Great Hall.
"Where do you think he's going," whispered Bokuto once Sora had gotten far enough away
Kuroo shook his head. "I don't know, but it's not his office or the Great Hall. You know what that means?"
"Um, he's skipping lunch," Bokuto asked.
Kuroo smirked. "It means no one's in his office."
Bokuto widened his eyes. "You think we should?"
Kuroo shrugged. "Might be our only chance."
The two quickly and quietly slipped down the hall that Sora had just come from and in the direction of the Defense section of the castle, where Sora's personal office and suite were located.
"Do you know which door is Sora's office," asked Bokuto as the two got down the hall.
Kuroo nodded. "Sora told me I was free to stop by after like the third class I 'accidentally' hexed Oikawa. It's right down that hall."
A bit down from the Defense classroom was a short hall, darker and lit by a few candles.
"Unless you're a Head of House, they always put your office and personal rooms by the class you're teaching," explained Kuroo, pointing at the door at the end of the hall. "That's why Professor Oiwake gets to live right by the Quidditch pitch."
Kuroo bent over to point his wand at the door knob.
"Alohomora"
He twisted the door knob. It didn't budge.
"Dang," Bokuto whispered. "Of course, he has some fancy anti-lock charm. You know any others."
Kuroo nodded, but kept fiddling with the knob. "Wait, a second, I think…"
Kuroo let go of the knob and gave the door a solid push. It swung in.
Bokuto gaped. "How did you open it without a spell."
Kuroo sent him a toothy grin. "All the locking and security charms in the world, aren't going to help if you don't shut the door all the way."
Bokuto stared. "You've got to be kidding me."
Kuroo shrugged, walking in and easing the door shut behind Bokuto. "He must have been in some hurry."
The office was...kind of a mess, honestly. Papers and books were scattered all across the desk with some piles stacked on the floor. Thick heavy curtains hung over the windows, blocking out any sun to the room. The only light came from a wrought iron chandelier, that hung from the ceiling and cast blocks of shadow across the space.
Kuroo walked to the desk and touched the reading candle sitting on top of it.
"The wax is still warm, he must have been reading something when he left."
"What was he reading," Bokuto asked, walking over to the bookshelves and scanning the titles.
"Looks like a bunch of history books on Hogwarts," Kuroo said, flipping through the nearest stack. "Merlin, some of these have to be centuries old...Ugh," he said, picking up a musty looking journal. "I'm pretty sure this is made from some kind of skin."
Bokuto scrunched up his face in disgust before pointing to the bookshelf. "Some of the books over here are seriously dark, come look."
Kuroo came up beside him and let out a low whistle. "I recognize these from my father's office at the Ministry. Some of these are banned books.."
"Enough to get Sora in trouble?"
Kuroo shook his head. "Not much more than a light slap on the list, he is a Defense teacher after all." Kuroo frowned, a dark light playing behind his eyes. "Definitely a lot of books on mind magic though."
Bokuto frowned and turned back to see a book on a small reading table. "Hey, Kuroo, this one has a note sticking out of it."
Kuroo turned and glanced over his shoulder at the note. "It's...just a list of parts of the castle?"
"Yeah," Bokuto said confused. "Why would he need this? Look some parts have a check mark by them…. there's a question mark by the first floor Potions lab. Isn't that where that hall collapsed?"
Kuroo raided an eyebrow. He pulled out a quill and some folded paper from his pocket. "I'm gonna copy it down."
He just touched the quill to paper when the two heard the door knob rattle.
Bokuto met Kuroo eyes with a panicked expression.
Silently and frantically, Kuroo gestured at the curtains by the window. Hearing Sora intone the unlocking spells outside, the two rushed to the side and slipped behind the curtains.
Just after the curtains settled over them, Kuroo heard the door open.
"Goblin cursed pranksters," Kuroo heard Sora mutter darkly, followed by heavy steps across the room. "We'll see how they like their next Defense lesson. Ought to teach them the Unforgivables, if the old coot of a Headmaster would let me, that would show them the type of wizards not to mess with, them and the mudbloods."
Sora broke off into more unintelligible muttering, apparently sitting at his desk.
Bokuto looked over and met Kuroo's eyes before shooting a pointed glance at his watch.
Kuroo shook his head, careful not to make much movement. He didn't know when Sora would leave.
Carefully tilting his head so as not to make the fabric rustle, Kuroo tried to see in between the curtains.
Sora looked to be sitting at his desk, angrily flipping through one one of the many books. He paused one a page and lifted the book up to read closer. Kuroo squinted, trying to make out the cover.
Before he could read it, Sora threw the book back on the desk.
"And, of course, more vague mentions, but no one knows where it bloody well is!"
Sora scrubbed a hand over his face and grabbed a nearby quill. He pushed off from his desk and got up to walk to the other side of his office.
He passed by the curtain, so close his shoulder brushed. Kuroo tensed in anticipation.
Sora continued walking and grabbed the list that Bokuto had pointed out earlier. He frowned and looked back down at the book.
Shit, Kuroo thought frantically, they forgot to put it back in the book. He definitely noticed
Sora frowned down at the book for another second before slowly going back to his desk. Kuroo watched as Sora scanned the room, apparently trying to spot anything else out of place.
Kuroo felt his heart thump painfully until Sora eventually stopped and looked back down at the sheet. He picked up the quill again and moved it to write on the list.
As soon as he moved to write, The feather of the quill transfigured into a small horn and blew out ink onto Sora's face.
Sora stood up, the parts of his face visible through the black ink were a dark angry red.
"THOSE BLOODY PRANKSTERS!"
Sora stomped to the door, swinging it open. He charged out of it, slamming it shut with a loud bang.
Bokuto and Kuroo waited a few seconds before looking at each other. Cautiously, they came out from behind the curtains.
"Do you think he's gone," Bokuto asked.
"...I think so," answered Kuroo. The two gently eased to the door, slowly pulling it open and checking for Sora. When they didn't see him, they quickly and quietly eased out and into the now deserted hallway. The two continued walking, trying hard not to look suspicious.
"Oh my gosh," said Bokuto, holding his chest, once they had gotten far enough away that they felt they could talk. "I thought my heart was going to explode."
Kuroo nodded wholeheartedly. "We're going to owe Maki and Matsu the biggest and most secretive thank you ever."
ooooooo
Yamaguchi shot another glance at the Slytherin table, where Tsukishima continued to eat what had to be the slowest dinner in the entire history of dining.
"You know staring him down is probably not going to make him eat any faster," Ennoshita commented to his side.
Yamaguchi grimaced but acknowledged his point, turning from his near constant monitoring of the Slytherin table and back to his half eaten cornish beef.
"Besides, we'll be checking for him, too," Noya reassured him from across the table. "We'll tell you the moment he gets up."
"Yes, all of us starring. That'll be sure to help," Ennoshita added sarcastically.
Tanaka ignored Ennoshita. "It's the least we can do since we're the ones who got you involved in this."
"Plus, it was really cool of your friend not to rat us out," Noya frowned. "Well, you know, rat us out again."
Yamaguchi nodded glumly.
"I'm sure it will be alright, Yamaguchi," Asahi told him in a blatant attempt at comforting. "Once you talk to him and tell him your side, I'm sure he'll understand."
Yamaguchi shrugged. "Tsukishima's never really been mad at me before. And he's definitely never avoided me."
"Don't stress out too much until you know what's going to happen," Daichi reassured him. "All you'll do is worry yourself twice."
Yamaguchi sighed, but nodded.
"ALERT! ALERT! The Slytherin is on the move," Noya called out, slamming his hand on the table.
Yamaguchi darted his head up in time to see Tsukishima stand up from the Slytherin table. His friend met his gaze and, after a moment, inclined his head towards the exit. Yamaguchi nodded, grabbing his stuff.
"Don't worry, Yamaguchi," Noya called after him. "We're here for you when you get back. We'll even sneak you some Butterbeer if you need!"
"Not that we're not sure it'll go well," Asahi corrected.
Yamaguchi nodded absently, already halfway to the door. Trying to calm the rush of his heartbeat, he slipped out.
Tsukishima waited for him just outside.
The two friends stared at each other.
"Come on," Tsukishima eventually said in a brisk somewhat cold voice. "There's some benches down the hall where we can talk."
Yamaguchi nodded and Tsukishima led the way down another hall and to, as he had said, two sets of benches that were arranged in a small alcove off of the main halls.
Yamaguchi gingerly took the bench opposite from the one Tsukishima dropped his stuff into. They were the only two around.
An awkward silence fell.
Tsukishima stared at Yamaguchi while the Gryffindor boy fidgeted under the tension.
Finally, Tsukishima gave an irritated huff. "Fine. I suppose you're waiting for me to go first."
"Um, no," Yamaguchi said, trying to keep from annoying Tsukishima further. "I'll go first."
"Well, apparently not," Tsukishima drawled. "So, I might as well start with the apology you're clearly after. I'm sorry for-"
"No, no, it's fine really I can-wait, what?" Yamaguchi cut off confused. "Why are you sorry?"
Tsukishima glared. "Really, I know you're annoyed, but you don't have to be condescending." His glare became more pointed as Yamaguchi tried to interrupt again. Yamaguchi subsided and Tsukishima took a deep breath. "I'm sorry that I misunderstood the situation and that my mistakes got you and your...friends in detention."
Yamaguchi gaped.
Tsukishima added a scowl to his glare. "Are you happy now? You got what you hunted me down for."
"What, no," Yamaguchi's hands flew into motion, waving Tsukishima off. "I wanted to apologize to you. That's why I've been trying to talk to you all day."
It was Tsukishima's turn to look puzzled. "Apologize for what?"
"For you know…" Yamaguchi made a vague hand gestured that proved useless when, judging by Tsukishima's expression, he emphatically did not know. "For being such a bad friend all year. For lying to you, and ditching you, and getting you in detention."
Tsukishima snorted. "Please, I'm the one who notified the professors. I got myself into detention." He looked at Yamaguchi skeptically. "You really thought you were the one who needed to apologize?"
Yamaguchi nodded firmly, doing his best not to wither under Tsukishima's inspecting gaze.
"But...it was me." Tsukishima finally said, this time with honest confusion in his voice. "I was the one who assumed you were being bullied without asking you, I got you into detention, I almost messed up your entire plan."
"But, I'm the one who lied," Yamaguchi protested. "You were-you were just trying to look out for me."
"But, you didn't need me, too," Tsukishima argued back, a touch of the familiar annoyance entering back. "You didn't need me. You were fine."
"But, you couldn't have known that. I would never blame you for just trying to make sure I was okay," concluded Yamaguchi, more used to Tsukishima's annoyance. "You were just being my friend...my best friend."
The two both stopped and looked at each other, each assessing and reassessing their own feelings on the subject.
Eventually, Tsukishima cleared his throat awkwardly. "Ugh, we sound like one of those self-help Hufflepuff books that Akiteru always loves. How about...how about we both made some minor mistakes and we just...forget about them and go back to how things were..no lying, no calling the the professors on each other?"
Yamaguchi felt a bright smile spread on his face. "Yeah, that sounds...really, really great, Tsuki." he thought for a second. "Actually, you know what? How would you like to meet some of my new friends? They're still waiting for me at the Gryffindor table."
Tsukishima let out a sigh, that Yamaguchi thought was maybe only a tenth genuine. "I suppose I can manage."
"I mean maybe you can't," Yamaguchi joked. "They are super scary Gryffindor bullies, known for beating up first years, after all."
"Yamaguchi?"
"Yeah, Tsuki."
"Shut up."
"Sorry, Tsuki."
The two reconnected friends walked back to the Great Hall and over to the Gryffindor table.
"Hey," Noya's voice boomed out, the first one to see them. "Seems like everything worked out!"
"Just like I knew it would," Tanaka nodded sagely, dodging a roll thrown by Ennoshita.
Asahi gave a slight shy wave to Tsuki, who looked again momentarily confused, as if expecting something different from the resident gentle giant.
"It's nice to meet you," Daichi politely greeted him, drawing his attention. "Sorry, you got dragged into this."
"What are you talking about," asked Tanaka, pulling Tsukishima into a seat next to him.
"Yeah," Noya said, slapping Tsukishima on the back. "Did you see how he talked to Oiwake? Tsuki's one of us now!"
"Don't call me that," Tsuki glared, before processing the rest of the statement. "Wait, what are you-No, I'm not! I'm not even in your House."
Tanaka shrugged, unconcerned. "We'll make an exception."
"Plus, you already eat practically all your meals with Yamaguchi anyway," Noya added. "Now, you won't have to swap between tables."
"I called the professors on you," Tsukishima stressed, looking half bewildered and half frustrated. "We all have detention now."
Noya waved him aside. "Meh, Daichi and Ennoshita each tell on us at least twice a semester. It's really not as special as you think."
"Plus, you're actually serving detention with us, so honestly you're still ahead," Tanaka agreed.
"But, I don't want to be a part of your group," Tsukishima argued.
Ennoshita shot him a commiserating look. "Yeah, neither did I."
"I was terrified most of the time," agreed Asahi, smiling.
"Sorry, Tsukishima," said Daichi, fighting back an amused smile at Tsukishima's exasperation. "It really doesn't look like they're giving you much of a choice. Welcome to the group."
"One of us, one of us," Tanaka started chanting to the side, joined by Noya.
"Stop that," Tsukishima said, glaring. "But, I…"
"We'll get to hang out so much more, Tsuki," Yamaguchi enthused from his side.
Tsukishima shot him a look that heavily implied he saw clearly what Yamaguchi was trying to do. Yamaguchi shrugged, smiling.
"...Fine," Tsukishima agreed, still looking at Yamaguchi. "I'll be part of your little group."
"WOOOT," Noya cheered, throwing up his arms. "That's awesome. Just imagine what all sorts of cool creatures we can find in the Forbidden Forest."
"Merlin," Asahi breathed, thinking about their upcoming detention.
"Wait, no, I changed by mind," Tsukishima said, but was ignored.
Yamaguchi let out a surprised laugh and then another. Soon, he was bent over the table laughing desperately into his hands while Asahi tried to hand him some water and Daichi ordered Noya and Tanaka that under absolutely no circumstance were they allowed to bring anything back from the Forbidden Forest. Yamaguchi looked up and let out another giggle as he saw Tsukishima roll his eyes.
For the first time this entire school year, Yamaguchi had a feeling that everything was going to be just fine.
ooooooo
"I promise, Kageyama. We just need to go here one more time and then, we're never coming back again," Yachi reassured him as the three yet again crept through the darkened Hogwarts Halls. "We just need to check that the compulsion is really off."
Kageyama let out a fortifying sigh and nodded. Just one more time.
The three walked down the hall, hanging a left that would bring them to the hall of tapestries.
Kageyama shot a look at Hinata, who was walking silently beside him.
"What's wrong with you," Kageyama demanded, careful to keep his voice low.
Hinata looked up confused before an annoyed look crossed his face. He opened his mouth.
"No, not like that," Kageyama cut him off frustrated. "You've been really quiet. What's wrong?"
"Oh," Hinata replied, expression clearing. "It's nothing, just something's bothering me about the wall and I can't place it."
Kageyama felt a shot of panic. "You're not compelled, are you?"
Hinata shook his head quickly."No, I'm pretty sure I'm not. I don't feel like I really, really need to go back to the wall or anything like you did and I didn't cut myself or anything. Something about it's just bothering me about it, you know?"
Kageyama frowned and shook his head. Since the compulsion was lifted, Kageyama was doing everything in his power not to think about the wall.
"Guys, shh," Yachi whispered. "I think I hear something."
The three stopped right at the corner to the start of the tapestry hall. Yachi glanced around the corner.
"Someone's there," she told them, fear in her whispered voice. Kageyama frantically looked around for somewhere to hide while Hinata bent down to look around the corner.
Kageyama saw Hinata's eyes widen.
"Guys, he found the hidden room!" he whispered.
"What!" Yachi whispered back.
Kageyama bent down next to Hinata and looked with him.
Sure enough, Kageyama saw a cloaked figure duck in behind the tapestry. The tapestry smoothed out behind him, covering what Kageyama knew was the hidden entrance.
"We need to get out of here, now," Yachi ordered, keeping her voice low.
Kageyama was in complete agreement and three inched away from the corner before nearly running back to the Hufflepuff common room.
"Quick, get in," Hinata told them, whispering the password for the entrance. "Yachi, we can take you back to the Gryffindor tower later."
The trio quickly slid behind the barrels and into the Hufflepuff common room.
"Do you think they saw us," Yachi asked panickedly, pacing the normally cheerful common room.
Hinata shook his head. "No, they definitely would've stopped us if they did."
"I can't believe that someone else found the room," Yachi replied. In a sudden movement, she cut off her pacing and turned to Hinata and Kageyama. "Oh no, oh no no no no…"
"What is it," Kageyama asked, walking over and trying to reassure Yachi.
"They won't know about the compulsion," Yachi told him, her voice growing higher in alarm. "They're walking into a trap."
Kageyama took a step back in surprise. He hadn't-he hadn't even thought of that.
"We have to warn them," Hinata's voice broke in, the smaller boy coming to stand beside him.
Yachi bit her lip. "But, how, we don't know who it is?"
"We'll have to go back," Hinata told her, trepidation sinking into his tone. "To wait for them to show up."
Both turned to face Kageyama, worry showing through clearly.
Kageyama sighed and closed his eyes, not willing to deal with their faces. He really, really didn't want to go back to that wall. He especially didn't want to have to go back to it to stake it out and watch for another person.
"Kageyama," Hinata broke through in a surprisingly soft voice for the ginger. "You don't have to go back if you don't want to. Me and Yachi can handle it."
Kageyama opened his eyes and met his two friends' faces. In a moment of clarity, Kageyama realized it had been a really long time since he had called anyone a "friend". He looked at Hinata's painfully earnest face and Yachi's scared but determined expression.
"I'll do it," Kageyama told them with a firm note. "If it means we can help someone else, then we'll all go back together. For as long as it takes."
Yachi nodded in relief and Hinata gave him a fierce smile. Kageyama felt a weird light bouyant feeling somewhere in his chest.
Kageyama rubbed at it absently. They were going to find whoever it was that had discovered the hidden room and they were going to help them. No matter what.
ooooooo
A/N: As always, thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed. I'll post the next chapter Monday.
Next Chapter: The Forbidden Forest
As a side note to the author's note. Thank you so much for all the wonderful support I've gotten with this story. This is my first fanfiction so it really means a lot to me. Also, this chapter marks the first of the last seven chapters so the end is nigh!