Ozuro Kuroo was pleased.
Frankly, Kuroo wasn't sure he liked it any better than when he wasn't.
"Excellent work, son," Ozuro complimented, looking down on the notes. They were seated in one of Hogwarts' spare offices that Ozuro had seemed to take over as his own. "I knew you could do better, given the proper motivation."
Kuroo waited, feeling the first dozen retorts choke and die in his throat as he swallowed down the anger to ask in as calm a voice as possible, "So, I can stay at Hogwarts?"
Ozuro hummed. "Well, we'll have to wait to see what the results of our assessment goes this evening." His father shook his head, almost fondly. "Frankly if I knew all it took for you to show some true effort was applying a little pressure, I would have considered alternative schooling far, far earlier."
Kuroo's hands clenched in his lap, keeping his face entirely expressionless.
Ozuro noticed anyway. Of course, he did. His father was like a shark hunting down blood, he wouldn't have made it as high in the Ministry if he couldn't spot weakness.
Ozuro smiled idly. "How about the werewolf bill?"
"I've talked to the Tsukishima and Yamaguchi heirs," Kuroo reported. "I think I'm making progress."
"You only think?" Ozuro sounded disappointed.
"They're thirteen," Kuroo said in exasperation, "most families don't drag their kids into high politics before puberty."
"Well, aren't you lucky then," Ozuro countered. "Keep trying on the Light family heirs. That bill is a much needed step on my way to being Minister. I'll be severely upset if it doesn't pass. Who knows? Possibly upset enough to believe we should consider….well, more foreign alliances elsewhere."
He left the threat unfinished; but, Kuroo didn't need to hear the end.
With a stunning strike of clarity, he realized that it wouldn't matter if he passed the time turner assessment with flying colors. All it would do is grant him a delay. His father knew how to push him now, knew the right threat. There would always be another step, another hoop to jump through.
Over and over while Kuroo kept trying to avoid what was feeling more and more like a creeping inevitability.
He'd could do it. Kuroo promised himself.
He'd keep going through whatever stupid task his father set up for him next.
To stay beside his friends, Kuroo would fight the world.
Ozuro glanced back at Kuroo's notes. "These really are well done, Tetsuro. The exact thing the Unspeakable will like. You know the rest of the plan, right?"
"Be respectable," Kuroo recited. "Put up a good image. Make sure they leave remembering my name."
Ozuro smiled. "There's my son. Luckily, I've got a media announcement already written up. After all this secrecy business is finally over, we'll snap a few photos and make sure everything's ready to printed front and center." His father leaned back in his chair. "A fifteen year old impressing the entire Ministry by handling a time turner all year. A perfect opening headline, don't you think?"
Kuroo sighed, knowing he didn't need to particularly answer for his father to be pleased with the conversation.
"I need to get ready," Kuroo lied to excuse himself. "I want to give my notes a couple more check throughs, make sure everything's perfect for tonight."
Ozuro waved him away. "Of course, of course, go on and enjoy your afternoon. I'll see you tonight."
Feeling mildly relieved, Kuroo finally headed to the door only to be stopped with his father's parting words.
"Oh, and Tetsuro?" Ozuro smiled, sharp and poisonous. "I'm proud of you."
Kuroo fought not to slam the door behind him.
Above, the clock tower struck noon.
ooooooo
Noya was a person with few regrets and even fewer fears.
Perhaps, that's why the fears he did have hit him so strongly.
"I can't believe you've been using my little cousin, an eleven year old, to clean our room!" Ennoshita folded his arms and glared. "This! This right here is why I warned him you'd be terrible mentors!"
"Or it's reason one on why we're the greatest mentors ever," Noya interjected, tightening the last of his Quidditch gear and dropping his bag on the field. "You're just thinking about it the wrong way, Ennoshita! Now, Nao knows about Quidditch and all the best spells to get rid of mold! It's like a two for one deal!"
Ennoshita stared. "When did you let our room grow mold?!"
"Also, it's been like a month since you found out," Tanaka added. ""I really thought you'd be over this by now."
"Didn't you get Nao to polish your broom last week," Tsukishima interjected pleasantly and decidedly unhelpfully.
If possible, Ennoshita's frown got even darker.
"Well, yeah," Noya rubbed the back of his neck, "but in our defense, he's flying with Hinata later today so really this is our last chance to use that excuse!."
Sitting on the field, Asahi let out a small laugh, smothering the noise in his sleeve.
Noya looked over and grinned at him. How could someone so big and awesome also be so adorable?
It was an easy lazy Saturday afternoon, the last weekend before exams started which meant the Quidditch field was utterly deserted. All the more studious Hogwarts students were tucked away in boring library tables instead of enjoying the beautiful afternoon that Noya fully intended to take advantage of before the boggart's hearing tomorrow morning.
Sitting on the field, Yamaguchi and Tsukishima had the boggart's defense files spread out around him, taking one last look to check for holes.
Tsukishima glanced up to glare. "How are you not more worried about the hearing? You've practically been frothing at the mouth about the boggarts all year and now, it's the day before and you're playing Quidditch!"
Noya shrugged. "We've done everything we can. We've been studying all semester, we've got a case, only thing we can do now is get the stupid Ministry panel to see our side." He kicked a tuft of the grass, shrugging. "It doesn't make sense to stress about it now when we can't do anything else so we might as well play Quidditch."
Tsukishima huffed. "Sometimes I can't tell if you're the stupidest person I know or actually smart."
"Tsukishima," Daichi said in a warning tone without looking up from his notes, the only one in the group actually using their afternoon to study.
Noya grinned, sticking his tongue out.
Personally, Noya just thought he had way too much experience with stuff he couldn't do anything about. It was helpful in a way, it meant he knew how to pick the times he needed to fight the most. Which reminded him….
"Hey, bro," he turned to Tanaka, "Aunt Yuka sent me an owl, she's coming in for the hearing!"
Tanaka perked up, exchanging a high five with Noya. "Awesome!" He glanced down at his broom. "Man, we really need to work on getting Nao his own broom."
"First years aren't allowed to have brooms," Ennoshita said, massaging his temples.
Tanaka snorted. "Yeah, but that's like the least followed rule in Hogwarts. Right above don't go into the Forbidden Forest." He frowned. "Plus, the school practice brooms suck! They're still using Cleansweep Twos!"
Ennoshita glared.
"...Which I'll go grab now," Tanaka said, holding his hands up in surrender and all but running to the practice broom storage.
Yamaguchi hummed, looking up and rolling his neck. "Hey, Noya, your aunt's a big magical creature rights advocate, isn't she? She advises the Wizamagot, right?"
"Yep!" Noya beams proudly. "She's the best, taught me everything I know about magical creature law." He paused to laugh. "I wouldn't say 'advise', though….more like argues with them until some of the family heads quit being stupid." He winced, glancing at Yamaguchi and Tsukishima. "Um, no offense."
Tsukishima's general look of distaste didn't get any more pointed so Noya figured he was in the clear.
Yamaguchi smiled. "None taken. I was just wondering what she thought of the Werewolf Rights Act?"
If anyone was watching for it, they would see the way that Noya's shoulders tensed, the way his smile became a little more fixed, and the way that Tanaka hesitated in his run back, practice broom in hand and eyes fixed on Noya.
"W-werewolf Rights Act," Asahi asked, fingers making an aborted move to fidget that Daichi reached up to stop all before looking up from his book.
"Why the Werewolf Rights Act," Daichi asked, frowning at the way the warm afternoon suddenly seemed a lot cooler. "I heard it wasn't being introduced until the summer session."
Tsukishima shrugged, already sounding bored with the conversation. "Kuroo was annoying us about it. As if we have much say over it."
"It doesn't hurt to stay informed," Yamaguchi countered before looking brightly over at Noya. "So, what do you think? You're our magical creature expert."
"Beings," Noya corrected automatically. "Werewolves are magical beings."
"What makes the difference," Ennoshita asked, frowning slightly at how Tanaka had come to stand by Noya's side with the broom still held tightly in one hand.
"Intelligence," Noya muttered, looking at the ground. "Consciousness, too. Even transformed, werewolves have advanced cognition compared to magical creatures." Before anyone could ask anything more, Noya sighed, gathering his thoughts and looking back up. "As for the bill, it's….fine, I guess? The problem's more the title and the reach than anything."
Tsukishima frowned. "What do you mean?"
"It's a publicity move," Noya said shortly, rolling his shoulders. "And honestly? Kind of a transparent one, too. It's not even about 'rights', it's about basic finances so they can throw some money at the problem and pretend it'll go away. Even if it's passed, all it's going to do is get wolfsbane to maybe a dozen or so werewolves that fall into the way too specific qualifications they set up for the program. And I mean that's great that it's helping some, sure, and even more that the Wizamagot's at least thinking about doing something; but, that's like also kind of the problem, too."
Noya took a breath, trying to stay calm. "The bill's being introduced so the Wizamagot can pat itself on the back and say how much good they're doing for werewolves while hardly doing anything at all about the more widespread stuff! And it's so that when people come by years later asking why they haven't done practically anything about werewolf persecution, they can point to their so called 'Werewolf Rights Act' and say they've done enough! It's an excuse to do nothing which is what the Ministry always does when they're not doing even worse by-"
"Bro." Tanaka laid a hand on his shoulder and Noya cut off.
Around the field, the rest of the group was staring at him.
"Anyway," Noya said with an attempt at a shrug that looked far too stiff, "that's the Werewolf Rights Act."
Tsukishima broke the silence with an interested hum. "Truthfully, I can't believe you know that much about politics."
"When it's important," Noya said, crossing his arms and holding himself still.
Yamaguchi gave a weak smile. "So, 'no' on the Werewolf Rights Act."
Noya sighed. "Well, that's the thing, a 'no' just shuts down the progress even harder. Best way would be to make the bill stronger; but, it's not like anyone's sticking their neck out to do that."
"Not a lot of people want to support something that scares them," Daichi said, book forgotten to lay in Asahi's hands. "Even when it's the right thing to do."
Asahi paused, mouth partly twitching down and lips pressed firmly.
"There's a lot of things to be scared of," he finally said in a voice almost too quiet to be heard.
Noya frowned, trying to figure out what that meant before Yamaguchi spoke.
"What would you do then," Yamaguchi asked, looking at Noya. "How would you make the bill better?"
"Oh, um," Noya let out a half laugh. "Not really sure, honestly. There's so much that could help, you know? Aunt Yuka would have a better idea how to make the good things all nice and legal sounding. I guess…," his lips finally turning up in a smile, "I guess I'd just want to get everyone to understand that werewolves are the same as everyone else. That they're not dangerous."
"They are dangerous."
Everything stopped.
For a second, Noya swore even his heart stopped.
Everyone turned to look at the one who spoke, sitting right on the edge of the group and a book still clenched tightly in his hands even as he didn't look down.
Noya blinked, feeling suddenly cold. "What?"
"Werewolves are dangerous," Asahi repeated, glancing around and frowning in confusion at the looks of surprise on the group's faces. His shoulders hunched as if trying to appear smaller. "That's not….that's not a political opinion; that's just a fact. Werewolves are dangerous. They can kill you."
Daichi frowned. "Asahi-"
"I'm right," Asahi cut him off, breathing faster. "No, I know I'm right! You know I'm right! It's not….it's not just an unreasonable fear! Werewolves….werewolves can kill you. They can bite you and tear their claws through you before you can even cast a spell let alone run! They're dangerous!"
In contrast to how his heart stopped, now Noya feels like his heart is beating fast enough to be painful.
"So, what," he demanded, striding over to Asahi. "A lot of things are dangerous! Who cares? Werewolves don't mean-"
"You should care!" Asahi says and now, he's standing. "You never care, Noya! You never think about how dangerous things are, you just run and go! And that's wonderful; but-," His hands clenched at his side, "Werewolves aren't like boggarts, they're not dragons! You can't tame them, Noya! All they'll do is kill you!"
"I'm not trying to tame them," Noya shouted. "Of course, I can't tame them! Of course, they're not like boggarts or dragons! How could anyone ever think they are! They're human!"
"They're not!" Asahi yelled back before shaking his head, closing his eyes and taking a breath. "At least, not all the time. They're not fully human, Noya, you shouldn't treat them that way."
Noya felt like poison was running through his veins, like his chest had caved in, cracked open and bleeding.
"How can you say that," Noya whispered fiercely and saw Asahi flinch. "How can you say that!"
Asahi turned away. "Nevermind, Noya. It's….it's nothing, it doesn't matter."
"IT DOESN'T MATTER?" Noya grabbed his shoulders, twisting the larger boy around and pushing. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'IT DOESN'T MATTER'!"
"Hey, Noya!"
In front of them, Daichi tried to get between them and Noya could feel Tanaka's hand trying to pull him back, the practice broom pushed to the side.
Noya ignored them both.
"HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT!" Noya continued to yell. "HOW CAN YOU EVEN THINK THAT! YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING!"
There was an expression that Noya couldn't read before Asahi's face hardened, looking a mix of hurt and furious that Noya had never seen before.
"I know that you're being reckless," Asahi said back. "I know that you're ignoring how dangerous things are just because you think if you try hard enough you'll be fine and everything will work out! You won't always be fine, Noya! All you'll be-all you'll be is dead! And for nothing! For nothing! Because you care so much about everything except your safety!" Asahi leaned forward. "Werewolves are dangerous, Noya! They're always going to be dangerous! Nothing you can do can fix that! There's nothing anyone can do!"
"HOW CAN YOU KNOW THAT IF YOU DON'T EVEN TRY!" Noya shouted, shoving his hands into Asahi's chest. "MAYBE THERE IS SOMETHING WE CAN DO AND NO ONE KNOWS BECAUSE THEY'RE TOO SCARED LIKE YOU!"
"NOYA," Asahi snapped, "THERE'S NOTHING!"
"Asahi," Daichi tired.
"THAT'S ALL YOU CAN SAY!" Noya's hands gripped his collar. "YOU'RE GIVING UP WITHOUT EVEN TRYING! JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE SCARED!"
"Bro," Tanaka started.
"IT'S NOT GIVING UP IF THERE'S NOTHING TO DO," Asahi yelled back. "WEREWOLVES ARE DANGEROUS! THEY AREN'T HUMAN! THEY DON'T HAVE CONTROL; THEY'RE JUST MINDLESS! WEREWOLVES ARE MONSTERS, NOYA!"
Noya pushed him. Hard enough that Asahi fell back.
SNAP!
Too quick to stop, the broom cracked under Asahi's foot, hissing dangerously as the charms broke. The handle shot up hard, sparks flying behind it until-
CRACK!
Daichi fell back, hand going to his nose as blood started gushing out.
Everyone watched in a daze for a moment before Ennoshita pushed forward. "Stop standing around and help him!"
Immediately, Asahi duck downed to crouch beside Daichi, Noya's hands falling away on his chest as the shorter boy stood there, still in shock.
Daichi moaned, wincing as Asahi lifting his chin to examine his face with trembling fingers.
"Definitely a broken nose," Asahi said quietly. "Probably a concussion, too. He needs to go to the Hospital Wing."
Ennoshita stood, assessing the situation with Noya frozen on one side and Asahi crouched low by Daichi..
"Asahi, you should take him," Ennoshita ordered. "We'll wait here."
"I….," Asahi cast a glance at Noya before swallowing, lowering his head. "O-okay."
The larger teen hooked an arm around Daichi's back and all but lifted him back on his feet, the two slowly making their way in the direction of the castle as the air hung in complete silence.
Finally, when Daichi and Asahi had disappeared completely off the field, Ennoshita turned to their frozen member.
Ennoshita sighed. "Noya, we need-"
"No," Noya cut him off, fists clenching and unclenching at his side.
"We need to talk about this," Ennoshita pressed.
"No," Noya repeated and then, he turned and walked off the field, the opposite direction Asahi had gone.
Those remaining looked at each other.
"I'll, um, I'll go talk to him," Tanaka said, turning and running off after Noya.
When there was only the three of them left, Yamaguchi finally spoke-looking wide eyed between where Asahi had left and where Noya had gone. "What….what just happened?"
Ennoshita shook his head. "I don't know."
Around them, the warm afternoon was fading away and a broom lay forgotten on the field, broken into two damaged parts.
ooooooo
Noya's chest hurt.
Each breath came out strained and hard, pushing on his ribs like Noya's hands had pushed-had pushed-
His eyes stung and he rubbed at them roughly.
He wanted to be alone.
He didn't want to be alone. He never wanted to be alone.
He didn't want to be alone and he wanted to be with Asahi because he always wanted to be with Asahi.
He always wanted to be with….Didn't he? Did he still?
Yes.
No.
Yes and no.
Yes. Because Asahi was warm and kind and he looked at Noya like he was something precious that he couldn't quite believe was there. Because he hid his smiles when he was happy and fidgeted with his sleeves when he was nervous and always, always made Noya's heart beat faster. Because Asahi healed people and made everything better and talked so softly and cared so strongly and was scared of everything even as he reached out a hand anyway and Noya had fallen….fallen….fallen…..
Yes. Because Asahi was Asahi and Noya was in love with him and still was even though his words burned in Noya's ears like they never had before.
No. Because Noya hurt and….fuck, he never thought he could hurt like this. Because Noya didn't want to see him, didn't want to hear him, didn't want to touch him because what if that just meant Noya would be hurt more and Noya didn't think he had much left to break. Because he never thought Asahi could yell before and never like that and never….never about that. Because Noya didn't know what to do now.
No. Because when Noya fell in love with a kind man with softer eyes, he never had considered that all falls meant an eventual landing. Because when he fell, he'd never thought the ground would hit him this hard.
Noya wrapped his arms around himself and sunk down in the shadows of the forest, leaning against the trunk of an old tree.
"Bro?"
"He wasn't supposed to say that," Noya whispered. "He wasn't supposed to ever think that. How could he think that? It's Asahi….he's….he's Asahi…."
Never, never Asahi.
Tanaka sat next to him, not touching him but close enough that Noya could reach out.
"Why did he say that," Noya asked.
"Because he's scared, bro," Tanaka looked down at the dead leaves. "It's Asahi, he gets scared easy. Werewolves….you know people, man, they get scared when they don't understand things."
"So, that makes it okay?"
"No, Noya." Tanaka sighed. "You know it doesn't."
"It was never supposed to be him," Noya said, leaning his head on his knees. "He was never supposed to be one of those people."
"I know, bro."
"He called them mindless," Noya's voice hitched in the middle. "He called them monsters."
Tanaka paused. "Noya, you know he didn't mean-"
"That doesn't make it better," Noya interrupted.
"...I'm sorry, Noya."
Noya nodded, staring out into the darkness of the forest without actually seeing it.
"Are you going to tell him," Tanaka asked and this was why he was Noya's best friend because sometimes he knew what Noya had decided to do even before Noya did.
"Yeah," Noya admitted. "But, I'm scared."
"You don't have to," Tanaka reminded him. "Especially not now. You can wait until it calms down, at least until we're done with the hearing."
"I don't want to wait."
"Okay."
Noya looked down. "You know this is probably really selfish; but, I keep thinking that….I mean if for some reason, someone had to say those things and I had to pick….I think I'd rather it have been anyone else. Anyone except Asahi."
Noya sighed, holding his knees even tighter.
"Anyone but him."
ooooooo
"Ah-hee."
"You shouldn't talk with your nose like that," Asahi said softly as they waited for Professor Nekomata.
In response, Daichi didn't say anything but the look alone made Asahi look away.
"...I wasn't wrong," Asahi whispered, not backing down. "They are dangerous. It doesn't….it doesn't matter what you say or what anyone says, I'm right and I know it."
Daichi continued to stare at him.
"What if he got hurt," Asahi asked, shaking faintly, "what if….one day, he….he ran into a werewolf and-," Asahi closed his eyes. "What if he got killed. What if one day, he sees one and he doesn't believe they're dangerous and he….I can't see him get hurt, Daichi. Not like that, never like that, I never want to see him get hurt even if…."
Even if my words are what hurt him this time.
Even if he hates me.
"Maybe it would be better if he hates me," Asahi admitted quietly.
Daichi punched him hard in the shoulder.
Asahi winced. "It would be easier. He probably hates me already."
Daichi glared, opening his mouth to say something before Nekomata walked back into the room, pointing his wand at Daichi's nose.
"Rumpitur Vestigium!"
Nekomata frowned, analyzing the wave of smoke that poured briefly along Daichi's face. "You were right about the concussion. Nose should be an easy enough fix; but, I'm keeping him here a few hours for observation. Probably until after dinner, at least. Can't be too careful with head wounds."
Nekomata turned then, heading back into his office to grab a few potions.
Asahi began inching to the door, only for Daichi to grab him by the back of his robes.
Asahi sighed, looking down at his shoes to mumble. "Please don't make me talk about it, Daichi. Not tonight, please, I need to be alone tonight."
Daichi's hand dropped away and Asahi had one quiet moment to think he'd be left in peace before Daichi held up a hand.
"Wait." Daichi winced, still obviously having trouble speaking with his nose. He sighed, reaching for the note part. He wrote two sentences before shoving it at Asahi's chest.
Asahi looked down.
"You are wrong. Talk to him."
He glanced up to find Daichi staring at him firmly.
"I'll see you tomorrow; try to get some rest," Asahi said and turned away, quicker than Daichi could catch this time as he pushed his way out of the Hospital Wing.
It didn't matter what Daichi said. Asahi knew exactly what he had done. He wasn't going to take it back.
Besides, even if Noya hated him, maybe….maybe that really would be for the best. There were a lot better people for Noya than Asahi. Really…..really when it came to it….
Asahi pressed down on his lips firmly, ignoring the way his eyes had gotten wet and his chest was still shaking.
Really when you got down to it practically anyone would be better for Noya.
Anyone but him.
ooooooo
Don't screw this up.
Kuroo took a deep breath and then another, standing in a quiet little corner a few hallways down from the hall the Ministry officials had gathered in.
He held the notes tight to his chest as he tried to find his focus,
Around him, the afternoon had finally given way to evening.
Don't screw this up.
It was ten minutes before he met with the Ministry officials. Ten minutes before Kuroo had to give a performance that was perfect in every way, one that even his father couldn't find a flaw in.
Kuroo didn't….he didn't want to do this.
Merlin, he didn't know if he could do this.
This was so, so stupid.
Kuroo had faced so much worse than this, he thought he'd actually die more than a few times the past few years. And, yet, the scariest thing right now he could possibly think of was talking to a few Ministry officials that didn't even know they were holding every good thing in his life right in the palm of their hands.
Don't screw this up.
He took another breath and felt in his pocket for a forgotten little coin.
He pulled the Galleon out, rubbing his finger against one side, a gouged cut running right down the center of one side.
He breathed, closing his eyes and thought.
Somewhere, his friends were probably laughing over dinner, bemoaning the fact they wouldn't have the time turner anymore to cram in extra studying before exams. Sometime soon, Bokuto was probably going to make another terribly awful prediction and Suga would laugh, trying softly to see the bright side. Some time, Oikawa would make a comment just the right side of sharp and Iwaizumi would hit the back of his head, rolling his eyes. Sometime, they would find another mystery. Someone trying to kill Hinata or petrifications in the castle or maybe just a teacher Oikawa had a bad feeling about.
Some time, his friends were going to need him.
And Kuroo was going to be there.
He opened his eyes and took his first step down the hall.
He was ready and no Ministry official was going to stand in his way.
However, it was with the unfortunate sense of hindsight that Kuroo learned another important lesson much too soon.
Focusing on what's ahead of you makes it far too easy to get hit from behind.
"Stupefy!"
Red sparks hit Kuroo hard in the back and he fell to the ground, unconscious.
A/N:
Don't hate me, guys! It'll be okay eventually.
Next Chapter: Howl
