Chapter Text
The last days of classes had finally arrived. The quidditch tournament was over as well as all the exams, and the professors had given them more advices than theory. The director had expressed that they would soon return to their homes, which for some implied that those days would be their last days walking through the halls of Hogwarts, saying passwords, guessing riddles, or playing drums to go to their respective common rooms; eating at the Great Hall, using the library as a place to focus, and walking through the grounds around the castle. While others, the next year they would come back after the summer holidays to again have classes and learn how to perfection their magic. A year provided with changes was coming to an end, though that didn’t imply that more changes couldn’t happen.
The Ravenclaw common room was in silence as the students that belonged to the quidditch team were still trying to recover from the fact that Kiyoko had just congratulated them for the year spent together to then say that it had been a pleasure to be on their same team and finally leave them alone, now the quidditch team on their hands. Only a few days ago they had celebrated the championship of the quidditch tournament. The cup was still theirs as it was next to Akaashi, who was standing as the other that made up the team were scattered in the couches or on the floor in front of him.
The night after the game had been the occasion in which more noise had been heard in the room where they were, since the party for the celebration had lasted until late, too late for them since they were usually the first to leave to sleep. Everyone had congratulated them again, and the pride in their bodies was still present as each had represented a fundamental piece. Kiyoko had been the hidden weapon and Fukunaga the source of information, skills and weaknesses, Sakusa had represented the speed as well as Tsukishima the security, Suna the manipulation, Kunimi the distraction, Kenma the time, Ennoshita the follow-up, and Akaashi the mind.
However, at that moment a question appeared in the captain’s head.
"Kenma, Kunimi." Even if only two of them were mentioned, everyone rested their eyes on Akaashi when he spoke. "Did you two plan when to end the match?" He asked, remembering that Kenma had decided to catch the snitch at the same moment that Kunimi had blocked Kageyama.
Kenma and Kunimi looked at each other to then look at Akaashi.
"I thought we had already given a lot of time to score several points." Kunimi said.
"I was tired and I wanted the game to end." Kenma added.
Everyone laughed after listening to his comment, but soon Akaashi was serious again.
"Well, the reason of why we decided to call you," He began to say as Ennoshita got up to stand beside him, indicating that he knew what Akaashi was about to mention, "Is, that even though we are all really happy because we got the championship, as a team we must decide if the roles of captain and vice-captain will remain the same for next year, or if we want to change them. We will vote and see."
"Vote?" Kunimi interrupted, confusion evident on his face. "You two have to be captain and vice-captain next year."
"Well, thank you," Ennoshita said along with a smile, "But maybe not everyone thinks the same."
"We won the tournament with you two in charge. We don’t need more evidence." Suna said.
Fukunaga and Sakusa nodded to show that they agreed with their teammates.
"I agree." Tsukishima added.
"If you promise not to add more hours of training, I agree." Kenma said.
Ennoshita and Akaashi looked at each other.
They hadn’t expected other people to run for the roles they occupied since they were the most talkative of all and a team couldn’t work with leaders who didn’t speak and didn’t have a good communication with the rest of the team, but they hadn’t expected everyone to openly agree for them to stay with their roles for another year either.
"Well, if you agree and want to have me as your vice-captain another year, I’m not against it." Ennoshita suggested. Akaashi was his best friend and they had shown that they could keep the team together despite the problems that had appeared throughout the year.
Akaashi held a lopsided smile as he glimpsed Ennoshita’s smile, and then looked at those who apparently would continue to be under his instructions for another year.
"Okay, we will try to get a double championship then."
They all smiled in the same way, satisfied and with hope for the year to come. They didn’t need to hug or exclaim with joy, since they were Ravenclaws and for them it was enough to know that they had each other through simple gestures, silent glances, and nods that showed the loyalty and camaraderie between them, as well as the intelligence hidden behind all those decisions and ways of communicating.
Daichi and Yaku looked at each other, already regretting the words they had just mentioned as they watched the chaos that their sentences had broken loose around them. Yamamoto was shouting with Nishinoya at his side while Tanaka had taken off his uniform shirt to flip it in the air at the same time that Inuoka kept his arms outstretched. Hinata was jumping in circles besides Kageyama, who wasn’t even trying to avoid smiling.
Kinoshita and Narita were watching their teammates in silence, side by side as always.
"It will be our ruin." Narita whispered, glimpsing the lack of control.
"Definitely, it will be our ruin."
"And why did none of you two offered?" Daichi asked, interrupting them.
Kinoshita and Narita held the same kind of innocent smile and denied with their heads as they raised their hands to also move them in sign of denial. Yamamoto and Tanaka ran from one side to the other to then run towards Daichi and Yaku and jump on them, laughing because they had passed their roles in the team as captain and vice-captain to them, which explained why everyone was feeling more enthusiastic than usual and why Kinoshita and Narita feared for the team's future as well their own lives, since with Yamamoto as captain and Tanaka as vice-captain, they didn’t know what to expect other than uncontrolled practices, but they also knew that everyone on the team loved quidditch and having fun while playing it.
Tanaka and Yamamoto high-fived each other and were thrown to the ground when Nishinoya jumped on them. Kinoshita and Narita hid their faces behind their hands as Daichi and Yaku patted their backs knowing how they were feeling, and Inuoka was torn between being happy for the future of the team and because it was obvious that Kageyama was smiling because Hinata was still jumping, now with his hands between his. They had grown both as teammates as well as individually, they had all spent the year getting to know each other as well as knowing themselves, so they believed that next year they would return stronger than ever, hoping to get Daichi and Yaku to be proud of them as the first would be studying the importance of magic and safety while the second would be away learning how to take care of people through healing spells.
"Drums please!" Bokuto asked. Konoha and Komi drummed their hands on the table around which everyone was, "And next year's captain will be..." Bokuto rubbed his hands as he began to smile and rested his eyes on the official seeker of his team, "Terushima!"
In the span of a second Terushima rested his palms on the table to then start jumping and climb on Bokuto, causing everyone to laugh and some to fear for their future lives. "The new reign begins!" He expressed with happiness, "I will not disappoint you, I promise!"
Bokuto smiled amusedly while Konoha, Komi, Asahi, Kai, Kita and Moniwa, even though had been part of that decision, feared for the logic of the future Quidditch Hufflepuff team, until they remembered who had been chosen as the other leader of the Quidditch team.
"Who will be my right hand?" Terushima asked Bokuto.
"And the vice-captain will be... Drums again please!"
Konoha and Komi applauded on the table with even more enthusiasm.
"Yamaguchi!" Bokuto said with joy and with his arms outstretched.
As Lev and Koganegawa had been applauding from the beginning, at that moment both Watari and Shibayama breathed a sigh of relief when they heard that their two new team guides would balance each other due to the differences in their personalities, so they applauded happy with the decisions.
Yamaguchi remained shocked and pointed to himself while everyone looked at him.
"Me?" He managed to articulate watching Bokuto, who nodded. "But..."
"Someone must keep Terushima at bay." Moniwa assured him with a sweet smile and a hand on his shoulder.
"Hey!" Terushima complained
"We trust you." Konoha added, raising both thumbs in approval, and Kai nodded wisely.
Little by little Yamaguchi allowed a smile of gratitude to settle on his face as well as a slight blush on his cheeks, because although he had improved as a beater, he didn’t think he was ready to be vice-captain, but he couldn’t continue to question himself because he felt arms around him.
"Captain and vice-captain! We will be the best, Yamaguchi!" Terushima exclaimed, "We will get Hufflepuff back on track!"
"Yes!" Lev and Koganegawa shouted at the same time.
Watari and Shibayama looked at them smiling, and Yamaguchi kept on smiling.
Bokuto looked at them with joy. It was true that he hadn’t won a double title for his house, but the reality was that it had been a fun tournament, his players had changed a lot since the first game of the season as well as him, and they had all grown up. He was no longer a person who was only defined by his smile or his sudden mood swings, just as Terushima was not just a popular boy and Yamaguchi someone nervous. He knew he was leaving the team in good hands and that Hufflepuff would work hard to proclaim the cup for them again.
"Yes, we will be the best." Everyone heard that Yamaguchi assured Terushima, and the rest of the team.
"Well, it’s obvious that this year wasn’t the best year for Slytherin." Kuroo began, sitting between his teammates while they were in the Slytherin common room. Oikawa was by his side as Daishou on the other. "We got the last place." He said, expressing the truth, and none of them let out a word because they knew it was the reality.
Of the four houses, Slytherin had been last.
Ravenclaw had gotten the cup and Gryffindor won two games out of three, and Hufflepuff had lost two games like them, but the house defined by the colors yellow and black had scored more points so the last place had been for them. The first two games had been a disaster while in the last they had truly celebrated as if they had won the entire tournament since they knew that that game represented the last opportunity to embrace each other as the team that would change as soon as Kuroo kept on speaking at that time.
His house had been last with him in command, but he wasn’t sorry. He had had his own doubts and many ups and downs, but with the help of those around him, he had managed to trust himself and his leadership skills, so even if the last place was what they had obtained, he was not sad at all. He preferred to be happy because he had had a year to be captain of a team that he had commanded together with Oikawa, by whose side he had fun as well as with most of those around him at that time.
"But I think we can all agree that we prefer to stay with the memory of the last game we did win." He chose to say after glimpsing how quiet and downcast everyone was. "That Bokuto was only before us for a matter of points, that the Gryffindors didn’t get the cup, and that my dear boyfriend did have the cup." He smiled with pride. Oikawa smiled in the same way as Iwaizumi face-palmed, wondering how it was that he had survived a full year with those two in command, but then he laughed just like the others. "We had our problems and disagreements, but in the end we are a team," Kuroo continued, "So Oikawa and I want to thank everyone for letting us guide you inside the quidditch field but also outside of it." Yahaba and Oikawa exchanged glances and smiled as Kindaichi looked at Kuroo with a sideways smile. "It’s not a surprise to say that several of us will not be next year, and therefore, the responsibility will remain upon you."
The Slytherin team would be the one with the most changes since there were seven of them graduating. Oikawa and Kuroo wouldn’t be there to guide them as Suga wouldn’t be present to study them, Hanamaki and Matsukawa wouldn’t be substitute beaters, and Iwaizumi and Daishou wouldn’t show up to practice either.
But that didn’t mean that the Slytherin house would run out of team.
Yahaba, Futakuchi, Kindaichi, Kyoutani, Osamu and Atsumu looked at each other.
They just needed to get a keeper for the team, and they would be fine.
Kuroo looked at Oikawa and nodded. "So, as you should know, we must name the new captain and vice-captain of the team, and the decision can be discussed, but we believe that everyone will agree with us."
"The vice-captain will be," Oikawa began to say as his eyes fell on the one he couldn’t deny was his favorite kouhai. "Shigeru-chan!" He exclaimed, raising his arms in the air. Yahaba widened his eyes, being speechless since he hadn’t expected at all to be elected as vice-captain. "But I warn you, replacing me will be very difficult since yOW! Iwa-chan!"
Everyone laughed when Oikawa was smacked on the head by the one sitting next to him, who shook his head and rolled his eyes to then give a smile to Yahaba.
"I'm so proud of our son," Hanamaki said, bringing a hand to his chest while pretending to cry, and Matsukawa hugged him with a nod.
Their reactions got Yahaba to stop being completely serious and let out a small laugh like the others, knowing that although sometimes his upperclassmen could be the most annoying people he knew, he had to accept that next year he would miss them. "Thank you." He said, and his smile only increased when he turned his head and spotted Kyoutani giving him a smile, who also continued to hold his hand under the table.
"And the person who will try to take my place," Kuroo began, being forced to interrupt himself because Daishou smacked him in the head and then received another punch because Suga stretched out his arm to do the same. "Hell, I don’t know how I did to survive seven years sleeping in the same room with you two!" He looked at those who smiled innocently as he rubbed his head. "Anyway," He said, looking at them seriously before speaking again to the others. "The captain will be..." Hanamaki and Matsukawa played the table like a drum, "Futakuchi!"
Kuroo and Oikawa stretched their arms and grinned.
Futakuchi suddenly raised his sight to watch them completely confused and dazed, since he hadn’t even been paying attention because although he was very happy since his best friend would be vice-captain, he had been the reason why his team had been in last place, so he remained stupefied when he heard his name.
"What?" He articulated, demonstrating his disorientation.
He waited for everyone to tell him that it was a joke, but the seventh-years were giving him smiles that indicated he had listened well. He could feel the look and smile of Yahaba at his side as well as Kyoutani's eyes, while Atsumu and Osamu exchanged glances with each other and smirked, assuring him that they were already allying with each other to mock him. He glimpsed Kindaichi's confused look on Kuroo, not because he had expected to be the one to be named captain, but because he didn’t understand how it was that Kuroo had named him for that position.
Futakuchi was asking himself the same question.
"Sorry, what?" He repeated.
"You are the captain now, we chose you as the new captain of the team." Kuroo expressed.
"But I..."
"Next year will be a different year. This year doesn’t matter anymore."
Futakuchi watched Yahaba when he surrounded his shoulders with his arm and gave him a smile that managed to calm him, since his whole body had tensed and he didn’t doubt that Yahaba had glimpsed it.
"Sure." Futakuchi muttered under his breath.
"We hope the best for you." Oikawa said.
"Show how Slytherins really are." Suga held a calm smile.
Futakuchi took advantage of the fact that Hanamaki and Matsukawa began to annoy Oikawa by telling him that he had been the worst vice-captain and that his "son" would defeat him by only showing up at the first practice, while Iwaizumi wanted to no longer be associated with them, and that Daishou and Suga began to talk with Kuroo, to ask permission and go away from the round they had formed when Kuroo and Oikawa had called them.
He soon found himself away from the chatter and sitting with his knees bent against his chest, his hands clasped near his ankles as he watched the dark water in front of him, where he could glimpse a tentacle, that image getting him to hold a small smile, thinking that the giant squid had approached. He promptly heard footsteps behind him and wasn’t surprised when Yahaba sat down next to him. Yahaba looked at him for a few seconds before resting his head on his shoulder and also watched the water in front of them.
He couldn’t believe they had been chosen as the new team leaders. Or rather, he was proud of his best friend because although his appearance showed one thing, his personality made it clear that he made himself heard when he needed it to, while he was still wondering why he had been chosen as the captain.
He believed that the other teams were good, but if he hadn’t pretended not to listen to Kuroo just because of his feelings, he also believed that he would have been able to catch the snitch against Gryffindor, and that if he wouldn’t have wasted time lying to him and hurting Kenma, he would have also done it against Ravenclaw, though he couldn’t prevent a small smile from appearing on his face when he remembered the way Terushima started to pull his own hair when he saw him snatch the snitch before him or when everyone had congratulated him for catching the snitch before Kawanishi.
"I don’t deserve it, Yabs." He said after a few seconds.
He didn’t deserve to be the team captain when he had interfered with the tournament.
"I am also surprised. We acted like idiots." With those words, Yahaba reminded him that while he and Kyoutani had also contributed to Slytherin not winning, and the second had been for his personal fight with Ennoshita, the first had only acted in the way he had done thanks to him, and all the lies he had told him.
"I'm sorry I dragged you with my lies."
Yahaba lifted his head from his shoulder to look at him smiling.
"I'm your best friend, I'm supposed to be dragged to you no matter what."
Futakuchi held a small smile at his words, but then looked down.
"I don’t know if I'll be able to be... a captain, the captain this team needs. No one trusts me. Kindaichi is still angry with me. It will be a disaster."
He was aware that Kindaichi really had no reason to be angry with him, but it was too late to tell the truth and plead not guilty.
"Have a little faith, yes?" Yahaba asked him, pushing him lightly with his shoulder. "After all, I will be your vice-captain. And don’t worry about Kindaichi, it's understandable that he's angry, but if the Ravenclaws have already forgiven you, then give him some time for him to do it too."
"You also noticed it, huh?"
"The Ravenclaws trying to get along with you? Yes."
Neither of them had overlooked the short, small moments when either Kenma, Akaashi or Ennoshita had approached him in some way or another, showing that no matter what had happened between them, they were willing to give it a try.
Yahaba again rested his head on Futakuchi’s shoulder, wrapping his hands around his arm because although he knew he had been by his best friend’s side, he also knew it was no coincidence the Ravenclaws had started to approach Futakuchi.
"I’m sorry for not believing you."
He was more than sure that Futakuchi hadn’t been the one to spell Kunimi.
Akaashi, Ennoshita, and Kenma getting closer to him was the only proof he needed to know that his best friend wasn’t guilty. He wouldn’t ask Futakuchi why he had accepted to be seen like that, but he would make him see that he was by his side as he had always been.
Futakuchi finally allowed a true smile to appear on his face before he rested his head on his. His best friend knowing he was a good person was enough. It had been a long year, but as Kuroo had said, they had to focus on the year that awaited them.
It would be interesting, he couldn’t deny that. He would be face to face with Akaashi, whose strategic way of thinking he admired, with Yamamoto, who was too easy to annoy and rile up, even more considering that their houses were supposed to be enemies, and with Terushima, who was his best friend and with whom he didn’t doubt that they would bother each other now that both occupied the same position.
Yahaba was already planning how to bother Ennoshita, as well as teasing Tanaka, and having fun with Yamaguchi.
"Ouch!" The two of them parted when Yahaba felt something against the back of his head, and he looked at the top of the stairs to see his owl flying away, leaving, to then see the letter that it had apparently dropped against his head.
Futakuchi laughed and Yahaba rolled his eyes before taking the letter and raising both eyebrows when he spotted the stamp of the Durmstrang Institute. A grin began to appear on his face as he opened it, and he could only bite his lower lip without losing his smile once he read the only sentence written on the paper.
I'm the captain now.
"Stupid Shirabu." Yahaba said as he laughed to then watch his best friend, who also looked at him.
"We will win all the games." Futakuchi expressed, and Yahaba grinned. "We will win them all Yabs."
He had wasted an opportunity, so he planned to take this new chance with his own hands.
"That's how a Slytherin talks." Yahaba said, and they both smiled.
It was true that Ravenclaw had proclaimed the Quidditch Cup.
But there was still another cup at Hogwarts that needed to be delivered.
Takeda remained with the House Cup in front of him, that one waiting to be delivered to one of the four houses. The annual prize would be awarded to the house with more points, those given by professors and prefects throughout the year for answering questions correctly and for good works as well as proper behavior, so the students sitting in the Gryffindor table knew that they wouldn’t be those to celebrate, since if the previous year it had been enough with Yamamoto, Tanaka and Nishinoya, now that Kageyama, Hinata and Inuoka had joined the quidditch team and so get to know the sixth-years, they didn’t doubt that they probably were the house with fewer points no matter how hard the others had tried, how good scores Yaku would have obtained, how well Kinoshita and Narita had behaved, or how good of a job Daichi had done as prefect and captain.
So the real competition remained among the other three houses.
Bokuto firmly hoped that Hufflepuff was the house named, since although his own behavior and his notes didn’t represent the best to take his house to the top, he was aware that Terushima was the best of several of his classes, and that both were looking for any occasion to celebrate, and they had Kita and Kai. But after high-fiving with the one he had named as the new Quidditch team captain, he glanced at the Ravenclaw table, where Akaashi stared at where Takeda was standing, as did everyone else sitting at his table.
Yes, they had been satisfied with the Quidditch Cup.
But one more retribution for their behavior and notes wouldn’t be rejected.
Meanwhile, at the Slytherin table, Iwaizumi could assure that it was the first time that Kuroo and Oikawa were in the same place, but instead of screaming or laughing, both silent with their eyes resting on the silver cup.
And he did the same when Takeda extended his arms.
The flags that hung from the roof of the Great Hall replaced its black color and the Hogwarts shield by a green background that gave rise to the image of a silver snake, and a wave of applause and whistles as well as a series of snorts and complaints of disappointment were heard all over the place.
"YES, DAMN IT!"
It could have been Kuroo, it could have been Oikawa, it could have been Yahaba.
But the one who had shouted and began to embrace everyone around him in a totally emotional way turned out to be Suga, who continued jumping and took advantage of the enthusiasm around him to merge into an embrace with Oikawa and Kuroo, to which Daishou didn’t hesitate to join in followed by Hanamaki and Matsukawa, Iwaizumi being dragged to it by Oikawa.
Everyone at the Slytherin table stood and hugged each other, and they laughed at the same time that the cup was brought before them to begin to pass it on.
"In your face, Ravenclaw!"
Yahaba had placed one foot on the bench and another on the table to then point specifically to Ennoshita, who didn’t hesitate to stick out his tongue as soon as he glimpsed and heard him, getting Yahaba do the same.
Kenma, Kunimi, and Suna cheerfully applauded at the same time that Kuroo gave a smile to the first, Kindaichi raised his fist in the air for the second, and Osamu smiled calmly for the third before being thrown to the ground by his brother, who shook him by the shoulders because they had won. Daichi applauded happily as he watched Suga celebrate with Daishou, and no one was surprised when Hanamaki and Matsukawa began to kiss each other at the same time that Oikawa climbed onto Iwaizumi's back, while Kyoutani rolled his eyes before taking Yahaba from the back of his tunic to get him off the table only to be embraced by him, Futakuchi not hesitating to add himself.
Nishinoya, Tanaka, Yamamoto, Kageyama, Hinata and Inuoka mocked each other because they hadn’t won the cup until the six realized that they belonged to the same house, while Yaku gave a smile to Lev who had looked at him, because although he had wanted Hufflepuff to win, he knew how much the Gryffindor had struggled for his notes, though he smiled after seeing that gesture on his face. Yamaguchi and Yachi clapped and formed a line with their lips to prevent a giggle from escaping when they saw Tsukishima applauding slowly without any emotion on his face, and Terushima had left his table to join Futakuchi, Yahaba and Kyoutani's embrace, no matter if he was the only one of Hufflepuff among those Slytherin students, giving Bokuto the chance to look back to the Ravenclaw table, frowning in confusion when he didn’t find Akaashi.
He extended his eyes to the rest of the Ravenclaw table to check that they hadn’t moved, and took advantage that everyone else was present and that Takeda was trying to calm down the Slytherins who were still celebrating and even beckoning to the director to join their hugs, to leave his table but not before giving a smile to Kuroo, although it disappeared as soon as he left the doors of the Great Hall and found that Akaashi had indeed done the same, since he was with his back leaning against the wall as he watched down and fiddled with his fingers.
"Akaashi!" He expressed approaching him. Akaashi seemed tense when he recognized his voice, and his shoulders remained rigid when Bokuto's hands rested on them. "I didn’t know that not winning the Cup made you sad," The Hufflepuff said, realizing that for the Ravenclaw a single cup was perhaps not enough, although he didn’t hesitate to add his next words. "But you have the Quidditch Cup! You won it because you are the best captain!" He said without hesitation as he looked at him with a huge, excited smile, but that vanished again when Akaashi kept on staring at the ground. "Akaashi, it's... it’s just a cup, you don’t need it to know that your house is awesome."
"I'm not upset about that." Akaashi mumbled, and kept his eyes down when he knew that Bokuto had heard his voice being muffled. "I mean, of course I wanted to get the Cup, but that's not it."
"So?" He asked him, "What happens?"
The concern in Bokuto's face increased when Akaashi crossed his arms, but he took Akaashi's chin to make him look at him, and swallowed when he saw that his eyes were glassy. "Don’t you realize?" Akaashi asked, looking at him.
"What are you talking about?" Bokuto asked taking his face with both hands.
Akaashi's lower lip trembled. "Everything is over. Everything is really over." He managed to express.
He really believed that he had been able to cope, and he had been happy when he hadn’t felt any tightness in his chest, but while he was still happy to have won the Quidditch Cup, the last week of school had only reminded him that only his team would continue the same because they were the only ones not to have seventh-years players in it, while around him, the other teams would change and new captains and vice captains had been appointed because a new class was leaving. The seventh-years students would finally leave them, and the cup of the houses had been the closure he had needed to realize that a knot had formed in his throat, because although his team didn’t have seventh-years, that didn’t mean that it didn’t affect him to know the fact that next year they would be the eldest, and that therefore, the seventh-years of that moment would no longer be present.
"I don’t want to see you go," Akaashi said, looking at him, "I don’t want you to go."
He had thought that focusing on the present would help him not to think about the future, but with the future becoming the new present, he hadn’t been able to avoid feeling that way, realizing that Bokuto wouldn’t be next year, that they wouldn’t sleep side by side most of the nights, that he would no longer have a reason to approach the Hufflepuff common room, that his life would cease to be as noisy as he had become accustomed to.
Bokuto didn’t hesitate to hug him as soon as he heard him, and pressed a kiss on Akaashi's head when he wrapped his arms around his waist and Akaashi unfolded his arms to hug him and hide his head between his neck and shoulder. "Don’t worry," He assured him, stroking his black curls. "I don’t plan to allow you to get away from me or forget me." Bokuto hugged him tighter, assuring him that he was telling him the truth because even though that was his last day at Hogwarts and Akaashi would come back next year to complete his last year while he would be unfolding his future that would soon be present, he didn’t plan for it to separate them.
Bokuto looked to his side when he heard a noise, and smiled when he spotted Kuroo and Kenma poking their heads through the doors of the Great Hall. The two of them approached them and Akaashi looked at them when he felt they were no longer alone. He didn't object when Kenma hugged him, and the two looked at Kuroo and Bokuto as they remained hugged sideways.
"I know you will miss us, we are hard to forget." Kuroo expressed before winking, and for the first time Akaashi was grateful that his personality was that way because he managed to make him laugh.
"I'll be fine with Akaashi."
"Kenma!"
Bokuto didn't hesitate to laugh, his laugh quickly turning into a cough when Kuroo nudged him in the stomach. Kenma and Akaashi smiled, knowing that while they had expressed that they had wanted Gryffindor to come second because they had endured Bokuto and Kuroo for six years, the next year they would miss them as much as Bokuto and Kuroo would miss the two of them.
The four of them stopped looking at each other when they heard a series of words and raised their eyebrows once they spotted Hinata and Kageyama, seeming to be preparing to run a marathon as they stretched their muscles at the doors of the Great Hall.
"I'll beat you, you'll see."
"I always win, dumbass."
"What on earth are you two planning to do?" Daichi asked them, appearing.
The fifth-year duo seemed to freeze in place when they heard them but spoke anyway.
"We'll race to the Quidditch pitch!" Hinata replied.
"Then make room for your precious sempais because we will win!" Tanaka expressed, appearing with Nishinoya and Yamamoto by his side.
"You move, Gryffindor, Slytherin will win." Yahaba passed next to him on purpose, followed by Futakuchi, though they both backed away as Oikawa rushed past them.
"If there’s someone who will beat Tobio-chan, that’s me." He said positioning himself in front of everyone.
"One last race before we are teammates!" Bokuto didn’t hesitate to go stand next to him, although he returned to give Akaashi a hug and a kiss, and then positioned himself next to Oikawa again.
"I have to win then!" Kuroo rushed to copy him.
"No joke, Slytherin." Yaku pushed him with his waist.
"I am ashamed." Iwaizumi expressed, though his words seemed contradictory considering that he also prepared for the race.
"We won a cup, we can win this." Suga expressed placing his hand on Iwaizumi's shoulder to stretch his leg.
"Don't get ahead of yourself Sugawara-san, Ravenclaw also won." Akaashi took Kenma's hand to draw the two closer, his sadness having already disappeared because just as Kenma would have him, he would have Kenma.
"I don’t know anyone, I don’t belong to any team, I don’t exist." Ennoshita voiced aside, with Kinoshita and Narita nodding at his words.
"Ennoshita-san, weren't you elected vice-captain?" Tsukishima asked him on purpose.
"Me too, Ennoshita-san!" Yamaguchi said without noticing Ennoshita’s expression.
Kiyoko laughed, Yachi looked at her and blushed. Close to them, Kyoutani rolled his eyes and Kunimi gave Kindaichi a push when he noticed that he wanted to run too, making both Hanamaki and Matsukawa wrap their arms around his shoulders. Terushima rushed to join the others as Konoha let out a sigh. Asahi asked if they should call the professors and Daishou said no, Suna laughed as Sakusa formed a grimace when Osamu and Atsumu started saying to each other that only one of them would win. Fukunaga rested his chin on Ennoshita’s shoulder as Inuoka and Lev and Koganegawa appeared, saying they were ready to participate.
Kageyama and Hinata looked at each other to then shrug and start jumping, being ready.
Bokuto looked at Akaashi and gave him his best smile, being happy because Akaashi was no longer sad. Perhaps Hogwarts was where they had developed their feelings towards each other, but that didn’t mean that outside the castle they wouldn’t continue making the same effort to continue understanding and loving each other in the way they did, although they would always remember Hogwarts as the place where their emotions had come to the surface in the same way that Iwaizumi and Oikawa would always remember that they had confessed to each other, wanting to be more than best friends in the corridor of the Slytherin common room, as Tanaka and Ennoshita would remember doing the same in the infirmary, and as Yaku and Lev had observed each other in one of the classrooms and the stairs had been where Yamaguchi had chosen to be sincere with Tsukishima.
The castle had heard them, had seen them, had embraced them.
Suga and Daichi would always remember how the prefect bathroom had become their favorite place, just as Hanamaki and Matsukawa would remember the Great Hall for having known each other there as soon as they had met together in that space, while Bokuto and Kuroo would remember all the past moments that had quickly forged their friendship, as well as all those afternoons performing various detentions along with Daishou, Oikawa and Iwaizumi because they had always ended up involved.
The field of quidditch would be remembered by all, although not only by the games played and the trainings carried out. It was the place where Bokuto and Asahi had begun to get along despite their completely opposite personalities, where Iwaizumi and Oikawa had made it clear that their timing was amazing in any aspect of their lives, where Kuroo had learned that people of his own year and same house were the most fun people he could meet, and where Suga had learned that even in Quidditch, sometimes being on a broom wasn’t the most important thing.
Everyone heard when Ukai laughed, and they all started running when Takeda exclaimed "Go!".
Hogwarts had witnessed the tears caused by arguments and misunderstandings, screams created by fights and discussions, as well as it had heard laughter forged from the shared moments and the jokes carried out. Hogwarts had witnessed friendships being born, friendships becoming more, it had seen their emotions evolving and growing, as well as seen personal and group development. The upcoming year some feelings would change while others would remain the same, but there was something that would never change and would always remain fundamental no matter how much time passed, and that was that no matter what kind of magical feelings they had developed among that infinite number of walls, corridors and grounds, the castle would always give them the space to express themselves and feel safe while doing so, because Hogwarts was, and would always be, their home.