[033] - Aiba Masaki and the Mackled Malaclaw - Arashi (Aiba/Becky)
Title: Aiba Masaki and the Mackled Malaclaw
Group: Arashi
Pairing/Genre: Aiba/Becky; Hogwarts AU
Rating/Warnings: PG-13; language (and a handful of cameos)
Word Count: 5250
Summary: He was doomed from the moment she set those piercing green eyes on him. Aiba never was one for logic in the face of danger.
Notes: Written for astrangerenters for the Queensland Relief Fund! She requested Hogwarts AU and I certainly hope I did it justice. :D All magical creatures mentioned herein can be found in the supplementary Potter book Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them (or I'm sure on any Potter-related website). :) Smishes to my betas, as always. ♥
The first time Aiba saw Becky, she was laughing, loud and clear as she darted around the grass near Hagrid's hut, trying to catch Billywigs. The sapphire whisps darted here and there, quick as a flash, teasing the sixth year Hufflepuffs. Aiba remembered somewhat painfully the Billywig day he'd had in Hagrid's class the previous year - he and four of his fellow Gryffindors had to be led to the Infirmary like balloons, bobbing in the air behind Madame Pomfrey. Billywigs could be fun, but dangerous (though not nearly as dangerous as Hagrid would like most days).
Aiba stood entranced by Becky's laugh, her smile as she whirled and darted, her green eyes dancing as brown hair whipped behind her.
"Aiba, come on!" Jun shouted from up the hill, breaking Aiba's concentration. For the first time in what felt like hours, Aiba turned from the sight of bright eyes and flowing locks to race up the hill.
"What was that about?" Jun asked, eyebrows furrowed in their usual place.
"That girl," Aiba wheezed. He bent almost double, hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. "Do you know who she is?"
Jun glanced down the hill, his scowl melting into a fond smile. "Becky," he answered simply.
"Becky," Aiba repeated. He stood straight and turned to stare again. As he watched Becky's hair curl in the afternoon breeze, Aiba knew he was thoroughly and completely screwed.
--
Aiba's office is the smallest in the department, something that would bother Sho or Jun, but doesn't faze him. Aiba likes his tiny, cluttered cupboard at the end of the hallway. It's got more windows than any other office on the floor and is the furthest from Nakai, the department head's office. Aiba's been working for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures for almost two years and is due for a promotion any day. If Nakai didn't hate him quite so much, anyway.
"Aiba!" Nakai barks as he steps off the lift. Aiba snaps to attention and makes it to Nakai's office door in three strides, a hesitant smile on his face.
"Yes, sir?" Aiba asks as he turns the corner. And his heart stops. Full stop. No more beating. Aiba's pretty sure he's dead for at least half a minute before it starts back up again.
"I need you to show our newest employee around the office," Nakai says, gesturing to the young woman sitting across from his desk. She stands and holds out her hand for Aiba to shake, her smile no less enchanting than it was two years ago.
"Becky Vaughn," she introduces herself, shaking Aiba's hand, her smile slipping a little as Aiba just stares at her, struck dumb. Every nerve in his hand is on fire and he's trying to remember how to speak when she finally gives up and steps back, a small scowl on her face.
"Oh, um, I'm sorry," he stammers, hand flying back out to grip hers again, his eyes seemingly locked on her bright green ones. "Masaki Aiba. We were at Hogwarts together, remember?" Aiba laughs nervously, the breathy wheeze sounding even more unnatural than usual as she continues to just stare at him.
Recognition crosses her face and Becky's smiling again, shaking his hand for the second time. "Right, right!" she exclaims and Aiba beams. "Ohno's idiot friend! I remember you!"
Nakai laughs. "Not much has changed, eh, Aiba?" Aiba holds back the daily desire to knock his boss in the face with a closed fist and just smiles through the familiar pain of semi-humiliation. He'd hoped his friendship with Becky had meant more than just being 'Ohno's idiot friend,' but apparently two years was long enough to forget.
"Apparently not, sir," he replies tersely. Turning back to Becky, Aiba tries to locate some of his usual good cheer. "Um, shall we go?"
Becky nods and collects her things - a giant bag with more sequins than Aiba has ever seen in one place, the cutest notebook on the planet ('You can do it!' scrawled across the cover in pink, sparkly letters), and a pen with about three thousand toppers on it. They make their pleasantries with Nakai as Aiba holds the door for her, smacking himself in the face on the way out. He represses the sigh at her giggle and leads Becky down the hall. The department is alive with work at this time of day. Since Voldemort's fall, they've spent most of their time searching out and retrieving the many dangerous creatures he'd used to intimidate and hurt people. Aiba has been burnt, clawed, scraped, knocked down and frozen more times than he could count. He loves his job though, despite the occasional occupational hazard.
"You like Muggle things?" Aiba asks, gesturing at her bag and searching for any topic other than their former friendship as they walked toward the break room.
"Hm?" Becky replies questioningly, glancing around at the offices.
"Oh, yes," she continues. She looks down at her bag and smiles. "My mom's a Muggle, Dad's a wizard. I just can't help it, everything's so cute!" Becky shakes her pen in Aiba's face, laughing at his look of disgust. "I love being half, though," she carries on, smiling wide. Aiba smiles back automatically and remembers why he fell for her in the first place. (Not that he's in love with her or anything, no. That was a stupid school crush and he's totally over her now. Honest.) "It's the best of both worlds."
"Yeah," Aiba sighs in response, his brain apparently on vacation.
"Oh, are you half, too?" Becky asks, eyes bright.
"Uh, no," Aiba replies. He rubs the back of his neck, a bad habit he picked up from Sho ages ago. "Neither of my parents are magical at all. Nor is my brother, come to think of it. I'm the weird one." Aiba grins a bit lopsidedly at her and looks away from her sympathetic eyes. The last thing he wants is for her to pity him. He's starting to wonder, though, if maybe she's what he needs to fill that gap that's been lurking in his life.
"Oh," she says again. "Well, I don't think you're that weird."
"Wait until you get to know him," comes a shout from down the hall. Aiba turns and scowls.
"SHUT UP, YOKO."
"BUY MILK, MASAKI."
"DICK."
"ASS."
"...LOVE YOU."
"LOVE YOU, TOO."
Becky's looking at him with a mixture of amusement and confusion when Aiba turns back, smiling.
"Yoko's both my best friend and flatmate," Aiba replies with a laugh. "He's practically my brother at this point."
Aiba can't decide if he's relieved or not as Becky smiles, shakes her head and walks on. He trots a little to catch up and continues the tour. "So this is the break room...."
---
Nino tossed the quaffle to Jun with a bit more force than was absolutely necessary.
"Hey Ohno, your girlfriend's coming," he announced, catching the return lob from Jun easily. Nino was the best chaser on Slytherin's team that year, having scored more points alone than the other chasers in the school combined. And he knew it.
"Oh yeah, that is Meisa," Ohno mumbled, looking back down at his sketch of Kamenashi being mangled by the Whomping Willow.
"What, you're not going to go say hi?" Nino teased. He caught the quaffle behind his back and tossed it back to Jun in one motion.
"I'll see her at lunch," came the quiet reply. "She's talking to Becky, anyway."
Aiba looked up from where he was lounging on the grass next to Sho, nose still in his History of Magic book. Aiba wondered how exactly anyone could read that dreadful thing, but Sho was a nerd. Aiba just accepted that as his state of being. Nino was gesturing down the hill to the pair of sixth years - Meisa in Slytherin's emerald green, Becky in Hufflepuff's sunny yellow. They were an odd combination, to be sure, but Nino and Jun were both part of their group and they were Slytherins. Meisa's cool determination seemed to match nicely with Becky's mischievous, but often good, intentions. Something in Aiba's stomach turned happily as he watched the pair walk quickly across the lawn. He would later blame that same something for the standing, waving and shouting that followed.
"Becky! Hey, Becky!"
He saw her turn, could see her confusion, then recognition even from this distance. Aiba took two steps, then WHAM. The quaffle knocked him in the back of the head so hard spots danced before Aiba's eyes. He turned angrily and glared at Nino.
"It slipped," Nino protested, a decidedly evil curve to his lips.
Rubbing the back of his head, Aiba turned back to look down the hill and scowled. Becky and Meisa were laughing, clutching one another for support as they headed away from the group.
"I hate you," Aiba spit in Nino's direction before stomping back up to Gryffindor tower to sulk until lunch.
---
"So..." Aiba stops in front of Becky's office, the tour coming to an end all too quickly. "If you have any questions, my office is two doors down, there in the corner."
"Okay, thanks Aiba!" Becky says brightly, stepping into her new space and pulling out her wand. Aiba's not surprised it's just as ostentatiously decorated as the rest of her belongings. (He finds this oddly endearing.) Nor is he surprised when seconds later, the room has gone from drab brown, all natural woods and austere furnishings, to almost blindingly pink, glitter on every other surface and dozens of pictures of sunflowers waving in the breeze on the walls.
Aiba takes a step backwards out of the room, hoping to regain normal vision sometime soon before remembering something he'd wanted to ask. "Hey, Becky, I was wondering, would you like to go to di-"
"Becky!" Aiba is cut off abruptly by Maki, one of the new Aurors, as she pushes her way into Becky's office and throws her arms around the occupant's shoulders.
"Maki!" Becky squeals in reply, pulling her friend down one of the newly acquired squashy chairs and chattering animatedly.
The pair start talking at a pace Aiba's not sure even he can keep up with. He backs out of the room quietly and heads down the hall to his office. "-nner sometime," he finishes under his breath. Another time, he promises himself. One day. Maybe.
---
Aiba breathed a sigh of relief as he glanced over his NEWT scores - all passes (though some more barely than others), with extremely high marks in Care of Magical Creatures, Potions and Charms. He'd gladly take the E's in Transfiguration and Astronomy. And the A in History of Magic (by the skin of his teeth and hour upon hour of review with Sho in the common room) gave him the necessary grades for his pending job at the Ministry.
There was only a week left in term before the train would be there to take them home, to their individual futures, and Aiba was an odd mixture of excited and sad. The last few months had been fantastic - Meisa and Becky had joined their little group as more permanent fixtures, the former's relationship with Ohno apparently getting more serious (though honestly, who could tell with Ohno? Nino claimed to, but the pair frequently had silent conversations no one else could decipher. Nino could very well be making it up and Aiba wouldn't put it past him).
Aiba stood in the entrance hall, debating a nap on the lawn versus nicking a snack from the kitchens before his pickup game of Quidditch with some Ravenclaws started when he heard his name being called. Turning, his face broke into its trademark smile.
Becky smiled back from the doorway, haloed in sunlight.
"I'm sorry, what?" Aiba asked as she approached.
"I asked how you did on your NEWTS," she replied, slapping him lightly on the arm. "And if you wanted to come into Hogsmeade with us."
Aiba's arm tingled at the contact. He'd hoped that after two months of hanging out with her on a near daily basis, the crush on Becky he was nursing would have subsided. But it was quite the opposite - the more he learned about her, the more Aiba wanted to learn about her - her likes and dislikes and what made her throw her head back and laugh (besides him hurting himself) and what movies made her cry and if they'd ever get to see each other once he'd moved on to adulthood and she was still at Hogwarts. They'd spent more time bickering than actually getting to know each other in the last few weeks and all Aiba wanted was to know her.
"Ah, I'm sorry," Aiba said again, frowning slightly. "Pretty good on the NEWTS, but I already promised some of the guys from Ravenclaw we'd do one last game before the term was over. But tomorrow?" he asked hopefully.
Becky shook her head and smiled. "No, it's fine. I just thought I'd ask since you were here and I was on my way down there and..." She paused and seemed to collect herself for a moment. "Well, if I don't see you again this term, good luck."
Aiba started to reply, maybe say something about how of course they'd see each other, they were in the same social group now, when he was stopped short by Becky's arms around his neck, pulling him down into a tight hug. He slipped his hands around her waist and squeezed back. "Thanks," he breathed, not sure he could trust his brain to come up with any other words at the moment.
It was a long minute before Becky finally pulled back, not meeting his eyes. She sniffed once before turning away, but not before Aiba caught the sight of a tear rolling down one cheek.
"Are you-"
"I'm fine," she said tersely, voice wavering a bit. "I'll be fine. Um. Bye." Becky hurried out of the hall, bouncing down the steps quickly and into the sunlight.
Aiba was disappointed when Becky turned out to be right - they didn't see each other for the rest of the week and Aiba had to wonder if maybe she was avoiding him. But most of all, he wondered if maybe he should have kissed her.
---
Three days after Becky starts at the department, Aiba's finally starting to relax around her a bit. He wonders why there's still this awkwardness between them, but Aiba's not one to bring that up. As much as others like to joke that he can't read the atmosphere (something Nakai brings up at every performance review), Aiba does know how to read people and this one is very clearly saying she doesn't want to talk about it.
Nakai calls them into his office just after tea with a new assignment.
"Mackled malaclaws, Miss Vaughn. Have you dealt with them before?" he asks, staring Becky down.
She doesn't waver, just smiles and recites from memory: "Land animal, resembling a lobster. Resides on the coasts. Its bite renders anyone incredibly unlucky for up to a week. Any witch or wizard bitten by one should call off all bets, wagers and ventures immediately. I've not dealt with them personally, but I'm familiar enough."
"Excellent!" Nakai beams at her before addressing the pair of them. "There's a nest of malaclaws on the Irish coast giving the villagers there some trouble. Nothing too serious, but about a dozen of them have found their way into the town - motor accidents, lost wagers, last week every single toilet clogged at the same time. It's not a pretty picture."
Aiba snickers and finds himself under Nakai's steely glare. He straightens, looks down at his notepad and scribbles something incomprehensible as Nakai presses on.
"As I was saying. It's an easy enough case for your first one, Miss Vaughn. Aiba will go with you to help show you the ropes. You'll be gathering the malaclaws for relocation to a less-civilized location. Once you're done, we'll send in a team to perform memory charms on the muggles in town. It's a simple in and out case." Nakai turns back to Aiba and glares, punctuating each word with a soft slam of his fist to the desk. "No. Funny. Business. In and out."
"In and out, sir," Aiba replies, nodding.
"Very good." Nakai leans back in his chair and steeples his fingers. Aiba thinks at times like this he looks like an American mob boss, but he knows better than to say as much. "I expect the report on my desk in two days." He shoos them out and slams the door with finality.
Becky stands in the hallway and scowls for a moment. "He didn't even give me any details!" she exclaims. "I don't know where we're going or how we do this or anything!"
"Well, that's why you have me, isn't it?" Aiba asks with a tentative smile.
Becky eyes him up and down and sighs. "You'll do, I suppose." Aiba beams. He'll take what he can get. "So what now?"
Aiba gestures to her to follow and leads them to his office. For the next hour, he goes over the paperwork, the necessary requisition forms for carriers, security clearances and how the report is to be written. It's probably not necessary to stand that close, but the smell of Becky's perfume is intoxicating and Aiba can't seem to get enough. That familiar turn in his stomach is back and he feels 17 years old again. By the end of the meeting, Becky seems to have a bit more confidence in his skills, though. Aiba counts this as a victory.
"We'll leave tomorrow morning around 10. I'll get the carriers ready beforehand, if you'll make sure the paperwork is filled out for transport," Aiba says, handing over the necessary forms.
"Sounds good." Becky stands, taking the papers from Aiba. Their fingers brush for a moment and she stills, eyes wide. Looking up at Aiba, her eyes are glazed over in memory. Or a stroke. Aiba can't really tell the difference. Aiba wonders what's going through her head, but the moment passes all too quickly. "Yes, well. I'll see you in the morning," she says, a small smile and a wave as she leaves his office.
Aiba looks down and sighs. Definitely feeling 17 years old again.
---
The next morning, they set off for Ireland. Aiba's knapsack is enchanted with an enlargement charm to hold all of their supplies and Becky's positively giddy with excitement. Aiba feels as if his face might shatter from all the smiling he's doing.
They apparate to the north side of the village and take a moment to get their bearings. The coastline is just to the south, on the other side of town. Most of the malaclaws have been driven to the coast, but word from the local authority is that there are a few still lingering in the alleyways.
"We'll tackle the town first," Aiba says, taking point and striding confidently in that direction. He's trying to ignore the cute pink and white flower print on her robes, the way they softly swish as she walks next to him. He'd told her to dress in something she didn't mind getting dirty, but her response of "I'm not so prissy as all that, Masaki" had put him in his place (and made him wonder if she'd ever used his given name before). The first part of the mission goes remarkably smoothly. Becky is quick to learn and willing to take instruction. Aiba's pleased they seem to work well together, despite whatever tension may be lingering.
"Have you done this a lot?" she asks as they're luring the last of the town-dwellers into a cage.
"This is only my second malaclaw run," Aiba replies, snapping the lid closed and tapping it once with his wand, sending it back to the department's processing area. From there, the animals would be rehomed somewhere more remote. Aiba straightens, popping his back once. "But I've done similar kinds of things with other animals. Search and rescue type missions are our most common, though some more dangerous than others. This is a pretty decent first run for you, though," he says, smiling at her. "My first one was going after a sphinx that had gotten loose just outside of Edinburgh." He shudders. "Not a good time. I think that may be when Nakai started hating me though..."
Becky's laugh echoes off the walls as they pick their way back to the main street. "I don't think Nakai hates you," she replies, smiling up at him. "He just... I don't know. Expects more of you. This is coming from someone who's only been around for three days, but maybe he wants to see what you can do? Push you to the edge?"
Aiba nods and looks away. He hates disappointing people, but he's never been particularly good at anything. He was a decent Beater on the Gryffindor team and an okay student. Now he's an okay employee in the Beast Division of the Ministry. Aiba does wonder if he'll ever be first best at anything, but he doesn't let it get him down. He loves his job and he likes his life. And now, he has a lovely coworker, both inside and out, to keep him on his toes. He finally smiles back at her, meeting her eyes for the first time in ages.
"Maybe you're right," he says. "But for now, let's get these beasties under control, yeah?"
The coastline is worse than Aiba expected - craggy, unstable, and slippery as hell. More than two dozen malaclaws are scattered all down the cliff, from what Aiba can see. Their mission is to collect the excess creatures, so he's not worried about the ones he can't see. Malaclaws like daylight. The ones hidden are inconsequential, he thinks to himself.
"Be careful on these rocks," Aiba warns, turning to see Becky picking her way carefully to the first malaclaw.
"Got it!" she calls cheerfully back.
Becky's already lured her first one in by the time Aiba catches up to her on the cliff. They quickly gather up the malaclaws, Aiba barely missing a bite from one, and transport them one-by-one back to the Ministry.
"I think we've got them all," Aiba says, surveying their work.
"Oh, there's one just there!" Becky's right, they missed one. She's already scrambling down the rocks when Aiba sees where she's pointing.
"Be careful!" he calls, slipping and sliding his way after her. How she moves that quickly in those shoes, Aiba will never understand.
She's trying to tempt the last malaclaw into the cage conjured from her bag when Aiba reaches her.
"See, this isn't so hard," she says, smirking at him. "I mean, if you can do iiii-AAAHHHH!"
The malaclaw takes a hold of the bottom of Becky's robes, pulling her just slightly off balance. She falls back as Aiba reaches forward to catch her, steadying them both on the rocky wall with one arm around Becky's waist. The malaclaw skitters away and Becky's heaving deep breaths when Aiba looks down at her, concerned that she may have gotten bitten or turned an ankle or sliced her hand or something. A bite from the malaclaw is annoying, but not painful. All the same, he's just about to ask when suddenly, she lifts her face to his, brushing their lips together. Aiba's arm tightens around her waist and she gasps, turning her head to get a better angle. The kiss is painfully short-lived and Aiba's practically floating when she pulls back.
"Oh," she breathes, her face stuck somewhere between a frown and a smile. She disapparates before he can say anything.
Aiba's arms feel painfully empty. Thirty seconds ago, he'd been holding Becky. He'd been kissing Becky. Aiba takes a moment to grin to himself, letting out a small whoop and doing a little dance on the craggy cliff face. Finally remembering where he is and what he's supposed to be doing, Aiba sighs and climbs back up the rocks. The last malaclaw will just have to be free, he decides. Aiba packs up the rest of the equipment, makes contact with the local authority one last time, shaking hands and smiling, before heading back to the office. He's trying not to think about what it means that she disapparated. That she kissed him. Because she definitely kissed him, not the other way around. With every step through the department, Aiba can feel his heart getting heavier and heavier. Becky's office door is closed, so he passes quickly, closing the door of his own office once he gets inside. Aiba leans against the doorframe and huffs out the breath he didn't know he was holding.
A simple assignment had somehow turned into so much more. He wondered what it meant. What Becky thought. What he thought. Did this mean she hated him? Was this one of those things where a crisis brings people together? Oh god, what if she hated him? Should he go talk to her? A dozen questions and thoughts flew through Aiba's mind as he leaned there, eyes closed. Aiba pushes himself off the door and sits down at his desk, ready to draft the report, only to find one already sitting there, written Becky's neat, precise handwriting. In purple glitter ink, no less. Aiba allows himself a small smile before realizing that's all that is there. No note, no "thank you for saving my life Aiba, oh and sorry about kissing you." Nothing.
Aiba finishes filling out his part of the paperwork and drops it in Nakai's inbox on his way home that afternoon. He doesn't see Becky for the rest of the week.
---
"I'm telling you, man, whoever she's dating has to be freaking amazing."
"Or a total doormat!"
Aiba's getting coffee on Monday morning when he overhears two Aurors talking. Not fancying himself an eavesdropper, Aiba stirs his cup quicker and makes to get out of there.
"Seriously though," he hears the first one say, his voice dropping a few pitches. "You know how picky Becky is."
Aiba freezes. Becky's dating someone? Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to listen in for a moment. He slows his steps as he approaches the door, catching sight of the two men - Koki and Jin. A few years younger than him, new to the Auror business, but from what he heard from Jun, promising and bright guys (if a little immature).
"I'm just telling you what Maki told me! Becky's dating someone and my money is it's someone in Werewolf Registry. You know how uptight they are up there."
Aiba's almost out the door, his heart in his shoes when the two finally catch sight of him.
"Hey Aiba!" Jin calls, gesturing to him. "Do you know who Becky's dating?"
Aiba just shakes his head and leaves. He doesn't trust his mouth to work properly at the moment.
---
Aiba's office rains for three days.
---
"Masaki!" Aiba's dripping all over the carpeting and he can't bring himself to care as he turns to greet Becky. "I mean, Aiba. Hi." She smiles shyly at him. They haven't spoken a word since the cliffs of Ireland and Aiba's emotions have been through the wringer more than once.
"Hi," he deadpans, turning to walk away. He really needs to find some dry underwear.
"Wait!" Becky catches his arm with bejeweled fingers. "Um, why are you wet?" she asks, letting go and scowling down at her damp hand.
"My office is raining and I can't remember the charm to get it to stop," Aiba replies, not meeting her eyes.
"Oh." Becky sighs and turns to stalk down the hall to Aiba's office. Raising her wand to the ceiling, she firmly calls out, "Finite Incantatem." Becky turns to Aiba and gives him a tentative smile. "There. Do you need help cleaning up?"
She's already moving around the room, sucking the excess water into her wand by the time Aiba realizes what she's doing. He follows her lead, starting on the opposite side and it isn't long before everything but Aiba's underwear is dry again. They're facing each other in the middle of the room, neither meeting the other's eyes when Aiba just decides to go for it.
"So..." he starts, one hand massaging the back of his neck. "How's the new boyfriend?"
Becky looks confused for a moment, then blushes deeply. Aiba's brain melts a little at that.
"I'm sorry," Aiba says quickly. "The guys were saying... and you hadn't... and I thought, well... I'm sorry." Aiba feels defeated and more than a little embarrassed. It wasn't his place to talk to Becky about her social life. It's not like they were friends or anything. She'd proven that on day one.
"No no, it's not your fault. I knew I made a mistake when I told Maki I liked someone. I just should have anticipated she would turn it into that. She's such a gossip, I'm going to strangle her, I swear." Becky swears for the next thirty seconds in at least three languages Aiba can identify, and several others he can't. He finds it oddly attractive.
It's only after she stops and glances up at him, eyes wide, that Aiba lets himself hope, just for a second before dropping his head again, looking anywhere but at her.
"Is that why you've been avoiding me since," Becky pauses, blushing again. "Since our last assignment?"
Aiba's head snaps up in surprise. "I thought you were avoiding me! I mean, it's not like I've ever made it a secret that I've liked you since we were kids." Becky smiles at that. "I was only doing both of us a favor the last few days."
Becky scowls, then laughs. "Just my luck," she says, shaking her head. "I had to fall for the sweet, well-meaning idiot."
Aiba's puzzled for a second before she whaps him on the head. "It's you, you dork." Becky's laughing again and it takes a moment for the realization to set in. But when it does, Aiba feels lighter than a Billywig bite.
"Butterbeer," he says suddenly.
"What?" Becky's scowling at him again and Aiba feels so full of happiness, he might burst.
"Would you like to have some? With me?" he asks, smiling wide. Aiba's past the point of caring about his damp underwear now.
"Sure," she says, her scowl melting into a genuine smile.
"And maybe more kissing?" he suggests, eyebrows waggling.
It doesn't even hurt when she hits him this time.
Group: Arashi
Pairing/Genre: Aiba/Becky; Hogwarts AU
Rating/Warnings: PG-13; language (and a handful of cameos)
Word Count: 5250
Summary: He was doomed from the moment she set those piercing green eyes on him. Aiba never was one for logic in the face of danger.
Notes: Written for astrangerenters for the Queensland Relief Fund! She requested Hogwarts AU and I certainly hope I did it justice. :D All magical creatures mentioned herein can be found in the supplementary Potter book Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them (or I'm sure on any Potter-related website). :) Smishes to my betas, as always. ♥
The first time Aiba saw Becky, she was laughing, loud and clear as she darted around the grass near Hagrid's hut, trying to catch Billywigs. The sapphire whisps darted here and there, quick as a flash, teasing the sixth year Hufflepuffs. Aiba remembered somewhat painfully the Billywig day he'd had in Hagrid's class the previous year - he and four of his fellow Gryffindors had to be led to the Infirmary like balloons, bobbing in the air behind Madame Pomfrey. Billywigs could be fun, but dangerous (though not nearly as dangerous as Hagrid would like most days).
Aiba stood entranced by Becky's laugh, her smile as she whirled and darted, her green eyes dancing as brown hair whipped behind her.
"Aiba, come on!" Jun shouted from up the hill, breaking Aiba's concentration. For the first time in what felt like hours, Aiba turned from the sight of bright eyes and flowing locks to race up the hill.
"What was that about?" Jun asked, eyebrows furrowed in their usual place.
"That girl," Aiba wheezed. He bent almost double, hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. "Do you know who she is?"
Jun glanced down the hill, his scowl melting into a fond smile. "Becky," he answered simply.
"Becky," Aiba repeated. He stood straight and turned to stare again. As he watched Becky's hair curl in the afternoon breeze, Aiba knew he was thoroughly and completely screwed.
--
Aiba's office is the smallest in the department, something that would bother Sho or Jun, but doesn't faze him. Aiba likes his tiny, cluttered cupboard at the end of the hallway. It's got more windows than any other office on the floor and is the furthest from Nakai, the department head's office. Aiba's been working for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures for almost two years and is due for a promotion any day. If Nakai didn't hate him quite so much, anyway.
"Aiba!" Nakai barks as he steps off the lift. Aiba snaps to attention and makes it to Nakai's office door in three strides, a hesitant smile on his face.
"Yes, sir?" Aiba asks as he turns the corner. And his heart stops. Full stop. No more beating. Aiba's pretty sure he's dead for at least half a minute before it starts back up again.
"I need you to show our newest employee around the office," Nakai says, gesturing to the young woman sitting across from his desk. She stands and holds out her hand for Aiba to shake, her smile no less enchanting than it was two years ago.
"Becky Vaughn," she introduces herself, shaking Aiba's hand, her smile slipping a little as Aiba just stares at her, struck dumb. Every nerve in his hand is on fire and he's trying to remember how to speak when she finally gives up and steps back, a small scowl on her face.
"Oh, um, I'm sorry," he stammers, hand flying back out to grip hers again, his eyes seemingly locked on her bright green ones. "Masaki Aiba. We were at Hogwarts together, remember?" Aiba laughs nervously, the breathy wheeze sounding even more unnatural than usual as she continues to just stare at him.
Recognition crosses her face and Becky's smiling again, shaking his hand for the second time. "Right, right!" she exclaims and Aiba beams. "Ohno's idiot friend! I remember you!"
Nakai laughs. "Not much has changed, eh, Aiba?" Aiba holds back the daily desire to knock his boss in the face with a closed fist and just smiles through the familiar pain of semi-humiliation. He'd hoped his friendship with Becky had meant more than just being 'Ohno's idiot friend,' but apparently two years was long enough to forget.
"Apparently not, sir," he replies tersely. Turning back to Becky, Aiba tries to locate some of his usual good cheer. "Um, shall we go?"
Becky nods and collects her things - a giant bag with more sequins than Aiba has ever seen in one place, the cutest notebook on the planet ('You can do it!' scrawled across the cover in pink, sparkly letters), and a pen with about three thousand toppers on it. They make their pleasantries with Nakai as Aiba holds the door for her, smacking himself in the face on the way out. He represses the sigh at her giggle and leads Becky down the hall. The department is alive with work at this time of day. Since Voldemort's fall, they've spent most of their time searching out and retrieving the many dangerous creatures he'd used to intimidate and hurt people. Aiba has been burnt, clawed, scraped, knocked down and frozen more times than he could count. He loves his job though, despite the occasional occupational hazard.
"You like Muggle things?" Aiba asks, gesturing at her bag and searching for any topic other than their former friendship as they walked toward the break room.
"Hm?" Becky replies questioningly, glancing around at the offices.
"Oh, yes," she continues. She looks down at her bag and smiles. "My mom's a Muggle, Dad's a wizard. I just can't help it, everything's so cute!" Becky shakes her pen in Aiba's face, laughing at his look of disgust. "I love being half, though," she carries on, smiling wide. Aiba smiles back automatically and remembers why he fell for her in the first place. (Not that he's in love with her or anything, no. That was a stupid school crush and he's totally over her now. Honest.) "It's the best of both worlds."
"Yeah," Aiba sighs in response, his brain apparently on vacation.
"Oh, are you half, too?" Becky asks, eyes bright.
"Uh, no," Aiba replies. He rubs the back of his neck, a bad habit he picked up from Sho ages ago. "Neither of my parents are magical at all. Nor is my brother, come to think of it. I'm the weird one." Aiba grins a bit lopsidedly at her and looks away from her sympathetic eyes. The last thing he wants is for her to pity him. He's starting to wonder, though, if maybe she's what he needs to fill that gap that's been lurking in his life.
"Oh," she says again. "Well, I don't think you're that weird."
"Wait until you get to know him," comes a shout from down the hall. Aiba turns and scowls.
"SHUT UP, YOKO."
"BUY MILK, MASAKI."
"DICK."
"ASS."
"...LOVE YOU."
"LOVE YOU, TOO."
Becky's looking at him with a mixture of amusement and confusion when Aiba turns back, smiling.
"Yoko's both my best friend and flatmate," Aiba replies with a laugh. "He's practically my brother at this point."
Aiba can't decide if he's relieved or not as Becky smiles, shakes her head and walks on. He trots a little to catch up and continues the tour. "So this is the break room...."
---
Nino tossed the quaffle to Jun with a bit more force than was absolutely necessary.
"Hey Ohno, your girlfriend's coming," he announced, catching the return lob from Jun easily. Nino was the best chaser on Slytherin's team that year, having scored more points alone than the other chasers in the school combined. And he knew it.
"Oh yeah, that is Meisa," Ohno mumbled, looking back down at his sketch of Kamenashi being mangled by the Whomping Willow.
"What, you're not going to go say hi?" Nino teased. He caught the quaffle behind his back and tossed it back to Jun in one motion.
"I'll see her at lunch," came the quiet reply. "She's talking to Becky, anyway."
Aiba looked up from where he was lounging on the grass next to Sho, nose still in his History of Magic book. Aiba wondered how exactly anyone could read that dreadful thing, but Sho was a nerd. Aiba just accepted that as his state of being. Nino was gesturing down the hill to the pair of sixth years - Meisa in Slytherin's emerald green, Becky in Hufflepuff's sunny yellow. They were an odd combination, to be sure, but Nino and Jun were both part of their group and they were Slytherins. Meisa's cool determination seemed to match nicely with Becky's mischievous, but often good, intentions. Something in Aiba's stomach turned happily as he watched the pair walk quickly across the lawn. He would later blame that same something for the standing, waving and shouting that followed.
"Becky! Hey, Becky!"
He saw her turn, could see her confusion, then recognition even from this distance. Aiba took two steps, then WHAM. The quaffle knocked him in the back of the head so hard spots danced before Aiba's eyes. He turned angrily and glared at Nino.
"It slipped," Nino protested, a decidedly evil curve to his lips.
Rubbing the back of his head, Aiba turned back to look down the hill and scowled. Becky and Meisa were laughing, clutching one another for support as they headed away from the group.
"I hate you," Aiba spit in Nino's direction before stomping back up to Gryffindor tower to sulk until lunch.
---
"So..." Aiba stops in front of Becky's office, the tour coming to an end all too quickly. "If you have any questions, my office is two doors down, there in the corner."
"Okay, thanks Aiba!" Becky says brightly, stepping into her new space and pulling out her wand. Aiba's not surprised it's just as ostentatiously decorated as the rest of her belongings. (He finds this oddly endearing.) Nor is he surprised when seconds later, the room has gone from drab brown, all natural woods and austere furnishings, to almost blindingly pink, glitter on every other surface and dozens of pictures of sunflowers waving in the breeze on the walls.
Aiba takes a step backwards out of the room, hoping to regain normal vision sometime soon before remembering something he'd wanted to ask. "Hey, Becky, I was wondering, would you like to go to di-"
"Becky!" Aiba is cut off abruptly by Maki, one of the new Aurors, as she pushes her way into Becky's office and throws her arms around the occupant's shoulders.
"Maki!" Becky squeals in reply, pulling her friend down one of the newly acquired squashy chairs and chattering animatedly.
The pair start talking at a pace Aiba's not sure even he can keep up with. He backs out of the room quietly and heads down the hall to his office. "-nner sometime," he finishes under his breath. Another time, he promises himself. One day. Maybe.
---
Aiba breathed a sigh of relief as he glanced over his NEWT scores - all passes (though some more barely than others), with extremely high marks in Care of Magical Creatures, Potions and Charms. He'd gladly take the E's in Transfiguration and Astronomy. And the A in History of Magic (by the skin of his teeth and hour upon hour of review with Sho in the common room) gave him the necessary grades for his pending job at the Ministry.
There was only a week left in term before the train would be there to take them home, to their individual futures, and Aiba was an odd mixture of excited and sad. The last few months had been fantastic - Meisa and Becky had joined their little group as more permanent fixtures, the former's relationship with Ohno apparently getting more serious (though honestly, who could tell with Ohno? Nino claimed to, but the pair frequently had silent conversations no one else could decipher. Nino could very well be making it up and Aiba wouldn't put it past him).
Aiba stood in the entrance hall, debating a nap on the lawn versus nicking a snack from the kitchens before his pickup game of Quidditch with some Ravenclaws started when he heard his name being called. Turning, his face broke into its trademark smile.
Becky smiled back from the doorway, haloed in sunlight.
"I'm sorry, what?" Aiba asked as she approached.
"I asked how you did on your NEWTS," she replied, slapping him lightly on the arm. "And if you wanted to come into Hogsmeade with us."
Aiba's arm tingled at the contact. He'd hoped that after two months of hanging out with her on a near daily basis, the crush on Becky he was nursing would have subsided. But it was quite the opposite - the more he learned about her, the more Aiba wanted to learn about her - her likes and dislikes and what made her throw her head back and laugh (besides him hurting himself) and what movies made her cry and if they'd ever get to see each other once he'd moved on to adulthood and she was still at Hogwarts. They'd spent more time bickering than actually getting to know each other in the last few weeks and all Aiba wanted was to know her.
"Ah, I'm sorry," Aiba said again, frowning slightly. "Pretty good on the NEWTS, but I already promised some of the guys from Ravenclaw we'd do one last game before the term was over. But tomorrow?" he asked hopefully.
Becky shook her head and smiled. "No, it's fine. I just thought I'd ask since you were here and I was on my way down there and..." She paused and seemed to collect herself for a moment. "Well, if I don't see you again this term, good luck."
Aiba started to reply, maybe say something about how of course they'd see each other, they were in the same social group now, when he was stopped short by Becky's arms around his neck, pulling him down into a tight hug. He slipped his hands around her waist and squeezed back. "Thanks," he breathed, not sure he could trust his brain to come up with any other words at the moment.
It was a long minute before Becky finally pulled back, not meeting his eyes. She sniffed once before turning away, but not before Aiba caught the sight of a tear rolling down one cheek.
"Are you-"
"I'm fine," she said tersely, voice wavering a bit. "I'll be fine. Um. Bye." Becky hurried out of the hall, bouncing down the steps quickly and into the sunlight.
Aiba was disappointed when Becky turned out to be right - they didn't see each other for the rest of the week and Aiba had to wonder if maybe she was avoiding him. But most of all, he wondered if maybe he should have kissed her.
---
Three days after Becky starts at the department, Aiba's finally starting to relax around her a bit. He wonders why there's still this awkwardness between them, but Aiba's not one to bring that up. As much as others like to joke that he can't read the atmosphere (something Nakai brings up at every performance review), Aiba does know how to read people and this one is very clearly saying she doesn't want to talk about it.
Nakai calls them into his office just after tea with a new assignment.
"Mackled malaclaws, Miss Vaughn. Have you dealt with them before?" he asks, staring Becky down.
She doesn't waver, just smiles and recites from memory: "Land animal, resembling a lobster. Resides on the coasts. Its bite renders anyone incredibly unlucky for up to a week. Any witch or wizard bitten by one should call off all bets, wagers and ventures immediately. I've not dealt with them personally, but I'm familiar enough."
"Excellent!" Nakai beams at her before addressing the pair of them. "There's a nest of malaclaws on the Irish coast giving the villagers there some trouble. Nothing too serious, but about a dozen of them have found their way into the town - motor accidents, lost wagers, last week every single toilet clogged at the same time. It's not a pretty picture."
Aiba snickers and finds himself under Nakai's steely glare. He straightens, looks down at his notepad and scribbles something incomprehensible as Nakai presses on.
"As I was saying. It's an easy enough case for your first one, Miss Vaughn. Aiba will go with you to help show you the ropes. You'll be gathering the malaclaws for relocation to a less-civilized location. Once you're done, we'll send in a team to perform memory charms on the muggles in town. It's a simple in and out case." Nakai turns back to Aiba and glares, punctuating each word with a soft slam of his fist to the desk. "No. Funny. Business. In and out."
"In and out, sir," Aiba replies, nodding.
"Very good." Nakai leans back in his chair and steeples his fingers. Aiba thinks at times like this he looks like an American mob boss, but he knows better than to say as much. "I expect the report on my desk in two days." He shoos them out and slams the door with finality.
Becky stands in the hallway and scowls for a moment. "He didn't even give me any details!" she exclaims. "I don't know where we're going or how we do this or anything!"
"Well, that's why you have me, isn't it?" Aiba asks with a tentative smile.
Becky eyes him up and down and sighs. "You'll do, I suppose." Aiba beams. He'll take what he can get. "So what now?"
Aiba gestures to her to follow and leads them to his office. For the next hour, he goes over the paperwork, the necessary requisition forms for carriers, security clearances and how the report is to be written. It's probably not necessary to stand that close, but the smell of Becky's perfume is intoxicating and Aiba can't seem to get enough. That familiar turn in his stomach is back and he feels 17 years old again. By the end of the meeting, Becky seems to have a bit more confidence in his skills, though. Aiba counts this as a victory.
"We'll leave tomorrow morning around 10. I'll get the carriers ready beforehand, if you'll make sure the paperwork is filled out for transport," Aiba says, handing over the necessary forms.
"Sounds good." Becky stands, taking the papers from Aiba. Their fingers brush for a moment and she stills, eyes wide. Looking up at Aiba, her eyes are glazed over in memory. Or a stroke. Aiba can't really tell the difference. Aiba wonders what's going through her head, but the moment passes all too quickly. "Yes, well. I'll see you in the morning," she says, a small smile and a wave as she leaves his office.
Aiba looks down and sighs. Definitely feeling 17 years old again.
---
The next morning, they set off for Ireland. Aiba's knapsack is enchanted with an enlargement charm to hold all of their supplies and Becky's positively giddy with excitement. Aiba feels as if his face might shatter from all the smiling he's doing.
They apparate to the north side of the village and take a moment to get their bearings. The coastline is just to the south, on the other side of town. Most of the malaclaws have been driven to the coast, but word from the local authority is that there are a few still lingering in the alleyways.
"We'll tackle the town first," Aiba says, taking point and striding confidently in that direction. He's trying to ignore the cute pink and white flower print on her robes, the way they softly swish as she walks next to him. He'd told her to dress in something she didn't mind getting dirty, but her response of "I'm not so prissy as all that, Masaki" had put him in his place (and made him wonder if she'd ever used his given name before). The first part of the mission goes remarkably smoothly. Becky is quick to learn and willing to take instruction. Aiba's pleased they seem to work well together, despite whatever tension may be lingering.
"Have you done this a lot?" she asks as they're luring the last of the town-dwellers into a cage.
"This is only my second malaclaw run," Aiba replies, snapping the lid closed and tapping it once with his wand, sending it back to the department's processing area. From there, the animals would be rehomed somewhere more remote. Aiba straightens, popping his back once. "But I've done similar kinds of things with other animals. Search and rescue type missions are our most common, though some more dangerous than others. This is a pretty decent first run for you, though," he says, smiling at her. "My first one was going after a sphinx that had gotten loose just outside of Edinburgh." He shudders. "Not a good time. I think that may be when Nakai started hating me though..."
Becky's laugh echoes off the walls as they pick their way back to the main street. "I don't think Nakai hates you," she replies, smiling up at him. "He just... I don't know. Expects more of you. This is coming from someone who's only been around for three days, but maybe he wants to see what you can do? Push you to the edge?"
Aiba nods and looks away. He hates disappointing people, but he's never been particularly good at anything. He was a decent Beater on the Gryffindor team and an okay student. Now he's an okay employee in the Beast Division of the Ministry. Aiba does wonder if he'll ever be first best at anything, but he doesn't let it get him down. He loves his job and he likes his life. And now, he has a lovely coworker, both inside and out, to keep him on his toes. He finally smiles back at her, meeting her eyes for the first time in ages.
"Maybe you're right," he says. "But for now, let's get these beasties under control, yeah?"
The coastline is worse than Aiba expected - craggy, unstable, and slippery as hell. More than two dozen malaclaws are scattered all down the cliff, from what Aiba can see. Their mission is to collect the excess creatures, so he's not worried about the ones he can't see. Malaclaws like daylight. The ones hidden are inconsequential, he thinks to himself.
"Be careful on these rocks," Aiba warns, turning to see Becky picking her way carefully to the first malaclaw.
"Got it!" she calls cheerfully back.
Becky's already lured her first one in by the time Aiba catches up to her on the cliff. They quickly gather up the malaclaws, Aiba barely missing a bite from one, and transport them one-by-one back to the Ministry.
"I think we've got them all," Aiba says, surveying their work.
"Oh, there's one just there!" Becky's right, they missed one. She's already scrambling down the rocks when Aiba sees where she's pointing.
"Be careful!" he calls, slipping and sliding his way after her. How she moves that quickly in those shoes, Aiba will never understand.
She's trying to tempt the last malaclaw into the cage conjured from her bag when Aiba reaches her.
"See, this isn't so hard," she says, smirking at him. "I mean, if you can do iiii-AAAHHHH!"
The malaclaw takes a hold of the bottom of Becky's robes, pulling her just slightly off balance. She falls back as Aiba reaches forward to catch her, steadying them both on the rocky wall with one arm around Becky's waist. The malaclaw skitters away and Becky's heaving deep breaths when Aiba looks down at her, concerned that she may have gotten bitten or turned an ankle or sliced her hand or something. A bite from the malaclaw is annoying, but not painful. All the same, he's just about to ask when suddenly, she lifts her face to his, brushing their lips together. Aiba's arm tightens around her waist and she gasps, turning her head to get a better angle. The kiss is painfully short-lived and Aiba's practically floating when she pulls back.
"Oh," she breathes, her face stuck somewhere between a frown and a smile. She disapparates before he can say anything.
Aiba's arms feel painfully empty. Thirty seconds ago, he'd been holding Becky. He'd been kissing Becky. Aiba takes a moment to grin to himself, letting out a small whoop and doing a little dance on the craggy cliff face. Finally remembering where he is and what he's supposed to be doing, Aiba sighs and climbs back up the rocks. The last malaclaw will just have to be free, he decides. Aiba packs up the rest of the equipment, makes contact with the local authority one last time, shaking hands and smiling, before heading back to the office. He's trying not to think about what it means that she disapparated. That she kissed him. Because she definitely kissed him, not the other way around. With every step through the department, Aiba can feel his heart getting heavier and heavier. Becky's office door is closed, so he passes quickly, closing the door of his own office once he gets inside. Aiba leans against the doorframe and huffs out the breath he didn't know he was holding.
A simple assignment had somehow turned into so much more. He wondered what it meant. What Becky thought. What he thought. Did this mean she hated him? Was this one of those things where a crisis brings people together? Oh god, what if she hated him? Should he go talk to her? A dozen questions and thoughts flew through Aiba's mind as he leaned there, eyes closed. Aiba pushes himself off the door and sits down at his desk, ready to draft the report, only to find one already sitting there, written Becky's neat, precise handwriting. In purple glitter ink, no less. Aiba allows himself a small smile before realizing that's all that is there. No note, no "thank you for saving my life Aiba, oh and sorry about kissing you." Nothing.
Aiba finishes filling out his part of the paperwork and drops it in Nakai's inbox on his way home that afternoon. He doesn't see Becky for the rest of the week.
---
"I'm telling you, man, whoever she's dating has to be freaking amazing."
"Or a total doormat!"
Aiba's getting coffee on Monday morning when he overhears two Aurors talking. Not fancying himself an eavesdropper, Aiba stirs his cup quicker and makes to get out of there.
"Seriously though," he hears the first one say, his voice dropping a few pitches. "You know how picky Becky is."
Aiba freezes. Becky's dating someone? Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to listen in for a moment. He slows his steps as he approaches the door, catching sight of the two men - Koki and Jin. A few years younger than him, new to the Auror business, but from what he heard from Jun, promising and bright guys (if a little immature).
"I'm just telling you what Maki told me! Becky's dating someone and my money is it's someone in Werewolf Registry. You know how uptight they are up there."
Aiba's almost out the door, his heart in his shoes when the two finally catch sight of him.
"Hey Aiba!" Jin calls, gesturing to him. "Do you know who Becky's dating?"
Aiba just shakes his head and leaves. He doesn't trust his mouth to work properly at the moment.
---
Aiba's office rains for three days.
---
"Masaki!" Aiba's dripping all over the carpeting and he can't bring himself to care as he turns to greet Becky. "I mean, Aiba. Hi." She smiles shyly at him. They haven't spoken a word since the cliffs of Ireland and Aiba's emotions have been through the wringer more than once.
"Hi," he deadpans, turning to walk away. He really needs to find some dry underwear.
"Wait!" Becky catches his arm with bejeweled fingers. "Um, why are you wet?" she asks, letting go and scowling down at her damp hand.
"My office is raining and I can't remember the charm to get it to stop," Aiba replies, not meeting her eyes.
"Oh." Becky sighs and turns to stalk down the hall to Aiba's office. Raising her wand to the ceiling, she firmly calls out, "Finite Incantatem." Becky turns to Aiba and gives him a tentative smile. "There. Do you need help cleaning up?"
She's already moving around the room, sucking the excess water into her wand by the time Aiba realizes what she's doing. He follows her lead, starting on the opposite side and it isn't long before everything but Aiba's underwear is dry again. They're facing each other in the middle of the room, neither meeting the other's eyes when Aiba just decides to go for it.
"So..." he starts, one hand massaging the back of his neck. "How's the new boyfriend?"
Becky looks confused for a moment, then blushes deeply. Aiba's brain melts a little at that.
"I'm sorry," Aiba says quickly. "The guys were saying... and you hadn't... and I thought, well... I'm sorry." Aiba feels defeated and more than a little embarrassed. It wasn't his place to talk to Becky about her social life. It's not like they were friends or anything. She'd proven that on day one.
"No no, it's not your fault. I knew I made a mistake when I told Maki I liked someone. I just should have anticipated she would turn it into that. She's such a gossip, I'm going to strangle her, I swear." Becky swears for the next thirty seconds in at least three languages Aiba can identify, and several others he can't. He finds it oddly attractive.
It's only after she stops and glances up at him, eyes wide, that Aiba lets himself hope, just for a second before dropping his head again, looking anywhere but at her.
"Is that why you've been avoiding me since," Becky pauses, blushing again. "Since our last assignment?"
Aiba's head snaps up in surprise. "I thought you were avoiding me! I mean, it's not like I've ever made it a secret that I've liked you since we were kids." Becky smiles at that. "I was only doing both of us a favor the last few days."
Becky scowls, then laughs. "Just my luck," she says, shaking her head. "I had to fall for the sweet, well-meaning idiot."
Aiba's puzzled for a second before she whaps him on the head. "It's you, you dork." Becky's laughing again and it takes a moment for the realization to set in. But when it does, Aiba feels lighter than a Billywig bite.
"Butterbeer," he says suddenly.
"What?" Becky's scowling at him again and Aiba feels so full of happiness, he might burst.
"Would you like to have some? With me?" he asks, smiling wide. Aiba's past the point of caring about his damp underwear now.
"Sure," she says, her scowl melting into a genuine smile.
"And maybe more kissing?" he suggests, eyebrows waggling.
It doesn't even hurt when she hits him this time.