Chapter Text
Chapter 5:
After the events at The Battle at Hogwarts and during Minerva McGonagall’s first term as Headmaster, in order to celebrate the victory, and to honor the lives of those who fought during the battle, the old tradition of the Yule Ball was retaken. This ball used to take place during the Triwizard Tournament, but after the last had proved, once and for all, to be too dangerous, only the tradition of the Yule Ball remained. Still, other schools of Witchcraft and Wizardry were invited, in order to promote unity amongst the magical community. This year, once again, Hogwarts was to be host to the Durmstrang Institute and Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, as had happened before in 1994.
Levi was trying to process all this information Hange was spewing at hundred miles per hour, while at the same time trying to come to terms to what for him was, utter betrayal. After that almost kiss they had shared last summer, he felt like Erwin and him had unfinished business, but still, he didn’t pressure Erwin into anything since he was trying to come into terms with his own feelings for the blonde. For some reason, he had become the person he trusted the most, and he thought that trust ran both ways. Even if he misunderstood Erwin’s intentions and he didn’t reciprocate his feelings, he thought Erwin should have told him if he was in a relationship with anyone.
“So you are telling me, that Erwin is taking some random Ravenclaw bimbo to this shitty Christmas party?” asked Levi.
“Yule Ball, but basically, yes” Hange said.
“I can’t believe this.” Levi looked a little dejected, which was odd because his face rarely showed any emotion at all. To Hange it seemed that his feelings for Erwin ran deeper than he would admit, and he was probably feeling crushed.
“But still, Levi! He is probably doing this because he was jealous when he heard about you and Scorpius!”
“This is just a stupid misunderstanding, I’m going to fix this once and for all.”
…
Trying to talk to Erwin had being completely useless. Erwin ran from him from the Great Hall, didn’t come down when he went to see him at the Slytherin Common Rooms, he couldn’t find him in the library alone without that awful brunette by his side. Levi was basically stalking him by now, and he couldn’t help to notice he wasn’t the only one who was angry about the recent developments in Erwin’s love life. Nile was sitting alone at the library drilling holes into the back of Erwin’s head with his eyes, it didn’t take a genius to realize that he liked Marie too; so Levi found himself, regrettably, sitting with him just a couple of tables away from them.
“So, you come here to stalk your boyfriend again, shrimp?” asked Nile, this time lacking the usual venom.
“I’d ask the same thing, Pubes Beard, but you won’t be able to get a girl in your life.” Said Levi, but in reality, he knew exactly what the other was feeling. “Screw this, I’m going over to talk to him, fuck her.”
“Good luck.” Nile said sarcastically.
Levi found himself in front of Erwin and Marie, who were both looking at him like he grew a second head.
“I need to talk to you, Erwin- said Levi, and then glaring at the girl added - Alone.”
“This isn’t a good time Levi, Marie and I really need to study” Erwin responded, looking at everything but him.
“Does it look like I give a flying shit, Eyebrows? Come with me, it will only take a minute.”
…
That’s how he and Erwin found themselves at the library’s balcony on the third floor, the first time they were alone in months.
“What the hell is going on, Erwin? You don’t talk to me in months, and now you have a girlfriend? Don’t you think I deserved to know, shitbrows?
“I honestly don’t see how that’s any of your business” Erwin said, finally looking at him, his eyes were cold.
Levi cringed. The way Erwin was looking at him, it was nothing like he’d ever seen him before. “I thought, well; you never said, but I thought that maybe you, well I don’t know… Maybe you and I…” He rambled, which was very rare of him, he couldn’t find the words to express how he felt. Even though they never acknowledged what was going on between them, he assumed one day they’d fall together into place.
“Well, I wouldn’t want to come between you and your boyfriend” he said icily “Now, if you excuse me, I have better things to attend to.” And so he left, leaving Levi alone and paying little attention to the devastated look on his face.
…
Erwin tried to school his expression back to normal, but Marie was too smart for his own good. After their study session, he was walking her back to her dorms, but she kept giving him concerned glances.
“Erwin, are you sure you don’t want to talk about it, you look upset.” She asked him, while giving his hand a squeeze.
“I’m fine, Levi can be a little abrasive at times and it gets to me.” In reality, he expected Levi to deny the accusations about him and Scorpius, but he hadn’t. It seemed he had to finally come to terms with the fact that he might never get to be with him, which broke his heart.
“But he is a really good friend to you, right? I’m sure he means well.” She gave him a smile to reassure him.
“Yeah, I guess so…” And he got lost in his thoughts again.
…
The following weeks after Levi confronted Erwin were tense. Nanaba was giving him the silent treatment, and they avoided him just as much as Erwin. Hange was taking the same approach, but instead stood by Levi and glared at the blonde whenever they had the chance. Mike seemed like he understood him, but he was by Erwin’s side most of the time, so he didn’t get to see him much either. It seemed their little group had gone their separate ways, and Levi found himself back to how it all started, in the company of Isabel and Farlan, and sometimes with Hange when their schedules allowed it. Meanwhile, Levi was dealing with the rejection the best he could. He missed Erwin terribly, and it hurt him to see Marie sitting beside him. Hange was his support, since she was the only one who guessed that he had feelings for the blonde.
The only interesting thing to happen in the months that followed, was the long awaited arrival of the students from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons. Levi was a little curious to see how the meeting with Durmstrang would play out, since the school had a bad reputation of being alma mater to dark wizards, and to have dark arts in their curriculum. He was surprised to see, that the Institute students were completely different than he expected; in fact, to Levi they looked unimpressive. A girl from Durmstrang named Braus, had interrupted McGonagall’s welcoming speech to jump on the table to reach the potatoes, and so the ice had been broken. After that incident at The Great Hall, Durmstrang Headmaster Keith Shadis made the girl run five hundred laps of the Quidditch field, and the reputation remained. The kids from Beauxbatons were equally unimpressive, albeit a lot better looking.
With the arrival of the guests at Hogwarts that December, the excitement for the Yule Ball escalated. Levi wasn’t very interested, since only students from the Fourth Year and up could attend. He guessed it was better like that, that way he would avoid seeing Erwin and his girl at the party. Hange, who also wouldn’t be attending, was obsessed with the idea of Levi going and wouldn’t let that go.
“For the last time Hange, I told you, I’m not going to that ridiculous party.” Levi said, rolling his eyes.
“Comeeee ooooooon! It’s the best way to give Erwin a taste of his own medicine, if you went to the ball with a girl, or worse, a better looking dude, he would totally blow up a fuse!”
“There is no way that is happening, there are no older girls or guys that would want to go with me.” Levi had a little fan club led by Petra, but it was mostly girls his age, who also wouldn’t be going unless invited. The only older dude he could ask was Scorpius, and he had asked Rose Weasley and surprisingly, she agreed.
Hange had a manic look on her face. “Well, maybe not from this school.”
…
The kids from Beauxbatons gained a lot of popularity from the moment they landed on Hogwarts. Many of them were easy to the eyes, and the French accent only made them more appealing. They were gaining many suitors from all three schools; as was the case of Krista Lenz, who had captivated the eyes of many boys, especially Reiner Braun from Durmstrang, who had insistently asked her to accompany him to the Yule Ball; only for her to accept the invitation of fellow Durmstrang girl, Ymir.
Armin Arlert was another Beauxbatons alumni who had gotten a lot of invitations, but still had declined them all. He was disappointed that his close friend Jean, in whom Armin had a little crush on, after pursuing girl from Durmstrang and getting into a fight with her boyfriend, Eren Jaeger; had finally caved in to Marco Bott’s proposal to go to the ball together.
Little did he know that he also gained the attention of a maniacal Ravenclaw and a very skeptical Gryffindor.
…
“Him? You want me to ask him? He looks like a French model, in fact, he probably is.” Levi said.
“I don’t want you to ask him, I’m just saying you should go over and introduce yourself, and I think he will ask you” Hange said matter-of-factly.
“How the hell do you know that?”
“Well I just think you are his type!” Hange explained, as if that clarified anything.
“Hange you don’t even know him, that doesn’t make any sense.” Levi sighed. To the eyes of everyone but himself, despite his height, Levi was very good looking, if not mildly intimidating. He had gained a slight tan from his quidditch practice, his body had lost the baby fat, and the constant workout had made him develop some muscle. His grey eyes, pouty lips and sharp angles made his face very striking, and to top it all off, the bad boy attitude made him irresistible to the ladies of his not-so-secret fan club.
“Trust me boy, I’m a Ravenclaw.”
…
Armin was searching for a quiet place to read around the grounds, only to get a little lost and ending up following a path that left him near the quidditch pitch. After noticing he had gone to the wrong place, he decided to turn back. To his surprise, a group of boys that looked like the team was leaving the field and one of them, said his goodbyes and called out for him.
“Hey! Coconut head! Wait up!” The boy reached him, he was short, almost his height, but his complexion made him look a lot older. Armin couldn’t help to notice he had very beautiful grey eyes. “Is your school sending spies on our quidditch teams? Do you have an evil plan or some shit?”
He said it so seriously that it took him a second to get he was joking, he didn’t take long to discover that the boy had an interesting personality. They kept talking as they walked, and before they knew it they had reached the courtyard, and Armin found himself unwilling to say goodbye.
“Hey, are you going to be attending the Yule Ball with anyone?” Armin asked, testing the waters. Levi looked a bit surprised.
“No, I’m just a third year.” Levi said, a little shocked.
“Well, would you like to go with me?” He asked, his eyes pleadingly.
…
“Well, I’ll be damned.”
“I TOLD YOU!” Hange cackled later.
…
It was finally Christmas day, and the night of the Yule Ball arrived. All the students attending were feeling the excitement, and those who were not, were feeling the dread. Erwin was walking with Nanaba and Mike, on their way to meet Marie. Needless to say, Nana looked very beautiful, yet displeased, perhaps, because Mike never asked them to the Ball, or, because they didn’t like Marie at all. Nanaba was wearing a bright cobalt gown, almost the exact same color as Erwin’s formal robes. Mike was wearing golden robes, to match his Hogwarts house.
“This is, by far, the dumbest thing you ever done, Erwin. I’m tired of this nonsense with Levi and don’t get me started on Marie…” Nanaba ranted.
“To be honest, Er. Nana is completely right, you know Marie likes you, right? You are leading the poor girl on.” Mike was right, although Erwin wouldn’t admit it. He hadn’t really asked Marie to be his girlfriend, but he had not stopped her advances either. Now he was going to the Yule Ball with her and he was afraid the situation might blow over.
“Just be honest with her, Erwin. It’s the right thing to do.” Mike said. He was the quiet type, but his heart was always in the right place.
They found Marie at the steps at the Hall’s entrance, she looked stunning in her pale champagne gown. Ready or not, it was time for him to face the music.
…
The room was decorated in fairy lights, and the ceiling had been enchanted with a light snowfall. The orchestra started to play, and it was time for the prefects of every house and School to take the first waltz. After that, the party began. Mike asked a blushing Nanaba to dance with him, and after that, Erwin followed suit with Marie.
Dancing with Marie felt too intimate, almost as he was intruding in her space and she on his, as if he should be dancing with someone else. Still, she looked happy and hopeful, and he had to turn his eyes away. He went through the motions of the waltz until he spotted Levi at the other side of the room, dancing with a petit blond from Beauxbatons, and then he stopped without realizing. Levi was wearing a black suit, topped with bright green robes that ended at the knee. He looked mesmerizing dancing with his partner dressed in silver, their robes swirling as they turned. He should have known Levi was going to be as graceful dancing as he was on the air, as he had seen him years ago. They met eyes across the room, and he looked away after being caught staring. Marie looked disappointed and he sighed.
“Marie, I’m sorry.” He began to apologize.
“It’s okay, Erwin, I know.” Erwin looked shockingly at her. “I sort of always knew, I just thought you were a great guy, and I was a fool to try and see if I had a chance.” She smiled sadly at him, but the smile didn’t reach her eyes. “You should go to him, before it’s too late.” Marie gave him a kiss on the cheek, and she walked away and disappeared into the crowd.
…
“Whoa, what’s the deal with the guy back there? Armin asked.
“It’s nothing.” Levi said, trying to avoid the issue as they danced.
“You know, you are so honest you make a very bad liar” Armin laughed. “Let me guess, something happened and you don’t talk, even though you still have feelings for each other?”
“The hell? What are you, a wizard?” Levi answered and Armin laughed even more at his reaction.
“For the record, he is very good looking, you should catch him while you have the chance” Armin said. “Oh well, here he comes.”
Erwin was walking up to them from a across the room. They met eyes and once again the world stopped for a second. Armin cleared his throat to break them out of the trance, and smiled knowingly.
“Levi, I was wondering, if maybe, I could talk to you, for a minute?” Erwin asked, blushing. It was almost the same situation they were in months ago in the library, although this time the roles were reversed.
“Well, Shitbrows, as you can see, I’m kinda busy at the moment.” Levi said, looking at Armin, but Armin had a plan on his own.
“Oh me? Don’t mind me! I was thinking of going out for some air. Please, have this dance while I get myself sorted. Be right back!” Armin said while taking Levi’s hand and shoving it into Erwin’s, and left without giving any of them a chance to say anything; leaving the pair standing alone with their hands intertwined, confusion on their faces.
…
They stared into each other’s eyes again, the magnetic energy taking over once more. Erwin took advantage of the confusion to pull Levi into an embrace, and so they fell into a waltz, perfectly in synch, without breaking eye contact. They only broke apart when the song ended. Erwin cleared his throat.
“Let’s talk outside” He said, and they walked through the crowd and stepped outside into the gardens. Only after they found themselves alone he realized they had not stopped holding hands, but he let it be.
“Levi... I’m so sorry.” Erwin began, giving his hand a squeeze. “I acted like a fool, I should have accepted that you might not feel the same way about me. I only hung out with Marie to make you jealous, and I ended up hurting you and her in the process. You are the person I love, but you are also my dearest friend, I shouldn’t have taken that for granted and I’m sorry. I miss you so much, Levi, and I know I probably don’t deserve your forgiveness but… ”
He stopped when he felt a soft pair of lips against his own. He was so shocked it took him several seconds to react. He closed his eyes and held Levi’s face delicately and pulled him closer. When the kiss ended he looked at Levi with a million questions in his eyes.
“Enchanted Mistletoe” Levi said and pointed up, and Erwin just started at him dumbly.
“Levi I… What?” He didn’t even know where to start.
“You must be stupider than I thought, Erwin. I love you too, asshole; I have for a while. I thought you knew, I didn’t think I’d have to spell it out for you.
“But what about Scorpius, or the boy at the dance?” Erwin asked.
“The whole thing with Scorpius was a misunderstanding, I tried to tell you that day at the library, but you wouldn’t let me say anything!” Levi said, and rolled his eyes. “They are my friends, in case you didn’t notice, Armin not-so-subtly tried to play matchmaker earlier.”
“Oh…” Erwin still looked stunned, albeit his eyes looked big and shiny with wonder.
“How could you think I could ever want anyone else, Erwin? It’s always been you.” He gave Erwin a peck on the lips. “Come on, we have until midnight, you better make it worth my while.”
“Levi?” Erwin asked, pulling him to keep him from going.
“Yes, Erwin?”
“Happy Birthday…”
…
Later, as they danced; they were surprised to see that Nile had finally asked Marie for a dance, and she winked at them as they passed. And Armin, was leading another Beauxbatons student; a blonde girl with crystal blue eyes and a pale silver dress that matched his, to the dance floor. He waved at them with a smile. Mike and Nanaba were nowhere to be found.
Needless to say, it turned out to be a very interesting evening.
…
The rest of the year went on without a hitch. By January, their foster students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang said their goodbyes, with friends promising to write and keep in touch. Meanwhile, the ice spell that had cursed their little group melted before the spring, and soon everything went back to the way it was before; except this time Mike and Nana were a little weird, Hange and Moblit were a little crazier, and Isabel and Farlan exchanged knowing glances whenever they saw Erwin and Levi sit too close or tried to hold hands discreetly.
This time, when it was time to go back home for the summer, and our boys found themselves on their way out of the Hogwarts Express to Platform 9 ¾, they stayed behind after the others were gone, and shared a loving kiss before they left.
“So, see you this summer?” Erwin asked.
“Yes, definitely, see you this summer.”
…