Title: Hullo
Summary: Arrancars. In Hogwarts. Still not enough reason for you? Well, it was funny that he kept coming across that jade-eyed Ravenclaw without ever knowing his name. Grimmjow/Ulquiorra.
Genre: Romance
Pair: GrimmjowUlquiorra
Rating: T
A/N: Holy Aizen, my first cross-over fic /of-sorts!! –nervous nervous- Uhm, this is one of those stories that I just suddenly think up at random and… okay, it was born just this morning. But come on, who hasn't thought up of crossing ANYTHING with Harry Potter?! Wait, that sounded wrong, but you know what I mean~ :D It's about time for them Arrancars to make some magic! And oh yea, setting is Post-War so everything's at peace again; present-time could count too. I do hope you'll enjoy this!!
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and Bleach are already in safe hands. Copyright goes to J.K. Rowling and Kubo Tite, respectively.
Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts
It was a normal morning… that is, as normal as a morning could be in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy.
The Great Hall was alive with bright sunlight and vast cumulous clouds decorating the ceiling. It was also full of sound – chattering students, clinking tableware, and hooting owls swooping in and out of the windows. The four long house tables were lined with black-robed students, all heartily chomping down on their breakfast to be ready for their first day of classes.
"Oi! Grimmjow! Over here!!"
Sapphire eyes turned as the teen heard his name. He locked gazes with a busty woman waving at him from the table on the far left and grinned as he made his way over to her.
"Morning, Nel," Grimmjow greeted, sitting down and setting his book bag next to him; absentmindedly running a hand through his messy aqua-blue hair.
"Good morning to you, too!" Nelliel chirped, heaping a copious amount of bacon and eggs on her plate. She had bright hazel eyes and long curly teal-hued hair.
"Any idea what's our first class today?" Grimmjow mumbled through a bite of toast, pouring himself a glass of pumpkin juice as he did so.
"Double Herbology down at Greenhouse Two with the Hufflepuffs," Neliel replied easily. She and Grimmjow had been friends ever since they stepped into the school and needless to say they're nothing short of being best of friends. And although they were already in third year, having Grimmjow ask her for their schedules every morning never fails to make her smile.
"Eh, coulda been worse," Grimmjow muttered, going back to eating.
More people were filing into the hall as the clock struck seven.
"Um… Excuse me…"
Hazel and sapphire eyes gaze up to find a scrawny blonde kid standing on the other side of the table, looking at them rather nervously.
"Yea?" Grimmjow raised a brow at the mocha-eyed boy who jumped a little when he was addressed. Must be a first year, he thought instinctively, it was always the newbie brats that were fucking nervous. The guy was short, too.
"I-Is this seat taken?" the boy wore a polite smile to accompany the humble tone of his voice. He was referring to the empty space right in front of them.
"Nope, you can sit there if you like," Neliel answered, smiling warmly at the first year.
"T-Thank you!" the blonde returned the smile (well, he tried to, at least), taking the empty seat.
"So what's your name?" Neliel asked as soon as the new guy was settled.
"Tesra," the mocha-eyed boy readily answered.
"Nice to meet you, I'm Nelliel but you can just call me Nel and this is Grimmjow."
The aqua-haired man gave a nod of recognition; it was really better to let Nelliel handle the introductions – she was the people-person after all.
"So where are you from?" Nelliel wasted no time in chatting up Tesra's whole life story that by the time eight o'clock came by it was like they'd been friends since kindergarten.
"Ah, see you later, I suppose!" Tesra waved his two new friends good-bye, wearing a sunny smile as he departed towards his own class.
Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts
"Okay, that'd be all for the day," a squat witch with frizzy grey hair speaks up at the front of the class. "We'd better let these new seedlings have their fair share of sunlight, so if you'd please carry your pots to the back of the greenhouse before you leave. If the weather keeps on like this, we may just have them blooming by next week! And remember the essay, too! Off you go now!"
Peeling away their gloves and untying their aprons, the third year Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs quickly went about their last task before heading out.
"Uh, why must we use dragon dung!" a dark-skinned Hufflepuff girl whines as she walks away with two other girls towards the castle.
Neliel rolls her eyes but says nothing as she carefully packs in her stuff into her bag.
"Charms?" Grimmjow asks customarily, hooking his thumbs into the pocket of his pants as the two of them cross paths with incoming freshmen.
"Uh-huh," his teal-haired friend replies distractedly.
The gaggle of students walked by wearing blue and bronze with their black robes and twin sapphire orbs passed over them without much interest; although there was that emo-looking boy at the back of the crowd who looked off. Grimmjow didn't get to have a second glance, however, as Neliel promptly pulled at his wrist, suddenly hissing that they were going to be late for class if they don't move.
Thankfully, they arrived in time for Charms class and spent a delightful one and a half-hour damning pieces of paper that wouldn't just fold themselves into proper origami cranes and fly.
They didn't meet Tesra at lunch and the afternoon was spent in the dungeons having Potions with Slytherins and Care of Magical Creatures out by the lake. By the time dinner rolled in, Grimmjow was honestly worn-out; being burned chasing around fire-salamanders and putting them back in their pens did that to a person. So he slumped onto his seat gratefully, praising the high heavens when dinner promptly filled the tables. Nelliel could only watch amusedly as her friend devoured his dinner as though he hasn't eaten in ages.
Tesra popped up at dinner and this time he sat beside Nel, who instantly fussed over the band-aid that now decorated the blonde's right cheek. 'Flying lessons' was all Grimmjow heard of their conversation and didn't bother too much afterwards.
Just as the desserts replaced the main course dishes, Grimmjow felt a small tap on his back. He turned around to find a petite Ravenclaw boy staring at him, holding out a book.
"Yeah?" the aqua-haired boy asked, eyeing the book; it was 'One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi'.
"I do believe this is yours," said the Ravenclaw, his forest green eyes trained on the other boy.
Grimmjow only raised a brow at the guy. He was pale and had layered ebony hair that fell to his shoulders; he didn't look particularly suspicious but the guy suddenly coming up to him was just so random! Nonetheless, Grimmjow hoisted up his book bag and rummaged through the contents: ink bottles, quills, rolls of parchment, his books and – oh shit. His Herbology textbook wasn't in there. He looked back at the Ravenclaw to find that the boy hasn't changed his passive expression, still holding out the tome with both hands waiting patiently for him to acknowledge it.
Taking the book from the boy, Grimmjow opened the hard-cover and sure enough, found his name printed in pointy lettering on the bottom of the flyleaf. He looked up only to find that the boy was already walking back to his own House table.
"Hey!" Grimmjow called out, unwittingly gathering the attention of the other people nearby, but at least the green-eyed Ravenclaw had turned to face him. There was a questioning look on the pale face. "Thanks!" he grinned, receiving a small smile and a nod in return before the ebony-haired boy walked the rest of the way back to his seat.
"Who was that?" Neliel's wide-eyed stare greeted Grimmjow the moment he turned back to the table.
The sapphire-eyed boy was silent for a moment before shrugging, "Don't know, he just returned my Herbology book." He then reached out towards the platter of treacle tart and that was that.
Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts
"Nelliel, you done with Slughorn's assignment yet?"
The teal-haired girl raised her hazel eyes from behind a thick red book. "Yes, why?"
Grimmjow opened his palm at her and plastered on a smile. "Please?"
Nel rolled her eyes but handed her best friend the two-foot long parchment anyway.
"Sweet," the grin on the boy's lips widened as he proceeded to cross-check his own assignment against Nell's, his quill scribbling every few minutes.
"Whoa, is the Rapture coming?" a teasing, effeminate voice resounds and the two Gryffindors look up to find a pink-haired teen raising a brow at them. His mischievous golden eyes gleaming behind rectangular spectacles.
"Ha, ha, funny, Szayel Aporro," Grimmjow countered sarcastically.
"Anytime, love," pink-haired Szayel answers with a wink, pulling up a seat beside the boy who makes a disgusted face at him. He then carefully sets down half a dozen reading materials along with his parchment and quills.
"What is up with that?" Nelliel looked with astonishment at the effeminate boy's paraphernalia.
"Just how many subjects are you taking?" came Grimmjow's incredulous query.
"Please, I can handle this," Szayel flipped back his rose pink hair – transfigured, because his older brother was already blonde.
Grimmjow met Nelliel's eyes and they simultaneously rolled their eyes, muttering, "Ravenclaw."
"Why thank you, darlings" Szayel Aporro gave them an amused smile. It was practically tradition, those same old lines. "Oh, any chance either of you are taking Ancient Runes?" He met with blank stares. "I'll take that as a no." With that, the effeminate Ravenclaw started on his own assignments.
It was only the first Wednesday back but the students were already facing the wrath of homework so it wasn't surprising to find the library half-filled with students. The vulture-like librarian, Madam Pince, was stalking the aisles menacingly, giving off such a foreboding air that the students were extremely extra careful when taking out books from the shelves. Things were relatively silent, with the scratching of quills and the flipping of pages and the whispered conversations.
"Heeyyy," a low voice cuts through the silence as a tanned blonde suddenly joins their table, his chocolate brown eyes bright as he surveys the other three. "How're things goin'?"
"Hi, Yylfordt, nice 'do," Neliel gave the man a quick smile before returning to her books.
"Hm," Szayel raised a hand in greeting and that was that.
Grimmjow, however, was staring quizzically at the Hufflepuff Head Boy. "What the fuck is that?" he asked, keeping his voice minimal.
"What?" Yylfordt asks back, totally not understanding what the look on the Gryffindor's face was for.
"Why do you have a fucking bow in your hair?" the aqua-haired boy hissed, pointing his quill accusingly at the black silk ribbon holding Yylfordt's golden locks into a high ponytail. "You look like a girl."
"I'm effeminate," the Head Boy replies smoothly. "Runs in the family, right, Szayel?"
"Sure, whatever," the Ravenclaw waves a hand at the blonde, flipping another page of his book.
"No homework?" Grimmjow asked, noticing that the Hufflepuff had not a quill in sight.
"Nope," was the smug reply.
"Lucky," the Gryffindor snorted, turning back to his writing.
An hour later, Grimmjow placed a final dot to end his essay and glared at the pink-haired Ravenclaw who'd been smiling too widely at him for the past ten minutes. Stupid IQ-gifted fruitcake.
"Done, sweetheart?" the golden-eyed boy asked for what seemed to be the hundredth time in the last five minutes. Nelliel was out of sight, returning the books she'd taken down from the shelves and Yylfordt (ever the gentleman) was helping her out.
A strangled 'yes' passed through Grimmjow's gritted teeth. He closed the books, piled them into his arms and marched off, glad to get the younger Granz off his back even for at least two minutes. Hopefully, Nell and Yylfordt would be back at the table once he comes back.
The section for Potions was the farthest on the right hand side of the wide room, eyes followed him as he passed and he scoffed. He was used to that, not everyone gets to meet a living Metamorphmagus in their lives after all. He happened to like having his hair aqua-blue, thank you very much! When he slips into the right aisle, he sees a smaller kid on his peripheral vision but paid little heed.
He takes the top book and slides it into the right shelf; grabbing the second one, he kneels down to squeeze the tome between two thick volumes on the bottom-most shelf. When he stands up again, though, his face scrunches up when he fails to find the last book on the spot where he's left it. He turns around and finds the pale Ravenclaw boy from yesterday, holding the missing book –carefully flipping the pages of the open book, one hand supporting it by the gold-lined black velvet cover.
Apparently noticing that the older boy was back up, the ebony-haired Ravenclaw lifted his gaze from the text and spoke, "Oh, um, would you mind if I borrowed this book? You are done with it, right?"
"Uh, yeah?" Grimmjow replied with a casual shrug of his shoulders, burying his hands into his pant pockets.
"Thanks, I've been looking for this for a while now; I didn't know the Library had only one copy." With a grateful smile, the jade-eyed kid walked away, clutching the tome against his chest.
Sapphire eyes followed the small figure until it disappeared behind the bookshelves.
When he came back to their table, Nell, Szayel and Yylfordt instantly stopped their conversation and looked at him as though he'd sprouted a hand with glittering silver manicure in the middle of his face.
"What?" he asks them, feeling annoyed.
"Why's your face all red?" Yylfordt queries back, raising an elegant brow.
Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts
The fresh, damp smell of the grass filled his senses and Grimmjow exhaled with a wide grin. Starrk had scheduled the Gryffindor team's Quidditch try-outs the very first weekend and the turnout was just a few heads more compared to last year. Almost the entire team was there and nobody was really surprised that their Captain arrived ten minutes after the arranged starting time.
They needed two Chasers and a Seeker – and they need damn good ones; Grimmjow grit his teeth willing away the mental image of one cocky Slytherin bastard of a chaser.
It was decided that the Chaser try-outs would go first; the aspiring players would have to score as much as possible within five minutes by getting through the Keeper and dodging Bludgers all the while.
By mid-morning, they were almost done with the Chasers, just this one last batch and then the aspiring Seekers would have their turn. Grimmjow dragged the back of his hand across his forehead, wiping away the beads of sweat that had formed. The cool September wind blew against him and his grin widens as he remembers the last idiot that fell victim to the Bludgers – hey, it wasn't his fault those wimps were completely clueless to their surroundings. If those suckers were serious about Quidditch, they'd have known to look around better.
"Okay," Starrk's voice came from the goal posts at the end of the stadium, hovering around the hoops. "Would the last pair kindly come up? Neliel, the timer, okay?"
Down at the ground, Neliel smiled brightly as the last Chaser applicants zoomed into the air. "Okay, timer starts… now!" With a flick of her wand, a five minute hour-glass floating in front of her turned upside down.
A brunette in braids and a freckled red-haired boy fought over the Quaffle and Grimmjow snickered as he effortlessly struck a Bludger at the two. Unfortunately, the brunette spotted the jet-black ball heading their way and backed away with a squeak; the boy had barely escaped the Bludger himself and whizzed towards the goal posts with a frantic air.
"Nice one," the other Beater shouted at Grimmjow before pursuing the chasers himself, bat raised high.
Flying around in circles, looking for the other Bludger, Grimmjow finds his gaze wandering. He was at least sixty feet above ground and the other players were on the far side of the playing field. As sapphire eyes scanned over the terrain he pauses in mid-air as he spots a pale figure leaning out of one of the Owlery windows. A tawny brown owl was flying away and his mind automatically concluded that the boy must've sent a letter.
The wind lightly caresses the dark ebony hair against the pale features, jade eyes trained on the departing owl, its golden-brown feathers catching the bright sunlight as it flew high in light blue sky. A small hand tucked away strands of hair behind his ear as he finally turns away from the owl, jade eyes scanning the serene sky until he finds the stationary Beater at the Quidditch stadium staring back at him, yards away.
The crimson uniform fluttered in the wind, the aqua-toned hair mussed up but the sapphire eyes were steady.
Confusion easily slips away from the Ravenclaw's pale face and he smiles at the Gryffindor.
A gloved hand waves back and Grimmjow's face erupts in a grin; momentarily forgetting that he is sixty feet above ground, forgetting that he was supposed to be holding a Beater's bat with his waving hand, forgetting about the on-going Quidditch trials until a Bludger soundly collides with his head.
… And then everything went black.
Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts
"Ugh… bleeding fuck…" Grimmjow muttered as sunlight burned a bright red light on his eyelids. He slowly blinks and finds a tan ceiling over him. He lets out a groan as he places his right hand over his eyes, attempting to block out the excessive light.
"Are you awake now?" a soft voice asks from his left side.
Grimmjow lifted his hand, quite startled at hearing a voice speak to him but what his eyes settle on only served to heighten his surprise even more.
"You…" he manages to say, removing his hand from his face and pushing himself up on the pillows.
"Madam Pomfrey said not to have you exert yourself when you come into consciousness," the ebony-haired boy said, standing from his seat and gently assisting the Gryffindor Beater into a sitting position.
"What the hell happened?" Grimmjow asked after feeling a sort of electric shock on the back of his head.
"Bludger," the Ravenclaw replied sheepishly, his forest green eyes bright with amusement. "I actually want to apologize because I assume I'm at fault for distracting you during your Quidditch practice with your team…"
Grimmjow's cheeks burn red. Oh fuck, did he really mess up at Quidditch like that? In front of this guy, too. "Ugh," he groaned, his head was beginning to pound like hell.
"Maybe you shouldn't have sat up at all…" the green-eyed boy said, shooting a worried look at the bed-ridden Gryffindor.
"Yeah," Grimmjow found himself agreeing, leaning his head back against the metal headboard of the infirmary bed, squeezing his eyes shut and willing the pain away.
"Should I get Madam Pomfrey?" the Ravenclaw's concerned voice asks.
"No, no…"
Silence reigned for a few moments, Grimmjow still concentrating on dissolving the pain in his head and the Ravenclaw boy idly glancing around the Infirmary Ward which was empty save for themselves.
"Lunch is on-going," the pale boy spoke. "Nelliel, I believe her name is, went down for a quick lunch… I just sort of took over for the time being… So, um, should I ask a house elf to bring you up some food?"
"Thanks but not right now," the injured Gryffindor cracked open one eye and surveyed his companion who currently had his head bowed, small fingers fiddling with the edge of the white bed sheet.
A small smile was playing on the boy's lips and his wide green eyes seemed to glisten under the bright lights. And Grimmjow realized, he'd never really paid much attention to the other guy's physique at all – always, his eyes had been stuck onto the doll-like face. Now, though, he finds that the boy was petite and no other definition could match better, under the customary black robes with the House patch on the left breast pocket was a crisp white collared shirt, buttoned up with a blue and bronze striped tie expertly fixed up. He also wore a gray cotton sweater vest over the dress shirt which hugged his figure, then there was the usual black pants and he could safely assume that the boy wore black leather shoes as well.
"Why are you staring at me?"
The curious question brought Grimmjow's eyes back into focus and the blush returns to his cheeks upon finding that the other boy was staring at him with a raised brow. Damn, he looked cute.
"Uh…"
"Yes?" There it is again, the small, shy smile that has been driving him crazy… well, not yet. But Grimmjow was sure he'd be off his rocker in no time if things keep going like this.
"Damn… I fucking need Occlumency," Grimmjow cussed, straightening his back and looking quite distressed as he holds the other's gaze.
"What? Why?" the Ravenclaw boy's expression turns confused, leaning closer. His mind gears turning, thinking up of the worst possibilities – what if the aqua-haired boy actually got severe brain damage from that Bludger? It was going to be his entire fault.
Losing himself in those wide green eyes, Grimmjow allowed a smile to play on his lips, whispering, "Because I can't get you out of my thoughts."
The pale cheeks burst with color.
"I'm Grimmjow Jeagerjaquez, third year, Gryffindor." The sapphire-eyed boy started, holding out his right hand.
"U-Ulquiorra Cifer," the petite boy replies, taking Grimmjow's proffered hand. "First year, Ravenclaw."
And the two boys smiled at each other.
"Merlin's beard, Grimmjow, that's just the lamest pick-up line ever!"
Heads turn to see Nelliel smirking at the doorway, Tesra stood beside her, holding up a covered tray. Behind them were the Granz brothers, covering their mouths with their hands and failing epically at hiding their laughter.
Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts
END
A/N: In the middle of writing this, I just spawned the idea that maybe Tesra (yes, apparently 'Tesla' was a wrong spelling) should've been the star… D: Blame the line breaker if you will… which oddly plays in my head with a high soprano tune.
Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts
And why is Ulquiorra smiling all the time? He's eleven. And I put him in Ravenclaw because he doesn't have a superiority-complex. Yes, Grimmjow's in Gryffindor, he's got a code of conduct, Aizen damn it; and Nelliel, too, naturally (the little goody-two-shoes). Tesra makes a cute Gryffindor newbie, but damn if he'd met Nnoitra before I'm sure he'd be begging the Sorting Hat to put him in Slytherin. Nnoitra's the Slytherin chaser that Grimmjow hates. Szayel Aporro would not take anything less than Ravenclaw. Yylfordt is Hufflepuff because yellow is so his color. Starrk shoulda been in Hufflepuff but then I'd have no Quidditch Captain for them Lions. And Lilynette has just been appointed as Gryffindor's Seeker, btw.
Harry Potter pick-up lines have had me giggling like mad for the past two days… sorry… I just had to put that one in…