title: we'd be in the negatives if that were possible

notes: Hogwarts AU part 2! This is primarily HouNon and features no Ryuko or Uzu.

-.-

It starts as most things between them do. It starts with them running into each other.

Nonon just wants to get to her room as fast as possible. The incoming weather is everything she hates and more. Rain, biting winds, and the chill in the air that preludes the inevitable onset of winter.

A cold draft from behind her prompts her to pick up her pace. She bounds down the stairs two steps at a time until she hits the dungeon corridor that leads to the Syltherin common room.

She can't wait to marvel in its warmth.

She notices too late the figure exiting the Potions classroom until she runs head first into them and sends them both sprawling. The impact is unpleasant. Her palms and her knees slam into ground in an effort to brace herself and her forehead slams into their chin. Whoever's under her swears.

"Watch where you're going," she grumbles, picking herself up.

"I could say the same for you."

She freezes. She knows that voice. That insufferable voice that belongs to that insufferable dog. For the first time since colliding, she takes a look at exactly whom she had struck. Houka Inumuta, Ravenclaw Prefect and a pain in her ass, on the ground being straddled by her, his glasses askew and hair mussed and chin red.

"In case you couldn't tell," she snaps, scrambling to her feet, "I was in a rush."

"Oh, I could tell," he says. "Five points from Slytherin for running in the halls."

"And five from Ravenclaw for sprawling in the middle of the halls."

He quirks an eyebrow. "Another five for running into a person."

Nonon wants to refute that with another deduction from Ravenclaw, she really does. But a part of her grudgingly admits that she's at fault here. Besides, there's a cold draft sweeping through the hall. Her need for warmth is currently outweighing her need to put Houka in his place.

"Fine."

"Fine?" he parrots, clearly not expecting her to give up so easily.

"Fine," she tosses over her shoulder. "I'll just deal with you later."

Later, as it turns out, is three days later. She's in the library trying to find this blasted book on merpeople when she spots his telltale hair slipping out of the Restricted Area. Grinning to herself, Nonon abandons her quest and instead follows after him.

She somehow manages to sneak up on him and whispers in his ear, "Five points from Ravenclaw for being where they're not supposed to."

Houka jumps but manages to cover his surprise rather well. She's mildly impressed. "I don't know what you mean."

She clicks her tongue at him disapprovingly. "Another five for lying to a Prefect."

"It's not lying if it's true," he says blithely.

"And if that's true then you're a dog's ass."

It's his turn to click his tongue at her. "Five points from Slytherin for being rude to a Prefect."

"I was merely criticizing your personality," she says loftily.

"Then I suppose it's five points from Slytherin for criticizing a Prefect's personality."

"And I suppose it's five from Ravenclaw for withholding information from a Prefect rather than lying."

"Pray tell, what information do you think I'm withholding?"

"Why you were in the Restricted Area, for example."

He leans in close, so close that it makes her crossed-eyed, and whispers conspiratorially, "Don't you want to know what Hogwarts doesn't want us to know?"

"So you admit to being where you shouldn't be."

"Of course not," he says. "I am innocent until proven guilty."

"You're about as innocent as a weasel."

"More innocent than you."

"No one is more innocent than me."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night."

She snarls at his retreating back, irritated that he got in the last word, but his retreat reminds her that she still needs to find that book. She decides to give him this win. After all, it's the only one he's going to get for a long time.

As the year wears on, they continue to deduct points from each other. Sometimes, it's reasonable. And sometimes, just because. At some point, Nonon thinks around the start of Christmas break, the two of them stop pretending that they ever deduct for legitimate reason and just begin arbitrarily taking points every time they meet.

They include:

- eating too many sugar quills

- having blue hair

- that sharp tongue of hers

- that dull wit of his

and

- being under five-foot tall.

Nonon calculates that between the two of them, they've lost their houses at least a hundred and fifty points each, if not more.

Their respective houses hate them. They complain, constantly and loudly, about how they have to work twice as hard to make up for the lost points and oh, did they know, Hufflepuff's in the lead for House Cup. Hufflepuff.

Neither of them care.

"At some point you two will run out of points to deduct," Satsuki points out.

Nonon shrugs. "Then our houses aren't doing their jobs properly."

"We can only earn so many points so fast."

"Not my problem."

Satsuki's right. They run out of points.

The two of them stand before the hourglasses and stare at the despairingly empty lower halves so reminiscent of the first day of school. Except it's not the first day back.

"I suppose we overdid it," Houka muses. Nonon grudgingly agrees.

"I'm not giving you any points," she's quick to say.

"And here I was hoping," he deadpans.

"If you had any points left, I would have taken five off for thinking so highly of me."

"Is that so wrong?"

His tone makes her pause. It's not his usual drawl, so full of smugness and taunting and condescending. It's none of that and it's weird. She doesn't like it.

"What?"

"Is it so wrong to think highly of you?" he repeats.

"Yes."

"And why is that?"

"Because it's you," she reasons. "You don't think highly of anyone except Satsuki."

He sighs and this conversation is so normal, so without their usual banter that it throws her for a loop. Nonon doesn't understand what's going on. She can't read the look on his face and it scares her, because she's always been able to read him.

"I am only going to say this once," he says. "You are quite possibly the only person other than Satsuki that I think highly of."

"While I suppose I'm glad you seem to have me on such a pedestal, what possessed you to put me there in the first place?"

"I must admit, your wit plays a large part."

"Glad to know my wit can charm dogs."

"I suppose you can say that."

She can't handle this. He's admitting that she charms him and he's not supposed to agree with her. They rarely agree on anything, but this isn't supposed to be one of those rare times. "Did someone confound you?"

"You would like that, wouldn't you."

"Yes. Very much."

"Unfortunately for you, I have not been confounded."

"So you are aware of admitting to the fact that I charm you."

"Yes." He sighs and mutters, "If you had any points left, I'd take away five for being obtuse."

"What a charmer," she deadpans. "I'm swooning."

"I can show you just how charming I can be."

Nonon tries not to think of the implication behind his words. "I've seen enough of your charms to last me a lifetime."

"I'm asking you out."

She points to the large double doors of the Entrance Hall. "The door's right there."

"On a date."

It's hard to pretend his words don't mean exactly what they mean when they're out in the open like that. She blinks, speechless around him for the first time since meeting him on the Hogwarts Express five years ago.

"Next weekend," he continues.

"And if I say no?"

"You won't," he says.

She bristles at how confident he sounds. "And why is that?"

"Because I clearly charm you."

"You're blinder than I thought."

"Call it a dog's intuition."

She stares at him. There's no way he can actually be asking her out. This must be some elaborate hoax. But despite the banter that filled the latter half of their conversation, none of it held the usual bite that colored all their previous exchanges.

Maybe, she thinks, he might just be serious about this.

"Fine," she ultimately acquiesces. "But only to prove that you don't charm me."

Houka smiles, a genuine smile that, if Nonon's willing to admit, leaves her breathless. Maybe he does charm her, just a bit.

"Five points to Slytherin for finally coming to her senses."

Scratch that. He definitely does not charm her.