Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Crossover ❯ Quatre Winner ( Chapter 3 )

Chapter 3

Quatre Winner was hard pressed to keep back the contented smile that threatened to bloom on his face. For years, he had watched as his sisters left for school on earth (carrying back and forth the most unbelievable things) while he had to stay at home and wait for his turn. The war has severed his opportunity, and he had thought he would never get his chance of finding out what the deal was with the mysterious school. His disappointment had lasted until one of his sisters had barreled into his room (at six in the fucking morning) and told him that his letter from school had arrived.

And now, he was minutes away from taking the flight to earth, on his way to Hogwarts. One look around the shuttle port revealed a large group of young people, fifty or so, whose ages seemed to range from eleven to their late teens.

Still being sixteen meant (according to his sisters - and the writers of the letter) that he was a fifth year, which in the end meant that he was really behind other students. Well, it wasn't expected from him to keep up with his studies while fighting a war, was it?

One look at the heavy trunk that Rashid was hauling behind him answered his question with a rather loud: of course!

With a sigh, he motioned for Rashid to stop.

-"I can take it from here."

-"But, Master Quatre…"

A beaming smile killed Rashid's tirade before it even began.

-"I fought a war, I'm pretty sure I can take care of myself and my luggage in a shuttle port, Rashid. And besides, I'll only be waiting a couple of minutes."

-"But…"

The puppy-dog look came out in full force.

-"Please?"

The Maguanac's resolve melted.

-"As you wish, Master Quatre."

While his tall self-appointed bodyguard set the trunk on a cart for him to haul, Quatre inspected again the group he had guessed would be his classmates.

Impulsively, he found himself looking for a familiar face, but all seemed to be strangers.

With a quick goodbye to his friend, he moved to join the group, just as two adults moved to the checkpoint.

-"All of you, silence!"

The caller was the woman of the pair. Her yellow eyes swept over the small crowd before her.

-"I'm Madam Hooch, and this is professor Snape. We will be boarding the shuttle in a few minutes. Now, I want you all to group by years. First years on the far left, seventh years on the far right. Lets go people, move!"

It wasn't as much the woman's words as the man's snarl that got everyone moving. Quatre found himself all but sandwiched between two seventh year gorillas that seemed to believe they owned the place. For a second, the blond considered pulling out the charmed gun Rashid had gotten for him (he didn't even want to ask where the Maguanac had found that) but he found himself suddenly pulled out of the bullies' clutches.

_"You really should be more careful, Winner."

Onyx eyes regarded him with barely veiled amusement, as their owner guided him towards where the other fifth years were assembling.

-"Thank you, Wufei. Are you going to Hogwarts as well?"

-"I'm here to find out what this is all about, as are the others."

-"The others?"

Wufei didn't answer, and Quatre didn't need him to, as he caught sight of a very familiar braid and a pair of startling emerald eyes.

-"Duo!! Trowa!!"

-"Q-ball! What's up?!"

Trowa nodded in greeting, as Duo all but glomped him.

-"You guys are going too?"

-"Well… I came to find out what this was about. It sounded quiet a bit like a joke, so…"

Trowa shrugged.

-"I was curious as well."

Wufei nodded his agreement.

Quatre looked around, searching for a familiar pair of Prussian blue eyes.

-"Does anyone know where Heero is, or if he got a letter?"

Duo's happy expression disappeared, and somber looks went all around.

-"I don't think anyone has seen him since the end of the war."

Wufei motioned to Duo as he talked, easily conveying his meaning: the American was still hurting over Heero's goodbye-less disappearance.

It has been common knowledge between the pilots that Duo was madly attracted to Heero. More than a few times had they seen clues that attraction was giving way to love. But, through it all, Heero had remained oblivious to Duo's covert advances, which had caused the American no end of grief.

The final straw had been Heero's disappearance. Duo had crumbled, and it had taken the three remaining pilots, Hilde and Howard to cheer him up again. Duo had changed, though, more than he himself cared to admit.

Quatre couldn't help feeling sorry for his braided friend. After all, he could easily relate himself to what Duo was feeling. The only difference was that Trowa hadn't lost touch (at least not completely).

-"Don't worry, Duo. I'm sure that Heero is ok, and that we will be seeing him again."