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Synopsis

Yuri Han has always been more an instrument than a person, a vessel moulded by her father's ambitions. For six long years, she has carried the crushing weight of his expectations, her every step calculated, her every action dictated by the need to meet his impossible standards. Her world is a narrow corridor of academic perfection, where there is no room for indulgence, no appetite for joy, no thought of herself beyond the pursuit of excellence. But the end is in sight. If she can maintain her spotless grades and reputation until graduation, she will finally be free to chase her true dream: to become a curse-breaker and vanish into the farthest corners of the world where her father's influence cannot follow, where adventure and obscurity can shield her from the life she has been forced to endure.

However, adventure finds her sooner than expected. It is disruptive and unwelcome, in the form of a Gryffindor Beater who charges through her meticulously built walls with all the finesse of a bludger. He is infuriatingly persistent and altogether too curious—his sudden interest in her life as baffling as it is bothersome. They have always shared the same classes, exchanging barely a glance, but now he insists on seeing parts of her she has buried so deeply that even she struggles to acknowledge them.

Yuri wants nothing more than to retreat to the blessed anonymity of his indifference, but he is relentless, dragging her into a whirlwind she is neither prepared for nor willing to face.

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As one half of the infamous duo ruling the Hogwarts practical joke scene, Fred Weasley has never met a challenge he couldn't face. So when Oliver Wood confides in him about his latest dilemma—a certain Hufflepuff captain whose heart is locked behind an impenetrable dating ban—Fred smells an irresistible opportunity for a little fun. The terms of the game are simple: Oliver can only win his crush's favour if her sharp-tongued best friend, Yuri Han, finds her own match first.

How hard could it be to charm the girl who sends most would-be suitors scurrying with a withering glare? For Fred, it's all about the thrill of the chase. He doesn't need to win her heart—just keep her distracted long enough for Oliver to make his move. A little harmless meddling; a bit of sport in the absence of Quidditch. Nothing more.

But Yuri is no ordinary quarry. Beneath her barbed words and steely exterior lies a wit as razor-sharp as his own and a resolve that refuses to bend. What begins as a lighthearted wager turns into something much more complicated, as he finds himself captivated by the very fire he set out to tame. The line between mischief and meaning begins to blur, and Fred is faced with an unsettling truth: instead of playing her for a fool, he may just be becoming one for her instead.

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For as long as he can remember, Quidditch has been Oliver Wood's entire world. Every spare moment of his time at Hogwarts has been devoted to the sport—crafting meticulous strategies, pushing his teammates to their limits, and keeping a watchful eye on rival teams to stay one step ahead. But when the Inter-House Quidditch Cup is cancelled in favour of the Triwizard Tournament during his final year, Oliver is left adrift, his usual purpose stripped away. Without practices to lead or matches to prepare for, he finds himself confronting an unfamiliar void he doesn't know how to fill.

And in that void, an old feeling resurfaces with startling clarity. For years, he has told himself that his interest in Anika Rizvi was purely professional—a matter of studying the competition, but with no games to hide behind, he can no longer deny the truth: it was never about Quidditch. It was always about her.

Anika is everything he admires: fiercely dedicated and even more driven by the love of the game than he is. The thought of leaving Hogwarts without at least trying to win her attention feels unbearable, and this is his last chance—before they graduate, before life inevitably pulls them onto separate paths—to make her see him as something more than a rival. For once in his life, Oliver Wood must leave the game behind and take a risk on the one person who's been inspiring him all along.

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Anika Rizvi's final year at Hogwarts is meant to be a time to relax and savour the last moments of her magical education. As Head Girl, she has more responsibilities than ever, but she still manages to carve out time for her friends, playing matchmaker and swapping gossip. The cancellation of Quidditch is a hidden blessing as well, sparing her from having to acknowledge the decline in her playing ability after last year's accident. All things considered, this should be her year of freedom and a final chance to convince her best friend, Yuri, to give the foolish boys around them a chance. 

Determined to honour her role as a supportive friend, she enacts a strict self-imposed dating ban, refusing to even consider anyone vying for her attention unless Yuri does first. It's a challenge, but Anika is resolute. Then, out of nowhere, a complication arises in the form of one Oliver Wood, and the timing feels cruel. Up until now, she has been content to dismiss her affection as unnecessary, particularly for someone like him who had no interest in anything outside of Quidditch. However, now that he finally has the time for her, her promise to herself and Yuri could not be more inconvenient, forcing her to keep her distance, no matter how strong the pull.

Torn between her growing feelings and her loyalty to her friend, Anika faces an impossible choice: will she continue to play the dutiful friend, or will she finally take a chance on the heart she's spent so long keeping in check?

Because, in the end, all's fair in love and Quidditch.

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I am sorry. 
I am sorry. 
This may be me at my best.
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Yuri Han: The Maverick

"You're a fool, you know that right? A reckless, moronic, fool."

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Fred Weasley: The Jester

"Yeah, but I'm your fool now. We have a strict no-return, no refund policy."

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Anika Rizvi: The Sentinel

"So you concocted this idiotic plan and dragged your entire quidditch team into it, just because you're in love with me?"

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Oliver Wood: The Vanguard

"Have been for seven years actually, glad you finally noticed."

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And it feels so good to be known so well.
I can't hide from you like I hide from myself.
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Playlist

1. Knee Socks - Arctic Monkeys
2. True Blue - Boygenius
3. Devil Town - Cavetown
4. Cherry Flavoured - The Neighbourhood
5. Washing Machine Heart - Mitski
6. 505 - Arctic Monkeys
7. My Strange Addiction - Billie Eilish
8. Counting Stars - OneRepublic
9. Habits of My Heart - James Young
10. Casualty - Mothica

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Tropes: 
- dating for a bet
- ten things I hate about you retelling
- Shakespeare's taming of the shrew retelling
- One-sided rivalry
- Gryffindor x Slytherin (Fred x Yuri)
- Gryffindor x Hufflepuff (Oliver x Anika)
- lots of misunderstandings/miscommunication because they're all idiots in love

A/N: Finally posting as a holiday season surprise lol. I would like this to be my silly non-angst fic so we're going to keep it mostly lighthearted (as lighthearted and non-angsty as a fic by me can be lol). Only covering Goblet of Fire, so hopefully, it won't drag on too much, and just be a short rom-com fic. Also, I realize that Oliver Wood graduates at the end of Prisoner of Azkaban but I'm aging him down a year lol because he's cute and I want to include him in this fic. Oliver/Anika are in Year 7, and Fred /Yuri are in Year 6. 

As usual, don't be a ghost reader. I live for yalls comments/questions/predictions/reactions, even a keyboard smash is highly appreciated and encouraged!