Niam Oneshots

Hogwarts

Hogwarts AU. So I actually got the idea for this while I was obsessing over Hetalia and found some amazing fan art of America and Britain, which I will put on the side, because I really love it. Also, I found that video on the side and almost died laughing. Go watch it.

"Hey! Ni, wait up!" Looking over his shoulder, Niall saw one of his best friends running up behind him. Niall had met Liam, along with their other three friends; Louis, Harry and Zayn, on the train to Hogwarts. Although Niall himself and Harry had been the only ones sorted into the same house, they'd all become fast friends.

Since Niall and Harry were Hufflepuffs, Zayn a Ravenclaw, Louis a Slytherin and Liam a Gryffindor, the five of them had kind of become an oddity among their classmates. It was unusual for two houses to mix, but for one group of friends to contain all four was unheard of.

"Hey mate. Any luck trying to find someone to take to the Yule Ball?" Niall greeted once Liam had caught up to him. Said Ball was little more than two weeks away and so far neither or them had been able to pluck up the courage to ask someone.

"No. I think we should all just go stag." Liam grumbled, trying not to think about how he was the Hogwarts champion; he'd battled a dragon, for God's sake. Asking a girl to go to the Ball with him should have been easier but apparently it wasn't.

"That's what I was thinking, too, but it looks like just me and you who haven't got someone to bring. Louis convinced two Ravenclaw girls to go with him and Harry this morning." Niall replied exasperatedly. Since Zayn was obviously going with his girlfriend of the past year, Tiffany, that left just himself and Liam without a date.

"Really? God, I can't believe that." Liam sighed, before he suddenly turned to Niall with a determined grin. "We'll just go together then. It's not like it actually matters. We'll spend the whole night with those idiots anyway."

"Yeah. I guess. And this way we don't have to embarrass ourselves trying to ask some girl." Niall agreed, sticking his hand out to Liam so they could shake on it. Having apparently resolved the issue, they moved on to discuss the Charms homework neither of them could do. Usually they'd just ask Zayn, their resident genius, but since the N.E.W.Ts were this year, he'd decided they needed to be able to do this stuff on their own.

Two weeks later, on the night of the Ball, all five of the boys met outside the Great Hall before entering, along with Tiffany and the two girls, all Ravenclaw, who'd agreed to go to the dance with Louis and Harry.

"Finally. Mr. Payne, are you.....who is your partner?" McGonagall questioned uncertainly almost immediately after Niall and Liam walked into the Great Hall. All of the tables had been removed for the ball and the room looked stunning, with flowers and delicate decoration adorning the walls in an eye catching pattern.

"Uh....Niall, I guess." Liam answered, sounding just as uncertain as McGonagall as he waved his hand vaguely in Niall's direction. He had no idea why it matter, but was beginning to feel uneasy at the surprised look he received from his head of house.

"Oh. I see. Well, are you and Mr. Horan ready?" She asked once she'd gotten over her evident surprise. After carefully crafting her expression into one of disinterest, McGonagall began to turn away without having gotten an answer.

"Sorry, Professor, but read for what, exactly?" Liam questioned before McGonagall could make a move to leave. Turning quickly, she shot Liam a bewildered frown before replying.

"Why, to dance, of course. It is customary for the three champions to have the first dance." McGonagall explained and her toned implied this was something that Liam should have known, not least because he was the Hogwarts champion.

"But I didn't know we'd have to dance!" Liam exclaimed, looking slightly panicked at the very idea and in that moment, Niall was inclined to agree. Neither of them were very good dancers and Liam had a habit of stepping on the toes of his partner.

"Well, now you know." And with a flourish of her robes McGonagall glided away in search of the other two champions, who seemed much more clued in than Liam.

Once she was no longer within earshot, Niall and Liam turned to each other and said in perfect unison; "I'm leading! What? No way!"

"You can't even dance!" Niall exclaimed indignantly, shooting a glare in the direction of their three friends, who had not stopped laughing since they'd entered after himself and Liam. He got the impression that this wasn't news to them.

"Yeah, well, I'm the champion here. Besides, I'm bigger than you." Liam retaliated and although his logic was shaky at best it was true. Niall, who was a few inches shorter than Liam, was small for his age, as seemed to be the custom in his family.

"Only a little bit!" Niall huffed, getting mighty tired of having his height used against him. Although he held onto the hope that he still had a bit of growth left to do, it was becoming increasingly unlikely that it would ever happen.

"Enough to count! And you're not exactly great at dancing either, you know." Eventually Liam, along with the help of their still tittering friends, convinced Niall to let him lead and not too long after they were bodily forced onto the dance floor by an agitated McGonagall.

"I hate you and I'm never going anywhere with you again." Niall mumbled fiercely before transferring his embarrassed glare from the floor space between their feet to Liam. "Next time you need someone for a friendly date ask Harry. I'm sure he'd love to."

"Nah mate, Louis'd kill me if I even tried. He acts like Harry's his son or something." Liam laughed, grinning down at Niall with an expression that resembled that of Louis' after he'd thought of a good prank he and Zayn could execute. How those two hadn't been expelled yet was anyone's guess. "Besides, I'm having the time of my life!"

"I hate you." Niall mumbled again as his ears turned pink and he punched Liam with the hand that had been resting on his friend's shoulder. Returning his gaze to the floor, he tried not to think about the fact that they were clearly the center of attention right now.

"What if next time I don't want a friendly date?" Liam asked quietly, after a deep sigh as he watched Niall carefully to gauge his reaction.

"What do you mean?" Niall muttered inquisitively, his eyebrows scrunching together before he glanced back up just long enough to see that Liam's boisterous grin had slipped and he now looked very serious.

"I'm trying to ask you out. I say trying because it doesn't seem to me like I'm succeeding." Liam replied, not meeting Niall's eyes and instead looking at a point just over his head.

"Oh.....I....." Niall was shocked beyond belief. He'd always kind of had feelings for Liam but he'd figured it was just a stupid crush and that nothing would ever come of it. He certainly never dreamed that Liam would return his feelings.

"It's OK if you don't want to. I kind of figured you wouldn't but then I though while I've got you here I may as well give it a shot because you can't really go anywhere and-" Liam babbled quickly, loosening his hold on Niall as if he planned to run from the situation.

"Liam! You're rambling." Niall interrupted, before a cheeky grin slowly spread across his face and he squeezed Liam's hand tightly. "And anyway; I'd love to go out with you."

"You......really?" Liam asked uncertainly, stopping the waltz they'd continued to dance while having this conversation. Thankfully, other couples had joined the champions and their companions on the dance floor by now so no one thought their abrupt halt odd.

"Yes, really." Niall grinned but he was stopped from saying anymore by a clumsy kiss that didn't last for more than five seconds, which was just enough time to turn his face and ears a rosy pink.

It was also enough to attract the attention of their friends, who immediately started to question the newly formed couple when they joined them where they sat to the side of the room, abandoned by their neglected dates. All except Zayn, who had his tongue down Tiffany's throat, while she sat on his lap.