When Connolly was drafted onto the Irish National Quidditch team right after graduating from Hogwarts, he didn't know anyone. He didn't know the trainers, the coaches, or his teammates. At least, that was until he was knocked off his broom during pratice by a fellow beater named Quigley.

At first he was upset with the man. After all, they were thirty feet in the air and he purposefully knocked the quaffle at him. Then, he found a green and blue ribbon tied to the handle of his locker. He had no idea what it was until a chortling chaser informed him of its meaning.

Now, he was furious at Quigley. How dare that little worm give him a courtship ribbon after what he had done? It was awful and insulting and Connolly just wanted to throw him off the top of the bleachers. Instead, as it would have to suffice, he refused to talk to the man.

The silence went on for weeks, even as he began to receive ribbons in more random places - on his duffel bag, through a letter, and even laced into his boots. Just when the team thought that Connolly was going to give in, he instead exploded with anger.

He threw brooms and yelled curses, throwing towel after towel at Quigley - then firing hex after hex at the man when he ran out of towels. By the time he lost steam as he leaned his hands on his knees, gasping for breath they were on the pitch.

It was then and only then that Quigley slammed their lips together roughly. There was teeth and too much tongue, but there was even more anger and passion. When he was finally released, Connolly took only a few seconds to gain his bearings before firing a stinging hex at the beater and walking away. Now, Quigley could court him the right way.

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