A/N: This started as a one-shot but I really feel nostalgia for it because some of the first fanfiction I ever wrote was Harry Potter. I'll continue it as long as I get ideas and it's still fun. There will be Walkers eventually and no Harry Potter is not in it.
Quidditch practice was Clementine's favorite part of the week. She was a beater for the Gryffindor team. The first female beater the team had ever had. She was deceptively strong for as small as she was. Clementine flew around the field, taking a few laps for fun before practice began. Flying was the best, there was something freeing about it that made Clementine feel more weightless than she ever had doing anything else.
Other players started to arrive on the pitch. The chasers, Becca, Sophie and Duck. Louis was the other beater. The seeker was Marianna and their keeper was a new girl named Ruby. She had moved from the States and guarded the posts like a Tasmanian devil. Clementine didn't know her very well, but she liked her spunk. They had a pretty solid team. Clementine zoomed down to join them, feeling the weight of the world again as soon as her feet hit the ground.
"Hey Captain!" Louis grabbed Clementine in a headlock and rustled the baseball hat on her head.
Clementine playfully punched him in the stomach and he released her grabbing his gut in mock pain. She straightened her hat on her head and turned to speak to her team, "Thanks for making it to practice on time. I really appreciate it. Sophie, if you could lead the chasers in some warm-ups?" Sophie nodded as he grabbed a quaffle from the trunk on the ground, Duck and Becca followed her as she flew up on her broom. Clementine picked a box up off the ground. "Mari, I enchanted some ping pong balls, they're white so they're going to be wicked hard to spot out here with all these clouds, it's no big deal if you can't find them all. The spell will wear off in an hour, so that's how long you have to see how many you can get." Clementine opened the box and five ping pong balls went soaring out across the pitch. Mari mounted her broom looking determined and was off.
"Just me and you now Cap'n!" Louis said and Clementine rolled her eyes, "you and I are going to be throwing this weighted ball around," she grabbed a heavy ball from the ground and tossed it to Louis, "See how long we can keep it up without letting it drop. In about 20 minutes we'll get with the Chasers, let the bludgers out and run some drills."
"See you in the sky!" Louis got on his broom and sailed up. Clementine mounted her broom as well, on her way up she caught sight of a girl sitting in the stands, sun glinting off her blonde hair. It wasn't odd to have spectators at practices but she appeared to be wearing Slytherin robes, which was uncommon at a Gryffindor practice. "Heads up!" Louis yelled as the heavy ball collided with the side of Clementine's face, throwing her off balance, stars flashed in her field of vision but she gripped her broom hard and managed to stay steady.
"What the heck Lou?!" Clementine yelled, swiping the back of her hand across her mouth and finding blood.
"Sorry Clem!" He shouted back guiltily as he went to retrieve the ball from the ground. "I thought you were ready..."
Practice went smoothly after that, Clementine remained focused on what she was doing, only daring the briefest of glances at the blonde haired Slytherin in the stands. Clementine whistled to signal the end of practice, everyone met on the pitch near the open trunk. Mari grinned brightly as she held up all five ping pong balls. Everyone clapped her on the back cheering. Clementine thanked the group for their hard work, telling them when the next practice would be as they packed up their stuff. Louis offered to bring the trunk back to the storage area, still feeling bad about Clem's busted lip.
"You should go to the infirmary and get that fixed up sug," Ruby smiled, pointing at her lip.
Clementine smiled at the shorter girl, "Nah, makes me look tough." They both laughed as they headed towards the locker rooms. Clementine hesitated, looking back at the stands and seeing the Slytherin girl still sitting up there alone. "I'll see you later Ruby." She waved at the girl before mounting her broom and flying up to the stands, hovering in front of the blonde girl.
"Come to spy on our practice have you?" Clementine smiled, what she hoped was roguishly.
"Huh?" the blonde girl looked up from her book to see the dark skinned girl right in front of her. "I-um, my friend Sophie is on your team, I just came to support her."
"That's nice, but I was kind of hoping you were here to watch me." Clementine winked and the blonde girl blushed.
"I said I came to support my friend, I didn't say I was watching her." Violet surprised herself with that comment, it had come out before she could even think. She allowed her eyes to glance over Clementine's body and it was Clementine's turn to blush, she hadn't expected the girl to flirt back, girls rarely did. Clementine was starting to think she was the only non-straight student at that school.
She had dated a few guys, and nothing had gone wrong necessarily, they just hadn't been right, and that was in 5th and 6th year before she had become overwhelmed with Captain and Head Girl duties. As she looked into the girls deep green eyes she felt like she was falling and she didn't want to stop.
"My name's Clementine." she introduced herself as she effortlessly leapt off her broom into the stands, smiling cockily she held her hand out causing her broom to zoom into it with wandless magic.
"Yeah, I know who you are." Violet said trying to look unimpressed. She didn't know whether to be repulsed or attracted to this girl's arrogance but her heart was pounding just the same. "I'm Violet."
"It's um... a Hogsmeade weekend this weekend... Would you want to go with me?" Clementine paused before adding, "On a date?" She wanted her intentions to be clear.
"Sure." Violet said, keeping a stoic exterior but inside she was having a nervous break down. Was she messing with her? Did someone put her up to this? Violet couldn't help but feel like she was the butt of a joke, but found herself hoping that it wasn't.
"Cool." Clementine grinned, "Meet me at the front gates at five?" Violet nodded as Clementine stepped onto the hand rail, with an exaggerated bow she stepped backwards over the edge, plummeting briefly before mounting her broom midair and flying off across the grounds. Violet gasped as she fell, standing worriedly just as she flew off, heart pounding in her chest.
"Please don't let this be a joke" Violet mumbled under her breath as butterflies danced in her stomach. She turned and gathered her things so that she could go meet up with Sophie.
Clementine flew around the castle grounds. It was technically against the rules to be flying outside of the quidditch pitch but she didn't care. She was feeling too high to come down now.
About an hour later Clementine finally flew down, flying just above the ground, seamlessly hopping off of her broom and running beside it, grabbing it in her hand as she ran. Her heart was racing and she wanted to keep it that way. She didn't stop running until she slid to a stop in the great hall. As eyes turned to her she became painfully aware that she was still wearing her practice gear, which was little more than shorts and a t-shirt, and still carrying her broom.
Clementine adjusted her hat nervously, wiping her sweaty hands on her t-shirt before resuming her air of confidence. Her quidditch team sat at the Gryffindor table, almost done with dinner by the looks of it. She scanned the Slytherin table, lips turning up at the sight of just the person she was hoping to see. Her body was still pumping with adrenaline as she moved towards the Slytherin table. Louis yelled after Clementine but her legs had plans of their own.
Violet was sitting surrounded by several people but the spot right next to her was empty. "Anyone sitting here?" Clementine asked as she leaned her broom against the wall, sitting down without waiting for an answer. Violet stared at her stunned.
Students were allowed to sit wherever they pleased during meals but it was very unusual for houses to mix too much, especially Gryffindors and Slytherins. The Slytherins at the table eyed Clementine's maroon and gold t-shirt.
"I'm starving." Clementine reached to the center of the table grabbing a plate and loading it up. "Minerva right?" Clementine pointed at the red haired girl, she nodded with a glare on her face, "If not for the hair I wouldn't be able to tell you and Sophie apart. Your sister is an amazing chaser. She's really improved a lot as a player over the last few years. I keep telling her she should try out for a professional team when she graduates. Can you imagine how awesome it would be if she was a Hollyhead Harpie? Do you like Quidditch?"
Minerva merely sneered, so Clementine continued looking around at all the faces, hoping to find one accepting face in the lot, "Not Quidditch fans hm? What's your favorite class? I am really loving Astronomy. There's something beautiful and mysterious about looking up at the stars." Violet's heart ached, she looked warily around at all the faces of her friends, hoping someone would speak kindly to this girl that was putting herself out there for her, but all she saw was sneers. She wanted to say something but her mind was blank. She was terrible at handling unforeseen social situations. She often practiced conversations in her head in advance when given the chance, otherwise she usually stayed quiet. When Clementine had sat down Violet was thinking about what she would say when she met her in the entryway this Saturday, she wasn't ready to talk to her yet, she hadn't prepared enough.
There was silence at the table as Clementine tore through the food on her plate. When she finished she cocked an eyebrow. "Anyone know any Dark Lords on the up rise? A Grandpa? Uncle? Cousin? I could use an extracurricular activity and I hear defeating one of those looks really good on a resume."
Dishes clattered, fists slammed on the table and a boy named Mitch yelled, "Are we just gonna let her talk to us like that?"
"They speak!" Clementine grinned.
"I oughta break your face." Mitch growled.
"Too late." Clementine pointed to her busted lip, "my teammates beat you to it. If you liked that joke though, you'll love the one about the Gryffindor, the Slytherin and the Hufflepuff that walk into a bar."
Violet stood up from the table and walked out of the great hall. Clementine jumped up quickly and grabbed her broom. "Wait! Violet! I was just joking!"
Clementine grabbed her wrist at the entrance to the dungeons. "Come on Vi, I didn't mean it..."
Violet ripped her wrist from Clementine's grasp. When she turned around she had fire in her eyes. "It's Gryffindor's like you that make it hard for a Slytherin like me to build a good reputation." Violet was jabbing her in the collar bone now. "You're just an arrogant, stuck-up, over privileged princess." Violet's chest was heaving, Clementine looked at the ground ashamed.
"I'm really sorry..." Clementine whispered, "I just wanted to be near you, so I took a chance and sat down. No one was talking to me, not even you. I just started getting so... so nervous and when I get nervous I say stupid things..."
Violet stared hard into the girl's amber eyes until she met her green ones, looking sheepish. "I'll go apologize to your friends and then I won't bother you anymore..." Clementine started to walk back to the great hall.
Violet grabbed Clementine's hand, the brunette looked back at her confused, Violet saw into her eyes and knew. Knew that Clementine and her had more in common than it first appeared. Violet hid her doubts and insecurities under a cold outer exterior, never letting anyone get too close. Clementine hid hers under a guise of bravado and over confidence. As Violet stared deep into her eyes she could see that scared girl who doubted every decision and longed for others approval. Clementine tore her eyes away as if she could feel Violet looking into her very soul.
"I'm sorry too..." Violet said, still holding onto Clementine's hand, "I should have said something, I just froze. I'm glad you came and sat by me. I'm just not good at talking like you are..."
Clementine chuckled, "Obviously I need to talk less." She scratched her head through the top of her hat, flashing Violet a smile that made her knees weak.
"We could arrange that if things go well." Violet's eyes traveled down to Clementine's busted lip and back to her eyes just in time to see Clementine wink.
"I'm going to apologize and then I have to go shower. but I'll see you on Saturday?" Clementine asked, squeezing Violet's hand.
"You'll see me on Saturday." Violet confirmed, Clementine beamed, lifting Violet's hand to her lips, kissing it softly before walking back into the great hall.
