Yann Fredericks stepped out from another corridor, and beckoned Rose closer. She reluctantly approached, wand in her hand and at the ready.

"What was that?" he demanded, brown eyes as bright as fire.

"What was what?" Rose asked, trying to sound innocent, even though her heart pounded against her chest.

"That kiss!" Yann hissed. "You kissed Scorpius Malfoy!"

"On the cheek!" Rose protested. "It's completely innocent, I promise."

"You lead me on!" he cried, pointing his finger at her. "You let me think that you might someday be interested, when you really were with him!"

"I did not lead you on!" she protested, her voice rising to a shout. "I turned you down! And I am not with Scorpius Malfoy!"

"Oh, please, you said I was sweet, and you never told me that you didn't like me!" Yann shouted back, jabbing his finger at her chest.

"I thought you would've gotten the hint, eventually!" Rose yelled, stamping her foot as her fists shook with anger. "I didn't want to hurt your feelings, I still wanted to be friends with you!"

"Because you love him." His voice was low and sounded defeated.

"I do not!" she protested, despite the blush spreading across her cheeks. "I wouldn't call it love."

"You still like him in that way," he pointed out.

"Like. Nothing more," Rose promised.

"I'll make sure it won't," he promised, his eyebrows knitting together in concentration.

"Don't you dare hurt him!" Rose snarled.

"I won't." He bit his lip. "I will make sure you regret choosing him."

Rose pointed her wand at him. "You and I both know who the better student is."

He laughed bitterly, and shook his head. He then walked away, leaving Rose confused and scared. She slowly lowered her wand.

I need to get to Quidditch practice, she thought. Then her eyes widened. He better not have-

She sprinted to the locker room, and found that her locker remained untouched. She hesitantly opened it. Her broomstick was fine. Rose sighed in relief. She changed into her uniform, locked up her things, and headed out to the field.

Jade Windchaser smiled at Rose. "There's my star Chaser. We'll be doing the Jupiter plan today."

Rose nodded. She mounted her broom and kicked off, taking her place in the sky, towards the back. Her red curls flowed in the wind, and she smiled as the sun warmed her face.

"Ready? Go!"

Jade tossed the ball in the air, and Karl Jenkins swooped up to take it. He tossed it to the other Chaser, Leelah Wood, and Rose dove in to grab the ball. She wove around imaginary opponents, and tossed the ball back to Leelah. She saw Karl look to to Yann, then catch the ball as Leelah caught it. Rose glided towards the hoop when-

CRACK.

Rose screamed as she plummeted towards the ground, her arm in sharp, pulsating pain. She tumbled to the ground, and flashes of red overtook her vision.

"ROSE!" Leelah shouted as she touched down and knelt next to Rose. Her eyes widened in horror. "Oh Merlin's pants! Jade, get Madam Hooch!"

Rose groaned and screwed her eyes shut, wanting to block out the world, block out the pain. She knew that it was a Bludger that hit her, and she knew that Yann was a Beater.

He hit me. He hit me because I didn't want to go out with him this weekend. Oh my god.

"Don't worry, Jade is getting Madam Hooch and Madam Pomfrey," Leelah assured her. "It's just a break, I think. You're really lucky, Rose."

"Thanks," Rose managed to hiss sarcastically through gritted teeth.

"I can fix it."

A lilting Irish voice carried through the wind. Rose recognized it as one of her roommates.

"Paige?" Rose called out. "Paige, I think we should just wait for Madam Pomfrey-"

"Anthroreparo," Paige said.

The pain suddenly stopped. Rose opened her eyes, sat up, and moved her arm. It was fine, as if nothing had happened. She looked up into the blue eyes of Paige Rowle, her fourth roommate.

With long blonde hair, light skin, and striking blue eyes, Paige was pretty. Or at least, she could have been, if it weren't for the odd clothes she wore, baggy and with weird patches and obvious stitches with the same yellowed white thread all over. Her uniform was better, but not by much.

Polly and Demetria weren't friends with her.

"Thanks," Rose said as she got to her feet. She turned around. "YOU-"

Yann and Karl were gone.

Rose turned hopelessly back to Leelah as Jade and Madam Hooch approached. Paige was already walking away, her hood covering the back of her head and long strands of her hair blowing in the wind.

Polly was waiting outside of the locker room.

"Are you okay? I heard you broke your arm," she said, her blue-green eyes looking to Rose's arm apologetically.

"I'm fine," Rose assured her with a casual wave of the hand. "Paige fixed it."

"Paige? Paige Rowle?" Polly asked. "That girl is so creepy, Rosie!"

"Maybe, but she did fix my arm," Rose pointed out. "Just promise you won't tell Demetria?"

"Of course," Polly murmured, her eyes lingering on Rose's arm. "I'll do what I can to help you with the homework. I'm still not as good as you, though."

"That's alright," Rose said. She considered telling Polly her suspicions. But Polly likes Yann. She might not believe me. I wouldn't have, if I hadn't seen it myself. He was so nice.

What Rose remembered was the Yann that was so terribly nice to her during her ride to Hogwarts, the Yann that had bonded with her over their shared aptitude for flying.

That boy had disappeared in the course of an hour.