Wow wow wow. So it's been about four years since I've updated this story and I recently discovered a draft of an eleventh chapters while I cleared out my Google Docs. I logged on to re-read the story (and boy have my personality and my writing changed). I would like to rework the first ten chapters at some point, but I felt it better to simply continue on for now and see what response I get. If any of you are original readers, welcome back! And if any of you are new readers, I hope you find the story to your liking :)
Al's POV
I arrived to breakfast the next morning only to spot Kai sitting on the opposite end of the Gryffindor table from our normal spot. She was casually talking with Austin, the guy I had seen her speaking with the night before. I opened my mouth to speak to Rose as a slid in beside her but no words came out. Instead, I settled for a heavy sigh and reached out to pour myself a glass of pumpkin juice.
Seeming to grasp what my unspoken statement was, Rose shook her head and muttered, "Sorry, Al."
James dropped down onto the bench across the table from me and immediately began filling his plate, not even bothering with a 'good morning' to the rest of us. It suddenly struck me that Austin would be in James's year- surely James must have some sense for his character?
"Hey James, do you happen to know a bloke named Austin in your year? He's in Gryffindor as well."
James finally looked up from his plate and swallowed the forkful of eggs he had just unceremoniously shoveled into his mouth. He quickly washed it down with whatever was in his goblet and replied, "Yeah, Austin Finch. Nice enough guy- close to the top of our year, studies hard but still knows how to go out and have a good time. I talk to him in class, but otherwise I'm not really sure what he's up to. Why do you ask?" I let my eyes drift towards the front of the Great Hall, and James followed my gaze to where Kai and Finch were conversing. "Ooooh, is somebody jealous?"
I swatted my brother's hand away as he messed up my hair in jest, returning back to my own thoughts. Though I was sure Kai couldn't have developed a deep romantic interest so quickly, I wondered if perhaps those qualities appealed to her: smart and invested in schoolwork, fun to be around. When I put it like that to myself the question seemed silly. Who wouldn't that appeal to?
Now me, I did well enough in my classes. I needed a bit of a push to stay motivated and pay attention, but I was smart enough. Kai does help me a fair bit in potions, but that would be my weakest class. Of course that would be where she gets to see me perform.
Classes weren't set to begin for a few more minutes but I noticed the pair stand and begin making their way to the exit. As Kai passed me, I turned my head quickly and called out her name and asked her where she was headed.
When she turned, her hair whipped over her shoulders the way it always did, and there was still a ghost of a smile playing at her lips in response to something Finch had said to her. Great. "Austin was going to walk me to class- you won't mind if I go ahead, will you?"
Before I could make it known to her and to Finch that I most certainly would mind and that he could shove off and focus on his own classes, she was already turning back towards him and waving absently towards me, calling out, "See you there!" as she began walking away.
Rose rolled her eyes at me and began collecting her things so we could depart together. She stood and yanked me up with her by the arm. "Are you coming or not, Al?"
I walked beside her to our classroom and grumbled, "What does she even see in him?"
Rose shrugged. "He's good looking, seems friendly. According to everything James said, I don't see why she wouldn't be interested in someone like that. They'd be compatible at the very least."
"Hmph."
I walked into Potions and took my regular seat next to Kai. She lifted her head from her reading and smiled at me.
"Morning, Kaori," I offered absentmindedly, rummaging through my bag to retrieve my inkwell, quill, and textbook.
One quick glance at her and I could see she was confused by my use of her full name. True enough, hardly anyone who was close with her used it anymore, instead having adopted 'Kai' as their way of addressing her. I hadn't meant for it to come off as angry, but when I was so absorbed in my own thoughts it was difficult to consider the way that I addressed people.
"Is everything okay, Al? Are you upset with me?" The concern was evident in her voice, and the look of surprise on her face when she saw me organizing myself for class was not lost on me. "What's got you so excited for Potions today?"
Well, I couldn't very well respond that I was attempting to be more like Finch now could I?
I shook my head and uncorked my bottle of ink. Luckily this particular class was mostly lecture, so we did not speak much and I could be left to my thoughts. Sure, I was jealous. Austin is, objectively speaking, a good-looking bloke who is probably much smarter and much more mature than I am. After all, he is a year older. And me? I still have to be reminded to do assignments instead of playing exploding snap at the breakfast table.
As more and more feelings of jealousy bubbled up in my stomach, I noticed a paper airplane land beside the hand that was meant to be writing notes but instead was dripping ink blots onto parchment. I unfolded it, expecting to see Rose's neat printing or maybe even Scorpius's messy scrawl. I certainly did not expect to see that it was addressed by Kelsey Hall in swirling, cursive letters.
Kelsey Hall was a rather promiscuous witch; she held a certain reputation amongst partygoers here at Hogwarts. She was of pretty average intelligence, height, and talent but something about her (perhaps her charm, her curves, or her silky auburn hair) just drew men in, and she seemed to rather enjoy that. I was sometimes in awe of her ability to flirt with so many people so casually.
I looked down at the spiraling letters, reading- "Excited for your game this weekend- I know you'll perform excellently." She had signed with several x's and o's and had drawn a little winking face. I turned to make eye contact with Kelsey, who sent a wink my direction and held my gaze for just a moment before turning back to her own notes. I gave a friendly smile and tried to ignore the sultry lip bite that she had performed ever-so-calculatedly, hoping Kai hadn't turned and noticed as well.
It was just then that an inkling trickled into my mind. What if…No, I couldn't use another girl to make Kai jealous. Would I really stoop so low? I pondered this to myself for a moment.
Well, it is Kelsey Hall, after all… I doubt she's looking for anything serious, so perhaps it wouldn't hurt to play with that idea just a bit more. Though in order for the whole 'jealousy' thing to work, it would involve Kai first being attracted to me in that way and I simply don't know if that's the case…
My thoughts were interrupted by the slamming shut of books and the collective screwing on of inkwell toppers. I realized in dread that I had not even paid enough attention to know the topic of the day's lecture, much less take any notes. All I saw on my parchment were several large inkblots staring back at me like stains. And I was supposed to be showing Kai that I could be as diligent a student as Finch? I shook my head and scoffed lightly at my own mistake.
I swept my items off of the table and into my bag, offering a quick farewell to Kai before making a swift exit from the room. I simply wanted to get to my next class without any interruptions, and seeing as how Kai was not in Muggle Studies with me (being Muggleborn, she had decided on taking Ancient Runes instead), I had no real reason to stick around and wait.
"Hello there, Albus!"
I jumped at the sound of the polite female voice beside me, looking down to see none other than Kelsey Hall walking alongside me. We had our next class together.
She was pretty, if I'm being perfectly honest. Long, chestnut hair that fell past her shoulders, hazel eyes, curves, and a flirtatious smile.
"Oh, hi Kelsey." What could she really want from me anyways?
She batted her long eyelashes at me and sent me her signature smile. "I hope you liked my note; I really am excited to see you play this weekend. First game of the season, huh?"
"Yeah, we've been training loads for it." I had noticed that she was at every Quidditch game, even the ones that Gryffindor didn't play. Perhaps she was a big sports fan?
I held the door open for her as we reached the classroom, noticing the way her hips swung as she passed by me and uttered a sweet-sounding, "Thank you."
Kelsey continued on to say, "Well, I for one can't wait. All you guys look so fit out there in those uniforms of yours."
Alright, I couldn't help it. A pretty girl had just complimented me; I felt a blush rush to my cheeks.
"Anyways, I haven't had the time yet to come out and watch a practice. Who's the new Keeper, again?"
"Kaori Travers." Funny how I was always being reminded of that girl.
Kelsey responded by flicking a strand of hair over her shoulder and pursing her lips. "You mean that girl that's always hanging on you?"
I wasn't sure how to respond to that. "I suppose so. We're friends."
"Well, Albus, if you're just friends with her, perhaps you might be interested in a girl with a bit more experience." At this, I felt my cheeks go positively red- a trait I had regrettably inherited from my mother. "I'll see you at the victory party, then." As Kelsey walked away, she sent one last wink in my direction.
My mind began reeling again. Was she really saying what I thought she was saying? I had never had a bird come onto me so directly. Of course there were quite a few girls who were, er, 'fans' of mine, for lack of a better word. Still, mostly there were love notes snuck into my bag or anonymous valentines.
I felt my brain wandering back to my dark-haired best friend and sighed. Perhaps this jealousy thing would be worth a shot after all.
Kai's POV
It was Friday night and I was restless, still sitting in one of the fluffy common room armchairs with my homework long finished. I knew that I had a game the next day; the logical side of my mind was berating me and begging me to sleep. Still, worry had crept its way into my mind and my stomach and was preventing any semblance of rest. I pulled my worn copy of "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" into my lap and attempted to lose myself in between the pages, hoping the words would allow me some semblance of sleepiness. My hair had been wrapped up into a bun, but it was pulled so tight that I could feel my head aching. I reached up and pulled it loose, strands falling every which way. So irritating. The thought of simply cutting all of it off was crossing my mind when I was interrupted by a familiar male voice.
I whipped my head around to face the source of the sound. "I'm sorry, what was that?"
Al ran a hand through his own messy dark hair, decked out in flannel pajama bottoms and a white t-shirt as he took a seat on the arm of my chair. "I said that you should really go to bed. It's a big day for all of us tomorrow."
Since our "argument" of sorts the other day, things had fallen back into their normal swing with relative ease. Austin and I were becoming friends, while I had noticed Al talking more and more with Kelsey Hall. She seemed sweet enough, though I was surprised that Al would be so open to somebody who was known for hooking up with boys for only as long as it was convenient for her. Perhaps he saw something in her that most others just didn't.
"I'm just really nervous… I'm one of the only new members of the team and there's so much pressure on the Keeper during the first game of the season. I'm worried that I'll fail and that the other students who went out for the spot will think that I didn't deserve it, or got it as some sort of favor for being friends with you and James. I'm worried that I'm going to let Gryffindor down or that James will replace me… I'm just-"
"Worried?" Al cut me off with a lighthearted chuckle. I smiled lightly and nodded, tugging at a strand of my hair. He reached out and gently squeezed my shoulder. "Don't worry about it Kai, just remember your training. You've worked hard enough, I'm sure you'll do great." Al tilted his head back and released a loud yawn, before stating definitively, "but not if you don't get enough rest.
"I know," I sighed, shutting my book and collecting my papers and textbooks from the table beside me. "Goodnight Al."
"G'nite Kai."
I awoke the next morning feeling positively Gryffindor. My head was clear and my heart was brave, brimming with a shaky confidence that simply hadn't been there the night before. I ate breakfast alongside my teammates, as was tradition. I tucked in next to Scorpius, who was the only member of the team who had eating habits that did not resemble a hungry hog's. The rest of the team taunted him for 'eating like a girl,' to which I responded by shoveling more of my own heap of food into my mouth gracelessly.
I had several Gryffindors approach me and wish me good luck, though some were much more sincere than the others. My stomach began to swirl a bit, the massive breakfast I had just eaten threatening to make a second appearance; having people practically wishing failure upon me just for a laugh was more discouraging than I had thought it would be. Of course, it was expected that Hufflepuff would be rooting not only against me but the rest of the team as well, but to have my own house waiting to see if I would sink or swim…
I shook the thought out of my head. I would prove them wrong for sure.
I quickly dressed in my uniform before making my way into the main locker room, waiting for the rest of the boys to come out, when I noticed something peculiar that had slipped past my notice at breakfast.
"Al, you're wearing your glasses!"
I had to admit, they were rather cute on him, though of course I thought this strictly platonically seeing as how I had made up my mind to get over him. In spite of how attractive I found them, it was uncommon for an athlete who wears contacts on a regular basis to choose the day of a match to wear their glasses.
He sighed. "I dropped my last contact down the sink this morning. I was able to accio it out of there, but even after cleaning it I was still a bit freaked to put it in my eye. It's not exactly ideal, but I have to be able to see if I'm going to catch the snitch.
James emerged before I had the chance to respond. He gave me a signature James smile, but I could see the nerves hiding behind his eyes. It was his first match as captain, but it hadn't occurred to me until this moment the amount of pressure that he would be under as well. He called the rest of the team into a circle, and we all threw our arms over one another's shoulders and huddled in tight.
"Alright everybody, first game of the quidditch season for all of Hogwarts. We are gonna get out there and do our best, take them down, and set the bar high as hell for the rest of the season. We're gonna show all the other teams watching in the stands that we mean business and if they wanna beat us, we're gonna put up one hell of a fight. Right?"
The team answered in unison with a shout, flashing reassuring grins across the way at one another as we broke off to grab our broomsticks, mounting them in preparation for our names to be announced. I stood nervously at the curtain, waiting for them to call my name, heart pounding in my chest as the list of Hufflepuff players ended with the announcement of their seeker, Roger Finnigan.
"And now, for Gryffindor house- Starting with Chasers, Scorpius Malfoy, Mark Staten, and James Potter!"
I felt three distinct gusts of wind pass by my face, causing me to screw my eyes shut.
"Beaters Nicholas Tran and Fred Weasley!"
Two more, and a calming whisper from Al, saying "you're going to do great, Kai."
"Keeper Kaori Travers!"
I suddenly felt as though my feet were stuck to the floor, but they were working against my mind and pushed off the ground, lifting me into the air and out into the autumn air on the pitch, soothing me instantly. That was, until I heard the cacophony of screams and shouts from the menacingly huge crowd beneath me.
"And finally, Seeker Albus Potter!"
I looked back to see Al offering a polite wave to the crowd before he joined us in our starting formation.
Everything passed in a bit of a blur as the snitch, bludgers, and finally the quaffle was released, signaling the start of the game as I raced to the Gryffindor goal posts to block against any attempted shots.
The announcer, Stephanie Creevey, was avidly commenting on the game as things progressed.
"Malfoy currently in possession of the quaffle, rushing towards the Hufflepuff goal posts, passing to Potter, back to Malfoy, to Staten… and score! Gryffindor gets the game up and running with a score of 10-0!"
The boys seemed extremely proud of themselves, but only for a moment before they rushed back into action.
It was already too late though; the Hufflepuff Chasers had taken the quaffle and were quickly making their way towards me, passing it back and forth often, making it all the more difficult to tell which of them was going to shoot, and for which hoop. I could give them one thing for sure, they had a strategy down.
Next thing I knew, a quaffle was soaring for the hoop to my left, and I raced over and blocked it with the head of my broom. A bludger soared by the shocked Hufflepuff Chasers, startling them before one, Martin, his jersey read, dove down and retrieved the fallen ball, preparing for another shot, for the hoop on the clear opposite side of where I was now.
Before I could even begin to think of whether or not what I was about to do was safe, or even possible, I leaped off of my broom toward the soaring quaffle, only hoping that the back kick would send my broom around in a circle to catch me as I hoped.
Quaffle in my hands, I plummeted for only a moment before feeling myself land on my broom, allowing me to breathe a sigh of relief before I tossed the ball to James, whose face held an expression of both shock and approval. Al and I had practiced outside of regular team meetings; or rather, I had practiced it while Al stood below, ready to cast a charm to slow me should I fall (which I had, several times).
The crowd was going insane; I could barely hear Stephanie shouting over them- "Travers shocks everybody with a risky defensive maneuver!"
I looked up in time to see Fred hit a bludger towards one of the Hufflepuff beaters, who shot it towards Al, who barrel-rolled to avoid it, causing his glasses to fall from his face and towards the ground. The bludger followed the same trajectory, straight to the ground where Al's glasses were smashed to bits.
This distracted me enough that I hadn't realized that Hufflepuff had regained possession of the Quaffle and was approaching me at high speed. Martin once more launched the Quaffle toward our hoops. My fingers just grazed it, but it wasn't enough to keep them from scoring.
"And Hufflepuff is on the board, bringing the score to ten points a piece!"
I cursed silently to myself. What good was a fancy trick if I couldn't even pay attention long enough to block what should have been a simple shot? I quickly shook those thoughts away, though, focusing back on the field.
Mark, Scorpius, and James scored four more times and I continued to block Hufflepuff's shots, but I could still see Al absently circling off to the side of the pitch, seemingly at a loss.
Shoot. This wasn't good. If he had any chance of finding the snitch, he had to be able to see! There was no way to repair his glasses right now- nobody had their wand on them on the field, for the same reason that many didn't wear glasses on the field. There was too big of a risk of them getting damaged. I made frenzied eye contact with James, who had just dodged a bludger while passing the Quaffle into Mark's waiting hands. Nicholas beat the bludger the clear opposite direction, and I waved James over frantically.
He seemed slightly irritated as he flew over to my position at the hoops. "Not to sound like a prick, but we're all a bit busy now, Kai."
I rolled my eyes. "I know that! But Al's never going to catch the Snitch if he can't see, and I had an idea to-"
"Do whatever you need to, Kai, but do it fast- we have a game to win and I can't let them take the Quaffle again!" James cut me off and flew back towards Mark, who seemed to be boxed in between the side of the pitch and one of Hufflepuff's Beaters.
"Al, over here!" I shouted down to him, knowing he would be able to see my shape at least from a distance.
He carefully soared over, stopping next to me.
"Al, you can see bigger objects, correct?"
His eyes were wide as he looked at me. "Yes, I can see your face now and I could see somebody coming at me. Why?"
"Al, you're gonna have to play Keeper for the rest of the game."
"You're insane-"
"No! You're never gonna catch the snitch if you can't see. I'll play seeker, and you can block passes. Even if you miss a couple, if I can catch the snitch we can still win by a landslide!"
I could tell he was hesitant, so before he could even argue in the slightest I flew lower down, leaving him by himself at the hoops.
"Unbelievable! It seems that, with the loss of his fine vision, Potter has been forced into the Keeper position and Travers is taking over as the Gryffindor Seeker for this round, leaving the game in clear favor of Hufflepuff in spite of the now 60-10 score with that last goal from Potter!"
I was beyond nervous at this point. My eyes combed the field for the snitch, so when I saw nothing but the beady eyes of the opposing Seeker, I knew I had to do something.
In our after hours practices, I had watch Al practice his Wronski Feint while I stood on the ground to stop him if he came too close to hitting the ground in his attempt of faking out his opponent and making it nearly to the ground before ending the act. Maybe I couldn't get it down as perfectly as he could, but if I could at least pretend for a bit to distract the opposition… and he definitely won't see a move like this coming from somebody who is untrained for this position.
Trying my best to look convincing, I shot my eyes to my left and quickly followed suit with my broom, racing towards some invisible snitch in the distance. No sooner than I had taken off did the other Seeker, Reynolds, start tailing me, obviously having taken the bait.
Racing closer and closer to one of the side towers, I yanked the head of my broom straight upwards, hoping I had left myself enough room to avoid a crash. I breathed a huge sigh of relief as I narrowly missed the side of the stadium.
Based on the crash I heard behind me though, Reynolds had failed to follow suit. Now, at least momentarily, the whole field was mine to search. A flash of gold a few feet in front of me caused me to start off yet again, Reynolds still trying to recover from his fall.
"This is absolutely mad! Not only has Travers, amateur Seeker, managed to pull off some version of a Wronski Feint, but she appears to have spotted the Snitch for real this time, while across the field, next-to-blind amateur Keeper Potter has blocked two out of four attempted goals, the score holding at 60-30 as Travers reaches out and… catches the snitch, putting the score at 210-30!"
My heart was going to explode out of my chest, I swear, as I let myself float to the ground to be pulled into a sweaty group hug by the rest of my team.
"Gryffindor wins!"
