"Perfect. You're doing well. Now we are going to move onto being able to block shots without the use of your eyes." Chase Rowley tossed a Quaffle in the air and caught it before tossing it to Neville Longbottom. He caught it with ease but threw it back to Chase so he could have both hands attached to his broomstick. Neville had greatly approved over the past few weeks even though he was not totally confidant more than twenty feet off the ground.

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"Okay." Neville swallowed loudly and nodded. He had learned quickly not to question Chase's teaching techniques.

"What I want you to do is just close your eyes and listen to the sound of my Quidditch robes. A lot of keepers have a habit of ignoring small details like that. Nine times out of ten if you wait to decide which hoop to block and just listen, you'll pick the right one." Neville was shaking as he clung to his new broomstick. "I'm not actually going to throw the Quaffle at you." Neville sighed in relief and closed his eyes so the drill would begin.

Twenty minutes later, Neville jogged into the Gryffindor locker-room and left Chase behind to put away the Quidditch equipment. As she had promised, Neville was able to figure out which hoop she was aiming for just by listening. After much pleading and begging from Chase, Neville had agreed to attend normal team practices. Though he had been nervous about riding a broom again, Neville had finally come to realize that maybe all brooms weren't so bad. Except the one that had gone haywire while he was attempting to ride it during first year. Hopefully he won't make a fool of himself at the team's practice.

Chase lingered on the pitch a little longer. It was perfect weather for Quidditch. Just a hint of a breeze, chilly air that just begged for a cashmere cardigan, and clear blue skies tinged blood orange by the setting sun.

"Excuse me." A deep voice caused Chase to spin around. A dressed up, well almost dressed up, Oliver Wood stood in-front of Chase with his hands shoved in his dark-wash jean pockets. "This is for you." He shoved a letter into her hands. "It's from Puddlemere's manager, George Cotwich." Chase couldn't help but notice how gorgeous Oliver looked in his hunter green sweater and tie. " Mr. Cotwich wants me to talk to you about playing for the team. Possibly. Maybe. I know it is really far off. But. When I saw that play the other day." Oliver began to talk a mile a minute. "It was so bloody brilliant. I just had to send it too him! And now they want you to play for the team and start or if you can't start at least write plays for the team! And your progress with Neville is just ridiculous! It's bloody insane! I would never be able to put up with him." Oliver had obviously been nervous about his little speech because he sighed loudly afterward. "So when can we talk?"

Chase stood still. Worried about what to say next. She couldn't say no to the poor guy, even if she had promised herself to never play for Puddlemere. For a split second Chase was worried about being sweaty and disgusting in front of Oliver. For less than a split second she considered the fact that he could possibly have wanted to tell her about something that was not related to Quidditch. But only for part of a second.

"Do you run at all. Because the only free-ish time I have is in the morning. I run. The rest of the team is technically supposed to run with me but no one does." Oliver nodded and agreed to meet Chase outside of the Gryffindor tower at six the next morning.

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"Have you considered signing with any teams yet?" Oliver's cheeks were flushed and his breathing was loud as he kept up with Chase's pace. The air was cold and stung as Chase breathed in. The weather had drastically changed since Halloween. In order for Gryffindor to be prepared to play in their first game in a month, Chase had upped the number of practices a week. She was not going to have her Quidditch team be out of breath because they had not practiced in the cold weather.

"Yea." Chase's ponytail whipped in her face as she turned to face Oliver. Even though she had two layers on, Chase did not feel dressed properly. Only Ansley knew that Chase had considered what she was going to wear for her morning run for about two hours the night before. "I might sign with Stockholm. They already promised me a starting position. So did the Harpies but I don't really want to play on an all women's team."

"Really? Why not?" Chase halted in front of a large rock next to the lake and began to stretch.

"I want to prove that I can hold my own against any male Quidditch player in the pros. I don't want anyone to say 'Oh. She is on the Harpies just because she is a woman.'" Oliver slouched against the rock. "Besides Stockholm sent me a Widget Quidditch Quaffle." Chase announced nonchalantly.

"What?" Oliver's mocha eyes became as big as Bludgers. "A real one?" His hands began to shake with excitement. "Why? Where is it? Can I see it? Can I hold it? Has it ever been used before or did they give you a brand new one?"

"It's real. It's new. And it's in my dorm. Protected by about ten thousand charms."

"I would give my right arm for one of those!"

"Yea well. Maybe you'll get a chance. If Puddlemere ever makes it all the way to the world cup."

"Oh. Have you thought of playing for Puddlemere at all?" Oliver could tell Chase enjoyed pushing his buttons.

"Not really. This is the first time you've ever approached me at playing for you guys. So no."

"Oh." Oliver appeared shocked. He could not comprehend anyone not wanting to play for Puddlemere. "It's a fabulous team. And we really could use someone to write plays."

"I don't want to sit on the sidelines and watch someone preform some figure that I could do better. That's not what I do."

"Seeing as you actually play decently and can write brilliant plays you would be perfect!"

"Decent! Decent!" Chase raised her voice. "How can you honestly say I'm only decent! I proved I'm a better flyer than you and I can out fly Max! I'm better than half the players in the pros!"

"So what you can fly! Anybody can fly well when they have a rich Daddy to buy them lots of fancy brooms!"

"At least I read broom magazines! You fell for my trick! That shows just how much you know about Quidditch! Besides! You have seen me play at practice! And I'll blow you away in the game next month!"

"Get your bloody head out of your ass Rowley! You're not perfect at Quidditch! Quit being conceited for Merlin's sake!" Oliver tugged at his hair and waited for Chase to yell at him.

"I'm not fucking conceited! You are so obtuse! If I was conceited I would not run every morning and practice every possible hour of the day! Your impossible!" Chase took off in the direction of the castle. There was no way in the universe that she was going to sign up with Puddlemere after that explosion. Stupid boys.

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Connor lounged on the couch in the Head Boy and Girl Common Room as she buttoned her shirt. He loved watching her delicate fingers.

"Will kiss me again before you leave?" Connor peeled himself off the couch and walked over to the Common Room door. "Let me fix your tie." Her fingers expertly tied his Ravenclaw tie into a Windsor knot. "I like that better." The blue of her tie matched her eyes perfectly. She was gorgeous. And his. Well. Secretly at least.

"I have to go to the library. That way I have an excuse for not meeting her." Connor kissed her one last time before leaving the common room. "I'll see you tomorrow Emerson." Emerson winked at him as he rounded the corner. She had won. Chase just did not know it yet. And Emerson Keates was not going to let the Quidditch nut find out any time soon.

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Chase could barely make out the sound of the school clock ringing. It was four on a Saturday and Connor still had not shown up. She knew the owl she had sent him had reached him but she had sat next to the lake for an hour and he hadn't shown up. The sun had moved behind the trees and the rock Chase was sitting on was now ice cold. It was the same rock where a week before she had gotten into another argument with Oliver Wood. She had avoided running near it until now. The rock by the lake was the only place Chase knew she would be guaranteed peace and quiet.

Chase pulled her garnet cashmere sweatshirt closer and fiddled with the edges of her too long Rags to Witches jeans. Her California tan had faded, no matter how much time she spent on the pitch. Even though Chase loved playing Quidditch in the rain, she kind of missed California.

The sound of rustling and crunching leaves caught Chase's attention. But she was disappointed. It was only Wood.

"Do you mind if I sit?" Chase had to suppress a laugh as she nodded. She loved his accent. Even if it mad their arguments a little strange because she just wanted to laugh the entire time.

"Whatever." Chase waved her hand to show she didn't care.

"I saw Connor in the castle. Coming out of the Head's Common Room."

"I guess he had school work to do."

"I guess." Oliver contemplated telling Chase what else he saw; a skinny Ravenclaw girl following him and fixing her hair and blouse. He decided in-order to prevent having another argument with Chase, it would be the smart thing not to bring it up. "Do you think you're team is ready?"

"Yes. As long as Harry and Ron don't do another disappearing act." Chase averted her eyes from Oliver's. She didn't feel like admitting how horrible she felt for lashing out at him the previous week. Oliver stared at Chase for a few seconds with out blinking. It was kind of totally adorable.

"I never noticed how little your ears are." Chase's head snapped in Oliver's direction.

"What?" Chase snarled.

"I know that was kind of random. Bloody strange really. But I was just pointing something out." Silence followed Oliver's odd statement. Both Chase and Oliver busied themselves with watching a leaf float on the lake and the ends of their jeans. "Well. I better be going." Before Chase was able to even open her mouth, Oliver was walking away and brushing off grass from his Puddlemere United sweater. Chase didn't bother following him. They had somehow apologized to each-other while just sitting staring at the leaf. Any more conversation would have ruined their truce.

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