title: -
prompt: #26 - boarding school
summary: every pair of eyes on the quidditch pitch sees the bludger slam sasuke uchiha square in the face.

"Aaaaand another ten points to Slytherin!" the announcer shouts, voice miraculously carrying over the unrelenting roar of the crowd behind him. "That's 60-50, with Slytherin in the lead—!"

Groans sound from Sakura's left side, a mixture of her fellow Ravenclaw and Gryffindor friends shouting from the stands, and she grits her teeth as two voices soar above the rest, shrill and piercing:

"Come on, Forehead!" screams Ino, vigorously waving a Ravenclaw flag despite being a Gryffindor herself. "You can't let them beat you guys again—this would be the third time this season!"

Ino screeches as Naruto pushes her over, cupping his hands around his mouth, as if his voice weren't loud enough already. "Kick their asses, Sakura! Especially Uchiha, kick his ass the most!" His fists clench in the air at the thought of his rival. "Think about the test scores, the test scores! He beat you by a whole three points, remember?!"

Sakura releases a loud shout of exasperation as she swings her Beater's bat at an incoming Bludger, aiming toward a blur of Slytherin green soaring toward an airborne Quaffle. The Chaser's broomstick dips abruptly in attempt to evade her strike, and Sakura notices a familiar face frowning in her direction as he steadies. She wrinkles her nose: speak of the devil.

The Ravenclaw section of the stadium erupts into cheers as Shino Aburame steals the Quaffle and scores, bringing the game to a tie, but Sakura's grip on her bat merely tightens. She can feel the Uchiha's glare piercing the back of her head.

Even with the Gryffindor sector across the field, she hears a strange medley of both Ino and Naruto's voices shouting in approval.

She thinks back to last week's Charms test that Sasuke Uchiha had managed to outscore her on, despite most likely having not studied nearly as much as she had. She blames his bloodline; his family was one of purest magical blood, and everything came naturally to him. Aiming a different Bludger in the direction of another Slytherin Chaser, Sakura swings the bat with every intention of displaying everything she has to prove, despite her non-magical roots.

There are numerous screams from the Slytherin crowd as the Chaser, Suigetsu, hangs from his broom with one arm, kicking his legs in attempt to bring himself upright again.

Sakura turns away and barely blinks as the Slytherin beater, Karin, spikes a Bludger toward her, sending it back in a heartbeat. She hears cheering from the crowd and grins, showing teeth.

The game then progresses steadily, each team seeming to score turn by turn.

Kiba Inuzuka is first, scoring once for Slytherin, only to have Sai following close by with ten points for Ravenclaw. Sasuke Uchiha then scores, right before Shino scores again for Ravenclaw.

Sasuke scores another time, and as the Quaffle skims the rim, Sakura notices a Bludger soaring her way at an alarming speed, determinedly gripping her bat before sending it flying. Every pair of eyes on the Quidditch pitch sees it slam Sasuke Uchiha square in the face.

She hears his nose break at every place possible and watches on with wide, horrified eyes as he is knocked off of his broom, tumbling to the ground.

Without thinking, she soars beneath him, almost missing his form as he tears through the sky.

She catches him swiftly, and the crowd goes wild.

In her haze, Sakura thinks she hears Ino screaming bloody murder.

Sakura paces outside the hospital wing door, still in her uniform, perhaps a good forty-five minutes later. She had hidden around the corner as the Slytherin Quidditch team stopped by to check on their crowned Chaser, and surreptitiously watched on, grimacing at the exaggerated emotion and melodrama they exhibited around his bed.

But, to be fair, Sasuke had been bleeding profusely the entire time, so Sakura lets it slide.

By now, she thinks, surely he's been patched up and would be rearing to go in any minute. For a moment, she wonders why she's even in this situation, considering to start a conversation with an unspoken rival whose face she recently ruined.

"Sorry," Sakura mouths to herself, trying out the words, "um…sorry I…smashed your nose in?"

She shrugs and lets out a sigh, halting her rigorous pacing and swiveling to pull open the hospital wing door. She takes a step in—

Only to find herself face-to-face with Sasuke Uchiha.

Speak of the devil, she hisses soundlessly, again. She gulps, and all two seconds of her rehearsed apology fly out her left ear.

"Oh," Sasuke says, and Sakura attempts to force all shock from her face. It frustrates her that she can't pinpoint the tone of his voice. "It's you."

They stand in an awkward silence for what feels like hours.

"Thanks," Sasuke says, finally, and Sakura raises her eyebrows, glancing over her shoulder. Surprisingly, there's no one there: the hallway is empty, and Sasuke's voice is all that fills the air.

He exhales. "I'm talking to you, Haruno."

Sakura makes a face that bleeds disbelief and squints at him. "What for?" she asks, her features distorting. "For…smashing your nose in?"

"Of course," he deadpans. Had Sakura been anyone else, she might have believed him. He lifts a hand to push away his hair. "I mean, for catching me. I would've broken much more if you hadn't."

Sakura snorts. "If I hadn't hit you at all, I wouldn't have had to."

"True," Sasuke says. He tilts his head, peering down at her. "But you were so focused on knocking me off my broom that I think you would've managed eventually. You must really hate me."

Rolling her eyes, Sakura crosses her arms. "I do."

Sasuke shrugs, sidestepping her and taking a few steps forward. "I can't say the same, but it can't be helped."

Sakura's face contorts as their distance increases.

"And you better bet I'm outdoing you on the next Charms exam, too," he calls back.

Sakura scoffs, flipping the bird.