Ray didn't see Riley at all on Saturday, partly because she spent part of it grinding through her homework, part of it pounding her forehead on her desk because of how obscenely dull it was, and part of it down in the Hufflepuff barrels/common room doing the witchwater write-up with Nate. Which was an odd experience, with everyone in the castle there. But it was fun going back and forth with the Gryffindor group.

On Sunday she finally escaped the castle and got back on a broom. It was windy and overcast with a slight dampness in the air, but if you couldn't deal with that you weren't British. She battled the gusts over the forest, her face sparkling as bits of water struck. She felt it was going to rain, and hoped it'd be through by the weekend. The gouge was empty as always. No signs of the booming. And at the trail, the only moving things were the billowing leaves of the oak and maple trees, undulating below her like the sea.

Monday, the rain came. She watched it during the Astronomy lecture when she was supposed to be tracing out the travel vector for Mars, and then again during Transfiguration, tracking the drops as they hit the castle windows and dribbled down the thick glass. By the end of the period, she had to hurry through her transfiguration of a twig into a knitting needle, and ended up only getting halfway through - earning her a disapproving look from Professor Cogito.

Thankfully, by the time she went out to the stadium, there was a break in the downpour. Kendra grumbled a lot at this, as she'd been using it as a justification all day for her to not go out. She seemed to have persuaded everyone else (including Zach, who was doing the History homework with Abby), so she went out alone, wand at her side and heart thumping in her ears. Peeves was nowhere to be found, and the stadium was empty when she arrived. That meant she got to go over the forest a good deal earlier.

After a rain, the smell was amazing. The sense of eeriness even lessened - maybe it made the forest happier, if such a thing could happen. Ray decided to explore, taking a risk and following the gouge on past the intersection, and suddenly came upon the large cabins at the border of the forest - immediately, she spun around, not wanting to be spotted.

It wasn't until Tuesday that she finally ran into Riley. He was coming down the hallway, and his sudden appearance made her stomach flip. The bags under his eyes were gone, and he actually seemed to be standing up straight for once.

"Hey," he said.

She grinned.

"Did you think about it?" she asked excitedly.

"A little."

She waved Kendra and Zach on to go down the corridor with everyone else - ("I'll be right behind you!" she said).

"What class you got?" he asked, as everyone went on. She saw people glancing at her, obviously wanting to listen in, and she they had to talk about something else until there was privacy.

"English," she answered. "Super boring, we don't even do magic!"

"Yeah?"

"The only part that's good is the doodles in the margins. I've got to learn the charm for those."

"Don't know if there is one," he said. "They start to move on their own, from what I've seen. After a while. But wait until your third year, they've actually got a decent reading list then."

"Do they?" she said, raising an eyebrow (and wondering how things could start moving by themselves). "I thought you could drop it?"

"You can, but it's an easy E."

"Oh, right," she laughed.

He watched her, and self-consciously she pushed some hair behind her ear. Was Riley someone that was into books, she wondered?

He cleared his throat, and she saw their corridor was empty.

"So do you want to do it?" she whispered.

"Still thinking about it," he said. "It's just at the stadium?"

She hesitated.

"At first. We have to use then school brooms. But I can't say anymore until you're in."

"You're keeping it pretty secret," he smirked.

"We have to!" she said. "We can't have everyone coming or it'd give us away."

"I guess that makes sense. You going out of bounds?"

"Not… not really."

He raised his eyebrows.

"Are you going over the forest?"

Her heart thumped.

"I'll take that as a yes," he said, and looked past her.

Worry rose.

"Does that mean you're not doing it?"

"It means I'll have to think about it," he said. "You're keeping to the developed parts?"

"Yes!"

"How likely is it you'll be seen?'

"Not at all," she said. That was true, right?

He thought for a moment.

"Okay. I've got to get to class," he said.

"Wait, are you going to do it?"

"I'll think about it."

"Will you decide by the end of the day?"

"I might. Come find me on the balcony."

He went, and she watched him for a second, before suddenly remembering herself and running the rest of the way to class. She snuck in, nerves buzzing. People were looking at her. She hoped she wasn't red-faced.

"Zuwaldt," Potter called, in a whisper. "Who's that guy?"

"Nobody," she said.

"Is he who you're going to ask?"

People were listening to them.

"Maybe."

She went hurriedly for her desk.

"You have to show me tomorrow," hissed his voice.

She paused, then went on and sat with Zach and Kendra.

The entirety of English was spent worrying about Riley's decision and the prospect of having to deal with Potter. This carried into lunch, where she didn't even touch her drumsticks, instead opting for a few carrots and half a salad roll (which she stopped eating as soon as she saw some of the sprouts moving). Then, it was Fitness.

"Good afternoon, everyone," called the Mr. Vola, voice stern. He walked up and down their line like a drill sergeant, whistle on his chest. Kingsley stood behind him, comparing a floating scroll with one in his hands - he was dressed in a set of too-large, gold-trimmed flying robes.

"Today is the half-way point in the Flying Unit," Mr. Vola announced. "We will be testing your aptitude. Which means, we are going onto the grounds!"

A lot of murmuring followed this, and Ray's nerves sparked to life. Aptitude testing? With brooms? The whole class was going to be ranked, and she was finally going to be able to see how good she was. And - she found Potter's black hair in the crowd - how much practice was still needed. There were only three days left, and to make matters worse she had to take it somewhat easy or she'd be in no shape for Saturday. Her thoughts went to Ashley… would she do that healing charm again?

"Look," muttered Kendra, nodding down the line. "Potter."

"What?"

She looked closer, and sure enough, saw Potter didn't seem his normal, confident self. He was standing rigid, fingers clenched at his sides.

"He's not nervous," Ray whispered in disbelief. "He can't be."

"I don't know," said Kendra.

"I haven't even got proper robes!"

Kendra didn't say anything, and the next minute Mr. Vola instructed them back inside and through the corridors to the North Door. Here, they exited onto the grounds, but went no further. It felt colder, as if they were more exposed to the elements. There was a bunch of students milling around the greenhouses, and she saw one dart amongst the trees by the cabins. But in front of them the grounds were empty, the trodden paths down the slope and going off to the stadium empty of people. Right before them was a pile of brooms, just off the gathering area in the grass. Ray recognized them as the ones from the equipment closet.

"You will fly directly to the stadium, loop it, then return here," instructed Mr. Vola, over the chattering students. "You will be timed! Kingsley will be present on the other side -" (Kingsley hopped on an unusual black broom with straight, bristly twigs and started off) - "which means you will be in sight at all times. No rough-housing or leaving the path. You will fly two at a time. Please pick your brooms."

The crowd went for the pile, and in no time every one was snatched up. Ray managed to get a decently worn broom that had a slightly blue finish but no discernable markings. Potter, she saw, had found a Cleansweep. Looking at him, she couldn't help but feel a small bit of confidence rise. They met eyes.

"Scared, Potter?" she called.

"You wish," he said.

He looked a lot more sure of himself than earlier, and her confidence sparkled away. She went back to her group.

"I freaking hate this class," Kendra was saying.

"Same," said Abby.

"I like it," said Ahmed. "It's nice being out of the castle."

Ray took a breath. It was nice. It might've been chilly, but that was fine for exercise. Zach came up and stood next to her.

"I wonder if he's actually nervous," she said.

"Potter?" he asked, looking annoyed.

She wondered if she should have said anything. Maybe she talked about Potter too much. But maybe he was just bothered by the cold.

"Yeah," she said.

"Well... maybe he should be."

It took her a second, then gratitude rose in her chest. But its petals stuck together.

"You think so?" she said.

"Yeah. You're better than me now."

Her eyebrows shot up - "Really?"

"Yeah, since like, Sunday."

"Really?"

"Yeah. You picked it up quick."

The whistle blew. Heart thumping, she got in line in alphabetical order with everyone else, the 1B Hufflepuffs in one row and the Gryffindors in the other. She and Zach shared a goodbye look as she went to the back of the line. One of her petals popped out, shining with color.

At the back of the line she found Trip, along with one of Potter's buddies - Brauk.

"Hey Ray," said Trip. "You ready?"

"Should be," she said.

"You've been practicing, haven't you? I think you mentioned that."

"A little. With Zach, we've been going after class. He's been a huge help!"

"That's cool," said Trip.

It occurred to her that Trip might've also spent a lot of time on a broom.

"How about you?" she said. "Did you fly a lot, growing up?"

They made small talk as Mr. Vola's whistle blew. Pairs went off one by one. People were pointed at and directed to the starting line, where they mounted their brooms. She watched Kendra line up next to a Hufflepuff boy with bangs covering his eyes, and when the previous flyers rounded the stadium and went out of sight Mr. Vola sent them off with a sharp whistle-toot.

She watched Kendra go for a minute as her and Trip's conversation fell, then decided to use the time to practice with her broom. She walked out a ways and hovered at waist-height so Mr. Vola wouldn't spot her as easily - the back of the line had a few perks. She couldn't do much much at such low speeds, but weaving back and forth told her how the broom handled and what quirks were there. One thing that stood out was it coasted a lot more than the 2050s.

After a minute, some of the other kids picked up on her idea, and in no time the line was unravelling with people drifting in every direction. She quickly dismounted, and just in time, too, for the next moment Mr. Vola started scolding everyone. Kendra made it back during this, as well as Abby, Kate, and Anna.

"How'd you do?" said Ray.

"Got thirteen," Kendra scowled.

That was about what the others got. A few minutes later and Zach was off, then the moment Ray was waiting for.

"There goes Potter," she said.

"Hmm," said Kendra.

He was, by far, the fastest. She watched with rapt attention as he expertly mounted the broom and shot off toward the stadium, shrinking, disappeared around the side, then came into view hardly a moment later and made it the rest of the way back. She held her breath as he dismounted and got his time, right next to Zach.

"Five-thirty-two, Zuwaldt," sneered Potter, coming by. "See if you can beat that."

He was fast. Zach got nine, and Ahmed, who had gone with Potter, had twelve.

As the line shortened, she got increasingly nervous and hopped from foot to foot. Scott Sommerkind, one of Trip's buddies, went off with a Hufflepuff girl.

"You know Ray," said Trip, "your boot's coming undone. The sole."

She froze.

"Er, yeah. I think Peeves damaged it."

Although it was just as likely it'd been like that before, she thought.

"My cousin might be able to take a look at it," said Trip. "He does a pretty good Reparo."

"Oh, thanks!" she said, smiling. "That's nice of you."

"Sure."

A few more minutes passed, and Trip went with some dumpy-looking Hufflepuff boy named Jarod Winston.

"There really are a lot of Ws," she said.

"Yeah," said Kendra.

"I'm a W," said the Hufflepuff girl next to her. She had a thin nose and wavy blonde hair that was frizzed from the moisture.

"Waverly," she said. "Sharon."

She looked a little nervous.

"Nice to meet you," said Ray, and she and Kendra introduced themselves.

Two more toots went by, and Ray headed up to Mr. Vola with Waverly.

"Don't feel bad if you get over ten," Potter said as she went by. "It's usually a bit higher for girls."

Anger rose, but she kept forward, not acknowledging him. Waverly fell in line with her, keeping silent.

"Mount your brooms," said Mr. Vola.

Ray did so. It felt weird being about to fly over the grounds in full view of the castle. But she concentrated on the edge of the stadium, drawing herself in tightly, heart thumping. She got ready to fly as fast as she could. She had to beat five-thirty-two.

The whistle blew, and she launched from the ground. Her acceleration was slow - she was neck-and-neck with Waverly, but then the broom picked up speed and the grounds flew by and Waverly fell back. Wind roared, her ears numbed, the stadium rapidly approached. She came next to it, banked the wall's curve, spotted Kingsley in the sky and drew herself tighter to her broom. The opening of the abandoned tunnel flew by below her. Then the Fitness class was in sight again and she redoubled her speed. Faster… faster… she had to go faster… she reminded herself of the aptitude tests from Birch's - you weren't supposed to slow down until after the finish-line, so she shot through, soaring over the other students, then looped back to Mr. Vola where she tugged the handle upward, swooped to a stop, and put boots on the grass.

"Seven-o-two," he said. "Nicely done. Please clear the area."

Seven-o-two. The time rang in her ears in triumph. Seven-o-two. It wasn't five-thirty-two, but she hadn't really had hopes on beating that. She went toward Kendra and Zach, catching her breath, and met eyes with Potter, whose expression was definitely one of shock. Seven-o-two, she thought. That was second-fastest in the class. And with her having the field advantage in the forest, she might be looking pretty good. Potter didn't seem to be able to say anything at least. A wilde surge of pride swept through her.

"Not quite eleven, then," she grinned.

"Don't get cocky, Zuwaldt," said Potter.

After a frenzied rush-through of the History, Herbology, and Astronomy homework (which she would definitely not be earning full marks on, frustratingly), Ray swapped her books for her exercise clothes and plodded down the stairs. She peaked out onto the mid-way balcony, but Riley wasn't there - hopefully he'd be around when she got back.

With the homework piling on, she was left alone again to jog out to the stadium. She heard laughter in the halls, but it turned out to be a group of upper-year Slytherins who were too engrossed in their conversation to care about her. If she ever ran into Peeves, she was going to kill him. She wasn't sure if it was possible, but she was going to try.

The dinner bells were banging dully as she made her way over the grounds. Too much time had passed. There'd been way too much homework today. But at the very least (she thought, passing a group of fourth-year Gryffindor boys who all hooted and teased her) it meant she didn't have to wait for everyone to clear out.

Unfortunately, it also meant that the closet was locked. She spent a good few minutes making a mess of the inside before finally extracting a broom, and she was so pissed off she nearly lost hold of it when getting it over the doorway. Telling herself she'd clean it later, she hid her pack in an unassuming locker in the locker room, then shot across the field on her Comet 720. She even managed to squeeze above the gate and into the abandoned tunnel without ever dismounting.

The forest was calm. It didn't match her urgency in the least. The branches whizzed past, green needles brushing her, insects buzzing loudly in surprise before she fled from their area (or pixies, they might've been). The quiet of the trees sat heavy in the air, like a fog, but she ignored it, not letting it settle in and lull her into unproductivity.

However, once she arrived at the gouge, she came to a full stop - the booming was back. But it was distant, far off to the west, and in the opposite direction of her route. She set off again. There'd be time to check it out after Saturday.

The sun lowered as she battled her way back and forth through the trees: intersection, first curve, second curve, third and fourth curves, big tree, then back again to the intersection. The sunlight warmed to gold, lengthening shadows, flaring in and out of sight as she navigated the treetops. It caused her more than a little worry. How far into dinner was she?

Heart pounding, she slowed as she returned to the intersection again. She looked at the tips of the castle through the trees, thoughts racing. Was this really the best thing to be doing? Out here, running the same route over and over, while she could be up in Gryffindor persuading Riley, or doing tricks at the stadium, without risk of losing points? Maybe even the Gryffindor team had come out again. Maybe she'd practiced enough, and she should be keeping up on her homework. Maybe Kendra was right, and she was being stupid.

A bird sounded off, twittering at the oncoming twilight. Time was passing. Her muscles twitched, wanting her to do something. Repeating the same route was useless, she thought. She was already familiar enough with the trees to navigate them. But going back was silly… if she wanted to be practicing for the race, she had to do it out here where it'd be taking place.

Her eyes went to the gouge. She could explore. But she didn't want to go back the way she'd come, so she turned the broom with sudden decision and went for the cabins. It wasn't the smartest thing to do, but she was curious and it was better than doing nothing. She wove in and out of the needles, slowing, the school grounds getting uncomfortably close, and before she knew it the shapes of the buildings loomed in front of her amidst the trunks.

Her heart beat in her chest. The biggest was absolutely massive. Far bigger than it looked from the balcony. Birch's whole gymnasium could have fit inside easily - it must have been the darkness of wood, camouflaging it in with the gloom of the forest. She drifted along the outside, keeping a tree or two apart, and went for the cabin with lit windows. It was right on the edge of the forest, the flat school grounds visible beyond the trees.

What were these for? Classrooms? She'd seen Professor Rubeus near them a few times on her morning jogs, but had never seen students crowding in or out. At most, they just went along the nearby trail. She heard voices. Eyes on the window, she sunk in by the base of a tree trunk - they weren't just any voices. They were kids' voices, laughing and talking. What was this place?

She dismounted the broom and landed in the dense underbrush. She snuck toward the window, boots brushing leaves and compressing and snapping twigs. She wanted to see inside. The window darkened - someone was there! Leaping behind a trunk, she smacked her head on a stubby branch and got caught in a cobweb. Groaning, she raked her fingers through her hair, hoping whatever spider it belonged to hadn't been home, and listened - the dark figure was speaking, voice deep and gruff. Professor Rubeus? Had she been spotted?

The cabin door banged open. Horrified, she scrambled onto her broom, aimed a boot at the ground, and was just about to kick off when voices called out.

"See you next time!" they said. "Bye!", "Thanks for tea!"

There was no mistaking it. This was Ellen and Potter and their friends. But - they didn't sound like they'd seen her.

"Night, you lot!" Professor Rubeus boomed. "Get through with yer homework! An' stay outter trouble!"

The door closed. Someone in Potter's gang made a comment. There was discussion. She pricked her ears, and something whizzed through the branches and cracked off the trees next to her. They'd thrown something!

"Devin!" she heard Ellen scold. "Don't do that!"

"They're rocks," came Potter's voice. "And it's not like you eat yours."

Ellen mumbled something. More cracking sounded around her. Ray kept as still as she could, not daring to move, and one of the things came thumping down in the plants by her feet.

"C'mon," said Potter's voice. "If we hurry, we might get some actual food."

She waited for a minute until they left, then breathed. They hadn't seen her. And Potter… he and Ellen came here with their friends? Did the cabin belong to Professor Rubeus, or something? And he was just okay letting a bunch of kids hang around? Of course, Potter's family was famous, she knew - it wasn't unlikely he knew some of the professors personally.

Before taking off, she fished the object out from the plants and found it to be a scone. Still warm from the oven. Or, rather… it smelled sweet. There were squishy dark spots, like bits of fruit, maybe currants, and… some kind of nut protruding here and there. Fruit cake? Whatever it was, the crust was as dry and thick as wood.

Bells banged above her head and she dropped the bun - dinner was over! Hurrying to meet Zach, she backed away from the tree and lifted off, forcing her way through the scratchy branches and back into the canopy, and returned to the gouge.

Riley didn't show on the balcony. He wasn't there in the morning, either, and she only caught a glimpse of him as she was tugged into the Defense room by Kendra. And now she was in the stuffy, tomb-like equipment closet with Potter, waiting for the bells to finish, tension heavy in the air as she tried not to look at him.

Potter had come in full flying robes. They looked fresh out of the shop. The edges were trimmed in bright Gryffindor scarlet, and looked like they'd been perfectly tailored to his stature. Which was runty, for a boy, she thought. He held one of the Tailwinds she'd found (thanklessly), and kept brushing his stupid, untidy hair back with his fingers, as if he thought it looked cool with it being a complete mess.

A minute ago, all their friends had been here. But they couldn't very well have a secret practice with all of them around, so they were all told to leave. She'd have liked it if Zach and Kendra hung back, but it was for the best. It had taken long enough to convince everyone to leave, and the sooner she got this over with the better.

They stood there in the silence. Ray chewed her cheek and waited for the time to pass.

"You… think they'll all go back?" said Potter, voice flat, eyes on the doorway.

She glared at him. She was not trying to get into a conversation.

"They'd better," she said.

The bells stopped, and a minute passed. Potter checked his magical rich-boy wizard-watch. The tension grew.

"Okay, let's go," she said.

They went back out to the field - and found Brauk and Zach standing there rigidly.

"Wanted to make sure you were alright -" Brauk started.

"- I wasn't about to go if he wasn't -" said Zach.

"GO!" she and Potter shouted simultaneously.

They cleared off, and they mounted their brooms.

"Where to, Zuwaldt?" Potter said.

She chewed her cheek - "Just follow me."

Launching out across the grass, she blasted over the field, not waiting one second for him. If he was as good as he claimed, he ought to be able to keep up. The gap into the dark tunnel came and she shot inside (tingles rushing over her with how close the gate and stone had been), then rushed through the dank air. Only once she was at the other end did she turn to check on Potter - and to her dismay, found him right on her tail.

"Thought you wanted to go over the forest, Zuwaldt," he said. "You ever think about just going over the rim?"

"The point is not to be seen, Potter. Stay low until we get to the edge."

They got into the forest. Thankfully, he got caught up a little with the branches, and seemed a lot less sure of himself by the time they were at the gouge.

"What made this?" he said, aghast.

"Magical bulldozers."

"There's no such thing."

"Yeah? Then how do they clear the trails, huh?"

He opened his mouth, but couldn't seem to think of anything. Ha.

"Come on," she said.

They got to the intersection, and she showed him the trail.

"Stay along the bark chips!" she told him, cold wind blasting at her face. "See the younger trees? You have to stay above, no cutting across the old growth!"

"This doesn't look very hidden!"

"It is!"

"You're sure?"

"Yeah!"

"How do you know?"

"Just stay off to the side," she said, annoyance creeping up. "The trees block us from view, and besides, no one's coming out during dinner!"

He fell into a begrudged silence, and frustratedly she took him to the tree. They did two runs and the bells started going off. With relief, she saw Potter set back toward the gouge.

"You coming?" he said, seeing her not moving.

"I'm staying longer."

"Alone?"

"I've got my wand," she said, pulling it out.

"What about food?"

"I've got it figured out," she said. "What, you need an escort?"

He didn't answer.

"Did you talk to that guy about judging?" he said.

"Yeah."

"What'd he say?"

"He hasn't decided yet."

"That doesn't sound very reliable."

Her pulse rose.

"I'm talking to him tonight, okay? We're meeting."

She hoped.

"Fine," said Potter, going tight-lipped and looking off toward the castle. "Ellen said she'd do it, you know."

"Yeah. But she's your friend."

"Sometimes I wonder."

"What's that mean?" she said.

"Nothing. Nevermind."

Ray watched him. There must be trouble in paradise.

"Well, it doesn't matter," she said. "I'm choosing, we agreed."

"And you want that guy to do it?"

"Yeah."

"What makes you even think he's even a good choice?"

"Because he knows Quidditch!" she said. "And he flies well! And I can be sure he's neutral!"

"And he's not your friend?"

"No," she said. "He's just some random guy I started talking to. You'll meet him soon enough, don't get your knickers tied up."

A moment passed.

"How will I know when to turn back to the stadium?" he said.

"Just when you see it," she said. "Just rise up and check. Nobody will spot you if you're quick."

"Okay," he said.

"Okay," she repeated. She emphasized the finality.

He took off, and her breath let out. She didn't know what his deal was. It always seemed like everything she said was stupid to him. He had to have a huge complex or something, always acting too good for whatever he was doing, and deserved everything in the world. There was no way she was going to let him keep her off the team.

Urgency rebuilding, she spent the rest of the hour going back and forth. She tried to look at every tree as if seeing it for the first time, spotting any gaps or paths that might give her an edge. She rolled in the air, dodging needle fans at the last second, and played it dangerous threading her way through the crooked branches of maple trees.

When the bells boomed she went for the stadium straight away, cutting over the forest. She had to find Riley, and maybe - if Ashley were around - ask for that healing spell again, her thighs were feeling raw. However, she slowed halfway there. There was something on the forest floor. Something different. She could sense it.

Maneuvering into a tree, she put boots on a branch and listened, hand clutched around the stone-cold bark. She heard a voice. It was a quiet, mumbling sort of voice, and with a start, realized it was coming from right beneath her! There was a figure moving through the underbrush - an old lady? She was squat and slightly hunched, and proceeding through the plants at a leisurely pace. Bushes and saplings hopped aside as she went, as if pulled by invisible strings. That was powerful magic, she knew, if there weren't even any spells or wands or hand movements involved. The old woman paid it no mind, however. She continued talking to herself, and inspecting whatever things there were in the gloomy understory, whatever bushes remained still for inspection. Ray started to make out the words.

"...That's no good, we can't put it there…" the lady muttered. "...Oh, that is kind of him. A very generous offer. Send him word…" She went on, investigating the plants. "...No, I don't know that yet…" she said. "...Perhaps there's a bit to spare, ask her how much she wants… oh… hmm, a tiny Muggle girl. Up above me, in the branches? That is odd…"

Adrenaline surged. The lady knew about her! Eyes wide, she scrambled back on her broom and shot away, ripping through the branches and back into open air. She sped and swerved through the trees, the forest whizzing past her. She got to the tunnel, squirmed her way over the gate while juggling the broom, and flew over the field. How had the woman known? Magic, obviously, but Ray had been completely hidden! And the lady hadn't even been looking at her! She'd been on a phonecall, or something, or crazy!

Heart hammering, she scrambled into her robes and sprinted back to the castle. The lady must be with the school somehow, she had to be. What other adult would be wandering so near the grounds? Her only hope was to get back in Gryffindor and blend in with the crowd as quickly as possible, before anyone could pick her out.

Zach and Kendra were coming down the stairwell; Abby, Ahmed, Samara, and Natalie with them.

"Woah, you're back early!" said Zach.

"Turn around," she breathed. "We've got to go back, quickly. I might have been spotted."

She made for the narrow spiral staircase and hurried up the steps, everyone following. She went twice as fast as everybody else, and kept having to slow down and wait for them to catch up.

"What happened?" Zach huffed, who was the closest behind her.

She recounted the story, repeating a detail or two as she was asked. She spoke quietly and hurriedly, really wishing the others hadn't been there - it was a lot different than just meeting them in the hall. Right now she was fully admitting to having gone out of bounds, which was supposed to be secret.

As they neared the Tower, she changed the topic to Potter, which everyone was equally interested in thankfully enough. They talked about the upcoming race, and how confident she was feeling. That shifted to Ellen, and whether or not she was trustworthy.

"She seems like a nice girl," said Abby. "A bit of a know-it-all, but nice."

"And great at the homework," Samara added. "She helped me a lot with understanding how the, er, Wizard's Council started."

The History homework. New worries rose - she'd done a shoddy job on it. If she had time, that was another thing she'd have to touch up on...

Once in the tower, she left her pack at the study table and ran up the dormitory stairs. She'd made it, she thought, she'd done as much as she could do. Now she just had to pretend that she'd been here the whole time. Thinking of Riley, she went to the balcony. It looked empty at first, then she saw boots by the lion statue. He was there! Victory surging, She went and stood in front of him, and as they met eyes his nose wrinkled.

"Have a nice walk?" he said.

She breathed in, and let it out.

"I've had better."

She took a moment, trying to calm down. She'd made it to the tower, she repeated to herself. She was in her robes. That was about as much as she could do outside of showering, which she'd get to. Trying to be nonchalant, she went right up to his boots and slouched against the alcove wall. It was as good as trapping him.

"Are you watching a game?" she asked, nodding at his Omniglass.

"Wiz-Reports," he said, flashing the mirror at her (all she saw was two richly-robed people talking over a hand-drawn map). "They found an Inferius Den in Romania. Cleared it out though, only two losses."

Ray didn't know what that meant, but she wasn't about to let it distract her.

"Did you decide on being referee?" she said. "Because it's okay if you don't want to, I have another friend I was thinking of asking. I just wanted to know -"

"Yeah," he said, looking up from his screen.

Ray's thoughts paused, and she recognized a number of things in that moment. For one, he really did look like a whole new person with his bags gone. She thought of his medicine, and thought maybe this was what he looked like when it was doing its job. He looked healthy, and relaxed. Confident, like boys were supposed to be. Even if his uniform was untidy. He might've even been smiling, but it was hard to tell. It was subtle. That feeling rose in her chest. She felt like he was someone she could actually be herself around.

"I have," he went on. "It sounds fun. I'm game."

Her eyes widened. He was in? She stood up straight, then caught herself and slouched against the wall again.

"You are?" she said.

"Yeah."

"You're game? That's awesome!" she laughed. "That's great!"

"Yeah," he said. "So it's on Saturday?"

"Right! I can show you the route tomorrow after class, if you want."

"Cool."

She grinned, and Riley gave a bemused smirk, looking at her. She didn't know what to do with herself. She looked away. She felt goofy.

"Well, thanks," she said, and backed up a few steps, bopping her hands on her hips.

"Sure," he laughed, from his alcove.

She grinned again, then turned and fled the balcony.

"Were you seeing that boy?" Kendra said sharply, when Ray sat back down at the study table.

"Ooo, there's a boy?" said Abby. "Do you like him?"

"What? No!" Ray gasped. "He's just a friend. He's going to judge our race. That's all!"

Like him? In the way that… people liked each other?

"Oh, okay," said Abby. But she was still grinning, and Ray knew where her mind was.

Zach and Kendra had their eyes on her. Ray pulled out her homework, deciding it'd be good to get a quick refresher in before taking a shower. But her heart was pounding. Her notes were right in front of her, but all she could do was stare at them. She thought about Riley, and the smirk on his face. Did she?