Chapter Three: A Lovely Distraction

                An autumn chill had definitely become apparent in the air, as the Pine Barrens began to take a cold wind from the North West.  Students were settling into their course loads, and teachers were marching through curriculum. 

                Darrin's mischievous streak appeased for the moment, he took time to appreciate his surroundings.  Chadwick's detentions had been served and he was back in class being a pain.  A few more muggles had made nuisances of themselves here and there around campus.  Clarius and Terth were, at the moment, at Quidditch practice. (Darrin tried for the team every chance he got but as of yet had been outshined by upperclassmen, and Terth)  He knew they would be gone for a while as today's practice was an inter squad match with their sister school, The Salem Witches Institute.

                As he wandered and thought, he found himself at his usual bench staring at the sky.  The soft clouds were tumbling busily out towards the sea.

                Lost in thought once more (easy to do with Clanker for a built in debate opponent) he didn't notice when a girl with long flowing brown hair sat beside him.

                "Hello." She said after taking him in for a minute.

                Darrin jumped, not so much from the shock of someone sitting next to him, but some one so, well, good looking.

                "Talk much?" she asked smiling at the reaction she had gotten.

                "Uh -er..." was all he managed to sputter before she continued.

                "I'm here with the Salem Quidditch team, Practice was cut short when one of your Beaters hit a Bludger INTO the Quaffle, shattered it.  They said everyone could take a break until they found a new one.  Anyway, mind if I share the view from here?"

                "Not at all" replied Darrin, wondering whether Clarius had put her up to this, he WAS a Beater after all...."my name is Darrin, and yours?"

                "Liz." She said, smiling and sitting down.

                Not wanting to risk saying something stupid, he decided to be content with the odd mix of nerves and calm that had formed in his stomach, and let her watch the sky in peace.

                "Cute," said Clanker, "Are you gonna ask her out?"

                "Uh, er, to do what exactly? Can't exactly dash off to the movies from here..."

                "Ugh, you are dense sometimes," Clanker droned trying to hide his glee at playing matchmaker. "Ask her down to {wizard city nearby} for a day.  You can check out the wizard shops or get some enchanted ice from the parlor!"

                "I can't do that Xth year students can't go there yet! There are so many tourists even if it's a community of wizards and squibs."

                A small scribbling noise beside him almost distracted him from his debate.

                "That's what you have me for silly. You find the reason to bend the rule, I find the way!  Now ask her before she realizes your arguing with yourself!"

                He stared up at the sky for a moment longer screwing up his courage. But before he could bring himself to face her, he felt a plop in his lap and turned to see Liz dash off towards the Quidditch stadium.

                "Hey! Wait a minute!" He yelped in surprise but she either did not hear him or pretended not to because she hurried off.  Standing now, he realized the plop from before had been a small roll of parchment deposited in his lap.  He stooped to pick it up.  It was nicely sealed and (sniff) had a faint aroma of (sniff) well something very pleasant anyway (sniff).  He took out his wand and opened the note, realizing just how oblivious he must have been to miss her writing, and then casting a sealing spell on the note...  Feeling rather oafish he began to read the note.  It was written in a shade of ink that seemed to change what color it was by how you looked at it.  He recognized the ink from a note Clarius had received the year before, Salem Girls used it to (he swallowed hard) ask boys to the inter school mixer held every year.

                "Wow she must be desperate" said Clanker slightly astonished. "Well go on and read it!"

                The note read:

                Hi!

                I know this isn't quite fair (you don't know a thing about me) but I've been watching you for some time now.  I saw you deal with those muggles who got onto campus last time I was at your school for Quidditch practice.  Clever spell work!  Anyway I asked Clarius and he thinks we'd get along so I decided to ask you to the annual mixer.  How about it?

                -Liz

                Darrin paused, as he strained his brain trying to remember her in the background of the muggle incident.   There were some girls eating lunch a few tables away in the outdoor study area- Of course that must've been the entire Salem Quidditch team.  How could he miss an entire Quidditch team worth of girls in all boys school?

                "Don't feel too bad" Clanker said sounding slightly conciliatory. "We were busy arguing, not everybody can get lost in though as easily as us…"

                Of course that must've been what happened! Darrin quickly resolved to be more attentive.  So he shoved the note in his pocket to keep it safe and decided talk to Clarius and find exactly what he had said.

                Clarius was in the indoor lunch hall snacking when Darrin found him.

                "Ah Quidditch will work up such a hunger" he said with a grin "So have you had any er… mail today?"

                "You mean the note you put Liz up to writing?"

                Clarius nearly gagged on his candied flobberworms.  "Put her up to it? I did no such thing!  She asked me about you!" he said pointing, despite the clear implication.  "I just told her you were a nice guy, kinda the quiet type but a nice guy!"

                "That's all you did? Nothing to do with a certain smashed Quaffle?" Darrin prodded, knowing Clarius he may have good intentions but was not above a good laugh at his friend's expense.

                Clarius merely grinned at this however thoroughly confusing Darrin.

                "Ah for that blame Terth or Chadwick…"

                "Chadwick?" said Darrin feeling as though he had been hit with several confundus charms.

                "Yes Chadwick" said Terth as he strolled up with his lunch on a tray.  "I assume your telling him how we got out of practice early?"

                "Sorta: more so why Liz got out early."

                "Oh she finally asked him then eh?" said Terth looking slyly at Darrin.

                "JUST TELL ME WHATS GOING ON" Darrin nearly screamed.

                "Ok ok, Chadwick yelled at me from the stands (watching practice is a popular pastime at JDA), and made me screw up…"

                "But you're the keeper, right? Liz said a beater smashed the Quaffle…"

                "Correct, I missed the Quaffle, and nearly got hit by the bludger that was chasing your dearest Liz towards our goals..." Terth explained with some difficulty

                "Which is when Chadwick fell off his seat laughing at Terth" Clarius continued "So I decided to put said bludger on a new heading, towards the idiot."

                "But as my friend here was doing that I had gotten a hold of the Quaffle, and was well, about to try the same thing…" Said Terth sounding almost embarrassed.

                "WHAM- the balls collided midair and the Quaffle lost, badly, so the Bludger kept going- right towards Chadwick"

                They looked up as a nasally bandaged Chadwick crossed the lunch room for sustenance, and rejoined his friends from Tantoor ward at another table.

                Laughing hard they tried to return to their food.