A/N: Sorry it's taken so long… I had a bad case of writer's block forever and then WHOOSH one night it all flew out, lol.

IMPORTANT: As you might've already noticed, I've changed my pen name from sweetiepiepirate to squeakyfrappe. What do you think? Lol, sorry if there was any confusion.

Enjoy!

New Neighbor

Chapter 17

"Is this the Quidditch Pitch?" Kira asked as she starred up at the high columns of the building.

"Sure is," Seamus said, "c'mon, let's go inside."

They entered the pitch and Kira gazed across the large, empty field. Seamus pulled her over towards what looked like the storage shed in her aunt and uncle's back yard, only this one was a bit larger.

Excitedly, Seamus yanked the doors open. Inside were rows and rows of brooms, many looked identical, with worn-out handles and broken twigs.

"You wanted to show me these?" Kira asked skeptically, eyeing the old brooms.

"No, these are the school brooms. Over here," he continued. Past the school brooms were a few shelves of newer looking brooms, none of which looked alike. On the bottom shelf was a long, slender box.

"These are the personal brooms. They belong to the students," he explained, "look… me mum sent it this morning…" He grabbed the box and gingerly pulled the top off. Inside was a brand new racing broom, with the name, "Nimbus 3000" inscribed the handle.

"Oh, Seamus," Kira breathed, grazing her hand along the unscathed wood, "it's absolutely brilliant!"

Seamus grinned.

"Not as graceful as the Firebolt, but it gets the job done, eh?" He said this humbly but Kira saw the pride in his eyes. She laughed.

"Have you flown it yet?" she asked.

"Nah, I was waiting to show you!" he replied merrily.

Kira blushed, "well I've seen it, so have a go at it!"

Seamus smiled boyishly and tenderly pulled the broom from the box. Carefully he carried it out of the broom shed and walked through the hallway onto the field. Kira gawked at the sheer size of the stadium.

Seamus gracefully mounted the broom and took off. As he circled and whirled, Kira noticed that his skill was not as advanced as the players her Uncle Griffin had told her about, but Kira could tell Seamus enjoyed flying nonetheless.

"WOOOOO!" he cried, pulling the broom into a wobbly spiral upwards. When we was almost too far away to see, he waved wildly at Kira. She giggled and waved back.

He started to speed towards Kira, and just as Kira's eyes widened at the realization that he might hit her, Seamus pulled the broom the right and spun around her. Her blonde hair whipped violently as he sped passed. He reached out a grabbed her arm, causing her to spin around as he landed beside her.

Kira laughed at his windswept appearance. His smile extended from ear to ear as he shakily dismounted.

XXXXXXXXXX

Filled with curiosity and apprehension, as well subsided anger and shame, Harry quietly watched Kira and Seamus from the highest stand. Seamus was flying on his obviously new broom, which Harry didn't know the purpose of. Seamus' broom technique was nearing abysmal, he thought bitterly.

As he landed, Kira greeted him with warm laughter that echoed in the vacant stadium. Harry felt his blood begin to pulse violently. He turned his churning emerald eyes away from the two and silently left the stadium unseen.

Starring at the ground, Harry wandered in the direction of the castle.

'You idiot, why'd you have to follow them anyway?' mocked the annoying familiar voice.

'I don't know!' he bit back angrily.

'You really are a prat, you know--'

'Bullocks! It's their bloody problem, not mine. No one understands!'

'Enough with the 'no one understands me' excuse! It's about time that you--'

"Hi Harry, come from the quidditch pitch?"

Harry glanced up angrily. Neville's eyes widened at the obvious malice etched all over his face. Harry quickly wiped his face empty of any expression.

"Uh, yeah. I was just… making sure the tryout schedule was posted," he said, thinking quickly.

"Oh," Neville said, searching Harry's face. Harry averted his eyes.

"The Hufflepuffs probably have started practice about now," he told Neville, "so I didn't stay there long."

Neville nodded. His brown eyes flickered suspiciously.

"Ah well, I wasn't going to the pitch anyway," he mumbled.

"I think Kira's down there too, though… with Seamus" the raven-haired boy said, unable to keep the bitterness from his voice. Before Neville could say anything Harry moved passed him and headed towards the castle.

"Bye Neville," he called, exhausted from his afternoon. He continued towards the castle, determined to get back to his dormitory, the only place left where he was free to stumble through his thoughts without interruption.

XXXXXXXXXX

"That was wicked," Seamus said breathlessly, shaking his head as if to rid himself of the 'walking-on-air' feeling.

"Do ye want to try?" asked Seamus after a few moments. Kira's eyes widened.

"You'd let me?"

"Sure, as long as ye don't do anything too crazy," he laughed. Kira smiled in return.

Eagerly she took the broom from Seamus and mounted. She glanced at the sandy-haired young man. He continued to smile but his eyes told her that he was apprehensive and perhaps-- skeptical at her ability? Kira turned away and smirked to herself.

And she pushed off from the ground and immediately felt the same sense of freedom she'd experienced on her birth-mum's old broom.

Gently she swerved around in the air, enjoying the sensation. After a few minutes she heard Seamus yelling at her.

"Ye want to come back down now?" he asked anxiously.

Kira thought to herself for a few moments before yelling back, "no, I could stay up a bit longer…"

Kira grinned down at Seamus who returned with a strained smile.

'He really doesn't like to share does he?'

Suddenly Kira felt an overwhelming feeling to show Seamus all she could.

'Let's show him all we've got, alright?' she mentally told the broom. Smirking to herself, she willed the broom to reach its maximum speed with her mind and body movements. The broom sped up, racing towards the goalposts and the opposite end of the pitch.

As the broom went faster and faster, Kira smiled to herself. This broom was much faster and more agile than the Airborne 202 she'd ridden before. Seconds before she hit the center goalpost, Kira swerved the broom in an abrupt about turn and headed back towards Seamus at full speed.

Just before she hit him at a bursting momentum, she spun around him into a tight spiral. Kira was careful to make the spiral more compact than Seamus' had been. When he pulled out of the spiral she dove towards Seamus once again and landed a few feet from him. She heard Seamus exhale deeply.

"Uh-- that was some snazzy flying you had there," he said precariously, reaching towards the broom protectively. Kira giggled and handed it to him.

"That flying wasn't snazzy, it was damn near brilliant!" said an unfamiliar voice.

Seamus and Kira turned to see a pink-faced blonde with amusing ponytails on each side of her head. Behind her was a small group of people. They were all holding brooms and wearing yellow robes with the Hufflepuff crest of the right side.

"Hello Hannah," Seamus said politely. He spotted the stout form of Ernie Macmillan and walked over to chat.

"I'm Hannah Abbott," she blonde said, holding out her hand, "captain of the Hufflepuff quidditch team."

"Oh, hello. I'm Kira Sanden," Kira said curiously, taking Hannah's hand, "so you thought my flying was good?"

"It was beyond good! With speed and nimbleness like that, you'd make a great Chaser. You've surely played quidditch before, no?"

"Oh, I've never played. I mean, I've flown before, but not in an actual quidditch game," she said somewhat sheepishly.

Hannah's mouth dropped open.

"Unbelievable! You're in Gryffindor right?"

Kira nodded.

"You should really think about trying out for their team on Wednesday. All the team tryouts are that day," she glanced back at her team, "only we got lucky. None of our players graduated last year so we still have a full team. Means we get extra practice time."

"Well, I haven't really thought about it--"

"Kira!" yelled a familiar voice. Kira twirled around to see Neville running towards her.

"Hey," he gasped once he'd reached her.

"Something wrong, Neville?" she asked.

"Oh, no," he mumbled, glancing at the Hufflepuff team as if he was searching for something, "I just couldn't find you though and Harry said you might be here."

"Oh," Kira said, smiling a little.

"So anyway, you should tryout," said Hannah impatiently, "don't tell anyone I said this, but I'm sure Harry would appreciate having you on the team."

Kira's next breath caught in her throat which sent her into a coughing fit.

"Harry plays quidditch?"

Hannah looked at her as if she was a bit dim-witted, "of course Harry's on the team. Best Seeker there ever was. Now I have to get on with practice, see you later?"

"See you later," Kira said and the team moved away.

"Hey Kira!" Seamus called. Kira looked up at him.

"I'm going with Ernie, are you alright with Neville?"

"Yes," Kira said, almost irritably. Seamus didn't notice and walked away.

"Neville!" Kira said urgently to her friend who was still standing by her side.

"Yes?"

"Harry's on the quidditch team!"

"So?"

"Hannah just said I should tryout for the Gryffindor quidditch team on Wednesday. But I can't play if Harry's there!"

Neville raised an eyebrow, "why not?"

"Because--" Kira stopped and frowned at him, "it was just be… strange. I can't have fun on a team with him around."

Neville starred at her for a few moments.

"Does this have anything to do with your prior-- relationship?" he asked carefully.

"No!" Kira exclaimed quickly. Neville rolled his eyes.

"It's not as if he's the only other one of the team. There are seven on a team. You should tryout anyway," he said.

Kira sighed, thinking.

"I suppose I could… It doesn't hurt simply trying out does it?" Neville shook his head.

"Okay then. Let's go back to the castle. Classes start again tomorrow, you know."

The pair turned and left the pitch.

"Why were you looking for me anyway, Neville?"

"Uh, I just-- hadn't seen you in a while, I guess…" he muttered.

"I saw you an hour ago."

"Oh…"

"And why were you looking for someone of the Hufflepuff team?"

"I wasn't looking for anyone!"

"Oh, come off it. I saw you! Anyone in particular?"

Neville flushed and didn't say anything. Kira smiled and left him alone as they continued towards the castle.

XXXXXXXXXX

Harry lay on his bed, glaring at the ceiling. Absentmindedly he snacked on the pumpkin pasties he still had from when Mrs. Weasley gave them to him as he had boarded the Hogwarts Express.

TAP TAP TAP

"What is it now?" Harry grumbled irritably. He rolled over and saw Hedwig hovering outside the window. He stood and opened the window so the owl could enter. Attached to her foot was a small piece of parchment.

"Thank you, Hedwig," Harry muttered, handing her the last of his pumpkin pasty. The owl hooted in delight. Harry untied the letter and unrolled it. Inside was a familiar scrawl.

Harry,

If you don't already have plans, I'd like you to come to my office around 4 pm.

Dumbledore

Harry snickered coldly at the way Dumbledore had signed his name. Not the regular, "Headmaster", but he'd addressed Harry quite informally.

'His way of showing me that he's my buddy. Fancy that.'

Harry glanced at the clock. 3:10 pm.

'Maybe I will go meet the old coot. I still have time. Plus, I'm starving.'

He left his dormitory and tossed the short letter into the fireplace on his way out of the common room.

A/N: I s'pose this chapter goes out in thanks to benwa, who urged me to get on with Quidditch. Lol, here you go, benwa! Thanks!

I kiiiinnnnda have an idea for next chapter so it should get started soon. I hope!

Please review!