For the Climate Control Challenge on the Ministry of Magic Discord.
"But it's raining." Septimus wore a deep frown. "Will the game really go ahead?"
"Raining!" Cedrella exclaimed. "Septimus, it's barely a drizzle. Of course the game will go ahead." Then, laughing, she added, "The game would go ahead for much worse weather than this. You know that."
A drizzle, in Septimus' view, was not a good description of the current weather situation. The rain was pelting down—the noise so loud that Septimus had first mistaken it for hail. But sure. If this was what Cedrella considered a light dusting of rain, who was he to disagree?
"I just wasn't sure if you'd want to play in this kind of weather."
All of a sudden, Cedrella's amused smile disappeared. "You weren't sure if I'd want to play in this kind of weather? What in Salazar's name do you mean by that, Septimus?"
Septimus blinked. Then, with a sheepish grin, he shrugged. And while she had to admit that his impish behaviour held a certain charm, Cedrella continued to glare at him.
"I bet you never asked your brothers if they cared about the weather," she snapped, crossing her arms. "What? You think I'm too delicate to play in a bit of rain?"
"Delicate?" Septimus barked a laugh. "I'm pretty sure I saw you throw a bludger at Sykes' head in the last match. Delicate isn't exactly the word that comes to mind." Then, seeing that her demeanour hadn't softened, Septimus blanched. "It's not that. Well, it is that. I just…"
"You just what?"
"Well, it seems more dangerous now, doesn't it?" He cocked his head to the window. "It just seems a bit more than drizzle to me."
Cedrella's eyes widened. "Dangerous?! Septimus, it's Quidditch."
"And it's you." Before she had time to protest again, he quickly said, "It's not that I don't think you're an excellent player. You know that. It's just…well, it's you. Sometimes I worry about you without even realising."
"Oh." Cedrella's pale cheeks flushed pink. "Well, that's very sweet, Septimus, but there's no need. It's just a bit of rain. I'll be fine."
She repeated the refrain like a prayer, knowing now that there was nothing she could ease his nerves. And even when she landed herself in Hospital Wing after colliding with a Ravenclaw player, when she regained consciousness to Septimus, ashen-faced, sitting next to her, she simply smiled and said, "I'll be fine."