Flashes of crimson red and emerald green shot through the sky at lightning speeds and burst through the rain plummeting down upon the many heads gathered in the stands of the school's Quidditch stadium. It was the biggest match of the season and it would determine who would go through to get a shot at winning the house cup.

"Just a bit further… yes. Yes! And she scores, ten points to Slytherin!" The commentator- Vaughan, a Hufflepuff in their year who always seems to disappear and only reappear at Quidditch games- yelled.

Aelin tried her best to scan her surroundings but the rain kept obscuring her vision. From what she could see, Lorcan was batting a bludger with his full strength towards Chaol, her fellow chaser, who just managed to dodge it but in his efforts, went careening into Ansel, sending her scarlet robes billowing and the quaffle flying out of her hands directly into the open arms of the Slytherin chaser, Asterin, who was shooting erratically through the air as usual. The Gryffindor Quidditch team really needed to practice more in this type of weather.

Aelin and Ansel managed to cage her in between them and Chaol came to block her in from the rear. After a few chaotic turns to attempt to escape using the free spaces above and below her to no avail, Asterin continued to roam the air like a wild animal in an enclosure and resigned to tossing the quaffle to Manon but before the white-haired witch could reach far enough, Aelin intercepted and made towards the Slytherin goalposts.

Weaving in and out of players, her eyes remained on the golden rings she was speeding towards. She made the shot. Gasps filled the stadium. Were Gryffindor going to make a comeback in this game?

The answer was no. Rowan Whitethorn, the best keeper to grace this pitch rumours claimed, had the quaffle shooting back towards his teammate, Sorrel, before she had time to register the disappointment that settled in her stomach.

Again and again, the red and gold robed chasers aimed for the goalposts and again and again, their shot was ricocheted back into the game without getting past Rowan's smug countenance.

They were lucky that they had the best seeker in their team: Nesryn Faliq. This however, no-body could deny as she had broken the record of the amount of snitches caught in a season by a single seeker. Slytherin's seeker was Lysandra Ennar who she was actually good friends with but that didn't mean that she wished her any luck in catching the snitch. Aelin had just enough time to wonder what in the gods' name she was doing right now before she had her chance at a goal again.

Ducking and diving, relaying the quaffle between herself, Ansel and Chaol, she reached the three rings, aimed perfectly at an angle which was meant to deceive Rowan and... he caught it. No surprise there, just disappointment.

"Ooh so close maybe next time Galathinius, and the quaffle is in the hands of Slytherin yet again, back and forth it goes and Asterin Blackbeak is going for it. And that's another ten points to Slytherin!"

Aelin had been using the time to glare at Rowan while he glared back except with a touch of amusement. She wiped at her face and had just started heading away from the Slytherin goals when she felt a thud on the back of her broom that had her moving backwards as a bludger whizzed past the space where her head had been only moments ago.

She looked over her shoulder and saw Rowan retreating away from her, back to his position and she gave him a grateful smile. If that had been any-one of her teammates, he wouldn't have attempted what he just did for her, albeit discreetly. That's how the game was; you look after yourself and your team and no-one else, especially if it was a high-stakes game like this one. It made her smile wider.

"The weather is so bad I can barely see the Slytherin goalposts anymore- not that it matters if I'm honest, Gryffindor are getting a real beating!"

Ansel had the quaffle in her possession again and went on to repeatedly volleying between herself and fellow chaser. Sorrel had blocked her path to the golden rings and Manon was becoming visibly frustrated at the epic game of piggy in the middle. Chaol came, sweeping the quaffle out of the air and catching Rowan off guard.

Cheers and screams reverberated throughout the stadium but out of the corner of her eye she could see Rowan's smug face still smirking and when she looked in the direction he was staring at, her cheers died off. The scoreboard was a complete shambles in her opinion. She glares at Rowan and he just gives a simper in return.

A bat came swinging in her direction and she ducked to avoid the blow. Aedion had come to save her from another bludger heading her way, seconds away from colliding with her skull.

She really needed to stop getting distracted, especially by him! And Gods, these bludgers really loved her head today.

She didn't miss the parting glare Aedion served Rowan, the were sworn enemies off and on the pitch; they were in rival houses (Aelin had never particularly cared about this fact because the sorting hat had almost placed her in Slytherin herself but she convinced it to put her in Gryffindor to save her family the heartbreak), they were rival Quidditch teams and lastly, Aedion was bitter because of how good he was on the pitch. Aelin also likes to think he was jealous of his good looks but that might be her reading too far into her cousin's sensitive ego.

Focus.

They went around and around in the same way for what felt like hours. The rain had let up a bit and there was only a slight drizzle that left Aelin feeling even more despondent than before because of the slower pace everything had seemed to have taken.

"Faliq has captured the golden snitch, 150 points to Gryffindor!" She didn't bother to dwell on Vaughan's lack of excitement, "however, because of the points Slytherin already have, Gryffindor loses and Slytherin have won their way into the finals!"

The stands that housed Slytherins erupted into shouts and screeches of exhilaration. Manon, Asterin and Sorrel were darting around the air in celebration, Lorcan, Cain and Rowan preferred to stew in their happiness in solitude while Lysandra congratulated Nesryn on catching the snitch in a way that held no sense of superiority or condescension.

Everyone landed on the field and Aelin didn't even try to hide her disappointment and glared pointedly at every Slytherin team member, especially Rowan, except from Lysandra who she gave a long pout since she, after all hadn't outwardly stopped Aelin's efforts to better her team's score and then smirked right at her unlike someone.

Dorian was giving his commiserations to Chaol some distance away and Terrin was no doubt stoking his ego about how good he was despite them losing.

She just wanted to go to the Gryffindor common and drown in her sorrows with a ridiculously trashy romance novel and the chocolates she had stashed under her bed. She only hoped that Ansel hadn't already gorged on them without her.

A hand on her own tugged her back and pulled her though he flaps and into the stands where there is a stairwell leading up to where the game is watched. She already knew that it was Rowan due to the pungent smell of pine and snow and she was glad to be relieved of the continuous fall of rain for the last few hours. That reminded her of how much she wanted to curl up in front of the hearth in warm, dry pyjamas.

"Do we have to do this now? I'm soaking wet and freezing."

"I thought we agreed that whatever happened in the game, neither of us would take it personally?"

"I haven't"

"Tell your face that."

Aelin let out a huff and despite herself, the pout dissolved into a grin that she had to bite her lip against as Rowan stroked the damp strands of hair that had escaped her ponytail out of her face.

"That's better," Rowan stated.

She rolled her eyes and repeated the gesture when he said, "I still haven't heard you say thank you for saving you from that bludger." A smile accompanied his words.

"A gentleman wouldn't expect a thank you, never mind ask for one. Anyway at least if I had gotten hit, I wouldn't have been able to watch the rest of the game and then I might have actually had some dignity left."

"I knew you were bitter."

"Shut up, buzzard."

Rowan's only response was the kiss that he gently planted on her lips.

Aelin heard Aedion calling her name, probably so they could both complain about how much they hated the Slytherin team.

"I suppose I'll forgive you... if you meet me at the room of requirements later."

His mouth moved to the shell of her ear and a chill ran down her spine to accompany the cold that had settled in her bones due to her soaked clothes when he said, "deal."