A/N Welcome back, one and all! If you're new here, the Jennifer Craw series is numbered with pointers at the end of each book and starts with Jennifer Craw and the Phoenix Wand with an optional Jennifer Craw Series Prologue. This is the second book of the seven-part Seeker series, and is the next to last series in the Jennifer Craw alternate universe.

We are back to basics again with this romantic comedy, and it is such fun, I hope enjoy this little breather after the first book. Some of the plot points are a little less sneaky, to give the reader a chance to figure out the joke before the characters do... and it is very much a character driven book, with lots of character growth you might enjoy. Thanks for coming back, Happy St. Patrick's Day, and please review when you can to help people find my series!

Chapter Updates will happen once a week until I've finished writing the book (I'm halfway through). Once it's finished and the bulk editing is done, it'll be 5 times a week.

Editing update: I am in the middle of smoothing out some of the language in Phoenix Wand above and beyond typo fixes so that it is more in line with the rest of the series. While the story doesn't change, there may be better emotional queues and clearer language and word choices than the last edit. I will keep you updated. Also, as I re-edit the series, I will be adding it to Archives are Our Own as I have time to make it easier to folks to download and so forth. The first book is up, under the name of Doublequill like always. For more detailed updates, you can always follow me on twitter doublequillmlp. Thanks, and Enjoy!

Chapter One

Tough Love

It was getting dark, and Jennifer Craw was quickly running out of time.

Speeding through the forest on a broom, she glanced behind her worriedly before turning to focus on where she was heading, darting through the trees as best she could.

If only she could land, she thought to herself, gritting her teeth as she picked up the pace. But she knew that no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't match their speed on a broom. It was only a matter of time before they caught her. Her only chance was to lose them closer to the ground.

Jennifer gripped the broom so tight that her hands ached as she dodged left and right between the tree trunks.

Don't be afraid to use your instincts, she could almost hear Severus remind her. Don't overthink it; focus on the path in front of you and don't let your mind wander...

Jennifer found herself wondering if she had accidentally allowed her mind wander just by thinking of his advice. She forced herself level, darting past each trunk and hopping over underbrush as daylight began to grow dim. How in the hell did she get herself in this predicament, she thought in dismay as the trees began to grow closer together, making them even harder to dodge.

She gasped in alarm when she realized that she had turned into a grove where the branches were so intertwined that they gave her no way to pass through. She pulled her broom up sharply instead of flipping herself upside-down as she probably she should have and crashed into the branches, losing her broom in the process.

Fortunately, the lush fir tree snagged her clothes as gravity took hold, helping to slow her descent. She soon found herself in a bed of pine needles, looking up dizzily at the branches that she had just slid out of.

Jennifer heard someone land and the sound of quick footsteps. Soon there was a shadow over her.

"Are you alright?" Eben Maxen asked with obvious concern.

"Physically, yes," Jennifer replied with exasperation, pulling some of the needles out of her hair. "But you know as well as I do what's going to happen to me now! Please don't make me go through that again! Can't you just pretend that you haven't found me yet and let me have a do-over?" she pleaded.

"Have you seen your broom?" Eben asked as he got back on his.

Jennifer rolled over and saw that it had snapped at the broom head. She laid back down.

"I'm done for," Jennifer moaned.

"Yes, I'm afraid you are. Sorry," he replied.

Eben floated above the treeline, sending up a flare. Several wizards on brooms floated out of the clouds.

"Wot, done already? Surely not!" Flyer Wright protested from where he hovered on his broom.

"Jennifer ended up in a tree again," Eben explained.

"Already?" Wright repeated in surprise, then cupped his hand around his mouth. "Time! Time! Knockout's done it again!" he called out to his squad.

"Is she alright?" Severus asked, drifting down beside the Canadian Flyer who was leading the exercise.

"She's fine, but I can't say as much for the broom," Eben reported.

"Never in my days!" Wright exclaimed.

"Do you mind paying me before we go down there?" Severus asked Wright.

Wright turned and handed Severus the winning wager.

"You realize the round of drinks she now owes us is likely to cost twice what I just gave you," Wright pointed out.

"I know. I was hedging my bet," Severus explained.

Laughing at that, Flyer Wright signaled his flight squad before following Eben and Severus down.

Jennifer had managed to get herself to her feet and put herself into some order, but she had scrapes on her arms and forehead as she inspected the two halves of the broom with a grimace.

"It can be repaired, but not with any strength," Jennifer admitted as they walked over. "But it should be good enough to get back to the village."

"Wot? No, we don't do inferior brooms! Ride with Pro," Wright ordered.

"Shall I get the helmet?" Severus inquired.

"Oh no, not that! I just got out of that thing!" Jennifer pleaded fearfully.

"Not this time!" Wright said, pointedly putting up a finger as if he had an idea. "This time we're going to hand it to her in the bar!" Jennifer's jaw dropped. "Sorry, Knockout, it's for your own good! It's a matter of tough love by way of some lasting humiliation. I can't possibly send you back to Potter while you're still crashing into trees all the time!"

"But there aren't as many trees in Britain..."

"No excuses! Mount up, Knockout, or do you want to pay for a second round as well?" Wright barked at her.

Grimacing, Jennifer dejectedly walked over and climbed onto the back of Severus' broom.

"Really, Jennifer, I had no idea that this was going to be such an expensive holiday," Severus teased as they took to the air.

"This isn't really my idea of a holiday," Jennifer grumbled, holding on tight as Severus and Eben joined the formation. The squad flew back to the small wizard village that surrounded the Canadian Flyer's main headquarters.

Before Jennifer knew it, they were back in Wright's favorite tavern, and the moment she had dreaded was upon her. The squad of Flyers gathered around as Wright ceremoniously put the Helmet of Shame on Jennifer's head.

The squad clapped and cheered, and even though Severus simply folded his arms, she could tell that even he was privately as amused as the rest of them as Wright tightened the crash helmet and instructed everyone to get their drink orders in. Jennifer managed to wedge her body into a corner between Severus and Eben to give herself a bit of protection from the friendly jibes getting tossed about as various flyers asked her if she had a logging permit or if it was open tree season.

"I can't believe Harry did this to us," Jennifer muttered, sipping her drink.

"Oh come now, it isn't all bad, is it?" Severus asked quietly. Jennifer glared at him, well aware of how utterly ridiculous she looked in the squadron's crash helmet. "Don't forget what we're getting out of it in return... the chance to pair up as Aurors for the rest of the summer."

"I still don't understand why either of you are doing this," Eben said bluntly. "After everything the two of you do just to keep Hogwarts running, why aren't you spending the summer putting your feet up at your holiday estate?"

"That sounds lovely. Severus, let's tell Harry we've changed out minds..." Jennifer suggested brightly.

"No," Severus said firmly. Jennifer pouted. "After all, this was your idea, Jennifer, and I have every intention of seeing it through. Besides, despite what happened this afternoon, your flying has gotten decidedly better over the last week, without question."

"It has gotten better," Eben agreed. Jennifer glared at him fiercely, so Eben wisely decided to pay more attention to his beer.

When Harry wandered in a half an hour later, he wasn't surprised that the room was already getting loud. The only ones that didn't seem to be enjoying themselves were Eben, Jennifer, and Severus, who were packed together in a corner booth and were attempting to keep up a quiet conversation despite the rowdiness on either side.

Harry let out a soft sigh when he saw Jennifer. He walked straight over to Wright, who sitting with his two best flyers at a small table filled with empty beer mugs

"Ah, Potter! You're not stealing my students away, are you? Ways to go yet," Wright warned.

"Just a quick check in," Harry told him, pulling up a stool next to him. "What is Jennifer doing in that helmet?"

"She's hardly ever out of it," Wright replied unabashedly. "Can't seem to keep the old girl out of trees."

"I thought I asked you to take it easy on her," Harry said sternly, frowning at her out of concern. "Is she making any progress at all?"

"Oh ya, no, for sure," Wright reassured him. "Nothing to worry about, a week more and I'll have her flying eights and knots around the place."

"You just told me she's still crashing into trees," Harry pointed out flatly.

"Now, b'y, Knockout over there has a bad case of broom fright and a nearly-worse case of second-guessing herself, both of which are holding her back. But curing one should make progress on the other, so I expect we'll have her over it."

"Over it?" Harry repeated, shaking his head. "Wright, she's been broom shy since she was seven."

"'Bout time to be done with it, then, isn't it?" Wright pointed out.

"How could you possibly believe that you can cure her of that?" Harry asked dubiously.

Wright didn't seem offended by Harry's skepticism; if anything, he looked smug.

"Bit of psychology, of course! It's psychology that started the problem, eh? That's what's got to finish it," Wright explained, pointing over to where Jennifer sat between her two bodyguards. She was still on her first mug as she tried to listen to Severus and Eben's conversation. Conscientiously, she adjusted the helmet on her head. "See her over there?"

"You can't miss her in that ridiculous helmet," Harry said in annoyance.

"Exactly! That's the whole point of it," Wright said. "Typically, we use that thing to put some humility in those that need it, those keeners that come in here thinking they're going to show us whose boss."

"Only now, you've put it on someone who can barely keep her self esteem up at the best of times," Harry said sternly. Wright shook his head vigorously.

"She's a proud, striking beauty who cares about how others see her, and she uses her mental resources to convince those around her to guard and protect her self image, including you," Wright pointed out. "It's as plain as a crack on a wooden broom that her pride and vanity are bigger weaknesses than how she feels about flying. If her fear of getting humiliated keeps growing, her pride is going to win out and she'll abandon her fear of flying in order to save face. Besides, I think she's made of thicker skin than you men give her credit, and a bit of tough love is kinder than letting her flirt her way out of every situation that makes her uncomfortable. I've got two weeks with these kids, not two years. I don't have time to play nice. Kid gloves off, this is boot camp, not a yoga retreat, eh? Speaking of which, she seems to need another kick," Wright decided and got up, going over to the bar.

He ordered a very large mug of lager, well aware that Harry and the squad were watching as he brought it over to the corner where Jennifer watched his approach warily. Severus and Eben glanced at each other, realizing they weren't who he was after. They both slid away from Jennifer to keep from becoming targets as Wright blew off the foam and set the mug down in front of her.

"Here, Knockout! I bought you a Moosehead since you've had such a long day. Drink up," Wright told her.

"I haven't finished this one yet," Jennifer pointed out.

"Don't insult your Fly Captain, it's not wise, especially when I've still a week left to get you in shape," Wright said.

Jennifer glanced at Harry glumly. Apparently, she had been hoping that he was here because something had happened at home and he was calling them back. Harry turned his head the moment she looked in his direction in an attempt to keep out of it.

Wright slid her old mug out of the way, putting the larger one in front of her. Then he pointed at Severus.

"Keep your hands to yourself or you're next, Pro. I've seen you slipping drops in everyone's drinks at this table," Wright warned.

"Very well, although it's simply a matter of defense. We prefer to keep clear headed, since we are typically under constant threat," Severus explained calmly.

"Well, you're all under threat right now, aren't ya? Alright, Knockout, down the thing," Wright said.

"I really don't like beer," Jennifer complained. "I've never been much for alcohol."

"Come now, Jennifer. I've seen you go through a fair number of Firebreather shots when you're in a foul enough mood," Severus said.

Jennifer's eyes went wide and she stared at Severus with an open jaw for intentionally leaking that information.

"Oh she does, does she?" Wright said with sparks in his eyes. "No excuses! Chug it down... it's like a shot, just a bit bigger, eh?"

"A bit?" Jennifer repeated.

"Now, then, it's not wise to talk back to your Fly Captain, is it? I won't warn you again... chin up," Wright ordered firmly.

Jennifer glanced around, but it was quite obvious that Severus, Eben... not even Harry... seemed very interested in coming to her rescue.

"Whatever happened to the notion that the Canadians are supposed to be incredibly nice?" Jennifer challenged Wright.

"I am being nice at the moment, and politer than if it were one of my own being this defiant," Wright replied dangerously. "Now drink it down, before you find yourself pulled out of bed an hour before dawn for broom drills."

Reluctantly Jennifer pulled the mug over, finding herself the center of attention as the rest of the Flyers began chiming in, encouraging her to keep going and coaxing her to get the whole thing down in one go. Finally she put down the empty mug, looking a bit sick and extremely embarrassed despite the cheers that went up around her.

Wright patted the top of her crash helmet before making his way back over to Harry, taking a seat again. Neither of them were in the least bit surprised when she immediately turned on Severus and began chewing him out for not coming to her rescue and telling on her about the whisky. Wright chuckled when he saw it, especially when Severus took the abuse with the same calm demeanor that he always did.

"It always comes down to a battle of wills with her," Wright commented, then noted just how annoyed Harry was about how hard Wright was pushing Jennifer's limits. "She'll be alright, b'y. By the time you come to see them home, you won't give her flying skills a single moment of thought. Although, if you don't mind my saying so, I haven't seen you this concerned about one of your own since the summer you sent Jamie over here for the first time. Of course, Jennifer's other half was concerned for the first day or two, but as you can see, he's not worried now. Surely if he can trust us with her, you can. Cheers!" he added, taking a drink.

Harry took a sip out of his mug as well, knowing there was nothing he could do but wait and trust Severus to keep an eye on things.

It had taken three more rough days of training before Jennifer earned the right to take off the Helmet of Shame. It had been the first time since the day she had taken it off only for her to crash into that grove.

Tired of the jeers, jabs, and most of all, Severus' lack of sympathy, Jennifer was quite determined not to screw up to the point that she had to wear the thing again. She was feeling alone and defeated; Wright was persistently breathing down her neck during practice, and he was constantly singling her out whether they were at the bar or just having dinner at the Flyer's Headquarters.

By the end of the second week of training, Jennifer was most decidedly not speaking to Severus and had even insisted on getting another room. Severus took it all in stride, having realized early on that her behavior had much less to do with him and much more to do with Wright. He was simply a much safer target for her to take her frustrations out on.

Harry Apparated to the Flyers' Headquarters to find out they were out on the obstacle course. He took his broom for the quick flight over to where they were training and landed next to Wright, staring at the course itself.

"What in the world did you do to it?" Harry asked, despite the fact it was obvious.

The Flyer's obstacle course was typically a series of Quidditch rings that were placed at different heights and angles, including sideways. It was built to force the Flyers in training to dive or climb with precision to get through it.

Harry had been so good at it that he held the speed and precision record for years... until Doug finally knocked him out of that first spot. Both of their speed runs had been set while the rings were above a clean, mowed field. But now, conifer trees of different shapes and sizes were scattered around the course. Some of them had branches that brushed the rings. Some of the trees had sprung up right in front of some of the rings, creating dangerous turns for any Flyers attempting to get through some of the rings cleanly.

"The morning after you left, I sent Jennifer out to plant a bunch of trees, not telling her I was planning to put fast-grow potion on them after," Wright explained cheerfully. "Every day, they've grown a foot or two. Looks great now, doesn't it? Do you want to try it later?"

"I can't make up my mind," Harry said, then became distracted as Severus flew past them, twisting in a barrel-roll to dive through one of the lower rings before straightening on his way to the next. "How much do the trees slow them down? A few seconds, at least."

"Doesn't matter! I'm testing them at the same time standard I've always tested them at," Wright informed him, Harry raising an eyebrow at that. "Right now, they're having a contest. The first one to get on the top ten list gets to put away their broom and get ready to head home! My money is on Jennifer," he added.

"What? Really?" Harry said with surprise.

"She is by far the most motivated to go home," Wright explained. He paused, looking up at the board to see Severus' time, which reached the top twenty.

Under the circumstances, Harry decided that Severus' score was still an impressive improvement, especially since most of leaders were only milliseconds different from each other. Eben, although much faster, had a lot less precision, putting him just shy of the top twenty. Still, it wasn't as if he was a professional Seeker, Harry mused, and he was just out of school. Another two weeks next year to work on precision, and Eben could probably land in the top twelve.

"Ah! Here we go!" Wright said brightly as Jennifer climbed up a ladder and onto a platform that looked like a tall diving board.

Even from a distance, Harry could tell she wasn't in the best of moods. In fact, if he had seen Thomas as clenched as she was, Harry would have turned around and walked the other way until he had time to cool off. But Wright watched with interest as she conducted the checks on her broom that he thad aught them to do before every flight and then mounted, waiting for the signal to start.

Suddenly she took off at a breakneck speed, not slowing down until she was through the first ring, only to dive with precision into the second. She passed so close to the tree in between that the only way Harry could tell it was clean was that the branches on that side hadn't moved, and he noticed that it had forced her to pull her feet up onto the end of her broom as she turned to make the next angle, refusing to put them down again during the section that had the most trees in it. When she finally got out of the most harrowing part, her speed suddenly picked up, making as much use of it in the straightaway as she could, compensating for earlier delays by making a Seeker-like charge before the last dive, which involved an awkwardly angled ring low enough to the ground that Harry remembered vividly just how many times he scraped his knees pulling away from it and how much he hated it. Still, he knew that all that was left afterwards was a quick turn through a ring just a meter off the ground, making for an easy stop. But Jennifer didn't slow down even after she went through the last ring, apparently afraid of pulling up too early and causing herself to lose time.

In fact, she didn't pull up until she got to the edge of the course, and then stood beyond the line and stared at the time clock, ignoring the cheers around her as she waited to see what her score was.

Finally her time appeared, as well the confirmation of a clean round. Her shoulders relaxed slightly when she saw that she managed to squeek her way into the tenth place spot. That was when she stormed over to Wright and Harry, dragging her broom behind and wearing an expression that made Harry wonder if they were going to have to duck and cover.

Jennifer walked straight up to Wright, thrusting her broom out for him to take.

"Here!" Jennifer snapped at him when he didn't take it right away. "I beat your stupid score, so I'm done! Take this obstacle course and your broom and shove it, you horrible excuse for a wizard! I never want to see you again! I hate your stupid Flyer Squadron, I hate this stupid country and all of its stupid trees, and most of all, I HATE WIZARD HOCKEY!" she shouted at the top of her lungs. Harry cringed, knowing it was the ultimate insult. "If I never have to hear another play-by-play in my entire life, it'll suit me perfectly fine, thank you! Harry, I'm going home! And let Severus know that he's not invited!" she said in a huff, dropping the broom at Wright's feet before furiously stomping towards the headquarters building.

"You're welcome!" Flyer Wright shouted as she stormed away, then turned to Harry. "Really, wouldn't it have been much faster and simpler for her to have ridden her broom back to her quarters?"

"Not dramatic enough," Harry explained. Wright shrugged, picking up her broom unconcernedly.