hey guys! sorry it's been so long. i've been slammed with lovely college schoolwork and even lovelier relationship problems... at least i still have emison, though ;)

enjoy this chapter and i PROMISE i will update sooner!

Ch 8

I roll my shoulders back and hop onto my broom, flying low enough so that my feet can graze the long grass beneath me. The sun is at its highest point in the sky, which helps warm up the chilly atmosphere.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous for tryouts. I had gotten in a couple more practice sessions since Saturday, but that still didn't calm my nerves.

To add to my nerves, I'm pretty sure I saw Alison in the stands closest to where I would be playing keeper. It's strange that she would come to watch Gryffindor tryouts. There's an inkling of hope inside of me that maybe she came to watch me play and wish me luck, but it's more probable that she's just spying for her team.

I scan the crowd again, looking for that beautiful golden hair. When I finally find her, she's looking right back at me. She smiles and gives me a thumb's up, which is really all the good luck that I need.

In what feels like seconds, it's my turn to try out. For tryouts, they have two of the people auditioning for the final spot of chaser each take five shots on goal, and the keeper has to defend it. It's a little tricky defending the three hoops—all different heights—but I think I can manage.

I take my position in front of the middle hoop and wait for the first chaser to come after me with the quaffle. She holds onto it by the protrusion between two indents in the ball and waits for me to give the signal that I'm ready.

I'm pretty sure that this girl's name is Paige, but I'm not entirely sure. The only reason why I even notice her is because she's always staring at me. I take one final glance at Alison before indicating to Paige that I'm ready. She's leaning against the railing for the stands and waiting expectantly.

Paige nods her head and flies towards me. I feel the adrenaline kick in as I block the first three shots easily. She bites her lip in frustration, and it looks like it's hard enough to draw blood.

She charges at me again, not waiting to see if I'm ready. I have to flip myself over on my broom to block it from going through the smallest hoop. The fifth one is even trickier, and I have to almost jump off of my broom so that I can bat it down and recover it. After the last throw, Paige stalks off on her broom, muttering something to herself.

There're loud cheers when people realize that I've defended every strike. I look up to see Alison beaming at me, but I can't let that distract me.

The next chaser is some girl named Sydney. Her tryout goes a lot faster, but I think it's just my perception of time. I really just want to get out of here and talk to Alison and see how she's doing.

The next few moments are a blur for me. My new teammates are clapping me on the back and giving me high-fives, and it takes all of my effort to slip away unnoticed and go towards where Alison was standing.

By the time I get there, though, she isn't there anymore. I wince, annoyed with myself that I couldn't get away in time to find her.

But, if luck is on my side today, I know exactly where she'll be.

"I thought I'd find you here," I say to the back of Alison's head. I see her shoulders tremble like she giggled a little, but she doesn't make any noise. She continues to stare at the setting sun in front of her. Without turning back to face me, she pats one of the stones beside her for me to join.

I approach her, trying not to make any noise as I descend the stairs and take a seat next to her on the dock.

She smiles at me when I reach her.

"You were incredible out there," she tells me. A hint of a blush lingers on her cheeks. "I'm almost scared to go against you in a couple weeks."

"Oh, please," I laugh and attempt to play off her compliment. "I've seen you practice, too, and let me tell you: the chasers I had going against me today were nothing compared to you."

"You flatter me," Alison says, but she sounds conflicted.

"How are you holding up?" I ask, subtly scooting closer towards her. Despite the dropping temperatures, being next to Alison keeps me warm. I can feel her body heat radiating through her robes, and it melts my heart.

"I'm alright," she shrugs. Her eyes glass over. "My birthday is Friday."

"Oh that's awesome," I exclaim. I want to hug her and blame it on the fact that I'm excited for her birthday, but I feel like that would be kind of weird.

She looks down at the water beneath our feet and skims the surface with the toe of her shoe.

"You don't seem excited, though," I say slowly, trying to figure her out. She shrugs again and finally looks at me.

"It's the first time my grandmother won't be with me for it," she admits sadly, turning her attention to the horizon, where the sun has just peacefully set. Pink and red flirt with the previous position of the sun. Alison toys with a string on her jeans and falls silent.

"Oh." I don't know what to say to her.

"But it's okay," she forces herself to smile, but I can see the sadness behind it. "It's just kind of weird to think about. Someone that you're so close to is there one day and gone the next."

"Yeah," I agree, prodding her to continue.

"You know, she used to give me the most beautiful snow globes every year as a present," Alison genuinely smiles to herself. "Every year, she would give me the same one that her grandmother gave her when she turned that age. It was an incredible cycle, and I'm sad to see it end."

Her voice cracks as she finishes her sentence. I hesitantly put my hand on her shoulder. She flinches slightly from the contact but then relaxes into my grip. I smile softly, thankful that she feels comfortable around me. We're silent for a few moments; the only sound exchanged between us is our steady breathing. Enough time passes for darkness to engulf both of us, the moon illuminating our figures.

"Well, happy early birthday," I break the silence between us. "Should I get you anything?"

Half of me is joking, but the other half is completely serious. I take my hand off of her shoulder and shove it into my pocket.

She laughs and glances at me. My cheeks heat up from her light gaze.

"No," she grins, and playfully shoulders me. I bite my lip and resist the urge to hug her. Our eyes lock in a content stare. Her cerulean eyes sparkle under the fresh moonlight, the light reflecting off of them with a perfect glint.

Strangely, I don't need to resist for very long, because she initiates the hug within moments. She throws her arms around my neck and squeezes. Her chest is flush against mine, and I hold my breath in hopes of steadying my frantic heart. She pulls away, her fingers lingering on the sleeve of my robes. She rubs the material between her fingers and smiles lightly at me.

"Thanks for always being there for me, Em," she tells me. I'm not sure if it's my imagination or not, but she sounds a little breathless.

"N-no problem," I force myself to say, cursing inwardly at my slight stutter. But whatever, I'm just grateful that my voice didn't crack.

"But, I've gotta go," she stands up and brushes imaginary dirt off of the back of her robes. "I have to write my mom a letter."

Her voice is hollow and she seems disappointed.

"You don't seem happy?" I ask, too curious to not say anything.

She shrugs and shakes her head.

"That's a story for another night," she winks at me. I shiver under her gaze, but pretend that it's just the crisp air around us.

She takes a deep breath and gives me a small wave.

"Night, Emily," she says before slowly turning away.

I love the way my name sounds as it rolls off of her tongue. Her voice is so soft; it feels like I'm cuddling in a silk blanket whenever she speaks.

"Night, Alison," I manage to quietly say to her retreating figure.

I sit in silence for a few more moments, transfixed in the beauty around me. I keep replaying the hug with Alison in my mind, and every time it feels more real than the time before. I gaze out towards the horizon, pausing my vision only to admire the moonlight reflecting off of the dark waters. It reminds me of Alison's eyes just a few minutes earlier.

Water has always been so inviting to me; I've always had a passion for swimming. There's something about the liquid stroking my skin that I just love. It feels like I'm weightless whenever I'm in the water, gliding forward gracefully.

It entrances me, and no matter how dangerous it could potentially be, I never hesitate to dive right in.

Maybe that's why I have been drawing more and more parallels between water and Alison lately.

eh a little rushed, but i wanted to give you guys something! i REALLY hope you enjoyed it, and i can't wait to hear what you think! so just review or pm me, i love your feedback :)

thanks for being patient guys