Chapter 3 - November

The second week in November was a windy one, the weather had turned far crisper and brown flurries of leaves were constantly being whipped across the Hogwarts grounds.

It was the perfect weather for flying, maybe not against the wind, but with the wind on your tail, urging you forwards, it was ideal conditions for the first Quidditch match of the season.

It was Slytherin versus Hufflepuff, and although he shouldn't have been biased, Negan was pretty confident that Slytherin would thrash the Hufflepuffs easily.

The Slytherins were always just far more determined, cunning, and focused. The Hufflepuff team wasn't particularly bad per say, but they were up against the most fierce of competitors in this particular match.

It was a Saturday, and Negan was stood at the side of the Quidditch pitch, broom in hand.

His prized broom was one of the new model Firebolt Supremes. Very exclusive, VERY expensive, but the best money could buy.

The kids had swarmed him at first, all wanting to have a go on a broom used by the professionals, but Negan had waved them away, religating them all to the school's ancient old Cleansweeps and old-model Nimbuses instead.

It was Negan's job today to referee the match and as the two teams came out onto the pitch, there was a humongous roar from the crowd in the stands above.

It seemed like the entire school had turned up to watch, including most of the staff too.

And Negan had just made it to the centre of the pitch, giving the two team Captains a last minute reminder of the rules, as his eyes drifted up into the crowd ahead of him, a sudden flash of blonde catching his eye.

"And any foul play will be...errrr…." murmured Negan, his voice trailing off slightly as he caught sight of her there, in a seat next to Professor Sprout….

Madam Blake, with her hair swept back from her face, looking rosy-cheeked in the crisp autumn wind, with an oversized yellow and black Hufflepuff scarf wound around her slender neck.

She was laughing about something, her entire face lit up in a smile that caused Negan's heart to pound.

"Ummm, Professor?" came the voice of Simon Jones, Captain of the Hufflepuff team.

Negan at once shook himself, dragging his eyes away from the blonde woman quickly.

"Oh, damn, where was I?" he frowned. "Oh yeah, no foul play. You got that?"

The kids around him all nodded, eager to get on with the game.

"Alright," said Negan with a grin, puffing out his chest now with one last glance up at Blake. If she was here, Negan was going to show exactly what skills with a broom he still had left in him. "You all know the drill."

And with three shrill whistles, the game was begun.

The first twenty minutes was a spectacular start, and Negan smirked as Slytherin took their sixtieth point of the game.

But as the Quaffle was sent flying through the hoop, there came yet another groan from the crowds around them, obviously a little sick of Slytherin winning yet again.

Negan, zipping through the air and swooping low and dangerously, chanced a glance up at Blake to see if she was watching him.

But to his utter dismay, she was turned to Professor Sprout instead, the two of them deep in conversation, both looking a little crestfallen at the current match result.

It was then that Negan had an idea.

Negan blew his whistle, signaling for the teams to come in for a short half-time break.

And while the players flew to the ground, Negan rounded on the Hufflepuff team.

"What was all that out there?" he barked, frowning at them. "You'll be a damn laughing stock if you keep this up."

The players all hung their heads looking shamefaced at Professor Negan's words.

"We're trying our hardest, Sir," said the Hufflepuff seeker, a petite girl named Mahnoor, quietly.

And at this, Negan frowned again, blinking a little at he stared back at the faces of the sorry-looking kids.

Shit. This wasn't their fault. They had been playing their hardest, it was just that Slytherin were a better team today, better at handling these windy conditions certainly.

Negan gave a long sigh, dragging a hand over his stubbly face, before speaking again.

"Alright," he said in a gentler voice than before. "Just concentrate on that Quaffle and use that wind behind you to your advantage. Drive through their beaters and make sure you've got plenty of defence down the back end, you got it?"

The kids all nodded, looking brighter and far more courageous than they had been five minutes ago.

And just a few seconds later, the game had resumed again.

But this time, it seemed that Hufflepuff had taken on Negan's advice. And despite still not getting any goals in, they had not allowed Slytherin to either.

The crowd behind them cheered wildly as the Hufflepuff Keeper easily batted away the Quaffle from their hooped goalpost with the tail of his broom.

Negan grinned, once again glancing over to where Blake was sitting, and in that moment he noticed her eyes slide to him, offering him a cheery, delighted looking smile.

Negan's heart leapt inside his chest, feeling at once completely smug.

And knowing that her eyes were finally on him, Negan went all out to show off his flying skills, swooping low, diving, sailing over the heads of the players at a fantastic speed.

He let out another arrogant smirk as he angled his broom, doing a wide loop at the top speed is broom could go, earning himself a loud and impressive 'oooh' from the crowd, watching the ex-pro-Beater go.

But Negan should have know that his arrogance would get the better of him.

And sweeping out of the loop, he barely noticed the large Bludger flying towards him…

Negan was of course used to taking a hit, but the heavy ball caught him off guard, sending him sprawling from the broom, unable to hold on…

Negan tumbled swiftly to the ground, landing with a thud before anyone could do anything to stop him.

At once everything hurt, and Negan in a pained daze, rolled half-conscious onto his back, as sudden figures swam into view above him.

"Is he ok?"

"Someone go fetch Madam Blake."

If Negan had had the strength he would have protested, certainly not wanting the shame of being patched up by the woman he had so idiotically tried to show off in front of.

"Give him some air," came a gentle voice, as a sudden blonde figure appear blurred in is vision.

From here she looked heaven sent, as Negan frowned, muttering out the word "Peaches…" before passing out cold.

Negan groaned as he blinked his eyes open.

His body felt fine but he was certainly very stiff, aching all over, peering blearily around and finding himself in the dimly lit Hospital Wing, the sun now low in the sky.

Ugh.

Negan could have kicked himself for being so stupid.

Why the hell had he done all that to impress some pretty little Hufflepuff?

But as though on cue, Madam Blake's head appeared around the drapes surrounding his bed.

She gave a smile of relief, seeing he was awake, standing there in her blue matron's robes he hair looking a little dishevelled now after being outside.

But her eyes sparkled with something different now, almost looking as though she had been crying.

"You're awake," she said in a relieved-sounding voice, coming to perch on the edge of his bed, her expert hands checking the pulse at his wrist before she lifted her other hand, shining a light from her wand into each of his eyes in turn.

"Guess I missed the last of the match then?" he mused in a hoarse voice, clutching at his sore ribs.

But Blake just smiled at this and gave a wrinkle of her nose as she continued with her checks.

"'Fraid so…" she whispered back.

At her closeness, Negan couldn't help but feel his heart begin to pound, watching as Blake dropped her fingers from his wrist, giving a frown.

"Hmmmm, you're heart rate's still a bit high, but other than that, you seem fine. How do you feel? Any dizziness or nausea?"

But Negan shook his head, letting out a small huff.

Only if he counted the nausea he felt knowing how much of an ass he had made of himself in front of the entire school and the woman sitting before him.

"Nah, m'fine," he growled.

But Blake's eyes lingered on his for quite some time. And Negan watched as she bit her lip, looking suddenly sad.

"I'm really sorry, Negan," she murmured.

At her words Negan gave a frown.

"For what, Darlin'?" he said in a bemused voice. "For watchin' me make an idiot of myself in front of everyone? 'Cause that ain't on you."

But Blake worried at her lip now, not meeting Negan's gaze as she disappeared for a moment, before returning a second or two later with a large object bundled up in her arms.

"The staff did their best to repair most of it, but the wind…" she said suddenly placing the object onto his lap. "...i-it just kept on flying."

Negan frowned down now, staring at the broken broom in his lap, or at least what was left of it.

His damn Firebolt Supreme lay before him with a cracked handle and twigs that stuck out at all angles. And almost an expert in the field of brooms, Negan knew that his beloved broomstick would never fly again.

"I'm sorry," Blake repeated now.

But Negan shook his head, shifting the broom aside with a sigh.

"It's not your fault, it's mine," he growled out, dragging a hand down his tired face, as realisation hit him. "Shit. Looks like I'm gonna be on one of the school shit-heaps for a while. I can't afford another one at the moment, shit, I'm still paying this one off."

He patted the bristles end of the broom at his side, as Blake looked up at him.

"I-I though pro-Quidditch players just got given their broomsticks," she said gently.

But Negan pursed his lips.

"Yeah the pro-players do, but not washed-up bums like me," he said slowly, his eyes landing on his broken broom once more.

"Well if it's any consolation, you looked amazing out there. I mean I knew you could fly, but some of those moves…" she shook her head, sounding impressed which caused Negan's mood to lift brightly.

"Yeah?" he uttered in reply, as Blake gave a firm nod.

"Oh yeah," she said, before pausing for a moment and biting her lip again. "And well, I was thinking, that rather than you having to use one of the school brooms...well, maybe, you can just use mine instead. It's just sitting in my wardrobe gathering dust at the moment anyway..."

Negan gave the smallest of bemused frowns at her words, before he cocked an eyebrow in her direction.

"Never had you down for a flyer, Peaches…" he said in a low voice.

But Blake merely smiled, getting to her feet.

"Well I actually played on the Hufflepuff team when I was in school," she murmured gently. "Took me until my fourth year to pluck up the courage to try out, but I played as Seeker for three years. Still like to play now and again in my spare time, but haven't really gotten the chance in a while."

Negan grinned.

"Well aren't you full of surprises, Doll-face…" Negan muttered out, marvelling at her.

But Blake merely continued to smile as she disappeared again, reappearing less than a minute later holding a sleek looking broom beneath her arm.

And Negan's grin seemed to widen now as he took in the sight before him.

"Full of surprises," Negan repeated as Blake passed him the broomstick, the original Firebolt model, perfect in every way, and one of Negan's favourite racing brooms. "Damn. I used to play on one of these in my heyday. Look at that, perfectly balanced."

And with that, he balanced the full weight of the Firebolt on one finger, gazing down at it in awe.

"Always loved the original Firebolt. Had so many features the other models out there just lacked," he mused again, enjoying the feeling of it in his hand.

"Well if you love it that much, how about we head out and finish the match," Blake said in a sudden playful voice. "Slytherin versus Hufflepuff."

Negan shot another bemused frown in her direction, his chocolate eyes travelling over her face.

This was the last thing he expected from her.

"What, right now?" he asked holding in a chuckle. "You not got any kids in here to take care of?"

And with that, Blake gave a smiling shrug.

"Sadly, tonight you're my only patient. So why don't we call it physiotherapy," she uttered. "Only if you think you're up to it though."

But Negan gave a wide grin.

"Oh most definitely," he murmured in reply, watching as Blake disappeared back around the drapes once more.

"Good, then I'll be ready in five," she called back to him.

…..

"That's definitely Professor Negan."

"Nah, you're wrong, that's Snape."

"And who's that with him?"

"I dunno, kinda looks like Madam Blake."

"No way. Madam Blake can't fly like that."

The whispers from the students trying to squint out of the ever-darkening windows at the two figures swooping and diving on the far off Quidditch pitch, were rife throughout the castle.

The pair had played until long after the sky had grown dark, faces rosy-cheeked from the autumn wind, both happier than they had been in a long time.

Negan had given Blake back her Firebolt to ride on, while he had taken an old Nimbus from the school broom closet.

They had chased each other, twirling and gliding through the sky.

And Blake had even declared a Hufflepuff victory, after she had caught the golden snitch earning herself one-hundred and fifty points for doing so.

And so thoroughly windswept and out of breath, the pair had made their way back up to the castle, denying any rumours to any student who asked about seeing them flying together for the following few days.

And even Negan had to admit, that that was one victory he didn't mind Hufflepuff taking over Slytherin.


Thanks to Kosongbird, EveFlower, cindisink and 3Emma for reviewing! :)

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