"And there's also the trouble of getting it to target the right kind of people"

She awoke with a start, an image of Weasley's blue eyes wide as he fell from the sky seared into the backs of her eyelids and sweat dampened her forehead. She looked around, glad no one was there in the dormitory to see her like this.

In the hospital wing, Septimus opened his eyes from dreams filled with bludgers and silky black hair, to his two best friends surrounding him and he felt a smile form on his lips.

"This is why you shouldn't play quidditch, it's just not worth it!"

He managed a laugh, rolling his eyes automatically at the reproach he had heard a million times, "Mason it's every bit worth it, it's just -" he hesitated thinking back to that game and her, always her. Godric, why couldn't he get her out of his head!

Pressing his palms against his screwed up eyes, he decided he was going to stop following her at night - who cares what she was up to - she was right, it was none of his business and honestly following her around is what isn't worth it!

"Does your head still hurt?" A pair of concerned green eyes were trained on him when he looked up .
"No I'm fine, honestly" he smiled at them both.
Concerned faces stared back at him.
"What?" He asked, tired of seeing that expression on everyone's faces since that game.

"It's just you haven't really been yourself lately, and then at the game…" Mason looked down frowning.

"You weren't playing like you normally do - it was like you were distracted or something" Connor bluntly added in.
"Seriously, mate what's up?" he asked, dark brows raised.
"Is it a girl? Don't think I haven't noticed you sneaking off in the middle of the night." Connor looked at him from down his nose with that expression he always had when they played chess, except this time Connor actually seemed to have the upper hand.

"What! No, of course not, Why would I - I haven't -" he could feel his cheeks heat up, if only they knew it was a girl - just not the way they would have thought.

"Save it Sep, we know you got detention from Slughorn the other night" Mason said giving him a pitying look.

"Look guys, it's not like that okay - Mason's still the only one of us with a girlfriend - and honestly if I were seeing someone you guys would be the first to know, I swear." He said solemnly looking at them both in the eyes.

They looked like they still didn't quite believe him, but thankfully Madam Flemming came bustling in, forcing Mason and Connor to shift to where they couldn't look down on him with suspicion.

"That was a serious blow to the head young man, you're lucky I couldn't find any lasting damage to your brain and it seems you remember your friends, so you are very lucky indeed" she deemed as she fussed over him, changing the bandage around his head with a wave of her wand and shoving a glass of murky, foul smelling liquid into his hands.

"Best drink it all in one go boy, you need to drink all of it after all"
She looked down at him expectantly.

Groaning he looked up darkly at the amused faces of Connor and Mason before squeezing his eyes shut once more to down the drink.

"Hey, Weasley, nice to see you in the land of the living again, I'm sorry about the head injury and fall, I had a chat with my team, and I still don't quite understand what happened, but the storm was really picking up that day and - "

He held up his hand, stopping him before he could go on, "it's fine Adam, honestly it wasn't your fault - or anyone's, but mine. I wasn't paying attention".
"Something on your mind Weasley?" His eyes gleamed kindly with genuine concern.

"Nothing that need worry you" he smiled as he continued walking down the great hall.

Many people called out to him asking how he was, he waved and smiled but he didn't stop until he found Connor and Mason sitting on the other side of the Gryfinndor table, he plonked down onto the bench in front of them, sighing.

"If anyone else brings up my fall again, I swear I'll just go straight back to bed", he helped himself to some porridge and juice.

Just as he reached out for the jug his eyes caught black ones. From the Slytherin table, Cedrella's eyes roved over his face, her's the picture of concern and then she turned back down to her bowl, as if satisfied he wasn't about to go and fall again.

He felt his irritation at her rise up in him again until he noticed the dark circles under her eyes. So she was still prowling around at night doing Godric knows what with whom. He only hoped there wouldn't be more people falling off their brooms in the future because he was so done worrying about her!

He returned his attention back to his meal, when he noticed Connor and Mason looking at him weirdly again.
"What is it this time?" he sighed, can't a man have his breakfast in peace?

Perhaps sensing his irritation they didn't say anything and went back to eating their breakfast in silence.

"I knew a knock to the head couldn't keep you down for too long, Weasley" A girl with long blonde hair appeared beside Mason, winking at him as she sat down on the bench next to her boyfriend.

"Hey Magda" he smiled at her. The Slytherin girl was as bold as the colour of her hair. She wasn't quite like the other Slytherins - as she frequently sat at the Gryfinndor table and always had an open and cheerful disposition. She was also horrible at potions and excelled at herbology, making her quite popular with the Hufflepuffs.

He had found it odd that a girl like her would choose to be with someone as calm and introspective as Mason, but later he realised that was what made them work - they balanced each other out perfectly.

Couples between houses weren't very common - at least not serious relationships anyway - only except every few years it was common for the head boy and girl to end up together as their roles had them working closely together throughout the year.

Without thinking, his gaze found Cedrella again, she was talking to Adam who had stopped on his way out from the hall to speak with her. He found his irritation come back, why was he thinking about her again!

"What are you looking at, like that for again?" Connor asked impatiently.

"Don't tell me you're hallucinating, if you are, we should get you over to Madam Fleming straight away" Mason said, concern filling up his green eyes.

"No" he quickly said, adding, as he saw Connor turning in the direction he had been looking at before; "I just remembered all the classes I've missed and all the catching up I have to do".

"Is that all?" Connor said incredulously - turning immediately back to face him. "You should know Mason would have your back for that kind of thing!"

"I've got all the notes ready in my dorm - don't worry about it" Mason smiled at him reassuringly.
"Great, let's go get them now!" He said standing up.

Three pairs of eyes looked at him oddly - again.

"The earlier I start, the faster I can catch up, right?" he said already stepping out from the table and bench and walking out.

He heard sounds of them quickly getting up to follow after him and a hushed comment from Connor; "that blow to the head was more severe than I thought".

He picked up the pace as he passed through the tables, not looking once at Cedrella's way.