Harriet blinked up into interested eyes from her place at the Gryffindor table. It was the first weekend following the arrival of the two other schools and the cup had yet to pick the champions. "Sorry…" She took a moment to compose herself. "Did you just ask me for a Seeker's game?" People were staring as usual, and Harriet couldn't help but agree that it was with due cause this time. A wave of hush rippled around them as students whispered in staggered hisses what had occurred.
"Ves." The interested eyes turned to confusion. "Are vou not Aarriet Potter?" He furrowed his eyebrows further, with a look of disappointment. "Red-aeaded twins told me that Aarriet Potter could beat me in a game. I tvought vou where aer." He looked down towards where she was sitting, in discontent that the woman at the opposite side of the table from where he stood might not be Harriet. She had the strangest thought that the man in front of her had approached her without even knowing what Harriet Potter looked like, but had somehow got it right on the mark.
With a quick flicker of her eyes promising death towards the mentioned red-headed twins she replied. "Yes. Sorry I am. I would love a game." She stood with her hands flat on the table in front of her in a challenge. Harriet's shock was over, and a rush of excitement and competition replaced it. "That is, if you are willing to play a game you will lose?" She queried with an innocent voice, a complete contrast to the smirk on her face. Her friend's reactions around her were a mix of gobsmacked and eye glazing excitement. Harriet was pleased to notice from the corner of her eye that the twins' jaws were almost on the ground in disbelief.
Krum, as it was the famous star standing before her, folded his hands behind his back, his shoulders lifting in hidden interest. A spark that was not there previously gleamed with anticipation in his brown eyes. "No, I don't tvink I am. And vet, I propose a game." His mouth twisted; a smile held back, and he didn't look away from her challenge.
Hazel released the table and leaned back from her challenging pose. "Meet you outside in 15 minutes then. Bring some tissues with you." With the smirk not leaving her face, and anticipation bubbling in her chest, she turned towards the door of the great hall to retrieve her Firebolt.
Krum's voice followed her from where he was walking on the other side of the table, parallel as if they were tuned to the same music. "Vou do not need to cry. I will comfort vou when vou lose." Glancing at him she noticed another held back smile in the shape of a grind of the teeth. It became Harriets sudden quest to force the man to smile. Second to winning of course.
Their parallel strides allowed them to reach the doors in union, and in sink they turned towards another. Harriet grinned, showing teeth; Krums eyes glittered. She felt the most confident she had in years. "Don't be late, will you? I have a date afterwards."
Krum looked suddenly disjointed and his brows turned into a heavy scowl. He made a noise of displeasure. "With who?"
"A Quidditch player." Harriet replied, looking much too pleased with herself. Hopefully she was right in her assumption that Krum would like to go on a date with her, otherwise she would look extremely silly. Harriet, frequently used to people thinking her silly, was willing to take the risk. Krum's scowl twisted deeper in suspicion. With that Harriet turned left towards her common room, leaving Krum to do nothing else but turn right towards his ship with a grumble.
-~-
"Har!" Hermione explained, moving out of the way just in time for Harriet to barrel through the door.
"Sorry Herm! I'm playing a match against Krum!" Harriet replied, her hand already wrapped around her Firebolt and racing back towards the door.
Hermione watched her run out with a slight huff and continued walking down the stairs. That was until Harriet's words registered in her mind causing her to gasp out loud. "Wait! Wait for me!" Harriet's crush ever since she had seen him play at the world cup was playing a game with her, and Hermione would be there to support Harriet no matter what happened. Knowing Harriet, she would do something reckless if she hadn't already. Putting her book back in their room she raced after her best friend.
-~-
Krum was waiting for her on the pitch with a snitch in his hand by the time she arrived. The stands and grounds were full of what was probably most of the student populace, but Harriet only had eyes for him. She approached at a slower pace, radiating confidence, not wanting to look like she had just raced around the castle at break-neck speed to get her broom. See, she thought to herself, she had some level of self-respect, and it just happened to peak at wanting to look poised in the face of Victor Krum. Krum still looked sullen, and Harriet hoped it was Krum thinking she had a date with someone else. Her master plan (made in half a second) was hopefully working.
"Are vou ready?" He queried, and discreetly looked her up and down. Some of the spark in his eye was back, Harried happily noted. In response she grinned, mounted her broom and took off, hearing the whiz of the released Stich behind her. When she turned, Krum was already in the air.
The terms of the start of a Seekers game was to shake hands and Harriet approached Krum on her broom to do just that. They each raised their hands for the shake, their brooms aligned but facing in opposite directions to another. Their hands, seemingly of their own accord, decided to lock hands together in a clasp instead of a shake. Their wrists to their elbows pressed against another.
The promiscuity and tension surprised Harriet, but she was also surprise to find that she didn't mind at all. They were close enough that the mist from their breath on the cold day met in between them.
Their eyes were as locked as their hands, and moments pasted before the impromptu audience yells increased.
Krum's lips twitched and caused a laugh to burst from Harriet as she pulled away. Their hands now released, the game had begun.
The crowd cheered at the match finally starting as both Seekers zipped through the air towards where they had both been consciously tracking the Snitch. Their experience was immediate to those in the crowd who had not seen Harriet or Krum play. Both were excellent as they moved at near impossible speeds after each other as they flipped and spiralled through the air. Unknown but immediately noticed by Harriet, the Snitch that Krum had supplied was one of his personal practice ones that moved two times faster than the standard game Snitch.
Wooping at the speed, Harriet yelled across to Krum as they weever their way through the stands. "You have to tell me where you got this!" She was completely exhilarated. In previous house games she often found the snitches almost too easy to catch, especially as there was no competition to her skill in Hogwarts. They criss-crossed past each other, avoiding obstacles, waiting for the Snitch to slip up and turn the wrong angle into their winning hands.
Krum didn't reply, but Harriet didn't expect him to as the snitch decided to dive at an almost 90 degree angle towards the ground. Both followed, to the crowd as crazy as each other shooting towards the ground. They had just enough time to glance at one another in awe and glee that someone else in the world was able to keep up before they sharply pulled up out of the dive, flying only meters from the ground. For the first time, however, there was a significant difference in their positioning. While pulling out of the dive Harriet had taken the decision to stand up, riding her broom with only the angle of her feet to guide it and push it forward. The Snitch was only a meter away from the both now, but even thought Harriet's arms were much shorter than Krums, her position lead to a much further reach.
Just as Harriet's fingers were in reach the Snitch dipped down. As for most of these types of situations, Harriet didn't think, she just jumped. She leaped off her broom, pushing as hard as she could towards the Snitch that had dipped towards the ground below them. Her fingers curled around the snitch in a tight grasp. Not a moment later and she slammed into the ground hard rolling in an effort to break the fall.
The crowd made a unanimous groan at the impact until Harriet made one last roll onto her back, laid on the grass with the sky above her and flung her Snitch grasped hand into the air. She laid their for a second with her hand in the air, and enjoyed the moment of stillness after the fast paste game and winding land.
Footsteps approached her before Krum's head blocked her view of the sky. He had a slightly dazed look about him, a mixture of awe, pride, shock and disbelief. For someone who's expression was usually a scroll his face was a whole book of emotion. "Tvat was very impressive!" His eyes opened wider and he started to move his arms around him, trying to explain himself. "Vou vill have to show me again! Wow!" He held out his hand, and leaned down so she could reach it. "I ave never seen such beautiful flying!"
Harriet reached up and grasped his hand allowing him to pull her up. She was extremely pleased with his reaction, at the back of her head she had expected another scroll that he always wore.
"Thank you." She replied, and beamed at him. She was not used to being called beautiful, even if it was her flying. "Not so bad yourself! I will show you how I do it if you want?" She paused, gazing at him, still holding his hand from when he had helped her up. "But only if you have another game with me?"
"Ves! Ves of course! Another game with such a beautiful woman who can fly! It is a dream!" Krum smiled at her right back, shocking Harriet entirely with his expression. It lit up his whole face and had Harriet's heart racing for other reasons than another game with him. As sudden as it came, his face fell back into a deep scroll. "But vhat about your date?" He grumbled, having remembered. "Vou vill be late for this… this other man?" He started to pull his hand away.
Harriet couldn't help herself and giggled, stopping him from releasing their hands. "Wait, I haven't asked him on a date yet."
"Vell, what? Are you going to make me vatch? I vill leave now." Krum looked outright furious at the thought of watching something like that, and pulled his hand free from her.
"Wait Krum! Wait!" She chased him as he made to stride away from him. "Victor you idiot! I was going to ask you!" He stopped abruptly and sharply turned towards her to watch her expression, checking she was serious. Now that he had stopped moving, she pulled his hand into a grasp once more. "Victor, would you like to go on a date with me?" All her bravo had disappeared at the concept of him saying no, and she looked down and blushed is embarrassment.
"Vell…" Victor began. "If you insist." Harriet looked back up at him, completely surprised. She truly hadn't expected him to say yes. Victor was smiling at her, pleased and proud of himself. His eyes held the twinkle of excitement they had before the game, and the corners of his eyes crinkled with his smile.
She scrunched her shoulders in happiness, before a sudden thought came to her. "Victor, how did you know who I was at the table?"
Victor went slightly wide eyed at the question, before looking highly embarrassed. "I didn't. Vou are very pretty and I thought it a good excuse to speak to you. Even if vou were not Aarriot my plan was to ask vou to help me look around for her and then I would ave asked vou on a date…"
Harriet just giggled. Both of their master plans were terrible but as always with her it led to success either way. "Now, about that game?"