Cass looked down at the jersey for the millionth time and smiled. Despite the fact that she was Hufflepuff at heart, she could admit that the green looked brilliant on her. The soft material hung off her body comfortably and looked great with the jean shorts she paired it with. The back was an even better sight—one that Margot had to force her to stop looking at. In silver across it read Berkshire. Just the sight made Cass's knees weaken a little.

Margot rolled her eyes. "You are ridiculous, girl, you know that?"

Cass felt her cheeks heat up. "What? It's a nice jersey."

Margot snorted. "Right. It's the jersey that's making you bright red. And you still think you two are 'just friends?'"

"Yes," Cass said with a smile just as she waved at Enzo. He was flying around the Hogwarts stadium, his eyes clearly searching the crowd. When he saw her, he lit up, waving back.

"Right," Margot said sarcastically as she pretended to wave really big to Enzo. "Someone who gave you his jersey and looked like he won the lottery when he saw you in the stands wants to 'just be friends.'"

"He does!" Enzo's eyes kept looking back at the two of them. They probably weren't hard to spot, considering Cass was the only person in Hufflepuff House wearing green. She got a few dirty looks but for the most part, no one seemed to mind. From what she gathered, everyone liked Enzo and made an exception for him when it came to "hating all Slytherins." Cass didn't believe in that but she knew many who did. It didn't seem far to hate someone based on her house but, then again, hating anyone wasn't in her blood.

"And you're hanging out later, at night, by yourselves, as friends? Cass, you can't be that dumb."

She smiled at her friend. "Margot, I'd be lying if a part of me wished we knew what it would be like as more than friends but Enzo said he just wanted to hang out casually. I don't want to ruin a friendship by reading into things. Enzo is really nice. I don't want to lose him over a silly little crush."

Margot looked at her as if she had three heads before rolling her eyes again and sighing. "When you two finally get the sticks out of your asses, let me know," she grumbled. She crossed her arms and sat back just as the game was starting. Cass just chuckled and yanked her friend up by her arm.

"Come on, Margot. Just watch the game and pretend you're having a good time."

"I would be having a much better time if Ernie was here." Cass resisted the urge to roll her eyes and instead cheered just as Slytherin got the quaffle in the toss-up.

Despite her sister being a good chaser for Hufflepuff, Cass didn't actually understand Quidditch all that much. Andie had tried but Cass had never really cared for sports and Andie quickly gave up. She was in the stands for all of her sister's games but she never really got what was going on, just choosing to cheer when everyone else did. But as Enzo flew like a bolt of lightning across the pitch, Cass couldn't help but wish she knew it all, if only so she could watch him better. Even someone as Quidditch-dense as her could see one thing: Enzo was incredible, maybe even the best chaser she'd ever seen. He easily demolished Hufflepuff, scoring a whopping eight goals against them. He looked like a natural up on his broom, like it was an extension of himself. The whole Slytherin team was good but Enzo was... incredible.

"Wow," Margot whispered, voicing Cass's thoughts. "He's really good."

"Yeah," she breathed as his arms flexed around the broom and his muscles tensed in the sun. Enzo shined up there—literally. He looked as if he were glowing, as if he was made out of the same things Gods were made of. Cass had to stop herself from drooling. He's just a friend. Friends don't think things like that about each other, she told herself.

All too soon, the match was over and Cass and Margot were shuffling toward the exit. When Margot started to head up to the castle with the rest of their house, Cass stopped. "I'm going to go see if Enzo's free," she said, motioning over toward the locker room where some dejected Hufflepuff players were already exiting.

Margot smirked. "'Just friends', huh?"

Cass shook her head with exasperation and just waved goodbye as Margot started going up the hill. "Oh, and Cass!" Margot shouted. "I'll be at Ernie's tonight! Just in case you need a dorm to be at." She winked as the eyes of at least a dozen of her housemates turned to look at her with knowing smiles. Cass felt her cheeks burn as she darted off toward the locker room.

Merlin, what was she thinking? Cass thought with embarrassment. Insinuating something like that. Enzo's my friend. He said he just wanted to be casual! Cass would know; she'd run that conversation through her head at least ten times.

We can just hang out. Just be casual. That didn't sound like what someone who wanted to be more than friends would say. So Cass kept the idea of dating a guy like Enzo locked up in the back of her mind where she could never touch it because she meant what she said to Margot. Enzo was really nice—well, he was charming and funny and handsome and dreamy too but mostly nice. He always listened to her in class, remembering what she said and asking her questions about herself. He made time to talk to other people and every word he said was always with kindness. He was a good student and even stopped to help Professor Flitwick whenever he dropped a paper in Charms. He smiled at first years and said hello to them in the hallways. Enzo was just nice, nice in a way that made her heart clench and her knees weaken and her stomach gurgle.

It felt like every day since the one she'd met him had been a dream, like she stepped into this other world and there he was, waiting for her in the realm of reverie with a dimpled smile and a strong hand to hold onto hers. And if Lorenzo Berkshire was a dream, then she never wanted to wake up.

He had already come out of the locker room and was talking to a small girl who looked so much like him. Her blue eyes were darker and her face was sweet, if not a little timid. Cass smiled as she watched him talk to her. It was clear that he loved his little sister. Cass also thought she saw a glimmer of affection for her in the grey eyes of the tall, brooding man beside them.

Enzo waved goodbye to the two of them as they walked off. He looked like he was about to head back into the locker room but her voice stopped him. "Enz!"

His eyes absolutely lit up. He quickly ran over to her with a wide, dimpled smile. "Cass." His voice was warm and sweet like a river of caramel. She just wanted to bask in the sound.

"Great game," she said, forcing herself not to blush as she tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.

His grin widened. "Are you sure you should be saying that to me? We just beat your house."

Cass shrugged. "What can I say? It was a good game. Are you sure you should—" But she was cut off by a tall blond man walking up to them. Cass's voice hardened as she said, "Zach."

"Cass," he said cheerfully as if she hadn't told him to leave her alone only a few weeks ago. "It's good to see you in the stands again. Who's this?"

How does he not know Enzo? I thought everyone knew him. Especially everyone on the Quidditch teams. He's like a Hogwarts legend. With a sense of disgust, Cass wondered if Zach was merely pretending not to know him. It seemed like something he would do. "This is—"

"Lorenzo Berkshire," Enzo said as he held out his hand for Zach to shake. His voice was cordial and definitely deeper than Zach's. Cass noticed with some odd sense of satisfaction that Enzo had at least a few inches on her ex-boyfriend. "It's nice to meet you."

"Zacharias Smith. Hell of a game out there." Zach's face was hard and his insult even harder. It was clear he didn't mean any sort of compliment with his comment.

"Yeah, it was great. I mean, for us, but what can you do?" Cass smiled as she watched Enzo take Zach's sour mood with grace. Enzo's eyes never dimmed, nor did his shoulders drooped. He seemed like the kind of guy who was confident in who he was no matter what others said. It made her respect him even more.

Zach just glared but Enzo just ignored it, asking, "How do you know Cass?"

"We used to date," the Hufflepuff said smugly. "Isn't that right, Crane?"

"Yeah," she mumbled as she felt her face heat up. For some reason, she felt like she had to explain to Enzo that she had no interest in this other boy. She turned to him and said, "But we haven't for a long time."

Zach just ignored her—like he always did. "How do you know Cass, Berkshire?"

Enzo grinned. The sight made her heart skip a beat, though not as much as his next words did. "Oh, we will date. Sort of ironic, isn't it, past meeting the future?" Cass felt her jaw drop but Enzo just smoothly said, "Well, then, I've got to go celebrate a win. But it was nice meeting you, Zachary. Cass."

He strode off toward the locker room, leaving a speechless Zacharias and Cass behind. She turned and glared at Zach. "I told you once to leave me alone and I meant it. We're not getting back together."

"Because of Berkshire?" he sneered.

"Because you're an asshole! Andie was right about you," she huffed before she ran off after the tall brunette with the nice smile and sky-blue eyes. "Enzo! Wait!" He stopped and she quickly caught up with him. "What was that?" Did you mean that? She wanted to ask. Did you really want to be my future?

He winced. "Sorry. That wasn't me. I just... I don't know what came over me."

Cass felt her heart sink as what little hopes she had of becoming more than friends with Lorenzo Berkshire sank. She ignored the stabbing feeling in her heart as she softly said, "I don't mind. Do you still want to hang out tonight? Maybe we can watch a muggle film and 'celebrate a win.'"

Enzo laughed—a beautiful and rich sound better than anything she'd ever heard. "Merlin, you must think I'm such a dunce."

She tried to keep the adoration off her face. Remember? He didn't mean it, she told herself. He just wants a casual friendship. He even said dating you 'wasn't him.' "On the contrary. Tonight then? My roommate won't be in so we meet at the kitchens and go to my place?"

He smiled. "Tonight then, Cass."

Then he left to go to the locker room, still looking like a picture-perfect Adonis. Cass sighed. Margot was right. "Just friends?" She was screwed.

Okay, I know these chapters are shorter than some of my other stories but tbh, I'm kind of digging the "shorter chapters but more chapters" format for this story so they might all be around this length. I think it just fits Enz and Cass best.

I love their little miscommunication. Normally I hate that trope but they're just sweet little babies so I kind of love it here because they're both so awkward around each other that it works. Like aw, young love, am I right?