Of Love and Quidditch

September 29^th

It was a stupid thing to do, catching her. I should've let her fall, let her friend catch her, remained silent and stoic like I always do. Now everyone's suspicious, watching my every move. I don't like being watched, I'd rather be alone, invisible, apart. It's better that way, safer.

M. is being watched too, like I am, I think it unnerves her as much as I do. I have to see her, in private, somehow. Talk to her. I have realized that I don't know much about her, and yet I find myself transfixed. I said love, but most (and now I) would call it petty lust..

I will find a way.

--E. D.

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The morning after the first Quidditch game of the season brought fresh gossip for the students eating breakfast in the Great Hall. The Hall was especially cacophonous with everyone buzzing about Ethan catching Madison after Paul Jones knocked her off her broom. As if that wasn't bad enough, the whole Slytherin house was suspicious of him, especially Malfoy. Stupid people, didn't they have anything else to talk about? Ethan stared at the food on his plate blankly; he wasn't hungry, probably because of all the people staring at him, watching his every move. Or lack of every move. Ethan sighed, and all of a sudden something hard hit him on the top of his head.

"Oww!!" Ethan's head instinctively snapped up, and saw the familiar figure of a tawny owl, which was hooting triumphantly.

"Damn it, Mercury! Didn't have to drop a parcel on my head!" When Mercury had flown off, Ethan looked down at the projectile that had been dropped on his head. It wasn't a parcel, but the weekly Daily Prophet. Ethan unwrapped the twine around it, and opened it up. There was nothing unusual this week; another two wizards were found Avada Kedavra-ed, "suspected Death Eater activity". Suspected! Ethan let out a hollow laugh. With the war going on, who died of anything else? I wouldn't be surprised if my own father was responsible, Ethan thought to himself as he flipped through the rest of the paper, he's not quick to whip out his conscience with anyone "lesser" than him. Ethan flipped through "Cauldron Bottom Thickness Predicament Settled at Ministry of Magic" and "Ask Alice", and he quickly scanned at the Hogwarts section of the weather report. But something made him read more carefully. He smiled to himself, and stuffed the Daily Prophet into his leather knapsack.

This is not going to be a very good day, Madison thought bleakly as her Charms class began. Charms, her best subject, usually cheered her up (even though it was with the Slytherins), but today was different. Ian hadn't stopped talking to her, but Madison knew he still was holding a grudge. He had glared maliciously at Ethan Dartmoore in the corridor on the way to Charms, who seemed to be trying to get her attention. Ethan tried to get close, as if to whisper something in her ear, but Ian gave him an icy glare and pushed himself between them. Madison sighed, glad that Ian was three tables away, sitting with his friend Kevin DuPont. Madison glanced at Ethan, who immediately met her gaze, and began to mouth something, but was cut off by Professor Flitwick.

"Today," he said in his squeaky voice, "we will be working on the Silencio charm. In the glass jar on your desks, which you have most likely noticed, there is a bullfrog for you to practice with. You have until the bell, begin."

Madison opened the jar absentmindedly, the frog immediately leaped out and across the desk.

"Accio frog!" The frog immediately zoomed back into her outstretched left hand. Holding the wriggling and croaking frog, Madison pointed her wand and gave a sharp jab.

"Silencio!" the frog croaked louder as if to mock her. She jabbed again. "Silencio!" Again, the frog would not shut up. "SILENCIO!" she bellowed and jabbed forcefully, she nearly poked the poor frog's eye out but it stopped mid-croak. Satisfied, Madison put her frog back in the jar and closed the lid quickly. She glanced back at Ethan, who met her gaze again as hastily as he did before. He mouthed something at her, but Madison couldn't make it out. Ethan shook his head in frustration, pointed to his wristwatch and mouthed "later". Madison nodded, and as if in spite of himself, he grinned at her. Madison smiled back, and turned behind her to see Chloe staring at her, but in a split second she pretended to be immersed in her frog. Madison continued to stare levelly at her, and when Chloe looked up to see if Madison and Ethan had continued their silent conversation, she noticed Madison and leaned close to her ear.

"Are you going to see what he wants?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Well, it would look a bit....dodgy...especially to Ethan's slimy mates. Ian also might see you, and he'll be a shirty little git to you."

"And you'll make sure that won't happen, right?" Madison asked, grinning a little. A look of comprehension dawned on Chloe's face, and she grinned back.

"I think I can do that." Just then, the bell rang. Madison put her things in her brown knapsack that all the Hogwarts students carried, and slung it over her shoulder. She saw Chloe run to Ian and start talking to him, they passed through the door with Chloe giving Madison one last look over her shoulder. Madison lagged behind the crowd, when all of a sudden something bumped her from the behind. She stumbled, and her knapsack fell, spilling its contents all over the floor. Ethan Dartmoore, who apparently bumped into her, walked past her without a second glance. Professor Flitwick cleared his throat, his squeaky voice angry.

"Mr. Dartmore!" Ethan turned around to face him. "You bumped into Ms. Kurt and did not even stop to see if she was all right! Help her pick up her things, now."

"Yes, Professor." Ethan walked to where Madison was and got on his hands and knees with her, and started to put her quills away. He lowered his voice to a barely audible whisper. "I'm sorry I had to do that."

"It's fine." Madison said in a whisper to match his. "You know, you should smile more. You're always so somber about everything." Ethan nodded, the slightest of grins formed on his lips. He helped her put away the last of her books, and whispered to her one last thing before he got up and walked quickly out of the classroom.

"Check the weather tonight, Kurt." Later that day at lunch, a puzzled Madison borrowed Cho Chang's copy of the Daily Prophet to humor Ethan. She scanned through it till she got to the weather, and it all made sense when she read the day's forecast at Hogwarts. Rain showers, it said, with chance of thunderstorms.