Almost

Chapter 41: Bludger

This time, as Katherine stood in the shadow of Ezra's school, she let herself be swept up in the grandeur of the soaring granite castle. From the outside, she recognized the large statues of Isolt and James that stood on either side of the front doors. Behind them was the sparkling glass ceiling of the room she'd strode through before with the wooden house figures.

They'd found a black cardigan with an orange wampus embroidered on the sleeve. Katherine had like it because it didn't stay in one place—it stalked up and down her arm and across her chest. But, when she'd pet it, she could swear it purred like Smithwick.

Crawley, for his part, was wearing an old Wampus rugby shirt he'd found in the back of his closet. The orange had faded some, but the inky black "WAMPUS" emblazoned across his chest left no question of who he was rooting for.

They wove through a sea of students—some in their school robes, others in house colors. All of them buzzing with excitement as they cast glances at the pair who had been on the front page of the paper that morning.

"Okay?" Crawley asked, leaning close to whisper in her ear. She squeezed his hand and cast him a small smile as she searched for faces she recognized.

A head of bright pink hair came into her line of sight and she pulled Crawley in that direction.

"Flo," she said, her voice carrying too much relief for the sight of someone she'd only met once. But the girl's face didn't show equal recognition until she noticed whose hand was clasped in Katherine's.

"I knew that wasn't your real face," Flo said smugly, her long ponytail swaying behind her. She wore a purple sweatshirt with a silver embroidered "T" on the chest that glistened in the sunlight. "Seems we weren't the only ones who recognized you?"

Katherine shrugged, casting an easy glance up to Crawley. "I guess not. But it was bound to happen eventually."

"Well, Ross will be thrilled. He's back with the team now, reliving his glory days or some crap like that. Oh, I see Eddie—"

Sure enough, Flo's boyfriend was walking towards them in an Illvermorny t-shirt, clearly trying to remain neutral. But Katherine noticed Pukwudgie-green bandana sticking out of his pocket.

"You guys made it!" Eddie said when he reached them. "Ross was beside himself. No offense, but I bet 30 Dragots you wouldn't show."

Katherine laughed, trying to distract the couple from the edge that was growing in Crawley's demeanor as he looked at all of the people that surrounded them. They hadn't been in a crowd quite like this before, and she was sure he was scouting exit paths and looking for some undefinable danger.

Eddie didn't seem to notice, or at least didn't let it stop his chatter. "He's been telling the team all about meeting you. I don't think most of them believe him."

Katherine tugged on Ezra's arm, gently trying to pull him back to her. He got the message and she saw his eyes focus on the couple in front of him before he gave a charming grin and spoke.

"Well, we'd better go back him up, then."

The four of them moved around the Quidditch pitch to find the Wampus changing tent, a mass of black and orange fabric.

"Quadpot is really the more popular game," Eddie was prattling to Katherine. "But the final cup of anything gets people excited."

"Add a few explosions and everyone gets a big head," Crawley muttered to her, and she couldn't help but laugh. She had a feeling, from the glow of her eyes, that Flo had heard it too and agreed with him.

"Someone," she said slyly as she took Eddie's hand in hers, "is just mad he couldn't make both teams."

"Well, it wouldn't really be fair to take a spot on both teams," Eddie said quickly, his face reddening.