Restricted

Chapter 14. Height

For the duration of Madeline's entire walk from Divination, she tugged her sleeve down in an attempt to push away the feeling of Fred's finger tracing her wrist.

The lines on her palm meant nothing to her now.

The only thing she could recall from their lesson was his gentle touch on her skin.

It was embarrassing enough that he'd seen what such a simple and innocent touch could do to her, but it felt almost like cheating.

She admonished herself for letting it happen.

If she wasn't so interested in finding the end of her fate line, they would have sat in silence and the gooseflesh wouldn't have covered her entire body.

She wondered when the last time Adrian had held her hand. Madeline gathered that the lack of intimacy between them was most likely the cause of her shiver and the fluttering in her stomach when Fred pushed her sleeve aside.

Thankfully, Jolie found her in the corridor just before she reached the staircase leading to the dungeons.

"Want to go on an adventure?" her friend asked with a raised brow as she threaded her arm through Madeline's, interlocking their elbows.

"Of course," Madeline replied with a grin.

Once in their shared dorm, Madeline pulled on a pair of faded black denims and her white long sleeved turtle neck. With the weather getting colder, the thin sweater was just right for a trip somewhere in the castle.

She glanced over at her friend once she had finished changing to see that Jolie was tugging a thick cloak over her shoulders.

She slipped into her leather boots and stared at her friend suspiciously.

There was nowhere in the castle that would be cold enough for a cloak.

"Jolie," Madeline said, drawing her friend's name out. "Where are we going?"

Jolie pulled the door of their dorm open, ignoring her question.

"Come along," she said.

And after Madeline snatched her favourite cardigan from the top of her trunk, she was out the door just behind her.

She followed her friend through the dungeon, up the stairs, and outside.

It wasn't until they crossed the bridge that the realisation sank in and her pace went from slowing, to halting altogether.

In front of them was a massive wooden stadium, somewhere Madeline had yet to visit. Though, from what Adrian had told her, she assumed it was the quidditch pitch.

"Are we going where I think we're going?" she asked, as if she didn't know by now.

"If you're thinking that we're headed to watch some quidditch, then yes," Jolie said, grinning. "That is exactly where we're going."

She should've known better. Next time Jolie surprised her with plans, she needed to be sure of where they were going before blindly agreeing.

"You can't be serious," Madeline said, hoping for it to be a joke.

Unfortunately, the smirk on her friend's face only grew.

"Oh, but I am."

Madeline flung her head back, heaving a sigh, and prepared herself to make an excuse. To tell her that she was too tired, or that she had some homework that needed to be finished. But Jolie beat her to whatever she was about to lay at their feet.

"If you're to be my friend, and Adrian Pucey's girlfriend," Jolie scolded, "then, you must understand the brilliant sport of quidditch."

As Jolie turned and continued walking, Madeline considered what she said.