Touched

Shadow of a Professor - Sixth Year

Y/N POV

It had been almost a week and four days since they had told Sebastian about what happened, not that you were counting. You wondered how he was taking it, now that the grief must've set in. You thought about it all the time, you wished you could be there with him so you could help him through it.

You had to tell yourself, at least he had some kind of therapy going for him at the moment.

You woke up to Imelda tapping you on the shoulder. "We need to go. The tryouts are on in three hours!"

"Yeah you'd reckon I'd have more time to sleep if we still have three hours," you yawned, and she waved you off, turning around and fixing her hair into a ponytail so that it was out of her face.

"You're not going to even nearly be able to become a Keeper if you're tired," she scolded you. "We need to go and have a good breakfast. Ominis better be down there already, I told him we'd be there right about now!"

You looked over at her, she already had her Quidditch uniform on, leather straps and green material, large black leather boots.

"Merlin," you sighed. "This is real isn't it?"

"Do you want to be a Keeper or not?"

You thought about how you'd come up with the idea - well, obviously Imelda was going to force you to try out either way, but you thought it was fitting that you should try out for keeper. You were a keeper already, just perhaps not the same kind.

"You're killing me," Imelda told you, holding you by the shoulder of your pyjamas she lifted you up. "You need to get up and get dressed."

"Yes mother," you joked, grabbing the uniform she'd borrowed for you. "How many people are trying out for Keeper?"

"We'll find out when we get there."

After you'd dressed, the two of you headed down to the Great Hall where thank Merlin, Ominis was already waiting. You thought maybe Imelda's head might blow off if he hadn't been there yet.

"Please save me from her," you told Ominis, walking up to the boy and rolling your eyes. "She's gone mental."

"That's what Quidditch does to her," he sighed, a slight hint of a smile. "You should see what kind of monster she turns into when Slytherin loses. It's scary."

"Oh, don't jinx us," Imelda play-slapped Ominis on the arm and headed down to help herself to the food on the table.

"You see?" Ominis said, throwing his arms in the air. "I don't even get a good morning when Quidditch is on. Woe is me, I'm serious."

You laughed and followed him towards where Imelda sat.

"Where did you even go?" Ominis asked, holding an expression on his face of fake shock. "Imelda, you've barely said a word. What is wrong with you?"

"I'm getting kind of nervous now," she admitted, patting the chair beside her so Ominis knew where she was. He sat down. "I know of course I'll get in, I'll probably even be the team captain again - but I didn't play at all last year, what if I'm off my game?"

"You'll be a professional one day," Ominis told her, "Kogowa's told you a million times. You'll be fine." He politely cut into a piece of waffle and you smiled again at his etiquette. It was always so perfect. A Gaunt, indeed.

———

"You're damn lucky," Imelda told you as you walked off the pitch. "That Bludger almost hit you in the head."

"I know," you replied. "Oakes shouldn't have hit it like that though, right? The Seeker was behind her too!"

"No she shouldn't have but apparently Kogowa wasn't even watching that part," Imelda snapped. Her face softened and formed a smile. "But, Merlin, Quidditch gives me such a thrill. Doesn't it give you a thrill?"