The breath of our soul

The truth of a passion*

The crisp air cut into their skin, the cold invaded their lungs and their lips were painfully dry. Gideon blew on his fingers before rubbing them vigorously. His teeth chattered slightly but he didn't think anything of it before stepping aside when one of his team-mates clumsily ran into him. With all that weight, it didn't take long to make a mistake. He had heard Colter and Owler collide earlier. Fortunately, they were alright - well, theoretically. The fog prevented him from seeing beyond two metres so he hoped they were fine.

"Do you think this is how Gaunt perceives the world?"

He flinched on his broom before turning to Randall.

"Did we really have to get up so early?

_ Yes, and these are good training conditions. Said the captain.

_ They're good conditions for taking a turret to the head, Diggory.

_I hear you've started seeing Cressida Blume.

_I beg your pardon?"

Gideon stared frankly at his captain.

"That's what they say, that you've been seen with her several times and it seems that you're quite close.

_ Is this a joke?

_It's not true, is it? Nerida Roberts saw you in the library, and not just once.

_ Because Cressida invites herself whenever I'm revising. The boy grumbled through clenched teeth."

Diggory chuckled softly and punched him in the arm.

"I wouldn't have thought you a heartthrob.

_ What? I'm not!

_ Clearly, Smith, Blume doesn't see it that way.

_ I don't understand why these rumours are starting when we've only met a few times in the library.

_ You realise she's waiting for you outside the Great Hall for breakfast?"

The teenager paused, realising that the Gryffindor had indeed been in front of him for several days, or at his side for the first meal.

"And? I'm not going to stop her from eating wherever she wants.

_ What about your walks?

_ Our walks?

_ In the outer courtyard."

He squinted with incomprehension before remembering the few times she'd intercepted him after beast class. Each time, she'd offered to practice non-verbal spell casting and he'd taken pity on her. He thought the reason she asked him and not Sallow was because she didn't want to humiliate herself in front of him. She had a crush on him... didn't she?

"Smith?

_ There's nothing between me and her. he asserted. We're just classmates.

_ Maybe you should talk to her about it."

Diggory pointed to one of the bleachers as the mist was just lifting. Cressida was sitting there, looking up at the sky. The young man felt strangely sick at her presence, his stomach knotting slightly before he decided to move to the side, diving back into the cloud of humidity to look for that damned souaffle. He passed several of his team-mates, collided with Colter in turn and finally smashed his hand against a bludger.

He climbed down from his broom after that last blow, keeping the limb against his chest and blowing slightly; it wasn't his worst injury, but the fingers were a really sensitive part. He entered the changing rooms in search of a regeneration potion. With his hand intact, he rummaged through the trunk where they were kept and grumbled when he noticed that their supply had run dry. No doubt a member of the Gryffindor team had come to help himself, it wouldn't be the first time. Already in a bad mood, he stormed out of the tent only to be intercepted as soon as he had taken a step.