The Chaser's Heart

Year 3: The Strategist

I'd only spoken to the McNully boy twice before, and both times, he'd been the one seeking me out. He was in my house, but I couldn't think of any consistent places I'd ever seen him before, besides the Commentary Box and the Great Hall at meal times. But our first match was coming up in a matter of weeks, I had to track him down long before that. It had been almost two weeks since Orion had initially asked me to speak with him.

At last, I spotted him in the Great Hall after supper, alone, which was surprising. He seemed to be quite popular and usually took meals with at least several friends.

'Er... McNully, was it?' I approached him cautiously, though I knew he would have seen me from miles away. I'd had to walk through the entire Great Hall to get to him, and I wasn't exactly a slow or graceful walker.

'You remembered,' he shot me a dazzling, white smile. Blimey, I'd forgotten how handsome he was when he smiled. Or at all.

'Er...yeah, hard to forget the person who shouts your name every time you touch the Quaffle,' I managed a chuckle.

'All part of the job,' he replied.

'Only, you said Eleonora, not Nora like I asked,' I reminded him.

'Slip of the tongue,' he waved a hand dismissively.

'Slip of the tongue?' I snorted. 'Eleonora's a much bigger mouthful than Nora is. How would you like it if I started calling you Murphy?'

'Only my mother and my wife are allowed to call me Murphy,' he retorted with a grimace.

My mouth dropped. I certainly hadn't been expecting that answer.

'You have a wife?' I sputtered. 'You're fourteen!'

'No, I mean,' he added quickly. 'When I have a wife, she'll be allowed to call me Murphy.'

'What about your girlfriend?' I asked. I don't know why I did. A handsome bloke like him must have a girlfriend. I suppose I was just a glutton for punishment. Though, he was the one who'd brought it up.

'Haven't got one of them either,' he shrugged.

My heart soared. I quashed it down quickly. That wasn't why I was here.

'Oh,' I said stupidly. 'So, only your mum, then.'

'Yes, that's correct,' he nodded curtly. 'For the moment, that is.'

'My mum's the only one who can call me Eleonora,' I said in what I hoped was a warning tone.

'What about your boyfriend?' He asked, raising an eyebrow and seeming genuinely curious.

'Haven't got one,' I admitted. 'But we'd never get anything done if he used my full name, it would take too long and then he'd be out of breath.'

'Right,' he chuckled.

There was an awkward silence. Right, that had been unexpected and very weird. I suppose this was when I made the reason for my visit known. I cleared my throat.

'Orion asked me to speak to you,' I told him.

'Yes, he told me that,' he replied, grin widening. 'You took your time, didn't you? He told me he was sending you nearly two weeks ago!'

'Er...' I hesitated again.

'Well, sit down!' He indicated to the spot on the bench directly in front of him. 'Tell me what you know about Quidditch strategy.'

I sat gingerly, adjusting my robes behind me.

'Get the Quaffle, avoid Bludgers,' I told him.

'That's what you know about Quidditch strategy?' He grimaced.