The Chaser's Heart

Year 5: The Butterbeer

There was a Quidditch practise between the day McNully asked me out and the Saturday we would actually go out. McNully attended every Ravenclaw Quidditch practise, watching from the Commentary Box. Normally, I found this incredibly useful, he analyzed everything he watched and offered praise for things we'd done well and constructive criticism for things that needed improvement. Though, come to think of it, I wasn't sure if he did that with everyone or just Orion and me. I suppose Orion would relay the important bits back to the rest of the team, but I never saw Murphy speaking to anyone else on the team besides myself and Orion about their performances.

I was nervous as I fetched my broom from the changerooms with Skye, which was mad because I had only ever been nervous at my first ever Quidditch practise back in my third-year. But I knew for certain it was because McNully would be watching and now I was very much aware of the fact that he fancied me. Blimey, how long had he fancied me for? Probably not very long, he was quite impulsive, not exactly the type of person to wait too long before acting on something. Had he known that I sort of fancied him, too? I'd always thought he was a bit out of my league.

I took a deep breath and Skye shot me a smirk when we arrived at the pitch the join the rest of the team and immediately noticed McNully, sitting up in his box as he always did.

'Thank you for joining us for practise, Skye, Nora,' Orion nodded to each of us in turn when we joined the rest of the assembled team.

Skye and I exchanged a look, Skye rolling her eyes. If Orion noticed, he didn't comment on it.

'Hufflepuff are strong this year,' he addressed the entire team.

'They came dead last last year,' Skye muttered.

'Yes, but this remains their greatest strength,' Orion went on.

'Strength is their greatest strength,' Irina, the Seeker, snickered.

'I thought we could start with some broom balancing,' Orion said, ignoring Irina's comment as well. 'Everyone mount your brooms. We'll start with five minutes, McNully has agreed to time us.'

Brilliant. Just what I wanted to be doing, balancing on my broomstick on one foot while McNully watched. As if I wasn't flustered enough. I'd hoped a few warm up laps of the pitch and maybe a couple barrel rolls or Bludger dodges would ease my nerves, but it seemed like I'd have to wait for that.

With a sigh, I mounted my broom and kicked off with the rest of the team. Orion always insisted we do broom balancing at least two hundred feet in the air, directly in front of the Commentary Box. Until now, it had never bothered me.

McNully shot me a discreet wink and I looked away quickly, willing the blush I knew was spreading on my cheeks to go away. Damn it, this was not going to go well.

'On McNully's count,' Orion said as we all maneuvered ourselves to standing on our brooms.

McNully waited until we were all ready.

'Oh your marks... get set... go!' He announced in his perfect radio voice and I wobbled a bit as I lifted one leg and caught my balance on my broomstick.

My previous record for broom balancing was an hour and twenty-six minutes. Plus 37.2 seconds if you asked McNully.

However that evening, I was painfully aware of McNully's gaze. I wasn't sure if I was imagining it or not, but he lingered a bit longer on me than he did anyone else as he surveyed the team. I usually found it helpful to focus on some point I was level with, usually one of the seats in the Commentary Box, but I didn't want him to think I was ignoring him. But I didn't want to look right at him and freak him out either. So I looked down towards the ground.