Illicit Affairs

FOUR

"Are you serious?" Scorpius inquired, his voice tinged with incredulity as he fastened the last buckle on his Quidditch uniform.

"Yes, I am," Kira replied with a determined nod, her eyes sparkling with excitement. She adjusted her gloves, ensuring they fit snugly. "The sooner we start, the sooner we'll smash them. Besides, it's still rather warm for this time of year. We should make the most of it."

Scorpius paused, his brow furrowing as he considered her words. "I'm not talking about Quidditch," he said, his tone softening. "Your birthday. Wouldn't you prefer to spend it celebrating or something? Perhaps a party with friends, some music, a bit of cake?"

Kira smiled. "I celebrate my birthday in my own way, Scorp," she said, her voice gentle but firm. "And right now, there's nothing I'd rather do than play Quidditch. I need the team to accept me as their captain. Either they want it or not."

Scorpius chuckled, shaking his head. "You really are something else, Kira," he said, admiration evident in his voice. "Alright then, lets go!"

Kira's grin widened as she grabbed her broom. "That's my boy! Now, let's fetch rest of the team, and head to the pitch."

Scorpius and Kira stepped into the Slytherin common room, the green and silver decor casting an eerie glow in the dim light. The room was mostly empty, save for a few students lounging by the fireplace. Kira's eyes scanned the room, her lilac gaze sharp and determined.

"Let's start with Dante," Kira suggested, her voice low but commanding. Scorpius nodded, and they made their way to the boys' dormitory.

They found Dante Zabini lounging on his bed, a book in hand. His dark skin contrasted sharply with the green and silver of his uniform, and his eyes lit up when he saw Kira and Scorpius.

"Finally, you two decided to show up," Dante teased, closing his book and standing up. "I was beginning to think you'd forgotten about practice."

Kira rolled her eyes playfully. "As if I'd forget. Come on, we need to gather the rest of the team."

Dante grabbed his broom and followed them out, his eyes lingering on Kira. Scorpius noticed but said nothing, a small smirk playing on his lips.

Next, they headed to fetch the team's Beaters, Aquila Black and Phineas Parkinson. They were already dressed in their Quidditch uniforms, engaged in a heated debate about the best way to dodge a Bludger.

"Oi, you two," Scorpius called out, interrupting their argument. "Time to head to the pitch."

Aquila, the more outspoken of the two, grinned. "Finally! I started thinking you were too engaged in celebrating your sweet sixteen, sis."

"Qui, you know how serious I am about being a captain." Kira responded

"I know. I've been hearing your yapping for half the summer." Aquila said

Phineas stood up and patted younger Black's arm. "Come on."

With the beaters in tow, they moved on to find the last Chaser, a quiet but incredibly skilled player named Macaria Calistro. Her long, dark hair was tied back in a neat ponytail, and she looked up as they approached.

"Ready for practice, Macy?" Kira asked, her tone gentle.

Calistro nodded, a small smile playing on her lips. "You know the answer, Black."

With the team finally assembled, Kira took a moment to look at each of them.

"Alright," Kira said, her voice strong and confident. "This is our first practice of the year, and I want to make it count. Also, the team's in need of a new keeper since Weiss graduated and passed capitancyx with Prof. Peakes' agreement, to me."