The Chasers Heart, Part 2

Year 6: Nora's Birthday

Skye did not cool down.

The Blue Team ended up completely slaughtering the Red Team they were playing against that afternoon. Skye scored about three-quarters of the goals herself, and I knew Murphy was getting sick of announcing her name. I'd debated even joining him to watch the remaining two matches of the afternoon, but decided I wanted to spend time with him, whatever that looked like. At least when he was commentating, there was a lesser chance that he would be bothered to fulfill Head Boy duties.

Skye glowered at me every time she flew past the Commentary Box. I was starting to feel quite sick. I hadn't been expected to have to try out again for the team, but I knew even if Skye wasn't furious with me that it really was the smart thing to do. Who knew what other players were at school that could be better than me? And Skye wanted that Quidditch Cup something fierce for her final year at Hogwarts, and as Captain, no less.

The following morning, when it was clear that Skye wasn't going to budge, I dragged Murphy out of the castle before anyone else could steal him from me to run through maneuvers. I'd gotten a bit rusty over the summer, but he encouraged me that I was still in top form, just a few things needed to be cleaned up and Skye would be mad not to put me on the team again.

'Do you enjoy being Head Boy?' I asked him after we were done running drills and agility courses and he'd seemed satisfied with the progress we'd made over the previous two hours.

'It's only been a week,' he chuckled.

'Yeah, but surely you notice a difference between being Head Boy and simply a prefect,' I pressed.

'It is a lot of responsibility,' he answered. 'But the first week of term isn't a good judge of how it's going to be for the entire year.'

'Like rescuing first-years from toilets?' I smirked.

He groaned.

'That's exactly what I mean,' he said. 'There's always more emotions involved the first week. Especially with first-years who also happen to be muggleborn and haven't ever been away from their families before.'

'Yeah, I suppose that's fair,' I shrugged. 'Did you want to be Head Boy?'

He'd only mentioned it in passing the year before. And even then, he hadn't specifically said he wanted to be Head Boy, he merely wondered if he would be in the running. I'd told him he must be, they must go off of whoever the four male and female prefects were. It was always Rowan's dream to be Head Girl one day, and I think she had a fairly good chance of making that a reality next year. She already had her book list ready for Madam Villainelle, who always posted the current Head Boy and Head Girl's favourite books in Flourish and Blott's. I wondered what was on Murphy's list. I hadn't had a look while I was there over the summer collecting my new books. I suppose I could just ask him.

'I wasn't against it,' he said, the tips of his ears going pink.

'Oh, go on,' I grinned.

'Yeah, alright,' he shrugged again. 'I did want to be Head Boy and I was so chuffed when I got the letter this summer.'

'Your mum must have been proud,' I smiled, thinking of his mother and how hard she must have worked to raise him on her own. And to see him already doing so well.

Damn it, I was proud of him. My brilliant, clever, Quidditch-extraordinaire boyfriend. And now Head Boy.

'She was,' he nodded vigorously.

'You'll be busy this year,' I mused, feeling some excitement wane.

I wasn't stupid. I knew that this was Murphy's final year at school. On top of being Head Boy, he was the Quidditch Commentator, and he would be writing his NEWTs at the end of the year as well as look for a real job once he graduated. But that was still ages away. Ten month's was practically forever.