Dodging a Bludger

Making Plans

The following morning was chilly. Sarah dressed in the gray sweatshirt Barnaby had given her and some jeans, then headed straight to the Great Hall and the Slytherin table.

"Fancy a walk after breakfast?" she asked Barnaby.

He swallowed his mouthful of porridge. "Sure."

Liz shot Sarah the same ugly look as before, but it didn't bother her as much this time.

"Great," she said, turning to join the Gryffindors. "I'll meet you in the courtyard."

After breakfast, she found him waiting by the fountain.

"Nice shirt," he said, grinning at the Gryffindor emblem he'd managed to transfigure.

"A dear friend gave it to me," she said. She grabbed his arm, and they walked toward the lake.

"Oh yeah? I bet he was quite good-looking," he said.

"Not that I can recall," she said.

"Sarah, it was me. I'm the one who gave you that sweatshirt."

She laughed. "I know, Barnaby."

They chatted easily for a few minutes, reliving yesterday's game. When they got to the bludger she'd taken in the face, he winced.

"I really am sorry about that," he said. "I felt terrible. Couldn't get any sleep."

"It's okay, I'm all better now," she said. "No harm done."

"Good," he said. "Now that I know I'm forgiven, I can admit that it was absolutely hilarious to watch." He laughed as she hit him on the arm. She was sure it was funny, especially as every Slytherin she'd seen since the match had told her so, and reenacted it every chance they got. She was able to shut them up easily though by calmly stating the final score.

"How are the Slytherins taking the loss?" she asked him.

"Badly. A lot of them are mad at me. They say if I had played as good the whole game as I did second half, we wouldn't have lost."

"Sorry about that."

"Don't be," he said. "It was like being back to normal. Everyone being so nice to me was weird." He smiled down at her. "Anyway, it reminded me who my real friends were. The ones who supported me the whole time, not just when I was doing something that made them happy."

"I wanted to thank you," she said. She had to look down at the ground. "For giving it your all yesterday, but also for the things you said. About me being special and you wanting to protect me. It meant a lot."

"I meant every word," he said. "And not because you play the damsel in distress or whatever it was Merula said. It's because you're my very best mate, and I don't know what I'd do without you. Your smile brightens my whole day. I'll do anything to keep it on your face. Even beat a bludger at it."

She chuckled. His words made her feel warm all over, despite the chilly wind. She didn't know how to respond.

"Sarah!" Jae was hurrying toward them, his face read and shinning with sweat despite the cold. She felt Barnaby stiffen next to her.

"I've been looking everywhere for you," Jae huffed. "Rakepick wants us. She's finally ready to let us use the floo network. In Dumbledore's office."

She started forward, but hestiated. "Tell her I'll be there in a minute."

"She's not going to like that," said Jae.

"I'll just be a minute. She's made us wait for weeks, she can wait for a few seconds."

"Okay," said Jae slowly. He took off back towards the castle.

"You can go with him if you need to," said Barnaby. "I understand."

"Jae can wait. He doesn't mind."

Barnaby paused for a minute, before asking. "Are you two...together?"

Sarah groaned. "I'm gonna kill Rowan. She's got the whole castle thinking we're a couple. We are not!"

Barnaby laughed. "No, it wasn't Rowan. You've just been spending a lot of time with him."

"You spend a lot of time with Liz Tuttle," she said. "Are you dating her?"

He blanched. "No! We're just good friends. We have the same schedule and share the same interests..."

He paused at the expression on her face, then laughed. "Alright, fair point."

They headed back in the direction of the castle. Sarah didn't want to keep Rakepick waiting too long. She was excited at finally getting somewhere in the search for the vault and a for way to free Beatrice.

"I'm sorry we haven't seen much of each other this year," said Barnaby as they walked along.

"I've been busy," she said. "Not your fault."

"It kind of is," he admitted sheepishly. "I know I haven't asked you out since our date last year."

Sarah felt the heat rising to her face. "You don't have to ask me out if you don't want to. That date was kind of thrust upon you after Snape read my note in class." She felt like dying of embarrassment all over again at the memory.

"It's not that I didn't want to," he said. "That date was one of my favorite days at Hogwarts. Or ever."

She smiled at that. He plowed on. "But I also realized...that you're just too perfect."

Sarah looked at the ground, chuckling slightly. "Tell that to Snape. Or Merula. Or Dumbledore for that matter."

"But you are!" he insisted. "You're so kind and brave and smart. All I can do is beat people up."

She opened her mouth to reply but he kept going on. "I didn't feel good enough to be with you. I figured it was only a matter of time before you realized that and moved on, and I didn't want to face that."

He glanced at the sky, forcing himself to keep talking. "So, I've been working really hard to be good enough. I mean, I've been studying so I can pass my OWLs and Gran won't pull me out of school, but also to impress you. I even joined the quidditch team to impress you."

She laughed. "Did you hit me in the face with that bludger to impress me?"

"Kind of," he said as he laughed too. "Did it work?"

"I suppose it did." She leaned up and hugged him. "You've always been good enough for me Barnaby. You know that, right?" she whispered.

"I guess so," he said. "It's just hard to believe a girl like you would want to hang around with me."

She pulled away. "I'm lucky to be friends with a guy like you. You are brave, kind, smart--yes, you are smart--and you don't have to worry if you're worthy of my attention if you want to ask me out. You are."

She reached up and kissed him on the cheek.

He grinned. "So...Friday. Want to practice quidditch together? As a date? I can bring a picnic."

"No thanks." She ran off.

"Hey!" He chased her down. She giggled as she ran around the fountain. He caught her and scooped her up throwing her over his shoulder. He set her back down, but kept his arms around her.

"See you then?" he asked.

"See you then," she said.

She hurried off back inside the castle, preparing herself to feel the wrath of Rakepick for being late. She smiled. At least she had quidditch to look forward to.