The morning of the first Quidditch match dawned bright and bitingly cold. A fierce wind whipped across the grounds, making the banners snap and strain. In the Entrance Hall, the energy was electric.
The Ravenclaw girls stood out in their winter-chic ensembles. Shya wore a fitted charcoal wool cape with a fur-lined hood, a delicate gold snowflake brooch at her throat. Talora's deep navy cloak featured intricate Celtic-knit trim with a subtle sunburst motif at the collar. Both had swapped their Mary Janes for sleek, fur-trimmed boots.
"Are we sure this is better than staying by the fire with hot chocolate?" Shya asked, pulling her hood up until only her eyes were visible.
"It's cultural immersion," Talora declared, though she was secretly grateful for her charmed wool cloak.
"Look!" Lisa pointed as two figures in green and silver approached. Roman Nott looked polished in a wool cloak lined with silver fox fur, while Cassian Black wore a simpler but equally fine black wool coat.
"Come sit with us," Roman said, his breath misting. "Our section's more sheltered."
As they settled into the Slytherin stands, the game began in a blur of motion.
"Okay, explain this again," Shya said, leaning forward. "The red ball scores, the iron balls try to murder people, and the tiny gold one... is worth what?"
"One hundred fifty points," Cassian said, his eyes following the players.
Shya's eyes widened. "That's ridiculous! So everyone else could be winning by a hundred points, and then—poof—someone catches the shiny thing and it's all over?"
"Basically," Roman chuckled.
"That's the stupidest game I've ever heard of," Shya declared, but she was grinning. "I love it."
When a Bludger nearly took out a Gryffindor Chaser, Shya gasped. "Merlin's beard! Did you see that?" She grabbed Talora's arm. "It almost turned him into a pancake!"
"I saw," Talora said, trying to maintain her composure but unable to hide her wide eyes.
As the game intensified, even Talora got caught up in the excitement. When Slytherin scored, she actually jumped up with everyone else before catching herself and smoothing her cloak.
"See?" Roman teased. "Not everything needs a strategic analysis."
"Quiet, you," Talora said, but she was smiling.
During a particularly tense moment, Shya leaned over to Cassian. "If you could be any position, what would you pick?"
"Chaser," he said without hesitation. "Control the game rather than wait for it."
Shya nodded thoughtfully. "I'd want to be a Beater. Whacking things with a big stick seems therapeutic."
The game reached its climax when Harry Potter went into his dramatic dive. The entire stadium held its breath.
"Is he crazy?" Mandy whispered.
"No, look!" Padma pointed.
When Harry pulled up, Snitch in hand, the stadium erupted. The Ravenclaw girls found themselves caught between cheering for the incredible catch and sympathy for their Slytherin companions.
As they filed out of the stands, Hermione passed by with a smug look. "I suppose it's just a game," she said dismissively.
For once, Shya didn't rise to the bait. She simply smiled. "It was rather fun, actually."
The path back to the castle was a river of chattering students, but their little group moved in its own current. Shya, energized by the cold and the spectacle, was walking backward in front of Cassian, her cape flaring dramatically.
"So, the Bludger," she began, her dark eyes alight with a mix of horror and fascination. "Is there a spell on it to make it so... malicious? Does it have a little brain that just really, really hates people? Because its commitment was impressive."
Cassian kept his hands in his pockets, his pace steady, but his gaze was fixed on her, a faint line of amusement at the corner of his mouth. "No brain. Just an enchantment for aggression. It's simpler that way."
"Shame. I was going to suggest offering it therapy. It clearly has issues." She spun back around to walk normally, falling into step beside him. "So chaser huh!?"
He nodded, his grey eyes scanning the frosted grounds.
Shya nodded, understanding perfectly. "You'd be good at that. You have that... quiet, scary focus thing. It would be very unsettling for the other team." She said it as a simple, observational fact, with no flattery intended, which made it land with more weight.
Cassian glanced at her, the cold air making their breath mingle in a pale cloud between them. "And you? The Undefeated Beater?"
"Obviously," she said with a grin. "All my best ideas come out when I'm hitting things. It's a proven scientific method."
Ahead of them, the dynamic was different. Talora was quiet for a moment, watching the older students ahead of them still buzzing about the game.
"You know," she said, almost to herself, "my dad had me on skates since I could walk. Hockey every winter. I even got sent to those brutal summer camps in Canada." She gave a theatrical shudder. "But watching the Chasers set up their formations... it's the same geometry. Just with less ice and more... altitude." She glanced at Roman. "Though the Snitch is a complete cheat. In hockey, you have to earn every goal. No golden bird comes along to hand you the game."
Roman looked at her with genuine interest. "You played seriously?"
"Centre. First line," she said, a flicker of old pride in her voice. "I was good. I liked the strategy, seeing the whole play unfold. I just hated the freezing my toes off part." She gave a small, self-deprecating shrug. "But this... the flying adds a dimension I never had to calculate. It's fascinating."
"That's because you're watching from the stands with good company," Roman said, his dimples showing as he subtly steered her around a patch of ice. "Everything's more fun when you're not the one about to get body-checked."
"You're not wrong," Talora admitted, surprising herself. She didn't feel the need to correct him or turn it into a debate. For once, she could just let an observation hang in the air, simple and true.
Meanwhile, Shya was demonstrating a Kathak footwork sequence to a bemused Cassian, her boots tapping a quick, rhythmic *taa-thei-thei-tat* on the frozen ground. "My mum thought it would make me more graceful," she explained, finishing with a flourish. "It just made me better at stomping on things I don't like. See? All my skills are transferable."
Back with the others, Mandy, Lisa, and Padma were watching the two pairs with knowing smiles.
"They're so obvious," Lisa whispered, gesturing to Shya and Cassian. "He hasn't looked away from her once."
"And Talora is actually admitting someone might be right about something," Mandy added, amazed.
As they reached the castle doors, the group naturally began to split—Ravenclaws to their tower, Slytherins to their dungeons. The brief, shared world of the Quidditch match was over, but the air between them was charged with its aftermath.
Cassian turned to Shya. "Still think it's primitive?"
"It's deeply, fundamentally absurd," Shya confirmed, her eyes sparkling. "I can't wait to see the next one."
A single, deliberate nod. "Good."
Roman gave Talora a lazy, dimpled smile. "Until next time, Livanthos. Try to schedule in some more fun. It's good for you."
Talora lifted her chin, though her eyes were brighter than usual. "I'll consider it, Nott."
As the girls climbed the marble staircase, the sounds of the celebrating and commiserating houses fading behind them, Shya looped her arm through Talora's.
"So," Shya said, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Fun?"
Talora let out a long breath, a genuine, tired, happy smile finally breaking through. "Yeah," she admitted, bumping her shoulder against Shya's. "It was actually really fun."
For two girls who planned for everything, the best moments were still the unplanned ones—the shared gasps, the unexpected laughter, and the quiet understanding that was growing, not in a library or a dungeon, but in the cold, open air of a Quidditch pitch.