The Great Escape ((Zara))

[Luke Dallan H7]

The Great Hall was booming louder with laughter and gossip, mixed with the clamping of plates. Luke slowly rubbed his temples hoping to soothe the headache he had. He had a migraine since he woke up that morning. Luke even went to the Hospital Wing before his first class for some potion. It worked, but only for a couples and he didn’t feel like going back to get more. A group of boys chatted eagerly around him. It was mainly about the recent Quidditch match, or any form of detention someone received. Normally, Luke would be conversing with everyone, but not tonight. He continued to rub his temples, his eyes closing with each rotation. The noises dimmed briefly before someone patted him roughly on the back. “Hey Luke, you are?” Groaning, Luke buried his face further into the table. “No…” his voice muffled against the hard wood causing the boys around him give him awkward glances. They just shrugged, returning back to their conversation. Covering his ears with his hands, Luke peeked up from over his arms. Down at the end of the table, Bryce sat chatting with Weetzie. Ashley was at the other end with Ivy and other Hufflepuffs. Luke just couldn’t understand Bryce situation between the two girls. It was a good thing he was single now. Feeling sadness creep up at the thought, he pushed thoughts of Caitlin out of his mind. He didn’t need to get all depressed. It would probably make his head ache worse.

Groaning louder, Luke finally came to a conclusion. He needed to be somewhere where there weren’t such loud noises. Grabbing a couple biscuits and an apple from his plate he set them inside of his bag. “Hey, you leaving Luke?” someone asked. Luke nodded, “I’m going too stop by The Hospital Wing for more potion…I’ll catch up with you guys tomorrow morning.” Waving, Luke dashed out of the hall, his index fingers continually rubbing against his temples. Curfew wasn’t until later, which meant he still had time to stop outside. Luke just sighed, running up the steps and down the long corridors to his first destination. Once he reached the wing, he pushed the doors open noticing Madam Promfrey attending to a younger student in one of various white beds. “Could I have some more potions for my head ache?” Luke asked as the stout women was finally finished tucking the boy away under the covers. The younger student didn’t look to well. His eyes flickered back to Madam Promfrey who was handing him a cup with some clear liquid inside. “You need to take it in front of me Mr. Dallan.” Sighing, Luke gulped the tangy liquid up, gagging as it slid down his throat. Why couldn’t wizarding potions taste anywhere as good a muggles? Didn’t they have cherry flavored cough syrup?

Throwing the cup into the garbage can he swished his spit around in his mouth. “Thank you,” he breathed out ignoring the women’s ranting. Heading out of the hall, he descended back down the stairs until he was finally outside. Luke’s feet crunched underneath the ground of leaves, as he made his way toward the Quidditch pitch. Everything was quiet on the grounds. He could only hear the whistle of the trees branches against the wind, but that didn’t trouble him too much. Cracking his fingers as he entered the stands, Luke took a seat up high. The wind rustled his blonde hair as he rested his elbows upon his knees. His blue eyes searched the night, taking in every detail. He knew the pitch by memory. From every goal post, to each banner colors. Closing his eyes he leaned his back against the bench behind him. He felt content in his own escape until he heard the creaking of steps beside him. Jumping awake he squinted against the dark. Taking out his wand the tip lit up the features of a girl’s face. “Oh Merlin….you scared me…”

[Zara Phoenix]

“That was fast.” A friend commented with amusement as Zara wiped her lips with a napkin. Her dinner plate was empty, cleaned of food in less than half an hour.
“Hungry.” Zara offered as explanation and stood up, smiling around at her friends. “I’m stuffed now, though. I’ll see you guys tomorrow. It’s boiling and buzzing in here, and I think I need some fresh air... I’ll probably have an early night too. See you later.” Waving, Zara departed swiftly from the Great Hall, where most of the student body was still gossiping and chatting animatedly. Zara noted Sapphire at the Ravenclaw table, but her twin didn’t see her, and Zara left her be as she quickly made her exit. Glad to leave the bustle behind, Zara slowed down her pace, steps a soft echo against the corridor floor. Transparent, unfeeling ghosts floated by, and Zara smiled familiarly at Nearly Headless Nick as he passed her somewhat sadly. Meal times were usually a sad affair for the deceased. The inhabitants of the portraits around Hogwarts didn’t make Zara’s short journey anymore comfortable, shouting odd things not only at her, but each other. She couldn’t escape the racket. Shoving her hands into her pockets, Zara wandered aimlessly towards the Grounds, not caring that the sky was dark beyond the windows. At least she’d get some peace and quiet outside. Nothing stopped Zara when she wanted to do something, unless it was really insensible of her to do so. She had her limits… the lines she was aware of not to cross. Zara kept herself out of trouble, but she had a bold, curious nature she couldn’t ignore.

”Accio broomstick.” Zara waved her wand and muttered quietly as she stopped short of the door leading to the Grounds. She waited several seconds, before the familiar whooshing sound of a large object travelling through the air pierced Zara’s hearing. She turned to catch her floating broomstick with a fond smile, and proceeded to tuck her wand away. Pushing open the doors, Zara strolled into the Grounds in mute silence, noticing the sharp chilliness of the air in contrast to the inner warmth of the castle. Not minding the cold much, Zara continued her way past the lake, gazing absentmindedly at the revealing crescent moon upon the water’s rippling surface. She wasn’t sure why her feet enjoyed taking her outdoors so much; perhaps it was because for the past year or so Zara had cooped herself up in the Hogwarts castle a lot, revising and preparing for exams to come. She had made time to do other things, but Zara was a free spirit, and she hated to be held down from doing what she loved to do. What she loved to do most was Quidditch, and it had been a solid week since she had last flown. Determined to fit some practice into tonight, despite the growing darkness, Zara made her way towards the Quidditch pitch, feet itching to leave the ground. Once there, Zara’s sharp eyes roamed her surroundings, and almost declared herself alone, before she spotted what she thought was a figure high up in the stands. Curious, and wondering if her eyes were betraying her, Zara quickly descended towards the seating area, and approached a boy she recognised immediately.

“Luke.” Zara acknowledged in slight surprise, before taking a seat beside him and placing her broomstick onto the next chair. Luke seemed a little jumpy from his reaction to her presence, and Zara winced against the bright light of the wand. “Sorry for scaring you. I just didn’t expect anyone else to be here at this late hour. Most people are still in the Great Hall…” Zara smiled friendlily at Luke, whom she had spoken to a few times. She observed the Hufflepuff’s pale face with a growing frown. “Are you ill, Luke? You don’t look so well.” Zara asked with concern as she shifted a little to make herself comfortable. Luke appeared dazed and pale against the artificial light emitting from his wand. “What are you doing here, Luke?” Zara asked curiously, tucking her arms under her chest because she was getting colder. Her bright eyes stared up at the dark night sky, where twinkling stars were beginning to make their way out. It was obvious that the seasons were changing; the days were drawing close earlier, the mornings more difficult to get up. There was less light, meaning less Quidditch in dangerous conditions, but that hadn’t stopped Zara sometimes from practising. Her role on the Gryffindor team was important, and she wasn’t about to sacrifice that due to weather conditions. Zara believed in nature’s power, but she also believed in not giving up easily on a passion.

[Luke Dallan H7]

The tip of his wand was still it as Luke stared into the girl’s face. Her red hair and familiar appearance clicked in Luke’s mind as he remembered her. Zara Phoenix, she was one of the best chasers on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. She was also in some of Luke’s classes, but he couldn’t remember which ones. He wasn’t expecting anyone to be out this late, especially since it was dinner time. Letting his arm fall to his side, Luke pocketed his wand. “It’s alright, Zara…” Luke whispered quietly after she finished apologizing about scaring him earlier. It wasn’t really anything to get too worked up over, but it was strange how Luke was quite jumpy lately. Ever since Caitlin had broken up with him, his mind was just preoccupied with thoughts of the future to overcome the sadness. Hearing Zara ask about his health, Luke nodded in response. “Not exactly, only a bad headache…..” he began rubbing his temples as she rested his elbows onto his knees. Madam Promfrey’s potion wasn’t exactly working on clearing Luke’s headache. It was only leaving a slight buzzing of dizziness in the corners of his mind. Shifting his position on the bench, Luke leaned back with his elbows propping up on the seat behind him. “The Great hall isn’t exactly helping my headache and food isn’t all the appealing,” Luke began looking up into the star filled sky. It was quite a beautiful sight that should be stopped to enjoy from time to time. “What about you? I wasn’t expecting anyone out here tonight.” Glancing over at Zara, Luke offered a small smile, “Could you possible get a head ache for thinking to much?”

Gazing back up into the sky a small smile curled onto Luke’s lips. His blue eyes were twinkling under each star’s reflection. He couldn’t help but think of Caitlin when looking up into the night sky. Her head was always in space, which he gave her the nickname, ‘star girl.’ It suited Caitlin quite well actually. Sighing at his thoughts, Luke quickly advert his gaze from the sky. “It’s a nice night…only the wind and the stars.” Nodding, Luke closed his eyes as a zealous wind blew wind, brushing against his blonde hair. Running his fingers through his hair, Luke opened his eyes, glancing over at the broomstick next to Zara. “Where you going to practice?” he asked quietly looking at her face. It was beginning to get darker earlier with the new fall season, and it was almost pitch black outside. “There’s no light outside…but I guess we could try to find some lanterns if you want?” Nodding, Luke stood up from his spot on the bench. He took two steps at a time stopping at the end to turn around to look at Zara. “Come on. We can practice together.” Smiling, Luke jogged slowly onto the field, his blue eyes looking around the dark pitch. Taking out his wand form his pocket, light beamed at the tip, lighting a little ways in front of him.

“This is one of the reasons why I hate fall. It gets dark too early so you can’t do anything at night.” Shaking his head, Luke noticed a small lantern by the end of one of the reserve benches. Jogging toward it, he bent down on his knees to pick it up. There was a small crack down the center, but not big enough to cause any danger. Using the bench as support, Luke picked himself off from the ground. Taking his wand, he stuck it down the middle of the lantern, reciting a small charm. A flame flicked from the light lighting the match at the end. Quickly taking his wand out, Luke smiled at the small light. “Are there any other one’s around? We can hang them from the goal posts. If your working on your chaser skills....Aren't you?"

((OOC- Sorry it took me so long to reply! Luke wasn't exactly wanting to work with my lately. lol.))

[Zara Phoenix]

Zara frowned at Luke’s quiet tone of voice, followed by the statement of his headache as he massaged his temples. Although she did not know Luke that well, she was aware of his normally cheery personality; he wasn’t one she often saw ill or down, much like her. Although Zara wasn’t the brightest spark, she could flare when she wanted to; generally, she kept herself in line and led what most would deem a normal life. “Are you sure you’re okay?” Zara finally asked again in genuine concern. “You really don’t look that good. It’s not like you, Luke.” She wasn’t confident about knowing Luke, but since they had schooled in Hogwarts for the past six years, claiming this wasn’t too false. Zara never had the opportunity to talk to Luke Dallan; he seemed decent, but they had just never engaged in serious conversation before. He stuck to his set of friends, and Zara to hers. Recently, she knew he had dated fellow Gryffindor Caitlin Martinez; she only knew this because Caitlin was in her year and house, and word travelled fast between the girls. However, it wasn’t too long ago Zara had also heard that the two had broken up, which she thought was a shame. She had noticed Luke and Caitlin together, and they had seemed happy. The beginning of a romance was beautiful and exciting, but the ending of relationships was always destroying and extremely sad, and Zara wondered if this was why Luke was looking so glum. She hadn’t seen him since she heard of the rumours, and she was beginning to think them not too far from the truth.

Zara decided she had to proceed in this conversation tentatively; she thought it wise not to bring the subject of Caitlin up, so went along with the flow of conversation he guided. “Have you been to Madam Pomfrey yet? Maybe she can give you something to help the headache.” Zara suggested gently, peering at him with an unfaltering frown before Luke asked about herself. “Don’t switch the subject now, Luke.” Zara teased playfully, before answering the question in all seriousness; she doubted he was joking with her. “I just needed some time away from the Great Hall as well. It's noisy and I finished dinner quickly.” Zara explained in quiet tones, glancing away from Luke and up at the sky. Stars were beginning to glitter as they awoke from their day of sleep; it was a beautiful sight, though one not particularly suited to practising Quidditch. Before Zara could explain further about her wanting to train for the upcoming Gryffindor match, as no other time could suit her busy timetable, Luke asked her another question, and she glanced back at him for a moment before answering. “Yes.” Zara finally replied after a short silence. “Definitely. I’ve been experiencing that feeling more and more lately. I don’t like how fast I’m growing up.” She truthfully described her emotions despite how personal the information was; Zara rarely had anything to hide. What you saw was what you got.

“It is.” Zara nodded in agreement when Luke continued to speak about the night. The weather conditions were perfect for Quidditch, even if there was no light. “I was.” Zara affirmed with a fond smile when Luke finally noticed the broomstick beside her. “But since it’s so dark, maybe I—“ Zara was about to call off any idea of a practice because her sensible side was surfacing after seeing her fellow classmate in such moods, when Luke’s obvious increase of enthusiasm stopped her. The look on his face at the mention of Quidditch was a different one to before, and it made Zara smile to think this sport could make such a difference to one’s behaviour. She knew Luke liked Quidditch a lot, it seemed he was always seen with a Quaffle in hand. “I’d love to.” Zara finally grinned at Luke’s proposition as she watched him jog onto the empty pitch with wand in hand. “Lanterns would be good.” She added in reply to his former question, before climbing aboard her broomstick and sailing downwards to join him. “I know what you mean.” Zara grimaced a little sadly, noting the dark skies again. “This isn’t the best of conditions to be practising, but whatever. It’s been a while since I flew, and I need the practice. Darkness isn’t going to stop me from flying.” Zara stated with determination, that rebelling streak awakened in her. “There are a few over there.” Zara pointed with her wand after Luke had lit the first lantern. “Accio lanterns.” She chanted, and four more flew towards her. Zara lighted them quickly and levitated them towards the goal posts just as Luke mentioned it. “Yeah... That’ll do.” Zara nodded to herself as the stadium lit up a little. She felt small in comparison to the emptiness of the arena. “Luke, what are you going to do without a broom? Do you want me to summon another one? C’mon, you know you want to fly.” Zara grinned as she kicked off the ground and soared into the air in delight.

((Not a problem, lol. I think making Zara wait has made her extremely wordy, lol, so I’m sorry for this very long post. Zara hates to be cooped up for so long, she’s my free bird. )

[Luke Dallan H7]

Luke continued to massage small circles deep into his temples. There was a light buzzing inside of his head, followed by a slight dizziness. Closing his eyes, Luke listened to the sound of a slow chirping in the distance. If there was only one thing he knew about crickets, were that their speed of their Chirping was how cold the weather was outside. It wasn’t all that cold outside; just only enough to be warm in a sweatshirt. Hearing Zara protest next to him, Luke opened his eyes to stare at her. Why was she so concerned about him? Was it just a personality trait in girls to be constantly worried? Guys would normally just shrug it off, and not mention it again. Well, there were some girls like that. Luke didn’t know Zara enough to understand her own characteristic. All her could recall about her was that she had a twin named, Sapphire. She was also quite free spirited from what he’d seen in classes, or just around the castle. Gazing back down at the ground, Luke blinked back the confusion. Maybe he had isolated himself to long from girls. “I’m fine,” he whispered inaudibly, his blue eyes tracing the lines across the bench. Why was he being so distant toward Zara? She was only just worrying about him. “I promise my broomsticks that I’m quite alright. It’ll pass soon,” he exclaimed grinning at the thought of betting his life on his broomstick. Yes, people always risked their life when they were flying, but that was part of the thrill. Why else wouldn’t Quidditch be a popular sport? People like the danger and mystery the game held, especially the Dallan’s. Ryder was assistant coach of the Appleby Arrows, and his father worked in the Ministry on the game department. That’s why every year they got free tickets to almost every match.

It was strange how just the thought of Quidditch made Luke perk up. Just a minute ago his head was aching to a point where he couldn’t see, and now he was fired up to play with Zara. He hadn’t played in months, or even ran, which wasn’t going to settle good with Ryder if he came back for Holiday Break out of shape. Luke grinned at Zara as she followed him down onto the pitch. After he had found one lantern and lit it, he watched as Zara used the Accio spell to find more. That was a good idea. What else that was strange about Luke was that he was pureblood, but he liked to do some things the muggle way. It was a simple lifestyle. Though, Luke loved magic. Taking two lanterns from her he set them on the ground as she told him he needed a broom. Looking around, Luke sighed as he realized his broom was back in the dorm room. Stepping aside as Zara flew up into the air, Luke shook his head grinning. “You should really stop worrying about me, Zara,” he shouted up at her, pulling his wand from his pocket. “Accio broomstick!” Luke spoke strongly, waiting with his feet glued to the ground. Within seconds a broom flew through the air, the front end heading straight toward Luke. Stepping aside, Luke quickly grabbed hold of the wooden handle pulling in tightly toward him. The broom stopped and he placed his wand back into his pocket. Mounting, he rose in the air, swooping down to grab two lanterns from the ground.

Flying up higher into the air, Luke aimed his broom toward Zara, stopping beside her. Handing her the second lantern, he grinned at her. “Go put this on the other goal post down at that end,” he said, pointing toward the opposite end of the pitch. Heading the other way, Luke stopped by the top ring, hooking the lantern to the side of the ring. It didn’t give off much light, but it would help more if they practiced throwing quaffles into the hoops for points. Flying back toward the middle he watched Zara with a happy gleam in his eyes. “Alright…for warm up how about we go ahead and do four laps around the pitch.” Nodding, Luke flew next to her, “One…two…three….go!” With that, he zipped forward, holding tightly to the wooden with a death grip.

[Zara Phoenix]

Zara didn’t think Luke was ‘fine’, but left it at that as they descended the stands. If he insisted on not confessing his problems, Zara didn’t feel she had the right to force him; every human had their right to hide things from people. At least the mention of Quidditch perked Luke up, Zara was grateful to see. Although she wasn’t an extremely bubbly person herself, she liked to be in the presence of generally happy, cheerful people. It wasn’t that she disliked others who were depressed; it just depressed Zara too, and their attitude usually indicated they wanted solitude rather than company. It was also hard to communicate with them and the situation merely became awkward. Thankfully, Quidditch was something both Zara and Luke shared as an interest, so Zara didn’t feel uncomfortable around Luke. Watching him, she concluded that the he should be fit enough for a round of Quidditch with her; Luke seemed resilient enough. Just as Zara was thinking this as she floated along the air, grinning down at him from taller heights, Luke told her to stop worrying, to which she replied in a mock hurt tone, “So what if I worry?” Zara grinned teasingly, “It’s your fault for looking so ill. Come on then.” She lightly ordered once Luke had gotten his broomstick, doing a somersault in the night air. Her thick red hair caught in her face and she giggled as she quickly sorted herself out.

Hair up in a high ponytail seconds later, Zara watched as Luke settled beside her, hovering in the air with a grin he hadn’t been wearing before. He certainly did look much healthier now. “Okay.” Zara nodded as she took hold of the lanterns. Using her wand she levitated the remaining light-emitters onto the other goal posts and called back to Luke. “Done!” She joined him swiftly in the middle of the pitch, grinning in return at the obvious enthusiasm portrayed. “Ready?” She challengingly joked as her broom dipped a little beneath her weight. Zara nodded her approval to the warm up exercises Luke suggested with a determined spark in her eyes, but just as she was about to speak, Luke had already uttered the word Go and shot off past her, causing her hair to swing against her cheek. “Hey!” She protested with a grin she couldn’t hide, before speedily twisting her broomstick around and shooting off after Luke’s already furthering figure. “Damn, he’s fast.” Zara muttered, though she wasn’t bitter about this detail. In fact, she relished the feeling of competition. “Here goes.”

Gripping hold of her broomstick tighter, Zara bent low and urged it to fly quicker. It did as she commanded, and very gradually, just before the second lap around the pitch, Zara began to catch up with Luke. “Cheater! Come back here!” She shouted, feeling the wind rip her words away. Grinning, Zara soared higher than Luke, looking down at his blonde hair glinting against the dim light of the lanterns, which looked very much like fireflies attracted to the goal posts from high above. The atmosphere was chilly and quite frosty, and Zara was thankful for the thick robes she was wearing, otherwise she knew she would be nursing a heavy cold the following day. However, she relished the feeling of the breeze brushing past her as she fought against the current of wind, her ponytail whipping around her neck as the cold bit her fingers. It was an exhilarating sensation. Finally, Zara caught up with Luke, a grin splashed across her face, though her eyes held a fake stern annoyance. “Is this a fair race, Luke Dallan?” She demanded jokily, flashing him another quick smile before forcing her broomstick to rev up speed again. “I’ll see you at the finish line.” She teased, before pulling ahead into the third lap.

[Luke Dallan H7]

The wind nipped wildly at Luke’s face, tiny tear droplets falling slowly down his cheeks. Luke was used to bitter wind lashing that Quidditch normally brought. It was the reason why most players faces were turned beat red after a match, and Luke was one of them. Since his skin was light compared to most people, it was ten times more noticeable. Closing his eyes as he soared through the air, Luke trusted his instinct around the pitch as he pulled in the second lap. He could hear the distance crinkling of robes slowly gaining up behind. That only meant that Zara was catching up. Glancing over his shoulder, Luke’s eyebrows raised confusion clearly concerning his blue eyes. Where did she go? Pulling back as he saw a figure land next to him, Luke stared wide eyed at Zara. So - she was pretty good at this sport. Hearing her blurred words, Luke grinned. “Who ever said Quidditch was fair?” he shouted back through the roaring wind. Noticing her pull forward, Luke watched as the girl raced ahead. He could see her raid ponytail whipped wildly against the dark. Luke stayed closely behind Zara as they made it to their final lap. Leaning forward, Luke gripped tighter onto the wooden, his broom accelerating forward with a jolt. He was only a few inches away from Zara as an idea popped into his head. Aiming his broom downwards, Luke leaned to the side, his body closely against the pillars holding up the stadium. He stayed closely to the ground until finally shooting straight upwards, past Zara and held his broom steady above her. As they reached close to the finish line, Luke floated downwards until he was next to Zara. He looked over his should at her, a grin crossing his lips. “It would be gentlemen-like of me to let you win, but how will you ever be a better flyer if I did?”

As they both crossed the finish line, Luke sat up pulling hard to stop his broom. His arms were aching slightly, but he ignored the slight throbbing. “Well-” Luke began running his fingers through is wind blown hair. “Looks like it was tie.” Nodding he turned his body position so he was facing her. “You’re not as bad as I thought, Zara.” Suspending downwards, Luke felt his feet touch as the ground as she stood up on his two legs. His head felt light, but he walked on toward the chest where the Quidditch gear was kept. “I know you play Chaser!” he shouted up at Zara, unlocking the lock with his wand. The bludgers were fighting against the chain, their wicked sounds piercing the air. Taking the quaffle, Luke tucked it freely under his arm as he remounted his broom. “Though, when I get the chance to watch the Gryffindor practice, you lack in passing.” Smiling, Luke threw the quaffle in her direction, hoping she would catch it. “Don’t worry. I don’t stock you, and I’m not trying to purposely make you worse for the Hufflepuff team’s sake. I don’t even play on the house team.” Staring into Zara’s eyes, Luke reassured her as he flew closer toward her, punching the quaffle that was tucked under her armpit. Quickly catching it, Luke smiled. “Let’s work on passing from one goal post to another.”

Throwing the ball toward Zara, Luke watched as it soared through the air to her arms. Flying forward he watched her, waiting for her to return the pass. “Do you have any plans for the Winter Ball?” he asked, a teasing glint glimmering in his eyes as he tried to continue on with any form of conversation.

[Zara Phoenix]

“I like that attitude. I’ve never been one for a charming gentleman, because challenges are always more fun.” Zara smirked as the race ended and the two of them passed the finish line together. The thrill of the ride still pounding in her veins, Zara slowed her broom to catch her breath, a satisfied grin pulling at her lips. She wasn’t bitter that she hadn’t won the race; she quite liked drawing with him, this way neither of them could feel superior. However, if Zara had indeed lost, she would’ve been a game loser, albeit a disappointed one. “You’re not so bad yourself, Luke.” Zara returned with a smile, impressed with the Hufflepuff’s speed. She had heard about his Quidditch abilities, and he was a popular guy around their year. Zara had to admit there was something attractive about him, along with a cute smile and charming, amiable personality. Zara watched as Luke headed towards the Quidditch gear and floated slowly in the air, which had warmed since her race. “How very observant of you.” Zara commented with a raised eyebrow of mock suspicion, though her lips smiled her amusement. “I’m afraid you’ve seen nothing yet if you haven’t seen me pass.” She joked, catching the Quaffle deftly in her hands and tucking it under her arm. Easy as pie. This was why Zara was a chaser; she didn’t need to practise passing the Quaffle around, she had a natural talent for catching, her eyes able to follow the sharp movements of the red ball. Zara wasn’t the fastest flyer, but her skill shone when it came to observation and catching; she would make as good a seeker, really, but Zara enjoyed the team work and possibilities for more movement as a Chaser.

“I’ll take your word for it.” Zara teased when he claimed he hadn’t stalked her, before frowning in confusion as he soared upwards to join her again, “Why aren’t you on the team, Luke? You would easily make it. You’re not even on the reserve team, right?” This thought had only just occurred to Zara; why exactly was he not on the Hufflepuff team? They needed talent and enthusiasm like his. It was a shame really, and Zara knew if he was a Gryffindor they would happily recruit him. “How about joining the Gryffindor team? We’re always recruiting.” Zara suggested with a laugh, before Luke flew even closer to her, diminishing the space of air between them. Her laugh faded away as her eyes locked with his, before the moment was lost when he swiftly punched the Quaffle out of her grasp. Her reflexes kicked into action a second too late, her eyes flying from his as her hand flailed outwards to grasp thin air. She watched as Luke grabbed it, before chuckling and shaking her head. “Whatever you say, Captain.” There was something about Luke... Zara could feel something about him that intrigued her. She had to admit, spending time like this one on one with him, she really liked him. He seemed decent, a lot of fun and a confident companion, and after some pondering she realised she was attracted to him. There was chemistry. Well, on Zara’s side of things, anyway. However, since Luke had just come out of a relationship with Caitlin, Zara doubted he was... interested, and she wasn’t looking for someone specifically yet... She didn’t want to jump to conclusions lest she be let down, so she quickly banished all romantic thought from mind.

Zara caught the ball Luke threw to her again, and juggled it in her hands, running her fingers across the once-smooth but now-roughened contours of the Quaffle. She tossed it into the air and caught it again, intending to play with it before she returned the pass to Luke, when he asked her a question which caught her off guard. She glanced up, looked at him with a slight frown, before putting the Quaffle in her lap and propping her hands on it to shrug at him. “No. I haven’t thought about it at all, it’s been at the back of my mind for a while. I assumed I’d turn up as something or another and hang around with Sapp. I haven’t even bothered to find myself a nice date this year.” She laughed. “I’m too busy with work nowadays. Why do you ask, Luke? Do you have plans yourself?” Zara tested in return to Luke, grabbing the Quaffle and lobbing it under her arm, round her back and over her head. It sailed through the air to Luke, propelled by the force Zara had exacted against it. It was an accurate pass, and headed straight where Zara had wanted it to go – to the left of Luke. Zara was sure he was right handed, and wanted to see how adept he was with his weaker hand. Meanwhile, her mind wondered what Luke was heading towards with his conversation. Did he have something up his sleeve?