If Fate Commands It..

Arthur was a bit relieved to see that Longbottom was being smart and appeared to be keeping to himself. With how he was sitting, he was sure the team wouldn't pay him any mind. He turned his attention back to the captain as she finished her spiel, gripping the handle of his broom tighter as he swung one leg over to the other side. He knew his objective for the practice. Aim well enough to make the chasers stay on their toes but not well enough to land a hit. They couldn't afford to have injured players and as much as Art hated doing anything less than his best, he knew the former was true.

The Slytherin pushed himself off of the ground along with the rest of his teammates and they soared into the air, taking up what would be an unusual position for a regular quidditch game. They had to though, considering there were only seven of them. Once they began, Art had a moment to sit back. He and Goyle always had the least amount of work to do during practice, due to their destructive roles. After a while though, the redhead grew bored and began actively chasing after the bludger, defending some of his teammates while 'aiming' his hits at others. Though, true to what he had been told, he didn't actually hit any of the other Slytherins. Though, he did come close a couple of times.

"Watch where you're aiming that bloody thing, pillock!" One of the chasers yelled at him, though he just rolled his eyes.

"Start learning to dodge enchanted iron balls, and you won't get almost hit," he retorted, speaking as though he was talking to a stupid child. That was how their practices always went though, insults being thrown around this way and that, usually at least half from the captain herself.

Eventually though, they all started to slow down, knowing they had reached the end of practice. It was until that point that Longbottom had been able to sit in the stands unbeknownst to the others. But of course, being high up meant it was easy to see far and wide, and with the Slytherin quidditch team no longer involved in practice, he was pretty easy to spot.

"Is that a Gryffindor spying in on our practice?" Bletchley asked loudly and demeaning. Art hadn't even noticed the others had caught on until the keeper said that, and he turned where he sat on his broom nearly abruptly to face the other Slytherin. Shit, well this certainly wasn't good.

+++

Ron's grin faltered ever so slightly when Juliet bit her lip, the action making him go a bit weak in the knees. He moved his eyes so he was looking ahead of them at the ground in attempt to clear his head. It did help some, but their proximity didn't do much to add to that.

"Yeah, I definitely noticed." the Gryffindor said, responding to the witch's observations of the students from the other schools that were there the previous year. "All the beauxbaton girls travelled in packs," he said, grumbling slightly under his breath as he recalled the hard time he had trying to ask out Fleur Delacour before the yule ball. His grimace faded though, as the Ravenclaw reminded him of how the year ended, expression turning somber. He nodded though when she said she could see how Cho liked Harry.

"He's a good guy," the redhead said, but then chuckled at her next statement. "'Not so bad?' Excuse you?" He asked with mock disbelief, unable to hide the crooked smile spreading across his features now. She purposefully bumped into him, throwing off his balance just enough that he stumbled a step or two to the side, inevitably pulling Juliet along with him. He laughed more fully now at her confession of not thinking her action through. "And I thought Ravenclaws were supposed to be good at that kind of thing?" He asked, glancing down at her teasingly.

Ron's attention was diverted though with the mention of quidditch, and he nodded happily at her suggestion. "We should go, I'm looking forward to watching Slytherin get pummeled," he said in agreement, his laughter now having died down to a few chuckles. He watched the players on the field, their green robes obvious against the background of the sky. It didn't matter how much they practiced though, Harry would always be the one to catch the snitch, and especially so before any of them ever racked up enough points to come close to beating Gryffindor.

The redhead's eyes narrowed in an attempt to focus as Juliet pointed out the person in the stands. It was hard to make out who they were, but he had to admit that they did look awfully familiar. "...Yeah, I think so. What's he doing there?"
 
Neville was happily keeping to himself, the only reminder that he was even there were the constant screaming and 'whooshing' of the broomsticks as they flew through the air. He would casually glance up from his notebook, only to watch a few of the chasers before returning his attention to the small object in front of him. Currently he was playing connect the dots, trying to make sense of the little marks that would eventually form his soulmark. "Damn it" He would mutter under his breath and then scratch out the doodles he had made on the page.

He eventually looked up, thinking about the homework assignment Harry had given them. Where in the world were they expected to practice. It couldn't be in the castle.. could it? Neville was racking his brain, searching his mind for discreet rooms or any corner in the school that seemed hidden enough for the secret DADA class. His eyes were shut tightly and he was muttering to himself, unaware at how crazy he probably looked. It was only when Neville was in silence that he even noticed the practice had ended. It was that moment that Neville's eye flew open and turned to see the Slytherins glaring at him from their broomsticks.

"What in the hells do you think your doing here Longbottom?" Someone called out to him. Neville could feel the teasing tone in the Slytherins voice. It leaked of a bitter and toxic tone, almost as if the Slytherin could spit poison at him. "Oh bloody hell" He muttered under his breath. He didn't want to draw more attention to himself and wasn't ready to throw any insults back at them, though he could certainly make a comment on their Qudditch skills, considering with the upcoming Gryffindor versus Slytherin game, they would be on edge. So instead of making a snarky comment on how they'd never win a match with Harry as the Gryffindor seeker, he simply snapped his journal shut and stuck it in his pocket. Not daring to look at the team as the taunted him, he made his way down the back stairs and let out a sigh. He could still hear their taunting and teasing and it made him uncomfortable. Is that what Arthur thought of him as well?

No matter though. "It shouldn't matter what he thinks of me anyways" Neville mumbled to himself as he appeared on the ground and made his way off the field and back towards his common room. To be honest, he couldn't wait to be back in a place where the only teasing that happened was between his friends. He dared to glance back and saw Arthur landing from his practice. His heart speeding up just slightly before Neville looked away. "It doesn't matter. He doesn't matter" Neville muttered to himself as he walked away from the field, somewhat disappointed he didn't say goodbye to McCross.

+++

"All girls walk in packs, don't you know that already?" She teased him, giving him a funny look. "Or was it just Fleur that made you realize it" It was true that girls tended to walk in multiple pairs. Juliet was usually never far from her girlfriends, and she was next to Cho at every turn. In fact this was one of the few moments Juliet hadn't been with another girl. It made her even more embarrassed as she continued walking with Ron.

She looked at him, looking straight into his eyes as she said "You Gryffindors think you're the best just cause you've won the house cup a few times" A teasing tone to her voice as her lips curled into a smile. "But everyone knows Ravenclaws are the smartest and the brightest of Hogwarts" She retorted proudly, tugging at her blue and bronze scarf playfully. She wrapped her left arm around Ron's side as his arm still held her shoulders. It almost felt natural to be this way with the Weasley boy, even if it looked a bit awkward.

She noticed that Neville had come down from the stands and watched him stick both his hands in his pockets as he made his way slowly back to the castle, just slightly ahead of them. "I'm glad you're going to the game! Maybe afterwards we can celebrate another Gryffindor victory" She said playfully, giving him a sideway glance. She knew she'd be watching the game from the Ravenclaw towers, since she wouldn't be allowed in the Gryffindor section. "But you can enjoy your victory until you play us, our team is top notch this year" She said with a confident tone. Even though she knew they had little chance up against a team with The Chosen One as the seeker. She liked to see Ron's expression anyway, it was cute to make him all riled up. She couldn't hold back the giggle as his nose scrunched up. "You're adorable when you're worked up" She commented as they walked inside the castle gates.

Finally in the warmth of the castle the two released each other, much to Juliet's hidden dismay. "I suppose I should go find Cho before dinner" She said softly looking down at the cobblestone floor. Looking up to give the boy a smile. "Thank you for walking me back." She said, taking a small step towards him. As she closed the space she could feel the warmth radiating off of him. She leaned up on her toes and planted a small kiss on his cheek. "That was for keeping me warm" She said with a soft laugh, before adding. "See you later Ronald." Giving him a small glance over her shoulder as she walked up the staircase to the Ravenclaw common room.
 
Arthur watched silently as Longbottom got up to leave. There was something in him telling him to stop the others and get them to shut the hell up, but he couldn't work up the nerve. Besides, why did he even care that much anyway? He didn't, that was the answer. So he just ground his teeth together and observed the scene from the corner of his eye.

The redhead felt scuzzy just for being there, even if he wasn't saying anything. Once Neville's back had been turned towards them and he had begun to grow smaller with the distance, the Slytherin allowed himself to watch the Gryffindor retreat. Collectively, the group all lowered themselves to the ground, a few of them chatting in jest about what had just happened. The only thing he was thinking about though was going after the other boy, like he had done after Art had left the tavern earlier. He didn't move a muscle.

"You know, you lot could learn to grow up," he said under his breath instead, not intending for anyone to hear him.

"What was that, McCross?" Their captain asked, looking at him with eyes narrowed into slits. Clearly she had heard.

"Forget about it," Arthur grumbled, his dark eyes meeting hers from under his orange curls.

"Oh no no, it sounds to me like you were trying to stick up for the Gryffindor or something," she replied, her tone snarky. "You going soft?" It was clear she was teasing him, and honestly, he didn't quite like the tables being turned.

The redhead let his broom slip from his hand as he turned to confront her, but before he could take even a few steps, Goyle had already held out an arm, holding him back. Art could feel the heat grow in his chest and his fingers tightened around the beater's bat still in his other hand. If he really wanted to go after her, the way Goyle was holding him back now would do nothing to actually prevent him, but to him, it wasn't worth the energy.

The captain merely rolled her eyes, seeing he wasn't actually going to do anything to her. She walked past the redhead haughtily and his dark brown eyes followed her as she did so. After a moment Art pulled harshly away from the other beater and turned, reaching for his broom and walking briskly back to the locker rooms. He didn't know why he was so worked up over what happened, but there he was, not wanting to talk to a single member of his team.

+++

"I definitely think it was something I started to pick up on after Fleur," Ron laughed. He tended to be a bit unobservant, but that wasn't really anything new. He never did understand why girls did that though, it wasn't like he never walked alone. Chalking it up to being just a 'girl thing,' he let the subject drop from his mind.

"We've won the house cup the last four years in a row! I'd say that's pretty impressive." The redhead protested light heartedly. And while there were a number of other reasons why Gryffindor truly was an amazing house, that didn't mean the others didn't have a lot to offer as well. Or at least, that was how he saw it. "I dunno, Hermione's pretty bright and she's in Gryffindor," he argued, eyebrows raised in friendly challenge.

When Juliet said that Ravenclaw team was going to win against them he looked at her in disbelief, his face turning slightly red. "Oh yeah, sure. You know for sure we're going to win. Both against the Slytherins and the Ravenclaws," he leaned in to say the last sentence as though it were a secret he was sharing with her, his voice hushed. Ron continued to pretend that he was holding a grudge against her, eyebrows scrunched and all, until she called him adorable that was.

"Adorable? I'm not adorable," he grumbled, pretending to pout. As the two entered the castle, the witch took a step back, causing the Gryffindor to release his hold on her, letting his arm drop to his side, regrettably. "Oh, of course, not a problem," the redhead said as Juliet thanked him, a bit flustered. Though, when she gave him a kiss on the cheek, that was when he really turned red and he knew it. "Any time," he responded to her, his voice only slightly higher than usual, betraying him.

Ron cleared his throat as she stepped back and straightened up to try and compose his somewhat rapid heartbeat from their previous proximity. He scratched at a light itch on his upper arm before waving after her, a slight smile on his face. "See ya." After she was gone, Ron began heading back to the Gryffindor common room. He was just about to ascend the first flight of stairs when he saw Neville, seemingly going in the same direction as him.

"Hey Neville!" The redhead called to the other Gryffindor. "Me and Juliet saw you out in the quidditch stands… what were you doing over there with all those snakes?"
 
Neville considered himself a simple man.. wait not a man, well at least not yet. No no Neville was defiantly still a boy, a man would have stood up for himself in the face of toxic taunting and yet Neville had sat there and taken it. That made him a boy, but still maybe in the future he would grow a pair. However, Neville would always consider himself a simple person. Simple in the sense that he didn't want much in his life, so he didn't expect much. He didn't expect anything other than what life had presented him, so why did he feel the need to yearn after something so forbidden.. something so dangerous. McCross was just that, forbidden, dangerous, and yet oh so intriguing. A gem hidden beneath a mop of ginger curls and a forrest green tie.

It was then that another ginger snapped Neville out of his deep thoughts. He hadn't even noticed that he was headed back toward his common room. It had served as his safe place for so long that Neville's feet were moving even with his mind spinning. His feet suddenly stopped and he turned to see a red headed mess of hair, making his heart skip a beat before noticing it was only Ron. "Oh hey Ron" The slightly taller boy said with a small side smile. "Oh, me? I was just there thinking," He said, a small blush rising from his heart all the way to the tips of his ears. "I tend to go to places I know people won't bother me much." He said softly, a small chuckle as he continued speaking "Wrong place at the wrong time I suppose" He said as he and the other Gryffindor made their way up the stairs, towards the picture frame the concealed the doorway to the common room.

"So did Juliet get that letter sent home?" He asked, making an attempt at small talk as they approached the picture frame. The two students easily saying their password and gaining access to the exclusive area. "I gotta say if that's what they are bringing to the game tomorrow, we've got this win in the bag" He said with a deep chuckle. He let the red head disappear to go find his best mate and Neville let out a sigh of relief. It had been a long day and Neville was definitely looking forward to a good night of sleep.

So that was exactly what he did. Taking off towards his room and enjoying the peace and quiet. He changed from his sweater to a pair of pajamas and took one last smell of his scarf, enjoying the scent of butter beer and his grandmother. He settled into his bed and flipped through a book before deciding to turn off his light and drift off into a blissfuly sleep.

Or well, what he thought would be a blissful sleep. It was in fact, a teasing sleep that was keeping his pulse racing at every turn. Thoughts of his soul mark swirled into a dream of McCross standing in front of the boy, taunting and teasing him. However the taunting was followed by Arthur making his way slowly towards Neville. The awkward boy was glued to the ground, his eyes couldn't leave the Slytherin boy as his taunting continued. Neville wasn't sure how much more he could take until the dream figure was standing so close that his breath was tickling Neville's neck. "Please" Neville breathed out softly. It was at that moment that McCross smirked, that beautiful smirk that made his lips curl just slightly before planting a kiss on his lips. The soft sensation of Arthur's lips of Neville's was enough to jolt him straight out of his sleep.

"Merlin's beard!" Neville awoke as he sat straight up. His breath was jagged and his pulse was racing. He was covered in a hot sweat and his mind was pounding into an ever worsening headache. "Bloody hell.." He muttered under his breath as he struggled to regain his composure. Looking out his small window he saw the sun beginning to rise in the bright sky. While it was still a bit chilly out, it looked beautiful from the comfort of his warm room. Looking over the land his eyes settled onto the Quidditch field where Forrest Green and Scarlet banners fluttered in the breeze.

+++

Juliet had made her way up the spiraling staircase that led to her common room. But not before stopping to lean up against the wall, throwing her head back against the wall and letting out the breath she had been holding in since she had planted her lips against Ron's cheek. She was a known flirt, though it was more of a natural personality trait then a deliberate attempt, however she had never felt the soft tickle she felt in her stomach. Nor could she deny the slight heat she felt on the apples of her cheeks. Was it possible that she was developing feelings for a Weasley?

"No..no of course not that's ridiculous" She muttered softly to herself, her eyes closed tightly as she tried to regain control of her pulse. "What is?" She heard and she nearly fell out the window as her eyes flew open to reveal the source of the voice. Cho stood there, a noticeable smirk on her face as she stared up at Juliet. "Well Jules?" Cho questioned, a slight eyebrow raise in her friends direction. "Oh, just that Ron thought Gryffindor was the better house" She said calmly, her voice steady as to not give away her true feelings. "Uh huh.. well then.. Are you heading back to the room?" the asian girl asked. Nodding, Juliet and Cho made their way together up the staircase until reaching the top to reveal the entrance.

"Which came first, the phoenix, or the flame?" The bronze knocker questioned. To enter the hidden rooms, one must correctly answer a riddle. That was the way a Ravenclaw's mind worked, it was constantly thinking. It was why Ravenclaws were known to be so brilliant, after all they were the smart ones. Cho and Juliet thought for a second before Juliet answered "A circle has no beginning." To which the door made a soft 'clink' sound before swinging open to reveal the dark blue and bronze curtains and airy space.

"That was a good one" Cho said as the two made their ways into the room, hearing the door secure behind them. With a quick glance around the room, Juliet could see the rest of her house settled in the common room, some watching a daring match of wizards chest, while others sat scattered around the bronzed couches reading books and writing essays. "I'm actually kind of tired, I'm thinking I might head to bed" Cho said as she started off towards the girls dorms. "I think I'm going to join you." Juliet added, tagging along after her friend, she hadn't noticed how late it had gotten.

"So you and Harry..?" The blonde questioned her best friend "Oh we just chatted in the library, we were talking about spots to hold the DA.." She said before Juliet gave her another quizzical stare. "Among other things.." She finally added, resulting in both girls breaking out into laughter as they unlock their dormitory and collapsed on their beds. "Harry invited me to the game tomorrow.." Cho said as she sat on her bed while Juliet sat at the vanity and ran a brush through her golden locks. "And..?" Juliet asked, her eyes not moving from her hair. "And I was hoping you'd go with me." Cho said as she laid back on the plush blue bedding. "Besides, you could see Ron.. don't tell me you're not into him. I could see how cozy you two were getting." Bringing a soft blush to her cheeks again.

Juliet hadn't said much for the rest of the night, instead she listened to Cho ramble on about Harry and classes. Throwing in the occasional response to at least act like she was listening. The two had finally shut out their lights and Cho was snoring softly on the other side of the room. While Juliet laid awake watching the stars from her bed. She hadn't told Cho abut finding her soulmark, she hadn't wanted to just yet anyway. Besides, she was still wrestling with her sudden realization of how the Weasley boy made her feel. Was it possible that soul marks were wrong..? With that thought stuck in her mind, she finally drifted off into a sleep.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Art quickly showered in the locker rooms after practice. He kept the water so cold that most people wouldn't be able to stand the temperature for much more than 30 seconds, and yet after he finished and dried the water from his skin, heat could still be felt radiating off him. He left the locker room a hurry, not waiting to chit chat with the others. This wasn't exactly new for the redhead, but it still wasn't normal either.

Getting mad at things others deemed as 'no big deal,' was something he did on a semi-regularly basis. Getting mad at things that he couldn't care less about was certainly not something that he did with any sort of frequency. Because really, he didn't care about Longbottom's feelings. He swore up and down to himself that he didn't. And yet, when he thought about the things his teammates had said to the kid, it made his blood boil.

Once inside the castle, Art turned, descending the stairs quickly down to the dungeons. He could feel an unpleasant prickling sensation at the back of his neck. He rubbed at it hoping to make the feeling go away, but of course it was futile. It only served to annoy him more. When he got to the common room he went straight to his room, not bothering to be social with anyone sitting near the fireplace. Only Blaise Zabini was in the room when the redhead entered, flopping down onto his bed and throwing his arm over his eyes.

Usually, when he was so worked up like this, he liked to be active, doing some sort of physical activity. At the moment though, he really didn't have the option, having to settle with taking solace in the silence. Or at least, he could have, if there was silence.

"Rough practice?" Blaise asked him. It pissed him off, but not because the other boy had asked. Rather it was because he really didn't even care about the answer. The redhead knew it, he could tell by the disinterested tone of the other Slytherin's voice. Why ask a question just to annoy someone else? He couldn't help but wonder and be ticked off all at the same time.

"It was fine," he answered, sitting up, unable to just stay still. It wasn't in his nature. The night carried on in a similar fashion, Art moving around the room, Blaise asking an annoying question about his well being without even looking up from the book he had his nose shoved in. While the cheesiness of the phrase 'time heals all wounds' might be enough to make one roll their eyes, it wasn't total malarkey, he found. By the time everyone was settling down to sleep, Art had calmed down some, or at least enough for him to feel like he could potentially fall asleep too.

So that was what he did. He got ready for bed, laid down, got under the covers, and sat there for a good hour before actually losing consciousness. The night passed without incident, but despite this the Slytherin still woke up, groggy the next day. The back of his neck burned dully, but he didn't think it was much of an issue. It was barely light when he actually pulled himself out of bed, but he had to get up that early to get ready. He had a game ahead of him that day, and as much as he hated to recognize there was a good chance the Slytherins would lose no matter what they did, he still liked to put all his effort into the whole thing.

Sluggishly, Arthur made his way to the bathroom. He passed by the mirrors, and just out of curiosity, he lifted his hair up, taking a look at the still forming soulmark that was there. He still couldn't tell what it was, but it was more defined than it had been earlier. He could make out four little legs, but that was about all, and there wasn't nearly enough there to take a guess as to what the thing actually was. Despite the burning sensation, the skin didn't look irritated at all.

Letting his hair fall, Art went and brushed his teeth and got dressed before heading down to the Slytherin locker rooms to really get ready for the day.

+++

"I'm sure you got a lot of thinking done around that lot," Ron joked as they began the climb up to the Gryffindor common room. "Wait, they didn't actually do anything to you, did they?" The redhead then asked, eyebrows furrowed as he looked up at the taller boy, concerned. The way Neville had talked about being in the wrong place at the wrong time made it sound like they actually had. And if they did… well, it was just going to make the Gryffindor victory that was coming even sweeter, he just had to keep reminding himself of this.

Ron thought it about it a bit, thinking about how McCross, a Slytherin on the quidditch team that may or may not have harassed one of their own, knows about and signed up for their secret and definitely against the rules DADA lessons. Juliet was a really great girl, and Ron couldn't help but admire her want to see the good in others, but he couldn't help but think that she must be overestimating the brute when she said he wasn't actually all that bad.

"Err, yeah, she did," the redhead said a bit awkwardly at the change of subject, thinking now about what he and the Ravenclaw witch actually discussed while she dropped off her letter. And about how they had walked back together. He could feel the tips of his ears grow warm just thinking about it and was glad he hadn't cut all his hair off like his mother wanted him too over the summer, or it would have been obvious to everyone else too.

Ron was grateful for the topic of discussion to flip back to quidditch and he lit up at Neville's words. "Oh you know it, with Harry on our side, there's no way we'll lose," he grinned, a bit deviously. When they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady, Ron let out the password, figuring there was a decent chance the Gryffindor next to him hadn't had it memorized yet. Once inside the redhead gave the taller boy a wave before making his way up the stairs to the dormitories, where he found Harry sitting on his bed. A small smile was on his lips, and Ron's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"So, what did you do the rest of the afternoon?" He asked, tone teasing as he raised his eyebrows.

"Just tried to think of places to hold the meetings, that's all," Harry replied, though he seemed like he was thinking about something… or someone. Ron just grinned at his friend and made the dark haired boy talk about the afternoon, as he had surely spent it all with Cho. Not after long though, Ron changed into his pajamas, getting ready for bed. The game was the next day and he wanted to make sure he was good and awake for it. It didn't take him ridiculously long to fall asleep after everyone had turned out the lights and he was comfortably wrapped around his pillow. His last thoughts before drifting off were about Juliet and soulmarks.

When Ron woke up though, it hadn't been as peacefully as he had fallen asleep. A sharp pain followed by a burning sensation had woke him up suddenly, and while the feeling was already beginning to fade, he knew it had to be really bad to wake him up from any kind of fitful sleep. He rubbed at his shoulder blindly, not being able to see his surroundings very well as it was still mostly dark. The only conclusion he could come to for what had happened was that he had been bitten by multiple bugs all at one time, and that was what had hurt so much it pulled him from sleep. Either that or it was one really big spider.

Ron shuddered at the thought and quickly got up, needing to see what had happened to his shoulder. That is, if there was anything to even see. He made his way through the room to the bathroom, not having too much difficulty as the space had basically been his home for the last four and a half years. Turning on the lights in the lavatory, he went over to the mirrors, turning just slightly to get a glimpse. When he finally saw what he was looking for, his jaw dropped open. On his shoulder, two dark, horizontal lines could be clearly seen. He didn't know what animal shape they would eventually make up, but he knew exactly what they meant.
 
Neville had taken a few minutes to regain control of his breathing, while trying to ignore the dream he had just awoken from. It had taken him a few moments to completely understand what had occurred, but he was beginning to wrap his mind around it. It was becoming increasingly clear to Neville that something was pushing him towards Arthur McCross. Could that something have anything to do with his soul mark? Neville wondered for a while before he began to hear commotion occurring in the common room. Of course everyone was up early and getting ready, it was after all day for Qudditch!

And not just any Quidditch game, but the biggest rivalry of the season, Slytherin versus Gryffindor. Neville was looking forward to the game, and to celebrate happily afterward a victory of course. He pushed thoughts of Art out of his mind and managed to get out of his bed. After he had picked out a festive yet causal outfit he began to brush his teeth and run his fingers though his hair to make an attempt at managing the crazy long locks. He tugged on his red and gold sweater and wrapped the matching scarf loosely around his neck. He grabbed a cozy hat and a pair of gloves for later as he knew it was getting colder outside by the minute.

After deciding he looked presentable he joined his friends in the common room as the team was getting pumped up. He slid up next to Ron and Hermione as they watched the team gathering. "Morning mates!" Neville greeted the duo cheerfully. "Looking forward to the game today?" He asked as they started following the team out of the common room and towards the dinning hall since no one could compete on an empty stomach. He tagged along as the trio made their way down the stairs and into the candle lit room.

Sitting down next to Ron and across from Hermione he began to load his plate with a few light breakfast items. Smearing a jam onto the biscuit before biting into it happily. It was then out of the corner of his eye he saw a figure walking towards them. His jaw dropping slightly before a smile began to curve on his lips. "Aye Jules is wearing a Gryffindor shirt!" He said with a light hearted laugh as the blonde made her way over to the group.

+++

Juliet hadn't slept much that night, but she had somehow drifted into a semi-peaceful sleep before she felt a hard smack to her side. Her eyes flew open as she was met with another whack of a pillow. "Cho!" Juliet cried out as she tried to pull the blue comforter over her head to shield herself. "Jules it's breakfast time you gotta get ready!" Cho reminded the girl with another smack of the pillow. "Uhhhhh you couldn't have given me five more minutes?" She moaned, pulling her comforter off her body and begrudgingly getting her rump in gear.

After a few minutes of preparation, Juliet was happy with her appearance. She had pulled her blonde locks into a high ponytail and had applied just a touch of make up to hide her dark circles from the previous night of amateur sleep. She turned towards Cho as she prepared to get ready, only to see that Cho was holding out a red t-shirt. "What's this?" Juliet asked, her eyebrow raising in suspicion as she accepted the item. She unveiled it to reveal a dark red t-shirt with a Gryffindor logo printed neatly on the front. "It's festive" Cho said with a smile.

In the end Juliet had given in and worn the t-shirt, if only to make Cho happy. It was true that the two Ravenclaw girls were a bit silly looking supporting another house, however Luna usually wore a lion head hat so it couldn't possibly be that weird. As the two girls made their way towards the great hall for breakfast, Cho had spotted Harry and gave Juliet a pleading look. To which Juliet happily nudged her friend to go and mingle before the game started. So as she walked into the dinning room she was pleasantly surprised to see Neville, Hermione, and Ron. Her heart speeding up slightly at the slight of the red head.

As Neville pointed out her shirt she laughed in response. "It's festive.. Or at least that's what Cho said" She said with a laugh as she approached them. "Mind if I sit here?" She asked Ron as she slid in next to him. "What.. you don't think the shirt is silly do you?" She asked honestly.
 
Art was almost about to climb up the stairs from the dungeon to the main floor when he heard a voice call out from behind him. "McCross, wait up! You going to get breakfast?" He turned around with an annoyed sigh, seeing that it was Goyle who asked, who was following behind Draco Malfoy.

"No, actually, I was just going to go the the locker rooms," the redheaded Slytherin replied, waiting on the steps for the two of them to catch up to him.

"Come on now, you should eat before the match, there's a lot at stake here," Malfoy told him and Art rolled his eyes. He could have protested, but honestly, he didn't have the energy. Maybe that was his sign that he should actually be eating breakfast.

By the time the two other Slytherins had caught up to him he had already relented, turning and leading the way to the Great Hall. The goal was to go directly to his usual spot, sit down, eat breakfast, and then head to the locker rooms. It was supposed to be quick and thoughtless. That was, until his wandering eyes just happened to scan across the Gryffindor, landing on one of its occupants in particular with dark hair and an obnoxiously colored sweater. Art couldn't help but think back to the previous day and the pang of guilt he had felt on the field returned in full force.

No, he told himself. I don't give a shit. He quickly averted his eyes and took his seat, sitting beside Bletchley and Goyle. He ate rather fast, as intended, but the meal certainly wasn't 'thoughtless,' as he had hoped. He hung his head for just a moment, allowing himself to just have that moment. He felt stressed out, and confused, and kind of guilty, and the back of his neck burned, and really he just wanted the match to be done and over with and accept his loss. This wasn't something he had ever thought or wanted before, but he wanted it now.

Arthur knew he couldn't have it though. He knew he was going to play as best he could, like always. And so he excused himself from the group, getting up to go to the locker rooms. The walk alone was both nice and not so nice. Being left alone with his thoughts was annoying but not having to deal with people who were even more annoying than him was a bit of a comfort. He entered the dark room, hitting the lights as he did so and moving to his locker. Opening up the metal door, there were his robes and his bat, as they usually were. By the time he was done getting ready, most of his team had already joined him, and their captain was gearing up to make some sort of speech about how this was the time they were going to beat the Gryffindors.

+++

The dark lines on Ron's shoulder were… a part of his soulmark. There was no way they could be mistaken, not even if they were on the body of a fifteen year old, which they were. He had just been talking about how it was rare for anyone to get their soulmark at that age the previous day. With Juliet. Because hers had already started developing. Now, Ron would never lie and say he was particularly brilliant. He was no Hermione. But he wasn't thick either and he knew how to put two and two together. Two people getting their soulmark at the same time while also in a period of their life where this rarely occurred?

Ron gulped. What if Juliet was his… soulmate? He knew he would find out soon enough, since his soulmark wasn't appearing randomly, but still. What would happen? What would they do? He couldn't help but picture what would happen in his mind. He could see himself, glancing down at the charming witch. Maybe she would be wearing short sleeves, or maybe a sweater sleeve would slide up her arm a bit by accident. He didn't know what his patronus was, so he had no idea what would be on her wrist once the mark was complete, but he could see that as soon as he saw it, the tattoo would explode with color.

From everything the redhead knew about soulmates, that would be the moment where everything would click. Like his life was a puzzle and she was the last missing piece. No, not just one piece, half the pieces. That was how it worked, right? Two halves of one soul coming together? The thought of that made Ron just a tad nervous. It sounded so… vast; a concept with endless possibilities, and yet when he thought about sharing that with Juliet… a shiver ran down his spine as warmth blossomed in his chest. What would that mean for the two of them? It would mean forever, wouldn't it? Unless, of course, he was thinking everything all wrong and she really wasn't his soulmate.

The thought made the Gryffindor's heart drop into the pit of his stomach. If it wasn't meant to be though, then why did he feel like this? He couldn't help but wonder. A part of him couldn't believe that this was a coincidence while the other part of him couldn't convince himself it was anything but.

He knew he had to get going, get ready for the day. He had been standing completely still, staring at his shoulder in the mirror for far too long. It was a miracle no one had walked in on the redhead yet and he was sure it was bound to happen sooner or later. Still feeling rather dazed, Ron got ready for the day, and headed down to the common room, knowing he had the quidditch match to go to. He just had to put all this behind him for now and worry about it later.

When he got downstairs, he stood next to Hermione, watching everyone gather about, and before long, Neville joined them as well, wishing them a good morning. "As always," Hermione smiled at him when he asked if they were looking forward to the game.

"Of course," Ron answered, though only half heartedly, his mind still occupied. He followed the lot of them to the Great Hall for breakfast, doing his best to get into the conversation with the rest of them. When they got to their usual table the redhead immediately went for a plate and began loading it up, hungry after a long 8 hours or so of no food. He had just begun to dig in when he heard Neville speak, addressing… Jules.

Ron instantly froze, only moving to swallow the bite of egg and toast already in his mouth. He didn't move again until he felt the seat next to him jostle slightly, and a sidelong look told him that it was Juliet who sat next to him. Pull it together mate, the redhead thought, forcing himself to straighten up. He turned his head, looking down at her now, a smile on his face. Did he look awkward? He felt like he looked awkward. "Of course you can sit here," he replied to her first question, despite the fact she had already sat down. "Uh, not at all, I think it's quite nice," he said, complimenting the shirt. And he did really think that, but his nerves, at this point, were getting the best of him.
 
Neville couldn't help but chuckle as the Ravenclaw sat down to join them. "I agree you look dashing in scarlet and gold Jules, you should really consider switching houses." He teased as he picked up a biscuit and smeared some jam onto it. He continued his chat with Hermione on their upcoming potions essay, adding a comment on how Snape had really become a snake ever since Umbridge arrived. To be honest, ever since that pink wearing devil arrived everyone had been on edge. As a corrupted member of the ministry she had the power to do whatever she wanted at Hogwarts, and everyone knew it. It was a relief that, even if she wouldn't allow them to learn how to properly defend themselves, at least his peers were doing something about it.

When he reached over to grab another biscuit he glanced at Ron, who was looking a bit red in the face. "You alright Ron? You're looking bit sick mate" Neville said, a hint of genuine worry in his voice. "Yes Ronald, Neville is right you're looking a bit sickly" Hermione said. He wondered what was wrong but lost his train of thought when his wandering gaze settled on Art. His breath catching a bit in his throat as his eyes followed the red head's slender figure. His gaze wandering a bit south before he shook his head of the insane thoughts. Looking back down at his plate and shoving the biscuit in his mouth in an attempt to fix the sudden dryness in the back of his throat.

'It's just McCross.. get a grip Longbottom!' He silently screamed at himself. But no matter how hard he tried he couldn't bring himself to look over at the green and silver table. 'It's not like he knows about my dream.. It was just a dream' He thought over and over. Although most of his dreams didn't involve a half naked Slytherin boy kissing him in the midst of taunting. The thought was enough to send a chilling shiver down his spine, followed by a burning sensation in his cheeks. And his.. arm? "Ow!" He winced, grabbing at his upper bicep and rubbing at the sharp burn. It couldn't be his soul mark again could it?

It was then that Neville's world stopped turning. The sudden realization of what was truly happening finally hit him like a brick wall. It couldn't be.. but then again it would explain the blushing, winking, steamy sex dreams.. Was Arthur McCross his soulmate?

Neville couldn't believe the thought. It shocked him so much, that his head snapped up and his eyes landed on McCross, moody as ever. Neville's eyes were glued to the trouble making boy as his mind raced with all sorts of thoughts. It wasn't until Hermione nudged him that he broke his gaze to look over at the witch. "Come on Neville, the game is starting soon and we want to get a good seat." She said as she stood up. "Yeah.. right" Neville managed to say. However he already felt like he had been hit in the gut with a bludger as he made his way out of the Great Hall.

+++

Juliet couldn't help but feel a bit awkward. She could feel Ron tense up as soon as she slid next to him. Her attention shifted slightly to Hermione as she complimented her shirt. Giggling slightly as she blushed slightly at Neville's teasing comment. "You know I can't do that." She replied light heartedly. "Besides there is absolutely no way I could be brave enough to kill a spider" She joked with a small laugh. "Then you'll fit right in, I don't think Ron's killed a spider a day in his life" Hermione teased the red head, who still sat tense next to her.

She glanced over when Neville mentioned something about Ronald looking sick. She looked at Ron, concern filling her eyes as she reached out to feel his forehead. Lovingly stroking a piece of his red hair away to feel his forehead. "You do feel a bit hot.. are you feeling okay Ron?" She asked the boy. Wearing her concerned look on her face. Her hand slipping slowly from his forehead to his cheek to comfort him. She didn't feel awkward running her hand lovingly on the boy, in fact it felt somewhat natural. It was almost as if her body was taking over, as if some other force was controlling her hand movements and her gaze that looked onward to the red head. Her heart was racing and her blood pressure was rising. She felt like the world would explode at any second and then, Ronald's eyes met hers. Suddenly her world stopped. All she could see was Ron's eyes locked on hers. The noise faded away and all Juliet could see.. was Ron.

A lifetime passed before she felt a hand on her shoulder. Breaking the eye contact she looked up to see Cho standing next to her. "Hey Jules, you wanna go find a seat for the game?" The asian girl asked, her eyebrow raised suspiciously down at Juliet. "Uh yeah sure, give me one minute" She stuttered out before removing her hand from Ron's, the faint burning sensation running through her veins and spreading through her wrist. She glanced over at the two other Gryffindors and smiled half heartedly. "I'll see you guys afterwards to celebrate!" She raised her hand a bit to give a little cheer as she stood up. "Go Gryffindor!" She said before looking down the table and reaching over Ron to grab a biscuit to go. Her hand brushing his slightly before she said "Oh uh excuse me.. I'll see you later then Ron" Before being dragged away by her overly excited friend.

As she and Cho made their way to the Qudditch pitch she was internally scamrbling to piece together an answer. How she could lose herself in a moment like that was beyond her, it didn't even feel real. As she recounted the fleeting moment she reckoned it was unlike anything she had ever felt before, and yet it had happened. As the two girls began to climb their way up to the stands she could see a few meters away McCross getting ready. "Good luck Arthur" She called out to her old potions partner, waving at him with a soft smile. She knew the boy's younger brother, a fellow Ravenclaw, and she had a soft spot for the McCross boy after their time together in potions. For a few moments she had even considered the possibility that Arthur could be her soulmate. But that seemed more impossible as she thought back to Ronald and her earlier encounter with the other red head.
 
Arthur was doing all he could to get ready for the day's game, stretching his arms and shoulders as per usual. It helped considering that his main job was to use a tiny bat to defend against a heavy metal bludger. He looked up quickly, a bit surprised, when someone called out to him to wish him good luck. A grin formed on his face as he saw Juliet, coming to him as easily as breathing, though it didn't come near to reaching his eyes. It was the sort of thing he was good at. "Thanks! I'll be sure to kick their arses," he said jokingly, raising a hand in a semi-wave as she passed.

"McCross!" He heard his captain yell from somewhere not too far in the locker rooms, and he turned to catch up with her and the rest of his team. They were just about ready to go out onto the field, doing any last things in preparation before they did so. When everyone was set, they stood in uniform behind the wooden door, brooms in hand. Art took a deep breath, preparing himself both mentally and physically before the door was to open. He flinched at a small prick of pain he felt at the back of his neck, but he brushed it off, quickly mounting his broom before flying out into the pitch when it was time.

While his movements on the ground weren't by any means graceful, those in the air were fluid and well practiced. He needed to have good form to be a strong Quidditch player, and so that was what he had. The redhead brought himself to a stop, merely hovering directly across from Fred or George Weasley (honestly, he wasn't sure which one) and made sure Goyle was to his left in the correct position. His brow was furrowed, ready to start as soon as the quaffle was released. One hand was holding his bat at his side while the other firmly gripped his broomstick. It wasn't long before the chasers were going after the quaffle, and not even seconds after that, the bludgers and snitch were let free as well.

It took the Slytherin only a moment to orientate himself and locate both of the bludgers, only to see one heading straight for one of their chasers. He dodged after it, worming his way quickly through the other players before batting it away, aiming it at Spinnit, one of the opposing chasers. The connection of the wood meeting metal was audible, resounding in a loud crack as the bludger changed direction. He didn't stop to watch if it hit as he went racing towards the other bludger, one that was in the perfect position for him to try and get the Gryffindor keeper.

Arthur leaned forward, pulling his arm back, ready to strike. The chance of success for this hit, if he were to make it, would be rather high. He just began to swing, the iron ball hurtling towards him now, as a sharp pain dug into the back of his neck like sharpened claws. He still went through with the hit, but it was a lot weaker as he reached his opposite hand back to grasp at his neck. The 'hit' didn't do much to the oncoming bludger, and it kept on going past Art, twisting the bat in his grasp backwards, pulling on the muscles in his wrist.

"Shite," he hissed, bringing that arm to his chest, clenching his fist. It wasn't a terribly serious injury, but he was sure sprained his wrist. It was painful, but with the bite at his neck somewhat relieved he turned back around going back into the game.

"The hell was that?" Someone from his team called out as they passed him, referring to the blunder, though he didn't have a chance to make out who it was nor did he stop to respond. He went throughout the game as best as he could, switching between using his now sore hand and his off hand, with varying degrees of success. In the end, his efforts proved futile as Potter caught the snitch, again and the match was over, Gryffindor well in the lead with points.

Disheartened, he and his team returned to the ground, just before the Gryffindors. The captain asked what had happened, and if his wrist was alright, but Art shrugged her off, insisting that it was fine as the lot of them went to go and get out of their gear.

+++

Snap out of it, Ron had to tell himself, shaking his head with movements nearly imperceptible. He couldn't keep up like this until he met his soulmate. Who knew how long that was going to be? It could be weeks, or even months. He knew it was coming, and soon, but time was relative. Soon could mean a lot of things and he could carry on distracted and distant until then. There was no better time like the present to get over it; he could focus on his soulmate when he actually found them.

"Yeah, I'm peachy," the redhead replied to his friends who had all been giving him skeptical looks, working hard to act casually, as if they had no reason to be even asking about his well-being. That didn't mean he was totally relaxed though. He was still on edge, every fiber of his being being very aware of the witch sitting next to him, he just did his best to make his outside appearance not match what he was feeling inside. He was okay, really. Glancing over at Juliet, as if just to prove how okay he was, he saw her hand move towards him, or more specifically, his forehead. He tensed, initially, but when her delicate fingers made contact with his clammy, if not, a bit cool, skin, and he suddenly didn't feel so wound up.

Ron did all he could to resist melting under her fingertips, really he did. But when Juliet's hand slid down to rest on his cheek, he just couldn't help but lean into her touch. He wanted to close his eyes and relish in the feeling, he wanted to keep them open so he didn't miss a second of the girl in front of him. What he would miss, he didn't know, but he knew that, in that moment, he wanted to continue to stare into her mesmerizing eyes forever.

The Ravenclaw broke the eye contact first after what was simultaneously such a short time as well as a moment that seemed to last longer than Ron could recall. Looking up, he saw that it had been Cho to grab her attention, and just a second later, Juliet's gentle palm had been pulled away from his face. The redhead could've sworn that he felt the literal warmth from her touch being sucked out of him, but he knew that was all in his head.

The only other spark of that warmth he felt the rest of that morning was when the blonde girl's hand accidentally brushed his as she reached for something on the table. He revelled in the sensation, taking in what he could, despite the contact only lasting for a moment. "Don't worry about it," he told her, looking up at her but not totally making eye contact. "See you around afterward," he said, doing his best to give a genuine smile, unsure of just how successful he was. He didn't turn back to the table until she and Cho had walked a fair distance away.

"You're sure you're alright?" Hermione asked him, the look of concern still on her face but… there was something different about it, Ron just couldn't pinpoint what it was.

"Positive. 'Re we going or not?" The Gryffindor responded, moving to change the subject as he looked around at his fellow housemates. Those in their group all nodded before, collectively, they all got up, getting ready to go out to the Quidditch pitch.

After making the short walk there, they didn't struggle too much to find themselves a good, up-close spot to watch the game. Ron had always liked this spot, as it meant he had a better view of the Slytherin's faces when Lee Jordan announced that Harry caught the snitch. Maybe this was what he needed, a good, exciting game against his house's biggest rivals to take his mind off of the events of that morning.

The game hadn't even started yet though, which meant there was plenty of time for the redhead's eyes to wander. Coincidentally (or maybe not so much), his gaze just so happened to land on none other than the Ravenclaw who currently held more than a little of his interest, from across the pitch. He gave a wave, not too small that she wouldn't be able to see it, but not too obnoxious either, and a small smile, hoping she would notice.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back