Quote:
Originally Posted by
Ameh 
"Persistently difficult." The prefect was trying his hardest to not laugh when she went on about counting those who knew her. "Much as you may think you're unknown, you're not. The prettiest girl at the ball last term turned heads, after all. They know who you are."
Whether they actually knew anything about her was a completely different story, but that was the same for most everyone. Raiden might have had a lot of people that knew his name, but were it not one that was difficult to mismatch with a face (Hello, ridiculously Asian name to match his features), he would be able to blend into a crowd easily.
"Well... If it's going by personality traits, then I guess there's a certain set that's better for the competition than others. Someone who's brave but stupid wouldn't be as good a choice as someone brave and intelligent."
Watching the levels her face went through when he told her his secret was... amusing.
"Believe it or not, I didn't miss it most of the time. Being outside, playing around with other kids. I didn't know many kids. Lots of adults. Healers, Healer assistants, tutors because my mum thought going to school would be stressful..." He shrugged. "Kinda like, you don't know what you're missing until later?"
Merlin, but Quidditch... his parents were so against him even thinking about trying that. But that had been his first real way of rebelling and doing what he wanted to do, despite the dangers to himself.
"I tried out anyway." He grinned widely. "It wasn't a smart choice, when looked at from a responsible point of view. But it was my choice. And I really loved playing. I wish I could've gotten on the team instead of being a stand-by, but I took what I could get." He hadn't died, and he was even better now thanks to it, so he counted it as a good decision. "But I've got a lot of time to make up for from before I started school."
Oh Merlin. Poor Vindictus was probably going to have Quidditch players and captains knocking down his door. The fact that the tournament had supplanted the entire Quidditch season... there were a lot of younger kids on the teams, that couldn't participate in the tournament, and now they had no quidditch. And then there were the hardcore Quidditch players like Nia, who probably weren't keen on the fact that it was their final year and they were being short-sticked.
"Don't go too hard on him," he mused, imagining the showdown between the Ravenclaw prefect and her Head of House. "Maybe go up and have a shout at Tate, too. Just for funsies."
He bit his lip and was quite glad that his face hadn't done that warm thing again.
"Thanks. Only a few people know about it, and they've all moved on. Graduated, left, you know? It's not really a big deal anymore, but it still makes people look at me funny."
"Who me?" Nia questioned with a look of mock shock. She was not doing it to be difficult. Gah! He didn't given her a chance to properly protest though. His next words made blood flood to her cheeks.
Prettiest? She stared at him for a moment, dumbstruck. Did he really think that? Like
really think that. She shook it off. "You're just flattering me. There were loads of pretty girls." The blush remained in her cheeks though. It'd caught her attention, the way Raiden just came out with it.
Nia laughed. "Nice contrast," she said, running her fingers through the back of her hair. "Wonder what it'd have me down as." She pursed her lips as she thought about it. She wasn't exactly
brave, or at least, she didn't consider herself to be, but she wasn't a scaredy cat. And she'd throw her all into everything.
"That makes sense," Nia answered as she thought about it. She couldn't imagine being prevented from doing what she wanted to do. Nia had a pretty free and easy going childhood. Especially when her Muggle grandparents had looked after her and Theo. That was totally cool and fun.
"Sometimes you just have to go with your heart." Nia said with a smile. "Enjoying yourself is just as important for your well being as some other stuff." At least, that was Nia's opinion. "You should come a fly and have a play with me sometime. Like a bit of a casual knock around. It'd be fun."
"What makes you think I'll be hard on him?" Nia asked with a smirk. What did Raiden think a former Quidditch Captain might do on the announcement that the game had been cancelled? When she needed to practice for trials. Chuckle. She wouldn't be too hard...cos then there'd be less chance of convincing Vindictus to open the pitch for recreational flying.
"And Tate?" Nia questioned, leaning in to Raiden. "I've not really had a run in with him. Would he take it right?" The last thing she wanted was a detention and even less chance of flying.
"They shouldn't look at you funny." Nia said matter-of-factly. "Maybe its cos of how handsome you were at the ball," she added with a nod.