Emmeline, Pandora, and I were walking down the corridor after lunch, chatting idly about nothing in particular. The castle was quiet in that hour between classes, sunbeams slanting through tall windows and gilding the flagstone floors with warm light.
Suddenly, a figure stepped into our path, halting our conversation mid-sentence. I looked up, expecting a younger student or perhaps a prefect, but instead, my gaze met a tall, strikingly handsome boy. He had strong, chiselled features like something out of a wizarding portrait, with dark hair falling just slightly into his eyes and a confident stance that made him look older than a fourth-year. But it was his eyes that caught me bright grey, like storm clouds caught in sunlight.
Emmeline elbowed me, hard, in the ribs.
"Ow!" I hissed, but she was giving me a look wide-eyed, amused, knowing. I blinked at her, then back at the boy, and recognition flickered in her expression. She clearly knew him.
He cleared his throat politely and spoke in a smooth, sure voice. "Hello. Sorry to startle you—I just wanted to introduce myself. I'm Amos Diggory. Hufflepuff, fourth year."
My eyes widened at the name. Amos Diggory. Cedric Diggory's future father. I stared at him in disbelief for a moment, feeling a strange mix of curiosity and awe.
"Hello," I said quietly, trying not to sound as flustered as I felt.
He smiled a warm, boyish sort of smile and reached into the satchel slung across his back. To my surprise, he pulled out a bouquet of golden sunflowers, the petals fresh and dewy as if they'd just bloomed.
"I've been practicing Transfiguration," he explained with a small shrug, as though conjuring sunflowers was no big deal. "Thought I'd try something cheerful."
I raised an eyebrow. "Okay," I said, uncertain what else to say. The flowers were... beautiful. Bright and bold and entirely unexpected.
Then, to my surprise, he stepped forward and extended the bouquet toward me. "Here," he said. "They're for you."
I blinked, stunned. "For me?"
"Yes," he said simply, holding them out a little farther.
Pandora nudged my shoulder. "Come on, take them," she whispered, barely suppressing a grin.
"Yeah," Emmeline whisper , her voice teasing, "don't leave poor Amos hanging."
Feeling heat rise in my cheeks, I reached out and accepted the flowers. The stems were warm from his hand. He smiled again, just for a moment, and then said, "Well, I should be off. See you around."
With that, he turned and strolled away, his robes billowing slightly as he disappeared around the corner.
As soon as he was out of earshot, Pandora and Emmeline burst into delighted laughter.
"Would you look at that?" Pandora said, grinning wickedly. "Fourth-year Hufflepuff Amos Diggory."
"I didn't know you were his type," Emmeline added with a wink. "Do you know how many girls in our year have a crush on him? He's practically the most popular boy in his house."
"He gave you flowers!" Pandora sang, looping her arm through mine. "And sunflowers! That's romantic."
I clutched the bouquet, still slightly in shock. "I—I didn't do anything."
"You didn't have to," Emmeline said smugly. "Apparently, all you have to do is exist."
I groaned, but even I couldn't hide the small smile tugging at the corner of my lips.
After that odd little encounter with Amos Diggory, Friday finally arrived—and with it, the first Quidditch match of the season: Slytherin versus Hufflepuff.
As soon as breakfast ended, I practically grabbed Severus by the sleeve and began pulling him toward the Quidditch pitch.
"Hurry up!" I said, weaving through the crowd of students already making their way outside. "We need to get good seats before they're all taken!"
Severus didn't budge. In fact, he planted his feet and gave me a look of pure skepticism. "You do realize the match doesn't start for half an hour, right? The players aren't even on the field yet."
I waved his complaint off with a grin. "Exactly. That's why we have to go now. Early birds get the best view."
Behind us, our friends were catching up—Felix, Andrew, Emmeline, and Pandora—each bundled up in coats and scarves as the cool October wind whipped across the lawn.
Emmeline raised an eyebrow as she fell into step beside me. "Why are you so excited about this match? You've never been one to sprint for a front-row seat."
I gave her a knowing smile. "Because we're here to support Severus's cousin."
Pandora, always quick on the uptake, perked up immediately. "Oh—Regulus Black?"
"Yes!" I replied. "He's the new Seeker for Slytherin this year."
Felix let out a short laugh. "Oh yeah, I'd heard that. He replaced Greengrass, didn't he? After he graduated."
"He definitely looks like a Seeker," Emmeline murmured beside me.
"Let's hope he flies like one," Felix quipped.
Andrew leaned forward on the bench with a curious smile. "If he made the team as a second-year, he must really be good. Just like Sev."
Severus gave a small, almost dismissive shrug, but I caught the faintest twitch of his mouth—the closest he'd ever come to a smile when someone praised him.
"Runs in the family," I said, giving Severus a nudge. "Didn't your dad play Seeker when he was at Hogwarts?"
Severus's eyes flicked toward me then he nodded slowly, confirming it aloud. "Yes. My father played Seeker for Slytherin. Made the team in his fourth year."
There was a brief pause as the group processed this. Felix blinked in surprise. "Really? I didn't know that."
Andrew gave a low whistle. "So it really is in the genes."
"I suppose," Severus said with a shrug, though I caught the faintest twitch of pride on his face.
By now, the towering Quidditch stands had come into view, and the crowd was thickening. Students wrapped in green-and-silver or yellow-and-black stripes filed up into the seats, chattering excitedly. Banners fluttered in the breeze some enchanted to sparkle or move on their own.
We hurried to climb high enough for a clear view of the pitch, finally settling into a middle row where we could see everything from the hoops to the players' tunnel.
From the Slytherin stands, students were already chanting preemptively, led by a few overzealous sixth-years. On the other side, Hufflepuffs responded in kind with their own cheers.
The crowd buzzed with excitement, but up in the stands, the early autumn wind was cool. I tugged my scarf tighter and nudged Severus's arm with my elbow.
"You're quiet," I said, glancing at him. "Nervous for Regulus?"
Severus blinked at me, then shook his head. "No. He's... fine. Talented."
I smirked. "I didn't say worried, I said nervous. You Black men seem to treat Quidditch like it's life or death."
Severus rolled his eyes but didn't hide the faintest hint of a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "You dragged me here, remember?"
I grinned. "Because I knew you'd want to be. Deep down. You're proud of him."
"Maybe," he admitted softly. "He's still got that habit of leaning too far forward on sharp turns. Dad used to do the same."
"Oh yeah," I said, smiling. "You had your practice match with Slytherin last week, didn't you? How'd it go?"
Severus hummed, thoughtful. "Better than expected. They're fast Carrow plays like a bludger himself but we held our own."
I grinned. "Did you make any dramatic mid-air potions to take them down?"
He gave me a flat look. "That's not how Quidditch works, Petunia."
"Says you," I said, folding my arms. "One day someone will mix up a featherweight elixir mid-game and float off with the Snitch. History will be made."
"That's called cheating."
"That's called strategy, Severus."
He chuckled under his breath, and I leaned a little closer.
"So... did you fall off your broom or were you your usual graceful self?"
Severus raised a brow. "I never fall off."
"Oi! Are you two gossiping without us?" Felix called as he and the rest of our group appeared, climbing into the stands.
"You were taking forever," I said with a grin.
"Because someone dropped his scarf in the corridor and insisted on going back for it," Pandora said, shooting a look at Andrew.
"It's my lucky scarf!" Andrew protested.
"Lucky for what?" Emmeline teased. "Dropping toast butter-side down?"
"Very funny," he said, but he was already grinning.
We all settled in, the sound of students cheering growing louder around us.
"Place your bets," Felix said. "Ten Sickles says Regulus doesn't catch the Snitch."
"Ten Sickles he does," I said immediately, elbowing Severus. "He's your cousin. Back him up!"
Severus just smirked faintly and said, "He's already got half the pitch betting on him. I don't think he needs me too."
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