Reopened It has now been quite awhile . . . pv: Simon Kincaid

There was something exhilarating about broom racing itself that carried with it a sort of rush that didn't matter if you won or lost - but winning always enhanced that feeling, strengthening in. Simon was proud of his fellow badgers for remaining committed to concurring this course.

He held his broom in his hand, always falling on the same particular place each time he held it upright like this to transport it from one place to another. That spot was becoming familiar to his hand as the handle of his wand and maybe after so many years at Hogwarts, magic was finally coming second nature to the dhampir. Still, he could remember back to when it had all been so new, when he was a boy just from muggle London who knew nothing of the magical world and its existence. He, along with his fellow students and his friends, had come so far.

In those years some of his friendships had been strengthened and some had been lost, and Simon heard the congratulatory words being spoken and paused, having to think for just a short moment of whose voice they belonged to. He glanced back, seeing Della Barfield standing there.

She had a good race, too, and he would have congratulated her on a fight well fought, but he wasn't quite sure what to say. It wasn't because his team had won, but rather that they hadn't talked since that horrific staff hosted Valentine's Day Tea Party where the chaos of a lifetime had ensued. She accused him of being horrible, having led on multiple girls - but it wasn't true, not entirely. It was a misunderstanding combined with complexity.

But if she didn't still want to talk to him, wouldn't she have just continued along her way? Maybe in time some of her friendships had fallen apart as well and she was hoping to get some of them back. He hoped so. "Thanks," he said and let out a small smile. "It was a pretty brutal race. I wasn't sure who was going to win. Gryffindor was a great contender."

Maybe she just needed something - like an answer to a homework or something. Maybe he was just full of wishful thinking.

interacting: @Simon Kincaid
English | Parseltongue

Simon responded in kind, which was so like him. He wasn't the type to boast to her face and make her feel bad for losing. He probably genuinely thought the Gryffindor team had done well. And he didn't take the bait—there was no Oh hey should we resume talking now and pretend like nothing happened? or Hi Della, I'm here to accept your upcoming apology. So Della would have to dig down deep and find the right words—she had to lead this conversation. It was fair, though, that Simon couldn't read her mind and give her an easy out. Even he could read minds, it was even more fair, that she should have to speak her words aloud.

"Thanks. Yeah, it was pretty brutal … Erm, look, Simon, I've probably waited way too long to do this. But you know, it's better late than never. Ummm … so I'm sorry I ran away when you apologized. I'm sorry I didn't accept your apology. I'm sorry we weren't friends for the last two years. To be honest, it was my first conflict, and I didn't really know how to deal with all the feelings I felt.

"It was a big moment to stand up to you, but then I found out I had mischaracterized the situation. And it really was embarrassing to publically lose a friend over something trivial. So yeah, I'm sorry. And it's okay if that's not enough, but I wanted you to know how I feel."

It all came out in a rush—Della's voice was shaky and her cheeks were red. After she spoke, she quickly looked down, not wanting to look at Simon's face while waiting for his response.

It all came back to Simon on where it had all gone wrong - back to that staff sponsored Valentine's Day Tea Party on his Birthday where there had been mix up after mix up after mix up. Della had gotten a love letter presumably from Simon, as did many other girls at the event. His girlfriend at the time, although as struggled as their relationship had been, had learned about another girl's strong feelings for him, and by the end of the night he had admitted the same - he ended the relationship and broke Haley Rose's heart - and she broke his nose.

He had attempted that night to explain himself, but it had gotten so deep and convoluted that there was no quick explanation that would suffice before his emotions got ahold of him and prevented him from getting where he needed to. In essence, he had left this friendship that night as much as she had.

Two years.

Had it really been two years? Simon watched Della and listened and he nodded, understanding where she was coming from. Very few were good with conflict and he was one of them. "There were two people that caused our friendship to fade," he said softly when he spoke. This wasn't on her and her alone.

"That night was....quite a whirlwind. I ended it in the Hospital Wing for a broken nose," he said and glanced down before slowly looking up to her and smiling, just slightly. "I deserved that - and more." While he hadn't cheated on Haley in the physical sense - in that he had never kissed AngelFyre while still having a girlfriend or admitting any feelings - the feelings were there. It was just so close to Valentine's Day and who breaks up with their girlfriend right before Valentine's Day? He just wanted to pass through that before causing any pain and destruction - but boy had that backfired.

"I'm sorry I never tried to explain myself better," he said to Della. He had gotten so wrapped up in the breakup and then trying to get AngelFyre to be his girlfriend which took months. "I should have attempted to mend our friendship before now."

Was that what this was? Was she trying to mend the bridge between them or merely just wanting to state an apologize for how things had transpired? Simon wasn't really sure but if she was willing, then he was willing.

"If....that's what this is," he continued. "I'd like an attempt at mending. We could - meet up for a drink in Hogsmeade and try and catch up." Gosh, there'd be so much catching up. He was willing though if she was. "Or just go for a walk on the Grounds if you'd rather."

English | Parseltongue
@Simon Kincaid

Once again, Simon responded reciprocally, not letting Della take all the blame. She looked at him. Oh yes, this was what it was like to have friends. To have someone legitimately care about you and your feelings. It was starting to sink in just how much she had neglected her relationships over her second and third years. All the fast friends she had made in her first year had drifted off when she should have been holding on. She had roomed with her cousin for a greater part of her life, and the daily maintenance for their odd friendship was a given. But here at this grand castle, she had to put work in and keep track of people.

Simon recalled the fateful Valentine's night—and his subsequent trip to the hospital wing. "Wait, what happened? Who broke your nose?" Della nearly laughed at the absurdity of the situation. She was emotional about losing the game, she was emotional about reconnecting with her friend, she was emotional that he wasn't angry with her, and the phrase broken nose was almost enough to make her crack.

She took a deep breath and said, "Apology accepted. And yeah, I should have reached out, too. But sometimes school is school and sports are sports and you know, let's not beat ourselves up about it."

Simon invited her to go to Hogsmeade later or to go for a walk now; Della was covered in the normal broom racing detritus, so logistically she preferred the latter. But it was tempting to start mending now, but that might be a tall order for her emotional state. The last thing she wanted to do was start bawling while walking with Simon. He might take everything he said back in that scenario. No, the plan should be to shower now, mend later after a few good nights' sleeps, then she could talk to the older Hufflepuff like a normal friend.

Della was able to keep her voice steady despite the churning inside, "I'd like an attempt at mending, too. I should shower and see if my team is handling the loss okay, maybe in that order. Let's meet at Hogsmeade. This Saturday?"

I didn't even track you replied until I got the thread closure notification! Sorry for the wait!

"Hogsmeade, Saturday, around 10?" It sounded like a good plan. That was before all the shops got too crazy busy with the older students and before the younger students gathered up the courage to venture out with their fake passes. Hogsmeade was pretty quiet at 10am and it would build with visitors as the day continued.

An attempt at mending sounded like a wonderful idea and Simon hoped that the two would be able to do so. Enough time had passed and there was a misunderstanding in the situation to begin with. Maybe both could tell what had been on their minds for some time and clear the air between them. Maybe a friendship could be established once more. He was hopeful.


"I'm looking forward to it. Thanks, Della." He knew it took a lot to approach him after so much time had passed and he was grateful that their friendship stilll meant something to her as well. He had lost a lot that one evening, gained some as well - but maybe he'd be gaining some of it back.

He just hoped it hadn't been too much and too much time. Hogsmeade would tell.

Simon stepped back from her, gave her a small smile and then turned to go join his teammates.