[OPEN] I Could Go For Some Quidditch

For someone who was meant to be preparing for exams, Christian was not really being very efficient with his time. Instead of moving into the library (figuratively, of course) at Hogwarts, he was taking on shifts at the store. It had surprised Apollo, nearly to the extent that the elder twin became completely speechless, because it wasn't exactly a secret that Christian actually despised Quidditch. It wasn't that the sport was boring or that he was tired of everyone talking about it. It wasn't even because he had worked at Quality Quidditch Supplies for over a year now. No, it came from his accident during a match a few years back.

He had agreed to working at the store, for reference, to try and please his father and prove to his mother that he was not truly afraid of the sport. It would be a stretch to say that Christian would hop on a broom and play a game with someone, even if it was just one-on-one. But it just felt like something he just had to prove. Apollo had certainly made it so much of a thing that there was little chance of him getting out of it otherwise, besides.

So as the end of the year drew near, Christian was standing behind the counter, wondering if perhaps he should have just been back at Hogwarts instead. It was lucky that they let him leave now and again to work there at all. He kept expecting them to turn down his next request to leave, but thus far it had not been a problem.

A late-season match was on -- the Falcons versus someone, Christian wasn't sure. He honestly hadn't been paying that much attention. It was one of the matches leading up to the championships, though, so the shop was busier than normal, and he was just finishing up checking someone out and bagging up their purchases when the door opened again. The bell above the door announced a new customer, causing Christian to instinctively raise a hand in greeting. He offered a hello as well, a smile appearing on his face.

Typically, Finn enjoyed her trips to Diagon Alley with Uncle Norman. Norman was a bit weird, seeing as he wasn't a relative at all, and yet he had always been a fixture in her life. He was Orpheus' best friend, financial adviser, lawyer, everything. He was always around, always helpful, and he had helped raise Finn. Going out with Norman was as close to hanging out with her father as she could get, as he rarely had time and almost never went out into public with her. Orpheus Grimm was not the sort of man to go out on casual public outings.

Norman was as good a substitute as any. He spoke about home in a way that made her feel comfortable. She was embarrassed if she ever ran into friends or classmates, to be spending time with such an older man, but she rarely did. Orpheus liked the higher end stores that only the pureblood kids could afford, and they didn't dare to speak to a Grimm who was attended. So she was relatively unbothered as she enjoyed some fresh air outside of Margham Castle.

She also enjoyed the opportunity to dress like a kid, not a doll.

But things got weird that day when they went to her usual tailor, a cottage of a rather snooty woman who created hand-crafted, unique dresses. She was browsing through designs, knowing she was soon to outgrow her dress robes, when Norman mentioned something about a ballgown.

"Ballgown?" she said, lifting her head. "What for?"

Norman glanced over, Madame Duberie arching an eyebrow. Norman looked between them and laughed. "No big deal, Finn. Your father was thinking about having an old-fashioned ball so you could, you know, enter society as a woman. No big deal."

Finn blanched, pale and looking awkward. She knew what that meant. Her father was looking for a husband for her. She knew it. She KNEW it. But Norman was saying, "Why don't you go get something to eat, Fig? Take some money."

She walked away numbly, the money clinking in her cardigan pockets. She didn't track down food, choosing to stop into the first shop that a crowd pulled her into. She needed time to think, time to plan, time to figure something out. She wanted to enter unannounced but a bell sounded, causing her to look up. And that's when she locked eyes with-

"Christian."

Awkward. Whoops.

The last thing Christian had expected was to see one of his fellow students in the store that afternoon. School wasn't out yet, so when he heard the familiar voice say his name, his eyebrows raised and he let his hand return to his side. "Finn," he replied, his tone a mix of surprise and something that hinted that he was pleased to see her.

Stepping out from behind the desk, he made his way over to her and offered a, "I didn't think I'd see anyone I knew today. What are you up to?"

Christian wasn't exactly complaining about her being there, but he could admit to being slightly awkward about it. Maybe she was intending to attend the party Apollo wanted to throw over the weekend. He didn't see much of her as of late, particularly since he had been focused on exams and she had been more focused on... well, spending time with Ducky, it seemed. Regardless, it felt good to see someone his age outside of school. It felt more like the freedom that summer brought. Or, in his case, that graduation would bring. As weird as it felt to be leaving Hogwarts, he couldn't complain about being given the chance to be his own person and do what he wanted rather than what was expected by the professors. Even if that meant he made some mistakes.

She really did not want to deal with her potential future issues with someone who knew the carefully constructed image she had constructed for herself. Christian knew her as uncomplicated Finn, the tag-along to Ducky and Nora, the quiet and timid girl who hated speaking up. If someone knew she was the sort of girl who got caught up in arranged marriages, her wealth would become very apparent. And from there, it wouldn't take long for her father's identity and reputation to follow.

And then all it would take was for everyone to know what she was, and then it would have all gone to the dogs.

All of this terror and anxiety flashed through her quickly, as she had gotten uncomfortably used to insecurity and doubt working its way through her at impressive speeds. He approached her and she blinked, forcing herself to look more calm, more at ease. She smiled kindly, trying to look normal. "I typically don't come in here. I..." What was an excuse. Something. Anything. "I just got bored. I was walking around with my uncle. How long have you worked here, again?" she added the question quickly, hoping to derail him.