As a generous thank you for allowing them to set up a booth at the Career fair, the Tutshill Tornadoes had sent her two VIP tickets their next game! It had come as a surprise, even though she never really followed quidditch in the first place.  Usually she went to a game about once a year, with friends and her brother being dragged along. But this year, she hadn’t had the time, and watching the Hogwarts quidditch matches had satiated her urge to go to the game.

But Kohaku hadn’t gotten to go to his annual quidditch match with his sister yet, and it was one of the few times he was actually willing to venture into the wizarding world. Although he criticized quidditch most of the time,  he enjoyed watching it.  Mai had painted her face blue, and was waving around flags much to her brother’s chagrin. In hindsight, he really shouldn’t have been embarrassed; muggles were just as enthusiastic fans when it came to their own sports as well.

This match was the first match they had attended where they got to meet the Tutshill Tornadoes players afterwards. Maiko had already met a few of them at the Career Fair, and was excited to introduce them to Kohaku.

She made her way to the players’ tent, grabbing her brother by the arm and practically dragging him along. Poor soul. Mai flashed her VIP passes to the bodyguards and burst into the tent. “Hellllloooooo my lovelies!” She exclaimed, waving at them ecstatically. Her hand was still holding on to her brother’s, so he was forcibly waving as well.
“Letgoofme.” Kohaku grumbled, pulling his hand out of her grip and putting his hands in his pockets.

“Mathieu~ long time no see! You did wonderfully!” Mai beamed, “How’s your sister doing? Popping out little babies yet? Hm? No? No mini-Landis running about? Also, this is Kohaku, my widdle brother.”  She barely paused between blabbering out  all these questions, and ended with squeezing Kohaku’s cheeks in an humiliating motherly fashion. 

Before Kohaku could protest, Maiko held up her finger. “I’ll be right back, I need to have a word with your beater—“ She didn’t even give the keeper enough time to address all of her questions.

“Mai, what are you—?!” Kohaku was too late, Mai sashayed away towards the team's beater, but  not before giving the pair what she believed to be a subtle wink. 

 He looked over at Mathieu slowly.  “Er. So.. You’re the goalie, then?”

Adrenaline coursed through the lithe keeper’s frame as he stood within the changing rooms. Sweat beaded his shirtless torso, and a wide smile split his fine features. In his mind’s eye, the quaffle was only inches from his fingertips – there was no feeling like flying, no other in the world. This… This was Mathieu’s life. The bawdy behavior exhibited within the smelly locker rooms made the man laugh, a trilling French tenor.

“Maiko! Bonjour!” He called, as the Hogwarts Counselor strode over to him, a nice piece of arm candy matching her stride… Well… perhaps not matching… that woman always seemed to move with purpose and direction. His unfounded feelings were only exacerbated when she started pelting him with questions and information. His mind, still being on the pitch, took a moment to register her ranting as actual questions that he was supposed to answer.

He wasn’t at all fond of Maiko insinuating that Juliette should be having children… He simply was not ready for that just yet. Doting uncle and all that… no thanks. But before Mathieu could inform the woman of such, she sped off – leaving her rather adorable brother in her stead.

Mathieu ran a hand through his untidy hair, and let his hand rest against the nape of his neck. He allowed himself a small chuckle at Kohaku’s slight misinformation – “Oui,” He said, accent rolling thick over his tongue, “though there are different rules than the muggle sport… like I guard three goals instead of one. I take it you’re not an avid Quidditch fan?”

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Maiko patting the face of one of the beaters. (Rodriguez? Rodriquez? He wasn’t sure if his robes had a typo on them.) Kohaku shook his head and sighed. At least she wasn’t telling him embarrassing stories. Yet. She tended to do that. What a lovely sister she was. Truly.

He focused back on Mathieu.  Judging by the other man’s accent and name, he wasn’t of English or Irish stock. Kohaku himself had a fairly straightforward brogue, even if he insisted that he had no accent at all. His sister’s accent, on the other hand, was far too mixed to tell exactly where she was from. Mai’s was mostly Irish with a lilt of French or Londoner, depending. Kohaku was used to it by now.

“Keeper, I mean.” He said quickly, realizing his folly. “I’m not an avid Quidditch fan, no. I go to a game ‘bout once a year. I’d say my watching’s more casual than not.” Kohaku rubbed the back of his neck, unsure of what exactly to talk about. He didn’t have much in common with wizarding folk. Except for Abby, his across-the-street neighbor. But she was what wizards called a squib. Like him, she didn’t have magic. She didn’t fit completely into that world either.

And oh, Kohaku wished he could’ve fit in, and grown up in the same world Mai did. He usually felt like such an outcast, despite her attempts to include him in everything she could. He had found some letters last week that... Implied that their dad was probably a wizard too. He wasn't sure if he was angry or relieved. Did it make him a squib, like Abby? Or was he still a muggle? He felt like he no longer belonged in either world.

“Somethin’ I don’t understand.” He finally said, “Why is it that the seeker is overpowered? Catch the snitch, end the game and gain points. Not ten. But something like a hundred. Doesn’t seem balanced to me.” Maybe he shouldn't have said that. He was in a tent with an entire Quidditch team, after all. Probably not the best place to criticize their careers.