Peyton stepped out onto the pitch with a wide smile, Phoenix resting on his shoulder. He took a deep breath of the cool air. The winter had been rather mild with barely any snow, which made Quidditch Practices much more bearable (much to his team's relief) However today wasn't about Quidditch Practice, well not quite. He was giving his team a break and was working on a more personal project. Peyton had found over the past few years that he had been Captain that he had become a rather decent coach and he was looking to use those skills to help a friend out.

He turned to face his companion taking his broom off his shoulder and letting it hover next to him. She was cuddled up with her own broom, gloves tight against the handle, comfortable and warm clothes that would allow her to ride and her shocking turquoise hair peaking out under a toque bearing the Hufflepuff colours. She didn't seem impressed, despite the near perfect conditions the mild weather had afforded them.

"Do we really need to do this?"

Peyton smirked, "Yeah we do. C'mon, your throws been off all season, you're not doing your team any favours by missing goals you should be landing." He stooped down over a large chest he had brought out onto the pitch. One of the perks of being Quidditch Captain was near unrestricted access to the school balls. He unlatched the chest and pulled out the quaffle tossing it to her, as she yelped and dropped her own broom in order to catch it.

"Peyt your not even my Captain, why would you care?"

"Because you're my friend." He paused, "And I think I've been driving my own team crazy."

"Because you're my friend. And I think I've been driving my own team crazy."

Ayla had to laugh at that. She wouldn't be surprised if it were true either. The boy lived and breathed Quidditch and she knew that he was desperate for a House Cup win for his final year of school. She knew that he had his team out practicing as much as they could manage (what with the fifth and seventh years prepping for their OWLs and NEWTs respectively) She had to admit she was sort of putting Quidditch on the back burner herself.

She tossed up the quaffle and caught it again. She didn't think she had been doing too badly. She was scoring just as much as she usually did, how was that a bad thing? Then again he was the Quidditch expert, not her. If he said her game had been lacking lately was she really going to argue with him?

Ayla looked her friend over. Whether she thought she needed the help or not this was clearly important to him and she didn't want to disappoint a friend. It was still a little strange to be calling to older Ravenclaw a friend. They had bonded over the summer while he was staying with Kyson's big sister in Diagon and even though he was a few years older she had been able to help him in Charms and a little bit in Potions, (some of Ayla's best subjects and some of Peyton's worst)

"So what now? You want me to try and score on you?"

"Well, if we had others I'd suggest a game."

Nicholas needed a break.  The week had been terrible.  He was still trying to get back to normal, but Henry had been a friend and half of Siana's family were in his house and half of them were either still off with family or brooding in the common room together.  Not that he blamed them.  It was all just too much so when he'd seen figures on brooms over the quidditch pitch, he'd quickly abandoned the tower to go watch whoever it was.

Collins was okay, for a Hufflepuff, though he didn't really know her.  Peyton on the other hand, was definitely the distraction he needed, on several levels; it was fun watching him blush.

"So what now? You want me to try and score on you?"

"Well, if we had others I'd suggest a game."

"If you score with him, that's more points than 10 snitches."  He was shouting toward the players, the laughter only a little forced.

Peyton looked to the stands, recognizing the voice before seeing the face. He didn't hide away from the blush that nearly instantly crept up his cheeks. Bevans had discovered he had quite the knack for eliciting that sort of reaction out of Peyton, there was no point in hiding it. He gave the other Seventh year a wide smile, feeling like he could use it, "How bout you come down here and try and score on me too." He gave a small wink wondering if he could pull off being playful. Judging by the snorting laugh Ayla gave him he wasn't too sure he had done so convincingly.

He was aware of what had happened over the Valentines' weekend, the entire school was but none of that seemed to really touch him, which made it easier for him to just simply get on with his life. It may have been a little callous of him but he preferred not to dwell on such things. It was just how he functioned and he wanted to pass some of that carefree attitude onto Nick. Despite his best efforts it was easy to see the whole ordeal had taken it's toll on him. Nick was the only person Peyton was even remotely close to that had been involved and he didn't like people he considered friends, or even people he liked feeling like that.

He looked to Ayla, the younger teen seemed to be trying to figure out if there was anything going on between the two, which made him reflexively roll his eyes, "I'll get in goal." Peyton mounted his broom flying close to Bevans before coming in front of the goal posts waiting for either of the two to decide what they'd be doing next.

Nicholas smiled, Peyton was trying to play back.  It was entertaining, and he got the blush he'd been trying for.  Quidditch wasn't his game at all. He enjoyed watching it, and only partially because he enjoyed looking at the players, but he'd never been a fan of broomsticks.  They weren't particularly comfortable, and they weren't particularly fast, so he was rarely ever on one and didn't have one of his own.

He pulled his wand and summoned one of the school brooms from where they were stored.  It zipped over to him and he caught it.  "Not the broomstick I really want to ride," Nicholas smirked, looking pointedly at Peyton, "but, it'll do."

He mounted the broom and flew up. Unsteady at first, his flight steadied out as he approached Ayla.  "I don't know how you do this so much," Nicholas lamented as he adjusted his seat on the broom, trying not to crush anything important.  "I have a plan, I distract him, you score."

Trying not to fall and break his neck had pushed most of the events of the past weekend to the back of his mind.  As far as he was concerned, distraction was the name of the game, whether it was distracting himself or distracting Peyton.

Peyton couldn't help but smirk at how uncomfortable Nicholas looked on the broomstick. It didn't really occur to him that flying wasn't second nature to everyone like it was for him. He had been flying pretty much as long as he had been walking. His Dad had once brought home one of those little trainer toy brooms for toddlers that never hovered more than a foot or so off the ground. His mother had the hardest time getting him to come off it. He almost second guessed making his fellow seventh year join in but he seemed to be game and he felt like the distraction would be good for him.

"Not the broomstick I really want to ride, but, it'll do."

For once the euphemism wasn't lost on Peyton and he felt the blush run over his entire body. Such things were always expected to come out of Bevans mouth but they still had such a weird effect on him. He knew Nicholas was just being playful though. He doubted that he was actually interested in him that way, or at least he's never made a solid confirmation that he was. Peyton pushed it from his mind and tried to focus on the task at hand - keeping the pair from scoring. Though he had a feeling that their tactic was going to work even if Collins' throw was on the weaker side.

Ayla was up in the air with Quaffle in hand and ready to go. She shook her head at the exchange between the two older boys. She made a mental note to keep on eye on them to see if the flirting ever became anything more serious. She knew that Peyton had a boyfriend, or at least a lad he had spent Spring Break with the previous year but she wasn't sure if the two had kept up since then. After all it had been almost a year and Peyton hadn't really mentioned him. She made a second mental note to ask what had happened there.

She nodded to Nicholas as he suggested she do the scoring while he did the distracting. She figured it was a pretty solid strategy. Peyton had dragged her out here to work on her throws anyway and it gave the boys a chance to work on whatever this flirting thing was that they were doing.

She rose up on her broom and crossed over above Bevans before coming in quick to the side and throwing the quaffle towards Peyton's left hoop. His eyes had been Bevans and he saw her throw a second too late to catch even after stretching out for it, "Ha! Take that for a bad throw!"

"You got lucky." 

Nicholas smiled at the response he got from Peyton after his comment.  The Ravenclaw looked good with a blush.  Though he barely had time to process any of it before Ayla had taken off and managed to score.  Damn quidditch players were bloody crazy on brooms.  Sure he knew how fast they moved from watching them in the stands, but it seemed a lot faster when they flew around you.

"Even I know that wasn't just a lucky shot."

He aimed his broom toward the quaffle to retrieve it from its slow descent to the ground, and instead of flying toward the ball with anything resembling a controlled flight, he shot toward the thing, barely missing the upright of the goal hoop, and somehow managing to get a hold of the quaffle.  He pulled up and turned and was nearly to the middle of the pitch before he was finally able to slow the broom.  He'd blame defective school brooms if he wasn't fully aware that it was his own fault for not getting on a broom in a year or maybe more.

"Merlin's balls, I think I nearly died."  Sweat beaded on his forehead despite the cold. "Catch,"  Nicholas shouted before tossing the quaffle in Ayla's direction and grabbing hold of the broom with both hands again.  Why had he gotten on a broom again.  Oh yeah, because he'd decided to flirt with a quidditch player.  Nicholas was regretting that decision now.

Peyton watched the other two intently and it didn't take a genius to realize just how unsteady and unpracticed Bevans was on a broom. He suddenly felt bad for having asked his fellow seventh year to join him on the pitch. He was supposed to be cheering the chap up, not sending him to the Hospital hut. He was beginning to think he should call the whole thing off but he had also promised Ayla he'd help her practice and found himself conflicted. Which friend was in more need of his help? It was obvious that Nicholas needed it more, if he was being honest. Would Ayla be upset if he just called the whole thing off?

With his mind distracted by Bevans' well being the pint sized Hufflepuff managed to score two more times, all the while encouraging Nicholas to get some of his own shots in.

Peyton gritted his teeth and cleared his mind. Sure, he was a chaser not a keeper but he was still doing a rather horrid job. Determined to not let his concerns about Nicholas get in his way, Peyton leaped towards the quaffle as Ayla got another shot in. This time he was successful in stopping the quaffle before she could score. Unfortunately he managed to stop it with his face. A rush of pain and heat let him know instantly his nose was bleeding.

Peyton brought his broom back down to the pitch, "Bloody hell." He used the sleeve of his sweater to stopper the blood and hoped his nose wasn't broken.

Peyton was a terrible keeper.  That was Nicholas's inexpert opinion as he wobbled on the broom.  Or Ayla was a particularly gifted chaser.  Or more likely somewhere in the middle.  He wasn't really sure.  But he didn't think he was doing a very good job distracting Peyton and Ayla seemed to be doing fine mostly on her own.  After his mad dash earlier he wasn't taking chances.  He was just flying toward and away from the hoops depending on which way Ayla was going.

Overall Nicholas wasn't doing much flying.

That is until Peyton finally blocked one.  With his face.  He certainly gave the other boy points for going all in.  He started in toward the ground, landing a safe distance away, and closing the distance on the much safer ground.

When he got closer, and saw the blood, Nicholas had a flashback to when he had been covered in blood and his step faltered.  He'd never been accused of being graceful but he seemed to have even less today whether on a broom or on dirt.  He shook his head and did his best to dismiss the feeling and smell of being covered in blood, which had stayed with him more than anything else.

"Here let me,"  he pulled his wand from his pocket, and put a hand on Peyton's shoulder to hold him, hold both of them really, steady.  Poking at the nose with the wand wasn't helpful or needed.  Wand a few inches from the other boy's nose, Nicholas said the incantation.  "Episkey."

"Better?"

Ayla let out a rather audible gasp when the quaffle connected with Peyton's face. Almost instantly it was gushing blood and the senior Ravenclaw managed to get to the ground safely. As Nicholas was landing a few yards away Ayla dropped off right in front of Peyton. She looked her friend in the eyes, wondering if he was going to start crying. It didn't take a healer to see the nose was broken, his upper cheeks were already starting to purple. He might even end up with a black eye as well.

Ayla made a motion toward him but he shook his head, his eyes on the other teen. Ayla looked over her shoulder in time to see Bevans falter. He looked sickly, perhaps he was just squeamish about blood. Not everyone was as indifferent about it as she was. Having played quidditch for three years, she was rather used to the sight of it.

Before she could say anything Peyton whispered to her and she nodded. She turned to Nicholas with a smile and a wave, "I'll be right back." She raced off the pitch leaving the boys on their own.

- Ayla Exit -

Peyton sent Ayla off. He had asked her to give them some space and maybe talk to the school healer. He wasn't sure if Nicholas knew any spells to help but Ayla certainly didn't and he really didn't like the look of the other teen. He had no idea how much Ayla had heard about the Valentine's abductions but Peyton had heard enough from housemates and school rumors to know that whatever happened to those students, it hadn't been pleasant.

Peyton did his best to smile as Nicholas held his shoulder. The warmth of the other teen's hand spread through his sweater and helped make the smile a little easier. With a wave and a word Peyton no longer felt the burning stinging pain that was making him light headed. He shook his head a bit and licked around his mouth, clearing any blood that had dripped inside. With a final wipe of his face he gave Nicholas a wider spread grin.

"Better?"

He put his own hand on the other teen's shoulder and gave an air of mock seriousness, "Tell it to me straight Doc. Am I still gorgeous?"

Nicholas didn't move his hand while the Ravenclaw wiped the blood off his face, which definitely made it easier for Nicholas to look at Peyton without seeing a lot more blood than was actually there.  And then there was a hand on his own shoulder and it was a bit easier to focus.

"Tell it to me straight Doc. Am I still gorgeous?"

Nicholas cocked his head to the side and made a show of looking the taller teen up and down.  Though it was really just for show, as he'd already done much the same many times over the years.

"I can't say for sure, not sure how to tell you anything straight," Nicholas said with a big smile, "but your nose isn't crooked.  As to the rest,"  He paused and glanced down at Peyton's chest and stomach, "well it's just hard to say with so much clothing on."

Peyton felt a fluttering in his stomach as Nicholas obviously checked him out. In a brief moment, smile still on his lips, Peyton was nervous about what the other teen saw. He was tall and more lean than muscular but definitely had more definition to him than the average teen. All his years playing quidditch had kept him in good shape and he hoped Nicholas appreciated it. The flutter turned into an unnamed anxious sensation as the Gryffindor mentioned how it was hard to tell with so much of his clothing on.

Peyton swallowed a lump in his throat. There they were, two hormone driven teens standing in the middle of an empty pitch, hands on each others shoulders and talking about having too much clothing on. If this had been one of his Mom's ridiculous romantic movies, this would have been the perfect time to kiss Nicholas. But did real life work that way? He couldn't deny that they were having a bit of a moment, not sure what kind but a moment none the less. Peyton was concerned for his friend's well being and Nicholas was using his infamous 'make everything sexual' coping mechanism. Except this time, Peyton had been the one to initiate it. Was he expected to follow through? It wasn't like he could just take off his sweater in the middle of the pitch.

Steeling himself Peyton decided that even if he couldn't make the first move, he wasn't about to back down either, closing some of the space between them he added, "If you're lucky, maybe you'll find out just what that looks like."

This was the distraction that Nicholas had really been looking for.  Not to mention Peyton was fit.  And while he'd certainly started by flirting with the other teen, trying not to fall off that damned broom and Peyton's smashed nose had pushed the flirty comments to the backburner, but then the Ravenclaw had started a new round of flirting.  Though, when Peyton moved closer those thoughts that had been pushed out had a new home to rush to. 

Nicholas smiled at the taller teen's response.  "Is that so?"  He moved his hand off Peyton's shoulder, sliding it down his arm, then to his side, resting his hand just above the other teen's hip.  He moved forward, leaving just enough room between them where they weren't touching beyond their hands but only barely so.  And only because he didn't want to push too fast.  Looking up at Peyton, "I don't know.  I'm feeling pretty damn lucky right now."