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[Archer Thompson]

It was hard for Archer to believe he was actually back for his last year at the school. He had been so glad when he was still allowed to attend Beauxbatons after his family moved to New Zealand. The move had never been something that he had been happy about. He knew it was the best thing for them to do at that time and he liked New Zealand but a big piece of his heart would always belong to France. He didn't even know if he wanted to keep living in New Zealand after he graduated or whether he would try and move back to France. If he stayed in New Zealand he'd be close to his family and he was sure Chloë would be mad at him if he moved to France, but then again he knew he was going to miss France like he did before. When he was at school he'd still spend most of is time in the country, even if it was mostly just at school, but if he graduated he wouldn't even be anywhere near it. On top of that there was the struggle he'd been having about his future. He felt like he needed to have a back-up plan and had promised himself to try his best at school this year in an attempt to somewhat raise is grades. Even if just a little bit. Despite all of his troubles Archer was determined to make his last year at the school count and so rather than heading up to his common room the boy made his way outside after the official start of the year ceremony. The weather was still plenty nice and he didn't feel like being stuck between those walls just yet. He sat himself down on one of the benches in the courtyard and just looked out ahead of him, enjoying the peace whilst it lasted because he was sure someone would come along soon enough to disturb it. After all, he could never be the only one to head outside for a bit when the weather was still this good.

 

[Nadine De Rosier]

Nadine knew that her parents would like her to focus more on her lessons and grades, but all that Nadine could think about was Quidditch. This was her final year, that meant it was her final chance to to get their team to victory. Last year they had won against the Slytherin house at Hogwarts, but only barely. She still couldn't quite believe Orélie had really done it, and she knew it was probably partly luck and partly pure deteremination. NExt year, they had to do better, and win without a doubt. At least, assuming they would be allowed back at Hogwarts. She had been a bit annyoed at the overreaction to the argument after the game. It wasn't like Simone had hit the annoying boy with a beater's bat, just a quaffle he could have easily dodged. But there was no point lingering on that, it was in the past now and they had to focus on the future.

Nadine had brought a Quidditch magazine outside, hoping to get a few good strategies out of it that they could use this year. They didn't even know if they would be able to face Hogwarts at the end, as Ilvemorny was playing as well and they had to beat them first, the focus of the team should be on that. Nadine made her way over to a bench, then spotted one nearby that hat Archer Thomspon on it. She knew him, as he was her classmate and hung out with her friends sometimes and decided to sit with him instead. "Hey." She said, smiling as she took a seat. "What are you doing out here?"

 

[Archer Thompson]

Archer had tried to move his thoughts to a happier place, now focussing on the trip he'd take his sister on after he'd graduate. Sure, their parents hadn't approved of anything yet but he was sure they would. Especially if he managed to get his grades up this year. They knew he was responsible when it came to his sister so he didn't see why they wouldn't allow it. Plus, he'd be eightteen once he graduates which meant that by law he was an adult. And as an adult he should be allowed to take his younger sister on a trip to France. Archer had been fully emerged in his thoughts, so much that he was actually startled by the sound of a voice. "Hey." He smiled at Nadine when he turned his head to the side and recognized who had sat down next to him. "Enjoying the fresh air now it's still nice out, didn't feel like being stuck inside just yet." He answered with a little shrug. He never had a problem with being honest anyways. "What about you?" Archer asked her in return, eyeing the quidditch magazine she was holding. "Getting right back into it, huh?"

 

[Nadine De Rosier]

Nadine didn't often talk to Archer, though they had friends in common. She knew he was nice, and she also knew he was good looking. She didn't talk to boys much, and she felt a little awkward even as she smiled at him. "It is nice out." She said, looking up at the sky for a brief moment before returning her gaze to him. She grinned as he asked her about the Quidditch magazines. "Of course! We have to win again." She said fiercely. "You heard about our legendary win against Hogwarts, right? Two seekers knocked out, but Orélie managed to get the snitch a second after she got hit twice by bludgers." She told him, a story she had repeated many times. "But next time we'll win a lot faster, after we beat Ilvermorny of course." She said, puffing up a bit in pride.

 

[Archer Thompson]

Archer smiled and simply nodded when Nadine agreed that it was nice out. He had been around her before, hung out with her and some of their shared friends but now that he thought of it he had actually never hung out with just her. Talked to her without others around, which seemed like an accomplishment since they had been at the school for six years. "I mean there wasn't really any way around it." He let out a small chuckle. From the moment the team had returned from their match against Hogwarts it was impossible not to hear stories about the match. Often even multiple times. "You guys did great though." Archer smiled. He had to admit the beaters of the Hogwarts team sounded to have done a solid job as well, but he definitely wasn't going to admit that. He was sure the girls on their team would not take it lightly and if they were all together they could be slightly intimidating. Something he would never admit either, because quite a couple of them were his friends. "So now that you've won your plan is winning again.. just quicker?" He asked her curiously, stating his mind. "Where's the fun in that?"

 

[Nadine De Rosier]

Nadine grinned at the reminder that their game had been talked about a lot. She was proud of their accomplishment, even if it had been a struggle. She smiled as Archer said they had done great, ducking her head a little. "Thanks." She said almost shyly. She pondered his words, then grinned. "Okay, maybe not quicker, but with fewer casualties would be nice." She said with a shrug. "It was... rough out there for while. I would have settled for a faster win if it had saved some of that." She admitted, looking away. She felt a bit responsible for the seeker and alternate seeker getting hurt, as she was one of the captains of the team.

 

[Archer Thompson]

If he was being honest Archer had still been disappointed he couldn't have seen the game in person. It had sounded like a very interesting one, but he was sure it would've been better to be there in person. Plus, it would have given him the opportunity to visit his sister's school. To see how she was getting on there, maybe even see who she was hanging out with. "Can't argue with that." He nodded when Nadine mentioned wishing for fewer casualties in their next game. That would be a solid improvement. "Guess that's the risk of the game, huh?" Archer stated more than he asked. He liked quidditch and knew it wasn't without risk, but that didn't mean it would ever get fun to see someone get taken out by a bludger. Secretly, that was the only part he didn't mind having missed. "Still it couldn't have been fun to see your teammates getting taken out like that." He empathized when he noticed her looking away. He didn't think there was much she could've done about it, but could certainly understand that it had been a hard thing to watch as captain. "So, what did you think about Hogwarts?" Archer asked her with a small smile, trying to lighten the mood a little bit again. His sister had told him plenty about what she thought of the school, but he figured it might be nice to hear an outsider's opinion.

 

[Nadine De Rosier]

Nadine nodded when he said it was the risk of the game. "It is, but their team was really brutal. They were too aggressive." She said firmly, shaking her head. She sighed and shook her head as he said it couldn't have been fun. "It wasn't. As captain, I feel responsible for the team." She admitted quietly. "Well, along with Orélie of course." She hurried to add. She no longer wanted to dismiss her friend as co-captain. She huffed a bit as Archer asked her about Hogwarts, lifting her nose in the air."Nowhere near as nice looking as Beauxbatons. But we barely saw any of it outside the Quidditch pitch." She said, crossing her arms. "The castle looks old and ugly, at least." She said, her negative view almost entirely influenced by her negative perception of the Hogwarts team she had played. Obviously, everything about that school was terrible.

 

[Archer Thompson]

It wasn't hard to notice that Nadine felt very negatively towards the quidditch team they had played against. Even though he had heard the stories, Archer found it hard to say much about it since he hadn't been there himself. He hadn't seen how the other team had played, if they had been aggressive. "I get that." He nodded when she said she felt responsible for the team. "I don't think the team would blame you guys for anything though. It's not your fault people got hurt." He said, hoping she'd see the truth in that. It's not like the captains were responsible for the way the other team had acted or played. "Well that much is obvious." He smiled at her remark about the castle not being as pretty as theirs. Ofcourse it wouldn't, he figured that was common sense. The fact that they didn't get to see the actual castle slightly disappointed him. He was just curious to hear what she would've thought about it, although he could now see that even if it had been nice Nadine might not have wanted to admit that after the match. "So.. what team did you play again? What house?" Archer asked, knowing the houses but not sure which one they had to play against. It left him partly curious and partly worried. Mainly because his sister had told him she'd be trying out for her house team this year and he wouldn't want her to get badly hurt. She was a small and slightly fragile thing and even though he knew she was also tough it did leave him worried.

 

[Nadine De Rosier]

Nadine shrugged as Archer told her it wasn't her fault if people got hurt. She wasn't sure if she agreed with that, but it was nice of him to say so. But as captain, she was responsible for the strategies their team used and for making sure their beaters were able to defend the other players. They had failed at that. "I don't think the team would blame us." She said reluctantly. "But that does not mean we are not responsible." She added with a small sigh. She smiled a bit at Archer's next words, and paused at his question. She wasn't too well-versed in the Hogwarts houses, but she knew they had played the same one a few times now. "It's the one in the green robes." She said, thinking back. "They have snakes for a symbol, fitting. Slythering? Is that right?" She aske dhim, though the wasn't sure if he would know. "Why do you ask?"

 

[Archer Thompson]

Archer nodded fondly when Nadine mentioned she didn't think the team would blame them, only to be let down again when she stated they were still responsible. Making her see otherwise seemed like a losing battle, so perhaps he should just trying. "Well I don't agree with you." He stated with a small smile. "But I guess it's not really my place to make you think otherwise." He added, definitely not wanting to but heads with her. He chuckled when she described the hogwarts house their team had to play against, clearly stating how fitting the snakes were. From the stories he had heard he guessed that for those students on the quidditch team the snakes were fitting. He couldn't say anything about others. "Right, yeah Slytherin." He nodded. Having grown up with stories about both hogwarts and beauxbatons there was no way he wouldn't know the houses. Especially since he now had to listen to his sister's stories as well. There was no way around hogwarts when he was at home. "My little sister goes there." He explained with a small smile. "And I know she's planning on trying out for quidditch so I was just trying to figure out if it would be her team or a team she'd have to play against." Archer added with a little shrug, trying to downplay that he was actually worried about her. "If she even makes the team."

 

[Nadine De Rosier]

Nadine smiled a bit, shrugging. "It's just hard not to feel responsible." She admitted. "Especially as the oldest now. Some of them seem so young." She shook her head slightly, sighing. "It's strange, thinking I joined in my second year." She mused. It didn't feel that long ago, but it had been. The boy seemed familiar with her description of the Hogwarts house, but then said his sister went to Hogwarts. immediately, Nadine's cheeks turned pink. Oops. She had been pretty... negative about the school, not knowing he had close family going there. Nadine ran fingers through her hair, looking away. "Uh, sorry if I insulted her school." She said slowly. "Is she in Slytherin too?" She asked him, glancing at him. "If so, we might play her. They seem to be the best team at Hogwarts, we've played them a few years in a row now."

 

[Archer Thompson]

Archer smiled when Nadine mentioned how some members of their team were so young, whilst she was one of the oldest ones. "Second year seems like ages ago." He joked as he let out a chuckle. "At that time we were probably all still young and innocent." Sometimes it felt like they had been at the school for forever and being in their seventh year he felt like second year didn't only seem ages ago but actually happened ages ago. At least those five years definitely felt like ages. "I don't care." Archer shrugged when she apologized for insulting the school. Fact was, he didn't really care much for hogwarts. Sure, he cared that his sister went there and for that reason he wanted to know what the school was like but he wasn't attached to it. "Nah, she's in one of the other houses. Gryffindor." He answered, slightly glad she wasn't a slytherin after having heard the stories of that match. It did, however, mean that she would have to play against them if she made the team and just the thought of that made him scrunch his nose for a second. "Who knows, maybe their teams have changed and you guys will have to play something other than Slytherin for a change." Archer smiled, his statement showing that he just kind of expected their quidditch team to beat ilvermorny because otherwise they wouldn't even have to play against any of the hogwarts houses.

 

[Nadine De Rosier]

Nadine nodded. "It does." She said softly. "It really has been a long time." She said a little wistfully. In her second year, she would have never guessed she would convince her friends to join the Quidditch team with her in a few years, nor that she would be captain in just a short few years. It had all gone so fast. Nadine was relieved she hadn't insulted Archer in some way by being hard on Hogwarts. She nodded as he explained his sister was in another house. "I see." She said. "The names of these houses are so strange, don't you think?" She added, frowning a bit. Then she smiled a bit. "Would you forgive me for beating your sister in a match?" She asked him a bit teasingly. "What position does she play?"

 

[Archer Thompson]

"Right?" Archer nodded when she agreed with him. "Luckily I've managed to keep my good looks over the years." He said half-jokingly, although the smirk on his face definitely showed that he meant part of it. Not that he looked the same as he did in their second year, he had definitely grown up. But in his own opinion he had grown up good. "Honestly, they don't even make any sense." He agreed with her. Sure, his dad had told him multiple times that they were named after their founders or something but still those names were just in a league of their own. "Depends, would you forgive me for the jokes I'll make if my sister was to beat you guys?" Archer teased back, only now realizing how interesting it would be if his sister made the team and the beauxbatons team would somehow end up having to play against her. "I think she said she was going for chaser." He answered, recalling that was what she had talked to him about trying out for. It definitely couldn't have been a beater, that much he knew for sure.

 

[Nadine De Rosier]

Nadine laughed as Archer talked about his looks, though she blushed a bit too. He really was good looking. She decided to be bold. "I think they got better, personally." She said with a sweet smile, wondering what he'd say to that. Archer seemed to agree with her on the houses being silly, and she nodded emphatically as he said they made no sense. "There's one that sounds really silly." She said, thinking it over. "But I don't remember the name now." Nadine laughed again at his next joke, shaking her head. "I can say with confidence I'll forgive you, because we'll never lose to Hogwarts." She said confidently. "Not even if your sister plays." Her smile widened as Archer told her what his sister wanted to play. "The best position, certainly." She said with an approving nod.

 

[Archer Thompson]

Archer's smirk grew bigger at Nadine's remark. He was confident enough in his looks to know he looked good, but it was still nice to hear other people say it. "Thanks, you're not so bad yourself." He smiled, curious if it would make her slight blush grow deeper. He didn't say it just to be nice though, he meant it too. Nadine was definitely pretty and he'd be a fool not to see that. "You mean Hufflepuff?" He laughed, fairly certain that it was the name she was referring to. He wasn't even sure what the houses stood for anymore even if he had been told various time, but the names were so strange and got mentioned so much at home it was hard for him to forget them anymore. "Right, seems fair." Archer nodded at her response, enjoying the confidence she had in their quidditch team and what they could do. "I'll make sure to tell her that." He nodded, finding it funny how people could have such a preference for quidditch positions.