The Years Were Kind To You

[Sophia Stark]

The sun was setting over the castle, casting an odd pinkish orange glow over the grounds. It was beautiful, and Sophia had no problem admitting that. She was not in the mood to do homework, so instead the sixth year had grabbed her broom and headed out to the Quidditch Pitch. Having changed out of her uniform the noirette was donning a pair of jeans, a green t-shirt, and a grey track jacket.

Stepping onto the edge of the Pitch Sophia removed the messenger bag from her torso and set it on the grass. She set her broom down beside the bag and stood, hands on her hips, and just looked at the space. It really was gorgeous outside, and the Slytherin was content to just stand there and enjoy it. Her gray eyes scanned the colorful sky, breathing in the sweet spring air.

 

[Blake Zepline]

With his streak over his shoulder, Blake stepped out onto the Quidditch Pitch which was his favorite place in all of Hogwarts. It had been where he and Lily had announced their feelings for each other, and the place where their relationship took its root. But also, it was the one place that reminded him of his stepfather, aside from the Ancient Runes classroom. It was quite ironic that both he and Lily would end up becoming Quidditch Captains of their houses, but also proof of their strong bond; they both had a passion for the game. It was dawn now, and though most would say the morning is the best time for flying, Blake much preferred to fly while the sun was setting below him. It gave the illusion that one was flying higher than they really were. Instead of heading towards the grassy field where you were supposed to mount your brooms, Blake headed for the stands, not noticing the lone figure standing on the pitch. After the long walk up the many flights of stairs, Blake finally found himself standing in front of the first row of seats, staring out at large pitch before him. It was even more beautiful from up here, and, as he had never been a spectator of a Quidditch game in his life, he tried to imagine what it looked like from the side lines. When his silent moment of awe passed over, Blake then climbed up the railing of the stand and stood on the very top, clutching tightly to his broom with his right hand. With one last deep breath of the cool spring air that circled around him, Blake closed his eyes and jumped.

 

[Sophia Stark]

Sophia was enjoying taking in the evening sky when a figure moved into her line of sight. It looked like someone had just jumped off of the stands on a broom. That cannot be right, the Slytherin thought, trying to imagine who in Merlin's name would have done such a thing. There were a lot of younger students the sixth year did not yet know, but the person up there did not look like a first or second year. No, that person had some serious flying skills, and Sophia wanted to know who it was.

After pulling her hair back into a ponytail the noirette grabbed her broom and mounted it. She kicked off of the grass and flew up toward the person, quite curious. As she neared the figure Sophia recognized that it was a boy, but that was about all she could tell about him. There was something vaguely familiar about him, but the Slytherin could not imagine why. She was sure she would have remembered a guy as cute as this one.

"Good evening for flying, wouldn't you say?" Sophia asked with a smirk as she flew up beside the boy.

 

[Blake Zepline]

Blake was enjoying the hight of his take off, and was about to gear up for a lap around the pitch when a girl, whom he recognised vaguely, flew up to greet him. Blake chortled at her question, and answered, "I would say so, yes."
As Blake jogged down his memory lane to place the girl's face, a series of memories sprang at him. One he remembered clearly was getting a detention, the first and only ever, in his first year for arguing with Pez on the lawn. The others were mostly associated with his old job at the Apothecary, and Quidditch.
"Sophia?" Blake asked, as he remembered her name. There was certainly something different about her. Was it the hair? Or was it just that she was older now? No, it was something else. As she came closer to him, he saw the glint in her eyes. The eyes! Blake remembered that Sophia's eyes were gold in all these memories. But here, they were plain gray.

 

[Sophia Stark]

[Her eyes were gold. ]

Sophia was pleased with the boy's initial answer to her question. The smirk remained on her face and she was feeling good. He was very cute, and clearly not a first or second yea. This could possibly turn out to be even more fun than she had imagined. But then the boy said her name, and the smirk was wiped off of Sophia's face. How did he know her? Sure she had a reputation, but was that the case here?

The Slytherin wracked her brains for ways she might know this boy. He did look vaguely familiar, but she could not place him anywhere in her memories. Then again Sophia had put most of her experiences at school behind her when she left. "Do I know you?" she asked curiously, her eyebrows narrowed as she awaited the answer.

 

[Blake Zepline]

[ Gold schmold. XD]

Blake chuckled as Sophia's expression changed quite quickly when he spoke her name. He was not laughing at her; it was the fact that she could not remember him that he found funny. He had been a first year when they had met, and so he was not offended nor surprised with her reaction.
"Well, only vaguely. We're in the same house," he said, gesturing a lazy wave at his school robes. "And we used to work at the Apothecary together, I believe. I'm Blake Zepline, though I doubt you'll remember me."

 

[Sophia Stark]

The name registered in Sophia's brain as one she knew, but it did not make the boy's face any more recognizable. The Blake Zepline she had known was smaller than her, and not nearly this handsome. But, now that she thought about it, that had been some years ago. It was entirely possible that this was the same boy, just all grown up. Sophia's eyes widened and a bit of a smirk curled the corners of her lips.

"Oh I remember you. I gave you a detention for behaving like an idiot. Seems someone grew up while I was gone." Sophia made no effort to hide the fact that her eyes looked him up and down. He sure had gotten handsome.

 

[Blake Zepline]

Blake squirmed a little on his broom as he saw Sophia's eyes run him up and down. The only girl who he knew found him attractive, or at least said so, was Lily. He had never gotten looks like this from any other girl, and it made him uncomfortable as he read it for the first time on Sophia's face, of all of the female population. He knew he had grown much taller in the last couple of years. But never had he registered that he might have changed in other ways too, that someone like Sophia should only really be noticing him now. This too, made Blake feel self-conscious and awkward, if not more uncomfortable than he already felt.
Perhaps if Blake had more experience tucked under his belt with girls, plural, he would have enjoyed this position, considering Sophia was quite attractive herself. But he did not. And, most importantly, he had Lily. So he figured it best to pretend he did not notice her eying him up, nor care for that matter; because he didn't. Well not entirely, as it was only in a way where he was curious of what Sophia saw now, that she had not seen before.
"Ah..." Blake said after a moment, clearing his throat as his broom hovered away from Sophia, slowly. "As I recall, Pez and I had been trying to sort out our problems. That's hardly deserving of a jab for idiocy, I should think."

 

[Sophia Stark]

Sophia scoffed, smirking at Blake. "Not only were you in an argument about something quite silly you were screaming about it on the lawn. If you were a Hufflepuff it would be expected, but as a Slytherin you should have known better." She did not mean it as an insult and hoped Blake would see that. It was years ago and her comments now were all in good fun. Although many did not know it Sophia had lightened up a bit in her time away from school.

"Still playing Quidditch I presume?" There was no way Blake was not playing Quidditch with moves like that. He had excellent handling and Sophia could image him playing professionally without a problem.