two birds fly {{rahim}}

[aubracex]

Castor trotted from the field of the quidditch pitch quickly, his eyes on the sky as he avoided any wayward teammates or bludgers that could come rocketing his way and cause any sort of damage. He had been out there for hours, and as good as it felt to get such continuous exercise after a few days of sitting in the library and reading in his free time, he had to take a break sometime. He went to the sidelines and grabbed his water bottle, taking a long swig before refilling it with a quick spell and taking another long drink. He was proud that he could always conjure cold, refreshing water. He had seen some second and third years cast murky, warm water. He had always wondered if that was a conscious decision or if they were just really, really bad at charms.

Turning his eyes back to the other players, a few being from different houses because this was not a serious game, Castor smiled. Magic really was amazing, he thought. Honestly, they could fly, with simple broomsticks. Muggles couldn't fly, not without the assistance of bulky things like planes and helicopters, and without those the only way to achieve a similar sensation was jumping off of exceedingly high surfaces, and that didn't always end well for those involved. No, wizards had it the best. He didn't want to be an elitist about it, but witches and wizards were quite simply better than muggles in most things.

Only a few of his own teammates were out on the quidditch pitch today. They couldn't practice strategy like this, but Castor didn't mind so much. That would have to wait until a team practice. Today was just for the enjoyment of the game, the ecstasy of flight that he so enjoyed. His hair was ruffled from the wind. He had a relatively fast broomstick, it was by no means the best on the market, but Castor knew its little nuances and perks and could fly quickly and with the agility that a chaser needed when following those quaffles through the air. Had he been a seeker, he knew he would have been better with a quicker and perhaps smaller broom -- not to mention smaller physique himself, most seekers were tiny things, honestly -- but as it was he was quite happy with his position and the speed his broomstick offered.

He tracked the progress of each of the balls through the air. They didn't let loose the golden snitch accept in a real game, usually, so he didn't bother himself with watching a young seeker who was weaving in and out of the scoring hoops to practice chasing the tiny winged ball. He watched his fellow teammates and opposing chasers, sorting out strengths and weaknesses so that he could hopefully put all this knowledge to good use the next time he was in a real game.

His eyes found a teammate, Rahim Lakshmi, the beater. He was rather fierce on the pitch, though he supposed most of them were. After all, what with huge balls flying around literally attempting to knock players off their broomsticks upwards of forty feet in the air, not to mention players going against each other as they chased and beat at bludgers and quaffles, quidditch was not a sport to be nice in. Castor himself had almost a complete personality change when he was playing. He had been known to knock several people off their broomsticks in flight. His mind continued to wander arounnd these subjects and, watching Rahim slug a bludger down the field with one powerful strike, Castor wondered if he was any good at dancing.

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[rahim]

Rahim pushed his broom upward into a steep incline, dipping and then diving back to the ground. The wind rushed past him and through his hair, making him bleary eyed as the noise created a sort of hollow sense of hearing. Pulling up just in time to sweep the ground on his broomstick the dark skinned boy swung his beaters club around idly, swerving around another flier and ignoring the shout of indignation he heard echoed behind him. Having been out on the pitch quite some time he eyed a mean looking bludger soaring towards him with a rather unimpressed expression. Rahim leaned back, throwing all his weight into his arm as he swung. With a loud crack the ball pelted off towards another group of players and he lowered his broom, hopping off a few feet above the ground.

His legs hit solid ground and he stretched, wincing slightly as he felt weakened muscle tighten with his movements. The training season had only just started and his body was certainly protesting against having not done this at all over summer. He had been incredibly busy, and when he was not running after children or helping his many relatives with odd tasks, the Indian summer was simply too hot, sticky and heavy to do anything but lay about on the veranda with cups of chilled bark tea and daydream.

His skin was still dark, a deep burnished color from the sun, but he knew that like last year, by November he would be considerably more washed out than he was used to thanks to the dreary Scottish weather.

Nimbly he skirted around a muddy looking hole, treading carefully as his Quidditch boots squelched nastily in the wet earth. It would not due to slip and get covered in mud, cleaning charms were simple enough, but there was only so far they could go to remove everything.

He noticed Castor Prewett, one of his teammates on the Ravenclaw House team, standing off to the side and waved at him.

"I saw you flying out there." He said, his broom thrown over his shoulder and looking thoroughly windswept and disheveled. "Aren't you glad that training season has picked up? I can't say much for this weather though..." Rahim frowned slightly and cast brown eyes up into the slightly gloomy sky.

It was a pointless thing to point out really, as this was weather very typical of Hogwarts this time of year. The hardest thing Rahim had had to adapt to had been getting used to this weather and it tended to get brought up often in conversation with him.

"I think the team this year is a good pick though. Norwich seems to have an eye for knowing how people will work together. Although I'm rather anxious about that Hufflepuff captain this year, he's not anything at all like what they had last year. I've heard he's gotten together a good team as well." Rahim shrugged and looked back at Castor. He hadn't really gotten to talk much with the other boy as they were in different years, but he was comfortable around him as they had both been on the team together the previous year as well.

"How was your holiday by the way?" He asked, wiping his brow and tilting his head as he regarded the blonde. His voice was level and calm, with the hint of a rounded, foreign accent that was much less outright than his Aunt Ashta's who happened to be a professor at the school.

[aubracex]

Castor would never admit it outright, but he was exceedingly grateful that Rahim had taken the time to learn not only the English language but also allowed his accent to fall somewhat when speaking it. Professor Lakshmi, who taught Castor's divination class, had a thick accent that was, at times, difficult to decipher along with words about prophecy and the third eye and the like. She had once told him he had a gift, or perhaps a Gift, for divination, but his interests lay elsewhere.

He had spoken to Rahim only a few times before, and was amused to discover that he always managed to mention the weather somewhere in the conversation. Castor knew he was from India and must have summered there, but it was strange to find someone at Hogwarts who was so unaccustomed to the dreary skies and wet grounds of of the Kingdom.

"Rahim," he greeted in turn, a smile on his face. "You're really quite good with that broomstick, have you considered going out for seeker?" He could see the other boy in that position, zipping from hundreds of feet in the air to the ground in a fell swoop, zipping through the air after the golden snitch. Though Castor wasn't the captain of the team, he was constantly thinking of strategy. He liked to think most Ravenclaws were similarly minded, and, like him, never voiced their opinions on who would do best where on the field unless expressly asked.

"Yes, I suppose the cloud cover is a bit thicker this afternoon," he said, his own dark eyes tilting up to study the almost ominous white and grey cover. "I do wish it would clear up a bit, perhaps for the weekend." His eyes fell back to his companion.

"I don't worry much about Hufflepuff," he admitted with a soft chuckle. "I know I should. They haven't presented much of a threat in these past years, and that's probably made me comfortable. But you're right, Nethanial has done wonders with our team. Even if Hufflepuff is stepping up, I think we're still ahead of them." Castor had house pride, there was no doubt about that. He was polite to a fault, but it rarely crossed his mind that the Ravenclaw quidditch team was less than another.

"Ah, boring," he said, smiling a bit more. "I worked all summer, for my father. It was routine and I didn't have much time for fun, but that's what school is for, right?" He actually laughed a bit before his eyes moved back to the players on the field. Their swooping motions and patterns of flight mixed with the tossed and flying balls made an odd sort of artistic picture. Castor cocked his head to the side, considering this. "Quidditch is like dancing," he said finally. "Less graceful, of course, but still similar, I think."

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[rahim]

He shook his head shortly at the question, "I'd like to play the same position as last year, beater." Rahim played Quidditch as much for stress relief as he did for fun and he liked the weighty feel of the club in his hand, the satisfying crack it made against the bludgers and the teamwork involved . Rahim, despite what people assumed of him, liked to work with other people (provided they were competent of course).

"I imagine I would be an good seeker," He was not flattering himself in this statement it was truth, "But good doesn't always translate to excellent." Rahim shrugged, offering Castor a quick grin and running a hand through windswept hair.

"And you? Do you think you'll go out for chaser again this year?" He ran his thumb along the handle of his broom, idly, inspecting the blonde with a subtle, intelligent sort of gaze.

Castor had worked all summer? Other than taking care of things around his family's estate and occasionally watching after his younger siblings and cousins, Rahim had never had to work before. For money at least, the boy was not lazy in the slightest and he always kept busy, but as far as finances went his family had provided him a very cushy lifestyle. He was incredibly curious as to what Castor meant by this, "In a shop or something?" Rahim asked, tilting his head.

When the blonde likened Quidditch to dancing, Rahim's lips turned upwards into a broad smile, "Not like any kind of dancing I've ever seen." He imagined the burly looking Quidditch players on the Indian team, locked arm in arm with the British players as they clumsily fumbled along on a dance floor in their uniforms and made a face. "Not a very pleasant image."

[aubracex]

"Mmhmm, yard work actually. Professional landscaping and such..." His eyes followed a bludger as it shot through the air and slammed into the back of a young man and knocking him to the ground. Luckily he was low already and the tumble wasn't lethal, as it was known to sometimes be. Castor's lip twitched into a smirk and he chuckled. "No, perhaps not the most attractive image, players dancing, but as a metaphor I think it works."

As the fallen player got back up to keep playing, Castor turned his eyes up to the rest of the team members. "Sometimes my imagination gets away with me, I'm sorry. But I can see it. We do have to be somewhat graceful to avoid colliding with everything else in the air...Hmm." His mind went to another subject, that of the dance he had been invited to. It was exclusive, for only certain students of a...higher caliber. After hearing of the supposed criteria for the students invited, Castor hadn't been surprised that he had received the owl.

He didn't yet have anyone to take with him to the dance, and thought it only appropriate that he include a fellow student. He wanted someone there to enjoy talking to, and wanted to share such an experience with a friend. He wanted that kind of memory. His dark eyes once more moving to Rahim, he cocked his head to the side. Though he wasn't entirely interested in the dancing aspect of the event, perhaps his "date" would like it. Rahim was graceful and agile on the broom. Castor wondered if he enjoyed dancing or had ever tried it.

"Will you accompany me to the Night of 1000 Dances?" he asked suddenly, surprising himself with the invitation. True, he wasn't inviting a date, per se, but with both of them sweating and dirty on the quidditch pitch with players zipping about above their heads, it wasn't exactly the most ideal place to ask anyone to a dance, even a friend. "I was hoping not to go alone. Would you enjoy that sort of thing...?"

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[rahim]

Rahim was not sure exactly what Castor mean't by 'professional landscaping.' Coming from a pureblood background, not to mention a completely different culture he often had trouble cluing into meanings. Curious he gave the other boy a long look and then asked, "Exactly what do you mean?'

If anything Rahim was certainly curious. He turned his eye to see the same thing Castor had seen, the fallen player getting up from ground. He snorted and shook his head, hoping to high heaven that that boy wasn't trying out for the Ravenclaw team.

He was lost for a moment in his own thoughts when Castors clear voice cut through his own disjointed thoughts. For a moment he thought he hadn't heard the other boy correctly and he considered asking him to repeat what he had said, but then it seemed to register and a shock of thick, hot panic sliced through him. His eyes widened only very slightly and his entire body tensed to rigidity. What did this boy know?

Panic was gripping at him, with sticky little fingers and bit his lip looking away and back toward the Quidditch pitch. What the hell was Castor on about? Boys didn't go to dances together. That was disgusting....that was...he swallowed, schooling his face into a very blank expression and turned back.

"That seems rather odd to invite me when surely you'd rather go with a date." He said carefully.

Did Castor know something about him? Was he trying to taunt him?

[aubracex]

Castor blinked, looking at Rahim. Did he really need more explanation on landscaping. "You know," he said, somewhat uncertainly. "We help people take care of their lawns and gardens. We design them and plant trees and flowers to make them more aesthetically pleasing. It's really a useless thing and just a hobby for my father, but he pays me and it means not sitting around the house all summer practicing incantations..."

If Castor hadn't gone back to watching the other players, and had been still looking at his teammate, perhaps he would have seen the shot of panic that shook him so briefly. If he had been concentrating more on their conversation he would have noticed that Rahim's voice seemed particularly schooled, as if to hide something. If he had been paying more attention to how his simple question had affected Rahim, he may have even known what the other boy was trying to hide.

"Perhaps if I had a date," he said, his mind quite plainly split between more than one thing, including his current conversation. "But as it is, I haven't really been interested in anyone's company, not on that level at least." Rather, no one seemed interested in his company on that level. Or, no one had come out and admitted it. "Besides, I would rather just take a friend. Things can get very awkward at parties like this when a couple is supposed to remain exclusive with each other. There's always one that goes off to dance with other people, and then there's the jealousy." He waved his hand generally. "I'd rather not go to the trouble of a real date."

Finally he looked back at Rahim and thought he saw suspicion in his expression, though he couldn't imagine what of. "I may just go stag," he said, somewhat surprised at the other boy's countenance. Finally he seemed to get it. "I don't mean to offend," he said. "I was only asking as a friend, Rahim. You have every right to decline."

[rahim]

An immediate wave of relief washed through him when Castor explained his reasoning. As friends only...well that was much more comfortable, yet at the same time he wondered if it was normal in Europe for two boys to accompany each other to a formal event as friends.

Still he felt much more comfortable than before and that edge had seeped from him, leaving him slightly more relaxed, although he was still eyeing Castor surreptitiously, "There isn't a girl you would ask?" He said, emphasizing the word 'girl' and feeling slightly curious now himself.

Rahim had always been very touchy about this type of thing and he shied away from the topic on all accounts. Thinking about it too hard left him feeling uneasy and raw, pushing down the parts of himself that he would never and could never accept.

He didn't have time to worry about silly things like relationships and the like when there were other far more important and far more prudent things to focus on. One day he'd be married and have children, but that day seemed very far off and intangible, non-important. He didn't need to worry about it because it was in the future.

"I'm sure captain would kill you if you focused on anything more than quidditch though." He laughed humorlessly and gripped the handle of his broom more tightly.

[aubracex]

"Hmm, no. I'm not really interested in any girls as of yet." Other than Pandorah Koenig, of course, but he supposed that wasn't the interest he was supposed to be expression for the two of them to go a ball together. The thought reminded him that he would have to get himself some dress robes or something similar to wear. He enjoyed the stories behind the traditions of wizards and Hogwarts, not so much the traditions themselves. Dress robes were incredibly outdated and honestly looked very peculiar.

"I believe I would enjoy myself more if I were with a friend. Honestly, I find it difficult to keep up a conversation with someone you're trying so very hard to impress. Girls can be a bit too complicated for myself." He smiled at Rahim. "So then, are you interested?" he prompted. "If it makes you so nervous, we could meet there and pretend we never made plans." He could, after all, see how this was affecting his teammate. Rahim tried to hide it, but Castor could be quite talented at picking up on such things, the sorts of ideas and thoughts that went on behind people's eyes. He didn't always mention them, and when he did he found it was more critiquing his fellows on their skills at lying than calling them out for hidden secrets.

"The dance is looming rather close now, I suppose," Castor murmured. "I don't have much time to find someone to go with me. Yes, I may just have to go alone." He smirked in a good-natured manner at Rahim, pretending to try and guilt his friend into accompanying him. It was a cruel sort of trick, and that was why Castor took care to let Rahim know he wasn't being serious with it. If Rahim said no, Castor would undoubtedly respect his wishes and go back to practicing without another thought. He was rather good at being so flighty as to forget about that sort of thing.

"I can split my focus much more skillfully than some of our other teammates," Cas remarked confidently. "It isn't as though a night of dancing really requires much attention anyways. I find what to wear, I attend, and I return to the pitch to keep practicing." He laughed softly.

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