A Search for Balance

Chapter 41 - Skye's Surprise

"I'm not," Lizzie replied curtly, pulling her dressing gown tighter over the old Magpies jersey she had taken from her keepsake box. Thankfully, Skye didn't push the topic further.

"So, how is it? Tough business, being a Quidditch champion?"

"Not if you've seen one of your dad's boot camps." Lizzie stepped aside to let Skye inside. "Speaking of it, isn't that about to start soon?"

"Got postponed until after the World Cup." Skye cast a curious look around Lizzie's new home. "Not bad, I gotta say. For Montrose, that is."

"I like it," Lizzie shrugged as she made her way into the kitchen. "The company's not quite as illustrious, but the quiet is divine."

"You can just admit you miss me." Skye must have seen the look on Lizzie's face because her teasing grin disappeared. She sighed. "Come on, don't look at me like that. It was a joke, wasn't it?"

Lizzie only hummed in response. A thought striking her, she paused, her spoon loaded with sugar still hovering over the cup of coffee she had been preparing.

"I never gave you my address. How did you even find me?"

Skye scratched her nose. "McNully gave it to me."

"What are you writing to Murphy for?"

"Stuff," Skye shrugged, taking the two cups and a bottle of orange juice from the counter and carrying them to the table. Pulling a chair out for herself, she nearly dropped everything when Mouse came into view, hissing loudly before scurrying away into another room.

"Miss you too, you fleabag," Skye muttered, sitting down on Mouse's chair. She waited until Lizzie had joined her before she spoke again. "How's your first few weeks here been? No one's heard much from you."

"I've kept busy," Lizzie mumbled, rubbing her thumb over a crack in her old Hufflepuff mug. "Settling in, and all."

"Sure thing," Skye said and raised her eyebrows. "So busy you didn't even have time to write? Not even to Orion?"

Lizzie stiffened. "That's different."

"Is it?"

"We decided to just leave it be. It's hurting enough without us picking at the wound, too." She was silent momentarily, fiddling with the ends of her plait. Then, she asked quietly, "How is he?"

"Not good," Skye said grimly. "Turned even more broody and cryptic than usual, and that's saying something. He's at McNully's for the season break, maybe the blathering will cheer him up a bit." She gave Lizzie an innocent look. "Wouldn't hurt to pay them a visit, I'd wager."

Immediately, Lizzie shook her head. "Absolutely not."

"Why? Bet my new Comet Orion would be happy to see you. And it ain't like anyone would tell."

"Tell what? Forget it, Skye. I'm a Magpie now, and he's a Wanderer. It is what it is."

"But -"

"Let it be. Please."

Awkward silence filled the kitchen. Skye's eyes trailed to the window, her face lighting up upon spotting a brown owl sitting on the window sill.

"Looks like your post is here."

Letting the owl inside, she dropped the coins Lizzie handed her into the pouch on its leg and received the rolled-up newspaper in turn. Not bothering with giving it to Lizzie first, she was already rustling through the Daily Prophet's pages as she returned to her seat.

"Rita Skeeter's spouting her nonsense again. Thank Godric she's going back to her gossip once the World Cup's over."

Lizzie grimaced. "What's she writing this time?"