Chapter Text
Josie is hyper focused.
There was nothing like playing Quidditch to center her again. Even if it was just her training by herself.
In the air, whistling through the air as she made her way to the goalposts with the Quaffle in her hands was where she belonged.
Any problems she may or may not be avoiding have been left on the ground.
Josie is hyper focused.
Which is why the quiet “hey, you need a partner?” surprises Josie so much that she nearly falls off her broom.
While her first instinct was to fly away, she quickly calms down when she realizes that the voice belonged to Raf.
It’s a little funny to her that she would rather deal with her ex-boyfriend that dumped her because he was in love with her step sister (even if they were pretty good friends now) than see Penelope again.
”You’re keeping,” she tells him, lips still slightly curled up.
“Sure.”
She waits until he is a safe distance away from her. He’s blissfully unaware when a Bludger she’d enchanted flies rapidly in his direction.
Raf ducks quickly, flattening himself against his broom and hazardously drops twenty feet to avoid it.
Josie’s laughter rings through the entire Quidditch pitch.
“Asshole.” His grin is practically audible.
“That’s for sneaking up on me, by the way.”
Raf takes his place before the goal posts, adjusting his gloves and smirking at her. “Don’t let your Quidditch captain catch you practicing with a Gryffindor. Especially not your ex.” He winks at her in that specific way he did whenever he wanted to annoy her.
Another bludger flies at his head and this time Josie can certainly say that he deserved it.
She smiles sweetly at him once he swerves out of the path of the bludger with a laugh.
“Hoping she won’t catch me at all.”
He’s quiet for a beat, like he’s choosing his words carefully. “Isn’t that what you’re afraid of, though?”
Josie pauses, hands tightening around her broom. “Not now, Raf. Please.”
He nods, easily giving into what she wants. Rafael never pushed, always happy to give her the time to collect her thoughts and speak up when she was ready. It was always one of her favorite things about him.
He wordlessly summons one of the many Quaffles that were whizzing around, tosses it to her, gesturing for her to begin.
They finish playing an hour and a half later. Josie’s mood significantly improves once she mentally works out Raf’s defense enough to know exactly how Kaleb, Nia and her were going to score against him in the Slytherin vs Gryffindor game next week.
They dismount their brooms on the highest part of the bleachers, sit there and stay silent for a bit until Raf speaks up.
“You remember the Quidditch Cup finals last year?”
Josie’s face puckers up at the memory of it, not wanting to relive something she’d been trying real hard to suppress. “We lost.”
Raf laughs, like he knows something she doesn’t. “We won because you forfeited. After you shot Jed with a bat bogey hex of course.”
“He’s lucky that’s all I did,” Josie tells him through gritted teeth.
He hums in agreement. “Why’d you do it, Jo?” It’s not really a question, simply asked to reiterate what they both already knew.
Josie sighs, thinking back to the bludger Jed had unintentionally aimed perfectly.
Recalls the way her heart stopped when she heard that loud crunching noise of bludger meeting skull.
The fear racing through her veins when she saw Penelope’s body rapidly plummeting through the air as she fell off her broom.
“He deserved it,” she says.
What she does not say was that she wanted to hurt Jed. That it was all she could think of when she saw Penelope lying unconscious on the ground.
But judging by the way Raf is looking at her, maybe she didn’t need to.
“I meant why’d you forfeit? You could have played seeker instead once they took Penelope to the hospital wing and got someone to sub in to play Chaser. It was your call to make, as Prefect, in the absence of Quidditch Captain. You were ahead by a hundred points too,” he explains slowly, giving her time to really understand what he was saying.
Josie does, but that doesn’t mean she likes it.
“Lizzie was having an off day,” Raf continues, “she missed most of her shots and our other chasers were nowhere as good as her. You had the speed and reach advantage on Hope. The game was absolutely yours on paper. The Cup was yours.”
His voice now takes on a disbelieving tone. “But you quit. Imagine my surprise when you - Josie Saltzman, holder of the Hogwarts scoring record, gets up to train at four AM by yourself you, willingly lost a Quidditch game. Walked away from a game that you could have won with your eyes closed.”
Josie had sprinted away actually, as soon as she told Madam Hooch that they weren’t going to be playing anymore. Out the ground, up the stairs and not pausing until she’d reached the hospital wing.
“But then the more I thought about it, the more obvious it was. Of course you wouldn’t want to play anymore. Not when you had something weighing you that heavily.”
The ‘not without her’ goes unsaid between them, but Josie hears it loud and clear anyway.
Josie exhales shakily, trying to ignore the tears filling up her eyes and Raf puts his arms around her. She leans into the comfort he so readily offers.
“I’m fucking terrified,” she confesses in a whisper.
“I know, I know,” he murmurs back. “But I think that girl back in the castle who asked me if I saw you five times in one hour really is too.”
“I can’t get my heart shattered by her. Not again,” she whispers, more to herself this time.
Raf looks puzzled, but doesn’t pry.
Instead he says, “talk to her. She’s been stomping around school for the past two days looking like a kicked puppy. I didn’t even know Penelope Park was capable of looking that lost.”
“I’m just saying that if you ever find a girl you lo-” He cuts himself off at the look Josie shoots him, clears his throat and continues, “I mean, if you find a girl you care about more than you care about Quidditch, I think you shouldn’t let her go, Jo.”
Josie laughs despite herself. “That’s such dumb, boy logic.”
Raf grins that boyish grin at her. “It’s especially true for you. Don’t think I forgot all of the dates you forgot about because you were too busy practicing by yourself,” he teases.
Josie fondly rolls her eyes and thinks about it for a bit, deciding that she could at least talk to Penelope.
“Love is always worth the risk, Josie. Even if you get your heart trampled on,” he says sadly, probably thinking about Hope and how he himself knew he’d never had a chance with her. Not when Hope and Landon so obviously belonged together. “Don’t be afraid.”
Raf was right after all. She had struggled in vain to not come to terms with it, but she could finally admit to herself that there was nobody else she would have walked away from that Quidditch final except for the most infuriating girl in the world.
Even if it meant giving Penelope the power to break her heart yet again.
She nods slightly. “I have detention with her tonight and while I originally thought I’d skip, I guess I can go talk to her?”
“Great! No need to thank me when this all goes wonderfully for you.”
Josie scoffs playfully. “It’s the least you could do after dumping me because you fell in love with my step sister.”
Rafael groans. “I thought we got over that already?”
—
“How’d you track me down though?” Josie asks as they make their way back to the castle.
Raf shoots her a look. “Anyone that knows you knows that you’d be practicing whenever you’re in emotional distress.”
That was true. “Why did Penelope not turn up here then?”
“Lizzie’s throwing a tantrum that’s very conveniently blocked everyone from using the exit,” Raf tells her, shaking his head and a reluctantly amused grin on his face. “I think she wants to give you as much time by yourself as you needed. Only let me through because she thought I would be able to help you.”
Josie laughs, heart warm at the way her sister was constantly looking out for her.
“She’s an angel, my sister.”
Raf crinkles his nose, laughter in his eyes. “That’s definitely one word for her.”
--
“Why are you here, Professor Mikaelson?” Penelope asks, pausing in the doorway as she takes in Caroline’s unexpected presence in the detention hall.
“Oh, I’m subbing in for Professor Pierce.”
“Huh.” Penelope takes a seat in the front of the room. “You hate Professor Pierce.”
Caroline scoffs. “I do not hate her.”
“You once said calling Professor Pierce Satan would be an insult to Satan himself,” Penelope points out.
Caroline reluctantly concedes the point. “Fine, I’m here because I talked to Rebekah-”
“Don’t you hate her too?”
“My relationship with my sister-in-law is much like yours and Lizzie’s,” Caroline answers pointedly.
“Ah.” Recognition lights up Penelope’s face. “That’s why you’re here. But if you’re looking for an update on your daughter’s love life, I have nothing for you. I mean, she literally jumped out a window to run away from me. The only reason I’m even at detention is because I’m hoping she’ll sit down long enough to talk to me.”
“What, you would have skipped otherwise? Don’t make me give you another detention just for saying that, kid.”
Penelope rolls her eyes. “You wouldn’t. I’m literally your favorite student.”
“I have three daughters and an almost certain son-in-law that attend here too, but go off sis.”
Penelope grimaces. “Did MG teach you that? I’m going to hex him.”
Caroline buries her face in her hands. “I started saying it ironically but now I can’t stop.”
“You need help.”
Caroline rolls her eyes before tilting her head to appraise Penelope. “How are you though? Really?”
Penelope breathes in deeply through her nose. “Scared,” she admits, softly.
Caroline’s eyes soften. “I can understand that. Being within an arm’s reach of everything you’ve ever wanted… Makes you want to turn around and run in the opposite direction sometimes.”
“I don’t want to do that.”
“It’s okay to be scared, Penelope.”
“No. I mean, I’m scared yeah, but I’m also really excited, you know? I just want to be with her. That’s all I’ve ever wanted. And more than anything, I’m tired of pretending that she isn’t the most important person in the world to me. I planned on telling her differently, but if it takes a dumb love potion for Josie to know how I feel about her, then so be it.”
“Aw, so I had that amazing ‘love is worth any risk’ speech prepared for nothing?”
Penelope snorts. “Knowing you I’m sure it was incredibly moving, but I’m not the one you should be delivering it to. Believe me when I say that I’m absolutely ready to get my heart broken by your daughter.”
Caroline shrugs a little. “I think she’s worried you’re going to do the breaking.”
“I promise you that I would rather break my own heart than hurt Josie’s.”
“I believe you,” Caroline murmurs, soft but firm. It was the highest form of approval Penelope would ever get and she knew it.
Josie’s mother trusted her. It didn’t get any bigger or better than that.
“Thank you.” Penelope looks away, unable to meet Caroline’s intense eyes. Her gaze lands on the clock. It was fifteen minutes past seven. “I can’t believe Josie would rather be late to detention than talk to me. When was the last time she was ever late to anything? It’s insulting really.”
“What are you going to say to her?” Caroline pauses, grins a little and then continues, “Other than the fact that you think the way she smells is attractive.”
Penelope shoots her a dirty look. “Can you at least wait for me to date your daughter before you embarrass me for it?”
Caroline claps her hands together enthusiastically. “Oh, let me help! Let’s practice.”
Penelope groans. She’d been so focused on trying to track Josie down that she hadn’t even thought of what she would say to her after that.
“What should I even say? ‘Uh, hi Josie, I’ve been into you since the moment I saw you on the train in our first year but then you decided you hated me for some reason so I had to annoy you to get your attention somehow. Plus your frustrated pout is so adorable I think about kissing it and holding your hand and smelling your hair all the time?’”
Caroline makes a face. “Well I wouldn’t put it like that , but I like the bit about wanting to hold her hand. That really warmed my heart. Maybe leave that in.”
“Is my life a joke to you?”
Caroline smiles sarcastically. “Well certainly not now that I know you think about smelling my daughter’s hair all the time.”
“That’s it,” Penelope grumbles, putting her head on the desk, “your sister-in-law is my new favorite teacher.”
Caroline laughs and laughs, only interrupted by the door hesitantly being pushed open.
Josie stands in the doorway, hands trembling and looking as terrified as Penelope felt.
Penelope pretty much jumps in her seat at the sight of her. “Josie, hi!”
“Hi?” Josie looks at the remnants of a laugh on Caroline’s face suspiciously. “What’s happening here?”
“Oh, nothing much, just grilling Penelope about her intentions with you.”
Penelope sniggers when Josie turns red.
“Mom, why?”
Caroline looks offended. “What? I’m being supportive. I -” she pauses and looks at Penelope. “What is the word? When I’m enthusiastic about a relationship?”
Penelope’s eyes crinkle as she laughs. “Ship,” she provides helpfully but adjusts her face to look somber when Josie glares at her.
“Yes!” Caroline waves her hand excitedly. “That! Ship. I ship you guys.”
Josie groans, ignoring Penelope’s happy little coo after Caroline says that and pinches the bridge of her nose. “Mom, please. We talked about this and you promised you wouldn’t hang out with MG anymore.”
“Fine. I’m sorry for wanting to be involved in my daughter’s life,” Caroline says loftily, in typical mom fashion.
“Is this the form of cruel and unusual punishment you’ve chosen for me instead of a typical detention?” Josie asks, sitting down at a desk in the first row. Naturally, the furthest seat from Penelope. She doesn’t look her way at all.
“I mean, you can still talk to each other if you’d like,” Caroline offers. “It can be like therapy but detention.”
“I’m good Mom, thanks,” Josie replies, looking straight ahead.
Penelope stares at Josie, who firmly avoids her gaze, hoping to catch her attention.
Caroline anxiously looks between the two.
God, it was going to be a long two hours.