The duel arena was quiet.
No spectators or professors were present. And certainly no noisy students betting on who would win.
Just two girls standing opposite each other, twenty paces apart under the fading golden hue of afternoon light. Above, the glass ceiling shimred faintly with protective enchantnts, casting dappled reflections on the stone floor.
Eira stood tall, her white hair catching the light like frost. Her wand rested loosely in her hand, green eyes calm and unreadable—like a forest at rest.
Fleur tilted her head slightly, a teasing smile tugging at her lips as she brushed a strand of silver-blonde hair behind her ear. "No holding back, oui?"
Eira smiled softly. "Wouldn’t dream of it."
Liar.
Fleur stepped lightly forward, wand at the ready, her blue eyes gleaming with excitent. "And don’t think I’ll go easy on you just because you’re beautiful."
Eira rolled her eyes. "Corny"
"Sweet my babe~" Fleur chid, and with a flick of her wrist, the first spell fired.
"Ventus!"
A sudden gust of wind surged toward Eira, kicking up dust and leaves from the arena floor. But Eira rely shifted her stance, and with a graceful counter-flick—
"Protego."
A curved shield absorbed the gust, rippling like water against her arm before vanishing.
"Nice start," Eira said, stepping forward. "My turn."
"Herbafluctus."
From the cracks in the stone beneath Fleur’s feet, vines erupted, thick and fast. They coiled and twisted with a will of their own, reaching for her ankles like curious snakes.
Fleur leapt backward, wand flashing.
"Incendio Minima!"
Flas danced from her wand, small but precise. They licked across the vines, burning only enough to free her without scorching the ground.
"I see," she laughed breathlessly, "you like it rough."
Eira blinked again, expression tilting slightly in confusion. "I thought you hated fire spells."
"I do," Fleur grinned, "but I like impressing certain soone more."
She raised her wand again and this ti the ground beneath Eira shimred.
"Glacies Fragnta!"
Shards of ice shot up like daggers, sharp and fast. Eira stepped lightly to the side, her robes fluttering. A second spell shimred in her hand.
"Aegis Umbra."
A soft shadow-like do flickered around her, absorbing the shards before they could land.
Fleur sighed. "’You’ve been practicing, as you said, and it shows you ant what you said.’"
"Of course I ant what I said on Valentine’s Day," Eira replied simply, letting the shield fade.
Fleur launched another spell, this ti a barrage of glowing orbs—tracking magic, designed to follow her movent.
"Orbis Sequentia!"
Eira didn’t raise a shield this ti. She ran forward, wand twirling in a spiraling motion.
"Tempus Stilla."
The movent slowed.
Or at least it looked that way. The orbs crawled sluggishly in the air as she stepped through them, avoiding each one with ease. A small smirk played at her lips—not out of arrogance, but the sheer thrill of play.
When she reached the edge of the field, she flicked her wand upward.
"Aqua Ascendens!"
Water exploded from the ground in a jet, catching Fleur under the legs and lifting her a few inches into the air before dropping her gently to her feet again.
She squealed, hair soaked, laughing. "You witch!"
"Guilty," Eira said with a shrug.
Fleur didn’t stop laughing. She wiped her soaked hair from her face and muttered sothing in French Eira didn’t catch. Then she raised her wand again.
"Alright, now I’m serious."
Eira arched a brow. "I thought you already were."
"Not that serious," Fleur said sweetly, "I wanted to look graceful for you."
She winked.
Eira smiled, murmuring under her breath, "Every move you make is as beautiful as you are."
Fleur paused, her cheeks tinting pink for just a second—before she fired off another rapid sequence of spells.
"Silva Crescens!" Vines surged again.
"Tenebris Globus!" A dark orb of blinding shadow followed.
"Frigidum Impulsus!" A freezing wind laced through it all.
Eira matched each one with ease. A flick to banish the vines, a swipe of her wand to redirect the orb, a twist to disperse the cold wind.
She could’ve ended the duel right then. Three tis, in fact.
She could’ve disard Fleur with a whisper. Could’ve frozen her shoes to the floor. Could’ve summoned her Patronus and blinded her with the glow.
But she didn’t.
Eira just wanted to enjoy spell-casting with the most important person in her life, but she didn’t want her to feel insecure about her talent by outshining her or making her feel inadequate, as she feared it might strain their relationship.
And she let Fleur believe she had the upper hand, if only for a few heartbeats.
"You’re not even sweating," Fleur panted, "or do you just not sweat at all?" She grinned, clearly catching on to Eira’s effortless composure.
"I’m ward up, but I don’t usually sweat," Eira replied simply.
Fleur murmured to herself, so Eira wouldn’t hear, "Don’t worry, when the ti cos, I’ll make you sweat."
"What did you say?" Eira asked, clearly not hearing Fleur’s words.
"Oh, nothing, just that you’re not taking this seriously," Fleur said, circling slowly with her wand raised. "Don’t want to embarrass ? How noble."
"You’re doing great."
"That’s what you say when a child draws you a bad painting."
Eira actually laughed.
Fleur nearly missed a step. "rlin help , that laugh—"
She fired another spell to cover the flutter in her chest.
"Lumos Lacrimosa!"
The air burst into blinding light, a flash ant to dazzle. Eira turned her head a second before it hit, eyes protected by a small reflective ward. She could’ve countered again—but she let it wash over her.
She stumbled back just an inch.
Fleur gasped. "Did I hit you?!"
"A little," Eira said, rubbing her eyes with a grin. "Well done."
Fleur looked surprised. Then proud. Then smug.
"Admit it," she said. "You’re impressed."
"I am," Eira replied honestly, leaning on her wand for a mont. "You’re better than you think."
Fleur’s voice softened, a smirk lingering. "You’re not bad, but I’m still the best, darling."
They stood there a mont in silence, wands lowered just a touch.
Then Fleur flicked her wand, sending a shower of enchanted petals toward Eira, each one glowing faintly pink and gold.
"Floralem Volatus."
Eira tilted her head as the petals circled her. So brushed her cheeks. So fell around her like soft rain.
"Trying to distract with pretty things?" she asked.
Fleur smiled with the slightest bite of a smirk. "Is it working?"
Eira looked around at the floating blossoms. "A little bit ."
"You should smile more," Fleur said quietly. "You’re cute when you smile."
Eira did smile. Not because of the complint—because the mont felt good.
"I think I’ll return the favor," Eira said softly, and raised her wand.
Fleur tensed in anticipation, excitent flaring in her eyes.
"Expecto Patronum."
A burst of silver light spiraled into the air—graceful, swift. The form it took was clear and proud: a glowing owl, wings wide, eyes like twin moons.
It circled above Fleur before landing gently on the arena floor, between them. It turned its head to look at Fleur for a mont—then up at Eira.
Fleur’s breath caught. "That’s... yours?"
Eira nodded, a little bashfully. "It’s new."
Fleur knelt slowly beside it, watching the glowing creature shift and ruffle its spectral feathers.
"Beautiful," she whispered.
Eira tilted her head. "You an the owl?"
"No," Fleur said, looking up at her. "I ant you."
Eira smugly said. "Oh well spotted."
The owl took flight again, fading into mist.
Fleur stood, brushing her hair back. "One last spell?"
"Make it count."
Fleur narrowed her eyes, playful but determined. Her wand rose.
Eira matched her, white hair flowing slightly from the magical breeze picking up around them.
"Tonitrus Percutiens!" Eira called.
"Aqua Vortex!" Fleur shouted at the sa ti.
A bolt of blue lightning cracked through the air from Eira’s wand, slamming into the ground near Fleur’s water vortex. The surrounding air froze instantly, petals and leaves crystallizing midair. Where the bolt hit, a strange blue fire erupted—cold, flickering silently.
Fleur’s water surged forward but turned to icy shards the mont it neared Eira’s spell.
They stood in the middle of magic now. One surrounded by dancing water shards. The other wreathed in frost and strange, cold flas.
And yet both were smiling.
The flas slowly faded. The ice began to lt. The arena returned to quiet.
Fleur walked forward and offered her hand.
Eira took it.
What was that last spell?" Fleur asked softly, her eyes wide with curiosity. "Oh, the Lightning Spell," Eira replied with a sly smile. "It’s a White family secret, known only to the matriarch or patriarch."
"Show-off," Fleur muttered.
They laughed.
Side by side, hands still linked briefly, they walked out of the arena together, their duel complete—neither winner nor loser.
Just two girls, laughing in the going out of the Dueling arena.
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