A Near Death Experience

Rowan's heart pounded in his chest as he soared through the air on his broomstick. With every beat of his heart, he felt the thrill of the wind rushing past him, the exhilaration of being part of something bigger than himself. As a Slytherin beater, he had always been afraid of heights, but his passion for quidditch had pushed him to overcome his fear.

It was a stormy day at Hogwarts, with the wind and rain howling over the sounds of cheering from the stands. Rowan's eyes were locked on what he thought was the golden snitch and the Slytherin seeker Regulus in pursuit, his frozen hand gripping his beater's bat tightly. If he could just get a little closer and catch it Slytherin would win the match and they could all get warm and dry to-boot.

But as fate would have it, disaster struck. Whilst distracted, a stray bludger came hurtling towards Rowan, narrowly missing his head as he rolled out of it's way at the last second. Fear gripped him, and his heart skipped a beat. He had sucsessfully avoided the bludger, but his hand had slipped on his drenched broomstick in the process. Rowan was thrown off, hurtling towards the unforgiving ground below.

Time seemed to stand still as Rowan fell, his life flashing before his eyes. But before he could hit the ground, a levetatiin charm caught him, saving him from certain death.

The croud roared and Rowan looked up from the odd angle and saw Regulus had the snitch clutched tightly in his hand. They had won!

Back in the change rooms the whole team was celebrating, everyone too excited to mention Rowan's mishap. Just as they were finishing up and discussing the celebration in the common room that night, someone barged into the room. Rowan was shocked to see it was a very livid Severus, who was currently glaring daggers directly at him.

The rest of the team cleared out quickly, some sending apologetic looks to Rowan as they did. Regulus looked like he was about to ask Rowan if he wanted him to stay, but chickened out at the last minute.

"What were you thinking?" Severus seethed, fury lacing his voice. "You could have been seriously hurt, or worse!"

Rowan, shocked about Severus' intensity, attempted to brush off the seriousness, "Well, I've always wanted to try flying without a broomstick. Good thing Madame Hooch was there to save me, though. My attempts at self-levitation don't usually end well."

Severus glared at him, his dark eyes piercing through Rowan's facade. "This isn't a joke, Rowan. You could have died! I don't understand why you find everything so damn funny."

Rowan's grin faded, his gaze dropping to the ground. He knew Severus cared for him, but his sarcastic nature often made it difficult for Rowan to gauge his true feelings. In that moment, however, Rowan saw the fear and worry etched on Severus's face.

"I'm sorry," Rowan whispered, his voice barely audible. "I was just trying to lighten the mood."

Severus sighed heavily, his anger replaced by concern. He reached out and gently took Rowan's hand in his own. "I worry because I care about you, Rowan. Your safety means everything to me."

Rowan looked up at Severus, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I know, and I appreciate it more than you'll ever know. I promise, I'll be more careful."

Severus wrapped his arms around Rowan, holding him tight. "Just promise me you'll stop using humor as a defense mechanism. It's really getting quite old."

Rowan nodded, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders. In that moment, he knew that he had someone who truly understood him, someone who would be there for him no matter what.