 be curious, not judgmental
Her reaction... was not one he anticipated.
"'Scuse me?" he replied, raising his eyebrows. As he realized what must have been going through her mind, he frowned. No. He reached his hand over to her and lifted her chin lightly with two fingers. He leaned against the table and took one of her hands in his, his elbows on the table in front of him. "Ellie," he shook his head, "there is nothing for you to be sorry about. Are you aware that it was the Championship match? The best of the best? Hey, guess what!" He shook his hands as he spoke for emphasis, "YOU.... are... the best of the best. By just being there.
"You don't give yourself enough credit," he sighed, letting go of her hand. "The funny thing about Quidditch is that there's always going to be a Seeker that doesn't catch the snitch." He paused, letting her reflect on that. "Even in the professional leagues. Even in the World Cup, where both Seekers are arguably the best, most experienced Seekers in the world. One of them has to miss it at some point, right? It... doesn't mean they're not talented players. It's just that... only one can get it."
He sighed now and leaned back in his chair. "I know my opinion doesn't really matter so much," he said, though he realized that wasn't quite what he meant. Ah, well. "For this, I mean, because you probably think I'm biased... but I think you're unbelievably talented, Ellie. There's a unique fire and ferocity in your eyes when you're out there on the pitch, I can see it all the way from my goalposts. You're dynamite. We wouldn't have even gotten anywhere near as far in the season if it wasn't for you. And to be honest? It doesn't matter that we didn't win the match. I don't care that we didn't win, because, y'know what?" A smile was forming on his face again, and his face was red. He looked as though he might have even been on the verge of crying.
"As a team, we won just because we had you as a captain. We grew as a family because of you. I... can't imagine the team without you, honestly." He did his best to push those tear-inducing feelings away as he stared down at his hands on the table in front of him. He just wished she viewed herself even a bit as highly as he saw her. "To me, you are the heart and soul of Ravenclaw house, and you've never let me down."
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