The young witch's opponent was calm and calculating in the face of her challenge. Even he saw it as one, which made Millie feel better about trying to catch him unawares earlier. It still itched at her that they were performing magic outside of Hogwarts, not that the game could really be played any other way. She only spared a couple of looks at people passing by them before settling her focus entirely on Yuri.
That is, until a fury of red sparksl erupted to her side.
"What was that for? You're supposed to be attacking back!" Millie scurried to the side, one hand grabbing her skirts by instinctive alarm as if the sparks were flames instead. She thought for a moment after, realizing only too late that the game was not, in fact, a duel. Mr. Podsnapper didn't need to attack her, much less stand his ground like he was doing. If anything, his approach made Millie embarrassed that her first instinct had been to run to preserve her 'life' in the game.
She held her wand almost defensively, still uncertain about Yuri's stance. So far, he had only protected himself and deliberately missed, besides his outright compliment to her spells. Was he...? "You're patronizing me," Millie concluded, and it wasn't so much of an accusation. "aren't you?"
Was it because of her feminine sex? Millie wondered at the boy, whose own reputation preceded him. He really didn't seem so bad in person as everyone said, not demon-like at all or whatever his statue had been. There was something far too patient about him, though, as if he already knew something she should have grasped by now.
That thought grated on her more than Mr. Podsnapper's reticence for a real duel.
"You needn't hold back."
That is, until a fury of red sparksl erupted to her side.
"What was that for? You're supposed to be attacking back!" Millie scurried to the side, one hand grabbing her skirts by instinctive alarm as if the sparks were flames instead. She thought for a moment after, realizing only too late that the game was not, in fact, a duel. Mr. Podsnapper didn't need to attack her, much less stand his ground like he was doing. If anything, his approach made Millie embarrassed that her first instinct had been to run to preserve her 'life' in the game.
She held her wand almost defensively, still uncertain about Yuri's stance. So far, he had only protected himself and deliberately missed, besides his outright compliment to her spells. Was he...? "You're patronizing me," Millie concluded, and it wasn't so much of an accusation. "aren't you?"
Was it because of her feminine sex? Millie wondered at the boy, whose own reputation preceded him. He really didn't seem so bad in person as everyone said, not demon-like at all or whatever his statue had been. There was something far too patient about him, though, as if he already knew something she should have grasped by now.
That thought grated on her more than Mr. Podsnapper's reticence for a real duel.
"You needn't hold back."
![[Image: uHwnE8q.png]](https://i.imgur.com/uHwnE8q.png)