Angelina dismounted her broom, the latest model of course - a Magellanic
3000. Her entire team, the Chudley Cannons, had received them as gifts a
month ago from the new owners as incentives to improve. In recent years,
the team had fallen from whatever grace had remained; bad management,
consistently smashed players and that pesky little evil uprising had put
the Cannons last in the League.
But Angelina was certain she could turn the team around. The new owners of the Cannons had offered her a significant amount of Galleons to leave the high-scoring Montrose Magpies to join their team as Captain. Romeo McGraw, the over-rated and swaggering Chaser, had been sacked to make room for her.
Initially, the all male team had resented her for replacing their partying ringleader and instigating early morning practices. After a month, however, their reluctant demeanour had morphed into a grudging respect. The improvement of the team was visible to even the least dedicated Quidditch fan.
The appreciative owners were none other than the infamous Weasley twins, co- founders of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes - sometimes called Wheezies for short. They had become quite rich in the years after Hogwarts and when the chance to purchase the Cannons for cheap came along, they pounced on it, positive they could make them winners again.
Predictably, they had called on their old teammate Angelina Johnson, an up- and-coming player in the professional league. She had advised the men not to make any more changes until she had worked her magic.
Angelina was heading for the changing room, desperate for a shower when she heard her name shouted out from behind her.
"Oi! Angelina!" She turned around, recognizing the voice, yet not really wanting to see him at the moment.
"Hullo, Fred." Angelina said calmly - much more calmly then she felt. Since her appointment to the Cannons, she had basically avoided him, their broken engagement still fresh in her mind despite the years. She had only taken the job out of loyalty to her old team and the substantial amount of money.
"Angie," he began, "Is your team ready enough to play the Harpies this week? There's a lot of money on the line here."
Angelina cocked her head slightly, looking her ex-boyfriend over. His hair had darkened to a deep auburn, only showing hints of the flame colour it had been when the sun hit his head in the right way. His green eyes still sparkled with the same mischievousness that they always had, though there was an air of seriousness surrounding him at the moment.
"Suddenly so serious, darling?" Angelina said mockingly, taking a risk by adding that darling on the end. "You never were before."
"This is a big game, with a lot riding on it."
"I know that, Fred. I've been working my arse off and I'm just as anxious as you about tomorrow's match," Angelina retorted hotly, her sarcastic manner changing fast.
"I was just making sure that you're still your old confident self," Fred smiled, cocking his head to the side in an unconscious imitation of her earlier movement. Angelina didn't so much as crack a smile in response.
"Bugger off." And with a Malfoy-like swirl of capes, she stormed off the pitch.
Angelina wished under her breath that her team would hold up against the Holyhead Harpies.
~*~
The match versus the Harpies went decidedly well. Catching the Cannons off balance in the first few minutes, led by Angelina's former teammate Katie Bell, the all-female Harpies managed to grasp a tremendous lead. Soon though, Angelina's players began to execute her perfectly planned formations, surprising the other team, who had expected an easy win.
Danny, the Cannons' Seeker pulled off an astounding Wronski Feint 97 minutes into play, capturing the Snitch and disabling the opposing Seeker for at least a week. The team pounced upon him as soon as their feet touched the ground. The Chudley Cannons had won their first game in well over a dozen matches, defeating the well-ranked Holyhead Harpies 190 - 90. The loyal crowd swarmed onto the pitch, jubilant about finally making their money back after years of betting on such losers.
The Cannons made their way off the field with Angelina on their shoulders. An hour later, clean and in a fresh change of clothes but also slightly drunk from a few generous swigs of Firewhiskey that had been making the rounds, Angelina exited the dressing rooms. And ran smack into Rita Skeeter.
"You?" Angelina groaned. "I thought Hermione took care of you years ago."
Skeeter sneered at the mention of her much younger nemesis, the teenager that had unravelled her secret.
"Let's not talk about that," she pulled out her ubiquitous Quik Quotes Quill from a gaudy bag and promptly began to fire off questions. "So, Ms. Johnson, how do you feel about defeating the Holyhead Harpies?"
"Very good. The Cannons were a distinguished team that just needed some polishing up is all. I'm very proud of them." This wasn't so bad, Angelina thought, maybe Hermione had fixed the nosy reporter.
"Okay.now, is there any truth to the rumours about you and Ron Weasley, brother of the team's owner and you ex-fiancé?" Rita leaned in close, her hands-free quill poised and ready over the paper.
"Wha-" she started, before being cut off abruptly. Katie Bell grabbed hold of Angelina by the elbow and hauled her away, hollering obscenities at Rita Skeeter all the while. About twenty yards away from the obnoxious journalist, Angelina yanked her arm back and turned to face the other player.
"What the fuck was all that about, Katie?" Angelina asked, not really furious despite her harsh words. She was actually relieved to be rid of Skeeter without any of her misquotes appearing in the Daily Prophet the next day. And also glad to see Katie, a school chum whom she hadn't spoken to in almost two years.
"I just thought that you might not want your team, your family and your friends reading about your passionate affair with Ron Weasley - the married Ron Weasley - come tomorrow." Katie fired back, her hands on her hips.
Angelina giggled: Katie still put her hands on her hips like a bossy pre- teen girl when she was angry or frustrated. "It's nice to see some things stay the same," she said, "Come down to pub with me and I'll buy you a drink for saving my skin. The last thing I need is for half the Weasleys to be after me."
Katie quickly agreed and the two, in their mismatched Quidditch colours of green and orange, walked to the tavern with their arms linked.
The Cannoneer, the club's pub, was filled to the brim with revellers celebrating the Cannons' first significant victory in a great while. Despite the unfortunate losing streak - which Angelina had just ended - The Cannoneer was always busy, mostly with patrons drowning their sorrows after betting away handfuls of Sickles on their home team.
Angelina tugged Katie into her private booth, secured for her by Fred and George Weasley upon her appointment as Captain of the Cannons. "It used to belong to Romeo McGraw but it's mine now," Angelina said, gesturing to the dimly lit cubicle, "It has a few spells on it to keep out nosy fans."
Katie slid into a seat, admiring the lush, supple leather of the upholstery and the dark gleam of the mahogany walls and tabletop. "Very nice."
Angelina blushed lightly. "Yeah, well. McGraw used to entertain girls here," she smiled wickedly, leaving no doubt as to what he had been doing. She vanished suddenly, returning a few moments later with several pints of beer. Katie downed half a glass in a matter of moments.
"Ironbelly Brew?" Katie questioned, wiping her mouth on the sleeve of her Quidditch robes. "I thought this was illegal in Britain."
Angelina raised her eyebrows in bogus shock. "Tibbins - he owns the bar - has some connections with the Ukraine and it always pays to be a professional Quidditch player," she smiled widely. The smile stayed on Angelina's face for a few more seconds than necessary to hide the discomfort she felt as she saw the look Katie was giving her.
"Tell me what it's like working for the Weasleys," Katie requested, scooting closer to Angelina.
The dark hairs on Angelina's forearm stood up and she suddenly felt warmer. She shrugged the feeling off, attributing it to the generous portions of alcohol she had been consuming. It was certainly not Katie's intimate proximity to her. Certainly not.
"It's okay, I suppose. It was a little odd at first, seeing them actually be serious.and to be near Fred again," she flinched inwardly, thinking about her break-up with Fred, "It's still a little awkward, truth be told."
Katie smiled and placed her hand lightly on top of Angelina's. Her hand was warm without being clammy, comforting. Angelina returned the smile wholeheartedly.
Ignoring the slight somersault her stomach did at Katie's smile, Angelina ploughed on. "I haven't seen you in so long. What have you been up to?"
"Quidditch, Quidditch, more Quidditch. You know, the things that matter," Katie laughed - a wonderful sound that would forever remind Angelina of bright sunny days and a freshly cut pitch.
"Any significant other?" She asked, for some reason slightly nervous. Angelina looked down, seeing as if for the first time Katie's hand on hers.
Katie cocked her head to the side. "There's a possible someone but.I'm really not sure about them yet."
"Well? Who is it?" Angelina asked, feeling more than a little drunk. Tibbins must have been getting stronger Brew lately.
Katie didn't answer, instead entwining her fingers with Angelina's. Using her own hand against her, Katie pulled the dark girl towards her, pressing their lips together.
Feeling all of a sudden wide-awake, Angelina kissed back, opening her mouth when the other woman gently probed. She brought the hand that wasn't otherwise enaged up into Katie's golden hair. It still had that baby soft texture, she noted light-headedly.
Katie, always forward, ran her tongue down the length of Angelina's neck, nipping gently at the other girl's collarbone. Angelina gasped, sharp jolts shooting through her body at the half-rough touches.
"Not at all like the old days," Angelina stated softly in Katie's ear.
Katie pulled away, letting her hands drop to the darker-skinned girl's curvy hips. Angelina's body already ached for Katie to be touching her again. "You really had no idea how much I wanted you back at Hogwarts, did you?"
"At Hogwarts?" Angelina asked, incredulous. "No, I had no idea."
"Of course not. You were far too wrapped up in Fred." Katie whispered. "But you don't belong to him anymore."
"No." Angelina answered simply, not sure of what to do. She had never done anything like this before.
Katie didn't say anything, responding instead by removing her forest green Quidditch robes and matching top. Even her lacy bra was in the Harpies' colour.
"I never thought I'd see you in green," Angelina said with a smirk, planting a kiss on Katie's soft lips.
"Me either but things change," Katie flashed a brilliant smile at Angelina; the same beaming smile that made men come running - in vain obviously. She fingered the edge of Angelina's Cannons t-shirt.
"Wait! Maybe we shouldn't be doing this," Angelina said, stopping the Harpies player from removing her shirt. "Maybe we should go to my place."
Katie grinned once again. Her fear and disappointment had shown clearly on her face when Angelina had halted the processions. Within moments, the two professional Quidditch players were backing clumsily into Angelina's bedroom, removing articles of clothing at every step.
Angelina's knees hit the edge of the bed but Katie continued pushing until the other woman was lying prone on her back, clad only in a pair of jeans. She straddled Angelina's hips, kneading a breast in her hand, sliding her tongue the rim of her ear. Angelina shivered, she reached up and unclasped Katie's bra.
Katie still had a boyish, athletic body with narrow hips and pert breasts, Angelina noted. Katie made quick work of the remainder of their clothes. Katie's blond head disappeared between Angelina's dark thighs.
Soon, Angelina was clutching at the white sheets and screaming the blond girl's name as Katie's fingers and tongue moved against her. She felt all the anxieties over the Cannons and loneliness fade away as she tumbled back to earth in the aftermath of her orgasm.
Recovered, she flipped Katie and pinned her to the bed.
"I've never done this before," she confessed, nervous knot forming in the pit of her stomach.
Katie reached up and brushed a lock of hair behind Angelina's ear. "Don't worry about it." She attempted to pull Angelina down beside her, but she refused.
"No, I want to."
Later, lying together in the bed, with the fading wisps of sunlight moving across the floor, Angelina couldn't stop smiling.
"Gods, you are grinning like the Cheshire cat," Angelina ignored the confusing reference, and began to chuckle. "When was the last time you had sex?"
"A long time ago," Angelina answered. "Not since just after Fred."
"Well, if I have anything to do with it, that'll never happen again." The open question in the unsaid words hung in the air.
Angelina dispelled Katie's reservations with a chaste kiss on the lips. Katie groaned and pulled Angelina tight against her chest.
"I remember the first moment I realized I was in love with you," Katie whispered lightly into Angelina's ear. Angelina giggled as fingers walked slowly across the flat plain of her stomach.
"When?" She replied, dragging her teeth along the rim of Katie's ear.
"It was right after Cedric went up against his dragon during the First Task of the Triwizard Tournament. You grabbed my hand and squeezed it so hard. And I thought about how I wouldn't be able to stand it if you doing the same thing if you hand been the Champion."
Angelina stopped kissing Katie's neck and looked her directly in the eyes. "Really? You remember the exact day you fell in love with me? That is so sweet." She looked deeply into the sea green eyes for a moment longer before pressing their lips together and sliding her tongue into Katie's mouth.
Pulling away, she began to slide down Katie's body, leaving a wet trail from her tongue. Folding her arms across Katie's stomach, Angelina rested her head. "I'm glad."
Katie cocked her head to the side, causing her blonde hair to fall attractively across her face. "Of what?"
"I'm glad you came and rescued me. I just realized, lying here in bed with you, that I've been terribly lonely. We were always together at Hogwarts; you, me, Alicia, Fred and George, and after Fred and I broke up, I was alone."
"You don't have to be alone anymore," Katie answered, filling Angelina's heart with hope.
But Angelina was certain she could turn the team around. The new owners of the Cannons had offered her a significant amount of Galleons to leave the high-scoring Montrose Magpies to join their team as Captain. Romeo McGraw, the over-rated and swaggering Chaser, had been sacked to make room for her.
Initially, the all male team had resented her for replacing their partying ringleader and instigating early morning practices. After a month, however, their reluctant demeanour had morphed into a grudging respect. The improvement of the team was visible to even the least dedicated Quidditch fan.
The appreciative owners were none other than the infamous Weasley twins, co- founders of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes - sometimes called Wheezies for short. They had become quite rich in the years after Hogwarts and when the chance to purchase the Cannons for cheap came along, they pounced on it, positive they could make them winners again.
Predictably, they had called on their old teammate Angelina Johnson, an up- and-coming player in the professional league. She had advised the men not to make any more changes until she had worked her magic.
Angelina was heading for the changing room, desperate for a shower when she heard her name shouted out from behind her.
"Oi! Angelina!" She turned around, recognizing the voice, yet not really wanting to see him at the moment.
"Hullo, Fred." Angelina said calmly - much more calmly then she felt. Since her appointment to the Cannons, she had basically avoided him, their broken engagement still fresh in her mind despite the years. She had only taken the job out of loyalty to her old team and the substantial amount of money.
"Angie," he began, "Is your team ready enough to play the Harpies this week? There's a lot of money on the line here."
Angelina cocked her head slightly, looking her ex-boyfriend over. His hair had darkened to a deep auburn, only showing hints of the flame colour it had been when the sun hit his head in the right way. His green eyes still sparkled with the same mischievousness that they always had, though there was an air of seriousness surrounding him at the moment.
"Suddenly so serious, darling?" Angelina said mockingly, taking a risk by adding that darling on the end. "You never were before."
"This is a big game, with a lot riding on it."
"I know that, Fred. I've been working my arse off and I'm just as anxious as you about tomorrow's match," Angelina retorted hotly, her sarcastic manner changing fast.
"I was just making sure that you're still your old confident self," Fred smiled, cocking his head to the side in an unconscious imitation of her earlier movement. Angelina didn't so much as crack a smile in response.
"Bugger off." And with a Malfoy-like swirl of capes, she stormed off the pitch.
Angelina wished under her breath that her team would hold up against the Holyhead Harpies.
~*~
The match versus the Harpies went decidedly well. Catching the Cannons off balance in the first few minutes, led by Angelina's former teammate Katie Bell, the all-female Harpies managed to grasp a tremendous lead. Soon though, Angelina's players began to execute her perfectly planned formations, surprising the other team, who had expected an easy win.
Danny, the Cannons' Seeker pulled off an astounding Wronski Feint 97 minutes into play, capturing the Snitch and disabling the opposing Seeker for at least a week. The team pounced upon him as soon as their feet touched the ground. The Chudley Cannons had won their first game in well over a dozen matches, defeating the well-ranked Holyhead Harpies 190 - 90. The loyal crowd swarmed onto the pitch, jubilant about finally making their money back after years of betting on such losers.
The Cannons made their way off the field with Angelina on their shoulders. An hour later, clean and in a fresh change of clothes but also slightly drunk from a few generous swigs of Firewhiskey that had been making the rounds, Angelina exited the dressing rooms. And ran smack into Rita Skeeter.
"You?" Angelina groaned. "I thought Hermione took care of you years ago."
Skeeter sneered at the mention of her much younger nemesis, the teenager that had unravelled her secret.
"Let's not talk about that," she pulled out her ubiquitous Quik Quotes Quill from a gaudy bag and promptly began to fire off questions. "So, Ms. Johnson, how do you feel about defeating the Holyhead Harpies?"
"Very good. The Cannons were a distinguished team that just needed some polishing up is all. I'm very proud of them." This wasn't so bad, Angelina thought, maybe Hermione had fixed the nosy reporter.
"Okay.now, is there any truth to the rumours about you and Ron Weasley, brother of the team's owner and you ex-fiancé?" Rita leaned in close, her hands-free quill poised and ready over the paper.
"Wha-" she started, before being cut off abruptly. Katie Bell grabbed hold of Angelina by the elbow and hauled her away, hollering obscenities at Rita Skeeter all the while. About twenty yards away from the obnoxious journalist, Angelina yanked her arm back and turned to face the other player.
"What the fuck was all that about, Katie?" Angelina asked, not really furious despite her harsh words. She was actually relieved to be rid of Skeeter without any of her misquotes appearing in the Daily Prophet the next day. And also glad to see Katie, a school chum whom she hadn't spoken to in almost two years.
"I just thought that you might not want your team, your family and your friends reading about your passionate affair with Ron Weasley - the married Ron Weasley - come tomorrow." Katie fired back, her hands on her hips.
Angelina giggled: Katie still put her hands on her hips like a bossy pre- teen girl when she was angry or frustrated. "It's nice to see some things stay the same," she said, "Come down to pub with me and I'll buy you a drink for saving my skin. The last thing I need is for half the Weasleys to be after me."
Katie quickly agreed and the two, in their mismatched Quidditch colours of green and orange, walked to the tavern with their arms linked.
The Cannoneer, the club's pub, was filled to the brim with revellers celebrating the Cannons' first significant victory in a great while. Despite the unfortunate losing streak - which Angelina had just ended - The Cannoneer was always busy, mostly with patrons drowning their sorrows after betting away handfuls of Sickles on their home team.
Angelina tugged Katie into her private booth, secured for her by Fred and George Weasley upon her appointment as Captain of the Cannons. "It used to belong to Romeo McGraw but it's mine now," Angelina said, gesturing to the dimly lit cubicle, "It has a few spells on it to keep out nosy fans."
Katie slid into a seat, admiring the lush, supple leather of the upholstery and the dark gleam of the mahogany walls and tabletop. "Very nice."
Angelina blushed lightly. "Yeah, well. McGraw used to entertain girls here," she smiled wickedly, leaving no doubt as to what he had been doing. She vanished suddenly, returning a few moments later with several pints of beer. Katie downed half a glass in a matter of moments.
"Ironbelly Brew?" Katie questioned, wiping her mouth on the sleeve of her Quidditch robes. "I thought this was illegal in Britain."
Angelina raised her eyebrows in bogus shock. "Tibbins - he owns the bar - has some connections with the Ukraine and it always pays to be a professional Quidditch player," she smiled widely. The smile stayed on Angelina's face for a few more seconds than necessary to hide the discomfort she felt as she saw the look Katie was giving her.
"Tell me what it's like working for the Weasleys," Katie requested, scooting closer to Angelina.
The dark hairs on Angelina's forearm stood up and she suddenly felt warmer. She shrugged the feeling off, attributing it to the generous portions of alcohol she had been consuming. It was certainly not Katie's intimate proximity to her. Certainly not.
"It's okay, I suppose. It was a little odd at first, seeing them actually be serious.and to be near Fred again," she flinched inwardly, thinking about her break-up with Fred, "It's still a little awkward, truth be told."
Katie smiled and placed her hand lightly on top of Angelina's. Her hand was warm without being clammy, comforting. Angelina returned the smile wholeheartedly.
Ignoring the slight somersault her stomach did at Katie's smile, Angelina ploughed on. "I haven't seen you in so long. What have you been up to?"
"Quidditch, Quidditch, more Quidditch. You know, the things that matter," Katie laughed - a wonderful sound that would forever remind Angelina of bright sunny days and a freshly cut pitch.
"Any significant other?" She asked, for some reason slightly nervous. Angelina looked down, seeing as if for the first time Katie's hand on hers.
Katie cocked her head to the side. "There's a possible someone but.I'm really not sure about them yet."
"Well? Who is it?" Angelina asked, feeling more than a little drunk. Tibbins must have been getting stronger Brew lately.
Katie didn't answer, instead entwining her fingers with Angelina's. Using her own hand against her, Katie pulled the dark girl towards her, pressing their lips together.
Feeling all of a sudden wide-awake, Angelina kissed back, opening her mouth when the other woman gently probed. She brought the hand that wasn't otherwise enaged up into Katie's golden hair. It still had that baby soft texture, she noted light-headedly.
Katie, always forward, ran her tongue down the length of Angelina's neck, nipping gently at the other girl's collarbone. Angelina gasped, sharp jolts shooting through her body at the half-rough touches.
"Not at all like the old days," Angelina stated softly in Katie's ear.
Katie pulled away, letting her hands drop to the darker-skinned girl's curvy hips. Angelina's body already ached for Katie to be touching her again. "You really had no idea how much I wanted you back at Hogwarts, did you?"
"At Hogwarts?" Angelina asked, incredulous. "No, I had no idea."
"Of course not. You were far too wrapped up in Fred." Katie whispered. "But you don't belong to him anymore."
"No." Angelina answered simply, not sure of what to do. She had never done anything like this before.
Katie didn't say anything, responding instead by removing her forest green Quidditch robes and matching top. Even her lacy bra was in the Harpies' colour.
"I never thought I'd see you in green," Angelina said with a smirk, planting a kiss on Katie's soft lips.
"Me either but things change," Katie flashed a brilliant smile at Angelina; the same beaming smile that made men come running - in vain obviously. She fingered the edge of Angelina's Cannons t-shirt.
"Wait! Maybe we shouldn't be doing this," Angelina said, stopping the Harpies player from removing her shirt. "Maybe we should go to my place."
Katie grinned once again. Her fear and disappointment had shown clearly on her face when Angelina had halted the processions. Within moments, the two professional Quidditch players were backing clumsily into Angelina's bedroom, removing articles of clothing at every step.
Angelina's knees hit the edge of the bed but Katie continued pushing until the other woman was lying prone on her back, clad only in a pair of jeans. She straddled Angelina's hips, kneading a breast in her hand, sliding her tongue the rim of her ear. Angelina shivered, she reached up and unclasped Katie's bra.
Katie still had a boyish, athletic body with narrow hips and pert breasts, Angelina noted. Katie made quick work of the remainder of their clothes. Katie's blond head disappeared between Angelina's dark thighs.
Soon, Angelina was clutching at the white sheets and screaming the blond girl's name as Katie's fingers and tongue moved against her. She felt all the anxieties over the Cannons and loneliness fade away as she tumbled back to earth in the aftermath of her orgasm.
Recovered, she flipped Katie and pinned her to the bed.
"I've never done this before," she confessed, nervous knot forming in the pit of her stomach.
Katie reached up and brushed a lock of hair behind Angelina's ear. "Don't worry about it." She attempted to pull Angelina down beside her, but she refused.
"No, I want to."
Later, lying together in the bed, with the fading wisps of sunlight moving across the floor, Angelina couldn't stop smiling.
"Gods, you are grinning like the Cheshire cat," Angelina ignored the confusing reference, and began to chuckle. "When was the last time you had sex?"
"A long time ago," Angelina answered. "Not since just after Fred."
"Well, if I have anything to do with it, that'll never happen again." The open question in the unsaid words hung in the air.
Angelina dispelled Katie's reservations with a chaste kiss on the lips. Katie groaned and pulled Angelina tight against her chest.
"I remember the first moment I realized I was in love with you," Katie whispered lightly into Angelina's ear. Angelina giggled as fingers walked slowly across the flat plain of her stomach.
"When?" She replied, dragging her teeth along the rim of Katie's ear.
"It was right after Cedric went up against his dragon during the First Task of the Triwizard Tournament. You grabbed my hand and squeezed it so hard. And I thought about how I wouldn't be able to stand it if you doing the same thing if you hand been the Champion."
Angelina stopped kissing Katie's neck and looked her directly in the eyes. "Really? You remember the exact day you fell in love with me? That is so sweet." She looked deeply into the sea green eyes for a moment longer before pressing their lips together and sliding her tongue into Katie's mouth.
Pulling away, she began to slide down Katie's body, leaving a wet trail from her tongue. Folding her arms across Katie's stomach, Angelina rested her head. "I'm glad."
Katie cocked her head to the side, causing her blonde hair to fall attractively across her face. "Of what?"
"I'm glad you came and rescued me. I just realized, lying here in bed with you, that I've been terribly lonely. We were always together at Hogwarts; you, me, Alicia, Fred and George, and after Fred and I broke up, I was alone."
"You don't have to be alone anymore," Katie answered, filling Angelina's heart with hope.
