"Good Afternoon, Ms. Hooch."
"Professor Dippet." Rolanda nodded curtly and sat down across the desk from the Deputy Headmaster. She was not one to be very nervous on any occasion but this seemed to call for a few butterflies.
"So," He said straightening his glasses on his nose. "We must discus what you might be interested in in the future now that we have your O.W.L. results. Let's see here an E in- well you have an E in every subject."
She shrugged, "I'm exceptionally ordinary I suppose, but I do not think it will matter a bit where I am going." she said quickly, her yellow eyes growing even brighter with excitement. "I'm going to be a chaser for the Appleby Arrows."
The professor practically rolled his eyes, "There must something else a intelligent, young Slytherin, such as yourself, could want."
"No-" she shook her head fiercely, "No there is absolutely nothing that I want more."
Dippet heaved a long sigh and shook his hands for emphasis, "That fact is, that it is jolly well for you to play here, at Hogwarts but women do not play professional Quidditch."
"I do not care!" She practically screamed, "It is 1918 for Merlin's sake! Things are changing- for everybody!"
He slumped back in his seat, "Not that quickly I'm afraid."
Rolanda ran her hands down her lover's hips as their tongues found each other and they shoved their way into a cramped broom closet. She roughly tugged at her white button down shirt.
"Wait-" Willamina Ravenroad whispered breathlessly, smiling while trying to hold off Rolanda, "seriously, Ro, what if we are found?"
She shoved Willa up against the wall and kissed violently at her neck.
"We will not be."
"What if-"
Rolanda pulled away and looked at the other woman, seriously in the eye. "We graduate tomorrow, Willa, there is nothing they would do. Unless that is not what is troubling you. Are you afraid of who you are? Because I am certainly not."
"Not afraid, no." she scoffed covering her exposed chest with her shirt. "Just-"
Rolanda rolled her eyes, "Embarrassed?"
"No. It is simply that we are different, you and I-"
"Different is not always bad."
"No, but I do not think that our type of different is something you go around telling everybody." Willa placed both of her hands on Rolanda's shoulders. "We can keep quiet about it and still love each other."
Rolanda took one of Willa's smooth hands in her own and kissed it delicately. "But what about when we get older, do you not want to live together? Be with each other forever?"
Willamina closed her eyes and shuddered. "It is strange to think that we will be leaving tomorrow." she said solemnly ignoring the previous question, "You and I will part."
"We do not have to, can you not see that?" she stroked a stray hair out of Willa's face and smiled. "We will stay together, no matter what happens. And in time they will understand."
Willa pulled away resentfully, "They certainly will not. We can must only be friends now, Ro-"
"I do not need another friend!" Rolanda spit, "Why can you not love me with the passion that I love you?" Tears began to form in her eyes.
"I- I do, but it is wrong."
"Love is wrong, Willa? Is it?"
Willa turned away, "To love another woman is, yes."
"So that is that. You are not coming with me after we graduate?"
Willa stroked Rolanda's cheek, "I am sorry." she whispered.
"Rolanda Hooch? Age 22? Position keeper?" The manager of the Appleby Arrows asked sourly, taking advantage of his height to scowl down at her.
She held her head high and kept her eyes straight, "Yes, sir."
He cleared his throat, pinched his nose, and handed her a scroll of parchment. "I'm afraid I do not know what has become of this world." he mumbled.
Rolanda's eyes went wide, "Do you mean- do you mean I made it?"
He sighed, "Unfortunately."
She squealed in excitement and began to tear open the scroll when an icy hand stopped her.
"You listen to me, and you listen well. If I had the final say in this you would be extracted from this stadium faster than you could say quitditch." She tried to pull her arm from his grip but her jerked her closer to him violently, "No! You are a woman who should be in the kitchen, not on the pitch."
"That is absurd-"
"You are filthy, Rolanda Hooch. I've heard about you. I hear you are good with the ladies, oh yes I do." He spat and let go of her arm but put a long finger in her face. "If you so much as look the other way, I will-"
"Thompson,"
The manager jumped away from Rolanda quickly and looked down to the end of the hall to see Larkin Keller, the veteran team captain striding towards them.
"Thompson, I wonder if you might allow the boys and I to take our newest teammate out to a bit of a celebratory dinner?" He questioned.
Thompson's eyes flickered to Rolanda only for a moment before he straightened out his robes and cleared his throat. "I suppose that could be permitted."
Larkin smiled and rocked back in his heels, "Excellent," he held out his arm in a gentmenly manner, waiting for her to take it, "Rolanda, shall we?"
She smiled. "Of course."
They walked, not daring to look back.
She straightened her uniform with a broad smile as she gazed into the full length mirror. This was it, this was what she had fought and waited for her whole life- the Qutditch World Cup. Rolanda was sure that the Appleby Arrows would be declared the 1941 Champions by the end of the night.
"You look well."
Rolanda jumped at the familiar voice and spun round. Her heart lept.
"Willa!" she cried, nearly sprinting to engulf the woman in a hug but she drew back quickly. Her eyebrows furrowed as she noticed Willamina's swollen stomach.
"I'm sure it's another girl. I have four already." she said, apparently noticing Rolanda's gaze. "I told you I would come and watch when you played in the world cup, Ro and here I-"
"You're married?" She cut Willamina off, her voice laced with disbelief and betrayal.
"Well, We are 40 years old, I'd hoped you'd be married too. I supposed to a dashing quitditch play-"
Rolanda shook her head, "No-I love you." she turned and sat on the bench her back to her old friend, "You- You broke my heart."
"Ro-"
"No-" she gulped, "no just- just go. I simply will not let you stand in the way of my dreams again."
"Please-"
"Get out!" Rolanda hissed, "Now."
"I have to say, I'm not sorry you are going, Hooch."
Rolanda rolled her eyes, "I have to say I'm not sorry I won't see you again, Thompson."
The old man huffed, he certainly had aged since Rolanda had first met him 20 years back but she had also.
"It could have ended two years ago if all you wanted to do was win the cup. Lost the game for us, Hooch, lost it."
Rolanda cringed, this much was true. in 1941 the Appleby Arrows were not named champion as she thought they would be and it was because of her- no because of that damned visit form Willamina. And it was cruel, but maybe because of this Rolanda did not find the news that the woman had died giving birth to her fifth child, that was a boy, terribly heartbreaking.
"That's not all I wanted to do, Thompson and you know that." she shook her head.
"No, I do not. I know that the second that match was over last week you had decided to go. Your team won the worldcup, you got what you wanted, you did it all for yourself, Hooch."
Rolanda quirked an eyebrow, "If I didn't know better I would think that you, Thompson want me to stay."
"That is ridico-"
She waved her hand, "It doesn't matter, I am leaving, because firstly my career has lasted 20 years, I am tired and secondly because now I have an offer for the position of quittach instructor at Hogwarts, requested by Headmaster Dippet himself."
She couldn't help but smile at this as she remember that conversation so long ago. At least Dippet acknowledged that he was wrong.
Thompson rolled his eyes and roughly signed the contract release form. "Here you are, Hooch. My parting words to you, you have been one hell of a pain in the arse."
Rolanda smiled and nodded accepting the challenge, "Very well, Thompson, then here you are- I didn't do this for myself, I did it for the ladies and you sir may take that which ever way you'd like."
A/N: Hi everyone, I hope you liked my story, it is my first... Anyways I hope to write more for whichever characters you all want, that is if you wish me to continue. Reviews would be great, need feedback! Thanks again.
