A/N: Just something I had to write. Takes place after the Quidditch finale (Book 3). I'm German and I hope my English is okay, I didn't have a beta-reader. When you review and criticise, please make a difference between the story, the plot, etc. and mistakes I made because English is in no way my mother tongue but just a language I'm learning at school. Thanks! I hope you like it, anyway!
Disclaimer: Wait... wait... -looks through her ID cards and personal things- nope, I'm not JKR. What a pity.
Team Wood
Still laughing and cheering, their cheeks red from excitement, the small group made its way into the changing rooms.
"I think I'm gonna pass out from happiness!"
"This was just so… Can you believe it? We won! I'm totally…"
"I can't believe we did it!"
"Have you seen my Bludger when they tried that Woollongong Shimmy? Have you? And then… swoooop, they had to…"
"And after that third goal…"
"Oh boy, that was so freaking crazy!"
The wind slammed the door shut and the voices died away – the doorway to the captain's changing room had been opened and a tall boy entered. His eyes were a bit swollen from crying and when he spoke up, his voice sounded hoarse and he had to clear his throat.
"I want to thank you. All of you. You have all been bloody brilliant over the past years." He nodded into their direction and his small badge with the Gryffindor lion and the golden C on it twinkled in a stray of sunlight that came through one of the two small windows. "You were the best team I could have hoped for and I'm glad – extremely glad – to say so. Each and every one of you has been really great and today…" He paused and then looked away so his eyes wouldn't meet with theirs, through the open door they could see the silver cup standing next to his broom. "I can't tell you how much all of this means to me. Thank you."
When he stopped talking none of them said a word, they felt as if the entire moment seemed to be wrapped up in itself and they breathed in the smell of grass. Brooms were leaning against the wall, lying on the floor, their hair was messy from the wind and outside they could still hear them celebrating, running up to the castle. Gryffindor, Gryffindor!
Then they looked up and saw the pride and the emotion in his eyes, and suddenly they knew that this was the last time, that this was the end of three years' work. They had achieved their aim, eventually. They had been together for those three years now, years of hard work, mental breaks-downs, dawn practices and matches; when it came to them, to their team, nothing had changed. Three long years.
It was their last meeting as Team Wood.
He noticed the fire in their eyes turn into shadows and tried the encouraging smile that he had used some many times when the enthusiasm that he felt every time it came to Qudditch had been beneath measurability in the team. It didn't quite work but it helped to lighten up a bit.
"Alright, team." His voice shook a bit when he addressed them, but he looked straight into their faces. "That's all for today." For today and forever. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, then he straightened up a bit. "Now, we better head for the castle, I'm sure there's quite a party going on and they're all waiting with anticipation." When he noticed that they were not moving, he nodded fervently to the door. "Dismiss!"