"Jessica" -
"WHAT?"
- "FIND!" Fran yelled, and Jessica laughed, her blankets falling from her bed and dragging her with them. Fran rolled her eyes, and pulled Jess to her feet, pillows flying everywhere. After much fuss, the two settled down onto the floor, their legs crossed and hair a mess. "It's a bloody good thing it's a weekend" Fran muttered, blowing a few strands of light brown hair from her eyes. Jessica smiled sleepily, and yawned. "You know I don't get up early on a Saturday" she told her, and Fran raised an eyebrow.
"Then why did you agree to play a two man Quidditch match this morning?" she demanded, pulling up her blue Pyjama top, and yawning in reply. Jess stared at Fran, confused. "Whatcha talkin' bout; Frannie?"
"Never do that again"
"Okay," Jessica agreed, scratching her head and smiling, trying to get up. Fran rolled her eyes yet again and shook her head; crawling to her feet and gripping Jessica's hand. "1… 2… 3… PULL!" She hauled Jessica to her feet, the back of her knees hitting the bed; toppling her over.
"Maybe we should cancel the game…" Muttered Fran, her voice muffled by the mattress. Jessica's eyes widened and she pulled in a shocked breath. "No way!" she was suddenly excited,
"But you don't remember even making the arrangements!" exclaimed Fran, rolling back onto the floor and shrugging herself to her feet. Jessica bounced up and down, her eyes closed and clapping. Suddenly, she made a small squeaking noise, and bashed into the fireplace that was jutting out of the wall.
"The way you're going, you won't be in one piece to play" Fran joked, stretching tall like a cat, before beaming. Jess giggled, and Frankie smirked, pulling clothes from her trunk.
"You're going to play Quidditch in that?" Jessica asked incredulously, pointing at the clothes her friend held. "It's just a pair of jeans and a shirt" she said in a guarded tone, Jess waved her hand to the window. "Have you seen the weather?"
"Yes, lovely and English. Now c'mon!" She quickly slipped on her clothes, her T-shirt loose against her.
Jessica made her way down to the Quidditch field, her jumper barely keeping her warm. She, of course, had refused to carry the brooms; something that Fran was complaining loudly about. She shivered, the wind whipping like ice against her skin. Dropping the brooms onto the muddy grass, Fran walked up to Jess, and smiled. Her leather gloved hands gripping the one broom she hadn't dropped.
"Not here yet" she muttered, Jess looked around, hoping to see them somewhere in the stands. "Maybe they're not gonna show" Jess suggested, but she shook her head, clambering onto her broom. "Or they're waiting to ambush us" Fran kicked off from the ground, and started looping in and out of the three goal posts at either end of the pitch. Trying to pick up more speed than was Possible on a broom.
Jess watched, her body all too numb to move. Shivering yet again, she stood with her back to the school, watching the forest in a daydream. She jumped as someone tackled her, picking her up into a sweeping hug. Shocked and surprised, Jess giggled, her body heating up. Grinning, George set her down, draping an arm across her shoulders and walking her to the pile of brooms on the floor.
"What you doing down on the ground girl?" He asked, pointing up to the sky, where Fran was being pestered by Fred. "When you could be up there?" Jess shrugged.
"It's cold" she whined, and George laughed at her, messing up her hair. "You know I don't like the cold" George tapped his chin, and picked up a broom, tossing it lightly to Jess, who fumbled it; nearly dropping it into a muddy puddle.
Smiling, Jess positioned herself on the broom, and calmed herself, trying to ignore the ache in her fingers… Maybe she should have stolen Fran's gloves. Kicking off, she laughed as the wind rushed playfully around her, forgetting the fact that a light rain had started to form.
"Right!" called Fred, cupping his hands around his mouth to make the sound carry across the field. "Can you hear me down there?" Fran waved her hand above her head, signalling she could hear him okay. "Okay," he continued to bellow "Shared Keeper roles"
"-no Buldgers,"
"-snitch is open for anyone to catch."
"-No wrestling,"
"-no fighting,"
"- no wands, and…"
"-no deliberate pushing off brooms." Fran swore, and Jess flew up next to her whilst Fred and George continued to shout the rules; smacking her arm. "Anything else you wanna add guys?" Frankie cried down to the pitch, to George who was doing loopy-loops. Jessica smiled, wishing she were closer to him. "Anything else to ruin the fun?"
Fred thought about it for a while, tossing the Quaffle in his hands.
"Nope, I don't think so" He threw the ball up in the air, and they were off. Fred zoomed in after it, and Fran didn't hesitate to dive down, her arm extended missing it by millimetres. She cursed loudly, causing Jess to shoot a dirty glance at her friend, before chasing after Fred, bashing into his shoulder as he raced towards the goal post. Frankie looked at Jess, and she nodded, chasing head on at Fred. Shocked, he stopped a second in midflight, just enough for Fran to pop the Quaffle from his grip and dodging past George.
They dodged and ducked, and the Quaffle passed hands over and over. And as swear words were said and playful smashes were had, the stadium filled up. Looking down, Jessica could see Harry and Ron waving their arms above their hand, both holding brooms. "OI!" she yelled at the top of her lungs, startling George, who dropped the Quaffle on Frankie's head.
She glared upwards, and rammed her broom up into George's broom, knocking him off balance. "TIMEOUT!" Jessica continued, motioning towards the ground. There were a few moans and complaints from the watching audience as Fred and Fran raced back down to the hard earth, their feet colliding into the grass at the same time; though they continued to argue about who was there first.
"Mind if we join?" Asked Harry; lifting up his firebolt. George sized him up, whilst Fran and Jessica exchanged admiring glances. "BAGS HARRY!" Bellowed Fran, grabbing his arm and hauling him into the centre of the field.
"Looks like we're stuck with the prat that is our brother." Moaned Fred, George rolled his eyes.
"Get up there Ron, and win us this game!" Ron nodded, and got on his broom, racing his twin brother up into the air.
George and Jessica looked at each other, and smiled. "C'mon then" He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her towards her broom, that lay on the floor. "Up and away!"
The game progressed as more and more players of the Gryffindor team joined the grounds, and soon enough; they were becoming noticed by the professors and other houses. Jessica tossed the Quaffle to Ginny, who swerved around George, passing it to Fran.
She threw it into the hoop, and Jessica clapped madly, somewhere in the stands Lee Jordan had begun commentating.
"And that's a point for Gryffindor 'A'!" he cried happily, clapping along with the other students in the stands. "That's 20 – 70, Gryffindor A in the lead. I gotta say, I think the Weasleys took a bite more than they could chew with the teams, Looks like they're about to be flattened" –
Suddenly, a low hush came over the area. Confused, Jess looked to George for an explanation, but he merely flew up to her, and pointed a finger down to the ground. "What's Fran yelling at him for this time?" she asked, and he shrugged.
"Dunno," he replied, pushing his broom into a landing dive, the Quaffle jammed in his spare arm. "But I don't think it's good"
Touching down on the field, Jess brushed her hair behind her ears, only just noticing the rain that had begun to pelt them. She could see her friend and Draco Malfoy yelling at each other near the entrance. Shrugging, she walked towards them, listening intently.
"You call that Flying, Nepveu?" he demanded in a drawling voice. Fran's cheeks went red, and she roughly flicked her hair out of the way. "Better than you could ever do Malfoy, we've all seen your flying" the crowd went 'ooooooo' "What's up Weasel face," She asked when he didn't talk back "Moody got your tongue?" Malfoy went a light pink, and scowled.
"I could out fly you and your bloody team any time" he growled, she laughed. "Bring it on then Malfoy." Jess leant into George, unaware of it. And somehow his arm wound itself around her waist.
"Now, Quidditch. Normal rules, but it doesn't count in the school. Got it?"
"Course I got it Nepveu."
"Good," she punched his shoulder playfully, the tension broken. "Because I'm not repeating myself again" Jess let out a breath of air she hadn't realised she'd been holding. "Back here, 15 minutes, full Quidditch robes. Gryffindor," she called, and a number of heads looked our way, "To the dressing rooms with your gear!"
Jess sighed, about to follow the rest of the players who were flooding off to the left, but found the grip around her waist had tightened, and she was now being pulled in the other direction. "C'mon, this way" George encouraged, their brooms dragging in the mud.
"I… um, Okay?" she spluttered, suddenly boiling, even though icy rain soaked into her shirt.
"Your robes are in the changing rooms, right?"
"Mmmhmm" she replied, self conscious. Her hair sopping wet at the ends. George pulled the flaps of plastic and cloth away, revealing a small room, the benches lines on either side, and brooms propped up against the wall. Confused, Jess stepped inside, and turned to look at George, who surprised her. He was standing so close, trying to calm her breathing; she waited. Oh no… Awkward silence? Smiling, she muttered the first thing that came into her head. "Find"
"Find" he breathed in reply, somehow; Jess didn't think it was a simple randomly uttered word. She blushed, and George, stepped closer, his hands gently resting on her hips. "And I'm so glad of what I've found"
Jessica's world exploded, and for once; she was stuck for words.
"Me too…" Her heart was beating fast, like snitch wings by her ears. She leant closer, and before she knew what was happening, George was kissing her. She kissed back, letting warmth wash over her body and smiling against his lips.
Finally, her life was complete.
"Oi, guys!" came a muffled call, but they didn't pay attention; they were much too caught up in each other's presents. There was a high pitched cry, like a mouse being trodden on; and Frankie bumped into a pole.
"All right," she said embarrassed, Jess and George didn't look at her, their eyes closed. Jess made a 'shoo' motion with her hand. "Right, I'll just err…" Fran fumbled with her words, her voice falling out from her lips as she fought to think straight. "Yeah. I'll guard the tent door then…" And with that she was gone.
Jess and George chuckled against each other, both grinning broadly, unable to break apart for long enough to even put on their Quidditch robes.
"No, you err…. can't go in there. We're gonna use the Hufflepuff's changing rooms. I'm pretty sure this one's going to be occupied for sometime…"