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Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction using characters and places from the Harry Potter world, which is trademarked by JK Rowling. However, all plots are my own and are in no way endorsed by JK Rowling or anyone affiliated with the Harry Potter universe.
Chapter 1: September 2016
The morning of September first, Dominique knew things were going to be awkward. She and Tom hadn't exchanged a single owl all summer and Dominique really just wasn't ready to face him. She'd spent the past two months mulling over the things that had been said, and she honestly felt a little embarrassed and also a whole lot angry.
On the one hand, she really should have just gone to the Quidditch game. Tom was right about that much – she should have been there to support Brooke. But the things Tom had said to her were unforgivable, and because of that, Dominique knew that she couldn't be the first one to apologize. If the two were going to reconcile, it was going to be Tom that initiated it. And Dominique really didn't expect that to happen anytime soon.
When Dominique and her family arrived at the train platform, she caught sight of Tom saying goodbye to his parents not far away. They had a very brief moment of eye contact and then Tom looked away, further solidifying in Dominique's mind that their friendship was not getting repaired any time soon.
As soon as she got on the train, Dominique immediately went looking for Brooke. Tom and Miles would surely sit together, and Dominique was determined to claim Brooke as her own travel mate before Tom could steal both of her remaining friends away.
"Really?" Brooke groaned when Dominique finally located her. "You and Tom still haven't made up?"
"Hey, talk to Tom," Dominique said stubbornly. "If he wants to make up, all he has to do is say so."
With a sigh, Brooke settled in for a long train ride just the two of them. She didn't have the energy to argue with Dominique about who should be apologizing to whom, and she really just wanted to spend some time with her friend after a long summer of family.
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Soon they arrived at Hogwarts and Dominique and Brooke were headed up to Hogwarts for the welcome feast. Somewhere along the way, Brooke and Miles traded spots so that Dominique ended up sitting near the middle of the Gryffindor table with Miles while Brooke and Tom ate closer to the back of the room. Dominique knew things had to be like this – obviously Brooke and Miles weren't going to stop being friends with Tom just because she and him were in a fight. But it sucked that she couldn't enjoy the welcoming feast with both of her best friends.
The sorting went extremely smoothly. Both of Dominique's eleven-year-old cousins were sorted into Gryffindor, no surprise. Next Professor Slinkhard stood up and announced the new Charms Professor. Dominique had noticed the new face at the table where Professor Flitwick's used to be and had suspected that she would be taking the position and now her guess was confirmed.
"Please join me in welcoming our new Charms Professor to the school," Headmaster Slinkhard said, already beginning to clap his hands together. "May I present, Professor Tessa Flitwick!"
Dominique was a little taken aback when she heard the name. Professor Flitwick had mentioned in passing that his niece would be applying for the position, but Dominique hadn't really let that sink in until now.
In all honesty, Dominique wasn't sure how she felt about this new professor. The elder Professor Flitwick had been like a mentor to her, helping her to realize the potential she had in the subject and guiding her through her expansion of her skills. Would this new Professor be able to fill the same role? Dominique worried that she might not get the same kind of affirmation from the younger Flitwick than she had the elder. Then again, since the new Professor was related to the old one, maybe her previous Professor had mentioned her to his niece? Dominique could only hope the new professor lived up to her expectations.
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Quickly the feast drew to a close, and Dominique and Miles lingered in the Great Hall long enough to see Brooke and Tom head upstairs so that Dominique wouldn't have a run-in with Tom. Of course, a run-in with Tom was inevitable, but Dominique was determined to avoid it as long as possible.
When they finally reached the portrait of the fat lady, Dominique was exhausted and ready for bed.
"Swivenhodge," she verbalized the first password of the year, causing the portrait hole to swing open, allowing Dominique and Miles to climb inside.
"What are they doing here?" an older student Dominique recognized as Mason Wolf immediately cried, brandishing a bottle of butterbeer that Dominique would bet didn't contain butterbeer at all.
"Don't worry," Dominique sighed tiredly. "We're leaving. You can go back to your stinking party."
"One more year," she heard Miles mutter to himself. "One more year and we can come to the party."
"Victoire told me they're usually pretty lame," Dominique commented, trying to make Miles feel better about it.
Miles glanced around the room quickly and then settled his gaze back on Dominique. "Yeah, she was probably lying," he said. "I heard from Paul Peterson that these parties are insane."
"How do you know Paul Peterson?" Dominique frowned. Paul Peterson was a seventh year, and therefore three years older than they were.
"He tutored me in astronomy last year, no big deal," Miles shrugged.
"Okay, well I'm going to bed," Dominique declared, deciding that the conversation really wasn't going anywhere and also sensing the glares they were getting from the upperclassmen. "See you in the morning."
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As the week continued, Dominique found her life falling into a new pattern. With her and Tom not speaking, their friends had to continue to divide their time between the two. Dominique almost never spent any time with both Miles and Brooke, because the two were constantly taking turns switching between Tom and her. On top of it, Dominique was feeling guilty, because Brooke and Miles barely got to spend any time with each other anymore, what with the division that Dominique and Tom were creating.
Dominque continued to maintain that Tom needed to be the one to initiate any kind of reconciliation though, and insisted to both Brooke and Miles that they pass that message along to Tom every chance they got.
One afternoon, Dominique, Brooke and Miles were sitting in the common room, sharing a very rare moment with all three of them, when suddenly someone over at the notice board exclaimed, "the sign-up sheet for Quidditch tryouts is up!"
While most of the people in the common room weren't particularly interested in this news, there were a good few that jumped up at the news and immediately headed over to put their names down, Miles and Brooke included.
"I should probably sign Tom up too," Miles said as he was scribbling his name down. "He won't want to miss this."
Dominique rolled her eyes. The sign-up sheet would still be there an hour from now when Tom got back from his meeting with Professor Longbottom. And it wasn't as if there was a limit to how many people could try out.
"So, do you think they'll make the team?" Dominique asked Brooke, who had returned quicker than Miles, while Miles still waited for his turn to sign up.
"I don't know," Brooke replied. "Both of last year's beaters have graduated, so there's a better chance than if they hadn't."
Dominique nodded. A part of her hoped Miles made the team, because he was her friend and she knew he really wanted to. A part of her hoped he didn't, because if he did it would mean more time spent on the Quidditch pitch and less time spent with her. And though they weren't speaking, Dominique did hope that Tom made the team, because there was a part of her that still felt a small bit of friendship for the boy.
"What about you, are you nervous?" Dominique wondered.
"A little, to be honest," Brooke admitted, despite the fact that she'd been on the team the previous year. "What if someone really good shows up who didn't try out last year and I lose to them?"
"I'm sure you'll do great," Dominique assured her friend. "You're the best seeker I know."
"How would you know?" Brooke asked. "It's not like you come to my games."
This struck a nerve with Dominique, but Brooke didn't realize what she'd done until after she'd said it.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean – "
"No, you're right," Dominique said, immediately shutting down. "I wouldn't know. I don't go to the games. But, you know, Quidditch games are practically the only times I get the common room to myself?" Dominique pointed out.
"Hey look, it's totally cool," Brooke said, holding up her hands in surrender. "I didn't want to open a can of worms."
Dominique sniffed and leaned back. The damage had already been done. When Miles returned to the table, he could immediately tell that someone was wrong, but he had no idea what.
"Everything alright?" he asked, taking his seat.
"Yeah," Dominique muttered unconvincingly.
"Everything's fine," Brooke added in an emotionless voice.
Glancing around the room, Dominique searched her mind for a new conversation topic to ease the tension. As her brain scrambled for something to say, her eyes caught on a boy who was walking across the common room in the direction of the notice board.
Dominque froze.
How had she never noticed him in the common room before? He was gorgeous. He had sandy blond hair, not too short that it was barely even there, but not so long that he could be mistaken for a girl from the back, as was apparently the fashion in old wizarding families. His shoulders were board and his arms muscled. Was he a transfer student perhaps, Dominique wondered, as he grabbed a quill and signed his name on the Quidditch sign-up sheet, and then disappeared back up the boys' staircase, presumably to his dormitory.
"You know," Dominique mumbled, as she came out of her mini-trance and remembered she was sitting with her friends. "I think I might come to Quidditch tryouts. It could be interesting."
"Really?" Miles asked, visibly brightening.
"Sure, why not?" Dominique replied. Whoever this boy was, she had to find out more.
"Okay, who are you and what have you done with Dominique Weasley?" Brooke demanded.
"Very funny," Dominique said, unamused.
"No really," Brooke insisted. "Has a lost spirit entered into your body and replaced you?"
"I just think it might be fun," Dominique shrugged.
Miles and Brooke exchanged a look, which Dominique ignored. She wasn't going to tell her friends the reason for her sudden interest in Quidditch tryouts, they would just make fun of her.
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The morning of Quidditch tryouts dawned bright and early, a beautiful sun shining in the sky and a cool breeze rustling through the trees of the Forbidden Forest. It was perfect flying weather. While Tom, Miles, and Brooke prepared for the tryouts that would determine their fate for the coming year, Dominique dressed in the cutest outfit she could find, anticipating her first real encounter with the boy she'd seen that day in the common room.
All week, Miles had been giddy, convinced that Dominique was going to attend Quidditch tryouts to watch him tryout. Brooke on the other hand seemed a little hurt that Dominique hadn't been interested in going to the pitch for her, but that she was interested enough to go for Miles. Tom still hadn't said a word to Dominique and she had no idea if he even knew of her intentions. Not that she cared.
"All right everyone, welcome!" Quidditch captain Kurt Robins began once all the potential Quidditch team members and spectators were seated in the stands. "Now I just want to start by saying that those of you who were on the team last year should not expect any preferential treatment. Your position on this year's team will be entirely dependent on your performance today."
Next to Domi, Brooke bit her lip. Domi knew Brooke had been counting on her position on the team last year to give her a leg up over the other potentials today, but it seemed like that wouldn't be the case.
"Don't worry," Dominique reassured her. "You'll go great."
"If there aren't any questions, then let's begin," Kurt called out. He paused just to make sure everyone was listening before continuing. "We'll start with the beaters." He glanced down at the signup sheet for a moment before continuing. "It seems that there are nine of you signed up, so if you could please join me down here," he requested.
Miles and Tom, who were sitting a little ways down in the stands from Dominique and Brooke, got up and along with the other potential beaters made their way down to the pitch.
"Right," Kurt said, once they were all assembled. "Now I've got nine bats here, one for each of you, and I've got three bludgers, which I will release as soon as you are all in the air. The selection process is simple; the last two of you in the air are on the team."
"I don't like this," Brooke muttered to Dominique. "They could get really hurt."
"How did tryouts go last year?" Dominique wondered, only half paying attention as she scanned the assembled beaters in search of the mysterious Gryffindor boy.
"They had to hit to bludgers through the goalposts," Brooke replied.
"Well that's not realistic," Dominique said. "They'd be aiming at people in a game."
"Well yes, but at least it wasn't dangerous!" Brooke cried.
Dominique mumbled something non-committal as she began to scan through the stands. She hoped the boy from the common room the other day hadn't backout out of tryouts. He was, after all, the only reason she'd chosen to give up her morning of couch lounging to sit on a hard bench.
Having received their instructions, the beaters kicked off into the air and began to fly around the pitch. The first of the bludgers was released and it went straight for Tom, but he saw it in time and swung his bat around to hit it, sending it barrelling in the other direction where it collided with another player, causing him to fall from his broom to the ground. Kurt pulled out his wand with haste and muttered a quick spell that caused the player to slow down as he fell so that when he finally hit the ground, it was with no more force than as if he'd fallen from only an inch.
"That was close!" Brooke exclaimed, her eyes glued to their friends as they continued to evade being hit by the bludgers.
"Mmm, yeah," Dominique muttered, paying no attention at all. She'd located the boy she'd been looking for, sitting just a little bit in front of her and to the right. He was talking to another boy, shorter than him it seemed, and with brown hair, though Dominique couldn't tell much more since she could only see his back.
Kurt released the second of the bludgers and the competition picked up a little. Two more players fell, though thankfully, Kurt saved them from painful landings just like the first. Tom and Miles were both still in the air when the last of the bludgers was released.
"You know, I think they might make it," Brooke exclaimed excitedly as Dominique continued to ignore the tryout completely. Thankfully for her, Brooke's eyes were so glued to the players in the air that she barely noticed her friend's inattention.
Suddenly, Brooke gasped when she saw a bludger heading straight for Tom. He was facing the other direction, having just dealt with one of the other bludgers, and he wasn't going to notice it until it was too late. Brooke wanted to call out to him, but she knew he wouldn't be able to hear her where he was. She shielded her eyes just as Miles swooped in and knocked the bludger away, moments before it would have made contact with Tom's shoulder. The bludger changed direction and pummelled another unsuspecting player right in the stomach, sending him tumbling to the ground.
There were three players left in the air now, including Tom and Miles. One bludger began to fly in the direction of the other player while the other two chose Miles as their target. The first player adeptly knocked their bludger away, sending it too in Miles' direction. Seeing his friend in trouble, Tom, who was flying a little higher than the other two players, dove, swinging his club around like a slingshot, and hit two of the bludgers away while Miles took care of the third.
With the bludgers gone, the friends had a split second of peace. They glanced at each other and then at the remaining player, making a silent agreement with their eyes. When the bludgers returned for another go, they moved as one, swinging their clubs around and knocking the bludgers in the direction of the other player. With all three bludgers barrelling his way, the other player really didn't stand a chance. He knocked away the first, but didn't have the time to recover before the next two unseated him and caused him to fall to the ground.
"They did it!" Brooke exclaimed, jumping to her feet to cheer on her friends. Tom and Miles descended, grins plastered across their faces, as Kurt attempted to rein in the bludgers.
Dominique on the other hand, was completely oblivious to what was going on. Brooke glanced down at her friend to find her attention completely elsewhere. She snapped her fingers a couple of times and then waved her hand in front of Dominique's face before she recaptured her friend's focus.
"What happened?" Dominique asked, shaking her head.
"They made the team!" Brooke said happily.
"Oh, that's great!" Dominique said, feigning enthusiasm. She was happy for her friends, she really was. She just didn't really care about Quidditch all that much.
Back on the pitch, Kurt shook hands with the two new team beaters. "Congratulations," he said. "Welcome to the team. Good teamwork up there, it'll be helpful in securing a win this year."
Now that the two boys were on the team, they remained down on the pitch with Kurt while keeper tryouts began. Since Kurt was a chaser, he would be attempting to score on the potential keepers, and whichever could save more goals would be given a place on the team.
As the keeper tryouts neared the end, Brooke started to get nervous about her own upcoming tryout, rambling on about her fears.
"What if someone really good tries out?" Brooke asked. "Someone who didn't try out last year? I'm not guaranteed a spot on the team just because I had one last year, remember?"
But Dominique wasn't listening. The boy she'd come to watch happened to be the keeper who'd just flown up to the goalposts, and her eyes were completely focused on him.
Kurt threw the first shot and the keeper caught it easily enough. Kurt grinned at this and made the next shot a bit harder, but the keeper saved this one too.
"I should've practiced more over the summer," Brooke muttered. "The last time I flew properly was last year's championship game."
The third shot Kurt threw was the hardest yet, and the keeper had to make an effort to save it, but he managed. When he saved the fourth shot as well, Dominique's breath caught in her throat.
"And we didn't even win last year," Brooke went on. "So maybe I'm not even that good a seeker." When Dominique didn't say anything, Brooke glanced over, only to find her friend completely transfixed. She followed Dominique's gaze until it landed on the keeper, who was preparing for the fifth and final shot.
"Adrian?" Brooke said in disbelief. "You like Adrian?"
"What?" Dominique asked, startled and turning towards her friend, missing the shot and the corresponding save that landed the keeper on the team.
"Adrian Carter, that's the keeper's name," Brooke said.
"You know him?" Dominique asked, her eyes widening.
"He was on the team with me last year," Brooke explained. "So… you like him?"
Dominique turned back to watch him fly back down to the ground, where he landed and shook hands with Kurt. "Yeah," she sighed.
"So that's why you're suddenly so interested in Quidditch," Brooke exclaimed, putting the pieces together. Dominique blushed. "You know, if you'd taken an interest in Quidditch last year and come to my games, then maybe you'd have noticed him sooner," Brooke pointed out.
"What else do you know about him?" Dominique asked curiously.
"Well, he's a sixth year for one," Brooke said warningly, but Dominique waved that away. Age differences weren't a problem in her family. Teddy and Victoire were two years apart and they were doing fine, despite the long distance.
"I don't care," Dominique muttered, a little breathlessly, as she continued to watch Adrian shake hands with the rest of the team, namely Miles and Tom.
"Just don't tell Miles you're only coming to the games to watch Adrian," Brooke said, glancing down at the boys on the pitch. "He thinks you actually support him."
"I do support him! And you!" Dominique said indignantly. "Just… from a distance."
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Chaser tryouts came next, and then it was time for the seekers. When they were called, Brooke started to hyperventilate, and Dominique knew she needed to reassure her friend.
"It's going to be fine," she said in a calming voice. "You're going to do great."
Brooke nodded, and Dominique wasn't sure whether she was agreeing, or whether she was just nodding her head because it was the only thing she could do. Slowly, Brooke stood and made her way down to the pitch, leaving Dominique in the stands alone.
Seeker tryouts weren't particularly complicated. The seekers faced off two against two in a seeker's match until they were narrowed down to the final one left. In Brooke's first match, she was paired against an older boy. She nervously flew into the air and awaited Kurt's whistle. As soon as it blew, her nerves dissipated and she went into autopilot. She flew swiftly through the air until she caught sight of the snitch. Once she did, she dove and caught it expertly while her opponent was still puttering around on the opposite side of the pitch.
Brooke flew in the next match as well, and this time, her competitor was a better match for her. Both caught sight of the snitch at the same moment and fought for who would win the glory, but after a lengthy flight around the pitch, Brooke finally caught it and victoriously touched back down on the ground. If she could beat one more player, she would be on the team.
The final match was the easiest of them all, it turned out. While her opponent this time was probably a much better flier than this particular game gave her credit for, she accidentally flew into one of the goalposts and knocked herself out, allowing Brooke to go after the snitch in peace, claiming it and the final spot on the team.
Dominique watched as the rest of the team congratulated Brooke and felt a hollow feeling inside. She was happy for her friends, of course, but with them all on the team, this year would only serve to further illuminate the differences between Dominique's personality and those of her friends. She was already resigning herself to long hours alone in the library while Brooke and Miles spent all their time with Tom down on the Quidditch pitch without her. Then again, if Brooke could introduce Dominique to Adrian, then maybe she would join her friends at practices more often.
Kurt announced that the first Quidditch practice of the year would take place the following week and then dismissed everybody. Dominique watched as Tom headed to the locker rooms to shower and change, and then Brooke and Miles headed up into the stands to talk to her quickly before changing and showering themselves.
"Congratulations," Dominique said, giving both of her friends quick hugs despite the fact that they both stunk.
"Now you don't have a choice," Miles announced. "You have to come to the Quidditch games if we're both on the team. Otherwise there won't be anyone to cheer us on in the stands."
"Oh, don't worry," Brooke said cheekily. "I think Dominique has become very interested in Quidditch today."
"Just you wait, Domi," Miles said excitedly. "This was just tryouts. The games are even more exciting."
"Yeah, I bet," Dominique said, shooting Brooke a glance. Brooke pretended to be looking in another direction. "You know," she added nonchalantly, "I think I might even come to some of your practices."
"Oh really?" Brooke asked. "Why might that be?" she said pointedly.
"Well someone's got to cheer you all on," Dominique replied.