Harry lived for game days. The team mentality was at its highest peak and Harry could feel the excitement pumping through his veins and his eyes gleamed with enthusiasm from the time the Coach gave his warm-up speech till he touched his stick to the ice in the first face off. The atmosphere in the arena was like a hot kettle of excitement about to burst. Even on the ice the air seemed warm with the excitement of the fans and his teammates.
The game was starting. Harry ("Number 7, 'The Chosen One' Harry Potter!" The announcer boomed to the screaming arena) glided to the center of the rink, ready to face off against the Beaters. Rather than facing off against the Beaters captain, Theo Nott, a slim figure moved smoothly to the center of the ice across from him. Draco Malfoy.
With his cuttingly handsome looks, coupled with his confidence both on and off the ice, Draco Malfoy had quickly become the new fan favorite and the topic of interest throughout the league. In interviews, while other players faltered, Draco was all charm and wit. Though just a rookie, he was on his way to becoming the spokesman and star of the Beaters, and even the team captain and coach thought it okay for him to take the reigns.
As he approached Harry was displeased to find himself marveling at warm reception Malfoy was receiving from the fans. Harry noticed that the strained cheers of female fans were noticeably louder than those of the rowdy men in the stands. He was slightly shocked that there would be so much support shown, after all, this was the Chaser's arena and the fans in the stands were mostly theirs. But they cheered for the new star of their rival team as if he were one of their own beloved players. In spite of his slight annoyance, Harry found himself noticing how the deep blue and stark white colors of the Beater's uniforms made his blue-grey eyes even more striking. How his pale skin glowed in the light that was reflected off of the ice. Harry quickly shook off such absurd observations and crouched into position across from the other man for the face-off. The puck dropped and with a grin Harry swiftly sent it flying to Black, who was waiting behind him and breezed past Malfoy and down the ice. The game was afoot.
The puck moved swiftly across the ice and between the two teams. Being rivals and the top two teams in the league, it would take a lot before either team scored a goal. Ron Weasley, the Chasers coach decided to keep Harry on the ice as much as possible.
'Just the way I like it' Harry thought. He passed the puck to Zacharias Smith, beginning a new play. Smith moved quickly down the center of the ice, in and out of Beaters players. Meanwhile, Harry shot along the sideboards to get to the Beater's goal for a pass. Suddenly, Rabastan Lestrange, a defenseman for the Beaters swooped up behind Smith and shot the puck to Malfoy, who was not far from Harry. Skating after him, Harry managed to catch him as Malfoy got to the middle of the rink and stretched out with his stick, trying to steal the puck. The two battled for dominance over small gamepiece before Harry whipped it away and turned back towards his opponent's goal. He didn't make it far, however, before Malfoy slammed him into the boards roughly. He reclaimed the puck and shot off towards the Chasers goal before Harry could interfere again. Malfoy slammed the puck at the lower right corner of the net and Greg Goyle dropped down to deflect it, but Malfoy immediately caught the rebounding puck with his stick and shot it again, this time he flipped it up and over Goyle's extended arm. The whistle sounded, announcing the end of the first period of the game, bleeding into the buzzer that proclaimed Draco Malfoy's first successful goal of the game. The crowd cheered.
Harry headed towards the Chasers locker room for the first intermission of the game, already preparing the pep-talk he was sure his team needed and thinking about what types of pointers coach Ron Weasley would give them. However, the coach stopped him before he could enter the locker room.
"Harry, you need to go down the hall! You're doing a live interview tonight, remember?" Coach Weasley told him, his hair slightly disarrayed, as it usually was if the Chasers were down by any points whatsoever. Harry knew it would get much worse by the next intermission if he allowed any more goals to be scored by the Beaters. Ron Weasley was as nervous about games as he was brilliant about strategies and play-making.
"Oh, right. Thanks, Coach." Harry replied.
"Just shake off Malfoy's goal. We'll get it back in the second period." He heard Coach say as he turned away. Harry wasn't sure if his coach was talking to himself or Harry, but rather than ponder it or ask, he had to all but sprint down the hall to the interview he had completely forgotten about.
"We're here with The Chosen One at the end of the first period, and what an exciting period it was!" exclaimed the overly-jubilant sportscaster once Harry came to stand next to him. The sportscaster flattened his suit front and with a broad smile pushed the microphone over just below Harry's chin. "How are you feeling about the very impressive goal made by the Beater's new forward, Draco Malfoy? He made it with less than two seconds of play left!"
"It was a lucky shot by a rookie! Everyone just needs to get over him, including him!" Harry exclaimed, exacerbated. Immediately he regretted how both his phrasing and tone. One basic rule in professional sports politics was to never outright trash-talk another player. The interviewer too faltered for a moment, his smile giving way to a slightly shocked face at Harry's tone. "I mean, someone has to score first and in the next period out team will come back stronger and fix whatever we need to work on to make the most of the game tonight. We both are very strong teams." Harry backtracked diplomatically.
"Thank you for your time." Harry ended the interview slightly prematurely as the sportscaster swelled with comments and questions stemming from Harry's outburst.
"Um, yes, thank you, Harry Potter. Good luck in tonight's game." The sportscaster faltered for a second time, before pasting his made-for-television smile back onto his face and shaking Harry's hand as if the interview had gone just the way he'd planned it.
Returning to the locker room, Harry was met with the whooping laughter of his teammates. That's when he knew that not only was the interview broadcasted live not only into the homes of all the Chasers fans tuned into the game, but also on the televisions in the locker room. This was not good at all.
"Oy, Harry! I loved how you yelled at that interviewer!" someone called.
"Way to defend our honor oh protector!" Black cracked, sniggering.
"He just needs to get over himself!" cried Goyle, Dean Thomas and a few others in an obviously rehearsed and shrill tone.
Coach Weasley, however, shook his head and pushed his hand through his thinning red hair. "Not good, Potter. If the media chooses they can put you into a very bad light for this. Think of your sponsors and mutual fans of yours and Malfoy. Do really want them to choose between you two? Especially now that you were such a brute to him!"
"I know, Coach. I was just unprepared." Harry explained lamely, trying to stop Coach Weasley's seemingly endless worrying.
'Why is everyone making this into such a drama? He's not a child. He can certainly take the criticism.' Harry thought defensively.
Nonetheless, as Harry and the rest of the Chasers filed back into the arena for the second period he silently hoped the Beaters had been too busy celebrating their previous goal to pay attention to the televisions. A steely look from Malfoy as he settled in across from Harry for their face off told him that that hope was in vain.
He honestly didn't know why he reacted with such fire towards such an innocent question, but hoped the interview would blow over soon. He had worked so hard for six years to get to this point in his career. He had gotten along with all of his previous teams and even after being traded he maintained friendships with several players from other teams. He had even been the best man at the wedding of Remus Lupin from the Howlers. However, if the media or the fans decided to make the interview a big deal Harry would end up with a reputation for poor sportsmanship and he knew what repercussions that could have for his career.
The second period was much of the same, a game of keep-away from both teams, but Harry was happy to note that all his Chasers skated a little harder to try to make up that goal. As Harry was passed the puck for the umpteenth time that night he rocketed into position for yet another attempt at a goal when he was smashed into the sideboards, hard, by none other than Draco Malfoy. Malfoy pressed him against the paneling and twisted the puck from his reach, passing it to one of his teammates, who dashed away. However, Malfoy did not release him and skate off to join his team. Malfoy was using his entire body weight to press himself into Harry's left side and thusly, Harry's right side was crushed into the side of the rink. Spectators pounded the glass and a few teammates from both teams lingered near-by, everyone expected a fight. Harry was caught. As a captain he tried not to fight and to pull his teammates from scuffles against opponents when they broke out. If Malfoy wanted to fight Harry knew he would fight back, putting up a strong front for his team meant more than time in the penalty box.
Much to Harry's, both teams' and countless fans' surprise, Malfoy did not throw a punch or shove. He held simply held him there and as Harry looked at him saw the intensity, the anger, and the power in the other man's eyes. It might have been several minutes or a few fleeting seconds that Malfoy held him there and Harry found himself unable to look or move away; then, as suddenly as the blow had come, Malfoy swept away and reentered the game. Regaining his composure, Harry skated down the ice after the puck.
Sirius and Harry each scored once by the time the second period ended, but so had one of the Beater's players: Theo Nott. Harry skated hard, but he was so enveloped in avoiding any more potentially strange encounters with the Beaters' young forward. Heading to the locker room for the second time that night Harry faced an interview of a different sort.
"What was all that about on the boards, Potter?" Terry Boot demanded.
"I would've knocked him out!" Growled Sirius, throwing down his helmet for emphasis.
"Did he say anything, Harry? About the interview?" Goyle asked.
"That's quite enough, boys. We are tied but we need to keep out focus." Coach Weasley interrupted the questions and comments being fired at Harry. "That was some great skating out there!" He cried, grinning at his team.
The players 'whooped' and slapped each other on the back, and amidst their distraction Harry gave his coach a thankful nod before sitting down to cool off before the last period of the game, listening to the coach as he set up a few possible plays.
The third and final beginning of the period face-off against Draco Malfoy, Harry easily gained the advantage and shot the puck towards his awaiting teammates. The Beaters swarmed and intercepted the puck and the game continued in the same fashion that it had in the previous two periods. Anytime Harry had the puck half of the on-ice players overtook him and wrestled away the puck.
'Well, I can't score, but if their whole attention is on me at least they aren't scoring either' Harry thought. It was an annoying strategy, but they seemed stuck on it.
Suddenly, coach Weasley exchanged Zacharias Smith for Sirius Black. That was a signal to Harry to initiate a new play. He got the puck and, as expected, three Beaters players immediately flanked him. Harry waited until Terry Boot and Sirius Black were close enough to him and then he slammed the puck, sending it into the air, above the heads of his opponents. Sirius took the puck and raced down the ice. Harry's guards immediately left him to pursue Black, but Terry stayed between them and Black, weaving back and forth to block them. Harry joined Terry to help keep Black's path clear. Black slammed the puck towards the goal, but the Beater's goalie deflected it, hitting it in Malfoy's direction.
Harry doubled back as Malfoy approached the Chaser's net and whooshed past Kingsley Shacklebolt, almost knocking him down. Malfoy charged the goal, and at the last second feinted as Goyle dropped down to block the shot, Malfoy spun with impossible finesse and flipped the puck into the net. Without missing a beat he turned and gave Harry a smirk before his teammates reached him in excitement. Seconds later the whistle sounded. The Beaters had won the game. Harry fumed as he and the rest of the Chasers skated past the celebrating rival team towards the locker room as the crowd cheered. The last thing Harry saw before he left the ice that night was a pair of glittering blue-grey eyes.
a/n: So…whataya think? I think I sense a bit of that good 'ole Harry/Draco rivalry brewing. I tried to keep the hockey bits light but exciting. I LOVE hockey, but I'm not sure how well I write about it, especially for people who don't care for the sport…let me know!