Disclaimer: Plot is mine. Some characters are mine. Everything else belongs to Jo. Sadly enough.

A.N. I'm sorry it took me so long to update guys. I had a huuuuuuuge writer's block, not to mention I had to take the SATs two weeks ago, and an even bigger AP US History test for college credits a week ago. I think the stress really did a number on my writing, so now that those two tests have passed, I think I can write again. Enjoy!

Who Says Love and Quidditch Can't Mix?

Chapter Three

Charlotte grabbed her broom and followed the guys out onto the field in a haze. Belle and Mack followed close behind, with Derek, grinning smugly, bringing up the rear.

The guys kept casting wondering looks at their newest Keeper, but all she was paying attention to was the fact that Derek Malfoy, her greatest object of loathing and new agent, was sitting in the stands with her little sister and her best friend, talking to them and laughing, while casting smirking looks at her all the while.

"How did this happen?" she muttered as Belle looked over and gave a huge wave, grinning all the while.

"Having issues, Wood?" Turner shot at her as he mounted his broom.

"Sod off, Turner, leave her alone!" Marc hissed.

"Wood! Get your mind on the game!" Ace barked.

Charlotte shook her head and mounted her broom before kicking off the ground. She let the wind blow away her annoyance and worries. She would ignore him the entire practice if she had to. She was not going to let him get to her, that was for sure. He may be her agent, but she didn't have to like him, or for that matter, talk to him about anything personal. And if he tried to get chummy, well, her father could easily take care of things.

She groaned. Her father. She hadn't thought about what Oliver's reaction to the news of Derek being her agent would be. She gritted her teeth.

"Anything to make my life a little bit harder, eh, Derek?" she growled in frustration.

She heard a whistle and looked around. The others were hovering around Ace, waiting for her to join them.

"All right, Wood, I don't know what the problem is between you and that Malfoy guy, but you better get over it damn quick. We can't afford to have your head somewhere else in the upcoming match against the Tornadoes, got it?" Ace chastised.

Slightly hurt by his no-nonsense attitude, Charlotte nodded curtly. "It won't be a problem, Ace, I swear."

"Hey, Ace, lay off her, will you? Clearly she's got issues with the guy, and was in for a major shock earlier. Clearly she hates the guy. Don't you Charlotte?" Chase spoke up.

Charlotte's eyes widened. "I don't necessarily hate him. I dislike him very much. And I had no idea that he was going to be my new agent."

"Look, does someone want to explain who this guy is anyway? What is it about him that makes you hate him, Charlie?" Pietro spoke up, looking completely bewildered.

Everyone turned to look at her expectantly.

She took a breath. "Do you guys remember your parents ever telling you about a Draco Malfoy from the War?"

A few of them nodded, but others, like Turner, looked blankly at her.

"He's Derek's father. And his father treated my mum and her friends like garbage when they were in school. His father tried to kill Albus Dumbledore. He was up to his eyeballs in the Dark Arts, but when the war was over, he renounced his ways and came back to the right side. But my mum, who ended up losing her friends in the war, never forgave him. And I never would either."

"So you're saying that you hate this guy simply because of who his father was?" Callum finally made himself heard.

Charlotte thought for a moment. "It isn't only because of who his father is. It's because of how much he's like his father. He's arrogant, he's sneaky, conniving, and his attitude is deplorable. Even if he isn't involved in the Dark Arts like his father was, I don't want anything to do with him or his family, however much his father declares that he's given up his old ways."

A few of the guys turned to look toward the stands, where Derek was still sitting with the girls. All three waved jovially. A few of the guys scowled.

"Don't let him get to you, Charlotte. We're here, we'll keep him straight," Marc said, puffing out his chest protectively.

Charlotte smiled. "Trust me, I don't think I'll let him get to me. He won't have to worry about you guys. I can hardly wait to see what my father's reaction to this is."

There was a general murmur of "poor bastard" around the group and a few appreciative winces all around.

"Well, now that we've got that settled, can we get on with our practice session?" Ace asked rather sourly, wishing that there was no such drama on his team.

There was a chorus of agreement, and they all swooped into action. They sailed through the passing drills for warm up and each took their turns with Marc at the bat with the Bludgers to test their agility and speed. Then they flew right into their play work, Charlotte swooping around the crazy tangle of men to beat the Quaffle to the hoops.

"Incoming!" she heard one of them yell, and turned just in time to see a Bludger sailing up to greet her head-on.

She forced her broom into a sharp nosedive and felt the hairs on the top of her head ruffle as the Bludger just missed her. She saw Turner trying to take advantage of the empty hoops to score, and quickly flew up to meet him. The look of determination on his face was hard to miss, but he was out of luck when he threw the Quaffle and Charlotte did a clever turn with her broom at the last second to swat it away.

After about an hour of such hard play, Ace finally called it a day. He patted her on the back and congratulated her on getting her head back into the game.

"Keep flying like this and we've got the game against the Tornadoes in the bag next week!" He praised.

Charlotte met up with the girls as the team was walking to the locker room.

"You're amazing up there, Charlie!" Mack squealed as they walked along beside her.

"I told you there's nobody like her in the air, except for our dad when he still flew," Belle said proudly.

Derek walked several paces behind, watching the little buggers literally prance around beside her. He had to admit, he hadn't seen talent like Charlotte's in awhile, at least since her father flew. It was rather remarkable that she had his talent, even if she didn't have his blood in her veins. He was rather impressed with her, and he found her talent rather appealing, even more so than the girl herself.

Charlotte gave Belle a hug as she made to go into the locker room. "Stay out here, you heard Ace earlier. No locker rooms for you two."

They pouted for a moment, but then saw Derek walking toward them, and immediately starting grinning. It was entertaining to watch Charlotte try to deal with him in her nicest way possible.

"That means you too," she said, watching him try to move past her into the lockers.

"What do you mean? I'm your agent! I'm supposed to be allowed in the locker room!"

"Nope. You're staying out here. If you need to talk to me, you will wait until after I have changed and I come back out here."

"Charlotte-"

"Derek, if you know what's good for you, you will stay out here. The guys would massacre you if you came in against my wishes. Trust me, they're very protective."

She left him standing there with quite an ugly look on his face, though she was smiling quite happily as she walked in to change.

The guys were all in various stages of undress when Charlotte practically skipped in. And then proceeded to face-plant right into Marc's massive pectorals.

Charlotte gave a muffled speak, scrambled backward, tripped over her feet, and started to fall backward, her arms waving like windmills to try to regain her balance.

Marc was chuckling as he reached out and caught her around the waist before she hit the floor.

"You might want to consider keeping your mind off Lover-Boy out there, Charlotte," he said wryly.

Red-faced and heartily embarrassed, Charlotte detached herself from Marc's grip and went to her locker, where she could effectively hide her red face.

"I wasn't thinking of him," she insisted as she pulled her guards off.

"Sure you weren't," Marc teased.

"Hey, speaking of Agent Ass-Face, shouldn't he be in here?" Turner asked as he marched purposefully past, clutching nothing but a towel as he headed for the showers.

Charlotte quickly averted her eyes from his near perfect body as she shook her head. "I told him to stay out. The only reason he wants in here is to. . ."

"See you strip?" Turner smirked as he continued to the showers.

"Or possibly see the body that not even we've seen?" Ace suggested.

"Hey, back off her, assholes. You didn't even want her here in the first place," Chase piped up, shoving Ace back to his locker.

Charlotte threw a sweatshirt on and tossed the rest of her gear in her locker. Recovering her dignity, she shook her curls out of the ponytail she had in and turned around to leave.

"Hey, hey Charlotte!" Pietro bounded up to her.

"Yes, Pietro?"

"Don't hate us."

Charlotte smiled. "I don't hate you, Pietro."

"I meant them."

Charlotte glanced around. Ace, Callum, and Marc were still there. "How could I hate them for being male? Besides, it was just Ace and Turner."

Pietro grinned. "See you tomorrow, then?"

"Of course. Good bye everyone."

Charlotte threw her duffel bag over her shoulder and walked out of the locker room. Derek was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, looking haughty. When he saw her, he shoved away from the wall and fell into step with her.

"You know, as your agent," he began, but she cut him off.

"Yes, as my agent, you have certain rights, but then again, you also work for me now, so if I say that I don't want you in the locker room when I am changing, then you have to listen to me. And you wouldn't want me to file a complaint with the League, would you? Because I know you want this job, and more importantly, you don't want to make your father angry. Am I right?"

He mouthed at her soundlessly for a moment, completely thrown off by the truth in what she said.

"Fine," he finally muttered, his hands in his pockets as he walked alongside her.

"I'm glad we cleared that up. Now, where is my sister and her friend?"

"On the field, being girls," he said, slowly recovering his brisk and arrogant attitude.

They walked in silence for a few more minutes, the cool hallway empty except for them.

"I'm surprised at you, you know," she spoke up after a minute or so.

"Why's that?" he asked, surprised that she was actually talking to him.

"I figured you would have at least some opinion of my flying," she said, shrugging.

"Would it really matter if I did? You wouldn't listen to me. Besides, you've got your father to listen to, and if anyone would have the faintest inkling as to how to change your flying, he would."

"Derek, even if I do dislike you, which I do, very much so, I would still listen to what you've got to say."

"You're just saying that," he said, trying to be a hard ass.

"No, I'm not. You're my agent, and it's part of my job to listen to you. Even if I don't like what you're saying. Which I generally don't, but that's not the point."

She could tell her words had an effect on him then. His step suddenly became more of a strut, even more so than usual. She just smiled and shook her head. She had no idea why her opinion of him mattered so much, but he was just another stupid boy. He had a lot of growing up to do yet, in spite of the fact that he was almost twenty years old.

They emerged out into the bright sunshine and found Belle and Mack laying on the perfectly manicured grass of the field, staring up at the clouds drifting lazily overhead.

"Are you two ready to go?" Charlotte asked them, watching them upside down as she stood over them.

They both jumped up and dusted their jeans off.

"We had fun, Charlie!" Mack said. "D'you think that we can come back again sometime soon?"

"I'll see. Our first match is coming up soon, so we can't afford any distractions now."

"It was nice meeting you, Derek," Belle said with a grin as they began to walk away.

Derek gave a nod. "I'll be in contact with you, Charlotte."

She gave a wave to indicate she heard him and took hold of both the girls before Disapparating with a pop.

Derek stared at the spot that she had just vanished in. "What is it about her?"


Charlotte dropped Mack off and said hello to Ginny and Charlie before heading home with Belle. She found Hermione out in the garden, yanking up weeds the old fashioned way, without magic.

"You know, Mum, that's why we have wands," Charlotte said as she dropped to the grass and spread her arms out wide, soaking in the late afternoon sun.

Hermione smiled. "I grew up a Muggle. I like the effort."

Charlotte shook her head. "Aunt Ginny says hello."

"We have plans for her to come over tomorrow and have lunch. How was practice?"

"Pretty decent. Our first match is coming up against the Tornadoes in another week and a half. Ace was pretty pleased with my reaction time today, which is something. According to the others, he's really hard to please."

"That's great, Charlie. Is the match against the Tornadoes at your field, or at theirs?"

"I'm pretty sure it's here at home. I don't think we're away for another two weeks."

"Your father and I will definitely be there to cheer you on. Anything else exciting happen today?"

Charlotte bit her lip. "Um, they finally found me a permanent agent."

"Charlie, that's fantastic! Who is it?"

"Erm, well, you know his father."

"Oh really? Someone I went to school with?"

"You could say that."

Hermione was starting to get impatient. "Well? Are you going to tell me?"

"It's, erm, Derek Malfoy."

"WHAT?!?" Hermione's shrill exclamation rang throughout the yard.

Charlotte winced. Hermione's face went from shocked to indignant to angry in the space of about ten seconds.

"Derek Malfoy is your agent? As in, Draco Malfoy's son? As in, that insufferable boy that was Head Boy with you?"

"That would be the one, Mum."

"But, but, but," Hermione spluttered, looking completely beside herself.

"Mum," Charlotte said firmly. "I know that you loathe his father. And I know that you know that I dislike him almost as much as you dislike his father. But there's no reason why we cannot have a purely professional relationship. He's just there to represent me in the Quidditch community, nothing else."

Hermione looked slightly suspicious. "As I remember, that boy wanted more than a 'professional relationship' with you in your last year of school."

Charlotte frowned. "And you know that I wanted nothing to do with him."

Hermione looked at her for a long moment, then, for some reason that Charlotte could only guess, she began to smile.

"What's so funny, Mum?"

Hermione shook her head, still smiling, and went back to digging up weeds.

"Come on, Mum, don't leave me in the dark."

But Hermione only smiled mysteriously and continued her war against the weeds.

Charlotte made a noise of disbelief and pushed herself up off the ground.

"You had better lay the news to your father gently, Charlie. I'm not sure he'll take it as well as I did."

Charlotte snorted. "You call that taking the news well?"

Hermione waved her away, the smile still on her face. "And you've had an owl from Aeryn, by the way."

"Thanks, Mum."

Charlotte meandered her way into the cottage, grabbing an apple from the fruit bowl in the kitchen as she passed through. She dropped her duffel bag in her room, waved at Belle as she passed by her room, and stuck her head in the door of Oliver's study.

He was sitting with his back to her, facing the fireplace. Presumably, he was talking with someone through the Floo network. Judging by the laughter that was going on, it was someone who wasn't that important, and Charlotte knew she could come in and not disturb the conversation.

She crept through the door and peeked at the fire. As she figured, Oliver was talking to someone close. It was George Weasley.

Charlotte took a bite out of her apple and snuck up behind her father's chair. She knew George saw her, but he always took ample advantage of scaring the daylights out of Oliver. So when she pounced on him, George simply roared with laughter as Oliver jumped about three feet in the air.

"Dammit, lass, are yeh tryin' to give me a heart attack?!" Oliver choked out, gasping for air.

"Hi, Dad!" she quipped in a charming voice.

"Hey, congratulations on the contract, Charlotte!" George exclaimed.

"Yer rotten to the core, Weasley," Oliver accused, glaring at the redhead in the fire.

"Who, me?"

"Yeah, yeh know what I'm talkin' about. Yeh knew she was there the whole time, and yeh didn' mention a word."

George chuckled. "Always gotta have one up on you, Ollie!"

"Me as well, Dad," Charlotte grinned, taking another bite out of her apple.

"How's the practices going for you Charlie?" George asked.

She shrugged. "Nothing to complain about. Just like Hogwarts, just a little more fast paced. But it's nothing I can't handle."

"Ah, those were the days, eh, Ollie? You used to keep our noses to the grindstone, remember? You made us practice in all those storms, and we all used to think you were secretly trying to do us all in. Yeah, those were the days."

Oliver nodded, a grin on his face. "Still, we had the best damn team of the school."

Charlotte allowed them a few seconds' reminiscence before clearing her throat. "So, they've found me a new, permanent agent."

They both looked at her.

"Someone decent, I hope?" George wondered.

"I highly doubt anyone could top Luna's capabilities, even if the lass is a bit overloaded," Oliver scoffed.

"Mmm, I think he's capable," Charlotte thought aloud.

"He?" Oliver and George both said at the same time, their brows furrowing.

"Erm, yes. I have a male agent. Why, is that a problem?"

"That depends on who this git is," George said menacingly.

"Lass? Who is it?" Oliver said, the frown on his face quite obvious.

"Erm, well, Mum went to school with his father, and I'm pretty sure you know his father too, come to think of it, you probably know his son too. . ."

"Charlotte," both males reproved.

"Oh, all right. My new agent is Derek Malfoy."

Predictably, they reacted just the way she thought they would. Oliver immediately jumped out of his chair and started yelling, George's face turned bright red, quite an interesting sight, what with the fire around his head and the red hair, and they both had the air of murderous intent.

"How did that worthless pile of-"

"Dad!"

"Just wait until I get my hands on that git's slimy ass father!"

"Uncle George!"

"He's a dead man!" they both exclaimed, looking at each other with a wild-eyed expression.

"CUT IT OUT, YOU TWO!" Charlotte yelled as she chucked her apple into the fire, narrowly missing George's head.

They both stopped, astonished, and looked at her.

"There is no reason why Derek can't be my agent. He's perfectly qualified, even though I dislike him, I have no reason whatsoever why he can't be my agent. I've already laid down some ground rules for him, and he knows that he had best toe the line if he wants to remain my agent. As if the threat of Dad wasn't enough to keep him in line," she added as an afterthought.

"But, Charlotte, lass, be reasonable, yeh hated him in school!"

"I know I did. I still dislike him, but that doesn't mean that we can't maintain a thoroughly professional relationship."

"Charlotte, think of what your mum told you about his father," George implored.

"I thought about it in the beginning, and I know that what his father did has no reflection on his son, unless Derek knows the Dark Arts and would be willing to practice them."

"But he's a Malfoy!" they both practically howled.

Charlotte had to smile. "Then I guess you're both just going to have to learn to like a Malfoy."