Plot, new characters, new magical terms and abilities etc. are my intellectual property. If you want to borrow then please kindly ask. JK Rowling's characters and Wizarding Universe are all uniquely hers.
Summary: AU Severus Snape decides to have a life and tries to let go of his past while serving out the debt owed to Dumbledore.
Bring Me To Life by NativeMoon – REPOST with edits
Chapter 4: The Quidditch World Cup, Part I
The Summer Between Year 3 and Year 4
Angharad walked on the beach as the sun was starting to set. There were couples here there, lost in each other on their beach blankets or strolling along. She tried not to look at them, feeling once again that she was the outsider looking in. The crash of ocean waves seemed to mirror her own tempestuous mood. Still, the sea air had always been soothing for her and enabled her to think with a clear head.
She thought about her Head of House and wondered what he was doing and how he was getting on. There was a terrible weight on his shoulders, that much she knew, but just when it seemed that he would get close to opening up fully to her he would shut down. It literally was as if shutters came down over his eyes. He would draw her in, but then shut her out. She recognised it because she herself was exactly the same way.
Her mind wandered back to their last night together.
Their friendship had definitely stepped up a serious notch that night. Angharad was still shocked that he thought she'd fed into the School gossip and was avoiding him. That she felt the same way about him that the rest of them did and thus no longer wanted to spend time with him.
Even Slytherin loyalty probably only went so far with some in her House; she was no fool. But then she and the Professor had worked it all out. And despite this she knew something was seriously wrong with him, but he would not tell her. Severus Snape was not a man who did the easiest thing for himself that he could do.
But whatever it was, Professor Snape was not sharing. Angharad was astute enough to realise that he was a man a great complexity and conflictedness. He would never come out and tell her needed to see her, but he would obliquely hint at it or suggest it as was his way. He would never come right out with anything. The man was a mystery that begged to be solved.
And she'd impulsively reached out to him and he responded. And Angharad had been surprised to wake up under his frock coat and find Professor Snape still holding her hand at 3:00am. And the look in his eyes – until he realised that she was wide awake and staring at him in the moonlight. Down came the shutters again.
But, Professor Snape never let go of her hand. He had held it even as he escorted her back to the dormitory. The way he had been looking at her as they stood close to each other, face to face just at the entrance, like he wanted to say something or do something – only to do an abrupt about face and reign it all in. It was as if a battle raged inside of him. Perhaps it was just her imagination that he had wanted to do more than just hold her hand.
Angharad had decided to just let it go and get on with their friendship. After all that is all it was at the moment. It was safer not to assume anything with Professor Snape given his rather mercurial personality and ways.
How shocked she would have been to know that as she walked along the beach and thought of Severus Snape, hundreds of miles away he was thinking of her and that last night together as he took a walk of his own near his childhood home in Cokeworth.
How relieved she would have been to know that beneath it all, despite what the devil on his shoulder was telling him, Severus Snape loved her – deeply.
OOO
Snape could not stand the stifling confines of his home in Spinner's End and had to get out. He wished he had in a position to ask Angharad to remain at Hogwarts for the Summer with the promise of more advanced Healing Through the Dark Arts. He could not just admit that he needed her. As usual, the Potions Master erred on the side of propriety and self-control.
Besides, what would he say to her? He could not tell her the truth about his past and what he had done. No, he could never do that. There was too much to loose. She would hate him, he knew she would. It did not occur to him to realise such thoughts were not quite right for someone who was only supposed to be merely a student. Snape still could not bring himself to admit that Angharad was more than that, much much more. She had never been 'merely a student' to him. He could talk to her about most things, the way a man talks to a woman. She was quite adept at handling him, and he needed that.
As Snape walked desolate streets he thought of their last night together. About walking with Angharad back to the dormitory, her soft hand in his that warmed his icy heart. She had intertwined her fingers with his and he could not bear to let that go. He had even taken his time escorting her, walking so much slower than usual, wanting to savour and prolong their final moments together. And when they had finally reached the entrance to the dormitory it was everything that he could do to not pull her into his arms and hold her close. Or to implore her to not leave him. He had started to loose control and had to fight to regain it.
The easiest thing would be to stop what they had been doing for the past three years. But no, never. Snape could never give up what they had together. He would fight to keep her in his life, and might very well have to if what he knew must be happening did indeed come to fruition.
The Dark Mark on his left forearm was starting to return.
There was no mistaking what that meant.
But Angharad did not know about any of it and her Head of House could not bring himself to tell her either. He honestly believed that if he did he would loose all that he had with her. There was no way she would ever accept this; even though she had accepted the vitriolic bitterness and hateful face that he presented to the world at large.
Angharad was good and kind; sensitive and very loving. She was all that had been written in her assessment and much more. How could someone like that accept someone like him? He could never be a force for good in her life, he told himself even though he already was. But Snape was still trying to convince himself to his detriment that his interest in Angharad was anything but a romantic one. It tormented him as much as everything else did.
Snape was awash in a cacophony of negative thoughts and ideas about himself and his life. These thoughts and the burden of them and his painful memories were taking over his everyday existence. As the outline Dark Mark became clearer, his torment magnified. That was a part of his life he desperately wanted release from, but there was no way out.
The only thing the Potions Master had ever that was good in his adult life was his relationship with Angharad. But there was still more than two months to go before he would see her again. He needed to see her, to be with her and it was maddening to have to wait so bloody long. It never occurred to him contact her or better yet to just go and see her. But in the early hours of the morning it would come to him what he should do.
XxxOOOxxx
As Angharad continued her walk on the beach, her mind turned to Lupin. She never failed to get post from him regularly now that she was home and had been quite surprised when she'd received her first letter from him pouring his anguished heart and soul out to her. It was waiting for her when she'd returned home from Hogwarts just over three weeks ago. A heart-breaking love letter. Angharad could not fail to be moved by what he had to say, but had finally mustered the courage to write a brief note back saying she didn't feel the same way and would appreciate it if he left her alone and moved on. Suffice it to say that the former Hogwarts Professor didn't take it very well.
Her parents did not question it. They did not question it because they not only did not know about it, they did not care to know. Nor did they ever question anything else about the very separate life that she led. It was a peculiar Benign Neglect that only the privileged could get away with.
Her parents were never around, they never had been really. She had always had a very separate and distinct life, the ultimate latch-key kid. It was the same way for her and her brother Sebastian. She and her brother already had their own separate maisonette flats in the family home, complete with separate entrances. Another one of their parent's brilliant ideas. Some friends of theirs had done it with their kids. Diane and Victor Bartman had been the envy of their friends since they were 10 years old. Mr and Mrs Bartman took great pleasure in what they thought was a superior way of living. Although to their credit, the Bartmans at least ate together. Still, Angharad wondered why they even bothered to have children.
And she wondered the same thing about her parents. Everyone got to do their own thing and no one's toes got stepped on. It was not enough for Angharad and her brother to just have an en-suite bedroom with private bathroom in the family home. Oh no. They had to have their own expansive living room, eat-in kitchen, study, two other bedrooms and conservatory. It was the height of independent ridiculousness and was the equivalent of giving the finger to the Bartmans. Diane and Victor only had three small rooms each.
Sebastian, the rogue that he was, embraced it completely. It had been a regular shag-fest at his place. That was the only thing about her brother's life that she did not like. But Angharad understood why he was the way he was. Seb wanted love and affection and thought that was the only way to get it – he didn't know any better because there was no one to show him any better. He was the best in every other respect though. Angharad considered herself very lucky to have him as her older brother. But even with him she was very secretive and introverted. It was just her way.
Angharad had no choice in the matter. But, at least she had no serious financial worries. There was a trust fund that paid her expenses, including her school fees and there was a financial advisor to assist with the whole thing. Her father did well enough, but he would never have the wealth and privilege of someone like Lucius Malfoy. She was definitely lucky that getting a job right after school would not be as serious a concern for her as it was with others. It was her parents way remaining guilt-free.
She shivered at the drop in temperature and decided it was time to return home, although she wasn't entirely happy about it.
xxxOOOxxx
Angharad thought she knew Lupin well enough to assume that that she would never hear from him again after the definite knock-back she'd given him. He had had so many hopes and expectations about sharing his life with her, and she had destroyed them all in one fell swoop.
Her brother stopped in to see how things were at lunchtime several days later and Angharad had told him what happened. Her brother looked at her in anger-fuelled disbelief.
'I knew something was off!' he snapped as he slammed his sandwich down on his plate. 'I should have realised!'
'I should have told you about it sooner I guess but...'
'No, Sis – you don't understand... He was here! He came here to see you!'
'What? Are you kidding me?'
'You were out and I didn't see any point in bothering you about it because I thought he'd got the message loud and clear!'
'For fuck's sake...! So what did you make of him?'
'He seemed like quite a nice enough chap on the surface, and it was obvious that he was head over heels about you. But I didn't like the look of him and he seemed just a bit too eager to please. Something just didn't feel right, if that makes any sense? I told him that he'd obviously mistaken your niceness and tolerance for something more than it is.'
'That about sums it up.'
'Does he know that you love someone else?'
His sister shook her head 'no' and Seb sighed.
'Don't feel bad about being up front with him. You did the right thing in the long term. Does your Head of House have any idea about these letters?'
'No; the man needs some peace and I'm about to ruin his summer with this bullshit. Besides which, I think it's safer that way. Now that Lupin's gone I think Professor Snape wouldn't hesitate to find a reason to hex him into oblivion. I don't want to be responsible for that.'
'This Snape chap must be quite something for you to love him like you do.'
'Hold on Seb, I never said...'
'You didn't have to.'
'You've got me bang to rights, as always. Thanks for listening and paying attention.'
'Hey, that's what big brothers are for, besides getting you fake IDs and a car at knock-down prices! Course it was hot, but dare I digress. You can always talk to me – even though I know that most of the time you won't. Severus… what a name! Jesus H. Christ!' Seb laughed. 'Sounds like it suits him though, from what you say about what he's like in public.'
'I'm glad I did this time,' Angharad said laughing. 'You wanker!'
All of a sudden Sebastian got serious.
'I want to know if Lupin tries to contact you again. It's harassment and that's not on. The guy seems stalkerish to me. I don't trust him!'
'And what are you going do if he does then, eh?'
'Don't underestimate my resourcefulness.'
'Considering everything I've told you about the Wizarding World I don't, that's why I'm asking.'
Sebastian was saved from spelling it out by his mobile ringing. He left her to stew over what he'd said and headed back to his flat.
xxxOOOxxx
The Next Morning and the Immediate Weeks After
BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP!
Angharad was jarred from her deep sleep. Damn it, the phone. She fumbled around her night table and finally managed to pick it up.
''Lo,' she mumbled huskily. She was not fully awake and glanced at the alarm clock. Fucking hell, it was 7:30 in the bloody morning!
'Angharad?' said a familiar voice.
It was Lupin.
"God no, this cannot be happening," she thought to herself.
'Angharad are you there?' Lupin asked.
'Yes,' she replied tensely as she struggled to wake up.
'You must hate me.'
'Hate myself for being so damn polite is more like it,' she replied. 'It's 7:30 in the bloody morning!'
Angharad got up and walked into the living room to help herself wake up. She needed to have a much clearer head than usual to diffuse this situation.
'We can make it work, Angharad, I know we can somehow.'
'Once and for all; I don't love you. I'm not in love with you and I never have been. I have never been interested in you in that way AT ALL!'
'I want to see you; just give me a chance to...'
'Stop humiliating yourself! Anything else I could say to you is just more shit that you don't want to hear. Just let it go and move on just like you were doing when you slapped me down that day in your office!'
'That's not fair!'
'Oh really?! Everything is always about you and it's all or nothing! You were like a child throwing all of its toys out of the pram because it couldn't have a particular one. I deserved better than that. And never in a million years would I have ever believed that you of all people be so horrible!'
There was silence at the other end.
Lupin was upset.
"I am trying Angharad, I am trying to forget that every dream I had for us has been completely destroyed! That the family we both want, that the baby you so desperately want I will never have with you! That the love you have given me can't be mine for always! That the woman of my dreams has dropped into my life after all these years of being isolated and lonely and can't be mine for some unknown reason! I don't understand it; why don't you feel the same about me, after everything we have shared?!' he howled angrily.
If his former student could see him, she would have been amazed to see him crying. His normally pleasant cheerful face was a mask of agony.
'I was just being nice to you! It was nothing more than that and you know it!' Angharad snapped. Her back was up, way up, and her former professor had crossed the line since he refused to listen to her. 'Do you really want the absolute truth?'
'Yes, for God's sake, yes I do!' Lupin said, not hiding the torment he was feeling.
'My heart belongs to someone else and I don't need to make a huge mistake with you to know that!'
Silence
'What? No, no!' Lupin spluttered finally in shock.
'Stop playing the martyr making me into the bad guy for your delusions! No matter what you think, you will always want a lot more than I can ever give you.'
'No, no….I don't believe you!' said Remus hoarsely crying even harder now. 'You don't even have a boyfriend and you've never even dated! Why this farcical charade?!'
'Seeing someone else's face, seeing their eyes and hearing their voice when my mind drifted whilst talking to you is a major indicator,' Angharad said angrily as she finally lost it completely. 'Wanting to be with them rather than you says it all!'
'No, I don't believe it. Why are you saying these things? Why are you trying to drive me from you?' Lupin asked through his tears. 'Something is wrong, there has to be. And you just don't want to tell me. That's it isn't it?'
He could not accept that he was getting the truth, no matter how painful it was.
'I have tried not to say these things, I have tried not to hurt you – but damn it that was the truth! I have zero interest in you! If it helps you to get over me by thinking that I'm a bitch then so be it! Stop harassing me because my mind won't change! If you don't leave me alone I'll file a complaint with the Ministry!'
Angharad hung up on him and then unplugged the phone.
The Quidditch World Cup couldn't come quickly enough.
XxxOOOxxx
Angharad was so quiet over the next few days that Sebastian became really worried, even more so when he realised that she'd shut off her landline. For Muggles and anyone who lived like one that could be nothing less than disastrous in emergencies and he told her so. Though she shrugged him off, saying she had only wanted some peace and quiet, he wasn't buying it.
Remus Lupin.
If Sebastian Serpentarius was a betting man he would bet that Lupin was the reason why his sister seemed to have retreated even further into herself.
It was time he made a proposal, one that Angharad couldn't say no to.
OOO
'Are you sure about this Seb?' Angharad asked, trying to sound as excited as she genuinely was.
'It's the best solution for all of us. Mum and Dad get to live the life they obviously want and don't have either of us underfoot, for a start. Besides, I'm overdue to move out anyway.'
'I've always loved Wales, especially the Brecon Beacons,' she sighed.
'I know you have,' he said smiling. 'This business grant is the answer to my prayers. At least it's something I got off my own back so they can't hang over my head like they do everything else. And investing some of the trust in good old bricks and mortar is never a bad idea. I'm the one who's been raising you so you might as well be with me.'
'I would have thought you'd prefer Cardiff, though.'
'It's OK enough but I actually prefer Brecon Town for socialising. Some of the best opportunities are in rural towns and villages.'
'Of course. So what else is up Brecon-way huh? What's her name?'
'I've got nothing going on in that department.'
'Not yet anyway. Still. Any woman that can tempt my hell-raising brother into a quieter, more respectable life has to be a gem. Just treat her right or I'll give you a beatdown you won't forget.'
'I have no doubt you would you cheeky madam! So – what do you say?'
'I could do with a fresh start,' Angharad mused. 'OK... but can we do it after The Cup please? If we do it now I'll be too tempted and might cancel. Flint & Natasha would never forgive me!'
XxxOOOxxx
'Hard to believe that this is our last summer here.' Angharad commented as Sebastian drove her to the site of the Ministry Portkey that would take her and other Wizards and Witches from the surrounding area to the Quidditch World Cup just over a week later.
'Not going to miss it myself. Give me a bell when you're done at your friend's and we'll sort something out. Maybe even a road trip up to Brecon? We could always rent somewhere first.'
'You're on!'
'Here we are,' he said quietly, gesturing towards a nearby hill with a group of people who seemed rather overexcited so early in the morning. He parked his Land Rover where it wouldn't be spotted and then walked around to the passenger side of the car.
'I wish you were coming too,' Angharad sniffed as her brother gave her a hug.
'One day Sis, one day. We'll rep the Clan Serpentarius in style,' he said quietly. 'OK – sure you have everything?'
'Yeah, I'm good. Could do without having to climb bloody Stoatshead Hill though!'
OOO
Sebastian moved into a nearby thicket of trees and watched through binoculars as his sister climbed the trash-strewn hill and said hello. There was a group of flaming red-heads that had to be a family, a dorky-looking kid with big round glasses and messy black hair, a bushy-haired girl who needed to get to grips with a horse brush, a tall and rather burly lad and another man who was probably his father. They all seemed quite surprised that Angharad was the one they'd been waiting for. His sister stood next to the burly lad who'd begun talking to her. The looks on the faces of the flame-haired and bushy-haired girls were priceless.
'Must not be Slytherins, I take it...' he mumbled to himself before chuckling at the Ministry throwing trash around Stoatshead just to provide cover for their travel device. It struck him as a bone-headed way to go about it.
The other of the two older men looked at his watch and everyone except the messy-haired kid bent over and seemed to be touching something. The bushy-haired girl grabbed the messy-haired kid's hand and slammed it down. There was a loud CRACK and in the blink of an eye everyone who'd been on Stoatshead Hill was gone.
OOO
What Angharad experienced for the next couple of minutes was nothing less than traumatic. It was like being on the Tilt-A-Whirl at the Carnival when she was young, spinning and spinning so fast that she always managed to get sick when the ride stopped. This most peculiar ride began to slow down and she found herself dropping hard on her feet on the edge of a particularly steep hill.
'Everyone alright?' Mr. Weasley asked carefully.
Angharad's answer was to vomit heavily, narrowly missing his shoes.
'Oh well it happens – some of us just aren't as strong as we need to be, right Ced?' said Mr. Diggory.
Angharad didn't care as she proceeded to projectile vomit, covering Mr. Diggory in a good deal of bile.
All of the Weasley children except for Percy were ready to piss themselves laughing while Mr. Diggory cleaned himself up with a scouring spell.
'Are you alright Angharad?' Cedric asked worriedly as she continued to dry-heave more out of anger than actually being sick.
'Here Miss Serpentarius – drink this,' Mr. Weasley advised as he handed her a vial of violently orange liquid followed by a bottle of water. 'You'll be as right as rain in a few minutes.'
The young Slytherin did as she was told with a bit of difficulty, but found that she felt much better once the vile-tasting potion had gone down.
'Ahh – I'll have to tell Severus his experiment worked,' Mr. Weasley said cheerfully.
Angharad said nothing and just swirled a bit of water in her mouth for a bit and then spit it out. But she was was quite surprised that Mr. Weasley was on a first-name basis with her Head of House.
'Thank you Sir. I was about ready to take his head off. Just tired is all.'
'So I noticed,' Mr. Weasley said quietly with a conspiratorial wink. 'He's not a vicious man, honestly he's not. He's just a bit…proud.'
'Oh he's proud alright.'
'I hope you aren't here on your own. We have plenty of room if...'
'That's very kind of you but I'm meeting up with some friends from my House.'
'I'm happy to help you get situated,' Mr. Weasley offered.
'Don't worry about me Sir, I can take care of myself.'
'I'm sure you can, but as you are not yet of age I would feel better knowing that you are situated with your friends and being looked after properly by their parents.'
'I wouldn't argue if I were you,' his daughter Ginny said, flanked by Weasley family friend Hermione Granger. Ginny was a year behind Angharad and Hermione and she was also in Gryffindor. 'I can't even walk to the village by myself let alone coming here!'
'Same here,' Hermione chimed in. It was the first time she'd ever really had anything to say to Angharad and was surprised at how pleasant she was, her guardedness notwithstanding. The behaviour of certain Ravenclaws towards her made even less sense. The three young women kept chatting but fell silent once they reached the top of the hill and took in the sight stretched before them.
Cedric glanced at his father, who was glad-handing some Ministry Officials from Minister Fudge's office. While the others in their party were transfixed at the never-ended jumble of tents and market stalls that went on for miles, his worry was for the Slytherin in their midst. Angharad could tell he felt bad about his father's remarks and quietly reassured him that no serious offence was taken. Cedric wasn't sure that he entirely believed her, but managed to give Angharad a small smile just the same.
OOO
The man taking the money and confirming their pitches for them identified himself as Mr. Roberts and he was definitely a Muggle.
How much for pitches near the facilities?' asked Mr. Weasley. 'I don't want a long walk if I can help it.'
'Party of eight right? Double pitch; that'll be forty pounds.'
'Forty pounds – right! Here you are,' Angharad said as she handed over the cash after taking a bundle of Muggle currency from Mr. Weasley who was clearly confused by what to use.
'Just put down Arthur Weasley for that,' Mr. Weasley said gratefully. 'And yes, a party of eight.'
'Double Lot 1-2 in Field A…w-e-a-s-l-e-y.' Mr. Roberts said as he handed them tickets and pamphlets from the Ministry of Magic. 'OK who's next? Move it along!'
Mr. Diggory secured Lot 31 for himself and Cedric and tried to pay for it with some of his Gringotts gold.
'Is this – gold? Real gold?' Mr. Roberts asked with eyes as wide as saucers.
'Of course not! Mr. Diggory you joker!' Angharad chortled as she handed over the exact amount in pounds and handed the ticket to Mr. Diggory who looked as though he wished the earth would swallow him up. 'I got it from a joke shop! Fooled you good eh?!'
Just then two Aurors turned up and before anyone could bat an eyelash, Mr. Roberts was Obliviated.
'Mmm yessiree – you'll be wanting… that one,' Mr. Roberts said dreamily as he waved a hand airily around.
'If we have to do this any more his brain will turn to mush,' the taller of the two complained. 'You think people have any common sense? No! Why just last night…!'
'You didn't have to do that,' Angharad said pointedly. 'He totally believed it was a prank...'
'Oh is that right? Well, good thinking...' the other Auror commented with a nod.
Suddenly there was a loud bang and everyone was spellbound by a band of gaudily dressed gnomes tap-dancing across a magical rainbow. There was a rousing roar followed by Leprechauns doing triple somersaults and breakdancing culminating in an Irish Step Dancing routine.
'Goddamn those Germans and Irish!' the tall Auror squeaked as they ran off.
'Right – I'm here with Marcus Flint and Natasha Arbroath,' Angharad said tiredly. 'I could do with a good wash, some lunch and a kip...'
'Ahhh – yes. Those folks are in Lots 33 through 37. You're listed as "Friend" booked in the tent alongside theirs. Field A, Lot 32,' Mr. Roberts slurred.
'Sleep? Are you mad?' the Weasley Twins, Fred and George, exclaimed in unison.
'I can't wait to see the market stalls!' Ron Weasley whooped.
'Can't blame her myself,' Hermione commented through a heavy yawn.
Everyone followed Mr. Weasley and Mr. Diggory to Field A. Mr. Weasley found his pitch and all the Weasley children dropped their things along with Harry and Hermione. Mr. Diggory hurried off to get his and Cedric's tent set up. The sooner it was done, the sooner he could catch up to Bartemius Crouch and Cornelius Fudge.
'Looks like we're neighbours,' Cedric smiled.
'You're surrounded by Slytherins,' Angharad replied.
'Decent ones though. Flint is a monster on the Quidditch pitch but he's always been OK enough to me otherwise. Natasha's alright too.'
'They're good people, once you get to know them. Like a lot of people in my House.'
'I guess you guys do get a bit of a raw deal. Thanks for helping my father, by the way, it's not that often that we have to use Muggle money for anything. That was really nice of you.'
'No problem,' Angharad replied as she spotted Natasha and Flint outside their tent setting up a fire pit. 'One of the advantages of being a Muggleborn.'
'Here we are,' Cedric said dropping his things. 'Guess I'll see you later?'
'Can't help it, neighbour,' Angharad replied with a small smile.
Cedric watched as she walked over to her Housemates who greeted her warmly with hugs. They chatted excitedly and he tried not to eavesdrop too much as he helped his father set up their tent.
'Where's Dad gone?' Flint said loudly. 'He was going to help with your tent!'
'It's alright. I got an automatic one so I wouldn't have to worry about using my wand or anyone else's,' Angharad replied, reaching a hand into her backpack and pulling out a small glittering object.
'Ohh one of those rez-box thingys?' Natasha squeaked. 'Let's see!'
'OK according to the instructions the marked side faces me. Done. Press in the button on the top. Done. Step back at least one foot – shit!'
Angharad practically ran backwards as the small box whirred and banged. In less than a minute she had a couples tent with bed alcove, kitchen and dining area and a sitting room – all fully furnished and stocked. She and her Housemates ducked inside. When they came back out Flint loudly declared that deluxe automated tents were the way to go. Even the Diggorys looked suitably impressed.
'How long did it take you to set yours up?' Angharad asked.
'Almost five minutes – I'm surprised Dad didn't have a coronary from all those damn charms!'
OOO
'Was it my imagination or was that Cedric Diggory who walked you down here?' Natasha asked with a smirk as she and Angharad walked around the marketplace after a nap.
'Yes, his is the next tent over from mine.'
'You are joking!'
'I'm not... turns out he and the Weasleys live in the same county in Devon. They were so not expecting a Slytherin when I arrived at the portkey. They were nice though, I have to say. Mr. Weasley was fussing over me being alone. Made a change from my parents.'
'I don't mean to pry but your parents...what do they do to you?'
'They ignore me.'
OOO
Natasha and Flint talked to each other quietly, pointing out this display and that as they, their families and Angharad wove their way towards the smaller of the two stadiums. Cedric had found some of his Housemates from Hufflepuff and was sitting with them outside a garishly decorated tent when they passed by. Angharad said hello after he called out to her and said she couldn't stop for long – they were running late for the match.
'It'll be over before it even starts – Bulgaria are absolute rubbish!' a bristle-headed boy snorted.
'Is that a fact, Summersby?' They saw off South Africa in the qualifiers,' Cedric replied matter-of-factly. 'The Springboks are a tough side and that was one hell of a tight match! Germany are out-matched!'
'In your cotton-candy dreams, Diggory! The only way Bulgaria can win a match is to pull a fast one!'
'With Viktor Krum?! Are you out of your mind?! Krum doesn't have to cheat!'
These were apparently fighting words, and a firestorm of an argument kicked off. Angharad hurried, but it wasn't enough to beat the hordes around the stadium. By the time she found their box, the game had started.
'Is Germany winning?' she asked breathlessly as she took a seat next to Natasha.
'Are you joking? Those losers are even lucky to be here!' her Housemate roared.
Sure enough – if there was ever a bunch of Sad Sacks in competitive international Quidditch – the national German team was it. In the time it took for her to finish her soft drink the match was over.
'God – that was anti-climatic!' Angharad sniffed as they made their way back to their tents.
'Oi, Angharad!' someone called out from the same gang of Hufflepuffs that she'd passed earlier. She quickly scanned the group and saw that Cedric wasn't amongst them. 'Angharad, how was it?'
'Germany got their bums kicked 256 to 13... including 12 mercy points!'
There was an almighty round of screaming laughter and "I-told-you-so" directed at Summersby, who flounced off in an almighty strop as she passed them by.
OOO
That first night of the cup was a rollicking affair as Angharad joined the Flint and Arbroath families around the massive fire pit that they'd joined together spanning the width of their tents. There was singing and lively music along with good food. Angharad sat at the edge, taking it all in. It was great to see that there were Slytherin families who didn't live up to the extremes of the stereotype like the Malfoys did.
'Hey Diggory,' Flint called out. 'Pull up a chair, have some food! Hey mum, can you pass me a plate?'
'I wouldn't say no if I were you,' Natasha advised. 'Marcus tends to be very territorial about his food!'
'I hate to see food go to waste. Mum cooked like we were spending the next few months here instead of just a few days,' Flint answered as he passed a heaving plate of barbecue, rolls and salads back along with a few Butterbeers.
'I think some of that is for you, Angharad. You don't mine sharing, right?' Natasha asked with a wink.
Angharad was grateful for the darkness so no one could see her blush. It seemed as though Cedric had been lingering a bit close and Natasha seized the moment to play matchmaker with the tacit agreement of her fiance.
'Oh, I was just passing by...'
'Diggory you say?' Flint's father called out. 'Amos Diggory's son? Well your father is tied up with Ministry business. No sense in being alone, unless you have other plans?'
'I'm happy to stay if I'm not bothering anyone,' Cedric replied.
'I wouldn't have invited you if you were,' Flint commented. 'Hey Angharad, give us a song girl!'
Angharad played her guitar and led them all with a pop tune from the Wizarding music scene. She was feeling quite self-conscious as a Muggleborn and didn't want to draw attention to that fact surrounded by people she was well aware weren't. No one held it against her and she was grateful. But she was determined to make an effort and not stand out too much in ways that could be troublesome.
'One more tune and then we should call it a night; lots on tomorrow,' Flint's mother said when she was done. 'How about that wonderful song you wrote for Marcus and Natasha?'
'Ohhh yes please!' Natasha squealed as they were joined by more people from nearby tents. It had been one massive party in their little part of the world. As Angharad settled with her guitar, Flint nudged his girlfriend and whispered in her ear. Angharad was completely oblivious to Cedric's reaction as he sat next to her in the firelight.
'That was absolutely amazing young lady,' Mr. Diggory said tearfully, emerging at his son's side when she was done. 'Just beautiful!'
'Thanks Mr. Diggory. Nice of you to say so,' Angharad said evenly as everyone stood up and gathered their things.
Flint and Natasha hugged her goodnight outside her tent and everyone made arrangements to have breakfast together. As Angharad settled down for the night she was nothing less than amazed at her Slytherin Housemates welcoming the likes of Cedric Diggory into their inner circle the way they had. She shouldn't be that surprised though; Cedric had the respect of a lot of people at school, being the good, fair and honest lad that he was on and off the pitch. He definitely embodied the most positive aspects of his House. He was the quintessential strong silent type in public but had surprised her by being quite chatty in the time they had spent together.
Angharad drifted off, feeling quite glad that she'd let Natasha and Flint talk her into coming.
