Hang tight, we're about to Floo into the newest chapter of Opia! There's some fun, much awaited dynamic development in this chapter, as well as in the next few that I'm very excited to share with you guys!
As always thank you to the darlings who have taken the time to favorite and follow this little fic of mine, I hope you're enjoying it! A very special thank you to Aura for your kind words last chapter, you make me blush!
Don't forget to check the end of the chapter for my content break down!
Without further adieu, let's all say it clearly now! Wouldn't want to end up somewhere testy like Borgin and Burkes.
Opia!
Leah found herself in the stands that weekend with Hermione, cheering on a dreadfully awful Ron.
"He's been Keeper before?"
"Last year, yes. He's never been the most," Hermione flinched as a Quaffle rebounded off of his head, "graceful, but he's certainly got the spirit and still gets the job done."
"And what about that one?"
"McLadden? Count your blessings, because if you'd run into him already, you'd know."
"Hm, eyes on the prize sort of guy?"
"Positively relentless."
Leah smiled to herself, pretending not to notice the 'confundus' she'd heard Hermione whisper as McLadden suddenly flew opposite the direction of the incoming Quaffle. Instead she focused on how that simple blunder lifted Ron's spirits for the remainder of tryouts.
"I'll catch you later, all right, Mione? I've got to get down to the Pitch." Leah grabbed a soft case from beneath her feet, presumably her broom, and made her way out of the stands. On her way down Luna spritzed her with a homeopathic blend Neville had helped her with, saying it would keep the Pinkywisps out of her eyes. She noted how Neville blushed at Luna's mention of him before giving a gracious 'thank you' and meeting up with the other prospective team members. Leah latched on to Ron as he ran past.
"You better hurry up, you've got the time it takes us to stretch to be back in those stands."
"I'm going, I'm going!"
While they stretched on the field, Goldstein started his tryout spiel.
"All right then, Ravenclaws, welcome to Quidditch tryouts. I will be your Captain this year, and seeing as it's my last I expect nothing but the absolute best! No one is guaranteed a position, you either fight for it or walk away now. Good news is I can see all of you were smart enough to bring your own brooms, and from the looks of that case right there we've got someone who takes Quidditch seriously. What kind of heat you packing, Ravenclaw?"
Leah smirked, unzipping the case and pulling a golden handle out. By the time the ebony bristles were showing, Goldstein was practically on his knees in front of it.
"This is authentic?"
"One hundred percent, '95 release."
"And Madam Hooch approved it?"
"Said it didn't count as an unfair advantage because of the skill required to ride one."
What started as a low chuckle soon grew until full blown hysterical laughter erupted from his throat.
"Buckle up, ladies and gents, because you're all in for a real treat. Get this girl in the air, and grab the snitch."
Harry and Ron had just made it in to the stands as the prospective Ravenclaw Chasers took to the skies.
"You get to see it? Her broom I mean," Ron questioned Hermione.
"No, she kept it in that case the whole time."
"Gotta wonder what she's hiding. It's gotta be something –" A glint of gold shone off of Leah's broom handle, catching Ron's eye as she slowly lifted off of the ground. "No way. There's absolutely no – Merlin, they're tossing the Snitch out for her? There's no way that's really a –" A sudden deafening crack ripped through the stands, causing Ron to run to the bannisters so quickly he could have flipped right over them. Leah was nowhere in sight. "Did you guys see that? Bloody hell, I never thought I'd see one of those in my life!"
"I didn't see much of anything really."
"That's exactly the point, Harry! Merlin's beard, you lot have no idea what you're witnessing, do you? That broom she's riding, that's a Thunderclap. Manufacturer only makes five of them a year, usually it's snot nosed collectors who bleed galleons snatching them up and throwing them in a display case. Leah's got one of 'em though, and she rides it. Look at that she's already back on the field, with the Snitch!"
As Leah landed, Snitch in hand, Goldstein and a few other Ravenclaws rushed toward her.
"I don't think I've ever seen anything more incredible in my life, and we all do magic," Goldstein cried, lifting her off of the ground in a tight hug. "I swear I could kiss the ground you walk on right now. This here is Cho, our Seeker last season. You'll be taking over for her."
Making eye contact with her older Housemate, she frowned.
"You're a seventh year, though. I don't want to take away your last season as Seeker."
"You're not taking anything from me, promise. I was just the smallest on the team last year. Smaller, less air resistance, faster flier, you know? Only made practical sense to have me be Seeker, but I was never any more than decent at it."
"And with you in the skies now, oh the other teams will walk on to the field already defeated. This'll be the season firsties are told about for decades, done by an actual Ravenclaw no less!"
"Just one question then," she paused, biting back a smile, "when do we start?"
"Where do you get off keeping something like that a secret?"
"I wanted it to be a surprise, Ron! I know how much you love Quidditch, so I figured the experience would be better if you didn't know what was coming. Was I right?"
"Considering he just about fell off the edge of the stands, I doubt he'll experience much else like it in his life."
"Got that right. Can I see it, can I just touch it?"
"You can hold it if you'd like," Leah offered, Ron looking like he'd just been handed his first born as she put it in his hands. "I'd let you ride it, but they aren't built for your body type. Hundred sixty-five centimeters and under, sixty kilos or less. That's why girls usually make the best seekers, less body to move around. Not to mention, the whiplash on a first time rider is a doozy."
"Hell, I can't wait to watch you beat the snot out of Malfoy on that thing."
By the time the weekend was over, word of the Ravenclaw tryouts had reached every corner of Hogwarts, even down in the Slytherin dungeons.
"You hear what everyone's saying, Malfoy, about that Ravenclaw girl?"
"From what I've heard not a lot of people got to see it, mostly because who goes to watch Ravenclaw tryouts, but they've been saying –"
"Would you two morons shut up. Ravenclaw this, Ravenclaw that. You're a Slytherin. She got Seeker because she's got a pretty last name for their roster. Whatever it was it's not going to matter once we the season starts and we obliterate them. Understood?"
Draco was tired of hearing people talk about Aurelia Ravenclaw. It was bad enough with he had to deal with Potter's celebrity, now he had to deal with her and all the classes they shared together when he had much more important tasks to be focusing on. Still, he couldn't quell his curiosity when the relentless gossiping about the Ravenclaw Quidditch team never seemed to die down. Draco never would have outwardly admitted to spying on their practices, but when he happened to be walking by during one of Ravenclaw's booked time slots he needed to put that nagging voice in his head to rest. Paying absolutely no attention to the rest of the team, his Seeker trained eyes sought out Leah. He didn't dare approach the stands, lest he be seen skulking about. Given how erratic the flight pattern of the Snitch could be he assumed she'd be outside of the Pitch anyway. Eventually he spotted her, descending in a spiral around one of the stands after a tiny flash of gold. It was clear she wasn't trying to catch it, opting to practice quick response times to it's jolting on what looked like a Nimbus 2001. Clearly she knew what she was doing, but as far as the talk around the castle went Draco was both sorely disappointed and smugly satisfied. Of course he'd known all along that these tales of her Quidditch grandeur were nothing if not tall tales, but still a part of him had wished she'd present an honest challenge. It was mid-October and already a month had passed since tryouts, but Slytherin and Ravenclaw weren't due for their match until the end of February. Given the dark undertone Draco's assigned mission from the Dark Lord presented this year, it had been his hope to have a new worthy opponent. He had grown bored with his games against Potter, he knew his tactics and flight patterns like the back of his own hand, and he certainly wasn't going to get anyone worth mentioning from Hufflepuff, so Aurelia Ravenclaw had been his last hope. With a dissatisfied sneer he turned and walked back to the Slytherin common room.
Another week had passed since Draco had watched Aurelia at practice. It was now just a week before Halloween, and most importantly to most of the students, the Halloween Hogsmeade trip.
"Haven't heard you prattling on yet about which girl's time you're going to waste this year, Zabini. Have even the tramps wised up to your tactics? No one wanted to give your ugly mug a second look?"
"Don't be an arrogant prat, Malfoy, we both know that's not true. A lady's time is never wasted if it's spent with me. I have my date, I'm just taking my time...calculating it."
"Well go on then, don't leave me curious like you're trying to hide some crush on a Mudblood."
Blaise glanced sideways at his prodding companion. Their dynamic was an odd one, somewhere nestled in mutual respect between friends and enemies. "The new one, Ravenclaw."
"Bloody hell, Avada me now."
"Don't be so dramatic, Malfoy. I could have done much worse but I do have standards."
"Could've fooled me, Zabini. Slumming is still slumming regardless of the name attached to it."
"You're really too petty for your own good sometimes, you know. Do you really think I'd go offering my company to just anyone? If you'd have taken your head out of your arse for two seconds when she started here you'd have done the same as I did and checked. She's one of the best looking things walking around this castle and pure-blood, whether you want to admit it or not. I'm not just going to let all of that flounce on by without taking a stab. You'd have to be mad, or just a git like you."
"Well I'm sure I'll see the two of you stumble through the common room at the end of the night, then," Draco huffed, resuming work on his potions essay.
"Not going, then? Nobody wanted to give your ugly mug a second look?" Blaise teased.
"Don't be absurd, I'll take all the time I can possibly get away from Parkinson."
It was only a half truth. Draco did enjoy the idea of being Pansy free for the day, but truthfully there were other things he needed to see through that were more important than a pint of Butterbeer or a coerced glass of Firewhiskey.
Three weeks, it had been three weeks since Draco's last attempt on Dumbledore's life was foiled because of a flimsy piece of fabric. They had passed in the blink of an eye. Now mid-November, his thoughts became crowded with half-baked murder plans and Quidditch formations. The first game of the season was later that day. It ought to have been Slytherin-Gryffindor. It wasn't.
"Stupid Potter, mucking up everything," he spat, pushing his breakfast around his plate, disinterested.
"Chin up, mate. At least Ravenclaw is easier on the eyes."
Earlier that week Harry had taken a rogue Bludger to the head during practice. His fracture had been easy enough to repair, but Madam Pomfrey refused to clear him for game play, saying it was important that he take the time to heal properly. Ginny Weasley had been their substitute Seeker, but with Dean Thomas on academic probation for his marks in Transfiguration there would have been no one to fill her spot as Chaser. Proper procedure would have been to have Gryffindor forfeit the match, but since no one wanted to see that happen, Ravenclaw had offered to switch dates.
"Being nice to look at's not going to matter much when Slytherin decimates her team. Sacred-29 or not, she needs to be put in her place."
Aurelia Ravenclaw infuriated him. Five years, five glorious years being the crowned Prince of Slytherin, being untouchable, unapproachable, being on a level entirely separate from every other student in that insufferable school. Everyone knew his name, not like Potter who skated in on mere coincidence that made him famous, but because people feared him, respected his family name. Then in comes Aurelia Ravenclaw, simply the most nauseating combination possible of the two rivals. Respected for the family name he'd bothered to check for purity to soothe his ego, admired by her peers for her kindness and friendly disposition. Each day that had passed since the beginning of the term she had chipped away at the pedestal Draco had raised for himself. She didn't fear him, didn't shy away from telling him off and putting him in his place, wasn't deterred by the righteous scowls and sneers he'd spent years perfecting. She was completely unphased by him, the only reaction he seemed capable of fostering from her was anger. Not the kind of anger spawned by shame, but well founded rebuttal. The more he found himself passively obsessing over her, the more outraged he became. No matter what he seemed to try, suddenly she was the untouchable one.
"So then you finally admit she's good to look at and you finally did your research. Five points to Slytherin, denial's not a flattering look on you, mate."
"Shove off, you prat."
"Reckon Slytherin knocking the wind out of their sails will work twice as well in my favor. Sure we'll win, but I'm sure the lady will need some tender company and consoling afterward."
"Merlin what's that, nearly a month now since The Three Broomsticks? You've lost your touch, Zabini. You ought to be on at least number three by now."
Blaise's mouth twisted into a light scowl. "I'll admit certain things are taking...longer than expected. Timing is everything, though, and with a last name like Ravenclaw I think I'm willing to play a longer game. She's a right minx."
"Bloodline or not she's still a filthy blood traitor with no respect for how these things work. Hold yourself to a higher standard."
"I'd bet good money on any pure-blood family being more than willing to overlook that if it meant marrying their son off to a genuine Ravenclaw. The prestige would be too tempting."
Draco tuned Blaise out as he rambled on about the complexities of pure-blood marriage arrangements. Anything on the matter and he instantly feigned deafness, being all too annoyed when reminded of the Malfoy's liking of the Parkinson name. He was raised knowing that was how it would be, and he probably wouldn't have minded it as much had it not been for the mystery of how two exceptionally stunning aristocrats produced such a decidedly average daughter. Clenching his jaw to prevent a verbal outburst directed at Blaise, Draco excused himself from the Slytherin table not a few moments after he had seen Leah do the same, following a reasonable twenty paces behind into the hallway. Weeks of restraint, of desperately trying to find one flaw in her legendary pedigree and he was ready to burst. To hell with waiting for the match.
"Nearly ready to eat bristles then, Ravenclaw?"
"Honestly Draco, you're getting predictable. If this is how it's going to be try not to bore me so much," Leah sighed, turning toward him as she pulled her jersey over her head.
"I think two months buried under the illusion you stand a chance is cruel, even by Slytherin standards. I've seen your practices. Not bad, but I reckon Goldstein was more focused on getting in your knickers than finding a talented seeker." Draco smirked as she stomped toward him, expecting her to draw her wand in an empty threat to jinx him. She came in like a Hogbat out of hell though, forgoing her wand and using the full force of both hands to shove him into the wall before he'd even registered that they'd made contact. She pressed closer still, mere inches away before she yanked down on his tie, forcing a crane in his neck until they were eye to eye.
"Listen up, Malfoy. You talk a big game for someone who hasn't seen the other players cards. Trouble is I'm calling your bluff because you have no idea what's coming for you. Everyone's going to think your rich daddy got us a new Pitch by the time I'm done wiping it clean with you." Leah spat her words at him, each one heavy with the same intentions they represented. She sauntered off, leaving Draco to fix his tie with a dangerous scowl on his face.
He was absolutely fuming, how dare she put her hands on him like that? How dare she have the gall to threaten him? If he wasn't hellbent on victory before, there was certainly no turning back now. Draco stormed toward the Pitch, livid over what had just transpired but also berating himself for the thoughts that came after. He should have been systematically planning her demise, but Draco found himself tripping over the realization that for the first time since they'd met, she'd called him Malfoy instead of Draco – and he did not like it.
A/N: Honestly, Draco...when will you learn? This chapter brought about something I'd been laying in subtly in the first few chapters. Had you noticed, unlike nearly everyone else, that Leah was calling him Draco instead of Malfoy? If I had to guess there's probably a reason for that, and, if there was, it would probably be explained in a chapter soon. Are you catching my drift or have you been Confunded? Now for some insight to this chapter!
1. Pinkywisps, another one of my silly creatures. I absolutely could have just had Leah run into Luna alone in the stands, but I'm just such a sucker for Lunville that
I had to give them some more content together. Hogbats are mine too!
2. The Thunderclap! This guy is another one of mine. I figured, since there was a whole repertoire of product variations unique to the North American Wizarding
Community, why not brooms too? The specifics of this one arent just thrown in willy nilly, they serve a very important purpose to the plot next chapter!
3. I've shifted the Quidditch schedule a bit as I'm sure (maybe?) you've noticed. A little Gryffindor team dichotomy: Ginny is on the roster as Reserve Seeker and Dean
Thomas is actually Reserve Chaser. There simply weren't enough players to shift around, but the Slytherin-Gryffindor match will still happen with all intended content
as it has in the book, just a bit later in the school year.
4. This isn't content, just a general comment about how Blaise and Draco are my BrOTP and honestly give me life.
5. I'm literally still laughing over the line "Avada me now". I think it's such a funny way to, essentially, say "kill me now" in the Wizarding community. I'm sure you've
seen it throughout the site, but it's really one of my favorite things so I just had to include it.
6. Let's get physical, physical! Maybe we just shouldn't anger Leah...yeah that sounds like a good idea. Question is, Draco's been harassing her for months and she's
been cool as a cucumber. Why the sudden outburst?
Let me know what you guys thought, and don't forget to say your destination clearly on the way out!