Quidditch and Lucy
A/N I own nothing, it all belongs to J.K. Rowling
Elsa is asleep when I walk in, but I walk over to her anyway. All the anger I saw before in her face has vanished as she sleeps, dreaming of some place I can't upset her. This Elsa, this happy Elsa, this is the one that should be here most of the time.
I hesitate before waking her, but I have a feeling she would want to know.
When her eyes open, I don't say anything, just gesture for her to follow me. It's quite late now, and I don't want to wake anyone else. Who knows how long I stood at the door.
She wordlessly follows me down the steel steps into the common room, where the warm fire is slowly dying. The warmth of it hits me, and I sit down in a chair. She chooses the seat across me from me, a large table between us.
She doesn't say anything, so I do.
'I've... I've stopped lying. I broke up with Art.' I wish i could say it nicer, but words have never really been my thing.
She looks surprised, but she smiles slightly.
'What did you say to him?'
'I told him the truth.'
'What, that you like one of his friends.' There is sharper edge to her voice here.
'No, no, when I found him, he wasn't alone; he was threatening Trill. He said some things about me that weren't complimentary, so told him it was over, simple as that.' Now that I have told her this, I feel worried about what she is going to do now.
She smiles suddenly, and I let out a breath I didn't realise I was holding.
'Thank you Lily.' She says.
'For once I have done the right thing.'
'Yes, yes you have.' She hugs me. 'Thank you.' And then she gets up from the chair, and walks upstairs.
I don't feel tired, but soon my eyes are closing and I am sleeping beside the embers.
When I wake up the sunlight on my face blinds me. I see I never changed out of my uniform last night, so I head down to breakfast immediately. My watch tells me the time is 8:50, so Elsa will be a breakfast by now. Good thing it's a Saturday.
For some reason, the Great Hall is packed when I get down. Usually at this time, it is just the seventh years and Elsa and myself. I can even see Hannah sitting with Sara Potts, which is a first.
James runs up to me and yells,
'Where have you been?' Oh, have I missed something? 'You look like you've been dragged through a hedge backwards.' He says.
'Thanks James.' But, this morning, I don't snap or shout. This morning, unlike yesterday, I feel fine. Brilliant, even. I just smile. He looks at me like I have grown another head, which just makes me smile more.
'Annyyywaaay,' he tells me, 'Quidditch match?'. Of course!
'Okay James. I broke up with Art by the way.' He opens his mouth and just stares at me, so I just grin and run past him, towards the place where Hannah and Sara are gossiping.
'What is it?' I ask as I sit down. I pick up a plate of sausages and pull it towards me, tucking in happily.
'Lucy won't come out of her room!' Sara informs me. 'Been crying all night and won't tell us what's wrong.' She seems very pleased with herself. I should probably do the supportive friend thing and try and help her out.
'Can you let me into the Hufflepuff Common Room so I can go see her?' I ask Sara. She nods,and I thank her.
I get up, telling them I will be back in a moment. I walk past Elsa, who is talking to Albus. She laughs at something he says and he turns the colour of a beet root. She smiles at me.
'What time is the match James?' I ask, and I notice quite a few of his friends blush as I stand behind them. What?
The match is at noon, so I should have time to see Lucy before hand.
'Who are we playing?' I ask him.
'What has gotten into you today?' James shakes his head. 'Ravenclaw.' Oh. Dear. I obviously pale, because James looks at me worriedly. 'Lil, are you okay?' I nod feebly as he gives me his cup of coffee. 'Go have a shower.' He says, in the most brotherly way he can. 'You will be fine.' He smiles as I walk out.
Ravenclaw. We are playing Ravenclaw. How is it we are playing them when I am trying to avoid two of their players? Art, a Beater, is going to be sending Bludgers at me likely the whole time. And Seb Trill, Chaser, and I am Keeper. One look from him and I may as well be a daffodil for all the good I am going to do.
'Lil, you ready?' Sara is standing behind me, with Hannah. Of course, Lucy.
'Sure!' I say, and we turn left at the stairs and duck behind a tapestry of my brothers namesake, Albus Dumbledore. Then down a winding passage. Wow, the Hufflepuffs really have to go along way to get to their Common Room.
Sara stops in front of a small statue, poised on her tiptoes. The statue, standing upon a plinth, looks Sara up and down and then says in a squeaky voice,
'Why have you brought Gryffindors here, my child?' Sara mutters something to see statue, and then it beams at her. She walks through the door, and the statue smiles at us as we go past.
As we enter the Hufflepuff common room, my tongue gets tied, preventing me from making any legitimate sound. The sheer beauty and delicateness of the room is hard to take in in one go.
There are large windows in every wall, and ivy crawls down from the ceiling like a canopy, and stretches down the walls to the floor. The domed ceiling is not visible beyond the green vines. Up the walls, growing from four pots next to the rough stone, are four white roses, which are in blossom. I can see a few birds nests in the vines, and there is a tweeting ever constant. Fresh flowers adorn every table, and the light green armchairs remind me of the soft bush. I assume this all can only be the work of Helga Hufflepuff, the most enthusiastic Herbologist of all time. I'm not too sure whether the male members of Hufflepuff appreciate it as much as the female members, but it is hard to see any reason why anyone would hate anything about this beautiful, beautiful, room.
Sara sits down in the one of the chairs, which I now believe to be a bush, as the branches part for her and a daisy grows from one the buds, entwining itself in her ponytail. This explains why all of Hufflepuff constantly wear flowers in their hair.
Hopefully not many Hufflepuffs have hay fever.
'I think you should go up alone.' Sara says. 'Hannah, stay down here.' Hannah looks warily at the sofa nearest to her. As if it senses she is uneasy, there is a cloud of sweet smelling smoke and then a bunch of flowers is being offered to Hannah, and she smiles.
Sara points me towards a set of stairs, and the branches part to let me through.
Even the steps are covered in moss, and there is ivy up the steps, and I want to stop to admire it. But there is a reason I came here; and that reason is Lucy.
It takes me a minute or so to find the right dorm, but when I do find it I can tell it is hers by the soft sound of crying coming from within.
I push open the door, and see her lying on her bed, pillow squished. I can't see her face, just the flow of long violet hair over the pillow. I am pleased that the room is the same as mine, a few wooden desks as well as the beds, but no plants, bushes or vines.
'Go away!' Lucy says, but she also says, curiously 'whoever you are!'
'No, Luce, you know I am not going to give up that easily.' Her shoulders tense as she recognises my voice, and she sits up. She isn't facing me.
'Lily?' She asks. At least this sudden confusion has distracted her of her current misfortune, whatever it is. Almost as if she can read my mind, she shudders, then starts moaning into her pillow again.
I walk carefully across the old floorboards, and shake her shoulders gently. She sits up, and I hug her.
'What is it, Luce?' I ask as she sobs into my shoulder. I hear a murmur in reply, but it is inaudible.
She lies on her back, hair spread out around her. She uses the palm go her hands to wipe the tears from her eyes, then her hands cover her face.
'I'm sorry Lily.' She says. 'It is difficult for me to say.' She tries to laugh, but it turns out as a hiccup, and tears form again.
'I think you had better get it out.' I say gently. 'Better out than in'. She nods slowly.
'I suppose you are right.' She says through her fingers. Her breathing is slow and heavy, seeming to leave her like an empty shell. This is a change from the usually confident, stylish Lucy Starr I know. Lucy hiccups again, then decides what she has to say.
'Lily. Yesterday afternoon, I asked out that boy I told you about, you probably haven't met him.' Lucy pauses hesitantly. 'Well, he turned me down.' She hiccups again.
Seb Trill turned down Lucy? What? I don't really have time to ponder this happy-to-me thought when she continues, hiccups becoming more frequent. 'Suppose this has never happened to me... before.' She manages, slowly, before sobbing again and burying her face in the soggy pillow.
'Lucy, think it over. Just because one boy turned you down doesn't mean others will. Maybe that boy just isn't your future husband. There are plenty of other nice, good looking boys. Art Trenfield is available.' I am pretty sure my pep talk is falling on deaf ears, but it is worth a try. Problem is, with a girl like Lucy, her looks are everything to her. Somebody not finding her attractive, or however she sees it, would really hurt her. Luce is beautiful, but just in ways she hasn't seen yet. I sound like one of those people crying over lost love or something. I'm not in love with Lucy. I'm in love with the man who turned her down. This is going to get infinitely more complicated.
I decide to leave her now, as there is obviously nothing we can do but sit and wait for her to come round.
When I get back down the common room, Sara and Hannah look at me expectantly. I quickly explain the dilemma, before checking my watch. 11 o'clock! Only one hour until the beginning of the match.
I sprint towards the exit, and the branches part for me, and then I am out of the trees and the light blinds me. I hadn't realised how dark it was in there.
It takes me far longer than it should to find my way back to the Entrance Hall, and I am going towards Gryffindor Tower as fast as my legs can carry me.
When I finally reach the changing room, I can tell James isn't happy. The rest of the team is there and changed; the chasers( Al, Bryony) apart from James are tossing an apple between them. The Beaters( Fred and Simon) are throwing their bats up in the air, and the Seeker, Via, is pacing the room with James. A look of relief passes over their faces as I appear, panting and out of breath. Al winces as James turns on me.
'WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?' He roars. 'I told you specifically when the match was, but you appear 15 minutes before the match starts!'
'James, one of my friends needed my help..' I wheeze pathetically as I double over. James looks exasperated at this excuse, but Via says,
'Which friend?' I look at her in surprise. She is standing behind James, and winks at me. James and Via do not get on well.
'Lucy Starr. Hufflepuff.'
'Yes James, I heard she was crying all night. None of Hufflepuff got any sleep last night.' Via tells him. 'Let her off James, first match of the season and if she can still Keep well, what is the problem?'
He doesn't answer her just storms off to get his broom.
I thank Via and she mouths, don't mention it.
A few minutes later, I am in my Qudditch robes, which I look awful in, as they clash with my hair, and then Madame Bourne's whistle sounds. All colour drains from Al's face. Bryony whispers to him, trying to make him feel better. Al gets nervous, incredibly nervous. Always has done since the time he fell off his broom in the first five minutes of his first game in his second year. That was almost four years ago.
James leads us out onto the pitch to the loud roar of the school, and the bright sunshine. This cheers even Al up, who smiles with the warm sun on his face. Bryony flicks her long plait over her shoulder as the captain of the Ravenclaw team, Vincent Taylor, winks at her.
James and Taylor shake hands roughly, considering off the pitch they are good friends, then mount their brooms, joining the rest of the players up in the small space of air a few feet above the pitch. Vincent flies level with Via, and she glares at him. The tensest feelings are always between the Seekers.
Slightly above me, Seb Trill eyes our Chaser carefully. He looks almost apologetically at a ghost like Albus, ignores Bryony(she punched him in second year for asking her what our Charms homework was), and eyes James with a determination crossed with annoyance. I know that look, because it is the one Al pulls when he is throughout pissed off by James, and has decided to wreak havoc.
Ben Jones, the Ravenclaw Keeper, catches my eye and grins. I smile back, then stifle a giggle as he pulls a face, gesturing towards one of the Beaters, Alec Parks. The look Alec is currently wearing on his face is one of supreme adoration, as he looks at Via. Ben imitates that look, and then mimes falling off his broom. I try and hide my laughter, but I end up choking, earning me some worried, confused, and slightly concerned looks from the other players.
Then Madame Bourne's whistle sounds again, and the Quaffle is released. Ben and I speed off in opposite directions, so we can get to our posts before the opposing Chasers. Al caught the Quaffle, and streaks off after Ben, Seb Trill hot on his tail.
Al evades Trill, and throws the large red ball at the left hand goal post. Ben catches it, and tosses it to Barton, who passes over James' head to Trill, who catches it with his left hand.
He tucks it under his arm then is heading towards me, a blue blur.
When he comes to shoot, he smiles at me, and I suddenly turn warm on the inside. My fingers turn to butter as I reach for the ball he has sent flying past my ear, and I groan inwardly as the blue-clad crowd below us cheer. 10 nil to Ravenclaw.
Trill winks at me, and I feel like punching him. That was on purpose! Well, of course it was Lil, this is Quidditch.
Art, a Beater, seems to have noticed this as well, and thwacks a Bludger in the direction of a Trill. Vincent Taylor looks outraged as Trill performs a balletic twirl in the air to the avoid the Bludger.
James looks laughingly at the two bickering Ravenclaws, then turns to me. He doesn't look to pleased. For goodness sakes, I have only let in one goal.
Okay, Trill, two can play this game.
Trill doesn't get another chance to shoot for another half an hour or do, and now it is 40-20 to Gryffindor.
But when he does come, I smile, blush, then laugh inside as he fumbles with the Quaffle, dropping it into the arms of Bryony. I blow him a kiss as he scowls at me, and that's when I hear the voice echoing round the stadium.
It's Jon Bell, and the flirting going on hasn't gone unnoticed by him.
'Oh dear, ladies and gents, a butterfingers moment for Trill of Ravenclaw there as he is turned to jelly by the beautiful Keeper Lily Potter. Of course, that is not the only reason she is a brilliant Keeper, but she certainly seems to have own Trill over hasn't she?'
The crowd are roaring with laughter as he says this, and Trill blushes scarlet.
'But of course, it's not only Trill falling for Potter. I seem to recall an incident earlier, don't you ladies and gents, where Potter missed something, perhaps distracted by the smile of my dear friend Mr Trill. Sorry Professor, just one minute. Don't you think he should ask her out folks?' Jon asks, and there are several wolf whistles from the crowd. I feel my face heating up as the crowd agree with him.
Fred doesn't look to pleased, and before long a Bludger is sent in the direction of the unfortunate Bell, who is then silent for the rest of the match, given to the fact he is unconscious. I'm slightly worried for him, and for Fred, who has been sent off, but at least that embarrassment may be forgotten. But of course, this is Hogwarts.
Then Trill is coming towards me again, holding the Quaffle. Before I can do anything, something hits my broom, smashing it in two, and my head collides with the hard hoop I was defending. Black splotches cover my vision, but I see Trill drop the Quaffle, then fly towards me. I feel a pair of arms stopping me from falling, then I black out completely.
