Breakfast on Monday morning was definitely interesting. Everyone was buzzing about the matches that had occurred yesterday. Emily Da Silva's plate was filled with gifts and letters. I was filled with a mixture of jealousy, relief and anxiety. I couldn't help but think that the Sorting Hat had placed her in the wrong house. Clearly to lie on such a grand scale would require large amounts of cunning. Who knows? Maybe McMan had enough for both of them.
Our first lesson of the day was Potions. Snape was in a particularly foul mood, clearly completely over all of the Quidditch antics – except when it involved McMan, who happened to be from his house. Viktor and I were partnered up as we worked on a potion that was particularly complex. Viktor seemed to have a natural affinity for it. My shoulders were feeling extremely tender from the game and stirring the pot was aggravating it.
"Are you alright Summer? You don't look too great."
"I'm fine. Just a little tired. Feel like I've lost my weekends."
"I know that feeling too vell." I smiled sympathetically. A conversation that McMan was having caught my attention. He was talking loudly about the penalty Emily had scored. About the trickshots that she had pulled off. Anger was building in my stomach. I just wanted to go over there and tip the cauldron over and onto them both.
"She is not the Spitfire." Viktor muttered as he took over stirring the cauldron.
"Hmm?" I muttered back. "How do you know?" I watched them intently. McMan was holding onto her as he stirred his cauldron in a blasé fashion.
"Vrong body shape. Vrong attitude." Viktor shook his head. "The Spitfire has a shorter, slimmer build. And vhy vould she reveal herself after a vhole year of hiding? McMan has made it up. It is fiction." I smiled at him momentarily before staring back into the cauldron. "Vould you like to meet her?"
"Who? Me? I'm not sure. How would I even react in that situation? I mean, look when I met you!"
"You vere fine. Ve are friends, are ve not?" Viktor smiled.
"Would you like to meet her?" I asked, adding ingredients."
"Of course. I vould be stupid to say no. And vho does not like a mystery?"
Viktor and I agreed to help Oliver with the Quidditch practice later in the week. Well – he asked Viktor to help, I think he only asked me as a means of trying to get me to sign up. We headed down early, just the three of us. We agreed to play one on one against a keeper as a warm up. Getting the ball from Viktor wasn't an easy task as he really was built like a chaser. I was holding back and he was easily taking over. Oliver was distracted for a moment as I pulled out a trickshot stealing away from Viktor. He was watching me with a wicked grin as I scored past Oliver. Thankfully the rest of the team was heading to the pitch, so I could save any awkward questions. Viktor was eyeing me strangely as Oliver prepped the team.
"May I have a vord?" He gestured me to one side, my heart in my throat.
"Yeah, what's up?"
"I think you should try for the team." I relaxed.
"Viktor – I can't. My parents –"
"Just think about it, okay?" He smiled. "You'd be good."
"Thanks." I laughed. "But no thanks."
The day before the Bulgarian game Oliver, Viktor and I were playing a game of wizard chess – well I was watching. We nearly jumped out of our skin when a large eagle flew through the open window with a letter clamped in its beak. It dropped the letter in my lap before receiving a gentle pat on the head before it flew off.
"Whose is that?" Oliver said, agape.
"A friend's." I smiled, trying to open the letter without letting them see who it was from.
Summer,
Thanks for writing to me first, you bitch! Hurry your arse up and come of age already! I'm tired of waiting! I'm sick of not being able to hang in public. Anyway, back to the matter at hand. Are you going to the Bulgarian match? It would be a PERFECT opportunity for me to come meet you and pretend we're just two innocent bystanders watching the same game! I know, I'm a genius. I'll look out for you!
Xavier.
P.S – DON'T TELL WILSON!
"Anything interesting?" Viktor asked, I shook my head.
"Nah, not really."
Oliver and I made it to the Bulgarian match extremely early. The stadium filled up quickly – good luck to Xavier finding me in the middle of this. A seat next to us was free but it was just out of sheer luck. Moments later, I saw Xavier pushing through the crowd with a baseball cap pulled down covering his face. He sat himself next to me before removing the cap watching ahead and no interacting with me. It didn't take long for Oliver to realise the situation he was in.
"Merlin's beard! It's Xavier Holt!" Oliver muttered under his breath. He leant over me to catch his attention. Holt generously shook his hand before shaking mine. We exchanged a small smile. Oliver couldn't stop talking about our luck. Xavier kept commentating in his own unique style out the corner of his mouth just so I could hear. Viktor was having a slow game – the snitch proving elusive.
"You're making him suspicious." I muttered into Xavier's ear as the crowd roared, well aware of the looks Oliver was giving me.
"I know what I'm doing." He smiled. "If he thinks I like you, he won't think twice if I contact you in the future." I gave him a look, shaking my head. Viktor finally caught the snitch, propelling Bulgaria into the lead. Xavier bid us goodbye before Viktor arrived back to our group.
"You will never believe what's just happened." Oliver told Viktor before filling him in on the entire story. Viktor didn't appear too shocked.
"It is common to see player's at games." He shrugged.
"But he likes Summer!" Oliver protested.
"Are you jealous? Want a bit of Holt for yourself?" I teased Oliver. He seemed to seriously contemplate it.
I headed off to McGonagall's office for practice in the middle of the week. She congratulated me for the win on Saturday before I whizzed off to practice. Milton was waiting for me on the other side.
"Do you not get tired of all this running about?"
"Sometimes. It's not for much longer though. I turn of age before the final."
"I bet you can't wait." Milton smiled. "But I bet Holt can't wait even more." I shot him a look.
"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked.
"He'll be happy that he can be seen with you in public without exposing your identity." Milton said with a sly smile. Wilson hit the roof when I got there. It turns out Holt and I hadn't been as conspicuous as we'd initially thought. His rant included talk of danger, stupidity and naivety. Once the telling off was over, we took to the sky and I was immediately distracted. Jeffrey was there with the entire Slytherin Quidditch team. It was easy to see through him. He was here to keep up his act.
The day before our next game, I was minding my own business heading down to the library to get a particularly nasty essay written up. Jeffrey was on his way out of the library when I was heading in. He gave me a funny look before following me back in.
"Summer, isn't it?" He asked, tailing me.
"Yup." I said simply.
"Now that's a little frosty – really you should be thanking me."
"Whatever for?" I protested. He had a malicious grin on his face. He looked up and down both aisles before approaching me. He tucked my hair behind ear slowly and gently before whispering closely in my ear.
"Distracting everyone's attention away from you of course." Noise was ringing in my ears. Fight or Flight. Fight or Flight. "I know you're the Spitfire Summer. I've distracted the school into thinking its Emily. How I see it is that you owe me." I think my heart had nigh on stopped.
"You're deluded." I went for denial.
"I'll just have to tell the press then-"
"No!" I gasped before I even thought about it. He grinned. "What do you want?" I said through gritted teeth.
"Not a lot." He played innocent. "Throw the Ireland game."
I walked back to my dormitory in complete shock. Viktor was up late studying. He could tell something was up.
"Summer – what's the matter?" I instantly broke down crying. Viktor hugged me tightly. Should I just tell him? McMan already knew was there any harm left to do? I couldn't possibly throw the Ireland game, everyone would know soon. It was a matter of time.
"I need to tell you something." I sighed, sitting myself back up.
"You don't have to – it's okay." He quickly countered.
"What?"
"I know." Viktor admitted.
Thank you for reading my stories! Sorry that I haven't really hit my word count with this one but I love a good cliffhanger and this one is really as good as it gets!
All of my love,
Until the next time!
~Sapph
