Disclaimer: I don't own Hogwarts, only the things you don't recognise. Don't kill me for the rubbishness of the disclaimer or sue me I'm a student and have no money.
Chapter 10: QuidditchThe days went by becoming colder and darker and still Tanwen said nothing to Harry. She wasn't even sure what she wanted to say really.
Things returned to pretty much normal after the bitterness of their defeat to Hufflepuff wore off, added to the glee most felt when Ravenclaw flattened Hufflepuff at the end of November.
It was the day after the match when Tanwen was sat with Cedric on a low wall behind the castle towards the end of the day. He was feeling miserable about their defeat.
"Their chasers are just too good!" he moaned, "I've been on at Harriar for ages to keep a better grip on the Quaffle, but he just never listens to me."
"But you still caught the snitch, Cho keeps telling me how close it was, but it didn't look that tight to me," she replied, shuffling along the wall to wrap her arms round his waist.
He grinned at her, "you're not very convincing," he told her, "Chang's a good seeker, just out of practice."
"Not as good as you," she said stubbornly.
"Suck up," he teased.
"Grouch," she countered.
He laughed and kissed the top of her head, "ok, ok, I get the hint."
The bell rang for dinner, Cedric's stomach growled.
"Someone's hungry," she said, grinning as she poked his stomach.
"I'm a growing man," he told her as he stood to go inside.
"Man hey?" she replied, with an arch look.
"Oh come on you," he said grabbing her hand and pulling her towards the castle, "I know you're just as hungry as me."
"And how do you know that?" she demanded.
"I see the hunger in your eyes when you look at me," he retorted, grinning.
"Oh really?" she challenged, blushing slightly.
"Yes really," he said pausing to pull her close to him. He tilted her head up towards him and softly brushed her lips with his. He felt her lips curve into a smile before she wound her arms behind his head pulling him closer towards her and deepening their kiss.
~*~*~*~*
She was on her way back from the library the next day when she heard Cedric and Oliver's voices up ahead.
"I don't need your advice Diggory," Wood was saying tersely.
"Maybe not, but you don't know what I know, she's really good," Cedric insisted.
Tanwen turned the corner to see Wood standing with his arms crossed talking to her boyfriend.
"Hi, I was just telling Wood about your Quidditch," Cedric said shortly.
Wood looked at her with something like a glare. "Look Diggory, if she wants to be in the team she can ask me like everyone else."
"Oh fine," retorted Cedric, "have it your way. But she almost played for France you know! I'll see you later Tanwen." And he stalked off up the corridor.
"France?" said Wood turning to her, "France?"
"He was making it out to be a bigger deal than it is. I just used to train with them that's all, I was never on the team or even a reserve."
"But they asked you to train with them right?"
"I guess so."
"So that means you must be pretty good! Although France isn't one of the best national teams, you still trained with a national squad! How come you never mentioned anything?" he demanded.
"Calm down Oliver," she replied, frowning, "it's not that big a deal-"
"Not that big a deal? Not that big a deal?" he repeated, incredulous, "We could have a national player-"
"How many times do I have to say it, I am NOT a national!"
"Whatever, I want to see you play. I can't believe I had to hear it from Diggory anyway." He paused and looked at her, "Why did he mention it anyway, why should he care?"
"Oh, I don't know," she replied a little impatiently, once again he was getting carried away with himself, "he said he might mention it a while ago, but I never thought he was actually serious. But I know that he feels bad about the match. He really did want a rematch you know."
Oliver looked sceptical.
"Honestly," she insisted, "of course he wanted to win, but not like that."
"If you say so," he replied doubtfully, "Anyway, will you come now?"
"Where?"
"To the pitch, what do you think? I want to see you play."
Tanwen thought about it, if she didn't go now then he would just pester her until she agreed, "Fine," she agreed grudgingly, "but if you tell anyone, and I mean anyone, that I'm a national then I'm going to inflict serious pain on you!"
He grinned and surveyed her slight figure briefly and raised an eyebrow.
"You think I'm kidding? Just test me!" she threatened.
"Ok, ok," he laughed holding up his hands, "my lips are sealed."
By the time they got back to the common room Tanwen was about to scream, Wood had questioned her all the way back about what she had done, how long she had trained for, who she trained with, the list went on and on. He was making such a big deal about it.
"I'll meet you back down here," she told him as she went to fetch her broom, grumbling under her breath about certain people who couldn't understand the word 'not'.
Her room was empty except from Lou who sat on her bed sketching. Tanwen glanced over as she pulled her broom case out from under her bed and grinned. It was a picture of Dom.
"That's really good," she told Lou.
"Oh, thanks," replied Lou blushing furiously and turning the page over.
"Don't be silly," Tanwen said, "it's not that embarrassing surely, not when you're so good?"
"Where are you off to?" asked Lou, changing the subject, "out flying with Cedric again?"
"No," Tanwen replied, "Oliver's making me come." She grimaced, "and I'm just about ready to throttle him!"
"Why? I didn't know you played, are you good?"
"Quite," she replied, "but not as good as he's making out. I'd better go, I'll see you later, ok?"
"See you,"
She slung the case over her shoulder she sighed and clattered down the stairs to where Oliver was waiting. For some reason Tanwen felt guilty about the whole thing, she felt bad that someone might have to be taken off the team if Oliver wanted her on it. 'Oh well,' she thought, 'que sera sera.'
"Right," said Wood in a businesslike manner, "let's see what you can do." He took out a Quaffle from the practice box and told her to take off.
Resigning herself to the fact that she would have to go through all this she obeyed and kicked off.
He put her through several basic training procedures, which he stopped quickly seeing she had no problems with and then asked her to show him the practices she had been used to.
Reaching into her pocket she drew out her wand and recited a brief incantation. Immediately rings of coloured smoke blossomed from her wand spiralling away across the pitch forming a kind of course.
"Well, normally we do this in pairs and then a three," she explained, "and three sets of the course appear in distinctly different colours. We're given the Quaffle and told that we have to make a certain number of passes before we reach the end of the course within the time limit."
"Interesting," commented Wood, "how long do you have?"
"It varies," she replied, "depending on how long and complicated the course is, but normally a couple of minutes."
Wood looked in surprise at the long stream of smoke that hung in the air above the pitch, they'd have to go pretty fast if they were going to do it in that amount of time.
"I can just fly through it if you'd like," offered Tanwen, "we did that to warm up."
Wood agreed and so she made her way to the entrance to the smoke tunnel. She grinned, it was all so familiar, she loved doing this. She leant down low over the handle of her broom and quickly scanned ahead with her eyes to the twist and dives ahead and then she shot off. Weaving and diving through the rings she forgot that she was being watched and spurred on by the exhilaration of the speed she urged herself on faster.
Suddenly the rings ran out and she brought herself to a stop, flushed and breathless.
Wood appeared in the air next to her, "Diggory was right," he admitted grudgingly. "What position do you play?" he asked.
"Chaser," she replied surprised, "that's why I know those exercises. That's the only position I could play well really. I'm not strong enough to whack the Bludgers and I'm really not good at spotting where that tiny Snitch goes- I never understand how they manage to find it. And as for Keeper, well, I don't exactly fill much space in a goal do I?" She grinned.
"Right," he headed towards the ground deep in thought, muttering to himself, "hmm, this could be the extra boost we need to get back in the running. Not an easy decision though, mmm, this one's going to take some thought…"
"Err Oliver?"
"Yes?"
"You aren't forgetting how much I could disrupt what you already have if you put me on the team right?"
"No, no, I know what you mean. They're adaptable…" he had returned to his musings.
"Adaptable....whatever," she muttered under her breath as she packed her broom away, well it was up to him now, she just hoped that he wouldn't be too hasty in his decision.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The next time they had a team practice Wood asked Tanwen to come along. Alicia looked rather surprised to see her take her broom from under the bed and follow her down the stairs.
"Wood asked me to come," she explained.
"Oh, right, ok," she replied still looking a mixture of confused and worried.
"Hey Tanwen, are you coming too?" asked Harry as he emerged to join them in the common room.
"Yeah," she replied, "shall we go?"
As they walked down towards the pitch she felt unreasonably nervous. It was just that she didn't want them to feel angry with her. Angelina and Katie she didn't really know that well, but she got on well with Fred and George and she would hate for them to resent her. And as for Alicia, well things could get rather uncomfortable in their room…ugh she didn't want to think about it.
They were the last to reach the pitch, everyone else was gathered around sitting on the lowest bench of the stands, waiting. As they approached Wood got to his feet and looked at them,
"Right, now that you're all here I've got something to say."
"Now there's a surprise," muttered Fred, "Because you never have anything to say do you?"
Wood glared at him, then took a deep breath and spoke very quickly, "Ok, well as you will have no doubt noticed we have a new person with us today. And I think we stand the best chance of getting back into the running with her on the team. Unfortunately that means that one of you will have to be put in reserve. I'm sorry but that's the way things go sometimes. She's a chaser so that means that one of you girls will have to be swapped out," he paused and paced up and down, "I've thought long and hard about this and I think that it'll have to be you Alicia. You're the newest member of the team and I'm sure you'll be back on the team once Angelina and Katie have left."
"Oh, right, I see," Alicia sat, looked at her feet and sighed.
Tanwen sat awkwardly on the bench her knees drawn up to her chest, this was so embarrassing and she felt really guilty, Alicia was her friend. She wasn't sure that it was worth it. Quidditch was great and all, but in her opinion often overrated, it wasn't worth ruining friendships for, "scrud buckets!" she said out loud, the others all stared at her. She coloured and looked at her knees.
"I think I'll go back inside if you don't need me," said Alicia not looking up, "I've got work I need to finish."
"Err," Wood looked uncomfortable, "if you need to."
She stood up and walked back to the castle dejectedly. The others watched her go silently. After a long pause Fred said,
"Well this isn't awkward at all is it?"
"I think the best thing to do is to begin practice," Wood turned to Tanwen, "will you conjure that tunnel again, we'll use that to warm up."
She obliged and practice began. She avoided eye contact where she could until Wood shouted to her,
"Don't be such a coward Tanwen, they aren't that bad, you have to look them in the eye if this practice is going to work."
She blushed and obeyed.
It took about an hour for people to be able to put things behind them and properly execute the exercises. Tanwen flew to the left of Angelina, passing the Quaffle whenever Wood blew his whistle. As they flew he shouted instructions to dive down, left, right, up…
Following his instructions Tanwen swooped below Katie watching as the Quaffle went from her to Angelina. A bludger sent by George caused her to swerve out of the way and the Quaffle slipped from her grasp. Tanwen wasn't quick enough to grab it as it passed her where she sat but she swung under her broom and grabbed it with both hands as it reached about the spot where her feet had been. Her legs, as usual, were crossed under (well over now) the handle of her broom; not a typical flying stance, but one she now did naturally.
Hanging upside down she held the Quaffle in one hand and used the other to grab hold of her broom and pull herself up to the handle and span over so she was upright again. Ducking a bludger she threw the Quaffle to Katie, who was staring at her.
When practise ended they returned to the ground to collect their things.
"I think this could really work to our advantage," Wood told them approvingly as he packed the balls back into their boxes.
She joined their thrice weekly practices and after her original nervousness wore off she found she got on ok with the other chasers. Things between her and Alicia were strained, Clem's dislike of her seemed to have intensified as if she had personally wanted to kick Alicia off the team. But for the most part she and Alicia just kept to civilities, Tanwen hoped that given time Alicia would forgive her.
As they entered the beginning of December things got a lot colder. Most mornings they woke to see a light frosting covering the grass and patches of ice on the lake. The day began just like many others, her lessons passed without any particular events and soon she was sat in the common room talking and joking with Jon and Dom.
Out of the corner of her eyes she saw delicate white flakes begin to fall outside and she rose to go and watch them out the window. She watched as they danced and twirled in the cold breeze before falling to the ground and mingling into a smooth blanket covering of snow. Then without warning she suddenly remembered something.
Many years ago she was sat on the steps out the back of a very familiar house…
*~*
She pulled on bright red boots lined with fluffy white sheepskin. Clad all in a blue snowsuit she tottered to her feet and looked up and the flakes falling.
"Tanwen," called a soft voice.
Twisting her head she saw her mother walking towards her holding a woolly scarf. Her face was flushed from the cold and she wore a long black coat edged with a grey fur that swept the top of the snow. A long red scarf was wound round her neck and she pushed long chocolate coloured curls out of her face as she crouched down in front of her.
"Here, you have to wear your scarf," she told her as she wound it round her neck.
"Saffron," laughed her father, "if you wrap anything else round her she won't be able to move! As it is she looks like a giant blue puffball!"
He walked over and put his arms round her waist looking down at Tanwen.
"What do you think Sirius?" asked another male voice, "is this some sort of cruelty to children?" He grinned and gestured to the swaddled bundle in his arms.
"James, you know they have to be wrapped up warm," said his wife joining him.
"Yes, but I don't think that Harry can even see out of this," he replied with a wink to Sirius.
"Honestly, you two! What are we going to do with them Lily?"
They laughed.
"I think we're being ganged up on here James," said Sirius grinning as he swept Tanwen up into his arms and walked over to his best friend, "what do you think poppet?" he asked looking at Tanwen.
"How many pet names do you have for that child Sirius?" teased Saffron, "does she even know her own name?"
"Course she does," he replied messing her hair…
*~*
Tanwen pressed her forehead against the cold of the window and felt a tear trickle down her cheek. Wiping it away quickly she turned round and bid the others a hasty goodnight.
"I'm off to bed, really tired," she lied
"Ok see you in the morning,"
"Night,"
She climbed up the stairs and undressed quickly and got into her white nightie, before pulling the bed curtains about her and taking out a small mahogany box out from under her pillow. With a lump in her throat and her eyes stinging she opened the lid.
Inside lay all she had left of her parents; a blood red pendant and a single silver cufflink still attached to the torn corner of a blue shirtsleeve.
"Where are you?" she whispered as she lay back onto her pillow and closed her eyes, curling herself up into a small ball, "Why did you have to leave me all alone?"
She was in a field where lush, long grass waved gently in a warm, summer breeze. The delicate fragrance of poppies was in the air and white, fluffy clouds raced by overhead. And in the centre stood a woman. Her long, brown tresses fell in glossy waves to her waist and she was laughing, holding out her arms, calling.
Still asleep Tanwen rose and walked out the room, her long white nightdress trailing on the ground. Down the turret, out through the common room and along corridors and down more stairs and finally out into the open air walking across the white snow-covered ground. A soft green light shone around her.
She ran as fast as her feet could carry her, the grass whipping at her as she passed.
"Mummy! Mummy!" she called.
She enfolded Tanwen into her arms and kissed the top of her head, holding her close, "My little one," she whispered, "my precious, little baby."
"Why d'you have to go away?"
"Shhh, hush little one" She looked down at her daughter, and entwined a blood-red poppy into her hair, "just look at you...I'm so sorry I'm not there to see you grow up to share your good times and bad. To see the young woman you're going to be, because she's going to be powerful and she's going to be beautiful." Her deep brown eyes were wild but tempered with a profound sadness. She had wanted so much to stay.
The colours began to fade and blur. As if what she saw were a reflection in a pool and now someone had thrown a stone into its heart, disturbing the image, causing it to break and waver.
"No! Don't go! Don't leave me!"
A sad smile lingered about her mother's features as her outline now as fragile as smoke slowly began to break up as if blown by an invisible wind.
"Don't leave me… not again…"
"…Not again…" Tanwen's knees buckled beneath her and she fell forwards into the snow.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A/N: Yeah! Someone new appreciating my story! I'm glad you like it hpfan20507, and Sarai Ice-Elf, my thanks as usual
Hope you all liked the newest chapter of this fic, which I am still thinking about renaming again, I can only come up with rubbish ideas. At the mo it's called the White Fire because that's what Tanwen means. Ah well, any better ideas?