Chapter 10

Bella's POV:

One Saturday in November…

Today, there was excitement all around the castle. Today was the big Gryffindor versus Slytherin Quidditch match—the first game for the Gryffindor team.

I dressed, not in my usual uniform, but my red and gold Gryffindor Quidditch robes.

When I came down from my dormitory, my Firebolt broom in my hand, several fellow Gryffindors were clapping me on my back, telling me I'd be great and wishing me luck.

I headed to the Great Hall.

The entire Slytherin table, save one, small, trying-to-hide girl who I knew, booed loudly whenever a member of the Gryffindor team entered the hall, while the Gryffindors cheered. The Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs cheered too, although not as fervently. (A/N: Guess who didn't boo in Slytherin. Same person as previously mentioned. Free cyber galleons!)

My friends, including the Cullens, were all in their normal places. They were all mixed up. Harry was next to Ginny and Ron. Ron was beside Emmett and across from Hermione. Emmett was beside Rose…and so on.

I sat in between Edward and Hermione. Harry, Ginny, Ron, Emmett, and Jasper were in their red and gold Quidditch robes as well.

As I sat, I glanced upward and saw that the sky was a clear, cloudless, pale blue.

"Morning," I said, cheerfully.

Ron muttered his response. I rolled my eyes. He was always so worrisome. Emmett and Jasper didn't even look worried. Ginny, like me, had a cheerful outlook about it. Harry looked a bit nervous, but nothing like Ron.

The others were cheerful.

"Good morning, Bella!" Alice chirped merrily.

"How are you all feeling?" Jasper asked the other Quidditch players, including me.

I grinned at him and lightheartedly teased, "Like you don't know, Jasper."

Everyone chuckled.

"You know what I mean, Bella," he said, smiling.

"Yeah. I know. I'm sure everyone's looking forward to the Quidditch match," I said. "Am I right?"

"Oh, yes." Edward told. "Naturally. Everyone. The distraction of Quidditch is much appreciated, even by the staff."

I looked up at the Head Table. Dumbledore was here, surprisingly. He was laughing at something McGonagall had said, I think. Carlisle and Esme were talking with Madam Hooch, who looked more excited than normal. The other professors looked more cheerful than normal, too. Except Snape. He looked just as pale, sulky, and in a bad mood as normal. As expected.

"You'd better eat," Rosalie told me, causing me to look away from the professors. "You'll all need your energy out there on the field."

I nodded and grabbed a slice of toast to butter it.

All the Cullens' eyes were a bright gold. They must have hunted last night.

After breakfast, the stands were swiftly filling. The team was all in the changing rooms. Our arm-length gloves, knee and shin pads were on, our brooms in our hands.

Everyone on the team had fairly good quality brooms. Harry and I had Firebolts.

We had trained long and hard.

We had a good, hard-working, talented team. Not to mention that it included two vampires. But no one else needed to know that…yet.

"…Now, let's go win!" Harry said.

At that, the team headed onto the Pitch.

The stadium was filled to the brim. It was a sea of students: one side red and gold, the other silver and green.

Madam Hooch was in the middle of the field, ready to release the four balls.

"Captains shake hands," she said. Harry shook hands with the new Slytherin captain, Urquhart. Formally, Harry was the captain, but I agreed to be his co-captain on his request. "Mount your brooms. On the whistle….three…two…one."

The whistle rang out. Everyone kicked off from the frosty ground instantaneously, and the game began.

I soared above the other players, circling vigilantly for the glint of gold. Malfoy was the Slytherin Seeker, and I wasn't going to let him beat me.

I watched from above.

I was at blissful peace on my broomstick.

But that came to a screeching halt when I heard the commentary.

"Well, they're finally off, and I think we're all surprised to see the team Potter and Isabella have put together today." I ground my teeth. "But I suppose being friends with the co-captains do help…"

I hated that Hufflepuff. He apparently liked me and was a very unpleasant person.

The Slytherins erupted into jeers and applause. Ugh. Why can't he go die in a hole?

As I watched, I saw the Slytherin captain try to score…only for Ron to save it. I cheered along, but booed when Smith was claiming that Ron was only getting lucky.

Emmett saw my anger, and, after hitting a Bludger at the Slytherin Keeper, he flew up to me.

"Something I can do?" he asked.

Before I could reply, I saw Ginny pass the Quaffle to Harry, who scored. Smith said, "Well, I guess Weasley's sister is getting lucky too…talented and pretty. Just my type….although, not as much as Bella…."

Grinding my teeth, I whispered something to Emmett, who grinned and flew off.

"SMITH!" I heard McGonagall yell.

"Sorry, Professor McGonagall, sorry. I have to admire from afar…But she really is an attractive girl…"

And that was when Emmett hit a Bludger at his head. He barely dodged.

I gave Emmett a high five, grinning and laughing as I did.

The entire Gryffindor team was laughing, as well as most of the students.

Later, it was ninety to zero, Gryffindor winning. Harry had scored four, Ginny three, and Demelza two. Ron had saved every Quaffle the Slytherins threw. Emmett and Jasper had not let a single Bludger hit any of our team, and they'd hit several of the Slytherins.

Malfoy was about ten feet away from me, watching me. Suddenly, I saw a glint of gold, far below Malfoy. He hadn't noticed it yet, thankfully.

I wouldn't be able to get there without drawing attention to myself, so…a distraction was needed.

The answer popped into my mind.

I hid a grin as I dived away from the Snitch, in the opposite direction. Malfoy was right behind me.

"Look at them go! Isabella Swan has seen the Snitch, but…where is it…"

I kept on, until I was four feet from the ground. I pulled out of the dive just in time to avoid a crash. Malfoy realized just barely too late, and almost didn't manage to not crash. While he was distracted, I sped to the Snitch.

"My word! The Wronski Feint!" Smith gasped.

Then my outstretched fingers grasped the Snitch. "YES!" I shouted.

As I grasped the broomstick with one hand, I raised the Snitch above my head as I turned back to the ground. But, before I could land, I was grouping in a mid-air hug with the rest of the team.

The crowd cheered as they realized what I'd done.

"Ginny, what are you doing?" I heard Harry shout. I looked above to see Ginny speed past the rest of the team until, with a deafening crash, she collided with the commentator's podium.

The crowd and team erupted into shrieks and laughing.

The team and I landed near the wreckage, under which Zacharias Smith was stirring feebly. Ginny was hardly suppressing a smile as she blithely told an irate Professor McGonagall, "Forgot to brake, Professor, sorry."

I laughed, along with the team.

I saw Malfoy get to his feet, glaring at me, as if silently telling me, this isn't over.

Harry broke free from the crowd and went over and hugged Ginny before they began to snog. I chuckled as almost the entire school was gaping. Right. They hadn't known.

After leaving the changing rooms, there was a party in the Common Room.

Many shouted their congratulations to the team.

I was looking for Edward, when I felt a pair of cold arms around my waist.

"You did a wonderful job put there, love," he murmured. I smiled as I kissed him. "It was nothing. Malfoy is just gullible. And Smith is a perverted idiot."

His face darkened. "You do not even want to know what he was thinking."

I grimaced. "That bad?"

He hesitated, then said, "Worse than Rose and Emmett on their honeymoons. He was practically undressing you in his mind."

I shuddered and made a face. "I'm glad I'm not a mind-reader."

He laughed. "Trust me. You are."