Chapter 14
(Final match between Gryffindor and Slytherin)
'Leah, hurry up!' Lily called, holding her hood up over her head.
Rain fell down, only lightly now, though Leah knew enough about the weather to tell that it would be pouring soon. The bottom of her robes were splattered with mud and her boots made squelching sounds as she made her way towards the Gryffindor Quidditch tower.
She wished Dumbledore would postpone this silly match, considering the dreams she'd been having lately.
They all involved someone falling off a broomstick and Leah had little doubt it was Kyle. It made no sense … but it woke her up in the middle of the night, quaking with fear, sweating and battling the urge to go hug Kyle and never let go.
Only, she hadn't done that- gone and hugged Kyle- for one thing, if these dreams were only dreams, he'd laugh at her for the rest of her life. Kyle NEVER forgot the embarrassing things she did. And she hated Kyle laughing at her. And anyway, he hadn't fallen in the matches before this…
'HURRY UP!' Angie hollered, darting towards her and dragging her by the hand, 'We're going to be late!'
Leah ran up the stairs after her, slipping slightly on the wet wood. They got front seats- reserved for them by Remus and Peter.
She tried sitting for a few minutes, but found she was unable to. She needed to see Kyle before this match. He'd played tons of soccer matches before, but this was different…
'I'll be right back, alright?' she said to the others, and went back where she'd come from. Pushing past the people coming up to the Gryffindor stands, she made her way to the locker room where her twin was.
Already, the players were leaving. She stood in the shadows and waited for her twin to stroll past her. One hand darted out and grabbed the unsuspecting brunette.
'Who-? Oh, it's you Leah.' Kyle sighed, dropping his ridiculous, exaggerated Kung-fu stance.
She sensed he was slightly nervous and gave his hand a squeeze. 'Well…'
'You'd better watch me and tell me if Angie swoons when she sees me.' He said cheerfully, dark eyes watching his team disappear.
Leah nodded, reluctantly letting go of his hand. Kyle grinned, swooped unexpectedly and gave her a brief hug before starting to walk away.
'Kyle!' she cried out, desperation in her voice.
He stopped and turned, 'Yep?'
'You be careful… that's all.' She said, nodding.
''Course I will.' He shrugged, gave her a weird look and strode off after the team.
Leah watched him leave, before turning and going back to her seat.
'Leah, c'mon!' Alice said, excitedly waving a hand, 'Sit!'
Leah sat down beside Remus and looked over the railings. Peter was already hanging onto them, ready to start cheering. She looked down and saw the tiny specks enter the field, broomsticks ready in hand, cloaks hanging down stupidly from their bodies because they were all soaked.
The two captains shook hands and Leah saw Sirius looking up, eyes weirdly magnified by the goggles they had all donned to help them see through the rain.
Her breath caught in her throat as he spotted her and, ignoring Peter, he grinned. He raised a hand in a wave. Leah rolled her eyes and ignored him, like she had for the past few days.
Then she saw Kyle and a sick feeling crept into her stomach.
'Leah,' Remus asked, 'Are you alright?'
She nodded, and watched the players mount their brooms… the whistle blew…
The match was so good, it almost made Leah forget about her creepy dreams. No one fell off their brooms, which had to be a good sign.
Only five minutes to go, and it was still a tie. Leah watched Kyle feinting dives, trying to throw off the Slytherin Seeker.
The snitch was rather energetic today. Everyone craned their necks to take a better look at the Seekers, now so high they were only little dots under the dark, dripping clouds.
Leah leant forward, hands on her knees.
'Kyle, go on… you can do It.' she chanted in her head, in hopes of her twin hearing. Sadly, if he did hear anyone, it would be the entire Gryffindor chanting out the same thing, only a hundred times louder.
She squinted up, blinking hard as rain entered her eyes… Kyle was there, and he was reaching, and…
It happened so fast- one second he was up there, the snitch in his fingers, the next second, he was falling past her down, down…
His name escaped her lips before she knew it, and she felt someone put a restraining hand on her, as if they thought she might jump.
Stupid, stupid, stupid…
She shrugged the hand off and tore down the stairs, slipping and sliding, towards the pitch where all the players were gathering.
'Leah!' she heard someone call after her, 'Leah, he's going to be fine!'
What did THEY know? Kyle could be dead for all she knew! And it was her fault… why hadn't she put sleeping potion into his before-the-match pumpkin juice? Or maybe she should have clung to his robes and refused to let go right before the godforsaken match…
Kyle…