"Another week and it will be ready." Miralda hissed, breaking the silence of the attic.
"Make sure everything is perfect." Ivy replied stiffly. "This is our last chance and failure will not be tolerated."
"I understand. Will you be going?" She asked even though she already knew the answer.
"Yes, it's been proven that the task of taking her is better handled by us. She will have no chance of escape." Her voice was laced with anger as the remembered the debacle that was Hogsmeade. "Has everything been moved to the new location?"
"Yes, once the potion is ready we can leave also."
"Good, good. Let's start preparing for the ceremony, before you know it, it will be time." Her face broke out into a grin as she spoke which made her look even more sinister if possible.
"What am I gonna get James for his birthday?" Thalia wondered aloud for the millionth time. "He's the first guy I ever felt this way about and he well he doesn't really want for anything."
"Thalia if you gave James a rock it would be his favorite rock." Rose replied for the millionth time. "I think it's safe to say he feels the same way and he would like anything you got him."
"I know that, but I want it to be something special. Being with a rich guy sucks." She grumbled miserably.
"Maybe you could make him something." Jessica said suddenly. She had been back a week now and Rebecca was still surprised by the change in her. She was less outgoing and talkative, but when she did choose to speak it wasn't words laced with venom meant to hurt the person to which it was addressed. At Thalia's doubtful look she continued. "You're a witch, a pretty good one, going to a school filled with magical books and supplies for every damn thing. You could whip up a one of a kind present for James."
"Hey that's a good idea Jessica." Thalia said her voice one of surprise.
"Yeah I get them from time to time." Jessica laughed.
"But I only have a week now to figure out what to make and how to make it. Will you guys help me?" She looked beseechingly to her friends.
"Of course but we'll have to continue this conversation another time." At Rose's words the girls turned and watched as the boys strolled towards their spot in front of the lake. They paired off as they reached, James sitting beside Thalia, Albus beside Rebecca and Scorpius beside Rose, leaving Fred and Jessica looking like the odd pair out.
"Here's an idea Jessie…" Fred started.
"Stop calling me that."
Fred continued as if he hadn't heard her. "I think it only makes sense that we start dating, then this nice little group would be all paired off and no one would be left out. What do you think?" He smiled charmingly at her and Rebecca saw the reason why he continuously got love notes from secret and not so secret admirers.
"As hard as this is for me I'm gonna have to turn down that proposal." Jessica said with mock sadness in her voice.
"Aren't you guys going to train for the match tomorrow?" Rebecca inquired as she watched the Slytherin players make their way up from the quidditch pitch.
"Nope. No practice the day before the match. That's resting day for us." James answered.
"Which is only right seeing as he works us into the ground all the other days." Scorpius said with a grimace.
"You want Hugo to kick our ass? We'd never live it down with his 'Weasley is our king' song. Not again." James replied passionately.
"I hate when you guys play against each other, why couldn't Hugo be in Gryffindor? It would be so much easier." Rose moaned.
"Because I'm too awesome." Hugo said simply. Rebecca and several of her friends jumped. They hadn't seen him approach.
"You are so creepy. You sure you're a weasley?" Jessica asked as she held a hand over her heart.
'Wanna find out?" He asked cheekily and to Rebecca's surprise Jessica blushed.
"Oh she likes the younger guys!' exclaimed Fred before shutting up when Jessica pointed her wand at him.
"You guys ready to get beaten tomorrow?" He asked grinning and again Rebecca was surprised by the change in him, he looked like a playful kid now, seconds ago he looked as old as James as he flirted with Jessica and she had seen him arguing with another student once and his whole features said 'don't mess with me.'
"You talk big little man." James replied. "How about a little bet on the outcome of the match?"
"Thought you'd never ask. Whichever team wins has to host a party for the other team in their common room." Hugo said quickly.
Rose, ever the voice of reason interrupted. "That's not a good idea, how about something that doesn't get us all punished, and you can't just do that without the consent of the rest of the house."
"You worried we gonna lose Rose?" James asked snidely.
"No but…"
"Good then, it's a deal Slytherin will be hosting me a birthday party."
The weather obviously loved pulling out all the stops for quidditch matches Rebecca thought as they made their way through the downpour to the quidditch pitch. Yesterday had been nice and sunny with no cloud in the sky, this morning they woke up to a surprise storm, rain, wind, lightning, the whole works. "They always choose the worst days for quidditch." Jessica moaned.
"Please, whatever day they chose it would have been like this, the weather loves to show off for quidditch." Thalia groaned. They wore clothes charmed against the rain but were still buffeted by the wind, by the time they reached the pitch they were shivering. "Should have charmed these to keep us warm."
"I concur." Rebecca mumbled as they found seats just in time, the match was starting.
They took off in unison but were quickly separated by the rain and wind. "Keep your eyes open for bludgers!" James shouted as they took off, him flying higher than his teammates. They were all wearing goggles charmed to deflect the rain but had to fight to control their brooms as wind speed fluctuated.
Katie, one of the Slytherin chasers, dodged a bludger shot towards her by Fred. She shot the quaffle to her teammate Jason who made his way to Albus. The wind chose that time to rapidly rise and Albus' broom shot higher than intended as the quaffle shot towards the middle goal, he stopped fighting the wind, let his broom free fall and barely managed to block it out with the tip of his broom, even over the roar of the wind he thought he heard the crowd shouting.
Twenty minutes later and the score was 30-10 to Gryffindor. The rain and wind both worked for and against the teams if you knew how to use it, which most of them didn't. Scorp dodged the bludger that Marcus sent after him but didn't make it far before the wind whipped him into Finnigan causing him to lose possession of the ball which was quickly scooped up by Jackson who shot it to Katie who carried it to the goal. Albus rode the wind and spun his broom in time with it knocking the quaffle back to Katie, with the force of the wind behind it; it hit her like a bludger knocking her back into an actual bludger shot by Bones. Thomas retook possession of the quaffle did a quick transfer to Scorp and back to him. He knocked it into the third goal. "SCORE! 40-10 TO GRYFFINDOR!" Came the roar over the wind.
All I need now is the damn snitch, James thought edgily, he hated playing in weather like this and although his team was going great, the sooner I ended the better. As he watched Katie managed to get one past Al, 40-20 now. A bludger sent by Marcus towards Thomas was intercepted by Fred who shot it back towards Katie, the wind changed and the bludger changed direction with it heading right towards Scorpius. James shouted a warning but knew it was no use. He dived towards them but as if sensing impending doom Scorpius turned and with look like a shout dived out of the way as the bludger skimmed past him with all the force of the wind behind it. As Scorpius straightened James saw his eyes widen as he started gesturing wildly behind James. James turned with a sense of impending doom and saw Hugo fighting through the wind after a fleck of gold.
James set off towards his cousins, lying flat against his broom he fought against the force of the wind. A flash of lightning lit up the sky and Hugo pulled up as bludger came towards him, he didn't pull up soon enough however and the bludger hit the tail of his broom, he spun as he crashed towards the ground and James wondered why he was grinning as he crashed until he raised his left hand which held the snitch and even though he was fifty feet above him James could see the triumphant glint in his eyes as he shouted what looked like "PARTY AT THE GRYFFINDOR COMMON ROOM!"