Disclaimer: The characters are the property of the amazingly talented J.K Rowling. I'm only borrowing the characters and world that she has so brilliantly created.

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Chapter 25: Birthdays and Arguments

For Rayven49, who let me know "Game On" was being plagiarized. Thank you and enjoy!

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I would have been willing to bet my entire allowance of pocket money that Slytherin was going to positively flatten Hufflepuff at the upcoming match between the two Houses. Hufflepuff would undoubtedly put up a good fight, but if the way she had ben strutting about the castle for the last few days were any indication, Lyra Rinaldi was out for blood.

"Hope you like second place," she taunted me as she and her usual group of friends/acquaintances/minions walked by James and me as we were on our way to Transfiguration. "Again."

"Hope you do, since it's going to be yours," James called over his shoulder.

The girls twittered angrily at him, but he paid them no more attention.

"We'll win," he told me firmly. "We have to."

"We didn't last year," I soberly reminded him, thinking back to our narrow loss of the Cup the year before.

He shrugged. "That was last year. This is this year. We have the best team of the four Houses and everyone knows it. We were just unlucky in the first match. Sodding Malfoy."

My stomach clenched uncomfortably as I thought of what I knew about Scorpius Malfoy and Rose Weasley.

"Yeah. Say, did you ever find out who sent Rose those flowers for Valentine's Day?" I asked him. I tried to sound as though I was simply changing the subject even though in actuality I wasn't changing the subject at all.

He frowned slightly. "No, whoever it was used a school owl so that the sender couldn't be traced. Bloody sneaky if you ask me."

I poked him in the side and in the process almost dropped the book I was carrying. "Might I remind you that you did the same thing to me? Not that I tried to trace the owl, mind you."

James snorted in amusement. "I used Louis's owl. I knew you wouldn't recognize it."

"Bloody sneaky if you ask me," I teased him, using his own words against him.

"That's different," he insisted as he adjusted the strap of his rucksack. "I know you. It wasn't meant to be sneaky in a bad way."

"Perhaps the bloke who sent Rose the flowers didn't mean it in a bad way either. Maybe he's just worried about her massive family. You lot can be a bit intimidating."

"If we like the bloke then he'll have nothing to worry about," James rationalized.

I grinned. "I seem to remember you saying that there would be no more meddling."

He smirked back at me. "And I seem to remember you saying that it was genetically impossible for members of the Potter and Weasley families not to meddle."

I shook my head, but I was smiling slightly. "You lot are incorrigible."

"On behalf of the entire clan, I'll take that as a compliment," James said as he held the door to the Transfiguration classroom open for me and the two students behind us.

"See you after class," he told me, before pushing a strand of hair out of my eyes.

Christine was waiting for me by our usual seat, but I watched James for a moment as he went to find his seat at the back of the classroom next his mates.

"You two are so perfect together."

That voice was somehow familiar. Turning to glance behind me, I saw Jonathan's friend, Judith, standing there, her hand grasping the strap of her rucksack. She looked as cheerful as always.

"Oh," I said, feeling a bit awkward to be talking to the girl who was good friends with the bloke whose heart I had (accidentally) stomped under my feet. "Er, thanks."

"You may have hurt my friend, but I don't hate you," she continued pleasantly. "You weren't right for each other. These things happen. It's okay. But now you've found someone who is, and so will he."

Well, this was…odd.

"Yeah…er, thanks, Judith. I'm sure he will. He deserves it."

She gave me a long look then nodded and said very cheerfully, "Well, see you around!"

"What did Judith want?" Christine asked me as I dropped into my seat next to her at our usual table.

"To tell me that James and I were perfect for each other, that Jonathan and I hadn't been right together, and that Jonathan would find someone else. And also that she wasn't cross me with me because I hurt her friend. It was bleeding strange."

Christine titled her head to the side and gave me a shrewd glance. "Eva…she fancies Jonathan."

"Really?" I not-so-subtly glanced across the classroom to where Judith was sitting next to Jonathan. The two were chatting animatedly and she was laughing at something that he had just said. She looked very happy. So did he.

"Don't you remember the train ride back to Hogwarts after holiday?" Christine asked. "She was practically fawning over him. It was terribly obvious. To everyone except you and him that is."

The idea of Jonathan not being observant for once made me feel loads better about my own observational skills. It was a nice reminder that even observant people missed things sometimes too.

"Huh," I commented. "That would certainly account for her behavior."

The professor walked in just then, but something that Judith had said weighed on my mind. Actually, Judith had just been the latest person in a long string of people to say it: James and I were perfect for each other.

I pushed the thoughts out of my mind as the lesson began – I couldn't afford to miss information that might be important for N.E. . I didn't need excellent marks to play professional Quidditch, but I did need to pass my lessons. But later, after classes had finished for the afternoon, I steered Christine outside on the pretense of getting some fresh air down by the lake.

"What's on your mind?" Christine asked as we settled down under the beech tree.

"How did you know?" I asked, even though it was a silly question. We were best mates – of course she knew.

Christine rolled her eyes but smiled. "You get plenty of fresh air - you went for a run this morning. And yesterday. And the morning before that."

"It's just…" I began, searching for the words to say what I wanted. "Everyone seems to think that James and I are so perfect together. And I like being with him – things are natural and easy between us – but everyone else just seems to have all of these…expectations. Like I'm going to marry the bloke or something. We haven't been together that long and it just seems rather soon to be saying we're perfect and to be expecting us to stay together forever."

I knew I was nattering on, but I couldn't stop myself. I just kept talking. "And maybe we do stay together. Brilliant. But isn't it a bit soon to be thinking about that? But at the same time, I don't want to assume that we'll break up because that doesn't seem like a good mindset to start off a relationship. Does that make sense?"

When I finally looked up from the patch of grass at which I had been staring very intently, I saw that Christine was watching me, clearly trying to hold back a smile.

"Absolutely. People have been telling me for ages now that I'll marry Kieran and I mean…I do love him, but we're only eighteen. My advice is not to over think it too much. Just concentrate on your relationship as it is right now and don't worry about what may or may not happen at some indeterminate point in the future. Don't worry about crossing bridges before you even see them."

"I know in the past I've told you that you and Kieran are perfect for each other," I said, suddenly feeling a bit badly if I had ever inadvertently made my best friend feel uneasy about being labeled "perfect" for someone. "Sorry if that ever caused you any panic or anything."

"Just a bit," Christine admitted hesitantly. "But it's all right, really," she hastily tried to reassure me.

Well, now I just felt guilty. Some friend I was.

"You should have said something!"

She merely shrugged in a nonchalant manner.

I leaned over and hugged here. "You're a good friend. The best."

"Cheers," she smiled as she hugged me back. "You are too."

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After the letter that James had shown me from his mum concerning Tristan's abysmal first match with the Tornados, I had debated whether or not to send my parents a letter. In the end, I couldn't figure out what to say except that Tristan was a tosser. Needless to say, that was one letter I didn't send.

However, a few mornings later at breakfast, I received an owl from my mum.

Dear Eva,

By now I'm certain that you've seen the Daily Prophet and Quidditch Weekly articles covering Tristan's match last Saturday. I've been trying since then to think of something to say to you, Gareth, and Richard, but I didn't know what. All I can think to say is that you and your brothers shouldn't take it too hard. Tristan is an adult now, and all of his problems of his own creation. Your father and I are sorry that he's had to learn this way, but if nothing else, just try to learn from his mistakes.

Your father isn't taking this new development well. He's been driving Puddlemere harder than usual, so I'm told. He's also been spending a good deal of time out at the pitch at home. I saw him out there the other day flying around, performing all sorts of risky looking maneuvers. You know how he says it clears his head. Tristan still hasn't answered any of my letters.

And Eva – don't worry about scouts and being signed to a team. You aren't Tristan. Juts let the scouts and owners see your talent and dedication, and then it's up to them. You deserve a place on a team, so show them. But please dear, don't lose sleep over it. Just take a long run and go for a fly when you're feeling stressed.

Best of luck with studying for N.E. , and with team practice.

Love,

Mum

Mum had put words to fears that had been stirring in the back of my mind ever since James had shown me the letter from Mrs. Potter. Tristan had broken his contract, turned his back on his team, and now had played incredibly poorly in his first professional match – what if his actions affected how scouts viewed me? What if they thought I wasn't worth taking a chance on, all because Tristan had proved unreliable? What if they thought I would prove just as flighty and full of myself?

I read over mum's letter again. One sentence stood out to me as though it were written in red ink: You aren't Tristan.

No, I wasn't Tristan. But the way Tristan had been acting this last year hadn't been the Tristan I knew and grew up with. He had always had more than his share of arrogance and had been high-handed, but I had never imagined that he would find himself in his current situation.

I didn't want that to be me. I wouldn't let that be me. I would never do what Tristan had done, and I would just have to prove to the scouts, team owners, coaches, and trainers that I wasn't anything like my brother.

Thinking of how Tristan's utter stupidity could potentially impact my own chances of being asked to try out for various Quidditch teams made me want to throw something heavy against a wall. I would have to settle for taking a fly around the pitch after lessons.

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Once again, I had deliberately woken up early to arrive at the Quidditch pitch before James. But this time, I had a very specific reason.

"Happy Birthday!" I greeted him as he walked in the door of the locker room. I moved closer, placed a hand on his jaw, and pressed an enthusiastic kiss to his mouth.

"Is this my present?" he asked me with a wide grin as he pulled away for a moment. "An amazing birthday snog?"

"No," I said, but then added thoughtfully, "Unless you don't want the gift I bought you."

"Can't I have both?" he asked as he stole a brief kiss.

"Oh, all right, then," I sighed heavily in mock resignation. He quickly leaned forward and captured my lips with his own. Ah, the bloke could kiss. Really, sometimes he just took my breath away. Perhaps it was the new relationship. Or perhaps it was just James. As his mouth moved tenderly against mine, I was willing to bet that it was the latter.

"Enough, you," I pushed him away sometime later. "I still have to give you your other present."

"Don't need anything else," he told me as he trailed soft kisses along the side of my jaw.

"We won't have time to run before practice," I gasped at the electric feel of his lips against my skin.

"It's my birthday," he continued to place gentle kisses over the skin of my neck. "I should be able to skive off for today."

"I promised my dad that I wouldn't let you distract me from Quidditch. Do you want him to find out that you're a terrible distraction?"

James gave a noncommittal grunt as I smoothed my hands across the expanse of his shoulders, but he didn't move away. I had to admit that I wasn't exactly doing my part to put a stop to this. Okay, focus, Eva.

"Do you want us to lose to Ravenclaw?"

His lips stilled and then he pulled away. "No, damn it."

I smiled, pleased with myself. "Good, now let me get your present."

It had taken me quite some time to determine what to give James for his birthday. I had known him for over six years, but we hadn't been mates until this year. Still, I had found something that I thought he would enjoy.

From out of my locker, I took a package wrapped with red gift paper and a large, gold bow. "Happy Birthday," I told him as I handed it over to him. "April 2nd. You just missed April Fools' Day."

"I've always been disappointed that I couldn't have been born three hours sooner," he grinned at me. "My Uncle George and his twin Fred – my cousin Fred is named after him - was born on April 1st. Especially as a kid it seemed a good day to be born on."

James tore the wrapping off and threw it on the floor in his eagerness to see what was inside. As he opened the box and pushed aside the tissue paper, his face broke out into a wide, toothy smile.

"Where did you get these pictures?" he asked, lifting the picture frame out of the box.

"Christine took them," I explained. "She usually brings her camera to practice and matches. I'm terrible at taking pictures, so she chronicles things for me. She's always thought this one was hysterical. I didn't always like it, but… I do now."

In truth, I used to hate the two pictures I had placed in a divided frame and given to James. Both moving pictures captured the immediate aftermath of the Gryffindor victory against Ravenclaw the first year that James and I were on the team. In the first picture, a young James and I were hugging each other, our faces ecstatic as we nearly collided on our brooms. He had been closest to me when he had caught the Golden Snitch, and so had flown over to me and hugged me out of sheer ecstasy. I had been so thrilled that we had won that I had hugged him back.

The second moving picture was taken immediately after the first, the very moment that James and I had come to our senses and realized just who we were hugging and sprung quickly apart. The images of our thirteen-year-old selves wore expressions of shock and slight distrust as we held our arms awkwardly at our sides, our brooms still hovering in midair.

"I love it," James told me, putting the lid back on the box and setting it carefully inside of his locker.

I felt ridiculously pleased that my choice of gift had been a good one.

He kissed me again, this time softly and slowly. We never did fit in a run before practice.

There was a knock on the locker room door and I pulled away from James.

"Are you two decent?" came Nico's voice. I could hear Bree giggling.

I strode to the door and yanked it open. I fixed Nico with the sternest captain glare I could muster. "Of course we are, now get in here and stop being a prat."

"I was just checking!" Nico defended himself, hands raised in a position of surrender.

Zara bounded in a moment later. "You two left me!" she complained to Bree and Nico.

"No relationship problems at the pitch, remember?" I warned her sternly in my captain's voice.

"It's not a relationship thing," Zara replied pointing an accusing finger at her best friend. "It's a they said they'd wait for me and then didn't thing!"

At that moment, Richard and Lily walked in and inadvertently saved us from having to listen to Zara and Nico argue.

"We're going to run laps and do some strength training as normal," I told everyone, "and then we're going to work on strategy as a team."

Much to my delight, the strategy planning session went well. I used the chalkboard to great effect – I had procured some colored chalk during the last Hogsmeade trip, and it greatly improved the quality of my complex diagrams.

As requested, my team had come prepared. Zara and Nico shared helpful information that they had noticed about the Ravenclaw Beaters and Bree and Lily added useful insight about the Ravenclaw Chasers.

"Now," I reminded everyone before I dismissed practice, "remember that some of this strategy could still change, so let's remember to be flexible. But we've seen Ravenclaw play Slytherin and Hufflepuff, so we know what we're up against."

Richard nodded firmly and Nico gave me a confident grin. I was glad of everyone's support, but it didn't make me any less nervous. Once Slytherin had played Hufflepuff, we would know how many points we would need in order to beat Ravenclaw and win the Quidditch Cup.

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"This is the last match we'll ever watch at Hogwarts, isn't it?" I observed as I sat in the stands with my Gryffindor team, waiting for the Hufflepuff and Slytherin match to begin. The sky was a dull grey and a light rain was falling. James and I were sitting underneath a large, Gryffindor red umbrella. It was a good job that I had long ago enchanted my playbook to be impervious to water.

"Yeah," James said, gazing around the pitch. "And in a few weeks it'll be our last time playing on this pitch."

"Why are you taking notes, then, if you can't use them next year?" Nico asked me. Bree had offered to share her umbrella with him, but not before his hair had been plastered to his head. It rather had the effect of making him look like a small, wet mouse.

I noted, with some satisfaction, that Richard and Lily were sharing an umbrella as well. Hopefully one of them would be making a move soon.

"The next captain may find them helpful," I replied. I wasn't trying to sound cryptic, but at my words, everyone on the team fell silent. "I haven't made a decision yet," I added as they all watched me expectantly. "We still have one more match for me to base my decision on."

"So you don't know who you want to choose yet?" Zara asked.

I shook my head. "I've given it some thought, but nothing will be final until after we play Ravenclaw."

James turned to look at me fully. "You've thought about it?"

I shrugged. "After what…after holiday," I amended since the rest of the team was listening, "I started thinking about it. I have a mental list."

"Welcome to today's match – Slytherin versus Hufflepuff!" the announcer's voice echoed through the pitch. Students cheered wildly and waved pennants of green and silver and black and gold.

As the Slytherins flew the customary lap around the pitch, I could have sworn that I saw Lyra Rinaldi shoot me an incredibly smug grin.

"Go Hufflepuff!" Nico cheered loudly while Bree cheered for her older sister who played Chaser for Hufflepuff.

"Slytherin is going to wipe the pitch with them," James muttered, sounding very dejected indeed.

Fifteen minutes later, it was clear that every prediction I had made about Slytherin steamrolling Hufflepuff were going to be correct. The score was 80 – 10. Poor Hufflepuff was putting up a valiant fight – they had clearly trained very hard since their match against us – but they were simply no match for the Slytherins.

"Watkins passes to Campbell, who passes back to Watkins, who attempts a Porscoff Play but is intercepted by Rinaldi! Slytherin now in possession."

"Damn Rinaldi," James made a face. "She's such a bleeding cow. Too bad she's a good Chaser."

"C'mon, Natasha," Bree cried, rocking back and forth on the bench as her sister flew towards Lyra Rinaldi and attempted to knock the Quaffle out of her hands.

"Foul!" James and I yelled together, jumping to our feet as Rinaldi elbowed Natasha hard in the face. Even from the stands, I could tell that Natasha's nose was bleeding. Bree was on her feet, yelling loudly. So was the entirety of the Hufflepuff students. I could've sworn that I saw Jonathan's friends Max and Aristotle waving a large banner between them.

"A penalty is awarded to Hufflepuff! It's taken by Martin – hope her nose is all right. She flies towards the goal posts – yes, she's gotten it past the Slytherin Keeper, Banks! Hufflepuff scores, 80-20!"

Slytherin had scored twice more and Hufflepuff once more when Scorpius Malfoy took a Bludger to his right shoulder. He hadn't been quick enough to dodge the Bludger sent his way by the Hufflepuff Beater, Colin Palmer. As the Bludger made contact, the Slytherin section gasped, but cheered heartily as Malfoy slowly pulled himself right ways on to this broom; he had listed dangerously to the side when he had taken the direct hit. He was certainly putting on a good show for the scouts that had come to watch the match, though I didn't know if he was interested in playing professionally or not.

I dared a quick glance at Rose, who was sitting in the stands next to Roxanne. Rose's face had paled a bit but she was keeping her composure well. It was quite a feat considering Fred and Hugo were sitting nearby and cheering excitedly about Malfoy's injury.

"No foul – just brilliant Beating by Palmer of Hufflepuff," informed the announcer.

"Too bad Palmer doesn't have a better team" James noted, "He's leagues better than the rest of them."

Behind us, Bree squawked indignantly, but I agreed with James. Natasha might have been Hufflepuff's best Chaser, but Palmer was by far the best player on the team.

The match drug on and on as Slytherin worked to garner as many points as possible so that they could overtake us in the Quidditch standings. I was almost certain that Scorpius had seen the Snitch on two different occasions but had purposefully not caught it and not let the Hufflepuff player catch on so that the match would continue. It wasn't exactly difficult for him. In my own opinion, Andra Atkins, the Hufflepuff Seeker, unfortunately wasn't much of a Quidditch player.

It was clear that both teams were tired after nearly three hours of playing in the rain – and in Scorpius and Natasha's cases, in pain - but still the match wore on. Then suddenly, with a slight glance at the score, Scorpius pulled his broom up sharply and spiraled up into the sky. I quickly did the maths in my head and nearly groaned aloud. Oh, sweet Merlin.

Andra attempted to follow him, but it was too late. Moments later, Scorpius reappeared in the cloudy sky, the bright Golden Snitch grasped firmly in his left hand as he held it against his right shoulder and steered his broom with his right.

"Malfoy's got the Snitch!" the announcer cried excitedly, "Slytherin wins 450 - 140."

Faces filled with smug triumph, the Slytherins flew towards the center of the pitch, congregating in celebration. As they landed and dismounted their brooms, I watched in horrified amusement as Rinaldi moved towards Scorpius and, pressing herself close to him, kissed him full on the mouth.

"What is she doing?" Rose cried jumping to her feet, unable to restrain herself any longer. I couldn't exactly blame her. If someone as loathsome as Rinaldi (or any girl really) had kissed James, I would have hexed them into next week. And then I would have punched them in the face for good measure.

But Rose needn't have worried. Rinaldi's lips were barely on Scorpius's for a second before he had pushed her away so roughly that she stumbled. He appeared to be yelling at her. The rest of their team watched on, clearly unsure of what to do now that their celebration had been cut short while their star player and their captain engaged in a shouting match.

"Don't tell me you're one of those girls that thinks Malfoy's fit, are you?" Fred asked Rose with a great deal of disappointment. It was clear that he was only having a laugh, so Rose's response came as a complete shock to (nearly) everyone in the immediate vicinity.

"Yes, I do," Rose retorted hotly, blue eyes flashing. "Because…because Scorpius is my boyfriend. So excuse me while I go tell Lyra Rinald to shove off!"

"What?" James, Fred, and Hugo yelled, their faces expressing varying degrees of shock and anger. I had never seen more shocked expressions. If the situation weren't so likely to become serious, I would have laughed.

Rose was already gone down the stairs that led to the pitch. A moment later, she appeared on the pitch striding swiftly towards where Rinaldi and Scorpius were still yelling at each other. Rinaldi turned when Rose announced her presence, but quickly dismissed her. Then suddenly, Scorpius took Rose's hand in his. He said something to Rinaldi and gestured to Rose. Rinaldi shook her head dramatically and in response, Scorpius did something I never would have thought him capable of: he took Rose's face in his hands and kissed her right there in the middle of the Quidditch pitch. In response, Rose wrapped her arms around him and held him tight.

"What in the hell is that?" James spat as he watched the scene playing out below us. All around us in the stands, students were watching Rose and Scorpius. Fred's mouth was hanging open in a most comical way. A group of Ravenclaw girls in the stands next to us found the display either sweet or distressing, depending on how one interpreted the clutching of hearts and sighing.

"Look, they fancy each other quite a lot," I told James in an attempt to calm him. "And there's nothing you can do about it."

"I can't wait to see Uncle Ron's face when he finds out about this!" Fred exclaimed gleefully. "But Malfoy…what is she thinking?"

"How do you know that?" James asked, his brown eyes narrowing almost imperceptibly as he looked at me.

Er…Once again, I had proven that I would have made a completely miserable Auror. Bugger.

"Look at them!" I flung an arm in the direction of the pitch where Rose and Scorpius were still kissing. "You don't kiss somebody like that if you don't fancy them."

James scoffed loudly as he watched the scene on the pitch with a look of revulsion.

To hell with it, I couldn't keep silent about this. I had sworn that I wouldn't talk about it with James, but I was going to have to now that I had accidentally opened my big mouth. "James - Rose has been going out with Scorpius for a couple of months now, and they've fancied each other for longer than that."

James pulled his gaze away from the pitch and turned towards me slowly. I didn't like what I saw in his eyes.

"You knew?" his voice was low and filled with anger.

"Yes," I told him defiantly. "I caught them kissing once and I promised that I wasn't going to tell."

"You couldn't tell me?"

"We weren't going out then!" I protested heatedly. "And it was Rose's place to tell her family, not mine."

I vaguely noticed that James and I had an audience now. Richard, Gareth, Lily, Al, Roxanne, Louis, Hugo, Zara, Nico, and Bree were all watching us apprehensively as we argued. Each wore an expression that suggested they were torn between wanting to step in and wanting to leave us to deal with this issue ourselves.

"Some way for us to find out!" he shot back. His fingers flexed as though he was just itching to take out his wand and hex Scorpius from all the way up here in the stands. Or perhaps he wanted to hex me. It was difficult to say.

"She told Roxanne and Lily during that girls' night. And since Al already knew, she was waiting to tell the rest of - "

"Al knows?" James echoed my words, his eyes narrowing even further.

Oh, bugger, bugger, bugger. I should have stopped talking right then, but unfortunately, I just kept going.

"Take it up with him, not me!" I yelled at James.

Behind James, I saw Al's eyes widen as Hugo turned to him, his stare slightly murderous. Al swallowed heavily, then said something in a low tone to Hugo.

"Oh, you can be certain I will," James snapped angrily, then asked, "How can you be okay with this? He's the Slytherin Seeker! He's the reason we lost!"

"You played a part in our loss too, you know," I told him without really thinking my words through. James couldn't have looked more shocked if I had pulled out my wand and performed the cruciatus curse on him.

"I'm sorry," I said, feeling thoroughly ashamed of myself, even if what I had said was technically true. "I didn't mean that."

"I think you did." His voice was stiff and cold.

I sighed and cross my arms over my chest. "Look, James…Scorpius is an okay bloke. Rose likes him and so does Al. Though not in the same way. But the point is, I've seen them together, and I told him that he'd better not just be messing around with Rose's feelings. And you know what he said? That he's fancied her for ages and that he wasn't going to let someone like her get away."

"Oh, so for Malfoy it only takes you a few minutes to decide that he's an all right bloke, but in my case, it takes you over half of a sodding term? Everyone – and I mean everyone – kept telling you that we should be together and that I wasn't so bad and you wouldn't believe them. But you're willing to instantly believe good things about Malfoy?"

"It's not like that!"

"And why couldn't you tell me about them? Maybe we weren't dating, but we were friends, and there was clearly something between us! We told each other things and you cried all over my shirt and we hugged and…didn't that mean anything to you? Don't you trust me?"

"Yes, I do!" I yelled, feeling more and more exasperated by the moment. "But it wasn't my secret to tell! Merlin, why do you have to be so…so… I don't even know why I fancy an idiot like you in the first place!"

"Fine, then!" James bellowed back at me. He turned on his heal and stormed off down the stairs.

Shooting me sour looks as well, Fred and Hugo followed James out of sight. Almost everyone else reluctantly left the stands. Zara and Bree offered me looks of sympathy and Nico gave me an encouraging smile.

Part of me was glad that my teammates were being supportive of me – that we were truly friends, and not simply teammates. But on the other hand, it hadn't been that long ago that I'd lectured them on allowing personal relationships to interfere with Quidditch. I hoped that this argument between James and I didn't become something that interfered with Quidditch when our match against Ravenclaw and our chance at the Cup were so close.

"Are you okay?" Richard asked me as he appeared at my elbow. Lily was standing a ways behind him looking apprehensive.

"I've never fought with him like that before…" I said, feeling a bit lost. Merlin, what I had said to James…why did I always say the thing that would cut him the most? It was as though I had a talent for it. I supposed it was like people were always saying – those who know you best know the ways in which to hurt you.

"Want me to hex him?"

I couldn't help it; I hugged my brother. Shy, usually quiet Richard, who had been on James's side from the beginning, was now offering to hex my boyfriend because he perceived that I had been hurt.

"No, that's all right," I replied with a small smile, then joked. "Well…maybe just a tripping jinx in the corridor on his way to lessons?"

"You two are going to be okay," Lily told me. "James can be stubborn and can say hurtful things, but he always apologizes when he's wrong. Eventually."

"He isn't the only one who needs to apologize," I sighed and closed my eyes briefly. I knew that I had to tell James that I was sorry, but I wasn't ready to do it just yet. He needed to apologize to me as well and neither of us were at our best at the moment. I had the feeling that trying to talk to him now would only result in another row.

There was a loud bang from the pitch that drew everyone's attention. Glancing over the railing, I saw that Hugo had jinxed Scorpius. I watched in amazement as Rose whipped her wand from the pocket of her robes and pointed it directly in her brother's face. Fred approached slowly, holding his hands out in front of him in a non-threatening manner, apparently attempting to diffuse the tension.

From behind Hugo and Rose, Lyra Rinaldi pulled out her wand and hexed Fred before he had even had time to lift a finger. Madam Hooch blew her whistle while several professors came running. Students were yelling and the Slytherin team was pulling their wands on Fred, Hugo, and Rose. As if the scene between Rose and Scorpius hadn't been causing a ruckus, now the entire pitch seemed to be out of control. Gryffindors and Slytherins were flooding on to the pitch and spells were beginning to fly.

The world was going mental.

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Thank you for all of the lovely reviews, favorites, and story alerts! I appreciate everyone who reads my story and everyone who has let me know how much they enjoy it! Thanks to my fantastic best friend for her editing skills. And thank you for the formspring questions, which have been fun!

Thanks to everyone for their patience waiting for this update. I know it's been a long time, but I've been very busy with grad school. I'm excited to be on break and have some time to write. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of my wonderful readers! :)

Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Favorite quotes? I'd love to hear what you thought!

Next chapter: Everyone has an opinion on Rose and Scorpius, and James and Eva have important things to discuss.