CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE – WHO'S THE BETTER SEEKER?

"LILY!"

I feel so heavy…or was something…or someone on –

"LILY!"

I couldn't breathe…

"WAKE UP!"

It was like on muggle movie…there were these annoying echoes that said 'up-up-up' more than necessary.

"Don't make me do this –"

"Ow!" I gasped, waking up with a start, my whole body soaked in cold water. I shivered, glaring at Des. "What was that for?"

"You're such a sleepyhead. It's already eleven thirty so you might want to wake up."

"But there are no –"

But I didn't get to finish my sentence as an unpleasant feeling swelled up my stomach to my –

And I rushed to the bathroom, vomiting furiously, my head on top of the sink. Seconds later, I heard someone came in and Des said, "Merlin, that's disgusting."

I rolled my eyes, though she couldn't see my face. "As if I haven't seen you puke before…" And there was another wave of nausea. "God, that's gross," I muttered disgustedly.

We've been there for a while, Des saying things like, "I'm not used to seeing good, old Lily like this," and "I'm so proud of you! You're a grown up now!"

Finally, when I eventually felt my stomach empty, I cleaned the mess with a wave of my wand, washed my face, brushed my teeth, drank a glass of water, and changed into clean clothes.

"I feel like I could do with nothing to eat in a week!" I exclaimed as Des and I made our way out of the portrait hole. "I think I could puke anything!"

"Well, you've drank two large bottles of alcohol, and a bottle could have supplied ten glasses…so you had about more or less twenty glasses. I didn't know you were such a heavy drinker, Lils."

"Shut up."

"Really, though, I would've fallen asleep with just ten shots," she said, her tone complimenting. "And you were still…a bit sane…with twenty. Tell me Lils, are you really a bloke?"

I glared playfully at her. "Shut up. I'm not a bloke, I've got a boyfriend."

"Yes," she said, "but you're a damn good Quidditch Seeker, unbelievably fast runner for a female, and you've got brains like Einstein."

"What? What's an Einstein?"

She rolled her eyes. "Einstein is a muggle scientist who is utterly genius. You should've taken Muggle Studies, too."

"Well, I don't know about their Sciences and whatnot but I know about their writers and literature…"

"So, see, you're a bloke," she said suddenly, returning to our earlier topic.

I rolled my eyes at her. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever. I think I'm going to the kitchens. Are you coming?"

"Er, no. Sorry, I'm going to have lunch with Al. Why are you going to the kitchens, anyway? It's not like you're hiding from someone anymore."

I smacked her none too soft in the arm. "Ouch! That hurt, Lils! I'm right in saying that you're a bloke!"

"Do you want me to hit you again?" I asked, though grinning at her.

"Definitely not. So what're you doing in the kitchens?"

"I'll drown myself in some hot cocoa and I don't think they'll make that for lunch so I'm going to ask some from the house elves."

"What's with hot cocoa?"

"I don't know…just craving for it, I reckon?"

"Okay."

"See you later."

And we turned our separate ways. Arriving at the entrance to the kitchens, I tickled the pear of the painting of the bowl of fruit and entered. At once, pairs of hundreds of bulging eyes of the house-elves greeted me, along with their begging of getting me something. I asked politely for the hot cocoa.

"Here is your hot cocoa, Miss," squeaked an elf, bowing down, and returning to do work in the kitchens.

"Thanks."

I sipped it gratefully, feeling the warm on my throat that seemed to soothe me from the burning alcohol last night…last night.

It was really great, even though I only remembered bits of it. It was simply a blissful feeling to finally get back together after what seemed like a long separation, even though it was only two weeks. It was like finally being able to breathe; like the feeling the patronus gives.

After finishing the cup, I asked the same elf to refill it again and stood up to bring it to the Great Hall.

"Thanks, er – what's your name?"

"I is Lizzy, Miss Potter. I is knowing you," she squeaked, bowing again.

"Thanks then, Lizzy." I smiled at her and exited the kitchens.

I entered the hall and seated myself in front of Al and Des.

"Hey Al," I said, setting down my mug to let it cool down a bit. "Have you heard…er?"

"If you're asking about you and Scor," he said, "then yes, I have. Des told me last night. I'd still say I'd like to hit him in the face. It's a pity we don't have classes today. We were supposed to have Charms with them on Wednesdays and –"

"Al!" I said, bewildered.

He rolled his eyes at me. "I was only joking, Lils. You're overreacting."

"Well, if you ever lay a hand on him, I swear –"

"Lay a hand on whom?" a voice interrupted behind me and I turned to see Scor.

"On you."

He scratched the back of his head with his hand in an uncertain sort of way. "Um…am I allowed to sit here again?"

"No," I said curtly and for a moment, he seemed to believe me when I burst into a fit of giggles. "You're so gullible," I laughed, moving so he could sit beside me.

"Er…are we really okay again?"

"Yes?" I answered in a questioning tone. "Or is last night just a dream…that I was a bit tipsy – in that dream – and I broke it off with you and drowned myself in alcohol and then I discovered my unicorn-patronus is relative to your Pegasus one…and that we get back together and…I guess that sums it up."

"And you kept puking this morning," Des added.

"So I guess we had the same dream, then," Scor said, smiling and taking my hand under the table.

"Ahem," Al interrupted. "We're eating here so you might take those googly eyes off each other…"

"Shut up, Al. I'm having the time of my life here," Scor snapped, grinning briefly at my brother before turning his eyes on me. Des and I giggled.

"We'd better not make Al…queasy. I've had enough taste and smell of vomit for a lifetime."

"Thanks you," said Al with a note of sarcasm in his voice. "And Lily, we have a practice at two so you might want to eat something. We need to practice harder to beat Slytherin for our first Quidditch match."

Scorpius choked on his goblet.

Al remained true to his words. We were now practicing five times a week and I barely have time to spare for homework, prefect duties, tutoring and Scorpius. And whenever I didn't have a practice, he is practicing. I only see him on meal times and couldn't help but feel quite alone over not seeing him much.

It was really tiring on the mind and body – the fact that we're going to fight opposite each other in a match like the past years, except this time, he's my boyfriend, I'm his girlfriend. It will never be the same.

However, that doesn't mean I'll just let him win. I've never failed to catch the Snitch, not even over Scorpius. When I was in third year, during the match between Gryffindor and Slytherin, I caught the Snitch fifteen minutes after the game started and we flattened Slytherin 210-0. He was so furious at me that he kept throwing sarcastic comments at me the days following that.

Things seemed so much different back then – the exact opposite of what we were now. I really hope the match wouldn't make another fight broke off between us.

"Lily, catch the Snitch before he does like you've done for the past years," Al kept reminding me over and over again over each practice. "And –"

"– don't play nice on him just because you two are dating," I interrupted, continuing his sentence, knowing it already by heart. "Yeah, yeah. I know, Al. I'm still going to do my utmost."

"Good. Let's get to practice, then."

And we went outside to the uproar of rain.

There was the homework, which was noticeably more than what we've done during the past four years. Professor Binns kept making us do essays about goblin rebellions and giant wars; Professor Hawk was now giving us extra work to start practicing transfiguring human body parts; Professor Longbottom was giving us a hard time with taking care of the Devil's Snare, which was trying to strangle us that we had loads of trouble in the Greenhouse; Professor Greencap was making us do more advance potions because of our OWLs—a Strengthening Solution—which even I had slight difficulty; in Arithmancy, Professor Vector asked us to do a more complicated chart that I doubt even muggles would find easy; we had a good lesson in Care of Magical Creatures and Hagrid actually showed us a unicorn foal which I got to touch for the first time, but he made us do a written report, still.

Only DADA was bearable. While almost everyone was ordered to practice and make a report about the Patronus Charm, I've been one of those who were exempted because of having done it already. Des also have done it after a week and her Patronus was a lioness.

"That makes me more Gryffindor!" she have exclaimed in class when the lioness-patronus burst out from her wand.

Kat was still practicing it for nights and tonight was just the same.

"Oh!" Kat squealed excitedly. "It's taking shape, I swear!"

"Try again," I said.

She tried again and I beamed. It was forming a shape…something small. "I think it's a cat," I said. "Or anything small…But you don't seem to be the cat-type."

And on our class the next day, we discovered that it was a fluffy—although it couldn't be fluffy because it was a patronus—rabbit.

The feel of the upcoming Quidditch match was felt in the air on the next days and before I knew it, it was the night before the match.

I was doing a particularly nasty essay in History of Magic that night when Des said, "Aren't you supposed to do rounds tonight?"

My eyes snapped. "Merlin's socks, I forgot!" I quickly threw a cloak on my shoulder. "Bring this upstairs, will you?" I asked Des and without waiting for an answer, I dashed out of the portrait hole, sprinting downstairs as fast as I could. Looking at my watch, I saw that I was already five minutes late. "Oh, damn it."

And at last, I reached the Entrance Hall, clutching at my stitches. "Sorry," I told the prefect. "I lost track of time, I—"

But upon looking up, I saw that it was just Scorpius, smiling at me. "Oh. Hello."

"You've never been late before, Lils," he commented, taking my hand.

I sighed. "Well, I lost track of time," I repeated. "I was doing homework. Mind you, they're piling as high as the Eiffel Tower in France."

He raised an eyebrow at me. "You know Eiffel Tower but you don't know who Einstein is…"

I rolled my eyes. "I don't care about the Muggle Scientists, like I told you before. And it's natural that I know Eiffel Tower because I've been there before two summers ago."

"If you say so…"

We were quiet for a few moments, just walking holding hands along the corridors, not paying attention whatsoever if there was anyone there breaking rules.

Suddenly, I found myself saying, "We barely spend time with each other for a while…"

"I have NEWTs, you have OWLs, and we both have team practices for tomorrow's match for the past month. It's not exactly easy, especially since we're not in the same year, or the same house."

"Yeah…I guess," I sighed. "Good luck for the match tomorrow."

"Good luck to you, too."

I woke up early the next day, and so was the rest of the team. I met Mitch and Al in the common room and the three of us headed together for breakfast without talking. We were followed instantly by the other team members and we all ate breakfast with that empty sensation in the pit of our stomachs.

"I don't have an appetite," I mumbled tiredly. I've never felt less enthusiastic before a match before, but the prospect of having to fight opposite Scorpius now that we're together was intimidating. It was as if he would get mad at me if I catch the Snitch like the past years. I never cared that he got angry for the past three years we've faced in a match and I defeated him, but I didn't like the idea of the two of us fighting again.

"You've got to eat, Lils," Al said anxiously. "You're going to need your strength today."

"Alright," I grumbled and helped myself to a piece of toast. I saw that the Slytherins at their table were particularly glaring at us, except Scorpius who looked nervous. He caught my stare and managed a small smile. I smiled back, feeling a bit more at ease.

No, he won't get mad at me even if I beat him this time.

Students started filling the hall and, finally, Al said, "Locker rooms."

I glimpsed the Slytherin standing up to do the same before I followed the rest of the team to our usual pre-match pep talk.

"Team," said Al as everyone finally changed into their Quidditch robes, "just do your best, okay? We have won the cup for ten years since Teddy Lupin was Captain. It's a shame if we don't win the Cup, let alone beating the Slytherin team.

He turned to me suddenly. "Now, Lily, I know you're tired of hearing this but you're the best Seeker at school. Don't let Scorpius get the Snitch."

"I won't," I answered in a firm voice. "We'll win this."

At eleven o'clock, the booming voice of Paul Thomas—brother of our Chaser Dominic Thomas—was heard over the crowds.

"Welcome for today's match—Gryffindor vs. Slytherin!"

There was a loud uproar of applause.

"The Gryffindor Team—Chasers Thomas, Jordan and Potter, Beaters Ferguson and Robson, Keeper McLaggen, and Seeker POTTER!"

We soared high in the air on our brooms as our names were called. The Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws were cheering us up, and then we landed back to join the referee who would give us instructions.

"And the Slytherin Team—Chasers Moon, Pickles and Snorlack, Beaters Warrington and Bode, Keeper Kendall and Seeker MALFOY!"

One by one, they soared high in the air, before landing below where Professor Wood was giving us instructions—

"—and Captains, shake hands."

Al and Scor shook hands, giving each other nervous smiles that look more like a grimace.

"Mount you brooms—and GO!"

"And they're off!" boomed Paul. I could feel all my fears and worries leaving behind me as I soared up high, the feel of flying again gives me more confidence more than anything else.

"Gryffindor in possession—Potter got it quickly! Good Lord, our new Captain here is the very brother of our previous Captain, James Potter! And he passes it to my dear brother Thomas—oops! He almost got hit by that bludger aimed by Bode! What a troll he is—"

"THOMAS!" yelled Professor Longbottom exasperatedly. "You're supposed to be unbiased!"

"Sorry Professor. Potter back in possession, passing it to Jordan—that's my best friend! And back to Potter again and—GRYFFINDOR SCORES!"

I beamed as Al took the first shot and returned to looking for the Snitch. It won't do me good if I watch the entire game while Scor was looking around for the tiny glint of gold.

I could see him from the other side of the pitch, zooming around in the air, looking for the same thing as mine.

No time to stare at him now, Lils! I mentally scolded myself.

I soared up and down the pitch, the people around almost a blur at the speed of my Firebolt. I couldn't hear the commentary anymore nor the yells and cheers of the people around me. A bludger came pelting to me once but I just avoided it adeptly and returned to searching for the evasive Snitch.

And I saw it—in hovering a feet above the ground. I dived so fast I could feel the excitement and adrenaline overcoming me. I could just hear the sound of another broom rushing into me and knew that Scor must be getting close. A bludger came pelting on the side of my head again but I didn't care because I've already wrapped the tiny Snitch in my hand and pulled out of the dive without a scratch.

I could hear shouting behind me. "GRYFFINDOR WINS—210-50! That was wicked fast, Potter!"

Beaming, I turned around to face my team but they seemed like a blur when I caught sight of Scorpius, holding his broom on one hand, looking at me.

"Hey," I said, flying closer to him and landing on the ground, "looks like I'm still the better Seeker, eh?"

I scrutinized his face, trying to see if I'm allowed to tease him without causing a fight. Suddenly, he sighed. "Looks like it," he mumbled. He really looked put out but he managed to force out a smile. "You're really the best Seeker at school. I guess all the hard training I've been through was just for nothing and—"

"It's not for nothing," I quickly cut in. "You could still beat Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff."

He smiled. "Yeah. Absolutely."

I grinned at him. "Tell you what, do you want to join the party at the common room tonight? We always celebrate, win or lose."

"Er—"

I pouted at him. "Please!"

He sighed. "Alright. Make sure I'm still alive when I get out there."

"Thank you!"

I flung myself so suddenly at him that we both toppled on the ground. The people around us were wolf-whistling but the others were bursting into a hearty laughter.

I removed myself on top of him and help him stood up.

"Really, though. Thanks," I said, giving him a peck on the cheek. "Meet me outside the locker rooms."

He nodded and I strode away to my cheering team.

"Are you sure about this?" Scor asked as we entered the Gryffindor common room. "They might—"

But the rest of his sentence was drowned by the raucous cheers of the rest of the Gryffindors, pulling me and insisting on just…cheering me.

"GUYS!" I yelled so that they'd hear me. They stopped talking loudly at once. "I've got to do something so I'd be more than pleased if you'd just give me some…space."

"Sorry Lils," said my team mates.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" yelled someone from behind me and I turned around to see Derek glaring at Scor.

"I invited him," I said, taking Scor's hand. "Got a problem with that?"

"Yes!" he said heatedly. "I've got a problem with that. I think the rest of the Gryffindors will have a say to that! Isn't it enough that he sits on our table? Why do you have to bring him here?"

"Because I wanted to!" I said, my temper rising to its maximum instantly. "You could bring anyone here, for all I care! Just mind your own business and put your whole being out of my life!"

"Just because—"

"Cut it out," Scorpius interrupted. "I'll just go, Lils."

"Oh, no you're not!" I said.

"Yes, you are!"

I glared at Derek and he cowered slightly. Right on cue, Mitch arrived.

"Hey, Derek, what are you doing now? I heard you talking, could you please just shut up for everyone and shut out of Lily's life? Oh, hey Malfoy" she said suddenly. "Didn't know you're here…Come on you two. Just leave my brother there, he'll get over soon."

Scor sighed as I dragged him and pushed him on an armchair while I got us some drinks. A moment later, I returned with glasses of butterbeer and some pies and tarts and different foods. He was talking to Andrew by then.

"Hey Andrew," I said. "I rarely see you in the common room lately. You and Rose spend too much time in your private quarters…" I gave him a look and he blushed.

"Oh, I was just going," he said evasively.

"I wonder what that was about. Anyway, here—" I pushed some food and butterbeer on his hands.

"I remember when I've been here first," he said suddenly. "You know…when we've switched and everything and I was pretending to be you and it was all more fun."

"I wonder what would happen to us if we didn't switch bodies and didn't spend those precious hours of hanging out with each other…we might not be together now."

"Probably," he said, "but we are."

"I wonder," I said, "when is your birthday?"

He seemed taken aback by the question for a moment but answered, "New Year—first of January."

"Really?"

"Yeah. And I know yours is the day before Christmas."

I was about to say something when an owl came swooping from the open window, dropping a letter on each of me and Scor.

"It's from Teddy," I said, noticing the handwriting.

"Mine, too."

Looking up, I saw the same owl dropping a letter on top of Al's head.

Dear Lily,

I have great news to you!

The wedding is set on February 10. It's a Saturday so we'll just excuse you, Al, Scor, Hugo, Rose and whichever dates you wanted to bring to Professor McGonagall. Well, we were thinking of inviting her, too, and also Professor Longbottom because he's head of Gryffindor House.

Anyway, you already know you're one of the bridesmaids and you'll see James sooner than you expect. He'll cut off his trip to come to the wedding because he's best man.

Victoire says you lot should meet us on Diagon Alley during the holidays for the fitting of your dress robes.

Hope to see you soon!

Love,

Teddy

"Hey Lily!" Al yelled. "They're going to get married on—"

"I know, Al," I said, beaming. "Oh, this is going to be much fun!"

"Exactly how many people do you think are coming?" Scor asked.

I gave him a look. "I bet loads will come. He's an Auror, after all. And not to mention he's related to the Weasleys and the Potters because he's my dad's grandson."

"Actually, he's more related to the Malfoys," Scor pointed out, "although only few people know or took notice of it. We're both descendants of the Black family—the only ones left of it aside from my grandmother and her sister Andromeda."

"I like Aunt Dromeda," I said suddenly. "You could always get a straightforward answer from her—never beating around the bush."

"Hey, I'll just go join the party, guys," Al said, stalking off, but we weren't paying him attention.

"Well, she's a Slytherin and the majority of us have sharp tongues," Scor said. "You know what? You could be in Slytherin. You've got a sharper tongue than me."

"Well, the hat actually considered me in Slytherin," I admitted. "I refused to, though, so it put me in Gryffindor instead."

He looked stunned at the information for a moment before recovering. He kept opening his mouth and shutting it again, as if debating whether or not he should say something.

"Spit it out," I said.

"Er, well…I was almost put in…in Gryffindor," he said in a quiet voice, his face turning quite pink.

It was my time to acting like a goldfish this time. "W-What," I stammered, finally being able to respond. "Have I heard it right?"

He sighed. "Yes. The hat was putting me in Gryffindor but I didn't want to at the moment. I was only eleven and my greatest ambition in life is to follow my parents' path and the first step to it is being in Slytherin. My dad told me before then that I should let the hat put me in the right house but, stubborn as I was, I refused. I was sure I wouldn't have friends in Gryffindor because I'm a Malfoy, and here I am now, mates with a Gryffindor—a Potter. Not to mention my beautiful girlfriend is his sister."

I gave a small smile. "I wonder what could've happen if we're in the same house…"

He smiled, knocking me dazed for a moment. "This"—he gestured at the two of us sitting on the same red couch by the fire—"is what would happen everyday."

He gave me a small kiss on the lips before I cuddled on to him, oblivious to the fact that everyone else in the common room was looking.

Thanks for reading. Please review.

Next Chapter: Meeting the Potters