After the shock wore off, and my bones were healed, of course, I sort of thought what Leo and I had done was kind of cool.
I mean, come on! I leapt from a rogue broom several feet in air and Leo CAUGHT ME! That has to be some sort of record!
This was a little tidbit I chose to keep to myself. The shock had not quite worn off of my parents yet.
Especially Mum. She alternated between hugging me and crying and hugging me and yelling.
WHY does Grandmother Weasley think Mum is so quiet? I call shenanigans. There is nothing quiet about my mother.
"Miranda Malfoy, you are never getting on a broom again!" Mum was wringing her hands like she wanted to throttle someone.
I was only hoping that someone wasn't me. Or Leo. We really should have kept the high fives out of sight of my parents.
But in my defense it was REALLY cool!
"Mum!" I laughed, "Not flying on a broom is going to make Quidditch more challenging."
In retrospect… laughing at Mum's overreaction was probably not in my best interest either…
"Oh you can ruddy well forget Quidditch!" Mum shouted. "I knew, I just KNEW I never should have given in and allowed your father to teach you to fly. I knew something terrible would happen. Didn't I say just that?" Mum turned on Daddy. Oh good, maybe it was him she was planning to strangle.
"Yes, love." Daddy hugged Mum while she ranted. That had to have been the bravest thing I ever saw. Personally? I would have handed her a glass… no a bottle… of wine and backed away slowly.
Mum was clearly in the mood to let Daddy calm her down, since she wrapped herself around him.
"And…. Back to me now!" I swear these two have been married forever, shouldn't they be over this kissy face nonsense by now? "I am not giving up Quidditch!"
I had just started playing again, no way was I letting this creep stop me from playing.
"You most certainly are." Mum said with a disturbing air of finality.
"Mum! That's not fair!" I whined. "You just can't make me give up Quidditch!"
Mum was not moved. "I do not care about what you think is "fair", Miranda. I care about your safety."
"But Mum," I could reason with her, I was sure of it! "Don't you always say how you hated it when your mother made decisions that affected your life and you didn't get a say?"
"Yes, in fact I DO always say that." HAH! Success! "It would appear I owe my mother an apology."
Wrong tactic. Daddy wouldn't let me down! "Daddy talk to her!"
"Miranda, count yourself lucky that you are not under lock and key." Daddy looked like he was going to be just as difficult about this as Mum was.
"Be reasonable… it is safe, right Viktor?" My own damned boyfriend had to agree with me!
"I…" Viktor looked uncomfortable. "I don't think so this time, Mir. Always before they attacked you in the dark… in secret. This was out in the open. In a place none of us could protect you. No… your parents are right. You have to give Quidditch up for now. It is too dangerous."
Ugghhh. Mum was looking at him like he was a saint. Traitor!
I turned to Leo "You think I should be allowed to finish the season, don't you Leo? We could lose if I am replaced!"
"I think I am lucky to be allowed to continue myself." Leo grimaced.
Oh… right… I forgot he was the second half of the "Wildly dangerous and inappropriate stunt, however timely and brave it was." As declared by Professor McGonagall.
OK, so there would be no help from THAT angle.
But…. "Viktor how can you say that? You have never missed a single Quidditch practice, let alone game! You know how important this is! The House Cup is literally on the line!"
Viktor reached out and brushed the hair from my forehead "I have never been interested in Quidditch. I have never once sat in those bleachers to watch a game."
Then what had he been there to watch…? "Oh…." I mumbled lamely finally realizing.
Leo mumbled something about "most dimwitted cousin ever."
When he winked at me my cheeks grew bright red. Weak I tell you, I am a weak, weak girl.
I heard a very cultured voice from the door, "So, this is the young man who thinks he is good enough for my granddaughter."
I looked up to see my grandfather in the door way.
"I would never assume I am good enough for her, sir." Viktor stood away from the bed. "But she makes me want to be good enough for her."
My Grandfather made a very dignified snorting sound. I have no idea how even a snort seemed elegant coming from him.
"Grandfather!" I cried happily, holding out my hands. I was overjoyed to see him and he strode forward to grasp my hands in his. My grandmother was in the doorway as well, but like always, when my Grandfather was in the room everyone else disappeared.
"My Lucy, how are you recovering?" Grandfather kissed my forehead.
Viktor was immediately forgotten in the overwhelming presence that was my Grandfather.
"Get used to it, son." Daddy clapped him on the shoulder, earning himself an elbow in the ribs from Mum.
I chose to ignore all of them in favor of being pampered by my Grandfather.
"I am much better Grandfather." I smiled brightly to prove it. "In spite of how unreasonable my parents are being."
Grandfather looked questioningly at my Mum.
"She wants to continue to play Quidditch." Mum clarified. "We disagree."
"I… will leave you all to that." Viktor said awkwardly and left. The coward.
Grandmother stepped forward to kiss my cheek and fuss with the flowers and gifts my friends had brought for me.
"Quidditch is not a ladylike sport, Miranda." Grandmother said for the billionth time.
"My Aunt Ginny played professional Quidditch, Grandmother." I reminded her. For the billionth time.
"Mmmmm… so you can see the problem." Grandmother said archly.
"MUM! Aren't you going to defend your twin?" Maybe this was my way to break through.
"When your grandparents are agreeing with me?" Mum smiled as if she knew exactly what my game was. "Why would I do that?"
"I have agreed with no one." Grandfather corrected her.
"See? You think I should be allowed to continue Quidditch, don't you Grandfather?" I batted my eyelashes at him. A tactic that had never failed in the past.
"You misunderstand." Grandfather leaned on his walking stick. "I do not agree with your being allowed to continue at this school. Beauxbaton would have been a much better choice."
"And so much more fashionable." Grandmother agreed with him.
"Hogwarts is a perfectly acceptable and respected school." Mum grinned at the both of them.
"When it isn't filled with dangerous assassins attempting to curse my Granddaughter out of the air you mean?" Grandfather reminded her.
"Yes… well, I do think it is time we made other arrangements…" Mum hesitated.
"NO!" I all but shouted. "You promised I could remain here!"
Mum raised an eyebrow mockingly. "I am Slytherin my dear daughter. I assure you that I made no such promise."
"Well, Daddy promised Uncle Harry." I did not fail to notice the way my Grandfather's jaw tightened when I said "Uncle Harry."
"I most certainly did not." Daddy assured me.
"Well… you strongly suggested I could." I pouted.
"Which is not the same as a promise." Daddy smiled down at me.
UGGGGHHHHH! "All of you are impossible!" I pouted.
"Impossible as we may be," Mum interrupted, "I do believe it is time we left early for our summer vacation in Italy."
"Mother!" I exclaimed dismayed. "It is only March and we have exams to study for!"
"You are quite capable of studying for exams in Italy." My father said firmly.
"But I will still have to get all of my books and study notes and…" I was getting desperate.
"Two weeks should be sufficient time to set the Villa straight for an extended stay." Mum told me in no uncertain terms. "And it will certainly be time enough to get all of the materials you could possibly need to study."
"In that time," Daddy continued, "you will leave your common room only when necessary to attend class and eat. You will abide by a strict curfew."
My mind was reeling. Two weeks, could we use that map to find my attacker in two weeks? I had to hope so…
But in the mean time I had to look subdued and agreeable. "Yes, Daddy."
My parents were not fooled "I mean it Miranda. If I hear you have not abided by my rules I will pull you from here at once and you may finally succeed in your life long goal to fail your exams and be a disgrace to the family name."
.