Author's Note: I wasn't originally intending to continue the HP crossover AU right away, but how else can I work sports into Zelda? XD So here you have it, just a couple little scenes in the daily life of wizard!Link and witch!Navi.
Timeline: Harry Potter crossover AU (part 6 of 7)
Theme 51: Sport
The ceiling of the Great Hall was a dull, overcast grey—typical, if gloomy, weather for this time of year. It would probably start raining as soon as they headed down the lawn for Care of Magical Creatures, and they would all be soaked by the time they made it back up to the castle for lunch.
Link looked up from his scrambled eggs when the short girl dropped down onto the bench next to him and started helping herself to everything within reach. "Food's about to disappear," he said mildly. "Cutting it a little late today, don't you think?"
"Th'orry," Navi mumbled through a mouthful of toast. "Duth wanned t' pu' my name down."
"Put your name down where?"
With a loud gulp, Navi swallowed her mouthful of food and said brightly, "Quidditch tryouts on Friday! Wanna come watch?"
"Quidditch tryouts?" Link echoed, looking down the table to where the team always sat together, discussing tactics and professional games as though they weren't at school. He glanced over them, trying to figure out if anyone was missing from last year's lineup. There hadn't been any seventh-years, had there? "Is there an opening?"
"Yeah, Theeker," Navi said, her mouth full again.
Link looked around at her in surprise. "Seeker? But...Mido..."
Navi shrugged and took a swig of pumpkin juice. "He dropped out of the team this year, so they're scrambling to find a replacement."
"Mido dropped out of the team?" Link found this highly suspicious. First there were the things he'd overheard Mido say on the Hogwarts Express, and now he was backing out of the Quidditch team that had been his primary bragging point since second year? Something was definitely fishy here.
Navi, however, just shrugged and tucked the lock of hair she'd dyed blue behind her ear. "Says he wants to focus on his NEWTs. Fine by me. This is my year, Link—I can feel it!"
Link bit his lip, looking down into his best friend's bright, sparkling blue eyes. He knew Navi was an excellent flyer, much better on a broom than he could ever hope to be. He also knew she had a sharp eye and a small, light build ideal for a Seeker. But still, he felt it was his duty to speak words of caution.
"Navi," he said, hating to see the vibrant light in her eyes dim, "you know they're not going to let you on the team unless they have absolutely no other choice. You practically have to buy your way onto the team anymore, and besides, I don't think they've had any girls on the team in ten years."
Navi immediately fired up. "So? I can fly better than any of those donkeys trying out—"
Link held up his hands defensively. "I know you can, Navi, okay? I know. But they don't know that, and I don't think they're going to give you a chance to prove it to them. Besides...I think I might be a deterrent too."
Navi opened her mouth to reply, then cocked her head and frowned in confusion. "Wait, what do you have to do with any of this?"
Link picked at his bread, littering his plate with crumbs. "You know me—Enemy Number 1. The worst Slytherin ever Sorted. You really think they'd let my best friend on their star Quidditch team? Especially when she's a Muggle-born?"
But today, not even a reminder of the ridicule Navi suffered at the hands of her own housemates could faze her. She got to her feet, swinging her bag onto her shoulder and flashing him a cheerful grin. "I'm not going to let that stop me! I'll fly so well, they'll have to put me on the team! Well, I'm off to Ancient Runes now—see you in Potions!"
A lesser friend might have said I told you so. A more irascible individual would probably have rushed off to duel the entire Slytherin Quidditch team on the spot. But Link was neither of those things, so when Navi came running up to him in the courtyard during break, tears streaking down her cheeks, he guided her back inside and into a small alcove, where he wrapped his arms around her and let her cry.
"You w-were...right," she sobbed, squeezing him so hard around the chest that he couldn't draw a deep breath. "Th-They already know who...who it's gonna be... He paid them...oo-oodles of Galleons...an' they're only having the tryouts because it's required...an' they looked at me like I was stupid when...when I said I can fly better than Groose any day..."
Link snorted. "Groose? That's who the new Seeker is? He's bigger than both Beaters combined. It's a wonder he can even get his broomstick in the air."
Navi let out a choked hiccup that might have been a laugh.
Resting his cheek on top of her head, Link sighed. He knew it was hard for her to be in Slytherin, surrounded by so many mean-spirited, manipulative people. There were some decent people besides them in Slytherin, of course, but they were easily overshadowed by the pervading atmosphere of selfish ambition and petty squabbles. And the entire reason she put up with all of this was to keep him company... "I'm sorry, Navi," he whispered.
Navi pushed away, wiping tears from her eyes and even smiling a little. "It's okay," she said, sniffling. "I...I wouldn't wanna hang around those guys anyway, no matter what sport it was."
Link squeezed her shoulder bracingly. "They don't know what they're missing. And believe me, they'll be regretting their choice when the first match comes around and they discover that Groose couldn't find the Snitch if it was flashing iridescent green and had a floating arrow pointing it out for him."
Navi giggled. "Thanks. Now I'm actually looking forward to the first match..."
