CHAPTER 54: HAT TRICKS AND HEARTACHES
Nervous tendrils squeezed Mireet's chest and slithered into her stomach as she stared at the building in front of her. She barely noted the concrete structure's pointed roof, multitude of angles and two large rows of glass windows, her mind dominated by her purpose for being her.
Dread kept her feet rooted to the spot. She wanted to imagine Jimmy being happy at seeing her. She wanted to picture him apologizing for leaving her, leaving the whole Wizarding World.
Instead she could only think of how he had yelled at Rosa's mother after she freed him from jail, saying he didn't need any help from, "you wand wavers!"
A shiver went through her, one that had nothing to do with the chilly night air. Jimmy had always considered Mrs. Infante like a family member. If he could say such a hurtful thing to Rosa' mother, what might he say to her?
Fear clutched her soul. Fear she would suffer another heartbreak. Her stomach quivered as she thought back to that horrible day Marc-Andre broke up with her, the day both she and Jimmy left Hogwarts to return to their native countries, and day Jimmy told her he was leaving the Wizarding World forever. She recalled the shock. The sadness. The feeling she'd never be happy again.
She hated going through that. And now she risked subjecting herself to it all again.
I promised Artimus. And if Jimmy is truly in trouble, I cannot turn my back on him.
Drawing a breath, she started across the parking lot toward the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum.
Mireet asked a paunchy middle-aged man in a bright yellow jacket bearing the words EVENT STAFF where she could purchase tickets. He pointed her toward the corner of the arena, where she stood in line for a few minutes before reaching a large window with three women behind it. Mireet made sure she had the proper amount of Muggle money before handing it over to one of them.
Ticket in hand, she stood in yet another line leading to the front entrance. She drummed her fingers against her leg, the worry building. She tried to picture in her mind what she would say when she saw Jimmy. What would he say? How would she react if he yelled at her?
Another image formed in her mind, one more of wishful thinking. She imagined Jimmy striding up to her, cupping her face in his hands, and giving her a long, deep kiss.
A flicker of guilt went through her. She had broken up with Alain just two days ago, yet here she was already thinking about being in the arms of another man.
Mireet quashed that feeling of guilt. Her break-up with Alain was a long time coming. Still, it astounded her that he acted so surprised.
"I do not understand. I have treated you decently. I have helped you at work, I have given you all sorts of advice."
"Listen to yourself, Alain," she had answered him. "You are speaking to me as though I am someone who works for you, instead of as your girlfriend."
Alain had cast his gaze to the ceiling for a few moments. "Does this have to do with the argument we had about that hockey game? Because if that is the case, it seems a rather trivial thing."
"See? That is the problem. All my concerns, in fact, every word that comes out of my mouth, is trivial to you."
"You are being irrational. You need to calm down, then we can talk -"
"I have tried talking to you for months, but you never want to listen. I'm sorry. Good-bye, Alain."
She left his apartment, not even taking one last look back at him.
"Ticket?"
The usher's voice snapped her back to the present.
"What? Oh, yes. Sorry."
She handed the usher her ticket. Her eyes widened as the man waved a stick-like device over her ticket. When it beeped, he handed the ticket back to her.
"Merci," she muttered, still staring at the device. She couldn't help but smile. Merlin, but Muggles could be ingenious.
Mireet entered the concourse. Many people walked to and fro, while others stood to the side in small clusters, a good number of those drinking from dark bottles. She scanned the clothes they wore and winced. The vast majority wore T-shirts or jerseys with the Fort Wayne Komets logo. She glanced down at her overcoat, thinking of the hand-knitted powder blue sweater and dark slacks she wore beneath it. Would that make her stick out as someone who didn't belong?
Her worry eased when she noticed other Muggles wearing casual outfits or suitcoats that didn't bear the Komets' colors or logo.
Removing her coat and folding it over her arm, she proceeded through the concourse. The smells of butter and melted cheese and fried potatoes wafted past her nose. Mireet turned and scanned one of the concession stands. Her eyes widened when she saw clear plastic cases for large pretzels and cookies. Another large case was filled with popcorn. One person walked away from the stand carrying a cardboard bowl containing round, yellowish chips covered in gooey, orange cheese.
Any other time she would have sampled some of this Muggle food. Tonight, however, her nerves twisted her stomach so badly the mere sight of it made her nauseous.
She quickly walked away.
While she didn't buy any food, she did purchase a game program. Checking the table of contents, Mireet flipped to the pages with the player profiles.
Her chest tightened when she got to one page in particular.
#48 Jimmy O'Bannon
Pos. RW
Height: 5'10
Weight: 175 lbs
Hometown: Boston, MA
Career: Discovered at open tryout by the Boston Bruins. Referred to Komets by Bruins player development office.
Her eyes locked on his photo. Even though she had more experience in the Muggle World than the average pureblood, she still couldn't get over looking at a photograph that didn't move. Jimmy's round, handsome face was just there. But even in that still picture she could sense an air of unhappiness. Jimmy only managed a half-smile, and a rather forced one at that.
She sighed and gently slid the tip of her index finger over his photo.
With the help of another usher, she eventually found her seat, located halfway up from the ice surface near the north end of the arena. Mireet had the entire row to herself until four young men shuffled their way toward her. The one in the lead, a husky boy with a stubbly face, talked loudly and animatedly to his three friends.
"So I'm like screaming, 'dude, do you know where it is or what?'" He waved his arms as he plopped into the seat next to her. "And he's all like, 'Duh, I think I do.' And I'm like, 'Man, you're a freakin' idiot."
All four young men laughed.
The stubbly-faced one turned to her, still laughing. His smile widened and he nodded at her. "Hey. How are you doing?"
"I am fine, thank you."
"Whoa! Cool accent. You, like, French or something?"
Mireet closed her eyes, groaning to herself. "Oui."
"Dude, cool!" For some reason, he let out a laugh.
Will I have to sit next to him for the entire game?
"Hey, I'm Chris, and that's Zach, Don and Luke."
The other three responded, "Hey." "Yo." "Wassup!"
"So you here by yourself, or you -"
"My boyfriend is one of the players for the Komets." The words tumbled out of her mouth. She prayed that would put an end to his advances.
"Oh. Well, he ain't here right now. And you know, I used to play football in high school. I mean real football, not what they call soccer over there in Europe. So maybe -"
Mireet snapped her head toward Chris. Her eyes narrowed. "My boyfriend and I are very serious and are likely to be married. He is the only man I am interested in. Now if you please, I wish to be left alone."
She turned away from him, her eyes focused intently at the section across from her.
"Fine." Chris slumped in his seat. Under his breath, he muttered, "Snotty frog bitch."
Mireet felt her cheeks redden. She clenched a fist, fighting down the urge to pull out her wand and hex this lout. It took a couple breaths for her to settle down. She had fought Death Eaters during the war. What did insults from this crass ape mean to her?
She sat quietly in her seat, trying to ignore Chris and his friends as they prattled on about Merlin only knew what. Thankfully, they left her alone.
Minutes later, the referee and linesman skated onto the ice to a chorus of boos.
"HERE ARE TONIGHT'S STARTERS FOR THE VISITING KALAMAZOO WINGS," the P/A announcer's voice boomed through the arena. "AT CENTER, NUMBER SIXTEEN, DENNIS HOLT."
"SUCKS!!" the Fort Wayne fans hollered in unison.
Mireet drew her head back in surprise. She's witnessed her fair share of crude behavior at Quidditch matches throughout Europe, but they usually took place during play, not before.
The fans did the same to Kalamazoo's remaining starters, adding, "Sucks!" after they were introduced.
The lights dimmed. A sharp, dramatic drumbeat filled the arena. Thousands of Muggles got to their feet, clapping and cheering.
"AND NOW, IT'S TIME TO INTRODUCE THE STARTING LINE-UP FOR YOUR FORT WAYNE KOMETS!!!"
The cheering grew louder. Mireet applauded as each orange and white-clad player was introduced. All the while she held her breath, waiting to hear Jimmy's name.
To her disappointment, he wasn't in the starting line-up.
"AND HERE ARE THE REST OF YOUR FORT WAYNE KOMETS!"
More players in white and orange jerseys skated onto the ice. Her eyes darted about, trying to find . . .
There! Mireet finally spotted Number 48, and the name O'BANNON inscribed on the back. She held a hand over her chest, feeling her heart pound furiously. For the first time in nearly nine months, she laid eyes on Jimmy O'Bannon.
After the national anthem and the ceremonial first puck drop, the game got underway. Her eyes constantly darted from the action to the Komets bench, waiting for Jimmy to come out.
She didn't wait long. Less than a minute into the game, a fresh line took to the ice, a line that included Number 48.
She clutched her hands tightly in her lap, her focus on Jimmy as he skated up and down the ice, passing the puck to a teammate, or trying to poke it away from an opponent. Her breaths came quickly.
Please do well. Please do well.
Another thought punched through her nervous wishes.
Why are you cheering for him? He left you!
He had problems. We can resolve them.
What if you can't? What if he hurts you again?
She closed her eyes, trying to purge the negative thoughts from her mind.
A horn blared through the arena.
Mireet's eyes snapped open. Five men in blue and red jerseys gathered in a group hug behind the net on the far side of the rink. She frowned and looked up at the scoreboard. It read WINGS 1, KOMETS 0.
The large screen across from her came to life, showing an old man with a reddened face shaking his fists and bellowing, "I want you to get up out of your seat, go to window and shout at the top of your lungs, I'm mad as hell, and I'm not gonna take it anymore!"
She found the display amusing, and hoped it would inspire Jimmy and the rest of the Komets.
The game progressed. Every time Jimmy took to the ice, Mireet gripped her hands tight. Nervous tremors wracked her body. She prayed for him to do well.
Does he even remember you?
She clenched her teeth. She hated these doubts that suddenly popped into her head. Even worse, she could hear her sister saying those words.
That should come as no surprise. Monique seemed determined not to like Jimmy before she even met him.
"Must you always talk about this American?" she complained one day during the summer after she'd been to Hogwarts. "He is on the other side of the ocean now. You will probably never see him again."
That shows how much you know, my dear sister.
Cheers suddenly erupted. Below her Komets and Wings players converged around the net. One of the Komets players skated around a Wings player, then passed the puck.
It hit off a Wings player's stick, but ricocheted over to a Komets player. He took a look at the net, faked a shot, then passed it to . . .
Jimmy!
He fired a one-timer at the net.
The horn blared. The red light behind the goal lit up. The crowd roared.
Mireet yelped and shot to her feet, jumping up and down and clapping as Jimmy's teammates mobbed him.
The fans performed another unified taunt.
"HE SHOOTS, HE SCORES, HEY GOALIE, YOU SUCK!!"
A couple minutes later the P/A announcer burst out, "FORT WAYNE KOMETS GOAL SCORED BY NUMBER FORTY-EIGHT, JIM-EEEEEEEEE O'BANNON!!"
Mireet grinned wide and cheered with the rest of the Komets fans. Joy surged through her. She remembered all those times Jimmy talked about how he dreamed of playing professional hockey. And here he was, doing it, succeeding at it.
Yes, be proud of the man who left you, left our entire world.
Mireet snorted at the nagging voice.
I am willing to forgive him.
The Wings regained the lead with less than five minutes to go in the period. Then with under two minutes left, one of the Komets players got called for slashing, giving the Wings a power play.
The Komets managed to clear the puck down the ice, allowing a fresh line to come on . . . a line that included Jimmy.
The Wings worked the puck back up ice, two of their skaters passing back and forth to each other. But one of those passes got too far ahead of the player it was intended for. He reached out with his stick. The puck hit off the tip of the blade and trickled away.
Jimmy swooped in, took the puck and shot down the ice.
"Go, Jimmy!" Mireet sprang out of her seat, along with thousands of other fans. "Go!"
The cheers intensified as he neared the Kalamazoo net. The goaltender crouched, ready.
Jimmy leaned right, swerved left, and shot.
The horn blared.
A deafening roar filled the arena. Mireet added her voice to it to celebrate Jimmy's second goal of the night.
Her nervousness faded throughout the first intermission and into the second period. She delighted in Jimmy's performance. While he didn't score in the middle frame, he assisted on another Komets goal and made two bone-jarring hits on Wings players that brought the crowd to its feet. Mireet's heart started another rapid beat, this time fueled by excitement rather than nerves. She was completely wrapped up in the game. Memories of the Triad/Slytherin game ran through her mind. Merlin, what she wouldn't give to be down there on the ice right now, in the middle of that speed and frenzy and physicality.
To be playing with Jimmy.
A huge smile spread across her face as the second period ended with the score Fort Wayne Komets 3, Kalamazoo Wings 2. She had a feeling tonight's meeting with Jimmy would be a good one.
The Wings tied the score early in the third period, but the Komets came back a minute later to regain the lead. Three minutes later the Komets scored again, with Jimmy getting credit for an assist.
Halfway through the period, the Komets were on the power play, passing the puck back and forth before Jimmy fired a slapshot at the net. The puck flew into the top corner of the net.
"Yes!" Mireet threw her arms in the air as cheers exploded throughout the arena. Round objects of all colors spiraled through the air and landed on the ice. Ballcaps. Dozens of ballcaps. She smiled, remembering Jimmy telling her about this tradition.
"FORT WAYNE KOMETS GOAL, HIS THIRD OF THE NIGHT FOR THE HAT TRICK, SCORED BY NUMBER FORTY-EIGHT, JIM-EEEEEE O'BANNON!!"
Mireet clapped so hard her hands stung. She even joined the rest of the crowd in chanting, "HE SHOOTS, HE SCORES, HEY GOALIE, YOU SUCK!!"
Fort Wayne scored again three minutes later and ultimately went on to win 6-3. She smiled wide, cheering and clapping with unbridled enthusiasm as Jimmy and the rest of the Komets skated to center ice and lifted their sticks to salute the crowd. Tears of joy welled up in her eyes as she watched several Fort Wayne players skating around Jimmy, slapping his shoulders and head. A minute after the Komets exited the ice, the three stars of the game were announced. Elation consumed her as Jimmy was chosen as the number one star. He skated back onto the ice, holding up his stick and waving to the ecstatic fans. Even from this distance she could make out his smile.
It is time. She clasped her hands in front of her as she watched Jimmy skate off the ice. The nervous tension returned, stabbing her stomach. She did her best to ignore it, confident Jimmy's good mood would make their meeting easier, and more pleasant, than she originally feared.
Mireet followed the fans down the concrete steps and back out into the concourse. She headed to the far end of the arena, where several people gathered around a small roped off runway leading to the locker room. Two yellow jacketed security guards stood on either side of the entrance. It didn't appear they were letting fans inside. Of course, even at Quidditch matches fans couldn't go into the players' changing rooms.
A trio of young, attractive women approached the security guards, one of them holding a small child no older than three by the hand. One of the women held up a flat, rectangular object hanging around her neck to a security guard. The man nodded and let them through.
That gave her an idea.
She walked toward one of the concession stands and spotted a stack of colorful fliers advertising upcoming events at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. She picked up one and stepped into an alcove leading to the women's restroom. Checking to make sure no one saw her, she took out her wand and cast a Perception Altering Charm on the flier. Pocketing her wand, she strode over to the locker room entrance. As she approached the guard, she held up the flier. The man eyed it, saw it as the appropriate credentials, and let her through.
Mireet walked down a hallway lined with rubber mats. A group of women, with a few young children mixed in, stood along the wall, chatting away. Wives and children of the players, perhaps? She leaned a shoulder against the wall some distance from the others, watching the locker room, waiting for Jimmy to emerge. She tried to fight off the anxiety that tried to overwhelm her. She rehearsed in her mind the things she'd say to him, fretting over each word, worrying if her approach would be too soft or too hard. Scared he'd yell at her the way he did Rosa's mother.
No. Tonight was a good night for him. He'll be happy, and hopefully more receptive.
A couple men exited the locker room, dressed in casual slacks and jackets. One of them, a tall, dark-haired man, nodded to the women and children and headed down the hallway.
He's obviously single.
As the man neared her, she took a step toward him. "Excuse me, Monsieur."
The man stopped, his eyes widening for a second before they quickly scanned her up and down. "Yeah," he said cheerfully. "What can I do for you?"
"You are one of the Komets, I assume?"
"That's right. Simon DuPage." He stuck out his hand.
Mireet smiled and shook it. "It's nice to meet you. I am here to see Jimmy O'Bannon. Do you know where he is?"
Disappointment flashed briefly over Simon's face. His smile quickly returned. "Yeah, he's back in the locker room doing some interviews. Guy had a big night tonight, what with the hat trick."
"Oui, he played well."
Simon nodded, his smile growing as he looked her up and down again. "I'll head back there and let him know you're looking for him. He shouldn't be long."
"Merci."
Simon went back to the locker room. Mireet's heartbeat picked up as she kept staring down the hall. She slowly grinded her heel into the rubber mat beneath her, waiting, wondering how the meeting would go.
She tensed every time the locker room door opened. So far Jimmy hadn't been among the players who exited. She ignored the stares the men gave her, maintaining her vigil.
The door opened again. Somewhere from the inside she heard a muffled shout of, "O'Bannon you stud!"
The breath caught in her throat when she saw a lean, brown-haired young man emerge and holler over his shoulder, "Aw, knock it off."
She thought the entire arena could hear her pounding heart as Jimmy headed down the hallway. Her stomach knotted when their eyes met. Jimmy slowed his pace, eventually stopping a few meters from her, his eyes alight with shock.
A heavy silence hung between them. Mireet tried to say something, but her vocal cords refused to work. Merlin's beard, she was actually face-to-face with Jimmy.
"Mah . . . Mireet?" He finally stammered.
"Hello, Jimmy. How are you?"
"Um, fine." He kept gazing at her, unable to blink. "You?"
"I am well, thank you."
His mouth hung open silently for a couple of seconds. "Wha . . . What are you doing here?"
"I have not seen you in a long time. I missed you."
"I, uh, I missed you, too."
Mireet bit her lower lip. Did he say that for the sake of talking, or did he really mean it? She found it hard to tell from his tone. "Is there some place we can talk? Alone?"
"Yeah. Yeah, there is. Follow me."
Jimmy led her back toward the exit, then veered to the right and opened a door leading to a small room with an elevated table, a couple chairs, and a pair of lockers.
"The on-duty paramedics hang out in here during the game." He explained. "They all woulda cleared out of here a while ago."
She stared at him, just stared at him. Memories and emotions swirled inside her. The Yule Ball. Their last day at Hogwarts. Seeing him again on the beach at Normandy. That night in her apartment, before . . . before the letter arrived. The day he said good-bye to her, how she thought she'd never see him again.
And now here they were, face-to-face, after all these months . . .
She sprang at him and threw her arms around him. Tears flooded her eyes as she hugged him tight. Tingles raced through her body as she felt Jimmy's arms around her, his head pressing against her hair.
She had no idea how long they embraced before releasing one another. They stared at one another again, exchanging awkward smiles. Mireet tried to think of something to say. She'd had so many speeches worked out before she saw him. Now every single one of them had vanished into the ethereal vapors.
Jimmy, thankfully, spared her. "So, um, you saw the game?"
"Oui. You played well tonight."
"Thanks. My first professional hat trick. The boys actually got the puck from my third goal. This was my best game all season."
"I am glad to hear that."
Jimmy glanced down at the floor, working his jaw back and forth. "So . . . what? You decided to come all the way out here to Indiana just to see how I'm doing?"
"It has been nine months since I last saw you, since any of us has seen you, or heard from you. None of us has received a single Floo call or an owl letting us know how you are doing."
Jimmy sighed. "I'm sorry, but I told you, I had to get out of the Wizarding World. It just got too much. At work, walking through Haypippil Square, even in my own apartment, everywhere I turned there was something to remind me of the war, of all the people we lost. I had to go some place where there wouldn't be anything to remind me of all that."
"And have you been successful?"
A pause. "Yeah. Yeah, I have."
Mireet tilted her head, unconvinced. "And everything is all right with you?"
"Yeah, I told you. I'm fine."
"Then why were you arrested by the Muggle authorities?"
Jimmy's eyes widened. He looked away, embarrassment settling over his face. "How did you find out?"
"Artimus told me." She shook her head. "Buying beer for Muggle girls not of age. Who were these girls, anyway?"
"Just some girls I ran into outside this convenience store."
"And you just happened to buy them beer?"
Jimmy slouched to his left. "C'mon, I had a bad game, these girls were going to a party and they invited me along. I figured, what the hell? I needed to do something to forget about the ass-kicking we just had."
"And because of that, Rosa's mother had to come here to free you from jail. And how did you thank her? By insulting her. Jimmy, that is not like you."
"Hey, I'm not the same person you met five years ago at Hogwarts." The corners of Jimmy's mouth twisted. "After everything we went through, none of us are the same people we once were."
"Is that your excuse for being arrested? For yelling at the mother of one of your best friends?"
"Okay, I made a mistake." He threw his hands up. "I'm sorry. Heck, you can tell Mrs. Infante from me that I'm sorry."
"You need to tell her that yourself."
"Well that I can't do." Jimmy frowned.
Mireet took a step closer to him. "Is it so difficult for you to return to our world, even for a little while? There are many people who miss you, who care about you . . . including me."
Jimmy's jaw tightened for a moment. "Look. I made my decision to leave the Wizarding World. I've got a good thing going here. I'm making a living playing a game I love. And I've gotten by without a wand or a broom or potions or owls delivering my mail for nearly a year. You know something? I don't miss magic at all. All I want is for you and everyone else from that world to leave me alone and let me do what I want. After everything I did during the war, I think I've earned that right."
"Does that include the right to act irresponsibly?"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Jimmy's eyes narrowed.
"Going to jail." Mireet put her hands on her hips.
Jimmy groaned. "I told you. It was a mistake. Besides, I got out of it thanks to Mrs. Infante."
"She won't always be there to solve your problems. She also believes you are drinking more than you should."
"She needs to stop worrying so much."
"Is it true?"
Jimmy rolled his eyes. "Okay, so I have a few beers every now and then. Sometimes it helps me relax, especially after a bad game. What, that makes me an alcoholic?"
"There are better ways to relax than getting drunk." An edge crept into Mireet's voice.
"Oh c'mon. It's not like I'm walking around with a flask in my hand all day long."
"I am worried about you. Is that so hard for you to accept? You say you are fine, but after getting arrested, and the way you treated Rosa's mother, I do not believe you." She reached out and gently grasped his wrist. "I . . . you are one of my dearest friends. If you are having problems, I want to help."
"I don't have any problems." He backed away, breaking her hold. "I told you, the whole getting arrested thing was just a mistake. I learned my lesson, okay? I don't need anyone's help. I'm a big boy now, I can take care of myself. So you can go back and tell Mrs. Infante and Artimus and everyone else they can stop worrying. Jimmy O'Bannon is doing fine on his own."
She held her breath as Jimmy walked past her toward the door. She turned around just as he put his hand on the knob, and paused. Hope flickered in her.
Please stay. Please talk to me.
"Mireet, I . . ." He started to turn to her. "It was . . ." His shoulders slumped. He turned back toward the door. "Bye, Mireet."
Jimmy left the room, closing the door behind him.
Mireet's throat tightened. The air around her turned thick, threatening to suffocate her. She felt all hope and joy being sucked out of her body.
It was happening again. Her heart was breaking.
I failed. I . . .
She swallowed, pushing down the hurt, focusing on those last few seconds before Jimmy left. He had paused. He had wanted to keep talking. She could feel it. Perhaps he did want help, but his stupid male pride wouldn't allow him to ask.
Mireet drew a couple deep breaths. She would not admit defeat yet. Not when it came to a man she cared about.
Not when it came to the man she loved.
TO BE CONTINUED
