Jade braced for impact as she and Draco came to a stop, they had been transported to a large luxurious flat. She gazed around at the high ceiling and the beautifully decorated walls.
"We've been staying here," Draco explained. "Sorry about the noise." Jade could hear voices all around her but she didn't see anyone. "We had to set our tent up next to the Greengrass's. They're a loud bunch."
"Tent?" Jade asked, she then noticed the two flaps at what must have been the entrance. "This is a tent?" Mr. Malfoy chuckled, pleased by her admirational gaze.
"It's enchanted, should've got one with some soundproofing though." He stuck his nose in the air and glanced toward the entrance. "Do you like it?"
"It's marvelous." Jade smiled, she then spotted a woman stepping out of the kitchen area. She approached them with an irked expression.
"I'm not ready yet, Lucius." She told him but Lucius just walked up to her and laid a kiss on her temple.
"It's fine, dear. You have plenty of time." He reassured her and then her sharp eyes fell on Jade.
"You must be Miss Maddex." She said, "Narcissa Malfoy." She greeted her. Draco's mother was as close to a perfect human being Jade had ever seen. Her skin was fair just like Draco's. She had blonde hair except for two strands of black that she had tied back. She was still in her robes, a green dress hung up behind her near one of the beds. She looked young for her age, not a wrinkle in sight. She was thin and tall and intimidating beyond all hell.
"I'm sorry." Jade apologized after a moment of silence, "You're just so beautiful." Jade felt lame for saying it but she had taken her breath away. Mrs. Malfoy eased into a satisfied smile.
"You're a budding rose yourself, Jade. I can see why Draco talks about you all the time."
"Mother." Draco sighed and his mother giggled.
"I'm sorry, Draco. Why don't you two go out and find your friends before the game?" Draco began walking towards the entrance and Jade faltered before following him.
"It was nice to meet you!" She called back to Mrs. Malfoy with a wave, Mrs. Malfoy smiled at her as she left the tent.
"So, what do you think?" Lucius asked his wife quietly. Narcissa was watching the flaps as they settled back into place.
"She's lovely, seemed a bit flustered…"
"I'm sure she was just nervous about meeting you."
"Yes, but looks aren't all that matter." Narcissa walked back over to her dress where she gave it another once over. It seemed a bit casual for what she was used to.
"She's a bright witch," Lucius went on. "Has as much potential as Draco does."
"I doubt that," Narcissa muttered as she sat back down in front of the mirror she was previously at before they'd arrived.
"I think you think too highly of him sometimes." Lucius turned to follow her and came to rest his hands on the back of her chair.
"And I think you don't think highly enough of him." She quipped back. "I can already tell she's won you over." Narcissa picked up a tube of lipstick and spread it gently over her lips. "I'm not so easily convinced."
Jade was immediately overwhelmed when she stepped outside the Malfoys' tent, tents were pitched up all around her and there were people everywhere, Jade caught bits of multiple conversations as she tried to find Draco in the crowd. She passed a peculiar tent with peacocks walking around the front of it, pecking happily at the ground. She was glad she didn't take her cloak with her, the sun was high in the air and there was barely any breeze. She spotted a bright blonde head a few feet in front of her talking with an older man and hurried to catch up.
"Ah, who might this be?" The man asked when Jade came to his side. He was a tall man with a large belly and kind wrinkles around his eyes. He was dressed in long robes of black and yellow and a large wasp was smacked in the middle of his chest. Draco looked to his side, unaware that someone had joined their conversation.
"This is Jade Maddex," Draco told him and the man smiled.
"A pleasure to meet you, dear. Unfortunately, I must be on my way. Give your father my regards, Mr. Malfoy."
"Will do, Mr. Bagman." Draco nodded and the man took off behind them. They began walking again, Jade stuck close to Draco so she wouldn't lose him.
"Who was that?" She asked as they passed a couple with two small children crying at their sides, tugging on their parents' arms to try and break free of their hold.
"Ludo Bagman, the Head of the Magical Games and Sports department." He explained. "I'm sorry about my mother." He spoke again a few seconds later.
"Why?" Jade asked, "She seems wonderful."
"She's a bit embarrassing sometimes, don't tell her I told you that."
"I won't." Jade smiled. As they walked, they passed many tents that belonged to witches and wizards of different countries, it was fascinating to see all the different communities in one place. She'd caught bits of French, what she decided was German, and even a bit of Danish, as they walked.
They passed a large group of tents sporting green and white for the Irish, stopping momentarily to get green and white stripes painted onto their faces after Jade begged Draco to get into the spirit. Further away, a similar spot of land dedicated to black and red tents for the Bulgarians. All of them began celebrating early in good faith that their team would win. There was drinking and dancing and laughing. They came upon a middle-aged man who extended his arm to Jade and she politely accepted, he then spun her under his arm and went on his way. He had spun her a little too hard and she stumbled into Draco who raised his arms instinctively to catch her. "Sorry."
"As long as you don't go dancing with any more drunks, we should be fine." He chuckled as he set her right on her feet.
"He was drunk?" Jade gasped, "What time is it?" Draco checked the watch on his wrist.
"A little after three."
"I hope the Irish win, for his sake." Even though they were supposed to dress in Muggle clothes, there were still a large number of witches and wizards in their traditional robes. "How come we have to dress like this? You must be burning up in that suit."
"Well, there are supposedly a hundred thousand wizards and witches in total showing up to this event. With all of them traveling here, the Ministry asked them to dress discreetly to avoid suspicion. You can see how well they listened." Jade quickly moved out of the way of a pair of girls who were oblivious to their surroundings, going on in French about how crowded and hot it was.
"But wasn't that one man you talked to part of the Ministry? A Head of a department?" Draco began taking off his jacket and draped it over one of his arms, his other hand going into his pants pocket.
"Yes, he was." He walked with a sort of natural confidence that she envied, he didn't have to move out of anybody's way, his entire presence seemed to scream… 'Sod off'. "What?" He asked, his eyes still set on the path in front of them.
"What?"
"You're staring at me." Jade looked away as a blush crept over her face.
"I was not." She denied. "I'm just waiting for you to tell me where we're going."
"Looking for Blaise." He told her.
"He could be anywhere." Jade protested. They'd passed a few people from school already, the Patil twins, Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan, and the Greengrass sisters.
"He said he'd be rooting for the Bulgarians, so we'll start around here. The game doesn't start till dark… which gives us about five hours."
"You're nutters if you think I'm walking around for five hours," Jade told him and he grinned.
"I guarantee you we won't be walking that long." Draco stopped at a merchandise cart. The friendly wizard who owned the cart smiled at them and beckoned them to browse. "Which team are you rooting for?" He asked Jade. She seemed to lean more towards the Irish, she might as well root for them since their colors were painted on her cheeks.
"Who do you think will win?" Jade asked him, looking at one side of the cart that was covered in Irish toys, pins, flags, hats, and more. Draco came around from the other side that was covered in red and plucked a green blinking rosette from the cart. He silently pinned it to Jade's dress, his fingers gentle, making an effort not to touch the skin of her chest that her dress didn't cover. As soon as the rosette was pinned, it began chanting names. 'Ryan! Troy! Moran!' "Thanks." She hadn't realized he was wearing cologne until he invaded her personal bubble, she enjoyed it, he didn't wear a lot so it wasn't obnoxious. He handed the merchant a few coins and then grabbed her hand and pulled her along into the thick of the red tents. Almost every tent had the same large poster attached to it, it was a poster of a young man. He had thick black eyebrows, deep dark eyes and he looked back and forth with a scowl on his face. There was just a border around the poster, no name to say who it was, Jade knew nothing of the Bulgarian team, she didn't know why they only had posters of the one player.
"That's Krum," Draco explained as he looked around for their friend. "Victor Krum, he's their Seeker."
"He looks angry," Jade muttered, and then she saw a woman she recognized and stopped walking. Feeling the resistance in his hand, Draco stopped as well. "I think that's Mrs. Zabini." Jade pointed into a small crowd of people gathered in a circle. She began walking towards her and her suspicions were proven correct when her son came out of a tent a moment later. Before they noticed Jade and Draco, she became more aware of the fact she was still holding Draco's hand. She thought it was fine, she held hands with Pansy all the time. It didn't mean anything, but to an adult, it could look like they were together and not together as in with one another but like, together. What if Blaise's mother said something to her mother about it? She didn't want to give anyone the wrong idea. She casually let go of Draco's hand and brushed her hair out of her face. "Blaise!" She called and he turned in their direction, it took him a second to find them but he waved them over. Jade hurried forward and embraced him. She was glad to see him in a nice pair of trousers and a thin turtleneck. "All in the spirit I see." She smiled as she took note of the red and black stripes on his cheeks. He frowned down at the green rosette on her dress.
"You're in for disappointment tonight, Maddex." He joked.
"Yeah, we'll see about that," Draco smirked. "You've got Krum but we've got seven good players." Blaise laughed but a nearby witch shot Draco a dirty look. This wasn't the place to boast about the Irish team.
"Is that Jade and Draco?" Blaise's mother peeked around the shoulder of the person she was talking to and then excused herself. "Hello, dear." She hugged Jade and then looked behind them. "Are your parents close behind?" She asked.
"Unfortunately not, they had an event tonight," Jade explained and Mrs. Zabini nodded sadly. "My brother will be here tonight, though!"
"I'll have to look for him!" She smiled. "Would you two like any tea? I'm going to rest for a bit before the match."
"We're alright, but thank you." Jade smiled and Mrs. Zabini ducked into a nearby tent.
"Your brother's coming?" Blaise asked and Jade nodded. "I've never really talked to him."
"You probably won't tonight either, he'll be rooting for the Irish." Blaise rolled his eyes but then grinned.
"I see you two share interest in bad quidditch teams."
"Watch it!" Jade slapped him playfully. "He'll argue all day with you on that one."
"Yeah, does he seem… friendly to you?" Draco asked and Jade whirled around.
"What does that mean?" She asked.
"I don't think he likes me much."
"That's not it," Jade told him reassuringly, Blaise led them to a circle of what appeared to be magically sprung up tree stumps and took a seat. "He's just annoyingly protective and you're one of my best friends and you happen to be a boy so he can be a bit of an ass." Jade took a bottled water from Blaise and took a deep drink. "You're also the only one he's actually spoken to so you get the whole of it."
"How thoughtful of him." Jade shouldered him and he shouldered her back. "He'll like me, I'm very charming." Blaise and Jade both started laughing and Draco frowned. "I am."
"Maybe don't look at me like I'm something to eat and it'll improve your chances," Jade told him.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Draco told her as he purposefully looked her up and down again.
"Stop it." She warned him and Draco chuckled.
"You just look nice!" He told her. "Doesn't she, Zabini?"
"Of course she does." Blaise grinned.
"Thank you." Jade nodded her head.
"Why does he get a thank you but when I do it you just ignore me?"
"Because." Was Jade's answer. They talked until the sun set and a small cooling breeze picked up around them, rustling the nearby trees. Blaise had tried to convince them to switch teams, even offered to "fix" the paint on their faces, but Draco wouldn't be swayed and they got in an intense argument about Quidditch statistics and the probability of each of their teams winning. Their conversation went unnoticed by those around them, more people gathering and chatting, more dancing and laughing, more drinking. Until a deep, booming gong sounded somewhere beyond the woods and everyone went quiet, green and red lanterns blazed to life in the trees, lighting a path to where the match would take place. People started whooping and cheering as they made their way through the woods.
"We better go," Draco told Jade, rising stiffly from his stump. "Have to find my parents, they have the tickets."
"See you after the match?" Jade asked and Blaise nodded. They made their way through the crowd and eventually, Draco somehow got them back to his parents' tent. His parents were talking to a man outside their tent. Jade could tell right away that it was an important person, probably someone who worked in the Ministry, by the way he was dressed. He wore a crisp gray suit with a matching tie, despite being outside all day, his shoes were practically shining. He was an older man, his gray hair was parted slightly off to the side and he had a thin dark mustache.
"Don't worry, Crouch," Lucius was saying, "Everything's worked out perfectly." Lucius spotted them then and gestured towards them to come forward. "You've met my son, Draco." The man, Crouch, nodded at Draco. "This is his friend, Jade Maddex."
"Pleasure." Crouch nodded towards her. "I've got to go find Bagman, hopefully, he's already up in the Box. We'll speak later, Lucius." Lucius smiled and Crouch started towards the trees.
"Come on, Draco." His mother said, "We don't want to be late." She was now in the green dress, her hair laying on her shoulders delicately. Most of the crowd was already at the stadium, as they walked the lantern-lit trail through the woods only a few stray wizards passed them quickly, not wanting to miss a thing. The trail was long but when they got through it all, a giant stadium sat in front of them, flooded with bright lights and thunderous cheers.
"How has no one found this?" Jade spoke in awe, the Ministry was worried about clothing but how did they hide such a huge stadium from Muggles?
"Muggle Repelling Charms, of course." Lucius purred. "They've been working on it for months. Any time a muggle would get close they'd suddenly turn around and remember something they'd forgotten at home." They approached a witch at the entrance of the stadium and Lucius handed them their tickets.
"Prime seats!" The witch smiled. "Top Box! Straight upstairs and as high as you can go, Mr. Malfoy." Lucius led the way to a very large set of stairs and they began their climb. Jade didn't complain but she wanted to stop halfway up. When they finally reached the top she inwardly sighed, grateful her legs could now rest. The Box was set exactly halfway between the giant golden goal hoops. There were about twenty purple and gilt chairs positioned in two rows but before Jade could look out at the rest of the stadium she recognized the people who took up the first row of seats.
"These Bulgarian blighters have been trying to cadge all the best places." Minister Fudge was saying to someone who sat to his left, he then noticed Mr. Malfoy and smiled. "Ah, and here's Lucius!" All ten heads in the front row turned when they heard this.
"Fudge." Mr. Malfoy held out his hand as he reached the Minister of Magic. "How are you? I don't think you've met my wife, Narcissa? Or our son, Draco?"
"How do you do, how do you do? Miss Maddex! Great to see you again." Fudge smiled and Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy turned to look at Jade, impressed that the Minister had known who she was.
"How are you, Minister?" Jade smiled as she shook his outstretched hand.
"Just fine, my dear! Oh sorry," Fudge moved out of the way so they could get to their seats but Lucius stayed behind as Fudge went on. "Allow me to introduce you to Mr. Oblansk, Obalonsk, Mr…. well, he's the Bulgarian Minister of Magic, and he can't understand a word I'm saying anyway, so never mind. And let's see who else... you know Arthur Weasley, I daresay?" It was a tense moment. Mr. Weasley and Mr. Malfoy looked at each other and Jade glanced at Ron and Harry who were watching Lucius with pure detest.
"Hi, Harry," Jade whispered as she took her seat directly behind Ron. Harry tore his gaze away from Lucius and offered her a genuine smile.
"Hi, Jade."
"How are you, Ron?" Jade asked but he didn't look at her.
"Peachy, until they came up here," Ron said quietly and Hermione shushed him. "You're still coming home with us, right?" Ron looked at her now and Jade nodded. Draco scoffed next to her and Jade leaned back,
"Don't start." She hissed. "Hello, Mr. Weasley." Jade greeted him as Lucius started towards his seat.
"Hello, Jade! Having a nice time?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good lord, Arthur," Lucius spoke quietly as he took his seat next to his wife who was on Jade's other side. "What did you have to sell to get seats in the Top Box? Surely your house wouldn't have fetched this much?" Fudge, who had been greeting another witch as she entered the Box leaned towards them,
"Lucius has given a very generous contribution to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, Arthur. He's here as my guest."
"How... how nice," Mr. Weasley forced a smile, Jade was pleasantly surprised by his restraint. She remembered the last time the two men had met, they fought in Flourish and Blotts bookshop. Jade took in the sight before her, thousands and thousands of wizards were all gathered in the stands. At either end of the field stood three goal hoops, fifty feet high. Right opposite them was a gigantic blackboard. Gold writing kept dashing across it and then disappearing, showing advertisements for different things, the only one she recognized was an ad for Gladrags Wizardwear in Hogsmeade. A pair of large footsteps came running up the stairs and Mr. Bagman ran into the box.
"Everyone ready?" He asked, a large smile taking over his face. "Minister, ready to go?"
"Ready when you are, Ludo." Fudge smiled and Bagman chuckled as he pulled out his wand and pointed it at his throat.
"Sonorus!" He chanted and his voice magically spoke over the roaring crowd. "Ladies and gentleman… welcome!" His voice echoed. "Welcome to the final of our four hundred and twenty-second Quidditch World Cup!" The audience clapped and screamed in excitement. A few red and blue sparks were sent up into the air, looking much like fireworks. Up this high, the small breeze she felt on the ground rushed past her a little less peacefully. Jade peered around, wondering where her brother was, it was impossible to make out faces but there was a clear divide between where the Irish fans were sitting and where the Bulgarian fans sat. The blackboard across the stadium cleared itself and now showed BULGARIA: 0 IRELAND: 0. "And now, without further ado, allow me to introduce… The Bulgarian National Team Mascots!" The right side of the stands roared. Down on the field, about a hundred women came gliding out.
"Oh, wonderful." Mrs. Malfoy whispered. Draco leaned forward to get a better look and Jade rolled her eyes. The women were beautiful and as Jade looked around the box, they had grabbed every man's attention. They had very pale skin with white glistening hair, but something seemed off about them. For one, their hair was blowing behind them as if they were standing in front of a fan but they stood still in a star formation. Music started and the women began dancing. All the men leaned in closer, sitting on the edge of the chairs.
"Honestly, Draco." Jade huffed as his mouth hung open while he watched them.
"It's not his fault, dear." Mrs. Malfoy told her. "They're Veela. It's what they do."
"What are Veela?" Jade asked.
"Fairy-like creatures." They didn't look like fairies, they weren't minuscule, they were regular human size. "They're enchanting but their beauty doesn't affect women, men on the other hand…" She glanced over at her husband who was watching the dancing women intensely. The dancers picked up speed and Mrs. Mafloy rolled her eyes. "It's a neat little trick they have." Jade looked back at Draco and she didn't like the way he was looking at them, the way his hands gripped the safety rails in front of him until his knuckles were almost white.
"Would you stop?" Jade hissed and hit Draco in the chest with the back of her hand as the music faded away. Draco blinked and he seemed to be snapped out of his trance.
"What'd you do that for?" He asked but Jade huffed and shifted in her seat to focus on the field where the dancers were retreating to the side. Angry protests were filling the stadium. The crowd didn't want the Veela to go. Jade on the other hand, just wanted the game to start already. Draco started wiping the paint off of his cheeks and Jade watched him.
"What are you doing?" His hand came away from his face slightly green and his green stripe was now smeared. Jade saw Ron pull off his shamrock hat and began smashing it, Mr. Weasley momentarily fought with him before taking the hat from his hands.
"And now," Ludo Bagman roared, "kindly put your wands in the air . . . for the Irish National Team Mascots!" What seemed to be a great green-and-gold comet came zooming into the stadium. It did one circle around the stadium, then split into two smaller comets, each hurtling toward the goalposts. A shimmering rainbow arced suddenly across the field, connecting the two balls of light. The crowd responded in a group of 'ooh's and 'ah's. The rainbow faded and the balls of light reunited and merged, forming a great shimmering shamrock which rose up into the sky and began to soar over the stands. It began to rain gold and screams floated up as people dove for the coins. Jade threw her hands over her head as the coins bounced off her arms, some fell in her lap, and others clinked on the floor next to her. Squinting up at the shamrock, Jade realized that it was actually thousands of tiny little bearded men with red vests, each carrying a lamp of gold or green. They were Leprechauns. Even though she was being pelted by golden coins, she liked this show more than the dancing Veela. The great shamrock dissolved, the leprechauns slowly drifted down onto the field on the opposite side from the Veela, and settled themselves on a large bench to watch the match. "And now, ladies and gentlemen, kindly welcome the Bulgarian National Quidditch Team! I give you Dimitrov!" A scarlet-clad figure on a broomstick, moving so fast it was blurred, shot out onto the field from an entrance far below, to wild applause from the Bulgarian supporters. "Ivanova!" A second scarlet-robed player zoomed out. "Zograf! Levski! Vulchanov! Volkov! And Krum!" Jade watched the last player join the rest of his team, the audience was going wild for him. He seemed so young compared to his teammates. "And now, please greet the Irish National Quidditch Team!" Bagman announced and the other half of the stadium cheered. "Presenting Connolly! Ryan! Troy! Mullet! Moran! Quigley! And Lynch!" Seven green blurs circled the stadium, swooshing right past the box, Jade felt the blast of air hit her as they passed them and she applauded. "And here, all the way from Egypt, our referee, acclaimed Chairwizard of the International Association of Quidditch, Hassan Mostafa!" A small skinny wizard, completely bald but with a thick mustache that covered his upper lip, wearing robes of pure gold to match the stadium, strode out onto the field. He was carrying a large wooden crate under one arm, his broomstick under the other. Mostafa mounted his broomstick and kicked the crate open, four balls burst into the air. The Quaffle, two black Bludgers, and somewhere the minuscule, winged Golden Snitch zoomed into the sky. With a sharp blast on his whistle, Mostafa shot into the air after the balls. "They're off!" Bagman yelled. "And it's Mullet! Troy! Moran! Dimitrov! Back to Mullet! Troy! Levski! Moran!" The quidditch at school was nothing compared to these professionals. The speed of the players was incredible, the Chasers were throwing the Quaffle to one another so fast that Bagman only had time to say their names. Every time a player got close to the box Jade smiled as a burst of air shot towards her. The three Irish Chasers flew closely together, Troy in the center, slightly ahead of Mullet and Moran, bearing down upon their opponents. As Troy made as though to dart upward with the Quaffle, drawing away from the Bulgarian Chaser, Ivanova, and dropping the Quaffle to Moran. One of the Bulgarian Beaters, Volkov, swung hard at a passing Bludger with his small club, knocking it into Moran's path. But Moran ducked to avoid the Bludger and dropped the Quaffle. Levski, soaring beneath, caught it. If a player were to get hit or they were getting followed too closely by a Bulgarian flyer, another Irish was somewhere nearby to pick up where the other left off. Levski passed to Troy and then, "Troy scores!" The stadium shuddered with a roar of applause and cheers. "Ten zero to Ireland!" Troy did a lap of honor around the field and Draco and Jade stood and cheered. The two of them were much more enthusiastic than his parents who just clapped. The leprechauns watching from the sidelines took off again and formed the great, glittering shamrock before returning to the side of the field. The Irish worked as a seamless team, their movements so well coordinated that they appeared to be reading one another's minds as they positioned themselves. The rosette on Jade's dress squeaked out the players' names happily. Within ten minutes, Ireland had scored twice more, bringing their lead to thirty-zero and causing a thunderous tide of roars and applause from their supporters. Switching up their strategy, the Bulgarians became brutal. Volkov and Vulchanov, the Bulgarian Beaters, were whacking the Bludgers as hard as possible at the Irish Chasers, and were starting to prevent them from scoring, forcing them to scatter, and then, finally, Ivanova managed to break through their ranks, dodge the Irish Keeper and score Bulgaria's first goal.
"Draco!" His mother called over the cheers, "Plug your ears." Draco didn't understand but he did as his mother said and then the Veela began dancing on the field again. This time, Draco was unaffected and Jade was grateful as he looked at her for an explanation, by the time he turned back to the field the Veela had stopped dancing and Jade gently pulled his hands from his ears.
"All good now." She smiled. Bulgaria was again in possession of the Quaffle. "Didn't want you going lack on us again." The stadium gasped as the two Seekers, Krum and Lynch, plummeted through the center of the Chasers, so fast that it looked as though they had just jumped from airplanes without parachutes.
"They're going to crash!" Hermione screamed in front of them. But at the very last second, Viktor Krum pulled out of the dive and spiraled off. Lynch wasn't so lucky, he hit the ground with a dull thud that could be heard even up at the box.
"It's time-out!" Bagman called out, "as trained mediwizards hurry onto the field to examine Aidan Lynch!"
"Krum did that on purpose." Draco sighed, as if it were obvious. "He was hoping to injure Lynch." He explained and Jade turned back to the field to see Krum floating on his broom above Lynch. He gazed around the stadium, using the uninterrupted time to search for the Snitch. It was a good move, Jade had to admit. Lynch got to his feet at last, to loud cheers from the green-clad supporters, mounted his Firebolt, and kicked back off into the air. When Mostafa blew his whistle again, the Chasers moved into action in a tight formation. Jade cheered loudly as Ireland scored again. They were now leading by one hundred and thirty points to ten, and the game took a dirty turn. As Mullet shot toward the goalposts yet again, the Bulgarian Keeper, Zograf, flew out to meet her. Whatever happened was over so quickly that Jade didn't catch it, but a scream of rage from the Irish crowd, and Mostafa's long, shrill whistle blast, told her it had been a foul.
"And Mostafa takes the Bulgarian Keeper to task for cobbing, excessive use of elbows!" Bagman informed the roaring spectators. "And, yes, it's a penalty to Ireland!" The leprechauns darted together to form the words 'HA, HA, HA!' The Veela on the other side of the field leaped to their feet, tossed their hair angrily, and started to dance again. Jade clapped her hands over Draco's ears and he only struggled for a second before becoming content with how close Jade was to him. Hassan Mostafa had landed right in front of the dancing Veela and began acting strange. He was flexing his muscles and smoothing his mustache. "Now, we can't have that!" Bagman chuckled, "Somebody slap the referee!" A mediwizard came tearing across the field, his fingers stuffed into his own ears, and kicked Mostafa hard in the shins. Mostafa seemed to snap out of the Veela's spell and he looked highly embarrassed, he started shouting at the Veela, who then stopped dancing and looked furious. "And unless I'm much mistaken, Mostafa is actually attempting to send off the Bulgarian team mascots! Now there's something we haven't seen before. Oh, this could turn nasty." He was right about that. The Bulgarian Beaters landed on either side of Mostafa and began arguing with him. Mostafa was not impressed by the Bulgarians' arguments, he was jabbing his finger into the air, clearly telling them to get flying again, but they refused. He gave two short blasts on his whistle. "Two penalties for Ireland!" Bagman announced, and the Bulgarian crowd objected loudly. "And Volkov and Vulchanov had better get back on those brooms." They finally did, begrudgingly kicking off into the air. "Yes, there they go. And Troy takes the Quaffle." The game turned even more ferocious. The Beaters on both sides were acting the Chasers mercilessly, Volkov and Vulchanov in particular seemed not to care whether their clubs hit a Bludger or a player as they swung them violently through the air. Dimitrov shot straight at Moran, who had the Quaffle, and nearly knocked her off her broom. The Irish supporters roared for a foul and Bagman agreed. "Dimitrov skins Moran, deliberately flying to collide there, and it's got to be another penalty. Yes, there's the whistle!" Once again the leprechauns had risen into the air, and this time, they formed a giant hand, which was making a very rude sign indeed at the Veela across the field. The Veela wouldn't stand the disrespect and instead of dancing, they launched themselves across the field and began throwing handfuls of fire at the leprechauns. They no longer looked like beautiful angels, their faces had elongated into sharp-beaked bird heads. Long scaly wings burst from their shoulders as they screeched. Jade turned wide-eyed and Mrs. Malfoy gave her a knowing glance.
"Not so pretty now, are they?" She mumbled. Ministry wizards were flooding onto the field to separate the Veela and the leprechauns. The fight between the mascots did nothing to distract the players flying above them.
"Levski, Dimitrov, Moran, Troy, Mullet, Ivanova, Moran again... Moran... Moran scores!" The Irish fans' cheers were barely heard over the shrieks of the Veela. The Ministry members were blasting spells at them and the Bulgarians were furious. The Irish Beater, Quigley, swung heavily at a passing Bludger, he hit it as hard as possible toward Krum, who didn't duck quickly enough. It hit him square in the face and the crowd groaned. Krum wiped his face, there was blood everywhere. Jade waited for the whistle to blow and for a foul to be called but the referee was preoccupied with the Veelas trying to throw fire at him down below.
"Look at Lynch!" Harry yelled. Jade found the Irish Seeker, he was diving. Half of the crowd also picked up on what he was doing and rose to their feet, screaming their Seeker on. But despite his broken nose, Krum was on his tail. He was catching up with Lynch now as the pair of them hurtled toward the ground again. It looked like both of them were going to crash. But just like before, Krum pulled up at the last moment and Lynch went plummeting into the ground. The Veelas immediately swarmed him and mediwizards rushed to help him. The scoreboard was flashing BULGARIA: 160, IRELAND: 170 across the crowd and Jade looked around wildly to see what was going on. The rumbling from the Ireland supporters grew louder and louder and erupted into screams of delight.
"Ireland wins!" Bagman cheered, "Krum gets the Snitch, but Ireland wins!" She spotted him then, flying back down to the field with his right hand held high in the air, the lights catching glints of gold. Mediwizards ran towards him to look at his nose now that he was on the ground.
"Why'd he catch the Snitch?" Jade asked Draco. "He must've known they weren't going to win."
"Yeah, but he ended it, didn't he?" It was hard to see what was happening below, leprechauns were zooming delightedly all over the field, dodging the Veelas' clutches. The Irish players were running around, cheering and dancing in a shower of gold that rained down from their mascots. The sound of the crowd was overwhelming.
"Vell, ve fought bravely," A gloomy deep voice said near Jade and she turned to see the Bulgarian Minister of Magic rising from his seat.
"You can speak English!" Fudge said, annoyed. "And you've been letting me mime everything all day!"
"Vell, it vos very funny," The Bulgarian Minister shrugged.
"And as the Irish team performs a lap of honor, flanked by their mascots, the Quidditch World Cup itself is brought into the Top Box!" Bagman concluded. A blinding white light magically illuminated the box and Jade raised a hand to shield her eyes. Two panting wizards carrying a large golden cup came storming into the box, they handed the cup to Fudge, who was still looking very upset that he'd been miming all day for nothing. "Let's have a really loud hand for the gallant losers, Bulgaria!" Bagman yelled. The two wizards retreated just as the seven defeated Bulgarian players entered. The crowd below was applauding appreciatively. Bagman called out the name of each as they shook hands with their own minister and then with Fudge. Krum was last in line and he was a bloody mess. Two black eyes were already blooming on his face. He was still holding the Snitch. Jade thought he would be taller but he was regular height, maybe an inch or so shorter than Draco. Then came the Irish team. Aidan Lynch was being supported by two of his teammates, the second crash seemed to have dazed him. But he grinned victoriously as Troy and Quigley lifted the Cup into the air and the crowd below thundered its approval. When the Irish team left, Bagman pointed his wand at his throat and muttered, "Quietus." "They'll be talking about this one for years," He said hoarsely, taking a moment to clear his throat, "A really unexpected twist, shame it couldn't have lasted longer. Ah yes." Bagman turned to the Weasley twins who were now standing in front of him. "Yes, I owe you... how much?" Bagman took out a large coin purse from his robes and filled the boys' purses full to the brim. They began their climb back down the stadium and eventually they were caught up in the crowds flooding out of the stadium and back to their campsites. Loud singing bellowed around them.
"We're going to head back," Lucius told Draco. "Why don't you and Jade go find your friends." Lucius was watching Draco, something flashing in his eyes and Draco nodded. They went off on their own and eventually found Blaise who had found Pansy.
"Can you believe it?" Pansy screamed as she pulled Jade into a hug. "The Irish won!" She cheered in Blaise's face. "Don't be a sore loser, Blaise."
"Pansy!" A man came through the crowd and smiled at them. "Are these the friends I'm always hearing about?" He asked.
"Yes, father. Jade, Blaise, and Draco." She gestured towards each of them and he smiled.
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Parkinson." Blaise smiled politely.
"Looks like you picked the wrong team there, Blaise." Her father joked.
"It would appear so, sir." Pansy then introduced them to her mother, a beautiful and friendly woman. Pansy didn't want to sit with her parents though, they searched for a spot where they could talk on their own.
"All this excitement is fun but-" Pansy died off in a yawn. "It's been a long day."
"You're not turning in yet, are you?" Draco asked and Pansy shook her head.
"I think I can hang on a little longer."
"What time is it?" Jade asked as Draco checked his watch.
"Half-past ten, why?"
"I should probably go find Harry and Ron, I'm supposed to leave with them."
"Oh, don't worry about them." Draco waved off her concern.
"I have to at least know when they plan on leaving." Jade continued.
"They'll probably leave in the morning, everyone else does." He said, straightening slightly as if he would accompany her, she didn't know why he would, he hated the Weasleys. Jade looked to Blaise and Pansy and they nodded their heads in agreement.
"I suppose I could stay for a bit." With Jade staying, Draco relaxed.
"You're going home with the Weasleys?" Pansy sneered. "Why?"
"Because they invited me."
"Why don't you come home with me instead?" Pansy asked, the idea brightening her eyes.
"Because my parents have already arranged it with them." Jade shot it down and Pansy sighed.
"What are you even going to do there? I heard they all sleep in the same room. How are they even going to make room for you?"
"Alright, that's enough Pansy," Blaise told her, shooting her a side glance.
"You shouldn't believe everything you hear," Jade warned her friend.
"I don't. Oh, that reminds me! Supposedly, something exciting is happening at Hogwarts this year." Pansy leaned in to whisper. "My parents were talking about it earlier."
"What'd you hear?" Draco asked with a grin. "Maybe we heard the same thing."
"Why? What do you know?" Pansy asked. "I didn't catch anything important, just that they were worried about the students' safety."
"They have good reason for worrying," Draco said vaguely. "The last time it happened people died."
"Well, come on then, tell us what you know." Jade's interest peeked but Draco just checked his watch again.
"Now why would I go and spoil such a big surprise?" He smirked. "The Ministry is trying so hard to keep it secret and if I tell you, Parkinson will just go blabbing to anyone who will listen."
"I will not!" She argued and Blaise started laughing. "You don't think I'm a blabbermouth, do you, Blaise?" She asked, a little hurt by the accusation.
"No, not at all," Blaise told her seriously but then he shared a glance with Jade and they knew that Draco hadn't exaggerated. A man ran by them in a hurry, muttering something under his breath. Jade didn't think anything of it until there was another man running after him, and then another.
"Is something happening over there?" Jade turned to try and peer around the tents but she didn't see anything unusual, people were cheering and laughing in groups.
"I don't think so," Blaise said dismissively but then a large boom sounded from behind them. "I guess they're setting off fireworks now." But the noises in the campsite had changed. The singing had stopped. Everything fell quiet for a second and then came the sound of a single ear-piercing scream. Slowly the screams spread and filled the absence of cheering and laughter. More people took off running in all different directions. A bright green light seemed to shine on everything, coming from somewhere over the top of the tents. They all stood from their seats, trying to get a better look at what was going on. There was another big boom, this time closer, a tent about a hundred feet from where they sat had caught fire.
"I have to find my mum," Blaise told them and then took off into the sea of panicked people.
"Blaise!" Jade called after him, moving to follow but Draco caught her wrist.
"Me too. I have to find my parents!" Pansy ran off towards the fire and Jade tried to wrench herself free from Draco's grasp.
"Let go of me!" She insisted.
"No, now knock it off." He pulled her out of the way from colliding with another witch running by them.
"We can't just let them go off on their own. What if they get hurt?"
"They'll be fine." At that moment, Jade finally saw what everyone was running from. A group of black-hooded people in masks were coming towards them. A woman levitated high in the air above them was screaming, a little to her right were two smaller figures, children, what Jade guessed was their father was further behind them, spinning madly in the air. The children themselves were crying, their bodies twisting and folding unnaturally. But the hooded figures were laughing, laughing at the children's pain, and their mother was suddenly turned upside down and she desperately tried to fix her dress to cover up her exposed lower half. This caused a few of the masked men to whistle and howls of laughter almost overshadowed the woman's cries for help.
"Oh, my gods." Jade's heart dropped into her stomach. "Draco, the children." But Draco only glanced at the growing mass of robed figures for a second before he noticed many of the running witches and wizards were heading for the trees.
"Come on, this way."
"Shouldn't we go and get your parents?" Jade still resisted his pull as he tried to drag her towards the woods.
"They can handle themselves." He sighed, growing impatient. "Will you just listen to me?" He squeezed her wrist and Jade tore her eyes away from the horrible scene in front of her. Her eyes getting blurry from a mixture of emotion and the smoke the fire was producing as it spread about, catching on to the tent next to it, and then the next. A thought occurred to her then, her brother was here somewhere, she was worried for him but the rational side of her brain told her she had little to no chance of finding him in a crowd like this and he would be fine, he can Apparate away. They, on the other hand, could not. She relented and allowed Draco to lead her to the trees. As they zigzagged through tents they passed wizards trying to gather up as much as they could before fleeing, many of them were making time to locate their gold. She could hear screams and the sound of people running behind them. They didn't stop running until leaves and thin fallen branches crunched under their feet.
"Just… give me a minute." Jade panted and Draco finally released her. Her whole body was shaking but it couldn't have been from the cold, in fact, she was burning up. "Who were those people?" Draco watched as Jade's hands fell onto her knees. "What… what were they doing to that family?"
"Nothing good." He mumbled.
"Why? Why did they-" Jade thought back to the little boy, tears streaming down his face, the high-pitched scream of pain ripping out of his throat.
"They were Muggles," Draco told her and she looked up at him, how could he possibly know that? "Is my guess anyway." He added and Jade stood up straight. A tear finally spilling from the corner of her eye.
"My… my brother," Jade said quickly, her breathing was coming at her in short bursts and she tried to slow it down but it got stuck in her throat and she coughed. "My brother's here. I don't know… where… I can't… I can't breathe." She was trying so hard to breathe in and catch her breath that she had started hyperventilating.
"Hey, calm down." Draco's voice turned soothing as he placed his hands on her shoulders. "It's okay."
"What about the people... that didn't get out? Pansy and Blaise?" Jade asked. "What if we're not... safe here?"
"We are." Draco wiped away another tear that had fallen and gently grabbed her face. "Hey, we are." He whispered.
"How do you know?" She asked and he smirked.
"I just do. Now, take a deep breath in and hold it." Jade did as she was told and Draco did it with her. "Now let it out. Good. Let's do it some more, okay?" Jade nodded and focused on Draco's lips as he pushed the air out of his lungs. It was working, her shaking was beginning to subside and her breathing soon became even. "You're alright." He smiled at her and Jade nodded.
"Thank you." Draco shrugged and Jade raised her hands to cover his own. She didn't know how he could be so calm. His eyes flicked down from hers and landed on her mouth. It was just for a split second and then his silver-gray eyes found hers again. The motion made her realize how little distance separated their faces, she could feel his breath on her lips. She was also aware that there was absolute chaos happening around them but a small, and very compelling part of her brain, told her not to worry. It told her that Draco's alluring eyes were certain they were out of harm's way. It told her that his strong chest was rising up and down steadily because they were safe. It told her that his lips were-
"Lumos!" They heard someone say and Jade stepped to the side towards the noise, slipping out from between Draco's hands. A group of footsteps was close to them, the darkness made it difficult to make out any faces as the group approached them, and then there was a heavy thud and the light moved down to illuminate the figure that was on the ground and was now struggling to his feet.
"Tripped on a tree root." She heard a familiar voice mutter. A wave of relief washed over her as she quickly sorted out who she was looking at but before she could say anything a scoff sounded from directly behind her.
"Well, with feet that size, hard not to," Draco drawled and the light flew up again, illuminating Hermione's face. Draco leaned on a tree with his arms folded under his chest and a smirk on his face. It was jarring how quickly Draco could flip a switch and become a different person.
"Why don't you go and fuck off, you slimy git." Ron snarled at Draco and Jade's eyes widened but Draco just chuckled.
"Language, Weasley," Now was really not the time for their stupid banter but Draco had seen an opportunity. "Hadn't you better be hurrying along, now? You wouldn't like her spotted, would you?" He nodded his head towards Hermione and Jade turned to scowl at Draco.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Hermione asked, her voice slightly shaky. Another loud boom came from the campsite and the same green light flashed briefly.
"Granger, they're after Muggles," Draco told her, Jade was surprised Draco was actually talking to Hermione, the first time he was speaking civilly, that is. "D'you want to be showing off your knickers in midair?"
"Draco!" Jade snapped and he held his hands up.
"If you do, hang around. They're moving this way, and it would give us all a laugh." Jade shoved Draco and his back hit the tree, so much for civility.
"Hermione's a witch," Harry bit back.
"Have it your own way, Potter," Draco called, his eyes locked on Jade's but they weren't like before, calm and trustworthy, now they were antagonizing. "If you think they can't spot a Mudblood, stay where you are."
"You watch your mouth!" Ron yelled and took a few steps forward until Hermione reached out and grabbed his arm.
"Never mind, Ron," Hermione mumbled. Another bang from the campsite rang out again, louder than the previous ones and they heard screams from deeper into the woods.
"Scare easily, don't they?" Draco said lazily, his eyes falling on the three people next to them. "I suppose your daddy told you all to hide? What's he up to? Trying to rescue the Muggles?"
"Where're your parents?" Harry asked angrily. "Out there wearing masks, are they?" Jade looked at Harry now, she didn't understand why Harry would assume that.
"Well if they were, I wouldn't be likely to tell you, would I, Potter?"
"What?" Jade asked, surprise coloring her face as she faced Draco again.
"Oh come on," She heard Hermione say, "let's go and find the others."
"What the hell is Harry talking about?" Jade asked. She could hear her friends' voices growing fainter and their footsteps fading.
"How would I know?" He shrugged.
"The people. With masks. He accused your parents of being with them. You didn't deny it."
"Jade." Draco sighed and pushed himself off of the tree. "I was messing with him, it's what I do." He smiled and Jade shook her head.
"You are unbelievable."
"Thank you, I think I'm pretty spectacular, myself." He joked but when he didn't pull even the hint of a smile from Jade's lips, he sighed. Jade began walking deeper into the woods and Draco quickly followed. "Where are you going?"
"I don't want to talk to you anymore, so I'm leaving."
"Come on." Draco caught up to her but she refused to look at him. "I was just-"
"Messing with them, I know. But you don't have to be so vile."
"I'm sorry." He said quietly after a moment and he took a step in front of Jade so she couldn't go any further. "Okay?"
"The mudblood talk is unnecessary and extremely hurtful, it's not me you should apologize to."
"You want me to apologize?" Draco scoffed, Jade moved to push past him and he caught her shoulders. "Jade."
"You have no respect for my other friends." She told him angrily. "I'm tired of it." She stepped out of his reach and continued walking.
"Where are you going?" Draco called after her.
"To find Harry and Ron, and to apologize to Hermione since you can't be bothered to make an effort."
"You don't know where they went."
"I'll find them eventually."
"Fine!" He called after her.
"Fine!" She yelled back. He was such a stubborn prick sometimes, he knew she didn't appreciate how rude he could be. Draco and Harry argued, fine, the feeling was mutual, but he didn't have to cut at Hermione because of her blood status, that was something she couldn't change about herself and something she shouldn't feel bad about.
"I meant, fine, I'll apologize," Draco called again, defeat sharpening his tone into frustration. Jade stopped and turned around, she'd only gotten about ten feet away from him.
"What?" Jade asked, it couldn't have been that simple, she would be angry if it was, she could've walked away from him years ago and they could've been at least tolerant with one another for all this time.
"I said, I'll apologize." Jade traveled the short distance back to him, her arms crossed. "Making an effort." He concluded. Jade watched him for a moment. It seemed too easy.
"Why?" Jade asked, skeptically.
"Because you want me to."
"What if I wanted you to buy me a castle?" Jade grinned, laying down her defenses now that it seemed she would get what she wanted.
"Done." He smirked, sensing her mood shifting.
"You don't have that much money."
"You don't know that." Draco quipped back.
"What if I wanted a dragon?"
"What on earth would you do with a dragon?" He laughed.
"I like them." They were fascinating creatures, absolutely beautiful, to have her own dragon would be the biggest she could dream. She'd read about people having dragons as companions, most of them ended badly once their dragon reached maturity, but not all of them. Ron's brother Charlie worked with dragons and from the small glance she caught of him during the game, he didn't look worse for wear.
"I'm sure I could find a dragon somewhere." Draco nodded confidently.
"What if I wanted you to run naked through the school corridors?"
"Something you'd like to see?" Draco cocked an eyebrow, a dangerous smirk on his face and Jade blushed, hoping it would go unnoticed in the dark.
"No, I'm just trying to prove a point."
"And what's that?"
"That you won't do anything."
"I would do it if it made you happy," Draco argued, he said it matter of fact but Jade thought it was sweet. She didn't look into it too deeply, she knew that Draco was just trying to win back a spot on her good graces. "But I ask you to please not make me do that last one." Jade laughed at the slight hesitation in his voice.
"An apology will suffice." Draco's eyes focused on something over Jade's head and his smile fell. "What's-" Jade turned around to see what he was looking at but her question died in her throat as she spotted the giant, green, misty image up in the sky. The image was a huge skull with a snake slithering out of the skull's mouth like a tongue. The skull rose higher, it looked like it was made of smoke but it stood out prominently in the black sky. "What the bloody hell is that?" She asked in awe.
"It's the Dark Lord's mark." Both Draco and Jade spun around at the new voice but Jade relaxed when her eyes focused and Lucius Malfoy stepped towards them.
"What's it doing here?" She asked and Lucius glanced up at it with furrowed brows.
"I have no idea. One of the Deatheaters must've conjured it."
"Deatheaters?" Jade gasped. "Here? I thought-"
"That's who attacked the campsite tonight, the Ministry workers are running around like mad trying to round them up." Lucius then looked down at her. "I know you're supposed to leave with the Weasleys but considering the fact that Mr. Weasley is preoccupied and none of his children are present, I'd like to take you back home and explain what happened to your parents." Jade nodded.
"Yes, please. Thank you, Mr. Malfoy." Harry's comment rang in her ears and she examined Lucius closely. He wasn't wearing a robe like the Deatheaters were, he was still wearing his suit.
"Most of them ran off as soon as they saw the Ministry coming at them. But since they couldn't catch any, they spent their time putting out the fire. It'll be safe to return to the tent, that's the quickest way we can get you home." He smiled reassuringly. Mr. Malfoy was always kind to her, but something inside was telling her to be careful and to not trust him so she just nodded and thanked him again. There was no proof that Jade could see that Lucius was one of the members of the crowd that destroyed the campgrounds. Only a few of the tents were left standing, Jade walked carefully through the debris and forgotten items until they came to the location where their tent had been. Their tent remained untouched, it was suspicious at first, but their's wasn't the only one left standing. It seemed the Ministry got to the fire in time and from the Malfoy's tent and on, the tents weren't touched. Draco opened the flap for her and Jade ducked in. Mrs. Malfoy was pacing the length of the kitchen and she sighed in relief when she saw Lucius return with them.
"Draco!" She hurried towards him and set her hands on his shoulders and looked over him. "Are you alright?"
"Yes, I'm fine." He shrugged out of her grasp and she straightened, not wanting to embarrass her son.
"Good, I was worried. Jade, dear?" She then turned to Jade at his side. "Are you okay?"
"Yes, Mrs. Malfoy." She eased into a smile then, Mrs. Malfoy was still in her green dress, her hair let free and the black stands framed her face. Jade's eyes flicked around the space, she didn't see any black robes… no masks...
"Let's get you home. I'm sure your parents will be worried if they get the Daily Prophet tomorrow and they don't know if you made it to your… friend's." Jade nodded, noticing how Mrs. Malfoy paused a moment and her smile fell slightly as she mentioned Jade's plans to go to the Weasleys. Mrs. Malfoy placed a hand gently on her back and directed her towards the fireplace. "Draco, you'll stay here with me." She told her son and Draco looked like he wanted to argue but he didn't speak on it. Lucius grabbed a pinch of floo powder and threw it into the fireplace, green flames almost instantly roared to life in the fireplace. "I'm sorry the night ended on a bad note." Mrs. Malfoy told Jade. "I hope you had a good time at the game, though." A bad note? Jade thought the night ended a bit worse than that, but she held her tongue and nodded.
"Thank you for inviting me."
"It was so nice to finally meet you." Jade expected Mrs. Malfoy would be more frazzled given everything that happened but once she knew Draco was safe, it was as if they just got done with dinner. It was odd to Jade but she couldn't judge her, she didn't have a child. Maybe that was all that mattered to her. That seemed reasonable, the thing a mother would worry about most is her child's safety.
"Come now, Jade." Lucius purred reassuringly before calling the Maddex residence and they both stepped into the flames.