Author's note: This chapter is told from Scorpius' perspective.T
The game- my chance- wasn't how I imagined it. It was a hot day, but I was shaking in the changing room swapping my regular, comfortable, normal robes for a pair of mouldy father-robes. The uniform was rougher than I thought, thin and itchy.
I swotted Rose away trying once again, in vain, to get her out of enemy territory and her wand away from the back of my robes. Who cared if they were yellow? I had to warm up for Merlin's sake.
"One second," Rose said, firmly, from her position on top of the bench. Her wand-free hand gripped onto my shoulder.
"You said one second, ten of those ago," I said, casting another glance at the clock above the lockers. The match was starting in ten minutes.
I opened and closed my hands into fists. Part of me didn't want to step out onto that pitch. The entire school was out there- I could hear them chanting an ancient Weird Sisters' song. I didn't know what to do… I felt like they were sending me out onto the pitch blindfolded. I had seen qudditch in action hundreds of times, practised twice that much and dreamed about it since I was old enough to dream but yet Rose- the anti-quidditch-witch- seemed more excited about it than me.
"Be careful," Rose repeated. "Especially if it rains-"
"It's not going to rain." I scowled, turning to her.
She put a hand on her hip. "There are some black clouds off in the distance, Scorpius."
A loud bang sounded nearby, I didn't flinch. I had been ignoring similar sounds for the last five minutes coming from the 'meeting room' where the team was gathered. A shrill from none other than Potter followed,
"Put your hand down, Addams! YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE A QUESTION THIS CLOSE," squeaky voice crack. "TO THE GAME!" Potter roared. An image of his head exploding came into my mind.
Rose turned me away from her again.
"Potter, please." Yaxley thundered in response. "I'm the captain. Not you." Of course, if it had been anyone else pissing off Yaxley their guts would be hanging from the ceiling by now but Potter got privileges because he was Slytherin's golden boy and Harry Potter's son. Fear powered their loyalty to Potter.
"Finished!" Rose nudged me back around to face her.
I wondered if she got the same treatment… I definitely didn't treat that her way or Abby when she told Rosie to 'cover her' while she slept in Herbology. But Rose wasn't part of a cult like Potter was. I stared into her brown eyes, glittering in the fluorescent light, and just thinking about her made me forget, for half-second, I was about seven minutes away from stepping out onto that pitch.
Rose started talking about history at Hogwarts being made, keeping one eye on the meeting room door. She took my hands in hers and started swinging them slowly. I was wearing my keeper's gloves and the whole kit except the helmet that was sitting on the bench behind her waiting. I couldn't feel the warmth and softness of her hands through the leather.
I thought of my father and not for the first time. What would he say if it was him standing here waiting for his son to do what he did twenty-something years ago? Would I have invited him in the first place if I knew in advance?
I shook my head, I didn't want to think about his cold grey eyes- they were too much like the ones I saw every day in the mirror. That somehow made it worst.
I shifted my thoughts back to my mother, my favourite parent. I knew what she would say if she was standing here instead of Rose, she wouldn't care about the weather. She'd be overconfident about the whole thing and would expect me to win and get a mention or two in the papers. Mother would insist there was still time to get a new pair of robes sent.
I was glad it was Rose standing in front of me.
I brushed the exposed tips of my fingers against her cheek. She didn't stop talking, her smile grew wider. Her face was hot from talking.
"When I win," I said, riding another wave of confidence. "We're going to have to celebrate." I raised one eyebrow seductively.
She playfully pushed me. "Well, you do look handsome in your uniform."
I teased her. "I thought I always looked handsome."
"Well, you look particularly handsome right now."
"Like a professional quidditch player?" I tested.
"Ew. No. Yuck. They all look like muscular pygmy puffs." She stuck out her tongue. "Want a kiss for luck?"
"I want several kisses for luck." I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her close. Just then the team in the other room shouted, "SLYTHERIN, SLYTHERIN, SLY-THER-IINNN."
That was the signal. Rose pecked my cheek and ran out of the changing room, the door swung shut behind her just as Potter called,
"Don't tell the first years to relax just yet, Malfoy's here." He glared at me, up and down. "Ready to save the day, Malfoy? Or will I get a first year to do it for you since you didn't even bother coming to the meeting?"
Yaxley pushed past Potter and the other players who were watching me like a lion- a snake- watches a mouse.
I scowled back at him.
Yaxley called. "I don't care about your prissy catfights. Out on the pitch all of you!"
"You heard him, Malfoy," Potter smirked like Yaxley hadn't included him in his instruction.
"Just keep an eye on the snitch, Potter." I snarled. "Wouldn't want to lose another house cup because someone can't make out a snitch five feet in front of them."
Potter went scarlet as I shouldered him out of the way and grabbed my helmet.
"You better…" he trailed off.
I felt aggressive and confident. I felt good.
