QUIDDITCH PRACTISE

It was Saturday. A week before, the Quidditch trials had taken place. Draco and Alex went to try out for the positions they wanted: seeker and beater, respectively. After some competition and several tries, Draco managed to catch the snitch. Alex, on the other hand, quickly proved herself. She had quite the strength for a second-year girl. And, like Flint had told her, she proved to be ruthless towards the other players. And it was only the trials. When the trials came to an end, the Slytherin captain, Marcus Flint, announced the new players of the team. Draco would be the new seeker, and Alex one of the new beaters. They were excited.

- For a second there I though they wouldn't take me in. – Draco told her on their way to the common room.

- I had total faith in both of us! We were great!

- Good thing dad is paying for new brooms for the whole team.

- Wait, what? – Alex stopped in the middle of the hallway.

- Yeah. The new Nimbus 2001. For the whole team. Isn't that great?

- No, it's not! I mean, it is, but, Draco! That means they took us in because of the brooms!

- So what?

- Well, I'd rather be selected by my skills and not by your dad's money!

- We're in, Alex, so stop complaining! Besides, if they selected someone for my dad's money, it was me. You totally kicked ass out there. So, no worries, okay? – Draco kept on walking, and Alex followed behind. A part of her wanted to believe what Draco had told her, but something inside her said quite the opposite.

That Saturday, it was their first practise as team members. Professor Snape had granted the Slytherin team permission to practise in the Quidditch pitch, to train their new members. They were walking towards it, when they encountered the Gryffindor team.

- Clear out, Flint! I booked the pitch for Gryffindor today. – the Gryffindor captain, Oliver Wood, told Flint. Alex saw how Hermione and Ron, who were around, got closer. She saw both Fred and George behind Oliver, and said hi to them with her hand and a smile on her face. They waved back.

- Easy, Wood. I've got a note. – Flint gave him the note.

- "I, Professor Severus Snape, do hereby give the Slytherin team permission to practice today, owing to the need to train their new Seeker and beater". – Wood looked up. – You've got a new seeker and beater? Who? – both Draco and Alex went to the front.

- Hi… - Alex smiled awkwardly, since it was a tense situation.

- You're one of the new beaters? – Fred asked with a grin. – I knew you'll made it, can't wait to see you on the field, Black. – Fred smiled at her and gave her a pat on the shoulder. Fred always made her feel better. Harry, Ron and Hermione were also smiling at her. Until they looked at Draco…

- Draco is the new seeker? – Harry asked.

- That's right. And that's not all that's new this year… – he moved the broom on his hand. That's when everyone noticed that the whole Slytherin team had new brooms.

- Those are Nimbus 2001s! – Ron said impressed.

- A generous gift from Draco's father. – Flint said with pride.

- That's right, Weasley. You see, unlike some, my father can afford to buy the best. – he looked at Ron, Fred and George with disdain. Alex hit him on the side.

- Don't start… - she threatened, but it was way too late.

- At least no one on the Gryffindor team had to buy their way in. They got in on pure talent. – Hermione responded. That was it. Alex knew what that would cause on Draco. It was the same thing she had told him a week ago, with different words. But coming from Hermione would wreak havoc on Draco.

- No one asked your opinion, you filthy little Mudblood. – Alex opened her eyes in disbelief. She couldn't believe what he had just told Hermione. Everyone reacted the same way.

- Woah, that's way out on line, Draco! – Alex stepped between him and Hermione, and pushed him back.

And, for the first time, Draco responded to Alex pushing her back, harder. So hard that she felt to the floor. At that moment, she remembered Lucius. Every time he had hit her. With his hands or his cane. She remembered Draco's face whenever that happened. The fear in his eyes that Lucius would do the same to him. The fear that one day Lucius would truly hurt her, for real. She looked at him. Draco had that exact same look. She knew he didn't mean it. She knew that she had push him first. She always did. She knew it was her fault. No…she knew it was Lucius fault. What could anyone expect from two children raised with violence. But Draco couldn't see that at the moment. All he saw was that he had hurt Alex. His Alex. And he couldn't forgive himself for that. Before he could walk closer to her and help her up, Fred flew for Draco's throat. Draco was able to react, walking back. And lucky him, Oliver Wood and George stopped Fred before he could reach Draco.

- Save it for the match, Fred. – said Wood to the beater.

- C'mon, Fred. That won't help anyone. – George pulled Fred back, and led him to Alex, who was still sitting on the ground. Both of them help her up.

- Are you okay, Alex? – Fred caressed her face, with a look of worry on his face.

- I'm fine. I landed on my ass. – she smiled, trying to take the weight off the situation.

- You'll pay for what you said, Malfoy! – Ron stepped in, and this time, before anyone could stop him, he got his wand out and pointed to Draco. – Eat slugs! – suddenly, a green bolt scissored out the wrong end of Ron's wand, hitting him on the stomach instead of Draco. He fell to the grass, and Hermione ran to him.

- Ron! Say something! – Ron opened his mouth and puke. But not a normal puke. He had puke slugs. The Slytherin team started laughing while Wood kept his team on line to not cause any more trouble. Harry rushed to Ron, and helped him up.

- Can you hold him still, Harry? – a little boy with a camera on his hand asked Harry.

- Get out of the way, Colin! Let's take him to Hagrid. He'll know what to do. – Harry grabbed Ron with the help of Hermione, and started walking away.

- Wait, I'm coming too! – Alex ran behind them, without looking back. She didn't want to look at Draco. She knew that both of them needed some time to talk about what had just happened.

- I'll go with her. To make sure Ron's okay. – said Fred to George before following Alex and the trio. When they arrived at Hagrid's, he started looking for something.

- I got just the thing. Set him down on that chair over there. – Ron sat down. Hagrid gave him a bucket and all of them looked at Hagrid. - Better out than in. – he shrugged. Ron kept on puking slugs. Harry sat next to him, and Fred on the other side. Alex stayed next to the door, leaning against the wall, and Hermione started pacing around the room. – Anyways, who was he trying to curse?

- Malfoy. – said Harry. Alex remembered again what had happened. – He called Hermione…well, I don't know exactly what it means…

- He called her a Mudblood… - Alex said looking at Hermione. She knew it meant something bad for the way Draco had told her, but, since she came from a muggle family, she didn't know the exact meaning.

- He didn't! – said Hagrid completely shocked.

- What does it really mean? – Hermione asked to Alex with a hurt look on her face.

- …It means dirty blood. Mudblood's a really foul name for someone who was muggle born. Someone with non-magic parents. Someone…like you, Hermione. – Hermione nodded. She knew it meant something like that. The term spoke for itself. – It's not a term one usually hears in civilized conversation…I'm sorry.

- It's not your fault, Alex. You didn't call me that.

- I know, but still…

- You need to stop apologizing for everything Malfoy says or does. You're not him, Alex. – Fred told Alex.

- There are some wizards, like Malfoy's family, who think they're better that everyone else because they're what people call pureblood. – Hagrid explained.

- That's horrible. – said Harry.

- It's disgusting. – said Ron after puking another slug.

- And its codswallop to boot. Dirty blood. There's hardly a wizard today that's not half-blood or less. Besides, they haven't invented a spell our Hermione can't do… - Hermione smiled at Hagrid's words. Hagrid grabbed her hand. – Don't you think on it, Hermione. Don't you think on it for a minute.

Once Ron stopped puking slugs, they went back to the castle. On their way, Alex walked behind, looking at the ground, thinking about everything. Fred knew what was on her mind. He had come to know her pretty well.

- Stop torturing yourself, Black. Thinking about it won't change what happened.

- I know but…I don't know what to tell Draco now…

- He's the one who needs to apologise, you know that, right? He's the one who caused all of this. He's the one who pushed you.

- I pushed him first.

- Lightly. And everyone there saw it. He is a prick.

- He's not! – Alex stopped on her feet. Everyone turned to her. – He's just…complicated. – she kept on walking and the others did the same.

- Did he do it? – Fred whispered to Alex. – The other day, your lip…

- No! – she whispered back. – That wasn't him. He'll never do that.

- Then what happened? Because that didn't look like an accident to me, Alex.

- Why do you care so much?

- Because I don't want anyone to hurt you! – Alex looked at him with surprise. – I…I consider you a great friend, okay? I just want to help you.

- Well, don't worry. There's nothing I can do about it. No one can.

- Why not?

- Because Lucius did it!

- Malfoy's dad? Alex! You need to talk with someone about it!

- What would that do?

- He hit you! Let me talk with my dad, he could…

- He could do nothing! Fred, Lucius Malfoy is a grown-up, well-respected member of society. Half the ministry licks his ass. Who are they going to believe? Him or the daughter of a serial killer? – Alex was right, and Fred knew, but he couldn't stop himself from worrying.

When they arrived at the castle, Alex headed to the Slytherin common room to get change. She was still wearing her Quidditch uniform. Once she was changed, she headed downstairs. She was going to the library, to study. Draco was sitting in one of the couches of the common room. They looked at each other, not able to say a word.

- …I'm sorry I pushed you. I didn't mean to knock you down…

- I pushed you first, so…

- I deserve it. – Alex looked surprised at his words. – I always do. I shouldn't say things like…what I said today.

- You…You're partially right. You shouldn't say those things. But that's not a reason to push you. I shouldn't have done that. I should never do that…

- I'm the one who did it wrong, Alex. – she sat next to him on the couch.

- It's not your fault. We're kids…Lucius is the one to blame. For you saying awful things and for me pushing you.

- You really think so?

- Where did you hear for the first time "mudblood"?

- …At home. – Alex looked at him nodding. – I don't want to be like him, but…sometimes I can't help it. I feel like if I'm not what he wants me to be he won't like me. I need to make him proud, Alex.

- I understand but…maybe we're trying to impress the wrong person.

- We?

- Well, maybe if I was more like him, he wouldn't get that mad at me… - the both of them stood there, in silence. Suddenly, Draco spoke.

- I like us when we're together.

- Me too. Let's stay together. – they grabbed each other hand and stayed there, together, for the rest of the day.