1 CHAPTER TEN. SLYTHERIN VERSUS GRYFFINDOR
Disclaimers, etc, etc in Chapter one.
Genre for this chapter – a trifle angsty.
" We're going to win. " announced Rainer smugly.
" What makes you so sure? " asked Nat grumpily. They had just been given a four-scroll essay to write about why Muggles need public transport and Nat thought she'd probably have graduated by the time she finished it.
" We just are," he said with typical Slytherin arrogance. " Care to bet on it? "
" All right. " said Nat, grinning. " What are the stakes? "
" If Tait catches the Snitch, I'll give you twenty Galleons. "
" Rich kid. " sneered Nat. " And if you catch it? "
" Then I'll think of something else. "
" Hey, I can afford twenty. " protested Nat hotly.
" I'm sure you can. But I don't want your money. " said Rainer. And he refused to be drawn any further.
* * * *
Saturday was a perfect day for Quidditch. Nat barely heard a word of Tait's pep talk; she was too busy trying not to throw up.
As they stepped onto the pitch the crowd roared their appreciation.
" Captains, shake hands. " said Madame Hooch.
Her whistle blew, fifteen brooms rose into the air and the game began.
Nat caught a brief glimpse of Rainer as he streaked past her and thought how handsome he looked in his Slytherin Quidditch robes. Then she forced herself to concentrate.
The commentator was having a field day, as the Gryffindor Chasers seemed unstoppable. 110, 120, 130, the points quickly racked up. Nat punched the air delightedly as she scored again, her nerves long since gone.
Then she saw something that made her heart stand still. Duncan and Rainer were neck and neck, racing after the elusive golden ball.
" Come on, Duncan. " she whispered as Gryffindor scored again, bringing their total to 150 – 0.
Rainer pulled out of the dive triumphantly, the fluttering Snitch clenched in his fist and the game ended in complete confusion.
The players landed on the pitch as the commentator declared a draw.
" Well played, Nat. " said Robin as he shouldered his Beater's club. " Johnstone must be crazy, catching the Snitch like that when he knew they couldn't win. What was he thinking of? "
" I don't know. " said Nat faintly. Bracing herself she walked over to where the Slytherin Seeker was standing. He was swinging his broomstick from his left hand and, when he saw her, his smile made her feel as if her robes were suddenly a size too small.
" Okay, you did it, though Merlin knows why. " Nat muttered. " What's the forfeit? "
" Just this. " said Rainer. In one swift movement he dropped his broom, pulled Nat into his arms and kissed her firmly on the lips. The crowd exploded with yells and howls but it seemed to Nat that it was coming from miles away. All she could feel was the sun on her face and the incredible softness of Rainer's mouth on hers.
" Your mouth tastes sweeter than anything in Honeydukes. " he whispered as he released her. Nat went even more scarlet than her Quidditch robes.
" I'll see you later. " he said as he made for the changing rooms.
Nat was the subject of some very good-natured teasing as the team changed and made their way back to school for dinner, but it was the reaction of the others that Nat was dreading.
" How dare he do that to you? " raged Oscar. " The slimy bastard, showing you up like that! I should go over there and kill him. I don't need my wand; I'll strangle him with my bare hands. "
" No you won't. " said Nat firmly.
" Why not? "
" Because he's my sort of boyfriend. " said Nat. Oscar just sat there with his mouth open.
" How long has this been going on? " he asked. " Nat, how could you? He's the enemy, he's a Slytherin, he..."
" He's the one that wants me. " said Nat, getting up and hurrying from the table before either Oscar or Deborah could see her tears.
Rainer caught up with her somewhere in the West wing of the castle.
" Don't be too upset. " he said comfortingly. " If they're your friends, they'll come round. "
" But it was as if he hated me. " Nat wailed.
" Well, my lot aren't exactly delighted about it either. I've been threatened with being replaced after the stunt I pulled this afternoon. "
Nat was horrified.
" That's awful! "
" It was entirely worth it. " he said, smiling. " The next time I kiss you though, I'd like it to be a bit more private. "
Nat grinned.
" Now you're making sense. "
* * * * * *
Oscar tried not speaking to her, he tried being as awful as possible to Rainer, he tried the sweet voice of reason routine but nothing worked. For the rest of the school year, Nat and Rainer were inseparable.
Just before the summer holidays they sat at the side of the lake hand in hand.
" I'll miss you. " he confessed.
" You will write, won't you? " asked Nat, trying not to sound too clingy.
" Hey, maybe you could come and stay for a while in the summer. We never go anywhere and it'd give your mum a break. "
He cheered up considerably.
" That'd be nice. "
" As long as you don't mind spending part of your summer with two gay guys and a pathetic orphan, that is. " said Nat teasingly.
" Touché. " said Rainer as she returned what had been his favourite insult.
He slipped his arm around her and pulled her close so he could kiss her.
" That will have to do until I can see you again. " he whispered into her hair. " Natasha, I think I'm falling in love with you. "
She was saved from answering by the ringing of the curfew bell.
Nat didn't sleep a wink that night.
" He loves me. " she groaned. " I should be delighted. "
So why aren't you? Asked the ever-present voice of her conscience.
Disclaimers, etc, etc in Chapter one.
Genre for this chapter – a trifle angsty.
" We're going to win. " announced Rainer smugly.
" What makes you so sure? " asked Nat grumpily. They had just been given a four-scroll essay to write about why Muggles need public transport and Nat thought she'd probably have graduated by the time she finished it.
" We just are," he said with typical Slytherin arrogance. " Care to bet on it? "
" All right. " said Nat, grinning. " What are the stakes? "
" If Tait catches the Snitch, I'll give you twenty Galleons. "
" Rich kid. " sneered Nat. " And if you catch it? "
" Then I'll think of something else. "
" Hey, I can afford twenty. " protested Nat hotly.
" I'm sure you can. But I don't want your money. " said Rainer. And he refused to be drawn any further.
* * * *
Saturday was a perfect day for Quidditch. Nat barely heard a word of Tait's pep talk; she was too busy trying not to throw up.
As they stepped onto the pitch the crowd roared their appreciation.
" Captains, shake hands. " said Madame Hooch.
Her whistle blew, fifteen brooms rose into the air and the game began.
Nat caught a brief glimpse of Rainer as he streaked past her and thought how handsome he looked in his Slytherin Quidditch robes. Then she forced herself to concentrate.
The commentator was having a field day, as the Gryffindor Chasers seemed unstoppable. 110, 120, 130, the points quickly racked up. Nat punched the air delightedly as she scored again, her nerves long since gone.
Then she saw something that made her heart stand still. Duncan and Rainer were neck and neck, racing after the elusive golden ball.
" Come on, Duncan. " she whispered as Gryffindor scored again, bringing their total to 150 – 0.
Rainer pulled out of the dive triumphantly, the fluttering Snitch clenched in his fist and the game ended in complete confusion.
The players landed on the pitch as the commentator declared a draw.
" Well played, Nat. " said Robin as he shouldered his Beater's club. " Johnstone must be crazy, catching the Snitch like that when he knew they couldn't win. What was he thinking of? "
" I don't know. " said Nat faintly. Bracing herself she walked over to where the Slytherin Seeker was standing. He was swinging his broomstick from his left hand and, when he saw her, his smile made her feel as if her robes were suddenly a size too small.
" Okay, you did it, though Merlin knows why. " Nat muttered. " What's the forfeit? "
" Just this. " said Rainer. In one swift movement he dropped his broom, pulled Nat into his arms and kissed her firmly on the lips. The crowd exploded with yells and howls but it seemed to Nat that it was coming from miles away. All she could feel was the sun on her face and the incredible softness of Rainer's mouth on hers.
" Your mouth tastes sweeter than anything in Honeydukes. " he whispered as he released her. Nat went even more scarlet than her Quidditch robes.
" I'll see you later. " he said as he made for the changing rooms.
Nat was the subject of some very good-natured teasing as the team changed and made their way back to school for dinner, but it was the reaction of the others that Nat was dreading.
" How dare he do that to you? " raged Oscar. " The slimy bastard, showing you up like that! I should go over there and kill him. I don't need my wand; I'll strangle him with my bare hands. "
" No you won't. " said Nat firmly.
" Why not? "
" Because he's my sort of boyfriend. " said Nat. Oscar just sat there with his mouth open.
" How long has this been going on? " he asked. " Nat, how could you? He's the enemy, he's a Slytherin, he..."
" He's the one that wants me. " said Nat, getting up and hurrying from the table before either Oscar or Deborah could see her tears.
Rainer caught up with her somewhere in the West wing of the castle.
" Don't be too upset. " he said comfortingly. " If they're your friends, they'll come round. "
" But it was as if he hated me. " Nat wailed.
" Well, my lot aren't exactly delighted about it either. I've been threatened with being replaced after the stunt I pulled this afternoon. "
Nat was horrified.
" That's awful! "
" It was entirely worth it. " he said, smiling. " The next time I kiss you though, I'd like it to be a bit more private. "
Nat grinned.
" Now you're making sense. "
* * * * * *
Oscar tried not speaking to her, he tried being as awful as possible to Rainer, he tried the sweet voice of reason routine but nothing worked. For the rest of the school year, Nat and Rainer were inseparable.
Just before the summer holidays they sat at the side of the lake hand in hand.
" I'll miss you. " he confessed.
" You will write, won't you? " asked Nat, trying not to sound too clingy.
" Hey, maybe you could come and stay for a while in the summer. We never go anywhere and it'd give your mum a break. "
He cheered up considerably.
" That'd be nice. "
" As long as you don't mind spending part of your summer with two gay guys and a pathetic orphan, that is. " said Nat teasingly.
" Touché. " said Rainer as she returned what had been his favourite insult.
He slipped his arm around her and pulled her close so he could kiss her.
" That will have to do until I can see you again. " he whispered into her hair. " Natasha, I think I'm falling in love with you. "
She was saved from answering by the ringing of the curfew bell.
Nat didn't sleep a wink that night.
" He loves me. " she groaned. " I should be delighted. "
So why aren't you? Asked the ever-present voice of her conscience.