Elisabeth shook herself awake and finished tying her shoes. She took
her FeatherFlame out of her trunk and dragged herself down the stairs into
the common room and out onto the pitch. It was part of Ugly's new
"conditioning regimen" which required them to be on the pitch at some
ungodly hour, preferably in the bitter cold.
"Elisabeth!" Ugly boomed. "Why so glum?"
"Because it's five a.m. on the last day before Christmas holidays, it's snowing, it's twenty-five degrees below zero and I am standing on a frozen Quidditch pitch because you want a bid for the British National Quidditch Association when you graduate this year." She spat the words at him, not caring how bitter they sounded.
He looked taken aback. "Oh. We'll try to hurry up then."
Elisabeth sighed. "Look, I'm sorry, I'm just really tired and...."
"No, no, that's okay, I understand." He still looked a little hurt so Elisabeth worked her hardest and stopped all the shots on her goal. They flew for about a half hour before wrapping the practise up and flying down.
Ugly eyed Elisabeth warily but she smiled cheerfully at him until she thought her smile would tear her cheeks.
They headed up to the stands where it was warm. "So what are you doing for Christmas Lisbeth?"
"My dad has a game in Paris on the 23rd so we'll probably spend Christmas in France. You?"
Signey considered for a moment. "I'll probably go to Norway to visit my dad and his new wife and their three stupid children. Then my mum and I are going to go to Saskatchewan to visit her parents."
"Saskatchewan eh? That's like, in Canada."
"Good job Derrick! Now where is County Cork?"
Derrick blushed red. "What are you doing for Christmas Christina?"
"Me? Oh, I'm Jewish. We'll just be staying home in Blackpool."
"I didn't know you were Jewish."
"Now you do. What about you Vivyann? Where are you going?"
"To my grandparent's in Bulgaria, my dad has to work Christmas but Derrick is going to come with Mum and I."
"What about you Ugly?"
"Staying here, as usual."
"Really? Why?"
He shrugged and said nothing so they moved on to other topics but as they went back into the school Elisabeth stopped him and asked again.
"Why aren't you going home?"
He shrugged again. "Chastity and I don't get along, she said that she wouldn't come home if I did. Clearly my parents didn't side with me on that one."
"Is that why you want to get on a Quidditch team as soon as you get out of school?"
"You catch on quickly."
"I have connections you know."
"Oh come off it, why would you do anything for Ugly Richards?" But in his voice there was a glimmer of hope.
"Why would you tell me all of that if you didn't think I would do it?"
"Erm-" He was cut off by the arrival of Derrick who claimed to be "saving" Elisabeth from the perils of a conversation with Ugly.
He carted her away but she turned and winked at Ugly, who was still staring after her in shock.
Elisabeth changed quickly and went down to breakfast with Will and Daniel.
"How was Quidditch practise?"
"How is anything at five a.m.?"
"Tired aren't you? Have some porridge that'll perk you right up."
"Porridge doesn't perk you up, coffee does though. Oi! Caroline! Pass the coffee!" Caroline passed the coffee and Will promptly spat it out. "This is just brown water!"
"No, it's American coffee."
"Ugh, Yankee puddles." Will snatched another pot and poured himself a cup. "Here we go, proper European coffee."
Kristin Peters sniffed. "That's just espresso."
Will rolled his eyes and took another gulp, which he spit directly at Kristin's chest. "Oh! I am so sorry! You know I just wasn't ready for that jolt, I am so used to American coffee that I just wasn't prepared. Here let me help you." He leaned across the table, purposely knocking Kristin's porridge into her lap. She screamed and raced out of the Great Hall. Will smiled contentedly and sat back. Elisabeth had to duck under the table to hide her laughter and when she got up and looked at Will, sitting calmly while everyone else around him snorted and laughed, she had to duck her head to conceal fresh peals of laughter.
They got up and walked down to the dungeons where Professor Malfoy held her Potions class.
They sat down and looked at Professor Malfoy's face. Happiness did not suit her. She smiled hard and didn't give them any homework but she didn't really seem that cheerful. Nevertheless they retained their Christmas spirit, bouncing jovially from class to class and waiting eagerly for it to be time to go home.
Finally their last class was over, Will, Daniel and she raced up stairs to get their trunks then they met up with Anna, Moira and Caroline. They boarded the train, talking about nothing in particular and looking out the window at Muggle towns and finally, the train station.
"Elisabeth!" Ugly boomed. "Why so glum?"
"Because it's five a.m. on the last day before Christmas holidays, it's snowing, it's twenty-five degrees below zero and I am standing on a frozen Quidditch pitch because you want a bid for the British National Quidditch Association when you graduate this year." She spat the words at him, not caring how bitter they sounded.
He looked taken aback. "Oh. We'll try to hurry up then."
Elisabeth sighed. "Look, I'm sorry, I'm just really tired and...."
"No, no, that's okay, I understand." He still looked a little hurt so Elisabeth worked her hardest and stopped all the shots on her goal. They flew for about a half hour before wrapping the practise up and flying down.
Ugly eyed Elisabeth warily but she smiled cheerfully at him until she thought her smile would tear her cheeks.
They headed up to the stands where it was warm. "So what are you doing for Christmas Lisbeth?"
"My dad has a game in Paris on the 23rd so we'll probably spend Christmas in France. You?"
Signey considered for a moment. "I'll probably go to Norway to visit my dad and his new wife and their three stupid children. Then my mum and I are going to go to Saskatchewan to visit her parents."
"Saskatchewan eh? That's like, in Canada."
"Good job Derrick! Now where is County Cork?"
Derrick blushed red. "What are you doing for Christmas Christina?"
"Me? Oh, I'm Jewish. We'll just be staying home in Blackpool."
"I didn't know you were Jewish."
"Now you do. What about you Vivyann? Where are you going?"
"To my grandparent's in Bulgaria, my dad has to work Christmas but Derrick is going to come with Mum and I."
"What about you Ugly?"
"Staying here, as usual."
"Really? Why?"
He shrugged and said nothing so they moved on to other topics but as they went back into the school Elisabeth stopped him and asked again.
"Why aren't you going home?"
He shrugged again. "Chastity and I don't get along, she said that she wouldn't come home if I did. Clearly my parents didn't side with me on that one."
"Is that why you want to get on a Quidditch team as soon as you get out of school?"
"You catch on quickly."
"I have connections you know."
"Oh come off it, why would you do anything for Ugly Richards?" But in his voice there was a glimmer of hope.
"Why would you tell me all of that if you didn't think I would do it?"
"Erm-" He was cut off by the arrival of Derrick who claimed to be "saving" Elisabeth from the perils of a conversation with Ugly.
He carted her away but she turned and winked at Ugly, who was still staring after her in shock.
Elisabeth changed quickly and went down to breakfast with Will and Daniel.
"How was Quidditch practise?"
"How is anything at five a.m.?"
"Tired aren't you? Have some porridge that'll perk you right up."
"Porridge doesn't perk you up, coffee does though. Oi! Caroline! Pass the coffee!" Caroline passed the coffee and Will promptly spat it out. "This is just brown water!"
"No, it's American coffee."
"Ugh, Yankee puddles." Will snatched another pot and poured himself a cup. "Here we go, proper European coffee."
Kristin Peters sniffed. "That's just espresso."
Will rolled his eyes and took another gulp, which he spit directly at Kristin's chest. "Oh! I am so sorry! You know I just wasn't ready for that jolt, I am so used to American coffee that I just wasn't prepared. Here let me help you." He leaned across the table, purposely knocking Kristin's porridge into her lap. She screamed and raced out of the Great Hall. Will smiled contentedly and sat back. Elisabeth had to duck under the table to hide her laughter and when she got up and looked at Will, sitting calmly while everyone else around him snorted and laughed, she had to duck her head to conceal fresh peals of laughter.
They got up and walked down to the dungeons where Professor Malfoy held her Potions class.
They sat down and looked at Professor Malfoy's face. Happiness did not suit her. She smiled hard and didn't give them any homework but she didn't really seem that cheerful. Nevertheless they retained their Christmas spirit, bouncing jovially from class to class and waiting eagerly for it to be time to go home.
Finally their last class was over, Will, Daniel and she raced up stairs to get their trunks then they met up with Anna, Moira and Caroline. They boarded the train, talking about nothing in particular and looking out the window at Muggle towns and finally, the train station.