Part 13 : Quidditch Game
"Come on, Hermione! It won't kill you to take a break."
"No."
"You won't fail your exams. I promise. If I can't fail them, neither can you."
"No!"
"Come on! You know you want to. I'll be fun."
Hermione sighed helplessly. "You won't let me alone until I agree, will you?"
Willow pouted and gave her the puppy dog eyes. "Pretty, pretty please?!" She added a ridiculous smile on her face at the last word.
The Gryffindor erupted in laughter. "Fine! I'll go with you. But don't expect me to cheer for Slytherin. I do have my pride." She closed her book and put it in her bag. She swung it over her shoulder and walked out of the library with the redhead.
They went outside, feeling the cold hair of early December around them. Hermione grumbled a bit. "I can't believe I'm leaving the warmth of the library to watch a quidditch match between Slytherin and Ravenclaw in this horrible weather. Why am I doing this?"
"Because of my irresistible personality and sense of persuasion?" Willow asked her innocently.
"Your head won't be able to pass through the front door if you continue like this," she added for good measures.
The rest of the walk to the quidditch pitch was about the same as always. The two girls would throw banters at each other, but never cruel. It was just for fun between a Gryffindor and a Slytherin. They went up the stairs to the Slytherin section and they received weird looks from the students. Why was there a Gryffindor in their section with one of their own, apparently ready to cheer for their house?
Willow stared right back at them to warn them off. They quickly looked away. Her reputation preceded her in her house. She was quite glad of that or she would have been in major trouble right now for inviting an "enemy" in the Slytherin section.
"I still can't believe I'm sitting here!" Hermione hissed at the redhead.
"Stop complaining! Just tell yourself you're trying to improve interhouse relationships." She immediately stopped talking when she saw her team coming out on the pitch. She stood up and yelled loudly with her housemates. "Go Slytherin!"
Draco was passing by the Slytherin section and nearly fell off his broom when he saw Hermione waving a green and silver flag. Willow gave him the two thumbs up and he smirked, waving back at them. He then went and took his position above the rest of his team.
Madam Hooch walked to the centre of the field and released the snitch and the bludgers. "Now I want a nice clean game, from all of you." She threw the quaffle up and the game began, Slytherin attacking.
Two hours passed and the snitch had yet to make an appearance. Draco was still focused, looking around the pitch for any sign of the golden ball. The Ravenclaw seeker, Cho Chang, was doing pretty much the same thing, hovering here and there. He gave one quick look at Hermione and Willow who were enjoying themselves, occasionally glancing his way to see if he's seen the snitch. no such luck yet.
Slytherin was in advantage, sixty points ahead of Ravenclaw, three hours after the beginning of the game. That's when the golden snitch decided to reveal itself. The two seekers flew after it, colliding with each other, but neither losing sight of the golden ball.
Willow was enjoying herself, as well as Hermione, surprisingly. She looked up and saw Draco flying beside Cho, chasing after the snitch. She jumped up and yelled encouragement to him, the Gryffindor soon joining her, forgetting her past grudges with the blond boy. But the girls quickly lost their smiles.
One of the Ravenclaw beaters was smirking evilly at Draco and he was sending a bludger his way. At the last moment, the Slytherin seeker dodged it, making the beater angry. He flew after the blond and waited for the opportunity to strike.
Willow was watching the game warily, shooting nervous glances toward the angry Ravenclaw. She squeezed Hermione's hand. "I don't like it, Mione. He's way too near."
Just then, a bludger passed right in front of the beater, who slammed it hard in front of him, where Draco was, not five meters ahead. The Slytherin never had time to realise what was happening to him before he was knocked off his broom, more than twenty meters high above the ground.
Hermione screamed when she saw her "research partner" plunge head first into air. Willow didn't even think. She immediately closed her eyes and called forth her powers.
The students gasped when Draco stopped going down to possible death. Himself was surprised when the wind seemed to lift him up and stop his descent. He looked up and his eyes narrowed when he saw the wind twirling strongly around Willow.
Hermione was scared. The redhead had her eyes closed, palms up and the wind was blowing more forcefully around her than anywhere else. Nobody seemed to notice, which was good since it was kind of freaky, even for the brave Gryffindor. She could see the redhead's lips move and she soon realised she was whispering a spell in Latin. But the problem was that her wand was in her robe's pocket.
Draco looked down when he suddenly started to float down very slowly. He sighed when his feet touched the ground. [Finally!] he thought. He picked up his broom and jumped back on it, quickly racing after Cho in search of the snitch. He saw the beater coming after him again, but a strong wind picked him up and slammed him against the goal post.
Willow finally opened her eyes and smiled as she saw the beater go down. Apparently, no one had noticed her little magic trick. except Hermione. The brown haired girl was gaping at her and she could see the questions forming on her lips. She sighed dejectedly. "Later," she whispered. "Let's wait for Draco." Hermione nodded and turned back to the game.
Half an hour passed before the Slytherin seeker caught the snitch, winning his team 150 points. Amidst the cheers, Willow and Hermione left, walking quickly and in silence to the library and sat down at the table the farthest from the door, giving them the privacy they would need for the discussion that was to follow.
Twenty minutes later, a clean Draco walked in and sat down in the chair directly in front of the redhead. She was biting her bottom lip nervously and didn't dare look up. "Willow," he said gently. "Look at me. us," he added when Hermione glared at him. The redhead complied. "What did you do?"
"I. I stopped your fall. and then I made sure the beater wouldn't get another shot at you."
"We figured that out," Hermione said. "The question is how."
She sneered. "I do have a wand."
"Which you didn't use," the Gryffindor replied. "Willow, do you have any idea of the power you hold? Or does any of the teachers for that matter?"
"Of course I do!" she exclaimed angrily. "I never touched a wand before coming to Hogwarts. And the teachers know... well, at least three of them : Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape."
Draco snickered. "And I wondered how Pansy fell the first night after the welcoming feast."
Willow smirked back. "It does have its advantages." She looked at a bookshelf and a heavy tome flew to her hand. She winked at her two friends. "And since we're here, why not have a look at the American records." The two "enemies" groaned, but helped nonetheless. They stayed there until dinner.
"Come on, Hermione! It won't kill you to take a break."
"No."
"You won't fail your exams. I promise. If I can't fail them, neither can you."
"No!"
"Come on! You know you want to. I'll be fun."
Hermione sighed helplessly. "You won't let me alone until I agree, will you?"
Willow pouted and gave her the puppy dog eyes. "Pretty, pretty please?!" She added a ridiculous smile on her face at the last word.
The Gryffindor erupted in laughter. "Fine! I'll go with you. But don't expect me to cheer for Slytherin. I do have my pride." She closed her book and put it in her bag. She swung it over her shoulder and walked out of the library with the redhead.
They went outside, feeling the cold hair of early December around them. Hermione grumbled a bit. "I can't believe I'm leaving the warmth of the library to watch a quidditch match between Slytherin and Ravenclaw in this horrible weather. Why am I doing this?"
"Because of my irresistible personality and sense of persuasion?" Willow asked her innocently.
"Your head won't be able to pass through the front door if you continue like this," she added for good measures.
The rest of the walk to the quidditch pitch was about the same as always. The two girls would throw banters at each other, but never cruel. It was just for fun between a Gryffindor and a Slytherin. They went up the stairs to the Slytherin section and they received weird looks from the students. Why was there a Gryffindor in their section with one of their own, apparently ready to cheer for their house?
Willow stared right back at them to warn them off. They quickly looked away. Her reputation preceded her in her house. She was quite glad of that or she would have been in major trouble right now for inviting an "enemy" in the Slytherin section.
"I still can't believe I'm sitting here!" Hermione hissed at the redhead.
"Stop complaining! Just tell yourself you're trying to improve interhouse relationships." She immediately stopped talking when she saw her team coming out on the pitch. She stood up and yelled loudly with her housemates. "Go Slytherin!"
Draco was passing by the Slytherin section and nearly fell off his broom when he saw Hermione waving a green and silver flag. Willow gave him the two thumbs up and he smirked, waving back at them. He then went and took his position above the rest of his team.
Madam Hooch walked to the centre of the field and released the snitch and the bludgers. "Now I want a nice clean game, from all of you." She threw the quaffle up and the game began, Slytherin attacking.
Two hours passed and the snitch had yet to make an appearance. Draco was still focused, looking around the pitch for any sign of the golden ball. The Ravenclaw seeker, Cho Chang, was doing pretty much the same thing, hovering here and there. He gave one quick look at Hermione and Willow who were enjoying themselves, occasionally glancing his way to see if he's seen the snitch. no such luck yet.
Slytherin was in advantage, sixty points ahead of Ravenclaw, three hours after the beginning of the game. That's when the golden snitch decided to reveal itself. The two seekers flew after it, colliding with each other, but neither losing sight of the golden ball.
Willow was enjoying herself, as well as Hermione, surprisingly. She looked up and saw Draco flying beside Cho, chasing after the snitch. She jumped up and yelled encouragement to him, the Gryffindor soon joining her, forgetting her past grudges with the blond boy. But the girls quickly lost their smiles.
One of the Ravenclaw beaters was smirking evilly at Draco and he was sending a bludger his way. At the last moment, the Slytherin seeker dodged it, making the beater angry. He flew after the blond and waited for the opportunity to strike.
Willow was watching the game warily, shooting nervous glances toward the angry Ravenclaw. She squeezed Hermione's hand. "I don't like it, Mione. He's way too near."
Just then, a bludger passed right in front of the beater, who slammed it hard in front of him, where Draco was, not five meters ahead. The Slytherin never had time to realise what was happening to him before he was knocked off his broom, more than twenty meters high above the ground.
Hermione screamed when she saw her "research partner" plunge head first into air. Willow didn't even think. She immediately closed her eyes and called forth her powers.
The students gasped when Draco stopped going down to possible death. Himself was surprised when the wind seemed to lift him up and stop his descent. He looked up and his eyes narrowed when he saw the wind twirling strongly around Willow.
Hermione was scared. The redhead had her eyes closed, palms up and the wind was blowing more forcefully around her than anywhere else. Nobody seemed to notice, which was good since it was kind of freaky, even for the brave Gryffindor. She could see the redhead's lips move and she soon realised she was whispering a spell in Latin. But the problem was that her wand was in her robe's pocket.
Draco looked down when he suddenly started to float down very slowly. He sighed when his feet touched the ground. [Finally!] he thought. He picked up his broom and jumped back on it, quickly racing after Cho in search of the snitch. He saw the beater coming after him again, but a strong wind picked him up and slammed him against the goal post.
Willow finally opened her eyes and smiled as she saw the beater go down. Apparently, no one had noticed her little magic trick. except Hermione. The brown haired girl was gaping at her and she could see the questions forming on her lips. She sighed dejectedly. "Later," she whispered. "Let's wait for Draco." Hermione nodded and turned back to the game.
Half an hour passed before the Slytherin seeker caught the snitch, winning his team 150 points. Amidst the cheers, Willow and Hermione left, walking quickly and in silence to the library and sat down at the table the farthest from the door, giving them the privacy they would need for the discussion that was to follow.
Twenty minutes later, a clean Draco walked in and sat down in the chair directly in front of the redhead. She was biting her bottom lip nervously and didn't dare look up. "Willow," he said gently. "Look at me. us," he added when Hermione glared at him. The redhead complied. "What did you do?"
"I. I stopped your fall. and then I made sure the beater wouldn't get another shot at you."
"We figured that out," Hermione said. "The question is how."
She sneered. "I do have a wand."
"Which you didn't use," the Gryffindor replied. "Willow, do you have any idea of the power you hold? Or does any of the teachers for that matter?"
"Of course I do!" she exclaimed angrily. "I never touched a wand before coming to Hogwarts. And the teachers know... well, at least three of them : Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape."
Draco snickered. "And I wondered how Pansy fell the first night after the welcoming feast."
Willow smirked back. "It does have its advantages." She looked at a bookshelf and a heavy tome flew to her hand. She winked at her two friends. "And since we're here, why not have a look at the American records." The two "enemies" groaned, but helped nonetheless. They stayed there until dinner.
