Disclaimer: I own nothing, except for Felicia. I don't even own Steph,
because I guess she owns herself.
The championship game in the Tournament grew nearer. Gryffindor had easily beaten Hufflepuff, and since Slytherin was second in points, they would face off for the chance to represent Hogwarts in the World School Quidditch Cup. And yes, Harry had successfully managed to equally divide his time between Ginny and Quidditch. It was enough to keep them both happy and satisfied. Ginny no longer looked ill from too much crying and lack of sleep, their friends were all very happy, and, sappy as it seems, Ginny and Harry's relationship had real promise of a definite, long future.
Ron and Hermione were a lot more touchy feely than they had been, and the phrase, 'get a room!' was often heard directed at them.
Ginny knew Harry was getting more and more anxious about the championship game so she gradually gave him more time to focus on Quidditch. Harry realized what she was doing, and appreciated it.
'Harry, why don't you go with Ron and find Wood so you can go over some tactics for Saturday's game,' Ginny asked one night after dinner, the week of the championship game.
'Nah. I've already done too much with Quidditch today. I'd rather stay here with you,' Harry said and leaned in to kiss her.
Ginny pulled back. 'No, I'm not being fair. Time for you to go away and focus on the game.'
'What? Are you trying to get rid of me?' Harry joked as he settled back on the plush velvet couch. 'Besides, the team is already meeting Felicia and Wood later. No point in talking about the same things twice.'
'But the championship game is important! You should-'
Harry interrupted. 'You already lost.'
'I know.'
The portrait hole opened and Seamus walked in, looking amazed and surprised at the same time. Of course part of the quizzical look came from the lack of eyebrows, a memory of the last week's potions mishap. But something else had made the look appear on his face.
'Blimey,' Seamus said to himself, still in a daze.
'Finn, what's up?' Neville called over.
'You lot will never guess what just happened.'
Suddenly, ideas came flying out from all areas of the Common Room.
'You realized that your fly was down?'
'You realized you were gay?' A new curious girl with burgundyish shoulder length hair called from a corner.
'Who's that?' Harry quietly asked Ginny.
'I think her name's Stephanie,' Ginny whispered back.
'Oh, and in the midst of these revelations, Snape hit on you?'
'No, NO (and I don't appreciate that), oh God no.' Seamus closed his eyes and shook his head, muttering, 'bad mental picture. Get it out, get it out!'
'You realized you needed to start studying for exams?'
'No, Hermione.'
'You started barfing slugs?' Harry called out.
'Hey!'
'Sorry, Ron.'
'I told you guys that you would never bloody get it!' Seamus yelled over the noise.
'Whoa, Finny, no need to get your knickers all up in a twist,' Ron said as he backed off.
'What I was trying to tell you all was that on my way up here, I passed Draco Malfoy and he said hello, not to mention asked me how I was and told me to tell Hermione and Ron that he said hi.'
'He's been acting pretty unMalfoyish for a while now,' Neville said, looking puzzled. 'In fact, he had not said anything to me about Squibs, Mudbloods or Gryffindors for about two weeks. Actually, he hasn't said anything remotely mean to me in the past two weeks.'
'Weird,' Seamus whispered.
'Maybe he's decided to be nicer. You know, turn over a new leaf,' Hermione ventured, knowing the truth behind the matter.
The whole room burst into laughter.
'Draco Malfoy, nice? That'll be the day,' Dean wheezed through his laughter.
'Definitely not words you'd ever expect to hear together in a sentence,' Neville giggled.
'Yeah, he's definitely up to something,' Seamus chimed in.
'No, he isn't!' Ron exclaimed.
'Whoa, I thought you hated Malfoy!' Seamus shot back.
'His name is Draco, and I did, but I don't anymore. You all have to think about this for a minute. Draco has been groomed to be this mean, cruel, deatheater type, just like his father. But have any of you ever stopped to think that maybe, just maybe, he might not want to be anything like his father? He is actually trying to be a better person. God, just give him a chance,' Ron, exasperated, turned around and walked up to his room.
'Ron!' Hermione called, but then turned back to the group. 'He's right, you know. Act more like Gryffindors and give Draco another chance.' Hermione then ran up after Ron.
The group looked around at each other, shamefaced.
'Well, maybe we can invite him to sit at our table at a meal sometime soon,' Ginny said.
'Gin, Draco wants to be nicer to us. He doesn't want to become one of us,' Seamus said, chuckling.
'Well, maybe he does want to be one of us, dolt,' Ginny shot back.
'He's a Slytherin. The Sorting Hat isn't wrong, and it doesn't lie. He's where he's supposed to be,' Harry said with finality.
Sensing that the conversation was over, the group dispersed.
Wood came through the portrait hole. 'Quidditch team, time for our meeting!'
Hearing the collective groans, Wood crossed his arms and said, 'c'mon guys, the big championship game is in two days and Felicia and I have a lot more things to go over with you. Quidditch field, now.'
The Quidditch team then filed out to face a wet Quidditch pitch, and last minute maneuvers and tune-ups from Wood and Felicia.
***~~~***
'Welcome to the championship game of our School Quidditch Cup. It's Gryffindor versus Slytherin. The winner of this game will go on to represent Hogwarts in the World School Quidditch Cup. Madame Hooch has stepped onto the field. It is time to start!'
'Now, I want a good, clean game!' Madame Hooch let out the Snitch, and the Bludgers, and threw up the Quaffle.
Draco immediately flew up to Harry and tailed him wherever he went.
Gryffindor scored a few quick goals but Slytherin battled back and tied it up. Halftime came and went but the score still stood at 40-40.
The crowd roared as Amare Bell grabbed the Quaffle from a slow pass between Slytherin chasers, but heartily booed as the Slytherin goalie saved her quick attempt for a goal.
The time was quickly winding down but the score was still tied.
A glimmer of gold caught the light and Harry looked up to see the Snitch buzz away. Unfortunately, Draco saw it too and he and Harry were neck and neck as they raced for it. Harry's broom was the better model and inched past Draco's until he was at least half a broom's length in the lead. The Snitch took a hard left and so did Harry but did not look back to see if Draco made it as well.
The crowd's screams grew louder as Harry reached out for the Snitch.
But just as Harry's hand was at the Snitch, another hand snaked in and grabbed it. Harry looked over to see Draco with a look of awe on his face, his hand closed firmly around the Snitch.
The crowd grew deathly silent but then the Slytherins went crazy with the sense of beating Gryffindor for the first time in a long while.
Lee Jordan's stunned voice came over the microphone. 'Malfoy gets the Snitch. Slytherin wins. Gryffindor loses.'
Gryffindor loses.
The championship game in the Tournament grew nearer. Gryffindor had easily beaten Hufflepuff, and since Slytherin was second in points, they would face off for the chance to represent Hogwarts in the World School Quidditch Cup. And yes, Harry had successfully managed to equally divide his time between Ginny and Quidditch. It was enough to keep them both happy and satisfied. Ginny no longer looked ill from too much crying and lack of sleep, their friends were all very happy, and, sappy as it seems, Ginny and Harry's relationship had real promise of a definite, long future.
Ron and Hermione were a lot more touchy feely than they had been, and the phrase, 'get a room!' was often heard directed at them.
Ginny knew Harry was getting more and more anxious about the championship game so she gradually gave him more time to focus on Quidditch. Harry realized what she was doing, and appreciated it.
'Harry, why don't you go with Ron and find Wood so you can go over some tactics for Saturday's game,' Ginny asked one night after dinner, the week of the championship game.
'Nah. I've already done too much with Quidditch today. I'd rather stay here with you,' Harry said and leaned in to kiss her.
Ginny pulled back. 'No, I'm not being fair. Time for you to go away and focus on the game.'
'What? Are you trying to get rid of me?' Harry joked as he settled back on the plush velvet couch. 'Besides, the team is already meeting Felicia and Wood later. No point in talking about the same things twice.'
'But the championship game is important! You should-'
Harry interrupted. 'You already lost.'
'I know.'
The portrait hole opened and Seamus walked in, looking amazed and surprised at the same time. Of course part of the quizzical look came from the lack of eyebrows, a memory of the last week's potions mishap. But something else had made the look appear on his face.
'Blimey,' Seamus said to himself, still in a daze.
'Finn, what's up?' Neville called over.
'You lot will never guess what just happened.'
Suddenly, ideas came flying out from all areas of the Common Room.
'You realized that your fly was down?'
'You realized you were gay?' A new curious girl with burgundyish shoulder length hair called from a corner.
'Who's that?' Harry quietly asked Ginny.
'I think her name's Stephanie,' Ginny whispered back.
'Oh, and in the midst of these revelations, Snape hit on you?'
'No, NO (and I don't appreciate that), oh God no.' Seamus closed his eyes and shook his head, muttering, 'bad mental picture. Get it out, get it out!'
'You realized you needed to start studying for exams?'
'No, Hermione.'
'You started barfing slugs?' Harry called out.
'Hey!'
'Sorry, Ron.'
'I told you guys that you would never bloody get it!' Seamus yelled over the noise.
'Whoa, Finny, no need to get your knickers all up in a twist,' Ron said as he backed off.
'What I was trying to tell you all was that on my way up here, I passed Draco Malfoy and he said hello, not to mention asked me how I was and told me to tell Hermione and Ron that he said hi.'
'He's been acting pretty unMalfoyish for a while now,' Neville said, looking puzzled. 'In fact, he had not said anything to me about Squibs, Mudbloods or Gryffindors for about two weeks. Actually, he hasn't said anything remotely mean to me in the past two weeks.'
'Weird,' Seamus whispered.
'Maybe he's decided to be nicer. You know, turn over a new leaf,' Hermione ventured, knowing the truth behind the matter.
The whole room burst into laughter.
'Draco Malfoy, nice? That'll be the day,' Dean wheezed through his laughter.
'Definitely not words you'd ever expect to hear together in a sentence,' Neville giggled.
'Yeah, he's definitely up to something,' Seamus chimed in.
'No, he isn't!' Ron exclaimed.
'Whoa, I thought you hated Malfoy!' Seamus shot back.
'His name is Draco, and I did, but I don't anymore. You all have to think about this for a minute. Draco has been groomed to be this mean, cruel, deatheater type, just like his father. But have any of you ever stopped to think that maybe, just maybe, he might not want to be anything like his father? He is actually trying to be a better person. God, just give him a chance,' Ron, exasperated, turned around and walked up to his room.
'Ron!' Hermione called, but then turned back to the group. 'He's right, you know. Act more like Gryffindors and give Draco another chance.' Hermione then ran up after Ron.
The group looked around at each other, shamefaced.
'Well, maybe we can invite him to sit at our table at a meal sometime soon,' Ginny said.
'Gin, Draco wants to be nicer to us. He doesn't want to become one of us,' Seamus said, chuckling.
'Well, maybe he does want to be one of us, dolt,' Ginny shot back.
'He's a Slytherin. The Sorting Hat isn't wrong, and it doesn't lie. He's where he's supposed to be,' Harry said with finality.
Sensing that the conversation was over, the group dispersed.
Wood came through the portrait hole. 'Quidditch team, time for our meeting!'
Hearing the collective groans, Wood crossed his arms and said, 'c'mon guys, the big championship game is in two days and Felicia and I have a lot more things to go over with you. Quidditch field, now.'
The Quidditch team then filed out to face a wet Quidditch pitch, and last minute maneuvers and tune-ups from Wood and Felicia.
***~~~***
'Welcome to the championship game of our School Quidditch Cup. It's Gryffindor versus Slytherin. The winner of this game will go on to represent Hogwarts in the World School Quidditch Cup. Madame Hooch has stepped onto the field. It is time to start!'
'Now, I want a good, clean game!' Madame Hooch let out the Snitch, and the Bludgers, and threw up the Quaffle.
Draco immediately flew up to Harry and tailed him wherever he went.
Gryffindor scored a few quick goals but Slytherin battled back and tied it up. Halftime came and went but the score still stood at 40-40.
The crowd roared as Amare Bell grabbed the Quaffle from a slow pass between Slytherin chasers, but heartily booed as the Slytherin goalie saved her quick attempt for a goal.
The time was quickly winding down but the score was still tied.
A glimmer of gold caught the light and Harry looked up to see the Snitch buzz away. Unfortunately, Draco saw it too and he and Harry were neck and neck as they raced for it. Harry's broom was the better model and inched past Draco's until he was at least half a broom's length in the lead. The Snitch took a hard left and so did Harry but did not look back to see if Draco made it as well.
The crowd's screams grew louder as Harry reached out for the Snitch.
But just as Harry's hand was at the Snitch, another hand snaked in and grabbed it. Harry looked over to see Draco with a look of awe on his face, his hand closed firmly around the Snitch.
The crowd grew deathly silent but then the Slytherins went crazy with the sense of beating Gryffindor for the first time in a long while.
Lee Jordan's stunned voice came over the microphone. 'Malfoy gets the Snitch. Slytherin wins. Gryffindor loses.'
Gryffindor loses.
