Author's Note: Okay, I intended to write this at least a week ago. I'm so
sorry it's being a long time since I've updated this story, I've just had
group projects coming out of my ears and I haven't really been in the mood
to write, to be honest. This chapter is also quite crucial so I had to get
it right. Thank you to everyone who's reviewed and I apologise again for
keeping you waiting.
Disclaimer: Those of you who, like me, read Cassandra Claire's Very Secret Diaries will recognise one of Natalia Adani's lines from the Hufflepuff- Ravenclaw Quidditch match from Legolas's Two Towers entry. And like me, you'll be wondering why Cassie hasn't updated since early March *sigh*. The Gryffindor-Slytherin Quidditch match is also based heavily on that of the CoS chapter, "The Rogue Bludger."
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Entry Fourteen: Quidditch and Questionable Behaviour
And for once, it's not coming from Natalia. Also features two Quidditch matches and (needless to say) Roger once again behaving like Oliver Wood.
2:16 PM, October 25th
ijustcan'tdealwiththisijustcan'tdealwiththisijustcan'tdealwiththis...
It's almost seven hours later and I still feel like I've been walloped in the stomach by a Bludger hit by Hagrid. Why do people even want to get involved with this kind of thing? Why? There has to be a point to it or...anything...It's just like this vicious cycle. Up. Down. In. Out. And now I'm well and truly out.
But I digress. Has been over two weeks since last poured my mysteries and misdeeds into this thing, and order must be found in the midst of disorder. I just wish it didn't hurt so much. I feel so stupid...
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8:16 AM, October 11th
First official Quidditch match of the season, and much Gryffindor grating and goading (from my side of the commentator's box, at least) await. Much as I want to see Malfoy's mug rubbed in manor muck after manner towards Cho from two weekends ago, look at who they're playing. I mean, am I really going to go after the Grating Gryffindorks, even when they're playing Slytherin?
Besides, will be enough Gryffindork propaganda from Jordan's side, so will fight fire with venom and be equally biased towards Slytherin. Smirks really far sexier than blatant do-goodness anyway. I mean, exactly how much does Hufflepuff get? Less than the entire Weasel clan put together, I reckon.
9:53 AM
Well, sitting pretty in my little commentator's box waiting for match to start. Er, well, technically is not "my" commentator's box, but Lee Jordan's, and technically not even commentator's, but teachers', box. Snotty members of staff would have us here, most probably to keep an idea on us. Spoilsports. Will have to play footsies with Jordan some other time. On second thoughts, midget could most probably not reach my feet and am in relationship (in Slytherin terms anyway, shagging being closest to relationship any of them ever get - oo-eer) with Luc, so cannot play footsies with anyone other than him.
Monogamy really starting to get me down. Should be limited to simply being smooth, dark wood.
Speaking of the Gryffindor himself, has just taken to the air and is flying adorably close to Katie Bell.
"Hey, you supple, sexy thing," I called out as him and Moo flew within ten feet of my, ahem - our, ahem (oh screw it) - box. "Good luck today. You'll need it. Let's do lunch." Oliver snorted it and made to fly off. Moo sent me daggers. "Oh yeah, you too, Wood." Both Gryffindorks almost fell off their brooms. "Bet that confused them," I tossed to Jordan, who was sniggering into his microphone.
"Weasley twins would've liked that one," he replied. "Butterbeer?"
"Don't mind if I do," I said, reaching for one.
"Do what, exactly?" he asked with a gleam in his eye. "Or whom, if I was to be more precise? Me?"
There was shocked silence from stadium, then laughter. Realised with horror that had accidentally switched microphone on. McGonagall is glaring down from behind us. Luc is glaring from across the stadium at us.
Oops.
1:56 PM
Party time! Slytherin leading sixty points to zero. Knew I would be doing them a favour by wearing green underwear today. Wood will no doubt be complaining about Slytherin's Malfoy's donated (probably contraband) Nimbus Two Thousand and Ones, but bad craftsmen always blame their tools. And his Slytherin ex, Zoe Zabini, has been heard complaining about "his" tool recently. He he.
Jordan now rather morose, so have been pulling his weight in terms of announcements. To cheer up him, have charmed wand to leap up and draw a scarlet smoke "L" above his forehead whenever Slytherin score.
Malfoy turning to taunt Potter (good boy). Does appear though to have rather large circular golden earring fluttering around his head...
MALFOY YOU MORON, THE SNITCH IS ON TOP OF YOUR FUCKING HEAD!
2:02 PM
So once again, those Gryffs pull through and all is right with the bloody world. Excuse me while I gag myself with my wand, which has backfired and is now charming large smoke "L" above "my" forehead.
"Hey, Adani," Lee beamed at me, "what was that you said about sleeping with me if Slytherin lost?"
"Ah, no, Jordan," I said, shaking my head at him. "When I said, "If Slytherin lose, I'll sleep with Luc," you must have misheard me as saying, "If Slytherin lose, I'll sleep with you." To me that was a clear case of wishful thinking."
"Or a Freudian slip," he tossed back, grinning evilly. "So, Miss Adani, what would you have done had Slytherin won?"
"Sleep with Luc," I smiled and left the tower.
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9:17 AM, October 18th
Gryffindor-inflicted good mood (note sarcasm here) increased following Saturday, on knowledge that would not only have to wear hideous ice hockey- inspired uniforms, but would have to do so, once again, in front of entire school in order to take on out-of-puff Hufflepuffs. Since Gryffindor were losing by six goals before Potter swooped to the rescue, if are losing by five goals or less and Cho catches the Snitch, will go first place in rankings due to goal difference. Ernie MacMillan on Slytherin broom would be no match for Cho on a Bluebottle, and since Ernie on Cleansweep Five and Cho riding my old Nimbus Two Thousand (which I had upgraded to Two Thousand and One over summer), should catch Snitch easily. As for goal difference, c'mon, it's Hufflepuff!
"Alright then, ladies, gentlemen and Natalia," Roger began. I rolled my eyes. "We have our first official match of the season against a house that has lost every game for the past five years." He glanced around changing room and saw Bombardino rubbing hands together with glee. "Now, I know that on paper we should thrash them, but this match does not occur on paper." Vanessa giggled. Roger scowled at her. "Look, I know they're the most underachieving bloody house in Hogwarts, but if we fly out there thinking we only need to circle the pitch once and we've got it, that's when they'll hurt us! Any team in this school is capable of beating any other team on any given day."
"Roger, we know," Malcolm Brocklehurst said. We had suffered through, uh, been given, variations of this speech for the better part of last two weeks. However, this was first time I had heard it in full, since early practice times had caused me to sleep through previous deliveries.
"And don't fall into the trap of thinking of this as a dress rehearsal to our game next weekend against Gryffindor," Roger continued to rant. "If we lose, then we're not only under more pressure to win against Gryffindor, but we'll be waiting for them to drop points against Hufflepuff, which will not happen while any of us are still breathing, I assure you."
"I know someone who's in Hufflepuff and who would be a very good Seeker," Cho said, "but his father won't let him try out for the team unless he gets decent pre-OWLs."
"That's all very well, Cho, but this is the current season we're talking about," Roger said. (Anyway, back to me, I thought). "And speaking of you, I'll need you to use a defensive Seeker strategy today. Since it could go down to the wire, we need to use this game to get a huge goal difference to compete with the other houses. So don't look for the Snitch yourself. Just mark MacMillan. Keep him close to you. Understand?" Cho nodded. "Good. Let's roll."
9:31 AM
Flew out into stadium to Lee Jordan's cries of, "DAVIES! DELACOURT! BROCKLEHURST! ADANI! BOMBARDINO! JOHNSON! ANNNNND CHANG!" A blue roar erupted from left side of stadium. Briefly spotted Potter's floozy, Hermione Grater, waving a blue flag. How that bookworm never slithered herself into Ravenclaw during the sorting ceremony, I don't know. Putting her in Gryffindor is like sorting Malfoy into Hufflepuff. And that Frogbottom kid, if he's brave and noble and daring then I'm Great Aunt Helga.
Jordan's braying announced the entry of the Hufflepuff side, looking like bloody canaries in their oh-so-shaggable bright yellow robes. There's a reason why the movie version of Wolverine ditched that shiny yellow spandex number for black leather (phwoar) in X-Men, mates. Spotted MacMillan, a rather chubby blond kid clinging for dear life to his broom. Only danger is that due to superior girth, he could knock Cho out of the way in pursuit of Snitch, but no doubt Roger has gone over this with her several thousands of times. Better her than me. Broke away from team's warm-up laps with Bombardino, who as Roger had earlier decreed, produced a tennis ball and hit to me. Swung it back politely, as unwise (though tempting) to injure obnoxious teammates prior to game.
Hooch strode out onto field and we took positions. Roger dismounted and walked over to Hooch to shake hands with the canaries' captain, a waxen- skinned boy almost a head shorter than he [A/N - Okay, I know the Hufflepuff team wouldn't be "quite" that bad, but this is Natalia's perspective we're talking about, not mine]. Bombardino caught my eye and gave a significant look over to a fourth year Beater, the one kid on their side of the pitch that had beef in all the right places. He mouthed "Danger Man" and I nodded.
With a blast of Hooch's whistle, we were off. Luc was the first to the Quaffle. The Hufflepuff Danger Man immediately swung a Bludger at him, but I intercepted it and hurled it back, warning him right off. No one tries it on with my part-Veela. Luc swerved to the right, making as if to go around the Hufflepuff Keeper, but at the last minute passed the Quaffle to Roger, who carefully lobbed it over the Keeper and into the far goal. First blood Ravenclaw.
Glanced over to see how Cho was doing, and realised that needn't have bothered. She was practically holding Ernie MacMillan upright on his broom, who had gone a sickly shade of green. Jeez, only the Hufflepuffs would pick a Seeker who is afraid of heights. Bloody brilliant really.
Meanwhile, the canaries' Chasers had actually got it together enough to hurdle towards our goal. Their Danger Man had once again attempted damage with a Bludger, trying to veer Vanessa off-course as she attempted a save from a pony-tailed girl, but this time it was Bombardino who blocked the effort, swinging it back effortlessly towards their captain. Was it just me, or did his Bludger zoom needlessly close to me while knocking canary captain from his broom? Hmm...
Within half an hour, we were fifty points ahead (needless to say, the scoreline was fifty-zero, not sixty-ten or seventy-five, as Hufflepuff seemed incapable of stringing two passes, let alone two coherent sentences - himbos - together). Cho had given up all efforts of locating the Snitch and had her arms around MacMillan, who was now purple. Really, some people. Bombardino and I were criss-crossing the stadium with Bludgers, and Roger and Luc were flying like maniacs. The Hufflepuff side of the stadium was like a graveyard. Their Keeper had even tipped the Quaffle through one of his own hoops.
"Own goal! Own goal!" Vanessa, who supported a Muggle football team called Arsenal [A/N - I always knew she was cool] screamed as Bombardino wolf- whistled.
"What is an own goal?" Luc asked, looking perplexed. Vanessa didn't have time to reply. The head canary, who had resumed flight, was sprinting towards us. Luc body-checked him, causing him to drop the Quaffle, which Vanessa snatched and tossed to Roger.
"Penalty!" the canary Chasers howled, in reference to Luc's block on their captain. Hooch blew her whistle shrilly. Roger protested that it had been a potential scoring situation, but under Hooch's instruction tossed the Quaffle back to the canaries, a mutinous expression on his face. Completely with Roger on this one. Bloody Hooch. Anyone who has an overzealous grasp of fairness to the point where she actually "volunteers" to be referee during Quidditch match could only have been a Hufflepuff. Therefore should not even be on pitch due to bias. Fortunately Vanessa saved and punched the rebound out to Malcolm, who swerved a Bludger and sped towards the canary goal. Since daft birds had clustered around our area in order to see penalty outcome, goal was undefended save Keeper. Sixty-zero Ravenclaw.
After three hours we were leading one hundred and seventy to ten (head canary got goal after blocking Cho, and therefore should have had possession returned to us for unnecessary foul on Seeker) and had stopped for a lunch break. The Ravenclaw part of the stadium sang "Who's afraid of the big bad Hufflepuff?" as we munched on sandwiches. Knowing that even had every law of nature rebelled and MacMillan actually caught the Snitch, the head canary formally withdrew the now lime-coloured second year from proceedings, making the game in effect a farce. With the outcome of the match now completely written as a Ravenclaw win, since Cho was the only one who could catch the Snitch, the Gryff and Slyth supporters buggered off, leaving the blue and yellow quarters of the school. Now this shows how daft Hufflepuffs really are. If "my" team was sure to lose, I would have slipped out as quickly and quietly as possible, but see how loyalty can make you look foolish? Jeeez. With the Hufflepuff Beaters now focusing their attention exclusively on our Chasers and ignoring Cho, Bombardino and I had our work out for us. My arm felt ready to pop out of its socket. It was only when we were four hundred points ahead that Roger signalled to Cho to put the canaries out of their misery and catch the Snitch. So it finally ended FOUR HUNDRED AND THIRTY TO TWENTY. If I write it in bigger letters, perhaps it would feel more real.
"Now remember, we played a bloody long match today and Gryffindor have had an extra weekend to recover from their last match," Roger cautioned as we walked off the pitch, Luc and I arm-in-arm. "You all need to be sensible and make sure you get plenty of rest between now and next Saturday. And that means sleep - alone!" he added, shooting a significant look at Luc and myself.
"So you won't be having any more early morning practices?" Vanessa asked hopefully.
"No, we'll be having heaps of those," Roger said with relish. Cho groaned. "I just meant bearing in mind our next game, we should all make a conscious effort to spend less time burning the midnight oil this week. Less time on homework and tests."
Malcolm, the perennial academic overachiever, had turned a MacMillan shade. "Well, what did you expect?" Bombardino hissed to Vanessa as they left the field. "It's "Roger" we're talking about."
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6:49 AM, October 24th
Well, result against Hufflepuff has left me in, as a certain Hogwarts dropout and loser would say, a "ruddy good mood." Gryffindors glancing apprehensively at us as we walk through halls, instead of making snide comments about "weak-wristed honour roll scalers." Bombardino, scarily, has taken to carrying his bat (and I don't mean the winged variety) around with him all day and wearing a belaclava. He's either amphed beyond belief or completely insane. Personally leaning towards latter. Might make good "Witches Weekly" poll question.
Alright, I know have been slack in filling this in the last few weeks, but as saying goes, "Only good girls keep diaries. Bad girls don't have the time."
Cho must be writing army manuals by now.
Waited for Luc in common room to accompany me to breakfast, but never showed up. Has been playing hooky from a few of our trysts lately. Oh well, am still very Luc-y in love. He he. Bloody Merlin, is it possible to be in love yet not be so impossibly Gryffindork cheesy? Am beginning to annoy even myself.
9:09 AM
Strange thing happened to me during breakfast this morning. Adrian was staring intently at doorway as I walked in, and seemed to have been waiting for me to arrive, because as soon as I'd sat down he got up and went over to Ravenclaw table. "Natalia," he began, "we need to talk."
I cringed. Second only to "I don't do that," those have to be some of my least favourite four words put together. Out loud, I said, "Sure."
Adrian glanced around at the students on either side of us, a foreign expression on his face. Realised with start that it was nervousness, which I had never before encountered on the visage of the Divine Mister Pucey. "I mean, somewhere more private?" he asked.
"Okaaaay," I sighed, feeling more puzzled by the minute. Adrian didn't seem annoyed by my disgruntled behaviour. If anything, he even appeared to be concerned, which is a very un-Slytherin trait. He even took my arm as we walked out of Great Hall. At that point my eyebrows shot up to rafters.
"What's on your mind?" I asked once we were standing outside the doors.
"The thing is," Adrian shifted awkwardly from one foot to the other, refusing to look me in the eye, "well, Natalia, I didn't really want to be the one to tell you this, but it seems as though A CERTAIN PERSON-" here his head briefly snapped up and there was anger in his eyes "-isn't going to mention anything, so it looks as though it's down to me. Now, when Slytherins tell these things to people, they usually say them only to hurt them, but that isn't my aim at all. I don't want to say this, but it looks as though I have no choice."
"Adrian, what is it?" I asked him, feeling anxious. He was about to reply, then jerked his head up at the sound of approaching footsteps, looking like a caged deer. "I have to go now. I'll talk to you later," he whispered, then bolted.
"Salut!" Luc said, then dropped a kiss on my lips. It was his footsteps I must have heard, I thought hazily as the sheer force of his closeness washed over me, and completely forgot about Adrian. "I am very sorry I was late. I hope you did not wait too long."
"Not at all," I said, kissing him back. "Let's go inside, shall we?" Hand- in-hand, we walked over to the Ravenclaw table and sat down.
Adrian was still looking at me.
10:58 AM
Had an even stranger conversation with Penelope after Potions, even bearing in mind Adrian's that morning and the talk I had with her in Moaning Myrtle's lair all those weeks ago.
"Have you seen Adrian Pucey this morning?" she asked me as we walked out the classroom together, placing a hand upon my shoulder. "He was looking for you."
Told her that I had and prepared to walk away. Her hand only tightened upon my shoulder. "It can't be easy, can it?" she asked sympathetically. "Look, I know we haven't always been on such good terms-" we're on good terms now? That's new to me "-but I'd just like you to know that if you need someone to talk to, I'm here?" She patted me consolingly on my shoulder and walked away.
What is up with everyone? Adrian and Penelope being sympathetic is enough to make me think I'm tripping.
Come to think of it, my potion did have a funny smell to it...
7:56 PM
Finally escaped from dinner just after eight. Malcolm had been boring me, and everyone else, even more than usual with a dissection with the autobiography of Ludo Bagman's he had been reading (it would be an "auto"biography. Egotistical maniac). By end of it even Bombardino was yawning. The rest of our house, it seems, has flung itself into party mode. Everyone seems excited about tomorrow's game except the actual team involved. We're just sick to death of hearing about it.
So I was exiting the Great Hall with these mutinous thoughts in mind when I collided with Luc [A/N - Is it just me or does fan fiction seem to have a lot of walking around corners and colliding into people? I know I do it too]. "Luc, you have no idea how happy I am to see you," I gushed. "Even for Hogwarts, I've had the strangest day. Adrian has been acting even weirder than usual and everyone seems to want to have-"
"Natalia, a word please," he said, taking me by the hand and leading me around a corner [A/N - yet another one! Hogwarts mustn't have a single hallway that is longer than three metres]. "I need to say something to you."
My heart rate quickened. This is it. This is when he tells me that he loves me. Am waiting for the candles to dim and the violins to start up any second now. Strange now, that I've been waiting my whole life for someone to tell me that they love me, and it feels almost anticlimactic. "Yes?" I purred, pouting up at him.
Luc closed his eyes and exhaled heavily. "I think we should call it off," he said.
"What?" I gasped. "What did you just say?"
"I don't think this is working out," Luc continued. "I think this is going too quickly and you are taking it far more seriously than I thought you would. And you are not the only one. You see, um, Natalia, Sandrine and I have been boyfriend and girlfriend now, for almost eighteen months."
A hard knot formed itself beneath my ribcage.
"We were both made Prefects in our fifth year," Luc continued. "We are still officially together, but when I went to England, we agreed it would be very hard. So we decided to have an open relationship. She knows about you."
"Doesn't, uh, an open relationship kind of defeat the purpose of having a relationship?" I asked huskily. "I mean, how is it any different to friends with benefits?" It was like a puppeteer was pulling my strings, moving me along and forcing my mouth to open and shout for the words to come out, while I just watched listlessly and helplessly. I did not know why I had asked those questions. I did not want to find out the answers to those questions. And actually, the puppeteer was never the one pulling my strings. Luc was.
"A friend with benefits, as you call it, is what we are," he told me, and my chest tightened at the coldness in his voice. "An open relationship is when you are committed to somebody with your heart, but you sleep with others. In an open relationship the person is your girlfriend, so you owe her more support and attention than you would if she were only your friend. I am not answerable to a friend in the same way I am answerable to her."
"You owe me some answers," my lips moved softly. That puppeteer, once again. I, on the other hand, have to remind myself to breathe.
"Yes, I believe I do," he said, and that time I could see the regret in his eyes. "When I first met you, I thought you were beautiful and fun, but I also thought that you would be the type of person who would sleep with me and not take it so seriously. I see now I made a misjudgement." He glanced at me, half as though he expected me to apologise for not fitting his perception of me. I kept my mouth shut. "I could tell you were getting serious about me, so I wanted to end things before you got hurt." And then, *drum roll please* came the classic: "I didn't mean to hurt you."
Jeez, ya coulda fooled me, Luc. Imagine what you would do if you "really" tried to hurt someone, in that case. Voldie would have competition. "I'm not hurt," I said. "Don't flatter yourself. You're not worth being hurt over. You're an arsehole and you suck in bed. And I don't mean in a vampire way." Then I turned on my heel and walked slowly, serenely, gracefully out of the room, all the while trying to will the doorway nearer so that the seconds would not drag by before I was out of his sight. And I similarly glided down the stairs, oblivious to the first years running by and the heavy castle air biting into my skin, until I reached the dungeon area near the Potions classroom lair. The bathroom where Penelope and I had our conversation of a few weeks ago was deserted, as I knew it would be.
Very few people ever see me cry. I know how to pick my moments.
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Author's Note: Well, did I end that one on a sad note or what? Thank you as always to those who reviewed. With the end in sight I'm planning on about four more entries. Coming up in the next one is the Gryffindor-Ravenclaw game, then Gryffindor's final match of the season against Hufflepuff and the Ravenclaw-Slytherin game in which Natalia and Cho have something very special planning for Dracola. The last ever entry will feature the truth and dare game to end all truth and dare games, and will resolve Natalia's romantic situation once and for all. So now you know I am still very much involved in this fic, despite huge assignments and exams looming. Woo hoo! Also, I'm short of a few Hufflepuffs, so if you want to be in match between them and Gryffindor, just leave the name you want me to use and what position you want to play. You never know, they may actually win...
Disclaimer: Those of you who, like me, read Cassandra Claire's Very Secret Diaries will recognise one of Natalia Adani's lines from the Hufflepuff- Ravenclaw Quidditch match from Legolas's Two Towers entry. And like me, you'll be wondering why Cassie hasn't updated since early March *sigh*. The Gryffindor-Slytherin Quidditch match is also based heavily on that of the CoS chapter, "The Rogue Bludger."
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Entry Fourteen: Quidditch and Questionable Behaviour
And for once, it's not coming from Natalia. Also features two Quidditch matches and (needless to say) Roger once again behaving like Oliver Wood.
2:16 PM, October 25th
ijustcan'tdealwiththisijustcan'tdealwiththisijustcan'tdealwiththis...
It's almost seven hours later and I still feel like I've been walloped in the stomach by a Bludger hit by Hagrid. Why do people even want to get involved with this kind of thing? Why? There has to be a point to it or...anything...It's just like this vicious cycle. Up. Down. In. Out. And now I'm well and truly out.
But I digress. Has been over two weeks since last poured my mysteries and misdeeds into this thing, and order must be found in the midst of disorder. I just wish it didn't hurt so much. I feel so stupid...
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8:16 AM, October 11th
First official Quidditch match of the season, and much Gryffindor grating and goading (from my side of the commentator's box, at least) await. Much as I want to see Malfoy's mug rubbed in manor muck after manner towards Cho from two weekends ago, look at who they're playing. I mean, am I really going to go after the Grating Gryffindorks, even when they're playing Slytherin?
Besides, will be enough Gryffindork propaganda from Jordan's side, so will fight fire with venom and be equally biased towards Slytherin. Smirks really far sexier than blatant do-goodness anyway. I mean, exactly how much does Hufflepuff get? Less than the entire Weasel clan put together, I reckon.
9:53 AM
Well, sitting pretty in my little commentator's box waiting for match to start. Er, well, technically is not "my" commentator's box, but Lee Jordan's, and technically not even commentator's, but teachers', box. Snotty members of staff would have us here, most probably to keep an idea on us. Spoilsports. Will have to play footsies with Jordan some other time. On second thoughts, midget could most probably not reach my feet and am in relationship (in Slytherin terms anyway, shagging being closest to relationship any of them ever get - oo-eer) with Luc, so cannot play footsies with anyone other than him.
Monogamy really starting to get me down. Should be limited to simply being smooth, dark wood.
Speaking of the Gryffindor himself, has just taken to the air and is flying adorably close to Katie Bell.
"Hey, you supple, sexy thing," I called out as him and Moo flew within ten feet of my, ahem - our, ahem (oh screw it) - box. "Good luck today. You'll need it. Let's do lunch." Oliver snorted it and made to fly off. Moo sent me daggers. "Oh yeah, you too, Wood." Both Gryffindorks almost fell off their brooms. "Bet that confused them," I tossed to Jordan, who was sniggering into his microphone.
"Weasley twins would've liked that one," he replied. "Butterbeer?"
"Don't mind if I do," I said, reaching for one.
"Do what, exactly?" he asked with a gleam in his eye. "Or whom, if I was to be more precise? Me?"
There was shocked silence from stadium, then laughter. Realised with horror that had accidentally switched microphone on. McGonagall is glaring down from behind us. Luc is glaring from across the stadium at us.
Oops.
1:56 PM
Party time! Slytherin leading sixty points to zero. Knew I would be doing them a favour by wearing green underwear today. Wood will no doubt be complaining about Slytherin's Malfoy's donated (probably contraband) Nimbus Two Thousand and Ones, but bad craftsmen always blame their tools. And his Slytherin ex, Zoe Zabini, has been heard complaining about "his" tool recently. He he.
Jordan now rather morose, so have been pulling his weight in terms of announcements. To cheer up him, have charmed wand to leap up and draw a scarlet smoke "L" above his forehead whenever Slytherin score.
Malfoy turning to taunt Potter (good boy). Does appear though to have rather large circular golden earring fluttering around his head...
MALFOY YOU MORON, THE SNITCH IS ON TOP OF YOUR FUCKING HEAD!
2:02 PM
So once again, those Gryffs pull through and all is right with the bloody world. Excuse me while I gag myself with my wand, which has backfired and is now charming large smoke "L" above "my" forehead.
"Hey, Adani," Lee beamed at me, "what was that you said about sleeping with me if Slytherin lost?"
"Ah, no, Jordan," I said, shaking my head at him. "When I said, "If Slytherin lose, I'll sleep with Luc," you must have misheard me as saying, "If Slytherin lose, I'll sleep with you." To me that was a clear case of wishful thinking."
"Or a Freudian slip," he tossed back, grinning evilly. "So, Miss Adani, what would you have done had Slytherin won?"
"Sleep with Luc," I smiled and left the tower.
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9:17 AM, October 18th
Gryffindor-inflicted good mood (note sarcasm here) increased following Saturday, on knowledge that would not only have to wear hideous ice hockey- inspired uniforms, but would have to do so, once again, in front of entire school in order to take on out-of-puff Hufflepuffs. Since Gryffindor were losing by six goals before Potter swooped to the rescue, if are losing by five goals or less and Cho catches the Snitch, will go first place in rankings due to goal difference. Ernie MacMillan on Slytherin broom would be no match for Cho on a Bluebottle, and since Ernie on Cleansweep Five and Cho riding my old Nimbus Two Thousand (which I had upgraded to Two Thousand and One over summer), should catch Snitch easily. As for goal difference, c'mon, it's Hufflepuff!
"Alright then, ladies, gentlemen and Natalia," Roger began. I rolled my eyes. "We have our first official match of the season against a house that has lost every game for the past five years." He glanced around changing room and saw Bombardino rubbing hands together with glee. "Now, I know that on paper we should thrash them, but this match does not occur on paper." Vanessa giggled. Roger scowled at her. "Look, I know they're the most underachieving bloody house in Hogwarts, but if we fly out there thinking we only need to circle the pitch once and we've got it, that's when they'll hurt us! Any team in this school is capable of beating any other team on any given day."
"Roger, we know," Malcolm Brocklehurst said. We had suffered through, uh, been given, variations of this speech for the better part of last two weeks. However, this was first time I had heard it in full, since early practice times had caused me to sleep through previous deliveries.
"And don't fall into the trap of thinking of this as a dress rehearsal to our game next weekend against Gryffindor," Roger continued to rant. "If we lose, then we're not only under more pressure to win against Gryffindor, but we'll be waiting for them to drop points against Hufflepuff, which will not happen while any of us are still breathing, I assure you."
"I know someone who's in Hufflepuff and who would be a very good Seeker," Cho said, "but his father won't let him try out for the team unless he gets decent pre-OWLs."
"That's all very well, Cho, but this is the current season we're talking about," Roger said. (Anyway, back to me, I thought). "And speaking of you, I'll need you to use a defensive Seeker strategy today. Since it could go down to the wire, we need to use this game to get a huge goal difference to compete with the other houses. So don't look for the Snitch yourself. Just mark MacMillan. Keep him close to you. Understand?" Cho nodded. "Good. Let's roll."
9:31 AM
Flew out into stadium to Lee Jordan's cries of, "DAVIES! DELACOURT! BROCKLEHURST! ADANI! BOMBARDINO! JOHNSON! ANNNNND CHANG!" A blue roar erupted from left side of stadium. Briefly spotted Potter's floozy, Hermione Grater, waving a blue flag. How that bookworm never slithered herself into Ravenclaw during the sorting ceremony, I don't know. Putting her in Gryffindor is like sorting Malfoy into Hufflepuff. And that Frogbottom kid, if he's brave and noble and daring then I'm Great Aunt Helga.
Jordan's braying announced the entry of the Hufflepuff side, looking like bloody canaries in their oh-so-shaggable bright yellow robes. There's a reason why the movie version of Wolverine ditched that shiny yellow spandex number for black leather (phwoar) in X-Men, mates. Spotted MacMillan, a rather chubby blond kid clinging for dear life to his broom. Only danger is that due to superior girth, he could knock Cho out of the way in pursuit of Snitch, but no doubt Roger has gone over this with her several thousands of times. Better her than me. Broke away from team's warm-up laps with Bombardino, who as Roger had earlier decreed, produced a tennis ball and hit to me. Swung it back politely, as unwise (though tempting) to injure obnoxious teammates prior to game.
Hooch strode out onto field and we took positions. Roger dismounted and walked over to Hooch to shake hands with the canaries' captain, a waxen- skinned boy almost a head shorter than he [A/N - Okay, I know the Hufflepuff team wouldn't be "quite" that bad, but this is Natalia's perspective we're talking about, not mine]. Bombardino caught my eye and gave a significant look over to a fourth year Beater, the one kid on their side of the pitch that had beef in all the right places. He mouthed "Danger Man" and I nodded.
With a blast of Hooch's whistle, we were off. Luc was the first to the Quaffle. The Hufflepuff Danger Man immediately swung a Bludger at him, but I intercepted it and hurled it back, warning him right off. No one tries it on with my part-Veela. Luc swerved to the right, making as if to go around the Hufflepuff Keeper, but at the last minute passed the Quaffle to Roger, who carefully lobbed it over the Keeper and into the far goal. First blood Ravenclaw.
Glanced over to see how Cho was doing, and realised that needn't have bothered. She was practically holding Ernie MacMillan upright on his broom, who had gone a sickly shade of green. Jeez, only the Hufflepuffs would pick a Seeker who is afraid of heights. Bloody brilliant really.
Meanwhile, the canaries' Chasers had actually got it together enough to hurdle towards our goal. Their Danger Man had once again attempted damage with a Bludger, trying to veer Vanessa off-course as she attempted a save from a pony-tailed girl, but this time it was Bombardino who blocked the effort, swinging it back effortlessly towards their captain. Was it just me, or did his Bludger zoom needlessly close to me while knocking canary captain from his broom? Hmm...
Within half an hour, we were fifty points ahead (needless to say, the scoreline was fifty-zero, not sixty-ten or seventy-five, as Hufflepuff seemed incapable of stringing two passes, let alone two coherent sentences - himbos - together). Cho had given up all efforts of locating the Snitch and had her arms around MacMillan, who was now purple. Really, some people. Bombardino and I were criss-crossing the stadium with Bludgers, and Roger and Luc were flying like maniacs. The Hufflepuff side of the stadium was like a graveyard. Their Keeper had even tipped the Quaffle through one of his own hoops.
"Own goal! Own goal!" Vanessa, who supported a Muggle football team called Arsenal [A/N - I always knew she was cool] screamed as Bombardino wolf- whistled.
"What is an own goal?" Luc asked, looking perplexed. Vanessa didn't have time to reply. The head canary, who had resumed flight, was sprinting towards us. Luc body-checked him, causing him to drop the Quaffle, which Vanessa snatched and tossed to Roger.
"Penalty!" the canary Chasers howled, in reference to Luc's block on their captain. Hooch blew her whistle shrilly. Roger protested that it had been a potential scoring situation, but under Hooch's instruction tossed the Quaffle back to the canaries, a mutinous expression on his face. Completely with Roger on this one. Bloody Hooch. Anyone who has an overzealous grasp of fairness to the point where she actually "volunteers" to be referee during Quidditch match could only have been a Hufflepuff. Therefore should not even be on pitch due to bias. Fortunately Vanessa saved and punched the rebound out to Malcolm, who swerved a Bludger and sped towards the canary goal. Since daft birds had clustered around our area in order to see penalty outcome, goal was undefended save Keeper. Sixty-zero Ravenclaw.
After three hours we were leading one hundred and seventy to ten (head canary got goal after blocking Cho, and therefore should have had possession returned to us for unnecessary foul on Seeker) and had stopped for a lunch break. The Ravenclaw part of the stadium sang "Who's afraid of the big bad Hufflepuff?" as we munched on sandwiches. Knowing that even had every law of nature rebelled and MacMillan actually caught the Snitch, the head canary formally withdrew the now lime-coloured second year from proceedings, making the game in effect a farce. With the outcome of the match now completely written as a Ravenclaw win, since Cho was the only one who could catch the Snitch, the Gryff and Slyth supporters buggered off, leaving the blue and yellow quarters of the school. Now this shows how daft Hufflepuffs really are. If "my" team was sure to lose, I would have slipped out as quickly and quietly as possible, but see how loyalty can make you look foolish? Jeeez. With the Hufflepuff Beaters now focusing their attention exclusively on our Chasers and ignoring Cho, Bombardino and I had our work out for us. My arm felt ready to pop out of its socket. It was only when we were four hundred points ahead that Roger signalled to Cho to put the canaries out of their misery and catch the Snitch. So it finally ended FOUR HUNDRED AND THIRTY TO TWENTY. If I write it in bigger letters, perhaps it would feel more real.
"Now remember, we played a bloody long match today and Gryffindor have had an extra weekend to recover from their last match," Roger cautioned as we walked off the pitch, Luc and I arm-in-arm. "You all need to be sensible and make sure you get plenty of rest between now and next Saturday. And that means sleep - alone!" he added, shooting a significant look at Luc and myself.
"So you won't be having any more early morning practices?" Vanessa asked hopefully.
"No, we'll be having heaps of those," Roger said with relish. Cho groaned. "I just meant bearing in mind our next game, we should all make a conscious effort to spend less time burning the midnight oil this week. Less time on homework and tests."
Malcolm, the perennial academic overachiever, had turned a MacMillan shade. "Well, what did you expect?" Bombardino hissed to Vanessa as they left the field. "It's "Roger" we're talking about."
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6:49 AM, October 24th
Well, result against Hufflepuff has left me in, as a certain Hogwarts dropout and loser would say, a "ruddy good mood." Gryffindors glancing apprehensively at us as we walk through halls, instead of making snide comments about "weak-wristed honour roll scalers." Bombardino, scarily, has taken to carrying his bat (and I don't mean the winged variety) around with him all day and wearing a belaclava. He's either amphed beyond belief or completely insane. Personally leaning towards latter. Might make good "Witches Weekly" poll question.
Alright, I know have been slack in filling this in the last few weeks, but as saying goes, "Only good girls keep diaries. Bad girls don't have the time."
Cho must be writing army manuals by now.
Waited for Luc in common room to accompany me to breakfast, but never showed up. Has been playing hooky from a few of our trysts lately. Oh well, am still very Luc-y in love. He he. Bloody Merlin, is it possible to be in love yet not be so impossibly Gryffindork cheesy? Am beginning to annoy even myself.
9:09 AM
Strange thing happened to me during breakfast this morning. Adrian was staring intently at doorway as I walked in, and seemed to have been waiting for me to arrive, because as soon as I'd sat down he got up and went over to Ravenclaw table. "Natalia," he began, "we need to talk."
I cringed. Second only to "I don't do that," those have to be some of my least favourite four words put together. Out loud, I said, "Sure."
Adrian glanced around at the students on either side of us, a foreign expression on his face. Realised with start that it was nervousness, which I had never before encountered on the visage of the Divine Mister Pucey. "I mean, somewhere more private?" he asked.
"Okaaaay," I sighed, feeling more puzzled by the minute. Adrian didn't seem annoyed by my disgruntled behaviour. If anything, he even appeared to be concerned, which is a very un-Slytherin trait. He even took my arm as we walked out of Great Hall. At that point my eyebrows shot up to rafters.
"What's on your mind?" I asked once we were standing outside the doors.
"The thing is," Adrian shifted awkwardly from one foot to the other, refusing to look me in the eye, "well, Natalia, I didn't really want to be the one to tell you this, but it seems as though A CERTAIN PERSON-" here his head briefly snapped up and there was anger in his eyes "-isn't going to mention anything, so it looks as though it's down to me. Now, when Slytherins tell these things to people, they usually say them only to hurt them, but that isn't my aim at all. I don't want to say this, but it looks as though I have no choice."
"Adrian, what is it?" I asked him, feeling anxious. He was about to reply, then jerked his head up at the sound of approaching footsteps, looking like a caged deer. "I have to go now. I'll talk to you later," he whispered, then bolted.
"Salut!" Luc said, then dropped a kiss on my lips. It was his footsteps I must have heard, I thought hazily as the sheer force of his closeness washed over me, and completely forgot about Adrian. "I am very sorry I was late. I hope you did not wait too long."
"Not at all," I said, kissing him back. "Let's go inside, shall we?" Hand- in-hand, we walked over to the Ravenclaw table and sat down.
Adrian was still looking at me.
10:58 AM
Had an even stranger conversation with Penelope after Potions, even bearing in mind Adrian's that morning and the talk I had with her in Moaning Myrtle's lair all those weeks ago.
"Have you seen Adrian Pucey this morning?" she asked me as we walked out the classroom together, placing a hand upon my shoulder. "He was looking for you."
Told her that I had and prepared to walk away. Her hand only tightened upon my shoulder. "It can't be easy, can it?" she asked sympathetically. "Look, I know we haven't always been on such good terms-" we're on good terms now? That's new to me "-but I'd just like you to know that if you need someone to talk to, I'm here?" She patted me consolingly on my shoulder and walked away.
What is up with everyone? Adrian and Penelope being sympathetic is enough to make me think I'm tripping.
Come to think of it, my potion did have a funny smell to it...
7:56 PM
Finally escaped from dinner just after eight. Malcolm had been boring me, and everyone else, even more than usual with a dissection with the autobiography of Ludo Bagman's he had been reading (it would be an "auto"biography. Egotistical maniac). By end of it even Bombardino was yawning. The rest of our house, it seems, has flung itself into party mode. Everyone seems excited about tomorrow's game except the actual team involved. We're just sick to death of hearing about it.
So I was exiting the Great Hall with these mutinous thoughts in mind when I collided with Luc [A/N - Is it just me or does fan fiction seem to have a lot of walking around corners and colliding into people? I know I do it too]. "Luc, you have no idea how happy I am to see you," I gushed. "Even for Hogwarts, I've had the strangest day. Adrian has been acting even weirder than usual and everyone seems to want to have-"
"Natalia, a word please," he said, taking me by the hand and leading me around a corner [A/N - yet another one! Hogwarts mustn't have a single hallway that is longer than three metres]. "I need to say something to you."
My heart rate quickened. This is it. This is when he tells me that he loves me. Am waiting for the candles to dim and the violins to start up any second now. Strange now, that I've been waiting my whole life for someone to tell me that they love me, and it feels almost anticlimactic. "Yes?" I purred, pouting up at him.
Luc closed his eyes and exhaled heavily. "I think we should call it off," he said.
"What?" I gasped. "What did you just say?"
"I don't think this is working out," Luc continued. "I think this is going too quickly and you are taking it far more seriously than I thought you would. And you are not the only one. You see, um, Natalia, Sandrine and I have been boyfriend and girlfriend now, for almost eighteen months."
A hard knot formed itself beneath my ribcage.
"We were both made Prefects in our fifth year," Luc continued. "We are still officially together, but when I went to England, we agreed it would be very hard. So we decided to have an open relationship. She knows about you."
"Doesn't, uh, an open relationship kind of defeat the purpose of having a relationship?" I asked huskily. "I mean, how is it any different to friends with benefits?" It was like a puppeteer was pulling my strings, moving me along and forcing my mouth to open and shout for the words to come out, while I just watched listlessly and helplessly. I did not know why I had asked those questions. I did not want to find out the answers to those questions. And actually, the puppeteer was never the one pulling my strings. Luc was.
"A friend with benefits, as you call it, is what we are," he told me, and my chest tightened at the coldness in his voice. "An open relationship is when you are committed to somebody with your heart, but you sleep with others. In an open relationship the person is your girlfriend, so you owe her more support and attention than you would if she were only your friend. I am not answerable to a friend in the same way I am answerable to her."
"You owe me some answers," my lips moved softly. That puppeteer, once again. I, on the other hand, have to remind myself to breathe.
"Yes, I believe I do," he said, and that time I could see the regret in his eyes. "When I first met you, I thought you were beautiful and fun, but I also thought that you would be the type of person who would sleep with me and not take it so seriously. I see now I made a misjudgement." He glanced at me, half as though he expected me to apologise for not fitting his perception of me. I kept my mouth shut. "I could tell you were getting serious about me, so I wanted to end things before you got hurt." And then, *drum roll please* came the classic: "I didn't mean to hurt you."
Jeez, ya coulda fooled me, Luc. Imagine what you would do if you "really" tried to hurt someone, in that case. Voldie would have competition. "I'm not hurt," I said. "Don't flatter yourself. You're not worth being hurt over. You're an arsehole and you suck in bed. And I don't mean in a vampire way." Then I turned on my heel and walked slowly, serenely, gracefully out of the room, all the while trying to will the doorway nearer so that the seconds would not drag by before I was out of his sight. And I similarly glided down the stairs, oblivious to the first years running by and the heavy castle air biting into my skin, until I reached the dungeon area near the Potions classroom lair. The bathroom where Penelope and I had our conversation of a few weeks ago was deserted, as I knew it would be.
Very few people ever see me cry. I know how to pick my moments.
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Author's Note: Well, did I end that one on a sad note or what? Thank you as always to those who reviewed. With the end in sight I'm planning on about four more entries. Coming up in the next one is the Gryffindor-Ravenclaw game, then Gryffindor's final match of the season against Hufflepuff and the Ravenclaw-Slytherin game in which Natalia and Cho have something very special planning for Dracola. The last ever entry will feature the truth and dare game to end all truth and dare games, and will resolve Natalia's romantic situation once and for all. So now you know I am still very much involved in this fic, despite huge assignments and exams looming. Woo hoo! Also, I'm short of a few Hufflepuffs, so if you want to be in match between them and Gryffindor, just leave the name you want me to use and what position you want to play. You never know, they may actually win...