Authors' Note: Thank you for all of your reviews! We're sorry that we had a long time updating. We promise to update more frequently. We've been discussing the flow of the story and we've got some pretty good ideas. All we need to do is write them down. And we've been pretty busy ourselves, with all the enrollment and stuff. Anyways, a short chapter for all you lovely people, so enjoy!

Chapter 6: The Quidditch Game

The sky was of a bright blue with hints of clouds drifting by. The morning sun was shining brightly and the air was crisp and cool. All in all, it was a perfect day for quidditch.

Harry Potter stepped out into the grassy field of the quidditch stadium and took a deep breath. He was feeling good about this day and he was sure that Gryffindor would now win against Slytherin. He thought about the game plans he and his team had constructed long before and put them into practice. The Gryffindor team was composed of chasers sixth year Marla Banks, fifth year Eric Lancaster, and seventh year Amanda Thompson; beaters Russell Archer and Chris Morris who were both seventh years and keeper Frances Cole who was a fifth year. Harry had handpicked his team since the start of the school year, since the others had already graduated.

He looked over to the side and sure enough, he saw the whole Slytherin team sitting on their side of the bleachers. Harry frowned. They were surely discussing their own game plan. It was no argument that their captain had been driving his team to perfection. Oh sure, Draco had never caught the snitch, but that didn't affect in the winning of Slytherin over Gryffindor; because Slytherin's points were always higher than a hundred and fifty, making the catching of the snitch useless for Gryffindor's victory.

But that was all going to change. Harry had made sure that they would win today. No matter what.

With a swish of his scarlet quidditch robes, he went back to Gryffindor's locker room to prepare his team for this match.

Half an hour later, the game was about to begin. As the Slytherin made their way out, Draco went over to the professors' stands. His father was there for the game and Lucius nodded approvingly towards his son. Draco then noticed Stephen Weller, the seventh year Gryffindor commentator. Suddenly, with a spark of mischief, he called out Professor McGonagall as Stephen was making a few announcements.

"Professor McGonagall...!" Draco called out. The Deputy Headmistress looked at him expectantly.

"Yes, Mister Malfoy?"

"Is there any chance, any chance at all in the near future that Slytherin might comment once in a while? I mean, all I hear during the game is Gryffindor this and Gryffindor that... when does Slytherin get some attention?" Draco asked, grinning.

"I would take that into consideration, Mister Malfoy. Meanwhile, I suggest you keep your mind on the game instead of wondering whether Slytherin would have a chance to commentate or not." Professor McGonagall said, smiling at Draco in her own authoritative way as Stephen glared at the Slytherin seeker.

"Will do, Professor." Draco said and made a gesture of tipping his hat (even though he had none) and sped off into the field and took his place above the other players, across from Harry. And he waited for the balls to be released. Once Madam Hooch released the balls, the game was off and everyone went into action.

Draco hovered above all the rest as he searched for the snitch. But sometimes, he would get into a strategy game play with Patrick and Zach, confusing the Gryffindor chasers by swerving in and out of them at high speed. In due time, Slytherin had 30 points over Gryffindor, who had scored only 10 points.

During the game, as Draco did not see any sign of the golden snitch, he would think back on the mysterious note he was still trying to figure out... He would space out for a few times, before realizing where he was and ducking just in time before he was hit on the head with a bludger.

"You alright, Malfoy?" Asked Mark Tanner, one of the Slytherin beaters as he stopped just a few feet away from Draco.

"Yeah... I'm fine." Draco assured then smirked. Mark wondered at first why Draco was smirking, then followed Draco's pointed finger towards fifth year Gryffindor chaser, Eric Lancaster in a very precarious position in the air. Oh he was in his broom, alright, but he didn't know that two Slytherins were right behind him and ready to pull one of their harmless and foul-less pranks.

Mark nodded and together, they made their descent to where Lancaster was. They came from opposite directions, hurtling at top speed towards the unknowing Gryffindor chaser. When Eric finally saw the flash of green on his right, he turned and saw Draco Malfoy grinning at him. Eric looked to the left and saw Mark Tanner coming towards him. Stunned and afraid, he didn't know what to do. He kept looking at his sides, watching in shock as the two Slytherins were coming toward him.

Finally, when Draco and Mark were only a few feet away, they put on the brakes on their brooms and stopped mere inches from Eric. And the poor boy was so shocked and afraid that he simply was almost knocked out of his broom. Draco and Mark burst out laughing before turning back to what they were supposed to do.

Harry immediately went to Draco's side. "What the hell was that, Malfoy?!" Harry yelled as Draco looked with a bored expression on his face.

"What do you mean, Scarhead?"

"That was supposed to be a foul!" Harry shot back.

"You need ice Potter? I can see the fire in your eyes... tsk tsk, you know, you'll get brain damage if your head heats up!" Draco replied mockingly, smirking.

"Stick to the game Malfoy, no more damn tricks!" Harry warned.

"Am I supposed to be scared, Potter?" Draco asked before flying away to a better spot to see the snitch. But then he shot back. "And by the way, Potter, check your handbook, that wasn't a foul! I didn't knock him off!"

Harry, unable to say anything more, turned back to the game and directed his team.

Thirty minutes later, Slytherin had a hundred points, as opposed to Gryffindor's meager 30. Harry knew that if he could catch the snitch right then and there, they would win for sure.

Meanwhile, Draco was also looking for the snitch, or at least he appeared so. He was too busy thinking about that damn note. What could it mean? Why would someone write about Weasley in such a manner? Because he did something bad to them?

The thought of doing something bad to somebody quickly averted Draco's thoughts to Hermione. What made him think of her then was a mystery to him. He absentmindedly searched for her amidst the mass of scarlet and gold overflowing in the Gryffindor bleachers. When he finally saw her though, he saw that she was with her two girl friends again, and Weasley was nowhere in sight.

Interesting... Draco thought as he continued to look at her.

That was probably the time he noticed how pretty she was. Her hair was a beautiful shade of brown that reminded him of hot chocolate he used to have at home during winter. It flowed down her back in waves that made his palms itch to stroke it. She'd grown a few inches since her first year, but he knew that she was only eye-level to his chest. He knew from glaring at her all the time that she had eyes of a deep chocolate brown.

Draco recalled the time when he had accidentally slammed her into a bookcase... come to think of it, it was around that time he started looking at her differently. He didn't see her as the know-it-all Gryffindor, despite what he may have said to his friends. He didn't even notice her attractiveness until today, or at least he only admitted it to himself today. But after her... reaction to his body on hers, even though he did slam into her... made him observe her more and wonder what happened to make her the way she acted.

The nagging feeling didn't leave him. And he didn't want it to.

Draco was so occupied with his thoughts that he didn't hear a faint buzzing sound at first. He was too busy looking at Hermione, who was looking at the game as someone scored another ten points for some team. He didn't even realize that he was a part of the game!

Harry however, saw the tiny golden snitch hovering just a few inches before Draco's face. Maybe those glasses of his really help since Harry was almost on the other side of the field. Not wanting to waste a moment and not wanting Malfoy to grab the snitch first, even though he looked like he didn't even realize that the snitch was right in front of him, Harry sped off on his Firebolt and was headed directly towards the snitch.

Draco's head was still in space when he now realized that he had been hearing a buzzing sound to the right side. Turning his head, he came face to face with the golden snitch a few inches away from his face. At first, his brain didn't process the information that he was staring at the snitch. But then, he snapped out of it and tentatively, he reached out and grabbed it, just as a hand came swiping towards where the snitch once was.

Draco looked and saw that Potter had an unsure look on his face. They faced each other, hands held into fists as the crowd grew silent, waiting, watching for what was to happen next. The two teams were halted in the air, merely suspended. Kevin looked like he was going to have a heart attack. The others had unsure looks on their faces.

"This isn't your day, Potter." Draco said smoothly before throwing the snitch a few inches in the air and catching it again. He smirked at the death glare Potter was giving him.

"Slytherin wins; 250 to 40! Draco Malfoy has caught the snitch!" Stephen announced as the Slytherin house roared in victory. Professor Snape clapped as well and gave his approval toward the team.

The two teams touched down to the ground and the Slytherin team all came around and clapped Draco on the back.

"Damn Malfoy! Great game play!" Kevin said, grinning at his team seeker. Draco grinned back and shook his head.

Draco turned towards the Gryffindors who were looking sullen and sulky. Oh well... He searched once again for Hermione and saw her rushing towards the castle, probably to finish off her studies.

Then he remembered that he had to meet Hermione in the library to research for their project in Defense Against the Dark Arts. But before he could join his team towards the Slytherin locker rooms, a hand on his shoulder stopped him from doing so. Draco turned and saw the proud face of Lucius Malfoy.

"Well done, my son." Lucius said.

"Thank you, father." Draco replied. Then Lucius nodded and walked off to the Hogwarts castle. Draco continued to walk towards the Slytherin locker room.

He had won today... and it was the best feeling in the world.