Chapter 7
Speeding Bullet Chaser
Stick. Check. Robes. Check. Equipment. Check. Panic. double check.
Standing in front of the mirror, clad in her Quidditch robes, Cadence felt almost out of place. For years upon years she had studied and practiced Quidditch, but she had never thought she would get the chance to appear on the field.
Nor had she thought that her parents wouldn't be watching her, applauding and cheering for her in the stands while she was on the grounds. She didn't want people getting anywhere closer to the truth than they already were, and being good at Quidditch would only hasten that process.
It was only minutes before she'd hear her name being called from down in the common room. Then she would have to join the team, go out to the pitch, and perform in her first ever real Quidditch game.
She made sure everything was on right, her clammy hand clutching her broom handle for dear life. She had pulled her hair back into a tight ponytail and was now staring at herself so intensely she thought the mirror would shatter if she looked harder.
The practices had gone extremely well the past two weeks she had been on the team. Since that time, they had recruited the members necessary for regulation Quidditch, and she was surprised how well she had gotten along.
There was practice every day at seven, which gave Cadence enough time to study for an hour with Hagrid, do her homework, put on her practice gear, and head out to the field. Of course, this left her feeling guilty because she had made no time to spend with Ginny. Ginny told her that she understood, and that time with her in class was better than none at all. Cadence had asked her a couple of times if she wanted to spend some time talking in the common room after her practice at nine, but since Ginny was too busy studying for O.W.L.s, she had declined.
She still felt hollow inside, no matter what she did with her time. She was constantly busy now, doing more than she had ever hoped to do when she came to Hogwarts. Quidditch practice, homework, 'independent study' with Hagrid. and a best friend. what were the odds?
Yet as she thought and as she recollected all of the things she now had in her life, she looked down at her feet (which, incidentally were clad in uncomfortably tight Quidditch boots) and remembered the most important thing. Harry.
If kissing him twice, holding his hand, and spending two hours a night with him wasn't enough, they were sending and receiving daily owls to each other.
Even after Quidditch practice, he was always sure to tell her what a great job she did and then give her pointers on what to do better. Usually it wasn't much. He always had a look about his face when she said goodbye that made her want to stay longer. He stayed behind to pack everything up, and she went straight to the showers and then to bed. She had no chance of bumping into him afterward. It dismayed her that the only time she could spend with him was during practice. However, they still stole glances that meant something more than 'catch the Quaffle.'
Harry. He was everything she never knew that she had always wanted. He was perfect in so many ways for her. He was almost a foot taller than her. According to Ginny, he had shot up out of nowhere, almost beating her brother in height. His painfully untidy black hair only made him that much more boyish, as opposed to the man he was so obviously becoming. He had the broad and sparkling smile of someone as beautiful inside as out.
And then there were his eyes. The bright green emerald shone as if the sun had been created beyond them. What gave her the biggest thrill about them was that the twinkle within them was reserved for her. and only her.
"Cadence Cartwright! Let's go!"
She shook off the fuzz that clouded her mind and then suddenly, it all hit her again. Her hands once again became clammy, her heart thudded in her chest, and she felt the tension rise up in her stomach as she clung to her broom.
"This is it."
Clambering down the stairs in her boots, she made sure her robes were secure and followed one of the female players down to the common room, where the rest of the team was meeting.
When Cadence made it down the stairs, Harry was giving the rest of the team a pep talk before heading out. They all looked up as she entered the circle and Harry gave Cadence the smile she knew he gave to her only.
"Are you ready?"
She nodded, too nervous to speak.
"All right then. If that's it, we're off! 'Go Gryffindor' on three!"
They put their hands in a circle as Harry gave off the count, "1, 2, 3, GO GRYFFINDOR!"
The team turned and began a march to the field. No one said anything as they gripped their brooms tightly, biting their lips, scratching their heads, clenching their fists, or just breathing. Angst arose in each player as they got closer and closer to the cheers, the stadium, and the field. However, after a few more steps, the angst started to turn into excitement.
Cadence let her eyes drift upward, and her ears finally opened to the screams and cheers coming from inside. She felt her heart go berserk inside her chest and she smiled. Ten years of training was going to be worth it to hear everyone screaming 'Go Gryffindor!' the team she was on.
It was Cadence's turn to get excited. She smiled wider with each step she took and found her heart thudding was more her anxiousness to get up on her broom.
They stopped and waited for the gates to open and allow them access to the field. Harry looked at Cadence, who was tactically placed next to him. She was bouncing up and down, as if she were standing on hot coals.
"Anxious?" he asked with half of a smirk.
"A little."
"Understandable," he chuckled.
She found the nerve to reach out and give him a jab to the shoulder. "Leave me alone. This is my first real game, in front of a real audience." Did I just tell him that?
Did she just say that? "Oh is it?"
She became flustered as a flush crept up her cheeks and to her ears. "Well."
Luckily, she was cut off when the gate opened and the entire team mounted their sticks. She flew out freely, and as she heard the cheers coming from below her, it made her smile and fly higher. She did a few quick cuts and turns and finally, took her position on the middle of the field as she watched Madam Hooch step out below her.
She looked up at Harry, who was. again. strategically placed right next to her. With his right hand, he clutched the end of his broom, and with his left hand, he reached out and put it on top of hers.
She looked up at him, and for a brief moment, something flickered in Harry's eyes that almost made her fall off. Just as quickly as she had seen it, it disappeared and she had to pay attention to what was going on below her.
Cadence looked up quickly enough to notice that the Slytherin team, led by none other than Draco, was in position. Draco's eyes however, were not on the box below. They were burning into her own. She felt a chill run down her spine and vowed to herself that she was going to pay attention to the Quaffle and only the Quaffle, so she could make a good impression and remain on the team.
The commentator announced that the Snitch had flown out of the box, although Cadence couldn't see it. Harry and Draco's heads moved in rhythm and she suddenly had a good idea where it had gone.
The Bludgers came flying up out of the box next, and Cadence ducked to avoid the nasty balls.
All she could feel at that sudden moment was her heart thudding this way and that. The Quaffle was going to be released, and she had been chosen to zoom in and grab it first chance she got. She didn't want to mess anything up, but she had a distinct feeling that she would.
In slow motion, it all happened. The ball flew up and Cadence seized her opportunity. She dipped the end of her stick forward and flew in for the kill. The three Slytherin Chasers noticed what she was doing and five seconds after she had done it they dipped in as well. She snatched the Quaffle, flew below all of them, dodged the first Bludger she knew was coming right for her, and flew like a bullet toward the hoops. She heard nothing but the wind gushing in her ears. She almost had time to wonder where the crowd had gone.
She threw the Quaffle in and finally, heard the crowd again. She smiled at her teammates as they retrieved the ball.
Slytherin was suddenly up on her and she could feel the Bludger coming from behind. She looked to one of her teammates as they threw the Quaffle in the air. Seeing the opposing Chasers coming up from behind, she sped through the air once again, and within a matter of seconds, she had scored another ten points for Gryffindor.
She flowed through the game like it was nothing, going in and out of all sense and focusing solely on the game. She sometimes could hear the roar of the crowd, she could sometimes hear the cheering of the commentator. One thing she could always hear was the wind. it was always booming in her ears, flying past her eyes and almost through her skin. The feel of that ball in her arms was like coming home.
And within three minutes, Gryffindor was up by sixty.
It seemed as though nothing could ever go wrong in Cadence's life. everything was finally at a rest. All she knew was she was on the Quidditch field she was successful and close to Harry. He had flown up beside her several times and had even assisted in helping her score once. She was finally at peace with everything. She even wondered if she was facing another team.
Before she could think twice, she heard a hissing voice behind her.
"Things are going quite well for you, my dear?"
She barely even heard it, but turned just in time to sigh and shake her head. "Not today, Malfoy."
It would be the first time she ever referred to him the way Harry always did. Harry. The mere thought of his name-
"What could be so bad about me talking to you right now?" he asked in a labored voice. He was gaining on her quickly, which surprised her. "Oh yes," he said, reaching out to touch her.
She was too quick for him. She dodged out of his and a Bludger's way at the same time and then remained in one spot. Draco only flew closer.
"Don't waste your time on this team. You're too good for them. They're nothing but a bunch of ragged, incompetent, indolent idiots! You need to be with us."
Her jaw dropped. "Stay away from me, Malfoy."
"Why is it now, Malfoy?"
"Because you're too inferior to be referred to by your first name."
His jaw was clenched and he flew closer to her as she dodged in and out of other players and Bludgers. He raised his eyebrows and then whispered, "This is about Potter again, right?"
She said nothing.
"Are you in love with him?"
Her heart shot into her throat.
"Are you in love with someone as lowly, arrogant, and pretentious as that hot headed moron?"
She saw red. "MORON?" she screamed. She turned her head and stared Draco right in the face. "What I don't understand, MALFOY is if he is such the moron, how come he is doing his job as Quidditch Seeker and Captain while you're over here trying to irk me?"
Draco merely flew closer to her, reaching out a hand to touch her. She yanked away. "Because you deserve someone better than him."
"And you think that person is you?"
"It's obviously me."
"Then I only see one moron."
Draco bit his lip and fury flooded his face. He smacked Cadence across the face, and then proceeded to shove her off of her broom.
Cadence screamed and then felt her sweaty fingers lose grip.
Draco flew up next to her and hissed into her ear, "If things work my way, Cadence Cartwright, there won't be anything for me to steal from your precious Potter. I bet you'd like that?"
She let out a tremendous cry and felt a sudden rush of wind behind her, and she knew that Draco was no longer behind her. Slytherin had just scored and cheers arose from the corresponding side of the stadium. Cadence struggled for dear life to get back up onto her broom. She screamed until she was hoarse and just as she thought she had a tight enough grip to get back up, a strong, hard object hit her in the back and she felt herself falling. falling.
And nothing.
"Her eyes are opening!"
"Can she hear us?"
"I don't know, find out!"
"Cadence? Cadence? Can you hear me?"
"Oh that's going to do a lot, you nitwit!"
"Well at least I'm trying!"
"Her lids are fluttering!"
"Cadence. Open your eyes. Look at me. What do you see?"
Green eyes.
"Harry?" Cadence rasped.
Harry's bright smile could light up the entire room. "That's right, love. It's me."
"Where am I?" Her eyes began to focus, and she saw that Harry was sitting on the bed, clutching her hand tightly in his. His rumpled hair was in a state of chaotic frenzy, his glasses were on crooked, his face and hands were covered with dirt and dried blood, and he was still wearing his Quidditch robes. Ginny was on her immediate left, eyes wide open and mouth formed together in a thin line. Ron and Hermione stood behind Harry, squabbling quietly.
"You're in the hospital wing," came Ginny's soft voice after a long pause. "Tell me you remember what happened!"
"Remember what?"
Ginny and Harry exchanged frozen looks and then looked back at Cadence.
"Remember what?" she repeated, now starting to get upset. She couldn't recall what had happened or how she had ended up where she was.
Harry looked over his shoulder. Ron and Hermione stopped bickering, stared back at Harry and nodded. They left the room, hand in hand. Ginny followed reluctantly after being persuaded to by Harry.
Cadence watched them leave and then sat up slowly in the bed. She felt sore all over, especially in her back. It hurt her to talk, and she had trouble getting a fairly good grip on Harry's hand, even though he was clinging to her for dear life.
"What's going on?"
Harry readjusted his position on the bed and said nothing. He simply stared down at her and then opened his mouth to speak. "Can I call you Cadie?"
She had always hated that nickname. Her mother and grandmother had used it constantly and she had despised it. Yet somehow, coming off of Harry's lips, it sounded like music.
She smiled. "Yes."
"The Quidditch game was going fine. more than that. I was so impressed. You were doing better than I had ever seen you. Better than I had ever envisioned. You were in this complete trance like state, dodging everything expertly, throwing the ball in six times in a row. I was so captivated. I wasn't sure if you'd notice that I flew up next to you, but something just drew me. Like I had to get close to you."
Cadence listened with fervor, still not recollecting anything.
"But then, I found the Snitch, and I was going after it. and before I could grab it, I looked up and I saw that Malfoy was trying to bother you. Even though I was half tempted to go over there and knock him off his broom for what he was doing, I had to restrain myself. I went looking for the Snitch again. Then I heard a scream, and I knew without a doubt it was you. I saw you hanging off of your broom, and that was my chance."
As she listened, bits and pieces flew back to her. She remembered the beginning of the game and how she had scored so many points. She recalled the trance. but the part about Draco she had no memory of at that point.
"I flew on that broom over to both of you so fast that I was sure I was going to fly off myself. I hurled myself at Malfoy. He went flying backward, and he almost got caught off his broom. He came back at me and stupidly picked up both of his hands and tried to shove me off of mine. I was hanging on too tightly, and then he flew up and grabbed me by the neck, so I grabbed both of his hands and tried to knock him off, and then he came up with some brilliant plan. I saw it in his eyes. He pushed me right into the back of you, and you fell. When I felt myself hit you, I pawed Malfoy off of me, and I flew like mad after you, but it was too late. I hit the dirt. Scratched up my face and hands pretty bad, but all I cared about was you."
She stared into his eyes and saw that he was sincere. In an instant, it all came to her. She saw the same flicker in his eyes she had noticed before the game and remembered. Everything that Draco said flew back to her, and she remembered hanging for dear life from her broom. She remembered getting the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach that she'd never be able to tell Harry what she wanted to tell him. She remembered how much dread had gone through her body when she realized that once she fell. it was over. No more Harry.
"I remember," she whispered.
"What did he say to you?" Harry whispered back almost immediately.
He squeezed her hand and she tried to squeeze it back. She shook her head but he urged her to continue.
"Well. he was trying to get me going. it was nothing."
Harry sighed. "Say it. Was he talking badly about me again?"
"Harry-"
"No, Cadie! You have to understand this about Draco Malfoy. I can't stand him! I loathe the idiot! I sometimes hope he had never interfered with my life, but I can't change that. I don't know what to say or do to convince myself that this will all blow over. He's an evil creature from head to toe. There's a lot I know he would do, but I am having much trouble figuring this one out. Why would he try and dissuade you from being with me? I have no idea why he wanted you knocked off your broom, or why he wanted me to do it. I just. I am so confused. What did he say to you? Why did you. just. why?"
Tears formed in Cadence's eyes when a downpour of understanding came upon her head. She knew what she was going to say, she just wasn't sure how to get it out.
"Harry. it wasn't what he said about you that made me so upset. I don't need him to try and discourage me about you. I have my mind made up about that already," she whispered, and Harry attempted to smile.
"What was it then? Please tell me," his voice lowered in intensity as he sat down and held her hands, waiting for an explanation.
"It was something he said that scared me beyond any doubt."
"And what did he say?"
"He spoke my true feelings. He spoke my heart. He spoke the truth, and it was scary."
"What did he say?'
She gulped, and decided the only way to say it was all at once. "He asked me if I was in love with you."
Silence followed. Cadence had feared the inevitable response to this. What she feared most of all was looking into Harry's eyes. There was a chance that they would read the exact opposite of what she had said. But a small whisper of, "Cadie," brought her eyes up to his.
Her heart leapt in her chest when pure love, devotion, and relief spilled from within the emerald stones behind the spectacles. "I think I am too," he whispered.
Within the next couple of minutes, he and Cadence realized their true devotion to one another. Harry kissed Cadence so gently that she knew deep into his and her own soul. it was true.
Speeding Bullet Chaser
Stick. Check. Robes. Check. Equipment. Check. Panic. double check.
Standing in front of the mirror, clad in her Quidditch robes, Cadence felt almost out of place. For years upon years she had studied and practiced Quidditch, but she had never thought she would get the chance to appear on the field.
Nor had she thought that her parents wouldn't be watching her, applauding and cheering for her in the stands while she was on the grounds. She didn't want people getting anywhere closer to the truth than they already were, and being good at Quidditch would only hasten that process.
It was only minutes before she'd hear her name being called from down in the common room. Then she would have to join the team, go out to the pitch, and perform in her first ever real Quidditch game.
She made sure everything was on right, her clammy hand clutching her broom handle for dear life. She had pulled her hair back into a tight ponytail and was now staring at herself so intensely she thought the mirror would shatter if she looked harder.
The practices had gone extremely well the past two weeks she had been on the team. Since that time, they had recruited the members necessary for regulation Quidditch, and she was surprised how well she had gotten along.
There was practice every day at seven, which gave Cadence enough time to study for an hour with Hagrid, do her homework, put on her practice gear, and head out to the field. Of course, this left her feeling guilty because she had made no time to spend with Ginny. Ginny told her that she understood, and that time with her in class was better than none at all. Cadence had asked her a couple of times if she wanted to spend some time talking in the common room after her practice at nine, but since Ginny was too busy studying for O.W.L.s, she had declined.
She still felt hollow inside, no matter what she did with her time. She was constantly busy now, doing more than she had ever hoped to do when she came to Hogwarts. Quidditch practice, homework, 'independent study' with Hagrid. and a best friend. what were the odds?
Yet as she thought and as she recollected all of the things she now had in her life, she looked down at her feet (which, incidentally were clad in uncomfortably tight Quidditch boots) and remembered the most important thing. Harry.
If kissing him twice, holding his hand, and spending two hours a night with him wasn't enough, they were sending and receiving daily owls to each other.
Even after Quidditch practice, he was always sure to tell her what a great job she did and then give her pointers on what to do better. Usually it wasn't much. He always had a look about his face when she said goodbye that made her want to stay longer. He stayed behind to pack everything up, and she went straight to the showers and then to bed. She had no chance of bumping into him afterward. It dismayed her that the only time she could spend with him was during practice. However, they still stole glances that meant something more than 'catch the Quaffle.'
Harry. He was everything she never knew that she had always wanted. He was perfect in so many ways for her. He was almost a foot taller than her. According to Ginny, he had shot up out of nowhere, almost beating her brother in height. His painfully untidy black hair only made him that much more boyish, as opposed to the man he was so obviously becoming. He had the broad and sparkling smile of someone as beautiful inside as out.
And then there were his eyes. The bright green emerald shone as if the sun had been created beyond them. What gave her the biggest thrill about them was that the twinkle within them was reserved for her. and only her.
"Cadence Cartwright! Let's go!"
She shook off the fuzz that clouded her mind and then suddenly, it all hit her again. Her hands once again became clammy, her heart thudded in her chest, and she felt the tension rise up in her stomach as she clung to her broom.
"This is it."
Clambering down the stairs in her boots, she made sure her robes were secure and followed one of the female players down to the common room, where the rest of the team was meeting.
When Cadence made it down the stairs, Harry was giving the rest of the team a pep talk before heading out. They all looked up as she entered the circle and Harry gave Cadence the smile she knew he gave to her only.
"Are you ready?"
She nodded, too nervous to speak.
"All right then. If that's it, we're off! 'Go Gryffindor' on three!"
They put their hands in a circle as Harry gave off the count, "1, 2, 3, GO GRYFFINDOR!"
The team turned and began a march to the field. No one said anything as they gripped their brooms tightly, biting their lips, scratching their heads, clenching their fists, or just breathing. Angst arose in each player as they got closer and closer to the cheers, the stadium, and the field. However, after a few more steps, the angst started to turn into excitement.
Cadence let her eyes drift upward, and her ears finally opened to the screams and cheers coming from inside. She felt her heart go berserk inside her chest and she smiled. Ten years of training was going to be worth it to hear everyone screaming 'Go Gryffindor!' the team she was on.
It was Cadence's turn to get excited. She smiled wider with each step she took and found her heart thudding was more her anxiousness to get up on her broom.
They stopped and waited for the gates to open and allow them access to the field. Harry looked at Cadence, who was tactically placed next to him. She was bouncing up and down, as if she were standing on hot coals.
"Anxious?" he asked with half of a smirk.
"A little."
"Understandable," he chuckled.
She found the nerve to reach out and give him a jab to the shoulder. "Leave me alone. This is my first real game, in front of a real audience." Did I just tell him that?
Did she just say that? "Oh is it?"
She became flustered as a flush crept up her cheeks and to her ears. "Well."
Luckily, she was cut off when the gate opened and the entire team mounted their sticks. She flew out freely, and as she heard the cheers coming from below her, it made her smile and fly higher. She did a few quick cuts and turns and finally, took her position on the middle of the field as she watched Madam Hooch step out below her.
She looked up at Harry, who was. again. strategically placed right next to her. With his right hand, he clutched the end of his broom, and with his left hand, he reached out and put it on top of hers.
She looked up at him, and for a brief moment, something flickered in Harry's eyes that almost made her fall off. Just as quickly as she had seen it, it disappeared and she had to pay attention to what was going on below her.
Cadence looked up quickly enough to notice that the Slytherin team, led by none other than Draco, was in position. Draco's eyes however, were not on the box below. They were burning into her own. She felt a chill run down her spine and vowed to herself that she was going to pay attention to the Quaffle and only the Quaffle, so she could make a good impression and remain on the team.
The commentator announced that the Snitch had flown out of the box, although Cadence couldn't see it. Harry and Draco's heads moved in rhythm and she suddenly had a good idea where it had gone.
The Bludgers came flying up out of the box next, and Cadence ducked to avoid the nasty balls.
All she could feel at that sudden moment was her heart thudding this way and that. The Quaffle was going to be released, and she had been chosen to zoom in and grab it first chance she got. She didn't want to mess anything up, but she had a distinct feeling that she would.
In slow motion, it all happened. The ball flew up and Cadence seized her opportunity. She dipped the end of her stick forward and flew in for the kill. The three Slytherin Chasers noticed what she was doing and five seconds after she had done it they dipped in as well. She snatched the Quaffle, flew below all of them, dodged the first Bludger she knew was coming right for her, and flew like a bullet toward the hoops. She heard nothing but the wind gushing in her ears. She almost had time to wonder where the crowd had gone.
She threw the Quaffle in and finally, heard the crowd again. She smiled at her teammates as they retrieved the ball.
Slytherin was suddenly up on her and she could feel the Bludger coming from behind. She looked to one of her teammates as they threw the Quaffle in the air. Seeing the opposing Chasers coming up from behind, she sped through the air once again, and within a matter of seconds, she had scored another ten points for Gryffindor.
She flowed through the game like it was nothing, going in and out of all sense and focusing solely on the game. She sometimes could hear the roar of the crowd, she could sometimes hear the cheering of the commentator. One thing she could always hear was the wind. it was always booming in her ears, flying past her eyes and almost through her skin. The feel of that ball in her arms was like coming home.
And within three minutes, Gryffindor was up by sixty.
It seemed as though nothing could ever go wrong in Cadence's life. everything was finally at a rest. All she knew was she was on the Quidditch field she was successful and close to Harry. He had flown up beside her several times and had even assisted in helping her score once. She was finally at peace with everything. She even wondered if she was facing another team.
Before she could think twice, she heard a hissing voice behind her.
"Things are going quite well for you, my dear?"
She barely even heard it, but turned just in time to sigh and shake her head. "Not today, Malfoy."
It would be the first time she ever referred to him the way Harry always did. Harry. The mere thought of his name-
"What could be so bad about me talking to you right now?" he asked in a labored voice. He was gaining on her quickly, which surprised her. "Oh yes," he said, reaching out to touch her.
She was too quick for him. She dodged out of his and a Bludger's way at the same time and then remained in one spot. Draco only flew closer.
"Don't waste your time on this team. You're too good for them. They're nothing but a bunch of ragged, incompetent, indolent idiots! You need to be with us."
Her jaw dropped. "Stay away from me, Malfoy."
"Why is it now, Malfoy?"
"Because you're too inferior to be referred to by your first name."
His jaw was clenched and he flew closer to her as she dodged in and out of other players and Bludgers. He raised his eyebrows and then whispered, "This is about Potter again, right?"
She said nothing.
"Are you in love with him?"
Her heart shot into her throat.
"Are you in love with someone as lowly, arrogant, and pretentious as that hot headed moron?"
She saw red. "MORON?" she screamed. She turned her head and stared Draco right in the face. "What I don't understand, MALFOY is if he is such the moron, how come he is doing his job as Quidditch Seeker and Captain while you're over here trying to irk me?"
Draco merely flew closer to her, reaching out a hand to touch her. She yanked away. "Because you deserve someone better than him."
"And you think that person is you?"
"It's obviously me."
"Then I only see one moron."
Draco bit his lip and fury flooded his face. He smacked Cadence across the face, and then proceeded to shove her off of her broom.
Cadence screamed and then felt her sweaty fingers lose grip.
Draco flew up next to her and hissed into her ear, "If things work my way, Cadence Cartwright, there won't be anything for me to steal from your precious Potter. I bet you'd like that?"
She let out a tremendous cry and felt a sudden rush of wind behind her, and she knew that Draco was no longer behind her. Slytherin had just scored and cheers arose from the corresponding side of the stadium. Cadence struggled for dear life to get back up onto her broom. She screamed until she was hoarse and just as she thought she had a tight enough grip to get back up, a strong, hard object hit her in the back and she felt herself falling. falling.
And nothing.
"Her eyes are opening!"
"Can she hear us?"
"I don't know, find out!"
"Cadence? Cadence? Can you hear me?"
"Oh that's going to do a lot, you nitwit!"
"Well at least I'm trying!"
"Her lids are fluttering!"
"Cadence. Open your eyes. Look at me. What do you see?"
Green eyes.
"Harry?" Cadence rasped.
Harry's bright smile could light up the entire room. "That's right, love. It's me."
"Where am I?" Her eyes began to focus, and she saw that Harry was sitting on the bed, clutching her hand tightly in his. His rumpled hair was in a state of chaotic frenzy, his glasses were on crooked, his face and hands were covered with dirt and dried blood, and he was still wearing his Quidditch robes. Ginny was on her immediate left, eyes wide open and mouth formed together in a thin line. Ron and Hermione stood behind Harry, squabbling quietly.
"You're in the hospital wing," came Ginny's soft voice after a long pause. "Tell me you remember what happened!"
"Remember what?"
Ginny and Harry exchanged frozen looks and then looked back at Cadence.
"Remember what?" she repeated, now starting to get upset. She couldn't recall what had happened or how she had ended up where she was.
Harry looked over his shoulder. Ron and Hermione stopped bickering, stared back at Harry and nodded. They left the room, hand in hand. Ginny followed reluctantly after being persuaded to by Harry.
Cadence watched them leave and then sat up slowly in the bed. She felt sore all over, especially in her back. It hurt her to talk, and she had trouble getting a fairly good grip on Harry's hand, even though he was clinging to her for dear life.
"What's going on?"
Harry readjusted his position on the bed and said nothing. He simply stared down at her and then opened his mouth to speak. "Can I call you Cadie?"
She had always hated that nickname. Her mother and grandmother had used it constantly and she had despised it. Yet somehow, coming off of Harry's lips, it sounded like music.
She smiled. "Yes."
"The Quidditch game was going fine. more than that. I was so impressed. You were doing better than I had ever seen you. Better than I had ever envisioned. You were in this complete trance like state, dodging everything expertly, throwing the ball in six times in a row. I was so captivated. I wasn't sure if you'd notice that I flew up next to you, but something just drew me. Like I had to get close to you."
Cadence listened with fervor, still not recollecting anything.
"But then, I found the Snitch, and I was going after it. and before I could grab it, I looked up and I saw that Malfoy was trying to bother you. Even though I was half tempted to go over there and knock him off his broom for what he was doing, I had to restrain myself. I went looking for the Snitch again. Then I heard a scream, and I knew without a doubt it was you. I saw you hanging off of your broom, and that was my chance."
As she listened, bits and pieces flew back to her. She remembered the beginning of the game and how she had scored so many points. She recalled the trance. but the part about Draco she had no memory of at that point.
"I flew on that broom over to both of you so fast that I was sure I was going to fly off myself. I hurled myself at Malfoy. He went flying backward, and he almost got caught off his broom. He came back at me and stupidly picked up both of his hands and tried to shove me off of mine. I was hanging on too tightly, and then he flew up and grabbed me by the neck, so I grabbed both of his hands and tried to knock him off, and then he came up with some brilliant plan. I saw it in his eyes. He pushed me right into the back of you, and you fell. When I felt myself hit you, I pawed Malfoy off of me, and I flew like mad after you, but it was too late. I hit the dirt. Scratched up my face and hands pretty bad, but all I cared about was you."
She stared into his eyes and saw that he was sincere. In an instant, it all came to her. She saw the same flicker in his eyes she had noticed before the game and remembered. Everything that Draco said flew back to her, and she remembered hanging for dear life from her broom. She remembered getting the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach that she'd never be able to tell Harry what she wanted to tell him. She remembered how much dread had gone through her body when she realized that once she fell. it was over. No more Harry.
"I remember," she whispered.
"What did he say to you?" Harry whispered back almost immediately.
He squeezed her hand and she tried to squeeze it back. She shook her head but he urged her to continue.
"Well. he was trying to get me going. it was nothing."
Harry sighed. "Say it. Was he talking badly about me again?"
"Harry-"
"No, Cadie! You have to understand this about Draco Malfoy. I can't stand him! I loathe the idiot! I sometimes hope he had never interfered with my life, but I can't change that. I don't know what to say or do to convince myself that this will all blow over. He's an evil creature from head to toe. There's a lot I know he would do, but I am having much trouble figuring this one out. Why would he try and dissuade you from being with me? I have no idea why he wanted you knocked off your broom, or why he wanted me to do it. I just. I am so confused. What did he say to you? Why did you. just. why?"
Tears formed in Cadence's eyes when a downpour of understanding came upon her head. She knew what she was going to say, she just wasn't sure how to get it out.
"Harry. it wasn't what he said about you that made me so upset. I don't need him to try and discourage me about you. I have my mind made up about that already," she whispered, and Harry attempted to smile.
"What was it then? Please tell me," his voice lowered in intensity as he sat down and held her hands, waiting for an explanation.
"It was something he said that scared me beyond any doubt."
"And what did he say?"
"He spoke my true feelings. He spoke my heart. He spoke the truth, and it was scary."
"What did he say?'
She gulped, and decided the only way to say it was all at once. "He asked me if I was in love with you."
Silence followed. Cadence had feared the inevitable response to this. What she feared most of all was looking into Harry's eyes. There was a chance that they would read the exact opposite of what she had said. But a small whisper of, "Cadie," brought her eyes up to his.
Her heart leapt in her chest when pure love, devotion, and relief spilled from within the emerald stones behind the spectacles. "I think I am too," he whispered.
Within the next couple of minutes, he and Cadence realized their true devotion to one another. Harry kissed Cadence so gently that she knew deep into his and her own soul. it was true.