What the Snitch and Pitch Decide
Talon McGreggor
Chp 3-- Negotiations
Disclaimer: Is located in chapter one. And again, sorry for any Quidditch players names I may screw up.
After a relaxing evening of Wizard's chess and homework, Hermione lay on her bed deep in thought. Something about today perplexed her. Why did Draco care if everyone thought he'd captured the snitch by foul play? Wasn't that what being a Slytherin was about? Achieving your own ends no matter what?
She rolled onto her side, confused by this puzzle. He was still an arrogant snob. She smiled. A typical Slytherin. But was he a snob with a conscience?
***
The next weekend found the quidditch pitch bathed in sunlight. A perfect day for quidditch, the teams would all say. Today's match was Gryffindor vs. Hufflepuff and everyone was excited. Gryffindor was favored to win.
Up in the commentator's box, Hermione and Lee settled down with a butterbeer as they watched the crowds of students fill in the empty stands.
"To Gryffindor?"
"To Gryffindor." They clinked bottles. A minute later Madame Hooch blew her whistle. Lee gulped and took a quick breath.
"They're in the air! Oh! And Smith has the quaffle. He's throwing a pass to--uh, nope! Sorry, Smith. It's intercepted by Spinnet who's moving down the field. Keeper's looking for the shot…And he's got it! Sorry, 'Licia. Next time, girl. It's thrown back to Smith who seems to be dodging bludgers right and left."
Hermione tapped him on the arm and pointed up.
"Fred Weasley's taking aim, and--" A sickening 'smack' seemed to reverberate throughout the stadium. "it solidly hit Smith. Quaffle's falling, and it's caught by Bell. Bell back-passes to Johnson. Captain Angelina Johnson's going down the pitch, flanked by both chasers Bell and Spinnet. Look out! They're gonna get it this time!"
Hermione again shook Lee's arm and pointed to the left.
"A bludger takes out Spinnet. Ouch. One down, two to go, Hufflepuff."
The action seemed to be swirling around her. Lee was right--he did need help.
'Look for the seekers. Where are the seekers?'
"Harry!" She couldn't just keep mutely pointing. Lee turned and glared. Oops.
"Potter looks to be on to something. Is he charging the keeper? Oh--no--he's turned. Headed straight for a bludger! Good duck!"
Hermione caught sight of Katie's long braid flowing behind her as she flew full speed to the Hufflepuff goals. "Bell's going for a goal…" It was meant to alert Lee, but she just couldn't keep her voice down. A bludger flew at her, but… "It missed her," Hermione let slip again. Ugh. A large figure advanced quickly upon the chaser. "Oh no…!"
Finally Lee joined in, "Ouch!" The beater slammed right into Katie. Whether he was chasing down the bludger or had meant to hit her was unclear.
With great spunk, Lee announced, "Ooh. That looks like something Malfoy'd do!" The crowd heard a brief muffled laugh that wasn't Jordan's. Lee resumed his scanning of the field. "Potter's still on that thing's tail. It's definitely running him through the courses."
On the field Harry thought this was the most challenging game he'd played. The Hufflepuff seeker was way behind, but the snitch was faster than lightning today. Another Hufflepuff team-mate make Harry's observation, and sent a bludger flying his way. He thought he'd been just quick enough to miss it, but it made contact with the end of the broom and Harry was flown into a spiral. The opposing seeker caught up.
'Damn bludger…'
"And he's caught up to Potter. They're neck to neck. Can Harry pull out o' the race??"
The snitch dived. It always seemed to dive. Why was that? Harry dived with it. Good thing he was skilled at this. Before the gold ball was within fifteen feet of the ground, it was struggling in Harry's hand. A few 'aaaawws' were audible from the Hufflepuffs and a few sympathetic Ravenclaws. Other than that the crowd went wild. Harry took a victory lap, snitch in hand, before returning to the ground.
"And it's another victory for Gryffindor! Good thing Slytherin wasn't playing." Everyone got the joke.
***
Throughout dinner something nagged at the back of Draco's mind. Quidditch. The quidditch game. He threw down his fork in disgust that the bloody game would keep bothering him and couldn't hold back a sneer as Crabbe and Goyle guffawed at some crude joke. They were so annoying. Neither could think for themselves. He put two fingers to his temple. Mayhap he'd retire sooner than later. The Gryffindor table wouldn't shut up. Neither would the Ravenclaws. They just couldn't stop cheering. And that comment…Jordan's stupid comment…
"Bloody hell!" he snarled. Crabbe and Goyle looked at their friend in shock but Draco turned away from their stupid faces and walked from the hall.
Hermione looked up from her meal to see an unmistakable blonde head disappear behind the closing door.
"What's up with Malfoy?"
Ron finished laughing at a bawdy joke. "Who cares?"
"Maybe he's finally getting what he had coming," offered Harry. He was laughing too. Hermione's brow furrowed but spoke no more of it. No need to dwell on Slytherins when celebration called.
***
The wonderful thing about living in the dungeons was that you could never be bothered by the wind. Or sunlight.
'Why don't you crawl back under that rock you came out from and stay there?' He sneered as Potter's voice shoved its way into his thoughts. The glory boy. And his glory-friends. Against his volition, Hermione popped into his mind. Ugh. Too many Gryffindors in a row.
Granger had made him look bad. It seemed now she was looking to point him out to the whole world. As if to say, "Look what the Malfoy bugger's doing!"
'Why do you bloody care?' he asked himself. It's not like there's ever been an agreeable moment between Slytherins and Gryffindors. But Draco knew why. As much as he didn't want to admit it, as he lay in bed, the fact taunted him. His popularity was dwindling. The whole school save the Slytherins didn't like him. He'd venture enough to say they hated him.
"Not that they ever did like you," a voice scathingly replied. He half expected to find Granger looming over his shoulder, using that know-it-all brain of hers to get inside his thoughts. No…the voice was his. Draco fell asleep to the mocking persons in his head.
***
He woke up with the bedspread on the floor and sheets entangled between his legs. His damp pajamas clung to him. A hand went to his head. It was spinning and his hair was mussed.
He was playing a quidditch game. Slytherin vs. Gryffindor. Gryffindor was ahead thirty to ten. It didn't look good--the Gryffindor defense was strong. Suddenly Harry'd gone into a dive. He rushed in to compete for the snitch.
"What did Malfoy do?" Hermione's voice rang clearly through the inter-com system.
'What did I do?' he'd found himself thinking. 'I didn't do anything.' He stared up into the commentator's box. Granger's eyes were set with worry. Towards Harry. Draco looked back just in time to slam into Potter. Harry went flying and hit the side of the stadium, landing limp upon the ground.
"Foul play!" Lee's voice.
Laughter echoed through the stands. He was angry now. He didn't do anything! He never aimed for Potter! A red heat crept up his neck and burned down his back. For no reason he could find his palms began to sweat. In the dream he glanced back up to the box and there they were. Lee and Hermione lip-locked like there was no tomorrow.
He'd waken up then. What a shock! Disgusting! He didn't want to watch as the Mudblood made out with another Gryffindor scum.
Draco parted the curtains of his four-poster. His clock read 5:00 am. Fine. He wouldn't go back to sleep. Not that he could.
He found the fresh robes he'd layed out the night before and ran a comb through his baby blonde hair. He couldn't get through his daily routine without Granger's voice in his head.
'You know what I think?'
No he thought. I don't want to know what you think. No one does, he added for good measure. But her voice continued relentlessly.
'I think it's all in your head. You're trying to blame someone for your bad boy Slytherin reputation. That's no one's fault but your own.'
That's not what I care about, he replied. Too late. Her voice left his head and never heard.
Boy. What a day he had ahead of him. Care of Magical Creatures and Potions. Both with Gryffindor. He could hardly wait.
((A/N: Whew. Done. I hadn't seen it before I completed chapter two, so I'll say it now. A 'thanks' to Stef who also reviewed this fic. Okay, cleared that up. Oh, and the 'bloody hell' Draco snarled is dedicated to my friend, Evan, who said I needed a few more of those in here. Hope this chapter was up to par. Four's coming soon. Promise.
`Talon))
