(A/N: I have a guest with me, today! Ladies and Gentlemen, say hello to Blaise Zambini! He has so nicely agreed to come and watch the quidditch match with us! Since the last chapter didn't take as long a time as I thought it would, I figured I'd just go on with the next one! ^_^ Three cheers for me! No! not really! Definitely not needed! [Blaise: Stop being so humble. You are not that great.] Oh go stuff yourself, you Slytherin dirt bag! [Gryffindor!] Like that's really an insult! Snake! [Sod off. I don't know about you, the reader, but I'm going to watch this match somewhere else.] No! *grabs Blaise and ties him up* You are staying right here. ^_^ Here's the story! [*mumbles through gag* Heh e!] He he he…^_______^

The first quidditch match of the season was much anticipated. None of the new Gryffindor players could sit still or relax. Ron couldn't either.

"You should really eat breakfast," he commented to Elizabeth.

"You should talk. You haven't touched yours, either," Elizabeth shot back. She was short tempered and snappish because of her nerves.

"Elizabeth, if you don't eat, I'll stuff food down your throat," Harry joked. He was ecstatic about being able to play again. He couldn't wait to get out there. His threat made her eat one piece of bacon.

The morning flew by and Harry was counting down the hours. When it was finally time, he got ready in record time. He was walking with the rest of the team to the field when he noticed Elizabeth's façade. Her lips were drawn in determination. Her eyes were alert and she wasn't talking.

He knew enough about her to notice something was wrong. "Nervous?" he asked.

"Somewhat." It was a curt answer that let on more than was intended.

'And the biggest understatement of the year award goes to…Elizabeth Pentillo,' Harry thought to himself. Hit with a stroke of brilliance, he decided on imitating Oliver Wood. "I felt the same way before my first game."

"What happened?"

'Okay, we've made progress. She's said two words.' Harry smiled as the memory of his debut swam in his head. "I fell off my broom and ended up swallowing the snitch," he replied comically.

Elizabeth laughed a little shaky chuckle that made some of her anxiety go away.

"Welcome to the first match of the season! Slytherin versus Gryffindor!" said the voice of a new commentator. Harry didn't know who she was, but she was wearing green and silver colors, so he wasn't about to find out.

The players took their positions in the circle.

"Captains, shake hands," said Madam Hooch.

Harry and Malfoy glared at each other as they grasped hands. The only reason Harry squeezed harder than what was necessary was because, if he didn't, Malfoy would have crushed his fingers.

Madam Hooch let the bludgers go and threw the quaffle up into the air. Harry shot up high, scanning the pitch. The game had begun.

"Alright there, Bludger Target?" Malfoy sneered as he soared past, right into Harry's stretch of sight. He ducked as a bludger came zooming at him, and watched with satisfaction as Malfoy didn't see the bludger until it hit him in the back, the same place Harry had made the Beater's club whack him.

"Pentillo scores. Ten points to Gryffindor. Come on, Slytherin! Get that quaffle back!" the commentator shouted.

"Yes!" Harry exclaimed. He noted, as he was resolved to watch the game and look for the snitch, that John Kepler was keeping an almost obsessive guard over Elizabeth in particular where bludgers were concerned. 'I'll have to ask about that,' Harry promised himself.

Emily scored as Harry caught sight of the elusive snitch. He started flying after it, but Malfoy was right behind him. Harry noticed that he was just tailing him, so he dove in the wrong direction, heading towards the ground. He turned up just in time. Too bad Malfoy didn't.

'And Harry Potter just pulls off anything successful Wronski Feint!' he thought victoriously as he saw Malfoy's bleeding nose. He laughed to himself when he saw Ginny score.

In the distance, "FOUL! SOMEONE CALL A FOUL! HOOCH! ARE YOU BLIND!?" was heard.

Harry saw the snitch again. It was flying by Elizabeth. He sped off towards it.

Elizabeth turned to see a blur of red flying at her and a little golden ball flitting by the bristles of her broom. Something clicked in her head, and she moved out of the way so the red blur, Harry, could have an open field to the snitch. Malfoy, though still bleeding, glanced at the golden item. He started racing after it, but Elizabeth, seeing him, flew along side him, making it look like she was following formation. Then she gathered a bit more speed and turned directly in front of him, making him lose his balance. Malfoy very nearly fell of his broom, but held on tighter than anyone could have imagined, and headed once more for the snitch.

One problem with this, though. The snitch was already in someone's hand. Harry's.

"Potter caught the snitch. So, after a dirty game of cheating and favoritism—"

"Miss Yurich, if you please! Stay to unbiased comments or resign from the commentating position," Professor McGonagall interrupted.

"If you say so, Professor," Yurich said in a tone as sweet as poison. "Gryffindor wins. One hundred-ninety to thirty."

The Gryffindor team flew together and were patting backs and giving congratulations. Then they made their way back to the Common Room, where a party was waiting, courtesy of a few trusted friends.

"Elizabeth!" Ron called out during the party.

"What's up?" she asked as she made her way to him and Harry.

"That was some pretty fancy flying earlier," he complemented.

"Er…thanks," Elizabeth murmured. One could tell she was still not used to praise.

"Being as good as you are, I bet I could still beat you in a race," challenged Harry. He didn't know what might have been in the butterbeer he was drinking, but he thought it might just work.

Elizabeth gave him a weird look that said, "You're kidding, right?"

"Yeah! Harry, that's a great idea! Two laps around the field with ten galleons to the winner," agreed Ron. As an after-thought, he added, "And, if Harry wins, you two are to have a date in Hogsmeade. Alone. Without me, or Ginny, or anybody." He smirked as he saw Harry pale.

'How'd he know that was what I was thinking?' Harry shook his head. "I'd rather not have those conditions—"

"Count me in," Elizabeth interjected quickly.

Ron held back a laugh and his eyes glinted mischievously. "Harry, all you have to do is say yes, mate."

"Yes," Harry stammered.

"Alright then. Next village visit is in two weeks. Next week, the race will commence!" Ron proclaimed loudly. Thankfully, over everyone else's noise, only Colin Creevey and Ginny heard his announcement.

"I'll photo the finish," Colin offered.

"Go right ahead," Ron agreed.

No one had any idea that this arrangement was causing Harry to lose sleep.  He kept trying to think about what would happen if he lost. When he could come up with no answers, he just thought, 'I'll just have to make sure I won't lose, then.'

True, he had every intention of winning, but Elizabeth could, at times, be a bit more clever than he, so he might have to rely on his speed heavily. 'Fat chance I'll win by just that,' he mused. He didn't realize that someone, in the sixth year girls' dormitory, was having the same problem.

(^_^ *unties Blaise* You're free to go now, Mr. Zambini. [Bloody hell, woman, you're crazy! *runs off*] Okay then…maybe for the next match I'll have Neville with us or something…^_^)