Chapter 7: The Strange Games People Play

After several, after-class private Quidditch sessions with Draco, Aiden finally began practicing with the team. She felt sort of like the little sister because she was the only girl on the team and everyone was at least a head taller than her and most were twice as wide. Even though Aiden's teammates were a bit barbaric and all of them seemed slanted towards the dark side, it made no difference to her. It was that kind of attitude that was going to win them the big games anyways. And finally… the big day came. The day that she had practiced hours upon hours of strategies for. The first game of the season. Slytherin vs. Gryffindor.

Aiden knew who would be dressed in red opposing her green and there was a certain green-eyed boy and a redhead that she would just love to knock off their brooms. So, when her team stood behind the stadium entrance, she was feeling rather vindictive and apparently, her face shown through because Draco smiled.

"Ah now that's the kind of game face I like to see."

"I feel a game of innocent, yet dirty Quidditch coming on."

With those words, the doors opened, the team mounted their brooms and flew into the stadium. On the reverse side came Gryffindor's team, all sporting blinding red robes. In the middle of the Quidditch field, Madam Hooch was waiting with the quaffle. The teams positioned themselves across from their other house counterparts. The three chasers in a circle, the keepers behind them, and the seekers above. Hooch's hawk-like eyes cast a piercing gaze at both team captains; life-long rivals Harry and Draco.

"Seeing that most of you are veteran Quidditch players, you all know what I want. Well, go on. Say it!"

Everyone rolled his or her eyes and mumbled in consent.

"mumbleThere will be a nice clean game from all of us.mumble"

The whistle was blown and the game began.

Due to the recent graduation of the former announcer of Quidditch games, there was a new one. Aiden found this boy's voice to be extremely annoying because he was prejudiced (being from Gryffindor), but it helped keep her updated on things she missed. (note: announcer's voice will be put in italics)

"Ooh, and Harrison just missed that one. Haha sucker!!! You can't beat Gryffindor's keeper, Ron Weasley!!!"

In retribution, Harrison tried to knock out of Gryffindor's chasers, Ginny. Unfortunately, the bloke was too stupid to actually make contact and so he missed.

"And now, Ginny Weasley is in possession of the quaffle!!!! Obviously, Slytherin's keeper is a newcomer, Aiden Wang!!!! Can Ginny, who has been on the team for the past two years, get past this newbie??"

Newbie?? Aiden thought resentfully. As Ginny was rapidly approaching, Aiden prepared herself, sure that Ginny would throw it. But she had now idea how fast the quaffle would come at her. The heavy ball just grazed her right shoulder (causing it to bleed) as it neared the hoop to the far left. There was no way she could reach it in time with out some fast thinking, so she zoomed towards the ball and just as it was about to go through, she put her hand out and commanded the ball to come to her.

"Wow!!! A very last minute save by Slytherin's new keeper!!! Miss Wang certainly is talented!!!"

Ginny stared; completely dumbstruck, which made Aiden incredibly smug and a sneer formed, corner-to-corner.

In an extremely pompous tone, Aiden said, "Sorry, hon. Nothing personal." Spotting her teammate, Gibbs, she threw the ball to him, which he totally misjudged and flew in the other direction. But it wasn't a big deal because by utter coincidence, the quaffle bounced off some poor third year's head and soared right into the center hoop.

"This neophyte is on a roll!!!! After that incredible save, she even manages to earn Slytherin ten points without so much as moving an inch!!!!!!!!!!!! I hate to praise them, but kudos to Slytherin captain, Draco Malfoy for finding such an amazing team member!!!!"

Aiden smiled at Draco, but he wasn't paying attention to the announcer. He had seen something and was going after it.

Must be the snitch… Go Draco!!! Aiden thought. Regrettably, she had thought for too long because the next thing she felt was an acute pain in her back. Aiden fought to keep her balance, but the pain was triumphant and she fell off her broom towards the sand, fifty-some feet below. A thought that maybe this was the end crossed her mind, but she suddenly felt a tightening of her robes and realized that she wasn't falling anymore. She was being lowered to the ground. Her knees became weak as well and she collapsed on the ground. Staring up, Aiden tried to make out who her savior was, though the pain in her back was distorting her vision. A realization that Ron had saved her became rapidly apparent and she simply uttered a "why?"

Ron laughed gently.

"Consider it my apology to you."

"And Slytherin captain, Draco Malfoy has gotten the snitch!!!!!!!!!! The game is over!!! Blech, Slytherin wins…"

The cheers and groans were deafening as Aiden blacked out with a smile on her face.

Aiden ended up in the hospital wing with two broken ribs, a cracked spinal cord, and a cut shoulder, which put her out of commission for the next five days (two days sleep/ unconscious, three days of recovery). Ron and Harry came in twice to entertain her and Aiden apologized for having malicious thoughts about pouring acid down their robes (Harry laughed and Ron seemed extremely proud of her). Hermione came in the mornings, breaks, mealtimes, and the hours before bed to help her study the material she was missing. Draco came in every day as well. The first day of Aiden's recovery, he came in with a bouquet of slightly wilted flowers like he had had them for several days already, but had debated whether or not to offer them. After that, Draco came in every day, but only when it was far past curfew. When she asked why, he blushed and responded in his usual portentous voice.

"Because, I do have a life."

Rolling her eyes, Aiden laughed. He's so macho…kinda reminds me of Jared.

Her recuperation took her straight to Friday night, which meant that she may miss her first Halloween feast ever. Trying to prove that she was all better, she danced around her hospital bed and poked herself in the ribs. Aiden bent forward and back, until fussy Madam Pomfrey couldn't take it anymore. She consented only after Aiden promised not to get rowdy and to keep her bandages on all the way until she went to bed.

Late already, Aiden ran out the hospital wing wearing her pajamas and she quickly pulled her robe over her shoulders. The noise coming from the Great Hall was deafening, so Aiden, who barely knew where she was going, found the room in a couple of minutes.

Aiden was awestruck the moment she stepped into the giant room. What she saw were things of other people's fantasies (or nightmares). Jack-o'-lanterns hovered in the air, overlooking the students as they stuffed themselves silly with steak, chicken, pudding, ice cream and candy. Bats flew in and out of the pumpkins every once in a while, to the pleasure of the younger students and ghosts randomly popped out to their displeasure (and to the displeasure of some of the older students as well. Poor Neville choked on his potatoes).

Hermione noticed the captivated Aiden first, but Draco was closer. So by common logic, he got to her first.

"Aiden! Glad to see you're feeling better. Come on!!! Eat something!"

Before Draco could haul Aiden to the Slytherin table, Harry, Ron and Hermione interfered. Hermione was happy to see her feeling better, but Harry and Ron stood in between Aiden and Draco and sort of puffed themselves up to intimidate him.

"Aiden!!! You're out of bed!!! This is a cause for celebration!! Come eat with us!" Hermione exclaimed.

A snarl escaped Draco's mouth. "Go away, mudblood. She doesn't want to hang around with the likes of you three!"

Harry took an irate step forward, as if going to punch Draco.

"Watch your mouth Malfoy. Just because we're in the Great Hall doesn't mean I won't curse you."

He reached into his pocket and Aiden squeezed Harry's shoulder. She gave him a "don't-do-it" look and Harry stopped.

"Draco. You and I can chill in the common room after the feast, I pledge it. Okay?"

An angry face caused Draco's lip to curl in disgust. In a huff, he stomped back to his seat. All three kids turned to Aiden with concerned looks on their faces.

"I really don't think it's a good idea that you befriended Malfoy. I mean, his father is in Azkaban for his support of Voldemort and he's just a hypocrite."

"Yeah, Harry and I are sorry for being to prejudiced against you, but we don't hate Malfoy 'cause he's in Slytherin. We hate him 'cause he's a bitch."

"The Malfoy name is completely tainted. Not to tell you how to run your life, but it'd really be safer if you hung around with us and avoided any contact with him."

Feeling touched, Aiden hugged Hermione and then, put her arms around Harry and Ron's shoulders (which was a rather difficult task because both of them were significantly taller than her). She kissed them each on the cheek (Ron's face turned as red as his hair).

"Aw. Thanks you guys for caring about me so much, but I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself. Draco's a good kid. Now, let's party!!!"

The rest of the night was one of the best of Aiden's life. She returned to the dormitory loaded down with food and toys. There, she, Draco, Pansy (who seemed to have forgiven her), Crabbe, and Goyle joked around a fire and only when the fire died away did they go to bed.

Sleepy and content, Aiden crawled up to the dark girl's dormitory and rolled into bed, already in her pajamas. Remembering her promise to Madam Pomfrey, she reluctantly sat up and took off her shirt. Aiden found a knife in her bed stand drawer and tore away the bandages around her torso. Suddenly, there was a painful throbbing behind her right shoulder blade. She began to take off the cloth around her shoulder. The pain was getting worse and it felt like someone was hammering a needle into her skin.

What is going on??

On instinct, Aiden grabbed the mirror the she liked to keep under her bed, and held it so she could see what was happening to her back. There it was, like it was burned into her skin, was a tattoo. No larger than the galleons in her bag, a marking of a skull with a snake protruding from its mouth was carved into Aiden's shoulder blade, each passing second more painful than the last.

"Holy Crap!!"

"What's wrong??"

"Uh, nothing. Go back to sleep Pansy!"

Aiden stared at the branding.

I gotta go see Dumbledore…

End.