Satellite
Satellite strung from the moon
And the world your balloon
Peeping tom for the mother station
Winter's cold spring erases
And the calm away by the storm is chasen
Everything good needs replacing
Look up, look down all around, hey satellite
Satellite headlines read
Someone's secrets you've seen
Eyes and ears have been
Satellite dish in my yard
Tell me more, tell me more
Who's the king of your satellite castle?
"I remember hearing of that," Vala said wistfully, "I overheard it from Saccade, who heard it from Saxon, who in turn heard it from Draco. They all had a good laugh over it."
"Good to know somebody did. I didn't find it the least amusing," Remus said sternly.
"Grant was impressed," Fae offered.
"And at least Harry did the charm right," Vala added optimistically.
"Not right," Remus corrected gently. "It had the general texture, but the shape was a bit off."
"What was it?" Fae asked curiously.
"Oh… I'm not entirely sure."
Vala prodded him. "You're lying."
He shifted. "I'm not. I have an idea, but I'm still not sure," he saved.
"Then tell us your idea," Vala pressed.
"I think it may have been a stag, but I could be wrong."
Vala and Fae exchanged confused expressions. "And what's the significance of that?"
The tinkling of glass breaking interrupted them.
"Grant!" Fae called. "Get out of there!"
Remus swung his head in the direction of his office. Grant exited, his lips twitching from a smile to a grin, his hands shaking. "I'm just so excited," he grinned. "The Quidditch Final's finally here, and between the two most competitive houses!"
"Yeah," Fae rolled her eyes. "I can hardly contain myself."
"Who do you think'll win?" he asked anxiously.
"I could care less," Fae put in, not unkindly just uninterestedly.
"I suppose it's really a win-win situation for me," Vala mentioned. "It's either Saxon's cousin or Harry."
All eyes focused on Remus; it took him a moment to realize. "What?"
"Who do you think will win?" Grant pressed.
He glanced around. "Oh, I don't know." Which was followed by a chorus of impatient sighs, to which he replied, "Gryffindor, I suppose."
"I always knew you were a Gryffy fan," Grant smirked.
"What do you expect? I was a Gryffindor."
"And Harry's on the team," Vala added knowingly.
"Yes, I suppose that adds," Remus admitted.
~+~+~+~
"I'll be happy when all this is over," Remus confided in Vala as they left his classroom. Grant and Fae, as usual, were striding ahead, engaging in conversation. Perhaps that's too generous. Grant rambled and rattled on about Quidditch, while Fae listened half-politely, occasionally offering her opinion.
Vala glanced at him curiously. "Why's that?"
"You wouldn't imagine the tension. I'm just waiting for Gryffindor to win this bloody thing, so it's over."
Vala let what he said sink in for a moment, then she smirked, "So you really are a Gryffy fan."
"Of course I am," Remus admitted without shame, "I am a Gryffindor!"
~+~+~+~
"Harry may be a grade A Seeker, but if he catches that Snitch before they're fifty points up, Slytherin wins the cup!" Grant made sure everyone knew.
"Sit down, Grant, people are starting to stare," Fae muttered, dragging him down to his seat. They sat somewhere in between the Slytherin and Gryffindor posts, in an attempt to keep Remus and Vala neutral while Grant was stoked out Slytherin. Grant was donned head to foot in green. He even went as far as to slap green handprints across his face. When Gryffindor came out, he distinctly booed, and when Slytherin charged out he shouted in glee. Enthusiastically, he waved a green flag with a glittery serpent high above his head, cheering the Slytherins on. Next to Grant, Vala failed to hear the introductions and the blow of the whistle.
Remus, while keeping his seat, shifted to get a better view. Gryffindor started in possession, but a large Slytherin quickly intercepted the Quaffle. Grant shook his hips from side to side, but soon groaned in disappointment as one of the Weasley twins smacked a Bludger after him. He dropped the Quaffle, but a girl in scarlet robes caught it. Vala still couldn't hear the commentator.
And Gryffindor had the first goal. Remus smiled, and Grant booed loudly. Only a second later, while the girl was enjoying her victory, did the head of the Slytherin team smash into her. Fae, who had been calmly holding Grant's hand, shot to her feet. She booed loudly and screamed a few well chosen swear words.
Remus and Vala exchanged a glance of amusement, but turned back in time to see one of the Weasley twins chuck his Beater's club at the Slytherin's head. His head snapped forward, and his nose smashed into his broom handle. Fae punched the air. "Hell yes, you show that bloody sod!" she screamed delightfully.
The referee zoomed between them and announced a penalty shot to each team. Grant groaned.
A silence blanketed the audience as the young Chaser lined up for her penalty shot. Vala found herself holding her breath. Finally, she caught the name of the Chaser--Alicia.
The commentator's voice ripped through the crowd, "Yes! She's beaten the Keeper! Twenty-Zero to Gryffindor!"
The bleeding Slytherin lined up for his shot, took it, and failed. Fae's voice reached an all high as she screamed and cheered Gryffindor on.
Vala breathed a sigh of relief; Remus unclenched his fists. Both Fae and Grant stood at the railing, clinging on with one hand and rooting with the other.
Vala's eyes drifted to Harry, who circled the Pitch. Funny, she thought, he's flown a few feet away from me and he doesn't even recognize me. He's seen Remus all semester, and he doesn't even remember him. He'll never know Lily or James, or Peter… or even Sirius, but I suppose good things come out of everything.
She caught the end of a shout from the commentator, "That was deliberate!" She swung her head to see what happened, but missed it.
Fae was screaming obscenities, Grant stared in silence, but soon broke into the infamous Slytherin 'We've cheated and we're gonna win' attitude.
She elbowed Remus lightly. "What happened?"
"He grabbed her head!" he gasped. "Swung her about, and she dropped the Quaffle!"
Vala was shocked. She stared at Grant. With his abusive background, it was a wonder he liked Quidditch so much. It must remind him of his family, she supposed.
She didn't bother to watch the penalty shot, she was sure it wouldn't be the last, and turned her eyes to Harry. Maybe it was only her imagination, but Harry seemed to have caught contact with something near one of the Gryffindor goal posts. She squinted; it was hard to tell if anything was there. Harry hesitated, then bolted for the Slytherin posts. Vala grinned, she felt like she could read his mind. Even if he couldn't recognize her, they had a kind of connection.
The two Beaters from the Slytherin team bolted after him, bouncing Bludgers back and forth. She crunched her teeth. Don't let them catch up, she thought drastically, let him pull up. And he did, and the two Beaters smacked into each other. Vala let a small cheer escape her while Fae let it rip.
Not too soon after, the Slytherin captain got possession of the Quaffle and scored against the Gryffindor's Keeper. Fae was set back, how had her team let that get past? while Grant cheered something loud.
The game wore on, and though not many points were made, a lot of penalties were. The Gryffindor team seemed to be getting the worse of it, and the Weasley twins were doing anything they could to protect their team. One of the Slytherin Beater's had gone as far as hitting one of the Chaser's with his Beater's club and had the persistence to insist he thought she was a Bludger.
The Bell girl scored another penalty, and the Weasley twins swooped around her, waving the clubs around ready for any retaliation from the Slytherins. The Slytherin Beaters took advantage of this and whacked both Beaters at the Gryffindor Keeper.
Fae's screeching was almost drowned by the booing, "YOU --OODY BA----D, YOU MO----- -UCKING WHO--SON! CHEAT--, CHE--ER! YOU FIL--- CHEAT--- SCUM! ---TARD!"
Vala and Remus both moved forward, Grant and Fae leaned over the railing screaming.
Fae's fury soon disappeared as Gryffindor scored another point. She threw her hands up in a cheer.
All four of them, losing interest in the rest of the game, resorted to watching Harry and Draco. Harry pulled up on his broomstick and speeding upward, Draco followed and grabbed hold of Harry's Firebolt.
Fae watched in horror, her jaw dropped open. Harry glanced back, and when he turned back to the Snitch, it was gone. Malfoy slid back unto his broom, and Fae let go an ear-piercing screech.
"BASTARD!" she screamed; one of the few whole words Vala managed to hear, "BLO--- GOD FOR---EN SLI-- OF ---IT! DEA--EATERS! THE LOT OF Y--! A LIFE IN AZKA---!" She began fumbling for her wand. Grant stared at her goggle-eyed, and kept her from actually retrieving her wand.
"It's a game!" he shouted. "Let it go!"
She stared at him, realized what she was doing, and blushed. She apologized soundlessly, and turned her eyes back to the game.
Slytherin scored another goal. Angelina got hold of the Quaffle and made her way to the Slytherin posts. All the Slytherins, even the Keeper, bolted towards her. Vala bit her lip, but just then Harry swooped down and scattered them. She grinned to herself. Angelina made the goal, and Gryffindor was leading by eighty-twenty.
Fae cheered, but then Grant pointed to the diving Draco.
"Oh no!" Fae whispered.
All that for nothing, Vala near-sighed, wanting to cover her eyes. She didn't want to see Gryffindor lose.
Harry shot forward, heading straight for the Snitch. He was level with Draco's heels, then his knees, his shoulders… Harry smacked Draco's hand away and clutched the small, golden ball.
"YES!" Fae tossed up her arms. "YES!" she screamed. She jumped into Grant's arms. "YES!" she hollered, kissing him. She smacked his shoulder, "YES!" and kissed him again.
Vala squeezed Remus' leg, and resisted the urge of hugging him to death. "We won," she whispered.
~+~+~+~
Vala padded Grant's chest. "You two coming along? We're heading down to the Lucky Clover to get a drink or two, and to celebrate."
"Every night at the Clover is a party, but tonight especially." Grant said pleasantly.
"I thought you wanted Slytherin to win," Remus reminded slyly.
"I did," he replied, "But who cares?" He looked down at Fae. "With my love's new interest in Quidditch, who cares?"
Fae smiled.
Away from all the hype, Vala finally noticed all the green smudges across Fae's face. She smirked lightly, but declined the offer to join them. "I've got to be getting back. Saxon'll wonder where I've been if Slytherin hasn't won."
"Suit yourself," Fae settled, grabbing hold of Grant's cloaks and directing him to the door.
It could have been the lightness of the mood, or the dizziness of the game, but Vala would swear years later that she saw Fae slap Grant's butt as they left.
"I think," said Remus, "That they just had a break through."
Vala turned to Remus, trying to maintain a straight face. She'd been worried about them, but what for? Some people are so different that they're made for each other. Everything would be okay; they could get through everything.
Her poker face broke, and she laughed. She dropped her wand onto an old piece of parchment, she'd been holding it attentively in case Fae broke into another mad rage against the Slytherins, and they hugged. She clutched onto his robes and cried, "Oh Remus! This is so perfect! I never want to leave!" Realizing what she'd said, she tried to cover it up. "I wish everyone could get together more often."
He shrugged. "I don't see why not. We can always take a break from things."
"Yes," she said, a dewy smile in place. "But," she began, hastily pulling away. She stopped. "Remus?" Her eyes were resting on her wand. "What's that?"
"It's your-" he began.
Under her wand lay the Marauder's Map, and in green, curly words it proclaimed, "Mr. Prongs would like to suggest that the two of you get a room."
"Mr. Padfoot agrees with Mr. Prongs, and would like to suggest the inn down on Rue de Maitresses. It's very spacious."
"Mr. Moony would like to apologize for his friends' behavior and bids the couple a lovely evening."
"-Together," the looping known as Mr. Padfoot added.
And last, but certainly not least, "Mr. Wormtail is unfamiliar with the inn, but bids the couple a swell evening all the same."
Vala stared at Remus, then back to the parchment. "What is that?"
He picked up the map, and shoved it into a hip pocket. "It's nothing."
"It said your name," she insisted. "Yours and James and Peters and… What was it?"
"Nothing," he repeated stiffly. "Didn't you have to leave?"
She stared at him. What's gotten into him? she wondered. "Okay…" she picked up her wand and dropped it into a pocket. "I guess I'll be going then."
More confused than ever, she left the castle, but not the grounds. Walking over the tumbling hills, she heard loud rustling and deep sniffles coming from Hagrid's cabin. Glancing around, she stepped towards it, and hesitating at the door, she finally knocked.
After Gryffindor's grand defeat of Slytherin, she expected Hagrid to be drinking. Drinking alone is a mistake, she decided, one gets extremely cheery, but then drops into an all time low.
The door swung open, "Yes?" he asked through blurry eyes.
"Hi, Hagrid," Vala started awkwardly.
He blinked.
He's probably not used to seeing women my age knocking on his door, she blushed. "You probably don't know…" she looked past him and at the fully-grown Hippogriff lying on his bed, ripping a chicken apart. "Uh…" She directed her gaze upward and into his bloodshot eyes. "Do you mind if I come in?"