Cho gulped hard, trying to rid her throat and stomach from the strange sensation that felt as though a giant hand was squeezing it, making it difficult to breathe. Several days had passed that were by no means uneventful and it was now time for the event that the entire school had been anticipating more than any other like it before: the Quidditch game. All who were able would be attending to see if Cho played any better now than she did when her boyfriend was on the same team. Even the few who were in the hospital wing and conscious begged for binoculars so that they could watch the game from the windows. In fact, most of the school had wagers with each other, betting on one view or the other, the first being that she wouldn't be able to play well against her own boyfriend, the other being that she was the same team star as always and would shame all the Gryffindors regardless of being closely associated with someone on their team.
She was aware of this, having overheard Marietta, making a bet herself with some girl from Hufflepuff.
"I think she'll come through for Ravenclaw," her friend said firmly, having no doubt whatsoever about Cho's talent on the Quidditch field. Cho had been on the way to breakfast when she had just happened to hear Marietta mention her name before she turned a corner. She peeked over the corner just briefly, catching sight of Marietta and the Hufflepuff badge on the uniform of the girl opposite of her.
"Well then, seein' as the rest of the school is in the spirit of the thing, would you like to make a little wager on that?" the Hufflepuff said, her thick Irish accent obvious. "Let's say, five galleons says that she'll not be able to play-"
"-and five galleons on my part say that she will." Marietta cut in. "Winner takes all ten galleons. Deal?"
"Deal." Said the Hufflepuff, taking the outstretched hand that the Ravenclaw offered, shaking it.
She had found it difficult to eat anything that morning afterwards, although everything looked just as delicious as always. Joan had tried in vain to force-feed her some toast, but she had adamantly refused to consume anything.
"You need energy," the distraught captain argued. "I can't afford to have you pass out on me in mid-air."
"I won't faint, I promise," she replied gently, but firmly. "I'm fine. I'm just not hungry right now."
"Are you sure?" Joan asked one more time, finally relenting after realizing that bickering with her had wasted ten minutes of precious time.
"Yes," Cho said, still in the same tone that finalized everything.
Ron had likewise been apprehensive.
"Not to make you nervous or anything," Seamus Finnigan said, approaching Ron after he had changed out of his pajamas, "but I sort of had a little- well, a kind of… deal with someone."
Ron arched an eyebrow and nodded, saying suspiciously, "Go on,"
"And well, I just wanted to tell you that you might want to play a little bit better than your best today."
"I beg your pardon?" Ron said, a bit incredulous.
"I've made a bet with someone and I need you to help Gryffindor win this game or else I'll lose all me money." He replied, looking a trifle ashamed now.
"Since when did you become so interested in gambling?" Ron said, still doubtful.
"Oh, almost everyone's got at least a small wager with someone else for this game, and almost all on the same thing."
"And that would be…?"
"You, mate."
"WHAT?!" he said, almost ripping his tie, which he had been putting on while he had been talking to Seamus.
"Well, to be specific, you and Cho. Everyone's either betting that you won't come through for Gryffindor or some other bunch of-"
"And you made a bet on which side?" Ron asked, looking a bit like a madman now, his eyes flashing and the seams on his tie slowly starting to give way.
Looking a bit hesitant, he replied slowly, "Well, I always figured that you were loyal to Gryffindor, but I thought that having a girlfriend on the other team would distract you, so," – he took a deep breath as though preparing for the worst – " I bet that you wouldn't do well and Ravenclaw would win." He said quickly, running out the door as if for his life.
Ron stared after him in shock and, trying to gather his wits together, let go of his tie just in time and went down to breakfast, where people once again stared and whispered about him. He met Cho out side the dining hall, as usual, looking extremely nervous; she looked rather out-of-sorts as well and he supposed that she had either discovered or been told the unpleasant news. They parted in between their tables, both looking distant as he kissed her lightly on the forehead and they went their separate ways.
After breakfast, the two teams walked out across the sloping lawn to the changing rooms, each team splitting up from the other to go their own room.
The Ravenclaw team dressed as talkatively usual, more confident now that one of their best players was back again. Luna sat in the corner, looking as though she didn't care at all about not playing the game; in fact, she was actually looking happier than she had for a few weeks now, humming some tune unknown to all but her placidly with her usual copy of The Quibbler in her hands, wand behind her ear.
Joan cleared her throat when they had all finished changing and motioned for them to quiet down for her usual pep talk.
The talk died away quickly and everyone turned his or her attention to her; everyone that is, but Luna, who was now staring dreamily at the wall.
"Now, remember, we need to win as many games as we can to win the Quidditch Cup," she began, everyone looking solemn as they remembered that she was a seventh year. "I want you all to do your best out there today and walk away from this game, win or lose, knowing that you played your finest game yet, because you took the time to improve and challenge yourselves in this sport, not only just for the glory of winning, but for each other and to know that you can do what you put your mind to. As long as you play to your full potential, you can never make me disappointed and I'll be proud of you even if we lose by just a few points. Keep in mind to play clean like I always tell you to and all that we've gone over in practice. I also want you all to have good sportsmanship and congratulate the other team if they win and tell them that they played well if they lose."
Someone in the back yelled, "Hear, hear!" and everyone else added several words to support him.
"We'll win this one Joan,"
"We won't let you down."
"Gryffindor doesn't stand a chance."
"As long as we have you, we'll be sure to win!"
"All right, let's head out," she said, inhaling deeply as though she was satisfied with the results of her pep talk and walking out of the door, the team following suit, into the clear, crisp autumn day to the cheers of the excited crowd.
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"We've kept the Quidditch Cup for ourselves for the past few years and I intend to keep it; how about you?" Harry said, facing his team, looking at each familiar face, remembering when he had been one of the younger team members, watching Oliver Wood give them pep talks. He was captain now, and he filled the large shoes as best as he could.
The others nodded fervently, two of the younger female teammates nudging each other mischievously and trying hard not to giggle out loud, one them being quite taken with him.
"Some of the best players that Hogwarts has ever seen graduated last year, and everyone believes that now they're gone, the Gryffindor team will fall apart. I want to prove them wrong."
Several cheers erupted after he had said this and he continued.
"We have a reputation to maintain," he said, beginning to pace back and forth at the front of the room, "as the best of the best here. The elite. The winners. We are going to win this game. Why? Because we practiced every night that we had free, because we worked hard, and because we earned it. Are you with me?"
They all agreed again, everyone becoming slightly bored, having heard this lecture before every game. The two girls in the back still watched him intently.
He felt that he was losing their attention and ended abruptly by sighing and saying, "Just do your best and we'll be fine."
Motioning for them to follow him, they walked out of the changing room in single file, Ron suddenly having the old butterflies-in-the-stomach feeling. He had played against Cho before, but under very different circumstances. Would he still be able to play to his best ability? He looked at her from across the field. She waved, smiling, and he waved back, excruciatingly aware of the fact of how pretty she looked with that determined gleam in her eyes as she mounted her broom and the content, seemingly complete expression that he had seen her with that night not so long ago when they had first made their plans together…
He shook himself mentally when Harry nudged him, signaling with a look that he needed to fly up into the air and join the rest of the team. He flushed slightly, snuck one last look at Cho, and then tried to focus his attention on the game itself.
************************
The two teams flew up into the air, except for the captains, who carried their brooms to the middle of the field, staying close enough to the ground that their brooms could just barely skim Madam Hooch's head. She nodded to Harry and Joan and said, "You know how the game is played. I expect you to follow all the rules."
They shook hands, Harry looking at her almost smugly, Joan looking only calm and collected, before mounting their own brooms and joining their teammates in the air, eagerly waiting for Madam Hooch to start off the game.
The Bludgers and Snitch were released, the Quaffle thrown up into the air, and the game began.
"It looks like Ravenclaw has the Quaffle, and Gryffindor is in close pursuit. McFerguson throws the ball and- oh! A superb block from the Gryffindor keeper Ron Weasley and a crushing blow to the Ravenclaws as Gryffindor takes possession of the Quaffle," yelled Hannah Abbott, Lee Jordan's replacement. Ron grinned triumphantly, and Cho, who saw him smile, got the sensation that her heart was beating just a little bit faster than it usually did at games. He, unaware of her looking at him, felt more confident now as he cautiously flew back and forth in front of the goals.
The Gryffindors cheered and stomped madly up and down in the stands, while the Ravenclaws yelled words of encouragement, but were disappointed nonetheless.
"Ginny Weasley has the ball and barely dodges the Bludger sent by Ravenclaw Beater Bradley. She streaks towards the goalposts, dodges an attempt to snatch the Quaffle made by Corner, and she shoots- SHE SCORES! Ginny Weasley has scored the first ten points of the game for Gryffindor!"
She flew over to her brother who gave her a slap on the back and an approving smile before flying back to his post in the middle of the right and middle hoop. Ron smiled widely, feeling that his little sister was going to live up to the Weasley reputation very well after all. Cho, on the other hand, felt slightly nauseous again as she realized that Gryffindor seemed to be the favorite of the crowd for that particular game. Shaking this out of her mind, she kept Harry within her range of sight while feverishly raking the field with her eyes for any sign of the Snitch.
"Ravenclaw has the Quaffle again, carried by McFerguson, passed to Ravenclaw Captain Lawrence-" was all Cho heard before she looked just in time to see Bludger heading her way and ducking. When she looked up again, she had lost sight of Harry. Panicking, she turned in all directions, searching for a dark-headed figure in red robes. She spotted him on the other side of the field, still circling like a hawk, still searching for the Snitch like she was. She breathed a sigh of relief before turning her attention back to the game, cheering with the rest of the Ravenclaws as Joan scored for the second time since the last instant she had been listening to the commentaries.
"-and another nice score from Captain Lawrence," Hannah yelled into her microphone.
Ron had lost a bit of his confidence after the first time that Joan had scored, and was struggling to regain it, concentrating on the memory of his first blocked shot of the game.
"What's this? Gryffindor has the ball now, after diverting Corner's attention by… a most unusual move-"
The Ravenclaws were all booing and yelling, "Foul! Foul!"
Madam Hooch, motioned for them to quiet down, yelling, "No foul! It's perfectly legal!" to even more boos and jeers from the crowd.
Harry gave Ron the thumbs-up across the field, silently thanking him for the information about that particular feat. Ron forced a smile, still feeling bitter towards him, and returned his attention to Ginny, who was flying at breakneck speed towards the other goalposts once again.
"Here comes the younger Weasley yet again, she is on fire today. She takes the shot and- yes! She makes it! Another ten points for Gryffindor!"
Cho groaned inaudibly, the sound lost in the riotous din of the crowd. She spotted Harry flying closer, and she decided to test him, or rather, break his confidence a little, more out of a desire for revenge than anything. She flew in front of him, her broom at a seemingly high speed. Once she was sure that he was watching her, she dived, and he followed close behind, sure that she spotted something, never suspecting that she hadn't; she had never used that strategy before and would therefore easily catch him off guard. Behind them, everyone including Hannah was going wild with excitement.
"And there goes Ravenclaw Seeker Chang! Has she seen the Snitch?! Gryffindor Seeker and Captain Potter follows, tailing behind her. She's still diving, and- I DON'T BELIEVE IT! Ladies and gentlemen, Seeker Chang has just pulled off a spectacular WRONSKI FEINT!"
Hannah was on her feet now, waving her arms, forgetting that she had a microphone in one of her hands, looking as though she had gone wild.
Harry pulled out from the dive just in time, looking disgruntled and as though his pride had been severely bruised. Ron couldn't help but grin inwardly, although he was on the same team with him. Cho rose triumphantly, dodging both Bludgers, sent her way by the Gryffindor Beaters.
"I must say, this has been the most exciting game that I've ever attended in my entire time here at Hogwarts!" Hannah's voice boomed, the entire student population roaring their agreement in reply.
Joan only had time to grin proudly at Cho before she motioned for someone to pass her the Quaffle and dodged a Bludger at the same time. Cho felt exhilarated, having embarrassed Harry and proved herself still a fantastic Seeker. She flew higher still, trying to escape Harry's deathly glare. She then glanced at the scoreboard. They were down by only ten points. If she caught the Snitch now, they would win…
Ron had glanced at the scores as well, making note of the fact that they were winning, but not by much.
"Corner has the Quaffle now, and he's pass- no, he's not! Lawrence had motioned for him to pass the ball, but he is flying head on towards the Gryffindor goalposts. Will he make this shot? He throws the ball and- nope, sorry Michael, not today! Weasley makes another extraordinary block!"
She sensed movement to her right and saw Michael, who had seen her smile at Ron before the game had begun and had been fired with a desire to make him feel pain, especially after his effort at scoring a goal had been smothered by him, fly over to one of the Ravenclaw Beaters, motioning towards… Ron… the Beater nodded, as if in consent and started searching the field for something. She realized in horror that he was searching for a Bludger; he was going to hit Ron! She glanced over at him, his red hair clashing badly with his robes, not looking in their direction and unaware of what had been plotted against him. The beater moved to the back of the goalposts, unseen by anyone but her, waiting for the perfect opportunity.
That was when she saw it; a shimmer of gold beside one of the Ravenclaw goalposts. Her heartbeat increased to the point where it was almost painful as she artfully kept her eye on it, making sure that she didn't lose it. What should she do? Harry still hadn't spotted the Snitch yet; this was her perfect chance to win the game for Ravenclaw. She felt her heart drop through her stomach as she saw the Beater raise his club as a Bludger headed his way, zooming in the ideal direction for him to make an effective hit. In the split second that she had to spare, she debated which path to follow along, which of the two to deal with, for she could only choose one. With one last glance at Harry, she began to fly faster than she ever had before.
Harry spotted the Snitch as she flew swiftly… in the opposite direction. Confused, he watched her for seconds before diving for the small ball, which had miraculously stayed within the same range while his attention had been diverted momentarily. She continued to fly directly towards Ron, startling him and making everyone think that she had gone mad. Joan was yelling something at her, but she never heard a single word. She concentrated only on Ron and what she had to do. Positioning herself behind him, she shielded him just as the club had struck the Bludger, not having time to give any explanations to him, bewildered as he was.
The ball, true to its course, collided into her side with a force that was so powerful, it knocked her off of her broom and rendered her unconscious almost immediately.
The crowd watched in horror as she began to fall, headfirst, almost as if it were in slow motion.
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A/N: Ooh, I am so EVIL for leaving you hanging there! Mwahahahahaha!!!!! Sorry for leaving you all waiting so long for me to update! And I kept my promise; it's longer… by about 40 words or so… Anyway, here are my replies to your reviews:
To glitterfairyxoxo: Yeah, that is kind of strange… I'm thrilled that you love my story!
To LogicalRaven: You do have a point there… well, Harry's just plain evil in this story then, ok? But yeah, it does feel kind of weird to be against Harry for once, doesn't it? I'm grateful for your patience!
To toxiclove1: lol! I try to add twists here and there…
To LauriAnn: Thanks! That is exactly what I was trying for: originality and making it seem real.
To Wanchu: Oh, thank you SO much! I was really trying to make it seem real and everything and you've made me a very happy authoress! Lol. And of course I'd write a C/R story for you, if you really want me to! It's no problem…
To hippogriff82: Yeah, I can't stand the coupling either; that's why I've said before to someone else that it's not going to work out. It's just not written very well because I don't like it myself, in this particular story. I HAVE A FAN! Woo-hoo! Break out the fireworks!
To Cho100: You're welcome, and you can say that you love this story as many times as you want to. (*smiles and winks*) I think it's cool that your friends call you Cho Chang! And it would be really funny if you got a boyfriend named Ron Weasley! Lol
To shortywithbrains: Thank you for sympathizing with me… anyway, I'm just glad you like it!
Just to get something straight with everybody who hates the H/H pairing, I know. ME TOO. I just have to get that off my chest… you all are great, I just can't say that or thank you enough! You've all got me trippin' out! Keep reviewing and stay cool! I wonder… would it be ok if I said that I'll update when I've reached 35 reviews? I'll try it and see… but if I don't have enough reviews, I'll still update anyway, because I'm just nice like that… so, let's just try for 35 reviews, okay? Can't wait to hear from you guys!
-Unicorn13