Chapter Six


"Now that we don't have a keeper for our team, we'll have to find one," Draco complained to Ling Yu after his quidditch practice which Ling Yu always made she she attended. The old keeper of the Slytherin team had recently graduated, and they now needed to find a new one in order to continue playing. However, none of the players wanted the to take the responsibility of finding someone. "We better find someone half way decent otherwise we don't have the slightest chance at winning!" he rambled on even though Ling Yu was only partially listening.

"Chang!" Draco said in an attempt to bring his companion back to reality. "Hmm..Oh, what?" Ling Yu asked in a semi dream-like state. "Where you even listening to me?" he interrogated. "I'll do it," Ling Yu interrupted without even answering his question, "Be the keeper for the Slytherin team, I mean." stated Ling Yu in a pridefilled tone.

"You?" "Be the keeper of our team!" Draco uttered in disbelief. Raising one of his fine eyebrows he gaped at the small-framed Asian girl beside him with little interest. "Excuse me for being so rude, Chang, but I don't think that you can fl--" "I can fly very, very well, thank you, Mr. I-Was-Allowed-To-Join-The-Quidditch-Team-To-Play-The-Seeker-Just-Because-My-Father-Bought-The-Whole-Team-Nimbus-2001s." retorted Ling Yu spitefully.

"That was cold, Ling Yu." muttered Draco, slightly embarrased about the circumstances of him getting on the team. "It may be, but I'll get on the team on talent, not because my parents have the money." she sneered as she stared at him. "In any case, we'll have a better team this way and we might even have a chance at winning the cup, since Gryffindor has one the past few. Am I correct?" she wondered, hoping that he would answer quickly. Instead of giving her a straight answer, however, Draco merely nodded, grumbling something incoharent that Ling Yu payed no heed to.

"Christmas is coming up soon, you know?" Draco told Ling Yu who shot him a quick glance before staring down the hallway ahead.

"Yeah, I know." Ling Yu responded, the least bit of interest in her voice. "I suppose your going back home to spend the holidays with your mum and dad, right?" Smiling this time instead of using his normal smirk he nodded to his friend, "Yeah, I'm going back home for the holidays." "What about you, what are you doing?" he asked curiously, wondering if she too, would be heading home for the holidays. "I'm staying here. There isn't much use going home." she exclaimed, opening the door to walk inside the cozy, welcoming school.

"Why do you think that there isn't much use in going home?" Draco continued, seeming to be asking more questions today than Ling Yu had been. All of the questions seemed to catch Ling Yu off guard for a moment because she gave him a strange look before shrugging. "My family doesn't really celebrate Christmas. We do, it just isn't as big. We are more into celebrating New Year's." she told him as they strolled through the dimly lit corridors. "And anyway, I'm not really welcomed at home. My parents always gush over my sister and her great achievements. Then they look at me and say: "Ling Yu, why can't you be like Cho! She is a good student with many friends who everyone loves. But not you! You get poor grades and you barely have any friends at all!" ..It's really annoying." she said with a sigh. "Not that I mind, it's better than them not talking to me at all." she continued. "At least it's something.."

Draco nodded thoroughly, listening to every word Ling Yu said as if he were actually trying to make an attempt about her life. It seemed slightly sad to hear that her family didn't think much of her as his family thought about him. But nevertheless, he couldn't change how they felt. Draco merely smiled and gave her a light pat on the back in hopes of making her feel better. Ling Yu smiled in return and shook her head, stepping into the common room.

"Tryouts for quidditch will be after the Christmas holidays, when all the snow melts. Alright, Ling Yu?" "Yeah, I'll be there. Don't worry." she said with a wink, heading up to her room to put her books away. "Why do you want me to join the team, anyway?" she asked even though she was already halfway up the stairs. "N-..No reason. I mean, we don't have any girls on our team, and it would be nice to have one on there for a change, you know?" he said, trying to think of the right way to put what he was trying to say into words.

"Well, alright." Ling Yu said with a slight sigh. "I guess I'll do it. It's better than Pansy doing it, just think how she'd be all over the goal. She'd probably run into one of the posts," she said with a laugh, giving Draco a wave. "I guess I'll see you when we go to Hogsmeade, right?" she asked him, hoping that they would be able to go together. He flashed her his trademark smirk with a nod of his head. "Of course, I'll see you then." She smiled more broadly this time and nodded in agreement, disappearing into her room to get ready for the trip to Hogsmeade she was going to take with Draco, as well as the rest of the sixth year students.