A/N: Merry Christmas everyone!
Isn't this the absolute best time of the year? I happen to be one of those really annoying people who start singing Christmas carols at the beginning of November, send Christmas cards by the 15th, decorate every nook and cranny by the 1st of December, and spend the rest of the year, just waiting for Christmas to happen! I spent all last Sunday making Christmas biscuits and chocolates with my mum and I loved every second of it! Hope everyone enjoys the season as much as I do...!
Ernie: As. Much. As. We. Do.
Yes, Ernie, I haven't forgotten about you! You know, if you've been a good boy this year, Santa might just bring you a new mouse pad for Christmas...
Ernie: Really?
Absolutely! Have you been a good little laptop this year?
Ernie: The. Best.
Hmm. Okay, then. You've got nothing to worry about.
Ernie: Can. We. Thank. Our. Reviewers. Now?
Go right ahead Ernie!
Ernie: Thank. You. Bob-the-bear
Give us a 'B', give us an 'O', give us another 'B'... What does that spell...? Bob-the-bear!!!
You are the official Talia cheerleader of course... I can try but emulate! You and your pom-poms are just the kind of encouragement I need to write another chapter! Don't worry about not reviewing for a while. I know you have a life out there somewhere... and I know how the pesky thing can get in the way! 0)
Ernie: songwithoutwordz
I'm glad you liked it! I have a feeling you'll like this one even more...
Ernie: Nexos23
I kinda liked that part too! Thank you. I'll keep up my end (writing) if you keep up your end (reviewing)...?
Ernie: Anna
Ah... My 200th reviewer!
Ernie: Our. 200th. Reviewer.
Yes, of course Ernie. What was I thinking? ::grumble, grumble::
I have a thing, for sexy accents. French is way, way overused, I'm afraid, but give me a Scot or Irish and... yum! I had this Scottish Professor this term, and I couldn't concentrate on the lectures, for fawning over his Scottish accent! He wasn't even that cute! Kinda nerdy looking really... But he was young, which is more than I can say for most of my professors!
Thanks for being such a great reviewer, Anna! I'd like to dedicate this chapter to you for being the big 2-0-0. Merry Christmas!
Ernie: Reigning. Devil
Excellent name! I'm glad you liked it, darling! Are you going to keep reading?
Ernie: And. lexa.
I'm sorry you feel that way. I do try to update every week actually, and my track record isn't really that bad...! I'm a student, with a very busy life and I'm rather proud of my more-or-less consistent updating. Every chapter is somewhere between 2000 and 4000 words which I happen to think is quite big. Have you ever written a 2000 word essay? The length of chapters admittedly varies, because I cut them off where I think it's appropriate and not because I've reached the nth word. You'll be glad to know that this one is longer than most.
On a nicer note, I'm glad you liked the story enough to care! And as for your questions... I'm going to try to answer them as well as I can. When it comes to Lucius' presence in the story... well, I'd like to think that he's slippery enough to talk/lie/bribe/blackmail his way out of Azkaban. What good is a silver tongue, a deep pocket, and a lack of conscience if one doesn't use them? And of course he'd go to Hogwarts! If anyone is arrogant enough to do it, it's him! As for Dumbledore not telling Wyatt and Talia the real reason they're there... are you kidding?! This is the man who didn't tell Harry about the Prophesy for five whole years! Keep reading, and please, don't be afraid to ask more questions. They keep me on my toes!
Ernie: Thanks. Devlin. Rose
Thank you for your lovely words. This is a longer chapter, probably the longest to date, and I have a feeling you'll like it even more than the last one!
Ernie: charmedsisters
Is this soon enough?
Ernie: Frisbee400
Ooh... I have an English teacher following this story... Glad to know you don't want to crucify me for any atrocious spelling and grammar mistakes I might have made! I shared your lovely review with Nightcrawler, my beta, and he was as touched as I was! I'm glad I made you giggle, and as for Wyatt being a push over... I kinda have to admit that I've only ever watched a few episodes of season 6 and none of season 7, so I wouldn't know. I need to catch up on my episode guides! I don't think of him as a push over, but he does have a weak spot for Talia, as she does for him!
Ernie: mcgirl
Soon enough, darling? Enjoy and Merry Christmas!
Ernie: Ori
The AU fic of them growing up together, would be cool, wouldn't it? Is that an offer to write one? I'm afraid I don't have the time, but I would support any and all attempts to write one, wholeheartedly! I have no idea how my paper went. I still haven't gotten it back, but it was exhausting to write! It was one horrible assignment after another, I'm afraid. A 23-page stats essay, followed by a seven page Organisational Behaviour essay, followed by another horrendous 4000 word stats essay. And that's on top of normal homework! On a more pleasant subject, I think you're going to absolutely love this chapter! Consider it a Christmas gift! Best wishes!
Ernie: svata2004
Here it is! And there's more where this came from...
Ernie: Thank. You. triquetraperson
You gotta love Snape! Oh the snarkiness, the sneakiness, the sarcasm...!!!
Ernie: frances
I did too! I'll let you in on a little secret. I'm of Greek origin, and if you've ever watched "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" you'll know that we're all very proud of our heritage. I don't think there's a Greek out there who hasn't read at least a part of the Iliad and/or the Odyssey.
Ernie: Metallika
I'm glad you liked it this much! Enjoy this new chapter and Merry Christmas!
Ernie: winter blaze
Typically Ron that line, wasn't it? And you are 100 right. He, and the rest of them, have no idea of what they're getting into...
Ernie: CharmingStar
Love my story beyond belief? Wow! Thanks a lot, darling! That's very flattering! I hope I don't let you down...
Ernie: And. Last. But. Not. Least. Asian Orchid
Of course Talia and Wyatt continue their early morning practice sessions! It's deeply ingrained in them by now. But they are extremely early risers. None of the others have noticed. Yet. There's the occasional sparing with Snape for Talia, but... More to come on this subject later. Probably next chapter. Watch this space.
..oo00oo..
Thank you Nightcrawler once again! Merry Christmas Everyone!
..oo00oo..
Chapter 18: The gathering storm
Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny had high hopes for an almost-normal year.
It was true that the wizarding world was in the middle of perhaps the worst war it had ever seen, that they themselves had joined the Order during the summer, and that Voldemort was believed to be rallying his forces to him, but none of them had seen any evidence of enemy activity after the attack at Hogwarts at the end of the last school year. The impending all-out war seemed too far away for them to think about all the time. And they found that it was easier not to. That didn't mean however that they didn't prepare for the war they knew would be upon them soon enough.
Harry still practised his Occlumency and Legilimency that Snape had reluctantly taught him, and he was even secretly teaching Hermione, Ron and Ginny to varying degrees of success. His defence training under Lupin was going great as was his auror skills training with Tonks and Kingsley Shacklebolt, when they could make it. None of the other students planning to apply for the auror program was receiving any of these extra lessons, but Dumbledore had applied for, and received, special permission for Harry to do so while he was still in school, due to "extenuating circumstances". Being the Harry Potter was usually more trouble than it was worth, but occasionally, Harry decided grudgingly, it had its uses. Especially now that Fudge was out of power at the Ministry and the wizarding world believed his story of Voldemort coming back.
And as for the Prophesy... Harry tried not to think about that either. He'd told Hermione, Ron and Ginny about it last year, but, to Hermione's dismay, avoided discussing it after that. Taking Dumbledore's advice, he used his Occlumency techniques to meditate for a certain amount of time every day. It helped.
All the lessons helped. Having something to do...it made things easier somehow. The feeling of helplessness wasn't quite as acute as it was before. When Voldemort attacked again, Harry would be ready. That had been quite obvious to anyone who had seen him fight last year, and it was obvious to him too. He found a morbid confidence in himself that made him a more formidable opponent than he had ever been, and, he liked it! He had his friends by his side, and they were determined to win at any cost! It was this ruthless devotion that had made the adults see all of them as active combatants in this war, despite their young age.
Harry worried over his friends of course, but last year, they had told him in no uncertain terms that they refused to leave him and that was that! The least he could do was make sure that they could defend themselves. And so, he still taught the DA, and taught his nearest and dearest even more: Occlumency, magical defence, whatever it took to keep them alive! It made for a very busy life. He had no idea how he would've managed to get through sixth year, or this year in fact, without the time turner Dumbledore had given him.
The changes in him were obvious to all. Gone was the moodiness that had been so characteristic of him during his fifth year. There was the odd exception of course, but he usually made an effort not to take things out on his friends. After Sirius' death two years ago – yet another thing he dealt with by not thinking about it – he knew for a fact that life was way too short for things like that.
..oo00oo..
But despite all the extra things he had to worry about, Harry was determined to have as normal a final year as possible. There were plenty of things to think about without Voldemort, what with mounting school work and, in Hermione's case, constant preparation for N.E.W.Ts. But Harry's favourite distraction was of course, quidditch.
Harry was seeker and captain of the Gryffindor quidditch team. His ban from playing quidditch had been lifted with Umbridge's departure. Ginny was a chaser and Ron was the Gryffindor keeper. Within the first two weeks of school Harry had called quidditch tryouts, badly needing a new chaser and beater. With three members of the group in the Quidditch team, Quidditch had been the topic of conversation for days, to Talia's and Hermione's dismay. It wasn't that Talia didn't find quidditch interesting...like Hermione, she thought it was rather exciting to watch, but hours of strategies and techniques, never mind the differences between models of broomsticks, bored the two of them to tears. Their shared love of reading had kept them busy, while the others talked about their own favourite topic.
Ron had tried to get Talia to sign up for the try outs, after seeing her practicing with her broom, but she had flat out refused. It wasn't that she was terrible with a broom – in fact, she wasn't half bad if you asked her – but Talia always felt uncomfortable flying with a broomstick. It was a completely different sensation to when she transformed into a Phoenix and flew on nothing but her own gold-edged wings.
Wyatt, on the other hand, had been very enthusiastic about joining the team, to Harry's, Ron's and Ginny's pleasure. He was an even better flier with a broom than Talia, and his ball handling skills were much better than hers. Wyatt had been heart-broken at the thought of giving up American football at his old school, but the promise of Quidditch helped soothe him. After consulting with Harry and Ron, he decided to go for the chaser position that had been vacated last year by the departure of Katie Bell from the school. He was looking forward to the tryouts.
And so, the day of the Quidditch tryouts dawned...
It was a wonderful day for Quidditch, Harry decided. The sky was bright and clear and despite it being only mid-September, there was a lovely crispiness in the air. He smiled at the Gryffindors on the pitch.
"Right," he said, "Just a few more things I'd like you to do for me before we finish. Chasers, I'd like to see some Quaffle passing skills. Arrange yourselves in threes, please, and I'd like to see you make your way across the pitch towards the goals," it was good luck that there were precisely six people trying out for the chaser position. "Ginny and Sarah," he said, indicating the two current chasers of the team, "will be watching you, so I want you to show them everything you've got. Ron will be defending the goals, and don't go easy on him please," he joked, grinning and winking at his best friend who grinned back. "The more practise he gets, the better prepared we'll be at our next match.
"Beaters, kindly follow Jonathan, our beater, to the other end of the field. He will be showing you some special moves and techniques I'd like him to try out with you.
"I'll be watching..." he threatened, with a smile.
Not without some satisfaction, Harry watched everyone move to follow his orders. It felt good to fly again! Harry was an exceptionally good flier and he absolutely loved it! It was exhilarating, and there was nothing that made him feel quite as free and powerful as riding his trusty, old Firebolt.
He could have bought another broom. There were faster brooms on the market now, and Merlin knew he could afford them, but nothing could convince him to abandon the broom that was his first gift from his godfather.
"Harry's really good at this, isn't he?" asked Talia.
"Oh yes, he's a wonderful flier!" enthused Hermione next to her.
The two girls had agreed to sit at the stands and watch the tryouts. It was a lovely day and even Hermione, with a little persuasion from Talia, agreed to leaving the musty library for the great outdoors.
"He made the house quidditch team in his first year, you know."
"Really?"
"Oh, yes, the first one to do so in over a century! He could go professional one day if he wanted to," Hermione answered proudly.
"Does he want to?"
Hermione became quiet at that and Talia realised her mistake and berated herself for her question.
"I'm sorry Mione, I didn't think-"
"Don't worry about it," Hermione smiled wryly, "I keep forgetting that we've known you and Wyatt for only a short time." She shrugged. "Who knows, maybe after the war, Harry will get a chance to go into professional quidditch. It'll certainly make him happy. And he deserves a little happiness," she added sadly, looking at her best friend happily zooming around on his broom.
From the first time that Talia and Wyatt had heard mention of Voldemort on the Hogwarts Express, they had heard of nothing else. The imminent, impending war was on everyone's minds and popped up inevitably in nearly every conversation. Talia assumed that talk of the war and Voldemort was perhaps more intense in Hogwarts than anywhere else, considering that both Dumbledore and Harry were here, and both seemed to have protagonist roles in current events. Talia had no idea how she and Wyatt had spent the summer in the wizarding world knowing nothing of what was going on! She berated herself, and made a point to remember to subscribe to the Daily Prophet, the main wizarding newspaper, to keep up to date with the news. Talia and Wyatt had already joined the DA. This was the first year the club functioned under permission of not only Dumbledore, but the current Defence Against the Dark Arts professor too.
Talia felt stupid for letting all that slip her mind, even for a second. But it was extremely tempting to forget. Talia had never before felt the easy acceptance she found at Hogwarts, and she relished every moment of being considered "normal". She sometimes forgot that she and Wyatt had been sent here for a reason, and that she should be trying to find out what that was. The whole idea of forgetting imminent danger and losing herself in the crowd, was tremendously appealing.
She inwardly scowled at the thought that she was going soft.
Talia hesitated.
"Hermione...?"
"Yes?"
"I looked up Harry in the library."
"Oh...?"
Hermione tensed. She tried to look apathetic, but it was obvious to Talia that she was anxious to hear what she had to say.
"Hell, he could have his own reference section for all the books that mention him!"
Hermione smiled and relaxed slightly.
"That's a lot of things for one person to go through..." continued Talia.
"Yes. And books don't even know the half of it! Harry hasn't had an easy time so far."
"From what I understand from the newspapers, the war with Voldemort should really break out soon. I'm glad for Harry's sake that he's got you and Ron to help him through it. And Ginny. You guys seem very close."
She was fishing.
"We are. Harry's like a brother to me and Ron. And Ginny's joined us the past couple of years."
"Thank you for accepting Wyatt and me into your group. Personally, I feel like I've known you four forever, and I think Wyatt feels the same way. It can't be easy, being in the middle of so much danger all the time. I just wanted to say that if you guys ever need anything, you can count on us."
Hermione turned fully to face her friend. She smiled warmly.
"Thanks Tal. You've no idea how much that means to me. I'm sure the others feel the same."
Talia smiled back.
"What are friends for, right?"
The two girls turned back to watch the tryouts.
"Wyatt's pretty good," commented Hermione.
Talia shrugged.
"He's always been very good at sports. Unlike his cousin," she commented wryly.
Hermione laughed at the disappointment in her voice.
"So I guess you don't do any sports?"
"No. Well, except martial arts that it."
Hermione stopped laughing.
"You know martial arts?" she asked incredulously.
"Both of my parents were always into them. Don't ask me why. My dad's taught me a few things, for self-defence."
"Sounds interesting."
"My dad's a very busy man and raising a daughter practically single-handedly wasn't easy. It was the only father-daughter bonding time we got."
"Oh? What does he do?" Hermione asked distractedly, watching Ron save yet another goal.
Talia inwardly cursed herself for bringing her father into the conversation and searched frantically for an answer.
"He's a lawyer, and my mother's an advice columnist in a newspaper," she said, more calmly than she felt. "What do your parents do?"
"They're dentists," Hermione grinned turning her attention back to the brunette. "Could've knocked them over with a feather when they found out about me being a witch! You know, I just can't get around the fact that both you and Wyatt are half-bloods, but you've been raised completely in the muggle world!"
Talia shrugged.
"Our mothers were raised the same way. The magical community in America isn't as big as the one here and we live in San Francisco, we don't see many magical creatures around there," she said, lying through her teeth.
San Francisco had one of the largest magic communities in America, but most of it was Wiccan and therefore kept little touch with the wizarding world.
"And how are my two favourite spectators?" asked Harry floating upside down in front of them on his broom.
"Show off!" teased Talia, to which Harry grinned.
"Just talking Harry," answered Hermione, "how are the tryouts going?"
"We've definitely got some good quidditch players here," he admitted, righting himself up, "but this is my last year on the team. I'm determined to win this year's cup, and to do that, we've got to have the best!"
Talia and Hermione smiled at his eagerness.
"How's Wyatt doing?" Talia asked.
Harry's grin widened.
"Are you sure he's never played quidditch before? He's bloody fantastic!"
"Harry!" admonished Hermione for Harry's choice of adjective.
"I'm pretty sure he'll make the team, at least where I'm concerned. I'll have to see what the others say of course, but I have a feeling that they'll agree with me."
"That's great Harry," Talia grinned. "He'll be very pleased to hear that!"
"Don't tell him yet!" Harry pretended to tell her off.
"Hey Harry!" called Jonathan, the fourth year Gryffindor beater, "come over here for a second will you?"
"Excuse me ladies," Harry smiled roguishly, "but duty calls!"
And with that, he was gone.
..oo00oo..
"Oh no!" exclaimed Hermione.
"What's wrong Mione?"
"It's the Slytherins. I bet they're here to cause trouble."
Talia turned to follow Hermione's line of vision to the group of green-clad people currently walking onto the pitch. Leading the group, was a very prominent head of white-blond hair.
"Come on Tal," Hermione said tugging Talia's sleeve, "we need to get down there fast, before a fight breaks out," but Talia was already on her feet climbing down the stands.
..oo00oo..
"Get off the field Potter!" called Draco Malfoy as Harry dismounted his Firebolt.
"This is our time on the field Malfoy. We booked it!"
"Was your time, you mean, Scarhead. It's our time now, so get your ugly face out of my sight!"
The rest of the Gryffindor team and all those that had been trying out, landed on the grass with their brooms, behind their team captain. Hermione and Talia rushed to stand by their friends' side.
"We still have fifteen minutes by my calculations, so get lost, Malfoy."
"And what would you know about calculations, Potter?"
"Move your butt, ferret, before we hex it off!" threatened Ron darkly, next to Harry, pointing his wand at the blond boy.
"Ron!" said Hermione softly but firmly, laying her hand on the arm of her red-haired friend.
Draco stared at the wand in front of him with distaste.
"Who's going to hex what, Weasel? You? Ha! I seem to remember that your hexes tend to backfire on you," he said referring to the slug incident in second year. "You couldn't pull off a proper hex if your life depended on it!"
Ron made as if to lunge at the blond boy, but Harry and Hermione held him back.
"What the hell do you want, Malfoy? You'll get your turn on the field when the time comes. Now move!"
"And who's going to make me Potter?" he sneered.
His team smirked their support behind him.
"Keep on talking, and I will!" threatened Harry.
Draco narrowed his eyes at him.
"You and what army? Are you challenging me to a duel, Potter? Don't fool yourself. Just because you've lied your way into a few newspaper articles, doesn't mean you can beat me! I knew more hexes before coming to Hogwarts than you ever will," he boasted. "You couldn't even help that pet dog of yours a couple of years ago, could you, Potter?" he sneered, spitting Harry's surname out as if it were a bad word.
It was obvious to all that whatever that cryptic comment had meant, it had struck a nerve. Harry threw himself at Malfoy and it took both Jonathan and Ginny to pull him back before his hand closed around Draco's neck. Hermione had to practically jump on Ron's back to stop him from joining the almost fight.
The Slytherins laughed at Harry's exhibition of loss of control.
"Everyone calm down," tried Wyatt, his whitelighter, pacifist nature shining through. "This isn't doing anything. Let's just give them the field and get it over with!"
Ron sputtered in indignation.
"What? What for? This is our time on the field? Why should we just let them have it?"
"Ron Weasley that is enough!" said Hermione firmly, halting any advance her tall friend might have made.
"Hiding behind your little mudblood girlfriend's skirts now, are you Weasley? You're a disgrace to pure-blooded wizards everywhere! And an even bigger loser than I thought!" Draco smirked. His fellow team mates sniggered behind him while Wyatt and Hermione restrained Ron.
A slap resonated around the quidditch pitch and everyone turned in surprise to look at the girl who had finally shut Draco Malfoy up. Talia's palm print was now obvious on Draco's pale cheek.
"I've just about had enough of you, Draco Malfoy! You're being a complete and utter bastard! This isn't about the pitch and you know it! You came here looking for a fight!"
It was the 'mudblood' comment that had made Talia snap.
Being raised a half-witch, half-demon in the Underworld, Talia was only too aware of the significance that certain old-fashioned demons placed on purity of blood. No matter how powerful she was, or how high in the Underworld hierarchy she was placed, to them she would always be the half-blood; the mongrel; the abomination of their otherwise perfect, evil world. Draco's comment may not have been directed at her, but it had opened up old wounds. Her eyes blazed, and two spots of angry colour had risen to her cheeks.
"How dare you call Hermione that?! So what if she's muggleborn? Does it really matter? From what I hear, she's probably smarter than both you, and the rest of your team put together!"
Draco's cheek still stung from where she had hit him. His facial expression changed from one of surprise to one of anger, more intense, than anyone had ever seen on him before.
"So they've really made a Gryffindor out of you, haven't they, Talia?" he said so softly, that people around them had to strain to hear.
Nobody was fooled. Draco's eyes stared ice cold daggers at her. The Gryffindors looked on in surprise and apprehension. Anger radiated off Draco in waves and even his own team mates took a cautious step back from their captain. Only Talia remained, her anger matching his, step for step.
"You say that as if it's a bad thing," she drawled with enough arrogance to match any Slytherin's.
Wyatt looked at Talia with a growing sense of alarm. After hearing Draco call Hermione that word on the Hogwarts Express, he had asked Ginny for its meaning and he was now fully aware of what it meant and how it would affect Talia. The scene with Perdicus a little less than a year ago, was still clearly imprinted in his mind. The last thing that Wyatt wanted was for Talia's strenuous control on her temper to snap. When Talia got angry, things happened around her. Usually, it meant that someone got either badly beaten up, or dead, most likely a demon. Although there was no love lost between Wyatt and Draco, he did not wish to see the Slytherin die a most painful death at Talia's hands.
"Who do you think you're fooling, Talia?" Draco growled. "I know who you are and where you belong, and it's not with your precious Gryffindors!"
"And where is it that you think I belong, Draco?" she asked, trying to ignore the alarm bells that rang at his proclamation of knowing who she was.
"Talia..." started Wyatt behind her, in an attempt to stop this before it went too far.
Talia didn't even turn to acknowledge him. She raised her right hand, palm towards him, to stop any interventions, no matter how well-meaning they were. It was a regal gesture; one that brooked no argument. Wyatt reluctantly backed down, but got ready to physically intervene if need be.
"I don't know how you fooled the sorting hat, Talia," Draco continued, "but you're a Slytherin to the bone and you always will be. I know that, and you know that! Why deny it? You certainly didn't this summer..." he sneered.
His bone-chilling voice hung in the air, heavy with insinuations. The anticipation was so thick, that people around them hardly dared to breathe.
"What happened this summer was a mistake!" Talia growled through clenched teeth.
There was fire in her eyes.
"You could have fooled me...! And I know a few people at the Hog's Head who would agree!"
He leered at her.
Talia's hand rose to deliver a second slap but, quick as a snake, he grabbed her wrist before she could exact the blow.
"Don't you dare hit me again Talia, or I might just forget that you're a girl and strike back," he hissed, pulling her close to him so that his eyes bore into hers with such intensity, that a weaker person would've looked away.
"Stay away from my friends, Draco!" she snarled back.
"Or you'll do what exactly?" he used his advantage in height to intimidate, but Talia was having none of that.
His hand was still tightly, painfully wrapped around her wrist, but she refused to wince in the pain he caused her.
"You don't know me Draco," she said, reaching for the last vestiges of control she had left. "You don't know what you're messing with and you don't know what I'm capable of."
She tried to release her wrist but his fingernails only dug deeper in her skin. She was bound to have bruises tomorrow.
"Ah, but I bet I know more about you than your so-called friends..."
There was nothing Talia could say to that. It was true. On that one night, Draco had seen a side of her that her friends would likely never see. But there was more to her than what even Draco knew. The brave, friendly Gryffindor her friends saw, was a part of her too. Talia was a paradox, combining Gryffindor and Slytherin, the fire typical of Halliwell women, and the ice of the Underworld. She was all of these, and none.
Draco's eyes flashed in triumph when he saw she had no comeback for what he had just said. He smirked smugly and brought her already bruising wrist upwards so he could inspect it. His thumb caressed the red, tender skin between palm and forearm, but his eyes returned to meet her hate-filled own. He bent his head and with a smirk, brought the inside of her wrist, the part he'd bruised, to his lips. He kissed it tenderly and relinquished his hold on her. She snapped it back, glaring at him.
"I believe the field is ours now, Potter," he said coldly to Harry, still looking at the fuming brunette before him with a self-satisfied smirk.
Harry turned abruptly and left the field. His fellow Gryffindors followed him. Talia stormed away in a different direction, alone. Wyatt made to follow, but wisely changed his mind. She needed time to cool off.