-The Good, The bad and everything In Between ch. 4
"Qudditch? What the hell is Quidditch?"
Rae laughed at Pansy until she almost fell over. Pansy looked extremely annoyed and rather upset. "I cannot believe you don't know what Quidditch is!" Rae smiled at Pansy, finally able to know something about the world Pansy didn't.
"I'm about 5 seconds away from punching your face in." Pansy retorted rudely. "Ok, ok, Pansy. Quidditch is th best game ever it's a sport. How come you've never heard of it?"
"My family doesn't like sports."
"Do you have siblings?"
"An older brother. I never see him."
"Oh, okay, well you'll love it." Rae concluded. "One of the first Slytherin game is here. I'm so excited!" Rae threw up her arms and fell back on her bed. It was Saturday, and there were no classes. The game was in an hour.
"What's the point of the game?"
Rae stared at her friend in amazement. "There are 4 different types of balls. A Quaffle, which is the one the Chasers pass, 2 bludgers, which are hit at players by beaters, and one Snitch. The seeker has to catch the Golden Snitch to end the game and win."
Pansy shook her head in disbelief. "If you're so obsessed with this game how come you haven't tried out for the house team.
Rae bit her lip, but settled for, "I don't think they let first years play." Pansy raised her eyebrows. "Really? Because that Potter kid is a seeker for Gryffindor."
"Really! Wow! He much be the youngest Seeker in a century!" Pansy glared at Rae. "Are you saying he's good!"
"He must be! Seeker is a hard position! I can't wait to see him play!"
The school was filing into the stadium. The game today was Slytherin vs. Gryffindor. Scarves of red and gold and silver and green doted the rows with color and cheer. Banners waved and chants were sang. (Rae even saw the Weasley twins set off a round of dung bombs)
Finally the players flew onto the field. Rae didn't know many of the Slytherin team but she saw Harry Potter immediately. He had a great broom, a Nimbus 2000, that was the broom she wanted! Fans cheered on their team and house colors waved. Rae loved it. Next to her though, Pansy looked ill.
"You okay?" Rae asked.
"I think I might puke. I hate sports."
Rae grinned. The game was great, and despite Pansy's insults…Harry was a great Seeker. The score was 30 vs. 20, with Slytherin in the lead when Harry suddenly flew upward. Rae stood up to watch him, and all around her people copied her move. Was he heading for the Snitch? Rae thought she might have seen a small glint of gold, but she wasn't sure. Then Harry dove down suddenly. The Slytherin Seeker dove too, but he was no where near it. Then Harry stood up…on his broom? "What the heck is he doing?" Rae cried to Pansy, who returned her with an evil glare.
Rae saw Harry dive and and fall to the ground. He clutched his chest. "Oh my god, he's gunna puke!" Rae said disgusted. But no…he reached into his mouth and pulled out the Snitch! The croud erupted in cheers and Rae applauded politely. Draco, behind her, swore feverishly. "Oh c'mon Draco. That was a brilliant game!" Rae called to her twin. Draco returned this with a glare.
"What are you crazy, Rae? You're going soft, you know that! And he obviously cheated! Potters now way near that good." Rae shook her head and turned back to Pansy who had wrapped herself in a blanket. She sneezed and Rae saw her eyes were swollen and her nose was red. Rae turned to her,
"Pansy? You okay? It looks like you might.."
Pansy hurled.
"I hate you." Pansy said from her bed. After the game Pansy had thrown up…on Professor Snape. Rae, Alex, Melody and Alyssa hurried to rush their friend of the Quidditch Pitch and back to her bed.
"I hate you." Pansy mentioned again.
"I love you too." Said Rae. She threw a warm towel at Pansy. "Wipe your face." Alyssa came rushing into the room. "Oh my god, Pansy! Are you okay! What happened? Are you sick?"
Pansy glared at Alyssa. "No…not at all Alyssa. I just happened to spontaneously combust…all over Snape." Rae cracked up but Alyssa narrowed her eyes at both of them.
"I cannot believe you made me go out there, Rae." Mumbled Pansy.
Rae sighed. "We've already went over this. How was I supposed to know you were going to catch the flu? But did you enjoy the game?" Pansy said nothing but stared at Rae flatly.
"Never mind…"
Later in the day after Pansy's symptoms had gotten worse Rae had taken her to the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey had assured Rae that pansy would be on her feet tomorrow at the latest, so Rae headed back to her dorm room.
Half-way to the brick that hid the Slytherin common room, she ran into the Gryffindors. They were all at the top of the staircase celebrating. It just so happened Rae needed to walk by them to get to her dorm. She tried to walk past without being noticed.
"Hey! What's the matter Malfoy? Don't feel like making fun of us now?" Called out a Gryffindor. Rae spun around. "N-no, I wasn't…"
The Gryffindors cracked up and a few whispered to each other. Rae felt her temper rising. Harry was in the middle with Chase, Ron and Hermimione, but he hadn't said anything. Ron however glared at her menacingly. Some of the older Gryffindors made some rude hand gestures at her. Chase looked worried, but none of the others did. They were bury insulting every little thing about Rae.
"Do you ever brush your hair, Malfoy?"
"And your brother! Isn't he a sight for sore eyes!
"What's a'matter, Rae? Loose a bet on the game!"
Rae looked up at them pleadingly, but none returned her with merciful looks. Then, one of the older Gryffindors threw a goblet of Pumpkin juice at her. Rae looked at herself, unbelievingly. She was soaked with wet, sticky juice.
Chase looked appalled, and Harry looked sorry too. Ron however, looked quite pleased. Rae clenched her fists and drew her wand, aiming at one of the kids who she thought threw the juice at her. Some of the Gryffindors made 'oooo's' and challenging noises. Chase shook his head a bit worried, but he needn't have. Rae lowered her wand and her face fell as well.
"She doesn't have it in her."
"Nope, she doesn't have the gut to jinx one of us, mate."
Rae threw her cloak over her shoulders and ran. She ran and ran until she couldn't hear their laughter anymore.
Entering the common room she was aware of the people staring at her.
"What happened to you!" Draco asked, confused. Rae looked down. "Someone threw a goblet of pumpkin juice at me.." she mumbled.
Draco looked furious. "Who!"
"I dunno. A Gryffindor. Fourth-year maybe." She left Draco standing, looking confounded in the common room as she left for her dorm.
She showered and washed the juice off her completely. She changed and fell face-flat onto her bed. She groaned but did not cry. Rae didn't remember the last time she had cried. Maybe when she was 6.
She was confused, mostly. She had never insulted them before. Well, only agreeing that Ron's shirt was ugly, but that was it! Sure, her friends had been excessive but she wasn't! Rae rolled over and folde dher hands, thinking.
"You're not like them. I can tell." Chase's words haunted her mind. Was he right? But everyone in Slytherin hated everyone in Gryffindor, and vice versa. But Rae knew she didn't feel the same way, she didn't feel hate.
But they obviously hated her. The mocking and threats came back to her too. She knew what they had done was not fair, but did she deserve it? Rae closed her deep green eyes and sighed. "Why is this so hard to figure out?" she asked herself out loud.
If everyone from Slytherin hated Gryffindor…and she didn't, maybe Rae didn't belong in Slytherin. Rae hot herself. "Don't be silly." Rae told herself. "Everyone in our family at least since Grandpa has been in Slytherin. And besides, what other house would you go in? Ravenclaw? You're not that brilliant. Hufflepuff? I can't stand most of them…that leaves Gryffindor.
Rae tossed and turned that night in fevered dreams, but she had made her decision.
She woke up early the next morning, as planned. She quickly dressed and ran down to the first corridor. She stopped before a huge golden eagle. It sat perched on it's stool, it's beak open and it's wings curved around the doorway. She knew this was the entrance to Dumbledor's office.
"I need to see the headmaster." She said out loud. Nothing happened. Rae cocked her head. "maybe it's a password…like the dorms…" Rae racked her brain for some clue to what the password was. She had no idea. She was just about to give up, when someone placed a hand on her shoulder. She jumped and turned around. She turned and saw herself in the half-moon spectacles of Dumbledor's.
"Headmaster." She breathed. "I needed to see you!"
Dumbledor nodded. "I know. Oh, and by the way, I like Acid pops."
Rae looked back at him. "Huh?" She asked flatly, but as soon as she turned around she saw the great golden eagle move slightly, revealing a hidden staircase.
"Oh."
Rae followed the headmaster upstairs. "I needed to ask you something." Dumbledor nodded. "I thought your family didn't approve of me." He said smiling.
Rae felt blood rising to her face. "Errr, they don't. Especially my brother." At that she felt herself turn completely red. "B-but, I do. I think you're really smart. And I.."
"You really aren't like the rest of the Malfoys, Ms. Rae" Rae groaned.
"Why does everyone keep saying that? I am so like my family. Draco is my twin." Dumbledor sighed.
"I mean your attitude is different, Rae. This is probably a good thing, too. You are much more open." Rae relaxed at this a little.
"So you had a question?"
"Ummm, yes. It's about my sorting. The hat seemed to want to put me into another house, I know it! But I asked to go with my brother, so it did." Dumbledor nodded. "So? What is the problem, do you want to switch houses now?"
"Oh no!" Rae burst out too quickly. "It's just that I wanted to know what the other house he would have put me in would have been." Dumbledor smiled, and gestured to an old wizard's hat sitting upon a shelf. Rae glanced back at the headmaster and licked her lips slightly.
"Um…hat? Can you tell me what other house I would have been in?" Rae asked, feeling stupid.
The hat moved slightly. "Who is this? Ohhh, the Malfoy girl. Yes, you were puzzling. You had no qualities that would point you towards Slytherin, unlike your twin brother, but because you asked to go to Slytherin I complied." The hat seemed to nod.
"But what other house would I have been in?" Rae asked feeling desperate.
"Gryffindor." The hat said flatly. "You are braver than you know. You can pretend to be sly, and make fun of all the Gryffindors you like, but we both know that's not what you want." Rae backed up slowly, a puzzled look on her face. She turned back to Dumbledor.
"T-thank you headmaster, but I must be going…I have to go visit Pansy in the hospital wing."