"Tell me we're not going to make it a habit to practice in this sort of weather," I grumbled loudly, shuffling along with the others after practice.
"Are you just joining to find new things to complain about?" Adrian piped up behind me.
"If I'm annoying you so much, feel free to kick me out," I answered loudly, so even Graham could hear from the back. He didn't respond, but I was sure I heard a sigh.
Since I had agreed to the farce of joining the team, our dear captain had insisted I participate in all of the Quidditch practices. As much as I had made it a point that I didn't care whether I was in the group or not, I went along with what the team did, as the whole point was to force myself through the process. A few practices had passed and so far it wasn't entirely unbearable. Still it was raining a lot, as it had been for the last several days, which had not been part of the plan. I had agreed to be part of the match against Gryffindor, in exchange for some forced interactions with Draco, not to deal with all the flying around rain storms all afternoon.
"We have matches like this all the time," Draco bumped his shoulder against mine as we walked, on his face a grand smirk. He had apparently decided now was the perfect step to climb onto his high horse. "It's important for a proper Quidditch player to be able to weather any storm—"
"Didn't you use a fake injury to postpone a match with Hufflepuff a few years back… and still lost," I gave a smile to his pompous smirk.
Draco's expression became a bit more rigid but stayed nonetheless. With a few more steps we finally reached the Quidditch changing rooms. Free of the downpour, I threw my hair over my shoulder to wring it out. Pushing me out of the way, one arrogant keeper in particular, more of the team filtered in.
"Has anyone ever told you, you'd be far more attractive if you didn't talk so much?" Miles called out, ignoring the look I gave him as he passed by.
"Yes, they have," I answered honestly, sure I had heard that at least once before. "Thankfully, I don't really care if people find me attractive."
"That much is clear, seeing as you make absolutely zero effort," Draco's smile returned in full force as he pulled me further into the room.
"And Volkov," Graham added, being the last to walk in, "at least try to reach for the Quaffle next time."
"Sure thing, Captain," I answered with a slight twinge of sarcasm.
The Quidditch team slowly filtered into their usual spots, mine now being next to Draco's. Finding my seat on the bench, I let out a groan, raising my arms to stretch them. Using that as momentum, I put them back down and stood myself up. The outer layer of my uniform clung to the lower as I tried to remove the wet fabric. I frowned down at it as, over my head, I felt a sudden shift in weight. A second set of wet robes had been dumped on top of me. Throwing them off I turned to frown at Draco, who was scowling in a different direction.
"Looks like she's already working as a proper distraction, wouldn't you say Malfoy?" Cassius chuckled from his side of the room. He looked up only for a moment, long enough to give Draco a toothy smile. Before I could ask what he was on about, Draco called out to him from next to me.
"Don't you have a Herbology paper you need to go write?" Draco asked loudly, adjusting his robes against himself. Cassius gave him a look back, the two arguing something silently. Next to him Graham, our valiant leader, looked completely uninterested in it all. After another second Cassius rolled his eyes to the side and Draco turned back to me. "Go change in the showers, will you? You'll get sick if you stay in those wet clothes."
"And you complain I'm a nag," I grumbled, but pulled my house robes along with me to change.
While I had been using Quidditch to stop pushing away from Draco, I was still surprised by his reaction. He had become strangely overprotective of me since I joined, never leaving me more than a second alone. Not that I necessarily trusted any of them either, but I still thought he was being a bit much. Albeit, I felt it was best not to argue with him when he got like this. Being stubborn as we both were, those spats always went on too long. So I went to change without an argument. It only took a minute for me to get into something dry, but by the time I got out, they all seemed to have changed as well. Graham seemed to be finishing some kind of lecture, one I hadn't been paying attention to. But at the pause, I spoke up.
"If we keep playing in weather like this, we're all going to fall sick," I complained, pulling my still wet hair from out of my robes. "Wouldn't that lose us any game advantage my supposed distraction may or may not give."
"Seriously, just for like five minutes, can you shut up," Miles groaned, throwing the hood of his robes on. "At least we have a wannabe healer on the team, right, if we do end up all getting sick?"
Draco chuckled as I joined him again. I gave him a fake laugh in return. Moving his hand behind me he grabbed at my robes, trying to pull my hood over my head, as he had gotten into the habit of doing. I swatted at his hand, having guessed what he would do, but I couldn't help a smile. As I did, I saw his grin grow bigger.
"My point was," Graham called in a louder voice, grabbing the rest of his things, he turned to Draco and I, "you need to participate in practice more if you're really going to be a part of the team. I didn't bring you on just so you could flirt with Malfoy."
"What are you talking about, we're not flirting," I argued as he headed out the door.
"Volkov, and here you kept telling me you had a boyfriend," Cassius called, ducking into the still pouring rain outside. He turned back long enough to give a smirk between us then headed out.
"I wasn't flirting with you," I crossed my arms, Draco still standing next to me. We were the only ones left. He gave me a smile, and I narrowed my eyes at him. "I wasn't!"
"I believe you," he answered in a playful tone, walking forward. Again, I swatted at him. My hand missed, but he turned around regardless. Still enjoying himself, Draco leaned in towards me. "You know, if I'd known this was all it would take to get you into this mood, I would have invited you to join Quidditch long ago."
"Oh shut up," I pushed past him and out onto the grounds. Behind me, I heard him chuckle before hitting the rain.
Together we walked back to Hogwarts Castle. Making the change into dry clothes moot, halfway through the walk back our clothes were soaked again. Still, I let out a smile. As annoying as these practices could be, I was glad to have joined. This forced interaction thing was working. With us constantly near each other, we were getting on just as we used to before. I should thank Daphne for this later, little as she may have contributed, she still deserved it.
"I thought the weather bothered you," Draco called sarcastically once reaching the castle, noting I was far more comfortable with the rain than my previous whining had entailed. I let out a stretch before answering.
"Water is water, it's the mud and rushes of cold air that bother me," I shrugged, smiling up at him. He turned to glance at the pouring grounds one last time before turning to give me a smirk.
"Well, seeing as you're in such a pleasant mood, and that happens just so rarely, like almost never—"
"Get to the point," I interrupted, watching him start towards the stairs. But, the ones he stopped at were not the ones we were meant to.
"Want to join me for a quick snack before bed?" Draco offered, nodding his head in the direction of the Hufflepuff steps. I rolled my eyes but walked to close the distance between us.
"Don't you have Transfigurations work to get through," I asked, crossing my arms once I reached him.
"Nothing I can't copy off you during the early morning lessons," he called back cheerfully, taking one step down for emphasis. "So, you hungry?"
"I could eat," I answered slowly; I had told him I would back off on the nagging. With a grin, he turned around and lead the way.
Together we headed down to the kitchen. Recently, it had become a very familiar place. Between all the meal dodging I would grab a snack or two from there. Contrary to what the others might claim, I ate plenty, just not always when I was meant to. As we entered the kitchen, a few house-elves scampered back and forth, cleaning up what was left of dinner. Waiting for one of them to come meet our order, Draco and I sat atop one of the empty tables. At our request, they brought along a few pastries and some hot cocoa. Draco reached to break a flaky piece of one of the turnovers while I blew into my hot drink. After a quick sip, I gave a smile down to my cup.
"So have you told the beggar you joined the team yet?" Draco asked, shoving more food than he should into his mouth. The comment should have made me frown, but the gesture made me giggle.
"No, I thought the whole 'element of surprise' thing might help. That's the whole point, isn't it? It's supposed to have them distracted during the match," I mumbled, twirling some of the wet hair I had between my fingers. "It would ruin the whole thing to just tell him; that would give them time to mentally prepare."
"Since when are you such a team player?" he asked sarcastically, making me roll my eyes.
"That being said, I'm quitting after the Gryffindor match," I shrugged, taking another deep sip from my cup. "Don't see the point in staying as that wouldn't have the same effect on any other house. It's not worth my time or effort."
"That sounds more like you," Draco smiled down at me, shoving more food into his mouth as I finished gulping down the last of my drink.
As another of the house-elves walked by, they noticed my empty cup and quickly moved to fill it. I smiled a thank you at them before leaning in to blow into the hot liquid. Turning to grab a pastry from our stack, I paused noticing Draco's staring. Even as I watched him he didn't say anything, making me frown up at him.
"What?" I asked accusingly, rubbing at my face, assuming I had chocolate on it. Either the movement or my voice caught his attention. Finally processing what I was asking, he let out a small smile.
"Nothing," he gave me a soft chuckle. After a moment of not saying anything, Draco reached for the drink he had thus far left untouched. "It's just… I was thinking, it feels like it's been a while. You know, since we last snuck off somewhere for a cup of cocoa, hot or cold."
"Oh," I smiled down at my cup, "yeah, it has."
Not knowing what else to say, I took a drink of my fresh cup of cocoa. Somehow, the words he had just said made it feel a little warmer, and taste a little sweeter. We didn't say much more as we finished up our meal. And as nice as it was there, we had to go soon. It was getting late now, and the team were already going on with their little jokes. Knowing them, that joke would go too far; if we didn't get down soon, they'd go spreading their jokes all through the dungeon. Someone might even take them seriously, like a certain roommate of mine.
"We should head back," I sighed, putting my cup down next to some of the leftover crumbs. Draco looked up at me, a look almost like disappointment. He didn't want to leave. I gave him a small smile, understanding how he felt, but we had to go. "It wouldn't become a prefect to break his own curfew now, would it?"
"I still think this position would be far more enjoyable if I were exempt from the rules," Draco grumbled, but had already finished his dessert.
Draco pushed himself off the table, stretching a hand out to me as he stood. I chugged the last of my cocoa, not being nearly as hot now, before taking his hand in mine. Carefully, Draco pulled me up as I swatted crumbs off my robes. I smiled before pulling Draco out of the kitchen with me, thanking the house-elves as we went. Quietly, we made our way down to the common room for the night.
As the days passed, the bad weather persisted, which didn't help my mood towards the upcoming game. Soon after joining the Slytherin team I had realized just how fanatic everyone in the castle was with Quidditch. I had only ever cared for the sport when it was in support of someone playing; first my brother, then with Viktor, and now with Draco and George. But now my entire life was being suffocated by it.
Graham had us working on our 'team cohesion' to the point where I believed it started having the opposite effect. We only began to slow down after Gryffindor decided to make a complaint about us supposedly hoarding practice, eventually forcing Professor Snape to step in and book us the field. Thankfully that booking was assured, whether we were on the field or not, giving our captain the brilliant idea of leaving the field empty during those times. Because why practice to better our team when you can give us the day off to simply spite the opposing one. Even professors were getting far too invested in the game, some choosing to tone down the coursework, while others simply ignored the countless reports of jinxing.
So far, we had also managed to keep word of my participation from getting out. Adrian was still part of the team so it wasn't as if I had to be announced as his official replacement, just a temporary substitution. The few Slytherin that had been let it on that detail had thankfully kept it to themselves, seeing as it would, hopefully, benefit the house as a whole. Besides, it would only be for this one match. I had already discussed the details with Graham and, while I didn't believe I was necessarily bad at my position, Adrian was definitely better. That, and I was sure the others were getting sick of my constant reprimands and lectures.
By the time November hit, the weather had turned freezing. At least now there was no rain, and therefore no mud, which admittedly made me quite happy. And along with the colder weather came this year's newest burst of toxic creativity, spearheaded by the same duo it always was. Coming down the stairs of the dormitories, I spotted the two putting the finishing touches on their latest project. They had spent the last couple of weeks perfecting the idea, and from what I had seen of the prototypes, they seemed to be doing a good job of it. Feeling a mixture of disappointment and commendation, I went to join the two at their little workstation.
"You know, you might actually have a future in marketing with work like this," I mumbled, looking down at the badges on display. Simple in nature, small and crown-shaped, they had the words "Weasley is our King," etched at the center of it. A visual representation of the little song they had composed to go with it.
"If it's anything like this, sounds like my kind of work. But right now, I'm more interested in helping our house team," Blaise spoke up, as Draco purely smiled.
"I'm sure the galleon you're earning doesn't hurt either," Theo commented, taking his seat while scribbling something down on a roll of parchment.
"We consider it more like… donations," Draco added and leaned over to Theo, glancing at the notes of what I assumed to be their latest sales figures. Rolling my eyes, I took my seat next to them.
"Don't worry, Volkov, you'll get your cut."
"My cut?" I asked, turning to Blaise. He took a moment longer, to finish polishing one of the badges, before turning to answer me.
"You gave us the idea, after all," Blaise smirked triumphantly at me. In a fluid motion, he flicked the badge he had previously been polishing in my direction, landing it on my lap.
"When did I ever say I was in support of this?" I asked rhetorically, picking up the small badge. The craftsmanship had actually improved quite well since I first saw the prototypes. Had it not been for the thick undertones of cruelty, I may even have been proud.
"He said you gave us the idea," Draco corrected, "and you did."
"You had mentioned before that their newest recruit, Ronald Weasley, could be a liability," Theo spoke up, translating their babble. Blaise simply pointed at him with a nod, confirming the idea. "They may have taken it a little farther than you meant, but this all stems from that thought."
"We're already distracting the two oaf beaters, but another beggar couldn't hurt," Draco's grand smile told me he was enjoying himself far more than he should with this match.
"See, it's all your fault, Volkov," Blaise insisted, with an impish expression. "If we go down, we're taking you with us."
"That one's yours," Draco mentioned, taking a seat closer to me. Once more, I looked down to inspect the badge before frowning up at him. He seemed to guess my thoughts and gave me a shrug. "Hey, if you have a problem, take it up with our dear captain. The whole team's wearing them."
"Not the whole team," I shot back, but put the pin in my pocket.
"Come now, Volkov, where's your sense in kindredship."
"I don't think you fully understand the meaning of that word," Theodore turned to Blaise, before focusing again on his profit notes.
"Who made all of these?" I asked, leaning towards the table where the rest of the pile lay. "I doubt either of you decided to dive into manual labor."
"We outsourced," Draco shrugged.
"Other houses?"
"Other years," Blaise corrected, raising up two fingers. "Second years, in fact. Who knew the little buggers had this kind of workmanship."
"They agreed to give Astoria a small cut of the profits if she helped them find laborers," Theo once again translated. Leaning forward on my seat, I took another look at the stack.
"You finished?" Graham called down to us. I looked up blandly, while Draco gave him a big smile, proud of the newest batch. "Good work."
"Thank Volkov, here," Blaise answered mockingly. I gave him a look, before Graham stepped in.
"Speaking of which," he called, stepping into my view. "Hurry up to the Great Hall for breakfast, you're going to be late."
"Late?" I frowned, turning to the clock. Double-checking the time, it was still very early.
"You want us to give away the surprise? Sorry—second surprise," he added, with an approving look at the creative bunch. They smirked back up at him with accomplishment. "We need you in the changing rooms before any of the Gryffindors head out."
"Why should I rush through my meal because you—"
"Merlin, is she at it again? We're not even on the pitch yet," Miles whined, walking towards our little group. Draco barked out a laugh, making me swat at him.
"Alright, calm down, I'll come with you," Draco groaned, but despite the tone, he gave me a smile. Turning down to his workstation, he stood as Blaise handed Miles his own badge. "Make sure to finish distributing what has already been paid for, and make any last minute offers as people start leaving the common room."
"Don't worry, we have our best girl already on it," Blaise winked in response. Before I could ask, Draco grabbed my arm and dragged me out of the common room.
"Astoria is distributing, too?" I asked, as he lead the way upstairs.
"Gods no, you want to give her half of our profits?" Draco scoffed, making me guess she had pushed a little too far in negotiations. "Daphne said she'd do it for free."
"That doesn't sound like her," I argued. It was true she most likely didn't know the proper percentage to ask for. Still, I didn't believe she would just agree to do something out of the goodness of her heart.
"I guess 'free' isn't the right word for it," Draco gave me a smile, knowing what I said to be true. "I agreed to help her with a certain christmas present. We agreed she would owe me one, and this is me cashing it in."
"What's the gift?" I asked, curiously.
"And ruin the surprise?"
"Is the gift for me?" I frowned, noting his aversion. At that, Draco gave me a smirk.
"You really hate surprises, don't you?"
"Yes. They give me no time to prepare," I crossed my arms at him. Draco let out a chuckle before ushering me the rest of the way to the Slytherin table.
We ate our breakfast quickly. By the time we finished, students finally began to trickle into the Great Hall. Of the few that walked in, all Slytherin so far seemed to be wearing their badges, in supposed support of the team. Draco smiled proudly, having noticed it too. In all honesty, I would have been proud, had it not been for the reason behind the badges. Still, there was something to be said about what Draco could accomplish when he became passionate about something. I did smile at that.
The ground let out a crunching sound under us, frost covering the ground, we walked towards the Quidditch changing rooms. At this point I wasn't too concerned with being found out, but Draco still insisted on rushing me along. It's not like anyone was outside, not that it mattered to him. Still, I was glad to note there wasn't wind or cloud in sight. It was cold, sure, but I could make due with that. Taking advantage of my self distraction, I suddenly felt Draco's hand reached into my robe's pocket. Before I could ask or object, he pulled the crown-shaped pin and held it in his hand. Knowing exactly what he was about to say, I spoke quickly.
"No."
"You have to wear it," he insisted, leaning in to show me. I pushed his hand away.
"I have to do nothing," I stated with a look.
"Why are you always pretending you're such a goody-two-shoes?" Draco rolled his eyes at me. Giving me an arrogant smile, he pulled the pin up again. "Don't lie to me, I saw you smiling back there."
"I was smiling because it's so rare to see you actually being productive, even if it is towards something that makes me deeply disappointed in you," I smiled at him to emphasize my sarcasm. Even still, he kept his expression.
Draco idled at the entrance, letting me enter the changing room first. No point in standing around, I rushed to the showers to get myself changed. It was a force of habit now, with how much Draco had insisted on it. I changed quickly, feeling the cold more profoundly. Once in uniform, I exited the showers, rubbing my arms for warmth. Draco was finishing with the top layer of his uniform as I stored my regular robes. But before I could turn back to him, Draco caught me, wrapping an arm around me.
"Wear it," he whispered from behind me. Using one arm to hold me, he moved the other one around to show me the pin he still held. I gave him a sigh before turning my head to look at him.
"You wear it if you love it so much."
"I am wearing it, the whole team is," he reminded, the same stupid smirk on his face.
I tried to wiggle out of his grip, but of course I couldn't manage. One of his arms was more than enough to hold both of mine down. I continued to frown as he continued to smile. Resting his chin on my shoulder to make himself comfortable, I knew he wasn't planning on leaving anytime soon. After waiting another second, I gave him a sigh.
"You're not going to let this go, are you?" I asked, meaning it both figuratively and literally.
"No," he answered, though I already knew that.
Arm still wrapped around me, I threw my head back with a groan, turning it to look at him. Draco smiled from my shoulder, as I glowerd from his. That look was enough to tell him I had already given up. He let go of his grip and walked around to face me. A triumphant smirk on his face, he pulled my robes closer to him.
"You're part of the team now too, aren't you?" he hummed, pinning the badge onto my uniform.
"Not for long," I gave him a sarcastic smile, and though true, I knew part of me would miss it. As obnoxious as the practices and teammates could be, it would be a lie to say I hadn't enjoyed my time. It had only been a couple of months, but it had felt like an eternity since we spent time together alone like this.
"Well once you're off the team you can take it off, but for now…" Draco trailed off, taking a step back to observe his work. I rolled my eyes at him.
"You're incorrigible."
"Thank you," he smiled once more.
I wasn't quite sure if he had mistaken my word for 'encourage-able', or if he understood the meaning and still considered it a compliment. Frankly, I could see him doing both. With a giggle, I pushed against him. Draco gave me a smirk back and grabbed me again. Wrapping both arms around me this time, Draco leaned himself against my back. I only half fought back as he leaned his head against mine. Once more I let out a giggle, just as someone else cleared their throat.
"We're not interrupting anything, are we?" Cassius called as the team filtered in behind him. "You are still dating the Weasley, aren't you, Volkov? Otherwise, we may as well throw Pucey in there."
"Just making sure everyone had their pin," Draco gave him an annoyed smile, letting go of me.
"But if you still want to substitute Adrian in, by all means," I let out a sigh and sat myself down. They really knew how to suck the fun out of a room.
"I would rather not," Adrian spoke quietly, having joined along with the others. "I had a large breakfast."
"Right, then, down to business," Graham called for their attention.
So far he had been the only one to start getting dressed. Noticing that too, the others began to disrobe. Draco and I waited, already dressed, having gotten to the rooms early through the request of our fearless leader. Not wanting to waste any time, our captain continued to address the team. Above the swooshing and ruffling of clothing, Graham spoke.
"Outside of our new king," Graham sneered, pulling at the part of his robes where the badge lay, making some of the others chuckle, "there doesn't seem to be any new recruits to the Gryffindor team. Meaning we should know exactly what to expect from them, so no excuses."
"Who'd they get to replace Wood?" Adrian asked, being the only one free from not changing. He wasn't part of this match but he was still a part of the team, so he should probably still know. "Their whole team seemed to be at the tryouts they held, so it wasn't clear who they chose."
"Certainly wasn't ickle Potter. He had detention," Draco cooed sarcastically. I swatted at him, but he earned some smirks from the others.
"Johnson," Graham answered, getting his attention back from the others. Unlike his predecessor, Graham seemed to have a more relaxed sense of leadership. Now fully dressed, he sat lazily back, very informally addressing his team. "It looks like she's doing a shit job of it so far. We have nothing to worry about this match, even if we are basically down a player."
"It was your idea to bring me on," I smiled back, grabbing my hair to pull it up.
"Speaking of which, they know about this one yet?" Miles asked, nodding his head in my direction. At that, Graham let out a giant smirk.
"From what I gathered, no. They somehow didn't get our newest team sheet in time," he answered, with a tone that heavily suggested that was the plan all along. "They received the earlier year sheet, showing our newest members being Crabbe and Goyle as beaters. Far as they know, Pucey's still on as our Chaser."
"Whoopie for us," I wiggled my fingers sarcastically, now done with my hair.
Either not hearing me or simply ignoring me, most likely the latter, Graham continued with his pre-game speech. I wouldn't call it motivational by any means, but he knew his audience. I heard the boys chuckle every so often as I filtered in and out of the conversation. Not finding it interesting enough to focus on, I turned my attention to the blond boy next to me.
Draco actually seemed to be paying attention for once. I always knew, but now it was obvious, he was really into the sport. It wasn't usually something I saw, I only ever heard him boast before the match or complaining after. Sure the little rivalry he had developed with Potter probably helped, but he really just enjoyed Quidditch. Graham wasn't saying anything of much interest, but Draco still leaned in, listening intently to our captain. I couldn't help but smile at how precious he looked.
"Hear that?" Graham called loudly, smiling at the muffled singing coming from outside of the changing rooms. I couldn't make out the words but I recognized the tune of the chant, having been there at the point of inception. Our captain stood, and the rest of the team followed. At the boys' clamor, I sighed.
There was a bit of an uproar as we walked out. It was a mixture of cheers and other such noises and, interwoven between them, "Weasley is our King," rang. I frowned up, realizing just how bright it was outside.
"Nervous?" Draco asked, leaning in to me as we walked.
"Shut up," I called back, barely audible above the crowd.
"That wasn't a no," Draco chimed, smiling at me. I pushed against him but smiled back, following the others forward.
Graham, leading the pack, stopped us in the middle of the pitch. It was just us, the Gryffindors hadn't arrived yet. While waiting, we spread ourselves into position. I leaned against my broom as we waited. Draco was still smiling next to me, though I wasn't sure if it was still because of me or in anticipation to the reaction his little project was sure to earn. At least he was happy, as deprived as that joy may be, I smiled too.
Eventually a second uproar announced the Gryffindor team's arrival. As they walked out a few shielded their eyes from the sun, proving it wasn't just me. Once they lined themselves up, I caught George's eye. A mixture of emotion flashed through them, the clearest being confusion. He turned around for a moment before turning back, as if that would somehow change me into a different person. I gave him a small smile and a wave. Next to me, movement caught my eye as Draco tapped his badge in the direction of the Gryffindors. But from their side George, still watching me, began to mouth some words. I sighed, realizing he was trying to have this talk now. Laughing next to me, realizing the same thing, Draco leaned close so that I could hear.
"Is he really so stupid he thinks now is a good time for a chat?" Draco sneered into my ear, giving George a grin. From his side, I watched George frown.
"Are you?" I shot back, pushing him away lightly. Draco kept his smile but leaned himself back as Madame Hooch spoke.
"Captains shake hands."