The coming months passed quickly. Moving in with Oliver was one of the best decisions I ever made. The transition was seamless and life was better than I could have ever dreamt it would be. I mean, things weren't perfect. There was an occasional disagreement on minor things as we got used to living together, but nothing horrible or long lasting. In fact, we seemed to come out stronger and happier every time we squabbled.
No, our home life wasn't an issue. Our work life? Well, that was insane. Coming back after the Easter holidays meant we were close to the end of the season. Before I worked for the team, I thought of Quidditch as a sport that people watch for enjoyment. Obviously people do watch it for enjoyment, but fans take it seriously. And I didn't realize the pressure that the players face. There were just two matches left in the season and we remained the only undefeated team in the league. That means a huge target on the team's back. The games got more and more aggressive, the rates of injuries higher and more severe. It's certainly kept me busy and Oliver's stress levels rose to insane levels as he faced pressure from the owners, Garrett, and the press. We been managed though. Keeping each other sane and down to earth while managing the increased demand from our jobs.
It was a powerful feeling to be loved and supported. I didn't realize that was something I had lacked. My parents may love me, but there was a strain on our relationship after they found out I was a witch. They no longer knew how to support me. They have done the best they can, and I can't blame them for feeling out of their depth when it comes to my magical challenges.
Ron? He never loved or supported me and I wasted some really great years allowing him to make me feel small.
I'm still thankful for those lessons though, because without them, I wouldn't appreciate the bond I have with Oliver. It's a good thing too, because we were about to be tested in a way I didn't see coming.
We were preparing for the final match. Everyone was stressed so it wasn't a surprise when Sophie came in on Wednesday not feeling well.
I knew she must have been feeling pretty awful to admit it and come to me. Though we had made some progress during our sessions together, she was my least willing patient on the team and still continued to challenge me on everything. Things with Alvarez got significantly better after his fight with Oliver and reconciliation with Sophia, but she still held a grudge that a lot of the issues in her life stemmed from my arrival on the team.
"Good morning, Sophia. What brings you in today?" I tried to keep my tone light despite her scowl.
"I woke up yesterday and immediately got sick. I thought maybe it was just a bit of a bug so I took some pepper up potion and felt better. Then after dinner I got sick again. Like, a lot. It seemed to come on pretty suddenly and I felt better after and I thought I was ok. Then this morning it came out of nowhere again."
I nodded as I make notes on her chart. "Have you eaten anything differently? How are you feeling otherwise?"
She thought my question through. "No, my diet is pretty consistent thanks to you." It could have been a compliment if it hadn't been for the sneer she added at the word 'you'. "I've been really tired and a little on edge, but it's the end of the season and we are under a lot of stress so I'm not surprised by that."
No, I wouldn't be surprised by that, but I'm also a healer and my brain started working in overdrive. I had a hunch, but I needed to know for sure before I voiced my concern.
I finished making a few notes and said, "Ok, well it could be stress related, but it's better to rule out anything more serious. Please lay down and I'll do a quick exam."
She did as I asked and I began my tests. Well, just one. My theory proved correct and my heart started to race. I had no idea how she will react to the news, let alone that I'm the one giving it to her. The results will have major implications on her life.
I put on my best professional face while I braced myself for the conversation. "Well, I know why you've been feeling so poorly."
She looked at me hopefully. "Really? How do I fix it? This match is one of the most important games of my career. I can't miss it."
My face slips a smidge as the sympathy shows through. "I want you to really take a minute to understand what I'm about to tell you before you react. The timing of this diagnosis may make this hard to hear, but you must think big picture here. Ok?" Her face turns grim but she nods anyway. "Sophia, you are currently four weeks pregnant."
Her eyes snapped to mine as her jaw dropped in shock. "That can't be!" she shouted in outrage.
"I ran the test twice. It wouldn't have showed up in the scan before the last match because it was too early, but it's definitely positive now."
Her hands flew to her face as she began to sob.
Tentatively, I reached my hand out to rest comfortingly on her shoulder.
Her sobs quieted enough for her to speak. "My career is ruined and I have no idea how Alvarez will react. This is horrible. My life is over."
Really? That's a bit over dramatic, but it's not my job to judge. "Sophia, your life is just beginning and so is that little baby bean wiggling around inside you. It's completely dependent on you. We are not defined as a person by the jobs we have, but the choices we make and how we treat others. Treat this little baby with love and care and your life will be amazing. This little baby is completely dependent on you now. You need to take care of yourself."
Her tears continued to flow. "It's just such a mess. We just got back to a good place in our relationship. And how am I going to tell coach? This is the worst possible timing. I've let the entire team down!" Pure terror crosses her face.
I let out a sigh. "That's the least of your worries right now. They are your team. Will they be disappointed that you won't be playing with them? I'm sure. But that doesn't mean they will be disappointed in the fact that you're bringing a new life into this world or that they are upset with you. It's going to be a stressful situation figuring out what to do, but they will do it and so will you. At the end of the day, Quidditch is just a game. This is your life, your future. They won't hold it against you."
"You really think so?" I nod. "I have no right to ask this of you, but can you tell coach? I don't think I can face the team. It's bad enough that I have to tell Alvarez, but I don't think I can take the looks from everyone else right now. I need to sort out my own feelings and if any of them are upset with me, I can't let that cloud my judgement right now."
"That's very mature of you to recognize that, Sophia. I'll tell Garrett and Oliver right away. What I need you to do is to go home and rest."
She agreed and walked out the door with her shoulders slumped.
I don't have time to dwell on her right now. My job isn't done just yet. Gathering her file, I set out for Garrett's office. He had a meeting with Oliver to go over final strategies this morning so I knew I would find them together.
My hands hovered outside the door. It's obvious that I couldn't let Sophia play, but I knew how big of a bombshell this would be days before our final match. Squaring my shoulders to give myself a boost of confidence, I finally knocked on the door.
"Come in!" I heard Garrett yell from the other side.
I did so and walked into the large office to find Oliver pacing in front of a chalk board covered in plays and Garrett leaning his hip against his desk as he stares at the drawing. They both turnede their gaze to me as I entered the room.
"Hello, darling. We've still got a bit longer on the meeting. Sorry it's gone long."
Oliver was clearly stressed and I hated to drop this on him.
"As much as I love you, I'm not here for personal reasons. I've just had a member of the team in because she was unwell and I have a diagnosis."
Garrett turned to give me his full attention and Oliver dropped his chalk causing it to break in two.
"Is it serious? Is everything ok?" Oliver and Garrett talked over each other.
I was glad that this was the first questions and not, "Can she play?" and I relaxed a little.
"It's life changing, but she will be ok. It's going to impact the team though. Sophia is pregnant."
They cursed collectively under their breath, and I saw Oliver go pale. I knew how important this was to him. It's his first year as captain and the team has done wonderfully this season. They are so close to making it all the way to the World Cup and this could destroy their chances.
"I know this is a shock. It was for her too. She's terrified of the reaction of the team though. I have no control how you choose to present this, but I will make a recommendation. The team looks to you for how to handle tough situations. I encourage you to make it a positive. Alvarez is going to be a father and Sophia is important to the others as well. This is a scary time for them already and they are going to need our support."
They nod and Oliver speaks up. "What are we going to do? We only have days until the match to try and find and train an alternate."
"Um, actually, if you can give me an hour or two, I might have a solution."
Oliver cocked his head to the side. "By all means, if you have an idea, I am all for it. There is an alternate roster, but it's usually hard to get people last minute and they are typically out of practice. If it was a mid-season game, it wouldn't mean as much, but this is crunch time so if we lose spectacularly, we don't have the chance to recover. We're playing Puddlemere and we need to beat them by a margin of 170 to make the Cup."
"I understand. If you two don't have any other questions, I'll get right on it."
They agreed and I left to make a floo call.