A\A Thanks to my amazing beta, first of all! Thanks for putting up with me even when I still can't manage to get the whole then\than ordeal...and if you want to read a truly good story, all you twilight fans, I know it would mean the world to "2cool4you" if you checked out any of her stories. From humor to romance, this girl has it all! Thanks to all of those who r&r'ed...
I apologize in advance for the cliffhanger.
Cassia
Chapter 8: Bludger
After Snape's boring and lengthy lecture instructing us how to attempt to create a patronus, we eagerly got up and split into pairs.
I stood with Hermione and she whispered, "I'm surprised Snap is doing something like this. This could actually prove to be a beneficial lesson. But you were in the DA last year, weren't you? So this is just review for us."
"Yup," I smiled, remembering. "And we were in the first few to get a corporeal patronus;yours was an otter, right?"
"Right. And yours was a unicorn, if I remember correctly."
"Greengrass, Granger, do you have something you're like to share with the class?" Snape asked coldly.
"No, sir," we told him simultaneously.
"Now, it is doubtful that many of you will be able to produce a patronus; this is very advanced magic. However, if someone does happen to succeed in producing a corporeal patronus their respective house will be awarded 5 points. Now I have already told you what to do; the incantation is Expecto Patronum. You may begin." At this he turned on his heel and walked up to him office, slamming the door and leaving us alone to practice. For him, this was a good mood, and for him, 5 points was much to throw around.
Those who were not in the DA last year were accomplishing nothing except growing frustration at the seemingly impossible spell. However, many of the former DA members were rewarded with spirals of silver mist, although a real patronus was yet to be conjured.
"Oh, please," scoffed Draco, watching Ron wave his wand furiously to no avail.
"Oh yeah?" Ron sneered back. "Let's see you do better, Malfoy."
"I'm perfectly comfortable where I am, Weasel," he drawled over the noise of the other students.
"That's what I thought," Ron shot back. I turned my focus back to my wand, searching my mind for a happy memory. My mind immediately went to Draco, making me flush. But than memories of Julie and I's smoking wreckage of a friendship made it's appearance on my mind. The friendship had shattered, now pieces of glass filled my insides. Thinking about it caused the shards to rub together, causing more pain- I felt as though I was treading on eggshells whenever I was around her, extremely aware of her presence.
By now several former members had produced various silver animals floating around the room, shedding silver light in their midst. Getting frustrated at my lack of progress, I turned to discreetly look at Draco, who I found was also watching me. We locked eyes for a moment but I turned away quickly before anyone could see. But seeing Draco had already begun to work its mysterious magic on my, making my heart pound. Calmness flowed through me, and I could practically envision it driving back all the bad memories trying to choke out the good. If provided some padding against the metaphorical glass, but not enough; I still felt just a bit like slumping over and taking a nap.
At the encouragement from Hermione who's newly produced otter had just joined the group of other silver patronuses, I recited the incantation again: I pictured my majestic unicorn throwing its silver head; I thought about Draco, our new relationship filling a hole in my heart I hadn't even known was there. I smiled as a burst of strong silver mist came bursting out of my wand. No unicorn formed; I wasn't strong enough today, but I had done more than I thought I could. The silver mist continued to twist from my wand, tendrils curling back over my arm.
Near the end of the hour Snape appeared again from his office; it was obvious right away that whatever good mood (or at least not a bad mood) he was in before had vanished, leaving behind a very cranky looking Professor.
I had noticed that Julie had failed to produce any stage of patronus.
"Only six?" he drawled. I narrowed my eyes at him. Only six? This was a very advanced form of magic, and most of us were only sixteen.
"Sir?" Seamus Finnigan raised his hand. Uh oh.
"What?" Snape asked, fixing his black eyes on him.
"Well, you said that you'd give each person 5 points for creating a patronus!"
"I see. And did you, Mr. Finnigan, produce a patronus?"
"No, but-"
"Than it has nothing to do with you."
"But sir-"
"Detention, Mr. Finnigan," Snape said coldly, his eyes flashing.
"Sir, that was a fair question!" I blurted out without thinking. "You-"
"That will be detention for you as well, Miss Greengrass! Tonight, 8:00. No extra points for anyone!"
"A chorus of groans filled the room and all of the patronuses faded away as the mood darkened.
Nothing with Julie improved over the next few days, but I was realizing just how much I was falling for Draco Malfoy, the one boy I thought I'd always loathe. It didn't seem to bother me that he wanted to keep our relationship hidden; I actually kind of liked the idea of a secret romance, as stupid-in-love as that sounded. It still surprised me how disappointed I became when he missed classes; I hadn't even seen him since the day we made patronuses in Defense. I was becoming increasingly worried and was about to consult a teacher when he walked into lunch at the great hall. In a spur of the moment decision I stood up, walking over to him.
"D-Malfoy!" I said, remembering to everyone else nothing had changed between us.
"I'm eating, Greengrass," He drawled as his Slytherin peers smirked up at me. Screw his acting skills. Parkinson began to reach for his arm but Draco shook out of her possessive grip, causing Zabini and Nott to burst out laughing at her pout.
"Snape needs us to make up detention for the day you missed,," I improvised, picking at my fingernail at an attempt to look bored. I hope he would get my double meaning that I really just needed to speak to him in private.
"What, now?" Draco sighed.
"I'll make it up with you if Malfoy can't winked Blaise Zabini. I gagged, disgusted, as Malfoy punched him and stood up.
"What was that for?" Blaise snapped, holding his arm.
"I dunno. Well," he drawled, turning to face me. "I haven't got all day!"
"Then I suggest you start walking," I told him, whirling around and walking out of the great hall, picking up my pace. With most of the school in the great hall it didn't take long to find an abandoned corridor. I turned around to look at Draco, who had been following me like I had been hoping: I took note of the paleness of his skin and the dark circles running under his eyes, both symptoms indicating lack of sleep.
"What're we doing?" he asked. "Is Snape here?"
"No. We don't need to make up the detention. I just needed an excuse to talk to you," I said, looking up at him. "Where have you been the past few days?"
"W-nowhere. It doesn't matter. Is that all you wanted to say?"
"Why can't you tell me where you've been disappearing to?" I asked stubbornly, crossing my arms.
"I told you, it doesn't matter. Can you trust me?" he asked, rubbing at his eyes. I looked at him, not saying anything. Was he hiding something?
"I just...missed you," I whispered. He looked at me, surprised. Then he was gathering me into his arms, hugging me tightly.
"And you don't think I haven't missed you? Merlin, Astoria! It's only been days but I feel like I haven't seen you in years,"he sighed contentedly into my hair, making me smile happily. When you broke down Draco's walls, the reward was completely worth the time. He could become the sweetest person at Hogwarts.
Hm...Draco Malfoy? Sweet? I almost laughed, thinking what my expression would have been at this time last year if I had been told that. It was true, though, no matter what he fooled other people into believing.
"I want to be able to see my gi-" he stopped himself, looking down at me as his cheeks tinged slightly pink. His girlfriend, did he mean to say?
"You what?" I prodded gently, lacing his fingers in mine.
"I dunno," he muttered in a most un-Dracoish tone.
"Yes you do!" I laughed, bumping him with my shoulder.
"It's stupid."
"Am I stupid?" I countered, teasingly.
"Fine...I'll be official about this. Astoria, will you be my girlfriend?"
"Hm...no," I said.
"What?" he yelped. I burst out laughing at the ridiculous look on his face.
"I'm joking! Yes, Draco. Of course I will," I said, pulling him into a kiss.
Soon he and I broke apart, smiling.
"Will you walk with me?" he asked, grabbing my hand.
"Mh hmm," I replied, still smiling ridiculously.
Draco suddenly slipped his hand out of mine, staring at something down the hallway.
"So whens the detention already?" he drawled. Suddenly completely changing character.
I stared at him in shock-suddenly, movement caught my eye- I whirled around to see Harry Potter walking quickly toward us.
"Uh..." was all I could think to say.
"You brought me down here to tell me when-"
"Oi, Malfoy!" Harry yelled, shoving a blank piece of parchment into his pocket.
"Ah, scar-head! Spying, are we?" Draco sneered as I looked at him, slightly hurt. I knew this is what I had agreed to, but it was a harsh jump so quickly from that, to...this.
"Don't talk to her like that, Malfoy," he said through clenched teeth.
"How's your nose, Potter?" Draco snickered and I became completely baffled. How was your nose? What kind of a question was that?
"Quite well, thanks. How's Auntie Bella?"
"Better than ever. Now you go and play with Granger and Weasel-"
"Draco!" I said, stopping him before he had the chance to continue.
"That's my name," he drawled.
"It's fine, Harry...I'll hex him if I have to," I sighed.
"Are you sure?" he asked, his bright green eyes searching mine.
"Yeah. See you, Harry."
He jogged off in the direction of the great hall and I turned around, briskly walking away from Draco.
"Astoria!" he called before I managed to get very far. I picked up my pace and ignored him.
"Astoria!" I heard him jogging to catch up, and he grabbed my arm.
"What the hell was that, Draco?" I hissed, whirling around to face him.
"Astoria, we agreed that we had to keep this a secret!" he pleaded, hands up, with a desperate tone that I didn't understand.
"But-you-I thought that was just at first, but not now!" I spluttered. He put his hands on my shoulders and looked at me.
Hm...oddly, I had gotten my hopes up when I had thought we were going to stop hiding this.
"You don't understand-"
"Then help me to," I told him, looking into his eyes.
"I wasn't supposed to get involved with girls this year, Astoria. You don't know what I'm risking."
"Of course I don't! And thats because you don't explain, Draco!" I told him, getting slightly frustrated.
"I can't, Tori. Please trust me," he moved his hands up to my face, gently caressing my cheeks with his thumbs.
"I've been waiting for you for five years, you know," he whispered. "And you know I would tell you if I could, but I promise-" his voice cracked- "I won't let this get between us," he kissed my forehead and looked at me pleadingly.
"Draco Malfoy, why is it so bloody hard to stay mad at you?" I exclaimed. I know that this would probably nag me until it was resolved, though; why was he being so secretive? But I wasn't going to bring it up now; I already had enough drama brewing with Julie and Lucy, and when I was with Draco, it just faded away.
He broke out into a grin, pulling me again into his arms.
"You're cute when you're frustrated," he murmured into my hair, twisting a curl around his finger. I giggled into his chest, breathing in deeply.
"Will you meet me in the Astronomy tower tonight?" he asked.
"Why?" I questioned, surprised.
"Can't I want to see my girlfriend?" he chuckled.
"I suppose," I teased. "Owl me the time, alright?" I said, pecking him on the cheek and turning to go.
"Wait, Astoria!" He called.
"Yeah?" I turned backward.
"I just wanted you to know-I'm not ashamed of you, in case that's why you thought I was keeping this a secret," he said.
"I know, Draco," I told him. "I'll see you soon."
It's just too risky to go public, we can't let anyone know, Draco thought to himself as he watched Astoria's retreating back. It anyone knew, just one person, he could find out, and if he found out, he would use you for bait, Draco thought.
What was it about her that made him feel so...carefree? Not himself when she wasn't with him? Ecstatic when she was?
He made note to someday ask her if she was part veela.
"I hate him, I hate what he makes me do, I can't and I don't want to!" Draco whispered aloud, feverishly through clenched teeth, kicking at the wall. He angrily pulled up his sleeve, glaring at the Dark Mark that branded his forearm, as if he could simply will it off.
He hated it, hated the Dark Lord, detested his missions.
But if he failed they would kill him, or even worse-kill the girl he loved, the only one he had ever loved, the only girl he ever could love. But she would be safe if no one gave a second thought that Draco didn't care about her; she would only be in danger if they did.
That's why I have to hide, Draco thought. This is how I protect her. Because being without her is no longer an option.
Tap, tap, tap. I looked up from my Defense homework to the window where the tapping was coming from. I rushed over and let the midnight black owl in along with a burst of cold air. I looked over my shoulder at the elegant grandfather clock, reading 8:00 P.M. Glad no one else was in the room to see what was probably Draco's bird, I took the letter from the magnificent, grey-eyed owl.
I found my eyes had been straying a lot lately to the wall that separated Julie and Lucy from Sarah and I. How could Julie not believe me? A stab of loneliness pierced through me but was quickly overwhelmed by my feelings for Draco as I unfolded his letter, reading his elegant script.
Astoria-
Will you meet me at the Astronomy tower at 9:00 tonight? Owl me back soon.
Draco
I grinned at the thought of spending quality, uninterrupted time with Draco.
Draco-
Sounds great, see you than.
Astoria
I attached my letter to his owls let which he patiently held out. I opened the window and watched as it was swallowed by the night, its silky black feathers blending in with the sky. I quickly rushed over to the full body mirror. I was wearing casual muggle clothes under my midnight blue cloak scattered with golden stars, (Ravenclaw colors) typical attire for the students at Hogwarts. Jeans and boots reaching the tops of my calves, black tank top with my silver locket on it's long chain. The cloak was tied at my blonde neck and my ever annoyingly curly blonde hair was hanging down wildly slightly past halfway down my back. I widened my hazel eyes, looking for anything I needed to change. I quickly smoothed my hair for flyaways, deeming myself worthy for my date.
Now just the small problem of getting there...
I finally concluded that if I was stopped I would simply say I had forgotten some of my books and had to retrieve them in order to complete my homework.
At 8:40 I left, knowing I would most likely arrive early but I wanted to avoid uncomfortable questions with Sarah if she came back, and have time to deal with a teacher should I be stopped. Hoping Sarah would find my hastily scribbled note explaining my homework excuse, I exited the common room, trying to make myself scarce.
The torches in the hallways were still mostly lit so I could see perfectly as I made my way to the Astronomy tower.
After walking down several hallways jumping at every bang, creak, and noise from the portraits and various ghosts, I heard a noise that sent me scrambling to hide.
"Mraaaaaar!" growled Mrs. Norris, and I quickly ducked behind a statue, knowing that if his cat was here, Argus Filch was lurking not far behind.
Trying to still my nervous breathing, I crept out from behind the statue. No cat or caretaker was in the hall, so I jogged, trying to keep the noise of my feet pounding at a minimal, until I was tired out. Walking briskly the rest of the way, I finally arrived at the top of the Astronomy tower. I wasn't expecting to see Draco since I was still 5 minutes early, so I walked over to the edge of the window, resting my hands on the ledge.
There must have been some kind of enchantment because it was warm, even this close to the window, which looked straight out into the grounds of Hogwarts with no glass or anything else separating its inhabitants from a long fall down should they lean over too far. Several torches cast light into the room, making is easier to see the expanses of stars winking over the Hogwarts grounds. I looked to the barely visible glassy black of the great lake, thinking of how I had almost died in it had it not been for Draco. I really needed to learn how to swim, I told myself.
I had liked other boys before, but none as much as I did Draco. Could it possibly be that I was falling in love with Draco Malfoy?
I gasped loudly as a pair of arms encircled my waist, a chin resting on my head.
"Sh," Draco chuckled from behind me. "It's only me."
"Merlin! You scared me!" I exclaimed, resting my arms on his as he steered me away from the window.
We stretched out on the floor together, and I sat between his legs as he leaned his back up against the wall. I leaned my head against his chest, trying to conceal the giant smile that was blossoming across my face as my heart skipped a beat.
"Draco, you're so sweet!" I told him as he kissed my forehead.
"If you told that to Potter he'd probably laugh in your face."
"Well, that's because you choose to be mean to him," I told him matter-of-factly. "You're not like this...well, not like this," I gestured to how we were sitting, "But as kind to everyone else as you are to me than...well, I don't even know what," he traced his fingers along my arms, sending goosebumps errupting.
"I'm not kind or sweet, Astoria, I just feel like I am when I'm with you."
"No, it's true, you just hide it," I looked up at him as he laughed softly, pulling his arms around my waist as I grabbed his hands.
"So you've really liked me since 1st year?" I asked.
"Yeah, I just haven't known what to do about it. I didn't think you would ever agree to be with me, so I found other ways to get you to notice me. Until 4th year I was finally up to here," he put his hand over his head. "At the Yule Ball when you went with Seamus Finnigan instead of me."
I laughed, reminiscing about 4th year. It seemed so long ago now.
"Well, you didn't really ask me, more like demanded it, really," I chuckled. "I think you said-"
"Dammit Astoria just come to the Yule Ball with me already!" he finished, wincing.
"Ah, yes. But to give you credit you did actually ask after the shouting episode. More than once, actually,"
"I's not used to being rejected," he protested, squeezing me gently.
"You were an arse that year!" I teased. "Going out of your way to make Harry's life miserable with those "Potter Stinks" badges and all."
"Merlin, I didn't care about Potter I just wanted you to notice me."
"Well, better late than ever," I said, smiling up at him, looking in his eyes. I noticed how the light from the torches reflected in their paleness, almost making it look like his eyes were changing colors, from red, to orange, to gold.
"I should have said yes," I whispered to him.
He stood up and held his hands out to me, pulling me up.
"There's no Yule Ball this year, so I don't get to dance with you there. But now, like you said, better late than never. Will you dance with me now?" he asked, holding both of my hands as I looked up at him.
"Since you did ask," I smiled as he wrapped his arms around my waist and I placed mine around his neck. "But there's no music," I whispered as we began to sway.
"We don't need it," he told me softly, resting his forehead on mine.
"Draco..." I asked him. "What's your favorite color?"
"What?" he whispered, surprised .
"Favorite color," I repeated patiently.
"Green and silver," he responded automatically.
"Loyal to Slytherin," I observed, smiling.
"And yours?"
"Hm...blue. Now you ask me a question."
"If you could have one wish, what would it be?"
"That's easy, Draco. I'd ask for more wishes," I told him as he whirled me around. "You're a good dancer," I noticed, as he pulled me closer, back into his arms.
"And you're a good kisser," he chuckled. "But I've only gotten the pleasure to kiss you a few times," he grinned devilishly.
"Poor you," I smirked, giggling. He gave me a large smile, and I don't know who started it, but suddenly our faces were moving closer together. My eyes were closing, and suddenly his lips were on mine, and he was kissing me, and I was kissing him back. My heart pounding furiously, he pulled me closer to him, wrapping his arms tighter around me.
We pulled back, both of us slightly out of breath. "That's better," he murmured. "But about the wish-you can't ask for more wishes. That doesn't count."
"That's impossible!"
"Think about it, Ravenclaw."
"Fine...I'd wish for...we;;, I'd wish that you-know-who never existed, that all the people he's killed got a second chance at life, that all the people's lives he shattered would become whole again."
"Interesting," he said thoughtfully. His eyes glazed over momentarily as if he were re-living something that had already happened.
"Draco," I said, bringing him back to the present. "What are you thinking about?"
"You, actually," he admitted, his grey eyes looking deep inside my own.
"That's nice," I murmured. I fit my face into the crook of his shoulder under his jaw, kissing his neck. He gave a low sigh, kissing the top of my head in return. It amazed me how close we were already, how comfortable with each other we were. But than again, we had known each other since first year, and I had sort of known in the back of my head that we were always gradually working into what we had now, so we knew each other enough to be comfortable right away.
Suddenly a loud crash caused us to jump out of our embrace, also making my stomach take a plunge.
"What was that?" I whispered, my heart hammering madly.
"It wasn't too close-it could have been Peeves or one of the other ghosts. Quick, follow me!" he led me by the hand to a spot under the staircase, kneeling down.
"Does this mean we'll have to go back?" I whispered as I crouched down next to Draco.
"I think so. I'm sorry, Astoria," he whispered, holding my face with one of his hands. He kissed me gently, just enough to make me want more.
"It's all right," I sighed. It had been about 1 and a half months since our kiss outside, which had been the real start of our relationship, and I was realizing that it was going to be trickier than it had seemed at first to get time with my boyfriend.
"You go first, and I'll wait a few minutes and than I'll leave," he said.
"Goodnight," I replied, kissing him on the cheek and standing to leave, wand at the ready.
Over the next month into mid-November was when I really began to dread the upcoming Christmas holidays. Holidays meant returning home, and returning home meant, possibly, death eaters.
I had given Dumbledore the memory that he had wanted, and gone with him to see it.. However, he had been unable to gain what he needed and had exited from the memory, thankfully, before he could see anything I didn't want him to. I had met with Draco several times over the past month, and our 2-and-a-half-month old relationship, in my eyes, was turning into something beautiful. I couldn't pluck up the courage to tell him that I loved him first, so I was waiting for him to tell me first. If he did love me, that is. I had actually lost sleep over this topic.
Our meeting were becoming increasingly limited because of heightened security- apparently, someone had tried (unsuccessfully) to slip poison into Dumbledore's office. The ghosts (some of them, Peeves would never) now doubled as rule enforcers; it was nearly impossible to be in bed after hours. So the majority of Draco and I's time was in classes, where we either ignored each other or pretended we couldn't stand each other (except in Ancient Runes I may add, in which we discreetly held hands, when he was actually there of course).
Beams of sun had started to break through the figurative grey clouds of my friendship this past month, also- Lucy had been doing a lot of rethinking about her stand with Julie against Sarah and I, and had been doing a lot of apologizing. She was now sort of a go-between from Sarah and I to Julie. Who, I may add, showed no prospect of ever wanting to reclaim our friendship, which greatly saddened me, despite what had happened that night. We were both at fault, really. I should have been more trusting...but how could she?
The wall in our room had been taken down, and awkward silences were abundant and frequent.
The crisp and cold mid-November morning of the Quidditch game against Hufflepuff found me taking an extra long route to the great hall for lunch to avoid the strategically placed mistletoe with Sarah. Who put mistletoe up in November, anyway? It was a whole month until Christmastime! I had voiced this to Sarah, and she told me she had overheard that some lovesick girls had persuaded the teachers to put it up early in the name of "Early Christmas Spirit."
Many hopefuls just happened to be walking extremely slow (or the bolder ones just standing there) near the mistletoe, eyeing the hallways hopefully for the boy or girl they had in mind.
"Greengrass!" Shouted a voice from ahead of us. Zabini.
"Come to take a walk under the mistletoe?" he laughed loudly as Peeves floated over with a sprig of the very stuff. Zabini was walking with Theodore, who was laughing while trying to pull Sarah under said mistletoe.
"Peeves!" I whispered furiously. "Get that thing out of here!"
"Ooh, feisty!" I heard Theodore snicker as Sarah pushed him in response to his puckering lips.
"No..." I groaned.
"Oh, come on. Just a peck," Zabini pleaded, grabbing my arm.
He suddenly went rigid, eyes wide, as if someone had cast the full body bind curse on him. He clattered to the floor as did Nott, and Sarah and I looked at each other, relieved.
As I looked up around the corner I knew the flash of platinum blond hair I saw was not my imagination. I hid a smile as Sarah gasped and bent down.
"Naughty students hexing ickle boys..." Peeves said in a scolding tone. "I should report you, I should...I-Potty!" he yelled, forgetting us as he zoomed off to no doubt heckle poor Harry, who had the unfortunate luck to be dubbed "Potty."
"Potty and Loony!" he cackled, his voice echoing down the hall.
"What happened?" Sarah gasped.
"C'mon," I said, hauling her up and quickly levitating Theodore and Nott against the wall so they wouldn't be stepped on. I pulled her away so they wouldn't hear my responds-
"Someone Petrificus Totalused them," I muttered as a gaggle of giggling third year girls passed.
"What? Why? Should we go back there and find out who did it?"
"Erm...I think they'll be fine. I have a feeling a friend knows where they are...or not," something fierce erupted inside of me as I saw Pansy and Draco a few feet away from the mistletoe-she was trying to pull him under. Everyone knew the mistletoe at the end of the hallway was special- once you were under it with someone of the opposite gender, you were stuck until you kissed. But did this count as the end of the corridor? I wasn't going to find out, so-
"Confundo," I whispered under my breath, sending Pansy off cross eyed in the opposite direction.
The crowd that had gathered around Draco and Pansy, first egging them on, now roared with Laughter. Draco looked around confusedly, than comprehension dawned on him as his eyes settled on me. Sarah and I walked confidently forward.
"Just returning the favor," I whispered under my breath as I passed him. Of course, I hadn't counted on him taking a step forward with me...
Putting us both under the mistletoe...
At the same time.
Bloody hell.
"Whoa!" I lurched, bending down at my knees to keep from falling forward completely as I felt my feet stick. A creeping feeling of dread ensues at the general whisperings growing around us. I looked at Draco, who was also unsuccessfully trying to pull his feet up I pointed up at the mistletoe after seeing the look of confusion flit across his face.
The small crowd roared with laughter at the wide-eyed look on his face.
"I don't touch dirty blood traitors like her," he drawled, crossing his arms.
"And I don't touch filthy playboys like him," I drawled right back stubbornly, crossing my own arms.
"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!" the chanting began, and I looked away from Draco, rolling my eyes for the crowd.
"Alright, alright!" I exploded, pretending to cave. I stretched up, putting my hands on his shoulders. Cheers exploded as we kissed quickly, laughing and clapping as I felt my feet release from the floor. The cheers felt like acceptance, even though they had no idea of the real story. My heart was pounding and my cheeks were bright red as I took a large step back from him as he was swallowed up into the group of Slytherins.
"Okay, okay. Show's over!" I shouted as Sarah and I linked arms, parting the crowd. I hope I wasn't leaving behind too much damage control for Draco.
We made out way to the Great Hall, quickly sitting with the other Ravenclaws.
"Astoria?" A tentative voice interrupted my animated retelling of the mistletoe.
"What?" I asked, shocked, eyebrows narrowed in suspicion at the asker who nervously stood with Padma Patil, her hands behind her back.
"Watch out for Jillian, the Hufflepuff beater, Shes...well, she's sort of a nasty girl..." she trailed off, looking at Padma for assistance.
"And now she has her sights on you for kissing Draco," Padma finished for her, smiling at me sympathetically. "She kind of has a thing for him,"
I stared at Julie, my mouth still open in the middle of my sentence and my hands frozen, suspended in mid air.
"Uh...okay," was all I managed to get out. Jillian? Jillian who? I shook my head, not really comprehending that she was completely, utterly serious. She and Padma turned around and walked off, but Julie had looked like she had wanted to say more.
"Anyway..."
The Ravenclaw Quidditch team walked down to the pitch, the chilly mid-November air causing our breath to turn white as it puffed out of our mouths at every exhale.
I sat on my broomstick, preparing to take off after Madame Hooch finished announcing the Hufflepuff players.
"...and the second Beater, Jillian Ross!" I turned looked to Julie, shocked, but the Ravenclaw chasers had already taken to the air, and she was up there flying along with them, unaware of the feeling of doom growing in my stomach.
Hooch could barely make her voice heard over the cheering and stomping of feet. Next our own Beaters flew off, and I prayed that they would be skilled enough to stop any bludger aimed my way. I tensed, knowing it was my turn next to fly around the stadium.
"...Seeker, Astoria Greengrass!" I grinned at Eric, the keeper and Captain, still on the ground as he would be the last to be called. Shooting up I rocketed around the stadium. The Hufflepuff captain and Eric were called o shake hands, and the game began with the sharp whistle blow that pierced the air
Right away I heard the roar of the crowd as the chasers soared, in motion right away as the quaffle was thrown back and forth faster than any eyes that weren't accustomed to Quidditch could follow. I continued to look for the Snitch, trying to keep thinking positive thoughts as my eyes snapped back and forth, roving every centimeter of the field.
Suddenly I saw a heavy mud colored ball flying at me, and reacting instinctively I dove downward on my broom, stomach plunging and heart beating quickly. The bludger whistled past where my body had been just a moment before.
"Are you trying to bloody kill me?" I screamed.
"This is Quidditch, Greengrass!" she yelled back mysteriously. "I'm not trying to kill you, although I am going to try my best to beat you. On my honor, I will not try to seriously harm you," she said, her hair swirling around her face. I nodded, a tad fearfully. This was a Hufflepuff after all, so I had nothing to be frightened about. Right? Hufflepuffs were especially nice- although this one had a streak of competitiveness a mile wide.
For the next 20 minutes, I found myself periodically looking over my shoulder for soaring bludgers (despite Jillian's assurances) with still no sign of the snitch.
"You've seen it?" I sighed as I neared the Hufflepuff seeker, who looked a bit shocked at my attempt to start a quick conversation with him. Perhaps he was unaccustomed to this type of thing from the other teams' seekers.
"No, I haven't," he looked at my a bit suspiciously, although friendly nonetheless.
"Did they even let the bloody thing ou-" I froze.
The golden sphere was fluttering right behind his head. I zoomed over him, causing the snitch to flit away. By now the poor guy had realized how close he had come to winning the game had he looked up and was bulleting after me, but still behind me.
I will still several feet away, and-
"They're seen it, they've spotted the snitch, both of them!" the excited commentator's voice startled me out of my thought process. As I gained on the flying snitch I began to reach my hand out, slooooowly as so not to tip the balance-
CRACK!
And everything went black.
A\N And there it is: sorry for the cliffhanger, I couldn't resist-just seemed like a good place to end the chapter. Thanks again to my wonderful beta, and my wonderful readers. Keep R&Ring, it helps the inspiration with the story continue, you are all amazing! :D
Cassia