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Playing Away From Home

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Chapter 4: A Moment's Glance

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"So, how did it go?"

Draco cradled the phone against his shoulder as he searched his desk for a report that he had seen only a few minutes ago. It was evening and he was working late at the ministry, tying up a case that he had collaborated with Kingsley and Neville on. And the end of a case meant paperwork. Lots of it. But even so, Draco had still kept one eye on the clock all evening, knowing that his husband would call when his practice was over to tell him how it went.

Harry's enthusiastic voice answered him. "Yeah, it went really well!"

Draco smiled into the phone. "Excellent! What did I tell you?"

Harry grinned. He had been a bag of nerves the day before, feeling sure that he would mess everything up and that the Coach would decide that he didn't want him on the team after all.

"I suppose you were right," Harry agreed sheepishly.

"So, did you meet any of the rest of the team today or was it just a one-on-one with the Coach, like the letter said?"

Harry felt himself redden for no reason and before he knew it he quickly blurted out "No! Er – no…. No one."

He stopped, surprised at himself.

Why didn't I tell Draco about Jordan?

"Oh well," the blonde replied, flicking his pen idly between his fingers. "I'm sure you'll meet them all tomorrow at the team practice."

"Yeah."

Neville dropped a file on the blonde's desk and Draco mouthed thanks at him.

"Listen, Harry, I've got to finish up here – but see you in forty minutes?"

"Great," Harry beamed, all thoughts of his Quidditch team forgotten. "I'll be waiting." His happiness was evident in his voice.

"I can tell you're smiling, you know," Draco whispered into the phone.

Harry blushed and twisted the phone cord around his finger.

"And now you're blushing."

"Stop it," Harry scolded him, reddening further.

Draco smirked. "I bet I can even tell you what you're wearing…." he teased softly, causing a tingle to rush up Harry's spine. "Now let me see…."

"Oi!" his husband spluttered.

Draco laughed.

Harry laughed along with him. "That's not fair! You know very well that I always call you straight after I've had a shower…."

"Which means you must be in your towel and little else…."

"Stop fantasising about me at work," Harry scolded playfully.

"Well you shouldn't be so damn sexy then."

Harry laughed, and the sound gave Draco that familiar warm feeling.

"I love you, Harry."

Harry smiled to himself as he felt his stomach do that familiar flip-flop, and his voice lowered tenderly.

"I love you."

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Harry woke up early the next morning, quickly changed into his Quidditch uniform and kissed his sleeping husband on the forehead. He grabbed his broom and Disapparated to the team headquarters.

As he approached the meeting room Harry heard voices beyond the door and entered the room somewhat shyly because he knew he didn't know any of the team.

"Harry!"

He heard the voice greet him and looked up gratefully. Jordan instantly beckoned him over and introduced him to the other players.

"Everyone – you know Harry, right?"

Harry smiled warmly at the group. He recognised most of the faces from league matches during his season with the Arrows, and of course he remembered Jordan from their encounter the day before.

"Harry Malfoy-Potter…Appleby Arrows, right?" A thin wizard with straw-coloured shoulder length hair and light blue eyes held his hand out and grinned. "Geoffrey Whistleton - call me Geoff."

"Pleased to meet you, Geoff," Harry replied warmly, shaking his hand.

The rest of the team too stepped forward, nodding their hellos and offering their names. Daniel Armstrong had light brown hair and was of medium build. He clapped Harry on the back and welcomed him warmly. Campbell Warren seemed a rather quiet fellow and gave Harry a small smile when he extended his hand to shake his. Bertram Wensleydale was a tall, dark-haired man of few words. He seemed a little shy, but his grey eyes twinkled kindly when he nodded at Harry. Amelia Roberts, a very short witch with black hair dark brown eyes was the last to shake Harry's hand. "Malfoy…that's Draco Malfoy, the Auror, isn't it?" She gave a low whistle. "I heard how he managed to trail those Dark Wizards and destroy that unauthorised Portkey earlier this year…." Her voice was full of admiration. "All by himself…he was amazing."

"Yeah, that's right," Harry confirmed, feeling a surge of pride for his husband. It constantly annoyed him how Draco's success was always overshadowed by his own high-profile career, and he took an instant liking to Amelia.

The group soon descended into an easy chatter and before long the Coach arrived, gave them a few welcoming words, and sent them onto the pitch.

Less than half an hour later they were all standing on the frosty pitch at their first ever team practice, having just been through the first drill of the morning.

Harry's gaze flicked lazily across his team and he saw Jordan grinning at him. Harry grinned back, nodding his head at the other man before turning towards the Coach once more.

"Right," the stout wizard addressed them. "I've had a chance to see what you can all do and I'm impressed…." His eyes swept over the team and rested on each player in turn. "But - that doesn't mean that you can all get complacent. I want you giving it a hundred percent every practice. No excuses. Got that?"

"Yes, Coach," they all chorused.

"Now it's one thing to be a good player, but I want you all to work as a team," the man carried on, his voice rising. "No place for individual stars or glory-seekers here, alright?"

"Yes, Coach."

He grinned. "Great. And now seems as good a time as any to let you all know who the Captain of the team will be…I decided on you, Bertram - "

The rest of his sentence was drowned out by the cheer that erupted at this decision. Bertram reddened a little and then broke into a shy grin and nodded at the Coach in gratitude. "Thanks, Coach," he said. The rest of the team crowded around him, clapping him on the back and congratulating him.

The Coach allowed them a few moments and then blew his whistle, the shrill sound piercing the commotion. "Alright, team, get on your brooms and let's see what you can do!"

The seven players simultaneously kicked away from the ground and roared into the sky, quickly forming the 3:2:1 formation that they had just practised during the drill, with Harry hovering just to the side of them. The Chasers – Jordan, Amelia and Bertram - maintained the front, with the two beaters – Campbell and Daniel - immediately behind them. Geoffrey, the Keeper, hung at the back.

The Coach pointed the tip of his wand to his neck and whispered Sonorus before addressing his players.

"Right, I want you all to remember this basic formation when you get into trouble," he said, his already booming voice greatly magnified by the spell. "At any time, if things start to fall apart, I want you all to remember to re-group like this."

The players nodded.

"You must always be aware of where the rest of your team are, because only then will you be able to work as a unit instead of isolated players." He turned to the green-eyed wizard at the left of the group. "Apart from you, of course, Harry. Your eyes are for one thing only."

Harry gritted his teeth and nodded firmly, knowing exactly what he was referring to. The Snitch.

"Okay, lets warm up with some diving practice."

Another shrill whistle and the team launched into a display of perfectly executed dives and swoops, each player roaring down to the earth before jerking up at the last moment, avoiding the ground by mere inches only to soar again into the sky and repeat the process.

After a few minutes of this, the Coach's voice boomed at them from the ground.

"Ok, I'm releasing the Bludgers now!"

The pace instantly stepped up several notches as each player frantically dodged out of the paths of the bewitched Bludgers. The unrelenting balls bore down on each of the team in turn and their blistering speed didn't allow room for any lapses in concentration. Harry successfully swooped and out-manoeuvred them with little effort.

A few minutes later, having soared to a great height in order to successfully fly out of the way of one of the offending balls, Harry hovered for a moment to catch his breath. He took the opportunity to survey the rest of the team to see how they were coping. They darted below him like dragonflies, zipping in and out of each other, and it wasn't long before Harry's gaze rested on one of his team mates in particular….

Jordan was a natural flyer. He dipped in and out of the goalposts with effortless grace and expertly dove and soared as if he and his broom were one. His dark tousled hair whipped around his face as his tall, broad frame clung tightly to his broom.

Jordan seemed to feel Harry's eyes on him for he suddenly darted his gaze upwards and their eyes met for brief second. Jordan raised an eyebrow and gave him a look that clearly said 'Are you going to hang around up there out of harm's way or come down here where the action is?'

Harry instantly felt something jolt inside him.

He never declined a challenge.

With a jerk of his broom he slid through the air and descended sharply until he was at Jordan's shoulder. "What was that look for?" he challenged cheekily as he flew beside him, easily matching Jordan's pace.

"I don't know what you're talking about," the dark-haired wizard shot back with an even more deliberate smirk on his handsome features, and he suddenly hurtled ahead without any warning.

Harry chuckled and sped after him, resolutely keeping his gaze focussed ahead as they continued to race each other across the pitch. He was an experienced enough flyer to know that a moment's lapse in concentration at this speed could be dangerous…but as he flew alongside the other wizard, each of them trying to out-fly the other, Harry felt an urge to look at the dark-haired man beside him. He momentarily glanced to his right -

- and a split second was all it took.

Harry was only dimly aware of the collision and the piercing cry that followed. Before anyone even knew what was happening he was knocked clean off his broom and found himself falling through the air at an alarming speed….