Disclaimer: Not mine, sigh.
When Andy arrived at the Quidditch pitch, Oliver was already hovering on his broom. He watched Andy silently as she geared up, which she found creepy, and slightly annoying.
"What, do I have something on my face?" asked Andy. Oliver blinked several times before glaring.
"This is no time for jokes, Carrins," said Oliver. "If you won't be serious, then you can just leave now."
Andy wanted to ask him what crawled up his arse and died, but instead she just gritted her teeth and swung onto her broom. "Fine. What exactly is it that you want me to do?"
Oliver proceeded to have Andy do about a billion feints that she knew that he knew she knew. She looped, and she dived, and she flew higher than probably was safe, and at the end of it, she was bruised—from clutching onto her broom, not falling—and sweaty. Plus, she had to still her hands from punching Oliver right in the face like he deserved. As it was, her right hand was a bit twitchy.
"Well, you performed those…admirably," admitted Oliver and Andy held back a snort. Oliver ran a hand through his dark hair. "Look, obviously I know that you're a good Seeker, and you know that you're a good Seeker, but I can't take any chances. I have to know that you aren't going to quit the team the next time we have a—a spat."
"I don't think you'll have to worry about that, seeing as I intend to keep our relationship strictly professional from now on," said Andy. Something angry briefly flashed across Oliver's face, but then he was nodding his head.
"That's probably for the best," he said, his voice flat with an arrogance that served to make Andy want to punch him even more. "I expect you to comply with the normal regimen for tomorrow's game. We'll meet in—" Oliver looked around thoroughly before continuing. "—the room tomorrow, as usual."
Oliver was idiotically careful about keeping their plans from the other teams, and as such he forced every member of the team to go to a special room directly upon waking, and they had to stay there until game time. It was horribly annoying, and George or Fred always ended up playing some prank on one of the girls, but so far none of their plans had ever been leaked, so obviously it worked. Only the team was allowed to know where the room was, and no one on it was stupid enough to risk Oliver's wrath should he find out that they betrayed its location.
"Right," said Andy. She turned to go back to the locker room to change—and noted, surprised, that the sun was already starting to go down—when something hit her. "Wait, what about that other Seeker?"
For a moment Oliver looked uncomfortable—Andy knew that most other captains would just keep the girl as reserve, but Oliver hated that. He said that it just "inspired discord among the team" and that would be "counterproductive." "I guess she's off? She's only, what, a third year? Fourth? She'll have time to be Seeker after next year."
"I guess," said Andy. Then, she shrugged and headed to the locker room to change.
She felt a bit bad for the girl, even if she had taken Andy's spot. It would have to be bloody horrid to be kicked off the team knowing that it was because they wanted someone better than you. Still, Andy wasn't going to begrudge herself this spot. She had earned it because she was better—and certainly not because she was in Oliver's good graces, that was certain.
Ah well, Andy thought, as she wiggled out of her leathers, S'not like she was on it for very long, really. And Oliver—loath though I am to admit it—is right. She will have time when I'm gone, but I've only got this year, and next, and then I'm out. Besides, it isn't my fault that I'm better than she is. Well…I suppose technically it is, but still, this is my spot, and no amount of guilt is going to force me to give it up.
When Andy arrived back in the common room, freshly showered and slightly achy from the rigorous practice, there was some kind of commotion going on. Andy was tempted to join the fray, and possibly laugh at some bint being dumped, but then she realized that it was Oliver and the other Seeker, Cassiopeia.
Andy decided it was probably best to just go up to her room, and let everything blow over. Fortunately for her, in all of the hubbub, no one really noticed her sneaking up the stairs. Unfortunately for her, she forgot about the creaky fourth step, and she stepped on it just right—or wrong, really—so that the noise reverberated through the common room.
Immediately, Cassiopeia, who had been yelling at Oliver—something about her being better than Andy, what a cow—whipped her head around. When she saw Andy, Cassiopeia's mouth set into a furious line, and the blonde threw out one long arm to point at her.
"You…you will pay for this! Once I'm done with you, you're going to wish that you weren't shagging the captain to get special favor," she hissed, eyes narrowed almost comically. Then, she started stalking towards Andy.
Now, Andy wasn't a particularly cowardly girl—Gryffindor, after all—but she'd certainly had a long day, and it's not completely gutless for her to have fled up to her room and locked the door so the crazy witch couldn't get her.
Okay, it really is, but, come on, give her a break. Cassiopeia had nails that you could carve metal with. You would have run, too.
Author's Note: Tada! Now, for those who think Andy's return is anticlimactic-which, granted, it is-do not fear! There will be plenty of drama in upcoming installments. Let's just say that this isn't the last we shall see of Cassiopeia. Also, don't be surprised if a certain Ravenclaw, and a certain blonde have something up their sleeves!
Reviews would be lovely:)