Woohoo, new chapter. Sorry this is going so slow!!
-Kyra2, Blaise is a GIRL definitely, absolutely and completely, and this is how you spell her name. Definitely a girl. I pity any boy with the name Blaise!! She IS in the books, shes right at the end of the list when they are sorted in first year. And sorry about the dumb spelling of Sunnydale. Sometimes I cant remember which way it is, plus my spell check keeps underlining Sunnydale… hmm… apparently not when I put a capital letter… ah, I think I fiddled with the settings… ok, it'll be right from now on!!
Thanx for all your reviews. I think it's great that you guys stick with me even though I'm being awfully slow. Really am sorry about that! I want to wind this up pretty soon- not yet sure exactly how, that's why its taking a long time, it's gotten fiddly. ANYWAY, hopefully it'll go places soon!
So read on…
Chapter 44
"Dawn, are you sure?" Hermione asked insistently for at least the fifth time.
"Hermione! I swear!" Dawn retorted.
"But you must have!" Draco cried.
"Draco!" Dawn exclaimed. "I did not put a spell on Blaise!"
They were walking out by the lake, about an hour after breakfast. Dawn had told Blaise she'd see her later before joining the others, but of course she had asked Blaise to join her first. She declined. Now the group was trying to understand how on Earth Dawn had been sitting having a civil conversation with Blaise Zabini.
"I know!" Ron said suddenly. "Dawn didn't put a spell on her…" Dawn was about to say 'thankyou', when he contined, "She put a spell on Dawn!!"
"FOR GODS SAKE!!" Dawn bellowed. "No spells were involved!! We were the only two people down, so I went to talk to her. She told me to piss off. I ignored her, and irritated her, and we both laughed, and started talking! Like I've told you a hundred times!! What the hell is wrong with that!"
The boys just gaped at her, wondering if the things she'd just said meant the same thing in girl language as they did in boy language, because each of them was sure they'd have ended up in a fight in the same situation. Hermione, however, sighed and nodded,
"Ok. I guess she's not as bad as we thought then."
"Yeh." Dawn said, calming down, relieved that her friend believed her. "And jeez, Draco, you of all people should know that can happen." She said to her boyfriend.
"Whoa, whoa." He replied, "Just cos I'm dating a Gryffindor doesn't mean I'm any less bad than…" But Dawn cut him off.
"Whatever, Drake." She said, ruffling his carefully slicked back hair. Hermione cracked up, Harry grinned widely, and Ron almost exploded with laughter at the look of horror on Draco's face.
"Dawn…"Draco said shakily, not really sure how to deal with this.
"Looks better like this." Dawn said, pouting and batting her eyelids at him. He spluttered a bit. So Dawn stepped closer, and kissed him, killing Harry and Ron's smiles. "Trust me?" Dawn purred to Draco. He nodded slowly. Dawn grinned, and carried on walking, linking her arm into Hermione's. Behind her back, Draco self consciously patted his hair. She whipped round, and he smiled innocently, his hand incredibly quickly by his side.
"Hey Dawnie." Buffy cooed, smiling as Dawn entered the guest room her sister was staying in. "How ya doin'?"
"I'm ok." Dawn replied. She sat down on the sofa next to Buffy, huddling up to her. "It's so cool to see all of you again."
"You too Dawnie. Are you happy here?"
"Yeah!" Dawnie exclaimed, "It's great here. And I never knew there was so much to magic! Oh Buffy I wish I could tell you all the stuff I've learnt! I was always so impressed when Willow, like, floated a pencil, but now… well, lookie!" She squeaked excitedly, and producing her wand, she called, "Accio hairbrush!" And Buffy's hairbrush flew across the room to her hand.
"Cool!" Buffy said grinning.
"Yup. Hey! Do you wanna come play Quidditch with us later? I bet you'd be a wicked beater!"
"I'd be a what now?"
"You gotta come." Dawn decided, "You'll love it."
"Now this should be amusing." Faith murmured, as Buffy mounted a broom.
"I heard that!" Buffy retorted, "And for your information, I have flown before!"
Faith smirked,
"I know, I know." She said, "I'm kidding."
"Come on Faith!" Dawn called, holding out a broom. Faith laughed, holding up her hands,
"Not a chance." She said. Hermione, Ginny and Dawn exchanged glances, and grinned evilly at Faith,
"Oh Charlie!" Dawn called over too the boys in a sing song voice. Faith frowned at her,
"What's up?" Charlie asked, coming over.
"Faith won't fly." Dawn said.
"It's not that I wont, I just don't wanna right now." Faith argued unconvincingly. Charlie grinned at her, and took the broom from Dawn.
"Come, on, I'll show you how."
"Charlie, I don't…" But he had already wrapped his arms around her to control her hands to show her what to do. Faith suppressed a groan at his closeness, and in this moment, he forced the broom into her closed fist. "You're evil." She whispered. He grinned wider.
"Now." He said, ignoring her. "Mount the broom." Faith just grinned, and Charlie rolled his eyes. "You're pathetic." He said.
"And proud of it." But Faith did as she was told, and followed Charlie's instructions until they were both hovering a couple of feet off the ground. "Now what?" She asked.
"Now I leave you be an' go get my own." He said teasingly. Faith pouted,
"Do ya have ta?" She whined. He kissed her cheek, for the first time neither of them caring if anyone saw.
"You'll do great." He said, before climbing off the broom.
"Well. I'm ready." Faith said loudly, "What the heck is taking you lot so long?"
Buffy made a face at her,
"If we all had a hunny to show us how it worked, we'd be right there with you!" She retorted. Faith noticed the flicker across Spike's face (he was standing in the shade of the stands), and then cracked up as Buffy stuck out an arm to stop Draco taking her hint with Dawn. "Not you." She said.
"But Dawn…" He began, but Buffy just gave him 'the look'. Dawn giggled, mounting the broom on her own and pushing off. Hermione did the same, a little more wobbly, and soon everyone playing was in the air. They were going to play girls against boys. They'd had a huge argument about it, as more of the boys were on school teams, but they retorted that the girls' team included two slayers, two wiccas, and frankly, Hermione Ginny and Dawn, who whether they would admit it or not, all the boys were wary of.
They began with a basic quidditch lesson for those who'd never played before, and briefly practiced the various positions. About two hours later, they split into the teams and began deciding on positions. The girls gathered at one end of the pitch, and as the closest to an experienced quidditch player, Ginny, took control.
"Ok." She said, "From what we've seen, I reckon Buffy and Faith as beaters."
"Definitely." Dawn agreed with a grin. "But try not to kill anyone."
"Noted." Buffy chuckled.
"Ok then… I'll be seeker- we're gonna be going against either Harry Draco or Charlie, so no offense but we need someone who's done it before."
"I agree." Hermione said, "All three of them are wicked." Dawn nodded her agreement too.
"Dawn, you've been practicing chaser, right?"
"Yup."
"Great, so you, Hermione and Tara. Willow's keeper. Ok?"
Tara looked nervous, but they all nodded agreement. Willow was about to ask if it was ok if the ball just happened to fly off course into her hands when they heard yelling, and turned to see that Harry and Draco were in the middle of a heated discussion of who should be seeker. Dawn grinned, finding it very amusing, but Hermione was less than happy. Sure it was Malfoy, but she didn't think Harry would have let himself get so worked up over a recreational quidditch game. She got the distinct feeling that they were really fighting over something else.
"Enough!" They all heard Charlie yell. "Harry, you're seeker… No! Harry… Because he's better! … No! Not cos he's a Gryffindor… Malfoy, do you really want to get beaten by a team of mostly muggle, inexperienced girls?" Draco fell quiet. "Good. We need the best possible team."
"We so have to totally crush them." Faith told the other girls.
"Oh yeah." Willow said.
"They're goin' down." Buffy agreed. Hermione Dawn and Ginny axchanged glances, this would either be wicked fun or very dangerous.
Anya, the referee, as she didn't want to play, rose into the air on a broom. (she was a vengeance demon again since Xander left her at the alter.) The two teams faced each other in the air. Ginny and Harry floated at the head of the two teams. Behind each were the chasers, Dawn, Hermione, Tara, and Draco, Charlie and Neville. Behind them were Buffy and Faith, Fred and George. Nearest to the goals at the appropriate ends were Ron and Willow, and floating just above were Harry and Ginny. Anya yelled,
"GO!" (they didn't have a whistle) and many feet below, Spike released the balls. Harry and Ginny sped further into the air to get a good over view while the rest of the teams spread out. Draco caught the quaffle in seconds, and raced towards the girls' end. He got quite a shock when he realised that Dawn was right beside him, grinning widely. She tried the grab the ball, but he dodged below her and out of reach. But he still heard her squeal, and turned to see that she was ok. Instead, he saw the bludger heading straight for him at an incredible speed. Buffy was smiling smugly with her bat still raised. Draco dodged just in time, but in his shock, Hermione managed to bat the ball from his hands. She flew at speed towards the other end, throwing the ball to Tara when Charlie got too close. Tara dodged with surprising skill through Neville and Charlie and even avoiding the twins. She tried for a goal, but with a sigh of relief, Ron saved it.
As the game continued at a strangely fast pace considering half the players had never even tried to play before, Harry and Ginny floated above, watching, wincing and keeping an eye out for the snitch.
"We're gonna whoop you!" Ginny teased. Harry grinned back at her,
"Not a chance, Weasley." He said.
"Oh you'll see. We have motivation!" Ginny shouted back as she flew off to the other end of the pitch. Harry frowned and tried to think of a reason for the girls to want revenge. When he found it, Harry's eyes went wide. Damn. Damn. Damn. Charlie insulting girls in a very loud voice on the same pitch as that particular group of girls may not have been a very good idea; He thought.
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Ah… girls out for blood, and two slayers with big clubs.... *grins*
Please review!!