It was dark when the Gryffindors made their way onto the Quidditch pitch. The Slytherins were already there, practicing their launches and landings. Urquhart moved too stiffly. Ollerton's form was good but a gust of wind would knock her off-balance. Harper was following directions effortlessly. Draco stood off-side, shouting out to them all, telling them to do it again, praising them only when they really deserved it.
"When are you going to be finished?" Ginny asked him as they approached.
Draco's eyes flicked to Harry and then he looked back at his players. "Another hour. Go to the field near the greenhouse."
"The Hufflepuff team practices there and you know it." Harry held on to his broom tensely, the tips of his fingers beginning to turn white.
"Go bother the Hufflepuffs, then."
"Come on, Malfoy. Just share the pitch with us like last week," Ron wheedled.
"We were here first. Warrington, push off a bit harder! Bletchley, just like that!"
Harry was beginning to get angry. "You said it yourself it didn't matter who was here first. Let us use the pitch."
"I said that a minute was of no consequence. An hour is something vastly different. Now could you leave us in peace? I don't know how you can expect me to show you courtesy if you're not going to show it yourself."
It would have been very satisfying to grab Draco by the collar and physically throw him and his team off the pitch, but even in his anger Harry knew better than to do that. Instead he turned to his teammates. "We've got as much reason to be here as they do. Up in the air. Head for the side they're not using, we'll practice around them."
"You can't do that!" cried Draco.
"Robins, Weasley, release the balls before you go."
They obeyed him without question. Soon Slytherins and Gryffindors alike were dodging Bludgers and tossing the Quaffle to each other, more out of habit than meaning to do anything with it. Draco screamed in frustration and took to the air. Harry, with a joyless smile, went up after him.
A Bludger swooped at him and he neatly dodged it. It went after Vaisey next, who looked like he was missing his bat and very nearly tumbled off his broom. Then it was Thomas' turn. He flew a few circles around it and it left him alone. The Quaffle was passed from Urquhart to Montague before it was intercepted by Ginny, who threw it to Robins, who rushed for the goalposts which Bletchley suddenly had a mind to guard. With some nice, complicated manoeuvring, the Gryffindor Chasers got the Quaffle past him and began to hi-five each other.
Harry circled the pitch, watching everything that was going on but not doing anything about it. He was proud of his team for holding itself together without him. They were friends off the pitch, which must have made a difference. They worked together instead of for themselves. The Slytherins tried to do the same, but they just didn't have the intelligence or skill that the Gryffindors did. Ollerton had talent, Draco did better as a Chaser than he ever had as a Seeker, and Harper knew a few tricks, but otherwise there wasn't much to recommend them. They had plenty of strength but all that would get them was some people in the infirmary.
In the spirit of fair play, Coote gave his bat to Urquhart. Each team now had one to direct the Bludgers with. As there was no Snitch flying around, Harper had evidently decided to act as a fourth Chaser, but he was absolutely useless and hindered his teammates more than he helped them. Ollerton alternated between assisting him and playing as a fourth Chaser for the Gryffindors, as Harry had yet to get involved. With her help they scored another goal, only for her to intercept a shot right after and take the Quaffle back to the Slytherins.
A Bludger flew at Harry and he dodged it. Just seconds later another Bludger was sent straight at him. He looked down to see that Draco had taken the bat from Urquhart. He shouted something that Harry couldn't hear and sent another Bludger at him. It made contact with Harry's broom and wood splintered up and out. Whether it had been Draco's intention or not, he had just made him even angrier.
Harry flew at Draco as fast as his broom would go. The rush of air hurt his ears and cut at his face. It meant nothing if he could see Draco's eyes widen at that last moment before he hit him.
CRACKKK!
They impacted heavily. Bits of wood flew out and drifted to the ground. Ginny screamed. Draco wrenched forward and into Harry's shoulder. Harry gripped at him, holding on to his robes in a desperate effort to keep him from falling. They were at least fifteen metres above the pitch. Draco's hands found Harry's arm, and he clung to it like it would save his life. Finally Harry could see where their brooms had ended up. Draco had fallen off his and it was about to plummet. Harry's was battering against the back of his knee, and he shifted to sit back down on it. Frightened senseless, Draco pulled at Harry like a drowning man, making it that much harder for Harry to get him onto the back of his broom.
But he did and once he had Draco quickly regained himself. Harry found himself being punched in the back and sides. Each blow didn't hurt, but together they stung as well as just really annoyed him. He turned his head to tell Draco so, and was hit sharply in the jaw, causing him to lose his balance and the broom to spin over.
Draco had control of it now, and was holding Harry up by his robes, himself upside-down. He clawed at the material, desperately trying to lift Harry up, tears streaming down his face. The image fixed in Harry's mind. As his robes slipped through Draco's fingers, he felt his legs being grabbed by someone below him. He was thrown over the person's broom and brought safely to the ground.
"Oof, gentle," he said breathlessly as he was pushed off the broom.
His saviour had been Ron, who was bright red and shaking as he looked down at him. More than once he opened his mouth to speak, but he didn't say a thing.
From here Harry could see the stars. His heart pounded wildly and he had the strangest urge to grin.
Draco stumbled over to him, his face covered in tears and his hair a mess, taking his wand out and hexing Harry once, twice, three times.
When Harry had curled up on his side, throwing slugs up onto the pitch, Draco fell to his knees and covered his face in his hands.
"Why did you do it, you git?" he sobbed.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
When she first saw him, it felt like coming home.
His hair was messy and badly cut. There were scrapes along his cheek and jaw. One eye was swollen and glittering green. His glasses looked too young for him, awkward circles on a confident face. She saw that they were slightly bent. His taste in robes was dreadful, but he wore them well. Harry was beautiful to her.
He did not look happy. She would make him happy.
"Adeline du Maurier?" His voice was also beautiful. Soft like a flower.
"More emphasis on the 'er', Mister Potter, it goes up-"
Adeline waved for Gaspard to be quiet, not taking her eyes once from Harry's face. When he looked from him to her, she ducked her head and faintly blushed. He smiled oddly. She hoped he did not think her strange. This was an overwhelming experience and she did not know quite what to do.
"You are...three years younger than me?"
She nodded.
Harry moved forward in his seat and she saw with delight that his hand almost touched her arm. He breathed out and her wide eyes returned to his face, all of her trembling with fear. He did not look happy. He was not happy with her. His green eyes looked deeply into hers.
"I'm sorry," he said and her heart shattered.
"Mister Potter, what does this mean?" Gaspard stepped forward. "Do you refuse her? When you know nothing of her beside her face?"
Adeline felt as though she was falling into a deep and dark pit with no one to save her from it.
"No. I am not refusing her. I just...can't accept her...not now..."
"Explain, Mister Potter! I demand you do!"
"There is..." He would not say. Harry held Adeline's hand within his own and she was instantly revived. "I would like to get to know you. I don't think that it will change anything, but... You are here and I will give this a chance."
"Ah, bénédictions."
His hand was very warm. He was a very warm person. A tear fell from Adeline's eye. As it curved down her cheek, she smiled at Harry, and nodded.
At the first sight of him she was in love.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
French - English
"Ah, bénédictions."
"Ah, blessings."
Gaspard is glad that Harry has not outrightly refused Adeline.