Merry Christmas you lovely people! Sorry that the wait has been so long but I have been very busy these last few weeks. I hope that this chapter is okay. It's got more Quidditch than romance, but as I have said quite a few times, I don't want to rush this story too much. I hope you enjoy this, and that you are having a blessed holiday season however it may be spent. Bg.97 xx
Frankly, James couldn't quite understand it. He was currently in bed with what was a really very attractive girl, and yet he wasn't happy. This woman was really really attractive, and was at the moment showing herself to be very talented too, yet James' mind was still getting distracted. Yes, he was having extremely good sex right now, but he probably wouldn't even remember this girl's name in a week or two. Actually… Shit. What's her name? Oh good merlin that felt good. Yes Sarah! Aah! Sarah- there we go.
It had been nearly two months since his encounter in the park with Elizabeth, yet it seemed to keep plaguing him. He'd seen her around a few times since them, but he hadn't really talked to her; either because there was never any time to talk, or because he wasn't quite sure what to say. Not that he didn't have anything to say, he was James Sirius Potter- he always had something to say… it was just that he didn't want to say the wrong thing. Elizabeth was the 'do it properly, woo and date kind of girl'; it wasn't as simple as it was with Sarah or even with Tara. There wasn't any feelings involved there- it was fun and casual. He wasn't sure what feelings he did harbour for Elizabeth, but he did know that he couldn't get her off his mind. He just hadn't deciphered why. There were too many thoughts running through his head; once he had gotten rid of this girl, he was off to the pub for a pint and watching the football. He needed muggle right now… and alcohol. He definitely needed alcohol.
The League had been going very well for the Falmouth Falcons. They had been proving exactly why they were the no. 1 team in Britain, and were trumping some of the other European teams. There had been a couple of injuries and a few personal issues, but overall the team had been giving the performance of their lives. The final was lined up to be in less than a fortnight, and James fully intended on playing in it. His whole life right now was Quidditch. Well Quidditch and the little glimpses of Elizabeth that kept slipping into his mind. Also the multitude of women he had been sleeping with to stop those little glimpses overflowing.
He probably should have felt bad for using these girls, but he was trying every distraction technique that he could think of. Elizabeth wasn't thinking about him, so why should he bother wasting his time thinking about her.
He did however feel bad about the consequences of his techniques. He'd missed a floo call from Lily the other day because he'd been otherwise occupied; he'd been late to practice once or twice; he didn't see his family as much. He was meant to be the Captain of one of the best Quidditch teams in Europe. He needed to start bloody acting like it!
When the next match arrived, he took deep breaths as he entered the stadium. He closed his eyes for a moment to block out the noise. He was awake, he was alert- he could do this. As he opened his eyes again, a plethora of fans dressed in grey and white came into view. He also saw his mother stood at the front of the reporter's box, and it brought him back to reality. These were the people he needed to make proud- and to do that he needed to focus. He clutched his broom tightly and hopped on.
The microphone switched on and the commentary started. James bit his lip. He was made for this.
Needless to say, they smashed the game. James celebrated his victory with a French super model that happened to be at the after party, and by the end of the night, his problems were the furthest thing from his mind.
A week and a bit later, he found himself preparing for a different match- the final. Otherwise known as the biggest match of his career so far.
He smiled as he looked up to the VIP box. He could see the majority of his family stood there, sporting the same merchandise as the fans who usually cheered him on. As he looked amongst them he saw his dad ardently trying to avoid the press; his younger brother, Rose and Scorpius laughing at one of their many inside jokes; Molly and her husband David trying to fan themselves in the August heat… He could even spot Teddy and Victoire, with their son Hector perched on Teddy's shoulders, rocking a pair of sunglasses that Jay assumed were his father's, and even their youngest member of the family, Louisa, rested on Victoire's hip. James smiled at the support of his family. They believed in him. He believed in himself- this was their moment. In what had become an all too familiar action, James got onto his broom and prepared to rise into the air.
The match has begun! All fourteen members of the Falmouth Falcons and the Grodzisk Goblins are up in the air- ready to prove themselves worthy of being the champions of the EQA's 2028 League.
Darek Lovski of the Goblins takes the Quaffle and he is making his way across the pitch. Bronwyn of the Falcons is tight on his tail, ready to intercept at any moment, and here's her chance! Greene has just batted a Bludger straight past Lovski's face, making him drop the Quaffle- which is now in the Falcon's possession.
Miss Bronwyn zooms across the pitch, making a quick side pass of the Quaffle to Potter as she goes. He catches it effortlessly before moving even further towards the goal. He's going to attempt to score and… ooh, Gielgud makes an expert save. Potter cusses under his breath but moves swiftly back into position.
The Goblins are back in possession, with Wiktoria Czarny gracefully flying towards Adams at the other goal. She passes the Quaffle between her fellow chasers and yes, Piotka closes in on the left hoop, and he scores! The first goal of the match goes to Poland's Grodzisk Goblins.
As Adams throws the Quaffle back into the centre of the pitch, the Falcons rearrange into a new position, preparing to take their defence to a new level. The Goblins are still in possession, with Piotka and Lovski making a succession of passes which the Falcon chasers are yet to intercept. A Bludger, shot by Sharma, has hit Piotka's hand, making him lose his grip on the Quaffle. Kara Sylvester has regained possession for the British team. She does a corkscrew on her broom, distracting her opponents as James Potter flies alongside her. She passes to him and he dives low to Bronwyn, who is ready to catch the Quaffle. She takes control, flying towards the goal and she shoots through the centre hoop- scoring the Falcon's first goal of this final.
The Falcons remain in possession, now seeming more confident in their abilities than before. Potter in his first tournament as Captain, has shown himself to be a valuable player throughout and is continuing to show us this now. He pays no attention to the attempts at distraction around him, relying on his Beaters to have his back. He flies deftly towards the goal, determined to score… and he does! The 2nd goal for the Falcons here has been scored expertly by James S Potter. This game is definitely looking to be a good one.
** 1 hour later**
The score is currently 60-40 with the Goblins in the lead, and the Falmouth Falcons look anxious to catch up. There's yet to be sight of the Snitch, but wait- have I spoken too soon? Wright seems to have caught a glimpse of something as he moves into action from his before passive state. Dobrev seems to have been shaken awake by this and is now following him as he chases the Snitch. She has now seen it too, and makes to overtake him. He senses her actions and continues in his pursuit. She has almost caught up to him now, in fact she's pulled up beside him, making it neck and neck. The Polish players have become entranced by this chase and Bronwyn has utilised this distraction to score their team's 5th goal of the match. The crowd is in uproar at this magnificent plot twist.
Meanwhile, Wright has managed to get slightly ahead of Dobrev, but she is still just as likely to catch the Snitch. They are now both within finishing distance, and it looks like; it is! That's it people. The home crowd are all going crazy as Wright catches the Snitch- meaning that the British based Falmouth Falcons have won the EQA's European League this year.
James is overwhelmed as he tries to process the match that just happened. They did it; they had won. He flew down to the ground and embraced his team in a hug that gleamed of sweat, exhaustion, but also pure delight. He beamed, not even bothering to hide the tears rolling down his face.
He had to drink nearly a gallon of water to calm himself, as the various newspapers bombarded each member of the team with a multitude of questions. James answered each of them eagerly, relishing in the attention. His mum pushed through the reporters and threw her arms around him. He returned the gesture with a childlike enthusiasm.
Ginny squeezed tighter, even though the cameras all looked on. "I am so bloody proud of you Jamie. You were all spectacular out there today. Just you wait until you see your dad- he's an absolute wreck."
James laughed at the thought, even if he wasn't much better than a wreck himself.
Ginny pulled away and brushed down her son's robes. "I'll leave you to get through this round of interviews, and I'll get you to make your statement for the Prophet later." She smiled proudly at him once more, before leaving the team's room.
As Ginny left, James spotted Rita Skeeter armed with her quill, ready to get an interview. Shit. He was slightly concerned as to what she may ask, but was also slightly relieved to not have to go over every single one of the team's tactics again.
Rita Skeeeter shimmied over, her bright yellow heels clicking against the floor as she moved to stand in front of James.
"So, Jay Potter. First question- has this victory finally helped you move out of the huge shadow cast by your parents?"
He looked at her incredulously waiting for the laugh, but it never came. Jamie just rolled his eyes and answered. "Well it was probably the point in my life where I had a defining moment where I no longer cared about being a Potter as I was just being myself. I really hope that today will help people to understand that I can be so much more than my parents."
She didn't notice his sarcastic tone.
"Your fans were all out in force for today. What would be your message to them?"
He shook his head as an expression of his awe. "I can't even begin to express my gratitude, but I'll try. Thanks to the fans so so much. Your enthusiasm and kindness is nothing but incredible. This will probably be censored in the paper but oh well- I fucking love you guys!"
Rita laughed, chewing her bottom lip as her quill finished off its quotes. "One last question. As winner of the Sexiest Wizard of the Year award more than once, it's the question of everyone's mind. What is happening in the love life of James Sirius Potter?"
James ran his hand through his hair nervously as he tried to come up with an honest response. You know what? Fuck it.
"Actually Rita, it's funny that you should ask that. The truth is that I have my eye set on someone. I met her around 4 months ago and she is constantly on my mind. I've been with other girls since then, but my thoughts always end up wandering back to her. I am single still- but this one girl just has me so confused. I wish she would just give me a chance."
Rita gasped dramatically. "You poor darling- how tragic! I hope that this makes her see how foolish she has been to pass up an offer from a man as beautiful and wonderful as you are. You read it here first folks, James Potter is a secret romantic!"
James sighed as more reporters flung themselves forward to interrogate him. He was probably going to regret that in the morning.
And there you have another chapter. Not the most exciting but it's an update! Will try and get another one written in the next week before school starts back up. Hope you all enjoy the rest of your holidays! Bg. 97 xx