Chapter 18 Soulmates

Tony's point of view

*Memory 21*

8 years later…

When I was 15 years old, I hit puberty. The only thing I cared about at that time in my life was girls and my education. I met Pepper on the Hogwarts Express. We became instant friends because she helped me to defend our mutual friend Severus Snape from a gang of bullies.

"My name is Virginia Potts, most people call me Ginny."
"I've got a more suitable nickname"
"Really?"
"Yes… what did you use on the bullies?"
"A small bottle of Pepper spray my godfather gave me to use to defend myself"
"I'm going to start calling you Pepper"

She giggled, her laughter was like music to my ears. Everything changed.

"I have the most overwhelming urge to kiss you"
"I feel just the same"

She came over and sat beside me, and we kissed, hard. The air crackled with magical energy. She grinned at me and I grinned back. I lay back on the couch and pulled her into my arms. We started kissing… talking softly, holding hands.

"Will you be my girlfriend?"
"Of course"
When we got to school we had dinner and went upstairs.

I'd been surprised that I had received the 5th year prefect position for Ravenclaw house along with Pepper. When we held the prefects meeting that evening, Professor Riddle — the defence against the dark arts teacher, who was responsible for overseeing the prefect meetings said,

"Prefects and the head boy and girl get their own rooms. If you have a soulmate, you can share a room."

"Sir, how do we know if we have a soulmate?"
"There's a potion you will brew this year as part of your Ordinary Wizarding Level exam for potions. It's called the soulmate clarity potion."

2 weeks later, we brewed the potion. Pepper and I were an exact match.

Unfortunately, we had already had massive piles of homework as well as revision and Quidditch practise.

"Pep, will you try out with me?"
"I don't like heights, Tony… I feel about heights the way you feel about spiders"

"The commentators graduated, so they're looking for new ones. You and Bruce and Jay should try out."
"Doesn't Jay want to play Quidditch?"
"Yes, I think so"

The try-outs were chaotic. Professor Riddle and Madam Hooch oversaw them.

"All right… if you're trying out for beater, keeper, seeker or chaser, step over this way please and split by the position you're trying out for." I was trying out for Beater. I'd been a reserve Beater for Ravenclaw for 4 years, and there was now a spot open on the team. Jay was trying out for Keeper. Pepper was trying out for the commentary team with Bruce. Hope Van Dyne was trying out for Seeker, Scott Lang for Chaser, and even though he also wanted to be Chaser, Bruce was also trying out for commentator.

We went through an obstacle course, weaving in between posts that Professor Riddle had conjured, then flying through the hoops at the end. The chasers passed the Quaffle, the Beaters chased the Bludgers and the Seeker chased down The Golden Snitch. There was a spectacular collision, a Ravenclaw and Slytherin had to go to the infirmary. Eventually, the teams were chosen. I made Chaser. Pepper and Bruce made the commentary team. I played Quidditch until the last game of the season, when I broke my arm playing against Slytherin. Pepper and I went on a break from our relationship at the end of the school year because I decided I wanted to go to MIT early, and she was going to UCLA early. We reconnected in our mid-twenties.