Disclaimer: As always I own nothing but the original characters and the situations all the poor characters get put in. Everything else belongs to someone else and they probably want to keep it that way. Thanks so much for reading, hope you enjoy and let me know what you think.
Note:Remember this is British football, which is soccer in North America
A Kind of Game
So their cover stories were that Christopher was going to visit his father for a few hours and Al's was on a trip to the gym since that wouldn't interest anyone else. He had a feeling that he'd hurt Scorpius's feelings a little by up and leaving him alone for a few hours instead of continuing to take the other man's mind off of things, but there was just no way in hell he was going to let Jordan anywhere near Scorpius. That would be bad any time, but given the week the former Slytherin had had it would more than end badly. As badly as it would end if Albus were to discover where they were before they got back from the football game, which was possible since they'd had to put their true destinations on the sign out sheet. According to Christopher he'd be in serious shit if he lied about that and the look on the werewolf's face had made it clear that was putting it nicely.
They'd transported themselves to a wooded area near the college and as they walked out of that and towards their destination Al explained the situation in more detail, as promised. He hadn't earlier for fear that the man might back out or feel the need to mention what they were doing to Albus or Domi.
"So basically the star of the opposing team is my ex and he's…well he's an egotistical ass who thinks he's all that and a bag of crispers. Jordan's team will be made up of his fellow players so we're facing guys who are good enough at the sport to play it at a college level. Winning against them will be…difficult to say the least. Our team is made up of a few blokes on that level but the majority of our comrades are the type that play just for the fun of it on the weekends. But we have to win, so do the best you can."
Not being a fool Christopher pulled out his notepad and posed his first of what he imagined would be many questions about what they were up to. 'What are we playing for?'
Reading the message Al's face shifted into determined lines. "If we win he has to leave Ciel Wilks the hell alone from now on no matter what the kid says or wants. If he wins he'll tell the kid about the wager of this game, hold the win over our heads for forever AND get an undisclosed amount of money from the kid's brother."
'Who's Ciel Wilks?'
"The kid brother of our star player who used to play on Jordan's team but recently quit." Al answered. "Finn's brother apparently…bears a very strong resemblance to me and Jordan went after him as a result. He's wrapped the kid around his finger and is currently juggling said love struck boy with whoever else catches his fancy which is standard for him. Kid won't see the truth and Finn's worried about what will happen when the truth hits. He asked me to help him out seeing as he knows facing off against me will throw Jordan off his game and that I have my own axe to grind."
Okay, they had to win the game. But given the character of this Jordan guy, 'Why would YOU date someone like that?'
Al's lips curved into a rueful, 'my stupid ego' grin. "Everyone was after me to date someone after Scorpius dumped me and I was so pissed over that that I decided to give them what they wanted regardless of the fact that I knew what an assehole Jordan was. Came back to bite me in the ass of course, but putting him in his place and making him jump through my hoops was somewhat amusing for a while. Took my mind off of Scorpius, anyway."
He was Domi's cousin, so that made sense.
'Do you think we can win?'
"I'm hoping so." Was as optimistic as the Gryffindor could be given the skill he knew they'd soon be up against. And since that thinking would lose him the game before he started Al worked up a mischievous grin for the other man. "Though if we don't win…maybe Jordan's ego will swell up so much that his brain will just explode like a popped balloon. That would make the humiliation of losing to him actually worth it."
Christopher smiled in return.
)
A number of people slid out of the common room in fear, though many others stayed on the sidelines since they weren't the one Dominique Weasley was pissed off at. Though since the man responsible for her fury wasn't around many decided it was best to leave rather than stand in for the werewolf. Everyone agreed though that Christopher Worden had to really have balls of steel to both date and lie to the fearsome foreign exchange student.
Christopher's father, for his part, felt just awful about the whole thing since his dropping by had alerted his son's girlfriend to the fact that his son wasn't visiting him the way Christopher had apparently said he was. But his Christopher wasn't the cheating sort and he told her so, not that that seemed to make the slightest of dents in her 'I'm going to kill him' aura.
"Well this isn't good." Albus murmured as he tried to figure out how to calm her down.
"Bet you ten galleons he's with Al." Gellert murmured back, enjoying the show.
Domi's head whipped around, having caught his opinion. "With Al? What makes you think he is with my cousin?" She demanded to know, her eyes fierce as they flashed blue fire.
He thought the answer obvious, but he supposed that even someone as off the charts brilliant as himself could be occasionally forgiven for assuming that the general population had some basic intelligence. "Because why else would Potter have left Malfoy this weekend to just work out a little somewhere outside of school? Something important had to have come up and he left the same time as Christopher. Think about it."
Insult flashed across Albus's face, both at the idea that his best friend hadn't come to him for help and because he hadn't realized the significance of Al leaving until Gellert had pointed it out.
Looking back and forth between the various teenagers involved Christopher's father suggested that they go check out the sign out sheet since his son would have had to accurately note where he was going. Silently he thought it for the best that the girl saw that his son wasn't cheating ASAP so that her anger wouldn't have a chance to build with time. Her Veela blood was already showing around the edges at it was.
Seizing upon this idea Domi headed out of the common room with her boyfriend's father at her heels, Gellert, Albus and Scorpius trailing behind, the latter two wanting to know if they needed to seek Al out to help him in some way.
As soon as he heard the destination listed in the school's book it was all Albus could do not to join Domi in her temper tantrum. Turning to look at his lover the redhead had to work to keep his anger and worry in check. "It looks like I'll have to take a rain check on that game of Wizarding Chess. I need to go to London."
"Why?"
"Because Al is an idiot, that's why."
"Do you suppose he asked my sweetie along to help him shove a football up Jordan's ass?" Domi asked, calming down now that she knew Christopher had lied to her for her cousin's sake. Not that she wasn't going to make him pay horribly for lying to her, because she was, but she'd stop short of psychologically damaging him now. Probably.
Albus shook his head, though he'd love to see Jordan get his ass kicked. Just by someone other than Al. "No, I'd imagine that Christopher is there because he's strong enough to pull Al off Jordan should they come to blows. Again. What I'm going to find out is what the hell he's doing going near that bastard again." That Al had lied to him made him just that much angrier so that he was giving serious thought to refusing to let his friend borrow his notes for the rest of the year.
"Well I am going with you." Domi announced, crossing her arms decisively. "And if Jordan is giving him trouble I will take him down and humiliate him in front of all his stupid friends if they are there."
"I'd like to go too." Scorpius said softly.
So in the end they all went, Christopher's father going along out of sheer curiosity and some worry over his son's well being.
)
The four teenagers and lone parent arrived close to the same spot Al and Christopher had apparated to two hours before them. From there they headed directly for the football pitch where a game was well underway despite the fact that the ground was wet and muddy from the recent rain that had left the bleachers slippery and covered in small puddles. It was the bleachers the group headed to as they had spotted a familiar cluster of people close to the bottom, Scorpius more than a little shocked over the fact that his mother was one of them.
Wearing a bright yellow slicker and rubber boots Flora was too busy running up and down the bleachers yelling insults at the other team to notice the new arrivals, but Teddy, Victoire, Andromeda and Mrs. Malfoy all greeted the new arrivals.
"We didn't know you guys were coming." Teddy commented as he covertly used his wand to dry a place in front of them so that they'd have a place to sit, smiling off their looks of thanks.
"We didn't know we were coming. What are you doing here?" Albus asked as he tore his eyes away from the pitch, having spotted Al there. And Jordan. The bastard.
Teddy gave the redhead a rueful look. "Mickey sent me a letter telling me that Al was going to be here and why. He thought it best that I be around just in case history repeated itself and I needed to keep him in line. He didn't know Christopher was coming. The rest of my lovely family either invited themselves along or were invited for the show."
"So Christopher came along to play goal?" Mr. Worden asked, his surprise and pleasure evident in his voice, having caught sight of his son playing net. For so long his son hadn't had any friends, he was delighted that the boy was making an effort to be more sociable.
"Well they thought it for the best given that he's apparently never played before." Victoire informed the older man with a smile. "He is absolutely amazing by the way, the other team hasn't been able to get a single goal past him. Their coach has already come over here to ask us which school he plays for because he wants to recruit him. I'm Victoire Lupin by the way. And you are?"
While Christopher's father was introduced to Teddy, Andromeda and Victoire Scorpius made his way over to take a seat beside his mother. "Hello, Mother."
"Hello, Darling." Working up a smile for him Astoria nodded her head in the direction of the pitch. "It's not as good as Quidditch, but it certainly has its own appeal, this Muggle game. Your friends are both playing very well."
"YOU STUPID BOOGIEHEADS! QUIT STEALING THE BALL FROM MY UNCLE AL, YOU JERKS!"
"And Flora's been providing the most interesting commentary." Astoria added with a genuine smile this time. She'd grown fond of the little girl already, and could only hope that if she had a girl she'd be just as adorable.
Chuckling, Scorpius took her hand and laced their fingers together. "She does have a way with words."
Squeezing his hand Astoria figured that she had to ask, even though she was loathed to know the answer to it. "Have you heard from your father?"
"I got a letter from him that had grandfather's fingerprints all over it."
She'd expected as much, and considered the confirmation just one more reason to not regret slapping her husband as hard as she could when she'd left him. Obviously it had been too much to hope that the slap would have knocked some sense into Draco. But working up a clam expression for her son Astoria placed her free hand over Scorpius's. "You know, when that coach came over, he was flirting with me a little."
Mouth opening and closing Scorpius didn't know what to say to that.
Astora laughed at his expression, and it felt good to laugh. "I chose to take it as a compliment, even if he is a Muggle."
"If Father knew a Muggle had hit on you he'd hit the roof."
"Why do you think I didn't immediately shut him down for daring to think he was good enough to approach me?"
Scorpius looked at his mother. "That's very Slytherin of you."
"Thank you, Darling."
)
"YOU'RE ALL A BUNCH OF STUPIDHEADS AND MY UNCLE AL AND UNCLE CHIRSTOPHER ARE GOING TO KICK YOUR BUTTS SO HARD YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO SIT DOWN FOR A WEEK, YOU PANSIES!"
"This is why we very rarely take her to real sporting events." Teddy drawled out, thinking that his daughter rather resembled a yellow gopher as she popped in and out of the bleachers, in one place one moment and then gone to the other side in what seemed like the blink of an eye to heckle the other team.
"She's going to fall if she doesn't slow down." Andromeda pointed out, the water slicking over the metal bleachers only increasing the odds. "Flora, you can insult them from over here, please."
Normally she would have argued, but Flora knew better than to try when GG used THAT tone of voice.
So with a small sigh she turned and started walking back towards them, taking a step up and promptly slipping, falling backwards to sprawl in stunned silence between the two benches.
Everyone leaned forward and watched as Flora's stunned expression slowly turned to one of startled pain. "Owwwwie! Maman!"
"I've got her." Hurrying to pick Flora up Albus cradled her close as he brought her over to Victoire, since in such situations a mother's touch was always best. She wasn't badly injured after all, she just wanted to be petted and showered with sympathy for her minor pains. If she'd really been hurt everyone would have been made aware of it.
"Her speed kept her from falling earlier. Interesting." Gellert commented once Albus retook his seat.
"She's a tough one." Was Albus's opinion, not surprised when less than two minutes later Flora was again running around on the bleachers, hurling her childish and creative insults at the top of her little lungs at the other team. It was what made Flora Flora.
)
Al took heart at the sound of Flora's voice carrying over the pitch, having seen her go down on the bleachers earlier. Obviously she hadn't been badly hurt, but Flora wasn't Flora at a sports event if she wasn't yelling insults at the opposing team. She'd gotten her picture in the Prophet more than once because of it. They loved her over there.
And now that he didn't have to worry about her he could turn his attention to playing the game, which was going his team's way but Christopher had to be getting tired by now. He'd lost track of the number of balls Jordan had deliberately kicked right at the other man's head, obviously not liking the idea that Christopher was friends with his ex. Typical Jordan.
What Jordan did two minutes later when the other man crowded in on him was also typical of him.
He copped a feel.
Green eyes flashing at the unmistakable feel of his ass being felt up Al managed to break free from the other man, the two fighting for the ball once more as another member of Jordan's team joined them in an attempt to take the ball too, the ensuing battle ending in a call of foul on the part of Jordan's teammate.
Toeing his foot under the ball Al lightly kicked it up and then used his knee to drive the football into his ex boyfriend's crotch, smiling evilly when the man's eyes all but crossed as he bent over. "Opps, did that hurt? I figured since you didn't have any I should give you at least one."
Jordan's teammate tried not to laugh. "Uhm…it's your ball to kick."
"Good point, guess I'll have to castrate the poor bastard…again." And picking up the ball Al headed to the sidelines to kick the ball back into play, feeling a lot better now.