Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Harry Potter characters.
A/N: Here it is folks, just finished the next chapter this morning. Things begin picking up in both speed and action in the next few chapters. MK
Chapter Nineteen: Bringing back the pride
The scrimmage had been a brutal one... for the other team. That was especially considering that the Marauders played without any beater support. The girls had a fit over it, but Oliver saw it as an opportunity to judge their effectiveness under embattled conditions. Harry agreed, albeit reluctantly. They could ill afford a crucial injury or two before their season even began.
They both had the same concerns-Katie Bell. As hoped, the renewed friendship and influence of her two school teammates had done wonders for returning her confidence, but she still didn't have Alicia and Angelina's professional experience, nor was she playing under duress.
Practice, while hard and exacting under Oliver's close eye, was still no substitute for game play, especially when playing under adverse conditions, such as inclement weather, not to mention when overmatched by a superior team or having to play short due to injuries.
Nothing matched playing without Beater support. Not only did the opposition have free, unfettered rein on offense, but your own chasers were completely at the mercy of their own skill.
Katie was no longer a matter of uncertainty; she'd managed to score ten unassisted goals and assisted with half again that number.
All three played like it was Gryffindor vs. Slytherin. Though battered and bruised, they were glowing with pride when it was all over.
The medics had given up after several rebuffed attempts at healing their numerous abrasions. They intended to wear their minor hurts like badges of honor.
Alicia, had a deep bruise on her left breast, (that she'd got as a result of blocking out a bludger shot as Katie scored on goal), that she proudly pulled up her jersey to show her captain when he asked after her in the tunnel to their perspective locker rooms. Both embarrassed and disgusted by those 'things', a red faced Oliver retreated to the safety of the men's locker amidst guffaws and jeers by his female teammates.
When Harry asked the same thing in a hopeful voice, Alicia told him he was sweet for worrying about her and gave him a sisterly peck on the cheek.
Disappointed, he was left standing embarrassed as his female teammate's tinkling laughter drifted back as they entered their locker room.
The next day was one for the record books.
Fred and George Weasley arrived by port key to their private locker. It wasn't much to boast; a couple of lockers containing their new uniforms and a separate locker for their equipment with a small bathing area. Though, by no means lavish, it was still their own private dressing room, and they puffed themselves up proudly at the prospect of being part of a professional team.
Their uniforms were a bit strange tough. Maruader colors of black with gold and deep red highlights and the 'marauder's' emblazoned on the chest, but they were more like coveralls than actual quidditch robes.
Still, their names were stitched proudly across the back shoulder, distinguished by 'F. Weasley' and 'G. Weasley' respectively.
They'd just donned their new uniforms when a throat cleared expectantly from behind. They turned and found Draco similarly garbed only his uniform had "manager" emblazoned on the chest.
Both snapped to attention at seeing the distinction.
"Nice uniforms, men" he complimented. "Fit alright, then?" he queried.
"Like they were made for us?" George nearly crowed, though added sheepishly. "Odd for quidditch though?"
Draco nodded his understanding."You're part of the team and that's what counts. The uniform is made for comfort. After all, you'll be working diligently in them for many long hours every day on the pitch. Besides, they're fairly inexpensive and easily replaced if needed as this is going to be tough work." Draco surmised.
"We get it."
"Preserve the bottom line." Fred agreed next to his twin.
"Right" Draco agreed. "You've a good head for business, maybe we should look into advancement down the line?"
Both shared a 'too proud' look at that, but George added modestly. "We just want to do our part and be one of the team."Fred nodded next to him.
Draco smiled appreciatively at that. "Well then, it's time to get started. Grab your brooms and meet me at the first concourse.
Both saluted and went to retrieve the indicated equipment.
"Hey, Gred, what gives?" His brother asked puzzled by the design of their new brooms.
Fred merely shrugged indifferently. "Must be a new design. I wouldn't worry about it. Harry'd want us to have the best."
"Right" George agreed, smirking proudly.
The two made their way out onto the first concourse to find Draco waiting patiently with clipboard in hand.
"Ah, I see you've found your new brooms. Best get started as there's a lot of work to be done. I think you'll find things will go faster and more efficiently if you start at the top and work your way down. Once you finish the first concourse, move onto the second and so on down the line." Draco instructed.
"Er,..doing what?" Fred asked suspiciously, his twin looking sickly, next to him, as reality began to sink in.
"Sweeping out the isles, of course. Big game last night; we made a killing at the concessions, but it always leaves a lot of waste after. Most people are pretty good about using the trash receptacles, but there's always a few that prefer just to throw their used wrappers down, that's where you come in. Say, while I'm thinking of it, you'll need to empty the receptacles also." Draco sneered oily in a fashion reminiscent of his school years.
Fred and George shared looks of dawning horror that soon turned to outrage.
"What're you playing at ferret?" Fred growled in alarm.
Draco 's eyes narrowed at that. "You do realize you're speaking to your supervisor, yes?"
"We're speaking to a pretentious git with delusions of grandeur. We're nobody's clean-up crew. Not now not ever. We signed a contract as beaters for the marauders. We're part of the team, got it?"George hissed threateningly.
Draco drew a document from his breast pocket. You signed a three year contract with a percent of gate profit as a member of 'The Team' alright... the cleaning team!"
"Cleaning team?" Fred howled indignantly.
"We, Harry and me, did predict you could... "Clean up", didn't we? he-he-he." Draco chuckled, slowly breaking down to outright guffaws at the bloodless looks of dismay on their faces.
"We've been set up?"
"Hood winked!" his twin agreed, barking his outrage.
"Potter!" they spat in unison.
"At least we get an equal share of the profits?" George tried vainly to salvage something positive from their predicament.
"How much does that come to, exactly?" Fred demanded of a still chuckling Draco.
Draco wiped at his eyes as he perused their contract. "Hmm, let's see? You signed for three years at a thousandth of a percent."
"A thousandth?" George gasped in outrage.
Fred started making mewling sounds of dread next to him.
Draco rolled his eyes."Well certainly the percentage is rather small, but the profit is quite large, after all. We took in nearly a half million galleons last night and it was only a scrimmage."
"Well, alright then." Fred smacked his lips lasciviously in expectation. That's nearly five hundred galleons for one night."
"Not a bad haul." His twin agreed greedily.
"Not bad at all." Draco agreed. "However,.." the twin's faces fell at the exuberance in Draco's voice as he explained. "You're contracts only went into effect this morning. Last night's profits are just that; last night, but don't worry, we've another game coming up in six weeks."
"Six weeks?" They both bellowed incredulously.
Draco placated with "But we're expecting to double our numbers then."
"A million galleons?" George contemplated.
"Our share would be a cool thousand a piece." Fred chortled gleefully.
"A piece?" Draco questioned innocently.
"Uh-oh" his twin grimaced at seeing Draco predatory anticipation.
"You signed a joint contract- you spilt the thousandth of a percent, and that's after net...g-gentlemen." he clarified breaking down into peals of laughter at their expense.
"Of all the dirty..." Fred harrumphed.
"If Potter thinks we're gonna take this lying down well than he's got another think..." George began to threaten, before Draco sobered and interrupted.
"That reminds me..."lying down" wait until you see your living quarters, talk about preserving the bottom line? Haw-Haw-Haw!" Draco bent double at that, holding his sides
What little dignity they had left was used to quit and stomp away expectantly, though they didn't get very far.
After several failed attempts to apparate were unsuccessful, they found actually leaving the pitch just as infuriating as the exits repelled their every attempt to leave.
Draco held up their contract meaningfully. "It's a binding contract." he chortled.
Draco's hysterics were as nothing compared to the laughter at the twin's expense that filled the V.I.P. box overhead. Harry and his teammates watched the spectacle unfold below them in varying degrees of hilarity.
That last over the top as Oliver fell out of his chair howling, "Oh...Oh this hurts!" clutching his sides. "I'm gonna pee myself."
"You do and you'll clean it up." Katie admonished with a snicker.
"Nah... we'll have the twins d-do it." Harry suggested as he broke down in laughter too.
It wasn't till nearly noon before the novelty wore off and the rest of the Maruaders took the field to practice. At this point a thoroughly whipped Fred and George were drudgingly working their way through the stands cleaning concourse after concourse.
Harry drifted over on his broom. He casually unwrapped a stick of gum, ignoring the glares of hatred the twins shot his way.
"Missed a spot." He noted.
"Where?" Fred groused indignantly. They'd been had, but they still did quality work. They were Weasleys, after all, and family pride would accept nothing less.
"Here" Harry pointed out, dropping his wrapper.
"Bastard!" George spat, snatching the wrapper out of the air.
"You have no idea." he confided.
"Oh..we've an idea, alright." Fred intimated disgustedly.
"No... you really don't, but you will and sooner then you think. Course, you could just admit defeat, declare me the "Prank King" and your lot would notably improve?" Harry suggested.
"Never" George growled.
"We'll get thru this and when we do..." Fred began to threaten but came up short at the vision that floated up alongside Harry.
"Katie...?" he gasped, goggling stupidly, hardly daring to believe his own eyes.
"Have they decided to join the team yet?" Katie asked curiously of Harry."
Harry shook his head disappointedly. "Nah, I think their happy doing what they are? Strange that; they could be up here playing with the rest of us? And here I thought they'd be eager to renew old ties?" Harry nodded pointedly over his shoulder in Katie's direction.
"I surrender-I surrender! You're the 'Prank King'-the greatest marauder of them all!" Fred dropped to his knees swearing his undying fealty to Harry whilst his eyes devoured a glowing Katie Bell, who watched shyly from behind Harry's protective shoulder.
"Traitor!" His twin spat in contempt at his sibling.
"We'll have to negotiate an individual contract." Harry surmised upon close scrutiny of George's reaction.
"Players get a hundredth of a percent or a fraction thereof and a monthly stipend." Harry landed and wrapped a brotherly arm around Fred, guiding him away as he continued to outline his increase in benefits and privileges, loudly enough for George to overhear.
"You'll like the player's quarters, very spacious and it comes with your own personal chef and cleaning service. State of the art training facilities, profit sharing for memorabilia..." Harry went on, but Fred was distracted and continually sneaking glances back in Katie's direction.
George took longer to break and break he did,... the next day.
It wasn't his twins pleas or his cajoling by recounting all the many perks at his disposal. It wasn't even the fact that Alicia Spinnet was on his potential team- though that was a major deciding factor. No, what it was that broke him in the end was Draco Malfoy bringing him his own broom and insisting that George polish his broom to a 'high sheen'. 'The kind of broom you could plant your arse on with pride'!
Well, it wasn't entirely Draco, it was probably more in fact due to Oliver flying up and suggestively asking Draco if George couldn't "Polish" his broom stick too!
With a revolted look, George ran desperately to Harry and threw himself at his mercy, declaring Harry "Prank King".
To which Harry made the royal gesture of flipping him 'the bird', not necessarily trusting in the sincerity of George's statement, judging by George's desperate and sarcastic demeanor.
"What do you want?" George huffed in resignation trying to avoid Oliver's leering glare.
Harry pretended to contemplate his fingernails. "Oh,.. nothing much...Just a little addendum or two to your contract?"
George's eyes narrowed. "What sort of addendum?" he sneered suspiciously.
Harry pounced. "Executive control over all creative endeavors of Weasley's Wizarding Wheezezs."
George's eyes nearly popped from his head. "You're insane! If you think I'm gonna let a prat like you dictate what I can and can't develop you're...?"
"Willing to relinquish my thirty-three percent share back to the company's original founders and also add Remus Lupin's creative expertise to your venture; for a modest consultant fee, of course, say five percent return on new product development?" Harry suggested.
George gapped momentarily before shouting, "Done!"
Harry smirked. "Forgetting something?" he smiled cruelly in reminder.
"Fine..." George declared him the "Prank King" adding after, "Not like that wasn't humiliating or anything?" he grumbled under his breath.
"Nothing ventured..." Harry began quoting sagely.
"Nothing gained." George finished appreciatively.
Harry held out his hand in a show of letting bygones be bygones.
George eyed the proffered hand dubiously before swatting it aside and grabbing his friend up in a rib cracking hug.
"I've missed you b-brother." George mumbled into Harry's shoulder.
Practices proceeded full force after that. Oliver was in his element and Harry and the twins were in theirs.
The twins took up their previous positions like a niffler to gold. Within a few weeks they were deadly accurate and living up to their previously self proclaimed title as "Unbeatable Beaters".
Harry took Draco under his wing and stepped up their training regimen to an unprecedented level. It was at center pitch one day that the rest of the team stopped and marveled at their herculean display of endurance.
"Merlin, they must be a thousand feet up!" Alicia gapped in wonder.
"I can barely see them, they're so high. Can anyone tell what they're doing up there?" Angie asked the group, shading her eyes with one hand and holding onto her broom with the other.
"It looks like ...chin ups?" George half questioned half commented.
"But they've been at it for nearly an hour now!" Katie goggled in disbelief.
"How strong does a seeker need to be?" Fred groused.
"It's not just for strengthening." Oliver remarked.
"What then?" Alicia asked
A scream from above distracted them before Ollie could answer.
Draco was plummeting to his death having finally exhausted himself and lost his grip on his broom.
Before Oliver could even think to order the team to clear away, as there was no hope for catching someone falling from that height without killing yourself in the attempt, Harry took matters into his own hand.
Harry wandlessly summoned Draco's flailing body back up to his broom, gave him a five minute breather and then restarted him on continuing chin ups from his broom handle.
Oliver smirked. "Not strength training..." he began to answer Alicia. "He's training him to hold onto his broom, no matter how tired or how adverse the conditions."
"That's barmy that is." George scoffed.
"Is it?" Oliver smirked knowingly. "Think about it and apply it to their other training. It should do wonders for maintaining one's grip on their sword hilt. A knight's not a knight without his sword."
"Yeah, but Draco's not a knight." Fred agreed with his brother.
Oliver merely shrugged. "Neither was Harry upon a time. Did any of you actually believe being a knight was where the training stopped?" he asked the group incredulously. "The deeds, great though they are, led him to knight hood, but it's his skill and courage that keep him there. They're training to stay alive and for that, there's no amount of training that's too much." Oliver finished sagely, directing his team back to their previous drills.
Several days later, Harry joined the rest of the team at lunch only to find their ongoing conversation disappointedly tapered off as he joined their table.
"S-Sorry" Harry stammered self consciously, excusing himself and leaving the commons, his food tray left untouched.
"Nice"Draco remarked sarcastically, chastising the rest of the group. He made to rise and go after his friend, but Katie waved him off.
"I'll go. It's my fault anyway." she cajoled, hurrying after Harry.
Katie Bell went in search of Harry checking the commons, recreation facilities, even the command center. Finally, she found herself standing uncertainly before the door of his private quarters. All of the team had apartments provided expense free in its own building nearest the pitch on the far north end of the Foundation's housing projects.
All of the apartment buildings and individual houses were built within their own community setting, providing a grocery, satellite Gringott's bank location, theatre complex, several pools and parks and a 'canteen' that was practically a 'Harrod's' in that it offered 'anything and' Foundation employees could ever want to necessitate their daily lives.
All goods and services were provided at cost to Foundation employees.
Lives came first; was the Foundation's motto and it was displayed in vast evidence throughout its many facilities.
The apartment complex for the Marauder's team and ancillary personnel were, in Katie's humble opinion, amongst the most lavishly appointed; which was saying something because the rest of the Foundation's housing wanted for nothing.
The style and décor was both tasteful and functional with either muggle and magical appliances and fixtures available, or both as many of the muggle borns preferred.
When one of the Marauder's personal reps had given her the tour of available housing options, Katie had been stunned to speechlessness.
She'd made a nice salary when she'd first turned pro, but even then she'd only been able to afford a small unfurnished, one bedroom flat that included no utilities, but this?
The standard Foundation houses had been exemplary in what their accommodation provided, but the player's quarters-wow!
Katie had jumped in with both feet when she was given her choice.
She had a magnificent view of the distant ocean to the west and jungle plains to the east. The apartment offered: Three bedrooms, two baths, including a master bath that put Hogwart's prefect's bath to shame. It had a spacious kitchen, living room, private office and entertainment room. Elevated apartments offered a spacious deck, ground apartments had patios with grilling appliances.
The complex had its own indoor gymnasium, spa, in-door and out-door pools, underground parking,(she was getting her first car next week!) and spacious storage facilities.
Now, Katie found herself standing in front of his door. As lavish as her and her teammates own living quarters were, she couldn't fathom how much more so that Harry's could and, most probably, would be. While it was odd that his was so far removed from the rest of their quarters, the rest of the team chalked that up to Harry no doubt having his own wing, and why not; he owned the joint.
With a trembling hand Katie reached out and knocked softly on Harry's door.
After a few pensive moments and no answer, Katie knocked with greater force.
After a few moments with still no answer, she was about to leave, but in afterthought she tried the door as most of her fellow team members enjoyed the luxury of leaving their door unlocked. What was there to fear? They were amongst friends, family even, and in one of the most secure locations in the entire world.
Not surprisingly, Harry was of the same opinion as the rest of them and his door was also unlocked.
"Harry?" Katie called quietly around the slightly ajar door.
"Harry?" she called louder, opening the door and stepping inside as her curiosity got the better of her.
"Oh,...myyy...!" Katie gasped in a near whisper, staring in disbelief at what she'd found.
She'd expected his quarters to be different than their own, and they were, but not grander,... not by a long shot.
Plain brick walls surrounding a stone floor? Bare walls,.. except for a stainless steel mantle over the stone fireplace that held three photographs and a simple recliner standing center room.
Hesitantly, Katie explored further. One picture was of a young couple dancing amongst falling leaves, stopping every now and again to kiss sweetly, or wave at the camera. The man was the image of Harry, all except for the eyes which were those of the stunning red-head he danced with- Harry's parents.
The next photograph was of a smiling man with shoulder length black hair, who winked roguishly at Katie. She didn't recognize this person, but obviously he was a cheeky, fun loving sort.
The last photograph she new well. It was a picture of the 'Golden Trio' of Hogwart's then, now world fame, thanks to Hermione's book about their adventures.
She tried to pick up this picture for a closer look, but her hand encountered and invisible wall when she tried to touch it.
Shielded? Why on Earth would Harry shield his photographs and why so few of them? Katie puzzled silently to herself.
Emboldened by the mystery she was standing in, she tried one of two steel doors on the other side of the room- finding a loo behind one and a walk in closet behind the other.
Vacantly she turned back surveying the room. No other doors, no kitchen-nothing.
This is it? ... This can't be it?
Absently, she finally realized that she was being had; either a prank or an illusion. Katie flicker her hand and her wand shot into her palm from the invisible sheath at her wrist.
"Finite!" she called out with authority, waving her wand around the room. Nothing happened, other than a flicker of light at the side of the simple wooden recliner standing center room.
With no other options left, Katie approached the recliner for a closer look.
She found the recliner was made of some strange ebony wood with runes inscribed along the frame and upholstered, not in leather as she'd assumed, but, in some form of dark green to nearly black, scaly material...snakeskin?
But what kind of snake is big enough to upholster...a...recliner?... Oh Merlin!
That's how Draco happened upon her as he walked in Harry's open door, expecting to find him in residence as the opendoor would indicate.
"Harry ...about lunch-Katie?" he gasped in alarm.
"What're you... oh no.. Katie, you have to leave and I mean now!" Draco grabbed an absently staring Katie Bell by her arm and began hauling her toward the open door... too late.
"Am I to have no privacy whatsoever... not even within my own home?" Harry growled out in a low and deadly tone that had Draco's hackles standing on end.
Harry was framing the doorway barring their only avenue of escape from within his private rooms.
Draco's eyes shifted back and forth from a now, cringing in mortification-Katie Bell, to his enraged friend.
"It's my fault." Draco immediately tried to cover for the startled girl.
"Is it really?" Harry asked in a cold and oily tone that drained what blood still remained from Draco's face.
'N-No it's mine." Katie interjected finding her waning courage. "I was looking for you.. the door was open.." she offered lamely, cringing at how pathetic her excuse sounded even to herself.
"I wasn't aware I need to lock the door to my private room amongst my own friends and teammates, how enlightening." Harry feigned an appreciative revelation.
"Please, allow me to give you a tour... "You've found my sleeping chamber." he expressed pointedly, sweeping his hand over the room they were currently in. "Through the door over there is the bath and the other is my closet. I know what you're thinking,... it is a bit much isn't it?" he asked apologetically as if making excuses for his vanity.
"Aw, Harry, come on... It was only a curious mistake." Draco tried to defend Katie's actions. "How was she to know?"
"She wasn't, hence the word-PRIVATE!" Harry barked angrily.
Katie began to cry.
"Now you've done it." Draco chided looking uncomfortably from a sobbing Katie to a rapidly becoming more embarrassed- Harry Potter.
A select few within Knight Watch knew the reason for the state of Harry's private chamber which came about as a result of the incident that took place in the infirmary after Harry's foray in the Amazon basin.
They were what...nightmares? Night Terrors? Whatever they were, they were deadly and frequently occurring.
That first night his magical response to the nightmares,(that he was subconsciously forced to relive), had manifested itself as a raging tempest. The next night, a blistering inferno that had turned the medical bay to ash- hence the reason his room was fashioned as it currently was: Fire and projectile proof.
The goblins had provided Harry a safe haven for the manifestations of his worst nightmares. It was either that or a hopeless addiction to dreamless sleep potions.
Harry had opted for the lesser of two evils, but insisted on his private condition remaining just that-private.
No one outside of his personal physician, his superiors and his personal guard, (Draco and Abby) had any knowledge of his present circumstances... until now.
His enraged green eyes softened notably as he tried not to watch Katie dissolve in tears of shame and compassion.
From behind trembling hands that she cried into, Katie wailed apology upon apology." I-I-I'm sooo s-sorry. I-I didn't know. I wouldn't hurt you for anything Harry, not for anything. I o-owe you s-so muchhh." Katie sniffled miserably.
Gentle hands grasped her shoulders and waited patiently until she chanced looking up. "You owe only yourself the chance to be happy." he reassured her.
Katie sobbed all the harder at that and Harry responded by shooting Draco a helpless look that he responded to with a clueless shrug of his own.
He would have tried to mollify her further, but was interrupted, at first gratefully so, by Abigail shooting into the room and collecting his distraught friend in her arms cajoling. "I-It's alright, Katie. Everything will be alright."
The relief of the men in the room was short lived as Abigail turned her ire on them as she consoled Katie.
"Can't you save your bullying for the pitch?" She spat sarcastically.
"Huh?" Harry blurted out in puzzlement.
"I suppose you lured her here trying to get a little pity nookie?" Abigail scathed.
"What..." Harry shifted uncomfortably, "but I didn't...?"
"You better not have?" she warned with no little in her tone.
Harry's eyes widened in alarm, but thankfully she was distracted by Draco rising to his defense.
"It's not what you think, Abby?" Draco began to explain, but his fiancé cut him off.
"No,..it never is?" She responded skeptically with narrowed eyes that had Draco take a step back uncertainly.
"If you'd been guarding your post none of this would have happened in the first place." Harry stupidly pointed out.
One couldn't really blame him- he had so little true experience in dealing with the female of the species in moments of crisis, whether real or perceived.
Abby rolled her eyes."Suuure," she drawled. "blame your mistakes on the innocent. Oh,.. how very noble, great knight."
"Now listen here...I didn't..."Harry began to lose his patience which was his next mistake.
"Oh, shut up!" Abby spat. "Since you obviously don't know how to treat a lady properly; Katie, Angelina, Alicia and I will have to take it upon ourselves the arduous task of teaching you the gentile arts of good manners, charm and etiquette."
"What?" Harry growled in outrage, but Abby only clucked her tongue disapprovingly at him.
"I was going suggest we hold class after tomorrow's quidditch training but as there's obviously pressing need, I think we best start first thing in the morning say 0500?"
"5:00 am?" Harry gasped in shock.
"You're right...it's going to take a lot of work, better make it four." Abby decided, with a cruel sneer in his direction.
Harry swallowed uncertainly, but otherwise, he wisely held his tongue.
Draco wasn't quite so up on the intake and snickered at his friend's predicament.
Abby shifted her glare to Draco, adding..."You too."
Draco mouth snapped shut, his humor of a moment ago having totally abandoned him.
With a calculating sneer, Abby pulled Katie from the room, softly reassuring the distraught girl, all the while, shooting glares at the two men, who had the decency to look suitably abashed.
Once she was out of sight, Draco groused, blaming Harry..."Nice going"
At four o'clock the next morning a barely awake and black eyed, Draco Malfoy stood at attention as his three female teammates and, coolly calculating, fiancé hovered around him.
"Where's your counterpart?" Abigail Vance asked suspiciously.
Draco shrugged worriedly.
"Gryffindor courage." Angelina harrumphed in response to Harry's notable absence this morning.
"Morning, ladies." Harry cheered, right on cue, entering the room with a spring in his step and a bouquet of roses –yellow roses in his hand.
He promptly presented to bouquet to stunned Katie bell, apologizing and explaining that: 'Sorry, I'm late, I was up rather late finishing a book on proper decorum, hence, I believe; yellow roses are for both apology and friendship?"
"W-Why yes, yes they are." Katie agreed in surprise, inhaling the fragrance of her bouquet appreciatively and smiling shyly back over the top of her flowers.
"I'm truly sorry for jumping to conclusions yesterday, Katie. Please forgive me for my crass behavior? It won't be repeated, I assure you." He bowed sincerely before her, eliciting a slight giggle and an acceptance from Katie in return.
"I-I'm sorry too, Harry. Katie demurred.
Harry waved off the apology, reiterating his stance that he was wholly to blame.
He turned his attention to the others, by proceeding to conjure a single yellow rose for each which he presented, thanking them for taking the time to help him be a 'better man'.
Thanking the now completely off their game: female contingent, Harry took up position next to Draco, who was glaring suspiciously at his friend from the corner of his eye.
"What're you playing at?" he rasped lowly, so that only Harry could hear him
Ignoring the comment, Harry whispered back instead. "Are you feeling better today?"
"Feeling better from what?" Draco queried, not understanding his meaning.
"From the dizzy spell you had before you fell." Harry indicated, with a smirk indicating Draco's bruised eye.
"That wasn't any dizzy spell, you hit.." Draco's voice rose indignantly, but a cue from Abby quieted him.
"Are you both ready then?"
Draco nodded reluctantly, but Harry added with relish. "Gratefully so", earning himself even more appreciative smiles from his female friends.
"Bastard" Draco hissed under his breath.
The ladies spent the day reiterating what was expected of gentlemen suitors, at least those that hoped to charm the lady of their perspective admiration.
Harry took to it winningly, earning himself no little respect from his female friends, especially when he suggested frequent refresher courses and that his other teammates could do with the benefit of their patient tutelage.
Draco was less responsive and enthusiastic, as a result; further education and practice was indicated, much to his chagrin.
He would have vented his displeasure more openly, but as Harry now held the female contingent's favor, he decided discretion was called for and redoubled his efforts to appease the status quo.
Fred and George, apparently had required a lot of work, right along with Draco, but it was Oliver Wood that had earned himself the greatest amount of personal attention. Ollie had foolishly pointed out that as he was most definitely not heterosexual, their tutelage in no way applied to him... wrong answer.
And here he'd thought he was a strict and exacting task master.
A week before the professional quidditch season began found Ginny Weasley staring appreciatively, along with every other member of her team, at a promotional poster advertising the addition of a new team; the up to now shrouded in mystery-MARAUDERS. Not that anyone was taking serious a 'fly by night' starting franchise.
The poster proudly proclaimed: Introducing the Madagascan Marauders, across the top.
A subheading stated: Gryffindors one-Gryffindors all, over a picture of the team naked from the waste up, (the female team members more intimate parts were shadowed behind the well defined shoulders and arms of their male teammates), whom they were draped sexily around. Harry was standing center stage, scars and all, amongst his teammates who all wore defiant glares.
The bottom of the poster read proudly... Bringing back the Pride.
Emotions warred through her. Ginny growled low in her throat initially. It was by far the sexiest thing she had ever seen, it was also the most infuriating.
Ginny's eyes shift between her twin siblings, flanking Katie and Alicia. At first she thought indignantly: How could they keep something like this from meand the rest of the family?
Then again,.. this was the twins we're talking about. They could and easily
As angry as that made her, it was nothing compared to how envious she was of them. It's not that they were playing quidditch professionally or even that they'd kept it a complete secret; it was the fact that they obviously had what she longed for; access to one- Harry Potter.
Her eyes shifted back to the cool green eyes glaring challengingly back at her from the poster. Merlin he was so...Don't go there, Ginny.She warned herself, not wanting to spend another lonely night whining to Hermione and drowning her sorrows in a gallon of mint fudge ice cream.
Gwenog Jones sidled up to her asking in a calculating tone."Aren't those your twin brothers?"
Ginny nodded.
"They any good?"
Ginny nodded of a certainty. "Probably the best beaters to ever play for Gryffindor."She added both proudly and with professional detachment.
Gwenog whistled between her teeth.
"Alicia Spinnet, Angelina Johnson and Katie Bell, were the best chaser trio I've ever seen play together. Each compliments the other beautifully." Ginny pointed out.
"I thought Katie Bell was crippled during an exhibition game?" One of the Harpies commented.
"She was." Gwenog agreed.
"Then how can she...?"
"Harry" Ginny acknowledged simply. "He must've healed her." Ginny didn't even want to consider the implications of that statement as only a profound act of love on Harry's part could raise 'the fire'.
"All that and Ollie Wood too." Gwenog groused worriedly.
"Don't forget about Potter." Another teammate stated the obvious.
Gwenog rolled her eyes and snorted, "As if". At length she addressed the entire locker. "Well, we all know what this is and what it means, ladies."
"Yeah, Potter's serving notice!" a beater called out.
Gwenog nodded. "He's not only serving notice, but he's stating it right out that 'The Marauders' are the team to beat!"
Grumbles of agreement echoed throughout the locker room.
"So much for a first year team that's a push over." Gwenog complained. "Alright, ladies, let's hit the pitch and show 'em who the team to beat really is." Gwenog shouted out with slightly less confidence than she would have liked.
The last thing Ginny considered as she finally tore her gaze away from the haunting poster, was 'I wonder what Ron's thinking about all this?'
Ron Weasley, seated at his desk in the Chudley Cannons front office, was innocuously opening a curiously anonymous card board tube and unfurling the poster contained therein.
His blue eyes went wide in shocked disbelief as he gasped out an epitaph of "Oh shite!"