CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

I HATE QUIDDITCH

"What do you want" I sighed, rolling my eyes a little, annoyed.

"Is that anyway to talk to your favourite cousin?" Asks Dom, pouting at me.

"Sorry", I apologise, "I'm just back from detention with Al. The most torturous 2 hours of my life. And it's been a busy week so, again, what do you want?"

"Is torturous a word?" She says, ignoring me and I give her a look, "OK, Ok, I just wanted to tell you that I'm on your side."

"And you had to drag me into a darkened corner to do that?" I raise my eyebrows incredulously.

"No. I was here waiting for ... someone, and you walked past so I thought "Hey, nows a good time"." She tells me.

"Who were you waiting for?" I ask her, grinning and she scowls at me.

"None of your business." She frows and I laugh.

"Ok, well if that's all I'm going to bed..." I start to walk away and she calls out to me.

"Wait, Lily, were you planning on going to the Slytherin VS Ravenclaw Quidditch game tomorrow?" She questions. I shake my head and give her a look.

"Do I ever go to the Quidditch games?" She opens her mouth, probably to say "No" and I hold up my finger to stop her, "That was retorical. Besides, do you really think Al wants me there?"

"Maybe he doesn't want you there right now, but I think it might help. Show him that you are there for him, that you aren't giving up. You aren't giving up are you?"

"No but-"

"Well then. Plus, isn't your new boy-toy the Keeper?" She asks, to which I nod and sigh.

"Fine, I'll go. But I won't enjoy it." I inform her and she ruffles my hair.

"Good girl." She says, as if I'm a child. I know she's just teasing though.

"Don't patronise me. Night Dom." I say, then I walk up the stairs and mutter under my breath, "I hate Quidditch."

"I still can't believe you are coming to watch Quidditch! Quidditch, Lily Potter! Merlin." Laughs Rikki, who follows Quidditch are on our way out to the stands. The game is starting in a few minutes. Mel, who like me doesn't like Quidditch grumbles next to us:

"I still can't believe I'm coming to watch Quidditch. How did I get roped into this again?" She moans.

"Lily said she was coming, and I always watch, so you said "I'll come because I don't want to spend my Saturday alone"." Says Rikki, matter-of-factly.

"I was only saying that to guilt-trip you. You were supposed to say "Aw, Ok, I'll skip the game just this once and hang out with you." Duh" States Mel and we laugh.

"I honestly don't know why the two of you are moaning. Quidditch is great. And both of your boyfriends play Quidditch, you should be more enthusiastic."

"I'm not moaning." I point out and both of them give me a look.

"Maybe not now but you did all of yesterday night and this morning." Says Mel and I frown.

"No I didn't"

"Yes you did."

"Didn't."

"Did, did, did"

This goes on until we reach our seats and the game begins. Mel feels a bit put out when she turns to try and snog Louis and he moves away, too interested in the game to kiss. But he does put him arm around her waist, which makes her smile. They are so cute.

A 6th year Hufflepuff called Kyle Smoby does the commentary and introduces all the players. I can't help but cheer when he says Caleb's name. And I cheer for Al too, of course.

Now I'm not a big fan of Quidditch, so I don't know all of the rules or anything but I do have a decent grasp on the point of the game. There are three types of ball - Quaffle, Bludger and Snitch. There are seven players in each team - Seeker, Keeper, 2 Beaters and 3 Chasers. Chasers try to score, Keepers try to stop them scoring, Seekers looks for the Snitch and Beaters try to kill everyone. I think that's it.

And that's how it goes for a while. Albus and the Ravenclaw Seeker, Matthew Becket a 6th year, just fly around for a while. They have both obviously been told to stay out of the Beaters' ways and try to find the Snitch. Meanwhile the Slytherin team do a good job of keeping the Quaffle out of the grasp of the Ravenclaws. But when they do get the ball, and repeatedly try to shoot, my boyfriend does an amazing job of blocking their shots. Within the first 15 minutes they get 3 shots and none of them get through.

Ten minutes after that, The score is Ravenclaw:10, Slytherin:40. And I find myself suddenly enjoying it. Strange.

Suddenly, out of the clouds ,appear two flying figures - my brother and Matthew. It's very obvious that they have seen the Snitch and are racing to catch it. Dodging numerous Bludgers and evil, slimy little Ravenclaws trying to knock him out of the sky, my brother remains just that much in front of Matthew. Everyone in the stands is on their feet waiting with baited breath, because we know that this will be the most important few seconds of the game. Even some of the players on the pitch have stopped playing to watch, though most have kept their concentration.

My brother's hand reaches out to grasp something I can't even see, and he leans forward far more than can be safe. He manages to keep his balance though, something I admire because I know I would have fallen off by now. A suddenly ... he stops. The whole off the stands and the pitch is silent in the mili-second he raises his fist in the air, clutching something gold. Then we break into screams and shrieks and wolf-whistles. I cheer, even though I am not in Slytherin, because I am proud of my big brother. And then it happens.

Out of nowhere a bludger comes flying towards Al. I don't know how many other people see it but I am the first to react. I scream.

"ALBUS! MOVE!" I scream to my brother, but he can't hear me over the roaring crowds. Everything starts going in slow motion. The crowds cheering suddenly stops and the warning calls start, but I don't think the team notice the difference.

Then he is struck. In the shoulder, not the head luckily, but then he falls. It's not extremely high up, and for that I'm almost grateful, but it's high enough that I'm screaming and shouting, worried sick. I feel Rikki's arms around my waist, holding onto me, but I shake her off and run down as fast as I can, to the pitch where a small crowd has already formed around my unconcious brother. Most of the students are told that the game is finished and to go back to their common rooms, but my family are allowed down and the ones who weren't present are sent for. I don't notice who's there or who's not. All I see is my brother, lifted onto a strecher and carried up to the Hospital Wing. I'm almost aware of Caleb walking next to me as I follow the people up to the Hospital Wing, talking to me and calling my name, but I'm too trapped inside my own mind. I can't talk, can't to anything, until I know Albus is alright.

I don't know quite what happened for the last 20 minutes, as if I've blocked it out, but all I know is that now I'm sitting at the side of my brother's bed. With Caleb talking in my ear, shaking me, saying my name.

Madame Pomphrey said he would be fine. Let him rest. He's broken one of his legs and his wrist and he's hit his head. But he'll be fine. But it doesn't make me feel any better. Suddenly, because I know Al's going to be OK, I can hear what Caleb is saying to me.

"Lily? Lily, did you hear me? She said he'll be ok. Maybe you should go eat something or have a nap, you look pretty tired or-" I zone him out again. Because I know for sure that I'm not leaving my brother. He didn't leave me when I was unconcious and I won't be leaving him.

It's like something goes off in my head. Something me and horrible and in the back of my head I know it's mean but ... it feels like the right thing to do.

In my head I think "How could I choose Caleb over my brother? Why was I so selfish? I have to make it right. I almost lost him." And then I speak.

"Caleb," I start. He looks at me with his big, hopeful, violet eyes, happy that I seem to be coming around, "Please leave."

The look on his face is awful. Like I've ripped out his heart and stomped all over it. But he doesn't question me. He nods once, looks at the ground and leaves. I feel an arm around my shoulder and I look up to see James has sat down next to me. I lean my head on his shoulder and stare at our brother. I can feel my family's eyes on me. Because I was harsh and mean and cold.

Because I broke Caleb's heart. And the worst part is, right now, I can't find it in me to care.

So What do you think? If you can find it in me to give REALLY DETAILED REVIEWS I would LOVE that. But any little review will do. I hope you enjoyed it, even if it wasn't my happiest chapterxxx