"This is Orion's room, right across from Sean's," Anaya said as she guided Thess through the hallway. She didn't really need to point out which room belonged to whom, as there were plaques on the doors indicating that, but she seemed to have boundless energy and excitement for talking.
Thess already knew Anaya from school. Anaya had been the goalkeeper for Hufflepuff in the last tournament and had set her own record by finishing the year without conceding a single goal. Unfortunately, that didn't stop her house from losing, since they were disqualified in the match where Thess had caught the Snitch before any goals were even scored.
Still, that performance earned Anaya a spot on the under 20 team for the Holyhead Harpies. For now, she was spending the holidays helping her mom at the Abbey, filling in as a goalkeeper during practice while the Angels worked on finalizing a contract.
"Then there's Estela and Tariq's room..."
"Wait," Thess interrupted, "they share a room?"
"Yup," Anaya nodded. "My mom was against it too. She said relationships within a team always end in disaster, but they were a couple before they signed on, so there wasn't much we could do."
"So, it's allowed to date your teammates?" Thess asked.
"Why? Are you interested in someone?" Anaya teased, clearly enjoying the topic.
"I just want to know," Thess replied, keeping her poker face.
"Sure you do," Anaya said, pretending to believe her. "But it's not that simple. You and your hypothetical boyfriend would have to go through a lot of HR paperwork and get a long lecture from my mom about birth control."
"Speaking of your mom, what exactly is she doing here?"
Amara Kapoor, Anaya's mother, whom Thess had met while the woman was taming a lightning storm, was a Quidditch celebrity, and she seemed far too accomplished for a small, unknown team like the Heavenbrook Angels.
"She's an assistant coach and goalkeeper trainer," Anaya explained.
"Yeah, I got that part, but she was on England's national team just last year. I thought she'd retired?"
To say that Amara was simply a celebrity didn't quite capture it. She was the most decorated goalkeeper in the history of the sport and had one of the longest careers ever. Until recently, she was playing in the British and Irish Quidditch League with multi-million-Galleon contracts.
"She did retire, and it was ten miserable months," Anaya said with a laugh. "She started picking up all sorts of hobbies—hiking, biking, gardening, knitting. When she took up golf, I had to step in and tell her to get a job."
"Okay, that makes sense. But why here?"
"Ginny."
"That seems to be everyone's reason."
"And do you need any more than that?" Anaya said, opening a door. "Here, this is our room."
Thess tried to hide her awe. Behind the solid wooden door was a room larger than the Gryffindor common room. It had two canopy beds, intricately carved desks, wardrobes with floral designs, leather sofas, and Victorian-style dressing tables. There were two massive mirrors on opposite ends of the room and even larger windows, draped with heavy velvet curtains. Still, something bothered her.
"We're sharing a room?" Thess asked.
"Yep," Anaya said. "And it's connected to my mom's room. Isn't it great?"
"Which part?"
"The part where we get to be like sisters."
"Why?"
"My mom wants me to keep an eye on you since you're the youngest here at the Abbey."
"By a matter of months. How old are you?"
"I just turned eighteen. I got a whiskey-filled cake as a present."
"So, you're going to be my babysitter?"
"Oh, don't worry. I'm not a snitch. You can do whatever you want."
"That's not what I meant. I'm not going to do anything wrong. You can trust me."
"I trust you," Anaya said, walking over to the door at the other end of the room. "I trust that you'll come back alive and in one piece in the morning, like when you spent the night out with Orion. Here's the bathroom."
"Wow!"
If the bedroom was luxurious, the bathroom was equally opulent. The first impression was one of vastness and light, with large windows framed by sheer linen curtains that filtered the natural sunlight. In the center stood a grand Victorian bathtub with clawed iron feet, coated in gleaming white porcelain.
"Quite the upgrade from school, huh?" Anaya said. "That door leads to my mom's room," she pointed out. "So, lock it when you want privacy, but make sure to unlock it after. Same with the curtains—we're on the second floor, but remember, everyone here can fly."
"That might be a problem," Thess said, looking out the window, which had a view of the practice pitch.
"Look," Anaya said, sitting on the edge of the bathtub, "when you're on a team, especially a mixed one, the best thing you can do is stop worrying about modesty. The sooner you get used to seeing everyone naked, the better."
"I don't have a problem with that," Thess said, turning to face her. "It's the other way around that worries me."
"Oh, trust me, no one here is going to be ogling you," Anaya said, standing up and joining her by the window. "Tariq's a sweetheart, and he only has eyes for his girlfriend..."
"Who'll be there, naked too."
"They both know how to act professionally."
"When there's no alcohol involved, at least."
"Sean likes to play the bad boy, but he's totally awkward in the locker room. And Orion... well, Orion's a rock."
"A rock?" Thess raised an eyebrow.
"Okay," Anaya smiled, "bad choice of words. I meant stoic and unflappable."
"Those aren't much better," Thess remarked.
"Indifferent?" Anaya tried.
"Better. We'll see."
"Need me to talk about the girls?"
"I don't know, do I?"
"Estela's gorgeous, despite her condition. Just try not to stare at the scar on her back."
"Got it."
"And as for me, I can strip down right now if you want."
"We'll have time for that later."
"You're funny, Thessaly Wyrmwood."
"Call me Thess."
Ginny came back after lunch, and since there wasn't any practice scheduled, she took Thess on a tour of the garden. Thess still found it strange to live and play under the leadership of a Potter, but perhaps that was more due to the idea than the person. Every time Thess looked at Ginny and saw her red hair, she remembered that she was also a Weasley, like Rose, and that made her feel more at ease.
The estate extended far beyond the wing where the team was staying. The Abbey was a complex of buildings that included other mansions, the garden, a stable, and, of course, the team's training field.
"How did those two end up here?" Thess asked, referring to Oleander and Aster, the magical creatures grazing nearby.
"Rich people have strange tastes and like to show off," Ginny said, glancing toward the main mansion of the complex, distant and off-limits to the team, as Mr. Mustache had informed them.
The two crossed the garden toward the field. It was a training field but still met official proportions, though it felt smaller to someone used to playing in the Hogwarts stadium.
"We have a stadium too," Ginny said. "But it's outside the Abbey, in the county seat."
They stepped onto the field, walking over the grass.
"I wanted to ask about the team," Thess said.
"What do you want to know?"
"Why haven't I ever heard of the Heavenbrook Angels?"
Ginny walked over to the bench and sat in the coach's seat, testing its firmness. "Most people only care about what happens in the British and Irish Quidditch League and completely ignore the lower leagues."
"So," Thess said, sitting next to her, watching the birds perched on the goalposts, "are the Angels a traditional team?"
"One of the most traditional. We have the largest fan base in the league. The Angels were even among the founders of the main league, but we haven't managed to get promoted for a good hundred years. So many accumulated failures have caused serious financial problems in recent years."
"Really?" Thess stretched her arms, looking around. "It doesn't seem like it."
"Lord Alistair Windermere, Earl of Heavenbrook, was the team's owner and our last investor. He was a direct descendant of Edmund Windermere, the team's founder. He practically kept the team going out of love, using his own resources. There's a fan association, but they don't contribute much. Unfortunately, Lord Windermere passed away in the middle of last season."
"And he didn't leave any heirs?"
"Oh, he did. Reginald Ashbourne is the new Lord Heavenbrook and the team's heir, but he's very business-focused and has no interest in a team that only brings losses. Even if he sold the team, he'd probably take a loss due to tax issues I don't fully understand. So, the best financial decision would be to declare bankruptcy and dissolve the team."
"But we're still here."
"We're still here because I convinced him to give the Angels one last chance. Basically, we need to get promoted. A promotion to the main league would raise the team's value enough for the Lord to sell it without losing money."
"I guess he's not helping much financially with that either."
"No, your salary is proof of that. We only have what the late Lord left us from last year. We're going to need to find alternative sources of funding throughout the season, or... well, failure isn't an option. But bureaucracy and finances aren't your problem. Focus on training, playing, and winning."
"But there's one thing I still don't get," Thess said.
"What's that?"
"Why, out of all the teams in the world, did you decide to coach this one?"
"This team means a lot to a lot of people. It has fans across the country who dream of seeing it back in the main league. And knowing how long-lived our people are, when I say a long time, I mean a very long time."
"And that's it?"
"Do I need more of a reason?"
"The way you're handling this job makes it seem personal."
Ginny smiled. "I do have a personal reason."
"Is it some kind of secret?"
"You're smart."
Ginny stood up and walked to the sideline.
"I'm all in on this, and I expect the same commitment from you," she said, turning to Thess. "So tell me, why are you here?"
"I want a career. If this team is my way to achieve that, then you can count on me."
"That's not enough. You have a bigger reason; I can see that too."
"I want to play. I love playing. I love being part of a team. But to play, I must be a professional. If not, I'll end up working in a cubicle at the Ministry and being a weekend athlete. I couldn't stand that. And no one else wanted to hire me, so I need this team to keep existing because I have nowhere else to go."
"See? It's not a secret. That's my reason too. You are my reason—all of you. You're all in the same boat. The Angels are all you have, and I just want the best for you. So, let's start training, because we've got a tough season ahead."
"Yes, Coach!" Thess said, standing and saluting.
"Tone it down, Thess. This isn't the army. Let's fly and score some goals."
