Finding Courage

5 - the quidditch pitch

During those cold times the highlight was whenever she got to go with Cedric and James down to the Quidditch pitch to watch the games. She loved it. The fast paced, dangerous maneuvers the players pulled. The energy of the crowd as she cheered along with them. No matter how cold it may be a good game of quidditch always cheered her up.

The last game before Christmas break had Gwyneth out in the snowing grounds once more. Ravenclaw versus Hufflepuff. She'd dressed in all her Hufflepuff colors from hat to gloves to badger sweater ready to have an amazing Saturday with her friends.

But then Cedric and James had been shown to the hospital wing by professor McGonagall at lunch after hearing their awful coughs and sniffing.

The temperature in the castle had dropped dramatically that week due to the thick cloud cover. Like half off the other students James and Cedric had gotten a cold and were now late. As Gwyneth waited for them in the entry hall she began to hear excited shouts through the cracked open front doors.  She clapped her mitted hands together, the match had started and they weren't there!

She glanced at the doors considering heading out without them. They wouldn't mind if she did.  I mean it's quidditch after all,  and no one should miss that. And besides she'd been with them loads of times now and new exactly where the hufflepuff first and second years always sat.  She wouldn't get lost,  nothing to worry about.

As she took a step to the door running footsteps stopped her. The sight of her bear friends running down the marble steps had her laughing.  "What in merlin's beard did she give you? " Gwyneth asked between fits of laughter.

They had stream billowing out of their ears like a stream train.  "Pepper up potion." James grinned.

Cedric took her hand and pushed out the heavy door.  "At least we won't be cold at the match now."

They all burst into laughter and Gwyneth took James' hand as they ran across the grounds.

By time they made it up the stands the stream coming out of the boys' ears was small puffs. They managed to find some space amongst the hufflepuff and gryffindor first years right as Hufflepuff scored.

They burst into cheers,  Cedric and James both cringing and taking a step away from Gwyneth. But she didn't notice,  already to engrossed in the game to realize how loud she was. The pair shared a look over her head grinning and shaking their heads before joining her in their cheers. Her long blond hair whipping Cedric in the face as the wind picked up.

I forgot how much I love this little trio. Now I need to find some good Hufflepuff chants for the games. Do you know any?