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BOOK TWO: CHAPTER EIGHT

As Veronica flew around the pitch, she was impressed by how well both teams had been playing. It had been about 5 hours since the start of the match, and within that time, both teams had remained neck and neck throughout the game. Both teams were not letting up defenses, so it was difficult for the Chasers on either team to score any goals. Currently, Ravenclaw was leading 70 to 60, which showed the amount of skill they all possessed. It was uncommon for teams to play for so long while earning such a small amount of points. They were all exhausted, yet they knew that their only hope was for one of the Seekers to catch the Snitch. This would be easier said than done however, as the Snitch had been MIA the entire 5 hours. Neither Seeker had caught a glimpse of it at all, and they were all beginning to worry that this game was not going to end any time soon.

As they had discussed, Veronica had let Reggie focus on Charlie. It had pretty much been a game of cat and mouse between them as Reggie would hit every Bludger that came his way at Charlie while Charlie avoided the attacks easily. Meanwhile, Veronica had been focusing all her energy and attention on the Gryffindor Chasers and Keeper. Her impeccable aim and killer instincts had allowed her team to pull even further ahead over the last half hour as the score was now 110 to 60 for Ravenclaw.

This had not gone unnoticed by the Gryffindor Beaters who were having a hard time keeping up with Veronica and Reggie. One Beater in particular, who Veronica recognized as Thomas Webber, was known for his bad temper and short fuse, and today, all his anger was aimed at Veronica. She had been the direct reason that Ravenclaw had gotten so far ahead, and he was furious. So when Veronica had her back towards him at the same time that a Bludger was coming his way, that was when he decided he would take her out.

What Thomas hadn't realized was that Veronica was not the only one that was distracted; every member of both teams had turned their eyes upward as they watched Charlie and the Ravenclaw Seeker, Maribelle Jackson, locked in a neck and neck sprint as they raced after the Snitch that was just out of their reach. The game would be over any second, but Thomas hadn't noticed. He was too focused on Veronica, but had he been a little more observant, he would have realized that while Veronica's attention may have been elsewhere, she never let her guard down. She was always aware of her surroundings, and thus, she knew what he was planning, but she let him think otherwise. And as the Bludger came flying at her back, she quickly turned towards it at the last second and launched it towards the sky with her Beater's bat. Her aim was so precise that the Bludger went flying past Maribelle and skimmed the bristles on the back of Charlie's broom, sending him spinning like a top and allowed Maribelle to inch forward on her broom and pull the Snitch into her chest. And with that, the first game of the season was over. Ravenclaw had won 260 to 60!

While Veronica was ecstatic to have won her first ever Quidditch game, she was extremely anxious thinking about Charlie. She wasn't sure how he would react to this loss; not only was his best friend on the winning team and the direct reason that his team lost, but she was also the direct reason that Charlie had lost it for Gryffindor and allowed Ravenclaw to win. At the end of the day, while it is a team sport, the Seekers were under the most pressure. If a team won, the Seeker got all the glory. If a team lost, the Seeker got all the blame. Not to mention that Charlie took Quidditch very seriously and was very passionate about this sport that he had been playing his whole life. Veronica just wasn't sure how he would take this blow to his ego.

Typically, Veronica wouldn't think twice about the other team, and if this was a game against any other house, she would have already been down on the pitch celebrating with her team, but this was her best friend, and she cared about his feelings. She couldn't help but think that this would be a defining moment in their friendship. This game would either destroy them or strengthen them.

Luckily, Veronica didn't need to wait too long for an answer. Charlie had landed his broom not long after she did, and his team had explained to him what had happened, and now he was looking at her from across the pitch. Veronica wrung her hands and wiped the sweat onto her robes as she stared back at him. The look on his face was indiscernible, and that made her extremely nervous. She could usually read him like a book, but now, she had no idea what he was thinking or feeling, and that scared her.

Slowly, Charlie handed his broom to his team captain and made his way over to her. Veronica heard members of both teams whispering to each other as they watched the scene in front of them with bated breath. There was a mix of excitement and anxiousness around seeing Charlie chew Veronica out, but when Charlie was finally standing in front of her and had decided that he had made her suffer long enough, he dropped his poker face and beamed at her. She had never seen such a big smile on his face, and when he pulled her into his chest and wrapped his arms around her, she knew he had never hugged her so tight. It was at that moment that she knew wholeheartedly that their friendship was stronger than she had ever imagined. It was much too important and secure to be impacted at all by a stupid game of Quidditch. In that moment, she knew that neither of them would ever allow something as silly as this to ruin their friendship. Never.

With this realization, Veronica allowed herself to relax in Charlie's arms and hug him back, sighing contentedly. She was more than just happy; she was euphoric, and she was ready to party and celebrate with her team, her house, and most importantly, her best friend.