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BOOK FIVE: CHAPTER THREE

"No, no, no! That's not– Annie, Mary, you need to follow Kate's lead when she's picking the Chaser plays. Keep your eyes on her hands; she's giving you signals... Simon! I know you're used to being a Chaser and flying all over the pitch, but you need to stay put and guard the posts... Maribelle! This is the fifth time you've almost dived head-first into the ground. Are you okay? What is going on with you?... Reggie! Stop picking on the newbies. I know they're easy targets, but seriously, they're having a hard enough time keeping up with Kate as it is. They do not need you constantly throwing bludgers at them. This is their first practice! Take it easy!... No, you guys! Ugh! You know what? Forget it." Veronica rubbed her face frustratedly and shook her head. Taking a deep breath, she calmed herself before ushering the team down to the ground. "Listen up, everyone. It's getting late, so let's just call it a day and reconvene tomorrow, alright?"

"Veronica, are you-"

"I'm okay, Reg. Go on." As she watched the team leave the pitch dejectedly, she felt awful. Veronica knew it wasn't their fault. She was doing an awful job as Captain; the whole team seemed to lack focus and direction, and it was her job to provide that, but she just didn't know how. The Captain's position was turning out to be a lot harder than she ever imagined, and she was terrified that she would fail her team, her house, and especially her grandparents. The ever-present weight on her shoulders since receiving the Captain's badge that summer felt heavier than ever. She didn't want to let anyone down.

As Veronica took a moment to reflect on her shortcomings, she found herself laying on her back in the soft grass of the pitch with her arms folded under her head. The sun had disappeared beyond the horizon a few minutes prior, and the moon was shining brightly amidst a galaxy of stars. Veronica always loved the night sky at Hogwarts. It was breathtaking, and she could watch it for hours. Slowly, she closed her eyes and enjoyed the cool weather and the sounds of the owls flying through the trees of the Forbidden Forest. She was at peace.

"Ron? What's going on? You okay?"

Veronica jolted up quickly in a daze. As she rubbed her eyes, she noticed light streaming in the cracks, and when she finally opened them, she was shocked to see that the sun was shining brightly in the sky again. Charlie knelt before her with a look of pure concern on his face. "I... Merlin! You scared the crap out of me, Charlie. What time is it?"

"It's 7:30! When you didn't show up for breakfast, I went to Ravenclaw Tower to look for you, but your roommates said you never came back from last night's practice. So I came looking for you and found you here! Did you sleep out here all night?"

Veronica felt extremely groggy as she yawned and stretched her aching limbs and sore muscles. "I guess I did. I mean... I didn't mean to. I was just going to watch the stars for a minute and then go inside, but I must have fallen asleep."

Charlie watched her for a minute before tilting her chin up to make her look at him. "I saw Reggie at breakfast." Veronica closed her eyes and sighed, knowing where this was going. "He said yesterday's practice hadn't gone very well, and he thought you might have been giving yourself a hard time about it... Now, I'm not going to ask if that's the case because I think I already know the answer. I also know nothing I say will make you feel better, so do you want to talk about it?"

Veronica pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head softly. "No, I'm okay. I'll figure this Captain shit out eventually... or I'll die trying."

"I don't doubt that for a second," Charlie chuckled as he stood. Pulling his best friend up with him and into his side, he led her towards the school.

Veronica smiled as she wrapped her arm around his waist. "How was your first practice yesterday?" She felt terrible for wishing bad on Charlie, but she really hoped he was having as rough a time being Captain as she was. She didn't want it to be just her.

"Oh, it was really great!"