build me up buttercup [s.black]

[22] Goosebumps

It was the first Quidditch match of the year. The Gryffindor team walked out onto the pitch, dressed head to toe in scarlet. The Ravenclaws met them in the middle and the two captains shook hands as usual. From across the way, Sam Matthews caught Aisling's eye and mouthed 'good luck' at her. She smiled and nodded towards him in response. The teams kicked off from the ground and Aisling sped towards the hoops and hovered there, eagerly awaiting anything that might come her way.

She watched the game from the goalposts; the teams were staying very much at the Ravenclaw end of the pitch as James scored one, two, three goals. Each was more impressive than the next, and he played up to the raucous cries of the crowd by doing loop-the-loops on his broom whenever he scored. But finally Aisling saw Hartley, one of the Ravenclaw chasers, intercept the quaffle and come speeding towards her with Marlene McKinnon hot on his tail.

He aimed and shot but Aisling saved the goal easily, hitting it towards Marlene with the end of her broom. Just as she did, a blur of blue whizzed past her and she heard Sam's voice.

"They're making it too easy for you McCawley!"

She smiled to herself, but her expression quickly hardened as she saw another chaser coming her way with the quaffle. This one was not so easy to save, but she managed it; leaning so far to the left in order to catch the ball that she did a three hundred and sixty degree spin on her broom and had to take a moment to steady herself before chucking it back to James.

But just as he made it back to the other end of the pitch, and was looking like he was about to score again, they heard Madam Hooch's whistle. Everyone looked across the pitch to see Imogen Cockerill, the Gryffindor seeker, holding up her fist. Upon closer inspection, Aisling could see a tiny, gold snitch in her hand.

The Gryffindor stands exploded with cheers, and Aisling flew back down to the ground to join the rest of the team in congratulating Imogen, who was looking extremely happy with herself. The cheering and congratulations continued for a further ten minutes before Aisling and the rest of the team were able to escape to the changing rooms and change out of their quidditch robes.

"So, Hog's Head anyone?" James asked brightly as the team made their way back up to the Gryffindor common room.

"How?" Aisling asked, eyeing him warily.

"McCawley, you've known me for six years." James snorted derisively. "There is no such thing as 'how,' just 'when.'"

"I'm up for it." Marlene said, grinning. "Haven't been properly pissed in ages, not since the end of exams party last year."

"I am too!" Imogen agreed. "I fancy a little celebration."

"Fantastic." James said, clapping his hands together. "You can all meet me in the common room at eight. We'll have to go out in groups, to avoid attracting too much attention."

The team agreed and, one by one, climbed in through the portrait hole.

"What do you mean you're going to The Hog's Head?!" Lily asked incredulously, when Aisling told her friends what her evening plans were.

"I never said I was." Aisling replied, flicking through her Potions book. "I said we are. You're coming too."

"Ooh, fantastic." Alice beamed. "I haven't had a drink in ages."

"That's what Marlene said." Aisling chuckled.