Star Crossed

Chapter Thirty Three- The Quidditch Final

Two weeks had passed since Myrtle's death and life at Hogwarts was just beginning to return to normal as we entered the hot summer month of July. Tom was receiving even more attention than normal especially from the girls, which gave me a strange stomach ache everytime I witnessed it. Normal lesson's had resumed the week after the incident and Quidditch training had been in full swing ready for the Gryffindor vs Hufflepuff final. Ravenclaw had been knocked out first after their seaker had taken a nasty knock to the head from a Slytherin beater and Slytherin had been knocked out by default after the particularly nasty foul. Leaving Hufflepuff to face the leaders Gryffindor. I was starting to feel sick at the thought of it, this was my first year on the team and playing seeker...

I sat in the Great Hall at breakfast with Lazarus, Wiglaf and Tom. Wiglaf had seemed to soften a little over the last week or so as our attentions had returned back to the mission of finding our decedents lost treasures and working together to plan a better and stronger future, through the rallying of troops to the creation on new and exciting spells and potions. Tom had seemed to be taking a back seat and happily letting Wiglaf take the lead I couldn't help but think that Tom was appeasing Wiglaf on purpose to gain back his favor for the time being.

"You ready to lose the cup Grisha?" Lazarus winked at me.
"You wish Lazarus," I smirked, taking an unnecessarily aggressive bite out of my toast.
"To be fair Lazarus Hufflepuff are only in the final by pure chance," Tom smirked taking a sip of pumpkin juice.
"To be fair Tom it was Slytherin's fault on both accounts." I retorted quickly, making Tom raise his goblet to me and smirk at me with a raised eyebrow.

"Ha take that Riddle." Lazarus smirked pointing his folk at riddle which had a sausage attached to it, Riddle looked down at it with a smirk and used his own folk to steal it and took a bite out of the sausage.
"Hey!" Lazarus grunted, "Bloody git."
"I presume you are all coming down to watch the match," I asked filling a glass with apple juice.
"Of course there are no exams to study for now, I see why not." Wiglaf replied "and no Lazarus I'm not taking the bet with you because you have spent all of your money on Honeydukes this year,"

"Oh come on," Lazarus smirked,
"I'll humor you Lazarus," Tom smirked,
"You will!? You hate Quidditch," Lazarus said raising an eyebrow,

"Perhaps but I do like to beat you plus it gives me an excuse to come down to the match." Tom replied silkily,

"Oh thanks," I laughed, to which Tom smirked at me his tongue brushing his teeth as he laughed.
"How about 10 sickles that Hufflepuff will win?" he smiled confidently,
"10 sickles, come Lazarus you can do better than that," Tom smirked "20 sickles,"
"20!? Where are you getting your money from," Lazarus replied sulkily,
"If I told you that Laz I would have to kill you." Tom smirked,
"Fine. 20 sickles it is," Lazarus muttered, stabbing another sausage with his fork and looking protectively at it this time.

Tom then turned to me, "When it comes between you and what you want, there is no better skill than cunning." he winked at me before taking a sip of his pumpkin juice.

My heart pounded as I stood in the stands waiting to walk out onto the pitch, laughter, talking and cheers could be heard from out in the stands as I gripped my broom tighter in my leather finger less gloved hand, my hair pulled out of my face in two braids.
"You ready?" Tony asked me, I nodded in reply as words seemed to die in my mouth before they could be heard.
"Good. Do exactly what you do in training and we will win." He smiled.
The time had come, we walked out onto the pitch to an uproar of cheers and boo's echoing around the pitch, I tried to block them out as we settled into our formations.
"Now, I want a nice clean game from both you." Mr Fontine, the school's flying instructor and quidditch referee stated.
"The game will commence on the count of three. One... two.... three..."
I kicked off hard and flew high into the air, gaining height quickly shooting above the stands. I was now looking down on the players below be a buzzing sea of red and yellow but my attention my attention needed to be on the snitch. I knew that on skill alone I trumped the Hufflepuff seeker Kelly Green but skill was not enough, you needed concentration, determination and...
Ouch! I flinched as I watched a bludger from the Hufflepuff team beater Jacob Manx smash into our chaser Skyler Hooch, causing him to crumble and fall to the ground with a sickening crunch. I swooped downwards searching desperately for the slightest glimpse of gold.
"HUFFLEPUFF SCORE! 10 POINTS TO 0!" the Ravenclaw commentator Harry Boot shouted into the crowd. Dam it! I cursed, swinging my broom around. Green came speeding towards me so fast I had to spin three hundred and sixty degrees around my broom to avoid her, my head spun around to see where she was heading. I turned my broom around quickly and raced after her.

There it was just feet in front of the both of us.
"GRYFFINDOR SCORE! THE SCORES EQUALIZE!" I sped further forward, the news of the score urging me forward. Crack. I met shoulders with Green as she stared at each other before continuing to speed after the tiny golden ball, our brooms side by side.
Bludger. As quick as a flash we both pulled our brooms apart dodging the approaching bludger which shot between the both of us.
"GRYFFINDOR SCORE AGAIN! 20 POINTS TO 10! AND GREEN AND MCLAGGEN ARE BOTH WITHIN INCHES OF THE SNITCH!" Boot screamed excitedly.

I needed this snitch. 'When it comes between you and something you want, there is no better skill than cunning.'
I suddenly pulled my broom to a halt and shot downwards, hurtling towards the ground.
"WAIT WHAT'S THIS! MCLAGGEN IS HEADING DOWN! WAIT GREEN HAS STOPPED AND IS FOLLOWING SUIT!" Boot called,
I pulled my broom upwards at the last possible second, its bristles almost scrapping across the floor when I heard a crash beside me,
"GREEN IS DOWN! SHE DIDN'T PULL UP IN TIME!" Boot called,
I pulled my broom upwards and shot higher above the pitch once more, now there was only the snitch to contend with.
"HUFFLEPUFF SCORE! THE SCORE EQUALIZES AGAIN!"
I held back looking for the snitch, but it was nowhere to be seen...
"WAIT NO, GRYFFINDOR CLAW BACK THE LEAD! 30-20!"
There it was! I pelted towards it, weaving in and out of the players at top speed.
"MCLAGGEN HAS SPOTTED THE SNITCH AGAIN! IF SHE CATCHES THIS THE GAME IS OVER!"
I stayed focused on the speeding ball of gold, keeping my wits about me for bludgers as I knew Hufflepuff would be desperately trying to deter me.

Feet in front of me, inches, centimeters, millimeters... yes! The cold golden ball sat tightly in my palm as I swung my broom around coming to a stop hovering in the air holding the snitch above my head.
"MCLAGGEN'S DONE IT! GRYFFINDOR WINS THE CUP!"

"Cheer up Lazarus," Wiglaf smirked as we sat on the grassy verge over looking the lake and the sun setting beyond it. I had taken a breather from the celebrations in the Gryffindor common room to discuss the match with Lazarus, Wiglaf and Tom.
"I believe you owe me 20 sickles," Tom smirked, holding out his hand.
"You're kidding me?" Lazarus groaned,
"You do have it don't you Lazarus? Or do I have to sell parts of you on the black market." he grinned,
"Here," Lazarus huffed shoving the winnings into Tom's hand.
"You know Grisha that was some pretty dirty tactics you played there today," Lazarus said sulkily,
"I don't know what you mean," I smirked, "Green just wasn't fast enough admit it."
The sun was almost set as we stood to make our way back to the castle, Wiglaf and Lazarus leading the way across the grounds.
"I'm impressed," Tom smirked at me from behind, I turned around to face him. He was stood with one hand resting in his pocket and his head tilted to one side as he considered me.
"Your approval means a great deal to me," I laughed, he walked closer to me so that we were facing each other inches between us.
"There is more to you than I thought," he smiled, his indulgent smell strong on the air around us.
"You haven't scratched the surface," I whispered.
The sun had dropped completely from view now, the orange glow around us fading to the ghostly white glow of the moonlight.

"Are you two coming or what!?" Lazarus shouted over his shoulder, Tom smirked at me before walking off ahead of me leaving me stood there, wondering why I couldn't slow my breathing down...