✔️ 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐆𝐎 → ℎ. 𝑝𝑜𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑤𝑖𝑛 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦

07 | G R E Y S K Y

even if you're someone who quit
escape the feeling that the world just
passed you by,
y o u    s t i l l    m a t t e r.

   EVEN THOUGH NOT playing Quidditch herself, the Quidditch field had always been somewhat special to Ember. Mainly because she loved watching Cedric and Harry's matches, but also because of knowing that her father had spend hours and hours in this place, just like his son was doing nowadays.

   Ember herself could have never imagined herself playing Quidditch; it was a fast and dangerous sport, she knew just too well how many times Madame Pomfrey had to fix Harry's broken bones just as well as Cedric's or the Weasley twins'. No game for a shy and fragile person like Ember.

   Nevertheless she was sitting here in the stands all alone, Cedric's snitch between her petite fingers. How often had she seen him play with that one; the first he ever caught, and he was so proud back then, wanting to show Ember, and the both of them ended up both hunting after the winged golden ball for hours. When Harry became Seeker in their first year, Cedric suggested that Ember should try out, too. She declined every single year, and it was Cedric becoming the Quidditch star everyone loved, and nobody could have deserved it more. But now he was gone.

   "Emmie?"

   Almost wrenching her neck as she turned around, Ember's sparkling hazel eyes met Ron's saphire blue, and she blushed under his curious gaze.

   "What are you doing here?", he asked, his broom in his right hand, a Quaffle under his left arm.

   "I — erm ... I just needed some time for myself", she said, hiding Cedric's snitch in the pocket of her jacket. "I thought as there is no Quidditch practice yet I could come down here. But looks like I was wrong, huh?" Her head nodded at the broom in his hand. "What are you up to?"

   "I needed some time for myself?", said Ron, his ears turning crimson as they always used to when he was embarrassed. Ember raised an eyebrow, and Ron's face grew even a deeper shade of red than his ears. "Okay, but don't laugh! And don't tell anyone, because right now it's just an idea!"

   "Pinky swear", Ember said, a smile curling her lips as she stretched out her little finger. Ron drew a dazzled grimace, but then wrapped his own finger around hers.

   "I'm practicing."

   "Genius", Ember snorted, rolling her eyes. "Thought you were about to sweep the pitch with that broom."

   "Haha. Well, Wood is gone and — and Gryffindor needs a new Keeper. So I thought —" He paused and rubbed his neck. "To be honest, this thought is bloody idiotic. What have I even thought?! Forget what I said, I'm going back to the castle and —"

   "Ron, shh!", she chuckled, getting up to place her finger on his lips. "Breathe in and out, in and out."

   "I cawn'd breaff wid' ya finguh on mah' mouff", he muttered against her skin, causing her to laugh and removing her hand.

   "What was your plan with that Quaffle?", she then asked. "Do you wanna shoot it at yourself? Where is Harry, why isn't he helping you?"

   "Detention with Umbridge. And technically I didn't tell him." His eyes looking like raw meat once more, he shifted on his feet. "I thought I could hex this Quaffle to go for the goals, you know?"

   She snickered, shaking her head in amusement. "Sounds like a good idea if you want to get your nose broken or something like that." Before he could react, she snatched the Quaffle out of his arm. "Let me help you."

   "You?"

   "What? Because I'm a girl?"

   "N—No, it's just — I didn't know you play Quidditch! You never joined us at the Burrow!"

   "Let me get one of those lousy school brooms and I'll teach you how to fly." A crooked smile on her lips, Ember stared back into Ron's flustered face. The boy was clearly caught off guard. He didn't move. "What now, Ron? You won't get into the team for just stare like the bumbass you are!"

   And a smile spread on his lips, a mischievous grin very alike those his elder brothers used to wear, as he trotted down the stands and appeared with the shabbiest broom he could find.

   "Showdown!"

·

   A week passed, and the Hufflepuff team's tryouts were coming closer. Harry was still stuck in detention with Umbridge every night, and so Ember spent her evenings practicing Quidditch with Ron.

   "Okay okay, I got it, you're good", Ron said, landing on the floor with a heavy going breath and sweat running down his forehead. "Where on earth did you learn to fly like that?"

   Ember shrugged, her feet meeting the ground and she climbed from her broom. "Cedric and I used to come here in my first year a lot. He had this one snitch he used to bring down here and we had little challenges who would be the first to catch it." Dreamily, she stared up into the darker growing sky above them, imagining Cedric would still shoot through the arena on his broom, high above their heads. But the sky was plainly grey and depressing. Empty. "I lied to you", Ember suddenly said, and Ron's eyes snapped at her. "The day you found me in the stands a week ago, I haven't been here to just be alone. I had to think about something ... important."

   And she told him about Heidi and the old snitch, and how it had been Cedric's wish for her to step into his footprints after he left.

   "He always wanted to see me fly", Ember said in a quiet voice. "And I just don't know — I don't know if it's fair to take his place now. I don't know if he would be happy about it, or if he would be just mad with me. I mean, he didn't graduate. He's ... you know. I feel like if I'm taking his place, I would just ... cast a slur on his memory ..."

   "Oh Emmie", Ron replied, shaking his head, "that's the most ridiculous thing you ever said. You knew him better than anyone in this castle, did you?" She nodded. "But even I know that if he would see you fly like that and make a game and get the snitch for your house, he would be nothing but proud. So if you don't go to the tryouts, it might won't be him kicking your arse. But be sure I will."

—