THE FURIES ▸ Draco Malfoy

Chapter Twenty-Eight: BIA

◤ ❝Am I not deserving of mercy?❞ ― Andromeda Erebus ◢

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CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT: BIA

February 26, 1997

Andromeda was a lot of things, but a good sport had never been one of them. She enjoyed Quidditch, truly, and she attended nearly every match that Hogwarts had put on between houses from the very start of her first year. Granted, most of those games were just so she could cheer on her five-year crush on Andrew. Her sixth year was different. The thought of sitting through a match when she could be using those precious hours figuring out a way to coerce Slughorn or fix the Vanishing Cabinet was torturous―was, in past tense. Thoughts changed after Theodore started playing on the team.

She'd first been struck with a different meld of pride and panic for Theo during the Slytherin and Gryffindor match back in the beginning of the year (when she was inadvertently still crushing on Vaisey, and said crush had taken a bludger to the head). It only got worse. Now, with a gruesome rock growing in the abyss of her gut, Mia was on the brink of a breakdown. It was only an hour until Theodore was meant to go on the pitch and play Ravenclaw alongside Andrew and Blaise, and she was nervous wreck.

"You're going to end up chewing your finger off," Theodore said dully, knocking Mia's hands away from her mouth where she was unconsciously chewing at her nails. She just resorted to twisting the ring from Draco on her middle finger anxiously. "Would you relax? This is the second game I've played, Mia. Andrew and I have been practicing for months."

"'Practicing.' Right, practicing snog―" she was cut off when his gloved hand shot out to whack her upside the head, stopping her from her snarky comment. A heated scowl was sent at him. "Well, it's true, and stop hitting me. I'm concerned. I've had a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach all day, Theo, like something is going to happen on that field and I can't get rid of it. It's just getting worse. You truly can't find someone to fill your position for this game?"

"You've just overworked yourself the last few weeks. You and Malfoy were up late last night...besides, you have your ring," he soothed, his eyes softening on hers when he noticed the genuine panic growing. Instinctively, they both glanced down at the twin ring on her finger, linking their blood and magic together. His wasn't visible behind the gloves, but it was still there. "Nothing's going to happen. I've got four games out of the year, and we've already lost one. Andrew had us up early this morning running drills, making sure we're all set. Even Urquhart showed up...when was the last time you slept?"

Her sunken, dark circles burned into her skin. "I got a few hours this morning. It's just...it's been a difficult month. None of the spells we've tried are doing anything. It feels like we're going back in our progress, and now I'm worrying over Slughorn and you getting your head knocked clean off your shoulders by Chang because she hates my guts―"

"Chang's the Seeker, Mia."

"Doesn't mean she won't seek to send a bludger to your head just to piss me off."

Another scolding look from Theo. "You're projecting."

"I am not. I'm frustrated. I want all of this blasted mess to be over with."

"Do you?" he asked softly, making her eyes narrow questioning on him. "The question wasn't asked rhetorically. I'm genuinely curious if you truly want to finish these missions...or if maybe you and Malfoy have been delaying the inevitable―"