Jared leans forward on his quidditch broom, getting a good look at the field ahead of him. Around him, he could hear the magically projected voice of the announcer telling the roaring crowd of the Gryffindor VS Slytherin match.
As the quidditch captain, he had already analyzed the opposing team's players. He knew what he was up against.
Connor Murphy. Head of the Slytherin team. Chaser, just like Jared, as well as Jared's life long rival. When the two faced off in quidditch, a trip to the hospital wing was always inevitable.
Zoe Murphy. Beater. Just like her brother, she had been sorted into Slytherin. It was a family thing, they were purebloods after all. Jared, being a halfblood himself, could only roll his eyes at forcing an entire family into one sorting house. Zoe sat casually back on her broom, her bat swinging over one shoulder as she talked to another beater.
Behind him, Jared heard a voice.
"Hey, Jared?"
Jared turned to see Evan, his team's seeker, looking nervous on his broom.
"What?" Jared asked plainly. He had been nervous sending Evan out to play on such a difficult game. It was his first match, since the previous seeker and fallen off his broom and had to be replaced.
"Well, I guess I was wondering if you had any last advice?" Evan gripped the end of his broom so tightly his knuckles were white.
"Yeah, go catch the snitch." Jared grinned. "Now go get into position."
Evan flew off and Jared got into position, leaning forward. Jared caught Connor's eye for a brief second, the boy smirked at him.
Jared would show him.
"And they're off!" The announcer said as the player launched into action. "Slytherin starts with the quaffle!"
Jared flew after Connor and another chaser as they passed it back and forth until he managed to catch up with Connor. As the other chaser threw Connor the ball, Jared caught it instead, doing a loop on his broom and heading toward the other rings instead. Behind him, he heard Connor mutter a curse.
"Jared Kleinman steals the ball and is heading toward the keeper!"
Jared picks up speed, dodging the other chasers as he gets toward the goal, when a bludger comes out from the right of his vision.
Quickly, Jared ducks, managing to get a glimpse of a smug Zoe Murphy wielding her bat.
Jared sits back up, he knows enough that if you dodge a bludger once, that doesn't necessarily mean it's gone.
As if like a boomerang, the bludger comes back from the left, forcing Jared to duck again. After it's gone, he manages to go forward again, hitting the quaffle at the keeper.
In through one of the rings it goes.
"Ten points for the Gryffindor team, the first point of the game!"
The crowd cheers and Slytherin gets the ball again. Jared could tell Connor was not playing now.
By the end of the match, it was a close game. The teams were tied at 100, and the snitch was yet to be caught. Only one point was needed to win the match.
Slytherin started with the ball, Connor dodging Jared's teammates one by one as he got near the keeper. Jared however, managed to fly underneath him, stealing the ball right from underneath him.
Connor whirled around and the two banged brooms. They eyed each other and Connor stole a glance at the quaffle.
"Hand over the ball, Kleinman." Connor spat.
"You only want me to hand it over cause you couldn't win it fair and square." Jared laughed, ducking down on his broom. Connor turned on his broom and once again managed to bang brooms with Jared, stopping the boy.
"Hey Connor, would you mind moving the fuck-" Jared was stopped mid sentence as a bludger flew out and knocked him off his broom.
As Jared let go of the quaffle, he could feel himself slide off the broom and start to tumble to the ground.
Oh god. He was going to die.
Suddenly his hand was caught by something and he stopped falling. He looked up to see Connor Murphy gripping onto his arm. Jared glanced down to the quaffle and his broom still tumbling down.
With a grunt, Connor Murphy heaved Jared up onto his broom so Jared was pressed up against Connor's front.
"You're welcome." Connor grumbled.
"Oh, you expect a thank you for saving me from YOUR team's beater?" Jared snorted. "Also, why am I in front?"
"Cause you're short and you wouldn't be able to see if I put you in back." Connor replied casually, leaning forward onto to broom and thus also onto Jared.
"I am not short!" Jared said, outraged.
"Are too." Connor began to fly back toward the ground. Jared looked around, it seemed no one knew what to do next now that the quaffle had fallen and two players were descending to the ground.
Once they reached the ground, Jared dusted himself off and tried to get over the adrenaline rush of falling and almost dying.
"But, uh, really, thank you." Jared said.
Connor shrugged, "No problem."
The announcer suddenly perked up, "Gryffindor seeker, Evan Hansen seems to be doing something in the left field. He's-He's caught something! He has the snitch!"
There was a roar from the crowd.
"150 points to Gryffindor! The Gryffindor team has won!"
Jared leapt with excitement, "The bastard did it!" He yelled, waving at Evan with joy. He turned to Connor, "In your face!"
Connor reached forward and grabbed Jared the front of his quidditch jersey, pulling the boy in close. For a second Jared was sure he was about to get punched, until Connor leaned down and pressed their lips together, kissing Jared both angrily and passionately. After a minute, Connor dropped Jared's jersey, wiping his mouth clean of saliva.
Jared stood there, eyes wide, staring at Connor in shock.
Connor laughed, "In your face. Owl me sometime, Kleinman." He turned on his heel and left.
