XI. LOOKIN' LUSCIOUS, LUCIUS !

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6:16PM 1/7/1995

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ACCORDING TO THE TWINS (so believe them at your own risk), Joey's Quidditch obsession is getting out of hand.

She thinks that's absolutely outrageous. For a start, they're the ones who introduced her to Quidditch, so if anything, it's their fault that the sport gets her blood running marathons. Much to their annoyance, she wasn't half as bad as they'd hoped. And, second of all, they've literally taken her to the Quidditch World Cup, so if anything, they're Doctor Frankenstein, adding fuel to a fire that they ignited in the first place.

'Look at Ryan!' she's screaming, leaning dangerously over the barrier of the Top Box. 'He's amazing! He's incredible! Look at the way he's doing a Starfish and Stick!'

Joey flings out both arms in imitation of Ireland's Keeper, accidentally poking Fred in the eye.

'Blimey, Joeypoos, what're you trying to murder me for?'

'Oh Merlin my love, I'm so sorry!'

'She was just demonstrating a Starfish and Stick!' says George, throwing his own arms wide and deliberately poking his brother in the other eye.

Joey's too engrossed in the Quidditch to notice the twins beginning to scrap beside her. 'Look at Ryan!' she repeats, eyes rapt and enamoured. 'Oh, he's just the best Quidditch player ever! Apart from-'

'-us?' the twins say in unison.

'-Cedric, of course!'

'Ouch, I'm mortally wounded,' says George, clutching his chest.

'Ron will literally jinx you to death if he hears you insulting his precious ickle Krum,' warns Fred.

'Nah, he's too busy staring at Krum's arse to notice.'

Joey isn't listening to them; she's watching dreamily with her eyes shining as Krum executes a perfect Wronski Feint. (She's a Keeper, looking for the Snitch gives her a headache, but she can appreciate a good strategy when she sees one!) 'I wonder what Krum's favourite way to eat an egg is,' she sighs.

George frowns. 'Why the fuck do you want to know that?'

'You can tell a lot about somebody from the way they eat an egg!'

'Yeah,' agrees Fred, nodding fervently. 'Like yours, George, is fried, so that's why your farts are so-'

'- Krum's caught the Snitch!' Joey screams, grabbing Fred's sleeve in shock, just as the Veelas begin their hypnotic dance. He turns to look at her with great difficulty - which she tries not to be offended by. 'Ireland win!'

The twins roar with joy, starting some tribal dance, and Joey knows it's because Bagman is going to give them an enormous amount of Galleons (the three of them pooled their savings, it looks like one of Fred and George's "genius" ideas has finally paid off) but she likes to pretend it's because they share her undying love for Barry Ryan.

A girl can dream, right?

Then she feels a cold, bony hand snatch around her wrist like a shackle, and Joey's pulled back to face the cruel and calculating eyes of Lucius Malfoy.

AMOR FATI . . . fred weasley Where stories live. Discover now