XI —— gryffindor vs slytherin

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          QUIDDITCH MATCH DAYS used to be Fianna's favourite, even if she wasn't playing. The entire school would become enraptured by an excited buzz, students dressed in their house's colours. Fianna's makeup was so blush-centric she thought the pink counted as Gryffindor's red, so she didn't need to bother with face paint, but she braided her hair into two plaits, securing the ends with red ribbons. Her Quidditch uniform — a burgundy long-sleeved top with gold stitching and her number (89) on the back, with a matching burgundy skort and knee-high socks — was mostly covered up by her Gryffindor jumper, since she worried she'd spill porridge down her top and be late to the pitch.

She had helped Georgia out with her hair, too, having dusted red glitter into her curls, before fastening it into a bun. Because of this, Georgia's hair shimmered red as she sat down opposite Fianna.

"If we lose, I'm going to leave the country," says Georgia.

Fianna frowns. "Please tell me that isn't your motivational speech to the team."

"Of course not! But I keep on worrying — Mulciber is a beast, I know our team is good but what if she's managed to whip them all into shape?"

"Whatever happens, happens," says Fianna, trying to comfort Georgia. "You've done the best you can, and we've practised so much since the start of term." So much that you forgot about this match, you terrible person. "Not to mention, the Slytherin team lost their best players over the summer, aside from Reg. We've got this, OK? Whatever happens now is up to fate."

"That's such a shit pep talk."

Fianna's eyes widen at the sound of the familiar voice. She jumps up out of her seat, the marauders standing behind her. Sirius pulls her into a hug before her own brother can, and Fianna grins up at them all.

"How did you—?"

"Dumbledore gave special exceptions for alumni," says James with a shrug. "Something about maintaining relationships with peers... I think he's trying to remind the Slytherins that we're human beings."

"If any of them show," says Peter with a scoff.

Remus hugs his little sister, just as James and Peter walk around to sit beside Georgia. James puts an arm around Georgia, who groans and pushes him away. Beside Fianna, Sirius pushes an entire hash brown into his mouth.

"How are you feeling, then?" says Remus.

As Fianna goes, "Fine," Georgia says, "Shitting it."

Sirius snorts, but Remus pauses for a second, and then goes, "I mean, surely that's a good sign of a team captain, if the team's feeling fine?"

Fianna gives Remus a dirty look. "What would you know about sports?"

"I watch plenty of sports," he says.

"You still don't know what a Quaffle is, Moony," says James, raising an eyebrow.

"I think he pretends he doesn't know these things so we have to teach him," says Sirius. "Like when girls pretend they can't play pool so the lad can show them."

"What sports fan is my brother trying to—?"

"Better yet, how's my brother, Fifi?" Sirius says, swiftly (and suspiciously) changing the subject. "Isn't he playing today?"

"Uh... yes, he is," says Fianna, uncomfortably.

Sirius nods slowly. "Interesting. See when I was on the Quidditch team, I avoided dating anyone from the warring teams so that this awkwardness didn't occur—"

"That's such a lie," says Peter.

"Uh, snitches get what?" says Sirius.

"The satisfaction they told the truth," says Peter, and he gives Sirius the middle finger.

Georgia looks annoyed. "This isn't helping at all, you know," she says. "I'm going to go down early — you don't have to come yet, Fee, if you don't want to—"

Fianna thinks about the four boys grilling her about Regulus, and she stands up.

"No, I'll come with," she says.

Fianna and Georgia leave the marauders to eat their weight in breakfast foods. Fianna wonders why Lily hasn't tagged along, but Georgia quickly mentions how Lily was never fussed about Quidditch, and how Georgia thinks this is more the boys thinking they're cool, returning to their old school.

"They're such losers," says Georgia, as they walk towards the hallway. Fianna starts to laugh, but before they can walk out, Salome steps in front of them, with a smile that resembles a sneer.

"Hey, Fee," says Salome. "I love the hair."

Fianna blushes. It had taken her ages to get the ribbons and plaits even, and to behave alongside her fringe, that she appreciates this.

"Thanks," says Fianna. "I didn't think you'd come to this?"

"Oh, I hate Quidditch, but I figured it was a good excuse to come here and speak to you," says Salome. Fianna can feel Georgia beside her, stiffening, which to be fair, Fianna understands. It seems a little suspicious, a Death Eater saying she gladly took the opportunity to enter the country's best-guarded castle — and Georgia doesn't even know that Fianna stole from Salome last week.

Fianna frowns. "Was Reg's comment about Bellatrix that bad, last weekend?"

Salome grins. "Oh, no, I loved that," she says. "Crouch wrote to me about your Duelling Club. I just wanted to say, if I'm allowed to chaperone, I'd love to. No offence to your brother, but he'll only talk about the tame spells."

"And what would you focus on?" says Georgia, narrowing her eyes.

"Nothing illegal, of course," says Salome. "But if your opponent starts to fight dirty, you've got to know how to do the same, right? Slytherins are always the best at Duelling, anyway, it's all about tact... Something your brother may not know about."

Fianna nods, and smiles awkwardly. "... Cool," she says. "I'm yet to speak to Dumbledore, I think Crouch just got over-excited last week. I'll let you know if you're allowed to help out?"

"Sounds great to me," says Salome. "And good luck in the game — although Mulciber's shit, so you've got a good chance of winning."

Georgia snorts. "Thanks."

Fianna and Georgia quickly find an excuse to walk to the Quidditch grounds, as Fianna worries about the whole Duelling Club situation. Maybe having someone with Salome's thought process would be beneficial, but what if it becomes something the Death Eaters taint in disguise, teaching students the wrong Duelling techniques, so they can't win a fight against a Death Eater? Fianna frowns, and decides the next morning, she'll have to speak to Dumbledore.

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          FIANNA SPOTS REGULUS before Georgia does — because Fianna always spots him first — watching him moving towards them, towards her. She knows people are staring at them, excited to see the tensions of a couple about to play against each other, both as Seekers, so she wraps her arms around his shoulders. He hugs her back, tighter than what she expected. Strange.

"How are you feeling?" she asks.

"Not really bothered, to be honest," he says with a shrug. "Bigger fish to fry. How about you?"

"I think I'm more worried about optics than anything else," she says. "Your brother's here, by the way."

"I saw," he says with a grimace.

"You know, maybe you could—"

"Absolutely not," he says.

"You didn't even let me finish—"

"Because I'm so smart I don't need to hear the last of that sentence to know what you were going to suggest," says Regulus. "And that absolutely isn't happening."

Fianna sighs. "OK, whatever."

Mulciber whistles behind them, beckoning the Slytherin team over. Fianna looks back at Regulus, who already seems fed up by the game.

"You'll go soft on me, yeah?" says Fianna, winking at him.

He smiles back at her. "I'd never do that with you."

Fianna stares at him, stunned, as he walks away.

"I hope to Merlin he didn't mean what I think he means," she hears Sirius say behind her. Fianna turns around, finding her and Reg's brothers, just as shocked as she is. "I cannot believe the cheek of that boy! To talk about his penis with his older brother nearby! To—To objectify my dear sister-in-law! I'm going to kill him."

"Not if I beat you," says Remus, quietly protective.

But Fianna's head is still spinning from Regulus. What kind of comment was that? That's not a part of their plan! Where did that kind of comment come from? Why did he even think of—?

"Get your head out of the clouds, Fianna Lupin," says Remus, snapping his fingers in her face. "I don't want any Lupin-Black babies."

Sirius winks. "Unless they're ours, of course."

Remus glares at him. "Fuck off."

"That's a bit mean," says Fianna.

"Yeah, Moony," says Sirius. "Get a life."

Fianna grimaces, wishing they would leave her alone. She glances over at the Slytherin team, the gap between Mulciber and Crouch just big enough that she can see Regulus through it. His brows are knitted together with concentration, his arms crossed. He is nice to look at, she thinks, before swiftly pushing the thought away and turning back to Remus and Sirius.

"You should probably get a seat," says Fianna.

"I suppose so," says Remus. "Good luck."

Fianna forces a smile. "Thaaanks!"

She watches her brother and Sirius wander off to the stands, as she moves closer to Georgia, who's starting her pep talk — one that Fianna accidentally zones out of, instead glancing across at Regulus talking to Mulciber. Her brows furrow, as she peels her eyes away. Bully, she thinks bitterly, quickly remembering Regulus' last comment, her mind obsessing again. I'd never do that with you. God, the cheek! Why is he even thinking about that sort of thing—?

The teams are called to mount their brooms, Fianna trying to take her mind off of Regulus. The players get into position, the captains shake hands, and like that, the game is afoot. 

Fianna spends the first five minutes sitting higher into the clouds than anyone else, scanning the air for the Snitch. She listens to the commentary, the crowds cheering as Georgia scores a goal, and Prewett scores the next. Forty minutes in, and Gryffindor is in the lead by one point. If Fianna catches the Snitch now, they've won.

Fianna descends ever so slightly, hoping she'll spot the Snitch. But she's close enough to the action that a Bludger comes flying towards her; she ducks to move, but before the ball can hit her, someone else swoops in front, swatting it out of the way with their hand.

Regulus puts his hand up to Mulciber, who looks angry. Fianna deducts Mulciber tried to hit her on purpose, which Regulus must've noticed, since he goes, "Whoops, sorry!" Mulciber shouts threats about kicking him off the team, but he ignores her, and instead says to Fianna, "They're pissing me off."

Fianna rolls her eyes. "Stop letting me win!"

"I'm not—!"

She catches sight of the Snitch again, hovering next to the Hufflepuff stands. Fianna flies off in the direction of the Snitch, before Regulus can spot it and get a headstart. She zips past Georgia and Prewett, and past one of the Slytherin Beaters, who tries to elbow her off her broom. But Fianna's quicker, swiftly avoiding their arm, and instead continuing her pursuit for the Snitch.

A Bludger hits Fianna's arm, almost knocking her off her broom. She winces, her arm feeling bruised, and looks over to find Mulciber, holding her Beater's bat.

"It's just a game, Lupin!" Mulciber calls.

Fianna gives her the middle finger.

But, below, Fianna spots the Snitch again. She waits a moment, hoping Mulciber will get distracted by another player — which she does, trying to hit a Bludger directly at Georgia's head, which doesn't stop her from scoring. Now three-one, Fianna swan-dives towards the Snitch. Behind her, she thinks Regulus has appeared, pretending he's trying, but she ignores him. She raises one hand from her broom, reaching forwards—

—And another Bludger hurtles towards her. She ducks, narrowly missing it. Instead, it hits Regulus, who falls back, leaving the Snitch for Fianna's taking. She wonders if he did it on purpose, but as another Bludger flies her way, Fianna realises it's less Regulus being weird, and more Mulciber being on the warpath.

But Fianna continues her pursuit, zooming closer and closer to the Snitch. It tries to duck out of the way, moving closer to the ground, but Fianna quickly follows, gracefully diving through the air, moving closer, and closer, until—

—She catches it.

Fianna skids to a halt on her broom, holding her hand up in the air, showing off that she'd caught the Snitch. The referee blows their whistle, ending the game, and before Fianna knows it, she's on the ground, being embraced by her teammates and fellow Gryffindors, and her brother and his friends.

"You did it, Fee!" says Georgia, hugging Fianna tightly.

Fianna grins back at her. James puts his arms around the two girls, saying how proud he is of them. Georgia rolls her eyes, but Fianna's so overwhelmed with relief, she doesn't mind.

She was so worried about losing and everyone blaming it on her 'dating' Regulus, and yet now, that thought seems so trivial. Her mind does quickly move back to Regulus, though, worrying about how his team's going to treat him; she tries to look past her house to see him, but for the first time in a while, he isn't so easy for her to spot.

for someone who hashtag hates sports (quidditch included) i sure write a lot of characters that are on the teams

sorry this chapter is short but i wanted to spend some more time on the gryffindor party......... excitingggg! also finally into october of this. it won't take me this long to get through each month but september was laying the groundworks for the plot. i'm EXCITED though! let me know what you thought<3333