Mara's Magic

iii - the quidditch cup

I strolled into the Great Hall the day of the match versus Slytherin, the entire Slytherin table scowling at me as I walked past them with a lopsided grin.

"If only Ravenclaw knocked her off her broom last match," Adrian Pucey muttered. Graham Montague nodded, Draco nodding absentmindedly as he pushed his food around his plate.

"Thanks for the compliment, mate," I said with a salute, my grin widening. I turned back around and made my way to my teammates who had begun to load up their plates. I sat next to George.

"Carb loading, boys?" I asked the twins, seeing their biscuits and gravy stacked high.

"Yeah," they said in unison, their mouth stuffed with biscuit. Fred swallowed.

"Got to make sure we've got the energy to pummel those greasy snakes," he told me.

"Ah," I mused. "Of course."

I filled my plate with a variety of fruits, as carb loading didn't work for me. In fact, it made things worse. I felt a kiss press to my cheek and I turned with a smile to see Oliver sitting next to me.

"How are you this fine morning, love?" I asked.

"Alright," he said pointedly, but the way his eyes were narrowed at his place and his shoulders were tensing proved to me that he wasn't, in fact, alright.

"Hey, don't worry too much," I told him. "You'll be great."

"It's my last shot," he said in a hushed tone, his hands gripping his utensils tightly. I grabbed his right hand in mine, peeling his fingers from his fork. I held his hand in mine under the table as he turned to the rest of our team. I knew he wouldn't want me giving him advice or even assurance right now - he needed to captain his last match.

I watched him as he started off.

"I've checked the field already and the ground is firm, good to push off of. But, the sun is wickedly bright, so watch out for that and put on your tinted goggles. If you don't have any, I've got several extra. There's no wind, so Harry, you won't be thrown off and you'll be able to get around Malfoy. Weasleys, I want your focus on Pucey, alright? He's got plans, I just know it," he explained. "Girls, interceptions will be your friend. Slytherin passes a lot, so don't be afraid to get close and if they shove you, shove back. Harry, you must catch the snitch only if we're more than fifty points up or we win the match but lose the Cup. You'vegot that, haven't you? You must catch the Snitch only if we're fifty points up. Girls, you best be on that."

"Got it," Harry said.

"We'll get our count up easily," Angelina promised with a grin. She bumped Alicia's shoulder and winked at me. I nodded, grinning lopsidedly.

"Anything else, Captain?" I asked. He paused, thinking over his mental checklist.

"Eat," he insisted, pointing at our plates.

My stomach turned and my heart began beating faster as I thought about the upcoming match. I slipped my jersey on over my black spandex long sleeve and gold tunic, its structured sleeves falling just just past my shoulders and its middle fell in a point just above my bellybutton, exposing the tight yellow tunic. I pulled on my trousers and buckled a maroon belt around my waist, taking a moment to admire the way my bum looked in my trousers. Seriously, these quidditch uniforms made everyone look good. With our upcoming finals match, we'd all ordered the uniforms designed for hot weather and they were very different than our other ones; we didn't have the robes to put overtop, the jerseys were short-sleeved, bulky, and shorter, and went over a spandex under, as well as a gold tunic, and the trousers were made of a kind of durable material I'd seen only in the World Cup when the Americans came over. It felt like they would have been heavier and hotter, but the materials were amazing and were very airy, allowing for appropriate ventilation. Though they fit like normal trousers they were more form fitting and I loved it. They were comfortable, especially in the hot weather, I felt really cool while wearing them, and I looked good.