Chapter 22 – Awakening
It was a Sunday with dark, grey clouds and heavy rain drumming against the castle's windows. Alongside many others, I was walking towards the quidditch pitch as it was the starting season's first game. Slytherin against Ravenclaw. I was not really ready to go out and cheer in this type of weather... I was starting to really dislike this whole quidditch thing.
"I agree," Quincy whispered next to me, leaning close so I could hear her in the storm.
"Yeah..." I nodded and did not even ask how she managed to read my thoughts. She had a knack for legilimency, it seems..., or she had a hidden skill... who knows.
We had no choice but to attend. Missing it would be an insult to our peers and to our House. We were already disliked, so missing the first match would also be extra wood thrown into the fire.
I won't lie; the whole event turned out to be much more entertaining than I expected. Mainly because Draco was zooming around in the rain aimlessly, barely seeing anything, and he was almost thrown off his broom by the strong gusts of wind coming through. Thrice. The last time I just couldn't help but laugh, watching him dangling in the air, yelping for help that we could hear even through the thunderstorm.
"Haaaah... He should have made himself heavier!" I chuckled, watching Quincy, who was hiding her face in her gloved hands but not because she was worried for him, but so nobody could see her laughing expression. "Maybe if his cronies wouldn't wolf down all the desserts at the table every time they appear...." My second comment made her shake even more vigorously... but I also noticed a few eyes watching me. I ignored them and planned on doing so in the future... but I learned quickly that it just wasn't going to happen.
I blame it on Draco. He ended up fumbling at the end, too, losing the snitch to the opposing seeker and, with that, losing the match for us. Although I must say, it was a glorious fumble, as when he got up from his broken broom, he looked like a snowman made out of mud. A mudman? Well, it did not matter as the mood of many other Slytherins was already pretty bad, and it now plummeted to never before seen depths.
We were just leaving the stands when three fifth-year students stopped us.... Stopped me. I already knew why and wasn't surprised. They may be angry at Malfoy but even angrier with someone openly ridiculing their own. Quincy was let go, but to my surprise, she stood her ground, facing them with an angry look.
"This won't go away quietly!" She said, speaking so loudly her voice overshot the storm itself.
"We are not against jinxing you too." One of them said with a wide smirk.
"We just did not want to look... uncivilized." Another added with a loud chortle.