The Quidditch World Cup! (Part 2)
"Say, Joshua," Amos Diggory said as the large group walked up the hills, the wind whooshing gently. "I heard you got into a bit of trouble a few months back. Trying to catch Sirius Black, are we?"
Joshua Sweet, who had been talking animatedly with Arthur Weasley about Muggle cars, found the smile he gave to Amos to be very strained. In Cassidy's last school year, he'd been patrolling Hogwarts as a Bear Animagus, trying to protect her from his old friend.
Sirius Black.
What he came to find out, however, was quite shocking. A man who he and Lupin thought to be dead, Peter Pettigrew, turned out to be alive and well, and the actual culprit. Sirius's name had been cleared in Remus and Joshua's eyes, but after Peter escaped, they had no proof to back his innocence. Joshua had had to lie to the public about his role in the whole situation, claiming that he and Remus were merely trying to protect the children from harm and capture Sirius Black, a perceived murderer and follower of Voldemort.
"Amos, let's focus on other things, shall we? We're going to the Quidditch Cup, after all!" Arthur said brightly, clapping Amos on the back as the group advanced up the hills. Amos got the message and shut up. Joshua gave Arthur a nod of gratitude, and the men returned to their earlier conversation.
Meanwhile, Cassidy seemed to be in deep conversation with Cedric Diggory, and it was about Quidditch.
"—I love the game, but I don't think I have the capabilities to play. You see, I don't think I'm fit enough to actually be on a Quidditch team—"
"You seem fit enough to me." Cedric replied simply, smiling at Cassidy. Cassidy blinked at Cedric, who just gave her a kind nod. Her mind started spinning.
Did Cedric Diggory just say I was fit? No, not like that, obviously. Right? He's way too old, he was probably just being nice.
She laughed nervously, looking away.
"You seem fit enough to me." Ron mimicked Cedric in a low voice, scowling. Harry, who had a mild dislike of Cedric already because of the fact he'd beat Gryffindor in Quidditch last year, snickered.
"What's the problem, Ron?" Ginny said brightly. "Jealous?"
Ron scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Jeal—? What? Why would I—? No! Of course not! Why would I be jealous of Diggory?"
Ginny said nothing, simply smirking before catching up to Hermione.
About five minutes later, the group reached the top of the hill, Cassidy still talking to Cedric about Quidditch.
"Yes, it's just over there." Amos said, and Ginny ran up to an old looking boot. Cassidy cringed.
"Oh, are we using that as a Portkey?" She said, grimacing.
"Looks like you," Ron said, jogging ahead of her. She shoved him playfully and they both started snickering.
"Shall we?" Arthur said, walking with more gusto now. Joshua wedged himself between Ron and Cassidy, making as if he was only trying to get closer to the Portkey. Ron turned red, while Cassidy scowled. "We don't wanna be late. Come on. Nearly there now."
The group surrounded the old boot, and Cassidy saw her mother, Amira, roll up her sleeves.
"Get yourself into a good position, now. Amira, I suggest you hold on to Joshua." Amos said.
"I think I can handle myself, thanks." She replied smoothly, and Amos' cheeks grew a bit pink with embarrassment. Everyone started to kneel around the old boot, and Harry furrowed his brow in confusion.
"Why are they all standing around that manky old boot?" He asked.
"That isn't just any manky old boot, mate." Fred said. "It's a Portkey." George completed.
"Ron, stop doing that." Cassidy hissed. "You've gone all big and broad, you're taking up my space!"
"I'm not doing anything!" Ron replied indignantly.
"Time to go!" Arthur announced, and Cassidy looked at Harry.
"Get down, then." She said, mildly amused. Harry knelt down, still confused.
"What's a Portkey?" He asked Cassidy.
"You'll know in a moment." She replied shortly.
"Ready!" Amos said, beaming as everyone but Harry held on to the boot. "After three. One, two..."
"Harry!" Arthur called out, and Harry grabbed the boot just in time.
"...three!" Amos yelled.
They all started to spin violently with the boot, rising into the sky. All the teenagers yelled, while the adults (Amos, Arthur, Joshua and Amira) merely shouted with amusement rather than fear. The landscape they'd been walking across quickly turned into an empty, albeit stormy white space. Hermione screamed.
"I hate Portkeys!" Cassidy yelled, getting a laugh out of George. "Especially when they're silly old boots!"
"Let go, kids!" Arthur yelled over all the whooshing. Hermione looked at him as if he were mad.
"What?!" She squeaked.
"Let go!"
Cassidy and the others let go of the boot, Harry and Hermione screaming in fear as they fell.
Finally, they all landed on solid ground, and Cassidy unfortunately landed on Ron.
"Argh!" He yelled as Cassidy quickly rolled off, face burning. "You're bloody heavy, aren't you?!"
Cassidy widened her eyes at Ron, panting on the ground as she glared at him. "Are you trying to say I'm fat?!" She said hotly.
Ron's mouth moved like a goldfish, and it could be noted that he felt a sudden discomfort wash over him. Cassidy's face faltered, and she shook her head as if trying to rid herself of something. Ron felt the discomfort pass.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I keep forgetting... Veela magic..."
The others were about to ask what she meant when Amos, Arthur, Joshua, Amira and Cedric descended from the sky more gracefully, though it seemed that it was only Amira who managed to pull it off. The other men looked rather silly.
"I'll bet that cleared your sinuses, eh?" Arthur said, chuckling as they all landed. Amira's skirt flowed gracefully as she made her own landing, and Joshua took her by the hand before the group went on. Cassidy helped Hermione up, and Diggory helped Harry.
"Total shambles, as per usual." Amos said in the distance, and Amira laughed softly.
"Thanks." Harry said to Cedric.
"Go on, look at that!" Arthur said cheerfully, as music filled Cassidy's ears. She grinned with excitement. "Well, kids, welcome to the Quidditch World Cup!"
The scenery before them was wonderful; an entire campsite filled to the brim with people from all walks of the wizarding world. Wizards swung their country flags, and Cassidy was glad to see her mother's country flag, Ghana, being swung around. The smell of traditional foods filled her nose, and Cassidy found herself giggling at a toddler playing with a toy broomstick. Hermione and Cassidy linked arms and pointed at some of the displays and magical things whirring around; Cassidy explaining to Hermione what each was, with the latter being a Muggleborn and unfamiliar with many of them. A few boys walked past, winking at Cassidy, and she looked away in embarrassment.
"I hate this." She mumbled. Hermione looked at her.
"Back there, when you were apologizing. You said it had something to do with your Veela magic... what did it mean?"
Cassidy sighed. "Don't get me wrong, it's nothing like a full, half, or even quarter Veela's powers, so it doesn't make anyone fall in love with me. It just... makes them want to be around me a little bit more. Makes me more noticeable."
Just then, a tall boy wolf-whistled at the two girls, and Cassidy shot him such a sour look that he shrank away. She turned back to Hermione, worried again.
"As I was saying, it affects wizards around me when I'm upset, or feel any strong emotion, though not drastically, just a little. I don't know, 'Mione, it feels like a lot. I should've listened to my gran. Suppressed it."
"No, Cassidy— ah, sorry about that—it would've affected your health." Hermione had bumped into a little witch, who seemed to be very excited.
Cassidy raised an eyebrow. "How so?"
"Suppressing something like that isn't healthy. You'd look malnourished, miserable. It's a part of you. Of your magic." Hermione said matter-of-factly. "So don't feel bad."
Cassidy smiled at her gratefully, and Ginny caught up to them.
"Stay together! Keep up, girls!" Arthur was shouting.
"Look! " Ginny pointed to a performer, who seemed to be juggling three goblins. Cassidy laughed loudly with the other girls, and Ron watched her as he walked behind them with Harry.
"This is amazing, don't you think, Ron?" Harry said, looking around.
"Yeah," Ron replied, eyes still on Cassidy. "Amazing."
"Come on! Keep up, girls! Blimey!" Arthur called back, while Joshua and Amira laughed at a joke Amos had made. Finally, everyone stopped in the middle of the campsite.
"Parting of the ways, I think, eh?" Amos said to Amira, Joshua and Arthur. Cedric smiled behind him.
"See you at the match." Arthur said, shaking his hands with Joshua, Amira and Amos. Cassidy would be staying with the Weasleys at their tent, something she had begged her father to let her do for days on end before he agreed.
"Behave, Cassandra!" Joshua called, starting off with Amira. She simply waved in response, watching as her parents walked off to their tent.
"Ced, come on." Amos said, and they started off.
"See you later, Cedric." The twins said, but Ron simply scoffed.
Cedric nodded at the twins and gave Cassidy a little wave before he went off with Amos, and Cassidy waved back feebly.
"Behave, Cassandra!" Fred said, mocking her father's voice as soon as they were gone, fake swooning. George snickered. "Be safe, Cassandra!" He completed.
Cassidy rolled her eyes, smiling, and walked off with the girls.
"Don't get why she's being so friendly with Cedric." Ron mumbled. Harry was busy looking at a Quidditch player flying around.
"What?" He replied absentmindedly, eyes following the moves the player was making. Ron saw what Harry was looking at and sighed.
"Never mind. Come on."
After walking through the campsite (and having to fend off three more boys, with some help from Fred and George) the group made it to the Weasley tent. It was small, and a light brown.
"Home sweet home." Arthur said proudly, opening the tent flap. Cassidy playfully shoved Ginny in, and George did the same to her, before Fred followed with Hermione and Ron. Harry hesitated at the size of the tent, before going inside and sharply inhaling.
It was much larger than it looked on the outside, and Cassidy was already lounging on one of the couches lazily. Hermione lightly smacked her on the forehead, and Cassidy jumped up to chase her off into the girls' room. Excited squeals of laughter could be heard as Cassidy tackled Hermione and started tickling her. Fred and George put their legs up on the dining table, watching as Hermione and Ginny chased Cassidy.
"Look. Girls, choose a bunk and unpack. Ron, get out of the kitchen. We're all hungry."
"Yeah, get out of the kitchen, Ron!" Fred and George said in unison, snorting when Cassidy fell over. She sat up, flipping the twins off before running into the kitchen. A yelp of pain could be heard, and one could assume it was from Ron.
"None of that, Cassidy! And boys, feet off the table!"
"Feet off the table!" They yelled in unison again, putting their feet back on the table as soon as Arthur's back was turned. Ron stumbled out of the kitchen, Cassidy on his back. He was fighting to get her off.
"Get off, Cass!" She simply laughed, pulling his hair before they both fell to the ground in a heap.
"I love magic." Harry sighed.
Ron was wrestling with Cassidy now, and she'd gotten on top of him before he threw her to the ground and switched positions. He was now on top of her, pinning her hands down, and they were both giggling.
"You're so stupid." She whispered, and suddenly Ron realized how close they were, what type of position they were in, and promptly let go of Cassidy's hands.
Big mistake.
She punched him in the stomach and he groaned in pain, curling up on the floor as she high-fived the twins.
"Great job, Cass," George said, though there was an unnatural pitch in his voice. "Couldn't stand you two sops doing that for much longer."
Cassidy rolled her eyes at George before going off to Ginny and Hermione, ready to dress for the match.
She didn't notice how tightly Hermione's lips were pursed.