The Quidditch game
Today was the first day of the quidditch season, and of course to Lorelei's trouble it was Gryffindor against Slytherin. Her twin had ended up with the seeker jersey after his incredible flight demonstration during their first flight class. Well Harry was practically born on a broom, so it was logic.
On the other hand Hemera was one of the beaters for the green team.
So here she was on the green side of the bleachers, squeezed between her friends, green paint on her cheeks, ready to see her team win but also very scared for the red seeker.
In the Slytherin locker room the brunette was getting ready to play her first game as part of the A team. Last year she had played once as one of the beaters was bedridden with dragonpox. She remembered it like it was yesterday. Her destabilizing Charlie Weasley, before being knocked out by Fred. She had felt humiliated that day. So in order to never feel that again, she had trained all summer with her father. The grim of the pitch himself, Sirius Black. She was ready to annihilate the man.
Soon enough Hemera was in the pitch facing the other team, while Madame Hooch was reminding them of the rules before she freed the quaffle and the bludgers. Both teams then started running into battle.
One bludger charged toward her and she threw the ball at George Weasley who was in her sight.
Quickly Fred Weasley threw the ball back at her, his twin focused on protecting Oliver Wood from the other projectile.
"You almost got it blackie." Said the ginger boy with a grin. He wouldn't let her hurt his twin.
"Bring it on Weasley." Answered the girl ready to face the bludger.
She didn't have to wait too long, as soon as she had finished the sentence, she had to dodge the ball.
Hemera flew to the bludger and shot it at Angelina Johnston before flying full speed to make sure Heather wouldn't end up with a concussion caused by the other ball George had thrown a few seconds later. She was so focused she could barely hear the crowd or Tyran commenting on the game. The game was rhythmed by the blood rushing through her brain.
"Eat that Frederick!" Screamed the brunette while sending the bludger which almost hit her best friend to the redhead in front of her.
"Frederick. But we haven't reached the first b…." The boy didn't have time to finish his sentence and took the bludger in his face. Blood was running from his nose which seemed broken.
That's what happens when you're full of yourself, thought the girl, her golden eyes darting at the quaffle.
"Alright Gred?!" Asked his twin rhetorically. "Hey snake, you know it's personal now!" Said the other ginger before throwing one of the crazy projectiles in her direction.
She knew she didn't have many possibilities now. She had two angry twin beaters against her. It did have some positives, now she would be the perfect diversion and her team wouldn't be targeted, giving them so many opportunities to score.
"What are you waiting for, Weasleys! Hit me! Now!" Screamed Hemera, opening her arms, encouraging them to do so.
Angry, George fell into her trap and did so, throwing a ball, a few seconds later the other one did the same. She ducked the first one by jumping out of her broom, the ball did hit Alicia Spinnet instead. She took it face first and fell from her broom. Of course Madame Hooch caught the chaser, and the replacement chaser entered the field.
Meanwhile, she still had her hands on her thunderbolt, a Christmas present from her father, and hissed herself up again.
The other bludger missed her leg from little.
"Weasley, go back to your position. We need help!" Shouted Wood from the goal. The twins followed the orders not without one of their wicked grins. Something was up.
"Good job Emma!" Screamed Heather as she flew past her.
A few minutes later Heather, who had the quaffle, was targeted by one of the hard magic balls. Hemera flew to her friend's rescue. They wouldn't let the red win, not on her watch. On her way she shot the other bludger out of the way but as she reached the small chaser, but he threw it back to her, she got hit on the ribcage by the projectile. She screamed but had to put her act together; the ball was now heading to the chaser.
She beated it before flying back to position.
Once back in position she sent the ball, she had managed to keep behind her bat, to Kathy Bell. The girl dropped the ball and Adrian Pucey took it back and raced to the goal, but before he could even score Harry had caught the golden snitch.
Gryffindor won 210 to 130.
As soon as the two teams set foot on the ground Fred, Alicia and Hemera were rushed to the hospital wing. The two rivals were placed in neighbors beds before a panicked Poppy Pomfrey entered the room, her healer coiffe almost falling, revealing her tight gray bun.
"I heard from Minerva there was a quidditch accident. How are you doing?" Asked the healer.
"Okay…ish." Admitted Fred, his jersey covered in the blood running from his nose.
He was white as a sheet and seemed very tired, most likely from anemia.
"Fine." Said Spinnet, still a bit shocked from her fall.
"And you miss Black?" Asked the nurse already know the answer, according to what professor Snape had told her she had taken a bludger full speed on the ribcage. It was impressive she was able to play for the last fifteen minutes of the game. Adrenaline was working miracles, the woman thought.
"Ha … tss" Hemera had tried to answer but the pain forbade her to do so.
"I'll give you pain medicine, drink it all at once. I'll call St Mungo for the two of you. Miss Spinnet, you may leave whenever you feel good enough. You are fine." Said the healer, calm again before using the fireplace to go to the magical hospital.
Soon silence fell in the infirmary.
Hemera was grunting waiting for the potion to work. And Fred Weasley was deep in his thoughts. How could such a petite woman annoy him so much? How could she get in the way of his and George's strategies?
Alicia, even if she could leave, chose to stay in her bed looking at the Weasley twin concerned. He was looking rather sickly and as his friend she had to stay.
"Need anything Georgie?" She offered with a little voice.
"It's Fred." Answered Hemera out of breath, the potion she had drunk helping her handle the pain.
"No it's George." Said the two Gryffindor at once.
"It's not. George is fine. It's Fred I hit on the face." She argued, in a very low voice.
"How do you know if you hit one or the other twin?" Wondered Alicia not very much convinced the other girl could differentiate the Weasleys. After all no one could, not even their best friend Lee.
"Know your enemy." Said Hemera with a smirk. "Fred has very dark blue eyes. George's are lighter. Fred's voice is lower than his brother's, he also has fewer freckles." She stated with confidence.
"Do you have a crush on me or something, to examine me so attentively." Asked the boy with a bigger grin without confirming if she was right.
"Nope, just observant. And maybe bribed one of your roommates with some 'all flavors beans'. She said very calmly, judging the reaction of the third years.
"Your brother, you mean." Answered Fred brightly, locking his eyes on her. He also has some informations on the green girl.
"My brother is still in primary school." She said innocently, maintaining eye contact with the beater.
"Your adoptive brother. Tyran. Did you know he talked in his sleep? Plus I heard your mother talking about it on the platform." He explained, smiling widely. He had won. Won what game? He didn't know, he just wanted to make sure he wasn't losing. And so he had destabilized her, she had raised an eyebrow at him.
"So Slytherin of you to listen to people's conversations. " Said the brunette with an expression of amusement. Finally, someone stood up to her wit. Not that she wanted that to begin with. She had just shown that the ‘To which twin are you talking to’ game wasn’t working on her.
"Well I'm gonna go cause I don't want to third wheel your weird flirting session any longer. See you in the common room Weasley." Concluded the chaser before exiting the room.
“Flirting session. Humm.” Jokingly said the boy, winking at her.
“Frederick…” started Hemera before being interrupted by the fireplace roaming.
“Hemera Marsie Andromeda!” Roared a voice she knew too well. Her aunt Andromeda Tonks had just stepped into the hospital wing.
The Black girl didn’t answer, she knew better than to give the healer more reasons to get angry at her. She just nodded, showing puppy eyes, hoping that it would help her case.
“Why did you have to take after my idiotic cousin!” lamented the woman as she started throwing a diagnosis spell. “One broken rib and three cracked ones. Are you happy?” she asked rhetorically.
“And you, young sir, how did you end up with such a smashed nose?” wondered the healer out loud, as she was observing the extent of the damage.
“She did it." Said the boy, knowing perfectly well what he was doing. Going as far as to even smile at Hemera.
“Oh, you did that?” Answered Dr. Tonks, understanding what the ginger was hoping for.
“Well you know, I throw the bludger; he catches it with his face.” Confessed the girl, repressing a giggle which would be very painful.
After this tiny conversation both quidditch players were sent to the hospital.
After her aunt had finished putting back together her ribcage Hemera was finally able to get some sleep. Well that's what she hoped but unfortunately someone had other plans, after a few knocks on the door her father entered the room, a box of chocolate frogs in his hands.
"How's my little champion?" Asked Sirius Black before putting a fatherly hand on her head.
"Tired." She mumbled, wanting to finally snooze.
"That's the only thing you're telling your old man?" Said Mr. Black with a grin.
"I lost the game dad." She admitted, a bit grumpy about it. She had tried so hard.
"It's your first one, pup. You'll do better next time." Encouraged the man with a comforting smile. "And I heard from your aunt that you smashed someone's nose. Pretty badly. That's a good start." He joked.
"Maybe but they also broke something." She explained, pointing at her side.
The rest of their exchange was filled with all of the anecdotes of the game and how intense it was. Sirius seemed like a child while listening to his daughter, probably recalling his own beater career. He exchanged his own journeys to the hospital, like the time he was crushed by two bludgers at once, ending up with a concussion and a broken arm.
Hemera was smiling imagining her father, barely older than her, being unable to finish a game.
"You know what, since you did so well I have a present for you pup. Don't tell your brothers. Ta-da!" Said the man proudly after he accioed a black box with a red ribbon. "It's an exclusive Black couture piece, just for you." He announced encouraging her to open the present.
Intrigued, the girl opened the box and discovered a dark green dress with long sleeves and some golden feather embroideries on the chest era and at the bottom of the skirt. There was something else in the box. Goggles and gloves made of black dragon leather. The googles had motifs reminiscent of wolf paws on the side.
"Since you're gonna be a genius of Quidditch you need some awesome gear and a nice outfit when you get a trophy. So I designed it for you." He stated. "You're always gonna be my best player, unless your brother starts playing, then you'll be my favorite female player." He jokingly said to his daughter, still frozen from the present she received.
"Thanks dad, I love it." She cried hugging her father.