This morning I woke up with a very happy thought in my mind. It was the last day of school before winter holidays, and we didn't even have any classes to go to. The last thing I need right now is more O.W.L. practice. I've had plenty of that all ready. This day would have been perfect...except for the fact that today was the quidditch match against Slytherin, and it was just short of blizzarding outside. Besides, how am I supposed to play Malfoy? I was really hoping that the game would be called off due to bad weather.
“What do you mean the game's not called off due to bad weather!?” I exploded, pounding my fist on the table.
Alicia sighed patiently. She is actually a very patient person, which makes her an excellent captain. “I don't know what the deal is. All I know is that we've got one hour until the game, and if we don't show up, then we forfeit.”
“Isn't this a hazard or something?” I asked, looking for a way out to not play the game. “Someone could get seriously hurt out there or something!”
“We've still got to play,” she said grimly. “Besides, when has that ever stopped us before? I'm just glad that we've practiced in these conditions, so it won't be completely surprising.”
Yeah, if you call some light snow 'similar conditions.' I hardly think that that is a fit description, but I didn't say anything.
“Okay then,” I grumbled. “See you in the locker rooms.”
“Bye,” Alicia said, waving.
At breakfast, all I could do was fume about the game. The only one who seemed to understand was Hermione, as usual.
“It's not that bad,” Ron said, looking at Harry. “Harry's played in worse before, haven't you Harry?”
He looked up from his cereal. “Yeah,” he responded, half absent-mindedly.
“Don't worry Ginny, you'll be fine,” Ron assured me, but I knew that he had similar thoughts to mine brooding in his own mind.
“I know you don't want to play him,” Hermione whispered gently as she patted my shoulder. “But it's going to happen sooner or later. We might as well make it sooner, right?”
“I guess,” I replied. “Maybe later would be better, though. Maybe later I can forget all about him, you know?”
“Oh Ginny,” she sighed sadly. I noticed her look wistfully at Harry. “You don't want to forget about him.”
It was then that I realized that Hermione had realized what I've been trying to tell her all along. I immediately forgot my own problems and decided to inquire was feeling so down. Harry was supposed to ask her to the ball! That’s not supposed to make you sad!
“Did Harry ask you to the ball yet?” I asked hoping that I hadn’t spoiled the surprise if he hadn’t asked her yet. After all, the ball was coming up quickly. I knew my chances of getting a date were null.
Thankfully, Hermione nodded.
“Well you said yes, didn’t you?” I asked eagerly.
Hermione nodded again.
“That’s perfect!” I exclaimed. “Now you two can go to the ball together, take a walk, and fall in love under the moonlight,” I said dreamily.
“Don’t be silly,” Hermione said, shaking her head. “We’re only going as friends.” This comment took me by surprise.
“Huh? What happened? You and Harry are made for each other. You belong together. Everyone expects it…not like Malfoy and I. I guess we weren’t meant for each other. But you and Harry are, Hermione. You need to take advantage of that.”
“Don’t worry about it Ginny. I just messed up, okay?” Hermione said simply. “I missed my chance, and now Harry thinks I rejected him. But let’s not talk about these depressing subjects, okay?”
“He will come around,” I assured her. I noticed Harry glance at her. “Yes, he will definitely come around. But, yeah, I guess we better change the subject, huh?” I agreed as I noticed Malfoy sit down surrounded by several Slytherin girls.
I was feeling pretty envious of Hermione at this point. I didn’t have someone who loves me the way Harry loves Hermione. Their love is so pure and perfect; it’s hard not to be jealous of it.
“Hey, isn’t the quidditch game soon or anything?” Hermione asked, which made me return to my grim mood.
“Yeah,” I said hollowly. “I guess I should get going now.”
“Good luck out there!” she said with sudden cheerfulness. “I know you’ll do great.”
I expect her sudden cheerfulness had something to do with the expression on my face when she mentioned the game.
“Come on you two,” I said, my voice pretty void of any emotion as I grabbed Ron’s arm and hauled him up. “Time to get going.”
Harry and Ron groaned as they put down their food.
“Ginny, you’re twenty minutes early!” Ron exclaimed.
“No,” I corrected. “If you’re early, you’re on time. If you’re on time then you’re late. And if you happen to be late…well, never mind that,” I said hurriedly, quoting my Ancient Runes professor. “Let’s get going.”
I dragged them into the locker room, where everyone was all ready sitting.
“See?” I told them. “If you two had been any later, you would’ve looked like fools.”
Alicia spent the remaining time before the game explaining the game plan to us, drawn on a bewitched chalkboard in back of her. It was marked with X’s and O’s that were squirming around. The plan was fairly simple. There were to be two Chasers in front and one in back so that is the other team got possession, there would be someone back there to act as defense. When we would have the Quaffle in our possession, our Beaters would beat the Bludgers far away from us so that we wouldn’t get hit and we would also have clear shots through the hoops. Then there were Harry and Ron who got to pick what they did. This was the game plan in short: Get the Quaffle. Win.
“Okay, hands in,” Alicia instructed. “’Win’ on three. One “ two “ three!”
“WIN!” the rest of us shouted.
We stepped outside and faced the packed stands. The snow was falling rapidly, assisted by fierce gusts of wind, which blew straight into our faces. All of the students were in mixed house sections (thanks to Hermione!), with the exception of the Slytherins, whose house members sat haughtily with only each other. We were greeted by a roar of support as we shakily mounted our brooms, due to the force of the wind. We did a warm-up lap around the field, and while we passed, most of the students cheered us on. I had trouble controlling my broom, though. We then landed and waited for the Slytherins to arrive on the field. My teeth chattered as I looked around nervously at my other team members.
When the Slytherins (finally) came out, they got a welcome mixed with applause from the rest of their house, and, well, jeers from everyone else. They skipped the warm-up lap as their bulky captain met Alicia in the center with Madam Hooch. Madam Hooch quickly mentioned that there should be a fair game played. Alicia shook hands with the Slytherin captain, and Alicia bravely did not wince while the Slytherin captain gripped her hand so hard that it turned a dark and nasty shade of purple. I noticed Malfoy standing next to the Beaters, Crabbe and Goyle. I immediately felt like my insides had burst into flames, and I would have not been surprised if my face turned red. I quickly looked away, but Malfoy was too busy glaring at Harry to have noticed anything in the first place.
“Okay,” Madam Hooch announced. “On the whistle.”
We mounted our brooms and then the whistle sounded. We flew up skyward, and Alicia wrestled the Quaffle from Slytherin possession. It was quickly passed along to Katie Bell, who fumbled on the reception and ended up having one of the Slytherin Chasers (Zambini, I think) take hold of it.
I flew in as he was making a pass to another Chaser and intercepted the Quaffle. I concentrated on going top-speed, when a well-aimed Bludger came out of nowhere and hit the tail of my broom, causing me to swerve dangerously, loosing my grip on the Quaffle and almost crashing into the stands. Thankfully Alicia was flying right below me and caught the Quaffle when I dropped it.
Of course everything I’m explaining right now was being repeated by the announcer. The new one is a sixth year Ravenclaw named Terry Boot. We all met him at the end of last game, and he’s a really nice guy. But back to the game.
Alicia took the Quaffle and scored, giving us the first points. The crowd loudly shouted and applauded as Alicia grinned broadly. I fought against the wind and tried to squint my eyes to see if that would help. The cold whipped at my face, making me shiver, and it also set my broom off-balance.
All of a sudden, the Quaffle came flying at me, which I dropped because it took me by surprise. Zambini quickly caught it, and sped off in the opposite direction where Ron was guarding our hoops. Zambini chucked the Quaffle at the hoop farthest on the left, but thankfully, Ron saved the Quaffle.
The Quaffle was then being held by Katie Bell, who passed it to me. I sped off to the Slytherin hoops, but Crabbe beat another Bludger that I was not mentally ready for, and it hit me square in the chest, knocking the wind out of my lungs. I of course, dropped the Quaffle once again, but this time they scored to my dismay.
I actually didn’t see most of this going on; I heard Terry Boot announcing it. I could hardly see anything through the curtain of white snow that surrounded me. I was also afraid of running into Malfoy. What if Gryffindor beat Slytherin and Malfoy decided to pull a Michael Corner and get all upset? If he acted like Mike did, then I would be fine if Malfoy hates me because I hate sore losers.
I heard the Slytherins in the stands strike up a chorus of ‘Weasley is Our King,’ except the word ‘king’ was replaced by ‘queen.’ It was only then that I realized they were talking about me! I glanced over at Goyle, who was floating near me. He was conducting the Slytherins with his hands as he wore a big, stupid grin on his face. To me he looked like a giant ape trying to swat a fly. I greatly wanted to throw something at his head at that moment.
“What is that? Weasley is our queen? Surely they’re not talking about Gryffindor Chaser, Ginny Weasley,” Terry announced from the box. “Now I know that Ginny Weasley is a fine girl, but even I must agree that this is definitely not one of her best games.”
I felt my cheeks burn in embarrassment as I realized that everyone now knew that I was messing up, even though they couldn’t correctly see me through all of the snow.
As I fumbled on another pass, I let the Quaffle once again fall into Slytherin possession.
Suddenly, someone flew behind me, loudly humming ‘Weasley is Our Queen.’ I identified the voice to be Malfoy’s. He winked at me, his white blonde hair all contorted in the harsh winter wind, making him look even more dashing then normal. It was because he wasn’t trying.
“Come on Weasley, I’ve seen you play better than this. I know you could out fly anyone on my whole team if you wanted to.”
With those encouraging words, he disappeared again behind the white sheet of snow.
I then had a burst of energy and confidence. At that moment, all I wanted to do was grab the Quaffle and shoot it through the Slytherin hoops a couple hundred times.
I took my first chance at grabbing the Quaffle (which was an interception from their Keeper to one of the Chasers). I flew up to the center hoop, and threw it through, scoring us another ten points.
During the next fifteen minutes (which were very monumental ones, mind you), I had managed to score a total of eleven goals for us, with Katie and Alicia also scoring their own amount. Harry, of course, managed to catch the Snitch, letting Gryffindor win by miles.
The crowded roared in approval as Harry did a victory lap around the field. I personally flew down as soon as I could because it was bloody cold out, and I wanted to get inside the castle as soon as I possibly could.
Everyone else must have thought so as well because they all filed in around me. When we arrived into the entrance hall, all of the snow from our shoes and bodies melted into a watery slush on the ground. Incidentally, Filch had just waxed the hardwood floors once again. I think he should get better timing and do this sort of stuff after big events. I rushed up to the Gryffindor tower to change into warmer clothes, having no academic worries in my mind whatsoever.
That night during the thunderous party, I stayed in the girls’ dormitory, sitting that party out. Hermione decided to join me and we had a rather interesting conversation.
“Hermione, do you believe in fate?” I asked, after a long pause that was left when Hermione tried to talk with me about S.P.E.W.
Hermione gave me a funny look.
“What are you taking about, Gin?”
“Well I was thinking,” I began. “Should I wait on the side lines until fate matches me up with Malfoy? Or is that completely against fate?”
“Personally,” Hermione said thoughtfully, “I don’t believe in fate or destiny or anything of that nature. I believe that we make our own destiny by having the power to choose what we will or will not do. We have choices in life, so I think that fate doesn’t exist. But in works in some people’s minds.”
I nodded. “I think it works for me. I mean, if he never talks to me again, then I think it’s because fate has it that way for a reason. If we’re meant to be together, then destiny will find some way to make us be together.”
Hermione nodded as well. “Yeah, I guess you could work it that way. I think I’m going to go up and read now, if that’s okay with you, Gin.”
“Yeah,” I said. “Go ahead. Thanks for talking with me. It was really nice.”
As she left, I could hear the clamor of the party five stories up. I tried to go to sleep, but I kept thinking about what Hermione said about deciding your own fate and future. It made sense, but then I think that I should just at least wait to see if Malfoy ever decides to talk to me. I don’t mind waiting, I guess. But if it takes too long, then I guess that’s my cue to just back off and find someone new.
“But I am in love with Draco Malfoy,” I said out loud to myself (thankfully, my “roomies” were still downstairs).
As fate would have it, a shooting star shot through the dark velvet sky right after I said that. I think I might stick with fate a little longer.