➵ Choice ➵ {DM and HP)

➵ Chapter 9 ➵

Eloise Foster

⇝ ⇝ ⇝ ⇝ ⇝ ⇝ ⇝ ⇝ ⇝ ⇝

I wake up to the feel of Goose's whiskers tickling my face.

I smile, "Goose, stop it, I'm trying to sleep."

I try to move his face, my eyes still tightly shut but when I reach out, my hand closes around something very different.

"I told you she would fall for it, A!" I hear Quinn's recognizable voice and my eyes snap open to see her holding a quill triumphantly.

"What are you doing?" I ask groggily, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.

"Just proving a theory for Audrey."

I don't even try and question her as I crawl out of bed and over to my dresser.

"Wait." I stop. "Isn't it Saturday?"

Audrey nods and I continue.

"So why am I up at," I check the clock near my bed. "8:00?"

"Because of Quidditch tryouts." Audrey explains, and I notice she's dressed in pants and a jersey.

"Are you part of the team?" I ask as I slip on pants and a sweater, eyeing the cold winds outside.

"Yeah, she's one of the beaters," Quinn answers. "Have you played?"

I grab my shoes and put them on, "Yeah, but I was never on the team, didn't make the cut the one year I tried out. I still like to play a scrimmage or two."

Quinn suddenly grabs my shoulders, "You need to tryout with me!"

I blink at her then detach myself from her grip, "No thanks, I'm good."

"Come on! Please? A is already forcing me to tryout, I don't want to fail alone," Quinn pleads.

I look at her a moment then groan, "Ugh fine."

⇝ ⇝ ⇝ ⇝ ⇝ ⇝ ⇝ ⇝ ⇝ ⇝

After breakfast, Quinn, Audrey, Benjamin and I walk down to the quidditch pitch, chatting excitedly about the coming tryouts.

The september air is crisp and cool, and the grass underfoot squelches with morning due. Silver clouds rest above us, a barrier of grey blocking the sun from breaking through.

We climb into the stands and find some seats with a perfect view of the whole pitch. The silver hoops glisten high above us, reflecting the morning sun like mirrors. The deep green grass is perfectly cut, and the people sit here and there in the stands. I spot a familiar bushy haired girl a few rows away and lean over to Quinn.

"Hey, I'll be right back, can you save my seat for me?"

She nods and I walk over to Hermione, who's bending over a book in her lap.

"Is this seat taken?" I ask and she looks up from her book in surprise.

"Hey Eloise, no it's not," she smiles and I sit.

We sit in silence for a few moments as I try to figure out what to say.

"I wanted to thank you," I finally say and she looks at me, her brown eyes confused.

"For what?"

"For standing up to Malfoy last night. You really didn't have to."

She smiles again, closing her book, "Of course I did. I can't let people like him go around calling people names like that." Her smile drops. "Especially because he calls me that name almost daily."