The Dark Lord's Bride (Draco X OC)

Running Away From Training

Ariana's POV

One day at the Quidditch training grounds, I hit my breaking point.

"THAT'S IT! I'm done, I quit!" I declared, frustration fueling the throw of my broomstick.

"What do you mean by quit?! The game is in one week. No way in hell am I letting you quit!" Oliver retorted holding his head.

"I don't care! I'm tired of this nonsense! I haven't had a single day free since the beginning of the semester."

"I'm getting sandwiched between cozy detention dates with Snape or honing my skills for a game where bone-breaking is the new trend!" I yelled, unleashing my pent-up annoyance.

"Calm down, babes! It's normal to get nervous before a match," Fred attempted to comfort me, patting my back. "No! Shut up! Don't tell me to calm down!" I smacked his hands away, refusing any form of soothing.

"Okay... that's enough drama, Ariana. You still need practice, let's get back to your places!" Oliver clapped his hands, trying to regain control.

"No, I'll run away! If you force me, I'll quit Hogwarts," I warned, pushing back against the relentless Quidditch pressure.

"Aria, cool down, you're just overreacting!" Harry attempted to calm me, but my anger had a different plan. "SHUT UP!" I glared at him, rendering him silent.

"Okay, Aria, let's play a game. It's tag-hide anywhere you want, run anywhere you want for an hour."

"But, if you get caught in an hour, you'll lose, and no use of magic. If you win, I'll let you quit the team," Oliver offered, attempting a last-ditch effort to salvage my Quidditch spirit.

"Okay, deal. Who's going to catch me?" I challenged Oliver. "Everyone on the team," He replied with a mischievous grin.

"Hey, that is so unfair!" I protested. "Yeah, you scared, gonna quit?" he mocked, a smirk playing on his lips and I gritted my teeth.

"Fine, but I have two conditions. If I win, I'll leave the team forever. And two, I need you to apologize to me," I declared. He nodded, seemingly agreeable.

"I have two conditions too. If either one of us manages to catch you, you'll stay in the team for five years straight, no questions asked," Oliver laid out his terms.

"And the second one?" I asked. He smiled sinisterly, "You'll have to kiss all the members in the Quidditch team on the cheek as an apology for creating such an issue."

"What the hell?! That's a misuse of power," I protested. "Welcome to the world of adults, baby. Now run along, I'll give you a 1-minute headstart," He declared, and without a second thought, I bolted.

"Okay, boys and girls, today's warm-up is catching Aria. There are seven of us, we have the upper hand. No matter what happens, we need to catch her."

"She's the backbone of the team. We can't have her quitting. Okay, team, disperse!" Oliver commanded, and they all scattered in different directions to catch me.

Let the chase begin!

45 minutes later~~~

Normal POV

"Oliver, she's nowhere. Where can we find her?" Says George. "Don't lose hope, guys, we still have 15 more minutes," He reassure them. "GUYS, FOUND HER! SHE'S ON THE TREE!" Harry shouts pointing at Aria.

"Shit, shit, shit," I run with Harry close behind, and Ariana accidentally bump into Hermione. "Hermione, catch her," urges Harry.

"No, Hermione, don't catch me! Help me run away; I need to win this game," Ariana plead. She looks torn between her and Harry.