The Kingdom of MAE | George Weasley

Chapter Nine

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[CHAPTER NINE]
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Even with Snape's recommendation, Nephthys feared Flint would attempt to sabotage her tryouts for an excuse to keep her off the team. Snape's letter would only make it so Flint couldn't discriminate against her, but it didn't mean Flint would go without an attempt of keeping her off the team. For that reason, she asked Chelsea to sneak with a camera and photograph any moments that might suggest Flint scheming against her. Chelsea agreed.

However, as it turned out, Nephthys did not need Chelsea.

As she approached Flint, she realized he was with Ruby. She had a strange feeling in her stomach, but attempted to ignore it.

"What are you doing her, Ruby?" She asked.

Ruby turned around and grinned at the sight of Nephthys, "I'm here to support my boyfriend." Ruby wrapped an arm around Flint, who smiled as he looked at her. Nephthys stared at her in disbelief.

"You actually showed," said Flint with a scowl.

Nephthys looked away from Ruby and forced a smile, "This is for you." She handed him the letter from Snape. Flint snatched it from her hand. Nephthys looked around the field. Perhaps she should've felt small against her competition that were staring at her. She was no legilimens, but she knew what was going on in their minds, It was no secret that the Slytherin quidditch team didn't allow girls to join, who knew when the last time a girl even tried to tryout was. At some point, they had given up hope, but Nephthys wouldn't let her voice go unheard. It didn't matter if she wasn't the biggest, the strongest, the fastest, she'd be the best. She'd make sure that none of them could deny her skill.

"I'll be stretching if you have any comments," said Nephthys as she turned back to Flint. She glanced at Ruby one last time before she turned around and walked over to an area free of the boys. Their eyes didn't leave her. She was no competition for them. What could she provide that they couldn't? No, they were certain they were better than her. It was that mindset that ensure her success. They underestimated her, but what Nephthys Black lacked in mass, she made up for in brain.

At least that was what she told herself.

The truth was that Nephthys Black was a front, a barrier she put up and hid behind. She was just Nephthys and Nephthys's palms were sweaty, her heart pounding faster than normal, and a knot tightened in her stomach with every second that passed.

Nephthys Black was Regulus Black's daughter, but Nephthys was just a fourteen-year-old girl that wanted to be something great, someone that couldn't be ignored, someone whose skills wouldn't be brushed off as "just like her father". No, because to be told that she was "just like her father" diminished her identity to be nothing more than the offspring of someone she never even met. She wasn't smart, she just inherited her father's intelligent mind. Her eyes weren't her own, they were her father's. Her quidditch skill wasn't something she worked on herself, it was from her father. Perhaps Black was his name, but it was hers too and she'd make sure she was more than just his daughter.

It was a beautiful day. The skies were clear and the sun shone brightly, one of the rare days. The sunlight on her skin filled her with warmth and comforted her. It was almost fate that the day of tryouts was so beautiful. However, she did began to worry whether or not she had used her sun cream as her skin was nearly as pasty as the Malfoys'. Thankfully, it wasn't as bad, but she could've been a vampire with how easy it was for her skin to burn.

The sunlight was blocked from her face, a chilly gust of wind flew past her. Nephthys held back a sigh as she looked up to make eye contact with Draco.