𝗗𝗜𝗘 𝗔 𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗧𝗟𝗘 ☼ 𝗚𝗲𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗲 𝗪𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘆

↘︎ chapter sixty-eight

P.S. I'm Fred. COME HERE SOON! I need something to eat. But anyway, see you at Christmas and don't forget to keep your smile up, little Huffy! ... that sounded so pathetic. It's strange to be kind. HOW DO YOU STAND IT?!

George was right. Marley had to share with her mother, but then remembered that Brielle, Noelle and Noen would come to Christmas at the Burrow. They would not sleep there, however, because the house was narrow and many people would come. Marley thought it was a good idea to share with her then.

She left the letters next to her and silently finished the breakfast, reading from the Transfiguration textbook before that. On the day of the match, Marley and Ginny walked to the Quidditch pitch, and Marley tried not to overload her mind with studying for her NEWTs so she could play calmly.

"I heard you're not talking to Ron." said quietly Marley, after noticing Ginny was stubbornly keeping silent. The red-haired girl just sighed angrily.

"Because he's an idiot!" she almost shouted. "He caught me snogging with Dean and because he had never snogged or kissed anyone before, he acted so badly. I also involved Harry, you and Hermione in the list of snogging people, but don't be mad. He cared only for Hermione, because I told him she had been snogging with Viktor Krum."

"Sometimes boys are such dicks," Marley said. "I never know what the fuck they want. Ron is just jealous because he's older than you and never had a first kiss while you're younger and you even snogged. Go, girl!"

Ginny coulnd't hide her laughter and smile. The weather was perfect for Quidditch when the girls went into the changing rooms, dressing with their robes. The two girls were greeted from Dean Thomas and Richie Coote, who told them the good news - the Slytherin Chaser couldn't play today and Malfoy was sick too. That was amazing; what a luck, thought Marley.

Within five minutes, Harry and Ron entered the changing rooms. Their teammates were waiting for them with shining grins on their faces.

"What's happening?" asked Harry.

"Conditions look ideal," said Ginny, ignoring Ron. "And guess what? That Slytherin Chaser Vaisey -- he took a Bludger in the head yesterday during their practice, and he's too sore to play! And even better than that--Malfoy's gone off sick too!"

"What?" said Harry, wheeling around to stare at her. "He's ill? What's wrong with him?"

"No idea, but it's great for us," said Ginny brightly. "They're playing Harper instead; he's in my year and he's an idiot. "

They walked out onto the pitch to tumultuous roars and boos. One end of the stadium was solid red and gold; the other, a sea of green and silver. Many Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws had taken sides too: amidst all the yelling and clapping Marley could distinctly hear the roar of Luna Lovegood's famous lion-topped hat.

Harry stepped up to Madam Hooch, the referee, who was standing ready to release the balls from the crate.

"Captains shake hands," she said, and Harry had his hand crushed by the new Slytherin Captain, Urquhart. "Mount your brooms. On the whistle... three...two...one..."

The whistle sounded, Marley and the others kicked off hard from the frozen ground, and they were away. Then a voice that was jarringly different to the usual commentator's started up.

"Well, there they go, and I think we're all surprised to see the team that Potter's put together this year. Many thought, given Ronald Weasley's patchy performance as Keeper last year, that he might be off the team, but of course, a close personal friendship with the Captain does help..."

These words were greeted with jeers and applause from the Slytherin end of the pitch. Marley craned around on her broom to look toward the commentator's podium. A call, skinny blond buy with an upturned nose was standing there, talking into the magical megaphone that had once been Lee Jordan's; Marley recognised Zacharias Smith, a Hufflepuff player whom she heartily disliked. Only if she could get to him she would strangle him alive. That filthy bastard.

But she decided he was not worth it and went into the game, avoiding one of the Bludgers, sent to her from Crabbe.

"Oh, and here comes Slytherin's first attempt on goal, it's Urquhart streaking down the pitch and --" Zacharias Smith's voice ehoed in the stadium. "--Weasley saves it, well, he's bound to get lucky sometimes, I suppose..."

With half an hour of the game gone, Gryffindor were leading sixty points to zero, Ron having made some truly spectacular saves, some by the very tips of his gloves, and Ginny having scored three of Gryffindor's six goals. The other three were scored by Marley.

It seemed as though Gryffindor could do no wrong. Again and again they scored, and again and again, at the other end of the pitch, Ron saved goals with apparent ease. He was actually smiling now, and when the crowd greeted a particularly good save with a rousing chorus of the old favourite "Weasley Is Our King," he pretended to conduct them from on high.

Dean Thomas had just passed Marley the Quaffle, and she scored another goal for Gryffindor. The students all burst into shouts, but suddenly something more interesting had caught everyone's attention - Harry, whose hands were wrapped around the little golden ball - the Golden Snitch.

"YES!" Hairy yelled: wheeling around, he hurtled back toward the ground, the Snitch held high in his hand. As the crowd realised what had happened, a great shout went up that almost drowned the sound of the whistle that signaled the end of the game.

The team swooped down and started hugging Harry, but Marley saw that just Ginny was angry and Professor McGonagall was scolding her for something. Then she came back to them, Marley and Harry hugged her quickly.

Everyone went to the changing room, the Slytherins were more angry than ever, and the Gryffindor crowd sang "Weasley Is Our King".

"Hey, Ginny, what happened with McGonagall earlier?" Marley ran to catch up with her red-haired friend, going back to the castle.

"Mm, nothing," she mumbled. "I just forgot to brake and I almost pushed with her. Yeah, it was pretty strange. Anyway, I'm really happy we won. Ron was playing really well."

"I agree." said Marley with a grin. "Maybe you should stop be mad at him. One day he'll snog  with someone too. And he will realise how good is actually. But I'm sure he just wanted to protect you. You know how the brothers are like."

"But Harry is not overprotective and never was acting like a pathetic asshole with George, just because he is dating you." justified Ginny and crossed her arms.

"Because George is the overprotective one." replied Marley, emphasising on two of the words in her sentence. For a moment through Ginny's face ran confusion, but then she just smiled and her eyes sparkled.

"Wow, I thought he was the trouble maker." she said. "But maybe he had grown out of it."

"No, he didn't." shook her head Marley. "He set on fire the kitchen in his apartment a couple of times and he doesn't seem like it's bothering him at all."

"Wow, really? He must be a really bad cook."

Marley let out a laughter escape her lips. "He really is." And then the two girls burst into laughing after exchanging another look.