Here We Go Again

Need of Competition

The blonde Gryffindor glared more intensely, especially when Freddie started laughing mockingly from his protective bubble and Lily chorused in with her giggles of evil.

Rolling his eyes as Louis throw an effortless punch at the bubble, Malfoy turned his attention to me as his girlfriend proceeded to try and fix the current family dispute. "Why haven't you changed, Potter? If we want to impress that idiot of a captain, we need to get there on time."

I cursed when he aimed a kick to my knee as I remained seated on the floor.

"Poor lads," James chuckled dramatically, giving Malfoy and I a pitying gaze as he threw an arm over his girlfriend's shoulder. "Why don't you leave the game for people who actually know how to play and aren't relying on being punctual to get into the team."

Ever the one to put my idiot brother in his place, Emily pinched her boyfriend's arm and scowled at him in the way Rose had earlier to our cousins. "Be nice, James. Al and Scorpius are very talented players, and you know that. They beat you and Freddie several times last summer."

"That did not happen!" My brother snapped as soon as Malfoy and I smirked grandly.

"Oh, but it did," Malfoy said darkly. "I won twenty-eight galleons from both you and Weasley, and you spent the entire summer polishing Al's shoes with your toothbrush. Admit it, Potter, we're better players than you. Slytherin is going to end up winning the Quidditch cup this year, and you and the redheaded weasel will end up losing the bet you made against those Ravenclaws."

James turned red. "Fuck off, Malfoy! You can suck—"

WHAM!

"Oi! What was that for?!" It was a cry of pain, and it had erupted from both James and Freddie at the same time. The redhead stood without a bubble of protection anymore, clutching his nose tightly with both hands, and the other one was rubbing the back of his head furiously.

"You're supposed to be protecting me, Rose!" Freddie shouted through his hand. "What's the use of being Hermione Granger's daughter if you can't hold a spell?!"

Rose glared in an almighty, I'm-judging-you fashion and just snorted at his shout. It was her lethal response of 'fuck off'.

As such, Freddie turned around to our blonde cousin and kicked him on the knee. "I'm telling on you, you twat! That's the second time you break my nose this month!"

Before Louis could respond to that, Emily's twinkle-like voice sounded thoroughly annoyed as my little sister smirked brightly at her. "Quit being an asshole to your brother and my best friend, James. It's just a sport, and all of you are trying out for two different teams." She crossed her arms over her chest and the glitter to her green eyes appeared to be parental now. "And what bet did you make with the Ravenclaws? I've been hearing about this for days now. What did you three get yourselves into?"

Forgetting for a moment that they were having troubles in paradise in their relationship, Louis and Freddie both glanced a worrisome look at one another before casting a firm one at my brother. "Don't say anything—"

"If Gryffindor doesn't beat Ravenclaw this year for the Qudditch House Cup, then Freddie, Louis and I have to streak through the crowd on closing ceremonies for this school year."

Freddie and Louis groaned loudly at James' quick answer to his girlfriend's question.

On the other hand, Malfoy looked thoroughly amused and ready to throw mocking comments; Lily looked disgusted at the idea; I started laughing; and Rose and Emily both looked more upset than they had been previously.

Realizing the mistake he made for being so witch-whipped, James' eyes opened wide for a moment before transforming his expression into a calm one. "Not to worry, though. Freds and I are going to be in the team this year; those Ravenclaws don't stand a chance."