so sorry about this being so late. I've been working a bunch and then by the time I get home, I'm too tired to write and it's all a vicious cycle. updates are probably going to be rather slow, which I'm sorry about but I hope you enjoy this chapter anyway
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Everyone in the stands stood; each and every one of them screaming and cheering while waving their flags.
"And now," Bagman says cheerfully, "Without further ado, the Bulgarian Team Mascots!"
"I wonder what they've brought!" Ginny says excitedly.
"Veela!" Mr Weasley calls and Stevie frowns.
Veela could only be described as beautiful (unless you made them angry - then they were the complete opposite). They were semi-human magical beings; beautiful women with white-gold hair and skin that appears to shine as if moon bright. They had the rather dangerous talent of being able to seduce almost every male being, making them act like idiots.
Take now for example. Fred was currently standing, mouth agape as he was completely hypnotised by the dance that the women were performing.
Harry wasn't doing much better. He had one foot resting on the edge of the box looking as if he would happily throw himself over the edge.
"Okay," Stevie mutters, digging her elbow into Fred's side to snap him out of it but he doesn't even register her and with a huff, she crosses her arms and looks anywhere but at the pitch.
She felt ridiculous. She had no right to feel this way but the way Fred was looking at them...she didn't like it.
Luckily they weren't around for much longer; they were interrupted by the arrival of the Irish team's mascots - Leprechauns. They soared over the stands, tossing handfuls of gold down not the crowd - all of whom started stowing it away in their pockets.
Stevie tries to hide the smile that tugs at her lips as she watches Ron shove it into his pockets and Fred, having snapped out of the trance he was in, leans over to ask what she's grinning at.
"Your poor brother," she answers, "He doesn't realise that what he's putting in his pockets is Leprechaun gold." Fred himself looks somewhat confused and so she explains to him that in a couple of hours, that money will disappear and not wanting Ron to be disappointed, she leans forward in her seat to inform him only to be tugged back by Fred.
"Hang on," he hisses, "Let's not be hasty, love. His face will be a treat when he realises..."
"You're terrible, Fred Weasley." Stevie scolds.
Bagman then introduces the teams and she almost covered her ears at the resounding roar that erupted at the sound of one name; Krum.
"Here we go!" Fred said eagerly as the Egyptian referee mounts his broom and Stevie smiles at his excitement.
With a blow of his whistle, they're off. Ireland immediately takes possession of the Quaffle causing Fred and his family to rise from their seats.
Stevie has never seen Quidditch plated this way; the players were fast, so fast that she can't actually follow who's doing what and even Bagman struggles to keep up.
"Yes," Fred murmurs as one of the Irish chasers soar up to the hoops, "Yes, come on! Yes!"
"Troy scores!" Bagman announces, "Ten-nil to Ireland!"
As the game continues, Stevie wishes she could say she was paying attention but she'd be lying.
She does gasp in horror though when the two seekers, Krum and Lynch dive through the centre of the chasers so fast that it looked as if they were free falling.
"They're going to crash!" Hermione shrieks from in front of her and Stevie averts her eyes, practically hiding her face in the arm of Fred's jacket, clenching her eyes shut when a groan echoes around the stadium.
"Fool," Mr Weasley was shaking his head, "Krum was feinting."
A time out is called so medics can scurry onto the pitch to check that the Irish seeker was alright.
"Hey," Stevie feels Fred's arm curl around his shoulder, "He'll be alright. He only got ploughed."
Only.
"That's exactly what Krum was wanting," Charlie pipes up and Stevie reluctantly looks back down at the pitch, relieved to see that Lynch does in fact look alright as he climbs back onto his broom and takes flight.
Fifteen fast minutes later, Ireland had pulled and they were now leading by one hundred and thirty to ten and the game was getting dirtier.
"Foul!" Fred roars as the Bulgarian keeper flies out to elbow one of the Irish chasers, "Did you see that, Nicholson?"
She didn't - she had resorted to watching the game through her fingers. This was far too much for her.
"Tell me when it's over, please!" she begs.
The game got even more chaotic; the referee tried to send the Veela off, got into an argument with two of the Bulgarians (which resulted in two penalties being rewarded to Ireland) and the beaters on both teams were acting without mercy, not caring if their clubs came into contact with bludgers or other players.
"Oh, the Veela aren't going to like that," Mr Weasley speaks again and Stevie moves her hands just to see the leprechauns form into a giant hand, making a rather rude gesture across the pitch.
"Oh now that's attractive," Stevie mutters, noticing that the Veela are kicking off; their heads transforming into bird heads with long curved beaks with large scaly wings sprouting from their shoulders. She winces as they start throwing handfuls of fire across the pitch, letting out a quiet laugh when the ministry officials start flooding onto the grass.
No one in the crowd quite knows where to look - at the battle that's taking place on the grass or up into the air, where the quest to find the Snitch is still in progress.
"Moran scores!" Bagman yells but the Irish fan's cheers can barely be heard over the shrieks of the Veela.
"Look!" Harry yells, pointing at Lynch who is once again diving, "He's seen the Snitch!"
Krum was on his tail and it was then that Stevie noticed that his face was covered in blood.
"What happened to him?" she asks, almost yelling in Fred's ear to be heard over the crowd.
"Quigley, one of the Irish beaters hit him with a Bludger," Fred frowns, "He's not letting it phase him though!"
That was true. He had drawn level with Lynch now, both of them hurtling towards the ground once more.
Stevie's surprised when Fred's hand covers her eyes and she almost yells at him to move until she hears the sound of a body coming into contact with the ground and the groan of the crowd that came with it.
Lynch had crashed for a second time.
"Where's the Snitch?" Charlie cries from the front row.
"He's got it!" George yells, "Krum, he's got the Snitch!"
And he did; with his robes shining red with blood and his hand up in the air and nestled in it, thanks to the cameras, you can see just see a glint of gold.
"Ireland win!" Bagman yells, "Krum catches the snitch but Ireland are the winners!"
Stevie cheers with the Weasley's, letting out a shriek when Fred wraps his arms around her middle and lifts her feet from the ground, "Fred!"
He gently lowers her and when he unwraps his arms, he looks like he's going to say something, do something even but the sound of Stevie's dad clearing his throat behind them makes him think against it.
Stevie sits through the trophy giving ceremony, hands throbbing from how much she's been clapping and as the winning team take another lap of honour with the Cup, Ludo Bagman steps down from his little podium and takes the charm off of his wand.
"Excuse me, love," Fred murmurs, "I've got to see a man about a Galleon."
She's confused until she sees the betting slip that he's clutching tightly in his hand, "Please, don't let me stop you."
Fred looks over her shoulder to see that her dad is busy talking to Lucius Malfoy and decides to chance it, leaning in so he can press a soft kiss against her cheek.
Stevie's face flushes as he disappears after Bagman, turning her gaze back to the pitch to watch the Irish team finish their lap, only to meet the eyes of the oldest Weasley who looks at her with knowing eyes.
"Just friends, hm?"