Albus grabbed his broom and ran up the stairs, passing friends who would give a little cheer or clap him on the back. He reached the Great Hall, but before he could go sit with his team, his best friend Scorpius and brother James came up to him, sporting matching Gryffindor jerseys and holding their brooms. They were on the Gryffindor team, Scorpius a chaser and James was the seeker. Everyone in the school was looking forward to the brother rivalry match, as Albus was the Slytherin seeker.
"Hello, dear brother," James said, with his signature smirk. "You ready to get your ass kicked?" Albus smirked back. It was eerie how similar they were sometimes.
"Oh, poor little Jamie, going to get murdered today. I put in a word with Marcus and Todd to go easy on you, but they're still angry from when you replaced their wands with George's signature product, and I don't think they're going to listen." All three boys looked to the Slytherin table, where two large seventh years sat, Marcus Johnson and Todd Jacobs, their uniforms straining against their broad shoulders as they glared at James. They were the beaters on Albus's team. James just smiled.
"Fred and Louis have got me covered." Fred and Louis were their cousins, the Gryffindor beaters.
"How about you, Scorp?" Albus asked with a smirk. "Confident in those knuckleheads?" Scorpius did that thing that drove Albus insane. That slight cock of the head, the crooked smile, the glint in his bright blue eyes. Albus had had a crush for years, but as far as Albus knew, Scorpius was straight.
"I'll take my chances with your knuckleheaded family," Scorpius said.
"Well, gentlemen, I must leave you. Don't cry too much when you lose, it'll ruin your makeup." With that, Albus walked to his table. Sitting across from Marcus, he grabbed a piece of toast. "Hello, everyone. We've got to kick my brother's and cousins' asses, or else they're never gonna let me hear the end of it." His teammates nodded, and they set off towards the pitch together.
**
The crowd roared, and Albus couldn't help but grin. Madam Hooch tossed the quaffle up and the fourteen teens kicked off, taking to the sky. Albus sidled up next to James as they searched for the snitch.
"Hello, brother dear," he said as sweetly as possible. "How's the ass kicking going?" James grinned.
"So far so good. See the snitch?" Albus grinned back.
"Now I have." Albus dove. He hadn't seen anything, but James thought he had. Albus spiraled, avoiding a bludger, James on his tail. At the last minute before hitting the ground, he changed directions and returned to his previous altitude. James was just as good a flier, however, and he resumed his place next to Albus. They were right by the stands, when a familiar voice shouted at them.
"STOP FUCKING AROUND AND JUST FIND THE GODDAMN SNITCH!" yelled their younger sister Lily. They laughed and waved at her.
"Love you too, Lily!" James yelled back, to much laughter. As he did that, Albus saw a bludger fast approaching. He dropped down, but James turned only to be hit square in the chest. Time seemed to slow. James teetered backwards. And then, he began to fall.