PUT IT ON RECORD: VEE HAWTHORNE was probably the only witch in the world who knew next to nothing about Quidditch. She enjoyed going to games with Draco and her family but she never really understood the game or the hype that surrounded it. She constantly found herself asking Draco "Who's that?" or "Which ball is that again?" or "Which team just scored?"
Vee wasn't very thrilled when everyone around her was obsessing over Quidditch. The Quidditch World Cup was being held in Britain and everyone in Vee's general vicinity was buzzing about it.
"What do you mean you can't go?!" Carrington Donzis yelled at Vee. Carrington and Vee—along with Draco and Margaret Chi—were gathered at the Hawthorne Manor talking about blasted Quidditch.
"I have other things to do," Vee replied tritely.
"It's the World Cup! You have to go!" Margaret chimed in. Vee just rolled her eyes.
"I told my parents not to get me a ticket, so it's too late now," Vee told her friends, "I'm planning on going to Diagon Alley that day anyway. I need a few more things for fourth year."
"You can go to Diagon Alley any day, Vee," Draco said to his best friend. Vee looked at him with indignation.
"Bloody hell, Malfoy! I don't have a ticket! I can't go! Just sod off, the lot of you!" Vee could feel herself warming up (as she always did when she got truly angry) but with a few deep breaths she calmed down again. She hadn't had an outburst since she almost killed Draco and she wanted to keep it that way.
"Father was invited personally by Cornelius Fudge to sit in the Top Box at the World Cup. He asked if you would like to join," Draco informed Vee. Margaret and Carrington gasped in unison.
"The Top Box?!" Margaret whispered in astonishment.
"If Vee doesn't want to go, I will," Carrington added with a wink at Draco.
"Shut up, Carrington. Father extended the invitation to Vee, not you."
Vee mulled it over in her head. She wasn't actually going to buy things on her school list on the day of the World Cup, she just used that to try to make her friends leave her alone. Going with Draco would be an opportunity to hang out with her best friend and she would get to fraternize with the Minister of Magic. Though Vee was not a Quidditch person, it was an opportunity she couldn't pass up.
Vee tried to hide her excitement, but it was futile. In a very rare occurrence, Virginia Hawthorne smiled. "Well, if we are sitting with the Minister of Magic... I'll go."
Draco smiled at Vee while Carrington and Margaret looked at the two in utter shock. "I can't believe you're in the Top Box," Margaret said at the same time Carrington whispered "He chose her to go with him?!"
After a while Carrington and Margaret left, leaving Draco and Vee by themselves. Elton and Penny Hawthorne had invited Draco to dinner but he politely declined, saying that his family had other dinner plans and he should probably get back home. All of Vee's friends living within walking distance of her family's Manor certainly had its perks, as on days (like that day) when she was bored she could have Carrington or Draco or Margaret over in minutes. Vee walked with Draco back to his house as she usually did. Though it was dark, she never really had issues walking back home all by herself.
"Thank you, Draco," Vee mumbled while she and Draco walked. Draco jumped slightly, the sudden noise startling him.
"What? Did Vee Hawthorne just say 'thank you'?" Draco asked with false astonishment, lightly pushing Vee. The girl rolled her eyes and shoved Draco right back.
"I say thank you!" Vee fired back at her best friend, "And because of you I'll get to meet the Minister of Magic!"
"It was Father, actually. He made some donation and the Minister invited Father as his guest. You and I are Father's guests."
"I'm just going to say I'm the Minister's guest. It sounds awesome!" Vee grinned, making Draco grin too. For a moment, both were filled with complete bliss.
If only it could stay.
•••
THE DAY HAD FINALLY COME. VEE MADE her way to the Malfoy's Manor with a pep in her step. It was very early in the morning—so early the sun wasn't out yet—but that was necessary. Part of the reason Vee was so excited was because she got to travel by portkey for the very first time. She knew what a portkey was (she was a voracious reader when she wasn't with Draco or at Hogwarts busy with her classes, so she knew of many magical items and whatnot) but she had never had the opportunity to actually use one. To Vee, the portkey was almost more intriguing than the World Cup.
When Vee arrived at Malfoy Manner she was greeted by Draco's mother, Narcissa. Narcissa was a nice woman who bore great similarity to her son. Vee had always enjoyed Narcissa's company but never really knew how to talk to her. She was better with Narcissa than Lucius, though. Lucius scared the daylights out of Vee, but she would never admit that.
"Lucius and Draco will be down in moment, Virginia," Narcissa said with a smile. Vee just nodded and offered a small smile back. In a few minutes, Draco and his father arrived at the landing. Lucius looked stern as ever, dressed in his best suit. Having to wear "Muggle" clothing didn't sit well with the Malfoy patriarch, but it was almost crucial to keep the Ministry at bay. The campsite where the World Cup was held was a muggle establishment, and no suspicion could be raised in any way. Draco was wearing a suit also, making Vee feel slightly underdressed in her simple blue jeans and yellow jumper. When he saw her, Draco smiled. Lucius merely looked at the two children he was in charge of for the next twenty-four hours and said "Time to go."
The Malfoy boys and Vee made their way out of the house and started walking in a comfortable silence. It was early and Vee could see that Draco was quite tired, so she didn't bother trying to spark conversation for a while. While she walked along with Lucius in front of her and Draco by her side, Vee looked around at the nature around her. It was peaceful—the trees shrouded in the almost dawn glistened around the three of them. Vee had always enjoyed nature. At Hogwarts she always found herself looking into the Forbidden Forest and wondering what was inside. It had an air of mystery about it that fascinated Vee. The forest by the Malfoy's Manor, while not forbidden, had the same air of mystery that Vee treasured. Usually she didn't like mornings, but a walk through the trees made Vee happier than she ever could have been. A portkey and a beautiful nature walk made Vee's day all the better.
After a while, Draco decided to break the silence. With his father a good way ahead, Draco turned to Vee. "It's not much farther. Just up through the trees."
"I don't mind the walk," Vee replied, "It's... nice."
Draco merely nodded. He couldn't say he shared the same sentiment that his best friend did about nature. He looked over at Vee quickly and then focused his eyes back on the trail ahead. He couldn't deny how pretty she was, even in Muggle clothing in the wee hours of the morning. Draco fancied Vee, he had since they were children. But he could never tell her, of course.
"We're here," Lucius Malfoy said. The trees had cleared out, leaving a small clearing. In the center of the clearing lay a football, torn down the center. It certainly was a piece of Muggle rubbish that would be generally overlooked: the perfect makings of a portkey. "It's just about time. Put your hand on the portkey, Draco."
Vee had already picked up the portkey, examining it with wonder. Somehow, that little Muggle artifact was going to transport the three of them hundreds of miles. Draco and Lucius both laid their hands on the football and with a mumbled "Three, two, one," from Lucius, the world started spinning.
Vee felt herself pressed up against Draco as they were lifted off the ground and spun like tops. The trip was short and soon the Malfoy men and Vee landed with a hard thud. Lucius picked up the football very quickly and motioned that Vee and Draco get up off the ground. "Come, children," He said, "We have to talk to the blasted Muggles."
Vee followed close behind Lucius with Draco at her tail. She had never met a Muggle before! Her day had already been filled with more wonder than the typically temperamental girl had had in a while. A forest, a portkey, and a Muggle encounter! Not to mention the fact that she would soon be brushing elbows with the Minister of Magic.
Though she hid it, Vee was truly a dreamer at heart. Under her gruff exterior was a doe-eyed teenager filled with whimsy and curiosity. She had to hide it, though, for reasons she couldn't help.
Vee kept on after Lucius Malfoy, suppressing the awe and replacing it with malice. She was Vee Hawthorne, she had to be angry at something or Draco would be suspicious.
As the tents came into Vee's view, she scoffed. "Draco, why did I let you bring me here? There are too many people and I don't like Quidditch,"
Draco laughed. "You'll like this, Vee. Promise."
She rolled her eyes at him, as she usually did, suppressing the fire-haired dreamer even more. If she didn't, the fire might be all too real.
KATY SPEAKS!
this chapter was supposed
to be double this length but
i figured i would just split
the World Cup into two
chapters! this one also feels
slightly inconsistent but i also
kinda love it? i'm conflicted
also sorry for two chapters
with fire in the title, but
AWAE references...
UPDATE: NEW COVER!
it was created by the
AMAZING cIeopatras !