Raven (Fred x oc)

67. Rough on the Pitch

"Nothing excuses fighting in the common room!" McGonagall yelled, her nostrils flaring as she faced us in her office.

"Professor-" I began.

"Ms. Black!" she shouted, cutting across me. I sighed, laying my head on Fred's shoulder as he gripped my hand. "Three weeks detention for all of you and a hundred points from Gryffindor."

"Professor will you please let us explain?" Fred asked.

"You have two minutes."

"Gordon has been being a jerk all week just because Katie rejected him," I said. "And today he just went too far so I went off on him and he-"

"He started insulting her, Professor, and calling her a bitch," Fred interrupted. "I was in the dorm but I could hear him shouting. I told him to shut up and he wouldn't and then he tried to hurt her. I got in the way and the rest jumped in to defend me."

McGonagall sighed, unconsciously casting Gordon a glare. "Very well," she said at last. "The points stay gone, but I'll knock off the detentions."

"Prof-" Gordon started.

"Enough, Gordon!" McGonagall shouted. "A month's detention for you!"

................................................................

The sun dawned bright and cold as I sat on the top seat in the Quidditch field stands. I cocked my head, staring out over the field as a twinge of anxiety twisted in my core. I let out a small sigh, cleaning off my beak with my black wing.

I had gone to visit Dad this morning so I had been up for a long while, but instead of going inside, I had decided to stay here a while. It was the first Quidditch practice I would be running. I had chosen what I wanted to say and work on, but I still felt nervous.

After the sun had risen, I moved to perch on one of the Quidditch hoops to wait for everyone to show up. I wanted to see how they all, especially Ron, would behave without me there. Soon, two figures approached.

With my bird-eye turned to see, I recognized Harry and Ron coming out to practice early. I watched as they tested Ron's skill. He really wasn't bad. He certainly needed some training up and was nothing on Ollie, but there were certainly worse.

After they left, I flew down to the changing room and switched into my robes. After I was done, I came out of the changing room and came out onto the pitch. After running some laps, I saw the team come into the changing room.

By the time they all emerged, I was standing at the pitch waiting for them, a thin veil of sweat misting my skin. "All right," I called, getting everyone's attention. "As you probably noticed, there are some people here, but it'll be fine." I was partially lying. There was the entire Slytherin Quidditch team.

"What's that Weasley's riding?" Draco called with a jeering laugh. "Why would anyone put a flying charm on a moldy old log like that?"

"Listen up," I shouted, getting everyone's attention. "I made up our playbook, but today we're running drills. You can memorize the playbook later. For now, set aside your brooms and run two laps." When people started to groan, I sent them all a glare and they began to run.

While my team didn't know this, I was having them run because then it would be harder to hear the Slytherins. Once more running didn't make sense, I ordered everyone up into the air. Once we were in the air, the taunts continued.

"What's that hairstyle, Johnson?" Pansy Parkinson shrieked. I frowned, glancing at Angelina's braids. "Who would want to look like they've got worms coming out of their head?"

"That's racist, Parkinson," I snapped, rolling my eyes. We passed the ball back and forth, attempting to ignore everyone in the stands.

"Hey, Potter, how's your scar feeling?" Draco jeered. "Sure you don't need a lie-down? It must be, what, a whole week since you were in the hospital wing, that's a record for you, isn't it?" Ron was doing the worst out of them all with catching, not having caught a single one yet.

Finally, after Harry shot a quick toss at him, he caught it and threw it to Katie. The quick toss zoomed through her fingers and slammed into her nose. "Katie!" I cried, rushing towards her.

"I'm so sorry!" Ron called.

"Get back in position!" I ordered.

"Here, take this," Fred suggested, handing her a small purple thing. "It'll clear up in no time."

"Wait, Fred," I interrupted, stopping Katie from eating it. "Is it safe?"

"You think I'd give it to her if it wasn't?" Fred countered. I sighed and moved on.

"All right, Weasley twins, get your bats, Weasley, go to the goalposts," I ordered. "Johnson, Spinnet, get in place to take the Quaffle. Potter, release the snitch when I tell you to."

Once everyone was set, I blew my whistle. I sighed, watching as they played. Rubbing my temple irritably, I blew my whistle again. "Ron, circle or block!" I shouted. "Don't leave one out for anyone to score in."

"And Katie, didn't you do something about that nosebleed?" I asked, shooting Fred an accusing look, which he either ignored or missed.

"It's getting worse!" Katie defended.

"Fred," I growled, glaring at him. Katie had turned deathly pale and was covered in blood. "She needs the hospital wing."

"We'll take her," Fred offered. "She - er - might have swallowed a Blood Blisterpod by mistake-"

"OKAY!" I yelled frustratedly. "Fred, George, go and if I lose a chaser, I'll end you both so GO!" The three of them disappeared. "With one chaser and both beaters gone, there is no point. Everyone go change out."

When they had all gone to go change and the Slytherins had gone, I landed and put away my broom before changing back into my sweatpants and t-shirt. Staring out into the darkening sky, I shrank into a bird and took off into the sky.

"Hey, Raven," Dad said, looking up from his dinner. I changed back and sat down next to him in the kitchen. Noting my drawn expression, he asked, "Everything all right?"

"Quidditch practice was a mess," I admitted, sitting down at the table next to him and laying my head on his shoulder. "Ron broke Katie's nose, Fred tried to fix it but he made everything worse, Ron can't block around people, Angelina was being made fun of for having braids, and I failed as Captain."

"You didn't fail," Dad countered. "Every captain has their ups and downs."

"This bad?" I countered sadly.

"And worse," Dad replied. "Just stick it out. It was just the first practice. There's still time." I sighed, nodding quietly and stealing an apple from the bowl on the table.

"You doing okay?" I asked. "I know it's been hard for you here."

"I'll be okay," he replied. "So long as you keep coming to see me."

I smiled. "Always, Dad. I love you."

"I love you too, Raven."