The Girl Who Vanished

Chapter 10: Bludgers and One-Eyed Witches

Ana sat between Aeron and Calista as her ears rang with the roars and cries of the crowd; Slytherin and Gryffindor were finally going head-to-head for the first game of the season. The sun was pounding brightly against her, making her fan herself off with her hands. Aeron ended up fanning her as well, despite the sweat that was beading from his short stubbly hair.

"It was really sweet of you to come to the game," Calista complimented as she used a copy of The Quibbler to keep herself cool. It was a newer issue that Ana hadn't caught up on; although the running headline caught her eye.

WHO IS THE HEIR OF SLYTHERIN? WHAT SECRETS LIE WITHIN THE SCHOOL?

She had noticed the cover of the magazine; a copy was sitting on her nightstand where Alex dropped them off whenever a new issue released. Ana hadn't dared look at the gift from the girl, her pride wouldn't allow it at the moment.

"I would never miss Draco's first game, Callie. Even if I'm not playing, I wanna be here for him," Ana commented with a cold yet honest demeaner.

"Yeah, it seems like daddy Malfoy didn't want to miss it either," Aeron sneered at the blonde man who was seated on the other side of the pitch. "Doesn't it irk you that he came to see Draco, but didn't come to watch your first game?"

Her cheeks burned and her leg started to bounce with nervous energy; she hadn't expected she would see her father that day, and she prayed that he hadn't noticed her. Sending a letter home to the family was embarrassing enough, but having her father at the school after she had effectively been replaced by Alex was another level of humiliation. She, in the simplest of terms, had failed him.

"It bothers me," Ana admitted softly as she played with her braided hair. She missed her longer hair, but she had cut it so there was less chance of it getting in the way of Quidditch. Had she known she would be out for the season, she never would have chopped it off. "Even though it shouldn't. I'm more annoyed that I didn't expect this from him. Of course, he would make it a point to see Draco play."

Aeron and Calista shared uneasy looks as Ana bitterly chuckled at her rotten luck, and even more rotten father. But the game was about to start.

Ana gazed up, watching how Hooch was holding the quaffle in her hand and going over the rules of the game. Alex was hovering beside Lucian and Draco with the most intense look she had ever seen plastered across the girl's face. She hated to admit it, but Alex played the part of the Quidditch chaser exceedingly well.

Fred and George were knocking their bats together as a form of handshake, their red hair glimmered like Galleons underneath the bright crimson sun. It was almost too much to look at directly. The older of the two caught her stare, and his face erupted in the largest of smiles.

Before she could stop herself, Ana's face which was desolate and downturned flipped entirely. Her cheeks hurt as she smiled back, finding the cheeky Gryffindor boy a source of untainted joy.

Another onlooker caught their exchange, and instead of mirror their happiness, their chest tightened with hurt.

~

              The game went on for an hour and a half, the chasers on both teams were brutal as they weaved in and out of formation and dodged every bludger. Alex not only worked well with Flint and Pucey, but she played well alongside Lucian; their hours playing growing up made the two of them a dream team. At one point, Lucian passed her his beater's bat and she whacked the ball away herself, all while holding the quaffle in her other arm. Her skill was undeniable, and it made Ana wonder if the team was better off without her.

              It was an intense game from the start, but that all took a turn when a bludger knocked Oliver Wood off his broom and started hunting down Harry and Draco. Seeing her brother being chased down by the iron ball as he searched for the small golden one made her pulse bang harshly beneath her silk blouse. All three of them were worried for him as they watched from the sidelines, even Calista to a small degree.