Beauty and the Beast

chapter eight

November 4, 1945

Samantha ate healthy that morning and drank plenty of water, trying to get Raine to do the same. She was the captain. It was her responsibility to check on the team to make sure they were ready to play. It was also Lilac's birthday. That made her especially want to win, as a gift to her little sister. They were playing Hufflepuff that day, fierce competition, and had been for the last decade or so. This was no ordinary game. It was the first, after all. You want to win your first game, to show your potential. Often the first thing captains tell their team. And Samantha was one of those captains. One thing important to the Head Girl was fair play. She did not believe in cheating, and once shouted at the flying professor (who was also the referee) for not calling it. Winning and losing is always when you know it was fair game.

Around 10:30, Sam gathered the team in her tent and got changed in the mini room for that specific purpose. She returned in her Quidditch gear. One by one, each member of the team got dressed. Luckily, Samantha had told everyone to come twenty minutes early to the pre-game meeting, since she was used to it. There were three seventh years on the team, two sixth years, one fifth year, and one third year. The brooms were in the closet in the corner of the Slytherin area of the tent. Once everyone was situated, Samantha's speech began. She first talked about the game plan. She knew the strategy of the Hufflepuff team from careful observance in the previous years. So they felt like they knew what they were doing.

"Except for Ashlyn, who's at her first game here, we are all returning members to the squad. So I say, welcome back, or welcome, if you're our new member of the team," Samantha told her team. "I serve a major reminder to play your hardest. This is my third year as team captain. Each year, I have emphasized a specific word. And this year will not be any different. As always, this word is determination. Our opposition might want to win this game. But if we want it more, we play better. And if we play a great game and we lose, guess what? Be proud as heck. You played as well as you could. Whoever we are playing must've been really tough. A couple other things I want to remind you of I have to say before we go. Fair play, fair play, fair play. I don't want us getting called out on fouls. And I'd much rather play clean and lose than cheat and win, because you know the emotions are real. Lastly, remember, we're gonna be in this for the Quidditch Cup, and maybe even the House Cup. And I bet we want those points. Now let's get out there."

The entire Slytherin Quidditch team got their brooms from the closet and stood in their formation. The teams were called onto the field. In their rows, the green team flew out. Samantha up front, then Raine and the fifth year Beater. The three Chasers, then at last, the sixth year Keeper. The expectations were set, and the Quaffle was thrown into the air. Hufflepuff got it immediately. The badgers were ready. The game was back-and-forth in possession and score. The snitch was flying at a rapid pace, difficult for anyone to catch or see. However, thanks to Sam's training, she caught sight of it and its path. Using her new broom (which she had saved up galleons upon galleons to get), she sped towards it, and tracked it down. The Hufflepuff seeker saw her and tried to get it from the other side. But the golden ball zoomed away. With a fancy turn, Samantha raced after it. She did a loop on her broom, then managed to grab it while upside-down.

"150 points to Slytherin! The match has been won by the serpents!" The commentator announced into the enchanted microphone. The silver and grey section cheered loudly. They soon began to chant, "Sam-my Dal-ton!" with five claps after each time they spoke her name. A grin was on Sam's face as she flew back to the launching area. She held her broom and walked to the tent when she saw Hector Terrazas, the coach of the Chudley Cannons... her dad's former coworker. He said, "Ah, Miss Dalton! Well done! Seems as if your father was trained you well! I was just doing some scouting, to see if I could see any future potential players for my team. Some of them are getting closer to retiring, I'm afraid. It's always nice to have backups." She nodded then continued on.

Samantha returned to the tent, sweaty, as normal. After changing into normal clothes, she came right back out to find Tom there. "You did great. Won Slytherin our first game of the year. I have a feeling that it's going to be a successful season, and I don't even play," he complimented. Sam couldn't help but to just bury herself in a hug as Tom kissed her forehead. "I love you so much..." she uttered. They both exchanged great smiles to the other. He answered, "I love you too, Samantha... if I'm going to be honest, you're the first person to ever really care for me." The girl looked the brunette in the eyes. "You are the first boy I loved, and I hope we stay together as long as possible. Don't ever let anyone tell you I don't feel that way. Because I do," she spoke, her words sharp and clear. Tom pulled her back into a hug for a minute. "Let's go celebrate in the Great Hall," he then suggested. Sam grasped her partner's hand as they walked towards the castle.

The couple grinned as they came into the Great Hall, their hands holding their lover's tightly. They sat down beside each other, Samantha between Tom and Lilac. "Happy birthday, sis," the blue-eyed girl told her younger sister. The sixteen year old girl let go of her boyfriend's hand as the siblings shared a hug. Sam used Accio to make Lilac's gift appear, since she only had so many hands to use when she had been going to the Quidditch match. She eagerly opened the gift bag and pulled out a silver object. It was a necklace with five amethyst jewels. One to represent each member of the Dalton family, including the cat. "I love it! Thank you so, so much, Sammy!" The two hugged once again, smiling brighter than ever.