The Prewett Girl

Expiration

When everyone gets back I'm still focused on my research, but not as much as before-focusing on my friends and boyfriend as well...kind of.

"I should have known I'd find you here." Oliver says.

"Hey, I thought you had practice today?" I ask, leaning against the table I have claimed; I'm currently standing to be able to see it all as best as possible.

"I did and now it's ended." He says.

"How'd it go?" I ask and he sighs.

"Andrea, that's basically been our conversations for the last few weeks 'how was practice', 'I'm glad it went well', and then you run back to your books."

"You know this is important to me. Besides, you're always with your Quidditch model, planning."

"Because I have the time since my girlfriend is never around."

"Okay, you and I both know you did that before I got this way."

"Maybe. Maybe not."

"There's no maybe about it, love. You spend most of your time with Quidditch so I turn to my research. I found a project to focus on so you're into Quidditch even more."

"Did you just hear yourself?" He demands.

"Yeah...when was the last time we had a date or just hung out together?" I ask.

"Sometime in September I think." He says, running his hand through his hair. "You want to be an Unspeakable and this could be your way in, I get that."

"And you want to be a professional Quidditch player." I say.

"I don't think we need to be together. I think we need to focus on our studies and our passions." Oliver says. I nod and bite my lip. He gently takes my chin and makes me look him in the eyes. "I still love you, Andrea, but we're not good together."

"We're not, are we?" I ask quietly. He steps forward and kisses my forehead, squeezing my hand.

"I'll leave you to it." He whispers before walking away. I look after him in confusion.

"He thinks I can focus after that? Has he completely lost it?" I demand of no one. I roll my eyes and pack everything up before heading back to the common room.

"Hey, how was the library?" Talia asks, looking up from her sketch book.

"Great until Oliver showed up and broke up with me." I say, slamming my bag onto the table she's sitting at.

"He did what?" She and Nikki demand.

"In his defense, we're both hyperfixated on different things to the point where we're after thoughts to each other." I defend and they roll their eyes.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm here aren't I?" I ask and they flinch. "I need chocolate."

"Come on. Let's get the boys and go to the kitchen." Nikki says, offering me her hand.

I spend that night relaxing next to the kitchen fire with my best friends.

"I have bad news." Jacob says as we get ready for Quidditch practice. I look at him, not moving my head since Talia's braiding my hair in some up-do she saw in a magazine that she wants to try. "Snape will refereeing our match against Gryffindor."

"Ow!" I exclaim as Talia accidently pulls my hair roughly.

"What?" Brooks demands.

"Why the bloody hell would he do that?" Nikki asks.

"Does he even know the first thing about Quidditch?" I ask.

"I don't know, but we will have to be careful. Snape may find any reason to foul Gryffindor, but we don't want to give him a reason to foul us." Jacob says.

"This is mad." Talia grumbles as she ties off my hair and steps back.

"Merlin this has to be the entire school." Cedric says the day of the Gryffindor versus Hufflepuff game.

"Even Dumbledore's here." Tommy says, looking over Cedric's shoulder.

"When's the last time that's happened?" I ask as I put on my gloves.

"Focus, guys. He won't stop Snape from being a cheating, disgusting slime ball." Jacob says.

"A shower might." Nikki says, making Talia and I chuckle.

"A couple thousand maybe." Brooks says. Jacob sighs deeply in exasperation.

On the pitch I eye Snape in disgust. I look away long enough to see similar looks on everyone's faces. Snape blows the whistle and we take to the air.

"And they're off! The Quaffle in Hufflepuff possession by Chaser Nikki Williams-and a penalty to Hufflepuff due to a Bludger sent Professor Snape's way by one of Gryffindor's Beaters!" Lee announces. I press my lips together and and shake with laughter at the twins. "Hufflepuff Chaser Tommy Stokes flies to the Gryffindor goal posts and throws it through as if it's nothing! Hufflepuff in possession!"

"I missed the git." George grumbles as he flies passed me. Now I laugh out loud.

"It seems there's a little friendly banter over by the goal posts by one of the Gryffindor Beaters and Hufflepuff's Keeper Andrea Prewett! Stokes passes the Quaffle to Williams who passes it to Chaser and Captain Jacob Mills; Merlin, can these three read minds or something? Gryffindor Chaser Alicia Spinnet steals the Quaffle and flies towards the goal posts!"

I watch as Alicia flies towards me and dive to swat the damn thing from the hoop.

"An excellent and extremely dangerous save by Prewett! Miss Andrea, dear, you're supposed to stay on the broom! And there goes the Gryffindor Seeker Harry Potter speeding across the field, and does he-YES! Gryffindor wins!"

"A hundred and fifty to ten." Jacob says as we land.

"A truly painful failure." I say.

"What were you and one of the Weasley clones talking about?" Tommy asks.

"How he aimed for Snape but missed." I say, making them laugh.

"Hey, we lost by one hundred and forty points-"

"Thank you, Jake, for the reminder." Talia says bitterly as she lets her hair down.

"That means that the Snitch is the only reason they won." He says.

"Remember the good old days when Charlie and Wood were the only things we had to worry about?" Nikki asks, messaging her wrist.

"Now we need to worry about the whole bloody team." I say.

"And we're not a team to be feared? Brooks and Talia are as seamless as the twins, Nikki and I know what the other is doing before we do it and Tommy has learned our social cues so he's in on our mini-conversations, Cedric is part-Niffler, and Andrea has yet to let a Quaffle in." Jacob says.

The rest of us look at one another before nodding.

"Ravenclaw still sucks and Slytherin is mediocre at best." Tommy offers up.

"Also true." Jacob says, pointing to the boy.