✓ Dragons #wattys2016

four

❝Take it from a guy: If you're in love with somebody, you will swim the stream, you will climb the mountain, you will slay the dragon. You're going to get to her somehow, some way❞

-Phil McGraw

It was the day of the Quidditch match and Ellie was freaking out. It wasn't that she didn't think her team was ready, it was that she didn't think she was ready.

"Calm down El," Maggie said exchanging a look with James. The two of them were in the locker room with her. The team had not arrived yet and she needed to be ready when they did. "You're gonna throw yourself into a panic attack."

"I know, I know," she said, her hands gripping the bench below her. She should not be this worried. She'd been playing Quidditch for as long as she could remember and had been on the team since her second year. But she had never been captain.

She was in charge. Her players had to work together, but it was her job to make sure they were prepared.

"The whole team'll do great," James said grinning down at her. "You have nothing to worry about. You're all great players and you've been practicing hard. Now, you should get ready to kick some Gryffindor arse!"

Ellie grinned shakily up at the two of them. "Thanks guys."

She shooed them out and started changing, waiting as her team started to filter in. There were three other girls and four boys: only the best of the best.

They all changed and she gave a short speech, motivating them to do their best and win. Most importantly win. It was the first game of the season and they needed to do well. She was afraid the team's performance might go down as the year went on.

The exited and took their positions on the Pitch.

"Captains come forward," Madam Hooch said and she brought herself forward. Charlie was also coming forward but had his head turned as someone on his team shouted from behind him. He nodded and turned his head, stretching out his hand at the same time.

He stopped.

Ellie's pretty sure she saw his jaw drop in surprise before he tried to act casual.

"Elisha! You're Hufflepuff captain?"

"Why, scared Weasley?" She teased with a grin.

He scoffed.

She held out her hand and he took it, his larger hand covered in just as many calluses as hers. It was much bigger than hers was though and for several seconds most of her hand disappeared. She bit down on her lip, the nervous butterflies returning to her stomach as she stared at their hands.

"Good luck."

"I think you'll need the luck," he said in response smirking at her and she jerked her hand away, pulling her broom back so she was back where she needed to be to start. He did the same and they were all set.

"I want a nice clean game, understood!" Ellie nodded even though she knew she didn't need to and soon the Snitch and Bludgers were being released. Madam Hooch bent down, picked up the Quaffle, and threw it up, blowing her whistle at the same time.

Ellie launched forward, but the Gryffindor team got the Quaffle first and soon they were racing around the Pitch.

She could hear Devon and Jane, who were supposed to be commentating on the game, arguing. She blocked them out. She had the Quaffle and she was flying, flying like a dragon. A dragon free and wild.

"Wood!" Both her and Oliver turned their heads and saw one of the other Hufflepuff chaser's open and in perfect position to score. She threw it and he caught and threw it and...THEY SCORED!