Someone Great, James S. Potter

VI

THE GAME WAS on: Slytherin versus Hufflepuff. What began as as beautiful, sunny day had soon turned into a downpour with dark clouds covering the skies. This seemed to reflect the way the game was going, at least from Slytherin's point of view.

What should have been a quick, easy win had turned into a grueling battle as each team scored back and forth, the snitch nowhere to be seen in the storm. Tensions were high as Sinclair called for a time out, steam practically coming out of his ears. The rain seemed to evaporate around him. Stevie stood up quickly from the bench as he approached.

"What the fuck is going on," he said, looking around at his team. "Stevenson, you're not running the plays correctly. Heart, you're barely staying on your broom. Fletcher, you're not flying fast enough to keep the bludgers away from my players—Maria almost got knocked out!"

There was a silence in which Sinclair caught his breath, his angry chest heaving up and down. Maria pursed her lips from beside him.

"What if we ran the Thimberlig Shuffle," she asked, placing her hands on top of her broom, "barely anyone does it anymore. It'd be unexpected."

"That would be good if any of the other chasers actually knew what the bloody hell they're doing," said Sinclair, folding his arms across his chest. "But it's the only good idea we've got, so let's do it. If any of you fuck this up, I'm going to have to put Wood in."

Stevie's gaze snapped to Sinclair, their eyes meeting for a second before he turned around, the rest of the team following him back onto the Pitch.

"And after a short break, the Serpents return to the Pitch," said Hugo Granger-Weasley, his blue and bronze scarf muffling his voice. "Hopefully they can regain their advantage from the beginning of the match before their long series of blunders..."

Sinclair looked like he was about to fly up to the Commentator's box and punch Hugo in the face, but then Madam Holloway blew her whistle, and the match resumed.

"Hufflepuff has possession! Lewis passes to Abrams, Abrams to Moore, Moore to—Kim steals. Slytherin possession!"

The emerald section of the stadium cheered. Stevie watched nervously from the bench.

"They seem to be in some sort of formation," said Hugo, curiousness evident in his voice. "No, it can't be—the Slytherin chasers are attempting the Thimberlig Shuffle! Kim to Stevenson, Stevenson to Heart, Heart to Kim! My head is spinning..."

Stevie's stomach was in knots as she watched her teammates flying in the sky, resembling three juggling balls. It was going so well, but then Stevenson kept getting closer to Heart, and Heart's broom brushed Maria's, and Stevenson's shoulder slammed into Maria's stomach, sending her off her broom.

The whole stadium seemed to gasp at once, everything happening too quickly to save Maria, whose body fell onto the soft grass with a sickening crack. Stevie was running before Madam Holloway blew her whistle, panting when she finally reached Maria, whose leg and arm were in the wrong directions. Stevie forced herself to look away.

"Maria," Stevie said, patting the girl on her cheek. "Mar, hey, it's Stevie. Open your eyes, come on."

Maria's eyes flitted open, her brows knitted together in pain, "What happened," she asked, pulling her head up to look at her body. She instantly fell back down.

"You fell off your broom," said Stevie. "About five feet."

Sinclair was screaming at Heart and Stevenson a few feet away, and the rest of the team was in between Sinclair and Maria, not knowing who to watch.

"I think my leg is broken," said Maria, her voice full of fear, "and my arm."

"Yeah," said Stevie, looking around nervously, "I don't Know. Madam March should be here soon."

Maria nodded, her eyes drooping again, "I'm just going to rest...take a nap" she said.

Stevie nodded, her leg shaking anxiously as she waited until Madam March came, conjuring a stretcher for the girl to be laid down on. Stevie wanted, more than anything, to stay with Maria, but she knew that the game would still go on.

And with Maria gone, Stevie was the only Chaser they had left.

________

STEVIE WAS FURIOUS, absolutely fuming, actually, as she stomped into the Changing Room, her uniform covered in mud, her hair matted with sweat. Scorpius filed in after her, his already pinched-looking face twisted in anger. Though no one's anger could compare to Sinclair's, who was already terrorizing his Beaters.

"That was the worse game we've ever fucking played," he fumed, his pale face blanched red as a tomato. "We all know Maria is good, but under no circumstance should the team fall apart in her absence."

"Tell that to Stevie," mumbled Stevenson.

"What'd you say," said Stevie, her voice dangerously low. "Neither of you passed to me once, and I was open the entire fucking time! You can't blame your stupidity and incompetence on me. That's your fucking problem."

Stevenson rolled his eyes, though red quickly spread across his cheeks. Sinclair nodded, pulling Stevenson and Heart to the back of the room. His screams could be heard from the Astronomy Tower.

Stevie showered quickly, not wanting to spend any more time in the room than necessary. She stopped only to tell Scorpius he did well before packing her things up and leaving, not speaking a word to the rest of her team.

As she walked out onto the Pitch, she was instantly showered with rain, her sweater getting soaked through quickly. She ran quickly to the exit, squinting her eyes to see a few people waiting at the exit, each of them under the safety of a small umbrella.

As she got closer, she recognized the three figures as Otto, Sunny, and her dad. Sunny immediately wrapped Stevie in a tight hug, nearly squeezing the air out of her lungs.

"Does anyone know how Mar is doing," Stevie asked, patting Sunny on the back before releasing her.

"March isn't allowing visitors," said Otto, "but her family's with her."

"Oh," said Stevie, "that's good."

"I know it's not how you'd've liked it to happened," said Oliver, "but you got to play!"

"Yeah," said Stevie, "but Heart and Stevenson were being bloody idiots."

"Most boys are," said Oliver, smiling softly. He wrapped Stevie in a quick, warm hug. "I've got to go catch the train, but I'll be here for your next match. I promise."

Stevie hummed and nodded, watching as her father rushed off through the rain. "Let's get inside," she said, shivering in her wet sweater.

Otto shed his raincoat, wrapping it around Stevie as the three of them walked back to the castle, their shoes splashing in the puddles, in a comfortable silence.

_______

NOTE.

rip Maria's limbs, but hello Stevie's playing time! i am evil.