Coup de Foudre [Fred Weasley] [5]

⚡️ Chapter 67 ⚡️

The final match of the Quidditch season – Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw – was to take place on the last weekend of May. Although Slytherin had been narrowly defeated by Hufflepuff in their last match, Gryffindor was not daring to hope for victory, due mainly to Ron's abysmal goalkeeping record, though nobody said it to him out of courtesy that might he try to give it up entirely. He, however, seemed to have found a new optimism.

"I mean, I can't get any worse, can I?" Ron told Vega, Harry and Hermione grimly over breakfast on the morning of the match. "Nothing to lose now, is there?"

Harry and Hermione parted ways from Vega and Ron as they stepped out onto the school grounds through the Entrance Hall doors. It was a fine, clear day and Vega didn't say anything to Ron until they had reached the halfway to the changing rooms.

"You know, you're right," Vega spoke up. "That you can't get any worse than you already are,"

"Vega, are you insulting me?" Ron asked, turning red in embarrassment.

"No, no, you don't get it," Vega replied. "I agree with what you said early, and it's okay if you're horrible and at the bottom of the pile – because from there, the only way is up and you need to show it to everyone that you're not going to lose,"

"You're right," Ron said. "But –"

"Block everything or your mother might scold you for this," Vega responded. "Listen – just focus blocking everything and anything, and I will make sure to end this game as soon as possible,"

There was nothing more to say at the changing rooms and Vega quietly dressed herself in the Gryffindor Quidditch uniform and joined her team as they went onto the field, standing across from the Ravenclaws. Vega didn't look toward Cho, who was standing right across from her, and just kept her eyes off to the stands.

Lee Jordan, who had been quite as dispirited as Vega since Fred and George had left, was commentating as usual. As the teams zoomed out onto the pitches, he named the players with something less than his usual gusto –

"... Bradley ... Davies ... Chang...
Gryffindors!
Captain Johnson... Chasers Weasley... Bell Beaters Kirke and Sloper...
Keeper Weasley... Seeker Lestrange..."

Vega zoomed into the sky to look for the Golden Snitch and glanced toward Ron to see how nervous he was. She sighed and concentrated on her job to end this nightmare for Ron – although she wished he would stop doing that when he had been the one so eager to join team. It was the same with being a Prefect as well.

Sometimes, what you want isn't what you need.

"And they're off!" Lee commentated. "And Davies takes the Quaffle immediately, Ravenclaw Captain Davies with the Quaffle, he dodges Johnson, he dodges Bell, he dodges Weasley as well... he's going straight for goal! He's going to shoot – and – and –" Lee swore very loudly. "And he's scored,"

"That's alright!" Vega called out forcibly from above, flying higher and higher into the air. "You can do it – don't listen to anyone else!"

Predictably, horribly, the Slytherins on the stands began to sing:

Weasley cannot save a thing,
He cannot block a single ring...

It was then that Vega caught the glint of the Snitch, and she rushed toward it, and there was fluttering sound that told her that Cho was following closely after her. Vega knew that Cho was doing her usual tactic of copying the actions of the other Seeker. And while Vega knew that Harry and Cedric were the types to get distracted by a pretty Ravenclaw Seeker, she wasn't the same as either of the two boys.