Extended Family

Chapter 38: Family Rivals

Takes place during Harry's rookie year, after graduating from Hogwarts

"You look worse than you did at your debut game."

Harry looked up and smiled wanly.  "Do I?"

Miranda nodded.  "Just a bit.  You've played two games since; you still got the jitters?"

"A little.  There're so many people at each game it's really overwhelming sometimes but that's not the reason why this time."  He rubbed the back of his neck.  "Guess I'm more nervous about who we're playing."

"Ah."  Miranda nodded and sat on the bench beside him.  "Playing against your friend."

"Big sister in all but blood really," Harry said.  "It feels different than Hogwarts where I got friendly with players on other teams.  Angelina was my captain and she taught me a lot and well, you know."  He shrugged a little.  "I'm not making sense, am I?"

"You are," Miranda said soothingly, patting his arm.  "It's tough.  The first time I went against a former teammate in the League I was a right mess too.  She and I were close friends and we just didn't have the luck to be picked for the same team."

"What happened?"

"We won and she hated my guts for years.  I thought she was being a petulant bitch and a sore loser so I didn't try to fix things.  It took a while before we became friends again."  She blinked at Harry's horrified face.  "That's not to say that that's going to happen to you and your friend though."

Harry buried his face into his hands.  "Is it too late to sub out for Shelia?"

"Since she's at home with her baby, yes," Miranda said.  "And my situation was like the worst-case scenario.  I played another friend a week later and he won and we were honestly fine with it.  I have no doubt that you two will be just fine.  My first case friend was horrifically competitive."

"Angelina is super competitive," Harry moaned.

"Okay, maybe a tiny doubt.  Like super tiny.  Extraordinarily tiny."  Miranda patted his arm again.

"Coach, why are you demoralizing the Seeker?" Tanya asked.

"I was trying to give comforting advice and as you can see, I failed miserably."

"Stick with Quidditch stuff Coach," Tanya sighed.  "Okay, let me take over.  Shoo."  Tanya snorted at Miranda's eyeroll and plopped down beside Harry.  "Hey Harry, what's up?"

"I'm about to go play against Angelina and I love her and I'm worried if we win she will hate me forever like Coach's friend and if she hates me forever then when we play against Puddlemere my other old first captain will hate me forever too and I will have to quit Quidditch and cry forever."

Tanya blinked.  "Wow, you said that in one breath.  Already bucko, chin up.  From what you've told me about your friends, they are professionals.  They know better than to take what happens in the game personally and you guys are really close, right?"  She smiled when he nodded.  "Then I doubt anything bad will happen."  Her eyes narrowed.  "You're not thinking of flubbing, are you?"

"To be honest, I briefly entertained the thought," he admitted quietly.

Tanya snorted.  "Good thing you said that to me and not to Coach or else you'd be screamed at right now.  Don't flub it, your friends will be even more angry.  Look, play your best and take care of what happens after okay?  It'll be alright."