Crescent Moons ; J.S. Potter

60. daisy's final catch.

The day had come.

Daisy had spent all her life playing Quidditch. She had even learned how to ride a toy broom before she had learned how to walk. She had caught her first real Snitch at age three. She had joined the Gryffindor team at twelve. She had won her first Quidditch Cup at fifteen. She had won her first game as a Captain at sixteen.

And now, after everything, she was faced with the task of winning the Quidditch Cup for Gryffindor—for the very last time.

The game was against Slytherin, which almost seemed out of a movie. Gryffindor and Slytherin were the biggest rivals, both the founders and the houses. And Daisy had to beat them at ten o'clock in the morning.

Naturally, she was awake at six. She had slept at eight o'clock the night before to stay energized. The past two weeks included practices every other day and reviewing plays on the days that they didn't have practice. She had spent all of yesterday thinking about Quidditch and talking to her teammates. She hadn't even had time to study even once, which was mad considering the N.E.W.Ts were in two weeks.

Daisy threw on her Quidditch uniform and put her lucky red and gold scrunchie onto her wrist. Marlee and Gwen were still fast asleep, though Marlee would have to be up at seven as a part of the team. Daisy pat her pygmypuff on the head and bolted down the stairs.

This time, rather than rushing out onto the pitch, she swerved right and began climbing the stairs to the boys' dormitories. She had always found it hilarious how the boys couldn't go to the girls' dormitories, but the girls could go to the boys' dormitories. Now, she was especially grateful that the stairs didn't turn into a slide as she trudged up them.

As Head Girl, she probably shouldn't have been going to the boys' dormitories, but yesterday at dinner, whilst Daisy was in the midst of panic-reviewing the plays, James had told her, "I'll practice with you tomorrow morning if you'd like."

Of course, he probably meant that he'd practice with her after breakfast at, say, eight o'clock, but Daisy wanted company and she needed James to keep her from spiraling too hard.

She reached the dormitories and went straight for the seventh-year room. This room only housed James, Thomas, and Benjamin, due to a very uneven sorting seven years back. When Daisy swung open the door, she was met with soft snores from all three boys, making her chuckle quietly.

Daisy closed the door behind her and crept over to the right bed, which had James sleeping atop it. He was wearing nothing but blue plaid pajama pants, which made her feel very flustered and panicked. He was breathing softly and Daisy almost felt bad waking him up.

Almost.

She tapped him on his shoulder, which had no response.

"James!" she whisper-shouted. Nothing. "James, wake up!"

Daisy shook him slightly, then a little harder, until he finally stirred.

"James, wake up!"

"What'sgoingon?"

He rubbed his eyes and looked straight up at Daisy. He tilted his head.

"Daisy?" he muttered. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, last night you said you'd practice with me," explained Daisy, "and I know it's six o'clock, but the early bird gets the worm, you know! In this case, the worm is the Quidditch Cup, which we must get! So, let's—"

"I'm sorry, I didn't understand any of that," interrupted James with a yawn. Daisy groaned quietly. "You look really pretty. Have I ever told you that before?"