In his shadow

Chapter 16. Cheer try-outs

Harry POV

"Come now Harry, or we are going to be late for the try-outs!" Alek shouted, pulling me behind him. We were on our way to the cheer-try outs, and Alek was set on entering one of the three cheer groups.
He kept on blabbering on how great the cheer teams were and how he had always dreamed of entering, but had never wanted to do it himself. 

"There are the Sharan, the Zlatna Ribka and the Pŭstŭrva. The Sharan have been the best for like, forever and I really want to be part of their team. Especially because this year we have our little contest in cheering. Look, there is the training field, let's go over there!" he chirped, pulling me over to one of the three big groups on the green field.
 "Harry, I'm going to watch you from under the tree, okay?" Victor told me, jogging over to a willow. In that short time, I had already lost Aleksandr in the crowd. 

I saw a big sign with 'Sharan' written on them, and I guessed that he must have gone over there. And there he was, talking to someone.
"Harry, come over here!" he shouted, and I scurried over to him. He introduced me to Nadeja, the captain of the Sharan, and they talked about the plans for this year.
"Actually, we are searching for a flyer, and you look just like we could need you. Alek, be a good boy and go over there, to the middle layers, yeah?" Nadeja told Alek, who happily jumped over to another group. Somehow, I got a strange feeling from her. She pulled me over to a bunch of people. 

"Hey, would you try him out as a flyer, would you? Thanks." she asked a buff dude, a Beta, that nodded at her, and grabbed me by the arm.
"So, pup. You just let Luka over there lift you up, and just stay calm, okay?" he told me, gesturing over to a lean Alpha.
Me, still speechless, stumbled over to him, and the group of people got into position. The Alpha grabbed me by the hips and pulled me in the air, pushing me to the group.
My first inner instinct told me to move, but Buffy had told me to stay calm, and after a second they caught me in their arms, and I was somehow standing on one of them, while another had his arm around my waist, I think. They let me down again. 

"Nadeja, he is a good one! Should I put him over to the tryers?" Buffy said, and Nadeja nodded. I was pushed over to some other people, and a woman was talking to the group in Bulgarian, so I was looking around to see Alek, so he could explain this whole thing to me.
And I found him, but he wasn't happy anymore, but crying under the willow with Victor. 

I ran over to them, wanting to check on my friend.
How could I leave him alone?!
I should have stayed with him, instead of wandering off and getting thrown around by strange people. I reached them and gave Alek a big hug.
"Hey, what happened?" I asked, while he pushed his head into my chest.
"They told me-e t-that they w-w-would never t-take me, b-because I-I'm so heavy and clumsy a-and I don-t-t even know w-why I even tried!" he was stuttering because he was sobbing so much. 

And each word got me angrier.

Even though I had known Alek for only some weeks, I knew that he was always bubbly, and he didn't take shit from anyone.

And if he was crying, they must have told him more than that he was too heavy for the sport or too clumsy. I would bet they told him a bunch of lies and insulted him. I grabbed Alek and pulled him up. Suddenly I felt someone behind me. 

"Harry, where are you going?"
"Leaving, there are other teams I want to try today. One that doesn't insult my friend." 

I told Nadeja, giving her an angry look. She sighed, grabbing my shoulder.
"Harry, you will soon notice that some cheer teams are better than others. I could help you make the right choice."
I pulled away from my shoulder, even angrier. 

"Thank you, but I am choosing my cheer team myself." I turned around, and let her stand in the middle of the field, pulling Alek behind me again.
"Come, let's go! If they don't want you, we are going to leave. I am sure the other ones will take the opportunity to get such a great boy in their team. Look, here are the Zlatna Ribka." 

I helped Alek clear his eyes and went deeper into the new cheer group. An older girl came over to us, and she waved me over to her.
"Hi there, my name is Eva, founder of the Zlatna Ribka, or goldfish, might be eaiser to pronounce for you.
I thought you might be interested to join our team. Hey, don't cry, we aren't going to hurt you." she said, giving Alek a hug and guiding us over to some other people.
"Do you have a plan what you want to do, like are you more of a dancer, or are you more interested in the pyramids and columns, or is it okay if we just sort you in?" she asked next, and I just shrugged.

"The Sharans over there made me try out as a flyer, I think..."
"Would you like to try again?" I nodded. Even though I didn't quite understand what was going on, I somehow had fun doing it.
"Don't know..." Alek mumbled, having lost all his confidence. The girl-or rather woman- came nearer to us, and I smelled that she was an Alpha. 

"What's your name?" she asked.
"Alek."
"Alek, have you ever flown a broom?" Alek nodded.
"Can I pick you up for a second?" Eva grabbed him by his waist and lifted him up like it was nothing. 

"Light. Could you flex your arm muscles?" Alek did so while she kept one hand on his upper arm. "Do you know where the Quidditch field is. Go there, but don't let the Sharans see you. There you are doing some special tryouts, and the pyramid tryouts."
Eva gave us a wink and send us off. 

Now, Alek had his motivation back, pulling us to the Quidditch pitch and as if this was all planned, Alek was pulled away from me by a boy to some brooms, where I was again trying this whole flyer thing.
This time they told me to some more interesting stuff than to just let me fly through the air. 

"If all British Omegas are as light as you, then we should invite all into our team!" One of them laughed, while dropping me to the ground.
"We are having training on Friday in the afternoon, there we will give you your uniform. Might as well tell your friend when he is back on the ground." They told, me, and it was only now that I realized that Alek had taken off with some other people up into the air with brooms.
They weren't flying high, just enough that I would be able to stand under them, and Alek was jumping from one to the next broom, really happy.

 Fuck this oh so great Sharans, this was thousand times better.

A/N: I know, cheering is something American, but I thought why not, Durmstrang is a really open-minded school!
I also never cheered (might be because I am not American), so I will form this cheerleading after my ideas.

Secondly, I want to update often in the next time, because I have been slacking at school a bit, and my mom is slightly pissed.

Question of today:

What do you think is Eva's and Nadeja's connection, if there is one?

MeineKeime