When Stars Collide

Born a Snake

Draco and I did not make any big changes in how we acted after that, but I guess you could say we were friends. We talked at the dining table. We laughed more together. And when it annoyed Pansy we laughed about that too. I didn't really talk like I did when we were at home, but I didn't shut him down when he talked to me the way I sometimes do with other people. I really liked that he knew the difference.

The biggest thing we had going for our friendship was Quidditch. I still helped the team. Not so much in broom maintenance now. They figured out the dynamics and were able to treat their own brooms with more care to get the best out of them so they didn't really need me. What they needed me for was my ability to remember every single play the teams made and help set up their miniature Quidditch set so that Flint could study it made me valuable to them in a whole new way. I could also recall what the announcers had said so I could fully recreate the experience.

My boys and I spent hours like this. At every other House's game one of them would take me up, usually Draco unless Flint wanted me to see it from a different player's perspective, and I would watch. I never really grew to like the game exactly, but I understood it better than the fans did for sure.

It was gratifying to see my gift for memory being used for more than shopping lists, finding things and cheap parlor tricks. I felt useful. To more than just myself that is. My Gringotts account had certainly grown by a modest amount. My ten initial galleons had turned to thirty, which I promptly reinvested, accompanied by another lovely letter from the Spudmore brothers. When they found out their letters were going to Hogwarts they assumed I was a teacher and started addressing it to "Professor Alya Weasley" I saw no reason to correct them. It didn't really matter to me. This letter was from Randolph Spudmore, it turns out he had taken over the company. He offered to let me start investing in the goblin ironworks as I was an early investor of the hazel groves. This would be much pricier, ten galleons a share, more than twice the initial investment, but worth it if they paid off. I sold my shares of the hazel groves and purchased three shares of the iron works. The whole time worried that those blasted goblins would go on strike again. They had better not! I would be completely wiped if they did!

But back to Quidditch. My stupid brother cost me my first detention over the game and his big stupid mouth. Draco and I were just flying back down after watching Gryffindor beat Ravenclaw. It was a good game as far as games go. Harry caught the snitch in a timely if not flashy manner. Watching from our vantage point I think he caught it because the Ravenclaw seeker, Cho was too busy watching something else.

When Draco set us down he turned to me "What did you think of Potter's strategy this game?"

I pulled off the extra pair of his gloves he had loaned me "I don't think it would work for you."

He frowned "Why not? I can do anything Potter can do."

I smiled at him teasingly "Oh? Can you get Harry to watch you instead of the snitch all game?"

We both laughed and he threw his arm around my shoulders "I don't know Weasley, I did buy a new brand of hair gel." Neither of us had noticed that Harry, Ron and Hermione along with the entire Gryffindor Quidditch team were behind us. Flint and a few of our boys had come out to meet us as usual.

I heard Ron's voice behind me "You sure never bothered to sit your prissy ass on a broomstick to help your own brothers out in a Quidditch match. I guess Fred and George were right, you have been a snake from birth."

Even Harry and Hermione seemed shocked by Ron's sneering comment.

Flint, Miles and Draco froze. I knew they wouldn't stay that way for long. Sooner or later they would react. It would likely be sooner rather than later. Fred and George told Ron he was bang out of line.