Venus

69- Christmas Party

Harry had managed to schedule Quidditch practices every time that Slughorn arranged a dinner meeting which both Ginny and Venus we're thankful for, the dinners were boring and stuffy and Venus didn't enjoy them at all.

However just before the first Quidditch match of the season Katie Bell was given a cursed necklace and ended up in the hospital wing, which meant that they were one Chaser down.

Harry invited Dean Thomas to fill Katie's spot because he was the next best in tryouts.

They had one of the worst practices yet that night. The Beaters were improving and the three Chasers worked well together. The main problem was Ron. Venus was storming towards the goalposts and then was punched in the face by Ron.

"I'm sorry Ve." Ron was apologising profusely when they landed. "It was an accident."

"Here I'll fix that." Harry gestured to Venus's broken nose.

Venus however was unresponsive. She had just about been able to land on the grass and sit down before she began shaking again.

"Hey." Ginny put her hand on Venus's shoulder, "you're okay."

Harry fixed her nose whilst she sat there and Ginny pulled her sister in for a hug. "You're okay Venus, everything is fine."

********

Ron was getting overprotective of his two sisters, so much so that when he found Ginny and Dean kissing he yelled at Ginny, and essentially told her that she wasn't aloud to date.

Out of annoyance Venus made a point of kissing Neville in front of Ron, which just riled up the older Weasley even more.

With the first match approaching they were training harder and Mali bounced in the common room one night and announced that McGonagall had asked her to do the commentary for the match as Lee Jordan had left at the end of last year.

Mali made some very colourful commentary during the match and this seemed to spur the Gryffindor team on.

Ron made some truly excellent saves and the Gryffindor crowd were roaring some choruses of the adapted version of Weasley is our King, which Ron proceeded to conduct.

When Harry caught the snitch Gryffindor were leading 60-0, all of the goals having been scored by Venus and Ginny.

There was a party in the Gryffindor common room, with food that was gathered from the kitchens. Neville and Venus sat by the fire, talking and eating.

"Have you two seen Ron?" Harry asked.

"He's over in the corner," Venus pointed to where Ron was in the middle of a fierce make out session with Lavender Brown, "the filthy hippocrite."

"It looks like he's eating her face doesn't it." Ginny was leaning on the sofa beside Venus, "I suppose he's got to perfect his technique somehow."

********

Christmas was fast approaching, and the fifth years had more and more homework piled on them. Venus had also been invited to Slughorn's Christmas party.

Of course she was taking Neville to the party which was the day before term finished. Slughorn was certainly well connected, his attendees varied from Order of Merlin receivers to Quidditch players.

Neville ended up talking excitedly with a Herbologist who Slughorn had invited to the party. Venus was cornered by a man who was interested in interviewing her about the Werewolf attack and how she survived it.

"People would be really interested to hear a first hand account of a Werewolf attack." He insisted.

"I don't really like reliving it." Venus rubbed the back of her neck. At that very moment someone smashed a plate and Venus froze up.

"Hey." Neville had noticed her tense posture, "it's okay, everything is fine." He had noticed that this was happening to her more and more over the past few months. She was jumpy and froze up at any loud noises. Normally it just took someone to reassure her that everything was okay.

"I'm okay." She said eventually.

Neville slipped his hand into hers, "I know."

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~Em xx