Enchanted By The Thought

THIRTY: WIN SOME LOSE SOME

I thought you were healing me but no, you broke me even more

The next day at breakfast, Draco wasn't at the table. Beth was still caught up in Pansy's apology. Her fingers drummed the table absentmindedly and she sighed deeply, wondering what she could've meant. And why hadn't Blaise been surprised to see her with Draco? Had he told them? "Hey, earth to Beth." Fingers snapped in her face and she jumped, startled.

Kat and Maggie were both staring at her, looking concerned. "Are you okay?" Kat asked quietly and Beth forced a smile, nodding. She hated lying to them, she just wanted to blurt out the truth the them. She was a shitty friend for keeping secrets from them. "We were thinking, Beth." Kat started and shared a look with Maggie.

"Well, you disappeared yesterday after Malfoy and Harry got into that duel. Were you there?" Maggie put in, staring at her friend. Beth forced herself to remain calm; she knew that they were scrutinizing her expression. "Beth?"

"What?" She spoke, forcing a laugh. "No. I mean yes. Well, I went looking for Harry because I felt his anger, you know? I got worried. Although I couldn't locate him and then I remembered how useless our bond actually was so I went up to the tower to think. You know? Clear my mind." She rambled, hoping that they would take her bait. They shared a look and she knew they didn't believe her. "You're right, I was there. I wanted to help Draco but I knew I couldn't, not with Harry there. So I ran the opposite direction and Hagrid found me." She lied and both of them looked more satisfied. Phew.

That night, Harry told them that he couldn't play in the next Quidditch match. Beth groaned and buried her head in her arms. They needed Harry to win. Without him, they were as good as a lost cause. "I want Elizabeth to play Seeker. Dean, you're back on playing Chaser."

Beth's head shot up from her arms and she stared at her brother. Dean looked content and Beth was shocked. Harry wanted her to play Seeker? "Uh, no. I can't. I'm a Chaser." Beth spluttered and Harry silenced her with a look.

"You're agile enough." Harry answered truthfully. "And there's nothing to it. I know you've watched me in games before. Just remember my tactics."

"Harry! I haven't watched you this whole season because I'm busy trying to throw the ball through the hoops!" She objected and the team erupted into laughter. Harry rolled his eyes, grinning. "We're going to lose if I play Seeker. I'm warning you."

"Have faith." He replied and put his hand on her back. "If not for yourself, for the team. Right?"

~

The day of the match, Beth was nervous. Her stomach was rolling and she felt as if she were going to puke. "You'll do great, Beth." Her friends assured her before heading to the stands. What if she lost the match? Her brother should've been here, not her. She was better at being a Chaser, not a Seeker.

Beth groaned at her thoughts and cleared her mind, wanting a clear head. The team walked out of the locker rooms and the crowd exploded with cheers. Beth felt sick to her stomach and wanted to hurl. When Madam Hooch blew her whistle, Beth kicked off the ground, inhaling deeply. Her eyes looked around for the snitch, trying to locate it. She noticed that Cho Chang was waiting for her to take off. Leech. The golden glimmer caught Beth's eyes and she leaned forward, nuding her broom towards it. She dove, pressing herself flat against the handle of her broom. She twisted and turned, dodging Bludgers and players alike. Cho was right on her tail, following her. Wanting to lose her, Beth yanked her broom up and swerved towards the sky, spiraling. Cho followed, looking confused. Just as Beth had hoped, Cho lost sight of her as she flew into the sun. But Beth lost sight of the snitch. She allowed herself to fall back and turned in the air, pulling up to avoid being smacked with a Bludger.

The crowd roared as Ginny scored, all of them stamping their approval. Beth braked and watched the game, wishing she were down there scoring. Her eyes swept the players and she saw the snitch hovering between two Ravenclaw Chasers. She leaned foward, shooting towards them, and extended a hand. The Ravenclaws screamed and scattered, afraid that she was going to run into them. Her distraction caused Ginny to score and she was welcomed with hoots and hollers. Beth pursued the snitch, her eyes narrowed to slits. Cho was suddenly back on her tail and that moment of distraction caused the snitch disappear again. Beth growled low in her throat, twisting in the air to shoot off in a different direction. How did Harry do this?

A glance at the scoreboard told her that the game was now seventy to fourty. She gritted her head and scoured the crowds, her eyes narrowed as she searched for that little glint of gold. There. She watched as Cho spotted it at the exact same time and now it was a race.

Everyone was watching the two seekers. They were racing, both of their hands outstretched for the gold blur. Beth urged her broom to go faster, to be quicker. Cho was right beside her, her black hair streaming out behind her. Beth jerked her broom sideways and Cho squealed, jerking her own broom away and falling back. Beth lurched forward and snatched the snitch, her fingers interlocking around the cool metal. She pulled up, raising her arm in the air to show her victory. The Gryffindor supporters erupted, their roars deafening. Beth was grinning from ear to ear and she made a show of doing a few twists in the air before she landed. Everyone was streaming down from the stands, eager to reach her. Hands were patting her back, voices congratulating her. She did it; she'd won for them. The snitch was beating its wings furiously in her hand but she paid no mind to it.

Beth was placed upon Dean's and McLaggen's shoulders. She lifted her arms in victory, grinning widely. The crowd was crying her name and she yelled. "Who's the team that wins all day?"

"Gryffindor! Gryffindor!" They shouted back.

"We'll smash your team and take your dream!"

"Gryffindor! Gryffindor!"

When they got to the common room, they started celebrating with food. Beth waited for Harry to come, wanting to share her victory. The portrait swung open and in walked an anxious Harry; she felt his anxiety. Immediately, the whole room started cheering. Ginny ran up to him and kissed him right on the lips, in front of everyone. It went silent for a heartbeat before the roar returned. Beth giggled and rolled her eyes, feeling the bombs of happiness going off in her brother. A glance around told Beth that Dean had a shattered glass in his hand and Romilda Vane looked as though she wanted to hit something. Ron gave a curt nod to Harry and she felt the nervousness in her brother disappear. "I thought those two would've never got together." Maggie whispered to Kat and Beth and they all giggled.

Ginny looked absolutely happy and Harry lead her out of the room. Beth wished there was some way that she could cut off her connection to her brother; no way did she want to dream about kissing Ginny. Not that her friend wasn't attractive or anything.

Beth grabbed one of the butterbeers and took a drink, proud of herself. She'd been just as good as her twin, if not better. She turned around, a smile on her face and she saw Maggie and Kat staring at her with pity in their eyes. Her smile faded and she walked over to them, worried. "What's wrong?" She asked softly and Kat burst into tears, hugging her friend.

"Oh Beth! I'm so sorry!" Her friend sobbed into Beth's shoulder and she looked up at Maggie, who looked just as upset. "We know. We know that you and Draco are back together again. And now you need to know the truth before you give him another chance. The real reason why he started noticing you."

Beth's heart stopped beating and her chest grew cold at her friend's words. "What?"