Belladonna

The Quidditch Final

Belladonna 27

The Quidditch Final

14 May 1994

"There you are! Hurry it up will you? We've been waiting," Marcus Flint said with an exaggerated eye roll.

"Sorry. My hair wasn't cooperating this morning," Ana said while she and Sadie were still trying to tuck some of the more unruly strands away.

"Hair? This is why girls shouldn't play Quidditch."

"I dare you to try and find another chaser this late in the season who's even half as good as I am," Ana shot back easily, silencing Marcus.

It was the morning of the Quidditch final, and as was tradition, the Slytherin team gathered in the common room to go down to breakfast together. In the few weeks since Ana had made amends with Professor Lupin, she felt much more herself then she had all year. She now had a new goal, a new aim to strive for: learning to brew the Wolfsbane Potion. She never wanted Professor Lupin to go without it again.

"Why don't you just cut it?" Bole said as they headed off.

"Are you mad?" Graham defended. "Her hair is one of the best things about her!"

"Actually," Ana began, giving Graham a pointed look. "I've tried, but Sev won't allow it."

As great as things had become between Ana and Professor Lupin, they remained tense between her and Sev. She tried asking him only once more to show her how to brew Wolfsbane, and he refused again. Ana was not going to let that stop her.

When they entered the Great Hall, the Slytherin table erupted in tumultuous applause. They stood and either clapped or whistled their praise loudly and obnoxiously. Graham quickly reached down and took Ana's hand, while waving with the other to his friends. Ana rolled her eyes but went along with it.

On a little pedestal on the dais sat the Quidditch Cup, shinning in all its silver splendor. Ana broke away from Graham and the rest of the team to go see the cup up close.

"She's a pretty little lass, isn't she, Professor?" Ana asked looking right at McGonagall.

McGonagall pursed her lips. "She'd look prettier sitting in my office."

"Nah, I don't think so. We have this perfect shelf in the common room that she likes to sit on."

McGonagall scowled. "Take a seat, Miss Evans. You'll need a good breakfast this morning."

"Don't you want to wish me luck, Professor?"

"Not particularly, no."

"Aww, come on. You know I'm your favorite Slytherin. No point in trying to deny it."

Sitting next to McGonagall, Lupin laughed. "Someone's rather chipper this morning."

"Why shouldn't I be? It's a beautiful day for a bit of Quidditch. It will be even more so when we take this pretty lady back."

"Careful now, don't count your quaffle before it scores." Lupin grinned.

"There are two things in this life, Professor, that I never doubt. The first is my brilliant talent and future career as the youngest Potions Master ever." She gave a tight, pointed smile towards Sev, but he didn't respond.