Megan Potter - A Saga of the Heart - Book 6 - Dark Temptation-

Chapter 32 - Bursting point

The rest of the lesson went with no further mention of Slughorn's party. And Megan watched them for the next few days, but aside from being a little more formal than was natural, they seemed to act like nothing was wrong. Megan figured she would just have to see what happened. But she had more pressing problems: Katie had not been released from St Mungo's, and it didn't seem like she would be for a while, and the first match was drawing near. So she had to choose a replacement. She was only grateful it wasn't Ron. If he'd been the one out of commission, McLaggen would have hounded her until she let him play. The very idea made her want to gag. Thankfully, she had just the person to take over until Katie was back. She caught Dean after Transfiguration one day.

"Hey, Dean? Tell me, you still interested in playing Chaser?"

"Me? Sure!"

His grin fell slightly.

"I mean... I know I shouldn't be so enthusiastic about making the team in these circumstances, but..."

"Yeah, I know. Life must go on. And Katie's in good hands. Okay, then, you're in. Practice tonight at seven."

"Okay, cheers! You won't regret it!"

Megan wasn't so sure. Seamus wouldn't be happy, but Dean had clearly outflown him during trials. The common room was abuzz about Megan having now chosen two classmates on the team. But she'd had worse, so she wasn't bothered. Although the pressure of bringing a win was great. If they won, she thought with an eye roll, they would all swear up and down they believed in the team all along. And if they lost... well. She'd had worse. But she had to be honest, she missed the old team of her first years. Even if Dean, Demelza and Ginny all worked well together. And the beaters, Coote and Peakes, were getting better every practise. Still, it wasn't quite the same.

The problem... was Ron. He had always suffered from nerves and lack of confidence and the upcoming match prospect wasn't helping. Megan reckoned he couldn't shine as much as he was capable of because he kept comparing himself negatively to his brothers, who'd all done very well. He wasn't as talented a flyer as Charlie, or wizard as Fred and George, and felt it pointless to try, because they would have done it all before. After letting about six goals, he got desperate and eventually punched Demelza in the jaw by mistake.

"It was an accident, I'm sorry!" he said as they landed to get a look at her.

"Oh, you prat, look at the state of her!" Ginny groaned.

She was clutching her jaw gingerly, her eyes bright with pain.

"I'll fix it," Megan said, trying not to sound too weary. "Hold still... Episkey. And Ginny, don't call him a prat, that's the captain's job, and that's me."

"You're too nice to do that, and I thought someone should."

Megan smiled but managed not to laugh.

"I don't know how efficient that really was," she added to Demelza, "So you should probably head to Madam Pomfrey and have it checked."

Demelza nodded minutely to not jar her jaw. Ginny took her arm and escorted her off the pitch. With two players gone, Megan felt there was little point in going on.

"... Okay, that'll be it for today. Good work, guys."

It was far from the sessions she'd had with Wood, but it could have been worse.

"Just say it: I was lousy." Ron groaned as he and Megan made their way back.

"You're fine, it's nerves that's the real problem," Megan said.

She and Harry, who'd come to watch them practise, kept trying to encourage him as they went up to the castle. And it wasn't until they'd gone up three floors that it began having a tiny effect. However, when they pushed the tapestry they usually used as a short cut open, they found Ginny and Dean kissing. Megan wasn't very surprised to see Ron go red in the face, but Harry's expression, which he was clearly trying to control, was less obvious.