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

Chapter 33 - Heavy is the head

But things didn't improve over the next few days, and Ron's bad mood impaired his Keeping skills, which only increased his bad mood even more. And it got worse and worse. It got so bad he was affecting the whole team. On the evening before the match, he saved no goals, but yelled at everyone else and reduced Demelza to tears.

"You leave her alone!" Peakes shouted.

He was a third shorter than Ron, but did have his Beater's bat. And he was not looking as confident as he probably hoping, but Megan had to give him props for the effort.

"I'll leave her alone when she can hit the bloody Quaffle!" Ron snarled.

"Ron, you're being a prick," Ginny said.

"I wasn't talking to you!" he snapped at her.

"ENOUGH!" Megan yelled, raising her voice magically. "Peakes, would you go pack the Bludgers, please? Thanks."

She turned to Demelza who was sniffling.

"Demelza, you played really well, don't let Ron's bad mood get to you. You can go get changed."

She nodded mutely and walked off. Megan glanced in Ginny's direction, and she immediately got the hint and hurried after her, though not without glaring at Ron, who was sulking a few feet away. She heaved a sigh, then walked over to him.

"Ron..."

She waited for them to be out of earshot.

"What the bleeding hell was that, today?!" she asked. "What the devil do you think gives you the right to yell at the others like that?"

"They were all playing like idiots..." he grumbled.

"No, Ron, they weren't." she replied calmly. "The only reason they were a little less good today... was you."

"Yeah? So it's my fault?"

"You kept distracting them with your scolding! And you were downright rude at times..." she ran a hand through her hair. "Listen, Ron, you're like a brother to me, you know that. But if you keep acting like this, I'm pulling you off the team."

Ron glared at her, then heaved a heavy sigh, all the fight oozing out of him like air out of a balloon.

"You won't need to... I'm resigning. I'm pathetic."

"No, you're not!" Megan said, getting tired of repeating the same thing over and again. "Your only problem's mental..."

"You saying I'm mental?"

"At the moment? I'm wondering," she said shortly.

They glared at each other. Then Ron sighed wearily.

"I'll play tomorrow. I know you'll never find another Keeper for the match, so I'll stay till then. But if we lose, I'm leaving the team."

Megan had little choice but to agree to the deal. She tried to cheer him up all evening, but he was too grumpy and busy giving Hermione the cold shoulder. He even ignored Samara when she tried to wave to him. And the fact that the rest of the team were casting him unhappy looks didn't help matters. Megan tried everything. She even tried being angry, hoping to provoke him, but to no avail. Maybe it would have worked better from a boy... or maybe it would have just ended in a fight...

Megan lay awake in bed a long time that night. She didn't want to lose this game. It was her first as team captain, and she was determined to beat Malfoy. But if Ron played like he had lately... they were going to find it hard to win... if only she had some way of making Ron shake his stupid lack of confidence... Cedric would have said she was equally self conscious... but it didn't stop her from doing what she had to or wanted... if she could just get Ron to pull himself together... ensure he had a good day... Just then, her old DA coin reacted. She picked it up, frowning.

What's this activating for? We've stopped using these since last year...

She then saw the message. Her eyes widened. It was Harry. He had of course witnessed her every attempt with Ron, and had gotten an idea. Megan's frown deepened. If Harry's idea involved the Prince, she wasn't sure she'd be able to talk him out of it, and that could very well end in disaster... So, tentatively, she asked him what he had in mind.

It was simple. Quite clever, even. And, she thought with some relief, fairly harmless. But that idea was crazy...! Of course, it would work... but could she really do that to her friend? Her friend whom she considered a brother?