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Harpies VS Wasps | 17

It was hard to say what was louder that Saturday morning; the wind that was howling or Harry's heart, jumping inside his chest. Today was the Harpies' match against the Wimbourne Wasps, which made him nervous. A lot of things had happened lately and he had a gut feeling that this quidditch match wouldn't be uneventful. He sincerely hoped he was just overreacting. Athena didn't seem to share the same worries as him; she seemed more concerned by his lack of sleep. He had stayed awake the entire night, as he was supposed to, and his eyes were bloodshot. 

“Are you sure you won't collapse on the pitch?” she asked him as she handed him a cup of strong coffee. 

“I'm used to it.” Harry waved her off. “After all, we are aurors. We aren't exactly renowned for our excellent sleeping schedules.”

“Good point,” Athena agreed before taking a long sip of her own cup. “Say, who do you think it's going to win today?” She asked, changing the subject. 

“I'm going to sound biased, but I think the Harpies,” Harry replied before taking a sip of his own coffee. It tasted it differently. He tasted some sort of herb inside his drink that didn't fit there. Perhaps a potion? He couldn't tell. “Did you put something in my coffee?” He asked. 

“Just a little something so you won't pass out during the game.” Athena shrugged. “Don't worry, it's only going to last a couple of hours. Once the game is over, you'll be able to go to sleep in no time.”

Harry nodded. “Thanks. I'll probably need it.”

“And back to my previous question, I agree with you. This season has been very good for the Harpies.”

“I didn't know you were such a fan of the Harpies.” Harry raised an eyebrow. 

“I'm more of an Appleby Arrows fan actually,” she said. “I'm more excited about seeing the Wasps losing than seeing the Harpies win, to be honest.”

“Oh, I see.”

Athena looked at the window. “Speaking of the Harpies, you might want to drink that coffee quickly. Ginny needs to get to the pitch at least two hours before the game.”

“Alright, alright. Got it.” Harry took some large sips out of his cup. Whatever Athena had dropped in had actually given it an interesting taste, although he doubted it was very healthy on a daily basis. “I'm ready to go whenever you are.”

A couple of minutes later, Ginny appeared outside her house waving at Dean before walking down the street, towards their home. That was their cue. They made sure to lock their house before following her down the street. They had almost forgotten that they were supposed to be a couple, when Harry noticed Mrs Sharron looking at them through her window, so he quickly grabbed Athena's hand and intertwined their fingers. 

“Good thinking,” she praised him quietly. 

Ginny was aware of their presence, that's why she kept a normal pace. They apparited together once it was safe to do so. When they appeared near the Holyhead Harpies' pitch, Harry let go off Athena's hand. 

“Why are your hands always so dry?” he complained, although he wasn't being serious. 

“Sorry I have sensitive skin.” She rolled her eyes. Ginny walked in front of them, seemingly unamused by their theatrics. 

They followed her to the changing room where the rest of the team prepared for the upcoming game. The two aurors stayed outside, listening to the loud chattering of the players while they wore their uniforms and discussed the upcoming game, until their captain, Gwenog Jones, took the team for their warm up. Harry and Athena headed upstairs, to the stands from where they would watch the game.