In the Melancholy Moonlight

Chapter LXII: I Want Your Midnights

Candle wax and Polaroids on the hardwood floor
You and me forevermore

Don't read the last page
But I stay when it's hard or it's wrong or we're making mistakes
I want your midnights
But I'll be cleaning up bottles with you on New Year's Day

"New Year's Day"
Taylor Swift

LUCY:

The tentative plan for a Quidditch friendly on New Year's Day spread like wildfire the day after Christmas. Everyone wanted to play, and if they couldn't play, they wanted to watch.

The little idea from Christmas Eve soon became a huge event. The match was scheduled to take place the afternoon of New Year's Eve rather than New Year's Day, and it would be a Hogwarts team versus a Beauxbatons/Durmstrang team.

It was decided that no champions should compete in the case of injury, so Harry and Cedric helped Madam Hooch and Professor McGonagall (the two most Quidditch-crazy professors) with the Hogwarts team tryouts on December 27. The twins were chosen as the Hogwarts Beaters, and I was chosen as Chaser along with Cassius Warrington and Adrian Pucey of Slytherin. (I was initially worried about being the only Gryffindor working with two Slytherins who were three times my size and two years older than me, but these concerns were completely unfounded. Quite the contrary, both were somewhat impressed with me, and I with them.) Henry was chosen as Keeper, of course, and with Cedric and Harry out of the running, Cho easily beat Draco for the position of Seeker.

The 28th, 29th, and 30th were long days --- Hogwarts got the Pitch in the morning, and the Beauxbatons/Durmstrang team got the Pitch in the afternoon, but even when we weren't on the Pitch, we were talking strategy while Cedric and Harry spied on the other team for us. Cassius and Henry assumed the role of co-captains, having the most years of experience on their House teams.

The night before the match, I was just about to wedge myself between the twins at dinner when someone touched the small of my back.

I jumped and turned to look at the boy who had touched me. His green eyes weren't anywhere near as dazzling as Harry's, but something about the way his strawberry blond hair was carefully combed even after what I expected had been a hard Quidditch practice caught my attention.

"I'm sorry I startled you," the boy said in a thick French accent, looking as if he genuinely meant it. "I am Maxence Auclair, and you are Lucy Diggory, correct?"

"That I am," I said, noting offhandedly how plain my name sounded rolling off his tongue in comparison to his own.

He extended a hand. "Our spies have informed us you could perhaps be the greatest threat on the Pitch tomorrow. I thought it only fair to introduce myself, as we will be competing closely."

When our hands touched, he lifted mine to his lips in a gentle kiss. I tried to stop myself from blushing, knowing this was just how some Europeans were, but I couldn't.

"I'm assuming you're a Chaser, too?" I asked.

Maxence smiled, revealing two deep dimples. "That I am."

I smiled back, feeling very flustered at this point. "Well, in that case, good luck tomorrow."

"Good luck to you as well," he replied, flashing one more smile before heading over to the Ravenclaw table.

I watched him walk away for a second too long, because Fred started laughing.

"Oi, Cub, once you pick your jaw up off the floor, you need to eat dinner."