The Queen of Vipers || Fred Weasley

I.VII

Cedric was fucked.

The storm from the day before had only gotten worse; it was an absolute monsoon. Electra sloshed through the mud as rain came down so hard she could hardly see the dark outline of the Quidditch Pitch halfway down the greens.

Usually the first match of the season was Gryffindor vs. Slytherin, but Slytherin backed out because Draco Malfoy was still milking his injury from a hippogriff a few weeks back (and Salazar, was she tired of hearing about it at every meal, besides, it sounded like to her that he deserved it). She and Cedric suspected it was really because precious Slytherin didn't want to play in this weather. But as Electra struggled against the wind she really couldn't blame her team.

Still, she had to agree that it was pussy shit.

Despite her rain boots and rain cloak, Electra was soaked to the bone as she trudged with the crowd towards the Quidditch Pitch. She wore Cedric's Hufflepuff beanie below her hood in support (and warmth, though it was hardly doing much in that department) and hoped it would land her a friendly spot among the crowd of cheering Hufflepuffs.

But she seriously doubted it. Even hidden under her cloak, people dodged her, skirting her in the storm as they did in the corridors. It had gotten worse. Ever since Hallowe'en. She wanted to roll her eyes, but she was starting to get worried that they'd get stuck in the back of her head if she kept it up.

In hindsight, in that moment it could just be the Slytherin green lining flashing in the wind in her rain cloak that made the other houses avoid her, but you know when you're feeling self conscious like this, everything is personal.

SQUEALSH!

Electra stumbled, nearly stepping out of her rain boot as it sank deep into the mud. She made a sound of annoyance and hopped back, slipping her heel back into her boot before any more water trickled in. She bent down to pull her boot out of the mud and the wind ripped her hood off. The rain almost immediately soaked her beanie and hair. She wanted to scream in frustration as she tugged her boot out of the mud as freezing cold water dripped down her neck and back. If Cedric survived this match, he was going to face Electra's wrath.

She yanked her hood back over her head as a chill ran up her spine, but it had nothing to do with the cold. Electra jerked her head up, searching through the sheets of rain. She could feel them on her, but where—

There, just behind the Quidditch Pitch glowing like beacons in the gale, were two bright yellow eyes staring straight at her.

Her heart skipped a beat. She didn't dare look away to make sure she wasn't the only one who saw them. The eyes were nearly swallowed by the dark figure around it, sitting and staring at her. Somehow she knew it was the same dark streak she'd seen twice on Hallowe'en, but what really surprised her was that she was no longer frightened by it. Electra took an unsteady step forward, breaking away from the flow of students rushing into the Quidditch Pitch.

There was something... something familiar about those yellow eyes.

Electra tore through her brain, trying to remember where she'd seen them before... when she'd seen them. She didn't realise she was walking towards the figure when she felt a tug on her sleeve.

Wet straids of hair whipped her face as she spun to see who had grabbed her.

"Are you okay?"

Electra blinked rain out of her eyes as she squinted down at Ginny Weasley, her red hair unmistakable even tucked under the hood of her rain cloak.

"I—"

Electra looked back over her shoulder, but the black figure and yellow eyes were gone. Ginny looked around Electra to take a peek too. "Fine," Electra said quickly, whipping her head back towards the younger witch.