Disclaimer: The characters are the property of the amazingly talented J.K Rowling. I'm only borrowing the characters and world that she has so brilliantly created.

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Chapter 10: Potions and Awkwardness

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"I don't suppose there's any possibility that you're taking the mickey?" I asked weakly.

Tristan just shook his head, eyes still distracted. "Will you help me?" he asked, then clarified, "Us. Will you help us?"

"How am I supposed to help?"

"Neither of us can be seen buying a pregnancy potion or the ingredients for one," he repeated.

"And you want me to do it?" I demanded, using all of my self-restraint to keep my voice low and not to fly off the handle. "Are you mad? There's already enough about me and James in the papers, what do you think would happen if I was seen buying those ingredients?"

"Cristin could do it."

"Christine doesn't need to be dragged into this," I retorted, putting special emphasis on her name. How could he still forget her name when I'd been friends with her seven years? Honestly.

"Well, then, do you two have any of the ingredients?"

I sighed heavily. "I don't know what's needed."

Tristan gave me a strange look, but took a list from his pocket and handed it to me. I quickly scanned the list. Lady's Mantle, lovage, essence of daisy root, lavender, bitter root, ashwinder egg.

"An ashwinder egg?" I hissed. "You expect me to have a handful of those laying around in the potions supply cupboard?"

"Maybe," he argued. "I don't know what kind of ingredients you keep."

"Not something as dear as ashwinder eggs," I muttered. "And they're used in Felix Felicis. If I was seen buying those someone might think I was trying to cheat at Quidditch or to help someone else cheat."

"It wouldn't look as conspicuous if you were to buy them."

"What? Why?"

"Because you're a woman."

What did that have to do with anything? Using performance enhancing potions was hardly limited to men.

Tristan pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled loudly through his mouth. "Because it wouldn't be unusual for a woman to buy something that is also found in pregnancy test potions."

"Well, that leads back to the problem of someone seeing me and getting the wrong impression," I countered, not even letting myself dwell on the fact that Tristan apparently assumed I might have use for a pregnancy test in the first place.

Imagine what the press would say. Oh Godric, imagine what Sorcha would say.

"That's why Cat - er, Christine could buy them."

I crossed my arms in front of me. "If you want a favor from Christine, you'll have to be the one to ask her."

"Couldn't you ask? Or maybe she has a pregnancy test potion or two in her bedroom she'd be willing to sell."

I was entirely certain that Christine had no such thing lying around, but I wasn't going to share that sort of private information about my friend with my older brother.

"You'll have to ask her," I said again, more firmly this time.

"Ugh," Tristan groaned and ran a hand through his short hair. "It's just...it's an embarrassing thing to ask for. It was hard enough to ask you. I mean, you're my sister."

If Tristan thought this was more awkward for him than for me, he was sorely mistaken. I had simply wanted to have a peaceful evening in. I hadn't even seen him in person since the match and here he was asking for that?

"You and Elena are adults, making adult decisions," I said, my resolve to remain calm withering by the minute. "You should be prepared to handle the consequences. You two got yourselves into this mess - perhaps you should take responsibility for getting yourselves out."

"I'm trying to handle the consequences!" Tristan exploded at me. His anger took me aback; I couldn't ever remember seeing him so upset. "I'm scared out of my bloody mind, Elena's a weepy mess, I can't ask Mum and Dad for help, and I'm asking you for help because I don't know who else to turn to."

"Oh," I said. "I-I…" I started to say, but stopped. What was there to say? I stood there, staring awkwardly at him for a moment, then I reached out and pulled my older brother into a hug. Tristan seemed surprised, but soon relaxed and hugged me back. He held on tightly, as though he might be able to draw physical strength from me.

"We probably have everything but the ashwinder egg and bitter root," I told him, my voice a bit muffled against his sweater. "I can buy the bitter root and you can ask Christine to buy an ashwinder egg."

"Okay," he pulled away. "Will you at least be in the room when I ask her?"

"Of course. And obviously if she agrees, you have to give her the money to buy the egg."

Tristan nodded, then paused, searching for what he wanted to say. I waited, not knowing what to say either. What did you say to your older brother who might have gotten his girlfriend pregnant?

"Thank you, Eva," he finally said. "You...you're a good sister."

~…~…~…~…~…~…~…

"So…" I began, but stopped, unsure of how to proceed. I'd tried to start this conversation multiple times and had stalled each time. It wasn't that I was scared to bring it up, but it was so bleeding awkward.

"Eva, you've been trying to tell me something all evening. Just say it," James said with a hint of exasperation. He didn't seem upset, so at least I hadn't inadvertently made him think that I was cross with him.

"Okay, um...you see that cauldron on the kitchen counter?"

James craned his neck to look around me to the small cauldron simmering on the countertop behind us.

"What about it?"

"Well, it's what's inside. It probably won't affect you. Unlikely. But if someone finds out, maybe it could. I just want you to be aware in case someone saw Christine buy the ashwinder egg and me buying the bitter root and put two and two together. I mean, the chances of that are slim. Very slim. Um…"

James looked utterly bewildered by my completely incomprehensible ramblings. Holy hippogriffs, here went nothing.

"The potion in that cauldron is a pregnancy test."

There I had done it.

James's eyes nearly bugged out of his face in shock. "It's a what?"

"It's not mine!" I cried, realizing that I had failed to clarify a few things in my extremely clumsy explanation. In fact, I wasn't even sure what I'd uttered counted as an explanation.

"Obviously," James said. "I mean, we haven't slept together. So… Christine…?"

"No, no," I hastily assured him. This only seemed to confuse him further.

"Then who…?"

"It's for Tristan. Or more accurately, it's for Elena."

James let out a low whistle. "He asked you to help him with something like that?"

I nodded and told James the whole story about Tristan and Elena not feeling as though they could be seen purchasing such a potion or the ingredients in combination.

"So if you suddenly hear a rumor that I'm pregnant, that's why," I finished. "But it's unlikely."

There was a long silence, then James simply said, "Oh. That's...that's…"

"Yeah," I agreed.

"So how long does it take to brew? When will they know if she's pregnant?"

I glanced at my watch. "It needs to simmer for another two hours, then sit for one. I'll send Tristan an owl when it's ready."

"What do you think they'll do if she's pregnant?"

I had no earthly idea. I mean, the idea of Tristan as partially responsible for a child? It boggled the mind.

"I'm just hoping she's not."

"Elena doesn't strike me as the sort who would want children," James mused.

"Neither does Tristan," I pointed out. "Not that I've asked him, mind."

"Are you?" James asked suddenly.

Er…what?

"The sort who wants children," he clarified. I couldn't quite read his expression, but there was definitely an element of curiosity to it.

"Oh," I said. "Er…I suppose I've never thought about it much. I certainly enjoyed growing up with siblings. And I like kids. I'd need to think about it and what it might mean for my career. Could I have both – children and a career?"

James nodded thoughtfully.

"Do you want children?" I asked in return, curious what his answer would be.

"Yeah, I do," he replied. "I grew up with loads of kids around and I enjoyed every minute of it. I can't wait until Teddy and Victoire finally get married and have kids."

The thought of James as an uncle made me smile. "I'm not so certain you'll be a good influence," I joked. "I know all too well what kinds of pranks you're capable of."

"Someone will have to teach them to be proper meddlers!" he smirked at the thought of having a mischievous influence over Teddy's future children. "Teddy's brillant, but not exactly a proper meddler."

"Your family doesn't need any more meddlers, James Potter!" I laughed. The Weasley-Potter family already had enough people who were inclined towards mischief.

I glanced over at the cauldron simmering ominously on the counter. The sight of it caused a swell of anxiety in my chest.

"I really hope Elena's not pregnant. Then this will all be a moot point. No one will have to make any difficult decisions and I won't have to keep any secrets. Besides the secret of a pregnancy scare, I suppose."

"What if someone did see you and Christine buying the ingredients?"

Holy hippogriffs, it didn't bear thinking about. We had gone to the apothecary at different times, so the odds were slim. But still.

"I suppose I'll deal with it if it happens," I answered the only way I could.

"We," James corrected me. "We'll deal with it if it happens."

I leaned into him and wrapped my arms around his waist. "Thank you. I hope I haven't accidentally dragged you into something that will be all over the tabloids and papers."

"It'll probably be fine and we'll have worried for nothing."

"Yeah," I agreed. "Yeah." I hoped I wasn't simply trying to convince myself.

There was a pause and then James said, "When I didn't know what you were trying to tell me earlier, I thought maybe you didn't want to come to the Puddlemere match on Saturday."

"I know I didn't attend the open practice," I replied, "but this is different. This is the first match of your career. Besides, you came to my first match."

He reached over and pulled me closer so that our legs were tangled together and I was cocooned in his arms. Hmm, James was warm and he smelled like soap, probably thanks to an after-practice shower.

"Are you nervous? About the match?" I asked, playing with the collar of his button-down shirt.

I felt him shrug against me. "Not really. You know how it is, the odds that I'll be put into the match are so low they're practically non-existent. I want the team to do well, though. Obviously. Are you nervous?" he asked after a moment. "To attend a Puddlemere match?"

Nervous? No. A bit anxious, yes. It was complicated.

"Hmm," I made a noncommittal noise in the back of my throat.

One of James's hands moved to play with my hair. "You know you can tell me anything, yeah? Especially after telling me about Tristan and Elena."

"It's not that," I assured him. "I'm not...entirely sure how I feel. On the one hand, I didn't think I'd be back at the Puddlemere stadium as a spectator rather than a team member. So that's a strange adjustment, mentally. But then, on the other hand, I'm enjoying my teammates on the Harpies and being a part of that. And I care about you and support you and want to see you do well, but how do I cheer for a rival team? Even though Puddlemere is my favorite team and has been for as long as I can remember. And can they still be my favorite team if they rejected me and I'm playing for another side? And will Sorcha be there? Will I have to pretend to be cheerful around her?"

"That's...a lot," James sounded taken aback but he also looked as though he was trying not to smile.

"Yeah," I admitted. It felt good to have shared all of my worries with someone. "It is... Do you think Puddlemere can still be my favorite team?"

"Of course," James told me, no hesitation at all. His hand was still playing with my hair. "My favorite team is the Harpies and always will be. Especially now that my girlfriend's on the team."

"That's true. Having my boyfriend play for Puddlemere is rather attractive."

"You really think so?"

I pressed a soft kiss to the pulse point on the side of James's neck. "Most definitely."

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The potion had finished brewing after ten o'clock that night, so Tristan came over to retrieve it first thing the next morning. The sun hadn't even risen fully yet, it was still peaking over the horizon.

"Thanks, Eva," Tristan told me, a bit of relief evident in his voice. He reached out and lifted the pregnancy test potion off the counter as gingerly as if it were a dungbomb.

"You'll let me know...what there is to know?" I asked as I took a sip of my breakfast tea.

He swallowed hard and then nodded. "Yeah. I will."

There was a long pause, then he said, "Thanks again, Eva. And tell Christine thanks as well."

It was on the tip of my tongue to say "good luck" but that seemed a bit silly, so instead I gave him a small, hopefully reassuring smile.

Since I didn't have to be to practice for another hour and a half, I decided to go up to the attic and work on my ambidextrous exercises. If I didn't keep my mind busy I would probably go mad with the anticipation and worry. Christine wouldn't be awake for another half hour; she'd been out late with Kieran.

Three quarters of an hour later I was using my left arm to toss a quaffle up into the air and then catch it again when a loud knocking came from the front door to the flat. I immediately dropped my Quaffle and bolted down the attic stairs to the flat. Upon reaching the door, I wrenched it open in anticipation only to find Fred Weasley standing there instead of Tristan.

"Ugh, Fred," I groaned, my heart rate returning to normal after the false alarm.

"Well, hello to you too," he frowned.

"Sorry," I waved him into the flat. "I was expecting...er, someone else."

"I was...um, just, um, looking for James," Fred said, his ears a bit pink. "He isn't here, is he?

I looked at my watch. "No, should he be?"

"Dunno, he's your boyfriend."

"And your cousin," I pointed out, very confused by this conversation. "Not to mention you live in the same flat."

"Maybe he went out running," Fred suggested. "He does tend to do that rather a lot."

"Fred," I slowly asked, "is everything all right?"

"Yeah, yeah. O'course, o'course," he answered right away in a not-altogether convincing manner. "Just didn't want to cook breakfast for myself, you know how hopeless I am in the kitchen."

"Right…"

"He's probably home by now, I'll just go. Bye, Eva." Fred opened the door and gave me a small wave before disappearing down the stairs. The front door to the house shut behind him, accompanied by a series of loud squawks from King Arthur.

I was still staring at the open doorway in confusion when the fireplace flared to life. All thoughts of Fred's odd behavior were suddenly pushed from my mind.

"Eva?" Tristan's voice sounded through the sitting room.

"Tristian!" I practically flung myself to the ground in front of the fireplace where Tristan's head was floating in the flames. "What...is she...what happened?"

My brother gave me a small smile and from that gesture alone I could feel my heart lighten.

"No?" I asked, just to clarify.

"No," he confirmed.

"Oh, thank goodness," I felt as though I could breathe properly again. "I mean, just because you didn't, not because…"

"No offense taken," Tristan gave me a wry grin. He was probably just self-aware enough to know that he and Elena weren't exactly in a place in their lives that was conducive to raising a child.

"I don't know if I can help in that way again," I told him honestly. "It's been incredibly stressful, I've been so worried someone will find out."

"No one will," Tristan tried to reassure me. "I know it was a lot to ask of you. So, thank you."

"You're welcome. I'm glad everything came out right."

Tristan gave me that wry smile again and said, "Me too."

Once Tristan had disappeared from the flames, Christine emerged from the loo wearing her dressing gown and running a brush through her damp hair.

"Good news?" she asked hopefully.

"Great news," I confirmed.

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I looked around the stadium that was nearly as familiar to me as my parents' home. Not all that long ago I'd assumed that I'd be sitting with the reserves but here I was, part of the crowd. Well, being in the press box with my mum wasn't exactly sitting with the crowd, but I was still a spectator.

"How are you doing?" Mum patted my knee as she settled into her seat. She had a notebook open on her laptop and a quill in her other hand. A pair of omnioculars dangled from her neck.

"Fine," I replied truthfully.

She gave me a piercing mum-look, one that said she could see straight through me.

"I am!" I protested. "It's...odd, but I am fine. I'm happy to be here supporting James."

And I was. I truly was. I had stopped by James's flat that morning before he was due at the stadium to wish him well.

"A kiss for luck?" James grinned cheekily.

"It's your teammates who need the luck," I joked. "Fingers crossed you don't throw up on any of their trainers."

"Why do you always bring that up?" he grumbled, turning pink.

"Because it was hysterical," I told him in all honesty. "Even though it was disgusting. But it's so unlike you. You've always been so confident and self-assured."

"Not always. A kiss for luck would do me a world of good."

My face grew a bit warm as I thought of how that kiss for luck had turned into a rather heated snog for luck.

My mum frowned slightly at me. "Your face looks red, are you feeling well?"

"Yeah," I nearly squeaked before clearing my throat. "Fine."

I picked up my own pair of omnioculars and held them to my eyes, trying to block as much of my face as I could until my skin cooled down. Knowing me, I hadn't fooled Mum at all. Not that this was much of a thing to hide. Now Elena's pregnancy scare on the other hand...I didn't like hiding it from Mum and Dad, but my guilt was somewhat alleviated knowing that it had only been a scare.

Adjusting the knobs on the omnioculars, I zoomed in on the Puddlemere side. The reserves had trooped out to the sidelines with the coaches, and trainers. One more turn of the knob for clarity, and there was James, seated between Lilith and Leo. I couldn't help but notice that James looked incredibly handsome in his navy blue Puddlemere robes.

Right before the main team players were announced, he turned around and looked up at the press box. I knew James couldn't see me from this far away, but he knew I was there. He grinned and waved in my direction. Then Lilith leaned over to him and said something in his ear and his attention turned to her.

"And here they are, PUDDLEMERE UNITED!" cried the announcer. "There's O'Connor, Chaudhri, Thompson, Bruce, Huntingdon, Suffield, and Rhys!"

The crowd cheered wildly, myself among them, as the Puddlemere main team flew around the stadium.

"Go Puddlemere!" I cheered, waving the navy and gold pennant I'd been bringing to Puddlemre matches as long as I could remember.

"And now the Appleby Arrows! Thomas, Lawrence, Beniot, Cohen, Bonham, Blythyn, and Rodrigues!"

The Arrows took their lap around the stadium and then took their places for the release of the Quaffle.

"Chaudhri of Puddlemere snaps up the Quaffle first, throw to O'Conner, back to Chaudhri, to Thompson, O'Conner, Thompson - oh, bad luck, the Quaffle is stolen by Lawrence with assistance from the Beasters, Bonham and Rodrigues. Arrows in possession now, Lawrence speeding down the pitch. Tosses to Beniot, Beniot to Thomas, Thomas scores. 10-0, Arrows."

"Ugh, Rhys," I groaned in disappointment that Ieuan Rhys had allowed the Arrows to score. There was a real mental boost that came from scoring before the other team.

"Puddlemere recovers the Quaffle, Thompson to O'Conner, back to Thompson, reverse pass to Chaudhri. Chaudhri narrowly misses a Bludger aimed by Rodrigues. Chaudhri passes to Thompson. Looks like - yes, the Puddlemere Chasers pull off an excellent Parkin's Pincer and O'Connor scores! The score is even at 10-10!"

I jumped to my feet as Fionn O'Connor threw the Quaffle through the center goal post. "Yes!"

Next to me, Mum was murmuring to her quill, which skittered across the page transcribing her description of the match.

Puddlemere and Appleby were incredibly well-matched. The score remained close throughout the match first the Arrows would be ahead, then Puddlemere, then back to the Arrows.

Then suddenly the Puddlemere Seeker Ursula Suffield went into a steep-dive.

"Come on, come on," I muttered, watching Suffield dive through my omnioculars. Emlyn Blythyn, the Arrows Seeker was close on her tail and gaining every second. Then they were neck and neck.

The entire crowd was on its feet, cheering for the Seekers as they dove. Both Seekers pulled up sharply out their dives, but the match wasn't over. Suffield and Blythyn were now hurtling across the pitch, low on their brooms. Then Suffield reach out an arm and -

"Suffield has the Snitch! I repeat, Suffield HAS THE GOLDEN SNITCH!" yelled the announcer. "And Puddlemere United wins the match 370 to 210. PUDDLEMERE WINS!"

Still looking through my omnioculars, I moved my view to James just in time to see Lilith throw her arms around his neck in celebration. I felt my heart clench a bit at the sight. James looked a bit stunned at first, but then he returned the hug. I noted with great satisfaction that James didn't let the hug linger for more than a few seconds before pulling away. Then I looked away, not wanting to see any more. All I'd wanted in the first place to see how happy James would look; I certainly hadn't expected that.

Did Lilith fancy James? Did that explain the odd vibe I'd felt when I met her at The Unicorn, after the Puddlemere open practice? Or I was being paranoid and jealous?

He's falling in love with you, I reminded myself. Even if Lilith did fancy James, it didn't matter because he didn't fancy her back.

"That was an exciting end," Mum commented as she packed up her reporting materials. "Your Dad will be pleased that Suffield has improved so much. I'm not sure she would have made that catch last year."

"Yeah," I agreed. Normally I would have loved to dissect the match with Mum, but my mind wasn't solely on Quidditch at the moment. "I'm going to wait for James."

"All right, then," she replied, seeming a bit surprised. "If you don't go out with James, you're welcome for dinner."

"Thanks," I told her gratefully.

She smiled warmly at me. "You're always welcome, Eva. You know that."

I did know. I also knew I was fortunate to have her for a mum.

"Love you," I said as I leaned in for a hug.

A few minutes later, I stood outside the visitor entrance to the stadium. I was hardly alone; family members and significant others of the other players' waited with me.

"Hello, Eva," came a familiar voice at my elbow.

"Mrs. Potter, hi," I turned to face James's mum and dad. "Mr. Potter."

Mr. Potter nodded politely at me. "Eva. James told us you would be here."

I'd met him a few times now, but it was still somewhat surreal to be face to face with the Harry Potter. With that lightning bolt scar on his forehead, you couldn't exactly forget who you were talking to.

"I sat with my mum in the press box. That Snitch catch was thrilling. Ursula Suffield has improved loads since last season," I gushed, thinking back to the moments that Suffield and Blythyn had been hurting across the pitch, neck and neck.

"It could have been anyone's match," Mrs. Potter agreed. "Right until the last moment."

"How do you like the Harpies?" Mr. Potter asked me, a curious expression on his face.

"I-I like it," I answered honestly. "Much more than I thought I would considering I always thought I'd play my entire career for Puddlemere."

Mr. Potter's mouth quirked up in a smirk reminiscent of James's. "From what James tells us, Oliver Wood hasn't changed all that much."

I grinned back and was about to reply when the doors swung open and several of the Puddlemere players walked out to greet those waiting for them. I'd met all of the main team members at one time or another, before this past summer when I joined the Harpies. Not that I knew them well, mind, but a few of them recognized me and waved. Then James was there, talking animatedly to Abbie and Lilith, his hand motions clearly recreating the catch of the Golden Snitch.

"James!" I called, giving him a small wave.

He looked up in my direction and a wide grin blossomed across his face. Abandoning Abbie and Lilith, he rushed over to me and pulled me into a hug.

"Told you I'd come," I said into his ear.

"I knew you would."

"Mr. Potter, Mrs. Potter."

I looked over to see the heroine of the hour, Ursula Suffield herself talking to James's parents. She wasn't a tall woman but she had a commanding presence, even though her stylish pixie cut combined with violet eyes worked together to give her a look of delicacy.

"We're glad to have James on the reserves," Ursula told the Potters, her small mouth pulled into a slightly cheeky smile. "I'd better watch my back or he'll be the one playing in the matches."

"Not any time soon," James assured her. I could tell that he held a great deal of respect for Ursula Suffield.

After she had moved on to receive a hug from her husband James greeted his parents, hugging both of them.

"Thanks for coming," he told them gratefully. "I know it isn't the most exciting thing to watch me sit on the sidelines."

"I wouldn't have missed it for anything," Mr. Potter told his son with obvious pride in his voice.

Mrs. Potter reached up to try to flatten James's perpetually messy hair, then stopped herself short. "You'd think I'd know better after all these years." She cast a smile that spoke of love at her husband.

"He comes by it honestly," Mr. Potter joked, running a hand through his own untidy hair.

"James," Lilith approached him, her long red hair falling over her shoulders in perfect curls. "Some of us are going to The Unicorn; you should come with us."

Was it just me, or did she seem a little too hopeful?

"Eva, you're welcome too, of course."

Was I imagining things? Maybe Lilith didn't fancy James after all. Not that it mattered, I reminded myself sternly.

"Thanks," I replied.

"Thanks, I'll think about," James told Lilith.

She opened her mouth as though she wanted to say something else but decided against it, instead giving him a wide smile full of perfectly straight, white teeth before walking away.

James must have read something in my expression when he glanced down at me because he said, "I don't feel much like going out tonight. Want to come over? We can get takeaway."

"I'd like that," I slid a hand into his, our fingers automatically intertwining.

~…~…~…~…~…~…~…

I was disappointed to learn that the Gryffindor versus Slytherin match fell on the same day that Holyhead played the Wigtown Wanderers. I had hoped to attend the match at Hogwarts to cheer on my former team and as well as Gareth in his first proper Quidditch match. How would Gryffindor fare against Scorpius with a brand new Seeker? How would Lily and Bree work with Gareth as the third Chaser?

The day of the match dawned bright and sunny, but the autumn air was crisp. I hoped that conditions at Hogwarts weren't as bright so that the team would have less trouble with the sun being in their eyes at inopportune moments.

The match against Wigtown lasted nearly four hours, which was a long time to sit on the sidelines unable to affect the outcome of the match in any way. I told myself I would have to become used to it, but didn't make it any easier in the moment. One person who didn't seem to mind sitting on the sidelines – or at least didn't show it – was Teagan, who continued to be a one-person cheering section. The fact that the match spanned four hours made no difference to her energy levels although her voice was hoarse by the end.

Watching the match it was evident that Angharad Morgan, Aoife MacSorley, and Zoe Kington were all excellent Chasers in their own right. But it was equally obvious that they hadn't been playing together for terribly long. After all, Zoe and Aoife had only moved up from reserves a few months ago.

In the end, the Harpies won by a score of 320-210 thanks to a brilliant capture of the Golden Snitch by Mahoney. Teagan was thrilled that her lucky socks would remain unwashed, much to the despair of everyone else on the reserves.

I was knackered by the time I returned to the flat that evening, but not too tired to not be nervous about the letter that was resting on my pillow. I knew it was from Richard and Gareth and that it would contain the news from the Gryffindor versus Slytherin match. James had attended the match with his parents and while he knew Richard and Gareth would want to write me, he had promised to come by this evening and fill me in on all the details.

I stared at it for a moment, then eagerly tore the envelope open. The handwriting was mostly Richard's (much better than Gareth's henscratch) but it was written from the pair of them with small asides from Gareth.

Dear Eva,

We won, Gryffindor won!

The whole team knew we needed to avenge last year's loss and we couldn't let that stupid cow Rinaldi have one last win over Gryffindor. Zara's not you (although she has been trying to channel you) but she has been an ace captain. Somehow she managed to get Nico and Bree to set aside their differences for the last week or so and practices went really well leading up to the match. They'll probably be cross with each other again tomorrow, but for the moment no one else cares as long as they pulled themselves together today.

Gareth played the best he ever has (hope I didn't peak too soon!) and has adapted to playing with Bree and Lily. Our Chasers were really what gave us the edge in the match. They just play together better than the Slytherin Chasers. Probably because Rinaldi is a Chaser and not a terribly good team player. And our Keeper was bloody brilliant, too. Seriously, you should have seen Richard in action!

Honestly, Jessica Walters got a bit lucky with her catch of the Snitch, it nearly flew up her sleeve and Scorpius never stood a chance. (Or maybe she was trying for a Plumpton Pass? Unlikely, we know.) But as long as Rinaldi didn't beat Gryffindor again, that's what matters.

Gryffindor is in good standings with 360 points to start the season. Hopefully you'll be able to make the match against Hufflepuff. They have a good team this year, so we have to take them seriously. Not that we wouldn't have done anyway.

I know we'll read all about the Wigtown match in the papers, but write to us and tell us the details the paper leaves out.

Love from,

Richard and Gareth

"Christine!" I all but yelled.

"What, what?" she called back, sounding worried.

"Gryffindor won!" I flung my arms around her neck the minute she set foot in my bedroom.

"That's brilliant," she said, her voice slightly choked.

I loosened my grip on her neck. "Sorry."

A whooshing noise from the sitting room caught our attention. The sound of someone appearing in the fireplace sent poor Simon dashing under my bed. Christine cautiously drew her wand in case it wasn't James and called out "Hello?"

"Eva, Gryffindor won!" James's voice echoed through the flat.

"Take that, Rinaldi!" I cried as I ran down the short hallway to meet him. I threw my arms around him in a tight hug. "Gryffindor forever!"

"They were brilliant," he told me, unable to keep the wide smile from his face.

I grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the sofa. "Give me a play-by-play of the match."

~…~…~…~…~…~…

"Do you want to do another double date?" Ellie asked as we made our way to the stadium doors after a grueling practice courtesy of Coach Rinaldi.

I had found that first double date with Ellie and Éamon somewhat awkward and wasn't terribly keen on repeating the experience, but I'd already put Ellie off once. Besides, she was my friend and I did want to spend time with her.

"I know!" she cried, waving her hands in front of her excitedly. "We can go to Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. James's cousin said there were new daydream charms. Those were my favorite when I was at Hogwarts. I used them during Binn's lectures all the time."

"That sounds fun," I agreed, pushing open the exit doors. "Let me check my calendar."

"Eva," a voice directly outside the stadium doors said, surprising me and causing me to jump about a foot in the air.

Then I saw that the person lying in wait for me was none other than Sorcha Patterson.

"Bloody hell," I muttered more to myself than to her. Why did she need to ambush me like this?

"Eva, I need to talk to you." Was it my imagination or was there a note of urgency in her voice? She did look uncharacteristically serious.

"Um, all right," I told her, then said to Ellie, "I'll see you tomorrow, then."

Sorcha waited until Ellie had arrived at the Apparition point and disappeared before speaking.

"I've been debating whether or not I should say something…"

It felt like the bottom had fallen out of my stomach. She knew. She knew. How in the name of Merlin's socks did she know?

"Oliver broke up with me," she blurted out.

Wait… What?

~…~…~…~…~…~…

Thank you for all of the lovely reviews, favorites, and story alerts! I appreciate everyone who reads my story and everyone who has let me know how much they enjoy it! And a special thanks to my beta, blue and gold, for the helpful suggestions and fabulous beta abilities.

Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Favorite quotes? I'd love to hear what you thought!

Next chapter: A conversation with Sorcha, the Christmas holiday finally arrives, and something unexpected.