He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not

Louise walked down to the Quidditch pitch with Oliver the morning of tryouts. She was as ready as ever, all she wanted to do was get on her broom and fly. As the two reached the pitch Oliver sat the box he was carrying down on the green. “Are you ready?” Oliver asked her.

“I’m always ready.” Louise laughed as she set her broom down. She looked around the pitch, really taking in how big it was. She’d gone to every Quidditch game, but she never thought the Pitch was actually this big. “It’s really big, when you’re on it.” Oliver laughed slightly.

“It’s even bigger when you’re playing on it.”

As the time approached for tryouts to actually begin, second years came piling in, as did returning players. Oliver looked over everyone trying out a couple of times before he decided to have some of them fly. “I want all first years to fly around the pitch three times!” Louise watched as all the new players mounted their brooms, and waited for Oliver’s count. “One…..Two…..Three!”

Louise watched as the first years took off. She remembered back when she was a first year, and had fallen off her broom, and broke her arm. Of course it wasn’t her fault, stupid Draco Malfoy having to be better than her. It was also the first time that she met Fred and George.

“Louise you’re a natural!” Ron exclaimed as he and Louise touched the ground during their fourth flying lesson with Madam Hooch. Harry and Hermione touched down next to Ron.

“He’s right Louise, you’re really good.”

“No I’m not, really.”

“Yeah, you’re even better than Draco.” Harry exclaimed holding his broom in his hand.

“You should defiantly try out for the Quidditch team! You’d be amazing.” Ron said, taking his broom in his hand as well. “Fred and George are the beaters, they knock the bludger away from the other players.”

“Oh look, Potter and his stupid little friends.”

“I can say the same thing to you.” Louise smiled, stepping in front of Malfoy. “Now why do you, and your stupid friends, go take a walk.”

“I didn’t come over here to mock Potter; I came here to challenge you to a flying match.” Draco, said, as he took a step toward Louise. “We’ll see who’s better.” He shot Harry a look.

“Fine, you’re on Draco.” Louise said. “Let’s go.”

“We’ll see who the better flyer here is.” Draco spat as he mounted his broom. “First one around the field is the winner.”

Louise mounted her broom. “Ready....Go!” Her and Draco both kicked off, Louise was ahead instantly, Draco wasn’t too far behind. Louise hovered over her broom a little more, making her gain more speed, Draco copied her exactly, catching up to her not to much later.

“Don’t tell me,”

“Draco’s picking a fight with a third year.” Fred said as he and his twin walked over to their little brother. “He is aware he’s going to lose.”

“What do you mean a third year?” Hermione questioned. “That’s Louise, she’s a first year.”

“You mean, the blonde girl that’s flying is a first year?”

“She should try out for Quidditch. She’d make a great seeker.”

As the five student on the field looked back up into the sky, to watch the battle between Draco and Louise, they noticed it was almost over. Louise was only feet away from reaching back to the ground.

“Oh I don’t think so Underwood!” Draco yelled, as he sped up, now neck and neck with Louise.

“Oh Draco, come off it! I’m going to win fair and square!”

“Oh you think so?” Draco asked. Before Louise could get ahead of him, he hit her broom with his continuously causing her to fall off her broom and onto the green filed behind her.

Ron, Harry, Hermione, Fred and George ran over to the small blonde headed girl on the ground. “Are you alright?” Harry asked.

“My arm is defiantly broken.” Louise said, sitting up and holding her left arm.

“Oh what was the Louise? You were going to win?” Draco asked, as he touched the ground. “We all know who the better flyer is.” He laughed while walking away with his friends.

“We should get you to Madam Pomfrey; she’ll be able to fix that arm in an instant.” George, said.

“Uh, I’m sorry…, but I don’t know you two.”

“Oh, how rude of us, I’m Fred.”

“And I’m George. We’re Ron’s older brothers.”

“Oh nice, to meet you two.” She smiled.

“You should try out for Quidditch.” The one named George said.

“You’d make an outstanding Seeker.” Fred finished.

“Finally decided to come?” Oliver laughed. “I want all second years to fly around the pitch three times!” Oliver watched as the second years grabbed their brooms and mounted them. “Good look Lo.” Oliver smiled, before Louise grabbed her broom, and walked over to the other second years. Abbigail was walking over to join the group when Louise saw Oliver stop her.

“I want to see what you Americans bring to the table.” He said, before, letting her join the rest of the second years. “Ready?” he asked.

“One…”

“Go ABBIE!”

“Two…”

“DON’T SCREW UP!” George yelled.

“THREE!”

The second years took off, all except for Abbie who was the last. Louise gained speed instantly, passing by most of the other second years. Most of them already falling off their brooms, Louise skillfully dodged them all. She and Dean Thomas were the only two flying, She was slightly ahead of him. “I’ve got this in the bag.” She said to herself, as she came around the bend nearing the end of her third lap. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Abbigail sped up to her, she was neck and neck with her. As the lap ended her and Abbigail jumped off.

“Good job Louise.” Abbigail said. Louise only gave her a look and then turned away to walk back over to Oliver.

“You did great, Louise.” Oliver said, as some of the other second years gathered around. “You’re already on the team, if you ask me.” Oliver whispered. “Alright, I’ve made my decision.” Oliver started to call out names of the players that would advance on to the next part of tryouts, and actual game. He called Harry, George, Fred, Abbigail, Louise and a bunch of other players. Louise wasn’t surprised about half of the names. Everyone was really good.

As the game started to get better, once everyone had an idea about what to do, Louise was getting really into it. Everyone was doing their jobs, except for the twins who were goofing around, and not paying attention to the bludgers. “George quit fooling around, and pay attention!” She yelled as she watched the bludgers fly around the pitch. Though of course, the twins don’t listen to what people say, that have to look, and once they looked, she knew something was going to happen. As George turned around to see what she was yelling at him about, a bludger hit Abbigail, sending her spiraling to the ground, and causing her broom to snap in half.

Everyone landed; George and Fred were next to her in an instant. Oliver said something about bringing her to the hospital wing. Louise walked over to see her.

"See what happens when you yell at the beaters for something stupid during a game? They miss a bludger and someone winds up hurt. Bloody hell, Lo." Fred had said to her, then turning to Abbigail and saying something to her.

Louise walked back over to the box which would hold the balls used for the game. She placed her broom down on the ground, and sat Indian style on the grass with her hands on her cheeks, waiting to see what Oliver would say. As George walked away with Abbigail in his arms, Fred, and the rest of the players walked back over were Louise was, since Oliver was putting the balls away.

“I’d like to say that today you all did very well.” Oliver said, walked back over to where Louise was and helping her stand up. “Accidents do happen, it wasn’t anyone’s fault. People have to be paying attention.” He said, shooting Fred a glance. “Injuries do happen, and if you can’t deal with that then I advise you to leave now. Obviously we cannot continue today, since it wouldn’t be fair. I’ll reserve the pitch for another day to finish this. You’ll all be in touch.”

All the students dispersed back to their Houses, to finish homework. Fred walked over to grab his brothers broom stick, and walking back to Louise to grab his.

“I meant was I said, Lo.” Oliver said, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t feel bad, it wasn’t your fault. They weren’t paying attention, it was going to happen sooner or later. Don’t sweat it. Madam Pomfrey has it under control.”

“Yeah, sure…” Louise sighed. “I’ll see you later.”

--

Back in Louise’s dorm room, she changed into a pair of jeans with a striped shirt and a white scarf, she slide her feet into black flats and put two bobby pins in her hair to keep the sides out of her face. She took the large wrapped package off her bed, and headed to the hospital wing. On her way there she would hear people talking about what happened during Quidditch today, she could only sigh to herself.

By the time she reached the hospital she had heard about five different stories about what happened to Abbigail. In one they said she deserved it, for showing off during the laps, another said she deserved it for stealing away Fred and George from Louise, another said it was Louise’s fault, Another said it was Fred and George’s fault for not paying attention, and someone said it was Abbigail’s fault for not looking. When she walked into the hospital wing, Fred and George were the only ones around Abbigail; Fred had changed out of his Quidditch outfit, George and Abbigail still in theirs.

Louise took a deep breath as she stood at the end if the bed, next to Abbigail’s. “How are your...err...fingers?”

Fred and George turned around to look at her. Abbigail looked shock to see Louise standing there. “T-there better now…”

“That’s good.” Louise said, debating whether she should take another step forward. “Well…I’m sorry about what happened. It’s my fault…so uh, here.” She walked over and placed the wrapped gift on her lap.

“Oh yeah, give her something she has to use her fingers to open.” George said.

“Real smart, Lo.” Fred said, rolling his eyes.

“Well she has her two new best friends, I’m sure you can do it for her.” She said softly. Obviously knowing she wasn’t wanted there, she turned around and walked away. “Hope you like it, Abbigail.”