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Fighting Fate | ||||||
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Category: Alternate Universe, Post-Hogwarts Characters:None Genres: Comedy Warnings: None Story is Complete Rating: PG Reviews: 59 Summary: Sequel to Fighting Harry. Fourteen years have passed since Harry Potter defeated Voldemort, and his life is perfect in almost every way. He went on to marry the witch of his dream, become the youngest-ever Head of International Auror affairs, and even have a son who loves flying as much as he does. There's just one problem. And her name is Meridy. Hitcount: Story Total: 42395; Chapter Total: 3689 Author's Notes: Okay, so I've updated twice in one night. The reason? Tomorrow I'm leaving for some sort of scary over-acheiver's summer brainwashing camp, which lasts approximately three weeks and for the duration of which no internet will be accessible. I apologize, and so, to compensate, I've posted two chapters at once. Enjoy! |
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Meridy craned her neck, trying to see what everyone else was looking at on the notice board. Finally, the crowd dispersed. “Quidditch trials,” she read to Jacquie. “This week. Are you going to try out?” Jacquie shook her head. “First years almost never make the House Team,” she said. “There hasn’t been one in Gryffindor since Harry Potter made it as Seeker. I’m a fair flyer, but I’ll take a couple of years to refine my skill before trying out.” “Hmm.” Meredith moved on to the next notice, about Charms Club. “We’ll be hard put to find good Beaters since Alan and Sara graduated,” a fifth year commented nearby, knowledgeably. “And it’d be nice if we could get a different Seeker too. Les was horrible last year. I’ll be surprised if he makes it again.” “They say he’s shaped up a little, practiced over the summer. ‘Course, bad as he was, that’s not much comfort…” the voices drifted away. Meridy stood looking at the notices a minute longer, and then scampered off to class. * * * * “So, Mel,” Allison said later that day in Potions, after Snape had left the room for a few minutes. “Have you been flying lately?” Meridy scowled at her. “What’s it to you?” “I heard that Gryffindor’s Quidditch trials are this week,” Allison said casually, measuring out armadillo bile. “And?” her partner asked flatly. Allison smirked at her. “I dare you to try out.” “That’s dumb. Why would I?” Meridy asked. “You know I don’t like flying.” “I heard that, I just didn’t believe it. But regardless, it’s good for you to do things you don’t like. Besides, what’s the danger? First years never make the House teams.” “You just want to laugh at my flying,” Meridy accused. Allison kept an eye trained on the door for Snape. “Yeah, you’re right. I do. But three galleons say you won’t do it.” “I–” “Are you afraid?” Allison asked her, patronizingly. Meridy set her teeth. “No. Fine, I’ll do it. And you better have your little group of Slytherins ready in the stands for pictures–with my money in hand. It’s going to be a show.” Allison only laughed. * * * * “Allison,” Meridy hissed, a few days later in the halls. “Trials are this evening.” “Yeah, I know. Don’t stand so close to me,” her Slytherin friend said irritably, glancing about the hallway for people she knew. “I’m planning on attending.” “What position am I trying out for?” she asked. Allison thought about it, and then grinned. “Seeker,” she said. “If I’m really paying to see you make a fool of yourself on a broom, then I want to get my money’s worth.” “No!” Meridy cried, horrified. “I can’t try out for Seeker. I’ll do any other position, I promise, and I’ll even go out of my way to look like an idiot.” Her friend smirked. “A deal’s a deal,” she said. “Take it or leave it. Either you try out for Seeker or you pay up.” As Meridy started to say that position hadn’t been one of the bet requirements, Allison added. “And you’re a coward.” * * * * The problem was, Allison was right. Meridy was scared. Trying out was bad enough–she hated doing things in front of people. But trying out for her Dad’s old position? That was terrible. At least no one knew they were related. But what about when the truth came out? Then everyone would know that Meridy was nowhere near as good as her father at Quidditch. That was the whole reason she’d never tried flying–she’d known she could never be as good as him, so why give the press something else to compare them in? Darn Slytherin, she thought resentfully. It’s almost like she knew what she was doing. If I back out, I have to give her all of my pocket money for this year and she’ll tell everyone I’m a coward. Jack’ll hear about it, and he’ll tell Uncle Fred and Uncle George. They’ll be so disappointed. When Meridy saw all the people crowded about the Quidditch pitch, she nearly fainted. But then she saw Allison in the stands, and set her jaw. She would do this. She would not be known as the Gryffindor who backed down from a Slytherin’s dare, particularly when it took so little effort on her part. Her trial would only last a few minutes, surely, and no one would be concerned with the first year on the school broom. By the time she revealed who she was, no one would even remember that Mel Black had once tried out for Seeker. With this lecture firmly in mind and the school broom firmly in hand, she set off for the queue about the Quidditch captain, Elliot Duncan. “Name?” he asked, when she reached him. “Mel Black,” she told him, nervous in spite of herself. “Year?” he inquired, but a dark-haired boy wearing a jersey from last year’s team interrupted him. “Elliot, there’s a pack of Slytherins in the stands,” the boy said with a scowl. Meridy looked up just as Elliot did, to see Allison and a few older Slytherins watching them with a smirk. “Um,” she said, just as Elliot opened his mouth. “I know why they’re there.” “Because they want to spy on us and see what talent we’ve got this year.” Elliot told her. “Well, that could be part of it,” Meridy admitted. “But I think they’re here to, um, watch me. One of them bet me three galleons I wouldn’t try out for Seeker.” “Why would they do that?” Elliot asked. “Um,” Meridy said again. “Because I haven’t flown much before, and she wants to see me make a fool of myself, because the last time we flew, I didn’t know how to stop, and so I crashed into a wall.” There was no harm in telling him; first years never made the house teams, and it wasn’t as if she wanted to make it, anyway. “Why didn’t you turn?” the dark-haired boy asked, with a snicker. Meridy drew herself up. “Because it was a race, and the finish line was the wall,” she said. “I couldn’t lose to a Slytherin,” she added, because it sounded cool and was even halfway true. She didn’t care about losing to a Slytherin; she just hadn’t wanted to lose. The Quidditch captain surveyed her thoughtfully. “An admirable sentiment,” he said at last. “We’ll have Seeker tryouts first, then, so they can leave afterwards. They’ll see our team anyway in a month during the match against Hufflepuff, so there’s nothing in particular to hide. What year are you in?” “First,” Meridy said, grateful that he wasn’t angry at her. The boy next to Elliot laughed. “You don’t have to make the team to win the bet, right?” he asked. She shook her head, with a smile. “Nah, just try out.” “Well, then,” Elliot said, and raised his voice. “All right, you lot! I want all of the potential Seekers over here, now!” Five people came over, one of them wearing the Seeker jersey from last year. “I want you to fly once around the stadium,” he told them. “Go on–right now. Spread out. I don’t want any collisions this evening.” Meridy took a deep breath, and mounted her broom as the others did the same. She kicked off, and rose in the air. Flying was so much fun, she thought, as she followed the other flyers around the stadium. She loved the feeling of a smooth turn–like that one–with the timing just right. Just as she loved the feeling of a sharp turn–there!–that put her at exactly the right angle and had all of the fun of doing something reckless. She was quite sorry when it was time to touch back down. The boy from last year’s team who stood next to Elliot looked at her curiously. “For someone with no experience, you fly well, little first year.” Meridy frowned. “No, I don’t.” He shrugged, but Elliot was talking again. “All right. Now I’m going to be throwing some golf balls to each of you,” he said, in a loud voice. “Spread out. Two on my left, two on my right, and two in front of me. Don’t go for someone else’s ball. Not yet.” They obeyed, last year’s Seeker–Les, was it?–looking rather disdainful about it. Meridy was on the far right. She was the last person to be thrown a golf ball. It was going into the air about six feet to her left, and she caught it without trouble. It was like playing catch with Michael, only on a broom. Michael had a terrible aim. That first time, no one missed a ball. But the next time, the girl across from her did, and the time after that, the boy next to her. Then it was her turn again. Meridy waited for Elliot to throw the ball, focusing on the small object. It was as though a tiny voice had awakened in her brain. Get the ball. Just get the ball. Just as Elliot threw it, a loose Bludger knocked into his arm, and the ball went careening off behind him. “Ahhh,” Elliot said, looking with dislike at a girl with a beater’s bat who stood sheepishly off to the side. “You don’t have to get that…” He trailed off as Meridy shot past him. “Here,” she said, panting, and handed him the ball, which had landed in her hand inch above the ground. Elliot’s jaw dropped, but he recovered quickly. “Thanks. All right, let’s continue.” They did. Soon, another girl had missed the ball, and then another boy. Suddenly Meridy and Les were the only ones left. “Very good, you two,” Elliot said briskly. “All right. We’ve still got a little bit of light out,” he said, glancing at the sky. “I’m going to let the snitch out for each of you to catch, one at a time. Mel first.” Meridy looked at him in surprise. “But–” “Just do it,” the boy from last year advised. He gave Les, who was about to complain, a sharp look. She nodded, and Elliot went to the ball case. “Here,” he said, and released the Snitch. She took off after it. The sooner she caught it, the sooner she could get back up to the castle and her Transfiguration homework. “Whoa, Mel. Give it a few seconds’ head start,” Elliot shouted from behind her. Reluctantly, she pulled back, and it disappeared. “You just said catch it,” she grumbled, drawing back near him. “You didn’t say game rules.” Elliot’s mouth twisted into–was it a smile? “They were implied,” he said. “Now you may go.” Grumpily–why wasn’t this over yet?–Meridy rose up to about forty feet in the air, and positioned herself in a corner of the stadium where she could see everything. She’d been scouting for about two minutes when she saw something. A glint of gold, just sparkling over in the far corner. And then she was gone, tearing after it as fast as the school broom would let her. The snitch seemed to sense she was coming, because it immediately began weaving behind the stands. Meridy careened about corners and swerved poles to get to it, feeling a banner sting her cheek as she cut one a little too close. It hovered above a boy’s ear, but she didn’t think, only went for it. “Ouch!” the boy cried, as the tail end of her broom smacked him. Meridy dismounted as Elliot came running up. It was the boy she’d recognized at dinner the first night, the one who’d spoken of Weasley Wizard Wheezes. “Oh, I’m sorry!” she cried. “I wasn’t thinking–” ‘Did you get the snitch?” Elliot demanded, before the boy could answer. Meridy looked down at the small golden object in her hand. “Well, yes, but–” “Good,” he told her, and then turned to the boy. “Are you all right?” Miserable, Meridy slunk off. How horrid! She’d practically crashed into him without a second thought. That was almost worse than crashing into a broom shed, because a broom shed didn’t hold grudges. And, she thought, glancing back at the boy, broom sheds weren’t so cute. How humiliating. “Great catch,” the dark-haired boy told her. “What did you say your surname was, again?” “Black,” Meridy told him. “And it wasn’t, either. I nearly knocked that boy down!” “But you got the snitch,” he told her. “That’s all that matters.” “Yeah,” she said, looking again at the small golden object. “Hey, do you want this? I’ve got to go put my broom up and start on my homework.” The boy goggled at her. “Are you serious? And miss the rest of trials?” “Well…” she hedged. She did like to watch flying. “It’s just, embarrassing, you know? I hit him. I bet Elliot’s angry.” The boy shook his head. “Nah, he’s delighted that you caught the snitch. Hitting the guy shows dedication. You’re good at flying, you know. Really good. I wouldn’t be surprised if Elliot puts you on the team, even if you are only a first year.” “Are you kidding?” Meridy asked him, honestly astounded. “But I’m not that good! And Les was the Seeker last year.” “Yeah, but he wasn’t great, and he skipped practice sometimes,” the boy told her. “One time he was even late to a match, and Madame Hooch almost wouldn’t let him play. Elliot was so angry.” Meridy shook her head, to clear it. “Still. I just don’t have the experience–or the talent.” “How long have you been flying?” he asked. “Um…a week and a half?” she guessed. “I’ve flown three times, if that’s what you mean.” His jaw dropped. “You’re lying.” “Did it look like my first time?” she asked, self-consciously. “Were the Slytherins laughing?” The boy opened his mouth, and then closed it again. “You,” he said at last. “Are unbelievable.” “Huh?” Meridy asked. He only shook his head at her. “Go put the broom up. I’ll hold the snitch.” But before she could leave the pitch, she was accosted by Jack, who was holding a Comet 390. “I didn’t know you were trying out,” he began, looking a little hurt that she hadn’t mentioned it. “You said that you would never play Quidditch…” “It was a bet,” Meridy informed him. “I’m getting paid three galleons because Allison didn’t think I’d work up the nerve to try out.” Jack’s eyebrows went up. “Oh,” he said. “Well, I guess it’s worth it…even though three galleons is a bit shabby when you think of all the time you’re going to be spending at practices.” “Practices? No way,” Meridy told him. “I’m a first year, they won’t pick me. Oh, and will you tell your friend I’m sorry? I can’t believe I knocked him down…that’s so embarrassing…Dad would be so mad,” she added, in a very quiet voice. Jack looked at her skeptically. “If you want to think that, then go on…and Jonathon’s all right. Your tail just caught his arm. Nothing’s broken, or anything. Accidents happen all the time in Quidditch.” “Jonathon?” Meridy asked. “Do I know him?” He gave her a sharp look. “You might. Stay away from him, just in case. We used to all play together at Grandma’s, when we were little. He’s Mr. Troy’s son.” “OH!” Meridy said. Mr. Troy was a high-up Ministry official, and Uncle Charlie’s best friend. He often brought his family to the Burrow for holidays. But it had been several years since the Potters had been in Britain. “So, are you trying out?” she asked, nodding at the broom in his hand. Jack grinned. “Yeah. For Beater, like Uncle Fred and George. Uh-oh, got to go,” he said, as Elliot yelled for the Beaters. “Good luck!” Meridy called. And rather than put her broom up, she went to join the crowd of Gryffindors in the stands, so that she could watch Jack’s trial. * * * * The next morning, she snuck down into the common room early to see if the list of Quidditch members was posted. It was, but there was already a throng of Gryffindors clamoring about the Quidditch list, waiting to see who their team would be, for it was a matter of intense House interest. “Did Jack Weasley make Beater?” Meridy asked an older student at the back of the crowd. There The fifth year nodded. “Him and Jonathon Troy,” she said. “Jonathon Troy made it even with a sore arm. One of the Seeker candidates crashed into him at trials.” Meridy felt her face glow warm. She ran back to her dorm. It was very hard not to tell everyone that Jack had made it, and she was so very proud of him. She couldn’t even congratulate him in public. But she could say something to Alyssa. “Hey, Alyssa,” she said, as they walked down the stairs of the girl’s dormitory to go to breakfast. “The Jack guy you think is so cute made Beater on the House team.” Not one to disappoint, Alyssa immediately began squealing about watching Jack play Quidditch, and seeing him in his Quidditch robes. Meridy began to regret saying anything. This time, coming down the stairs, there were even more people in the common room. A girl pointed at Meridy, and whispered, and then her neighbor looked shocked. Suddenly, there was murmuring everywhere, and it seemed half the common room was looking at the group of first-year girls descending the stairs. Meridy felt petrified. “Why are they staring at us?” she muttered to Jacquie, as Alyssa tossed her hair coolly. “I don’t know,” Jacquie said. “But they’re all looking at you.” Meridy felt exposed, as if she’d walked out of her dormitory naked. She hated people staring at her. Another minute of this and she might cry. It took them forever, but soon they were out of the portrait hole and safely alone in the Hall. “Whoa,” Krista said. “What was that about?” “It was terrible,” Meridy shivered. “I thought I was going to pass out, I was so scared.” “Really?” Nellie looked at her. “You didn’t look like you were afraid. You always seem so brave.” Meridy laughed. “Yeah, right. I’m really shy, when it comes to people I don’t know.” “At any rate, you’re good at pretending otherwise,” Krista commented. “Well, I like people looking at me,” Alyssa sat. “That was fun, back there.” Just then, a pair of older Gryffindors walked past them, and they heard snatches of conversation. “–a first year, Mel something or another. Don’t know what Elliot’s thinking.” “Oh, give him some credit. From what I saw, it looked like–” All four of the other girls looked at Meridy. “All right, what’s going on?” Jacquie asked her. “I don’t know any other first year named Mel.” Meridy was bewildered. “I don’t know, honest! Please stop looking at me like that! Um, I kind of crashed into Jonathon Troy last night, but I didn’t think everyone would be talking about it. A bunch of people saw me, though, and it was really embarrassing.” “Ah,” Krista said. “Did he still make Beater? I heard he was trying out.” “Yes, he did, him and Jack Weasley,” she replied, grateful for the subject to turn. “I still felt horrible.” “Jonathon Troy?” Alyssa asked, perked up. “Who’s he?” “His dad’s probably going to be the next Minister of Magic,” Nellie replied, timidly. “That’s what my mum thinks.” When they sat down in the Great Hall, Meridy couldn’t help but notice that people were turning around in their seats to glance at her. And then, suddenly, she knew. Immediately, she turned to the fourth year that was sitting two spots down, and asked in a low voice, so that Jacquie and the rest couldn’t hear “Er, you didn’t happen to hear who got Gryffindor Seeker, did you?” The fourth year raised his eyebrow, as if questioning why she would even dare to address him. “Some first year named Mel Black. Disgraceful, it is, a first year on the team.” “But didn’t Les Davison try out again?” the boy across asked, hearing the answer. Meridy didn’t listen as the fourth year answered. She stared numbly at her plate. Gryffindor Seeker? How could this have happened? Allison, she thought, and stood up, violently. “Where are you going, Mel?” Krista asked, through a mouthful of eggs. “I’ll be right back,” was all Meridy answered. She marched over the Slytherin table, ignoring the shocked murmurs from her friends. She found where Allison was sitting, and roughly tapped her on the shoulder. “Ahem,” she said. Allison turned around disdainfully. “Have they kicked you out of Gryffindor? I’m not sharing my seat, you know.” “You knew this would happen,” Meridy accused. “You knew I’d get Seeker. The whole bloody season isn’t worth three measly galleons.” “Whoa,” Gary Malfoy commented from a few seats down. “Little first year’s got a mouth on her. Does your mother know you speak like that, Black?” “My mother–” she began hotly, and paused. “Is dead,” she finished. “Allison tricked me.” “I didn’t trick you. It was a bet, fair and simple. I can’t be held accountable for your captain’s poor choices,” she smirked. “I thought you were safe for sure when you hit Troy. But don’t worry. After a few week’s training, I’m sure you won’t crash into things anymore.” Meridy saw red. “You’re a jerk,” she managed, through clenched teeth. “Probably. Here’s your money,” Allison said, putting three gold coins in her hand. She smiled. “Have a nice season!” Meridy glared at her, and stormed back to the Gryffindor table. “What was that all about?” one of her friends asked–Jacquie, this time. “Nothing,” she smoldered. “I made a bet with Allison. I won, but she tricked me.” Krista looked over at the Slytherin table with dislike. “Never trust a Slytherin,” she said. “They always have ulterior motives. Isn’t she your partner in Potions?” Meridy nodded, and then was startled when the other girls gave her sympathetic looks. “Well–she’s not so bad,” Meridy said, feeling the need to defend her Slytherin friend. “And she thinks she’s helping me. It’s just…she doesn’t understand.” Just then, someone passed her a note. Meridy glanced at it and recognized the handwriting. Jack. Congrats! Are you going to tell the family? Meridy scribbled an answer. No! Don’t you tell, either. He’ll get excited and then come to watch and realize that Elliot’s mental and I’m no good. Then he’ll be disappointed. Congrats on Beater too, by the way. “Who’s it fr–” Alyssa began, just as Meridy said “Pass this to Jack Weasley,” to the boy next to her. “Omigosh! Jack Weasley did not just write you a note!” Alyssa exclaimed, with a disbelieving expression. Meridy turned red. Why, oh, why was everything so hard? “Our families have been friends for years,” she lied, thinking quickly. “He heard the news and is just congratulating me, because we’ll be working together.” “Heard what news?” Jacquie asked. Drat. “Um, well,” she said, trying to think of the best way to say it without sounding like she was bragging. “Well, see, it was an accident, and I didn’t mean–” “Cut the chase. What did you do?” Krista demanded. Meridy’s shoulders sagged. “Well, I kind of made the Quidditch team,” she said. “But I didn’t mean to. Allison bet me three galleons I wouldn’t try out, and she called me a coward, so–” “Wow!” Nellie gasped. “But first years never make the House team! Not since–” “Harry Potter,” Meridy finished, grumpily. Jacquie didn’t say anything. She didn’t look happy. “What position?” Krista wanted to know. Meridy slumped down. “Seeker.” “That’s the position Harry Potter played, too!” Nellie said excitedly. “That’s awesome!” “You even kind of look like him,” Krista said, joining in the fun. “You’ve got black hair, and you have a lightning scar.” Meridy raised a hand to her face defensively. Could this morning get any worse? “It’s just a cut, and it’s almost healed,” she said defensively, and was glad for the distraction when Jack’s note came back. Suit yourself. And thanks. Practice is at six, by the way. See you there! “Practice?” Meridy said, stuffing the note in her robe. “I have to go to practice?” “This is great!” Alyssa said, delighted. “We can come watch you, because we’re your friends, and you can introduce me to Jack.” Meridy felt panic. She and Jack hadn’t even been ‘introduced’ yet! “Um, maybe not right away,” she said, as gently as she could. “We’re not that good of friends.” “Obviously you’re close, if he’s writing you notes,” Alyssa contradicted. “No,” she said. “All he said was congratulations and that practice is at six. I’ll bet Elliot told him to tell me, and he was just polite enough to say congrats.” “Oh.” Alyssa’s shoulders slumped. “Well, we can still watch him practice now without it being weird. That’s something.” The bell rang. Shaking her head, Meridy led the way to class. * * * * “Gin,” Harry called, a few days later. She came down the stairs in a bathrobe, her hair still wet from the shower. “What is it, love?” she asked. “Jack’s made the House team–Beater,” he told her with a grin that was an uncle’s pride and eyes that took in his wife’s appearance. “McGonagall’s granted us permission to come watch their first match, against Hufflepuff.” Ginny leaned against him when he put an arm around her. “That’s great!” she said. “I bet Ron’s puffed up with pride. And I’d like to see how Meridy’s settling in, too. I bet we can arrange some sort of meeting after the match.” If she noticed that her husband’s back stiffened, she didn’t say anything. “We’ll have to make it a family event,” she went on. “Charlie and Fred and George will want to come too, I know, and Ron and Hermione. I bet Mum and Dad would even go for the day, if they’re not watching Michael, Lee, and Genevieve.” “To say nothing of Katie and Angelina,” Harry grinned, speaking of Fred and George’s wives, former Gryffindor Chasers. Ginny only laughed. She would get to see her daughter. That was all that mattered. |
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