The next two weeks were amazing, the Hufflepost was more popular than ever and had grown with more students showing an interest in contributing. DA meetings were a welcome reprieve to Umbridge's lessons and Eleanor had been on two more dates with Reggie while Cynthia had begun to spend more and more of her time talking with the twins from Gryffindor.

"If I didn't know any better I'd say you had a crush," Susan smirked on the morning of the first Quidditch match for the year.

"Then it's a good thing you know better," Cynthia replies sharply.

"Don't poke the bear, you know how snappy she gets when she's cold," Eleanor says, shivering into her own thick scarf and rubbing her gloved hands together.

"Holy shit don't look now but like, totally look now," Susan says, looking at something just beyond Eleanor's head.

"Wha-?"

Turning around she comes face to face with Malfoy, a silver crown badge pinned to his robes reading 'Weasley is our King'.

"I just wanted to check if we were still studying tonight after the match?"

"Yeah, though I'm assuming if you guys win you might want the night off to celebrate."

He nods only slightly, turning when the rest of his team calls out that they're going down.

"Good luck," Eleanor says, stopping him in his tracks.

"Aren't you supporting Gryffindor?"

"I don't spend two days a week with anyone on the Gryffindor team, do I?"

He smiles for a brief second before strutting off to join his team.

"You're not seriously gonna cheer for Slytherin?" Cynthia says the moment he is gone and they begin to make their way down to the stands. The cold wind biting at their exposed faces and the grass still shining with frost from the night before as they huddle further into their jumpers and scarves.

"And why not? We don't know or hangout with anyone from the Gryffindor team, and he's not so bad. He's really helped me with my studies and sometimes he's even nice."

"Speak for yourself I have plenty of friends on the Gryffindor team."

"Ahh yes, the twins. You have been hanging around them an awful lot lately. Are you sure there's nothing going on there?"

"Well. I, a few weeks ago I told George that I thought he was cute-"

"You what?"

"Yeah, I was mortified. But afterwards he tracked me down and said that he thought I was amazingly brave to say it and I don't know, we just keep meeting up to talk and sometimes he just sits there while I read or write and he's so funny and, oh I'm rambling. I just think he's great and I really, really like him."

"Aww, I'm so happy for you." Eleanor pulls her friend into a hug.

They walk up the stairs of one of the stands, Susan hurrying forward, pushing through the crowd to grab a few seats for them at the front of the stand. A few seats over they spot Luna Lovegood with a massive lion head roaring above the crowd.

"Oh that is brilliant," Eleanor says, running over to get some pictures of Luna and her hat.

A few minutes later the Quidditch match has begun, the normal announcer, Lee Jordan beginning his commentary over the match with Professor McGonagall barking at him every few minutes when he says something inappropriate.

From the Slytherins in the stands everyone begins to hear a song growing louder every second.

Weasley cannot save a thing

He cannot block a single ring,

That's why Slytherins all sing:

Weasley is our King.

Weasley was born in a bin

He always lets the Quaffle in

Weasley will make sure we win

Weasley is our King.

"Ah, well that would explain the pins this morning," Eleanor says, pitying Ron Weasley who was goalkeeper for the Gryffindor team.

Cyn just nods, her eyes glued to the Gryffindor beaters as the song grows louder and louder the closer Slytherin gets to the goals.

They were going forty-ten and the Slytherins were still singing their song when suddenly Harry dived from where he had been hovering on his broom. He and Malfoy were neck and neck chasing after the snitch, but Eleanor was no longer cheering for Malfoy. Knowing full well that he was probably the one responsible for this cruel act against Ron.

"Come on Harry."

"Go Gryffindor!"

The excitement in the stadium was palpable, everyone cheering for Gryffindor even in Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. Harry reaches out and suddenly the game is done, he's caught the snitch.

"Look out," Susan screams as one of the Slytherin team hits a bludger towards Harry's back. It slams into him and knocks him from his broom.

"He's so lucky he had to dive so close to the ground for the snitch," Susan says.

Despite the post game bludger, everyone in the stands is cheering at Gryffindor's victory but Eleanor is watching the furious Malfoy land and say something to Harry.

Even though Harry turns his back Malfoy continues to talk and Eleanor knows whatever he's saying won't be congratulations on his victory. Suddenly something he says has Fred and George being held back by Harry and the rest of the team.

"What on earth is happening down there?" Cynthia says.

"I don't know, can't be anything good."

"Maybe we should go down, congratulate them and see what's happening. Besides, you need pictures of the winning team."

Without waiting for Eleanor to agree Cyn turns and runs down the stairs. When they make it down to the field though Fred is still being held back but both Harry and George have charged Malfoy and taken the path of a good old schoolyard fight, like one you would see in a muggle school.

Harry and George are relentless in their attack on Malfoy until Madam Hooch casts Impedimenta and knocks them away. Malfoy lies on the ground in a ball whimpering and Eleanor asks one of the Gryffindor Chasers what happened.

It's Fred that answers, "Oh he's just gone and insulted our parents and Harry's."

Beside her Cyn is just standing frozen staring at the scene and George and Harry are scolded before being sent to their Head of House's office.

Eleanor waits, watching Malfoy slowly get up, and behind all his pain she can still see a vague smirk on his face knowing that they're about to be in a world of trouble. In that moment Eleanor feels nothing but a boiling rage and an ugly contempt that bubbles over inside her as she stares at the arrogant asshole she had actually thought could be described as nice.

Cyn grabs her hand, soothing some of the hatred burning within her and together they turn and follow Harry and George off the pitch at a distance to wait for them outside of McGonagall's office.

"They won't get in real trouble right? Crabbe hit that bludger at Harry and then Malfoy antagonised them surely-"

"They'll probably get detention or something, you know McGonagall won't approve of the 'muggle duelling'." Eleanor says, trying to soothe Cynthia.

"You. You really care about him don't you?"

Cyn stops pacing and turns to look at Eleanor, "I'm crazy aren't I? I barely know him, but there's just something about him."

Eleanor smiles and hugs her friend before pulling her down to take a seat outside the office and wait. When Umbridge walks into McGonagall's office however they know the boys are doomed.

Minutes later Umbridge leaves and the two boys follow shortly after, both of them looking thoroughly disheartened.

"What happened?" Cynthia asks the moment she sees George but all he does is shake his head, beside him Harry answers.

"A lifelong ban from playing Quidditch."

"Wha- What? She can't do that!" Cyn says.

"Another educational decree says she can."

Eleanor mutters a sorry to Harry and the two of them begin to walk away when they notice Cynthia and George aren't following.

"Thanks for coming to see us," George says softly.

"What are friends for?"

They stand there still as statues for what seems like an eternity, to Eleanor and Harry it seems as if they've both gone to another world where only they exist. Suddenly, as though hit with a bolt of lightning the two of them burst to life again moving closer and holding each other as they kiss, Cynthia reaching up on her tiptoes.

With belated reactions Eleanor suddenly turns around to face away, giving them some privacy. Beside her Harry is standing staring wide-eyed at this display. Grabbing the back of his robe she tugs and he turns around following her gesture for them to leave.

"What happened back there?" He asks when they're safely around a corner and out of earshot.

"Don't worry I certainly won't be kissing you," she says, unable to keep the laugh from bubbling out of her.