10. going to..

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.. Are you like, ok?” I nodded and pointed at the door which led to the cafeteria. The guy nodded and walked back in, where he once again was overwhelmed by strange faces. The guy quickly went home.
“Anyone else in here?” my voice sounded so weak, I realized. Nobody answered and I checked the toilets…There was nobody here. I slid along the wall to the floor and buried my face in my hands. Fred came in and sat next to me he threw is his arm around me and I put my head to his chest, I didn’t cry, but said: “I really thought, it was him.”
“so did I”
“I was not sure whether I wanted that.”
“nor was I”
“I think I am now.” He nodded “yeah.” So we sat there a little while and then turned back to the cafeteria. “I’m rather sure he was here, though” Dumbledore said. I looked at him. “I saw him” he said. My eyes widened, “if you’re..”
“I’m not, Joan” he said. I sighed. “I want to go home.” Fred nodded and George got up. The next day neither one of us could go in the hop, cause it got flooded by people wanting autographs. George had hired two women and thought of hiring another for the shop. The daily prophet had an article about the match, it filled the entire double page and it contained a lot of pictures.

Dracon Flights, a name nobody can fully understand, but most certainly know. Making their entrance into the third class yesterday, it is rather clear, they upgrade to first-class in no time. As their home commentator Lee Jordan already screamed for the new stadium, they ‘smashed’ the Greek Hongsky lions. Honksy Lions is considered as one of the favorites in the third-class.
Entering the brand new stadium the audience was enthusiastic. Not only has it heard of it players and chairman of the team, but the stadium looks like a top-class stadium. It is clean, tidy and apart from that, overwhelmingly gracious.

Then followed a picture of the stadium.

As the tribune filled the audience got more excited hearing screaming and cheering out of the dress room. Joan Dhanes’ team was yelling and making noise as if it had already won. Thinking we landed in a great start of the season, Joan Dhanes only made it better with a rather special entrance of Dracon Flights. Good thing Honksy Lions didn’t see their entrance, they’d probably packed and disappeared. Opening the entrance doors herself, the audience went wild as the team, filled in confidence entered the stadium.

A photo of me pushing opening the doors was put left of a picture in which the team entered above me.

Greeting the audience like a star, this is exactly how Joan Dhanes will be seen. Her playing mischievous smile won the hearts of many audience members. Challenging her contestant, she inspires her amazing team. A report of the match would be totally unnecessary if I told you the score of the game: 340-0. An amazing dive by famous Harry Potter was the tip of the iceberg. Great defending, by the also famous Weasley twins Fred and George. The keeper Ron Weasley was actually barely needed, but according to trainer Joan Dhanes, he’s the best keeper a tem could want. Ginny Weasley and Ned Wares, the other chasers, and Joan herself make an excellent example of what Quidditch is all about.

An image of Ned with the Quaffle, diving down and George behind him, hitting away a bludger.

After the match we talked to the team captains. Otto Perin, captain of the Honksy Lions tells us he is defeated in every possible way. “They’re amazing, I underestimated them and that should be the understatement of the year.” He had never expected a new team to be this good.
“they’ll grade up to first-class faster then ever seen. They just haven’ got a week link in the entire team, in any way. Every other team has one, it’s incredible. Being a beater myself I just have to ad those twins are amazingly good. They’ve got strength, speed and precision. Krum has really gather himself a hell of a team. ”
It is as clear to him as it is to us that this team isn’t only build on fame, but also on talent and skill. Perin feels no anger what so ever for the humiliation they have suffered. “Many will come, blasted away even more, you can’t fully understand the capacity of this team, if you haven’t played them, they play their game and make you play it and you feel it much more then you can see it” he adds before he heads to the dress rooms.

A picture of Otto Perin.

We tell Joan Dhanes of Otto Perins positive words. “I know, he’s amazing isn’t he?” she replies as if no Perin is the hero. “I just ran into him, told me he’s a fan” she laughs “it’s crazy!”
“What do you think about your team?” Dhanes looks at me as if I’m retarded answering: “they’re good.”
“Don’t you feel like you’ve humiliated Honksy Lions?”
(shrugs) “I think we played our game like we should, you play for as many goals as possible, should their seeker have gotten to the snitch. It’d be rather stupid losing a match, just because you don’t want them to be humiliated, no?” Though she had a point I think she doesn’t believer herself that Harry Potter wouldn’t have gotten to the snitch before Ava Nonty.
She heads off to the dress room and we’re able to catch Lee Jordan, the commentator of Dracon Flights. Before we can ask any questions he puts his hands up and says: “Look guys, you’ve got nothing to ask you don’t already know. Yes they totally rock and they’re totally going to make it to the top!”
Chairman Krum, however is ready t talk a little more. “Victor, you yourselves used to be an awesomely known seeker.”
(smiles) “Yes, and now I’m heading to be awesomely now chairman” he laughs.
“Look I know why I picked these people, they where the first to defeat me at the World Cup for Juniors. We played real good then, not a bad day, nothing, even better they defeated us twice! This team, gentlemen, will make it.”
“How come you’re so sure?”
He laughs “come on guys, honestly? I don’t want to be cocky, but these players each got a talent and I’ve got a trainer that can make a hell of a player out of a relatively talented guy. She does miracles, as do they all.” He smiles for a picture and goes to his cafeteria. When shouted the question whether he expects scouts from firth-class he replies: “Every member of this team could be scouted, but none of them will leave, they stil live ordinairy lives. I’m not afraid of them scouts, they shouldn’t bother coming, we’ll soon enough come for them!”

Photo of Krum.

After this blasting performance, I along with many people am curious for their next game. Which is already next week. Six days, when your reading this. They’ll play another English team, which is low ranked. If we ask Joan if she’ll spare them or destroy the she shrugs and answers: “We’re a beginning team, we’re suppose to give it all we’ve got. We’re still gaining confidence.”
By these words I expect a horrible slaughter of the Rowling cocoons, next week. How long this slaughter will go on until Dracon Flights has enough confidence, I don’t know, but I can assure everyone already they’ll grade up with the speed and strength of a whirlwind.

In the middle of the two pages is a photo of the team. I’m standing in the middle, with a red, yellow, green outfit next to me are Fred and George in their red outfits. Next to George stands Krum, next to Fred, Lee. Ginny, Harry, Ron and Ned sit on one knee in front of us.



“waw I think we made the impression you wanted us to make.” George said. I smiled.
“I think we might had overdone it even.” Fred added and we all three laughed and kept laughing, because it felt good.


“A couple of matches like that and the world is at our feet!” Ned said two days later.
“England already is” Ron answered. We laughed and had a rather laidback practice. The day afterwards however we had a hard practice. “no need to believe the rest will come that easy!” I said and no-one contradicted that. Two days of hard practice followed on that one in which the twins nor I came in the shop. The last day before the match was as always a resting day. Sunday morning we gathered at Dracon Flights and then got into a little bus it was weird doing this the muggle way, but it was the best way for saving energy and getting there, all at once. We arrived at the ‘Rowling cocoons’ stadium a little later and were welcomed gracefully. “they’re afraid!” Ned told us when we got to the dressing room. “They’ve got all reason” I replied. “But once again, please don’t run to high and keep focused to the game as if you’re playing the WC junior finals again.” Pep-talk was almost misplaced. We were just way out of the Rowling cocoons’ league. In a match during only ten minutes ha won with a score of 240-0.
“Humiliated to the ground” is what the papers said. “Rowling cocoons, how fitting for a team that has only one purpose left: hiding” Though the paper also agreed they shouldn’t be ashamed losing a game against us. “we would have want the match to last longer, to look at the glory of Dracon Flights, but it’d get to painful on the Rowling cocoons.”

“At only to matches we are top favorite of the third-class!” Krum said enthusiastically. The week afterwards. We had two weeks of no matches and then would play Komb Jang, a Chinese team. As everyone expected we actually flew through the season. A season only lasting four months. In Quidditch there are to seasons a year. Whit breaks of two months in between. As those four months passed I almost forgot about the chance of seeing Draco. But the guy in the bathroom at our opening match had startled me badly, so I didn’t forget. When the last game of the season was planned, we stood in a lead. We had no goals against us, at all. We’d play the second place at our stadium as the final to the season.
“we’re going to go to second class” I told my team in the dress rooms. “ no nee to be humble, everyone in this stadium knows we will. Just this match should be good too, we’re playing home, end of he season..You don’t need my jabbering. Let’s go.” At that I turned around and flew into the pitch, followed by the others. As the match started it soon became clear that we were humiliating them slightly different. We just passed the Quaffle, not trying to score. Lee found no better then to start telling the history of the team after he told the audience how great we were for about fifteen minutes. Harry of course caught the snitch and we played a match during an hour, with and ending score of 150-0.
Daily prophet writer went crazy. Dracon Flights able to humiliate in any way! “Alright” I said when everyone except the team, family and friends where still in the cafeteria. “I think we’ve been a little rude, but a least they’re rid of us. I don’t think there’s any doubt whether we grad up, right? Victor?” He laughed. “Guys I think we’re breaking records! First season we play we grad up and without any goals against!”
“that is somewhat crazy isn’t it?”
“sure is!”
“Joan?” I looked at Harry’s oldest son. He looked somewhat startled and I asked him what was wrong. “there’s someone in the stadium”
“…uh well..” I looked at Harry and Ginny, but looked back at the kid as he continued: “he’s asking for you..” my heart beat to my ribs as I now looked at Dumbledore. Everyone in the room apparently thought the same. I swallowed and looked back at James, I nodded and said: “I’ll have a look then.” He smiled thankful and Hermione suggested to have the kids brought back to school. McGonagall, who had also came to see the match, nodded and took al five of them with her, back to school. I sighed and got nervous. This moment had given so many tensions already, but when everyone had expected it, he didn’t appear, why would he now? Four months later? I looked at Fred. He was a little uncomfortable and I decided to just go at the pitch. “It’s probably some interviewer anyway” I thought. I went to the pitch which was empty. Then I went to the dress room. after breathing deeply a few times, I opened the door and stepped in.
At the benches against the wall sat a shape. It was a person, cloaked and hooded so his ace was not recognizable. “Don’t you have better tings to do then startling little children?” I asked. The figure looked up, still not able to see his face I got scared, not because of the hooded person, but because of the strong feeling that this was actually him. He stood up and his hands moved to his hood. He lifted the hood and the let it fall over his shoulders, revealing his pale skinned face. I swallowed and shook my head. He had aged a bit, but seemed exactly as he used to. With an expression worthy of an angel or a spirit being sad, he spoke. His voice, like a sharp blade cut through my heart and soul and I gasped for air as he spoke my name. “You look good, Joan.” I slowly moved my left foot backwards. My mouth was slightly opened, but my eyes were wide and didn’t blink, tears flew out of them, but I didn’t feel them running, nor did I feel pain or realization as I hit the wall and couldn’t step back anymore. “Joan, I think I need to explain a few ting.” I closed my mouth and heavily shook my head. Then opened it again, but was unable to produce any sound at all. Then I slightly panicked as he stepped closer: “no no no no” I somehow peeped. His eyebrows frowned above his whet eyes as his under lip thrilled. “I know this is weird, Joan, but I…I’ve longed for this, so long” he said as he laid his hand on my check. His frowning lessened and his voice was broken as he repeated my name. I closed my eyes and shook my head. “no no no no” I repeated. I heard his breathing, felt his hand and smelled his hair. I opened my eyes as he said. “I’ve been here once before, Joan. Seeing you so happy on one hand hurt me cause It seemed as if you’d forgotten me, on the other hand I didn’t dare to come to you and take it away. Please don’t make me regret that I collapsed under knowing there was a possibility to see you.”
“Ten years” I whispered.
“ten years” he repeated. “when I left you at your house, ready to be reshaped you were on your own and..But now five years later…”
“you told me to!”
“I know” and he laughed “I know!”he now held both my shoulder and I dared to look in his eyes, only a split second was enough to kiss me. I threw my arms round him and kissed him back. We were entwined in a kiss that symbolized so much more then an ordinary lovers kiss. Only breaking our kiss for a second a few times, tears rolling down both our faces. “I missed you so badly” Draco breathed as he buried face in my neck.
“you have no idea.” I sighed. “But.” I suddenly realized out loud and though my heart and soul screamed to never break from his arms, I pushed him away. He looked at me hurt and confused. I sat down, face in my hands. “I can’t do this” I said.
“ww..”
“Fred..” I sobbed and Draco also sat down at the other side of the room, staring in front of him, not sure what to do. Knowing Fred sat just the same, wondering the exact same thing a little further. I thought it over so many times and now the moment had come I deled with it even worse then I had expected. I had well remembered the last letter I had written him many times. And how I meant everything I wrote in it. How I had known, haw I loved him and..how we could never ever be together again.
“Our love brought me back to life, Joan, doesn’t that mean something?” he broke the silence after a long while.
“You know Draco, I wrote you a letter the day we..you”
“….”
“telling you that I had known of he complot you were in and how I was in too and how I regretted that because of all that misfortune we could never be together again…”
He looked shocked “you knew?”
I nodded, no looking up. “Joan, I didn’t mean to..”
“I know, guess you didn’t planned on getting killed either now did you?”
“No..not really” a silence followed. Though my inner soul screamed I needed to hug and kiss him and never ever let go of him again, my body sat there, confused.
“We played rolls into something big, Draco, neither one of us able to escape…Both on the opposite hand..”
“no that’s not true, I..”
“if it ever was, it’s no longer possible.”
“but..Don’t you see it? Our love overcome the entire event!” I knew hat he was right about that, but I needed to stick to my choice before I really got confused. “You’re younger then me now”
“five years, so? My love hasn’t lessened”
“I’m with Fred, Draco!”
“…”once again he looked shocked. I sighed and shook my head. “he’s the sweetest person on earth, Draco. I can’t..”
“Joan!” I looked at him his face was filled in disappointment, unbelief and above all confusion. “Did it ever occur to you that then years is a real long time?”
“uh yeahea” he said. “that’s the time I fought and struggled, spent to be able to be with you again!” I looked at him in unbelief.
“You blame me, Draco?”
“I’m just saying I haven’t even looked at anyone, all that was in my head was you.”
“well that’s only cause there was nobody there, Draco”
“exactly!”
I stood up and looked at him, then without another word I ran of to the cafeteria, aware of the fact that he screamed my name after me. When I came into the cafeteria, everyone looked up. I wanted to go home, but by the time I would have pronounced the words he’d be there so just made sure I stood at the other side of the circle that me friends had formed, talking. As he came in, everyone’s look went from me to Draco, except for Freds he looked a bit longer at me, trying to read what happened. Then he looked at Draco, who stood a little lost. “uhm…” he said.
“we know Draco.” Dumbledore easily said. “right” Draco answered and for a second it seemed he was just going to walk out again and disappear forever. But then apparently changed his mind and looked at me. I was the only one, not looking, the only one with tears in her eyes. He sighed and came closer, the others not knowing what to do, let him pass.
“Joan….”
“I’m wondering, Draco” I said staring outside the window. “What are you suppose to do when your dead boyfriend turns up en years later…Pretend nothing happened? Live a happy life? Let go of everyone else that is dear to you and run for it?” I looked at him: “we haven’t quite got the fairytale love-story, Draco. I’d even say there was nothing like it was suppose to be between us. My friends hated you, your family delivered me to the most evil man on earth and I fooled you pretending I didn’t know, nothing ideal about the whole thing. On top of that you get killed, you died in my fucking arms!” I looked outside the window again, for a couple of second and then looked back at him. “Years I grieved, years and when finally stepping into a life that does mean something. With a guy I love, and is loved by my friends, having all this” and I opened my arms, gesturing the stadium. “Then, yes then” and I folded my arms back together. “the dead boyfriend appears to live again… So tell me Draco, what am I supposed to do?huh? I’ll tell you what I won’t do” he had pointed his eyes down and now looked back up. “I won’t be told by the not-so-dead-boyfriend that what I decided to do in those ten years, was cold and disrespectful to him.”
“Joan, I didn’t say..”
“I heard what you said Draco, means the same” I looked outside the window again, not wanting to look at him, because I knew that I was lost once I did.
“What would have happened I hadn’t died, Joan?” I shrugged. “No I’d like to know.”
I swallowed and shrugged again: “you’d be hated by everyone dear to me.”
“well that wouldn’t have changed a lot” he laughed. I couldn’t hold back a little smile. “no, but it could have been anyone else Draco.”
“What?”
“he could have killed someone else then you, that’s what I mean. Someone I hold dear could have gotten killed, because of you.” He was appalled, but reacted. “So actually the right one died?”
“no-one should have died, damn it”
“He did too, didn’t he. Isn’t that good?”
“that’s our side of the story, Draco, not yours.” He looked hurt, blamed and shocked he swallowed and turned his eyes down, progressing what I had said. While me eyes slowly filled with tears, he proved once more to be rather clever.
“If you really felt that way, Joan. Really hated me like that, how come you love, our love is the cause of bringing me to live again?” shrugged, not looking at it and trying to prevent any more tears from slipping away. “Joan…I heard you talking to me. I wasn’t able to answer, but your voice was the only thing that existed, literally! I had no body, no conscience, nothing but your voice. I’m not guessing for feelings here, I know that you love me.”
“many years have passed.” He slightly shook his head.
“Joan, you know as well as I do.”
“So then what?” I asked, trying to find a way out.
“ I don’t know he added to his shrugging, realizing I couldn’t see it. I looked at him, seeing my reflection in his whet eyes. “I once said what I was going to do to you if you ever hurt her…It just feels a little inappropriate now…” George all of the sudden, startled himself that he said it out loud. Everyone now stared at him. “Look mate” he said to Draco, “this is really weird for all of us…Not everything can all of he sudden change for everyone..It’s weird”
I knew Draco felt like saying he knew that and he felt weird too, tat George was actually an idiot for just stating this.
“I want to go home” I intervened. Draco looked at me, but Fred stood up. “okay” he said with a hoarse voice. “see ya Draco” I said as I turned to Fred. “Joan” he said in an attempt to follow me, which was blocked by George. “mate, you don’t…”
“shut up” he sassed and while Draco looked at George, Fred and I, by fireplace, went home. George apparently decided to give us some time and I all of the sudden got scared for him. “I hope they don’t harm him.”
“they won’t” Fred assured me.
“I’m so sorry!”
“don’t ever be, Joan. I know how much you love him. And I’m scared that I’ll lose you to him what so ever.” I looked up. “Fred…”
“he’s right with all the you guys love each other thing, you know. I just…I had just hoped that you know, you’d love me so much too.”
“oh Fred I love you a whole lot…It’s just different..”
“yeah well, I love only one person in this entire world, Joan. And I can’t tell you how happy I am to live with her. Therefore I can’t express how bad I feel, being sure that I wont have you with me to long anymore.”
“Fred..please”
“Everyone in there today knows it, Joan. Everyone is ashamed to look at me, because they know.”
“but…”
“You’ve been through the worst with him and always got back to him. Your love has overcome the impossible. We’d all be idiots thinking that would pass over.”
“but I…”
“And since we’re not..” he continued, tears now falling down his face, I was shocked. This was the first time I ever had seen him cry. “Fred…”
“I don’t know what I’m going to do though, I was so used of you already…”
“Fred I love you” he startled out of his tale and looked at me. I swapped his tears and said. “Fred, you’re the greatest person I can possibly imagine, I am in love with you. Every girl would be totally in love with you because of the love you give alone. You’ve always been my best mate, I always liked you Fred”
“but”
“yes I still love him, as much as I used to, but now I love you too, Fred. I really do, I don’t just say thing to make you feel better! If I didn’t love you, I’d have run again.” He looked at me and hesitated. Then he nodded and held me in his arms. “I’m just so scared.”
“so am I, Fred, so am I and I don’t know what I should or will do…I just hope everything turns out alright..”
“so do I” he now softly whispered and he kissed me on my forehead, holding me tight for a long while.