Chapter 246: Quidditch Cup Finals (2/2)
”Oye, Carmichael, don't spout nonsense,” Ron said, limbering up shoulders and neck.
”Hey, I'm just asking,” Eddie said, raising both his hands, looking at Harry, ”I mean, Potter hasn't been on a broom this year, he might be rusty, and you know, the Weaslette had been playing well, so was it really a good move to bring in someone who hasn't played in a while when the Cup is at stake?”
”Keep yourself to your team, Carmichael,” said Potter, ”or who knows, you might not get to touch the quaffle, and I'll have the snitch in my hand.”
”Alright, if you say so,” said Eddie, rocking back-and-forth on the heel of his feet, ”you know you're right, I need to keep myself to my team,” he wrapped an arm around Roger Davis' shoulder, ”it's Captain's last game, so the least I could do is to send him off with the Cup. That seems to be the most fitting farewell.” He looked at Angelina, Alicia, Fred, and George, ”We can let you guys touch the Cup for a while if you guys want.”
”Oh, Carmichael,” said Fred, and George continued, ”we are looking forward to jamming a Bludger in your face today.”
Eddie threw his head back and laughed, ”All the power to you, guys. You guys tried last time, and see where that got you, let me tell you — a crushing defeat.”
He glanced at Hooch walking toward them and turned to Ron, ”Oye, Weasley, the not-funny one, yeah you. I'll be coming for you today, hard, so try to touch the quaffle, okay? I'm warning you because I don't want to see you crying after the game.”
Back in the commentator's booth, Quinn watched as Hooch raised the quaffle. ”Alright, rowdy people, Madam Hooch has raised the quaffle; the game is about to start; let's see who gets the initiative and spearheads the game,” his voice boomed through the stadium.
On the pitch, Harry tensed on his broom, angling it perfectly before the start of the match. He tuned out Quinn and waited to see the quaffle fly up into the air.
The second the official tossed the quaffle, he moved his Firebolt as quickly as it could rev up. He banked left and flew spinning between the two Ravenclaw center chasers before they could make a play for the quaffle. Both dispersed, attempting to not get part of a collision when the free-quaffle was up for grabs.
Cho attempted to follow Harry but wound up blocked by her own Chasers.
The result was the quaffle fell unclaimed. At least until Alicia cut under it. She reached out to the falling quaffle, but before she could reach it, a blue blur scooped up it before her.
”What a diversion by Potter!” Cedric's excited voice boomed in the stadium. ”Spinnet's speed was impressive; for a second, I thought she would go uncontested — but Carmichael struck again; no one's better than him the first grab! There he goes, gaining altitude — and what's this he scores on the low side — Ron Weasley misses it by a foot! Score! That's a quick 10-0 to Ravenclaw!”
Eddie pulled up on his broom, coming to a halt before he went behind the goal hoops, and turned back to go back to his side, and on his way, he winked to Harry, who had come near to Gryffindor hoops.
”That was indeed great diversion, Potter,” he said, ”but it's going to take a lot more than that to keep me away from MY quaffle.”
Harry wrinkled his nose as his brows furrowed. That diversion was planned and practiced so that they could get their hands on the quaffle first and start with the tide on their sides. It was proven from the previous year's games, and this year, every time Eddie got the first grab on the quaffle, Ravenclaw would almost always lead, and it became difficult to wrestle that lead away.
It seemed today was no different, and Ravenclaw gained a strong lead.
Eddie shifted the gears on his broom, cutting very close to Angelina, causing her to drop the quaffle. It was quickly picked up by Eddie, who tossed it to the other Chaser, who fed Roger Davies for an easy goal. Eddie's eyes glanced up to the scoreboard quickly. 120-40 was a promising start. But it meant he still had to be on high alert.
As much as he liked Cho as his teammate, she wasn't doing much more than following Potter around. And he wasn't sure if she could keep up Potter from out-flying her.
'Well, I just need to score more,' he thought and got back to work.
The game continued, and both teams began piling up points — Ravenclaw much more than Gryffindor. Soon, the game reached its climax.
It wasn't long before the golden ball was spotted, fluttering lazily down by the ground. It couldn't have been more than a few feet from the grass. Harry spun his broom around and angled himself into a corkscrewing dive until he had the line he wanted. Cho immediately followed after him.
”And Potter dives again!” Quinn announced for everyone in attendance to hear. ”Is it a feint? I think it's not! Oh, there he goes rushing. Chang follows, oh, she gains upon him! Potter's back in the lead.. .”
It was then Cedric spoke up into his microphone, ”Carmichael has the quaffle. Everybody! The score's 350-200! If Carmichael scores before now, Ravenclaw will win the game no matter if Potter gets the snitch or not, but if he doesn't, the game will go to a shoot-out! Will he able to.. .”
Everything went silent for Eddie as he flew towards the goal hoops. The crowd's voice disappeared, the commentators became non-existent, there was only him and the goal hoops with only faceless silhouettes in his way.
'It felt good,' he thought as he dipped below a raging Bluder, rammed his arm into someone's chest to shake them off of him.
This was the time Eddie felt in complete control. Despite the rushing wind assaulting his ears, he could listen to his heartbeat and even to the sound of his breathing. The pressure of the game on the line brought something out of him that nothing else did.
'Ah, I hope this never ends.' He cocked his hand up his shoulder and threw the ball towards the uppermost of the three hoops. The quaffle left his hand, his fingers putting his special spin on it. He watched as faceless silhouette dived towards the quaffle, but the quaffle suddenly rose and slipped the blocking hand, dinged into the hoop's ring, and fell past the circle.
The silhouette turned back into Ron Weasley and sounds returned.
”GOAL!” he heard Quinn speak, and immediately a second after, he heard Cedric speak, ”Potter's got the snitch! But it's too late; Carmichael scored! 360-350 for Ravenclaw! Ravenclaws are the new champions!!!”
Eddie's chest rose up and down as he stared at the scoreboard. He looked at his team celebrating in the middle of the field. But he didn't join them; instead, he flew towards the teachers' booth where commentators sat.
Quinn spoke as soon as he arrived, ”Eddie! You won! Boy, you're a champion now! You did —”
Eddie placed his legs on the railings, the broom still under him, and pulled Quinn by his shoulder, cutting him off mid-sentence.
”Listen!” Eddie said, his heart beating hard in his rib cage. ”Listen,” he said again, ”I.. . I'm going to do this!”
”What? What do you mean,” said Quinn, still leaning over the table as Eddie didn't let him go.
”I.. . have decided.. . Quidditch, I'm going to do Quidditch,” said Eddie.
Quinn blinked a bit as the realization struck him, ”You mean after Hogwarts,” he grinned, ”you're going pro after Hogwarts?”
”Yeah, I will be a pro, yeah.”
Quinn's smile bloomed. Before Quidditch, Eddie switched things every week. It was only Quidditch that he stuck on.
”Alright, go do it!” said Quinn. ”You go become a pro! Someday, I'll buy a team and have you play for me.”
Eddie nodded, but it seemed he wasn't listening to it. He let Quinn go and flew away, but again, he didn't go to his team; instead, he flew toward the stands.
He landed in the crowd of green as the crowd parted to give him space. His eyes only had for a brunette that sat in front of him.
”Eddie?” said Tracey Davis, standing up from her place, but before she could say anything, Eddie pulled her close and.. .
”Holy shit! He kissed her!” Quinn's surprised voice spread in the stadium.
Tracey, wide-eyed with surprise, was pulled into her first kiss, but then realization struck her about what was happening, and her arms coiled around Eddie's neck as she leaned into the kiss.
Sitting beside her, Daphne watched with her brows raised higher than ever as her best friend kissed Eddie Carmichael in broad public with so many watching. She wasn't sure if she could do that in front of so many people.
Eddie and Tracey's lips stopped their dalliance as they stopped to breathe; their foreheads rested against each other.
”I wanted to do that for a while now,” said Eddie, putting his arms around her waist, pulling her closer.
Trace smiled, ”No one was stopping you.. .”
”I'm going to need more.”
”We can go now.”
”Okay.”
The cheers spiked up, but the two couldn't hear anything.
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Quinn West - MC - He did it! Oh my god, he did it!
Eddie Carmichael - Future-pro - Kissing = Good.
Tracey Davis - Delightfully surprised - Already thinking about which broom closets are the best because.. . Kissing = Good.
FictionOnlyReader - Author - Sniff.. . my boy is all grown up!
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