She was so startled by this that she nearly dropped her tea cup.
Fortunately, the rest of the table were too occupied with the news of an impending Quidditch game against an Auror team, no less, to notice that Draco had successfully passed Hermione yet another note right under everyone's noses.
**
Friendly and Quidditch didn't really belong in the same sentence.
The four Quidditch Captains that were gathered in Madam Hooch's musty office after breakfast were well aware of this fact. The match was more entertainment than competition, but given that each of the players on the Auror Team had at one time or another been Hogwarts players themselves, the rest of the school was rightly expecting a clash of egos.
"This is so exciting!" Lisa Turpin said.
It was exciting. And fun. Draco realised that lately, he'd almost forgotten the meaning of these words.
Turpin and Smith were consulting the list of Auror players that Madam Hooch was passing around with great seriousness.
"It says here that Henry Williamson is a Beater. My sister still tells us stories about how he never failed to break a Keeper's nose at least once a year..." Turpin informed them, sounding apprehensive.
Smith looked disgruntled. "Both my Keeper and our reserve Keeper are away."
Madam Hooch had deemed all Hogwarts players and reserves deserving of a fair chance of playing in the match. Names were to be drawn from a hat. In theory, with reserves included, there would be three candidates for every position on the Hogwarts team. In reality however, more than a few players had already gone home.
"Lisa, am I right to assume that Beth Pennywise is too ill to put her name down for Chaser?" asked Hooch.
Turpin nodded. "She's so depressed about it, but Madam Pomfrey has insisted on a weekend of bed rest."
Goyle too, was also unable to play. His broken leg was coming along nicely, but it would not be up to scratch in time for the game, four days hence.
"Alright, then," Hooch sighed. "We seem to be dropping like fliesnow if the four of you will add your names into the hat, we shall draw positions shortly."
It so happened that Smith was a Chaser, and Turpin a Beater. Both Draco and Harry, meanwhile, played the same position.
"We only need one Seeker for the match," Turpin said, sensing impending doom.
"Thank you Lisa, after six years of playing Quidditch and two years of being captain, and being completely insane about the sport since the age of three, I'd somehow forgotten that fact," Draco airily remarked.
Turpin narrowed her eyes and muttered something derogatory under her breath. Harry snorted his approval. However, he wasn't to know that there was no real animosity between the pair, given that Draco had very briefly dallied with the formidable Turpin earlier in the year.
Despite her House of origin, Draco had found her to be as intellectually stimulating as a sack of rolled oats, but had to admit that she was probably one of the most physically inventive girls he had ever dated.
For a brief moment, Draco's attention, which was usually super-keen when Quidditch was concerned, drifted. This was until Harry started complaining about something. As this was always entertaining, Draco reluctantly tuned back into the conversation.
"Madam Hooch, no. Please don't say it."
Hooch was looking very sympathetic. "I'm sorry Harry, but you've been barred from playing."
"WHAT!" Harry bellowed.
"Say it, don't spray it..." Turpin muttered, dabbing at her face with the back of her hand.
"By whom?" Draco asked Hooch, equally intrigued.
"Professor Snape suggested it. I'm afraid the Headmaster agrees."
Harry began pacing about the small office. "I can't believe this! Do you have any idea how dull it's been lately? This game is going to be nothing short of brilliant, and I'm not allowed to play! If there's any danger, it's all in Snape's imagination."
"Professor Snape," Draco corrected, looking like his day had just been made.
"Er," Smith interjected. "Harry, there was that whole thing with Lucius Malfoy's wand in the forest. Professor Dumbledore said that the wand was most likely stolen by Death Eaters, and who knows for what sinister reasons."
"Yes, but I'm not in any danger!" Harry told Zacharias, looking slightly maniacal. "For me, this entire year has been event free, if anything!"
Draco happened to be in agreement. "Madam Hooch, not that I'm complaining, but if you're worried about Potter getting shot down out of the sky, are the rest of us expendable or something?"
"Yeah!" said Harry, now turning his frustration to Draco. "You are a hell of