Broken Pact

Seventeen-year old Gabrielle Martin opened the small, red photo album her mum had handed her.  On the very first page was a muggle still photo of herself and her best friend, Jessica Myers, at the age of eleven, holding identical pieces of parchment.  Gabrielle just had to laugh.  It made her remember...

* * *

It was a warm June day in 1987.  Gabrielle had just turned eleven last Tuesday, and now that school was over, she and her best friend Jessica were ready to celebrate.

“Gabi!” she heard a familiar voice yell.

“Oh, hey, Jess,” she called back as the other girl came through the back fence, holding a piece of parchment in her hand.  “What have you got in your hand there?”

“Umm...nothing, nothing,” she mumbled.  Gabrielle could tell she was lying.

“I’m your friend, aren’t I?”  Jessica nodded quickly.  “Then what is it?” Just as she said this, a large owl flew through the yard.   It dropped something into Gabrielle’s hand, and she nearly screamed aloud.

“Gabi, it’s all right!  If that’s what I think it is,” she gasped suddenly, her eyes wide in glee.  “Well, open it, open it!”

Gabi did so, and gasped as she read,

“Dear Ms Martin,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Term will begin September the first.  We await your owl no later than July thirty-first.

Sincerely,

Professor Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

P.S. Please note the enclosed letter to understand the wizarding world, our school, and the security that is necessary around Muggles, or non-wizarding peoples.”

Gabi squealed.  "So," she smiled mischievously, "is that what I think it is?" she said, pointing to the letter behind Jessica's back.

"It sure is, my friend," Jess replied, "it sure is."

* * *

Jessica today, all 5'5", brown haired, blue eyed of her, was due over at any moment for a final slumber party.  Both girls were joining Puddlemere United Quidditch team this year as junior players, and their training began tomorrow, so they had decided to celebrate, big time.  Just as Gabi finished these thoughts, the doorbell rang.

"Hey, Jess!" Gabi squealed as she opened the front door.  "We're Hogwarts graduates at last!"

"I know!" she cried, giggling in spite of herself.  "We are now Chasers for Puddlemere United!" Throwing her bags down, Jess ran over and gave her a hug.  Gabi returned the hug full force.

"So...what d'you want to do first?" Gabi asked her friend.  Without even asking, both girls knew.

"Ice cream sundaes!" they both yelled at the same time, clamoring against each other to reach the kitchen first and laughing in spite of themselves.  It was to be a long, long night.

* * *

At around midnight, after stuffing themselves full of ice cream sundaes and romantic comedies, both girls were lying flat on their backs, arms out, and looking as though they’d never be able to get up.

Jessica, however, spited that assumption.  “Hey Gabi?”  She asked her nearly unconscious friend.

“Yeah, Jess?” she mumbled back from the floor.

“Get up,” Jessica whined at her, tugging on her arm.

“All right, all right,” Gabi grumbled, sitting up and rubbing her arm where Jessica had left red marks.  “What do you want?”

“Let’s make a pact," Jess whispered.  "To be friends forever, no matter what."  She looked at her friend expectantly.

"Of course," Gabi replied.  "Let's be specific, though.  Let no man put us under," she said solemnly, putting up her right hand.  "To make it official: I, Gabrielle Leanne Martin, solemnly swear to let no man pull me away from my very best friend in all the worlds, Jessica Rose Myers."  She looked up at Jessica.  "Satisfied?"

"Quite."

"Hey!  It's your turn," Gabi yelped in mock indignation.

"Oh, right, right," she laughed.  "I, Jessica Rose Myers, solemnly swear to let no man pull me away from my very best friend in all the worlds, Gabrielle Leanne Martin.  Satisfied?" she shot at her.

"But of course," Gabi smiled.  Suddenly, an idea popped into her head. Lifting her pillow, she hit Jess over the head.

"Hey!" Jessica shrieked.  "That's it-pillow fight!"  Picking up her own pillow, Jess hit her over the head, and the girls' solemn pact dissolved in the feathers and giggles.

* * *

The next morning Jess and Gabi woke up to the sun streaming in their eyes.

 Jess was on a white, makeshift cot in one corner of Gabi’s room, while Gabi was lying on her pink feather four-poster bed.  Gabi woke up, bolted out of bed in her light blue pajama top and pants, and continued to hit Jess on the head with a pillow.

“Wake up sleepyhead!  Get your hiney out of bed!” Jess just mumbled and sat up zombie-like.

“Have a peanut butter sandwich dear...” she mumbled, her eyes still closed.   Gabi laughed and grabbed her friend’s arm.

“JESSICA!  Wake up!  We don’t want to be late for our first practice on Puddlemere!”  Slowly Jessica pulled back her cotton sheets to reveal her boxer shorts and silky tee shirt she wore for pajamas.  Gabi always thought the boxer shorts were a bit strange, but Jess never was actually normal.

“Fine, fine...I was just thinking about Johnny.  Oops, did I say thinking?  I meant dreaming.”  Jess slurred her words, as if she were drunk.  Johnny was the boy she met on her vacation to the States last month.  She and her family went to Wisconsin, where they had lived before moving to England, as a graduation gift and family reunion.

“I’m going to go get ready!”  Gabi bounced away to the Martins’ large bathroom to get in the shower as Jess slowly woke herself up.

* * *

“Lemonade?” Gabi’s older brother Scott asked the girls as he set the breakfast-waffles and bacon-on the large dining room table.  Scott wasn’t fully dressed; he was actually in a white muscle shirt and dark teal plaid boxers.  Of course, Jess was enjoying the view-she had always had a crush on Scott.

“Sure.  Could you put ice in mine?” Gabi asked.  After her shower she had calmed down, wearing a white racer back tank top and tight flare leg jeans.  Since she knew they would get their uniforms today, she didn’t bother wearing something formal.  Jess, after a quick shower, was wearing a green spaghetti strap shirt, her sports bra showing, and silver silk shorts.  Her light skin made her look prettier, with her brown hair in a ponytail.

“You two really do look good.”  Scott smiled, and turned back to get Gabi her ice and lemonade.

“You’re so lucky to have a brother, Gabs, AND he’s such a sweetheart.  Too bad he’s got a fiancée,” Jess groaned, staring into space.

“Yeah, I am.  Yes, he is.  Yup, I agree,” Gabi sighed, and stuck a fork into her waffles.  “Hurry up, I don’t want to be late!”

* * *

They arrived at the stadium.  It was like a miniature of the stadiums used at World Cups, but minus the gold.  The glimmering arches and height of the building made Jess smile.  She had always wanted to go pro; she was on Slytherin’s Quidditch team, but because of a series of injuries, she couldn’t play after her fifth year at Hogwarts.  It was too bad too; she had always thought the Gryffindor Keeper, Oliver Wood, was really cute.

Gabi started laughing.  “I can’t believe we made it!  We’re on a team, and we’re not reserve!  That means we get to play!”

“I know what it means Gabs!  I’ve read the acceptance letter a thousand times!  I remember at the interview, I was so nervous that I dropped the Quaffle.  Obviously they overlooked it.”

“We’re here...” Gabrielle smiled, looking as if her best dreams had come true.

* * *

“Good afternoon, team,” a curt voice came from the door.  A young woman walked in, looking at them all rather severely.  Gabi was strongly reminded of Professor McGonagall.  “I’d like to say welcome to the new members of our team, and for those of you who don’t know me, I am Elisa Harrison, manager of Puddlemere United.  We have accepted five new reserve players, and two new starters.  While I do realize I have two very disgruntled reserves who have been with this team for five years apiece, I decided to go over their heads.  Ladies, would you introduce yourselves?”  Gabi, being the less brave one, decided to let Jess go first.

“Hi everyone,” Jess began, looking out at the thirteen people before her. 

“My name is Jessica Myers, and I’ll be playing Chaser, obviously.  I just graduated from Hogwarts this spring and I did play on Slytherin house team until my fifth year, when a series of injuries took me out of the game.  However, I’m now extra healthy and ready to play for Puddlemere!”  Built up in bravery, Gabi stepped up in front of them.

“Hello,” she grinned.  “I’m Gabrielle Martin, but my friends call me Gabi or Gabs.  I also just graduated this spring, and I played Quidditch as a Chaser from my second year on the Hufflepuff house team.  And no, they aren’t a load of duffers, as many of you might think, and I heard Hagrid once say.”  She got a laugh from this.  “Anyway, I am very glad to be playing for Puddlemere, and as a starting Chaser!”

The young woman, who was apparently the manager of the team, came back to the front.  “And I will list the names of our five reserve players.  All of the starters should get to know the reserves pretty well, as we can play with them at any time.  Wave your hand as I call your name.  Erika Zabini-” A pretty girl with raven black hair and shocking blue eyes waved at them kindly.

“Jonathan Saulsberg-” an average looking man who appeared to be in his twenties gave a jovial smile and waved ecstatically.

“Lola Roberts-” a sweet looking, curly haired brunette gave a small smile and an equally small wave.

“Bryce Davis-” a handsome brown haired, green-eyed guy gave everyone a friendly wave.

“And finally, Oliver Wood-” Jessica jumped out of her skin, looking shocked.  Gabi had no idea why-they both had met him before.  Her eyes turned to the young man who was waving, and fully realized why Jess had jumped.  Apparently Gabi hadn’t been paying attention to Keepers lately, because since her second year, Oliver Wood had grown completely and utterly handsome.  It took everything she had not to start drooling, but she doubted she could ever have him, anyway.  He probably had a girlfriend already.

* * *

The team marched out to the field, all of them in their standard navy blue uniforms with bulrushes.  The regular Keeper, Theo Larson, was unable to play due to a horrible head cold, but Oliver agreed to stand in his place.

Gabi had settled on ignoring her feelings for them, deciding (rather firmly) to shut them up in her heart, like she always did.  Jess, however, couldn’t stop ogling him.  She was staring more than was reasonable, and so Gabi brought her back by elbowing her sharply in the ribs.

“Hey!”  Jess protested.  “That hurt!”

“Well, I just wanted to let you know that if you don’t stop staring at Oliver Wood, he’s going to think you’re some kind of crazy psychotic who just can’t handle herself!”  Gabi whispered sharply.

“That’s because I am a crazy psychotic who can’t handle herself!” Jess smirked.  Gabi just rolled her eyes and mounted her broom.

“Ready, everyone?  And… play!” Elisa yelled, blowing her whistle and throwing the Quaffle in the air.  Theo, who stood beside her on the ground, let out the Bludgers and Snitch.

Speeding on her Firebolt, Gabi received the pass of the Quaffle from Roxanne Willis, the third Chaser on Puddlemere, and made it down the field in no time flat.  However, Jess was closer to the goal, so she threw it to her friend and watched as the red Quaffle shot through the goal hoop directly behind Oliver.  He looked dumbfounded that anyone could have gotten it past him.  Gabi had to laugh.  ‘Is his ego that big that he can’t even believe a goal could get past him?’ she thought in wonderment.

Jess came beside her and gave her a high five.  "We're doing all right, aren't we?" Jess asked with a smile on her face.

* * *

Jessica had just finished writing a letter to her mother when her roommate came into the chamber. Puddlemere had provided them cabins, of a sort, because some lived too far to ride back and forth, and even others (like Gabrielle and Jess) didn’t have their Apparating license.

“Hey, we never really got a chance to talk. I’m Roxanne.” She stuck out a dark hand.

“Hey, I’m Jessica, but you can call me Jess.” They shook, and Roxanne sat down on her bed opposite of Jess. She was very pretty, with chocolate skin, brown eyes and blonde hair that was probably dyed. “So, how long have you been playing with Puddlemere?”

“Not too long, maybe… oh, four years? It’s really great, Elisa is so nice… one of the best coaches we’ve ever had. I see you must have just graduated, not having your license and all…”

“Yeah, its something of an embarrassment… on a team already but no license. When did you get yours? License, I mean.” Jess turned and handed her owl, Freya, her letter. The huge tawny barn owl fluttered out the window into the night sky after tilting her head slightly sideways.

“Not too long after Hogwarts; you could probably apply for one now. After all, we only have practices five days a week, and you’ll go home on the weekends, right? You could take the course this weekend, and then get it next weekend-“ Suddenly the door opened again. Elisa stood there with Oliver, her back to the room.

“This is your room. You’ll share with three other people, ok? Thanks Oliver for being such a good sport, none of the other boys were willing to share a room with girls… Must be a macho thing. Hey girls,” Elisa turned to Roxanne and Jess, waved and walked away.

“Hallo…” Oliver said, a bit shyly perhaps. He walked in and shut the door, then moved closer to the two girls. “I’m Oliver…yeah.” Jessica stood, pulling at her auburn ponytail. She held out a pale hand to shake his.

“I’m Jessica… You’re from Hogwarts right? A Gryffindor?” Oliver nodded. Then, the door to the cabin’s bathroom opened and Gabi walked in, her white bathrobe wrapped around her and her hair half dried and frizzy. She looked around, made a small squeaking noise as she saw Oliver, grabbed her things, and went back into the bathroom.