Clarke shook hands with everyone, then walked off the field as quickly as she could without looking suspiciously like she was running. When she rounded the corner, she broke out into a sprint, trying to get to somewhere no one would see. She finally found a secluded area, leaned against a wall, and slid down, beginning to quietly cry.
She scored points, and she stayed on her broom even with three hits from the bludger. She was soaring, physically and metaphorically. She had never felt more confident in her life Then, boom. Slytherin got the snitch. Her emotions came crashing down, and disappointment and self loathing flooded her.
See, Clarke? No matter what, you’ll never be good enough. Why even bother? Why did you even try out in the first place? Kyle is the quidditch player, not you. You’re so pathetic. You’re an embarrassment to the family, Gryffindor, and Hogwarts itself.
She had been crying for about ten minutes then she heard footsteps. She quickly wiped her eyes before looking up at her new visitor. “Um… hey.”
Despite being a Gryffindor, James wasn’t too disappointed by the results of the game. Anna was on the Slytherin team, after all, and he always cheered on her performance. As he did with all those on the field that he cared about. It had been different, not seeing Lily on the pitch but on the bench, but he’d also been grateful to see Lucy out there after her stint in the hospital wing. All in all, he considered it a victorious occasion for most that were involved.
Including for the Gryffindor reserve players who had done their best to hold their own in their first official match. They had a lot to be proud about and so when James found one of them, Clarke Cross, on the ground and visibly distraught, he did not hesitate to pause in his movements. Crouching his knees downward, he gave the girl a soft smile. “Hey. Great plying out there,” he praised soothingly. “You really held your own. I know that I sure as hell wouldn’t have been able to stay on my broom after taking hits like that. You must be pretty tough, huh?”