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There wasn't much Lizzie didn't like about summer. As soon as the temperatures were rising, there was nothing she loved more than spending her whole day outside, soaking up the sunshine and the smell of freshly mown grass.
If asked, Lizzie would have said that the summer after her sixth year at Hogwarts had been her favourite one to date. She and Orion had spent the better part of their time off travelling the United Kingdom without a set aim or destination. They had just returned from a whistle-stop trip to the Channel Isles; Lizzie would have liked to stay there for a little longer, but Orion needed to be in Montrose in time for the season preparation, and so their trip had eventually come to its inevitable end.
Knowing that she would have to spend her last year at Hogwarts without him dampened her spirits, but Lizzie was determined not to dwell on that. For now, she had much more important matters to think about: this weekend, the Premier League was finally starting again.
One the first matchday of the season, Lizzie woke at the crack of dawn. She reached for the tickets she'd laid on her bedside table and looked at them with a broad grin. Her friend David Willows had gotten her the tickets for her birthday last year. Liverpool would be facing Manchester United, and Lizzie still couldn't quite believe she was lucky enough to be able to go.
Next to her, Orion was still fast asleep, so Lizzie got out of bed as quietly as she could. Mouse, Lizzie's big grey cat, who had been sleeping nestled against her stomach, wasn't as considerate; she stretched copiously and climbed over Orion's shoulder to lie on his other side. With the warmth of Lizzie's body gone and Mouse contentedly digging her claws into his back, Orion stirred and slowly sat up. Not even fully awake yet, he reached behind him to scratch the happily purring cat behind her ears.
"You're awake early," he mumbled, stifling a yawn as he glanced out of the window. "Greeting the day with a balanced mind is commendable, but you really could have waited until the sun was up."
"I don't have time to wait," Lizzie said with a muffled voice. She was kneeling in front of her chest of drawers and methodically digging through it. "I need to prepare myself. Get in the proper mood."
"Before sunrise?"
"It's never too early to get into the LFC mood."
Lizzie drew out two bright red Liverpool jerseys, eyed them critically and tossed them over her shoulder before diving into her extensive collection again. Having found the shirt she had been looking for, she flung it over her shoulder and headed to the bathroom, humming an upbeat melody under her breath.
When she came back washed and dressed in the new season's kit, Orion was leaning against the headboard of her bed with Mouse curled up in his lap. His eyes were closed, and he was breathing calmly. The only indication that he hadn't fallen asleep again were his fingers, which were lazily moving over Mouse's back. Upon hearing her enter the room, Orion glanced her way.
"Have I ever told you that I like you in red?" he said with a slightly lopsided smirk.
His smile changed into a laugh when he saw that Lizzie was blushing. He reached out to pull her towards him for a kiss, but she moved away and tossed him one of her brother's old jerseys instead.
"Stop flirting and get dressed."
She didn't have a mind for banter this morning, but it didn't stop her from watching a little wistfully as Orion's bronzed skin vanished beneath the bright red fabric of his shirt anyway. Once he was looking like a proper Liverpool fan, Orion got up and took Lizzie in his arms. This time, she was all too happy to let him kiss her.
"Happy now?" he mumbled, pressing another short kiss to the tip of her nose.
"Perfectly happy," Lizzie giggled, a mischievous sparkle in her eyes. "How could I not be? It's matchday, after all."
Over the course of the day, Lizzie's excitement steadily grew, eventually turning into a nervous kind of tension. Time was ticking by painfully slow, and she glanced at the clock more than once until it was finally time to leave.
Lizzie's mother Helen - an ardent Liverpool fan herself - sighed wistfully as she handed Lizzie the box with the Floo powder. "I can't believe my little girl is going to Anfield."
"I've been to Anfield before, Mum."
"Yes, but never without me," Helen sighed again and put her arms around her daughter. "And what a match it is! I really wish I could come."
She let go of Lizzie and turned to Orion. "You take care of her, you hear me? After what happened at Hillsborough last year…" Helen Jameson shuddered; the mass panic during the match between Liverpool and Nottingham had been a tragic landmark in the history of modern English football and was still present in the minds of football fans all across the country. "Just don't let her get into trouble, will you?"
"Orion wouldn't even know the difference between the Reds and the Red Devil's if they spelt it out for him," Lizzie cut in, pointing at her slightly bewildered-looking boyfriend. "See? If any, I'll be taking care of him."
"Knowing you, someone should probably be taking care of them ," Lizzie's father Michael muttered. Lizzie grinned and hugged him as well.
She took a handful of the glittering Floo powder and threw it into the fireplace, where it turned the flames a vivid emerald green. With a held breath and a familiar surge of adrenaline, Lizzie called out David's address and stepped into the fire.
***
Upon arriving at the Willows' place in Liverpool, Lizzie immediately flung her arms around a broadly grinning David. Noticing the unimpressed look his girlfriend Merula Snyde was giving her, Lizzie cleared her throat and quickly took a step away from her friend.
The four of them took the bus into the city, and with every stop, the excitement bubbling in Lizzie's stomach grew. When they changed lines at Beaumont Street, the occasional glimpse of red could already be spotted here and there; upon arriving at Anfield Road, the red had spread to everything in sight.
They followed the seemingly endless stream of people from the bus stop to Arkles Lane, from where the home fans would enter the stadium. Most people were excited and singing on their way, but a handful was already heavy on the drinks; they were arguing loudly with each other and Lizzie and her friends gave them as wide a berth as possible.
Lizzie had been to Anfield several times before, but when she passed beneath the famous Shankly Gates, above which the club motto was written in gleaming golden letters, a shiver ran down her spine. She and David shared an excited grin while Orion looked around himself in wonder.
The only one seemingly unfazed by everything was Merula. It wasn't until they walked out into The Kop - the famous stand of the most ardent Liverpool fans rising behind the southwestern goal - that even her scepticism was blown away.
The green pitch was lying at their feet, the stark white lines bright on the immaculate green lawn. The ranks were already brimming with people clad in red and white. The air was heavy with anticipation, and the low rumble of more than fifty thousand voices sounded through the stadium. Lizzie breathed in deeply as she let her eyes wander over the crowd.
This was Anfield.
They found their section, and Lizzie soaked in the atmosphere of the busy ranks. Just before the beginning of the match, a collective hush went through the crowd as the tune of Liverpool's famous hymn began to play. Lizzie and David joined in with the rest of the stadium, their red-and-white scarves raised high above their heads. When the song was over, and the players were taking their positions on the field, Orion leaned her way.
"You were right when you said that this was an impressive sight. So many voices joined as one are creating a magic of their own."
"Whatever you say, Captain," Lizzie chuckled. She nudged him into the side and nodded at the pitch. "But the real magic is about to start down there."
The referee blew his whistle, and the match began. It soon became clear that the face-off against the rival from Manchester was just as passionate as Lizzie had hoped it would be. The fans on both sides were spurring their teams on, singing and shouting at the top of their lungs. Lizzie and David were celebrating and suffering with them, their full attention focused on the game.
When it was halftime, Lizzie took a deep breath and finally allowed herself to relax. She turned to Orion - for the first time in the last forty-five minutes, she suddenly realised.
"How do you like it so far?" she asked, not without a touch of bad conscience. Over the excitement of the match, she had somehow completely forgotten about him.
"It's an inspiring display of sportsmanship," Orion said. "When the ball changes possession, there is this short moment in which all players move as one, like grass blowing in the wind. The shift from offence to defence, from defence to offence - it is a moment of perfect unity."
"It is," Lizzie agreed, glad that he didn't seem upset with her lack of attention towards him.
The smile on Orion's face turned into a puzzled expression. "There are some things still eluding me, however."
"What would that be?"
Orion pondered her question for a moment. "Tell me about offside again," he said eventually, and Lizzie sighed. Of course it was offside - it was always offside.
Much to her relief, Orion had no trouble following her explanations; his many years of playing Quidditch had given him a good understanding of how team sports were designed to work. Lizzie risked a furtive glance at Merula and David, who seemed to be having a similar discussion; despite David's best efforts, however, Merula looked somewhat confused.
At the beginning of the second half, Manchester United started back into the game with force. They scored two goals in quick succession, turning the match into a bitter fight for the upper hand. The closer the game was drawing to its end, the more agitated Lizzie became. When there was less than a minute left to play, Liverpool claimed the ball and sent their strikers forward in a last desperate attempt to score. Lizzie leaned forward, gripping David's arm as the stadium held its breath.
A mere second before the end of the match was signalled, the ball shot past Manchester's keeper into the upper left corner. Anfield erupted in an explosion of cheers, the fans singing loudly as Liverpool's hymn was struck up again.
Lizzie threw her arms around David with a scream before she turned to Orion, pressing a passionate kiss to his lips. The ecstatic atmosphere had gripped him as well, and he joined in as they sang along with the rest of the celebrating fans. Lizzie happily leaned against his side, unable to stop smiling.
Liverpool FC might have been her first love, but she wouldn't exchange it for her current one for anything in the world.
***
To celebrate the spectacular last-minute win, David took his friends to one of his favourite pubs before they returned to his family's place, where they celebrated some more.
When Lizzie and Orion arrived back at the Jamesons' house, it was already late. Lizzie felt shattered, but she was too strung up to go to sleep just yet, so she and Orion got changed and headed out a second time.
They wandered through the sleeping town of Lyme Regis, following the soft sound of the sea. They took the steps leading down to the rocky beach and continued their way along the shore. The cool breeze was blowing away her tiredness, and Lizzie snuggled deeper into Orion's arm around her shoulders.
They followed the shoreline without a particular aim, simply enjoying each other's company. The smaller the lights of the town were growing in their backs, the more the exhilaration of the day was giving way to a sinking feeling in Lizzie's stomach.
Both of them were aware that these precious moments with just the two of them would be the last ones for a while. The thought was making Lizzie sad; she wished they could stay on this beach - at this exact moment, where everything was easy - and not have to think about the rocky road lying ahead of them.
"A Sickle for your thoughts, Chaser?"
Lizzie stopped and leaned her head against Orion's chest, her arms coming around his waist beneath his jacket.
"I hate that everything's changing," she said quietly. "I'm so excited for you, I really am, but I can't imagine going back to school without you. The team won't be the same without its captain."
"The old has made way for the new. The team has new captains now, and both are more than capable of walking in the footsteps l left behind. Given some time, I'm convinced they will succeed in leaving a mark themselves." He pulled her closer and rested his cheek against her hair.
"There is no saying what the future will hold, only that change is inevitable." He nodded towards the night sky, illuminated by the silver glow of the moon. "Think about how many changes the moon must have seen throughout its aeons of life. And yet it never falters; it rises and falls every night because that is the nature of things. Even when the moon is hidden, it is there, in all its glory, like it has been and always will be."
He pressed a kiss to her hair, and Lizzie closed her eyes, trying not to think about anything but here and now.
"I will be with you at Hogwarts, and you will be with me in Montrose. Just like the moon is never truly gone from the sky, neither of us will ever be without the other," he said gently, resting his forehead against hers. "We are part of one another, you and I, and no distance in the world will be able to change that."
Lizzie brought her hand to his cheek and let it linger there before she gently kissed him.
"You're right," she whispered, kissing him once more. "No matter where life takes us - as long as I am here, you'll never walk alone."