Shadows settle on the place, that you left.
Our minds are troubled by the emptiness.
Destroy the middle, it's a waste of time.
From the perfect start to the finish line.
Youth by Daughter

"Hayles could you hurry it up a bit? You're taking forever!" James shouted at me. I rolled my eyes at him, he didn't even bother to offer me any help! Wow, could you say best brother in the Wizarding World? Yeah, I didn't think so either.

"I'm coming, I'm coming. Shove off, you wanker." I told him completely annoyed.

James Potter. Yes THEE James Potter is my brother, but surely you can't forget about Hayley Potter. Hayley Potter. Yes THEE Hayley Potter is his sister.

James and I, we're twins, we're one in the same, but we're also two different people. James has an unruly, shaggy haircut that's pitch black, whereas I have blonde hair. I get it from my mum's side!

The only thing we share appearance wise is our tallness (I'm 5'6 right now and he's 5'9) and our eyes.

We both have hazel eyes. Mine are prettier though. :p

"Need a little help there, Deerg?" I whipped my head around, slapping myself with hair, to see Remus John Lupin standing tall with more scratches than ever.

Deerg, yep that's my name and don't you dare wear it out! I know what you're thinking, 'the fuck is a deerg?' I know I'd be thinking the same thing. We're the Marauders, Moony, Padfoot, Prongs, Wormtail, and I.

Deerg was just a name my grandfather always called me. I had no idea what it meant, but it stuck. I've grown to love it a lot.

"I thought you said you could handle it." I said angrily.

"Hayles I can, okay?" he assured me, but I knew Remus better than that, we all did.

I tugged my bag back as he tried to take it away from me. "No secrets, no lies. We made a pact."

I don't know where all this new found strength came from, but I stormed all the way to Lily's compartment.
It was the same compartment every year, four doors down from the bathrooms. That way we can check out all the guys and plus it comes in handy.

"Hayley! How was your summer?" I was bombarded by questions similar to Lily's once I stepped foot into the compartment.

"It was fine, thank you very much!" I started, "I went to a small quidditch camp in America, and let me tell you, I went sight-seeing."

"Did you see the Empire State?" Mary MacDonald asked me. She was another Gryffindor in my year with everlasting bright eyes and a smile that made you feel welcomed.

"I saw a an empire, but it wasn't a building." I smirked causing the girls to giggle.
I don't even know what I just said, and frankly, I don't think it even made sense.

"Come on guys, you know American boys, and I was the tourist attraction." I laughed.

It was true though. Everytime I spoke, I had boys at my feet. Now I'm not being conceded, I'm just being blunt. The guys I saw only wanted to sleep with me and a foreigner? That's gold, baby.

"How was the quidditch though?" Alice asked me.

Alice, Alice, Alice Prewett. That girl is quidditch obsessed, which is quite funny considering she's not on the team, and has no idea how to even play the sport. I'm pretty sure she just wants to impress Frank Longbottom.

"Quidditch was so tiring!" I huffed in exasperation, recollecting the memories of my summer. " We ran drills 24/7, on the olus side though, my stomach and my legs have never looked better!"

"I don't see why you let yourself play such a time consuming and physically demanding sport." Lily told me.

"Um, because it's fun?" I told her as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Just because my brother plays seeker, a great one if I may add, doesn't mean quidditch is awful and stupid and only for vikings and cute boys!"

Lily rolled her eyes, "I don't have a problem with quidditch, I just have a problem with you playing quidditch."

I rolled my eyes this time, I am really not in the mood for a lecture and school hasn't even started!

"You've gotten yourself in the hospital wing for a concussion eight times, you've also broken both your arms and your left leg, you've been hit by bludgers multiple times, and not to mention how tired you always are after practice and for those secret midnight games." she listed off with her fingers.

"Okay, I'm fragile, so what though?" I retorted.

"I'm just trying to say with quidditch, you're grades drop significantly, you're mentally, physically, and for Godric's sake, emotionally exhausted. And guess who has to put up with all your crankiness and needs? This girl!" she exclaimed pointing to herself.

"Lils, I love you, but- Alice, Mary, back me up here a bit." I asked them for support, but with the guilt evident in their eyes, I knew it was a mistake.

"Quidditch is really hard on you. I know you're trying to prove a point to your brother and your family, and even to yourself, but is it even worth it?" Alice cowered.

"I play quidditch because it's fun." I stated, and it was true. I did play quidditch because it was fun, but that sure as hell wasn't the only reason.

"This is not how I want to start off fifth year at all, let's move on." Mary suggested and we all agreed.

"I'll be right back, I need to use the loo." I told the girls.

But I didn't walk four doors down to my left.

I walked to the nearest compartment that was empty. None.

I eventually gave up after the seventeenth.

Lily's probably going to give me hell for this later, but here goes nothing.

"Scram." I demanded as I barged into some poor second year's compartment.

She scurried towards who knows where, but as long as she didn't come back, I was perfectly okay with it.

I cracked open the window, locked the door, and pulled down the blinds.

My nose ignites, flameless kerosene (and, some say, Drano) laced with ephedrine and powdered demons bite through cartilage and sinuses, take dead aim at my brain, jump inside want to scream, I want to let go, detonate, annihilate barriers, bring down the walls, unleashing floodwaters, freeing long-captive dreams to ride the current through arteries and capillaries, pulsing, rushing, raging torrents pounding against my heart, sweeping me away.

But I'm not fazed at all.