Chapter 1
Albus Severus Potter:
As I sat at the Gryffindor table I looked out at the grey sky outside. There seemed to be an air of excitement around the Great Hall this morning. 'No wonder, it's the first Quidditch game of the season here at Hogwarts' I thought to myself.
As I was just about to get up I saw my older brother, James Sirius Potter, coming down the hall. The crowd seamed to part like the red sea for him as he walked down the hall, hand in hand with Honey Kringal, James` girlfriend, and wearing his Quidditch robes. James was the captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team and the most popular person in his the school, everyone seemed to love him. All the boys wanted to be him and all the girls wanted to be with him. I watched as Honey glorified in this moment, she loved being centre of attention and to be with James was considered practically royalty, she kissed him very passionately, aware all eyes in the hall were on those two and left to go sit with her friends at the Ravenclaw table, while James came and sat down next to me. Attention of the entire crowd seemed to drop and they continued celebrating.
"Not in Gryffindor colours I see," enquired James,
"No, I'm not going to the match today,"
"What?" spluttered James as he choked on his pumpkin juice.
"I've decided to go up to the library instead, 5th year is a very important year, you know?"
"Yes I know, but come on, not going to the match that's ridiculous! It's only November!"
"Yes, but I don't want to fall behind on studding, the exams are only 6 months away! I can't afford to waste that time!"
"Oh," said James slyly "I know what this is about..."
"What!" I demanded. He jerked his head over at the Hufflepuff table in the direction of very pretty 5th year girl called Erin.
"Her."
"No it's not!" I protested
"Come on Al, I know you like her. You sit and stare at her all the time!"
"What! No I don't"
"Yes you do!"
"This is ridiculous, I'm leaving!" I said as I got up and headed for the library.
James Sirius Potter:
'I don't know who he thinks he's kidding; everyone knows he likes Erin, except her, apparently'
"Hey!" said a voice behind me. I turned to see who it was hoping it wasn't Honey.
"Oh, it's you!"
"Yes, it's me, you did you think it was?" asked Katie, Albus' best friend
"No one," I lied
"James, you're forgetting I happened to be skilled in the art of occlumency," she said very wispily. We both laughed at this. I liked Katie; she was nice, pretty, attractive, funny, clever...
"Right Katie," I said sarcastically
"I am! Honest!" she said with a smile
"Okay, then tell me what I'm thinking." I quizzed
"Well, I can't just do it whenever I want!" she exclaimed as she sat in on the bench next to me.
"Yip, though so." She gave me a slight smile as she helped herself to some toast and jam.
I caught Honey's eye as I returned my gaze to my food. She gave me a look as though to say 'don't even dare'. To be quite honest I was getting sick of Honey. 'I'll have to let her go before the Quidditch match' I thought , 'then I can celebrate with someone I actually care about,' 'like Katie' 'What! No, I spent all last year getting over her and I wont waste that time again!' 'But it wasn't really wasted, was it?' 'Of course it was, she would never go for her best friends' big brother and especially not if it's me!'
Katie and I have been friends ever since she came to stay at our house in the summer before her second year at Hogwarts. Her father is a muggle who works overseas, so he has to travel a lot, and her mum works for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement at Ministry of Magic. She came to stay at ours because her father was away working in India and her mother had to go on an urgent trip to Portugal due to a serious breach of the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery. 'God, I'm so glad she can't read me mind right now!"
Katie Rose Marlin:
'Wow! I'd forgotten how much I liked James over the summer. Considering I spent the whole summer travelling with my parents I hardly saw my friends at all, and with all the stress of the O. at the end of the year nobody seems to want to do anything for fun anymore.'
"Seen Albus?" I asked, trying to break the unbearable silence between us,
"Yes actually," he seemed to be relieved to have something to talk about "he's away up to the library," he smirked
"Oh not this again..."
"Not 'what' again?"
"Albus!" James and I both chorused
"I see you've changed your mind," smirked James
"Nope, still not going, only I've decided to come down and wish you luck before the game." Smiled Albus
"And he wanted to check whether Erin had noticed him or not," I said under my breath so only James could hear. He smirked and Albus threw us a filthy look.
"Listen, I'll be back in a minute," said James as he got up from the table. He gave me a sly wink as he crossed the hall.
"Katie, could I ask you one favour?"
"To talk to Erin for you? Sure I mean..."
"No! To either ask out my brother or date someone else!" I felt my face burning at this last comment.
"I never...I wouldn't..."
"Katie! Come on I know you like him, and he likes you too, so just get on with it!"
"It's not that easy! He's a year above me, the most popular guy in school and your big brother!"
"Yeah, but he likes you too so it doesn't really matter about all that stuff. Except perhaps the fact that he's my brother...but I'm fine with it."
I couldn't help myself, I had to smile. The fact that James Potter could possibly actually like me was incomprehensible. At that moment shouts were coming from the other side of the room.
"I'm sorry, but you're getting really clingy and to be quite honest I'm sick of it. I'd rather spent my time with someone I actually care about!" shouted James
"Like your brothers best friend?" screamed Honey
All the heads in the room seemed to turn towards me. Including Albus'
"Told you!" he whispered in my ear as he got up from the table