Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by J.K. Rowling. No money is being made.

Written for the Quidditch League – Season 4 Fanfiction Competition – Finals Round 2

Finals Round 2 – Weasley's Wizard Wheezes

We'd like to thank Gred and Forge of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes for sponsoring this round of the Quidditch League. In order to help them boost sales amongst the crowds here, we'd like you—the players—to endorse some of their products. Remember you're trying to entice people to buy, so make sure you make lasting impressions on people! (AKA—make sure your products are used in and are important to your stories.)

Chaser 2: First Love Beguiling Bubbles

Additional Prompts:

#6.(quote) "If selling my soul is all it takes to win, I'll give you my whole body, no holds barred." - Yuri Plisetsky, Yuri on Ice

#10.(nursery rhyme) Hush, Little Baby

#12.(restriction) no using the word 'what'

Chaser 2 for the Wimbourne Wasps

Rated M with permission from judge.

The Games They Play

You know, it isn't easy being me. I'm the firstborn. I'm expected to be this perfect heir. Though, of course, not by our parents, only other people. You know as well as I that they expect nothing from us. Well, that's not really true either. They expect us to be happy, that's it. Mostly dad. Especially dad.

Do you think he would mind if we set the world alight?

It would be brilliant, wouldn't it? Those pretty, pretty flames setting everything ablaze.

Your move, Al.

James kept his eyes on his little brother as he made his way to the Sorting Hat. Finally. Finally, his brother was here.

The last couple of years had been absolutely tedious. People were just so boring. It didn't help that he was Harry Potter's son. Yes, The Harry Potter. Yes, that was how people referred to his dad: The Harry Potter.

He smiled at the girl sitting next to him, concealing the sneer that wanted to spread on his lips. He had become pretty good at this; it really didn't surprise him that the Hat had insisted that he would have done well in Slytherin. Thankfully, the Hat had agreed to place him in Gryffindor after he had asked. Apparently, he was just reckless enough to be a Gryffindor.

Some days, he almost regretted pleading with the Hat. The people that surrounded him day and night were so dull; they presented no challenge at all. Then again, he didn't think that things would have been different in Slytherin.

People, as a whole, were boring.

Al being the exception, of course.

He had known right away that his brother would be different. How could he not be, with them being brothers?

Al was just like him. Al had been merely four years old when they had started with their games. It had been so much fun.

When Lily had been born, they had hoped she would join them once she was old enough. However, it quickly became apparent that their sister was… normal. James had to repress a shudder just thinking of it. Lily would never play their games; however, that didn't mean she couldn't be part of them. After all, family or not, the only one off limits was their dad.

He shared a smile with his brother as Al took a seat in front of him, no one but them noticing the promises in their eyes.

My move. Right.

I can't believe it's been six years since my sorting. It feels like it was yesterday. Does it matter if dad would care? As you said, he just wants us happy, and our dear mom… Well, she isn't around to care either way, is she?

Aren't you bored, James?

We have been playing these games for years. And yet… we're still tied. I win one, then you win the following one. It's getting repetitive.

I would never think of stopping. If I am bored now, can you imagine how tedious my days would be if I didn't get to play with you?

No, no. I wasn't talking about stopping. But, well, maybe we could change our game? We're older now, why don't we go for higher stakes?

Al grinned when he pulled the small bottle of First Love Beguiling Bubbles that his uncle George had shoved away in the attic from his pocket.

These things had an expiration date, like most potions, and this one was well over ten years old, he was sure. However, unlike most potions, this one didn't actually turn bad with time. It became more potent. He had to repress a laugh just thinking about everything he could do with it.

James had started another game the other day. Al didn't think it would be a challenge at all. They were the Potter boys, after all. However, the little bottle in his hand would make things more interesting.

Higher stakes?

Come now, Al, higher stakes than a human life?

I confess, your idea was genius. Who would have thought that she would react like that to the potion?

Don't celebrate yet. I will still win this game.

Really, my soul? Well, if selling my soul is all it takes to win, I'll give you my whole body, no holds barred.

Then again, do we even have souls?

James studied the little bottle in his brother's hand, a grin splitting his lips.

"You think it will work?"

Al's grin matched his, showing far too many teeth.

"Since when do you doubt me, brother?" Al leaned forward, the light of the fire casting his features into sharp contrast. "Playing for her heart holds no appeal to me. Where's the challenge? With a look from us, they come crawling. No. This will be more fun."

James hummed, leaning back in his armchair, his gaze roving over the pictures lining the wall of their father's study.

"I finished Hogwarts last year. If you want to play, to change the game, it would have to be now. We still have three weeks before you return to Hogwarts."

Al relaxed on his seat, those green eyes, so like their dad's, shining with glee.

"Three weeks to break a mind is more than enough."

Of course we have souls. Don't be all Muggle; it doesn't suit you. You know that having a soul doesn't make you good, and the lack of one doesn't make you evil. Lack of a soul just shuts your body down, simple.

Yes, yes. Voldemort. He's a bad example. He didn't lack a soul. He mutilated his. Quite different, dear brother.

How could you say that? After everything he did to dad? If he were here, I would rip his fucking soul out and tear it into tiny pieces and put it into different homunculi and kill them over and over again.

Can you imagine how pretty Voldemort would have looked if we could skin him alive? His screams would have been a beautiful symphony.

"Hello, Alice."

Alice turned around, a flush dusting her cheeks.

"James."

Al rolled his eyes at how breathless she sounded. Alice Longbottom was the birthday girl and their sister's best friend, and now their new play mate. Sure, she might not know that fact, but that made it all the more fun. The fact that she had a crush on James would just add to the excitement.

He shared a look with James and before anyone noticed, a couple drops of First Love Beguiling Bubbles that were keyed to him weredropped into her drink.

"Hello, Alice."

She swirled around, her eyes widening when she saw him, her blush darkening.

"Al-albus."

He smiled. It seemed like James wasn't the only one she had a crush on. This must be a dream come true for her. Maybe she got off on thinking about being between the Potter brothers. His smile turned a little sharper, as if they would ever lower themselves to touching her.

His eyes briefly landed on the drops that fell onto her cake from the bottle in James hand. First Love Beguiling Bubbles keyed to James.

Ah, first love… it's always so sweet.

Do you think so little of me? Do you think I wouldn't do the same? He hurt dad! Do you think anyone, anyone, who hurt him would be allowed to live?

Sorry. I know, you didn't mean that. It's just… It's dad.

Do… do you think he would still love us if he knew?

James leaned against the door frame, watching as his brother played with Alice. It was always a pleasure to see Al play with their toys. He could be so creative.

"Alice," he called, and the girl turned towards him, her eyes glazing.

"James."

James could see her shuddering from where he was standing.

"Alice, I told you, didn't I?"

Alice's eyes widened, before her eyes flew to the knife in her hands. "No, no, James. I didn't mean to. I swear."

"Oh?" He walked into the room, closing the door behind him. He had made sure that no one had seen his brother leave with Alice, and he had stayed behind so no one would suspect anything, but now... Well, now it was his time to play. "You didn't? I thought you loved me. I thought you wanted to do everything for me?"

"I do! Anything!" She dropped the knife, grabbing the sleeve of his shirt. He contained a sneer.

"Alice."

Her hands tightened on his sleeve; James could see her pupils dilating. She turned around slowly.

"Albus..." His brother's name was a mere whisper on her tongue.

"You love me, don't you?" Alice nodded, her grip slacking. "Pick up the knife, Alice."

She did, holding it gently between her hands. Al smiled at her, and James marveled at how innocent his brother looked.

"Is it sharp?"

Alice ran a finger across the edge, drops of blood painting a thin line as steel met flesh. She nodded again.

"Then do it. Do it for me, Alice. You love me, don't you? This will make me happy."

She knelt, and James watched in anticipation as she raised her arm. A shark-like grin spread on his lips as blood puddled around her knees.

"Alice," he called again. Her wild gaze met his, and he sighed. "Look, now you've done it, Alice."

She glanced at the floor, her body visibly shuddering.

"I thought you loved me."

"I do!"

"Then why did you do this? I told you not to touch any knives, didn't I?"

Al got up from his seat, his eyes alight with pleasure.

"Alice." James chuckled as his brother sing-sang her name. "You did so well, sweetheart." Al caressed her hair, and she practically melted into the touch. "Do it again for me, will you? It will make me so happy."

"Don't do it, Alice," James told her.

He could see the struggle in her eyes. The potions tearing her mind in two directions. Her desire to please both of them, to do whatever it took to make them happy. How long would her mind hold, when both desires clashed so horribly?

Do I think he would still love us if he knew everything we did? If he knew we killed Ginny?

Alright, we didn't kill Ginny; we facilitated her tragic accident. Semantics. The point is, she's dead because we wanted her dead. She was the toy that we broke the fastest, wasn't she? It's a shame. It could have been fun, but you're right, we couldn't risk it.

She looked at us funny, didn't she? There was always that look in her eyes, almost as if she was seeing someone else when looking at us. Who do you think she was seeing?

Yeah, you're right. It doesn't matter. She's dead, and we have dad. We don't need anyone else. As for if he would still love us… well, he wouldn't really have much of a choice, would he?

It's not as if we will ever let him go.

Al watched his brother charm Alice, the potion tearing at her mind. He knew, though, that their following step would be truly her breaking point. The final little push. It wasn't much, but Alice was only fifteen, and she was such an innocent little thing. Al was sure that she would not be able to handle the consequences of her actions. Actions committed of her own free will no less.

That was the beauty of the potion; those that consumed it retained their free will. They were not controlled. They knew everything that was happening. They would retain their morals and ethics. They simply wanted for the person the potion was keyed to to be happy.

Truly, it was a rather innocent potion; though, ten years made it stronger. Far stronger than they had anticipated. It shortened their game, but it made it no less fun.

He couldn't wait for the last part of their game to come.

"Alice." Her crazed eyes focused on him for a second, before going back to the knife still in her grip. "Drink this for me, sweetheart."

He handed her a cup with the antidote as well as a mild sleeping potion. The mixing of both potions would cause her slight befuddlement; it was the perfect way to cover their tracks just enough for people not to suspect them.

She drank all of it without complaint.

Al took the cup back and watched her lean against the sofa, her eyelids already dropping.

He hummed a sweet lullaby their dad used to sing to them as he and his brother left the room, leaving Alice sleeping next to the cooling corpse of her beloved cat.

No, we truly wouldn't let him go.

Hush, little baby, don't say a word,

Papa's gonna buy you a mockingbird…

Dad used to sing that to us every night. I didn't know you still remembered it.

Yes, of course. As if you would forget it. As if we would ever forget anything Dad did for us.

You're right, by the way. We need a game with higher stakes.

No need to look so smug about it.

As I was saying: a game with higher stakes. I was thinking… You take the Wizarding World and I the Muggle one?

The last one standing wins?

A.N.: Thank you so much to Kefalion, Nightmare Prince, and Lokilette for betaing this. It's thanks to you guys that I could make any sort of sense out of this. My brain is far too sleep deprived to work properly XD You all rock.