Something About Quidditch

By: Lady Firemyst

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I wish I did….really, I do, but I don't. I'm just a lowly fanfic writer that had an idea. Please don't sue. I'm not gainfully employed, so it really wouldn't be worth the hassle anyway! ^-^

Katie sighed, packing her books into her bag. Second year potions was brutal, but her friends assured her that the potion Snape made her test at the end of class would wear off eventually, she would just have to deal with having blue skin and green hair for a few hours…. or days, they really weren't sure.

"Could last all week," Lee Jordan added as they all left the classroom.

"Thanks, that makes me feel better," Katie snapped back at him. "It was you who botched the potion, anyway, Lee."

"Woah, touchy touchy," Lee replied, turning to the Weasly twins, Fred and George. "How was I supposed to know that adding some crushed bat wings would change the whole potion. You think she'd be happy it didn't do something worse, like make her invisible or something."

I'd rather it had made me invisible, Katie thought. Then I wouldn't have to show up at dinner in front of the entire school looking like seaweed. Why do I always get stuck with Lee as a partner, anyway?

She turned her back to the boys and followed her friends, Angelina Johnson and Alicia Spinnet, up to Gryffindor tower, where she could hide in her room until dinner, when the whole school would see her new fashion statement.

She wasn't worried about the Slytherins laughing at her. They had potions with the Gryffindors, so they already knew. They laughed at her enough anyway that she didn't really care anymore. What she did care about was that the Gryffindor quidditch seeker, her crush since first year Heath Richards, would see her. He was a seventh year who didn't know she was alive, but she fancied him none the less.

"Oi, Angelina," Alicia said as the girls walked into their room.

"Umhmn," Angelina replied as she threw her books onto her bed.

"You gonna try out for the quidditch team this year?" Alicia asked.

"Yep. They need two new chasers and two new beaters. Fred says…."

"Fred says," Katie interrupted Angelina. "Now there's two words we seem to hear you say a lot recently."

Angelina turned to Katie. "What do you mean by that?" she asked.

Katie smiled. "Just that you fancy him."

"I do not fancy Fred Weasly," Angelina replied, glaring at Katie.

"So sad," Alicia said, pretending to wipe a tear from her eye. "She's in denial of her feelings. They both are."

"What do you mean 'they both are?" Angelina said.

"Just that it's obvious that he fancies you too," Katie answered.

Alicia nodded.

"What makes you say that?" Angelina said, with a strained air of nonchalance.

Katie rolled her eyes. "Nevermind. Now what was it you were saying about quidditch tryouts?"

"Don't 'nevermind' me, Katie Bell!" Angelina laughed, throwing her pillow at Katie. "I want to know what makes you think he likes me."

Katie looked at Alicia. "Just pay attention to how he acts around you at dinner," she said.

"So you're not going to tell me?" Angelina asked.

"Nope," Alicia said.

"I can't believe you two, teasing me like that," Angelina said.

"You'd do the same to us," answered Alicia. "And besides, Lee and George are probably doing the same to your little boyfriend."

"He's not my boyfriend," Angelina whined, sitting down on the end of her bed. "Anyway, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted," she glared at Katie a moment before continuing, "Fred says that he and George are going to try for the beater positions, but suggested that I go out for one of the chaser spots."

"Like you'd have gone for anything else anyway," Alicia said.

"And that's supposed to mean what?" Angelina asked her.

"No need to get snippy, Angelina," Alicia answered, walking over and sitting next to Angelina. "Come on, Angie, I've known you since we were kids. All you've ever talked about was playing quidditch chaser professionally."

Katie watched to two longtime friends exchange a look. Both girls had grown up in wizarding families and had been friends from an early age. And of course, they both knew absolutely everything about quidditch even before they came to Hogwarts. Angelina's older brother had been a star chaser in his time at the school, and his enthusiasm had rubbed off on his sister and her friend.

"You guys are gonna try out too, right?" Angelina asked.

"Of course," Alicia answered. "Do you really think I'd let you do this without me?"

Angelina smiled, then turned to Katie.

"You in?" she asked.

"Well….," Katie answered.

Unlike her friends, Katie had grown up in a muggle family, totally unexposed to her friends' obsession. Totally unaware of magic at all, for that matter. While they had played pickup games of quidditch with friends when they were little, Katie had never been on a broom until her first flying lesson first year. She didn't even own a broom, despite the fact that second years were allowed to.

She sighed, sitting down on the end of her bed with her arms around the pillow that Angelina had thrown at her.

"I dunno," she said.

"Aw, come on Katie. At least give it a shot," Alicia said in an encouraging tone.

"I dunno," Katie replied. "And there's only two spots, so I have no chance anyway against the pair of you." She smiled halfheartedly.

"Katie," Angelina said as she walked over to where the other girl was sitting. "Just give it a try, even if you don't make it, it's the perfect chance to show off in front of Heath." She smiled hopefully.

"No, it's a chance to make of fool of myself in front of Heath. I won't be able to do it, I don't even have a broom," she sighed again, looking at her hands holding the pillow. "And what if I'm still blue and green?"

"Tryouts are next week," Alicia said. "I'm sure it'll wear off by then, and you can borrow one of the school brooms. If you make it, then we'll buy you a broom as an early Christmas present."

"The school brooms are old and tend to list to one side or the other," Katie sighed. "There's no way I can play well on that…..and what if it dosen't wear off?"

"It will, Katie," Angelina said. "I promise you. "And one of us will be your partner in potions untill then so that there aren't any more Lee Jordan mishaps, ok?

"Maybe," Katie sighed again.

"At least think about it, ok?" Angelina asked.

"Ok, I'll think about it," Katie replied. "But that dosen't mean I'll do it…."

"Good," Alicia said. "Now….food. Let's head out for dinner, hmn?"

Katie looked at her hands again.

"Oh come on Katie," Angelina said. "It's not that bad. And besides….I think blue and green are definatly your colors."

Katie looked at her skeptically.

"The blue matches your eyes," Angelina continued, despratly trying not to laugh. "And the green is a lovely compliment color, right Alicia?"

"Of course," Alicia said, taking the hint from Angelina. "Just you wait. It'll be all the rage by tomorrow, everyone will want to look like you. You're such a trendsetter like that."

Katie raised her eyebrow at her friends, and then began to laugh.

"Alright then," she said, standing up. "Let's go. I can just hear the food in the Great Hall calling my name."