I don't normally write OCs, especially not with me as my own character XD I don't like using myself in stories, but this is for a prompt.

Written for #1 of The Challenging Challenge prompts by Sable Supernova.

Set in an AU 1977 Hogwarts (any further details are unknown to me, so if there are inconsistencies with canon, I don't follow. Note this is AU!)

Word count: 1541

Brendan Mosley, Sabrina Weatherby and I often sat at the far end of our House table, talking about all manner of things, including our future.

"I would love to go to Wales. Get away from this lot here," I indicated the popular group gathered at the opposite end of the Slytherin table.

Sabrina shivered. "I have to stay in London," she said quietly. "My mum wants me to learn how to become a healer so I can work at St. Mungo's."

"My da wants me to go to Ireland," Brendan disinterestedly picked at the food on his plate. "I don't want to go, but I may have to if my family moves and I don't find work here."

I nodded glumly. All three of us were stuck with lives we didn't want.

I started talking about Quidditch.

"I bet with Charlie," I pointed to a smaller boy sitting down the table, "we'd win by forty points at our next game."

"Hmm, maybe you had better get your money back," Brendan smiled. "Unless you had other reasons for betting?"

I smirked and swatted at him playfully. "You and your dirty mind, I swear! I just thought it'd be fun to have a friendly wager. Besides, he talked to me first. So it's not my fault if he's going to lose his money."

"You swine! I hope he didn't put much down." Brendan shook his head in disbelief. I had made quite a tidy sum of shopping money from betting on games in previous years.

"No, just galleons, dear Brendan. Don't have a heart attack - one galleon each."

"And who else is in the pot?" Brendan asked warily.

I shook my head. "Mum's the word!"

"One of these days, I swear," Brendan mumbled, mouth full of corned beef sandwich.

"I think we should try out for the Quidditch team," Sabrina announced. "Come on, we're fifth years. We have a shot!"

I snorted, very unladylike, Brendan made it known. Scowling, I said, "Well, I'm not very athletic."

"Doesn't matter. We can train."

"Hardly," I said.

"Don't be a downer. Come on!"

"One of us will make it, and it's gonna be either you or Brendan," I insisted.

Brendan shrugged. "I'm in. As long as all three of us do it."

I looked up and saw Sabrina and Brendan staring at me. "What?" I asked, getting annoyed. "Shove off!"

"Oh, come on, Anabel! You need to try this!" Sabrina whined.

"Ana, please, for us?" Brendan asked, voice soft and low.

I made the mistake of looking up into Brendan's beautiful hazel eyes. Mesmerized, I nodded and cursed myself for doing so. This would be the death of me. Quidditch? I wasn't athletic! I knew it: I'm mad, I thought.

~0~

Three weeks later, tryouts were announced. The whole Slytherin Quidditch team was being replaced, the captain, Regulus Black, announced.

I was shocked. I didn't know the WHOLE ENTIRE TEAM except the position of Seeker (Regulus' position) was up for grabs!

I turned on my friends. "So this is the conspiracy! How could you?"

Brendan flashed me his prettiest, most dazzling smile.

Sabrina, at least, had the grace to flush, though her smile was just as eye-smarting. "Would you have come if you had known?"

"No," Brendan answered for me. "So we thought this would be best. Besides, you make a fair Chaser!"

Brendan walked away before I could respond, forcing me to run to keep up with my two best friends. Ugh! Sometimes, they annoyed me to no end. But at times like these, I had to swallow my pride and follow them because they were right. Entirely 100% right. It sucks when people know you too well, I thought.

Regulus started the tryouts with some of the people on the team. They ran drills and formation training. I tried not to stick out and I thought I was succeeding. Until Regulus called for individual tryouts. My heart froze. Individual tryouts in front of all these people?

I looked for Brendan and Sabrina and they mouthed, "Alphabetical, by last name." I was terrified. I was separated by several people from Brendan. Sabrina, lucky witch, was all the way at the back.

When my name was called, I stepped up, mounted my broom and kicked off. I had to admit, it was wonderful to fly. The wind in my hair made me feel light and forgetful. Uh-oh.

"Anabel!" Regulus called out. "Try to score!"

I nodded and dove for the Quaffle. Of course, I missed, being over-eager. Everyone laughed. Regulus smiled and passed me the Quaffle again.

"It's alright. Nerves, I know. Try again." He had a nice smile. So I took his advice. I concentrated only on making my way to the goal.

Pulling my arm back, I threw a left curve and watched as the Keeper, Thaddeus Nott, moved to the right. Landing on the ground, I was surprised to hear cheers from several people in the stands. I saw Brendan and Sabrina beaming at me. I felt my eyes narrow in contained fury, but I couldn't keep the smile off my face. I had scored on ol' Thaddeus, much to his chagrin. It was the first, but not the last, goal he let slip through. Of course, I thought Thaddeus had done it on purpose. Unlike some of the other Slytherins, Thaddeus wasn't too bad. We used to study together until he started hanging out with Bellatrix and Lucius. Then, we took different courses. But he had always been nice.

As we walked off the pitch, Thaddeus came up to us.

"Hello, Ana, Sabrina, Brendan," he said, nodding to each of us in turn.

"Hello, Thaddeus," Sabrina and I responded. I nudged Brendan.

"Hi," he said gruffly, as though it caused him pain to say something to a Nott.

"Um, I was just going to say, I talked to Regulus and we think you'd be good." He stared as us.

I looked at Sabrina and she nudged me. Which means Sabrina bruised my ribs.

Grimacing a little at the pain, I nodded. "Um, thanks, Thaddeus. That means a lot, but it was a fluke. Honest. I didn't think I'd ever score on you." I blushed at the sentence. Great, that's not what you meant, I thought, scolding myself.

Thaddeus was dense, or else he just didn't know what I was saying. "No, you're good. Don't doubt yourself. Seems like you've been practicing since our last game." Smiling, he waved and walked away.

I felt awkward, so I walked back to the castle, forcing Sabrina and Brendan to trot in order to keep pace with me.

"Since your last game?" Sabrina babbled. "How long have you known him for?"

"Old family friend," I said gruffly, sounding like I was channeling Brendan.

Brendan scuffed his feet on the ground. "I don't like him."

Sabrina pushed him, muttering, "I know why you don't like him."

Brendan flushed, for once, and kept quiet.

"But, Ana, why didn't you tell us you could fly like that?" Sabrina pestered me until I told them what had happened the last time I flew.

I used to play Quidditch for a local league team. It was my sister and I. We were a Beater-Chaser team and it was awesome. Until a Bludger hit my sister, blinding her. It was temporary, but she vowed never to fly again. Because of her injury, I quit, too, not wanting to play without my sister. It hurt to never fly like that again, but it was worth it because I loved Tabitha.

"So, when did you play with Thaddeus?" Sabrina wanted to know. I should have known this would bring the hot seat and twenty plus questions.

"Thaddeus was on the team. He was the other Beater. Him and Tabitha. Then, after we left, he became Keeper. Said he'd always wanted to play Keeper and didn't know why my sister and I weren't both Beaters." I smiled, "I told him I was more of a Chaser because I liked to fly fast."

Brendan and Sabrina laughed, knowing my need for speed and my love of adrenaline highs.

Once we entered the Great Hall, I glanced at my friends and saw Sabrina's eyes were shining. Not a good sign. I warned my friends to keep their mouths shut.

"We're your best friends! Of course we're not going to blab, now are we, Brendan?" Sabrina asked, looking to Brendan for confirmation.

Brendan raised his eyebrows. "I never tell."

"Right, that's settled then." Sabrina smiled, looking pleased with herself.

Brendan and I shared a look. I knew I was in for it. Well, if I was going to die, might as well die on an empty stomach.

I sat down casually and watched my friends do the same. Yep, my mind confirmed, I'm going to die an ignominious social death. Let's eat up quick. Maybe I'll escape before the first tendrils of gossip reach this far down the table.