So first off, let me begin by saying that David Carson is an asshole.

Sure, he's boyishly cute with simple and soft features, a gentle smile, and kind eyes.

Except he's such an arrogant asshole beneath that kind exterior.

David Carson isn't even a joke either. He was a Ravenclaw Prefect when I met him and he's probably Head Boy now seeing how he's heading into seventh year. He was the smartest boy in the school- and there was a lot of competition for that title. He was captain of the chess team, not to mention formed and lead the gobstones club. David Carson was beloved by most teachers in Hogwarts and most people got along with him.

So no, David Carson was a very well liked and respected person at school.

Except he's such a dick for quite a few very real and personal reasons.

Secondly, while David Carson is a jerk, I am a raging idiot.

Last year, Lily Evans held a fifth year's only Gryffindor meeting. Since I was a fifth year and somewhat friendly with the flame red haired goddess, I went to the meeting. She wanted to form a study schedule for the OWLs to ensure that we were all on track for the exams. Now mind you, this meeting took place in September of fifth year- Lily was a perfectionist. Her idea was to see if any of the sixth years would assist us and give us tips. Long story short: David Carson was one of the volunteers. And while I was only studying in hopes of at least staying in school so I could continue playing Quidditch, I admit that Carson became an interest as well.

So that part was weird because I wasn't exactly interested in boys until I met David. All I had eyes for was Quidditch and how to be the best player on the circuit. All I wanted was to graduate and join a top tier Quidditch team. Yet, David came along and suddenly I started feeling strange and getting nervous. In short, he messed me up.

It began slowly. He spent a little extra time studying with me than he would with the others. He would stop me in the corridors to say hello and ask me how my day was. And finally- when I started to really think I had a chance- David came to my Quidditch matches, even though he hated the sport and Ravenclaw wasn't playing.

In January, after the holidays ended, David asked me to be his girlfriend and I was ecstatic.

For six months, we dated. We mainly studied and hung out at meal times. He tried to teach me chess - I refused because i was bored. And I taught him all about Quidditch and even showed him how to fly competitively after practices. He seemed to take to flying more than I did chess. And while I wasn't completely derailed from Quidditch itself, I spent more time teaching David then I did pouring over the sport's history or practicing drills.

When he ended things- all 12 hours before my first OWL examination- he said in no plainer terms that we were not compaitable, that he had no desire for me, and that we should no longer be in contact.

Out of the blue the smug bastard called me undesirable (to him) and left me mentally unsteady as I went into one of the most important exam of my life.

I was an idiot. A complete idiot. I had let this guy change my way of life and then totally screw me up before exams. I was an idiot because I never read into things. I didn't think it was weird when he didn't want to kiss me often or ever show me PDA. I didn't think it was weird that we never had deep conversations and had to be doing something- studying, chess, flying- when we hung out. I just felt stupid because I didn't see his lack of attraction.

So the third part is this:

It's September 1st. It's sixth year. I am the Quidditch captain of the Gryffindor team now. I lost about 30 pounds thanks to my anger fueled workout routine. My hair is blonder now, thanks to a muggle hairstylist that took pity on my stressed brown tresses. And as I stood on platform 9 3/4, I was focused on Quidditch and Quidditch alone.

What I am known for most at Hogwarts is my Quidditch skills. It is undeniable to anyone in the school that I am the best- this isn't arrogance, it is the truth. No Chaser can match my skill or keep up. And no player can match my commitment on and off the field. But as a Gryffindor, I have never actually won the cup. I had been on the team since second year and each time, some lame ass captain gets picked, does a half hearted job, picks less than capable players and slacks off. When Stephens left last year, I knew with all my soul that the captain spot was mine. There was no way that McGonagall was going to give it to anyone else. She and I frequently had Quidditch conversations when I had to take over the Captain roles because Stephens or Eldermore slacked off. When the badge came by owl, my Summer was made. All my hard work led me to this point.

I wouldn't say I was unpopular but I liked to keep to myself. I usually interacted with my Quidditch team mates, especially James Potter. And I typically sat with Lily and her friends during meal times, sometimes even going to Hogsmeade with them when I wasn't running weekend drills.

I was ready to talk Quidditch- to do anything but face David- and I needed to find James Potter. He was the only one who loved the sport as much as I did but his penchant for detention and pranks were more notorious.

Quidditch. That was my focus. I swear I wasn't even thinking about dipshit Carson or anything else for that matter.

Until a group of loud boys crashed into me, nearly knocking me over.

"Oh! Didn't see you...wait, Gold?"

It was Kieran Smith, the sixth year Ravenclaw chaser. He was one of David's friends.

"Kieran. Good to see you," I said, smiling tightly. I didn't dislike him but it's not like we had any type of friendship or conversation before I dated Carson.

"I don't see the badge but it has to be you. You're the captain right?" He asked, smiling.

"Yeah that is the case. I'm the new captain," I responded, pushing my sunglasses up to look at him. I was not trying to have a long conversation with Kieran. David wasn't around but he could be heading this way or looking for Kieran.

"Captainship suits you. Cassidy Burns got it of course for Ravenclaw," he said grinning.

Fuck Cassidy Burns and her blessed good lucks, charm, and Quidditch prowess. She was a walking sex pot and she was a decent competitor on the field. She's also an arrogant bitch.

"Of course," I nodded, stifling my internal fury.

"Well it's good to see you. You look good," he said, going back to his friends.

I look good? I was wearing jeans and my white Britain Quidditch finals shirt that was snug but it's a damn tshirt.

Then I thought about the hair and the weight loss and my general disdainful attitude- I did look good. But was Kieran hitting on me? Never mind the fact that he's my competition but he's also David's friend.

I tried not to look too much into it as I approached the train and searched for James but I couldn't help but notice that I was getting more looks than I usually did, especially from the boys.

Shaking my head, I made my way onto the train to look for Potter. Normally, I would share a compartment with Evans and her giggling tribe of friends- Penny from Hufflepuff, Alexa from Ravenclaw, and our fellow suite mates Marlene, Madison, and Susan. But not today. Today was about redemption.

Ah yes, there it is the truth.

I couldn't stand what happened in June- the fact that I was dumped by David Carson in a monotonous tone with a steely face all 12 hours before I began the exams I had studied all year long for. The fact that we came in third at the end of the year Quidditch standings, with Ravenclaw winning the Quidditch trophy only rubbed salt into the wound. And lastly, I couldn't stand that David Carson was all close and cuddly with Cassidy Burns at the end of the year feast.

David Carson was jerk.

David Carson talked trash about all his friends- in private, to me.

David Carson had a quiet dislike for muggle borns- although he was friendly towards them in public.

David Carson would barely ever touch me.

David Carson was also very flirty with other women when we were dating.

David Carson disliked James Potter and never wanted to hang around him.

And I think David Carson used me for Quidditch lessons, although he was convinced that Quidditch was a true man's sport and that women don't have the knowledge or skill for it.

David Carson wasn't worth my energy.

There I was, ready to take the Hogwarts Quidditch world by storm, definitely not getting angry over Carson. I was so ready that I wasn't even paying attention AGAIN and this time I crashed into someone as I made my way towards James's compartment. Not just crashed- but crash AND toppled over on top of that person.

I looked down in embarassment and received a snicker in return.

"Well this is quite the greeting," Sirius Black said. He was smirking and his breath smelled perfectly like mint.

At the beginning, I mentioned how David Carson was cute, soft with simple features. Gentle would be the word.

Sirius Black would be the opposite. Sirius was easily the most attractive student at Hogwarts. He was tall, with a wiry muscular build. His hair was black, thick, and hung to his shoulders -which grew a little I noticed as I quickly skimmed his face. He had high, cutting cheekbones and a brilliant smile.

Sirius Black was the resident playboy at Hogwarts. While every female recognized Sirius as this heart throb, Sirius also recognized (from a very young age) that he had a way with women. Good looks, wit, charm, and smarts all in one delicious package. He serial dated all the attractive girls at school and even had tales of the women he wooed during Summer break. And he never had a relationship- ever. If you saw Sirius out in public with a girl, nine times out of ten he was either snogging or groping them.

To put it simply: Sirius Black was unattainable. I had never crossed that barrier before- hello i am still crestfallen and vengeful over my first disastrous foray into guy world- and I did not plan on it. Sirius Black signals heartbreak and scandal. Plus, he was James' best friend. James and I had a special Quidditch relationship and I didn't need to mess any of that up by crossing the line with Sirius. And remember my plan? Redemption and Quidditch domination?

I peeled myself off of Sirius' body and held a hand out to help him up. He was still smiling that distracting smile and took my hand as he stood up.

Electricity whirred through my body when he touched me, in a way that made me question my plan.

David Carson. Failed OWLs. Lost Quidditch finals.

I pulled my hand back. What the hell is wrong with me? I do not have time for unwanted (wanted?) biological reactions to this perfect male specimen.

"I am so sorry. I was so focused on finding James that I wasn't paying attention," I said, trying to mask my awkwardness.

"Hopefully you'll be lost in space more often, at least for my sake. Are you new here?" Sirius said, eyeing me up and down.

"Are you joking?" I responded, scrunching up my face.

"Obviously, Gold," He said, rolling his eyes.

"Can you just tell me where James is so we can stopping exchanging absurd pleasantries," I said.

"Yeah well I was heading that way before some ditzy blonde- hey wait wasn't your hair brown last year?" He responded, clearly caught off track.

"Uh yeah...can you just lead the way to James now?" I said, equal parts annoyed and evasive.

"Blonde looks good too. So did the brown. Why did you change it?" He asked, putting his hands in his pockets and leaning against the corridor wall.

"How about we exchange life stories and significant hair changes as we walk towards the compartment that has James in it, okay? We are going to block the hallway," I said, looking around although no one was behind us. Sirius shrugged and lead the way towards the front of the train.

"So..." He began expectantly. I sighed.

"It was Summer. My family spent most of it on the island Ibiza- my father owns a lot of land there but no place to practice flying because it's predominantly a Muggle community. So, I was bored and this happened. How about you?" He snickered.

"Sounds like a good reason. I spent the Summer with James and his family. James and I spent most of it flirting with the girls in the muggle town near him. Quite fun," He said whimsically.

"Sounds adventurous," I replied, nodding my head. See? I told you that he was incapable of hanging onto women. Maybe the better word to describe him is insatiable, as well as unattainable.

Thankfully, James dark head of hair came into view and I ran to the compartment suddenly.

"THANK MERLIN," I practically yelled. James turned around at the sound of my voice and grinned.

"Am I calling you captain now?" He asked, holding his hand out for a handshake. I grabbed his hand firmly, smiling huge.

"I am the captain but you can keep calling me Golden Girl- it's definitely my favorite nickname," I replied. Sirius came into the compartment behind me, smiling about something. James' other friend and fellow Gryffindor, Peter Pettigrew, sat quietly on the chair opposite us, reading a magazine and paying no attention to us.

"I assume you aren't here to exchange pleasantries," James said, pseudo-seriously. Sirius laughed and shook his head.

"Well Sirius already filled me on your Summer adventures so let's skip right to the Quidditch talk," I said. James smirked and nodded.

"I have all the house gossip," James said.

"Wow you work fast. I only have Ravenclaw gossip AND I have a structured plan for our team since we need another Chaser, a Seeker, and Beaters," I said, grimacing at the list.

"Shit, I almost forgot about the holes in our team," he replied, running a hand through his hair.

"Hey, I could try out and be a Beater," Sirius said, winking. He was casually looking at Peter's magazine before he interrupted us.

"You are more adept at playing girls then Quidditch, Sirius," I replied quickly. James chuckled and Sirius smiled mischievously.

"Well I haven't had a go at the Daria Gold game so maybe-"

"Let me just stop that thought right there with a 'hell no' and 'excuse me, the adults are talking'," I responded. I turned to James, who stifled his laughter and egged him to continue with his gossip. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Sirius looking at me- or maybe looking at James- as James opened his mouth to speak.

"Okay so Hufflepuff still has all the same members as last year- no one graduated. But, I did see Ariana Percels with a broom and she does come from a family of Quidditch players," he said.

"True but she is third year and at best would be a backup. Unless she's been practicing. I am probably going to sit in on the tryouts," I said, producing a quill and parchment to take notes of what James was saying.

"Oh I'll go with you. This way we have a good grip on the competition. But aren't you concerned with them sitting in on our tryouts?" He asked.

"I already have the people I want to tryout listed so I am not too worried- I am aware of their potentional. Besides, I'm a helluva teacher so even if the tryouts aren't good, I am not too concerned. And it might even be an edge if people thought we sucked," I said.

"True. For Slytherin, the only new thing is that Regulus Black is the seeker. He tried out last year and was the second best. So when their previous seeker graduated last year, the captain just appointed him," James said, eyes darting to Sirius. I glanced over casually but Sirius did not look up from his magazine. I noticed that his mouth was tight in a line and his eyes seemed focused and unmoving.

"Ok, noted. Ravenclaw's new Captain is Cassidy Burns," I said, trying to move the subject further. I could tell that Sirius seemed affected by that information about Regulus even though he didn't have a reaction. Still, no reaction is a reaction.

"Yes, I heard that as well. And did you hear about their new Seeker?" James asked.

"Are these captains seriously not holding tryouts? Talk about favoritism," I replied, clearly disgusted.

"There isn't really a rule that Captains need to hold tryouts but it's obviously the best way to get the best player in the spot," James said shrugging.

"True. So who is it?" I asked, ready to note.

"Oh it's David Carson! Remember him from the study group? Well-"

"Sorry who is it?" I asked again, loudly. In the corner of my eye, I saw Sirius and Peter look up.

"Uh, it's uh David Carson. Aren't you friends with him? You hung out-"

Redemption and focus be damned.

"Are you fucking kidding?" I asked, throwing my parchment down. James' eyes widened as he sputtered out a response.

"I don't understand- you hung out with him all the time, is he good or something? Isn't he your friend?" James asked, innocently.

What David and I had was actually very private. Sure we hung out at meal times, but he never kissed me or even touched me in public ever and showed the same amount of interest in conversation with Lily and her friends as he did with me.

I was seething with pure rage. I taught David how to fly and he hated the sport.

I stood abruptly and opened the compartment door, ready blow the roof off this train. But I was derailed by the lunch cart, unaware that we were already halfway through the train ride.

"Something from the trolley dear?" The lady asked.

I stopped momentarily and looked behind me to see James standing and staring at me. Sirius stood as well while Peter got up to go to the trolley.

"What is wrong?" James asked, unaware. I grit my teeth and laughed harshly in response, unable to form any words besides the ones that were destined for David Carson's ears.

I turned back around and stormed past the lunch trolley, gazing through compartment windows to find the clad of blue and black. I stopped when I heard his laugh and peered in to see Cassidy Burns with her longs on his lap, telling him something that clearly held his attention.

Her legs were on his lap.

His hand was on her legs.

He leaned towards her, giving his full attention, even though there was about four other people in the compartment as well.

"This is unreal," I whispered to myself.

"You know, women only get this pissed when they are scorned," a voice whispered behind me. I turned around and saw Sirius looking into the compartment as well.

"You would know, right?" I replied sarcastically.

"You and Carson, eh?" He responded, smiling and shaking his head. "I wouldn't have pegged him as your type to be honest."

"I do not know what you're talking about- David was just an acquaintance. And your right, he's not my type. Not in the slightest," I responded, pushing past him back to the compartment to grab my things and find Lily. I saw James perk up when I came into his view.

"There is nothing I would not do to win this year so know that and back me up on that," I said.

"Of course. Are you going to tell me what just happened?" He asked, standing up and placing his hand on my shoulder. Sirius walked in at the moment and raised his eyebrows.

"Nothing of importance. I am going to find Lily now to say hello. I will catch up with you at the feast," I said, clasping his shoulder and nodding to the other two. Sirius tilted his head like a dog as I walked out but I didn't have time to question it.

Because while I was pissed, I was also confused and hurt.

Did David use me for my Quidditch skills? Did David use me to get better to get on Cassidy's radar? Was everything a total lie between David and I?

David fucking Carson is an asshole.