"Jack," Lily called softly shaking Jack's shoulder. "Jack you said to wake you up for lunch, and I really think you should eat. Jack? JACK!"
Jack sat straight up, "What, huh… food?"
Lily laughed, "Yeah c'mon, get your sorry arse out of the bed and drag it down to the Great Hall."
Jack threw the covers off and groaned as she her sore feet hit the floor with a thump. "Ugh! I am going to murder James."
"Name the time and date and I will gladly assist you," Lily told her grabbing a pair of Jack's old ripped jeans and a purple tank top and laying them out for her. "Put these on and then we'll go feed you," Lily promised in a voice one might use when talking to a young child.
Jack nodded compliantly and started pulling on the clothes wincing in pain as her tired muscles complained loudly.
When Jack was finished dressing, she groggily followed Lily down the stairs and out into the hallway, shuffling her feet and rubbing her eyes.
She sat down in between Sirius and Lily and she put her head on the table while Lily filled her plate. She picked her head up so the plate could be placed in front of her and ate mechanically while staring off into space expressionlessly.
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
I'm too tired to think. Fork to plate. Stab something. Fork to mouth. Fort to plate. Stab something. Fork to mouth…
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
James was looking frustratingly awake and rested. "Okay team, just a quick meeting after lunch in the library and then you can all go back to bed."
Groans arose from every direction.
"What you guys can't function on three hours of sleep?" James asked stunned.
"Not when it follows having spent all night bashing my body against a brick wall," Sirius muttered rebelliously to his bacon.
"James Bryan Potter will not live much longer," Jack vowed. "I swear to god I'm murdering him asap."
Lily said, "I told you name the time and place and I will be there."
The team soon finished eating breakfast and they all left and headed towards the library. Lily and Remus decided to tagalong for James's safety. Well, actually, Remus was the only one truly concerned with his safety, Lily just wanted to be there so she wouldn't miss anything, and to make sure Jack could stumble back to the dorm.
"Okay team, so last night was passable. I hope we can have a better practice tonight. I'm going to have to request that the beaters get a little more in control of themselves," He fingered his nose, newly healed my Madame Pomfrey. "Bell you need to be more in front of the center hoop instead of the one of the sides. Shelby, you did good last night. Just see if you can catch the snitch any faster, just keep pushing yourself. Chasers, we need our throws to be more accurate and harder to if we can manage. Got it?" he asked.
There was a general groan of assent as the players became to push themselves out of their chairs.
"How is it that no matter how many times he puts us through this agony, it never gets easier?" Jack grumbled to Sirius as she slid off the table she had perched on.
Sirius shook his head, "What I want to know is: What the hell is he on? And where can I get some?"
Jack giggled, "Agreed."
Lily walked past James on her way to help Jack and she glanced at him expectantly but he was studying his playbook intently and didn't even notice her. As she realized he hardly knew she was alive she felt a small pang of jealousy towards Quidditch, almost immediately she quelled it though.
Lily shook her head, "That's ridiculous it's just a game and you don't even like him!" she thought to herself and hurried over to help Jack.
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Sleep. Sleep. I love sleep. I adore it. I can't live without it. It's better than sex. I want it more than sex. You're not supposed to want anything more than sex. Well, I mean, you are, secretly. I mean out loud all teenagers are supposed to want is sex. It's true. We're supposed to be sex crazed. I am sleep crazed. James will die!
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Jack slept through her meeting with James because Lily couldn't get her awake. She tried everything. Air horns, banshees, cymbals, fog horns, everything. Jack, however, was dead to the world.
So, Lily was saddled with the responsibility of breaking it to James that his co-captain was, without meaning to, blowing him off.
"James?" she called as she walked into the Room of Requirement. It was set up with two chairs and a table in between. There was a downsized field with little figurines on broomsticks which were supposed to represent players.
"Jack! Perfect… You are not Jack." James said as he turned and saw Lily standing in the doorway.
"Um no. That's kind of why I'm here." Lily paused and swept the room with her eyes again. "I can't really wake her up."
"What?" James asked not comprehending.
"Um, well, yeah. I've tried everything. She won't wake up."
James looked at her mouth gaping, "Like, she's dead?"
"Well no," Lily said, "She's still breathing, but I've tried everything and I just can't wake her up.
James sighed, "Well, thanks then. I suppose I'll just have to fill her in."
Lily stepped to the door and then turned around waiting for something, a pick-up line, an offer for a date, anything.
"Damn it! What am I supposed to do now?" James said to no one in particular.
Lily sighed and turned the door knob and left James to his own devices. Jack was obviously right; Lily was taking a backseat to a game.
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Oh shit! James'll be furious! I missed that stupid meeting he insists on having.
Lily is obviously depressed but I can't do anything because I don't have the bloody time. Piper won't notice, she doesn't ever notice anything beyond her own nose. Blast Quidditch season!
I am not looking forward to practice tonight. I don't want to be on the pitch for twelve hours. I really don't. I mean I do like Quidditch and everything, but this is excessive and could probably be labeled as suicide.
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Breakfast had already ended that was all Jack knew as she sat on the ground where she had fallen from her broom. She had been knocked from the air by a bludger just seconds before. Sirius was zooming towards her and breakfast was over.
"Jack! Jack are you okay?" Sirius's strangled cry had brought attention to the fact the Jack had fallen from her broom, so now James was flying towards her as well.
"I ache all over, but that's nothing new," Jack grumbled. "Where the hell are the Slytherins? I'm starved!"
"Jack, I'm really sorry!" Sirius said as he jumped off his broom before he had even hit the ground.
"I'm fine. It just hit me in the stomach that's all. The wind got knocked from me and I couldn't sit my broom. I'm okay, just starved- Oh!"
"What?" Sirius asked turning around to look behind him.
"I have never been so happy to see a Slytherin!" Jack said happily jumping up. She was immediately attacked by a coughing fit which caused her to double over.
Sirius rubbed her back one hand on her arm, "Are you sure you're okay?"
Jack straightened up slowly, "I think so. I just need to catch my breath."
Sirius kept his arm around her and to his delight she leaned against him as the Slytherins walked closer. James soon landed beside them.
"You okay?" James asked hovering a few feet above the ground.
"Yeah I just need to get my breath back," Jack said reluctant to leave the warmth of Sirius's arms to climb back on her broom.
James nodded and headed back into the sky, "Get back in the sky as soon as possible."
Sirius helped Jack walk to her broom and before he let her go he pulled her closer, "I'm really sorry, Jack."
Jack's spirit soared as she leaned into the hug, "Seriously, I'm okay."
"No, I'm Sirius," he joked squeezing her again.
Before he could let go someone yelled across the pitch, "So Black, I see Marquette finally put out for you!"
Jack jerked back from Sirius's arms, "What?"
"Son of Bitch!" Sirius muttered murderously as he turned around to see who said it. "Little brother, should you really be provoking me. You know that I can kick your arse anytime I want."
Regulus Black laughed, "I'm not so sure you can anymore. You've been gone a long time, I've grown a bit."
Sirius's laugh cracked across the pitch, "The only thing that's grown on you is your head. And you know why I'm gone you'd leave to if you weren't such a kiss arse!"
Regulus had been slowly getting closer and Jack could see that his face had turned bright red as he yelled, "Kiss arse!?"
Sirius smirked maliciously and taunted, "Kiss arse, mama's boy!"
Regulus jumped on him without warning. As he punched and kicked whenever available Sirius laughed at him.
Regulus stood up and paused looking at his older brother starting to stand up and laughing his head off. His lip was split and his nose a little bloodied but that was the only immediate damage.
"What? Is that all you got?" Sirius asked taunting him again.
Regulus swung his fist but Sirius, prepared this time, side stepped and delivered a punch to the gut.
"C'mon little bro you gotta be smarter than that, since you're not big enough to pack any heat."
Regulus stood up and swung again, this time clipping Sirius's shoulder. Sirius grabbed his brother's shoulder and swung his leg against Regulus's ankles tripping him and throwing him to the ground.
"Try again," Sirius ordered. "Get up, and try again!"
Regulus stood up pretended to brush off his robes and then threw an uppercut to Sirius's jaw. Sirius grabbed his hand and twisted it bringing Regulus back to his knees with a whimper.
Sirius scowled disgustedly and ordered, "Again. You will do this until you can hit me properly. You're a disgrace!"
Regulus jumped up and swung wildly at his older brother. Sirius just backed up with each punch until he saw an opening where he punched his brother in the jaw. Even Regulus could see he was holding back, yet his jaw still stung horribly where he'd been hit.
"Go again," Sirius told him quietly. Regulus hesitated and Sirius yelled, "GO AGAIN!"
Regulus lit in again moving forward punching he found purchase on Sirius's skin only every four or five punches. Everyone had gathered round to watch silently.
Sirius found another opening and chucked a fist into his little brother's eye. Regulus stumbled and fell with a cry. Sirius stood over him menacingly.
"How are you ever going to be a man if you can't even fight?" Sirius yelled. "Get up! GET UP!"
Finally Jack couldn't stand it anymore she ran into the circle and helped Regulus to his feet. "Someone take him to the hospital wing," she said looking at the Slytherins.
Sirius was looking around himself disoriented. He took a look at his little brother lying on the floor a mess of bruises and blood.
One of the girl's on the team, a chaser, stepped forward to help Regulus. "C'mon Reg, lets get you cleaned up."
Jack stepped back, she looked at Sirius a moment and then grabbing her broom she stalked off towards the castle.
Sirius watched Regulus being led to the Hospital Wing. James came forward and pulled Sirius off to the side.
"Um, what the hell?" James asked.
Sirius shook his head, "I don't even know. I used to do that to him at home, 'cause he's small ya' know? He needs to know how to fight with his fists. I couldn't even remember where we were. I was just focusing on trying to get him to hit me hard. I need to be hit hard."
James punched him in the stomach with all his might, "Wish granted. You're an idiot Black," and he walked away leaving Sirius gasping for breath.
Sirius's Thoughts
I was doing so bloody well! She was actually leaning into me! It felt so good. Then Regulus had to come along.
All I can say in my defense is, he hit me first! I wouldn't have hit him! He came at me and almost immediately I was transported back to the boxing matches we used to have at home.
He would hit me I'd knock him down tell him to get his arse off the ground and hit me again. It could go like that until mother found us and then she would drag me inside the house with my ear pinched between her talons until they bled. She would lock me in my room until the next morning, no food. Then I would hear her reprimand Regulus but then he'd get coddled moments later.
The way she looked at me when she stepped in. As if she had no idea who I was.
WHY DO I CARE SO MUCH ABOUT HER OF ALL PEOPLE!? Theres not anything special about her!
She's just outstandingly gorgeous, and nice, and almost my height so I don't have to bend in half to kiss her… if I should ever get to. And she doesn't throw herself at my feet. She makes me feel special. More special than a girl who just wants a shag from me. She expects more from me and in return I find myself desperately hoping I can give her more.
And now she probably hates my guts. Just because I can't seem to keep my mind in the same place as my body!
I'm going to bed. I can't take this much stress on zero hours of sleep. I can't even take this much on eight hours of sleep.
A/N: I didn't mean for it to be this long. I meant it to be shorter, but at the same time I want it to be longer so I'll probably have another chapter up soon.
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