After this particularly uncomfortable incident in Charms the weather began to brighten up a little bit. Quiddich trials were on the next day and those of the group who actually played Quiddich were very excited and anxious.

Ivy was going to be trying out for the commentary, competing against Luna Lovegood of course. Nicole, Anie, Lucas Flint and a few third and fifth year Slytherins were trying out for the chasers position. While most troll-like masculine Slytherins, Nicola and Isabel were competing for the role of Beater. Draco was the only withstanding seeker, and as Captain ensured the position of his best friend and keeper Blaise Zabini.

TD and Briellen disliked flying very much, as they had both had similarly bad experiences on their first try in first year. Both incidents which strangely enough ended up in some sort of a duel – to this day it remains a mystery as great as the two of them.

Lessons that Friday were filled with even more boredom and restlessness than usual. After History of Magic, the group went down to the great hall to register their names for the following day's trials on the new notice that had been pinned up. Anie spotted Draco who was loafing around the Slytherin notice, sizing up all of those who dared to write their names down.

"Hey! Hey, Draco," She yelled waving an arm at him. "I haven't said congratulations yet for getting captain. Well done."

"Thanks Analise. Have you signed up yet? We've got a full load of new blood this year. Be sure you're on the list. We wouldn't wanna miss having you on the team."

Anie's already rosy cheeks turned brighter, "Of course not. Who wouldn't want someone who misses all the free shots?"

Draco laughed, "That was one time. Ana, you need to stop focusing on the bad; c'mon you're a great player."

"Thanks," she laughed as Briellen made kissing noises in Anie's ear. "Stop that." She hissed at Briellen and pulled her towards the table.

"Oh, great," drawled Isabel who had just entered alongside TD, "Lunch! What's on today?"

Nicole poked at Nicola as she attempted to sidle in beside her, "Same thing as usual. We've got sausages, sandwiches, fruit, juice and water. You know all the basics."

"Can't they ever like…make something better? Nicole you should get your mum to send you food, everyday. So I can eat it!"

"Oh yeah, because mum will love doing that. You eat enough of our food on the holidays."

"Whoa," said Briellen in a strangely awed voice. "Did you see that? Something …over there?"

Everyone turned around to look out the window at where she was pointing. "What are you talking about Briellen? I can't see anything," Ivy demanded.

"Me neither."

"Yeah, what are you on about?"

Briellen looked sightly mystified, "It's… I've seen that before."

"Briellen!" yelled Isabel, "What's wrong with you?"

Briellen started and gave Isabel a hurt look, "Nothing, I thought I saw…"

"What?" Prompted Nicola. "Spit it out then, bluey!"

"Nothing, never mind," she said looking crestfallen.

"Okay…" Said Nicole, "We've got defence against the dark arts now, who's gonna lend me their homework?"

Anie reached into her bag, "Here." She placed a 3ft long piece of parchment in front of Nicole. "I kind of went overboard about the defence mechanism of vampires."

"Really?" Nicole said shrewdly, "you could never have guessed." Nicole pulled the parchment towards her and began copying it down in a rush.

"You know Nicole," Isabel said. "You could just…not do it?"

"But she would get detention," Ivy protested.

"Yes, she would. And what an utterly pleasant disastrous fiasco that would be."

Nicole grinned at Isabel, "I like the way you think. But I've got way too much work to handle any detentions at the moment – no matter how much of an 'utterly pleasant disastrous fiasco' it is."

"Fah," Isabel muttered darkly, "You're no fun. Well, if Nicole isn't getting it on, who is? I need to live through someone, because I'm seriously lacking in the libido department."

Everyone looked with a knowing glance at TD, who began hastily shovelling boiled potatoes into her already full mouth, as if she hadn't eaten in weeks. Nobody was fooled – it hadn't happened yet.

"Be patient everyone," said Nicola over the plate of kippers. "It is only the start of term. Give the woman some time."

"Excuse me?"

"You are quite excused," said Nicola haughtily, "but before you go, please pass me that knife. Isabel has just stolen my pie and I wish to get it back."

Everyone looked from Nicola, to the knife, to Isabel, to TD then back to Nicola again.

"With force," she added.

"Yeah, I'm taking the knife with me. Going to get a head start, need to pee."

"I'll come," Isabel said warily, staring at Nicola who was stroking her wand casually.

"That's probably a good idea," TD observed.

A few minutes passed and the girls began getting tired of poking fun at first years. "Probably time to go," Ivy gave a huge dejected sigh.

"But," said Anie, "You know how it pains me to stand. Yet you impose this problem on me every lunchtime."

"Hey, don't blame me – blame yourself. It's your body."

"Oh believe me, I do" said Anie, with an angry glance at her legs.

Nicole stood and cracked her back, everyone winced. Nicole laughed at everyone, "I love making people wince. You remember last year, when Nicola yelled Voldemort at the hall. Oh, such panic."

"It was a beautiful thing to witness."

"Help me up."

Another few minutes passed before they had recovered from this, "Flaming dragon dung, we're going to be late if we don't hurry."

Finding themselves in Defence against the Dark arts, they were surprised to see the no one was in fact in the room. "You sure we have defence?" Nicole asked Ivy, who bit her lip before bringing her timetable out of her bag.

"Quite sure, Miss Corvin," said the thin air over by the blackboard. "And welcome to class, Miss Lam, Miss Eddington, Miss Shaw and Miss Lane. How kind of you to join us."

A few giggles exploded from the air to the right of Briellen, who – surprised – shrieked and jumped a foot.

"What's going on?" Anie demanded.

"They're testing the stuff from Fred and George's shop. He said so last lesson." Nicole said knowingly. She looked at where the thought Professor Fiennes' face might be. "Sorry we're late Sir, we ran into Professor Hagrid, he needed us to carry some pumpkins – much to Anie's distaste."

"Stupid weak Anie," Anie muttered for the umpteenth time, and Nicola proceeded to slap her – also for the umpteenth time, as she had sworn to do so if Anie continued to badmouth herself.

Professor Fiennes appeared, not taken aback at all by this violent outburst between the two friends – having seen it often. "I see, well take your seats. But first please take one of these New Invisibility Cloaks." Nicole then realised that she had been looking 2ft to his left the entire time while talking to him.

Thus followed an interesting lesson as they attempted to run around Professor Fiennes while he was talking and aim a well planned Hex at his backside. Much to the disappointment of many students, the rugged Fiennes had a knack of knowing when a curse was coming and could craftily dodge it and disarm the culprit in one flick of his wrist.

No one quite knew how he did it, which made it even more impressing. Some of the more block-headed Slytherins had quite trouble fitting their bulk under the cloaks and the rest of the class refused to help them, looking on with amused expressions.

"Oh, puh-lease, it isn't that hard to get yourself under a cloak and disappear into thin air."

"More like fat air," commented Nicole wryly.

"Yeah the air does look a little obese over there." Nicola said.

"No, no. That's just Thick," said TD.

"Thick…meaning?" asked Briellen.

"Jatus. The little lump of a boy by the window. See the one now struggling with the fastening on his belt."

Jatus looked up and eyed where he thought they were distastefully, "You insult me why you hide? I'd like to see you show your face."

"Ah, yes. But we can't say the same for you I'm afraid – and watching you trying to put that on has turned me off."

"Like I'd try to turn you on," Jatus seethed, his round face turning an unpleasant colour very similar to beetroot.

The girls all burst out into laughter. As soon as it had started, laughter stopped and all girls stood, stared and abruptly walked away. "He is not worth our time."

"No. I agree."

"Apple?"

"Thankyou."

Not surprisingly Fiennes gave them extra homework at the end of class, to practise what he called Elementary Legimency. It was not like Legimency at all, Nicola had said. Instead of reading someone's thoughts, you were trying to feel the subtle change in the air, due to their presence. None of the class could understand why they were being taught this, but it was fun all the same.

"Finally!" Nicole proclaimed, walking out into the deserted hallway. "Time for bed, let's go. I thought this day would never end."

They had just been to the bathroom after dinner, and Nicole was looking forward to a good night's sleep.

"It hasn't yet," Isabel said, Accio'ing her broom. "We've still got some last minute practise before tomorrow's trials. Grab your broom, tell the others. I'll scout out for teachers and I'll meet you out at the pitch."

"Isabel, its 6:30…and it's full dark outside."

"I know, look don't worry about it. We've done this plenty of times, the pitch doesn't get watched and as long as we lay low – no one will notice."

Without further ado she whipped out her broom, grinned back at her friend and launched herself out the nearest open window.

Nicole flailed her hands in dismay. "Why do I even bother?" She managed to get back to the common room unhindered, but found no sign of any of the others.

That's weird, she thought, walking upstairs to her dormitory to get her broom. Nicola, TD and Ivy were all standing about whispering frantically.

"What's going on?"

Nicola started, and spun around to face Nicole. "Oh, hi. Briellen ran off with Ron. And Analise… is with Draco. In his dormitory."

TD and Ivy made suspicious eyebrow movements.

"In his dormitory?" Nicole asked. "What? Why?"

"We think, they're kissing." TD nudged Ivy with her elbow. "But I don't know. All we know is that, Anie went in there to get something from Blaise, but Blaise was in the hallway when I went out to see where you and Isabel were."

"I was in the bathro-"

"Not the point," Ivy cut her off sharply. "She's been in there for half an hour. And … we have no idea what is going on. The door is locked."

Nicola shrugged, "Well I did see his dad today. He came in to the school."

"Wasn't he in prison?" TD asked.

"Yeah, but Briellen and I went to talk to Malfoy about trials, and well – I think it was his dad. He was standing there, and they were gesturing at each other. He had this long hair, kind of sexy. "

Ivy gaped at her, "That is so… weird."

Nicola folded her arms across her chest, "It is not, many mature age men are sexy."

"Not that, I mean, it's weird he would even risk showing up here. He's got guts." Ivy looked thoughtful. "Could it have something to do with Voldemort do you think?"

"He sure ran off in a hurry though, whoever he was."

TD giggled, "He saw you and ran. Then again, who wouldn't?"

Nicola punched her. "You shut up. I'm going to spy on Anie." She stopped and looked back at them. "Come to think of it, she did go in there…after I told her about seeing Big Malfoy running around."

Nicola seemed to think twice about going after Anie, but thought better of it and proceeded to look through the keyhole.

"Isabel's out on the pitch, I've got to go meet her. You guys wanna come?"

Ivy tugged at Nicole's sleeve, "Should we tell Dumbledore?"

"Uh, no. Because then Isabel would get detention and so would I. Then we wouldn't be able to go to the trials – what's wrong with you?"

"No you idiot, I mean about Lucius Malfoy…If he really was here, Dumbledore would want to know."

"And Snape," added TD.

"What are we, Dumbledore's Witches? No, we don't know anything for sure. Best to keep it quiet and see what Anie finds out."

Nicola made a grunting noise from the landing above their heads, "By the looks of this, Anie is finding out a lot. More about the back of Draco's throat than Lucius though." She whispered.

Ivy and TD both made squeaking noises and darted off to look though the keyhole as well.

"Well, have fun. I have to go to training now." Nicole grabbed her broom and headed out the painting hole. She would have flung herself out a window like Isabel except for the slight problem of the Slytherin Common room being a Dungeon and not exactly near any windows.

So she tucked herself and her broom out of sight with the invisibility cloak she had "borrowed" today from Fiennes and made her way to the front doors. She had almost made it there when she was surprised by a figure walking in the shadows.

It was none other than Fiennes himself, and for a moment Nicole could have sworn that he looked right at her. The moment passed however and Fiennes continued humming a song to himself and walked in the direction of the great hall.

Thankful for this stroke of luck, Nicole did not hesitate any longer and left for the pitch. Isabel greeted her from the darkness.

"What took you so long, I couldn't get the crate, so we're gonna have to make do with this." She took out a soccer ball, cricket ball and a cricket bat. "Thank the lord for Muggleborns."

"Alright I'll throw and you hit, aim for the hoops. I'll Accio them back."

They took turns helping each other hone their skills, first passing then hitting and back to shooting and aiming. For a few hours they did this until the sun began to creep around the edges of the hills.

"We should go to sleep. Trials are so soon… and we should be well rested."

"Good job tonight," Isabel said high fiving Nicole. (Very childish, but, you know – 'whatevzz')

"Yeah I hope everyone else did as well, you know Anie with Draco and Briellen with Ron." Nicole picked up all the balls they had left scattered around the pitch and began walking back up the hill to the castle.

"Oh yes. We better be getting details when we wake up. If not, they'll find I'm going to become very, unsociable."

A:N/

I'm so sorry guys; I wrote so much and without thinking that I just let the story flow.

BUT AS YOU CAN TELL… TRIALS ARE COMING :D

So…

Don't kill me.

They're soon, don't worry.

Don't worry Anie, I'm doing a flashback sequence to your kissing moment, I wanted to try that out.

Briellen, nothing happened with you and Ron, sorry honey.

Nic, I promised you Lucius, and Lucius you will get! Soon…enough.

And as for TD and Snape and the whole 'hasn't had sex' thing, I'm sorry.

You went, you saw; you didn't quite conquer.

Hope you enjoyed the chapter, more to come soon.

colexox