AN: And so it ends. I thought it was better to leave it here because otherwise I would have to go into the horrible bits where Lily and James die and I'm not sure my heart could stand writing that. I'm awfully useless at writing death scenes anyway and I was in the mood for a happy-ish ending.

Gorgeous Nightmare

11

Achieving a full transformation after that first time was murder. James had been right when he predicted that I would spend several day walking around with a tail – I couldn't even manages to get rid of it before the weekend was over and had to sit through three exams with a bushy tail. It was a mere blessing that everyone just assumed it was either a prank gone wrong or some strange new fashion statement. These days you could never really tell.

Every year we always complained about 7th years that got bitchy over their NEWTs and every year we told ourselves that they were being overdramatic and that it wasn't that hard.

I would most certainly never be making that mistake again.

I would also never be so foolish as to take Advanced Potions again because that shit was not fun.

The exam lasted the full day and required that we brew three potions at the same time (Ours were Amortentia, Draught of Living Death and Felix Felicis. I was kicking myself for even bothering to revise any of the work we'd done in 7th year.) in a stuffy dungeon with every single other NEWT level potion student whilst the invigilators wandered around, breathing down out necks and asking stupid bloody things like what our opinions on the Chudley Cannons winning the league.

Try accomplishing all of that when you've got a black-tipped, red and while stripy tail that gets caught in every fucking doorway you have the audacity to walk past.

Merlin I hated exams.

Emerging into the dying light was probably the most beautiful thing I will ever experience.

Except perhaps the sight of James running off to talk to a suited official who carried a black briefcase with a red bat superimposed on it.

I grabbed Sirius as he ran past.

'Oi. Has James said anything to you about Scouts at the next match?'

He dusted off his robes and shrugged.

'Apart from the Harpies and they send someone every year...no. Why?'

'There's an official from the Ballycastle Bats over there and the Final is tomorrow.'

'You think they're here for the game? Ooh, the Harpies will be pissed. They usually have the monopoly on the Final. It'd be cool if you signed to the Bats. They are your team after all; I remember you had that poster in fourth year...'

'Yeah, it'd be a dream come true but I couldn't move to bloody Ireland.'

'You'd look hot in that uniform though...ow! No need to get violent, I was only stating a fact. Look he's waving! C'mon...'

I found myself being dragged into the entrance hall, still trying o work the blush off of my face.

James took over from Sirius once we were close enough and pushed me forwards.

'Mr Fenwick, this is Jordis Gates – the beater I owled you about. Just ignore the tail...there was an incident when we were working on our Transfiguration revision.'

That was the official line on my tail.

'Yeah...' I laughed '...James here might be a brilliant chaser but his aim with a wand leaves a lot to be desired. The cushion was a good three feet away from me and I still ended up looking like this.'

'I do hope it won't affect your game Miss Gates, we have heard great things.'

'I'm more hoping that I don't have to play around it. Now that the exams are done with I actually have the time to look into getting rid of it...I think we've all played around worse than a tail though.'

It was hardly a lie – I've seen people finish a game with their hands three times their normal size. Hufflepuff's old seeker was a bloody miracle worker.

We spoke with Mr Fenwick until he had to leave for a meeting with Dumbledore but as soon as he was out of sight I grabbed James for a back-breaking hug.

'James you are the best friend in the world, you hear? How did you even know? Oh my god! James!'

I knew I was getting incoherent but we were talking about a chance to play for the Ballycastle Bats! The team I had supported since first year! Granted...I initially had only started supporting them because I thought the black uniforms with the red bat looked snazzy but how else are you supposed to choose a team? It's not like a band where you can say 'oh, I love this music – I will become your fan!' you kind of have to base sports teams on how cool they look not how good they are – how else do you think the Cannons had so many fans?

'Here, put him down Jinx – I don't think my ego can take it.'

I release James, kissed Sirius on the cheek and ran off to catch up with Lily.

To say that the excitement had worn off by the next morning was an understatement.

The only real reason that abysmal last game hadn't knocked us out of the final was because Ravenclaw were disqualified for half of their team being caught with Felix Felicis on their persons.

This was a chance we shouldn't have gotten but now that we had it we were determined to win the last Quidditch game we would play at Hogwarts. Most of our team was made up of seventh years with only our Keeper and Seeker in fourth and fifth respectively.

Sirius and I usually kept to circling the pitch unless we were really needed; always staying opposite each other to cover the whole pitch but Slytherin were usually inclined to play dirty when it came to the Quidditch Cup so Sirius shadowed Ridges whilst I followed whichever chaser had the Quaffle.

The break came when Dewees, Slytherin's captain and Seeker, grabbed the bat off of one of his Beaters and pelted a bludger towards our unguarded Keeper.

Sirius, who was closest, didn't have time to block it and had to physically pull the poor kid out of the way and onto his broom. That distraction left Ridges as an open target and another Bludger was soon working its way towards him. I broke every promised to James and pulled away from my position tearing across the pitch and barely managing to tap the bludger with the very tip of my bat. It was enough to divert it slightly though and it missed Ridges' head by inches and went veering off towards the crowd.

I shot after it – I would be more than dead if it reached the stands. I never knew why they didn't raise shields around the crowd but it would save me a lot of bloody trouble.

I managed to pull up to the bludger but it swerved and flew under me. I pulled the same stunt that got me on the team in my second year and swung under my broom, flying upside down, and backhanded the bludger across the pitch before having to fly out over the Gryffindor stands and around behind the hoops to right myself. I managed to grab Devon's falling broom out of sheer luck and tossed it to him, letting Sirius return to the game.

I pulled into the centre of the pitch in time to see my bludger by pass the Slytherin beater who was trying to wrestle his bat back off of his captain and knocked their keeper straight through the middle hoop.

Out of nowhere Ridged shot past me towards the ground and that was when we knew it was over. Dewees was still too busy fighting with his beater to have any hope of catching the Snitch.

Ridges pulled out of the dive holding the struggling golden Snitch in his hand.

There was some kind of spontaneous group hug from those of us that were leaving but mid air hugs usually end in disaster so it was brief but appreciated all the same.

Just a few weeks later I found myself staring down the corridor that lead to the stairs to the boathouse. This was it - This was the last time I was ever going to do this. I walked into this castle as a terrified kid with scruffy hair, squint teeth and a horrible, horrible attitude and I was leaving, hand in hand with a ridiculously brilliant guy who, yeah, I might even say was the love of my life and surrounded by some of the best friends I could ever hope to make. I was walking out into a summer training program with the Ballycastle Bats and a nice little detached house in Cambridge. There might be a war going on out there and we might not even survive the next year but, right now, all was well.

FIN