The Corsaires and the Marauders
Though Lindsey was relieved that she had gotten everyone on her side regarding the Animagus process—except Remus, who was merely tolerating the decision—she had no time to begin her secret studies. She found herself buried under a pile of homework as the Quidditch match with Ravenclaw drew ever nearer. She was worried about facing one of her best friends in a competition; she knew how fiercely competitive Chloe was, and if she didn't win, well…she hoped it wouldn't drive a wedge between them, at any rate.
To add to her stress, she and the other Corsaires discovered that just because they were now engaged in relationships did not mean the boys would stop their traditional pranks. They knew the boys didn't mean any harm by it, but Chloe and Lindsey were starting to lose their patience with getting stuck to the floor and rolled up in tapestries.
It was the day before the game, and the nervousness that had been threatening to overwhelm Lindsey all week was coming to a head. Remus was watching her practice, cheering for her from the stands. After an hour, she landed and sat next to him.
"You could be a professional Seeker, Lindsey. I can't wait to see you face off against James," Remus said, grinning as he conjured up a glass of water for her. Lindsey shook her head, taking the glass of water and chugging it.
"Please. This is fun and all, but I hate feeling so incredibly nervous. I think I'll stick to my art store idea," she said, smiling at the thought.
"Art? You never told me you were an artist," Remus said. Lindsey stood up and took his hand, thinking it was about time to call it a night.
"Maybe if you're good, I'll let you see my portfolio," she teased.
That night in the Room of Requirement, Lindsey's nerves had reached a boiling point. There was no point in trying to do homework. Whenever Lindsey failed to grasp a concept, it caused her to get angry and teary-eyed.
"Maybe we should call it a night. You need rest, not stress," Remus said gently, kissing the top of her head. Lindsey sighed.
"I guess you're right." She snuggled against him. "I don't want to leave, though."
Remus loved Lindsey's affectionate side. She was known through her House for being sarcastic and witty, but he was lucky enough to see the softer side of her. After a pause, Lindsey said,
"You know…we really don't have to."
"Have to what?"
"Leave. See, the Room of Requirement has already anticipated my exhaustion and made us a bed!" she said, laughing. Sure enough, an incredibly comfortable-looking bed had appeared by the back wall. Remus blushed furiously. He was sure Lindsey hadn't intended anything by her suggestion, but how could he not associate a comfortable bed and his beautiful girlfriend with…well, physical actions? He could barely think about it. James and Sirius had teased him in the past for being prudish and naïve, but their words had never sounded truer to his mind.
"We don't have clothes to change into," Remus said. Lindsey blushed; apparently her mind had just arrived on the same page as his.
"I can sleep in my regular clothes, it's no big deal," she said, her easy-going mask stained by her blush. She kicked off her shoes and socks and laid down on the bed. "I'm sure I won't sleep if I don't have some kind of comforting presence."
Remus removed his shoes and socks as well and laid down next to her, willing himself to breathe normally. He set the alarm clock that had magically conjured next to the bed, so they wouldn't be late in the morning. He slid under the covers next to her and turned awkwardly on his side facing her, unsure what to do with his hands. Lindsey couldn't help but smirk at him.
"You're so cute. I bet you've never slept next to a girl before," she teased, turned over on her side and scooting closer to him so they were spooning.
"No," Remus said weakly, unable to voice a witty comeback. Despite his pounding heart and stomach full of nerves, there was something comforting about snuggling up with Lindsey. She was soft and warm and fit perfectly against his torso. In that moment of warmth, he realized he'd nearly missed his chance for a comeback.
"I take it you have, though?"
"What, slept next to girls? Countless times. The girls and I don't get lezzie jokes for nothing, you know," Lindsey joked, skirting around the question. Remus couldn't help but laugh.
"You know what I meant."
"Maybe. But we don't have to talk about that. Not right now, anyway. I'm tired," she said, releasing a yawn that was obviously fake. Remus knew if she was tired, it was only of the conversation he was trying to start. He laced his fingers with hers and began to drift off into sleep, trying to ignore the questions developing in his mind.
Lindsey felt well-rested the next day, so she knew her idea of not sleeping alone had worked for her. However, she hadn't anticipated the problems it would cause within her. Of course physical intimacy would come to mind; of course she would think of her first and last time, and the horrible memories associated with it. No, Remus didn't need to know that. Not yet. It was horrible timing.
She tried to focus as the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw Quidditch teams lined up opposite each other on the field. Chloe offered her an encouraging smile, and Lindsey tried to return it. The whistle blew and then the wind was whipping her hair wildly as she rose through the air. She rose above the main game and began her desperate search for the Snitch. The quicker she found it, the less likely it was that something could happen between the teams that would upset Chloe.
Chloe had been dreading this game all week. She didn't doubt that Ravenclaw had better players than Hufflepuff, but she didn't like facing off against her best friend. She dreaded having to console her best friend when Hufflepuff lost, but she figured they may as well get it over with. She was extremely confident in Ravenclaw's abilities, as long as those ninnies that held the Beater's clubs could keep it together.
In no time, Chloe had slapped 40 points on the board. She and her other Chasers had remarkable team work, and she was feeling good about their impending victory. She felt alive as she ducked and wove between the other players; feinting was her specialty, and she'd perfect an especially difficult fake-out with her favorite Chaser, Sheila Peroski. She'd just scored another 10 points when she heard the gasps from the crowd. She saw Lindsey and the Ravenclaw Seeker Tula Litchfield streaking toward the ground in a blur. In the distraction, she scored another 10 points, but her teeth were gritted. If Litchfield didn't get that Snitch…
"I can't believe it! I can't believe I won my first Quidditch match!" Lindsey was squealing. She had never felt so elated. She had been terrified of letting her team down; Litchfield had long arms, but Lindsey had speed and determination. Litchfield hadn't been able to pull up in time and went crashing to the ground, while Lindsey narrowly pulled away from the same fate with the struggling Snitch clasped firmly in her grasp.
Remus laughed, hugging her and spinning her around. "I'm so proud of you. Great job, Lindsey" he said. Her friends were filing into the locker room now. Lily, Cassie, and even the other Marauders were showering her with congratulations and praise. Chloe, however, slunk off to change out of her dirty robes.
I can't believe it, Chloe thought miserably. Ravenclaw hadn't lost to Hufflepuff in ten years, and in her first match as Captain, Ravenclaw had become a laughingstock. What could she have done differently? How could this have happened? She became more and more angry, not just with her teammates and the Hufflepuffs, but with herself. She'd let her team down. She'd failed. Failure was unacceptable. She knew the rest of her friends were out there, celebrating with Lindsey. Perhaps they were wondering where she was. She didn't care. She just wanted to get back to the castle and start researching rigorous Quidditch drills and figure out how many points they would need to win the rest of their matches by in order to win the Cup.
Chloe glided out of the locker room, not stopping to congratulate Lindsey or even pause to say anything to Sirius. She ignored everyone and made her way to the castle. She could hear their voices behind her, but she didn't stop. She didn't need anyone right now. Of course, Sirius couldn't allow that. He was beside her in no time, before she was even halfway to the castle.
"Chloe? What's wrong?" he asked, trying to take her hand. She snatched it away.
"Is it really necessary for you to ask that question?" she growled. Sirius looked hurt; something inside of her felt bad, but she was too caught up in her self-righteous anger to truly feel it.
"Chloe, you lost a Quidditch match. It's not that big of a deal. You really upset Lindsey just now," he said.
"Why does it matter? I'm upset and no one seems to care about that," Chloe snapped back. She knew she was being childish, but she was too hurt to care.
"I thought you wanted Lindsey to be successful in Quidditch. It was your idea for her to try out, you know," Sirius replied, feeling impatient with Chloe's impetuousness.
"I know, and I do! It's just….I always win. I don't lose," Chloe replied stubbornly.
They walked in silence all the way back to Ravenclaw tower.
"Just remember that a competition isn't worth messing up your friendship over," Sirius said as she turned to mount the stairs.
"Deep words from you," Chloe said, crossing her arms. She felt bratty, but she couldn't help it. She was completely caught up in her self-deprecation, and she couldn't stop herself from lashing out. Sirius sighed, annoyed and upset.
"You don't have to lash out at me, I'm trying to support you," he said crossly. Chloe's eyes filled up with tears.
"I'm not used to not getting what I want," she muttered.
"You sound like James," Sirius said with a chuckle.
"Oh, please! I do not!" Chloe said defiantly.
"Let it go, Chloe. Calm down. Let's go coax the house elves into giving us a nice steaming mug of butterbeer, what do you say?" Chloe still looked cross, but Sirius had a calming effect on her. She reluctantly agreed, and listened with half-hearted amusement as he tried to cheer her up with tales of his and James' antics.
Chloe was the first one to the Great Hall the next morning. She was sure by now that the teachers didn't mind that only one member of their group was ever at the correct House table. Lily and Cassie joined her at the Ravenclaw table; however, Lindsey was nowhere in sight. In fact, she didn't show up until breakfast was nearly over. When she did, she sat with the Hufflepuffs. Chloe caught up with her outside of the Great Hall, though Lindsey was obviously trying to escape without confrontation.
"Lindsey, look, I'm sorry for the way I acted—"
"Sorry? You're sorry? What, you finally got down off your high horse long enough to notice there are other people with feelings, too?" she snarled, turning on her heel to face Chloe. Chloe was taken aback; Lindsey had never snapped at her like this before, and her words stung.
"Lindsey, you know how competitive I can be—"
"That's no excuse! It's always about you Chloe. What about me? Maybe I want to be good at something for once too! You can't have everything!" Lindsey screeched. People were stopping to watch the spectacle.
"I'm trying to apologize if you'll shut up and listen for one second!" Chloe shouted back.
"Shut up? You want ME to shut up? Piss off, Chloe," Lindsey snarled before turning on her heel and striding away.
Chloe stood in the middle of the hallway, completely floored. For the first time, she realized how her need to be in control had created rifts in her relationships. She had never felt so utterly defeated.
Sorry this update took months and months…it's my senior year of college so I'm bogged down. I just hit a clear patch though and Spring Break is coming up so maybe I'll get more done. (: Please review!