Killed Her Personally

by adoeinthemeadowes

"That's Dorcas Meadowes...Voldemort killed her personally" Dorcas 'Doe' Meadowes didn't intend to have a screaming match with Sirius Black in the Great Hall, or watch Lily and James fall in love, and she definitely didn't intend to face Voldemort alone. From Hogwarts to Death, follow Doe's story through the first Wizarding War. CANON DM/SB JP/LE Dorius Marauders Era

35. Ten Points To Prewett

The morning after Halloween, most of the castle woke up to vicious hangovers and never-ending gossip about exactly what happened to the Defense Against the Dark Arts door.

I knew it had had to be something foul to make Professor Sayre look that afraid, but this was something else entirely.

I had seen it with Gideon. The two of us had never quite been able to recreate whatever had been about to happen that night in the corridor. We had sauntered back into the party, slightly frazzled and enjoyed the rest of the night with our friends. Nothing juicy, much to Marlene's disappointment.

But he'd dutifully walked me and Lily to the Great Hall for breakfast Sunday morning when we'd noticed a group clustered around Professor Sayres door. We had had to fight through the crowds of rubber-necking first years to see the Giant black Dark Mark burned into the wood.

"Not another one," Lily had whispered, her hand flying to her mouth. Gideon and I exchanged a dark look. So that was what had caused Sayre and Sinistra's conversation.

Beneath the mark, more words had been burned into the wood. Join and Live, Refuse and Die.

I didn't need to be a Death Eater to understand what that meant. I was living proof of what it meant. My parents matching graves flashed through my mind. So they wanted Sayre to join up? To fall in line or die? I had ground my teeth together all throughout breakfast over that one. A breakfast that Professor Sayre had not turned up too.

"Who do you think did it?" Gideon had asked me while Lily patted a still hungover Marlene's head.

I'd been mulling over that one the entire morning, and I had a sinking suspicion that I knew exactly who it was.

My eyes flashed quickly in the direction of the Slytherin table, where Rabastan looked very cheery. He had been in that same hallway minutes before.

"I have a pretty good idea," I whispered, and Gideon's eyes followed mine.

"You think he's capable of something like that?" Gideon asked, looking skeptical.

I shuddered. "Unfortunately, yes."

Gideon frowned and pursed his lips, but didn't say anything else.

I spent the rest of the weekend and most of that week obsessing over the idea of why Rabastan would have done that. What purpose would it serve, besides upsetting and scaring Sayre? I guess that was reason enough. But why did he care? It wasn't as if Professor Sayre had embarrassed him the way she had Narcissa or Elizabeth. Why did he find it necessary to scare her like that?

---

"Merlin, Doe. Are you still thinking about Lestrange?" Marlene asked on Wednesday morning from the back of the Charms classroom.

The four of us were sat at our usual table, and practicing some review spells for Flitwick. He had disappeared to check something with Professor McGonagall, and in his absence the classroom was loud with chatter,

I had mastered the spell weeks ago, so instead of practicing I was staring off into space, and Marlene's comment made me look up. I had been thinking about Rabastan. It had dominated most of my thoughts the last few days.

I frowned, at the look of inquisition on Marlene's face. "Guilty."

Marlene sighed. "I think you're obsessing over it."

"Im not obsessing," I told her, balancing my wand in my hand. I avoided looking her in the eyes. I had been obsessing about it a bit. Well, that and Quidditch. With the upcoming match this weekend and the burned door, they provided a nice distraction from what hadn't happened with Gideon in the corridor.

"You totally are," Marlene pressed, nibbling on the end of her wand. "Its all you've mentioned for days."

"Because I know he did it," I sighed into my Charms textbook. "And it bothers me. Why does he think he can just get away with this stuff? They all do, the Slytherins."

Beside us, Lily and Mary were listening now too. Looking eagerly from Marlene to me.

"If you're that sure he did it, why don't you tell McGonagall?" Lily asked, sounding like the prefect she was.

Mary snorted. "Well she might have to mention how she knows, and that would mean telling her she was out after curfew."

"She was with the Head Boy, though!" Lily reasoned.

"Yeah, but I dont think McGonagall will be all that thrilled that they were out there canoodling," said Mary, flashing me a dirty smile.

"You're one to talk," Marlene told her, and Mary blushed. 'Anyway, Doe already told us they weren't doing anything like that." She cast me a side-eyed look. She had been the most disappointed in the fact that nothing had happened on Halloween. She was trying to convince me to snog Gideon in the Common Room every night since.

"Do you think she'd actually believe me if I told her?" I asked them, ignoring Marlene's loaded look.

Lily frowned and Marlene bit the end of her wand again.

"Only one way to find out," Mary reckoned. "No harm in trying."

"Yeah, " I said softly. "Maybe."

"Merlin, would you look at them," Lily said, looking over my shoulder to where the Marauders were making a fair bit of noise.

James was charming all of the scrolls on Flitwicks desk to do a little jig, and it had amassed the attention of half the room. Sirius, who wore a large paper birthday hat, sat lazily in his chair looking bemused.

"I didn't know it was Sirius' birthday," Mary said, watching the scene unfold in front of her. She looked to me for confirmation.

I nodded. "Yup. He's seventeen." I'd actually been trying to catch him alone all morning to give him his present, but it had been difficult with all the events and surprises the Marauders seemed to have planned to celebrate the day. I'd probably have to catch him after practice.

"He's seventeen already?" Lily demanded. "Bullocks thats lucky. I can hardly wait until January."

"Better than May," Mary reminded her.

"Or August," Marlene complained from her seat. "At least you lot turn seventeen in sixth year."

I placed a hand on her shoulder. 'At least you get a summer birthday. You don't have to go to class." She sighed.

"He's a scorpio then," Mary said, picking up her wand to practice the spell again. "Sirius... Makes sense when you think about it."

"A what?" Marlene asked.

Mary smiled. "A Scorpio." Marlene still looked confused.

"Are you into astrology now?" I asked Mary, having never heard of this particular interest before. A lot of the girls at my orphanage had been very into the last few summers.

Mary brightened. "Actually, I am. Julie got me into. It's fascinating you know? I think it goes hand in hand with magic. It can tell you so much."

"You sound like Professor Tellweather," Lily giggled.

"Can you see Auras too?" I teased.

Mary grinned. "Well if I had known all of this, I might've taken Divination a little more seriously."

"All of what?" Marlene asked. "Can it really tell you stuff?"

Mary grinned and pulled out a book from her bag. It was a used copy of The Magic of Zodiac; a Witches Guide to Astrology and Divination.

She flipped through it and stopped at a comprehensive chart of zodiac signs and traits. The top of the page had a spell for determining someone's astrological sign without ever asking their birthday.

"Wow, you do come prepared," I said, taking in the well worn and flagged pages. She smiled.

She fingered the page and stopped at the chart. "See, you can determine all kinds of things from zodiac signs. Like who you get along with and who you don't. What things you'll be good at. Are you bold or stubborn? Will you despise a Taurus? That kind of thing. Muggles do this too. But when witches and wizards do it, it's different obviously. Like for instance. Marlene, you're a Leo, so you are bold and vivacious and like the spotlight. It says here that you will favor flashy spells."

"Dead on," I chuckled and Marlene fanned herself with her parchment.

"And Lily is an Aquarius, so she's creative and unique. She'll excel at potions and clever little spells."

Lily blinked rapidly. "It says that?"

"Sure does."

Lily's eyes were now glued to the book in front of Mary, suddenly it seems, less skeptical.

"And Doe is also an aquarius, but almost a Pisces, so she's a bit more rash and outspoken."

"That about sums me up," I said humorously, and Mary looked thrilled.

Lily was still reading the book over Mary's shoulder when Professor Flitwick sauntered back into the room to continue the lesson.

"I need to borrow that some time," she whispered to her, looking endlessly fascinated.

"Whenever you want, " Mary said eagerly. "You too, Doe."

"Excellent. I could use a universe driven explanation for why I'm so rubbish at Herbology," I said thinking about my next class.

We spent the rest of Charms whispering eagerly about what our star signs meant about our enemies and most compatible people.

When the lesson finally ended, I hoped I might catch Sirius on our walk to the Greenhouses, knowing only he, Remus and I took that class, but when I stepped into the hall, Gideon was waiting for me. Mary, Marlene and Lily almost squealed with delight when we saw him sitting on the bench, a bent paperback book in his hand. He pocketed it when he saw me.

"Hi, Doe," he said brightly, as Rylie and Alice watched on with excited looks.

"Hi, Gideon," I hadn't seen him very much since the Halloween party. With my constant Quidditch practice and obsessing over Rabastan, there hadn't been much time.

"I have Care of Magical creatures next," Gideon told me, "thought you might want company on your walk to the Greenhouses."

"Sure, sounds great," I said, wrapping my scarf around my neck. The weather had dropped significantly over the weekend. I shifted my stack of books to my hip to balance them, but Gideons large hands reached down to grasp them for me before I could.

"He's such a libra," I heard Mary say loudly, before we rounded the corner away from them. Marlene practically dragged her away from us.

"I'm such a what?" Gideon asked, raising an eyebrow. He looked amused.

"I'm not sure exactly," I said with a smile. "Mary has recently gotten into astrology."

"Astrology?" he asked, slowing his paces to match mine, as the two of us followed the clusters of students towards the grounds. "Is that like divination?"

"A bit?" I said, still a little shaky on the details. "It uses your birthday to tell you things about yourself. What you like. What you're good at. If you're compatible with someone. That sort of stuff."

Gideon pondered what I said, his lip widening over his straight teeth. "Maybe I should ask Mary if we're compatible."

I raised an eyebrow. 'Do you need a book to tell you that?"

Gideon shook his head, a smile still plastered on his face. "Hardly. I knew that at twelve."

"You did not," I said, shaking my head to hide the grin that had formed.

"Oh I did. Believe me, I've been pining for you."

"How sad these last few years must have been for you then," I teased. "Whatever would you have been if you hadn't been obsessing over little old me?"

"Id have at least two more O.W.L.s. Thinking about you took up quite a bit of my brain. McGonagall should be blaming you."

My laughter echoed across the corridor as Gideon pushed open the door to the grounds, looking thrilled.

The air had quite the nip to it today, smacking sharply across our cheeks and noses as we trudged downslope towards the Greenhouses. It was chilly, but the air was crisp and beautiful. Not a bad day to spend outside.

"Good Quidditch weather," I commented, as my hair blew out around me.

"Ah, yes," Gideon grinned. "How could I have forgotten. You'll be making your highly anticipated Quidditch debut this weekend, won't you?"

A little bit of color crossed my cheeks that I hoped I could pass off as the weather. "I don't know if my first game on the Gryffindor team can be considered 'highly anticipated'."

"Believe me, it will be," Gideon said, "Otto is already betting on your chances."

I snorted. 'Well that's comforting."

He smiled. "I think he's quite sad to lose you in the stands."

"It'll just give him some new material," I said. "He'll have to come up with something that rhymes with Meadowes."

Gideon pretended to think about it. "I was thinking, Go, Doe. Go!"

"Simple, I like it."

"Well, I'll keep thinking. You'll need at least three."

"Three?"

"Yeah, one for when you score. One for when you knock the Quaffle out of a Slytherins hand and one for when you win."

"You've got quite a bit of faith in me," I said, as we approached Greenhouse six.

Gideon shook his head. "I just know you. You're good at everything you do."

He lingered by the open entrance to the Greenhouse and beamed at me. I could see most of the sixth years through the foggy glass.

"Will I see you later, after dinner?" Gideon asked hopefully.

"I have Quidditch practice tonight," I said with a frown." After?"

Gideon sighed. "Emmeline and I have to meet with Professor Dumbledore tonight."

This time I sighed. Gideon shook his head. "Don't worry, after you lead Gryffindor to victory, I'm sure we'll have more time."

"Merlin, I hope," I said with a shake of my head.

Gideon grinned and waved goodbye, before heading for the clearing in front of the forest at a bit of a jog. I watched him before he became too far to see.

When I entered the Greenhouse, most of the class was already there. The Hufflepuffs took up half the room, and Sirius and Remus were sitting in the back, whispering to each other. They were looking towards the entrance to the Greenhouse. I waved to Sirius and tried to mouth Happy Birthday, but I didn't think he noticed. I'd try and catch him during our free period. I took my usual seat beside Charity and Amelia, who were hotly debating something in frantic whispers.

"...but she definitely said it," Amelia pressed, in an urgent voice.

Charity was twisting her curly white-blond hair through her fingers, avoiding Amelia's gaze.

"Does it matter?" she asked softly. "We should just drop it."

"And let her get away with it?" Amelia asked.

Charity shrugged, "Better than enraging her further. I am a muggleborn, remember?"

Amelia sighed and turned to me. "Hello, Doe. We're discussing how smarmy the Slytherins are."

Charity sighed loudly. Amelia ignored the sound.

"Oh are we?" I asked, " That's my favorite topic of conversation." Charity threw me a sympathetic smile.

"Yes," Amelia said firmly, and then dropped her voice. "Elisabeth called Charity a you-know-what and Charity thinks we should just ignore it. I think we should exact revenge. What do you think?"

Beside her, Charity seemed to be ripping apart her parchment to deal with her stress. It reminded me of the look Mary got on her face when the Slytherins harassed her.

"For starters, I think Elisabeth Burke is an ignorant toad-faced, bigot who isn't worth a tenth of Charity," I said firmly, watching the smiles cross both of their faces.

"Thank you, Doe," Charity said quietly.

"You're welcome. I meant it," I told her, taking out my herbology textbook.

"Well obviously, Charity is great," Amelia proclaimed enthusiastically, flashing her best friend a very loving look. "But what would you do about it? What if it were Lily or Mary?"

I sighed. Anger flared up in my fingertips just thinking about all the times the Slytherins had shouted that word at my best friends.

"Well, I think it's up to Charity what she wants to do about it. But if it were me, I wouldn't let them get away with it. Either shout right back or jinx them. Or tell Slughorn if you think it'll do something, but ignoring it usually just emboldens them."

"I just wish they'd stop," Charity said in a tiny voice.

"Don't we all," Amelia sighed again.

They both sounded so frustrated and so desperate for change that it made me realize I had to tell McGonagall about where I'd seen Rabastan and what I thought he did.

If I kept silent, I was letting them get away with their bigotry again. I mentally added 'Find McGonagall' to my mental to do list. I'd seek her out before Quidditch Practice tonight. There was no way I could just sit on this information and not do anything about it.

We spent the Herbology lesson working on a dangerous vine called Intoxicating Ivy, a long leafed vine plant that we were supposed to pluck free of leaves. The problem was, if you plucked the leaves too hard, it exhaled a perfumy aroma that made everyone in the room very sleepy. By the end of the lesson, the room was filled with such thick, perfumed air that everyone near the front was moving very slowly and sleepily.

My brain was still fuzzy as I left the greenhouse and headed for the Common Room for my free period. I was still walking slowly when I realized I'd meant to find Sirius. I'd have to find him in the Common Room.

It took almost the entire walk up to Gryffindor tower for the perfume scent to drift from my nose and for my brain to focus again. I gave the password to the Fat Lady and crawled through the portrait hole into the nearly empty Common Room.

Remus was holed up in one of the armchairs, taking out a large collection of books. Sirius didn't seem to be with him.

"Hello, Remus," I said plopping down into the chair across from him. "How are you?"

Remus offered me a smile. "I'm alright. Didn't get much sleep last night what with the festivities for Sirius' birthday and all, but other than that, very good. What about you?"

"I'm excellent. Finally got my head sorted after that Herbology lesson."

"Did you feel cloudy?" Remus asked eagerly.

I nodded, and looked at him in surprise. "Didnt you?"

Remus smiled and shook his head. "Nope. One of the casualties of my condition. I don't get easily hoodwinked by that stuff."

He was speaking candidly about his condition because there was no one to overhear us here and I found it nice he was able to speak so freely.

"Really?" I asked in disbelief. "You felt nothing?"

"Nothing," Remus said, looking a bit amused.

"Wow," I leaned back in my chair, "Thats handy."

Remus grinned. "Maybe for someone who wants to be an auror." He looked pointedly at me and I blushed a little. It seemed to make him smile.

"It's still quite cool for anyone," I told him.

He shrugged. "I suppose. I've grown used to it. It happens with a lot of things. Like Amortentia. That doesn't work either."

Now I was fascinated. "Really? But how ever will you know who your soulmate is if you can't know what they smell like?" I asked dramatically.

Remus rolled his eyes. "I suppose, I'll have to go the old-fashioned route and actually speak to the person."

"Uh, the horror!" I clutched at my chest.

Remus smiled deeply. He looked happy for a moment before something dark seemed to creep into his eyes and the smile slowly fell from his face.

He fumbled with the book in his lap. "I actually don't think that will be much of a problem for me," he said, quietly. He was speaking barely above a whisper now. "I sincerely doubt there is a girl alive who would want to date someone like me."

I could now see what had flashed across his eyes. It was pain, and insecurity.

"Why wouldn't someone want to be with you?" I demanded, blinking in confusion.

"You know why, Doe. Better than most probably," Remus said softly. He looked down at the closed book, avoiding my gaze.

"I don't, actually" I said firmly, not letting my gaze drift from his. "Because I do know you, Remus. You're incredibly clever. Kind beyond measure, with a moral compass unmatched by many. Not to mention you are one of the most loyal friends someone could ever wish to have."

Remus looked up quickly. His face was blank. "That's very kind of you to say Doe, but my condition-"

"Only proves to show how resilient and strong you are," I said, cutting him off, "Seems to me, with qualities like that, a girl would be lucky to have you. Honestly."

He frowned. "But-" I cut him off.

"Seriously, Remus. If you keep protesting I'm going to have to date you myself. Just to prove you wrong."

A small smile crept up Remus' face, though it didn't quite meet his eyes. "You sound like Sirius and James."

"They're right every now and again," I shrugged, "Speaking of the birthday boy, any idea where he's off to?"

This time, Remus blushed very hard. Red spread across his cheeks and down his neck. He picked at his shirt collar avoiding my eyes.

"I think he's in the Ravenclaw dormitories," he said quietly, "...with Fern Gallagher."

"Ah," I said, as understanding flooded my brain all at once. Of course, Sirius, of all people, was celebrating his birthday with a girl. It made sense, but even though it did, it made the room feel like it didn't have enough air in it. Discomfort, that was the feeling. I shifted in my chair uncomfortably.

"Did you do the Charms homework yet?" Remus asked, swiftly changing the subject and replacing the stagnant air around me. "We could work on it together."

"Sure," I said grateful for the distraction. "Let's do it."

There was something about Remus that made him a very comforting presence. I could never quite put my finger on what it was exactly but now it seemed to get a little clearer. Remus was very attuned to people and what they seemed to need.

An hour or so later, after practicing wand movements and filling in the homework, the Common Room was lively again. My friends had emerged from Runes and Muggle Studies and joined Remus and I on the floor while we waited for dinner.

Sirius had yet to return. His present felt like it was burning a hole in my bag. I'd barely seen him all day, but I supposed it was his birthday, and he should be spending it doing whatever he liked. Or who.

My stomach knotted at that.

Twenty minutes before dinner, I decided to try and find Professor McGonagall to tell her about Rabastan. Knowing James, practice would run late today and I wanted to make sure I had time to tell her what I'd seen. I'd left my friends in the Common Room and headed for her office.

The castle was quiet now. Everyone was either in their Common Room or the library, waiting for dinner to be served. I only passed the occasional person, including Odie Macmillan who looked a bit down.

"Oi, Meadowes!" a haughty voice called from down the hall. "Where's your ginger boyfriend?"

It was Elizabeth Burke. She stood in the corner of the corridor, smoking a cigarette out the window with Tracey Travers.

"Bugger off," I shouted back, doing my best to pass her quickly.

Elizabeth snorted. "Figures you'd date a blood traitor," she said balancing the cigarette between her fingers. "With what your parents were. Do all of you traitors seek one another out? Or is it like magnets and you just find one another?"

I wanted to ignore her. But I was too worked up. Why did she have to bring up Gideon? And my parents? That was a low blow. She never minded her own business. And it was only serving to enrage me further. Between what Rabastan had done and what she'd said to Charity, I could feel the anger flooding in my ears.

"Well it is a lot harder for me to find someone I suppose than it is for you," I started and Elizabeth dropped the cigarette looking intrigued. She raised one of her thick eyebrows in my direction. She looked a bit too eager.

"See? I have to actually look around and find someone I'm not related you and your incestuous, blood-status obsessed cronies can just find a boyfriend at your family reunions," I smirked, slipping my wand into my hand.

The cigarette fell from Elizabeth's hand and fell onto the floor. Tracey made a loud, dramatic gasp and covered her mouth with her hand. Elizabeth drew her wand.

"YOU STUPID, BLOODTRAIOR BITCH," Elizabeth shouted, "HOW DARE YOU?"

I was ready for her, lifting my wand and casting a shield charm as she moved to hex me, both of us too incensed for non-verbal spells.

"Incendio Viridis!"

"Protego!"

Bright green flames leaped from Elizabeth's wands and spread out across the corridor, desperately searching for warm human skin to mutilate. My shield charm held up, spreading around me like a bubble that the fire couldn't penetrate. The flames licked up and down the length of it, searching hungrily for an opening that didn't exist. Elizabeth drew her wand back and they disappeared.

This time Elizabeth cast her spells silently, and suddenly tiny firecracker sparks started erupted across my shield charm. I narrowed my eyes and held it up, concentrating solely on the bubble around me.

It wasn't until Elizabeth drew back her wand that I dropped the shield charm long enough to cast a full body bind curse on her.

She froze, like a pin and toppled forwards while Tracey screeched in horror, flailing her wand uselelly. Tracey had always been a bit fruitless with a wand. I silently cast a spark shower curse, and a rain of shooting, sparks fell from the sky above Traceys head while she wailed. They wouldn't actually hurt her, but they gave me the opportunity to skip away from the scene, in a marginally better mood than I had been a few minutes ago.

I took my time now on my way to Professor McGonagall's office, knocking gingerly on the heavy wooden door when I approached it. I hoped she was here and not in the staff room. I really didn't want to talk about this in front of anyone else. Least of all, Slughorn. I like Professor Slughorn enough but he never saw any of his precious Slytherins doing anything wrong.

"Come in!" she called horsley, and I quietly pushed open the door.

"Ah, Ms. Meadowes," Professor McGonagall offered me a friendly nod, and waved me inside. "Good evening."

"Good Evening, Professor," I said, sitting down in the chair she gestured. It was a squishy one, like I had sat in earlier.

"Quidditch training going well?" she asked, looking up at me from beneath her glasses.

I smiled. "Very well. James is a dictator on the pitch, so you chose well."

"And you're enjoying it?" she asked.

"Very much. Thank you for suggesting it."

Professor McGonagall smiled curtly. "Forcing you, you mean."

I chuckled. "Well, yes. But I'm still grateful."

Professor McGonagall nodded. "And your classes? How is N.E,W.T. level? Professor Flitwick told me he is quite impressed, as is Professor Sayre."

I felt a spark of joy and confidence as I heard Professor Sayres' name enter the conversation. Good, maybe this would be the right lead in.

"I'm really happy with my classes and my Professors this year," I told her.

"Well, good," Professor McGonagall said evenly, and then crossed her thin hands in front of her. "What can I help you with, then, Ms. Meadowes?"

I shifted in my chair slightly. No matter how much I favored Professor McGonagall, sitting beneath her penetrating gaze always made me question myself.

"It's about Professor Sayre actually," I told her quietly, "and what happened to her door."

Professor McGonagall looked interested now and raised an eyebrow at me, looking up from her eyeglasses. "What about it?"

I sat up straighter. "Well, I think I know who did it."

She was watching me very carefully now. "Yes, Ms. Meadowes, go ahead."

"It was Rabatsan Lestrange," I told her confidently.

"Mr. Lestrange?" she repeated. I nodded. She tapped her quill on the desk in front of her.

"That is quite an accusation, Ms. Meadowes," she said carefully. "You saw him do this?"

Now I was a little uncomfortable. I shifted slightly in my chair before answering her.

"Well, no. Not exactly. I was in the corridor about five minutes before Professor Sayre and Professor Sinistra found the door on Halloween, and Rabastan was strolling from that direction right before. Grinning!"

Now Professor McGonagall raised both eyebrows.

"That would be the corridor on the fifth floor at approximately midnight?" she asked, and I realized where she was going with this. I was out of bed, past curfew.

"Er….." I trailed off. She held her gaze for a moment and then sighed. "I suppose under the circumstances we can let that slide." She gave me a stern look. I shuddered as she continued.

"But simply seeing Mr. Lestrange wandering the castle near that time, while you yourself was also out of bed is not proof enough that he is guilty."

I let my mouth fall open. "But Professor, he looked like he had just done something. Gideon saw it too."

Professor McGonagall looked slightly shocked at the mention of our Head Boy, but then continued her hardened expression.

"It still doesn't mean he did it, Ms. Meadowes. You and Mr. Prewett it seems were also in the area. He could just as easily say it was either of you who did it."

I blinked. "Professor, you know that neither Gideon nor I would ever do anything-"

She stopped me, holding up her quill. "I do not think you or Mr. Prewett had anything to do with this or anything like it." I closed my mouth and listened. She continued. "The point is that, you seeing him there only adds you two to the list of suspects. Without proof, there is nothing I can do."

I sighed deeply, sinking into the chair in frustration. She seemed to sense this, and opened the tin on her desk, offering me a ginger biscuit.

"Here." she gestured to it, and didn't relinquish until I took one and bit it.

"While I think it is admirable that you are trying to ease Professor Sayre's time here, Ms. Meadowes," she began as I finished the biscuit. "Rest assured that whoever is responsible for damaging school property with heinous propaganda and harassing Professor Sayre will be caught and punished."

I didn't say anything. I already knew it was Rabastan. It was just a matter of proving it.

"Until then," she continued firmly, "Might I suggest you not worry yourself about it. Focus on your schoolwork and practicing for your upcoming match. Leave other matters to the school officials. Alright?"

"Yes Professor," I said flatly.

She nodded. "Good, now off you go."

I gathered my bag with a sigh and left the office feeling worse than I had before. How could she not see it was Rabastan? He had definitely been up to something in that corridor. And now Sayre was being harassed with Death Eater mantras? There was no way that was a coincidence. It had to be him.

I was so lost in thought that I didn't see the point in going back to Gryffindor tower to explain the depressing story to my friends. I decided to plop down on the bench near the window and think until it was time for dinner. It was only a few minutes anyway. I brought my knees up to my chin. There had to be a way to catch him in the act. Maybe James would lend me his invisibility cloak.

I considered the possibility when someone rounded the corner from the kitchens.

"Meadowes?" Sirius called. He looked slightly disheveled, unsurprising when I remembered where he had just come from. "Why do you look like someone just killed your pet unicorn?"

He turned and headed towards me, plopping down in the seat beside me. He was a little flushed, but otherwise looked very handsome. He grinned at me. "Come on, what's with the face?"

"Nothing important."

He rolled his eyes. "I find that unlikely. You're not a very boring person."

"I never claimed to be."

"Good, Then whats up?"

I shook my head. "No, it's your birthday. You should be-"

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Blimey, would you just tell me?"

In the end, his pestering won out, and I told him about what Gideon and I had seen on Halloween night and about McGonagall not believing me.

"Well he definitely did it, anyone with eyes can see that," Sirius said confidently, and my spirits soared.

"The problem, " he continued, "Is that you have no way to prove it."

"That's the part I'm having trouble with," I replied grumpily. "Why can't everyone just know he's a lying conniving bigot?"

"Because people believe what they want to believe, Meadowes." Sirius kicked his long legs out in front of us, as I rested my chin on my knees.

"We'll think of something," he said confidently. "I'll ask James. He's good at this espionage stuff."

That brightened me up a little. The prospect of landing Rabastan in trouble danced across my brain.

"Maybe he'd get expelled," I said excitedly, breaking into a smile.

"Thats the spirit," Sirius chuckled, and pat me on the head.

"I have to say, attempting to catch the Hogwarts door defacer is not what I thought you were doing out there that night," Sirius chuckled. "Only you, Meadowes."

He gave me a gentle shove in the shoulder.

"What did you think I was doing?" I asked, suddenly curious.

Sirius gave me a knowing look. "Come on, the entire Common Room thought you were out there snogging Prewett."

"Oh," I said softly, staring at my shoes. "No, we didn't, we haven't…" I stopped talking wondering why I said anything about it at all.

"Really?" Sirius asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes." I was still staring at my shoes. "Why?"

Sirius leaned back casually against the window, smiling a bit more enthusiastically then he had before. "Ah, nothing."

It was quiet for a minute, before I turned to him and sat cross legged. "Do you want your birthday present now?"

"You bought me a present?" he asked disbelievingly.

"It is your birthday," I told him, reaching into my bag for the box wrapped in crimson paper. "And your Seventeen. That's kind of a big deal."

I handed him the gift box and watched as he eyed it in confusion, and then looking back at me. I gestured for him to open it. He hesitated, eyeing it like it might bite him or something. Then he reached his long, tanned fingers forward and lifted the top of the box, gently removing the tissue, and stopped. He stared at it for a moment.

"I got you a gold wrist watch," I said cheerily, "It's tradition for wizards to get one for their seventeenth birthday right? I asked Remus to make sure."

"Yeah it is," Sirius said, looking stunned. He kept staring at the watch,

"I figured your family wasn't going to do anything about it, and I wanted to make sure you'd still get one," I continued.

Sirius was still staring at it in silence.

"That's the Sirius constellation on the front." I pointed to the engraving on the watch's cover.

"Where did you get this?" Sirius asked quietly.

"In Diagon Alley. Over the summer. Before Aubelus popped back up and ruined my trips," I chuckled. "The shopkeeper was nice. He engraved it for me too."

I paused. "Do you like it?"

He looked up from the watch for the first time and caught my eyes. "I love it," he said seriously, "Thank you, Meadowes."

"You're welcome. I'm glad you like it."

Sirius reached over and placed a small kiss on the top of my head, bracing the back of my head with his large hand. His lips felt ridiculously warm against my scalp. I hadn't been expecting the gesture, and wasn't ready for it. My eyes went wide as he pulled his face back slightly.

His hand slid from the back of my head to my hold my jaw. It lingered there, keeping it in place. He looked at me carefully for a moment, as if he was pondering something. His eyes trailed over my face very slowly. I didn't move. Not even an inch. I just waited. Waited to see what he was going to do. Because it definitely looked like he was going to do something.

He sighed and his hand slipped from my jaw, and to the watch. My heart stopped hammering as loudly. Had I imagined that? Or was he about to? I stopped myself from even thinking in that direction.

Sirius pulled the watch from the box and slipped it over his wrist, where his nail polish from the Freddie Mercury costume was still on. I eyed it with a small smile. Sirius grinned.

"It makes me feel angsty," he smirked, as he picked at it.

"Very cool," I agreed.

"Thank you again, for this," Sirius said, holding up his left wrist where the watch hung perfectly. There was something strange about his expression as he looked at it.

I nodded. "Of course. Us Orphans gotta stick together."

Sirius let out a howl of laughter. "I wish."

He was still laughing as the two of us made our way to dinner, where the Marauders had a large gold birthday cake waiting for him.

---

I spent the next few days throwing myself into preparation for the upcoming Quidditch match. Now that Halloween was over, the anxiety over my first ever game this weekend was starting to build in my chest. Not only would it be the first time I ever really played Quidditch, it would be in front of the entire school.

People had good-naturedly been wishing me luck all week. Clapping my back or shoulder excitedly or asking me questions about practices. I knew it was all in support, but the constant reminders made me want to crawl under a couch in the Common Room and never come out. The Slytherin players seemed to sense this and threw me dirty looks all week, shouting taunts and jeers at me and any other Gryffindor player they passed in the halls.

"Ignore them," Sirius had told me, when Mulciber had shouted something that sounded a lot like "A couple of bloodtraitors on brooms" at us down the hall.

"Easier said then done," I had muttered, narrowing my eyes at them.

Sirius had shrugged. "Its that or hex them, which if you fancy I would be more than happy to help with."

It didn't make matters any easier that the match was against Slytherin. I knew Rabastan was on the Slytherin team, and seeing his smug face on the pitch wasn't going to ease the fury I felt that he had gotten away with what he had done to Sayre. Not that I had had a lot of time to ponder that.

James was back to his usual relentless tirade, scheduling practices twice a day and keeping us on the pitch until Filch limped outside and ordered us out, but I found I didn't mind. Coming back to the Common Room exhausted and covered in dirt every night made it to difficult to worry about anything, Quidditch or Rabastan.

The night before the match, after a very successful practice in which James had proudly exclaimed that "if we flew like that tomorrow, we'd cream Slytherin!", the rest of the team had headed back to the dormitories to shower and get some rest of the next day.

All of my dormmates would were in the room when I entered, sitting across their beds, gabbing quietly and flipping through magazines.

"You look tired," Marlene commented as I traipsed into the room, kicking my practice boots off under my bed. She was curled up on the bed with her set in rollers, and some kind of light pink face cream resting on her face. It was such a funny comparison to the layers of dirt and grime I was covered in.

I gave a hearty nod. "James had us doing drills."

"Blimey," Mary said shaking her head, "After all this, you all had better win tomorrow or Landon and James will probably try to drown themselves in the Black Lake."

"I might have to join them," I said shedding off the layers of dirt covered sweaters. "Merlin, I hope don't embarrass myself."

"You won't!" Lily said firmly, putting down the book she was holding. "I've seen you play, you're excellent!"

"Thanks Lily," I said appreciatively. "It's just nerve wracking. I've never had that many people watching me."

Mary nodded. "But you love Quidditch. I think the second you're on that broom and the match starts, you wont even notice how many people are there."

"Here's hoping," I said cheerfully and headed to the bathroom.

After I peeled off my sweaty clothes, I took a very long, very hot shower to relax my muscles, taking extra care to wash my hair thoroughly. I dressed warmly in pajamas and my Puddlemere United sweatshirt and joined my friends back in the dormitory, raking a brush through my damp hair.

Alice and Rylie were back in the room now, curled up under the covers of their bed and chatting with the others.

I plopped down out the foot of Marlene's bed, and joined them. I curled my legs beneath me and listened as they discussed the fact that Molia Twittlebaums from Ravenclaw was leaving Hogwarts at the end of the week.

Alice sighed. "It's just sad you know? Her parents feel they have no choice. Because of whats going on, and they're both Muggleborns..."

" I don't know why people think leaving is the best course of action," Lily said shaking her head. Her mountain of dark red hair quivered around her. "What place could be safer than Hogwarts?"

"There isn't one," I said quietly. " Especially for Muggleborns. Even wizarding places like Diagon Alley are full of Death Eaters, hiding in plain sight."

"You think?" Lily asked, her eyes turning wide.

I nodded. "Someone had to put up those rally posters over the summer, didn't they?" It made my skin crawl to think of. A masked, cloaked Death Eater strolling up the street between Eyelops and Ollivanders.

Lily sighed audibly.

"What about abroad?" Mary asked. "Surely that must be safer."

Marlene made a face. "Not according to my Gran. Not if you're truly being hunted be the Death Eaters or… Him. If they want to find you, they will." Mary went white.

"It's like there's nowhere to hide. Besides here," I said softly.

"Im not even so sure here is that safe," Marlene reasonsed. "I mean I know we have Dumbledore and all, but if someone really wanted to get in I'm sure they'd find a way."

"But You-Know-Who is afraid of Dumbledore," I protested.

"Yeah," Marlene agreed. "For now."

Silence hung in the air at her words as the six of us sat in silence and thought. Rylie had been very quiet the entire conversation. Probably because of what had happened last time she'd spoken up about what was going on.

Finally Alice sat up straighter against her pillow and turned to me, changing the subject.

"So, I saw you earlier with Gideon," she said brightly, "Well, Frank and I did. He says he talks about you all the time."

"Oh, yeah." I felt the familiar brush creep across my cheeks as I thought of Gideon, and felt five pairs of eyes turned on me.

"So thats going well, then?" she pressed, looking excited.

I gave her a wide smile. "It seems to be."

"She's being modest," Lily said, clapping her hands together like a little kid. "You should see the way he looks at her. It's like shes Merlin or something."

I rolled my eyes. "He does not."

"He so does."

Mary was giggling now too. "He carried her books for her too, all the way to Herbology."

"Did he?" Alice asked, looking interested. Mary nodded.

Now Marlene sensing my growing embarrassment and reddening cheeks nudged me with her foot. "Come on, Meadowes. Give us details. Cant you see we're dying here." She pretended to point her wand at me for motivation.

"I have given you details, there just not the ones you want, because they haven't happened yet," I reminded her.

Marlene groaned, and I ignored her.
"Lets talk about anything else, please," I begged, and the five of them giggled at my expense.

"Well," Lily said, coming to my defense. "I did hear that Slughorn might be having a New Years Eve party…"

"Oh Merlin, that sounds awful," Mary shuddered."Who would want to start the year that way?"

"Besides Lily, you mean?" I asked, and my redheaded friend tossed a pillow at me.

The rest of the night disappeared quickly, and I turned in early, wanting to get as much rest as I could before tomorrow.

It took me awhile to fall asleep. My brain didn't want to stop running over all of the possible outcomes for the next day. Eventually though, after nearly midnight, I drifted into a deep sleep, and began to dream.

I was in my sitting room. The place looked so familiar, the way I remembered it being my whole life. The walls were lined with oak panels and a baby pink floral wallpaper that made the large room seem smaller and cozier than it was. Two squat, fat little armchair sat on either side of a heavy sinking couch, all of them basking in the warmth of the fireplace across from them.

Against the wall, was a heavy wooden trunk, half open and half packed with robes and newly purchased parcels. An empty Ollivanders wand box sat littered on top.

It was stamped already, with a large black D.M. I was barely eleven years old sitting on the couch playing with my new wand. I hadn't put it down for even a moment since we'd purchased it.

"Doe, darling," My mothers singing voice carried from the upper floors. "Did you fold your laundry for school?"

"I will in a minute!" I had called back, far too preoccupied with the wand, and the open spellbooks in my lap to do much else at the time.

"Doe, can you do it now please? I want to finish the washing before your father comes home."

I hadn't heard her that time, far too engrossed in what I was reading. There were the sounds of footsteps as she trotted down the stairs and into the sitting room.

The sight of it took my breath away. She was exactly as I remembered her being too. Her sheath of silvery hair was clipped up onto the top her head, secured with her honey-colored wand. She wore a floor-length floral dress and a long golden necklace my father had given her the year before. Freckles littered her nose and spread sparingly to her cheeks. Her mouth, full and round, so like mine, was turned downwards as she crossed her arms at me.

"Dorcas Aurelia Meadowes," she said softly. "Are you hearing a word I say?"

I had looked up then, her in miniature, and smiled, a large toothy smile too big for an eleven year old. "Sorry, Mum. I was reading."

Her frown disappeared. "What are you reading?" she asked, no longer frowning, as she plopped down in the couch beside me. She looked more like an older sister than a mother.

I gestured to show her the book I was holding. "It's one of dads."

She peered at the cover, and frowned again. "I think this magic is a bit advanced for you, Doe. It probably wont work." She patted my head. "Why don't you try something from one of your new schoolbooks, darling?"

"But I already made it work!" I told her.

"Have you?" She asked and raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. "Alright then, darling. Show me."

I had straighted up, carefully holding my wand and waved it, concentrating very hard.

Then I'd seen it. The memory. The one at eleven I was far too young to understand, as it played out inside my head.

My mother, now fourteen or fifteen. So impossibly, beautifully young, sitting on the floor of the Slytherin Common Room, surrounded by other young people dressed in the same robes. She was picking at the end of her sweater, fiddling with it and avoiding the eyes of the people around her.

"Who does she think she is?" a pug-nosed brunette beside her snapped. "Asking out Travers of all people? Doesn't she know he wouldn't touch a mudblood even if he was wearing dragon hide gloves!"

The other people shrieked beside her, my mother bit her lip. Beside her, a redhead with purple irises pursed her lips. Violet.

The pug nosed brunette flashed the redhead a catty smile. "No offense, Vi. But at leats you know your place."

Violet said nothing.

"She's pretty though," a girl beside the brunette said, She had very short hair.

"Id never date a Mudblood, no matter what they looked like," the brunette repeated. "Its disgusting. They're disgusting."

My mother seemed to shudder and stopped herself.

"What about Meadowes?" the short-haired girl asked. "He's good-looking, well...for a mudblood."

The quill in my mothers hand snapped in half.

"Never." the brunette snapped.

"As if he'd ever look twice at you, Montague," My mother snapped, flashing the brunette a vicious look. "Muggleborn or not, he's better looking than you are. Not that any of that rubbish matters anyway."

The brunette, Monatgue, curled her lip over her teeth. "Watch yourself, Aurelia."

"Or what?" my mother asked, growing more confident "What are you going to do?"

"If you keep talking like that, people will make sure you stop."

"Are you threatening me?"

Montague smiled viciously. "Me? No. But I might go talk to your brother Aubeleus. You know how fond he is of me, and how much he dislikes it when you get mouthy."

My mother shuddered. Violet shook her head at her quickly.

"Besides," a voice called as a new person approached. A dark haired boy around her age with startling green eyes and a wicked smile. "You don't need to slum it with mudbloods anyway. Not when you look likeyou do. I'd be more than happy to help you out with anything you may need in that department, Greengrass."

"Bugger off, Lestrange," My mom hissed.

"Oh, Aubelus," Montague called to someone who had entered the common room."Good, you're here. Your sister was just saying the darndest thing…"

"Was she now?" a cruel voice asked smoothly.

Violet shuddered and my mother's eyes widened with fear.

The memory stopped, and I looked back into my mothers, adult face, wondering why she was giving me such a strange look.

"Isn't it cool, mum?" I repeated again.

Her face was blank, staring at me with the same wide, fearful eyes I'd seen in her memory.

"Yes, darling," she said evenly, still looking at me with careful, wide eyes. "That very... cool."

I woke with a start. My heart thudding rapidly inside my chest. I gripped the sheets as I tired to calm my breathing and process what I had just seen.

That had been me. At eleven. I recognized myself, and my mother. And our sitting room. I remembered the day even. It was the day before I left for Hogwarts. Dad was at work. Mum had been trying to get the laundry done, but the rest of it…

Had that happened? It seemed impossible. How could I have at eleven years old, with no magical training or education seen a memory of my mothers. Recovered it even. I didn't know what kind of spell could do that now.

I must have just dreamt the rest. Made it up. There was no other explanation for it.

But could I have made up the dream I'd seen too?

I thought of the 'dream'. Of seeing my mother so young. It was always so hard for me to picture her as a Slytherin. Sitting in that common room listening them spout those kinds of things. She'd looked so uncomfortable.

I thought of the people I had seen too. Violet, just as fresh and young as my mother. I knew what she looked like too, though. I could have just imagined her younger.

And the man who'd heckled my mother. Lestrange. I shuddered, Rabastans father. Thats why he looked familiar. I could have put that together in my subconscious too. Rabastan had always told me that his father had fancied my mother too.

That was the solution then. I'd made the whole thing up. I was anxious and scared about Quidditch today and my brain had found a clever way to distract me. That made more sense than the alternative.

It was early still. I could hear the familiar rhythmic sound of my friend snoring beside me. Trying not to disturb them, I crept out of bed, dragged my new Quidditch uniform out of the trunk and headed into the bathroom.

I took my time getting ready. Washing my face and brushing my teeth twice. I raked the heavy silver comb through my hair over a hundred times, before sighing and gathering it into a thick ponytail on my head. I did whatever I could to distract myself from the nerves of what I was going to do today.

I dressed in my uniform. Warm, tight pants that were easy to move in. An undershirt and Gryffindor sweater. The worn leather boots. I had my scarlet robes slipped over my arm, ready to go.

I did everything with a bounce in my step, until finally there was simply nothing else I could do in the bathroom, and wandered back into the common room.

The rest of my dormmates were starting to stir. Lily was up already, dressed in a crimson sweater and looking bright and excited. She was tying her hair into a bun and plopped a Gryffindor scarf over her head.

"Wow, look at you in that uniform!" she said proudly. "It's official now, isn't it?"

"It's officially terrifying," I laughed nervously, as I slipped the robes over the sweater. I could see the number 9 and the word MEADOWES embroidered in gold stitching across the back of them. The sight of that at least made me smile. It was cool to see my name on them like that. I thought of what my father would say if he could see them, and me, right now. He'd be pleased. Proud too. My heart ached a bit. I knew I would do my best to play well for him. For the first time, I felt like smiling.

Lily smiled softly. "It's strange. You look right in them."

"Right?" I asked, with a raised eyebrow.

Lily gave a subtle shrug, still smiling. "I'm not sure how to explain it exactly. You just look happy. Like you're supposed to be doing this."

I grinned. "Well I suppose I have Sirius and Professor McGonagall to thank for that."

Marlene, whos curtains were still closed, made a loud noise from behind them. Mary was still snoring.

Lily rolled her eyes and flashed me a smile. "Come on, lets go to breakfast, they can meet us down there if they ever decided to wake up."

Marlene groaned again and I giggled.

"Sounds like a plan," I told her, slipping my wand into my pocket before we took the stairs down two at a time.

"Morning Doe!" Caradoc called from the Common Room, where he was dressed from head to toe in scarlet and Gryffindor merch. "Good luck today!"

"Thanks, Caradoc," I offered brightly.

"Marlene still asleep?" he asked, looking disappointed.

Lily nodded. "Sorry." He sighed and sunk back into his chair to seemingly wait for her.

I managed to contain my giggle into we were out of the portrait hole, and out of Caradoc's earshot.

"That boy doesn't give up, does he?" I asked, as we pushed past some excited first years, eyeing my uniform and whispering to one another. I smiled at them, and they whispered some more.

Lily shook her head. "Nope. He never gives up."

"Kind of like Potter," I teased.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Nothing like Potter. Caradoc is just being sweet."

I gave her a knowing look, "Right. Like bringing you flowers on your birthday? How evil!"

Lily narrowed her eyes playfully at me, and as we walked through the doors to the Great Hall, and she gave me a tiny shove.

"Watch it Evans!" James called, appearing in front of us instantly, dressed in full uniform. "I may like you, but I'm going to need you to stop manhandling my player. The last thing I need is for you to take her out of the match."

"Manhandling your player?" she demanded, crossing her arms.

James smiled boyishly. "She's Gryffindor property for the next four hours, Evans. You can have her back when we win." Lily rolled her eyes so hard I thought she was going to give herself a headache.

I grinned at her. "Yeah, Lily. Hands off the MVP."

"Don't know if I'd go that far, Meadowes," Sirius said playfully, appearing beside his best mate. He was wearing his Quidditch robes too, and his hair was gathered into a bun at the base of his neck.

"Says the man who begged for me to be on the team," I reminded him.

"Yes, because you're good. But I am the MVP," he clarified.

I raised an eyebrow. "There's two beaters on every team to prove that isn't true, Sirius."

Sirius grinned. "Touche," He winked. I burst into a smile, and Lily looked at me like she wanted to leave the room.

"Come on," James said, ushering Sirius and I to the House Table. "You two need some protein. I need you on the top of your game."

"Really, Prongs?" Sirius asked. "I was thinking about only giving half a go today, but if you're sure."

James smacked the back of his head and we both chuckled. Lily sighed.

The House Table was half full but the sound coming from it seemed to be louder than normal. Most of the diehard Quidditch fans were already seated at the table, clutching Gryffindor banners and eating kippers as they speculated loudly. Otto had once again painted half his face gold, and the other crimson, and Dirk Creswell was practically bouncing in his seat.

The rest of the team was sitting in the middle of the table. Hestia was shoving folded pancakes into her mouth, one leg up on the bench while Landon explained a play to her, and Fabian was making a mini goal post out of kippers and bacon, commenting on what they said every few minutes. Tiberius was the only one who was quiet. He looked a little green and kept dipping his spoon into the porridge in front of him, and then putting it back down. Sirius, James and I took seats beside them, and Lily sat across from us, taking out a book.

"Morning, Doe!" Hestia said, with a mouthful of breakfast. "Ready to smash it today?"

I grinned. "Definitely!"

"Thats the energy I'm looking for," James said excitedly. "Now everyone eat up. I don't need any of you fainting on the pitch like last year." He cast a look at Hestia.

She rolled her eyes. "That happened one time, Potter. Amd if you recall, Prewett had just hit me in the head with his beaters bat. It had nothing to do with food."

Fabian grinned. "In all fairness, your head is the exact same shape and size as a Bludger, Hest. Honest mistake, really."

"Blimey, I'd forgotten about that," Landon sighed.

"I didn't," Sirius said, looking amused. "Can't ever forget the sound of Hestia shrieking for ten whole minutes."

"He, Hit. Me. In. The. Head. With. A. Bat." Hestia repeated firmly. The others chuckled. Tiberius looked greener.

"Remind me to fly a good deal away from you, Fabian," I said taking a bite of my eggs.

Fabian smirked. "Really, Doe? I thought you quite liked the look of my face. Or one's similar to it."

Hestia sighed. I snorted into my pumpkin juice as I realized what he meant.

"Merlin," I said rolling my eyes. Fabian looked pleased.

"She likes the better looking twin," Hestia reminded him, flashing me a supportive smile.

"Were identical," Fabian reminded her.

Hestia snorted. "And yet, Gideon still manages to be more attractive. Strange, huh?"

Fabian threw a kipper at her, and she smacked it away without even looking.

"Excellent keeping skills," I told her, as it fell to the floor.

Hestia grinned. "Kipper or Quaffle. Nothing is getting passed me today."

"Here, here!" Sirius called, and held his goblet of pumpkin juice up for a team cheer.

More people filed into the Great Hall and the room started to get louder.

Hagrid came by personally to wish me luck, as did Professor McGonagall, both of which only made me more nervous.

Marlene and Mary both took seats beside us a few minutes later, looking tired but festive in various items of Gold and Scarlet. Mary was clutching a large folded bed sheet in her hands as she sat down.

"What's that, Mare?" I asked, eyeing as she kept it very tightly folded.

Mary gave me an evil smile. "That's not your concern yet, Doe."

"Well alright then," I chuckled.

James, Sirius and Landon were now absorbed in discussing what the Slytherins Captain had played in their final match last year and had tuned out of the conversation.

Beside me, Marlene frowned at my hair and then reached up towards it and carefully pulled the elastic band out of it.

"I'm going to do dutch plaits instead," she said, turning me and running her expert hands through my hair, twisting the strands. "It'll keep you hair out of your face better, and then you wont have to worry about it coming out in the middle of the match."

"That's a good idea, actually," I told her, feeling relief at that worry that hadn't even occurred to me. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," she said tiredly. "You know you're shaking a bit, though."

"I'm nervous," I reasoned.

"You have no reason to be," Hestia assured me across the table, as Marlene finished the braids, letting one of each rest over my shoulders. "You've done great at practice."

"Yeah don't let the pressure get to you," Fabian agreed. "Just play like no one is watching."

"Except the whole school is," Hestia reminded him.

Beside her, Otto leaned over them both to tell me. "I bet three galleons on you, Doe. So if you can? Score at least four times, alright? I don't want to have to pay up to Trelawney."

"Don't make her more nervous. Merlin, Bagman," Hestia demanded, looking exasperated.

But it didn't. I just raised an eyebrow at him. "Otto, you bet against a Seer?"

Otto snorted. "Sybil Trewlaney is no more a Seer than I am…"

Otto, Fabian and Hestia began to argue good-naturedly about seers and divination, when the final stragglers from Gryffindor tower took their seats at the house table. Nora and Krysten were complaining about the early hour as they shuffled into their seats, and then I heard a voice behind me that almost made me knock over the goblet in front of me.

"Well, if it isn't the best looking player on the Gryffindor Quidditch team?" Gideon said, stopping behind me.

A smile broke out onto my face and I almost stabbed Marys hand with my fork instead of my eggs. Sirius rolled his eyes dramatically.

"Thanks, Giddy. That means a lot," Fabian said before I could respond. The rest of the team laughed. Gideon ignored his brother.

"You nervous?" he asked brightly.

I shrugged. " A bit,"

"Well don't be," Gideon said assuredly. "You're going to be brilliant."

I blushed. "Well, see. I'm just hoping I don't fall."

"You better not," James warned me, threateningly.. "If its between catching you and the quaffle. I'm choosing the quaffle."

I snorted. "Understandable."

"Nice, Potter." Lily snapped at him, narrowing her eyes. James shrugged.

"Don't worry, I'll cast a levitation charm from the stands," Gideon whispered quietly.

He gave my shoulder a comforting squeeze and went to find an empty seat further down the table. The moment he was slightly out of earshot Marlene turned to me with a frenzied expression,

"Oh, will you just snog him already?" she whispered to me, so that only the four of us could hear.

"I'll see if I can fit that in between catching the Quaffle and scoring," I said sarcastically, and Marlene sighed audibly.

"Will you leave her alone, McKinnon," Sirius said firmly. "She's got a match to focus on."

Marlene snorted. "That's rich, coming from you. Which dormitory did you come stumbling out of this morning?"

Sirius looked cocky now. He flashed Marlene his classic grin. "What makes you think it was just one?" he asked her. He wagged his eyebrows and we all groaned. Lily looked like she wanted to throw something at him.

"Seriously mate?" James asked, shaking his head. "I told you to get beauty sleep and relax."

Sirius leaned back in his chair and took a hearty sip of his pumpkin juice. "Believe me, I was very relaxed."

"And on that note," Hestia said, shaking her head in a way that suggested she didn't want this conversation to go on any longer. "Lets head to the changing rooms."

The other team members stirred, and rose from the table, taking last minute bites of breakfast or swigs of pumpkin juice. I didn't have much of an appetite anymore. Every muscle in my body suddenly felt very tense with nerves as I swung my leg out over the bench.

"See you lot, after," I told my friends mustering a small smile.

"Good Luck, Doe!" they called in unison, as I followed the rest of the team out of the Great Hall. The older more seasoned members of the team were running ahead, lit with a game day excitement I didn't seem to posses yet. Hestia threw her arms around Landon and Fabian's shoulders, practically skipped out of the hall. James was more focused, his eyes pouring over a piece of parchment with plays, while Sirius chatted in his ear.

Tiberius and I hung back, walking slowly. Tiberius was blank-faced and hadn't said a single thing at breakfast. He looked extremely nervous. Something about it seemed to calm me.

"You okay, Ty?" I asked him, becoming more concerned as he walked stoically.

"Terrified, actually," Tiberius said, breaking into a smile. "Aren't you?"

I nodded. "And excited. I think it's only natural."

Tiberius took a deep breath, looking a little relieved. "Okay. That makes me feel better, We'll look out for each other on the pitch?"

"Of course."

Tiberius smiled at me, and then we started to jog to catch up with the rest of the team. The next twenty minutes seemed to pass at lightning speed. After we climbed the wooden stairs to the changing room, everyone busied themselves with making sure they had everything they needed. Prized brooms were polished and plucked. Boot laces were retied. Gloves were tightened.

Tiberius and I took our time, searching through the school brooms for the ones we were most familiar with.

After that, we all sat down on the benches listening to the sounds of hundreds of feet climbing up the wooden staircases to the stands. Their excited voices and shouts were muffled by the layers of wood and curtain, but the sound of it was adding to our rising excitement. When we were five minutes away, James stood above us on one of the benches.

"Alright, lads and lasses," he began, "Were very nearly there. The first Quidditch math of the season, and my first as Captain."

"Are you Captain?" Hestia asked sarcastically. "I'd forgotten. You so rarely mention it."

We all sniggered. Landon sighed. James beamed.

"And as Captain," he put extra emphasis on the word and Hestia rolled her eyes. "I want to tell you lot how proud I am of this team we've assembled. We'd practiced long and hard, and quite frankly, were much more talented than Slytherin, so I have no doubt that if we get out there and play our best, there will be no reason we don't stamp those snakes into the ground!"

There was a collective whooping from the boys.

"What he's trying to say," Sirius said, from the lockers he was leaning against. "Is if we don't win, hes going to jinx every last one of us."

"Precisely," James said happily. "Lets not make that necessary, yeah?"

There was a loud robotic thump and a slight cough as the sound of the Magical Microphone echoed through the stands and Emmeline's voice glided through, magnified by a hundred.

"Welcome everyone to the first Quidditch match of the year! Gryffindor V. Slytherin!" There was a loud roar of appreciation and clapping. It was blasting from here.

"Alright, any second now," James said, suddenly very focused. "Mount your brooms."

There was a scramble as everyone straightened themselves in order and mounted their brooms. I got in between James and Tiberius. The latter, had gone white again.

"Excited?" James asked from in front of me.

"Yes," I said, steadying myself. It was the truth. There was no turning back now. I might as well enjoy it. I gripped my broom as the certain of the changing room rippled in the wind, ready to take off at the proper moment.

"Here comes Madam Hellsworth with the crate!" Emmeline cheered, and there was another round of cheering. I tightened my grip, and attempted to calm my nerves. I could do this.

"And now for the Slytherin team. Travers! Lestrange! Dolohov! Herrow! Wilkes! Carrow! Black!"
The Slytherins entrance, although we couldn't see it, was met with a scream from their side of the stands, as they flew around the pitch. Sirius wrinkled his nose at his brothers name.

"And now the Gryffindor team!"

At the sound of her voice. James took off on his broom, through the curtain. I took a deep breath and followed, shooting forward on my broom as they fabric whipped across my face.

The effect was momentarily dazzling.

The sound of the Gryffindor and Hufflepuffs roars was the first thing I noticed. They seemed to howl as they screamed. It was deafening.

The sun was bright today too, and shining on us, as the cold wind ripped through the air and across our cheeks. I gripped my broom tighter, keeping right behind James as we whipped through the air and did a lap around the pitch.

It was shocking from this height, with so many people in the stands. But Mary had been right, the second I was on the broom streaking through the sky, the crowds didnt matter. I barely glanced at them as we darted through the air. All seven of us in a perfect line.

"Potter! Meadowes! McLaggen! Black! Prewett! Jones! McKinnon!"

It was Heaven, streaming through the sky on a broom listening to the screams and cheers of our housemates.

Only when we finished our lap and slowed, stopping across from the Slytherins, did I take a second to look at the crowd. It was intense. Seeing them like this. My heart thudded in my chest, nerves and adrenaline fighting for dominance. I steadied myself on the broom. I noticed my friends right away, all three of them holding a large bedsheet which, written in red glitter, said

Nothing Slows Doe Meadowes! They had also drawn a Quaffle on it. I beamed and waved to them.

Two rows above them, sat Gideon and Otto, sandwiched between Krysten, Nora and Hagrid. It was too far away to tell, but I was sure Gideon was smiling.

"The Gryffindor team has two new additions this year, Chasers Tiberius McLaggen and Doe Meadowes!" Emmeline called, as we lined up in front of the Slytherin Players and Madam Hellsworth.

Tiberius waved at his name. I gave a dramatic bow.

"Show off," Sirius teased beside me. He was gripping his broom with his thighs, readjusting his hair.

"Wonder where I learned it from?" I asked cheekily. He winked.

"As well as a new Captain James Potter!"

At the sound of his name, James swung off his broom and back on, one handed. The crowd roared. It was impressive.

My gaze drifted all around the pitch, as Emmeline read the winner from last year. I noticed the teachers first. Professor McGonagall had her eyes glued to the pitch, completely invested. I tried actively not to look at her after that. I didn't need that kind of pressure.

Then my gaze drifted back to the Slytherins who were lining up in front of us. The faces I saw were all sneering. Figures. Then I noticed every single one of them was male.

"There's not a single girl on the Slytherin team," I said aloud to Hestia, who was flying past me. She narrowed her dark eyes. "Tell me about it," she said darkly. "It's not by accident."

That thought was enough to make me grip my broom handle tighter. So along with being bigoted they were mysoginistic now too? Excellent.

Hestia scowled at them, and flew off to the goal post, where she hovered expertly, daring someone to come near here.

I situated my broom between Tiberius and James as Madam Hellworth began to fiddle with the locks on the trunk. The Slytherins did the same.

Rabastan had aligned himself with me, hovering on his broom only a foot in front of me. His green eyes sparkled.

"Don't you look ravishing in those robes, Pet" he purred, too far from Madam Hellsworth to be overheard.

"Bugger off, Rabastan," I snarled, my upper lip curling above my teeth.

Rabastan clicked his tongue, and shook his head. "The match hasn't even begun and you're already speaking like that? That wont do, Doe. You're a lady."

"Forgive me," I snapped. "What I meant to say is, Fuck off, Rabastan."

James smirked beside me, not taking his eyes off of the chest on Madam Hellsworth's arms.

Rabastan's upper lip curled. "I suppose we'll see if you still feel that way in five minutes time."

I snorted. "Believe me, I will."

"And now Madam Hellsworth is releasing the snitch,"

The tiny winged, golden ball swirled once around Hestia's head before taking off into the air. Landon's eyes were glued to it. His fingers flexed against the broom handle, desperate to race after it.

"She's released the bludgers."

Fabian and Sirius swung their bats, ready. Madam Hellsworth gripped the Quaffle, holding it tightly in her arms.

"I wonder if you play as good as you look," Rabatsan taunted, leaning back on his broom.

I tensed, leaning forward on my broom, ignoring him. My eyes locked on the quaffle. Madam Hellsworth tossed it into the air.

"The Quaffle is released, and the match begins!"

I sprang forward. The wind whipped across my cheeks as Tiberius and I raced towards the ball. I could feel someone right behind me, desperately trying to close the space, and I knew it was Rabastan. I sped up, closing in on the quaffle. It was falling through the air, before I saw James figure appear below me, his arms outstretched as he caught it expertly. The crowd cheered and James took off towards the Slytherins goal post.

"Potter of Gryffindor in possession of the Quaffle"

I sped after him, dropping ten feet. In case he dropped it. Tiberius went above him, the way we practiced.

It was so freeing. Speeding through the pitch. Something was thudding through me as I raced past players, only making out red and green uniforms and the occasional flashes of faces.

James was heading towards the goal post, and Travers was waiting for him,smirking with a disproportionate amount of excitement.. I watched as James ducked to avoid a bludger that Carrow shot his way.

I dove, speeding up towards the post, as James tossed the Quaffle. Silas went too far right. The Quaffle soared through the bottom left hoop.

"James Potter scores! Ten points to Gryffindor!"

Gryffindor screamed. James pumped his fist into the air. I didn't stop. Not even to celebrate. I rushed forward, just under the hoop and caught the quaffle in my arms.

"Meadowes in possession of the quaffle. She darts back up and…"
I shot straight upward, aiming for the rightmost hoop that Silas had just vacated, gathering my strength and throwing the quaffle as hard as I could. It soared out of my arm, speeding past Travers right ear. I sucked in my breath.

The crowd gasped. I didn't move.

"Gryffindor with the quaffle AGAIN. Meadowes scores! Ten points to Gryffindor!"

The crowd screamed as the quaffle soared through the hoop.

"Yes Meadowes!" Sirius cheered beside me as Fabian clapped my shoulder.

I didn't take a break to celebrate. I clutched my broom tighter in my hand and headed for James, who was now chasing after Rabastan. He'd grabbed the quaffle from where it had fallen. Hestia straightened herself on her broom, ready for him.

The next twenty minutes seemed to slip away. Mary had been right. I was so completely absorbed by the game, that I barely noticed the crowds of screaming students surrounding us. All I could focus on was the Quaffle. And the occasional bludger,

By the half hour mark. I'd scored three times. And Gryffindor was up 80 to 60. James had been right. He, Tiberius and I were a perfect team. We seemed to anticipate one another's movements. Every time one of us got crowded by the Slytherins, someone appeared beneath or above of us ready to pass the Quaffle off to.

The only problem was that this seemed to enrage the Slytherins. Their own chasers, while good on their own, did not work well as a team and had decided to off put this by trying to knock the rest of us off our brooms.

I had had to dart out of the way of Amycus Carrows bat at least four times, and once Wilkes had shot a bludger at me so forcefully that his bat cracked. Sirius had knocked it out of the way at the last second, before it hit me directly in the skull. He managed to give Wilkes a black eye.

Rabastan too, was becoming a problem. He's scored twice now. Both times by coming up behind him and physically ripping the Quaffle pout of my arms. It didn't matter who had the Quaffle, he spent the entire time on my tail. His broom practically touching mine. Looking for any excuse to knock me out of the way. And the jeering. He seemed incapable of playing against me without shouting something cheeky and disgusting at regular intervals.

"And Dolhov scores. Ten points to Slytherin!"

I scowled as the scoreboard changed, now reading, 80 to 70. Hestia looked pissed. She had just been hit in the arm by a bludger, and now it dangled at her side in a very unnatural position, but she either hadn't noticed or didn't care.

James seeing this took a timeout. The seven of us circled a ways away from the Slytherins, our heads bent towards James listening intently.

"Your arm alright?" He asked. Hestia waved him off. "I'm fine." She looked anxious to get back to her goal. Her eyes kept darting there.

James looked unconvinced but turned to the rest of us. He narrowed in on me,

"Doe, Rabastan is on you like a goblin on gold."

I sighed. "I know. But he wont let up. Every time I turn, he's just there."

James sighed. "Well do your best to lose him."

t. "Black and I will try to keep him out of your way, Doe," Fabian said quickly. Sirius bounced his beaters bat for emphasis.

"Speaking of beaters," Tiberius spoke up, "Are they trying to kill us with those bats?"

"They know were better", James said quickly. "Thats why they're playing so dirty today. But it doesn't matter. We are better."

He looked at Landon. "Find the snitch, alright? Then maybe we can all make it out of here in one piece."

As if sensing his words, behind us Madam Hellsworth blew her whistle and the match resumed. She released the quaffle, and Tiberius took off after it, securing it in seconds.

James and I took off towards the Slytherin goal post. Tiberius had the Quaffle, with both Dolohov and Herrow on his tail.

"COME ON, DOE" James gestured for me to fly downward beneath him, while he soared upwards. Tiberius was being crowded, Dolohov and Herrow were slamming into him on either side. The Quaffle was fumbling in his arms. James had anticipated this. I swung forward, wanting to be right underneath him. Despite Ty's protesting, Herrow seemed to throw his entire weight at Tiberius and I watched the quaffle slip from his fingers.

I sped up, inches from the Quaffle as it darted through the air, I caught it with my fingertips and held it snuggly in my arms, aware of the sound of James cheers behind me. I didn't wait. I took off towards the Slytherin goal, a good fifteen feet from Tiberius and the other chasers, focused only on the goal post in front of me.

"Meadowes in position of the quaffle! She's speeding towards the Slytherin goal. She dodges a bludger from Wilkes. She aims... And scores! And… oh...oh no!"

I had just shot the Quaffle forward, throwing towards the empty bottom left ring when I felt something tug on the back of my broom.

It lurched downward, so quickly I wasn't prepared for it. I fell a few feet in the air and I lost my grip. I had only been holding it with one hand, too focused on aiming. My only hand slipped as something yanked on the broom again and I slipped down another foot, trying to grip the broom handle with my thighs.

I didn't have to turn around to know what happened. Rabastan had grabbed the back of my broom as I tried to score, and yanked me out of the air. I turned a fraction of a second to see his grip latch onto the wooden broomstick and yank me from the air. His green eyes sparkled maliciously as I lost my grip entirely, and the broomstick beneath me began spinning to the ground, Rabastans along with it.

"Lestrange has knocked Meadowes out of the airt and off her broom!"

The sensation was thrilling, as well as terrifying, speeding towards the ground. I barely had time to register what was happening as the ground came barreling towards me.

I ripped my wand from my pocket and shouted the incantation, the wind ripping so loudly around me I could barely hear it. "Arresto Momentum!"

The air thickened and slowed. As though it had suddenly turned into some kind of jelly rather than air, and instead of barreling towards the ground as we had been, Rabastan and I, and our brooms, fell gently on the ground. Not gently enough to prevent bruises, but enough that neither of us had broken necks. I hadn't intended to include him in my spell, at this point I didn't care if he fell and broke all of his bones. I took a deep angry breath as I got to my feet, my hands and pants now covered in grass stains. I could hear my Madam hellwsworth's whistle blow loudly in the air above us, and saw fourteen or fifteen multicolored shapes speeding towards the ground.

"Time out called!" Emmelines chirping voice filled the stadium.

"Quick spellwork, Pet," Rabastan chuckled as he stood beside me, grinning. He looked amused. "Of course, I had been hoping you'd get a little bruised up," He winked. "Not the face, obviously."

"You are an absolute, arse, Rabastan," I hissed angrily.

Rabastan's mouth curved upwards into a sly smile. "What? You know how much I like to get you on your back."

My jaw swung open and I wanted nothing more then to lunge at him. I didn't get the chance. The sky was suddenly full around us, as both teams touched the squishy ground. James looked enraged. He was screaming about fouls and dirty cheats so loudly that even Sirius and Landon looked worried. The only people not down here were Landon and Regulus, probably ordering to stay in the sky and search for the snitch.

"Are you two alright?" Madam Hellsworth asked, walking over to where Rabastan and I stood. I was grimacing. Picking up my broom from the ground, I shot daggers at Rabastan. He was lucky it wasn't broken. He didn't seemed phased at all. He was smirking.

"Oh fine." Rabastan said smoothly, giving her a charming smile. "Didn't realize how hard I tugged on Doe there."

"Bullshit," I hissed quietly, rolling my eyes. Rabastan's eyes bored into mine looking cocky. His captain clapped him on the shoulder.

"... he knocked her to the ground, Madam," James demanded, pink faced and snarling. "After she scored. It was completely unnecessary! She could have gotten hurt."

"It wasn't intentional," Rabastan lied effortlessly. "I was trying to keep her from scoring. I meant no harm." I snorted, loudly. The two of us locked eyes and didn't relent.

Madam Hellsworth crossed her arms in front of us scanning both Rabastan and I in equal measure. She didn't look convinced by Rabastans charm.

"Penalty to Gryffindor," she said evenly and James sighed a breath of relief, looking vindicated. The Slytherins ushered noises of annoyance but silenced with one look from Madam Hellsworth. For a fraction of a second, Rabastan's charming mask seemed to lift. His upper lip curled.

Beside me, Sirius, who hadn't even realized was there, placed a hand on my shoulder.

James turned to me, delighted but his eyes were focused. "You want the honor?" he asked, handing the quaffle out to me.

"I'd love it," I said taking the quaffle in my other hand. I grasped it under my arm, and used my other to mount my broom, not taking my eyes off Rabastan. He looked decidedly less pleased than he had moments before.

There was a rumble as the other players mounted their brooms too and rose in the air, ready to rejoin the game.

The sound of the microphone clicked again as Emmeline was informed of what happened on the ground. She looked torn as she pressed her lips to it again.

"After a decision by Madam Hellsworth, Gryffindor team is awarded a penalty for intentionally knocking a player out of the air."

I could hear the hoots of the Gryffindor team behind me, as I rose into the air and headed for the Slytherin goal post, completely unobstructed. Rabastan hovered inches from me, unable to do anything but grip his broom handle so tightly, his knuckles turned white. This made my chest fill up a bit.

I grinned at him, and stopped thirty feet from the goal deciding to show off a bit.

"Meadowes lines up for her free goal," Emmeline announced.

"Thanks for both of the goals, Rabastan," I said, grinning as I threw the quaffle as hard as I could through the topmost loop.

"And scores! Gryffindor is now in the lead, 100 to 60!"

Gryffindor screamed so loudly that no one could make much sense of what Emmeline continued to say, and the match continued.

The next half hour was some of the most exhausting Quidditch I had ever played. All of the Gryffindor team was so furious with Rabastans behavior, they refused to let Slytherin score another goal. And the Slytherins seemed furious by this decision that they decided to play even nastier, which resulted in James securing us another penalty.

When we neared the hour mark, we were exhausted. James, Tiberius, and I were fighting off the Slytherins at every turn, which was making scoring much more difficult.

Rabastan seemed keen on revenge too, but every time he got within a foot of me, he was hit with a very strong bludger, that left either Sirius or Fabian grinning.

I had the Quaffle now, trying to push past both Herrow and Wilkes, something that was seeming impossible with every passing second as they were taking turns tossing me back and forth, trying to wedge the red ball from my arms.

"Black and McKinnon take off towards the right side of the pitch!"

My ears perked up at the sound of that. Landon and Regulus spedding up could only mean one of them had seen the snitch. Merlin, I hoped it was Landon. I couldn't stand the Slytherins winning now, after what Rabastan had done. They didn't deserve it.

I couldn't look up to watch. James would murder me himself if they lost the snitch and I had ruined my chance to score.

I was still trying to shake the Slytherins when just above us, Landon's scarlet shape and a smaller green player I recognized as Regulus, barreled past. Now in my field of vision too, I could see the small golden snitch, hovering only feet from them. It didn't have time to get away now. One of them was going to catch it.

Regulus was fast and wiry, on one of the best racing brooms money could by. There was no doubt about his speed. But Landon was bigger, and I watched as he shoved his way past Regulus, his large hand outstretched. Stretched so far he toppled forward.

Everyone gasped as Landon stumbled forward, almost losing grip on his broom and catching it with his left hand, seconds later. His right hand reached upward into the air, clasping a struggling golden ball inside of it.

"Landon McKinnon has caught the snitch and earned 150 points! Gryffindor wins!"

The accompanying roar was so deafening, I could hardly hear myself think. The entire stadium was a blur of our screaming and cheering peers, as the entire Gryffindor team found our way to the middle of the pitch to clap Landon on the shoulder.

"Good job, mate!" Hestia said throwing her tiny arms around Landons shoulders as James roared. "WE WON! WE WON! WE WON!" as many times as possible.

The Slytherins were sneering at us from across the pitch, hissing whispers at one another and throwing furious glances in our direction. Not that we noticed. We were whistling as we made our way back to the changing rooms, speculating about the celebration that would be awaiting us in the Common Room.

I could hardly hide the smile that was plastered to my face now. My chest was rumbling with pleasure. We had won. And we'd done it the right way, not by resorting to dirty tactics like the Slytherins had. And I had survived it. I hadn't embarrassed myself in front of the entire school. I'd been...good. I'd scored as many goals as James.

The moment we reached the changing room and hung our brooms, to the tune of Sirius humming We Are the Champions, James clapped his hands over my shoulders.

"Well, Meadowes. McLaggen," he said roping Tiberius to join us. "You lot proved yourselves out there. You belong on this team. You earned it."

Landon grinned, still holding the snitch. "You made it through your first match in one piece."

"Better than Hestia" Fabian chuckled. "Her first game she split her lip."

"I didn't let a goal in though," Hestia grinned confidently, ripping her leather armor off to discard on the floor of the changing rooms. She turned toTiberius and I . "But really, you both flew excellent out there. I mean Meadowes, you're arm." She smiled. "You're virgins no longer!"

"I don't know about that," Sirius chuckled quietly beside me, loud enough for only me to here.

"So rude," I whispered, narrowing my eyes at him and attempting to elbow him in the ribs as I shrugged off my Quidditch robes and sweater. My tank top was thankfully spared, but my boots and pants were stained with grass from where I'd tumbled into the earth of the pitch. I had Rabastan to blame for that too. It was so much fun to blame him for everything.

A quick cursory glance in the dirty mirror on the wall told me exactly what I had thought. My face was flushed with exertion and excitement and large chunks of silvery blonde hair had escaped from my plaits. I pulled the elastics out of them and shook it loose. Doing my best to make the wavy masses look somewhat presentable. I gave up quickly, letting it sit loose. I had too much adrenaline from the match flowing through me still to care much what I looked like. I had played for Gryffindor today. The thought alone made me want to skip.

"You look pleased," Sirius said, leaning against his locker watching me with a mild interest. He had shrugged off his own robes, leaving his Gryffindor sweater pulled tight across his chest. It was mildly distracting.

"I am," I reminded him. "That was incredible."

"Even the tumble?" he asked cheekily.

I scowled. "Fucking Rabastan. Does he have to ruin everything I care about?"

Sirius shrugged. "Probably. How else will he get you to give him the time of day?"

I smiled, knowing he was probably right. "It was still great though."

"You're welcome," Sirius said cockily. "I suppose every once and awhile, my meddling in your life is quite convenient isn't it?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," I teased, still smiling. "Whatever."

We followed the rest of the team down the grounds and into the castle, all of us reliving moments of the match and cheering as we did. Every so often we'd pass a disgruntled Slytherin student, but most of the Gryffindors seemed to be in the Common Room already.

By the time we reached the Fat Lady's portrait, we were all in a haze of happiness and fading adrenaline.

"Congratulations to you all," The Fat Lady said curtly, as Landon gave her the password and the portrait hole swung open. A party seemed to be in full swing already. Celebration music was blaring loudly, and the entire house was crowded in the Common Room, strewn across, couches, chairs, and coffee tables. Standing in corners and serving each other butterbeers from a table laden with goodies. All of the homemade signs from the match were shoved in the corner by the fireplace. Remus stood dutifully behind the butterbeer table with Peter, probably more responsible for the scene than he looked willing to admit.

"Blimey that was fast," Tiberius said appreciatively, I crawled in behind him and took in the sight of it all.

"Wow."

"THERE THEY ARE!" Otto chirped happily, yanking the rest of the team into the room. "WE DID IT!"

There were several rounds of hooting and cheers as the entire team, myself included were showered with praise and congrats from our house mates, James was beaming with pride as everyone thanked him and Landon.

I felt several pairs of arms wrap around my neck at once, as my friends found me, pulling me into a tight jumping hug.

"You did so amazing, Doe!" Lily said, bouncing up and down. Her face was lit with excitement.

"So good!" Mary agreed, her eyes darting over to eye Landon who was walking around brandishing the snitch in a very dramatic fashion. She rolled her eyes lightheartedly.

Marlene nodded. "Honestly. You made it not boring."

"As if Quidditch could ever be boring, Mckinnon!" Otto scoffed at her, "Your brother caught the snitch."

"Is that the little gold ball?" Marlene asked cheekily.

Otto frowned, "Tell me your joking."

"She is." I said as Mary, headed over to where Landon had now found a table to stand on to proclaim his victory. "I couldn't be friends with her otherwise."

"And you!" Otto proclaimed. "Doe, you did it. You scored five times. I won my bet because of you. I ought to give you a galleon. You did really good."

"She was absolutely brilliant," a deep voice said, approaching behind us. "Just like I told you she would be."

My heart skipped quickly, as Gideon approached, wearing a fitted Gryffindor t shirt and a smile trained on me. His hand grazed my bare arm and It felt like an electric current.

"Hi!" I broke into a wide smile, not caring how it looked. I was glad to see him.

"Hi," he chuckled.

"Yeah, Yeah, Hi to you both." Otto said with a shrug, as if he was tired of our polite greetings. "He bet for you too, you know." He nodded at Gideon. "Said he didn't need to weigh the odds. Knew you'd do well. How chivalrous." Otto rolled his eyes, but Gideon only smiled and shrugged.

Lily and Marlene's faces lit up at the sight of Gideon and I, and I watched as Lily subtly, grasped Marlene by her right wrist, and very casually suggested Otto come with them to get a butterbeer across the room.

Gideon smiled at me "I think congratulations are in order too. That was some excellent Quidditch playing I saw today."

I raised an eyebrow. "Well I did know you were watching."

Gideon laughed lightly. "Ah, I see. So if I hadn't been there watching, you would of let James down and Slytherin to victory?"

I shrugged playfully. "I guess we'll never know, will we? Because you were there."

"I suppose not," Gideon said. "I wouldn't of missed it."

That made my chest constrict. Gideon reached out to stroke a piece of my hair. It was wavy now from sweat and the braids, almost curly. He twisted it through his fingers, almost absentmindedly. His mouth stretched into a grin. The party was escalating around us as people danced and snacked, talking to the players and reliving the glee from the game earlier. For the moment, though, Gideon and I seemed to have a minute to ourselves. Tucked away in a quiet pocket by the door. The music was too loud to be overheard, and everyone else seemed far too occupied watching the Marauders, where James was retelling the match with a very dramatic soliloquy.

"You know Doe," Gideon began " I've been thinking actually, that you and I-", but he was cut off.

Krysten and Nora bounded by, "Oh, Doe. Tell me what did that Rat Bastard Rabastan say to you on the pitch?" Nora demanded. "We despise him."

"Join the club," I said lightly, too focused on the look of disappointment now etched into Gideons face. What had he been about to say? I politely tried to push past Krysten, "Sorry, Gideon. What were you-?" I asked, but Tiberius and Dirk barreled past Krysten momentarily distracting her, and we pulled apart again.

"Want to get a celebratory butterbeer, Doe?" Tiberius asked, joyous and blissfully unaware he had interrupted anything. "Here's to no longer being newbies?" and Gideon, although inches from me, felt very far away.

"I..um.." I faltered, trying to find a nice way to tell Tiberius I really was in the middle of something without sounding rude to a teammate I quite liked.

Gideon seemed to sense this, he took a deep breath, and very carefully maneuvered his way past Krysten, Nora and Dirk, and placed a soft hand on Tiberius' shoulder, "Excuse me for a moment mate," he said to Tiberius and stepped between us,

I didn't have a chance to say a word. Just as Marlene, Lily and Otto, joined now by Fabian, Mary and Landon, approached us, Gideon slipped both of his hand under my jaw and pulled me towards him. Without any hesitation this time, he bent his head and kissed me.

It took me a moment to process what was happening. To feel Gideons rough large hands on me, pulling me so close to him that our bodies pressed together. To process his lips on mine, warm and soft.

Then it hit me, all at once and I responded enthusiastically, wrapping my arms around him and moving my mouth against his.

I realized despite all my posturing and talk, how badly I had wanted this. For Gideon to kiss me. To feel his hands on me.

He liked me. Here was the concrete, inarguable truth. You didn't go snogging someone in the middle of the Common Room in front of the entire house if you didn't.

Merlin, Marlene had been right this entire time.

I felt him grin as we broke apart, our arms still wrapped tightly around one another.

"Finally," Marlene muttered, as Fabian said "About time, mate."

Gideon ignored them both, gently rolling his eyes and watching my face. "Better late than never right?"

"I'm certainly not complaining," I grinned, as Gideon shifted his arm around my waist to a more comfortable and appropriate position. Even just brushing against him made my smile stretch wide across my face. He had kissed me.

I was now much more aware of the onlookers. Our housemates who were pretending they weren't watching us with intense interest and curiosity.

I blushed a little under the scrutiny, but Gideon didn't seem to mind. He was actually beaming. I couldn't help but smile too. A Quidditch win and this all in the same hour. My heart didn't seem able to stop fluttering. My anger with Rabastan was long behind me.

My three friends were all whispering like mad across from me, and when I turned my head, Gideon's arm still around my waist, I noticed the Marauders. Three of the four. The fourth, Sirius, seemed to be stomping upstairs to the dormitory.