Author's Note: Enjoy!

"They posted the tryout dates for the team," James shouted to AJ as he came down the stairs to the common room. AJ ran over to where everyone had gathered and began to read through the list. The keeper tryouts were this upcoming Friday, but AJ had to serve his last detention with his dad.

"I can't go to the tryouts," AJ said panicked. He had wanted to play since he started at Hogwarts, even before that, but he may lose his chance to finally do it, all because of Davis.

"Why not," asked James.

"Detention," said AJ, "what am I going to do?"

"You could go and ask Uncle Remus to change it," said James. "He knows how much you want to play. I mean he's only had to listen to you talk about it for your entire life."

"Good idea," said AJ before leaving the common room, to make his way to his dad's office before heading to breakfast. He knocked on the door before entering.

"AJ? Can I help you with anything," Remus asked, sitting behind his desk and reading some essays.

"Erm- yes actually," said AJ. "Is there anyway that I could serve my detention either Thursday or Saturday instead of Friday?"

"Would this have anything to do with a certain tryout that you want to do," asked Remus.

"Yes," said AJ.

"Mhm," sighed Remus. "Well I don't know, AJ, a punishment is a punishment, so I really shouldn't change it. It would teach you a lesson, wouldn't it?"

"But dad-"

"Also, I can't change the rules around for you just because you're my son."

"I know that, but-"

"However, that being said, as your father I have seen how much you've loved this sport for the last fourteen years of your life," said Remus. He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms, "I'll tell what, go speak to Amelia Williams first, she's the team captain, and see if she'll change the date. If she can't, then if you serve both Thursday and Saturday, then I'll let it slide."

AJ nodded, "thanks dad!"

"No problem, let me know what she says, so I know when you're coming for detention."

AJ left the office and descended the stairs to the Great Hall for breakfast where he met James, Fred, and Lucas at the table. He sat down and began filling his plate with food, but his lack of communication seemed to anger James.

"Well! What did he say," James asked loudly.

"He said to talk to Amelia first to see if she could change the date, but i she can't then I have to do detention Thursday and Saturday," explained AJ.

"That's stupid," said Fred, "why do you have to do two days if you're only missing one?"

"I don't really care as long as I can make it to tryouts," shrugged AJ as he began to eat the eggs and toast on his plate. "Do you know where I could find Amelia?"

"She and her friends normally do homework in the common room after classes, you could probably find her there," said Fred.

"Alright, I'll check then," said AJ.

Following breakfast, AJ made his way to the greenhouses for herbology. He stood beside Nolan, who was avoiding AJ's gaze as he was trying to get his attention. They remained silent until class started, and Professor Longbottom began lecturing about some plant from the Mediterranean that oozed pus. It was basically the same plant that they had been learning about for four years now.

When class finished, AJ went up to Nolan again, "are you alright-"

He pushed passed him and rushed towards the castle, leaving AJ behind with Ellie, "what's his deal?"

AJ shrugged, but he knew what was wrong, his relationship with Oliver was bothering him. While walking to potions, AJ was mulling over his relationship and his friendships, was he really going to sacrifice his friendship with Nolan for a boyfriend that probably was not going to last? No, he wasn't. He just had to figure out a way to break up with hime before it gets too serious. They hadn't been dating for too long, so it shouldn't be that difficult, right?

Later, before lunch had started, AJ scribbled down a quick letter home to Teddy, asking him for advice on how to easily break up with Oliver. Teddy had always said to to go to him for dating advice, of course that was when he was younger and Teddy assumed he liked girls, so it might not go well.

He took the letter to the owlery after his final class before heading back to the common, room where Amelia was sitting at a table in the corner with her friend, exactly where Fred said they would be. Amelia had auburn hair that went just past her upper back, today it was tied back in a Dutch braid.

She was sitting with her friend who had red hair that reached her shoulders, she was pouring herself over one of her textbooks. AJ did not recognize her from the team, so he did not know her name or her class year. He assumed she must be a sixth year like Amelia was and probably in the dueling club or frog choir.

AJ walked up to them, "hey Amelia, you may not remember me-"

"You're AJ, you practiced with us last year," said Amelia. "I do remember you."

"Cool," said AJ, "I planned on trying out this year, but I have detention at six on Friday, so I can't make tryouts."

"Could you come earlier," asked Amelia, "say around four o'clock?"

"Yeah," said AJ, "that should work."

"Alright, the chaser tryouts are the night before, so I'll tell whoever makes it to come early."

"Awesome," said AJ, "thanks."

"Did it work," James asked as he walked over towards him.

"Yeah," said AJ, "I just have to let my dad know now."

XXXXXXXXX

AJ stood on the quidditch pitch with Amelia, James, and Jeremy Geralds, the third chaser, as he stretched a bit before his tryout began. Because his time was early, barely anyone was in the stands, aside from Fred, Lucas, Stephanie, and Ellie.

He had felt pretty good throughout all of his classes, but his nerves began to bubble in his chest as he stepped onto the grass of the field. Seeing his friend was nervous, James walked over and clapped AJ on the back, "you'll do great, don't over think it."

AJ nodded, but James did not help the way he was feeling. Amelia looked over to AJ, "are you ready to begin?"

"Yeah," said AJ as he grabbed his broomstick and walked over to her.

"Okay, so you're going to mount your broom and go over to one of the sets of hoops. We'll each come at you twice, so a total of six quaffles with come your way," explained Amelia. "Don't worry too much, we've seen what you can do."

AJ nodded as he mounted his broom and flew over to the one set of hoops. He gave the three chasers a thumbs up to let them know he was ready. The first one coming towards him was Amelia. She passed the quaffle back and forth between her hands before shooting low to the ring on AJ's right. He moved towards the quaffle and easily caught it in his arm.

"Nice one," shouted James. AJ gave him a thumbs up in response.

Next came Jeremy, and unlike Amelia, he kept the quaffle in one arm, but shot it across his body to shoot it into the same ring as Amelia had. AJ had been anticipating him going for the one on his left, so he only managed to kick it away, but he had saved it from going in which was all that mattered.

Next was James, the chaser AJ felt most confident in being able to stop as he had been doing it since they began playing quidditch during the summer spent at the Burrow. James, tossed the quaffle around just as Amelia had, but he moved both the ball and his broom faster. James had always ridden fast, but he often ended up injured one way or another. He threw the quaffle as hard as he could towards the ring on AJ's left. AJ was barely able to grab it in time, but he did before pulling it back to his body. James had gotten a lot stronger than the last time they had played quidditch at the Burrow.

They repeated the cycle, and just like the first one, AJ managed to block all of their shots. He lowered himself to the ground before dismounting his broom and walking over to Amelia.

"Six out of six will be really hard to beat," said Amelia. "If someone ties with you, it will come down to technique. But if someone misses one but has great technique, they will also be considered. Just so you know how I'm judging it, but you should know by tonight."

"Thanks," said AJ.

"No problem," said Amelia, "good luck in detention."

That night, after sorting through his dad's files for the third week in a row, AJ climbed into the common room, he was immediately pulled into a bear hug by James.

"You did it," he shouted. "You made the team!"

"I did," asked AJ in disbelief.

"Well it would be pretty hard to bloody not to since you saved every damn shot," said James. "You won't believe who tried out as well."

"Who," asked AJ.

"Davis," said James, "he only saved three out of six. It would have been sad...if I could stop laughing about it."

AJ laughed, "glad I could crush his dreams then. Do you know when practices start?"

"Monday," said James, "and we play Slytherin three or four weeks before Christmas break. I don't know exactly when, I'd have to check."

"You think we'll win?"

"Oh one hundred percent."

XXXXXXXXX

AJ was barely able to sleep the night before his first match, he wasn't sacred necessarily, just excited. Well, maybe a little nervous. He ate some toast at breakfast before he, James, and Fred made their way to the pitch. They got their robes on before Amelia gathered them for a pregame prep-talk, "listen, we've worked very hard and we look really good. Play your best and we should be fine, be proud of yourselves no matter what. Would anyone like to add anything?"

James cleared his throat, "you may fuck shit up, but try not to die. Especially the new guys, that would be one hell of a first match."

AJ looked over to Samuel Thompson, the new seeker, he too had a nervous look on his face. It made AJ feel not as nervous, just knowing that someone was on the same boat as him.

"Thanks James," said Amelia, unamused. "Let's get out there, then."

AJ peered out into the stands filled with the entire student body, along with most of the teachers. He knew his dad was up in the stands despite the full moon being that night, Remus had assured him that he wouldn't miss this match for anything.

Both teams mounted their broom and each took a warm up lap before taking their starting positions. AJ stared at the back of James's head from the goalposts, getting more nervous by the second. On the Slytherin side, he could see Roxanne in a face-off with her brother. Fred had not been lying when he said that she wasn't speaking to him much as AJ could count on one hand how many times they had spoken to each other that term.

Madame Hooch released the quaffle and blew the whistle, starting the match. Slytherin got the quaffle first and rapidly made their way down to AJ before launching the quaffle towards the left ring. AJ felt his fingertips graze it, but he was too late to stop it and it went through the hoop.

"Ten to nothing- Slytherin," rang through the stadium as the quaffle was taken down the other side by James, who scored it through the center hoop with ease. Slytherin began their way back, launching the quaffle to the same hop as before, only AJ stopped it this time before handing it off to Amelia. Slytherin kept coming back with the quaffle, but AJ continued to block every shot. Eventually, Samuel was able to find the snitch for the match to end, 230-20.

On the field, while Gryffindor celebrated their victory, AJ overhead Slytherin's captain say to one of his teammates, "that kid's barely even fifteen and he let two quaffles in! I wouldn't be surprised to see him on a pro team in a few years."

Pride swelled up in AJ's chest as he left the field with his team.

When he was walking to dinner that night, AJ was stopped by Oliver in the hallway, "you played great!"

"Thanks," said AJ. He had been building up the courage to do this for weeks. Teddy hadn't been much help, he said to write to Hope but AJ never got the chance to send his letter. "Can we talk for a second."

"That's never good," said Oliver as his face fell.

"Guess not," said AJ as he scratched the back of his neck. "I think we would be better off as friends. I don't think I was ready for this relationship, it wasn't you...it was me."

Oliver looked down to his shoes, "oh, yeah alright. That's fine."

"Yeah, cool," said AJ before walking into the Hall for dinner. The loud ramble from the Gryffindor table immediately lightened his mood.

XXXXXXXXX

Despite ending his relationship with Oliver, Nolan still was avoiding AJ over the next few days. He would try and grab his attention, even going as far as getting other people to bring him to AJ for a conversation, but nothing worked, until he finally had had enough.

"What's your fucking deal," AJ asked Nolan when he saw him after classes a few days before they went home for the holidays. He was more angry than he had initially realized.

Nolan shrugged, "I'm fine."

"Then why have you been avoiding me," asked AJ.

Nolan shrugged again, "why do you think?"

"I-"

"It's fine, you moved on."

"But-"

"And I did too," said Nolan.

"What do you mean," asked AJ, taken aback.

"I'm dating Jasmine Yields," Nolan told him.

"But...you're gay," said AJ.

"No, you are," said Nolan, "I date both."

"Oh."

"Yeah," said Nolan with another shrug, "I have a study date to get to, if you'll excuse me."

Hope you enjoyed!