Chapter 2

Marcus took a sip from his butterbeer. It had long gone flat since Adrian Pucey had poured it what now seemed hours ago. Marcus was in a foul mood. He expected to lose the game, that much had already been clear when he and Wood had been discussing their tactics. Slytherin was a strong team but when they weren't playing dirty they were not going to win. Marcus knew that they could have won if they had actually played as a team. They were too much of an assorted bunch of egomaniacs, each of them trying to do their own thing. Not like Gryffindor. They actually passed the quaffle when someone else was in a better position to score. They were able to pull off complicated moves because they trusted each other. Marcus took another sip. He did not think that any of the scouts were interested in inviting him for try-outs after today. Even if Hooch had said that she was impressed by today's clean game. And that she did not think she'd live long enough to see a Slytherin vs. Gryffindor game without broken noses or fouls.

"Have you moped enough, Flint?" Adrian Pucey said, punching his shoulder.

"No." he answered, not reacting to being punched by his best friend.

Adrian sighed. "Okay, then let's do some shots. You can't sulk in a corner all night."

Marcus just grumbled. It had not been his idea to go to the new season party in the room of requirements. There were way too many cheery Gryffindors around. Still, that had not been deterrent enough to get some free alcohol. Marcus abandoned his butterbeer and followed Pucey to the makeshift bar. Pucey grabbed two shot glasses and a bottle of fire whiskey. He filled them to the brim and passed one on to Flint.

"To better games? And by better I mean more bloody noses and crying Gryffindor chasers." He raised his glass expectantly to Marcus.

Despite feeling gloomy, Marcus smiled.

"To bloody noses and crying Gryffindor chasers!" They clinked glasses and downed the shot.

"Really? Crying Gryffindor chasers?" Marcus turned around and was faced with an annoyed looking Angelina Johnson. Pucey laughed and filled their glasses again.

"Care for a shot, Johnson?" Pucey questioningly asked and waved the bottle of fire whiskey at her.

"Unlike your esteemed captain, I have taken enough shots already today." Angelina had indeed scored the most goals in the game. Marcus just shrugged.

"Congrats, Johnson. Now have a shot.", he simply said, and passed his full shot glass on to the tall chaser. Pucey had procured another shot glass and gave it to Flint.

"To fair games and many Gryffindor wins yet to come!" Angelina said, raising her glass. Adrian and Marcus looked at each other. Shrugging, they raised their glasses towards Angelina's. The three seventh year students cheered and downed their drinks.

"So, Johnson. All by your lonesome tonight?" Pucey said, trying to flirt with the dark skinned girl. Angelina raised an eyebrow at him.

"You wish, Pukey." She nodded at Flint and left to join some other Gryffindors dancing.

"Nice one, Pukey." Flint said, laughing. Marcus hadn't heard anyone say that to Adrian since his best friend beat up Roger Davis in fourth year for calling him Pukey. After a moment, Adrian joined in with his laughter.

"Anything to get that frown off your face." Pucey poured two more shots. They downed them without a toast this time.

"Looks like all the chasers are out in force tonight." Adrian said whilst nodding towards the front of the room where Alicia Spinnet and Katie Bell had just come in. Marcus had not expected to see the latter at the party but then again, fifth year usually was when everyone started to go to parties. Spinnet and Bell had their arms linked together and Spinnet whispered something in the younger students ear that made her giggle. Marcus had never noticed, but the two chasers looked like sisters. They were both petite and had dirty blonde hair although Spinnet's was much shorter than Bell's. Their features were also very similar, but where Spinnet's seemed to blend into each other, Bell's were much sharper and defined. Marcus turned away from the two girls, he had spend way too much time already watching them. There was nothing for him there, so there was no point wasting his time.

"No chance in hell, my captain oh captain." Adrian, who had of course noticed who he was looking at, said matter of factly. Marcus just shrugged.

"I am just looking." He said defensively, which made Adrian laugh.

"Look you can. Touch, well you could, but I wouldn't risk it. Spinnet maybe, she's what, a year below? But Bell's gonna get you straight to Azkaban. If you were to survive the wrath of the Gryffindor Quidditch team that is." Between all his talking Adrian had somehow managed to fill two more shot glasses to the brim with fire whiskey.

"I have no intention to touch either of them. I intend to finish this year quickly and the only thing I want to get my hands on is the house cup." Marcus took one of the glasses out of Adrian's hand and downed it.

Marcus had no idea where Adrian was. They had been downing a few more shots and somehow got dancing with the crowd and when Marcus got back from taking a piss his friend was nowhere to be found. The Slytherin captain contemplated having another shot but eventually decided against it. It was 2 in the morning already and seeing as Marcus had only planned on staying for one drink it was definitely high time to go to bed. There were still plenty of people dancing and now also making out so it took Marcus quite a while to get to the door. He pushed it open and only when he stepped outside and the cool air hit him, he felt how sweaty he was. And that he was also fairly drunk. Okay, maybe a tad bit more than just fairly. He started to make his way back to the dungeons but after walking down two corridors and three flights of stairs, Marcus got it in his head that he needed fresh air. So he took a short cut past the transfiguration classroom towards the herbology green houses. He was fairly certain that no teachers would be about, but if he were to run into anyone then his best bet was Professor Sprout. Marcus had run into her before when he had snuck back from the kitchens after a make out session with some ditzy Hufflepuff student and the herbology teacher had only laughed at the "vigour of youth" and had sent him back without taking any house points off him. Marcus would never admit it to anyone, but he would have sworn that the professor had winked at him in Herbology lessons after that and was more lenient towards his sloppy plant work. Maybe she had seen the Hufflepuff student after and that had made her change her mind about him and his effort in strengthening inter-house relationships. Quite frankly, Marcus did not really care all that much about houses. He was glad to be in Slytherin because all his family had been but spending the past few weeks discussing strategies with Wood had made it clear to him that he could have easily been friends with the Gryffindor student if it weren't for all the hype around this "rivalry". And that was why he didn't turn straight around when he saw the Gryffindor captain sit on a bench outside one of the green houses, staring into the distance. He looked just as drunk as Marcus felt. Without saying anything Marcus decided to sit down next to him. Wood acknowledged him by looking at him for a moment but then he went straight back to staring into space. That was fine with Marcus. He was not a big talker so he just leaned his head back and enjoyed the blessedly clear and chilly September air.

"Do you think we will make it?" Wood said suddenly.

Marcus thought for a while before answering honestly. "I will. Not because I'm better than you, I know now that I am not. But because of my name alone. The Bournemouth Berserkers are yet to reject a Slytherin alumni and my family own a share of the team."

Marcus could almost see Wood digesting this piece of information.

"But you were so eager for the scouts to see a good game? Why bother when it doesn't even matter?" Wood said eventually.

"It does matter. It matters when it comes to how the others will treat me. If I get in on my name alone, I won't last three games before they will have torn me to shreds. I need them to respect me." Wood flinched and even Marcus in his drunken state realised how desperate the last sentence sounded. But it was true. He was not going to be another Slytherin alumni who would be risked on the most daring of strategies only to be too injured to play more than three games. He needed the team to see his worth.

"I need to make it too, Flint. I can't fail." Wood echoed his own desperation. Marcus chose not to answer and let the younger student continue.

"I can't fail. All I have done since coming to this school is play Quidditch. Tonight was the first time I actually drank alcohol. And still I will be on the pitch tomorrow at 6 am to practise. My team won't, but I will. I will not falter now." Wood stared at him intently now. Marcus did not move, he didn't think Wood had finished. Quite clearly the other had some things to get off his chest.

"It can't have all been a waste. Do you know that I have not been on a single date? Hell, I've not kissed one girl because that would not bring me closer to playing Quidditch. And then tonight. I saw her dancing and, and canoodling with this imbecile whatshisface-Ravenclaw. So I had a drink. Because what if I could have had all of that as well as Quidditch?"

Wood continued to look at him but now more questioningly. Marcus did not quite know how to answer. He had snogged plenty of girls and still managed to get enough practice done. But that would not be the right answer. For a moment he wondered who the girl was that had thrown Wood off, but he was not going to come across like a gossip.

"It's not too late, Wood. You can still have it all. There's a whole year ahead of us. Plenty of time to snog some girls. And play Quidditch." Marcus said in his most encouraging voice, not entirely sure why he bothered. Wood opened his mouth to answer, but Marcus would never hear his reply.

"And what do you think you two are doing out here at this time?" Snape's voice cut harshly through them.