Chapter 3

Marcus looked at the eggs in front of him and thought his brain felt just as scrambled. Luckily the kitchen was serving breakfast longer on Sundays and he had just made it in time for some eggs and coffee. There were only a few students who were having their breakfast left in the great hall and Marcus was eternally grateful that this kept the noise level down to a minimum. He could see Wood across the hall, looking just as bad as he felt. Marcus doubted that the Gryffindor captain had followed through on his "I will be practising at 6 am" resolution from last night. As far as Marcus could tell, he was still in his pyjamas. The only other Gryffindor student still left was Katie Bell. Or Alicia Spinnet. Marcus squinted. No, it was Bell, her hair was longer. She was gesturing and laughing and Marcus could not fathom how anyone could be this cheerful after a night of heavy drinking. But then maybe Bell had not been drinking, she was still fairly young after all. Although Wood looked in pain, he did not seem to mind his younger team mate's company and Marcus wondered whether she was the girl who had caused Wood's crisis last night. Marcus chewed on his eggs while contemplating the thought. Sure, Bell was young. He reckoned she was 15. And Wood was a year younger than him which made him 17. Marcus thought that was not that much of an age difference really. Not like him and Bell, with him turning 19 in January. He dismissed the thought, he was not interested in the girl. Wood, on the other hand, may be. He had been very vocal about going easy on Bell when the two Quidditch captains had been discussing their strategies. Marcus had assumed it had been because of the girl's injury last year but maybe that had not been the only reason.

"I heard you got into deep shit with Snape last night?" Adrian Pucey said whilst sitting down across from him, blocking his view of the two Gryffindor students. Marcus huffed. Oh yeah, there had been something else.

"Yeah. I think he was more pissed that I was there with Wood than about anything else." Marcus said with a shrug of his shoulders. Adrian just laughed.

"What were you doing with Wood anyway? Helping him plan another winning game?" Marcus thought he could hear just a slither of disappointment in his best friend's voice. Obviously he still hadn't forgiven him for strategising with Wood. Marcus chose to ignore it.

"No. Well we were talking about Quidditch, but not the games now. And, believe it or not, but Wood was having a bit of a crisis about girls and him not getting it on with anyone." As soon as he said it, Marcus felt a tiny bit guilty. Somehow the conversation they had had last night had been very raw and honest and sharing it did not feel right. But then again, Wood probably didn't remember saying anything anyway and Pucey was not a gossip.

"Haha I knew it. No wonder the lad is always so highly strung. He needs to get laid." Pucey laughed and took Marcus' plate of scrambled eggs to finish them. Marcus did not say anything. He watched Adrian eating his eggs when an idea started to form in his head.

"I think I have just found us a way to win the house cup after all." He said with a dangerous glint in his eyes.

Marcus scrubbed what felt like the hundredth cauldron. He hated detentions from Snape, they always involved cleaning disgusting things. Wood was mumbling something under his breath next to him. When Snape had caught the two last night he had taken 50 house points off each of them - although he had heard that Snape had been giving random house points to Slytherin students throughout the day, he gave Adrian 5 points for wearing a green jumper and Malfoy received 10 points for his sunny disposition - and put both of them in detention for Sunday evening. So now he was scrubbing cauldrons with Oliver Wood. At least he didn't feel hungover anymore, he had been spending all day sleeping it off as well as snogging some random Hufflepuff girl for good luck as he had a Herbology test first thing Monday morning. He really needed a benevolent Sprout tomorrow, Marcus had not looked at the topic matter even once. But all of that was of no importance. Marcus and Adrian had talked for a while after breakfast, about how to best go about winning the house cup this year. Both of them knew that the only competition was Gryffindor. The Hufflepuff Quidditch team did not take the games seriously at all, half the team was high all the time and the other half, well no scrap that, the whole team was high and just flew for fun and because there had to be a house team. Ravenclaw were more difficult to beat. But luckily Adrian had somehow managed to sleep with the whole team and by spreading out his probing questions among them, they had been able to figure out most of their strategies so far. The Gryffindor team had always been the hardest to beat, they played to win and their team moral was high. But Marcus also knew that Wood's focus and sheer will was what ultimately made them win so the logical thing was to distract the Gryffindor captain. And Wood's drunken confession had given Marcus just the idea of what may be something that would distract him just enough for Slytherin to snatch the house cup. And there was no time like the present to start his plan.

"So Wood, decided on who to kiss yet?" Wood flinched. Marcus grimaced. So much for approaching the subject smoothly.

"Okay, no worries. We don't have to talk about it. I just thought maybe I can help you out with that." Much better, Marcus thought to himself. Wood regarded him cautiously. Marcus gave him his most encouraging smile.

"Why would you want to help me out?" Wood said, his words dripping with doubt.

"Well, you told me about the scouts coming to the game. And you came up with the idea of playing a game they would actually want to see. So the least I can do is help you with this." Luckily him and Adrian had anticipated Wood being suspicious and Marcus had been prepared for this question.

Wood spend a bit more time scrubbing his cauldron before answering. "So, how would you go about helping me?" He said eventually, Marcus was pleased to hear the curiosity in his voice.

"Well, first you'd have to tell me who you've got your eyes on. Unless it doesn't really matter. Then I'd have some suggestions." Wood raised an eyebrow at that. Marcus grinned. It was true, between him and Adrian, they had amassed quite the collection of girls (and boys in Pucey's case) who would be easily persuaded into making out with the Gryffindor Quidditch captain.

"There is someone. But I don't think she would be a smart choice." Wood said hesitantly, now only half-heartedly scrubbing the cauldron in front of him. Definitely someone on his team then, Marcus thought. He was pretty sure that Johnson was dating one of the twins so that only left Spinnet and Bell.

"So? It doesn't have to be a smart choice. You don't want to miss out on some first class snogging just because of your absurd Gryffindor morals." Marcus put the scouring pad down and faced Wood. This was the important part of this conversation, he would need his whole attention. Wood sighed but stopped cleaning as well. Bingo.

"It's not my Gryffindor morals. But if she does not see me that way then it will be very awkward for the rest of the team." Marcus grinned internally, he had been right.

"So is it Spinnet or Bell?" He said as matter of factly as he could muster. Wood regarded him for what seemed quite a long time, obviously not certain whether he could trust the Slytherin with this information.

"Katie." He said eventually, with only the slightest hint of nervousness. Marcus considered that. He had already assumed that it was more likely to be Bell, but for some reason he would have preferred if Wood had picked the other girl. Spinnet was older and Marcus was pretty sure he had snogged one (or two?) of her friends before. Bell was more of an unknown entity. Maybe Wood's mind could be changed still.

"Bell? Isn't she a bit young?" He said in a neutral tone.

"She's almost 16, her birthday is in January. I'm not that much older than her." Wood replied defensively. Marcus put his hands up apologetically. He would need to tread carefully now.

"Point taken. Has she shown any interest towards you?" Marcus thought back on the conversation he had observed this morning. It hadn't looked like flirting to him, but what did he know of how Gryffindors flirted.

"I'm not sure. We talk a lot but she doesn't really treat me differently to any of the other boys on the team, or Alicia and Angelina for that matter. Last night was the first time I have actually seen her flirt." Wood had picked up the scouring pad again and was now picking it apart. Marcus had completely forgotten about Wood's comment of some "canoodling" going on, whatever that was supposed to mean.

"Who was she flirting with? Obviously we need to eliminate any competition." And obviously that would fall to him and Pucey.

"One of the Ravenclaw chasers, Duncan O'Leary." Wood sighed and continued doing to the scouring pad what he probably wanted to do to the Irish chaser. Marcus had to stop himself from laughing out loud. Bell would have a hard time getting anywhere with that one. When he had asked Adrian this morning where he had disappeared to last night, his best friend had filled him in on another saga of Adrian's Astronomy tower adventures. And Duncan O'Leary had been his leading man. So he told Wood who just stared at him blankly.

"Hang on. Adrian Pucey is gay? I'm pretty sure I saw him snogging Hayley Merryweather last night." Oh, Adrian. Marcus just shrugged.

"He is not gay. He is just..horny." Marcus didn't really know how to explain his best friend in this regard. Adrian just appreciated a pretty face.

"Okay. Well. So what do you think I should do then?" Marcus smiled deviously. And told Oliver Wood exactly what he should be doing.