Since that day, Sway became Beth's social anchor. She introduced her to everyone, sometimes referring to her as the woman-child. Beth would always blush as she heard this... she hated being so... petite, was what her younger brother called her. She had always looked young for her age.

Three days after her first meeting with the people in the common room, Sway took her to the Quidditch Pitch.

"We're all crazy fans of Qudditch. Marcus is our house captain, damn good he is, too!"

Beth had only seen Marcus once or twice since her first day. She had watched on as a huge group of his friends and he had a water fight down at the giant lake. Although desperately wanting to join in and get some new friends, she had hung back, ever shy, and then slipped away back into the castle.

And she still hadn't met Tom.

Her younger brother, Joe, had been sorted into Gryffindor, and she would meet with him in the library whenever she could and talk about wanting to fit in. He'd always calm her and tell her to give it some time. But Beth had always been a bit of a social outcast.

Sway continued to blabber on about her as a chaser as they entered the pitch, then suddenly stopped. She gripped her broom tight and grinned. "Awesome, Wood and Flint are at it again, come on, lets watch!"

She reached down, grabbed Beth by the wrist and hauled her towards a group of students, the red and green robes milling together. In the center of the circle the two captains were shouting insults at each other, brooms at their feet, both being held back by respective friends.

The Gryffindor captain, Oliver Wood, was screaming in Marcus Flints' face.

"At least I don't date girls three years younger than me! What, can't get a real girlfriend? Pathetic, Flint, that you have to go so low... and so young!"

Beth shook her head. "Sway, they shouldn't do this."

"Why not, it's fun!"

Staring over the crowds heads', Beth spotted Blaise duck into the confined circle and start pushing both guys away from each other. Beth bit her lip and started to squeeze through the group to help. Being so small was an asset, sometimes, she thought and she managed to get through the front lines. She planted both hands on Wood's chest as Blaise did the same for Flint's.

Then she started yelling, shutting everyone up.

"That's it! If you two don't stop the teachers will be out here and we'll all get our butts kicked! Geez, can't you guys control yourselves!?"

Wood sneered and backed away, Beth almost toppling over as the resistance she was pushing against stopped.

Flint smirked over both Blaise's and Beth's heads at Wood. "You going to let a girl stop you? Weak..."

Without thinking, Beth whirled around, raising her hand and cracked Flint a slap right on the cheek. He staggered backwards, shocked, as Blaise gasped, "Wow, Beth, that was a bit harsh."

Marcus stared in shock and slowly raised his hand to his cheek where a red mark was already spreading.

"You..."

It was clear to Beth that he'd never had a girl stand up to him before, let alone slap him. But she stood her ground, glaring at him. Wood chuckled behind her and, without turning or looking away from Marcus' shocked eyes, she pointed at him, talking quietly and menacingly. "One word, one little word and you get the same treatment. Understood?" Oliver Wood held up his hands in surrender, sneered, then turned, picking up his broom, and pushed his way past everyone, heading back to the castle. The crowd slowly began to disperse, but Beth and Marcus still glowered at each other.

Suddenly, he sniffed angrily, picked up his broom and marched past her.

Sway winced.

"Ok, so maybe you two won't get together..."