Hey! I just want to thank everyone for being really patient with me about
the whole *fanfiction is shut down again* thing! That was pretty
frustrating to have it go down AGAIN!!!
So I sent chapter 17 out to people, and even though fanfiction was only down for several hours, I think that was a good trial with the whole `e- mailing everybody` thing. I only came across a few problems that I was aware of. I was unable to send the e-mail to: candy1285@aol.com and glitzgurl13939@comcast.net. After signing back onto fanfiction, I realized that the correct e-mail were: candy111285@aol.com and glitzgurl3939@comcast.net If either of these is STILL wrong, I ask that you make me aware of this!!! Maybe I just had the wrong e-mail addresses to begin with, or maybe I`m just retarded like that, and can`t type them in correctly . . . Never the less, I`m really sorry about that to greenfairie and LM, and hope you will forgive my slowness. Hehehe! = p
As for the rest of you inspiring reviewers, if you did not receive an e- mail this time, and would like to get the update the next time fanfiction is down, give me your address in a review, and I`ll do what I can. If I left anyone out, I send you a gazillion apologies and I will mentally slap myself for you! *insert cheesy smile here* In my defense, I have to admit it gets pretty confusing when I`ve got people with multiple e-mail addresses and I forget where I found them and then I get worried that I e- mailed people twice so then I go bonkers and end up taking addresses off the list . . . *sigh* I`ll shut up now and leave it at: SORRY, SORRY, SORRY, SORRY, SORRY, SORRY, SORRY, SORRY, SORRY, SORRY, SORRY, SORRY, SORRY! = ]
Just for the record, the next time fanfiction is down, I think I`ll wait a little while longer to see if the site comes back up . . . but I`m not an extremely patient person, so I`ll probably wait a few hours or so . . . = p
Anywayz, onto my next chapter! Much luv to all who review!!!
- Sara (a.k.a. Sportzjunkie)
{One word frees us of all the weight and pain in life. That word is love.}
-Sophocles *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
{Omigod!} Sirius yelled out as he smashed flat into the side of James. James caught him by the arm to keep him from falling back.
{Woa, there, Padfoot!} he laughed as he pulled his best friend back onto his flat feet.
{What the hell are you guys doing?!} Sirius laughed at the site of the two friends standing in the middle of the stairway, still in their night clothes.
{I was just . . . and he was just . . . and then we crashed . . . and then you . . .} Joey trailed off into a frustrated huff as the two boys just looked at her with very sleepy and confused looks. James rolled his eyes and decided to clear up the situation.
{Joey was trying to sneak quietly back to her dormitory, while I was trying to sneak quietly out of her dormitory. We crashed, and the rest is history.} James said all of this with a very flat tone. {So what the hell are you doing here?}
{I came to deliver these clothes back to Joey!} Sirius explained. Joey almost burst with laughter at the thought that one of the other marauders could have found it. That would have been a funny site to see in the morning: Remus gets up to go to the toilet, and what does he find? Joey`s half muddied up ball gown draped over the shower curtain! BOY! THAT would have been inconspicuous!!!
{OH, God!} she said aloud. {How could I have forgotten that?!} She took the muddy dress and shoes from Sirius and noticed James eyeballing them with bewilderment. He let out a ridiculous laugh and said:
{Man! What the hell were you guys doing out there?! Mud wrestling?!} Joey gave him a unsociable glance as she tucked the dress under her arm.
{Don`t be ridiculous!} she spat.
{Oh, right . . .} James laughed. {I think you`d have to be topless for that . . .} he sounded very amused with his comment until Joey socked him really hard in the side of the shoulder. Then she turned around and stomped up the rest of the stairs to her dormitory. {OUCH!!!} James yelped as he rubbed the spot of impact. Joey had a mean, right jab.
He looked over at Sirius for some back-up defense. Sirius just shrugged his shoulders and held up his hands to show that he was not getting in between the argument. He then just chuckled to himself and skipped down the rest of the stairs to the common room while James followed. The boys crept back through the crowded room and up the stone steps back to their dormitory. They collapsed back into their beds in hopes to sleep the rest of their Saturday morning away.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Joey crept back into her dormitory quietly, and sank down into her bed. She glanced over at Lily and could hear her friends slow, heavy breathing, that told her she was sound asleep. She obviously hadn`t even realized that James had left. Joey found herself wondering how their relationship was going . . . James and Lily definitely seemed to be `an item` now, but she was a little confused about whether they planned to openly admit it to people yet. This brought Joey`s thoughts back to her and Sirius. She loved Sirius to death, but she wasn`t sure if she really wanted to plainly acknowledge it to people yet. It just seemed a little . . . soon. She had just broken up with Amos, and then she had been single for about ten minutes before she found herself with a boy friend again. She sighed deeply, drew her curtains around her, and closed her eyes.
Joey had tried to go back to sleep, but there was just too many things running through her brain. After tossing and turning for about an hour, she closed her eyes really tightly and just buried her face into her pillow. Maybe if she smothered herself into her cushions, then she`d pass out and be able to actually forget about all her anxiety.
She couldn`t handle it. Frustration took over as she found it would be impossible for her to sleep. She sat up in bed and huffily threw back the curtains to her four poster. If she wasn`t going to be able to sleep, she mightn`t want to just lie in bed and suffer. She needed to get up. So she hopped out of bed and walked over to her trunk. After rummaging through it for a few moments, she yanked out some sweat clothes, a pair of socks, and some running shoes. She hastily changed into them, trying her best to do it without waking anybody up.
Tiptoeing out of her dormitory, she crept back down the stairs out into the common room. Still disgusted at the sight of all the drunk, sleepy students crashed on the floor, she swiftly made her way over to the portrait hole and hopped out.
To her utter dismay, just as she jumped down out into the dimly lit corridor, she tripped on a figure that was sitting up against the wall, just outside the entrance. Joey flew forward and landed squarely; face first, onto the stone floor.
{Omigod! Joey, I am so sorry!} said an extremely familiar voice that Joey knew all too well. The figure began helping her up.
{That makes twice in one morning, James!} she snapped. He grinned at her through the faint light.
{Hey! You crashed into me this time, so I`d say this was not my fault!}
{Well, what the hell kind of brainiac plants themselves right under the entrance to the portrait hole?!} Joey did not sound amused.
{I know . . . I`m sorry,} he sighed. {I couldn`t sleep, so I decided to get out of bed. I went down to the common room, but I couldn`t sit on the occupied couch. There were already a whole bunch of fifth years who had crashed there. And besides, I was debating with myself on whether I wanted to go for a fly . . .} he trailed off as he picked up the broomstick that had been sitting on the floor next to him. James was the seeker for the Gryffindor quidditch team, so he had been practicing a lot with the other players lately. They had always gotten Saturdays and Sundays off, however, and this being a Saturday, was a good time for him to get some leisure flying in.
{Oh,} she responded. {Well I just had noticed that the rain had finally cleared up and was hoping to go for a run . . .} she breathed in slowly, {. . .`ve got a lot on my mind, ya know?}
{Yeah,} he sighed, {you`d never know how much I identify with that statement.} They just nodded at each other in silence for a moment. {Well, you`re welcome to join me down to the quidditch pitch,} he said with a hopeful smile. { . . . have a little spin on the broom?}
{Yeah, alright,} she said a little more cheery. The two friends walked down the hall in silence, when finally James decided to pry a little.
{So you`re having problems, eh?} he asked. Joey heaved a sigh.
{Unfortunately.}
{Is it because Amos cheated on you again?} he nervously gave her a sideways glance, worried that she`d be pissed that he already heard the news.
{Yeah . . . sorta . . .} she mumbled suspiciously. {How did you know he cheated on me?}
{Well, uhhhh . . . Sirius kind of filled me in on it.} He smiled warmly at her and put his hand on her shoulder. {It`s alright, Joey. We`ll all be here for you.}
{Thanks,} she grumbled, {but that`s not my only worries.}
{So what else is up, then?}
{I`m kind of worried about what people will think when they suddenly see Sirius and me together, just after Amos and I broke up. I think it`ll kind of give me a bad image, you know? Kind of where I just move on from guy to guy . . .} she trailed off as she just shook her head sadly. {. . . when it`s not like that at all.}
{Of course it`s not, Joey. Amos was a total prick to hurt you like he did! You deserved a real relationship, and Amos was just not providing it for you! However, Sirius is, and you deserve to take up this opportunity!} he was looking at her with a very serious expression on his face. {Besides, the only opinions that matter are the opinions of the people who are important to you. And you know that anyone who knows you well enough would never think lowly of you . . . ever!} Joey just nodded solemnly.
{But I`m worried about losing respect for myself!} she whimpered.
{If that`s the case, then just ask Sirius to take it slow! He`d be more than happy to keep your relationship on the `down-low,` if that`s what you want. No body has to know your business, but you . . .} he rubbed her arm comfortingly. {. . .and maybe a few of your nosy friends,} he added. A smile cracked across Joey`s face.
{Yeah, you`re right,} she said, quite grateful to him for the encouragement. {Thanks.}
{No, problem!} he laughed.
{So, now you`ve got to tell me what`s getting you!} she said curiously.
{Oh! Well . . . it`s not important,} he gave her a shy smile and then suddenly started acting very interested in the stone wall of the corridor around him.
{Is it about Lily?} she interrogated.
{Well . . . yes and no.}
{You know James; one of the things that I admire most about you is your way of saying things that never leaves anyone in the dark,} she said flatly. A silly smirk crept up the side of James` face.
{What I mean is,} he continued, while giving her an exaggerated, disapproving glance, {I`m worried what might happen to the relationship between Lily and I when the stresses of quidditch really start taking over. I`m practically ripping my hair out right now because of the constant worry I have about this season`s quidditch team, and then I`m also worried that she`ll feel neglected and not want to be with me anymore.}
{Oh, James,} Joey said comfortingly. {I`m sure Lily will understand that you have responsibilities outside of your relationship. Lily has stresses too, you know. She can totally relate!}
{Yeah,} he answered. They had reached the front door of Hogwarts that led to the outside grounds. James held the door opened for Joey and they proceeded out into the cool wet air towards the quidditch pitch. {But, then, even if Lily is okay with it, I still have quidditch to worry about.} He continued.
{What`s wrong with quidditch?}
{Well, you know how the season just started about two weeks ago?}
{mmhhmm}
{Well, we`re down a chaser and a beater, because the two Mercurial brothers moved back to the United States with their family over the summer.} He shook his head sadly, {Now our team is incomplete, and we`ll have to find replacements before our first game against Hufflepuff. . . that gives us two weeks!}
{Wait,} Joey looked confused. {Two weeks? Shouldn`t you guys have started looking for replacements over a month ago, when school started?}
{That`s just it,} he groaned. {We`ve been looking, but none of the guys in our house want to fill the position. We`re lucky that the first game of the season was between Ravenclaw and Slytherin, because it gives us more time to try and find some replacement guys!} Joey gave him a *very* irritated glare.
{And why the hell haven`t I heard about this?!} she was practically yelling. James gave her a very sheepish look and just stared at the ground in front of him. She got impatient at his silence, {HMMM?!!!}
{Well . . .} he started out slowly. {Considering the conditions . . .} he was obviously choosing his words carefully to aggravate the smallest amount of fury, {. . . the team decided that it would probably be . . . *wisest* to choose the replacement players by means of only allowing them to be of the more . . . *physically competent* gender.}
Joey had a very expressionless look on her face. She retorted flatly, {James, if you mean to imply that you don`t want any girls on your team, then just say it plainly to my, obviously, too feminine, face.}
James answered her very quickly and quietly while desperately avoiding her threatening scowl. {CaptainWealdwashopingthatperhapswewouldfindjustboystofillthepart.} Joey eyes narrowed . . . so this was Captain Weald`s doing.
{Captain Weald?} she asked with a calmer tone. {That`s the guy who`s . . .}
{Fucked half the girls in our year? Yeah,} James finished her thought.
{That`s not exactly the choice of words I would have used, but-}
{It`s true,} he interrupted her again. {. . . at least HE reminds us of that almost every day. . .} James almost trailed off when he suddenly remembered the point he was trying to make. {The point is, Joey, that Weald has absolutely NO RESPECT for girls. There`s not a chance that he would consider putting you on the team. He`s just a sweet talking dick weed who would gladly take advantage of you before even mulling over the idea of putting you on the team!} They had finally reached the quidditch pitch and were standing on the grass in the middle of the stadium.
{James!} Joey protested, {I`ve played muggle co-ed baseball for the past ten years, I even won the record for being the girl to hit the most home runs on my recreational league. . . I think I`d make an awesome beater!}
{Baseball?} he looked utterly perturbed. Joey almost laughed at the thought that he had no idea what she was talking about.
Joey`s father was an American muggle who had moved to Europe when he was twenty-five years old for the purpose of finding work. Since he was a muggle, Joey`s parents had made a huge effort to get her involved in certain muggle sports and customs. She had been exposed to so many muggle things ever since she was a little girl that she knew everything there was to know about living in a muggle world.
{Baseball is an American, muggle sport involving small, hard balls that you hit with long, hard bats. It`s a very similar concept of hitting a bludger!} Joey felt almost stupid at giving the pathetic explanation of one of her favorite past times.
James had that look on his face which he got when he was plotting a really sneaky prank. He had the words `it just might work` plastered all across his face. {But have you ever flown before?} he asked uncertainly. Joey shrugged nonchalantly.
{Sure, I have. Do you know any witch or wizard who hasn`t?}
{No, but the real question is `are you any good?`}
Joey gave him a smirk. {I can handle myself alright.} James gave her a very uncertain, but curious look. Joey gave him a devious smile and grabbed the broom out of James` hand. {How about I let you be the judge of that?!} she yelled over her shoulder as she kicked off and flew high up into the air. Once the shock had worn off that she had, in fact, *stolen* his broom right out from under his nose, he found himself rather impressed by Joey`s natural ability to fly.
After a few moments of twirling, dipping, and diving on the high- modeled broom stick, Joey landed flatly on the ground in front of James. Her hair was completely wind blown, her cheeks and nose were rosy from being whipped by the stinging wind, and her eyes were watering from the cool, fresh air, that had been whisking across her face; never the less, she was smiling broadly at the highly impressed look across James Potters` face.
{I think we`ve found a beater!} he laughed.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
It was late morning by the time Joey and James started walking back up to the castle for breakfast. When they had finally entered the great hall, they saw Lily and Remus walking down the stairs together towards the dining hall. Lily squealed when she saw them, and came hurrying down the stairs towards them, Remus just in step behind her. Pecking James lightly on the cheek and greeting him good morning, she quickly looped her arm through Joey`s and started pulling her ahead of the two boys so that they could talk in private.
{I heard about Amos and that slut he was with last night!} she hissed in Joey`s ear. Joey just rolled her eyes. How did she know ALREADY?! There were, what, FOUR people who witnessed what happened . . . INCLUDING HERSELF?!
{Yeah . . .} Joey grumbled, {what of it?}
Lily looked hysterical. {Joey . . . apparently, the girl`s name is Catrina (*yes, I meant to spell it like that*), and you will NOT BELIEVE what I just found out about that whore!}
And . . . the chapter ends! I`m gonna have some FUN with where this story is going . . . Hehehe! I need to go to bed! It`s so freakin` late here . . . or I guess I should say early, considering it`s *technically* morning! *yawn* Sara`s sleepy! Anywayz, I`m totally sorry about all of the grammatical errors that I`m sure are present, like, non-stop in this chapter, but I`m just too damn lazy to reread my work AGAIN!!! Man! I just know I spelled hella shit wrong . . . oh, well! Please Review! Much Luv! = ]
So I sent chapter 17 out to people, and even though fanfiction was only down for several hours, I think that was a good trial with the whole `e- mailing everybody` thing. I only came across a few problems that I was aware of. I was unable to send the e-mail to: candy1285@aol.com and glitzgurl13939@comcast.net. After signing back onto fanfiction, I realized that the correct e-mail were: candy111285@aol.com and glitzgurl3939@comcast.net If either of these is STILL wrong, I ask that you make me aware of this!!! Maybe I just had the wrong e-mail addresses to begin with, or maybe I`m just retarded like that, and can`t type them in correctly . . . Never the less, I`m really sorry about that to greenfairie and LM, and hope you will forgive my slowness. Hehehe! = p
As for the rest of you inspiring reviewers, if you did not receive an e- mail this time, and would like to get the update the next time fanfiction is down, give me your address in a review, and I`ll do what I can. If I left anyone out, I send you a gazillion apologies and I will mentally slap myself for you! *insert cheesy smile here* In my defense, I have to admit it gets pretty confusing when I`ve got people with multiple e-mail addresses and I forget where I found them and then I get worried that I e- mailed people twice so then I go bonkers and end up taking addresses off the list . . . *sigh* I`ll shut up now and leave it at: SORRY, SORRY, SORRY, SORRY, SORRY, SORRY, SORRY, SORRY, SORRY, SORRY, SORRY, SORRY, SORRY! = ]
Just for the record, the next time fanfiction is down, I think I`ll wait a little while longer to see if the site comes back up . . . but I`m not an extremely patient person, so I`ll probably wait a few hours or so . . . = p
Anywayz, onto my next chapter! Much luv to all who review!!!
- Sara (a.k.a. Sportzjunkie)
{One word frees us of all the weight and pain in life. That word is love.}
-Sophocles *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
{Omigod!} Sirius yelled out as he smashed flat into the side of James. James caught him by the arm to keep him from falling back.
{Woa, there, Padfoot!} he laughed as he pulled his best friend back onto his flat feet.
{What the hell are you guys doing?!} Sirius laughed at the site of the two friends standing in the middle of the stairway, still in their night clothes.
{I was just . . . and he was just . . . and then we crashed . . . and then you . . .} Joey trailed off into a frustrated huff as the two boys just looked at her with very sleepy and confused looks. James rolled his eyes and decided to clear up the situation.
{Joey was trying to sneak quietly back to her dormitory, while I was trying to sneak quietly out of her dormitory. We crashed, and the rest is history.} James said all of this with a very flat tone. {So what the hell are you doing here?}
{I came to deliver these clothes back to Joey!} Sirius explained. Joey almost burst with laughter at the thought that one of the other marauders could have found it. That would have been a funny site to see in the morning: Remus gets up to go to the toilet, and what does he find? Joey`s half muddied up ball gown draped over the shower curtain! BOY! THAT would have been inconspicuous!!!
{OH, God!} she said aloud. {How could I have forgotten that?!} She took the muddy dress and shoes from Sirius and noticed James eyeballing them with bewilderment. He let out a ridiculous laugh and said:
{Man! What the hell were you guys doing out there?! Mud wrestling?!} Joey gave him a unsociable glance as she tucked the dress under her arm.
{Don`t be ridiculous!} she spat.
{Oh, right . . .} James laughed. {I think you`d have to be topless for that . . .} he sounded very amused with his comment until Joey socked him really hard in the side of the shoulder. Then she turned around and stomped up the rest of the stairs to her dormitory. {OUCH!!!} James yelped as he rubbed the spot of impact. Joey had a mean, right jab.
He looked over at Sirius for some back-up defense. Sirius just shrugged his shoulders and held up his hands to show that he was not getting in between the argument. He then just chuckled to himself and skipped down the rest of the stairs to the common room while James followed. The boys crept back through the crowded room and up the stone steps back to their dormitory. They collapsed back into their beds in hopes to sleep the rest of their Saturday morning away.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Joey crept back into her dormitory quietly, and sank down into her bed. She glanced over at Lily and could hear her friends slow, heavy breathing, that told her she was sound asleep. She obviously hadn`t even realized that James had left. Joey found herself wondering how their relationship was going . . . James and Lily definitely seemed to be `an item` now, but she was a little confused about whether they planned to openly admit it to people yet. This brought Joey`s thoughts back to her and Sirius. She loved Sirius to death, but she wasn`t sure if she really wanted to plainly acknowledge it to people yet. It just seemed a little . . . soon. She had just broken up with Amos, and then she had been single for about ten minutes before she found herself with a boy friend again. She sighed deeply, drew her curtains around her, and closed her eyes.
Joey had tried to go back to sleep, but there was just too many things running through her brain. After tossing and turning for about an hour, she closed her eyes really tightly and just buried her face into her pillow. Maybe if she smothered herself into her cushions, then she`d pass out and be able to actually forget about all her anxiety.
She couldn`t handle it. Frustration took over as she found it would be impossible for her to sleep. She sat up in bed and huffily threw back the curtains to her four poster. If she wasn`t going to be able to sleep, she mightn`t want to just lie in bed and suffer. She needed to get up. So she hopped out of bed and walked over to her trunk. After rummaging through it for a few moments, she yanked out some sweat clothes, a pair of socks, and some running shoes. She hastily changed into them, trying her best to do it without waking anybody up.
Tiptoeing out of her dormitory, she crept back down the stairs out into the common room. Still disgusted at the sight of all the drunk, sleepy students crashed on the floor, she swiftly made her way over to the portrait hole and hopped out.
To her utter dismay, just as she jumped down out into the dimly lit corridor, she tripped on a figure that was sitting up against the wall, just outside the entrance. Joey flew forward and landed squarely; face first, onto the stone floor.
{Omigod! Joey, I am so sorry!} said an extremely familiar voice that Joey knew all too well. The figure began helping her up.
{That makes twice in one morning, James!} she snapped. He grinned at her through the faint light.
{Hey! You crashed into me this time, so I`d say this was not my fault!}
{Well, what the hell kind of brainiac plants themselves right under the entrance to the portrait hole?!} Joey did not sound amused.
{I know . . . I`m sorry,} he sighed. {I couldn`t sleep, so I decided to get out of bed. I went down to the common room, but I couldn`t sit on the occupied couch. There were already a whole bunch of fifth years who had crashed there. And besides, I was debating with myself on whether I wanted to go for a fly . . .} he trailed off as he picked up the broomstick that had been sitting on the floor next to him. James was the seeker for the Gryffindor quidditch team, so he had been practicing a lot with the other players lately. They had always gotten Saturdays and Sundays off, however, and this being a Saturday, was a good time for him to get some leisure flying in.
{Oh,} she responded. {Well I just had noticed that the rain had finally cleared up and was hoping to go for a run . . .} she breathed in slowly, {. . .`ve got a lot on my mind, ya know?}
{Yeah,} he sighed, {you`d never know how much I identify with that statement.} They just nodded at each other in silence for a moment. {Well, you`re welcome to join me down to the quidditch pitch,} he said with a hopeful smile. { . . . have a little spin on the broom?}
{Yeah, alright,} she said a little more cheery. The two friends walked down the hall in silence, when finally James decided to pry a little.
{So you`re having problems, eh?} he asked. Joey heaved a sigh.
{Unfortunately.}
{Is it because Amos cheated on you again?} he nervously gave her a sideways glance, worried that she`d be pissed that he already heard the news.
{Yeah . . . sorta . . .} she mumbled suspiciously. {How did you know he cheated on me?}
{Well, uhhhh . . . Sirius kind of filled me in on it.} He smiled warmly at her and put his hand on her shoulder. {It`s alright, Joey. We`ll all be here for you.}
{Thanks,} she grumbled, {but that`s not my only worries.}
{So what else is up, then?}
{I`m kind of worried about what people will think when they suddenly see Sirius and me together, just after Amos and I broke up. I think it`ll kind of give me a bad image, you know? Kind of where I just move on from guy to guy . . .} she trailed off as she just shook her head sadly. {. . . when it`s not like that at all.}
{Of course it`s not, Joey. Amos was a total prick to hurt you like he did! You deserved a real relationship, and Amos was just not providing it for you! However, Sirius is, and you deserve to take up this opportunity!} he was looking at her with a very serious expression on his face. {Besides, the only opinions that matter are the opinions of the people who are important to you. And you know that anyone who knows you well enough would never think lowly of you . . . ever!} Joey just nodded solemnly.
{But I`m worried about losing respect for myself!} she whimpered.
{If that`s the case, then just ask Sirius to take it slow! He`d be more than happy to keep your relationship on the `down-low,` if that`s what you want. No body has to know your business, but you . . .} he rubbed her arm comfortingly. {. . .and maybe a few of your nosy friends,} he added. A smile cracked across Joey`s face.
{Yeah, you`re right,} she said, quite grateful to him for the encouragement. {Thanks.}
{No, problem!} he laughed.
{So, now you`ve got to tell me what`s getting you!} she said curiously.
{Oh! Well . . . it`s not important,} he gave her a shy smile and then suddenly started acting very interested in the stone wall of the corridor around him.
{Is it about Lily?} she interrogated.
{Well . . . yes and no.}
{You know James; one of the things that I admire most about you is your way of saying things that never leaves anyone in the dark,} she said flatly. A silly smirk crept up the side of James` face.
{What I mean is,} he continued, while giving her an exaggerated, disapproving glance, {I`m worried what might happen to the relationship between Lily and I when the stresses of quidditch really start taking over. I`m practically ripping my hair out right now because of the constant worry I have about this season`s quidditch team, and then I`m also worried that she`ll feel neglected and not want to be with me anymore.}
{Oh, James,} Joey said comfortingly. {I`m sure Lily will understand that you have responsibilities outside of your relationship. Lily has stresses too, you know. She can totally relate!}
{Yeah,} he answered. They had reached the front door of Hogwarts that led to the outside grounds. James held the door opened for Joey and they proceeded out into the cool wet air towards the quidditch pitch. {But, then, even if Lily is okay with it, I still have quidditch to worry about.} He continued.
{What`s wrong with quidditch?}
{Well, you know how the season just started about two weeks ago?}
{mmhhmm}
{Well, we`re down a chaser and a beater, because the two Mercurial brothers moved back to the United States with their family over the summer.} He shook his head sadly, {Now our team is incomplete, and we`ll have to find replacements before our first game against Hufflepuff. . . that gives us two weeks!}
{Wait,} Joey looked confused. {Two weeks? Shouldn`t you guys have started looking for replacements over a month ago, when school started?}
{That`s just it,} he groaned. {We`ve been looking, but none of the guys in our house want to fill the position. We`re lucky that the first game of the season was between Ravenclaw and Slytherin, because it gives us more time to try and find some replacement guys!} Joey gave him a *very* irritated glare.
{And why the hell haven`t I heard about this?!} she was practically yelling. James gave her a very sheepish look and just stared at the ground in front of him. She got impatient at his silence, {HMMM?!!!}
{Well . . .} he started out slowly. {Considering the conditions . . .} he was obviously choosing his words carefully to aggravate the smallest amount of fury, {. . . the team decided that it would probably be . . . *wisest* to choose the replacement players by means of only allowing them to be of the more . . . *physically competent* gender.}
Joey had a very expressionless look on her face. She retorted flatly, {James, if you mean to imply that you don`t want any girls on your team, then just say it plainly to my, obviously, too feminine, face.}
James answered her very quickly and quietly while desperately avoiding her threatening scowl. {CaptainWealdwashopingthatperhapswewouldfindjustboystofillthepart.} Joey eyes narrowed . . . so this was Captain Weald`s doing.
{Captain Weald?} she asked with a calmer tone. {That`s the guy who`s . . .}
{Fucked half the girls in our year? Yeah,} James finished her thought.
{That`s not exactly the choice of words I would have used, but-}
{It`s true,} he interrupted her again. {. . . at least HE reminds us of that almost every day. . .} James almost trailed off when he suddenly remembered the point he was trying to make. {The point is, Joey, that Weald has absolutely NO RESPECT for girls. There`s not a chance that he would consider putting you on the team. He`s just a sweet talking dick weed who would gladly take advantage of you before even mulling over the idea of putting you on the team!} They had finally reached the quidditch pitch and were standing on the grass in the middle of the stadium.
{James!} Joey protested, {I`ve played muggle co-ed baseball for the past ten years, I even won the record for being the girl to hit the most home runs on my recreational league. . . I think I`d make an awesome beater!}
{Baseball?} he looked utterly perturbed. Joey almost laughed at the thought that he had no idea what she was talking about.
Joey`s father was an American muggle who had moved to Europe when he was twenty-five years old for the purpose of finding work. Since he was a muggle, Joey`s parents had made a huge effort to get her involved in certain muggle sports and customs. She had been exposed to so many muggle things ever since she was a little girl that she knew everything there was to know about living in a muggle world.
{Baseball is an American, muggle sport involving small, hard balls that you hit with long, hard bats. It`s a very similar concept of hitting a bludger!} Joey felt almost stupid at giving the pathetic explanation of one of her favorite past times.
James had that look on his face which he got when he was plotting a really sneaky prank. He had the words `it just might work` plastered all across his face. {But have you ever flown before?} he asked uncertainly. Joey shrugged nonchalantly.
{Sure, I have. Do you know any witch or wizard who hasn`t?}
{No, but the real question is `are you any good?`}
Joey gave him a smirk. {I can handle myself alright.} James gave her a very uncertain, but curious look. Joey gave him a devious smile and grabbed the broom out of James` hand. {How about I let you be the judge of that?!} she yelled over her shoulder as she kicked off and flew high up into the air. Once the shock had worn off that she had, in fact, *stolen* his broom right out from under his nose, he found himself rather impressed by Joey`s natural ability to fly.
After a few moments of twirling, dipping, and diving on the high- modeled broom stick, Joey landed flatly on the ground in front of James. Her hair was completely wind blown, her cheeks and nose were rosy from being whipped by the stinging wind, and her eyes were watering from the cool, fresh air, that had been whisking across her face; never the less, she was smiling broadly at the highly impressed look across James Potters` face.
{I think we`ve found a beater!} he laughed.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
It was late morning by the time Joey and James started walking back up to the castle for breakfast. When they had finally entered the great hall, they saw Lily and Remus walking down the stairs together towards the dining hall. Lily squealed when she saw them, and came hurrying down the stairs towards them, Remus just in step behind her. Pecking James lightly on the cheek and greeting him good morning, she quickly looped her arm through Joey`s and started pulling her ahead of the two boys so that they could talk in private.
{I heard about Amos and that slut he was with last night!} she hissed in Joey`s ear. Joey just rolled her eyes. How did she know ALREADY?! There were, what, FOUR people who witnessed what happened . . . INCLUDING HERSELF?!
{Yeah . . .} Joey grumbled, {what of it?}
Lily looked hysterical. {Joey . . . apparently, the girl`s name is Catrina (*yes, I meant to spell it like that*), and you will NOT BELIEVE what I just found out about that whore!}
And . . . the chapter ends! I`m gonna have some FUN with where this story is going . . . Hehehe! I need to go to bed! It`s so freakin` late here . . . or I guess I should say early, considering it`s *technically* morning! *yawn* Sara`s sleepy! Anywayz, I`m totally sorry about all of the grammatical errors that I`m sure are present, like, non-stop in this chapter, but I`m just too damn lazy to reread my work AGAIN!!! Man! I just know I spelled hella shit wrong . . . oh, well! Please Review! Much Luv! = ]