Chapter Four: Quidditch Cup

On the day of the quidditch cup, the conditions were perfect; sunny and warm, with firm ground, for the ideal kick-off. The entire school was in high spirits, and betting each other on who would win. Though Slytherin had never beaten Gryffindor, they had really given them a run for their money this year.

As the Slytherin team trouped into the changing rooms, Regulus took his seeker aside.

"Sam, you need to catch the snitch today. I will not lose to my impudent little brother and his goody-two shoes Gryffindor friends," He lectured.

"Don't worry so much. I can handle it," Sam responded in a monotone voice. She had heard this lecture everyday before a match with the Slytherin's rivals.

Regulus shrugged and walked off, Sam watched him go before daring to glance across the empty field to the Gryffindor changing rooms. Sirius and his friends were talking outside. Remus and Peter departed, leaving Sirius and James lounging against the outside of the building. Sirius sensed something and glanced across the field, his eyes connected with Sam's for the briefest of seconds. Sam looked away first and hurriedly headed inside the tent.

"Prongsy, you're gonna have your work cut out for you this game," Sirius confided in the seeker.

"Yea, that girl sure is something when it comes to quidditch. But she's still just a Slytherin, the trophy is in the bag," Prongs replied.

"Dunno James, it could be harder than you think," Sirius insisted.

"James! Sirius! Get in here! It's time to go over the game plan!" the team captain called.

The stands were filled to the max with Hogwarts students, and as the teams took the field, the cheers were deafening. Professor Walker, the flight instructor and quidditch referee, instructed the captains to shake hands. The look in their eyes as they did so was dislike, pure and simple. The professor blew on her whistle and the players shot into the sky. Sam soared through the air, making sure to stay near enough to James to counter his moves, no matter which way he went.

James floated above the crowded stands, and watched the violent game unfold below him. Slytherin and Gryffindor games were never very nice, but this was utterly ridiculous. The beaters were missing the bludgers on purpose, only to almost hit a member of the opposing team.

Sam was keeping her eyes peeled for the snitch while listening to the scores taking place in the air under her. They had been playing for two hours and she was getting tired of sitting on her broom. The score was 300 to 130 in favor of Gryffindor and just when Gryffindor regained possession of the quaffle, Sam spotted the snitch. She dove; faster and faster, straight down.

James saw her dive and saw the snitch, hovering about 3 feet from the ground near the Ravenclaw's section of the stands. He dove at a slant, not gaining as much momentum but cutting off enough time to even everything out. Past the players he flew, and out of the corner of his eye he saw a Slytherin beater smash a bludger straight down towards him, he veered sharply to dodge it and quickly resumed his dive.

Sam saw the bludger coming for James, watched him dodge it, and all of a sudden it was coming for her. She flipped over to the underside of her broom, so that she could jump off easier if she had too. Leaning close to the handle she urged her broom to go faster. There was a loud thunk behind her as the bludger hit the ground. Righting herself on the broom, Sam concentrated on getting the snitch. She and James were neck and neck, both flattened against their brooms for maximum speed. Five feet, three feet, two feet, both shot out a hand.

Everyone had paused to watch as both seekers quickly veered up and hovered above the crowds, side by side. There wasn't a sound as they waited to see who would raise their hand. Even the Gryffindor chaser had stopped, five feet from the goal post. If he had thrown it a hair sooner, it wouldn't have mattered who caught the snitch. Slowly, ever so slowly, Sam raised her hand in the air. Between her fingers glimmered a little ball of gold.

Oddly enough, after all the suspense, no one cheered. For in catching the snitch, Sam prevented Gryffindor from getting those ten points, but she also had tied the score. For the first time in Hogwarts' history, there had been a tie. As both teams descended to the field, Professor Walker and Headmaster Dumbledore, were deep in discussion about how to break the tie. Dumbledore approached the captains, who were warily eying each other, and whispered something to them.

The Gryffindor captain shrugged and nodded and rounded up his team into their changing room. However, the Slytherin captain hadn't taken it so well, Regulus stormed past his team, pausing only to grab Sam by her robes and drag her after him. He slammed her into the lockers of the changing room,

"Do you have any idea what you just did!" he raged, "You just cost us the cup! Now we have to share it with the Gryffindors!"

"Regulus, I tried my best. Potter would have gotten it anyways, if I had waited any longer. There wouldn't have even been a tie, Gryffindor would have won."

By this point, Regulus was too mad to say anything he merely stormed right back out of the changing rooms and up to his dorm. Sam sighed, there would be no party in the Slytherin house tonight, and only because it wasn't an outright win, but wasn't a tie better than a loss? Her teammates didn't speak to her, didn't even acknowledge the fact that she existed as they trouped inside. Sighing again, Sam marched back up to the castle. The Gryffindors had returned inside and the stands were empty and daunting, reminding her of just how lonesome she was.

A solitary tear slid down her cheek as she wished for the millionth time since her arrival that she was home again. Sam didn't notice the person watching her, until she turned around. Sirius had seen his brother drag her off the field and had waited to make sure she was alright.

"He didn't hurt you, did he?"

"No, just a few small bruises. He wouldn't mortally injure his only chance at beating your team," Sam replied with a dry chuckle.

Sirius missed the humor in this, "You never know, he's unpredictable at best. You should watch your back for a little while."

Sam shifted her weight, and swung a leg over her broom, "That may be so, but I won't let him get any satisfaction from him thinking I'm afraid of him. I should be returning to my common room. The OWL's are less than a week away, and I should really study some more."

"Sam, wait. I... err... just wanted to say you did a good job today. And I wanted to know if maybe you wanted to, you could come to the Gryffindor party with me."

"As nice as that sounds Sirius, you know that Gryffindors and Slytherins don't mix. That's the way it's always been. So, you'll have to excuse me for declining you offer. Goodnight, Black." Sam responded and kicked off and into the air, flying towards the castle.

"Sirius," said a voice from the sidelines, "don't tell me the almighty Gryffindor god has bowed down and found interest in a girl, rather than waiting for one to come to him."

"What do you want, Evans?" Sirius barked, not in the mood for her mind games, "James is inside, I'm sure he'd be delighted to see you."

"Mr. Black. Do not take that tone with me. I merely wondered why you, of all people, would bother going after a girl, and a Slytherin girl, no less," Lily snapped back with the same attitude.

"What I do is none of your concern,"

"Oh, but it is. As a Prefect, I am required to report you if you do anything rash."

"Lay off, Evans," Sirius was starting to lose his temper.

"Fine, Fine. I can tell when I'm not wanted," Lily stepped closer to him, "Just remember, Black. There will be those who don't like this idea and will try to get in your way. But if you really like her, and genuinely care about her well being, don't be rash and just jump into this. I'm not saying don't go for her, I'm just saying, give it time."

Sirius watched, stunned as Lily turned to go back up to the castle. At the end of the quidditch pitch, she paused and turned back to him,

"Oh, and, Black? Will you tell James to watch how much he drinks? I, for one, am not up for cleaning the common room tonight."

Sirius chuckled, and nodded, before mounting his broom and flying to the party.