DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything except what you don't recognize!
A/N: hey, another chapter! thanks to my two reviewers, ViceVersa2006 and TotoroSpirit!I really appriciate it!
Chapter 4:
September melted away into October and before I knew it Halloween was here. There was to be a feast and entertainment by the ghosts and everyone got to dress up as something. You know, like when you go trick-or-treating. One of the popular costumes was a muggle. Another one was cross-dressing boys. It was a sight to see.
Qudditch season had started too. And as it was, the Gryffindor team needed another couple of chasers and would be holding tryouts. Not to brag or anything, but if there was one thing that I was good at, it was Qudditch. I'd been playing ever since I could ride a broom and I've always loved it. So, naturally I went down to the try-outs they were holding.
"Alright, I run a tight team and that means six hour practices sometimes. If anyone has a problem with that, then they should leave now." Derek Hoppler, the Gryffindor captain, said. "Now, we need two chasers and a beater. So, when I call your name from which ever list you signed up on, you will run some plays with the team."
I looked at the other three players behind him. There was James, Sirius and some third year I didn't know. Great, I can't even get away from them at Qudditch; just my luck. Oh, well, hopefully they were at least somewhat talented when it came to this game.
As it turned out, James and Sirius were very good players. James obviously was a born chaser and Sirius had the strength and anger to be an excellent beater. The third year, who happened to be the seeker, wasn't that bad either. I was called up, along with a fourth year boy who looked like he was pretty good and some girl who was drooling over Sirius. I figured the girl was only trying for beater because of Sirius. I mean, god, could she be any more obvious?
"Okay, you guys need to each touch the Quaffle three times before scoring," Derek said, addressing James, the fourth year, and me. "And you and Sirius need to keep them from scoring at best as possible." He added, looking at the girl.
He gave the countdown and we all set off. The three of us chasers worked really well together. Better than any of the others anyways. Sirius did some nice bludger work, but the girl couldn't hit a bludger if her life depended on it. James passed to the boy, who passed to me and I passed back to James, who passed back to me and I passed it to the boy, who gave to James, who gave it back, and then I had it and I flew right at the goal posts before scoring. Success!
"Alright nice work, really great. I think we've found our chasers." Derek said, as we landed. "But I'm sorry, you not going to cut it for beater." He added to the girl who didn't look very disappointed. She looked happy that she had been able to come within three feet of Sirius. Girls make me gag sometimes. Honestly.
"Alright class, listen up." Professor McGonagall said. "I am going to assign a project that will be due the week after Christmas break. You and your partner will have to look up and define the ways to transfigure different objects. You will then have to practice these methods and present to the class your research. And I shall be assigning partners." She explained, with a pointed look at James and Sirius. "The pairs are as follows: Lupin and Bostwitch, Potter and Evans, Pettigrew and Packard, Bick and Leomon, and Black and Starr."
I groaned. Being partners with Sirius would kill me! It was true that he was smart, but he got distracted very easily. Like if there was a girl in a three-mile radius, for example. Besides, he would just want to mess around and we wouldn't get any work done. Why oh why was I so cursed to have to be the one stuck with him? Why me?
"Alright, so we're partners." He said, walking over to me when the bell rang.
"Very good, Captain obvious." I replied, sarcastically. He gave me a dirty look. "We should get started now, 'cause Qudditch won't leave us much time to get this done." I added.
"Okay, how 'bout we meet in the library after dinner?" Sirius said, as we made our way to our next class.
"Sounds good to me." I replied, but I got the feeling that he wasn't listening to me. He was walking to down the hall, high-fiving his jock friends and flirting with all the girls.
"What did you say?" He asked, only glancing at me. That really pissed me off.
"Never mind." I snapped. "Just meet me in the library at seven so we get this over with."
"What's your problem?" He asked, looking surprised at my response.
"You are Sirius." I retorted, and I picked up my pace so I could get away from him. Honestly, he could be so infuriating!
"Hey Jules, what's shakin'?" Lily asked as I sat down next to her in charms. I giggled at her. I had said that very expression to her a few days ago and, after explaining what it meant, she adopted it as her way of greeting people.
"Same old stuff." I said, pulling out my charms book. "How 'bout you?"
"Well, other than the fact that McGonagall was cruel enough to make James Potter my partner, nothing much." She said, shrugging. "But I swear if he asks me out again, I'll curse him into oblivion!"
"Oh, you won't Lily." I said, laughing. "But at least your partner focuses his attention on you. Would it Kill Sirius Black to give attention to anyone but himself?"
"Probably. Both him and Potter wouldn't know what to do if the whole school stopped paying attention to them." She said, with a nod. "Oh, look, their highnesses have decided to grace us with their presence."
The Marauders all walked into the classroom. Remus, James, and Sirius were talking excitedly about something in low voices. Peter, as usual, trailed behind them like a lackey. I caught a bit of what they were saying as they walked by. "…Yeah, so tonight is gonna be great!" "Full moons always are, Prongs." "Maybe for you guys…" What was so special about the full moon?
I walked into the library five minutes late. I hadn't seen Sirius at dinner, so I'd assumed he'd already be there and would chew me out for being late. But he wasn't. So I sat down and started working while I waited. After two hours of long and tedious research, I figured he wasn't showing.
"Hey, d'you guys know where Sirius is?" I asked James and Remus when I got back to the Common room.
"Since when do you care?" James asked, not looking up from his game of chess with Remus.
"Since my Transfiguration grade- and his- depend on it. He was suppose to meet in the library two hours ago, but he never showed up." I replied.
"That's not like Sirius." Remus said, frowning and looking up at me.
"Hey, guys, who's winning?" Came an all too familiar voice from behind me. I turned and saw Sirius.
"Where were you?" I asked. "You were suppose to meet in the library at seven!"
"Oh, I forgot to tell you that I'd already set up a tutoring session with someone." He replied, easily. "It totally slipped my mind."
"Alright then." I said, studying his face.
ohhhhhh, is he telling the truth? Only I know, hehe