Chapter 5: Planning and Miserable Failures

Freya rocked Marlene's shoulders against her mattress. "Think of the Bertie Botts," she said. "Think of how much those sons of rich men could buy us."

Marlene slowly peeled her eyes open. Her blonde hair splayed out across the pillow, frizzy waves bouncing off one another. "I'm not sure it's worth it," the Gryffindor girl grumbled with a croaky morning voice. The sun was only just brimming the horizon, casting an orange line of light. "Will there be saltwater taffy?"

"You can buy the entire stock if you come."

Marlene sighed, but the prospect of arms weighted down by an unimaginable number of sweets from Honeydukes drew her out of bed. Her old quidditch bag lay prepared near her trunk, training clothes strewn over it. "Why are you so eager to get up and watch?"

Freya shrugged, already dressed but running a brush through her hair. "The promise of hot chocolate, watching people show off." She grinned at Marlene over her shoulder. "Attractive people flying around in front of me for free."

Marlene winked, openly changing in the middle of the dorm. "You're so happy-go-lucky all the time, Freya. It's kinda unnerving at times."

Freya felt her shoulders weight down. "Could say it's in my blood," she muttered to herself. Speaking louder for Marlene's sake, she said, "I'm not always happy."

"No, but it's always unnatural when you're not." Marlene tosses her hair into a tight bun at the nape of her neck. "I always feel like someone has taken Polyjuice to look like you."

Freya didn't make any further remarks about Marlene's observation, only waiting for her to finish getting ready. The Great Hall opened early in the mornings, but most students wouldn't trickle in for another few hours. She leant over Lily's form, who was being swallowed by a blanket. "Lily, do you want to—"

A pale hand swiped at her like she was a buzzing fly that had been hanging around far too long. Freya snapped her hand back to her side, feeling as though she had poked her finger through a den at a zoo.

"Or not."

Marlene and Freya headed down to the Great Hall together, sitting near, but not quite conjoined with the other Gryffindors trying out that morning. They took their time munching on toast, rubbing sleep from their eyes, and sharing yawns. Freya was mostly just glad that she wasn't the one that had to try out or train.

At the check of her watch, Marlene made note that they should move. Striding down the length of the table, her hands gripped the back of James and Sirius' neck, pinching at the nerve. Their necks shrivelled close to their ears. "You two owe me."

"It's been made clear," Sirius wheezed out.

James was still attempting to bring a spoonful of oats towards his mouth, but Marlene tightened her pinch and his muscles wavered, tongue pouring from behind his teeth. "A-ah," he spluttered, twitching.

"Forgive her, she has an aversion to early mornings," Freya said. She gave Marlene a berating look and pulled her hands off the back of the boy's necks. James grumbled, rubbing the back of his head then shoving the full spoon into his mouth as though his freedom would be snatched away again. "But it means she'll be feisty on the pitch."

"She's lucky she's good," Sirius uttered. Marlene's hand reached towards him, but Freya grabbed it before it could. She really did not desire a fight that morning. "Damn McKinnon, save it for the pitch."

"My last nerves, Black," Marlene warned. Sirius smirked to himself and the table, shoulders jostling in silent laughter.

They headed out to the pitch together. Freya tugged her jumper tighter across her chest, glad that she chose something thicker than she first reached for earlier that morning. The autumn air bit at her skin, but at least there was no northernly wind. Marlene settled her belongings down near the entrance to the pitch, but Freya followed the others as they had Peter with them, her designated company. Remus wasn't present, but she could make a guess where he'd be. James and Sirius tossed their gold and red bags down on the stands facing the middle of the pitch. They wore their training clothes, but not the over-robe that they wore through the games.

"Not nervous?" Freya wondered.

James twisted around at his waist in a stretch. "Why would I be?"

And that was the way of James Potter, she sang inside her head. It drew a crooked smile across her cheeks as she shook her head. "No idea," she agreed. "Suppose you also don't need my wishes of good luck then."

Sirius opened his arms and chest to her. "No, douse me in them." James rolled his eyes beside him. Freya mockingly drowned him in her well-wishes, almost turning them into a long monologue. By the end of their shared laughter, Remus arrived, balancing three mugs of steaming hot chocolate.

Their captain, a seventh year whose name was lost to Freya, blew a whistle the shrilled across the pitch. James and Sirius collected their brooms as the remaining three found a comfortable spot along the bench. "Hey, Potter!" Freya called just before he was out of earshot. James turned back around, thick and dark brows raising. "Good luck."

She couldn't hear his laugh, but she watched the upturn of his lips. He waved back at her before catching up with Sirius. The mug of cocoa warmed her from the inside out, almost burning her tongue because she wouldn't let it cool down before drinking.

"James said he invited you to go to London," Remus said after try-outs officially began, brooms circling the pitch.

Freya nodded, blinking between looking at him and watching the players. "I told him that I've never really been in the city there. My father never had time to take us and the idea of trying to watch over Eugene in London makes my skin crawl."

"It's not that exciting," Peter sighed. He hunched over his cup, balancing his elbows against his knees. Remus jutted his elbow into Peter's side. "What?"

"It's fine," she laughed. "I'm not expecting it to be another Hogwarts. But it's London and I want to be able to say I've actually walked through it once in my life."

Remus patted her shoulder. "High goals in life, Hawkins. High goals." Freya shoved his hand away in good nature, returning to sipping on her drink. "How's Marlene doing? I can never tell with quidditch."

Freya squinted and searched for her form in the sky. "Good, I think. But it's hard to tell overall."

Try-outs dragged on for the better part of two hours. By that time, her mug was long emptied and the ceramic cold, now discarded by her feet. It would whisk itself away at any moment. Her mouth was dry and parched from the heat combatting the cold air, and she found herself smacking her lips and tongue around obnoxiously.

Freya picked up the two bags that the boys had left behind, reading the golden names on the tightly woven fabric. She took the one with 'Potter' along it and unzipped it across her lap. "You do know that's going to annoy James, don't you?" Remus warned gently. "He doesn't like his stuff being moved about."

"Unless you rat me out, he'll never know." She grabbed the bottle in victory, unscrewing the lid and wetting her parched mouth. Once she had taken her share, she placed the water bottle back inside, zipped the bag up and placed it exactly where she found it. Remus hummed uncertainly but said nothing.

The final whistle blew and the red and gold crowd around the captain dispersed. James and Sirius flew up towards the pitch. Despite the chilly air, their cheeks were flushed hot and their sleeves scrunched against their elbows.

"See Hawkins," James said through a leer. "No reason to be worried."

"I didn't see actually, I think I fell asleep halfway through."

He huffed at her and went for his bag, unzipping it at his feet. Then he frowned. "It was Freya!" Remus sat with stretched eyes, shocked by his own yelp. Freya's jaw unhinged. "I don't want to get blamed," he wailed in defence.

"You ratted me out!"

Remus only waved towards James and his bag, making a series of unintelligible noises. Freya morphed her expression into something of innocence and smiled up at James who stood tall over her seated form. His brows furrowed, hazel eyes darting between her and the contents of his bag. Sirius snorted from behind him. "You idiot, Hawkins," he said to the air with a laugh to himself as he searched through his own bag.

James's voice was even when he asked, "What did you take?"

"Does it make it better if I put it back?" James looked back down into his pack. He pulled out his half-empty water bottle and shook it. It was the only thing of interest inside his bag that she might have taken. "Aguamenti will fill it back up," she offered.

James wrinkled his nose. "It's fine," he muttered curtly. Using the end of his shirt, he wiped the top of the water bottle. Freya held a roll of her eyes but felt marginally guilty. Standing, she looked over to the other side of the pitch where she expected Marlene to be waiting, but the woman and her pack were already gone.

Had Marlene thought she left or did she think Freya wasn't coming over? Freya burrowed her forehead to the apex of her nose, but let it be for the moment. Waiting on no one else, she followed with the boys back across the grounds towards the castle. She fixed her pace to fall alongside James Potter and urged the water bottle from his hand. He didn't seem too impressed but didn't snatch it back. Unscrewing the lid, Freya muttered the water summoning spell and filled the bottle back up to the brim, and then a little more. She handed it back. "Repaid with interest."

He let out a short chuckle and sipped at it until the water no longer brimmed at the top. "Forgiven," he said.

She kept at his side, hands fiddled behind her back. Her tongue swept across the scars inside her cheek. "I am sorry, though. I don't like when people touch my stuff either, but I didn't realise that it bothered you to that point. Remus warned me but I thought you'd just be annoyed like Sirius when I nipped his quill."

James shrugged quietly, shoving the bottle back into his bag. "Don't take it personally," he said. "I've just never liked people moving my stuff around. I like knowing where everything is. I know it's weird but—"

"It's not weird," she cut in. "It bothers you and that's reason enough for it to be valid. I promise not to do it again."

This time, he laughed properly, readjusting the bag strap over his shoulder. "Thanks." He smiled down at her. "I think I trust that promise a lot more than I trust Sirius's."

Listening in to their conversation, Sirius' heels dig into the ground ahead. He walks backwards, black hair flopping against his neck. "I don't touch your stuff."

"You think I don't know that you do."

Sirius' lips peeled back in a guilty wince. He turned around before James's glare could properly form. The guilt trickles away from her—she hadn't realised how much had begun to pile. Merlin, she was probably causing a mess for the poor lad. Tackling him, reading him bad omens from tea leaves, now moving his things about. She's going to have to buy him half of Honeydukes by the end of the year. Maybe not Honeydukes though. Maybe he'd settle for some Zonko products that she could snag.

"Hey?" Freya's eyes dragged away from the castle towards James. "What happened to your extensive plans to stay away from us?"

"Failing. Failing miserably."