A/N:
Hello everyone!
A lighthearted chapter today.
So I hope you enjoy!
However busy and studious Hogwarts castle was during the week, when a Quidditch weekend rolled around, the atmosphere was indescribable. From Wednesday morning until Friday night, it was once again a common sight to see hexes and jinxes flying towards any member of the Gryffindor quidditch team. A few were directed towards the Ravenclaws as well, but none with such frequency as those sent by any member of the Slytherin house towards Gryffindor. Fortunately, the Gryffindor team was almost completely comprised of the sixth years, so almost none of the attacks hit their marks. None went unanswered. Madame Pomfrey had her hands full juggling the various inventive hexes that James, Sirius and Remus felt compelled to return with prejudice. Rose herself had fun hexing the living daylights out of the idiots who tried to hex her. It was getting a bit much, being the target of the majority of the hexes - being the team's only muggle-born made the target on her back feel ever larger.
Once it hit Saturday morning, though, all hexes were stopped. Even the Slytherins had learned not to try it on game day; the retaliatory duel had sent their entire team to the hospital wing and had forced the match to be delayed until they had sufficiently recovered from their injuries. Sportsmanship was observed on these Saturdays within Hogwarts castle, a sort of tenuous ceasefire that only served to ramp up the anticipation for the match ahead. Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw in a must win match for both sides.
James stood in the middle of the Gryffindor common room, already dressed in his quidditch robes. As usual on these occasions, he played with the snitch he'd liberated after one of the games, catching it and releasing it with a sort of nervous energy. Sirius sprawled on a couch near the nervous captain, lazily teasing him as if he had nothing better to do. And he didn't, James utterly refusing to let any of the team down for breakfast until the majority of the school was already in the Great Hall. It was the one superstition James had for a successful match - the heroes entrance to the Great Hall, the cheers, the grins, the bows, and then the habitual picking at breakfast while not really eating so much as a mouthful.
Rose came downstairs, feeling only slightly foolish in her quidditch robes, already thinking longingly of a nice cup of tea before the game. "Any news on Imelda?" she asked, frowning a little in concern.
"Pomfrey says no go" James growled, eyes flashing with the promise of vengeance. "She's still in the Hospital Wing after that unprovoked attack by Regulus and Nott."
Sirius' eyes darkened, but he pasted on a passable smirk for Rose. "Frank's upstairs, suiting up. He's chuffed to be able to fill in as keeper for us."
"Did you give him any choice in the matter?" Alice sighed, emerging from the stairs behind Rose.
James grinned manically at her. "Who do you take us for, Fortescue? We gave the man absolutely no choice whatsoever! This is about house pride, teamwork, sticking it to the Swots! And the Snakes for that matter!"
"Merlin" Remus groaned, shifting a little in his chair by the fireplace. "You had to set him off, didn't you? We've had this all night long. You'd think quidditch was a matter of life and death, the way James carries on about it."
James spun to face him, outrage plain on his face. "Are you a Gryffindor or not, man?!"
"It isn't mandatory to give a flobberworm about quidditch, James" Rose reminded him, stifling a yawn behind her hand. "You care about it more than enough to satisfy the deficiencies of the rest of the house."
The captain squeaked, eyes widening behind his glasses. "And from our own Seeker" James gasped, as if the betrayal was too much. "Pads, did you hear that-?"
"I heard it" Sirius drawled, apparently bored with it all. "And I can't say I disagree with her, mate."
James blinked owlishly behind his glasses, face the picture of horrified shock. "We have a game in less than an hour" he whisper-hissed, unable to speak louder. "And there is nothing but dissention within the ranks."
"For Merlin's sake" Sirius groaned, closing his eyes. He seemed to be debating whether or not to smother James with a cushion. "Get a grip, mate. Don't be so bloody dramatic."
Marlene drifted down the stairs, making their bulky quidditch robes look like something off the runway in Paris (Petunia liked magazines, don't blame Rose). "James getting a nice head start with his pre-match meltdown?"
"Oh yeah" Benjy agreed, unfortunate enough to have come down first. "He's on the first train to St Mungo's at this rate."
"We're all traitors to the cause" Rose added, smirking at Marlene's predictable derision. James's pre-match hysterics were something of legend within the team, something which didn't help his image of maturity in Lily's eyes - not that anything James did helped in that matter.
"Oh good" Marlene remarked with a kind of droll sarcasm. "I would have hated to have missed it."
Rose grinned, Sirius losing the battle with hiding his laughter. "You didn't miss anything, Marley. If anything, James was just warming up."
"That's it!" James cried, almost tearing at his hair as his hands ruffled through it. "My own team is turning their backs upon me! There is nothing but dissention, betrayal, naysaying, and complaints from all quarters!" His eyes darted around the room, betrayal burning in his eyes. "Who needs an opposition with a squad like this?!"
"And he's off" Sirius announced, cheerfully using his quidditch commentator tone. Rose had actually missed that tone. Hogwarts Quidditch was so boring when they weren't playing and Sirius wasn't commentating.
James glowered at him, Rose almost seeing the heat coming from James's hazel eyes. If looks could kill, then Sirius would be in trouble. "And the worst part" James uttered in a tone so wounded it belonged on one of the vapid wizarding radio soaps Rose refused to listen to. "My own best friend, the man I love like a brother - a brother, I tell you! Doesn't even have the decency to support me." James shook his head, eyes downcast. Sirius clamped his mouth shut, little snickers escaping his iron control every now and then. "Woe is me!" James shouted, and it was like every bad Shakespearean production Rose had ever had to sit through as a child. "To have seen what I have seen, see what I see!"
"When did you read Shakespeare?!" Remus demanded, forgetting the Golden rule of never engaging James when he was like this. As in don't - not ever. It wasn't worth the hassle.
"The Bard knows betrayal" James shot, melodramatic and wounded. And that was precisely why they didn't engage the idiot.
"Those betrayals were a damn sight more important than a sodding quidditch game" Remus countered, eyes flickering towards where Lily had decided to come watch the show.
James eyes widened further, giving him the slightly crazed expression he had been missing. "Fie on thee, doubtful wretch!"
"Okay, he's goooone" Benjy chuckled, clearly feeling that it was safe to say so since Sirius had given in to the laughter bubbling up within him.
Lily marched right up to him, silencing the weird Shakespearean rant the quidditch captain was embarking upon. "Potter?" Lily asked, James humming a hopeful sort of note. "Pull your head out of whatever orifice you shoved it in, and get it back in the game. I bet Tilly Shaw in Ravenclaw five galleons that you'd beat them." She paused, making sure she had James's attention. "Are you going to lose me my money on the one time I had faith in you?"
"Absolutely not" James squeaked, sounding rather like a gerbil that had just been stepped on. "Don't worry Fair Lady. We'll win." He cleared his throat, glaring around at his team. "Assuming everyone's finished with their chuckling."
"I've not even started, mate" Sirius informed him gleefully. "I can't believe you read Hamlet. Macbeth is the interesting one."
James immediately began to hyperventilate, mouth forming words he couldn't utter in his shock.
"Oh for Merlin's sake." Remus rolled his eyes, got out of his chair, and then slapped the back of James's head. "We're not in a theatre. Sirius can say the name of the Scottish Play if he wants to."
James led the Gryffindor quidditch team into the Great Hall, swaggering with all the purpose and confidence he could summon. As soon as the sun glinted off his glasses, the entire Gryffindor house (led by Remus, Lily and Peter - though they'd never admit it in a million years) were on their feet. Cheering, catcalling (Sirius was still both the star beater and fittest bloke on the team) and clapping echoed from the Gryffindors, all proud and happy to give James and his team the heroes welcome they'd grown accustomed to with their nigh-unbeaten streak. James, naturally, grinned and bowed, stirring their house into the frenzy of cheering he loved hearing so much. For once, Lily even deigned to smile and clap, inclining her head at him when she caught him gaping.
Never one to stop playing for the crowd, Sirius waltzed Rose over to the table, Benjy following suit with Marlene. Rose smiled nervously, hugging Remus tightly when she reached him. "Thank you" she whispered in his ear, knowing he'd hear her over the insanity of their house. He winked, grinning as he nodded up towards the high table. McGonagall was among the professors joining in the applause, celebrating the entrance of the nigh-unbeatable Gryffindor team. Dumbledore even found the time to break from his legendary impartiality (despite the fact he'd been a Gryffindor as a student) to raise his goblet at him, smiling one of his famously enigmatic smiles.
To the delight of everyone in their close proximity, James released his personal snitch, displaying his dexterity in positions by catching the snitch within seconds of releasing it.
"Stop showing off, Prongs" Sirius called, laughter plain in his voice. "And bloody eat something, will you? The last thing we need is you swooning off your broom like a regency maiden."
"Eat your own bloody breakfast and stop nagging at me" James replied easily, not a trace of nerves visible in his countenance - not that he would ever let something so pedestrian as nerves be apparent before a game. "Honestly, worse than my mother you are."
"It wouldn't hurt you to write more" Sirius informed him, that hint of teasing present telling James that he really ought not to have said that.
Rose felt a none too subtle elbow jab into her ribs.
"You'd better put a stop to that before all team cohesion falls apart before the game" Marlene remarked, reaching for another cup of coffee.
"Why me?" Rose hissed, keeping her smile on so that nobody would think anything was wrong.
Marlene raised an imperious eyebrow. "One of them is practically your brother, and you're at least snogging the other" she stated crisply, as if this was the kind of conversation one had every morning at breakfast. "They're your responsibility."
"I hate you and your logic" Rose announced, pointing at her with the hand not clutching a mug of tea like a lifeline.
Marlene smirked proudly, and Rose grumbled unpleasantness under her breath. Sirius and James were probably about to do something stupid like wresting to work off pre-match jitters, and Rose needed to see that like she needed to see another episode of the Des O'Connor show - it would be perfectly fine under normal circumstances, just not now.
"Oi!" Rose snapped, standing up with her free hand finding her hip. "James, stop being a berk and eat some bloody breakfast. Think of the example you're setting the team. You are the Captain, after all. So bloody well grow up." James made a face at her but grudgingly took his place at the table. Rose smirked and turned to Sirius. "And you, stop encouraging his idiocy, and have something to eat. Godric" she muttered, shaking her head. "It's a wonder Remus and I don't have grey hairs at the rate you two are going."
Sirius smirked innocently and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Sorry, Rosebud" he promised, although Rose wasn't inclined to believe him. "I'll try to behave."
Remus hummed dubiously. "I'll believe that when I see it" he muttered. Sirius flipped him the finger, and it was a normal quidditch morning again in Hogwarts castle.
Waiting to go out and soar into the air for the start of the quidditch match was an exhilarating experience. The echoting chatter of the crowd filled the air with a sense of expectation, expectation that only increased when the commentator began. "And we're about to start" Edgar Bones announced, voice echoing around the quidditch pitch. "Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw in a must-win match for both house teams."
At the head of their line, Rose saw James scowl and gesture rudely into the air. He never liked being reminded that he wasn't captaining the side to back-to-back victories over all their opposition.
"First out are the Ravenclaw team" Edgar called, his voice drowned out by the booing and catcalling coming from the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff supporters (Ravenclaw had decimated Hufflepuff in their last game) and from the Gryffindor team themselves. Rose could barely hear herself think, let alone make out anything other than 'Dearborn' in the Ravenclaw team. "And now" Edgar continued, James giving them a thumbs-up from the head of the tunnel. Rose braced herself, following their team out of the tunnel and up into the sky. "The Gryffindor team: Potter, McKinnon, Fenwick, Longbottom, Podmore, Black, aaaaaannnnndddd Evans!" The cheering that followed was about as close to concert-levels as Hogwarts ever got. James flying around on his broom, waving, bowing and blowing kisses to his devoted fans.
"Get your head in the game, Prongs" Sirius called, idly tossing his beater's bat from hand to hand. "We've got an unbeaten while conscious streak to continue and a victory party to attend."
James again demonstrated his remarkable repertoire of hand gestures as he flew to meet Caradoc and Madam Hooch in the middle of the pitch as all fourteen players settled on the ground at their starting positions.
James and Caradoc shook hands under Madam Hooch's eagle eyed glare. Once they were back in their places, Hooch turned to look at each of them. "Mount your brooms" she instructed, yellow eyes flickering to make sure nobody got ahead of themselves. Rose grinned at Marlene, their robes swirling as they swung their legs over and onto their brooms. With a sharp blast of Madam Hooch's whistle, they kicked off the ground, soaring high into the air.
Rose was distantly aware that the quaffle was being thrown in the air, and the bludgers released, but that wasn't what she was there to notice or care about. She soared to a stop, staring out over the oval. Far on the other side of the pitch (by the Ravenclaw goalposts), her opposite number searched for the snitch. She could've felt sorry for him, but she frankly couldn't be bothered. The snitch was - Rose peered to her right, double-checking - currently fluttering around behind Frank's left goalpost. It would be the simplest thing to fly over and catch it. But, no. Not yet. According to James's game plan, Gryffindor needed to be at least a hundred points ahead of Ravenclaw before she caught the snitch to have the best chance of winning the cup (provided, of course, that they defeated Slytherin in their last match of the season). Rose knew what she had to do. She had to stall a bit. Goodie.
Flattening herself to her broom, Rose zoomed towards the Ravenclaw goalposts, acting for all the world as if she had seen the snitch and was racing to get it. Leahy (the Ravenclaw fourth year seeker only on his first year on the team) perked up like a meercat, brown eyes scanning the skies for what - he thought - Rose had seen. Taking a deep breath (or at least as much of one as she could flying that fast), Rose angled her broom just enough to take her past the Ravenclaw seeker.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Marlene and Benjy high-five, the sound of the scoreboard ticking over confirmation that Gryffindor had scored. Momentarily distracted, Rose felt the tell tale whoosh of displaced angry air that could only be a bludger coming towards her. She rolled and dived, cursing under her breath. Regrettably, the favoured tactic of many a team was to hit as many bludgers at the seeker as possible - especially if it looked like they might have seen the snitch and were in a place to catch it from under their own seeker's nose. Not terribly sporting, if you asked Rose, but not against the rules.
In retaliation for the perfectly acceptable tactic, Sirius hit a bludger at the Ravenclaw seeker, then smirked as James executed a perfect set piece that saw them snatch the quaffle right from the hands of one of Caradoc's fellow chasers and pass it casually between James, Marlene and Benjy before James tossed it through the centre hoop with a flourish.
"Another spectacular goal by Gryffindor Captain Potter" Edgar announced, only the magical microphone letting him be heard over the roar from the crowd. "Gryffindor lead 30 points to none."
The match continued in much the same way. Rose got a good workout rolling from all the bludgers hit at her, Leahy nearly collided with the stands after a one-two combination of bludgers hurtled at him from the bats of Sirius and Ian Podmore. Ravenclaw scored six times, Frank glaring at Caradoc at each one - personally offended that the Ravenclaw chasers had dared score when he was playing keeper. James, Marlene and Benjy got the score to a margin of ninety points, leaving only one goal needed for Rose to finally be able to catch the snitch. Presuming, of course, that nobody from Ravenclaw tried to be a hero and ruin the plan James had meticulously crafted and they had all helped to execute.
Once again, Rose hovered in the sky over the centre of the pitch. Half her awareness was on that young upstart Leahy - making sure he didn't try to do something stupid and catch the snitch to win the game for the team and put Gryffindor in a tricky position. The other half of her awareness was on the rest of her team. Sirius and Ian seemed to have the monopoly on the bludgers, hitting them here and there across the pitch (usually making Leahy jump or the chasers drop the quaffle into waiting Gryffindor hands). Every now and then, Sirius would smirk and wave his bat in her direction - his way of asking if she needed him to bludger anyone. Frank did laps around the goals, idly chatting with Ian who flew past him on his rounds every few minutes. James, Marlene and Benjy did what they did best - fly circles around the opposition.
Still with an eye on Leahy, Rose let the sound of Edgar's commentary filter back into her consciousness.
"It's astonishing how relaxed the Gryffindor team look out there" Edgar commented easily, sounding as if he was having the time of his life commentating this game on the sunny spring morning. "All those early morning and late night training sessions Potter scheduled must be paying off. See? He's not anal, he's just well prepared. The few number of fouls in this game really is a testimony to how professional these two teams are. Nothing like, shall we say, the matches between Gryffindor and Slytherin." A pause, boos echoing from the Gryffindor stands. "Ooh" Edgar whistled. "Nice one Caradoc. Lovely handwork from Ravenclaw Captain Caradoc Dearborn there. Ravenclaw has the quaffle. Dearborn passes to Orynne, Orynne blocked by McKinnon. Dearborn has the quaffle again." Edgar hissed in a sharp breath, the Gryffindor stands cheering. On the opposite side of the pitch, the Ravenclaws booed, shouting indistinguishably as one. "A nasty bludger there from Gryffindor beater Sirius Black" Edgar stated needlessly, Rose watching as Sirius smirked and bowed as he chased after the errant ball. "Dearborn manages to keep hold of the quaffle. Potter is in pursuit. Black lines up his shot. Is it?" Edgar paused dramatically. "Bugger! Dearborn drops the quaffle. Potter collects. Potter, McKinnon, Fenwick. Fenwick is blocked, McKinnon has the quaffle again. Ooh! Watch that bludger, Marlene!" Rose spun in the air, staring towards the Ravenclaw goals. "McKinnon loses the quaffle, but Potter safely catches it. And that's why he's the captain, ladies and gents."
Out of the corner of her eye, Rose saw Leahy hurtle skyward, his broom nearly vertical. "Oh no you don't" Rose muttered, flattening herself to her broom. There was no time to think. It was all instinct. James's plan be damned. She could see it, shining in the radiance of the spring sunlight, fluttering higher and higher. The tail of Leahy's broom was about level with the tip of hers, and she could see him - as if in slow motion - reach his hand forward to snatch victory away from Gryffindor. From the cheering coming from below, Rose knew that they believed the game as good as won by Ravenclaw.
But there was one thing they had forgotten. Ravenclaw was captained by Caradoc. Caradoc was sane. James captained Gryffindor. James was a Marauder and utterly batshit. And another thing; Rose just really hated to lose. And she wasn't the kind of person who listened to common sense. Without a further thought, she pushed her broom closer, leapt off it, and managed to snatch the snitch just as Leahy's hand closed around thin air.
And then she was falling.
Benjy, the show off that he was, caught Rose from her freefall, grinning brightly at her. "Hi, Rosie. Nice day?"
"Can't complain, Benjy" Rose giggled, the snitch fluttering weakly in her hand. "Jamie score?"
"Course he did" the blonde grinned, holding Rose's broom steady as she climbed back on to it. "Ready to join the chaos?"
"Oh, Godric, yes" Rose smirked, shaking her head in mock-exasperation.
They hurtled into the centre of the team, James whooping gleefully, Sirius ruffling his hair. Marlene did rolls on her broom while Frank seemed to be serenading Alice in the stands. The Ravenclaws floated in dejection to the ground - all save Caradoc who had flown over to Benjy and was now accepting the good-natured teasing from his best friend. In the background, Edgar was still proclaiming Gryffindor's win over Ravenclaw and - after some quick mental calculations - informing the crowd that Gryffindor were in a definite position to challenge for the Quidditch Cup again this year. The Gryffindor team paid him no heed. They already knew and were too high off the adrenaline from the game to care either way.
"Well done, mate" Sirius said, clapping James solidly on the back. "Great goal. Fan-bloody-tastic, son!"
"Impossible without you" James replied, beaming brilliantly at his best friend. "That bludger. Just an inch either way and we'd have been in trouble. Just perfect."
Marlene rolled her eyes at the two, a smile lighting up her flushed face. "Not to break up this lovely mutual admiration society you two are having, but I thought we all did jolly well. And all our goals would have been for nothing if Rose didn't catch the snitch."
"Team effort" Rose shrugged, grinning as the team laughed. "Now don't we have a party to attend?"
James wrapped his arms around Rose and Sirius' necks, the three floating to the ground with the little grace such an embrace afforded them. "Party, booze, food" he smirked, hair unreasonably ruffled. "Merlin, I love winning."
Behind them, Benjy and Caradoc touched down, Benjy slinging his arm around his best friend's shoulders. "Come on, Caradoc, I'll buy you a drink."
"Ah, just what I need" Caradoc smirked, the two weaving their way through the crowd beginning to swarm the grounds. "A headache on top of my mountain of homework."
James watched them go with a fond smile on his face. "We've had a positive influence on that chap" he said wistfully. "Only last year he was a dedicated swot, now he's blossoming before our very eyes."
Sirius rolled his eyes, nodding towards the entrance to the castle. "Heads up" he murmured, just loud enough to be heard. "Our welcoming committee awaits." Clapping Sirius on the back, James strolled up to his fans, Sirius grinning at Rose before he did the same. Predictably, they were swarmed with their devoted fans, each clamouring to congratulate and cheer on the victors. As for Rose, well the group heading towards her with bright grins on their faces were all the sight she needed.
Remus swung her around in a joyful hug, smile lighting up his tired face. "Never do that again" he said, shaking his head. "I can't believe you didn't hurt yourself."
"Ye of little faith, Remmy" Rose chided, fighting to hold back her grin. "We've been practicing that for the last year and a half. It was perfectly safe."
"It was insane" Lily corrected, her glare faltering under the happiness in her eyes. "I lost about ten years off my life!"
"Lighten up, Lil" Marlene sighed, shaking her blonde hair out from the strict style she'd used in the quidditch game. "She caught the snitch. We won. Take the victory and your five galleons from that deluded Ravenclaw you bet against."
Lily tutted at them, smile curving her lips. "Honestly" she chided. "I don't know why I even bother."
"Misguided hope" Remus confided with an air of someone who knew exactly what he was talking about. "We try and try but they take no bloody notice."
Rose tilted her head, humming sympathetically. "We listen, we just elect not to follow your recommendations, Rem" she informed him cheerfully. "But on the bright side, that does mean that I can now offer you a butterbeer with your choice of a selection of Honeydukes Best."
Remus grinned wolfishly. "I'm listening."
Thank you for reading. I know I say that every chapter, but I really do love that you read this.
Next update won't be for a little while, RL is getting crazy, but it'll be up soon enough!
At least I haven't left you all on a cliffhanger (must really start doing that).
Please review.