A/N: Edited 8/17/2020
September 7th, 1976
The next morning when I woke up, although I had only gotten a few hours of sleep, I felt better than I had in ages. I stretched, yawning, as Lily came out of the washroom, her hair dripping from her shower. The other girls were still asleep in their beds.
"Good morning!" Lily said brightly, tapping her head with her wand, her red hair drying instantly into silky layers. "Sleep well?"
"I did, actually," smiling, I got out of bed and walked into the washroom to get ready for the day. I got ready quickly; ready to head downstairs for breakfast. As I was pulling on my jumper, I noted Lily was looking at me oddly. "What?" I asked, throwing my robes over my jumper, and making sure my skirt was sitting flat.
"It's just good to see you rushing for a meal; I'm glad you're feeling better, like the old Addie again," Lily said sincerely. "Let's go, I'm starving." She pushed me towards the stairs, linking her arm with mine. We chatted all the way down to the Great Hall, discussing our latest Transfiguration essay that we both had neglected last night. As I pulled open the door to the Great Hall, laughing at Lily who had just described her ideal prank – involving one James Potter and tiger-print eyebrows – I did a quick scan of the Gryffindor table. We were early today, meaning that the Great Hall was empty, except for the Ravenclaw table. The Ravenclaws always woke up early to get in some studying before the first lesson of the day, so that wasn't unusual. Satisfied that Jase was not yet in the hall, I followed Lily to the spot she had chosen in the middle of the table.
I was buttering my toast when the Marauders arrived. James shot me a smile before he said good morning to Lily. Lily smiled back, blushing slightly, pouring her daily pumpkin juice. Remus slid in next to James, across from me, and Peter sat next to Lily, who was to my right. I felt him sit to my left before I saw him. I hesitated, unsure how last night was going to affect Sirius and my relationship. I snuck a peak over at him, and saw that he was going about his morning routine as normal – he was already loading his plate with sausage and eggs.
"Good morning Jones," He said brightly, not looking at me. "Eggs?" He asked, plopping a heaping of eggs onto my plate before allowing me to answer. Nobody at the table was paying us any attention – James was holding an actual conversation with Lily about their Transfiguration essay, Lily was listening, a slightly bemused expression on her face, Remus was reading a book, and Peter was trying, and failing, to get Marlene's attention. Marlene had just walked in to the Great Hall, but upon seeing Peter waving at her, chose a seat at the other end of the table.
"Thanks, Black. Good morning," I smiled sweetly at him, deciding that if he wanted to call off our feud and lean in to the bond we had formed, I wasn't going to complain. I was tired of fighting with him all the time, and he had proven last night that he could be a good friend when needed.
"You're going to need all of the strength you can get if you plan on making chaser at try-outs today! Eat up," Sirius had raised his voice slightly, so that the others could hear him clearly. James's head snapped in my direction, completely losing focus on Lily who was in the middle of explaining to him the proper wand technique for reversing the spell we were learning for Transfiguration. Lily looked flabbergasted; never in her life had James not given her his 100% attention. She looked a little put out as she too refocused her attention on Sirius and me.
"YES! Pads, mate, how did you get her to agree to it?" James asked excitedly, grinning and scooting closer to us, and away from Lily. If it was possible, Lily's face got even redder, as she realized she had completely lost him.
"Yeah, mate, what are you blackmailing her with?" Lily mocked James. James completely ignored her, and she pulled out a book with a huff, burying her red face into it. I could tell she wasn't really reading, but was following the conversation with her eyes.
"Oh, I'm not blackmailing her with anything. We had a long talk last night, after you lot went to bed, and I convinced her that she could handle academics and the game. She actually said she was relieved someone talked her in to it!" Sirius said faking elation, looking at me, daring me to contradict him. He knew I would never contradict him and have to face the awkward questions about what we actually had talked about.
"Yeah, Black is super convincing, when he needs to be," I snapped, fuming. I got up and stormed back up the dormitory, under the guise that I needed to grab my equipment for try-outs after classes today. I guess me thinking he could actually be a good friend immediately went right out the window.
I couldn't believe that I had actually begun to trust Black. He would use our conversation last night to blackmail me into doing something that would benefit him. He knew that without me, Gryffindor's chances of winning the Quidditch Cup were slim at best. He knew that I wouldn't contradict him in front of our friends. He had manipulated me last night into telling him my secret, so that he could use it against me to get what he wanted. I was right – there was no use in trusting guys. They just used you to get what they wanted. By the time I got upstairs, my anger had faded into an urge to cry. I felt my throat getting tight, and tears prickling behind my eyes. I sat on my bed for a moment, trying to calm myself. Although Black had proven that he was still a jerk, willing to use something like Jase against me, I had to believe that he wouldn't tell anyone. He wouldn't be stupid enough to provoke me into a fight with him, not when I knew that all he wanted from me was a good Quidditch team. He had given me the power in the situation by letting me know exactly what it is he wanted from me – if he threatened to tell anyone, I would threaten to quit the team. I had him right where I wanted him, I just had to make sure I avoided him at all times, so he wasn't tempted to spill my secret in an angry tirade.
Feeling slightly better and wiping the tears that were threatening to fall, I gathered my Quidditch gear – my well-loved gloves that I've been breaking in for years, the soft leather molded perfectly to my hands, and my beloved Cleansweep 500. She might not be the newest broom on the market, but we had a bond that could never be replaced. I briefly considered throwing the try-out, and letting someone else take my place. I shook my head at myself, berating myself for thinking that way. I was good at Quidditch, and I loved it. If I threw it, I'd be letting both Jase and Sirius get into my head enough to take away something that made me feel confident and strong. No, if I was being forced to try-out, I was going to make myself proud and try my hardest.
With that decided, I shrunk my broom and put it into my bag. I made my way back downstairs, and met up with the group at Transfiguration, our first lesson of the day. Remus, James and Lily, who had apparently made up, were sitting at a table in front of Peter and Sirius, where they had left a spot for me. I completely ignored Sirius, shot Peter an apologetic look, and sat next to Frank Longbottom, who was sitting with Alice.
"You guys mind if I sit here? If I sit next to Peter, I'll spend the entire lesson trying to help him. Honestly, I need the help with this spell, I can't waste the entire class," I whispered to Frank, trying hard to make sure that Peter wouldn't hear me. It was true, I would spend the entire class helping him if I sat next to him, but I was avoiding Sirius not him, and I didn't want to hurt his feelings for no reason.
"Not at all!" laughed Frank. The period passed quickly. Sitting with Frank and Alice was lovely; they were two of the kindest people I had ever met. They spent the entire class flirting innocently with each other, and I knew it was just a matter of time before they got together. They were perfect for each other, and we had all known it for years. After Transfiguration, we had History of Magic. I took a detour to the washroom, and thankfully by the time I got to the classroom, Sirius, Remus and Peter were already sitting together. Lily and James were sitting together, again, and I slid in next to James. Lily had obviously forgiven James for ignoring her at breakfast, as she was staring at him unsubtly through her eyelashes. It was amazing how little James noticed regarding Lily, now that he had stopped worshiping the ground she walked on. He had begun treating her like a normal girl late last year, and he didn't even realize that when he lowered the intensity, she had fallen head over heels for him.
"I am so excited that you changed your mind," sighed James. He looked so relieved; it almost made me feel guilty that I had ever made him worry.
"Don't worry about it, I practiced all summer. Hopefully I'm as good as you think."
"You will be. I know you will be. You were good as a second year, and I know you've only gotten better."
I nodded, letting the conversation die out. After History of Magic we had lunch. Sirius didn't attempt to have a conversation with me; in fact, he ignored my presence completely. He was ignoring everyone, from the looks of it. Marlene was trying to talk to him, clearly attempting to flirt over a plate of sausages, but he didn't even seem to notice she was speaking to him. I decided to relax, and just enjoy my lunch. If he wanted to blackmail me, then he can be miserable on his own. He wasn't my problem; all he did was cause problems for me.
It was the perfect September day for Quidditch – the sun was gleaming down on us, but a gentle breeze cooled us off. I stood with a group of three other hopeful students trying out for the chaser position. In addition to Loraine's position that we were filling, we also had to find a new keeper. Four students had shown up to compete for that position. James walked on to the field, the other Gryffindor team members walked behind him, and stood in a semi-circle with him in the center.
"Alright everyone thanks for coming out today. Let's warm up with three laps around the field. Come on! Let's go!" clapped James, glowing now that he was obviously in his element. The Gryffindor team got on their brooms and kicked off, clearly a unified effort to show that anything we did, they were going to do too. It was a smart move by James, to see who would fit in with the team from the get-go by incorporating us into their drills. I quickly kicked off as well, one of the first hopefuls to do so. I caught up to Mary MacDonald, the team's seeker and my dorm mate. Mary's shiny brown hair was flowing behind her, and I couldn't help but think that if she had put it up she would be a little more aerodynamic. But, then again, Mary hadn't lost a match since she joined the team last year, so she probably knew what she was doing. Kelly Farrow, James's counterpart, and my future co-chaser, was just ahead of Mary, and I quickly overcame her as well. Surprisingly, the two beaters, Sirius and Andrew Peakes, were leading the pack. I couldn't quite catch them, but I did notice that Michael Brown, a handsome fifth year who was trying out for keeper, was keeping pace with me. Michael and I finished our laps just seconds behind Sirius and Andrew, and we touched down slightly out of breath. The rest of the team came in next, with the other hopefuls trailing behind. Honestly, the other keeper candidates were proving that they could barely fly, but there was one small second year girl, trying out for chaser, who had managed to catch up to Mary and seemed to be able to fly rather well. She reminded me of myself, and I made a note to make sure to catch her name before the try out was over.
"Alright, I'm sorry, but you four can excuse yourselves. Maybe next year!" James motioned to two keepers and two chasers, leaving myself, Michael, the small second year girl, and Robert Boot. Robert was a fifth year, and Michael's best friend. It appeared obvious to me that Robert had only showed up to support Michael, and was surprised that he was being asked to stay behind.
"So that leaves Addison Jones and Tori Bell for chaser, and Michael Brown and Robert Boot for keeper. We're going to do shooting drills now. All chasers will take turns shooting on Michael first, and then Robert," James announced, motioning for everyone to get in the air. Tori Bell, that was her name. As we did our drills, I realized that Tori was good. She was just like me in second year, talented but trying out at the wrong time. I clearly out-performed her, but just barely. If I hadn't tried out, she would have been a shoe-in. I almost felt guilty for taking this away from her, but the pure joy I was feeling from being back in the air, with a team surrounding me, made me realize that I needed this. I needed this to heal from Jase, to get over my association between Qudditich and pain. I couldn't help but smile widely as the wind hit me sharply in the face, the adrenaline took over my body, and I raced towards the goalposts.
Michael was good. He saved nearly every shot we took at him, although I snuck two shots passed him. Kelly slipped one right through his fingertips at the last second. Robert wasn't awful, but he barely saved any shots, and one look at James's face confirmed my suspicions that he had only kept him around to give Michael a little competition. He wanted a little pressure on Michael so that he would perform well, and we could see what he was truly capable of.
We landed together and James wasted no time in announcing, "Thank you Robert and Tori for coming out today. I encourage you to continue practicing, and try again next year! I am, however, happy to announce that our new Chaser will be Addison Jones, and our new Keeper will be Michael Brown! Addie, Michael, please stick around so we can have our first official Gryffindor team meeting."
Tori walked away from us, her broomstick thrown over her slender shoulder, a look of disappointment clouding her innocent face. Robert clapped Michael on the back, offered his congratulations, and walked away happily. He made his way back up to the castle, most likely in search of dinner, which would be starting shortly. I shot James a quick look, motioned that I'd be back in a moment, and chased after Tori.
"Hey, Bell, wait up for a minute," I shouted, jogging to catch up to her. For someone so short, she was surprisingly quick. She looked over her shoulder at me, and came to a halt. She smiled through her tears, which were just building up, and said thickly, "Congratulations. You were amazing out there. I completely agree with Potter's choice."
"Thank you. You know, I tried out for the team in my second year, with James. The team already had two chasers, a third year and a fourth year. I didn't make the cut, and the captain chose James over me. I knew that I wouldn't get another shot for years, until Loraine graduated. But I kept practicing, and I kept my skills up, because I knew I would have another chance. I waited four years for my chance to try again, but luckily for you, a spot will be opening next year, and I'd really like you to come back better than ever. Keep practicing, you're good, and you will get your time to shine," I told her, patting her on the shoulder, and turning back towards the team before she could answer. I wasn't very good with comforting people when they were crying – I always let Marlene and Mary comfort Lily when she cried. But I knew that the younger girl needed someone to tell her that she was good, and it was just timing, not her ability, that prevented her from making the team. I wish someone had told me that when I was younger and James beat me.
Only Sirius seemed to be paying me any attention when I returned to the team. He leaned close to me and quietly said, "That was a really decent thing you just did. I'm surprised in you Jones, very unlike you."
"Yeah, well, not all of us are cold-hearted monsters all the time like you are, Black." I pushed him away from me, disgusted that he would attempt to talk to me after what he did this morning. He flinched, as if I had hit him. He didn't respond, and made it a point not to look at me throughout James's team meeting, where he laid out about fifteen new plays that he was ecstatic to try out. How Black had the audacity to act like I had hurt him was beyond me. He really was the most talented manipulator I knew, and I was done giving him any of my attention.
James tried to get us in the air to try out a couple of plays, but Peakes who whined, "Come on, Potter," interrupted him. "We'll miss dinner if we get in the air now. Give us a break, and let us eat." James looked like he was considering insisting we practice, but relented with a sigh.
"Alright, but practice starts this weekend, bright and early. Rest up, because we are going to practice twice as hard this year. We aren't going to let anyone take away the Quidditch Cup," James conceded, a dangerous twinkle in his eyes. The team groaned as they made their way to the locker room to shower and change.
"Addie, what an amazing performance out there. I knew that you were going to be great, but you most have practiced literally all summer. You made shots that Kelly couldn't even make," James exclaimed and threw an arm around my shoulder. I panicked, not expecting the touch, and freezing up. I threw his arm off of me.
"You stink, mate, she doesn't want you touching her," Sirius came out of nowhere. James dropped his slightly offended look, laughed, and threw a mock punch at Sirius. They started play wrestling, laughing and insulting each other trying to decide who smelled worse. I was happy that the attention was off of me, but I couldn't help but question Sirius's motives. He obviously had noticed that James touching me had made me uncomfortable, but that didn't explain why he came to my defense. One night he's sympathetic, caring, even sweet towards me. Then he's blackmailing me to get me to join the team, and then he's protecting me from James's suspicion? He made no sense, and I didn't feel like psychoanalyzing him at the moment. I decided to skip the locker room, and further interaction with Sirius, for now, and turned directly towards the castle. Nobody would find it weird if I went straight to dinner, after all.
"See you guys up there, I'm starving, and we already missed the first course."
James laughed and shook his head at me, pushing open the locker room doors. Sirius just looked at me for a second, looking pensive, but didn't say anything and followed James. I groaned. If I couldn't figure out Sirius's angle, he was going to be the death of me. Oh well, that was a problem for another day – right now, I had a lovely shepherd's pie waiting for me in the Great Hall, and I was starving. I walked back to the castle, grinning the entire time, happy to have Quidditch back. I groaned again when I realized I had Sirius to thank. "He really is going to be the death of me," I thought.
