"What time are tryouts tomorrow?" Teddie asked Theo.

They were sitting alone at the Slytherin table during study period. Blaise and Daphne had already finished their homework and left for Prefect patrol, promising to be back in the common room later.

Theo looked up from his Potions essay. "Eight," he answered. "Montague said to meet him down on the field."

"You'll do great," said Teddie. "Montague can't say no if you do better than all the others."

"What if he's not like Marcus?" Theo asked. "What if he doesn't care about how well someone can play."

"Then he's an idiot," said Teddie. She looked down at her Muggle Studies essay and sighed, they had started to learn about Computers in their first lesson, and it was a subject that Teddie didn't know all that much about.

Her family was too poor to keep a roof over their heads, that's why her parents worked long and tedious hours and were barely home during the days and nights, so there was no way they could afford a computer.

"Are you coming down to watch?" Theo asked,

"Do you want me too?"

"Why wouldn't I want you there?"

Teddie shrugged. "Just figured that you wouldn't want me anywhere near, in case I influenced them in the wrong way?"

Theo sighed. "Ted, if I get the position and Montague says it's because of you, I'll quit. I know I am a great player, and, as you said, if they can't see that then they're idiots," he said.

Teddie met his gaze and smiled.

"Besides, your friendship is more important to me than any Quidditch position. I'm not going to lose you over it."

"So, that's a yes to me attending?" Teddie asked.

"If you're not there, I'm breaking up with you."

Teddie scoffed and Theo burst out laughing.

~X~

At 7:45 the next evening, Teddie, Theo, Daphne, and Blaise met Mason and Astoria in the Entrance Hall and headed down to the Quidditch pitch for the Slytherin tryouts. Theo, still nervous about losing his position, looked as green as he had done the morning of his first match.

"Your face is going to stick like that if you keep it up," said Teddie, latching onto his arm. She poked his cheek and then his creased brow.

With a roll of his eyes, Theo ducked away from her hand and smiled. "I'm just thinking," he said.

"Uh-oh, that's never good."

"I'm serious," said Theo. "I have no idea who has signed up for the Seeker position."

"So? You didn't know who had signed up back in second year," said Teddie with a shrug. "You still beat them all."

Theo sighed. "Yeah, but…" he started.

Teddie clapped her hands over her ears. "Not listening," she called, dancing out of his reach.

"Why did I want you here again?" Theo asked.

"Because you love me," Teddie teased.

A pink hue tinted Theo's cheek and he ducked his head to avoid her gaze. Yes, he did love her, but she didn't know that, did she?

"Oi, treacle tarts," Daphne called from ahead. "If you don't hurry, Theo will lose the position because he's late."

Teddie stuck out her tongue and then turned to her best friend. "She does have a point," she added. "Come on. I'll race you!"

Before Theo could react, Teddie had taken off towards the stands, leaving him to shake his head and follow behind her.

Three years ago, when Marcus Flint was team Captain, he had all those trying out for the Seeker position meet on the field, he then tested their abilities in flying and catching golf balls to see who better candidate would be.

This year, however, Montague had asked all current team members to meet him in the Slytherin changing rooms, he had said why or given away any clues as to what he had in mind for the tryouts, which left Theo feeling out of the loop and numb to what was about to happen.

"We'll be right up there," said Teddie, kissing Theo's cheek as they parted ways. She headed up into the stands with the others and headed underneath them towards the changing rooms.

Settling himself onto an empty bench, Mason looked to his sister as she sat beside him. "You don't really think Montague will replace him, do you?" he asked.

"I don't know," said Teddie. "I hope not. Being on the team means a great deal to Theo, and he's worked hard the two terms he's been Seeker."

"But there is always someone better than you out there," said Mason. "That's what dad says."

Teddie nodded and looked down onto the field. Those who were trying out huddled together in the center of the pitch, and even from a distance, Teddie could make out one or two more participants.

"Why am I not surprised that Malfoy is trying out for Seeker?" Teddie asked, noticing the head of blond hair in the middle of the fray.

"And Warrington," said Daphne, pointing at the taller dark-haired figure. "Isn't he too bulky for a Seeker? Surely he remembers what Marcus said three years ago."

Blaise adjusted his collar against the cold winds. "Maybe he is trying out for Chaser," he suggested. "Or maybe Beater."

Daphne and Teddie shared a look. Neither liked the idea of Theo being on a team with Warrington anymore they did than Theo losing his position to Malfoy.

"Come on, Theo," Teddie whispered, looking back at the pitch. She watched as the Slytherin team walked onto the pitch and could hear Montague speaking over the winds.

"As a reminder it's an open tryout. All positions, save for Team Captain, are open," Montague said. "This is a rebuilding season. Pretty much the whole team has moved on to bigger things, and those that do remain, I'm willing to bet, haven't practiced since before last year. So, let's see what you're made of – Chasers, you're up first!"

Astoria huffed folded her arms around her. "That was cheerful," she muttered. "You Slytherin's aren't ones for compassion, are you?"

Teddie chuckled. "Not all of us, no," she said, shaking her head.

As the tryouts wore on, Montague blew his whistle more times than any of the spectators could count. There was no way of knowing who was up for what position, seeing as many seemed to overlap – Warrington, has Blaise had guessed, had tried out for both Chasers and Beaters – and there was definitely no way of telling who seemed better than who.

"Malfoy, get your ass in the air!" Montague yelled. "Nott, you too!" he added to Theo. "I just want you both to know that I'm not like Flint. You get to be on my team based on merit and skill – I don't take bribes," he looked at Malfoy, "and I especially don't care who you're friends with," he looked at Theo.

Teddie sighed and smiled. It was like she could feel Theo's relief ebbing away from her seat. At least now they both knew if he got to keep his position it was on his own merits, and not because of her.

Daphne furrowed her brow and turned to Teddie. "Wait, you're telling me, he was terrified of getting the position because of you?" she asked.

"Yeah. We both believed that this would be a great opportunity for the other Slytherin's to get a leg up in whatever Voldemort and Avery are planning by befriending me," said Teddie.

Blaise rolled his eyes. "That's hardly fair," he said.

"Since when does most of our house care about fairness?" Teddie asked.

Blaise shrugged nonchalantly.

After a ten-minute run of catching golden balls – it seemed even Montague didn't want to incur the wrath of Madam Hooch by using the actual Snitch as it grew steadily darker – Theo and Malfoy returned to the field.

"Last, but certain, not least, Keeper's, you're up!" Montague called. "The rest of you can either clear out or stay and watch. I don't care, just get off the field!"

As the field emptied, Teddie watched as Theo disappeared beneath the stands and, twenty-minutes later, appeared behind her carrying his broomstick.

"Feel better?" Teddie asked as he sat beside her.

"A little, yeah," Theo nodded. "At least now I know, if I get it, it was because of my skills."

Teddie smiled and hugged him tightly. She rested her head against his shoulder and turned her attention back to the field, watching as those trying out for Keeper positions defended the goal posts.

Over the top of Teddie's head, Blaise caught Theo's eyes and smirked, causing him to blush and look away.

"Hey, I just remembered," said Mason, speaking for the first time since they had arrived. "It's Hogsmeade next weekend."

"Oh yeah," said Astoria, nodding. "It's also our first year," she added to Mason.

As she sat up, pulling away from Theo in the process, Teddie shared a smile with Daphne. "Any ideas on where you guys want to go?" she asked. "It's not that big of a place, but there are some pretty cool places to check out."

"Well, you did promise me that you'd take me to the Shrieking Shack," said Mason.

Teddie grinned, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "I did, didn't I?" she asked. "Well, I don't want you to be disappointed."

Mason laughed. "What about you, Astoria?" he asked. "Do you want to see the Shrieking Shack?"

Astoria shrugged. "Sure. Can we go inside?" she asked.

"No," Daphne said, quickly.

Teddie pouted. "Party pooper," she whined.

Daphne rolled her eyes. "It may not be haunted, but it's still decimated," she explained. "The roof could cave in at any time, and we'd be trapped underneath the rubble. No one would know we are down there, and we'd been stuck for Merlin knows how long."

Teddie rolled her eyes. "You're a drama queen," she said.

"If being a drama queen keeps us all alive, then a drama queen I will be," Daphne huffed.

Astoria rolled her eyes and turned to Teddie. She mouthed something that the older girl didn't quite catch and earned a smack to the back of her head from Daphne.

"Ow," Astoria whined, clutching the back of her head. "What was that for?"

"You know what that was for," Daphne said.

Astoria laughed while the others looked on in confusion.

Finally, once the tryouts had ended, the group returned to the castle. It was already passed 10pm, which meant that curfew had been set in.

"Come on," said Daphne, taking her sister's hand. "Blaise and I will walk you and Mason back up to Ravenclaw tower. We're prefects, we'll be safe from any punishments."

Blaise nodded. "Theo, Teddie, you should get back down to the Common room, though," he said. "Theo may have a reason to be out after hours, but you don't, Ted, you could get into more trouble than you already are, especially if Umbridge finds out."

Teddie pressed a kiss to Mason's head, wished him goodnight, and then parted ways.