- Day 80 of 366 Days of Writing Challenge: Machine

- The Emotion Challenge: Offended

- September Back To School Event: (dialogue) "I shouldn't be doing any activity where balls fly at my face." / "Well, there goes your social life.", (location) Quidditch Pitch

Pairings/Characters: Sirius, James, Narcissa

Word Count: 388


James's Quaffles

I'm so crazy, baby, I'm sorry that I'm misbehaving.

"It's great," James was saying to Sirius, as they headed over the Quidditch Pitch to the centre of the field, clutching their brooms. Narcissa Black was standing besides a large, black contraption, tapping it with her wnad. "Hey!" James yelled. "Get away from that!"

"I was just wondering what it was," Narcissa replied smoothly. "Seeing as it's in my way."

"Narcissa, it wasn't in your way," muttered Sirius. He knew better than to argue with his cousins, but James had been so excited about showing him this machine that he had built. "I've never seen you on this Quidditch pitch the whole time I've been at Hogwarts."

Narcissa shrugged. "Tell me what it is, and I'll go."

James grinned. "Well, Remus and I have developed this machine to assist us with Quidditch practice," he replied. "This box here," he slapped the box proudly. "Is enchanted with an undetectable expansion charm. It currently holds about three-hundred Quaffles." He gestured to the front of the box, where a round, Quaffle-shaped hole was cut. "While we're stationed in front of the goalposts, this machine will fire Quaffles at us so that we can try to Keep them. Like penalty scores."

Sirius looked confused. "What's a penalty score?"

James waved a hand dismissively. "It doesn't matter, it's some Muggle foot ball thing. I just thought his would be fun."

"Hey, do you think you could trigger it to fire out the Quaffles really fast? We could stick Wormtail up there and just launch them at him," Sirius offered. James sniggered, but he was looking at Narcissa.

"So, Cissy," he said. "How about you give it a go?" he held his broomstick towards her, but she folded her arms and stuck her nose in the air.

"I don't think so. I shouldn't be doing any activity where balls fly at my face."

"Well, that's a shame," continued James. "There goes your social life."

Narcissa's face suddenly glowed crimson, and she glared at Sirius, offended. "Your mother will hear about this!" she hissed, while Sirius clutched his stomach, doubled over with laughter.

"I didn't even say anything!" he wheezed after Narcissa, but it was too late—she was already heading back to the castle.

Whether she told his mother or not—it was worth it.