"Aly, come on, you have to play," Amanda groaned. "You can't just give up!"

"Why not?" Aly shrugged. "I don't feel like playing this year. Give the newer students a chance." They were walking down to the Quidditch Pitch today, because the Gryffindor team was holding tryouts. It was mid-morning.

Damien and Char rolled their eyes. "Aly, no one else cares about 'giving others a chance.'"

"Well, I do. Besides, I'm overloaded. I can't fit in all of my homework, and quidditch," Aly sighed, putting her hands in her coat pocket.

"Well, you're going to learn to have to," Amanda said fiercely. She ran behind a tree for a few seconds and reappeared, holding Aly's broom.

"You brought my Nimbus?!" Aly shrieked.

"Of course," Amanda shrugged, walking over the bushes to her. "We're not letting you give up that easily."

"That's mean," Aly said, scrunching up her nose. "Peer pressure."

"Come off it," Char said, waving her hand. "You're an amazing flyer, and the team needs you."

"They'll be fine without me," Aly muttered.

Damien scrutinized her carefully. "It's because all your friends are gone, huh?"

"Kind of," Aly mumbled, flushing.

"You miss Michael?" Amanda asked in disbelief.

"Oddly, yeah. And then the other Michael's at Durmstrang...Katie left, but she was replaced with Katie Bell...Julie's gone...Oliver's gone...The only one left is Harry."

"But it'll be fine!" Char said reassuringly. "Now come on. Let's go before we miss them!"

"Fine," Aly muttered angrily.

"Haven't you got any better clothes?" Harry said disapprovingly, looking at her appearance. She wore a pair of jeans and sweater.

"Sorry, Harry, no. I wasn't even planning on trying out."

"Are you mental?" Harry croaked as he dropped his broom on the wet grass of the pitch. The others turned to look at them. "Not trying out? What would we do without you?"

"I dunno. I thought the others could have a go on the team this year..." Aly muttered, embarrassed.

"Aly, go score a few goals for me," Harry sighed. Then he grinned. "There's no way I'm letting you off the team."

Aly nodded, defeated, and settled on her broom and flew into the air.

She did what she usually does; faking left and right, swerving, jumping into the air a bit, and then when Harry blew the whistle, she landed on the ground and received a high five.

"Welcome back," Harry grinned. Aly smiled slightly and looked up into the stands and watched her friends file out.

"When's practice?"

"Soon. I'm under a lot of stress," Harry groaned.

"Same here. Well, I'll see you around, Harry."

"Bye, Aly," Harry grinned, and then turned to the others and Aly looked over her shoulder and watched Cormac McLaggen rise into the air.

She approached the entrance to the Quidditch Stadium.

"Made it?" Damien grinned. Aly nodded and Amanda smiled happily.

"See? I told you you'd make it. All you have to do is plan your time well," Char said rubbing her back encouragingly.

"We'll just plan more study groups to get more work done," Amanda suggested. They turned around and started walking back up for the castle.

"Thanks, guys. I guess I can handle it."

"We know you can. You just have a lot on your plate right now," Damien shrugged.

Aly looked at her Nimbus with a frown. "I think I need a new broom. This is a old Nimbus."

"I'll get you something else if you like," Char shrugged. "A Firebolt, maybe."

"You must be joking," Damien choked out. "Mum'd never let you spend that much money on her!"

"Well, she's my girlfriend, not hers," Char grinned. Amanda snickered and this and Damien rolled his eyes. He squeezed Aly's hand and smiled down at her and she grinned back.

For the past week, Aly and Char met up in the library or in the common room to talk about school and work, and the 'situation.' And surprisingly, they both found it very...helpful. Char finally understood that Aly does truly care for Adam in a brotherly-sisterly way, and Aly finally understood that maybe constantly obsessing over Adam would be a problem for Char. They both agreed that if Aly is meeting Adam for any reason, it has to be inconspicuous. And Char decided to schedule more snogging sessions.

So now, everyone's happy.

"I say we practice those non-verbal spells," Damien suggested as they came nearer to the castle, "Because I have absolutely no idea how to do it."

"It's simple. Think it, don't say it," Amanda shrugged.

"Well, I hate Defense against the Dark Arts, so it just might be a problem for me, Amanda," Damien said nastily.

"Well, whose fault is that?"

"Ouch," Char said grinning at Damien. "That had to hurt."

"Shut up, traitor," Damien grumbled. He tightened his hold on Amanda's hand and walked faster. "Let's have a talk, you."

Amanda grinned in anticipation of the 'talk' Damien planned to give her and Char stopped walking and they watched Amanda and Damien disappear into the castle.

"Alright then, let's go," Char said brightly, turning around the other way.

"Um, where are we going?" Aly asked, stumbling after Char.

"Hogsmeade, of course," Char replied. "We were supposed to go before our fight started."

"That was a fight?"

"Indeed it was. Our very first," Char answered, looking over his shoulder at her.

"Wow. Too bad I didn't take pictures; I could've made a scrapbook," Aly said teasingly. Char frowned at her in annoyance, and then they started walking across the bridge that leads to Hogsmeade.

"Hang on," Aly said, stopping, pulling Char back. "Is Hogsmeade even open? It's not Saturday, is it?"

"Well...it is Saturday," Char said slowly. "I'm not sure if it's open, but we're going anyway because I owe you a date."

"Yeah, and if we get caught in Hogsmeade, Snape will owe us a detention," Aly snapped, and turned around the other way.

"Hey! Where're you going?" Char asked, catching up with her.

"To the castle, of course," Aly replied. "I have no intention of getting a detention."

"Then what exactly are we supposed to do?"

"I dunno. We'll just relax in the common room, or the library."

"That sounds boring," Char groaned. "How about my room instead?"

Aly looked over her shoulder at Char sharply. "Is that allowed?"

"Of course! Why wouldn't it be?"

"I thought boys and girls weren't allowed in each other dormitories."

"I've been up in your dormitory ever since third year and I never got caught," Char shrugged as they walked back to the castle.

"Well..." Aly said, trying to think of a defense. "Aren't the teachers afraid of students mingling in each others rooms? I mean, it's not safe..."

"Oh, you're doing a horrible job defending yourself," Char laughed. "Just come upstairs! I'll grab some food from the Great Hall and we'll do homework in my room. Sound chaste enough for you?"

Aly blushed. "I'm not thinking chaste, you idiot, but fine."

"Good." Char started ahead of Aly. "I'll meet you up in my room, then." He walked ahead of her and disappeared into the castle.

Aly smiled at Char's retreating figure and leisurely walked up the path.

Of course, her dreamy state and lack of knowledge of her surroundings could've easily let her be...oh...possibly kidnapped?

"Ouch! Geroff!"