Disclaimer: I own nada.

April woke the next morning feeling very sore. Every corner of her body ached but it was worth it. She couldn't help but giggle at everyone's shocked faces last night when she crashed through that window. It wasn't that she did it on purpose, on the contrary she preferred not to pull the shards of glass out of her flesh all night but seriously all those uptight old duffers should really learn to have some fun now and then. She couldn't believe that all they seemed to care was her attire, as if she almost didn't just fall to her death. Honestly, it's like they've never seen a girl wear pants before!

April was described by people as a "modern" woman. She wore pants, spoke her mind and wanted to work after she was done with school. Compared to girls like Narcissa Black, April was an outright heathen. But it was the 70s and people everywhere, both muggles and wizards, were evolving in to something new—something better. Women were becoming more independent and all the social norms were flying out the window. So what if she was supposed to wear a bra and sit quietly while the men discussed politics, April did not care one bit. She could do anything she wanted and she certainly didn't want some chauvinistic pig telling her what to do. Including but not limited to Lucius Malfoy. That arrogant git really couldn't handle that she had been picked as captain over him but really he didn't stand a chance against a Rookwood. If a Rookwood was a Quidditch captain then Slytherin house was always guaranteed the Cup, Slughorn knew that, her teammates knew that, hell, all of Hogwarts knew that. It was just how things were. "Come on April! Its grub time!" called one of her brothers. She rolled out of her bed and quickly grabbed a pair of jeans off the floor and a white t shirt and made her way down to the dining room.

At breakfast, everything seemed quite normal. Her brothers (who all still lived at home) and her father were discussing who would be picked for England's World Cup team while her mother was buttering her toast quietly. The elder woman seemed to have calmed down quite a bit since last night. When April had arrived back at their house near London, April was screamed at for a good hour before she was allowed to clean herself up. Her parents never gave her a punishment so she was hoping they were letting her off easy this time. Esther Rookwood did not meet her only daughter's eye once April sat down at the table. The men of the family stopped talking and look at the women suspecting another fight. April decided to finally break the tension. "Hello mum."

"April." Esther answered shortly.

"Sleep well mother?"

"No, actually I was up all night figuring out what I was going to do with you and I have decided." She paused and looked at her father, who gave a reassuring look. "Your father and I want you to take a break from Quidditch." April gaped at her mother. Quit Quidditch? Had she finally gone bonkers? April looked at her dad for help but he seemed to agree with his wife. How could they do this to her! This was her year to lead the team to victory. Surely they understood that she was a Rookwood and Quidditch was in her blood. Her bloody ancestors practically invented the game! Her mother looked at her with a calm expression, she was serious. April would have started hyperventilating if Marcus hadn't of spoken up. "Mum, don't you think that's a little harsh? I mean so what if she caused a little damage, it's nothing we can't pay for!"

"It's not just that Marcus, it's the principle of the thing. Why on earth is a sixteen year old girl running around with all males and busting out windows? If you three weren't her brothers then people would think she was some sort of scarlet women! April darling, this is for your own well being and it will only last for this year or atleast until you find a proper suitor. If you play your cards right you'll be back on a broom before you know it!"

April was still staring at her parents. This was completely unfair. "Mum, we've talked about this. I don't want to get married until after school! I want to play for the Harpies!"

"You need to continue this bloodline and perform your duty to the magical world."

"I have three brothers! I'm pretty sure the bloodline will continue!" April was now shouting. How could her parents do this to her? She understood her mother wanting her to quit, she didn't want April to start in the first place, but her father? The man who was the Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports and led the Britain to victory in the 1959 Quidditch World Cup? The man who drilled the importance of Quidditch into her brain since she was a babe? This was just preposterous. "April, you will stop this unacceptable behavior this instant. There is nothing you can do about it now because I already owled Professor Slughorn asking to revoke your captainship for the school year."

"YOU WHAT!" This wasn't happening, no, not to her. She looked to her brothers for support. Augustus shot her a sympathetic look and Marcus looked impassive to this whole situation, at least Julian was the only on that looked truly upset at this news. "Mum, no disrespect to you and dad but April is really good and has a real chance to continue professionally and her taking a year off could really hurt those chances."

"I'm done talking about this."

"Mum, please, don't do this to me!"

"April." Her father said in a warning tone. The only words he had spoken to her all morning. "I can't believe this happening," she mumbled to herself before storming out of the dining room.

April continued to sulk in her room all day, not even coming out for meals. She couldn't stand to interact with her traitorous family. It wasn't until much later that evening that Augustus finally checked to see if she was alive. "April, don't you think it's time to come out of room now?"

"No." answered the mountain of blankets on the giant bed. "Now, I know your upset but mum and dad are right. You need to continue the bloodline," said Augustus soothingly.

April suddenly burst out of the mound of blankets and said, "I'm okay with that, really, but I don't see why it's necessary to stop playing Quidditch?"

"Well, because…you see…the thing is…" Augustus was looking quite uncomfortable as he tried to explain to his precious and sensitive baby sister why she couldn't do the one thing she loved most in the world.

"I can take whatever you need to tell me, Gus." She said reassuringly. Finally mustering up some courage the male Rookwood continued. "Well, because you're so good at Quidditch, some guys are kind of intimidated by you."

"So you're saying that they don't fancy me because I'm better than them at something?" April asked warily.

"Basically, Yes." The room was silent for a minute as April contemplated his words. If she just had to get someone to date her, then all her problems would be solved and besides the first Quidditch game wasn't until mid-October. Surely she would be able to find someone she liked by then, all she had to do was wear her skirt a little shorter and put on some makeup. Yes, maybe by the end of September, she could be back on her brand new Cleansweep. She looked up at her brother who was searching for her reaction. She cracked a smile and hugged her eldest brother, "Thanks for telling me Gus."

"Anything for you Aprilcot, besides, maybe the break will be a good thing. You could focus on your studies more." He said seriously. April smirked, "Why would you say that? I think 2 OWLs is plenty for a future Harpy. We can't all be the perfect one y'know."

"I'm hardly perfect," he scoffed. April rolled her eyes, "Oh please, you were Quidditch captain, Head Boy, and received 7 OWLs. Not to mention you managed to become an Unspeakable within 5 years."

"You forgot to mention my shockingly good looks," he teased. "Seriously Gus, it's amazing you're not beating witches off with a broom." He shrugged casually and strolled out of her room. Augustus was by far her favorite brother, he always looked after her. She was close to Julian and Marcus too but she just liked Augustus better. He was fun to talk to, whereas Marcus preferred not to talk at all and Julian would only talk about girls. Everyone's personality differed from each other; they each had something unique about them. Augustus, their leader, born the first of August, he was the smartest of all of them. Marcus, born March 15, their second in command, he was the sensible one of the siblings preferring to be the mediator between fights rather than starting them. He worked for one of their uncles as an agent to Quidditch players. Julian, born July 19, he was a reserve beater for the Wasps and out of all of them was the best at Quidditch.

Quidditch had always been a major part in her family's life. It all started with Arthus Rookwood in the 1300s where he was one of the few that helped revolutionize the game of modern Quidditch. It is speculated that Arthus decided that he wanted his offspring to always love Quidditch just as much as he did. As it was en vogue at the time to hex your blood to make sure that your offspring was to carry on special traits, only Rookwood decided that the gift of Quidditch was what he wanted to pass on as well as his dirty blonde hair and green eyes. Throughout the years they had broom inventors, team owners, and champions and they were more often than not always a male. Of course when two strong pureblood families with hexed blood come together they create a hybrid of sorts, for example Narcissa Black (more Rosier in her than Black if you talked to the right people) or April who unfortunately didn't get the Y chromosome when she was in the womb. April was the oddity of the family, a driven Flint through and through. She always got what she wanted and the Quidditch Cup was going to be hers after the year was over.

What was left of the summer had quickly ended and she was now aboard the train Platform 9 and 3/4. Today was the day her plan was to be set in action. The day before she had begrudgingly asked Narcissa Black over to her house to help prepare for this day. Although she and April had never particularly liked each other, Narcissa was the only girl April knew to help her with her little problem. So they had spent the day in Diagon Alley, shopping for fashionable clothes and the proper potions she needed. By the end of the day, April felt sufficiently feminine. She thanked Narcissa and they went their separate ways. No, they didn't become best friends or anything like that. April still thought Narcissa was a snooty bitch and Narcissa thought April was still a wild ragamuffin but she supposed they became…acquaintances.

So there she was searching through the compartments trying to find a familiar face. Usually she would have sat with Julian but he had graduated last year which left her the last Rookwood at Hogwarts. She tugged at her attire nervously. She didn't know why she was so anxious, all of the guys in her House she had known since she was in diapers. At one point in time they had all seen her in some heinously frilly ball gown or in her stupid school uniform but this time it was different. She had voluntarily decided to wear this swishy skirt and tight sweater. Her hair was down and she had put on some makeup and was wearing her mother's extra pearl necklace. If this didn't prove that she was in fact, a female then she didn't know what could. As she came near the end of the train she finally found the group she was looking for. Lucius Malfoy was sitting next to his girlfriend Narcissa Black, on the other side of Lucius sat Serverus Snape a half blood from her year, and Rabastan Lestrange was sitting next to Gregory Goyle with an open spot on the other side of him. When she slid the door open, she swore they all practically broke their necks with how fast their heads snapped at the intruder. "Hello," she said coolly. They all mumbled their greeting and returned to the previous discussion. She sighed, just the reaction she had predicted. She had sat down next to Lestrange who was staring at her intently. When she met his eyes, he smirked and turned to continue the conversation. Not really interested in what they were talking about, she decided to stare at the rolling countryside zooming past her window. "So April, what do you think?" Lucius asked her. "I'm sorry what were you saying?"

"I said, what is your opinion about that Potter making captain?" he asked clearly annoyed. "Oh, I'm sure he won't hurt us that much," she said distractedly. April wanted to stay far away from the subject of Quidditch, the longer she could go without telling the guys that she wasn't their captain anymore, the better. "I think I'm going to get something from the candy trolley," she said suddenly.

"I'll go with you," Rabastan said following her out of the compartment. "So Rookwood, what's with the fancy get up?"

"Oh you noticed?" she said while quirking an eyebrow. "I'm a very observant wizard, Miss Rookwood. You should know that by now. Now back to the original question."

"Is it a crime to start dressing a little bit more feminine?" she asked innocently. "Answering a question with a question, you're obviously not hiding something." he said dryly. She looked at him crossly as they continued their way down the train. Rabastan was a handsome guy, April thought. He had dark brown hair with eyes that almost seemed black and tan skin, he also came from a good family with plenty of money. He was the Keeper on the Quidditch team and was friends with her older brothers. They had never had a conversation that didn't involve Quidditch but really what else did they have to talk about? All of sudden there was a loud crash and April fell backward, hitting her head on the ground. "Get off her Black!" roared Rabastan. April feeling very confused, felt a very large and strong body pressing her against the ground and a pounding in her head. "You know Lestrange, I quite like my position as of the moment and the lady doesn't seem to mind so why don't you just scamper off." April groaned, her head was throbbing painfully. She really hoped she hadn't gotten another concussion. "See?" said Black smugly. "THAT'S IT!" All of sudden the body was lifted off of her, and she heard a third voice enter the mix. "Now now Lestrange, I wouldn't do that if I were you, you seem to be outnumbered."

"Shove off Potter. I was only going to teach Black a lesson for knocking out poor April here. I was being- oh what's the word—chivalrous? I thought Gryffindor scum like you respected things like that?" April didn't have to open her eyes to see the smirk on Rabastan's face. "Lestrange, you are scum on the bottom of my trainers. I respect you as much as I respect Peter's chewed up gum." April's senses finally coming to, she decided to break up this little fight. When she opened her eyes, she saw that Rabastan had Black shoved up against the wall with his wand at her attacker's throat, while Potter and the rest of his Gryffindor posse had their wands out and aiming at Rabastan.

"Rabastan?" she said meekly. The boy whipped around and his eyes immediately softened. "April, are you okay?" he said as he helped her up. "I'll be fine, just another concussion that's all," she said dryly. Sirius then shoved Rabastan out of the way. "So sorry for that, you see my mates and I were practicing hexes to use on some slimy Slytherin gits like this one over here and one kind of backfired on me, please do accept my dearest apology Miss…?" April blinked at him and turned to his friends, "Is he serious?"

"Why am yes I am dear, but I would like to know your name also."

"Padfoot, for one that stupid pun got old by the second week of first year and secondly, honestly are you daft? Its April Rookwood, Slytherin Captain, known her all your life, any of that ring a bell?" said the Gryffindor with the prefect badge. Black looked her up and down, for a moment and then realization dawned on his face. "That's right! Thank you, Moony! So April, when did you start wearing girl's clothes? And when in Merlin's name did you get those gams?" April's face then went very red with anger. How dare he talk to her like that! Rabastan then stepped in between the two. "Run along now Black, next time I won't feel as merciful," he seethed. Black grinned and then winked at April who returned it with a scowl. "If that is what you wish for Lestrange, I'll just leave you and that ugly mug of yours that you call a face alone…for now." And with that Sirius Black ran off with his friends before Rabastan had the chance to hex him.

Authors Note: Any better? Interesting at all? Complete failure? Criticism welcomed!