Sirius was trying to get away from James. He never thought that the day would come when he wanted James to go jump in the lake and get eaten by the giant squid. But it was barely the end of the first week and it had come.
"Come on, you'd be a brilliant Chaser!" James said for the hundredth time. "When we play against Remus and Peter in the summers we're unstoppable."
James was currently chasing Sirius down the hall. Sirius wasn't sure where he was going. The only destination in his mind was away from James.
"I am not trying out for Quidditch," Sirius said with a sigh. They'd been having this conversation since the middle of August, when Sirius had taken refuge at the Potters' house and James had received the Captain appointment.
"But I'm-"
"You friend, yes. Which is why I'm not playing Quidditch. I would like to continue to be your friend."
"What's that supposed to mean?" James practically squawked.
Sirius laughed. "I've played with you. You're a slave-driver. Even when it's a friendly match between the four of us, you have to win."
"And if you're on the team, we will win."
"No, if I'm on the team I'll get expelled because I'll have murdered you by Christmas."
James stopped walking. Sirius stopped too and looked back at him.
"Am I really that bad?" James asked.
"You're my best mate, and I say this in the nicest way possible," Sirius sighed and draped an arm around James's shoulder. "I would rather share a cell in Azkaban with Snivellus for the rest of my life than join your Quidditch team."
James ducked out of Sirius's arm and smacked him in the shoulder. Sirius just laughed.
James laughed too but it was short lived. A look of desolation spread over his face.
"What am I going to do? Honestly?" he asked. "I have four positions to fill. There's only me, Gideon, and Emmeline left."
"I'm sure you'll manage," Sirius soothed. "Look at it this way, Slytherin has a new captain too."
"Yeah, but Vanity was the only one who graduated last year. Lucinda is only short a keeper. I have to find two chasers, one beater, and a keeper."
They had somehow arrived back at Gryffindor Tower. James gave the password and the two boys climbed in the portrait hole.
The sixth year girls were sitting around chatting. James cleared his throat, ruffled his hair and sauntered over. Sirius muffled a laugh and followed him.
"Hello, girls," James said. "Do I have a proposition for you."
"We're not joining the Quidditch team," Lily said without looking up.
"Ga- I- How do you do that?"
The other girls laughed. Sirius watched Kate laugh. Her eyes crinkled. She showed her teeth when she laughed, not like some girls who giggled with their mouths closed.
He had been trying to talk to her since she had run away from the breakfast table a few days ago. He had the vague impression that she was avoiding him. He had never been avoided by a girl before. Well, not at this stage of the game.
He sat down next to her on the sofa. She didn't tell him to leave or hit him so he took that as a good sign.
"Seriously though, I'm desperate," James was practically begging. "Do any of you play Quidditch?"
"Muggle-born," said Mary.
"Me too," said Lily.
"That's no excuse," Kate said. She nudged Mary with her foot, who rolled her eyes.
"You don't play either!" Mary teased.
"But you're half-blood," James said looking at Kate. "You grew up with magic."
"I grew up in London. Where do you imagine I could have played Quidditch?"
"In your back garden?"
"I live in a flat."
"In the park?"
"Full of Muggles."
James made a whimpering noise.
"What about you, Miss McKinnon?" he asked turning to Marlene. "Care to save my hide?"
She casually brushed a stray blonde curl out of her face. "I can swing a beater's bat."
"Really?" James swept her up off the sofa and embraced her.
"Ah! James!" Marlene squirmed out of his arms while everyone laughed. "I didn't say I was any good!"
"It doesn't matter," James said. "Just come to tryouts so I'm not all alone like an idiot."
"You don't need her help with that," Lily muttered. James heard and his face fell slightly. He regained his stride quickly though.
"Are you going to come?" he asked leaning over the back of Lily's chair. "Cheer on your friend? Admire the Quidditch captain who's going to win the cup this year?"
"Oh?" Lily turned around to look at him. "Is Ravenclaw having tryouts at the same time?"
Sirius roared with laughter. This was why he stuck around when James was trying to flirt with Lily.
"I have an idea," Kate said turning to Sirius. "The girls have told me a bit about all of you in your little group, The Marauders."
"Oh really?" Sirius threw an arm over the back of the sofa, sort of but not quite, around her.
"Yes really," Kate leaned away a little, though her tone of voice didn't change. "And I think that if we spread the rumour that Sirius Black is going to be looking for a girlfriend at the Quidditch tryouts, the entire female population of the house will show up."
The others burst out laughing. Kate grinned. Sirius was actually surprised. It wasn't often that a girl could surprise him.
"That's a brilliant idea, Kate!" Mary laughed. "As long as you're all right with an all-girls' team, James."
"I'll take any team I can get!" laughed James.
"Then it's decided," Kate sat up and clasped her hands in her lap, all business-like. "Tryouts are next week, right? We'll work the rumour mill and get you a brilliant turnout."
"Work the rumour mill?" James echoed. "How do you do that?"
The four girls exchanged a glance.
"We're girls, James," Mary said. "Don't question it."
That night, the four Gryffindor girls stood around two sinks in their bathroom brushing their teeth for bed.
"Are you really going to try out for Quidditch, Marlene?" Mary asked, spitting into the sink.
Marlene shrugged. "I think I'll go to the tryouts. I doubt Potter will ask me to join the team. I'm decent but I'm not exactly Hollyhead Harpie material."
"What are your intentions?" Lily demanded suddenly.
"Wha?" Marlene asked around her toothbrush. She spat into the basin. "What are you talking about?"
"Your intentions with Potter," Lily's voice had an edge to it. "We all saw you in the common room: 'I can swing a beater's bat,'." Lily flipped her hair dramatically over her shoulder in a caricature of Marlene's hair flip.
"Well I can," Marlene said defensively. "What does it matter?"
"It- it doesn't," Lily said. "It's just... He's James Potter."
"I know that!" laughed Marlene. "I dated Sirius for Merlin's sake. I can handle myself."
"But can you handle him? He's persistent if he chooses a goal."
Marlene snorted. "You would know better than anyone."
Kate had been standing off to the side, brushing her teeth and watching them.
Now, she spoke. "You fancy him," she said.
"What?" Lily gasped.
"You fancy James Potter," repeated Kate.
"No, I don't!" Lily almost shouted. Mary and Marlene buried their smiles in their hands and shoulders.
"Then why the inquisition?" Kate asked. "If you don't fancy him, what does it matter about Marlene's intentions?"
"I-I... Marlene's my friend. I wanted to make sure she knew what she was getting herself in to. That's all." Lily rinsed her mouth and stomped back into the dormitory.
Mary was grinning at Kate.
"What?" Kate asked.
Mary lowered her voice so Lily in the other room couldn't hear. "You've been here a week and you already picked up on that?"
"I'm right then?" Kate smiled and glanced through the open door. Lily was sitting on her bed with a book open on her knees. She wasn't reading. Her eyes weren't moving.
"Of course you're right," Marlene said. "It's just nice to have confirmation that it's as obvious to everyone else as to us. We've been in it so long that it's hard to tell."
"It's obvious, trust me," Kate leaned forward and drew the other two into a huddle. "Is there any plan?"
"To get Lily and James together? Of course," laughed Mary. "There have been many since the beginning of fourth year. None of them have worked."
"So if you have any ideas, we'd love to hear them." Marlene finished.
Kate rinsed her mouth and put her toothbrush away.
"I'll let you know if I come up with anything."