3: Notes and Quaffles

"Nobody can make me cry in public. I'll punch them first before they make my mascara smear."

―Sandra Bullock

NOVEMBER, 1974

The chilly breeze whistled around the Quidditch pitch as Jane cut in between the violent wind, Quaffle tucked tightly under her arm and eyebrows furrowed in concentration, eyes trained on the golden, glorious hoop that stood far from where she flew, looking miniscule and almost humourlessly unintimidating.

Swooping down to avoid a particularly infuriated Emma Vanity's – her short blonde curls looked especially messy in the wind, Jane acknowledged, but she couldn't be the one to preach – merciless Bludger, a smirk stretching across her face when she caught the Slytherin's disgruntled expression. Jane nodded at her as a mocking, casual greeting, and was met with a furious screech and roars of approval from the crowd.

'Potter!'

With as much grace as she could possibly manage, she steered her broom to the right, relieved to see Jones and Bones flying above her – she effortlessly tossed the Quaffle in the air for Jones to catch, accelerating forward and not even having time to gather her bearings when she Quaffle landed in her arms again.

She was about to bawl an outraged why when the hoop didn't look too fantastically small anymore – and there grinned Narcis, looking more annoyingly scary than the last time she saw him. Pushing her fear aside, anger grew, spreading through her body like wildfire – she couldn't lose! Not in front of Dickhead Narcis!

So, her knowledge flying out the window, she hurled the Quaffle towards the hoop with as much power as she could possibly muster, and –

'POTTER HITS BLACK IN THE FACE!'

Jane laughed outright, pointing at his now pale, bloodied face that would've been handsome given the different circumstance, savouring every last inch of pain on his face – well, the parts that weren't covered by his hands, anyway.

'I can't believe McGonagall gave you detention!' wailed Saiph as soon as Jane exited the Head of House's office, stepping away from the crack in the wall and exasperatingly throwing her hands in the air. Polly nodded furiously in approval as Rhea rolled her eyes, sighing. 'What a bloody git!'

'He's not a "git",' Rhea said defensively, mockingly imitating Saiph's immature wail as Jane agreed with a shrug. 'He had every right. I mean, sure, Gryffindor and Slytherin matches are aggressive but you don't throw Quaffles into people's faces.'

'Narcis deserved it, though, didn't he?' said Polly unsurely, looking down the empty hallway, as if expecting Narcis to come charging down to punch her in the face any second. 'After what he did to that poor first year.'

'Bastard of a cousin,' Saiph said darkly, clenching her fist and starting to walk, unknowingly leading the flock of four. 'Such a coward too; Letrix forces him into being stupid. ' She slipped her finger in between her denim skirt and her tucked in red jumper – Jane always was jealous of her fashion sense (despite the fact that she always insisted that it was always common sense) - and retrieved 'You alright about it though, Fawn?'

'Fantastic,' Jane mumbled sarcastically. 'Have fun at Hogsmeade without me.'

Saiph sighed, clearly annoyed, Rhea patting Jane comfortingly on the back. 'We'll bring you back some Butterbeer,' said Rhea, defeated. 'Merlin knows that's what you live on.'

'Wait!' Polly interrupted with a high-pitched squeak, stumbling forwards and stopping, facing the three others. They halted. 'Hogsmeade's next week? And you're not coming?'

'That was what I just said,' Jane said, rolling her eyes, not especially having the patience for Polly's lack of intellect when it comes to reading in between the lines.

'But she can't do that!'

'She can, she's Head of House.'

'Not head of Hogsmeade!'

'She's deputy head of the whole school, Polly.'

'So?'

'Can you not last a day without me, Pol?' said Jane, cracking a cocky smile for the first time since the match. Having Polly around did have its perks.

'Of course not!' Polly wailed, turning around and walking again – Jane could see her ears turn bright red. 'You're, like, just like... you know!'

'Yeah! You know!' mocked Saiph, making Jane burst into giggles. Rhea scowled.

'You're like – like the rock!'

'The rock!'

'We can't march forth without a rock in front of us!'

'Who said we're marching? I can't bloody march in stilettos.'

'Stilettos in November, Padfoot?'

'Practicality or fashionality, my friend.'

'That's not even word!' she laughed, before a confused expression scrunched up her face. 'Is it?'

Rhea let out a groan. 'No, fashionality is not a word, it's an urban one. And no, Jane is not a rock. We're all perfectly equal valuable members and that's that,' Rhea said, closing the discussion as they turned into the Great Hall. 'Okay?'

'Gosh, Moony, you need to learn how to learn a joke.'

'I can so take a joke.'

'Shut up, Evans.'

'Are you insinuating I am a boy, Miss Black?'

'I'm insinuating that your behaviour is scarily similar to one look-there's-a-stick-up-my-arse ginger.'

And that's when Jane stepped in, stomping over and plopping herself onto the bench, not even taking a look at the feast laid in front of her – they were late, as per usual – and glaring playfully at her friends. 'Liam is not a ginger,' she moaned, rolling her eyes like it was the most stupidest thing she had ever heard – which indeed it was. 'He's a redhead.'

'Same thing, isn't it?' Saiph shrugged, before leaping over the table and slipping in the seat next to her, ignoring the Rhea's breath of complain ('Don't ruin the turkey...') and Polly's screech of laughter from the other side. 'Same colour.'

'No.' She glanced down the table, softly smiling lopsidedly at the familiar shimmer of dark red and hoot of laughter. 'It's not.'

Entertain me, please. – Your Soulmate

Hello? Earth to Liam? – JP

Oi! Stop laughing at her jokes, will you? She's not even funny. Look at me instead. Or I swear to Merlin I will absolutely throttle you when we leave this classroom. – JP

Hey. Stop with the glaring, too. You don't want get any attention, Evans. Not that you don't have mine (your soulmate's) already. – JP

And also, you should move to this side of the classroom. Much more sun, less shade. Better jokes. There's a spectacular view of Professor Dux from the empty seat beside me. There's even a window. Oh, and there's no Snape. – JP

DON'T SHOW HER MY NOTES! I SENT THEM TO YOU, NOT HER! STOP THAT!– JP

Thank you. I love you. – JP

Right, Evans, I love you even though you have scary teacher's pet habits, but the thing is, you don't understand people like me in classroom situations. This day has been so long and strenuous without you I simply have been unsatisfied with my last minute entertainment methods. – JP

Seriously. I started doodling McGonagall in pink underwear dancing with Dumbledore in a bikini. I disgust myself. – JP

But that doesn't mean that I find pink underwear disgusting. Not at all! I mean, it's your choice what colour you like. Actually, no. Anything but green. Preferably red.

Please wear red underpants. – JP

WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT SHOWING HER MY NOTES? MY NOTES! MINE! – JP

I've written you notes for ages, Evans. I think now is a great time you started replying. (Plus, Professor Dux just got distracted in that speech about counter-jinxes because you keep throwing away my precious parchment that I wrote to you. You really need to start appreciating me and my endless love for you, you know. It's starting to make me sad that you don't realise your true feelings towards me yet.) – JP

Bugger off, Potter. Leave me alone. – LE

YAY! I BLOODY LOVE YOU, LIAM CHRISTOPHER EVANS! – JP

Oh, don't give me that look. – JP

You can say its a filler, but it was fun. Heheh.

Sorry for the lack of update. I'M TRYING TO UPDATE EVERYTHING AAHH

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